Souvenirs From Dead Worlds | ✓

Chapter 22

As they waited outside the Marshal's office the secretary's gaze lingered on them, and Sam wondered if she knew what they were there for. If she did know, was it because the Marshal was taking this seriously, or because what Sam planned to ask of the man was so unthinkable?

The moment Tristan entered, flashing a quick smile at their gathered group, the secretary pushed a button on her communication unit and spoke into it quietly. The Marshal must have told her to inform him when all of them were there, Sam realised. A moment later she told them to go in.

The first thing Sam noticed when he entered the Marshal's office was that there was a second person behind the desk, a woman at the later end of middle aged with short brown hair and friendly blue eyes. She and the Marshal stood as Sam, Kias, Diego, and Tristan entered the room.

"I'm sure you're all tired from all the excitement you had yesterday, so I thank you all for coming in so early," the Marshal said, as though he had been the one to request the meeting. "This is Chancellor Rowley," the Marshal continued, spreading one hand in the direction of the woman. "Her job is to overlook planetary security, so I thought it might be helpful to have her perspective on the matter."

The Chancellor gave them all a gentle smile. For someone with such a militarily minded job, she gave off a surprisingly soothing vibe. "I've heard a lot about your work," she said to all of them, and somehow it sounded like a compliment without her saying so. To Diego, she added, "And it's always a pleasure to see you again, Diego."

With a smile, Diego dipped his head in acknowledgement. "And you."

"Now," the Marshal said once they were all seated, "as I understand it, there's a young man you all feel should be brought back here. Perhaps you can explain the situation, Sam."

With all eyes on him, Sam shuffled awkwardly in his seat. "His name's Seba, he's fourteen years old, and he's one of the smartest people I've ever met. He asked me to teach him Global and Kias to teach him his language just because he loves to learn, and in just a few days he's made good headway into both. He can speak several languages fluently and even read and write in a few."

"So you think he would be a good individual to bring back because of his intelligence?" the Chancellor asked. She didn't sound judgemental, so Sam wasn't sure how to respond. Was intelligence a good enough reason? He wished desperately that all he needed to offer was that there was a kid in danger and they had the ability to help, but the sad truth was that there were millions of kids in danger and they couldn't save them all. His inappropriate emotional investment in this one in particular was hardly a compelling argument.

"I think it's more than just him being smart," Tristan cut in. He glanced at Sam and then continued when he got Sam's nod of approval. "My team and I, minus Diego, were trapped in this prison. No weapons, not even my ring, nothing. My fault, of course."

"I heard a bit about that," the Marshal said, but gestured for Tristan to continue.

"So then the kid, Seba, he appeared out of nowhere and he was speaking Global and saying he was Sam's friend, and then he picked the lock and let us all out," Tristan summarised. "Anyway, my point here is that he's not just smart. He's also brave and resourceful and independent. Even if his world wasn't about to be destroyed I'd be tempted to suggest at least offering to bring him here. I know he's going to accomplished something great if he's given half the chance."

"And it sounds like he's owed a favour," the Chancellor added thoughtfully.

"If I may break silence on a matter of secrecy that may be of relevance here?" Diego requested.