by Bill Nolan
Robert spoke up. “Very lucid analysis, General.” He turned back to Jamer. “So, queen’s man, pick your weapon, and let’s see what you can do on your own. This time you don’t have your guards or your cousin to hide behind. You know, I’d guess Shotana doesn’t even like you. Tell me, have you ever actually met her? I’d bet not.”
Jamer wasn’t a complete idiot. He withdrew his challenge immediately, and then renewed his claim that his daughter would not pay a fine or be flogged.
“Yes,” Robert said, “She will do both. She will be flogged before she leaves this ship, and if you don’t pay her fine, I’ll sell her contract for it. Since she is over 16, my friend Chofma over there has offered to buy her contract for the 110 zarigs. He thinks he can improve her attitude in no time. It was your man who asked me to decide this case, and I have done so. If you wanted somebody corrupt to decide it unfairly, you chose poorly.”
Jamer stormed out threatening to notify his cousin, the Empress, about the incident, but he paid the fine, and Suji got her lashes.
As he was being escorted from the ship, the General took Robert aside. “You know why I’m here?” Robert nodded. “She would like to meet with you tomorrow morning, if possible. If that would be convenient, I’ll come back here alone later tonight to work out any details.”
Robert assured him that tomorrow would be no problem, and told him to see Chofma tonight to settle any security issues. Then he went to his office to meet with the three girls. Kysandra, Jonu, Leida, and Jane were also there. Kamci was now dressed in an outfit Crylth had loaned her. The other two were still in the old clothes they had worn up to be interviewed. Robert assumed they were their best clothes, since they had worn them to such an important occasion.
Letha and Laurni hadn’t had any chance to talk with Kamci yet, and they were badly frightened by the whole turn of events. Kamci looked calm. After Robert sat down, he said, “Welcome to Shanna, and congratulations. First, I need you to tell Leida what property you own that is still on Wotara. She is taking her team down there to get it for you. Also, if there is anybody there you want to say goodbye to, Leida will arrange it.”
They didn’t own much, but they told Leida where to find everything, including those little treasures they had kept hidden. There wasn’t anybody they wanted to say goodbye to.
Once Leida had left, Robert got down to business. “Well, girls, what are your plans now that you’re free? Do you want to book passage?”
Kamci recovered first. “I thought we’d stay here on this ship. I don’t know what else we can do. Do we have to leave? Where would we go? You know we don’t have any money. I don’t know how I’ll pay you back for the money I borrowed to buy our contracts. I hoped we could work for you. We’ll work hard, I promise.”
Ky spoke up. “Don’t tease them, Robert.” Kamci looked relieved to have some support.
“OK,” Robert laughed, “here’s the deal. Kamci already owes me 110 zarigs. I will loan her another 290 zarigs, and I will loan Letha and Laurni 400 zarigs each. You will all immediately donate that money to the To’Ach’an Charitable Fund. Once you have done that, you may enter into a standard contract with me for the 400 zarigs each, and then you can stay on the ship. Or, if you prefer, I can just drop you back on Wotara.”
“You can’t send us back to Wotara after what happened!” Letha said. Laurni started crying.
Kamci stared hard at Robert. The fire was back in her eyes. “We don’t have any choice, do we? We’ll take your contracts. Thank you for helping us, Master.” She put a lot of emphasis on the last word. Jonu thought it was a good thing she didn’t have a weapon handy.
“Good,” Robert said. “Jonu will explain the contracts in the other room, and then Jane will escort you to your quarters. I’ll be by to see you in a little while, to explain what your duties will be. Shanna, do we still have that little room under the stairs by the kitchen?"
Jonu came back in after the girls had formally accepted the contracts. “This is slick, Robert. The ‘To’Ach’an Charitable Fund.’ That’s good. I would never have thought of that and you even get your 110 zarigs back twice because of the fine on Suji. I asked Shanna to send the details to the other Tocals, like you said. I know you want approval because the unlimited contracts are technically a violation of our normal traditions, but I think they’ll not only vote approval, I think they’ll want to use this idea. It’s a classic. So, how are you planning to give them back their 400 each?” Jonu had never even thought of the possibility that Robert might keep it.
“Scholarships,” Robert answered. “It’s a tradition on Earth.” He had to explain the concept to Jonu, because no such thing existed among the To’Ach’an, where all education was automatically paid for out of ship common funds.
Jane was still with the girls when Robert got there. Following his instructions, she hadn’t done more than show them their quarters. As Shanna liked to say, “I have no ugly rooms,” and these were no exceptions. The garden wasn’t private, like Jane and Robert’s, as several other people had rooms fronting on it, but it was just as lovely, with another of the seemingly natural pools. They had a nice sized common area, with kitchen, and each had a separate bedroom suite. It probably totaled 3500 sq. ft.
Kamci was a little less hostile when Robert came in. He had a feeling the living area was responsible. She said, “Sir, these rooms are very beautiful, but we cannot afford them. We want to reduce our contracts, not increase them.”
Robert sat on one of the chairs, and beckoned for the girls to do the same. “These rooms will have to do. We don’t have any dungeons or tiny attics, do we Shanna?”
“Of course not, Robert,” Shanna answered.
“As for cost,” Robert continued, “we don’t charge for rooms in this ship. It’s not a hotel. Actual meal cost will be tracked by Shanna and charged against your account. Shanna has determined that you will each need to work about 10 hours a week to cover all your expenses. You won’t be able to work more, because you’ll be too busy with school. Your education has been woefully neglected, and if there’s to be any hope of me recovering the money I loaned you, you’ll need to learn some real skills.”
“I expect it will take a year for you to really master the basic stuff, and then you can start your advanced training. Naturally, during this time, you’ll need clothes, and you’ll need to furnish this place a bit more. You’ll also need spending money when we stop at various planets. Before I came here, I took the liberty of applying for scholarships on your behalf.” This required another explanation of scholarships.
“I’m happy to tell you that the To’Ach’an Charitable Fund has awarded each of you a scholarship for expenses. An initial amount of 150 zarigs each has already been credited to each of your accounts, because the Fund administrator felt your needs would be high initially. Your accounts will be credited with an additional 10 zarigs each month to cover ongoing expenses. This will continue for 25 months. By that time, I expect each of you will have a skill, and will be earning your own money.”
“There are only a few conditions on the money. First, your education must be progressing satisfactorily, in my opinion. Second, you may not apply any of the scholarship money to your contracts. Third, any expenditure over 1 zarig must be approved by me or Shanna. You all need some clothes, so Leida and her team will take you to Wotara to shop tomorrow morning. Nobody will bother you while she is with you. Do you have any questions?”
The experiences of the day had done a lot to teach Kamci a little confidence, so she was thinking more clearly than the others. She did the math and realized that they were each getting their 400 zarigs back. For the past hour, she had been feeling betrayed. She really had trusted Robert, and now she realized that she still could. The smile came back. “I don’t have any questions. I think I understand perfectly. We’ll study hard. You won’t be disappointed.”
After Robert and Jane left, Letha asked, “Kamci, is it going to be OK? You know what everybody says about the To’Ach’
an.”
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. They’re not like everybody says. Tocal didn’t even get mad when I hit him earlier.”
“You HIT him?” Laurni said. “Why did you hit him? Are you crazy?”
“I had to. Jonu ordered me to do it. I want to look around this ship right now, but later tonight I’ll tell you all about what happened.”
By the end of the day, the three girls were as tired as they had ever been, but also having a great time. Their exploration of the ship was conducted at a near run, and they became instant favorites of everybody on board. For them, that was perhaps the best part. It had been a long while since anybody had treated them decently. Karlona told them they had a week of paid vacation to settle in, before they would be expected to start work and school.
They loved their rooms, and were making lists of the clothes they wanted. They’d spent a lot of time window-shopping. The 150 zarigs was about equal to $4000 in US Earth currency, so it seemed like a huge fortune to them. Shanna also fascinated them. They chattered away to her almost constantly.
Kamci spent at least two hours playing with Roughneck. She loved animals, and he knew it. Roughneck wasn’t used to having a kid to play with, and he took to her right away. Late in the evening, Shanna informed Robert that Roughneck was sleeping on Kamci’s bed.
First thing the next morning, Robert dropped in on the girls while they were eating breakfast. He wanted to see how they were doing. Roughneck met him at the door. “Hey, Roughneck, so this is where you got off to. How’re you doing, boy?”
Kamci ran over and said, “He slept with me. Is that OK? I asked Shanna, and she said it would be OK.”
“That’s fine,” Robert answered. “He’s a big dog, and he can sleep anywhere he likes. How are you girls settling in? Everything OK?” Robert sat in an extra chair at the table.
Letha answered. “We’re doing fine. We had a great time exploring Shanna yesterday, and Karlona said we get to have a week of vacation. Shanna’s really neat, and so are Leida and Podara. We made lots of friends already, and I can’t wait to go to school.”
Laurni chimed in, “Don’t forget Crylth. She wants us to come by later so she can check us over. Everybody’s been so nice. We really appreciate it. It’s going to be great living here with Shanna and everybody. Did Kamci really hit you?”
“She sure did. She slapped me a few times. For a girl her size, she packs a real wallop. She was really tough with that creep, Jamer, too, wasn’t she?”
Kamci set down the cup of hot chocolate she had made for him. “Jonu told me to hit you, and I think you knew he was going to. That whole thing was planned.”
Robert smiled at her. “Thanks for the chocolate. It worked, didn’t it? Podara planned that part. We didn’t have a lot of time, and you were a little lacking in confidence. I’m sorry we had to do it that way. Will you forgive me?”
“Sure,” Kamci replied, “I was so scared, I guess I needed something. I’m sorry too, for what I was thinking when you had us accept the contracts. I should have known better. What kind of work will we be doing? Karlona said it was up to you.”
“And what about school?” Laurni added. “What will we study?”
“You’ll be kind of like my assistants. Your work will vary depending upon what I need. Everybody switches off and does different things, so nobody gets bored. Besides, you’ll need to try different things so you’ll know what you want your specialty to be. We all do our share of the drudgework, but most of what you do will be interesting, and important. In school, you’ll start out with basics, like math, history, ship skills, ethics and law, and combat.”
Letha almost choked on her breakfast. “Combat? You mean we’ll learn how to fight?”
“Of course,” Robert said. “This is a To’Ach’an ship. Everybody learns how to defend herself. Now, there are a couple of rules. Nothing too bad. Are you ready?” They all nodded. “OK, the first rule is that you cannot ever lie to me. This includes things like not telling me something you know you should, and if I ask you a question, you must answer it. You can tell me you’d rather not answer, but if I say you have to answer, then you have to.”
“In return, I’ll never lie to you. I am allowed to refuse an answer, but I’ll try not to do it very often. Now, you three are all pretty girls, and there are a lot of nice men on this ship. To’Ach’an men are not known for their genteel and restrained behavior toward females. Nobody here will ever force you to do anything, but the moment you hit 16, you’re going to get a lot of offers. (Remember, 16 Galactic years is just over 19 Earth years.) If you want to do anything with any of them, and you know what I mean, you have to get my permission. No exceptions. That’s the second rule. Are there any questions?”
Laurni asked, “You mean we even have to get your permission just to kiss somebody?”
Robert looked at her. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. I’m not saying that I won’t give permission. I probably will. I just want you to think about it enough to ask.”
There weren’t any other questions, and the girls cheerfully agreed to the two rules. Robert finished his hot chocolate and thanked them for their hospitality. He explained that he wished he could stay longer, but he had to meet some Empire official. Kamci walked him out.
“Thank you, Tocal Robert Allen. I’ll work hard to make you proud of me, and I won’t forget. I’ll pay you back, and I don’t mean just the money.”
“I’m already proud of you, Kamci. You were brave yesterday, and for a lot longer than two hours. Even more important, make yourself proud, and if you want to pay me back, do it by helping somebody else when you can. On my homeworld, we call that ‘paying it forward.’”
* * * *
“Tocal Kaymorra, I’m General Andeyki, and this is Lord Smalic. You honor us with your presence. Our mutual friends have set up this meeting because we share a common concern. This man has the potential to upset the balances that have worked so well for so many years. We have run projections, and while some factors are unclear, we feel he is a danger to the Empire, and we know you think him a danger to your people as well. He must be eliminated."
“I agree that he’s a threat,” Kaymorra replied, “but we must proceed very carefully. His influence is new. He has literally come out of nowhere, and the Empire has had only one real contact with him. I know you think he was lucky somehow in that battle, but let me assure you that he was not. If you underestimate him, you’ll all be dead men.”
“We are a warrior people,” Kaymorra continued. “I’m not bragging when I tell you that the worst of us is far more than a match for the best of you. He is the greatest warrior our people have seen in 2000 years, and may be the greatest ever. Whatever else you may do, don’t forget that simple fact. With most of us, it’s just a business, but with him, it’s different.”
“He fights only out of some deep well of passion. It is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. We must learn to use it against him. That she-demon Kysandra is just as bad, and she’ll do anything for him. I think the key is the fact that he has only one ship. If any other ships join him, it will be too late. My ship, Bankor, is close to a match for the fabled Shanna. In addition, we have surprise. If we can draw her into a trap, Bankor can pin her against a planet. Then, with no help from above, we’ll have her.”
* * * *
It was two in the morning, and he was in the bathroom taking antacid pills again. He knew the strain of wondering what this spaceman was up to was getting to him. In all his time as a Marine, and now as President of The United States, he’d never faced anything like this. “We improvise, we adapt, we overcome.” How many times had he heard those words, and how many more times had he said them? They seemed hollow now.
He could feel it coming. He was about to face the most unique crisis in history, and he had no intelligence to help him. They knew a little about this guy Masters, but it was useless information, and he knew it. Masters was a cover identity. They were chasing a shadow, and knowin
g more about the shadow wouldn’t help. They knew nothing about the real guy except what he looked like.
The biggest problem was that only a few people knew about this. He needed to put a team together and start making contingency plans, but if he told much of anybody, it would leak. It was a miracle it hadn’t leaked already. He decided to call that pilot in and talk to him one on one. He really didn’t think it would help, but he didn’t know where to start.
Princess
Chofma had arranged to pick up Shotana in a skipper. He was expecting the General to come with her, but had not been expecting a third person.
“She’s my daughter,” Shotana said. “She needs to come along with us.”
After they left her ship, Chofma told them he had to search them. Shotana didn’t say anything while Chofma searched her, but she did ask him to take it easy on her daughter. Her daughter, Nante, said, “He’s not putting his filthy hands on me. General, kill him if he touches me.”
“I’m sorry, Nante,” General Aranna answered, “but it’s part of our agreement. Besides, I couldn’t kill him if I tried. Let me introduce you. Nante, this is Chofma, of the To’Ach’an. Chofma, this is Nante.” Chofma just smiled. To her credit, Nante only started a bit when she heard “To’Ach’an,” but she allowed the search without further comment.
When they got to Shanna, Chofma escorted them to Robert’s office, where he was waiting with Jane, Ky, Podara, and Jonu. Robert was surprised at the toll the years had taken. Shotana was still beautiful, but looked so very tired. Some of the sparkle he remembered so well was gone from her dark brown eyes, and it seemed an effort for her to smile. Her daughter just looked disgusted, like she was afraid she’d stepped in something, but Robert could sense the fear just underneath. Once everybody was introduced, Shotana turned to Robert.
“It’s been a long time, Robert Allen. I wasn’t sure we would ever meet again.”