Duty Bound by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller Read Free Book Online

his holiday
jacket, staring across the field to where the starships huddled. A
teacher with a hobby, that was all.
    An equation rose from his back brain, pure
as crystal, irrevocable as blood. Another rose, another--and yet
another.
    He knew the names of stars and planets and
way stations light years away from this place. His hands knew key
combinations not to be found on university computers; his eyes knew
patterns that ground-huggers might only dream of.
    "Pilot." He heard her whisper plainly; felt
her breath against his ear. He knew better than to turn his
head.
    "Pilot," Aelliana said again, and
half-against his own will he smiled and murmured, "Pilot."
    As a pilot must, he crossed the field to
tend his ship. He barely paused during the walk-around, carefully
detaching the fake pipe fittings and connections that had marred
the beauty of the lines and hidden features best not noticed by
prying eyes. The hardest thing was schooling himself to do a proper
pilot's walk-around after so many years of cursory play-acting.
    L'il Orbit was a Class A Jumpship, tidy and comfortable, with
room for the pilot and co-pilot, if any, plus cargo, or a paying
passenger. He dropped automatically into the co-pilot's chair, slid
the ship key into its slot in the dark board, and watched the
screen glow to life.
    "Huh?" Blue letters formed Terran words
against the white ground. "Who's there?"
    He reached to the keyboard. "Get to
work!"
    "Nothing to do," the ship protested.
    "You're just lazy," the man replied.
    "Oh, am I?" L'il Orbit returned
hotly. "I suppose you know all about lazy!"
    Despite having written and sealed this very
script long years ago, the man grinned at the ship's audacity.
    "Tell me your name," he typed.
    "First, tell me yours."
    "Professor Jen Sar Kiladi."
    "Oho, the schoolteacher! You don't happen to
know the name of a reliable pilot, do you, professor?"
    For an instant, he sat frozen, hands poised
over the keyboard. Then, slowly, letter by letter, he typed, "Daav
yos'Phelium."
    The ship seemed to sigh then; a fan or two
came on, a relay clicked loudly.
    The screen cleared; the irreverent chatter
replaced by an image of Tree-and-Dragon, which faded to a black
screen, against which the Liaden letters stood stark.
    "Ride the Luck, Solcintra, Liad. Aelliana
Caylon, pilot-owner. Daav yos'Phelium co-pilot, co-owner. There are
messages in queue."
    There were? Daav frowned. Er Thom? his heart
whispered, and he caught his breath. Dozens of years since he had
heard his brother's voice! The hand he extended to the play button
was not entirely steady.
    It wasn't Er Thom, after all.
    It was Clonak tEr'Meulen, his oldest friend,
and most trusted, who'd been part of his team when he had been
Scout Captain and in command such things. The date of receipt was
recent, well within the Standard year, in fact within the Standard
Month...
    "I'm sending this message to the quiet
places and the bounce points, on the silent band," Clonak said, his
voice unwontedly serious. I'm betting it's Aelliana's ship you're
with, but I never could predict you with certainty...
    "Bad times, old friend. First, you must know
that Er Thom and Anne are both gone. Nova's Korval-pernard'i..."
Daav thumbed the pause button, staring at the board in blank
disbelief.
    Er Thom and Anne were gone? His brother, his
second self, was dead? Anne--joyful, intelligent, gracious
Anne--dead? It wasn't possible. They were safe on Liad--where his
own lifemate had been shot, killed in Solcintra Main Port,
deliberately placing herself between the fragging pellet and
himself... Daav squeezed his eyes shut, banishing the horrific
vision of Aelliana dying, then reached out and cued the
recording.
    "...Korval-pernard'i. The name of the
problem is the Department the Interior; their purpose is to eat the
Scouts. Among other things. One of those it swallowed is your heir,
and I don't hide from you that there was hope he'd give them
indigestion. Which he seems to have done, actually, though