Armor (47 page)

“When?”

The Masao eyed him with distaste. “I think I liked you better in my lap.”

“When, Allie?”

“About five hours. Plenty of time.”

Felix stood up. “Let’s get started.”

“You trying to scare the Masao?”

“Allie, don’t you understand? This is Banshee!”

“Oh! You mean this is Banshee. ...”

Felix tried to get angry. He failed. “Come on,” he urged. “Relax, my friend. We’ll have you in the Hall of Gold in less than. . . .”

“No.”

Allie paused. He stood up. “You mean you won’t go back?”

“Let’s talk about it later. We’ve got to get these people moving.”

“Very well,” Allie agreed reluctantly. “For now. Suki!” They were up and moving in seconds, a steady procession of two concentric circles. A good team. Felix only had one suggestion. He thought the probes ought to be left behind now that their purpose had been served. The CO treated the advise like an order. “Yessir,” he replied respectfully and ordered the probes abandoned on the spot.

Felix stared at him. Now that he noticed it, all the others were treating him with equal deference. He caught them glancing his way occasionally, always taking care not to get caught gawking.

He accused the Masao.

Allie laughed. “I swear to you. I told no one. And Suki wouldn’t dare.”

“Well, I guess seeing that we knew each other. ..” Allie laughed again. “Could be that. Could be your Command Voice.”

“Buzz off, Allie.”

“You can’t still blame them,” Allie insisted. “Besides, it wasn’t their fault the freighter buckled.”

Felix sighed. “It was their fault she was on the freighter in the first place.”

They had been walking for over an hour. Allie had been on him the whole way. He turned his gaze to the others, marching steadily around them. No one had approached, no one had spoken. Their privacy was respected. Pure Masao, he thought wryly.

He realized Allie had been talking. “What?” he asked. His friend sounded exasperated. “I said you can’t go on blaming a whole people for a mistake made by a few.”

“Allie, those few didn’t just err, they defaulted. You know how long it took me to run away? Three months. I planned for three months and my bodyguards still almost caught up with me. Angel lost hers, without planning, in three minutes. That’s a breakdown in commitment. The guards simply didn’t care enough about her to do their duty.”

“All right,” Allie conceded. “Perhaps you’re right. . . .”

“No ‘perhaps’ about it.”

“Okay, okay. You made your point. But you’re still blaming the planet for it?”

“Allie, the guards were just indicative. They never accepted Angelno one ever did. They never gave her a chance.”

Allie shrugged. “She was an Earthwoman. Your people resented it.”

“Goddammit! My mother was from Earth! So was yours.

They never had any trouble.”

“That was a long time ago. Partner. They were there from the start. They were very old and revered. Mine still is.”

He grinned, looked sideways at his friend. “Still beautiful, too?”

Allie laughed. “By Imperial decree.”

“I always loved your mother.”

“She loved you. She’s missed you.”

“Yes.”

They were quiet for several steps. “Angel left me a note before she left. Did I tell you that?”

“Yes.”

“She said she was afraid she was holding me back.”

“Yes.”

“She didn’t know. Even then, she still didn’t know how much I. . I” His voice cracked. He fought the churning.

“Do you want to stop?” Allie asked him.

“No.”

“We can. We’ve got plenty of time.”

“No,” he said firmly. “I’ll be all right.” He looked at Allie through his tears.

Maybe I will, he thought.

An hour later they had covered over half the distance. The landscape had gradually changed. They were on a long broken plain apparently unaffected by the storm. Crusted dunes were everywhere around them. In the distance, foothill size drifts could be made out.

Allie tried patriotism.

“The people need you,” he said.

Felix sighed. “They have a Guardian now. They have Tasp.”

“You know about that? Well, you have bothered to keep up then.”

“No. But who else could it have been?”

“You.”

“Well, it wasn’t.”

“You would be better.”

“What’s wrong with Tasp? Don’t the people like him?”

“Of course they do. He’s a good Guardian.”

“Well, then.”

“But he isn’t you.” Allie stopped suddenly, looked at him carefully. “They wanted you.”

Felix matched his gaze. “I wanted Angel.”

Another hour. The team sat or lay sprawled around them in the sand. They were making very good time. Allie voiced concern about arriving early.

“If we have to wait two hours there, won’t it be just as bad?”

“Aha,” laughed Felix. “I have scared the Masao’.”

“Don’t be impertinent.”

Felix laughed again. “Yes, Great One.” And he went on to explain that it was location, not timing, that counted. He was explaining about the three-hour safety margin surrounding Retrieval when it hit him. He stopped and stared at his friend, seeing him, really seeing him for the first time. And, more importantly, really believing he was here.

He sat forward and threw his arms around his chest and held him close. They were silent for several seconds. Then they broke away. Allie peered closely into his faceplate. “You’re back,” he said.

Felix smiled. “Yes.”

“This is really you again.”

Felix laughed. “It always was.”

“Some of you,” Allie corrected.

He nodded. “ ‘Some of me’ still, Allie. It’s been. . . very bad.”

“Whatever. I think it’s incredible. In four hours after two years of being. . . whoever it was you were.”

Felix shrugged. “I was already on my way. He was dying.”

“He?”

“The Engine.”

“And that is. . . what?”

“Exactly. A what. As opposed to a who.”

Allie shook his head. “I don’t get it.”

“Good. It’s just something that. . . well, it kept me alive.”

“If that’s what you call living. The life you had is. . .”

“Allie, once and for all I’m not going back. Never.” The Masao sighed loudly. He lay back in the sand. “All right.” He tapped the toe of a boot against Felix’s armor. “I hope your next suit is more fun.”

Felix shook his head violently. “No. No more armor for me. I don’t. . .” He stared at something in the distance, not seeing it, and wondered how he had possibly done it at all. He shook the thoughts away. “I don’t know what I’d do if I had to fight again. No more armor for me.”

Allie shrugged. “I wasn’t talking about fighting especially. But it’s still armor, whether you admit it or not. It’s still something you hide in.” He sat up. “Felix, you came here to hide in there. But everything you were hiding from was in there with you. That’s the trouble with armor. It won’t protect you from what you are.”

“And what is that?”

“What you’ll do.”

“When?”

“When it counts.”

Suki approached and bowed.

“Speak,” said the Masao, standing up.

“Lord, the officer in charge reports the scout. . .” He looked at Felix, embarrassed. “That is, one of the warriors. He was sent ahead, over the next hill. He reported Retrieval Proximity.”

“Hot damn!” said Allie happily, slapping his golden palms.

“We’re there.”

“Damn near,” Felix agreed.

“Lord? Then I can tell them we can begin at once?” “Oh, yes. Yes, Suki, by all means. At once. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Yes, Lord!” Suki agreed happily, bowing and backing away.

Felix stood up too. Soon the procession was again on the move. They marched in silence over the hill. Soon each had the Retrieval Beacon flickering below his holos. Only a few hundred yards to go.

Allie matched steps with him, throwing an arm over his shoulders. “So tell me: what are you gonna do? How are you going to live?”

Felix grinned. “The Masao will be pleased to provide the necessary luxuries.”

Allie’s arm jerked away as if stung. “And what if he does not?” he demanded in mock outrage.

Felix’s grin broadened. “Then I’ll break his legs.”

“Hmph,” sniffed the Masao. “Said Felix the Scout.”

Felix laughed. “Of course, there is always blackmail.”

“Blackmail? You dare to suggest the record of the Great

One is impure?”

“Personally, I would not,” replied Felix humbly. “But Labella might.”

“Labella!”

“Now there’s someone your mother would really love.”

“How could you do this to your oldest and dearest friend?

You bastard! I was only sixteen.”

“That’s the best part. Seeing as how she was sixty something.”

“She was not. She was. . . thirtyish.”

Felix threw back his head and cackled. “Are you kidding?

Her wrinkles had wrinkles. You could draw a line between

her nipples and get her navel.”

“That’s unfair.”

“Unlikely, is what it was.”

“You’re very cruel. Labella loved me.”

Felix shrugged. “You were a big tipper.”

“Now that is unfair.”

“I always thought so. Considering the quality of her act.”

“Felix, don’t you start on her dancing again. You just never understood. She was a very artistic …”

“Grandmother?”

Allie started to speak, but the laughter burst through at last.

They howled awhile. Then Allie became quiet.

“You know, I think about Labella now and again.” “I should think so. You were going to give up your title for her.”

Allie sighed elaborately. “I did love her. I had such passion for her eyes.”

“That’s hominess. For her thi …”

“You have no romance in you, you know that?”

Felix laughed. “My karma.”

“Your karma’s jammed,” said Allie sourly.

Felix laughed again. “Now, to the money?”

“Oh, very well. Even though it’s against my principles.

But only in installments. I don’t want you running off on me again.”

Felix touched an armored hand gently to the other’s arm.

“I won’t. Never again.”

Allie looked at him. His eyes shone. “I know,” he said shortly. Then: “I brought you a ship. It’s small, but. . .”

“You knew?” cried Felix, amazed. And delighted.

The Masao nodded. “Let’s say I feared.”

Felix stopped, put an arm out to stop Allie. Then he placed his faceplate against his. “Thank you, Allie. For …” The tears ran warmly down his smile. “For coming to get me.”

Allie blinked, embarrassed. He shrugged elaborately. “I had some free time …”

Felix laughed. . .

And it began. So quickly, it began.

The wind first. It swept over them without warning, pounding against them with rhythmic, pulsing, gusts. The sand sizzled against their armor. . .

The Transit Cone symbol appeared on his, and everyone else’s, holos. . .

The CO’s voice barked on Command Frequency: “Everyone in from the perimeter! Prepare for Retrieval …”

The Imperial Guard materialized out of a gust, collapsing around their master. . .

“Damn this wind,” shouted Allie. “Come on!” he shouted and started to run. Felix and the Guard followed. . .

The CO again. “Transit Cone sighted. Everyone in on me.

On the double…”

Felix and Allie arrived at the back of a pack of warriors. Seeing them, the warriors parted to let them by. The Transit Cone, ten meters away, shimmered clearly before them. . .

The CO again, in front of them as a gust receded: “Sir? If you’d care to go first?”

“I would indeed,” replied Allie, stepping forward and motioning Felix to do the same.

“What’s that?” asked a voice. Felix was not paying attention.

“Looks like a mountain,” said another voice. Felix was just following Allie.

“Where?” asked a third voice. Felix automatically looked around.

“There!” said the first voice. And Felix looked where the man was pointing and froze. . .

The warrior was pointing to a hive.

It was the biggest Felix had ever seen. Kilometers away, it must have been thousands of meters high. But he did not think of that then.

He thought of Hive! Knuckle! Transit Beam! The Hammer!

The Hammer!

“Allllieee!”

The first blast was awesome. It threw him off his feet. He crashed into the sand on his side. He could see nothing for the sand. Screams piercing, whimpering, unbelieving, filled his ears. He couldn’t find Allie and he yelled for him but there were too many people yelling already and too many forms on his holos. He stood up and rushed forward and the second Hammer struck, flattening him facedown into the sand. And there were more screams and with them horrible sounds coming from all over of wrenching plassteel and bone and pressure escaping. “ALLLIIEE!” he screamed but he could hardly hear his own voice, much less any reply.

Another blast erupted. And another and another. All around him. Homing in, he knew. Homing in on the Transit Beacon and the people and Allie and. . . More screams and something flew past him, crumpling as it went and he knew what it must be but he didn’t care he didn’t! it wasn’t gold.

And there he was, suddenly, on the ground before him, the Cone flickering dully off the gold. He rushed forward and grabbed and tried to lift as another blast struck and more screams….

“No!” Allie was screaming. “Let go!”

And he saw it then, saw the hole, saw the sand being blown out from between Allie’s golden clenched fingers as they tried to hold it shut.

Seconds only seconds left!

“Allie! I’ll carry you! Don’t worry!” He reached down and tried to get a hold to lift the huge suit but it was an awkward position and he was so afraid of dislodging Allie’s grip on the hole! The hole! My God, a hole!

Seconds! Seconds’

“I’ve got you,” he said and the next blast struck damned close and in that instant before he careened away he saw through the glare of the blast, through the blinding sand, through the reflection of it all on Allie’s faceplate the fear. Allie was afraid.

And then he was crashing and tumbling through the air and the sand and bodies jounced obscenely past him and against him and the world was filled with the sounds of their terrors and their deaths.