《Aliens in Ascore.》


 Aliens in Ascore- Prologue

    The portal on Lewis¡¯ left looked down at the approaching planet, which was shrouded in cloud cover and a moon in full shadow. It struck him that seeing a lunar eclipse that close was something he would never have thought of in what he already considered his previous life. The reflection on the inside of the glass revealed the abundance of the prior couple weeks; good food, exercise, and study had filled in some of what living the life of an infantry soldier had taken away. Space travel had been thrust upon him and his team when the Star Skipper had shown up and extracted them from a no-win situation that had his team pitted against a tank. He had taken it for a space shuttle at first when it had dropped out of the sky in a serious stall, and fried the tank by firing its main engine as it passed over. When it came back around to land, he saw that it had the characteristic stubby wings and round nose of a reentry capable vehicle. It landed in a vertical position a couple hundred yards from where the jeep lay on its side. As tall as a thirty-story building with markings that looked vaguely like letters and words, but in an alphabet that was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The crew convinced his team to come aboard and avoid the last tank that was on its way.


    During the hours and days that followed they had all learned, healed, and gotten to know the DeLeahs. The ship belonged to Lenon and his sisters, Dayen and Dayel. Also on the crew were Michael R, Dayel¡¯s husband, and their daughter, Naurel. Lenon was the tallest man that Lewis had ever seen, head and shoulders above Lewis¡¯ six foot six. The twins were identical and as different as two people could be, Dayen was strong and physical, a warrior in every sense of the word while Dayel was slight, smart, clever, and charming all at the same time. Michael was a small man, quick and quiet, always ready with a smile or a reasonable explanation of how something worked. Naurel looked about ten and spent most of her time in her room reading. From the way they carried themselves Lewis suspected that the adults in this family had seen more combat than his team had and probably had some interesting tricks up their collective sleeves.


    On his right-side Alice Roquette, former cavalry scout, leaned against her safety harness to look past him. A look of awe had settled on her dark face and made her eyes even more intense than usual. She had spent most of the last ten days lifting weights and it showed.


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    An orange flicker caught his attention in the portal, small and faint at first then growing into a painfully bright flame that covered up the entire view. At the same time a vibration began in his sternum and spread to the structure of the craft like it was on a rutted gravel road at highway speeds.


    He turned around as far as he could in the restraints to address Tony Telini, their radioman, who sat looking completely relaxed, ¡°how fast do you reckon we¡¯re going?¡±


    Telini shrugged and thought for a minute before answering in his flat California accent, ¡°don¡¯t know but I guess it¡¯s about fifteen or twenty thousand miles an hour. Our shuttles were moving around seventeen. That fire out there is plasma from the compression of the air that can¡¯t get out of the way at this speed. Kind of like we¡¯re crashing into every molecule we come to.¡±


    Shawn Blair was next to Telini with his head pressed hard against the headrest obviously enjoying the adrenalin rush. His blue eyes were nearly closed and that small smile they had all seen when combat got sketchy. Lewis asked him, ¡°what do you think Shawn? Is it as good as running those south Texas roads?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Blair said, ¡°would be if¡¯n I was drivin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we don¡¯t let you drive, besides Michael actually knows how. And he¡¯s the cutest.¡± Lindy Gomez, their medic, said from the back row. Her dark brown hair was barely visible around the seat. Lewis reflected that those two bickered like siblings and acted like they hated each other sometimes, while he suspected that they were good friends.


    Mack Rollins, the old veteran on the team, sat still and impassive as usual.


    Michael¡¯s smooth voice came out of the speakers in the ceiling, ¡°this is your copilot speaking, if you have not buckled your seatbelt yet I implore you to do so at this time. We appreciate you riding with us, and we realize that you paid dearly for it so please enjoy the reentry.¡±

 One

    The overcast sky was backlit by the big full moon so that most of the sky looked like silver. It had been quite a rough landing. The Star Skipper screamed down through the atmosphere, with it¡¯s stubby nose still glowing from entering the atmosphere and it was capped off by skipping across a bay and skidding halfway up onto the shore. Their arrival was punctuated by boiling water at the aft and sand steaming at the fore, as they came to rest on an expanse of sandy beach across from the ruins of a small city.


    Lewis watched as Michael tried to get the cameras focused through the steam, while Dayen ran a diagnostic test on the atmosphere. As the image became clear on the monitor, they first saw the glowing embers of a campfire that was almost extinguished. Behind it sat three figures on folding chairs. The center figure rolled a smoke without ever lowering his eyes from the ship. None of his gear reflected the light from the sky, except the rifle he had laid across his lap. It looked to Lewis like an old long barreled repeating rifle, and the side of the receiver glowed as if it were a decorative brass plate.


    To the right side sat a woman in a stained dress. She had short hair and wore glasses on her round face. Seated on the left was a man dressed in what appeared to be some kind of ballistic armor. Each of them had some type of rifles leaned on their seats. The man on the left opened the pack on the left side of his chair, produced a white cloth and handed it to the larger man in the center. The man took the cloth while bending forward to light the end of his cigarette in the cinders. He then tied the cloth to the barrel of his rifle. The man stood up with the cigarette dangling from his lips and extended the rifle over his head. He was waving it around when Dayel walked into the cockpit.


    She looked at the screen for a moment and asked. ¡°So, are the natives surrendering already?¡±


    ¡°I do not think so, this guy looks pretty confident. They are probably extending the white flag for parlay,¡± Lenon said. ¡°You want to go see what he says? Take Lewis and Michael with you.¡±


    ¡°OK, go get your weapons, boys. I¡¯ll put on a dress, in case. You know, traditions and all,¡± Dayel replied, and then turned on her heel and sauntered out.


    Michael and Lewis were right behind her in a moment. Lewis went to his bunk and strapped on his pistol belt and combat knife. He then grabbed his rifle and told the rest of his team to suit up just in case, and then stand ready. He left while they were scrambling to prepare for whatever happened next.


    In the airlock he found Dayel in a stunning blue dress made of the bulletproof material that the DeLeahs had shown him earlier. No weapons were visible, but he was sure she was armed. Michael wore green coveralls with built in ballistic plates. He was carrying a laser rifle slung over his back. Michael¡¯s light brown hair was in one long braid, and he had added a wide headband. He also had two swords hanging from his belt, one of which almost reached his ankle. The other went just past his right knee.


    The door opened and they jumped down the four feet to the ground. The three people in the chairs stood up and walked halfway to meet them. When they all reached the center of the beach Dayel extended both hands in front of her with her palms up.


    Lewis was shocked that he was able to understand most of what the woman said when she spoke. ¡°This is Tomas and Fink. They call me Fingers.¡±


    Dayel answered her by saying. ¡°My name is Dayel. Allow me to introduce my husband Michael and this is Lieutenant Lewis.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you come join us for some food, drinks and a smoke?¡± Fingers asked, motioning towards the fire.


    Lewis heard Gomez¡¯ voice in his earpiece. ¡°There is some movement about twenty meters beyond the fire. Watch yourself.¡±


    He saw a couple of people rising from where they had hidden. One gathered up gear while the other turned to speak to his companions. By the time they arrived at the fire two were cautiously drawing their weapons. Two others stood watching, while the remaining three ran into the ruins behind their camp. Dayel and Michael observed this without comment, so Lewis followed their lead and remained silent.


    When they reached the fire Tomas barked at them. ¡°Put the weapons away. Do you want them to think you¡¯re slavers?¡±


    Fink turned and asked Dayel. ¡°Are there others aboard your ship?¡±


    She answered. ¡°A few.¡±


    Fingers reached for some bowls and filled them from a pot that was next to the fire. Tomas dumped an armload of firewood by the fire and placed a couple of pieces of wood in the embers. He then produced a pipe and a pouch from his pocket and proceeded to fill it. Fingers handed out the bowls and asked them if they came here to trade.


    Dayel said. ¡°Maybe, but what we really want is to hear what it¡¯s like in this part of your world.¡±


    Lewis tried the stew and found it to be spicy enough that he couldn¡¯t taste anything past the first bite. He noticed that Michael and Dayel didn¡¯t touch their bowls until Fingers looked Dayel in the eyes and dug her spoon in and ate some. He cursed himself for being the first to try it.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± Dayel asked. ¡°This whole area is a mess.¡±


    ¡°Our ancestors were bastards,¡± Fink said around a mouthful of food. ¡°Both sides thought they could win the war by nuking the other side first. That theory didn¡¯t work out. Both sides lost pretty much everything.¡±


    Michael asked. ¡°When did that happen?¡±


    ¡°I ran into a guy once that said that he got a computer to work and it told him that one hundred eighty-nine years had passed since the missiles,¡± Fink answered.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t many people left and everything was a radioactive wasteland for a long time,¡± Fingers added. ¡°It got cold and dark. Folks moved into basements, underground tunnel systems, and caves. The ones that stayed outdoors changed and turned mean. You still have to be careful were you go, but mostly the radiation isn¡¯t too bad anymore. There are a few cities and towns, but there are also people who wander the wastes and hunt mutants or scrounge in the old ruins. A person with enough nerve is able to make a pretty good living that way.¡± She got up, rinsed her bowl in a water bucket and set it upside down on a board by the fire.


    When everyone was done eating the bowls were washed and set down to dry by the fire. Tomas lit the pipe and passed it to Fingers. She took a few puffs and handed it to Dayel. When it came to Lewis, he thought it tasted like a cross between rank tobacco and mesquite, so he didn¡¯t inhale. After a couple of puffs on it, he passed it to Fink. Tomas reached in his bag and produced a bottle and passed it around the same way the pipe had been passed around. Lewis thought the liquor tasted sweet and a lot like the Wild Turkey back home.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like where you were born?¡± Fink asked Michael.


    Michael bit his lip thoughtfully. Slowly he answered. ¡°Like anywhere, there are cities and uninhabited areas. People just doing their best to get by.¡±


    ¡°But you carry two swords and I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re not just for show. Did you use them before you got that thing?¡± Fink queried, nodding toward the ship.


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    ¡°Where I come from people do not have access to anything more advanced than a crossbow or a catapult. I used a longbow or a sword when I ventured out,¡± Michael answered.


    ¡°Man, I thought this place was the most backwater,¡± Fink said, shaking his head. ¡°Did everyone nuke themselves back into the Iron Age?¡±


    Michael looked hard at him and said. ¡°No, we were busy working our way up through the Iron Age. Technology is not something we lost.¡±


    Dayel cut in at that point, saying. ¡°We had better return to the ship and figure out what we are going to do next. Thank you for your hospitality. Are you going to be here for a while?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll stay and watch your perimeter for a while,¡± Fingers said. ¡°Let us know if you want to trade.¡±


    Back on the Skipper everyone was busy, either covering the scout team or doing damage assessment. Lenon listened to their reports and then told them to get some sleep, because they were going to be there for a while.


    Lenon took Lewis aside and the two of them sat in the ship¡¯s bridge with a glass of the smoothest whiskey Lewis had ever tasted. Lenon¡¯s eyes were crystal clear light blue and they looked amused as he stared at Lewis over his glass. ¡°You want the good news or the bad news first?¡±


    Lewis chuckled and said. ¡°Let¡¯s get the bad news out of the way first.¡±


    Lenon poured another round and said. ¡°We are going to look for a way to get the Star Skipper running again but I am not optimistic. Then even if we get her into orbit we can¡¯t get back where we belong unless we are able to accurately determine our present location.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take to make a determination of our status?¡± Lewis asked. ¡°And what can we do to help?¡±


    ¡°Well, let us see. We do not have anybody who is an expert technician, but we have done some repairs on our own before. I am hopeful that in a couple of days we can figure out what¡¯s the matter. I have a couple of concerns, the most immediate being food. Next, we need an accurate location of this rock. Those people out there have to eat on a regular basis. I think we need to find a way to make ourselves useful to them. Trade or labor. We have some trade goods in the hold, but I am guessing that your team of fighters is more valuable.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute here,¡± Lewis said, as he set his drink down. ¡°We are honorable soldiers, not mercenaries. What are you suggesting we do? Sign up to kill enemies for whoever pays us the most?¡±


    Lenon set his own drink down next to Lewis¡¯ and looked him in the eye. He folded his huge hands on the table and leaned forward before saying. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never been a soldier, so I¡¯m not going to say, ¡®I know how you feel.¡¯ All my life I have been an adventurer ¨C fighting, trailblazing and treasure hunting. I do however, like to think that I¡¯ve done it with ruth and honor. I can¡¯t put you back where I found you and you have six mouths to feed. The way I see it you can sign on to the crew as DeLeah Ventures Inc. employees or we can consider passengers and you can pay up. Third, you pack your crap and figure this place out on your own.¡±


    Lewis could feel the whiskey roiling around in his gut, so he took another drink to calm it down. He was as nervous as he could ever remember being, but Lenon¡¯s words were making sense. He took a deep breath and asked. ¡°Which of the options would you prefer, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I like you and your crew,¡± said Lenon. ¡°I¡¯d hate to lose you to this place. Much better for everybody if you sign on to the crew.¡±


    Lewis set down his glass and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my team,¡± he said on his way out the door. He found the crew in the sleeping quarters preparing to bunk down.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that everybody is here. ¡®Cause we need to talk,¡± he said and waited until they were all seated on their bunks before continuing. ¡°The captain had a proposition for us. He offered us a job in his organization,¡± he was telling them what he heard when Blair interrupted.


    ¡°Beggin¡¯ yer pardon, Lieutenant, but don¡¯t we already have jobs?¡± Blair asked.


    Lewis smiled and shook his head. ¡°Look, Shawn. We can¡¯t go home right now and I¡¯m sure everybody back there probably thinks we¡¯re all dead. Central Command has broken down to a certain extent and even the enemy was acting as small, autonomous units. This team has operated in a lot of different environments already. The big change here is we would be working for DeLeah Ventures instead of Uncle Sam.¡±


    Rollins spoke up next, sounding old and tired. ¡°Mercs. Do we want to be mercs? I¡¯ll buy your argument about our status back home and my belly tells me I¡¯m not dead. Brass wanted to put me out to pasture and when I complained about it, Pino told me to go with you guys to get it out of my system. He even broke up your team to give me the position, I kinda felt bad about that. If we are stuck here, you¡¯re the only brass we¡¯ve got left.¡±


    Telini looked around the room. ¡°I say we take a vote. The computers on this ship are freakin¡¯ awesome and I¡¯d like to get more time on them. We¡¯ve been a team for a long time and I don¡¯t see the point in changing that now. Uncle Sam isn¡¯t able to pay us or feed us for that matter. I¡¯ll back the Lieutenant no matter what, how about you guys?¡±


    ¡°I was drunk when I signed-up,¡± Gomez said quietly. ¡°And when I woke up I was like, ¡®what the hell did I just do?¡¯ This time I¡¯m sober, Johny. So what are the terms and conditions?¡±


    Lewis sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet. All I know is the ship needs repairs and supplies. Lenon wants to forage and/or trade. He¡¯s also hoping we can find old records that show the exact location of this place in relation to where he wants to go.¡±


    Roquette looked up from the pistol she¡¯d been cleaning and said. ¡°You used the word autonomous and I think that word needs to be part of any negotiations that occur. By which I mean I¡¯ve got your six in whatever you¡¯re doing. But let¡¯s make sure the captain can¡¯t break-up the team and that you have the right to refuse a job offered by DeLeah Ventures. What do you say guys?¡± She put out her hand, palm-down, the other four put in their hands.


    Telini said. ¡°The motion carries, boss.¡±


    Lewis added his hand to the top of the stack and said. ¡°Thanks, guys. Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡±


    When Lewis woke up, Telini and Roquette were working on computer terminals. Gomez was writing in a notebook with a pencil. He swung his feet onto the floor and put on the jumpsuit Lenon had given him, along with his boots and service pistol and was on his way to find the captain when the aroma of food wafted through the hall, so he followed his nose to the galley. Dayel and Michael were cooking, standing side by side at the range.


    When Dayen, who was sitting on the other side of the room, saw him coming she set down her steaming mug to get up and dish him up a plate.


    ¡°Morning, Lieutenant, welcome to the crew.¡±


    He took the food and said. ¡°Thanks, I thought we were still negotiating. This is a different side of you guys,¡± He indicated the kitchen.


    Dayel smiled a little and said. ¡°Space rations will keep one alive but Michael likes real food, so him and Lenon went out there and did some trading. Big Brother is still out there. Get your people for breakfast.¡±


    After breakfast they all put on their field armor and went out. The sun, at eleven o¡¯clock in the sky, shone hazily through the cloud cover. Lenon and Fingers were bent over a computer, deep in conversation. Lewis and his team ran for an hour in the sand. Upon returning from their fifth lap they found Lenon standing in the path.


    ¡°What have you decided?¡± he asked Lewis.


    ¡°I think we have some details to work out,¡± Lewis said.


    Lenon looked curious. ¡°Really? Like what?¡±


    ¡°Conditions and duration of employment,¡± Lewis said, counting on his fingers. ¡°Supply policies, separating the team, pay scales and we haven¡¯t even seen a contract yet.¡±


    Lenon chuckled quietly, but he nodded his head in appreciation and replied. ¡°Ok, let us see. Conditions: generally speaking, we tell you what we need, you figure out how to accomplish it. More specifically the only time I anticipate giving you direct orders is if we are on the Skipper or if we are both operating on the same field of battle. However, if you should receive a direct order from Dayen or myself I do expect it to be followed. Orders from Dayel or Michael should be verified with me or carry them out. Your choice.


    Duration: as long as it is advantageous to all of us.


    Supply: we usually like to obtain our own weapons and gear according to our individual taste. However, if you need something tell us. We will see what we can do. I will not break up your team. We have a program on the ship that determines pay scale; we can draw up a contract when we get back to my office on the ship if you wish.¡± Lenon was still as a statue while he looked at the team and waited for an answer.


    Lewis turned and looked at them also. ¡°What do ya¡¯ll think? It sounds like the captain has answered all of our questions.¡±


    They looked at each other and Roquette nodded. Lewis turned to Lenon and stuck out his hand.


    Lenon took his hand saying. ¡°Ok. Fingers is our customer, help her in any way that you can. Meanwhile we need maps of everywhere you go and any information about anything here. The main thing is accurate star charts. I think knowing the history of this will be useful at some time in the future. We have radios and a computer for you to use while you are out there. Go see Fingers and I will meet you back on the Skipper,¡± Lenon turned on his heel and strode off toward the ship.


    Lewis said. ¡°Fall in,¡± and they marched off to greet their new client.


    His team followed him single file and lined up behind him when he stopped before Fingers. ¡°How may we serve you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well it sounds like your captain and I have a common interest in an old observatory. We can head back to Ladzoo and find a ship to take you there. I want to send somebody there with you, to look for technology from before the war. We will be ready to go by the time you¡¯re geared up,¡± she said.


    Back at the ship the DeLeahs explained the new gear. Included were tools for working on robots, computers and anything else with moving parts or electronics. Also they were given a medical kit good for everything up to and including surgery. A portable computer and some radio equipment topped it all off.


    ¡°Call at sun down each day if possible.¡± Lenon said. ¡°And do not forget to map everything you can and send that in with your evening reports. If we don¡¯t hear from you we¡¯ll come looking for you, but really we have plenty to do here.¡± He dismissed them with a fist on his chest.

 Two

    All the new gear was stowed in their packs and they set off. When they found Fingers she was with about twenty other people who were packed up and waiting. All of them had heavy packs. Most shocking of all were the three large carts with two wheels and hitched up to fidgety brown lizards that stood four feet at the shoulder and were at least twenty feet long.


    Fingers smiled when she saw them staring. ¡°Watch out for their heads, they do bite sometimes. However, we are able to move a lot more stuff this way than on our backs.¡±


    Gomez shuddered, eyes glued to the beast closest to them. ¡°Looks like two bites and they would finish off a person, pack and all.¡±


    ¡°Naw, they¡¯re fairly dainty eaters,¡± the man standing next to one of them said. ¡°It takes about twenty minutes. They do like to be fed every day though, keeps ¡®em from eating too many of us,¡±


    Lewis was looking at the loads on the wagons, ten feet high with bags, boxes, and barrels. ¡°Did you get this all from the ruins here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fingers looked very pleased at his interest. ¡°I wanted to show these guys that even a nearby ruin that had been supposedly picked clean could still produce a yield. I think we out did ourselves.¡±


    As they headed east the sea was on their right and open land was on the left. Lewis¡¯ team was spread out along the outsides of the group, watching for trouble. Over the next few days the team marched, asked questions and exchanged information. Fingers explained that she had a warehouse in Ladzoo that contained living quarters, workshops, and storage facilities. There they sorted, stored and sold the salvage that was brought in.


    During a break, Lewis gathered his team and instructed them to become friendly with whoever they could. He wanted a variety of perspectives, not only facts but also attitudes. By the time they reached Ladzoo they were beginning to feel like part of Fingers¡¯ organization.


    Ladzoo looked like a total ruin as they moved closer to it. To their right was a veritable ships¡¯ graveyard that stretched into the bay for a mile or more. Tankers, cargo ships and all different types of boats looked like they had been pushed into a pile, which had collapsed into the harbor. Here and there a tree grew tall above one of the wrecks, attesting to the age of the wreckage.


    At the inland end of the city a few broken smoke stacks spewed smoke into the sky above. They followed the highway directly toward the center of the city. Lewis could see that Ladzoo at one time had been centered on a grand downtown. Currently, thirty or more skyscrapers stood in excess of twenty-five stories tall. Most of them looked like they had been sheared off by something at two hundred fifty feet above the ground; a few buildings rose above the rest. The highway passed through a pair of massive gates with gun towers on each side. The towers were approximately fifty feet tall and twenty feet across, and looked as if they were built using fairly crude stone masonry. On either side a wall extended along the edge of the city that was constructed of heavy sheet metal buried in the ground and spot welded together. Each tower sported a machine gun and two men with rocket-propelled grenades. One gate extended straight across half of the opening and the other gate stood ajar, allowing one person at a time to pass.


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    Four men were busy questioning everyone who came through the gate. There was a group of about twenty people ahead of them. Some had wheelbarrows, one had a bird that resembled an emu wearing a muzzle and tethered and many of the people had large bundles on their backs. The guards questioned everyone. A few people were pulled off to the side and made to stand by the tower.


    Lewis was thinking about how familiar this scenario was, except now they were seeing it from the opposite side. The guards suddenly ushered everyone off to the side and a dozen heavily armed soldiers marched through the gate in ragged formation. Lewis saw battle rifles and a couple of large automatic weapons. All of them had swords or axes hanging from their belts and a big knife sheathed to their left boots. Two of them in the rear pushed wheelbarrows and had their rifles laying across the handles.


    Fingers leaned toward Lewis and whispered. ¡°This is a disarming crew. Don¡¯t worry, they will return the weapons in a few hours. Tell your people to submit or there will be serious trouble.¡±


    The soldiers stopped and spread out, weapons at the ready, but not directly threatening anyone. One of them walked up to Fingers saying. ¡°Welcome to Ladzoo, please state your business.¡±


    Fingers looked exasperated. ¡°Get off it, Rison, you know my business. Why don¡¯t you take your goons back to the barracks and leave us alone.¡±


    Rison laughed. ¡°You think I¡¯d get away with that? You know the routine. And I don¡¯t know your new friends. They don¡¯t look a bit like knights, so they must be mercenaries. I¡¯ve always done what I can to make your life easier, but you have to play your part.¡±


    Lewis glanced up and saw that the soldiers up in the towers looked tense and ready. He decided to keep things moving, so he stepped up to Rison and stood at attention. ¡°What do you require of us?¡± he asked quietly.


    Rison looked like he was surprised and then he swung his rifle around toward Lewis. ¡°We need to take possession of your weapons temporarily. Please step over here,¡± he said, motioning toward the tower on the right. ¡°Fingers, you take the others over by the tower and I¡¯ll deal with the lieutenant.¡±


    When Lewis had his people reassured, Rison explained that all of the weapons needed to be put in the wheelbarrows and would be returned to them when they filled out the proper paperwork. ¡°Since Fingers is sponsoring you, the process will be expedited,¡± he added when he saw the reluctance in their faces.


    Lewis had to use some stern words to get the last of the weapons into the wheelbarrow. Rison produced a notebook in which he wrote down everyone¡¯s name and they all signed it.


    Rison pulled Lewis aside and quietly said. ¡°I will personally watch over your things, most of us here are quite fond of Fingers. She hands out big favors like candy. If she were ever in trouble, lots of people would come to her aid.¡±


    When they returned to the wagons Fingers and her people were waiting for them. Inside the gates Fingers led the group a hundred yards and turned left into a small alley. Lewis asked her. ¡°What did that guy mean when he said that you hand out favors like candy?¡±

 Three

    ¡°I¡¯ve helped out a lot of people,¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°Getting a house or starting a business. It¡¯s a win-win scenario. I have money and they need it.¡±


    ¡°So how is giving your money away a win for you?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it away per-se,¡± Fingers said, looking suddenly serious. ¡°It always comes back in the form of goods or services, if not the money itself. Also, the city reduces the taxes for someone who helps fund development.¡±


    Lewis thought about this for a while before asking. ¡°How many people are you helping?¡±


    Fingers nodded her head to the side and they stepped to the side to let the others pass. ¡°Most fighters don¡¯t ask so many questions,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Do you want to fix up a house to live in?¡±


    Lewis said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, just curious, I guess. What¡¯s involved in ¡®fixing up a house¡¯?¡±


    Fingers said. ¡°You stand before a panel with a request and if they approve the request they will issue a temporary title to a house or apartment. You would then have one year to fix up your dwelling and receive a permanent title. If a benefactor guarantees your fees and construction costs, then they would hold an equal interest in the title until it¡¯s released.¡±


    Lewis asked. ¡°What if a person doesn¡¯t have a benefactor?¡±


    They had resumed walking at the rear of the column before Fingers answered. ¡°Even a laborer is able to afford the fees. The question is, are they going to be able to meet the one year deadline? If they can¡¯t, then they will have wasted a year of their lives. It is possible without much money, but it isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    ¡°Do you need to be a resident of the city to submit a request?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fingers answered. ¡°But that is just a matter of fees and forms, it¡¯s pretty much a given that you will be accepted.¡±


    They had arrived at a warehouse in a rather industrial part of town. A large door was opened to allow the carts in. Fifty feet to the left was a smaller door under a sign that said ¡®Jones Enterprises¡¯, Fink ushered Lewis¡¯ party through it. He took them down a long hall with doors on both sides. At the end of the hallway they went into a room with bench tables and a kitchen. The cook was busy at the stove among great clouds of steam and a wonderful aroma. Fink directed them to sit and soon they were all eating. Meat and bread came from the kitchen as well as a thick, sweet drink that Telini thought was nectar.


    When they were finished eating they were shown to a bunkroom big enough for eight, which included foot-lockers and a couple of writing desks. Telini set up a com-station at one desk and Lewis put his computer on the other. That evening they relaxed and talked about what they¡¯d seen that day. In the morning they found all their weapons in the cafeteria. The dozen or so workers who were eating ignored the pile of weapons and gear.


    Tomas came in while they were retrieving their weapons and said. ¡°Fingers has a couple of days of meetings and she said for you to wander around the city. Here are some tips: arm yourselves lightly, stick to the developed parts of the city and be back by dark. Fink is finding you some clothes so you can blend in, also, here¡¯s some money,¡± he handed an envelope to Lewis, and then he continued. ¡°Fingers said to consider it a signing bonus for your team.¡±


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    They stowed most of their weapons and combat gear in the footlockers, which each had a key in the lock. Lewis had just set the envelope on his desk and started to examine the money when there was a knock at the door. He threw a shirt over the cash and crossed the room to open the door. Fink was pushing a cart and announced that their wardrobe had arrived. Fink handed clothes around the room, two outfits for each of them. Without asking any questions they took what was offered. When they had all changed, Lewis thought they looked like a totally different crew. Everyone looked a little ragged, like a bunch of peasants making their first trip to town.


    He turned his attention back to the money that Tomas had brought him. The monetary denominations here were figured in kolas and he counted various denominations of paper money from one to two hundred and fifty. The total was one thousand five hundred. He gave each member one hundred kolas and stuffed the rest of the money into the top of his boot.


    Fink¡¯s directions led them on a circuitous route past several warehouses and into a residential area before cresting a hill and looking down on the market area. Lewis could see that an old park had been cleared to make room for the vendors under a few of the tall, native trees that stood at least thirty meters above the venders.


    ¡°There has to be at least five hundred stalls here.¡± Roquette observed when they rounded the corner and the market came into view.


    The crowd milled and surged around the market place, most of them dressed in brown, tan and gray, the same as Lewis and his team. At times he spotted soldiers, like the ones they¡¯d seen at the gates, as they loitered or wandered in groups of two or three. A group of men in what looked like metal cloth jerkins that hung almost to their knees, marched in step, two abreast and six rows deep. Each had a red cape, a shaved head, carried a holstered pistol and had a sword hilt showing over their right shoulder. Here and there Lewis noticed a few people who were a little shorter than average and dressed in very ragged clothes or loincloths. They looked uncomfortable in the crowds and kept moving to accomplish whatever errand they were there for.


    Many balconies overlooked the marketplace and on one there were five men dressed in brilliant blue jumpsuits. Two were sitting at a small table, apparently absorbed in something on a computer, one was surveying the crowds with binoculars, and two looked as if they were standing guard on either side of the balcony. The one sitting closest to the person with the binoculars stood up and said something to him. The man with the binoculars swung toward Lewis¡¯ team, Lewis dropped his gaze and checked on the rest of his team.


    ¡°Listen guys,¡± Lewis said, slowing to match the pace of the crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t stop, try to blend in, spread out more but don¡¯t lose each other. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s for sale.¡± The team scattered, he angled off to the left and leaned against a wall to watch them.


    When he looked up to the balcony it was empty. Raised voices caught his attention and he swiveled to his right. Twenty yards away two men were engaged in a tug of war over some small machine. Two of the local soldiers hurried over and interjected themselves. They took the item in question and one of them turned to the shopkeeper who pointed at each of the men in turn. The guard gave the small machine to one of the men, who left quickly. The other guard took the man who was left by the arm and pointed him in the opposite direction. Lewis was watching him stomp off when he saw blue out of the corner of his eye.


    The five blue jumpsuits had come out the market a hundred yards or so from his location. Their jumpsuits had epaulettes with a braided cord at the left shoulder. The cords were of various colors; gold, silver, white and two black ones. The man with the gold braided cord was definitely in charge, surveying everything and then talking to white cord. White cord was holding a small device in his right hand, which looked to Lewis like a little transistor radio. He pushed a few buttons and swept it left and right. Finally it came to a stop in the one o¡¯clock position and he pointed with his left thumb. Silver and gold cords nodded and he pulled another small radio from his utility belt and held it up to his ear. Momentarily they started moving. Lewis looked around and saw Roquette standing several yards to his right. He nodded his head slightly and she turned and made a ¡®come here¡¯ sign to her right before walking slowly in his direction. Lewis went back to watching his quarry. They were making slow progress through the crowd and when he scanned ahead his gaze fell on Telini. Telini was pointing something out to Gomez, who reached out to take it from the table. Suddenly it hit Lewis, they were tracking Telini.

 Four

    He started walking toward the blue jumpsuits and when he looked Roquette was hurrying to catch up. He held out his hand palm down and turned it to point a finger toward Telini; she turned around and repeated the gesture. He saw Rollins stop, turn ninety degrees to his right and head into the market. The jumpsuits reached Telini and Gomez before Lewis did. He stopped abruptly and Roquette followed suit. Rollins picked up something off a table but kept his eyes on Lewis. Lewis pointed two fingers at his own eyes then gestured at Telini.


    He walked slowly over to Roquette and said. ¡°Remember that tracker Captain DeLeah put on Telini?¡± Roquette nodded and he continued. ¡°I don¡¯t think the people in the blue jumpsuits are from Ladzoo nor do I think we can assume that they are hostile. Let¡¯s be discrete and get closer.¡±


    She nodded again and walked off to talk to Rollins. Lewis came around to the other side of the table from Telini and winked at Gomez when she looked at him. She turned away and went back to paying attention to the conversation that Telini was having with the blue jumpsuits.


    ¡°Well, you have a transmitter of some kind on your person. It was not difficult to track you here,¡± white cord explained in an accent that made him sound like an outsider, while Telini listened attentively. ¡°We just want to ask you some questions and we¡¯ve come a long way to do so.¡±


    Telini said. ¡°So, I take it that¡¯s more than a request.¡±


    Gold Cord spoke up, looking hurt. ¡°Not at all, friend. Feel free to refuse, then we will have to list you as an unfriendly and find other means to obtain the information we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Lewis stepped around the table and up to the man with the gold cord. ¡°Lieutenant Lewis at your service,¡± He offered his right hand, a gesture which brought a couple of muzzles up pointing at his midsection, he ignored them and continued. ¡°Is there a place where we can discuss your needs in private, perhaps up there?¡± he said, pointing at the balcony where he had first seen them.


    ¡°I see you anticipated our arrival, Lieutenant,¡± Gold Cord said. ¡°My name is Lieutenant Commander Slee and your man here was just about to tell us where you came from and why.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not. Not until we establish some ground rules. Do you have carte blanche from your command structure as far as information goes?¡± Lewis said in a neutral tone.


    ¡°No,¡± Slee said. ¡°We are here to harvest information, not to share it. Don¡¯t worry; your people won¡¯t be damaged in the process.¡±


    Lewis looked Slee in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about my people. As soon as I contact my captain, I¡¯m sure he will agree to an exchange of information, but I guarantee it won¡¯t be one sided. Can we leave this area?¡± He turned to Telini. ¡°Raise Captain DeLeah for me, will ya?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir¡±


    Telini put a finger to his ear and spoke quietly in English a few times, then looked up and shook his head at Lewis. As Lewis scanned the faces around him he caught an amused smirk on white cord¡¯s face. He turned back to Slee.


    ¡°Do you have a jammer on our frequency?¡± he asked.


    Slee nodded to Lewis, saying. ¡°Let¡¯s go sit somewhere. There are some tables over there.¡±


    He pointed towards the center of the market and walked in the direction he¡¯d indicated. As the group passed through the crowd Lewis spotted Blair, who was leaning on a table and examining some leather goods. Blair looked up at Lewis and raised one eyebrow before turning and walking away, ahead of the group. They arrived at an area where several food vendors encircled twenty or more tables, of which more than half were occupied, and they were small enough that when they sat they took up two tables. Silver Cord motioned Telini and Gomez, along with one black cord to sit with him. Lewis settled in with gold, white, and black.


    Lewis addressed the man with the white cord. ¡°OK, I get the gold and silver being officers and black for security. So what does your white braid designate?¡±


    The man looked at Slee, who nodded to him. ¡°My white braid shows that I¡¯m a communication specialist. Who is your communication technician?¡±


    ¡°Is there a difference between a specialist and a technician?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°A specialist,¡± He answered. ¡°Has a higher degree of training and since you are a field unit I assumed the latter is more likely.¡±


    Lewis chuckled. ¡°Did it occur to you that you are in the field? Or are you just that much better than we are?¡±


    Slee grimaced. ¡°Hey cut it out you two. I don¡¯t think this is a good place to start a fight. Let¡¯s get down to business, are you here from the planetary union?¡±


    Lewis shook his head. ¡°How about you lift that signal jammer and I¡¯ll talk to my captain?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do that in exchange for answers¡±, Slee said, nodding to White Cord. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Lewis spoke to the other table. ¡°Telini, try again.¡±


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    In a moment Telini brought him the headset. Lewis put it on. ¡°Hello, Captain.¡±


    Lenon¡¯s voice came across clearly. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You weren¡¯t due to check in for another seven hours.¡±


    ¡°We have some people here who have some questions, and I wanted to find out how you wanted it handled,¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°Military, police, government or what?¡± Lenon asked. ¡°Did they turn off Tony¡¯s tracker for a while?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who they are yet, and yes they did. Would you like me to ask?¡± Lewis said.


    ¡°Please do that, I¡¯ll wait,¡± Lenon replied.


    Lewis turned to Slee. ¡°What agency are you with?¡±


    ¡°We are with the intelligence branch of the Submerged People¡¯s Coalition,¡± Slee told him.


    ¡°Military, I think.¡± Lewis said into the mike.


    ¡°OK, tell them to come by and see me. Meantime, tell them anything you want to. Do they have the ability to listen in?¡± Lenon asked.


    Lewis thought about that for a moment. ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°You probably know more about operational security than I do, so just let me know tonight how it went, ¡°Lenon said. ¡°How¡¯s Ladzoo?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess, but it looks like the folks here are working hard to make it better, ¡°Lewis told him.


    ¡°Hey, John,¡± Lenon¡¯s voice had an edge to it.


    ¡°Yes sir?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Try to enjoy yourself, huh?¡± Lenon laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try sir,¡± Lewis said with relief.


    He handed the headset back to Telini, and turned to Slee. ¡°OK, let¡¯s trade info; do you need to call your people first?¡±


    Slee frowned. ¡°I thought I had already explained things to you.¡±


    Lewis stood up. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re done here.¡± Gomez and Telini stood up at the other table.


    ¡°Hold on, Lieutenant,¡± Slee said. ¡°Maybe we can work something out. I need to make that call you mentioned. Can we buy your crew some drinks?  Lars, put me through to the rear admiral.¡±


    Silver Cord stood up and smiled at Lewis. ¡°Have a seat Lieutenant Lewis, would you like some tea?¡±


    Lewis chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡±


    Everyone sat down, except Silver Cord. He went and bought tea for everyone and Slee conferred with someone on a handheld radio.


    Finally, he said. ¡°I have received the parameters for our discussion and I¡¯m allowed to give you quite a bit of data in exchange for the answers we seek. Do you have limitations?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s clear that neither side is going to be giving away sensitive information at this time,¡± Lewis answered.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Slee said. ¡°Is this the first time you or the people you¡¯re associated with have been to this planet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ¡°Lewis said. ¡°I am no navigator, but I understand we ¡®misjumped¡¯. Can you tell me the coordinates of this system?¡±


    ¡°No, our data systems were badly corrupted by repeated pulses,¡± Slee told him. ¡°Is your company associated with the federation or one of the intersystem corporations?¡±


    ¡°No, as far as I know, DeLeah Ventures is an independent operator,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°What happened here? Could you give me a brief history lesson?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big question, how about a refill?¡± Slee looked tired and Silver Cord gathered up cups and went to buy some more tea. ¡°This planet was discovered by a joint expedition between a scientific company, Algo and a merchant corporation called Sylog. They both thought they had hit the mother lode. Sylog wanted to mine the resources and build a spaceport, but Algo argued that the environment should remain pristine for studying. A custody battle ensued over the use of the planet. The court¡¯s decision was to draw a line on the globe and award east to one company and west to another.


    Both sides established colonies and all was relatively prosperous for about eighty years. By then there were large cities on opposite sides of the world and then there was an economic down turn in the civilized regions and Sylog went out of business. About the same time Algo¡¯s funding pretty much dried up. A remote colony planet like this one wasn¡¯t much of a priority when things were so crappy back home. The supply ships from Sylog stopped coming and things got bad for their colonists. Algo received a shipment and offered aid, but the amount of anger and venom was high on both sides. When the next shipment arrived the folks from Sylog attempted to hijack it. The ship was destroyed and Algo¡¯s response was to blow up Sylog¡¯s space station. Naturally, Sylog returned the favor. They both spent the next twenty-five years building weapons and blowing up each other¡¯s satellites. A great famine occurred and war became more important than food, business or research. No more ships came from the home worlds. Everyone pulled back to defensible positions and destroyed each other¡¯s outposts. Many naval battles raged with no clear winner in the long run. Terrorist from each side infiltrated the other side and did considerable damage. Sixty years had passed since the last supply ship when Sylog¡¯s capital, New Brannon, suffered a devastating nuclear attack. Nobody knows who did it. But the military and government hierarchy was ninety eight percent destroyed by the attack. Within a few hours every island on the planet had been hit by at least one missile with thermonuclear weapons, some of them were hit by many. That was about two hundred years ago.¡± Slee sat back and looked over his cup at Lewis.


    Lewis looked around at the market, full of people going about their business. He spotted his people hanging out in the crowds and keeping an eye on his location. He noticed a man in a long coat and wide brimmed hat at a food seller and realized that he had already seen him a few times that day. The man sat at a table across the open area and when their eyes met Lewis nodded slightly. The man almost smiled before turning his attention to his food.


    ¡°What are your captain¡¯s intentions here?¡± Slee asked.


    Lewis pondered that for a moment. ¡°I think he¡¯s looking for the star coordinates so he is able to return to where he belongs. Who are the power brokers in this area?¡±


    Slee chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d like to think we are, but that would be arrogant, Ladzoo has grown very important of late and the knights hold sway over a huge amount of land. To the north is the nation of Vakum, which looks like nothing more than a loose federation of pirate bands. Port Mist is the newest player, I suspect it is too soon to tell if they will become worthy of consideration.¡± Slee looked agitated and he set down his cup a little harder than usual. ¡°Listen Lieutenant, we need to know that you will report this place to the federation when you get back.¡±


    Lewis shook his head. ¡°Sorry Commander, not my call. Would you like me to raise the captain so you can discuss it with him?¡± Slee just stared at Lewis, so he continued. ¡°Better yet why don¡¯t you go visit him? Captain DeLeah is friendly, most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your time Lieutenant,¡± Slee stood and his people rose from their seats in unison.

 Five

    As they walked away Lewis looked at long coat and wasn¡¯t surprised to see him looking back across the tables. Lewis nodded and pulled out a chair next to him. The fellow gathered up his food and strode over to sit in the offered chair.


    ¡°Permission to join you, Sir?¡± He asked before sitting.


    ¡°Granted, I¡¯m Lieutenant John Lewis and you are?¡± Lewis said, as he stood to greet the stranger.


    ¡±Master Sergeant Lawrence Dumond, at your service, Sir.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been meeting lots of new people today, what can I do for you?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°I will get right to the point. My brass sent me to ask you if you came from space,¡± Dumond said. ¡°They want to know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°Are you here to exchange info?¡±


    ¡°Within reason,¡± Dumond told him.


    ¡°O.K. we came from space, if you want more than that, I need answers too. For instance, what organization are you with?¡±


    Dumond didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I am a tracker with the Defenders of Andar. They were the homeland army during and before the war. They are now what¡¯s left of the government and military of Andar. And you, who are you with?¡±


    Lewis gave that some thought. ¡°I was part of a regular army, but now it seems I¡¯m a long way from home.  A person has to eat, however, so I now work for one Captain DeLeah. He¡¯s the guy who brought me here and he needs some help.¡±


    ¡°Care to elaborate?¡± Dumond asked.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how this works exactly, but apparently we ended up here by accident. Now I am looking for some kind of star chart that will accurately pinpoint our location. Also, we are looking for trading partners while we are here,¡± Lewis answered.


    ¡°Why do you use the singular?¡± Dumond wanted to know. ¡°When I know there are others, because the man I¡¯ve been tracking is sitting over there with that young lady. How many are there in your party?¡±


    ¡°There are a few of us,¡± Lewis said pointing at Telini and Gomez and nodding them over. When they got there he made introductions. ¡°This is Sergeant Telini and Sergeant Gomez, meet Master Sergeant Dumond.¡± They exchanged pleasantries and then Lewis said. ¡°We were shopping today, why don¡¯t you guys continue with it. Tell the others not to get into trouble and if you don¡¯t see me before, I¡¯ll meet you at our room by dark.¡± Telini saluted sharply before he and Gomez departed.


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    ¡°Sometimes I wish I was given a unit to lead,¡± Dumond said as they watched them leave.


    They left the market and spent the afternoon down town. Dumond took Lewis to the library and helped him search for star charts. They discussed politics and other various groups. Dumond called the people from Vakum pirates and said that his folks were known locally as ¡®The Knights.¡¯ He explained how Ladzoo had demanded independence about thirty years ago. The defenders had cleared most of the mutants out and suppressed pirate activity to the point where they believed Ladzoo had an outside chance of success.


    They ate in a restaurant on the ground floor of one of the high rises, the place was clean and the food was good. Dumond and Lewis looked a little out of place here among the suits and ties. Lewis spotted the now familiar blue uniform of the Aquanauts, as Dumond called the submarine folks.


    When Lewis mentioned this to Dumond, he replied. ¡°Yes, see the braids?¡±


    Lewis looked and said. ¡°Two black ones, bodyguards I presume. What about the wide silver one?¡±


    ¡°Not silver,¡± Dumond replied. ¡°It¡¯s platinum. That¡¯s Rear Admiral Spex; I believe he¡¯s a citizen of Ladzoo and he runs an office for the submerged people in the mayor¡¯s complex, that man sitting across the table from him is the mayor himself.¡±


    Do the defenders have an office here?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Yeah, also in the mayors complex, as does Vakum, Port Mist and the Hagen,¡± Dumond said. ¡°Hey isn¡¯t that your sponsor?¡±


    Lewis looked in the indicated direction and saw Fingers in a beautiful flowing orange dress, sitting at a table across the room. Her table had a dozen men and women in fine clothes engaged in what appeared to be an animated discussion, but their voices were low and Lewis couldn¡¯t hear any of it.


    He turned back to Dumond. ¡°Tell me about the ¡®Hagen¡¯.¡±


    Dumond shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s to tell? They were the indigenous peoples who were here before Sylog found this place. They mostly live in the wild places. The mutants almost wiped them out, and the defenders stepped in and helped them clear a few areas. Anyway, they have a loose tribal system and keep a representative here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like they are smart enough to realize that Ladzoo is a happening place,¡± Lewis commented. ¡°How will I know these people if I see them?¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Dumond mused. ¡°The feeling among the Defenders was that Ladzoo¡¯s independence was a joke. About ten years ago a Hagen shaman told me that Ladzoo was a gem from which prosperity would grow. I do believe he might have been right. Oh, the Hagen tend to be smaller, darker of skin tone, and faster paced than other people you¡¯ll meet here.¡±


    After dinner they walked back to the market, which was shutting down in the late afternoon. Dumond gave Lewis his radio frequency and told him to only use it in the evening. They parted ways and Lewis walked back to the warehouse in the gathering dusk.

 Six

    Over the next week Lewis studied the maps he had obtained at the library. He had a map showing half a dozen islands, and an old map of Ladzoo. He also had a city issued map that was only a half a year old. He assigned Roquette to dispatch teams to visually inspect the accuracy of the map. He also sent at least one person per day to the market or downtown to discreetly interview people about life in and around Ladzoo.


    When Fingers reappeared after her meetings she spent a day attending to the details that kept things running smoothly in her warehouse complex. The next morning she sat down with Lewis to answer his questions and discuss politics, as well as the monetary system in the city.


    ¡°The city has a mayor and a city council,¡± Fingers said. ¡°The bylaws of the city state that the wealthiest individual willing to perform the job shall be Mayor. The same holds true for selecting council members from the various districts, some of which are outside of the city limits. These people usually only serve a couple of years, because it takes them away from running whatever business it was that put them there in the first place. If they want to have a staff while serving they have to pay them personally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised anyone would be willing to serve under those conditions,¡± Lewis said. ¡°I mean, it seems harsh.¡±


    ¡°These are business men, they are mostly men. They know that having a vibrant city is in their best interest,¡± Fingers answered. ¡°Besides, valuable connections and friendships are forged while they serve. You used the word ¡®serve¡¯, most people here serve in one way or another. Life here is better than most places because of it. If someone is starving he can always join a cleanup team and eat for a couple of days. If he does it enough times he stands a good chance of being adopted by a sponsor, who will then help them in whatever way they can. I served for a year in the Mayors complex, and also a year in the hospital before I started my business ten years ago. The people I met in those places have been invaluable.¡±


    Lewis pondered that. ¡°What does the city government do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Fingers said thoughtfully. ¡°They field the guard units, collect taxes, deal with outsiders, keep track of real property ownership, and print and mint money. It¡¯s not quite that simple, but the city tries to keep its activities to a minimum.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned a hospital,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the city run that?¡±


    ¡°Not really, they provide a few guards and manage a cleanup crew for the building and grounds,¡± Fingers told him.


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    ¡°What if somebody can¡¯t afford their treatment?¡± ¡°Lewis asked.


    Fingers looked a little tired, but gamely explained. ¡°Most doctors do some charity work, and some employers have deals with doctors to care for their employees. I have such a deal. I could pay more to my employees and probably make more profit, but in the long run I seem to have the healthiest, most satisfied work force around.¡± Fingers sent her secretary down to bring up some lunch.


    Lewis asked. ¡°What about taxes?¡±


    ¡°Simple really, you pay five percent of your cash holdings including paper, coin, gold or silver. It is also five percent for real estate unless it¡¯s been allocated to you within the last two years. Up to then you are exempt. There are several ways to earn tax breaks, such as sponsoring someone for a real estate allocation or starting a business. Each of these actions is worth a reduction of one-half a percent, cumulative up to a two percent reduction.¡± Fingers became more animated when she was talking about money and finance.


    ¡°And people just trot out with assets in their hands for the tax collector to see? How do they know if somebody is being honest?¡± Lewis asked. ¡°And is there no tax on income?¡±


    Fingers looked a little shocked. ¡°You mean pay the city every time money changes hands? There would be an armed revolt if they tried that. Port Mist has a system like that and my understanding is that those people only keep less than half of what they earn. As for honesty, we did a study when I was at the Mayor¡¯s complex and it seems that about ninety percent of the population is honest about their assets. The incentive to support the efforts to improve the city usually outweighs urges to lie in order to keep a few kolas.¡±


    ¡°What if I wanted to obtain a residence here?¡± Lewis asked. ¡°How would I go about that?¡±


    Fingers smiled, obviously pleased by this new direction. ¡°You go to the city agency and tell its members the size range you¡¯re looking for. They check the books and assign you an address. You go look at the place and if you accept it, they assess you a percentage of the value. Then they will give you one year to fix it up, and upon approval you get the title.¡±


    Lewis asked Fingers. ¡°What would happen if a person did not approve of an address?¡±


    Fingers chuckled. ¡°No fee is assessed and that person has to wait five months to reapply.¡±


    Lewis winced and Fingers said. ¡°Yeah, most people really need a residence when they apply. That time penalty keeps the city growing in the way they want because few people say no.¡±


    ¡°And what if the city doesn¡¯t approve of your house after a year?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    ¡°Then you can ask for an extension and they will reassess the same fee and give you five months to finish. If they don¡¯t approve after five months, you leave the house,¡± she said. ¡°However, if it¡¯s a commercial property you can usually be given two extensions.¡±


    A crash echoed through the building along with a scream. They both jumped to their feet and ran to the window that looked down onto the floor of the warehouse.

 Seven

    The scene was chaotic, with workers running towards a collapsed rack that had held a large car off the ground. The car had fallen on its left side pinning a worker to the floor. Another worker was prying with a pipe while several pulled on the man.  Fingers opened the window and yelled for them to wait until she got there. They dropped everything including the poor man. His top half hit the floor and he screamed. She ran out the door with Lewis right on her heels.


    ¡±Damn it, that¡¯s Gamoc!¡± she fairly shrieked over her shoulder. ¡°What the hell happened? We can¡¯t afford a setback right now!¡±


    Lewis tried to sound reassuring. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do everything we can, what does he do for you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my research foreman, working on vehicles,¡± she said, flying down the stairs.


    He pushed the button on his ear piece. ¡°Gomez, where are you?¡±


    A second later, she answered. ¡°In the lab, sir.¡±


    ¡°Meet me on the floor of the warehouse, now!¡± he said, running to keep up.


    ¡°Yes Sir.¡±


    As they reached the scene, Lewis looked for details. Several vehicles were on racks with legs of varying lengths. It looked at first glance as if the support pins on this rack¡¯s legs had failed, allowing the car to fall sideways onto the floor. The massive steel bumper had landed on the man¡¯s left thigh; he was now lying behind the car at an angle with his foot protruding from the bottom side behind the tire. A lot of blood was running out of his pant leg and making a pool around his boot. A crowd had gathered and Gomez showed up with Telini a moment after he got there. Fingers looked like she was about to fly off into a rage, shouting and demanding answers. All of her crew members were frozen in place, unable to even speak.


    ¡°Give me your shirt!¡± Gomez said to Telini, who complied in an instant.


    She made a tourniquet and applied it just below the man¡¯s groin. Telini and Lewis took a half a dozen pipes from a nearby rack and put three of them on each side of where the man was trapped under the vehicle. One beam on each side made good fulcrums.


    Gomez got in Fingers¡¯ face, ¡°Let¡¯s ask questions later.¡± She said quietly.


    Fingers looked like she might hit Gomez, but turned away and barked at her crew. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, help Lieutenant Lewis!¡±


    They jumped into action, Lewis and Telini guided them to the poles. They held them back until Fingers and Gomez each had a firm grip on Gamoc¡¯s shoulders. Fingers nodded and the car rose about a foot in one move. They dragged the worker slowly out from under the car, leaving a long smear of blood on the floor. Telini unstrapped his boot and removed it.  He was not wearing socks and Lewis noticed that his two small toes were missing. Gomez produced small scissors and cut the pant leg off from the cuff to the tourniquet. The damage was shocking, chunks of meat with bone shards were sticking out all over the place.


    ¡°Geesh, ¡°Lewis said quietly. ¡°Are your doctors good enough for that?¡±


    Fingers shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anybody in the city who could handle it. But I do know a doctor north of here who could do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not talking about Doctor Kilshin, are you? That guy is creepy,¡± Fink had just walked up within ear shot. He looked at the leg when he was close enough. ¡°Oh, man! Maybe you¡¯re right, that¡¯s pretty nasty.¡±


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    Fingers called for a stretcher and said to Lewis. ¡°Get your crew together, you provide protection as we move him. Thomas and Fink will carry the stretcher. We will use the North Gate,¡± then she raised her voice. ¡°The rest of you can take off early; Canni is in charge for now. Somebody clean this mess.¡±


    Lewis told Telini and Gomez to come with him, and on the way to their room he called Roquette and Rollins. ¡°Get your people together and meet me at the North Gate as soon as you¡¯re able, call me when you arrive if I¡¯m not there already.¡±


    When they rounded the corner of the warehouse he saw Rollins and Blair jogging up from the south. They automatically fell into their customary rear guard positions.


    The North Gate was less heavily guarded than the one on the west. One guard stood at the top of the left tower with a scoped rifle, while on the right the other scanned the farm lands beyond with binoculars. Two guards chatted with a knot of farmers at the open gates. When they saw the small procession approaching they sent the farmers on their way in order to deal with the procession coming their way now.


    Roquette and Derrik loitered, leaning up against the inside wall on the right. Roquette wore an ankle length dress and a flak vest, while Derrik wore armor that consisted of steel shoulder pads held in place by four inch wide crossed straps that attached to a belt six inches in width and supporting a skirt of over lapping strips of metal and leather. The image was made complete by sandals that laced all the way to the knee, fingerless gloves and bracers on both forearms. They stood motionless until the procession had passed, then pushed off the wall and fell in as the new rear guard. The guards nodded as they walked through the gate.


    Fingers stepped aside and everyone else kept moving. Lewis could hear Fingers explaining to the guard about Gamoc¡¯s leg. Soon Fingers came running to catch up,


    ¡°He said he thought I was crazy to take him to Doctor Kilshin. It¡¯s none of his business, but I do appreciate everyone¡¯s concern.¡±


    Outside the walls the houses looked a lot rougher, with open lots and piles of rubble marking where buildings had once stood. Lewis could hear Roquette talking to Derrik in their rear guard position. A group of children stood in the middle of an open lot and stared at the procession as they passed by. After walking about a quarter of a mile Fingers turned the group to the left and they went another five blocks.


    The house they stopped at had a picket fence and a wraparound porch. At their approach a big man, who had been sitting on a bench on the porch, stood up and shambled down the walk. He stopped at the gate and squinted at Fingers with a smile full of broken teeth.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Opening the gate, he let them in and led the way up the porch to a solid looking door. Inside a man sat at a table, drinking from a coffee mug. A shock of white hair stood up four or five inches from the top of his head, and the eyes were fixed on them in an unblinking stare. He sat at a computer control panel.


    ¡°Hello, Doctor Kilshin,¡± Fingers said. ¡°May I introduce you to some people?¡±


    The old man stood up, scooping up a yellow band of cloth and securing his long white hair with it. Lewis was struck by the appearance of the eyes; one was a solid dark yellow orb with a tiny orange pupil. The other was a washed out blue, almost lavender, with a black bar which ran horizontally. It did not seem like he was focusing on anything. He pushed passed Fingers and made his way to the stretcher, pulling back the cover to where the leg was damaged.


    ¡°Alee!¡± He shrieked and a door flew open, revealing a teenage girl in a lab coat. ¡°Emergency! Prep the operating room, get the team. Now! ¡±


    She said nothing, but shut the door and flew across the room and opened another door. She disappeared down a ramp, leaving the door open behind her.


    ¡°How long?¡± he asked Fingers.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ fifty minutes. He was¡­¡± Fingers said, but Kilshin cut her off.


    ¡°Why not go to the hospital? It¡¯s quicker.¡±


    Fingers looked uncomfortable. ¡°I figured they would just amputate.¡±


    Kilshin paced across the room, crossing it a few times before wheeling on her. ¡°What do you expect me to do?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you could save the leg,¡± Fingers said meekly.


    ¡°That femur is gone and the man is in shock. What makes you think I even want to work on a patient who¡¯ll probably die anyway? Why do you have so much interest in this guy?¡± Kilshin retorted.


    ¡°He¡¯s my lead foreman, but I¡¯d be just as concerned if it was a laborer.¡± Fingers said voice thick with emotion. ¡°Gamoc has a lot of potential, not to mention three children. He provides them with a good life, and they don¡¯t even own their house yet. Father said you were the best, please help.¡±


    Kilshin¡¯s countenance softened. ¡°Run along. I¡¯ll do whatever I can, but it¡¯ll cost you.¡±


    Fingers nodded and ushered everyone out.

 Eight

    For the next five days Lewis took Gamoc¡¯s place working on the vehicles in the warehouse. Fingers wanted to put together a cadre of caravan guards, so she offered free fight training for a few days to see what would happen. One hundred eighty six people showed up and Fingers decided to hire all of them. Rollins led the training in true military fashion and due to the rigor after four hours thirty-one of them had dropped out. Rollins and the rangers weeded out another fifty-three over the next two days. Tomas took over their training as the time drew near for the team to move on. Roquette and Derrik had finished enough of their survey to report that the information on the city¡¯s map was ninety three percent accurate. Telini and Gomez spent most of their time in the library. By the time they had left, Lewis had taken apart an engine and a transmission and figured out how to reassemble them without the original computer controls. The assembly was not complete, but he felt reasonably sure that the warehouse crew could handle it. At night they studied maps and planned their trip.


    The whole dock area was a graveyard of boats and ships in various states of decay. Some had listed to one side or been run over by larger neighboring ships. A few had sunk to the bottom of the harbor, with nothing visible but superstructures above the water. People on the docks and in rowboats fished in the noisome bay. In the distance, a huge flipper broke the surface and disappeared. A large boat with paddle wheels on both sides flew the flag of the defenders, a shield with crossed swords on a maroon field. Fingers explained that the knights had used steam powered boats such as these to clear several piers for use by the city. At these piers there was an assortment of small sailing ships tied up. Most of them looked to Lewis a little like the junks he had seen in Asia.


    Fingers led them to one of these ships and introduced Lewis to a Captain Inu. The man looked fat and powerful at the same time, with lanky hair and beard that hung down onto his stained jerkin. He was only a little shorter than Lewis and had huge arms dangling beside his big belly. He stood like the master of the ship that he was. A small army of laborers was offloading wooden crates and metal boxes. Fingers went to check some of them, taking notes in a notebook, then after some argument over value she handed the captain an envelope. She had five carts full of goods to load, including about a hundred crates, each with four juvenile versions of the flightless birds he had seen coming into the city. The birds were about a foot tall and jostled about in their cages as they were handed down into the hold.


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    The passenger cabin was cramped, with ten bunks, a low table, and room for only a couple of people to move around at a time. Everyone stowed their gear and headed back topside.


    When they reached the deck Lewis saw an old man, limping and stooped, coming down the dock towards the ship. He was accompanied by a teenage girl; both were dressed in old and tattered clothes. They approached Fingers and spoke to her. She pointed toward Captain Inu. The old man shuffled up the ramp toward the captain. Lewis moved to a position on the right side of Inu and watched the man advance.


    ¡°Hello, Captain,¡± The old man¡¯s voice was raspy and a little breathless. ¡°I need to take my granddaughter to Port Mist. Do you have room for two paying passengers?¡±


    Inu looked at Lewis. ¡°You got any room down there?¡±


    Lewis looked at the old man. ¡°Do you wish to ride with a bunch of soldiers? I understand we are expecting one more, it will be crowded.¡±


    ¡°You have an hour to decide,¡± The captain said. ¡°Now, you and the little one should move out of the way so you don¡¯t get hurt before we even get underway.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lewis asked the old man as he retreated down the ramp.


    ¡°Tom,¡± was all the old man said.


    Tom and his granddaughter stood off to the side, where they were well out of the way, close together and watchful.


    Lewis went down to the dock and made his way to Fingers. ¡°Where is your brother?¡±


    Anger flashed in her eyes. ¡°He is probably sleeping it off in some trash can.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll make it?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°How should I know?¡± She said hotly. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to send for somebody else. If I find him in time I¡¯ll send him overland to Ascore. If he doesn¡¯t make it, do you think you¡¯re alright without a company rep?¡±


    That puzzled him. ¡°What are you worried about?¡±


    ¡°Your team might miss something valuable,¡± Fingers said. ¡°Or get in trouble without somebody to show you the ropes.¡±


    ¡°You think Fink would keep us out of trouble in Port Mist?¡± He asked. ¡°You have given us lists and lessons on what¡¯s valuable. We were paying attention, you know.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I know, I trust you will do your best.¡±

 Nine

    The trip to Ascore took three days, during which time they learned a lot about the operations on the ship. Conversations with Tom and his granddaughter, Cheva proved much more difficult. They left the team with a feeling of superficiality.


    When they reached Ascore it was in the failing light of evening. Lewis was appalled by the appearance of the DeLeah ship; she rode low in the water with her starboard wing and engine mostly submerged. A large crack extended from the crown almost to the waterline. No lights were in evidence and all the colors were faded, like a century had passed.


    ¡°She look dead, mon,¡± Gomez whispered in an exaggerated Caribbean accent.


    At two hundred yards out Lewis asked Captain Inu to drop anchor, and called Captain DeLeah.


    ¡°Hello Lieutenant, glad you could make it,¡± came the reply. ¡°Can you move a little closer? Maybe the dock that runs past our port side, then nobody will get their feet wet.¡±


    Lewis wanted to ask what had happened, but only said. ¡°Roger.¡±


    Captain Inu halted the descent of the anchor and they proceeded to the dock as indicated. After the boat was secured, the crew extended the gangplank so that cargo could be exchanged. Michael walked out of the shadows at the far end of the dock and Lewis wondered how he had stayed unnoticed while they docked. Lewis introduced Inu and Derrik to Michael, who in turn directed Inu¡¯s foreman to place the cargo on the dock, near the port wing of the Star Skipper.


    Inu stared with open interest at the ship. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing that before, it must be the origin of some of the strange rumors I heard.¡±


    Michael looked suddenly sharp and hard. ¡°Please, Captain, try not to remember.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be functional. Am I wrong?¡± Inu asked.


    Michael raised a thin eyebrow. ¡°Not everything is as it appears.¡±


    The crates were unloaded without incident and then Michael led Inu and Lewis over the port wing and into the Skipper. A black curtain hung inside the open hatch, blocking the dim red glow that lit the interior. As they moved down to the common room, Inu¡¯s eyes grew large. Lewis could see the questions in Inu¡¯s face, but he said nothing. Lenon sat in his oversized chair with his hands in his lap. He was wearing a shirt that looked like chainmail that Lewis had seen in a museum in London, a sword as tall as Lewis leaned against the wall behind him. On the table sat a mini gun with the tripod removed. Captain Inu gasped, but quickly regained his composure.


    ¡°Hello, Captain Inu,¡± Lenon said in his rumbling voice. ¡°Welcome aboard my ship.¡±


    ¡°Captain Inu, meet Captain Lenon DeLeah,¡± Michael offered. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Good to meet you, Captain DeLeah,¡± Inu said, then turning to Michael as he sat in the indicated chair. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Would you two care to join me for a drink, or shall we go straight to business?¡± Lenon asked, producing a square crystal decanter and five matching shot glasses. Not waiting for an answer he poured an ounce or so of amber liquid in each glass. ¡°You¡¯re the guest, pick a glass,¡± Lenon said to Inu.


    Inu looked pleased and got up to pick a glass from the middle of the line, then sat back down and set the glass down in front of his seat. After everyone else had sampled theirs he drank his. He drank slowly and Lewis watched his face light up. Inu finished his drink and looked at Lenon like a long lost friend. ¡°May your anchor never rust Captain, where can I get some of this?¡±


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    ¡°Right here,¡± Lenon lifted the decanter and stoppered it, and then set it on the table. ¡°I have a proposal for you. If you accept, I''ll give you what¡¯s left.  I¡¯ll wager that¡¯s all you can find of it on this planet.¡±


    Inu looked suspicious. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°When you are done with your present task, I want you to start a shipping company based here,¡± Lenon answered.


    ¡°I have a home port already,¡± Inu said. ¡°Why would I move to a port city that has no people, just ruins and beasts. I can¡¯t raise a family here. My wife wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±


    Lenon smiled very slightly. ¡°I understand you worked hard to turn a wreck into a sea worthy vessel, and your wife stood by you even though it caused some hard times for the family. She must be very proud of your success.¡±


    Dayel entered the room with a pitcher of water. She looked regal in a long white dress and native flowers braided into her hair.


    Inu looked curious. ¡°You have water filters?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not filtered, it''s pure distilled water. Want some?¡± Dayel said.


    Inu nodded and everyone got a glass.


    Lenon looked amused. ¡°Listen Captain, how would you like to make pure water on your ship?¡±


    ¡°Alright Captain,¡± Inu said somewhat sarcastically. ¡°Tell me what you mean by ¡®shipping company¡¯, and what would I have to do to make that possible.¡±


    ¡°Why, you would do what you¡¯re good at. Namely, moving cargo and people, just on a slightly larger scale. The growth is here, not in Vakum. Vakum has some stability, but your company could make a fortune moving between Ladzoo and Port Mist on a set schedule while also keeping the flexibility to offer other services as the need arises.¡±


    Inu looked thoughtful. ¡°I only have one ship and it¡¯s all I can do to keep up with that much.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of six, four fixed schedule and two, shall we say freelance. An office here to start, and later in Ladzoo and Port Mist. That way the captains will focus on sailing and leave the finances and some of the paperwork, along with most of the scheduling, to an office staff.¡±


    ¡°Where am I going to find five more ships and how long will it take to make them ready?¡± Inu said incredulously. ¡°Even if we had them, we need crews and captains. And when ships are running hard they need a lot of maintenance. A crew of book keepers would be required to keep track of schedules, contracts and all that money you spoke of.¡± Inu nodded his head and sat back. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked satisfied with his closing arguments.


    ¡°Are there any ships out there that could be bought?¡± Lenon asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± Inu sputtered. ¡°Yes, but how are we going to afford that? I¡¯m doing well, but I can¡¯t buy a ship, not even one.¡±


    ¡°I can. If a ship shows up here for sale, I will buy her and hire the crew if I can. It will be up to you to find the people to fill the gaps. As for office personnel, Michael is building a computer that will take care of that if we can train a couple of people to keep the office organized. I have thought this through. This is a good central location and there is little or no competition. Can you stay a few days so I can show you some stuff we are working on?¡±


    Inu nodded and Lewis thought he looked a little dazed.


    ¡°I will see you back to your ship,¡± Michael said, and patted Inu on the back.


    After Inu had left Lenon turned to Lewis. ¡°Tell me about the character of Ladzoo and the people you met there.¡± They stayed up late into the night talking, with Lenon mostly listening.


    When Lewis went to his room he found the rest of the team sleeping and quickly followed suit. In the morning he woke up alone. The ship seemed empty, so he made his way out through the port air lock. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the daylight. The scene looked like a small village had turned out. There were the crews of the two ships, plus his team and several people he didn¡¯t know. Lenon was further down the pier with Telini, Inu and Michael. Lewis walked down the pier to the beach, passing Cheva and Naurel, leaning over an upright barrel intently discussing a book which lay open on top of the barrel. Roquette, Dayen and Derrik, followed by five other workers pulled carts of rubble out of the ruins. Lewis watched as they took them out into the surf and tipped the contents into the water.


    Sometime later Lenon brought him aboard a cargo ship that was grounded a couple of piers to the west. Michael was teaching Inu to use a computer that he had built from parts that he picked up in the ruins of Ascore.


    ¡°Our plan is to put our commerce offices and Inu¡¯s headquarters on this ship,¡± Lenon told Lewis. ¡°And hopefully in a couple of years whoever is running this burg can move it into the city.¡±


    A woman Lewis did not recognize came in the door and told Lenon that a longship had been spotted coming from the west.

 Ten

    Lewis stood with Lenon and Inu on a clear dock at the far west end of the harbor as the ship raised all her starboard oars and drifted into the pier. The oars clattered on the walkway, seeking purchase as the portside oars dug into sand and water. Her captain stepped onto the pier and strode across the deck to greet them as the ship gently grounded herself.


    ¡°Welcome to Ascore, Sir Trun. Come ashore and we shall have a feast on the beach. Allow me to introduce Captain Inu and Lieutenant Lewis.¡± Lenon said.


    Sir Trun stood straight and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. ¡°Thank you, Captain DeLeah. The Development Council has decided to honor your request for aid clearing Ascore harbor. Meanwhile my men and I are at your disposal for performing guard duty, training, labor, whatever assistance you need. All we ask for in return is consideration in the matter we discussed, and, when found, a building that we can use as an away base here. Oh, and you feed us. Are we agreed?¡±


    ¡°A prime building has indeed been located and awaits your inspection,¡± Lenon replied. ¡°Food will be ready in about five hours, let us go look at that place we found for you in town.¡±


    Sir Trun turned to his crew. ¡°Men, as you know our powers have agreed to help the people who are attempting to settle these ruins. Let us live up to our side of the bargain as we discussed enroute!¡±


    The men, who had been sitting at their oars, grabbed weapon belts and jumped off the sides. Half of them went into the water and the rest surged onto the walkway. As they marched to the beach Lewis saw that they were following a preset plan. Dayen intercepted the column that was headed toward the ruins, and they stopped while she conferred with their commanding officer. The others spread out setting up road blocks on the road at each end of the ruins and some disappeared into the buildings.


    Lewis¡¯s team was gathered on the main street into the city, so he went to join them while Lenon took Sir Trun to look at the building they had found.


    Blair couldn¡¯t wait, and shouted at Lewis across the fifty yards that still separated them. ¡°What the hell is going on? Are we being¡­¡± his voice trailed off as Rollins cuffed him in the back of the head.


    Lewis walked up and put his head next to Blair¡¯s and whispered. ¡°If you suspected we were being invaded, it would be far better to fade away than to blurt out, don¡¯ cha think?¡±


    Blair nodded and whispered. ¡°Sorry boss.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it again,¡± Lewis said out loud. ¡°Every things fine, the grunts have arrived. Captain DeLeah made some kind of deal. Anyway it makes our job easier. If it comes to a fight try to fade and look for ways to render assistance. No in house brawling, these are the good guys until you hear otherwise.¡±


    He stayed and answered a few questions, then headed off to find Dayen. The team followed him and they found her standing on a box in the street.


    She spoke to a crowd of about twenty knights and fifteen locals. ¡°Some of you are familiar with the procedure. This is for the benefit of the ones who aren¡¯t. Each of you has a packet of flags and a board. Attach the board to the door or doorway and hang your blue flag on it as you enter. If you feel that the building is not safe, hang a black flag. Oh yeah, don¡¯t forget to write your name on your blue flag so we know who is where. One room at a time, everything you find goes in the street. Try not to break things, especially plumbing fixtures. Teams will be ten people chosen by a foreman. Be careful and listen to your foremen. When you finish a building put an orange flag on the door.¡±


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    She then went on to pick foremen, who in turn picked teams. Five people were left when the teams went up the street to start.


    Dayen turned to Lewis. ¡°You want to play? I have a job for you if you have time.¡±


    ¡°I think we could help for the day, Inu is busy,¡± Lewis said.


    ¡°O.K., Captain Inu had a crewman who did this in Ladzoo, his name is Jarn. He assessed structural damage. I borrowed him from Inu. Some of the black flags are for snakes and lizards; a few are for crazies with guns, but most are structural concerns. I need you to take these workers and Jarn into the black flagged places and if he determines that they are unsafe, then move on to the next one. If its guns or teeth eliminate the threat, so we can get people back in there. Also, computers need to go to Michael, even if they look broken.¡± Then she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t lose people over this if you can help it. If the threat is too great, pull out. If that happens let me know immediately, and we will take care of it. Got it?¡±


    Lewis saluted and said. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    She returned his salute DeLeah fashion, right fist on left shoulder. Then she called Michael and asked him to send Jarn. Lewis saw Jarn come up from the harbor carrying a small sack over his shoulder. Jarn looked to be in his forties, there was a little gray in his short black hair.


    He stopped in front of Dayen. ¡°My name is Jarn, Inu sent me.¡±


    Dayen looked at him and paced a little, watching him. ¡°Can you assess structural integrity?¡±


    ¡°I was on a crew that did that in Ladzoo for a few years,¡± He looked nervous to Lewis. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the lead man, but I paid attention. I believe so.¡±


    Dayen gave him a silver coin, and he looked at it appraisingly.


    Lewis asked. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you still doing that?¡±


    ¡°The foreman was hot headed, and half the crew perished in a collapse,¡± he looked downright unhappy. ¡°So I quit and found Captain Inu the next day.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try not to repeat that,¡± Lewis said. ¡°I have better things to do than to rest in pieces under some old building.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sir. I was always the voice of caution on the crew,¡± Jarn replied.


    ¡°Good enough,¡± Lewis said and turned to the others. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The first building with a black flag was on the second street, right where Dayen¡¯s map said it would be. It was a large building, ten stories tall and half a block wide. The big double doors had been cleared and stood open. Inside was a big lobby with store fronts on both sides. A row of elevators in the back wall was flanked by stairs that lead to a second floor balcony.


    Lewis glanced at Jarn. ¡±Why do you think they flagged this one?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any signs of structural problems,¡± Jarn said. ¡°But it could be upstairs or even in the basement. I don¡¯t think Ascore was hit as hard as Ladzoo, so it¡¯s probably not in the basement.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Spread out in pairs. You Knights will each choose one of the local people to go with you. Treat this as a police action, not a search and destroy mission. Anyone found in the building should be detained and taken to Dayen unless they look like a clear and present danger to the team. Animals are food, to be hunted and taken to the beach. Our secondary goal is to gather computers, broken or not, and place them outside the building. Present weapons. Go.¡±

 Eleven

    Lewis almost had to bite his tongue to keep from yelling, instead he spoke quietly. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here?¡±


    The Sergeant stood up real straight. ¡°You are sir.¡±


    ¡°What,¡± Lewis asked, annunciating each word slowly. ¡°Were my orders in the lobby?¡±


    Thilson stood there like a statue. ¡°Split into teams and search the rooms, sir!¡±


    Lewis took advantage of his six foot six height, moving closer so he was looking down at Thilson. ¡°I said pairs, not teams. And you exceeded your authority when you left the room by the back door. And what¡¯s with pushing the laborers ahead of you?¡±


    Thilson didn¡¯t back up. ¡°Sir, our manual clearly states that peasant recruits are most valuable as front-line soldiers because it keeps the enemy busy, and because of the year or more of training of any uniformed soldiers. And you can¡¯t replace the experience of a seasoned knight with any number of peasants, sir!¡±


    ¡°These persons are not peasant recruits in some grand war, where the land or even the world is at stake,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°They are civilian contractors who signed up to help us clean up this city. We, all of us, are part of a team and teammates take care of each other. If I had not showed up to check on you, you would likely be dead now. I¡¯m not going to report this insubordination because I¡¯m convinced that my instructions were not clear enough. If you want out, go to your commanding officer and request to be transferred somewhere else. Otherwise let¡¯s go back to work.¡± Lewis pointed toward the door and Thilson spun on his heels and slammed the door open.


    Back at the beach they turned in their computers. Lewis told Dayen about the creatures they had fought; she informed him that they were called raptors. A team was dispatched to retrieve the carcasses and clean up the rooms they had cleared. After lunch Lewis¡¯s team went back to the office building without the two injured team members. The team went up the stairs at ten foot intervals with Lewis on point. The second floor had a balcony overlooking the lobby, with a hallway on either side of the elevators. Two office doors faced the balcony on each side of the building.


    ¡°O.K., pairs to the doors and hallways,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t explore the hallways, just stand guard so nothing is able to sneak in behind us, I¡¯ll take the last door.¡±


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    He had to remove some debris before pushing the door open, because a large section of the ceiling had fallen down and was blocking the door. The room was an office, and it was completely destroyed. There were computers, desks, chairs, and file cabinets all strewn about in chaotic piles. The back door to the service corridor was gone and the room smelled bad. A crash and a single shot came from next door, so he abandoned the computer he was picking up and ran toward the source of the noise. He arrived in a matter of seconds. Two small children tried to run by him as he got to the door. He dropped his rifle and grabbed each of them by their arm. Rollins appeared from behind a room divider with a boy of about twelve years kicking and struggling in his grasp.


    ¡°Hey, Lieutenant,¡± he said. ¡°This little bastard shot Shawn; I don¡¯t think it got through his vest, though.¡± The expression on his face made it clear that he was amused.


    Blair came out from behind the room divider holding his side. ¡°I been hit, Boss.¡± Everyone else on the team had arrived by then, and Gomez had him remove his shirt and vest. There was a purple welt just to the right of his navel.


    Lewis handed off the little ones to Roquette and Blair. He knelt down before the boy and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± when he did not get a reply, he said to Rollins. ¡°Give your prisoner to Telini and show me what happened.¡±


    Rollins took Lewis behind the divider. ¡°We were looking for computers when we came upon these bedrolls, they looked fresh, so we were on alert. The little ones were under there when we moved the divider off the desk. The boy stood up and shot Shawn and turned his piece on me and it just clicked like it was an empty cartridge. The girls got away and Shawn fell over acting all dramatic. When the boy looked at him, I took his gun away. It¡¯s over there.¡±


    Lewis retrieved the pistol from the desk and opened the cover on the cylinder. He removed three live rounds, one empty and one with a dent from the firing pin. He handed the cartridge to Rollins.


    ¡°Man,¡± Rollins said, as he put it in his pocket. ¡°That was a close one.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we have computers and prisoners,¡± he told the team. ¡°Make sure the kid doesn¡¯t have any other weapons. Gather their personal effects and put the machines outside. Alice, tie their wrists and transfer them to the DeLeahs, bring Shawn with you and leave him there to get checked out. Let¡¯s finish this floor.¡±


    Roquette came back with Blair and Cope in about an hour. They searched the second and third floors without further incident.


    That night there was food and drink around a huge bonfire on the beach and everyone slept secure in the knowledge that the knights were guarding the roads.

 Twelve

    Lewis felt fresh and rested. He was sitting on a folding chair next to the DeLeahs, Captain Inu, and Sir Trun and watching the everyone as they ate their morning meal or hustled about performing some task. They were discussing the steamers that would be used to tow the wrecked ships out of the harbor. Lenon intended to build sea barriers with wrecks and rubble that extended a couple of hundred yards out in the shape of horns on each side of the harbor. Also, on the agenda was starting a school, since there were about twenty children there and Dayel wanted them to be properly educated.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s been seven generations since the war yet the literacy rate seems to still be about twenty percent. It¡¯s in everybody¡¯s best interest to turn that around. We have a couple dozen computers now and I think we will have gotten ten running by the end of the tomorrow. Pretty soon Michael will be able to start training the team on how to assemble them.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Lenon said. ¡°What about power, Sir Trun?¡±


    ¡°I will have a team start working on that power plant you found, but it is too early to say how that will go.¡± Sir Trun replied. ¡°I would expect there might be some fires around town if we get it running.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± Lenon said, turning to Lewis. ¡°Drop working on the computers from your priority list, and pick up the pace on the building evaluations. We need to keep looking for structural problems, but let¡¯s make sure there are no more hostiles in that building. Sweep through each floor as quickly as you feel safe. Be careful on the roof, there may be some of those flying things up there. If you find a backup generator let us know right away.¡±


    Two new families had arrived the previous day, so Lenon asked Lewis to recruit one of these men to replace Danis, who would be laid up for a while, if he even survived at all.


    Dayen spoke up as Lewis left. ¡°The new families are camped by the west roadblock close to the old theater. Tell the other guy to come see me and the woman and children should go see Dayel as soon as they can.¡±


    Lewis found the camp easily. There were three tents and some chairs surrounding a small fire ring, where a cooking pot was heating.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m here looking for help, and to deliver some messages.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear your messages first,¡± said a gruff voice from the nearest tent.


    ¡°Fine, one of the men should come with me, the other one will go to see Dayen DeLeah for instructions. Dayel DeLeah would like to meet the woman and children,¡± Lewis said to the voice in the tent.


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    A man appeared from the nearest tent, dressed in combat armor that looked like it had been used before the war. His hair, skin and eyes were light brown. He had dreadlocks to his shoulders and a beard to match. The man was five foot six inches tall and stout, and he was carrying a submachine gun in one hand and a helmet in the other. ¡°My name is Faldar, this is my wife Tempra.¡± The tall, thin woman who followed had dark hair and eyes with very fair skin. She was in a night gown and looked worried.


    The couple who came out of the other tent were nondescript; average was the best description Lewis could think of at the moment.


    ¡°My brother Larry,¡± Faldar said. ¡°And his wife Martha.¡±


    Larry came up to Lewis and offered his hand. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Lewis,¡± Lewis said, shaking his hand.


    ¡°What kind of help do you need Lieutenant?¡± Larry asked. ¡°I fix things to make ends meet, but mostly I read and ponder the past. Faldar was a sergeant major in the Port Mist militia. Martha was a schoolteacher and Tempra cooked in a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave Port Mist?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Faldar resigned from the militia,¡± Tempra said. ¡°So we cashed in everything we had and we were heading to Ladzoo.¡±


    ¡°Word has not gotten out about what is going on in this place,¡± Faldar told Lewis. ¡°It looks interesting, maybe we¡¯ll stay awhile. But you still haven¡¯t answered Larry¡¯s question, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Major, will you sign up to work with me for a few days while you decide whether you¡¯ll stay?¡±


    ¡°What would you be doing, Lieutenant?¡± asked Faldar, putting his helmet on his head.


    ¡°Yesterday we started clearing a building. It¡¯s a large one and it might take a couple more days,¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°You said we, how large is your team?¡± Faldar asked.


    ¡°We had thirteen but we ran into some raptors and one of them is being taken care of by the medical team now,¡± Lewis said, watching for a reaction.


    ¡°We call them reapers,¡± Faldar said. ¡°How many were there?¡±


    ¡°Five.¡±


    ¡°If thirteen can face five reapers and come out twelve, then I¡¯d be proud to serve on that team,¡± Faldar stood as for a military inspection. ¡°Where do I report, sir, and when?¡±


    ¡°Say your goodbyes and expect to be back for the evening meal,¡± said Lewis, turning on his heel.


    The rest of the team was assembled when he got back; Faldar arrived a few minutes later.

 Thirteen

    When they reached the office building he explained. ¡°We¡¯re going to change our strategy a bit. Leave the computers for the cleanup team. Cope, are you feeling o.k.?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lewis continued. ¡°This is our new guy, Faldar. Gomez, I want you to show him the ropes. Dill you work with Telini. Cope, you go with Thilson. One of you opens the door, the other person checks the room, leapfrog, clear the room and check back with me. We can work on five rooms at a time. Jarn and Mary will lag behind looking for structural problems. We start on the ground floor, let¡¯s go.¡±


    They went through floor after floor and met no resistance for several hours.On the tenth floor, Faldar jerked open a door to a volley of automatic gun fire. Faldar and Gomez flattened against the wall on either side of the door, and looked at Lewis, who held out his hand flat, palm down. They waited.


    ¡°Clear the other rooms,¡± He said to the rest of the team, then he went over to Faldar. ¡°Ready?¡± Faldar and Gomez nodded and Lewis stepped into the doorway, flanked by the other two. They all fired a burst into the room, but nothing moved. They spread out into the room, Gomez and Faldar checked the room while Lewis moved to the service exit.


    A quick look and he saw a barricade set up one door down. He ducked back inside as the battle rifle rang out again. He opened the door all the way and held it with a chair, and then he pulled a desk to the middle of the floor. He turned it on its side and said, ¡°Cover that door.¡± As he left the room Gomez and Faldar were kneeling behind the desk, weapons trained on the doorway.Back in the hall the team was gathering.


    ¡°OK,¡± Lewis told them, taking out his notebook and drawing a diagram of the rooms and halls. ¡°There is a barricade about here with hostiles, no idea how many. Telini and Dil go here,¡± he indicated a room they had cleared already. ¡°And wait for two clicks on the radio, then snipe from there. Thilson here, Rollins here, Roquette here, I¡¯ll take the last door. Jarn and Mary stay by the stairs, if you hear me holler for backup or three clicks, move down three floors and call Captain DeLeah, then leave the building. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He moved to the last door and checked to see that everybody was in position, then clicked one time. Gunfire erupted in the room next to him, followed by two explosions in quick succession and then silence. He moved to the service door and clicked twice before opening the door and stepping into the hallway. Seven huge, ugly men with rifles were shooting wildly in every direction as a grenade went off in their midst. The explosion slowed the gunfire as one of them slumped against the wall, then Lewis¡¯s team opened fire. One by one they fell over until one huge brute took a quick step forward, reached out and grabbed Roquette by the hair. Everyone quit shooting, afraid of hitting her.


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    Lewis was running in that direction when the monsters¡¯ head exploded along with an echoing boom from the other end of the hall. Lewis skidded to a stop and silence descended on them for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been manhandled like that before,¡± Roquette said quietly as Rollins helped her back to her feet. She looked a little shaky and somewhat embarrassed but when Lewis inquired as to her well-being she replied that she was fine. They searched the bodies for weapons and ammo, which would be taken to the DeLeahs for maintenance and distribution. Lewis finally got a look at their faces and saw gray skin stretched over misshapen skulls, crooked noses and huge sloped forehead. Their arms were as long as their legs and nearly as massive.


    The search yielded a staggering array of weapons, from knives and clubs to firearms, including a small caliber minigun. Roquette spent a lot of time studying the gun. Lewis praised Dil for his shot. The rest of the building went smoothly, all three floors. Then they found the roof access.


    They all gathered around Lewis who said. ¡°Alright, the DeLeahs said there might be ¡®flying things¡¯ here, anybody know what that means?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Faldar said. ¡°There are some in the cliffs around Mist Bay. The people call them leatherwings, and they¡¯re tough costumers, mostly they only come out at night. They aren¡¯t real fast when moving on the ground, but don¡¯t get near their heads, they have a lot of teeth. If they have a nesting place with eggs or little ones, they will fight to the death.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go quietly,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Be careful.¡± He turned the handle and eased the door open.


    Fast as lighting a four-foot long head full of teeth grabbed him by his left shoulder and yanked him through the door. He cartwheeled through the air and landed in a roll on the roof. Another one grabbed his boot and started dragging him across the roof. He swung his rifle up and fired a burst one handed, dropping the beast in a pile. He could hear the rest of the team shooting and yelling. Then Dil came flying across the roof and crashed into a shed, he slid down the wall, and lay still as death.


    Lewis tried to rise, but his shoulder pain shot all through him and his right foot would not bear his weight. He managed to draw his service pistol and fired four shots at a leatherwing coming around the shed. It fell down, but was quickly replaced by two more. He aimed as well as he could and put four rounds into each one. The gunfire faded away, replaced by a dull ringing in his ears and the sound of distant voices as he drifted off into darkness.

 Fourteen

    Dayel¡¯s face was as radiant as ever when he opened his eyes. ¡°Be still, are you hungry? I will bring you some food.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, surprised how quiet his voice was. ¡°Is Dil o.k.?¡±


    ¡°He has a broken arm, but he will be fine.¡± She replied, sweeping out of the room.


    When he woke up again Gomez was sitting by his bed. ¡°How long have I been here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Oh, two days,¡± she said. ¡°And we¡¯ve been busy. We checked out the basement. There¡¯s a shelter down there, but it¡¯s been looted. And there is a back-up generator; Michael has a team working on it now. Come on, Dayel says you need to get out of bed and start walking today.¡±


    He swung his feet off the bed with her help. ¡°Where¡¯s Dil?¡±


    ¡°On the beach,¡± Gomez said.


    ¡°What about Dannis?¡± He asked.


    Gomez smiled. ¡°He¡¯s on the bed on the end, how¡¯s the ankle?¡±


    ¡°Stiff and sore, but it seems functional,¡± he replied.


    He was limping slowly along when she pulled back the curtain on Dannis¡¯ bed.Dannis was propped up against the head of the bed, reading a book. He set the book down when they walked over to the side of the bed. ¡°Greetings, Lieutenant. I see they patched you back together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. And how are you? We all thought you were gone,¡± Lewis said. ¡°And I thought you couldn¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°They plugged me into some reading training program while I was out,¡± Dannis grinned. ¡°I like it, but it is a little strange and I am still struggling with it some. Thank you for saving me back there.¡±


    ¡°You were part of the team,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°We don¡¯t leave anybody behind if we can help it, so you¡¯re welcome. How long are you going to be in here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to bring him with us,¡± Gomez cut in, extending a hand to Dannis. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go outside.¡±


    Out on the dock a cheer erupted from the small crowd, and Lewis felt a little embarrassed, but mostly he was happy to see the rest of his team alive and well.


    That night the on the beach there was another big party. Faldar¡¯s family had decided to stay, with Tempura taking over the cooking, so Dayel and Martha could start establishing a school for the children.


    Lewis talked to Dayen about Faldar and Dil. ¡°Dil¡¯s skill with that big game rifle of his is quite sufficient to provide cover for the new team you need to put together. And Faldar really is a military man and would make a good team leader. Have you arranged for Jarn to stay? He and Mary work well together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Inu has agreed that Jarn may stay. Tomorrow Thilson and Cope are going to assemble a strike team for the suburbs. We will send a runner to Ladzoo to post flyers announcing employment opportunities for members of the construction trades. This place should be jumping by the time you return, which reminds me, Captain Inu¡¯s been here five days. He really wants to get going. And I think some of your team members are getting restless, Mack and Shawn were in a scuffle with some of the knights last night,¡± Dayen said, then seeing the concern on Lewis¡¯s face added. ¡°It was not a big deal, Sir Trun and I were both close and we intervened, nobody is in trouble.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to go,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Before there is real trouble, right?¡±


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    ¡°Come on, John,¡± Dayen said. ¡°We are all part of the same company, and we would fight an army of knights for you guys. It would be more diplomatic if we do not have to do it. Your team is not dishonored in any way and it really is time to return to the task at hand.¡±


    Lewis nodded. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± she said. ¡°You need some new clothing, since the leatherwings tore up pretty much everything you were wearing except that vest.¡±


    ¡°They ruined my field jacket?¡± Lewis was shocked. ¡°Where am I going to find another M-65 jacket? And my boots?¡±


    ¡°We have some clothes to choose from, military, civilian or primitive. I am sure you will be able to find something to suit you.¡± Dayen looked sympathetic.


    In the morning Lewis went to look at the clothes. On the way there he saw the rest of the team hanging out by Captain Inu¡¯s ship. ¡°Hey,¡± he said when he reached them. ¡°I have to go find some clothes, Dayen said they have a clothing store set up on the cargo ship, wanna go?¡±


    When they reached the ship one big room was full of tables piled high with folded clothes, shoes and other items. Everyone spread out to look through what was there. Lewis found some black leather pants that looked like they wouldn¡¯t be too tight. There was only one pair of boots that fit him, ones that laced up almost to the knee. They were scuffed and dusty, but when he rubbed his hand across the uppers they looked like they used to be shiny and black. For a shirt he chose a dark brown, long sleeve shirt with plenty of room and laces half way down the chest.


    Gomez found a trench coat that was almost black and went down to his knee. On the arm it had an insignia that looked like major¡¯s bars. She found a hat similar to a fedora and tossed it to Telini.


    Lewis tried on a pair of goggles with a slight yellow tint. When he looked around he saw that his entire team had gotten into the spirit and they each had an armful of clothes.


    At a table by the door the woman with the cash box told Lewis. ¡°Your clothes are on the house, but the rest of these items I¡¯ll have to charge for. We take any currency and I might consider some type of trade, so don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s our uniform policy now?¡± Roquette asked him.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t see that it matters here, but I¡¯d say no bright colors in the field and nothing that makes noise when you move,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, do keep your body armor as long as it is still functional.¡±


    The woman at the table counted the items and calculated the cost of each of them, looking pleased at having made such a large sale.


    Lewis went back to the Star Skipper and changed, and then he went to see Captain Inu.


    Inu was busy organizing his crew and loading small plastic crates aboard.


    ¡°Greetings Lieutenant,¡± The captain said. ¡°Will you be ready to leave at midnight? We need to travel to Port Mist quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°I look forward to leaving soon. Do we stop in Haldon or go straight to Fort Dilson?¡±


    Inu looked pleased. ¡°I see you have been studying. We do indeed need to stop in Haldon. I must return to work now, see you tonight.¡±


    He ensured that everybody on the team knew that they would leave that night, then went to see Michael. The little man was working in his dimly lit computer lab on the cargo ship. Two small windows threw some light on part of the room, and Lewis could see Michael and Larry with their heads close to different machines. When he approached Larry was startled by his quiet approach, but Michael had turned and was watching him.


    ¡°Hello Lieutenant,¡± Michael said. ¡°Look what we located.¡± With a few taps on the screen, he brought up an image which Lewis recognized as a schematic similar to the one he had been using in Ladzoo for the vehicle, except much more detailed. A few more screens and he saw that what they had was the manufacturing specs for every part of the engine.


    ¡°Are you going to share these with Fingers?¡± Lewis asked. ¡°It would give her a big boost.¡±


    ¡°We are going to share it with everybody,¡± Michael said. ¡°But she will get the first copy. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Batteries, we¡¯re leaving tonight and I¡¯d like to have fresh batteries for everything,¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°No problem, there¡¯s batteries over there in that cabinet;¡± He said, pointing. ¡°But take a look at this first,¡± He produced a sheet of flexible plastic with a wire attached. The wire ran two feet to a small box that Michael flipped open. ¡°It is a charger; you put the batteries in here. Then you place the panel up against your abdomen under your clothes. It takes about one full day to charge one battery and it only works with the native batteries, not the modern ones we brought with us. Take four chargers from the top drawer, and in the second drawer are some adapters I built to use the old batteries in our equipment. You can have two of those. Take ten batteries, of the old style, they are all fully charged.¡±

 Fifteen

    At half an hour before midnight they were standing on the dock by Captain Inu¡¯s ship. The DeLeahs all came to see them off, and Lenon was carrying a large chest on his shoulder. When he handed it to Derrik, the lad set it down with some effort.


    Dayen said. ¡°There are a few things in there that we thought might come in handy. Open it when you are under way.¡±


    The box had strange symbols on it, and Naurel laughed when she saw Telini looking at them. ¡°They say only Team Romeo members may open it.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Blair asked, looking very interested.


    ¡°It means,¡± Lenon said seriously. ¡°That you, all of you, should not let anybody else touch it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Michael said. ¡°Leave it on the ship unless you have somewhere safe to store it. If you need to bury it, feel free to do it, but do not forget where you left it.¡±


    Blair and Derrik carried it on board and the DeLeahs wished them happy returns. Once they felt the boat pushed away from the dock, Blair asked for permission to open the chest. They had the passenger compartment to themselves, because Tom and Cheva had decided to stay for a while in Ascore. Blair dragged the chest out from under Lewis¡¯s cot and examined it. There were two clasps where a padlock could be attached and between them on the front of the lid was a small brass shield with a keyhole in it.


    ¡°Did they give you a key?¡± Blair asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°Is it locked?¡±


    ¡°Dunno,¡± Blair said, lifting the clasps. The lid opened slowly without assistance, inside there was a cloth that covered up everything. It was neatly tucked in at the edges and a small brass skeleton key with a silver chain for a necklace was lying in the center. Blair handed it to Lewis and he put it on, sliding the key under his shirt.


    Gomez pulled the mottled green cloth carefully out of the box and put it up against her face, then handed it to Roquette. Roquette felt it and passed it on. It felt like silk velvet and made Lewis¡¯s hands feel warm wherever it touched his skin. Under the cloth was a large envelope with his initials on it, Telini took removed it and looked at it,


    ¡°Note for Jal.¡± He said and handed it to Lewis.


    Lewis thought they looked like kids under a Christmas tree as Gomez reached into the box and pulled out a pistol that had been covered by the envelope. It was a semi-automatic with a scope.


    ¡°Thirteen millimeters,¡± she said in an awed tone as she checked the chamber. ¡°Aye, Madre. That¡¯s like fifty caliber. This thing¡¯s a cannon.¡±


    Small boxes were on each side of where the pistol had been that contained ammo for the hand gun. Six square boxes made up the next layer, the little boxes were made of wood and each had a leather handle on the end that faced up.


    Rollins pulled one up and out. ¡°No wonder the chest is so heavy,¡± He set it down on the deck and opened it, revealing neatly stacked gold coins.


    Somebody whistled and everyone else gasped. Soon all the small boxes were on the deck, pulled out by whoever was close enough to grab one. When they were opened, some of them had heavy gold coins inside but the majority in the layer were filled with silver coins. Lewis felt a slight panic as a feeling of responsibility settled on him.


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    He took a breath and said. ¡°Hey now, this is money, and it doesn¡¯t belong to us. Let¡¯s catalog it and treat it as classified material, so for God¡¯s sake, do not reveal it to anybody. What¡¯s in those other boxes?¡±


    They all pulled out a box each and laid the contents on the floor. Lewis scanned the items, and saw binoculars, gloves, shoes, daggers, and a computer the size of his wallet.


    ¡°Close ¡®em,¡± he said, pausing while they all complied. ¡°I¡¯m going to read whatever is in that envelope before we proceed. Put it all back like it was, by morning we¡¯ll have a clue.¡±


    While they replaced the contents, Lewis laid back and opened the envelope. Inside he found, a map, a letter, and several small envelopes. The letter provided him with instructions for setting up offices in Port Mist and Fort Dilson. The details filled three pages, with four supporting documents. Lewis¡¯ head was spinning from reading all the data and he wondered how the DeLeahs came up with all the names and documents. Next he found a letter labeled ¡®contents and disbursement¡¯. It listed the coins as;


    Five hundred seventy six gold pieces.


    One thousand one hundred fifty two silver pieces.


    The list continued with a short description of each item in the chest. Then it stated. ¡®We usually lay everything out and draw straws to see who picks in what order, but you can do it by rank or just assign things. Dayel has enclosed her recommendations as to who would be suited to which item. Do as you will. Please see that it all is7 used well. Good luck First Lieutenant Lewis.¡¯


    Two of the small envelopes contained currency from Ladzoo. One had a letter extolling, with grand and flowery prose, the virtues of DeLeah ventures. It also made honorable mention of first Lieutenant Lewis and Team Romeo. It was headed. ¡®To whomever it may concern, from Sir Trun, ship captain, free state liaison, outreach councilor for the southern fleet, defenders of Andar.¡¯ There was a note written in Michael¡¯s spidery script in the same envelope, which said. ¡®Be careful who you show this one to.¡¯ The next envelope contained some credit vouchers to be used in Fort Dillson or any other city controlled by the defenders of Andar.


    The next morning after breakfast they returned to their quarters, everyone was curious about what they had seen in the chest. Several voices spoke at once and Lewis held up his hand for quiet.


    He addressed them. ¡°OK, I¡¯ve read our orders and I¡¯m ready to hand out these items. Everybody gets a boot knife.¡±


    The knives had double edged blades about three inches long and an inch and a half near the handle, which was flat and looked like it was forged out of one piece of iron. They each came in a flat sheath with leather thongs top and bottom.


    Rollins held out the box to each member in turn, he took the last one and said. ¡°There¡¯s a note in here,¡±


    He held out the box to Lewis, who reached in and removed the small paper and read it aloud. ¡®These little beauties hold an edge well, are strong enough to use for a pry bar, and are easy to conceal- Dayen.¡¯


    Lewis told them. ¡°Dayel suggests that Gomez get the glasses.


    Roquette, you get the moccasins.


    The computer is for Telini.


    Rollins, the binoculars.


    Blair, the pistol is for you.


    Derrik, she said you should wear the gloves.¡±


    Lewis put the necklace and beret on, and then he noticed that everyone was staring at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You have a silver bar on your new cover, sir,¡± Gomez asked him. ¡°Is that for real or did somebody make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± he told them, shuffling through his papers. ¡°Sir Trun says first lieutenant,¡± he showed them the letter. ¡°And Lenon closes his letter with the same thing. I don¡¯t understand the procedure, but I kinda think they meant it.¡±


    Lewis was a little troubled by the whole thing, but when he looked around, everybody was smiling except Derrik, who looked confused.


    Lewis put his papers back in their envelope and stood up.


    He said. ¡°You know as the highest ranking officer in Uncle Sam¡¯s Army at this location, it is in my power and it is my privilege to promote all of the members of Team Romeo one rank, with all privileges and benefits that such advancement implies. The only exception to this will be Mister Derrik who shall advance two ranks to private first class. Telini, please make a note of these proceedings and place it in the chest for future reference, I¡¯ll be on deck if anyone should need me.¡±

 Sixteen

    The wind was accommodating and they made it to Port Mist in two and a half days. The land rose slowly behind Port Mist, a line of dead trees visible in the haze. Port Mist itself was a jumble of smoke stacks and moderately tall buildings, many leaning on one another or bent crazily near their tops. Long strings of lights stretched from one building to another in a vain attempt to drive away the shadows below.


    Captain Inu asked Lewis to keep his team in their quarters until they were sent for. They slept for several hours before a crewman came to rouse them with a summons from the captain. They stood on the deck and stared at the city, from their place in the docks it looked like a Christmas tree. High above, the strings of lights shone white, while at the second story level neon lights glowed in a jumble of colors.


    On the streets fires burned here and there in metal barrels, they contrasted with the white or slightly yellow shapes of windows and open doors. All of the lights competed with marginal success to light the scene. People gathered in the streets, or wandered in and out of the doors.


    Captain Inu brought the team to attention, introducing them to their city appointed guide.


    ¡°Be careful here,¡± Captain Inu said. ¡°Everything¡¯s heavily regulated. You can direct questions, or payment of personal fees, to this young lady. She knows the law and the street. Her name is Nora.¡±


    The captain drew Lewis off to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in two days, but I know that what you have to do may take longer and that¡¯s fine. Keep in touch and don¡¯t forget to try bribery first.¡±


    Inu left and Lewis rejoined the team. Nora was telling them to leave their firearms on the ship, so everyone went down to stow their weapons and to get some money. She was waiting at the gangplank to lead them into the city. It was a smoky, bustling place rich with the smells of food, whiskey, and sweat. They passed through the crowds to reach a door in one of the tall buildings with a neon sign that identified it as the visitor¡¯s bureau, and Nora told them that all visitors were required to check in there. Inside two clerks were busy with some kind of dice game, which they unceremoniously dumped into a box behind the desk when Nora threw open the door.


    ¡°Hey, you guys aren¡¯t supposed to be playing while you¡¯re on the clock,¡± she said. ¡°Process these visitors so they can get rooms, will ya?¡± It cost them five kolas each to register and that bought them seven rulebooks and seven visitor badges with their names on each one.


    ¡°Would you like to look for rooms to stay in while you are here?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°Then maybe you can give me some advice on the business I came here to do.¡±


    ¡°What business is that?¡± She asked, as they skirted one of the bonfires.


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    ¡°We are employed by a man in Ascore, and he wishes to go into the shipping business. He knew we would be passing through Port Mist, so he directed me to set up an office here,¡± he told her. ¡°He would prefer to buy a warehouse and run his office from there.¡±


    Nora looked skeptical. ¡°I thought that Ascore was only a ruin.¡±


    ¡°They are clearing it now. Soon it will be a city, doing business and housing people,¡± Lewis told her.


    ¡°Who,¡± she asked. ¡°Is your employer?¡±


    ¡°Lenon DeLeah,¡± Lewis said.


    When they reached the Grand Isle Hotel, they found a large building with its name in neon on the front and street vendors outside hawking their wares to any visitor who would listen. Lewis noticed that their business licenses were posted and lit by colored lights. He stopped and examined one, and found that the stand belonged to the hotel and was signed by the Lord Mayor T. Marino. The woman who sat in the booth looked delighted by the attention and began to show him her wares, which consisted of a variety of small ships. The sailing ships of Vakum and the long boats of the Knights were represented, as well as half a dozen others. All were crudely carved and carried the name of the hotel on their side. Everyone was waiting by the door, so he smiled at her and joined his team.


    Inside was a cavernous space filled with gaming tables and raucous activity. On their right was the reception desk. Nora explained to the teller that they were important business guests. After presenting their visitor badges, information and money was exchanged and room keys distributed. The rooms were on the second floor, one per person including Nora.


    In the morning Lewis gathered the team together.


    ¡°Spend some time reading the rulebook,¡± he told them. ¡°Get to know the town a little. Be friendly, which means don¡¯t fight if you are able to avoid it. We¡¯re not doing a formal survey but get to know the place and its people.¡±


    Telini asked. ¡°What about civvies, are we on leave?¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Lewis said. ¡°You¡¯re just tourists, so blend in, but try to stick together. I¡¯ll be in and out, call me if you run into something interesting.¡± He left with Nora, headed for the import/export office. Along the way they stopped at a restaurant to eat breakfast in another hotel.


    The big main room on the ground floor had gaming tables, and although they were sparsely populated at this hour of the morning, the place sounded and felt full. At the restaurant they ate eggs and meat that was very good despite the excessive use of salt. When he was leaving the lobby he noticed a display filled with folded brochures highlighting many local attractions, one that caught his eye was a garish announcement that invited one and all to visit the pit, an arena where fights were staged for amusement and wagers. He pondered life in this city of contrasts and extremes as he made his way around the smoking remains of the previous night¡¯s fires. Children of all sizes and varieties darted around picking through the litter on the street until a city guard officer came down the street and they all scattered in different directions. Nora and Lewis made their way to the capitol unmolested.


    At the Capitol building Lewis saw long halls leading back from a central lobby. Nora led him down one of these to a door with a plaque that read, Nate Coker Import/Export Councilor. Inside was a small office with a young lady who politely told them that Mister Koker had an opening in ten days.


    Nora leaned on her desk and said. ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have that much time, I hereby invoke emergency procedure thirty-six dash twenty dash two eighty-one. Produce the papers, we will see Mister Koker.¡±

 Seventeen

    The girl sighed. ¡°Name and position, please.¡±


    ¡°Nora Arie, special liaison from the office of the secretary of visitors, Charles Green,¡± Nora looked triumphant.


    ¡°You realize there is a ten kola fee for your invocation,¡± said the girl whose engraved name plaque read J. Kane. ¡°Are you employing a bodyguard, or is this your visitor? He¡¯s pretty cute, what¡¯s his name?¡±


    Lewis didn¡¯t know if he was more embarrassed or flattered, but before he could think of something to say Nora slapped her hand down flat on the desk.


    Nora sounded very angry. ¡°This is First Lieutenant Jonathan Angel Lewis, representing DeLeah Enterprises, shipping division. He¡¯s here on his first visit from Ascore, so don¡¯t insult him or scare him off with your atrocious manners.¡±


    Miss Kane rose behind her desk, glaring at Nora. She turned and nodded to Lewis. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lieutenant, I did not know.¡±


    Lewis smiled a little and said. ¡°No harm done.¡±


    The girl turned and retrieved some papers from a filing cabinet. She brought them to the desk and began to fill them out, Lewis counted eleven sheets. Nora and Lewis provided over thirty signatures in the next hour.


    ¡°Is everything like this?¡± Lewis wondered aloud. Miss Kane giggled a little at that.


    Nora said. ¡°We¡¯ve requested an emergency meeting, it must be well-documented.¡±


    Lewis reached into his pocket and palmed a ten kola note. He waited until Nora was distracted with a paragraph she was writing, then he caught Miss Kane¡¯s eye with a raised eyebrow. He slid the bill under the paper he was signing, and presented the paper to her.


    She dropped the sheet on her side of the desk, saying ¡°Oops, clumsy me.¡± She bent down and picked up the paper. When Nora finished writing Miss Kane smiled sweetly and said. ¡°Well that¡¯s it, there are a few little details that I can take care of. I¡¯ll check to see if Councilor Koker will see you now.¡± She stood up and left the room through the back door.


    After she left Nora stared after her dumbfounded, then turned to Lewis and said. ¡°We were not done, there were several more papers to finish. Did you do something?¡±


    ¡°Hey, she said I was cute so I just played it up a little,¡± Lewis said with an innocent expression. ¡°I was a soldier for years, with a team to account for. Believe me, I did lots of paperwork. I learned a long time ago that anytime you are able to streamline the process it¡¯s productive.¡±


    Nora looked exasperated. ¡°What you call streamlining is cheating; there is a proper procedure for these things. If you cut corners by not doing the job right, that¡¯s anarchy! This girl thinks she is able to make decisions on what is important enough to fill out and what is not important. Her job is to file the required paperwork, dammit, wait till I talk to her boss!¡±


    ¡°Hey, easy now,¡± Lewis said. ¡°This process was supposed to take ten days, until you streamlined it. Let¡¯s not make trouble for Miss Kane, who is just trying to help us to get our job done a little faster.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°A soldier knows as well as anybody that an individual is just a small part of the whole. A war could be lost because one person doesn¡¯t do his job without question. A whole society is at stake here, which leaves no room for individuals. We are only parts of the whole, if we are working for the greater good,¡± Nora said in a teaching tone. Lewis decided at that point arguing was making things worse. When he didn¡¯t answer, Nora looked smug and satisfied.


    Miss Kane came out of the door to the next room and smiled at them. ¡°Councilor Koker will see you now,¡± She held the door open and ushered them through into Mr. Koker¡¯s office. The counselor stood and walked around his huge desk.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± He said, shaking Lewis¡¯s hand and laying a hand on his shoulder. When Lewis shook his hand he transferred a gold coin to Mr. Koker. After a moment of eye contact and camaraderie, Koker turned to Nora and repeated the process.


    When the greetings were finished he went back to his seat, sat down, and asked. ¡°Tell me, Lieutenant, what may I do for you?¡± The way Mr. Koker was paying attention made Lewis feel like his task was the most important thing the Councilor had heard in a long time. He told Koker about DeLeah enterprises and the proposed shipping business. The company was especially interested in the idea of obtaining a warehouse for storing goods and an office for conducting business. The Councilor asked Nora to wait outside, and when she stepped into Miss Kane¡¯s office he addressed Lewis.


    ¡°Do you really need a liaison?¡± Koker questioned intently.


    ¡°I thought the law required it,¡± Lewis replied.


    ¡°Not if you have a license to operate a business here. Miss Arie is a reformist, and she believes that any transaction that occurs in the dark is evil. However, people like Miss Kane couldn¡¯t survive on the meager wage that the city pays them and then taxes take half of it. Without small kindnesses such as you showed out there, she might be forced to seek more lucrative but less pleasant employment. Her husband was killed in the service of Port Mist and left her with two children to raise on what the city calls a ¡®widows wage.¡¯ To get to the point, she approached me and I hired her for the job she has now.¡±


    ¡°Is she still paid her ¡®widows wage¡¯?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°She has been deemed too wealthy to receive benefits from the city, now that she works in my office,¡± Koker replied. ¡°If Miss Arie discovers that you gave her a gift, I may have to fire her to protect my own position.¡±


    ¡°Where do you stand on this reform movement?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    Koker looked grim.¡± I stand firmly with my constituency. Most of the population seems to believe that more control and taxes are not the answer. The council holds only about a third of the power in the city, but we come by that power at the behest of the people. Would you care to join me for dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Lewis said, with a smile and a bow. ¡°I¡¯ll get your address from Miss Kane. And thank you for all of your help.¡±


    He found Miss Kane at her desk writing on a paper, Nora was nowhere to be seen. Lewis received a business license for DeLeah Shipping, and Mr. Koker¡¯s address, along with a proper time frame for visiting. Nora was in the lobby talking to a gentleman there about shipping.


    ¡°Hello, Lieutenant,¡± She said, when she spotted him. ¡°I think you will be interested in what Secretary Spealer was saying. Secretary, allow me to introduce Lieutenant Lewis of the DeLeah Shipping Company.¡±


    Secretary Spealer greeted him a little coolly, but he politely said. ¡°So, I hear you are trying to establish an office here in Port Mist.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°I am here representing my employer, who is starting a shipping interest out of Ascore. DeLeah Ventures is presently operating from there.¡±


    ¡°I heard something was happening in Ascore,¡± the Secretary said. ¡°Something having to do with an off-planet ship. Would that be your employer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Lewis said crisply.


    ¡°Do you have time to meet with me tonight?¡± Spealer asked, looking quite interested. ¡°I would very much like to hear more of your story; also I may have some information that you and your employer need.¡±


    ¡°I have dinner plans,¡± Lewis informed him. ¡°Could we meet in the morning instead?¡±


    Secretary Spealer looked hurt. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office and look at my schedule. We might be able to manage that.¡±

 Eighteen

    He turned and headed down one of the hallways with Lewis and Nora in tow. At the end of the hallway they approached an elevator. Spealer seemed proud of the elevator and explained that, to his knowledge, it was the only one that worked in the city. They exited the elevator on the fourth floor and turned right into a hallway. Lewis noticed that one of the doors that they passed said Charles Green, Secretary of Visitors. They stopped at a door labeled Lindsay Spealer, Secretary of Import/Export, and the Secretary held the door open for them. The reception room was richly appointed, with a fine wooden desk and carpet.


    A teen boy was sitting behind the desk and stood when Spealer came in. ¡°Welcome back, Mister Secretary,¡± he said enthusiastically. ¡°I have a pile of papers, and several letters for you to review along with an edict for you to consider. I see you have visitors; shall I clear your schedule for a while? Don¡¯t forget Secretary Polin needs to meet with you later this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sig,¡± the Secretary said. ¡°Please clear one hour, if Lieutenant Lewis is able to stay awhile.¡± He raised an eyebrow to Lewis, who checked his watch and nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Please sign in Sir and Madam,¡± Sig said, presenting a clipboard and a pen to each of them. Lewis glanced over the sheet, which stated that he was having an emergency meeting with Spealer. It did not imply any further obligation, so he signed it and handed it back. Spealer¡¯s office was much more luxurious than the front office. The red carpet was thick and soft and a wide couch faced the desk. The Secretary motioned toward the couch and they sat down.


    ¡°This is an official meeting, so I¡¯m going to record it, are there any objections?¡± Spealer asked, placing a cylinder about the size of his index finger in a cup of pens and pencils on his desk. His finger hovered over a yellow button on the end of the cylinder, and his eyebrows asked them again.


    Nora answered for them both. ¡°No problem, Mr. Secretary.¡± Lewis thought he would have to be very careful about what he said in this meeting.


    ¡°OK, we all have places to go, people to see, so let¡¯s get started,¡± Spealer said, suddenly all business. ¡°Miss Arie, what is your specific interest here?¡±


    ¡°I was sent to assess and assist by Secretary Green,¡± she answered.


    He nodded toward the door, and said. ¡°When we are done I¡¯ll send him to Green¡¯s office, he will meet you there.¡± Nora got up without a word, carefully latched the door behind her and was gone.


    ¡°So where shall we start?¡± Spealer asked. ¡°I have several questions for you, are you willing and able to answer them?¡±


    ¡°Company policy has been that we exchange information, so no one way questioning. Is that ok with you?¡± Lewis told him.


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    ¡°Yes, except when the desired information is confidential. In that case neither side shall be compelled to answer, agreed?¡± Spealer replied. ¡°First question: by whom are you employed?¡±


    ¡°DeLeah Ventures, Limited, Lenon DeLeah, CEO, ¡°Lewis told him. They spent at least half an hour exchanging questions and answers, both sides limiting the output of information to a minimum.


    At length the Secretary ended the session saying. ¡°Enough of that, I want to tell you something.¡±


    Lewis sat forward and said. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I just came back from looking at a wreck about fifty miles north of here. We lost two ships on their way back from Dontil with food supplies; grain mostly, which we badly need. They crashed and sank on the rocks up there, are you familiar with that coastline?¡± Secretary Spealer asked, and then continued when Lewis shook his head. ¡°Anyway, we couldn¡¯t find any survivors or cargo. Without that food I¡¯m afraid there may be a famine. We don¡¯t have a large fleet, because Port Mist isn¡¯t that old. Also, the state farms aren¡¯t able to sustain the local population and the visitors that we need for the income they provide. If we ask the Defenders to help us get the food, they will most likely help. The Lord Mayor thinks this is a bad idea, he believes that it would be seen as a sign of weakness. Then the Defenders may revoke our charter.¡± The Secretary stopped to drink some water and then sat looking at Lewis.


    After a moment, Lewis asked. ¡°Why tell me all this? I can¡¯t produce the food. And DeLeah doesn¡¯t have a fleet either, yet.¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Spealer answered. ¡°We have two ships that were impounded because docking fees were not paid. You said DeLeah doesn¡¯t have a fleet yet, maybe we will be able to help each other out. I would be willing, since both the ships and the lost food come under the purview of this office, to make a deal with DeLeah. You are DeLeah¡¯s agent, so I assume you are able to sign contracts on their behalf.¡±


    He paused and looked at Lewis who inquired. ¡°Why did the ships sink?¡±


    ¡°We have investigators at the sight,¡± Spealer answered. ¡°So far there is no official word.¡±


    ¡°Speculate for me, will you,¡± Lewis prodded. ¡°Is everyone dead or just missing? Were the ships attacked? How long is the shore line there?¡±


    ¡°We found no bodies in the wreckage. The coast is rocky and the surf is very aggressive, shall we say?¡± Spealer said. ¡°The ships were torn apart on the rocks, so we don¡¯t expect to see much in the way of ships, bodies, or cargo. It¡¯s very hard to gather any evidence under those conditions.¡±


    ¡°Why not commission those two impounded ships and make the trip yourself,¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Because our transportation union has said that they won¡¯t approve the run until we can assure them that it¡¯s safe.¡± Secretary Spealer looked nervous and took another drink, then continued. ¡°I told them replacing the food is a matter of grave importance, and that another shipment needs to be brought from Dontil as soon as possible. And then they went to the labor secretary to complain that I was putting pressure on them to do something they were not comfortable with.¡±


    Lewis wondered if Spealer could lose his position, but didn¡¯t ask. Instead he told Spealer. ¡°I need to talk to my boss; maybe we could help you with your problem.¡±

 Nineteen

    Later, back at the hotel room he called the DeLeahs. Michael answered and Lewis provided him with a brief overview of the day¡¯s events. Michael fetched Dayen, and she explained that Lenon was out. She was willing to authorize the deal; she said that she would approve it with the condition that he locate enough crew members to make the trip before he signed on.


    Lewis went back to the dock to see Captain Inu, but since Inu was not there he had to talk to his lieutenant. He told Lieutenant Leaf that if they could locate enough crew members for two ships he would sign a deal that would ensure the ownership of the two ships after a round trip to Dontil. Leaf dispatched a couple of sailors to find the captain and Lewis departed to meet Councilor Koker at his residence.


    Along the way he met Gomez and Roquette hanging out near the entrance to the Grand Isle Hotel. Both were wearing dresses and saluted when he approached. He returned their salutes and chuckled. ¡°Are you doing surveillance?¡± He asked. ¡°Or just bored?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re blending, you said to get to know the town,¡± Gomez said, looking a little hurt.


    He smiled and said. ¡°Carry on.¡±


    At Koker¡¯s residence, he was met at the door by a young girl of around eight; Miss Kane was busy setting the table. The Councilor was sitting in the den, and invited Lewis to join him for a smoke and a drink. The smoke was not as rank as the tobacco that fingers and her group had provided on their first day at the beach head. After a while Mrs. Koker announced that dinner was ready. After a splendid meal and some small talk, Koker and Lewis retired once again to the den. Koker shut the door this time and looked serious.


    ¡°Thank you for coming, Lieutenant. We have trouble on several levels. I heard that you and Secretary Spealer met today, do you want to tell me about that meeting?¡±


    Lewis felt like he was about to be caught in the middle of something, but he couldn¡¯t see a graceful way out. He took a moment to collect his thoughts and said. ¡°Secretary Spealer told me about the shipwrecks; He told me Port Mist lost some grain.¡±


    ¡°Did he ask you to help in some way?¡± Koker want to know.


    ¡°Yes he did, do you have a problem with that?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Let me be clear, I have no quarrel with you or the company you represent,¡± Koker said, a little too quickly. ¡°I¡¯d just like to know what my counterpart in the cabinet is up to. Did he, for instance, offer you money for that help? And how much did he tell you about the larger situation?¡±


    ¡°It seems to me,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°That Secretary Spealer is genuinely interested in easing the stress caused by not receiving the grain. I¡¯m sure he also wants to cover his own backside. As for money, he didn¡¯t offer any.¡±


    ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t have access to much funding,¡± Councilor Koker opined. ¡°But since I¡¯m sure DeLeah shipping wants to make some profit, what did Spealer use as a bargaining chip?¡±


    ¡°He told me that there were two ships in port that were impounded,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°And DeLeah could own them if we made the run to Dontil and returned with the grain.¡±


    Koker drank his whiskey slowly and studied Lewis over the rim of the glass.


    When he didn¡¯t say anything for a while, Lewis asked. ¡°Does he have a right to do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose he does. However, I¡¯ve been fighting to return those ships back for their previous owners,¡± Koker said, sighing. ¡°Maybe we can work something out that would be beneficial to all parties. Listen, I fully appreciate the gravity of the grain situation. And you know the union people might have a point; we don¡¯t know what really happened to those ships.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a suggestion?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Councilor said quietly. ¡°Does DeLeah Ventures need to own every ship in its fleet?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°I heard Captain DeLeah say that he would buy them or hire them, either one.¡±


    ¡°OK then,¡± Koker said. ¡°Here¡¯s my proposition, DeLeah agrees to make the run, it takes the ships and crews them with their original personnel as much as possible. Then when the job is over, the ships go back under the control of their captains.¡±


    ¡°Why would Captain DeLeah agree to that?¡± Lewis asked, a little shocked. ¡°After all, we pay the fees, and crews and buy the grain. Then when we return, Port Mist isn¡¯t going to reimburse us for the grain or the shipping fees. If we don¡¯t get the ships, we just did the whole process for free.¡±


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    ¡°I see your point, but I¡¯d be willing to bet that Captain DeLeah would be able to secure a ten year contract, or whatever else he wanted out of these two captains,¡± Koker¡¯s voice was flat. ¡°I maintain that the reason Spealer impounded the ships for the tardy dock fees was because he knew the value of the cargo that those ships carried. The cargo will not be returned, so if these captains had their ships, they would have no capital to operate on.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me that the Port Mist government stole two ships, and their valuable cargo, and used a technicality to justify it?¡± Lewis asked, trying to keep the surprise off his face. ¡°I mean, that doesn¡¯t bode well for DeLeah setting up shop here.¡±


    ¡°You need to understand, not only did we sue for independence, we also borrowed money from the Defenders to pursue that independence. The Defenders used the Ladzoo model to determine our likelihood of success. Our founders maintained that since we had a viable commodity, namely entertainment, our success timeline would be much shorter. After all Ladzoo already developed a currency system, so all we had to do is adopt it as our official mode of payment. Trade is something that everybody has, we have a novelty, in the form of gaming, already established,¡± Koker stopped to ensure that Lewis was following, and then continued. ¡°In order to encourage population growth they promised to take better care of the citizens than Ladzoo. It worked very well and people poured in from just about anywhere. Meanwhile, Ladzoo still experienced a faster growth rate than Port Mist. Port Mist had its own scavenging teams and they found a large cache of silver, which they sold to Ladzoo for currency. They also tried to convince Ladzoo to loan Port Mist some extra money, to no avail. They did manage to secure a credit line from the submerged people in exchange for dock space suitable for their use; however, some work was required to meet our end of the bargain. That work hasn¡¯t been completed yet, and it¡¯s overdue, so now they are threatening to call in the debt if it isn¡¯t finished.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re at a critical juncture,¡± Lewis surmised. ¡°How good of a chance is there of you finishing that dock? Will Port Mist make good on its payments? If I understand it right the Defenders and the submerged people are the superpowers here, you don¡¯t want to irritate them.¡±


    ¡°Here, have another drink. I¡¯m probably breaking some rule here, discussing this with you.¡± Koker said, pouring from his crystal decanter. ¡°In eight days the dock will be done, and that will be thirty-nine days past when it was supposed to be completed. We are pretty sure that they will accept it, though it might cost Port Mist something in the long run. As for making the payments, our scavenging teams are pretty good and the entertainment business is booming if not too profitable. The same is true of the pit. We should be financially solvent for at least a year.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call the boss and discuss this with him; maybe we can reach an agreement,¡± Lewis said hopefully as he was leaving. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    When he returned to the team room an animated conversation stopped abruptly when he walked in. He raised an eyebrow at Roquette and she explained. ¡°We just met an interesting person while Gomez and I were on a side street off the inland highway. In an alley we noticed a sign that read ¡®apothecary and magic shop.¡¯ Gomez wanted to go in, so we did. The proprietor was dressed in long robes and a stocking cap. He was talking to a couple of those Hagen guys. We looked around and they left pretty quickly. He approached us and introduced himself as Eol, and he was complementary and charming. He right away asked if we worked for DeLeah Ventures and was there a woman named Amerus DeLeah? He thought she might be the one running the show. So we told him that Lenon DeLeah was the boss, but we really worked for you. He said that he had never heard of the DeLeah name other than here and a long time ago, and could we please check the name Amerus DeLeah against our data file for him.¡±


    ¡°I need to check in with Lenon and I¡¯ll ask him.¡± Lewis told her. ¡°In fact I should make that call now.¡±


    When he called he caught Lenon on the bridge.


    ¡°So,¡± Lenon¡¯s voice crackled. ¡°I hear that Port Mist has a proposition for us. I am a little confused so perhaps you had better explain it to me.¡±


    ¡°OK, but first can I ask you about something unrelated?¡± Lewis queried.


    A moment of silence ensued, followed by. ¡°Is anything truly unrelated? Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Well, the ladies met a shopkeeper who knew that they worked for DeLeah Ventures. Anyway, he asked about an Amerus DeLeah, is that of any interest?¡± Lewis said.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lenon sounded thoughtful. ¡°Yes, I would say that is highly interesting. Wait until I tell my sisters about this. I think you should meet him and tell him that we look forward to seeing who he is face to face. Dayen tells me there is something about some ships?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Lewis answered and went on to describe at some length his three meetings, one with Secretary Spealer, and the two with Councilor Koker.


    When he was done Lenon said. ¡°Try to find the two captains and have them call me. Regardless of your success at that, tell Secretary Spealer that he has a deal. And let Captain Inu know that if he needs to deliver those birds, he should. He can meet you at your next port if need be. That would be Dontil, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir, it would. Do we plan to carry cargo out of there, or should we push on to Mount Calo?¡± Lewis inquired.


    ¡°I would like to see Team Romeo stay with these new ships at least until they finish their run to Dontil and back to Port Mist,¡± Lenon told him. ¡°After Port Mist I want the ships to come here.¡±


    ¡°Got it, anything else?¡± Lewis answered.


    ¡°You know what to do. Keep me informed,¡± Lenon said, signing off.


    Lewis told the team that he was going to turn in for six hours. While he was laying down there were so many things going through his mind that he thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep.

 Twenty

    He was surprised when he opened his eyes and looked at his watch to see that eight hours had passed already.


    Telini and Blair sat in the kitchenette talking quietly. When Lewis walked in, they nodded and Blair pulled out a chair. He sat as Telini poured him a cup of what passed for coffee here.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Rollins and Derrik went to look around the docks,¡± Telini informed him. ¡°Roquette and Gomez went back to talk to the magic shop guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m headed over to see Councilor Koker and Captain Inu,¡± Lewis said. ¡°And then maybe Secretary Spealer, you two can accompany me. I might need to send you on some tasks as the day progresses.¡±


    Outside a fresh breeze spoke of cooler days ahead. After a block or so he spotted a man who was obviously very important and was flanked on each side by muscle. The man¡¯s large frame was covered by a well fitting business suit and he was wearing what appeared to be new custom made shoes. His body guards were wearing long coats and short brimmed hats, if they had weapons they were not visible. Lewis moved respectfully to the right side of the street. Instead of passing by, the man turned and faced him.


    The man in the suit said. ¡°Are you Lieutenant Lewis?¡±


    Lewis came to attention. ¡°Yes sir. And you are?¡±


    ¡°My name is Dennis Tankrauli. I came down here to see you,¡± Tankrauli said. ¡°We need to talk, how about at the caf¨¦?¡± He nodded toward an open door nearby.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lewis responded. ¡°But I¡¯m a little tight on time.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all?¡± Tankrauli said pleasantly. ¡°This won¡¯t take long.¡±


    The crowd in the caf¨¦ did its best to move out of their way as they squeezed in. As they stood inside for a few minutes, a large table became available. The people at the table stood up and started moving toward the door. Tankrauli smiled and nodded to the table. His men took their places flanking him; Lewis sat opposite with Blair on his left and Telini on the right.


    ¡°So,¡± Lewis asked. ¡°What can we do for you?¡±


    ¡°I hear that you, or your company, are looking for sailors,¡± Tankrauli said. ¡°And I wanted to make a recommendation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always happy to receive advice,¡± Lewis replied, wondering what this guy¡¯s angle was.


    ¡°Good man, OK. Are you planning on sailing to Dontil?¡± Tankrauli asked directly.


    ¡°May I ask what makes this a subject of interest to you,¡± Lewis countered. ¡°I mean why would such an obviously distinguished fellow such as yourself care about somebody who¡¯s just passing through?¡±


    ¡°Because my job is to take care of the workers of this city,¡± Tankrauli said flatly. ¡°And I hear that your Captain Inu has been recruiting sailors on the streets and hasn¡¯t come to our offices yet.¡±


    Lewis looked back across the table and hoped his irritation didn¡¯t show. ¡°And what office is that?¡±


    ¡°The Mist Bay Brotherhood of Workers, Port Mist office,¡± Tankrauli said. ¡°And we supply the labor force that keeps Port Mist, Haldon and the surrounding area running. And now we are providing for a whole bunch of widows because of a situation that could have been avoided. We¡¯ve tried to tell Secretary Spealer to wait a little while so that things cool down before making another run to Dontil. You seem more reasonable than Spealer, so I¡¯m asking you to consider two things, one, when you need workers to accomplish a task for the government come to the office. Two, it would be better to buy grain somewhere else, such as Fort Dilson maybe.¡±


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    ¡°Mister Tankrauli, are you telling me that those people died because of an avoidable situation that somebody knew existed?¡± Lewis asked. ¡°And if you knew something was up, then why did you let those workers go on that trip?¡±


    ¡°We did not know about the danger soon enough,¡± Tankrauli sighed. ¡°But we think that some of the secretaries were aware of the risk ahead of time. For some reason, either political or monetary, they allowed those ships to sail without warning anyone.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Port Mist need the grain regardless of the risk? I mean I thought the situation was dire.¡± Lewis said matter of factly. ¡°I agree that folks deserve to know the risk, but sometimes things just have to be done.¡±


    ¡°These people are civilians, Lieutenant!¡± Tankrauli banged his fist on the table. ¡°You can¡¯t expect them to go to war like soldiers marching off to their deaths.¡±


    ¡°Mister Tankrauli, unless you are able to inform us of a credible threat then I don¡¯t think this meeting is going to be productive for either of us,¡± Lewis pushed back his chair as he spoke.


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Tankrauli sounded more conciliatory. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was excited, but this is a deeply personal issue. If you walk away now DeLeah Shipping is going to have a hard time getting established in Port Mist, you need to hire some people through the office here, as a goodwill gesture if nothing else. Will you at least do that for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the boss, it¡¯s really not my call,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°Are you able to tell me why you think those secretaries sat on the information about the threat?¡±


    ¡°Because they pushed so hard to send our ships on fairly short notice and I don¡¯t know about you but I don¡¯t believe in coincidence,¡± Tankrauli replied.


    ¡°There are probably hundreds of other meetings taking place right now, that¡¯s a coincidence. If you think that they committed murder through their in action, why don¡¯t you call them on it in public,¡± Lewis concluded. ¡°Otherwise let¡¯s feed this city and its guests.¡±


    Tankrauli¡¯s face darkened a little, but he kept his temper in check. ¡°I hope we will be able to work together, as it would be good for everyone,¡± he sat back in his chair. ¡°Be careful out there, Lieutenant.¡±


    On the street, Blair shook his head. ¡°Wow, that guy sure wanted us to do things his way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what he is paid to do,¡± Telini said, and they argued about the virtues of Tankrauli¡¯s approach for a couple of blocks, while Lewis pondered the implications of what he had said. He decided to see Inu first. When he got to the ship Inu was talking to two men at the bottom of the gang plank.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you come aboard,¡± Inu was saying. ¡°And if I understand Port Mist¡¯s laws I can hire a sailor any way I want.¡±


    ¡°We''re not talking about a sailor,¡± one of the men said. ¡°We heard you were trying to raise entire ship crews.¡±


    When the three of them walked up to the group, the men fell silent. One turned to Lewis and the others.


    ¡°Here now, who are you?¡± He asked in a rough tone. ¡°This is none of your affair, so keep walking¡±


    Lewis kept walking, until he was within two feet of the man and matched his tone.


    ¡°Greetings, my name is Lieutenant Lewis,¡± he told the man. ¡°And I just came from talking to Mr. Tankrauli; everything is taken care of. Don¡¯t threaten Captain Inu again.¡±


    The man¡¯s face turned into an unreadable mask, and he turned to his companion and nodded down the street. Together they backed up four steps, turned and strode off.


    Captain Inu waited until they were down the street a ways, and then he told Lewis. ¡°Those buggers were really starting to irritate me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and it may get worse. When do you need the birds to be in Fort Dilson?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Yesterday would be about right; I¡¯ve lost a few of them already.¡± Inu replied. ¡°Why? What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m thinking you deliver your cargo, pick up merchandise and meet us in Dontil,¡± said Lewis. ¡°And before you say it, we¡¯ll be fine here. It¡¯s all logistics from here on out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± the captain asked. When Lewis nodded Inu gestured, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. The men on deck disappeared from the rail and in a few minutes were climbing the rigging and running around the deck.


    ¡°We need to get the rest of our stuff, permission to come aboard?¡± Lewis said, suddenly remembering the chest.

 Twenty one

    The rest of the day was filled up with meetings. Secretary Spealer transferred the ships over to DeLeah Shipping when Lewis signed a paper that promised they would bring the grain from Dontil. Councilor Koker put him in touch with Captain Churro, from Dontil, who had lost one Wind Rider. Churro had kept most of his crew together at Koker¡¯s behest, and stayed in close contact with Captain Waymer of the Deepwater Cutter. The two ships were a mess from the ransacking that occurred when they were seized by Port Mist authorities. Both captains agreed to Lewis¡¯s proposal that they refit the ships to haul grain from Dontil under the DeLeah flag. Then they would proceed to Ascore to confer with the DeLeahs. Lewis arranged for both the refits at a cost of five thousand kolas, which included a substantial incentive to get it done soon. Team Romeo settled in on Wind Rider and Gomez took Lewis to meet Eol, the magic shop guy.


    The shop was in a back alley in a part of town that was mostly ruins. Eol met them at the door and shook Lewis¡¯s hand.


    ¡°So, my curiosity overfloweth,¡± Eol said in a strange accent that sounded vaguely familiar to Lewis. ¡°Your two lovely sergeants were unable to sate it. Does the name Amerus DeLeah mean anything to you?¡±


    Lewis tried to think if he¡¯d ever heard it before, and then shook his head. ¡°No, but I discussed it with Lenon DeLeah when they told me about you. His reply was that he was very interested in meeting you face to face. We should be sending a couple of ships to Ascore in ten or twelve days if you¡¯re interested in traveling there to meet Mr. DeLeah.¡±


    ¡°Are you able to contact this Lenon?¡± Eol asked. ¡°And if so could I beg a boon? I would really like to speak with him. Stars above, this is exciting. Are you able to see the stars where you¡¯re from, Lieutenant?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I miss them a lot,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°I could arrange that call if you wish.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I would like that immensely,¡± Eol said, turning and taking a cape from a peg by the door and donning it with a flourish. ¡°Shall we then?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, I want to show Lieutenant Lewis something,¡± Gomez said, addressing Eol. ¡°Would that be OK with you Mister Eol?¡±


    ¡°Certainly my lady,¡± Eol replied with a bow. ¡°What may I fetch for you?¡±


    ¡°The pink stuff in the little bottle,¡± Gomez said.


    ¡°Coming right up,¡± Eol replied, striding into the back room through a bead curtain. He returned in a moment with a small, round flask with a long neck and a cork. Lewis guessed that it had about four ounces of pink liquid in it. Eol handed it to Lewis and stepped back. Lewis unstoppered it and passed it under his nose. The aroma was sweet, with a hint of herb he could not identify.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, as he corked the flask and handed it back to Eol.


    ¡°An elixir,¡± Eol said, with an amused look. ¡°It is good for what ails you, as long as what ails you is physical damage. You know, like from a fight or a fall. It won¡¯t help if you¡¯re poisoned or have a disease.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking we could buy a few,¡± Gomez said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it would hurt anything.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t assume that,¡± Lewis tried to look stern. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there and we don¡¯t have the equipment to analyze it,¡± he turned to Eol. ¡°No offense, but how do I know it¡¯s safe? And how much does it cost?¡±


    Gomez looked embarrassed, but Eol¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver


    ¡°You have no way to know about its safety other than to take my word on it, and if that seems ill-advised I¡¯m not hurt,¡± Eol replied with a tilt of the head. ¡°However if it does what I say it does, it¡¯s worth a lot more than my asking price. Five gold coins from Ladzoo.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s like two hundred fifty kolas per ounce,¡± Lewis stammered. ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°You give the whole flask to the injured person,¡± Eol said. ¡°It stops the damage from progressing and if it isn¡¯t too critical it will heal some, or all of the damage.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make that call. While I think about it,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Maybe Captain DeLeah will have something to say about it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Eol was already headed for the door, where he turned the open sign around to read closed. They walked to the Wind Rider and made their way to the passenger cabin. Most of the team was gathered there already, with the exception of Derrick. Rollins told Lewis that Derrick had gone to visit an old friend, and should be back within the hour. At Lewis¡¯ direction Telini called the DeLeahs and Dayen answered the radio.


    ¡°HQ here, go ahead¡±, she said. ¡°This is Dayen.¡±


    ¡°Romeo here,¡± Telini replied. ¡°I have a man here who wants to talk to you. His name is Mr. Eol¡±


    ¡°Please hold on¡± Dayen said quietly, and then the radio muted on her end. They held for three minutes. Then Dayen came back on, but she was speaking a language they didn¡¯t understand. Eol answered in kind. The conversation that ensued lasted half an hour, and included Eol, Lenon, and the twins. Then Michael spoke up and Eol switched to a language that was smooth and full of beautiful sounds and phrases. Micheal spoke the same language, as did one of the twins, Lewis assumed that it was Dayel.


    ¡°Romeo,¡± Lenon said suddenly. ¡°Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°Were here,¡± Telini replied.


    ¡°Romeo, give this man whatever assistance he requires, HQ out,¡± Lenon¡¯s voice sounded excited.


    ¡°Copy, Romeo out,¡± Lewis signed off for them, then turned to Eol. ¡°What are we doing, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Would you be able to meet me at my shop two hours after dark?¡± Eol asked.


    ¡°We can,¡± Lewis told him. Without another word Eol walked out.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on boss?¡± Blair asked, bursting with curiosity. ¡°And why were they all using code?¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t sound like code to me,¡± Telini said. ¡°It sounded like two distinct languages.¡±


    ¡°Did you recognize them?¡± Lewis inquired.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Telini answered. ¡°But the first sounded a little like old German, the second one reminded me of a fantasy language invented by an author named John Ruelle. Some people in college were really into writing and speaking it, but I thought it was silly.¡±


    That evening they went to the Grand Isle Hotel for dinner before going to see Eol. Eol¡¯s shop looked like part of the ruins on the outside with dark and broken windows. His sign lay shattered in the rubble pile, while the door hung on one hinge to the side of a black opening. Lewis drew his knife and eased up the steps while his team spread out to cover the flanks. When he reached the door he discovered a black blanket covered the opening. As he pushed it aside to look in he was greeted by bright light from the room within. He surged passed the curtain and his people came in behind him and through the windows. There were several Hagen men packing boxes, when they saw the team come in they grabbed anything at hand to defend themselves. Five more Hagen came in from the backroom, Lewis now counted ten of them all armed with everything from a fire poker to a sword.


    A voice boomed out in yet another language that Lewis could not identify and all the Hagen laid down their implements and backed away. Lewis sheathed his knife, motioning for the others to do likewise. Eol emerged from a side panel and explained that he was going to Ascore. He needed help moving all of his possessions out of town.


    They spent the rest of the night carrying boxes and bags to the hills east of the city, using very discreet paths through the ruins. When everything had been moved to a small cave, a hundred or more Hagen showed up with lizard drawn carts. Eol directed them as to what was to be loaded and what stayed behind. Then he wrapped a shimmering clock around Gomez¡¯s shoulders and told her to walk around the hill. She faded away as she left and was back in their midst before anybody noticed. Eol also gave six of the small vials with the pink liquid to Lewis. Then he thanked them and turned and walked off into the dark following the carts.


    Back on the Windrider they all went to sleep. When Lewis woke it was late morning. Captain Churro told him that they would be ready to leave in two days. The team ran on the beach until Rollins fell back to catch his breath. Gomez sprinted up to Lewis¡¯ position at the front and pointed out to him that Rollins was falling behind. He told Roquette to keep the team moving and he went to check on Rollins.


    ¡°Hey Mack, are you OK?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Rollins told him. Rollins was leaning forward, hands on knees, trying to catch his breath.

 Twenty two

    ¡°I guess I should have listened when they wanted to send me home.¡± Despair was in his voice as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m just going to slow you down, at worst I¡¯ll get somebody killed.¡±


    ¡°Buck up Rollins, just because you have a bad day is no reason to be morose,¡± Lewis said, helping him up. ¡°Hang in there until this journey is over and we¡¯re back here, then we can decide if maybe you should return to Ascore and open us an office there. Or just enjoy the beach if you want.¡±


    Lewis walked back to town with Rollins and they had a good meal at a dockside diner amid looks that were not entirely friendly. They went to Koker¡¯s office to check the status of the real estate they had requested earlier. The house was ready, but the warehouse was not.


    As they walked through the house with the restoration company¡¯s representative Lewis saw that it was spotless. The appliances were all functional and clean and the floors, which looked like vinyl tile, were all polished. The woman who was guiding them also gave them a pamphlet with places to buy furniture and other household items. Lewis accepted the paper work and keys.


    ¡°I have an idea, sir,¡± Rollins¡¯ voice echoed in the empty house, more startling because he wasn¡¯t often conversational. The representative had left already and Lewis was alone with Rollins in the three bedroom house.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lewis queried, walking into the bedroom where Rollins stood, hands behind his back, looking out of the window.


    ¡°I was thinking I could open an office here for you. We could offer security, bodyguard and investigative services, and employ some of the local people,¡± Rollins said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but is it what you really want to do?¡± Lewis replied.


    ¡°Well, yeah, if you want to start a company on Andar. I¡¯m a liability to the team, and I don¡¯t want to get anyone killed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see that as a major concern yet. But let¡¯s see what Gomez says. I¡¯m not opposed to the idea in principle,¡± Lewis said. ¡°First we need Lenon¡¯s permission to spend his money on this. And, we should open his office first. This house has room for two offices, but it¡¯s also supposed to be a crash pad for employees and visitors.¡±


    ¡°I have a few suggestions, Lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear them.¡±


    ¡°OK, first of all, do we work for DeLeah Ventures directly? Because it feels like we¡¯re subcontractors. Secondly, we need a name for our group along with bylaws, a mission statement, uniforms, insignias and so on.¡±


    ¡°Wow, It sounds like you have already put a lot of thought into it,¡± Lewis said, wondering how far this line of thinking could go. ¡°I think we¡¯re part of Lenon¡¯s crew, however I also believe he would understand and approve if we said we wanted to expand our scope. I¡¯m not talking about quitting the DeLeah¡¯s, just being able to take on other clients at the same time.¡±


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    ¡°So you need a base for recruiting and training. Also a headquarters, it would make more sense to have it be in Ascore,¡± Rollins gave him a look to see if he was out of line. ¡°Also we¡¯ll need supplies if we¡¯re going to have recruits. I have some ideas as far as the business end goes.¡±


    Lewis raised an eyebrow and said. ¡°Write me a proposal, and keep in mind we don¡¯t have customers, recruits, or resources yet, so let¡¯s take it slow. What I would like to see is, recruiting here, training in Ladzoo and head office in Ascore. All this depends on what the DeLeah¡¯s say, of course.¡±


    ¡°May I buy a desk and chair so I can work on that here?¡±


    ¡°Yes and why don¡¯t you go to that Brotherhood of Labor office and hire somebody for secretarial duties.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°This person will be an employee of DeLeah Ventures, and I will draw up a list of duties. When they are not busy, feel free to use them. And be economical when furnishing the house.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Lewis returned that evening to find the house bustling with movers, guided by a man his own height and as skinny as a stick figure. When the man saw him he excused himself and came over to meet him.


    ¡°My name is Locke,¡± he said very formally. ¡°You are Lieutenant Lewis, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Lewis informed him.


    ¡°Sergeant Rollins hired me to manage the office for DeLeah Ventures, Shipping Division. He informs me that the office will be located in this house until we are able to move to a more appropriate space, perhaps in an office building,¡± Locke spoke with no expression whatsoever. ¡°I have also been informed that I might be asked to help with your Romeo project.¡±


    ¡°Where is Sergeant Rollins?¡±


    ¡°Applying for a license for Romeo Company to conduct business here.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the family, here¡¯s a packet of instructions from the DeLeah¡¯s. As for Romeo Company, Rollins knows what to do and has the authority to do it. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± Lewis inquired.


    ¡°No Sir, I think I¡¯ve got it. Thank you, Sir¡± Locke said.


    Upon his return Captain Churro informed him that they would be ready to leave in the morning. Lewis explained to the team what Rollins was doing in town.


    Rollins and Locke came to see them off in the morning. Both ships flawlessly pulled away from the dock. On the way out of the harbor they saw the laborers working on the dock that was for the submarines that would someday come to Port Mist. By early afternoon they had left Mist Bay. The sea was high and dark. The wind would have blown them far away from the land if not for the skill of the sailors and their ship masters. In four days of battling the elements, they saw only one other ship. It was a Defender¡¯s long ship far off to the west. The first sign of Dontil was a massive smoke plume that blew northwest across the sea. As they drew closer they could see first a vast graveyard of industrial ships, then a great jumble of buildings, mostly demolished, tanks, domes, and smoke stacks. Smoke poured from some of the stacks, and it even billowed out from between buildings in a few places. It joined together on its way to the sea, roiling and striving without success to rise above the surface of the water. The harbor was a maze of floating walkways, bridges and derelict ships.

 Twenty three

    ¡°Most captains prefer to drop anchor a ways out and use their long boats or call for a ferry,¡± Churro told Lewis. ¡°There¡¯s room for ships to pass through the maze, but it¡¯s treacherous and not a friendly place. Not only that, but if the wind drops, so does the smoke.¡±


    ¡°Are there people in the maze?¡± Lewis asked him.


    ¡°Oh, indeed. In the bowels of those abandoned ships out there lives a society that is mostly self-sufficient and isolated,¡± Churro was leaning on the rail, staring into the maze. ¡°Some people there have never set foot on dry land. Do you have a preference, in or out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to have a closer look at the maze,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°Is there a time advantage to one way or the other?¡±


    ¡°Probably could save a day or two if we went through the maze to the docks,¡± Churro said, without moving his eyes away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check with Captain Waymer first.¡± Lewis said.


    Churro nodded and walked away, toward the starboard rail, mid ships. He signaled Waymer¡¯s ship and a sailor scrambled to get his captain. Churro and Waymer waved their arms in complex patterns and made hand signals.


    ¡°He says if he can follow us he doesn¡¯t have a fear. He also said his pilot is better than mine,¡± Churro snorted.


    An hour later, they were half way through the maze. Lewis could see people moving around on the rope bridges and catwalks, most of them staying at a respectful distance, some just standing and staring at the two passing ships. Suddenly Captain Churro leaned against the starboard rail and shouted to a man moving along a walkway with a group of others.


    ¡°Hoy, Lon! What¡¯s been happening here?¡±


    The whole group stopped as one, and one man stepped forward. ¡°Hoy, Dane! Something¡¯s always happening here. But nothing ever changes. And to the Wind Rider?¡±


    Lon and the others jogged to stay alongside the ship.


    ¡°I lost the Wind Rider, but like a magic thing she found me and all is well again. I want you to meet the man that helped her to find me, this is Lieutenant Lewis of the Romeo Company,¡± Churro said to Lon.


    ¡°Hoy, Lieutenant, are ye a merc?¡± Lon shouted.


    ¡°Hoy, Lon. You could say that.¡± Lewis answered.


    ¡°Are ye going to the city?¡± When Churro nodded, Lon continued. ¡°Can I come aboard?¡±


    Churro nodded again, and then turned to the nearest sailor. ¡°Trail a long line from here.¡± The sailor ran and fetched a rope, tied it to a rail, and dropped it overboard. Lon ran ahead about a hundred yards, the others turned and walked the other way. When the Wind Rider came abreast of his position he jumped over the rail and grabbed the rope as he went under. They pulled him up on the long line. Once he was aboard, Churro introduced him to Roquette and Telini. He stared at Roquette for a moment. But when she met his eyes and leaned forward a fraction of an inch, he shrugged and turned to Lewis.


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    ¡°Do you have a munitions supplier?¡±


    ¡°We do OK, but we¡¯re always looking for connections.¡±


    They talked about the maze, Dontil and the general state of the world. Lon told Lewis about a merc company that operated out of a city called Temple, on the eastside of the island. He invited them to come by and see him at the northwest corner of the maze. At one hundred yards out Lon said goodbye and leaned backwards until he fell over the rail and disappeared under the water. Telini looked a little concerned, but Captain Churro just shrugged it off.


    Both ships maneuvered into the docks and the dock crews tied them off and set up the gang planks. Up close Dontil looked worse than from afar. The afternoon light had a bruised twilight look to it, darkened by the smoke. Everything, even the people, had a dark grey hue, and the noise level caused them to speak a little louder.


    Twenty soldiers marched up to the docks as Lewis was disembarking. They split into two groups and stopped in front of both of the gang planks. Their leader extracted a paper from his pocket and read it in a loud voice.


    ¡°By order of the Governor of Dontil, one Lieutenant Colonel Skobin, any ship that would show up at these docks shall declare its name, purpose of visit, passengers and crew, cargo, including but not limited to that contained in the holds, excluding the personal effects of the passengers and crew. That ship shall pay a docking fee of one hundred credits, thirty-three kolas or fifteen grams of silver. Failure to pay docking fee will result in impoundment until a suitable arrangement is reached.¡± He took a breath and looked at Lewis, lowering his voice a little. ¡°Is this your ship?¡±


    ¡°No Sir, Major,¡± Lewis said, looking at the man¡¯s insignia. ¡°This ship belongs to Captain Churro, and is contracted to DeLeah Shipping out of Ascore. This ship¡¯s name is the Wind Rider and the other is the Deepwater Cutter and it belongs to Captain Waymer and is under similar contract. We are sailing without cargo and our mission is to obtain grain for Port Mist. I have three one hundred credit vouchers to pay the docking fees. The lists that you requested will be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± The major asked, taking two of the vouchers. ¡°You only have two ships. Where did you get these credit notes?¡±


    ¡°I am First Lieutenant Lewis, here representing DeLeah Shipping,¡± Lewis told him, and handed him the letter that Sir Trun had written.


    As the major read the letter, Lewis saw his brows furrow, then one eyebrow went up and he handed the letter back to Lewis.


    ¡°Please remain here for a moment.¡± He told Lewis. He turned and spoke quietly to his NCO, then strode off to the other group. In a few minutes he came back and stood before Lewis.


    ¡°It would be my honor to help you get what you need in Dontil. My name is Major Hardwin. If you choose to stay in the city, would you prefer base housing or civilian housing?¡± The major asked.


    The other soldiers were gathering into a formation farther back from the ships. Lewis looked at the ships and saw the crew members all standing by the rails and Team Romeo descending the gang plank. He turned to them and made a motion, right to left, fingers down and they fell into a line behind him as he turning back to face Major Hardwin.


    ¡°Thank you Major; we will take you up on your generous offer of temporary base housing while we conduct business in Dontil. Please allow me to present Team Romeo as it stands before you,¡± Lewis told Hardwin, and introduced each by rank and surname. The major shook each hand and remembered every name.

 Twenty four

    They dined that night in a cavernous mess hall, alive with voices and smoke. Lewis felt a new feeling in his gut and his nerve endings; it took some thinking to place it. He realized it was home sickness and he wished Gloria was here to share the evening like they had done in Stuttgart, before Mary was born, when she would join Team Romeo in the mess hall. ¡®God,¡¯ he berated himself, ¡®she thinks I¡¯m dead. For all practical purposes, I guess we all are, after all, isn¡¯t that the major complaint that one¡¯s survivors have; I¡¯ll never see them again.¡¯


    ¡°Sir?¡± Gomez inquired, her face quizzical and worried. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± He replied in English. ¡°This place reminded me of something,¡±


    ¡°Seoul?¡± She asked, frowning,


    ¡°Stuttgart.¡±


    ¡°You need beer¡± she said, also in English.


    ¡°Yeah, warm.¡±


    Major Hardwin had stopped in the middle of a story and looked curiously at them when the whole team, except Derrik, had cheered quietly.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Roquette addressed Hardwin. ¡°Is there a place around here where we can get a drink?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, there¡¯s an officer¡¯s club. I could get you in there as my guest and then there is a lounge at the hotel and a couple of pubs. There is also a bar at the edge of the Maze which is listed as not recommended.¡±


    They talked for a little while and decided on a pub. Major Hardwin assigned a soldier to be their liaison and to show them around town.


    ¡°This is Sergeant Stander,¡± the major said. ¡°Stander, this is Lieutenant Lewis and his team, they call themselves Romeo. You are to help the lieutenant in whatever way you can, and take them wherever they want to go. Keep in mind that I consider them VIPs and it¡¯s your job to keep them out of serious trouble,¡± he turned back to Lewis. ¡°Stander here is a local boy, so he knows the town better than most of the men here. Have fun, son, but do try to be safe.¡± Major Hardwin left, with Stander still standing stiffly at attention.


    Gomez smiled her most charming smile at the newcomer.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you come sit with us Sergeant?¡± she said in a low voice, patting the bench next to her. He didn¡¯t even flinch, just shifted his eyes to where Lewis sat.


    ¡°At ease,¡± Lewis said, looking up and nodding toward Gomez. ¡°Have a seat. We¡¯ll leave in a few minutes, as soon as we finish eating.¡± Stander looked uncomfortable as he went to sit by Gomez.


    When they walked out of the mess hall it was getting dark and a loud horn sounded a note that echoed off the buildings. They immediately looked at Stander, who pulled the cover off his head, held it in both hands and turned slightly to his left. Everyone up and down the street did the same, including the members of Team Romeo.


    Two blocks from the front gate they found their objective, a pub called ¡®the Forge and the Shield¡¯. A band played loudly, the strange tempos and melodies adding to Lewis¡¯ sense of being disconnected. They searched the dim interior until they found a table large enough for all of them. Lewis went to find the head with Stander following. He understood that the pressure was on the young Sergeant to keep him safe, but he didn¡¯t think a trip to the bathroom was much of a threat.


    Back at the table a round of drinks arrived at the same time as Lewis and Stander. The band picked up the pace and a few patrons got up to dance. Gomez and Blair sat on either side of Sergeant Stander and attempted to drag his whole life story out of him. Stander, for his part looked quite nervous in this environment. They had a few more drinks and presently a lone performer took the stage. A poet dressed in rough leather and a wide-brimmed hat, who said that he lived in the hills not too far from Dontil. His repertoire included everything from family love to political cynicism, with a little humor sprinkled throughout his poems.


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    After a while the returned and played a few more sets. When Lewis looked down the table, Telini and Roquette were sitting together and making notes on a piece of paper. They stopped now and then to listen to the music and then write more, talking in hushed tones.


    Lewis and Derrick talked about Derrick¡¯s past; apparently, he had been a pirate, a castaway, a defender and a caravan guard before he worked for Fingers. Now he was eighteen and felt like he had done it all. Lewis smiled, remembering when he felt that way a few years before.


    By midnight Lewis was having a hard time seeing the stage and figured he better go to the head while he could still find it. In the bathroom, he leaned against the sink for a moment before heading for a stall. He heard the restroom door open behind him and was turning to look when the stall door slammed open with a crash and hit him full in the face. At the same time he was yanked off his feet by the back of his coat. Something hit the overhead light and it flared and burned out. In the flash he saw the bottom of a boot coming down toward his face and tried to twist away. Darkness and the impact came at the same time, and then a flash of pain and stars. He had rolled over onto his hands and knees when a weight landed on his back, knocking him over again. He reached over his head and grabbed a wrist in both hands, he rolled back the other way and twisted as hard and fast as he could, causing a grunt of pain from his unseen opponent who was flailing with his free arm. Several lights swept the room, revealing his antagonist¡¯s face close to his own. He aimed a head butt at the others face, and connected hard, then grabbed the man by the ears and did it again. Hands dragged him up and he dislodged them with a twist, stumbling backwards into the wall, fists coming up in a defensive posture.


    ¡°Lieutenant!¡± Telini¡¯s voice cut through the jumble of noise. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±


    Lewis flipped his hands up, palms forward, trying to catch his breath and clear his head. Six defenders were bustling about the men¡¯s room, picking up Stander and Derrick and tying up the two strangers. Telini pushed his way through the crowded room and steadied Lewis. Lewis shook him off.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here just to get my butt kicked,¡± Lewis growled at him. ¡°Let me do my business.¡± Telini opened the stall door and held it for Lewis while he entered, then closed it. When he came out Telini and Blair were searching the bathroom with flashlights. ¡°Gheesh, boss,¡± Blair said, shinning the light in his face. ¡°You look like crap.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Shawn,¡± Lewis mumbled. ¡°Or I might take my frustrations out on you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Blair said, backing out of the door.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Derrick?¡± Lewis asked Telini.


    ¡°Off to see the doc, do you need a medic?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Two Defenders covered the door as they came out, falling in step until they got to their seats. A medic was wrapping Stander¡¯s wrist. Lewis went up to the medic.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with Derrik?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    ¡°We¡¯ve sent him to the base hospital to treat a stab wound,¡± the medic told him.


    ¡°How about you?¡± He asked Stander.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had worse.¡± Stander said.


    ¡°Want a drink?¡± Lewis asked the medic.


    ¡°No thank you, Sir¡± the medic replied.


    They had one more round while the man finished wrapping Stander¡¯s arm and gave him follow up instructions. The band finished up their set and the poet came back on stage as they paid their tab and left. Lewis was vaguely aware of the tension in the team. Stander led the way, rifle in hand. Telini and Blair walked on either side of him, lending a steadying hand from time to time. He worried about Derrik, and that started him thinking of team members he had lost in the past. One had been killed in action, two had been sent away by his commanding officer. They had been replaced by Mack Rollins, and now he wanted a desk job. Not that he was sore at Rollins, but the young soldiers probably would have adapted easier to this situation. He was in a foul mood by the time they arrived at their assigned base houses.

 Twenty five

    Sleep came quickly and was filled with visions of his wife Gloria. She was holding a baby boy in her arms, while little Mary clung to her pant leg. They all looked happy and he recognized the house where he grew up in the background. More scenes came after that, all happy and healthy. At some point Gloria looked up at him and smiled.


    When he woke up he had a headache and his right eye would not open. Sitting up caused a new pain, making him think he had broken his tail bone. He found a bathrobe in his room and went to take a shower. After that he found Gomez and Blair in the kitchen. They gave him breakfast and filled him in on what was going on. Telini and Stander had gone to see about grain shipments, while Roquette went to the hospital to check on Derrik. A hot drink helped to clear his head, but the food went down slowly. He was pondering his dreams as he chewed, when Gomez handed him a cold fizzy drink.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Lewis mouthed.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping this will help settle your stomach,¡± Gomez said, going back to the stove. ¡°Come on, drink it.¡± He drained the contents and set the glass down.


    ¡°You know,¡± said Lewis, punctuated by a burp. ¡°I had some strange dreams last night.¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Gomez sounded interested, wiping her hands and coming over to sit on the table. ¡°Do tell.¡± He described his dreams in as much detail as he could recall. Then he told her that while he felt like a reaper had chewed on his head and could barely sit down, and yet his nerves felt better than they had in a long time.


    ¡°It sounds to me like she¡¯s telling you she¡¯s doing OK,¡± Gomez told him, sounding very serious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see Major Hardwin,¡± Lewis suggested. ¡°Hopefully they have those guys in custody, how many were there?¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± Blair answered. ¡°That¡¯s all I saw.¡±


    At Hardwin¡¯s office, the secretary squinted at them through her thick lenses. It was obvious that they had interrupted her train of thought. At least six ledger books were spread around her desk, all open and facing toward her, and she had been jotting numbers in a notebook. ¡°May I help you?¡± She asked mechanically, setting down her pen like she had been defeated.


    ¡°Is Major Hardwin in?¡± Lewis queried.


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± She shot back.


    ¡°No, Private, I do not.¡± Lewis winked with his good eye. ¡°My name is Lieutenant Lewis and I just came by to say hello, but if he¡¯s too busy I¡¯ll leave him a message.¡±


    She stood up suddenly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sir,¡± she stammered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I¡¯ll go check,¡± she went to the door and stuck her head in. ¡°Excuse me Sir; Lieutenant Lewis is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Send him in,¡± Hardwin¡¯s voice said. Hardwin¡¯s office was spartan, with just a few metals and certificates on the wall. There were two chairs facing the desk, he gestured toward the chairs. Blair and Gomez sat, while Lewis stood between them. Hardwin puffed on a pipe and finished signing a paper, then set it aside. He looked up at Lewis his face devoid of expression.


    ¡°You look like crap, son,¡± he commented.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Blair whispered.


    ¡°Pardon me?¡± Hardwin inquired.


    ¡°Sorry Sir,¡± Blair said. ¡°Nothing Sir.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Hardwin turned back to Lewis. ¡°Did you have a prior problem with those men?¡±


    ¡°No Sir,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize either of them. But they either attacked the wrong guy or they were irritated about something I did. I¡¯ve been thinking about it, but I can¡¯t seem to come up with what that might be.¡±


    ¡°May I call in a man who we pay to think about these things?¡± The major asked.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Lewis agreed.


    ¡°Private Ellsworth,¡± Hardwin said loudly. ¡°Please call the investigator in. May I offer you a drink?¡± They all nodded, and he picked up some glasses from his desk and poured everyone a glass of pure water.


    ¡°Not easy to come by, clean water,¡± he said. ¡°Ah, here he is now. Meet Captain Weal. Captain, this is Lieutenant Lewis, Staff Sergeant Gomez and Sergeant Blair.¡±


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    Gomez and Blair rose and stood at attention; Weal nodded at them and shook Lewis¡¯ hand.


    ¡°Heard you had some trouble at the shield,¡± Weal said. ¡°Sorry about your face.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± Lewis chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just lucky I had friends watching my back.¡±


    ¡°At ease you two,¡± Hardwin said, nodding at the chairs. Gomez and Blair sat back down.


    Weal had each of them explain what happened and then he asked questions to clarify points. When he was finished, he told Lewis that he would get a copy of the summary report. Lewis asked if they knew who the guys were who attacked him.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been trying to catch one of them, Gavin Mortimer, for a long time he is implicated in several high level criminal schemes. We even have reason to believe he was involved in an attempted bombing at our headquarters in Fort Wutanna. He may have assassinated a major in Ladzoo¡¯s defense force a few years back,¡± Weal said. ¡°The other fellow whose name, we think, is David Sandlin, is your basic street tough. He does odd jobs, here and in the maze, anything from collecting debts to unplugging toilets. They both denied any wrong doing and claim not to know each other. This investigation could take a long time, but we need to establish a chain of events that led to the altercation in the head last night.¡±


    ¡°Are you able to speculate on a couple of things for me?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Weal answered. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Lewis thought about how to ask his question and then said. ¡°If that guy, Mortimer? Anyway if he¡¯s as good at what he does as you say, then why did he fail last night?¡±


    ¡°We will do a post action analysis later, and maybe he¡¯ll tell us at some point,¡± Weal opined. ¡°All we can do at this point is guess. However, maybe you showed up before he was ready. Also your back up arrived very shortly after you did, from the sound of it he might still have been able to pull it off. Then the other soldiers showed up and really messed up his plans.¡±


    ¡°Why was he miffed at me?¡± Lewis asked. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like it was a coincidence that he was there when I arrived.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to look into the missing grain shipments,¡± Weal told him. ¡°And it could be that there is a connection. If it was high jacked and stolen, that¡¯s one thing. However if the point of it was to keep it from getting to Port Mist, well let¡¯s just say DeLeah Shipping is messing that up.¡±


    ¡°So then,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Do you know who is responsible for sinking those ships?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, but we have some leads,¡± Weal said. ¡°Your little incident might put us closer to understanding what happened. Now if you don¡¯t mind I¡¯d like to ask you some questions.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°We have been advised to consider you as general staff to the DeLeahs and Ascore and treat you as a VIP.¡± Weal looked solemn. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good. Then your man in Port Mist applied for and received a business license for Romeo Company, specializing in Security Services and named you as the CEO. We don¡¯t treat mercenaries as VIPs very often, so what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We work for the DeLeahs, and we will still do. Staff Sergeant Rollins, my man in Port Mist as you called him, had some experience offering security services to a civilian population,¡± Lewis informed him. ¡°So we figured we would try that on the side. As for being general staff, I¡¯m not sure what the DeLeahs told Sir Trun. I¡¯m just a first lieutenant, not a general. So you tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°They must think highly of you, and Sir Trun had a good impression of them. That much is apparent from his letter. He is our observer of potential new independents,¡± Weal said. ¡°So we are bound by Sir Trun¡¯s letter to treat you as a visiting dignitary from the potential new independent, Ascore. Rest assured we will do everything in our power to find out why you were attacked while in our care. Furthermore, if I were you, I would think hard before making the DeLeah¡¯s, or Ascore signatories to any further move on your part toward becoming a military or paramilitary organization. Be careful not to commit your co-signers to a fight that they don¡¯t have the resources to engage in, for we are not bound to step into a conflict between two independents. You can, and I dare say, must defend yourself against violence or attacks, but do consider the consequences of putting any of our protectorates at serious risk. After the big war things were a mess, but it is getting better. What I mean is that all across the islands citizens are now more likely to live to become productive adults, and when they do it advances our cause. The last thing we need is a new destabilizing force.¡±


    ¡°Back home, we went all over the world doing things that plain old soldiers woulda messed up¡­¡± Blair said, trailing off as Gomez thrust her elbow into his ribs, Blair glared at Gomez and Weal ignored it.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± He asked Lewis.


    ¡°Our specialty is sneak and peek, not all out assault. Our training allowed us proficiency with all available weapon systems and diplomacy as well. We were sent to deal with guerilla activity in hot spots, or as bodyguards, security back-up for military installations, and advisers to lesser trained militaries.¡± Lewis answered. ¡°It¡¯s true that we are not fully educated or aware of the situation here. But I believe Team Romeo, or the Romeo Company, is uniquely qualified to integrate into this scenario. We are not here to cause problems for the Defenders; we want to be your allies. Let¡¯s be clear though, we are here, and we don¡¯t intent to disband or retire.¡±


    Weal just nodded, looking like he was deep in thought. Hardwin leaned forward, and fixed them with a serious look. Lewis thought he saw a hint of amusement.


    ¡°Answer me this, son,¡± Hardwin¡¯s voice was all business. ¡°What specifically, is your relationship with the DeLeah¡¯s. And does that differ from your relationship with Ascore?¡±


    ¡°The DeLeah¡¯s are our employers, but they are not a military organization. Therefore the terms of employment are quite a bit looser than we are used to normally. Ascore is probably too new to be considered an entity unto itself.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Hardwin said. ¡°Just out of curiosity, what are the wings for?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re qualified to jump out of flying vehicles,¡± Lewis informed him, enjoying the shock on the two officers¡¯ faces for the split second that it lasted.


    ¡°Captain Weal, have we gotten what we need out of these folks?¡± Hardwin asked.


    "Yes major,¡± Weal said. ¡°Thank you Lieutenant Lewis.¡±

 Twenty six

    After the meeting they went back to the harbor and met with the ship captains. They were doing well enough, though Churro was fretting about Telini not showing up yet. Waymer had a repair crew looking at a rudder problem for him. Lewis asked both captains to keep an armed guard on their gang planks and not let anyone aboard without a good reason that could be verified. Resupply was scheduled for the next day. Lewis also asked Churro how to find Lon¡¯s place.


    ¡°No, Lieutenant,¡± Churro replied. ¡°I really don¡¯t think it is wise for you to go the maze on foot and without an escort. Would you like me to try to find someone to escort you? We could stop by there on our way out, you know.¡±


    ¡°We will go after we¡¯re done here then,¡± Lewis agreed.


    On the way back to the base Gomez wanted to see Derrik and have him try the pink liquid that Eol had given them. Lewis agreed on the condition that Derrik was bad enough that the doctors didn¡¯t think they could save him. At the hospital they found Roquette in the waiting room. She told them that Derrik had finally stabilized enough that the medical staff could do surgery. They convinced her to leave her vigil and accompany them to the caf¨¦. They ate a hardy lunch of stew and bread. Roquette went back to the waiting room and the rest went to their houses so Lewis could call Ascore.


    When they reached the houses Telini and Stander were eating sandwiches and making notes on a ledger full of figures.


    ¡°Well, Lieutenant,¡± Telini looked glum. ¡°There¡¯s the stuff, but the company is complaining that the previous Port Mist trip had run up a tab and they want it paid.¡±


    A bowl of grain sat on the table, which looked like barley to Lewis. He popped a few in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Stander moved aside so he could look at the ledger. It included two ship loads for Port Mist and one for Ascore, as well as Port Mist¡¯s past due amount. The total was ten thousand five hundred.


    ¡°Credits or kolas?¡± Lewis asked Telini.


    ¡°Kolas.¡±


    ¡°Is there a lab that could analyze the grain for impurities?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Stander informed him. ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of it being used for civilian food supplies.¡±


    ¡°Run over to Hardwin¡¯s office and attempt to get a request form validated,¡± Lewis said firmly. ¡°And don¡¯t forget the sample.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Stander said, grabbing the bowl and dumping its contents into the sample bag. He hustled out, slamming the door behind him.


    ¡°You did say run, Sir,¡± Gomez laughed.


    ¡°I suppose I did,¡± Lewis couldn¡¯t help smiling, even though it made his face hurt. ¡°Sergeant Telini, see if you are able to reach the DeLeah¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Can do, Sir,¡± Telini fetched the radio and dialed in the proper frequency. He was able to establish a connection, but Lenon¡¯s voice crackled and faded. He went over and retrieved his little computer and turned it on, running a patch cord to the radio.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to boost the signal,¡± Telini mumbled, concentrating. ¡°Five hundred miles seems to be a little bit too much for this unit. Cool, I think it¡¯s gonna work. Gotcha!¡±


    Lenon¡¯s signal sounded distant, but clear. Telini attenuated the input and turned up the volume. Lenon came in loud and clear.


    ¡°You''re late, we were starting to wonder,¡± Lenon said. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°I had some trouble with an assassin,¡± Lewis said. ¡°We found the grain, and Sir Trun¡¯s letter worked like a charm. Port Mist left an outstanding balance with the grain supplier that they want paid, deal breaker?¡±


    ¡°Do not look at it as a deal breaker, but as leverage. How much is owed?¡±


    ¡°One thousand, five hundred.¡±


    ¡°And the grand total.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand, five hundred, kolas.¡±


    ¡°What is your current status as regards an assassin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alive, he¡¯s incarcerated, it was kind of a comedy of errors on both sides.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to hearing more about it later.¡±


    ¡°Captain Inu should be here in a couple of days.¡±


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    ¡°Good, buy that grain and deliver it. I will feel better when it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡±


    When Lenon signed off, Lewis turned to Telini.


    ¡°If that test is approved and comes back clean,¡± he told Telini. ¡°Go to the ship and get ninety three silver coins, and then use that to purchase the grain. I¡¯m going to walk around and get to know this city a little better.¡±


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll wait for Stander,¡± Telini said. ¡°Meanwhile I am going to dig a little deeper into what this computer will do.¡±


    Lewis took Gomez and Blair, and went to explore down town. About a third was ruins, with intact buildings dominating the skyline. Some of them disappeared into the constantly rolling smoke clouds that hung at around the ten story level. The streets were clear of rubble and shops were visible on the ground level floors of most buildings. Street vendors pushed carts or sat on blankets with wares arranged around them. It all looked surreal to Lewis, with a dull orange glow to the smoke above and all the people looking sooty and wearing dark and somber clothes and expressions. Soldiers patrolled in teams of six and two teams were conspicuously visible at any given time. The soldiers wore clear face shields and enhanced plastic armor, rifles carried at the ready at waist level.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be easy to invade this place,¡± Blair observed. ¡°Although I can¡¯t imagine why anyone would want to.¡±


    ¡°Think about it bra,¡± Gomez said in her island girl voice. ¡°They make new things here, that makes ¡®em a good target. Take it a little further, mon, maybe the island people don¡¯t like being subjugated, maybe they stage uprising. Colonel watsis-name would need lotsa muscle showing.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve got something there little lady,¡± Blair spoke with a slow drawl. ¡°Them damn injuns and their uprisings. Ya just never know. And don¡¯t call me your bra.¡±


    All three were laughing when Lewis noticed a small child standing ten feet away and looking at his face. He smiled at the little one and took a slow step forward. He was pretty sure it was a boy, probably Hagen, but everyone here looked like a chimney sweep so it was hard to tell. The child, who was maybe six, stood his ground.


    ¡°Mama says to say she can help, come on,¡± he said.


    They followed. At first Lewis thought nobody noticed, until he saw what looked like a general shifting in the crowd. About a third of the people in the street were moving with them. The soldiers apparently saw it. They were standing on the far curb watching them follow the little guy, who stayed well out of reach. The child stopped, after moving about two hundred yards, in front of an ancient Hagen woman. She sat on a blanket and had another wrapped around her. In front of her were jars, bags and small boxes, at her right shoulder stood a teenage girl with a pistol on her left hip, keeper strap undone and tucked neatly behind the piece. She wore soft body armor and one black stripe on her right cheek, her long hair was in two braids and she had a dead serious expression.


    ¡°Mama,¡± the little boy said solemnly, holding out his hand to indicate the old woman and then stumbling a little in his haste to stand behind the girl. Her left hand moved up her thigh a fraction of an inch and Lewis realized her eyes were locked on Blair.


    ¡°Stand down,¡± Lewis whispered.


    Blair, who was slightly behind him, must have done something right, because he saw some tension melt away from the girl¡¯s posture.


    ¡°Mama,¡± Lewis said respectfully to the old woman, with a bow. ¡°What can we do for you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mama said quietly. ¡°I can do for you.¡± Mama slid a primitive looking shotgun out of her blanket and laid it aside. She then reached down and picked up a small jar and handed it to Gomez.


    ¡°You could be a healer,¡± she said to Gomez. ¡°Come see me sometime. I live in Hillar. Put this on his face and this,¡± she reached into the folds of her blanket and produced two tiny syringes. ¡°Put one in his arm tonight and the other is for your wounded brother, tomorrow.¡±


    Mama picked up the shotgun and slid it back under her blanket.


    ¡°You can go now,¡± said the girl standing behind her.


    Lewis tossed a gold coin on her blanket, hoping it was enough, and then took a step back, turned and walked away.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandmother,¡± Gomez said as they left.


    Nobody talked as they made their way back to the base.


    Back at the house Telini and Stander were cooking, and it smelled good. Roquette set down the book she was reading and told them that Derrik¡¯s surgery had gone well and he was expected to be moving around in a few days.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with Blair? He looks, um, distracted.¡± She inquired, after he excused himself to take a shower.


    ¡°Well,¡± Gomez said, almost giggling. ¡°He almost got into a fast draw contest in the market. The lieutenant had to order him to stand down.¡±  Roquette looked annoyed. ¡°Why is that funny?¡±


    ¡°I guess you had to be there,¡± Gomez commented. ¡°May I Sir?¡± She produced the jar that Mama had given her.


    ¡°You think it will help?¡± Lewis asked. ¡°Somebody already tried to kill me here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Roquette asked suspiciously.


    Gomez ignored her. ¡°Mama doesn¡¯t have it in for you, now don¡¯t be a baby.¡±


    ¡°Staff Sergeant!¡± Roquette barked, and looked angry.


    ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am,¡± Gomez shrank back. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any malice, except maybe in Mama¡¯s bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant?¡± Roquette asked, softening a little. ¡°Do you think this is wise?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alice, I do,¡± Lewis suddenly felt tired.


    ¡°Fine, go ahead,¡± she said to Gomez.


    The salve had a faint aroma of herbs and was cool and soothing. His face began to feel better immediately, along with the relief he could feel vitality creeping in to replace fatigue.


    The evening meal was exceptional with stew, rice and potatoes or a local equivalent. After dinner Gomez produced the syringe.


    ¡°Time for your shot, Sir,¡± she said cheerfully, glancing at Roquette.


    Roquette nodded slightly, and then watched the whole procedure like a hawk. After a few minutes she was shining a flashlight in his good eye. Lewis could hear them talking, but he could not make out their words.

 Twenty seven

    When he woke up it was morning and he couldn¡¯t feel any aching. He went and looked in the bathroom mirror. His face still appeared damaged, but it looked like it had been heeling for a week. When he pressed on it his right cheekbone was still a little tender, and the eye opened and did not show a halo when he looked at the light. Blair was in the dining room alone.


    ¡°How long have I been out?¡± Lewis queried.


    Blair checked his watch. ¡°Eight and a half hours, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Heard anything about Derrick?¡±


    ¡°No, but the ladies went over to check on him,¡± Blair told him. ¡°Oh, by the way, Sir. Could I request a couple of days leave? I figure even if Captain Inu showed up right now, it would take at least two days to get ready.¡±


    ¡°Can you do that without getting into any trouble?¡± Lewis asked, a bit dubious.


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Blair said. ¡°I even went to Houston once by myself and I don¡¯t remember any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Lewis said. ¡°But only two days and if we have to bail you out of trouble, I will personally run you up the flagpole. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Blair said seriously, and went to the bathroom. In a few minutes he came out in civvies. Lewis noticed as he shut the door that he was wearing the big pistol from the chest. Lewis wondered if a prayer was in order, then decided to use the solitude to catch up on finances and his log book.


    It took him two hours to accomplish his tasks. Then he went to the hospital to see what was going on there. He found Roquette and Gomez in Derrik¡¯s room, talking to the doctor. He stood outside the door and listened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± the doctor was saying. ¡°I checked him about half an hour ago and his condition was improving as we expected. Now he appears to be in a coma, but all his vital signs look good. I¡¯m still confident that he will be ready in two days.¡±


    Lewis walked in and saluted the doctor, who returned the salute.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, since you¡¯re not part of our military.¡± He grumbled. ¡°I assume you are Lieutenant Lewis of Romeo Company, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Lewis replied.


    The doctor pulled a small light out of his pocket and shined it in Lewis¡¯ eyes. He then ran it over the rest of his face.


    Ignoring Lewis he turned to Roquette. ¡°What did you do to these men?¡±


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    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Staff Sergeant?!¡± He said, turning on Gomez.


    ¡°Well, Sir,¡± she lost a little color. ¡°I kinda gave them a shot.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know Sir.¡±


    ¡±Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°From an old medicine woman, Hagen, I believe.¡±


    ¡°We have stories of Hagen mysteriously saving soldiers,¡± the doctor said. ¡°I would love to be the one who unravels it, can you tell me who this individual is?¡±


    Gomez opened her mouth to speak but shut it at a look from Lewis.


    ¡°Sorry Sir,¡± Lewis said quietly. ¡°Classified, just another story.¡±


    ¡°How did the lieutenant react to the shot initially?¡± The doctor asked, giving no indication of having heard.


    Gomez looked at Lewis, who nodded. ¡°We had to carry him to his bed.¡±


    ¡°How long was he out?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, eight hours or so.¡±


    ¡°Fine, come back in nine hours,¡± He made a dismissive gesture.


    ¡°Boy, you guys really irritated Captain Gibbons,¡± Roquette said, when they got to the waiting room.


    ¡°I know,¡± Lewis said. ¡°He¡¯ll try to track down his story. Gomez, go tell Mama what¡¯s happened here and hurry.¡±


    Gomez wandered out of the glass doors of the lobby and sprinted out of sight. Lewis and Roquette followed her outside and strolled toward the downtown area. At the gate to the base they met Telini and Stander.


    ¡°OK,¡± Telini said. ¡°The grain deal is completed. I set it up for tomorrow; they will bring it dockside. Churro and Waymer will load it into the ships. However, they want to hold Inu¡¯s third until we need it, for up to six days.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Lewis said, then turning to Stander. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with us, go ahead, I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    He turned back to Telini. ¡°Come on Sergeant, walk with me,¡± They walked quietly for a moment. ¡°What did you discover about your little hot rod computer?¡±


    ¡°Oh man!¡± Telini exclaimed. ¡°It does things that we didn¡¯t even dare to dream about back home. Dude, I don¡¯t even have half the security codes. It can monitors the ship functions without a patch cord, course we¡¯re out of range here. But I was thinking communications on the Skipper are run by the master computer, so I¡¯m wondering whether I would be able to back door into it with our little radio as basically a patch cord.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say something like that,¡± Lewis smiled.¡± But don¡¯t do anything that will make the DeLeahs nervous, I don¡¯t want to add them to our list of enemies.¡±


    Telini noticed his smile and looked shocked. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re almost as pretty as ever.¡±


    ¡°I feel a lot better,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°Now, here¡¯s what I want you to do, see whether you can access the Defenders data base with your radio and/or computer.¡±


    ¡°Thanks boss. That sounds like fun, what are we looking for?¡± Telini wondered.


    ¡°Info on the Hagen, history, population figures, culture, battles, attitudes, anything you can find.¡±


    ¡°And you think they will have stuff like that on their computer here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. For all I know they might not even have a computer, or, if they are smart, you might not be able to access it. Find out, then go to the library and look there. You¡¯re going to be our Hagen expert.¡±


    ¡°Whee, I mean yes sir.¡±

 Twenty eight

    Lewis jogged until he caught up with the others. They turned when they heard him coming, then waited while he came abreast.


    ¡°What¡¯s the training period?¡± Roquette was asking Stander.


    ¡°About a year, not including specialties,¡± Stander told her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your specialty?¡± Roquette wanted to know.


    ¡°Logistics, ledgers, troop numbers, shift rotations.You know, desky stuff,¡± Stander said with a shrug. ¡°Pretty boring compared to what you do.¡±


    ¡°A military organization can¡¯t function without those things you mentioned,¡± Lewis commented. ¡°I think you have a very important job.¡±


    ¡°You guys do OK, don¡¯t you?¡± Stander said. ¡°As far as I can tell you don¡¯t have a logistics man, do you?¡±


    ¡°Were sort of based out of Ascore,¡± Lewis informed him. ¡°And we have an office in Port Mist; yes we have a guy who sits behind a desk. Most of the time I am able to reach out and touch almost everybody in my organization, but it won¡¯t stay that way forever.¡±


    Stander looked excited. ¡°That¡¯s great, Sir. Whenever I have time I would like to study military history, and it would be interesting to watch an organization grow from a few people to a force to be reckoned with.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Sergeant,¡± Lewis said. ¡°It¡¯s a little early to be assuming that you¡¯re looking at the new Defenders of Andar or something like that.¡±


    ¡°I understand Sir,¡± he looked a little more sober. ¡°But I know things about the Defenders that would make you feel less pessimistic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet they¡¯re all classified too,¡± Roquette chimed in.


    ¡°Mostly, but if I worked for you then it would be different, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Stander was beginning to look a bit confused.


    Lewis laid a hand on Roquette¡¯s shoulder and shook his head, and then he looked at Stander. The Sergeant¡¯s countenance was turning worried.


    ¡°Sergeant,¡± Lewis said in a conspiratorial tone. ¡±Have you ever had any gold?¡±


    ¡°No Sir,¡± Stander said quietly.


    ¡°I have a gold coin here,¡± he pulled one out of his pocket and rolled it between his fingers. ¡°How many of those secrets is this worth? It¡¯s about four and a half times as heavy as the ones Ladzoo makes.¡±


    Stander looked interested. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What you¡¯re asking me to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Is no different,¡± Roquette fairly growled. ¡°Than what you just suggested a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°I understand your point, put it away,¡± Stander said. ¡°It¡¯s just that I have advanced as far as I will ever be able to here. If I resign I wouldn¡¯t be able to replace the income, and my family needs it. Besides I meant what I said about watching you guys grow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so you can learn our secrets and use them to leverage a better life from the next sucker that comes along,¡± Roquette said. ¡°Come on, Lieutenant, can''t I hit him just once?¡±


    ¡°No, First Sergeant,¡± Lewis told her, and then turned to Stander. ¡°I have a better idea, what do the Defenders do with people who give away classified information?¡±


    ¡°Firing squad.¡± Panic was in his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; so far you haven¡¯t done that,¡± Lewis leaned over him. ¡°You still want to work for us?¡±


    Stander nodded carefully.


    ¡°All right, come see me in six months, not a day sooner or later, and we¡¯ll talk,¡± Lewis said. ¡°And if you ever leak any info about us, even somebody¡¯s shoe size, then you¡¯re dead meat. I don¡¯t care what it takes. Got it?¡±


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    ¡°Yes sir. I understand.¡± Stander replied, standing very straight. ¡°I will see you in six months, count on it.¡±


    In the market it was much quieter than it had been the day before. A few vendors still pushed their carts, but nobody was sitting on blankets, and only a few pedestrians hurried on their way. The two teams of soldiers still patrolled, as if they had not noticed anything was amiss. Roquette turned to the pushcart and looked at the food in the hot pans there.


    ¡°Smells good,¡± she commented.


    ¡°The meats OK,¡± Stander said, looking it over. ¡°The mushrooms are really good, but you don¡¯t want to eat too many.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Too much radiation,¡± Stander answered.


    They all got some meat and a mushroom to share, and then found a bench and watched the people. When one of the patrols passed, Stander stood up and stepped in front of them.


    ¡°Hoy, Corporeal Peringer,¡± he addressed the man at the head of the patrol.


    ¡°Hoy, Sergeant Stander,¡± answered Peringer, stopping the team with a raised hand.


    ¡°Business a tad slow today?¡±


    ¡°One of your guests showed up about twenty minutes before you,¡± Peringer told him. ¡°She spoke to a couple of the Hagen and they all left within five minutes. Most of the others must have thought it felt weird, ¡®cause they also vacated the area. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you,¡± Stander said with a smirk. ¡°Mostly because I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sergeant,¡± Peringer nodded, and raised his hand to start his team moving again.


    They found Gomez eating lunch with a Hagen warrior. She waved her spoon at them when they walked in. When they reached her table she stood and she introduced the man.


    ¡°This is War Chief Heeto Rune, Heeto meet my lieutenant, John Lewis.¡±


    Heeto stood, bowed his head and held his hands at waist level, palms up. Lewis saluted and they all sat down.


    ¡°What can the Hagen do for you, Lieutenant?¡± Heeto leaned across the table and smiled like a politician.


    ¡°The Hagen have done for me already,¡± Lewis smiled back. ¡°More than I would ever be able to pay back.¡±


    The War Chief leaned back in his chair and studied Lewis. ¡°Consider it paid in full. This soldier is not one of yours. That makes it not easy to talk freely.¡±


    ¡°He is not one of ours,¡± Lewis said. ¡°But I consider your secrets as my secrets, and I think¡­ no, I know he will keep them in confidence, as long as he knows what he should keep quiet about. Did I put that correctly, Sergeant Stander?¡±


    ¡°Yes Sir, Lieutenant, Sir,¡± Stander replied. ¡°I am fully aware of what you meant sir.¡±


    ¡°Staff Sergeant Gomez told me that you opened an office in Port Mist. I assume this is public knowledge,¡± he paused and raised his eyebrows. When Lewis nodded he continued. ¡°Mama and a few others were talking about you when your staff sergeant showed up. The decision was made then to cut our visit to Dontil short. However, if you will come see us in Hillar I believe we have a proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°Would you care to give me an outline?¡± Lewis queried.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not one of the elders,¡± Heeto said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my place to speak for them. Come to Hillar when you can, no hurry.¡±


    ¡°How will I find them?¡±


    ¡°Ask around.¡±


    Lewis nodded and Heeto stood up from the table and left, next to his bowl was one of Ladzoo¡¯s silver coins. Gomez picked it up and turned it over.


    ¡°Heeto told me they traded that coin you gave Mama for thirty six of these,¡± she tossed it back by the empty bowl. ¡°He also said that your coin was worth a year¡¯s wages for many of his people.¡±


    Lewis thought it sort of put things in perspective when you thought about it in that way. They left the caf¨¦ and headed for the base. At the gate he sent Roquette to check on the ships, Gomez to talk to Telini, and took Stander with him to see Hardwin.


    ¡°Hoy Lieutenant, the major is expecting you,¡± the secretary said cordially. ¡°Go on in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve received a complaint about you,¡± the major said, sitting back in his chair as they entered.


    ¡°I suspect you¡¯re about to get another, should we vacate our position on your base?¡± Lewis asked as he sat down.


    ¡°Not unless it becomes a whole lot uglier,¡± Hardwin answered. ¡°Now, would you mind explaining?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, not at all. I came here to ask who I should talk to about setting up an office for DeLeah shipping,¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°You know damn well that¡¯s not what I wanted to hear.¡± Hardwin said flatly.


    ¡°Yeah, well, that other thing was just a misunderstanding,¡±


    ¡°We all have secrets; just don¡¯t make us wring it out of you. For the office, tell my secretary what you need. I¡¯ll sign off. Ask her about that empty building down by the dock.¡±


    ¡°Thank you sir¡±


    The building Hardwin spoke of turned out to be a warehouse that was in very rough condition. Its owner was motivated to sell because of his finances and due to pressure by the defenders. It included an office space and a small residence. Stander knew some people who cleaned and repaired old buildings, so Lewis sent him to bring somebody to evaluate the building.


    By the time Lewis returned to the house, after having sent Stander home, the whole team was present including Derrick. Derrick leaned on a walking stick, but was in good spirits. They all had a drink and listened to Telini¡¯s presentation on the Hagen based on his research.

 Twenty nine

    ¡°The Hagen were here when the first ships arrived, not on every island, but on many of them. They were loosely organized in a tribal system with a tradition of inter-tribal marriage. They traveled between islands in long dug-out canoes, trading or warring. Conflicts between the tribes appeared to be more the result of crimes of passion, rather than an inter tribal feud. Large scale wars did break out, with casualties on both sides, and then they would pass. Trading would resume with little memory of what caused the problem.  These people lived on the beaches or in caves, building temporary shelters as conditions demanded. They had a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, living in small groups, and coming together occasionally for tribal gatherings.


    When the mining interests arrived they saw the Hagen as a readily available labor force. But that didn¡¯t work out so well at first. Fights broke out between the older and newer populations over things such as showing up late for work or who needed a beachside fishing spot. These were treated as crimes by the new comers though the Hagen didn¡¯t see what the big deal was.


    The two populations sort of drifted apart and left each other alone for a while.  Eventually some of the Hagen would work in the mines or the city. The Hagen (a few of them) were educated in the ways of law, modern machinery and other civilized subjects. As the first generation passed on some of the colonists even joined the Hagen in their more primitive lifestyle.


    When war broke out between the colonies the Hagen were angry about the death and destruction. Then after the conflagration they withdrew completely. Mother Nature was badly injured, but by no means dead. The Hagen would have done OK if it weren¡¯t for the mutants. Apparently nobody knows if they were the result of some freak mutation or a mad scientist, but they prospered and propagated. Around a hundred years after the missiles came, the Hagen met the mutants on the field of battle. The mutants owned the day, and every Hagen there would surely have perished if not for the defenders.


    For years after that the defenders and the Hagen worked side by side to defeat the common enemy. Much was forgiven, although they still keep lots of secrets from each other. Instead of instantly fighting, warriors and soldiers can now sit and have a drink. Then they share situational information and part ways.


    Apparently, there is an island called Gotfyr located about a thousand miles northwest of Farside. Gotfyr has always been considered to be a holy place, and it is left alone by miners and defenders alike. A few Hagen from the other islands have made the pilgrimage to Gotfyr, always returning changed after a few years absence.


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    Now, not counting Gotfyr, most of the Hagen population is concentrated here in Andar, followed by Atil, northwest of where we are now. Very few Hagen remain on the defender¡¯s island or Vakum. It seems that not much information is available concerning Calo.¡±


    ¡°Where did they come from?¡± Roquette asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any mammals here, except humans. Are they human?¡±


    ¡°There were tests done to determine that,¡± Telini answered. ¡°The results were positive on the second question, but as for the first question it¡¯s all debate and speculation.¡±


    ¡°They sure did show some flexibility in their organization,¡± Gomez offered. ¡°When I told Mama about Captain Gibbons and his questions, I¡¯ll bet they were out of town inside of fifteen minutes. I mean, they had people scattered all over, but when Mama decided to leave and they were gone too.¡±


    ¡°Derrik?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Yes sir?¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything to add?¡±


    ¡°Not really, sir. I mean I was young when I left home,¡± Derrick said. ¡°All I ever heard was that they were dirty and untrustworthy, you know, just savages.¡±


    ¡°Have you met any since then?¡± Roquette asked him.


    ¡°A few, here and there.¡±


    ¡°Did they do something savage or to prove themselves untrustworthy in some way?¡± Roquette leaned forward, looking intently at Derrik.


    Derrik looked very uncomfortable. ¡°Nothing that I can think of.¡±


    ¡°My parents fought long and hard to eliminate that kind of thinking. When you make blanket statements such as that about a whole race of people, I think it lowers the intelligence of the entire universe.¡±


    Derrick opened his mouth to say something, but Lewis cut him off.


    ¡°That may be a fascinating aspect, but it is not what we came here to discuss,¡± Lewis told them. ¡°What¡¯s their overall fighting ability?¡±


    ¡°Not much about that in the stuff I read,¡± Telini replied.


    ¡°Do you know anything about their cousins on the other side of the world?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Nothing there,¡± Telini answered.


    They talked for a while about what each of them had done that day and then they retired.

 Thirty

    In the morning, Stander knocked on the door and informed them that Captain Inu was making his way through the maze, so they all went down to meet him. At the dock Major Hardwin had his soldiers in formations to meet two ships. Inu and the other ship¡¯s captain came down their gangplanks to listen to Hardwin¡¯s speech. When Inu explained that they had traveled together from Fort Dillson, Lewis paid for both of them with credit vouchers. Once he was sure that they had both complied with regulations, Hardwin and his soldiers left.


    Inu introduced Captain Selena Huber to Lewis and the team. She explained that her father had purchased the ship for her from a retiring captain in Jaldob. Most of her current crew were on the Jortl when the ship changed hands. Captain Huber was blonde, as tall as Roquette, and thinner than Lewis had seen anywhere. Inu and Huber were hauling cargo for the Dontil base. Once the base personnel had offloaded their goods, Inu could load his holds with the grain. Huber planned on taking a load on to Awad and then proceeding to Jaldob.


    Lewis had Derrick move their gear from the Windrider to Inu¡¯s ship and then met with the captains on the Windrider. Inu called the meeting to order and introduced Huber to the others. She was treated like an honored guest by everyone. They created an agenda for the next few days and developed some long term plans. Churro, Waymer and Inu would proceed to Port Mist. The plan was then to deliver the grain from Inu and Churro¡¯s holds, and then send Waymer and Churro on to Ascore. Inu would deliver Team Romeo to Fort Dillson; from there the team could easily continue their journey. When Lewis asked about that, Inu told him that Captain DeLeah wanted him back in Ascore as soon as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably faster anyway,¡± Inu assured him. ¡°They have a train that travels to Farside, after that you can travel by boat to Landee. Sorry, I thought you knew.¡±


    ¡°No, I thought you were going to Landee,¡± Lewis said. ¡°But that sounds fine.¡±


    Captain Huber said that Inu had convinced her that she should at least meet the DeLeahs. When she was finished in Jaldob, she planned to continue on to Ascore to do just that.


    They sat and had a few drinks while Inu and Waymer, who had traveled the most, told stories of things they had seen along the way. Huber asked about Vakum, and Inu told them about long, sandy beaches and great farms that produced food for export. He said the people were proud and noble, despite their reputation for being bloodthirsty pirates. He told of a Captain Markup, who had boarded a defender longship and taken possession of her. Markup had hidden the ship in an alcove and disassembled the ship. He had parts made that were copies of the originals and used them to make new ships. It took five years to assemble his fleet, but in the end he was a formidable force. Markup preyed on merchants, fishermen, and warships alike. One day he was pursuing a trade ship that he thought was laden with gold, when he sailed his entire fleet into a defender trap in Awad harbor. That was the end of the great pirate, though it cost the defenders plenty. Awad also suffered a large fire in the battle. There are no pirates like him on the waters anymore, Inu pronounced, but that doesn¡¯t stop reputation and paranoia.


    ¡°But we still get accounts of pirate attacks,¡± Huber said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that the pirates necessarily came from Vakum, but they must come from somewhere. For instance, what about the missing grain?¡±


    ¡°The defenders don¡¯t think that was pirates,¡± Inu replied. ¡°Their councilors prevent them from talking about it until they know more, but people talk anyway. They seem to think it had something to do with those mercs over in Temple, what¡¯s that organization? The dark lanterns, I think.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± Huber persisted. ¡°But there have been others recently, like that ship that caught fire off the coast near Awad. It¡¯s said that there was only one survivor, a little girl who was found drifting in the water the next day. Do your defenders have a theory on that one?¡±


    ¡°No, not that I know of,¡± Inu sighed. ¡°It could have been pirates. I¡¯m not trying to say that there are no pirates, just that there are none out there like Markup. Anyway, my point is that Vakum gets a bad rap mostly because of one bad man who could have come from anywhere, really,¡±


    The talk continued for hours, like folks will do when they have nothing better to spend their time on. Lewis finally left in the middle of the afternoon. He made his way to the warehouse, and found Roquette, Gomez and Stander there with a few locals.  The afternoon gloom was beginning to thicken as Stander introduced Lewis to the locals, one was a cousin, two were old friends of his, and the fourth was a woman they picked up on the street who was looking for some work.  Everyone was cleaning together, so Lewis moved boxes and helped clear the floor. The work felt good and he pushed himself, the others followed his lead. In a few hours the main room was looking much better, so they moved on to the office. Lastly, they cleaned the little two bedroom apartment at the back of the building. Lewis gave them each a silver piece, and asked them to come back in the morning. All of them agreed to return.


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    Stander went home. When they made it to the house Lewis was surprised to hear music. It sounded like a single guitar. He¡¯d heard that many times growing up, except it would have been wildwood flower or something like that. But this was a rock song, he had to think for a little while, but he finally placed it, it was cat scratch fever. Everyone had stopped dead in their tracks, listening. He was just thinking how perfect it sounded when Roquette spoke up.


    ¡°That¡¯s Tony,¡± she said, striding to the door. ¡°He always misses that note.¡±


    The song ended abruptly as she turned the door handle. Telini and Blair scrambled to their feet as Lewis walked in. Telini was holding a dingy plastic box about a yard long and a foot wide with a neck and strings. It had several openings cut diagonally in rows on either side of the strings. Lewis thought they looked like gills. Blair just stood there with a black ring around his right eye, and a grin that faded to uncertainty.


    ¡°At ease,¡± Lewis said, heading into the kitchen, where he turned and saw Blair lower himself gingerly into his chair. When he came back, everyone was sitting.


    ¡°I suppose you have a story to tell,¡± Lewis said, as he joined them.


    ¡°Not really sir,¡± Blair answered a little too quickly. ¡°Thanks for the time off.¡±


    ¡°You have to do better than that,¡± Gomez laughed. ¡°You have a shiner and a guitar, are they related?¡±


    Blair looked trapped, with everyone obviously waiting for his answer. ¡°OK, there was this warrior guy. He said that if I could beat him in a fair fist fight, he¡¯d give me the guitar.¡±


    Lewis had to keep himself from sounding as angry as he felt. ¡°How did you fare?¡±


    Blair looked like he was warming up a little. ¡°He was a lot tougher than I¡¯d expected, and fast too. He didn¡¯t hit as hard as Tony, but he had some moves I never saw before. The guitar¡¯s mine though. Oh, hey, look what else I got.¡± He got up slowly and went into the bedroom, coming back with a primitive looking pistol in a holster. ¡°Looky here, it¡¯s a double action wheel gun,¡± he said, handing it to Lewis with a twinkle in his eye.


    Lewis slid it into his open hand and checked to see that the cylinder was empty before turning it over; he examined the black matte finish and the dark green grips, then held it out and pointed it at a blank wall. He put it back in its holster and handed it back to Blair.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of heavy, is it fast?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but the trigger pull is a bit heavy,¡± Blair answered. ¡°I think that slows it down a little, still it¡¯s faster than the service pistols that the defenders use. Heck, it¡¯s as fast as our rugers.¡±


    ¡°Let me see it,¡± Roquette requested, holding out her hand.


    ¡°Where did you get a Defender pistol,¡± Lewis wanted to know. ¡°And how much shooting did you do?¡±


    ¡°One of the warriors I met had one,¡± Blair said. ¡°He said he won it in a card game, and it looked brand new. We sure put a lot of rounds down range. Master Sergeant, what are you doing?¡±


    Roquette had the cylinder out and was unscrewing the grips. ¡°I¡¯m going to find out why the trigger pull is hard.¡±


    ¡±Where can I get one?¡± asked Gomez.


    ¡°There¡¯s a shop in the maze that makes them,¡± Blair informed her. ¡°And I understand that they make quite a few. These ones,¡± he nodded sadly at the one that Roquette had in pieces all over the table by then. ¡°Seven shot, eleven millimeter, and a smaller version.  That one you could hide in your hand, it¡¯s got a cylinder that holds five, six millimeter rounds.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if Captain Churro¡¯s cousin sells them,¡± put in Telini.


    ¡°We should find out tomorrow, am I right to assume that you arranged everything with the grain supplier?¡± Lewis asked, watching Roquette put on a pair of glasses that he didn¡¯t remember seeing before. She pulled the spring from the handle frame and peered at it intently.


    ¡°Yes sir, the plan is to load Captain Inu¡¯s ship in the morning,¡± Telini answered. ¡°That should be done by midday.¡±


    ¡°Good, in the morning let¡¯s clean this place up and present it for inspection,¡± Lewis said as he stood to go.

 Thirty one

    He slept well and dreamed about the woods behind his grandpa¡¯s shed. He watched as little Mary and a man walked by picking wildflowers. They looked very happy. He awoke refreshed, but a bit confused. After a shower he polished his boots and wiped his duster down, ready for the day.


    They ate breakfast in the mess hall, and added Stander to their procession when they left. Lewis sent them off in different directions, while he and Gomez went to bid Hardwin farewell. The major wrote a short account of their visit there to add to Lewis¡¯ file. He also told Lewis that Gavin Mortimer was being transferred to a penal institute in Landee, and if they wanted, he could try to secure berths for them on the ship that was taking him there.


    ¡°I would be very interested in that,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°But I¡¯m obligated to accompany this shipment of grain to Port Mist. If you believe Mortimer might be involved, then maybe I could convince you to send this ship as an escort. Then in Port Mist we could transfer to her for the rest of the trip to Landee.¡±


    ¡°That would be quite out of the way, so I¡¯ll have to attempt to get it approved,¡± Hardwin told him. ¡°I¡¯m inclined to think it¡¯s an acceptable arrangement, though.¡±


    The rest of the day was quite full with arranging paperwork and other details for the warehouse, which they left empty, and loading Inu¡¯s ship, which took much longer than they had planned on. Stander showed up in the afternoon to tell Lewis that Lieutenant colonel Skobin had approved the escort idea, but it would be a full day before the ship would be ready to leave. Lon also showed up to find out whether they were going to visit The Maze on their way out. Lewis sent Stander with the message that this time tomorrow they would meet the defender ship as it set sail and to tell the colonel thank you.


    After the grain was loaded, and the team was gathered, the three ships set sail bound for the Maze. Lon guided them around the mass of dead ships to the far northwest corner, where the boom of a small warship was buried in the portside of a huge containership. Both were sunk to the bottom, the deck of the destroyer barely above the water. Lon directed them to tie off to its side rail. All four ships fit side by side, and the crew placed planks from there to each ship.


    The captains left their seconds in command while Lon took the captains and Team Romeo on a tour. The warship had some manufacturing shops, one that made machine parts, and a couple that they didn¡¯t visit. Next, they went on board the container ship, its deck was like a bazar, with booths and tables. Lewis thought it looked like there were more vendors than customers. The containers were stacked five high with balconies at each level above the deck. One section was being used as rooms like a big motel. Lon set them up with twenty rooms.  Some containers were residential set-ups; Lewis saw children leaning over the rails watching them go by. Shops were dotted here and there on the lowest level. A couple of them looked like bars or restaurants.


    As it began to get dark, huge flood lights came on at each end of the container rows. Team Romeo wandered among the shops while the captains headed back to their ships. They stopped at a bar for a few drinks before turning in.


    Most people that they met in the Maze dressed in old civilian work clothes from before the war. Lots of coveralls made of synthetic cloth as opposed to the leather and natural fibers that the dry landers wore. A young man in a business suit therefore, stood out in sharp contrast to everyone else. Framed in the light streaming in through the open door, he hesitated for a moment, either for dramatic effect or to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim interior of the bar. Lewis heard some snickering at adjacent tables, as the youth made his way directly to the table where the team sat.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Mr. Lewis,¡± He said very politely, hands clasped behind his back.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Lewis said. ¡°You have come to the right place. My name is Lewis, what can I do for you?¡±


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    ¡°Well sir,¡± he answered slowly, obviously considering each word. ¡°My name is Rory Balesworth, and my ancestor, Danis Balesworth was the CEO of an oil producing company. I have spent my whole life studying math and old business practices from some books that my father found in the ship that we live on. I can read and write and do spreadsheets. I was hoping to go to work for DeLeah shipping in the office to acquire some experience in a real business.¡±


    ¡°Hey, slow down kid,¡± Lewis laughed. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt your feelings. Look, we might have a position for you. First you have to convince me, then you¡¯ve need to sell yourself to Captain Inu, and finally you¡¯ll be able to talk to Captain DeLeah in Ascore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Rory said with enthusiasm. ¡°What do you need to know in order to make a decision? And if I pass your criteria, are you prepared to make it tonight?¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± Lewis told him, as he stood up. ¡°You guys should turn in soon, I¡¯m going to interview Mr. Balesworth.¡±


    Lewis strode off toward the ships, with Rory running to keep up. When he noticed Rory¡¯s predicament, he slowed a bit.


    ¡°Sorry, we move kind of fast,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°Tell me about your father.¡±


    Rory told Lewis about his father being a scavenger and a laborer, unable to read. What his father did do was bring many books home and place Rory with a teacher who taught him to read, thus opening up a whole new world. Rory was self-taught after that, studying mostly math and business from old books in the bridge of an old trading ship. His father had been a constant source of encouragement, not wanting his son to also be a laborer. Rory concluded by saying that his father had died about a year earlier in an industrial accident.


    ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± Lewis said quietly. ¡°What about your mother?¡±


    ¡°Mostly she drinks a lot since Dad died,¡± Rory said sadly. ¡°But the neighbors take care of us, since she has a very little girl and a son who¡¯s an idiot. She has joined everybody else in telling me that I should get rid of all those books and borrow a shovel so I can take a job planting trees. But those guys hardly ever sell any trees and they¡¯ll go broke eventually. I tried to talk them into letting me sell the trees last week, but they just wanted me to dig holes. Then I heard about you guys and I started asking a lot of questions. Mr. Lon told me that you were going to come here, so I went to Dontil and started checking up on you there. I know, for instance, that you bought a building to do business out of in the future. I also heard that DeLeah shipping is busy in Port Mist.¡±


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Lewis commented. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should stay here and help take care of your mother and sister?¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that I can do them more good if I could go somewhere and make money,¡± Rory answered. ¡°I don¡¯t see how staying here and using a shovel, which I have done by the way, furthers my career.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± Lewis sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll make you only one guarantee, if this doesn¡¯t work out; I¡¯ll see that you get back home.¡±


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Rory¡¯s eyes were twinkling in the cargo lights. ¡°If Ascore doesn¡¯t come through, I¡¯m going to Ladzoo. If Ladzoo won¡¯t have me, I¡¯ll make my way to Wutanna.  It¡¯s all I¡¯ve got; it has to work, even if I have to submerge myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got spunk, kid,¡± Lewis laughed for the second time that day. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us, the Romeo company.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were team Romeo,¡± Rory said carefully.


    ¡°Your research is incomplete,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°Team Romeo is my operating team. One of my men stayed behind in Port Mist to set the ground work for a larger organization, The Romeo Company. It¡¯ll take some time but we will need people with skills such as yours.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you soldiers or mercenaries?¡± Rory asked. ¡°I¡¯m really not interested in being a military man,¡±


    ¡°Staff Sergeant Rollins would probably want you to have some rudimentary training,¡± Lewis said. ¡°But if you make it clear that you are there to do paper work, I¡¯m sure he will go easy on you.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect sir,¡± Rory stammered. ¡°That would be my third choice, behind DeLeah Shipping and Ladzoo.¡±


    ¡°No problem Rory,¡± Lewis patted him on the back. ¡°Keep us in mind, oh, and if you should make it to Ladzoo look up a lady named Fingers Jones and tell her that I sent you. I bet she would find a place for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant.¡±


    Captain Inu was willing to have Rory travel with them to Ascore to meet the DeLeahs.

 Thirty two

    Back at his room in the Maze Lewis lay down and had a decent night¡¯s sleep. In the morning, they gathered for breakfast at the restaurant down the row. Lon met them there and after eating they went to the destroyer to look at the weapon shop. When they arrived they found two guards at the door, who looked them up and down. Lon vouched for them and they went right in. Inside were glass cases full of weapons of all types. The team hustled among the cases like a bunch of kids in a toy store, calling each other to look at this or that. Lewis and Lon walked up and down discussing the logistics of supplying Romeo Company as it grew. Lon explained that while they would sell to individuals, large clients were their specialty. Rifles and pistols were manufactured here. He showed Lewis a pistol that looked exactly like the revolver that Blair now wore instead of his old service piece. Lon also produced a rifle that used the same cartridge; it was a chunky little lever action with a fairly short barrel. They had a smaller, lighter version of the pair, which Lon said was good for training, youngsters, or hunting for the pot. Over and under derringers were presented in both calibers.


    The other thing they produced there was ammunition for the guns they made. It came in several varieties, including jacketed slugs, accelerators, armor piercing, and explosive. The powder that drove these rounds was also available in different types. The gun powder made there was somewhat smoky, and corrosive, while the stuff made by the chemists in Wutanna was clean, hot and non-corrosive.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny¡± Lon said. ¡°We¡¯ve got people working on our formula and it¡¯s getting better, but the barrels last twice as long when using the defender formula. Also, we are not able to get our muzzle velocity past two-thirds of what theirs produce. But money talks and most people buy our smoke.¡±


    They spent a little time on the range together trying out the products. Lon watched closely and noticed that Blair was out-shooting everyone else with the pistol that Roquette had modified. He took Blair aside and soon Roquette was part of the discussion.


    In the end, Lewis purchased one case of twenty large pistols, one case of twenty four small pistols, two crates of large rifles, ten in each crate. He also bought two crates of small rifles, twelve to a crate. He would need ammunition for the guns, so he ordered five thousand rounds of each type, Maze blend, and five hundred rounds each Wutanna blend. Lewis left some brass that Team Romeo had brought from home, so Lon could try to duplicate it. Purchase agreements were drawn up and were contingent upon Romeo¡¯s growth rate. Lon presented each of them with an eleven millimeter derringer as a memento of their visit


    The three ships met their escort five miles south of Dontil. The commander of the warship stood by his rail and waved his arms in the elaborate signaling code that Lewis had witnessed in about the same location on the way in.


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    ¡°Are you paying attention?¡± he asked Telini.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± was the only reply.


    After a while Captain Inu told Lewis. ¡°He says to tell you hoy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lewis answered, then stood straight and saluted the warship commander. The commander stopped signaling and returned his salute, text-book perfect. After that he continued the conversation he was having with Inu. When they were done, Inu sent a sailor with messages for the other ships. Over the next half hour Lewis watched the formation take shape, with Inu¡¯s ship in the lead. The other two merchants were in single file behind Inu. The warship slowed and swung around to the starboard side. She settled in five hundred yards off the flank of the last ship, the Windrider.


    Lewis spent most of the next day going over his books with Roquette. They found that financially they were doing alright. When he talked to Lenon that evening, Lenon told him to consider the arms as seed items for Romeo Company. Lenon thought that leaving from Port Mist was fine, but Lewis needed to give Captain Inu seventy thousand kolas to take care of business in Fort Dillson.


    On the third day of the voyage, they spotted three ships a couple of miles seaward on a parallel bearing. As evening approached they drew in closer. By dark they were less than a mile off the starboard side of the convoy. The merchant ships decreased their distance in relation to each other, and the warship also closed her gap to a hundred yards.


    The night was passed in a high state of tension. Everyone was either making preparations or standing at the rails, straining their eyes against the darkness. The lookout said he thought he saw something, and everybody got excited. Lewis hurried to the starboard rail to see what Inu¡¯s lookout was pointing at. A great flipper broke the surface, followed by a body nearly the length of one of the merchant ships. Lewis saw a great eye looking back at him before it moved back toward the next ship in the line. It drifted lazily along the line of ships until it was even with the Windrider and then it turned away, in the direction of the warship. As dawn broke the ships became visible a quarter mile away. They were warships similar to the defenders¡¯ ships, though a little smaller. They tacked along on a parallel course to the convoy. As the light rose to full day the lead ship slid out of formation toward the convoy and slowed slightly, while the others kept pace with the merchants.


    Lewis put his team on high alert, ready for whatever might come next. They moved crates to the rail to provide some cover in case of small arms fire. Each member had their regular weapons, as well as two of the large rifles from the Maze. Blair and the first mate passed a rifle to each of the crew, who had formed a line in a discrete part of the deck. Lewis stood with Inu on the starboard side of the raised rear deck. Inu was watching through a small telescope, while Lewis used his field glasses.

 Thirty three

    When the lead ship was even with the defenders¡¯ ship it kept pace and a man came on deck and signaled with his arms.


    ¡°So far it¡¯s just a greeting,¡± Inu told Lewis as the man continued signaling, pausing to get a reply from somebody that they could not see on the larger ship. ¡°Hold on, something about a prisoner, they want to propose a trade. I didn¡¯t catch that¡­ OK they say the odds are three to one. Damn, I believe he¡¯s threatening the warship.¡±


    Lewis took out his pocket size spiral notebook and looked for a blank sheet, making a mental note to find something to replace it with. He fumbled in another pocket and found a pencil.


    ¡°We might be able to even those odds a little,¡± Lewis suggested.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Inu asked, still staring at the signalman.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that it is not in our interest to allow those three ships to attack our escort while we stand by and hope for the best.¡± Lewis replied. ¡°If she should lose the fight we¡¯d be next.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting I pit my ship against those?¡± Inu was staring incredulously at him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re on a merchant ship.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true but think about it. These are probably the same guys who killed those other two ships,¡± Lewis said quietly. ¡°That means that we are really the quarry, and the warship is the only obstacle in their way. If we can do anything to take some heat off her, we, and I mean all three of our crews, may live longer.¡±


    ¡°All right, show me,¡± Inu indicated his paper.


    ¡°OK, put Deepwater Cutter abreast with and on the portside of the warship,¡± Lewis explained. ¡°And we drop back so we¡¯re right off her bow.¡±


    He drew the formation on his notebook and was intending to say more when Telini came up and stood at attention, indicating that he had something to say. Lewis turned to him and nodded. Telini handed him his hand held radio. ¡°It¡¯s for you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Lewis here.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Lewis, this is Lieutenant Commander Morris,¡± the voice on the other side said. ¡°Sierra papa bravo, two thirty five.¡±


    ¡°What can I do for you, Commander?¡± Lewis asked, and then added, for Inu¡¯s benefit. ¡°Submerged people¡¯s boat, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct, we were looking at some wreckage here and noticed that you seemed to be having a party up there. Do you have foodstuffs for Port Mist?¡±


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    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    ¡°Are you OK?¡±


    ¡°So far, may be more for you to look at later today.¡±


    ¡°We are not an attack, but we do have some tricks. Do you need assistance?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but the potential problem concerns the three ships most west.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, we will track the three most west and keep this frequency open. Two thirty five out.¡±


    ¡°Romeo out.¡±


    As Morris signed off, Inu tapped Lewis on the shoulder and pointed at the signal man, who was now lying on the deck as a couple of men rushed over and knelt beside him. The men stood with him between them and hustled him off the deck. The ship looked like it was drifting starboard.


    ¡°Now, Captain,¡± Lewis said firmly.


    Inu folded his telescope and signaled Deepwater Cutter, waving his arms and pointing. Lewis could see Captain Waymer wave back and turn to his men. Small arms fire could be heard sporadically. Inu started to shout orders at his men. Lewis turned to Telini.


    ¡°Get down there and tell the team to make their first few shots count. If you can find a good target, take it.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Telini bounded down the ladder in two steps and hit the deck running in a crouch.


    Lewis turned back to see what was going on. The ship that was now foremost of the three had turned to the port in an arc that would bring it into Inu¡¯s starboard side. Inu was shouting at his crew as they tried to bring the sail about. The big warship was crowding into its two neighbors and the shots came faster. The third enemy ship surged ahead while moving seaward to avoid a possible collision. Waymer had veered hard to port moving toward his assigned place on Churro¡¯s left.


    Inu¡¯s ship dropped back as the number two ship missed in its attempt to impale them, passing broadside to the front. As it came close, Team Romeo, and the sailors that weren¡¯t busy, opened fire. Several of the marines, who looked like they were waiting to board Inu¡¯s ship, fell to the deck. The remainder of the marines returned fire, causing Lewis¡¯ team to duck behind their crates. Lewis raked their deck with his AK 47, and dropped a couple more. Roquette stood and threw a grenade, which exploded against the side of the ship. Blair crept up the stairs and set up a mortar.


    Lewis saw that the number three ship was making a big loop, which would bring it up behind Waymer. Meanwhile, the number one ship was slugging it out with the defenders. Each had brought out a big gun on a carriage, and were busy blowing holes in each other¡¯s sides. Lewis heard a whoomp! behind him, and saw a mortar round explode twenty feet short of the ship that was fighting the defenders.


    ¡°A little short!¡± he hollered at Blair.


    The next shell hit the rail and men flew about, then the sailors on the defender¡¯s ship threw grappling hooks and started hauling the two ships together.


    Sailors on Churro¡¯s and Waymer¡¯s ships fired at the one that was closing fast from their rear.


    Lewis heard yelling and smelled smoke, when he turned he saw a man in full body armor with a flame thrower shooting flames onto Inu¡¯s deck. Lewis grabbed the new rifle and took careful aim at the man¡¯s left ankle. He didn¡¯t hold out too much hope of hitting with both decks moving erratically, but the man dropped his flame thrower and staggered against the rail. The man drew a pistol from its thigh holster and fired at Lewis who had dropped to the deck and shot the rifle from a prone position.

 Thirty four

    Inu¡¯s sailors were trying to extinguish the fire that was now burning vigorously at the bow of the ship, while the team members covered them. Roquette threw another grenade, which bounced on the deck and down an open hatch. Lewis was sighting his rifle at his opponent when Gomez popped up with one of the new pistols and put five out of six shots into the side of the man¡¯s helmet. He fell over like a statue would, arm still extended. Lewis shifted his sights to another marine and squeezed the trigger. When he stood back up he saw that the defender ship and ship number one were tied rail to hull, the defender being eight more feet off the water, and the battle was hand to hand combat on both decks. Number three had come along side Deepwater Cutter, and Waymer was standing on deck with his hands in the air, while his crew was scrambling onto Windrider. Lewis jumped down and ran to Telini, who handed him the radio.


    Lewis nearly shouted into the radio before remembering how good its reception had been. ¡°Two thirty five, do you copy?¡±


    The reply came quick and clear. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Two thirty five, this is Romeo. Request assistance with one most west. Repeat, one most west is spoiling the party.¡±


    ¡°Copy, Romeo. Two thirty five out.¡±


    Smoke was billowing out of the open hatch on the deck of number two, and most of her remaining marines and crew seemed more concerned with that than engaging Lewis¡¯ team. Then he noticed a big door open in the aft cabin and a gun barrel appeared with at least a two inch bore. ¡°One o¡¯clock!¡± Lewis shouted in English. As one they turned their heads and looked at the new menace.


    ¡°When that gun comes out, keep it unmanned!¡± he ordered them, running back up the stairs. He found Inu lying on the upper deck, and skidded to a stop. Lewis crouched by the captain, who seemed alert, but not moving. A blood stain was growing on his shirt and his breathing was labored. He reached up and clutched at Lewis¡¯ collar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them kill my ship, Lieutenant,¡± he whispered, and coughed a little.


    ¡°We got ya covered, Captain.¡± Lewis said quietly, and then turned and shouted. ¡°Gomez!¡±


    He lay prone and looked over the sights of his AK at the big gun, which by then was just clearing the door. Gomez bounded up the stairs, jumped over Lewis and sat on the deck by Inu. A clear plastic shield protected the operator of the cannon, but Lewis was able to get a few shots behind it before its crew brought it around far enough to be effective. He saw two people fall as they turned it to block his shots. The team was bouncing rounds off the shield when Roquette pointed and said something that he couldn¡¯t hear. They directed their shots lower, at the feet of the gun crew. Soon nobody was able to approach the gun, but that still left the gunner in his seat. The man was completely shielded and the gun swung around and pointed at the crate that Telini was behind. Derrik reached over and dragged him away just as the crate exploded and a great rent appeared across the deck. Roquette threw a grenade under the gun. The gunner pulled his legs onto the seat and leaned to the left to avoid the blast. He sat like that for a few seconds after the explosion, and then just toppled out of his seat. The team thwarted a few attempts to man the gun and then it sat abandoned. There was only about five feet between the two ships by then and the decks were about the same height. Lewis saw Roquette waving for him to come talk to her.


    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± she said when he got there. ¡°Can we board her?¡±


    ¡®Looks like the resistance is almost done,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°Let¡¯s do damage control, then I don¡¯t see why not. Gomez! How we doin up there?¡±


    ¡°Hey boss,¡± Blair said, firing his pistol at a movement on the other ship. ¡°Tony ain¡¯t looking too good.¡±


    Lewis looked at Telini, who had a splinter the size of a broom handle sticking out of his left calf.


    ¡°Throw your weapons in the water!¡± Roquette yelled at two marines who had come out of the fore cabin, then shot one of them when they didn¡¯t comply immediately. The other pitched his rifle over the rail and raised his hands.


    Gomez came down the stairs, pausing to shoot at the lookout. She stooped to look at Telini¡¯s leg.


    ¡°The captain¡¯s going to be fine, I think,¡± she grimaced at what she saw. ¡°This needs to come out,¡± she winked at Derrik. ¡°Now.¡±


    Derrick reached down and yanked the piece of wood out of Telini¡¯s calf. Telini groaned and his eyes rolled, but he recovered in a moment. He lay there and caught his breath while Gomez put some salve on it and bound it up tight.


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    ¡°You two stay here and cover us,¡± Lewis told Gomez and Telini. ¡°The rest of you, let¡¯s go.¡±


    They ran up to the bow, where the ships were only about three feet apart. The marine still had his hands up and Lewis saw that Telini had him covered and wore a very sour expression. Someone shot at them from the aft cabin, making Blair stumble a little as his armor stopped the slug. Roquette returned fire and there was no more movement up there.


    Lewis approached the marine with his hands up and said. ¡°Go over there and sit with those two, but keep your hands up.¡± He relieved the man of his pistol and belt knife.


    Roquette went over and sat on the seat of the big gun, trying out the controls.


    ¡°Requesting permission to fire, sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°At what?¡± Lewis asked, peering down into the open hatch where all the smoke was coming from.


    ¡°At that ship,¡± she answered, pointing toward the enemy ship that was menacing Captain Waymer.


    ¡°Only if you think you can miss the Deepwater Cutter.¡± Lewis replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that far,¡± she looked excited.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spot,¡± Lewis pulled out his field glasses. ¡°Fire when ready.¡±


    The shockwave staggered everyone slightly.


    ¡°Just behind the front beam and a little below the waterline,¡± Lewis shouted. ¡°Do it again!¡±


    The gun thundered a second time. A hole appeared above the waterline and a bit behind the first impact.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The next shot hit the beam a few inches below the waterline.  ¡°Cease fire!¡± Lewis yelled, as he saw that their target had slowed and was about to disappear behind Waymer¡¯s ship.


    He heard a lot of small arms fire toward the bow of the ship that they were on. Blair and Derrik were leading an assault on the bridge, which was located in the fore cabin. They had eight of Inu¡¯s sailors. Gun smoke was thick in the air.


    Roquette was bringing the gun around to target the ship that was tied to the defender¡¯s ship, when several gunmen appeared on the aft cabin and opened fire. Lewis hit the deck and rolled behind the gun. Roquette gave it another heave, and then reached up and fired it straight into the aft cabin without aiming. The people shooting at them dove to the side, and a second later an explosion blew out the door and the windows of the cabin. The gun toppled over to the right, throwing Roquette backwards onto the deck, where she lay still, and causing Lewis to roll to the side to avoid being crushed. He got to his feet and dragged her away by the arm. There were flames coming out of the hatch amidship, tame in comparison to the conflagration burning aft. Derrik strode up through the smoke and bent to lift Roquette. Lewis ran to where Blair and the remaining sailors were leading some prisoners out of the bridge.


    ¡°Come on!¡± he urged. ¡°We need to get off this thing!¡±


    Everyone crossed to their ship and as the sailors began to push the two ships apart, Gomez hurried to Derrik¡¯s side and examined Roquette as he laid her on the deck. Inu called from the upper deck. When Lewis got there he saw that Inu had pulled himself off the deck by a handrail, which he was leaning on and pointing over. Lewis followed his arm to a geyser of water that rose out of the sea and was landing on the number three enemy ship.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s your submerged friends,¡± Inu said. ¡°They are filling her with water. No way the bilge pumps will keep up with that.¡±


    Lewis watched for a moment, and then turned his attention to the defender ship. The fighting had died down and the uniforms of the knights could be seen striding about both decks.


    ¡°Look,¡± Lewis said. ¡°The water is not making it into the lower decks,¡± he pointed at the ship, which was still receiving a steady stream from the sub. ¡°Shall we go over and see if they are ready to give up yet?¡±


    The burning ship was drifting away and beginning to list to the starboard. A few marines and sailors were swimming towards Inu¡¯s ship and his crew threw them ropes. They managed to haul most of them out of the water before a massive school of five foot long fish showed up and unceremoniously ate the unfortunate souls that were still in the water. Inu signaled Churro and he went aboard Waymer¡¯s ship with both crews and every available sailor started shooting at the waterlogged crew of number three. It wasn¡¯t long before they capitulated to Churro and Waymer¡¯s demands to throw down their soggy weapons and raise their hands.


    Lewis obtained the radio from Telini. ¡°Two thirty five, come in.¡±


    ¡°This is two thirty five, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°The party¡¯s over, many thanks.¡±


    ¡°What? No wreckage.¡±


    Lewis hollered at Inu. ¡°Can we save her?¡± and pointed at the burning ship, Inu just shook his head.


    ¡°One coming your way,¡± Lewis told Morris.


    ¡°Copy that, we¡¯ve got work to do, two thirty five out.¡±


    ¡°Romeo out.¡±


    ¡°Romeo. This is the defender ship, Solution.¡± A new voice said.


    ¡°Go ahead, Solution.¡±


    ¡°Commander Flagg wants to know if you have time for a post op analysis. The captains are invited.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask. Call you back in a few minutes. Romeo out.¡±


    Lewis went to Inu to tell him what the commander said. They helped Inu stand and he signaled Churro and Waymer, and then told Lewis that they would all leave their second mates in charge and attend the meeting.

 Thirty five

    Inu¡¯s sailors were trying to extinguish the fire that was now burning vigorously at the bow of the ship, while the team members covered them. Roquette threw another grenade, which bounced on the deck and down an open hatch. Lewis was sighting his rifle at his opponent when Gomez popped up with one of the new pistols and put five out of six shots into the side of the man¡¯s helmet. He fell over like a statue would, arm still extended. Lewis shifted his sights to another marine and squeezed the trigger. When he stood back up he saw that the defender ship and ship number one were tied rail to hull, the defender being eight more feet off the water, and the battle was hand to hand combat on both decks. Number three had come along side Deepwater Cutter, and Waymer was standing on deck with his hands in the air, while his crew was scrambling onto Windrider. Lewis jumped down and ran to Telini, who handed him the radio.


    Lewis nearly shouted into the radio before remembering how good its reception had been. ¡°Two thirty five, do you copy?¡±


    The reply came quick and clear. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Two thirty five, this is Romeo. Request assistance with one most west. Repeat, one most west is spoiling the party.¡±


    ¡°Copy, Romeo. Two thirty five out.¡±


    Smoke was billowing out of the open hatch on the deck of number two, and most of her remaining marines and crew seemed more concerned with that than engaging Lewis¡¯ team. Then he noticed a big door open in the aft cabin and a gun barrel appeared with at least a two inch bore. ¡°One o¡¯clock!¡± Lewis shouted in English. As one they turned their heads and looked at the new menace.


    ¡°When that gun comes out, keep it unmanned!¡± he ordered them, running back up the stairs. He found Inu lying on the upper deck, and skidded to a stop. Lewis crouched by the captain, who seemed alert, but not moving. A blood stain was growing on his shirt and his breathing was labored. He reached up and clutched at Lewis¡¯ collar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them kill my ship, Lieutenant,¡± he whispered, and coughed a little.


    ¡°We got ya covered, Captain.¡± Lewis said quietly, and then turned and shouted. ¡°Gomez!¡±


    He lay prone and looked over the sights of his AK at the big gun, which by then was just clearing the door. Gomez bounded up the stairs, jumped over Lewis and sat on the deck by Inu. A clear plastic shield protected the operator of the cannon, but Lewis was able to get a few shots behind it before its crew brought it around far enough to be effective. He saw two people fall as they turned it to block his shots. The team was bouncing rounds off the shield when Roquette pointed and said something that he couldn¡¯t hear. They directed their shots lower, at the feet of the gun crew. Soon nobody was able to approach the gun, but that still left the gunner in his seat. The man was completely shielded and the gun swung around and pointed at the crate that Telini was behind. Derrik reached over and dragged him away just as the crate exploded and a great rent appeared across the deck. Roquette threw a grenade under the gun. The gunner pulled his legs onto the seat and leaned to the left to avoid the blast. He sat like that for a few seconds after the explosion, and then just toppled out of his seat. The team thwarted a few attempts to man the gun and then it sat abandoned. There was only about five feet between the two ships by then and the decks were about the same height. Lewis saw Roquette waving for him to come talk to her.


    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± she said when he got there. ¡°Can we board her?¡±


    ¡®Looks like the resistance is almost done,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°Let¡¯s do damage control, then I don¡¯t see why not. Gomez! How we doin up there?¡±


    ¡°Hey boss,¡± Blair said, firing his pistol at a movement on the other ship. ¡°Tony ain¡¯t looking too good.¡±


    Lewis looked at Telini, who had a splinter the size of a broom handle sticking out of his left calf.


    ¡°Throw your weapons in the water!¡± Roquette yelled at two marines who had come out of the fore cabin, then shot one of them when they didn¡¯t comply immediately. The other pitched his rifle over the rail and raised his hands.


    Gomez came down the stairs, pausing to shoot at the lookout. She stooped to look at Telini¡¯s leg.


    ¡°The captain¡¯s going to be fine, I think,¡± she grimaced at what she saw. ¡°This needs to come out,¡± she winked at Derrik. ¡°Now.¡±


    Derrick reached down and yanked the piece of wood out of Telini¡¯s calf. Telini groaned and his eyes rolled, but he recovered in a moment. He lay there and caught his breath while Gomez put some salve on it and bound it up tight.


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    ¡°You two stay here and cover us,¡± Lewis told Gomez and Telini. ¡°The rest of you, let¡¯s go.¡±


    They ran up to the bow, where the ships were only about three feet apart. The marine still had his hands up and Lewis saw that Telini had him covered and wore a very sour expression. Someone shot at them from the aft cabin, making Blair stumble a little as his armor stopped the slug. Roquette returned fire and there was no more movement up there.


    Lewis approached the marine with his hands up and said. ¡°Go over there and sit with those two, but keep your hands up.¡± He relieved the man of his pistol and belt knife.


    Roquette went over and sat on the seat of the big gun, trying out the controls.


    ¡°Requesting permission to fire, sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°At what?¡± Lewis asked, peering down into the open hatch where all the smoke was coming from.


    ¡°At that ship,¡± she answered, pointing toward the enemy ship that was menacing Captain Waymer.


    ¡°Only if you think you can miss the Deepwater Cutter.¡± Lewis replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that far,¡± she looked excited.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spot,¡± Lewis pulled out his field glasses. ¡°Fire when ready.¡±


    The shockwave staggered everyone slightly.


    ¡°Just behind the front beam and a little below the waterline,¡± Lewis shouted. ¡°Do it again!¡±


    The gun thundered a second time. A hole appeared above the waterline and a bit behind the first impact.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The next shot hit the beam a few inches below the waterline. ¡°Cease fire!¡± Lewis yelled, as he saw that their target had slowed and was about to disappear behind Waymer¡¯s ship.


    He heard a lot of small arms fire toward the bow of the ship that they were on. Blair and Derrik were leading an assault on the bridge, which was located in the fore cabin. They had eight of Inu¡¯s sailors. Gun smoke was thick in the air.


    Roquette was bringing the gun around to target the ship that was tied to the defender¡¯s ship, when several gunmen appeared on the aft cabin and opened fire. Lewis hit the deck and rolled behind the gun. Roquette gave it another heave, and then reached up and fired it straight into the aft cabin without aiming. The people shooting at them dove to the side, and a second later an explosion blew out the door and the windows of the cabin. The gun toppled over to the right, throwing Roquette backwards onto the deck, where she lay still, and causing Lewis to roll to the side to avoid being crushed. He got to his feet and dragged her away by the arm. There were flames coming out of the hatch amidship, tame in comparison to the conflagration burning aft. Derrik strode up through the smoke and bent to lift Roquette. Lewis ran to where Blair and the remaining sailors were leading some prisoners out of the bridge.


    ¡°Come on!¡± he urged. ¡°We need to get off this thing!¡±


    Everyone crossed to their ship and as the sailors began to push the two ships apart, Gomez hurried to Derrik¡¯s side and examined Roquette as he laid her on the deck. Inu called from the upper deck. When Lewis got there he saw that Inu had pulled himself off the deck by a handrail, which he was leaning on and pointing over. Lewis followed his arm to a geyser of water that rose out of the sea and was landing on the number three enemy ship.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s your submerged friends,¡± Inu said. ¡°They are filling her with water. No way the bilge pumps will keep up with that.¡±


    Lewis watched for a moment, and then turned his attention to the defender ship. The fighting had died down and the uniforms of the knights could be seen striding about both decks.


    ¡°Look,¡± Lewis said. ¡°The water is not making it into the lower decks,¡± he pointed at the ship, which was still receiving a steady stream from the sub. ¡°Shall we go over and see if they are ready to give up yet?¡±


    The burning ship was drifting away and beginning to list to the starboard. A few marines and sailors were swimming towards Inu¡¯s ship and his crew threw them ropes. They managed to haul most of them out of the water before a massive school of five foot long fish showed up and unceremoniously ate the unfortunate souls that were still in the water. Inu signaled Churro and he went aboard Waymer¡¯s ship with both crews and every available sailor started shooting at the waterlogged crew of number three. It wasn¡¯t long before they capitulated to Churro and Waymer¡¯s demands to throw down their soggy weapons and raise their hands.


    Lewis obtained the radio from Telini. ¡°Two thirty five, come in.¡±


    ¡°This is two thirty five, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°The party¡¯s over, many thanks.¡±


    ¡°What? No wreckage.¡±


    Lewis hollered at Inu. ¡°Can we save her?¡± and pointed at the burning ship, Inu just shook his head.


    ¡°One coming your way,¡± Lewis told Morris.


    ¡°Copy that, we¡¯ve got work to do, two thirty five out.¡±


    ¡°Romeo out.¡±


    ¡°Romeo. This is the defender ship, Solution.¡± A new voice said.


    ¡°Go ahead, Solution.¡±


    ¡°Commander Flagg wants to know if you have time for a post op analysis. The captains are invited.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask. Call you back in a few minutes. Romeo out.¡±


    Lewis went to Inu to tell him what the commander said. They helped Inu stand and he signaled Churro and Waymer, and then told Lewis that they would all leave their second mates in charge and attend the meeting.

 Thirty five

    On the defenders¡¯ ship they found Commander Flagg in his stateroom. Flagg was a portly middle-aged man with scars on his face that said as much as his warm smile did. He had his top three officers in attendance. They shook hands all around and sat at a table big enough for twelve. The commander never lost his smile, but also got right down to business. He listed the casualties, damage, and prisoners, then asked the other captains to do the same. Inu directed Waymer to start, and he provided a full account of the battle from his perspective. The hosting officers laughed when he told them about the water spout. Churro¡¯s presentation was shorter, since his only involvement was in the capture of the soaked ship. Inu saw everything from his aft deck, so his version was longer and more detailed. Lewis noticed that he left out the part about being shot.


    When Inu was done, Flagg looked at Lewis, who provided a capsule version of his team¡¯s involvement. They all listened and when he concluded Flagg sat back.


    ¡°Now I have a few questions,¡± he said. ¡°For instance, who ordered the change of formation?¡±


    ¡°I did, on Lieutenant Lewis¡¯ recommendation,¡± Inu volunteered.


    ¡°Tell me, Lieutenant,¡± Flagg queried. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a land soldier? How much experience do you have fighting on the water?¡±


    ¡°None sir,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°But I have participated in quite a few running vehicle battles and it looked like we would be better off doing something. What I didn¡¯t want to happen was for you to take on all three enemy ships, while we stood by and did nothing. I figured that if we did something, it would distract them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it did that,¡± the commander told him. ¡°But do check with me before you enact a radical change like that again.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Lewis answered, mindful that he would probably be spending more time with Flagg after Port Mist.


    The discussion turned to how to distribute the prizes. One of the ships would burn to the water line and sink, but the other two would be divided between the defenders and DeLeah shipping. The prisoners would be transported on the defenders captured ship to Landee. Flagg¡¯s second, Lieutenant Commander Casey was to command her to Fort Dillson. By dead reckoning Fort Dillson was two hundred twenty-five miles, same as going to Port Mist from where they were now.


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    The three captains each contributed a few sailors to sail the other ship to Port Mist. It took five days for the convoy to limp into port. When they passed the submarine dock Lewis saw that there was a boat tied up, with men in blue jumpsuits hustling up and down the gangplanks. They were building a structure adjacent to the dock. Floating in the water outside of the dock was the research boat two thirty-five, with an inflatable boat tied alongside. The sailors on the convoy and the submariners all took a moment to acknowledge each other before going back to their work.


    The warship dropped anchor in the harbor, and the merchants went on to dock at the city. Flagg sent an officer, and an NCO, to talk to Lewis in a longboat rowed by six stout seamen. Lewis paid four hundred fifty kolas for the dock fee and saw that Nora was waiting to greet them.


    ¡°Welcome back, Lieutenant,¡± Nora said with a smile. ¡°How was your trip?¡±


    ¡°It was productive,¡± Lewis told her. ¡°We brought that grain you needed.¡±


    ¡°I see that you have an escort,¡± she commented. ¡°Did you have any trouble?¡±


    ¡°A little, but we handled it,¡± he answered.


    The defenders tied up their ship and the officer came ashore with his NCO and two seamen. They introduced themselves to Nora and Lewis as Lieutenant Junior Grade Victor and chief petty officer Irwin. Victor looked very young, and was tall, thin and uncertain. Irwin, by contrast had some grey at the temples and a slight limp on the left side, he had an ease about him that told Lewis he had years of experience. Nora welcomed them, handed Victor a visitor¡¯s booklet, and went off to talk to Inu.


    ¡°Commander Flagg sent us to let you know that he wants to depart as soon as possible,¡± Victor said, a little too aggressive for Lewis¡¯ taste. ¡°Do you want to leave now?¡±


    ¡°No, Lieutenant Junior Grade Victor, I do not,¡± Lewis said, quiet and firm. ¡°I have a few things to do.¡±


    Lewis glanced at Irwin, who just shrugged non-committedly. Then he noticed about twenty people coming from the south. He excused himself and walked over to the dock.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked Nora, indicating the crowd, which looked quite angry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, there has been some tension over the food shipments,¡± Nora answered. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think it was that bad.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what they are here for,¡± Lewis pointed out. ¡°But here comes a few more,¡± he pointed east, where five more were coming out from between two buildings. ¡°If this is what I think it is, you had better call the guards down here pretty quick. We will not allow those people on our ships.¡±


    Nora turned pale as the gravity of the situation sank in, and then she turned and ran north toward city hall. She turned east and two men out of the five left the group, meaning to intercept her course. The defenders by the longboat sprinted to cut off her pursuers.

 Thirty six

    Lewis whistled and yelled at his team. ¡°Hold the dock!¡±


    He saw about a dozen sailors disembarking from a ship anchored on the next pier south of his ships. They hurried to catch up with the original twenty, who were almost jogging by then. Lewis and Inu stood and surveyed the scene.


    ¡°I think you should wait on your ship.¡± Lewis said. ¡°And while you¡¯re going, let everyone know that we aren¡¯t going to kill anybody if we can help it,¡±


    Inu turned and rumbled down the pier. ¡°Will do.¡±


    His team streamed past Inu and stood on the pier behind him. The four seamen from the longboat jogged down the beach from where it was tied up.


    The crowd arrived with pieces of wood, or rocks for weapons. He noticed that a few in the back carried knives. They milled around at the head of the pier until a man stepped forward and confronted Lewis.


    ¡°We are here for the grain,¡± he spoke loudly, with no hesitation in his voice or manner. ¡°It¡¯s been three days since many of us have fed our families. Tell your people to bring it to bring the grain dockside, so we don¡¯t have to search your ships, nobody needs to get hurt.¡±


    Lewis watched him warily while he spoke, and then raised his voice enough to be heard over the din. ¡°The grain is here now and it will be distributed by the city. You don¡¯t have enough people to take it by force, so take a few steps back. We don¡¯t want to see anyone get hurt either.¡±


    ¡°Damn the city!¡± a voice in the back hollered. ¡°Your children will starve before they finish the paperwork!¡±


    The crowd surged forward, pushing and shouting.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lewis suddenly asked the man in front.


    ¡°Arad, why?¡± the man replied, stumbling a little as someone jostled him from behind.


    ¡°Listen, Arad,¡± Lewis tried to sound as friendly as possible. ¡°Help me get the situation under control before it turns ugly. Everyone needs to back off a little, or a whole lot of people are going to get hurt or worse. If that happens, they won¡¯t be feeding their families.¡±


    Arad nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to fight, but we need to feed our families today,¡± he turned and raised his arms. ¡°Back up a little! Let¡¯s listen to¡­¡± He dropped when a rock the size of Lewis¡¯ open hand hit him on the temple.


    ¡°Look! The dirty merc hit him when he turned around.¡±


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    This time Lewis saw a man who was taller than the rest, pushing men forward into the crowd. The mob let out a roar and rocks flew toward the front. Lewis¡¯ team stepped in front of him and waded into the crowd. Off to left the defenders were in a tight knot at the edge of the mob, dragging the people out of the crowd a couple at a time and tying them up with short lengths of cord. He could hear Telini behind him, but he couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying. Lewis ducked a board aimed at his head, then saw its wielder fall as Roquette punched him in the kidney from the side. Lewis reached up and grabbed a man by the hair, yanking him forward and down. He propelled the man toward the water and turned his attention back to the fray. Several people fell as rocks missed their mark and landed in the crowd. Derrick was swinging a man by the back of the shirt and his belt, and then sent him flying onto the pier. Telini had to sidestep as the poor fellow landed right where he had been standing. That¡¯s when Lewis noticed that Telini was on the radio. Something hit Lewis hard across the shoulders, causing him to stumble, when he turned around a boy about five feet tall was winding up to swing his board again. Lewis yanked it out of his hand and spun him around, marching him onto the pier. When they reached Telini, Lewis pushed him down flat onto the walkway.


    ¡°This one hit me with a board,¡± He told Telini. ¡°Take him to the sailors. I want to talk to him later. Who¡¯s calling?¡±


    ¡°It was Morris, I hope you don¡¯t mind, I told him you were too busy to talk to him,¡± Telini answered. ¡°He said that he was sending six soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Soldiers?¡± Lewis wondered out loud.¡± What is he talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing,¡± Telini said. ¡°But I think your answer will be here pretty soon,¡± He pointed north.


    Lewis looked and saw six huge men running at breakneck speed down the beach in submariner uniforms. Twenty or thirty more people came out of the city. Telini grabbed the boy and hauled him toward Inu¡¯s ship, while Lewis ran down the ramp and dragged a man off of Blair¡¯s back. Blair didn¡¯t turn or look, just went back to dealing with the two people in front of him.


    ¡°First Lieutenant Lewis!¡± a voice boomed.


    When Lewis turned and looked to see who had yelled, he saw the submariners plowing through the crowd, knocking down everybody who got anywhere near being in their way.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Lewis shouted.


    They altered their course through the crowd until they stood in front of him. He noticed a few things all at once. The men were hardly winded after their run, they all looked as if they were mister universe contestants, and their braids were light grey.


    ¡°First Lieutenant Lewis, I¡¯m Lieutenant Junior Grade Wilsey,¡± their officer said. ¡°How may we serve you?¡±


    ¡°First of all try not to kill anybody,¡± Lewis told them briskly. ¡°There are about twelve people out there with knives, apprehend them for me, will you please?¡±


    The others looked at Wilsey and when he nodded, they scattered into the crowd. Telini came down the pier at a run, with his arms out. He head-butted one guy and clothes lined two others, and then just pushed his way to where Gomez was spinning crazily like a dreidel, people falling away from her kicks and punches.


    A column of militia men was marching out of the city. About a dozen defenders had arrived in another longboat, and moved up to reinforce their companions, who were being hard pressed by the mob.


    Lewis saw the officer of the submariners go down under a press of bodies, so he pushed and shoved his way over to him. He drew his combat knife and used the pommel to knock heads. Blair appeared at his side and helped him pull people off Wilsey.

 Thirty seven

    The tide turned as the militiamen plowed into the crowd, being very brutal with the short metal pipes that they were carrying. Lewis lost his footing and started to fall, his head ringing from a blow, but Blair dragged him back upright. A Hagen man dressed all in leather slid under his arm and helped him off the field. Gomez set up a triage station on the beach south of the pier, and the soldiers helped carry the wounded to her.


    A major, Port Mist militia, started yelling orders. It quickly became apparent that he wanted to arrest everyone, including the defenders, the submariners, and team Romeo. The major sent a runner to fetch medical help and a lawyer from the secretary of justice¡¯s office.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just come in here and start a war with our citizenry,¡± the major said to Lewis and Victor, and then he poked Lewis in the chest with his finger. ¡°I heard that you hit one of our people in the back of the head, thereby starting the fight,¡±


    ¡°Arad is his name, and I didn¡¯t hit him. He was hit by a rock, check his head,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°Somebody in the crowd told the people that I hit him.¡±


    ¡°All of you, mercenaries or soldiers, will be detained until we get to the bottom of this hostile action,¡± the major barked. ¡°Tell all your people, and any others associated with you, to stand over there,¡± indicating an area near the pier.


    ¡°Major, do you want that grain unloaded here or not?¡± Lewis asked, moving closer to the major.


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± the major looked livid, but took a breath when Lewis shook his head. ¡°What grain are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°We are carrying three cargo holds full of food for Port Mist,¡± Lewis tried to sound reasonable. ¡°And I¡¯m just afraid that if you start arresting people, those ships will simply pull out and head for Ascore. These people,¡± he indicated the crowd, which was standing around looking scared or helping lift up the injured. ¡°They¡¯re just hungry. I see that the militia isn¡¯t suffering the same fate.¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak to Major Heflik like that!¡± one of the militia soldiers yelled, swinging at Lewis¡¯ ribs with his pipe.


    Fast as lightning, the man in leather who had helped Lewis snatched the man¡¯s hand. The blow missed as the surprised soldier went over the Hagen¡¯s shoulder and hit the ground hard. The man in leather stood and winked at Lewis, then took two quick steps into the surf, and dived under the waves. The major bent and helped the soldier, who was still trying to catch his breath, back onto his feet.


    He looked Lewis in the eye. ¡°I think we can overlook that unfortunate incident.¡±


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    Lewis leaned forward until his nose was almost touching the major¡¯s nose and spoke slowly and quietly. ¡°Now why would I want to do that, major?¡±


    ¡°You bastard.¡± The major¡¯s knee came up suddenly, taking Lewis completely off guard, and caught him in the bottom ribs. ¡°You¡¯re just a lieutenant; you don¡¯t get to pull that on me. Lock them both away, and that submarine officer too.¡±


    When Lewis doubled over two militia soldiers grabbed his arms and yanked them behind him. He looked at his team and saw them marching toward him.


    ¡°Stand down!¡± he shouted. ¡°Finish the¡­¡±


    One of the soldiers punched him in the mouth. He did not see any more of the scene on the beach as they pretty much dragged him toward the city. By the time they were passing through the street he was starting to see clearly. The chaos had apparently touched the city as well. Many of the burn barrels were turned over, and the few people in the street hurried nervously doing their tasks. He saw Nora, and when she recognized him she covered her mouth and ran off. He hoped she was going for help.


    At city hall they took a stair well at the back of the lobby. In the basement they were given tight fitting yellow jumpsuits and plastic sandals. The woman at the desk asked their age, name, and nearest city to where they grew up. She pointed at them in turn.


    ¡°Twenty six, Micheal Victor, Fort Wutanna.¡±


    ¡°Twenty eight, Johnathan Lewis, Fort Smith.¡±


    ¡°Twenty two,¡± a deep voice rumbled behind them. ¡°Lance Wilsey, Submerged People¡¯s City Alpha, Pod two.¡±


    Lewis turned and saw the guards handing Wilsey his jumpsuit. After Wilsey had changed clothes they were led through a big iron door and into a hall with cells on either side. At the far end was another large door. Almost to the end the guard opened a cell door and ordered them to enter.


    ¡°Welcome to between, this ain¡¯t freedom,¡± the guard said. ¡°But it is also not the pit.¡±


    The guard checked the door while Lewis sat on one of the cots and the other two occupants stared at the door. When he had left, Victor went over and rattled the door, and then turned and looked at Lewis with a stricken look on his face. If it hadn¡¯t looked so sincere Lewis would have laughed at him. Wilsey stood like a statue and stared at the door, tension radiating from his posture.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys come over here and sit down,¡± Lewis pointed at the other cot.


    ¡°You seem to be OK with this, have you ever been in an enemy prison before?¡± Wilsey asked.


    ¡°Relax. Let¡¯s get a few things straight.¡± Lewis told him. ¡°First, these people really aren¡¯t our enemies. Second, this is not a prison, it is just a jail. Primarily, these people are civs and as long as we are in a civilian jail I don¡¯t think it will be too bad.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t think they¡¯ll torture us?¡± Wilsey asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why they would,¡± Victor almost squeaked. ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be disappointed if they don¡¯t¡± Lewis asked Wilsey.


    ¡°No, but I guess I just kind of took it for granted.¡± Wilsey replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°Well, I would like to avoid torture,¡± Victor put in.


    ¡°When did you graduate from the academy?¡± Lewis asked Victor, eager to change the subject.

 Thirty eight

    Victor seemed willing to be distracted by Lewis. ¡°Two months ago. The academy is in Fort Wutanna. My father retired as a major, so it was pretty much a given that I would be an officer.¡±


    ¡°How did you land this duty?¡± Lewis inquired, noticing that Wilsey was trying too hard to look casual.


    ¡°I volunteered for it, anything to leave my home port as soon as I could,¡± Victor chuckled. ¡°They said it would be easy and it was just like we practiced until you came along anyway, then we went on alert on the way down here, and there was that battle, and now this.¡±


    ¡°Does City Alpha have an academy for officers?¡± Lewis asked Wilsey.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s classified,¡± Wilsey growled. ¡°Why do you ask questions like that?¡±


    ¡°Hey, relax, I¡¯m not trying to steal state secrets from you, Lance,¡± Lewis snorted. ¡°Just trying to not be bored to death.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Victor wanted to know. ¡°What¡¯s your alma mater?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to an academy, I was promoted from master sergeant to second lieutenant during a time of war,¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°What¡¯s your chain of command?¡± Victor leaned forward with interest.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at it,¡± Lewis laughed, thinking that he didn¡¯t know if it was funny or not.


    ¡°Did you just come from space?¡± Wilsey asked sarcastically.


    Lewis smiled. ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Victor exploded. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Lewis nodded. ¡°Yup.¡±


    They both stared at Lewis for a long time, so he leaned back on the wall and returned their gazes. After a while Wilsey leaned over and slapped Victor on the shoulder.


    ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± Wilsey said quietly, and then turned to Lewis. ¡°You¡¯re a merc, nothing more or less. You¡¯re not a spacer, and I should beat you for lying to us,¡± he stood menacingly.


    Lewis didn¡¯t move. ¡°I never said I was a spacer. I was a soldier, nothing more or less. As for beating me you might be able to, maybe. Win or lose, life would be a whole lot less pleasant in here. Besides, as far as I know your still under my command,¡± he suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Sit down!¡±


    Wilsey dropped onto the cot, his bulk causing Victor to wobble at the other end.


    Lewis pushed himself up and off the cot and stretched out on the concrete floor near the door. He had slept for two and a half hours when food arrived. The man with the bowls didn¡¯t speak, even when Lewis tried to ask him questions, just handed three bowls of porridge in through a small hatch in the wall by the door. Lewis woke up his companions and they ate in silence. After they ate, Wilsey lay down where Lewis had been.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that bed,¡± he said. ¡°You try it.¡±


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    Before Lewis went back to sleep, the door that they had come into the hallway through opened up. They heard voices and sat up.


    ¡°This way, it¡¯s the fourth door on the left. You have fifteen minutes,¡± the voice was that of the woman who had processed them.


    Roquette, Nora, and a middle aged woman in a submariner uniform came down the hallway.


    ¡°Good evening sirs,¡± Roquette said, looking them all up and down.


    ¡°Good evening Master Sergeant,¡± Lewis raised one eyebrow.


    ¡°Nora, would you please explain what¡¯s going on?¡± Roquette asked, stepping aside.


    ¡°OK,¡± Nora agreed, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolding it. ¡°The charges against you are numerous and mostly irrelevant, however they must be answered individually. We are fairly certain that all the charges will be dropped.¡±


    The submariner stepped forward. ¡°My name is Lieutenant Losi, legal assistance. It looks like we can resolve this in less than two days, three at the most. Captain Inu has refused to offload cargo until it is settled; however, Commander Flagg says that his task is too time sensitive to be delayed. The defender¡¯s brass has put a time limit of sixty days on Lieutenant Junior Grade Victor¡¯s incarceration, after which they will consider legal action and sanctions. I don¡¯t think the Port Mist authorities want to deal with the ramifications, since they are very busy investigating the situation. As for our people, they are also pushing for a speedy resolution. Releasing all of you would be the preferable solution, but if there are charges our brass would like to see them adjudicated. I think they are curious as to what the outcome will be.¡±


    Wilsey looked shocked. ¡°Are you telling me that his command is fighting for his release,¡± he nodded at Victor. ¡°But my command thinks that it would be a fascinating experiment to observe the effects of being locked up in a lander¡¯s prison?¡±


    ¡°Your training should be sufficient to see you through this, whatever the outcome,¡± Losi said with a smirk.


    ¡°Do you have instructions for Romeo, sir?¡± Roquette asked.


    ¡°Yeah, get on Flagg¡¯s ship and go. Don¡¯t wait more than four days for me in Landee, our mission is somewhat time sensitive as well,¡± Lewis answered.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Victor complained. ¡°You just sent my ride away.¡±


    Lewis instructed Roquette to leave his bundle of paperwork and backpack with Rollins, and to try to keep Blair out of trouble.


    The next day they received a visit from the NCO who was on the beach with Victor. Irwin and two sailors looked in at the door and saluted Victor.


    ¡°Commander Flagg sent me to see if you were alright,¡± Irwin said.


    ¡°I¡¯d be better if I were leaving with the ship,¡± Victor informed him.


    ¡°I asked for authorization to blow your cell door, but the commander said somebody might wind up hurt,¡± Irwin answered.


    ¡°Did he send instructions?¡± Victor asked.


    ¡°Yes sir, he wants you to see that Lieutenant Lewis makes it to Landee as quickly as possible. Then you should rejoin the crew,¡± Irwin told Victor, then turned to the other two. ¡°Commander Flagg sends his best wishes and hopes this progresses as smoothly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Please tell Commander Flagg I said thank you for all the help,¡± Lewis said sincerely, Wilsey nodded at Irwin.


    That afternoon Wilsey led some exercises, which made Victor collapse. Lewis¡¯ sides burned, but he kept up for a long time. Wilsey quit when Lewis did, saying that most of the people in his navy did not do any better than Victor.


    In the middle of the night the guard opened the door. Lewis sat up and looked around. Wilsey opened his eyes, dropped his leg off the cot and lightly kicked Victor where he lay on the floor between the cots. Victor sat bolt upright.


    ¡®What the¡­¡± Victor started to say until he saw that Wilsey was holding one finger up to his lips. Lewis swung his feet down and in two quiet steps, reached the door. The man opening the door was clearly startled to see Lewis standing there; he took a step back as two men crowded in behind him.

 Thirty nine

    ¡°Move back from the door!¡± the guard yelled as he bumped into the other two men standing behind him.


    Lewis took one small step back, trying to figure out where he had seen the other two men before. Suddenly it came to him. One was Fink, the other he still couldn¡¯t place.


    ¡°That¡¯s him, let him out!¡± Fink spoke, making wild gestures with both hands.


    ¡°Fink,¡± the other man said smoothly. ¡°You know I am not able to do that. We have an investigation to complete. What I will do is try to speed it up.¡±


    ¡°No secretary, what you will do is have your man here to open this door and drop everything,¡± Fink said in a low, menacing tone. ¡°Or you will have to explain to the lord mayor why the deal is off.¡±


    ¡°What deal?¡± the man looked a little concerned.


    ¡°The deal between the lord mayor and my sister. She sent me to get this guy and if you¡¯re not willing to let him out,¡± Fink put on an exaggeratedly worried expression. ¡°She¡¯s going to be really ticked off, hell she¡¯ll probably cancel the deal. Besides we both know that if Heflik is behind this, it¡¯s probably the result of his temper. You¡¯re going to spend a whole lot of money investigating it and it¡¯s going to turn out to be nothing.¡±


    ¡°All right, I will let him out but then we¡¯re even, don¡¯t come asking for anything else,¡± the man exclaimed. ¡°And what about these other two?¡±


    Lewis nodded discretely to Fink.


    ¡°Just let them out too,¡± Fink looked thoughtful. ¡°Port Mist probably doesn¡¯t need problems with their big mucky-mucks. If you sign the Lieutenant out, all charges dropped and leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Would you please shut up!¡± the other man shouted in exasperation, and then to the guard in a more civil tone he said. ¡°Let them out and give them their belongings.¡±


    The guard unlocked the door and stood behind it while they filed out. In the front office the secretary filled out some paper work and they signed for their belongings. When they walked out onto the street the sky spoke of the coming morning in light gray tones.


    ¡°How about some breakfast?¡± Fink asked. ¡°The Grand Isle is right around the corner.¡±


    As they ate, Fink told Lewis about visiting some friends who lived in the rubble on the east side of Ladzoo. He said that he had fallen and hurt his leg, causing him to miss the boat that morning when the team had left Ladzoo with Captain Inu. He went on to explain that his friends had carried him across the bridge to Fingers¡¯ warehouse, in fact he never stopped talking.


    When they arrived at the house Lewis knocked on the door and Blair opened it.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Rollins requested my help and Roquette granted that request, sir,¡± Blair looked embarrassed.


    ¡°Where is Rollins?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    ¡°Right this way sir,¡± Blair held the door open and gestured with a clumsy flourish.


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    Rollins was in his office doing paperwork. He stood as Lewis entered, standing stiffly at attention as the officers walked in.


    Lewis reassured him. ¡°At ease, I trust things are going well here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are beginning to make money here sir,¡± he turned around a makeshift ledger that was on the desk so Lewis could look at it. ¡°And Roquette left some more funding. What we really need is more people, I have seven here including Shawn. I¡¯m going to be sending him to Ascore to acquire space there for Team Romeo. I¡¯ve hired a crew for the new ship, and some folks from Hillar have booked cargo space to Ladzoo. I hope to be ready to move to Ascore in the next few months.¡±


    Lewis introduced his two new companions, then Fink expressed the opinion that they should leave if they were going to catch up with the others in Landee.


    ¡°I did the math,¡± Blair said. ¡°There should be plenty of time. What are you worried about?¡±


    ¡°You just never know what will happen,¡± Fink fidgeted. ¡°A little holdup here and there and pretty soon you¡¯re late. That¡¯s why I think we should leave when we can, besides it¡¯s always better to be moving than sitting.¡±


    Lewis had a feeling Fink wasn¡¯t telling them everything but didn¡¯t see the harm in going along with him. ¡°So, how soon do you think we could leave here?¡±


    ¡°I have a boat waiting,¡± Fink said. ¡°And I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll leave without us if we are not down there before mid-day. He¡¯s fast and I don¡¯t think we could find a better ride in Port Mist.¡±


    Both of Lewis¡¯ companions looked like they wanted to leave, so he wrapped things up with Rollins. He had to sign a few papers and retrieve his pack and some credit vouchers. The defenders had also left a backpack for Victor with Rollins. He wished them well and the travelers went on their way.


    At the dock they found a team of Port Mist¡¯s militia questioning everyone about where they were going and occasionally looking in somebody¡¯s bag. Fink called out to one of them by name, then the two of them stood off to the side and spoke quietly for a while. Then they shook hands and the militia went one way, while Fink took Lewis and the sailors off in the other direction.


    ¡°What did you say to that man?¡± Wilsey asked.


    ¡°I just reminded him of all the good times we had back in the old days,¡± Fink smiled convincingly. ¡°And he became quite eager to help us get on our way.¡±


    Wilsey looked puzzled. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I understand this, he was not their team leader, right?¡±


    Fink nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°And their duty,¡± Wilsey continued. ¡°Was to stop us and ask questions, and possibly look in our packs.¡±


    Fink nodded again.


    ¡°So, why didn¡¯t they do it?¡± Wilsey asked.


    ¡°Probably because my friend vouched for us,¡± Fink said. ¡°And their leader decided that there were enough other people to harass, and it saved time to let us go.¡±


    Wilsey shook his head slightly and looked troubled.


    ¡°Listen man, I¡¯ve never been part of any military, so maybe I¡¯m missing something, but this seems like the best possible outcome,¡± Fink told him. ¡°Maybe John can help you.¡±


    ¡°I think what we have here is a cultural difference,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°Do you have a specific question?¡¯


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Wilsey said. ¡°How is it that something like that could cause a good soldier to not perform his prescribed duty?¡±


    ¡°Keep in mind that I¡¯m still learning the ropes here, but it seems to me,¡± Lewis said, thoughtfully. ¡°That the people here have only recently come to enjoy a measure of safety. Therefore they have had to rely on each other, leading to a culture where personal relationships are very important. Also, in places like Ladzoo and Port Mist the soldiers have only been serving for a while, they are not trained with the ultimate goal of spending their life in the service. The mindset is completely different than it would be in a place where the military is everything.¡±


    Lewis noticed that Victor was nodding and asked. ¡°Do you think it would have gone the same in Wutanna?¡±


    ¡°No sir,¡± Victor replied vehemently, and then added. ¡°Have you ever been there, Mister Fink?¡±


    Fink smiled and nodded. ¡°One must be a little more persuasive there.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that the Defender guards are corrupt also?¡± Victor asked, looking more hurt than anything.


    ¡°Folks is folks, wherever you go,¡± Fink said.

 Forty

    They approached a boat tied to the last pier at the north end of the harbor, and Fink signaled to the sailor on deck. He then informed them that this was their ride. Upon closer inspection the boat looked like it should be sunk in a harbor somewhere, with its broken boards and torn sails.


    ¡°I want to escort Wilsey to his dockside,¡± Lewis told Fink. ¡°Do you wish to stay here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Fink replied. ¡°I want to see what a submarine berth looks like.¡±


    There was a tall perimeter fence around the submarine area, well up the beach and back from any action. Two men with weapons ready stood guard at the only gate Lewis could see.


    ¡°Our orders are that nobody below captain is to bring guests in,¡± the guard on the left informed Wilsey.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, Is Lieutenant Commander Morris still here?¡± Wilsey answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir.¡± The guard said.


    ¡°I would like to thank your C.O. as well,¡± Lewis told Wilsey.


    ¡°Please inform the base that we respectfully request to see Lieutenant Commander Morris and Lieutenant Ward,¡± Wilsey relayed to the guard.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the guard snapped and ran to a group of sailors some fifty yards off. He pulled one out of the group and they conferred for a moment, at which point the guard returned to his post and the other sailor ran off toward the berth.


    After a half hour of waiting the two officers arrived at the gate and Lewis shook their hands. Morris was a balding, middle-aged man, who carried himself with grace, and looked easy going. Ward, on the other hand was a mountain of a man, taller and broader than Wilsey. Lewis thanked Lieutenant Ward for sending Wilsey and his team to help. Ward looked surprised at the acknowledgement but recovered enough to be gracious. Lewis shook Wilsey¡¯s hand, and then Ward took him back through the gate.


    ¡°I wanted to express my gratitude for your back up out there,¡± Lewis told Morris. ¡°Two thirty-five made a big difference in terms of the duration of the action and the amount of damage taken.¡±


    ¡°It was good to be able to help,¡± Morris answered. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to see that grain end up on the bottom of the ocean. Two thirty-five is a research vessel and I¡¯m a scientist, we haven¡¯t been involved in any hostile action before. Really, it was a little exciting.¡±


    ¡°How often do you guys work with the defenders?¡± Lewis asked.


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    ¡°As far as I know it¡¯s unprecedented,¡± Morris replied. ¡°And surprisingly I¡¯m not even in trouble.¡±


    ¡°I hope it stays that way,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because the defenders expressed their thanks for your action.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Morris said. ¡°But hopefully it signals a shift in policy on both sides.¡±


    The departure from Post Mist went uneventfully. Lewis had never seen a vessel that looked so decrepit and could still float. Her name was Ghost and Captain Flynn said that he could take them to Haldon. The bilge pumps sent steady streams of water out on either side of the stern. After they cleared the harbor, the captain took them below decks and showed them a small room where they could sleep and stow their bags. The only other person on board was Flynn¡¯s mechanic, Javo. Javo grinned and shook their hands, and then went back down to his engine room.


    There was little besides the mist that the area took its name that hung around from midday until late into the evening. A bluish white light shone in the gloom up ahead and when they were closer, Lewis saw that it was a marker light on a small tower. The captain pulled a lever to release the anchor, announcing that he was going ashore.


    ¡°Would you like to join me?¡± he asked looking at them like he had just noticed that they were there.


    Lewis glanced at Fink, who just shrugged and tipped his head slightly to the side. ¡°No thanks, I think we¡¯ll just try to get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± The captain said, as he began to lower the lifeboat.


    In their room Lewis saw a wooden box next to his backpack, when he opened it he found salted fish, bread, and some bottles of water. The water tasted like it had come out of a metal can, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. After eating they went to sleep, and Lewis didn¡¯t awaken until he heard boots on the metal deck above. Victor followed him topside as the engines slowly revved, there they found Flynn making ready for departure. A very small girl stood next to him, and she moved to the other side of his legs when she spotted them.


    ¡°This is Melissa,¡± he told them. ¡°She¡¯s going to Haldon with us. Melissa, say hoy to Lewis and Victor.¡±


    Her eyes got wide, but she stepped out and curtsied. ¡°Good to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Hoy, Melissa,¡± Victor said, and Lewis followed suit.


    There was a loud clunk and the boat vibrated as the engine engaged the propellers, sending the girl scurrying behind the captain again.


    ¡°She¡¯s my sister,¡± he explained over the increasing thrum of the engines, as the boat began moving along the shore.


    After about two more hours the water grew choppy as they churned along in sight of land on their starboard. Flynn moved the boat in a little closer and poured on the steam. Soon the boat was bucking on the swells but still making good headway.


    Four hours after they had started, Captain Flynn steered starboard keeping five miles away from a light tower on what appeared to be the corner of Mist Isle.


    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous place!¡± he shouted over the roar of the sea and wind. ¡°Many¡¯s the good ship that rests under those waters,¡± he pointed at the roiling sea between them and the light tower. Lewis thought about Davy Jones and watched the impressive chaos that didn¡¯t look like any sea he had ever seen, here or back at home. Melissa stood strong, braver in the face of the storm than with strangers.


    Nine hours into their trip the captain announced that they would drop anchor where they were and approach Haldon at first light. Lewis listened to the engine powering down, and then went to their room to sleep. He found Victor checking Finks pulse.

 Forty one

    ¡°He went to sleep about fourteen hours ago,¡± Victor told him. ¡°And he slept through that storm. Do you think he¡¯s all right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°He seems to be breathing, so let¡¯s just see how he is doing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± Victor said with doubt in his voice.


    ¡°Mr. Lewis! Time to wake up!¡± It was a small child¡¯s voice that woke him from a sound sleep. He came to his feet looking for his pistol and banging his head on the bunk that was above the one that he was sleeping in. It took a moment to orient himself. When he looked around, he was in a small room with four bunks. Victor was swinging his legs off the top bunk on the other side. Fink was sleeping in the bottom one.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to Victor, who looked completely uncomprehending. Lewis realized he was speaking English and switched to the language that he had learned during his passage on the Star Skipper. ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s go see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Melissa stood in the passageway, well back from the door. Her eyes got big when she saw the pistol in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s time to go to land, Mr. Lewis.¡±


    He holstered the pistol and she turned and fled toward the other end of the passage. He turned to go back for his bags and bumped into Victor. They spoke to Fink as they gathered their stuff. He groaned and pulled his blanket over his head.


    ¡°Come on Fink,¡± Lewis spoke firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sick mama, I don¡¯t wanna go to lessons today,¡± Fink whined.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Lewis said loudly, throwing Fink¡¯s boots onto his bed.


    Fink peeked from under his blanket. ¡°Crap! Crap!¡±


    He fell out of bed and gathered his things, getting ready in one minute. Lewis and Victor made their bunks neatly. Fink tried to make his blanket behave, mumbling under his breath. When they reached topside Flynn had the lifeboat ready.  Everybody climbed in with their backpacks and Flynn lowered the boat to the water. He climbed down the ladder, took the oars in hand and propelled them toward Haldon. When they rounded the cliffs Haldon came into sight, looming suddenly through the mist. It looked remarkably intact, with spires and tall buildings rising above the fog. Suddenly a ship appeared out of the bank of fog, steaming out to sea.


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    ¡°That¡¯s the ferry, do you want to wait for tomorrow?¡± Flynn said to Lewis.


    ¡°Not if I can help it, do I have a choice?¡± Lewis answered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try!¡± Flynn replied, digging in with the oars and leaning back so he could pull harder.


    The ferry was two hundred yards away when Victor started signaling, Flynn was picking up speed, trying to intercept her course. A whistle sounded loud and clear, and a great clank was heard across the water. The engines started to rumble and the steam increased as the ships propellers went to full reverse. When they were closer a sailor tossed them a rope, which Captain Flynn tied to the prow. The lifeboat suddenly changed direction as the rope yanked it onto a course which was bringing it closer and closer to the wake. Then the ride became very rough as the little boat bounced off the side of the ship repeatedly. A man on deck threw a ladder down and Victor climbed up. He talked to the sailors for a few minutes, and then motioned for the others to follow. Lewis and Fink climbed the ladder, waving goodbye to Captain Flynn as they reached the deck. Flynn untied the rope and fell back quickly. Melissa held on with one hand and waved at them with the other as the boat slipped around the ferry, rocking in the wake until it was out of sight. Lewis turned to look at the folks that were gathering on the deck, there were probably twenty in all. He saw that about half of them wore the brown uniforms of the defender¡¯s navy, three officers strode forward. Lewis dug in his pocket for his papers, which he presented to the major at the front of the group. All was still while the major read Lewis¡¯ letter from Sir Trun, then shuffled through the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m Major Ryan. This is Lieutenant Chase and Lieutenant Junior Grade Breece. Chase is the C.O. of this ship and Breece is X.O.,¡± the major said. ¡°What brings you into possession of one of our naval officers?¡±


    Lewis told the story of what happened when he returned to Port Mist. They listened impassively, and when he was finished, Lieutenant Chase told them that breakfast was being served below decks if they were hungry.


    They sat next to a middle aged couple from Fort Dillson. The man said that they were returning from a trip to visit their son, who was based in Dontil. His wife commented on the tension in Port Mist.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they feed their children well enough,¡± she added, with a profoundly sad expression.


    Lewis met Major Ryan on the deck later that morning and they sat in deck chairs, looking out over the rail until Ryan spoke. ¡°What business do you have in Fort Dillson?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to meet my team in Landee.¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°So you are going to take the train to Far Side?¡± Ryan queried.


    ¡°That¡¯s the theory,¡± Lewis answered.


    Ryan told him about the train, in fact he told Lewis many things, for about four hours. Lewis volunteered very little information, mostly he listened. By the time they retired to lunch Lewis knew where Ryan lived and his chain of command, as well as a good many juicy gossip items about high society among the defenders.


    After lunch Lewis sat on the deck and wrote down everything he could remember from the conversation. The ferry had a huge common room where the passengers slept on the floor. Lewis and company joined them until the X.O. came and loudly announced that they had arrived in Fort Dillson.

 Forty two

    All of the passengers disembarked single file in an orderly line. There was a restaurant open to take advantage of the flow of traffic from the ferry and most of the passengers took the opportunity to eat. A few people were already in the restaurant, waiting for somebody to arrive from Haldon. Lewis sat with Fink and Victor, while he watched the bustle in the dining room. Three waitresses hurried from table to table, filling hot drinks and taking orders. About thirty customers had walked in all at once and the kitchen was slow in catching up.


    ¡°The train leaves at nine, that gives us five hours to kill,¡¯ Lewis mused. ¡°Daylight starts a little after eight, so I reckon we should be at the station by the time it gets light so that reduces the time to four hours. I need to do some business here, but I think it will take a couple of days. We don¡¯t have that kind of time, so it¡¯ll just have to wait until the return trip.¡±


    ¡°Can you loan me some credits?¡± Fink asked. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the station.¡±


    ¡°I can give you a twenty note,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°Will that do it?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Fink said, holding out his hand. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    They watched Fink leave, and Victor said. ¡°Your friend is very strange.¡±


    ¡°I have a client in Ladzoo, Fink is her brother,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°He seems a little off to me, but I¡¯m told that he¡¯s very good at what he does.¡±


    ¡°What does he do?¡± Victor asked.


    ¡°Apparently he hunts mutants and he knows the scavenging business,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that he¡¯s one hell of a sniper.¡±


    They finished their breakfast in silence and Lewis paid the bill, and then tipped the waitress with a silver coin from Ladzoo. Victor became confused by that and said so.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that she doesn¡¯t make much money,¡± Lewis explained. ¡°I am able to afford it, and the service will be good the next time I come in here.¡±


    Lewis and Victor walked to the heart of the city, looking in shop windows and chatting with the patrols that were roving the streets. They found the train station which had been built after the war from adobe blocks and wood beams. It stood in stark contrast to its neighboring buildings, which were tall, plastic and metal, reaching into the gloom of the night sky. Lewis purchased three tickets to Farside from the night clerk.


    After that they made their way to the naval base store, which Lewis was surprised to find open at such an hour. Victor bought ammunition for his service pistol. He also picked up a small backpack and bed roll, along with other items for the trip. Lewis purchased a notebook and pen, some socks and a box containing ten canteens.


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    By the time they reached the station the sky was beginning to show a little dirty gray color in the east. They sat on the long bench and waited, after ten minutes Fink appeared in a far door. He surged ahead of the other people who were coming in and came straight up to where they were sitting.


    ¡°Come on, boys! Let¡¯s go for a train ride, I haven¡¯t been on the train in years, have you ridden on the train?¡± Fink was talking fast, and Lewis could not decide if it was with a slur or a drawl. ¡°Let¡¯s go, the people are lining up already, their gonna get all the good seats.¡±


    He picked up Victor¡¯s pack and Lewis¡¯ box from their feet and headed for the line that contained four other people. Lewis and Victor gathered up the remainder of their goods and made their way to the queue. A couple of people had lined up behind Fink, but he insisted that Lewis and Victor move up and stand by him.


    The train was narrow, with a series of benches for only two people on either side of a small aisle. The seats were made of some type of leather, that was black and stiff. A small window was above every bench, with a curtain drawn across each one. A rail ran beneath the seats and luggage storage was behind it. There was also a rack above the seats for additional luggage. The porter walked down the aisle, checking tickets. The man was a uniformed soldier, with a pistol on his hip. Lewis asked Victor about his rank after the soldier had passed them by.


    ¡°He¡¯s a specialist, he must be the lead man on his team,¡± Victor told Lewis.¡± There probably is a sergeant in the engine room.¡±


    ¡°Pretty low rank for the whole crew, huh?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°The driver is usually a student from the engineering school, in their last year. They have them work here to provide them with a feel for everyday engine work,¡± Victor said.¡± Most of the crew may have been ordered to spend some time manning the train because of some minor infraction during their training. A few end up making a career of it.¡±


    ¡°That would explain why they all seem so sour all the time,¡± Fink commented, and then he sat up real straight imitating an officer. He pointed his finger and looked stern. ¡°You¡¯ve been a baad boy and now you must ride the train until I say you can come back and live with civilized people again!¡±


    They all laughed, and Lewis turned back to the window. The train was pointing west on a single set of tracks, behind the station and flanked on the other side by a tall building. The ten story building was adorned with a huge poster of a soldier in enhanced battle armor, on one knee with his helmet under his left arm. The man was handing his canteen to a ragged child with both arms outstretched, a smile on her dirty face. In bold letters it admonished the observer to¡¯ thank those who make it possible for life to continue.¡¯ Lewis studied the cracked and fading image until he heard the rumble of the engine increase. There was a long series of dull thuds as the cars started to move and the couplers tightened up.


    In less than ten minutes they had cleared the city. Victor moved up one seat and removed his jacket, folding it into a bundle. He held it against the wall to lean his head on and was soon snoring quietly as the train rumbled along. Lewis tuned to talk to Fink and saw that he was engrossed in taking a small electronic device apart. Fink was wearing magnifying glasses and humming to himself while he worked with a small screwdriver and tweezers. Lewis turned back to his own window and watched the approaching mountains. An unbroken line of cliffs and clefts rose up and disappeared into the clouds.


    A soldier walked down the aisle and hung two oil lanterns, and then with a cylindrical torch about the size of a pen he lit them through a hole in the bottom of each globe. The soldier moved on to the next car toward the rear. Rocks outside rushed towards them and engulfed the car Lewis was sitting in, as they entered a tunnel. Daylight turned to pitch blackness in a matter of seconds.

 Forty three

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Fink said from behind him. ¡°I forgot about that.¡±


    ¡°Did you lose anything?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Fink answered. ¡°But I can check when we get to the mines.¡±


    ¡°Mines?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the train stops at a mine under the mountain,¡± Fink told Lewis. ¡°They pretty much have a whole village there with lights and families and everything.¡±


    ¡°What are they mining for?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s all very hush-hush,¡± Fink replied. ¡°You could get off there, but they won¡¯t let you go into the tunnels. We rented a room in the town once and stayed a few days, but it was boring so we moved on.¡±


    ¡°Who is we? I thought you were a loner,¡± Lewis commented.


    ¡°About ten years ago, Tomas and me, we rambled all over this island by train,¡± Fink said. ¡°It took a couple of months and we had a lot of fun.¡±


    The train had been on a steady incline for half of an hour when it began to slow and level off. Light began filtering into the tunnel and a few minutes later the train suddenly popped out of a rock wall into a cavernous room that was brightly lit by electric flood lights. The part of the room that Lewis could see had an open, flat floor about thirty yards wide and two hundred yards long running parallel to the tracks. On the far side from the train was a wall built of square blocks and mortar that went from floor to ceiling. The floor level lead to a massive double door, and two standard doors set at least a hundred feet away on either side of the big door. Ten feet above each regular door were two windows that were three feet square.


    The porter entered the car and told everyone that they could disembark here.


    ¡°We will be here for a half hour,¡± he said. ¡°If you miss the train, there will be another tomorrow. Any train will carry you out of here; after all they know how you arrived here.¡±


    Fink was searching the floor for a small spring, Victor stretched and yawned.


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    ¡°Should we get down and look around?¡± Victor asked.


    ¡°Probably won¡¯t hurt,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t miss the train. Any luck there Fink?¡±


    ¡°No joy,¡± Fink said, sounding irritated. ¡°Oh well, we have twenty eight minutes. If you want to look around we had better get going,¡± he stood up and headed toward the door.


    They stepped down on the left side of the train and walked past two passenger cars and the engine. Several passengers exited out of each car, and everyone walked across the two sets of tracks together.


    A few shops and a caf¨¦ stood closest to the tracks, small colored signs declaring their purpose. Fink walked straight into the caf¨¦ and ordered three shots of whiskey, which he banged down in quick succession. Lewis ordered cold tea and Victor wanted water. They were there for five minutes, by which time the caf¨¦ was completely full of people jostling around and shouting for a drink or snack. They gladly left the caf¨¦ to make more room for others.


    The shop next door carried a wide assortment of items for living there, everything from heavy leather clothing to toilet paper. Lewis spotted a shelf full of electronics and went over to look at it. Victor was looking at a leather jacket and Fink was arguing with the store clerk over the price of something that Lewis couldn¡¯t see because Fink blocked his view. The shelf contained a couple of old computers, some radios, and flashlights and, far at the end, a rifle scope with a battery in its right side. He took it down and examined it closely. On the bottom were two mounting screws, a panel on the left hid three buttons and three adjustment wheels. He pushed the green button and nothing happened, so he pushed the blue one. The optic end lit faintly. He pointed the other end at the window and saw a faint image of the window with an orange dot in the center. When he pushed the red button the image became ghostly red, he saw someone pass by outside the window. The image was clearly a woman many times brighter than the background; the dot had changed to a vivid green. He pushed the green button and the screen turned green and the dot became a deep blood red. The window was too bright to make anything out, but he could see things on the shelves inside the window.


    He took it to the counter, where Victor was trying on the leather jacket. It fit pretty well and he handed the man a credit voucher.


    Suddenly, a bell sounded, echoing throughout the cavern.


    ¡°You guys better get going,¡± the man at the counter said.


    ¡°How much?¡± Lewis asked, holding up the scope for the man to see.


    ¡°Ninety,¡± the man shot back.


    Lewis dug through his pockets and tossed a hundred credit note on the counter, then hurried after Victor. Fink peeled himself off of the wall outside the door and joined them; they all strode across the tracks. Down the far side of the train the porter waited to hustle everyone back aboard. When they were aboard Lewis leaned over a seat on the far side of the aisle to look out the window. Folks were running toward the train as it slowly built up rpms. It looked like everyone would be able to board so Lewis took his seat.

 Forty four

    In five minutes, the train started moving, and within a couple hundred yards they were back in the darkness. The track began to slope downward, the train picked up speed and within fifteen minutes Lewis saw light up ahead. A moment later the train shot out of the tunnel into a sloping desert landscape. The train was slowing down and he could feel the brakes being applied and released repeatedly. A sign appeared that said ¡®Dryside: one kilometer.¡¯ After another minute the train eased to a slow stop, and the porter came through the door again to tell everyone that there would be an hour stop while they took on water. Fink was asleep, so Lewis and Victor left the train to look around. They walked around the train in a cool breeze that blew dust off the road in little whirlwinds. The train had stopped under a sluice that carried water on past the tracks to a waterwheel that was turning noisily. It rotated on a two-inch shaft that went into a small building with wires coming out of the top and leading to a series of poles that ran through the town. After the waterwheel the water ran toward several acres of corrals with lizards and birds in them.


    The town consisted of a main street that was perpendicular to the tracks, with six large buildings on either side and a small collection of houses behind them. People were milling about, many going from the train to the caf¨¦. Lewis watched a woman in dusty coveralls climb a ladder to the sluice and pull hard on a lever. The water stopped flowing to the waterwheel and was diverted to an opening on the top of the train¡¯s engine. The waterwheel stopped convulsively, all the signs on the buildings went dark and the streetlights, which had been on, flickered and died.


    ¡°If you want to eat, we had better head over to the cafe,¡± Victor said.


    ¡°Do the trains only run during the daytime?¡± Lewis asked, as they made their way to the caf¨¦.


    ¡°As far as I know, that is true,¡± Victor replied.


    They found a table in the crowded dining room, and ate well in its dim interior which was lit by the large windows that faced the street. As they exited the cafe the train engineer was signaling the woman on the scaffold to stop the water. It was diverted to the waterwheel where it gurgled and gushed all over the top of the wheel, but nothing moved. The woman walked down the sluice and stepped out on the wheel and walked down it like stairs. Her weight started the wheel turning and she jumped off near the ground. She strode up the street dripping and leaving a trail of mud in her wake. The wheel turned like it had never stopped, restoring the signs and the streetlights to their original vigor.


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    Lewis was considering going to the dry goods store across the street, but the bell on the train rang. They joined the crowd heading back to board the train. Fink was still asleep on his seat, so Lewis and Victor took their seats and waited for the train to start moving again.


    They spent an hour looking out at a vast desert. Finally they saw some greenery, in the form of small bunches of fronds growing like bushes out of the dust. A little way further the fronds became thick, and there was an occasional tree. When the first houses of Farside came into view the train began to decelerate. As they entered the city Lewis saw no signs of the wreckage he had seen elsewhere. The train passed by the north side of downtown then swung south in a big, lazy arc. The skyline of the downtown was still on the left side when they entered an enormous building. They slowed to a stop inside and everybody filed out.


    There were benches, tables, trash cans and kiosks. All along the west wall there were ticket counters, several hundred feet away from where he stood, but the signs above each one were dark and still. A few had been converted to shops, but most were just empty.


    The familiarity brought back waves of memory, starkly contrasted by the emptiness of the cavernous space. The building covered several acres, and yet even with the passengers that had disembarked from the train, there were less than fifty people visible on that side of the building.


    Fink looked around in obvious delight, smiling and taking it all in. ¡°What a place, huh? There¡¯s a place like this in the ruins, on the other side of the river, in Ladzoo,¡± Fink said, pointing up. ¡°The ceiling is not as intact in that terminal building. This one is just incredible. I¡¯ll bet it could hold thousands of people.¡±


    Lewis looked up at the structure over their heads. It consisted of arching beams every hundred feet or so, with crossbeams connecting them at similar intervals. The resulting squares were filled with panels from a single sheet of transparent material, showing the grey sky above. Some of the panels were missing, but they had been replaced by individual roofs that stood out in stark contrast to the original panels.


    Victor looked impatient, and after gazing up at the ceiling for a few minutes said. ¡°Let¡¯s check on the ferry, maybe we can catch one today.¡±


    He hurried them out of the north end of the building, where the train had entered the building. A group of soldiers manned the opening, and pulled a rolling gate across it, which restricted people exiting down to single file. Several people were already in line to leave. The guard questioned each one and then let them pass, sometimes looking at their papers. Lewis dug out his own papers and saw Fink do the same. Victor¡¯s uniform elicited a salute.


    He nodded his acknowledgement, saying. ¡°These two are with me.¡±


    They didn¡¯t need their papers after all.

 Forty five

    They easily found the office for the ferry dock, as the directions they received from the guard at the train station took them directly there. Two heavily armed guards crossed their rifles when the trio approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, they¡¯re with me,¡± Victor said, reassuringly.


    ¡°Sorry sir,¡± one of the guards told him, looking uncomfortable.¡± Our orders prohibit anyone from approaching the ferry today.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Victor asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know sir,¡± the man answered a little too quickly.


    Lewis watched Victor¡¯s easy going countenance turn hard, as he took a step forward, stopping inches from the guard¡¯s face. ¡°I want some answers, mister!¡±


    The guard paled but didn¡¯t move. ¡°Truly I¡¯m sorry, but I am unable to answer you. The base is north of here, less than a mile, maybe they could help you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find out,¡± Victor said through clenched teeth, as he turned on his heel and marched off.


    ¡°Boy, you scared the crap outa that guy,¡± Fink said when they were out of earshot of the guards.


    Lewis poked Fink in the ribs. ¡°Hey, let Micheal handle this,¡± he spoke quietly, leaning over by Fink¡¯s ear.


    ¡°But that was awesome. Did you see that guy shaking?¡± Fink said. ¡°I¡¯ll bet they knew exactly what was going on and they just didn¡¯t want to tell us.¡±


    Victor spun towards Fink, grabbing him by the collar. ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I swear I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± Fink interrupted, his face suddenly impassive and perfectly calm.


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Lewis muttered, separating them and stepping into the gap.


    Victor was shaking with rage, and Fink seemed relaxed, almost limp. Lewis pondered how much back up Victor would have if the two of them went to blows there in the street, and where it would leave him. He turned to Victor. ¡°Come on, he¡¯s a civilian, and he doesn¡¯t know the rules.¡±


    Victor still looked upset, but he continued on his way without saying anything more. Fink tagged along like nothing had ever happened. Ten minutes later they reached the gates of the base. Victor explained to the guards why they were there and what they had come to find out. One of the guards looked at the papers that Lewis and Fink presented, and then he let them through the gate. At the duty office they found an aged cavalry captain in charge.


    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Church, what can I do for you boys?¡± he asked after he closed the ledger he was working on and leaned back in his chair to give them his full attention.


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    ¡°Please pardon the intrusion sir,¡± Victor said, holding his cover in both hands. ¡°But we need to travel to Landee, and the sentries could not tell us why there is a  holdup.¡±


    ¡°Slow down son,¡± Church drawled. ¡°Why do you need to go there? And who are these people?¡±


    ¡°I have orders to rejoin my ship there and resume my duties, also to escort Lieutenant Lewis here to Landee with all haste,¡± he indicated Lewis ¡°This other man is Fink, he helped us out of a sticky situation in Port Mist. Are you able to help us?¡±


    ¡°It may be that I could nudge you in the right direction. The ferry won¡¯t sail until tomorrow,¡± Church looked sympathetic. ¡°However, a load of critical supplies is due to leave in a few hours I think. So let¡¯s find out if we can get you a berth on that vessel. I want to stretch my legs anyway.¡±


    The captain had his NCO take his place in the office and led them outside. They walked toward the base¡¯s internal piers, stopping a few times as Church and Victor acknowledged salutes and one time to make way for a general¡¯s entourage.  When they arrived at a guard post near the water, Captain Church spoke quietly to one of the sailors on duty. They nodded a few times and then the sailor hurried off towards an office building.


    Shortly they were joined by a naval officer, after providing instructions Church bade Victor to explain his situation. The officer listened to Victor¡¯s story, and then thanked Church.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here, I don¡¯t think it will be a problem,¡± he told Victor. ¡°we¡¯ll get you and your friends to Landee.¡±


    He took them to the pier, where they met Lieutenant Nash, a grizzled old shipmaster who walked with a pronounced limp.


    ¡°I¡¯m told that I can¡¯t carry passengers, except by written order from a lieutenant commander or higher,¡± Nash sadly informed them. ¡°You brought me a lieutenant, I¡¯m afraid that ain¡¯t gonna cut it.¡±


    ¡°How long before you steam out of here?¡± Victor asked.


    ¡°Ninety minutes.¡± Nash answered.


    ¡°Nash is by the book,¡± Church commented after they left the pier. ¡°We might be able to see the base commander on this side,¡±


    They walked for about five minutes before arriving at an office building with a sign that read:


    Defenders of Andar


    Northern Naval Command


    Rear Admiral Slane U.H.


    Victor stared at the sign. ¡°Admiral Slane is the base commander here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, although I¡¯ve never met him,¡± Church admitted. ¡°But I hear that he¡¯s a reasonable man, shall we find out?¡±


    ¡°You bet,¡± Victor said, looking more enthusiastic than Lewis was used to. ¡°I read about him, if it¡¯s the same man, wounded fighting pirates. He¡¯s a hero.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± Church said, holding the door open for them.


    ¡°We have an urgent need to see the admiral,¡± Church explained to the sailor at the desk. ¡°It¡¯s time sensitive.¡±


    ¡°Yes Captain,¡± she said. ¡°Take the elevator up two floors and you will be in the admiral¡¯s lobby, good luck.¡±


    They were upstairs talking to the assistant when a man in a wheelchair rolled out of a conference room, followed by two captains and several commanders. They were all in dress uniforms and the man in the wheelchair wore the insignia of a rear admiral, upper half. The military men snapped to attention and saluted the group; even Fink stood very straight and looked impressed.

 Forty six

    ¡°At ease gentlemen,¡± the admiral rumbled. ¡°I¡¯m Admiral Slane, what may I do for you, captain is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Captain Church replied. ¡°These men need to travel to Landee and the ferry seems to be down, so I brought them here. We were hoping to obtain permission for them to ride the supply ship.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the admiral asked Lewis.


    ¡°Lieutenant Lewis, sir,¡± he answered, and then he added. ¡°From Ascore.¡±


    ¡°Were you involved in that fight with the dark lanterns, north of Port Mist?¡± Slane asked.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Lewis admitted.


    ¡°Let me handle this, Captain. Thank you,¡± Slane told Church.


    Church saluted and left.


    The admiral looked at Fink. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Fink, here from Ladzoo. I¡¯ve been with these guys since Port Mist,¡± Fink answered, looking uncomfortable in front of authority.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fink. Please wait down stairs, Commander Sereno will accompany you. Commander, make sure he stays on the deck,¡± Slane then turned to Lewis and Victor.


    He nodded toward the door where he had entered the room. They walked in, followed by the sounds of Slane¡¯s wheels and a couple of pairs of feet. The table had room for twenty, so Lewis hesitated, waiting to see if they would be assigned seats.


    ¡°Down at the other end, Lewis on my right, Victor on my left,¡± the admiral said in answer to the unasked question. He rolled to the end and Lewis took the seat to Slane¡¯s right. When he and Victor were seated they each found themselves between the admiral and a captain.


    ¡°All right sailor. Tell me what happened out there in Port Mist,¡± Slane said to Victor.


    Victor provided a very vivid account of the battle with the dark lantern ships. Lewis thought he overdid Romeos¡¯ heroics a bit, but he did not comment. Victor stopped when he reached the end of the fight, but the captain sitting next to him coaxed him to continue. He told about the riots, arrests and incarceration that followed. When his story had reached the point where Wilsey was back at base, the admiral stopped him. Slane then called his receptionist.


    ¡°Prepare a room in the guest quarters for these men, perhaps number twelve, then find Lieutenant Junior Grade Victor and Mr. Fink something more appropriate to wear,¡± the admiral ordered, and then turned to his captains. ¡°You gentlemen have duties to attend to, I will talk to Lieutenant Lewis alone.¡±


    When everybody had left he looked hard at Lewis. ¡°We are very interested in what you and your captain are going to do. Are you at liberty to discuss details?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°What details did you have in mind?¡± he handed his papers to the admiral.


    Slane read the letters from Trun and Skobin. ¡°You made a good impression so far. Am I correct in my understanding that you are going to Mount Calo, and that¡¯s why your team is meeting in Landee?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°It¡¯s no secret we¡¯re hoping to find some charts that will show this place in relation to the rest of the stars. The DeLeahs seem to want to get back to some business where ever they came from.¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving with them?¡± Slane asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I know the answer to that yet,¡± Lewis said.


    ¡°Do the DeLeahs intend to report this place to the confederation?¡± the admiral wanted to know.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that information yet either, I guess it depends on what the consensus is from the local groups,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°I understand they stand to profit from both paths.¡±


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    ¡°What do you think about Ascore¡¯s prospects, if the source of order and funding goes away?¡± the admiral leaned on the table and toward Lewis.


    Lewis pondered the question, wondering how much progress had been made since he left. ¡°I would imagine it depends on how much preparation the city¡¯s new population is given, as well as how much support they receive from the established powers.¡±


    ¡°That was a very vague answer. The place rises like a leatherwing out of the rubble, nobody expected it. Do you think DeLeah ventures is able to plant a hardy enough seed? Or does it just collapse like a hot air balloon when you deprive it of fuel?¡± Slane sounded a little sharper than before.


    ¡°My guess is that it¡¯ll be rocky, but that they will make it,¡± Lewis said, after a short delay. ¡°If I understand the picture correctly, the DeLeahs do things like this, mostly impromptu, and they are used to seeing it succeed. The confidence with which they operate speaks of more than merely money.¡±


    ¡°OK, let me ask you this,¡± Slane said. ¡°You have opened an office in Port Mist and acquired a warehouse in Dontil, what happened to Fort Dillson?¡±


    ¡°Fort Dillson is on my list, but getting to Landee was more urgent,¡± Lewis replied.


    Admiral Slane seemed satisfied and instructed Lewis to see the receptionist for directions to his room, so Lewis went out to her desk. She continued to write while he stood and waited. When she was finished she called over one of the sailors guarding the door.


    ¡°Petty officer Rey, please escort Lieutenant Lewis to his room.¡± She said, indicating Lewis.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± he said quickly, then turned to Lewis. ¡°Are you Lieutenant Lewis, sir?¡±


    ¡®I am,¡± Lewis replied.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Rey sounded very serious. ¡°Please follow me sir.¡±


    They went out a backdoor in the lobby, and up several flights of stairs. Lewis tried a couple of times to strike up a conversation, but the petty officer didn¡¯t seem interested, so Lewis stopped talking and followed quietly.


    Suite number twelve was a luxurious unit, with four bedrooms off of a common room with a kitchenette. The floors were polished wood and the furniture made of plastic and shiny metal. Lewis walked through a bedroom, which had its own bathroom, and everything looked clean and new. A balcony looked over a few shorter buildings and out to sea. Fink sat on the balcony to his right, wearing an officer¡¯s dress uniform with a small ¡®V¡¯ on the left shoulder. His face was shaved clean and his shoulder length hair was pulled back in a small pony tail. When he turned to Lewis he had a pipe in his hand and a smile on his face.


    ¡°Not a bad place to be a prisoner,¡± Fink said pleasantly. ¡°I could handle this mistreatment for a while.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re a prisoner?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°I was brought here under armed guard,¡± Fink replied. ¡°And when I stuck my head out, he was still there and he very politely informed me that I should stay put.¡±


    ¡°How about we test your theory in a little while?¡± Lewis asked.


    Fink nodded and went back to gazing out over the harbor and puffing thoughtfully on his pipe. Lewis returned to the bedroom and looked around. The little closet was empty, so he went to the next bedroom. He found the door closed and went on to the last one. The door was open; a dress uniform was laid out on the bed. He held it up and it looked like it would fit, so he took a quick shower to wash off the road dirt, shaved and put on the uniform. It had a small ¡®D¡¯ on the shoulder, but no other insignia.


    When he reentered the common room, he found Victor in a similar uniform which showed his rank, all cleaned up and reading what looked like a newspaper.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Victor said, handing it over and pointing out an article.


    The article talked about the attack by the dark lanterns. The details were sketchy, but it did give credit to two ¡®as yet unnamed parties¡¯ for coming to the aid of the defenders¡¯ warship. It went on to say that the dark lantern leadership denied any involvement in the incident, and expressed regrets for any loss of life or property damage that resulted from their wayward captains¡¯ actions. The whole affair was still under investigation.


    ¡°Is this produced by the defenders?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s by a private business in Fort Wutanna,¡± Victor answered, looking puzzled. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, I¡¯m wondering why they wouldn¡¯t name the two parties who helped,¡± Lewis said. ¡°I would think it may have helped to reduce tensions between the defenders and the submerged people.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of anger over their attempts to invade us,¡± Victor told him. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that their small contribution wasn¡¯t mentioned, but it seems to me that they should have told the people what you did, you and your people carried the day.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯d be careful who you say that to,¡± Lewis laughed. ¡°You might step on somebody¡¯s feelings.¡±


    Lewis polished his boots, and then fetched Fink so they could all go out together. The sailor outside their door nodded when they entered the hallway.


    ¡°Admiral Slane requests your presence for dinner,¡± he said, addressing all of them. ¡°Shall I show you the way?¡±


    ¡°Lead on,¡± Lewis told him.


    They arrived on the main deck amid at least a dozen officers in full dress uniforms. The crowd flowed into a corridor and their guide led them to the rear of the procession. Everyone ended up in a formal dining room, where the sailor left them.


    ¡°The admiral¡¯s over there, I have to go,¡± he said, heading for the door.

 Forty seven

    The room was filled with sweet tobacco smoke, perfume, and the almost overwhelming aromas of the coming meal. The meal itself was excellent, with stewed meats, spiced and browned, brought to the table still sizzling on their platters. A heady wine, sweetly aromatic, was followed by steamed vegetables and a rice-like grain. Desert consisted of flat confections drizzled with a caramelized sugar syrup. Everyone at the tables sat and focused on the bountiful food at hand. At the conclusion of the meal, the admiral wheeled back from the table.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce our guests of honor,¡± Slane boomed in a voice that echoed off the walls. ¡°Admiral of the navies, Joseph Canner has come up from Fort Wutanna to see us here, and brought with him General Rando.¡± Polite applause sounded throughout the room as Admiral Canner stood to address everyone there.


    ¡°Southern command keeps me pretty busy,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a chance very often to enjoy a trip to your fair city. Today I have a few things to discuss with you, but first it¡¯s my pleasure to point out that we have a few outsiders joining us tonight. Mr. Fink has done us a great service for which I¡¯ll always be grateful,¡± he was interrupted by a smattering of quiet applause. ¡°And First Lieutenant Lewis from Ascore, who by the way, I think should carry a much higher rank. Lieutenant Lewis helped us win a battle,¡± more clapping sounded in the room. ¡°Also thanks in no small part to these two, there may be an improvement in relations with the submerged naval people. Later, I will be talking to some of you about my mission. For now, there are lots of people here who don¡¯t get to see each other very often so it is time to socialize. In an hour we¡¯ll get back to business.¡±


    Everyone in the room stood and moved around, greeting each other in a formal manner. Lewis talked to a good many of the officers there. He enjoyed watching Victor, who was getting the opportunity to meet much of his higher command structure. Fink, usually so reserved around important people, was schmoozing like a man on a mission. When the hour was over Victor gathered Lewis and Fink and they left the room.


    They spent a few hours strolling around the base, visiting the base stores and talking to sailors. Fink and Victor went into a shop that sold and fixed electronic devices, while Lewis sat on a bench and watched children who played on the playground equipment across the street. An old man leaning on a cane came shuffling down the street to where Lewis sat, when he got to the bench he slowly lowered himself onto it.


    ¡°Sorry sir, but I had to sit down,¡± he said breathlessly, as he worked his left shoulder in a few tight circles.


    ¡°Quite all right,¡± Lewis assured him. ¡°Do you come here to watch the little ones?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.            ¡°You see the girl pushing the swing?¡± the old man wheezed.


    ¡°I do,¡± Lewis looked at a woman about thirty who was pushing a little boy high in the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s my granddaughter,¡± The man told him. ¡°She watches children for the officers while their too small to go to lessons.¡±


    ¡°What do the children of the enlisted do?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    ¡°They go to a different place, on the other side of the base,¡± came the slow reply. ¡°It¡¯s not as clean, but they have more friends.¡±


    ¡°Why do they separate them?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Because at that age they don¡¯t know enough to separate themselves,¡± the old man turned to regard Lewis with misty blue eyes. ¡°Beggin¡¯ your pardon, sir, but I know you¡¯re not from here and my family lives at the bottom rung of a very tall ladder,¡± he paused to catch his breath, then he continued. ¡°Our house isn¡¯t very big, but we keep it clean. We have a system here and it works well because everyone knows their place and stays in that place.¡±


    Fink and Victor emerged from the store and when Lewis¡¯ companion saw them he struggled to his feet and greeted Victor. ¡°Good day sir, would you like to sit here?¡±


    Victor glanced at Lewis, who shook his head as he stood up. ¡°At ease, we have things to do,¡± Victor said firmly. ¡°Enjoy your bench.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much sir,¡± the old man said, standing as straight as he could and saluting.


    Victor returned his salute and they left the way they had come. Lewis wanted to visit a gunsmith and after asking around they located one. It turned out to be a weapons lab on the army side. Lewis asked Victor if he would be willing to get the repeating rifle and the scope from Lewis¡¯ room. Lewis and Fink went to search for the lab while Victor went back to their suite.


    The lab was run by a cavalry captain by the name of Tubbs. They were taken to Captain Tubbs by two guards in heavy mechanized armor, through hallways in what looked like an office complex. Tubbs was an intense man with a shaved head. A short cropped red beard and mustache contrasted with his bright green eyes as he regarded them coolly when the guards brought them in.


    ¡°Gentlemen, were you aware that this is a restricted location and most of its functions are classified,¡± Tubbs asked quietly. ¡°You want to give me a good reason I should not have you clapped in irons and expelled from the island?¡±


    Lewis started to reach into his inside pocket, but stopped when a muzzle pointed at each side of his head. ¡°Call off your goons, Captain, and I¡¯ll show you my paperwork. I did not come here to spy; I was just looking for a gunsmith.¡±


    Tubbs nodded slightly and the weapons lowered a bit. The captain took the papers and looked them over thoroughly. He raised an eyebrow as he handed them back.

 Forty eight

    ¡°Impressive, Lieutenant,¡± Tubbs declared. ¡°But it still isn¡¯t a ticket inside. It is good for a free trip to a gunsmith, if that¡¯s really what you want. Why don¡¯t you show me what you want done.¡±


    ¡°About that, Captain, a friend is bringing my rifle over here,¡± Lewis explained. ¡°I was planning on waiting outside for him, but these guys were in a hurry to introduce us.¡±


    ¡°Damn, let¡¯s see if I¡¯ve got this straight,¡± Tubbs intoned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°You came over here and interrupted this time sensitive project I¡¯m working on and you didn¡¯t even bring a gun.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, sir,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°I did bring a pistol, do you want to see it?¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll bite,¡± the captain held out his hand, looking exasperated. ¡°What do you have?¡±


    Lewis looked at each guard in turn and when they nodded he reached under his jacket and pulled the ruger from the back waistband of his trousers. He dropped the clip into his left hand, and then racked the slide to look into the chamber. He laid the pistol on the desk with the clip beside it. Tubbs spent a few minutes turning it over and working the slide. He quickly figured out how to extract a cartridge from the clip. He set the cartridge on his desk and took a magnifying glass from a desk drawer to examine it.


    Finally he sat back and looked up, addressing the guards. ¡°You guys go wait for Lieutenant Lewis¡¯ friend, what¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Junior Grade Victor,¡± said Fink, who had been standing like a statue until then.


    ¡°Wait for the navy officer, when he arrives bring him to me,¡± Tubbs said quietly, and then as soon as they had left he turned to Fink. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Fink, I¡¯m from Ladzoo, ¡°Fink answered.


    ¡°You have the accent,¡± the captain mused. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Hanging out with the lieutenant,¡± Fink replied.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this?¡± he asked Lewis, nodding at the pistol on his desk.


    ¡°Standard issue side arm,¡± Lewis said. ¡°I¡¯ve had it for years.¡±


    ¡°Standard where?¡± Tubbs retorted.


    ¡°Have you not heard? I¡¯m an alien,¡± Lewis chuckled.


    ¡°I heard some rumors,¡± Tubbs said, raising his eyebrows. ¡°I figured that guy in Ladzoo was making it up to sell papers.¡±


    ¡°What guy?¡± Lewis and Fink asked in unison.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember his name; he claimed there were aliens in Ascore,¡± Tubbs informed them. ¡°He said he was going to interview their captain.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where I can get a copy of this paper?¡± Lewis inquired.


    ¡°Never seen one, my cousin went to Wutanna,¡± Tubbs told him. ¡°He came back yesterday, said he saw it at a friend¡¯s office there. Are you a scout for the people who settled this place?¡±


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    ¡°No, my team and I were on this ship and apparently it came here by accident,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Since we¡¯re here the captain sent us out to look around while he clears out Ascore.¡±


    ¡°Are you marooned here?¡± Captain Tubbs asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°But for now we¡¯re going to Landee and then up the mountain.¡±


    The guards came in with Victor, who carried one of the large rifles that Lewis had purchased in the Maze.


    ¡°Lieutenant Junior Grade Victor,¡± one of the guards announced.


    Tubbs nodded and the guards left. Victor handed the rifle to Lewis, who set it on the desk. Victor put the scope next to it. The captain picked it up and looked at it, checking the controls.


    ¡°This thing¡¯s in pretty good shape,¡± Tubbs declared. ¡°They made them before the war blew everything to crap. I¡¯ve only seen a couple, where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°I found it in a junk shop on our travels, anyway I¡¯d like it mounted on this rifle,¡± Lewis said. ¡°Can your guys handle that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, and we¡¯ve developed an upgrade for these rifles, longer barrel, better twist. You want that too?¡± Tubbs asked. ¡°How about you give us this pistol, so we can dismantle it and see how it works?¡±


    ¡°I could leave it here, and pick it up on our way back through, would that work?¡± Lewis queried.


    Tubbs squinted at him, and then nodded. ¡°Yeah, may I have the ammo?¡±


    ¡°If you throw in some for the rifle,¡± Lewis countered.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Tubbs declared. ¡°Where do I send this thing when we¡¯re done?¡±


    They were sitting in the common room of suite twelve with Fink teaching them a card game he¡¯d learned in Ladzoo. Two hours after they sat down there was a knock at the door, Victor stood up first to answer it.


    ¡°Delivery for Lieutenant Lewis,¡± the young army sergeant at the door said. ¡°Are you him?¡±


    ¡°Right here,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°What have you got?¡±


    ¡°Two boxes, please sign here,¡± the young man replied, pointing at a line near the bottom of the clipboard he carried. Behind him a soldier stood with a box four feet or more in length by eight inches square. On top of that was another box half as long. The boxes were made of plastic with metal corners and a flexible handle on the top of each one.


    Lewis signed the paper and when the sergeant gave him his copy, he noticed that there was carbon paper between the sheets. ¡°Hey, can I have that?¡± he asked.


    The man shrugged and handed him the carbon paper, while the other guy gave Victor the boxes. After they left Lewis slid the carbon paper into his notebook near the back, and Victor put the boxes on the table. Lewis opened the long box and saw that the rifle had been quite transformed. As the captain had said, the barrel was at least six inches longer and considerably heavier. The scope mount looked like a factory job and the entire weapon, including scope and stock, was a uniform light gray which did not reflect any light.


    Fink whistled under his breath. ¡°Can I touch it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead,¡± Lewis nodded as he went on to open the other box. Inside were small plastic boxes and a note. Victor took the boxes out and laid them on the table.


    Lewis read the note aloud. ¡°When you use the match grade move the selector switch to ¡¯S¡¯. Try not to use the crap from the Maze, its corrosive. This box contains all Wutanna blend. The unit performed well out to five hundred meters on the range. Good luck, Captain Tubbs.¡±


    Fink handed the rifle to Lewis who found the selector switch, which was set to ¡®R¡¯. He moved it to ¡®S¡¯ and opened the ejector door by jacking the lever down. A look inside showed a plate over the magazine opening, allowing access to load a single round into the firing chamber.


    The ammunition collection consisted of twenty boxes; four match grade, the rest repeater style, with flat points. The match grade ammo included one box labeled HE, one box that said AP, and two that said FMJ. The repeater ammunition was ball, hollow point, and jacketed hollow point.


    They put everything away and retired to their beds. Five hours later they were woken up by a knock on their door. It was a young sailor who had been sent to tell them that a ship was departing for Landee in an hour. Lewis and Fink put on civilian clothes and Victor put on a set of utilities. The dress uniforms were left in the rooms. They threw the rest of their stuff together and hurried out of the building. On the way to the dock they stopped off at a caf¨¦ for rolls and coffee, and then made their way to the pier to eat and drink before joining a line to board the ship bound for Landee.

 Forty nine

    Lewis and Fink were treated as passengers, while Victor was assigned a place on the crew. The trip took three days through rough seas. The island they approached rose out of the sea, layer upon layer, until it disappeared into the clouds. Lewis studied it through his binoculars and saw a lot of rock faces with deep fissures.


    Landee turned out to be a quiet port town when they arrived in the middle of the day. As they steamed up to the pier Lewis scanned the faces of the people scattered about the harbor. Even with his binoculars he didn¡¯t find anyone from Romeo, but he did spot the warship, Solution, that had escorted them from Dontil.


    The gang plank swung out from the prow as the ship thumped into its place against the bow thruster. When it was locked in on the pier, a sailor opened the gate and a score of passengers disembarked. Lewis and Fink waited until last to see if Victor would be joining them. When all the other passengers had left, they looked around for him, to no avail.


    ¡°I guess he¡¯s not coming,¡± Lewis observed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    At the bottom of the gangplank they encountered a soldier who asked their business in Landee.


    ¡°We are looking for our people, led by Alice Roquette,¡± Lewis informed him.


    He nodded. ¡°May I help you with your bags? I know where they are.¡±


    Lewis handed him the long box and they headed into the city. The buildings here were mostly newer construction, with planks for siding. They came to a wide plaza where soldiers were running in full gear. Four groups of twenty-five followed each other around a track, and in the center another hundred were participating in dry fire exercises. Buildings encircled the plaza and shops, restaurants and offices faced inward as if they were all watching the defenders train. Halfway up on the right, the members of Team Romeo were seated on an outside veranda. As Lewis and Fink approached, Roquette stood and took a couple of chairs from a nearby table. Their escort handed the box to Derrik, saluted Lewis, and continued on around the plaza. Everyone at the table was standing, so Lewis bade them sit down.


    ¡±How was your trip?¡± he asked Roquette.


    ¡°It was uneventful sir,¡± she replied. ¡°You showed up remarkably soon, we¡¯ve only been here since midnight.¡±


    They sat for the rest of the day, Telini outlined his conversations with the DeLeahs and Gomez told Lewis about their trip from Port Mist. Lewis told them about their time in Farside and the rifle he¡¯d had modified. Fink seemed overjoyed to see them, smiling and laughing, he talked to everyone at once.


    ¡°We have rooms over there,¡± Telini said, nodding at a large building across the plaza. ¡°We couldn¡¯t figure out how long it would take for you to get here, so we asked for ten days. How did you get here so fast?¡±


    ¡°Fink pulled some strings that the rest of us couldn¡¯t reach,¡± Lewis told him. ¡°In the morning I need to see Commander Flagg. I¡¯m curious about what¡¯s happening with that guy that thumped me in Dontil. Then we can resume the mission. The sooner we get back to Ascore the better.¡±


    ¡°The boss keeps changing the priorities,¡± Gomez put in. ¡°I was looking at the map the other day and I think we¡¯d have been back by now if we had traveled directly there.¡±


    Dinner was good, they watched groups of soldiers rotate in and out of the plaza, and then they retired to their rooms. Fink showed them how his card game worked while Lewis and Roquette examined the rifle that the guys in Farside had modified. Victor showed up late that night with a bottle of whiskey and morning came too soon.


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    Gomez was asleep, Fink and Derrik were still playing cards and Roquette sat on the balcony when Lewis awoke. He looked at his watch and saw that he had slept for three hours.


    ¡°May I join you?¡± he asked Roquette.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied. ¡°What do you think of this place?¡±


    ¡°Good view of the plaza, decent beds,¡± he mused. ¡°Not bad, I guess.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± she said quietly, leaning her chair back on two legs as she stared out over the city.


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s easier than answering your real question,¡± he reached down his hand to help her up. ¡°Let¡¯s go down and see about getting some coffee.¡±


    They made their way downstairs to the dining room. Victor and Telini were in the far corner, talking quietly and looking at a book.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Lewis asked, turning her earlier question around as they took their seats.


    ¡°Not fair,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I asked first and you distracted me with the coffee thing.¡±


    ¡°You must admit ¨C it¡¯s good, huh?¡± Lewis countered.


    ¡°What, the coffee or the ploy?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes. We spent years going on special missions,¡± he told her. ¡°The context and situation are a bit different here, but the special mission we are on? I think it¡¯s the same sorta thing Team Romeo has been doing.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll ever get home?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± he said, looking at her over his mug.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you?¡± she asked, looking intently at him. ¡°I mean you¡¯re a married man who might never see his family again. What¡¯s Gloria going to do if you never come back?¡±


    ¡°It does bother me sometimes,¡± Lewis admitted. ¡°But I know the family will take care of them as best they can. We¡¯ve lived through hard times for generations by sticking together. By now the army has probably decided we died in that fight in Romania, and hopefully they¡¯ve sent her a check already.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be okay with the whole thing,¡± Roquette looked sad. ¡°Some days I just want to go home and see my family. I mean we didn¡¯t die there, but we probably should have. And after they blew up your jeep I couldn¡¯t feel my legs; those people fixed that, you know. I¡¯m grateful, don¡¯t get me wrong, but we¡¯re aliens here and mercenaries, too. What the hell is it about the situation that you find acceptable?¡±


    ¡°Listen, Master Sergeant, the fact is we lost that fight in the face of overwhelming odds, but we accomplished our mission by evacuating the people,¡± Lieutenant Lewis said, as sternly as he could manage. ¡°Now I need you to hold it together, because the people of Team Romeo are all we have left. And we need to stay sharp. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯re all going to die here. I find that a lot less acceptable. Maybe someday we¡¯ll find our answers, but right now we have a mission to complete. Help me see it through, will ya?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Roquette answered, wiping at her eye. ¡°But I lost a whole team before I signed up with you, I can¡¯t go through that again. Maybe Stander was right about us growing into a great fighting force, but we¡¯re vulnerable now. I had a dream that I was the only survivor of this team and was stuck here alone. It shook me more than I thought it would, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to Lindy about it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any of her mumbo-jumbo crap,¡± she replied, looking suddenly hard again. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if she actually believes it all or if she¡¯s just trying to get a response out of us, just to get people to look at her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lewis commented. ¡°But it seems to be holding her together, and I don¡¯t see it¡¯s hurting anyone.¡±


    Roquette nodded and rose. ¡°Thanks for listening, Lieutenant.¡±


    As she moved off, he pondered the fact that he had been so busy he had not taken the time to consider the impact that coming here was having on his team. Maybe, he mused, keeping busy was the key, keep them so occupied with current activities that they all just get used to the new environment. He came to a decision in the dining room of that hotel in Landee.


    He got up and went over to Telini. ¡°Meeting in my room. Fifteen minutes.¡±


    When Telini nodded, Lewis turned to Victor. ¡°I wanted to thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I hope we have a chance to work together again,¡± Victor replied with a genuine smile.

 Fifty

    Back up in his room he sat on the bed. ¡°We¡¯re going to leave here tomorrow,¡± he told his assembled team. ¡°Today I want everybody¡¯s gear and weapons inventoried and checked. Also, a two-hour run in the surf and no drinking tonight. I¡¯m going to see Commander Flagg.¡±


    He found Flagg at his ship and together they went to the prison. The commander introduced him to the warden, Colonel Clark.


    ¡°That dark lantern guy we brought in yesterday,¡± Flagg said to Clark. ¡°Lieutenant Lewis was the one he attacked, back in Dontil.¡±


    ¡°I read the reports,¡± Clark said. ¡°You know, we¡¯re going to have to watch this one carefully. He almost escaped last night. We lost two good soldiers; luckily one of our hunters was in the hallway and was able to subdue the prisoner. Now he¡¯s shackled and confined by himself.¡±


    ¡°Any luck getting information from him?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t tried yet, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone hold out longer than a couple of weeks,¡± Clark said. ¡°And there¡¯s always the scopolamine. Enough of that stuff will loosen any tongue.¡±


    Lewis made a face, but nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll call on you when we come down.¡±


    Clark looked puzzled, so Flagg told him. ¡°Lieutenant Lewis is going to the top of the mountain, to look for something.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Clark asked sharply. ¡°What¡¯s worth dying for up there?¡± then added. ¡°We¡¯ve sent people up the mountain in the past, if they came back at all it was with less people and sometimes raving stupidly.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Lewis inquired.


    ¡°Reapers, mutants, cliffs, weirdoes, you name it,¡± Clark said quietly. ¡°Whatever¡¯s up there doesn¡¯t come down and bother us, and personally, I like that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try not to bring anything back that might bite,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°Have you ever been up there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on the first tier where the Hagen live,¡± Clark answered. ¡°That was twenty years ago when I was first out of the academy. We spent a few weeks up there, fighting mutants and leatherwings.¡±


    ¡°Did you win?¡± Flagg asked.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Clark said. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of them sending any large patrols up since then. Once in a while some Hagen will come down; they say it¡¯s been quiet for a long time.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a large patrol?¡± Lewis wanted to know.


    ¡°There were seventy of us, when we went up,¡± Clark answered. ¡°Twenty or so when we came back,¡± then he added as an afterthought. ¡°By the way, a fellow passed by on his way up. That was maybe a month ago. He had an old map of the plateau.¡±


    ¡°What was he looking for?¡± Flagg asked. ¡°And why would we let him wander alone in our territory?¡±


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    ¡°Talk to the base commander,¡± Clark said. ¡°You know, I need to get back to my paperwork. Good luck.¡±


    When they were outside the prison complex Flagg turned to Lewis. ¡°Do you want to ask the base commander about that guy Clark mentioned?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll keep our eyes open for him,¡± Lewis said. ¡°He¡¯s not part of our mission and I don¡¯t need the distraction.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of distractions, I almost forgot to ask,¡± Flagg said. ¡°What would you like to do about the boy?¡±


    Lewis drew a complete blank. ¡°Beg your pardon, sir?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the boy who hit you with a board in Port Mist?¡± Flagg asked.


    Lewis thought for a moment. ¡°Vaguely, right at the beginning of the mob action. Crap, I took him to Telini and said that I wanted to talk to him later. Is he locked up on your ship?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s been working,¡± Flagg laughed. ¡°You know, your people are very, um ¨C persuasive.¡±


    ¡°Care to elaborate on that?¡± Lewis asked carefully.


    ¡°Well, when we noticed there was a minor with them we wanted to send him back to shore. Master Sergeant Roquette argued that he had no family and that part of their mission included your standing order to hold onto him,¡± Flagg looked amused, making Lewis suspect there was more to the story. ¡°So we put the boy to work under a program that allows him or us to opt out of it up to forty days after the papers are signed.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose I should come meet him,¡± Lewis mused. ¡°How¡¯s he working out for you?¡±


    ¡°He needs work, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Flagg replied. ¡°But he could make a decent sailor.¡±


    The ship was quiet, with most of the crew on shore leave. Flagg went to see about some business and a petty officer took Lewis to the galley, where the boy sat peeling potatoes in the corner. He looked up as Lewis approached, his eyes bright and full of curiosity.


    ¡°Hoy, remember me?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Yes sir, you¡¯re Lieutenant Lewis, right?¡± the boy laid the knife down on the barrel lid and stood. ¡°Larry Ribbon at your service, are you going to take me away with you?¡±


    ¡°Right to the point, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lewis put a serious face on. ¡°I don¡¯t know, you hit me with a board. Do you remember that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that,¡± Larry said, and then he brightened up. ¡°But then you abducted me. Doesn¡¯t that sorta make us even?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not,¡± Lewis replied. ¡°Let¡¯s think about that. Do you know why I grabbed you?¡±


    ¡°So you could squeeze information out of me,¡± Larry answered, quick and a little sarcastic.


    ¡°Did you share all the information you had?¡± Lewis inquired.


    ¡°Yeah, I told Sergeant Telini everything I knew about what was going on,¡± Larry assured him. ¡°And that investigator guy from Dontil; I answered all his questions too.¡±


    ¡°So why did you hit me?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°I was paid to do it, and I hadn¡¯t eaten in a few days,¡± Larry answered. ¡°That makes me a mercenary like you guys. So, can I have a job with you?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your family?¡± Lewis pressed.


    A cloud descended over Larry¡¯s face. ¡°Dead, sir.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that, kid,¡± Lewis said quietly. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Larry said. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be hungry anymore.¡±


    ¡°Are the sailors not feeding you?¡± Lewis asked sharply.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡±  Larry looked like he might panic. ¡°The sailors are nice enough, but I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life on the water. I¡¯ll do anything you want.¡±


    ¡°You signed a contract here, you know,¡± Lewis informed him.


    ¡°What? They told me I could get out of it as long as I didn¡¯t wait too long!¡± Larry whined.


    ¡°Calm down, let¡¯s go find out what the deal is,¡± Lewis snapped. ¡°Either way you will eat.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Larry looked a little better.

 Fifty one

    The landscape west of Landee consisted of miles of rocks. Some were hundreds of feet tall, and the rest ranged in size from fifty feet to the gravel size rocks that lay on the ground everywhere. A paved roadway ran toward the cliffs, winding around the largest rocks, and between piles of others, that had been pushed out of the way during construction. The road was forty feet wide and had fallen into an advanced state of disrepair, there were continuous spider webs of cracks large enough that the team members found themselves having to be careful to step over or around them. A steady light rain fell the first day of their journey and as darkness settled on the team they sought shelter under the overhanging side of one of the huge rocks. For dinner they ate cold rations and went to sleep without even attempting to light a fire.


    The next morning they rose before it was fully light, ate quickly and resumed their journey. They walked west, taking turns carrying the boxes of ammo and other supplies. Roquette had Larry practice by shooting one of the small rifles they had obtained in the Maze. Fink talked pretty much all of the time. Telling fantastic stories of his adventures and the people he had rescued, raptors he had faced, mutants fought, and places he had visited in the past. By the end of the second day Telini commented that he thought Fink was stuck in a loop, because he was beginning to hear the same stories over and over again.


    Early on during the third day they reached the base of the great cliff. It loomed over the plain, rising thousands of feet above their heads. Rainwater dripped from every surface, collecting into rivulets and occasionally small waterfalls. The roadway along the base of the cliff was in worse shape than before, with rocks of all sizes imbedded in its surface and potholes where other rocks had hit it and bounced away. The team walked in a long single file, fifteen feet between each other and glanced up often to see if any rocks were falling. Despite the condition of the road, they made good time, covering almost thirty miles before they called it a day and settled under a rock the size of a building. Again they ate their rations cold and afterwards they prepared to crawl into their damp sleeping bags. Derrik had the first watch of the night and walked out to survey the area.


    ¡°Lieutenant?¡± Larry¡¯s voice was quiet, but clear.


    ¡°Yes Larry,¡± Lewis answered, thinking that Larry had been more quiet than usual that day.


    ¡°I finally figured it out,¡± Larry said, with an edge of excitement in his voice.


    ¡°Figured what out?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°Well, when we were on the ship I kept thinking those uniforms looked familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite think why,¡± Larry looked like he was still puzzling something out in his head.


    ¡°What uniforms?¡± Telini asked suddenly, causing Larry to jump a little.


    Lewis held up a hand to silence Telini. ¡°Go on,¡± he said gently to Larry.


    ¡°Your green uniforms,¡± Larry said. ¡°I just realized something, it isn¡¯t the color of the jacket that counts, is it?¡±


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    Everyone except Fink was staring at Larry, who was beginning to look quite nervous.


    ¡°I think you should tell me what you¡¯re getting at,¡± Lewis said to Larry.


    ¡°Well, just now I was looking at your longcoat, it¡¯s different than everybody else¡¯s, right? And I realized that it¡¯s the patches that distinguish who you are,¡± Larry said slowly, looking like he might be regretting having opened his mouth. ¡°Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lewis said. ¡°You used the word familiar. So, did you see some patches like these before you met us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but,¡± Larry said. ¡°At the time I didn¡¯t know I was supposed to look at the patches because the jacket looked different. It had patterns kinda like these ones,¡± he extended his hand and swept it to encompass all the Romeo team members. ¡°But in brown and tan on a light background.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like chocolate chip,¡± Telini put in.


    ¡°Can you describe the patches for me?¡± Lewis asked.


    ¡°They looked the same as yours,¡± Larry told him. ¡°Except for that one,¡± Larry pointed at Lewis¡¯ name tag. ¡°They¡¯re different on all of yours too. The one with the red stripes and the one with the wings, they were there.¡±


    ¡°Where did you see this jacket?¡± Roquette inquired.


    ¡°The masters were taking some of us to Hillar, and one of the boys showed it to me,¡± Larry said.


    ¡°What do you mean, masters?¡± Gomez asked.


    ¡°Where did he get it?¡± Telini asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s that boy¡¯s name?¡± Roquette asked.


    Larry looked from one person to another, and Lewis saw panic set in, in full force. Larry jumped and scrambled, bent on escape, but Fink stepped down on the boy¡¯s calf pinning him to the ground. He let out a howl, but dropped onto the gravel and was still. Lewis helped him sit against the rock, gave him a drink of water, and asked if he was feeling better. When Larry had caught his breath and nodded Lewis explained that it was very important to them that they locate the original owner of the jacket. In order to do that they needed the whole story from him.


    Larry told them a tale about being held by slavers, he and several of his cell mates were being marched cross-country to Hillar to be sold. They had been walking for three days when they were jumped by a reaper. The guards wounded the reaper so badly that it died, but only three of the boys and none of the guards were still alive at that point. The boys searched the bodies of the guards and found weapons, as well as the keys to their shackles. Larry picked up a knife and the other two boys took some guns. One night, after wandering around lost for a couple of days, one of Larry¡¯s companions showed him the jacket. The boy claimed that a lady, who was also a prisoner, gave it to him after he had been kind to her. He said that he had sat up all night with her after she received a nasty beating, wrapping her up in a blanket and giving her water. Larry¡¯s other companion died in a gun battle with some pursuing slavers, and he lost track of the boy with the jacket when they were separated in the battle. Larry was found by some Hagen near Hillar and then he went on to Port Mist, where he survived by begging on the street. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been there before Lewis had grabbed him.


    They ate in silence, even Fink didn¡¯t talk, with each lost in their own thoughts.


    Finally, Roquette voiced everyone¡¯s concerns. ¡°You realize what this means. We have a soldier out there, probably an airborne ranger, in a slave camp. She¡¯s been captured and beaten. I¡¯ll bet she has no clue where she is or how she got there. We¡¯ve got to find her.¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t stand,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°But we have to finish the mission and we¡¯re not splitting up the team. I think this supports Mack¡¯s assertion that we need more resources. We need to cover more miles, so we can get back to Ascore as soon as possible. Get some sleep.¡±

 Fifty two

    In the morning they ate a quick meal and resumed their journey. A few hours later they arrived at a fork in the road. On their left the road continued on across the rock-strewn plain at the bottom of the cliff, while the right fork immediately rose along what looked like a vertical canyon. From there they were they could see that their path wound back and forth around promontories with deep cuts and across chasms with bridges, always rising higher.  They climbed for six hours, crossing great arched trestle bridges and looking into the dizzying depths on their left.


    By the time they arrived at flat ground at the top it was quite dark. The air was cooler there, but at least the rain had stopped. They ate some cold food and started laying out their bedrolls.


    Later that night Lewis took second watch. When he was preparing to wake Derrik when he saw a flashlight in the far distance. He woke everybody silently, sending a few of them to hide in the landscape, and bidding the others to keep their weapons close at hand. When the man with the flashlight drew closer Lewis heard more feet crunching quietly in the gravel behind the man. The stranger played the light across the team members that Lewis had kept with him.


    The man spoke in a very thick Hagen accent ¡°Can I sit?¡± He turned off the flashlight.


    ¡°Please join us,¡± Lewis replied, handing the stranger a piece of jerky when he was close enough.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, sniffing the meat before chewing on it. ¡°Where you from?¡±


    ¡°We came up here from Landee,¡± Lewis said.


    The man shook his head slightly. ¡°I been Landee, you no look Landee, no sound Landee.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Lewis agreed. ¡°Landee was the last place we stopped, before that we traveled far to get here.¡±


    The man put his fist on his chest. ¡°Me Tern, you?¡±


    ¡°Good to meet you Tern,¡± Lewis said. ¡°My name is Lewis,¡±


    ¡°Lewis, this Calo Mountain. Special place,¡± Tern looked very serious. ¡°You no kill people, yes?¡±


    ¡°Will the people let us pass?¡± Lewis countered.


    ¡°Where you going pass to?¡± Tern asked.


    ¡°All the way to the top,¡± Lewis told him.


    ¡°I going tell people,¡± Tern announced. ¡°You will pass,¡± the man rose as he said it.


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    ¡°Thank you, Tern,¡± Lewis said. ¡°We will leave here at first light.¡±


    They listened to the footfalls as they faded into the distance. Gomez and Telini returned to camp and the team discussed their next move.


    By the time it was full light they were already moving north along the roadway, strung out in single file, five paces between each person. There were fewer large boulders there and around midday they saw a tailing pile rising like a small mountain on their left. The cliffs grew closer on their right all day. By evening the road ran along the bottom of the rockface.


    They camped in a cleft, under an overhang that provided plenty of room for the whole team. As they looked out across the plateau from their vantage point at the base of the cliff, Lewis noted people moving perhaps two miles off to the west. He dug his binoculars out of his pack and peered through the gathering gloom. A group of around twenty people were busy setting up tents while several people watched for trouble from all quarters.


    ¡°Those look like Hagen,¡± Larry said quietly.


    ¡°Not the military style of the defenders,¡± Fink agreed. ¡°We could wait until it¡¯s really dark, then quietly move on.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lewis replied firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we could sneak away from them, and besides I kinda like having them there, watching our flank. Larry, you take first watch, Telini will spell you in two hours. Good night.¡±


    Lewis woke up some time later to the sound of gunfire inside their alcove. Everyone surged out of their bedrolls and Derrik switched on his flashlight as he rose.


    Telini was firing his Maze rifle into the rocks on the other side of the roadway at something big, which quickly wound its way to their right among the boulders.


    ¡°Hey, try not to shoot at that camp out there!¡± Lewis shouted.


    The beam of the flashlight followed the target, which turned out to be a twenty foot long lizard.


    ¡°There¡¯s another at ten o¡¯clock!¡± Telini yelled, taking a shot to the right.


    Gomez flashed the light onto the one that lay squirming in the gravel to their left and Roquette walked over, and put two rounds in its head with her pistol. It did not move after that. Derrick circled around to get a shot at the lizard that Telini was trying to hit. The battle was soon over.


    Fink brought a large combat knife and carved several roast size pieces of meat from the lizard that Roquette had finished off.


    ¡°We should cook this soon,¡± he told Lewis. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys get some sleep, while I do that.¡±


    Lewis was tired and couldn¡¯t see any harm in it being cooked, so he agreed. He fell asleep quickly, dreaming of Gloria and Mary. They were sitting dressed in fine dresses on a church pew. He couldn¡¯t hear the pastor, but Gloria¡¯s eyes were wet with tears and Mary looked up at her mother with concern. It seemed to him that Gloria saw him for a split second and almost smiled. Mary noticed her change and said something, to which Gloria nodded and they hugged. When he woke up he felt completely refreshed, even the barren and rocky landscape under the omnipresent gray overcast sky looked strange and beautiful. The fire was just dying out and the air was thick with the smell of coffee and cooked meat.


    ¡°Try this,¡± Gomez said, coming over to him as he sat stowing his bedroll. ¡°Fink really got it right.¡±


    With a smile she handed him a chunk of meat on a stick. When he took it and dug in hungrily, she fetched him a mug of coffee to wash it down with. As they left he noticed that the lizard carcasses were gone and there was a great smoke column rising from the Hagen camp to the north.

 Fifty three

    They made good time that morning, and soon they saw another fork in the road like the one they had passed on the lower level. They took the right fork. They ate more meat without stopping. The road clung precariously to the cliff as it rose, going around a great vertical ridge and then into a crack in the mountain, with a waterfall at the back of it. A bridge crossed the chasm before the water, then back on the other side of the canyon. Back out on the open cliff face the roadway continued to rise to a height of perhaps eight hundred feet above the plateau below. About halfway up this straight section they came to a deep, wide crack in the cliff. The road builders had leveled and paved the fissure to make a rest area. An abandoned vehicle sat there, well back from where the path of traffic obviously used to be. Lewis called a stop there and they sat near the old dead car. The fissure narrowed as it went deeper into the cliff, past the pavement there was a cave large enough to drive a vehicle into it. A multitude of tracks were visible in the deep dust on the floor, Allowing Lewis to see that people, lizards, and birds had passed through there.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he told them. ¡°This is interesting, but we should keep moving.¡±


    The road continued a little farther, then it turned right into another huge chimney in the face of the rock. From the corner of the chimney they could see what was left of a bridge, at the back of the indentation. There were ribbons of steel bent down toward the bottom of the crevice, where a slab of rock was wedged with pieces of I-beams jammed between it and the walls. Lewis took out his binoculars and surveyed the remains of the bridge. He could not see any way to continue.


    Fink stated the obvious. ¡°No way to get past that, I guess that¡¯s the reason there were so much traffic back in the cave. I¡¯ll bet it comes out on top.¡± He went on to state how close they were to the top, and how far down it was, and finally fell silent when he noticed everyone staring at him in exasperation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Lewis told them, turning on his heels.


    Back at the cave, they discussed their marching order. Finally, it was decided that Roquette would take point with Derrik following her, Telini took up the rearguard and off they went. After an hour, they entered a large chamber with long strip lights glowing dimly on the ceiling. At the far end two large doors hung from broken hinges. The wall to their right held a regular size door, and there were two doors on the opposite wall. All the tracks on the dusty floor led through the broken double doors, and a dead raptor lay on the floor near them. Lewis looked closely at the corpse, which was riddled with bullet holes. The battle was still clearly laid out in the layer of dust, one man verses one beast.


    The rangers showed the others how the battle had occurred, starting with the raptor sitting behind the door when the man entered the room, heading for the double doors.


    ¡°The man reached here before the reaper made its move, but it slipped a little when it took off,¡± Telini pointed at a spot twenty feet in from the entry door. ¡°The man heard it and spun on his left heel, already firing.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Roquette continued the story at a nod from Telini. ¡°He must have hit the reaper in its right leg, because it stumbled slightly here but it kept coming and he stood his ground until the last second, and then he threw himself into a roll over there, firing some more,¡±


    ¡°The beast fell trying to turn around,¡± Telini continued. ¡°By the time it was moving up to speed again it was dragging that right leg some.¡±


    ¡°Our man used the same maneuver again,¡± Roquette said. ¡°But the raptor winged him, see? He did not roll cleanly like the first time, and he dropped his rifle. Instead of picking it up, when he got to his feet he ran.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Larry cried, caught up in the story. ¡°If he dropped his gun, why ain¡¯t it still there?¡±


    ¡°Because he picked up everything later,¡± Telini told him. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s chasing after him. It¡¯s now slower because of that bum leg. He¡¯s running in a widening clockwise spiral, that¡¯s to the right, and that¡¯s making the strong leg slip a lot. I guess it¡¯s the reason he¡¯s able to stay ahead of the reaper.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s getting tired,¡± Roquette chimed in. ¡°He stopped to shoot at it and then he was running some more. He was getting jerky and limping a little, so it looks like he decided to make a stand. He slides to a stop and faces it, so he can shoot straight, I suppose. He¡¯s shooting center mass now. Again he stands pat until the last second, and again he waits a little too long.¡±


    ¡°This time it hooks him good,¡± Telini carried the story on. ¡°His momentum throws it off balance. Down they go in a pile, his pistol bouncing across the floor. But just when our beast here is about to deliver its coup de grace he drives a knife into its head, game over!¡±


    There were murmurs of appreciation from Larry, Fink, and Derrik.


    ¡°That was very entertaining,¡± Lewis said. ¡°How accurate do you think it was?¡±


    ¡°Eighty or ninety percent,¡± Telini answered. ¡°He picked up all his brass and dropped weapons. When he did some of the marks were obscured, then we came along and made it worse.¡±


    ¡°Lindy,¡± Lewis said, nodding at Telini. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give us an epilogue for our little story here.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Gomez said, moving to the beast¡¯s head and peering at the floor. ¡°Our hero¡¯s legs were trapped under the arm of the raptor when it collapsed and he¡¯s in quite a bind, because its arm won¡¯t bend far enough to allow him to escape, so he cuts the tendons in the shoulder joint. That does it; he crawls out and uses his knife to pry one of beasty¡¯s fangs out. Then he goes straight to his weapons and picks up the brass. He¡¯s losing a lot of blood and limping pretty badly, but the man¡¯s still thinking clearly. Before he goes into the hall, he peeks around the corner to make sure it¡¯s clear. He¡¯s up there somewhere and I¡¯ll be surprised if he¡¯s alive when we reach there.¡±


    The team took a lunch break before moving on. The hallway was fifteen feet wide and ten feet tall, it was lit by long dim light strips in the center of the ceiling and went straight on as far as they could see. Lewis saw that there were doors here and there on the sides. The footprints from the wounded man went from door to door, for about a quarter of a mile. The man found one that wasn¡¯t locked after trying thirteen; he had passed through and closed it behind him.

 Fifty four

    Lewis drew his revolver and stood with his back to the wall, nodding at Telini. Telini opened the door as quietly as he could and stepped to the side as Lewis slid through, covering the room with his pistol. A short hall with a door on either side opened into what looked like a reception office with a desk, a chair, and a waste basket. On the back wall a couple of doors led deeper, and the one on the right had a blood smear on the handle. Lewis pointed Roquette toward the other door, and silently assigned everyone else tasks. They were guarding the room and going through the desk when he and Gomez entered a conference room. In the right rear corner Lewis saw some chairs pulled into a circle. Behind them, with the contents of his pack spread neatly around him, lay a man wrapped in a blanket.


    Lewis removed the chairs quietly, and Gomez knelt beside the man to check his pulse. She was reading his vitals when Lewis saw the man¡¯s right-hand move. It was moving so slowly that he thought he was seeing things, but no, it was indeed getting closer to a bag that lay nearby. Lewis tapped Gomez and made a ¡®watch him¡¯ sign, pointing at both eyes, and then from her to the man¡¯s face. She responded with a nod, and he reached down and tapped the palm with his index finger. The hand then moved fast, but Lewis was able to grab the wrist as it went into the bag and removed a pistol. He slammed the hand down on the floor, causing the revolver to fall from his grasp.


    ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Lindy,¡± Gomez said. ¡°And I¡¯ll be your nurse while you¡¯re here,¡± she said as she smiled sweetly.


    ¡°And I must be dead, cause I ain¡¯t never seen a nurse as pretty as you before,¡± the man said quietly, and then he looked from her face to her uniform. ¡°Get your guard off my arm, please ma¡¯am.¡±


    Lewis kicked the revolver a few feet away, and then he stepped back a little.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, dear,¡± Gomez asked, still smiling.


    ¡°Dingo, Hank Dingo,¡± the man said, wincing.


    ¡°What happened, Mr. Dingo?¡± Gomez continued.


    ¡°I drank too much whiskey,¡± Dingo said flatly.


    ¡°You were bleeding when you came here,¡± Gomez persisted. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡±


    ¡°I saw the reaper, but I persuaded him to let me go,¡± Dingo replied. ¡°It took a lot of persuadin¡¯ and I¡¯m a mite tired.¡±


    ¡°Go back to sleep, mister Dingo,¡± Gomez told him. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here with you.¡±


    Dingo smiled and closed his eyes, after a while she gave him an injection and removed the blanket. Dingo¡¯s clothes were shredded and he had tied some cloth around his right thigh and ribs on his left side. She stood up and removed a blanket from her backpack and spread it on the conference table. Then she found a clean blouse in her pack and put it on the end of the blanket. She spread the contents of the medical kit Micheal had given her onto the blouse.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Will you help me lift him?¡± she asked Lewis. They put Dingo on the table so she could attend to his rib injury. ¡°Thanks, could I borrow Larry?¡± She asked, cutting his clothes off because they were too stuck to pull off.


    Lewis walked out into the office where Larry was watching Telini trying to start a computer that was imbedded in the desk top. ¡°Larry, I need you to go help Sergeant Gomez. Pay attention and do exactly what she tells you.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Larry answered enthusiastically, running off to the conference room.


    ¡°I assume we have a patient,¡± Telini quipped.


    ¡°Yeah, looks like you do too,¡± Lewis said. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit groggy, looks like they left it in hibernation mode instead of turning it off,¡± Telini told him, with a grimace. ¡°The lights are on, but the computer won¡¯t let me in.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else gone to?¡± Lewis inquired.


    ¡°Alice and Derrik are out in the hall checking the other doors,¡± Telini told him, and then nodded his head toward the door to the left of the conference room. ¡°Fink¡¯s in there, you should look at that room.¡±


    Lewis walked over to the door and opened it. On the other side of the door was a catwalk that was twenty feet above the floor of a huge room filled with ten turbines on vertical axes. Each one had a diameter of fifty feet and were nearly twenty feet tall. A ladder and a catwalk allowed access to the tops of the turbines. A puff of steam floated out of the far side of each turbine every minute or two, in order from the furthest unit to the nearest one, like footfalls across the great room. He could see that the turbines were turning slowly without making a lot of noise. Huge pipes covered the ceiling in a grid, the highest pipes ones running the length of the room and the layer of pipes below the top layer was crossways. Fink was down on the floor, looking into a locker.


    ¡°Dude! I think I¡¯ve got it!¡± Telini yelled, snapping Lewis out of his admiration of the scene.


    Lewis went back and peered over Telini¡¯s shoulder at the top of the desk where swirling blues and greens were congealing into the words,¡¯ self-start program: please clear power plant floor while diagnostics program checks the system.¡¯ A loud claxon sounded in the power plant, followed by a muffled pop.


    ¡°Well crap,¡± Telini muttered. ¡°Buckle your seatbelt.¡±


    Lewis hurried back to the plant door and whistled as loud as he could to be heard over the bells that were ringing. He saw steam erupting from five or six pipe joints here and there throughout the room, which was lit by rotating red warning lights. Fink was backing out of a cloud of steam down on the main floor with his arms full of something that Lewis couldn¡¯t distinguish.


    ¡°Fink!¡± he bellowed. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Something off to the left exploded as Fink started running. A new cloud of steam rushed across the room and sprinklers went off all around the ceiling, knocking the steam down a little. Fink disappeared from view, then reappeared a moment later at the foot of the stairs. He was climbing fast with his arms still full.

 Fifty five

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Roquette asked a little winded, Derrick close behind her.


    ¡°Derrik! Get in there and make sure Fink makes it up here, then close the door!¡± Lewis shouted, pointing down the stairs. ¡°Alice, see if you can help Lindy. I¡¯m not ordering an evacuation yet but be ready.¡±


    Lewis ran back to where Telini was touching an icon on the desk, then reading a little and then tapping another icon. Telini put a finger on a flashing red icon and moved his hand to the right, the symbol slid across the desktop and when he released it with an extra tap it bloomed into an entire workstation.


    ¡°This is yours,¡± he told Lewis. ¡°It¡¯s the reactor, talk to it.¡±


    ¡°This ain¡¯t the reactor!¡± Lewis said, feeling a slight panic building. ¡°I¡¯m a mechanic, not a computer tech.¡±


    ¡°Look at it,¡± Telini said, in an icy calm voice. ¡°It¡¯s easy like lego instructions, think stuck gas pedal and bad brakes. I¡¯m working on the brakes, you need to slow down the engine or we¡¯re going to throw a rod.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Lewis answered, studying the layout on the screen. On the right, a column of numbers, the top ones with a larger font, were changing color from yellow to orange as the numbers increased in size. The icon above the numbers said ¡®core and fuel¡¯. On the left, an icon symbolized ¡®water and steam¡¯, and the numbers were decreasing. He saw that a couple of the numbers had red dots next to them. A diagram of the reactor filled the bottom center of the screen with corresponding marks for the location of each temperature or flow meter. The top of the screen was filled with text, explaining, in words he didn¡¯t understand, how the system functioned. At the bottom of the text box was a tool bar with the words; engineer, technician, student. He poked the word student and the entire screen went blank, replaced by a message that indicated that he was not authorized to run the reactor. ¡®Auto emergency cool down in progress¡¯, flashed in red letters.


    ¡°Please step away from the display, you are not authorized to use manual controls,¡± A female voice said firmly. ¡°You may observe.¡±


    Telini stepped back. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I told the computer we didn¡¯t know what to do,¡± Lewis chuckled.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s observe,¡± Telini said, putting his finger on an icon that said ¡®comprehensive display¡¯. The screen went blank, and then a complicated diagram filled the entire desktop, with a ¡®you are here¡¯ asterisk by the center power plant. A crawler at the bottom indicated what the systems self-diagnostic program was finding out.


    ¡°What now?¡± Roquette asked, coming out of the conference room.


    ¡°When I woke up this control panel, it must have also started the reactor,¡± Telini informed her. ¡°Right now it¡¯s trying to decide whether to blow up this side of the mountain or not.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Look, it found a blockage and it¡¯s diverting the water around it,¡± Lewis said, pointing at a growing blue line heading toward the reactor. ¡°It¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, cause the temperature readings just turned red,¡± Telini sounded calm, but he was gripping the edge of the desktop and staring at the rapidly climbing numbers adjacent to the reactor icon. ¡°They¡¯re at two thousand ninety-five, at around twenty-eight hundred the system should go critical. No amount of water¡¯s gonna help us then.¡±


    As if to accentuate his statement, the crawler disappeared, it was replaced with red letters that said, ¡®Time to melt down twelve minutes¡¯. While they looked at the screen, the twelve disappeared and was replaced by eleven. They heard an explosion somewhere in the hallway, making everybody wince.


    Lewis looked back at the board and he saw a flashing red icon, with text next to it, ¡®step-down transformer failure, dispatching fire crew.¡¯


    The blue line was getting closer to the reactor and another blue line was forming and moving toward the reactor core from the other side.


    ¡°Four thousand degrees,¡± Telini intoned. ¡°How far away is the water?¡±


    The timer indicated that they had ten minutes.


    Something was rattling outside in the hall, so Lewis sent Roquette to check, and she and Derrick jogged over to look.


    ¡°Hey boss,¡± she called from the doorway. ¡°You might want to see this!¡±


    ¡°Keep me posted,¡± he told Telini.


    Roquette and Derrick were looking out the door and around the corner to the left. The rattling sound was increasing. When Lewis looked into the big hallway he saw two tracked vehicles. Each one was four feet wide and five feet tall, they were orange and had flashing lights and water cannons mounted on top of them. The one on their side of the hallway stopped in front of them.


    ¡±Please withdraw to a safe distance,¡± it said, sounding like it had blown a speaker. The first word sounded normal, and then the rest sounded tinny and raspy. ¡°Spectating is not helpful, move along.¡±


    It rushed off to catch up with the other vehicle. Lewis could see billowing smoke further down in the hallway.


    ¡°Your water has arrived,¡± Telini said when they got back. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem to be helping yet. We¡¯re at twenty-three fifty and seven minutes. Here comes the other water now, let¡¯s see, twenty-four, twenty-five, six minutes.¡±


    ¡°Six minutes till what?¡± Gomez asked, coming from the conference room with a towel in her hands.


    ¡°Till we have a meltdown,¡± Roquette answered.


    ¡°What kind of a meltdown?¡± Gomez asked tentatively.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reactor core in there,¡± Telini told her. ¡°And it¡¯s overheating.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she screamed. ¡°You¡¯ll kill my patient, now make it stop!¡± She threw the towel on the floor and gazed up at Telini in fury.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Roquette pointed at the display, which now said seven minutes. ¡°Tony, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks like it¡¯s heating up more slowly,¡± Telini said, trying to keep an eye on Gomez while looking at the desktop. ¡°It¡¯s still heating up, but it¡¯s only at twenty-four fifty-five. The water¡¯s working.¡±


    Lewis took Gomez by the arm and steered her into the conference room. ¡°Let¡¯s check on your patient.¡±


    Mr. Dingo was talking to Larry in quiet tones. Larry looked pale, but was keeping occupied by answering Mr. Dingo¡¯s questions. Gomez was still out of breath from her outburst. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that Dingo was awake.

 Fifty six

    ¡°Why are you up, Mr. Dingo?¡± she asked in astonishment. ¡°I sedated you with enough stuff to keep you down for days.¡±


    ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am, let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve got a high tolerance to all kinds of stuff,¡± Dingo replied somewhat sheepishly. ¡°Wanna buy a map?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± they all said in unison.


    Fink came striding in and right up to them. ¡°Hank! I thought I recognized that voice. What are you doing on this rock?¡±


    ¡°Just looking around,¡± Dingo replied, obviously greeting an old acquaintance. ¡°What about you? Have you signed up to be a merc?¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Fink said. ¡°Fingers sent me along to look after them. When I caught up with the lieutenant here, he was in a Port Mist lock-up¡­¡±


    Lewis walked out, figuring that Fink would keep talking for a while. Telini and Roquette were hunched over the desk top display.


    ¡°Are we better yet?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Twenty-four seventy, it¡¯s still going up,¡± Telini told him. ¡°But it¡¯s slower now, it claims we have ten minutes to live.¡±


    ¡°As long as the water keeps flowing, the heating trend should reverse itself,¡± Roquette posited. ¡°How¡¯s our patient?¡±


    ¡°Actually he¡¯s supposed to be sedated,¡± Lewis answered. ¡°But he¡¯s awake and lucid. Lindy was shocked. I¡¯m going to check on that fire. Derrik, come with me.¡±


    When they were in the hallway a heavy pall of smoke hung in the air. Two hundred yards up on the left a door had been ripped off its hinges and lay on the other side of the hall. They approached slowly and heard a slow thumping sound coming from inside; when Lewis looked he saw the vehicles that had passed earlier. They were moving slowly toward the door in single file.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s pushing the other one,¡± Derrick said in a voice that was louder than it needed to be, right next to Lewis¡¯ ear.


    ¡°I can see that,¡¯ Lewis replied quietly.


    A mechanical voice rattled from the machine in the rear. ¡°Please assist.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Lewis told Derrick, as he stepped into the room.


    They walked by the first unit and Lewis saw that a display on its side read ¡®battery depleted¡¯. The machines had two small, open panels in front with four-foot manipulators sticking out. The arms on the front machine hung down to the floor, while the other machine was using its arms to push its companion toward the door. The display on the rear unit declared ¡®battery low¡¯ in flashing orange letters.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Please help push,¡± the machine said in a quieter voice than before. ¡°Must get to charging port!¡±


    While they pushed, Lewis felt a little admiration for the machine. It was clearly unwilling to abandon its companion there, even though its battery was dangerously close to failing as well. A manual lever for steering rose up from the small standing deck at the back. The machine behind reached out and pushed the lever to the right. The front unit began to swing to the starboard as it inched out of the door.


    ¡°The floor slopes down!¡± the robot said, as they straightened out in the hallway and the robot began to move more easily. ¡°Thank you! You may proceed! Use respirators if you go into the smoke!¡±


    A small door fell open on the side of the machine and two plastic boxes slid slowly out. Derrik took the boxes and set them on the floor as the machines accelerated down the hallway. Inside each box was a small oxygen bottle attached by a tube to a lightweight cup to use over the nose and mouth. They put the straps attached to the oxygen bottles over their shoulders and tied on the breathing cups before entering the room. Inside they found a workshop, damaged by the fire which had burned in a small side room. When they looked through the scorched door, Lewis saw what looked like a transformer. It was burnt and melted with thick foam dripping into piles of goo at its base. A heavy rancid, burnt plastic smell was palpable even through the mask.


    There was another door in the workshop that when opened led into a control room for the water system. The room felt cramped, its sixteen foot width filled along the far wall with pipes and filter canisters. The wall to the right was covered with valve wheels and levers. Lewis examined the controls, each of which had a small sign explaining its purpose. In the center of the wall, one control caught his eye. It was labeled ¡®emergency reactor coolant, please return to original position after twenty minutes¡¯. Lewis looked at his watch, and then pulled the lever toward him. It slid a rod forward, accompanied by the sound of rushing liquid.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to Derrik.


    Derrik nodded and led the way toward the hallway, rifle held at his waist in both hands. On the way out, Lewis noticed a panel on the wall that was labeled ¡®call maintenance,¡¯ he pushed it and a yellow light pulsed beside it.


    Their footfalls echoed in the big hallway as they walked back to join the rest of the team. Roquette met them in the hall.


    ¡°What did you do, boss?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We helped that fire unit evacuate its incapacitated companion,¡± Lewis informed her. ¡°And I found a manual coolant switch for the reactor, did it help?¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± she nodded. ¡°The temperature started coming down a couple of minutes ago. Tony thinks that the system¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she stared past Lewis and Derrik.


    Lewis turned and saw a yellow vehicle moving towards them. It passed them and stopped at the broken door that was lying on the floor. After a while, it moved alongside the door and extended its two arms, lifting the door. Holding it off the floor, the machine disappeared into the room that they had just left.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to take a little getting used to,¡± Lewis commented. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and get some rest.¡±


    One of the doors on the way to the control desk opened into a bathroom with a small shower. They all stood double watches, taking turns patrolling and showering. In the morning, Fink cooked breakfast while Gomez trimmed everyone¡¯s hair. Fink would not submit to such treatment, but Mr. Dingo was happy to avail himself of the service.


    Fed, clean and shaved, they were all eager to get underway. They spent several more hours walking underground. They had to help Mister Dingo some of the time, but he mostly kept up with them. When they emerged from underground they turned around and saw a two story building built into the side of a canyon fifty feet wide and a hundred feet deep. Most of the tracks led to the right, down the canyon.