Jeffrey Carver - Eternity's End

“What did you say?” Harriet asked.

“That’s our goddamn ship!” Legroeder pointed, trying to project the flight path. “And that other ship out there is turning to meet it.”

Harriet stood with her mouth open, as Morgan swore under her breath.

“Excussse me, please,” said a voice behind them.

They turned, as one. A very tall Narseil approached them, holding out a slender envelope. “May I ask, which of you is Mrs. Mahoney? I have a message from your pilot.” The Narseil handed her the envelope, gave a stiff bow, and walked from the room.

“What’s this all about, I wonder,” Harriet muttered, opening the envelope. “Oh, by God in Heaven.”

“What? Mom, what is it?”

Harriet fumbled with her glasses and finally read the message aloud. “ ‘Mrs. Mahoney, greetings. We are sorry, but circumstances have forced us to leave Arco Iris. We have received word that a Spacing Authority cruiser, waiting outside diplomatic limits, carries warrants for your arrests. Our vessel will be impounded if we attempt to transport you. I am afraid we must leave you to find alternate transportation home. Apologies for the inconvenience. —Conex.’ ” Harriet crushed the message in her hand.

“Why, those—” Morgan began, then caught herself. “No, it’s not their fault. So what do we do now?”

Harriet muttered to herself as she smoothed the paper out to read it again. She was clearly struggling to maintain her professional dignity. “Hope we can get diplomatic protection from the Narseil, I suppose.”

Diplomatic protection? Legroeder began pacing under the dome. If the Spacing Authority was ready to arrest them the moment they left the Narseil asteroid, then they were effectively prisoners here. Unless he could find some other way to leave—not for Faber Eridani, but perhaps another star system. The Narseil probably had diplomatic ships here. It was a long shot, but they did have some goals in common.

But what about Harriet and Morgan?

“What?” Morgan said, peering at him. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking,” he said, “that we need to talk to El’ken again. How long’s the day in this place?”

“Eighteen hours,” said Harriet. “It’s the middle of the night now.”

“Then we’d better get some sleep. Morning will be here real soon.”

They found the historian busy at his desk. He looked as if he had been awake for hours.

“Have you ever heard of a group called ‘Centrist Strength’?” El’ken asked, before they had a chance to say a word. He turned from the long desk-shelf that lined the wall of his cavern, and dusted his hands together.

“Yes, certainly,” Harriet said. “Why?”

“Then you’re familiar with their view that the Centrist Worlds should reclaim their mantle as leader of the galaxy and strike out in a colonizing movement? ‘Destiny Manifest,’ they call it. ‘Timid no longer—ours the stars!’ is one of their slogans.”

Legroeder answered impatiently, “Yes, but—”

“Interestingly enough, this group is reported to have ties with several of the old Kyber worlds—and maybe even with the Free Kyber. Adversaries of the Centrist Worlds. I only bring them up as a possible factor behind your current problem.”

“Which just got worse, last night,” Legroeder said.

“Yes, I heard.” The old Narseil pressed his fingertips together in what seemed a very human gesture. “That was most unfortunate, the arrival of the Spacing Authority and the departure of your transportation. Perhaps there is something I can do to help you—beyond bestowing temporary diplomatic protection.”

Legroeder blinked. “I’m listening.”

“Yes. Well, I doubt you can fight them on their own territory. But suppose I could get you to a place where you could gain information far beyond what I have to give you.”

“I would appreciate that very much,” Legroeder answered.

“And would you be interested in trying to gain information directly from the Kyber?”

“I certainly would.”

The Narseil stood very still, gazing at Legroeder. “Then we must get you out of the Faber Eridani system. There may be a way…”

“Yes?”

“You would travel aboard a Narseil naval vessel, with diplomatic immunity. From there, you could join in with certain efforts of our own.”

“Yes?”

“But I must tell you… you would eventually be entering a—how shall I put it?” El’ken paused, touching his oval mouth with one finger. “Hostile environment.”

Legroeder felt a ripple of fear. “More hostile than I’m facing here?”

“I would think so. Although you would be in the company of Narseil naval officers, so the risk would be shared.”

“Are we talking about… the Kyber worlds?”

“In a manner of speaking.” The Narseil’s face contorted in an expression of discomfort. “I suppose there’s no easy way to put this to you.” El’ken looked away for a moment, then whirled back, his robe billowing. “If you want to know more about Impris and those who follow her, you must go to a place where such matters are pursued.”

“You mean the Narseil Rigging—wait a minute.” Legroeder caught himself. “What are you saying—”

“That if you want to go fishing, you must go where the fish are, yes? An old human saying?”

Legroeder pressed his lips together in anger. So much for private conversations .

El’ken waved a hand. “I apologize for any intrusion.”

Legroeder let his breath out slowly. Forget it; let it go . “So where… do you propose that we go to do this fishing?”

“To an outpost of the Free Kyber Republic.”

“The—?”

“Free Kyber.” El’ken coughed delicately. “The raiders.”

Legroeder felt as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. He stood stunned, struggling to draw a breath. Finally he managed, “Do you know how long I spent getting away from the pirates?”

“Yes, I do,” El’ken said. “Nevertheless, my offer is to send you back into the lion’s den. To a pirate stronghold.” He held up a hand to forestall protests from Morgan and Harriet, then tugged the closures of his robe together. “To fully explain, I must reveal certain things that are classified as secret. Before I can do that, I require an oath of secrecy from you. All of you.”

Back into the lion’s den . Legroeder shook his head to dispel the buzzing sensation in his head, and a surreal feeling of disconnection from the world around him.

“I do not suggest this lightly. And I assure you—I would not send you back to the place where you served your captivity.”

“Then what exactly would you do?”

El’ken drew himself taller. “Are you willing to take an oath of secrecy? All of you?”

Legroeder laughed harshly. “Who would we tell?”

“Perhaps no one. But that is not the question. There are others involved, and I must be able to assure them of your sincerity.”

“I’ll take your oath,” said Harriet, echoed by Morgan.

Legroeder shrugged. “Okay. Sure.”

“Very well.” El’ken brought his hands to his chin. “There are preparations underway, through the Narseil naval undercover services, to mount a mission to infiltrate a pirate outpost. The goal is to gain intelligence—about pirate operations and about, as it happens, Impris .”

Legroeder was speechless.

“It is not only human ships that fall prey to pirates, you know. My own people are victims, all too often.” El’ken’s gaze shifted for a moment to the emptiness of space, beyond the dome. “And now we have made plans to do something about it.”

“But how? By attacking a raider outpost? You can’t be serious!”