The Adventures of Deacon Coombs (56 page)

Deacon braced himself with a deep breath and a taste of courage. “Okay, Gem, roll it.”

What he saw was worse than he had visualized. It was just as Schlegar had described, as Nedilli and Falthorpe could not remain still. They were ever-palpitating irregular-shaped masses of multiple languid colors, from purples to oranges to mixtures that made him feel queasy. Round protrusions filled and reached the point of bursting. “Enough!” he finally shouted.

“Master, I shall transmit a file to the High Council back on Earth for viewing.”

“As long as I do not have to view it again. Tell me, Gem, did you record all the energy patterns?”

“Yes. With copies sent to Doctor Roadster as you instructed.”

“Were there any similarities to the person on the mount on Nix?”

“Definitely, sire. I shall summarize the similarities for you in a file. Recognize that not all patterns were recorded, because of our inferior technology.”

Deacon gave a thank-you as Jim strode into the room. “Have you completed your assessment of the
H’vington
, Jim?”

“Yes.”

“Did you find any evidence of illegal activities being performed on the ship or by her crew?”

“No, sire. Every stop had proper clearance. Every cargo had correct papers. None of the crew was implicated in any wrongdoings, although some of the previous crew members have past criminal records for minor infractions.” Deacon and Jim spent the next thirty minutes reviewing activities of the
H’vington
that Jim and Chubby had cataloged. The recently decommissioned ships and missing trade ships were certainly possibilities for transporting the savage Nicosians to Jabu. Weariness overtook Deacon. He wobbled to his quarters, where he found that a transmission from Lyanna awaited him. He was uplifted to see her face on the screen and hear her comforting voice. She was still pursuing employment on Earth, but with no success to date. There had been no communication from Goharn Lok, but Landrew and his wife had invited her to dinner in two nights. “I worry about your safety, Deacon, and I love you. Please find time to reply.” As the transmission ended, he pushed the reply button and expressed his feelings, along with a summary of the interview with the Medullans.

His dreams later took him to the planet Medulla, where he ran in the muck from the Nicosians. Then he saw an apparition of Travers, his comrade. Travers. He had forgotten about the little brave warrior with their current hectic pace. As he smiled at Travers, Travers disrobed to reveal Urzel, and the apparition began to shake as a Medullan would. Urzel laughed at him, branding him a fool.

A bargain is struck…

“Master.” Jim nudged Deacon. “A message has arrived to inform you that Falthorpe and Nedilli await your presence on the planet’s surface.”

Deacon stretched his arms and yawned. “Inform Gem, Schlegar, and Xudur that I will meet them shortly. How long did I sleep?”

“Four hours.” That was not enough for him. In space, it was difficult for Deacon to keep track of time. It seemed as though a great sleep was always four hours; a deep nap, thirty minutes. He washed, shaved, dressed, and departed to intercept the party.

“I have decided to return to the surface with only Gem. I need to negotiate a deal with the Medullans. Xudur, we agreed earlier on this.”

Xudur stormed away as Schlegar pleaded his case. “I have spent a great deal of my life working on behalf of these people, trying to rid them of their affliction. What we learn from them on this short trip could prove to be invaluable for my future research. I… want to talk to them without visors.”

Deacon was emphatic in his response. “No.”

“Then for Travers’s sake, please, Deacon. I have digested your travel account of the trip to Nix. Your comments were vivid, such as your reference to the poor little brave soul who was shunned needlessly by his father, blasphemed unjustly by the Aralian leader in front of his friends and family. In the end, you said that he deserved a better fate than to travel to Bogeyland and die.”

Schlegar grabbed Deacon by the elbow. “After listening to that tale over and over, I agree. Hearing of Travers’s bravery on Nix, his efforts on behalf of the Alliance and the traders’ union, and Chubby’s accounts, I have decided to forgive him. Except that he’s gone. So how can I repay him?”

Deacon said it for him. “By bringing to justice the individual who perpetrated the crimes he died for. By reopening his trial so that you might testify on his behalf.”

Schlegar’s arms hung limp, his head bowed. “I am sorry, Schlegar. If you need any help from me to set the record straight about Travers, you have my allegiance. But I will not allow you to travel with me to the surface this time. You will have to plead with Landrew and the Medullans on another occasion.”

Deacon and Gem entered the shuttle. “We will talk upon my return, Schlegar. I have a bargain to strike with these people. I want the success or the failure of this deal to be my sole responsibility. If it fails, Landrew will have only me to blame.” As they sped to the surface, Deacon wondered where Xudur had disappeared to and why she had accepted his decision without a verbal assault.

This time, the Medullans permitted a landing spot for the shuttle within two hundred feet, for which Deacon was grateful. It was not long after their arrival in the sterilized dome that Gem urged Deacon to wear the visor in anticipation of Falthorpe and Nedilli’s arrival. The pair soon came.

“Villya, Deacon Coombs, we are appreciative of your patience. We have debated your requests.”

“Villya, Falthorpe, I am appreciative for the time you took to consider our requests. We also give our thanks for the data transmissions. Time does grow thin, though, in the face of future catastrophes.”

“We have talked much with the elders of our region. Unfortunately we have decided that the decision to travel with you must be entirely the will of Nedilli. It is her choice as to the role to play in her son’s demise. I know that you find our decision difficult in the face of imminent danger to the Alliance, but we Medullans place highest respect on individual choices in our race. We also condemn killing of other beings. It is not in our nature. The greatest achievements of life are to love and to learn.”

“It seems, Falthorpe, that you have led me to a path to converse with Nedilli.”

Falthorpe waited until Nedilli returned. “I shall remain to hear your dialogue with our dear Nedilli.”

Gem nudged Deacon to commence. “I have a compromise to offer you, Nedilli. You have two children. One we must work together to save; the other we must put to death. So I ask this of you. Come with us on the
G’uillger
to Earth, where we will trap Urzel and transport him to a distant part of the Alliance space. You will not have to be the assassin, but you will have to shield the assassin while his duty is being performed. In return, I will convince Goharn Lok to return your corporeal child to you. He suffers from dipholopic fever and will die if he remains on Earth. He will be much happier in the arms of his mother.” He took the pause as a signal to continue. “Here you have a compound where the child can live out its life with you, be loved by you, and possibly extend his life through love and care.”

There was a prolonged silence as Deacon paced and Gem stood in the corner. Deacon paused to reflect what a lonely existence Phendal Lok must have suffered before he discovered Nedilli. Suddenly the Owler motioned to Deacon to replace his visor. From the footage he had witnessed, he was not brave enough to contact the Medullans without the apparatus. They returned, and Deacon was anxious. “Have you reached a decision?”

Nedilli spoke. “With great reservation and apprehension, I will accompany you to Earth to try to help you. However, you must also grant me certain terms of acceptance.”

“I respectfully will grant your wishes.”

“Deacon Coombs, I trust you. Your reputation for fairness and intelligence has been quantified and is known throughout the Alliance. Therefore I will be comforted if you are present wherever I travel. I need your word of that you will not desert me and that you and I will confer and agree on every step of the journey.”

“I give you my promise.”

“I fear that certain politicians will interfere, Deacon.”

“I will ensure your safe condition. I promise to protect the integrity of our joint relationship.”

Deacon hoped that the other requests would be so easy to grant. Nedilli continued. “Mister Coombs, I also want your personal Owlers to protect me on this journey.”

“My trusty Owlers, Jim and Gem, will accompany us wherever we venture.”

“I will not be the assassin of my son. However, if necessary, I will harbor the one whose duty it is to end Urzel’s life. But I demand the opportunity to plead with my son first, to beg of him to end this foolishness and return with me to Medulla, to give himself up to the elders of Medulla for trial!”

Deacon suspected as much. “Nedilli, there are many people who feel that the time to negotiate with Urzel is over. Thousands are dead on Jabu because of Urzel’s actions.”

“No!” she shouted with anger in her voice. “He is my son. My only! I must, as his mother, have this last chance to converse with him, to negotiate with him. Think of what you ask me. Is it not worth this one chance of reasoning? I am his mother. You must be sympathetic to my request.”
How
Xudur
would
cringe
, he thought.

“You have asked the ultimate sacrifice from a mother. If I am to subscribe to your request, then please permit me this one opportunity to assure myself that there was no alternative but death. Let me hear from my own son that there is no chance for retribution.”

“Nedilli, I cannot promise this appeal. I will champion your cause, but I fear that the High Council will not accept this term.”

“Then I do not journey with you to Earth,” she replied laconically.

“Nedilli, please, I won’t let any harm happen to you. At least journey with me, hear the result of your plea, witness the suffering on Jabu.”

She left.

Nedilli and Falthorpe returned together just as Deacon was pacing around the compound, determining how to fix the impediment, worrying that they might not return, creating a significant setback. He was mentally drained.

“Deacon, we have conversed,” said Falthorpe. “Nedilli will travel with you to Earth.” Deacon gave a sigh of relief. “There are restrictions, as you heard. She must have the opportunity to converse with Urzel before the death scene. She will screen the assassin but allow passage of the death shot only after she is convinced that this is indeed the solution to bring peace back into our galaxy. The other two restrictions must be closely adhered to—that is, your presence and Owler security.”

“Thank you, Falthorpe. I must return immediately to Earth. We will make the proper arrangements for Nedilli to travel with us. There is an appropriate compression chamber on the
Heritage
, but you must inform us of the pressure, temperature, and magnetic requirements.”

“We will transmit these immediately.”

“Good. I am so appreciative of your cooperation. I thank you, Falthorpe, for your support and your trust in me.”

“It is a reluctant cooperation born out of necessity.”

“We will move into the vicinity of the planet’s surface with the
G’uillger
in approximately one hour. We will lower the hatch for Nedilli to board and move her directly into accommodating chambers. Then we will seal the compartment and voyage to Earth.”

“Do our conditions have to be divulged to Xudur?” Nedilli asked.

“Yes, Nedilli, I promised this to Xudur. It requires her blessing.”

“Xudur will not allow me to talk to my son. I know this.”

“I represent the Alliance too. As the supreme representative, I give you my word that your conditions will be honored. Nedilli, these are difficult times, and it is during these times that people, good people, are driven beyond the limits of their reasoning. I want you to assure me that you will not attempt to read the thoughts of others or, more importantly, influence decisions made by me or others—in particular Xudur—regarding Urzel.”

“I will not break the laws. I will not intrude into other beings’ minds and thoughts. We have sealed our trust, Deacon.”

“I must return to the ship to make ready your arrival.”

A voice strange to Deacon summoned him with authority. “This plan of evil, Deacon Coombs, intended to fight evil, is foreign to our ways of life. In your care, I place the complete safety of one of our beloved citizens, Nedilli. We cannot conceive of how this will end, what plans you make, but we only ask you to represent the rights of Nedilli on this journey and fight for her rights and safety. We are at the mercy of the Tetrad Alliance. Peace be with you both.”

The sound faded, so Deacon and Gem fled to the shuttle, where Gem guided them to the now-orbiting
G’uillger
. As the ship docked, Deacon wondered what he had just done. Unless he could convince Landrew and Xudor to allow Nedilli to have a chance to speak to Urzel, all was lost. He was convinced the first two conditions were easy; the last condition, impossible. It was clear from their request that the elders did not know of their ability to use the fifth dimension to propel them outside the force fields of Medulla to new planets.

On board, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of hustle and bustle. Jim was in a tizzy; shipmates, recruited by Chubby to assist the readiness of the trip back, were scurrying around like penguins without focus. Deacon sensed panic.
Not
another
attack
by
Urzel
, he prayed. He arrived in front of Chubby’s room. “What’s all the excitement?”

Chubby was breathless. “Shortly after Gem relayed the message to the ship about the results of your meeting, word went to Earth that Nedilli will be our cargo.”

Chubby seemed excited and distressed. “I gave orders for immediate departure.”

“Why did you give those orders? I told Nedilli we would rendezvous with her in one hour. Rodan has measurements of her pressure compartment to complete. Schlegar hopes for a meeting on the planet if Falthorpe permits. Why usurp my authority?”