Chapter 21

He was still berating himself mentally as he moved alone back up the entry tunnel, as he passed through the second bottleneck back aboveground, as he re-donned his clothes and backpack and laser, as he used his communicator to summon Cherney and ask her to bring extra supplies, as he lamely explained to the pilot that Meiersdottir and the baby would be remaining "for a time" and passed the supplies to the native males who had accompanied him, still even as he boarded the lander.

But it was enough, it had to be, he had no more leisure for self-recrimination. As the native mother had said, it was time for action. Offering no explanation, he directed Cherney to take the vessel back to the pavilion where "we will be retrieving the landing party and returning them temporarily to the Gardener."

"What's going on, Col. Igwanda?" she pressed. Saying only that he would explain later, he vetoed her proposal to contact the mothership and they went on in silence.

As they again passed over the two traveling Edenite parties he saw that his estimate of when they would encounter each other had been overly generous. Both were proceeding at what he viewed as a forced march, and the distance between them had closed appreciably. Two days, no more, he thought. It could even be as soon as late tomorrow at the speed they are making.

Gathering the scientists for an unexpected departure proved a nettlesome task. All objected, several vociferously, especially when he told them only that his wife had directed it. But Zo, after taking in the colonel's grim visage, joined him in urging them aboard, Hill followed her new lover's lead, and soon they were all on board the lander. Joe and Akakha also questioned the abrupt decision, but Igwanda told them only that the humans would return "soon," and they lifted off.

To avoid delay he instructed Cherney to now let the Gardener know that all were returning, and to request a meeting with Shaw and Miller as soon as they were docked. O'Brian, overhearing, was suddenly insistent that he be included as well.

"Very well, Dr. O'Brian," he said formally. "And Sergeant, provided that your major agrees, I think you as well. But no others," he added loudly as several of the others began clamoring to be present. For the rest of the trip back he declined to be inveigled into any conversation at all.

Shaw was waiting at the lander portal when they docked, and immediately moved to Igwanda. "My quarters, Carlos, Maj. Miller is already there," he said quietly. When Igwanda explained briefly, they gathered Zo and O'Brian and the four of them left the others to move quickly on.

Miller was indeed waiting, and had self-importantly appropriated Shaw's chair and desk for himself. But when the ship's captain glared at him he vacated the chair, though leaving himself still behind the desk, and waited for the others to situate themselves.

"OK, what went wrong?" Miller demanded. "And why is Dr. Meiersdottir not with us?"

With all looking expectantly at him, Igwanda began in a flat tone. "Amanda has remained on the planet, with her—with our—son," he said. "I will begin with the worst, it was not her choice to remain. She and the baby have been forcibly detained."

The bald announcement evoked, as might be expected, consternation. An expression of fury contorted Miller's face, while the others showed mostly shock. They all began to speak at once until Shaw ultimately picked up a paperweight and slammed it hard on his desktop.

"Yes, she is in good health, or was at the time I left, and I feel confident that this continues—for now," Igwanda said in answer to questions from both O'Brian and Zo that had penetrated the cacophony. "But—"

"I told you this welcome-back-buddies stuff was going to be short-lived," Miller interrupted him, fury in his voice.

"Maj. Miller!" Shaw said forcefully. "I think Col. Igwanda has a great deal more to tell us, and we need to hear it. Please allow him to proceed. Carlos?"

As succinctly as possible, Igwanda told them of the situation they'd found, of the natives' establishment of an outpost, the outlying group's rebellion against the original settlement, the tensions between the two that had evolved and escalated and the dispatch of war parties by both groups, culminating in Kalogakhing's demand for human assistance and her warning of what would happen to Meiersdottir and the child if that assistance were not forthcoming.

"Nor is a rescue by force possible, they are prepared against that," he concluded.

"So they're being held hostage to our behavior?" Shaw asked.

"Yes, that is the status."

Miller's face had grown steadily redder as Igwanda's story had progressed, though he had held his tongue. Now he spoke. "You and your wife knew about this civil war they seem to be having down there when? You say yesterday?"

"It was yesterday morning that we spoke with the oldest mother, with Gagugakhing, and she told us one side of the matter then," the colonel said.

"And when exactly did you plan to share this information with us, with me?" Miller demanded tightly. He turned abruptly to Zo. "Sergeant, did you know anything about this?"

"He knew nothing as well," Igwanda put in. "We spoke to no-one."

"So you're down there in the middle of a military situation, hell, a damn war, and you keep your own military in the dark? Jesus Christ, talk about civilian thinking!"

Igwanda grimaced slightly, recalling occasions on the first voyage when he'd had the same experience. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Shaw, who as first mate had been personally responsible for withholding a particularly crucial piece of information, remembering as well. In acknowledgment of the justification of Miller's complaint he inclined his head. "Aman­da, well, she and I, thought it could be resolved peaceably."

"Now that went well, didn't it?" the major snapped sarcastically.

"She, we, miscalculated."