September 1949
My expectations for this particular adventure with my old space friend were not high. I had not enjoyed his company for several months, for though he had always exempted me from his icy, dour way of interacting with people, I had been, of late, on the receiving end of his ubiquitous brutality. As his sidekick it was his prerogative to beat me, as he did, sparing me nothing of cold reality: the beatings made me feel more real, and the common space villains' swinging fists were cheap and harmless parodies of my master's. Those beatings made me hard. When our adventures finally came to an end in later, blander years, I know that it was the absence of those beatings that made me weak. One had to be strong for Dane Thunderbeck.
So, this particular adventure took us across the void to far off Galaxy-B, home of his one-time love, Queen Audra. It had been six years since they had last seen each other. It was the connection between galaxies, cyclic, six-year cycles. They had a son together. He would be nineteen.
We emerged from that state of quasi-dimensional compress, back into the reality of her throne room. The queen looked a little older than I remembered. She smiled at us with her old kindness. Thunderbeck took her hands and dutifully kissed them. She laughed at the tenderness. She was always too kind for his taste. Me, she embraced as an old and dear friend. And there standing slightly behind his mother was a tall, thin boy with dark hair and dark eyes: Rhone Thunderbach. He greeted his father with all due awkwardness. Thunderbeck shook his son's hand.
He had some ninety-odd children, and Rhone was the only one who had never risen up against him. There was no more love for the mother, but I suppose that this was the reason he was so fond of this son.
The queen led us through glass halls overlooking dark and beautiful gardens. Thunderbeck gave her his arm, and she talked and laughed with him as an old friend. Rhone walked behind, and I talked with him.
“You've grown.”
He looked at me with the dark eyes of his father. “My father's magician. I can't believe you're still alive.”
“Luck, young master, More often than naught.”
“You were with him at the siege of Planet Ten?”
“I was. That was a terrible day.”
“Is all of the talk true?”
I sighed. “Planet Ten is gone. World-Captain Aulis's kingdom is no more.”
“And my father's title?”
“He never cared for it. He still has his army.”
Rhone smiled at me, mocking. “Oh?”
“All of the people who mattered.”
“What, you and a few hundred men?”
“Me and a few dozen.”
“Merde. He's weaker than I thought.”
I looked at him gravely. “He's weaker than anyone can possibly know, right now.”
Queen Audra and Thunderbeck had stopped. “Rhone,” said my master. “Come with me.”
* * *
Thunderbeck told me of their conversation years later. They went to Audra's study, the grand library room that she so adored. He closed the vault door behind them.
“Your mother said you have a matter to discuss with me.”
Thunderbeck only surrounded himself with the self-sure and forthright. He was glad his son was one of these. “I want to go to Earth,” Rhone said.
“Why?” said Thunderbeck.
“Because I won't be pampered there. It's the only place where your name and my mother's are unknown.”
There was a cold grin in my master's eyes. “They know me on Earth.”
“You flatter yourself, father.”
Thunderbeck glared. “Earth is a terrible place.”
“I would imagine so.”
“You would not be able to see me. There is not a man of power in the solar system who is not my enemy right now.”
Rhone looked implacable.
“So be it, then, if you wish. I will transport you to Earth. Interplanetary passports are not being issued at this time. I'll contact my allies in Customs. They can be paid off.”
“Very well.” Thunderbeck turned to leave. “Father?” Rhone said.
“Yes?”
“Do you think I'll grow to be a failure like you?”
Thunderbeck pivoted one one heel and struck his son across the face in one motion, without hesitation, knocking him to the ground. Then, very calmly, he said, “Whatever do you mean by that son?”
Several moments went by before Rhone lifted himself off the ground. His mouth bled.
