by J W Murison
‘Grand Marshall Rannalld. Imperial Modloch Forces. Brother of the great Emperor.’
‘What the hell do you want with me?’
‘I wish to talk to you.’
‘Oh really? Is that how you go about talking to someone in your forces? Grabbing them by the neck?’
Rannalld hesitated, ‘No...’
‘Didn’t think so. Is it how you think you should begin a conversation with a Human?’
Rannalld sighed, ‘no.’
‘You had better damn well explain yourself then.’
Rannalld felt his anger rise. ‘I am a Grand Marshall, how dare you treat me so?’
‘You are a Grand Marshall of nothing to me. You’re not even in my army.’
The truth of his words began to sink into Rannalld. He had an ally though. ‘Murison, for God’s sake man. Let him up, that is an order.’
Charlie leaned over slightly. ‘Now him I have to listen to, so you listen very carefully to me. I will sheath my sword and let you up. If you make one more aggressive move towards me though I will cut you into a half dozen pieces before you can blink. Am I making myself clear?’
‘Perfectly.’
Charlie took a few steps back accompanied by a click as the sword was returned to its scabbard. Rannalld blinked. It was as though the sword had simply vanished. Rannalld realised as he got up slowly that the man had the ability to carry out the threat, and was no doubt still angry enough to mean it.
‘What is this all about sir?’ De Beer asked.
‘It is personal.’
His eyes snapped to Charlie. ‘What the hell have you done Murison?’
‘Buggered if I know.’
‘I have been informed that this man has had private audiences with my brother, the Emperor, without any of his guards being present. I wish to know if this is true.’
‘Mind yer own damn business.’
‘Murison,’ The Bear growled, ‘he is a senior officer, I don’t give a shit whose army he is in.’
Charlie snarled at him but backed down. ‘With all due respect to your rank, I gave my word of honour to the Emperor that I would never discuss anything he said with anyone else. I will not break my word. If he wished to discuss it with you, I am sure he would have done so by now. If you have any more questions sir, I respectfully suggest that you speak to him directly.’
Rannalld found he was breathing hard. He was going to get nowhere with this man and he knew it. ‘Then I will do that.’
‘One more thing sir.’ Charlie took a threatening step forward. ‘I know you Modloch Royals have a fondness for killing and torturing anyone that you think has slighted you or made you lose face. If you come after me, I will kill you, regardless of who your brother is. Am I making myself understood?’
‘Perfectly.’
‘Good day sir.’
Rannalld stormed off. He heard the officer reprimand his subordinate soundly to a wall of silence. When he was out of sight and sound, he stopped to compose himself for a minute. He rubbed the spot where Charlie’s elbow had crashed into his stomach. It still hurt like hell. He still didn’t know how Charlie had done it, or where the sword had come from. He was sure they had all been lying on a table a few feet away. Charlie’s last words had chilled him. There was only one member of the family who was permitted to torture someone. There were very strict protocols that none dared breach, including himself. By Charlie’s own words, he had pointed a finger straight at the Emperor himself. This could only mean that the two had a run in somewhere. Rannalld felt shamed and angry, but more than that he felt intrigued. When the time was right he would confront his brother.
Once Rannalld was out of earshot the Bear stopped shouting at Charlie. ‘What the hell was that all about?’
Charlie scanned the area for any sign that Rannalld could overhear him. ‘At that last ball, the king asked me to show up the Modloch Emperor. I stopped one of his guards removing one of those fancy swords they carry. I got a wee bit carried away and gobbed off. The Emperor didna like that very much so tried to have me tortured and executed. It was my own fault so please, say nothing. Anyway, I’m still here and I put a dozen of his guards in hospital. I got the drop on them basically and held a gun to the Emperor’s head.’
‘That’s a bad, bad situation Charlie.’
‘Certainly was, aye. It was what I said that had done the damage. Or maybe the tone in which I had said it. I offered to fight his men to prove that I had actually been... ach, what the hell’s the word?’
‘Genuine?’ Bear offered.
‘Aye something like that. No having a go or just being a prick.’
‘Genuine,’ The Bear sighed.
‘Anyway, after I leathered his men there was no one left to pour his bloody tea when it arrived, so I did it for him. That more than anything else seemed to prove to him that I was actually being truthful and respectful. Now he is always popping over when he is in the vicinity. He thinks if he studies me he can get a better handle on the Human race.’
‘Does he know about your special abilities?’
‘Oh hell no. He thinks all Humans are supermen.’
The Bear patted him on the back. ‘Maybe better that way for just now. What is it you are actually doing these days? Still guarding Captain Gordon?’
‘No. At the moment I’m working with Kelly, the World War Two vet.’
‘Heard about that. Try and keep your head down alright?’
‘I am seriously trying to sir. Shit keeps happening to me though.’
CHAPTER 35
The party had been a great success. The Emperor was immensely pleased with himself. The Human drink had flowed and the nobles had began to relax. Many had brought their wives and it wasn’t long before they tried the dance steps. Lady Jane had become an impromptu teacher. The wives, knowing she was with the royal party, had approached her for instruction. It wasn’t long before his own wife had persuaded him to have a try. All in all he had enjoyed the dancing immensely. His wife was happy, the wives of his guests were happy, so they too would be happy.
He was sitting checking the monthly profits from his savannah grass sales; they too were making him happy. Not only had the Humans added immense wealth to his Empire, they had also added to the flavour of life.
His servant arrived with tea, grass biscuits and a bowl of pickled walnuts. ‘The Grand Marshal is here to see you sire. Will I show him in?’
The Emperor glanced at the tray. ‘Well you have already brought an extra cup.’
The servant left; Rannalld marched in and saluted. ‘sire.’
‘Stop strutting about Rannalld and pour the tea.’
Rannalld smiled and relaxed, ‘Are we to be informal today sire?’
‘You have been sticking your nose in my business Rannalld, would you rather this be a formal meeting?’
Rannalld immediately tensed and decided to pour the tea. When they were comfortable the Emperor took a sip of tea, ‘I hear you almost got yourself pinned to the floor last night.’
‘I should have known that you would find out. I’m sorry. I heard that you were having private audiences with a Human without guards being present. I was concerned for your welfare and safety.’
‘So instead of coming to see me directly, you thought that you would challenge the Human instead.’
‘I thought it more expedient. He was nearer at hand.’
‘So how did that turn out for you?’
‘It didn’t, as you well know.’
‘The man you challenged is a stone-hearted killer Rannalld, you are very lucky to be alive. Can you imagine the problems that would have caused me and these negotiations?’
‘I did not think it through properly.’
‘Not good enough Rannalld, not for my brother, nor for the grand commander of my army. You acted with emotion, you acted without finding out the facts. I understand your concern was my safety, and that’s the only thing that is saving your life now. If it had been anyone else I would have had them execu
ted. This business with the Humans is far too important to have it ruined by a random act of stupidity.’ He pushed the bowl of walnuts across to him and Rannalld popped a few into his mouth.
Rannalld munched away for a moment. ‘These nuts are truly glorious.’
‘I had them analysed and tested. Just a few of those nuts contains five times the nutrition a half bale of grass does.’
‘That is astounding.’
‘More so when you realize they are completely harmless to our race.’ He pushed the plate across. ‘Try one of these biscuits.’
‘Not really in the mood for dried grass biscuits, Darrick. Since when did you start eating them?’
‘I insist.’
Rannalld hesitated then took a biscuit. One mouthful was all it took to change his mind. ‘Oh wow! Where did these come from?’
‘What is our biggest logistical nightmare for any operation Rannalld?’
‘Food.’
‘Did you know that Human infantry men often carry up to five days worth of rations when they are on operations, mainly in places where they can’t be provisioned easily?’
‘Seriously?’
‘That biscuit you are eating is made up from Human fruit, nuts and grass. One of those has three times the nutritional value of a normal meal.’
Rannalld munched away. ‘I doubt if they would make you feel full.’
‘Is that important?’
‘Not really. Hardship is a soldier’s burden to bear. What else am I tasting here? It’s sweet.’
‘Something called honey.’
Rannalld took a sip of tea. ‘Wow! I can quite literally feel that kick in.’
‘Good, isn’t it?’
‘Very.’
‘Our scientists believe our men can survive, and thrive, on just three of these a day.’
Rannalld sat back in disbelief. ‘That is unheard of. Only three of these a day. Can you imagine the difference it would make to our logistics?’
‘Way ahead of you brother.’
‘Obviously. How did they come up with this?’
‘They didn’t, I did.’
‘Oh!’ Things began to fall into place for Rannalld. ‘You discovered this by talking to that Human Charlie.’
‘I was curious and asked about their rations. Next time I saw him he had a few of these breakfast biscuits on him, made from oatmeal and honey. My tester said they were edible, so I tried one. I was hyper all day. I talked to him about it. He is quite the one for history. He told me about something they called traveling cakes. They were made from oats, dried meat, fruit, nuts and bound together with either animal fat or honey and baked hard. I was intrigued when he said that his ancestors could carry enough of these for weeks and simply live off them. Just a few biscuits a day was required to give them enough energy to walk or run between thirty to sixty Earth miles.’
‘Fascinating. Did the Humans bake these for you?’
‘No, our own people did. Because I liked the breakfast biscuit, Charlie then brought me a whole selection of these things called breakfast bars. They too were edible and filled me with energy, so I requested some from the King who managed to get boxes full. I had our people analyse them and come up with an equivalent that our troops could eat. That is the result.’
‘I think it tastes too good for the common soldier.
They will think they are being spoilt.’ They laughed at that. ‘How much of this is supplied by the Humans?’
‘Just about all of it. The grass was taken from my own gardens, derived from Human seed. The rest was supplied by the Humans. A few of their chefs helped as well.’
‘So we will never be able to produce this?’
‘Not unless we get enough members to vote for their bid. If we don’t get enough then they will return to their side of the great barrier and almost all trade with them will cease. They have promised to remain friends with the Modloch Empire. They will also give us the legal right to distribute what we have already gained.’
‘Even so Darrick, I doubt if the Humans would give us all we needed for free.’
‘You have to remember that most of the nobles from around the galaxy have already tasted many of these ingredients. The chances are demand would outstrip supply.’
Rannalld paused thoughtfully. ‘So what is the solution then? Trade with Humans behind everyone’s back if they don’t get into the alliance?’
The Emperor shook his head. ‘No, the Humans wouldn’t trade. They know that at some future date we could well end up in conflict, and they aren’t stupid enough to trade with a potential enemy.’
Rannalld threw his hands up. ‘Then what the hell is the solution?’
‘Do you remember the bio-dome that the Humans built to house the Albany prisoners?’
‘Who could forget it? Miles of savanna grass blasted out into space.’ Rannalld hesitated. ‘We couldn’t afford to build such a thing. Wasn’t it tried thousands of years ago?’
‘For grass yes. Many cultures have tried it, but as you said, it wasn’t cost effective. Not for grass.’
‘But it could be for some of these other foods?’ Rannalld mused.
‘The Humans are already discussing it. Remember, their supply lines are stretched very thin. It is taking weeks, sometimes months, to get supplies from their planet to here. They have a number of problems though. The farther away from their sun they get, the less cost effective any bio-dome becomes.’
Rannalld shrugged, ‘Obviously. And the more artificial sunlight you need then the higher the costs.’
‘Exactly. The other problem is their meat source. There is no way they could farm animals on this side of the great barrier.’
‘Are you suggesting they tow some of their bio-domes through the great barrier and allow them to use our sun?’
‘For a modest price, or for bio-domes of our own.’
Rannalld thought it over. ‘Could they afford that?’
‘Really Rannalld, you need to pull your head out of that fat arse of yours and have a good look around. Do you know how much their battle fleet cost them?’
‘Billions I would presume.’
‘It cost them nothing Rannalld, not a penny.’
‘How the hell is that possible?’
‘Because one man is responsible for the whole damn thing. You have met Captain Gordon?’
‘Yes, Mya’s Captain. What of him?’
‘He owns everything. Their whole solar system is untapped, and he is the only one with the technology to exploit it.’
Rannalld’s mind raced. ‘Of course, they were a backward race until they got their hands on the Builder’s ships. So they are using Builder technology.’
‘It goes much deeper than that. Individual countries pay the wages for their soldiers.’
‘You mean they aren’t paid by the Earth Defence Force?’
‘Exactly what I mean.’
‘That will have to change.’
The Emperor agreed. ‘Sooner or later yes. No doubt one day they will have to start paying for the ships that are being built as well. In the meantime though, Gordon is supplying the Earth with all its needs. They give him free access to all their ancient dumps and their converters suck up the material and convert it into whatever they need. There are now three hydroponic ships with the Human fleet and more coming.’
‘It all hangs on their bid becoming successful.’
‘That’s right Rannalld, but from what the other royals and nobles were saying last night, that shouldn’t be a problem. Once their bid has been approved by enough members then it will go forward to the galactic council, which always takes years. Hopefully by then they will have constructed a number of bio-domes.’
Rannalld smiled. ‘Of course, if their ultimate bid fails then they may well just leave them here with us.’
‘They may well do that, but ultimately I hope their bid wins, and I will be working towards that, as will all of my people.’
‘Why Darrick?’
‘I like them, a
nd they have a lot to offer.’
‘I can’t see it. Like it or not, they are meat-eaters.’
‘The Humans will have about seven years to prove their worth. A lot can happen in that time.’
‘I still don’t see it.’
‘We have changed, you have changed.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Don’t you supply your little Mya with fresh fish?’
‘They are just fish. We use them to fertilize the land.’
‘You are feeding a meat-eater. It doesn’t matter which way you look at it Rannalld, there are many out there who would deem that as illegal.’
Rannalld shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘I suppose I just don’t see her like that.’
‘As a dirty meat-eater? A few years ago you wouldn’t even have considered it Rannalld. A few years ago I wouldn’t have sat at the same table as one. But here we are brother. I suppose it helps that they aren’t one hundred per cent carnivorous. Contact with this race has changed us irrevocably. It will change others too. My larder is full of Human food.’
‘It is good.’ Rannalld sighed.
‘People will want to explore it too. Their President wasn’t lying when he said we had lost the diversity that their planet has. They can give us that back, and after yesterday the nobility will have a hunger for it. Word will spread. The curious will come calling. Not only that, they will have to come here to get it. We are recovering well from our civil war. Much of that is due to the Humans.
‘However, we are getting way off track here and I wish to discuss this with all of my brothers at a later date. So what was it you wanted to see Charlie about?’
‘I was simply concerned for your safety. It angered me to hear you were chancing your life being alone with a being from another race. I was just going to give him a warning.’
‘Threaten him you mean.’
‘Yes of course.’
‘Leave Charlie alone Rannalld. That’s an order.’
‘I still don’t like it. As a matter of interest, did you try and have him killed?’
‘I tried to have him tortured and killed for his insolence towards me.’
‘You obviously didn’t have any more success than I did.’
