leader, facing Cole.
"You go to hell," said Cole. "I'll make no such pledge. My crew may be traitors, but I'm not."
"What?" bellowed Forrice.
"You heard me," said Cole. "You're a disgrace to your uniform."
He reached out and pushed the Molarian in the chest, while mouthing the words Grab me.
Forrice stared at him as if in shock, but made no attempt to reach out for him.
Shit! thought Cole. You can speak Terran, but you form the words differently. You cant read my lips.
"And you," he said, turning on Christine. "You're no better than he is!"
Hit me! he mouthed.
Christine stepped forward. "You almost got us all killed!" she yelled. "Don't you call me a traitor!"
She took a swing at Cole. He ducked, slipped around behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. Lowering his head, he whispered: "As soon as you're out of here, tell—"
"Mount Fuji, I know," she whispered back.
"No!"
They were pulled apart by the Bortellites before he could say anything further.
I've got to get the message to you somehow. "It's going to make headlines when they court-martial you," he said bitterly. Do you understand? Did you spot the key word? If you didn't, I'm in big trouble.
"I hope they cut you into pieces!" she snarled. She turned to the Bortellite leader. "Am I free to go?"
I hope to hell that means you've figured it out.
"Yes," he replied. "But if you return, we will destroy your vessel."
"I thought Rapunzel was supposed to be a neutral planet," said Forrice.
"It is," said the Bortellite. "But we will view your reappearance as an act of aggression and will respond in kind."
"What if we consider your presence an act of aggression?" the Molarian shot back.
Shut up and get out of here before he changes his mind!
"We are not under the command of an officer who refuses to acknowledge Rapunzel's neutrality, or our right to be here," was the reply.
Cole was sure that Forrice was about to argue the point, so he decided he had to put an end to it. "Get out of my sight, you spineless coward!" he snarled. Please, he added mentally.
Forrice finally realized what Cole wanted. "Don't kill him too quickly," he said to the Bortellite. He began walking toward the hatch, followed by Christine. Cole could tell by their body language that they were leaving reluctantly, almost under protest.
The Kermit took off a moment later, and the Bortellite leader studied Cole carefully. "Your features seem familiar," he said at last. He continued staring. "Very familiar." Pause. "But I couldn't be that lucky. Why would they send you to this nothing in the middle of nowhere?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," replied Cole.
The Bortellite kept studying Cole. "Probably I'm wrong. Men all tend to look alike. But just in case, I think we'll run a scan on your implanted ID chip."
"I'll save you the trouble. I am Commander Wilson Cole, Second Officer of the Theodore Roosevelt."
"I knew it!" exclaimed the Bortellite. "We have captured the notorious Wilson Cole!"
Cole shrugged. "These things happen."
The leader turned to a subordinate. "Notify the ship, and have them prepare a cell with the proper oxygen content for our prisoner." Then, to Cole: "What is a warrior of your credentials doing out here on the Rim?"
"Wondering what you feed your prisoners."
"You do not seem very concerned about your situation."
"I'm a reasonable man," said Cole. "I'm willing to negotiate."
"For your freedom?" said the Bortellite with what passed for a harsh laugh.
"For yours."
"Bold words for a prisoner whose ship and crew have deserted him."
"I'm an optimist," said Cole.
"Somehow you do not seem like the legendary warrior we have heard so much about."
Cole smiled at him. "The day is young yet," he said.
The day got older quickly. Cole was kept under heavy guard, given some foul-smelling food that his captors seemed to relish, and questioned interminably. He answered every question freely and willingly, never once telling the truth, but creating such a
"You go to hell," said Cole. "I'll make no such pledge. My crew may be traitors, but I'm not."
"What?" bellowed Forrice.
"You heard me," said Cole. "You're a disgrace to your uniform."
He reached out and pushed the Molarian in the chest, while mouthing the words Grab me.
Forrice stared at him as if in shock, but made no attempt to reach out for him.
Shit! thought Cole. You can speak Terran, but you form the words differently. You cant read my lips.
"And you," he said, turning on Christine. "You're no better than he is!"
Hit me! he mouthed.
Christine stepped forward. "You almost got us all killed!" she yelled. "Don't you call me a traitor!"
She took a swing at Cole. He ducked, slipped around behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. Lowering his head, he whispered: "As soon as you're out of here, tell—"
"Mount Fuji, I know," she whispered back.
"No!"
They were pulled apart by the Bortellites before he could say anything further.
I've got to get the message to you somehow. "It's going to make headlines when they court-martial you," he said bitterly. Do you understand? Did you spot the key word? If you didn't, I'm in big trouble.
"I hope they cut you into pieces!" she snarled. She turned to the Bortellite leader. "Am I free to go?"
I hope to hell that means you've figured it out.
"Yes," he replied. "But if you return, we will destroy your vessel."
"I thought Rapunzel was supposed to be a neutral planet," said Forrice.
"It is," said the Bortellite. "But we will view your reappearance as an act of aggression and will respond in kind."
"What if we consider your presence an act of aggression?" the Molarian shot back.
Shut up and get out of here before he changes his mind!
"We are not under the command of an officer who refuses to acknowledge Rapunzel's neutrality, or our right to be here," was the reply.
Cole was sure that Forrice was about to argue the point, so he decided he had to put an end to it. "Get out of my sight, you spineless coward!" he snarled. Please, he added mentally.
Forrice finally realized what Cole wanted. "Don't kill him too quickly," he said to the Bortellite. He began walking toward the hatch, followed by Christine. Cole could tell by their body language that they were leaving reluctantly, almost under protest.
The Kermit took off a moment later, and the Bortellite leader studied Cole carefully. "Your features seem familiar," he said at last. He continued staring. "Very familiar." Pause. "But I couldn't be that lucky. Why would they send you to this nothing in the middle of nowhere?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," replied Cole.
The Bortellite kept studying Cole. "Probably I'm wrong. Men all tend to look alike. But just in case, I think we'll run a scan on your implanted ID chip."
"I'll save you the trouble. I am Commander Wilson Cole, Second Officer of the Theodore Roosevelt."
"I knew it!" exclaimed the Bortellite. "We have captured the notorious Wilson Cole!"
Cole shrugged. "These things happen."
The leader turned to a subordinate. "Notify the ship, and have them prepare a cell with the proper oxygen content for our prisoner." Then, to Cole: "What is a warrior of your credentials doing out here on the Rim?"
"Wondering what you feed your prisoners."
"You do not seem very concerned about your situation."
"I'm a reasonable man," said Cole. "I'm willing to negotiate."
"For your freedom?" said the Bortellite with what passed for a harsh laugh.
"For yours."
"Bold words for a prisoner whose ship and crew have deserted him."
"I'm an optimist," said Cole.
"Somehow you do not seem like the legendary warrior we have heard so much about."
Cole smiled at him. "The day is young yet," he said.
The day got older quickly. Cole was kept under heavy guard, given some foul-smelling food that his captors seemed to relish, and questioned interminably. He answered every question freely and willingly, never once telling the truth, but creating such a
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