Beneath the Eye of God (The Commodore Ardcasl Space Adventures Book 1) (25 page)

"There's a barracks behind the house where Nol's favorite guards live, dozens of 'em," someone said.

"The riders will come up that road to warn them, once they realize we're gone."

"What are we going to do when we get to Nol's house?" Harz asked.

"I'm going to ask him about some friends of mine," Ohan said. "I don't know if they're there or what's going to happen. I appreciate your help but maybe you guys would be better off heading for the depot. I'm not sure what I'm doing and this may not work."

"Hey, don't get sore. We were just asking. Besides," Harz said, "I've got a score to settle with Nol too. I've got a knife now and this is as good a time as any."

They tramped along in silence following the tree line, 28 boys with nowhere else to go, armed with six knives and a sword, following Ohan and his laser cannon. "You wanted to take charge of your life," Ohan's brain said nastily. "Now you've done it. You're off to see some guy you don't know, looking for people who probably aren't there. You've no idea what you're going to do when you get there and all these guys are going to help you do it."

Ohan thought briefly of sticking the cannon in his ear and cleaning out the voices inside, but decided against it.

"There goes a rider," someone whispered. The valley was narrowing as they climbed. They could see the road on the other side of the meadow. A lone rider was galloping toward the big house. Its lighted windows were clearly visible against the skyline.

"He's probably bringing the news of our escape," Harz said.

"How many guards do you think are up there?" someone asked.

"I was there once," a boy answered. "There's a barracks back in the trees, like the one we blew up. Maybe twenty guards there, probably all asleep."

They were near the road now and could hear the pounding hoofs of approaching riders. Ohan fired a bolt of light into the darkness. They heard the cries of men and horses. "Oh dear." Ohan said. "I hope I didn't hit any animals."

"That'll slow them down," Harz said. "They'll spread out and come more cautiously.

As they approached the house, several armed men charged at them from one side. Ohan loosed a sizzling slash of light that left seared flesh, three more fallen trees and two dismembered bodies in its wake. While the boys stripped the bodies of their weapons, Ohan aimed the laser cannon at the stout wooden door. It blew apart in a shower of kindling, taking part of the stone entryway with it.

He stepped through the gaping hole, weapon at the ready, Harz and the others close behind. "I'm looking for Blackman Nol," he announced. "He's got some friends of . . . mine."

Half the startled faces in the room were unfamiliar. The rest belonged to people he feared he might never see again.

"Welcome, sport. That was an impressive entrance."

"Just in the nick of time, lad." The Commodore slapped him on the back. "I knew you could do it."

One of the boys came running in. "Ohan, there's a line of riders coming up the meadow. Must be 30 or 40 of them. And the lights are on in the barracks. I think they're coming too."

"Right!" Leahn snapped her sword from its scabbard. "I came here to fight and I've spent the whole evening tied to a chair. Somebody's going to pay for that. Come on, sport. Let's see how that laser thing works."

Ohan said, "Well, I . . ." and was out the door. The Commodore sent Erol after them to watch over the laser cannon. Erig and Feren, armed with the dead guards' daggers plus Leahn's two throwing knives, were dispatched to back them up. "You'd better get out there too, Em," the Commodore added. "Save as many of your men as you can."

Elor went out the door carrying the computer. He had plugged the ultrasonic insect repeller into it. "I thought you said that thing only worked on bugs," Blackman Nol complained. He was being guarded by Malie who had already inflicted a nasty slash just above his knee.

"Did I say that?" the Commodore asked innocently. "Perhaps I neglected to mention the part about using the computer as an amplifier and projecting a narrow beam of sonic disruption through the sonar heads. It can blow out a man's eardrums at 30 paces and, properly adjusted, cause the horses to throw their riders. That should even the fight considerably."

He turned to the remaining sisters. "Come, ladies, let's have a little drink and await the outcome of the battle. And Malie, I suppose you'd like to go outside and watch."

"Yes, please, Commodore, if you'll take care of Mr. Nol."

"Do try to stay out of the way," he cautioned. She was gone in a flash.

A number of grievances were settled on the bloody meadow that night, several by the boys from the chain gang, the rest by Leahn. Em had little trouble disengaging his men, already dispirited by the deadly shafts of light and their horses' refusal to charge into the melee.

When the battle was over and the survivors assembled, Leahn went down the line. She searched each face, matching it against dark memories of a night three years earlier. The first she found refused to fight and she split him in half from shoulder to hip where he stood. The next tried to run. His torso completed nearly a full step with no head attached. The other three chose to fight but were no match for the steel in her blade and the ice in her heart.

When she was done, she turned on the remaining riders. They fell back before her. She sent them running for the depot and the first wagons out. Then she turned and led the way back to her father's house, leaving Em and the boys to collect the horses and bury the dead.

She stood in the doorway, sword in hand, its hilt slippery with blood. The living room was empty except for the Commodore and Silane who sat beside him, ashen-faced and tense on the edge of the couch.

"Where's Nol?" Leahn demanded. Her sister, Laral, stepped out from the hallway leading to the study. "He's dead," she said quietly.

She crossed over to the couch, sat down beside Silane and put her arm around the older woman.

Leahn stared from one to the other.

"You weren't the only one who learned to hate," Laral said finally. "You were gone but we were here. Three years is a long time. We settled the score tonight."

Leahn set her sword aside and came to her two sisters. They embraced and cried.

Chapter 15

Even with a number of extra guests, the big stone house was unnaturally quiet the next day. A late breakfast found the Commodore, Malie, Erig, Feren, the twins and Laral at the dining table, all eating heartily. Silane had been up early, taking comfort from the familiar routine of running her household.

Leahn too, had been up early wandering through the house, remembering. Then she came to breakfast. "I'd almost forgotten," she said as she dug into a heaping plate of meat and eggs. "I sat through dinner last night with my hands tied behind me."

She looked across the table at the Commodore. "We're going to have to sit down sometime and have a long talk about exactly how I got into that situation, how I was discovered and spent the evening tied to a chair while you guys ate dinner and drank wine."

"Pure chance, my dear," the Commodore replied soothingly. "And I hope it taught you a valuable lesson. It pays to have an alternate plan in mind should your primary scheme go awry."

Erig was nudging Malie. "Uh, Commodore," she said. "I sort of promised my friends that you would either turn them into demons or make them rich."

Even the Commodore seemed a little surprised at that. "Demons? I recall some talk of demons last night. Why would you lads want to be demons?"

"Well, sir," Erig explained, "it sounds like fun the way Malie described it—casting spells, turning people to stone, being invisible and all."

"I see. Did she mention the quart of blood I would need from each of you?"

"Quart of blood?"

"To mix the magic spells with. And the three teeth. Did she mention those? We would pull them out from the back, of course, where it wouldn't show."

Erig and Feren turned accusingly to Malie. "You never said anything about blood and teeth."

"Didn't I. I always forget that part. I probably didn't mention the part about your little toes either."

"Maybe it would be easier just to be rich," Erig said.

"A wise decision," the Commodore agreed. "It's been my experience that demons mostly make people nervous. How rich would you fellows like to be?"

"We were kind of hoping for enough to get a room of our own someplace. That packing crate gets kind of damp in the rainy season."

"Someplace we could bring girls if we ever met any," Feren added hopefully.

Silane had been hovering nearby. "Girls, is it? A good scrubbing in a bathtub is what you two need. A few more hot meals wouldn't hurt either. Girls indeed!"

"It sounds to me as if what you fellows need is a steady job that pays well," the Commodore said. "Malie tells me you know your way around the depot better than anyone. These ladies here," he nodded toward Leahn and Laral, "are going to need help running that place. Without Blackman Nol's dreams of empire and a private army to support, I suspect that the tax rates will be considerably lower but they will still have to be collected. And if they're going to rely less on muscle to collect their money, they'll have to use more brain power. A couple of smart young fellows who know all the tricks and hiding places would make good tax collectors."

Erig was surprised. "But that's the kind of stuff we know. We know where they leave off cargo outside the depot so others can pick it up later. We know which drivers use short weights and how they hide stuff under the floorboards and all of that."

"Sound like a couple of valuable young men, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Em?" Hossen Em had come sullenly into the room a few minutes earlier and seated himself at the far end of the table.

"If it's in your mind for them to take over that part of the operation, I wish them luck." Em paused as if searching for words. "Let me speak plainly, Commodore."

"Please do, sir."

"After the events of last night, I have no clear idea of where I stand with all of you. I was Blackman Nol's man. I served him faithfully." He looked away for a moment. "Up until last night, anyway. Now he's dead, along with a number of my men. Some of them were good men. I'll not stay here at your sufferance because of my wife. If you wish a fight to the death, I will be happy to accommodate you. If not, then I will be on my way. I hope my wife will choose to accompany me. We have not discussed it yet."

"Hossen." Silane went to his side.

The Commodore regarded them sternly. "Would you, madam, remain with your husband, even if he were forced out into the wide world?"

"I told you before, Commodore, Hossen Em is my husband," Silane said quietly. The man seated beside her seemed to relax a little in his chair.

"The dilemma of the honest man who serves a wicked master is a very old one but you have offered to fight the wrong person, my dear Hossen. I have no quarrel with anyone here. All things considered, I've had quite a pleasant visit. No, my friend, I am here as a favor to Leahn. Should she wish it, I will gladly kill you where you sit." He turned to Leahn. "It is your choice, my dear."

Silane gave a little gasp. Em sat forward in his chair. Leahn answered slowly. "Hossen Em is not one of those I sought. If he were, I would have no need of your assistance. He would be dead by now."

She leaned forward, her eyes on the man. "But were you there that night three years ago, Em? Did you stand aside and let them have me? Was it cowardice that kept you from my side? Or were you watching and laughing in the darkness out beyond the firelight where I couldn't see you? There were many faces there. I could not mark them all, only those who touched me. I cannot kill them all, though I would gladly do so if it were possible. And what about last night, Em? Would you have stood aside again and let Nol have me? I don't like you, Em, but I cannot call for your death."

"Nor can I," said Laral. "Em kept Silane from Nol. For that I am grateful. Perhaps he could do no more."

"There you are, my dear Hossen," the Commodore said cheerfully. "You have managed Blackman Nol's estate for three years without incurring a bloodfeud with those who hated the man most, not an inconsiderable accomplishment.

"As for your question, Leahn, it is not a fair one. Are we all honest men and women? Or have we never had the opportunity to steal without risk of detection? You ask Mr. Em what he might have done. Many men stand ready to proclaim themselves heroes but they speak of wishes, not reality. Be content with what Em did. His dagger remains buried in your study wall. It was a clear choice, clearly made, and we all sit here this morning because of it. Perhaps you should leave that dagger there as a reminder of the difference between the expectation of goodness and its delivery. I hope you will stay on in your present capacity, Hossen. The ladies will need your help."

There was a commotion outside. "Speaking of heroes," the Commodore said, "I believe one approaches now."

Several people were heard entering through the hole where the door used to be. They paused outside the dining room. Then Ohan peeked in.

"Come in, come in, dear boy. Bring your friends. We were just talking about you."

Ohan edged hesitantly into the room. "I'm awfully sorry about your door. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"And so it was, lad. The grand entrance. Always an attention getter."

Leahn ran to greet him with a large kiss and a hug. "Come and meet the folks, sport. Bring your friends. We've plenty of food."

Harz and the others followed Ohan into the room, lost in awe of the stately furnishings. Few of the apprentice drivers had been inside a manor before.

Leahn led them to the sideboard where plates and food were laid out. She seated Ohan at her place and brought his breakfast to him. The boys filled their plates and found places on the floor along the walls.

"I don't know, sport," Leahn smiled as he shoveled in the food. "I was supposed to be your bodyguard but you're the one who had to rescue me."

He paused in mid-bite. "I'm not too clear about a lot that happened last night. But I do remember that you looked pretty well saved when I blew your door in."

"That's true. I was safe at the moment. The Commodore arranged that. The trouble with being saved by the Commodore is that it never lasts very long. One minute you're saved, the next you're tied to a chair. When you showed up, I knew my salvation was finally going to be permanent."

"Perhaps you could introduce the rest of us to your rescuer, sister dear," Laral said pointedly. "We were there too."

"I'm sorry. Ohan, these are my sisters, Silane and Laral. That's Silane's husband, Hossen Em, at the end of the table and those two are Malie's friends, Erig and Feren."

"I'm very pleased to meet you all. I am sorry about your door. It seemed like a . . ."

"You and Laral share a common interest in history," the Commodore said. "Laral aided her father in his research and is probably the leading authority on the early colonial period. Ohan is an expert on the ancient forest empire. His knowledge of the subject is second only to that of Malie who is . . . um, in a category all her own."

"Is that so?" Laral said. "We'll have to get together and compare notes. Perhaps you would like to see my father's collection sometime."

"Thank you. That would be very nice." And I am sorry about your door."

Leahn was studying her sister closely. "What are you doing?" she asked icily.

"It's called being polite," Laral replied pleasantly. "I'm not surprised you don't recognize it. You were never strong on the social graces."

Leahn shook her head and smiled. "I've been so busy trying to save you from our uncle, I forgot what a pill you always were."

"Likewise, sister dear. But I was under the impression that it was Ohan and his friends who saved us. All you were saving was that chair."

"Ladies, please," the Commodore protested.

Leahn turned on him. "You keep out of this. You started it."

"I?"

Leahn launched into a pretty good imitation of the Commodore. "Laral, the leading authority on the colonial period, do meet Ohan, the expert on the ancient forest empire." She glowered at big man. "What was that all about?"

"I was merely attempting to aid two young people in the exploration of a mutual interest."

"She'll explore his mutual interest. And he won't be the first one she drags into the study to see her collection."

Laral shook her head. "Typical, Leahn, typical. You come riding in with your wild friends, blow the front of the house off, kill half the staff, chase the rest away, then ride off again, leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces."

"Pardon me for saving your life. I didn't realize you were having such a good time."

"So apparently I could have saved myself whenever I wanted to? All I had to do was tie myself to a chair."

"The Commodore turned to Silane for help. "Madam, can't you do something to . . ."

Silane was brushing away a tear. "I never thought I'd hear the two of them argue like that again. Do let them enjoy themselves."

"Ah. Is that what they're doing?"

"As far as I can see," Laral shouted, "it was Ohan and his friends who saved us and you as well."

"There you go bringing Ohan into it again."

"I'll bring anyone I want into it. He and his friends might even want to stay and help us, now that you've chased everyone else away."

"Maybe they would. Why don't you ask them?"

"Maybe I will."

"OK."

"OK."

The two sisters glared at each other, began to giggle, then fell into each other's arms.

"Are they through?" Caran asked nervously from the kitchen door.

"I hope so," Silane laughed. "Bring in the rest of the sausage. These poor lads were starving."

"My father was a stone mason," one of the apprentices volunteered as Caran filled his plate again. "I'd be glad to put that front wall back in."

"I know how to carve and hang doors," another said.

"I am sorry about that door," Ohan said to Caran who had paused in front of him with her platter of sausage and was studying him closely.

"I'm Caran," she said. "Would you like to meet my other sisters?"

"Come on, sport. You'll have to be inspected by everyone."

"I'm not sure I . . . "

Leahn took him firmly by the hand and pulled him from the table.

"You'll like the others," Caran said. "They're much calmer than these two."

As the three sisters led Ohan from the room, the Commodore turned to Silane. "What exactly is happening here, madam?"

She wiped her hands on her apron and said absently, "Those two were always the wild ones. They love to argue like that but they've always shared. They shared the pain. Now I'm afraid they're going to share Mr. Ohan."

Elor chuckled. "Perhaps you'll have to tell him a little more about the problems you had with the triplets on Kalnat IV."