pure hell for not letting them in on the action last night."
"I think," von Baldur said, "it may be time for me to visit Torguth, and see just how justified the hysteria about their purported designs actually is. I'm suggesting myself, M'chel, because I have some suggestions about what you might be doing here on Montrois.
"I think we can make other deployments. Grok, I'd suggest another call on Mister Sufyerd, to fill out our previous meeting. There are things I've thought of that went unasked that I'll give you.
"M'chel, I'd like you to hold down the fort here. Jasmine�"
"I think," King said, "I should be calling on this Pacifist holo, to see if I can get access to Premier Ladier's letters and find out if there's anything in them about Sufyerd, as they claim."
"Good," von Baldur said.
"And what about me?" Goodnight said.
"I think it is time for you to start thinking about keeping a lower profile, Chas. Something is tickling me, I do not know what yet, and we may well have need for your second-story undercover talents."
"Wonderful," Goodnight said. "Twiddling my twiddles again.
"Actually, I'd like to make a short run of my own, as soon as the patrol ships we ordered arrive. Just to see if we've got any friends out there and see if anybody's listening.
"And I'll only need one ship, and with luck there won't be any killing necessary."
"Go ahead," Riss said. "Be mysterious."
"Thank you," Goodnight said. "I shall."
"Grok," Jasmine said, "would you care to accompany me to L'Montagnard this evening, while von Baldur is jetting off to incredible adventures? I don't think we'll be disturbed as we were the last time."
"Delighted, my dearest Jasmine. Quite delighted."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TWENTY-ONE � ^ � The patrol ships arrived on schedule. There was a small hassle with the crews when they discovered Star Risk meant what they'd said about no lounging around spaceport bars, and that one ship, at least, must remain on duty, in low orbit, at all times.
Goodnight, after making a few coms, took one ship, and gave the pilot a flight plan for a planet about twenty light years away.
When the ship broke out of N-space he had the pilot orbit the small planet three times before he ordered it to land.
The pilot kept looking at him quizzically when they were on final approach.
"Look, junior birdman," Chas said. "You've never contracted with Star Risk before. Relax. We know what we're doing."
"But why the triple transit?"
"Because," Goodnight explained, "this is an Alliance world� or, anyway, one that's mostly controlled by the Alliance, right?"
"Right," the pilot said. "That, you said, was why you wanted me to bring you here."
The on final screen lit.
"Never mind," Goodnight said. "I'll explain later, when we're on our way out. Meantime, I want you to keep the ship ready to lift, everybody at their station, without getting clearance nor using the taxiway or runway."
"But that's illegal from a revetment," the man said.
"Awright," Goodnight growled. "You're not in the Alliance any more, right?"
"Correct."
"They riffed your young ass out without mercy, right?"
"Uh� that's also correct."
"Reduction In Forces, that's you. Which means all of your little dreams about flashin' through the skies and becoming the youngest Alliance Admiral in history are dust. Right?"
The pilot didn't answer.
"That means they're your enemy. If you don't think so right now, if you keep on mercenarying, you'll figure it out pretty damned soon. Now, you just sit here at the controls and stay alert.
"Oh yeah. I've got this little transceiver in my pocket. Should anybody interesting, like say an Alliance warship, suddenly pop around the corner, let me know, all right?
"That, by the way, is an order."
Goodnight marveled at the Alliance's capabilities. Even here, on this distant world, with only two buildings, the Alliance bureaucracy kept him waiting for almost half an
"I think," von Baldur said, "it may be time for me to visit Torguth, and see just how justified the hysteria about their purported designs actually is. I'm suggesting myself, M'chel, because I have some suggestions about what you might be doing here on Montrois.
"I think we can make other deployments. Grok, I'd suggest another call on Mister Sufyerd, to fill out our previous meeting. There are things I've thought of that went unasked that I'll give you.
"M'chel, I'd like you to hold down the fort here. Jasmine�"
"I think," King said, "I should be calling on this Pacifist holo, to see if I can get access to Premier Ladier's letters and find out if there's anything in them about Sufyerd, as they claim."
"Good," von Baldur said.
"And what about me?" Goodnight said.
"I think it is time for you to start thinking about keeping a lower profile, Chas. Something is tickling me, I do not know what yet, and we may well have need for your second-story undercover talents."
"Wonderful," Goodnight said. "Twiddling my twiddles again.
"Actually, I'd like to make a short run of my own, as soon as the patrol ships we ordered arrive. Just to see if we've got any friends out there and see if anybody's listening.
"And I'll only need one ship, and with luck there won't be any killing necessary."
"Go ahead," Riss said. "Be mysterious."
"Thank you," Goodnight said. "I shall."
"Grok," Jasmine said, "would you care to accompany me to L'Montagnard this evening, while von Baldur is jetting off to incredible adventures? I don't think we'll be disturbed as we were the last time."
"Delighted, my dearest Jasmine. Quite delighted."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TWENTY-ONE � ^ � The patrol ships arrived on schedule. There was a small hassle with the crews when they discovered Star Risk meant what they'd said about no lounging around spaceport bars, and that one ship, at least, must remain on duty, in low orbit, at all times.
Goodnight, after making a few coms, took one ship, and gave the pilot a flight plan for a planet about twenty light years away.
When the ship broke out of N-space he had the pilot orbit the small planet three times before he ordered it to land.
The pilot kept looking at him quizzically when they were on final approach.
"Look, junior birdman," Chas said. "You've never contracted with Star Risk before. Relax. We know what we're doing."
"But why the triple transit?"
"Because," Goodnight explained, "this is an Alliance world� or, anyway, one that's mostly controlled by the Alliance, right?"
"Right," the pilot said. "That, you said, was why you wanted me to bring you here."
The on final screen lit.
"Never mind," Goodnight said. "I'll explain later, when we're on our way out. Meantime, I want you to keep the ship ready to lift, everybody at their station, without getting clearance nor using the taxiway or runway."
"But that's illegal from a revetment," the man said.
"Awright," Goodnight growled. "You're not in the Alliance any more, right?"
"Correct."
"They riffed your young ass out without mercy, right?"
"Uh� that's also correct."
"Reduction In Forces, that's you. Which means all of your little dreams about flashin' through the skies and becoming the youngest Alliance Admiral in history are dust. Right?"
The pilot didn't answer.
"That means they're your enemy. If you don't think so right now, if you keep on mercenarying, you'll figure it out pretty damned soon. Now, you just sit here at the controls and stay alert.
"Oh yeah. I've got this little transceiver in my pocket. Should anybody interesting, like say an Alliance warship, suddenly pop around the corner, let me know, all right?
"That, by the way, is an order."
Goodnight marveled at the Alliance's capabilities. Even here, on this distant world, with only two buildings, the Alliance bureaucracy kept him waiting for almost half an
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