Children of the Old Star (16 page)

Ellis grunted, then shook his head. “I doubt he has more money than I do in my estate."

"Possible,” conceded G'Liat. “However, his resources are expanding, while yours are shrinking."

Ellis gripped the pipe with his teeth for several minutes, his hands thrust deeply in his pockets. The trained eyes of the warrior recognized the inner war raging within the human. At last, he turned to face G'Liat again. “Okay, when do we leave for Earth?"

"As soon as McClintlock is well enough to travel.” With that, G'Liat felt satisfied that Ellis would stick to the plan. As he turned, Ellis stopped him with a question.

"There's something else that's been bothering me.” The commander's brow was furrowed. “What do Rd'dyggian warriors see in human women?"

G'Liat pondered the question for a moment. Finally, confused, the warrior shook his head.

"I saw two Rd'dyggian warriors in a bar, watching human women,” said Ellis, carefully measuring his words. “I was wondering what the fascination was."

The warrior thought for a moment about how best to answer. At last he said, “Have you ever seen a beautiful feline or, better yet, an equine running a race?” The warrior only slightly regretted the explanation as he saw the commander shudder. With a slight shake of the head, he turned and made his way back to the compound to see to his other human charge.

Jonah and Daniel, Clyde McClintlock's disciples sat battered and bruised on the star cruiser returning them to Earth. They prayed that their leader would be able to complete his holy quest to contact the Cluster. They prayed that Arepno had not simply slaughtered their teacher.

A deceptively gentle pinging disturbed their prayers. The captain's voice came over the speakers, attempting to sound calm. “A Cluster ship has just been sighted to our left. I believe it is far enough away that we will be able to evade them and resume our course for Earth."

Jonah and Daniel hurried to the left side of the ship. They saw the Cluster's appearance as a sign that their leader's mission would be a success.

An explosion rocked the after cabin. It was Daniel who pointed out the green beam emerging from the Cluster. “Take us home, oh Lord!” shouted Jonah as the beam sliced into their cabin and the air began to rush out.

John Mark Ellis watched as G'Liat carefully tended to Clyde McClintlock's injuries. The commander bit his lip. He wondered whether it had been a good idea to come to Rd'dyggia. So far, the warrior seemed to have gained more than Ellis had himself. He thought back to the conversation about the Titan domes. G'Liat knew something about the Titans that Ellis did not. For whatever reason, the warrior was holding back the information. Ellis had to learn more.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and stepped from the room.

The commander found the warrior's teleholo unit and turned it on, nervously looking over his shoulder to make sure that G'Liat had not followed him. He called Sufiro. Manuel Raton's face appeared. “John Mark! How goes your quest for the Cluster?"

Ellis held his finger up to his lips. “Manuel, I need you to get Mom, quickly."

Manuel looked confused, but nodded. “She's right here."

Raton faded from view and Suki Ellis appeared. “Hi Mark,” said Fire. “How are you doing? Where are you calling from?"

Mark Ellis looked around again, biting his lower lip, then turned to face his mother. “I don't have much time to talk, sorry. Mom, what can you tell me about the origin of the Titans?"

Fire laughed and shook her head. “Only that it's one of the most hotly debated topics in academia. The Titans sure don't provide us with anything."

"Could you find out where the Titans came from?” asked Ellis.

Fire's lips curled as though she was about to laugh again, then stopped, seeing the earnest look on her son's face. “Mark, I'm a good historian, but what you asked is like saying, ‘Ma, was the Lamb of God on England's pleasant pastures seen?’ The preliminary research alone could take years."

"Don't throw Blake at me, mom,” sighed Ellis. “Is there anything you could do?"

"It's one of the most fascinating puzzles you could pose to me. Let me go back to Earth and do some poking around there. I should be able to get a couple of weekends on Titan. I can't promise anything.” Fire shook her head.

"You don't want to leave Sufiro, do you?” asked Ellis, seeing his mother's frown.

"No, Mark, I don't. But, I can't just let myself be fired from my job on Earth, either. This is a good enough mystery to get me to go home ... at least for a while.” Fire sighed. She looked to someone off-screen. Ellis guessed she was looking at Manuel. She turned her attention back to Ellis. “How do I contact you once I find something?"

"I'll let you know.” Again, Mark looked over his shoulder to see if G'Liat was eavesdropping. “Mom, I love you. I've gotta go. I'll call soon.” With that, Ellis terminated the connection. During his preliminary training as a communicator, Ellis had learned a few tricks with teleholos. He reached under the console and activated a few circuits and quickly erased the record of his call to Sufiro.

Clyde McClintlock's injuries took about a week to heal. During that time, G'Liat and Ellis spent many hours talking about their experiences with the Cluster. Underlying these conversations was a vague tension. Both the warrior and commander knew that they must develop a strategy for the encounter.

As McClintlock recovered, he began to join the conversations. At first, his input seemed wildly irrational. The evangelist refused to talk about the Cluster directly. Instead, he would speak of the alien as God's hand. Ellis, eventually, grew callused enough to this to ask, “God's hand, eh?"

Clyde, trying to breathe as little of the foul Rd'dyggian air as possible, looked at the commander and grinned. “How do you explain the Cluster, then?"

"To me, it's an alien we've never encountered. It appears hostile. It kills. But there's a contradiction. I get the impression that it likes humans; some humans, at least.” The commander shook his head, then looked into McClintlock's warmly smiling face. His bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle. “However, I sense no love from the Cluster."

"I admit, the Cluster is no more than an instrument. It feels no love, no hate. To understand God, I feel I must understand his tools."

Ellis chuckled lightly. “To understand a carpenter, you must understand a hammer?"

"That's the idea.” Clyde moved closer to Ellis. At first, the commander tensed but then he relaxed, as he noted no menace in the evangelist's approach. McClintlock lay his hand gently on the commander's shoulder. “If the Cluster isn't an instrument of God, what is it?"

"Simply an alien we've never encountered before,” said Ellis, almost reverently.

"Why haven't we met it before?” Clyde's voice held a slight hush.

"It's possible they don't even come from our galaxy. They could be intergalactic travelers from distant reaches of the universe, trying to understand us.” Ellis sighed.

"The real question,” said McClintlock, removing his hand from Ellis’ shoulder, “is which of us is living in the fantasy world?"

With that, the two men walked side by side back to G'Liat's compound where dinner was waiting. That night, Ellis trimmed his beard in anticipation of an interview. G'Liat had booked a commercial flight back to Earth, where the three hoped to get a job on a mapping vessel.

On Sufiro, Suki Firebrandt Ellis placed her suitcase on Manuel Raton's bed and started packing her bags for the return to Earth. Manuel Raton stepped up behind her and put his arms around her waist. “I'm gonna miss you,” he said sadly.

Fire smiled and turned. “Why not come with me?"

"I hate Earth!” said Manuel, indignant.

Fire snorted. “You haven't been on Earth since you were practically in diapers. Don't give me that.” She took Manuel's hands.

"I'm the Sheriff of New Granada. I can't just up and leave,” said Manuel, shrugging and turning his feet on the carpet.

"I'm Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and I left for a time. Call it a vacation,” reasoned Fire.

"But who'll mind the store while I'm gone?"

"What about Ed Swan, your deputy?” Fire squeezed Manuel's hands and returned to the job of packing.

After a few minutes, Manuel flopped a suitcase on the bed across from Fire's. Silently, he began packing it full of clothes. “Do you think you'll solve the mystery of the origin of the Titans?"

"No,” said Fire. “The mystery has been debated for over eight hundred years. You think I'm going to find the answers?"

"If anyone can do it, it's you,” said Manuel with a wink.

Three days later, Ellis, McClintlock, and G'Liat found themselves in the bustling streets of Tokyo. Tokyo of the thirtieth century filled most of the islands of Japan. While many of the other, ancient cities still maintained their names they were little more than suburbs of the mammoth island-city. The three travelers made their way from the spaceport toward the offices of the TransGalactic Mapping Corps via a combination of rail and foot. The TransGalactic Mapping Corps was one of many companies that collected data for the Gaean Mapping Service. Clyde McClintlock, used to the rolling hills and open spaces of Sufiro, was in awe of the city around him. G'Liat simply felt a sensation akin to claustrophobia.

On the trip from Rd'dyggia, they decided it was safest to avoid the North American continent where McClintlock's followers were most numerous. Although Clyde wanted to see his followers and give them encouragement, even he agreed that doing so would slow them down considerably. In fact, Ellis persuaded McClintlock to take on a new persona to avoid such trouble. On the trip to Earth, G'Liat dyed the evangelist's hair black.

Even stronger than Clyde McClintlock's desire, Ellis wanted to see old Coffin and the family home. He wanted to take the boat out and visit with Richard. Like McClintlock, though, Ellis knew that to do so would only hamper the search. Ellis wondered what the stoic G'Liat thought of leaving Rd'dyggia behind.

The home of the TransGalactic Mapping Corps was a skyscraper in the Shikoku Sector. The trio stepped through the front door of the massive glass and plastic structure. The receptionist, sitting behind a simple wooden desk, was a hulking giant of a man. Based on his age, Ellis presumed he must be a retired Sumo wrestler.

"Welcome to TransGalactic Mapping, how may I help you gentlemen?” asked the receptionist.

"We would like to sign up for a mapping expedition,” stated Ellis, bluntly.

"So would every other reprobate out on the streets of the city,” said the receptionist. Ellis sighed, looking down at the clothes provided by Arepno. They were neat enough, but somewhat casual for the norm in Tokyo. The receptionist put out his hands. “If you hand me your résumés, I'll make sure they are forwarded to the appropriate office."

Ellis started to hold out the disk, but G'Liat caught the commander's hand. “We wish to present our applications to Ms. Meiji in person."

"I don't think so,” said the receptionist as he stood. Ellis had horrible visions of the bouncer he had encountered the last time he was on Earth.

"Tell Ms. Meiji, that G'Liat of Rd'dyggia wishes to speak with her.” With that, G'Liat presented the receptionist with a card. Ellis recognized the writing on the card as Rd'dyggian. The receptionist stared at it for a moment, then nodded to the warrior. He left without a word.

McClintlock stared at G'Liat for several moments. “What was written on the card?"

"Let it suffice to say that having been to Earth a few times, I've developed a handful of connections.” G'Liat turned and found an uncomfortable plastic seat.

Ellis followed. To him, the seats were not as uncomfortable as they were to someone of the Rd'dyggian's bulk. “Awfully convenient that you have a friend working for the mapping corps."

"Not a friend, exactly,” said G'Liat with a faraway look. “In fact, I've never even met Ms. Meiji. Let's just say, we've heard of each other."

Ellis pursed his lips and folded his arms. He desperately wanted to retrieve his pipe, or better yet, a cigar. However, in Tokyo, the tobacco ban was enforced more heavily than any other place on the planet. In fact, G'Liat had insisted that Ellis leave his tobacco on Rd'dyggia. Ellis had wondered about the request at the time, since most people didn't care about possession. Now, as he sat in an office building in Tokyo, he began to understand. He grew nervous about the pipe and tobacco hidden in his duffel at the hotel.

The receptionist returned after what seemed an hour. He wore a vaguely surprised expression. “Ms. Meiji will see you now,” he announced.

The trio followed the receptionist through a hall to a lift, which took them up through the structure. The lift came to a stop on a floor near the top of the building. They were led out into an expansive room littered with waist-high pedestals. Over each pedestal floated stars and grid lines. The holographic projections were the aids used by every human-built star vessel in the galaxy to navigate.

Standing near the center of the room was a well-dressed, slender woman. She came forward, extending her hand to G'Liat. “It's good to meet you, at last,” she said with a voice that sounded far too timid. The receptionist bowed slightly and departed through the lift.

"May I present Ms. Meiji,” said G'Liat. “Senior mathematician for TransGalactic."

Ellis and McClintlock each shook Meiji's hand. She led them through a veritable maze of holo-maps to comfortable leather chairs in front of a simple wooden desk. “What can I do for you?” she asked without ceremony.

"I've come to ask a favor.” G'Liat's Rd'dyggian accent became more pronounced.

"Rd'dyggians don't usually need to ask humans for favors. We'll have to see if this is a favor I can grant.” Her face remained nearly expressionless.

"You can, at least, tell us whether or not my request is possible,” said the warrior, imitating a smile. The mathematician nodded ascent. “We would like to sign aboard one of your mapping vessels."