Read Online The Warlock Wandering by Christopher Stasheff - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Stasheff
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction
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guess the General doesn't think you're guilty."
Rod nodded. "Is he hoping we'll escape, or something?"
"Where to?"
"A good point." Rod pursed his lips. "So we're just supposed to relax and enjoy life, huh?"
"That—or find evidence to clear yourselves. Hard to do that inside a cell. yer know."
Rod frowned. "It is, now that you mention it. We were planning to do something of that sort, anyway."
"Well, then." Cholly beamed. "The General knows his man, don't he? Let me know where I can help."
"Thanks. We will." Rod turned back to the table, set one of the glasses down in front of Yorick, sat himself down across from Gwen, and took a hefty swallow. Then he sat
THE WARLOCK WANDERING 55
very still for a few minutes, waiting till the top of his head settled back on and the room came back into focus. When it did, he exhaled sharply. "What do they make that out of?"
"Something almost compatible with Terran biochemistry, I'm sure." Yorick looked a little defocused himself. Rod took a deep breath, then a very cautious sip. He set the glass down gingerly, exhaled carefully, and sat back.
"Now!" He looked from Yorick to Gwen and back. "You were both there; you heard everything I did. What was all that about?"
Gwen shrugged. "We chanced to be in a position suspect at a time when a man was slain, my lord."
"Yeah, but I highly doubt we were anywhere near this
'Sun-Greeting Place,' or whatever it is. Also, I don't believe in coincidences, especially not when they're so convenient." Gwen frowned. "In what way dost thou think them opportune?"
"For our enemies."
"I'll drink to that." Yorick lifted his mug, also his glass.
"You'll drink to anything." But Rod clinked glasses with him, anyway. "Here's to the enemy—may he be confounded."
"Whoever he is." Yorick drank, then set his glass down and leaned forward. "But I'll agree with you. Major, somebody's definitely out to get you." Rod stared. "When did I say that?"
"On our way from the castle," Gwen explained.
"Oh." Rod frowned. "Yeah, I did say something of the sort then, didn't I?"
"Does he get this way often?"
"Off 'n' on," Rod answered; but Gwen assured Yorick,
"'Tis only when matters of great moment preoccupy him."
"Oh." Yorick turned back to Rod. "Is that when you get paranoid, too?"
Gwen frowned."What is the meaning of that word?"
"Suspicious," Rod explained. "He means that I feel as 56
Christopher Stasheff
THE WARLOCK WANDERING
57
though everybody's out to get me."
"Oh!" Gwen turned back to Yorick. "Nay; he is always in that condition."
"But this time, he's right."
They turned in surprise; that voice hadn't been one of theirs.
The newcomer was slender, and wore the same uniform as all the other troopers, but she made it look totally feminine. It couldn't have been deliberate: her blond hair was shorter than most of the men's, cropped close and showing her ears; but there was something in its styling, something about the way she held herself, something in the delicacy of her features that made her very clearly female.
"That's a professional opinion," she added. "They're out to get you."
"Who?" Rod demanded; but Yorick said, softly, "What profession?"
"Secret agent," she snapped, "spy." And to Rod, "You should be able to say better than I can. Who'd rather see you dead than alive? Not that it matters much; on this planet, anybody who's getting hassled is my friend." Rod just stared at her, but Gwen pushed a chair out. "Sit, an it please thee."
The woman sat, scowling. "You've got a funny way of talking."
Rod said, "I hate to be blunt, but—who are you?"
"I'm Chomoi Shershay—and you'd better hear the whole of it. I was a government spy, up until about five years ago."
"Five years." Rod frowned. "That was just about the time of the PEST coup, if I remember..." He managed to bite off the sentence just before he said, "... my history rightly."
"Yeah." Chomoi nodded. "I was a secret agent for the LORDS party, digging up information for them and helping
Rod nodded. "Is he hoping we'll escape, or something?"
"Where to?"
"A good point." Rod pursed his lips. "So we're just supposed to relax and enjoy life, huh?"
"That—or find evidence to clear yourselves. Hard to do that inside a cell. yer know."
Rod frowned. "It is, now that you mention it. We were planning to do something of that sort, anyway."
"Well, then." Cholly beamed. "The General knows his man, don't he? Let me know where I can help."
"Thanks. We will." Rod turned back to the table, set one of the glasses down in front of Yorick, sat himself down across from Gwen, and took a hefty swallow. Then he sat
THE WARLOCK WANDERING 55
very still for a few minutes, waiting till the top of his head settled back on and the room came back into focus. When it did, he exhaled sharply. "What do they make that out of?"
"Something almost compatible with Terran biochemistry, I'm sure." Yorick looked a little defocused himself. Rod took a deep breath, then a very cautious sip. He set the glass down gingerly, exhaled carefully, and sat back.
"Now!" He looked from Yorick to Gwen and back. "You were both there; you heard everything I did. What was all that about?"
Gwen shrugged. "We chanced to be in a position suspect at a time when a man was slain, my lord."
"Yeah, but I highly doubt we were anywhere near this
'Sun-Greeting Place,' or whatever it is. Also, I don't believe in coincidences, especially not when they're so convenient." Gwen frowned. "In what way dost thou think them opportune?"
"For our enemies."
"I'll drink to that." Yorick lifted his mug, also his glass.
"You'll drink to anything." But Rod clinked glasses with him, anyway. "Here's to the enemy—may he be confounded."
"Whoever he is." Yorick drank, then set his glass down and leaned forward. "But I'll agree with you. Major, somebody's definitely out to get you." Rod stared. "When did I say that?"
"On our way from the castle," Gwen explained.
"Oh." Rod frowned. "Yeah, I did say something of the sort then, didn't I?"
"Does he get this way often?"
"Off 'n' on," Rod answered; but Gwen assured Yorick,
"'Tis only when matters of great moment preoccupy him."
"Oh." Yorick turned back to Rod. "Is that when you get paranoid, too?"
Gwen frowned."What is the meaning of that word?"
"Suspicious," Rod explained. "He means that I feel as 56
Christopher Stasheff
THE WARLOCK WANDERING
57
though everybody's out to get me."
"Oh!" Gwen turned back to Yorick. "Nay; he is always in that condition."
"But this time, he's right."
They turned in surprise; that voice hadn't been one of theirs.
The newcomer was slender, and wore the same uniform as all the other troopers, but she made it look totally feminine. It couldn't have been deliberate: her blond hair was shorter than most of the men's, cropped close and showing her ears; but there was something in its styling, something about the way she held herself, something in the delicacy of her features that made her very clearly female.
"That's a professional opinion," she added. "They're out to get you."
"Who?" Rod demanded; but Yorick said, softly, "What profession?"
"Secret agent," she snapped, "spy." And to Rod, "You should be able to say better than I can. Who'd rather see you dead than alive? Not that it matters much; on this planet, anybody who's getting hassled is my friend." Rod just stared at her, but Gwen pushed a chair out. "Sit, an it please thee."
The woman sat, scowling. "You've got a funny way of talking."
Rod said, "I hate to be blunt, but—who are you?"
"I'm Chomoi Shershay—and you'd better hear the whole of it. I was a government spy, up until about five years ago."
"Five years." Rod frowned. "That was just about the time of the PEST coup, if I remember..." He managed to bite off the sentence just before he said, "... my history rightly."
"Yeah." Chomoi nodded. "I was a secret agent for the LORDS party, digging up information for them and helping
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