by B. V. Larson
But I wasn’t the same fresh recruit I’d been thirty-odd years ago when we’d first met up. I was a very well-trained fighter. Being hand-cuffed was an inconvenience, but it by no means meant I couldn’t take action.
Claver struggled to rise, but I kicked away his gun and planted a boot between his shoulders. I pushed him back down again and kept pushing, ramming the air out of his lungs. He coughed.
“We had a deal!” he managed to wheeze out. “Ask your Nairbs!”
“Now, now,” I said. “I’m sorry about all this, Sateekas, sir. I should have brought him in here unconscious.”
So saying, I stomped methodically on his skull until he quieted down. I might have killed him, but I was pretty sure he was just in a coma or something. I didn’t really care.
Once he’d stopped struggling, I squatted over him and touched his tapper to my manacles. They instantly fell away.
A few Nairbs advanced and circled around the scene suspiciously. They tried to get Sateekas’ attention, but he brushed them back. He’d never had much love for bureaucrats, not even his own.
Sateekas shuffled a few paces closer.
“Tell me, McGill,” he said. “If you are the captor rather than the captive, why were you the one who was wearing restraints on your limbs when you arrived?”
“What, these?” I asked, rattling my crys-steel chains. “They’re just for show. We use them to train ourselves to fight under any circumstances. Also, I know Mogwa consider Earthlings to be useful slaves.”
“This is correct.”
“Right. So, I figured it would only be proper to come into your presence dressed for the part.”
Again, I shook my chains. The Mogwa and the Nairbs conversed among themselves for a moment. I watched with a confident air that I didn’t really feel inside.
After a few minutes, I saw a troop of guards show up. They were Mogwa regulars, young males, armed and armored with exoskeletal suits.
“Uh…” I said, looking around myself. “Is there something wrong, your Grace?”
“Indeed there is. My sycophantic underlings have annoyed me with some unpleasant facts. We were scheduled to meet with the Claver creature who lies at your feet.”
I glanced down at Claver, and I wasn’t really sure if he was breathing or not. That could be bad, I realized now.
“Oh, oh, oh! Right, of course!” I said, laughing. “You guys must have gotten caught up in my ruse.”
“Ruse?” Sateekas asked. “I’m not fond of trickery of any kind, McGill.”
I was very pleased that Sateekas seemed to be buying it at least a little, but his chief advisor was clearly agitated. A fat Nairb shook his puke-green face in a negative jiggle, and sloshed from flipper to flipper.
“This is absurd,” the Nairb said, speaking up at last. I had the feeling they’d been under orders to keep quiet. “I don’t understand why you would continue to entertain the fantasies of this over-sized ape-creature, Governor. It defies all logic.” He gnashed his short yellow tusks in frustration.
I clucked my tongue loudly and shook my head. “Wow! Do you always talk to your master like that? Back on Earth, you’d have been stomped flat and hung out to dry long ago, Mr. Nairb.”
The Nairb looked at me with a prissy mix of disgust and outrage. “Governor Sateekas, I insist that you—”
“Jeez!” I burst out. “That’s a low-blow, reminding him of his demotion to Governor. You just have to rub it in, don’t you?”
The Nairb blinked at me. “Your nonsensical statements aren’t helpful. Governor Sateekas has been awarded a title and duties. There’s no insult implied by using his correct title.”
But I knew different. I took a glance at old Sateekas to see how he was taking this exchange. The truth was, he looked kind of pissed off. To his way of thinking, as a Navy man, being turned into a governor of a benighted province like 921 was an insult indeed.
Sateekas suddenly back-handed the Nairb. Normally, if any other being had taken such a blow, it wouldn’t have meant much. Hell, my daddy had bashed me like that any number of times when I was a kid—for excellent reasons, I might add.
But Nairb physiology wasn’t quite like that of a human or even Mogwa. Nairbs were like bags full of green snot. You could see their rubbery bones and organs inside there, excreting and absorbing… It was kind of sick when you thought about it.
So, a powerful blow to the back of the noggin did more damage than one might expect. The Nairb slumped forward, leaking fluids and shivering on the deck.
“Irritating creature,” Sateekas complained. “Take that mess away. It smells.”
The Mogwa troops dragged the carcass off. I wasn’t sure if he was dead—but he probably was by the time they were done tossing him around.
“Sorry about your servant there, Sateekas. I hope you’re not inconvenienced.”
“Don’t worry about it. He’ll be recycled and come out to annoy me again shortly. Now, however, we still haven’t sorted out your status… McGill-creature, let’s postulate for the moment that I believe you. A creature named Claver contacted us, promising us a prisoner of great value. Instead, you arrive, a Hero of Earth by all accounts. How has this come to pass? Who should I believe in this instance?”
“That takes a bit of explaining…” I admitted. “But it’s simple enough. I couldn’t tell you about the real reason I’m here. The real trade I have to make was a secret up until now. This Claver-creature—he’s one of the worst of the worst. He’s human in name only, totally untrustworthy.”
Giving Claver a kick, I caused his body to roll over onto his back.
Old Sateekas was confused. Various eye-groups blinked at me in sequence. That state of bafflement wouldn’t last long, of course. The Mogwa didn’t like to be confused. They soon became wrathful and dangerous when confronted with something they didn’t understand. The Nairb agent that was even now being scraped off the deck was a testament to that.
“Here’s the deal,” I said, lowering my voice a notch. I took in a deep breath then paused.
I slid my eyes to regard the other Nairbs who were skulking around the chamber. They were listening quietly, intently.
They hated me, one and all. They always had, just like every government stooge I’d encountered in my long and storied life back on Earth. I was anything but the compliant type such creatures preferred.
“Uh…” I said, “maybe we should remove the rest of these agent-critters.”
“What?”
“The Nairbs. They might be plotting revenge for their fallen comrade.”
Sateekas laughed until he shook and farted. “No need, McGill. You imbue them with far too much bravery. They’d never dare take action to avenge a temporary death. They don’t have that kind of warrior spirit. But I understand, as a warrior yourself, how you might expect them to react like creatures with a spine.”
I nodded slowly, but inwardly I was cursing. I’d hoped to get rid of all the Nairbs before I told my tale. They were far too likely to find holes in my story—because, after all, there were lots of holes…
Tons of them.
-68-
With one curious Mogwa and a half-dozen angry Nairbs listening to me, I began my tale.
“You see, it went like this…”
I told them then of Claver going to the Core Worlds—Mogwa Prime to be exact—to do a deal in person.
The mere idea of it stunned the Nairbs in particular. “That’s a violation of at least seven statutes,” complained one of them.
“That’s right!” I said loudly. “That’s what I told the man! But he wouldn’t listen—he and his accomplice.”
“Accomplice?” Sateekas asked.
“Yes, sure. Didn’t I mention him?”
“Who is this accomplice, McGill?”
Giving a sniff and putting on my most trustworthy, honest-John face, I spoke with firm certainty. “His accomplice was none other than Governor Xlur himself.”
This elicited a round of barking and squawki
ng from the Nairbs.
“Absurd!”
“A treasonous lie!”
“An eighth count against Earth for uttering baseless falsehoods!”
Shrugging, I looked at Sateekas. He looked guardedly interested.
“Your tale intrigues me,” he said. “Continue.”
Angry Nairbs slithered in circles around us like cats.
“Well sir, as I understand it, you can’t get to Mogwa Prime as a human being—not even using a revival transmission approach. You can’t, that is, unless you’ve been invited by a Mogwa.”
Sateekas hesitated. “What you say is essentially true.”
“Damn straight it is!” I said, glaring around at the Nairbs. “Do any of you want to explain why Sateekas here is wrong?”
A few hissed, but none of them dared to speak.
“Animal,” Sateekas said sternly. “You’ll do well to ignore them and continue with your story.”
I looked at him, and I figured he was deadly serious. My life hung in the balance.
Still I felt a certain confidence that some might have called unwarranted. As wild as my tale seemed, I knew that it was backed up by certain facts. After all, a human had recently been revived on Mogwa Prime. Of course it had been me, not Claver—but that begged the point. Galactics tended to confuse puny races like humans. One of us looked like the rest. They didn’t bother to track our genetics or anything, any more than humans would track individual sardines in the sea.
We were like a bucket full of slugs to them: distasteful and almost identical.
Even more importantly, the event had happened at Xlur’s insistence. He’d been in on it, and he’d died suddenly afterward. Governor Sateekas had to know about that.
“Well sir,” I continued, “I don’t know that much more about the story. I know Claver went out there—illegally, but with the blessing of Governor Xlur. Soon thereafter, Xlur vanished and you became our governor.”
“…aggrevated violation…” muttered a Nairb in the back.
“Yes!” I called out, pointing in his direction. “Yes, it was a sickening violation. One committed by Xlur—and by Claver. That’s why I came here today. I thought it was too important to leave to chance. So, I brought you one of the culprits personally, your honorship.”
“Why would you bring me this beast?” Sateekas asked.
“I thought that was clear,” I said, pretending to be startled. I pointed a long finger at the end of an even longer arm in the direction of the swarming Nairbs. “They would blame Earth—all of humanity for the mistake of one being. I couldn’t let us be falsely accused.”
“But Claver is a human!” pointed out the Nairb in the back. “The crime is so great it can’t be washed away with the blood of an individual!”
“Precisely so!” I shouted back. “Xlur must be brought to justice! And I’ve got Claver right here to share the guilt.”
“…unbelievable hubris…”
“…outrage…”
“All humanity is on trial here, human!”
Again, I leaned and shrugged as if disinterested. “I don’t see it that way. Xlur invited Claver to Mogwa Prime. He had to do that, or Claver couldn’t have gotten there. Then, after performing some kind of deal, Claver came back to our local space to plague us.”
The Mogwa watched me closely. I definitely got the vibe he was trying to digest it all. He had to know that certain elements were true.
“You’re saying,” Sateekas began, “that the fact Xlur invited Claver absolves the human of his crimes.”
“Nooooo,” I said, drawing the word out. “Not at all, sir. I’m just saying that the fact Xlur invited Claver decouples the responsibility of humanity at large. He’s still guilty as Hell for succumbing to temptation!”
“Hmmm…” Sateekas said, ruminating. “Are you aware that Xlur is dead?”
I gasped and almost swooned. Staggering a little, I grabbed onto a bulkhead for support.
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well then, that is grim news indeed, sir!” I said.
Then, as if a thought had struck me out of the blue, I leaned forward and lowered my voice.
“You don’t think…” I said, toeing Claver’s unconscious form. “You don’t think he had anything to do with it, do you?”
“The investigation has thus far been inconclusive.”
One of the Nairbs dared to slither closer.
“The suspicion of human involvement is a definite maybe,” he said as if he was announcing my doom. “That’s one of the reasons we’re here—to evaluate Earth’s loyalty and possibly take punitive action.”
Sateekas wheeled on him, slapping at him with his limbs. The Nairb scuttled away.
“The witness is giving us vital testimony, fool!” Sateekas told him. “Do not interrupt!”
“Uh…” I said.
Suddenly, I was wondering who was being manipulated. Oftentimes court actions involving Empire officials didn’t go the way a man intended. In the long run, Sateekas might yet order us all to self-execute.
Sateekas turned back to face me again. “So, loyal slave, now has come the time to tell me what Claver was peddling. What item could be so valuable that he would give his life multiple times? What might interest Xlur to an equal level?”
There it was, out in the open. They wanted to know about the book, about the formula—about the death spores that only affected Mogwa.
“Uh…” I said. “I’m not sure. But I know who does know the truth.”
“Who?!” demanded the Nairbs. They leaned in, hungrily listening.
Again, I nudged Claver with the toe of my boot.
“Why, I’m talking about this here traitor. Surely he must know the answers to your questions. You have only to rouse him and ask.”
Sateekas slid a long limb forward to lay it upon Claver’s back. After a moment, he spoke. “It breathes still. It can be repaired. Slaves, come forward and heal this criminal.”
The Nairbs humped near and took Claver away. I grinned and nodded to each of them when they got close and peered up into my eyes.
When they noticed my scrutiny, they shuddered and scuttled away quickly.
At last, only Sateekas and I were left in the room with a few stern Mogwa marines.
“McGill-creature,” Sateekas said. “I know that you’re lying.”
My blood ran cold. “Uh… I’d never do that, sir.”
He made a dismissive gesture. “Don’t worry about my marines. They aren’t equipped with translators. There’s no point in forcing them to listen to the bleating and cursing of those they slay.”
This thought struck him as funny, and he gave one of those farting laughs.
“I see, sir…” I began, not sure what to do.
“I’ve noticed that you’ve never dared refer to me as governor,” Sateekas said, “despite the fact it is now my proper title.”
“Um…”
“You are wise not to do so. The mere thought of it—a masterful naval commander banished to a governorship… One would think I was as reviled as Xlur himself.”
My lips were clamped tight, even though my mind churned with questions and retorts. I’d always suspected Xlur was considered to be an asshole, even by his peers.
“To explain,” the Mogwa said, “you are essentially correct. A human did come to Mogwa Prime. And that human, it has now been determined, did murder Xlur. It was a perma-death too—professionally done.”
My lips parted to show my teeth. I was worried now. My eyes slid to the marines. They were watchful, but seemed unaware of the intensity of the conversation Sateekas and I were having. Could I possibly rush one of them, take his weapon, then manage to kill the rest?
I wasn’t sure, but I was about to try it.
-69-
Governor Sateekas and I contemplated one another for a few seconds. I was waiting for his attention to shift. I needed a moment during which the guards were distracted somehow. Perhaps a Nairb
would wander back to report, drawing everyone’s eye for a few critical seconds…
“And so you see,” Sateekas said, “I know it was you who killed Xlur, not Claver. For that, I owe you a great debt.”
“Huh…?” I asked, blinking in confusion. I quickly recovered and straightened up my spine. “That’s great, sir. I’m glad you see it my way.”
“Yes. You’ve removed Xlur—your reasons are your own, but I can understand why. He wasn’t well-liked by anyone. And this job I have now—the governorship, it’s not what anyone would want, but it’s better than being retired permanently.”
I didn’t entirely know what he was talking about, but his mood was positive, so mine was as well. I found myself nodding in agreement with everything he said. Inside, I felt a wave of relief.
“Anything to serve, sir,” I said.
“An amazingly loyal beast you are. That you should have given up your existence this way for my comfort—yes, it’s an honor to thank you personally.”
“Uh…” I said, unhappy again. “What was that part about my existence, sir?”
“Yes, truly magnanimous. By slaying Xlur, you placed me on his throne by default. This is automatic, as I was the only other official assigned to this province by the Empire.”
“I see.”
“Clearly, you did. What’s more, you saved my own life. As reluctant as I am to accept the mantle of a governor, it’s better than what happened to my replacement who led Battle Fleet 921 on its final mission.”
Sateekas seemed to think I knew what he was talking about—perhaps because he knew I’d been on Mogwa Prime recently—but of course, I was completely in the dark.
“Right sir. I know the outlines of that terrible disaster—but maybe you could fill me in on the specifics?”
“Of course. A loyal slave such as you deserves to know why his fate has befallen him. Battle Fleet 921 was deployed against a neighboring rival near Mogwa Prime. Unfortunately, the ships in that formation were both out of date and used on the front lines of the conflict. All but a few vessels—such as this cruiser we’re aboard now— were destroyed.”
I was stunned. The Battle Fleet was gone? That was grim news indeed.
