mid-flow.
“Well?”
“There was another ship,” he said tentatively. “There
were marks on the ground where it had landed next to the mining ship.”
“More witnesses!” Ostara said excitedly. “This Ravines
place is a tourist area, right? The other ship could be a coach party from
Earth, or one of those flying souvenir shops which sell ice-cream, or…”
Quirinus held up his hand to stop her. “Has anyone got a
more sensible theory?”
“The Maharani believes her son has been taken to
Yuanshi,” Fenris declared, glaring at Quirinus. “The symbol left upon the
palace wall was that of the freedom fighters of Lanka. You have to take me to
Epsilon Eridani. We need to continue the search from there!”
Miss Clymene looked at Quirinus. Ravana heard her murmur
something about her and the band being dropped off on Daode along the way.
Quirinus however had other ideas.
“How dare you ask that of me!” he retorted. “Ravana and I
went through hell on that moon. Your crack-pot religion has torn Yuanshi apart.
There is no way I am going to risk my life going back to Epsilon Eridani just
to hunt for some third-rate prince!”
“Father!” exclaimed Ravana. She had never seen her father
so angry.
“Crack-pot religion?” exclaimed Fenris. “You dare to mock
the followers of Taranis?”
“I am not going to Yuanshi,” said Quirinus. “I’ve escaped
your stupid holy war once already and I have no intention of throwing myself
back into that madness again.”
“Madness?” shrieked Fenris. “Stupid holy war?”
“It sounds even more convincing when you say it,”
Quirinus told him.
“So you’re definitely not going to Epsilon Eridani?” Miss
Clymene asked.
Fenris stood up. “I am not taking any more of these
insults!” he declared. Glaring once more at Quirinus, he strode away through
the arrivals lounge and was gone.
Ravana stared after the departing figure in shocked
disbelief. Her gaze met those of Verdandi and Ostara, who both looked equally
stunned.
“Are all you people this highly strung?” Verdandi asked
Ostara.
Ostara shrugged. “I don’t think the Maharani is an easy
woman to work for.”
“He’ll be back,” mused Quirinus. “He’s got no other way
of getting home.”
Chapter Four
The return of the prince
RAJA SURYA gazed through the porthole at the planet
hanging in space before them. The gas giant was truly immense, with bands of
turbulent clouds in various shades of brown from cream to rusty red, dwarfing
the tiny moon that had moved into view to add a sense of perspective. He had
been barely four years old the last time he had gazed upon such a sight with
his own eyes, yet the view was all too familiar and somehow comforting.
The tall man sitting opposite, who like Surya was held
into his seat by a harness to stop him drifting away in the zero gravity, was
captivated too by the view of the distant planet. The man had previously
admitted that his own feelings were born more of relief that the end of what
had been a busy week was near.
“Shennong, the divine farmer,” the man said. “A Chinese
name, but one somehow appropriate. The gardens of Yuanshi and Daode have indeed
proved bountiful to the intrepid adventurers who have made these distant moons
their home.”
Surya stared at him. “Do you always talk like that?”
“Namtar does like his fancy words,” retorted the fat man,
who sat by himself on the other side of the cabin. “He acts all swish but he’s
no better than scum like me.”
“If I am scum, I am merely guilty by association,”
replied Namtar. “It is regrettable that circumstances have forced me to
associate with miscreants of your ilk, my dear Inari. Rest assured that once I
have taken my rightful place in the brave new world we are building on Yuanshi,
standing shoulder to shoulder with my fellow elite, no one will call me scum.”
Inari gave a derisive snort. “You’ll always be scum to
me.”
Surya looked away and smiled. Barely
“Well?”
“There was another ship,” he said tentatively. “There
were marks on the ground where it had landed next to the mining ship.”
“More witnesses!” Ostara said excitedly. “This Ravines
place is a tourist area, right? The other ship could be a coach party from
Earth, or one of those flying souvenir shops which sell ice-cream, or…”
Quirinus held up his hand to stop her. “Has anyone got a
more sensible theory?”
“The Maharani believes her son has been taken to
Yuanshi,” Fenris declared, glaring at Quirinus. “The symbol left upon the
palace wall was that of the freedom fighters of Lanka. You have to take me to
Epsilon Eridani. We need to continue the search from there!”
Miss Clymene looked at Quirinus. Ravana heard her murmur
something about her and the band being dropped off on Daode along the way.
Quirinus however had other ideas.
“How dare you ask that of me!” he retorted. “Ravana and I
went through hell on that moon. Your crack-pot religion has torn Yuanshi apart.
There is no way I am going to risk my life going back to Epsilon Eridani just
to hunt for some third-rate prince!”
“Father!” exclaimed Ravana. She had never seen her father
so angry.
“Crack-pot religion?” exclaimed Fenris. “You dare to mock
the followers of Taranis?”
“I am not going to Yuanshi,” said Quirinus. “I’ve escaped
your stupid holy war once already and I have no intention of throwing myself
back into that madness again.”
“Madness?” shrieked Fenris. “Stupid holy war?”
“It sounds even more convincing when you say it,”
Quirinus told him.
“So you’re definitely not going to Epsilon Eridani?” Miss
Clymene asked.
Fenris stood up. “I am not taking any more of these
insults!” he declared. Glaring once more at Quirinus, he strode away through
the arrivals lounge and was gone.
Ravana stared after the departing figure in shocked
disbelief. Her gaze met those of Verdandi and Ostara, who both looked equally
stunned.
“Are all you people this highly strung?” Verdandi asked
Ostara.
Ostara shrugged. “I don’t think the Maharani is an easy
woman to work for.”
“He’ll be back,” mused Quirinus. “He’s got no other way
of getting home.”
Chapter Four
The return of the prince
RAJA SURYA gazed through the porthole at the planet
hanging in space before them. The gas giant was truly immense, with bands of
turbulent clouds in various shades of brown from cream to rusty red, dwarfing
the tiny moon that had moved into view to add a sense of perspective. He had
been barely four years old the last time he had gazed upon such a sight with
his own eyes, yet the view was all too familiar and somehow comforting.
The tall man sitting opposite, who like Surya was held
into his seat by a harness to stop him drifting away in the zero gravity, was
captivated too by the view of the distant planet. The man had previously
admitted that his own feelings were born more of relief that the end of what
had been a busy week was near.
“Shennong, the divine farmer,” the man said. “A Chinese
name, but one somehow appropriate. The gardens of Yuanshi and Daode have indeed
proved bountiful to the intrepid adventurers who have made these distant moons
their home.”
Surya stared at him. “Do you always talk like that?”
“Namtar does like his fancy words,” retorted the fat man,
who sat by himself on the other side of the cabin. “He acts all swish but he’s
no better than scum like me.”
“If I am scum, I am merely guilty by association,”
replied Namtar. “It is regrettable that circumstances have forced me to
associate with miscreants of your ilk, my dear Inari. Rest assured that once I
have taken my rightful place in the brave new world we are building on Yuanshi,
standing shoulder to shoulder with my fellow elite, no one will call me scum.”
Inari gave a derisive snort. “You’ll always be scum to
me.”
Surya looked away and smiled. Barely
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