Robert Asprin – Tambu

Perhaps that was the answer. How did pirates know where to hunt? Surely pirates couldn’t rely on circumstance to find ships to prey on. They needed some method to find target ships-specifically target ships with large, expensive cargos. If the Scorpion could find out how the pirates set their traps, if they could anticipate where the pirates would be and be there waiting for them, then they might have a chance.

But how were they to find out how the pirates operated?

“You’re awfully quiet, captain.” Whitey’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Just thinking, Whitey,” he replied absently.

“You aren’t blaming yourself for what happened, are you? Heck, we all had a part in it. If we made a mistake, we’re all at fault.”

“That’s right.” Puck’s voice chimed in. “You didn’t even do any shooting. Egor and I were the ones who jumped the gun.”

“At my command,” Tambu said pointedly. “Just as we moved in on the ships at my command.”

“But like Whitey said,” Puck insisted, “we all had a part in it-the planning and the execution!”

“Ships aren’t run by committee,” Tambu reminded him. “That’s why you made me captain. Besides getting the lion’s share of the glory and profits when we do well and having last say on policy, being captain means that I hold the bag if things go wrong. It goes with the job. Isn’t that right, Whitey? You were the one smart enough to dodge the captain’s post. Wasn’t avoiding responsibility one of your main reasons? Then don’t lecture me about how I shouldn’t feel responsible.”

“I’ve got an answer to that,” Whitey answered. “It’s called the Nuremberg trials. The weight of responsibility falls on everyone in the chain of command, not just the one who gives the orders. If we were wrong, if we just shot up a commercial ship instead of a pirate, then we’re pirates-all of us. If they catch us, they’ll hang all of us, not just you, captain.”