The Adventures of Deacon Coombs (32 page)

“Okay. Let us do the search again. Determine if the findings in the library in Liberty on Earth can be matched with historical logs at Brebouillis. More importantly, is there conflicting data or any discrepancies, and if so, what are they?”

Deacon, Jim, and Gem conversed further to review their assignments for Brebouillis. In addition, Deacon instructed Jim to find and copy the file on Morris Mydloan. While they were busy gaining entry to the files, he would relive the events that transpired on Nix with Schlegar and Lyanna. He would discuss most aspects to keep Schlegar and Lyanna distracted while Jim, Quobit, and Gem completed their investigations.

“Master Deacon,” said Quobit, “there is a shuttle from Brebouillis to Aralia departing soon after we land. I suggest that I take it and land on Aralia to inspect trade ship records. Gem has sent a message to I’obo for assistance as you requested, but with the danger of his reply being intercepted, it makes more sense to receive it on the planet. Also, the Owlers are known there, and my investigations will draw less attention.”

“Good idea,” said Deacon. “In addition, you can locate Chubby Eaves when you are on the planet. You were correct in stating earlier that Travers made it sound like Chubby holds the true identity of the devil. How long will you be absent from Brebouillis?”

“Twenty-four of Earth’s hours.”

“Complete the tasks and return soonest. I don’t want to spend more than two days on the moon. The real pressure is on Jim and Gem to crack the key to access files. We must be very careful in accessing Mydloan’s files or else we will attract attention to our missions. Pursue that with extreme caution. On the signal from Jim and Gem that they have accessed all the information of necessity, only then will I raise the issue of Urzel and his identity as an Earthman, and only then will I disclose that Travers accompanied us to Nix. If the Owlers need more hours to decipher priority codes, there will be a definite problem. Quobit, please be careful. Check your surroundings frequently. Trust no one. Use your handheld device to contact me and send any information.”

“Understood. We are now friends, Deacon, so may I also say, please be careful.”

Escape into Danger

On Brebouillis

Deacon prayed that Schlegar and Lyanna would still be allies as his tale unfolded. Receiving no surprises from them would be a blessing. In the time remaining, he completed his trip report, visited the body of Travers to express his feelings once more, joyfully thought of Lyanna, which caused an infectious excitement to swell within him, and finally pined for Anglo and the comforts of Moonbeam and the companionship of Miram.

He would plead with Schlegar that his task was complete and that this matter should now rest in the hands of Alliance forces. He would tell the doctor that he was incapable of defeating the evil that he had witnessed and that it would be the responsibility of large armies to invade Nix and seize the caches of weapons; that forces more powerful than Deacon Coombs must confront this evil. All these issues created a roller coaster of emotions inside him. What worried him most of all was how the exact identity of Urzel would be determined.

Gem interrupted his thoughts. “Master, we are prepared to Vesper to Brebouillis upon your command.”

“And I give it.” Deacon sat in silence beside Quobit. As usual he felt ill, but he revived seemingly only seconds later to see they were emerging from the Vesper disc at Aralia and blasting toward Brebouillis.

Gem entered with good news. “We have made contact with Brebouillis. Lyanna is present. Schlegar is absent, gone to planet Aralia.”

“Excellent.” This twist of good fortune left him gloating. He turned to his Jabu friend. “More time spent with her, alone. However, I’ll signal you when Schlegar returns; I think I want you present, Quobit, when we begin the discussion of Urzel. Meanwhile, I am counting on you to find Chubby Eaves.”

“I promise I will. I have my contacts within the traders too. I wish Jim best of luck to unveil the security code for files on Brebouillis.”

The
Heritage
docked safely. A reception of unfamiliar faces was there to greet them, with no sign of Lyanna. A complete physical was ordered for Deacon by the physician in charge, and the subsequent prescription by the doctor was rest. After his examination, a note arrived from Lyanna requesting a meeting at his leisure. He hurriedly dispelled the rest and hustled around to wash and dress. He then trotted down the hallway to her room. Outside her quarters, he paused to suppress his anxieties.

When she appeared, a nostalgic smile greeted him. There the two embraced spontaneously. Lyanna broke the hug after five seconds. Then she took his hand and they sat next to each other in her sitting area to commence a sincere chat, during which she expressed relief at his safe return numerous times. He accepted her compliments while she basked in his subtle felicitations. Realizing the vulnerability of his thoughts to her, he was careful to suppress his feelings about the mission, the Owlers’ search, his worries concerning Morris Mydloan, Travers’s death, and the discovery of the devil, Urzel.

Entering the information vaults on Brebouillis was a frustrating exercise. Jim attempted to use every word and combination of syllables in the universal language, but he was not able to gain access. While Jim programmed the complete dictionary again, he also constructed algorithms of names, geography, and history. The procedure was futile. The library remained locked.

The time for renewing acquaintances had passed. Lyanna demanded all the details of Deacon’s adventure, recording the session for Schlegar’s benefit. Deacon plodded through the tale cautiously. Interbedded with the facts were his personal feelings of fear, exhilaration, apprehension, horror, and discovery, all of which reinforced the realism of the saga. Lyanna held his hand while digesting every word, expressing her concern when appropriate. Lyanna’s feelings soaked proudly into Deacon.

Suddenly an Owler appeared to state that Dr. Schlegar would return early from his business on Aralia on the next flight out. The two repeated their series of embraces. Deacon still withheld the fact that Travers had accompanied them on the mission. This was to be his first revelation in their next meeting after Quobit and Schlegar had returned. He conveniently excused himself and retired, slinging himself prostrate onto his cot, promising a full account of the tale at their next meeting. Lyanna pecked him on the cheek.

Later, in Deacon’s quarters, after rest had revitalized him, Jim expressed frustration. “We have tried numbers, alphabets, words, phrases, slang, proper names, places, syllables—every combination imaginable,” said Jim.

“When was the code changed last?”

“The new code was entered after our departure. It was entered by Schlegar.”

“Who has access to the code?”

“Just the computers, Schlegar, and Dr. Miodo.”

“Not Lyanna?”

“No.”

“Did you try ‘Deacon Coombs’?”

“Affirmative.”

“Nix, Nicosian,
Heritage
,
Sleigher
?”

“Yes. All of them.”

Deacon wearied of the conversation.

Jim then said, “We cannot conceal our intentions much longer as I spend inordinate amounts of time on the computer that houses the entry code. Could you ask Lyanna to inquire as to access?”

“No. I won’t compromise Lyanna. One last thought: the traders’ code book—the one we discovered before we departed—and the file that had the word
urzelli
in it. Have we input all those ancient code words?”

“No, sire. Good suggestion and it is worth a try.” Jim skipped out of his quarters, and Deacon felt a sense of pride at his idea just as Gem ambled in. “Greetings, Master. I have stored important files on ship routes, including all those passing close to Nix, landing on the moon of Nix, and using the closest Vesper stations, thanks to Quobit. It was a very successful trip, and the access of Bothwen was valuable to her. Jim and I will have an abundance of data to sift through to find what beings have frequent interaction with Medullans.”

Quobit entered. Deacon was anxious and hugged her. “Thank you for all the data. Did you locate Chubby Eaves?”

“No,” said Quobit, “Chubby Eaves departed Aralia soon after we left on our mission.”

“What flight plans did he file?”

“Here’s the perplexing news. He did not file flight plans that can be viewed by Bothwen. Purposely, I believe. I imposed upon I’obo, who is checking now. I could not find which ship he commanded. Rather suspicious, wouldn’t you say?”

“I have delayed talking to Schlegar long enough,” said Deacon. “His Owler invited us for dinner.”

In a droning tone, as they walked the corridor to meet Schlegar and Lyanna, Jim called after Deacon to announce quietly that the entry code had been broken by using the old Aralian trader codes. Now Deacon’s enthusiasm and confidence regarding telling Schlegar about Travers and Urzel surfaced. The opportunity came soon as the foursome engaged in a lavish meal.

Travers remembered

“I waited until your return, Schlegar, to disclose a critical decision and the results of our trip. I apologize, Lyanna, for not telling you earlier, but I felt that the events were best discussed upon Schlegar’s arrival and between the four of us, since Quobit is witness to some of these events.” Deacon exhaled heavily, mustered his boldness, and commenced with his revelation.

“Please allow me to complete my tale before you pass judgment on any decision, react to any event, or interrupt. I ask this of you. Telling the entire tale will answer your questions.” Schlegar seemed puzzled, and Lyanna alarmed. Both, however, nodded in agreement.

“On the planet of Aralia, I met Travers.” Schlegar’s eyes perked up. Lyanna slid closer to Deacon and locked her arm in his. Quobit sat stoically, her arms folded. “I talked with him at length in a secret hideout deep in the hills of Glagn, where he recited to me his story of the trial. He convincingly professed his innocence in the killings of Geor and Como. Furthermore, Travers convinced me… he pleaded with me… to take him to a planet called Nix to prove his innocence. And I did. We—the two Owlers, Quobit, I, and Travers—journeyed there!”

Schlegar was burning with irritation. His nose twitched, conveying his annoyance. He leaned back and said in a nearly inaudible whisper, “Please continue.”

“Schlegar, please look at me,” said Deacon. The doctor raised his head. “Travers was guarded at all times by my Owlers on this trip. Our mission was never in danger. There was never a chance of failure or sabotage by Travers, for Travers could not have manipulated the Owlers’ minds. He did not influence my decision making in any way, and I will convey the absolute evidence of that in this tale.” With a silence from Schlegar, and complete quietness in the room, Deacon proudly added, “I grew to know him and respect him.”

Quobit recognized the silent tension and was eager to speak. “Dr. Schlegar, I want to add that Travers was very cooperative and honest in all his assessments of our journey and fought side by side with us against evil, as Deacon will confirm.”

Deacon spoke up, sitting vertically, looking directly into Schlegar’s eyes. “Travers was a frail, helpless being who had been tortured mentally by the previous ill-fated journeys to a planet called Nix. His crew is here, and Travers’s thoughts and sympathies were here with them. He showed us the way there, to Nix, located for us the sites where he had previously encountered an evil, aided the Owlers and me to gather facts about missing shipments of Alliance arms, fought bravely in times of conflict as was required, and showed us the way to safety once our mission of gathering data was complete.”

Schlegar was furious. “You have made a grave miscalculation of justice, an error for which you may have to pay dearly. Abetting a criminal is just as serious an offense on Aralia as on Earth as in the Alliance.”

“No, Schlegar. Travers became my ally. You must hear the entire story before you pass judgment.” Deacon suddenly found it hard to speak.

Schlegar was relentless. “You were sent by the highest authority figure in the Alliance to bring this man to justice, and you dare to call him ally after such a short period of time. Deacon Coombs, you have betrayed those who employ you. You are employed by the Alliance, not the Union of Space Traders.”

“Sorry, Schlegar, but he was my friend.”

The gravity of the situation eased as Schlegar paused and sat back, his eyes wide. “What do you mean by”—he twitched his ruddy nose—“
was
my friend?”

Lyanna reiterated the same thought.

Deacon bowed his head. It was painful for him to recall that incident of seeing Travers drowning in the pool of his own liquids; painful to recall seeing his body bagged by the Owlers. “I’m sorry, Schlegar. Travers died on the return trip as we were escaping from some great evil that we unmasked. The creature followed us and invaded the
Heritage
and murdered Travers just as the creature murdered Como and Geor. Maybe also just as he murdered Geor’s son because he came too close to the truth.” With that comment, Deacon slid a disc of his report to him. “It is all documented here in this report for Landrew, written by myself with comments from Quobit. You are welcome to read this copy before I submit it, so you can appreciate the heroism of Travers.”