Lady Lure Page 16

  “It’s good to have a son-in-law on whom I can depend and who is so devoted to my little girl.” The Chief Hierarch laid a paternal hand on Elyr’s shoulder. “I am glad our mutual love for Thori has bound us so closely together, my boy.”

  Left alone in the Chief Hierarch’s office, Elyr scowled at the desk full of work he was expected to complete for the older man. Still, work was more pleasant than listening to Thori’s female chatter or the Chief Hierarch’s constant fond remarks about his beloved daughter’s beauty and goodness. Both of them could wait. Elyr was more concerned about the delegation that had just left Regula.

  If the Chief Hierarch had his schemes, Elyr had his own. He had a mind attuned to notice details that others often missed, and that time the Chief Hierarch had missed an important detail. Elyr called in his former servant, Vedyr, who was acting as his aide.

  “Vedyr, I want a spaceship to follow the Krontar,” Elyr said. “It is to remain undetected by the Krontar and its captain is to report to me alone.”

  “Do you think the Krontar’s crew might discover there is already a Regulan ship searching for the Space Dragon?” Vedyr asked.

  “It is inevitable. Capt. Jyrit is no fool,” Elyr said. “Do that right away.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Alone again, Elyr smiled to himself at the thought of the Space Dragon lost in the far reaches of the galaxy and most likely badly disabled, tracked by a Regulan warship, both of which would surely be discovered by the Krontar, which was, in turn, secretly being followed by a second Regulan ship. Elyr almost wished that he could be there when the four ships converged and met in battle. But he could not be present. Elyr knew his destiny lay on Regula itself. Although the Chief Hierarch did not suspect it yet, Elyr intended to take his place. Thanks to his mother’s help with Lady Kalina, the plot had already been set in motion.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Halvo?” Perri stroked his thick hair, her fingertips lightly touching the silver strands at his temples. His head was resting between her breasts. She loved the feeling of his weight upon her and the warmth of his breath on her skin.

  “I’m sleeping.” He stretched against her like a large, well-satisfied cat, or a Demarian leopard-wolf content after a recent meal. For all his kindness to her and the gentleness he so often displayed, there was a strength and fierceness in Halvo that boded ill for anyone who might attack him – or her. She knew he would protect her with his life. There, in a chilly cave on a barren little world, with a disabled spaceship as their only means of escape, she still felt safe with Halvo.

  “If you were asleep, you could not talk to me,” she said.

  “You would be amazed at what I can do in my sleep.” When Perri giggled, Halvo lifted his head to look at her. “Are you ready to leave so soon?”

  “I do not want to leave your embrace. Not ever.” Perri sighed. Suddenly, no longer kept at bay by her romantic fantasies, all of the concerns and insecurities of the universe outside the cave flooded in upon her. “We are both agreed that we cannot stay here. Still, the moment we are sky-borne everything will change.” She stopped when Halvo’s mouth covered hers. It was some time before she could speak again.

  “Will you return to active duty in the Service?” she finally asked.

  “I can’t. I am presently assigned to administrative duties. What made you ask such a question when you know about my injuries?”

  “I was wondering what the future would bring.” She could not steel herself to inquire whether he intended to include her in his plans, so she tried an oblique approach to what was troubling her. “Your physical condition is greatly improved.”

  “I feel healthier now than I have since the day I woke up in a hospital and learned how badly I was wounded,” Halvo said. “I attribute much of the improvement to the fact that I have recently had something else to think about, instead of constantly worrying over how slowly I was recovering. You have helped by providing many interesting diversions.” He ended with one of those teasing smiles that usually made her respond with her own smile. But not that time.

  “I see,” she said, pushing him away so she could sit up. “I am a diversion. I am glad to hear it, since you are nothing more than a diversion to me, too.”

  When she scrambled to her feet to put distance between them, Halvo came after her. She had reached the edge of the icy pool before he caught her by her upper arms. Looking away from him and into the still water of the pool, she saw their reflections as if in a mirror. She thought their relationship was like that reflection. With the least touch, the slightest stirring of the water, the reflection would break into ripples and vanish. If she pushed Halvo too hard in an attempt to stay with him permanently the closeness between them would dissolve, and unlike the reflection in the water, a ruined relationship would not reassemble itself automatically.

  “Never run away from me again,” Halvo said, shaking her a little. “If you have a problem, tell me what it is and stay with me until we resolve it.”

  “By your clever interplanetary negotiating methods?” she asked scornfully.

  “By any means necessary. Perri, tell me what is wrong. Are you apprehensive about leaving this planet, afraid the Space Dragon will explode with us inside it? If it does, at least we will be together and the end will be quick and painless. You said so yourself. Or do you think the Chief Hierarch and Elyr will come after us and try to force you to return to Regula?”

  “None of those possibilities frightens me,” she said.

  “Then what is wrong? Tell me and we will deal with it together.”

  She could not tell him how terrified she was of losing him to his family and friends or to his career in the Service. She was an ignorant, provincial girl and he was a famous man, the son of the Leader of the entire Jurisdiction. Once he returned to his old life, Halvo would soon forget her. In the next few days they would face several different dangers and the distinct possibility of death. And at the end of all their travails – if they survived to the end – there would be no reward for her. She would almost prefer that both of them should die than that Halvo should leave her.

  No. She could not bear the thought of his death, not after all he had suffered and the injuries he had overcome. Because she loved him, she would do everything she could to assist him until they reached safety, and when the time came, she would let him go without a quarrel. She would end their association with dignity. When Halvo was gone, memories and her dignity would be all she had left. Foreseeing that future, a bleak emptiness washed over her.

  “Nothing is unbearable if you face it willingly,” Halvo said. He was still holding her arms, still expecting a response from her.

  “Some things are.” Perri blinked back tears, refusing to shed them. She met his questioning eyes squarely. “I am being foolish. This cave has given me a false sense of security and now I regret the necessity of leaving it. But we have made our decision and for my part I will do my best to carry it out.”

  His approving smile was worth much to her. She made herself smile back at him.

  “I knew I could depend on you,” Halvo said.

  * * * * *

  “It is time.” Halvo strapped himself into the copilot’s seat. On his other side Rolli stood secured in the pilot’s position, working the control panel.

  Perri wanted to tell Halvo she loved him, just in case their lift-off ended in disaster, but she could see that his thoughts were on the ship and the tasks immediately ahead of him.

  “Good luck to us,” she said, instead of what she wished she could say.

  The Space Dragon’s engines roared to life and the thrusters came on line. The damaged ship shuddered and creaked. Slowly it began to move away from the cliffs and toward the center of the crater. Halvo and Rolli worked together without need for words, while Perri reported what navigational information she could drag out of instruments not yet fully operational. With a lethargic effort that made Perri want to scream to release the building tension in the cockpit, the Spa
ce Dragon lifted off the surface of the planet and headed for the sky.

  A few minutes later they were in orbit, holding there while Rolli and Halvo retested all the systems. Whether the systems worked or not, the Space Dragon could not return to the surface. It would be too dangerous to try. From that moment on, they must move cautiously through weightless space and hope they could find a space station with adequate repair facilities. If they did not, then a landing on some planet would be necessary and that would present their greatest danger since the little ship might not hold together during the descent through an atmosphere. The disintegrating pieces of the ship – and its crew – would burn up like meteors.

  Two hours after leaving orbit Perri discovered they were facing a worse danger than incineration.

  A Regulan warship is following us.” Perri looked up from her navigational instruments to see Halvo’s face go hard and cold.

  “Damnation,” he muttered. “I hoped they would lose us after Rolli destroyed the homing signal we found.”

  “We can’t fight them,” Perri said, stating the obvious. “The few weapons we carry are not operational.”

  “We’ll have to run from them,” Halvo said. “At least now we know where we are.”

  “Near the Empty Sector,” Perri said, checking the instruments again. “I read a book once about space exploration. There was a chapter in it about the Empty Sector. It is a fearsome place, where the common laws of physics do not always apply, where humans experience vivid dreams that drive them mad. We cannot go there, first because ships are not allowed to cross the border, and second, because no one ever returns from the Empty Sector.”

  “If no one returns to make a report on conditions there, how do authors obtain enough information to write whole chapters about it?” Halvo asked. “In fact, I know three people who did return safely.”

  “Admiral, are you suggesting that we should seek refuge from the Regulans in the Empty Sector?” Rolli asked.

  “I think it is our only practical choice,” Halvo said. “The warship following us is undoubtedly faster than the Space Dragon and far better armed. We can try to fight them, in which case they will destroy us. We can surrender at once and then they will destroy us because they dare not let us live. We can dodge and hide and try to throw them off our trail, but that tactic won’t work for long because this ship is in no condition to carry on a sustained chase. Or, we can head straight into the Empty Sector and hope they choose to obey Jurisdiction law and not follow us.”

  “Then it looks as if it is the Empty Sector for us.” Perri considered the idea with trepidation, yet she was curious about the fabled area, where Jurisdiction ships were forbidden to go.

  “I cannot permit any action that might endanger Perri’s life,” Rolli said.

  “Rolli,” Perri said with barely restrained impatience, “I know this constant insistence on my immediate safety is your programming talking, but I do wish you would begin to make a few logical connections and think long-term. The odds are better for us in the Empty Sector. I believe we should go there at once.”

  “I do like a gambling woman.” Halvo winked at Perri. “Set the new coordinates. If Rolli decides to become fractious, I will just have to push her disconnect button.”

  “Admiral, I must protest your decision,” Rolli said.

  Halvo was still turned toward Perri, so she saw the anger at Rolli’s response that Halvo quickly repressed. In the tightening of his mouth she recognized the same worry and strain she was experiencing. Halvo might conceal his feelings behind a calm exterior or a joke, but Perri knew he took their predicament as seriously as she did. The chief difference between them was that, while Perri conjured up fears out of her imagination, Halvo had enough real-life experience to know where the greatest dangers lay.

  “Now hear this!” Without warning Halvo swung around to face the robot, gray eyes clashing with blinking blue eyelights. He spoke slowly and distinctly. “Far from wanting to put her into further danger, I am attempting to assure Perri’s permanent safety. Can you understand that much, you metallic obstructionist?”

  “Of course, I understand.” Rolli sounded so affronted that Perri began to wonder if the robot might begin to malfunction again.

  “In order to keep Perri safe,” Halvo said, still speaking to Rolli in the same distinct manner, “some minor, immediate danger must be accepted. Perri’s safety is of paramount importance to me. I will say it again. A lesser danger in the present will prevent serious harm to Perri in the future.” Silence followed his slowly enunciated words until Rolli finally responded.

  “Understood, Admiral.” Rolli’s eyelights were still fixed on Halvo’s face.

  “Then follow the orders I give you,” Halvo said.

  “Aye, sir.” Rolli turned back to the control panel.

  “That was amazing,” Perri whispered to Halvo.

  “Let’s hope it worked,” he said. “We may be able to trick the Regulans. Outwitting a robot is another matter altogether.”

  As the Space Dragon neared the frontier between the Jurisdiction and the Empty Sector, it reached a space buoy that emitted a constant warning signal that could not be missed or misunderstood by any spaceship with a functioning communications system. The Space Dragon passed the buoy and continued onward toward a second buoy, which was halfway between the first buoy and the edge of the Empty Sector.

  “Our navigational instruments are beginning to display fluctuating readings,” Perri said. “I can’t tell exactly where we are anymore.”

  “However, the main controls are still operational,” Rolli said. “Admiral, our sensors show the Regulan ship is reducing speed.”

  “It worked!” Perri cried. “They aren’t going to follow us.”

  “They may only be hesitating while they decide what to do next,” Halvo said.

  “The second space buoy is dead ahead,” Perri said. She clapped both hands over her ears. “What a terrible signal!”

  “The Jurisdiction doesn’t want anyone inadvertently straying across the border.” Halvo cut the comm system to half power and the shrieking, rhythmic signal became tolerable. “Perri, can you detect any indication of the border?”

  “Not yet, but the readings don’t make much sense at the moment,” Perri said, her eyes fixed on the instruments before her. “What should I be looking for?”

  “I’m not sure, but you will probably know it when it shows on your screen.”

  “Admiral,” Rolli said, “the Regulan ship is increasing its speed and following us.”

  “They may think we will lose our nerve at the second buoy,” Halvo said.

  Somehow, despite the undependable navigational instruments, Halvo and Rolli kept the Space Dragon on a straight course. They reached and passed the second buoy with the Regulan ship still pursuing them.

  “They are going to chase us right up to the edge of the Empty Sector,” Perri said. “Halvo, what is this pink line in the middle of my screen?”

  “You can’t appreciate it on that little navigational screen,” Halvo said. “Turn around and look at the main viewscreen.”

  Obeying him, Perri gasped, not in fear but in amazement. A wide band of pale pink light stretched horizontally across the viewscreen. Below it a few distant stars glowed in the general blackness. Above the band of light lay a long swath of stars that curved backward in the direction from which the Space Dragon had come.

  “That,” Halvo said, pointing to the gathering of stars, “is the end of the outermost spiral arm of the galaxy. We are looking at it edge-on. The Empty Sector is at the very tip of the arm and beyond it there is nothing for thousands of light-years.”

  “I didn’t know it would be beautiful,” Perri said.

  “The Regulan ship is gaining on us,” Rolli said. “It is now at maximum speed. It appears they intend to prevent us from crossing the border.”

  “Now that you’ve seen it, Perri, are you still willing to gamble on the Empty Sector?” Halvo glanced at her for just a moment
before returning his full attention to the controls.

  “Yes,” Perri said. “If we die, let it not be at Regulan hands.”

  “I feel the same way.” Halvo spared another warm look for her, then said, “All right, Rolli, let’s take this dragon to top speed.”

  “Admiral,” Rolli said, “this is dangerous. Our outer hull is cracked and most systems are close to shutdown. Any additional physical stress on the ship—”

  “Are you with us? Or do we shut you off?” Halvo asked.

  “I will endeavor to assist you. I merely wished to lodge an opinion.” Rolli’s voice was almost plaintive, but in the minutes that followed, the robot promptly did everything that Halvo ordered.

  Having directed all the ship’s energy except for a minimal life-support system to the engines, Halvo opened the thrusters all the way. Under his guidance the Space Dragon raced toward the band of pink light, which, as they drew nearer, steadily increased in size until it filled almost all of the viewscreen. With the navigational instruments basically useless, Perri had little to do but watch the screen.

  “Halvo, I can see stars inside the light,” she cried.

  “There are lots of stars in there,” he said, “and planets. Entire solar systems. The Empty Sector is huge.”

  “Admiral,” Rolli said, “the Regulans are closing on us.”

  “Why aren’t we using Starthruster?” Perri’s question brought a quick grin from Halvo.

  “I am waiting for just the right moment,” he said.

  “When will that be?” Perri cried. “We are almost on top of that pink light. And Rolli is right. The Regulan ship is so close that I am afraid they will try to ram us.”

  “If they do, they will overshoot their mark. We won’t be where they think we are. Hold on,” Halvo said just before he activated Starthruster.

  The jolt almost knocked Perri out of her chair. She heard every creak and groan the Space Dragon made. All of the instruments went wild. On her small navigator’s screen, as well as on the main viewscreen, there was nothing but a blinding, bright-pink glow. The cockpit lights dimmed. Then both of the viewscreens went dark.