A Covenant of Justice by David Gerrold Read Free Book Online Page B

that this represents, do you? If only you knew your history better. Even you, Three-Dollar, have no idea of the high regard that the Phaestor have for their food species. You have always thought of us as cruel and uncaring, haven’t you?”
    Zillabar stretched herself luxuriously across the couch. “But we do care. More than you know. You become part of us. We cherish you. We want to see you healthy and happy in your lives, not just because it affects the flavor, but because you will serve us more efficiently.”
    Three-Dollar inclined his head in a nod of polite deference. “I do know something of history. I would not presume to argue with your interpretation, but some of us have experienced the same events in a different light.”
    The Lady waved away his comment with a dainty gesture of irrelevance. “I grant you that some abuses have occurred, especially among the young and the reckless members of my species. But for the most part, you will find that we have only the highest regard for your people. You have accepted a holy burden on your shoulders.” To the others’ puzzled looks, she explained. “The Phaestor do not exist in an ecological vacuum. When we began, those who created us also created several bioform species for us to feed upon. Those species did not have the sentience to experience fear. Indeed, they felt only awe and reverence for us, their protectors. They bent their necks to us proudly and willingly; they gave their lives with such pleasure that the flavor of their blood sparkled in our mouths and invigorated our spirits. Or so I have heard,” she added uncomfortably. It would not do to demonstrate too much familiarity with the flavors of bioform blood. Not even here.
    â€œUnfortunately,” she continued, “the war against the predators lasted for many centuries, much longer than it should have. The logistics of interstellar war required many many Phaestor. The predators kept coming and coming, sometimes as many as two or three a decade. We had to stop them before they found and englobed the populated worlds, so we had to meet them in the deep between the Cluster and the great wheel of the Eye of God. We had to wait in the darkness and challenge the predators there.
    Do you know what that required—the ships, the crews, the long, almost suicidal watches? Can you even conceive of the courage of our brave Phaestor children? The ships stayed on station for decades, the eggs thawed as needed; the children hatched in the most precarious conditions. They trained under the most rigorous of rules, no margins for error existed aboard the ships. But they served—without complaint. They served proudly. And we have all enjoyed the benefits of their sacrifices in the dark between the stars.
    Lady Zillabar softened her tone. She brushed something away from her forehead, looked momentarily puzzled, then continued her discourse on the history of her species. “But for many years, the predators came almost faster than we could meet them. We had to breed many young Phaestor for the battle, and regretfully, the needs of our defense outgrew our ability to maintain ourselves. We reproduced faster than our bioform cattle, and although we worked as hard as we could to build up our feedstocks, we realized early on that we would have to find alternate food supplies to sustain our health and our ability to breed.
    â€œCourageously, your species—you humans and your uplifted companions, the dogs, the apes, and the others—your species volunteered to make up the difference in the bloodfall. You gave us your partnership so that we could fight the predators together. You shared our victories. You still do.”
    The men looked unconvinced, and Lady Zillabar knew automatically what they thought. She answered it without their having to ask. “That we have not seen a predator in centuries, doesn’t mean that we have vanquished them. Perhaps they still swarm