The Bright Black Sea (126 page)

We docked with the
Raven
, five minutes before
the bulk of the horde poured over, under and around Redoubt island,
darkening the sky with darting fierce red giant hawks. They
attacked the
Raven
just as they had attacked the
Ghost
with even less effect. Down the coast, the
Guardian
was blazing away, as was the
Indomitable
,
now positioned across the cavern mouth with its decks lined with
sailors armed with the long, deadly, rifles of Cimmadar, who were
also blazing away, creating a vast red cloud of talon-hawks, blood
and feathers. Very few talon-hawks made it into the cavern, where
they were no doubt killed by the crew on the
Triumphant
.

Tri'n and I were the last to leave the
Ghost
.
Riv, Sar and the two Cimmadarians were waiting for us in the
passageway.

'We just want to thank you for coming for us,
Skipper. Much appreciated,' said Riv. Sar nodded and mumbled his
thanks, as did XinDi, and An're, the Cimmadarians, both of whom I
recognized.

'And I wanted to make one thing clear to you and
Sub-Captain Tri'n, Riv continued. 'Sar and I are the proprietors of
the Redoubt Island Daffa Berry Distillery. XinDi and An're were
with us as our guides and guards. They've nothing to do with the
distillery at all.'

I doubt he expected anyone to believe that, but that
was going to be his story.

I glanced across to Tri'n, who usually gives nothing
a way, and didn't now, so I said, 'What you do in you off-duty time
is your own affair. I don't know why you'd bother distilling daffa
berries when you have a perfectly good synth-food machine that will
produce perfectly good spirits...'

'But not daffa brandy, Skipper. Not until we've a
supply of it for the machine to analyze and synthesize,
anyway.'

I opened my mouth, to point out that if the carboys
they brought along with them were filled, they had produced a great
deal more than what was needed to analyze, but thought, What the
Neb. Why bother? I may well be needing the comfort of daffa brandy
to dull my pain, so I said instead, 'You might want to weigh the
chances of feeding dragons, talon-hawks, or the Neb knows what
else, before you decide to add something new to your already
extensive collection of spirit recipes.'

'Aw, Skipper. The synth-spirits are like synth-food.
Not the real thing...'

'Oh, get out of here, before I get mad. I've had a
rough day,' I said, and for once, meant it.

After they'd left, I asked Tri'n what would happen to
XinDi and An're.

She shrugged, and smiled, just faintly, 'They're too
good. Making daffa brandy is a fine art. So as long as the
officer's table has its supply, and everyone turns up sober for
duty, we turn a blind eye to their off duty recreation.'

'Good, I'd hate to think my crew has corrupted some
innocent...'

There was a terrified yelp that echoed up the long
passageway from the engine room.

Molaye, who'd been standing next to us, smiled and
said, 'I imagine they discovered the snakes.'

'Leave the Neb-blasted snakes alone!' I bellowed
down. 'Do you hear me?'

'Aye,' Sar called up. 'I only hope he just
fainted.'

By the time the surviving talon-hawks had disappeared
into the haze of islands, four watches later, we all had gotten to
know the sentry snakes quite well. The young ones – two meters long
these days – were soon drifting at will throughout the ship. Tri'n
and XinDi assured us that they were not only harmless, but at the
right age to be domesticated. Having grown up with the constant
comings and goings of personnel, they were already half
domesticated, and we soon came to pay them no mind, letting them
drift about, poking their cold snouts into everything. And much
like Ginger, they seemed to enjoy seeing you jump. I'd be showing
our Cim guests something about the ship and get a feeling of
something next to my ear only to glance back and find myself nose
to nose with a whole lot of teeth and gleaming black eyes. Got the
blood pumping. Still, they seemed harmless enough. Mom was a bit
more reserved, but in any event, you naturally tend to stay clear
of a seven meter snake floating about. Tri'n, our dragon expert,
also knew her way around a synth-food machine and programed some
synth-sentry snake food to feed them. I felt it was good policy to
keep'em well fed, since they weren't quite domesticated.

I spent the time waiting for the horde to clear to
introduce Tri'n, XinDi and An're to the ship, and by the time the
all clear was blown I had XinDi and An're signed on as volunteers.
If I could get another four like them, I was confident that I could
manage the
Raven
with just a Cimmadar crew, and get by
without Vinden's thugs onboard. I didn't want any of Vinden's men
anywhere near me.

04

We had just moored the
Raven
again after the
all clear had been blown, when Tenry came over from the
flagship.

'The boss wants to see you,' he said, giving me an
appraising look from my cabin's doorway.

'Which boss is that?'

'The one who's trying to keep you alive.'

'Good. I've been hoping to talk to that one. Who fed
the talon-hawks?'

He gave me a sharp look. 'Who says anyone did?'

'After we picked up the distillery staff, I took a
few turns around the island, looking for anyone else caught in the
open. We came across a cluster of feeding talon-hawks, mostly
eating their own, but we saw scraps of clothing amongst the blood
and feathers. Whoever it was didn't kill'em fast enough. So who's
missing?'

'Crain and Zervic are unaccounted for.'

'I believe I can account for them. How does Vinden
explain it? I saw him racing to base just ahead of the talon-hawks.
I'm thinking he left them to die with my kidnapped prisoner.'

'You don't know anything about that, Skipper. Stick
with the second agent as you suggested. '

'Oh, I just said that to get under Lil'dre's smug
skin. The fact that Vinden and Min are alive makes that theory
unlikely. Any other agent or agents would've sprung Cin and tipped
us off.'

'Well, you sure got them riled up. Even without the
second agent, the idea that the
Triumphant
could've been
transmitting signals to the space station as it came in can't be
dismissed. Vinden is in a suppressed frenzy. He's half expecting an
enemy fleet to arrive any second.'

'Serves him right. He's not to be trusted, Ten.'

Tenry shrugged. 'Maybe. But he seems to blame you for
that, too. And just for the heads-up, he's not happy with you
leaving him to die, either.'

'To die? Neb, I wish. He was a minute or two away
from base and in no danger. Though just between you and me, if I
hadn't Tri'n along with me, he'd likely have fed the talon-hawks
too.'

'I thought we were supposed to be holding the Unity
Standard banner high in this venture?'

I gave him a look, but what could I say? Still.
'He'll lead us to our deaths unless we do something about him. I
don't have a good feeling about this whole enterprise.'

'Getting cold feet are we?'

'Look me in the eye, Ten, and tell me you've any
confidence that two and a half warships and three hundred sailors
and servants are going to bring down a regime that has been on the
throne for a century. One that is, at least, as legitimate as ours,
and if the truth comes out, more so.'

He shook his head. 'Not my concern. I'm just a
boarding boat leader. But enough gossip. You've a boss to see. I
would suggest you fire your rockets and launch. She wasn't in a
good mood.'

'Right,' I said, unhooking my darter and holster off
the clip on the bulkhead. 'Let's go.'

'Pretty careful these days, aren't you?' said Tenry,
watching me strap the holster on.

'A dangerous place, the Pela. Never know when you'll
run into something deadly, even aboard the flagship.'

Tenry didn't argue that.

I was shown into Min's cabin on my arrival. She was
alone. Her look was anything but welcoming.

'Good to see you, Talley. It's become rather
rare.'

'You know why you're here, don't you?' she asked,
without returning my greeting.

I found myself remarkably resigned to, well,
whatever. 'Tell me.'

'First off, I've managed to keep you from a firing
squad. Again.'

'Thank you. Much appreciated. Not that I've done
anything deserving of a firing squad. The same can't be said for
others on your staff. Let's call them Crain and Zervic. Captain
Lil'dre has no doubt informed you of the incident on my ship
shortly before the arrival of the talon-hawks. I understand Crain
and Zervic are missing. Any word? I assume they were wearing their
com links.'

'I didn't summon you here to discuss Crain and
Zervic, or what they may or may not've done. I didn't even summon
you to discuss your abandonment of Uncle Hawk to the
talon-hawks.'

'He was minutes from base and had already killed the
only talon-hawk in the vicinity. He was in no danger, and if he
says otherwise, he's a liar.'

She dismissed that with an impatient movement of her
hand, and pressed on, 'I've summoned you to tell you I've appointed
Tenry to take your place as captain of the
Rift Raven
.'

'A good choice. And me?' I replied. The announcement
was neither unexpected, or, I'll admit, un-welcomed, though I felt
guilty about that. But , I was feeling guilty – and unhappy – about
a lot of things. And indifferent to my fate.

'You're still captain of the
Starry
Shore
.'

'Why can't I continue to serve you here? If we must
part ways, it should be with our cards face up on the table.'

'Because I need Uncle Hawk and he won't tolerate your
continued presence. He wants you dead, and sooner or later he'd see
to it. I don't need that type of disruption in the cause. Your
actions have made it impossible for the two of you to serve
together. And since I can't have both, it must be Uncle Hawk, who
is critical to our success. Unlike you.'

'He's a danger to your success, not critical to
it.'

'For Neb's sake, do you have to argue about
everything with me?'

The fatalistic sense of hopelessness that I'd felt
growing these last few watches took the breath out of any reply I
might offer. I stood mute.

So she continued, 'There are other reasons, as well.
For one, I can't trust you. I'd never know when something arises
that you decide is too, well, rough for you, too non-Unity
Standard. Bad karma, or whatever. And you'll go and do something
other than what you're ordered to do. I warned you this would be
hard, bitter and heartless work. And, as I suspected you're simply
too...'

'Too soft? Too Unity Standard? Too cautious? Too
cowardly?' I suggested.

'Yes.'

She was right, of course. But I was right as well. I
was right to be Unity Standard, and had very good reasons for being
cautious. I found, however, that I no longer cared. Still, I forced
myself to reply. 'I have very good reasons for being what I am. And
perhaps I can see more clearly what your prospects of success are –
without the cloud of emotions you must feel, on account of your
parents and all. Fine. Don't trust me. Trust Vynnia and Tenry. They
have the experience you need. But the one person you should never
trust is Vinden. He's a fanatic, a failure, a loose cannon...'

'He's a loose cannon! That's rich, coming from
you.'

'He is a law unto himself, dangerous and delusional.
If he was unable to organize a countercoup early in his aunt's
reign, what hope is there now, a century later? Did you know he was
ready to return without you, to be the regent? He doesn't need you,
and if you get in his way he'll treat you no better than that
assassin...'

'Enough, Captain. You've not been summoned to discuss
Uncle Hawk or grand strategy. You've been summoned to be dismissed
from my service and given your orders to take your crew back to the
Starry Shore
and forget you've ever been here,' she snapped
angrily.

'Damnit, Min. Someone needs to be discussing grand
strategy with you. Do you fully realize what that assassin means to
your chances?'

'Yes.'

'Do you? Do you realize that since St Bleyth planted
an agent aboard the
Triumphant
, your enemies know not only
the approximate timing, but the force you're bringing with you as
well? It's taken us more than two years to get here. Do you believe
your enemies have done nothing in those two years to counter your
threat, even if you assume, like Vinden seems to do, that they've
done nothing in the last seventy? Clearly, your chances of
surprise, and thus, success are now nil.'

She didn't answer, so I continued.

'I may be cautious, or a coward, but is seems to me
your cause is doomed, and has been from the start. But you don't
have to go through with it. You found your answers, And if you want
to see Cimmadar, Glen Colin can take you there in one of the scout
ship, in secret. We'll wait and take you home when you've see
enough..'

'You don't really understand. And you never
will.'

'Perhaps not. But when the time comes, Talley, when
you see the overwhelming power of your enemies, and realize the
wickedness of wasting the lives of the people who would follow you
to death, make sure you're aboard the
Raven
, with Vynnia,
Tenry and Glen Colin. You are going to need the ability to run, to
run fast and very far...'

'Enough. Clearly you don't belong here, this sort of
an affair is not for you. Go, be a tramp ship captain, or a cha
planter, or whatever. Don't look back. And don't worry about me.
I'll be what I was meant to be as well...'

'You can be an empress without the Cloud Throne. You
have a nucleolus of a new empire right here. Start your own. Be Min
the First. You may be born for the Pela, but the Pela is vast. You
don't need the Cloud Throne...'