Lyon's Pride Page 5

  The least that should be done is blow up those ships so this group will be planetbound for a long time to come, and her eyes flashed with determination to wrest that much of a concession from those who preferred non-aggression. We’ll never be able to communicate with that species. I certainly don’t want to have to meet any mind of theirs again, single or many!

  Afra certainly understood her hostility and resentment of the species but he had been raised on a methody planet which did not approve of violence of any kind, even in self-defense. “There are always alternatives: keep talking” had been the guiding rule about confrontations that might lead to force and bloodshed.

  Until we can find the weaknesses of this species, we cannot arrive at a solution which will produce success without needless waste of life, he said as gently and persuasively as possible. He didn’t wish to aggravate the Rowan, and he knew her sentiments in depth, but he also had the right to his opinions and the right to express them.

  Even when Rojer has been the first casualty of such an attitude? The Rowan’s grey eyes flashed at him and she shifted herself away from his gentle support.

  He sighed, but he expected nothing else.

  A door whooshed open and Mrtgrts stood there a moment, its poll eye aimed directly at the two Human Talents. As it stepped onto the bridge, Flk and Trp followed.

  “PRTGLM EXCEEDED ORDER AND OBEDIENCE. A CARRIER IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. IT MUST BE TRANSPORTED TO CLARF IF SUCH A TASK CAN BE REQUESTED OF TALENTS, KNOWING THAT A YOUNG OF YOURS HAS BEEN BASELY ABUSED. THERE WILL BE NO GOOD GREY DREAMS.”

  The Rowan gave a little shiver. I’d like to consign Prtglm to this primary, not to Clarf.

  That would be sparing Prtglm the ultimate humiliation, Rowan, Afra pointed out. I can send a carrier that far if you would rather not deal with the send.

  Oh, and her eyes blazed at him, in that case I myself will bump him back to Clarf and half bury the capsule…

  Afra signaled her to wait as he turned to Flk and Trp. “WHAT HAPPENED TO GRL AND KTG AND WHY?”

  “THEY PRESUMED TO INTERFERE WITH PRTGLM’S ORDERS TO RJR. PRTGLM PUNISHED SUCH PRESUMPTION.”

  The Rowan hid her eyes for a moment and a sob racked her. Afra sent the gentlest soothing thought he could, though his heart pounded bitterly at the sacrifice, at the terrible shock such a loss would have dealt his son. Rojer was no older, in either ’Dini or Human terms, than the two who had tried to help him. Afra could and did allow himself a brief surge of pride in a boy who would not be coerced into doing something against training and conscience.

  “THEY,” Flk continued, drawing itself up straight, “DO HONOR TO THEIR COLOR AND THAT OF YOUR DWELLING.”

  “THEY HONORED MY SON MORE,” Afra said, though his voice cracked uncertainly. He bowed his head and let his tears flow. The ’Dinis didn’t understand weeping but he scarcely cared at that moment what their reaction would be.

  “Put your erring person in the carrier,” the Rowan said in a steely voice. “Which station handles power generation?”

  Every ’Dini pointed and she moved to that station, its attendant stepping respectfully back.

  “Who is to be informed of the reasons for Prtglm’s crime and return?” the Rowan asked Mrtgrts.

  The big ’Dini inclined its body to the Rowan. “This one will inform Gktmglnt personally of this terrible misconduct of Prtglm who now submits to retribution. Details will be forwarded to you.”

  The Rowan responded to that with a curt nod of her head. Gktmglnt was one of the high-placed ’Dinis who accepted Human reasoning and logic in the Alliance campaign to restrict Hiver incursions. A pall of tense silence was maintained until it was announced that the carrier had been loaded and was ready for transfer.

  Afra followed the Rowan’s thrust. She did not quite plow the capsule into the concrete of the Clarf landing field. She gave the Clarf Tower Prime, her granddaughter Laria, quite a shock to feel a carrier being brought in so precipitously.

  Grandmother, I just had the most extraordinary orders not to touch that personnel pod. There’s a crew swarming over it, painting some kind of message I can’t understand. Is there someone or something inside? The sun’s boiling here today. Anything enclosed like that will bake in its own juices.

  Then follow your orders, Laria, the Rowan said. The creature in the carrier killed your brother’s ’Dinis.

  WHAT?

  As Callisto Prime I speak to Clarf Prime, the Rowan went on in a flat voice.

  As Clarf Prime, I listen, Laria said, though her grandmother could sense the quickly suppressed quaver of uncertainty in the mental message as she expressed the formula of total discretion now required.

  Briefly the Rowan related what had happened. She caught a brief flare of Laria’s regret that the Hivers had not been bombed.

  Clarf Prime, such an action would have been totally beyond the parameters of your brother’s position. He has acted properly, and bravely. Had he complied, he could never have been trusted to run a Tower.

  Yes, Callisto Prime, of course I see that. You’ll let me know the moment you find Rojer? And it was a caring sister who asked, not a Tower Prime.

  He did not contact you directly for assistance then?

  No, Grandmother. He could have reached me. He’s gotten very strong, you know. I’d say he was stronger than me…

  Than I, her grandmother corrected absently. I doubt you’ll need gestalt to hear when we do find him. Have you any ideas where he might go? Could he possibly have gone to Deneb? You children were always keen to visit Isthia.

  Laria was astute enough to catch the wistfulness in the Rowan’s voice. She would have informed you the moment she was aware of his presence on Deneb. And she would be.

  Yes, she would be.

  Laria hesitated, surprised by the tinge of despair in her indomitable grandmother’s tone. You’ll find him, Grandmother, I know it. Especially if Dad’s with you. You two could hear to the farthest arm of the Milky Way.

  You have a ridiculous tendency to exaggerate, young woman.

  The contact was broken, but not without Laria’s sensing that her “exaggeration” had somehow cheered the Rowan.

  * * *

  She’s right, you know, Afra told the Rowan, since the exchange had been open to his mind, too. We could make ourselves heard a long, long way. Farther than Rojer could have thrown that escape pod. But he hadn’t turned on the engines so he didn’t use them in gestalt.

  Which means he’s nearby, concluded the Rowan and allowed an audible sigh of relief to escape her lips.

  “WE STAY HERE A WHILE,” Flk and Trp told Afra. “MRTGRTS, TOO. ALL COLORS ARE FADED.”

  “THE MISJUDGMENT BELONGED ONLY TO THE CAPTAIN AND ITS NEED FOR HONOR,” Afra replied.

  “NO. THEY WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE BOMBS. THEY WERE GLAD TO THINK THAT IT WOULD BE PERMITTED TO BRING DESTRUCTION TO THE HIVE PLANET WHEN ’DINI PLANETS HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH.”

  They have a point, the Rowan said, but before Afra could argue, she added, I can’t stay another moment on this ship.

  “CONTACT ME WHEN YOU WISH TO RETURN TO THE GENESEE,” Afra told the ’Dinis, who bowed in acknowledgment.

  * * *

  Reporting formally to Captain Osullivan in his quarters, the Rowan and Afra were immediately offered refreshment.

  “I knew old Prtglm was up to something,” he said, “but it’s still hard for me to interpret some of the more obscure ’Dini body language. Commander Yngocelen came to me—oh, two weeks back—when the KTTS requested some unusual ordnance supplies from our stores. I didn’t think much of such oddments and we are under orders to comply with any reasonable requests. The KTTS had been making probes for Rojer…. Any word on his whereabouts, Callisto Prime? We are most worried for his sake.”

  “We appreciate that,” and the Rowan sighed again.

  “I’d’ve given anything to have spared him such a shock and the loss of his ’Dinis. They, too, are…were well liked by all the crew and officers. Gave lots of
their time teaching us pronunciation and vocabulary.” Osullivan shook his head.

  “I do not think he has gone far, Captain, but we,” and the Rowan gestured to Afra, “would like to go in deep gestalt to locate him.”

  “A shock like that to a sensitive young man…” Captain Osullivan said sadly. “He may not wish to be found and, knowing what caused him to disappear, I can’t say that I blame him.”

  “Nor do we, which we shall make paramount in our thoughts,” Afra said. “But the reason for his disappearance has now been removed.”

  “I needed that,” the Rowan said, finishing the last of the small sandwiches and the wine in her glass. She stood. “Let’s find the missing, Afra.”

  “If I might make a suggestion,” the captain said, his expression startled by the thought that came to him. “It’s always the last place you look. I mean, if you’re looking for something or someone.” He glanced from the Rowan to Afra, hoping they followed his illogical rationale. “The last place anyone would look for Rojer—because of the danger—would be on that refugee ship!”

  “How so?” And then, impatient with slow speech, the Rowan plucked the details from Osullivan’s public mind. “Ah, yes, I see your point. The escape pod would be sufficient protection from any residual gases and he’d know the interior spaces to the square centimeter.” Her face lit with a smile that almost made the captain reel from its sudden brilliance. He was full of envy for Jeff Raven, and indeed, anyone who was close to such a vivid personality.

  He caught the wry smile on Afra’s face and felt himself blush at having been quite so transparent. The barest shake of Afra’s head, and an increase in his smile, suggested to Osullivan that his reaction was rather common when the unsuspecting dealt with the Rowan.

  * * *

  Commander Metrios immediately ushered Afra to his chair while the Rowan settled on Rojer’s couch.

  “We may not need to draw much on the gestalt,” she said with a quiet confident smile that put heart in the engineer’s uneasy mind. Metrios had been excoriating himself for not having kept closer tabs on Rojer, on the messages recorded, or not, on his own station.

  “We suspect he has parked the escape pod on the refugee ship,” Afra said by way of explanation.

  “Of course! Why didn’t we think of that!” And Metrios wallowed for a moment longer in guilt.

  “Not that it would have done you much good, except relieve your apprehension, Commander,” Afra said, radiating conciliation. He glanced at the Rowan and the pair immediately went into a mind merge, the focus of which stabbed in the direction of the deserted ship.

  The pod is there! In a cargo hold on the perimeter of the ship, which is in full vacuum, clear of the gas. I believe we could dissipate the rest of it throughout the ship. That might solve transport problems.

  So it might. But we know that the ship is within range of the surface-to-air missiles.

  That can be altered. Ah!

  Rojer, said his father very gently, touching the mind of a boy so deeply sunk in despair and shock that only a flicker was palpable.

  Daaaaad? Unexpected joy/immeasurable relief/then shame followed.

  No shame, Rojer, no shame! the Rowan quickly responded. You were honorable.

  Are Gil and Kat honorably dead then? The anguish/shock/loss/hatred/fury in Rojer’s tone had to be fended off by parent and grandparent.

  Laria is correct, the Rowan said on a tight aside to Afra, Rojer has strengthened significantly.

  More the pity that his tour should end on such a tragic note.

  We will make positive out of the negative, old friend. Swiftly, the Rowan told the boy what had ensued.

  I could have, SHOULD have, stopped Prtglm. I could have, using force, Rojer said, still grieving and accusing himself.

  NO! both the Rowan and Afra said so fiercely that Rojer recoiled from them.

  Sorry, son, Afra said. I know you feel the loss of Gil and Kat very very deeply. Trp and Flk do, too, and with an implacable hatred I have never heard from any ’Dini before towards one of its own kind.

  Prtglm is, I believe, roasting in its personnel carrier on Clarf, the Rowan added with some relish, in the noonday sun.

  Despite the appalling consequences, Rojer, his father added, you behaved exactly as you should.

  Going AWOL, Dad? I should have called you! That’s what I should have done. Thian got to Granddad when he needed help. But I just…

  Both could hear the sobs that he had been able to choke back until now.

  Now, there, love, a good cry is what’s needed most, the Rowan said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, but you are not the only one, I assure you. She paused for a long moment, ending with a deep sigh. We all grieve for your friends, Rojer. We can feel your loss as if it is our own, Rojer, and you have only to reach out from the focus of your grief to realize that. She felt his hesitant contact and let him see how deeply she, and beyond her, all his kin, joined him in mourning. That seemed to astonish the boy out of his self-absorption. So she went on in a brisker tone. Now, will you need assistance to bring that escape pod back to its proper position?

  You’re tired, son. Let us help you.

  I got myself here, Dad. I’ll get myself out.

  The Rowan approved of his attitude but, in a tight aside to Afra, she proposed that they surreptitiously assist him.

  Grandmother, I’m not being cocky, but this I will do myself. All by myself, Rojer surprised them both by saying. Before he had completed the mental sentence, Commander Metrios jubilantly announced that the pod had been reconnected to the Genesee.

  The Rowan abandoned dignity and ’ported a very weary grandson directly into her embrace on the bridge.

  Don’t embarrass him, Rowan, Afra began until he saw how tightly the boy clung to his grandmother before he turned to his father, and Afra knew that her instinct had been correct.

  A cheer cut through their private reunion and Metrios was the first to grasp Rojer’s hand and pound him on the shoulder, forgetting every protocol regarding the Talented in his relief at seeing the boy. Rojer was too exhausted to be offended and much too gratified by Metrios’s genuine response. Doplas, Anis Langio, Yngocelen, even the yeomen and women on duty, all crowded around to welcome the boy back. The captain’s approach made them step aside.

  “Rojer, it is such a relief to see you unharmed…” the captain began, pumping Rojer’s hand in his turn. “No, you’re not exactly unharmed, lad, are you, after such an encounter, but you have our sympathy for your losses and our appreciation of your courage. I should have been hard-pressed to stand up to Prtglm when it was so obviously deranged.”

  The captain’s admission surprised Rojer so much his mouth dropped open.

  Close your mouth, boy. Learn to accept praise with proper modesty, the Rowan said, but her tone was kind.

  Rojer immediately closed his mouth and managed a smile.

  “He’s out on his feet, Captain,” Afra said, putting a protective arm about his son’s shoulders. “I’ll take him to his cabin.” Which Afra did, with as much tenderness and affection as he thought would not rob Rojer of his new manliness.

  Then the Rowan indicated to the captain that she wished to speak with him privately and he led her back to his ready room.

  “What Rojer had no authority to do, I have,” she said, gracefully seating herself. With no subtle prompting from her, he offered wine which she accepted with relief. They both sipped, organizing their thoughts. The Rowan had acutely experienced Rojer’s trauma, which went deeper than she had expected. But then she had not had close ’Dini relationships. The boy’s attachment to his ’Dinis went far beyond that of the unusually deep familial bonds of the Talents, so his loss was far more profound. They’d have to deal with that on his return. She had another, more immediate matter to attend to.

  “We must, of course, discuss the proposal I have in mind with Gktmglnt and Admiral Mekturian,” she began, and Captain Osullivan gave her as good a double take as she had seen in ma
ny a year. She allowed a slight smile to put him at his ease. “That refugee ship must never be used by Hivers. Nor the other ships in orbit. We have enough of this species loose in the galaxy right now.” She held up her hand when Osullivan opened his mouth. “I certainly cannot condone—much though in essence I approve of Hiver containment—what Prtglm had planned nor its proposed delivery. As you may be aware, controversy rages over whether we, the Alliance, have the right to inflict the atrocity of destroying occupied Hiver worlds. That’s the sort of barbaric retribution which we Humans have outgrown. Yet we cannot, by the same token, permit them to continue to exterminate life forms on the planets they wish to colonize.

  “It has been put forward that perhaps they recognize only their own species as intelligent and sentient and are unaware that they are slaughtering developing sentient forms. Be that as it may, certain actions have been discussed and this situation here allows us some leeway. I will propose to Gktmglnt and Admiral Mekturian, subject to their agreement, that Squadron B demolish the three orbiting ships to prevent the obviously imminent colonial expedition. I shall myself ’port the missiles so expediently available: an action in which T-2 Afra Lyon cannot be expected to take part, since he is methody by training and choice.”

  Now it was Captain Osullivan’s turn to drop his jaw and stare at her in amazement, tinged with a certain equally gratifying relief and delight.

  “First, however, it will be necessary that the refugee ship be surreptitiously removed beyond the range of planetary missiles. Then it should be easy enough to tow it back to where the Great Sphere is being examined.” She grinned with wicked delight. “How much more we can learn from an intact vessel than a melted hulk.”

  Osullivan’s expression brightened considerably.

  “Prime Rowan, it went severely against the grain to know that those Hivers would have four colony ships available to them.”

  She chuckled, twisting the stem of her wine glass, her grey eyes sparkling at him over its rim.

  “Soon there will be none. I’m delighted you find yourself in tune with this plan.”