Lieutenant Read Free Page A

because of Moses that we got into the space colonization game early. And Elijah, well…”
    “He invented slavebunnies,” I guessed. “Didn’t he?”
    Lord Robert nodded. “I see you’ve already heard about that part of our history.” He sighed and looked away. “Colonizing gained us territory, David. It was an important part of our rise. But it was slavery that made us the richest of all the Houses. Even today we’re still entitled to a small royalty on every Rabbit born outside our own borders. It’s the only significant income stream that I’m eager for us to lose.” He looked down at the ring. “Elijah died childless, David. In recent times we found his ring in the back of a vault, utterly forgotten. It took us years to figure out who it’d belonged to. But once we found out… Well, since then it’s been seen as something of an albatross. A reminder of a matter we’d sooner forget. I’ve kept it here in my desk to help me remember that we’ve done your kind a great wrong. One that to our credit we’re attempting to right, but which remains far from undone. And now…”
    He slid the ring across the table to me. “This is yours, David. We can’t legally adopt you just yet; with the laws being what they are it’s smartest for us not to even try. But you’re the proper heir of this ring and all it represents. For you’re the first Marcus able to wear it without shame.”
    My jaw dropped. “Sir…”
    “ Uncle ,” he corrected me. “ Uncle Robert, from now on. Though had my brother not found you first, you’d be my own.” He smiled. “Now… You’ve an unpleasant task before you, my nephew. But for all it lacks in terms of glory it remains an important job, worthy of your finest efforts. Our fallen deserve the best we can give them. For now, at least, it’s your sacred duty to give them all you’ve got.”
     

4
    Graves Registration duty had its advantages, I had to admit. I got my own apartment, for one thing; aboard a warship I’d have had to share a stateroom half its size. Discipline was relaxed and informal, as well. “Show up about tennish,” Commander Pollard advised me the day I arrived. “Unless you have some urgent personal business, of course. Then just call in—it won’t be a problem, so long as you’re spic and span for the ceremonies.”
    That was the focus of my new life, of course, or at least it would be until I had more training under my belt—endless ceremonial. While I did have other duties, such as verifying that my petty officers had ordered the Rabbits to mow the proper areas, the truth was that aside from funerals my entire workday was no more than twenty minutes long. And even the funerals themselves only took about an hour and a half or so, for us honor-guard types anyway. Every afternoon about one I’d assemble my men, inspect them minutely, and then ride with them in a civilian van to grave number whatever. There we’d set up and stand at attention until the appropriate moment, when we’d present arms and fire a salute of however many blanks the rank of the deceased merited. My bugler Sam would then play ‘Taps’ as all the civilians hung their heads and wept. Then afterwards we’d stand around and offer comfort to any mourners who wished to speak with us. That didn’t happen very often, though sometimes people who didn’t know how to read rank insignias complained to Sergeant Keldron about how terribly wrong it was for the navy to include a Rabbit in an honor guard. The sergeant always turned red when that happened—he was a kind-hearted man even when drunk, which was most of the time. Then he’d politely explain that I was an officer, not a Rabbit, and that the fancy sword I’d saluted the departed with was in fact the embodiment of the highest honor that it was within the power of His Majesty to award. That usually shut them up, though once someone complained that a Rabbit shouldn’t be allowed to carry such a dangerous weapon