Land and Overland Omnibus - By Bob Shaw Page 0,3

I fail to see how you can blame me for…”

“Silence!” Hlawnvert dropped one hand to his sword, stepped forward and drove the flat of his other hand against Sisstt’s chest, sending the station chief sprawling on his back, legs wide apart. “Are you questioning my competence? Are you saying I was careless?”

“Of course not.” Sisstt scrambled to his feet and brushed sand from his robes. “Forgive me, Captain. Now that you bring the matter to my attention, I can see that the vapour from our pans could be a hazard to airmen in certain circumstances.”

“You should set up warning beacons.”

“I’ll see that it’s done at once,” Sisstt said. “We should have thought of it ourselves long ago.”

Toller could feel a tingling warmth in his face as he viewed the scene. Captain Hlawnvert was a big man, as was normal for one of a military background, but he was also soft and burdened with fat, and even someone of Sisstt’s size could have vanquished him with the aid of speed and hate-hardened muscles. In addition, Hlawnvert had been criminally incompetent in his handling of the airship, a fact he was trying to obscure with his bluster, so going against him could have been justified before a tribunal. But none of that mattered to Sisstt. In keeping with his own nature the station chief was fawning over the hand which abused him. Later he would excuse his cowardice with jokes and try to compensate for it by mistreating his most junior subordinates.

In spite of his curiosity about the reason for Hlawnvert’s visit, Toller felt obliged to move away, to dissociate himself from Sisstt’s abject behaviour. He was on the point of leaving when a crop-haired airman wearing the white insignia of a lieutenant brushed by him and saluted Hlawnvert.

“The crew are ready for your inspection, sir,” he said in a businesslike voice.

Hlawnvert nodded and glanced at the line of yellow-shirted men who were waiting by the ship. “How many took the dust?”

“Only two, sir. We were lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“What I mean, sir, is that but for your superb airmanship our losses would have been much higher.”

Hlawnvert nodded again. “Which two are we losing?”

“Pouksale and Lague, sir,” the lieutenant said. “But Lague won’t admit it.”

“Was the contact confirmed?”

“I saw it myself, sir. The ptertha got within a single pace of him before it burst. He took the dust.”

“Then why can’t he own up to it like a man?” Hlawnvert said irritably. “A single wheyface like that can unsettle a whole crew.” He scowled in the direction of the waiting men, then turned to Sisstt. “I have a message for you from Lord Glo, but there are certain formalities I must attend to first. You will wait here.”

The colour drained from Sisstt’s face. “Captain, it would be better if I received you in my chambers. Besides, I have urgent…”

“You will wait here,” Hlawnvert interrupted, stabbing Sisstt’s chest with one finger and doing it with such force that he caused the smaller man to stagger. “It will do you good to see what mischief your polluting of the skies has brought about.”

In spite of his contempt for Sisstt’s behaviour, Toller began to wish he could intervene in some way to end the little man’s humiliation, but there was a strict protocol governing such matters in Kolcorronian society. To take a man’s side in a confrontation without being invited was to add fresh insult by implying that he was a coward. Going as far as was permissible, Toller stood squarely in Hlawnvert’s way when the captain turned to walk to the ship, but the implicit challenge went unnoticed. Hlawnvert side-stepped him, his face turned towards the sky, where the sun was drawing close to Overland.

“Let’s get this business over and done with before littlenight,” Hlawnvert said to his lieutenant. “We have wasted too much time here already.”

“Yes, sir.” The lieutenant marched ahead of him to the men who were ranked in the lee of the restlessly stirring airship and raised his voice. “Stand forward all airmen who have reason to believe they will soon be unable to discharge their duties.”

After a moment’s hesitation a dark-haired young man took two paces forward. His triangular face was so pale as to be almost luminous, but his posture was erect and he appeared to be well in control of himself. Captain Hlawnvert approached him and placed a hand on each shoulder.

“Airman Pouksale,” he said quietly, “you have taken the dust?”

“I have, sir.” Pouksale’s voice was lifeless, resigned.

“You have served your country