The End of the Matter (21 page)

“An admirable profession. One to which too few beings dedicate themselves. I find most, sadly, to be teaching because they have good minds but no imagination. Teaching is charity for the intelligent.”

Leaving the lounge to Hasboga and September, Flinx led the two scientists to the pilot’s compartment. Three walls were embroidered with controls, the fourth showed naked space.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked, hands poised over the ship’s instrumentation.

For the first time, Truzenzuzex and Tse-Mallory did not have a ready answer. Both glanced at Ab, who had trailed the three forward and was now rhyming at a rapid pace. Flinx couldn’t tell whether the philosoph was making any sense of the alien’s verses.

“Actually,” Tse-Mallory had to admit, “we don’t know yet. Somewhere in the Blight, but we need at least a clue from your Ab. For now, head in the direction of Hivehom. It’s best if we leave Alaspin’s vicinity.”

Flinx conveyed the requisite orders to the navigation computer, which responded promptly, though it hesitated at the lack of a specific destination. A halo of deep purple formed at the nose of the ship, visible manifestation of the great KK drive’s posigravity field. At minimal acceleration, so as not to interact with Alaspin’s gravity well, the
Teacher
began to move out of orbit. Once they were the minimum safe number of planetary diameters out, the drive would be fully engaged and the ship would leap ahead at a multiple of the speed of light.

“There’s a ship coming into orbit.” Flinx gazed interestedly at a gauge on the console.

“Not much traffic to this world,” murmured Tse-Mallory. To Flinx’s surprise, both he and Truzenzuzex moved to activate several sensor controls and the large screen.

“Monitor configuration,” Tse-Mallory instructed as he manipulated several controls.

“Monitoring.” Truzenzuzex’s delicate truhands made fine adjustments.

Flinx was prepared to leave the ship’s controls on automatic. However, he turned curiously instead of walking from the chamber. “Wait a minute. What’s all the excitement about?” While Pip shifted on his shoulder, he stared at the two scientists, who were watching instruments with intense concentration. Flinx’s gaze narrowed. “The incoming ship . . . You still haven’t told me who hired the Qwarm. I think I can guess, judging from what you told me about certain forces who want to see the rogue destroy Carmague-Collangatta and Twosky Bright. But I can’t be sure.”

“We intend to tell you, Flinx.” Tse-Mallory spoke without taking his attention from the controls beneath his hands. “Does it matter so much to you? It’s Ab they’re after.”

“I’d like very much to know why someone’s trying to murder me because of Ab. That is,” he added sarcastically, “if it wouldn’t be too much to ask, since I’ve given you the use of my ship.”

Both scientists were immune to sarcasm. Truzenzuzex’s truhands continued to fine-tune controls, but he beckoned Flinx to his side with a foothand. “You wish to know, Flinx.” The youth moved alongside him. “There they are.” He indicated the shape neatly focused on the computer tridee tracker. “Do you recognize that configuration? You are a bright human. I am certain your guess is correct. Now, who would stand to benefit most by the damage to Commonwealth production and population the rogue collapsar would cause?”

Flinx considered his supposition in the new light of the image displayed on the viewscreen. It confirmed what he had suspected, all right. But seeing physical proof was a good deal more ominous than simply supposing.

September and Hasboga walked into the piloting chamber. “I thought,” September bellowed, “that since we’re on our way, it might be fun to . . .” Frowning, he stopped. He squinted hard at the picture on the screen. “Funny . . . that looks like an AAnn courier ship.” Hasboga looked questioningly at him. He ignored her, crossing the floor in several huge strides to peer closely at the screen. “No . . . no, by Pallanthian’s Ghosts, it’s a destroyer!” He turned a no-nonsense gaze on Tse-Mallory. “What’s an AAnn warship doing inside Commonwealth boundaries?”

“Boundaries, Mr. September?” Tse-Mallory tried to look innocent. “You can’t draw boundaries in space.”

“No, but you sure can on navigation charts,” September shot back. “No one makes mistakes light-years deep, not with automatic positioning equipment.”

“No one said they had made a mistake,” Tse-Mallory’s voice was even, composed. He returned his attention to the controls in front of him. “You needn’t sound so melodramatic, September. You rave like a tridee fisherfax. Everyone puts too much reliance on boundaries. Absurd, when the boundary of the AAnn Empire and that of the Commonwealth are hundreds of light-years high, wide, and deep. You can’t build a fence, not even with the best deep-range monitoring systems. You can monitor worlds, but not parsecs.” He quieted for a moment to watch as the AAnn warship slipped into orbit around Alaspin.

“There is nothing on Alaspin capable of resisting a regular warship. So the AAnn will not make trouble. On the contrary, they will probably claim to be experiencing trouble of their own and request assistance. Mutual aid for emergencies involving deep-space ships is thoroughly covered by the treaties.”

“What happens,” September wanted to know, “when a Commonwealth peaceforcer shows up and detects no sign of damage on board?”

Tse-Mallory smiled softly. “Mr. September, the AAnn will not linger about Alaspin. They will satisfy themselves that what they have come for, meaning Ab, is no longer on the planet. Then they will depart rapidly. No doubt they are tracking us at this very moment.” Hasboga stifled a gasp. “But while they may know about this ship, through Qwarm informants, they cannot be sure Ab is aboard. They must check Alaspin first. By the time they know for certain, we will be a long way elsewhere.”

“Protests will be lodged over the unauthorized orbit,” Truzenzuzex declared. “Word will reach Terra and Hivehom. There will be accusations, denials, apologies, concluded with promises not to do it again. We have done the same thing within the Empire. So long as nonstrategic worlds like Alaspin are involved and nobody gets killed, there’s not much the offended side can do short of starting an interstellar war. The AAnn know they’re not strong enough for that, and the Commonwealth is too conciliatory for it. So . . . nothing will happen.”

“It might as far as we’re concerned.” Flinx looked significantly at the philosoph, who nodded slowly in response.

“True, Flinx. The presence of this ship means that the reptiles have lost patience with the Qwarm.” He permitted himself a small sighing sound of satisfaction. “That is not surprising, considering how ineffective the assassin’s clan has been. They could hardly know who has been interfering with them.”

Tse-Mallory chuckled at that remark.

Truzenzuzex turned a somber gaze on Flinx. “This does not mean, however, that the Qwarm are finished with you. So long as they continue to believe you are responsible for their difficulties, they will continue to try to kill you.”

September ventured a summation, “So we’re running from both the reptiles and the Qwarm.”

“And the Commonwealth and Church as well,” Tse-Mallory added.

Flinx looked uncertain. “Why them, too?”

“Remember, Flinx,” the former Chancellor Second admonished him, “those organizations believe Ab is nothing more than a wild wish in the minds of two senile renegades.”

Now it was Truzenzuzex’s turn to laugh, a rapid clicking of all four mandibles.

“The Qwarm are trouble enough, but I would rather deal with them than with minor bureaucrats. If we are detained officially, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some minor functionary turn Ab over to them to keep the Empire pacified.”

“Slow down, just a minute.” Comprehension was beginning to dawn on Hasboga’s dark features. “If we’re going to avoid Commonwealth officials, how are you going to set Skua and me down anywhere where we can raise financing?”

“We’ll put you down on Burley, or on Terra, or wherever you wish,” Tse-Mallory assured her, “as soon as we have completed our little experiment.”

“If you think I’m going to run off into the Blight and heaven knows where else with you in pursuit of some crazy theory, while the Qwarm and the AAnn try to kill you, you’re out of your minds!” Her fury was exceeded only by her incredulity.

There was a brief moment of disorientation. A slight shudder passed through the
Teacher
indicating that they had just exceeded light-speed. Pulled by the KK field, the ship continued to accelerate.

When no one said anything, Hasboga walked over to stand next to Tse-Mallory. Eyes flashing, she shouted up at him, “I
demand
you put us down on the nearest developed Federation world!”

The scientist sounded contrite. “Sorry, can’t do that. We have no time to waste. The mere presence of the AAnn destroyer within the Commonwealth indicates that they are growing desperate. We can’t risk delays or detours. I think they cannot follow us, but the AAnn are efficient. They may be able to pursue us based on the particulate matter produced by this ship’s KK generator. We cannot afford to linger. Several billion lives are at stake.”

Fuming, she turned away from him. “Oh, come on! You’ve as much as said yourself that the Hur’rikku device is half myth. You can’t really expect to find anything.”

Tse-Mallory’s eyes could not mask what he felt toward her at that moment. “Those whose death seems certain will climb a rope made of one straw, if such a rope can be provided. We are searching for that straw. Isili Hasboga, no one’s personal desires are going to obstruct this search until it is concluded.”

Hasboga looked ready to argue further, but Flinx interceded. “Please, Isili,” he pleaded with her, “bear with them. Truzenzuzex and Bran Tse-Mallory are good humanx. If they didn’t have a good reason for what they’re doing I would never have agreed to provide them with a ship.”

“Easy to say,” she snapped angrily, “when your own life is at stake anyway!”

So ferocious was her reaction that Pip started, and stared threateningly at the source of the angry emanations being directed at his master. Flinx calmed the minidrag. The flying snake settled back on his shoulder, but kept a watchful cold eye on the woman.

Flinx spoke softly but firmly. “If that’s the case, why didn’t I leave Ab behind to be killed by the AAnn? True, it might not take the Qwarm off my back, but the AAnn would no longer have an interest in me. So maybe I have a little more than just self-preservation at stake, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’m sorry.” She looked away. “It’s just . . . I’ve just had several years’ work ruined, first by Otoid arrows, now by finding myself involved in something I couldn’t care less about.”

Unable to argue further with Flinx, she turned her fury on September. “What about you, stupid? You worked nearly as hard on the excavating as I did. Now it’s behind us and we’re broke.
Broke!
Don’t you understand?”

He gazed down at her gently. “A stranger to impecuniosity I am not, silly bog. Me, I’m just a little ole hydrogen atom drifting in the galactic wind. Actually, I find the direction of our present drift kind of intriguing. Probably not profitable, but sometimes it’s nice to enrich something besides one’s pocket.” Turning, he took a chair near the rear of the chamber. “Besides, I’ve been on Collangatta. Not Carmague, though I could always see it, hanging green-and-white in the sky overhead, and not Twosky Bright, but I’ve been to Collangatta. I liked the Collas. They’re a friendly open sort. They know how to enjoy life. They made me feel welcome, something that doesn’t always happen to me on a newly visited world. They made me feel at home.

“So, silly, before I see their world freeze over and turn into a round grave frosted with frozen gases, I’ll take a chance to save it.” He gazed jovially at Tse-Mallory. “Best thing this undertaking has going for it, near as I can see, is that the Commonwealth doesn’t think it’s worth trying. That’s a good-enough recommendation for me.” She turned away from him huffily, and he rose and turned her. She struggled, but couldn’t move those massive arms.

“Isili, all accumulated wealth does is make you worry about the tax collector, and it’s getting harder and harder to fool the computers. Plenty of time yet to acquire the stigma of wealth. Or, in your case, of fame.”

“Do you really think that’s it, Skua?” She gave him a pitying look. “That I’m desperate to get back to my pet project so I can have my fax in all the tridee tapes?”

“Not entirely,” he admitted. “You’re a little too devoted to science for that. But then, you’re not wholly immune to it, either. You’re human, Isili. It’s a curse we all have to bear.”

“Speak for yourself.” The smooth interjection came from near the console.

September let Hasboga leave his grasp and looked that way. “I stand corrected, Your Bugship.”

“Nothing personal.” Truzenzuzex’s reply was couched as mild amusement coupled with gratification. “Look at it this way, Hasboga.” She kept her gaze resolutely elsewhere. “You’ve been unlucky enough to fall in with a couple of old fools, and you know what the old human saying says about them. So you might as well try to help instead of hinder us. There’s nothing you can do about it anyway. We can be as fanatical about saving lives as you can be about exhuming their remains.”

She whirled. “You’re all crazy, every one of you!” She stalked out of the cockpit, heading for the lounge.

September ought to have been upset. He wasn’t, Flinx noted. The giant accepted everything with an equanimity which hinted at great mental as well as physical assurance.

Abruptly, Flinx decided he liked the enormous human, whether or not the man was his true father. No, he would not try to coerce further information on that subject from September. He was beginning to realize that such knowledge would flow from September in his own time, and that patience would gain far more information than arguing.

Rising from the chair, September moved to follow his employer. He winked at Flinx. “Alcohol has a way of dissolving anger the way acid does plastic, feller-me-lad. Isili won’t be really happy until she’s digging up ancient junk again. But I think I can keep her fury at a level where she won’t drive us all insane before this voyage is over.”