Lord, they must all be identical!”
“More or less,” Joanne said. “There are some minor
variations but not many. Most of the unfixed genes in the clan
were lost generations ago. As probably happened in your clan
too. This was the thing that Jarl Clingert wanted to avoid, but
when Thomas Baille refused to—”
“It was Clingert’s treacherous ways that caused the whole
thing,” Ryly snapped. “Let’s get that straight right now. Why,
it’s common knowledge!”
“Among whom? Among the Bailles, that’s who—whom!”
Joanne’s eyes were blazing again, with the fury Ryly loved so
much to see. “But why don’t you listen to the Clingert side of the
story for a change? You Bailles were always like that, shutting
your ears to anything important. You—” She stopped in mid-
breath. Very quietly she said, “I’m sorry, Ryly.”
“It was my fault. I started the whole thing.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I did, when I brought up
the topic of—”
He smiled and touched a finger lightly to her lips. “Look,” he
said.
She looked. Davud and Melena had drawn to one side,
standing on a moist, moss-covered patch of ground within the
field of spray and foam of the waterfall. They were talking softly.
It wasn’t difficult to see by their faces what the topic of
discussion was.
“We’ll have to forget about ancient history now,” Joanne
said. “Forget all about what happened between Jarl Clingert and
Thomas Baille four centuries ago.”
Ryly took her hand. “We’ll go somewhere else on The
World,” he said. “Start all over, build a new settlement. Just the
four of us. And maybe we can recruit some others, if I can lure a
few Bailles out here to meet Clingerts.”
“And vice versa. The Clingert men hate the Bailles now too,
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you know. But that can stop. We’ll breed the feuding out.”
Ryly looked over at Davud and Melena, then back at Joanne.
Everything looked incredibly lovely at that moment—the
angular red leaves of the overhanging trees, the white spray of
the falls, prismatically colored blue and gold by the sunlight, the
quiet green clouds drifting above. He wanted to fix that moment
in his mind forever.
He smiled. His mind was still full of insidious Clanfather-
instilled legends of the early days on The World as seen through
Baille eyes. But he could start forgetting them now.
Soon there would be a third clan on The World—a hybrid
clan, both fair and dark, both short and tall.
And someday his descendants would be spinning legends
about him, and how he had helped to found the clan, back in the
misty time-shrouded days of the remote past.
Robert Silverberg is rightly considered by many as one of the
greatest living Science Fiction writers. His career stretches back
to the pulps and his output is amazing by any standards. He’s
authored numerous novels, short stories and nonfiction books in
various genres and categories. He’s also a frequent guest at
Cons and a regularly columnist for Asimov’s. His major works
include Dying Inside , The Book of Skulls , The Alien Years , The
World Inside , Nightfall with Isaac Asimov, Son of Man , A Time
of Changes , and the 7 Majipoor Cycle books. His first Majipoor
trilogy, Lord Valentine’s Castle , Majipoor Chronicles , and
Valentine Pontifex , were reissued by ROC Books in May 2012,
September 2012, and January 2013. Tales of Majipoor , a new
collection bringing together all the short Majipoor tales,
followed in May 2013.
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155
Our next story details a pivotal event that occurred off screen
just prior to key events of my debut novel, The Worker Prince. It
focuses on Davi Rhii and his best friends, Farien and Yao, and
how their rivalry with fellow cadet Bordox took a darker and
darker turn in their days at the Boralian Military Academy and
their …
R I V A L R Y O N T H E S K Y C O U R S E
( A D a v i R h i i S t o r y )
By Bryan Thomas Schmidt
BEEP! BEEP! The alarm on the targeting computer of his VS28
starfighter pounded Davi Rhii’s ears as adrenaline throbbed
through his veins. He glanced down to see several blips on the
screen. “Incoming enemy craft,” he announced into the comm,
then switched on his shields and prepared for his second
encounter with the enemy that day.
Body tensing and pressing back in the seat, he shifted weight
and adjusted his controls as the sleek, black snub nose of another
VS28 appeared beside him in the clouds, flying a little too close.
“Bordox, aren’t wingmen supposed to fly in formation behind
their leader?”
Bordox’s snapped back over the comm, “Yeah, so fall back
and fly behind me then.”
Decision Points
Davi bit back a retort and took a deep breath. “I have
command, pilot.”
The enemy craft appeared ahead, swooping down toward
them. Davi rotated his VS28 and lined up on the lead attacker’s
fighter. His hands clasped the joystick as he let go with his lasers.
He landed two hits on the attack leader’s wings, sending him
spinning toward the ground, smoke and debris trailing behind.
“Got him!” He whooped over the comm as another enemy
fighter exploded nearby outside his blast shield.
“Lucky shot,” Bordox sneered as another attacker’s ship
exploded on Davi’s screen. “That was skill.”
“Great, but stay in formation so we can protect each other,”
Davi ordered, but Bordox ignored him and dove off in another
direction. He executed a roll with his VS28 and went in for
another run. Breathing deliberately to keep himself relaxed—a
trick his uncle had suggested—he fired three times in a row,
sending another attacker into a smoking dive.
Bordox dove in from the opposite direction, but his lasers
missed their target even as an enemy fighter braked and slid onto
his tail.
Bordox cursed over the radio. “Get this guy off me, Rhii!”
“Oh, now you want teamwork,” Davi snapped as he swooped
down toward the fighter chasing Bordox but he was too late. The
enemy fighter fired three times, hitting Bordox’s engines and one
of his ship’s main wings. Bordox’s fighter rocked and spun out
of control toward the ground. Davi remained focused, lining up
his sights and destroying the last two enemy fighters.
Then his console flashed and froze as klaxons blared and the
cockpit shield rose automatically.
“Lights up!” Professor Orson Jonas called.
The reflector pods overhead lit the room with blinding light.
Davi squinted and climbed out of the flight simulator. His best
friends, Yao and Farien, raced over to pat him on the back, the
shorter Farien’s lighter white skin contrasting with their
Tert
ullian friend’s orangish tone, both aglow with Davi’s
victory.
“How many does that make?” Yao’s purple eyes brightened
against his dark orange-tinted skin. “Nine in a row by my count.”
Davi’s breathing returned to normal as he glanced over at
Bordox struggling to extract his huge frame from the tight seat
of another sim. “Who’s counting? It’s all in fun.”
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Bordox scowled as their eyes met.
Farien guffawed. “Don’t show him any mercy he wouldn’t
show you.”
“Just friendly competition,” Davi said, figuring he’d already
humiliated Bordox enough. Still, inside, his heart pounded in
triumph and blood warmed his flesh.
The flight classroom was one of the largest on the military
academy’s campus. Occupying the bottom floor of an instruction
building, it contained several rows of tan flight simulators with
black seats and control panels identical to those of actual VS28
starfighters. A laser board covered most of the front wall.
Professor Orson Jonas stood behind a lectern, his black hair
beginning to show strands of gray. He wore the gray uniform of
the full military officer he had been until retiring to teach at the
academy.
“Perhaps next time, Cadet Bordox will try and work with his
leader instead of trying to compete with him and actually survive
the battle,” Professor Jonas said with a smile.
Bordox grimaced and slunk back to his desk in the classroom
as Davi exchanged high fives with Yao and Farien.
*
“I failed the test!” Farien rested his dark hair on the dining
hall table.
Davi chuckled and patted him on his bulky shoulder. Farien
might be the shortest of the three, but he made up for it in muscle.
“I think I failed, too. You’re not the only one.”
The glint of the gold buttons on their blue-gray uniforms
teased Davi’s eyes. Matching hats sat on the table next to their
trays of brown Qiwi antelope meat, Gixi juice, and Jax fruit salad
with fresh baked bread. They faced each other around one of the
long, reddish brown tables that ran in rows down the middle of
the dining hall.
Yao sipped his Gixi juice and his purplish eyes glinted as he
smiled at the sweet taste Davi knew reminded him of home.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Farien. You could have joined the study
group. We invited you several times.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re a genius at math,” Farien
growled as Yao and Davi chuckled.
“Ignore him, Yao,” Davi said. Farien needed to let off steam,
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and Davi knew better than to interfere.
“At least you’re good at something.” Farien lifted his head
off the table, pulled his tray back from the middle, and took a
bite of Qiwi. “You impressed Professor Jonas on the simulators
today. I stink at that, too.”
“Bordox didn’t seem impressed.” Yao grinned.
Davi licked his lips in anticipation as he sliced his Qiwi, pink
juice flooding out to cover his fingers. “Bordox relies on his size
to intimidate people instead of developing his skills.”
“Speaking of Bordox.” Yao nodded toward the door.
A huge, hulking cadet with light yellowish-brown skin and a
dark beard, common to colonists who’d descended from
Hispanic cultures on Old Earth, Bordox walked as if he owned
the place. None of the cronies who followed him matched their
leader’s size, but all walked with the same swagger, the same
smug look on their faces.
Davi turned and his green eyes met Bordox’s for a moment.
His rival’s brown eyes held an anger Davi hadn’t expected, but
his smug face never faltered.
Swallowing, Farien smiled and waved at Bordox. “Hey,
Bordox, nice job on the flight simulators. So good of you to show
us all how not to do it!”
Bordox struggled to maintain his composure as the cadets
around them smiled and guffawed.
“Don’t egg him on, Farien,” Yao said as Davi nodded in
agreement. Bordox didn’t appear in the mood for their usual
hazing.
“Mock all you want, Farien,” Bordox said in his scratchy
baritone as he and his friends barreled across the room, stopping
at the end of their table. “You’re as inept at flying as you are at
math.” Bordox’s buddies snickered.
Farien’s muscles tensed and he jumped to his feet, rattling
the bench. Davi put a hand on his arm. “I’m sure everyone could
use extra time on the simulators.”
Still shaking, Farien frowned and sat back down.
“Like your family will allow you to be put in danger, Prince.”
Bordox sneered. “You’re only here because of special
treatment.”
“At the Academy, I’m your peer, not your Prince,” Davi
insisted, deliberately keeping his voice even despite the
embarrassment that his rival had brought it up.
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“Yes, your royal peerness,” Bordox snapped, and his cronies
cackled as they turned away and moved off toward the serving
counter.
“I’m sick of that jerk!” Farien shuffled the food on his plate
with a fork.
Davi shrugged as he chewed a bite of juicy Qiwi meat. “He’s
never liked to lose.”
“If he keeps this up, he’ll be drummed out of flight school,”
Yao said. “His focus should be on his studies rather than
humiliating you.”
“He still thinks my uncle stole the throne,” Davi said amused
by the absurdity of it. Would Bordox and his family never let that
folk tale go? “I don’t think his father makes it easy on him with
all the failures, either.”
Farien groaned. “Don’t tell me you feel sorry for him! No
one deserves your sympathy less than that moron!”
Davi and Yao exchanged amused glances as they turned back
to their meals.
*
Professor Jonas pounded a fist on the lectern, motioning for
the chattering students to quiet down. “Cadets, I’m pleased to
announce our annual sky course competition has been scheduled
for the end of the month. You’ll want to work hard in the
simulators over the next few weeks to avoid embarrassing
yourselves in front of your family and friends. The High Lord
Counselor, along with most of the Council, will be in
attendance.”
“Our little Prince had better sit this one out,” Bordox said
raising his voice and sneering as Davi grimaced, “so he won’t
publicly embarrass the Royal family.” Bordox and his friends
guffawed as others in the class voiced their disagreement.
“I wonder what excuse your father will come up with,
Bordox,” Farien said, “to avoid having to see you humiliated
again.”
Bordox’s face reddened as the cadets laughed at
him again.
“At least the Lords won’t have to lower themselves by sitting
next to commoners like your family, Farien.” He and his friends
sneered as Davi offered Farien a calming look.
“Cadet Bordox, Cadet Rhii followed orders well in the
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simulators last class, unlike yourself,” Professor Jonas said,
causing Bordox to sink down in the chair of his simulator. “Your
own attitude and performance leave much to be desired.”
Davi relished Bordox’s discomfort as the other cadets
snickered and elbowed each other through broad grins.
“I’d be happy to tutor him, Professor Jonas, if he’d like,”
Davi said with a smirk, provoking another round of laughter.
“Oh really, my Prince? You’d lower yourself to help little ole
me?” Bordox said back, mimicking a small child. “Go back to
your stolen palace, crown boy.”
“Members of the Royal family are to be treated with
respect!” Farien stood, chest puffing, fists clenched, as if
preparing to rush Bordox at any moment.
Bordox’s face turned dark. When their eyes met, his look was
sharp as blades. “From what I hear, the royal prince’s blood isn’t
so royal.”
Yao stood and grabbed Farien’s arm, trying to calm him as
Davi smiled. Bordox must be really desperate to come up with
something so absurd. “Who’d have known you’re so fond of folk
stories, Bordox.”
“If it’s a folk tale, I guess you’re the folk lore prince,” Bordox
said. “A starport rumor about a baby who arrived in a courier
craft from the stars and landed near the palace, adopted by a
lonely princess with no offspring.” Bordox’s cronies chortled
and sneered. “Maybe I should have my father look into it, just in
case,” Bordox said as Farien struggled against Yao’s grip.
Bordox’s father, Lord Obed, headed the Lord’s Special Police,
an elite squad of soldiers dedicated to the High Lord Counselor’s
service.
“Enough!” Professor Jonas hollered then waited for them to
quiet down. “Cadet Bordox, you’re out of line. Impugning the
reputation of another cadet without cause is enough for me to
have you dismissed. Prince Rhii’s heritage is not in doubt. Would
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