Long View - Zelde M'Tana Part 32

Lera touched Zelde's arm. "With Parnell gone and Dopples in a coma, we're all that's left. Well, Gil, of course. This ship's jumpy-ask Torra-and I think you have to set the new officers' roster and announce it officially. In meeting-that's best."

"Go ahead, Zelde," Defose said. "I'll sit in for you here."

Not sure of her ground, Zelde said, "Just a minute. Lera, you're Acting First. I-"

"No. It's the way Parnell said. You own Captain's shares, you're in Captain's quarters-and I don't want command.''

"All right." But it'd still be dicey; Zelde knew that 251.

In quarters-all hers now, d.a.m.n it!-she faced the group. Lera, Charvel, Harger and two of his Engineering officers, and six senior ratings-the rest of those were dead or locked up. She offered drinks around; Harger and Juvier took beer; the others pa.s.sed the offer. She sat, then, and said, "Meeting in council of officers and senior ratings, the ship Chanticleer." And that was something else needed changing-she couldn't stand it, in her mind seeing Parnell when he'd given that name. She thought of another one, but for now she shook her head. "First order of business- I'm in command now. Mr. Adopolous isn't fit, and Acting First Hat Lera Tzane pa.s.ses it."

Harger gestured toward the two who had come with him. "M'tana-my people are armed, and so am I."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that some questions need answering-and don't fly off the handle when I ask them."

Eyes narrowed, she watched the plump man. "Ask away."

He coughed into his hand. "The trouble is that Mauragin predicted this-Parnell dead, then Dopples, probably-and you running the show. You have to admit it looks bad. But maybe you can explain. I hope so."

Furious, she fought the urge to call him out and have done. "When Parnell set the succession this way, I didn't notice you bucking him none. And anybody bother to tell you yet, Harger-the woman that gave Mauragin his lines was a Utie plant? That the whole idea was he'd of given us back to UET-and got himself a Captain's rank for it? And even more than that for Franzel, likely."

She'd slowed the man down; now she gave him the story. She saw some of the others fidget, looking uncomfortable- and guessed they'd been braced, too, by Franzel.

Harger asked questions, but after a time he nodded. "All right, I believe you. One thing, though-about your command, spell it out. Acting, or permanent?"

Zelde poured herself a drink. Only after she'd sipped the whiskey did she realize it was the same bottle that had killed Parnell. Well, he -wouldn't -want it wasted! She said, "That's between me and Dopples-when he's awake again, and talking. I own Parnell's shares and I'm acting on them-since Fesler can't say when Dopples might be fit for duty. We're close onto turnover-and course change, if 252.

that's needed. So-" She made up her mind. "From here to groundside, on Fair Ball, I'm captain-and there's no Acting about it."

In several faces she saw objections forming; she went ahead. "Second item. It's Captain's right to rename a ship, and-" For a moment, she choked. "-personal reasons-I propose this ship be Kilimanjaro." A mountain, that was, in Africa where her folks was from. And Parnell wouldn't mind-would he? "Vote?"

They pa.s.sed it. "All right. My officers, here to Fair Ball. Lera Tzane, First Hat, Oilman Charvel, Second, and-" Who was there? All at once, she decided. "For Third, Torra Defose."

Harger's brows went up. "Now wait a minute. M'tana, I came on this ship as Chief Engineer working under certified officers. And, no offense-but Tzane was a rating and you came aboard as cargo. And now you ask me to accept a Policeb.i.t.c.h as Third Hat?"

Zelde's surge of rage surprised her; she held it back. "It was Torra figured who was behind Carlo-who it had to be, and why. And told us about Refuge being a UET trap. I'm vouching for her, Harger."

The man shrugged. "All right-I can't argue with your results, to date, given the circ.u.mstances. Defose you say, and Defose it is."

n.o.body else commented. Zelde wondered how to close this thing off. "Any more questions?"

Lera Tzane said, "What do you intend to do about the surviving mutineers?"

"Haven't decided-but I will." Zelde stared at all of them. "I earned the right. On that, there won't be no vote."

When n.o.body answered, she said, "Meeting closed, then. I thank you all for coming." And the lot of them filed out, leaving her to wonder what she could have done better.

She called Rooster. Turk was going to make it, Fesler'd told him, but not fast. Yes, Rooster could relieve Torra on watch. "That's good, Rooster-and thanks. I need her for something, just now."

And a few minutes later, Torra Defose followed Zelde down to Hold, Portside Upper, where the seven living mutineers waited.

253.

Outside the hold, a guard sat-and inside, another. The second gestured with her gun, toward two prisoners who sat apart from the others. "If you'd move those somewhere else, I wouldn't be needed. The rest aren't too fond of them."

One of the two was Bellarn, her brown hair mussed and one pale cheek bruised.

The other was a young black man, short and stocky. Zelde said, "What's it about?"

Behind her, Torra Defose whispered. "Those two were coerced into joining Mauragin. The other five are out-and-out Uties."

One of those was Paskow, the thin blond man had blood on his jacket. His voice came shrill. "You're not going to win, you know! Where's Carlo? And-" He stopped.

Zelde grinned. "Franzel, you're asking about? s.p.a.ced.- and so's Mauragin. You here, you're all that's left." She walked toward him and he stepped back. "Paskow- what's it you love so much about UET, you want to get back to it?"

He shook his head. Bellarn said, "We'd all be officers, Carlo told us. I didn't care about that-didn't want UET again at any price. But then it was stick with him and Franzel, or get killed."

Paskow spat at her. "You filthy traitor!" He started toward her, and Bellarn cringed. Zelde caught him and pushed him back.

"Traitor, huh, Paskow? How about you-going back on your word you gave Parnell, right after Escape?"

Jaw set, he shouted. "That doesn't apply! Renegades, faithless men-what right could they have to my loyalty? I-"

She'd had enough; with one move she slapped him silent. "But Franzel bought it, easy enough." She paused. "Doesn't matter, I guess-except what do I do with you?"

Torra whispered again; Zelde nodded. To Bellarn and the black man she said, "Defose vouches for you two; you can go out of here with us. Not your ratings, though-from here on you work in the unrated gangs. And your earned shares over and above unrated pay are forfeit into the pot."

Bellarn nodded, and the other didn't protest. Zelde turned back to Paskow's group. "I already made up my 254.

mind about you five-you got anything to say, might change it?"

The blond man shook his head. Figures to die brave, that one. A middle-aged woman-lean-faced, with one arm in a sling, said, "It's as Paskow said. We went along with your mutiny-your Escape-because after the fact there was no other choice.

Then Franzel, organizing us, made our odds sound better than they turned out to be.

Being an officer-" The woman shrugged. "That didn't matter, to me. What I really wanted was to see Earth again. I have grandchildren growing up there."

And likely We!fared by now. But Zelde didn't say it. "Anybody else?" None spoke.

"All right. Only sensible thing is to s.p.a.ce the lot of you-alive, you're more trouble than you're worth. And you cost me the best man I ever knew." Defose tugged at her sleeve, but Zelde shook free. "This once, though, I'll be stupid. Til we land, you stay locked up here. Then, groundside, I'll ask. You can't be the first leftover Uties ever turned up on a Hidden World. If they got ways to keep you out of trouble, you go free- with your personal stuff, but no share money."

She stared at them. "If Fair Ball don't want you running loose, that's time enough to make you dead." n.o.body answered; she turned to leave, and told the guard, "Bring those two along with you. Then, like you said, you're relieved here."

Now Paskow spoke. "I don't get it-I'd have sworn you'd kill us. Or don't you have the authority? You say you're deciding-but who are you really speaking for?"

At the door now, Zelde paused. "Never did see a man try so hard, to get himself killed. But you get an answer. I speak for me-Zelde M'tana, captain of Kilimanjaro.

And why I don't s.p.a.ce you-I ever figure that out, I'll send somebody down to tell you."

Now they did leave, and the door closed. Zelde told the guard from inside to take Bellarn and the black man up-ship, and have their new status logged in the computer. Zelde and Torra took another route, and after a time Defose said, "I thought you'd kill them, too. I wanted to talk you out of it."

"I knew that."

"But you really don't know why you decided as you did?"

255.

A shrug. "Maybe-I might need a break myself, sometime. Or maybe I paid back some I got already-who knows? And those p.o.o.pers-by themselves, wouldn't have been anything at all."

Torra hugged Zelde's arm. "The main point-you mustn't ever let killing become the automatic answer to things. And you didn't."

Then, thinking how close she'd come to doing just that, Zelde shuddered.

They stopped to see Turk; she couldn't talk much, but wanted to hear what had happened. With nods, she agreed with Terra's listing of Uties and victims in the mutiny group. And said, finally, "You did good, Zelde-you both did."

Walking upship, then, Zelde remembered to tell Torra about her promotion. "So go take the rest of my watch, will you?"

The dark lean face went solemn. "You really want me for Third?"

Still moving, Zelde shrugged. "Who else?"

"And the others agreed?"

"Harger p.i.s.sed a little but he took it."

Defose nodded. "Then I'll take it, too."

"Good. On watch, anything you need to ask, call me. If I don't answer right away, I'm asleep-so call Lera Tzane."

At the next landing they separated and Zelde went to quarters. She kicked off her shoes and sat at Parnell's work desk. There stood the bottle that had killed him.

"You sonofab.i.t.c.h-I'm going to drink you!"

She didn't finish it, though; she got too much too fast and threw up, barely making it to the toilet in time. Bleary, staggering, she rinsed her sour mouth and washed her face. Then, shedding clothes, she made her clumsy way to bed and felt sleep coming.

At least, she didn't dream.

The intercom woke her. Remembering the booze bout, she braced herself for hangover, but felt only thirst-and hunger. To the intercom she said, "M'tana here."

"Defose. I'm just off watch and ready to eat. Do you feel like having breakfast?"

"I do, yeah."

256.

"Shall we meet in the galley? Or could I bring you a tray?"

"I'd thank you kindly if you brought it. Eggs and such." Torra agreed. While Zelde waited, she had a quick shower; when she answered the door, towel in one hand, she was still dripping from it. Carrying two trays, Torra Defose came in.

She looked Zelde up and down. "That's what I should have done, but I was too hungry." She put the trays down, and the two sat.

"Clean up here, if you want. Eat first, though." Zelde had good appet.i.te herself; she finished the food and sipped coffee.

When Torra was done, she said, "You mean that? I can shower here?"

"Why not?" So the other went into the bathroom, then came out toweling herself.

Full-bodied, the woman was, but firm; she looked nearly as hard-muscled as Zelde.

She stood, the two of them looking at each other, and set the towel aside. She came to where Zelde sat. Standing close, she reached to hug the younger woman, and held Zelde's head to her chest. She stroked the maimed ear.

After a long silence, Torra spoke. "Zelde-maybe- would you?"

Quietly, not breaking away, Zelde stood. "h.e.l.l, yes!" Then they were kissing, holding each other; they stumbled over to the bed.

It was a long time since Tillya-and where that fragile girl had been timid, almost withdrawn sometimes, Torra Defose was vigorous and positive. Not harsh, but fiercely demanding, both in giving and taking. When they were done, lying in loose embrace, Zelde said, "I guess we need another shower."

That one, they took together. And when Zelde, for no reason she knew, started shaking, Torra held onto her until she was all right again. And then said, "What was that about?"

"Dunno." But then Zelde nodded. "Yeah, I do. Didn't see how hard I been bracing, me, to keep going-with Parnell gone for always and n.o.body by me. I guess it hit me, just now, I don't have to brace no more, for that. On account of there's you."

257.

Coffee was a little stale but still hot; dressed now, they sat and drank it while they talked. Torra said, "Asking you, Zelde-I was really frightened. Not that you'd be cruel, but that maybe you didn't like things this way, or just wouldn't want me."

She smiled. "And when I came in, Zelde, and saw you-I-"

She shook her head. "Then-suddenly it was all right Wasn't it?"

Zelde reached and squeezed her hand. "You know that." She paused. "Torra-are you all for women?"

"Does it matter?"

"No-I wondered, was all."

Torra laughed. "Now you, I didn't have to wonder about-not on that score."

Zelde's thought of Parnell must have showed in her face, for Torra said, "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-but anyway, the answer's no. To come onto this ship. I left a male lover. More than lover, really- we were married, freestyle."

"Couldn't you of brought him along?"

"Double negative. He's not Police; there was no valid excuse to bring him on my fake mission. And he's solid UET, I'm afraid-and ambitious. He's in Administration, and trying to w.a.n.gle transfer to Summit Bay, where the promotions are," She sighed. "In many ways, a good man-and not only in bed. But we didn't want the same things."

"And what's it you want now, Torra? To stay on the ship?"

"Yes. My training-overall, not just Police-is more valuable here than on groundside, I think. And you're on the ship."