_To disobey the orders of the
Council of Four was unthinkable
to a Space Admiral of the old
school. But the trouble was,
the school system had changed.
A man, a fighter, an Admiral
had to think for himself now, if
his people were to live._
While facing the Council of Four his restraint had not slipped; but
afterward, shaking with fury, the Admiral of the Fleets of Sennech
slammed halfway down the long flight of stone steps before he realized
someone was at his elbow. He slowed. "Forgive me, Jezef. They made me so
mad I forgot you were waiting."
Jezef (adjutant through most of Tulan's career, and for some years
brother-in-law as well) was shorter and less harshly carved than his
superior. "So they wouldn't listen to you. Not even Grefen?"
"Even Grefen." That vote had stabbed deepest of all.
Jezef took it with the detachment that still irritated Tulan. "The end
of a hundred years of dreams; and we go back under the yoke. Well,
they've always been soft masters."
They reached the ground cars. Before getting into his own Tulan said
coldly, "Since you're so philosophical about it, you'll be a good one to
bear the sight of men saying good-bye to their families. We're to take
full crews to Coar and surrender them with the ships. Requisition what
help you need and get everybody aboard by noon tomorrow."
Jezef saluted with a hint of amused irony, and left.
* * * * *
Whipping through the dark icy streets, Tulan smiled sourly, thinking how
Sennech's scientists had reversed themselves on the theory of hyperspace
now that Coar had demonstrated its existence. Maybe the Council was
right in mistrusting their current notions. As for himself, he saw only
two things to consider: that with Coar swinging behind the sun, the
accuracy of her new weapon had gone to pot; and that before she was
clear again he could pound her into surrender.
His swift campaigns had already smashed her flabby fleets and driven the
remnants from space, but the Council, faced with the destruction and
casualties from just a few days of the weird surprise bombardment, was
cowed.
He'd spent the previous night at home, but wasn't going back now, having
decided to make his farewell by visiphone. It was the thing he dreaded
most, or most immediately, so as soon as he reached the flagship he went
to his quarters to get it over with.
Anatu's eyes--the same eyes as Jezef's--looked at him out of the screen,
filling him with the familiar awkward worship. "You've heard?" he asked
finally.
"Yes. You won't be home before you go?"
"No; I ..." He abandoned the lie he'd prepared. "I just didn't feel up
to it."