Part 9 (1/2)
He became aware of the other's waiting stare, turned to face the worried n.o.ble who attended on him.
They were alone in the Landgrave's private quarters. This was necessary. The words they exchanged now were too dangerous to be overheard even by the most trusted members of his court. Hence he chose to receive Obel Kasin here and not in the chamber of formal au-dience.
He knew his continued silence was increasing Kasin's nervousness. Still he did not speak, but watched the slim n.o.ble, noting the bandage across the side of his neck, the ragged tear badly patched in the membrane of his left dan, the bare places on his body where fur had been cut away.
”Be at your ease, n.o.ble Kasin. You did the best you could.”
”I am not,” the n.o.ble asked unsteadily, ”to be pun-ished for my failure?”
”I so promise.” Using both hands to help himself rise, RoVijar then walked to stand next to the window. The gla.s.salloy pane stretched from floor to ceiling and framed him unintentionally. It was larger than any other single piece of gla.s.s either made or imported in-to Arsudun. It was larger than any piece of gla.s.s Calonnin had ever heard of or imagined. Yet it was here, in _his_ castle, come down to him from the heav-ens in one of the humans' skys.h.i.+ps. And he had been told and had come to believe that though it was no thicker than his smallest claw, it was stronger than the walls that bordered it.
”As you said,” he finally continued, ”we cannot fight with swords and s.h.i.+elds against the sky people's light knives.” He looked back over a shoulder.
”But for all that, we will have that s.h.i.+p, Obel Kasin of Arsudun. One day our flag will fly from its stern and masts and it will stand at the front of the Arsudun fleet.” He did not add that some day in the future even the _Slanderscree_ could be dispensed with. There were dreams he could as yet share with no one.
”We will have to use caution, and time this next attempt better. I will now take charge of this enterprise myself, n.o.ble Kasin. On your way out tell my Minister of Appointments-third door on your left, second level -to ready the _Rinstaster_. That is our best s.h.i.+p. I my-self will pick her crew. We will dog the stern of this monster craft until the right opportunity presents itself, whereupon I will take it for Arsudun's glory!”
”Yes, your lords.h.i.+p. May you go with the wind.” Genuflecting properly, he departed the room.
Calonnin considered the n.o.ble's absence. Kasin had tried hard. His wounds proved his loyalty. There was nothing to be gained by punis.h.i.+ng the n.o.ble. He knew better than anyone the superiority of the humans' technology. Had he known the three on the great icerigger possessed energy weapons, he would not have ordered the attack.
Excused and commended, Kasin would be twice as trustable now. RoVijar would undertake the task of capturing the icerigger and killing her crew and the humans allied with them because he could not trust anyone else to do it. No one else had his reason or fervor.
Until now he had kept himself hidden in this mat-ter. He could do so no longer.
Dreaming, he pictured the huge ice boat, saw again its humanmetal runners which did not wear out or crack on the ice as did stone and bone and wood, saw once more the well made pikapina sails and rigging. He imagined it as he'd described it to Kasin, sails full of wind, pennants and insignia of Arsudun flying from her high places.
And if his plans came to fruition, some day that great s.h.i.+p would be but a toy to sneer at. For a while, however, it would be good to possess her.
Though he could not hope to overtake the craft, it must eventually stop someplace. That would be the time for capture.
Distasteful as it would be, he had first to talk to the human Landgrave before he departed.
Jobius Trell received the Landgrave of Arsudun in his office. As the temperature inside was adjusted for human norm, the near-naked Landgrave suffered in brutally hot temperatures.
Trell had altered his midday schedule to receive RoVijar. He wore a light orange service tunic open to the waist, light braid at waist, sleeves, and ankles. He greeted RoVijar alone.
The Landgrave had likewise left his personal body-guard outside the human's building. Both men felt more comfortable that way. It gave them privacy and confidence, since each felt himself more than a fighting match for the other.
RoVijar chose a couch rather than one of the nar-row human chairs. Sitting straight despite the invitingly curved back, he ignored the tremendous heat that suf-fused the office as he regarded his human counter-partner. This was a little game they played. Whenever Trell came to visit RoVijar in his castle, the Land-grave took particular delight in opening all the storm-shutters and windows so that the freezing winds of Tran-ky-ky could pour through whatever room they were in. Since Trell had to lift the mask of his survival suit indoors in order to keep custom unblemished by showing his face to his host, RoVijar could enjoy the human's discomfort as his skin reddened from the chill-though Trell pretended to be as relaxed and at ease as RoVijar did now.
It was a fair exchange of favors. Trell had one slight advantage in detecting discomfort, however.
Having no sweat glands, the Tran did not perspire. So Trell could tell that the Landgrave was feeling especially un-comfortable whenever he covered his mouth with a paw, in an attempt to conceal his lolling tongue and his heat-shedding panting. If he tried to go an en-tire visit without panting, his overheated body would cause him to black out. Very undignified.
”So they got away,” Trell was saying, getting down to business after the exchange of pleasantries had been concluded. ”That's unfortunate.”
”Worry not, friend Jobius,” Calonnin said rea.s.sur-ingly. ”They have accomplished nothing, nor will they. I myself will follow with a crew of my best and most trusted soldiers. They will have to tie up that great hulk-ing s.h.i.+p of theirs sometime to spread their vicious trea-sons. When they do, I will let circ.u.mstances determine my method. Whatever I eventually choose, it will be quite final and efficient.”
Trell was nodding. ”Good, good.”
”The n.o.ble I placed in charge of this first attempt did what he could. He was defeated by the hand wea-pons of the three humans on the s.h.i.+p.” Settling himself into the disgustingly soft couch back, he forced him-self to appear monumentally indifferent to Trell's re-sponse to his next question.
”If you could provide me with at least a couple of similar devices and instruct myself and my knights in their use, the success of our journey would be a.s.sured.”
Trell shook his head, smiled paternally. ”Friend Calonnin, you know I can't do that. Commonwealth and Church declarations strictly prohibit the distribu-tion of modern weaponry to non-Commonwealth peoples. Even those races that have attained a.s.sociate members.h.i.+p cannot obtain energy weapons except under special circ.u.mstances. Owners.h.i.+p is restricted to full Commonwealth members. This is not a rule of my making, but it is one I can't risk breaking.
Trell hoped his friend understood his refusal.
”Until some future date you'll have to make do with the weapons of your own civilization. In your skilled hands, I'm sure they'll prove more than adequate.”
”I did not mean to imply they would not,” the Land-grave a.s.sured him. ”Your light knives would make this business simpler and much quicker, though.”
Trell wagged a finger at him. ”Patience is another modern weapon which you can obtain for yourself, RoVijar. But when this obstacle to our future plans is re-moved, who knows what arrangements we might work out? Arrangements whereby even extreme edicts can be bypa.s.sed. But not this time, not today.”
”I understand, friend Trell.” RoVijar stood, panting like an overworked hessavar. ”I am leaving my cousin, Sir Das Kooliatin, as ruler of Arsudun during my ab-sence. You may deal as candidly with him as you see fit. He is unimaginative and harbors no delusions about replacing me on the throne-a trusted relative.” This last was mentioned not to compliment the absent Kooliatin, but simply to forestall any idea, however faint, which the human Commissioner might enter-tain about dealing with someone other than Calonnin.
”Let's not delay your pursuit any longer, then.” Trell pulled himself up, walked to stand next to the Landgrave. Round pupils met vertical ones. ”The sooner this unfortunate business is concluded, the more easily I'll rest.”
”I also, friend Trell.” Reaching out, he wrapped one huge paw around the Commissioner's hand. Then Trell leaned forward, placed both his palms on the Landgrave's shoulders and exhaled into his face.
”My breath is your warmth. Go with the wind, friend Calonnin.”
RoVijar exited, exerting monumental effort to keep from breaking into a run to escape the hothouse h.e.l.l of Trell's office for the cool breezes outside.
The Commissioner waited until the Landgrave had left the outer offices. Then he resumed his seat.
Touch-ing several switches brought out tapes and the rest of the days work. As always, he allowed himself the pleas-ure of checking several private molecular files and smil-ing at the hidden bank accounts there. They were listed under numerous names and companies, but the credit was all his. This delightful activity concluded, he pa.s.sed on to the more prosaic work of Resident Commissioner.
Calonnin would succeed in his mission. The Landgrave was a resourceful and dedicated individual, at least as greedy as Trell. He had great confidence in the native leader, in his imagination and enterprise.
But Calonnin RoVijar was entirely too imagina-tive and enterprising to be trusted with anything as lethal as modern energy weapons. Nothing like a needier to give a primitive mind delusions of grandeur.
No, RoVijar would remain far more manageable, though never exactly docile, if his methods of violent argument were restricted to lance, arrow and sword.
That was important to Trell's blueprint for the future development of Tran-ky-ky. Keep temptations from RoVijar's hands and he'd be less likely to conjure up awkward ideas. He touched a control which auto-matically imprinted his signature of approval on a re-quest for certain materials for quartermaster division, then went on to the next tape.
Trell was perfectly correct in his overall a.s.sessment of Calonnin RoVijar's qualities, but he was wrong on one crucial point. The Landgrave did not need pos-session of modern weapons to inspire grandiose delu-sions. He had plenty of those already.
As he chivaned toward the harbor and his waiting craft, RoVijar considered the details of his recent interview with the human Commissioner. If Trell would not provide him with light knives, he would obtain them somewhere else. Were there not three of the ir-resistible weapons on the persons of the humans he was going to kill? Once that disagreeable task was con-cluded, he could easily fabricate some clever story for Trell's ears to explain the disappearance of the hu-man's weapons. Trell might be suspicious, but what could he prove?
If a cub could trip over a slithering _megorph_, could not a human trip over the future? These purveyors of wealth from the sky might be rich and wise. They were not omnipotent.
*VII*