"I could try talking to them on the radio," Hudson said excitedly. The realization drove home. His scalp crawled. The fleet was back!

Hudson noticed Doworn.o.bb flinch and subtly adjust his posture.

"Yes, you could," came a powerful voice-Longo's. Bareheaded, but wearing a burgundy Genellan suit, the officer cantered into Hudson's camp. Four soldiers armed with blasters and wearing full combat suits trailed behind. "But I would rather you did not."

Hudson tried to think. Why not? he wondered. It was the nightmare he had been warned of. He swallowed and stared Longo in the eyes.

"Good afternoon, most excellent Colonel," he said. "Of course, as your guest I would be at your pleasure to communicate with the, eh..." He could not come up with the correct konish word. "With the, eh... not known... s.p.a.ceship."

"Your cooperation is appreciated, Master Huhsawn," replied Longo, inadequately civil. "The, eh...unidentified s.p.a.ceship will be contacted at the appropriate time. We will certainly call you to a.s.sist us. For now I request that you remain in our dome. I leave soldiers to keep you company. I am sure you understand my meaning." He turned and departed without waiting for a reply. The soldiers deployed to the entrances. s.p.a.ceship will be contacted at the appropriate time. We will certainly call you to a.s.sist us. For now I request that you remain in our dome. I leave soldiers to keep you company. I am sure you understand my meaning." He turned and departed without waiting for a reply. The soldiers deployed to the entrances.

Kateos and Et Silmarn had quietly followed Longo into the agricultural dome. Kateos bowed her head and lowered her eyes, as was expected. When Longo was comfortably by their position, she cast an overtly obscene gesture at his receding form, much to the surprise and poorly concealed delight of Et Silmarn.

"My mate!" Doworn.o.bb begged, looking nervously at the sentries. "Do not antagonize authority. Your disrespect will be reported."

"I apologize, my mate," Kateos said. "Of course you are correct. I will harness my feelings." She checked that Longo's sentries were out of hearing.

"I am happy for you, Hudsawn," she said. "They will rescue you."

"I wish I were as confident." Hudson walked over to the dome and stared out at the wintry view. "Colonel Longo may have other ideas."

"Wha' do-ah weee do-ah nex'?" Et Silmarn asked. "One of us needs to get to a transmitter," Hudson said.

COMINT alarms sounded. Something had been intercepted, something that qualified as intelligent communication. Quinn jerked awake at her station and watched G.o.donov move to the monitoring system and disable the alarm. He cleared the system and began interrogation. Quinn's intuition screamed. She floated over to watch. She was frightened.

G.o.donov turned so quickly they collided.

"Contact!" he yelled. He returned to the console. "What tha- ? It's just a series of pulses. I wonder what the computer thinks it is? I need to pull the logic a.n.a.lysis." G.o.donov paused for several seconds, staring at the output. "Would you look...It's Morse code!"

"What does it say?" Quinn asked, her stomach fluttering.

"I'm running it through a conversion. I can't read ditty code." He punched his keyboard, and the screen changed format. Quinn was afraid to look. She closed her eyes and prayed. An eternity pa.s.sed.

"What does it say, Nes? What does it say?" she cried. G.o.donov hit keys. The decoded message raced across his console: EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION-REMAIN Pa.s.sIVE-YOU ARE STANDING INTO DANGER-SEVENTEEN SOULS HARRIER ONE CREW ALIVE-CHECK LAt.i.tUDE FOUR THREE DASH FIVE FOUR NORTH AND INTERSECTION OF BIG NORTH SOUTH RIVER-HUDSON TLSF "Nash!" Quinn whispered.

"Commander?" G.o.donov asked.

"Nashua Hudson. My husband's second officer. Anything else?" she asked briskly. She moved to her console; her fingers trembled.

"That's all. It was repeated a dozen times and then nothing."

"Patch the message to Commander Carmichael. Have him maneuver to optimize coverage of the reported lat.i.tude, and tell him to drop to low orbit. Get the rest of the survey team up here." Quinn felt bitter panic welling within.

Doworn.o.bb finished running the program that generated the peculiar sequence of dots and dashes. He had expected Longo' s soldiers to be guarding all radio access, but it had been ridiculously easy to transmit the radio message. He strolled nonchalantly from the planet's surveillance center. Colonel Longo and a squad of soldiers loped down the corridor toward him. Doworn.o.bb swallowed and kept walking. It made no sense to run; there was no escape. He made an effort to pa.s.s in the wide hall, but one of Longo' s flunkies stepped in front of him, pushing him against the windowed wall. The thick gla.s.s vibrated with the force of impact.

"Scientist!" Longo said, his voice venomous. "What were you doing?"

"Huh.. .I was, eh... I was-," Doworn.o.bb struggled to invent an alibi.

"He was reestablishing a datalink to our photo satellites-on my orders," Et Silmarn shouted from behind the soldiers. "I am updating our research. We have many scientific projects underway, as I am sure you know... most excellent Colonel." The n.o.blekone elbowed his way through the crowded corridor. Kateos meekly followed him through the soldiers.

Longo gestured impatiently. A soldier stood to attention.

"Sir, the transmissions are not satellite commands," the soldier barked.

"Ah... because the link was malfunctioning," Doworn.o.bb stammered, trying desperately to support the n.o.blekone' s thin excuse. "I ran a narrow portion of a subroutine used to reset parameters within our internal program. The program is not related to actual satellite mechanics, so it is unlikely your technicians would be familiar with the program calls." Doworn.o.bb continued with a tirade of technical jargon until Longo held up his hand. Longo stared at his technician.

"Well?" Longo demanded.

"Sir, I am only a communications technician. The scientist speaks of matters that I cannot comment upon. What I understand seems reasonable."

Longo dismissed the technician. He turned to Et Silmarn.

"I will not dispute this thin rationalization, Your Excellency, but it was specifically ordered that no one was to use the radios. I am annoyed that you have seen fit to avoid cooperation. To ill.u.s.trate my irritation, I am placing Scientist Doworn.o.bb under official arrest. He will be confined until I decide what to do about this."

Kateos burst forth, "But you have no right. He has done noth-"

"Arrest the female, also. I have had enough of her bad manners." Longo turned his back on the unfortunate kones. "Take them away."

"Excellent Colonel," Et Silmarn said, his emotions held in check with obvious effort. "I remind you that those two scientists have the most experience in dealing with the aliens. You have need of their services."

"You are too modest, Et Silmarn," Longo replied. "I have her translation computer. I have you. You are obviously intelligent enough to understand the consequences, whereas your impetuous comrades do not. And you forget-the alien! The alien speaks our tongue extremely well. So you see, I have absolutely no need for those ill-mannered intellectuals. I may suggest...Your Excellency, if you wish them to remain-shall we say-in good health, it would be prudent for you to cooperate with official policies. Do you understand, Your Excellency? Now take them away."

The soldiers moved. Doworn.o.bb was shoved to the floor and kicked.

"Thugs! Unspeakable savages!" Kateos screamed, and she rushed toward her mate. A soldier pushed her roughly to the ground.

"No, Kateos! Nooo!" Nooo!" Doworn.o.bb bellowed, twisting to help his mate, but the appalling crunch of a thudding truncheon obliterated his consciousness. Doworn.o.bb bellowed, twisting to help his mate, but the appalling crunch of a thudding truncheon obliterated his consciousness.

"Exalted One, Colonel Longo reports the presence of unidentified s.p.a.cecraft in orbit around Genellan," announced one of Gorruk' s subalterns.

"What?" Emperor-General Gorruk snapped, looking up from his meal.

"Colonel Longo reports with certainty that the aliens have returned." The underling kneeled and dropped his forehead to the floor.

Gorruk jumped erect. "The alien fleet has returned! How many ships?"

"Colonel Longo confirms three ships in the vicinity of Genellan, Exalted One. He categorizes the ships as escort vehicles and not interstellars. He has not located the enemy fleet yet, but he has provided us with likely sector information. Colonel Longo has launched two probes and expects to provide final vectors for planetary defense interceptors within the next moon cycle. He recommends the first interceptor wave be launched towards Genellan immediately."

The alien invasion fleet had returned! Gorruk had no choice but to convene the global defense organization. The defense of the planet was governed by treaty, although, as leader of the largest konish military power and as a general officer in the Planetary Defense Command, he could initiate defensive activity. Sustaining the attacks would require the authorization of the Planetary Defense Senior Command-a neutral staff appointed and approved by all governments of the planet. The thought of having to deal with the international body gave him indigestion, but they were unlikely to obstruct his efforts. The racial memories of the first invasion weighed heavily on all kones.

"Alert Planetary Defense!" Gorruk ordered. "Longo's recommendations are sound. Launch the first wave, on my authority. Direct Longo to attack the orbiting ships."

"Colonel Longo has a recommendation, Exalted One."

"Now what?" asked Gorruk, displaying impatient fury. "What?"

"Colonel Longo states that it will take two moon cycles before our interceptors close within combat range. He proposes a coordinated attack on the orbiting ships at that time. To attack sooner would alert their fleet to our intentions."

Gorruk pondered the suggestion and acknowledged its merits. "Send my concurrence to Colonel Longo."

"Peregrine has located the likely site of has located the likely site of Harrier's Harrier's crew," the corvette group leader reported. "Commander Quinn has good photo on what appears to be a man-made site, although clouds and snow cover make it difficult to resolve. We're queuing up radar-imaging now." crew," the corvette group leader reported. "Commander Quinn has good photo on what appears to be a man-made site, although clouds and snow cover make it difficult to resolve. We're queuing up radar-imaging now."

As the group leader spoke, the image on the screen changed to reveal an optical close-up of the planet's surface. The wide expanse of a snow-covered lake was st.i.tched by linear trails, apparently footprints. The trails converged at the gate of a stockade. The stockade presented itself as an attention magnet, straight lines forming an irregular pentagon. The dark rectangles of structures, with IR chimney signatures, testified that it was an inhabited encampment.

"What makes us positive those are our people?" Runacres asked.

"We're not, Admiral," a staff intelligence officer answered. "Maximum magnification reveals bipedal creatures, but they're wearing bulky clothes-furs. Our a.s.sessment is based primarily on the settlement's proximity to the position given in Ensign Hudson's message. And, uh...we have found no other candidates, Admiral."

"How close to the domed station is it?" Commodore Wells asked.

"Not even the same continent, sir, although there is a preliminary report of a smaller, fixed-base facility on the same continent as our people," the group leader answered. "Let me put the situation plot back up."

The projected image changed to an abstract holographic depiction of the planet. The image was rotated, revealing the sites under discussion.

"The newly discovered site is located here, near the ocean outlet of the same large river that flows next to the suspected Harrier Harrier site. We're bringing up photos, although they are quite oblique." The images changed, revealing a long-distance and coa.r.s.e-grained depiction. "Strangely, IR gives us no imaging. We think the facility may be cold iron. site. We're bringing up photos, although they are quite oblique." The images changed, revealing a long-distance and coa.r.s.e-grained depiction. "Strangely, IR gives us no imaging. We think the facility may be cold iron. Peregrine Peregrine has scheduled an overflight within the hour." has scheduled an overflight within the hour."

"Go back to the Harrier Harrier site," Runacres ordered. site," Runacres ordered.

The reconnaissance image reappeared, and the group leader clicked in to maximum magnification. He positioned the laser pointer on the screen.

"Horses," he said. "Or something that looks like a horse."

"Horses!" Runacres exclaimed. "Domesticated animals would indicate an indigenous species, don't you think? Has there been time to domesticate wild animals?"

"I can't answer that, Admiral," the intelligence officer replied. "No one around here knows much about horses, although if there were an indigenous, village-building population on the planet, statistically, we should have discovered them much sooner. There would likely be many more sites, and those would likely be nearer the equator."

"Any more news on the satellites?" Sarah Merriwether asked.

"Sensors have detected seven satellites, Captain," the intelligence officer said. "Five appear to be downward-looking birds. The other two have intermittently tracked our units with surveillance radars, and one of them has been actively communicating. We estimate it to be a manned, er...so to speak-an alien ship with a crew onboard."

"It would appear our arrival is no longer a secret," Merriwether said. A funereal silence settled over the briefing room.

"Commander Quinn has requested permission to drop in," the group leader broke the spell. "She wants to put a lander on site. The area across the river has been terrain-mapped and qualified. The weather isn't cooperating, however. A heavy cloud layer has moved in, and surface winds are gale force and higher."

"Denied," Runacres replied. "I want more information and better conditions."

Commodore Well's communicator sounded an override alert. "Admiral, we have detected multiple up-Doppler radars in search mode," he announced. "Something's headed our way, and fast."

Runacres snapped to his feet. "Set General Quarters, battle-stations. Direct Tasmania Tasmania to go active," Runacres ordered. "Group leader, intercept and destroy all contacts." to go active," Runacres ordered. "Group leader, intercept and destroy all contacts."

"Standard warning messages, Admiral?" the corvette commander asked.

"Intercept and destroy, Captain."

"Colonel Longo," the technician reported. "Telemetry has terminated. a.n.a.lysis suggests our probes were destroyed. Enemy radar emissions have also terminated."

Longo cared not. He had located the enemy fleet. At least six and as many as eight large interstellars had been imaged. The position fix was firm, and PDF interceptors were already accelerating toward datum, without the need to employ search radars.

He looked at the scientists kneeling before him.

"We must terminate our interview," Longo ordered. "Your loyalty will be rewarded, and your services will be requested in the future."

Scientists Mirrtis and H'Aare bowed obsequiously and departed. Longo watched them crawl away, realizing that, despite Emperor-General Gorruk' s instructions, he would not kill all of the aliens. An avenue to power was opening.

Chapter 40.

Spring Again Lee's infant was named Hope, and Hope grew fat and healthy. Lee did not die. She clung to life, but a profound weakness hung over her, just as winter held sway over the valley-deep and cold. Fenstermacher doted on her, staying at her side to the exclusion of his other duties, and Buccari overlooked his dereliction in favor of his dedication, for the shy and una.s.suming Lee was everyone's friend; all hands anguished for her recovery. Lee's invalid condition punctuated the universal feeling of helplessness that grew with every continuing day of endless winter. Spring-would it ever return?

A tired mantle of snow layered the ground in crusty, porous drifts, and yet the harsh absolutes of winter had softened; inquisitive rodents, energetic birds, and darting insects made tentative appearances. Nothing green yet, but the nude tree limbs swelled imperceptibly, and hints of bud color shaded the extremities of branches. The warm breath of spring descended lightly upon the dirty mirror of winter.

Late on a bleak morning, the new season arrived with a discordant symphony; on the great river, great chunks of ice shattered and twisted. The irrepressible liquid force of the river crushed its own brittle armor, causing the ground to tremble and the air to vibrate. The awestruck humans a.s.sumed another that quake was rattling the land; there had been many since their arrival, but these sounds were peculiar-drawn out, animate. The earthlings stared in wonder as the moaning and crunching continued unabated.

"The river!" MacArthur shouted, a distant memory of Canadian springs returning. "The river! The ice is breaking up. Winter's over!"

And then it started raining.

Hudson wondered what was going on. The guards were restive. Operational activity had increased; landing modules had made numerous trips to the army transport in orbit. Something was happening.

His guards shifted nervously. Hudson turned to see Et Silmarn in the company of soldiers coming down the rows of vegetables. The n.o.blekone carried a familiar-looking bundle. Hudson bowed. The n.o.blekone held out Hudson's konish full-pressure suit, the suit used for the sub-orbital flight to Goldmine.

"Master Huhsawn. It-ah time to return to your people! Put-ah on your s.p.a.ce suit-ah," Et Silmarn ordered.

Hudson could hear the kone's helmet radio transmitting. Longo must be monitoring the conversations, using Kateos's translation programs. His anxiety swelled. Were they going to let him go? Or were they using him as bait?

"It will take a few moments," he said, using the konish language.

"Colonel Longo has-ah order you to get quick ready," Et Silmarn replied, curiously sticking to Legion. "You have-ah time to dress with your warmest clothing. We leave now."