The Service of the Sword

'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.

'Odelia, did you say 'he' when you spoke of the Havenite officer?'

'Yes, Judith.' Odelia looked puzzled. 'It was a male voice.'

'But a woman spoke from Intransigent,' Judith said. 'Surely a woman would feel more sympathy for our cause.'

Dinah, devil's advocate against what Judith knew would be her own choice, spoke, 'But this Lieutenant Dunsinane may be commanded by a man.'

'Still, he is a man who trusts his bridge to a woman,' Judith said firmly. 'He may listen to us.'

There was no argument, so Judith took a moment to frame her request, then turned to Odelia.

'Put in a call to Intransigent. If possible, make it a tight link. We don't want Ephraim overhearing what we intend.'

Odelia took a moment to consult the computer, then nodded.

'Intransigent is answering.'

'Make sure you don't have the fake images up,' Judith said. 'It is time we were known as who we are.'

Their eavesdropping on Ronald Sands's call had been audio only, so this was the first time Judith had seen Lieutenant Dunsinane. Her ears had not deceived her. The person facing her was a woman—a very young one, though older than Judith herself.

Then Judith recalled that the Manticorans had some medicine that permitted them to remain physically youthful, in violation, so the Faithful said, of God's will, for did not God say 'There is a time to be born, and a time to die'? This was not the time to wonder about such things. If she didn't handle this right, the death time of the Sisterhood would be very close indeed.

'I am Judith,' she said, deliberately leaving off the 'wife of Ephraim' that was all the surname the Masadans granted their women. 'I now command Aaron's Rod for the Sisterhood of Barbara. We have fled slavery on Masada.'

'I am Lieutenant Carlotta Dunsinane,' the woman responded courteously. 'What may I do for you?'

'We request,' Judith said, her heart beating far too rapidly, 'that you assist us. Either grant us sanctuary from our enemies or at least prevent them from halting us in our flight. We have heard your monarch is a queen, and beg in the name of our shared womanhood that you assist us.'

She didn't like how the word 'beg' had slipped out, but it was too late for her to change it.

Dunsinane nodded her understanding.

'Judith, I am only officer of this watch and cannot answer for my Captain. I will contact him with your request and reply as soon as possible.'

'We can only wait,' she replied.

Dunsinane broke the connection, but they hardly had time to speculate on what her captain might think when Odelia indicated that Intransigent was signaling.

'Their captain wishes to speak with you,' she said.

'Put him on,' Judith said.

Captain Boniece was at least a man of some years, his commanding bearing reminding Judith of Gideon at his best. Nor did it hurt that he was darker than most Masadans. Judith knew it shouldn't matter, but she couldn't help trusting him more for not looking like her enemies.

'Captain Judith,' Boniece said politely. 'My watch officer has relayed your request. I am inclined to assist those who appeal to my Queen, however, I have one difficulty.'

'Yes?'

'Some hours before Aaron's Rod departed orbit, a personnel shuttle and a cargo shuttle entered the ship. The personnel shuttle originated with the Silesian freetrader, Firebird, the shuttle from the surface.'

He paused and Judith replied, 'The cargo shuttle bore my Sisters and myself from slavery.'

'And the personnel shuttle?'

'Belonged to smugglers transferring illegal goods which were to be picked up by allies in my husband's house.'

She saw Captain Boniece's eyebrows raise.

'Can you confirm this?'

'We have the contraband,' she replied, 'and we have one of the Silesians.'

'The rest?'

'Are dead. We could not risk their stopping us. Our course is most desperate.' Judith managed a very small smile. 'In any case, their lives were forfeit if the Faithful had caught them. Their cargo included liquor, drugs, and what I believe is pornographic material—any of which would have brought a death sentence from the Faithful.