“Am I? You tell me,” said Artem in an even voice.
“But we can’t,” Tancred insisted in a voice that spoke of panic. For the first time Artem realised that here was a man teetering on the verge of nervous exhaustion. He wondered how long he had been a part of the rebellion against the Community.
: Over half of his lifespan : Larya supplied the information : Paula told Thalia and Josei told me. The Community destroyed his family. His father was bankrupted, whatever that means and took his own life. He can no longer imagine attacking the Community, all he wants to do is to run :
Artem took stock of the man. He must have been on the run from the Community and fighting against the Community for more than quarter of a century. It was no wonder he thought of his enemies as powerful and undefeatable.
“We can,” Artem was standing firm. “I have a plan.”
“Let’s hear it,” demanded an eager Paula.
: She has not lost her will to fight : noted Larya : persuade her and the rest will follow :
“They are sitting pretty on that hilltop,” began Artem. “Before we rescued Max they must of thought they were pretty much unassailable.”
“They will still be thinking that,” opined Thalia. “They suspect, or know, it doesn’t matter which, that someone or some persons made a diversion and went in and got Max out of that Quorko …”
“ASPC,” Paula corrected.
“ASPC then, what do the letters stand for?”
“Armoured Space Personnel Carrier.”
“Thanks. So they will be wondering what to do next same as we are. Either they stay put and wait for their space ships to get back or they come out to find and destroy us.”
“They will not do the former,” said Paula. “The Community is ruthless. It does not reward failure, quite the opposite in fact.”
“So they come out, but they come out during the daylight hours to look for us then go back to their hill at night. Artem is right. We hit them at night, on the hilltop.”
: Thalia, watch out! One of them! A fleeting emotion, one of fear but also of elation! :
Thalia flicked her eyes towards Artem. His tense poise told her that Larya had sent him a similar message.
: We all sensed it : ‘said’ Josei.
Nothing of his inner disquiet was obvious when he spoke although Thalia realised that his eyes had narrowed infinitesimally. She didn’t think anyone else had noticed.
“I don’t like it,” fretted Tancred.
“I do,” grinned Paula. “What about you Astrid, and Marcel?”
Marcel simply said the word ‘yes’ and Astrid nodded.
“I agree with Artem and Thalia,” she said. “If we do nothing they will find and kill us. I’d rather die actually doing something.”
“I also,” said Marcel. “At least, if we win, we’ll buy some time, time enough for help to come. Our headquarters will have been expecting a transmission from our star ships. When it does not arrive they will know our task has met with misfortune. They might send help. Of course, they will need time to get here and we’re not sure that the last transmission we sent ever reached the signal dump point.”
If we’re right about one of you being a spy then it probably didn’t, thought Thalia.
“Meanwhile the Community ships will have returned and they will start searching in earnest,” countered Tancred. “No, I still think our best chance is to flee.”
“George?” queried Paula.
“We either flee as Tancred says or fortify this cave and remain,” he said. “It is folly to attempt an attack.”
“They are but forty and possibly far less,” argued Paula.
“I counted thirty-two,” said Katie.
“A standard ASPC cannot carry more than twelve,” Paula continued as if Katie hadn’t spoken. “The larger ones sixteen. Surely we can at least take some of them out? At least enough to make them nervous about venturing outside their base.”
“Good point Paula,” Artem approved. “We don’t need to kill them. We just need to dissuade them.”
“I might have approved if there was a certainty of a rescue,” Tancred interrupted. “But it will take weeks, months, even for star ships equipped with the Alcub Drives to make it here and that’s supposing they know we are here. The two Community star ships exploring the nearby star systems will have returned well before then. With their scanners, it will not take long to locate us, unless we are far away, up in the absolute north. Your space ships Artem, I fear the Community must have destroyed them when they destroyed ours. They’ve not been in touch with you have they? No, I thought not. You, like us are alone on the planet with no hope of rescue. All we can hope for is to hide so well that they believe we are dead and go away.”
“Well, I’m going to the hill,” stated Paula. “You can’t stop me.”
“You will all be killed.”
“Better killed than spending the rest of your life on a penal colony,” snapped Astrid who was becoming affected by Paula’s upbeat enthusiasm. “I vote we go and to hell with our lives. All that matters is that the Orumcek don’t fall into the Community’s clutches again. Artem, what do you need us to do?”
“Come with us to the hill,” Artem answered.
“All of you?”
“No. Only those vadeln-pairs who can fight and one other. That other will ride Slei. We must run at speed, unencumbered by foot soldiers.”
Astrid nodded.
“I agree. I’m a zoologist. Oh, I can fire a laser rifle but I wouldn’t make any bets on hitting anything! I’ll stay with Oga, Ogafa and Osipa. I won’t let them be taken alive and Marcel, he might be the most amazing engineer but he’s not a fighter either.”
“That leaves you, George or Paula,” said Artem to Tancred.
“I’m not going,” Tancred answered in a sullen voice. “I don’t care which of them go.”
“I will,” George offered. “I may not approve, but I’m a soldier. It should be me.”
“But that means I can’t go,” Paula protested. She turned an imploring face in Artem’s direction.
Artem did not know what to decide.
“Artem and I will make our decision about which one of you later,” Thalia interrupted what was the beginning of a bickering and pleading session. “It all depends on Slei since he is the one who will be permitting one of you on to his back and he’s resting right now.”
Artem threw her an ‘I thank you’ look.
“Right,” he said, standing up. “That’s it decided. We’ll work out the plan in detail. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time. The meeting is adjourned.”
* * * * *
Mikey joined the five, slipping his body into the circle of seated figures before they had time to notice.
“Can I see your dragon badge?’ he asked of Paula with an innocent smile that totally disarmed her. She handed it over immediately.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“Very much,” he replied. “What does it mean?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, all badges mean something, don’t they? The Vada now, all their Ryzcks wear a badge on their uniform so that people can identify them. Thalia and Josei, they’re with the Fifteenth Ryzck so they wear a silver Lai in flight on their uniform and harness.”
“What’s a Lai?”
Mikey was very glad of the dim interior of the cave as he felt his face go red. He had blown it! Artem had told him that the rebels were not to be told about the Diaglon yet. They were simply to be referred to as their ‘allies’.
“They’re legendary creatures,” he lied glibly. “Flying birds that can talk. They’re a bit like the dragon half on your badge. That’s why I suppose I mentioned the Fifteenth Ryzck’s badge first, ‘cos the bottom half of your badge is very similar.” Before they could ask more questions about how many Ryzcks there were in total, he carried on. “Another has an allst tree and the Second Ryzck a sword. The allst tree one now, that’s the one Katie and Ke
nlei belong to, I think,” he paused. “Others also have pictures of a Lai on their badges, it’s very popular. I can’t remember them all but I do know the Fourth has a flag. I was reading about it when I left Tak.”
“Why did you leave?” asked Marcel.
“I stowed away,” Mikey explained, evading the real question. “They were angry at first and I don’t know how many punishments I’ll get when we get home, but, it’s worth it a million times over.”
He rubbed his hands with glee at the though of his classmates listening to his exciting stories about his time here.
Marcel had to laugh. Mikey’s look of anticipation was a funny one.
“Is Artem with this Fifteenth Ryzck?” asked George.
“No,” Mikey answered. “He’s the Vada’s Assistant Weaponsmaster.” His eyes shone. Artem was fast becoming his hero above all heroes although Thalia was running him a close second.
“So where is Tak?” continued George. “Far away?”
“I don’t really know,” confessed Mikey. “I can go and ask someone. Will I?”
“No, not to bother,” laughed George with a smile that showed off his many teeth.
Mikey did not much like that smile. It reminded him of a picture he had seen of a monster in one of the books his brother Charles had given him last birthday. Charles always gave books as presents but Mikey rarely read the words, preferring the pictures and making up his own stories about them.
“Tell me about your home,” Astrid prompted.
Mikey’s face lit up. There was nothing he liked better than to talk about his mother and elder brother.
“I live with my mother and big brother Charles,” he began. “Mother is a widow, I mean my father is dead. A bad man killed him. I don’t remember him at all, I was a little boy when he died.”
Paula and Astrid exchanged a smile. To them, Mikey was still a little boy.
“After Father died we all went to Tak. My Uncle Robain came too, with Aunt Pauline. She’s nice. I’ve got three cousins but they’re younger than me and not much fun. Uncle Robain is something big in Council on Tak; he’s very important.”
Mikey was looking round at the rebels as he was speaking, not in a penetrative way but just like any young boy making sure people were listening to him.
Tancred, he noticed, appeared to be sleeping and Marcel didn’t appear to be listening either although he wasn’t sure if the former was simply feigning sleep or not. The latter got up at this point.
“I believe I’ll go over and have a chat with Tavin and Max,” he told them with a smile. “I’m very interested in this firearm of theirs. I’ve never seen anything like them, except in museums and I could if they’ll let me, help them with the examination of the laser rifles. I don’t want them blowing off a hand or worse if they try to make them work and press the wrong button.”
“Go on Mikey,” prompted Astrid. “I’m going to have to go and check on the Orumcek in a minute or two so tell us more about Tak.”
Mikey proceeded to do so. He told them about his life at school and the subjects he was studying (half way through this Astrid left) and went on to talk about his home life. “Charles is very clever,” he concluded, “not like me.”
“What exactly are the Vada?” asked George in a lazy voice, quite as if he wasn’t really interested and it wouldn’t matter if Mikey told him or not.
Mikey proceeded to give them a lecture about the founding of the Vada using the words and phrases he had learned, parrot fashion, in history class. A quarter of the way through, Paula began to yawn and Mikey suspected, was trying to work out how to get rid of him.
“They’re like large wolves,” George said. “Interesting, a cavalry army using wolves instead of horses. How many of them are there did you say?”
“I didn’t.”
“Don’t you know?” he teased in his slow drawl.
“Not really,” Mikey lied. “I haven’t ever thought about it. I can go ask Tavin if you want.”
“No matter,” said George, yawning. “I will ask him myself when I get the chance. Trot along, young Mikey, I need my beauty sleep.”
He closed his eyes.
* * * * *
“So which of them is it?” whispered Thalia in Artem’s ear.
“What do you think?” he whispered back.
“It’s not Astrid,” she decided. “It’s obvious she loves the Orumcek and it can’t be Marcel either. Did you notice how relieved he was when Astrid said he shouldn’t go to the hill and how hopeless he was with a laser rifle? A spy would have to be proficient with weapons. He’s short sighted too. No, I think these two are exactly what and who they say they are, a zoologist and an engineer loyal to their rebellion.”
“Could be a stratagem Thalia. If I was working undercover for this Community I wouldn’t broadcast the fact that I was a fighter, nor would I show any disappointment that I wasn’t to be allowed to go somewhere with an opportunity to make contact with my employers.”
“I still believe he is what he says he is, a mild mannered engineer.”
“Paula then?” he hazarded.
“I’m not so sure about her. I like her and so does Josei. She says she hates the Community but is there too much hate there? Is she too insistent? Then there’s Tancred. He’s the most obvious choice. He tried to persuade us more than once not to do anything against the enemy soldiers on the hill.”
“George did too, remember?”
“But he changed his mind and volunteered to go with us. I’m just not sure Artem. Perhaps Mikey is having more luck.”
* * * * *
Mikey was being watched. He could feel eyes following him as he made his way around the cave doing the little jobs that came his way but every time he turned, trying to find the eyes he couldn’t catch sight of them. It was as if the person watching had a sixth sense where he was concerned. Pretending to be unconcerned, he picked up a curry-comb and went over to where Josei was lying. He began gently brushing Josei’s neck ruff.
“Josei,” he whispered. “I’ve got an idea who the bad stranger is. Where’s Artem?”
Josei opened an eye.
“He and Larya went out with Hael and Mariya.”
“Out?’ Mikey squeaked. “Out outside?”
“They went back along the way we came,” the blue-striped Lind answered in such a low voice that Mikey had to strain to hear the words. If any of the rebels passed by he or she would have assumed he was making appreciative noises as a result of Mikey’s ministrations.
“Why?”
“To see if any of the rebels dropped anything which might tell the Community soldiers which way we went. Wait, I’ll inform Thalia about this, get her to listen into what we’re talking about.” There was a pause as Josei communed with his vadeln. “Right, tell me who you suspect.”
“George. He’s asking questions about Tak, about the Vada, and, and I’ve felt his eyes watching me.”
“Are you sure it is him?”
“Certain positive. He’s always pretending to be asleep when he isn’t and he’s been asking really difficult questions. Difficult for me to answer that is.”
Josei communed with Thalia. Once their conversation was over Josei told Mikey to lean over his mouth to that he could hear better.
“Thalia says you are to remain over here with me for a while,” he whispered. “She thinks the spy may suspect that we suspect.”
Mikey shivered and decided that this was a very good idea indeed. He began telling Josei, in a very low voice, about his interrupted flight with Belu. His voice was so low that only Josei could hear him.
* * * * *
Paula was helping Astrid tend to the Orumcek. They needed to be oiled daily and brushed. In the wild the males did the cleaning and grooming but in captivity the job fell to their carers.
“I’ve been wondering,” the former said as she untangled one of the hairs close to little Oga’s bottom. “How did the Community star ships know we were on this planet??
??
“They must have followed us,” answered Astrid absently, her attention focused on her task.
“But surely the Captains of our ships looked back?”
“They just didn’t see them.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t think they were there to be seen. I think someone must have told them where we were going.”
That did get Astrid’s attention.
“A spy?”
“A Community spy. One of us.”
“You wouldn’t be talking to me if you thought it was me.”
“It’s definitely not you Astrid.”
“Who then? It can’t possibly be Marcel.”
Astrid and Marcel and been sharing bed-space for a number of years.
“I’d have known,” insisted Astrid, grabbing hold of Paula’s sleeve to emphasise her point. “Honestly Paula, he’s like an open book.”
“Tancred or George then.”
“He or she might be dead,” countered Astrid. “Killed when the base was hit.”
The two women were following, almost to the letter, the thought patterns of Thalia and Artem.
“Whoever it was would have made sure they were out of the way when the enclosure was destroyed,” mused Paula. “It has to be one of us.”
“Do you think they suspect?” By ‘they’ she was referring to Artem and the others.
“Mikey does. I’m sure of it. They sent him over to engage us in conversation, to try to find out. They think we won’t suspect a little boy. He’s older than he looks, these cheeky little ragamuffins always are and he’s got a wise head on his shoulders. Clever, I didn’t realise it until just now. Where is he?”
She looked around the chamber hunting for Mikey but couldn’t see him.
In fact he was lying beside Josei on the side furtherest from the two women and Josei’s bulk was amply blocking anyone’s view of Mikey’s thin frame.
“Strange. I can’t see him.”
“We can’t do anything about it now,” stated Astrid, bending over Osipa, her attention clearly no longer on Paula’s problem. “Look Paula,” she said with excitement. “You can see the babies forming in the egg sacs. Aren’t you a clever girl Osipa?”
Osipa gurgled happily. Paula hadn’t a clue what she was saying but Astrid appeared to understand.