Flagship by Mike Resnick Read Free Book Online Page B

answered the little alien. "You're right: the Navy wouldn't waste their time with that." He smiled. "I do believe between us we've figured out that there's something valuable there."
    Cole returned the smile. "The benefits of a public school education."
    David chuckled and ordered a cup of coffee. The table asked him if he wanted any cream or sweeteners, and he explained that he-men took their coffee black.
    "David . . ." began Cole as the coffee arrived.
    "It's been a good day so far. I'll break my diet."
    "You're not on a diet, and if you want to live to the end of the day you can't drink any coffee. You know that, David."
    "Maybe I'll sip it, maybe I won't," replied David. "Don't ruin the celebratory mood."
    "Could be worse, I suppose," said Cole.
    "I beg your pardon?"
    "You could have read Mowgli or Tarzan. At least you don't kill your food in mortal combat, and you remember to wear clothes to the table."
    "Why do you persist in making fun of me, Steerforth?" said David.
    "I thought I was complimenting you."
    The coffee arrived. David stared at Cole, then his coffee, then Cole again. "It's too hot," he said. "I'll let it cool."
    "Good idea," said Cole. He decided to take pity on the little alien. "I've got some work to do in my office," he said, getting to his feet. "You'll want to stay here and finish your coffee."
    "Yes," said David. "I'd just spill most of it if I tried carrying it. I'll join you when I'm done."
    Cole left, and figured David would dump the coffee out by the time he reached his office. He sat at his desk and contacted the bridge. "Any sign of the Navy?" he asked.
    "So far so good, sir," said Briggs, who was still manning the scanners.
    "That's a comfort," said Cole. "While I'm thinking of it, any sign of Lafferty?"
    "No, sir."
    "Well, he'll be in touch when he's ready."
    Cole broke the connection, called up a book he'd been reading on his holoscreen, and picked up where he had left off. A few minutes later David Copperfield entered the office.
    "How was your coffee?" asked Cole.
    "Well, it wasn't Brazilian, but I suppose it was all right, considering our circumstances."
    "You have a drop on your chin."
    David continued the fantasy by wiping the nonexistent drop away. "No sign of the Navy yet?"
    "No," said Cole. "I don't think we'll have to put your bulkhead's defenses to the test today."
    Suddenly Sharon's voice rang out: "Bingo!"
    "Bingo?" repeated Cole, making a face.
    "You prefer 'Excelsior'?" she asked as her image popped into existence.
    "Just tell me what you've got."
    "Cicero VII was rich in fissionable materials," said Sharon.
    "Was?" repeated Cole.
    "All mined out in a four-year period," she replied. "The planet has been abandoned for the past five years. Dozhin and his friends and relations can go back now—if they want to."
    "Thanks," said Cole. "See if you can dig up anything else."
    "We're on it, Domak and me," said Sharon as her image vanished.
    David stared curiously at Cole. "You are smiling from ear to ear."
    "Humans can't smile from ear to ear," said Cole. "But if we could, I would."
    "Why?"
    "You heard the same thing I did," said Cole. "Use that Salem House education, David."
    "Stop teasing me and just tell me what you think you know!"
    "The Navy could have negotiated for mining rights," began Cole. " They could have just bought the whole damned planet. But instead they killed off the entire population. Why?"
    "Clearly they were short of fissionable materials," said David. He frowned. "But that's obvious."
    "Think , David," said Cole. "They needed the materials so much that they chose to wipe out an entire race rather than take the time to negotiate a lease. It can only mean one thing: the war was going badly, probably still is, and they couldn't take even an extra month to get their hands on that stuff."
    "It makes sense," admitted the alien.
    "It also means we aren't going to run into any opposition in this sector."
    "Why do you think so, Steerforth?"
    "The planet's mined out. It