Read Online The Sword and the Plough by Carl Hubrick - Free Book Online Page A

partners.
    “Are you enjoying yourself, m’dear?”
    Lord Magnus Southern, standing with a group
of young people at the fringe of the dancers, had to raise his
voice above the music and excited chatter of the ballroom.
    “Yes thank you, Lord Southern,” the young
woman concerned replied. She dropped into a curtsy and smiled up at
the craggy face with its shock of white hair.
    The governor of the planet, Lumai, bowed and
extended a hand to assist the young woman to her feet. Her
voluminous chartreuse ball gown rustled.
    “You look enchanting, m’dear,” he declared,
his lips brushing her hand. She had long blonde hair and sparkling
blue eyes.
    At 78, Lord Southern was at once the oldest
and most revered statesman in the Commonwealth. He was also a fine
gentleman.
    He nodded to her escort in the queen’s red.
“Good evening Wade,” he said. “Nice to see you again.”
    The young queen’s officer bowed, his array of
service medals swinging perpendicular as he did so.
    “Good evening, sir,” he replied with a polite
smile.
    The governor gestured at the ballroom
scene about them. “A wonderful sight, don’t you agree Wade? All the
sparkle – all the glamour. It’s as if the whole place has been
decorated with diamonds.”
    “Yes indeed, sir,” the young officer
responded.
    “And what a glorious number of young women
here this evening. Like a garden of beautiful flowers.”
    “Yes indeed, sir.” The young man replied
again, bobbing his head in respectful agreement.
    Lord Southern smiled. “The first monarch of
our Commonwealth, Elizabeth III, had such good colour sense in
maintaining the tradition of red for her uniforms, don’t you think?
They contrast so well with the wonderful colours of the young
women’s gowns.”
    He glanced down at his own non-military grey
suit, and his expensive, Earth made, but plain black leather shoes.
“I declined to spoil the look of things this evening and left my
uniform on its hanger.” He chuckled. “The older I get the more I
look like a knob of old bone sticking out of red meat when I wear
the queen’s scarlet.”
     
    * * *
     
    The annual government ball, held in the
capital town of each of the six planets, recalled the ancient
traditions of Earth. The pomp, the ceremony, and the grandeur were
designed to tie the Commonwealth together under the royal sway.
    Lord Southern supported the concept to the
hilt. He was, after all, a loyal and devoted servant to the queen,
as well as a second cousin.
    Magnus Southern made his way round the
perimeter of the joyful crowd. It was his function as governor to
mingle.
    The young men not yet dancing stood in
jovial groups caparisoned for the evening in their full dress
uniforms, the latter further adorned with gold braid, rainbow
ribbons and shiny medals. And as they watched the dancers, their
fine black patent leather boots tapped in time to the
music.
    The few young women awaiting invitation to
dance sat in small, colourful natter groups around the room’s edge,
the magic of their multifarious perfumes filling the air.
    Among the crowd, the silver-skinned androids,
the males with blue hair, the females with blonde locks, moved
about barely noticed, serving the best Earth champagne and other
refreshments. Although usually far more intelligent than their
human counterparts, they were devoid of any sentient capacity and
regarded as the new slave class.
    Another young couple caught the governor’s
eye. The young man in red bowed. Lord Southern acknowledged with a
brief nod, but his gaze quickly focused on the young man’s partner.
He dipped his head, his eyes smiling into hers.
    “And who is this charming young woman you
have with you this evening, Jared?”
    “Sir, I have the pleasure to present Ms
Catherine Ballinger,” the officer replied.
    The young woman curtsied; another yellow ball
gown. Her perfume drifted upon the air.
    “Ms Ballinger,” Lord Southern murmured. “What
a lovely fragrance you’re wearing.”
    The