Shaka II by Mike Resnick Read Free Book Online

“aren’t you going to ask?”
        “What are you buying from the American?” I said.
        He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a shining model of the latest starfaring military ship, much advanced over the type he’d served on less than a decade ago.
        “You’ve bought a starship?” I asked incredulously.
        He chuckled in amusement. “For plundering an entire country for half a century? I am a better bargainer than that, my brother.” He paused. “The American is here today, but Hlatshwayo tells me the stars are not yet in the proper alignment. Tomorrow I will meet with him and finalize the purchase of an entire fleet of starships,” he concluded proudly.
        “And what of Botswana?” I asked.
        “It has been here for a thousand centuries or more,” he replied. “It has lived its life. It is the past.” He pointed a forefinger toward the ceiling, and beyond that, the sky. “The future is out there - a million worlds for the taking.”
        “And if someone objects to your just going out and taking them?” I asked.
        “That is their choice,” he said with no show of concern. “Mine has already been made.”
        At that instant I didn’t know who I felt sorrier for-Botswana or the galaxy.
        

10.
        
        As Tchaka was building his fleet, two of our colonies-one on Delta Pavonis, one on Cygni 2-came under attack. For weeks we didn’t know who was responsible for it. Then our experts discovered that they were a previously-unknown race from DX Cancri.
        Earth mobilized, and soon assembled a fleet of some three thousand ships under the leadership of the brilliant American commander, Dolores Sanchez-and Tchaka announced that South Africa would join the fleet with an independent force of our own.
        Word came back quickly. The military thanked Tchaka for his offer, but all ships would be under the command of Admiral Sanchez.
        Tchaka’s response was direct and to the point:
        I take orders from no one. Do you want us to fight your enemy or don’t you?
        From Planetary Command:
        These are your enemies too.
        And from Tchaka:
        They have not harmed South Africa or any of its possessions. We are an independent nation, beholden to no one, and we choose our own enemies. If you want our help, you know our terms.
        There was no official reply.
        “They want us,” said Tchaka. “They just don’t want to admit it.”
        “How can you be so sure?” I asked.
        “Because if they didn’t need us, they would reject my offer without hesitation.” He smiled. “It is good to know our enemy’s weaknesses.”
        “Our enemy is out there,” I said, pointing to the stars.
        He sighed and shook his head sadly. “You are so slow to learn, my brother.”
        “Learn what?”
        “They are all our enemies,” he replied.
        “How can you say that?” I said.
        “They are not Zulus,” he answered, as if that explained it all.
        Over the next month we began testing our new ships and recruiting crews for them. We received no official communication from Earth’s united military command, but word reached us through unofficial channels that when we were ready, they would prefer us to concentrate on Delta Pavonis.
        “Of course they would,” said Tchaka with a sardonic smile.
        “Why do you say it like that?” asked an aide.
        “It’s almost twice as far from Earth as Cygni 2,” he replied. “It will require twice as much fuel, if we run into trouble it will take reinforcements twice as long to come to our aid, and for all we know the main body of the enemy fleet is there. When they evaluate their forces, you may be sure that we are the most expendable.”
        “So do we accommodate the military, or do we go to Cygni-2?” asked another aide.
        “In either location there will