Another Tran had been trying to bring a second beamer to bear on the icerigger when one of the bolts slammed into his shoulder and the third grazed his ribs, ripping a hole in his right dan. He dropped the weapon and rumbled back into the craft.
The skimmer bobbed and ducked wildly as its driver momentarily lost control of his ship. It lost altitude, glanced off the ice and threw up a spray of ice particles, nearly crashed into the side of the Slanderscree, and finally regained operational altitude as it zoomed toward the southwest before the crossbow operators could reload and fire a second time. Growls of defiance from the rigging and deck of the icerigger spurred its flight.
Premature, Ethan thought. A pity they hadn’t been able to hit the driver. In that event the skimmer would have gone to automatic and they might have been able to board it and take control. As it was, they remained ignorant of who their assailants had been, where they’d come from, and how they’d come into possession of advanced Commonwealth technology.
Humans and Tran conferenced and argued on the quarterdeck.
“Maybe there’s another independent research team out here studying the change in the weather,” Jacalan suggested.
“That’s crazy,” Hwang insisted. “Even if there was, no halfway reputable observer would give advanced weapons to the sentients of a Class IVB world. And why give commands like that? Friendly people who want to talk don’t take potshots at you.”
“I think we should turn about and head for Brass Monkey,” Ethan said firmly. “Yes, I know we’ve come a long way and I’m sorry to see all of you return empty-handed, but this is something we didn’t count on. They showed two beamers. Maybe they have more. Right now I’d say survival’s more important than time. In fact, it’s always more important than time.
“The obvious conclusion to draw from our recent visit is that there are humans or other advanced people operating in this area, doubtless without authorization. They’re engaged in something probably illegal. They’ve provided local allies with weapons and transportation. I’m sure they weren’t expecting us to show up or we wouldn’t have been able to surprise them with crossbows the way we did.”
Second Mate Mousokka joined them. “Your pardon, honored ones, Captain, but the bindings securing our port bow runner have weakened. It is slipping free of its brace. I have been over the side to check it myself. If it is not fixed soon we will loose the runner completely.”
Ta-hoding muttered an old sailor’s curse, looked at the expectant cluster of humans. “We cannot make the necessary repairs while moving. We shall have to stop.”
There was nothing to discuss. Sails were reefed and spars turned into the wind. The Slanderscree slowed, came to a complete halt. Ice anchors were set out to hold her steady while workers poured over the side and began work on the crippled runner. Worn lengths of pika-pina cable were cut away and replaced with fresh. Undamaged rope was unwound and retightened.
They were three-quarters finished when the skimmer returned with company. Two of the small, open airships flanked the immobilized icerigger this time. Once more exposed crew scrambled for cover while the crossbowmen loaded their weapons and prepared to defend the ship. Once more a beam was fired from one of the skimmers. It took the form of a thick, intense beam of bright orange light and it ripped right through a mainmast spar. The heavy length of wood fell to the deck like a severed limb, scattered sailors.
“Laser cannon.” September spat to his right. “That takes care of that. We can’t impress ’em with crossbows this time.” He squinted in the direction of the skimmer. “You sure there ain’t any humans on board?”
“There are no skypeople on either sky boat,” Hunnar assured him. “I see only the Tran of strange dress and speech.” As he spoke, the smaller of the two craft edged close to the icerigger while its larger companion hovered well out of range. For the second time that day they were ordered to follow.
“Do we want to go with these people?” Cheela Hwang wondered aloud.
“Do we have any choice?” September said.
Ta-hoding was thinking fast. “Tell them, Sir Hunnar, that we cannot follow because they have disabled us. Tell them of our troubles with our port bow runner. Explain that we are but inoffensive merchants exploring new territory and that we wish only to be allowed to continue on our way.”
A dubious Hunnar conveyed this assertion of innocence to those on board the skimmer. The craft immediately moved around to the stern of the Slanderscree, where a Tran with a hand beamer used the small weapon to cut through the thick pika-pina control cables that linked the rudder runner to the wheel on the quarterdeck. The big wooden wheel immediately spun loosely. Until the cables were replaced or repaired Ta-hoding would be unable to steer the ship.
“Laser cannon,” Moware was muttering disconsolately. “Skimmers. Vile people have been at work here.”
The meaning was clear enough to everyone. Whoever had committed these violations of Commonwealth development policy for unsophisticated worlds would be unlikely to have any compunctions about disposing of a few traveling scientists and their companions. They needn’t necessarily be human, either.
While motives and origins were debated, the first skimmer moved from the Slanderscree’s stern to her bow. A heavy braided fabric cable was attached just below the bowsprit. By shouts and gestures those on the skimmer indicated that repairs to the bow port runner were to be completed as fast as possible.
“Don’t have much choice,” September told Ta-hoding, Elfa, and the rest. “Not with that sticking down our throats.” He nodded toward the second skimmer and its heavy artillery.
“I have regretfully reached the same conclusion,” Ta-hoding said.
By late afternoon the work was finished and the icerigger was taken in tow. Advanced or not, the load strained the skimmer’s engine. Their progress southwestward was slow. While the first skimmer pulled, the second paralleled the ice ship, the narrow muzzle of its heavy weapon focused amidships.
“What about putting some of our best people over the stern,” First Mate Monslawic suggested, “to repair the steering cables?”
“A thought,” said Ta-hoding. He looked neither fat nor lazy as he glared at the bigger skimmer. “Perhaps we could outrun these sky boats.”
Ethan shook his head. “You’d need twice the wind we have now. They’re more maneuverable than the Slanderscree as well as faster. And it would only take one shot from that cannon to disable us permanently. This way if we do get the chance to make a run for it all we have to do is fix the cables.” He frowned. “I wonder why they haven’t taken the precaution of disabling us further.”
“Perhaps they wish the ship for a prize,” Hunnar suggested.
“My beautiful Slanderscree,” Ta-hoding moaned. “Everyone wants my ship. Truly it is the greatest prize on all Tran-ky-ky.”
The captain’s pride-filled exaggeration was pardonable, Ethan mused. There was nothing to be gained by pointing out that Tran who had access to laser cannon and hand beamers and skimmers didn’t need ice boats, no matter how great or graceful.
The long, slow tow offered those on the icerigger ample opportunity to study their captors. Despite access to advanced technology the Tran manning the skimmers didn’t look particularly prosperous. Some wore armor and attire that looked battered and worn while their distinctive headgear was more outré than impressive. The dichotomy was as puzzling as it was obvious. It was as if they had encountered a knight of old mounted on the most magnificent charger, only to discover on closer inspection that he was clad in rusty, broken armor and torn underwear.