Temporary Duty (71 page)

"She asks you to come in," said a half-remembered voice in English, and Peters looked up to see Dreelig escort one of the Hornet drivers into the room. The "ambassador" was wearing khakis and looked disgruntled.

The woman with him scanned the apartment with short suspicious glances. She was also in khakis, with a sparkle of gold at her collar point; she had brown hair cut just below the ear, brown eyes, and a face that would have been generously pretty if not for her truculent expression. Lieutenant Commander Travers, XO of VF-97. Her eye lit on Dee; after a moment the Grallt girl smiled, an expression so brightly artificial it might have been stainless steel, and the visitor quirked a corner of her mouth and looked away. "Well, PO Peters, looks like you fell in the honey pot," was her opening comment. "Where’s the other girl? You dumped her already?"

"Come on in, Ms. Travers," Peters invited, the last syllable coinciding with the click as Dreelig closed the door behind him. "Have a seat. Sorry about the jumble, we ain’t fully set up yet." She scowled and made no move to sit, and he laced his fingers together over the clipboard and looked up at her. "What can we do for you?" he asked mildly.

"For one thing, you can stand up and offer me the respect due an officer," she spat.

Peters didn’t move. "Well, ma’am, these here’s private quarters, and in my own home I wouldn’t pop to for CNO," he said, keeping his voice level with effort.

«Who is this annoying person?» Ander Korwits asked. She had adopted her stone face, motionless as a statue’s and showing less emotion.

«This is Lieutenant Commander Travers,» Dee told her brightly, sword-edged smile wavering not a hair. «She is an operator of the ships called Hornet.»

«’She’? This is a female?»

«Yes, of course. Why do you ask?»

«Bullshit.» She surveyed their visitor. «She has less breast tissue than John does. Alper’s breasts are enormous by comparison, and I am positively gross.»

Peters smiled. «There is no portion of your anatomy that can be considered ‘gross’ in any respect. As for Ms. Travers, if I am not mistaken her breasts were removed when she began operating fighting-ships. The accelerations involved in operating ships without
zifthkakik
make large breasts very uncomfortable, or so I am told.»

«Several of the female ship operators have undergone the alteration,» Dee confirmed.

«She must have wanted to become a fighting-ship operator very badly to accept such mutilation.»

Peters nodded. «It takes a strong desire to become a fighting-ship operator in any case; the training regime is rigorous. But her acceptance of the ‘mutilation’ was probably affected by the fact that it isn’t permanent. Her breasts were preserved by a special procedure, and can be restored when she wishes.»

Ander performed a flick of her forefinger, the tiny motion betraying her agitation. «John, you will have to tell me a great deal more about your society. I have heard and seen some amazing things, but this–»

Dreelig had been translating in a low tone as the others spoke. Travers had grown more and more choleric, and now she burst out, "God damn it, Peters, I didn’t come here to discuss my tits or lack thereof, and stop talking past me like I wasn’t here!"

«She isn’t very gracious,» Ander observed.

«No. She feels that I should be obsequious, and she doesn’t consider her anatomy a fit subject for discussion, but I think something else is disturbing her as well.»

«Yes. She seemed agitated when she first came in.» She eyed Travers, preserving her complete neutrality of expression. «Why does she feel you should be obsequious?»

«She is an
officer
. You heard about our precedence structure when I explained it to Elisin Troy. By her estimation I am of no consequence.»

«By her estimation no one is of any consequence unless she grants it,» Dee put in.

«Hmph.» The grunt was no less contemptuous for being devoid of inflection. «Her estimation is in error.»

«Your estimation doesn’t affect hers, I’m afraid,» Peters told her, and she acknowledged that with a nod of perhaps a millimeter. "Ms. Travers, I ain’t meanin’ to talk past you, but I was tryin’ to get Ander up to speed. She asked about your surgery, except the word she used would translate best as ‘mutilation’, and I told her what I know about it. I reckon you heard from Dreelig how much that is." He leaned back slightly. "If this is a social call, or if you’ve got questions, now’d be a real good time for you to take a chair and speak your piece."

"Social call,"
Travers hissed. "God damn it, Peters, I came to take these girls out of your clutches and into an environment where they can get some proper support! The only reason I’m even talking to you is to give you a chance to be cooperative."

Peters stared into her face for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "The ladies are free to go wherever and whenever they want," he said, forcing his voice to stay even, "and as for support, I’m providin’ that as best I can."

"Yeah," Travers sneered, "using them as sex slaves is real fine support! Dreelig, tell the girl to get her friend and come with us. Peters, Commander Bolton and Mr. Everett are waiting out in the hall in case you give me trouble."

Dreelig said reluctantly, «Please go and get the other girl. You must come with us; Peters is an unsuitable person to have you in custody.»

«No.»

"She refuses," Dreelig explained.

"I heard her." Travers turned to face Ander. "You need to get out of this asshole’s clutches and over into the women’s quarters," she said, making a visible effort to keep her voice level. "You may be refugees, but you don’t have to put up with being used to get this jerk’s rocks off." Ander didn’t respond with so much as a twitch, and Travers added: "Tell her, Dreelig."

«Ms. Travers has arranged for you to have living quarters with the other human women,» Dreelig explained. «You are distressed persons, but help is available; you need not submit to the sexual appetites of unsuitable persons.»

«She is deranged, to make such arrangements without consulting me,» Ander noted. «Alper can speak for herself, but I am where I wish to be.»

"She still refuses," Dreelig reported. "She says you don’t understand–"

Dee giggled. "Actually, what she said is that you’re crazy, Spike. It’s as good an explanation as any."

"You stay out of this, you stupid little bint! Just because you like whoring for two hundred sailors doesn’t mean anybody else has to put up with it."

Dee looked up, teeth bared in what might be mistaken for a smile. "I’ll keep your comments in mind, Spike. Too bad I don’t have a recorder."

Travers colored. After a moment she said to Peters, "Tell the girls to come with me, sailor. Otherwise you’re going to be in deep trouble."

"Well, now, I reckon you ain’t thought that out real well," Peters remarked. He was gripping the arms of the chair, trying to keep the shakes from showing. "If I give ‘em that order, and they do it, it proves you’re right, don’t it? And if they don’t, you’ll just try somethin’ else. So I ain’t sayin’ nothin’."

"Get the Commander," Travers said to Dreelig, then looked back at Peters. "You are up shit’s creek, sailor," she said with venom. "I’ll see to it you get life in Statesville if I can’t get you hung."

"All right, what’s going on?" Bolton asked as he shouldered through the door. Everett towered over him as he followed.

"Ms. Travers has barged into private quarters, insulted everyone present, and made threats," Dee summarized brightly. "She now calls on you to aid and abet kidnapping."

The men stopped, indecision on their faces. «Why are these men here? Tell them to leave,» said Ander Korwits.

«They are here to carry you off,» Dee explained. «My telling them to leave won’t affect the situation.»

"I told you to pipe down, you stupid little bitch," Travers said in a voice laden with emotion. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her you and your henchmen were here to abduct her," Dee said, still showing teeth. "She objects to the procedure."

"Why you–" Travers made to swing at Dee, but the Grallt girl intercepted the hand in mid-arc.

Peters knew without looking around what had induced the pole-axed expressions on the visitors’ faces. Alper Gor stalked out of the bedroom, still nude, her expression as blank as Ander’s. She walked over to Travers and feigned a left-handed slap. When the human officer fended that off, the ferassi used the opening to plant her right hand in the woman’s gut. Travers bent over and started to retch; Bolton and Everett started to go to her, but Alper held up an imperious hand. «Tell them to wait, Grallt,» she said, and her voice could have been used to condense helium.

"She wants you to listen," Dreelig managed.

Travers started to straighten up, and Alper delivered a right-handed roundhouse slap that sent her spinning against the wall. «Grallt, you will translate this precisely,» Alper said. «John, tell me what he says. If he deviates by a hair from my meaning, shoot him.»

"She is telling me to translate her words," Dreelig rendered that with a tremble in his voice. "She told Peters to check my translation, and if it is wrong to kill me."

"Don’t worry too much, Dreelig," Peters said grimly. "I won’t shoot you, but you damn well better get it right."

«Did he render it accurately?» Alper demanded.

«He spoke idiomatically,» Dee told her. «Peters told him he won’t shoot him. I will if he needs it.»

«Thank you.» Alper faced the two male officers and stood erect. «Get out of here and don’t come back,» she said with force. «Leave the quasi-female; you may have the pieces back when we are finished, if you want them.» When Dreelig hesitated, she snapped: «Tell them, Grallt!»

"She says you are to go away and never return," Dreelig managed between gulps. "She says that Ms. Travers is to stay –"

"And she’s got Spike figured out to a T," Dee said brightly. "She said you can have what’s left back when we’re done. Don’t worry, we’ll keep the pieces big."

Bolton didn’t know whether to be enraged or appalled. "As you were!" he boomed. "Peters, call ‘em off."

Alper stood like a statue, and Peters managed a thin smile. "I ain’t in control of nothin’ here," he told the commander. "The ladies can sort it out, for all of me."

«What are they talking about?» Alper asked.

«The commander wants clarification of the situation,» Dee told her.

«’Commander’ is a title?»

«Yes.» Dee gestured at Bolton. «This man is the chief of the humans aboard
Llapaaloapalla
.»

Alper nodded shortly. «Ander, do you have the weapon?»

«Yes.» Ander had moved to stand between Peters and the others. She produced the push-force weapon. «Right here.»

«Good.» Alper nodded again. «Shoot this
commander
for me, please.»

"John, is everyone still whole?" a vaguely English accent interrupted. "You don’t seem to be exhibiting your usual talent for getting on top of random situations."

"I ain’t had much room for maneuver," Peters replied. "And yeah, ain’t been no weapons discharged yet, everybody’s still healthy give or take a gut-ache or two."

"Good," Prethuvenigis approved. "Gentlemen, move aside a bit, if you would." The two male officers edged nervously to one side. The trader entered with caution, staying as far as possible from Bolton and Everett, and paused to survey the tableau. "Will someone be kind enough to inform me as to how this situation began? John, perhaps you should speak first."

"Well, Thuven, I ain’t quite caught up myself, but Miz Travers here come bustin’ in and started makin’ accusations, sayin’ I wasn’t no fit guardian for Ander and Alper on account of usin’ them as sex slaves, and proposin’ to take them off to the women’s quarters," Peters explained. "Ander wanted to know what was goin’ on, and between Dreelig and Dee I reckon she got filled in pretty good. She turned them down flat, and things started to get out of hand after that."

"I see. Dreelig, does that account accord with your recollection?"

"Yes, Prethuvenigis," the Grallt replied, looking around with nervous glances.

«Good. You are dismissed.»

«Enh?»

«I said you were dismissed, Dreelig,» Prethuvenigis said sharply. «Go to your quarters. I’ll speak to you later.»

«Yes, Prethuvenigis,» Dreelig said, and shambled dejectedly to the door.

«Dee, is this the individual who precipitated the altercation?» the trader asked.

«Yes.»

«What is her name?»

«Travers.»

«Thank you.» Prethuvenigis looked the woman over. She was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily, the left side of her face an angry red. "Ms. Travers, what was your motive in coming here and accosting these people?"

She had the courage to stick to her guns: "I came to get these unfortunate girls out of the hands of this abuser. I intended to get them over to the women’s quarters where we could take care of them properly."

"I see. And why did you bring Commander Bolton and his associate along?"

Travers glanced at Peters. "This man is known to be violent," she said sullenly. "I expected to need backup."

Prethuvenigis nodded. «Ander, this woman says she came to rescue you from abuse and maltreatment, and take you to where you could be cared for properly. Did you understand that?»

«Yes. She isn’t sane,» Ander said, keeping her neutral inflection. «I tried to tell her, through the Grallt, that I was happy where I was, but she wouldn’t listen.»

Alper Gor laughed in her silvery soprano. «No, she wouldn’t have,» she pointed out. «I don’t know this individual, but we met the type often in the tuwe, didn’t we, Ander?»

«Yes,» Ander Korwits agreed. «A female who assumes the privileges and powers of a male, including whatever treatment of the girls she may care to inflict. In the tuwe they didn’t often survive.»

«That’s exactly correct,» said Dee with heat. «She is the reason I left my post with the
officers
. I could no longer bear her treatment of me.»

Prethuvenigis nodded. "Ms. Travers, Ander Korwits and Alper Gor in their turn accuse you of wishing to abduct them so that you may conduct molestations of your own upon their persons. Do you have a response?"