"You could still be a part of Haven's greatness. Join us, Captain! Weapons are not the only things of value aboard Adventurer. There are hundreds, thousands of bits of knowledge that could put New Home in a dominant position in a few years, perhaps even without violence. You will find King David to be very grateful."
I was tired of arguing. It was obvious neither of us was going to convince the other. "Thank you for the offer, your Excellency. I will consider everything you've said most carefully."
Duke Richard smiled, but his eyes told me he knew I would never agree to join New Home in conquering Haven. With a smile and a nod, he returned to his king.
Duke Richard paused as the party left through the gig's small hatch. "Perhaps we will have a chance to talk more this evening," he said with a smile. "I would be very interested in your perspective concerning matters on Haven, Captain Carver."
I suspect my smile was as false as his own. "Perhaps, your Excellency. Though I suspect my perspective would differ from your own."
He nodded, smile still firmly affixed. "Yes, well, that's what would make it interesting!" He swept off the gig toward Adventurer's gig, which would take the king's party up to the ship.
I contacted those of my "assistants" that I trusted via bracelet, and let them know that all the heads of state were present, and to maintain a high alert for the next few hours. Both Lisa and Jane received the same instructions. There were simply too many armed bodyguards present, both on the base and especially aboard Adventurer.
After all, there was nothing to stop King David's courtiers from taking the other bodyguards by surprise, slaughtering them, and having the heads of every nation on Haven as hostages. Well, nothing except me, Heidi, and two dozen servitor 'bots, each armed with a hand laser. They couldn't use the things, of course; but I was pretty certain the New Homers didn't know that. There were still plenty of the "army of metal men" rumors flying.
Chapter 15
And, of course, my own worst fear came true. As the fabulous "Star Man", I had to greet each guest personally; and several of those faces were familiar. Luckily, I thought only three of them might have recognized me, or at least been confused. Raj Thunt of Cellia Metals showed a puzzled frown. Ralf Jemson of Dr. Aram's looked puzzled for a moment, but his face relaxed into a smile and a wink when we were introduced.
The one that really concerned me was Kel Sarbo of New Home Mining and Metals. His insincere half-smile faded to a look of surprise, and then satisfaction. There was no doubt he was aware of my identity. Sarbo wasn't the type to gossip, but if he saw a profit in a chat with Duke Richard …
Sarbo greeted me as though I were a stranger, though his eyes gleamed. He would probably spend the rest of the evening trying to figure out how to profit from his new knowledge.
But I was too busy to worry about it now. I had ridden Adventurer's gig up to the ship, and had been instantly swept up in a whirlwind of locals, all frantic to talk to the "Star Man" and shake his hand. Some of the younger women did their best to let me know they would be interested in a closer introduction, but I had enough woman trouble.
When the greeting line finally ended, I was able to grab a fruit tea to soothe my parched throat, but I had no time to taste the delicacies available. I had to hurry down to the cargo hold where we were hosting the "staff party".
Actually, I thought the staff had it better than the VIPs. Oh, the furniture wasn't as fancy, but the food was the Earth-style of 500 years ago, there was plenty of beer and choc, and Jane provided an unending supply of exotic music for background and even dancing. It was a great party, with singing and dancing, and I hated to leave it. Especially since I had to leave it still unfed!
But I had to jump back aboard Adventurer's gig and get down to the International Zone, where the big donors and the high-level-but-not-quite-at-the-top were being hosted. If the Adventurer VIP party was my biggest worry, this one was my second-biggest. Yes, Adventurer was full of armed bodyguards, but they were being watched by two starship comps and two dozen servitors that they thought were armed.
In the Zone, though, things were different. For one thing, there were over a thousand people. For another, the crowd consisted of donors, and Toray's staff had issued most of the invitations. Duke Richard could have dozens of commandoes here; all he had to do was donate a few thousand crowns in their names and have them ask Toray for an invitation.
Finally, I wasn't really happy with the security provisions. With both Lisa and Jane monitoring the onboard festivities, security had fallen to the security company we'd hired to check out our workers. It wasn't just that I couldn't trust the people who sent the invitations; I couldn't really trust the people who were greeting each incoming airship and checking both ship and passengers for weapons.
The one bright spot that let me ground in the Zone in the middle of that huge crowd was that I was immediately surrounded by not just Heidi and Ellie, but all the other women, all armed to the teeth and vowing to protect me with their lives. Even Andrea Parelli joined the others, but I was proud to see Becky watching her like a trillit.
I don't know if they practiced the routine, but as soon as I arrived, all six women formed a close circle around me, and began crowding and elbowing the well-wishers back. Heidi and Ellie stood in front of me, about a meter apart and two meters in front. They functioned as gatekeepers, permitting guests to approach me one at a time. Terry introduced each of them, and I smiled and shook their hand and thanked them for coming. Then they were urged out of the two-meter circle of bodyguards as gently as possible.
I was finally glad that all my "assistants" were female and attractive. It's hard for even the grumpiest curmudgeon to resent it when he's asked to do something by a lovely, smiling, young woman.
I was sure that the greeting line was going to go on all night. Luckily, Ollie was also there, doing his share of glad-handing and donor-stroking. Toray, of course, was aboard Adventurer, chasing the big fish. Still, the two of us stood and shook hands for hours. Finally, Ollie had the sense to ask Cara Tenner to get him a tea. She grinned and nodded. "And a caf for the Captain, right?" she asked. But she was careful to make certain the circle of bodyguards tightened slightly to accommodate her absence. I've never seen a more professional performance. And the caf was great!
It was nearly midnight before the parties began to wind down. As I mentioned, most Haveners are early-to-bed types. I caught dozens of our guests beginning to wilt and yawn. Lisa reported that similar signs were being shown at both of the parties. I'd better hurry, she said.
We'd worked out a departure sequence for the VIP party that was essentially the reverse of the arrival sequence; we hoped that that would keep guests from becoming irate about it. We'd had to modify it a bit, though. While it didn't matter earlier, delivering Howed Kanner and Jon Crapen would take far too long to make the other heads of state wait. So, they would be transported in Startrader's gig with a robot pilot. But we had to consider their prestige, so Ollie would accompany them.
Meanwhile I, in Adventurer's gig, would transport the other four heads of state. Each of them was to radio ahead to ensure we had a secure landing site near their palace. I confess I wasn't as fast as I would have liked in delivering Presidents Curran and Runtz. Both had been hoping to talk with me, but my hectic schedule, as well as their own, had prevented it. I had also missed a serious talk with George Cass. I'd been wanting to chat with the Westin Security chief since I'd arrived. I made a mental note to arrange something with President Curran; something that would let me sneak into Tarrant for a pleasant chat.
I'd already made a mental note to try to befriend President Runtz, who I was coming to admire very much. He was gruff and tactless and his language was often unsuitable for mixed company, especially when he got angry.
But he was ruthlessly dedicated to the welfare of his people. He had found not-always-quite-honorable ways to eject all of Len's sycophants from the Cellian Cabinet and Congress, and had managed to make certain that they were repla
ced by men of honor, whether they agreed with his policies or not. Though obviously more "General" than "President", he had been largely successful in easing tensions between Cellia and the other nations, and he obviously had the respect of the others. Well, except for Crapen and possibly King David.
He obviously impressed President Curran, too. She had offered to "share the ride" with Runtz, and he had given her one of his rare smiles, and agreed. This meant that the gig was nearly full, with Curran and Runtz, of course, but also me, Heidi, George Cass, her four uniformed bodyguards, and Runtz's two grim-faced veterans. Add in the 'bot that was actually piloting, and the gig was at its twelve-person capacity.
The two presidents grabbed the two seats farthest from the hatch; This is ancient tradition, but it's also practical. The VIPs board first, but they exit last. This means that their security team is in position until their charges are safely aboard, and that they are already in position before the VIPs exit the craft.
George Cass made certain to arrange to get the seat next to mine, with Heidi on my opposite side, and we finally got our chance to begin feeling each other out.
"You know, of course, sire," I began, "that King David and Duke Richard are at this moment plotting to get control of Adventurer, and possibly Startrader."
He nodded, smiling. "Yes, of course, Captain. and I understand that you've been taking precautions."
I returned his nod. "Of course, sire. But you do understand that eventually he will find a way to get an armed force into space?"
His smile faded. "Yes. it may take years, but somehow he'll manage it. Would you mind telling me what precautions you have taken? Oh, not all of them, of course. I realize that to you, I am also something of a threat."
I shrugged. "Frankly, sire, I'm not really worried about President Curran or Westin. Or President Runtz or Cellia, for that matter. " I briefed him on the precautions we'd been taking, and the delaying tactics we'd devised.
"King David is, after all, a political problem. All I can hope to do is delay him until the governments of Haven can take action to stop him."
Cass frowned. "That could take some time, Captain. In government, even crises take time."
I nodded. "I'm well aware of that, sire. I'm telling you all this so President Curran will know that I am doing my best to give her and the others the time they need. My plans are largely open-ended. I realize that it may be years before the dust settles, and I've been making my preparations accordingly."
Cass smiled and nodded. "Excellent. You know, of course, Captain, that the fate of Haven is closely tied with your own. If Duke Richard manages to capture you … well, let's just say that torture is an art in New Home."
"I suspected as much," I replied. "I know that anyone can be broken in time, and that if New Home catches me, King David will eventually gain control of both vessels. So I will disappear. If possible, I'll appear to have died." I grinned. "The most effective hiding technique is to convince the searchers that you're dead."
Cass's smile echoed my own, though his was accompanied by a nod. "I understand. And we will certainly keep that in mind should you die in, uh, unusual circumstances. But you told all of us that your starship would destroy itself if you died. Won't the searchers become suspicious when that doesn't happen?"
I sighed. "I hope not. To their sort of minds, everyone is lying all the time. I'm hoping they will assume that I was lying about that. I certainly have no intention of destroying Startrader just to make my cover better! Still, I will be making sure that Startrader retreats into deep space at the first sign of trouble."
"And Adventurer?"
I shook my head. "She's not my ship. She belongs to the people of Haven, even if King David manages to become the planetary king. I would do my best to continue to feed useful information to those who could best use it, until Duke Richard found a way to shut off my access to Adventurer."
Cass looked thoughtful. "I may be sending you some names, telephone numbers and addresses by way of Jess Sanci, since you've lured my best agent away." His smile took the offense from his words.
I grinned. "Well, you sent me your two best-looking agents; you had to know that nature would take its course."
"Hmph!" He grunted in feigned disgust, but then his smile reappeared. "Well, we hoped, but we rather hoped that she would seduce you, not the other way around!"
We were approaching Cellia City, and the landing preparations put an end to our conversation for the moment.
Presidents Curran and Runtz had spent the entire trip in close conversation, and their warm goodbyes told me that Westin-Cellia relations were definitely warming.
Runtz's handshake was firm, and I was pleased to receive one of his rare smiles. "You be careful, young man," he said. "Haven needs you and there are diremouths about."
I smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your concern and your advice, Messer President. And may I recommend that I think President Curran would be an excellent ally. By the way," I continued, "did I ever mention that any of you can call any of the others on their tablets with complete security?"
He drew back, surprised. "No, I don't think you mentioned that."
I shrugged. "Simply tell your tablet to 'call President Curran' or any other head of state. The communications cannot be tapped by anyone on Haven. It might even be an excellent way to begin building alliances."
He looked thoughtful for a moment before producing another smile. I was afraid his face would crack if he kept it up. "An interesting suggestion, young man," he said. He clapped me on the back, nearly knocking me down. "I'm glad you've come to Haven, Captain. Just be careful." He strode off, his two guards trailing in his wake.
Ada Curran invited me to join her for the last leg of her voyage home. There was weariness in her eyes; it had been a very long, very stressful day for President Curran of Westin.
"It was a wonderful party, Jerd," She began, "And Adventurer is incredible. Can I request a tour?"
"Of course, Ada," I replied. "It could even give the University a boost. I'm sure Chancellor Toray would be delighted to have the opportunity to show you around."
I relaxed and grinned. "Or, you could just call me and tell me when you're available. It's always nice to have a guide who actually knows what he's talking about."
She smiled. "Yes, it is. Don't think I won't take you up on that invitation, Jerd."
"I certainly hope you do, Ada. It would be an honor to show you around." I explained that her tablet would give her untappable communications with me, and, I was careful to mention, any other head or heads of state who had tablets. She looked intrigued."
"I suspect I need to more carefully explore the capabilities of that tablet," she said.
I smiled. "And I suspect that Messer Cass has some bright young man that can tell you all about it."
She laughed aloud. "George? Well, you might be right about the 'bright young man', but George is still begging me to take the telephone out of his office!"
I chuckled. "Well, if Messer Cass can't help you, just ask your tablet to run 'basic tutorial'. Be sure you have a few hours available, though. Those tablets have some interesting capabilities."
I again mentioned calling the other heads of state, and the possibility of using the tablets to create alliances to resist New Home and King David. Ada was impressed, and told me she would run that tutorial at the first opportunity.
I also warned her that eventually Duke Richard and King David would find a way to get a force aboard Adventurer.
She nodded soberly. "It may take years, but it could also take only months. I hope you've taken precautions for your own escape. If he gets the ship and you, there would be little hope for the rest of us."
I nodded. "I wanted to reassure you about that, Ada. I'm well aware of the threat, and I've made serious preparations. There is a chance I would have to remain underground for years, and that's what I've been preparing for.
Ada smiled. "I'll have a chat with George. I suspect we could provide you with a
Westin passport and identity."
We continued to chat, but I suspect we'd both made the points we'd intended. I'd warned Westin and Curran that New Home was stepping up their efforts, and to expect trouble. I'd also assured them that I had plans made, and would make myself hard for King David to find.
And both Ada and Runtz had let me know that they were on my side, but my survival would be up to me, that their highest priorities were their people. Oh, I could foresee at least an alliance between Westin and Cellia, and I suspected that at some point Refuge would join it. But all of us were well aware that New Home was the enemy, East Brent only slightly less so, and Cornwell would hold out until the last moment, hoping to jump in on the winning side.
Of course, if it came to actual war, New Home would find itself with troubles of its own. With Len dead, New Home had the largest standing army on Haven; but a significant portion of it consisted of conscripts from East Brent, and New Home’s hold on East Brent was far from secure. An increasing percentage of the news reports from East Brent involved protests and other civil disorder. New Home was also becoming increasingly heavy-handed in dealing with it. I estimated that within a year East Brent would have an active anti-New Home movement, if it didn't already; if that movement decided to oppose New Home’s decision to make war on the other nations, King David could find himself with nearly a third of his impressive army in revolt.
And of course, Cornwell couldn't be trusted by either side; Ran Tyree was definitely a "fair weather friend", unwilling to commit to anything but a winning cause. If he joined New Home, and later found that the tide was turning against New Home, he would have no scruples about abandoning his ally and joining his former enemies.
We dropped the Westin party off on the lawn of the Presidential Palace and wearily headed back for King David and his retinue.
King David was impatient. "It's about time! I thought these 'lander' things were supposed to be fast! Instead we've been kept waiting so long that I was preparing to summon an airship." He shook his head. "Really! it's unconscionable to keep a head of state standing about!"
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