Shon'jir

Luiz nodded, and the guards took positions to escort him out. He felt strangely light without his weapons. He paused, looked at the dus, spoke to it, and it moaned and settled un­happily, head on paws. He looked back at Boaz. "I would not let anyone try to touch him if I were you," he said.

And he went with the guard.

Saber's polished metal corridors rang with the sound of doors sealing and unsealing. Duncan waited as another de­tachment of regulars arranged itself to take charge of him.

And little as he had given notice to these professionals, he gave it to the freckled man that commanded the group from Saber.

"Galey," he said.

The regular looked at him, tried to stiffen his back, turned it into a shrug. "I got this because I knew you. Sir, come along. The admiral will see you. Let's keep this quiet, all right?”

"I came here to see him," Duncan said. Galey looked re­lieved.

"You all right? You walked in, they said. You're coming in of your own accord?”

Duncan nodded, mri-wise. "Yes," he amended. "Of my choice.”

"I have to search you.”

Duncan considered it, considered Galey, who had no choice, and nodded consent, stood with his arms wide while Galey performed the cursory search himself. When Galey was done, he rearranged his robes and stood still.

"I've got a uniform might fit," Galey said.

"No.”

Galey looked taken aback at that He nodded at the others.

They started to move, and Duncan went beside Galey, but there were rifles before and rifles at his back.

A taint was in the ah", an old and familiar smell, dank and musky. Humanity, Duncan thought; but there was an edge of it he had not noticed on the other ship.

Regul.

Duncan stopped. A rifle prodded his back. He drew a full breath of the tainted air and started walking again, keeping with Galey.

The office door was open; he turned where he knew he must, and Galey went with him into the office, into the admi­ral's presence.

Koch occupied the desk chair.

And beside him was a regul, sled-bound. Duncan looked into that bony countenance with his heart slamming against his ribs: the feeling was reciprocated. The regul's nostrils snapped shut.

"Ally, sir?" Duncan asked of Koch, before he had been in­vited to speak, before anyone had spoken.

"Sharn Alagn-ni." The admiral's eyes were dark and nar­row as the regul's. His white, close-shaven head was balder than it had been, his face thi

Duncan sat, on the chair at the corner of the desk, leaned back and stared from Koch to the regul. "Am I going to have to give my report in front of a stranger?”

"An ally. This is a joint command.”

Pieces sorted into order. "An ally," Duncan said, looking full at Sharn, "who tried to kill us and who destroyed my ship.”

The regul hissed. "Bai Koch, this is a mri. This is nothing of yours. It speaks for its own purposes, this youngling-with-out-a-nest. We have seen the way these mri have passed, the places without life. We have seen their work. This impression­able youngling has been impressed by them, and it is theirs.”

"I left beacons," Duncan said, looking at Koch, "to ex­plain. Did you read them? Did anyone listen to my messages before you started firing or did someone get to them first?”

Koch's eyes flickered, no more than that. Darker color came to Sham's rough skin.

"I told you in those messages that the mri were inclined to friendship. That we reached agreement.”

Sharn hissed suddenly: the color fled. 'Treachery.”

"In both our houses," Duncan said. "Bai Sharn, I was sent to approach the mri as you were surely sent to stop me. We may be the only ones in this room who really understand each other.”

"You are doing yourself no good," said Koch.

Duncan shrugged. "Am I right about the beacons? Was it Sharn who chose to move against the cities?”

"We were fired on," Koch said.

"From my ship? Was it not the regul that came in first?”

Koch was silent.

"You have done murder," Duncan said. "The mri would have chosen to talk; but you let the regul come in ahead of you. Defenses have been triggered. The mri no longer have control of them. You are fighting against machines. And when you stop, they will stop. If you go on, you will wipe out a planet.”

"That might be the safest course.”

Duncan retreated to a distant cold place within himself, continued to stare at the admiral. "Flower witnesses what you do. What you do here will be told; and it will change human­kind. Perhaps.you don't understand that, but it will change you if you do this. You will put the finishing touch on the desert of stars that you have traveled. You will be the mon­sters.”

"Nonsense.”

"You know what I mean. Flower is your conscience. Stavros whoever sent them did right. There will be witnesses. The lieutenant here others in your crew they will be witnesses. You are warring against a dying people, killing an ancient, ancient world." His eyes wandered to Sharn, who sat with nose-slits completely closed. "And you likewise. Bai Sharn, do you think that you want humanity without the mri? Think on checks and balances. Look at your present allies. Either without the other is dangerous to regul. Do not think that humankind loves you. Look at me, bai Sharn.”

The bai's nostrils fluttered rapidly. "Kill this youngling. Be rid of it and its counsels, bai Koch. It is poisonous.”

Duncan looked back to Koch, to the cold and level stare that refused to be ruffled by him or by Sharn, and of a sud­den, thinking of humans agafn, he knew this one too, Havener, full of hate. A mri could not hold such opinions as ran in Koch: a mri had allegiance to a she'pan, and a she'pan considered for the ages.

"You want to kill them," he said to Koch. "And you are thinking perhaps that you will hold me here as a source of in­formation. I will tell you what I know. But I would prefer to tell you without the presence of the bai.”

He had set Koch at disadvantage. Koch had to dismiss Sham or keep her, and either was a decision.

"Do your explaining to the security chief," Koch said. "The report will reach me.”

"I will say nothing to them," Duncan said.

Koch sat and stared at him, and perhaps believed him. Red flooded his face and stayed there; a vein beat at his temple. "What is it you have to say, then?”

"First, that when I am done, I am leaving. I have left the Service. I am second to the kel'anth of the mri. If you hold me, that is your choice, but I am no longer under orders of Stavros or of your service.”

"You are a deserter.”

Duncan released a gentle breath. "I was set aboard a mri ship to learn them. I was thrown away. The she'pan gathered me up again.”

Koch was silent a long time. Finally he opened his desk, drew out a sheet of paper, slid it across the desk. Duncan reached for it, finding the blockish print strange to his eyes.

Code numbers. One was his. Credentials, special liaison Sten X Duncan: detached from Service 9/4/21 mission code Prober. Authorization code Phoenix, limitations encoded file SS-DS-34. By my authority, this date, George T. Stavros, governor, Kesrith Zone.

Duncan looked up.

"Your authorizations," said Koch, "are for mediation at my discretion. Your defection was anticipated.”

Duncan folded the paper, carefully, put it into his belt, and all the while rage was building in him. He smothered the impulses. I can make you angry, Niun had said once, I have passed your guard again. I have given you something to think about besides the Game.

He looked at Sharn, whose nostrils trembled, whose bony lips were clamped shut "If there is no farther firing," said Koch, "we will cease fire.”

"That relieves my mind," Duncan said from that same cold distance.

"And we will land, and establish that things are per­manently settled.”

"I will arrange cease-fire. Set me on-world again.”

"Do not," said Sharn. "The bai will take a harsh view of any accommodation with these creatures.”

"Do you," Duncan asked cynically, "fear a mri's mem­ory?”

Sham's nostrils snapped shut and color came and went in her skin. Her fingers moved on her console, rapidly, and still she stared at them both.

"Mri can adapt to non-mri," Duncan said. "I am living proof that it is possible.”

Koch's dark eyes wandered over him. "Drop the veil, Sur­Tac.”

Duncan did so, stared at the man naked-faced.

"You do not find it easy," Koch said.

"I have not passed far enough that you can't deal with me. I am what Stavros, perhaps, intended. I am useful to you. I can get a she'pan of the People to talk, and that is more than you could win by any other means.”

"You can spare a day. Firing has stopped, while we maintain our distance. You will debrief.”

"Yes. I will talk to Boaz.”

"She is not qualified.”

"More than your security people, she is qualified. Her work makes her qualified. I will talk to her. She can under­stand what I say. They wouldn't. They would try to inter­pret.”

"One of the security perso

"I will answer what I think proper. I will not help you lo­cate the mri.”

"You know, then, where their headquarters are.”

Duncan smiled. "Rock and sand, dune and flats. That is where you will have to find them. Nothing else will you get from me.”

"We will find you again when we want you.”

"I will be easy to find. Just send Flower to the same land­ing site and wait. I will come, eventually.”

Koch gnawed at his lip. "You can deliver a settlement in this?”

"Yes.”

"I distrust your confidence.”

"They will listen to me. I speak to them in their own lan­guage.”

"Doubtless you do. Go do your talking to Boaz.”

"I want a shuttlecraf t ready.”

Koch frowned.

"I will need it," Duncan said. "Or arrange me transport your own way. I would advise sending me back relatively quickly. The mri will not be easy to find. It may take some time.”

Koch swore softly. "Boaz can have ten hours of you. Go on. Dismissed.”

Duncan veiled himself and rose, folded his arms and made the slight inclination of the head that was respect.