Free The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter Page B

Nathan. What’s on your mind?’
    What was troubling her XO was the presence of Edward Cutler as part of this expedition – not just part of it, he was Captain of the Cernan and answerable only to Maggie herself.
    ‘Look, Captain – there’s the question of morale. Whatever you might say about Captain Cutler, there are crew on this boat and the Cernan who were there that day in Valhalla five years back, when he cut loose of his moorings. Remember he tried to get permission to open fire on that crowd of civilians?’
    Of course she remembered. ‘It was a rather extreme expression of patriotic duty, I agree.’
    He hesitated. ‘Then, Captain, you let me go after the guy when he stormed off alone. You didn’t see what happened later.’
    She’d read the reports, though. Cutler, enraged and frustrated, and completely baffled by the Valhallans’ non-violent Gentle Revolution, had finally, and quite without authorization, turned a weapon on unarmed American citizens. Nathan Boss had risked his own life, and indeed his own career, by tackling him with a play straight out of a college football manual. Nathan knew her report on the affair had been thoroughly approving in regard of his own actions; she needed to say nothing more about that aspect now.
    ‘The point is, Captain, plenty of the crew saw me take the guy out too. Fox, Santorini . . .’
    ‘You’re thinking of the effect on morale, Nathan. Of seeing a commanding officer behave that way.’
    ‘Well, yes.’
    ‘I think we have to trust our shipmates. And we have to give Captain Cutler a chance to grow into his role. Valhalla was five years ago.’
    ‘Yes, Captain.’ Now he looked uncomfortable. He even stroked the cat, to calm his nerves. ‘But that’s not all. Look, I know listening to the scuttlebutt is part of my job. You know I hate it, passing on locker-room bitching.’
    She hid a smile. In a way Nathan was too straight-back for his complicated job. But then, she liked him that way. ‘Go ahead.’
    ‘There’s talk of what became of Captain Cutler after Valhalla. After the investigation he was suspended, he spent some time in a Navy hospital, and then he was transferred to Hawaii, Admiral Davidson’s base. The scuttlebutt says he received specialist training there. And that he got his commission for this mission because of some kind of special assignment.’
    That was new. ‘By “special”, you mean secret from me.’
    ‘Uh – yes, Captain.’
    Maggie said nothing, thinking that over quietly. It wouldn’t surprise her, if true. The modern Navy was as full of secrets as any other large, complex, budget-laden and weapons-rich organization. It did surprise her a little if it was true and the secret had managed to leak out.
    ‘Whatever the truth about Cutler,’ and she supposed she was letting Nathan into her confidence in admitting she didn’t know any more than he did, ‘we’re stuck with him, and we can’t let this have an adverse effect on morale. That’s where the harm will be done.’
    He nodded. ‘I’ll make a joke of it. Sailors are always a gossipy bunch. Soon they’ll pass on to something new.’
    ‘Good. Thanks for bringing me this, Nathan.’
    ‘I hope I did right.’
    ‘You have good instincts. But if you do hear anything more concrete let me know. Anything else?’
    ‘No, Captain. Thank you.’
    When he’d gone, Shi-mi jumped back on to the desk. The cat asked, ‘So what do you think of that?’
    ‘What do you think? I assume you know more than either me or Nathan about this.’
    ‘Not a great deal more, I assure you.’
    ‘So there’s something in it? Cutler has some kind of secret assignment – something Davidson is keeping even from me?’
    ‘Davidson himself may be acting under orders from above.’
    ‘Why did you say you thought Nathan wanted to talk about weapons? – Oh. You’re thinking of Cutler as a weapon?’
    ‘Well, isn’t he? A man with unshakeable beliefs and a profound loyalty. At Valhalla,