by John Bowers
“Why wouldn’t we cooperate with you?”
“There could be any number of reasons. The man I’m after can be very persuasive, and he’s also very rich. My best information suggests that he’s been here at least a year, and with his money, he could have organized a network of allies and informers. I’d like to locate him without tipping him off, if that’s possible.”
Thomas nodded.
“I guess that makes sense. What did this fella do?”
“He’s a terrorist. He’s responsible for at least three thousand murders and possibly more.”
“Sounds like a bad actor.”
“A very bad actor. As I said, he’s also extremely wealthy, and he isn’t afraid to use his money to get what he wants. I fully expect that he may have subverted some of your citizens to his cause.”
“And what cause is that?”
“He’s anti-capitalist. He preaches an old, discredited philosophy called communism. He believes that no one should have more money than anyone else—except himself, of course.”
“That’s what he preaches,” Victoria said. “It’s how he attracts followers, but we don’t know if he really believes any of it.”
“And he teaches them that the way to correct this ‘problem’ is to set bombs and murder innocent people until they become ‘enlightened’ and join his cause.”
“And you want to do what? Take him back?”
“If possible. The Federation wants him in the worst way.”
“And if it isn’t possible?”
Nick shifted in his chair, then leaned slightly forward.
“If I can arrest him, I will. If I can’t, I’m prepared to kill him.”
Thomas nodded toward Nick’s luggage.
“Then I can safely assume you brought weapons with you?”
“Yes, sir. According to my research, weapons are legal here.”
“What did you bring?”
“I have two Ru-Hawk .44 calibre revolvers and a standard Class 3 laser.”
“And I have a .32 calibre repeating rifle,” Victoria added.
“Impressive.”
Sheriff Thomas clasped his fingers behind his head, the picture of relaxation.
“We have no laws regulating firearms,” he said. “But the laser weapon is a different story. I’m going to have to confiscate that.”
Nick frowned. “Why?”
“It’s illegal. I’ll hold it for you, return it when you leave.”
Nick clenched his teeth, but didn’t reply in kind. If the law forbade energy weapons, he had no choice but to comply.
“All right, but I don’t understand why they’re illegal.”
Thomas grinned.
“We’re a little eccentric by your standards. People here don’t want another Federation, and they sure as hell don’t want a Sirian Confederacy. Since we haven’t yet developed the factories and labs necessary to maintain a high-tech world, there are a lot of things we can’t produce, like starships or laser weapons. Our technology is several centuries behind yours, and we like it that way.”
“You don’t have starships?”
“Very few. Since it’s impossible to conduct trade without certain kinds of technologies, we buy what we need from other planets, but only what’s absolutely necessary.”
“What about satellites? Do you have those?”
“Yep. Like I said, some technologies are necessary.”
“What if you get invaded? How will you fight off an invasion force without laser weapons?”
Thomas shrugged.
“The odds against that are astronomical. Nobody has ever attempted a full, planet-wide invasion and I doubt if anybody has the capability at this point in history. Even if they did, why would they invade us? We have nothing they can’t find somewhere else. And there are dozens of new planets within reach that can be had without a fight.”
“So you don’t have a military force?”
“Just what we need to keep the peace. Every district has a militia and we have the means to train and supply them. So far we’ve never had much of a problem, but we’re not completely naïve—we know that can change.”
Nick nodded. He glanced at Victoria, whose expression seemed to confirm what he was thinking—a planet like this was practically naked before a man like Kenneth Saracen.
Sheriff Thomas jerked him back to the present.
“How do you intend to conduct your search?”
Nick regarded him a moment.
“Is that question official or just curiosity?”
“It could be either one. Probably depends on the answer.”
“Well, Sheriff, unless it’s official, I’m not sure I want to answer it. As I said earlier, we aren’t here to create trouble, but if we’re successful, we may spare you a lot of future grief.”
“Why don’t you want to answer the question?”
“Quite honestly? I don’t know anything about you. I only have your word that you’re the sheriff here, and for all I know, you could have joined the fugitive I’m after. Or be working for him. Or, at the very least, be a friend of his. I could sabotage my unofficial investigation if I say another word. Hell, I may have done that already.”
Thomas studied him for a moment, then smiled as if privately amused.
“You two married?”
“No.”
“What’s your relationship?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“I’m his attorney,” Victoria said.
“His attorney! Is he expecting to need an attorney here?”
“Neither of us expects that to be the case. But I have represented him in the past, and if you just have to know…I think he’s cute.”
*
Sheriff Thomas followed them back to the front porch after the interview. He was genial, if not exactly friendly.
“I’ll need that laser weapon.”
Nick stared at him a moment, then opened his travel bag and pulled out the pistol. He also handed over a couple of spare power packs.
“Thank you. When you get ready to leave the planet, look me up and I’ll return these.”
“All right.”
“Where are you folks going from here?”
“According to the map I downloaded, the nearest town is a place called Hardwood.”
“Yep. Twenty-two miles from here.”
Nick frowned. “Why so far from the shuttleport?”
“It was the first spot the original settlers found that was suitable for a town. Fresh water, a little flat land…I don’t know if you noticed, but this region is mostly mountains.”
“Yeah, so why did they land in this area? Seems it would have been easier and safer to land in better terrain.”
“Actually they did land about a hundred miles farther south, on a plain. But they didn’t have satellites in play yet and needed a high peak for transmission towers. So they shopped around a little and found this ridge. It was flat enough on top to bring down a supply shuttle and they decided it was a good spot for a landing strip. Not sure I agree that it was the best spot, but it’s the one they chose, and I wasn’t here to talk them out of it.”
Nick didn’t miss the faint sarcasm.
“How long have you been here?”
“Twenty-seven years. Sheriff for sixteen. So you’re heading for Hardwood?”
Nick nodded. “Thought we might find a hotel there, get our bearings, and start looking around.”
“My office is in Hardwood, so I’d appreciate it if you kept me posted on your investigation.”
Nick frowned again.
“Is that a request? Or a demand?”
“Right now it’s just a friendly suggestion. I can always change it to something else if I need to.”
Nick stared across the treetops for a moment.
“You know, Sheriff, I’m not used to working under tight supervision. I understand that you don’t need a bunch of free-lancers stirring up stink in your district, and I wouldn’t either.
How about we keep it friendly and I’ll touch bases with you from time to time? Chances are that, if I actually find who I’m looking for, I may need to consult with you on the best way to approach him.”
Thomas nodded slowly, his expression giving nothing away.
“That might work. Just keep in mind that you have no legal authority here.”
“I won’t forget. Now, since you don’t seem to have hovercar rentals here, what’s the best way to get to town?”
Thomas pointed toward the railroad that gleamed in the sun a few hundred yards down the slope from where they stood.
“You can’t see it from here, but the train station is about a quarter mile down the road, just around that little hill. You can take the train, or if someone is heading into town, you might catch a ride.”
“I don’t suppose you’re going that way, are you?”
“Not for a couple of hours. Still got some business here.”
“How often does the train come by?”
“Once or twice a day. There should be a freight along pretty soon. They always show up when a shuttle comes down, to move the cargo away.”
Nick looked at Victoria. She shrugged.
“Let’s check out the train,” she said. “If we don’t get lucky, we still have time to ask the sheriff for a ride.”
Nick turned to Thomas.
“What she said.”
Thomas grinned for the first time.
“Okay, then, good luck. I’ll stop by the train station when I leave, in case you’re still there.”
Nick shook his hand.
“One more thing, Sheriff—we’ve told you our real names, but I prefer you keep that to yourself. As far as the people of Tau Ceti are concerned, my name is Nick Jones, and Victoria is my wife. Can I count on you to keep our secret?”
Thomas studied him for a moment, then nodded.
“You keep your nose clean and we’ve got a deal.”
Chapter 9
It was a ten-minute walk to the train station, all of it down a steep, paved grade that curved around the wooded hill the sheriff had pointed out. As they rounded the hill they saw the station, a small wooden building with a narrow platform that extended right up to the rails. The platform was stacked with crates that had arrived on the shuttle. A string of freight cars on a parallel track sat with open doors while four men, using old-fashioned forklifts, loaded the crates into them.
Nick wasn’t surprised that the station was so rustic, but was astonished at the sight of a small water tower across the tracks from the station. Victoria also saw it but didn’t seem to make the connection.
“What a beautiful spot!” she exclaimed. “This is like something from a story book.”
“I think it’s more than that,” Nick said, gazing down the track and following its curve along the riverbank.
“What do you mean?”
Nick didn’t answer right away. His ears picked up a distant chuffing sound; it seemed to be drawing closer, and after a moment he spotted a plume of smoke coming around a bend. He pointed, feeling a tingle across his skin.
Victoria followed his finger.
“Oh. My. God! What the hell is that!”
It was almost a magical sight. Barely half a mile away, approaching at no more than twenty miles per hour, the train consisted of four freight cars and a single passenger coach. The design was several centuries out of date, and the engine itself was the biggest surprise of all.
Painted green and black, it had two large wheels in back and several smaller ones in front; a complex of steel rods connected the drive wheels, all moving in a steady, seemingly disjointed rhythm that somehow drove the machine forward. A large metal chimney sat atop the front of the engine, billowing dark grey smoke in puffs that seemed to coincide with the chuffing sounds; thin billows of steam seemed to bleed from the huge cylindrical tank that comprised most of the engine.
Nick felt his skin crawl.
“That,” he told Victoria, “is a fucking steam engine!”
She stared in wonder as the huffing, puffing beast drew ever closer. Her mouth hung open in pure wonder.
“I don’t understand. A steam engine?”
“Haven’t you ever watched a Yancy West vid? The first trains on Terra were steam powered. This is modeled after those. Today you can still find a few in museums, but this one looks brand new.”
“Oh my God!” she said again, quieter this time. “It’s like something from the Disney Planet.”
They entered the station as the train pulled in and stopped with an explosive release of steam, filling the air with smells of wood smoke and hot lubricating oil. The engineer was clearly visible through an open window in the cab and another man stepped down onto the platform. He nodded at Nick and Victoria.
“Where you headed?”
“Hardwood,” Nick told him. “Are you going that way?”
“Just came from there, but as soon as we switch cars we’re headed back. It’ll be about ten minutes before we leave.”
“How much are the tickets?”
“I don’t know. You can settle up with the station master when we get there.” He nodded to the passenger coach. “Go ahead and board. No passengers yet, so take any seat you want.”
They picked up their luggage and climbed the metal steps at the near end of the coach, then moved down the aisle between the seats. Nick stowed their luggage in the overhead storage bays and they settled into thinly padded leather seats.
Nick pushed his hat down on his head and stretched his legs. A moment later the train began to move, jerking and banging as the couplings engaged and took up the slack; as the crewman had promised, it took about ten minutes to disconnect the freight cars, switch tracks, and hook up to the newly loaded cars containing shuttle cargo. Another five or six minutes passed while the engine idled under a water spout from the tank beside the station; then, with the blast of a steam whistle, the train began to accelerate back the way it had come. In short order, they were watching trees whip past as the train chuffed along the river.
“I can’t believe this,” Victoria said, a look of awe still in her eyes.
“Me neither. The only trains I’ve ever ridden were maglevs. Even Sirius didn’t have anything like this.”
After several minutes, Victoria’s mind returned to the business at hand.
“What did you think of the sheriff?”
“Not sure yet, but I wish you hadn’t told him who we were.”
“Did we have a choice?”
“Maybe. We might have bluffed him.”
“What difference does it make? If he really is the sheriff, he might be an ally.”
“Possibly, but did you notice that he never asked who we were looking for?”
Victoria’s blue eyes expanded in surprise.
“You’re right! He never did. What do you think it means?”
“Might not mean anything, but if someone came into my jurisdiction on a manhunt, the first thing I would want to know is who they’re hunting. Maybe I could help find him, or I might already have him in custody. Most lawmen are territorial, and they want to know everything they can about what’s going on. Sheriff Thomas never even asked.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t know, but my best guess is that he already knows. Or at least suspects.”
“Which means…?”
“I’m not sure he’s our friend.”
The train proceeded along the river at a steady twenty miles per hour. Here and there the terrain rose and fell, the train slowing on the upgrades and chuffing madly on the declines, hitting nearly forty before leveling out. The air was cool and crisp, almost chilly, so clear and pure it was almost heady; the evergreen scent of conifers was overpowering.
Nick estimated they must be at about eight thousand feet; the region was a complex of steep inclines and deep gorges, with water coursing through the canyons. To their left, the river was only yards away and a few feet below the rail bed, tumbling madly over boulders and fallen
logs, flowing quietly every few hundred yards before exploding into rapids with lots of spray and white water. It would be a challenge for canoe enthusiasts, he thought.
“How far away did the sheriff say this town was?” Victoria asked.
“Twenty-two miles, I think.”
“And how fast are we going?”
“About twenty.”
She glanced at her watch with a sigh.
“Another half hour to go.”
“Are you in a hurry? I’m enjoying the ride.”
“So am I, but this train is bumpy as hell and keeps jerking from side to side.”
“It sure ain’t no maglev,” he agreed.
She glanced sideways at him.
“Well, it’s good to see you enjoying something, even if it is just a train ride.”
Nick didn’t reply.
She changed the subject.
“What’s your strategy now that we’re here?”
“I’m not sure. Get situated, establish a base, and spread out from there. Until we know more about the settlements and social structures on this planet, it’s impossible to map out a course of action. The main thing, I think, is to keep our ears open and learn as much as we can. We’re not on a deadline and we have plenty of money, so we should have all the time we need.”
“How long do you think it will take?”
“No idea. We’re more or less working undercover. Except for the sheriff, nobody knows who we are. We’re just two newcomers with no names. The only danger is running into Saracen himself, but if that happens, we just take him down and call it mission accomplished.”
“You don’t seriously think it will be that easy, do you?”
“No, that would be a miracle. But—stranger things have happened.”
Twenty minutes later, the river meandered away to their left and plunged over a fall. Shortly afterward, the grade steepened and the train began to descend, picking up speed until the brakes took hold to keep it from running away. Soon they were hitting fifty miles per hour and the ride became rough, the squeal of iron brakes setting their teeth on edge. The terrain flattened out, the high peaks falling away behind them to reveal a meadow several miles across. They began to see a few fields and scattered houses with gardens. A few minutes later, streets began to appear and the train slowed, its whistle blasting to warn residents of its approach. Nick saw high-tension wires, almost non-existent in the Federation, suspended above the streets on wooden poles thirty feet tall. The streets were lined with them, wires running in all directions. A paved street paralleled the railroad, with others branching off at ninety degree angles.