Children of Hope by David Feintuch Read Free Book Online

this?”
    “Yessir.” I was anxious to redeem myself. “Back in fifth.”
    “We’ve since had three revolutions. First, the Triforth rebellion.”
    “She was hanged.”
    “By Nick Seafort’s own hand. She tried to seize the government as the U.N. Navy retreated from the fish.” The aliens had appeared suddenly among the fleet. They were shaped something like goldfish, infinitely larger. Some of them rivaled the smaller Naval vessels in size. Extensions would swirl from their skin, begin to rotate, separate, and hurl acid at a warship’s hull. Even worse were the outriders, shapechangers that emerged from the fish, launched themselves, melted through our hulls to spread virus and wreak havoc.
    I said bitterly, “The frazzing cowards in the Navy ran for home.” And left us to the marauding aliens overhead.
    “Mr Carr.” His tone was odd.
    “Yes?”
    “I served in the U.N. Navy. There was no cowardice.”
    “I didn’t mean to—”
    “So I’ll ask you to retract that statement.”
    “I do, sir. I’m very sorry I said it.” Sweat trickled under my arms. I sat quite still. Mr Dakko wasn’t overly muscled, not so tall. He was my friend’s father; the worst he’d do was toss me out of the electricar. And yet …
    Eventually, Mr Dakko’s eyes softened. “Captain Seafort put down Laura Triforth’s uprising, and, as theater commander, granted us full U.N. membership. They say when he brought the news home, the General Assembly was aghast.”
    “Yes, sir. But we had a right—”
    “That was the second revolution. Who was our first Stadholder?”
    “Zack Hopewell.” Everyone knew that. Alex still had a swelled head over it, though it occurred nearly forty years before he was born.
    “And your father?”
    My chest swelled. “The third.” He’d held office for many years, always reconfirmed by the Assembly.
    “For decades, Hope Nation was a member of the U.N., much as Britain, or China, or the African Federation, back on Earth. Full voting rights, our own regional government and constitution.”
    I waited him out. Please, not a history lecture, please—
    “Your father saw we had to be more.”
    He had my full attention.
    “Twelve years ago, he notified the General Assembly we were pulling out.”
    What had Dad said about it? Not much; I’d been so young. But later … “It’s time we stood on our own. And it’s the only way we’ll break their bloody shipping monopoly.”
    “Under the constitution, we had to give three years’ notice.” Mr Dakko found a shady spot, pulled over, rolled down the windows. A few stately genera trees stood sentinel against the winds. “Time for the U.N. Government to make its case. Seafort’s administration was in power; he said he wouldn’t hold a colony by force.”
    “At least he did something right.” My voice dripped scorn.
    He ignored me. “The government did nothing, but the Patriarchs sent Bishop Andori to rein us in.”
    The one who’d made Dad weep.
    “Almost, he succeeded. They went eyeball to eyeball, he and Derek. But the independence vote carried, and we were independent. The third revolution. Now we trade with Earth as equals. At least in theory, that—”
    “Anthony says they still try to bully—”
    “Young man.” His voice was quiet. “It’s rather rude to interrupt, isn’t it? Especially as you asked me to explain.”
    I shrank in my seat. His laser eyes burned my cheeks. Even Anth couldn’t make me feel so low. “I’m sorry, sir.”
    “I’m odd that way, I suppose. None of Kev’s friends like it. But it’s something I learned in the Navy. I ask courtesy, if not respect.”
    “Yessir.” I was a Carr, for God’s sake, and presented myself as an ill-mannered clod. What was the matter with me?
    “And I’ll give you the same. Now where were we? Trading. They still have the upper hand; it comes with the ships. No doubt your, ah, nephew’s aware. Meanwhile, on Earth, the Seafort government fell. Then Henrod Andori failed