by Lindsay Peet
CHAPTER TWELVE
Because speeders can’t fly high above the ground we couldn’t take the most direct route in, and without geepee satellites or a system of navigational towers that might have been risky, anyway. Instead, we followed pretty much the route horses might have taken, or so said Sirah as she looked out the window. We followed a river, the largest we’d seen on Caliuga – Sirah said it was the Saggen – up its valley, past some compounds and beautiful pastures and scarps and cataracts, racing ahead of the rainclouds so the light came in slantwise and golden. This part of Caliuga was a beautiful place, very green I realized, now that I had some time to catch my breath. Past the headwaters we notched through a pass in the mountains that separated coastal Caliuga City and the central plain of Solip City, and then we scudded down the backside of the range and into its rain shadow. The lee side of the mountains looked knobby, drier and harsher, even with the orange glow of sunset softening it.
“Is this your first time in a speeder, Sirah?” asked Aspe over her shoulder.
“Yes, it is. This is amazing. Distances become like nothing, and even as low as we are, I get a whole different perspective on Caliuga. You must have a wonderful view up front!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking. Would you like to come up and sit next to me, you’ll be able to see so much better,” said Aspe. Over her other shoulder, “Your Excellency, I trust the ride is acceptable to you. Even though it’s getting dark, and we still have hours to go, don’t worry as this speeder has all the safety equipment available when the settlers left for their last space-jump, and as I said I’m an expert pilot. So, take a nap if you’d care to, as the rest of the trip will be uneventful, I promise you.”
“Thank you, Aspe,” Wanliet answered, then tilted back his seat, pulled his battered hat over his eyes, and soon was snoring softly.
I needed to talk to everybody, not all at once but in my own time. Here wasn’t the place; despite the soft rushing of the wind, the speeder was too quiet to afford the privacy that background noise can give. So, somewhat frustrated, I decided to lean back and close my eyes, too, and meditate. I hadn’t had much quiet time since planetfall, and an awful lot had happened which I needed some time to digest. Too, I knew a lot more was going to happen, and I needed to be clear – not least about Sirah and Aspe.
I’d swear I didn’t snooze, but when I opened my eyes again it was completely dark out. I have no idea how that happened. Sirah had left her seat and was now in the co-pilot’s chair, talking to Aspe. As quiet as the craft was, I still couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“Are we almost there, Aspe?” I asked. Did Sirah start slightly then?
“Almost.”
“Before I finish my tea?” I asked.
She laughed. “That’s right, Mr. Daskal. Even if you had liked my tea.”
I smiled at the banter. Aspe might be dangerous, devious and treacherous – in fact, it would be foolish to assume she wasn’t – but I kind of liked her, I realized. Knowing myself the way I did I could hardly hold those traits against her.
I began to think about bedding her, not that liking her was a requirement, it just made the prospect more inviting. In fact, I invited myself forward and went up behind her, bracing myself on her seat back as I leaned over her, making a show of checking out the controls and displays and what view there was ahead. I took the opportunity to smell her hair, and a look down showed that she’d lowered the zipper on her jump suit. My dear Aspe wasn’t all for business, for sure. I feigned a lurch in the speeder’s flight, and pitched myself forward slightly, rubbing against her shoulder, and then apologizing. “You handled that thermal well, Aspe. I guess you are an expert.” Crude, I know, but I don’t think Sirah tumbled.
“Thank you, Mr. Daskal” she acknowledged with a smile in her voice.” And now, Mr. Daskal, and Sirah, too, please strap yourselves in again. Those lights ahead are Solip City, and I’ll need to maneuver us in. Sirah, you may stay here, if you’d like.”
“Maneuver away, Aspe, now I’m roused from my drowse” said the IG from aft.
The Solip Citijects had only had a few decades to settle in, but they’d worked wonders. Solip City wasn’t quite as established as Caliuga City – it still had some of that just-tossed-up feeling to some of the structures – but it was fairly large, and organized, and even near midnight it was busy. There were no other speeders about that I saw, but the boulevards could handle them when they came, and in the meantime there were electric rickshaws and carts and bikes about. All of this was lighted up well enough for me to appreciate the scope of the whole thing.
They were ambitious, methodical and capable.
Aspe slowed us down once inside the city, but still we made good time down one street then another, ending up under a portico attached to a structure that dominated the dark sky.
“Here we are. The Hall of Assembly for the Planetary Union of Caliuga.”
Our doors were opened and outside a small delegation awaited us. I nudged Wanliet, rousing him to realize that he was supposed to get out first, because it was a cinch the group wasn’t waiting for me or Sirah.
He stepped out of the speeder onto a red carpet. Where’d they dig that up? Made sense when I thought on it; how better to impress the various mayors they’d be dealing with than to treat them with pomp and red carpets?
“Inspector General Wanliet, welcome to Solip City, and to the heart of the Planetary Union,” spoke up a man, the spokesman, I deduced.
It had been a long day, and the sooner it ended the better off we’d be. With neither fanfare nor parades we were shown to our quite-nice quarters, or so they seemed in my groggy state. At any rate the shower was hot and the bed was soft, and I left instructions to awaken us for nothing.
