Lord tedric, p.4
Lord Tedric, page 4
The captain's lounge proved to be yet another small, poorly-lighted room, Enough chairs and couches had been scattered through its interior to provide seats for all the corpsmen, but aside from that, there waslittle room to stand or move around. Nolan made his way to an empty chair and beckoned to Tedric to join him. The other corpsmen looked up at their entry but said nothing.
An aura of depression seemed to fill the room. Tedric looked at the tattered, torn upholstery of the furnishings and thought he understood. For such men as these, especially after their two-year hiatus at the Academy, the moment of entering into active service was something long anticipated. He knew what they had expected to find: excitement, adventure, glory. So far, none had found anything greater than narrow corridors, dim rooms, torn furnishings. Tedric, who shared none of these anticipations, could only sympathize with the disappointment surrounding him. He guessed that Nolan must feel the same as the others, but he managed to conceal his emotions beneath a cocky exterior.
Putting a finger through a hole in the arm of his chair, Nolan whispered to Tedric,
"Maybe we ought to get our new friend, Third-Class Keller, to repair this."
"Do you think he's actually assigned to us personally?"
Nolan shrugged. "I doubt it, but he seems to think so, and there's got to be hope in that.
Life for me hasn't been the same since they sent poor old Traynor packing."
Tedric remembered with amusement how Nolan had complained long and hard at the Academy when the cadets' man-servants were sent home alone.
The wait for the appearance of the captain
proved to be a long one. Nolan reached into a pocket of his silver suit and drew out a packet of highly illegal tobacco, from which he offered Tedric a piece. When Tedric refused, Nolan tore off a mouthful and proceeded to chew. Tedric contented himself by studying the men around him. He sensed how greatly the situation had changed since the old Academy days and wanted to get a feel for where the men stood now. That, in fact, was really the substance of the alteration he sensed. These were indeed men now, no longer boys, and they had to be regarded as such.
Abruptly, a door in the rear of the room swung open, and a short, bulky, gray-faced man in a rumpled silver suit stepped through. He moved with the odd, loping gait of an experienced spacehand, and it took Tedric a long moment to realize this rather inconsiderable figure must be the captain. He didn't step far into the room. There wasn't enough space, with all the couches and chairs, to allow for that. A second figure followed the captain into the room, and Tedric saw Nolan's eyes grow wide with surprise. He soon understood why. The second figure was Matthew Carey.
He stood directly behind the captain and, leaning close, whispered confidentially into his ear. The captain shook his head, Carey whispered some more, and this time the captain nodded compliantly.
."Gentlemen," said the captain, who seemed illat-ease and uncertain just how to proceed, "I want to be the first, as your captain, to welcome you aboard His Imperial Majesty's fleet cruiser, the Eagleseye, which as most of you no doubt know was originally designed and constructed by the factories of your fellow corpsman, Matthew Carey. Lieutenan t Carey has, in fact, been my guest here aboard the Eagleseye for the past several days and during that time we have often discussed the details of the rather difficult mission presently facing us all. Lieutenant Carey has kindly consented to join me heretoday"-Nolan snorted audibly-"to help explain the exact nature of this assignment to you. Any questions you may have, onceI have cornpleted my initial briefing, may be directed either to me or to Lieutenant Carey."
Tedric knew that Nolan must be gnashing his teeth at this display of deference by the captain, but at least one minor mystery had been solved: the recent whereabouts of Matthew Carey. Obviously, since he had been seen leaving Nexus with the rest of the class, he must have slipped away from the shuttle sometime during the early stages of its voyage and taken a much faster ship to rendezvous ahead of everyone else with the Eagleseye. Why? Tedric had no answer yet, but he would watch and wait.
"This is John Maillard," Carey put in, "and although he's an officer of the imperial fleet and not a corpsm an, I'll expect each of you to pay him the respect due his rank, authority, and experience. Captain Maillard served with my paternal grandfather during the last sad days of the Wykzl War, and my own respect for his abilities and judgment is quite without bounds."
"Then why don't you show it by shutting your mouth?" Phillip Nolan muttered, in a voice loud enough to be overheard. Captain Maillard started
to make an angry retort, but Carey shook his hea and the captain fell silent.
In a moment, Captain Maillard went on. "I feel I should indicate at the very outset that your mission concerns a situation as critical as any the Empire has faced since the cessation of hostilities with the Wykzl. Lieutenant Carey has informed me that the planet Evron Eleven is one of the major sources within the Empire for the rare transuranic element, Dalkanium, which as most of you must know is an absolutely essential component fuel for the Nspace Drive. Without a ready source of Dalkanium, all trade between star-systems would soon cease and the civilized order of the Empire would come to an end.
"The situation is this. The working classes on Evron Eleven, the majority of whom are submen brought at great expense from other worlds, have seized control of the mines and presently refuse to work unless a number of their demands are met. Lieutenant Carey, whose family holds a certain interest in the mines, tells me these demands are both unreasonable and treasonous. Put simply, what we face here is rebellion, an open challenge to imperial authority. I need not remind you that something such as this could very easily spread to the point where the Emperor himself might beco e m a subject of ridicule. The fate of our empire, of civilization itself, may very well rest in your hands."
The captain's words, despite their surface drama, seemed to lack any real strength as he spoke them. Tedric wondered at once whether he was speaking from his own beliefs or whether his words might actually have been written out for him in advance. Was he speaking for Captain Maillard or was he speaking for Matthew Carey?
tly, wasn't the only one to wonTedric, apparen
der. Phillip Nolan raised his hand in the air and waved it.
ptain Maillard said, "As to the specific details
of our counterattack, a decision has been made to withhold judgment in that area until we have reached actual rendezvous with the planet. Once we are in orbit and havea chance to study-" He ed and looked at Nolan's hand. "You have a paus ed genuinely surquestion, young man?" He seem .
surprised.
"At least one." Nolan looked at Carey when he spoke. "If these mines are so important-and I don't doubt that they are-then wouldn't the simplest solution be to grant the demands of the workers and let them go back to work"
Captain Maillard frowned. "I thought I had explained that these demands are both-"
"Yes, I know. Both unreasonable and treasonous. But you forgot one thing. What are they? Since this is what the rebellion is really about, I think we ought to know."
"I..." The captain looked at Carey, as if in need of help.
"I don't think that's any of your business, Lieutenant Nolan. The demands, if you must know, were made to my family's supervisors on Evron Eleven. They concern working conditions, living rs. To put it bluntly, quarters, and other such matte if granted, the demands would result in making the mines on Evron Eleven a totally unprofitable venture. They would have to be closed, which is exactly what we are ordered to prevent."
"Why? Couldn't they simply be sold? I'm not a rich man myself, but I'm far from convinced it's impossible to operatea business in a humane manner without going broke."
"This is really rather irrelevant," Captain Maillard said.
"With all due respect, sir, I think you're mistaken," Nolan said. "To me, this entire mission, this vast boondoggle of a ship, with its crew of several hundred and us fifty or so corpsmen, is about to travel one hundred fifty-seven parsecs for no other reason than to protect the financial interests of one family. To me, that is what is really irrelevant. The Empire and the Carey family are not identical commodities.I know that, and I suspect you do, too, Captain Maillard."
"I Captain Maillard began again. "I think you've said enough, Lieutenant."
Carey said, "And I'd be glad to show Lieutenant Nolan-or anyone else who's interested-the order personally signed by Emperor Kane IV under which we will be proceeding."
Nolan was frowning. "I wasn't talking about the authority you've managed to grab, Carey. I was stating my personal opinion, and that was all.' "The lieutenant's opinion,"
Captain Maillard said, "verges upon the treasonous."
Nolan started to make another angry outburst, but Carey managed to cut h.im off.
"Lieutenant Nolan's opinion is more uninformed than treasonous. You see, Lieutenant Nolan, since you chose to interrupt Captain Maillard before he could complete his briefing, there remains a fact of which you are unaware."
"What's that?" Nolan said. "That if you lose your investment on Evron Eleven you might have to start riding the slow shuttles with the rest of us?" "No, not exactly," Carey said, with such obvious relish that Tedric sensed that whatever he was about to reveal was not only a surprise but an important one. "The unfortunate fact is, Lieutenant Nolan, that we are not the only ones to evidence an interest in the situation on Evron Eleven. Word has recently reached us that a large battle cruiser has gone into orbit around the world. I need not explain that a cruiser of such magnitude can have only one likely origin. A Wykzl righting ship is operating inside the boundaries of the Empire of Man."
Nolan, along with everyone else, could only look stunned. No Wykzl ship had entered the Empire in the near century since the conclusion of the long war. If what Carey said was true, then it was not only a violation of treaty, it might also be a prelude to resumed armed conflict.
"But what can the Wykzl want with Evron Eleven?" Nolan asked, his surprise still showing. "That," said Carey softly, "is what the Emperor has asked us to find out."
CHAPTER 4
The Hives of Evron Eleven
One winter night at the Inn of the Four Crosses in South Lomarr, an old man in green robes stands before the assembled tavern guests and holds out both his hands. "As you can see," he says, "I have nothing concealed up my sleeves, nothing to hide from You.
I'm a magician, not a trickster, but you must watch closely; watch closely please." The old man claps his hands once, twice, and there is a puff of blue smoke. Out of the smoke a tiny animal appears. It is a yellow bird.
The guests, more concerned with their drinks than the show, quietly applaud.
The magician bows.
At the back of the room in an unlighted corner, a lone man sits sipping ale. He does not applaud. He is huge, muscular and blond. He wears a longsword even here at the inn.
His name, it is said, is Tedric. His occupation is that of ironmaster.
Tedric murmurs under his breath. "Ply your tricks now, old man, for in time they will mean nothing. In a world where magic does not exist, people can no longer be taken in by trickery."
With a mighty sweep of one hand, Tedric reaches out and wipes the table clear of glass and ale. His anger is beyond control. Four moons past, he reached the castle of Sarpedium only to find the black wizard gone. Now he searches for him everywhere, his sword constantly ready. Tedric observed horrors inside that dark castle that have transformed him from a man into an avenging angel.
He springs to his feet and shouts at the silent, stunned men around him: ' Twill kill all the wizards. I will kill them! I will!"
Tedric crunched his big frame into a tiny corner of the room he shared with Nolan and attempted with the aid of a metal file to hone a sharp point on his sword. A clock on the wall above his head told him that the common time aboard ship was presently 2325 hours.
The door opened. Tedric placed his sword over his knees and watched Phillip Nolan come stumbling through. It was easy to see from his bent spine, dangling arms, and grimey face that he had lately undergone another unendurable few hours of special duty.
Assistant Steward Third-Class Keller, who had been helping Tedric with his gear, jumped up from the floor and went to help Nolan inside.
"No, I can make it." Nolan waved Keller back and stumbled unassisted toward the lower bunk. He rolled toward the berth, kicked his feet, and somehow made it safely into the tightly confined perch. He gave a sigh, snorted, rubbed his eyes, and finally said, "So we've finally arrived, I understand."
Keller, who continued to stand watch beside the bed, nodded. "At 1927 hours common ship time the Eagieseye entered normal space and is now orbiting the imperial planet Evron Eleven."
"Thank the stars for that." Nolan shut his eyes. "Now perhaps I can get some rest."
"Is that what you want, Phillip?" Tedric, in his corner, had resumed work on the point of his sword.
"Do you know something I don't know?" Nolan asked, showing a degree of interest he had not previously evidenced. "I saw you walking around with Carey earlier on."
"We had a discussion." Tedric glanced at the tip of his sword and pressed the end of his thumb against it. He looked at the flesh, saw a drop of blood, and nodded. "I told him I felt what he was doing to you was not only wrong, it was a violation of the code of the Corps."
"And did he laugh then or later?"
"He didn't laugh at all."
Nolan frowned. "I never asked for your intervention, Tedric."
"Nor did I give it. Not really." Tedric stood up, returned his sword to its sheath, and leaned it upright against the wall. Then he approached Nolan and rested his elbows against the edge of the upper bunk. "But I didn't believe your pride would stop you from getting a decent night's rest."
"Perhaps not," said Nolan.
"And Carey agreed." What he was referring to was the strenuous duty schedule Nolan had been forced to endure ever since the moment, some thirty-two days back on the common calendar, when the Eagleseye had surpassed the velocity of light and entered the gray region of N-space. Since that time, MatthewCarey, as operations office had assigned Nolan; to such tasks as scrubbing toilets, sweeping floors, polishing walls and washing brass pots. Normally such menial work was the duty of the enlisted sailors, but Carey had not let either military tradition or official code stand in the way of his mistreatment of Nolan.
"You mean Carey has decided that he likes me after all." Nolan managed to chuckle past his exhaustion.
"Not exactly. But he has decided-" "Hey, wait." Nolan sprang up, suddenly animated, and nearly cracked his head on the bunk above. "If we're in orbit, that means it ought to be possible to get a look at the Wykzl cruiser. Now that really is something worth,seeing, a sight none of us is ever apt to get again."
But Tedric was frowning. "Keller and I already went down to the portholes to look. I'm afraid there's nothing to see, except for Evron Eleven itself, and it's a dull-looking world, brown and gray. The Wykzl ship is in orbit on the opposite side of the planet and the only way we'll ever get a close look is if one of us decides to chug up near and say hello."
"But it does exist? It wasn't just Carey's ploy?" "No, it does exist. I went up to the bridge and read the printouts myself. There's something very big-and not a moon-in orbit back there."
Nolan dropped back down. "So much for new thrills in my life."
"But you didn't let Tedric finish what he was telling you, sir," Keller said.
"No, I guess I didn't. Tedric, I apologize. Please continue."
Tedric continued to lean against the top bunk. "I can tell you very simply, Phillip.
Lieutenant Carey has named me to head a landing party which will be dropping down to the surface of Evron Eleven in approximately twelve hours."
'You?" Nolan said with suspicion. "Why you?" Tedric shrugged. "He said the reason was that I finished second in the class to him and thus deserved the second most responsible job ' Personally, I think he has other reasons. One, he knows I'm a good fighter, and two, he wouldn't mind being rid of you for a short time."
"He's making me go with you?"
"He gave me free reign to pick my own landing party. Naturally I selected you."
Nolan was wide awake now, as the dulling effects of his hours of tedious labor vanished. He lay propped on one elbow and scratched his cheek with a free hand. "You make me wonder why, Tedric."
"Oh, Phillip." Tedric moved away from the beds and crossed the room as well as he was able, sidestepping Keller. "Perhaps you're too suspicious for your own good. None of this is going to be easy. We're supposedly authorized to speak directly to the leaders of the rebellion, negotiate with them if we want, but basically-and Carey made this clear -
we'll be going down there as spies. I don't think those workers will be fools. They'll know what we're up to, and they may simply decide to kill us. If I were them, I would, and I just have to hope they're more civilized than that."
"If they aren't, I doubt that Carey would mind." Tedric nodded. "Exactly."
'A suicide mission?" Keller asked from the floor.
"Not unless that's what you feel like doing." Tedric picked up his sword and, for something to do, locked the belt around his waist. Lately he had experienced a curious interest in the ancient weapon. The way it felt in his hands, the rock-hard familiarity, was not a new sensation. He had felt it at the Academy, too, during fencing lessons, but it dated back much further than that. He had to wonder: was this another of the Scientists' buried memories rising to the surface, or could it be something deeper and rarer, a lost recollection from that previous existence still known largely to him through the mists of his dreams?
