You Can't Buy Eternity!

by Dwight V. Swain

Ross gripped Veta tighter. "Stop it, girl! Stop the piping!"

She gave no sign that she'd heard him. After a moment, he reached down ... pulled the pipe from her lips.

Now, for the first time, she tore her eyes from the hideous things on the floor. "No, no! Let me pipe! They'll come—they'll engulf us!"

Ross said gently, "They'll come anyhow. You can't stop them. So now it's time I tried."

"Time—you tried—?"

"Yes. Just as soon as I tell you something."

Some of the blank horror left Veta's eyes. "Tell me—? What?"

Low-voiced, Ross said, "I don't want us to die with you thinking I'm Lewis Thigpen. That bracelet Cheng found was mine. My name's Stewart Ross, and I'm a Security Agent. Actually, Thigpen died of a heart attack before Tornelescu was killed. But whoever murdered Tornelescu doesn't know that. He's geared to go after Thigpen, because the catalyst formulas and notes use a code for ingredients, and Thigpen's the only one who knew it. So we figured a fake Thigpen would draw the killer out of hiding."

He stopped abruptly. "I wanted you to know." And then, staring down at the gulfers as moment by moment they closed in: "Here. Give me your pipe."

But Veta's fingers tightened about it. "No. Not till I've told you something too, Stewart. You see, I had to help Mawson. It was the only way I could keep my brother Sanford out of Venus Barracks. But I didn't dare tell you. Mawson—he could have had Tornelescu murdered. And he sent Cheng after you, too, thinking you were Thigpen. Only I think he'd seen Thigpen someplace or other, so when he saw you, he knew you weren't the right man—"