They are Rhu! Somehow he hadn’t connected the caller’s name with the Moi’s traveling trader cousins. Where the Rhu the Qoori counterparts?
In the large tent an old man sat in state on a richly carved chair. He had long wispy hair, and a lined face that spoke of great age, and he too looked kin to every Qoori Kyrus had ever met,
As a ruler’s son, Kyrus wasn’t about to bow to anyone, so he gave a curt salute. ‘I’m Admiral Kyrus.’
The child dragged a chair forward for him and retired into the shadows.
‘I am Thigor of the Rhu,’ the old man said. ‘Your presence surprises me, Admiral. You call yourself Realmfleet, yet you are not Moi, like those others behind you.’
‘They aren’t Moi either; we are all of Firstworld, Flor 3,’ Kyrus said.
‘I have heard of that world, but it is far from our regular route and the details escape me,’ Thigor said. ‘We are here three months every third year. My son trades with the Koopal merchants below while we elders and very young stay out of reach.’ He glanced at Kyrus. ‘A custom, dating from times immemorial.’
‘Koopal is a safe world?’ Kyrus said.
‘Now it is, of a sort.’ The old man smiled thinly. ‘Its people are fierce warriors, riding swift mounts, but these days they practice trading instead of base robbery.’ He shifted in his chair and seemed uncertain how to go on.
‘You have a problem?’ Kyrus said. ‘Realmfleet is always ready to assist.’
Thigor sighed. ‘I do need help, Admiral. My grandson Bithoon and his two friends went into the Realmstore. That is not permitted; it is a ruined and dangerous place. But my grandson is young, and he always knows better. They have been three days gone. Bithoon’s father, my son, is with the ship on the world below and he cannot look for them. I, alas, am no longer able to, nor are my few retainers. If you are willing to go into the ruins and find him, we shall reward you well.’
‘You have a way into the place?’
‘There is a way, a dangerous way. A meteoroid broke the roof and created an entrance. There is, of course, no air inside, but the boys wear their breathers and shields. We do not know where they are. They cannot be far, the place is dark and impossible to navigate.’
Kyrus glanced at the others and back. ‘Show us this entrance,’ he said. ‘We will see what we can do.’
Immediately, the little girl appeared at his side. ‘I will take you to the hole.’
‘Good. We will be back, Thigor.’
The girl walked briskly away, leading them across the sandy square that could have been a tea garden. ‘Or a place where you wrestled lions,’ Kyrus thought. ‘It could have been anything.’
At the edge of the dome the girl stopped, fitted some sort of mask over her mouth and shielded up.
‘We too,’ Kyrus said, and activated his belt shield.
Then the girl gestured them to follow her, and they passed through the dome.
‘Neat,’ Kyrus thought. ‘No idea how she managed to take us through.’ They walked past what looked like a walled-up row of lemonade bars and soon reached a heap of rubble. Nimbly the girl clambered over the fallen stones onto the roof and pointed. A corner of the building had caved in.
He gave the girl a thumb-up, and she bowed gravely before hurrying back to her camp.
‘Let’s go.’ He activated his light and jumped into the hole. Looking around, he saw gaudy images on the walls and what could only be toys strewn across the floor. Some sort of children’s room, he thought. A door was half-open and led them into a corridor. Signs on the walls pointed to what sounded like company names.
‘The old man trusted us,’ Techneer Jathra said. ‘Isn’t that strange?’
‘He didn’t have an alternative,’ Kyrus said. ‘If those kids have been lost for three days, they won’t be very chirpy by now.’
‘Probably not,’ Jathra said. ‘Those people surprised me; I didn’t know the Rhu looked like the Qoori.’
‘Sir,’ Healer Holyn said, interrupting her. ‘I sense something.’
They stopped and Kyrus sent out a thought. ‘Yeah, rather faint.’
‘This way,’ Holyn said, and they hurried through a room full of tools and gadgets. At the end was another corridor with several doors.
‘They can be anywhere,’ Holyn said, turning his head from left to right.
‘When in doubt, ask,’ Kyrus said. ‘Bithoon? Anyone there?’
‘Help!’ a voice cried.
‘That was the idea. Where are you?’
‘In a large room full of servors. They... keep us prisoner as... as burglars.’
The voice sounded exhausted.
‘If you can, go on thinking at us,’ Kyrus said. ‘Pilot us in. Are you Bithoon?’
‘Llithan. Bithoon is out. We had no water for two days.’
‘I located him,’ Holyn said. ‘End of the corridor.’
‘Those servors,’ Kyrus said. ‘What are they?’
‘Big,’ the boy said. ‘Big and dangerous. They got hammers. They’re slow, must be low on power.’ A sob escaped him. ‘Like us.’
‘Only a bit longer now; you’re doin’ great,’ Kyrus said. He pulled a door open and almost bumped into the back of a large mining servor.
The big brute sluggishly began to turn. ‘Quick, does it have an off switch?’
‘I don’t know!’ Jathra said desperately.
Kyrus put his hand on the servor’s chest. The metal felt warm under his touch. I’ll make it hotter! He gathered power outside his shield and sent a dose of lightning into the mechanical body. Then he jumped back and watched the machine’s wires short-circuiting. As the servor stopped, Kyrus slipped past under its outstretched arm and gave the next automaton a wallop of frost into its tender parts.
Then he saw the three bodies on the ground, next to a wall of wooden crates.
One boy lifted a hand and waved. ‘Ca’ful!’ He sounded desperately tired. ‘One more be’ind crates.’
‘Get those three kids out of the way,’ Kyrus said, and the Marines ran to take them to the other corridor. When the field was clear, Kyrus jumped straight into the stacks of crates and sent them flying as he crashed against the immovable chest of the servor. Steel hands gripped his shield and began to squeeze.
‘Oh no, you won’t!’ Kyrus said grimly. Then he sent a last dose of lightning into the servor. The mechanisms inside the steel torso bleeped and buzzed and then the arms opened, dropping Kyrus to the ground. He landed on his knees and turned.
‘Well?’ he asked.
‘They’re all alive,’ Holyn said. ‘But they need water urgently.’
‘S-Az!’ Kyrus said. ‘Can you pick us all up, old chap?’
‘All of you? I’m not a big, strong battlecruiser, sir. Stand with those children if you want to tag along.’
A blink later they were back on the bridge.
‘Now don’t say you want me to put you all down inside that camp,’ S-Az said. ‘Sir.’
‘If you would be so kind,’ Kyrus said. ‘That would be terrific.’
‘I do it for those kids,’ S-Az said sourly. ‘I’m not a taxi service, after all.’
Then they were in Thigor’s tent.
The old man half rose from his chair. ‘What...’
‘We’ve got them,’ Kyrus said. ‘They need water urgently.’
Jathra knelt beside one of the boys. Her hands did something too fast for Kyrus to see, and the lad’s shield disappeared. As she went to the second, Holyn put his hands on the first boy’s chest.
After a short while, the kid managed a hoarse sigh and opened his eyes. ‘What...’ he said, in a faint echo of the old man.
‘You are home, Bithoon,’ Thigor said sternly. He had watched the proceedings silently, his bony hands clenched in his lap. ‘You don’t deserve safety, but the admiral gave it to you, nonetheless.’
So that was Bithoon, Kyrus thought. He can’t be older than twelve; a headstrong kid.
The boy lowered his eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Grandfa
ther.’
‘That is a start,’ the old man said. ‘Now rest; we will speak again.’
Llithan had his eyes open when the healer came to him. He was older than Bithoon; fourteen at least, with an alert face.
‘Thank you.’ He looked cautiously at Kyrus. ‘We were foolish and unworthy; now we are in your debt for our lives. Thus I must serve for three to repay you. Debtor’s burden is on me.’
Thigor nodded. ‘That is right and proper.’ He looked at Kyrus. ‘Llithan is a retainer, doing my bidding in exchange for livelihood and training. He will repay Bithoon’s debt as well as his own and that of my daughter’s husband-brother’s son. He is fourteen and clever, and will serve you well.’ His gaze was steady as he said that.
Is he testing me? Kyrus thought. They can’t be giving the kid away to a stranger, can they? I don’t need a servant; Kam would have my ears. But it would be good to have a link to the Rhu. Do they think what I think they do? He never had been good at subtly skimming strangers’ minds. ‘Holyn, what are their thoughts?’
‘They’re cautious,’ the healer said. ‘The boy knows he must serve you; the old man thinks the same even though he is aware of the risks, but the honor of his House demands it. You cannot refuse them.’
That’s what I thought. He stared down at the watchful face of the boy. ‘Very well. I will accept your service.’
At once the mood lightened. The boy sat up on his knees and bowed. ‘Thank you, noble sir.’ He moved over to sit at Kyrus’ side.
‘Llithan?’ Bithoon raised himself up on his elbows. ‘I don’t want you to go.’
‘You should have thought of that sooner,’ Thigor said harshly. ‘It is your foolish deed he will be repaying, grandson.’
The boy bit his lip. ‘I am sorry, Llithan.’ He was visibly near to tears, but pride forbade him to cry.
‘We will treat him well,’ Kyrus said. ‘I promise you we will. After a while, if your grandfather permits, Llithan may come to visit you or you him.’
‘We can discuss that,’ Thigor said. ‘Now we will share the cawah.’
An old woman came, carrying a large copper kettle and two cups. She poured out and gave a cup to Llithan, to serve his new master.
I must tell him not to do that, Kyrus thought. Would I look the fool, having a kneeling kid handing me things!
‘May I ask the purpose of your visit to Koopal?’ Thigor said. ‘The place has been derelict for ages.’
‘I know,’ Kyrus said. ‘Yet its brain is still there, asleep. We have a duty to restore all outposts, ships and bases left behind when the Realmfleet retired.’
‘You want to wake it up?’ Thigor said. ‘If... I say if you manage to do that, we will lose our place here.’
‘Why would you?’ Kyrus said. It doesn’t seem he knows about the Diners. ‘When we have reopened the trading post, we could make a hall available for your use. If you wish you could trade with our people as well; I’m sure our trade department will be happy to discuss matters with you, to our mutual advantage.’
‘You would do that?’ Thigor said. ‘Of course you are not Moi, yet the idea is... strange.’
‘But it would be profitable. We, too, are traders. We, too, want markets. Now the Rhu and we can either compete, or work together. I prefer the latter. I do not like to go against those I consider distant kin.’
‘Kin?’ Thigor said. ‘Are we?’
‘My crew and the Moi are alike down to the last hair. The same goes for you and the ones on our world we call Qoori. They are our cousins, and so must you be kin somehow, somewhere.’
‘A shocking thought,’ Thigor said. ‘No offense intended, Admiral, but our own tribes are not—friendly. To find yet another one...’
‘We, too, are three tribes,’ Kyrus said. ‘In the past we had our squabbles as well. But we persevered, and now we are as one. We can be friendly with your tribes the same way.’
He downed his empty cup; the cawah had been thick and bitter, and he was impatient to get away. All this diplomacy wasn’t for him.
‘I must leave,’ he said. ‘When we find the brain, we will return home and I will send agents to discuss trade matters with you. I want us to be friends, or if not that, at least good neighbors, so you are free to stay here. The choice is yours, High Trader.’
‘I will think on your words, Admiral,’ Thigor said. ‘This is no small matter.’
‘We do not want to interfere in your way of life, High Trader. And you can pass this message to your clans—If any of the Rhu is in trouble in space, you may freely call on us. We will come.’
‘You fight the Dreghs?’ Thigor said. ‘They have been our mortal enemies even since before the quake.’
‘We have done so and we will do again readily.’ He came to his feet. ‘We will meet again, High Trader. May your sales be rewarding. Yours as well, young Bithoon, and your sleeping cousin.’
‘Are you fit enough?’ Kyrus said to Llithan once they were outside the tent.
‘I am, lord,’ the boy said quickly. ‘The mighty healer gave me powerful energy.’
Holyn smiled. ‘You’re a strong, healthy chap, that’s all.’
‘Shield up, then. We will ride to the trade post entrance.’
‘That was great!’ Llithan’s excited voice said over the comm. as they landed at the other side of the moon. ‘I handled many brooms in my life, but I never knew you can ride them, lord.’
Kyrus merely grinned. ‘Much more fun than sweeping storerooms.’
‘Welcome at Realmstore.’ The auto-voice sounded dreary as they walked toward a roofed entrance. ‘Please mind low-flying spacecraft, honorable customers.’
‘They have a front entrance?’ Llithan said. ‘I always wondered... I never was here before.’
‘They do. Now let’s see if we can get inside.’
But the door was closed.
‘Let me try it.’ Techneer Jathra went with her hands along the inside of the doorway. ‘Ah, got it.’ She turned to Kyrus. ‘It was nothing, freeing the manual lock. Of course there is no power, so it’s for you muscly types to pull it open.’
Kyrus got a clumsy grip on the door and pulled. Stiff with cold and disuse, it resisted, and then gave way so suddenly he nearly fell backward. But the entrance to the trade post was open.
They went inside and looked around. A large hall, walls decorated with advertisement posters, a corner with servor trolleys looking dead and dirty in the shine of his belt light.
Beyond that, a whole row of double doors that normally would have been open.
‘The engine room should be close by,’ Jathra said. ‘Moi techs disliked walking as much as ours do, and this place is pretty big as stores go.’
‘Six hundred square miles, S-Az said. Pretty big indeed.’
‘Just for show, perhaps,’ Healer Holyn said. ‘To prove they could do it?’
They were in a large hall packed with what must have been groceries, but all that remained were spoiled, partly rotten, deep-frozen wastes.
‘Ten percent discount on your buys, ma’am,’ Kyrus quipped.
‘Not today,’ Jathra said. Then she waved to a door to the right. ‘Let’s go that way.’
Kyrus didn’t ask anything, but followed her. Then he noticed the sign overhead, dark and barely readable without power, “To Engine room”.
Through the door and down a ramp they went underground and came to a series of rooms, neatly labeled ‘Power’, ‘Brain’, and several others.
‘Power.’ Jathra went inside. The only thing in the bare room was an immense mana pump. For a complex this size, they would draw the mana directly from the Intermedium instead of depending on the natural amounts in their own universe.
‘It’s like Shan 4.’ The tech tapped the central conduit with the pipe wrench from her belt. ‘Overload brought it to a stop.’ She switched to her own shield, enlarged it until she could work and got out her tools.
‘Am I permitted to ask a question? What is all this, lord?’ Llithan waved
a hand at the machinery.
‘You are supposed to ask questions,’ Kyrus said. ‘This is where the whole trade post gets its power from.’ Then he explained the pump, the Intermedium and brain persons. The boy was strangely ignorant. He knew something bad had happened, long ago, but he had never heard of the mana quake, and knew precious little of the Moi and their former Realm. Yet Kyrus found his understanding was quick, and he absorbed everything he was told eagerly.
All at once the mana pump banged a few times, spewing bits of dried mana, and coughed into life.
‘Quickly, to the brain!’ Jathra ran from the room and into the next one. The brain’s fluid was clear and motionless. ‘It’s been without power for a long time! Let’s hope...’
Her hands flew to buttons and levers, and the fluid came alive like a bottle of bubbly wine. After a while, Jathra came back, wiped her forehead and waved at the brain. ‘Go ahead, sir.’
‘Realmstore, wake up,’ Kyrus said.
A female voice began to curse; steadily, wholeheartedly and very coarse.
‘Can you do that?’ Llithan whispered at one of her suggestions.
‘Don’t ask me,’ Jathra said with a hint of laughter in her voice. ‘That’s way out of my experience.’
‘Realmstore, you all right?’ Kyrus said.
‘A hangover without the booze,’ the voice said. No, I’m not all right. I’m sick, shaken, walked-over in a dark alley, and... What is all this?’
‘Check your records, Realmstore,’ Kyrus said.
‘Blast the Cosmos!’ the voice said. ‘All my goods are way past their dates. Wayyy past. Mana quake warning... Oh, jolly. Look at the state of the place. I see. I see. No staff, no customers... Business will be bad today. Squatters outside, too.’
‘Realmstore, Change of Overall Command.’ Kyrus gave his admiral’s code, and the voice acknowledged.
‘What’s your name, Realmstore?’
‘Gloria, sir,’ the voice said, all business now. ‘About those squatters...’
‘They are prospective partners, Gloria. They have permission to camp there, to come and go, but not to enter the buildings. Now, how long before you get the place airtight, breathable and fit for inspection?’
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