Her Majesty's Western Service (24 page)

“
And the other thing?”

“
There is a loaded .45 within half a second’s reach of
me
. Connery, Moore, you may leave.”

“
So what do you want?” Ahle asked. Bitterly. “My crew is dead. My officers are in captivity. My presence isn't necessary for your gloating.”

“
Your presence is necessary,” said Fleming, “if you wish to earn your officers’ lives. They are in our custody on charges of piracy. The evidence is compelling. We
will
find them guilty and they
will
hang. Unless.”

Ahle
was silent.

“
Whoever murdered your crew also took photographic reconnaisance of the Hugoton Lease,” said Fleming. “Our observers saw at least one kinematoscope. This was presumably the purpose of the flyover, and may have been the purpose of 4-106's theft. I also understand the theft may have been conducted by a high-level Russian field operative named Marko. Him, or someone actively trying to resemble him. The report of the knifework done on your crew implies it
was
him.”

“
Enemy of my enemy,” said Ahle.

“
Exactly. I have here a vice-commodore who does not know the scene, who had intended to go underground to hunt you. He is a first-rate line officer but not much else. I have a situation where I
do not have
men available, because I have been using intelligence assets as killers, and even then just barely holding even with the Russians. I have” – Fleming sipped his drink – “a pirate captain whose top confederates we could find guilty and hang. If we so chose. Should I so choose?”

“
I cooperate, and you don't hang my people,” Ahle said slowly. “That's not good enough. They're not going to rot in prison for the rest of their lives; that's as bad. I'll cooperate within limits if you give them pardons. And me.”

“
Agreed,” said Fleming.

“
You can't do it that easily.”

Fleming pushed
a sheaf of papers across the desk at Ahle. Perry glanced at them; they were carte-blanche pardons, ‘all crimes until this date’, signed by Governor Lloyd but no countersignature.

What? They're going to pardon her?

“I've done it,” said Fleming. “You're a two-bit pirate. With respect to Vice-Commodore Perry here and his personal irritation, you don't matter a damn relative to the man who killed your crew.”

“
You
know
the man who murdered my crew? Who is he?” Ahle demanded. “Let me loose and I'll rip his throat out." She paused for a moment. “And pardons for my officers, too, of course. And myself.”

“
I’m low on assets,” Fleming said. “Blinded and crippled. Under normal circumstances I would never do this.”

“
You have a deal to make, Deputy Director Fleming. If it involves saving my officers, if it involves hurting whoever murdered my crew, I'm listening.”

“
Find Theron Marko. I do not know what he is doing on the Plains. Find that out. I know that the Russians would not activate him – I didn’t realize he was still alive! – unless it were something important. He now has a warship and, apparently, a full reconnaissance of Hugoton.”

Fleming sipped his drink. Then drained it, in one long chug.

He is not seriously offering her amnesty
, Perry thought.
Let alone…

“
You'll work with Perry, who has already been assigned to the recovery of 4-106. You'll complement each other. Perry, do you have any objections to the recovery of 4-106 in this manner?”

You sneaky bastard. How can I say no?

“I have objections to working with a pirate. Sir.”

“
Overruled. You'll have worked with pirates anyhow, dealt with them as an undercover arms dealer. Do you want 4-106 back or not? Do you want to do your duty or not? You have been seconded to me. Your duty consists of what I say it is. Vice-Commodore, is that understood?”

“
Sir. Yes sir.”

“
Very well. On the successful apprehension or confirmed death – I want his head physically in my hands, Ahle – of Theron Marko, I will have these pardons countersigned. For you and your officers. Otherwise, they will be tried, found guilty and hung.”

“
I’ll cooperate. He murdered my crew.”

Fleming looked at Perry.

You can't make me work with this pirate.

Fleming glared at Perry.

“Sir. I will do my duty. Sir.”

Chapter
Nine

“It continues to be the consensus of both the Royal and Imperial Academies of Science that powered, heavier-than-air flight is a physical impossibility. The laws of physics do not allow an engine to be built that will sustain its own weight to the necessary degree.

The aforementioned group of experimental physicists and rocketeers led by Sir Wernher Braun insist that one may in
theory
be developed, likely involving Sir Wernher’s ‘air jet’ principle.

However, the members of both Academies stand in full unanimous consensus that
actual
powered heavier-than-air craft are, and will be, physically impossible.”

- Conclusion of report to Parliament by Royal Commission 131; January, 1963.

The civilian clothes felt uncomfortable
on Perry as he sat across from Ahle in a small booth of one of Hugoton's civilian restaurants. For her part, the pirate seemed at ease – although still upset, he gathered.

Losing all your crew will do that to you
, he thought.

Then:
She's a pirate. Don't pity her. She chose to live by the sword. So did her people.

“
So, Vice-Commodore. Or are you now Agent Perry? Do we have a plan?”

“
The airship went west,” said Perry. “Rationally, I suppose we'd follow it. They'll have to put in for supplies somewhere.”

“
Have you been out there, past the Front Range?”

“
A few times.” Perry took a forkful of his omelette. It tasted as sour as this whole assignment had become. “Punitive jobs. Against pirates.”

“
You'd have only scratched the surface. There are a million places they can hide airships. There are more people than you think. Ranching and a
lot
of mining, and the support infrastructure's there. Dispersed but present.”

“
You sound as though you've spent some time out there.”

“
Desert Navy.
Don't
tell me you haven't read Fleming's file. And since then. They mine gold out there.” Ahle made a smile – or rather,
forced
one, and Perry realized that she must be as bitter about the last couple of days as he was. “Pirates like gold, you know.”

“
So do the people you steal it from. You don't like my plan.”

Ahle
raised a hand and began counting off fingers.

“
One. We have an identity on the primary suspect. Two. I doubt he arrived in Hugoton with the crew he'd have needed to operate an airship; why bother, when he could easily hire the men here? Three. He
would
have hired the men here. He'd have talked to them. Some might have turned down the job.”

“
Especially if he'd
told
them the plan was to fly over Hugoton,” Perry growled. “That kind of trash aren't for the most part
crazy
, in my experience.”

“
If
he told them beforehand. You're assuming everyone's as reputable as I am.”

“
I'm not assuming you're reputable. Go on.”

“
Some might have turned the job down, and be around. Others might have overheard.”

“
We're relying on the word of itinerant pirate scum.”

“
You're relying on the
assistance
of itinerant pirate scum,” Ahle said, gesturing at herself with the three raised fingers.

“
Another problem crosses my mind,” said Ahle.

“
I'm listening.”

“
You weren't exactly subtle about your capture-Karen operation last night. By now, word all over town is that my officers and I are in Imperial custody. How do you think people are going to react if I suddenly appear, without my officers?”

Perry shrugged.
“I doubt they'd recognize
me
.”

"They wouldn't, but t
hat's not my point. What do you think the Dodge undercity is going to do when they knew my officers and I were captured, my crew killed, and here am I running free?”

“
Probably that you sold them out.”

“
There's a sense of honor among pirates, however little you want to believe it. Among
some
of us. All of my officers have friends. So do I, although they'd turn their backs if they had good reason to think I'd betrayed my people. So we need an explanation for that.”

Fleming had reviewed the proposal an hour earlier
. Now he called Perry in.

“
An escape. Good plan. What I'd have thought of, but you're missing a few details.”

He picked up a buzzer, spoke into it.

Admiral Richardson came into the room. Clearly having been prepared in the anteroom. She didn't sit down.

Fear rose in Perry's throat. Fleming hadn't offere
d him a drink this time, either.
This can only be bad...

“
She wouldn't have escaped without assistance,” Fleming said. “Such as the assistance that a Vice-Commodore of the Air Service could provide.”

Perry looked desperately up at his commanding officer. Her face was expressionless, but Richardson's face was
always
expressionless.

“
But a Vice-Commodore of the Air Service would not just randomly provide such assistance,” Fleming went on. “Why risk his career to save one pirate, even one he'd fallen for? However, a
disgraced
Vice-Commodore?”

“
I'm sorry,” said Richardson, her eyes avoiding Perry’s. She handed him a printed form.

He didn't want to read it. He forced him
self to.

Notice of Military Court-Martial
, it said.
Suspicious loss of Airship DN 4-106.

“
This implies that I was in league with her
for my ship to be stolen in the first place
!” Perry exploded. “Fake or not, this is… ma’am!”

“
Down, Marcus,” Richardson said coldly. “Of course it's fake, but we're going to have to proceed as though it's real. The escape will be staged tonight. You will, unfortunately, have to be pursued. Some very real alert notices will be put out for you. This, for that matter, is a real charge as far as anyone below the level of Governor's Advocate knows.”

“Ma'am. This is–”

“Not what you signed up for when you asked to be reassigned to covert? You should have thought ahead. You got what you
asked
for.”

“
I told you we should have offered him a drink first,” Fleming observed.

“Ma'am–”
Perry began.

“
You're going to request to be reassigned back to your squadron,” Richardson said, and Perry's heart sank.
This is insane!

“
And you can guess my answer. You asked for this. It was important and essential to your duty, you said, and I agreed. Deputy Director Fleming has since convinced me – and the Governor's office – that the loss of 4-106 to a known high-level Russian agent represents a potentially serious threat to the security of Hugoton. This has gone from being a personal indulgence with the hope of a favorable outcome, to an essential duty.”

She lowered her voice.

“Vice-Commodore Perry, you would not have risen to your present rank at your present age, without substantial ability. Nor substantial
duty
. The watchword of the Service is
duty
, Marcus. I could order you; I have ordered you. I am also reminding you that you should
know
to do this.”

“
You will be doing a duty to the Empire,” Fleming agreed. He was pouring drinks now, from a bottle that must have been in his desk. “It'll go into your official files, of course. I understand that this sort of detached duty is viewed-upon very favorably by Service promotion boards.”