Longyear, Barry Circus World 1 Circus World

Archiwum

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"It was a mistake to split up and scatter the force, Naavon."
Naavon nodded and swung the hovercraft on a shallow arc to the left. "Probably,
but this way we can cover the same amount of territory in one-tenth the time. If
Sadiss would have let us use the shuttles from his ship, it wouldn't be
necessary."
Goss laughed. "Naavon, if that piece of slime had kept his gang in check on the
central continent, we would have enough of our own shuttles."
Naavon grimaced. The central continent had been secure, but Mysor's bully boys
had stirred things up. Sabotage had left all but two of the shuttles from the
Sword useless. "Goss, have you heard anything further from the second company."
Goss shook his head and returned his gaze to the sensor screen. "My guess is
that the resistance on the central continent isn't organized and isn't directed
from here. I think it's simply a popular response to Mysor's political acumen
wait!" Goss adjusted the screen, then looked up and out through the canopy.
"Eighteen degrees to the right, in that valley. I picked up motion readings, but
they're gone now."
Naavon banked the craft to the right. "Let's take a look. We'll come in high
first." Naavon guided the craft down the length of the valley, turned and
hovered at the opposite end. "Readings?"
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Goss shook his head. "Nothing on motion or electromagnetic fields. Try it low
and slow and I'll look for some heat."
Naavon pushed the wheel forward, into the valley, and leveled the craft a few
meters from the treetops. "Anything?"
Goss studied the screen. "Not yet." Bits and flecks of red appeared on the
screen showing the rich animal life below, but none of the traces were large
enough to be men. "Wait... no, the way it moved off it must have been an
animal." Twin red streaks went up the sides of the screen. "Naavon "
"I see it!"
Goss looked up to see two rockets pulling skyward, lifting a huge net. The craft
lurched as Naavon attempted to avoid the trap, but the bottom of the net held to
the jungle floor causing the rockets to swing over, letting the net fall over
the craft. Naavon struggled to land the craft upright, but it pulled sideways
and slammed into a tree, then into a vine-covered rock wall. Naavon opened his
eyes to see the craft on its side, the canopy shattered open and himself staring
into the business end of a beamer. At the other end of the rifle was someone he
recognized from the intelligence
briefings: Oswald Painter. The young fellow grinned. "Well, well, Naavon Dor.
Look at you."
In the light of a single torch, Naavon walked around the small cave-prison
examining the wall while Goss played a dreamy melody on his flute. The field
officer halted his " search for an escape route and looked down at his second-
in-command sitting cross-legged on the cave floor.
"Seeing that four of our comrades are dead, Goss, wouldn't a serious tune be
more appropriate?"
Goss lowered the flute and looked up. "In scale with the universe, Naavon, what-
are the deaths of four mercenaries? Next to the rock that is the plan of the
Tenth Quadrant's warlords, we are but splashes of fluid, a hiss of vapor "
"You twist my words with skill, Goss." Naavon crossed his arms and leaned
against the cave wall. "Very well, old friend, let's hear it."
"Hear what?"
"Whatever it is you've been wanting to say ever since the Sword went into
orbit."
Goss shrugged, played a short phrase and stopped halfway through a repeat.
"We've been together a long time, Naavon." He smiled. "If you want, I know you
can outtalk me with theories and ideas. I am a soldier and I do not think in
terms of universes, thousand century schemes, not the kinds of thoughts you
have. Am I making sense?"
"Go on."
"Naavon, perhaps we are as you say scraps of dust, too unimportant to bother
with. But, I bother with them, because I am one of those scraps. If I could see
and know the entire universe at once... But, I don't. I see this cave around us;
I see you standing there. In battle, I see enemies bleed, friends die."
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Naavon squatted in front of Goss. "We are mercenaries, Goss."
Goss rubbed his chin, then tapped his flute against his knee. "These things I
see, Naavon, are the important things to me. We are different. You see the
destiny of the warlords shaping the universe; I see Arvan falling someday to an
armed force I see this filth, Mysor and Sadiss, serving the warlords by
destroying a way of life..."
"Mercenaries have no sides, Goss, except " "Except the pay voucher, I know. We
can have no cause,
Naavon, but I find myself in a strange position. I am in a war where I want...
no, where I have to take sides, and I find myself on the wrong one."
Naavon stood. "Goss, in time this planet won't even exist. How can you lend
yourself to this uncertain, minuscule corner of the present, when before you
stretches unlimited future?"
"I will never see it."
"Aah!" Naavon turned his back. "What's the use talking to you?"
"Probably none."
The field officer looked at Goss. "Tell me, then, Goss. If this is how you feel,
why do you not desert? Why do you not join the sorry forces of Momus? Why are
you still here with me?"
Goss lifted his flute and studied it. "In the scale of things, Naavon, my reason
is nothing less than nothing: the oath of one soldier to serve another. As I
said, it is nothing, but it is important to me." Goss resumed his playing.
Naavon looked up as a red and purple clad figure carrying a torch entered the
chamber. "Come with me. You two are to dine with Allenby." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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