by Stefon Mears
Jacobs stood at his station and addressed the whole bridge crew.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today we are going to be violating Earth General Space Travel Regulation number six cee: ‘No civilian craft will violate space designated by the Earth Navy as a no-fly zone.’”
Jacobs gave them a moment for that to sink in and get any of their little sounds of shock or surprise out of the way.
“We’re an Earth-registered ship on an officially logged commercial flight, so they can’t legally charge us with spying. Not just for going where we’re not supposed to be. But they might try to push for Theft of Military Secrets or even Treason, depending on why they designated the no-fly zone.
“The point is, I am about to break the law and take this ship with me. I have good reason for doing so, but that’s no guarantee that I and my crew will not face repercussions. If any of you are unwilling to participate in this, step down from your station now. I will think no less of you and Starchaser Spacelines will still pay you for the full voyage.”
The crew members looked at one another.
“Sir,” said Jefferson. “Isn’t there something else we could do? Another option?”
“A fair question,” said Jacobs. “But in this case moot. I have examined our alternatives and concluded that this is the best and safest course of action.” Jacobs glanced at the position of the Horizon Cusp as indicated on his charts. “And we are out of time for debates. Any who wish to step down, do so now.”
None did.
Jacobs smiled, and for the first time since he discovered their situation, began to feel deep in his gut that they might yet come through this day intact.
“All right. Ms. Jefferson, broadcast a mayday into the no-fly zone. Mr. Grabowski, keep a weather eye on those scanners. The question isn’t whether trouble is going to come, but when it will get here. Mr. Burke, ahead three-quarters.
“Take us into the no-fly zone.”
◊
Twenty minutes ago, Donal awoke and showered with ritual slowness. This turned the simple act of bathing into a deeper, contemplative technique that cleansed the mind as well as the body. It purged from him the stress of the last night’s discovery and realization that before he left Venus — if he ever left Venus at all — he would have to duel his girlfriend. Donal was not sure that he had ever been in love with her, exactly, but he had expected a more amicable break-up than this.
Of course, he had never realized that he had been dating a megalomaniac.
But at least Donal had the better part of a day to prepare for the duel, and he came out of his shower refreshed and renewed in both body and spirit.
Ten minutes ago, Donal had breakfasted on fruit — fresh berries and melon — and a plain bagel, with water his only beverage. Magister Machado might have recommended a heavy breakfast to Donal before a full working day, but back in college Donal had established the routine of a simple meal on the days of magical exertion.
Since then the meal itself had become a sort of ritual for Donal, and he knew that the approach he took to his most important exams would serve him in good stead here. So he ate every bite completely in the moment. The explosions of raspberry and blackberry juice between his teeth, the tang of sweet fresh pineapple on his tongue, the palate cleansing bites of buttered bagel between each flavor. Even the swallows of water had their place in the rhythm of his meal.
And now Donal sat cross-legged in the center of the main room of his suite, his thoughts deep within himself anchoring his sense of balance, centering himself as completely as possible while Fionn walked a circle around him, supporting and checking.
Deeper into his own mind Donal went, past fears and responsibilities, past joys and sadness, to the core of Donal’s truest self, the kernel of personality that held him together through all the experiences of his life, that made him who he was beyond anything he said or did or thought.
Donal sank deeply into himself, and prepared. Because when he came back to his own body, he would have to learn how to stand in battle against a woman who could smile when she killed.
◊
At the long desk in his workshop office, Machado pushed aside his half-eaten plate of eggs and pastries and sat back in his huge roller chair. He looked at his tall, dark assistant — who had finished his own plate of food and was waiting for the go sign to begin casting — and said, “Repeat it so I know you understand.”
“I’m going to reinforce the innocuous deceptions that are already in place to make us less noticeable to space elementals in general, and zuglodons in particular. But you don’t want me to add any of my own.”
“That’s right. Your deception magic sucks.” One of the benefits of working with Initiates — they know they suck at spells outside their relatively narrows areas of focus. If they were competent generalists, they would be Journeymen. “So signal me when you’re ready and I’ll layer a few more deceptions out there.”
“And while you’re doing that....”
Machado snapped his fingers. “Don’t be shy, Cromartie. There’s no time.”
“While you’re doing that I am to dig through the wards for the military keys and loop them to the tertiary circle....”
Another uncertain furrowing of Cromartie’s brow, and Machado had to resist the urge to grab the tall man and shake him.
“What?”
“But surely only you can—”
“I arranged the sequence to respond to both our thaumaturgic signatures. You should have no problem looping them to the circle and getting ready to kill those keys on my command. I know it’s illegal, but the captain doesn’t want to leave us bare-assed to anything their little magicians can pull together and I say he’s right.”
“It’s not that.” Cromartie shook his head, his expression something like awe. “You can actually key a spell for someone else’s signature?”
Machado grinned. “If you think that’s impressive, wait ‘til you see what I do when the diversions are in place.”
◊
“Helm,” said Jacobs, maneuvering charts in the air above his station as fast as he could read them, “how far inside the no-fly zone are we?”
“Two thousand klicks, Sir,” said Burke.
“Good.” Jacobs stretched three sections of the three-dimensional map. “I’ll have a route update for you in about ninety seconds. For now, ahead full and when we reach five klicks bring us about. Hard to starboard and up ... fifteen degrees.”
Jacobs rubbed his eyes and looked over the route he had in mind. It looked good: didn’t go too far inside the no-fly zone, and would take them away from the zuglodon hunting ground at the same time.
Assuming anything about the charts proved to be reliable where the zuglodons were concerned. If all went well, Jacobs might have his ship out of harm’s way within another hour.
For the best. The longer the Horizon Cusp was in the no-fly zone, the greater the temptation Jacobs felt to grab hold of the scanners and find out just what was so damned important that it merited cutting off civilian access to such a huge swath of space. Space Earth barely had any right to claim dominion over, except that the Navy had the might to enforce it.
No, better to get away from all of this before the ship got noticed. Jacobs had a crew to get to safety and passengers to drop off on Venus. Once they landed, so far as Jacobs was concerned, the passengers’ safety was their own business.
“Captain,” said Jefferson, “we’re getting hailed.”
“I haven’t picked up anything on the scanners yet,” said Grabowski.
“Have you been scanning into the no-fly zone?”
“No, Sir.” Grabowski looked away.
Poor kid. Probably would have left his post rather than break the law, but didn’t have the courage to be the only one to do it. Thought having the log show his scanning activities might help him by indicating what he clearly did not do.
“You’ll catch the same hell wherever you look, Mr. Grabowski. Now kindly try to find out what’s haili
ng us. Helm, take us down to half-speed just in case it’s who I think it is.”
Jacobs’ nostrils flared in a quick, deep breath. “All right, Ms. Jefferson. Link them through to my station.”
The square jaw and short gray hair of an Earth Navy captain formed above the comm pad at Jacobs’ station.
“Attention unidentified vessel. This is Captain Etor Liatos of the Earth Cruiser Orpheus. You have entered restricted space. Under Earth authority I order you to reverse course one hundred eighty degrees and withdraw.”
“This is Captain John Jacobs of the registered passenger liner Horizon Cusp. Listen, Captain Liatos, neither I nor anyone on my ship could give a lesser damn what secrets Earth is trying to safeguard. Fact is that the zuglodon hunting ground is nearly twice as big as you boys marked it on the charts. I’ve got nothing but civilians on this ship and I need you to help keep them safe so we can get them to Venus in one piece.”
“Sorry, Captain, my orders are clear here. The security of this zone takes precedence even above the lives of civilians. You need to withdraw or I’ll have no choice but to burn you down.”
Chapter Twenty
At his perch above the round layout of bridge stations, the cold stars of space all about him, Jacobs tried to reason with the Earth cruiser’s captain over the link. He had a back-up plan, but he hoped to never use it.
“Captain, please, I need you to listen here.” Jacobs rubbed that spot between his eyes. “We’re not looking for a fight. This is just a commercial flight to Venus. You can board us if you like—”
“Look, Jacobs. I know your reputation as a damned good captain. My instructor back at the academy used to tell stories about you. But I’ve got no leeway. You have ten minutes to withdraw. Then...”
Captain Liatos looked away for a moment, but when he looked back Jacobs saw only steel in the man’s eyes. “You have ten minutes. Orpheus out.”
Captain Liatos cut the link.
“Helm! Bring us about. Ninety degrees to starboard, pitch us up ten and give me everything she has. Communications, tell Jang to push her beloved Deception Drive for all it’s worth and maybe a little more. Scanners, what am I dealing with?”
“Cruiser and two gunboats, Sir. They mean business.”
“So do I. Keep an eye on our new best friends, Mr. Grabowski. If they keep pace, fine. If they close or move onto an attack vector let me know immediately.”
“Sir,” said Jefferson, “Captain Liatos is back on the link for you.”
“Make him hold a minute.” Jacobs opened a link to Machado’s workroom and said, “Mash! Kill those keys!”
◊
The sound of a knock found its way to Donal’s awareness. A seven rap beat, steady, urgent. Didn’t match any knock Donal was familiar with. He began easing himself back out of his center and into his body, comfortable and ready for him on the floor of his suite.
The knock repeated as Donal stretched his legs, and Fionn said, “Tai Shi Li Hua stands at the door, but I do not know what she seeks.”
“The Magister has put a moratorium on our duel.” Donal shrugged and stood. “Maybe she’s realized that, with extra time at my disposal, I’m likely to set up a way to expose what she’s doing even if she takes me down.”
Donal strolled over to the door, but stopped shy of reaching for the knob. He twisted his words so that only Fionn could understand them. “Is she alone?”
Fionn nodded.
Donal opened the door. There stood Li Hua in a formidable gray skirt suit. Donal felt underdressed in his tee shirt and jeans.
“I leave you alone for one night and you forget how to dress.”
“I wasn’t expecting a visitor.” Donal leaned against the frame to ensure he did not imply an invitation inside. “What can I do for you, Ms. Tai Shi?”
Donal’s words hit home. Li Hua blinked twice, and her lips started to pull to the side before she stopped them. Her eyes narrowed and she said, “A small matter, Mr. Cuthbert. I doubt it will take much of your time.”
She held up a small, trifolded piece of paper. “I hope you’ll indulge my use of actual paper. It seemed more appropriate.”
Donal shifted enough consciousness to scan the paper and ensure that she had cast no spells on it before he took it.
“Not bad,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.
Donal felt a momentary urge to smile at her acknowledgment of how far his skills had come. But then he realized that she had still spotted his shift in consciousness.
He had improved, but not enough.
Donal unfolded the paper. The business language of it took him a moment to parse, but when he understood what he thought it meant, his eyes grew wide and he felt a wave of cold sweep up his torso and settle in around his neck.
“But this means...”
“That’s right.” No hint of sorrow about Li Hua now, only a smile that stretched from her lips to her eyes. “In my capacity as Director of Security for Inter-Business Relations for 4M and its business partners, the Horizon Cusp now officially falls under my authority, as confirmed by Mr. Mancuso himself.”
Li Hua tucked the piece of paper back into the inner pocket of her suit jacket. “In other words, Donal, this is now my demesne.”
Donal closed his eyes. He was supposed to have hours to prepare for this. He was supposed to be ready to take her down, to hit the weak spots Fionn had noticed. But now he had no time at all, because Li Hua said those two little words he had been dreading: “Comórtas Draíocht.”
All Donal’s careful plans made no difference to the abject fear he felt take hold of him. He would have to fight. And he knew he would lose.
◊
“Master,” said Saravá, “the Navy has arrived.”
Machado wiped sweat out of his eyes. He stood in the second largest, second most complete magic circle in his workshop, surrounded by burning candles and two forms of incense to support and ease his casting.
Still, two dozen major diversions could take a lot out of even him, but they should keep any threat of zuglodons off the ship for a while, at least.
If there weren’t too many.
If moving in a pack didn’t extend their senses the way some theories said it might.
No time now.
“Mash!” came the voice of Jacobs from the comm link. “Kill those keys!”
“Cromartie,” said Machado, “yank the loop!”
Cromartie used an actual yanking movement to free the Horizon Cusp’s wards from the thaumaturgic links Earth mandated that every commercial and private ship include. Machado felt those weak spots leave the wards like buoys pulled out of water, with the wards — as designed — filling in their own gaps.
In that precise moment, Machado felt the pull of his Comórtas Draíocht alert. Tai Shi and Cuthbert had to be at it again, despite his decree.
But that shouldn’t be possible ... unless....
But Machado did not have time to investigate. He felt certain that Tai Shi had issued the challenge. No way Cuthbert could cross him, much less any chance that he would try. No, Tai Shi had to have found some claim on his demesne. Unless she was stupid enough to believe she could go toe-to-toe with a Magister.
But Tai Shi was not stupid. And even if she were, Cuthbert was still stuck fighting her at a time and place of her choosing. She would crush him. And Machado might never get a straight answer about what had brought them to blows.
But that was all a worry for later. Right now, Machado had a ship to save.
◊
Jacobs tried to wait patiently while the head of Orpheus captain Liatos screamed at him over the link. After all, Liatos had the authority of Earth’s military backing him up.
But Jacobs had never been good at obeying authority.
“Enough!” barked Jacobs, a tone so sharp that Liatos stopped mid-threat. “You gave us ten minutes before you open fire and I’m not going to let you waste the other nine.”
“Stop running from us or I’ll kill your engines for you
.”
Jacobs cut the link. Nothing he could say right now would make a difference anyway. Liatos would not vary from his orders, and any moment he would discover that the Horizon Cusp no longer had those ward keys he could exploit. Then they would be in the heart of the storm.
Jacobs wanted as much distance as he could get before that happened.
“Scanners, how are they keeping pace?”
“Gunboats are falling behind, but the Orpheus is staying with us.”
“Firing status?”
“They’re out of line to shoot, and their chutes look cold.”
“Helm, how’s she handling?”
“Five by five so far.”
“Captain,” said Jefferson. “The Orpheus is back on the link and they sound pissed.”
“Cut that link. There’s no point in it. I’m not steering us into certain death.”
“Done, Sir, but...”
“Out with it.”
“Captain Liatos said he has summoned reinforcements. We are to surrender immediately or be destroyed.”
◊
“So this is what it comes down to,” said Donal, still blocking the doorway. “I don’t suppose you’d care to talk about this.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.” All playfulness had fled Li Hua’s tone. Her words were crisp, sharp, the way Mr. Mancuso sounded when discussing business. “Before I leave here, I will put you under a geas to keep you from ever telling anyone what you know or think you know about me, Mr. Mancuso, 4M, and all related businesses.”
She tried to smile then, but even the smile had grown cold as though, inside, she had already cut herself off from Donal.
“You can still go to grad school, get your Hierophant credentials, and do all the research you want. I don’t want to ruin your plans, Donal. I just don’t want to let you ruin mine.”
But Donal barely heard her words over the pounding of his heart, the sense of loss dripping down his spine, the heat in his face and the tears that tried to escape, gave everything he saw a glossy sheen.
