Chapter 40: Dance to the Music of Time
Too soon for Gary's liking, notice came from the officer in charge of escorting Bodek to the Vulpen Keo that the prisoner was safely detained in the Incinerator's brig. Satisfied, Nikos relayed the interrogator in charge was awaiting Avocato's orders. The general considered, then quietly asked,
"Who is the chief interrogator aboard the Vulpen Keo?"
"Lt. Paarth."
"A Tradakkin?"
"Yes, General. I briefed him myself."
"Good. Tell Lt. Paarth that to start, I want every shred of information that Scoti has on time travel, controlling temporal worms, Death Knells, and exactly how he got here. I'll issue further instructions once we're onboard. Have the transport ready to take off as soon as I deal with with whoever is in charge of this spaceport."
"Understood. Will we be leaving a garrison on Zee Secundus?"
"That depends on my interview. But have an administrator and support team on call, including a battalion of troops, just in case."
"Yes, sir."
Stepping over to the metal case, Avocato opened it. He blinked and drew back in surprise as he recognized the uniform within. "A shocktog? How did you get this?"
The picture of innocence, Nikos clasped his hands behind his back, saying, "Well, I did mention to my wife that my best friend hadn't been blown up as reported, and seeing as how through her half-sister, she is very close to Lady Clawdia and enjoys regular contact, it might have come up in conversation. And Clawdia, of course, would have mentioned it to Kedi, who, as a general in the royal guardsman is under obligation to report all developments to your esteemed cousin, who would be well-positioned to tell your brother, who is determined to uphold his promise to do all he can to protect his Little Cato, and rushed this into production." He smiled. "The delivery caught up with the fleet at the Tarn Nebula. I understand there are three more on order."
Avocato sighed, touched to know the people he cared about still cared for him, even if they could not show it. He was silent for a few moments, then leaned close to his son. "Come help me?"
Glad to spend these last few minutes with his father, Little Cato bounded out of the galley. With a nod to Nikos, Avocato followed. Gary smiled to watch them, suspecting Avocato wanted another chance to say goodbye to his son and offer some last-minute wisdom. Left alone with Nikos, the colonel relayed his orders and then, turning off his communicator with a deliberate tap, gave Gary a faint smile and said,
"If I may, Captain Goodspeed, I would like to offer you my very deep and sincere thanks to you and your crew for saving my friend. Avocato is as a brother to me. Almost all the best things I have - my wife, my family name, my rank, my status - I owe to him. We have weathered so much together, Avocato and I, and I will sleep better knowing that in the future, he'll have you at his side."
Gary blinked, his mouth open as he tried to find plausible denial of what Nikos implied. In a stoke of oratory genius, he managed a very convincing, "Uhhhhh . . . "
Nikos rolled his eyes, amused, and waved aside any protests. "Please. I've known him since we were seventeen. I shared a room with him more often than his wife did. I taught him to swim, he taught me to dance. I know him. Probably better than anyone alive. You're raising his son. That one simple fact tells me everything."
Greatly relieved that he hadn't inadvertently given the whole game away but that he simply had no chance against a world-class competitor, Gary ran a hand through his hair, feeling himself blush at a furious pace. "Yeah, yeah, you got a point there. I mean, it was a choice of saving my home planet or saving Little Cato and, well . . . now I've got a teenager and no planet. So, what happens now?"
The colonel looked . . . sad. "Once we return to the ship, we'll reform the fleet and head directly for Scotia Majoram. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Kalibar's communication officer transmitted all available information about the surprise attack. That the attackers came from Scotia Majoran has been confirmed."
"Could he really be ordered to destroy a whole planet?"
Nikos regarded him with those icy blue eyes, made all the more striking by his dark mask of short fur, and gave him a sympathetic look. "We already have orders, Captain. Right before Avocato took control of the Tera Con fleet, a band of Thise assassins tried to kill the Lord Commander. He issued standard, permanent orders that if any attempts are made on the high command, once the identities of the assassins are known, barring some extraordinary circumstances, their home system is to be destroyed."
Good lord. Not just one planet, but a whole planetary system. Wasn't Ziga Turi enough? Knowing he could not persuade Avocato otherwise, Gary softly said, "He'll regret it."
A sigh escaped Nikos. "He already does, retribution for the creation and use of the Death Knell not withstanding. He's a soldier, not a murderer, and he hardly holds innocents responsible for the conduct of a few fanatics, but he has no choice. He's trapped in an impossible position and all he can do is his best. You have a Tryvuulian in your crew – ask him what Avocato did when he went to Tryvuul to give them an ultimatum. That is the man I serve: fair and brave and honest. Everything else is what he's made to be by a tyrant." He studied Gary closely. "Captain Goodspeed, I can see you're a very good friend to Avocato. Take care of him when you get back to your time. He does not deserve the life he's been forced to live. And please, please, watch over his son."
"You don't even have to ask," assured Gary. Something Nikos had said suddenly struck him and Gary sputtered, "Wait - he can dance?"
As if at some treasured memory, Nikos broke into a broad smile, displaying teeth even fiercer than Avocato's chompers as he laughed and said, "Oh, he can dance like few others. You should see him."
The door opened as Gary let out a squeak of disappointment at this glorious opportunity lost. He could have been dancing with Avocato for weeks? For real dancing, with music and lights and everything, not this avoiding-the-elephant-in-the-room dancing they'd been doing. Father and son returned in time to catch the tail end of Gary's whining, and Avocato frowned as he set the metal case down.
"Colonel, make sure this is taken directly to whatever cabin I'm assigned on the Vulpen Keo." He faced Gary. "Is something wrong, Captain?"
Gary looked stricken. "You can dance?"
That was, perhaps, the last thing Avocato expected to be asked at this moment. He blinked, casting a quick look at Nikos. The colonel's indulgent little smile told him his friend knew all, as expected. Ceding as graciously as he could, Avocato said, "Of course," as if it was the most ordinary and obvious thing.
Clearly, aboard the Crimson Light, not imparting this vital information to The Captain was a betrayal of the highest order. Gary let out another garbled whine, crushed. "We coulda danced."
"Ooooh." Ears flattened in a show of apology, Little Cato grimaced slightly. "Sorry, TB. Didn't even think to tell you that bit."
Avocato sighed, understanding and sympathetic to Gary's unhappiness. Both men knew this was more than not having a chance to dance. This was knowing it would be ten years before they were reunited. This was the fear of not being able to wrest Avocato from Invictus' hold. This was knowing torment was coming, and being helpless to avoid it for fear of disrupting the future. The was unleashing the Master of Death upon a nervous universe. This was goodbye.
Avocato gently placed his hand on Gary's arm, love written on every line of his face. "Get me back, and then ask me," he said softly.
Gary covered Avocato's hand with his own as he blinked through unshed tears. "There's incentive," he whispered.
