law. Or the Constitution. You can't be ordered to do something illegal. Well, okay, you can be ordered to do something wrong but it's your responsibility not to obey an illegal order."
"Such as one violating the Constitution?"
Paul nodded. "Yeah."
"Any part of it?"
"We swear to defend the entire thing."
She laughed, then looked at her companion. "Did you hear that, Bill? They're here to defend the Constitution. Including the Bill of Rights! People with guns and uniforms to defend freedom! It's funny, isn't it?"
"Why?" Paul asked.
"I'm not sure. Maybe funny is the wrong word. Incongruous. Ironic." She sighed. "We don't really understand you. The military, I mean. And you don't understand us, do you? But, really, you've got the weapons. You've nothing to fear from us ."
Paul found himself smiling lopsidedly. "You've got a point there."
They were almost back at the Prometheus when the blond reverend spoke again. "Your captain told our captain that your ship will be leaving here soon to return to your base."
"If he told you that, then, yes, that's so," Paul said.
"We're going to request permission for the Prometheus Rising to accompany your ship back."
Paul frowned. "Why?"
She hesitated, looking over at the dark man, who nodded reluctantly. "To put it bluntly, we'd appreciate your escorting us to ensure we reach home safely."
Paul was sure his eyebrows were rising in surprise. "Escort?"
"Yes. Isn't that the right term? Those ships, the South Asians, they're still out there. We'd like your protection."
Surprise was putting it too mildly. Maybe shock, Paul decided. "I can't promise anything like that."
"We understand that. The captain of the Prometheus Rising will make a formal request to your captain. If you could do us the favor of letting him know the request will be forthcoming, we'd be grateful."
Paul nodded. "Sure. I'll tell him." I can't wait to see how Captain Hayes reacts to that .
Ten minutes later the gig was docked and the two pacifists made polite farewells to Paul and the sailors with him. Five minutes after that the gig was headed back to the Michaelson . The chief bosun looked back at Paul and grinned. "They were kinda nice, weren't they?"
"Yeah." Paul saw Sharpe rolling his eyes. "Give me a break, Sheriff. They were nice."
"Probably just deception, Mr. Sinclair. Get us off guard."
"I can't tell if you're joking this time."
Sharpe grinned. "I'm not telling. Don't fall for their act, sir. Maybe they are really nice people. But they don't understand how the world works. How people work. They just cause trouble for you and me."
"Sheriff, honest to God sometimes I wonder how much I do understand how things work."
Sharpe pointed to Paul's uniform. "You're wearing that, sir. That means you understand something. Of course, that officer's rank means you don't understand too much. That's why you need enlisted around to explain things."
"Very funny. You know as well as I do that there's always more than one way to handle a situation."
"Yes, sir. The Right Way, the Wrong Way and the Navy Way," Sharpe recited.
"Uh huh. Maybe sometimes their way might work. Or at least make things a little easier for us."
Sharpe scratched his cheek meditatively. "Mr. Sinclair, I don't mind admitting you've got good instincts sometimes. In this case, though, I figure letting misguided idealists get involved would just make our problem worse."
"Would it?" Paul stared at the deck for a moment. "You know what, Sheriff? When push came to shove on and around that asteroid all our weapons couldn't make any difference. Before that our weapons hadn't resolved things. There's limits to what we can do."
Sharpe didn't try to hide his skepticism. "You think those peaceniks could've really made a difference?"
"We'll never know, Sheriff. Maybe they could've talked some sense into those settlers. Maybe their presence would've made the SASALs a little less likely to take out as many settlers as possible. Maybe. But I do know one
"Such as one violating the Constitution?"
Paul nodded. "Yeah."
"Any part of it?"
"We swear to defend the entire thing."
She laughed, then looked at her companion. "Did you hear that, Bill? They're here to defend the Constitution. Including the Bill of Rights! People with guns and uniforms to defend freedom! It's funny, isn't it?"
"Why?" Paul asked.
"I'm not sure. Maybe funny is the wrong word. Incongruous. Ironic." She sighed. "We don't really understand you. The military, I mean. And you don't understand us, do you? But, really, you've got the weapons. You've nothing to fear from us ."
Paul found himself smiling lopsidedly. "You've got a point there."
They were almost back at the Prometheus when the blond reverend spoke again. "Your captain told our captain that your ship will be leaving here soon to return to your base."
"If he told you that, then, yes, that's so," Paul said.
"We're going to request permission for the Prometheus Rising to accompany your ship back."
Paul frowned. "Why?"
She hesitated, looking over at the dark man, who nodded reluctantly. "To put it bluntly, we'd appreciate your escorting us to ensure we reach home safely."
Paul was sure his eyebrows were rising in surprise. "Escort?"
"Yes. Isn't that the right term? Those ships, the South Asians, they're still out there. We'd like your protection."
Surprise was putting it too mildly. Maybe shock, Paul decided. "I can't promise anything like that."
"We understand that. The captain of the Prometheus Rising will make a formal request to your captain. If you could do us the favor of letting him know the request will be forthcoming, we'd be grateful."
Paul nodded. "Sure. I'll tell him." I can't wait to see how Captain Hayes reacts to that .
Ten minutes later the gig was docked and the two pacifists made polite farewells to Paul and the sailors with him. Five minutes after that the gig was headed back to the Michaelson . The chief bosun looked back at Paul and grinned. "They were kinda nice, weren't they?"
"Yeah." Paul saw Sharpe rolling his eyes. "Give me a break, Sheriff. They were nice."
"Probably just deception, Mr. Sinclair. Get us off guard."
"I can't tell if you're joking this time."
Sharpe grinned. "I'm not telling. Don't fall for their act, sir. Maybe they are really nice people. But they don't understand how the world works. How people work. They just cause trouble for you and me."
"Sheriff, honest to God sometimes I wonder how much I do understand how things work."
Sharpe pointed to Paul's uniform. "You're wearing that, sir. That means you understand something. Of course, that officer's rank means you don't understand too much. That's why you need enlisted around to explain things."
"Very funny. You know as well as I do that there's always more than one way to handle a situation."
"Yes, sir. The Right Way, the Wrong Way and the Navy Way," Sharpe recited.
"Uh huh. Maybe sometimes their way might work. Or at least make things a little easier for us."
Sharpe scratched his cheek meditatively. "Mr. Sinclair, I don't mind admitting you've got good instincts sometimes. In this case, though, I figure letting misguided idealists get involved would just make our problem worse."
"Would it?" Paul stared at the deck for a moment. "You know what, Sheriff? When push came to shove on and around that asteroid all our weapons couldn't make any difference. Before that our weapons hadn't resolved things. There's limits to what we can do."
Sharpe didn't try to hide his skepticism. "You think those peaceniks could've really made a difference?"
"We'll never know, Sheriff. Maybe they could've talked some sense into those settlers. Maybe their presence would've made the SASALs a little less likely to take out as many settlers as possible. Maybe. But I do know one
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