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

young woman radiated a beatific
smile.
    “ And what a beautiful dress – such a
delightful colour.”
    “ It’s called chartreuse , sir,” the
young woman replied. “It’s one of the new fashion shades from
Earth.”
    The governor gave an aha bob. “Right, that explains the
prevalence of the colour here this evening” He waved them onto the
dance floor. “Now off you go and enjoy yourselves.”
    He watched the young couple whirl onto the
floor with a certain envy – the yellow – no chartreuse gown held
close to the queen’s red. Once his hair too, had been black and
shiny, and his blue eyes vivid in their gaze; and the young women –
well, there had been a few. Then came the day when that special
young woman had entered his life, making their lives one… Life had
been so sweet, so sure, so right… He had not felt old until the day
she died.
    For a moment, he fiddled with the heavy gold
band on his finger, the wedding ring she had given him on that
wonderful day…
    “Lord Southern?” A young woman had come up
behind him, catching him fifty years in the past. The allure of her
perfume wafted ahead of her. She had sparkling dark eyes and raven
hair; her skin tan continued as far down her cleavage as he dared
look.
    She flashed a warm, coquettish smile. “I
would be so pleased if you would sign my dance programme,” she
said.
    “ Well, m’dear, I don’t usually…”
    “ Oh please , Lord Southern.” Again, her plea was gift wrapped
in a beguiling smile.
    The governor sighed a smile. “Very well,
m’dear,” he said.
    The queen’s representative took the dainty
red pencil and wrote down his name. It was taking him every effort
to keep his mutinous gaze averted from the low cut dress and the
rounded shapes, half revealed, so pleasing to his eyes.
    “The fourth waltz then,” he said. “I shall
look forward to it.”
    The young woman curtsied, her shiny gown
fabric crumpling with a whisper. “Oh thank you, Lord Southern,” she
said.
    He watched the raven-haired beauty make her
way back to her group, enjoying the pleasurable click-clack of her
step as she went. She had won her dare, no doubt. She had certainly
caught the governor of Lumai off his guard.
    “Lord Southern!” One of his uniformed aides
pushed urgently through the crowd; a tall thin young man with curly
brown hair. “Sir, there appears to be a major fault in our
communications system. We’ve lost contact with Earth and all the
other planets too.”
    “Well Kieron, you’ve got someone onto it,
haven’t you?” the governor returned briskly.
    “Yes sir, I put the technical people onto it
straight away.” The young man frowned. “But it’s very strange, sir,
the whole planet seems to be out.”
    “ The whole planet?”
    “Yes sir, as far as we can tell.”
    “But that’s impossible. Find out what’s
happening and get back to me posthaste.”
    Lord Southern’s brow wrinkled. He had two
problems tonight – a young woman whose dance programme now featured
the governor of Lumai, and, more serious, some technical hitch with
the planet’s communications.
    “ Matthew!” He signalled over another of his
aides. “Apparently there’s a problem with our communications
system. Check it out for me, then call me over the ballroom
intercom, and – ah – make it sound important, will you, maybe even
somewhat urgent.”
    The aide grinned. “Had enough already have
we, sir?”
    Lord Southern smiled. “Yes, something like
that, Matthew,” he murmured.
    One problem solved at least. The governor
glanced up at the plethora of dazzling light from the crystal
extravaganza above him. Foolish old man, he thought, but man
nonetheless, befuddled by a pretty girl in a low cut dress. Yet,
the invitation to dance had made him feel alive – happy. Maybe next
year he would dance. Forget protocol or perhaps change it by then – why
not?
     
    * * *
     
    The sudden blackness hit him like a
hammer.
    Damn! Had he gone blind?
    But the music too,