Rift in the Races Read Free

the captain’s having called her the “harlot of the harvest festival.” That had done nothing to improve the souring relationship between Altin and the Aspect’s commanding officer. Now, ten months later, the captain worked against them constantly, making finding a night like tonight a major victory.
    Altin returned to the desk and packed up his lesson plans, stuffing books and parchment and sheepskin scrolls into a leather case and tossing the whole of it over his shoulder. He was supposed to meet Aderbury to confer with him about the Citadel tour. This was a big deal for his friend, the first showing of Citadel to the fleet. All the captains who had stayed behind when the bulk of the fleet left for the Hostile system would be there. Granted, it wasn’t the official launching of the fortress, but it was the first preview of it for the people from Earth. Aderbury was almost as eager to impress the Earth people as was the Queen. Altin just wanted to be with Orli.

Chapter 2
    E nsign Orli Pewter tapped the shuttle’s communications console and signaled back to the mining base on Tinpoa, a small, rocky moon orbiting the gas giant Naotatica half a solar system away. “Entering Prosperion’s atmosphere,” she said. “Three minutes to next contact.”
    “Roger, shuttle Six . Three minutes.” The com went black.
    “Shields are up, Captain,” said Lieutenant Roberto Levi sitting next to her. “Entry in seven, six, five, four, three, two … one.”
    At first the view through the windshield didn’t change. The bright blue planet loomed up at them, the massive continent of Kurr spreading out upon it like an enormous green amoeba lounging on a globe, but gradually the glow of heat building against the forward plasma shield obscured the view. At first a flicker of orange flames, it brightened through hues of yellow until finally the planet was lost in the nearly white-hot furnace of atmospheric friction.
    “Two minutes twenty-seven seconds,” Roberto announced, watching the autopilot controls to confirm trajectory and attitude. “All systems normal. No signs of interfering magic.”
    “Be ready for it,” said Captain Asad.
    “Aye, sir.”
    Orli slid two slender fingers down a long white line of light near the top of her console to darken the windshield. The computer wasn’t dimming it fast enough, and the glare was making everybody squint.
    Behind the pair piloting the landing craft, Captain Asad turned to the assemblage of fellow captains seated around him, nine in addition to himself. “I spoke to Admiral Crane just before we left,” he began, “and he asked that we look suitably impressed regardless of what we see today. He considers it a matter of etiquette that, no matter how primitive this contraption turns out to be, we show respect for the effort. This Queen of theirs is vain, pompous and self-indulgent, and there is nothing to be gained from angering her. Particularly given that we still know very little about their technology.”
    “It’s magic, Asad,” said Captain Jefferies of the fleet ship Utah . “When are you going to relax and call a spade a spade? Talk about nothing to be gained. You deny what you’ve seen with your own two eyes over and over again. We’ve all seen it at least a hundred times.”
    Several of the others nodded in agreement. Orli wanted to say something as well, but Roberto saw her about to open her mouth and kicked her under the console.
    Captain Asad shook his head and made an irritated sound in the back of his throat. He felt as if he were trying to reason with a room full of five-year-olds determined to believe in fairytales. Whatever the Prosperions did, the thing they called magic, worked, yes. He granted them that. He’d seen enough of it since the first encounter with Altin Meade eighteen months ago to know that something was real. But magic? That was ridiculous. That was a notion that encouraged lazy fantasy rather than prudent inquiry. He resisted the urge to