Homecoming

XXVI

“Alpha, this is the captain. Alpha, this is the captain. Over.”

“This is Alpha. Over.”

“Ivan, have you returned the Northman raiders yet? Over.”

“Not yet, Captain. We’ve been overflying the two armies-the orcs and the Northmen-at about six kilometers. The Northman in charge of the commando-his name is Sten-is sizing the situation up, seeing where the armies are relative to one another and to the Danube. And man, let me tell you, there’s an awful lot of orcs down there. Must outnumber the Northmen eight or ten to one, and… ”

“Damn it, Ivan! I didn’t send you down there to carry out a military reconnaissance! Your orders were to get our people back and bring them up here! Unload those Northmen as fast as you can and get our people back to the Phaeacia; they may need medical attention critically! Have you got that straight?”

“Right, Captain. Sorry. Nobody seemed that critical, and I figured that five minutes… ”

“ARE YOU A MEDIC?!?!” Ram’s voice was suddenly shrill. “Who told you you could make medical decisions?” The violence of his own reaction startled and shook him.

“Yes, sir. I’m on my way to unload the Northmen at once, sir.”

“Let me talk to him,” Matthew said softly. “Phaeacia, this is Matt Kumalo. Over.”

There was a brief lag, and the voice, when it answered, was husky and earnest. “God but I’m glad to hear your voice, Matt. How are you? How are all of you?”

“Mike and I seem to be all right, Ram, considering. And Anne Marie says she’s all right too. But I expect Jomo and Celia had better check us over when we get back up. Chan’s the one in bad shape. Catatonic. He was curled up in a tight ball when Charles and the Northmen got us out, and I had to clip him pretty hard to loosen him up enough to carry.”

“Okay. Sounds like it could be worse,” Ram said. “Look, Matt, about the Alpha: I’m really concerned that we don’t get mixed up in their war down there. What I want is to get all of us back on board, including Nikko.”

“We’re already mixed up in their war, Ram,” Matthew said mildly, “or maybe I should say they’re mixed up in ours. Three Northmen were killed getting us out of that hell-hole-three out of six.”

There were seconds of silence. “It was their choice,” Ram answered. “They like that kind of thing; they wanted to go. And I didn’t plan to tell you yet, but the Northmen are holding Nikko hostage.”

This time the communication lag was Matthew’s. “Hostage?”

“To pressure me for help when the orcs had the Alpha. But we’ve got Ilse and her baby of course, and Nils is on board the Beta. So now that we’ve got Alpha away from the orcs we ought to be able to trade and get Nikko back.”

“Ilse’s husband on board the Beta? Are you sure? I’d swear he was dead. This may sound crazy, but everyone else seemed to see what I did-Mike and Anne Marie did anyway. His ghost was in the dungeon during the fighting.”

“I believe you, all right, but he’s not dead. It’s just something he seems to do, some wild psi talent. Ilse does it too.”

Ivan interrupted. “Matt, you’d better sit down now. I’m going to land in just a minute. Sten says their big chief is down below.”

“Right. Did you hear that, Ram?”

“I heard it.”

Beta was in sight now, a bit above them, as if she’d been waiting; she made no move to land. Alpha sat down gently. Charles opened the door and sent the landing steps out. At once two powerful arms wrapped tightly around him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides, and carried him helpless from the pinnace. A second Northman picked up Anne Marie and carried her unprotestingly out. Quickly Ivan activated the shield.

“You’re trapped,” he said. “I turned the shield on; you can’t get out.”

“Then turn it off,” Sten said reasonably.

“I thought we were friends,” Matthew said. “What are you doing this for?”

“We need your sky boat. Don’t worry; we’re not orcs. We won’t hurt you. Get out now-” He gestured at Mikhail. “-you and him, and take the unconscious one with you.”

Matthew looked at the Northman’s scarred face for a moment, finding neither threat nor relenting in it. “Okay,” he said, turning. “Help me, Mike.” They picked Chandra up and carried him outside.

Sten and Ivan were alone then. “Open your invisible wall so we can take them away,” Sten instructed. “Then do what is needed for me to talk to Nils Jarnhann in the other sky boat.”

Ivan hesitated and the Northman’s sword slid from its scabbard to touch lightly on a switch, deactivating the shield. Ivan’s eyes caught on the congealed blood that remained where the blade met the handguard. Obviously the Northman’s attention missed little, and his competence and willingness were beyond doubt.

“Beta and Phaeacia, this is Ivan. Beta and Phaeacia, this is Ivan. The Northmen have taken us prisoner. The Northmen have taken all of us on the Alpha prisoner and one of them wants to talk to Nils now. Over.”

Willi broke in from the Beta. “Captain, this is Willi. Captain, this is Willi. Okay to let Nils talk to him? Over.”

Long seconds passed without answer.

“Phaeacia, this is Beta. Phaeacia, this is Beta. Are you receiving? Are you… ”

“Let the goddamned savages talk to each other!”

The anger was like a hammer, shaking the spacemen, but after a moment Sten began speaking calmly in Scandinavian; Nils answered in the same language. After several minutes Nils switched to Anglic.

“Captain Uithoudt, this is Nils. Sten says he and our war chief, Kniv Listi, want both pinnaces to help them fight the orcs. He says the man called Charles is skilled with your weapons and they want him to teach some of our people so they can shoot orcs from the sky when the battle comes.”

Again the reply came after a long pause. “And what if I tell him to go to hell?”

“Hell?”

“Hell! What if I refuse to give him the Beta?”

“He says the army will take your people with them, and if the army is destroyed, the orcs will kill or recapture your people. But if we have the pinnaces to help us, we will surely win, and your people will be safe.”

Again there was no immediate answer. Ivan got nervous but Sten seemed relaxed enough.

“I’ll go this far,” Ram said at last. “Your people already have the Alpha, so I’ll agree to let Ivan fly it for them and Charles can show them how to shoot and use grenades. But I won’t give up the Beta. I’ll let her fly air support-that is, I’ll let her fight the orcs-but she’ll have no Northmen on board. My own people will fly her and do the shooting. Under no conditions will I let the Beta out of my control. Over.”

Nils and Sten conversed briefly.

“Captain,” said Nils, “Kniv agrees to your offer. Also he will let the Beta pick up two of your people, Anne Marie and Chandra. He says the woman is sick and the man should not die among strangers. He says the Beta will not be molested when it lands.”

“Hah! Why should I believe that?”

“Has one of us lied to you?”

“What assurance can you give me?”

“Assurance?”

“Pledge,” Ram said, patiently now. “What pledge can you give me that your people won’t try to take over the Beta when she picks up Chan and Anne?”

“We are offering you two of your people back, the two you were most worried about. My people will stand well away when Willi picks them up. And finally I give you this oath. If they don’t let the Beta fly away freely with your people, I will take my own life, or you can take it if you prefer. I have said it. Over.”

Sten spoke quietly to Kniv, who narrowed his eyes and nodded.

Ram’s voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. “Willi, land and pick up Chan and Anne Marie, and bring them up immediately. And be careful. Call me as soon as you’re off the ground with them. Over.”

“Right, Captain. I’m to land, pick up Chan and Anne, and bring them to the ship immediately. And call you as soon as I’m off the ground again. Yes, sir.”

“Affirmative. Phaeacia over and out.”

“Beta out.”

Ram pushed open the dispensary door almost violently, his expression so bitter it frightened his wife.

“Welcome home! Welcome back to Earth!” he said, glaring at her. “If I ever get them all back on board I’ll leave this rotten planet so fast it’ll make your bloody head swim!”