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know, Hive ship pieces... Putting them together?' His explanation fell on
puzzled ears.
`On the Beijing, they had all the pieces, in scale of course, of the Hive ship
that was caught by the nova shock wave. The one that the
Vadim squadron found? People are trying to put it back together.
Lin still didn't understand, so while Rojer continued to explain, he glumly
realized that he'd have no more chance of participation. By the time this
mission ended, the wreck would probably have been totally reconstructed. He'd
so wanted to be part of that effort.
`Maybe Lieutenant Gander would know,' Lin said helpfully, `he's the morale
officer.' `You have seen a tape of the Queen's emergence, haven't you?'
`Queen? Didn't know there were any left on Earth!
Or is it Procyon that has a royal family?' `I'm referring to the
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Hiver Queen that was found alive in an escape pod.' `You don't say? A
live Hive Queen? Oooh! Wouldn't want to see that!' `Actually, she's quite
beautifully coloured,' Rojer said, speaking in the most diffident manner. This
was a warship, chasing a Hiver vessel, and their attitude towards a Hiver
Queen would be coloured by that. `They've put her in
Heinlein Base on Earth's moon.' `Thought that installation was decommissioned
decades ago.' `It was, but it's been reopened to accommodate the Queen. She
can't get out of there.' `Who'd want to get in?' Lin wanted to know.
ù`Your ship's really been out of touch,' Rojer said, shaking his head.
`Oh, we know what we need to know,' Lin assured him affably.
`We're more interested in what's likely to happen than what has!
Here we are,' he ùadded unnecessarily, for the smell of roasting meat wafted
appetizingly along the corridor.
A meal was cheerfully set before him.
`A single zap and you'd never know it wasn't freshly prepared,'
the cook's mate said as he was served a piping hot plate. `We alius has
something' ùfor the watch. You really a Talent, kid?' `So they tell me,' Rojer
said, grinning. He didn't mind being called a `kid' by a seaman so grizzled he
was probably older than Grandfather Raven.
Then Rojer half-goggled at the multi-coloured pictures on the sailor's massive
forearms: tattoos, he thought they were called.
`Where'd you get them?' he asked between attempts to cool his food enough to
put it in his mouth. The plate had been well zapped.
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`Ah, now these, me laddie buck, are the result of a wager. -- `
Settling into the seat opposite Rojer and Lin the mate proceeded to embellish
a tale almost as garish as his forearms.
`Mr Lyon here,' Lin began when the tale was over and duly appreciated, `says
they caught a Hiver Queen. Got her locked up on
Heinlein Base.' `Do they?' and the mate was either sceptical or not easily
impressed.
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`She's laid eggs,' Rojer said, hoping to generate some interest.
`Well, laddie buck, in a month or two, we may see more eggs'n she'll ever
lay,' the mate said, rising to his feet. `Aye, wouldn't doubt we'd see more.
That's a Hiver system we're coming to. Knew we'd find one sometime. Glad I've
lived to see the day.
I'm Denebian, you see, so vengeance is mine! Enjoy your meal.'
`Th ... thanks, I am.' Mentally Rojer was glad he'd kept his remarks neutral.
He was amused, though, that all the startling events he had witnessed recently
were unexceptional on the Genesee, and philosophically, resigned himself to
the situation.
Mother, Father, Damia said, initiating a call to her parents, still at their
breakfast on Callisto.
Yes, Damia? her mother replied. Something is the matter. Jeff I
told you that yesterday when we exchanged Rojer's capsule. And it's
... Zara?
There was gratifying surprise in the Rowan's tone.
Whatever could be the matter with Zara? She's the most pliable of your lot.
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Not any more, Mother. And quickly Damia conveyed a summary of her daughter's
recent aberrant and capricious behaviour. I don't know where she gets these
notions about the Queen --Unusual that, the Rowan said. Especially across such
distance, and with only a tape to stimulate the reaction - D'you mean - others
have reacted the way Zara has?
Yes, indeed, Jeff put in. There's a growing minority who feel the
Alliance has been authoritarian, peremptory and high-handed. Which is
muddleheaded thinking. After all, the creature was humanely rescued from sure
death. There was no planet on which she could have landed before oxygen and
food supplies ran out. She may be isolated but that's as much for her own
good. There've been two attempts to...
eradicate her from `human soil' already.
We hadn't heard about them Damia was indignant. The Queen was in responsible
protective custody: by observation alone much could be learned from her about
others of her species. She wouldn't be released but, on the moon, she was
certainly no threat to anyone.
You haven't heard because it's been kept top secret. Young Rhodri is to be
commended once more for prompt and effective action, Jeff said.
Mind you, the Rowan added in a terse caustic tone, there were a few snide
remarks about the profligacy of plummy jobs held by one particular Denebian
family --Damia heard her father's amused chuckle.
Our critics simply fail to appreciate large families: but we're by no means
the only Denebian family with phalanxes of progeny. And
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certainly not one family at that: there're Ravens, Eagles, Cranes, Gwyns,
Lyons and a healthy sprinkling of Terran Reidingers, Owenses, Grens, Maus and
Thigbits in the top echelons. That isn't really a monopoly - just clever
family planning.
However, the remarks were just short of libel and slander, and decidedly
snide, the Rowan said, irritated.
Irrelevant, all of it, Jeff said. So far the Queen has been cared for to the
best of our small knowledge.
High Council `Din is are in accord with ours that she be treated with care as
any prisoner of war.
The old Geneva Conventions - and I don't know how old they actually are - have
been scrupulously applied. The difference here is that she has never seen her
keepers, curators, whatever. Which may be pure serendipity.
Why?
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We have to assume that, after centuries of space battles and the one landing
the Hive managed on the `Dini Sef colony, that her species know what Mrdinis
look like. But they can't know what humans look like, never having encountered
us in the flesh as it were. There is a school of thought that she could be
approached by a human representative, in a friendly manner. That way we may
find out.
Father, that is totally reprehensible! That's . . that's taking advantage of a
helpless - You too? the Rowan put in.
Me, too, what?
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