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Baron Rathmore, and Paytrik Morland, and several other Wardshaven gentlemen-adventurers for the latter function; Alvyn Karffard to act as Valkanhayn's exec, with private orders to supersede him in command if necessary, and Guatt Kirbey to do the astrogating. "We'll have to take the Nemesis and the Space Scourge out, first, and make a big raid," Harkaman said.
"If he left Curtana twelve hundred hours ago, he's still in hyperspace," Guatt Kirbey said. "It's over two thousand from Curtana to the nearest Old Federation planet." "How far to Tanith?" Duke Angus asked. "I'm sure that's where he's gone. He'd expect me to finish the other ship and equip her like the Enterprise and send her out; he'd want to get there first."
"Where should Guatt put us?" "As close as possible, of course." That would be a light-second at the least; if the Nemesis came out of hyperspace any closer to anything the size of Tanith, the collapsing field itself would kick her back. "We have to assume Dunnan's been there at least nine hundred hours.
Say we try Audhumla next. It's the farthest away. We might get there while he's still shooting up Obidicut and Lugaluru. Guatt, figure us a jump for it."
It was sure that he had gone to Agni and then Imhotep. Guatt Kirbey tried to figure both courses. "It doesn't tell us anything, either way," he said at length. "Chermosh is away off to the side from Agni and Imhotep in either case." "Well, he does have a base, somewhere, and it's not on any Terra-type planet," Valkanhayn said.
Dunnan had gone, but they knew whither, and where to find him. The conquest of Marduk had moved into its final phase. Marduk was on the other side of the sun from Abaddon with ninety-five million miles close, but not inconveniently so, Trask thought to spare. Guatt Kirbey and the Mardukan astrogator who was helping him made it within a light-minute.
Dead in the center, brighter than all the rest, Ertado's Star, the sun of Tanith, burned yellowly. The light from it was ten hours old. "Pretty good, Guatt," Harkaman said, picking up his cup. "Good, Gehenna; it was perfect," somebody else said. Kirbey was relighting his pipe. "Oh, I suppose it'll have to do," he grudged, around the stem.
You had a wonderful civilization here on Marduk. You could have made almost anything of it. But it's too late now. You've torn down the gates; the barbarians are in." The colored turbulence faded into the gray of hyperspace; five hundred hours to Tanith. Guatt Kirbey was securing his control-panel, happy to return to his music.
"I'd thought that Tanith would be the last place he'd go," Harkaman said, "but this changes the whole outlook. He could have gone to Tanith." "He's crazy, and you're trying to apply sane logic to him," Guatt Kirbey said. "You're figuring what you'd do, and you aren't crazy. Of course, I've had my doubts, at times, but "
But for Dunnan's purpose, it would be perfect. He called Prince Bentrik and Alvyn Karffard to him; they found the idea instantly convincing. They talked about it through dinner, and held a general discussion afterward. Even Guatt Kirbey, the ship's pessimist, could find no objection to it. Trask and Bentrik began at once making battle plans.
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