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native we had freed from prison, educated but unversed in government. That didn't matter; we equipped
him with a competent staff of advisers and administrators, so that he could operate as I did: being a
popular figurehead who nevertheless got the job done. Programs were instituted to eliminate the hunger
and homelessness that were rampant across much of the planet, and to improve the lot of the common
workers. Human rights had come to Mercury.
Meanwhile, I had Forta. She had played the role of Spirit beautifully, while Doppie had stayed out of
sight Without Forta's ability to emulate not only the aspect of my sister but her mode of operation, we
could never have brought this off. My respect for her was enhanced and when I made love to her now it
was never with a mask. Beauty is as beauty does, and she was beautiful. A significant part of my
motivation to help the ordinary folk of the planet was that I knew how much that would please her.
Chapter 17 RUE
I think I was sixty-five years old when we went to Jupiter. I dislike supposing that my powers of
memory are fading with my age and health, but perhaps it is true. When I review the events of my recent
life, there seem to be gaps of days or weeks that I cannot account for. Probably they were spent in
routine travel, dialyses, and pauses between significant events, and my mind has simply telescoped the
material to leave only the salient matters.
Yes, now I remember one important matter I was about to overlook. While we were consolidating
Mercury, fresh news came from the Triton Project: One of our bright young engineers had worked out a
way to make the projection self-receiving. That is, to fashion a receiving tube into a ship, which of
course it was, and to project that ship in the normal manner. But instead of requiring an established
receiving tube for its arrival, this one could retranslate itself, and solidify at the destination. The
mechanics of it were complicated, really beyond my understanding, but the essence as I understand it is
that this modified tube projects its receiver field outward rather than inward, so affects itself rather than
whatever passes through its interior. The fact that it is made of light at the time of operation doesn't
seem to matter; it applies the rematerialization field to itself, and converts instantly, exactly as it would
if it encountered that field in the tube of a physical receiver. I am sure I am overlooking some critical
stages, but I hope this suffices. The point is, it meant that we no longer faced the prospect of having to
send tubes out to the stars at tedious sublight velocity to establish receiving stations; we could do it at
light speed. This would accelerate our program immeasurably.
But of course this was still in the prototype stage; years of testing would be required before we were
sure of it. It would also require new facilities to develop, as the present ones were already operating at
capacity. So one unit was all there was. It worked, but it wasn't enough.
I pondered briefly, and realized that I could facilitate a couple of things if I had the nerve. Since my time
was limited, I decided to take the plunge. "Ship it here immediately," I told them.
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Of course it wasn't immediately, but they did expedite it. They shipped it via the regular tube, so that its
self-manifestation would not arouse curiosity, and it appeared as a regular ship. We inspected it and
outfitted it for occupancy and travel, for of course it had a regular drive. This was not so much for space
travel as to provide the considerable power required for translation.
At any rate, this was one of the things that took my attention and time during this period. Odd that it
should have slipped my mind until I looked for it, for it was certainly significant.
One thing was coming clear: Though my powers may have been failing, and my status was that of an
exile dependent on the largess of an alien planet, the larger situation made my political power greater
than ever before. I was now known as a statesman, an envoy of goodwill, laboring to secure a project
that would benefit mankind as a whole. But in the name of statesmanship I had come into considerable
executive influence. The Triton Project was conducted in my name; the treaties with Mars, Earth, and
Venus were in the name of the Tyrant, and Mercury was entirely under my control. Saturn backed me
absolutely, and Uranus to a considerable extent. They had a great deal invested in the Triton Project, and
I was the unifying symbol of it. Now that power was to have its major challenge.
Jupiter did not intend to join the Triton Project. The case was similar to that of Mercury; illicit elements
had recovered power, and knew that this would be eroded if the planet became a contributory to the
effort to colonize the galaxy. Jupiter had warned me not to attempt to return, and Jupiter held my
daughter Hopie hostage. Former President Tocsin had taken over again, covertly, and I knew that he was
absolutely unscrupulous. That was why Spirit had gone ahead to prepare the way; this was to be our
greatest challenge.
For the Tyrant was going to have to take over Jupiter again. I had been exiled, but I honored that only as
long as my wife Megan required it; now she was out of power and her worst enemy was in charge. If
Megan still barred me, I might stay clear but when Tocsin had seen fit to make our daughter a hostage,
I knew he had alienated Megan. She would not help me, but neither would she hinder me.
Spirit had gone to reconnoiter the situation in detail, and to reestablish connections with the Jupiter
Navy. Of course Tocsin had by now replaced my top personnel with his own henchmen, so I could not
simply march in and have the support of my old units. But I had had forty-five years of association with
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