Eternity's End (20 page)

"Why, those—" Morgan began, then caught herself. "No, it's not their fault. So what do we do now?"

Harriet muttered to herself as she smoothed the paper out to read it again. She was clearly struggling to maintain her professional dignity. "Hope we can get diplomatic protection from the Narseil, I suppose."

Diplomatic protection?
Legroeder began pacing under the dome. If the Spacing Authority was ready to arrest them the moment they left the Narseil asteroid, then they were effectively prisoners here. Unless he could find some other way to leave—not for Faber Eridani, but perhaps another star system. The Narseil probably had diplomatic ships here. It was a long shot, but they did have some goals in common.

But what about Harriet and Morgan?

"What?" Morgan said, peering at him. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking," he said, "that we need to talk to El'ken again. How long's the day in this place?"

"Eighteen hours," said Harriet. "It's the middle of the night now."

"Then we'd better get some sleep. Morning will be here real soon."

They found the historian busy at his desk. He looked as if he had been awake for hours.

"Have you ever heard of a group called 'Centrist Strength'?" El'ken asked, before they had a chance to say a word. He turned from the long desk-shelf that lined the wall of his cavern, and dusted his hands together.

"Yes, certainly," Harriet said. "Why?"

"Then you're familiar with their view that the Centrist Worlds should reclaim their mantle as leader of the galaxy and strike out in a colonizing movement? 'Destiny Manifest,' they call it. 'Timid no longer—ours the stars!' is one of their slogans."

Legroeder answered impatiently, "Yes, but—"

"Interestingly enough, this group is reported to have ties with several of the old Kyber worlds—and maybe even with the Free Kyber.
Adversaries
of the Centrist Worlds. I only bring them up as a possible factor behind your current problem."

"Which just got worse, last night," Legroeder said.

"Yes, I heard." The old Narseil pressed his fingertips together in what seemed a very human gesture. "That was most unfortunate, the arrival of the Spacing Authority and the departure of your transportation. Perhaps there is something I can do to help you—beyond bestowing temporary diplomatic protection."

Legroeder blinked. "I'm listening."

"Yes. Well, I doubt you can fight them on their own territory. But suppose I could get you to a place where you could gain information far beyond what I have to give you."

"I would appreciate that very much," Legroeder answered.

"And would you be interested in trying to gain information directly from the Kyber?"

"I certainly would."

The Narseil stood very still, gazing at Legroeder. "Then we must get you out of the Faber Eridani system. There may be a way..."

"Yes?"

"You would travel aboard a Narseil naval vessel, with diplomatic immunity. From there, you could join in with certain efforts of our own."

"Yes?"

"But I must tell you... you would eventually be entering a—how shall I put it?" El'ken paused, touching his oval mouth with one finger. "Hostile environment."

Legroeder felt a ripple of fear. "More hostile than I'm facing here?"

"I would think so. Although you would be in the company of Narseil naval officers, so the risk would be shared."

"Are we talking about... the Kyber worlds?"

"In a manner of speaking." The Narseil's face contorted in an expression of discomfort. "I suppose there's no easy way to put this to you." El'ken looked away for a moment, then whirled back, his robe billowing. "If you want to know more about
Impris
and those who follow her, you must go to a place where such matters are pursued."

"You mean the Narseil Rigging—wait a minute." Legroeder caught himself. "What
are
you saying—"

"That if you want to go fishing, you must go where the fish are, yes? An old human saying?"

Legroeder pressed his lips together in anger.
So much for private conversations
.

El'ken waved a hand. "I apologize for any intrusion."

Legroeder let his breath out slowly.
Forget it; let it go
. "So where... do you propose that we go to do this fishing?"

"To an outpost of the Free Kyber Republic."

"The—?"

"Free Kyber." El'ken coughed delicately. "The raiders."

Legroeder felt as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. He stood stunned, struggling to draw a breath. Finally he managed, "Do you know how long I spent
getting away
from the pirates?"

"Yes, I do," El'ken said. "Nevertheless, my offer is to send you back into the lion's den. To a pirate stronghold." He held up a hand to forestall protests from Morgan and Harriet, then tugged the closures of his robe together. "To fully explain, I must reveal certain things that are classified as secret. Before I can do that, I require an oath of secrecy from you. All of you."

Back into the lion's den
. Legroeder shook his head to dispel the buzzing sensation in his head, and a surreal feeling of disconnection from the world around him.

"I do not suggest this lightly. And I assure you—I would not send you back to the place where you served your captivity."

"Then what exactly would you do?"

El'ken drew himself taller. "Are you willing to take an oath of secrecy? All of you?"

Legroeder laughed harshly. "Who would we tell?"

"Perhaps no one. But that is not the question. There are others involved, and I must be able to assure
them
of your sincerity."

"I'll take your oath," said Harriet, echoed by Morgan.

Legroeder shrugged. "Okay. Sure."

"Very well." El'ken brought his hands to his chin. "There are preparations underway, through the Narseil naval undercover services, to mount a mission to infiltrate a pirate outpost. The goal is to gain intelligence—about pirate operations and about, as it happens,
Impris
."

Legroeder was speechless.

"It is not only human ships that fall prey to pirates, you know. My own people are victims, all too often." El'ken's gaze shifted for a moment to the emptiness of space, beyond the dome. "And now we have made plans to do something about it."

"But
how?
By attacking a raider outpost? You can't be serious!"

"I did not say attack. A Narseil ship is being readied to go undercover, in search of information."

Legroeder blinked uncomprehendingly.

"The intent is to be captured. Or to
seem
to be captured."

"You must be joking."

"I am not. There will be danger, obviously. However, considerable preparation has gone into the mission. We have found—" El'ken hesitated, and his eyes closed to vertical slits for a moment "—sympathetic connections within the raider organization, which lead us to believe there may be hope of success. But clearly the mission would benefit from the assistance of someone who has spent years among the pirates, and who knows much about their methods and systems." His yellowish eyes widened again, which had the effect of making his entire face seem to glow.

"No doubt it would," said Legroeder. "But how would this be anything but a death sentence for me? I'd not only be an infiltrator and a spy, I'd be a returning escapee."

"To put it mildly," Morgan interjected. "Legroeder! You'd have to be crazy!"

"Perhaps he would," El'ken agreed. "However, a great many Narseil naval personnel are crazy too, perhaps. Because they are preparing, even as we speak—and the mission will soon be off."

"Forgive me, Academic," said Harriet, "but this is a rather sudden proposal—and not one that I feel at all—" she struggled to find the right word, and finally shook her head "—happy with."

"None of us is
happy
with it, Mrs. Mahoney."

"No, but I'm here to advise and protect my client's interests. Before I could even
think
of allowing him to do this, I'd have to know a lot more. Academic, what hope is there
really
that this mission will succeed—and that Legroeder would come back alive?"

El'ken pressed his hands together and took a seat on the bench. "I will tell you what I can." He glanced from one to another; no one was breathing. "You see, it seems there may be an
underground
within the pirate organization. Our contact has advised us that we might, surprisingly, have some needs in common. Interests to be shared. You would not
altogether
be walking into a hostile situation..."

El'ken talked for a long time, even calling for refreshments midway through their discussion. He described a daring (far-fetched?) plan for penetrating a raider stronghold—one well away from the area of DeNoble, the outpost from which Legroeder had fled. Legroeder listened, but distractedly. He cared about the particulars of the plan, and yet in a sense, he didn't. A part of him was willing to trust the Narseil to put together a viable scheme—it was either completely crazy, or wasn't, but he doubted that he would have much to add to it one way or another.

He wondered which was the crazier prospect: embarking upon a dubious Narseil undercover operation, or turning himself back over to the Faber Eri Spacing Authority, who would lock him up and throw away the key. Which would give him the better chance of proving the existence of
Impris
and still being alive at the end of the exercise?

"...and so you see, we will be depending upon stealth, meticulous planning, and judicious use of connections within the Free Kyber organization. Rigger Legroeder, are you following me?"

Legroeder blinked and nodded to the Narseil. "Get captured, get information, get out."

El'ken rocked slowly on his bench. "Put simply, yes. You understand the steps leading to it?"

Legroeder shrugged. "More or less. It sounds like an astronomically long shot to me. But maybe not absolutely impossible."

"It sounds insane to me," Morgan said.

"I would have to agree with Morgan," said Harriet. "And yet—"

"What?"
Morgan asked, in disbelief.

"Well, if his only alternative is to surrender to that Spacing Authority cruiser out there..." Harriet lowered her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Academic, is there no other option? No way you could get Legroeder out of the Faber Eri system to go searching for information, short of going back to the pirates?"

The Narseil rose and walked to the edge of his pool. He turned back. "No other way that I know of. No way to get him protected on one of our ships, without his participation in the mission. I'm sorry."

Harriet sighed. "What do you think, Legroeder? We're talking about your life, here."

Legroeder nodded without answering. He had no answer. For a few moments, the only sound was the chuckling of water in El'ken's pool. Finally Harriet spoke again. "I think this is a decision not to be made in haste. Academic, could we have some time to think, and talk, about it?"

"Of course," said El'ken. "But not too much time. We can stall the Spacing Authority for a while. But once diplomatic pressure is brought to bear..." He raised his hands in something like a shrug. "Thank you for considering the proposal. I will await your choice." And with that, he stepped into the water and vanished beneath the surface.

Lunch was a somber affair. Legroeder had more or less made up his mind, without voicing it. He went through the pros and cons with his friends, perhaps hoping to be persuaded otherwise. But so far, nothing led him away from the inevitable choice.

He was depressed by the conclusion he had come to, but he didn't see any other way. "Whatever happens," he said, "I'm not going to be able to do much to help Maris. Promise me that you'll do everything you can for her?"

"You know we will," Harriet said. She peered at him, frowning. "You've decided to go, haven't you?"

Legroeder saw Morgan's eyes widening, and he looked away, staring at nothing for a few moments. "I guess we should go tell El'ken."

"Legroeder, you're not—" Morgan began, then caught herself as he smiled at her.

"What else can I do?" he asked gently. He turned to Harriet. "I promise I'll try to find out about your grandson."

Harriet nodded. She fiddled with her glasses, trying unsuccessfully to disguise her anxiety. "Legroeder, if I knew another way... even giving yourself up to the authorities..."

"Forget it, Harriet. There is no other way. By the time we get the evidence we need on Faber Eridani, they will have brainwiped me six ways from Tuesday." He drew a breath and bared his teeth. "So... can we please smile, everyone?"

El'ken was unavailable that afternoon, but sent a message to Harriet, informing her that the Faber Eridani authorities had made an initial filing for Legroeder's and her own extradition with the Narseil government. Time was growing short. He would speak to them first thing the next morning.

Legroeder retired to his room to think; to sleep, if he could. Instead he ended up pacing round and round in the tiny, stone-walled bedroom. Memories of the pirate outpost kept surfacing in his mind: the slamming of gates, shouts as new captives were brought in...

The door hummed. He stopped pacing and tried to force that mental image out of his mind. "Who is it?"

"Me. Morgan. May I come in?"

He turned and swung open the stone-and-metal door. "I thought you'd gone to bed."

"I thought so, too. But I have a message for you. Mother was going to bring it, but I offered to." She took a folded mylar paper out of her breast pocket and handed it to him. "It's from El'ken."

Legroeder opened the paper.

"Barrister Mahoney:

I have been in contact with appropriate elements of the Narseil Navy. They are willing to accept Renwald Legroeder as a member of the special services undercover mission, provided he agrees to certain temporary, but essential, surgical alterations and augmentations. We are to transmit an answer by 0900 tomorrow. In the event Rigger Legroeder does not wish to accompany the team, the three of you may remain on this asteroid as our guests until such time as the extradition negotiations have run their course.