A Gathering of Widowmakers (The Widowmaker #4) (28 page)

"I assume you have some point to make?"

"Certainly," said the alien. "Why should we be on opposite sides? I kill, you kill. I multiply, you multiply. I am without mercy, you are without mercy. I propose that we band together to plunder that portion of the galaxy known as the Oligarchy."

"You killed my friend," said Newman coldly. "Retribution must be made."

"She was nothing," said the alien. "All that matters is you and me, each of us in our hundreds and thousands."

"I'm flattered that you should think so," said Nighthawk. "But every innocent man you've ever killed matters to me."

"I was afraid that would be your attitude," said the alien. "Then we are enemies, and we shall not permit you to leave Bollander III."

"I don't recall asking for your permission," said Jeff, pulling his burner and killing three aliens before they realized what he was doing. The rest of the Younger Brothers pulled their weapons, and the three dead aliens suddenly split into six living ones. Nighthawk and Newman began firing while retreating to Nighthawk's case. Kinoshita did the same. Jeff remained in the open an extra few seconds, killing an additional half-dozen Younger Brothers, only to see them multiply and join their comrades.

"We can't use your escape route," said Nighthawk. "Now that I've seen what they can do, we can't cut and run, or they'll decimate this world and every world they land on."

"I wonder where the hell they've been," said Newman between shots with his burner. "They couldn't have escaped notice until just these last few months."

"He's got to be some kind of mutant with powers no other member of his race has. If it was a normal ability, we'd have been overrun by them eons ago." Nighthawk stepped back as a pulse of energy crashed into the side of the cave, spewing dust and rocks on them. "It doesn't matter. One of these bastards is more than enough."

"If I can get through the tunnels to Pallas Athene's cave, at least I can get us a supply of energy and bullets," said Newman. "Can you hold them off for about ten minutes?"

"Don't bother," said Nighthawk. "That's just extending the battle. We need to find a way to win it."

"I know," said Newman. "But how the hell do you win a battle where every time you kill your enemy you create more of him?"

"There has to be a way, or they wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to get us all here," replied Nighthawk. "Jeff had to be right about that."

"Maybe they really thought we'd join them," suggested Newman. He grimaced and shook his head. "No, of course not. That was just a shot in the dark on their part. They know we're bounty hunters."

A laser beam began cutting through the outer wall of the cave.

"If we give them enough time, they can cut through anything we use for cover," observed Nighthawk.

"I'm searching my memory—and yours," said Newman, picking off another Younger Brother. "I can't remember any situation that was remotely like this."

"I'd be willing to be there's never been one," said Nighthawk grimly. He finally spotted the alien that was carving through the cave wall and put a bullet between his eyes.

And then, suddenly, all the shooting stopped. Nighthawk and Newman exchanged puzzled looks.

"What now?" murmured Nighthawk.

"It's the kid," said Newman, pointing.

Jeff walked into their line of sight, his hands raised above his head. Every alien weapon was trained upon him.

"I've got a proposition for you," said Jeff when he had halved the distance between himself and the Younger Brothers.

"A partnership?" asked one of the aliens.

"A contest," said Jeff.

"Explain," said another.

"Why continue the killing?" said Jeff. "It serves no purpose. Instead, I propose a battle of champions—yours against ours." He tapped his chest with his thumb. "I'm ours." He looked across the row of aliens facing him. "Here's the deal: if you win, my companions will agree to join you and follow your orders."

"And if you win?"

"You lay down your arms, leave the Inner Frontier, and promise never to return."

"He's crazy!" muttered Newman. "As quick as he kills whoever he's facing, it'll just split in two and start shooting again."

"No!" whispered Nighthawk excitedly. "He
knows
something! He's spotted something we've missed!"

"What?"

"I don't know—but
he
knows!"

Out in the field, Jeff took a few more steps forward. "Do you mind if I lower my hands now?" he asked. "It's a hot day, and it's awkward to keep them over my head."

"If you touch your weapons we'll kill you," said four of the Younger Brothers in unison.

"I won't touch them until you've chosen your champion and we face each other."

All fifty aliens chuckled at that. "We are identical, as are you."

"Me?" said Jeff. "I'm just a beginner. Those two guys"—he gestured toward Nighthawk's cave—"are the real Widowmakers. Killing your champion is just my training exercise."

One of the aliens stepped forward. "I will be our champion," he announced.

"Whatever makes you happy," said Jeff.

"This will be a battle to the death," continued the alien, "not to first blood. Do you understand and agree?"

"I do," said Jeff.

"That means if he kills one and it becomes two new ones, the fight's not over," said Newman.

"I trained him," replied Nighthawk. "I've got to trust him."

Jeff and the alien stood about fifteen feet apart, facing one another. The alien's hand was poised above its weapon. It showed no fear or nervousness, nor could Nighthawk see any reason why it should. Death seemed to be something entirely different to the Younger Brothers than to anything else he'd ever encountered.

"Are you ready?" said Jeff.

"I am ready."

Jeff drew his burner and had it in his hand before the alien had even touched his own weapon—but instead of shooting the alien he was facing, he pivoted and fired at one of the aliens who was standing near the middle of the band of Younger Brothers. The alien screamed once and fell to the ground, dead, a smoking black hole between his eyes.

And suddenly the other aliens simply popped out of existence. One moment they were there, solid and three-dimensional, armed with functioning weapons, and the next they were gone.

Nighthawk and Newman raced out of their cave and ran up to Jeff. Kinoshita joined them a moment later.

"What the hell did you do?" asked Nighthawk.

"They all sprang from the original, the one who first approached us," explained Jeff. "I don't know how he gave them form and substance, but I knew it had to come from him."

"Why?" asked Nighthawk.

"Like I said before, if they didn't have a weak spot, they wouldn't have bothered trying to kill us.
He
had to be the weak spot."

"They all looked alike," said Kinoshita. "How did you know which one to kill?"

"He was the only one who wasn't shooting at us," answered Jeff. "I figured he had to be too busy controlling all the others. The problem was that I couldn't get a clear shot at him from my cave, so I had to come up with that cock-and-bull challenge. It was the only way get close enough to be sure I wouldn't miss. I knew I'd only get one chance, because if the first shot didn't kill him, he'd realize he'd given himself away and I'd never be able to spot him again."

"I never saw that," admitted Nighthawk.

"Neither did I," added Newman.

"I can't think of a better time for you to have started using that brain of yours," said Nighthawk.

"Thanks," said Jeff. "That means a lot." He turned to Newman. "I hope this helps make up for what happened on Giancola II."

"It's forgotten," said Newman.

"Well, I guess we can get back to the spaceport," said Kinoshita.

"You three go ahead," said Newman. "I've got work to do."

"Here?" asked Jeff.

"I've got to bury Pallas Athene." He jerked his head toward the alien. "I think I'll leave him to the insects and the worms, or whatever passes for them on Bollander."

"Do you need any help?" asked Nighthawk.

"She was my friend. I'd rather do it alone."

"Good-bye, Widowmaker," said Jeff.

"I'm out of the Widowmaker business. My name's Jason Newman." He turned to Nighthawk. "I always wondered what you'd be like. Now I know. If you're ever on Murchison III, maybe we'll have a drink together."

Then he was in a cave, heading for the tunnel that would lead him to Pallas Athene.

"Not the warmest person in the galaxy, is he?" remarked Jeff as they headed back toward the aircar.

"Hardly surprising," said Nighthawk with a self-deprecating smile. "He's just another version of me."

"I don't know if I agree," said Jeff. "After all, I'm just another version of you too."

"No," said Nighthawk, throwing an arm around the young man's shoulders. "I have a feeling that you may be an improvement."

Epilogue

The two boys peeked cautiously around the corner of the building.

"It's
him
!" said the first boy excitedly.

"It couldn't be," said the second. "Why would he be here? We're just an unimportant little world."

"Not any more," said the first boy with conviction. "Not if
he's
here."

"Who's the little guy with him?"

"I don't remember his name, but I know that they always travel together."

"Well, I don't think it's him," said the second boy.

"I'm telling you it is!"

"He's too young."

"It's the same face I've seen in the holos," said the first boy.

"I don't care. He's too young to have done all the things they say, and besides, he'd never come to our world."

"I'll ask him."

"I dare you!" said the second boy.

The first boy swallowed hard. He pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the street just in front of the two men who were riding the slidewalk from the spaceport.

"Hi," said the young man, amused at the boy's discomfiture.

"Are you him?" asked the boy. "Are you the Widowmaker?"

"I'm working at it," answered the young man.

-The End —

CHRONOLOGY

Chronology of the universe created in BIRTHRIGHT: THE BOOK OF MAN (through May 1, 2010), showing the year, the era, and the title:

1885 A.D. "The Hunter" (IVORY)

1898 A.D. "Himself" (IVORY)

1982 A.D. SIDESHOW

1983 A.D. THE THREE-LEGGED HOOTCH DANCER

1985 A.D. THE WILD ALIEN TAMER

1987 A.D. THE BEST ROOTIN' TOOTIN' SHOOTIN'

GUNSLINGER IN THE WHOLE DAMNED GALAXY

2057 A.D. "The Politician" (IVORY)

2908 A.D. 1 G.E.

16 G.E. Republic "The Curator" (IVORY)

264 G.E. Republic "The Pioneers" (BIRTHRIGHT)

332 G.E. Republic "The Cartographers" (BIRTHRIGHT)

346 G.E. Republic WALPURGIS III

367 G.E. Republic EROS ASCENDING

396 G.E. Republic "The Miners" (BIRTHRIGHT)

401 G.E. Republic EROS AT ZENITH

442 G.E. Republic EROS DESCENDING

465 G.E. Republic EROS AT NADIR

522 G.E. Republic "All the Things You Are"

588 G.E. Republic "The Psychologists" (BIRTHRIGHT)

616 G.E. Republic A MIRACLE OF RARE DESIGN

882 G.E. Republic "The Potentate" (IVORY)

962 G.E. Republic "The Merchants" (BIRTHRIGHT)

1150 G.E. Republic "Cobbling Together a Solution"

1151 G.E. Republic "Nowhere in Particular"

1152 G.E. Republic "The God Biz"

1394 G.E. Republic "Keepsakes"

1701 G.E. Republic "The Artist" (IVORY)

1813 G.E. Republic "Dawn" (PARADISE)

1826 G.E. Republic PURGATORY

1859 G.E. Republic "Noon" (PARADISE)

1888 G.E. Republic "Midafternoon" (PARADISE)

1902 G.E. Republic "Dusk" (PARADISE)

1921 G.E. Republic INFERNO

1966 G.E. Republic STARSHIP: MUTINY

1967 G.E. Republic STARSHIP: PIRATE

1968 G.E. Republic STARSHIP: MERCENARY

1969 G.E. Republic STARSHIP: REBEL

1970 G.E. Republic STARSHIP: FLAGSHIP

2122 G.E. Democracy "The 43 Antarean Dynasties"

2154 G.E. Democracy "The Diplomats" (BIRTHRIGHT)

2239 G.E. Democracy "Monuments of Flesh and Stone"

2275 G.E. Democracy "The Olympians" (BIRTHRIGHT)

2469 G.E. Democracy "The Barristers" (BIRTHRIGHT)

2885 G.E. Democracy "Robots Don't Cry"

2911 G.E. Democracy "The Medics" (BIRTHRIGHT)

3004 G.E. Democracy "The Policitians" (BIRTHRIGHT)

3042 G.E. Democracy "The Gambler" (IVORY)

3286 G.E. Democracy SANTIAGO

3322 G.E. Democracy A HUNGER IN THE SOUL

3324 G.E. Democracy THE SOUL EATER

3324 G.E. Democracy "Nicobar Lane: The Soul Eater's Story"

3407 G.E. Democracy THE RETURN OF SANTIAGO

3427 G.E. Democracy SOOTHSAYER

3441 G.E. Democracy ORACLE

3447 G.E. Democracy PROPHET

3502 G.E. Democracy "Guardian Angel"

3504 G.E. Democracy "A Locked-Planet Mystery"

3504 G.E. Democracy "Honorable Enemies"

3505 G.E. Democracy "If the Frame Fits…"

3719 G.E. Democracy "Hunting the Snark"

4375 G.E. Democracy "The Graverobber" (IVORY)

4822 G.E. Oligarchy "The Administrators" (BIRTHRIGHT)

4839 G.E. Oligarchy THE DARK LADY

5101 G.E. Oligarchy THE WIDOWMAKER

5103 G.E. Oligarchy THE WIDOWMAKER REBORN

5106 G.E. Oligarchy THE WIDOWMAKER UNLEASHED

5108 G.E. Oligarchy A GATHERING OF WIDOWMAKERS

5461 G.E. Oligarchy "The Media" (BIRTHRIGHT)

5492 G.E. Oligarchy "The Artists" (BIRTHRIGHT)

5521 G.E. Oligarchy "The Warlord" (IVORY)

5655 G.E. Oligarchy "The Biochemists" (BIRTHRIGHT)

5912 G.E. Oligarchy "The Warlords" (BIRTHRIGHT)

5993 G.E. Oligarchy "The Conspirators" (BIRTHRIGHT)

6304 G.E. Monarchy IVORY

6321 G.E. Monarchy "The Rulers" (BIRTHRIGHT)

6400 G.E. Monarchy "The Symbiotics" (BIRTHRIGHT)

6521 G.E. Monarchy "Catastrophe Baker and the Cold Equations

6523 G.E. Monarchy THE OUTPOST