Anderson, Poul The High Crusade

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strickenness, and dashed thither from the target range. With strung bow, he bellowed at the crowd that
miffed and muttered: "Get you back! Back to your places! Cod's death, I'll put this arrow through the
first by your-lady sod to pester my lord, and break the by-our lady neck o' the next! Go, I say!"
I brushed the giant aside and entered. It was hot within the shelter. Sunlight filtered through its
translucency had a thick color. Mostly it was furnished with homely things. leather, tapestry, armor. But
one shelf held instruments of alien manufacture, and a large farspeaker set was placed on the floor.
Sir Roger slumped in a chair before this, chin on breast, his big hands hanging limp. I stole up behind
him and laid my own hand on his shoulder. "What is the matter, sire?" I asked, as softly as might be.
He hardly moved. "Go away," he said.
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"You called for me."
"I knew not what I was doing. This is between myself and- Go away."
His voice was flat, but it took my whole small stock of courage to walk around in front of him and
say, "I presume your receiver inscribed the message as usual?"
"Aye. No doubt. I'd best wipe out that record."
His gray gaze lifted toward me. I remembered a wolf I had once seen trapped, when the townsfolk
closed in to make an end of it. "I don't want to harm you, Brother Parvus," he said.
"Then don't," I answered brusquely, and stooped to turn on the playback.
He gathered his powers, in great weariness. "If you see that message," he warned, "I must kill you for
my honor."
I thought back to my boyhood. There had been various short, pungent, purely English words in
common use. I selected one and pronounced it. From the corner of an eye, as I squatted by the dials, I
saw his jaw fall. He sank back into his chair. I pronounced another English word for good measure.
"Your honor lies in the well-being of your people," I added. "You're not fit to judge anything which
can so shake you as this. Sit down and let me hear it."
He huddled into himself. I turned a switch. Sir Owarn's face leaped into the screen. I saw that be was
also gaunt, the handsomeness less evident, the eyes thy and burning. He spoke in formal, courteous wise,
but could not hide his exultation.
I cannot remember his exact words. Nor do they matter. He told his lord what had happened. He
was now in space, with the stolen ship. He had approached close to New Avalon to beam this call but
taken to his heels again immediately it was spoken. There was no hope of finding him in that vastness. If
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we yielded, he said, he would arrange the transportation home of our folk, and Branithar assured him the
Wersgor emperor would promise to keep hands off Terra. If we did not yield, the recreant would go to
Wersgorixan and reveal the truth about us. Then, if necessary, the foe could recruit enough French or
Saracen mercenaries to destroy us; but probably the demoralization of our allies, as they learned our
weakness, would suffice to bring them to terms. In either case, Sir Roger would never see his wife and
children again.
Lady Catherine entered the screen. I recall her words. But I do not choose to write them down.
When the record was ended~ I wiped it out myself.
We were silent awhile, my lord and I.
At last: "Well," he said, like an old man.
I stared at my feet. "Montbelle said they would reenter communication range at a certain hour
tomorrow, to bear your decision," I mumbled. "'Twould be possible to send numerous . unmanned ships,
loaded with explosive fused by a magnetic nose, along that far-speaker beam. Belike he could be
destroyed."
"You've already asked much of me, Brother Parvus," said Sir Roger. Still his words had no life in
them. "Ask me not to slay my lady and children
unshriven."
"Aye. Ah, could the vessel be captured? No," I answered myself. "Twould be a practical
impossibility. Any single shot which struck close enough to a little ship like that would more likely make
dust of it than merely disable its engines. Or else the damage would be small, and he would at once flee
faster than light."
The baron raised his congealed face. "Whatever happens," he said, "no one is to know my lady's part
in this. D'you understand? She's not in her right mind. Some fiend has possessed her."
I regarded him with a pity still greater than before. "You're too brave to hide behind such
foolishness," I said.
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"Well, what can I do?" he growled.
"You can fight on-"
"Hopelessly, once Montbelle has gone to Wersgorixan."
"Or you can accept the terms offered."
"Ha! How long d' you think the blueskins would actually leave Terra in peace?"
"Sir Owain must have some reason to believe they will," I said cautiously.
"He's a fool." Sir Roger's fist smote the arm of the chair. He sat up straight, and the harshness of his
voice was a lonely token of hopefulness to me. "Or else he's a blacker Judas than he has even confessed,
and hopes to become viceroy after the conquest. See you not, 'tis more than the wish for land which'll
force the Wersgorix to overrun our planet. 'Tis the fact that our race has proven itself mortally dangerous.
As yet, men are helpless at home. But given a few centuries to prepare, men might well build their own
spaceships and overwhelm the universe."
"The Wersorix have suffered in this war," I argued feebly. "They II need time to regain what they
have lost, even if our allies surrender all occupied worlds. They might very likely find it expedient to leave
Terra alone for a hundred years or so."
"Till we're safely dead?" Sir Roger nodded heavily. "Aye, there's the great temptation. The real bribe.
Yet would we not burn in hell, if we thus broke faith with unborn children?"
"It may be the best we can do for our race," I said. "Whatever lies beyond our own power is in the
charge of God."
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"But no, no, no." He twisted his hands together. "I can't. Better to die now like men. . . . Yet
Catherine- After another stillness, I said, "It may not be too late to dissuade Sir Owain. No soul is
irredeemably lost while this life remains. You could recall his honor, and point out to him how foolish it is
to rely on Wersgor promises, and offer him forgiveness and great position-"
"And the use of my wife?" he jeered.
But in a moment: 'It may be. I'd far prefer spill his evil brains. But perhaps ... aye, perhaps a talk... I
would even try to humble myself. Will you aid me, Brother Parvus? I must not curse him to his face. Will
you strengthen my spirit?"
Chapter XXI
The next evening, we departed New Avalon.
Sir Roger and I went alone, in a tiny unarmed space lifeboat. We ourselves were but little stronger. I
had my cassock and rosary as always: no more. He was clad in a yeoman's doublet and hose, though he [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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