The Ashes of Worlds

“And we won’t. He knows that.”

Estarra had joined the King to watch the diplomatic craft make its way from General Brindle’s Juggernaut over to theirs. The Chairman intended to dock aboard theJupiter in half an hour — significantly earlier than their agreed-upon time — and expected to be received without delay.

“Basil can rattle his saber all he wants, but it’s just empty noise. He doesn’t know that his bargaining chip has no value.” Peter took Estarra’s arm in his. “Admiral, we won’t be needing our scheduled banquet after all. Can you provide a secure conference room? Nothing fancy — in fact, make it pointedlynot fancy.”

“We’ve got plenty of empty rooms. There’s even the brig if you like.” Two of the bridge officers let out snickers, which they quickly covered.

“I’d prefer something closer to the shuttle deck. Let’s not keep the Chairman here any longer than is absolutely necessary, regardless of what he’s got to say.”

Willis selected a small mess hall just down the corridor from the bay where the shuttle would be landing. Accompanied by OX, Peter and Estarra went to the room, where crewmen were rapidly cleaning and straightening up as best they could.

“Please escort the Chairman here as soon as he disembarks,” Peter said. “I have no idea what sort of staff he’ll bring along, but I want at least one guard for each of his. At a minimum, two Confederation soldiers to be stationed outside this door.”

A few minutes later, an impatient-looking Basil Wenceslas was shown into the mess hall. He hadn’t bothered to bring a single guard or adviser.

Arrogant indeed,Peter thought.

Or he wanted the discussions to be completely private.

Though Basil maintained a businesslike demeanor, Peter knew the man well enough to detect subtle changes in his mannerisms. The Chairman seemed a bit ragged around the edges, even stressed. He frowned with disapproval at their surroundings. “A lunchroom? That’s how you receive me?”

“Forget the pomp and ceremony, Basil. Let’s get down to business.” Peter calmly sat in a hard resin chair, facing his old mentor, his current nemesis. “Are you releasing Patrick Fitzpatrick and his wife, as I requested?”

“That would be a good opening gesture,” Estarra added. “We would rather have asked King Rory in person, but you seem to have left him back on Earth.”

Ignoring Estarra, Basil gave Peter a withering look. “Did you really think I would bring the King here, where your Confederation mercenaries could just seize him? Don’t be naive.”

“It’s pointless for us to butt heads this way. Speak your piece, Basil.”

The Chairman placed an elbow on the mess hall table, after glancing down to make sure the surface was clean. With his other hand he removed a sheaf of printouts from his inner jacket pocket. “I have genetic comparisons here, since I assumed you would demand them. It’s proof that Rory is your brother, but I suspect you already know that.” He narrowed his gray eyes. “What happens now is up to you. I can arrange an accident for him, even an assassination, and blame it on Freedom’s Sword.” He seemed to like the idea. “I’ve got no qualms against killing him if you don’t behave.”

“Behave? What does that even mean?” Peter couldn’t believe the Chairman was still treating him like a frightened child. Basil Wenceslas had regressed a great deal.

“It means you will abdicate. You will stop this ridiculous insurrection that weakens the true government of humanity. You will dissolve the Confederation so that the scattered colonies and Roamer clans come back into the fold of the Hansa, where they belong. And you will agree to it now, before we end this meeting.”

Peter let out a sigh. “Is that all?” He tapped the printouts. “You aren’t even going to give me a chance to run independent DNA tests with my own specialists?”

The flippant response seemed to anger Basil. “I will not waste any more of humanity’s time. You forced me into this, Peter. King Rory’s blood will be on your hands. Your own brother.” He folded his arms, as if he had just announced a checkmate.

Peter surprised him by responding with a chuckle. “Oh, Basil — you yourself instructed me in leadership. One boy’s life isn’t worth everything that’s at stake.”

“You’re no good at bluffing. I know you won’t just abandon your brother. Mark my words, Peter — fall into line, or Rory dies.”

“My brother Rory died many years ago whenyou killed him.” Peter tried to match the steel in his tone with what he heard in Basil’s. “I’ll admit you did a good job, and I did have my doubts for a while, but now I have proof positive. I tested his DNA from a small sample on a piece of flatware. Your propped-up King is not my brother, no matter how much I may want to believe he is. The genetics don’t match. He’s an imposter — and a pawn, like I was.”

“Don’t try to con me. You can’t possibly take the risk.”

Peter glanced back at the stoic Teacher compy. “I can have OX display the results of our DNA comparisons, if you like.Realcomparisons.” He frowned down at the false printouts Basil had offered. “That boy is no more a relative of mine than you are. You can’t use him against me.”

The Chairman stood abruptly. There was no one in the room who even pretended to support him. “You are treading on dangerous ground, Peter. You have pushed me for the last time.”

“If I had a tank of ekti for every time you’ve said that,” Estarra quipped.

He turned to her with a strange flush on his face. “I wouldn’t be so cavalier, if I were you.” He showed his teeth in a vicious, lupine smile. “Don’t forget, I have your sister Sarein as well.”

Basil strode to the mess hall door and pushed his way past the two Confederation guards outside.

129

Sarein

Now that Basil was away, Sarein had her best chance to escape and turn the tables on the Hansa.

By freeing Patrick Fitzpatrick and releasing the hostage families, Deputy Cain would fundamentally undermine the Chairman’s authority, but that wasn’t enough to ensure lasting change. Sarein had to convince the King to return without delay.

Basil would kill her if he guessed what she was doing.

He had said he wanted her close by his side, wanted her to move into the protection of his underground bunker. If she turned on him now, just after he had made what he considered a generous gesture, Basil would see it as the ultimate betrayal.

She had to leave.

Sarein sealed the door to her quarters, not that she expected anyone to be eavesdropping. Nevertheless, she kept her voice low as she sent a signal, using the personal code Rlinda Kett had supplied after their meeting at the coffee shop. She prayed that Cain’s information was accurate, that the captain was still on Earth.