“Yes, sir. Cruising on my assigned route, I detected the ‘wake’ of a
larger vessel. As per standing orders, I moved closer to establish
identification. She was an unmistakable Merseian warcraft. My orders
gave me discretion, as the admiral knows, whether to report the sighting
in person with no further ado or attempt finding out more. Rightly or
wrongly, I decided on the second course. Chances were against another
encounter and we might be left with no further leads. I dropped back and
sent a courier, which apparently never got here. My report’s going to
recommend tightening inspection procedures.
“Well, I shadowed the Merseian at the limits of detectability–for
me–which I thought would keep my smaller vessel outside her sensor
range. But we entered the range of another ship, a picket, that spotted
me, closed in, and made capture. I was brought to the planet Talwin,
where the Merseians turned out to have an advanced base. After
miscellaneous brouhaha, I escaped via a pulsar, taking this dignitary
along for a hostage.”
“Um-m-m, ah.” Julius squinted at Ydwyr. “An awkward affair, yes. They
were technically within their rights, building that base, weren’t they?
But they had no right to hold an Imperial vessel and an Imperial officer
… in a region free by treaty. Um.” It was blatant that he shrank from
being caught in the middle of a diplomatic crisis.
“If it please the admiral,” Flandry said, “I speak Eriau. The datholch
and I have held some long conversations. Without attempting to make
policy or anything, sir–I know I’m forbidden to–I did feel free to
suggest a few thoughts. Would the admiral care to have me interpret?” It
had turned out the base’s linguistic computer was on the fritz and
nobody knew how to fix it.
“Ah … yes. Certainly. Tell his, ah, his highness we consider him a
guest of the Imperium. We will try to, ah, show him every courtesy and
arrange for his speedy transportation home.”
“He’s physicked anxious to shoot you off and bury this whole affair
deep,” Flandry informed Ydwyr. “We can do anything we choose with him.”
“You will proceed according to plan, then?” the scientist inquired. His
expression was composed, but Flandry had learned how to recognize a
sardonic twinkle in a Merseian eye.
“Knaich, not exactly a plan. The fact of Talwin cannot be hidden. GHQ
will see a report and assign an investigator. What we want is to save
face all around. You’ve been offered a ride back, as I guessed you would
be. Accept it for the earliest possible moment. When you reach Talwin,
get Morioch to evacuate his ships and personnel. The planet will be of
no further use for intelligence operations anyway; your government’s
sure to order them shut down, if our Navy team finds nothing going on
but peaceful xenological research, they’ll gloss over what signs are
left of extracurricular activity, and nothing will likely be said on
either side about this contretemps that you and I were involved in.”
“I have already assented to your making these proposals in my name.
Proceed.”
Flandry did, in more tactful language. Julius beamed. If his command was
instrumental in halting an undesirable Merseian project, word would
circulate among the higher-ups. It would influence promotions, rotation
to more promising worlds, yes, yes, no matter how discreetly the affair
was handled. A discretion which’ll result in nobody’s caring to notice
whatever loose ends dangle out of my story, Flandry thought.
“Excellent, Lieutenant!” Julius said. “My precise idea! Tell his
highness I’ll make prompt arrangements.”
Ydwyr said gravely: “I fear the research will not long endure. With no
bonus of military advantage–”
“I told you I’d do my best for you,” Flandry answered, “and I’ve been
mulling a scheme. Didn’t want to advance it till I was sure we could
write our own playbill, but now I am. See, I’ll put on an indignation
act for you. Maybe your folk should not have detained me; still, you are
of the Vach Urdiolch and my cavalier treatment of you was an insult to
the Race. Seeing that he’s avid to please, you’ve decided to milk old
Julius. You’ll let yourself be mollified if he’ll strongly urge that the