The Lost Starship Read Free Page B

himself because of his possible secret, to see if it could be true. Here was conclusive proof, was it not?
    No, no, this cannot be . There must be another explanation . Disguising his unease, Maddox spoke casually, “I practice, ma’am.”
    “Please,” she said. “Do not insult my intelligence.”
    “I have a dueling bot at home. Extended bouts help keep me toned.”
    She studied him.
    Inwardly, Maddox readied himself for the accusation. Outwardly, he appeared serene.
    She pursed her lips before pressing the control, making the holoimage disappear. Opening her desk, she deposited the unit in a drawer and shut it with a click.
    “I imagine Octavian Nerva’s man-hunters will be coming for you as well,” the brigadier said. “You uncovered the fraud and helped to kill his son. His money and influence gives him reach into the Star Watch, perhaps even into Intelligence. You must leave Earth, leave the Solar System.”
    “Not without Sergeant Riker,” Maddox said.
    “That is out of your hands, I’m afraid.”
    Maddox hesitated. He couldn’t believe the brigadier had dropped her inquiry about his ability to defend himself against Caius Nerva. Why had she said anything then? He would need to think about this, but not right now.
    “Why did you send the combat cars for me, ma’am?” he asked.
    She put both hands on the desk as if to brace herself. A diamond wedding ring glittered on a finger, reminding Maddox that the Iron Lady was married. The ring was her only indulgence, a huge diamond, almost garishly so. Rumor said she was deeply in love with her husband of many years.
    “There’s been another attack,” she said.
    “You mean the New Men?”
    She scraped back her chair as she stood. “I’m attending an emergency meeting of the Admiralty. You will accompany me, Captain, as my aide. I will desire your input afterward.”
    “You flatter me, ma’am.”
    “I do no such thing,” the brigadier said. “The Commonwealth and the entire breadth of Human Space will require every advantage we can muster in this emergency. Under normal circumstances, I appreciate your unique outlook, and I wish to make use of it. However, this last indulgence with the viper sticks doesn’t do you any credit, Captain.”
    He ’d stood when she did. “When does the meeting begin?” he asked.
    “In fifteen minutes.”
    “Will Admiral Fletcher be there?”
    “I don’t want you to talk , Captain. Stay in the background. Listen. There’s no need for Fletcher to notice you. You’re in enough trouble as it is. So am I for this mess you’ve given me.”
    Maddox said nothing.
    “Now , follow me,” she said. “We’re taking a combat car so we can get there on time.”
     

-3-
    Captain Maddox mingled among those standing against the back walls of the spacious chamber. He positioned himself in such a way that Admiral Fletcher or one of his people couldn’t spy him.
    The massive conference table seated over fifty admirals, commodores, commanders and marine generals. Behind them was twice that number in aides. Everyone here belonged to the Star Watch except for three envoys in the center area.
    One of the representatives wore a long robe and a scarlet headscarf, a sheik-superior from the Wahhabi Caliphate, a Muslim star empire. The second envoy, with a great handlebar mustache, represented the Windsor League, a combination of British, Canadian, Australian and Indian colony worlds. The last was a Spacer, a small woman with dark features and short hair. She symbolized the confederation of traders and industrialists with no fixed abode other than their starships.
    There were other human worlds without a representative here , but they were in the minority. The men and women seated at the great table had at their disposal—if one counted the envoys—three-quarters of the military strength in what people commonly referred to as the Oikumene or Human Space. Over two centuries since the discovery of the Laumer Drive, mankind had colonized