you may have been followed, and it wouldn't do for us to be spreading our plans dockside. As soon as we're finished here I want you to go with the Sufic directly to the new ship. Proceed straight to your quarters and stay there. Lock up after you."
Piehl expected another termagant screech.
"Be still, girl. Your man can make arrangements to bring your things to the ship. I want the two of you to disappear. Your father can arrange the proper excuses as to why you are missing from court functions. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Captain." It was the sweet voice of the Lady Lociranou.
"Hmmmph," a quasi-affirmative grumble from the Princess. The Sufic Major bowed his head briefly in assent.
"Now, someone mentioned an armed cruiser. We'll need to know a lot more." Piehl was all business.
The Sufic Major stepped forward and pulled a micro-store from his cloak and handed it to Piehl. Piehl put it in his belt comp and reviewed the data.
The ship was named, Wellspring. After scanning the data, Piehl thought it would do, after he'd made a few modifications.
"Too light, too light by half. This stuff's fine if you want to annoy someone, but it won't terminate. Look at this, Flex."
Flex looked over Piehl's shoulder as he read out the data. "Five mega-joule semi-repeaters with a five second charge-up. God help us, good for hunting on Safari, not much else."
Piehl started punching out orders direct to Flex's comp. "Get this stuff installed right away."
"You expecting Armageddon?"
"No, but when it comes, I intend to participate." It was a different man who gave the orders now that there was a mission.
"Okay. Your wish is my command, Captain."
"Before you start, have the ship given a Class Five sweep, including N-Space tracers."
"Yes, sir. Have you any idea what all this costs?" Flex asked.
"Not to worry, Flex. King's Credit. If he thinks as much of his daughter as I imagine, he's not going to spare credits. And Flex, get a security drape put around the docking bay."
Piehl paused, reviewing. "Then get hold of Shorty McGrane. He's the best ship fitter on Regent's. His men can be trusted, they're Legion. We'll have him do the whole re-fit, no haggle, premium pay. I owe him."
"Aye, aye, Captain."
The princess's high voice dripped sarcasm. "What happened to the tramp captain? Now you sound more like an admiral on the Holo. All orders and let's get on with it," she mocked a man's low voice.
Piehl said nothing.
Flex answered for Piehl. "Look, your officiousness, he never was cowardly or itinerant. If you don't mind, Zip It Up!"
"How dare you address me in such a manner, you...you!"
Flex ignored her. Piehl was sure he could see steam rising around the cowl of her stealth suit.
"By the way, Flex, find out if IMP can be transferred to the new ship's central."
IMP was an Infinity Matrix Processor, something Piehl had retrieved from the old days in the Legion. It held almost as much data as Central System Files. The IMP definitely had more personality.
Piehl turned to the Sufic major. "On your return from the palace I'd like you to bring currency, different types, precious metals, gems and the like. You never know, might come in handy. Tell the King, he'll know what I need."
Piehl went to the bar. "Anybody need something to wet their cords, speak."
"I'll have a spice flame brandy," The Princess answered immediately.
Not likely, Piehl thought. "One nectar fruit with a quarter shot of mild spice wine."
This was followed by much bad language and grumbling from the princess.
"I see literacy is still not required among the purple, your tenderness," Flex quipped.
Piehl came out from behind the bar. Things were moving, they were committed.
"Lady Lociranou, could you get a current intelligence survey of activities for all the In-System Princes and Econo-Lords integrated for connection to the Dark Worlds? If His Highness has any trusted people out that way I want to know who they are. The Sufic can bring it back when he returns from the palace. Please ask him to err in the direction of more data than too little."
She nodded, and began to speak quietly into her wrist unit. Not bad, Piehl thought. If she looked anything like she sounded, three and a half months on a small ship could get interesting.
Sir, we have company, what looks like an Alpha-Prime Whistler," the Sergeant called over from the door.
"See what he wants, Sergeant."
The sergeant opened the door a crack, and after a moment's whispered conversation, turned and said with a grin, "I think you better talk to this one, sir. He says, among other things, he's an N - 1 Class Astrogator with military experience and a multi-math, to boot."
"Bring him in, Sergeant."
Through the door came the damndest collection of weird they'd ever seen, except Flex and Piehl. They’d served with Whistlers in the past. Those were memories he wasn't likely to forget.
His/her/its appearance at first sight was of a five foot tall, long-haired rug, constructed on the basic human form: two arms, two legs and a sort of head. Closer inspection revealed many peculiarities.
His whole body was covered with flexible quills, from which they got their name. When they move, the random quill motion created a soft, whistling sound. Quite pleasant when one got used to it.
In the center of the head were two large, circular, expressive eyes with the feline vertical iris. The eyes extruded on flexible stalks to a distance of about six inches. Took getting use to, hearing beautifully articulated speech coming from their whole body.
The quills covering the body were more than protective covering. Each individual strand was thick at the base, varying evenly out to microscopically thin at the tip. It was this characteristic which explained how Whistler produced sound.
They had the unique ability to selectively vibrate each individual strand locally along its length from the base to tip. In this way they were able to produce an astounding variety of sound.
It was said that when one has been around a Whistler for a while, you can read their emotional state from the waves and ripples moving over their bodies.
On seeing Piehl the Whistler came directly forward with an easy rolling motion and stopped. He went to the attention form of highest respect, eye stalks extruded six inches and aimed at Piehl's chest.
Then in ringing, sonorous tones; "I see thee, Colonel, Brevet Brigadier General, Sir Aubrey Jerrad Piehl, TSV Commanding, 3rd Brigade of Marines, Mars Legion. He who would not retreat! He who would not surrender! I see thee.”
