His last words confused her until, in another blur of movement, he brought his sword down on the console. There was an explosion of sparks as the blade cut through it. Jan gasped, then said, “Why did you destroy it?”
“I have all I need to know from it. I don’t want someone else learning the same thing.”
He turned as footsteps sounded again on the spiral staircase. Jan turned too. More of the invaders were coming down into the control room: warriors, but also one man who, to judge by his ornate armour and jagged winged helmet, held high rank. The warriors parted as he strutted forward, barking out questions. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw the corpses strewn in front of Milo. He stared at Milo, then barked out more questions to the surrounding warriors. One pointed at Milo and said something to the newcomer in a deferential voice. The newcomer’s eyebrows, which were thin black lines, slowly rose. Then he said something that was obviously a command. The warrior who had answered his questions suddenly looked very unhappy and reluctantly took a step forward.
Milo sighed. “The officer wants to see for himself. Bastard.” The warrior lunged at Milo with a yell. Milo killed him. The newcomer looked suitably impressed. Then his expression turned to surprise as Milo addressed him in his own language.
The exchange was a short one. It ended with the officer nodding violently, then turning and heading back towards the staircase at a run. As he bounded up the stairs, followed by two of his warriors, Jan said wonderingly to Milo, “You speak their language?”
“Only a bit. Had to learn it for business reasons a long time ago. Back when the Japanese dominated the international economy.”
“Japanese?” she asked.
“Yep. That’s who this lot are. I told you about them before. They’re the ones who liked eating squid so much. Also xenophobic as hell. One of the few nations that didn’t fragment after the Prime Standard ruling. …” He was interrupted suddenly by Lady Jane saying in a calm, clear voice, “You, demon, sorcerer or whatever you are!” One of the two warriors holding her immediately gave her a hard slap across the side of her face but she continued to speak to Milo: “Why don’t you kill the rest of these yellow monsters?”
Milo smiled at her. “Why should I, your Royal Ladyship?” he asked mockingly.
“Help us regain control of the Lord Pangloth … uh!” Her head rocked back as she was struck again, harder, but she kept talking, “Help us, and you can name your price. Anything at all. …” She was struck again. Blood began to trickle from a split in her lower lip.
“I’m already making a bargain,” Milo told her jovially, “but not with you. You and the rest of your group of costumed fools are already extinct. You’ve been extinct for a long time, you just didn’t realize it. But now you’re about to find out. …” More officers were coming down the stairs, led by the one who’d spoken to Milo. Orders were shouted and the. Aristos were herded towards the stairway. The officers approached Milo but halted at a respectful distance from him. One, more ornately dressed than the others, addressed him in a series of short, staccato words. Milo answered him, then pointed at the smoking ruins of the computer terminal. The officer looked at it and then back at Milo. He frowned, then gave a curt nod of his head. He turned on his heel and strode off. The other officers followed him, with the exception of two who remained to watch Milo and Jan.
“What’s happening?” she whispered to him.
“As I said, I’m making a bargain. For our lives.”
“What about Ceri?”
“Ceri? Oh, your little friend from the sea habitat. What about her?”
“Can’t you include her in the bargain you’re making?” Jan asked pleadingly.
His teeth showed white against the blood drying on his face. “Why should I? You’ve told me she loathes me. Besides, she won’t be killed by the Japs. She’s not an Aristo or a Sky Warrior. She’s probably been raped by now but that’s the worst that’ll happen to her.”
Jan flinched. “Please, I beg you, Milo. Try and save her. I don’t want to be parted from her. …”
“Ah, so she’s stirred up your Minervan blood, has she?” he asked. “Well, I’m sorry, it’s out of the question. Just count yourself lucky I’m including you in the deal.”
More of the invaders were entering the control room but these new arrivals, judging from their dress, weren’t warriors. And by the way they excitedly examined the equipment and controls they were the invader equivalent of the Pangloth’s Engineers. And by the way they occasionally cast fearful sidelong glances at Milo and the butchered corpses lying about the deck they were aware of who he was and what he was capable of.
About ten minutes later the original officer returned and, after talking briefly to the other two, gestured at Milo that he should follow him. “Come on,” said Milo to Jan. “Keep close to me and stay calm whatever happens.”
Escorted by the three officers and six warriors they went up the spiral staircase. There were a lot of bodies lying about on the next level as well, but they were all Sky Warriors. From somewhere far off came screams and shouts, but the fighting was definitely over in this part of the Lord Pangloth.
Milo and Jan were taken a short distance along the main corridor that led from the entrance to the control room and then ordered into an Engineer’s latrine. The door was slammed shut behind them but no attempt was made to disarm Milo.
“Phew …” he said and his body suddenly sagged. He dropped the sword to the floor and went to one of the basins. Leaning on its edge he began to splash water on his head and face. His body seemed to shrink as Jan watched.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“No, but I will be, as soon as I get some food. I burned up a lot of my fuel reserves with all those fancy fun and games.” He drank a lot of water, then stripped off his ruined overalls and began washing the blood from his body.
“Are you a sorcerer?” she asked, remembering the terrifying speed with which he had cut through that whole crowd of warriors.
“Me, no,” he answered casually. “But I guess you could say I’m the product of sorcerers. They gave me a super-charged metabolism. My chemistry isn’t like yours—radically different as you are from a pre-Standard Prime you’re still basically, well, er … human.”
“And you’re not?”
“Technically speaking, no.”
“Where was this done to you? Mars?”
He shook his head. “No, a long time ago. Before Mars.”
“Before Mars?” she asked, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Milo yawned. “Later. I’ll explain it all later. Right now I need some sleep.” And to her amazement he lay down on the floor and, using his rolled-up overalls as a pillow, closed his eyes.
“How can you sleep at a time like this?” she cried.
“Because I have to. Need to recharge … won’t take long … pick up sword … wake me if any. …” Then he was asleep.
Jan stared at him for a time, then did as he said. She picked up the sword, sat down facing the door, her back against a wall and the sword resting across her thighs. She felt exhausted as well, but knew she was far too tense to sleep. And also too worried about Ceri.
About two hours passed. During that time there appeared to be a lot of activity outside. The Lord Pangloth shuddered on several occasions and the deck listed each time but she had no idea what this signified.
At the end of the second hour Milo woke abruptly, got up, and quickly donned his tattered and blood-stained garment. “All quiet?” he asked Jan.