Sure enough, he found a spot of rust to scour away.Īs he polished the rapier, he wondered what the new system would be like. The perpetually moist air aboard ship was not good for the blade. He always kept all four of his pistols loaded and ready to use when landing operations began, one pair would go on his belt, the other in his boottops. Some races, the captain knew, lit their ships with torches or candles, but glowmites used less air, even if they could only shine intermittently.Įver the careful soldier, Togram checked his weapons while the light lasted. Togram picked up a lantern and shook it to rouse the glowmites inside. Stinks and darkness were part of the price the soldiers paid to make the kingdom grow. Travel between the stars was simply like that. It was no better in any other ship of the Roxolan fleet, or any other. After sixteen days in space, the Indomitable reeked of ordure, stale food, and staler bodies. The metal cover he slid over it did little to relieve the stench. Sighing again, he stowed the chamberpot in its niche. High ranks went to those with ancient blood or fresh money. He was junior enough to take such responsibilities seriously, but had had enough service to realize he should never expect too much from anyone more than a couple of notches above him. As an officer, he was supposed to set an example for his soldiers. Togram sighed and scratched his muzzle in annoyance at his own irritability.

Jeers and oaths followed him: 'No shit!' 'Thanks for the news!' 'Tell the steerers - they might not have got the word!' 'We're back in normal space,' the youth squeaked, before dashing on to the next chamber. 'Why don't the shipmasters warn us when they do that?' Several of his troopers echoed him more pungently.Īt that moment, a runner appeared in the doorway. When the spasm was done, he set the thundermug down and wiped his streaming eyes with the soft, gray-brown fur of his forearm. He raised the pot and was abruptly sick into it. As happened all too often, nausea surged through the Roxolan officer. The title refers to a poem by Robert Frost, which I included below.Ĭaptain Togram was using the chamberpot when the Indomitable broke out of hyperdrive. This story is quite a bit longer than the ones I usually post, and as such will be posted in parts. The following story was written by Harry Turtledove in 1985.

The road not taken pdf short story