Ambition and Alavidha (43 page)

They were
cheering for the Vad, who had unselfishly defended them from harm
for over eight centuries. The onlookers might be crying but were
cheering through their tears.

Freya’s paws
quickened again, moving into the lope. Tara continued to struggle
to keep the pole upright and was very thankful that Davad had
insisted on extra straps to keep her legs in place and her
posterior in the saddle.

She knew she
was crying too. So were many who rode behind her.

Now they were
out of the town.

Malkum and
Freya kept running.

They didn’t
look back.

* * * * *

-63-

THE FAVOURITE
MANOR HOUSE OF THE DUKE OF HALLAM - DUCHY OF HALLAM - KINGDOM OF
MURDOCH

“There have
been doms scattered around the continents for simply ages, out of
sight and smell. It’s been a simply massive undertaking. Some of
the Larg and even some of the smaller Lind rtaths left for the new
world years ago,” said Paul Hallam to Robert Crawford

“I almost can’t
believe the amount of subterfuge required. Why, we in Murdoch had
simply no idea. We thought Largdom was intact. There certainly
hasn’t been a dearth of activity just outside our borders.”

“Don’t forget
Robert, the Larg are just as intelligent as the Lind. I’m sure the
Largan has been working very hard making sure there was plenty of
activity in areas where it was expected. Remember the reports from
the border patrols?”

“Amazing.
Wonder why the Larg went first though.”

“I suppose it
was because it was easier for them to get away without being
noticed. Very few of us ever travel through their Nadlians. Easy to
hide the transport spaceships landing and taking off. In Dagan too,
I’ve been informed it is virtually empty. Only a few Lind and Lai
are left.” He laughed, “that Markwood venture. If they had only
waited a little bit longer no-one would have argued about a new
colony there. Now the last Lind are gathering at set points within
their rtathlians and they will all be gone by the time this tenday
is over.”

“So, so, soon
there will be no Lind, Larg or Lai left on the planet?”

“That is so, at
least very few. I believe the Larg that co-inhabit the island of
Hallam wish to remain but they are only a few.”

* * * * *

-64-

THE BORDER
BETWEEN THE DUCHY OF HALLAM AND THE NADLIANS OF THE LARG

“I’ve come to
say goodbye,” said Daniel to Thalia, entering the tent.

“I suppose it
is good bye at that,” she replied in an emotionless voice. “You’re
going back to Murdoch I presume?”

“Vya has
arranged a horse,” he agreed, “I leave in the morning.”

“Me too, leave
I mean. Josei and I are taking the power core to the embarkation
point.”

“Zeb and
Vya?”

“Go with
us.”

“Take care
Thalia,” said Daniel, backing away. He felt he couldn’t stay
another heartbeat in case he disgraced himself by bursting into
tears. He wanted her to say, don’t go, come with us Daniel, up into
the stars, share in our adventure, but she did not.

* * * * *

She wanted to
but she did not.

Thalia watched
him back out of the tent.

It has to be
his decision, I can’t ask him to come with us. I don’t want him to
feel
obliged
to come.

“I’ll miss
you,” she called out but wasn’t sure if he had heard.

I love you!

Daniel paused
but did not look round, merely raising a hand in farewell.

Thalia turned
to Josei
: well Josei, looks like it’s just you and me again
:

He wagged his
tail but said nothing.

* * * * *

-65-

THE BORDER
BETWEEN VADATH AND ARGYLL

Major Romul
Durand of the Argyll Garda, in command of the Sixth Foot, was one
of the best infantry officers in the officer corps. He had had
passed out from the Academie first in his class and followed this
with a distinguished career.

He was good at
his job; commanding troops but he also had a logical brain, coupled
with imagination. He could think ahead.

The Sixth Foot
was one of the oldest regiments in the Garda. It had fought at the
Battle of the Alliance during that second important summer after
mankind had arrived on the planet, at the Battle of the Gorge in AL
167 deep within the Rtathlians of the Lind when the Larg had
invaded in the west and more recently (if one counted two centuries
prior to this day as recent) at the Battle of Duchesne in the
Kingdom of Murdoch when the Dglai had been defeated.

* * * * *

He now found
himself leading his men and women to a previously unthinkable
place, to the border between Argyll and Vadath. He was not marching
to a war, at least he did not think he was but he was on a mission
to find out what was happening and had instructions to find out,
using ‘reasonable force’ (the exact words on his written orders) if
the need arose.

Francis Durand
had written to him a letter which had arrived with the orders to
march west.

‘
I am just
as confused as you will be Romul. As far as we can gather, there is
not a single Lind left here in Argyll. They’ve vanished as
completely as stars in a cloudy sky. The Vadathian ambassador, the
original one has also gone. I didn’t notice at first but the
Vadathians vadeln-paired with Lind must have been fading away for
months now. Ambassador Paula and her Lind Venlei left at the end of
summer and were replaced by an Ambassador Anders, who is not
vadeln-paired. I have spoken to him and he has been very evasive
with his answers. Kept telling me that the situation was only
temporary. I don’t believe him. He also confirmed my belief that
Argyll is not in any danger from Vadath though I do believe
that.’

Major Durand
concurred with the views expressed in his cousin’s letter.

He mentally
reviewed his orders again. If he did not manage to make contact
with the Vada at the border, he was to take a company from his
battalion and enter Vadath with the aim of reaching the Vada
Stronghold. There, the orders had said, he must get an answer to
the conundrum. The act of actually crossing the border was to be at
his discretion. If there were any hostile acts made against his
troops, if he thought it was too dangerous he was to dig in along
the border and send for help.

* * * * *

The time to put
his career on the line and to use his discretion had come.

He hadn’t made
any contact with the Vada at the border, nor with any Lind at all
for that matter. The famous maroon uniforms were notable by their
absence.

He decided to
take the whole battalion into Vadath.

They marched
across the ford.

No vadeln-pairs
came running to find out what he was doing.

* * * * *

-66-

THE STRONGHOLD
OF THE VADA – VADATH

Now he was
approaching the town of Vada itself. The few people he encountered
were uncommunicative to the point of rudeness. No amount of intense
questioning got more than two words out of them.

They’ve gone,
they would say, even the youngest repeated these two words over and
over again. Many of the people they saw were openly weeping.

It was
uncanny.

* * * * *

The normally
noisy and busy township around the Stronghold was almost deserted.
Many of the shops and inns were boarded up and there were few
children playing in the streets.

They scurried
inside when Major Durand’s infantry columns marched past.

The men and
women soldiers of the Garda were nervous. Major Durand could feel
it, he could see it on their faces and in the tense way their
fingers were holding their swords.

“Tell them to
halt,” Romul ordered his Sergeants as they glimpsed their first
sight of the Stronghold walls.

“Halt,” the
sergeants shouted and the column came to a stop.

Silence.

Romul looked at
the walls. No face peered down at them.

The huge gates
lay open.

What has
happened here?

Where has the
Vada gone?

A disease?

Then a solitary
man walked out through the gates, an old man, grey haired.

He was dressed
in Vada maroon.

Romul
recognised the insignia on his tunic. Assistant Weaponsmaster. Now
perhaps he might get some answers.

The man paused
for a moment, as if he was assessing the situation. His gaze fell
on Romul.

He came to
attention, marched up to Romul and saluted.

Romul returned
the salute.

“Major,” the
old man acknowledged him, “I am Davad Talanson, once Assistant
Weaponsmaster to the Vada under Weaponsmaster Alkin. I never had
the honour of being vadeln-paired but I served with the Vada
faithfully all my adult life.”

Romul nodded.
He knew that not every member of the Vada was a vadeln. Many of the
support personnel were not.

“What happened
here?” Romul asked.

Davad Talanson
cleared his throat and plunged into his pre-rehearsed speech.

“It is my
honour to report to you sir, incoming Commanding Officer that the
Vada has gone Sir and to hand over the Stronghold to you Sir; in
the hope that you and yours will protect the citizens of Vadath
with the same spirit de corps as the Vada has served your country
Sir.”

He saluted
again and indicated that Romul should accompany him inside.

“But
where
have they gone Weaponsmaster?” asked the confused
Romul Durand.

Davad Talanson
stopped and looked up. Romul realised that his face was all blotchy
with tears gone by.

“They have left
for the stars Major, to a new home amongst the stars!”

* * * * *

Romul followed
Davad through the gates. He quite forgot to order his men and women
to follow so shocked was he but the sergeants (who all but the most
ignorant knew really ran an army) took it upon themselves to take
the necessary steps (the other commissioned officers looked to be
in a near incapacitated state anyway) and Romul was aware of the
marching of the boots behind him and the calls and the orders as
the non-commissioned officers ordered file after file into one
building after another.

Davad led him
to the offices and living quarters that were the traditional rooms
of the Susa.

The office
room, it was large and airy, Romul noticed, was very neat and tidy.
There were maps on the walls, of the mainland, there were red lines
marked on it which Romul presumed were the patrol sectors and other
annotations he didn’t understand. The map of the southern continent
was smaller and was underneath the one of the mainland. To his
surprise, there was also a map of Dagan, the other northern
continent.

He saw that the
shelves were filled with stacks of papers and some books. Romul
noticed that there were gaps, he presumed that these were the ones
Susa Malkum had taken with him when he left.

A Ryzck patrol
schedule was tacked to the wall behind the large hardwood desk. On
the wall facing the desk was a painting of a Lai in flight.

The desk itself
was bare except for two things.

The first was a
large bundle tied together with maroon string. It was an untidy
pile of what looked like letters. Romul noticed that the top one
was addressed to the Councillors of Argyll and he deduced that it
would contain Susa Malkum’s explanation about what had transpired
and where the Vada had gone. The others were probably personal
missives from the leaving vadelns and others to their families who
were staying behind.

The other was a
single piece of paper, held down with a decorated stone weight in
the shape of a paw.

Written on it
were two individual words, one sentence and a signature.

‘
Alavidha.

Farewell.

May peace and
joy be with you always and forever.’

It was signed
Susa Malkum and his Lind Freya, Last Commanders of the Vada.

* * * * *

-67-

THE BORDER
BETWEEN THE DUCHY OF HALLAM AND THE NADLIANS OF THE LARG

“I
need
to go,” said Daniel to Vya and Zeb.

“You will never
become vadeln to a Lind,” Vya told him, “so why do you wish to
leave with us?”

“Thalia,” he
answered in a desperate voice, “I
must
be with her. Please
ask if I can go too, in this last spaceship, please.”

“There will be
no returning.”

“I know, but I
must.”

“When the other
humans arrive from Murdoch, join their group,” Vya instructed, “I
will speak to those in charge and try to persuade them that you may
go with us.”

* * * * *

-68-

THE FAVOURITE
MANOR HOUSE OF THE DUKE OF HALLAM - DUCHY OF HALLAM - KINGDOM OF
MURDOCH

The tearful
farewells were almost over.

On the manor
steps stood Duchess Elizabeth Hallam, holding tight to her
remaining daughter. Judith was weeping but her mother was not, at
least not openly. Paul knew she was hurting inside. He certainly
was.