Far Country

by Fanpro

  The leading forces of the Usugumo plunged into the fringe brush that marked the boundary between the savanna and the denser woods beyond. It was the point where Vost's 'Mechs had been trapped by the pits. Vost knew what to look for now, and he saw the telltale signs of disturbed earth. A great armored carrier, smoke streaming from its twin stacks, toppled forward into a pit, the rear wheels still above the level of the ground. A great cloud of flame and exhaust erupted from the seams between the slabs of copper and wooden sheeting that provided the armor. A fraction of a second later the seams had ruptured and the vehicle exploded. There were no apparent survivors of the incandescent hell.

  Other vehicles, oblivious to the fate of those caught in the pits, kept going. The sheer weight of the attack would carry the forces at least to the heavier woods. There was a momentary flash and then an arcing light as a short-range missile launched, tracked, and found its mark. It was an easy shot. Compared to the speed of a 'Mech, the lumbering vehicles were virtually motionless. The missile struck square on the side of one, the velocity carrying the warhead through the wooden plating even before it could explode. The entire force of the detonation was contained within the hull of the vehicle. One moment the tank was there, the next it was a ball of flame rising over the scrub lands.

  Two tanks further to the rear flashed into flying debris, then two more. Vost searched for the missiles, but could see no firing signature or smoke trail. Through the dust and steam and smoke he saw a shadowy giant stalking above the trees. A pair of giants. Vost glanced at his secondary screen. There, for all with eyes to see, were the blips of a pair of Locusts. They showed the FFI of the Vost lance, but they certainly were not on his side. He was about to give the order to engage the enemy 'Mechs when the blips drifted downward over the brow of a distant hill.

  Vost ground his teeth. He'd been so sure that they'd destroyed the Locusts that he hadn't even bothered to change the FFI frequency. The forces of the Usugumo were now retreating across the savanna even faster than they'd charged. But Vost had more information this time. To take his 'Mechs into the trees to find and destroy the Locusts would require pushing past the retreating foot soldiers. Without the Usugumo infantry to deal with Takuda's people and their alien allies, it would be useless to press forward. It was time to call it a day. Again.

  31

  Seagroves held the wine goblet at arm's length and turned it gently in his fingers, letting the brilliance of the metal catch and reflect the flames of the hissing gas mantle. He brought the cup to his lips, letting the fragrance of the iridescent green brandy caress his nostrils. Cabolos was a taste it took some getting used to, but Seagroves was making significant progress. He liked being important, and he felt he was finally getting what he deserved.

  He'd gotten his first inkling of what was here for the taking just after he'd first landed in the square of Usugumo. He smiled at the memory, How different that first encounter would have been if he'd known then what he knew now. But the past was past, and right now he was doing just fine. He let the cabolos roll over his palate. Still a little too sweet for his taste, but if this was what the residents of this planet thought was luxury, that was good enough for him.

  From the hearth came the warmth of the fire his servant had built against the late summer chill. The day had been dim with low clouds, and at this hour the fog was sweeping in from the river. The dance and radiance of the flames gave a ruddy glow to the room, setting off the dull brilliance of the golden accoutrements. Every metal object in the room was of gold; Seagroves had seen to that. He loved the look and feel of the heavy metal. If it couldn't be of gold, he had told his hosts, he didn't want it made of any other metal. The grate that held the lumps of glowing coal was ceramic.

  On the mahogany table that supported his feet were scattered piles of golden objects. They weren't what anyone on this planet would call art, since artistic items were usually made of the less plentiful iron. Brian Seagroves didn't care. He wanted gold, and it didn't matter to him what shape it came in. It was the gold that was important. He let another sip of cabolos slide down his throat.

  There was a sharp knock at the door, followed almost immediately by the appearance of Elizabeth Hoond. Seagroves glanced up, his eyes dancing in the light of the gas lamps. Hoond looked grim to the point of fury, her brows knit together in a deep crease, her shoulders rigid with anger. Seagroves was mildly disturbed that she had not awaited permission to enter, but decided to say nothing. There would be plenty of opportunity to dig at Hoond. "Why so glum," he said with a smile, pushing the golden salver toward her. "Have some cabolos. It takes getting used to, but it's got a pretty good kick after one or two. You look like you could use some."

  Hoond stalked into the room, slamming the door behind her. She reached for the crystal decanter and a goblet so roughly that some of the golden objects scattered across the table and rolled off to hit the floor. Without batting an eyelash, Hoond poured herself a glass and took a long draught of the iridescent brew. She drained the goblet, then poured herself another. "Is this all you plan to do tonight?" she asked venomously. "Just sit here and swill this stuff?"

  "I'm not the only one doing the swilling," retorted Seagroves, lowering his feet to the floor and retrieving the fallen objects. "But, yes, if the truth be known, that's exactly what I plan to do. I'm just a minor cog in the great scheme of events. Just a technician with special abilities."

  "Bull!" Hoond spat the word out as though it had physical force.

  "Just because I've been recognized for my worth in this society is no reason for you or the others to be jealous. It's quite unseemly of you."

  "Bull! And again bull! I don't know why they think you're so hot. You fly a LAM. A LAM! I'm the navigator of a starship that travels to and from worlds dozens of light years apart. I've been to the outer fringes of the known galaxy. I even have my license from the Intergalactic Mariners Union to serve as master of any vessel, any area. That's a far sight more important than the pilot of a stinking LAM."

  "Tut, tut, my dear Elizabeth Hoond. You make too much of yourself. You may be able to navigate a JumpShip between any two known points, but you cannot fly. And that's what counts here. And I can. These silly, simple people have no concept of star travel. They have no idea of your high and mighty importance." Seagroves leaned across the table, almost into the face of the navigator. "But they understand what I do." There was ice in his voice. "And don't you ever forget it. To them I'm more powerful and important than Garber Vost. He may tell us what to do now, but if it ever comes down to a choice, I'm the one who'll be able to cut the better deal. They respect me. They love me."

  "They worship that stupid LAM is all! It's got nothing to do with you. A mere accident of fate put you in this position. Remember, Vost can fly the LAM too. Just because these people had to abandon their JumpShip five hundred years ago, and just because they've come to revere it as some starry home of the gods and so don't fly, is no reason they should think of you as some kind of god." She poured herself another glass of cabolos. "We saw the wrecked ship when we entered this system. That's all it is. A wrecked ship. It's no mysterious home of the gods."

  "Well, go ahead and try telling them that, and see how far you get. As for me, I'm perfectly happy here surrounded by their ignorance. And I plan to push that ignorance as far as I can. You're just jealous."

  "You certainly have had some luck." Hoond examined the golden fixtures around the room. "You're getting yourself quite a horde."

  "You bet. These people don't understand its value. But I do. I'm going to be the richest man in the galaxy when this is over. So wealthy you won't even recognize me. But don't worry, Lizzy, I'll pay attention to you, even if Vost won't."

  "Pig," she said in an even voice. Seagroves could see that his comment had struck home. Hoond was not a steady member of Vost's entourage. Seagroves didn't know what status she craved, but she wasn't number one to anybody. She certainly wasn't important to Sirayuki, not even a little bit. In Usugumo, women were n
othing more than servants.

  "I prefer the title 'Divine Lord,' or perhaps 'King of all he envisions' to the term pig."

  "What makes you think you'll ever be able to get off this stinking planet and away from these stinking people? Don't you get it? We're stuck here for eternity. What's all that gold worth then?" Hoond poured herself another goblet of cabolos, draining the decanter, then set it back down on the table with a solid thump. "We're all stuck here forever. They'll plant our bones in the stinking muck by the river and let us sink in. It's hopeless."

  "No. I don't believe that. You've had too much cabolos, and now I'll have to get more. On your way out tell that little girl at the desk I need some. I've got plans to make."

  Elizabeth Hoond drained the last of her drink and stood up. Staggered up. She had the momentary desire to throw the goblet at Seagroves, but in her current condition she was sure she'd miss. And what was the use? she thought. Aside from the personal satisfaction of bouncing the thing off his face, she'd gain nothing by the action. She turned to the door. "Next time you come," said Seagroves a Hoond put her hand on the knob, "you might try waiting for permission before barging in."

  Hoond turned to the blurry figure in the chair. Stupid lout, she thought. Then she threw the goblet at the fuzzy pink circle above the body.

  Seagroves dodged the spinning goblet. His comment about barging in was as much a warning to Hoond as to himself. There was no lock on the door, and that meant that anyone could enter this room at any time. It was not a good place to hide his cache of gold, a pile that seemed to be growing by the hour. He had removed his clothes from the wooden armoire in the corner, and was using it to store the bigger items he'd accumulated. He had contemplated tearing out the golden tubing that was used to bring the gas into his room, but had decided against it. The management of the hostelry might become suspicious about something like that. There were other ways to store it, and there were safer places.

  Luckily, Seagroves had found a jeweler on one of the enclave's side streets who was willing to turn the objects Seagroves brought him into chains. The pilot had spent most of his considerable free time combing stores in search of accessories. The little jeweler had rubbed his head in disbelief when Seagroves approached him, but such was the reputation of the LAM pilot that no one questioned his actions. The people in the stores hadn't even asked payment for the things he took. This being a demigod was all right, Seagroves thought smugly. The first of the chains, which had arrived only today, were now wrapped around the pilot's neck. Vost had made a disparaging comment at the sight of them, but as far as Seagroves was concerned, the mercenary commander could stuff it. Seagroves was going to be rich.

  Vost was losing it, in Seagroves' opinion. Sirayuki was paying less and less attention to the commander and more and more to him. Seagroves loved it. Vost was such a cocky bastard; it served him right to eat a little humble pie. All he'd ever done was boss everyone around. Now maybe he'd be a little less sure of himself. Sooner or later, thought Seagroves, Sirayuki would deal with him rather than Vost. Then things would be different.

  The LAM pilot rose from his chair and moved to the door to listen for movement in the hall beyond. He heard the soft patter of the serving girl coming toward his room. Hoond had evidently told her to bring more cabolos. It was a sure sign of his new importance that Hoond would have remembered to give her the orders and another sign that the girl would respond so quickly. He was sitting in his chair when the servant entered and placed the full decanter on the table, retrieving the empty one as she left.

  He checked for noise again, and hearing nothing, quietly opened the door. A soft glow of gaslight lit the end of the corridor where the concierge was stationed, but the jets in the hall had been turned down to almost nothing. The area clear, Seagroves picked up the heavy bag of gold he'd hidden in the closet, and silently padded down the hall away from the servant. He was headed toward the 'Mech bastion to add to the ever-growing stash of items he kept buried there. Sooner or later, he knew, he'd have to establish another, more secure horde. The only place left was in the storage bins of the LAM itself. The gold's extra weight might make the LAM a bit unstable in flight, but it would be safe there because the bins would only open to his palm print. For the moment, the bins would have to do. He wasn't worried. The future looked as bright as the gold itself."

  The great thing about keeping the gold at the bastion was that no one would ever suspect its presence. The mercenary techs were now housed in inns like this one. Not as good, but comfortable nonetheless. He was in a better place than even Vost had managed to acquire, a fact that had made the mercenary commander grind his teeth. When Vost had mentioned it to Sirayuki, the smiling shidosha only tucked his hands into his sleeves and shrugged. There was nothing he could do about it, he had explained. It was all voluntary. The Usugumo guards who now patroled the bastion, outside but not inside, were totally accustomed to the comings and goings of the pilots. They would report his presence to no one.

  32

  Kendall Pesht stared down into the bottom of the cup and contemplated the dark bits of residue. The little eatery, a ryoriten, had advertised the beverage as ocha, but any resemblance to any tea that Pesht had ever tasted was cosmetic only. Pesht was not a connoisseur of tea by any stretch of the imagination, but he had the general concept. This stuff didn't even come close. He swished the dregs around and looked again. There were some, he knew, who claimed to be able to read the future in the pattern of the leaves. He wished right now that he was one of those.

  Pesht looked up from his cup and scanned the other clients of the small eating place. They were a general mix of Usugumo's middle class inhabitants, reasonably well-off people but not members of the seven ruling oligarchies that Pesht now understood were the only ones rich enough to call the shots in the enclave. The Javelin pilot drummed his fingers on the table, impatient for the scheduled meeting to take place. Seeing that his contact was late, Pesht was contemplating leaving and forgetting the whole thing. He decided to give the other man a few minutes more, and nodded to the little girl who looked inquisitively toward him, the teapot in her hand.

  He was halfway through his current cup when he became aware that the soft background noise of conversation had suddenly stilled. Glancing up, Pesht saw Homma Sirayuki passing through the seated diners. The shidosha walked with the practiced arrogance of one long accustomed to obeisance from those around him.

  The manager of the restaurant scurried before him, trying to determine the lord's destination. He offered the leader of the Usugumo any number of places, but none seemed to satisfy the man. The manager was becoming frantic. Then his eyes settled on the small alcove occupied by the new human. Pesht could see the concern in the manager's eyes, the slight beading on the upper lip. The man did not want to offend this new person, nor did he want to incur the wrath of the shidosha. There was obvious relief on his face when Sirayuki settled onto a cushion opposite Pesht. He bowed and scraped and snapped his fingers at the serving girls. There was a flurry of activity as fresh tea was brought to the table. The ordinary cup that Pesht had been using was whisked away and replaced by a beautiful ceramic version. When Sirayuki made no indication that he wanted more, the manager shooed away the staff and left the two men in splendid isolation.

  "I think you have a developing problem," said Pesht, keeping his voice low enough not to carry beyond the table. "You may have taken a dragon into your household." Pesht had originally thought of using the metaphor of a tiger, but then decided on the dragon, whose image was everywhere in Usugumo. Pesht knew that it was because the mythic animal was greatly revered by the people of the Draconis Combine. A fitting symbol for Sirayuki and the rest of his group, thought Pesht. Ugly, stupid, self-centered beasts.

  Sirayuki stared at Pesht with hooded, unblinking eyes. The little rat-faced mercenary was right, but he wanted to hear what else he had to say before responding.

  "He's now been involved in a pair of humiliating disasters," Pesht went on. "I'm n
ot sure how much longer you'll be able to deal with him. And he has other problems and interests as well."

  Sirayuki stirred slightly, the teacup held between both his ample hands. He let the warmth of the liquid flow into his palms. "I do not understand how your organization functions," he said, his voice dreamy as if he were speaking to himself rather than his host. "There seems to be no visible hierarchy within your unit. This Garber Vost does the talking and gives the orders, but I see no apparent reason for his dominance. He is neither rich nor more powerful than the others. And what about the woman who sits by his side? I do not understand her function."

  Pesht leaned back from the table, then remembered he was sitting on a cushion and there was no chair back for him to rest against. He hated sitting on cushions; there was no way to show superiority on a cushion. "The status of the woman is easy to explain," he said. "Vost is hitting on her."

  "Hitting on her?" Sirayuki was becoming impatient.

  "You'd have to know Vost. He'll chase anything female, and the chase is more fun than the capture. He's got the hots for Hoond, and she's holding out. At least holding out most of the time. That drives him crazy. She's along at the meetings because he wants to stroke her."

  "I still don't understand," mused Sirayuki. "In our society, here and in the other cities as well, women have a special place. They exist to serve the men who lead." The shidosha waved his hand to indicate the whole dining room. "You see that all the serving people here are women. That is as it should be. The man is in charge of the place, and the women serve. Even the women eating here are to serve the men they accompany. Doesn't your Hoond understand that?"