“Why are you not killing us?” asked the Emu, raising the microphone to its face again.
Tera lifted her head proudly.
“We kill only when we are attacked.”
The patter of voices swept over the room again. The Emu turned to its fellow creatures and listened. Tera waited calmly. Suddenly all the Emus rushed back to their consoles and began to type feverishly. The images from several control rooms appeared on the main screen. Even the main screen was not divided into squares but hexagons.
Everybody was murmuring, as if hotly debating something, then everything went silent for a moment. Then a furious roar came through the hole in the doorway, and their voices became more animated. Finally, the excitement subsided, and the same Emu as before addressed them. Once again it solemnly brought the microphone to its mouth.
“You swear that you do not kill, unless you are being attacked,” said the voice. “You said that you only kill when it is absolutely necessary. You command Lower Castes. You take care of subordinate castes. You are Powerful Ones.” It paused and ended even more solemnly, so that even its lifeless, synthesized voice managed to convey the importance of the moment. “We no longer give Trust to the former Powerful Ones; we give our Trust to the New Ones. All of us agree.”
The Emu pointed to the screen showing the images of the control rooms on the other ships, and then added in a voice that Yv felt was full of plaintive notes he asked. “Your Lower Castes already on our ships, order them to stop.”
Everybody froze, stunned, and only Tera, who solemnly bowed her head in assent, which however, was barely understood by the Emu, turned to Yv, and said casually. “Don Yv, I need a connection to Don Krushinka. Try using our new friends to arrange it quickly.”
Yv, in spite of all of his exploits, was no less stunned than the others at the outcome of negotiations, nodded deeply and stepped forward.
When the mustachioed face of Don Krushinka appeared on the screen, Tera was silent for a few seconds, waiting for something to come out of his amazed face. Then, apparently despairing of the wait she said wearily. “Admiral, I just accepted the surrender of the squadron of monster ships. Order the assault ships to cease the attack.”
8
Yv licked his spoon, pushed the empty cooking bowl away, patted his stomach, and said dreamily. “It would be nice to go to sleep now ... Or at least wet my throat.”
Tera grinned, and putting aside a leg of turkey, she gave him a flask of Malvasia wine. Pip, now Don Pip, or rather Don Limpet as he was now known, together with a detachment of Space Marines had brought all these luxuries, and he was quietly sitting in the corner and exuding happiness. He had already managed to mourn his former master and Tera, who he had hopeless crush on.
Miraculously, here they both were sitting opposite him, alive and unharmed, and filling their cheeks.
It had been only two hours from the time they made contact with Don Krushinka from the conning tower of the monster ship, and half an hour ago Don Pip along with a detachment of Space Marines and the remnants from Stubborn Bull’s team had arrived.
Among them, to Yv’s great joy, were Grey Moustache and Beer Keg.
They all arrived and were escorted by the Privileged Ones down the central corridor of the ship until they arrived at the Powerful Ones’ quarters, which were now occupied by Tera and her companions.
Stubborn Bull died along with his ship, taking with him the souls of many foes. If, of course, they had souls, which the church had not yet determined. Yv noticed that Pip had finally stopped staring at him and Tera and started looking around in stunned amazement.
He had every right to feel that way.
The Powerful Ones’ quarters were like nothing he could have imagined. First of all, it was made of stone, but not just stone cladding over metal walls. It was like a huge monolith fitted inside the ship’s hull, into which galleries, halls, corridors, and a series of bizarre arches had been cut, all illuminated by hundreds of shimmering crystals.
Everybody spent the first half hour roaming the halls and galleries, fascinated, discovering that every time they looked, they saw things in a new way. The flickering crystals mounted in the walls filled the corridors with a sparkling light.
Judging by the number and size of the rooms set aside for the Powerful Ones, there had to have been at least three on this ship. Yet, how could humans hope to understand Powerful Ones? The Privileged Ones quickly regained control of the ship’s console from the Powerful Ones, with the help of the officers of the kingdom and improved the translation program designed for them.
The Scarlet Princes had no need for such a program as it was not difficult for them to learn the language of those with whom they intended to communicate.
Tera finished off a leg of turkey, pushed away her plate, and stood up. She walked over to Sandra who was sitting at a console. On a small, easy to use screen Don Krushinka’s image was illuminated. Sandra’s plate stood almost untouched, and she was passionately explaining something to her Whiskered One. The Powerful Ones’ consoles somehow had a special zone, which had the ability to isolate sounds spoken when one sat behind the console. They could be heard only by those to whom they were addressed.
Actually, the ship was full of surprises.
So far, over the hundred and fifty years of the Conquest, only Scorpion and Spider ships had been captured, and a couple of times Trident ships had been boarded, but humans had only managed to capture them seriously damaged and burned.
Usually there had been no Powerful Ones on these ships. Also, they had been less than half the size of this monster ship. Tera leaned over to Sandra, entered within the audio zone, and heard the end of the sentence.
“—We can penetrate the powerful shields on Outpost. You must allow us to try.”
Don Krushinka shook his head, then, noticing Tera, he smiled.
“I do not understand why you do not want to take over command, my queen? After what you have achieved, any Don would pledge his life to you, never mind your own fleet.”
Tera shook her head.
“You are doing a good job as commander, Admiral. Let’s leave it that way.”
He nodded and promised to Sandra. “OK, I will think about it.”
Saying that, Don Krushinka disappeared from the screen. Sandra leaned back in her chair and turned to Tera.
“To be honest, I do not understand why you do not want to take over command. There is no doubt about the fact that we will recapture Outpost, and you could arrive on a white charger, so to speak—”
No!” Tera interrupted, shaking her head sharply, then continuing more softly, “Let them get accustomed to taking commands from a man,” she turned and looked at Yv, “because they will soon have to get used to the fact that one will rule them.”
Sandra shook her head in amazement.
“Do you think you can get away with that? Do you think you can convince the Peers...?”
Tera shrugged.
“We will see. Understand that if we play by their rules,” she pointed toward Outpost, “all this will soon be forgotten. Then what have I actually achieved? Reclaimed a clump of rocks that once belonged to the kingdom? Killed some creatures that men are afraid of? Is this a heroic deed?” she sneered.
Sandra opened her eyes wide, but then the bewilderment on her face changed to understanding. Tera smiled again and continued. “They’ll try to do their best, so for the rest of my life I will bear the stigma that I bow my head before men. So, I need to do everything I can to ensure, that in a few years, these accusations will be laughable. I need to do all I can to ensure that future generations would not even consider men as second-class citizens. Also, they will know what a terrible Enemy we are up against!” She shook her head. “For too long our Kingdom has been cut off from the rest of humanity, and we are suffocating within our old borders. If we do not change then we have no chance to expand them. We will never get beyond our Outposts, and our ‘hawks’ will never allow anyone inside our territory. Then
, this victory will be the only one for us, and there will only be defeat in the future, because the Powerful Ones will never forgive us for what we have already done, and more importantly, for what we are about to accomplish in the near future. I’m not talking about a military victory.”
Sandra considered her niece thoughtfully for a while. “You know, girl, you will not only become a good queen, but you also have the potential to become a great one.” She sighed and glanced at Yv too. “He is, of course, the hero, but don’t you think that he is a little ...how can I say this ... rustic for you?”
“I love him,” said Tera.
“Really? You don’t show it very much.”
Tera shook her hair. “Everything will be alright. Let him suffer for a while.”
Yv looked at them as if he knew they were talking about him. Tera looked away and added. “Besides, I know that he is my destiny.” They both paused, and then Tera asked. “So, have you been able to convince your Whiskered One that he has a chance to capture Outpost without firing a shot?”
“You heard him– he’s thinking about it.” Sandra sighed. “If not, then in a couple of days, I will agree something with our ‘hawks’. When men come to power, they can become simply unbearable to deal with...”
Twelve hours later they had already landed on the surface of Outpost. The Emus were correct in asserting that they could convince the Privileged Ones commanding Outpost to deny Trust to the former Powerful Ones. The negotiations took nine hours.
It turned out that the Emu from the control room had recorded Tera’s group all along the way inside the monster ship, and everything that had happened in the compartments of the Useful Ones when the Lower Castes had broken in.
Also, the fact that the humans had not harmed the Useful Ones, and how Yv had behaved towards the Lower Castes, made a strong impression on the Privileged Ones on Outpost.
By the time Tera took the floor, everything was decided. The Privileged Ones promised to lock the Lower Castes into their compartments and provided a safe corridor for their landing. By this time, all the compartments of the Powerful Ones on the monster ships were occupied by humans, but only one of ships landed on the surface of the planet. The rest went under the command of Don Krushinka and the squadron commanders.
The Privileged Ones on Outpost met them at the edge of the landing strip. A stone pavilion had been built there, which was swept by winds from every angle, which blew constantly in Outpost’s artificial atmosphere.
It was immediately clear that this had been created by the hand of the Powerful Ones, the same as the galleries on the ship. There was a sense of beauty and perfection, achieved by using expressive, but natural, contours.
When Tera, escorted by her officers, approached, they saw that the Privileged Ones on Outpost belonged to six different species. The Emus, who could be seen on the screens, were in the minority. Tera stopped twenty paces from the group of Privileged Ones, and she raised a microphone to her lips which was connected to external speakers.
“I greet you Privileged Ones on behalf of humanity and express our readiness to accept your Trust.”
Before landing on the planet, the senior Emu gave them a detailed lecture on the rules for ceremonies which it had found in the ship’s archives. Yv nearly lost his temper. Who needed that? It would have been better to give Tera some time to rest. Prior to the start of the battle, Tera had not slept for over twenty-four hours, and now she still had no chance to rest her eyes. She was sitting, buried over a portable computer, on which the translation program had been installed.
It turned out that the event about to take place was unprecedented, as never before had representatives of the castes changed their Status of Trust.
Until now, there had been no equal to the Powerful Ones, and there was only a ritual to join a caste, and it usually occurred when a species or race remained under their rule for many generations. What was happening now fundamentally changed the balance of power. For the first time during the conquest, humans had become the equals of the Powerful Ones.
After exchanging greetings, the procession moved toward the mountains, inside of which was a huge hall carved out by the Powerful Ones. No road led to it, and, again, as in tradition, subordinate castes could only approach it on foot. The journey took almost half an hour. Tera was swaying slightly from weariness, but she tried not to let it show. The procession stopped in front of an arch, and the passage beyond led into the heart of the mountain.
The leader of the Privileged Ones said a ritual phrase, and they all stepped inside. Despite the best efforts of the skilled builders of the subordinate castes, the boundary between what they had built and what the Powerful Ones had constructed themselves was clearly noticeable.
When the procession entered the central nave, the humans were involuntarily gripped by fear. What if they were making a mistake trying to take the place of the Powerful Ones in the lives of these races? When they had the opportunity to compare them both, would the difference be so striking? But it was too late to pull out now.
When an elder among the Privileged Ones sang a roulade signifying the beginning of the meeting, Tera went down the steps accompanied by her entourage, including Yv, Don Krushinka, and Sandra, and came to the middle of the Circle of the Truth. They had all become acquainted on their ships with the appearance and interior decoration of the hall of the Powerful Ones, and now they could examine the bas-relief and the sacred portal at first hand.
When Yv approached the bas-relief depicting scenes of the Exile, he shuddered involuntarily. The postures of the Powerful Ones were very expressive. He quickly turned and looked at the other humans and the Privileged Ones. It suddenly occurred to him that they were no less a majestic sight. They stood facing each other, a handful of people who in the name of humanity were about to take the oath of allegiance of several planets, represented here by the Privileged Ones and the Useful Ones, who were to give this oath.
They were in the very sanctuary of the same race whose power they were about to reject. Yv involuntarily looked around, as if expecting that these sacred stones would now turn their anger against those present, when his eyes fell on the image of a portal and a chill ran down his spine. A feeling of danger exuded from the stone. He turned his head slightly and whispered to Sandra.
“There is something here that makes me uncomfortable. We must hurry and finish what we are doing here, and then blow this place to pieces with mortar batteries.”
Sandra shivered and nodded. She too was uncomfortable. It was as if an unknown pressure hung in the air.
A few minutes later the ceremony was over. The humans were walking out of the nave, when Yv noticed some movement in the deeply polished stone at the entrance to the portal. Instantly he grabbed Tera, threw her over to Don Krushinka and yelled out. “Run to the ships! Scarlet Assholes!”
The dons, who, not for the first time in their lives realized that excessive curiosity could shorten a lifespan, instantly rushed to the exit, but the females hesitated, looking around in bewilderment. Seconds later the first Scarlet Prince came through the portal.
Yv managed to reach the only exit from the nave, then halted and drew out his sword. Scarlet Princes were coming through the portal en masse.
The humans and the Privileged Ones raced to the entrance, and breathing hard, they disappeared into the flickering darkness of the gallery leading to the surface. But it was hopeless.
Even running hard, hardly anyone had time to get to the ships in less than forty minutes, and the Scarlet Princes would cover this distance in about five minutes—ten at most. Anyone who had been inside and who had not already fled the galleries was doomed. Most likely, everybody on Outpost was doomed and maybe even the fleet.
Yv’s eyes were dazzled. There were at least a hundred Scarlet Princes there already, but more and more new ones continued to climb through the portal. Finally, the last of the Privileged Ones left the nave.
The stream of Scarlet Princes also ceased. They wandered arou
nd the huge hall in an offhand manner, suddenly turned around and simultaneously moved to the man stood frozen alone under the ceiling arches with a sword in his hand. Ten steps away from Yv they all stopped.
Yv felt like a tiny insect on a window. One of the Scarlet Princes, standing in front of him, quietly asked him in an incredibly exquisite voice. “Do you hope to stop us, Lower One?”
“Yes and No.”
The Scarlet Princes stared at him, then the same one asked him a new question.
“What do you mean by this answer?”
Yv, who was counting every second , knowing that every moment Tera and the rest moved farther and farther away from mortal danger, and closer to the ships, delayed his reply, then answered them slowly.
“Yes, I hope to stop you. No, I am not a Lower One.”
It was as if a wind had swept over the rows of Scarlet Princes. They all slightly changed the position of the claws on their wings. The one standing in front said. “If it was in good taste to imitate the habits of the Lower castes, I would be laughing.”
The response to these words was the rustle of many scarlet wings. Yv slowly looked around the faces that shone with a truly beautiful light. They were all incredibly similar, or at least the human eye could not distinguish one from the other. Even he, with all his new abilities, could catch only subtle traces left by time or accidents of life.
They were more similar than twins and looked like they had been cast from a single mold. For a few moments Yv just looked from one face to another, yielding in to a foolish desire to find at least one of them that was different to the others, and then suddenly he felt something jolt inside.
He froze. Something very important had broken through the layer of normal thought, deeply hidden fear, and anxiety. It came from somewhere in the depths of his subconscious, or perhaps from outside of it. The next instant he felt a chill and opened his eyes wide.
Well, of course! No human had ever seen so many Scarlet Princes together at the same time. Dagmar had made a mistake, they are not hermaphrodites! They do not reproduce. They were made by the Creator, and it was the Creator himself who had told him so! The images of his thoughts must have been reflected in his face, because the wings of the Scarlet Princes suddenly began trembling.
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