“Tis so,” admitted Hunnar.
“Then I say this to you.” The head leaned against the throne-back and the slit eyes narrowed. “Give up to me the great raft the demons have built for you. Yea, you may even keep your weapons, including the magic bows-which-are-not-drawn. I covet them, but you may retain them. Also the thunder and lightning your catapults throw. Keep these and go freely wherever you wish. I swear this.”
Hunnar must have been startled at the seemingly generous offer, but he did an admirable job of not showing it.
“We cannot do that. We are too far from Sofold to safely chivan back over open ice.”
“I will give you rafts enough for all your people, including your wounded, and enough supplies to return. I swear this also. And you will have the wind with you.” There was a predatory gleam in her eyes. “What say you?”
Hunnar appeared to consider, then turned away. While Suaxus remained at attention, the others discussed the proposal in whispers.
“She can’t be trusted, can she?” asked Ethan.
“It is strange she offers us our lives. Yes, if she so swears, she can be.”
“I don’t share your confidence,” put in September. “If we make it back we’d have to start building another boat from scratch. I don’t know if that toy forge could manage it. This thing smells worse than that great stinking carcass in front of the ship. That crazy Eer-Meesach!”
“I concur with you, friend Skua. We face very probable death if we do not agree,” Hunnar explained. “We might not live out this day. The offer will not be made again.”
“We still have a chance to break and run for it.”
“The moment we put on sail, friend Skua, they will attack. With irons and fire. If they cannot have the ship they will surely not allow us to escape.”
“There’s still the wizard’s idea,” said Ethan.
“Of which nothing has come,” September countered. The debate was interrupted by a new voice. Recognition escaped Ethan for several seconds.
“Come on, gentlemen, you’ve been stalling long enough. You may as well accept. It’s all you can do and you know it.”
They turned. Ethan hadn’t thought to hear that voice again.
Walther walked through the screened door to the right of the throne, took a seat at its base, and smiled at them. No one offered greeting.
“Well, don’t look so stunned,” he admonished them in fluent Trannish. It was the first time Ethan had heard him speak the native language, though he’d admitted to knowing it before. “I confess I was in tight for a while there. Afraid one of these hairy berserkers would run a spear through me before I could explain who I was and what I had to offer. Once I got through to a perceptive captain-type, he had me brought to the boss-lady here. We had a nice chat.
“Of course, it was too late for me to do anything about the battle she’d already lost, but I had a few other suggestions. I managed a private looksee at the shrimp’s plans for a big raft. Wasn’t hard to figure out what you intended to do with it. The main remainder of the Horde slunk off for a little subsistence raiding and thieving, but small rafts made up to look like merchant ships were always shuttling back and forth between us and the harbor.
“We knew when each mast was set in place, when every box of stores was taken on board. As soon as you shoved off and got a little out of sight, we followed. Not only do I know where you’re headed as well as you do, but that big raft cuts a helluva gash in the ice. Easy to follow.
“Only thing I hadn’t figured on was the speed that thing makes. If you hadn’t had the decency to run into that big grass-eater, we’d still be chasing you. Everything will work out nicely now, though.”
“Yes, I can see it, too,” said Ethan, surprising himself again by breaking in. “You’ll take a picked group of these murderers and sail on to Arsudun. Not knowing you from normal humanfolk, the humanx authorities will ignore you. Then you find your associates. If they don’t fry you out of hand for bungling the whole enterprise, you’ll explain the situation to them, fly back here in an air-car, pick up the du Kanes, and with only a little time lost, continue your original plan to hold them up for ransom. Neat. And us?”
“Believe me,” said Walther sincerely, “I wish I’d never set eyes on either of you. Or that teacher, either. Yes, that’s a fair scenario. You can make your own way into Brass Monkey. By the time you can get another boat built, make it to Wannome from here, and then to Arsudun, we should have received our credits and scattered to the far corners of the Arm.”
September pointed at the listening Sagyanak. “One other little item. What does she get for providing you with transportation and protection, um?”
“Oh, in return for her help, Her Majesty will retain the lovely big raft you’ve built.”
“That all?”
“Well, I did sort of promise her a few crates of modern arms and maybe a small cannon or two once we’ve been paid off.”
“Leaving aside the fact,” September continued, “that that’s a violation of every rule for contact with Class Four-B worlds, just what do you imagine this she-scorpion will do with ’em?”
“Why, I expect that Her Majesty,” he said, glancing over at her, “will sail pronto back to our frigid foster icebox and reduce the place to rubble. After which, without killing off too many of the populace, she’ll resume her former status as protector of commerce in the territory. As for ‘laws,’ ” he continued contemptuously, “through sabotage of an interstellar liner and kidnapping of you all, I’ve already made myself a candidate for mindwipe. I’m not in the least concerned with what the locals intend to do with any new toys I might choose to give them.”
“I should have broken your neck when I had the opportunity,” observed September calmly.
“Yes, you should have. But you’ve missed your chance. Agree, and you can at least get out of here with your hide. Refuse and we’ll take the boat from you anyway. Fight and you’ll be overrun. Try to run away and we’ll cut that broken skate free and fire the sails. You are good and well stuck, friends.”
“Even if we do agree, what if the tran don’t go along with us?” asked Ethan. Walther shrugged.
“That’s your problem. I think you’d better convince them. Oh yes, one other thing. I’d like you to leave the brat… what’s her name?… Colette… with me, as a guarantee you won’t try and follow us into Brass Monkey on the rafts we leave you. It wouldn’t do for you to sail in a couple of days after me and let the peaceforcers in on our little secret, would it?”
Something very like a cackle came from the throne. This request, demon-origin or not, she could understand.
“Maybe you’d like me to cut off my right arm, as a further gesture of insurance?” asked September sarcastically.
“Naw, keep it. I’m feeling generous today.” He grinned, a small mind in a sudden position of power and enjoying every minute of it.
“We will return to our ship and inform you of our decision,” said Hunnar, unable to listen to any more of this without going for certain throats.
“You’ve got half an hour by the sun,” replied Walther easily. “You can spend the time counting houris for all I care. If you agree to the terms, take in the banner at your stern. If not, well,” he shrugged, “I’ve done my best for you.”
“I don’t wonder that she calls you the Mad One,” guessed Ethan.
Walther started and lost a little of his composure.
“Watch your mouth, bright-eyes. This is no sales convention.”