Read Online Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights by Lawrence White - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lawrence White
Ads: Link
stopping the dying. Let the rumors spread.”
Havlock studied Galborae for a long time, his mind considering the scope of their mission and Galborae’s part in it, then he shook his head. “You’re wrong. The cost to your people is not my concern. It’s yours.”
“My concern is gleasons.”
“No. You’re a knight. That means you’re a leader. I don’t know how good a leader you are, but your people need you to be a great leader. Your king and all the other kings will need guidance when we arrive. I’m counting on you to lead them through this terrible time. My men and I will deal with the gleasons, and we’ll do our best not to frighten everyone while we do so, but we’re going to fail at that. Many, many, many people will learn of us, and they won’t understand. General Stymes is putting together a program to help them. He’ll bring more soldiers, and he’ll bring scholars and experts to explain things, but those experts will need your help. So will your kings—all of them. I need you to start thinking bigger.”
“My people are stronger than you think.”
“We can’t bring all of them for a ride into space to teach them what you know.”
“They don’t need a ride into space. They need to survive. They’ll be desperate for food by the time we return. Farmers were not able to plant this season.”
“We can’t feed a whole planet.”
“Why not?”
Havlock rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. I’ll discuss it with General Stymes before we ship out. He might be able to send rations or something, but you’re talking about a whole world starving. To the best of my knowledge, he hasn’t been thinking along those lines. I know I haven’t.”
He clapped Galborae on the back. “See, you’re already helping them, and not just the people in your town. You’re helping everyone on the planet. Keep thinking along those lines.”
Chapter Five
That night Havlock borrowed a shuttle and took Galborae into orbit. When they approached the dark side of the planet and the many, many lights below came into view, Galborae got a better feeling for how many people lived on a planet.
“Imagine each light down there representing a town on your world,” Havlock said. “There will be many kings among them. You have to go to each king and explain who we are and why we have come. How are you going to do it?”
Galborae’s eyes blinked rapidly. “Are there so many?”
“I don’t know,” Havlock said, his hand taking Galborae’s shoulder in support, “but there will be quite a few. What we know with certainty is that however many gleasons there were when you left, there will be more of them when we return. They’re breeding, increasing their numbers every day. They’re my problem. Your problem is your people. They need you.”
“I can’t speak in so many places.”
“No, you can’t. You have to recruit others and teach them what to say, then send them out in your place. You have to learn how to lead many people.”
Galborae brightened. “I can do that.”
“We’ll clear all the gleasons from your kingdom, then ask your king to provide messengers you can train to go to other kingdoms with my men.”
“He’ll agree.”
“He might, and he might not. Kings have a tendency to want power, the more power the better. They never want less. Now all of a sudden he won’t be the most powerful person in his kingdom. We will, and because of us, you are. He’ll be suspicious and afraid, and that’s going to be repeated everywhere we go. Before long, kings will start wondering if you might have given more to a neighboring kingdom than you gave to them. I’m talking about food, weapons, and knowledge. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Galborae nodded. “I do. The gleasons come first, but after that, there could be disputes, maybe even war.”
“There will be wars. That’s what we Imperial Marines spend most of our time stopping, and it’s part of the reason General Stymes
Havlock studied Galborae for a long time, his mind considering the scope of their mission and Galborae’s part in it, then he shook his head. “You’re wrong. The cost to your people is not my concern. It’s yours.”
“My concern is gleasons.”
“No. You’re a knight. That means you’re a leader. I don’t know how good a leader you are, but your people need you to be a great leader. Your king and all the other kings will need guidance when we arrive. I’m counting on you to lead them through this terrible time. My men and I will deal with the gleasons, and we’ll do our best not to frighten everyone while we do so, but we’re going to fail at that. Many, many, many people will learn of us, and they won’t understand. General Stymes is putting together a program to help them. He’ll bring more soldiers, and he’ll bring scholars and experts to explain things, but those experts will need your help. So will your kings—all of them. I need you to start thinking bigger.”
“My people are stronger than you think.”
“We can’t bring all of them for a ride into space to teach them what you know.”
“They don’t need a ride into space. They need to survive. They’ll be desperate for food by the time we return. Farmers were not able to plant this season.”
“We can’t feed a whole planet.”
“Why not?”
Havlock rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. I’ll discuss it with General Stymes before we ship out. He might be able to send rations or something, but you’re talking about a whole world starving. To the best of my knowledge, he hasn’t been thinking along those lines. I know I haven’t.”
He clapped Galborae on the back. “See, you’re already helping them, and not just the people in your town. You’re helping everyone on the planet. Keep thinking along those lines.”
Chapter Five
That night Havlock borrowed a shuttle and took Galborae into orbit. When they approached the dark side of the planet and the many, many lights below came into view, Galborae got a better feeling for how many people lived on a planet.
“Imagine each light down there representing a town on your world,” Havlock said. “There will be many kings among them. You have to go to each king and explain who we are and why we have come. How are you going to do it?”
Galborae’s eyes blinked rapidly. “Are there so many?”
“I don’t know,” Havlock said, his hand taking Galborae’s shoulder in support, “but there will be quite a few. What we know with certainty is that however many gleasons there were when you left, there will be more of them when we return. They’re breeding, increasing their numbers every day. They’re my problem. Your problem is your people. They need you.”
“I can’t speak in so many places.”
“No, you can’t. You have to recruit others and teach them what to say, then send them out in your place. You have to learn how to lead many people.”
Galborae brightened. “I can do that.”
“We’ll clear all the gleasons from your kingdom, then ask your king to provide messengers you can train to go to other kingdoms with my men.”
“He’ll agree.”
“He might, and he might not. Kings have a tendency to want power, the more power the better. They never want less. Now all of a sudden he won’t be the most powerful person in his kingdom. We will, and because of us, you are. He’ll be suspicious and afraid, and that’s going to be repeated everywhere we go. Before long, kings will start wondering if you might have given more to a neighboring kingdom than you gave to them. I’m talking about food, weapons, and knowledge. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Galborae nodded. “I do. The gleasons come first, but after that, there could be disputes, maybe even war.”
“There will be wars. That’s what we Imperial Marines spend most of our time stopping, and it’s part of the reason General Stymes
Similar Books
