"Our pinnace has left the surface," Midshipman Jones reported. "En route to rendezvous with Intransigent."
Carlie acknowledged.
"How's Aaron's Rod?"
Ozzie Russo, another one of Carlie's middies, answered promptly.
"Still heading out-system. Looks like she's on a direct line for hyper limit, Ma'am."
"Hm."
"Lieutenant Dunsinane?"
"Yes, Mister Russo?"
"Why is she moving so slowly? There's not much traffic there."
"I couldn't say, Mister Russo. You sound like you have a theory."
Carlie saw the normally confident, even cocky, Ozzie color.
"Well, Ma'am, it reminds me of the first time my father let me take the helm of our yacht. It had looked so easy on the sims, but once I had all that to handle, I found out the sims hadn't really prepared me. Our pilot made me watch the tapes over and over again, just to get it through my head that I didn't know everything."
The midshipman finished in an embarrassed rush, his color even higher. Carlie, accustomed to Ozzie's more usual rich boy attitude of self-importance, was amused and pleased.
"You may well have a point, Mister Russo. I'll make a note of it."
"Yes, Lieutenant. Thank you, Ma'am."
Later still, the routine business was interrupted from Tactical.
"Lieutenant Dunsinane, a pinnace just launched from the surface. It's going great guns. A second just followed it, also going fast."
"Vector?"
"First one is heading for an armed merchantman, Psalms. The second is heading for armed merchantman Proverbs."
"Those are the other Templeton ships," Carlie said. "Inform Captain Boniece. Then tight-beam our pinnace and suggest she increase her accel. I want those people back on board."
"Yes, Ma'ams," eddied around the bridge.
Next interruption came from the com station.
"Call coming in from planetary surface, Lieutenant Dunsinane. Originating at their Palace of the Just. Caller identifies himself as one Ronald Sands."
"Get Captain Boniece on the line," Carlie said. "Let him know what's up."
"Captain Boniece is on, Ma'am," came the reply hardly a breath later. "He says for you to take it. He'll ghost."
"Right. Pipe it to the bridge."
Ronald Sands proved to be a man of middle years whose light eyes seemed focused on some visionary distance. He wore his light brown hair well past his shoulders and his full beard neatly trimmed. When he moved, though, there was carefully controlled energy that reminded Carlie that the Faithful eschewed prolong. Sands was probably no more than thirty, possibly younger than that.
"You are Lieutenant Dunsinane?" Sands began, his tone almost concealing his disbelief and disgust. Carlie remembered hearing that the Faithful kept their women in isolation. This being the case, Sands was keeping his poise admirably.
"That is correct. Lieutenant Carlotta Dunsinane, officer of the watch, HMS Intransigent. How may I be of service?"
Sands' lips twitched in a very slight smile, one that was surely a concession to courtesy rather than an indication of any friendliness or warmth.
"I speak with the words of Chief Elder Simonds," he said.
Looking down at what was apparently a prepared script he read: "These are the words of Chief Elder Simonds: 'The people of the Star Kingdom have come to Masada speaking of mutual respect and the possibility of alliance. God in His infinite wisdom and greatness of heart has offered opportunity for the Star Kingdom to show the depth of its commitment to these words.
" 'A vessel belonging to one of our most honored and respected citizens has been stolen by those who have no respect for the Faithful. Its course will take it near to you. We do not ask you to take the vessel, nor to fire upon it, only that you slow it in its progress so that it may be reclaimed.
As God has said: 'He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breakth an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.' 'Thus they go from strength to strength. They are a stubborn and rebellious generation. However, God has shown that mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.' "
Carlie felt momentarily overwhelmed by this last spate of scripture, but she managed a courteous nod.
"Your request has been heard, however, I must consult my Captain."
"There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak," Ronald Sands agreed. "We ask only that the time for speech not be delayed overlong so that these thieves may slip away unimpeded."
"You will have the Captain's response promptly," Carlie agreed. "Intransigent out."
When the transmission was broken, Carlie took a deep breath.
"Captain Boniece, your orders, Sir?"
Boniece spoke slowly. "It isn't our place to interfere in a domestic situation, but we were charged with assisting our diplomats. See if you can get a secure line to them. I'd like their advice."
"And if Ronald Sands coms again?"
"Stall him. I'm tempted to have someone do a search for appropriate Bible texts, but the Faithful would probably not be flattered."
"Right, Sir."
Remembering the quickly concealed look of distaste that had flickered across Ronald Sands' face when he had realized he was speaking to a woman, Carlie thought he wouldn't be flattered at all—but that they might not know it until it was too late.
Already shocked when the pinnaces were seen heading for Psalms and Proverbs well ahead of her imagined schedule, Judith listened to Ronald Sands' "request" with a sense of mounting horror. She had anticipated having to out-run Psalms and Proverbs, even tangle with a LAC or two, but never in her wildest dreams had she thought that the Manticoran cruiser might be turned against them.
She shivered. Then, horribly, matters grew worse.
Odelia, her face as white as milk, spoke into the stillness.
"Judith, Ronald Sands is comming the other outsider ship, the Havenite Moscow. He's making the same request of them. Their bridge officer has also asked for time to consult his captain."
It's over. The traitorous voice that had whispered through Judith's thoughts as she had struggled to adapt their plans now repeated itself in mournfully triumphant song. Give up. It's over.
"No!" she said aloud, and the heads of her already shocked bridge crew turned to look at her, clearly wondering if their young commander had lost her mind.
"It isn't over," Judith said aloud. "Didn't we swear to die rather than surrender ourselves to slavery? Hasn't God given us many miracles to prove He is with us?"
She saw Dinah nod, but everyone else remained stiff and tense.
"We are not going to be taken by a few words," Judith said stubbornly.
A thought that had been dwelling in the corners of her mind now came into sharp focus.
"The Faithful are not the only ones who could request help from the Manticorans and the Havenites," she said. "What if we requested sanctuary from Ephraim, what if we told these outsiders that we face being returned to torture and death?"
Dinah responded so quickly that Judith wondered how long she had been holding back a similar suggestion.
"What do we have to lose?" the older woman asked reasonably. "We will need to ask someone's aid sooner or later. Why not now?"
"We can't ask both of them," Odalia said reasonably. "From what I've heard, they're adversaries, if not outright enemies. We must choose one or the other."
Dinah looked at Judith.
"Captain?"
Judith licked her lips. She could think of many good reasons for favoring the Havenites. Their ship was larger and more powerful. They preached freedom and justice for all peoples. She remembered Dinah's words, though, remembering how the Havenites had modified Ephraim's ships. She remembered something else, too.