It also hurt like hell. Even the new spider silk was having a problem with the force of these slugs.
“Don’t shoot. Don’t shoot,” Jack shouted as he came to stand between Kris and the next round.
Around Kris, the Musashi Marines had their rifles up, but Jack was right. Whoever the target was, she was lost among all the people watching from above.
Who were now racing away, either because of the shots fired or the sight of a whole lot of Marine M-6s raised at them with intent.
“Penny, do you have an eye on the shooter?”
“I have her. A white with thin black stripes. She’s ditched her gun, but we have nano scouts following her. I don’t think she expected our technology. We’ll get her. No, make that we’ve got her. Five local blues—well, black and silvers—have her.”
That was followed by a “Damn.”
“What happened, Penny?” Jack demanded.
“She suicided. She slipped something in her mouth and now she’s down, kicking in convulsions and foaming at the mouth. We’ll get nothing from interrogating that one.”
By now, Marines had formed a protective wall around Kris. Only now did Jack kneel down beside her.
“I see you wore your spider silk today.”
“Damn right I did, nanny. And you didn’t even have to bug me about it.”
“That’s why I’ve decided to keep you, wife. You are proving to be very educable.”
“And I’m hurting like mad. Can you give me a lift up?”
Jack offered her both his hands. She swung herself around, tensed every muscle she could handle, and let him haul her up.
“Ouch,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Is it that bad?”
“I’ve had worse.”
Now both the translator and the Elected Speaker were at her side. One was babbling, and the other wasn’t making a lot of sense.
“Calm down,” Kris said, drawing a slow breath. “I am hurt but not injured.”
“You have skin tough enough to resist a slug thrower?” asked Zarra.
“Let’s just say that I do,” Kris said, not willing to give more away than she had to. “Where are the two I need to meet?”
The Speaker led Kris quickly to a door. It was opened by what Kris took to be a soldier. She had a slug rifle and her leather harness was brightly shined and sported several brass buttons.
The soldier stepped aside to let Kris and Jack enter but closed the door before any Marines came in. Since Jack took that as acceptable, Kris did, too.
Penny, in dress blues, allowed herself in a side door and trotted to meet Kris before she reached the two groups waiting at the end of a long hall.
It was quite a luxurious hall. Lined with marble pillars, the floor was a fine, golden hardwood. Between the pillars stood statues in perfect white marble of other felines. Some held spears. Others held books. The balance seemed about even.
As Penny joined them, Jack spoke through a hardly moving mouth. “Do we know anything about the failed assassin?”
“The official story is that it was a madwoman, driven around the bend by the shock of learning that there was life among the stars, something that wasn’t considered possible before a week ago. The most likely story is that one of the survivors of Solzen’s crew thought to get a leg up in the present intramural sport of offing anyone reaching for the fallen President for Life’s baton by offing you. The assassin was known to be associated with a spy network from Fearless Leader’s side.”
“They knew it and didn’t haul her in,” Kris said, trying not to lose her smile.
“If you’ve got them made, you never haul them in. You follow them and see if they take you to someone that you don’t know about.”
Spoken like a true intelligence officer.
Kris came to a halt an equal distance from the two groups as they were from each other. At the center of the groups were two females. One wore a blue coat, edged in gold. The other wore a red cape. As it turned out, President Almar of the Columm Almar wore the coat. The Prime Minister of the Bizalt Kingdom, Madame Gerrot, sported the cape.
Kris saluted. The two of them bowed from the neck. Those around them bowed from the waist.
President Almar stepped forward a pace. “I wish to greet you in the name of the Congress of Columm, in the name of our people and on my own behalf,” she said.
Kris heard the statement as an echo, one from Zarra, the other in her head from Nelly.
NELLY, LET ZARRA DO THE TRANSLATION. IF YOU IDENTIFY A MAJOR FAILURE, TELL ME IN MY HEAD AND LET ME FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.
YES, KRIS.
Now Prime Minister Gerrot took a step forward. “I also wish to greet you in the name of the ancient parliament of the Bizalt Kingdom and in the name of our monarch and the people of our ancient land, as well as myself.”
Kris took a step forward. “I am Her Royal Highness, Admiral Kristine Longknife, Viceroy to the people of Alwa and Commander of the Alwa Defense Sector. I wish to greet you in the name of the people of the United Society, their congress, and my liege, King Raymond, the First of that name. And if I may, I wish to greet you in the name of all humanity as well as the Iteeche Empire, may we long share peace with them, and the people of Alwa.”
“There are three different races riding between the stars,” President Almar remarked.
“Yes,” Kris said, not putting too fine a point on the Alwans.
There was quite a discussion among their own advisors about that.
President Almar seemed to shush them with a scowl before turning back to Kris.
“I wish to apologize for the assault on your person,” she said.
“I understand the problem. President Solzen was foolish to fire on us the first time. To fire on us the second time was stupid. No doubt her continued silence is causing much confusion in many corners.” Zarra had liked the foolish, stupid meme. Kris was thinking of adding it to her speech if it went over here.
“In life, Solzen showed herself to be many things,” Madame Gerrot said. “No doubt she will meditate long and hard on her folly from where she rots in hell. Meanwhile, it leaves us with many things to contemplate. Can we expect attacks like you showed us from these aliens you say are coming?”
“I should think by now your own astronomers can see them,” Kris said.
Madame Gerrot glanced behind her. One of her advisors came up to whisper in her ear. “Why was I not told about this sooner?” she snapped.
The advisor gave what looked like a shrug and backed away. Kris eyed the two leaders. Neither of them showed any gray, but something about Madame Gerrot left Kris with a sense of age.
“We have seen the ships coming around the sun that you told us of,” President Almar said. “Will they pound us as hard as you pounded Solzen?”
KRIS, THE WORD FOR POUND THAT SHE USED HAS A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION. CATS CUT AND SLASH. DUMB ANIMALS HAMMER AND POUND, Nelly put in.
“Solzen behaved like a dumb animal, trying to throw rocks at what was not within her reach. I could have cut or slashed her. I chose to hammer her. I have enough weapons in easy reach that I can do whatever I chose to do.”
Both national leaders turned back to their advisors.
GOOD JAB THERE, KRIS, Jack said on Nelly Net.
THANK YOU, NELLY, FOR THE INPUT.
YOU’RE WELCOME, KRIS.
Now the top cats were looking at each other, as if to decide who was the top cat. Finally, Almar spoke.
“May I ask you a question? You don’t have to answer it.”
KRIS, THAT IS VERY TENTATIVE. ALMOST SUBMISSIVE, IF WE CAN TRUST THE SOAP OPERAS.
“You will have to ask the question before I can know if I can answer it or decide if I will,” Kris said, pulling herself up to her full height, which just about equaled that of the cat before her.
“Why are you here?” President Almar asked. “What brings you to our solar system now, just when we are being attacked? The timing seems much more than a coincidence.”
Kris had expected that question. She’d spent the better part of the last day going over it with Amanda and Jacques. Their final conclusion was that the truth would be better than evasion. Kris had harbored a hope that it would not come up.