Ambition and Alavidha (29 page)

“What happened
to the print-outs?” asked a Thalia whose heart had just sunk into
her boots.

“Master Annert
kept them for a time then they vanished again. I believe the Lai
had something to do with the second disappearance, the first too
for all we know.”

“That’s all
right then,” said Thalia in relief.

“Not so fast
Thalia. I said that Master Annert kept them for a time. It is
documented that some parts of it were copied. A Professor Angus,
the finest mathematician of his day took at least one copy of some
parts that interested him with him when he returned to the
university. They have been retrieved, were retrieved, a short time
later but bits keep popping up here and there; nothing to do with
the schematics of the power core but who’s to say that other copies
don’t exist somewhere out there and that the King of Leithe or
someone else doesn’t have it? It is suspected that the stolen data
related to some calculations Professor Angus made at the time. So,
that’s our fear in a nutshell. If the King of Leithe has the
know-how and the power core nothing can stop him. Through fear,
he’ll take over the islands and then move on the mainland, us. If
others find out that the power core has been stolen they’ll start
looking for it too and the copies of the data. Anyone who has the
power core and the know-how could work out how to use it.”

“The Larg?”

“They have
neither the dexterity nor the knowledge Thalia. No, it’s humankind
who have the inclination, knowledge and potential ability to
destroy us all. Find the core Thalia, find the core before the King
of Leithe or another man who is far more ambitious and evil, gets
his hands on it. Even the threat is dangerous. The Avuzdel are as
we speak, keeping a weather eye on every person on the planet who
they suspect might have had access to the information. Everyone is
being investigated.”

“We’re on the
trail Father. We go to Galliard. Hal says that the frigate is fast
and the thief shipped out on a merchantman. We might even reach
Galliard before him.”

“Let us hope
that you do. Now go enjoy what time you have left with your mother
and sister. And, Thalia, I’m proud of you girl. Never said it
before but I am now. I should have. My fault.”

For the first
time in years father and daughter smiled at each other and shared a
look of love and understanding.

“Be careful
Thalia,” her father warned.

* * * * *

-35-

STEWARTON -
ARGYLL

Francis Durand,
Foreign Secretary for the Ruling Council of Argyll sat back in his
chair and watched the dusk-sky darken into night. He had much to
think about.

The reports
were worrying, frightening even.

The
Intelligence Service he had inherited from his predecessors was
good, not as good as perhaps, the Avuzdel, well, if he was honest
with himself, it was definitely not as good as them, but it was
efficient as far as funds and ability would allow and one could
always apply to the said Avuzdel for help.

But not this
time and he was at a loss to understand why.

This time the
reply had been short and uninformative although most polite.

He read it
again.

‘
Unfortunately, we cannot help you at this time,’ the
Susa
of the Avuzdel had written
, ‘but we have made discreet enquiries
on your behalf. There is no cause for concern about the population
movements within Vadath. As the culture of the Lind is at bottom,
being that of hunters of prey, it is natural that if the meat herds
move on to pastures new that the rtaths of the Lind will move on
also.

We shall
however, keep you informed of any developments and tell you about
anything we feel you should be concerned about.

Yours

Susa Wilf and
Asya.’

And that’s
basically me being told, no ordered, to keep my human nose out of
their business.
Francis tusked with vexation.
There is
something going on, I’m sure of it. As if I didn’t have enough to
worry about either.

His other main
worry was about the growing strength of the Island Kingdom of
Leithe and that of the other island states falling under Leithe’s
influence. The powerful, rich merchants who were the true power
behind the government in Argyll were growing worried about the
safety of their ships, their profits and wanted something done
about it. Port taxes in some of the Leithe influenced islands had
quadrupled in as many years. The sound of anguish from the merchant
houses and the guilds had been very audible.

So, Francis
Durand, with this to worry about, could have well done without the
enigma of what was happening in Vadath and further west.

He knew that
Leithe must be the priority. However, Francis was a curious
person.

I’ll send a
couple of agents west to make enquiries
, he decided and as
another thought struck him,
I can write to Katie! She might
know. I’ll write tomorrow, wonder where she and Kenlei are
stationed at the moment?

But tomorrow
came and another crisis landed on Francis Durand’s desk. He didn’t
write to his sister Katie. He did manage to remember to send two
agents into Vadath.

* * * * *

-36-

PORT LUTTERELL
- ARGYLL

It was a bell
and a half before the frigate was due to sail.

“What’s wrong
Thalia?” asked Daniel with concern.

The two of them
were sitting in the guest common room at the Supply Station waiting
for Hal. He was taking them out for a quick nuncheon. Zeb wasn’t
going with them.

He was reading.
The boy was demonstrating an amazing aptitude for learning (now
that he was being taught properly and not by uninterested
elementary teachers who ran the free schools in Stewarton). He was
sitting in his room demolishing (Daniel’s description) a history
book reader and was finding the stories contained therein
absorbing, far more absorbing than a meal out with the adults.

Daniel was
watching Thalia. She was sitting, lost in thought, unaware of his
gaze.

“Quarter bit
for them?” he asked.

“Wh _ at?”

“What’s wrong
Thalia?”

“What makes you
think something is wrong?” Thalia was temporising and he knew
it.

“I’ve never
known you to stay so silent for so long,” he answered, “so I know
you’re bothering about something.”

Thalia
sighed.

“It’s Tara,”
she said.

“Your
sister?”

“Yes, I know
she’s not happy, despite what Hal said. Daniel, I’m sure she
doesn’t want the academic life that Father has set for her but
she’s scared about saying. Father can be very intimidating.”

“She wants
adventure, like you?” Daniel hazarded.

“I believe she
does but she didn’t say anything to me, it’s more a feeling I’ve
got, a gut feeling.”

“You should pay
attention to feelings,” advised Daniel.

: Daniel
talks a lot of sense :
Josei told her
: leave it with me
:

: Josei! Keep
your great big paws out of the cauldron! What will be will be. Let
Tara make her own decisions. There’s plenty of time :

* * * * *

“I’ll take you
to the ship,” Hal offered after their meal and on their return to
the Supply Station, “Captain’s a friend of mine.”

“Why, thanks
Hal,” Thalia replied, settling her uniform tunic to rights.

Daniel thought
it looked good on her, just fitting her trim figure, trim after
years alindback. The silver trimmings at cuff and collar set it of
to perfection.

Much smarter
than the Royal Guard,
he decided.

As they rode
down to the quayside Hal expanded both on their voyage and on the
character of his friend.

“Quarters will
be a bit tight I’m afraid and I don’t think you’ll be all that
popular in the wardroom. The
Dalina
is a frigate and space
is at a premium at the best of times. Alun will have prepared space
for Josei and Vya in the wardroom, it’s a short jump from the deck.
Aya and I have dined there from time to time. Alun is a career
officer and a good one if a bit different than some. Bit different
than most. He obeys orders, don’t get me wrong but he’s prepared to
strike out on his own if the need arises. That’s one of the reasons
why the Admiral selected him for this job. He’s also the Admiral’s
son-in-law. He’ll get you to Galliard no problem. Would you be
amenable to a spot of advice?”

“Advice is
free,” answered Daniel.

“Take him into
your confidence. He can keep a secret and you might need his help
before all this is over. Help works best if based on informed
reasoning. He knows what you are doing is important and will even
disobey orders at a pinch to get the job done. He’s hit some
problems in the past because of this amongst the more conservative
members of the naval leadership though he’s managed to weather it
so far. I wouldn’t count on him ever making Admiral though. Too
much of a maverick.”

“What’s his
name?” asked Daniel.

“Commander Alun
Hallam.”

“They get
everywhere, don’t they?” queried Thalia, “Argyll, Murdoch, there’s
even a Hallam family in Vadath, they farm to the west.”

“Might not be
inter-related,” Hal answered, “there’s an entire island of them out
there. When islanders come to the mainland they often use their
island of origin as a surname no matter what they were called back
home.”

“So Tom the
Cartwright becomes Tom Hallam, is that it?”

“Precisely. I
approve myself, makes keeping track of them a tad easier. The
Dalina
isn’t one of the bigger frigates. She flies like the
wind though, all Alun’s crew are volunteers, he takes on no pressed
men or women. Doesn’t need to, he’s a good officer, from a long
line of distinguished naval officers.”

* * * * *

Neither Chad
nor the five who were chasing him knew it but the frigate shipped
anchor a scant three days after Chad had left the mainland in an
armed merchantman. He could have waited and bought passage on an
even cheaper, round-bottomed, slower vessel but he was becoming
nervous. Young Zeb would have realised by now that he had been
double crossed and that Chad was not returning to the farm and
quite possibly that he, Chad had not been going to Farquharstown at
all. He had to assume that Zeb had sent word to his uncle and that
an irate Nonder would have sent hired henchmen out to search for
him. Nonder Walmson had a very long arm and was an important and
powerful member of the Argyllian criminal fraternity.

* * * * *

That evening,
Thalia’s sister Tara went for a walk in the garden. She often did
this of an evening; to help clear her brain for sleep. Sometimes it
was thumping so hard it didn’t want to rest and sleep became
difficult.

She spied a
shadow at the back gate.

“Tara?” It was
a whisper.

“Yes?” Tara
walked closer, quite unafraid. It was her own garden after all.
What was there to fear here?

“It is Lyei,
friend of Thalia and Josei. I have a message for you.”

“What is it? Is
it from Thalia?” asked Tara, surprisingly composed for one who is
having a conversation with a Lind, at dusk, at the bottom of one’s
parent’s garden.

“Josei says
that if it adventure you seek to be here at the Midnight Bell two
moon nights from now. Bring with you a holdall with clothes and
food. One will come.”

The shadow
disappeared and Tara began to wonder if she had dreamt the whole
thing.

* * * * *

-37-

THE GREAT
EASTERN SEA

Thalia stood
watching as the shore faded over the horizon. Beside her stood
Josei and off to one side was Vya, with her ever present little
shadow beside her.

For some reason
Thalia’s eyes kept filling with tears. Because her sight was a bit
muzzy, because of the tears, she didn’t realise that Josei’s large
eyes were moist too.

: Why is it
that I am thinking I’ll never see home again? :

: Home is
where we are, together :
he answered
: the actual place of
the ground beneath our paws is immaterial :

: Lai’s wings!
That’s a profound statement and a half! Whatever do you mean Josei?
:

: Never mind
:
he didn’t answer her question.

* * * * *

In the tiny
cabin that has been allocated to her Thalia was going through the
bag her brother had given her. She had been too busy to look
before. Daniel had squeezed himself inside too. There was no room
for Josei and Vya who were ensconced in the leftenant’s mess
holding court in front of the entranced junior officers. Zeb was
exploring the ship. Daniel hoped that he wouldn’t get into too much
trouble.

Thalia had no
such qualms and said, with an arch look at Daniel, “Zeb’s got
sense, more than some I could mention.”

She hefted out
several small jingling bags of coin then a bundle of papers. They
were letters of introduction and safe-conducts.

“This one’s
from Susa Malkum,” she told Daniel, laying it aside and adding,
“these are from the Ambassadors of Randall, Eilidon and the
Galliard Cartel.”

“This one,” she
announced, wafting it past his face in an impressive manner, “is
from the Murdochian Ambassador to Vadath no less!”

“What’s his
name?” asked Daniel, trying to read the signature upside down. He
wished to learn the name of the man who had ordered him on this
mission. He had been resentful but the resentment had long ago
faded away but he still wanted to know.