The Warlock Wandering by Christopher Stasheff Page A
Authors: Christopher Stasheff
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction
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gazed off into space. "Nice question..."
"And, sin that thou didst ask it, I doubt'me not an thou hast an answer."
Yorick glanced sideways at Gwen. "Where'd you get her. Major?"
"Just lucky, I guess.... What was your answer?"
"To make it easy to try another assassination attempt." Yorick grinned. "The early PEST years are ideal for the purpose. The interstellar totalitarian government is brandnew, at its brightest strength, with plenty of agents left over
THE WARLOCK WANDERING 81
from its coup, but not yet tied down to the central planets as secret police."
Rod nodded, feeling numbed. "Yeah... that does kinda stack the odds in their favor.... But why one of the frontier planets? Why not Terra?"
"Too hard to cover up a murder attempt." Yorick shook his head. "Too many people."
"Yeah, but would they really care?"
"There is that," Yorick said judiciously. "But a much more practical point is that, with all those people to hide among, it'd be too easy for you to get away. And they know the two of you well enough to realize that you could be very hard to hold on to."
"A point," Rod admitted, "and it is hard for us to just disappear here in the grassland, isn't it?"
"Or even in the town," Yorick agreed, "what there is of it."
"Yet they have already attempted murder," Gwen pointed out, "and failed. Would they not essay summat more subtle?"
"Such as trying to frame us for murder?" Rod nodded.
"Yes, I think you've summed it up nicely, dear."
"A nice little death sentence would suit them just fine/'
Yorick mused, "especially with a bunch of savages to insist on it not being commuted to something humane, such as life imprisonment."
Rod snorted.
"If you say so," Yorick said affably. "But it's the best theory I can come up with. Got any other candidates in mind. Major? Who else might want to create a handy little murder incident?"
Rod glowered, staring at the top of the Wall, thinking it over. Finally he said, "Shacklar."
A sentry paced by, dark against the stars. They fell silent, staring, eyes locked onto him until he passed, and the curve of the wall hid him from sight. 82 Christopher Stasheff
Rod hissed, "Now!" and closed his eyes, concentrating on the feeling of lightness. He began to drift upward out of the shadow. Gwen matched his pace, rising on her broomstick. They accelerated, moving faster and faster. Yorick swallowed heavily and clamped his jaws shut.
Up, over the wall, and down the other side they glided, Yorick slung between them. His feet jarred against earth, and he let go of them as though their arms were hot metal. He gave himself a shake, heaved a deep breath, and turned to Rod with a bright smile. "Now! Just why did you suspect General Shacklar?"
"Let's talk about it when we're a little further from the Wall." Rod darted an uneasy glance toward the walkway at the top. "Come on, let's go!"
They dashed across fifty yards of open ground, into the shadow of an outbuilding, plowed to a halt, and propped themselves against the shack, chests heaving. "After all," Yorick panted, "this little murder just might bring all Shacklar's last ten years of work crashing down. He's managed to get the two sides almost to the point of joining in a single government. Why would he take a chance on busting it up?"
"To finish the job." Rod grinned.
Yorick and Gwen stared.
"Think it over." Rod felt quite pleased with himself.
"Gwen and I have given him the perfect opportunity to hatch his united government. We're totally new, so no one's going to gripe much if we're just handed over to the Wolmen. That would give our friendly natives a heck of a lot more confidence in Shacklar, with the added advantage of having made the Wolmen negotiate with Shacklar as a nation, all banded together. So all the General has to do is make it clear that the Wolmen are just as much involved in deciding this case as the colonists are, and it could be the first action of that unified government he's been trying to develop."
"Very good,
"And, sin that thou didst ask it, I doubt'me not an thou hast an answer."
Yorick glanced sideways at Gwen. "Where'd you get her. Major?"
"Just lucky, I guess.... What was your answer?"
"To make it easy to try another assassination attempt." Yorick grinned. "The early PEST years are ideal for the purpose. The interstellar totalitarian government is brandnew, at its brightest strength, with plenty of agents left over
THE WARLOCK WANDERING 81
from its coup, but not yet tied down to the central planets as secret police."
Rod nodded, feeling numbed. "Yeah... that does kinda stack the odds in their favor.... But why one of the frontier planets? Why not Terra?"
"Too hard to cover up a murder attempt." Yorick shook his head. "Too many people."
"Yeah, but would they really care?"
"There is that," Yorick said judiciously. "But a much more practical point is that, with all those people to hide among, it'd be too easy for you to get away. And they know the two of you well enough to realize that you could be very hard to hold on to."
"A point," Rod admitted, "and it is hard for us to just disappear here in the grassland, isn't it?"
"Or even in the town," Yorick agreed, "what there is of it."
"Yet they have already attempted murder," Gwen pointed out, "and failed. Would they not essay summat more subtle?"
"Such as trying to frame us for murder?" Rod nodded.
"Yes, I think you've summed it up nicely, dear."
"A nice little death sentence would suit them just fine/'
Yorick mused, "especially with a bunch of savages to insist on it not being commuted to something humane, such as life imprisonment."
Rod snorted.
"If you say so," Yorick said affably. "But it's the best theory I can come up with. Got any other candidates in mind. Major? Who else might want to create a handy little murder incident?"
Rod glowered, staring at the top of the Wall, thinking it over. Finally he said, "Shacklar."
A sentry paced by, dark against the stars. They fell silent, staring, eyes locked onto him until he passed, and the curve of the wall hid him from sight. 82 Christopher Stasheff
Rod hissed, "Now!" and closed his eyes, concentrating on the feeling of lightness. He began to drift upward out of the shadow. Gwen matched his pace, rising on her broomstick. They accelerated, moving faster and faster. Yorick swallowed heavily and clamped his jaws shut.
Up, over the wall, and down the other side they glided, Yorick slung between them. His feet jarred against earth, and he let go of them as though their arms were hot metal. He gave himself a shake, heaved a deep breath, and turned to Rod with a bright smile. "Now! Just why did you suspect General Shacklar?"
"Let's talk about it when we're a little further from the Wall." Rod darted an uneasy glance toward the walkway at the top. "Come on, let's go!"
They dashed across fifty yards of open ground, into the shadow of an outbuilding, plowed to a halt, and propped themselves against the shack, chests heaving. "After all," Yorick panted, "this little murder just might bring all Shacklar's last ten years of work crashing down. He's managed to get the two sides almost to the point of joining in a single government. Why would he take a chance on busting it up?"
"To finish the job." Rod grinned.
Yorick and Gwen stared.
"Think it over." Rod felt quite pleased with himself.
"Gwen and I have given him the perfect opportunity to hatch his united government. We're totally new, so no one's going to gripe much if we're just handed over to the Wolmen. That would give our friendly natives a heck of a lot more confidence in Shacklar, with the added advantage of having made the Wolmen negotiate with Shacklar as a nation, all banded together. So all the General has to do is make it clear that the Wolmen are just as much involved in deciding this case as the colonists are, and it could be the first action of that unified government he's been trying to develop."
"Very good,
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