Pawn’s Gambit (45 page)

Kelly's ears popped again as his three rescuers tipped him onto his back and carried him carefully toward the ruined door. “I'm fine,” he said toward the box. “Is that you, Achranae?”

It was almost fifteen seconds before the voice spoke again; clearly, the Olyt's translator wasn't as good as the Stryfkar's. “Yes. I am pleased you are still alive.”

Kelly's grin was wide enough to hurt, and was probably even visible through his beard. “Me too.
Damn,
but I'm glad you got my message. I wasn't at all sure you'd caught it.”

They were out in the Transphere chamber before the response came, and Kelly had a chance to look around. In the ceiling, stretching upwards through at least two stories' worth of rock, was a jagged hole. Moving purposefully through the chamber itself were a dozen more Olyts in the white, armor-like suits. “It was ingenious. I feared that I would not be allowed to leave, though, once I had seen the board.”

“Me too—but it looks like we had nothing to worry about.” Kelly grinned again—it was so good to talk to a friend again! “I'll lay you any odds that the Stryfkar haven't
yet
noticed what I did. It's the old can't-see-the-forest-for-the-trees problem; they'd seen that four-tiered board used for so many different games that it never occurred to them that you and I would automatically associate it with Skymarch, the only game we'd ever played on it. So while they took my kingdoms-and-dragon setup at face value, you were able to see the markers as a group of objects in space. I gambled that you'd realize they represented our home worlds and this one, and that you'd take note of the relative distances I'd laid out. I guess the gamble paid off.”

Kelly was beneath the ceiling hole now, and a pair of dangling cables were being attached to his balloon's upper handholds. “We shall hope that winning such risks is characteristic of your race,” Achranae said. “We have destroyed the Stryfkar base and have captured records that show a large force will soon be coming here. We have opened communication with your race, but they have not yet agreed to a tactical alliance. Perhaps your testimony will help persuade them. It is hoped that you, at least, will agree to aid us in our tactical planning.”

The ropes pulled taut and Kelly began moving upward. “I'm almost certain we can find some extra help on Earth,” Kelly told the Olyt grimly. “And as for me, it'll be a pleasure. The Stryfkar have a lot to learn about us pawns.”

About the Author

Timothy Zahn is a
New York Times
bestselling science fiction author of more than forty novels, as well as many novellas and short stories. Best known for his contributions to the expanded Star Wars universe of books, including the Thrawn trilogy, Zahn won a 1984 Hugo Award for his novella “Cascade Point.” He also wrote the Cobra series, the Blackcollar series, the Quadrail series, and the young adult Dragonback series, whose first novel,
Dragon and Thief
, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Zahn currently resides in Oregon with his family.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

These are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

“The Price of Survival” first appeared in
Analog
, June 22, 1981.

“The Giftie Gie Us” first appeared in
Analog
, July 21, 1981.

“The Final Report on the Lifeline Experiment” first appeared in
Analog
, May 1983.

“Cascade Point” first appeared in
Analog
, December 1983.

“Music Hath Charms” first appeared in
Analog
, April 1985.

“The President's Doll” first appeared in
Analog
, July 1987.

“Clean Slate” first appeared in
Amazing Stories
, January 1989.

“Hitmen—See Murderers” first appeared in
Amazing Stories
, June 1991.

“Protocol” first appeared in
Analog
, September 2002.

“Old-Boy Network” first appeared in
Sol's Children
, August 2002.

“Proof” first appeared in
Amazing Stories
, September 2004.

“The Ring” first appeared in
Pandora's Closet
, DAW Books, August 2007.

“Trollbridge” first appeared in
Spells of the City
, DAW Books, December 2009.

“Chem Lab 301” first appeared in the FenCon program brook, September 2014.

“Pawn's Gambit” first appeared in
Analog
, March 29, 1982.

Copyright © 2016 by Timothy Zahn

Cover design by Kat JK Lee

978-1-5040-1620-9

Published in 2016 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

345 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com