Crusade (16 page)
Authors: TAYLOR ANDERSON
Franklen stared at him defiantly. “You’re one to talk.” His tiny eyes squinted around. “All of you, I bet.” They fell at last on Silva. “And you most of all, you ’Cat-lovin’ traitor!”
Gray and Donaghey almost weren’t quick enough to stop Silva from drawing the long bayonet at his side and ramming it into the top of Franklen’s head. Chack stood up, though, and watched Silva’s reaction with interest—as well as that of his sister, who came partly uncoiled from around the victim Pam was tending. With both a shudder and a sense of wonder, he realized their “carrying on” couldn’t be quite entirely a joke after all. Whatever it was, he was certainly getting a major contrast lesson in Silva and Risa’s relationship as opposed to others that were possible.
“We can’t get anywhere with him.” Donaghey sighed emotionlessly. “He just don’t get it.”
“I’ll get through to him,” Silva said softly, resheathing his bayonet and dropping to his knees in the sand. The two ’Cats who’d been holding Al fought his struggnt>a stared across the tent at the intensity of the eyes that glowed back at him from the females. One was filled with a murderous passion and the other . . . similar, but with a measure of devastation he’d seen only once before. In the belly of
Revenge
when they took the ship from the Grik and rescued the “provisions” there. He’d never been the sensitive sort and he’d used women like toys himself, but this . . . He almost felt ashamed to be a man. And to add a measure of icy mercury to his shame and his resolve, it suddenly dawned on him that this was the first time he’d ever seen a Lemurian teenage female seem just like a vulnerable, devastated, teenage girl. He was filled with a smoldering rage like he’d never known. Pam’s frequent glances in his direction weren’t much different from those of the Lemurians.
Revenge
when they took the ship from the Grik and rescued the “provisions” there. He’d never been the sensitive sort and he’d used women like toys himself, but this . . . He almost felt ashamed to be a man. And to add a measure of icy mercury to his shame and his resolve, it suddenly dawned on him that this was the first time he’d ever seen a Lemurian teenage female seem just like a vulnerable, devastated, teenage girl. He was filled with a smoldering rage like he’d never known. Pam’s frequent glances in his direction weren’t much different from those of the Lemurians.
“I’ll tell you something, Al. I like these ’Cats. A hell of a lot better than I like you. And I do think of ’em as ‘people.’ Hell, maybe even human. They’re a lot more human than you are; that’s a fact. I’ve fought with ’em and worked with ’em and spilled my blood alongside ’em. We’ve helped them and they’ve helped us.” He pointed at the crumpled child. “I don’t recognize her after what you done, but I bet I’ve fought alongside her!” He looked intently at Franklen. “The way I hear it, you never fought alongside anybody. Why don’t you tell us what you’ve done for ‘us humans’ since we got here, Al, ’cause by all accounts, it ain’t much. You supported Kaufman’s mutiny against Mr. Ellis, and look how many died because of that . . .”
“Pardoned,” Franklen gummed, but Silva went on.
“Let’s see, how many battles
have
you fought against the Griks that are swoopin’ down? You’ll at least agree they’re worse than ’Cats, won’t you?” There was no response. Dennis started counting on his fingers.
have
you fought against the Griks that are swoopin’ down? You’ll at least agree they’re worse than ’Cats, won’t you?” There was no response. Dennis started counting on his fingers.
“Well, let’s see. I seen—helped—the ’Cats fight like hell to save
Big Sal
from a gob as big as the one Mr. Ellis fought through. Which you was in the brig waiting for Captain Kaufman to come back aboard if what I hear is true. Skipped that one, didn’t you? Even stayed in the brig as ‘insubordinate’ the whole time the ship was laid up here and made no effort to give a hand.”
Big Sal
from a gob as big as the one Mr. Ellis fought through. Which you was in the brig waiting for Captain Kaufman to come back aboard if what I hear is true. Skipped that one, didn’t you? Even stayed in the brig as ‘insubordinate’ the whole time the ship was laid up here and made no effort to give a hand.”
“We were screwed, Silva, you dumb son of a bitch! Just look around yourself! The stupid ’Cats around here wouldn’t talk to us. They didn’t even care about the Griks until it was too late. All they cared about was fightin’ each other.” He spat a gobbet of blood. “Ellis weren’t no officer. He couldn’t get anything sorted out between ’em. And I did too agree to work on the ship.”
“You agreed to work on the ship—for a pardon,” Gray glowered, “because the ship was so shorthanded. Mr. Ellis should’a hung you. Instead, your skipper
forgave
you and let you loose. Figgers ‘let bygones be bygones and we’re all together now.’ My God, after seeing that field in front of the city how could you
think
anything else? But you sat out the battle on shore. Again. Even when it started to fall apart and everybody went to fight.”
forgave
you and let you loose. Figgers ‘let bygones be bygones and we’re all together now.’ My God, after seeing that field in front of the city how could you
think
anything else? But you sat out the battle on shore. Again. Even when it started to fall apart and everybody went to fight.”
Silva raised his eyebrows. “So on top of everything else, you really are a coward.” He shook his head. “Except where little girls are concerned. All you could think of, the first time nobody’s really watchin’ you, was grabbin’ up some . . . child and tearin’ her up like that. What were you gonna do next? You couldn’t have let her live.”
There was a sharp intake of breath and suddenly everyone in the tent knew Silva was right.
“Nah, Silva,” Franklen gushed. “It wasn’t like that! I wouldn’t’a really hurt her . . . I just wanted a piece—like you got!”
“Silva no have ‘piece,’ you piece of
shit
!” Her glare moved to encompass her brother as well. “He have
friend
. We make big joke, scare Chack. Scare Captain too, have big laugh . . . but we more than friends too.” Now she was talking directly to her brother. “Okay with you, the Captain.” She glanced at Pam. “Or anybody, that’s fine. Not okay?” She blinked sublime unconcern. “Still okay with Risa.”
shit
!” Her glare moved to encompass her brother as well. “He have
friend
. We make big joke, scare Chack. Scare Captain too, have big laugh . . . but we more than friends too.” Now she was talking directly to her brother. “Okay with you, the Captain.” She glanced at Pam. “Or anybody, that’s fine. Not okay?” She blinked sublime unconcern. “Still okay with Risa.”
“Now see,” Franklen whined, “I got no problem with that! That’s what—” He was almost dead before Silva and Chack could pull Risa off him and move her back across the tent.
Gray, Donaghey, Laney, and Steele were kneeling over the unconscious form as if deciding what to do with a dead snake, when Silva and Chack returned. Silva didn’t come right out and say “Sorry about that,” but his body language did. He did apologize for “using up all the air so far.”
“Hell. You just said what everybody was thinking,” said Gray. “Make no mistake. This is a trial. He’s admitted what he done, and you pointed out it would have been a lot worse if he hadn’t got caught.”
“Who caught him, anyway?”
“Steele. Sheer luck. He was runnin’ a final check before he went on deck for the party and heard her cries. Damn, he’s got good ears! Franklen had her down in
Mahan’
s steering engine room to show her the ‘machines.’ Hell, they can’t resist that. It’s like offerin’ ’em candy.”
Mahan’
s steering engine room to show her the ‘machines.’ Hell, they can’t resist that. It’s like offerin’ ’em candy.”
Silva felt another uncharacteristic twinge of guilt.
“How much of me and Risa ‘carrying on’ mighta, you know, contributed?”
Several faces became unreadable.
“I don’t reckon any,” said Gray at last. “For one thing, nobody really knew
what
you were up to, and I guess we still don’t. I’d just as soon keep it that way. ‘More than just friends’ can mean anything. Outside this tent, they still won’t know that much.” His eyes bored into Laney’s. “Besides, whatever it was, it sure wasn’t . . .” He spit on Franklen as the man groaned and began to come to. “Like this.”
what
you were up to, and I guess we still don’t. I’d just as soon keep it that way. ‘More than just friends’ can mean anything. Outside this tent, they still won’t know that much.” His eyes bored into Laney’s. “Besides, whatever it was, it sure wasn’t . . .” He spit on Franklen as the man groaned and began to come to. “Like this.”
“So,” Chack said at last, “what shall we do with this creature?” For the first time in a long time, he didn’t appear to be thinking about Silva when he said the word “creature.” Maybe he’d started to think over what his sister and friend had said—or maybe their “relationship” had finally been put in perspective for him. “We’ve already decided we can’t make an example of him, which is actually a shame. There are more than a few of my people who don’t think of humans as ‘people’ either.”
“That’s changing fast enough. We’ve spilled enough blood together. Besides, most of the ones who feel that way are on the other side of that wall, yonder, or they’ve run off.” Franklen was fully conscious again when Gray finished. “And pretty soon, there’ll be one less of ours who feels like that.”
“Let’s ask the girl,” Laney suddenly blurted. They were the first words he spoke. Donaghey nodded.
“Yeah. Let’s see what she wants to do with him.” Franklen began to thrash and moan, but the bloody gag went back in his mouth and Chack and Laney held him again. Having made the suggestion, Laney was more than willing to let others carry it out. The last thing he wanted to do, in his heart of hearts, was speak to a teenage rape victim of Franklen, who had awakened and was looking back. “And I want to eat his eyes.”
Donaghey glanced at his watch. “Whatever we do, and whatever she eats, we better get on with it. Sooner or later
some
officer is going to figure out there’s a hell of a lot of Indians running around without any chiefs to tell ’em what to do.”
some
officer is going to figure out there’s a hell of a lot of Indians running around without any chiefs to tell ’em what to do.”
“Right,” agreed Gray. “Call ’em in and we’ll sort this out.”
Except for Russ Chapelle and the Lemurian Marines, everyone else managed to squeeze in the tent. They made solicitous comments as they passed by “Blossom,” but had only hard stares for their former shipmate.
“We ain’t gonna have no jury,” Gray said. “The ‘accused’ was caught in the act, admitted what he done, and invited Mr. Steele to ‘get some’ himself. No one has since heard him deny he raped and brutalized one of our young female allies. He
is
guilty, so I won’t even call for a vote. The only thing we have left to decide is punishment.”
is
guilty, so I won’t even call for a vote. The only thing we have left to decide is punishment.”
Steele sighed. “We’re kind of in the same boat there. There’s only one punishment for what he did, and he probably would’ve done worse before he was finished.”
“I never figured chiefs had so much power,” Laney whispered. “This ain’t in the book!”
“No, it ain’t,” Gray growled. “There’re lots of things that ain’t in the book. This world we’ve wound up in, for one. But chiefs have always ‘handled’ things.” Gray looked at Donaghey. “And this ain’t the first time we handled somethin’ like this. Sometimes problems just have to go away and Franklen’s turned himself into one of those problems tonight. With all that’s at stake, we can’t dump this on the captain.”
“It will even look better from our point of view,” confirmed Chack, speaking very close to Franklen’s ear, “if news of this . . . event comes forward over time. It will show your people honor your leader and the alliance, but you also honor a youngling’s virtue enough not to wait until the ‘time is right’ to sort things out.” Blossom bristled at the “youngling,” but Chack blinked reassuringly. “You are still a youngling—I am scarcely beyond that myself—but you are also a Marine.”
“So, how are we gonna do it?” Silva asked, ever practical and to the point. “I’d kinda’ like to get some more dancin’ in before the party winds down.”
“We can’t shoot him, for obvious reasons,” Donaghey mused.
“Easiest thing is to take him down to the water and just throw him in. Let the flashies have him,” said Silva. “Where’d ol’ Al Jolson go? Hell if I know. Musta’ got drunk that night at the propeller party and fell in the water. Yeah, seen him swipin’ everybody’s half-empty seep cups when they was dancin’. Serves the bastard right.”
Gray looked thoughtful. “Say, that’s just how we’ll work it. You’re a fiend, Silva, but you’re a pretty good acting chief so far.”
Throughout this exchange, Franklen was unable to speak, but his eyes had begun to move rapidly back and forth. They were talking about killing him, right in front of him, matter-of-factly, like he wasn’t even there.
“You—You can’t do that!” protested Laney. Franklen leaned against him in relief and began to sob.
“What do you mean?” Gray asked menacingly. Laney gulped, but didn’t look away.
“I mean, kill him, sure. The bastard deserves it. eyes.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t throw him in the water alive, and that girl is sure not gonna eat his eyes. We’ve got rules during these illegal gettogethers, Laney. That’s the thing that makes us different from the Grik and from guys like Al. We’ve got rules of decency, of honor to follow, even when we’re breaking the rules of the Navy. And it’s because we take those rules so seriously that we’re breaking them in the first place. To protect the honor of our Navy, our ships and our people. See?”
“So how
are
we gonna kill him? We ain’t gonna hang him—not in here,” Silva persisted. “I don’t mean to sound all insensitive, but the bastard’s gotta die, and we prob’ly oughta’ quit sankoin’ along.”
are
we gonna kill him? We ain’t gonna hang him—not in here,” Silva persisted. “I don’t mean to sound all insensitive, but the bastard’s gotta die, and we prob’ly oughta’ quit sankoin’ along.”
“He’s right,” said Steele. “Let’s get on with it. Lots or volunteers?”
“Oh, for cryin’ out loud,” said Silva in an exasperated voice. “Somebody draws a short straw, or long straw, you gonna
make
’em kill him, Frankie? What if he can’t do it? Whoever kills him is gonna have to use their hands. What if they ain’t strong enough? Might as well sell tickets for that.” He turned to Laney.
make
’em kill him, Frankie? What if he can’t do it? Whoever kills him is gonna have to use their hands. What if they ain’t strong enough? Might as well sell tickets for that.” He turned to Laney.
“Would you like to kill him, Dean?”
Surprised, Laney looked around, then looked at the ground. Anywhere but at the prisoner or his victim. “No, Dennis, as a matter of fact I wouldn’t. Not in cold blood. I’ll do it, but I wouldn’t like to.” He looked up. “I guess I just ain’t the killer you are.”
“Few are,” agreed Silva equably. “Thing is, I shouldn’t have to kill him either, even though, for reasons of my own, I’d really kind of like to. But we all been told a chief ’s job is to lead. Well, we’re all of us chiefs, or acting chiefs or petty officers now, but some are higher than others. I been here before, even if I never got The Hat, but I never could keep it because I didn’t want the responsibility.” He walked over and looked Gray in the eye. “A
lot
of responsibility comes with that chief’s hat. You got time in grade on everybody. You’re ‘in charge.’ Maybe Frankie outranks you now, but there ain’t no officers here. Right here, right now, you’re it. So lead, Bosun. You either got to pick somebody to do it or you have to do it yourself.”
lot
of responsibility comes with that chief’s hat. You got time in grade on everybody. You’re ‘in charge.’ Maybe Frankie outranks you now, but there ain’t no officers here. Right here, right now, you’re it. So lead, Bosun. You either got to pick somebody to do it or you have to do it yourself.”
After a long moment, Gray nodded. “You would’a had The Hat a long time ago, Silva, if you weren’t such a maniac. Come on, we’ll do it together.”
With Laney and Chack still each on an arm, Silva grabbed the burly quartermaster’s mate around the chest. Wide-eyed, he struggled and moaned through his gag.
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