"The Space Barbarians" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

PART THREE OPPORTUNIST

Chapter One

Sublieutenant Mabsten heard the detector beginning to beep and walked over to the screen. He said to his warrant, “What is it, Venizelou?”

Warrant Venizelou was scowling down at the screen. “Four men, on foot. No, five. Metal on them, but not much.”

Marsten said, “Who’s on the laser rifles?”

“Jenkins and Motoshi on the one covering that direction.”

The sublieutenant looked down at the screen unhappily. “What in the name of Krishna are they doing, just walking toward us like that? You better have Jenkins cut them down.”

“Maybe they’re women.”

“Women don’t carry weapons.”

“Maybe they aren’t carrying weapons. That’s not much metal indicated.”

The sublieutenant was irritated. He was a younger man than the warrant—younger and considerably less experienced—and was continually reminded of it. He knew that the warrant and the eight enlisted men in his detachment were aware that this was his first command and that he was newly out of cadet school. Not that anything had been his fault, nor had he lost any of his small command, but everything seemed to go wrong in this remote post.

The warrant added, “Not enough metal to be a carbine or even a sword.”

The sublieutenant said, “We ought to be able to see them visually. Let’s go up on the roof.”

They went over to the side of the room where a ladder led upward. The building was approximately one hundred feet long and of roughhewn wood. The roof was flat, and at each end, behind sandbags, were rifle emplacements, two men at each.

The sublieutenant wore binoculars and now trained them. He looked for a long moment, then handed the glasses to Warrant Venizelou. “What do you make of it?”

The warrant put his eyes to the glasses, adjusted them slightly. “The one out in front’s got an orange robe on.”

“I’m not blind, “Marsten said.

“They’re coming from the direction of Nairn,” Venizelou said. “Nairn’s supposed to be pacified. United Mining’s been recruiting there.”

The lieutenant took the glasses back. He walked to the end of the roof and trained them on the approaching group again.

The two men stationed at the laser rifle looked up at him. One of them said, “Something, Lootenant?”

Marsten said, “Five men on foot.”

“You want we should ventilate them?”

“They don’t seem to be armed.”

The other enlisted man snorted at that.

The sublieutenant said unhappily, “They’re not even wearing kilts.”

“The only good Caledonian’s a dead one, sir, like everybody says.”

The sublieutenant said snappishly, “If we killed every native on the damned planet, United Interplanetary Mining’d have to import labor all the way from Sidon. The cornet’s warned us there’s been too much bloodshed already.”

He came to a sudden decision, returned his binoculars to their case and turned to the warrant, who had come up to stand beside him.

“We’ll go out and interrogate them.”

“Yes, sir.” Warrant Venizelou looked down at the riflemen. “You two keep slick, understand?”

“Sure, Warrant, we’re not empty. I still say, ventilate them.”

“That’s up to the sublieutenant to decide. Just keep that rifle trained.” The warrant turned and followed his officer.

In the room below, Warrant Venizelou picked up a short hand weapon and hung it over his shoulder by its sling before following Marsten through the door.

They issued forth into the open and advanced about fifty feet from the building and awaited the coming of the unknowns.

After a few minutes the warrant growled, “They’re all Caledonians.”

“How do you know?”

“The size of them. The shortest must be seven feet. We don’t grow ’em that size. That lead one in orange might be done up like a monk or guru, but he’s local.”

Sublieutenant Marsten said, “A lot of these people have taken soma, Warrant. Quite a few have even studied at the pagoda in New Sidon City.”

However, he unsnapped his holster and loosened the handgun. Warrant Venizelou slipped his own weapon from his shoulder and held it at a nonchalant ready.

Marsten called, “All right. You’re near enough. What do you want? This is a military post, and civilians are not allowed.”

The orange clad one continued to amble toward them, as though he hadn’t heard—or didn’t care. There was a dour quality in his face, but superimposed upon it was a gentle meekness, characteristic of one who has taken the hallucinogen soma. The others brought up the rear.

The warrant raised his weapon to the ready and trained it. “You heard the sublieutenant,” he snapped. “One more step, and I cut you in two.”

The orange clad one came to a halt and said mildly, “We walk in the path of Lord Krishna and hence know no evil.” He looked at the sublieutenant. “Have you taken your Soma, my son?”

The sublieutenant said impatiently, “I am a soldier; obviously not.”

The monk said, “That is true, my son. He who is of the military has not accepted, as yet, the teaching of Lord Krishna, ‘thou shalt not harm.’ ”

Marsten said, “What is it that you want, guru?”

The other said, “I am David and come from the town of Nairn, where I am in charge of the Shrine of Kalkin.” He turned and indicated the four men who followed him. All of these were attired in black robes, and all kept their peace. They were typical Caldonian clannsmen, save that y wore no kilts, nor did they carry claidheammors at their sides. “These are acolytes, desirous of taking their soma and entering into oneness with Lord Krishna.” All right. Very praiseworthy, I’m sure. But what are you doing here? Civilians aren’t allowed in the vicinity of military posts, thank Krishna for that!”

“My son,” the Guru David said chidingly, “you must not take the Lord Krishna’s name in vain, for it is he who leads us along the path to the Shrine of Kalkin.”

Warrant Venizelou waggled the muzzle of his gun back and forth in a negative gesture. “You heard the sublieutenant, guru. What’d you want here? You better turn around and git on back to Nairn. Out here you got a good chance to get picked up by some raiding party, and most these clannsmen don’t go for none of you people that’s taken soma.”

The monk looked at him in gentle reproof. “When you have taken your soma, my son, all evil will depart you, and no longer will you even dream of harming any living thing.”

“I know, I know,” Venizelou grunted. “But what’ya want here?”

The orange clad monk looked back to the sublieutenant. “My son, when the Guru Mark left Nairn to spread the message of Lord Krishna elsewhere, in my care he put a supply of soma sufficient for the needs of all in Nairn who might wish to enter into the Shrine of Kalkin. However, two weeks past, a raiding party from Dumbarton entered into the city and seized and destroyed the sacred soma. These four acolytes”—he gestured at his followers—“wish to follow the footsteps of Lord Krishna but have so soma.”

“Why come to me?” Marsten said. “This is a military post, not a pagoda. The nearest pagoda is in New Sidon.”

“But my son, that is many miles from here, and we have not even horses. Since so many of the people of Nairn have taken soma, the raiding parties, unresisted, have driven off all the horses, and we lack transportation. Is it not possible for you to communicate with the pagoda and have a fresh supply of holy soma sent to us?”

The sublieutenant thought about it. He said finally. “My detector indicated metal on you. What is it?”

“Metal?” the monk said blankly. Then, “Ah.” He looked at his four followers in mild reproof. “The acolytes have not as yet taken their soma and hence have fears unknown to the initiates. They carry skeans, so as to fight off the wild dogs.”

“Wild dogs,” Venizelou said. “That’s a new one. What wild dogs?”

The guru said, “My son, long years past when the Inverness Ark, which carried the first settlers to Caledonia, crashed, there were aboard various life forms from Mother Earth, including pets. In the misty years that followed the crash, many of these took to the wilderness and multiplied. Today there are both wild dogs, who run in packs, and wild cats, descended from the common house cat.”

The sublieutenant said, “Warrant, stay here with the guru and his converts. I’ll put in a report on this.”

“Yes, sir.”

Marsten turned and strode off for the building that housed his detachment. On the roof, both laser rifles were trained on the small group from Nairn. At the windows, the four enlisted men off-duty were staring out at the newcomers. The lieutenant disappeared inside.

The guru’s eyes went about the vicinity.

“I do not believe I have been here before,” he said. He took in the considerable wreckage. “There was disaster?”

“Kinda,” Warrant Venizelou said. “This usta be some kind of village of herdsmen, like. When the cornet based us here, these wild clansmen were dullies enough to try’n give us a hard time. So we had to flame the resta the houses down.”

There was infinite hurt in the face of the monk. “You mean this was a small town and you have driven the folk away?”

“That’s one way of puttin’ it, friend. But it’s the only way of dealing with these people. They’re born bandits. They don’t work. Or anyway, just enough to barely get by. They spend full time stealing from each other. They’ll spend a week sitting behind a rock on a hillside, waiting to get a potshot at their neighbor, when they oughta be out plowing or whatever.”

“But… my son, this was their town.”

The warrant was contemptuous. “They couldn’t get it into rough their empty skulls that we were going to be based here if they wanted it that way or not. We had to flame down half the clannsmen the first day. The rest took to the hills. For a while we let the women and kids stay, but you couldn’t even trust them. Finally, we cut the houses down, except for the one we’re in, and sent the rest of them packing.”

“But where do they live now?”

Venizelou shrugged. “Up in the hills somewheres, I guess. From time to time they pull some trick. Used to come especially at night. Guess they didn’t know our detectors can see as well at night as day. But we still can’t get any distance from the base without running the chance of being cut off or sniped at.”

Sublieutenant Marsten returned. “All right,” he said. “I called New Sidon City. The skimmer was coming out today, anyway with stores. A supply of soma is being sent. Come on into the longhouse. You must be hungry.” Silently, the five followed him.

Warrant Venizelou slung his weapon back over his shoulder and brought up the rear.

Inside the commandeered longhouse, the sublieutenant led them to the living quarters and gave instructions to one of the enlisted men to get food and drink for the visitors. The acolytes quietly took seats, but the orange robed monk was obviously intrigued, in a horrified way, with the military establishment. The former clann longhouse had been converted into a barracks and military spick and span was the order.

The sublieutenant, somewhat proud of his first command, was not averse to showing him around, and the follower of Krishna was properly impressed by such devices as the autostove and properly shocked by the weapons.

He said, gentle reproof in his voice, “My son, before I took my soma, upon the urging of the Guru Mark, I, too, was a clannsman, a raider. But my weapons were simple affairs, a claidheammor, a skean, a carbine. But these terrible things…” He gestured at the warrant’s short hand weapon.

The sublieutenant grunted. “Fires a limited range laser beam. Actually, weapons aren’t as sophisticated as all that. No reason to be, I suppose. They haven’t progressed to any degree beyond the point they were at way back when world government was first established on Mother Earth. By the time the League of Planets was formed, everybody took a dim view of further development of arms, and it’s now against the League Canons. I suppose if ever man ran into another intelligent life form in the galaxy, especially an aggressive one, we’d go back to research, but as it is.”

“Laser beam?” the guru said.

“Ummm!” The other tapped the pistol at his hip. “This is the smallest size. It will cut a man or horse in two at a thousand yards. The warrant’s gun, there, triples that range and more. The rifles up on the roof will cut through a spaceship just as easily, and the range is all but infinite. The laser’s by far the superior of any projectile weapon ever devised.”

The guru shuddered and in protest murmured, “My son, my son.”

Marsten shrugged. “If this planet is ever to be developed, we’ve got to curb these bandits. And the only thing they understand is force. They’d rather raid than eat. We’ve got nearly as many soldiers on this planet as there are men in the mines. And if anything, we could use more. Sink a mine shaft, and friend, you’d better have a military post right next to it, or you’ll wake up some morning with all your technicians and laborers dead and everything portable stolen.”

The guru said in puzzlement, “But my son, what is it that motivates you? You come from a far world to thus aid in the pacification of Caledonia. But why? Why do you feel it urgent to do so? The followers of the path of Lord Krishna who came from worlds beyond, I can understand, for verily the word of the final Avatara of Vishnu must be spread. But you have not taken your soma and thee do not proselytize.”

Warrant Venizelou chuckled.

Marsten glared at him in irritation but said to the monk, “Actually, the warrant is right. We’re motivated by personal gain, actually. You see, we come from the planet Sidon. It’s one of the frontier worlds, and the socioeconomic system is free enterprise, each man for himself and the devil take the hindmost.”

“I do not understand, my son.”

Marsten looked at his wrist chronometer. He scowled and said, “That skimmer should be coming in. Warrant, take a look at the detector, focus it on long range.”

Warrant Venizelou left the room, and the sublieutenant looked back at the monk. He returned to his subject. “In a society based on money, guru, if you’re not born with it, then you’d best devote your efforts to acquiring it as quickly as you can, because life can be pretty basic without an adequate supply. I was born with precious little. When the opportunity presented itself to come to Caledonia at triple the usual pay of a soldier and the possibilities of bonuses, I took it.”

The guru was aghast. “But my son, you mean you fight for pay? You harm your fellowman for personal gain? Verily, my son, it is time you took your soma, turned your back on crass materialism and walked the path of Lord Krishna. The sublieutenant sighed. “Yes, I know. However, there is a girl back on Sidon and a business I can buy into. Besides, this planet needs opening up, needs to be civilized, and if I didn’t do it, somebody else would. United Interplanetary Mining has the concessions and so far has been able to satisfy the League authorities that all is legal and aboveboard here on Caledonia.” The sublieutenant chuckled sourly. “It’s fairly easy to convince authorities that are so far away that it takes a year and more to get a message back, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that if a representative ever came through here the fur would fly.”

“I don’t understand, my son.”

Marsten grinned. “The League’s got some pretty rugged rules pertaining to the development of one planet by another, when both are populated. United Interplanetary Mining has a reputation for cutting corners. I don’t really know if the League of Planets is even aware that Sidon military forces are on Caledonia.”

The warrant came back in and said, “I’ve got the skimmer on the detector, sir. I imagine it’ll be in in a matter of minutes.”

The sublieutenant came to his feet. “All right, Warrant. Let’s go. I hope to Krishna they brought a ration of nip. The men are going around the bend in this Krishna forsaken post.”

Warrant Venizelou said, “Yes, sir. However, if they have brought a few bottles, we’re going to have to be sure that we get hinged only two or three at a time. That’s all these raiders need, is for us all to be smashed at once.” The monk trailed along behind them, saying, “I am always fascinated to see one of the vehicles that travels through the air. Verily, the Lord Krishna works miracles beyond belief for you who come from the far stars.” They strolled out to a cleared space that had probably once been the small town’s public square. The sublieutenant was followed by the warrant, the orange robed guru and two of the enlisted men who were off-duty. They stood at the side of the square and stared off into the north.

Shortly a speck appeared and began to grow larger.

The sublieutenant said, “We used to use groundcars, hovercraft, but some of these clansmen are getting slick. Not in this vicinity, as yet, knock on wood. But the Highland Confederation raiders have captured some laser small arms and have flamed down several of our vehicles.”

The guru was shocked. “Caledonian clannsmen using ought but carbines? But that is against the bann by which they live.”

“Yeah,” Venizelou said sourly. “They’re learning fast.”

The approaching skimmer was growing now. It swooped in. hovered for a brief moment above the field, as though checking before descent, and then dropped quickly and settled to rest in the square’s middle. It was a craft of considerable size, quite capable of holding a score of men and their field equipment or an equivalent amount of freight.

The group, started off toward the aircraft, the guru walking diffidently to one side.

An entry port opened in the side of the vehicle, and a uniformed officer in his early middle years stepped forth. The soldiers, headed by the sublieuenant, snapped to the salute.

Marsten said, “At your command, Comet DeRudder.” He turned and indicated the orange clad religious leader. “May I present the Guru David of the town of Nairn?”

DeRudder’s face darkened in a scowl. He stepped closer to the Caledonian monk and stared upward into his face.

He said finally. “It’s been a long time, but I’ve been able to follow your career from a distance.”

He turned to the sublieutenant and snapped, “His name isn’t David, and he isn’t from Nairn. He was born in what was the town of Aberdeen, and his name is John Hawk. He’s also not a guru. He’s Sachem of the Clann Hawk and Supreme Raid Cacique of the Loch Confederation!”

DeRudder spun and shouted at the aircraft, “On the double!”