Torch of Freedom

'I was very sorry to hear about what happened on Torch,' Honor said quietly. 'But I'm delighted Berry and Ruth got out unscathed.'

' 'Unscathed' is an interesting word, Your Grace,' Zilwicki rumbled in a voice like crumbling Gryphon granite. 'Berry wasn't hurt, not physically, but I don't think 'unscathed' really describes what happened. She blames herself. She knows she shouldn't, and she's one of the sanest people I know, but she blames herself. Not so much for Lara's death, or for all the other people who died, but for having gotten out herself. And, I think, perhaps, for theway Lara died.'

'I'm sorry to hear that,' Honor repeated. She grimaced. 'Survivor's guilt is something I've had to deal with a time or two myself.'

'She'll work through it, Your Grace,' the angry father said. 'As I said, she's one of the sanest people in existence. But this one's going to leave scars, and I hope she'll draw the right lessons from it, not the wrong ones.'

'So do I, Captain,' Honor said sincerely.

'And speaking of drawing the right lessons—or, perhaps I ought to sayconclusions,' he said, 'I need to talk to you about what happened.'

'I'd be grateful for any insight you can give me. But shouldn't you be talking to Admiral Givens, or perhaps to the SIS?'

'I'm not certain any of the official intelligence organs are ready to hear what I've got to say. And I know they're not ready to listen to . . . my fellow investigator, here.'

Honor turned her attention openly and fully to Zilwicki's companion as the captain gestured at him. He was a very young man, she realized. Not particularly distinguished in any way, physically. Of average height—possibly even a little shorter than that—with a build which was no more than wiry, almost callow-looking beside Zilwicki's massively impressive musculature. The hair was dark, the complexion also on the swarthy side, and the eyes were merely brown.

But as she gazed at him and reached out to sample his emotions, she realized this young man was anything but 'undistinguished.'

In her time, Honor Alexander-Harrington had known quite a few dangerous people. Zilwicki was a case in point, as, in his own lethal way, was young Spencer Hawke, standing alertly to watch her back even here. But this young man had the clear, clean uncluttered taste of a sword. In fact, his mind-glow was as close to that of a treecat as Honor had ever tasted in a human being. Certainly not evil, but . . . direct. Very direct. For treecats, enemies came in two categories: those who'd been suitably dealt with, and those who were still alive. This unremarkable-looking young man's mind-glow was exactly the same, in that regard. There was not a single trace of malice in it. In many ways, it was clear and cool, like a pool of deep, still water. But somewhere in the depths of that pool, Leviathan lurked.

Over the decades, Honor had come to know herself. Not perfectly, but better than most people ever did. She'd faced the wolf inside herself, the aptness to violence, the temper chained by discipline and channeled into protecting the weak, rather than preying upon them. She saw that aspect of herself reflected in the mirrored surface of this young man's still water, and realized with an inner shiver, that he was even more apt to violence than she was. Not because he craved it one bit more than she did, but because of his focus. His purpose.

He wasn't simply Leviathan; this man was also Juggernaut. Dedicated every bit as much as she to protecting the people and the things about which he cared, and far more ruthless. She could readily sacrifice herself for the things in which she believed; this man could sacrifice anything in their name. Not for personal power. Not for profit. But because his beliefs, and the integrity with which he held them, were too strong for anything else.

But although he was as clean of purpose as a meat-ax, he was no crippled psychopath or fanatic. He would bleed for what he sacrificed. He would simply do it anyway, because he'd looked himself and his soul in the eye and accepted what he found there.

'May I assume, Captain,' she said calmly, 'that this young man's political associations, shall we say, might make him ever so slightly persona non gratis with those official intelligence organs?'

'Oh, I think you might say that, Your Grace.' Zilwicki smiled with very little humor. 'Duchess Harrington, allow me to introduce you to Special Officer Victor Cachat of the Havenite Federal Intelligence Service.'

Cachat watched her calmly, but she felt the tension ratcheting up behind his expressionless façade. Those 'merely brown' eyes were much deeper and darker than she'd first thought, she observed, and they made an admirable mask for whatever was going on behind them.

'Officer Cachat,' she repeated in an almost lilting voice. 'I've heard some rather remarkable things about you. Including the part you played in Erewhon's recent . . . change of allegiance.'

'I hope you don't expect me to say I'm sorry about that, Duchess Harrington.' Cachat's voice was as outwardly calm as his eyes, despite a somewhat heightened prickle of apprehension.

'No, of course I don't.'

She smiled and stepped back a half-pace, feeling the way Hawke had tightened internally behind her at the announcement of Cachat's identity, before she waved at the dome's comfortable chairs.

'Sit down, Gentlemen. And then, Captain Zilwicki, perhaps you can explain to me exactly what you're doing here in company with one of the most notorious secret agents—if that's not an oxymoron—in the employ of the sinister Republic of Haven. I'm sure it will be fascinating.'

Zilwicki and Cachat glanced at one another. It was a brief thing, more sensed than seen, and then they seated themselves in unison. Honor took a facing chair, and Nimitz flowed down into her lap as Hawke moved slightly to the side. She felt Cachat's awareness of the way in which Hawke's move cleared his sidearm and put Honor herself out of his line of fire. The Havenite gave no outward sign he'd noticed, but he was actually rather amused by it, she noted.

'Which of you gentlemen would care to begin?' she asked calmly.

'I suppose I should,' Zilwicki said. He gazed at her for a moment, then shrugged.

'First, Your Grace, I apologize for not clearing Victor's visit with your security people ahead of time. I rather suspected that they'd raise a few objections. Not to mention the fact that he is a Havenite operative.'

'Yes, he is,' Honor agreed. 'And, Captain, I'm afraid I have to point out that you've brought the aforesaid Havenite agent into a secure area. This entire star system is a fleet anchorage, under martial law and closed to all unauthorized shipping. There's a great deal of highly confidential information floating around, including what could be picked up by simple visual observation. I trust neither of you will take this wrongly, but I really can't permit a 'Havenite operative' to go home and tell the Octagon what he's seen here.'

'We considered that point, Your Grace,' Zilwicki said, much more calmly than he actually felt, Honor observed. 'I give you my personal word that Victor hasn't been allowed access to any of our sensor data, or even toPottawatomie Creek's bridge, since leaving Torch. Nor was he given any opportunity to make visual observations during the crossing fromPottawatomie to your vessel. This—' he raised one hand, waving it at the panoramic view from the observation dome '—is the first time he's actually had a look at anything which could be remotely construed as sensitive information.'

'For what it's worth, Duchess,' Cachat said, meeting her eyes steadily, his right hand resting lightly in his lap, 'Captain Zilwicki is telling you the truth. And while I'll confess that I was very tempted to attempt to hack intoPottawatomie Creek's information systems and steal the information I'd promised him I wouldn't, I was able to suppress the temptation quite easily. He and Princess Ruth are both accomplished hackers; I'm not. I have to rely on other people to do that for me, and none of those other people happen to be along this time. If I'd tried, I would have bungled it and gotten myself caught. In which case I would have gotten no information and destroyed a valuable professional relationship. For that matter, my knowledge of naval matters in general is . . . limited. I know a lot more than the average layman, but not enough to make any worthwhile observations. Certainly not relying on what I can see from the outside.'

Honor leaned back slightly, gazing at him thoughtfully. It was obvious from his emotions that he had no idea she could actually taste him. And it was equally obvious he was telling the truth. Just as it was obvious he actually expected to be detained, probably jailed. And—

'Officer Cachat,' she said, 'I really wish you would deactivate whatever suicide device you have in your right hip pocket.'