little evidence to substantiate that,” Verdandi
said cautiously.
“Quirinus and his colleagues tracked an unidentified
spacecraft following a course to Ascension,” Fenris pointed out. “Alas, by the
time we were ready to send a ship in pursuit it was too late.”
“I’m in charge of the investigation,” Ostara told her,
then glared at Fenris, who rolled his eyes in an obvious display of contempt.
“But my experience is limited.”
“So now you have decided to come to the proper
authorities,” remarked Verdandi. “Which, I may say, you should have done long
ago rather than hide away on the fringes. We have had a couple of security
incidents recently,” she confirmed. “A stolen spacecraft, a mysterious explosion
in the Eden Ravines; but I repeat there is precious little to suggest that the
Raja is anywhere on Ascension.”
“The Ravines?” chirped Endymion. “Is this about the Nellie
Chapman ?”
He gulped. Verdandi was staring at him with a look that
could freeze a supernova.
“Endymion,” said Miss Clymene gently. “Is there something
you’d like to tell us?”
“Didn’t see nothing,” mumbled Endymion, suddenly reticent
to say more.
“That’s a double negative,” Bellona pointed out. “And
therefore not a lie.”
Miss Clymene produced an empty foil-wrapped carton from
her pocket and showed it to Endymion. “And this looks suspiciously like a
zero-gravity food pack from a spacecraft,” she declared. “I found it near your
sleeping bag just before we left the Ravines.”
“A clue!” exclaimed Ostara. She took the empty wrapper
from Miss Clymene and examined it carefully. “See the teeth marks? Maybe some
strange alien creature stole this morsel of food from somewhere then found its
way to your camp, seeking warmth.”
Endymion nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”
“Or a certain someone was out and about in the jungle
when he shouldn’t have been and took the rations from a possible crime scene,”
suggested Miss Clymene. Bellona and Philyra blushed and shuffled along the seat
away from Endymion, who stared at his shoes. “Someone with the annoying habit
of opening packets with his teeth?”
Ostara considered this. “That is a possibility,” she
admitted.
“We suspect the wreckage in the Eden Ravines is indeed
the Nellie Chapman , but that hasn’t as
yet been confirmed,” Verdandi said slowly. “Young man, are you saying you saw
the ship before it was destroyed?”
“We all saw it,” Bellona told her, when it became clear
Endymion had lost his tongue. “We were looking for the meteor the scientists
said had fallen nearby. Endymion was the only one to go inside, though.”
“Thanks,” muttered Endymion.
“So what makes you think this ship was involved in the
kidnap?” asked Ostara.
“The flight computer,” Endymion replied sullenly. “I
checked the coordinates and saw that its last flight was from the Dandridge
Cole .”
“Clever boy,” remarked Quirinus.
“Not really,” retorted Verdandi. “The scientist at the
Ravines who found the spacecraft noticed an explosive device attached to the
main console. By the time our bomb disposal expert arrived, there was not a lot
left for her to examine. This young man was lucky not to blast himself into
orbit. Anyone would think he was on egg!” she said, looking at Endymion.
“Egg?” queried Ravana, confused. Ostara shrugged.
“What sort of ship was it?” asked Quirinus.
“Asteroid miner,” replied Endymion. “With an Astromole
digging machine.”
“Astromole!” exclaimed Ravana. “That’s the name I saw on
the side of the machine that took the Raja and the men down into the ground!”
“If the boy’s testimony is to be believed then it seems
the young Raja may be on Ascension after all,” said Verdandi, looking
thoughtful. “I will personally…”
Endymion held up his hand. “Excuse me, Administrator,” he
said. “There’s more.”
Verdandi looked most displeased at being interrupted
said cautiously.
“Quirinus and his colleagues tracked an unidentified
spacecraft following a course to Ascension,” Fenris pointed out. “Alas, by the
time we were ready to send a ship in pursuit it was too late.”
“I’m in charge of the investigation,” Ostara told her,
then glared at Fenris, who rolled his eyes in an obvious display of contempt.
“But my experience is limited.”
“So now you have decided to come to the proper
authorities,” remarked Verdandi. “Which, I may say, you should have done long
ago rather than hide away on the fringes. We have had a couple of security
incidents recently,” she confirmed. “A stolen spacecraft, a mysterious explosion
in the Eden Ravines; but I repeat there is precious little to suggest that the
Raja is anywhere on Ascension.”
“The Ravines?” chirped Endymion. “Is this about the Nellie
Chapman ?”
He gulped. Verdandi was staring at him with a look that
could freeze a supernova.
“Endymion,” said Miss Clymene gently. “Is there something
you’d like to tell us?”
“Didn’t see nothing,” mumbled Endymion, suddenly reticent
to say more.
“That’s a double negative,” Bellona pointed out. “And
therefore not a lie.”
Miss Clymene produced an empty foil-wrapped carton from
her pocket and showed it to Endymion. “And this looks suspiciously like a
zero-gravity food pack from a spacecraft,” she declared. “I found it near your
sleeping bag just before we left the Ravines.”
“A clue!” exclaimed Ostara. She took the empty wrapper
from Miss Clymene and examined it carefully. “See the teeth marks? Maybe some
strange alien creature stole this morsel of food from somewhere then found its
way to your camp, seeking warmth.”
Endymion nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”
“Or a certain someone was out and about in the jungle
when he shouldn’t have been and took the rations from a possible crime scene,”
suggested Miss Clymene. Bellona and Philyra blushed and shuffled along the seat
away from Endymion, who stared at his shoes. “Someone with the annoying habit
of opening packets with his teeth?”
Ostara considered this. “That is a possibility,” she
admitted.
“We suspect the wreckage in the Eden Ravines is indeed
the Nellie Chapman , but that hasn’t as
yet been confirmed,” Verdandi said slowly. “Young man, are you saying you saw
the ship before it was destroyed?”
“We all saw it,” Bellona told her, when it became clear
Endymion had lost his tongue. “We were looking for the meteor the scientists
said had fallen nearby. Endymion was the only one to go inside, though.”
“Thanks,” muttered Endymion.
“So what makes you think this ship was involved in the
kidnap?” asked Ostara.
“The flight computer,” Endymion replied sullenly. “I
checked the coordinates and saw that its last flight was from the Dandridge
Cole .”
“Clever boy,” remarked Quirinus.
“Not really,” retorted Verdandi. “The scientist at the
Ravines who found the spacecraft noticed an explosive device attached to the
main console. By the time our bomb disposal expert arrived, there was not a lot
left for her to examine. This young man was lucky not to blast himself into
orbit. Anyone would think he was on egg!” she said, looking at Endymion.
“Egg?” queried Ravana, confused. Ostara shrugged.
“What sort of ship was it?” asked Quirinus.
“Asteroid miner,” replied Endymion. “With an Astromole
digging machine.”
“Astromole!” exclaimed Ravana. “That’s the name I saw on
the side of the machine that took the Raja and the men down into the ground!”
“If the boy’s testimony is to be believed then it seems
the young Raja may be on Ascension after all,” said Verdandi, looking
thoughtful. “I will personally…”
Endymion held up his hand. “Excuse me, Administrator,” he
said. “There’s more.”
Verdandi looked most displeased at being interrupted
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