Ragnarok: Colonization, intrigue and betrayal. Andrew Claymore (primary phonics books .txt) 📖

Luna thought smugly. “I’m just kidding,” she told them.

“TheUniverse has a perverse sense of humor,” she added. “Still, everynow and then…” ShegaveVikram an appreciative smile. “It cuts you a break.”

Thatled to an awkward silence, pretty much as Luna expected. “So, Kolm.He’s your call, chica, unless you want me to step in?”

“No,”Gabriella said firmly. “I’ve got plans for that asshole.”

Lunanearly shivered. She’d been trying not to see it but this wasn’tthe same Gabriella anymore.

She’dcome through the fire and now she was something new.

Thethree of them walked to the town center, followed by two of Mal’ssoldiers who’d been standing guard outside the house’s main gate.

“Incase the enemy infiltrate the town,” her niece had explained with aresigned tone.

Theguards stayed outside when they entered the small jail at the back ofthe main civic building. They’d greeted two Marines with easyfamiliarity, stopping to chat by a runabout that sat, ticking andpopping, as it cooled in the evening air.

Inside,Mal, Goodwin and another pair of Marines were at the back, behind anintake-counter. They were talking in low voices and gesturing at therow of cages at the back of the inner room.

Whenthey saw who hadarrived,Mal broke off what he was saying and pressed a hand to his heart.Goodwincalled ‘attention’ and the three Marines snapped into rigidpositions.

“Asyou were,gentlemen,” Luna said. Sheapproached the cages, eyes fixed on the middle one.

Kolmsat there, alone. The guys in the other cages were standing as farfrom him as they could.

Hewas sullen and ragged. His right eye was a charred mess of scartissue along with that whole side of his face and he had no eyebrows.

“Damn,Goodwin, you got napalmor something?” Luna asked.

“No,ma’am,” Goodwin answered. “Jackass fell in a campfire when weopened up on them.”

“Acampfire,” she replied flatly.

“Agods-damned disgrace is what they are,” Mal growled. “They putout sentries but they didn’t even know they were in trouble tillthey felt the knives.”

Hespat on the floor. “They were nothing but easy meat!”

“Ormaybe,” Gabriella said, “they were up against professionalsoldiers with decades of combat experience?”

Goodwinglanced at her, seeing the pride on her face at what his men coulddo.

Atta-girl!Luna thought. She didn’t need to read minds to see that Goodwin hadbeen annoyed by Mal’s response.

“Yes,yes, of course, mylady,”Mal admitted hastily. “In fact, you should have seen them. One ofthe traitors was a ‘jumper’.

“Whenwe were restraining the prisoners, he disappeared on us.” Malgestured at Goodwin. “A situation the major had clearly giventhought to.

“The…lancecorporal,yes?… He was about to restrain the man when he ‘jumped’. Quicker than thought, he dropped the restraints and rolled to theside, pulled out a sidearm and aimed behind where he’d beenstanding.”

“Andhe called out ‘jumper’,” Goodwin added. “You never know whothey’re going to go after, so you want everyoneto move.

“Nelsonfound himself looking right at the bastard. Gavehim a couple of non-regulation holes to slow him down.”

“I’llbe passing this on to my people,” Mal said.

“Anddrillthem, Mal,” Goodwin insisted. “This isn’t a pod session;they’ll need some practice to put it into their muscle memory.”

Lunawalked up to the bars. “Consider yourself lucky you findyourself in my niece’s hands,”she told Kolm. “I would have made your agony last for lifetimes.”

Helooked away from her as if she hadn’t spoken.

“Let’snot get ahead of ourselves,” Gabriella chided her aunt. “He’smy prisoner. I have a responsibility to convene a court, tohear his case.”

Sheturned to the soldiers. “You gentlemen will serve as witnesses tothe proceeding.”

Theynodded gravely.

“Kolmof Babilim…” She turned to face him. “… Youstand accused of treason, of kidnapping and of murder.”

“Idon’t acknowledge your right to conduct a trial,” Kolm sneered.

“Thecourt will consider your defense.” She turned from the cage, armscrossed. She caught Luna’s eye but her aunt simply rolled her eyesand patted her pistol.

“Thecourt finds your argument invalid,” Gabriella announced, turningback to the cage. “Having already committed the acts to which thecourt itself was a witness, your attempt to…” She frownedslightly at the phrase in her head. “Cheever your way out of thison a technicality is absurd. The court finds you guilty.

“Doesthe spiny vole refuse to recognize the sabre-tooth’s right to eatit? It may gain some small personal satisfaction but, in the end, itstill ends its days as a pile of sabre-tooth droppings.”

Hereyebrows raised a fraction as something occurred to her. “I hadearlier promised you that my aunt would strangle you with your ownguts…”

Sheleft that hanging for a moment.

Lunasaw the fearful glance that flickered her way from the cage. Shemight have made the same threat in Gabriella’s shoes. Hell,I might even do it, if she asks…

Shecaught her breath. Isthat the difference I’ve noticed?She looked at her niece’s calm face. Isshe becoming more like me?

Gabriellagave a tiny shake of her head, as if disagreeing with some idea inher head. “No, she said. That would be inelegant.

“Suchan execution would likely end with us tossing your carcass in a fire.Far better that you servethis world in death.”

Sheturned to Mal. “Strip him, bind his hands and get him into therunabout.”

Malnodded, waving two of his men toward Kolm’s cage. Luna watched asthey opened the door and pulled Kolm away from the far wall that heseemed to be hoping would swallow him up.

“What’sthe plan?” Lunaasked as the two men yanked the under-armor suit off the sullenprisoner and secured his hands with nylon ties.

“Kolm’sabout to become part of the ecosystem,” Gabriellasaid, looking at Vikram.

“We’lltake him up to where the Deathstalkercrashed.

“Whatdo you think thereaction will be with the colony?”She asked. “Sushil, the council?”

Hesighed. “I think you already know how Frank and the otherwesterners will react. As for the rest, mostof them are from India. We dohave the death-penalty there, you know.Aserial killer was hanged the day before we came aboard the Kuphar.”

“Hanging?”Luna exclaimed.

“Hey,you Americans still use the electric chair. Eventhe news in India caught the story of that park ranger who killed allthose drifters.” He grimaced.

“Youbotch a hanging and they asphyxiate but you botch anelectrocution...”

“Oh,that’s right,”Luna rubbedthe back of her neck.“Smoky the Bear…”

“Anyway…”Helooked back to Gabriella. “...You’renot going to run up against some entrenched societal issue with thecolonists.”

Shenodded. “But what do you think?”

“Theycame here to sterilize the planet,” he said. “I don’t mind ifthey fertilize it instead.”

Shenodded, looking relieved. “You don’t have to come…”

“Ithink maybe