The Prince by Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling

“Yes, sir, we’re finding that out on Sparta.”

Falkenberg chuckled. “I expect you are, Mr. Prince. I expect you are.” He was silent for a moment. “Mr. Prince, would you like to know the most significant event in the history of freedom?”

“The American revolution?”

“A defensible choice, a close second even, but not mine. I would choose the moment when the Roman plebians required the patricians to write down the twelve tables of the law and put them where everyone could see them—and thereby proclaimed the law supreme over the politicians. The rule of law is the essence of freedom.”

“I’ll think about that, sir.”

Lysander felt Colonel Falkenberg’s shrug. “Please do. My apologies, Mr. Prince. When I have a politician for a captive audience it’s tempting to lecture, but I suspect a young man brought up on a planet settled by professors of political science has heard enough of this to last a lifetime.”

Not from you. Lysander wanted to ask Falkenberg to go on, but the colonel had already changed channels on his helmet radio.

“Gentlemen,” Falkenberg said. “You were all introduced, so we can dispense with that.” The two lieutenants across the aisle nodded agreement. “It’s school time.” The helicopter maneuvered violently. “We’re close to the jungle top now, so we won’t distract Cornet Fuller from his piloting. That leaves the four of us. Lieutenant Mace, I believe you are senior. Please explain to Mr. Prince.”

“Yes, sir.” Mace looked at Lysander. “The Colonel means that it’s time for what he calls his school for captains. Since there aren’t any captains aboard I guess we’ll have to do. The colonel states a problem, then we say what we’d do about the situation, then we all discuss it. Ready? Good. Colonel—”

“Gentlemen, we have a decision to make,” Falkenberg said. He pointed to the heavy gear lashed to the deck of the helicopter.

“Our objective is to get ourselves and that equipment from the Ledoux village to a point close to Rochemont. We can presume that we will reach Village Ledoux undetected. From there we load onto small boats. Propulsion will be provided by the villagers, with paddles and poles. They are experts and have made this journey many times. The boats are wooden, not large. As I understand it, each can carry two men and their personal gear, or an equivalent amount of equipment. There are some twenty boats, enough to carry all of us as well as our heavy equipment in one trip. Naturally we’ll space the boats out somewhat. Clear so far? Good. The problem is, how do we load the boats, and in what order do we send them?

“Mr. Prince, as junior man you’re first. What’s in the first boat we send down river?”

“Two Scouts, sir?”

“Don’t ask,” Lieutenant Mace said.

“Scouts,” Falkenberg said. “And in the second?”

“I guess I want to think about it,” Lysander said.

“Lieutenant Janowitz has recently been promoted from cornet to second lieutenant,” Falkenberg said. “Congratulations. What’s in the first boat, Mr. Janowitz?”

“Two Scouts,” Janowitz said. He sounded older than Lysander, and quite positive. “Officers in the second. We send the boats in waves, with the personnel first, then the heavy equipment following, the colonel and his guard in the last boat.”

“I see. Why?” Falkenberg asked.

“Radar, Colonel. They may not be able to see into the jungle, but if they can, there’s less chance of being spotted—”

“Yes. Lieutenant Mace? Do you agree?”

“I don’t know, Colonel. I see Harry’s point. The heavy stuff will show up on radar better than troops. A lot better, so there’s more chance some scope dope will see the blips. Easier to sneak the men through. Less chance of alerting Barton’s people. But—”

“You have reservations,” Falkenberg said. “Noted. Mr. Prince?”

“I have some reservations too, now that I think about it,” Lysander said. “If the troops are spotted, if they even raise suspicions, then the heavy weapons are much more likely to be spotted.”

“They may think they’re Ledoux’s people,” Janowitz said. “Probably will.”

“It’s possible,” Mace said. “Especially if all they see is people. Suppose they don’t believe it’s natives?”

“Calculated risk,” Lieutenant Janowitz said. “The probabilities favor sending the troops first.”

“Sure of that?” Falkenberg asked. “Mr. Mace?”

“It’s the other way,” Mace said. “We send the heavy stuff first, because if it gets through, then the troops will, and if Barton’s people are alerted we’ll never get the weapons through.”

“And?” Falkenberg prompted.

“Well—I don’t know, sir.”

“Mr. Prince?”

“We can’t do the mission without the heavy guns?”

“Precisely,” Falkenberg said. “Our whole mission depends on getting our heavy equipment into place. If we fail in that, we’re not likely to accomplish much. Well done, gentlemen. Now I have an entirely different problem for your consideration. . . .”

The clearing was small, and utterly dark except for tiny pencil beams of red light from the crews’ flashlights. Four helicopters had come here. Two, refueled by the others, would go on. The other two would keep just enough fuel to get back to the last staging point.

Cornet Fuller squatted on the ground and used his helmet to project a map. “Fuel’s going to be close,” he said.

Falkenberg pointed to Village Ledoux. “Once we’re there, what will be your operating radius?”

“Maybe a hundred klicks,” Fuller said. “Depends on the winds for the rest of the way.”

“That should be enough,” Falkenberg said. “One way or another, you won’t need more.” He got up and strolled to the edge of the clearing.

“Now why does the way he says that scare hell out of me?” Fuller asked.

Lysander chuckled. “You too? Good.”

“I never got a chance to thank you for putting Juanita up.”

“It was Ursula’s notion,” Lysander said.

“Yeah. Thanks anyway. And for talking the colonel into giving me five minutes with her.” Fuller wiped his forehead. “Sure hot.”

“It is that.”

“What’s it like on Sparta?” Fuller asked.

“Well, it’s much cooler—”

“Yeah. I heard that. I meant for convicts.”

“We don’t have contract labor like Tanith,” Lysander said. “New chums from Earth can choose their employment.”

“You just turn convicts loose?”

“Well, not precisely, but anyone willing to work won’t find the restrictions onerous. The CoDominium doesn’t like our giving citizenship to anyone still under formal sentence, but that doesn’t come up often anyway. Not many try to become citizens.”

“Uh? People want to be citizens?”

“Some do,” Lysander said.

“Oh. Perks? Welfare?”

“Not precisely. Everyone on Sparta has political rights, but citizens have more. More obligations, too, of course.”

“Oh. Sort of like taxpayers.”

“No, not quite—”

The crew chief materialized next to them. “Fuel’s aboard, Mr. Fuller.”

“Thanks, Chief. Load ’em up.” Fuller chuckled in the dark. “If I’d been a little smarter, I’d have got to Sparta. Had a chance, but I didn’t know what to do. Maybe it’s just as well.”

XXII

The school was over, and there was no more conversation with Falkenberg. The helicopter flew low over the jungle, sometimes maneuvering between the trees. Tanith’s small moon came up, but was no more than a blur above the clouds. Sometimes when the helicopter banked sharply Lysander could see the jungle below, but as no more than a darkness even blacker than the clouds above.

After one violent maneuver, Lysander felt Harv’s nudge. He gestured toward his helmet. Lysander set one of the channels to Harv’s headset frequency.

“How does he see?” Harv said.

“Radar, I suppose,” Lysander said, but he wondered, since radar might be detected from a distance. “IR? I don’t know, but I’m glad I’m not flying it.”

“He’s pretty good,” Harv conceded.

“Yes.” I suppose he is, Lysander thought, and wondered what would have happened if Fuller had bribed his way to Sparta. Where would he have gone? His natural talents as a pilot might have brought him to an airline, or a wealthy mine owner in need of a chauffeur. He’d never have had a chance to become a Spartan officer.

The helicopter flew on, and despite its violent maneuverings, Lysander fell asleep.

* * *

Village Ledoux seemed crowded. The villagers had already prepared shelters for the helicopters. As soon as the passengers were out of the planes, a hundred men grabbed each one and carried it under a thatch-roofed structure. Mats were unrolled to form walls, and the helicopter vanished.

In moments the equipment was unloaded, and they followed the villagers into the dense jungle. Lysander felt rather than saw the thick growth around him. Then he was at the water’s edge. A score of small flat-bottomed boats were pulled up against the shore.

Falkenberg’s NCOs gestured. The recoilless rifle was loaded into the first boat. After a moment, Lieutenant Mace climbed in with it and lay flat on the bottom of the boat. A tall, dark civilian gestured, and the boatman poled the boat away from the shore. In seconds it vanished into the underbrush.