Power Play

13

Sean found that he literally couldn't stand to live in his own skin, he was so distraught about the kidnapping. 'Una, I have to get out,' he said. 'If there's any news, any change at all, send Marduk for me. He'll be able to find me. I'm going to the river.’

‘Send Mar - Sean! What if there's another ransom…' Her voice trailed behind him.

He knew she was right. He should stick around the office in case there were new developments; in case Yana or Marmion's people made contact again. But the last week or two had been just the sort of thing that wore him down until this final shock made his head reel. He was used to working outdoors, working with animals, swimming the long watery corridors of the planet and drawing strength and calm from the water. All these papers and off-world people, trying to figure out what was fair, what was right, where they fit in, where to be liberal and responsive to their needs and where to draw the line. He had every confidence in himself that he was a good man. He just wasn't that particular kind of good man. And now, with the possibility that Yana might not return, that what he did or said, or could or could not do would mean life or death to her, to Bunny and Diego, to Marmion who had been so kind, to the future he and Yana had looked forward to - he had to get away, had to think, had to let the water flow over him. He felt as if his alter form was a whale or a dolphin rather than a seal, that, like them, he would itch himself right out of his skin if he didn't get it wet and changed soon.

He barely managed to reach the cover of the woods before shucking off his clothing and diving into the river waters. The rippling, bubbling, soothing, slithery soaking poured over his head as he changed utterly, man into seal, twenty feet down in the deeps of the river.

Usually he made his changes at the hotspring or farther from home, because his transformation had been a secret from all but his closest friends and family in the past. But a few times he had needed to swim this river and had done so. Eventually, like all rivers, it dumped into the sea. And like most Petaybean rivers, it received transfusions from various hotsprings along its route, making it warm. He swam furiously out towards the sea, and then furiously back again, because he didn't want to be too far in case Yana needed him. But the mere sight of land made him feel wild with grief and anxiety and he dived, deeper and deeper.

The reasonable man in him told his seal-self to be careful, not to go too far, not to become injured or trapped, because then he wouldn't be able to help Yana if needed, but his seal-self swam recklessly and restlessly - and began noticing things about the riverbanks and bed it hadn't noticed before.

Petaybee's recent seismic activity had changed the channel of the river slightly and had changed the feeder springs - several underwater grottos now opened beneath the banks, and as Sean dived, he saw that they tunnelled deeply under the riverbanks. He swam into one of them, taking its twists and turns until he found he was no longer swimming, but pulling himself out of a wellspring, up onto the floor of another of Petaybee's subterranean corridors. Once on land again, he resumed his man shape, the river water streaming from his skin.

The swim had not helped as much as he hoped. Now to his other anxieties was added the fact that he longed to stay here, safe from intrusion, safe from having to decide everything for everyone, and yet, he had to leave soon in case he was needed. Even Marduk couldn't find him here.

But he needed to be here, within the planet, at one with it. It had always been his greatest inspiration and his greatest comfort - when his parents died, when Aoifa was lost, and when, at first, he wondered if Yana would accept him, his home had always been his solace and greatest support.

‘What am I going to do?' he asked the cave walls. 'I suppose people have always had to ask that at some point or the other. Do I betray my home by letting others take it from me? Or do I betray my family by endangering them? I can't find it in me to do either, even if I knew how. What are we going to do?' He tasted salt in the water running from his hair and knew that it wasn't river water, even as it flowed back into the stream. 'I need help.’

‘Help!' the echo screamed back at him. 'Help!’

It sounded like another person entirely, not an echo of himself - the echo at the wedding had used the same tonality. In spite of his pain, he sat up straighter and looked and listened. Then he said aloud, 'That's right. We need help. Yana's been taken by more people who want to tear you to pieces. Yana needs help.’

'Help Yana! Help Yana! HELP YANA! YANA!

YANA,' f Her name echoed around the cave until Sean was about to jump into the water to escape it. Then suddenly the echo changed again to 'HELP! Help us!' and suddenly the slight phosphorescence that was always in these places organized itself into a straight line and grew and grew.

For a moment, Sean just stared. The purposeful echo, the purposeful line of the phosphorescence, neither of these had ever been manifested by Petaybee before. But after all, Petaybee was a young planet, still discovering its own abilities, and it had recently been exposed to new stimuli. Its responses were becoming more and more interesting.

He followed the phosphorescent track, trying to keep up with it, until he was back in the river and found himself in the midst of a vast school offish - every kind of fish - all swimming with purpose and determination in a single direction.

Aboard the pirate ship

Yana was fast asleep in her bunk when she was awakened by the sensation of warmth and vibration at the base of her throat. It emanated from the little bag of dirt around her neck as if it held some tiny animal instead of merely dirt. She clutched it, comforted, and as she did so a picture sprang into her mind of Sean, calling for her, so that her own name rang in her mind as clearly as if someone in the same room was speaking to her. The voice sounded so anguished that she wished she could offer some comfort but before she could form any sort of reply she felt the tickle that prefaced a coughing fit.

She clutched harder at her talismanic morsel, as Petaybee and Sean continued calling her, a voice in her mind yelling her name. The cats talked to other cats and Clodagh, the dogs to their humans, and everyone talked to the planet. Why shouldn't the mighty voice of a planet be able to call across the cosmos if it set its mind to it? Interesting thought, one that tumbled around and around as the image of Sean and the tickle evaporated, while the voice faded.

She lay awake for a long time, fondling the bag, wondering if she had just dreamt the warmth and the powerful mind-echo. Because it was tremendously reassuring to think, even for a moment, that Petaybee was somehow on her psychic wavelength, she wanted it to be true. Usually when she dreamt someone was yelling her name, they were and it was the captain or the drill sergeant or the corps commander. This time she was alone in the bowels of wherever they were, and the only sound was the restless sleep of her fellow prisoners.

Then they were all abruptly roused as the door of their prison burst open to be filled at once with a brawny crewman, the ever-ominous Megenda, and Dinah O'Neill, who seemed to be using all of the strength in her petite frame to restrain Megenda. Megenda clanged something hard against the metal of the door-frame: a laser pistol. 'Get off your butts, you lazy lot of worthless harlots.’

Part of Yana thought, Uh-huh, I was right. He does fancy himself as an old-style pirate. Who used the word 'harlot' any more, really?

But he looked very fierce indeed, and Dinah O'Neill appeared to be all that stood between them and his wrath. When the other sleepers woke, looking about them in dismay and disorientation, he planted fists at the ammo belt slung around his hips and glared at them.

‘Megenda, stop! Not yet! We have to give them a chance,' Dinah O'Neill cried, tugging at him.

‘Quiet, woman. I say we start sending them home in pieces now.’

Yana cocked an eyebrow at Dinah, as if Megenda needed an interpreter. 'What's he on about?’

‘Please, please don't antagonize him any more. The Captain reprimanded him and Megenda's extremely sensitive. And it was so unfair. Calm down, Megenda! Everyone knows it isn't your fault. It isn't anybody's fault but that of those callous and uncaring people in your company, Madame Algemeine, and on your planet, Colonel Maddock. I admit, I'm as surprised as anyone. I thought with all of Madame Algemeine's credits and you newly wedded to your planet's co-administrator, Colonel, that surely everyone would have been tripping over themselves to pay the ransom. I even sent a little follow-up note, just as a reminder. But so far, we haven't even had the courtesy of a reply, much less a payment. The Captain is so annoyed there's no living on the same ship with him. Down, Megenda!’

‘I didn't know', Yana heard herself remarking,' that his species was capable of annoyance.’

Megenda swung on her, his eyes glinting malevolently and Dinah O'Neill gave a small squeak as she was dragged forward on his massive arm.

‘Colonel Maddock, please. This is no laughing matter,' Dinah cried.

‘I know it isn't,' Yana said quite soberly, 'but when the good Captain asked me to request the planet for my ransom, he couldn't know that I have absolutely no control over the planet’

‘Now, now, you're being much too modest. We've been told that if you really want to, if you're really motivated, you and your new groom have the power to assign its mineral and ore deposits’

‘I can't assign anything for an entity I don't own, possess, dominate, order,' Yana snapped back. 'Nobody even knows what there is to assign.' Megenda made a move towards her.

‘Megenda, just let me talk to these people, please,' Dinah O'Neill said. 'They're reasonable and they don't want to be hurt. I know it's been months since you've seen real action but please be patient.’

Megenda glowered and loomed.

Dinah O'Neill continued. 'I hope you aren't making the mistake of underestimating our organization, Colonel. We have had agents on your planet before and we know very well that there are deposits of valuable ores available. We also have a good idea how you could obtain them. Nothing makes Megenda more cross than having someone lie to him.’

Yana shook her head carefully, keeping the cough at bay. Now was not a good time to be rendered inarticulate. 'If you mean Satok and those other sham shamen, they never were able to mine enough ore to be able to buy their way off the planet, much less provide booty of the magnitude that would really interest Louchard. Of course, I don't think they had the time, nor the opportunity,' and Yana was very sure of that since the demise of the fake shamen had been precipitously effected by the coo-berries, 'for the planet evolved some unusual natural defences to their mining methods. Sounds to me like your captain is just trying to recoup a bad investment since he's lost their services as illegal miners. Even the Company had to see that it's no use trying to mine Petaybee for something it's not willing to give up.’

‘Let go of me, woman,' Megenda said, trying to shake off Dinah's tiny beringed hand. 'She's useless. Might as well make her walk the plank.’

‘We don't have planks any more, Megenda.’

‘Yah, but space is a lot bigger than any puny puddle. We could put her in a suit so she'd have hours to float around and think about what she could have done to make the Cap'n happy.’

Yana's arguments had obviously gone over Megenda's head but his attitude only reinforced her feeling that he wasn't the only one who didn't understand the nature of the entity he was dealing with. If even the Company, who developed Petaybee, had been unable to grasp the situation without a great deal of persuasion, Louchard was no doubt as confused as everyone else on what could, or could not, be extorted from a whole sentient planet.

‘Belay that, Megenda,' Dinah said with a little slap which didn't seem to affect the large muscle of Megenda's forearm at all. 'You and the Colonel are both being irrational.’

‘Irrational? Lady, I'm not sure if I'm going to live through this. I'm not sure if any of us are. I'm sick. And I hesitate to mention this in the presence of your "sensitive" first mate for fear of giving him sadistic ideas, but I'm also pregnant. Everyone on Petaybee was worried about letting me go on this mission to begin with because my kid, like these kids, is bonded with the planet. It needs, through me, the same things we're all lacking here: fresh air, real food, not the plascene cubes you have here. I'd've thought a pirate of Louchard's calibre and resourcefulness would have a replicator that can produce proper "food" instead of all that pulverized dust!' Yana was well and truly launched and, though she knew she shouldn't take such a strong line, she was fed up. There was no way she could do anything and the sooner Louchard realized that, the better. Maybe not the better for her, but any resolution was more acceptable than this confinement. 'I want proper meals, I want exercise facilities, I want…’

‘Will you listen to the lady officer and her list of demands?' sneered Megenda, his expression vicious as he took another step into the room, and drew one hand back, ready to pound it into Yana's midsection.

Yana did not so much as bat an eyelid as she shifted to the side to take the blow with her braced forearms, at the same time balancing herself- somewhat wobbily - to deliver a karate kick. She firmly intended to deal her own blow to the big man where it would do him the most harm, even if her weakness caused her to fall on her ass afterwards. She was not about to let him kill her baby without a fight.

Neither was Marmion, who stepped determinedly between her and Megenda's fist. Yana relaxed, but remained watchful.

‘Touch any of them and you won't even get what I had already decided to give you,' Marmie said in a silky voice that carried both promise and threat.

Dinah swatted at Megenda's fist and he lowered it as she said, with just a touch more irritation and calculation in her own voice now, 'But Madame Algemeine, your people haven't responded to the ransom demands either.’

Marmion shrugged. 'Nor will they,' she said with a smile that was just the right side of smugness. 'You can't imagine that I would leave my organization vulnerable to this son of thing, can you?' A wave of her elegant hand dismissed the ship, the pirates and her situation. 'My people have orders to ignore extortions…’

‘Even when we start returning you to them a piece at a time?' asked Megenda with a leer.

Dinah O'Neill's voice was casual and professional as she replied. 'Naturally, I have counselled Captain Louchard that you should be returned undamaged, but he's getting a little put out by the delays.’

‘Gee, that's tough,' Bunny said.

This time, before Dinah could move, Megenda lashed out and knocked Bunny flat with a backhanded blow that spun her back against the bunk-frame. Roaring, Diego lunged at Megenda but Namid and Marmion caught him because the brawny crewman had his laser pistol aimed right at the boy's forehead.

‘My, the natives are restless,' Dinah said, with a sigh. 'I'm sorry but I can't restrain them…’

‘That's nonsense, Dinah, and you know it,' Namid said, as if the words had been forced out of him. 'What's the matter with you? Have you finally gotten so greedy you've lost your own survival instinct? You know damn good and well those men don't go to the head without your approval so stop this stupid game and tell them to quit beating innocent children or I'll - I'll’

‘You'll what, Namid?' she asked coldly. 'Leave me? A hollow threat, darling.’

‘This isn't about us - it's about what you call business,' Namid said, still struggling to hold Diego back. 'You used to pride yourself that you'd listen to reasonable arguments.’

‘And?' Dinah's expression dared him to present one.

‘I could have told you that people in Marmion's level of society have strictly adhered to an enforced no-ransom policy. Or don't you remember the case of the Amber Unicorn? Of those who were held for ransom, two died under torture begging their organizations to break through the restrictions put on them, to cut the red tape to save them, but the organizations were absolutely prohibited by law which tied up all the assets in legalities so that they couldn't be liquidated. The families pleaded and offered all sorts of personal assurances, but in the end the two captives died and no ransom was ever paid. The others suicided, apparently also by pre-arrangement. I suspect Marmion is prepared to take similar… measures… to ensure that her capture or death will profit no-one.' When Namid looked in her direction, Marmion nodded, a faint proud smile on her lips.

‘There's no way at all that any funds will be released before I am,' Marmion agreed. 'However, I am prepared to offer - let us call it "passage money" - for a safe return, and I'm quite willing to make the "fare" a substantial amount…' and she gracefully gestured to include everyone in the cabin, Namid too, 'but there is no way that my people will liquidate holdings on my signature,' - and she drawled the next few phrases in the most resolute of soft voices Yana had ever heard this formidable woman use - 'even if I had to hold the stylus with my teeth to sign.’

‘Damn that Fiske!' Dinah said in the first unrehearsed and spontaneous utterance Yana had heard from her so far. Somehow or other, Yana was not totally surprised to learn that Torkel was involved in this fiasco. 'He said this was a sure thing.’

‘And I thought you were cynical enough to realize there's no such commodity as a sure thing.' Namid regarded her sardonically. 'You didn't do enough homework on this batch of victims, Dinah. Maybe it's time you gave it up if you're getting careless.’

‘Well, I certainly wish you'd have told me all this sooner before I wasted so much time. That's it, isn't it?' she asked with a wounded expression, scanning the faces of her captives and her ex-husband. 'You were stalling for time! Oh, really! Just because you're in legitimate business instead of a marginalized one like us, you think our time is not as valuable as yours. I knew I should have stuck with cargo and not branched out into passengers but… But there is gold on that wretched ice-world,' she insisted, her fists clenching at her sides. 'There are gemstones, this is germaniun, gengesite…’

‘In small quantities,' Yana said. 'Just what sort of deposits were you shown?' she added, wonderingly.

Dinah O'Neill said nothing but kept eye contact with Yana, as if hoping to penetrate to the truth.

‘Have you ever been on the surface of Petaybee?' Yana asked.

A flicker in the privateer's eyes and a slight smile indicated that she had.

‘In the winter or what passes for summer there?' Yana said, keeping up the pressure.

‘Both.’

‘And just what did you report to Captain Louchard that has made him so determined to strip that poor world?’

For just a second O'Neill's eyes flickered again, doubtfully this time.

‘I'm sure you've heard this one before,' Yana began, taking a deep breath, 'but if you let us go, we will not press charges…' and she glanced at Marmion who nodded. Dinah's expression was contemptuous, Megenda's the epitome of cynical amusement. 'I really do think you've been misled. Something Satok was good at…’

‘He was Petaybean and he knew…"

‘He knew doodly,' Bunny said, still nursing her face with one hand while blood from the cut that Megenda's finger ring had made on her cheek trickled through her fingers. 'He hasn't been on the planet since he signed on to the Company and he got discharged from that right smart. He wasn't even very useful when he was growing up. He just talked big.’

Dinah smiled as she turned her eyes on Bunny, a sort of half-congratulatory smile that Bunny was spunky enough to contradict her.

‘You tell that Captain of yours that he won't get anywhere threatening Yana or Sean, or me or Diego here,' Bunny went on in a level voice. 'He wants to make a deal involving Petaybee, he comes to Petaybee and talks it over with the planet.’

‘Talks it over with the planet?' Namid's astonishment was complete and, open-mouthed, he looked from Bunny to Dinah and back again to Bunny.

Dinah gave her a pitying look. 'Talk to the planet?’

‘Go see your relatives,' Namid said, startling everyone, including Dinah. 'They'd be more trustworthy than that Satok fellow. Well, you always told me that some of your relatives, way back, were exiled to Petaybee.’

‘That was the rumour I was raised with. Which, I might add, I checked out on the company computer,' Dinah said, then shrugged. 'I'm not at all sure I'd trust their records. Or anything about the planet.’

‘O'Neill? There are O'Neills at Tanana Bay,' Bunny said, regarding Dinah with a keener interest.

So swiftly did Dinah O'Neill withdraw then that the heavy door-panel had whooshed shut before they realized her intention. Megenda and the crewman had followed smoothly, however, and the captives were left alone.

‘Now, you've done it,' Diego said accusingly to Bunny. 'We had her…’

‘I think Bunny may well have done it,' Marmion said quietly and respectfully.

‘It'll take time for Dinah to absorb the fact of her error,' Namid said thoughtfully. 'But she's extremely intelligent and very flexible. She'd have to be to survive so long in this business. She's usually able to influence Louchard…’

‘You think she'll try to talk him into letting us go?' Bunny asked wistfully, her face crumpling into tears. Forgetting his flash of resentment, Diego cradled her in his arms, stroking her hair and murmuring little hispanic endearments.

Marmion dampened the one towel they had in the room and handed it to him to place over the cut on her cheek. Perversely enough, the tickle returned to Yana's throat and she was unable to stop the reflex. She tried very hard but a spasm racked her again. Namid hastily poured a dose of the medicine for her and she managed to stop hacking long enough to swallow it.