It was Cale who called Dee. "Don't worry about Blue-eye," he told her with a huge smile. He explained the plans for Blue-Eye.
Dee's eyes lit. "Really! Oh, that'swonderful, Cale. I'll have her ready to travel. But why is he doing this?"
Cale shrugged, though his grin didn't fade. "We've won, Dee. He's releasing King Karel and Ulrik, and pulling back to the colony. The war's over. I can come get you in Explorer."
Dee's eyes closed in pleasure, and a wide grin grew on her lips. "Finally, a hot shower! Donord had a bathtub made for me, though the metalsmith didn't know that was what it was. And, of course, heat was no problem in the still house. A hot soak does wonders for sore, tired muscles. But I've been dreaming about hot needle sharp showers."
Cale nodded. "Then you're ready to get back to being a star woman instead of an inn girl?"
She rolled her eyes. "Inn girl, still tender, and all-around housemother for four young women who know more about men than they should at their ages."
"And spy. Don't forget spy."
The grin was back. "I'm not likely to forget. Hours and hours of listening to gossip in hopes of hearing something useful. I've learned a lot about men my teachers on Faith didn't tell me, and I know more about tending a still than I thought there was!"
Cale's grin faded. "Well, I can pick you up and you can get back to tending a husband instead of a still. I'll pick you up where we landed for the ceremony. But I'd better wait a day or so, until Ochoa-Mariden's men are out of King's Town."
She shrugged. "I'd want to wait until Blue-eye comes back anyway. The colony's med techs had better do their best for her, or they'll hear from me!"
The hovertruck arrived on schedule, and uniformed star men helped Donord and his companion load the litter on which Blue-eye rested, Her face covered by clean, soft bandages. Nobody tried to take the mens' belt knives.
The hovertruck wasn't bothered by the ruts in the main road, and once they hit the paved colony road, it sped up until a hard wind took Donord's breath away.
They stopped for only a moment at the large gate the General had erected, before driving onto the neat, clean expanse of the base. The neatness was marred here and there by ruined and burned buildings, but reconstruction was already underway.
The hovertruck slid to a stop and lowered to the ground in front of a long, single-story building. Four people in white jackets gently took over Blue-eye's litter. Donord noted approvingly that the ones who talked with Blue-eye directly, in soft, soothing tones, were all women.
He and his companion were separated from Blue-eye, and shown to something called a 'waiting room'. Donord looked around interestedly. The room was amazingly clean. The walls were of some smooth, soft substance, and a soft green.
A dozen padded chairs filled the room. Each had a metal pipe attached, which could be swung to the front or to one side, with a flat square on the end. Donord recognized the squares. They resembled something sire Cale had called a 'tablet'. He'd claimed it was like the reader they'd given Donord, but containing much more information.
The Lady Dee had told Donord many stories of star magic during their weeks as spies. No, not magic. Science. At any rate, Donord was prepared to encounter wonders. He tried one of the chairs, and nearly jumped back up as he felt the chair move. He gripped the chair's arms convulsively, but then relaxed as he realized it had adjusted itself to his body and then stopped moving. He shifted from side to side, amused by the chair's efforts to accommodate his movements. His companion had jumped back up, and was seated crosslegged on the smooth, clean floor, eyeing the chair suspiciously.
Two men entered the room, dressed in the uniforms of the star men. One's iron-grey hair marked him as the oldest star man he'd seen. The younger, dark-haired man was solidly built. Both moved with the assurance and economy of motion that marked warriors.
Donord struggled to rise on his peg leg, his companion scrambling up to take his back.
The older man's eyes flicked to Donord's leg and back to his face. "You are the innkeeper?" the man asked. Donord nodded.
The man jerked a short nod. "I am General Ochoa-Mariden. I have come to convey to you how sorry I am about your girl. On our worlds, men do not do such things to women, even inn girls, and the few that do are severely punished. Were you present when it happened?"
Donord eyed the man. So this was the General. The man was not particularly large but he was obviously fit. His manner was commanding, and reminded Donord of that of King Karel. This man was used to being obeyed. A guttural growl behind him prompted him to grab his companion's arm. This was no time to attack.
Donord nodded. "We were both inside the inn. The man attacked her in the back yard, on the way back from the privy."
The General nodded. "This is Major Odino, our Intelligence Officer. It will be his duty to learn exactly what happened, so we can make certain justice is done. He will talk with you, and he will talk with the girl, and he will talk with as many of our people as were present that night." His eyes narrowed. "We must know everything, to make sure there is a fair trial. If he is found guilty, the man will die. Will you help us?"
Donord nodded, and the General jerked another of his quick, birdlike nods. "I thank you, sir. Now, I will leave you to the Major, here." He paused, and his voice gentled. "We have very good medical facilities here. I'm sure your girl will be fine. Now, I must be about my duties." The General turned on his heel and strode from the room.
The Major's hearty friendliness resembled that of an innkeeper or a trader. Donord suppressed a smile. That manner usually made him put his hand protectively on his wallet.
"I would like to talk with you separately, if you will. It is helpful to get two viewpoints. No two men see the same events the same way."
Donord nodded. "Perhaps you should talk with my companion first. I think he is nervous to be among the star men."
The major nodded, smiling broadly. "Of course, of course. Can't say I blame him. Uh, there is only one waiting room, sir. Would you mind waiting outside the building?"
Donord was surprised. He'd expected to be guarded every moment of his stay in the colony by at least one armed man. This "Major" was simply releasing him to go where he willed!
Once outside, though, Donord had no idea how to proceed. Where should he go? What should he try to see? Sire Zant had told him the war was over, but Donord felt that he was shirking his duty to spy by simply standing around outside the medical building.
Once again, he marveled at how clean and neat everything was. All the roads and paths had clear, sharp edges, where grass stopped and hard gray expanses of roads or what looked like strips of small pebbles began. Even more perplexing, the grass seemed so short, and so uniform! Could the star men control the growth of the very grass beneath their feet? He bent to examine it more closely. No, he decided, they cut it. Who would bother cutting grass to a uniform height? And why?
He stepped to the building. Its smooth, light brown surface resembled ruins from the Old Time that he had examined, back when he was young enough and foolish enough to prowl the edges of Old Nirvana. He looked around. Most of the visible buildings seemed to be of the same material, but they varied widely in appearance. Some, like the medical building, were rectangular, similar to King's Town's wooden structures. But others looked like huge bubbles on the land. Others like long half-circles. Some of those seemed very large. Even though far away, they rose above most of the other buildings.
There seemed to be a number of the strange wheelless vehicles like the one that had fetched him here in various sizes. Men and women went about their business, the women all wearing trousers like the men, even those not in uniform. They moved in ones and twos, and some in groups that marched as though they were parading. Some of the latter seemed to have weapons slung over their shoulders, and he was straining for a closer view of them when the major approached, his companion in tow. "Please come with me, sir," the major said.