“Yeah,” Rachel replied, tightly. “I didn’t tell you. It’s not something I tell everyone I meet. Even people I like. And… it took me a long time to admit it, but Jason’s right, there was nothing that Herzer could have done except die and maybe get Mom dead in the process. In a way it took more courage, more sensible courage, to run and try to find a weapon than to stay and die.”
“I guess we both had our secrets,” Elayna said, looking at Herzer oddly.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t make it a lot easier in the deeps of the night,” Herzer said, his jaw working. “I was looking for a weapon, anything solid, but I got back after they were… done. I helped Dr. Daneh, and Rachel, on the way to Raven’s Mill and then joined the Raven’s Mill military at the first chance I got. I’ve always been into war games; I used to do enhanced reality before the Fall. But… I won’t say that my demons weren’t on my back about it, either. I’d gotten very good at being angry at that point. I wanted to kill something, to gut something, preferably McCanoc, but anyone like him would do.
“A few months later, lucky me, McCanoc turned back up at the head of a small army. We’d been training hard, but we were still outnumbered ten to one and most of the army was Changed, who are no joke to fight. They’re strong, aggressive and very hard to kill. But we beat them, mostly by maneuvering them onto fixed positions and slaughtering them; McCanoc was no tactician. In the end, though, he attacked, himself, and he had powered armor and some sort of draining nannite field. I tried to stop him, and got this,” he said, holding up the prosthetic, “for my pains.”
“I tried to stop as well,” Bast said. “Armor was too tough. Sword, any sword, just bounces off field. I hate powered armor. Unless I’m wearing it.”
“Anyway, Edmund took him out,” Herzer said.
“How?” Jason asked. “Powered armor, nannite field? What the hell did he do, drown him?”
“Ever hear of Charles the Great of Anarchia?” Herzer asked with a sly grin.
“Took over Anarchia, oh, a hundred years ago or so?” Jason asked, to a nod. “Ruled in peace for ten years, set up a representational government and left, disappeared?”
“He didn’t disappear,” Herzer said. “He took his dead brother’s name. Edmund.”
“Holy shit,” Jackson said. “You’re joking!”
“Nope, you’ve been dealing with him every day,” Herzer chuckled. “Let’s just say that the greatest master-smith in the world was not going to be fighting with unpowered armor and weapons. Bast, how would you take out Duke Edmund?”
“Strong crossbow,” Bast replied seriously. “Two hundred meters, minimum. From behind. Only way be sure to live.”
“Well, this is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into,” Daneh said.
“That it is, love,” Edmund muttered, “that it is.”
They had parked themselves in one of the swim-throughs and now watched the suddenly much more nervous mer moving around in the square as the antenna of crayfish waved at them from just too deep under the ledges to reach.
“The ship’s late,” Rachel said.
“That’s not what has me worried,” Edmund replied.
“And dealing with orcas, in the water, is not going to be easy,” Daneh said.
“And that’s not what has me worried,” Edmund replied.
“All right, Solomon,” Daneh said, in an exasperated tone, “what does have you worried?”
“When I got here, I knew the name of Bruce the Black, but not what he looked like,” Edmund replied. “I knew none of the other mer by name. And I didn’t know that New Destiny was sending a mission.”
“Damn, I didn’t catch that,” Daneh said. “He knew Bruce by sight. He knew Jason’s name. He knew about Herzer and me.”
“That indicates one damned effective intelligence agency,” Edmund said. “And intel is half the battle. I’d let Sheida handle that end, assuming that she was doing as well as the enemy. No such luck. Damn!”
“What are you going to do about it?” Rachel asked.
“Not much I can do from here,” the duke replied. “Except prove that it’s only half the battle. But when we get back I’m going to be asking some hard questions, and not trusting the answers. They knew about the carrier. They were able to intercept it. On the other hand, they’ve made damned poor use of their intel so far. Letting slip that they knew that much was just stupid.”
“Maybe there’s even more that they know,” Daneh said.
“I’m sure they do,” Edmund said. “But that’s not the point. How did they know that the ship was taking the northerly route? How did they know where it was? Intercepting a ship at sea is not easy, even if you know where it’s going to be in general.”
“You mean there’s someone on the ship passing them information?”
“Has to be,” Edmund said. “As well as sources on the land. And someone piecing them together and passing on the useful bits.”
“Two guesses who the one on the ship is,” Rachel said, bitterly. “And only one counts.”
“If you mean the rabbit,” Edmund replied, “you might be right. But don’t jump to the conclusion. Admittedly, it fits its programming. But I’m not sure of the means. Does he have an internal sensor? If not, how did he know where they were? What was his means of communication? Why destroy the ship if he’d directed it in?”
“So, who?” Daneh asked.
“I’m not a mind reader,” Edmund said. “But we’ll do some discreet investigating when the ship gets here. We know that it’s close, if the orcas were there and then here. That might, admittedly, be disinformation. But given the way they used the information they had, I doubt it. You can’t always count on your enemies being stupid, but it’s nice when they are.”
Shanol coasted to a stop above the swim-through and then paused as if taking in the seascape.
“They brought dragons,” a voice pulsed out of the darkness below.
“We were informed they would,” the orca replied. “That’s not a problem.”
“That’s what you think. They swim and can hunt underwater. The big one’s developed a taste for bull shark; she bites them in half.”
“Nothing that’s bred for the air can match us in the water.”
“Nothing is to happen to Elayna,” the voice said.
“As promised, you can have your pick of the mer-women when we are done. Although, I must admit she is a toothsome morsel.”
“Elayna and Antja then,” the voice said. “Although Elayna doesn’t have the best taste in the world; she’s been swimming out with that jerk Herzer.”
“An interesting datum, to be sure,” Shanol mused.
“Where are the rays?”
“Nearby, waiting for my signal. If we can resolve this little problem peacefully we shall. If not… other measures must be taken. I’ve tarried too long. Be ready when the time comes.”
“Just make sure the rays know who the good guys are,” the voice said. “I don’t want to get caught up in that.”
“Oh, they know who the good guys are,” the orca pulsed in humor. “That’s who they’re aiming at.”
Bruce had called both of the representatives to a meeting in the town square. He looked at both of them and shook his head.
“You’re like two children scuffling in a schoolyard,” Bruce said. “All around you is beauty, and all you can see is your conflict. Well, I will not let it come to us. I have sounded the feeling of the community, and I hereby give you my decision: The mer will have nothing to do with either of you. We need nothing from either of you that is worth the trouble it would bring. This is my decision. It is final and irrevocable. I request that both groups leave and not trouble us again.”