A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt
Authors: Jack McDevitt
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, adventure, Fantasy, War, High Tech, Life on other planets, Heroes
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even tougher in a small craft, and I got sicker than usual going out and coming back, and I swore again that that was the end.
There was no need to land. Hrinwhar was a cratered, airless, nickel-iron rock located just inside the rings of a gas giant, which I suppose is why the
Ashiyyur thought it would make a good naval base. Some say the assault against it was Sim's finest moment. The Dellacondans lured off the defenders, and literally took the base apart. They left here with some of the enemy's most closely guarded secrets.
The physical evidence of the raid remains: a few holed domes, a gaping shaft which had once been a recovery area for warships, and chunks of metal and plastic strewn across the surface.
Probably exactly as it looked when Christopher Sim and his men withdrew two centuries ago.
Chase didn't say much. I got the impression she was watching me more than the moonscape.
"Enough?" she asked after we'd made several passes.
"He couldn't be down there," I said.
Page 39
"No. There's no one here."
"Why would he come out to this barren place?"
VI.
Call forth the fire—!
—The Condorni, II, 1
Sim is a son of a bitch: fourteen thousand years of history to learn from, and it's still the same old blood and bluster.
—Leisha Tanner, Notebooks
WHO HAD GABE'S traveling companion been on the Capella?
Sixty-three others had boarded the vessel from the Rimway shuttle, of whom twenty were bound for Saraglia Station. (The big interstellars, of course, never actually stop at ports of call.
Too much time and energy would be wasted fighting inertia, so they skim planetary systems at high velocity. Passengers and cargo are transferred in flight from local vehicles.) It seemed likely that his companion had been among the twenty.
I scanned their death notices looking for a likely prospect. The group included elderly vacationers, naval personnel on leave, three sets of newlyweds, a sprinkling of businessmen.
Four were from Andiquar: a pair of importIexport brokers, a child being shuttled between relatives, and a retired law enforcement officer. Nothing very promising, but I got lucky right away with John Khyber, the law enforcement guy.
I secured the code of his next of kin from the announcement, and linked in. "I'm Alex Benedict," I said. "May I speak with Mrs. Khyber?"
"I'm Jana Khyber." I waited for her to materialize, but nothing happened.
"I'm sorry to bother you. My uncle was on the Capella. I believe he was traveling with your husband."
"Oh?" There was a sea change in the voice: softer, interested, pained. "I'm sorry about your uncle." I heard Jacob's projector switch on. There was a flutter of color in the air, and she appeared: dignified, a trifle matronly, attentive. Perhaps irritated, though with me, or Gabe, or her husband, I could not tell. "I'm glad to have a chance to talk to someone about it. Where were they going?"
"You don't know, Jana?"
"How would I know? Trust me, he said."
Son of a bitch. "Did you know Gabe Benedict?"
"No," she said, after a pause. "I didn't know my husband was traveling with anybody." She frowned, and her bosom, which was substantial, rose and fell. "I didn't know he was traveling at all. I mean off-world."
"Had he ever been to Saraglia before?"
"No." She crossed her arms. "He'd never been off Rimway before. At least not that I know of.
Now I'm not so sure."
"But you knew he was going to be away for a while?"
"Yes. I knew."
"No explanation?"
"None," she said, biting off a sob. "My God, we've never had a problem of any kind, Mr.
Benedict. Not really. He told me he was sorry, that he couldn't explain, that he'd be away six months."
"Six months? You must have questioned him."
"Of course I did. They've called me back he said. They need me, and I've got to go."
"Who were they?"
Page 40
"The Agency. He was a security officer. Retired, but it didn't really make any difference. He's still a consultant." She hesitated over the statement, but didn't correct
There was no need to land. Hrinwhar was a cratered, airless, nickel-iron rock located just inside the rings of a gas giant, which I suppose is why the
Ashiyyur thought it would make a good naval base. Some say the assault against it was Sim's finest moment. The Dellacondans lured off the defenders, and literally took the base apart. They left here with some of the enemy's most closely guarded secrets.
The physical evidence of the raid remains: a few holed domes, a gaping shaft which had once been a recovery area for warships, and chunks of metal and plastic strewn across the surface.
Probably exactly as it looked when Christopher Sim and his men withdrew two centuries ago.
Chase didn't say much. I got the impression she was watching me more than the moonscape.
"Enough?" she asked after we'd made several passes.
"He couldn't be down there," I said.
Page 39
"No. There's no one here."
"Why would he come out to this barren place?"
VI.
Call forth the fire—!
—The Condorni, II, 1
Sim is a son of a bitch: fourteen thousand years of history to learn from, and it's still the same old blood and bluster.
—Leisha Tanner, Notebooks
WHO HAD GABE'S traveling companion been on the Capella?
Sixty-three others had boarded the vessel from the Rimway shuttle, of whom twenty were bound for Saraglia Station. (The big interstellars, of course, never actually stop at ports of call.
Too much time and energy would be wasted fighting inertia, so they skim planetary systems at high velocity. Passengers and cargo are transferred in flight from local vehicles.) It seemed likely that his companion had been among the twenty.
I scanned their death notices looking for a likely prospect. The group included elderly vacationers, naval personnel on leave, three sets of newlyweds, a sprinkling of businessmen.
Four were from Andiquar: a pair of importIexport brokers, a child being shuttled between relatives, and a retired law enforcement officer. Nothing very promising, but I got lucky right away with John Khyber, the law enforcement guy.
I secured the code of his next of kin from the announcement, and linked in. "I'm Alex Benedict," I said. "May I speak with Mrs. Khyber?"
"I'm Jana Khyber." I waited for her to materialize, but nothing happened.
"I'm sorry to bother you. My uncle was on the Capella. I believe he was traveling with your husband."
"Oh?" There was a sea change in the voice: softer, interested, pained. "I'm sorry about your uncle." I heard Jacob's projector switch on. There was a flutter of color in the air, and she appeared: dignified, a trifle matronly, attentive. Perhaps irritated, though with me, or Gabe, or her husband, I could not tell. "I'm glad to have a chance to talk to someone about it. Where were they going?"
"You don't know, Jana?"
"How would I know? Trust me, he said."
Son of a bitch. "Did you know Gabe Benedict?"
"No," she said, after a pause. "I didn't know my husband was traveling with anybody." She frowned, and her bosom, which was substantial, rose and fell. "I didn't know he was traveling at all. I mean off-world."
"Had he ever been to Saraglia before?"
"No." She crossed her arms. "He'd never been off Rimway before. At least not that I know of.
Now I'm not so sure."
"But you knew he was going to be away for a while?"
"Yes. I knew."
"No explanation?"
"None," she said, biting off a sob. "My God, we've never had a problem of any kind, Mr.
Benedict. Not really. He told me he was sorry, that he couldn't explain, that he'd be away six months."
"Six months? You must have questioned him."
"Of course I did. They've called me back he said. They need me, and I've got to go."
"Who were they?"
Page 40
"The Agency. He was a security officer. Retired, but it didn't really make any difference. He's still a consultant." She hesitated over the statement, but didn't correct
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