Read Ringworld for Free Online Page B

have you got in mind? Remember," said Louis, "the puppeteers have thousands of candidates to choose from. They could find our fourth crewman any day, any minute. Then, off we go."
    "That's all right," said Teela.
    "You'll stay with me until then?"
    Teela nodded her fiery head.
    ***
    The puppeteer dropped in two days later.
    Louis and Teela were out on the lawn, soaking up sunshine and playing a deadly serious game of fairy chess. Louis had spotted her a knight. Now he was regretting it. Teela alternated intellection with intuition; he could never tell which way she would jump. And she played for blood.
    She was chewing gently at her underlip, considering her next move, when the servo slid up and bonged at them. Louis glanced up at the monitor screen, saw two one-eyed pythons looking out of the servo's chest. "Send him out here," he said comfortably.
    Teela stood in one sudden, graceless motion. "You two may have secrets."
    "Maybe. What have you got in mind?"
    "Some reading to catch up on." She leveled a forefinger at him. "Don't touch that board!"
    At the door she met the puppeteer coming out. She waved casually as they passed, and Nessus leapt six feet to the side. "I beg your pardon," he fluted. "You startled me."
    Teela lifted an eyebrow and went inside.
    The puppeteer stopped next to Louis and folded his legs under him. One head fixed on Louis; the other moved nervously, circling, covering all angles of vision. "Could the woman spy on us?"
    Louis showed his surprise. "Sure. You know there's no defense against a spy beam, not in the open. So?"
    "Anyone or anything could be watching us. Louis, let us go to your office."
    "There ain't no justice." Louis was perfectly comfortable where he was. "Will you stop bobbing your head around, please? You act scared to death."
    "I am frightened, though I know my death would matter little. How many meterorites fall to Earth in a year?"
    "I wouldn't know."
    "We are perilously close to the asteroid belt here. Yet it does not matter, for we have been unable to contact a fourth crew member."
    "Too bad," said Louis. The puppeteer's behavior puzzled him. If Nessus had been human -- But he wasn't. "You haven't given up, I trust."
    "No, but our failures have been galling. For these past four days we have been seeking a Norman Haywood KJMMCWTAD, a perfect choice for our crew."
    "And?"
    "His health is perfect and vigorous. His age, twenty four-and-a-third terrestrial years. Six generations of his ancestors were all born through winning lottery tickets. Best of all, he enjoys travel; he exhibits the restlessness we need.
    "Naturally we tried to contact him in person. For three days my agent tracked him through a series of transfer booths, always a jump behind him, while Norman Haywood went skiing in Suisse, and surfing in Ceylon, to shops in New York, and to house parties in the Rockies and the Himalayas. Last night my agent caught up to him as he entered a passenger spacecraft bound for Jinx. The ship departed before my agent could conquer his natural fear of your jury-rigged ships."
    "I've had days like that myself. Couldn't you send him a hyperwave message?"
    "Louis, this voyage is supposed to be secret."
    "Yah," said Louis. And he watched a python head circling, circling, searching out unseen enemies.
    "We will succeed," said Nessus. "Thousands of potential crew members cannot hide forever. Can they, Louis? They do not even know we are seeking them!"
    "You'll find someone. You're bound to."
    "I pray that we do not! Louis, how can I do it? How can I ride with three aliens in an experimental ship designed for one pilot? It would be madness!"
    "Nessus, what's really bugging you? This whole trip was your idea!"
    "It was not. My orders came from those-who-lead, from two hundred light years away."
    "Something's terrified you. I want to know what it is. What have you found out? Do you know what this trip is really all about? What's changed since you were ready to insult four kzinti in a public