Read Online John Maddox Roberts - Spacer: Window of Mind by John Maddox Roberts - Free Book Online
Authors: John Maddox Roberts
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Clan T'Chak."
"Greetings," said Izquierda. "My, Gertrude, you certainly have a . . . singular sort of crew. The true definition of the word 'motley' never struck me until now. 1 suppose K'Stin, here, would be handy to have along if you decided to take up piracy. I hear that the Vivers are great fighters."
The skipper flushed at the insult, but K'Stin went on, seemingly oblivious. "Very true. We are the greatest warriors in known space, and we despise only one thing more than a poor fighter or survivor."
"And what might that be?" asked Izquierda condescendingly.
"A coward," proclaimed K'Stin. "Especially one who traitorously abandons his own people to their death."
Izquierda went deathly white. Kiril had never seen such intense desire to murder in a man's eyes. "Do you know to whom you speak?" Each word was pronounced separately in a hissing whisper. Huerta looked at the Viver in horror.
K'Stin's chitinous lips bent almost into a grin, revealing the multiple rows of sawtoothed plates that served him for teeth. "Does this one wish to threaten me?" he said in his normal, noncommittal tone of voice. All of the Angel' s personnel leaped backwards, hauling Kiril with them, to be out of range of the Viver's murderous sword. A Viver had only one method of dealing with a threat. They did not believe in leaving live enemies behind their backs.
"Easy, K'Stin," said the skipper. "It's a mistake." She lurned to Izquierda. "Ramon, don't misunderstand. He doesn't know you. Until he joined us, he'd never been off his Clan ship before."
After a tense moment Izquierda regained his color. "I see. K'Stin, I misunderstood. I mean no threat to you." K'Stin regarded him for a moment with the awful grin, then turned and walked away. Kiril watched him go. Had he meant to insult Izquierda? Despite the skipper's words, Kiril remembered that K'Stin had been present when the skipper had told her about Izquierda. And K'Stin must have heard Huerta's whispered comment.
Pierce came rushing up, worry in his face. "Is anything the matter? We had not wanted to bring your party and Director Izquierda's together in view of your old antipathy." He shot his subordinate a look that promised a royal dressing down. "But," he continued, "let's forget any unpleasantness for the moment. The banquet is about to begin. Please come this way." They trailed off after Pierce into the next room.
"I can't say Izquierda's my favorite sort of person," Lafayette said, "but I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting a man-eating ogre at least."
"Are you crazy?" exclaimed Kiril. "That man's the most vicious killer I've ever seen in my life! He had me fooled too, at first, but when he looked at the skipper, I saw through him. Believe me, I know that breed when I see it."
"Well, if this is your normal reaction, I hope we run into a few more nasty characters." For the first time she noticed she was still clutching Lafayette's arm. She was surprised that it felt so natural. Back in Civis Astra any girl who lived without protection had to provide her own. That meant keeping all men at arm's length or better.
"Well," she said, "first time for everything."
They were led into a chamber as vast as the reception room, its walls hung with priceless Taurus IV tapestries and lined with parallel rows of tables. One long table was at right angles to the rest and stood on a slightly raised dais at one end of the room. Grand Admiral Nagamitsu was already seated at this table along with a few other brass-heavy officers and some members of the diplomatic and scientific missions. Izquierda and Huerta were also seated there. The Angel's crew were conducted to their seats at the lower tables. When a waiter tried to seat the skipper and the mate at a lower table, they brushed past him and went to the higher one.
"Urn, Captain HaLevy," said Pierce, "this table is reserved for naval officers of commodore standing and above, line officers of comparable rank, senior diplomats, and guests of the
"Greetings," said Izquierda. "My, Gertrude, you certainly have a . . . singular sort of crew. The true definition of the word 'motley' never struck me until now. 1 suppose K'Stin, here, would be handy to have along if you decided to take up piracy. I hear that the Vivers are great fighters."
The skipper flushed at the insult, but K'Stin went on, seemingly oblivious. "Very true. We are the greatest warriors in known space, and we despise only one thing more than a poor fighter or survivor."
"And what might that be?" asked Izquierda condescendingly.
"A coward," proclaimed K'Stin. "Especially one who traitorously abandons his own people to their death."
Izquierda went deathly white. Kiril had never seen such intense desire to murder in a man's eyes. "Do you know to whom you speak?" Each word was pronounced separately in a hissing whisper. Huerta looked at the Viver in horror.
K'Stin's chitinous lips bent almost into a grin, revealing the multiple rows of sawtoothed plates that served him for teeth. "Does this one wish to threaten me?" he said in his normal, noncommittal tone of voice. All of the Angel' s personnel leaped backwards, hauling Kiril with them, to be out of range of the Viver's murderous sword. A Viver had only one method of dealing with a threat. They did not believe in leaving live enemies behind their backs.
"Easy, K'Stin," said the skipper. "It's a mistake." She lurned to Izquierda. "Ramon, don't misunderstand. He doesn't know you. Until he joined us, he'd never been off his Clan ship before."
After a tense moment Izquierda regained his color. "I see. K'Stin, I misunderstood. I mean no threat to you." K'Stin regarded him for a moment with the awful grin, then turned and walked away. Kiril watched him go. Had he meant to insult Izquierda? Despite the skipper's words, Kiril remembered that K'Stin had been present when the skipper had told her about Izquierda. And K'Stin must have heard Huerta's whispered comment.
Pierce came rushing up, worry in his face. "Is anything the matter? We had not wanted to bring your party and Director Izquierda's together in view of your old antipathy." He shot his subordinate a look that promised a royal dressing down. "But," he continued, "let's forget any unpleasantness for the moment. The banquet is about to begin. Please come this way." They trailed off after Pierce into the next room.
"I can't say Izquierda's my favorite sort of person," Lafayette said, "but I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting a man-eating ogre at least."
"Are you crazy?" exclaimed Kiril. "That man's the most vicious killer I've ever seen in my life! He had me fooled too, at first, but when he looked at the skipper, I saw through him. Believe me, I know that breed when I see it."
"Well, if this is your normal reaction, I hope we run into a few more nasty characters." For the first time she noticed she was still clutching Lafayette's arm. She was surprised that it felt so natural. Back in Civis Astra any girl who lived without protection had to provide her own. That meant keeping all men at arm's length or better.
"Well," she said, "first time for everything."
They were led into a chamber as vast as the reception room, its walls hung with priceless Taurus IV tapestries and lined with parallel rows of tables. One long table was at right angles to the rest and stood on a slightly raised dais at one end of the room. Grand Admiral Nagamitsu was already seated at this table along with a few other brass-heavy officers and some members of the diplomatic and scientific missions. Izquierda and Huerta were also seated there. The Angel's crew were conducted to their seats at the lower tables. When a waiter tried to seat the skipper and the mate at a lower table, they brushed past him and went to the higher one.
"Urn, Captain HaLevy," said Pierce, "this table is reserved for naval officers of commodore standing and above, line officers of comparable rank, senior diplomats, and guests of the
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