Man-Kzin Wars IX Part 28

I've never doubted their destination. Fly-By-Night had come to Home for a reason, and he never told anyone who who had arranged their transport to Fafnir. had arranged their transport to Fafnir.

The law raised h.e.l.l, as if it were my fault they were gone. Warbelow was more sensible. She paid for my room, a major expense that wasn't in our contract. With the aliens gone, I had become the only game in town.

They got their money's worth. Mart Graynor emerged as a braggart with a Fafnir accent I'd practiced for two years. I played the same tune while various lawyers and law programs questioned me. I hoped n.o.body would see a resemblance to doc.u.mentaries once made by Beowulf Shaeffer.

Barrister reacted theatrically. "Gone! Then who is witness against my clients?"

"We have LE Graynor, Your Honor," Sirhan said, speaking for Home Rule, "and the crew and pa.s.sengers of Odysseus Odysseus will be called. will be called. Odysseus Odysseus had to be chased down in the Kuiper belt, the inner comets, and towed in. They'll be arriving tomorrow. Any of the pa.s.sengers might press claims against the defendants." had to be chased down in the Kuiper belt, the inner comets, and towed in. They'll be arriving tomorrow. Any of the pa.s.sengers might press claims against the defendants."

The judge said, "LE Handel?"

The ARM rep said, "The Longest War threatens all of human s.p.a.ce. We need what these Kzinti can tell us. They've violated the Covenants. There was clear intent to store humans as reserves of meat-"

"This was a local act against Homer citizens!" Sirhan said.

Judge Dee gestured at the big peach-colored Kzin, who said, "The Patriarch's claim is that Meebrlee-Ritt is no relative of his and has no claim to his name. I am to take possession-"

Meebrlee-Ritt leapt at us, bounced back from the wall-or from a projection screen-and screamed something prolonged. "I flew outside the universe!" said my translator. "Who can do that? Only the -Ritt! In cowardice does the Patriarch disclaim my part in the Long War!" He changed to Interworld: "LE Graynor knows! Nine days through hypers.p.a.ce, accurately to my rendezvous!"

"I am to take possession and return him for trial, and his Heroes too. I must have Envoy's ear, Graynor, unless you can establish a kill. Nameless One, Kzinti elsewhere can fly hypers.p.a.ce. Females of your line may have reached the -Ritt harem. What of it?"

"My line descends from the Patriarch! I violated no Covenants!"

The runty Kzin who was his advocate caught the judge's eye. He too spoke Interworld. "To properly represent the prisoners I must speak with them alone and encrypted to learn their wishes. I expect we will fight extradition. Rasht-Myowr," a prolonged howl in the Heroes' Tongue. The Patriarch's designate was trying to loom over him. My translator buzzed static. The runty Kzin waited, staring him down, until the big one stepped back and sheathed his claws.

Barrister said, "Violation of the Covenants would hold my clients here in any case, but none of these claims has any force until we can interview the victims. Odysseus' Odysseus' crew and pa.s.sengers will reach Home Base tomorrow. We have only LE Graynor's word for any of this." crew and pa.s.sengers will reach Home Base tomorrow. We have only LE Graynor's word for any of this."

"He's telling the truth, though," I said.

Meebrlee-Ritt barked his triumph. The ARM man said, "Futz, Graynor!"

Judge Dee asked, "LE Graynor, are you familiar with the Covenants of 2505?"

"As much as any law program. I've examined them half to death."

"Did you see violations?"

"No. I thought I had. I thought Packer must have shot out Odysseus' Odysseus' hyperdrive and hyperwave, putting hyperdrive and hyperwave, putting Odysseus Odysseus at unacceptable risk, but it's clear he didn't. Hyperdrive got at unacceptable risk, but it's clear he didn't. Hyperdrive got Odysseus Odysseus into the Home comets, and they called ahead via hyperwave as soon as they were out of the Nursery Nebula." into the Home comets, and they called ahead via hyperwave as soon as they were out of the Nursery Nebula."

Rasht-Myowr's tail slashed across and back. "Your other claims fail! The false lord is mine, and his remaining Hero too!"

I said, "Whatever these two learned about Fly-By-Night and his companions, taking them back to Kzin for trial gives that to the Patriarch. On that basis I'd keep them, if I was an ARM."

"But you're testifying," the ARM said bitterly, "that they didn't violate the Covenants."

"Yah."

"Mine! And Envoy's ear," Rasht-Myowr said. "His one one ear. Did you kill him?" ear. Did you kill him?"

"I killed them both. Do you need details? Fly-By-Night was trapped in his vac refuge. We'd just rounded Turnpoint Star and Envoy was flying the s.h.i.+p. Difficult work, took his full attention. Back turned, free fall, crash web holding him in his chair. I had Fly-By-Night's w'tsai." The police had already confiscated that. "He would have killed me if he'd released his crash web in time."

"He would have killed you anyway! Why would you keep only one ear?"

For an instant I couldn't speak at all. Then I barely remembered my accent. "I h-heated one for charcoal to paint Fly-By-Night. Packer was wrestling Fly-By-Night when I chopped him him up, so Fly-By-Night got the ear. He chewed off the other one. They stole, up, so Fly-By-Night got the ear. He chewed off the other one. They stole, you you stole my wife and child and unborn, my stole my wife and child and unborn, my harem harem, you whasht-meery whasht-meery son of a stray cat! I still haven't seen them alive. I memorized those son of a stray cat! I still haven't seen them alive. I memorized those whasht-meery whasht-meery Covenants. They only forbid my killing your relatives!" Covenants. They only forbid my killing your relatives!"

"Duel me then!" Meebrlee-Ritt shouted. "Back turned, crash web locked, free fall, my claws only, blunt blunt them if you like-" them if you like-"

"Barrister, you will silence your client or I will," the judge said.

"-And you armed! Prove you can do this!"

Meebrlee-Ritt, I decided, was trying to commit suicide. He didn't want to go with Rasht-Myowr. Let the Patriarch have him, I owed him nothing.

Almost nothing.

I said, "Judge Dee, if you'll let me ask a few questions, I may solve some problems here."

"You came to be be questioned, LE Graynor. What did you have in mind?" questioned, LE Graynor. What did you have in mind?"

"Rasht-Myowr, if a violation of the Covenants can't be proved, then I take it these prisoners are yours-"

Judge Dee interposed. "They may be a.s.sessed for substantial substantial property violations, Graynor. Rescue costs. A pa.s.senger s.h.i.+p turned to junk!" property violations, Graynor. Rescue costs. A pa.s.senger s.h.i.+p turned to junk!"

"I will pay the costs," Rasht-Myowr said.

I asked, "You'll take them back to your Patriarch?"

"Yah."

"They'll be tried publicly, of course."

The peach-colored Kzin considered, then said, "Of course."

"The court will have a telepath to question him? They always do."

"Rrr. Your point?"

"Would you let a telepath find out what Meebrlee-Ritt saw of the telepaths of Sheathclaws? And learn how they live? Really?" Really?"

He didn't get it. I said, "Three hundred years living alongside Humans. Sharing their culture. Their schooling programs. Instead of theft and killing, hang gliding! Meebrlee-Ritt, tell him about Fly-By-Night."

The prisoner looked at the Patriarch's voice. He said, "I crawled on my belly for him."

Rasht-Myowr yowled. "With the -Ritt name on you? How dare you?"

"I meant it."

"Meant-?"

"Do you think I was born with no pride, to take and defend a name like mine? I found I could fly the Outsider hyperdrive! I knew that I must be a -Ritt. Then fortune favored me again. A telepath lost on Shasht, healthy and arrogant, the genetic line that will give us the Longest War!

"Even after questioning, crippled, n.a.z.i Killer tore up one of my unwary Heroes so that we had to leave him. He knew knew things about me . . . but n.a.z.i Killer was no threat. Frustrating that we had to kill him, but he'd told us how to retrieve another. It was Fly-By-Night and his slaves who stripped me of everything I am! He killed my Heroes. He things about me . . . but n.a.z.i Killer was no threat. Frustrating that we had to kill him, but he'd told us how to retrieve another. It was Fly-By-Night and his slaves who stripped me of everything I am! He killed my Heroes. He became became Envoy! Reduced my s.h.i.+p to a falling prison." Envoy! Reduced my s.h.i.+p to a falling prison."

Rasht-Myowr demanded, "Technical Officer, is your alpha officer mad?"

Tech spoke simply; his dignity was still with him. "I followed the telepath's commands exactly. What he had done to us, to him I followed, how could I I face him? With what weapons? But Fly-By-Night was not alone. Kzin and 'man and Jotok, face him? With what weapons? But Fly-By-Night was not alone. Kzin and 'man and Jotok, they they took our ears." took our ears."

I hoped then that there were unseen defenses, that n.o.body would have set fragile humans undefended among these Kzinti. Rasht-Myowr turned on me a gaping grin that would not let him speak. His alien stench was not that of any creature of Earth, but I knew it was his rage.

"You can't take them back to the Patriarchy," I said to Rasht-Myowr. Because they had kept faith.

Quickpony and the Van Zild children were with me when Outbound Enterprises thawed two modules of pa.s.sengers taken from Odysseus Odysseus. The way they were wrapped, I couldn't tell who was who until Jeena was wheeled out of the cooker. We clung to each other and waited. If Jeena was alive, so was her mother.

We waited, ice in our veins, and she came.