Foreigner - Explorer. Part 29

"We rust rust in this viewless containment," Ilisidi said. He had the irrational vision of cliffs above Malguri, of a breeze rising, of wi'itikin stretching their leathery wings to find it. in this viewless containment," Ilisidi said. He had the irrational vision of cliffs above Malguri, of a breeze rising, of wi'itikin stretching their leathery wings to find it.

He felt that breeze himself. He'd been up there on two-deck functioning in human mode, by human rules, within his obligations to Jase... but that wasn't wasn't the limit of the world they'd come from, that the limit of the world they'd come from, that wasn't wasn't why he had come here to do this job. Sabin had left the s.h.i.+p to try her own best shot, whatever side she was playing. But it wasn't all the recourse they had. why he had come here to do this job. Sabin had left the s.h.i.+p to try her own best shot, whatever side she was playing. But it wasn't all the recourse they had.

"Aiji-ma." He cast a slightly apprehensive glance at Cajeiri, who showed no disposition to leave the dowager's side.

"He will understand, nandi. He is here here to understand. And he has his own protection." to understand. And he has his own protection."

An a.s.signed member of her guard, that was to say, who in any fracas would devote himself solely to Cajeiri's safety. A question of man'chi.

"So, well, nand' dowager, by all means. Let us go."

With which he set out in the dowager's company. Their operation was no longer quite what he'd advised Jase he would do, perhaps, but it was still within the parameters of what Jase knew existed down here... what Jase, maybe with a clearer vision than he had, had known might stir to action once he loosed five-deck on a problem.

He used the pocket com as he followed the dowager into the lift, punched in Ginny Kroger's channel, her messages. "Gin. The dowager's going to be discussing matters with the detainees in person. I suggest we start considering how you get that fuel back. Start considering how we get aboard the station without their being able to stop us. Things may move fast."

He was mildly surprised to get Gin's voice, live. "Well ahead of you on both counts, Mr. Cameron."

Deep breath. Was he surprised? Not in the least. "Good for you, then. Any result?"

"A few promising. We're up close on the images. Enhancing what's in shadow. Got one useful bit for you."

"What's that?"

"The station didn't blow. Didn't blow at all. It was slagged. We can't do this can't do this."

"Can't?"

"Our weapons can not not do this kind of damage. Bren. Our weapons can't do this. We're not sure what did do this kind of damage. Bren. Our weapons can't do this. We're not sure what did."

Very deep breath. And a cold that went to his heart. "That's useful. Any other advice?"

"We should do something real soon."

"Prep to do whatever we can do," he said. "I think sooner rather than later. We'll try to get facts for you." The lift arrived. Doors opened onto two-deck. "Got to go, Gin."

Cenedi and his men exited first. They always did, question of precedence. The crewman guard standing watch in the area met their intrusion with startled looks and twitches toward defense, which, fortunately, they didn't complete.

The dowager walked out with Cajeiri, Bren followed, and Banichi and Jago. He led the way back into the medical section, back to their makes.h.i.+ft prison, tailed by two of the s.h.i.+p's makes.h.i.+ft security into a section of corridor where Kaplan, Polano, and a handful of common crew were holding a loud and notably profane argument through the grid. "d.a.m.ned fools!" was one side of it. The other side's answer was not something he'd care to translate for his companions. So much for authorized authorized responses and crew on short sleep and frayed nerves. responses and crew on short sleep and frayed nerves.

"Gran 'Sidi." Kaplan's argument immediately gave way to astonishment, an uneasy deference to her and her armed entourage. Kaplan clearly asked himself whether his captain knew, and what his captain would say.

But Ilisidi waited for nothing. "Where are these individuals?" Ilsidi asked with a wave of her cane at the obvious plastic grid-no prisoners visible, due to the angle of the grid, but the fat was very nearly in the fire, as was.

"The dowager wishes to speak with the detainees," Bren said. "She wishes to explain matters to them herself. It is cleared, Mr. Kaplan."

"But, sir." Kaplan said, half whispering, as if that could insulate Ilisidi from understanding. "Sir, I'm afraid they're not going to be polite."

"She won't be greatly surprised at temper, Mr. Kaplan. Captain's orders. Will you and the rest of these people stand backup?"

"Yes, sir." Worried compliance. The company was hardly official, and likely shouldn't be here. "Yes, sir sir, yes, ma'am ma'am."

The several detainees, as atevi eclipsed the light outside their plastic grid doorway, backed off and stared in utter dismay.

"You d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!" Esan blurted out.

"Kindly mind your language," Bren said moderately. "The Guild sent Ramirez to deal with Alpha, a.s.suming it would give all the orders. This hasn't happened. It's not going to happen. You're dealing with Alpha and and its alliance. I trust you recall that Alpha has an indigenous population. its alliance. I trust you recall that Alpha has an indigenous population. This This lady is the aiji-dowager, grandmother of the ruler of their side of the civilized world. The boy, aged seven, is her great-grandson. The rest are our personal security. We have a close working relations.h.i.+p. We're here to rescue you." lady is the aiji-dowager, grandmother of the ruler of their side of the civilized world. The boy, aged seven, is her great-grandson. The rest are our personal security. We have a close working relations.h.i.+p. We're here to rescue you."

Human eyes looked up-farther up than adult men were accustomed to look up at faces, then looked on the level at an aged woman and at a small child. And went on looking.

"This is Gran 'Sidi," one of the crewmen in the background yelled out. "And she doesn't take any nonsense from fools and she doesn't give a d.a.m.n for your Guild rules."

Becker didn't like it. The Guild agents didn't like it. But Ilisidi had a certain well-savored notoriety among the crew, and if Ilisidi couldn't understand two words of what was shouted, she stood in perfect comprehension of the unruly crewman's intent and the jeering support behind her.

"Well," Ilisidi said, leaning on her cane. Then waved it at the four as if they were tourist attractions. "Are these, nandi, of that pernicious Pilots' Guild?"

"Yes, nand' dowager, one understands so."

"The Guild that opposes our generous generous gesture." gesture."

"The dowager remarks," Bren said, "that you have opposed the generosity of this s.h.i.+p and crew and of herself. Possibly motivated by unsavory Guild interest." It was true. It was implicit in the infelicitous numbers of the dowager's suggestion.

"Tell her go to h.e.l.l," Becker muttered.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, Mr. Becker. I wouldn't. If that's your notion of dealing with foreign nationals, I can see why you have a hole in your station."

"We're not going to be threatened."

"She won't threaten, Mr. Becker. I do a.s.sure you that. She's very, very old, she's made the extraordinarily polite gesture of leaving her comfortable residence aboard, and done you an honor leaders of several nations would be extravagantly pleased to receive. More, she's brought her great-grandson to let him observe first-hand how civilized people solve problems."

"Then get the strong-arms out."

"Her guards are with her, as mine are with me. We don't haul you into separate rooms for processing, which is our favor to you, and I suggest you take a much nicer tone, sir."

"Do we hear demands?" Ilisidi asked sweetly.

"She asks if you're being rude," Bren said. "Express your pleasure at the visit, gentlemen. Bow. I do recommend it."

Becker averted his stare, just minutely, a capitulation, at least that he wasn't quite willing to start a riot. A bow-not quite.

"Mr. Becker?"

"We demand our immediate release."

"Of course we demand contact with Captain Sabin."

"Not in my power."

"Did your leaders indicate to you they were going to silence her communications, while you were vulnerable on our deck? If they didn't, they certainly left you in a position. Understand, we're being remarkably restrained-but the captain's getting some needed sleep at the moment. When he wakes up, I'm sure he's going to hope we've had a reasonable exchange of views."

Becker drew a deep breath and looked at his fellows. Then he asked, in a much quieter tone, "So what's she want?"

"A polite answer to her question."

"Look, we don't make policy."

"They claim, aiji-ma, to be lower-level agents of their Guild, incapable of initiating policy changes."

"And what is this policy, nandi?"

"The dowager asks you very politely what the policy of your Guild is, that has put you here."

There was no answer at first. Then Becker: "We came here to do a routine inspection of the log."

He translated that.

"Why has the senior captain not reported to us?" Ilisidi asked, and Bren rendered it: "She wants to know why the senior captain hasn't called in, and believe me, gentlemen, the s.h.i.+p's captain also wants that answer."

"We haven't any idea," Becker said-anxious, now. "That's the G.o.d's truth."

"What were you looking for aboard?"

"I think we found it," Becker said under his breath. He slid a worried gaze toward Ilisidi.

"Oh, nothing like you surmise. What you see, sir, is equal partners in an alliance of three governments, in which your Guild, gentlemen, can also look for partners.h.i.+p, but which I a.s.sure you it will never order or run. This s.h.i.+p came here at great effort of our entire alliance to rescue you from the situation Captain Ramirez reported to exist here, a situation which we find in evidence, and which you seem either not to know-or to want to maintain, so far as your answers make any sense."

Ilisidi was patient through that exchange. Becker set his jaw and said nothing at all. The others looked, at best, worried.

"Well?" Bren said.

"Take it up with Guild offices," Becker muttered through his teeth, doubtless the mantra of his service. "We don't make policy."

Bren translated: "He maintains his Guild has sole discretion to negotiate and he is ignorant."

"Then we should release these persons," Ilisidi said with an airy wave of her hand. And of course, Bren thought, if they were low-level atevi, persons claiming to be incapable of further harm, it was, in atevi terms, civilized civilized to release the minor players... after the fracas was settled. to release the minor players... after the fracas was settled.

"One fears, aiji-ma, that they would make extravagant accusations if they were released to their own deck now. They might make the inhabitants fear the s.h.i.+p. And fear you, aiji-ma."

Ilisidi, the reprobate, was never displeased at being feared. "Ridiculous," she said, with evident satisfaction. "But you think they would do harm to the situation, nandi, if we released them."

"Harm of some sort," he said to her. "She wishes to release you back to your own side," he said in Mosphei', and watched disbelief and anxiety have its way with the detainees. "It's the custom. Among her people, lower-level agents are never prosecuted for the sins of their superiors. We humans, of course, advise her that you'd spread panic on the station-and that would mean people would hide instead of boarding-while others left in great enough numbers to destabilize lifesupport on Reunion. A nightmare, gentlemen. One we're trying to avoid. We want everybody off the station-after we've refueled. But for some reason, your government put a sign we've refueled. But for some reason, your government put a sign we we could read on the fuel port, advising us there was an explosive lock down there. Now why would your government b.o.o.by-trap our fuel?" could read on the fuel port, advising us there was an explosive lock down there. Now why would your government b.o.o.by-trap our fuel?"

"To keep the s.h.i.+p out there from getting it," Becker said.

"They'd do what they like. We're We're the only ent.i.ty that would read that sign. And we're the only ones that sign would stop, aren't we? Sounds like a bid for a negotiating position, to me." the only ent.i.ty that would read that sign. And we're the only ones that sign would stop, aren't we? Sounds like a bid for a negotiating position, to me."

"In case we were gone and you came back."

Listeners in the corridor hooted.

He translated that exchange into Ragi.

"Ha," Ilisidi said, and leaned both hands on her cane. "A posthumous thought to our safety. Not likely."

"The dowager says, Not likely. And I don't need to translate the crew's opinion."

Becker was red-faced and thin-lipped.

"Beck," another said, "if she's from the planet at Alpha, she's not the one that hit us. Neither's the Alpha colonists.-My name's Coroia, sir. And I've got two kids. And we're in trouble, Beck."

"Shut it down!" Becker shouted, and atevi security reacted-simply and quickly, a drawn wall of weapons. Cajeiri had ducked against his great-grandmother for shelter. And now tried to pretend he hadn't done that.

Ilisidi lifted her hand. Weapons lifted.

"Sorry," Bren said. "My personal apologies, Mr. Becker. They don't raise their voices in the presence of authority. An intercultural misstep."

Becker was shaken, the more so as apology undermined the adrenaline supply.

"You can advise them keep their d.a.m.n guns safed."

"We each have our customs, Mr. Becker. Back at their world, they're taking precautions necessitated by your your making enemies out here. They came to welcome you to a safe refuge. You haven't got any allies, as seems to me, except us, except them. As seems to me, you're stuck out here in a station with a hole in it-while we have a s.h.i.+p that works. So believe me: we're the only game worth playing, the only one that's going to give you any chances. I'm extremely sorry for your family, Mr. Coroia, if your Guild stands us off. You've got no defense, no agreement with your neighbors, no trade, no future, so far as we see, and we offer you all of that. But you persistently say no-not because it's sensible, but because you're blindly loyal to a Guild leaders.h.i.+p that sent you here. The position you're taking isn't even good for your Guild, gentlemen. They've got an angry s.h.i.+p waiting out there. What do they plan to do about it? making enemies out here. They came to welcome you to a safe refuge. You haven't got any allies, as seems to me, except us, except them. As seems to me, you're stuck out here in a station with a hole in it-while we have a s.h.i.+p that works. So believe me: we're the only game worth playing, the only one that's going to give you any chances. I'm extremely sorry for your family, Mr. Coroia, if your Guild stands us off. You've got no defense, no agreement with your neighbors, no trade, no future, so far as we see, and we offer you all of that. But you persistently say no-not because it's sensible, but because you're blindly loyal to a Guild leaders.h.i.+p that sent you here. The position you're taking isn't even good for your Guild, gentlemen. They've got an angry s.h.i.+p waiting out there. What do they plan to do about it? We're We're not going to go out and attack it for you. We've got a world behind us that's at risk if you go making wars, and we won't shoot at it." not going to go out and attack it for you. We've got a world behind us that's at risk if you go making wars, and we won't shoot at it."

Support in the ranks was wavering. It was evident on the other faces.

Even Becker looked less certain. "We've got only your word for what's going on."

"You've got proof in front of you, you d.a.m.ned fool!" That from Polano, with Kaplan, out in the corridor, an outright explosion of anger. "I've got two cousins on that station, who may may be alive, and I don't want to leave them here, mister! Use good sense!" be alive, and I don't want to leave them here, mister! Use good sense!"

"Mr. Polano," Bren introduced the complainant. "Who has a point. What's so difficult about dealing outside our species? We do it daily. We may be able to get you all out of this. But we need straight answers."

"Listen to Mr. Cameron," Kaplan said, and Polano and the crew behind him added their own voices.

"Straight answers," Becker said, and looked at his mates, and looked at him, and looked at Polano and back. And at Ilisidi and Cajeiri, with a far greater doubt. "That's a kid?"

"Aged seven," Bren said.

"Seven."

"They're tall," Bren said dryly. "That's exactly the point, isn't it! They're not us. But you're still welcome aboard. You and and your kids. Your wives. Your grandmothers. We can get you out of here and go where your kids have a future. You've got to have somebody you care about." your kids. Your wives. Your grandmothers. We can get you out of here and go where your kids have a future. You've got to have somebody you care about."

He was making headway with the others. Becker, however, scowled. "The Guild's not going to approve anybody anybody leaving." leaving."

"Because they've got such thorough control of the aliens out there? I don't think so."

Clearly Becker had thought he had an answer to that point, and now that it was on the edge of his tongue, it didn't taste right.

"Get us two things," Bren said. "Fuel and the reason that alien s.h.i.+p's out there. The truth about what happened six years ago. The remains and belongings of whoever tried to come aboard and negotiate with your Guild."

"Negotiate, h.e.l.l!"