第24节

overground, we should not underestimate the Mute's capabilities '

Assessor 3 cut in. 'llnderestimate them?! Heck, boy you just

confessed to increasing their goddam capabilities!

What you did is tantamount to treason!" 'No, sir,' said Steve

firmly.

'You misunderstand the situation. I repeat - I did not teach them

anything. Our current assessment of Mute skills is totally

inaccurate.

If I failed to tell this Board what I observed - if I remained silent

in the hope of staying out of trouble - that would be treason.

I'd deserve to have The Book thrown at me for betraying everything I

believe in."

The dark-haired President looked at Assessor 3. 'I agree." She smiled

approvingly at Steve. 'We applaud your courage and your honesty."

Damn right, thought Steve.

Assessor 2, a woman who had said little all day, leaned forward.

'Steven, has it occurred to you that these "skills" you speak of- and

incidentally seem most impressed by - could be part of a vocabulary of

instinctive behaviour? In the same way that other overground animals

are born with the ability to hunt and birds and reptiles know how to

fly or swim, and build nests in which to rear their young?"

The President smiled. 'I'm afraid Steven doesn't believe that Mutes

are animals."

Steve knew he was being drawn back onto dangerous ground but felt

obliged to reply. 'With regret, ma'am, officially, the Federation does

not describe Mutes as animals. They are categorised as subhuman."

'That's correct,' replied Fran. 'It means "Less than human". It means

they can never be our equals - or are you challenging that definition

too?"

'No, sir-ma'am."

'I'm glad to hear it. Go on with your story."

.Editing the true sequence of events, Steve described the unsuccessful

attempt to power the arrowhead with a motor from one of the wrecked

Skyhawks and his decision to make do with an unpowered rig. And how,

after completing the craft, he had overpowered two guards during the

night, then fought and killed three more Mutes before making his dawn

leap to freedom.

Steve told the story well. Fran, listening to her young golden-haired

charge, was enthralled. 'Do you mean to say that you leapt off the top

of that cliff without even a test flight?"

Steve inclined his head with a modest smile. 'It wasn't all that much

of a risk, ma'am. Aerodynamics was one of my best subjects at the

Academy."

Yes, I know, thought Fran. You scored 100 per cent.

Just as you did in all the other exams...

On the fifth and final day, Steve stood to attention once again as the

Board members filed in and the young President took her seat. While it

was clear that many of his observations had been controversial, Steve

was confident that he had struck the right balance between candour and

servility. He was, after all, a wingman - a superbly trained, highly

disciplined lone-wolf capable of acting independently, whereas others,

like linemen for example - the ground troops of the Federation - could

only function properly as part of a close-knit combat group. Wingmen

were relatively unaffected by the morbid fear of the overground that

assailed most Trackers. In a tightly controlled society such

independence could be potentially dangerous. Not in the Federation.

Wingmen were selected for their integrity and loyalty to the First

Family. These were the guys who did everything by The Book. The guys

whose zeal for the rules and regulations was only exceeded by Provos

and Assessors.

Above all else, Steve knew how to radiate integrity.

And he was pretty good on loyalty too. Endowed with a photographic

memory, he could come up with an appropriate line from any of the First

Family Inspirationals. The same went for the recorded wisdom of the

President-