Chapter 21
The doctor, notified by the truck's short-wave, was waiting in theadmiral's office to give Hanlon the shots of antidote and attend to hiswounds. He had barely finished when a waiter brought food.
These two gone, Hawarden felt free to demand of Hanlon, "Open up,please. What's this all about?"
"Full coverage?" Hanlon asked meaningly.
The admiral flipped a couple of toggle switches on his desk. "There isnow."
"I'll tell you the story in a bit, but there are several more things tobe done, fast."
He described the location of the hidden spacefield. "Get some scouts outthere quick, but if the freighter's not ready to leave, have 'em keephidden and merely watch it. I don't want anything done until just beforetake-off--it's important we arrest _all_ of its crew and passengers."
"Right!" Admiral Hawarden turned to his communicators, and orders rappedout.
"You'll have to tell me procedure here, sir, for I don't know how to getwhat I need. I want to recommend that the entire Corps fleet rendezvousnear here immediately so we can go to a planet called Algon, and take itover. But first we'll have to find out exactly where in space Algon is.May I talk with your planetographers, please?"
The admiral looked at him quizzically. "You haven't been in the SS verylong, have you, Hanlon?"
"No," the young man looked up in surprise. "This is my first assignment.Why do you ask?"
"Because in emergencies such as this you give orders, not ask forpermission. Every resource of the entire Corps is yours to command whenyou feel it necessary."
"Why ... why, I didn't realize that," Hanlon shrank back inastonishment. "You ... you mean they'd let a pup like me issue commandsto the whole Corps?"
"They certainly would, sir. I don't know if you realize it yet or not,but no one gets into the Secret Service unless the High Command ispretty sure they are exceedingly high-powered individuals. So whateveryou want, just yell. I am entirely at your service."
There was a moment of incredulity in the young man's eyes, then hestraightened, and that depth of character which the men in command hadforeseen came to the surface, and he issued crisp orders. "Very well,sir, I'll take you at your word. Please connect me with theplanetographers, then get me the High Admiral."
Hawarden activated the intercom, and when a face appeared on the screenordered, "Give this young man any information he wants."
"Do you know a planet named 'Algon' or 'Guddu'?" Hanlon asked. "It'sabout twelve and a quarter light years distant, right ascension abouteighteen hours, declination around plus fifteen degrees. Here's a roughchart of what I could see from there." He held up to his screen a sheeton which he had been busily, marking such super-giant suns and nebulaeas he remembered. "... You don't know it? Then find it immediately. Rushit through. I must have its closest approximation inside of two hours!"
He closed that switch and looked up as Admiral Hawarden handed him amicrophone. "Grand Fleet High Admiral Ferguson is awaiting your orders,sir."
George Hanlon's young hand was shaking as he took the mike, but hisvoice was steady and crisp. "Admiral Ferguson, sir, this is GeorgeHanlon of the Secret Service. I was detailed to the Simonidean affair.I've just returned from a planet I know both as 'Algon' and as 'Guddu.'The planetographers are checking now for its exact location.
"The enemy--and I don't yet know entirely who they are, although thePrime Minister of Simonides was one of the top men, if not the actualhead--are building a great fleet there. They already have at leastthirty-two capital ships in building, and each one of them is abouttwice the size of our largest battleship. Yes, that's right--twice thesize. However, as near as I could find out, none of them are yet farenough completed to fly, and perhaps not even to fight. They also havenearly a hundred medium and light cruisers, and over two hundred smallerships--scouts, destroyers and so on. Many of those latter twoclassifications are fully completed and at least partially manned.
"That fleet must be captured or destroyed before they can get itfinished. I know you realize that better than I, sir, but it must betaken care of immediately.... Oh, no, sir, you can't just blast theplanet. There are natives there that are high enough in the culturalscale so the planet cannot be colonized, but they must be freed from theslavery under which they are now held. They are fine, friendlypeople.... You'll rendezvous the fleet immediately? That's fine, sir.Oh, one more thing, please notify SSM Regional Admiral Newton to sendall available SS men here at once. There's a lot of cleaning up to dohere on Simonides.... Thank you, sir, I hope I was in time with thisinformation."
Hanlon broke the connection, then sank back into his chair for minutes,thinking seriously, and the admiral respected his silence. But after atime the smell of that delicious food made Hanlon's hunger and weaknessreassert itself. Feeling he had done all he could at the moment, he satup again, pulled his chair closer to the desk, and lifted the napkinfrom the tray.
"I'll talk while I eat, if you'll pardon the discourtesy, sir," hebegan, picking up knife and fork. And as he ate he gave Hawarden as fullan account of the situation as he could, except for references to hismental abilities and the part they had played.
The admiral listened attentively, and when Hanlon paused at what seemedthe end of his narrative, the officer straightened with determination.
"Then the thing to do now is to find out who all is in back of this.That's why you asked for all available SS men, I understand that. Butabout His Highness--was he top man?"
Hanlon knit his forehead in concentration. "I ... don't ... know," hesaid slowly. "No one ever spoke of anyone as his superior. He's the manthey were all afraid of...." He paused a moment, then said, even moreslowly, "I've a peculiar hunch. I wish you'd have your best physiciansexamine that body. Have 'em use X-rays and fluoroscopes, rather than anautopsy. I'm not entirely convinced he was a human being."
"What?" There was incredulity in that question. "What gives you thatidea?"
"Sorry, sir, I can't give you my reasons just now," Hanlon's faceflushed, and his eyes were appealing. "It isn't that I don't trust you,sir, but there's one secret I feel shouldn't be told now. Maybelater--and if I do tell it to anyone outside of SS men, you will be thefirst--you deserve that."
"Right, sir. I didn't mean to prowl," the admiral showed no resentment,much to Hanlon's relief. "Your orders go, as I said."
He touched a stud on his desk and when the doctor's face appeared on thescreen, gave the necessary orders. "Look carefully to see if theinternal arrangement of bones and organs is human--but do not cutwithout specific orders."
"What about the emperor, sir?" Hanlon asked. "You've undoubtedly formedsome sort of opinion about him."
"He was a wonderful soldier and executive as a young and as amiddle-aged man," Hawarden said thoughtfully and, Hanlon sensed, sadly."It was his grandfather who pulled the original coup that made thisplanet into an empire with himself as first emperor. His son, the secondemperor, was also a very good co-ordinator, and solidified the empirestatus. The present emperor went into the army at sixteen, and roserapidly through sheer merit rather than because his father was emperor.All historians agree on that. Just before he reached thirty he was infull command. He was thirty-six when his father died, and he became thethird emperor."
"Then you think he may be back of this whatever-it-is?"
"No," the admiral shook his head. "Somehow I can't quite feel that way.During his first years as emperor he was one of the most co-operative ofall Planetary rulers within the Federation."
"What about his Prime Minister ... and by the way, what was his name? Inever heard him called anything but 'His Highness'?"
"His name was Gorth Bohr. He seems to have appeared from nowhere almostovernight--as an important personage, I mean. We've traced him back, andhe came to Simonides about fourteen years ago, from Sirius Three. He'sbeen Prime Minister for about ten years and it has been noticeable thathe has gained more and more power during the past few years, as theemperor has been failing both physically and mentally
."
"I wonder ..."
"Yes?"
"D'you suppose that failing health and mind could have been caused,instead of natural?"
The admiral was plainly taken aback. "What? Caused?"
Hanlon nodded. "Just that. From what little I know of His Highness hewas just the kind to do a thing like that--and capable of it, too." Hesank back in deep thought for some time, as did Hawarden. They wereinterrupted by a buzzer from the desk. The admiral sat up quickly andswitched on the intercom. "Yes?"
"Bohr certainly was not a human being," the doctor reported, and Hanloncould see the surprise and wonder on his face in the screen. "There arestructural differences so far removed from ours that they could notpossibly be Homo Sapiens."
"Any idea where he came from?" Hanlon asked, and the admiral relayed thequestion.
"Never saw anything like it before, and I've just made a quick searchthrough all my books here that contain pictures and diagrams of theraces of which we know."
Hanlon shook his head in resignation and Hawarden, after thanking thedoctor and giving orders for the disposition of the Prime Minister'sbody, disconnected.
"Is it too late to get an audience with the emperor?" Hanlon sat erect.
The admiral glanced at his wrist chronom. "Pretty late, but I'll see."
He had just reached for a switch when his call buzzer sounded, and whenhe activated the screen the planetographer reported, "We can't find anysuch system on our charts."
Hanlon's spirit sank. "Keep looking!" he ordered. "Check with theastronomers. It's somewhere around there--I just came from that planet.The sun is hot--looks like Sol from inside Venus's orbit, although Idon't think it's as large as Sol."
Hawarden then put through his call to the imperial palace, his positionas local head of the I-S C getting him fast service. After some hagglingwith the emperor's secretary, and his insistence that it was a matter ofthe utmost importance that could not wait until morning, he was finallytold His Majesty would see him.
"Got it," Hawarden rose. "Come along."
Hanlon started toward the door, then looked down at his torn and dirtyclothing. "I'm not very presentable."
"We can get you a uniform from the barracks."
Hanlon thought swiftly. "No, I'd better not chance it, although I'd surelike to."
The admiral thought a moment, then stepped back to his desk and presseda stud. "Roberts, come in here."
A young man almost exactly Hanlon's size, wearing civilian clothes, cameinto the office. Hawarden grinned. "Those do?"
The SS man smiled back. "Swell."
"Strip," the admiral commanded the astonished clerk. "We need yourclothes in a hurry for this man. Quick," as the young man hesitated.
Hanlon was already removing his own. "I'll give you a hundred creditsfor them, Roberts, but this is prime urgent."
The other laughed then, and started pulling off his suit as fast as hecould. "A hundred'll more than buy me a new one--it's a good bargain."
The exchange was quickly made. Hanlon gave the clerk his money, then heand the admiral hurried to the palace, where they were ushered withoutdelay toward the emperor's private study.
"Watch me fairly closely," Hanlon whispered as they were walking downthe hall. "If I shake my head, he's lying."
Admiral Hawarden's eyes widened, and though he said nothing, he wasthinking, "This is certainly the most amazing young man I've ever met.Where does the SS get 'em?"
They had barely entered the study when a door on the far side of theroom opened, and the emperor came in, leaning on the arm of an aide. Hesat down heavily behind the ornate desk.
"Well well well," he barked pettishly. "What's all this about, sir?What's so important you have to get me out of bed?"
"I am most sorry to have put Your Majesty to such inconvenience,"Admiral Hawarden said diplomatically, "but you will soon see that thisis, indeed, most urgent. It is also very secret, and I respectfullyrequest we be permitted to speak with you alone."
The emperor waved his hand impatiently, and the aide retired from theroom.
Admiral Hawarden set a small box on the desk and turned on a switch."Just a portable spyray block," he apologized.
"I know, I know," came the exasperated voice. "Get on with it, man, I'mtired."
"Permit me to introduce George Hanlon, of the Corps. We have, first, abit of sad news to give Your Majesty, and then some questions we mosturgently request you to answer as fully as you can."
The emperor did not look pleased at this suggestion that he bequestioned, but said nothing.
"Your Prime Minister, Gorth Bohr, was killed a few hours ago, Sire."
"What?" The emperor sat upright, his face showing the utmostincredulity, but Hanlon's mind-probing had prepared him for thereaction, so he was not surprised to note neither dismay nor regret.
For the monarch suddenly sank back into his chair, and a long, loudsuspiration of relief came from him. He closed his eyes and his facefinally relaxed a bit. Suddenly he sat bolt upright. "Are you sure?" hebarked.
"Positive," the admiral assured him. "The body is at Base, and has beenfor several hours."
"How did he die?"
"He was stung to death by bees, Sire," Hanlon answered.
"Bees?" incredulously.
"That's right, Sire. He and three of his men were attacked by a swarm ofbees in one of the basement rooms of his palace, and died withinminutes."
The emperor was silent for moments, mind roiling. Then he shook his headas though almost not daring to believe this news.
"It may sound strange, Hawarden," he said at last, "but I do not think Iwas ever as glad of anything in my life as I am of this. He was an evilthing, though I did not even begin to suspect it until years after Iappointed him my Minister. By the time I felt sure, it was too late. Hehad ... gotten some sort of a hold over me ... I no longer seemed tohave a mind or will of my own any more."
The admiral risked a glance at Hanlon, who nodded agreement.
"Do you know what he was planning, Your Majesty?"
"Planning? Planning? You mean something else beyond ruling Simonidesthrough me, or possibly supplanting me entirely?"
"I'm afraid he was, Sire. Did you know he was secretly building a greatwar fleet on another planet?"
There was an almost-imperceptible pause before the answer was barkedout. "Nonsense, sir. That I can't believe!"
Hanlon shook his head. The emperor was lying now. Why? Was hepart--perhaps head--of the plot?
His mind-probing had not yet reached an answer to those importantquestions. They would have to question him skillfully to make him thinkof the things Hanlon so desperately needed to know.