by P F Walsh
“I want to thank all of you for joining us for tonight’s dinner and I hope that all of you enjoyed a small sample of what we had to offer” The room was filled with enthusiastic applause which went on for quite a while with many standing while doing so.
Sean went on, “Now it is time for us to move to the auditorium where we have arranged a very special treat for your after-dinner pleasure. Once again, the Diplomatic Page will lead you to the Auditorium. You may choose any seat you like.” The guests began rising from their tables and moving to the doors they came in, passing by the models who were lined up on either side wearing the last dresses shown in the collection. The ladies sighed as they passed by.
The auditorium filled up slowly as many guests stopped by the restrooms on their way. Once filled, Sean stepped out on the stage to a microphone as the lights in the auditorium dimmed and the stage was still fully lit. On the stage besides Sean were rows of empty chairs in a semi-circle, set of chimes, a piano, a harp, and a row of percussion drums and instruments lined the back wall.
Sean began,
“As you might recall, during our time in the lounge as you sampled our liquors and ‘finger bites’ as you call them, one of your local musicians was striking the chimes in four notes. Here he is again to remind you.” A local musician came out, assumed his place in front of the chimes, and after a pause of contemplation, struck the four notes again. Three on the same chime and the fourth on a chime of a lower note. After this he got up and left the stage. Sean then continued,
“On Earth we have a large variety of musical instruments besides the chimes similar to yours. I would like to bring several of those out to play those notes so you can acquire some awareness of what those same notes would sound like on another instrument. Each of these musicians has spent their entire life learning their instrument, and it is their only career. Each one chose his instrument freely when they were very young, and made a life’s commitment to it. They are all masters of playing their instrument.”
“First, the violin...” As Sean pointed to the side, a woman came out with her violin, assumed a player’s stance and played the four notes twice, sustaining the last one. Sean had known that all musicians on Hhearn were men, so this was an immediate surprise. After she was done, Sean called the next instrument and this repeated for several instruments representing each section of the, as yet, unidentified orchestra.
After they each had finished, they went and sat in their assigned chairs on the stage.
“As you can hear, each can play the same notes but deliver a unique new sound to the notes. Our Composers of music over the centuries were also masters at creating compositions that would take the imaginative few notes and build on them to create a much larger creative piece, demanding a much larger symbiotic contingent of professional musicians to play it. That is what on Earth we call a Symphony Orchestra.”
On Hhearn musicians never played in concert with each other to strike the same notes. It seemed as though it ever occurred that doing so would enrich and enlarge the sound. Moreover, Hhearn musicians never practiced with each other, it was always a solo effort. As Sean called all the rest of the musicians to the stage, and they took their seats, he could hear the murmur of surprise and anticipation from the audience. Down in the front row, he could see the smile on Nasht-Mer’s face as the musicians assembled on the stage.
Sean continued, “Even though this is a large group of musicians who have thoroughly trained playing with each other, there still needs to be a single person who sets the pace and tempo and I introduce to you the Conductor Menasha Reisman.” Menasha Reisman came out to the center of the stage, bowed, and waited for Sean to finish.
“Now recalling those four notes. Let our fine musicians demonstrate what an Earth composer can do with four notes.” As he held out his arm to Menasha and left the stage as the Orchestra prepared to play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony entirely built on four notes.
The sound of the full orchestra swept over the audience and they marveled at the richness of the blended sounds, the symmetry of the musicians all playing together, the fabric of the composition, simple and complex at the same time. Many of the guests including Nasht-Mer sat with their mouths open without realizing it. The Orchestra finished playing at the end of the first movement. Sean came out and told them that the composition was written with three sections called movements, and would they like to hear the next two. An enthusiastic response from the audience and Sean gave the Conductor a nod to continue.
After the concert completed and the audience reacted with a standing continuous outpouring of applause, Sean came back out.
“I want to thank the Conductor and the orchestra for a wonderful performance to end the evening. I hope all of you enjoyed yourselves and I look forward to the Council’s membership meeting where I will appear and ask for your vote to include us in your Council of Worlds, we have so much to offer.”
At that point a Councilman stood and said loud enough for all to hear,
“Captain Flynn, I don’t think we need to have a special meeting to consider your application. I think we can take a vote right now since all the Councilors are here.”
The Senior Councilor Tamn-Kar sensing things were not going his way jumped up and said forcefully, “You can’t do that.”
Councilor Trakt-Men stood up and said” Yes we can Tamn, I am Meeting Chairman for this lunar, and I am declaring a special meeting is in session with a full quorum to consider the application of Earth into full membership. All in favor say ‘Aye’.” The response was overwhelming and clearly the ayes would have it, but the Chairman then called for, “All those opposed say ‘Nay’.” Only two voices were heard. “The ayes have it, the vote is completed, and certified. Earth has been granted membership in the Council of Worlds.” The auditorium was filled with sustained applause.
All of this was broadcast on the vid system of Hhearn and transmitted to all the other worlds. The Senior Councilor Tamn-Kar got up and stormed out of the room. There was a smattering of more applause as he left.
After the vote, Sean came down to the audience level and began to shake hands with many of the Councilors who congratulated him on becoming a member world and for the most splendid night they had ever had in a very long time. Several Councilors told him that if they didn’t admit Earth, their mates said they would leave them. Even more wanted to know when they could go shopping on Earth and how to arrange travel and accommodations. Some of the musicians came down to the floor as well, allowing the guests to see their instruments up close and shake hands. None of the musicians had a translator, so conversation was not possible, but the enthusiasm of the audience was transcendent.
Sean fielded all the questions of shopping and travel he could, considering that Hhearn didn’t have a financial exchange rate set up yet between the Council of Worlds and Earth. There was lots of work yet to be done and Sean told the Chairman Councilor he was looking forward to traveling with The Director General of Interplanetary Affairs to lead a diplomatic team to earth for setting up relations on a fast track...and then in a whisper,
“I will see that the ladies get their ordered gowns as soon as I return.”
The Chairman laughed ,and replied “I see you completely understand the urgency here.”
Chapter Sixteen
Book One
The next day while Sean, Doris and Nasht-Mer were meeting in Nasht-Mer’s office with her staff planning what would be the next steps to establishing diplomatic relations as quick as possible, Kastm’n the Elder ambassador at large for the Zakar, burst into the Senior Councilors office several floors down over the protests of the Councilor’s aid who was shoved aside and held fast by a Zakar guard accompanying the Ambassador.
“What is the meaning of this?” Screamed Tamn-Kar as he backed away from the Ambassador,
“It wasn’t my fault!”
The Ambassador never answered him, but drew a long slender dagger from the folds of his robe and ran it straight through Tamn-Kar’s
heart, twisting it as he plunged. Tamn-Kar was stunned and looked down to see the dagger stuck deeply in his chest and was about to speak when he collapsed on the floor, allowing the dagger to withdraw as the Ambassador held it firmly. The Ambassador looked down at the dead Councilor and murmured,
“You have made our efforts for satisfaction doubly harder now that our target is a Member, you spit-dog of Hecklum. Now, be set to rot!” as he spit on the body, the ultimate Zakar insult.
He Turned and went out of the Councilor’s office and over to the aid who was standing there trembling. The Ambassador came up close looking down at him, wiped his bloody knife clean on the aid’s shirt and said.
“You will remember nothing of this or who we were. Let the blood on your shirt remind you that if you speak of us, we will find you and your death will not be as quick as the Councilor’s. You, we will make to suffer for a long time. Do you understand me?” The Ambassador growled as he stared into the frightened aid’s eyes, a stare he would never forget. He just barely squeaked out, “Yes.” and fainted.
The Ambassador strode out of the Council building and into his land car with his guards. He retracted the window between the passenger and river’s sections and told the driver, “We are done here. Now, let us go to speak to Beztl-Tor.” The land car sped away silently.
“Nasht, we need to plan an early departure next week. The President of my nation is waiting to learn whether it is war, or wonderful new friends. He doesn’t do worrying very well. But first, I would like to have another concert for the people of Hhearn. The Orchestra will be playing most of the nights this week for officials and city administration staff. I would like our last concert to be for the people of Hhearn and have it broadcast. Let’s have a one-day lottery where everyone emails in a request for tickets. We can have Allister sort them and draw for the seats by random selection so there is no influence on who gets a ticket. But we will need to be sure we send the names over to Security for vetting.” Sean said to Nasht-Mer as they sipped her tea.
Nasht-Mer replied enthusiastically,
“Sean, that is a wonderful idea. You are already popular, but this will really improve your acceptance with the citizens of our city.”
“You can never have too many friends. Besides, it’s clear from your polls that the citizens want more of our music and I think you should be the host, are you up for that?”
Nasht-Mer felt her face blushing at the compliment and honor to host such a broadcast. She thought, “There is that feeling again, I’m hot all over. By the Gods! Is this Sashpet? The need to take him as a mate? I must keep this under control.” The broadcast would be replayed and of course, sent to all the other worlds. This would enhance her image enormously. With her mind back on the project, she cleverly added,
“I think we should have the Meeting Chairman of the Council make an opening statement, don’t you?” She asked. Sean just smiled, communicating visually he knew what she was thinking. And so, it was set for the last night on Hhearn. Sean thought the perfect last concert should be Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto since the piano had not been used in any of the concerts thus far. The repeating theme throughout that work would be readily recognized and loved. He would talk with the Conductor tonight.
The Orchestra members were playing better than they had ever played, realizing that they were part of preventing Earth from becoming a slave world. In addition, the enthusiastic reception from the Hhearnians was very demonstrative, and a huge motivator for the musicians. Back to back performances always caused grumbling among the players, but not here on Hhearn. Playing for an audience that had never heard music like this before was energizing. No one complained they were working too hard.
With translators, the players were getting requests to be interviewed by possible students who might want to learn how to play some of the instruments. The players counseled them about the work and constant practice that it requires. Nothing seemed to deter their enthusiasm, especially the girl students because up to now, all musicians on Hhearn were men, despite there was no prohibition against women musicians. The Hhearnians were surprised to learn there were music schools and colleges strictly for music. There was keen interest in some students attending.
The news of the Senior Councilor’s murder rippled through the normally serene news cycle, especially following all the festive events of the Membership application. The only witness, the Councilor’s aid, couldn’t remember anything, he was unconscious when security investigated unanswered commo calls to the Councilor. Security vids identified the last person to enter the Councilor’s office suite was the Ambassador from Zakar, who, of course, had diplomatic immunity and was rumored to have left the planet overnight. A strong protest was issued from the Director General’s Office to the Zakar embassy advising that all Zakar diplomatic personnel were to leave the planet and were now personae non gratae on Hhearn.
The outrage over the murder was unusually subdued since the Councilor was unpopular with not only the citizenry, but with most of the other Councilors as well. A quiet funeral was planned with no invitations to the media. Sean, Doris, and Nasht-Mer attended the funeral along with a token group of Councilors.
Four days after the Senior Councilor’s murder and subsequent funeral, the Council assembled a quorum and voted to elevate the present Chairman Trakt-Men to the post of Senior Councilor without dissent. All those present had good expectations for the new Senior Councilor to begin to renovate the rules and laws regarding vassal planets. There was significant opposition of course, but those elements were not in attendance that day. The concept that a planet could never earn itself out of vassal status was tantamount to slavery, and always had been a moral sore point with the majority of Councilors. They did not have any actual plans to rectify this, but now perhaps it could be entertained if a Councilor would sponsor such a change and the new Senior Councilor would place the motion on the agenda.
“Zzzzt,”” Zzzzt,” one after the other, Doris could hear the discharges of the Hhearn Rules Enforcement officers firing their Hhearn hand weapons at the targets. Doris had been invited this morning by Maja-Ben the SIS Undercover Officer to their firing range for a few hours of target practice. Maja kept telling himself, he just wanted to see her hand gun she called a ‘357,’ fired again and how accurate she could handle it.
On the other hand, he had to admit that he enjoyed her company and the freedom to discuss policing procedures and investigations. She had all these strange symbols marked on her skin, at least the parts he could see, that seemed like strange tribal markings he had seen on one of the primitive planets he had visited during his training as a trainee initiate. Yet in discussions with her she demonstrated a level of investigative cleverness that was valuable and bred from experience.
“Doris, would you like to try my hand weapon?” Maja asked as they took over the next available shooting partition and prepared to attach a target sheet. Doris, always quick to try a new weapon, answered enthusiastically,
“Yes, I would, thank you.” and reached for Maja’s hand weapon. It was lighter than what she expected, holding it as Maja went over its features, power settings, and how to relieve the safety lock. Once she had familiarized herself with all of that, she turned to the target with the weapon set at its highest power setting, intended to maim or kill, and fired at the target.
“Zzzzt” it threw a bolt at the target hitting it on the far-right side of the target.
“It pulls to the right?” She asked after the one shot.
“Yes, that’s the micro cyclotron inside. Once you have the feel of that, it will always be the same amount of pull, you can adjust with practice.” Maja explained to her. Doris took aim again and fired, placing the bolt into the center of the target. A few more firings established she not only had the feel of the weapon, but was consistently in the center of the target. She also noticed there was a slight delay while the gun reset for another bolt, not good in a fire fight especially if the other side anticipates the delay.
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br /> Maja-Ben was impressed with her marksmanship and moved the target to its furthest point which made little difference in her accuracy. She thought,
“I still like my own weapon but this handgun is lighter and the energy bolt doesn’t drop with distance like a metal slug does. Also, it is lighter to hold, but not a good blunt force weapon if the energy cell has emptied itself of a charge. Pros and cons, always.” After several more shots, she handed the weapon back to Maja and asked,
“How many times can you fire before the energy cell is empty?”
“You have twelve full power shots from a fresh energy cell, more at a lower setting.” He said as he put the handgun back into his holster. and then,
“May I try yours Doris?” She took out her handgun she affectionately called ‘Henry’ and explained it’s features and that it had no safety button. “When Henry comes out, it is ready for action.” She told him.
‘‘Henry?” Maja asked with raised eyebrows.
“Ah yes, that’s the name I gave it the first day I was asked on a date with officer I didn’t want to date. I told him I was going steady with ‘Henry’. He never asked me again.” She said with a big smile. Maja laughed as he hefted the gun feeling its weight.
“It’s a heavy piece.” He said.
“Yes, she said, it needs to be for its power.” Then she showed him how to hold it with both hands tightly in a shooting pose, before he fired it. She warned him that it will kick upward and to not let it get away from him. Maja assumed the shooting pose and fired.
BLAM! The explosion of the .357 filled the whole shooting gallery, shook some dust from the ceiling panels above, and startled all the other shooters as the target tore into pieces. Maja had expected a kick but not what he felt when he fired ‘Henry’. He had held onto the gun, but it was a near thing, and surprised him with its explosive power.
