Her Majesty's American by Steve White

Author:Steve White
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2018-09-04T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Captain Arthur Viglione, RSN, was a North American, from the Dominion of New England to which so many of New America’s people traced their ancestry. It had been thought that his appointment as commanding officer of Washington Station and therefore senior Imperial naval officer in the Tau Ceti system might have a reconciling effect. The results had been mixed. And at any rate, he was seldom present on New America, but spent most of his time aboard the station, where he was currently.

“Yes, Commander Rogers, of course we heard of the attempt—the seemingly unsuccessful attempt—to abduct you and Agent Goldson, followed by your disappearance.” He gazed across his desk at Rogers and Grey with sharp dark eyes. “It would seem that the kidnappers had a second string to their bow.”

“Correct, Captain. After the security men returned to the Residency with their prisoners, leaving me and Agent Goldson alone, another group of assailants who had been waiting in reserve appeared and captured us.” Ironically enough, they had decided to use Stark’s idea for an explanation that would conceal Grey’s involvement. “We were held in a warehouse used by the Sons of Arnold, but as we later found out our abduction was the work of the clandestine extremist group the Sons of Wilkinson, without the knowledge of the mainstream organization.” This last bit of prevarication was one on which Grey had insisted. “Afterward, a false warning of a raid planted by the Sons of Wilkinson caused the warehouse to be evacuated.” Rogers’ lapse into truthfulness didn’t last. “A member of the Sons of Wilkinson took the two of us off in an aircar and turned us over to their Caliphate allies.”

“An alliance of which you’ve assured me the leadership of the Sons of Arnold are unaware.”

“Yes, sir,” said Rogers, relieved to be back in the realm of truth for a bit. “Subsequently, the Caliphate people took us to the Gharnakh station.”

“Ah, yes…the Gharnakh’sha.” Viglione grew grim indeed. He had seen R’Ghal’s corpse—the incontrovertible piece of evidence that caused him to unreservedly accept the rest of the story.

Rogers proceeded to give a factual account of their escape from the Gharnakh station. Viglione’s frown deepened into a scowl. “But after that, why did you go to the Mayflower II? Why didn’t you come straight here?”

Rogers and Grey exchanged a fleeting corner-of-the-eyes glance. This was the most awkward part, calling for the most creative lying. Rogers put on a sheepish expression.

“Well, Captain, this is very embarrassing—humiliating, actually. But the fact of the matter is, R’Ghal got the drop on us with a Gauss needle weapon and locked us up. I blame myself for carelessness and cockiness.”

“No, we were both to blame,” Grey insisted with every appearance of sincerity.

Viglione looked from one of them to the other with his disconcertingly sharp gaze, but did not pursue the matter. He probably thinks nobody would make such an admission unless it was inescapably true, Rogers decided.

“But,” the captain persisted, “having recaptured you, why didn’t R’Ghal simply take

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