Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen

This dramatic scene remained intact for a while, and the Lord Lin Genxing lit another cigarette. He looked leisurely and very calm.Gilbret huddled in the driver's seat, with a disfigured face, as if about to burst into tears.The soft seat belt of the driver's stress absorber dangled around him, adding to the sombre atmosphere. Byron, pale as paper, with clenched fists, stared at the Ringen Lord; while Artemisia, with her tiny nostrils gaping in rage, did not look at the Ringen Lord, but just stared at him. Byron. A signal came from the audio-visual radio, a soft ticking that sounded like a gong in the small cockpit.

Gilbret straightened up with a jerk; then turned sharply in his seat. The Lord of Lingen Star said lazily: "It seems that we are much more talkative than expected. I told Richett that if I don't go back in an hour, I will come to pick me up." Richter's gray head appeared on the video screen, and Gilbrecht said to the Lord of Lyngen, "He wants to talk to you." Then he made room for the Lord. The king of Lingen Star stood up from his chair and took a few steps forward, putting himself in the image sending area. "He said, 'I'm safe, Ritzett. " The person's question on the video screen was clearly audible, "Who is the maintenance crew on the cruise ship? Sir."

Byron suddenly stood beside the King of Lingen Star. "I'm the rancher of Wildmoss," he said proudly. Richter smiled happily and boldly.A hand appeared on the screen and saluted forcefully. "My salute, sir." The king of Lingen star interrupted: "I will come back with a young lady right away, ready to dock with the transition cabin." Then, he turned off the image communication link between the two ships. He turned to Byron and said, "I mentioned to them that you were on the spaceship, otherwise, some people would object to me coming here alone. Your father is very prestigious in the eyes of my subordinates."

"That's why you can use my name." The monarch shrugged. "That's all you can take advantage of," Byron said. "The last thing you said to your men was incorrect." "How did you see that?" "Artemisia O Hinriad stay with me." "You're going to keep her after I've told you the truth?" Byron said sharply: "You told me nothing. Your words are made out of nothing. I can't believe such baseless words. I don't want to tell you this. I hope you can understand that." "Do you know Hinrik to such an extent that it seems my words are inherently unbelievable to you?"

Byron was stunned, and it could be seen that these words obviously touched his sore spot.He said nothing. Artemisia said, "I don't think that's going to happen. Can you prove it?" "Of course, there is no direct evidence. I have never participated in the meeting between your father and the Tyranids. But I can present some known facts for you to judge for yourself. First, six months ago, the old pregnant The Deimos rancher visited Hinrik, which I have already mentioned. Here, I will add that he is a bit overzealous in his work, or rather, he overestimates Hinrik's judgment. Anyway, He said things he shouldn't have said. Master Gilbret can attest to that."

Gilbret nodded painfully, and he turned to Artemisia.Artemisia had already looked at him, her eyes filled with tears and anger. "I'm sorry, Atta, but it's true. I told you I heard about the Sovereign from Wildmoss." The Lord of Lingen Star said: "I am very lucky, because Master Gilbret developed the long-eared machine, and he used it to satisfy his strong curiosity about the official reception of the Governor of Rhodia Star. Gilbret was the first time When I made contact, I was completely unintentionally warned of the danger. I made my way as quickly as possible, but the damage was evidently done.

"Now, as far as we know, this is your father's only misstep. Hinrique, obviously, does not have the enviable reputation of being a man of the air and fearlessness. Your father, Farry Well, he was arrested six months later, if it wasn't for Hinrik, because of the girl's father. How could it have happened?" Byron said, "You didn't warn him?" "We do it ourselves, Farrier, but he was warned. He hasn't had even the slightest indirect contact with any of us since, and he's Destroyed any evidence of our connection. Some of us believed he should leave the Nebula, or at least avoid it, but he refused.

"I think I see the point. Changing his way of life would jeopardize the whole operation by proving what the Tyranids have learned. He decided to risk only his own life. So, He has been exposed. "The Tyranids waited for nearly half a year for us to be exposed. They Tyranids were very patient, but no one took the bait. Therefore, when they couldn't wait any longer, they found that there was no one in the net except your father. other people." "A lie," Artemisia yelled, "a shameless lie. It's a self-serving, hypocritical lie with no truth in it. If you're telling the truth, they'll watch you too. .You yourself would be in danger and you wouldn't be sitting here smiling and wasting your time."

"Miss, I'm not wasting time. I've done everything I can to keep them from using your father as a source of information. I think I've made some progress. The Tyranids will certainly consider whether they should do it again." Listen to a man whose daughter and cousins ​​are obviously traitors. After that, if they will trust him, alas! Then I should go to the nebula, where they can't find me. I have reason to think , our actions can only serve to prove that my words are true, and nothing else.” Byron took a deep breath and said: "Our meeting can be considered over, John Di. We have reached a certain level of agreement, that is: we will accompany you to the nebula, and you will promise to provide us with The necessary supplies, that’s enough. It’s still not enough to teach you when what you just said is convincing. Because the crimes committed by the governor of Rhodia should not be borne by his daughter. If Miss Timicia O. Hinriad herself agrees, and she stays with me."

"I'll stay," said Artemisia. "Good. I think it's all settled. I remind you, by the way, that you carry weapons; so do I. Your ship may be a combat ship; mine is a Tyranid cruiser." "Don't be silly, Farrier. I mean it. You want the girl to stay here? All right. Can I leave via the docking pod?" Byron nodded. "We'll give you that level of trust." The two spaceships got closer and closer until the telescopic parts of the airtight transition chamber stretched towards each other.They approached cautiously and slowly, trying to make the transition chamber close together.

Gilbret hung up the radio. "In two minutes, they're going to try to do it again," he said. The magnetic field has been excited three times, and the extension tube is not centered every time it is stretched toward the other side, leaving a crescent-shaped gap between the two arms. "Two minutes," Byron repeated, waiting nervously. Only a rattling sound was heard, and within a few seconds, the magnetic field was excited for the fourth time.The lights on the spacecraft also dimmed due to the sudden depletion of engine power.The extension of the airtight transition chamber stretched out again, barely maintaining stability, and then there was a soundless impact, the vibration generated by the impact hummed into the cockpit, the extension was indeed in place, and the clamp was automatically locked.An airtight docking is completed between the transition cabins. Byron slowly wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and his nervousness dissipated a little. "Please," Byron said. The Lord of Star Lingen picked up the spacesuit, and there was still a thin layer of water vapor on the ground under the spacesuit. "Thank you," he said cheerfully. "One of my officers will be here shortly. You can discuss the ration issue with him in detail." The king of Lingen star is gone. Byron said: "Gill, help me receive the officer Jondee sent. When he comes in, he will separate the docking transition module. You just need to remove the magnetic field, and you can flash this photon switch." He turned and walked out of the cockpit.At this moment, he needs to be alone for a while, and he needs time to think and think. However, there were hurried footsteps and soft voices behind him, and he stood still. "Byron," said Artemisia, "I have something to tell you." He turned to face her. "Ata, if you don't mind, can you wait a while?" She looked up at him eagerly: "No, now." She kept her arms in a gesture that seemed to want to hug him, but she wasn't sure if he would accept her embrace.She said, "You don't believe what he says about my father, do you?" "His words have no effect on me," Byron said. "Byron," she hesitated.It was hard for her to say those words.Then she summoned up her courage again and said, "Byron, I know what happened between the two of us was because we were alone with each other and we were in trouble together, but..." She stopped again. Byron said: "If you want to say that you are a member of the Hinriad family, Atta, that is unnecessary. I understand this. In the future, I will not have any restrictions on you." "No, oh, no," she said quickly, grabbing his arm and pressing her cheek against his strong shoulder. "Not at all. It has nothing to do with Hinriad and Wildmoss. I—love you, Byron." Her eyes looked up, meeting his. "I think you'll admit it. If I've said that before, maybe you'll admit it now. You told Lord Lyngen that you wouldn't blame me for my father's actions. So don't use that either. Blame me for my father's position." At this moment, her arms were around his neck.Their bodies were so tight, their lips so close: Byron could feel the warmth of her breath.He raised his hands slowly, grabbed her arms gently, gently pulled her arms away, and then, also gently, pulled out of her arms. "I have not reconciled with the Hinriads, miss," he said. She was taken aback. "You told the Lord Lingen Star..." He turned away. "I'm sorry, Atta. Never mind what I said to the Lord Lingen." She wanted to cry out that none of this was true, that her father had never done anything like this, and anyway— But he turned and went into the cabin, leaving her alone in the corridor, hurt and humiliated in her eyes.