Текст книги "The Sword and the Dagger"

Автор книги: Ardath Mayhar

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34

The chronometer ticked forward, its dial nearing the midday hour. Seated beside the podium, the Prince nodded to the Maître of the Household on New Avalon. That worthy signalled, and the gates opened. A brilliandy clad throng surged into the space beside the gardens.

Ekkles, the aide, rose. His electronically enhanced voice quieted the buzz of conversadon below, but Ardan was watching Hanse, who had moved forward to stand just in view of the imposter. As Ekkles was introducing Hanse Davion, the false Prince looked up. He turned pale.

Even as Ekkles gestured toward him, offering at the same time a sheaf of notes, the imposter pitched forward in a dead faint. A concerted gasp rose from the throats of the multitude. Ekkles bent over his fallen ruler, turning pale in his turn.

The court doctor stood. "Clear the courtyard! There will be no announcement at this time!" he shouted. The guard moved forward to obey him, and Ardan found the opportunity to beckon to Efflinger and two of his attendants.

He guided them around the outside of the palace and through a private door he had often used to visit Hanse. Then he heard voices from the Prince's chambers, which lay some distance down the corridor. Tense voices, straining to be quiet.

"You are a fake!" came Hanse's familiar tones. "I am Hanse Davion, and this is an imposter placed here by a conspiracy originating among our enemies."

"Arrest this man!" came another voice, in a near shout. "He is concerned in the plot I was about to expose...a plot against the Federated Suns. He is a danger to us all! Arrest him!"

Ardan drew his sidearm and went through the door in a rush. Ref and Jarlik had drawn their own weapons and were facing the four guards. It took only a moment to disarm them.

In the chamber were Ekkles, the doctor, the members of the Guard, and, to Ardan's surprise, three of the most eminent members of the New Avalon Institute of Science. When he moved, he saw that Efflinger, too, had joined the group, his usual languid manner touched with interest.

Ekkles was breathing hard, his gaze darting from the stymied Guards to the doctor, who was bending over the false Hanse, and then on to the ruddy-haired man in Guard uniform, who was regarding him with suspicion tinged with disgust.

There came a thunderous rap against the side of the building, and Ardan could see, through the glass doors, the legs of a WarHammerstanding outside, trampling the shrubbery into shreds. Seeing that the thing could smash through the glass with the slightest tap of its massive toe, Ekkles moved to open the doors.

"There is, indeed, a conspiracy here," said Sep through her ‘Mech's speakers. "I call for minute examination of both claimants."

The Maître, who had bustled into the room, gazed up at the huge machine standing before the doors, and he almost fainted. Before he could speak, another voice was heard.

"I quite agree." It was a cool voice, rather lazy, but precise. "I suggest that we compel both claimants to undergo all the standard physical tests, in order to determine which is the rightful Prince." Efflinger stepped from behind Ardan and stood beside the two identical Davions.

"You cannot interfere in the internal affairs of New Avalon," protested Ekkles. "You represent Steiner, our enemy..."

"Since when? And by whose representations?" the ambassador asked. "For years, House Steiner and House Davion have recognized many common interests and have worked toward mutual aid and prosperity. Then, without warning and certainly without any action on the part of Katrina Steiner, the Prince of Davion has declared us to be enemies. Has anyone noted any instance that might prove it to be true?" He looked at Ekkles, at the doctor, and at the Maltre.

He pointed toward Ardan. "There stands Ardan Sortek, who has been the closest friend of the Prince since his childhood. He has suffered from suspicion and innuendo, after reporting seeing a double of his old friend in the Liao headquarters on Stein's Folly. Ask him which is the real Hanse Davion."

Ardan stepped to stand beside Hanse. Being so near the false one, he found him dizzyingly like the true one, yet there were differences. Perhaps only he could have detected them...the small scar above the left eyelid made by a stone gone astray in a game of slingshots, many years before ...the tiny white line where a furious bird had attacked the boys searching for birds' nests near her chicks.

He laid a hand on Hanse's shoulder. "This is the man I accompanied into the dungeons of the Summer Palace on Argyle not many weeks ago. Only the aid of friends in the Guard broke us free and allowed us to return home to expose this impersonation."

Ekkles was confused, angry. He spluttered, "Do you suppose that I, the Prince's own aide-de-camp, can possibly be misled? This man is our ruler. These two, for whatever treasonous purpose, are conspiring to unseat him in order to weaken the Federated Suns in a time of peril!"

Efflinger, his attendants now standing very close to him, stared arrogandy at the aide. "Make the tests. What can that damage? Who will be hurt by such an eminendy sensible course of action? If the man who now rules is an imposter, it will mean that our Houses will NOT be at war. If he isthe true ruler, then war will be the inevitable outcome of his policies.

"Not simply the rulership of a world is at stake here. There is war hanging in the balance. Do you truly want your House to be at odds with every major power in the Inner Sphere?"

The three doctors from NAIS moved forward together. "Test them," said Doctor Shali, the most eminent doctor of biological medicine in that group. "It will be easily done, and without arousing suspicion among the people. Bring them both to the private laboratories in the lower level of this palace. Send for technicians. They are vowed to secrecy in many matters, and this will be only one more. We will, ourselves, oversee this testing."

Ardan glanced at the faces of the Guard members who had not known what was happening. They looked puzzled. But one or two were staring at him, then at Ekkles, and their expressions were no longer those of men entirely convinced of the right way to go.

Ekkles could not refuse. To do so would be stupid, and he had never been that He gave in with as much grace as he could summon.

"As this matter should not be bruited about—no matter what its outcome—we should, I believe, keep the entire question among those now involved, and those Techs who will conduct the testing. Will you Doctors of the Institute serve as observers? Will the Ambassador also consent to do that? And will the Guard who are now present swear never to reveal in any way what is happening here, on pain of death?"

Shali led the way to the labs, then took a place where she could oversee each step in the testing. When everyone was settled, and the people direcdy involved were in position, she signalled the work to begin.

Retinal scan was a common method of identification. It was the quick way to gain access to depositories of valuables, as well as to military installations. Thumbprints were too easy to recreate by way of plastic surgery. These were only the first of many tests, however, including blood samples and DNA testing.

As samples of tissue were taken, the scans and measurements done, Ardan was becoming increasingly nervous. Some instinct was telling him to beware—things were not exacdy as they seemed. He found himself tense, his muscles aching with stress, as he held himself motionless on the bench next to Jarlik and Ref.

They were going to get away with the plot, that was the thing that kept hammering at his mind. Somehow, in some obscure way, they had managed to rig the testing. He felt it in his gut. The expressions of the Techs were deliberately blank, but he caught minute shifts of eyes, gestures immediately interrupted, that told him it was true.

Sep, down from the 'Mech in the garden, put her hand on his shoulder. He sighed. She felt it, too. It was the same instinct that told a MechWarrior when he was about to find himself in an untenable position.

What would they—could they—do if the most accurate tests known to mankind proved that the real Hanse was not himself?

When the announcement came, even Hanse, standing in his white smock below them, didn't seem surprised.

"This man is not Hanse Davion. The records on file find him incompatible in many areas with the tissue samples in storage. He is an imposter."

Doctor Shali stirred in her big chair. "You have done everything possible," she said, her tone strangely tentative. She turned in the chair to gaze at the assembled witnesses. "Yet I find myself dissatisfied. Something has been left undone...something crucial."

The aide-de-camp stood impatiendy. "The testing is finished. It has been proven that this man and his accomplices are not what they claim to be. I demand that they be released to me for immediate execution under the Law of Emergency Procedures."

Shali frowned. She stood, and though she was diminutive, she exuded authority.

"That I will not do until I am completely satisfied. There have been...anomalies...of late. The Prince has withdrawn support of many items on the NAIS agenda that he had formerly been most anxious to pursue. And his policies have changed radically with regard to our allies. Men who have served long and well have been dismissed...or even arrested."

Her voice rose. "I will not relinquish control of this matter until I am fully satisfied. Has anyone any suggestion as to another test? Another procedure outside the limitations of science?"

The faces of those in the chamber seemed blank. Those most concerned were screening their reactions. The others seemed genuinely nonplussed.

Ardan was thinking furiously. There had to be something that the conspirators could not have known. Something so private that not even he would have the key to it. Something that only Hanse would know, of all people in the system...

Ardan rose to his feet as if pulled by strings."Madame Doctor," he said.

Shali inclined her head. "You may speak, Ardan Sortek."

"There is one thing that only the true Prince will be able to do. Not another warrior in all the systems could accomplish it. I suggest that each of these men be taken to the storage and repair area beneath Barracks A and asked to activate Prince Davion's BattleMaster."

There was a communal gasp from those in the room. It was true—none but its warrior knew the exact sequence of actions and words that would release a 'Mech from stasis.

Ardan looked toward the two Hanses. Neither seemed surprised or shaken at the suggestion. Now, having looked away, he found himself unsure as to which was which. But the Techs had put dye markers on their hands. It would be determined, when necessary.

Shali was smiling. Not her official, inscrutable smile, but a beam that touched her eyes as well as her lips.

"Well done, Ardan Sortek. A most useful suggestion. Lek, you will help these men to robe themselves properly. We will go ahead to await them in the 'Mech quarters."

There was a rustle of motion as the seated witnesses rose to follow Doctor Shali from the chamber. Ardan glanced back at the men, who were being led away into the robing room.

Even as he looked, one of the big, red-haired shapes turned his head slightly. A trace of a grin wrinkled the visible cheek. Ardan relaxed.

He knew, once more, which was his old friend. He found his step much more lively as he joined Sep and the others in the corridor. In only a short while more, the truth would become apparent to everyone.

35

The underground workshops and storage areas provided for the Mechs and their technicians were tremendous. To move the huge mechanisms in and out, as well as to hoist them for repair, required cavernous space. The bright metal of the walls reflected the brilliance of the work lights. The maintenance of a 'Mech was somewhere between mechanics and surgery, and the Techs were men of great skill.

The clang of metal on metal echoed through the vaulted chambers. Some of the witnesses winced at the noise until a runner sent by Ardan ordered the work to cease until this crucial testing was done.

The wait was a short one, however. The laboratory Techs arrived soon after, with the identical Hanse Davions in tow.

The compartment that held the Prince's BattleMasterwas marked with both the Davion crest and the symbol of the Federated Suns. The monster machine stood there silently, its domelike upper body framed between tremendous arms. Lasers and machine guns bristled from its every port

The Tech assigned to its care opened the sliding portal and moved the thing out on its tracked carrier. "It is always ready for use, though the Prince seldom has the time to drill in it any longer," the man said.

Looming into the space high above their heads, the machine was awesome. Even in another 'Mech—a WarHammeror a Zeus—it was a forbidding sight. Unprotected, unarmored human flesh instinctively cringed away when faced with such a potentially destructive behemoth.

"I shall go first," said one of the doubles.

Ardan could not tell which one it was. He found himself concentrating fiercely on the hope that his suggestion would lead to justice being done. If not...the destruction of the entire Federated Suns might well be a result.

The man climbed rather awkwardly into the cockpit of the BattleMaster.Within moments, the machine's great arms shifted position, and its legs relaxed from their rigid stance.

Ardan looked at the Hanse still standing on the floor. He looked astounded and ill. That had to be the real Hanse, then. In some way, the conspirators had decoded the unlocking sequence for the 'Master.

Ardan felt sick, too. Beside him, Sep took his arm. Jarlik, on the other side, had read the situation at a glance. He was staring up at the triumphant face, crowned with red hair, that had emerged from the hatch.

"Arm it!" he shouted to the descending man. "A ‘Mech is not operational until the weapons are armed and ready. Arm it, or come down and let its true master do so."

The man, dwarfed against the huge mechanism, halted. He looked questioningly at Shali.

She turned her delicate face up to speak to him. "Do as he says," she insisted. "An unarmed ‘Mech is not operational. Arm the weapons and let us see them work."

The man hesitated, then crawled back inside and closed the hatch.

There came a long pause. The 'Mech's limbs shifted, as though restless. The turret swiveled slightly, though not to its full range of motion. The weapons, however, frozen into their inoperative position, did not budge. At last, the hatch opened again. The red-haired figure climbed down.

"I defy you to accomplish what I have failed to do," he said, rejoining his double on the floor at the feet of the monster. "The weaponry has frozen and cannot be activated. The 'Mech has sat idle for too long. That is the problem."

There was a murmur about them. Of course, such things happened. After all, a machine was a machine, subject to occasional breakdown.

But the other Hanse was now climbing up to the ‘Mech, quickly, triumphantly. He slid into the cockpit with practiced ease, closing it behind him. After only a short pause, the 'Mech's arms lifted into a salute. The turret swiveled smoothly through its full round of modons. And the weapons, those dark round mouths that could spit death in beams or bursts, moved and locked into position. The 'Mech turned on its heel and aimed them at the ferrocrete wall provided for testing weapons.

Red lances probed, leaving more dark scars on the pale stone. Machine guns chattered, their slugs bouncing harmlessly into the baffles set there to contain the ricochets. The BattleMasterwent through its paces flawlessly.

Jarlik was grinning widely. Sep was clapping Ref on the back, and Ardan felt like dancing.

The 'Mech wheeled smartly and took up its position on the tracked carrier again. The hatch opened. Hanse Davion descended, amid greetings and subdued cheers from the witnesses. Doctor Shali was waiting when he jumped lightly to the floor.

"Although my discipline disapproves of hunches, Your Highness, I had a hunch that you were the real Prince of the Federated Suns. A human being is far more than the sum of his biological and chemical processes. There is another dimension. In another era, it might have been called spirit Now we have no term for it, but it exists, nevertheless. Welcome home, Your Highness." She took his hand and turned to face the imposter.

"You will be questioned," she said. "I am sure that His Highness will concur in that. We have...facilities...in the NAIS for learning what we need from even the most reluctant informant"

Ardan, moving through the crowd, was joined by Jarlik, Ref, and Sep. He came up to the spot where Efflinger was standing, calm and cool. In his remote way, the Steiner ambassador was enjoying the results of his maneuvering.

"Well done, sir," said Ardan. "And please convey our thanks to your son."

Maylor smiled, his expression aloof. "Ah, yes. Kolek. He thinks that I'm unaware of his fondness for a certain young woman named Prillie. Never tell him differendy, but I am hoping that he marries her soon. I shall make a tremendous fuss and cut him off without a credit. That will force him to pull himself together and find work. And it will be the making of him, do you not agree?"

Ardan laughed. "I do, indeed. But he is not a bad boy, for all his youthful folly. He is shrewd. I suspect that he will go to work for the Prince...Will that make problems for you?"

"Not at all! Not at all! It will be one more link between the houses of Steiner and Davion. A most desirable state of affairs, wouldn't you say?"

They laughed quietly together. The Doctor and Hanse were leaving now, accompanied by the other witnesses. Soon the crowd would regather in the garden of the palace to hear the long-delayed statement...a far different one from that intended by the conspirators.

He sighed. "The people are going to be very happy, and never will they suspect how close we had come to a war with Steiner. The Lyran Commonwealth is not one to trifle with. We already have enough enemies to keep us busy."

Ran Felsner was standing at the head of the stair that led up into the warriors' quarters.

"Ardan! What in the name of the Seven Hells is going on here?" he asked.

Ardan came to attention. "Sir!" he snapped. Then he grinned. "Come with us to the garden. We're on duty there. Well explain on the way."

As they hurried through the gardens, he talked furiously, knowing that Hanse himself would tell his commanding officer the truth later. By the time they reached the dais, Felsner knew just enough to be thoroughly confused. He took his place, just in time, at the end of a line of Guards.

Hanse, his dress uniform replaced with one exactly like that worn by the imposter, wore his own medals and ribbons. Beside him was a much-chastened and subdued Ekkles, and beyond were Doctor Shali and the Maître, who still looked puzzled.

The crowd had gathered again, on hearing the signal gong. In a short while, the space was filled with people.

They looked worried, as well they might after seeing their ruler taken ill so suddenly.

Ekkles stepped forward. "I am happy to say that the temporary indisposition...that overtook our Prince has passed without any danger to his life or health," he began. "Well do we know what terrible consequences might follow the loss of our leader, in these perilous times."

He looked down at the pile of notes on the podium left behind by that other Hanse. He shuffled them together and thrust them underneath the stand.

"Now it is my honor and privilege to give you our Prince, Hanse Davion." He bowed to Hanse, stepping back.

Hanse's color was high, his eyes alight with vigor and triumph. "I am happy to be able to speak to you today," he began.

The words were drowned in a sea of cheers. The people had thought, while waiting, of the effect his death might have upon the comfortable ways of New Avalon. They had reflected on the dangers lurking among the other rival Houses, not liking the picture they had conjured. The renewed health of their Prince meant that nothing (they hoped) would change.

"There have been rumors," said Hanse, once the cheering had died away, "of trouble with one of our most reliable neighbors. House Steiner has been the victim of vicious lies, spread among us by those who might benefit if we were at odds with our allies. To see us turn upon our friends would delight our enemies."

There was a murmur of agreement in the crowd. They had heard those rumors, had thought, indeed, that they emanated from officials of their own government. They knew very well that trade would suffer, the entire standard of living on their world might decline if such a breach occurred. Many of the assemblage turned to nod at Efflinger, who stood in his usual easy way, observing everything that went on with a cynical eye.

"Now we know, without any doubt, who our enemies are not!"said Hanse. "So let us return to our homes. Let us think of how easily we might lose much and gain nothing. Let us resolve to think deeply before believing such rumors, no matter from what source they seem to come." He raised his hands and smiled at his people.

This time the clamor was like an ocean in a storm. Hanse returned to his palace amid a roar of love and approval that died away only when he disappeared from sight.

Ardan, just behind his old friend, tapped Hanse on the shoulder. "You had a secret code, didn't you?" he whispered. "To activate the 'Master!"

Hanse turned to smile at him. "Yes, Dan, I did."

Ardan had a moment of comprehension. Something that Melissa had told him back in Tharkad came to him with sudden clarity.

"Starbird..." he murmured.

"Ah, my friend," said Hanse Davion with a smile, "that would be telling."