The Bright Black Sea (102 page)

'On the basis of one visit long ago?' she asked, with
a shrug and a faint smile.

'On that, and this evening,' I replied, quite
honesty. I found I was completely comfortable with Grandmama. 'And
perhaps, those 500 generations.'

She smiled. 'I feel the same way. I'll take my
chances, son. Don't worry about me. I can look after myself. I'm
the senior member of the Order in this system and I've family
connections to fall back on, if necessary. Plus I'll move
cautiously. Nothing need be rushed.'

'Obviously you should report my, and my ship's
survival, if you're going to claim me as a grandson. If you don't,
won't you be running a grave risk?'

She shrugged. 'Nothing I can't deal with, even if it
should somehow come to light before I'm ready. In any event, it'll
have to be known at some point. If I can secure the support of your
grandfather, there'd be nothing to worry about. But he'll have to
be approached carefully. Until , I'll avoid taking any unnecessary
chances. So it'll take time and until , Wil Litang remains dead.
But given the odds against you showing up alive, I don't think we
need to worry too much about our secret getting out. Why, you've
been making my deliveries to the Shantien Chapter House for years
without raising any alarm. Your survival will be bitter medicine
for some, but we've the connections to administer it. You may
eventually have to take some minor orders in the Order, to insure
your silence but I don't think that would require you to do any
more than agree not to work against us. But we'll see...' she
mused, and adding, 'That's in the future. At the moment, we've
several kilometers to go before we reach the club, so tell me, how
did you get into this affair, anyway? All I know about it is from
Nun and Cin's reports.'

So I told her my yarns, the assassination attempt,
the duel, our battles with D'Lay against the Despar Navy and the
berserker, my adventures on Despar and the battle in the Despar
passage until we reached the harbor and yacht club where we found a
bench on the pier where she brought me up to date on her life as
well, very discreetly. Which, I suppose, I rather appreciated. The
less I know the better.

'I thought you ran a spaceers' dive,' I said.

'Oh, I still do. I'm the proprietor of the Wandering
Star, but I run that as Zilantha V'Ran. I prefer, for business
reasons, not to have my Jardinn business associated with the
Wandering Star. And, as your grandmother, don't let me catch you in
the Wandering Star – for several reasons, one of which is that it
is used for St Bleyth business, and we don't want to take any
chances. Now, shall we go up and order dinner? I think we need to
discuss my business proposal once again. I don't think either of us
was paying any attention to what we were saying during the flier's
flight.'

'Aye. But before we go up, two question. Why? Why run
risks for me at all? You hardly know me, blood ties not
withstanding.'

She considered that for several seconds, before
saying, 'I like you. And I don't like failure. I was one in my
daughter's eyes – a failure as a mother. And well, when I
discovered that my grandson had been killed by my own organization
without me even being aware of it, I realized I'd failed as a
grandmother as well. So when you walked out of the Despar Reef into
my office, I realized I'd been given a second chance as a
grandmother. And well, Neb-blast-it-all, here you are against all
odds, against the cunning and power of the Order itself. I'm proud
of you. We're a proud family, Wil. And though I'm rather a black
sheep in it, I think both of us can look'em in the eye if or when
we ever cross orbits with them. Indeed, I'm looking forward to
claiming you as my grandson. I'm a selfish one ain't I?'

'Well, Grandmama, I think selfish or not, I want you
on my side. And well, I'm thinking I'll be able to say I was lucky
to cross orbits with my Grandmother someday as well. And I hope
you'll say that I made my luck.'

'I'll see that I can,' she said and gave me a peck on
the cheek. 'What's your second question?'

'Ah... yes – how did you recognize me? It's been,
what, more than thirty years since you saw me last?'

'Your mother and I do correspond, son. I've seen the
images you sent her as captain of the
Lost Star
. And being a
trained agent, your whiskers didn't fool me.'

'And here I've been counting on those whiskers.'

She shook her head, 'Don't. Now let's talk
business.'

We did, over a fine meal on the lawn overlooking the
harbor in the fading day. When she came to discussing the drift
worlds and stations I'd be calling up, Ravin was mentioned,
bringing to mind my encounter with the unknown charter party that
knew my name.

'What do you know about Banton & Co, of
Ravin?'

'A export firm. Small fish. Why?'

I told her about the message that sent me scurrying
back to the Unity. 'I don't know what to make of it. I don't see it
coming from either St Bleyth or Despar – couldn't place it at all,
or decide if it was a threat or not. Do you have a clue?'

She shook her head. 'I haven't heard a whisper of the
Lost Star
surviving. 'll make some discreet inquiries, but I
don't know what to make of it either. However, as a favored
provider of service status with the Order, I wouldn't worry too
much. We look after our own.'

'If I become a favored provider of services...'

'You're already unofficially one based on past
services to the Shantien Chapter House. I'll see to making it
official. And it's on your Grandmother, no strings attached. But I
think you'll find my proposal one you won't be able to refuse,' she
added with a grin.

And she was right. Of course.

I took Grandmama M'Risha up to inspect the
Starry
Shore
the following day. Standard procedure with new clients,
but I should've known better. Introduced her to Orbit and Astro,
showed her though the ship, engine room to awning deck, introducing
her to my crew as we came upon them without noticing anything
unusual. It was only when we sat down for dinner – Molaye, the
Drays, Riv and Lilm and Lili who happened to be on the ship, that I
realized what I'd done.

It was Molaye, of course, who was bold enough to
speak up as we settled around the table and started passing the
covered entrees around.

Sitting next to Grandmama, Molaye asked, 'You're
Captain Wil's grandmother, aren't you? The one from the drifts.'
she asked as she passed an entree to her.

Grandmama, as cool as ever, said, 'Why would you
think that?' passing the dish to me with a darting look.

'Why, you look ever so much like Wil's mother!
Captain Miccall had Wil's parents up for a meal every time we
called on Faelrain.'

'And you remember that so very clearly?' I asked
sharply. 'The one or two times you were present.'

'Well the others do' she indicated the rest of the
gathered, and grinning crew, who'd met my parents dozens of times
over the years we'd circled Azminn. My parents are ex-spaceers who
own an export service on Faelrain and were a
Lost Star
's
customer. Having them up for a meal was how Miccall conducted his
business, especially if they were ex-spaceers. We'd have old
friends, shipmates and customers onboard at every planet of call.
'They recognize her. But I can see the resemblance as well. So are
you?'

'She is,' I answered for her. 'It seems that we were
both sailing under different names, so it was quite a shock
yesterday when we crossed orbits.'

'I use two different names. One to run my spaceer's
resort, and another to run my export services business. Owning a
spaceer's dive provides a great deal of useful information in the
trade, but that type of business could be seen as a liability for
someone in the small export business, hence the two names. Wil has
told me why he's sailing under a new name, and I want to assure
you, your secret is safe with me. Indeed, safer, since I'm the sole
exporter to the Shantien Chapter House of St Bleyth, so you are
already in good standings with them, which will be further enhanced
by your connection with my firm.'

'You know he blames you every time he darts someone,
don't you? He's become quite the drifteer, and says he owes that to
you,' Molaye said with a grin.

'Well, I gather from what he's told me, it's a rather
good thing he's become a bit of a drifteer, so I don't mind taking
the praise or blame. I was born in the drifts, though I've lived in
the Unity for nearly a century now. Wil and I haven't had much time
to catch up but I'm very happy that our orbits have crossed and
that I now have a chance to get to know my grandson.'

Well, she got to know him a whole lot better by the
time I pried her away from my crew and dropped her back down to
Leath in the early morning hours. Still, it was one less secret I'd
need to keep...

02

With the prospect of more drift work, even if it was
all to the tame distribution centers, I ordered the 3000
anti-missile missiles needed to completely stock our new battery
and signed on a young Guild engineer to replace Myes, Sar Nil, five
years out of the drifts, but with ten years of experience.

I've come to realize that most spaceers are not very
Unity Standard. We have our spaceers' rows on every planet – little
slices of the Unity where Unity standards of conduct are laxly
enforced. Space ship rules, even on Guild ships with Guild
regulations, are less confining than those of a planet. Space
travel is, by its very nature, less safe and secure and requires
something other than a strictly Unity Standard person, which is why
many spaceers, even in the Unity come from the moons or the drifts.
Certainly the Four Shipmates weren't Unity Standard, and Miccall's
old gang isn't either, even those that were born in the Unity like
Rafe and Riv and Illy. And well, even before I knew my heritage,
I'd become pretty comfortable operating in the drifts. Oh, I'm
still a pretty Unity Standard fellow in many ways but I'd be
comfortable trading in the drifts if I hadn't made some powerful
enemies,. Perhaps being heir to 500 generations of St Bleyth ninjas
or whatever, has something to do with that. That said, I still
wouldn't miss the drifts. I'm looking forward to being a Captain
Jann, and saying to any drift-bound spaceer, I sailed 'em in my
youth – better you than me.

In any event, Sar Nil, seemed to fit right in with
both the old gang and my new, younger drifteer crew members. Birds
of a feather.

Somewhat to my (pleasant) surprise, everyone turned
up when it came time to sail, including Rafe.

'Well, Willy, you've given me a chance to sample
retirement,' he explained when I welcomed him back. 'Constina's a
nice world. Reminds me of home. But I think I'll put off becoming a
groundeer for a little while longer. And after being away for a
while, I think I can put up with you a bit longer.'

'I appreciate that, Rafe. I truly do...'

03

We had a banquet for Myes and Nadde while we we were
a'waiting our last boxes, two days before we fueled. I'd a bit of
trouble getting Myes up to the ship for the banquet.

'What's the problem, Molaye?' I asked. 'Why is he so
vague as to when he and Nadde can make it?'

'I believe he's afraid the banquet's just an excuse
to get him aboard again so you can drug and shanghai him.'

'Drug and shanghai Myes? What sort of captain does he
think I am?'

'I don't know. Maybe the sort who drugs and shanghais
spaceers.'

'Me? Neb, I'm the easiest going captain this side of
Avalee.'

'Well you did shanghai Tallith Min – our owner no
less.'

'I did not shanghai Min,' I shot back. 'You and
bloody-everyone knows that. I merely enforced a binding Guild
Contract. All perfectly legal and above board. And you know my
reasons as well. Myes turned in his notice in plenty of time. He's
a free man and I've already signed on his replacement. He's nothing
to fear, from me anyway,' I added giving her a mock hard look. 'I
think it's my hard nosed first mate he fears.'

She laughed and shook her head. 'I do everything by
the Guild book. But never mind, leave it to me, I'll get them
aboard and we'll have our banquet. And, just so you know, I'll turn
a blind eye should you decide to drug their Mistwine.'

'I'd expect nothing less, First.'

She did get them up and we did have our feast, and I
didn't drug their Mistwine. It did, in fact, turn into a long
spaceer carouse. I stayed sober, as did Nadde and I flew them down
to Constina after the party wound down. Myes was more or less
asleep.

'You know, Nadde,' I said, as I glided towards the
Leathport small craft field. 'I'm not a lifer. I'm looking to be a
cha planter, sooner or later, and I'm hoping it's sooner rather
than later, which is to say that I can understand, and indeed,
approve of Haz being ready to give up knocking about the planets
and drifts to settle down with a catch like you.'

She gave me a questioning look. 'So?'

'So, when I say that I'd be quite willing to sign
both you and Haz as a team, it's not that I'm so much as suggesting
you should, but well, just bring up the possibility that if you'd
like the opportunity to sample the spaceer life, you'd always be
welcome to sail on the
Starry Shore
. I'd have brought this
up sooner, but I figured you've a life here and probably would not
want to just blast off on such short notice, and well, I thought
I'd best give you guys time to settle into your partnership. A ship
is a pretty small world without a lot of privacy. Anyway, what I'm
trying to say is that I could use an apprentice environmental
engineer. Kylan is only doing the job as a favor to me. So if Haz
here should get a bit restless, you'd be more than welcome to join
us...'