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Updated: June 7, 2025
Even after we get through arguing about it. Argument," he told Bentrik, "is not exclusively a feature of democracies." Actually, there was very little argument, and most of that among the Mardukans.
And Simon Bentrik would see the necessity. He was neither a fool nor a moral coward; he only needed to take some time to adjust to ideas. The rabble who had bought their lives with their leader's had gone, now. Slowly, he followed them, thinking. Don't press the idea on Simon too hard; just expose him to it and let him adopt it.
Alvyn Karffard and Vann Larch and Paytrik Morland were there from the Nemesis, and Bentrik and several of the officers from the Victrix, and there were a couple of Naval Intelligence officers, and somebody from Operational Planning, and from Ship Construction and Research & Development. They chatted pleasantly and in a deceptively random manner for a while.
Harkaman and Valkanhayn agreed; Valkanhayn thought the Viking's Gift of Beowulf would go along, and Harkaman was almost sure of the Black Star and Queen Flavia. He turned to Bentrik. "Start that pinnace off for Gimli at once; within the hour if possible. We don't know how many ships will be gathered there, but we don't want them wasted in detail-attacks.
"I only have four ships here; I sent for the ones on the other trade-planets, but I haven't heard from any of them. We can't go there with only four ships." "Sixteen ships," Bentrik corrected. "No, fifteen and one Gilgamesher we're using for a troopship. I think that's enough. You'll remain here on Gimli, in any case, admiral; as soon as the other ships come in, you'll follow to Marduk with them.
That Planetary Nationalist gang got into control fifty years ago, during the crisis after the war with Baldur...." "They were voted into power by the people, weren't they?" "Yes; they were," Prince Bentrik said gravely. "It was an emergency measure, and they were given emergency powers. Once they were in, they made the emergency permanent."
"And Prince Bentrik doesn't want to risk you and Steven being used as hostages?" "That's it," she said. "He didn't really win the election, but he might as well have.
Prince Bentrik insisted that Crown Princess Myrna would have to be taken along; King Mikhyl would be either dead or brainwashed into imbecility by now, and they would have to have somebody to take the throne. Lady Valerie Alvarath, Sir Thomas Kobbly, the tutor, and the nurse Margot refused to be separated from her.
A couple of Space Vikings no, Royal Army of Tanith men brought in the old woman, dirty, in rags, almost exhausted. "She wants to talk to Prince Bentrik; won't talk to anybody else. Says she knows where the King is." Bentrik rose quickly, brought her to a chair, poured a glass of wine for her. "He's still alive, Your Highness.
The hunting lodge itself was not quite what a Sword-Worlder would expect a hunting lodge to be. At first sight, from the air, it looked like a sundial, a slender tower rising like a gnomen above a circle of low buildings and formal gardens. The boat landed at the foot of it, and he and Prince and Princess Bentrik and the young Count of Ravary and his tutor descended.
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