Decision at Thunder Rift

He paused again, working to control his voice. Don't think about that, he told himself. Not that. It was revenge you wanted. Revenge and nothing more.

"You know, with the Lancers, there was at least a slim chance that I might someday bring that Marauderdown. But now..."

Her eyes showed fear. "Then what hope is there for us?"

"Oh, things’ll be O.K., here. Now that Sarghad's got three 'Mechs, the bandits won't attack the city anymore. There'd be too much chance they'd get trapped in the streets, like that Locustwas when we captured it. It's possible they might raid the agrodomes, but they won't come into the city anymore."

Adel and his staff must have come to the same conclusion, Grayson realized with a new surge of bitterness. With three 'Mechs and a trained anti-Mech ground force, Sarghad was reasonably safe. They probably wouldn't be able to destroy the Marauderand Shadow Hawk— not without a remarkable stroke of good fortune — but the enemy could no longer get at them.

And wasn't that why they'd had him assemble the Lancers in the first place? So far as the Trellwanese

government was concerned, his job was done. They'dnever said anything about his using the Lancers to further his personal vendetta against the bandits. '

"Silly, there's really nothing to worry about." Mara nuzzled at his ear, her hands roving. "We have each other, and that's all we need. And next period, I'll talk to Daddy. I'll bet he can help."

He smiled and surrendered to her caresses. But the hurt within did not cease.

Sometime later, he came wide awake. A siren was sounding outside from the roof of the palace, its strident rise and fall cutting through the air above Sarghad.

Mara was sitting up, the covers clutched in front of her. "What is it Gray... an attack?"

Grayson stepped to the window and looked out, but could see only surging crowds of people in the streets. He sca

"I don't know, Mara. Something'sstirring the people up, that's certain."

Mara used a remote handset to click on the room's wall visor. Grayson turned and stared at the screen. The entertainment cha

23

The city of Sarghad had gone mad. Dressed in cold-weather jackets, swarms of people gathered under the harsh overhead lights that kept the long night at bay, their breath making clouds of steam in the chill, Secondnight air. The cheers, the sight of the people waving, leaping, dancing in the streets, were broadcast on the huge visor that curved out from one wall of the palace Reception Hall. A convoy was making its way toward the Palace past the cheering throngs on streets lit bright as day. From a staff on the lead hovercraft in the convoy fluttered the black and red dragon flag of the Draconis Combine.

Grayson had dressed and hurried across to the Palace as soon as he heard the news. The Guards Colonel reporting the scene had sounded bouyant, almost jubilant, at the news that Kurita forces had arrived to save Trellwan from Hendrik of Oberon. Could these people possibly be so overjoyed at what was clearly an out-and-out invasion? The Combine was not known to be particularly charitable toward independent planets. Couldn't the Trells see the danger?

The Reception Hall was crowded with people, the wealthy and powerful of Sarghad and, no doubt, other cities of Trellwan as well. When the news of the ships' arrival had broken, the people had come straight to the Palace, little doubting that their future, and the future of the planet, would be settled here within the hour.

Grayson still wore his green and gold dress Guards uniform, the only one he had. He had to try to reach King Jeverid, though he knew it would not be easy. Jeverid was shielded from his people by a thick bureaucratic layer of secretaries and court functionaries that had accumulated around the royal office over the past several centuries.

At that moment, curtains on the hall's platform parted, but instead of the King, General Adel and various of his staff officers appeared there. With them was Lieutenant... no, CaptainNolem, flanked by richly adorned Royal Guards in full dress. Grayson sca

Grayson began working his way through the throng toward the stage, where the General and his officers stood before the empty throne. Where is Jeverid? he wondered, when suddenly his way was blocked by a pair of helmeted and armored Guards soldiers, carrying TK rifles. "Sorry, sir," one said. "You can't go through there."

Perhaps he could use the force of his uniform. "Stand aside, soldier! I am Lieutenant Carlyle of the First Lancers. I must see His Majesty!"

Doubt crossed the soldier's face. "I'm sorry, sir, but unless you have a pass signed by General Adel..."

"If I had a pass, I would have shown it to you! I tell you, I must see His Majesty! It's vitally important!"

The soldier hesitated, and Grayson thought for an instant that his bluff had worked. Then he could see the soldier resolving to do only as he was told. "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to go through proper cha

"What's the problem here?" It was Adel, with Nolem close behind. The General swept cold eyes over Grayson. "What do YOU want?"

"General, sir! I must see His Majesty!"

"About what?"

"These Kuritists, sir, being welcomed like heroes. They're the enemy!"

Adel's brows beetled, a frown pulling at his face. He rubbed thoughtfully at his mustache with one finger.

"Enemy? I know of no declaration of war between Trellwan and the Draconis Combine. You overstep yourself, sir."

Somehow Grayson managed to control his thoughts, to steady himself and his speech. "General, I have reason to believe that this is all some kind of a plot."

Adel and Nolem both laughed. "So, it's plots now, is it?" Nolem seemed vastly amused. "We might have expected that from a Commonwealther, I suppose. Eh, General?"

"Ha! Indeed. Lord Ricol was particularly interested in what young Carlyle here might have to say."

Grayson's eyes opened wide. "This Duke Ricol knew about me? How?"

"Oh, he has ways, I'm sure. He said you might object to a Combine presence on Trellwan."

Object? Grayson could see in his mind the three-D map projection that his tutor, Ari, used to display the Cis-Peripheral sectors of Commonwealth space. The red dwarf Trell lay nearest — in astronomical terms — to stars ruled by Hendrik of Oberon and to other stars claimed by Kurita's Draconis Combine. The war, sometimes overt, sometimes covert, between the Combine and the Commonwealth, had dragged on for year after standard year. The whole purpose of Representative Vogel's Pact had been to free garrisons like Carlyle's Commandos for service against Kurita closer in toward the I