Part 15 (1/2)

”Are out of commission, along with the force s.h.i.+elds, thanks to a little discreet sabotage. By now Port Director Steel should be discovering that his precious computers aren't listening to him anymore. It's really quite amazing what you can do with one carefully programmed memory crystal in just the right place. You do remember how I convinced the Council that the defence computers needed a new memory crystal?”

Donald looked at him for a long moment. ”How long have you been planning all this?”

”Years,” said the Bloodhawk. ”Allowing for a few small hiccups, I don't think things have gone too badly.”

”Who are you?” said Leon Vertue suddenly, glaring at the silent, hooded figure standing beside Donald Royal. ”Why do you keep staring at me?”

”You know who I am.” She pushed back her hood, and Vertue's face went white, his eyes wide and staring like those of a trapped animal. ”You and I have a debt to settle, Vertue.”

”You're dead!” said Vertue loudly. ”Blackjack killed you, and I put you into the reclamation tank myself!

I saw you torn apart by the blades and the saws!”

”No,” said Madelaine Skye softly. ”Unfortunately, your mercenary got it wrong. He arrived while I was out. The only woman in my office was my sister, Jessica. She'd come to pay me a surprise visit. I'm told she looked a lot like me. Your man cut her down in cold blood, and then brought her back here to you and your reclamation tanks. You used my death to force Jamie to work for you. The poor lamb never was very brave without me to back him up.

”I found out what had happened soon enough, and decided to stay dead until I could find out what was going on. I knew there had to be somebody behind Vertue, and the whole thing had the Empire's smell about it. I couldn't even tell Jamie I was alive. I needed to be sure just whose side he was on. By the time I was sure, it was too late. He was dead. I never even had a chance to tell him I loved him.”

”You can't blame me for his death,” said Vertue quickly. ”It was the Bloodhawk's idea. He gave the order; I just pa.s.sed it on to Blackjack.”

The Bloodhawk raised an eyebrow. ”He's lying, of course.”

”Of course,” said Skye, ”But then, both of you would say anything to save your skins, wouldn't you?”

”I've got money,” said Vertue. ”Lots of it. I'll give you half, if you'll let me go.”

”You gave my sister to the knives,” said Madelaine Skye. ”And there isn't enough gold in the Empire to make up for what you did to my Jamie.”

Vertue looked into her cold green eyes and saw his death staring back. He whimpered faintly, and then s.n.a.t.c.hed up the disrupter lying on the reclamation unit. Skye's sword flashed up and down in a silvery arc, and severed Vertue's hand from his wrist. He just had time to scream, and then he fell back as Donald's throwing knife sprouted from his throat. Blood flew on the freezing air, and Vertue fell dying to the floor. Donald and Skye turned quickly to face the Bloodhawk, only to stop suddenly as they saw the disrupter in his hand.

”You didn't think he was the only one with a gun, surely?” said the Bloodhawk. ”Please put away the sword, Madelaine. I a.s.sure you, you're not going to get a chance to use it.”

Skye sheathed her sword, being careful to make no sudden movements.

”Very good, Madelaine. Now, both of you unbuckle your sword belts and let them drop to the floor.”

Donald and Skye did so. The scabbarded swords made a heavy, hopeless sound as they hit the floor.

The Bloodhawk gestured for Skye and Donald to move back from the reclamation unit, and they did so.

The Bloodhawk glanced at Vertue's disrupter lying on the floor, and kicked it out of reach.

”That was a nice throw, Donald,” he said appreciatively. ”A direct hit on the carotid artery, from a very tricky angle.”

”It wasn't that good,” said Donald. ”I was aiming for his eye.”

”Dear Donald, modest as ever. You realise I can't let either of you live. You know far too much. As far as everyone else is concerned, I am missing, presumed dead, and I fully intend to stay that way until I'm safely off this stinking planet. Don't make this any more complicated than it has to be. Just take it quietly, and I'll kill you quickly and cleanly.”

”Like you killed Darkstrom?” said Donald suddenly.

”Exactly.”

”b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”

”Really, Donald . . .”

”She loved you!”

”She was useful.”

Donald Royal stared grimly at the Bloodhawk. ”There's two of us, and only one of you. Shoot me, and Skye'll get you before your gun can recharge.”

”Quite possibly,” said the Bloodhawk. ”But she won't risk your life, any more than you'll risk hers. And neither of you is desperate enough to throw away your own life on the chance the other will get me. No, you'll just go on doing as I tell you, hoping that I'll make a mistake and you'll be able to turn the tables on me. You'll find some rope over there in the corner, Donald. Go and fetch it. Don't even think of trying something heroic, or I'll kill Madelaine.”

”Rope,” said Donald, not moving.

”You're going to tie her up, and then I'm going to tie you up. Then I can shoot you both quite safely.

Now, don't say any more, Donald. I don't really have the time to kill you as slowly as I'd like, but give me even the slightest excuse, and I swear I'll find the time. I hate you, old man. I've always hated you. If it hadn't been for you and your example, Mistport would have fallen apart years ago, and I would have been free to leave this squalid little planet. Time and time again I set up schemes and you wrecked them.

You kept the Council honest, and fought corruption in the Watch. You're the reason I've been trapped here all these years!”

He started towards Donald, his face twisted with rage. His gun hand shook in the intensity of his emotion. And in that moment, while his attention was fixed solely on Donald, Madelaine Skye drew from her pocket the disrupter she'd taken from the dead secretary in the reception office. The Bloodhawk caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, and started to turn. Donald stepped quickly forward and hit the Bloodhawk with a left uppercut to the chin. He put everything he had into the blow, and the Bloodhawk staggered backwards, his gun hand swinging wildly back and forth. Skye chose her moment carefully, and shot him through the heart. The searing energy beam threw the Bloodhawk back against the reclamation tank. He stood spread-eagled against it for a moment, and then slid lifeless to the floor.

Skye looked at him for a moment, and then put away the gun. ”That was for you, Jamie,” she said softly.

She turned to Donald Royal, who was nursing his left hand gingerly. ”Are you all right, Donald?”

”I think I've broken every bone in my hand.”

Skye laughed. ”My hero. Come on, it can't be that bad if you can still flex your fingers like that.”

Donald sniffed, but had to smile. ”We didn't do too badly in the end, did we?”

”Not bad at all. We made quite a team.” She stopped and looked at Donald thoughtfully. ”Donald, how would you like to make it permanent? I could use a partner like you.”

Donald looked at her. ”Are you serious? At my age?”

”I said partner, not husband. We work well together. My skill, and your experience; it's a natural.”

Donald thought about it, and then grinned suddenly. ”What the h.e.l.l. I was getting bored with being a Councillor.”

They grinned at each other. Donald put out his hand, and Skye shook it firmly.

”Now what?” said Madelaine Skye.

”Well, first I suppose we'd better get back to the command centre and see if that b.a.s.t.a.r.d was telling the truth about the Imperial Fleet. I have a strong feeling we don't know the half of what's really been going on.”