Ranh

by Ian J Miller

  "No, why?"

  "Because it appears that Ranh has been making annihilation bombs, an Ulsian battleship located them and destroyed them, and their Space Marshall has effectively said, either clean up Ranhyn criminality or there will be war, and of course there is a mainline battleship located at just the position to destroy Tukhranh."

  "That should never have been allowed to be stationed there," Tergyn grumbled.

  "And it would not have been there had you shown the slightest signs of negotiating the treaty with Earth in good faith," Kazyn said, "but that is not the point. The ship is there, the threat is there, and the fact is, we are in the wrong. We have to comply."

  "Look, I have no idea what you think I have done, but I assure you I have no knowledge of any bombs being built."

  "And you showed no real surprise when we told you about it," Hadell said. "The fact of the matter is, you may not have known what was going on but you knew something was."

  Tergyn sat there, trying to think of a response, but in the end he decided to say nothing.

  "Still, what you think you know is irrelevant," Kazyn added, because at best it would be hearsay. "We accept you did not make the annihilation bombs because you have no facilities, and you may or may not know who did."

  "Then why are you here?"

  "Because we are going around to the Justice Curia," Kazyn replied, "and we need a formal request from the Space Curia to permit us to act under section thirty of the Ulsian-Ranhyn interplanetary treaty."

  "You are not Ulsian," Tergyn said.

  "Read the clause," Katya said. "A proper representative of any planet currently under the protection of Ulse can activate that clause, Earth is such a planet, and ex-Commissioner Kotchetkova is such an authorized representative."

  "And I am here to formally make the request on behalf of the Terran Federation Government," Natasha said.

  "This is one of those requests you should not decline," Hadell said, "because it could lead to a war that Ranh is not in a very good position to win."

  "So, what do you want?" Tergyn said.

  "My guess is that Thapet Tergyn has no idea what section thirty of the Ulsian-Ranhyn interplanetary treaty actually says," Katya explained to Natasha, but in a loud enough tone that all others would hear it. Of course she also said it in English, which Hadell and Kazyn understood, but Tergyn probably did not.

  "You may be correct," Kazyn acknowledged, then he turned to a puzzled Tergyn and translated, then asked, "Is she correct?"

  "Is what correct?"

  "That you have no idea what section thirty of the Ulsian-Ranhyn interplanetary treaty actually says?"

  There was a pause, as it was clear that Tergyn did not, but he did not want to admit it. Finally, he asked in a strangely hushed tone, "What do you want?"

  "That is quite simple," Kazyn said. "We want a statement from the Space Curia requesting the Justice Curia not to obstruct in any way, before or after, any of the four permitted searches of Ranhyn property without evidential warrants from Ranhyn authorities."

  "In case you do not have the forms handy," Hadell said, "I have some," and she handed Tergyn a form from a folder.

  "We have more if you elect to tear that up," Kazyn added, "and the more reluctant you are to sign, the worse it will be for you once this is over." He paused, then added, "Either we deal with whoever built those annihilation bombs, or everyone in Tukhranh dies, and ultimately our species will be extinguished. I am sure the mob will be very sympathetic to your pleas for mercy if we have to tell them you are ordering their deaths."

  "You can't do that!" This was said with all the conviction of one who knows it is not true.

  "Oh yes, we can, and will if you do not sign."

  "What will happen to me?"

  "Depends," Hadell said. "Be prepared to give evidence in confidence, and if it is useful, you can retire somewhere harmless and live out the rest of your life in idle hunting."

  "We know you did not order the bombs," Kazyn added, "so why accept the punishment for them? We also know you have merely obeyed the Cardinal, so why be a hero now when you would not stand up before?"

  Tergyn stared at the piece of paper with all the enthusiasm he would have had for a plateful of raw onions, but then, with shaking claws, he picked up a pen. When he could stop shaking, he signed.

  "The Cardinal will have me killed," he muttered.

  "Then tell us what you know," Kazyn urged. "The chances of the Cardinal surviving this episode as a Cardinal are rather small, but it is in your interest to make them smaller."

  To their surprise, Tergyn began to speak, and Kazyn began to record what he said. Much of what he said was not directly useful, but it clearly showed that the Cardinal had been using his power illegally, and for personal gain.

  * * *

  As Methrell had announced to the small party before they set off, it appeared that Scaevola had done something useful for there seemed to be a general uproar throughout Tukhranh, and probably throughout the rest of the continent. If they were going to war against a planetary system so much stronger than them, they might at least know why, and what incompetence had got it to the stage where they had gained no advantage yet could end up paying the maximum price, and not paying that price depended on the good will of a human. A mammal! How horrendous! Someone needed plucking and being dropped onto the inner planet. Perhaps a lot of someones.

  There had been some debate over the next step. In principle, the police was the major force they needed on their side, but in practice the Justice Department was more important because if the police did not obey them, they could call on the army. Nobody knew where the loyalties of the Justice Tenzat lay. Hadell had tried talking to her, but she had been very unresponsive, and as Hadell said, that meant nothing because if she were doing her job properly, she had to be unresponsive and she should not even talk to an ex-Tenzat about such matters. However, this time she had to talk.

  Methrell and Kazyn led the small procession up the steps, and ordered the soldiers to stay at the doorway. Yes, there was a risk here, because taking armaments into the Justice Department was essentially a coup. Of course what they intended had the essence of a coup, but they hoped to keep that essence to a minimum. When outside the office, Methrell pushed aside the secretary, who had tried to stop them because they did not have an appointment, and she and Kazyn stormed into the office.

  "What are you doing?" came the loud protest. "You will be arrested for this."

  "I am representing the Military Curia, at least until proper procedures lead to a new Tenzat," Methrell said. "As you may have heard, an Ulsian Space Marshall has effectively said that we clean up certain illegalities, or there will be war between the Ulsian Federation of planets and Ranh. Further, according to Scaevola, the Ulsian ships have trapped a minimum of twenty-four heavy cruisers and will destroy them unless this situation is resolved quickly. He has also asserted that a Krothian fleet is supposed to be on its way. I have no idea whether that is true, but even if it is not, the current Ranhyn space fleet that is available and not locked away in some inaccessible ice cave may even have difficulties in dealing with the three known Ulsian battleships, one of which could destroy Tukhranh in a matter of minutes. Essentially, we have no defence." This, Methrell knew, was not entirely true, but that did not matter.

  The Tenzat stared at Methrell, and slowly the significance of what had been said struck home. Methrell had no idea where this Tenzat's allegiance would have lain, but now the issue was different. "What do you want?" came the tentative question.

  "What Scaevola announced was that for the moment, he was prepared to accept that the illegally made annihilation bombs were just that, objects made by a criminal element, even if they were high up in the government of Ranh."

  "So?"

  "So if we clean up the criminals," Kazyn said, as if explaining to a dense pupil, "this is regarded as simply an internal matter."

  "What I meant," came the terse counter, "exactly what do you want right
now?"

  "We have clear evidence of who made these bombs, and where they came from," Methrell said, "although it came from the inspection of the ship, which meant that is currently in the hands of the humans controlling the Ulsian ship, and cannot be presented in a Ranhyn court."

  "We also have some evidence obtained by ourselves," Kazyn explained, "but –"

  "It was not obtained in a way that would avoid legal challenge?"

  "That is correct," Kazyn said, "but we have this statement from Tenzat Tergyn, of the Space Curia. I think you will agree that it shows clear evidence of illegality on the part of Cardinal Sender."

  "Yes, but it is not related to your bombs."

  "No, it is not," Kazyn said, "but the Terrans claim that under the Ulsian Treaty they have the right to make up to four pre-emptive searches that fail to find anything. Do your really want humans crawling through Sender's illegality?"

  "They couldn't. They haven't got the means and . . ."

  "Scaevola could deploy Ulsian war droids," Kazyn improvised. "Don't forget, he is also human, and you really don't want to face war droids with small arms."

  "And believe me, the Military Curia has no intention of offering defence," Methrell added.

  "So, what do you want?"

  "The right to undertake searches of Sender's property," Kazyn said. "Better we do it than the humans. We do it to verify Tergyn's allegations."

  "As an aside," Hadell remarked, "Nobody knows about Tergyn's allegations except us, and you. It would be in the long term interests of Tergyn's safety that it stays that way."

  "Of course," the Tenzat said with a scowl. The implied threat was not to be missed. "And you want the police to be deployed?"

  "No. We want the military Curia to be responsible for the execution of the searches."

  "That is highly unusual."

  "Yes, but so is the fact that the Cardinal has a small private army. If he were to become desperate, it might be preferable that trained soldiers deal with his Guard."

  The Tenzat stared at the two Kuyrills with a look of distaste, but then it appeared that a decision had been reached, and she took a stamp and hit a document with it. "Before you actually execute this," she said, "don't forget to fill in the locations."

  Kazyn grasped the warrant, then, almost as an afterthought, he thanked the Tenzat. Kazyn was convinced she had signed more to keep her name clean, irrespective of what happened, and to keep her covered on both bases, she would inform the Cardinal. This was far from over.

  Chapter 43

  "I feel I should be doing something," Gaius said to Marcellus. The two of them were in the hotel room, waiting for news. "I know that it is best if I leave everything to the Ranhynn, but only if they win."

  "Perhaps there isn't much you can do to help in this case," Marcellus cautioned. "Your interview was very good, but it was also a little provocative. The Ranhynn are a very proud species, and doing any more may be seen as too provocative."

  "Maybe, but –"

  There was a call on the intercom. An official, Cardinal Zerrantyl, wished to see him.

  "Who's he?" Gaius asked, in an absent-minded tone to nobody in particular.

  "He is a Cardinal from a rather distant city," Marcellus informed him.

  "Then I wonder what he wants?" Gaius held up his hand to stop Marcellus answering, and said, "Yes, I know, we go down and see him."

  "Or invite him up," Marcellus suggested. "That way it would be more private."

  "Good idea," Gaius said. "I'll offer each option," with which he passed the offer down to the desk clerk below.

  Cardinal Zerrantyl elected to come to Gaius' room, and Gaius had ordered the desk clerk to ask what the Cardinal might like for refreshments, then have that delivered and put on Gaius' bill.

  Gaius was quite surprised when Zerrantyl entered. He was above average in height and his plumage looked a little tired, with the sheen much less than what was usually presented. Gaius was aware that many Ranhynn, as they aged, spent quite a bit of their income on special sheening products, but it seemed that this Cardinal did not. He seemed to have a slight stoop, and his clothes, while very clean, were also rather ordinary looking. He did not dress to impress, and but for his Cardinal's cap, and for the "ring" around his wrist, there would be no indication of how powerful he was. His whole tone almost looked humble, the exact opposite of how Cardinal Sender presented himself.

  Gaius was also amused to see that the Cardinal had ordered, but they were relatively modestly priced drinks and small items to eat. The Cardinal sat down opposite Gaius, and said, "Your comments this morning were interesting."

  "Thank you," Gaius said.

  "But not necessarily reassuring," the Cardinal continued.

  "If you mean, am I threatening Ranh, no I am not, but equally I cannot have annihilation bombs deployed on my home planet."

  "And what makes you think they would be?"

  "I believe that was what they were built for, but you would be correct that while I have evidence, I cannot prove it either. That, unfortunately, is why I cannot share it. On the other hand, there is probably evidence on the satellite around the outer giant."

  "Yes, but you realize your inability to prove it creates a problem."

  "I do. Nevertheless, a number of Ranhynn are addressing that problem, and I hope –"

  "You want Ranh to sort this out itself."

  "Yes, I do."

  "As do I. Accordingly, I am going to ask you to leave Ranh for the moment, and park your ship out in the giant zone, as per the initial agreement. Where it is at the moment is simply too provocative. You will have half of Tukhranh fearing for their lives, and that will lead some to demand the planetary defences to be turned on."

  "There is no need for that, and it wouldn't work anyway because –"

  "There is need for that, to cool down the mob. In return, I shall see what I can do to get to the bottom of these bombs. Remember, I have powers that no other Ranhyn has."

  "Strictly speaking," Gaius said, "if you were to officially request me to move the ship, I would have to do so."

  "Yes," the Cardinal said, "but you would make a better impression if you did so voluntarily."

  "Then as soon as I clear the hotel bill, I shall take my shuttle back to the Actium and move out to the giant region."

  "Thank you."

  "And I trust you will get to the bottom of whatever is going on," Gaius said. Conversation then reverted to small talk, while the Cardinal completed his refreshments, then he got up and was escorted by Marcellus to the door.

  "You had better contact Katya," Gaius suggested, "and arrange for Natasha to get to the space-port."

  However, when Marcellus made contact, Gaius was surprised to learn that Natasha had decided to stay behind. "It appears," Marcellus explained, "that she has taken to giving talks on Earth's history following the human's abduction, and she feels that she should stay. She will, of course, expect to be picked up at a later date, and, as she has pointed out, it gives you an excuse to come back any time you feel is appropriate."

  Gaius was less than enthused to hear this, but he had little choice. He had given his word, and not to depart now would lead to considerable difficulties in any subsequent negotiation. Natasha had made her choice, and, when thinking more about it, he realized that the humans there had survived for over two thousand years, so they should be able to keep Natasha alive for a few weeks at most. He had one more thing to do before he left: he must make another interview.

  * * *

  There had been some difficulty in organizing this, but eventually the News Director saw the point, and once again, Gaius sat before the cameras.

  "Good afternoon, citizens of Ranh. It has been obvious to me that given the recent sequence of events, and in particular, the attempt on my life, that my presence here is polarizing. Yes, there are elements of criminality in Ranh, but there are elements of criminality everywhere. Just before I left Ulse, there was the most serious example of criminality you
could imagine, and Ulse appreciates that no civilization should be held to account for the actions of the criminal few." He paused, and added, "In Ulse's case, particularly after their experience.

  "In the Ulsian case, when I suspected what was going on, even though it strongly affected my family, I was persuaded to go away and leave the situation for Ulse to cleanse. At the time, I was really angry, but I acceded to their demands, and in hindsight, my being somewhere else and leaving this to the Ulsian authorities was by far the best way to deal with that incident.

  "I now find myself in a similar situation. While I know that there has been severe criminality on Ranh, equally I know my presence here will polarize the Ranhynn, and it is possible that a number of other issues could confuse the issue to such an extent that the best outcomes could be lost.

  "Accordingly, I have decided to take myself and my ship to the outer reaches of your solar system and await the outcome. I should add that the only reason I came here in the first place was to arrange a peace treaty between Ranh and Earth, and should Ranh reach a stage where they are prepared to sign that treaty, or negotiate terms in good faith, I shall be glad to return.

  "In the meantime, I wish you all the best for solving this current problem. As Ulsian military Commander in the region, I assure you all that Ulse also wishes this treaty to be agreed, and the region live in peace and prosperity."

  With that, the program ended.

  Chapter 44

  Baht felt rather pleased with herself as she, the lowest of the low, was once again meeting with the great. The Kuyrills were seemingly very pleased with themselves, but Methrell seemed to be less so. Thappyt, who admittedly was somewhat less important, was concerned.

  "By now, Cardinal Sender will know we are against him," Thappyt said. "He will have his Guard alerted."

  "Who will stand little chance against the military," Kazyn replied.

  "Yes, but is all the military behind us?" Thappyt asked.

  All eyes turned towards Methrell, who had to admit that her troops would be behind them, but the best they could hope for would be that the rest stayed in barracks. "I have sent out a general order to do so," she said, "but we cannot know for sure how many will obey. Yes, I know we have this order from Justice, but the legality of it is questionable, and it is possible that at least some commanders will feel that supporting the Cardinal is indeed supporting proper government, and we are organizing an illegal coup."