Chapter 50

Matching orbits with the reserve lander required some delicate maneuvering, so Shaw, as by far the most experienced lander pilot, would do that job. Igwanda was insistent that it be himself who made the short space walk to recover the other vehicle.

"There is a small chance that Chavez' and Dzenda's supposed suicide was a bluff, and they are waiting in ambush," he explained to Ziang. "I doubt it; the colonel seemed resigned, and he has already shown himself to be quite poor at dissimulation. But it is a risk I will not assign to anyone else. And while I am nothing like Mr. Shaw's equal, I believe I am competent enough to direct the other lander back to the ship."

The two men were largely silent as Shaw piloted the reserve, using manual rather than voice controls for the careful course corrections that were required, and Igwanda awkwardly dressed himself in the cumbersome gear he would need for the crossing. They were nearly in place when Shaw spoke.

"Colonel—Carlos—may I ask you a question?"

Igwanda merely nodded.

"What was all that saluting business there at the end? I mean, why would you honor two people who did their dead level best to wipe out an entire species of intelligent beings?"

Igwanda paused for a moment, then responded with a seeming non sequitur. "You recall Dr. Toshimura's actions during the moments of our attack?" he asked.

"Of course."

"He acted on principle. It was badly misguided principle; his attitude seemed to be that he could make the aliens peaceful merely by wishing it so and behaving according to his wishes. These two also acted on principle, and for an even higher purpose: to remove what they perceived as a dire threat to our species. They were equally misguided, but their actions were honorable within the parameters of their perception. They took no life aboard the Garden­er, and when their scheme failed they left us the lander we need. I felt that warranted recognition."

Shaw shook his head. "You forgave John even though he got your trooper killed. You forgave me even though I nearly got us all killed. You seem to have forgiven the Edenites even though they were the ones doing the killing. And now you forgive these two when they might have killed an entire planet."

"Not exactly forgive, Bernard. I despise what they tried to do. But one act does not make an entire person."

"Maybe not, but..." Shaw trailed off with a shrug.

"In my youth I was quick to cultivate resentment against those who had offended me," said Igwanda slowly. "I harbored those grudges, nurtured them lovingly. But I came to see that sort of activity as both unrewarding and counter-productive; I was dedicating far too much time and attention to the enemies I perceived, perhaps more even than to happier parts of my life. The Christian church teaches to hate the sin and love the sinner. I cannot go anything like so far, but I have discovered that maintaining some separation in my mind makes for a more tranquil existence."

"You go a lot further than I can," said Shaw. "Well, Carlos, we're here pretty much; I don't want to try to get a lot closer. Can you make it that far?"

Igwanda examined the scene. There was no trace of either body in the vicinity, but he hadn't expected that; the rush of air expelled from the lander would have taken them quickly away. And it appeared that both the inner and outer doors of the airlock were open. After Shaw tapped into the other lander's internal systems to ensure that no life remained aboard, he quickly donned one of the emergency spacesuits and made the short crossing without difficulty, while the first officer held position until he was aboard.

"All is clear, Bernard, and the lander remains operational," came his voice over the communicator. "Let us return."

Meiersdottir was waiting just outside the lander bay entry, virtually dancing with impatience as first Igwanda and then Shaw brought the vessels in. As soon as the bay was repressur­ized she rushed in.

"Don't go anywhere, either of you," she called. "Carlos, we have to get down now. Bernard, you fly us. Let's move, we're running out of daylight down there."

"A moment," said Igwanda. To both of their astonishment he drew his laser and deliberately scorched the side of one of the landers near the airlock. "We will take that one," he said, holstering his weapon and moving through the airlock. Meiersdottir and Shaw followed, mouths still agape.

"What was that all about?" asked Shaw.

"Get us moving, Bernard, we can talk on the way," the colonel replied. The first officer still stared at him for a moment, then turned to comply.

"I gather that we are returning to explain to them what happened over their heads a short while ago," Igwanda said to Meiersdottir.

"Yes, we have to," she said. "John and I talked it over while you were gone. They will have seen too much. It's horrible, they can't possibly be ready, but we have to try to explain to them."

"Would it not be preferable to have an alternative explanation?" he asked.

"An alternative— Oh!" she exclaimed breathlessly as she saw his thinking.

"A regrettable equipment malfunction," he continued smoothly. "Never happen again, we will approach from a different direction in future, so terribly sorry, we apologize deeply."

"Will it work?" she asked.

"I cannot see why not," he said. "Chavez and Dzenda broke off their descent at about five hundred meters to eject the bombs. Given the smog cover, which we saw was about usual when the implosions went off, they will have had no view of that, certainly no clear view, though they will have of course heard the engine noise. They will have seen the implosions, which were at only about a hundred meters, and they may have experienced a small shower of shrapnel about which they will be mightily irritated but which should not have caused significant damage. But that is all they will know. When they see that the lander too is damaged ... well, that should be enough support."

"Carlos, that's wonderful!" she cried. Heedless of Shaw's presence she threw her arms around him and kissed him. He gently disengaged. "Still not in front of the children, Amanda," he said dryly.

"I've seen better," commented Shaw with equal dryness.

"I'm sorry, Carlos, but I couldn't think of a way out and now you've come to the rescue one more time, and I sort of got overwhelmed," she said. "It was going to negate all the progress we've made—" She caught her breath.