Antagonist - Childe Cycle 11 (74 page)

Barbage,
however,
provided
Bleys
with
no
hint
of
a
reaction
to Bleys'
words,
but
merely
snapped
crisply
from
his
position
of
attention
to
a
position
of
at
ease
that
in
fact
displayed
no
hint
of
actual
relaxation,
but
looked
like
the
previous
stiffness,
differently
arranged.

There's
no
point
in
sparring
with
this
wan.
He's
as
harsh
and
unsparing as
ever,
ana
¹
there's
no
forgiveness
in
him,
whether
for
others
or
for
himself

Bleys
wondered
briefly
whether
Barbage
might
think
he
had
just won
a
point
from
Bleys;
but
he
shrugged,
mentally,
and
set
the
idea aside.
He
was
not
playing
any
game
in
which
points
mattered.

"Would
you
like
something
to
drink,
Captain?"
Bleys
asked mildly.
"Or
even
something
to
eat?—I'm
not
sure
how
far
you've
had to
come
today."

"I
have
not
come
far,"
Barbage
said.
His
words
seemed
to
be
a refusal
of
any
refreshment,
which
was
hardly
surprising,
coming from
this
ascetic
individual.
Barbage's
eyes
were
held
level,
his
gaze passing
over
Bleys'
head,
as
if
he
refused
to
recognize
the
First
Elder.
"I
have
been
awaiting
thy
arrival
in
this
fleshpot
of
a
city
for two
days."

A
reproof!
This
is
progress,
of
a
sort.

"I
know
you
would
never
approve
of
a
city
of
pleasure
like
this, Captain,"
Bleys
continued,
his
tone
as
mild
and
unreproachful
as before.
"But
I
didn't
call
you
here
to
afflict
you
with
the
atmosphere in
this
place.
Rather,
my
duties
have
required
that
I
come
here,
and it
was
efficient
to
call
you
to
me
here."

"I
am
always
at
thy
command,
Great
Teacher,"
Barbage
said, "and
of
course
at
the
call
of
the
First
Elder,
as
well."

That's
as
much
as
he
can
possibly
unbend,
Bley
s
thought,
eyeing
the officer.
Yes.
He
will
do
it.

"I
called
you
here,
Captain,"
Bleys
said,
"because
there
is
a
need for
you—one
I
felt
it
best
to
convey
to
you
in
person.
And
I've
chosen you
because
I'm
convinced
you're
the
best
man
for
this
task—not only
because
of
your
own
abilities,
but
because
of
your
past
history with
and
knowledge
of
Hal
Mayne."

With
that
Barbage's
eyes
came
down,
to
focus,
burning,
on
Bleys'
face,
an
intensity
in
them
that
would
have
made
other
people
want to
raise
their
hands.

"Surely
he
hath
left
this
planet,
Great
Teacher,"
Barbage
said. He
spoke
slowly,
but
there
was
an
edge
to
his
voice.
"Is
it
that
he hath
gone
to
Association—"

"No,
Captain,"
Bleys
said,
interrupting
the
question.
"He's
now well
beyond
your
reach."
He
gazed
directly
into
the
officer's
black eyes.
"But
a
way
to
reach
him
may
yet
be
available
to
us,
if
you
can carry
out
the
task
I
have
in
mind."

"What
is
that
task,
then,
Great
Teacher?"
Barbage's
head
had drawn
back
just
a
little,
as
if
he
were
preparing
to
spring
forward and
bite
Bleys.

"Hal
Mayne
is
gone,
Captain,"
Bleys
repeated,
"but
the
outlaws of
his
Command
are,
I
think,
still
at
large."

And
now
Bleys
saw
a
light
kindle
behind
those
dark
eyes.

"I
shall
find
them
for
thee,
Great
Teacher,"
Barbage
said.
His
eyes turned
down
for
an
instant;
then
rose
to
look
at
Bleys
directly
once more.

"Alive?"
he
asked,
his
light
baritone
voice
carrying
a
cold
message.

"Alive,"
Bleys
said.
"Particularly
their
leader,
the
woman
Rukh Tamani.
But
I
warn
you
to
be
very
careful
of
her:
I
have
met
her, and
I
tell
you
she
is
dangerous."

"I
know
of
the
woman,"
Barbage
said.
"She
is
indeed
strong
in her
evil.
It
will
avail
her
nothing."
The
look
in
his
eyes
was
ugly
to see.

"Nevertheless,
I
will
give
you
some
help,"
Bleys
said,
reverting to
a
more
formal
tone.
"You
will
shortly
receive
notice
that
you've been
promoted,
and
given
command
of
three
companies
of
Militia and
the
authority
to
commandeer
any
Militia
forces
in
areas
into which
your
pursuit
may
take
you."

Several
of
the
senior
Others
arrived
over
the
course
of
the
next
few hours,
sent
along
by
Toni
after
she
had
met
them
in
Citadel
and peeled
them
away
from
their
entourages.