The Wind After Time: Book One of the Shadow Warrior Trilogy (7 page)

“There’s an old word. Drummers. It generally meant — ”

“I’ve heard the term.”

“They’re men who’ve gotten something that is more than they are, more than what they should have,” Lady Penruddock went on, “and want to sell it before they’re found out.”

Joshua’s lips quirked, looking enough like a smile to show acknowledgment.

“I
was
going out,” the woman said. “But you might be … interesting. I think I’ll stay. My name’s Ariadne. Wait here. I’ll get Malcolm.”

Her footsteps tapped away across the marble. The mansion’s foyer was huge. One wall was hung with the heads of game animals. Joshua recognized a few of them: an Earth Kodiak bear, an Altairan phract, a Jameson’s beast from Nekkar IX. On the other wall was an alcove occupied by a twenty-foot-tall rearing six-legged monster Wolfe had never seen before. He walked closer and admired the taxidermy. He noticed a small square in midair that fluoresced green, barely visible, like a holograph. He touched it.

The creature shrilled rage and slashed at him. The heavy rifle was coming to his shoulder, and he almost stumbled on the green, slimy stones of the planetoid, stepping back … and the beast was still once more and Joshua was in the mansion’s alcove.

“Clever,” he said softly, then frowned and put his hand back on the sensor.

Again the monstrosity came for him, but Joshua paid no attention to it or to the rifle the diorama had given him. Instead, he looked about the canyon he appeared to be in. He looked up at one crag. That was where the shooter, and pickup, had actually been. He smiled, real humor on his face, stepped away once more, and returned to Judge Penruddock’s mansion.

The judge was just entering the room, his wife behind him. He was a large, bluff man in his late sixties, white hair carefully coifed, body well tuned. He wore dark, formal clothing, as if to remind everyone of his former profession.

“Mister Wolfe,” he said. “I am truly pleased to meet you.”

“Judge,” Joshua said.

“I see you were ‘in’ my little device,” Penruddock went on. “I’ve got half a dozen more like it around the house, but that’s my favorite. I came around the path, and the bastard was waiting in ambush for
me.
Almost got me before I touched a round off.”

“Indeed,” Joshua said, and his smile came and went again.

“Ariadne,” the judge said, “Mister Wolfe is one of the heroes of the Al’ar War, although not the sort the public heard much about. He’s also the man who recovered those jewels that bastard stole from us.”

“Ah.” Lady Penruddock’s gaze was assessing. “I sensed he was something … special.”

“That’s a good way to describe him, and we’re honored to have you here, sir. Come to my study. We can talk there.”

The three started down a hall.

“I thought you were going out, my dear.”

“I was. But I thought I might stay on. Whatever Mister Wolfe’s business is, it certainly sounds fascinating.”

“I hate to be a spoilsport, but it is fairly private. And I’d rather keep what we’re going to discuss sub rosa. Unless you mind?”

Ariadne Penruddock looked at her husband. “No. I don’t mind at all. I’ll see you later, then, dear. It was nice meeting you, Mister Wolfe.” Her voice was nearly a monotone.

Penruddock watched her walk away, then produced a booming laugh. “Women! Aren’t they always trying to hang on, even though they ought to know they’ll just be bored listening to man talk.”

Joshua said nothing, followed the judge.

The den was as he’d anticipated — all dark wood and leather, with maps, guns, and trophies.

“A drink, sir?”

“No, thanks,” Joshua said. “Maybe later.”

“One of the virtues of retirement,” the judge said, “is being able to do what you like whenever you want. I’ve found a brandy and milk goes very well before the midday meal.” He went to a sideboard, poured a drink from a nearly empty crystal decanter with too many facets, added a bare splash of milk from a refrigerated container, and drank about half before lowering the glass.

“I’m delighted, sir,” he said, “that you were able to put paid to that vile scoundrel Khodyan. I’ve learned over the years that there’s but one way to deal with men like him, and that’s in the manner you did.”

“I suppose,” Joshua said, “you might feel that way, having been a judge. I’ve never had that much confidence.”

“That’s not confidence, Joshua, and I’d like to call you that, if I may. That’s just plain common sense.” Penruddock emptied the glass and made himself another. “You know, when that Sector Marshal sent me the com of what had happened, I wondered if you were the same Joshua Wolfe friends told me about during the war.

“I did a little checking and found out. Damned pleased to meet you, sir. You did good work, turning all they’d taught you back against those bastard Al’ar. The service you did our Federation was of the greatest, the greatest indeed.” Penruddock’s voice had gotten louder, as if he were giving an after-dinner oration. “Why didn’t you stay on in the service, if I may be so bold?”

“The war was over,” Joshua said.

“But the Federation can always use men like you, even in peacetime. A great loss, sir. A great loss. Heaven knows I tried to serve, tried to join up, but you know, my heart … well, it just wasn’t one of those things that was meant to be.

“But I can tell you, I did my part as best I could. Even though my training was in the civil field, I set up Loyalty Courts and made sure there wasn’t the slightest bit of dissent on Mandodari. Men like you, men out there fighting on the frontiers, didn’t need to have people backstabbing them with either deeds or words.”

Penruddock looked at Joshua for some gratitude and was disappointed when he didn’t get it. Joshua walked to one bookshelf.

“Behind this is your jewel collection?”

Penruddock was startled. “Well … yes. But … how could you tell?”

“Would you open it, please.”

Joshua watched carefully as Penruddock fingered a sensor and the false books lifted into the ceiling, revealing a vault. Penruddock touched several spots on the vault’s face that appeared unremarkable and then turned the handle, and the counterbalanced door swung open. Inside were rows of shelves. Joshua pulled one shelf out, and gemstones shot up multicolored starlight.

“How many other people know where this is? The police report on the robbery said the thief or thieves — ”

“Thieves, sir,” Penruddock said. “There had to be more than just one man. They took away half a dozen trays, and I’ve never known a burglar so bold as to make more than one trip.

“But to answer your question. Myself. My wife. One … perhaps two of my servants. Long-time employees, still with me today.

“But all that doesn’t matter, does it? You’ve recovered what you were able to recover, for which I am grateful, and Innokenty Khodyan is dead, which makes things still better.” Penruddock looked anxiously at the open door and sighed in relief when Joshua nodded. He closed and relocked the vault.

“Now I must ask the question that’s been puzzling me, Joshua,” the judge said. “I was told you are a warrant hunter now. Your business with me is over, isn’t it?”

“No,” Joshua said. “Sometimes I hunt other things than men. I’m interested in the things that weren’t on Khodyan when I killed him.”

“You mean the diamonds?”

“And one other thing.”

Judge Penruddock started and tried to cover it. “Oh … you mean that little stone? That was just something of sentimental value. Something I bought when I was a boy, and, well, I guess it was the cornerstone, without intending the pun, of my collection.” He had deliberately kept his eyes on Joshua, trying to force belief.

Wolfe stared back until Penruddock looked away. The silence climbed about them.

“Very well,” Penruddock said. “I don’t know why I’m so secretive about it. It’s not illegal to own, after all. It was an Al’ar Lumina stone. How did you guess?”

“I didn’t know exactly what it was,” Joshua lied. “But that ‘sentimental value only’ jumped at me. Since no one died in the robbery, there had to be something important for you to post the reward you did.”

“You came to the correct end, sir, but you took a wrong turn. I would have wanted the thief hunted down regardless. Have you ever been robbed? It’s like … like being raped. They came into my house and defiled it. So of course I wanted revenge. Consider this, Joshua. If my wife and I had been here on that night, wouldn’t we have most likely been hurt or worse? The police told me this Khodyan had no hesitation about using violence.”

“Let’s get back to the stone, Your Honor.”

“Since you were among the Al’ar, you know what it was used for.”

Joshua hesitated, then told the truth. “No. I don’t. Not completely. The Lumina gave them focus, like I’ve heard crystal does a meditator. But it also was an amplifier and allowed greater use of their powers.

“Was that why you had it?”

Penruddock turned around and looked out a window at a huge Japanese rock garden, its effect ruined by size.

“No, or not exactly. I’d heard stories about the Lumina. But I’m not into such metaphysical — ” Penruddock hesitated before going on, “ — stuff. I wanted it as a trophy. Most of my gems have a history, and I know their value, not just in money. Some have been the ruin of a family or a dynasty, some have been part of a reluctant bride’s price, and so forth. This Lumina was the price of empire for us.”

Joshua knew Penruddock was lying.

“What do you think happened to it?” the judge went on.

“I don’t know. Innokenty Khodyan hadn’t linked up with his fence when I took him, and supposedly nobody else on Platte had gotten any jewels from him.”

“Then he must have sold it before he reached whatever godforsaken world you killed him on. Certainly there’s no market for it on Mandodari III.”

“Possibly,” Joshua said. “Or else he had already made the delivery to his customer.”

“What do you mean?”

“Innokenty Khodyan was a professional. Some of the dozen thefts he pulled before I took him were general — he’d found out about someone’s stash and gone after it.

“But this would appear to be something different. I’d suspect the theft was commissioned.”

“For the Lumina?” Penruddock looked shaken.

“There are other collectors of Al’ar gear,” Joshua pressed. “Do you know any of them? Better, have any of them come here and seen the Lumina?”

“No to both of your questions,” Penruddock said flatly. “I’ve heard about those wretches, with their bits of uniforms and parts of shot-down ships … thank you, I am hardly of their ilk.”

“Where did you get the Lumina?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Was it here on Mandodari?” Joshua caught and held Penruddock’s gaze.

“I said I can’t — ”

“You just did. Who sold it to you?”

“A man contacted me directly,” Penruddock said grudgingly.

“How did he know you were interested?”

“I’d mentioned what I wanted to some friends.”

“Other gem collectors?”

“Yes. One had told me he’d heard of a Lumina — actually that there were two, for sale, but they were far beyond his price.”

“Where is he now?”

“He’s dead. He died … natural causes … about two months after I bought the stone.”

“The man you bought it from here. Was he a native of Mandodari?”

“No. I met him at the spaceport. He said he was between ships.”

“Do you know where he came from? Where he was going?”

“No. I only cared about what he wanted to sell.”

“How’d you pay?”

“Cash.”

“How much?”

Penruddock looked stubborn.

“How much?”

“Two million five hundred,” he said.

“That’s a great deal of money for something you’re just going to leave in a vault and just look at once a week or so. What else did you plan to do with it?”

“I already said — nothing. It was merely to
have
it! You’re not a collector, so you wouldn’t understand.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t,” Wolfe said. “Have you ever heard of a man named Sutro?”

“Never.”

Joshua searched for his next question.

“I didn’t expect this when I allowed you to come here,” Penruddock said. “To be grilled like I was some kind of criminal.”

“So the Lumina’s gone, and you have no idea who might have taken it,” Wolfe went on, paying no mind to the judge’s words. “Do you want it back?”

“Yes … no.”

“Make up your mind.”

“I don’t want that stone back. I don’t think you could recover it,” Penruddock said. “Especially if what you said is true and another collector sent that son of a bitch Khodyan to steal it from me. But I want another one.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t have to make sense, Wolfe,” the judge said, trying to regain control of the situation. “Perhaps I just realized it myself. You said you came here looking for warrant work. Very well. You’ve got it. I’ll cover your expenses and pay you a finder’s fee when you secure me a second Lumina. I’ll pay the same price as I did for the first.”

Joshua walked across the room and stared down at the mansion’s front entrance and driveway. He heard a slight noise, and a small metallic green lifter came into view, hovering down the drive and out the gate. Joshua turned back.

“If I take the warrant,” he said, “I’ll want the rest of what you’re not telling me.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’ll need to know who the man was you bought it from, how he got in contact with you, where he came from, and why you trusted him enough to go to a spaceport with that much cold cash. Just for a beginning.”

“I told you everything!”

Joshua Wolfe took one of the hotel’s cards from a pocket and laid it on a table.

“You can reach me here.”

• • •

The gate closed behind Joshua, and he started back toward the city. He heard a turbine whine, turned, and saw the metallic green lifter. Ariadne Penruddock was at the controls. She stopped the craft, and the window hissed down.

“It’s a long walk, even if it’s downhill. Need a ride?”

“I never walk unless I have to.”

Joshua went around the back of the vehicle and opened the door. He looked back up the drive at the house. In an upper-story window he saw a white blur that might have been a face.