Part 12 (2/2)

Two of the searchers pointed up his way and saw him waving. They shrieked in excitement, capering in circles.

Forgetting momentarily his own little regression, Fiben muttered under his breath. ”Just my luck to be rescued by a bunch of grunts. Come on, guys. Let's not make a thunder dance out of it.”

Still, he grinned when they neared his hillside clearing. And in all the subsequent hugging and backslapping he forgot himself and let out a few glad hoots of his own.

18 Uthacalthing

His little pinnace was the last craft to take off from the Port Helenia s.p.a.ce-field. Already detection screens showed battle cruisers descending into the lower atmosphere.

Back at the port, a small force of militiamen and Terragens Marines prepared to make a futile last stand. Their defiance was broadcast on all channels.

”... We deny the invader's rights to land here. We claim the protection of Galactic Civilization against their aggression. We refuse the Gubru permission to set down on our legal lease-hold.

”In earnest of this, a small, armed, Formal Resistance Detachment awaits the invaders at the capital s.p.a.ceport. Our challenge . . .”

Uthacalthing guided his pinnace with nonchalant nudges on the wrist and thumb controllers. The tiny s.h.i.+p raced southward along the coast of the Sea of Cilmar, faster than sound. Bright suns.h.i.+ne reflected off the broad waters to his right.

. . . should they dare to face us being to being, not cowering in their battles.h.i.+ps . . .

Uthacalthing nodded. ”Tell them, Earthlings,” he said softly in Anglic. The detachment commander had sought his advice in phrasing the ritual challenge. He hoped he had been of help.

The broadcast went on to list the numbers and types of weapons awaiting the descending armada at the s.p.a.ceport, so the enemy would have no justification for using overpowering force. Under circ.u.mstances such as these, the Gubru would have no choice but to a.s.sail the defenders with ground troops. And they would have to take casualties.

If the Codes still hold, Uthacalthing reminded himself. The enemy may not care about the Rules of War any longer. It was hard to imagine such a situation. But there had been rumors from across the far starlanes . . .

A row of display screens rimmed his c.o.c.kpit. One showed cruisers coming into view of Port Helenia's public news cameras. Others showed fast fighters tearing up the sky right over the s.p.a.ceport.

Behind him Uthacalthing heard a low keening as two stilt-like Ynnin commiserated with each other. Those creatures, at least, had been able to fit into Tymbrimi-type seats. But their hulking master had to stand.

Kault did not just stand, he paced the narrow cabin, his crest inflating until it b.u.mped the low ceiling, again and again. The Thennanin was not in a good mood.

”Why, Uthacalthing?” he muttered for what was not the first time. ”Why did you delay for so long? We were the very last to get out of there!”

Kault's breathing vents puffed. ”You told me we would leave night before last! I hurried to gather a few possessions and be ready and you did not come! I waited. I missed opportunities to hire other transport while you sent message after message urging patience. And then, when you came at last after dawn, we departed as blithely as if we were on a holiday ride to the Progenitors' Arch!”

Uthacalthing let his colleague grumble on. He had already made formal apologies and paid diplomatic gild in compensation. No more was required of him.

Besides, things were going just the way he had planned them to.

A yellow light flashed on the control board, and a tone began to hum.

”What is that?” Kault shuffled forward in agitation. ”Have they detected our engines?”

”No.” And Kault sighed in relief.

Uthacalthing went on. ”It isn't the engines. That light means we've just been scanned by a probability beam.”

”What?” Kault nearly screamed. ”Isn't this vessel s.h.i.+elded? You aren't even using gravities! What anomalous probability could they have picked up?”

Uthacalthing shrugged, as if the human gesture had been born to him. ”Perhaps the unlikelihood is intrinsic,” he suggested. ”Perhaps it is something about us, about our own fate, that is glowing along the worldlines. That may be what they detect.”

Out of his right eye he saw Kault s.h.i.+ver. The Thennanin race seemed to have an almost superst.i.tious dread of anything having to do with the art/science of reality-shaping. Uthacalthing allowed looth'troo-apology to one's enemy-to form gently within his tendrils, and reminded himself that his people and Kault's were officially at war. It was within his rights to tease his enemy-and-friend, as it had been ethically acceptable earlier, when he had arranged for Kault's own s.h.i.+p to be sabotaged.

”I shouldn't worry about it,” he suggested. ”We've got a good head start.”

Before the Thennanin could reply, Uthacalthing bent forward and spoke rapidly in GalSeven, causing one of the screens to expand its image.

”ThwiU'kou-chlliou!” he cursed. ”Look at what they are doing!”

Kault turned and stared. The holo-display showed giant cruisers hovering over the capital city, pouring brown vapor over the buildings and parks. Though the volume was turned down, they could hear panic in the voice of the news announcer as he described the darkening skies, as if anyone in Port Helenia needed his interpretation.

”This is not well.” Kault's crest b.u.mped the ceiling more rapidly. ”The Gubru are being more severe than the situation or their war rights here merit.”

Uthacalthing nodded. But before he could speak another yellow light winked on.

”What is it now?” Kault sighed.

Uthacalthing's eyes were at their widest separation. ”It means we are being chased by pursuit craft,” he replied. ”We may be in for a fight. Can you work a cla.s.s fifty-seven weapons console,, Kault?”

”No, but I believe one of my Ynnin-”

His reply was interrupted as Uthacalthing shouted, ”Hold on!” and turned on the pinnace's gravities. The ground screamed past under them. ”I am beginning evasive maneuvers,” he called out.

”Good,” Kault whispered through his neck vents.

Oh, bless the Thennanin thick skull, Uthacalthing thought.

He kept control over his facial expression, though he knew his colleague had the empathy sensitivity of a stone and could not pick up his joy.

As the. pursuing s.h.i.+ps started firing on them, his corona began to sing.

19 Athaclena

Green fingers of forest merged with the lawns and leafy-colored buildings of the Center, as if the establishment were intended to be inconspicuous from the air. Although a wind from the west had finally driven away the last visible shreds of the invader's aerosol, a thin film of gritty powder covered everything below a height of five meters, giving off a tangy, unpleasant odor.

Athaclena's corona no longer shrank under an overriding roar of panic. The mood had changed amid the buildings. There was a thread of resignation now . . . and intelligent anger.

She followed Benjamin toward the first clearing, where she caught sight of small groups of neo-chimps running pigeon-toed within the inner compound. One pair hurried by carrying a m.u.f.fled burden on a stretcher.

”Maybe you shouldn't go down there after all, miss,” Benjamin rasped. ”I mean it's obvious the gas was designed to affect humans, but even us chims feel a bit woozy from it. You're pretty important ...”

<script>