JORR (Jim Able: Offworld Book 7) by Ed Charlton (ebook reader ink .txt) 📗

“You think he has sympathizers here?”

“No, Ma’, he thought we might be the sympathizers,” said Larc with a weary sigh.

“Oh, I see...” She looked from the boy to Tella. “So you were spying on me to see if I could be trusted.”

“And I believe you can.”

“Why, thank you. And you have decided, in your wisdom, that we are the chosen people to convey your words of warning to our government. How nice.”

“If I were to land on the roof of the overarch’s mansion, I doubt I would be welcomed. If you introduce me, I have a chance.”

The professor shook her head. “It’s a nice idea but impractical. I have no contacts in the government. At least none I would use on your behalf. No, I don’t think I can help you there.”

“But surely you agree: the warning must be given.”

Shaking her head again, she said, “No, I don’t. The Guls are no threat to us—with bought technology or none. So you’ve wasted your time, I’m afraid.”

Tella frowned and considered how best to try again.

But the professor spoke first. “But that gives us a new problem, doesn’t it? What do we do with you? I will not let you—or anyone else—endanger my son. You have met him. You understand what he might mean to the future. I cannot let that knowledge out of this building.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“You have already demonstrated your capacity for deception.”

Tella paused and swallowed its irritation. “My methods are born of necessity. I have nothing to gain by spreading this news. I have put myself in your hands by delivering the warning of your imminent danger. I have trusted you and ask you to trust me.”

“Asking for trust and earning trust are vastly different things. You break into a secure facility. You offer news of dubious origin and little importance. In doing so, you stumble upon a secret of great worth and potentially put everything I hold dear at risk. Tell me, honored guest, why I should not have you shot immediately.”

“Threats are unnecessary between civilized people. My mission is to save lives, and I am sure it is one you respect. I have put my life in jeopardy to achieve it. I am not asking anything of the sort from you. I ask only that you pass me along your chain of contacts until I can talk to someone who needs to hear my message. Others may have a different evaluation of your planet’s risk than you. We must give them the chance to prepare.”

“Every person in government that you see will want to know about me and about Larc. Everyone wonders what I am doing here. It is only by constant vigilance that my superiors and my staff preserve this bubble of safety in which we live. You are the first in eight and a half years to penetrate it. I will not see that effort, and this work, ruined.”

Tella shook its head. “I am not a danger to you or your son. The danger is coming from Tanna Gul. What will happen to your work and your safety if the invasion succeeds? Will the Gul-Raeff leave you here, untouched, to continue as before?”

Gritta and her son shared another silent glance. The boy looked to Tella and said, “You’d die trying to deliver a message?”

“Of course. The trade of my life for many others is one I am willing to make.”

“You keep your promises?”

Tella frowned, unsure of where this question was leading. “Yes.”

“How about this...” He glanced at his mother and smiled. “We’ll deliver your message.”

Tella’s heart sank in anticipation of what was to follow.

The young Jorr continued. “We’ll deliver the message, but you have to promise to stay here.”

“As your prisoner?”

“No, I’ll have you as my bodyguard.”

“Sa’?” whispered his mother with a worried wrinkle across her snout.

Larc nodded and said to Tella, “It’s a good deal. You get what you want; your mission succeeds. You get something else too; we don’t kill you. We get what we want; you don’t leave to talk about us. And I get some unique protection. It’s a good deal.”

Tella could see the steely quality of his mother in the boy’s smile. “Why do you want a bodyguard? You’ve had eight and a half years of successful security.”

“Until now. You can tell us what we did wrong to allow you in. And like you said, there could be sympathizers, more likely an advanced guard, commando teams perhaps. That’s an additional risk you could help reduce.”

Tella sighed and sat back. “There is a problem with your scheme. I am expected on Tanna Gul. My colleagues are counting on my help. I have to go directly there after I deliver my message.”

“Is that the only problem?” asked the professor.

“No. There would be the ongoing problem of your not trusting me. Even if I were to promise to serve as Larc’s bodyguard, you would not feel at ease.”

She smiled. “I will accept your promise. If you remain here, we can monitor your activities. You are mainly a danger to us if you leave. The exact terms of the arrangement can be worked out. It will be a challenge dealing with you; I admit that much. As for your colleagues, there must be bad news somewhere. Let me make something clear to you, Tella. The moment my son told me of your presence, I alerted security. At either door to this lab are armed officers. The cameras are relaying everything said and done to our situation-response team. You will die if you try to leave—no help for your friends then. If you accept my son’s offer, you will live but remain here—again no help for your friends. They are on their own either way. Accept that, and we can move on.”

Tella sighed.

“Larc, are you sure this is what you want?” she asked.

“Uh-huh. It’ll be fun.”

“So, Tella, make your decision. You can die with your mission unfulfilled. You can promise to remain as Larc’s guard and be