The Forlorn(41)

"You're making the thing work . . . even without amplifiers, although you've no chance of getting sufficient range to get someone back up to the ship. The Beta-Morkth have instruments that sense the power flux. They're trying to collect the core sections too. You say this has happened more than once?"

Keilin nodded again. Cap looked at him with a little more respect. "So you and the core section survived a couple of attacks by Beta-Morkth warriors. Not bad, boy." There was grudging approval in his voice.

"I've lived through a couple of attacks myself. You've got a few moments. You've just got to run," said the Princess cooly.

Keilin twisted to look at her, in time to see her going very red in the firelight. "It . . . it had nothing to do with sex! I was scared and it happened."

"Shane Tomo."

She looked puzzled. Cap continued, "It appears that the psionic ability runs in certain families. Shane Tomo was a handsome young blond paranoid manic-obsessive. He was psionically active when he was scared. Which was whenever he wasn't planning a murder. He is the so-called Tyrant's maternal great-great-grandfather. I knew the blond bastard well. He also escaped the crew massacres . . . because he expected them to happen."

He turned to Beywulf. "Cut them loose."

Keilin sat rubbing circulation back into his feet as he listened to Cap speak. He was not sure he could run yet . . . and he hadn't made up his mind if he ought to. The man was using mighty fine noble words and promising them the moon, with the sun and stars thrown into the bargain. Keilin was carried along by the tide of the words, but he still remembered the blows. He was covertly watching Kim, too. At the end of the speech she clapped.

"Very good. I am sure half the peasants in the duchy would rise at your call. However, I am not a fool, or new to power speaking, Cap, or whatever your name is. You offer us any reward we care to name. What authority do you have to do so?" Keilin had never heard her doing the ice princess before. She did it quite convincingly.

For a moment a red light burned in Cap's eyes. Then he laughed. It was a humorless sound. "This is my authority." He touched the badge on his shoulder. "I am, as far as I know, the only crew member that survives. All of you colonists are mine to command. I am First Mate Jacoob Ahrens and, as the surviving senior ranking crew officer, I intend to do just that. Besides," he looked at them with scorn, "what else do you think you can do? A Captain Jaine is hot on your heels, as is a large posse of local folk. They're failing to track you . . . but your raids have been so predictable they know where you are. That's how we found you." He looked at Keilin's stricken face. "Didn't think that far, did you? Too busy showing off, eh? What do you have in your head for brains, boy—cheese?"

"Very well. I accept your offer. I'll join you. I want the Tyn States as my reward," Shael said coolly.

"You can't be one of the Cru!" blurted Keilin. "Why, you'd be hundreds of years old then."

"Three hundred and eighty-seven Earth years, to be precise. Longevity treatments for the crew can stretch my lifespan for at least six or seven hundred years, son. I'll make it clear, I might need you, and if need be I'll take you along in chains. And don't think you can run, because Beywulf will track you down. You can, however, try to kill me." The wintry smile that accompanied this final comment suggested that the man didn't think this much of a threat.

Keilin shrugged. "I'd rather come along. I don't like the idea of chains. Can I get my kit?"





CHAPTER 8


They were hunting core sections. So far four, including Keilin's pendant, were already in Cap's hands. Keilin had another one in the ring in the hidden ankle pouch. Kim had another core section set in the bracelet. He wondered if keeping them secret from Cap was wise. Then he remembered S'kith's reaction on finding it and decided it was, for now anyway. He must get together with Kim and thrash out a story. If Cap ever thought it over he might realize that her outburst implied the existence of another core section.

And now they were on their way to Amphir, city of the southern plains, riding through the night to leave behind some of the pursuit Keilin had stirred up. He looked resentfully at Kim. She'd obviously been on a horse before, often. After a few uncertain minutes he asked if he could run instead. The others had laughed, except Cap. He looked thoughtfully at the boy and nodded. "Keep up, or you get back on."

"Aw, come on, Cap, the boy won't last five minutes," Beywulf protested.

"Then he'll just have to get on again, won't he?" said Cap calmly.

So Keilin ran. Old Marou had trained him well. He'd used the boy both as a courser and greyhound in their hunts. On the overall Keilin was a better courser. The stony mountainside they were climbing was too steep and too broken for the horses to do more than walk anyway. Stung by the hairy ape's comments Keilin paced himself carefully. He could keep this up all night if need be.