CROWN OF EMPIRE

This is awork of fi<^n. All Ae characters and events portrayed in
this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or inci-
dents is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 1994 by Bill Fawoett & Associates

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or
portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Biverdale, NY 10471

ISBN: 0-671-72208-5
Cover art by Paul Alexander
First printing, February 1994

Distributed by Paramount
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York. NY 10020

Printed ID tfae United States ofAmoricB

Chapter 1

Tira Bouriere leaped upright in bed as her eld-
erly cousin Helga burst in from her own small
room of the suite, shouting, "He's dead! Your
sainted father is dead, child!"

Behind Helga, the holovision the old woman had
been watching still cast its faint light over the room.
The royal suites on two of the four penthouse

Chelsea Quinn farbro

towers around the quadrangle had visual access
to most of the High Secretary's palace. Other
women her age might have spent their free time
in gossip, but Helga considered her station —
companion and chaperone to the High Secre-
tary's eighteen-year-old daughter — put her
above that. Instead, she spied on the goings and
comings, the talk and the actions, of all those liv-
ing in the sprawling warren of the palace, seat of
government and home to the elite of the Pact
which ruled four thousand worlds.

Tira pushed her way through the gauze that
wrapped her bed like a cloud. "Helga, what's
happened?" she asked. She'd heard the words,
but there was no sense to them.

Helga flopped onto a loveseat, hyperventilat-
ing. Cousin by convenience, the connection was
too diffuse to be recognized — except that the
office of High Secretary drew to it relations the
way honey draws flies. Even Helga's Bouriere
surname came from her maternal line, and that
three generations ago.

"Helga!" lira repeated.

Helga stared at her from the loveseat. "Your
sainted father," she repeated in a whisper. The
utter despair in the old woman's eyes and voice
penetrated to Tira's understanding where the
words themselves had not.

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Oh, no. Not my father." For a moment hys-
teria threatened to overwhelm Tira's normal
good sense. Then, as if a relay had switched in
her brain, she became efficient, doing almost by
rote the things she had been taught since she was
a child. When she was young, the drills for this
eventuality had been a game. She had enjoyed
out-thinldng the evil rebels who strove to endan-
ger the High Secretary. It would have been
comforting to make herself believe it was still a
game. But this time she knew she would not be
permitted to ask for time out.

She resisted her first impulse, to go to the win-
dow, knowing that could expose her to discovery
and attack. She moved quickly to the inner wall
of the reception room. Against the wall was a
massive Neo-Empire Revivalist writing table,
with thin, spiral legs atop traditional crocodile
feet, all in gold. The writing surface was a vast
expanse of malachite, edged in beveled gold
work. Seating herself, Tira toggled two hidden
levers in the table. The green surface lifted up
and back, revealing lira's internal security holo-
gram station.

On the loveseat Cousin Helga was fanning
herself with an infopak, heedless of the damage
she might be inflicting on the contents of the
tamper-sensitive device. She had unfastened the

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

silver-net fichu around her neck and given it to
one of the three servobots who tended to the
needs of lira's visitors.

At her desk, Tira was trying the fourth of
twelve sets of codes that might show her what
was happening in her father's apartments. Nor-
mally it didn't matter that his quarters were two
towers away from her, accessible only by a maze
of corridors. "It's wrong," she muttered, her
attractive face marked by worry and the first real
touches of fear. She tried another, yet higher,
security code. Nothing. Again. More blankness.

After running through all dozen combinations
she was forced to admit that there was a black-
out on her father's apartments. With growing
apprehension, she tried to reach her brother s
suite, with the same results. Again she refrained
from presenting herself at the window, turned
and tilted one of the three vanity mirrors so that
she could watch the outside in its depths.

"Oh, how distressing it all is," said Cousin
Helga, at last putting the infopak down. "Just
when I dunk I can bear to remember it — "
"Contain yourself. Cousin," Tira snapped, "Go

begin emergency evacuation procedures. At
once."

"Naturally. Sony. I should have started imme-
diately I reached here." The old lady stumbled to

CROWN OF EMPIRE

her feet. "You'll think I've gone foolish on you.
And at such a time."

"Impossible, Cousin Helga," said Tira more
kindly, abandoning her search. It wouldn't do to
totally demoralize her sole ally of the moment.

Two alarms, one shrill and weepy, the other
aggressive, went off at once.

Helga shrieked and bolted for the living room
of the suite. From Helga's own room, which no
one but she should have been able to enter from
the corridor, stamped a squad of armed soldiers
in brown uniforms, with Treasury collar flashes.

Tira rose to her feet, indignation warring with
fear. As she did so, she pressed the toggle that
summoned her own guards, waiting in the corri-
dor. "What are you doing here?"

The man who seemed to be in charge
remained motionless as the others fanned out to
cover the room. "You must come with us," he
said flatly, seemingly indifferent to her response.

Tira wanted to stomp hard on his foot and
pound the heel of her hand into his nose. But
there was something so disinterested, so lethal
about the man, that she suspected he would not
prove the easy victim her guard-instructors
were.

"Now," said the man.

lira remained frozen.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Suddenly, the tableau was interrupted when
the door at die other end of the reception cham-
ber burst open, and a young lieutenant
appeared, a squad of twenty jostling in behind
him.

The Treasury men did not wait for the new
arrivals to get organized. Instantly the chamber
was filled with deadly spangles as accelerated
glass beads exploded into walls and malachite
and flesh.

Tira, true to her own training, found herself
crouched beneath her desk, totally helpless, as
others battled to decide her fate. Totally help-
less? Perhaps not. For her twelfth birthday her
father had had installed a fabulously expensive
fantasy simulator in her desk. It had been all the
rage with her crowd for weeks. One stealthy
hand reached up to the keypad set in the mala-
chite.

From the various holographic panels and baf-
fles there sprang forth a steady profusion of
monsters. The first was a quite nasty basilisk, jag-
ged spears flashing from his eyes. Then a trio of
harpies, each with meat dripping from her tal-
ons. A streamlined snail with several leech-like
heads undulated along the polished stone floor
leaving a very believable trail of slime. A were-
jaguar, still human enough to be recognizable,

CROWN OF EMPIRE

leaped and growled and spat, threatening every-
one with daggered hands.

Not being idiots, the soldiers recognized holo-
graphic fantasy monsters when they saw them —
but not before drill-honed reflexes had spewed
beads in all the wrong places. The new arrivals, a
little more distant from the fantasy threat, took
their opportunity.

The sound crescendoed as the glass battered
everything in the room. A gorgeous authentic
snow-wood was chewed to sawdust by the cross-
fire. Many of Tira's other carefully collected
objets d'art were shattered and added their col-
lapse to the cacophony.

Phantoms battled and thundered and rol-
licked as men fought and died real deaths.

Almost safe beneath her armored desk, lira was
aghast at all the blood, steam rising from it as it
welled and gouted like lava out of fallen men.
Where it fell, bits of glass mixed with it, like a mon-
strous sparkling wine. She lay with debris pressing
against her cheek, and her hands were starting to
feel crusty where the blood was dotting around her
fingers. She didn't think any of it was her own.

"I've got to get out of here," she said to the air.
'Tve got to."

As if mocking her plea, a gryphon capered by,
wings spread and talons extended, lion-legs and

Chelsea Quinn farbro

haunches huge with muscles; its image was
penetrated by a lieutenant of her guards, trying
to reach her. An injured Treasury soldier was
struggling to rise, lost traction on the gore be-
neath his feet and fell heavily, cutting his hands
on the bits of broken glass as he struck the floor
and dropped his weapon. The guard lieutenant
set his pistol and fired.

"Demoiselle, we must leave now!" In the sud-
den silence of momentary victory, the lieutenant
spoke with an urgency underlined by his grip on
her arm. "Come. Hurry,"

Only now aware that the battle was really over.
Tira did as she was bid, absently dismissing with
a flick of her hand the capering apparitions —
who instantly ceased to obscure a scene of mun-
dane carnage. Of the Treasury men, only two
seemed hkely to survive. One was whimpering
steadily, his hands cupped over a foaming, suck-
ing hole in his chest. The other was very pale,
huddled in on himself.

"Martyrs of the Guard," whispered Tira, who
had only seen incidents like this in entertain-
ments. She put her hand to her throat and felt
the speed other pulse, fast and light. The smell
began to overwhelm her senses....

"Come on," urged Lieutenant Chaney —
identified by his helmet and breast clips.

CROWN OF EMPIRE

lira focused on him. "Where?"

"Away from here," said Chaney. "They'll be
back for you." He lowered his head. "Look.
Demoiselle, you don't have to listen to anything I
say. We both know that. But if you don't get out
of here in pretty short order, you're going to be
in trouble."

"Right," she said heavily. "Trouble." She shiv-
ered once, quite violently, then brought herself
back under control. "Then let's go."

"All right. Demoiselle." He took her by the
arm again. "So you won't stumble. You don't
have grippers on your soles and I do."

"Very sensible," she said, glancing around the
corpse-strewn room. Of Cousin Helga there was
no sign. Tira decided she would have to ask later,
when they were safe. At least she was not one of
the ruined bodies on the floor.

The lieutenant led her to the main door, mut-
tering to himself all the way. It took lira several
steps to realize he was talking to his AID. Almost
all military had those personal communicating
devices. No doubt he was relaying information to
his superior- At the door, he leaned through cau-
tiously, then pulled her along by the wrist. She
jerked her hand away from him and he turned to
glare at her.

She stared back. He might have just saved her

Chelsea Quinn farbro

life but she was still the High Secretary's daugh-
ter. He nodded, took his hand off her and led the
way between two shattered pier mirrors into a
space that seemed much wider than it ought to
be. 'What— ?"

"Emergency hologram. It makes the exit look
about three inches wide, doesn't it?" He chuck-
led. "Come on. There's ..." He paused and
stepped back between die mirrors.

Even though the secret exit was only a few
steps from her suite Tira had had no idea it
existed. It was that kind of palace. Through the
hologram distortion, lira could see what the
lieutenant was doing: he had reached back to the
nearest fallen Treasury soldier and was prying
the dead hand from around the pistol. As he
ducked back into the exit, he handed it to her.
"Here, this is a Samtoepoe A7mark923, capable
ofsemi or fully automatic fire with a dip capacity
of 150 rounds. Don't use it unless you have to.
Sometimes the A7mark923s jam. They cycle too
fast."

"You took it—"

He did not permit her to finish. "I took it from
someone who was prepared to use it on you.
Remember that, if you start getting sentimental
about the Treasury soldiers. They invaded. They
don't deserve your concern." He waved her

10

CROWN OF EMPIRE

toward a protected dropshaft. "Military-only," he
informed her, indicating the masking. 'They're
going to shut these down pretty quickly.'

"You're right." said Tira, resolutely slipping the
pistol Chaney had given her into her reticule.
Til keep that in mind."

They stepped into the dropshaft.

"I can't believe you still have your reticule."

Tira ignored his comment. "1 suppose you
know what you're doing."

"I suppose I do, too, but I'm not real sure
quite yet."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're all so cocky and above-it-all, it's a won-
der the High Secretary can see far enough down
to sign his name to his documents."

lira regarded Lieutenant Chaney with petu-
lance. "How can you talk about my father that
way?"

"Because I don't know him? Because I don't
understand him? Come on. Does anyone know
him?" asked Chaney.

"Yes, because you don't know him, or under-
stand him. You don't know what he goes through
every day for... Well, people don't"

"No, they don't. And for all I know, the
Empire really couldn't function without him.
That's what they all say. Nobody sees it, but they

11

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

believe it. And they see how splendidly the High
Secretary lives, and how splendidly he enter-
tains, and how those in favor advance more
swiftly than those who are not in favor."

Tira said nothing for a short while. "The assas-
sins weren't rebels, not the kind you hear about
on the news," she said a short while later.
"Jessine wants the right and the power. You
know the kind of man Ver is, and what shes like.
They're ambitious. They enjoy palace coups."
She shifted her position as much as her harness
would let her. "Jessine. I hope she's stopped. I
want her stopped right now." Her determination
wilted. "My father. My brother. She got them
both." She averted her face and began to weep.
'Twenty-four, thats all she is. And she got them
both."

For a little while, Chaney left her alone. He
was never very good with crying women.

12

Chapter 2

As Tira sped away from the Secretarys Palace, her
father's second wife stretched out above her long-time
lover, Damien Ver. The ancient cameo hanging from a
thong around her neck was slick with sweat, wine, and
perfumed oil. Ver had given Jessine the pendant after
their second meeting, when he was sure how he felt
about her. She wore it to please him —

13

Chelsea Qwnn farbro

To please him in one of the ways they contin-
ued to please each other.

She arched her body, feeling the first tingle of
approaching orgasm. Her face changed as she
moved, softening to a sensual innocence that
only two men ever saw. She looked down at Ver,
her anticipation delicious. The profile on the
cameo matched Ver's.

Damien Ver was a very attractive man when
he was acting human. As the head of the Kona
Tatsu, he generally presented a cold and forbid-
ding persona to those unfortunate enough to
come to his attention. They aQ thought he was
more like a machine than a man. No one was
aware of his passion for Jessine, intense but with-
out obsession. He knew he could never have
more of her than he had already, so he'd stopped
tormenting himself.

Jessine's room was made for this, for sensual
delight and seduction. The appointments were
soft, highlighting Jessine's own softness. All the
servo units were discreetly hidden, highly orna-
mented or disguised. The light was filmy, the
scent was exciting, the music caressed the
senses. Underneath the caressing drapes was
technology that, if necessary, could run a full
military surveillance post.

"Da.., Dam... ien."

14

CROWN OF EMPIRE

His hands slid up her body, reaching up to pull
them close together. Nothing he had ever
touched gave him the sheer depth of pleasure
Jessine did, no one he had ever mounted had
opened herself to passion the way she did. She
was more than remarkable, she was bright as
truth. Since they had been lovers, her passion for
him had only increased.

Just as his fever peaked, his AID sent him a
sharp tone. His transformation was abrupt and
comprehensive. Hands frozen against Jessine *s
ribs, he focused on the incoming information.

Urgent, insisted the AID. The High Secretary
has been assassinated. Ver winced inside, though
he knew Jessine couldn't hear the intelligencer.
Acknowledged, he responded, then murmured a
few reassuring words to Jessine, Her movements
against him had stopped as she sensed his sud-
den distraction.

"What is it?" she asked. She clutched him
tighter. "My husband?"

He paused before answering her, focusing on the
now of information from his AID. "Yes. Your hus-
band." Finally the flow stopped and he left her
embrace. Kneeling beside her on the bed, he
kissed her, long and deep. "Guard yourself, Jessine.
It could be dangerous." He began to gather up his
uniform, scattered around the chamber. Then he

15

Chelsea Quinn Yorforo

changed his mind and took a small pack of ordi-
nary clothes out of the closet, where it had
waited next to skiing togs and riding habits.
*Tell me," she pleaded, reaching out to grab

his sleeve.
"When I have confirmed..." Someone else

would have to tell her — not he. He would die
for her if necessary. But he could not tell her she

was a widow.
"Damien—"
He caught her hand in his and deliberately

kissed her fingers. "Not now, Jessine. Not until I
know for sure- In the mean time we have to get
you away from here." He broke away from her,
going toward the bathroom. He would have to
wash and dress in less than two minutes if he
wanted to stay ahead of the chaos. As he went
through a hurried shower, he thought of the two
best bolt-holes he knew of. Machines shaved and
dried him; he was just fastening his shoes when
the sirens began to whoop. He moved more
quickly as new information came through.

"I heard," said Jessine as Ver came through

her bedchamber.
"I'll send my men. They'll protect you. I'd stay

but—"
"I know." She gave him a single, swift loss and

she motioned him away.

16

CROWN OF EMPIRE

Then he left and the enormity of her predica-
ment came home to her. If her assumption was
right and the High Secretary was dead, the
Empire would fall into chaos. In dismay she set
about putting her things together, trying to
anticipate how much she would need and for
how long. She chose her clothing for rigorous
practicality, including the three strands of
almond-sized Milurean tsarovite which might
buy her escape, if it came to that.

She had no wish to be at die center of a power
vacuum when the winds began to fill it. Little as
she wanted to admit it, she was frightened. With
Ver gone, all she had to protect her was her mute
alien staff, selected for their silence and discre-
tion, not their skill at arms. She paced around
her fantasy of a room. i^ioring its sensual prom-
ises. At the window she looked down nervously,
anticipating the arrival of rebel squads. She
didn't know what faction would take advantage
of the confusion first, but she knew Damien Ver
was keeping an eye on one particular admiral
with ambition.

If only there was someone in the building she
could trust. That was the worst thing about this.
The alien staff would do their jobs as long as her
position appeared viable. She was not certain
that the aliens would protect her once armed

17

Chelsea Quinn Yarbrv

men arrived. They had no reason to defend her.
She doubted she could trust them. She doubted

she could trust anyone.

A discreet knock at the inner door caught her
attention. For a moment, she stared at the door.
Then she picked up the small railgun concealed
in die door of an armoire. She strapped it to her
hand and wrist before checking the spy hole.

Kitchley stood at the door, his golden alien
face set in lines that Jessine recognized as con-
cern. A native of Daphne, Kitchley had served as
the Appointments Clerk to the High Secretary
for years and was so familiar a presence that he
hardly seemed alien any longer. Originally little
more than a butler, time and proficiency had
turned Kitchley into a power in his own right.
Although few would think of him as such, he was
undoubtedly the most influential bureaucrat in

the Pact.

Jessine opened the door and stared at him,
unsure what to say, not knowing his assessment

of the crisis.

"I am very sorry. Lady Jessine, for your loss,
and for the danger you face at present." His
voice had an odd timbre, as if he were speaking
on two tones at once, one deep and ragged, the

other higher and smooth.

"Thank you." she said, thinking, confirmation.

18

CROWN OF EMPIRE

He's gone. Sadness cut a narrow stream through
her tension.

"I know it must be a great shock to you," he
said gently. ^our kind are always deeply upset at
the death of those close to you."

"Yes, I suppose... yes," she said, realizing that
she had given her husband no more than a pass-
ing worry. 'T don't think I can have taken it in
yet."

"Probably not," said Kitchley. "I am making
arrangements to get you out of here. I don't want
you to have any more trouble." His nod was
courtly.

"What do you mean?" Jessine asked, feeling
disoriented,

"I am arranging for an escort. It will take you
to my vacation home in Horizon Park; the estate
is fortified and patrolled. No one will suspect you
are there. You will be safe until we can reestab-
lish order." He smoothed his long tunic, his
six-fingered hand moving quickly, holding her
attention.

"That is very good of you, but I don't want you
to put yourself at risk. This isn't a Daphne mat-
ter," She saw approval in his amber eyes. She
decided she would rather go with Kitchley now
than await whatever Ver planned.

"I have my own position to protect Not many

19

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

aliens have advanced as far as I have," Kitchley
said. True enough, and Jessine certainly under-
stood what he intended.
"I would be grateful for your protection. If we

both survive and I have the power to do it, I will
reward you." She tried to smile, then gave it up
as a bad idea. It was enough to assure him that
his service would not go unappreciated. He nod-
ded acknowledgment.

"You have a weapon." He indicated the small

railgun.
'"Yes. And there's a pistol in my hovercraft, if

we can get to it, and extra ammunition." She
secured the wrist bands other anorak. "Do we

leave yet?"
"Not without the escort," said Kitchley. "We

need them. You and I are too well-known. We
are apt to be recognized. They will be here in ten
minutes, or not at all. We will decide what to do
about that if we must." He watched the windows
and the security display. "So far there are no

intruders near us."
"How long can that last?" She flexed her

hands, needing to move. "Admiral Sclerida's
troops are likely to arrive at any moment."

"Sclerida?" said Kitchley. "Do you mean hes
behind this?" He stared as if he truly did not

believe her.

20

CROWN OF EMPIRE

She returned his stare. "Well, who else? The
Haiken Maru conglomerate supports Senator
Lomax, and he's certainly ambitious — but why
would he do something this drastic when it could
mean losing his own power?"

"But—Sclerida?"

It was not in Jessine to reveal her sources.
"You know how it is — you overhear things,
you're told things at parties and receptions by
men who wish to impress you. I would have
thought that Admiral Sclerida was the most
likely conspirator, what with having all of Naval
Logistics at his beck and call. He's greedy
enough, and he's been trying for years to bring
the High Secretary under his influence. So far
unsuccessfully."

Kitchley nodded. "Yes. Exactly. An obvious
choice; perhaps too obvious. But don't you see,
he's not in the same position as Senator Lomax.
Lomax has all the power of the biggest conglom-
erate in the empire behind him."

"I still think it must be Sclerida," said Jessine.
"If he is the one, then all ships must be regarded
as hostile." She shuddered. "To lose the Navy to
a coup — that's frightening."

Kitchley interrupted. "I don't believe he con-
trols the Protectorate, only Logistics."

Jessine's eyes narrowed as she worked out the

21

Chelsea Quinn Yarbrv

implications. "We would still be completely
unprotected off Earth. If you're right, and the
Haiken Maru are with the rebellion . . ." Now
she steeled herself, thinldng ofVer and hearing
her own doubts about him at the same instant. "I
hope that the Kona Tatsu are loyal. We need at
least one force to remain with us if we're to sur-
vive. If they go over to the rebels, then — "

'Then we will have to arrange to leave the
planet as soon as possible," said Kitchley.

"Yes," said Jessine, wondering if that would

make any difference.
"We'll get you safe. Don't worry," Kitchley

assured her, glancing apprehensively at the

ornate wall clock.

A sudden crashing knock on the main door to
her suite jolted them both. They exchanged
glances as the battering continued-

"Check the screens," recommended Kitchley.
"Keep them on opaque, one way view only."

"Of course," she said, irritated. "God of the
Cosmos!" she whispered as the wall in front of

her shifted to screen mode.

There was a squad of well-armed German ali-
ens in the corridor. Jessine's breath caught in her
throat. 'That's not your escort, right?"
Kitchley looked fh^rtened. "No," he squeaked.
Over the announcing scanner came the order,

22

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Open up in the name of the High Secretary. We
are ordered to secure these premises."

Jessine recovered. T don't think so," she whis-
pered. "They're with the rebels."

Kitchley didn't disagree.

The Cemians brought their heavy repulsors to
bear. Under close range heavy barrage, the wall
shuddered, then seemed to melt

"Perhaps we should leave now," offered
Kitchley

Jessine broke for the living room and the hid-
den dropshaft.

Kitchley started to follow, still watching the
wall-screen. Then the Cemians turned away
from the wreckage of the wall. A squad of human
troops in plain black uniforms came into the cor-
ridor, railguns at the ready.

"Look!" Kitchley called to Jessine.

"You look," said Jessine, staring out the win-
dow in horror. Two armored troop carriers
hovered in the central quad.

Kitchley turned, the enormity of their prob-
lem becoming abundantly clear. 'That is not my
escort. How did they manage?"

"Inside help, or they've taken more of the
complex than we realized," Jessine replied, still
staring.

"Down!" Jessine dropped to the floor, one

23

Chelsea Qimzn Yarbro

hand dragging Kitchley's sleeve. She dared not
raise her head to see if he was safe. The window

vanished with a crash.
The black snout of one of the APC's poked

through the empty window. Laser-cannon set in
the turret moved restlessly, for all the world like
antennae. Still on the floor, Jessine tried to wrig-
gle backwards, away from the advancing vessel-

Kitchley checked the wall screen. The black-
clad guards were making for the inner door.

Jessine climbed to her feet and tried again to
reach the hidden dropshaft. Kitchley rolled
under a claw-footed couch. The first man into
the room from the APC grabbed for Jessine, his
hand just brushing her tunic. She let her breath
out. She was going to make it. Then a line of red
light Hashed between her and the dropshaft. She
stopped short, stumbling, and the man had her.

Damn! But she gained her balance again.
Moving with his pull on her arm, Jessine swung
her fist back into the soldiers groin. She felt her
hand bruise against the shell of his cup. The sol-
dier grunted, but didn't let go. Jessine kept
turning, her right hand coming up and around.
As her head turned and she saw his face shield,
she speared her hand at his throat. This time, he
let go. But the other guards were on them. There
were too many, and Jessine was overwhelmed

24

CROWN OF EMPIRE

and carried back toward the window. The Cemi-
ans were in the next room and the walk were
starting to tremble.

The side bay door of the APC slid open and
soldiers inside reached out to grab her. More sol-
diers swarmed around her, forcing her through
the door. Below them a second troop carrier was
holding off soldiers on the ground.

The Germans had almost destroyed a second
interior wall and were now training their weap-
ons on the troop carrier.

The troop carrier's turret laser-cannon swung
around and fired a short burst into the center of
the Germans.

Three of the Germans were shattered by
direct hit, bits of their uniforms and flesh flung
about the room in sizzling, puking heaps. The
others drew back out of the room.

"Get out of here," one of the officers ordered,
and the troop carrier slid back from the wreckage
ofJessine's suite, to hover over the other troop car-
riers in the quad. "And take care of Merimee."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"
demanded Jessine.

A tall young man pushed his way through his
men. "Lieutenant Varrick of the Kona Tatsu,
Madame Merimee. Our orders are to get you to
safety."

25

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Jessine was seldom called by her maiden
name these days, and that caught her attention
even as she was pushed firmly into an accelera-
tion couch.

Lieutenant Varrick secured the final buckles.
"Just lie back and relax, Madame. You can't do
anything for the High Secretary now. Leave it to

us."

"Who sent you?" she demanded.

"Damien Ver," said the lieutenant.
The answer left Jessine with more questions,
but none she thought Lieutenant Varrick could

answer.

"Opponent approaching. Opponent approach-
ing," declared the carriers computer voice. "Directly

above."
"Above?" repeated Varrick as a shadow came

over them.
"Opponent identified," the computer said

calmly. "Naval assault frigate. Logistics garrison."
"Logistics? Sclerida!" Jessine slapped at the
harness release and launched herself from the
couch. She shoved through the packed men to

the open bay. "Oh my God!"

"Nav, evasive action," ordered Varrick.
"Comm, I don't suppose the/re hailing us."

The hail came direct from a loudspeaker.
'Troop carrier. Troop carrier. This is your order

26

CROWN OF EMPIRE

to surrender. Repeat, this is your order to surren-
der. You are out-manned and out-gunned.
Surrender now and no harm will come to you.
All we want is the Laity Jessine."

"If we let her go, Ver wiH take us apart a joint at a
time," muttered Varridk He glanced back at Jessine.
Demoiselle, strap in- This might get bouncy."

"So how about that safety. Lieutenant?" said
Jessine, strapping back into her couch.

"We're doing what we can, Madame," said
Varrick.

"Troop carrier, surrender. You have thirty sec-
onds to surrender." The frigate's hailer was
impossibly loud, and the soldiers made faces at
this order.

"Men," said the lieutenant "Ready short-
range weapons. Be ready to fire at any angle, any
time. Go for their stabilizers and power ducts.
Helm, where's that evasive action? Get moving."

The APC swung onto its side and slipped away
from the frigate, running almost parallel to the
fortieth-floor windows of the Palace.

Tlie frigate came around in an arc, not as a^le
as die troop carrier, but more lethal. Its first shot
hit the APC's navigational complex, and the rear
of the craft began to yaw.

"Frigging bastards!" snarled Lieutenant Var-
rick. As he watched, the frigate came around

27

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

again. The APC was still swinging from the last

attack.
Jessine closed her eyes, then opened them

again immediately. There was nothing she
wanted to look at, but she didn't want to look at
nothing. Her hands gripped the arms of the
acceleration couch. It would take so little for the
troop carrier to spin out of control and plummet

into the quad below.
"All troops!" shouted Varrick as the frigate

approached. "Fire at will!"

The frigate closed. Its guns fired in series, and
one side of the troop carrier tore off and fell
away, burning. The scream of wounded metal
couldn't mask the cries of falling men. Huge sec-
tions of metal and plastic sailed away like kites on
the wind. Two pieces struck the windows of the
Secretary's Palace, adding the brilliance of shat-
tered glass to the debris.

The APC swung wildly, half its fans reduced to
scrap metal. The vehicle dropped sickeningly
fast despite the red-lined efforts of the remain-
ing ducts. The navigator and helmsmen swore
continuously as they fought for control of the
ship, trying to ease it into the quad. Jessine
braced in crash position and tried to relax her

muscles.
Will I know when we hit? she wondered. Or

28

CROWN OF EMPIRE

will there just be nothing? She hoped it would be
nothing, but in this buffered fall there might still
be a chance of landing without killing damage.

Then Jessine saw the second APC swoop up
past them, guns coming around to take on the
frigate. Seconds later, she heard an enormous ex-
plosion, then felt the shock. We've hit ground,
she thought. But they were still falling. The noise
continued, accompanied by debris falling on her
APC from above. Then they did hit, and Jessine
blacked out.

29

Chapter 3

It had turned into an outdoor party, with most
of the cocky young aristocrats taking to their air-
cars for a little sport with the groundlings. Up
until the time that the game had been suggested,
Wiley Bouriere, the High Secretary's son, was
pretty bored, but now he felt excitement and die
thrill of the hunt. He had not gone out after

30

CROWN OF EMPIRE

groundlings for several months — he had been
forbidden by his father, a restriction he found
more than normally irksome.

"Lets go to Undertown," yelled Caroly Rhodi,
who knew more about this sport than most of
them. "They've got shanties and trailers over
there. And aliens. There's lots we can do."

His suggestion was greeted by cheers from
everyone but the bodyguards. These exchanged
silent, condemning looks.

"Undertown!" the others called out, racing
toward their air-cars. "Let's do Undertown!"

Garen McModor caught his lower lip between
his teeth. Being bodyguard to Wiley Bouriere was
awkward enough at the best of times, for the High
Secretary's son resented the constant observation
and often did his best to elude his security staff. But
when he took off on strange quirks, McModor's job
became truly perilous. Parties like this one, that
could turn ugly in a pulse-beat, were McModor's
least favorite of Wiley's pastimes. He signaled
Wiley, wanting him to reconsider.

Wiley studiously ignored him, listening with
exaggerated interest to what Caroly had to say.
He knew already that McModor did not approve
of these romps and he was not about to listen to
another recitation of the danger he might be
courting. "We can fill up bottles with paint, and

31

Chelsea Quinn Yarfcro

fuel. That would make it more interesting," he
suggested to Caroly.

"And guns. Lets take our guns," added Caroly,
and turned to address the others. "We're going to
Undertown," he announced grandly. "We'll use our
aircars, yours and mine, Wiley, and Maytags. We can
all fit in three, can't we? No, we'll need a fourth. I
knowl 'niisdewaite!" exdaimed Caroly, pointing to a
gangly youth in a luminous skmsuit. "You have that
sniffy Hovel-master tonight, don't you? Wiley and
I will lead. You can follow us." He laughed wildly,
and made a very rude gesture to his bodyguard.
"Security can bring up the rear." This suggestion
was in fact an order, which all of them understood.
"I haven't been to Undertown for months and
months," said Bentess Hull, flinging her mane of
fashionably green hair about her shoulders, imi-
tating the women in the vidis, "I miss it."

'They probably miss us, too," called out one
half-drunk wag. Everyone laughed, except the

bodyguards.

"Then let's get going," Caroly ordered, and set
the example by gathering up glastic bottles and
throwing them in a large sack.

"Better check your ammunition, too," warned
Lolana Palomare, the hard look in her sandy-
brown eyes making her smile unbelievable. "If
we're taking pistols."

32

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"You're right," said Wiley, wondering if Lolana
would aim to miss the way the rest of them did.

And so the party became an interactive air
tour of Undertown, where aliens and humans
without jobs lived. Making up the group: four
sports cars, high-priced; thirteen aristocratic
teenagers, just plain high; and five patrol chop-
pers, with nine bodyguards, highly stressed.

Wiley Bourieres aircar was a very shiny brass
Radeo 434 hyperlift with auxiliary stabilizers, the
fastest and most maneuverable aircar available
anywhere, and the envy of most of his friends.
Caroly's was a red-and-silver Kahna World-
walker, the 800 series with the acrobatic
modifications. The two of them performed intri-
cate braiding patterns as they rushed around the
tall buildings, never both on the same street at
the same time. Thistlewaite was an excellent
driver, but his aircar was not as advanced as
Wiley's and Caroly's, and he lagged behind.
Maytag lacked such reckless nerve and tended to
stick to right-angle turns, executed at unpre-
dictable intervals. Neither Thistlewaite nor
Maytag were as high as Wiley or Caroly, of
course.

Caroly had Bentess Hull riding with him, act-
ing as spotter, and a passenger, the brilliant and
erratic Tonio van Lewat in the back.

33

Chelsea Quinn Yarforo

Wileywas showing off the Radeo to his three
cohorts. Dov Sclerida and his flamboyant girl-
friend, Crisianne Nemor, rode in die back, Dov
firing his pistol and throwing glue-filled bottles.
His third passenger was a girl whose name Wiley
thought might be Nika, a pretty thing with
bronze hair who wasn't as into the partying as the
others. Her idea of fun was a bit different. From
time to time she reached over to take Wiley s
hand and place it on her thigh, but he always
ended up with both hands on the steering bar as
he attempted another spectacular and danger-
ous stunt.

"Hey, look at that!" yelled Dov as he fired at a
group of squat, four-legged aliens. They scat-
tered as the aircar passed over them, the airpads
stirring up half a dozen miniature tornadoes.

"Endorites," shrieked Crisianne, waving fran-
tically as they passed over the group. They
dropped four bottles of glowing paint on the
shacks where the aliens lived. Her shrieks turned
to giggles as the smallest of these collapsed, a
brilliant purple sunflower blossoming atop the

rubble.

Thisdewaite and Maytag had found a group of
locals apparently playing some kind of game, and
they harried the aliens, flying dangerously low to
the ground to drive them to run. One of their

34

CROWN OF EMPIRE

victims threw a rock at Maytags aircar and in the
next instant one ofThistlewaite's passengers had
dropped a bottle full of flaming brandy on his
head-

Eveiyone in the aircars laughed as the local
staggered and fell.

Wiley rushed the Radeo up the side of the
nearest building, to the level where the success-
ful aliens lived. Here, Wiley and his friends did
nothing more than stare in windows, for, alien or
human, at this level the inhabitants could not be
attacked with impunity. The aircar did a spec-
tacular slow roll, and then once again they
hurtled toward the shanties of Undertown.

Dov fired three rounds as they leveled off just
above the street. Then his ammunition was gone
and he cursed the pistol before reaching for the
last of the bottles to throw.

Caroly and his gang whizzed by, Tonio releas-
ing bottles of fuel every six seconds, aiming for
the sideways. Wiley could hear Caroly bellowing
a popular song, trying to compete with the roar
of his Woridwalker.

Another, larger aircar appeared ahead of
Caroly, and behind it he could just make out a
Navy assault boat, fully armed and blocking the
intersection six blocks away. Wiley scowled. Who
were they to interrupt his fun?

35

Chetsea Quinn farbro

Caroly's Worldwalker balked suddenly, the
rotors slowing. Caroly held the steering bar with
all his strength, striving to keep the aircar from
crashing. Only his autorotating fans allowed him
to ride it down to the ground. He heard Tonio
yell something, and then they banged into the

street.
Wiiey stared at the wreck of Caroly's aircar. He

realized Caroly was down at the levels they had
just buzzed, with no weapons. There would be
locals waiting. Then looked down the street in
the opposite direction; another assault boat was
closing in on them. More irked than worried,
Wiley yelled to Dov Sclerida, "What's your father
up to now?" He had to hold the steering bar in
this narrow street and could not point out the

assault boats.
"What are you talking about?" asked Dov,

dropping a bottle of stinkbalm over the side.

"Navy assault boats," said Wiley, nodding in
the direction of the nearest. "I make out six so

far."
"I don't — " Dov began, then broke off in alarm.

"Where'd they come from?" he demanded as if
someone was deliberately withholding the answer.

"Look at them," whispered Wiley, his pleasant
intoxication fading rapidly. "What do they want?"

The girl beside him reached over and grabbed

36

CROWN OF EMPIRE

his leg, for once without any seductive intent,
her fingers gouging his muscles.

Catching up with his charge s group at last,
Wile/s chief bodyguard eyed the assault boats
from the far end of the street. Perhaps these
children could be persuaded to find more suit-
able entertainment. Though six Navy assault
boats seemed a lot to discipline a baker's dozen
of unruly adolescents. He hailed the assault
boats.

"McModor here, from the Secretary's Guaxd,"
he sent. "Come to fetch the Sclerida boy?"

There was no response.

"I'm not reading anything off them," said his
second. "No hull signals, nothing."

"This doesn't feel right." McModor hit the
send key again. "Lieutenant McModor of the
Secretary's Guard, hailing Naval assault boat,
please respond,"

The answer this time came from the boat's
guns.

Two blocks over, another assault boat brought
down Thistlewaite's aircar without a single shot.
The revelers were weak with apprehension as
they saw the huge boats open their hatches.

Not far away, Maytag did his best to get away

37

Chetsea Quinn Yarbro

and in a sudden blazing miscalculation slammed
into the side of the building.

Ahead Wiley's aircar wobbled and dropped
down onto the street.

Wiley sat, more dazed from the jarring impact
than anything he had consumed earlier that eve-
ning. "McModor?" For once he was wishing the
guard would show up. Yell at him. anything. Any-
thing normal. But McModor was nowhere in
sight and he became aware of the locals, watch-
ing, perhaps waiting for a chance to exact some
vengeance. He fumbled with the harness
release, his Bngers refusing to cooperate. Finally,
he broke free of the harness and scrambled out
of the useless aircar. The girl who had been sit-
ting with him followed on his heels.

In the rear seat Dov and Crisianne struggled
to get free of the restraining harnesses.

Half a block away one assault boat had landed
and a dozen men in Navy uniform came toward
them, stunguns on their hips. From the hatch
the long pointed beaks of laser-cannon pointed
out at the four young roisterers.

"Come on, Bouriere," said one of the men as
he reached Wiley. "Sony to do it this way, but we
have to bring you in." He took a firm hold on
Wiley's arm just above the elbow and began to
lead Wiley toward the assault boat.

38

CROWN OF EMPIRE

Wiley blinked in disbelief at this treatment.
"I'm the High Secretary's son," he began, and
heard his voice rise sharply. He tried again. "I'm
the High Secretary's son."

'We know that," said another one of the Navy
men brusquely, escorting the girl who had been
sitting beside Wiley in the aircar.

Never before had Wiley had this announcement
fail. He tried to draw himself up, but before he
could get more than two words out, the man who
held him said, "Look, son, that's all changing. It's
chan^ng right now. You mi^it as well get used to
ifThere was ahint of apology in the man's voice.

"Changing?" Wiley echoed, beginning to be
deeply afraid.

Nika was oddly calm, taking in these
announcements as if she had expected to hear
them.

"What about Dov?" As Wiley spoke his friend's
name he looked around. Dov and Crisianne
were being taken to another assault boat, also
accompanied by armed guards. "Where are you
taking him? Why isn't he with us?"

"Look," said another of the men. "You let us do
our job, everything'll be fine."

"But Dov —" Wiley protested.

"We have orders," said his escort. "Nothing
personal."

39

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

They were almost at the assault boat, and the
man leading the girl said, "Are we supposed to
bring her, or leave her here?"

"I don't know," admitted Wiley's captor. 'They
didn't say anything about her." He blinked once.
"We might as well bring her."

"What if they don't want her?" asked the man

guarding her.

"Let them decide. It's not up to us to figure
them out." He nudged Wiley toward the low-
ered steps. "Better get in. And nothing fancy.
You can't get out of here even if you want to."

Of that Wiley was absolutely certain. He
thought for one heady moment of breaking away
and running for safety. But there was no safety; if
the Navy men didn't catch him, the locals would.
He made a gesture of acquiescence. "Sure." He
started to climb, his legs feeling unsteady.

Behind him the girl started up the steps, her
movements more graceful, more controlled than
Wiley's. She looked hard at the man who had led
her, as if she wanted to remember his face.

There were another twenty men in the assault
boat, and they went about their chore of adjusting
racks for Wiley and the girl, saying very litde as they
did. Then the hatch was closed and secured.

Nika lost her footing as the straps were
adjusted, and fell against Wiley.

40

^

I

CROWN OF EMPIRE

As she did, Wiley felt the sting of an injection.
He stared at his arm where she had touched
him, trying to convince himself he had imagined
it. Why should she inject him? And what would
she inject him with? The second question
remained stuck in his mind like a splinter of ice
refusing to melt

The engines bellowed and the assault car
lifted into the air. Wiley could feel the back and
forth movement as it maneuvered to avoid col-
liding with the other boats.

Then there was a faintly pink fog filling the boat,
smelling of rotting hay and unripe apples. Wiley
could see that the fog came from something on the
girl's bdt, from a strangely wrought cylinder Wiley
had assumed was a piece of jewelry.

The Navy men noticed the fog about two sec-
onds before they collapsed. One moment they
were standing at their posts, and then they crum-
pled like marionettes with cut strings.

Wiley held his breath, expecting to lose con-
sciousness at any moment.

The assault boat began to yaw.

Nika unfastened the catches other rack and
hurried toward the pilot's station. She dragged
the pilot from his chair, dumping him on the
deck before sliding into place. She grabbed the
control bar with both hands, fighting to bring the

41

Chelsea Quinn Varbro

assault boat back on course. Her eyes flicked
over the instrument panel with the habit of

familiarity.

Staring at her, Wiley asked, "Who are you?"
"Get out of the rack and give me a hand," she

said. 'We've got to get clear of this place as

quickly as possible."
"What's going on?" Wiley fumbled with the

rack harness. "What did you do to them?"

"Poison gas. I gave you the antidote before,"
she said, watching the forward screen with

intense concentration.
Wiley studied her for a moment. She seemed

suddenly older, more a woman than the girls he
knew. He was out of the rack now, but he hesi-
tated to approach her. If only he knew who she

was, or why she was here.

"Get the copilot out of there and harness your-
self in," she commanded. "Now."

Wiley did as she ordered. He shoved the Navy
pilot into a comer, thinking as he did that the
woman must have some special reason for what
she was doing. He wondered if she was working
for his side — whichever side that was — or
against his side. Was he free or was he a hostage?

or

The communications board lit up and the
other assault boat signaled them. "Anything
wrong over there?"

42

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Answer them," said Nika. "Say we had a
sheer."

Wiley found the switch and told the other boat
they had a sheer.

"Report status," came back the response.

Wiley looked at Nika a little wildly. "Now
what?"

"Say uncertain." Her pretty face was stem
now, and Wiley thought, If I'm being kidnapped,
at least I'm being kidnapped by a beautiful
woman.

"Uncertain," he relayed.

"Brace yourself." She eased the huge ship up
through the narrow canyon between buildings.

The other assault boat came abreast of them,
so close that the air rocked and boiled between
the two boats.

Nika nudged the assault boat to higher speeds.
"We can't fight here," she muttered.

The second assault boat grew nearer, and
Wiley noticed that a third had turned to follow
them.

They raced through the streets, moving away
from the most densely populated part of the city.
Now the buildings were less tightly packed. With
the increased maneuvering room, the second
assault boat brought its laser-cannon into firing
position.

43

Chelsea Quinn farbro

Nika fired all four of her cannon directly into
the inertial guidance pod of the second boat. She
tool? advantage of the chaos to put more distance
between herself and the third assault boat.

'We're getting away," said Wiley, not sure if
this was supposed to please him or not.

"No," said Nika. "There're another five boats
out there. We just bought a litde time, that's all."
She set most of the controls on automatic and
got out of the pilot's harness. "Come on."

Wiley stared at her. "What?"

"Come on, let's go. We've got to get out while we
can. They'll cut us off or shoot us down in another
two minutes if we don't leave now. Get rruwmg."
She dragged a full parachute pack out of the locker
and tugged oh the harness. "Hurry up."

"But — " Wiley protested. Surely the assault
boat was safer than a parachute.

'They're going to start firing on us any second
now," she told him bluntly as she started to the
hatch release. "I've got a smoke canister rigged;

we'll have a little cover while we drop."

"Uh—" said Wiley

She reached out and tugged him toward the
hatch. 'There's no time, Bouriere."

Already the third assault boat was getting
closer. He nodded and started to reach for a sec-
ond parachute.

44

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"No time," said Nika as she threw the hatch
open. She locked her arms around Wiley and
secured him with the rescue latch.

She stepped out into nothing as the assault
boat began to pour out two colors of smoke.

The air buffeted them as they fell, and they
rocked violently as the first of the two 'chutes
opened. Nika secured the control shrouds; they
slid between two buildings and out of the line of
sight of the pursuing assault boats.

Behind them an explosion blossomed,

As they neared the ground, Nika noticed that
they had not yet moved beyond the city limits.
She swore.

"What's the matter?" demanded Wiley. He
paled as they fell past the side of a building. He
thought he could count the bricks, if he'd had
time.

"We're still inside the city," she said, shouting
to be heard against the rush of the wind. "If I
hadn't had to outrun that second boat, we'd be
outside the limits."

"And?" Wiley asked.

"I've missed the drop point," she said, and
swore with a thoroughness any Navy officer
would envy.

They were almost on the ground.

Wiley still had no idea who she was.

45

Chapter 4

Lieutenant Chaneywas muttering again.
"What is it?" asked lira, feeling slightly dazed.

As they were floating down the drop shaft, she

had let her mind drift so she wouldn't have to

think about the future.
He held up a hand, listening. "Help- My

uncle. We're to skip the guard room and go to

46

CROWN OF EMPIRE

the sub-basement garage. Someone will meet us."

'Tour uncle?" asked lira dubiously.

"Commander Kenigem Chaney."

"Ah," said Tira, feeling no wiser. "And what do
we do in the sub-basement?"

"Wait," responded Chaney. "For reinforce-
ments."

They fell past several floors, Tira growing
uneasy. Finally, one stop before the sub-
basement, she grabbed at Chaney's arm.

"We're getting off here." She tugged and they
stepped out of the shaft.

"What? Why? Uncle Ken said..."

*T know what Uncle Ken said. But Uncle Ken
isn't here and I am." Tira glared at Chaney.
"Whose rescue is this, anyway?"

"I thought it was mine, of you," grumbled
Chaney under his breath. "Now what. Demoiselle?
We still have to get down to the rendezvous."

Tira wasn't so sure about that, but she wasn't
sure what eke to do. At least her change in plans
would give them a chance to see the "reinforce-
ments" before they saw her.

'We can walk down the stairs."

"All right, then." He looked around. The drop-
shaft fell in the middle of one wall. "Left or
right?" he asked. 'There are fire stairs in each
comer. Just pick one."

47

Chdsea Quinn tarbro

"Left," 'lira said, and set off brisldy. She felt
exposed under die bright ceiling lights.

They'd reached the stairwell and started down
when a noise on the floor below caught Chane/s
attention. He motioned Tira to be still and ran
the rest of the way down. Leaning up against the
stairwell wall, he tried to see through the win-
dow in the door.

"Dear God," he whispered in shock. He raced
back up the stairs, grabbing Tira's arm as he
passed her.

"Cernians," he hissed. "Dozens of them."

"Looking for us," lira said. She let his hand
stay on her arm.

"Looking for you. We'll have to try something
else," His lips continued to move as he subvocal-
ized instructions to his AID.

They were not quite two full flights up when a
door opened and a Treasury guard entered the
stairwell above them. He shouted, lifting his gun
to fire.

Chaney shoved lira back against the wall, out
of the direct line of fire. Pulling his pistol from its
holster, he returned fire. The Treasury guard fell,
blocking open the door. A wild thought ran
through Chaney's mind: move the guard, close
the door, head up the stairs again . . . but he
could hear more guards coming closer already.

48

CROWN OF EMPIRE

He checked his ammunition — seventy-nine
rounds in the weapon and two spare clips. Okay.
Better than nothing.

"Who is it?" Tira asked.

"Same as before." Two shots punctuated
Chaney's answer as the Treasury men com-
menced firing.

"We're pinned down," he told her. 'Tick your
targets and don't give up. I've called for help."

Tira nodded, and took her pistol from her reti-
cule.

There was more firing now, and the first indi-
cation of a bustle in the sub-basement as well, as
the Germans responded to the sound of gunfire.

Chaney found what he thought was the most
protected place in the stairwell, a few steps down
from the upper landing, but on the high side of
the switchback from the lower landing. Both the
Treasury men and the Germans would have to
expose themselves to get a clear shot at Chaney
and Tira. They squatted down against the railing
and kept firing.

There was a heavy thud as at least one of the
ahens fell back.

Chaney hoped he had hit him badly enough to
take him out of the fight. If help didn't come
soon, he and Tira had little or no chance to get
out. Out-numbered and cut off, eventually they

49

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

would run out of ammunition. He wondered if
he should save two shots. Just in case.

Tira was firing more frequently and with
longer bursts, but didn't seem to have inflicted
any serious damage. 'They're still coming," she
whispered to Chaney.

"Keep shooting. Pick your targets."

"Pick my targets," she said. "Right. I wish I
didn't have such a selection to pick^rom." Taking
a deep breath, she thought suddenly of the many
times her brother had come after her with a
water pistol. Her eyes focused, her finger
squeezed, and a Treasury guard went down. A
new predatory gleam came into her eye and she
relaxed, the way a cat does just before springing.

"Watch out!" she yelled at Chaney. A Cemian
poked his head around the switchback.

Chaney fired; the slug went in through the
shoulder and came out south of the ribs. The
Cemian collapsed on the switchback, providing
a barrier.

The other Germans made a run at the bottom
of the shaft, forcing both Chaney and Tira to use
ammunition keeping them at bay. Chaney was
sharply aware that they had no spare clips for the
A7mark923.

"It doesn't look good," whispered lira, need-
ing no denial or confirmation from Chaney.

50

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"There're too many of them." She fired and one
of the Treasury men screamed. She kept her aim
steady with an effort of will, for she was getting
very tired as well as growing queasy at the
slaughter above and below her. There had been
too much dying for one day.

From the sub-basement came an ominous
clang, as if iron doors were being torn off their
hinges. Chaney had to hold back a groan of
despair as he heard it, for the Cemians took
courage at the sound and once again pressed for-
ward,

Trra shot another Treasury man.

Two Cemians surged into the stairwell, mov-
ing quickly and efficiently, one giving covering
fire to the other as they reached the first three
steps.

Then there was a sharp explosion, and the
whole stairwell shuddered. The Cemians froze;

above, the Treasury men faltered.

*'What was that?" Tira whispered, the sound
echoing unintelligibly through the stairwell.
T don't know," said Chaney, hating to admit it.
"What are we going to do?"

*Ylay it by ear," he advised, not telling her that
he still had two shots reserved for them if they
were required.

The noise in the sub-basement grew louder

51

Chekea Quinn Yarbro

and then came the sharp report of a Kanovsky
40-09 Antipersonnel riot control gun.

"What the devil?" said Chaney aloud. He was
pretty sure that none of die Germans were carry-
ing Kanovskys.

On the floor above the Treasury men moved
back to more secure cover.

The Cemians were fighting again, but no
longer with Chaney and lira. They had turned to
face a more formidable opponent.

Four Kanovskys were firing now, directly into
the Germans. Technically designed to wound
rather than kill, the weapons were usually loaded
with plastic riot control cartridges. But these
guns had a more lethal purpose, and the Cemi-
ans paid full measure against their might.

In a matter of seconds only five Germans were
still standing, two of them wounded. They held
their weapons reversed for surrender, and
waited with the dumb amazement of defeat as a
detachment of Marines in body armor came into
view at the base of the stairwell.

"Lieutenant Chaney?" called one of the
Marines, his voice hollow in the stairwell and
body armor.

"Yes," said Chaney, lowering his gun.

"Sorry we didn't get here earlier," said the
Marine to Chaney; he ignored Tira completely.

52

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"So are we," said Chaney with real feeling, and
turned to give his hand to Tira. There are Treas-
ury men above and — "

'That's been taken care of," said the Marine,
then coughed. "It would be best if we get mov-
ing, Lieutenant. Right now." He waved his arm
to indicate the carnage around them. "Don't you
think?"

"Yeah," said Chaney as he felt Tira's hand close
around his,

"Hurry" The Marine was already moving away.

Chaney turned to escort Tira down the stairs.
"It's the cavalry. Well, the Marines, anyway." He
offered her his arm.

Tira's fingers shook as she tucked the Samtoe-
poe A7mark923 back into her reticule. "About
time." Her voice shook, too. She took Chaney's
arm with as much dignity and poise as she could
muster.

They were bundled into a closed unmarked
car. Three of the Marines climbed in after them.
A Navy officer, a commander, was driving. None
of the men had anything to say to Tira, despite
her repeated questions.

Their silence made Tira uncomfortable. She
could feel the lack of respect the men had for
her.




53

Chelsea Quinn larbro

"I don't suppose you know where we're
going?" she whispered to Chaney, not wanting
these silent Marines to hear her uncertainty.

"Well, no," Chaney admitted as he adjusted
himself against the padded seats. "But it's better
than where we were."

"For the moment." It was late in the day and
fatigue was catching up with her; it showed in
the way she sat and the low level of irritation that
possessed her.

The journey seemed to go on forever. The
road narrowed as it climbed into the foothills.
Outcroppings of boulders loomed up in the
darkness like giants, and the left side of the road
fell away into ravines and dry creek-beds.

"Pretty inhospitable," said lira as she peered
out the window. "What land of installation is out
in a wilderness like this?" She had not often been
out of the city, and when she had been it was to
patrolled and groomed recreational lands, not
this forbidding section of the continent.

"A secret one," said Chaney.

Tira considered this. "You're probably right.
My father is ... was always talking about secret
installations and bases. He said Admiral Sderida
favored them." Her expression darkened.
"Admiral Sderida —"

"Don't," warned Chaney with a hitch of his

54

CROWN OF EMPIRE

elbow in the direction of the driver. '"Who knows
who's playing what game."

lira sighed. "I hate this. No matter who's at
the end of this ride, I'll be one kind of hostage or
another."

Chaney answered carefully. "I don't think
that's likely." He was trying to soothe his own
conscience as well as offer comfort. He had just
been following his unde's orders. But for the last
half hour it had been dawning on him that no
one knew where they were, and that the daugh-
ter of the High Secretary — whether Cowper
Bouriere was alive or not — was a real prize. Any
number of ambitious men might want to get
their hands on her.

The driver had turned on the headlights.
Though they were set low and shielded, they
offered a little safety on the twisting road. "It
won't be much longer now," he volunteered to
his passengers.

"Where are we going?" asked lira.

The driver said nothing more.

"Look, if they were going to kill you, they didnt
have to bring you out here," said Chaney reason-
ably. "They could have left us to the Cemians and
the rest, back at the Palace." He wanted to feel re-
assured by these assertions, but found that he could
not accept them without question.

55

Chelsea Quinn Varbro

"Unless they were holding out for their own
advantage," said Tira darkly. 'There might be
something to gain for getting me .. . out of the
way." She glanced down at her reticule, heart-
ened by the knowledge that she still had the
Samtoepoe A7mark923 resting inside it, among
other necessities of life.

Chaney nodded in spite of himself, "Yeah. But
this is Uncle Ken's doing. He's not the kind who
would... well, he doesn't exploit his family that
way."

Tira scowled. "Meaning he might want to
make a pawn of me, but not if you're involved? I
hope you're right." She went back to staring out
the window. They had entered a long canyon,
the road now nothing more than a single-lane
track along the side of the steep walls.

"I remember seeing this area on the maps,
back at school," she said. "It's usually labeled
The Barrens.' I used to wonder what that
meant, and why there weren't any cities here."
She shivered. "Now I know."

"It's pretty forbidding," said Chaney, remem-
bering the many times he had flown over this
landscape during training, thinking it looked
beautiful from the air.

She folded her arms. T don't recall learning
about any bases out here, except the scientific

56

CROWN OF EMPIRE

ones. You don't suppose we're going to one of
those, do you?"

T don't know," said Chaney with a trace of
exasperation. Tm as much in the dark as you are."

Tira sighed. T know that," she said, making
the words an apology.

Without warning, the car entered a tunnel.
The driver added a second set of headlights, but
that didn't really cut the gloom out the side win-
dow.

"Where is this?" lira asked uneasily as they
sped on. She could barely make out tiled walls.

For once the driver answered. "It's the
entrance to the base. Miss Bouriere- We're al-
most there."

"Wherever there is," said Chaney, trying to
conceal the sudden apprehension that had taken
hold of him.

'Tour uncle's base," said the driver. "I think
we're expected."

Tira stared at Chaney. "What do you think?"

T think I hope he's right about Uncle Ken
being here," said Chaney with feeling.

The car pulled into a wide bay where a small
escort of Navy personnel waited, all in battle
dress. As the car stopped the nearest of these
men reached forward and opened the door for
Chaney and lira.

57

Chelsea Quinn farbro

"Good evening. Lieutenant," he said very
politely. "And to you. Miss Bouriere." He indi-
cated the surroundings. "Sorry we had to resort
to this, but we had to guarantee your safety."

Thanks," said Chaney, getting out and hold-
ing his hand out for lira. "We were beginning to
wonder."

"Of course, of course," said the Navy officer.
"You'll have questions. Just as we have answers."
He closed the car door and saluted. "If you'll fol-
low me, we'll escort you. This is a pretty
confusing place until you leam your way
around."

"And are we going to do that?" Tira inquired
sweetly.

Chaney recognized a tone in her voice that the
young officer evidently missed. He replied seri-
ously. "It might come to that."

"I see," said Tira, and clutched her reticule
more tighdy. She did not look at Chaney.

The officer was right — the base was confus-
ing. As they followed him through the halls,
Chaney was quickly disoriented, and decided he
would have a great deal of trouble finding his
way back to the bay. He suspected that the young
officer was making the route as complex as possi-
ble. No matter. His AID was in inertial tracking
mode and better than a map with arrows.

58

CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Where are you taking us?" he asked when they
had gone some distance in silence.

"It's not far now," said the young officer, and
turned the comer into a large hall. At the far end
was a platform. On that platform stood a white-
haired, straight-backed officer in a formal
uniform that lacked rank tabs.

Chaney stood still as he took this in. Then he
raised his voice. "Uncle Ken! Uncle Ken!" He
started toward the platform, lira tagging along
behind him.

The man turned, smiling in welcome. "Yon!"
he called. "At last"

Chaney was half-way to the platform now.
Thank God you're all right. It's been pretty hec-
tic out there."

"I can imagine," said Uncle Ken, and his smile
faded.

"What is it?" Chaney asked, closing the gap
between them. "What's going on?"

Uncle Ken looked around, indicating with a
gesture that this was not the place for such a dis-
cussion. He addressed the escort. Thank you,
Bycroft, you may leave now."

"As you wish." said the young officer, saluting
briskly before turning his men and exiting from
the conference hall quickly.

"If you two will come with me," said Uncle

59

Chelsea Quinn farbw

Ken thoughtfully, "I think we can explain every-
thing. Demoiselle Bouriere, I know you must be
worried for your family." His sympathy seemed
genuine enough, but Tira hung back from Uncle
Ken, placing more faith in the man she knew.

There was a side door and Uncle Ken led them
through it while discussing the size of the under-
ground installation. "There's quite a complex above
us, on the surface, but its nothing like this."

"What is on the surface?" asked Tira.

"I thought I told you," said Uncle Ken as they
entered yet another short hallway. "There's a
large complex of administrative buildings,"

"In the middle of the desert?" said Tira.

"Room is precious, even in this part of the
planet," said Uncle Ken, ushering them into a
side room.

Four Navy men were waiting, and they
stepped up to Chaney, confining his arms and
taking his pistol.

"What the devil. . . !" Chaney burst out. He
struggled, trying to strike out at the four men.

Uncle Ken shook his head in commiseration.
"I'm sony, my boy, truly sony. But you've gotten
too deep in something you should have avoided.
You cannot be allowed to interfere." He started
to add something when a loud report filled the
room.

60

CROWN OF EMPIRE

There was a smoking hole in the side of Tira s
reticule, and a much larger, bleeding one at the
base of Uncle Kens ribs. She stepped aside as
Uncle Ken collapsed, and carefully pulled the
Samtoepoe A7mark923 into view. "I think," she
said very calmly, "that you had better let him go,"

61

Chapter 5

Jessine blinked. She felt as though her internal
dock had been set to zero. But the sounds of bat-
tle raged on outside, so she couldn't have been
out long. She leaned against the harness she had
fought so vigorously and gave it a grateful pat.
She became aware of the bubble of silence
within the storm and looked around, hesitantly.

62

CROWN OF EMPIRE

Broken bodies were flung about the APC.
Some of the men were still alive; she could hear
their ragged breathing, but she couldn't tell
which ones by looking. So much death! she
thought. She stepped gingerly over the bodies,
wishing her touch could heal.

"Madame ..." It was Lieutenant Varrick, still
at his command. "Madame... I've got to get you
safe ..." His voice trailed off.

She stepped over to his side, stroked his fore-
head, smearing her hand with his blood. "I'm
safe," she lied, not knowing why. "Good work,
Lieutenant."

"Safe .. .Verwill..."

"I'm safe, Lieutenant. Damien will know."

Lieutenant Varrick closed his eyes. Jessine
didn't know if he'd believed her.

She certainly knew better. Varrick's — or Ver's
— plan had failed. She needed a new one, now.
Most of the port side of the ship had been
blasted away, giving plenty of room for Jessine to
escape, but she hesitated. The battle was still
going on and she could see that the whole of the
Secretary's Palace was in an uproar. She needed
to make herself less obvious if she were to have a
chance of getting away.

One of the dead soldiers had a long, loose
field-poncho over his uniform, a garment of

63

Chelsea Quinn farhro

steelcloth, of a color so neutral that it made its
wearer hard to see. Reaching down, she pulled
and tugged at the field-poncho, trying to get it
off the body. The task was more difficult than she
had thought it would be. But the continuing
sound of gunfire and explosions kept her at it
until she felt the corpse release the garment

Another clatter of gunfire sounded just out-
side the crashed ship, and Jessine froze for an
instant. With shaking hands she shrugged out of
her designer anorak and slipped on the poncho,
hating the smell of death that dung to it. Bend-
ing down, she dipped her hand into the dead
soldier s clotting blood. She rubbed her arm with
it and smeared a little along her cheekbone.
Then she pulled the little Ridly 20-44 from the
soldier's holster and checked the magazine.
Bracing herself, she rifled her dead soldier and
his companions for spare magazines. Finding
four, she tucked them into her belt and lowered
the field-poncho over it The gun she kept in her
hand-
In the far side of the quadrangle a gaggle of
Emergency Service personnel were starting to run
toward the wrecked ship, a few carrying life-paks,
the others with guns. Gunfire sent up little sprays of
paving and dust around them as they ran.

Emerging from the ship, Jessine stumbled

64

CROWN OF EMPIRE

deliberately in order to enhance the illusion she
was wounded. She started toward the central
pylon of the Secretary's Palace, the field-poncho
flapping as she ran- As she had hoped, no one
paid much attention to her.

There should have been an automatic walk-
way running through the central garden, but it
was stopped. Most of the plants had been
blasted or trampled and of the three ornamental
fountains, only one had atrickle of water coming
from its decapitated Nike.

Jessine ran down the halted walkway.
Kitchleys office was nineteen floors above her in
what had once been a diplomatic reception
room, but had been pressed into service as office
space more than twenty years ago. She decided
to head for that.

Jessine avoided the dropshafts. The civilian
ones might not be dependable, and she lacked
the codes for the military ones. Her husband had
never involved his twenty-four-year-old bride in
military affairs. No matter. She didn't want an
entrance that wouldn't allow quick exit. That left
the stairs or the old-fashioned freight lifts. She
tried to remember where the lifts were.

There was a cross hallway some distance
ahead other, and Jessine slowed down, listening
for what she might encounter.

65

Chelsea Quinn farbro

A squad of Treasury fighters came jogging
along in loose formation, a sergeant urging them
on. He slowed as he caught sight of Jessine.
"Trouble, soldier?" he shouted.

Jessine held up her bloody arm. "I need a
medic." she said, hoping that none of his men
were medics. "It could be a bacterial." Bacterial
bullets were illegal throughout the Pact, but it
was known that there were always a certain
number of them around.

"Bacterial?" the sergeant repeated, taking an
involuntary step backward.

"Might be," she said. "Better not get too
close."

"Bacterial. Holy bloody backfire. You need
quarantine right away. There's a medic station
back that way." He nodded his head in the direc-
tion he'd come from. "Sony, soldier." The
sergeant barked a few sharp words to his squad
and they moved off briskly.

Jessine at last remembered where the lifts
were, and headed directly for them.

She reached them without meeting anyone
else. You could tell today was special — the Pal-
ace was usually bustling with people, humans
and aliens, doing the work of the Pact. Stepping
into the freight cage, she pressed the code for
Kitchley's floor. As the door closed, she leaned

66

CROWN OF EMPIRE

back against the wall and caught her breath. As
the lift rose, it occurred to Jessine that anyone
looking for her might think to check Kitchley's
office. It was well known around the Palace that
the High Secretary's Appointments Clerk and
the High Secretary's new wife worked together.
She punched the code for the High Secretary's
Retreat, three floors below Kitchley's. She could
take the stairs, and not be a sitting duck when the
lift doors opened.

She stepped out into the domed chamber, look-
ing up toward the white-and-gold balconies rising
over her. The lavish Daphne ferns threw out their
baroque tendrils along the spiraled trellis, their
white and silver blossoms scenting the air with a
curious mixture of saffron and honey. The one
remaining Retreat of the original twelve, it had not
yet surrendered to the space-hungry beast of
bureaucracy. It still had the lush and elaborate
grace that the High Secretary was supposed to
enjoy. Standing here, among the plants, she could
almost forget the battles outside.

The retreat, blue and silver with touches of
rosy mauve, was awash with tranquility. It
reminded her of Cowper Bouriere. who had
been kind to her, and who had not pretended
that an arranged marriage was a love match. For
that alone, she did love him.

67

Chelsea Quinn Varbro

Jessine heard the discreet beep of an alarm,
and somewhere beyond the retreat there was the
sound ofglastic breaking. Her grip on the Ridly
tightened a fraction.

Shots crashed above her and the balustrade of
one of the balconies shattered.

Jessine moved back, hiding in the rich curl of a
huge Daphne fern.

Two minutes went interminably by. Jessine lis-
tened but heard nothing more than the
continuing beep of the alarm. She couldn't wait
here forever. She had to know if Kitchley had
survived, and if she would be safe with him.

But the stairs were monitored, and open
besides. She looked up the shaft of the ancient
fern. It grew three stories, branching off with
broad leaves and thick stems. Some of the
heavier branches passed close by balconies. Hol-
stering the Ridly in the waistband of her pants,
she began to climb.

She climbed steadily, cautiously, taking care to
examine each balcony thoroughly as it came into

view.

For an instant she thought of Damien Ver, and
was startled at how concerned she was for him.
What was he doing? Why had he sent those men
for her? Did he really just want her safe, or did
he want the Secretariat? Near the top of the

68

CROWN OF EMPIRE

fern, Jessine stopped to rest and to re-evaluate
her position. From here she could see that
someone had used railguns on the elaborate ceil-
ing, blasting away the mural of the Creation of
the Pact in which all the great heroes sat
together in front of a High Secretary who looked
a bit like Jessine s husband.

"Oh, Cowper," she whispered. "You didn't
deserve this. You weren't a bad man." She stared
at the painting, fighting back unexpected tears.
Did she have any chance at all? Did any of
them?

Peering through the foliage, ears straining,
Jessine tried to determine if the area was clear. It
seemed so, and she crawled out along a branch
to the nearest balcony.

Then she heard a voice from a window above
her and froze.

"Step out." came the sharp order from a Secu-
rity sergeant, his railgun ready for business.

Jessine straightened up. She recognized him.
"Good afternoon. Sergeant Mallas," she said dis-
tinctly, glad that her voice did not shake.

"Madame Bouriere," said Sergeant Mallas. hur-
riedly lowering his railgun and flushing with
embarrassment. "I didn't realize... And your arm.
Do you need medical attention?" He was two bal-
conies away, but appeared to be considering

69

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

climbing over the railings and balustrades in
order to reach her.

"Step out into the hall," suggested Jessine,
starting there herself.

"No," said Sergeant Mallas, showing his anxi-
ety again. "It isn't safe. Stay where you are. I'll
come and escort you."

She faltered, then made herself nod in
approval. 'That would be very welcome. Thank
you. Sergeant." She made an effort to straighten
her clothing and her hair while the young soldier
made his way around to her balcony.

"We were all so worried." the sergeant said as he
came to her side. "No one knows what... excuse
me, Madame Bouriere." He dropped to one knee
and fired his railgun at a shadow in the hall. The
pellets spattered and the shadow retreated.

"Who... ?" Jessine asked.

"Who knows? Germans, Navy, Treasury,
Marines, Kona Tatsu?" He made a face to show it
was all the same to him. "They're all out fighting
with us. Nobody knows who's alive and who's not,
or who's in charge." He coughed. 'I didn't mean to
say anything wrong, Madame Bouriere."

"Saying it isn't wrong. Sergeant Mallas. It's the
act of rebellion that's wrong," She indicated the
hallway. "I want to reach Kitchleys office. That's
one more level above us."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

The Sergeant shook his head. "I don't know,
Madame. It could be pretty hard getting through
the halls. There are too many people who . . .
don't know what's going on. They're barricaded
in their offices and shooting at anything moving."
He looked at her pistol. "Still, considering —"

Jessine cocked her head. "You mean consider-
ing that most of them would recognize me —"

He nodded. "It's taking a chance. Most of
them think you and all the others are dead."

"I can understand why," said Jessine, and
could not keep herself from adding, "Do you
know if anyone else... ?"

"Got out?" he finished for her. "Sorry,
Madame. I don't know. I've heard rumors, but
nothing real." He pressed closer to the open
door, "You want to try this?"

"Yes," she said, knowing it was what she had to
do. She had been raised to be the wife of the
High Secretary, and that included facing adver-
sity with dignity and fortitude. She stood a little
straighter. "Take up First Escort position."

"If that's what you want," said Sergeant Mallas
dubiously but without challenging her orders.
He moved into the hall.

"Stand up. Sergeant. They are less likely to fire
at you if you behave as if you belong here."

The first checkpoint was unmanned, but the

71

Chelsea Quinn Yarforo

second had Security soldiers m place, all four of
them heavily armed.

"You're cleared to the Appointments Direc-
torate, Madame," said the unsmiling Security
guard. 'Treasury Guards are in charge there.
You'll have to deal with them if you're going
beyond there."

'Thank you. Monitor," said Jessine with delib-
erate hauteur; she had the satisfaction of seeing
the Security guards come to attention before she
followed Sergeant Mallas through the confusion
of the main corridor.

The five make-shift data processing stations
which had been set up under the Grand Stair-
case more than twenty years ago were now filled
with Directorate employees all trying to sort and
destroy any compromising documents they
might have in their records. Dataspools and
printed records lay everywhere — on the floor,
atop cases and chairs and cabinets — and every-
one spoke in whispers, as if they, too, might
prove embarrassing to some high official.

Sergeant Mallas kept his eyes moving, watch-
ing for the unexpected as he continued at a
steady walk toward the next checkpoint.

A cluster of offices toward the first bank of
dropshafts had once been storage rooms; they
were small and cramped and dark. Clerks were

72

CROWN OF EMPIRE

assigned to them on a rotating basis because few
could stand the sepulchral environment for long.
Sergeant Mallas was starting to say something
when the door to the nearest office was flung
open and half a dozen soldiers in Navy
body-armor uniforms piled out, their Kanovskys
at the ready.

Jessine did not want to find out what land of
ammunition the Kanovskys had. Sergeant Mallas
tugged her off her feet and dropped almost on
top other, his gun aimed at the Navy soldiers.

"We can kill you and take her or take her," said
the leader of the Navy soldiers, making a sugges-
tive flick with the barrel of his Kanovsky. "Get
out of the way. Security. This isn't your fight any-
more."

"Whose fight is it?" Jessine demanded, half
her body feeling squashed. Her cheek was
pressed against the floor and her hip bone hurt.

"Be quiet, Madame," Sergeant Mallas said to
her, remaining very calm.

"Let us have her," the Navy leader said. "You
can go. We don't want you."

I'm going to die here, thought Jessine with
intense disbelief. They are going to kill Sergeant
Mallas and me. I'm twenty-four. They can't do
this. She bit the insides of her cheeks to keep
from screaming in rage.

73

Chelsea Qutnn farbro

Sergeant Mallas pressed his release toggle.
"I'm ready anytime you are."

"Ifs a damned waste," sighed the leader, and
brought his Kanovsky up.

He never fired it. A group of Treasury Guards
stepped out of the dropshaft, their weapons —
Bahkoyn 149JZs — already aimed. The Tech-
Captain in the lead made a motion and his men
spread out across the wide section of corridor in
front of the dropshafts.

"Holy sweet —" whispered Sergeant Mallas,
looking from the Navy soldiers to the Treasury
detachment.

Jessine ground her teeth. Either they were
going to loll her, in which case she wanted them
to get it over with, or they were going to fight
each other, in which case she wanted to be on
her way. She pushed one arm out from under
her and tried to shove herself free of Sergeant
Mallas, who moved at once to continue to cover
her.

"Madame Bouriere," said the TechCaptain.
"Can we be of service?"

The Navy soldiers were now maneuvering
into position to fight the guards. The Kanovskys
faced the Bahkoyns; no one fired yet.

"I want to get to Kitchley."

"He's injured, Madame Bouriere," said the

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CBOWN OF EMPIRE

TechCaptain, as polite as if they were preparing
for a diplomatic reception. "But he is in his
office." He gave his attention to the Navy sol-
diers. "We'll take it from here."

"Uh-oh," whispered Sergeant Mallas, and
started to slide backward, dragging Jessine with
him.

It was difficult to tell who had fired first: there
was silence, and then the hallway rang and
buzzed with Kanovsky full-deterrent ammuni-
tion and Bahkoyn high impact shells. The
ornamental friezes above the dropshafts splin-
tered and shells gouged long grooves in the floor.

Four Navy soldiers dropped at the first
onslaught, three dead and one wounded. Treas-
ury guards' repellent-field uniforms managed
better, though two men were wounded.

The firing increased and there were screams
and howls everywhere, from Navy soldiers,
Treasury Guards, clerks, automatic alarm sys-
tems. The noise was as frightening as the shells
being fired.

"We're getting out of here," Sergeant Mallas
told Jessine, wriggling back and sideways from
thefirefight.

The Treasury troops moved toward the Navy
unit, clearly holding the advantage. The Navy
soldiers retreated back toward the tomb-like

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

cubicle offices, taking more time to aim and fire
than they had done at first. Behind them at the
far end of the hall clerks were screaming and
running, many-with their arms full ofdataspools.

Sergeant Mallas inched his way closer to the
dropshafts. "Just one floor up," he reminded
Jessine. "You can do it easy. You slide back, stand
up real carefully — you don't want to pinwheel."

"What about you?" she asked as she did her
best to follow his instructions.

"I'm right behind you." He kept his railgun in
position to fire, watching the guards drive the
Navy out of the hall.

Jessine slipped into the dropshaft, steadying
herself in the field, taking care to stay balanced
and oriented properly. A bullet ricocheted off
the floor and struck Sergeant Mallas square in
the chest just as he was easing back into the
dropshaft. He gave a single grunt, then his rail-
gun dropped from his fingers. He fell sideways,
slipping beyond the field's stability; his corpse
began to turn slowly, then moved steadily faster
in the dropshaft beside Jessine as she rose to the
floor above. She heard shots behind her, but
didn't dare look back as she stepped out. Prob-
ably some other faction was attacking the Navy
— Sclerida's men.

Jessine jogged along the corridor and swung

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

around a comer into the Appointments Com-
munications Center. It had been transformed
into a command post for the defense of the Sec-
retary's Palace and was as crowded as the
corridor had been. Stopped, she saw that five
railguns were aimed at her. Only the sudden
shouts of two alien supervisors stopped the
clerks manning the guns from firing.

A Magdarite with orange ruff fully extended
around his vulpine face, rushed forward, bowing
in recognition. "Madame Bouriere. How ... for-
tunate to see you." He seemed confused but
determined to behave correctly no matter how
strange their circumstances.

Jessine took this as well as she could, but she
felt at a marked disadvantage. "I don't know
what's . . . developed. Its been so — " She
stopped, gesturing her lack of words.

"Untypical." the Magdarite supplied, doing his
best to look calm- "We're getting the situation in
hand now, as you can see." He bowed to the sol-
diers and clerks. "It is a great honor to defend
you in this difficult hour."

"It is an honor to be defended by you." Jessine
nodded regally. "Can I get on the other side of
these guns now?"

Finally, he led her around the railguns and
past a barricade of office furniture. A little

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

giddily, Jessine wondered if double-decker desks
were the daily operating standard. "You'll want
to see Kitehiey," assumed the Magdarite.

"Yes, please."

"Bight this way, Madame Bouriere," the Mag-
darite said as he started through a maze of cubicles.

"Is Kitehiey well?" asked Jessine.

"A little injured, but not severely," said the
Magdarite, letting his ruff deflate a little. "He has
been tended to, and should recover completely."
They were nearing Kitehieys office, and Jessine
saw two communication-dispatchers now set up
as gun emplacements with impressive bits of ar-
tillery wired into them. "We are striving to give
thorough protection here."

"Yes, it looks it," said Jessine, her face set in the
ritual half-smile she habitually wore at public
functions. She inclined her head to the clerks
who recognized her.

"His Remarkableness the Appointment Clerk
to the High Secretary," said the Magdarite, with
a court bow.

Kitehiey was preoccupied with the displays on
the huge wall screen, and so at first did not real-
ize who had come into his large, cramped office,
When he at last he turned, a great smile
wreathed his face. "Madame Bouriere," he said
warmly.

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"Kitehiey," she said, a little surprised at the
relief she felt. She maintained a decent fortitude
and merely grasped his wrists as custom dic-
tated. "I was afraid that you'd been harmed
when — "

Kitehiey shook his head. 'They ignored me.
They really wanted you. I thought we'd lost you.
Come, sit, please. Do you need a medic?" He
gestured at her bloody arm,

"No, thank you," said Jessine politely. She
looked around the cramped office area and
found a large sealed crate. Carefully removing a
stack of papers, she sat down.

Kitehiey was at his comm board. 'Team X, this
is Leader. The subject has returned safely. Please
pick up soonest."

'Team X, will comply. ETA, five minutes,"
came the answer.

Jessine stared at Kitehiey for a second. "Oh.
Your escort."

Kitehiey gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes,
Madame. They'll be here shortly, and we can
carry on getting you safely to my house." His
smile disappeared. "We have the preliminary
report on the autopsy."

The word gave the High Secretary's death a
reality that Jessine had been holding off. Tears
filled her eyes. "Yes?"

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

"It appears he was poisoned. We are proceed-
ing on the assumption that the assassination may
well have been at the instigation of Senator
Lomax. He has made it plain enough that he
covets the post of High Secretary and is pre-
pared to take steps to secure the position for
himself. Therefore it is not unlikely that he par-
ticipated in these dreadful events." He watched
the display critically: nine levels below, Cemians
and Navy soldiers were locked in combat

"Why Lomax and not Sclerida?" asked Jessine.
She wiped her forehead with the back of her
hand- She thought she remembered having this
discussion before with Kitchley. She wondered if
he knew something she didn't. "Sclerida's every
bit as ambitious as Lomax and he has half the
Navy at his command."

"Yes, the Admiral is another likely candidate, but
Lomax seems to have gained the most in the least
time." He pressed one of his fingers to the center of
his forehead, the Daphne equivalent to a frown.
"Of course, it's too soon to be sure. We dont know
what the disposition will be a day from now."

Jessine stared at the display. "No, we don't."

"If it is Lomax," said Kitchley, "then he will
have to shore up his claim quickly. That would
require that he ally himself with you or your
step-daughter."

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"You mean marry me or Tira," said Jessine
more bluntly. "A statement of endorsement
wouldn't be enough for him." A shudder of dis-
taste rippled through her. "He would need
something more... binding."

In the momentary lull of their conversation,
the voice of a soldier could be heard: "Unit 44, to
6 North, unit 44, go to 6 North. Reinforce
against Cernian invaders."

"Unit 44, roger, wilco."

Kitchley regarded Jessine. "Yes, marriage, to
you or lira." He hesitated. "Or he could dispose
ofWiley and claim his position. And then there is
the Haiken Maru. They have influence enough
to make the lad a puppet; Wiley is not prepared
to resist such pressures."

Dispose of? Jessine looked sharply at Kitchley.
Had Cowpers death caused this callousness, or
had it always been there?

"I'm afraid you're right," she said slowly.
"Even if he were popular, he isn't very strong-
willed." She reviewed what she knew of her
husband's wild son. He was popular, sometimes
even quite charming, but his cronies took joy in
antagonizing die alien population. He just hadn't
exhibited very good judgment. "He couldn't hold
the Secretariat on his own." She looked at the
display. "Where is Wiley? Have you found him?"

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

"No, we haven't," admitted Kitchley, his
embarrassment obvious. "We are assuming that
is an indication he is still alive, somewhere."

"Will they keep looking for him?" asked
Jessine as they moved,

"Of course," replied Kitchley. "He is the heir."

"Lomax or Sclerida. there isn't much to choose
between them for Wdey," said Jessine slowly.

"I fear not," said Kitchley. "I haven't located
Admiral Sclerida, either. A man of his great abili-
ties — "

"And ruthlessness," added Jessine.

"Yes, ruthlessness, certainly," said Kitchley.
"Sclerida may lack Senatorial status, but he had
the good sense to marry a Chaney, which
improves his lot and makes his children serious
candidates for the High Secretariat." He tapped
his fingers on the armrest. "Despite the scandal
his children might well be his access to the office
he seeks. With Chaney prestige — his brother-
in-law still supports him — who knows what he
might achieve."

Jessine nodded. "He's been putting pressure
on die High Secretary for some time now, want-
ing to arrange a marriage between his son Dov
and lira. It would be perfect for his plans. Cow-
per and I discussed it..." Her voice trailed off.
Cowper had wanted her perspective since she

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was so close to Tira's age. Jessine tried to remem-
ber if she'd really considered Tira's feelings
during those talks.

"I'm going to miss him," she said to Kitchley.
"He was a very decent man. He treated me well
and he did his job the best he knew how."

"I had great esteem for him," said Kitchley.
For the next several seconds he concentrated on
a pitched confrontation in the lower storage
depths. A group of Marines was attempting to
cart off large canisters of some unknown sub-
stance while Treasury soldiers pinned them
down. "If the Admiral should ever persuade lira
to many Dov Sclerida, it could lead to a number
of unpleasant developments."

"There we agree," said Jessine with feeling. "But
I doubt Tira would see it that -way." She pointed out
the North Reception lobby monitor, which showed
a disordered group of Security soldiers had just
broken through a German barricade.

Kitchley used his palace communications
over-ride to warn all the combatants that if they
did not evacuate the area, explosives concealed
in the floor would be triggered, killing all in the
lobby. As he watched the soldiers scatter in all di-
rections, he said, "There is no change of heart
there."

"No," said Jessine heavily. "She still calls me

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

harlot. She refuses to believe that her father isn't
... wasn't jealous, that our marriage was a diplo-
matic convenience. And once she found out
about DamienVer, well..."

"She's not a foolish girl generally," said
Kitchley. doing his best to be reassuring. "In time
she will come to understand —"

"I doubt it," said Jessine, feeling strangely
desolate. "Given what has happened. Her father
is a martyr, and I'm sure Tira assumes I was the
one who betrayed him."

Kitchley's attention returned to the monitors.
As he had warned, he picked up a small trigger
unit and pressed it into action: on the display one
of the holograms showed an eruption of stone
and glastic as a dozen uniformed bodies were
hurled from the landing arms outside the
Ambassadorial entrance.

"Good!" Jessine approved as she watched the
display.

"Necessary," corrected Kitchley. "If I were not
loyal to the Pact, I would not be able to send
men to their deaths in this way. We must have a
true succession, or the Pact will become mean-
ingless, and everything that we have struggled so
hard to achieve will be lost."

Jessine regarded him in surprise. "I didn't. . .
you've never said you were a... a patriot before."

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"Because I am an alien, you expect me to
despise the Pact? Why? Before the Pact there
were more abuses and they were worse. With
the Pact there is a little hope that the time will
come when the abuses will end. For that I am
willing to do battle." He stopped suddenly. "That
is why I am determined to do everything in my
power to protect the succession."

Jessine tilted her seat back, stared at the ceil-
ing a moment before dosing her eyes.

"None of us could hold the Secretariat," she
said. "Not Wiley, not me, not lira. And yet any
one of us could take it for one of these mad fac-
tions."

"It's Wiley's seat, Madame. We must find a way
for him to hold it Perhaps the KonaTatsu..."

Jessine gave him a look. "We must find him
first. And the Kona Tatsu... I don't know any-
more what the KonaTatsu wants." She squeezed
her eyes tight. Was it the Kona Tatsu or Damien
Ver who had sent those APC's? Or had Varrick
lied and it was someone else altogether?

"Let me be certain I have the players straight,"
said Jessine. The Haiken Maru want Lomax in
the seat, as Wiley's puppeteer — maybe his
regent. Sclerida wants the seat for himself, but
hasn't got a prayer for that, or of becoming
regent, not after that scandal — did he really

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

think his wife would let his boyfriends live in her
house?

"So Sclerida would need to ... dispose ... of
Wiley and marry Dov to me or Tira. Blech."
Jessine didn't like young Sclerida — he was shal-
low, egotistical and stupid to boot.

"You could be regent for Wiley, Madame,"
offered Kitchley. "And Sclerida could many you
to Dov and gain the seat that way."

"No, he couldn't marry me to Dov," she
snapped. "I wouldn't many Dov Sclerida."

Kitchley protested. "But, Madame, to protect
the succession..."

'The succession cannot be protected,
Kitchley," said Jessine sharply. "Wiley is not fit to
rule, regardless of regent or advisors. If he takes
the Secretariat, the Pact will take another step
down towards death."

"If he doesn't, the Pact will die immediately,"
shot back Kitchley.

"Then we're doomed, aren't we?" Jessine
leaned her seat back again. "Because I don't
think that Sclerida or Lomax could run the Pact
for anything but their own benefit."

They were both silent for a moment.

'There is Governor Merikur."

"Who?*' asked Jessine.

'The governor of Harmony Cluster," replied

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Kitchley. "Well, governor pro tern. He was
Admiral Merikur until the Kona Tatsu assassinated
Governor Windsor. I believe he's on his way to
Earth, with a fleet of duster command ships.'*

"Oh, splendid," muttered Jessine. "Another
hand in the pot. And who does Governor
Merikur intend to many? Me, Tira or Wiley?"

"I'm not sure he knows that the High Secre-
tary is dead," replied Kitchley thoughtfully. "He's
been en route for a few weeks now."

Jessine's eyes narrowed. "What's he after
then?"

Kitchley raised his eyebrow. "With a cluster
command fleet? I understand he's already taken
over Apex Cluster."

"Rebellion? Before the Secretary died? How
ambitious!"

"Begun by Governor Windsor, Madame. That
would be why the Kona Tatsu killed him."

"How curious," murmured Jessine. "A man
without a corporation. I mean, Lomax is run by
the Haiken Maru, and Sclerida has Naval Logis-
tics . . . what did Windsor have? Or who had
him?*'

Jessine moved restlessly through the crowded
room toward Kitchley's displays. The way you
handle things, I have to be glad we're on the
same side. You're an expert tactician."

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

"Oh, no," said Kitchley with modesty. "It
would not be a life for me, fighting and plotting-
1 will do what is necessary to protect the Pact,
but I could not make a career out of aggression.
You will find that many of the aliens working
here feel as I do." He paused, watching the fire
from a Kanovsky 40-09 tear the hell out of one of
the statues outside the Ambassadorial reception
salons. "I will be grateful when this is over. It is
not a thing I relish."

"No, of course you don't," said Jessine at once.
"I wonder when we'll get a report on Wiley's
whereabouts."

"I don't know," said Kitchley. "When things
are a bit calmer, I will press my inquiries,"

"And Tira?" As always, Jessine had a complex
reaction to her step-daughter. "Do you know
where she is? In spite of everything, I hope she's
all right."

"We haven't found her anywhere in the Pal-
ace," Kitchley said. "She must have escaped."

'To where?" asked Jessine hopelessly. "With
whom?"

"I don't know," Kitchley confessed. "We
haven't a full picture of what is happening within
the Palace, let alone anywhere else. I cannot tell
you, not even with these display screens, who
exactly is defending the Palace or whether the

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

defenders are losing. It will take time before we
know the whole of the damage here."

"How long do you expect that will take?"
Jessine asked.

"It depends," Kitchley said. "If there are more
waves of assault, it will take a great deal of time.
If there are no more waves of assault, then we
must determine which group has been able to
secure what area, and only then will we have
some notion of who is losing and who is win-
ning."

Knowing it showed more weakness than she
wanted to admit, Jessine asked one more ques-
tion. "And DamienVer?

Kitchley made a gesture of apology. "He is
wearing his blank. We can't find him unless he
removes it"

"Or unless he dies," said Jessine. "We're not
winning, are we?" she asked as she stared at the
displays in Kitchley's make-shift headquarters.

"Not yet," said Kitchley. "But neither are we
losing."

"Not yet," amended Jessine.

Kitchley turned to Jessine, his slanted tiger's
eyes sharp. "Before the escort arrives, I must ask
you an impolite question."

*Tes?" Jessine said.

"Where does Damien Ver stand in this? Have

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

you made him promises?" The last was said gen-
tly but it was still an accusation.

Jessine colored. "Not the kind you're imply-
ing," she told him in sudden anger. "He has
never said or done anything that led me to
believe that he had other ambitions."

"I ask because," Kitchley persisted, "it would
be possible for him to find a husband for you,
one of excellent birth who would be willing to let
Ver rule through him, one who would accept the
same terms that Cowper Bouriere did in his
marriage to you, and that would serve his pur-
pose very well. He is used to working out of
sight. With your support, Ver would be able to
lead the Pact."

"It's not like that," said Jessine, denying her
own doubts. One of the reasons she was so
attracted to Ver was that he was a man of pur-
pose and determination; but what if his
determination was greater than he had admitted
to her?

"It is not that he is not capable," Kitchley said,
"but it would not be accepted, not at this time. If
the Governors were being more reasonable, I
would advise just such an arrangement, but in
these times, more visible solutions are neces-
sary."

This was more than she could handle. "How

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

can you say this to me?" Jessine demanded. "You
know me, Kitchley. You and I have been friends.
I trust you."

"And I you, but if there are questions, I must
be prepared to answer them," Kitchley said rea-
sonably. He gave Jessine one last, long stare.
"You are telling me the truth, aren't you? This
isn't the work of the Kona Tatsu and Damien
Ver?"

"If it is, he has betrayed all of us." She said it
coldly, but it struck the deeper and more pain-
fully for that.

There was a disturbance outside the barrier
and the Magdarite bustled into Kitchiey's space.

"Hie escort has arrived. Your Remarkableness."

"Excellent." Kitchley gestured Jessine to leave
the cubicle before him. They passed the railgun
emplacements and joined a squad of well-armed
Daphneans. They hurried through the corridors
to the staircase, heading for the roof.

Jessine frowned at Kitchley. "Is there a com-
munication center at your compound in Horizon
Park?"

"Of course, and a staff to tend to it. You will
not be cut off from the world just because you
are protected." He put his long, narrow hand on
her shoulder again. "Rest assured, you will be all
right"

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Chelsea Qwnn farbro

'Thank you," she said.

Kitchley indicated the aircar. "Come. I have
done everything I can here. We must continue
our efforts at Horizon Park."

"Then we will," said Ereley, the leader of the
escort, starting toward the aircar where the other
Daphneans waited.

Kitchley hesitated. "I will be with you directly.
Climb aboard, Ereley. There's a message I have
to send to your friend, Madame, if he can receive
it. He will want to know where you are."

"Yes, Madame," said Ereley. "Let me help you
get aboard."

"All right," said Jessine, glancing back toward
Kitchley, "Hurry up."

"Of course, Madame," came the muffled
reply.

Ereley was aboard and the aircar throbbed
into life. He looked around at the men with him,
then nodded to the driver. "We're ready."

Jessine, who was just buckling herself into the
harness, stared over at him. "Wait! I see Kitchley
coming."

"So he is," said Ereley. And with that, he
swung his Kanovsky around and blasted Kitchley
with a burst of metal-piercing shots. Kitchley
staggered, then appeared to drop into pieces, his
lower body almost entirely severed from the

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

upper. Bright orange Daphnean blood foun-
tained into the consoles and communications
equipment.

If it had been possible Jessine would have
risen. But the harness held her down and the air-
car was already starting to move through the
concealed port, the sounds of its engines cover-
ing her rising scream-

93

Chapter 6

They dropped out of the night like wounded
owls and jolted into the ground. Wiley, more
dazed than Nika, fell flat on his back. The world
was wobbling. It was different from his usual
post-party wobble, and he didn't like it. Espe-
cially since the post had cut the party so short.

"We've got to get out of here," Nika said as she

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

gathered the chute together and looked around
for a place to hide it.

"I like it here," mumbled Wiley. "It's so... so...
it's flat. It's not moving." His head ached, his back
ached, his ankles ached. In fact, there was no part of
him that wasn't sore in some way. He groaned as he
sat up. "So whats going on, anyway?"

"It's complicated," she said. 'We have to get
out of here. They could be looking for us."

Wiley sighed as he stared at the empty street.
"All right. Where do we go now?"

"We need transportation. Look around for
something that has good speed and handling. I
don't want to blunder around up there." She
stretched a little, then regarded him with exag-
gerated patience. 'Well? Do you think you can
manage to get up now?"

Wiley pushed himself to his feet. He felt
slightly dizzy. Functional, though, if someone
else did the thinking.

"You look awful," said Nika. "Let's get going.
We need an aircar, now."

Wiley shrugged and fell in beside her, though
it was an effort to match her long, steady stride.
"If that's what you want, that's what we'll do."

She glanced at him. "You're going to have to
leam to be more assertive than that if you intend
to run the Pact."

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

They had gone some distance when Wiley
spotted a Kahna Starcruiser. It was driven by a
stem-faced man with military bearing whose
passenger was a Zambretic merchant in full
regalia.

"Pretty. Should I stick out my thumb?" Wiley
asked. Nika murmured something he couldn't
hear.

In a moment, the Starcruiser had come to a
halt before them. The chauffeur was punching
uselessly at his controls and his passenger was
blue with indignation.

Nika stepped up to the car as the door opened.
"Out," she said. The chauffeur looked at her,
then at his passenger. A weapon appeared in the
woman's hand. "Now," she added. The chauffeur
rose from his seat. The merchant began to blus-
ter. Nika raised her weapon hand and Wiley
stepped forward hastily.

"Please," he said. "I realize this is a great
inconvenience, but there has been an emer-
gency, and I am required at the Palace at once. I
regret that we must deprive you of the aircar, but
you may reclaim it at the Palace in the next
twenty-four hours. You will be compensated for
our use and any disadvantage this causes you."

The chauffeur clearly recognized Wiley. He
turned to the owner of the aircar. "He's right, sir.

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We must cooperate. But you will be rewarded
for your service."

"We do not permit such abuses on Zambra,"
said the merchant. He got down from the aircar
in a huff and refused to be impressed by the dip-
lomatic thanks Wiley extended to him before
climbing into the Starcruiser.

"So what official business are we on, anyway?
Who are you?" Wileys head hurt-

"At the moment, I'm your bodyguard. Strap in."

Wiley strapped in. "Where are we going now?"

"Somewhere you'll be safe."

They were headed out of the city again. Look-
ing for her precious drop point, Wiley assumed.
He was beginning to have suspicions about this
woman.

After several minutes, they approached a
group of buildings. A little shanty town, Wiley
saw, built around a factory. Nika landed the air-
car in one of the narrow streets. As she hustled
him out the starboard hatch, two men slid in the
port side.

"Valet parking," commented Wiley, looking
back over his shoulder. 'Very nice."

Nika tugged on his arm. She led Wiley toward
one of the tumbledown shops. NORF'S BAR
AND GRILL, read the sign. "Oh, good," said
Wiley. "I was starting to get the munchies."

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

The hostess approached them on tiny cloven
hooves. Her slim legs disappeared up under a
tight sidrt. "Dinner or drinks?" she asked.

"Both," replied Wiley

"We're meeting someone," added Nika. "A
party of six; tile name is Jones."

"Right this way. please." Wiley watched the
hostess as she led them toward the back. Maybe
if he hadn't blown off so many boring political
dinners, he'd know what species she was.

She showed them to a small private dining
room. The table was indeed set for six, but no
one else was in the room. When the hostess had
shut tiie door behind them, Nika went to the far
wall, muttering under her breath.

"Come on, Wiley," she called.

"What about dinner?" he demanded. "I'm
hungry."

A section of wall slid aside.

"Later. We have to keep moving."

Wiley shook his head and followed her. Would
the surprises never end?

They stepped into a dropshaft, the wall closing
as they fell.

Falling through the dim light of the dropshaft,
Wiley tried to count the floors. Not a chance. A
long way, he could figure that much out.

Then Nika grabbed him and they stopped,

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

stepping out to a security station. Behind two
panels ofglastic, underneath cameras and guns,
sat a live human guard. Wiley thought he recog-
nized the black uniform.

"You're Kona Tatsu," he whispered.

Nika stepped up to the comm panel and pressed
her hand against the ID plate. "Yes." She stepped
aside and gestured for Wiley to use the panel.

He put his hand up to the plate, then turned to
look into her face. "Why?" he asked. "What's
happened?"

A door opened, letting them into the space
between the glastic panels. The second door
opened only after the first had shut again. Nika
pushed at Wiley.

'The High Secretary is dead," she said. 'The
Secretarial Palace is under attack by a number of
groups." She led him down a corridor as she
talked. "We hope to be able to keep you safe
here, for a while, at least. If we have to, we'll
keep moving you around until its over."

Wiley nodded. He felt terrible. He'd had too
much to drink, too much ... excitement, certainly
too much falling, and still hadn't had dinner.

"I don't guess there's been a mistake about my
father," he said.

"No," said Nika. "No mistake." She looked at
him. "I'm sorry."

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Chelsea Quinn Yafbro

Wiley looked away from her. He wasn't sure if
he was going to cry, but if he was, he didn't want
to do it in front of the Kona Tatsu. Not live
agents, anyhow, he amended, thinking of the
security cameras that must be around.

"Come on, let's get you that dinner," said Nika.

They moved through several corridors, turn-
ing comers until Wiley was sure they were no
longer under the tavern. Finally, they entered a
dining room. Wiley was a little startled to see the
tablecloths and human waiters.

"Where are we?"

"Welcome to the gracious Kona Tatsu Cafe,"
said a waiter, leading them to a table.

'Two specials. Jack," said Nika. "Getting shot
at makes me hungry."

"Everything makes you hungry," said Jack.
"Food'U be right out." He disappeared behind a
folding screen.

Wiley leaned back in his chair. "So you're
Kona Tatsu."

Nika smiled. 'Tup. And you're the heir to the
Secretariat"

Wiley drooped. Thanks."

Nika's smile vanished. "Wiley, you can't hide.
Not from Sclerida, not from Haiken Maru, and
certainly not from the Secretariat."

Then whats this far?" Wiley gestured around him.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

The time being," replied Nika. "It's tempo-
rary. Until things settle a little, and we can talk
instead of shoot."

'Then I'll have to grow up. Take the damn
chair, pick up the reins."

"You don't want to."

"A prize for the lady in shreds," said Wiley.
Nika gave her rumpled clothing a quick glance,
then shrugged.

"No," Wiley continued. "I don't. I don't under-
stand how any of it works, regardless of how
much attention I pay. And I don't much want to
be someone's puppet, so it doesn't matter that
I'd have a regent."

"Is that why you party all the time?' asked Nika.

Wiley threw up his hands. "What else am I
going to do? What am I actually good for?"

Jack appeared beside their table. 'The food
will be—"

"Haiken Maru!"

Nika and Jack turned; Wiley stared. An
injured man had stumbled into the dining room.

"The safe house is under attack," he said.
"Haiken Maru forces are spreading like ants.
Better get him out of here." He waved at Wiley.

Nika stood. "Right. Lets go."

Wiley shoved his chair back. "So much for
bodily sustenance."

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Chelsea Quinn farhro

'Through the Idtchen," ordered Jack. "Up the
tube, aircar on the roof." He pulled a weapon
and headed for the door. Nika grabbed Wiley s
arm and pulled. He followed, running.

In the kitchen was indeed a lift tube. They
jumped in. As they shot past the first few floors,
they could hear sirens and yelling.

Nika took off her belt, "Put this on." She
reached around Wiley and fastened the belt for
him. "Its got my AID. It'll take care of you."

"But you'll be here," protested Wiley.

"Maybe not," she shot back. "We didn't expect
them to find you here." She pulled two weapons
from some fold in her battered garment as they
neared the roof.

"Look, thanks for ... your help," offered
Wiley "Even if..."

Nika looked him in the eyes. "Sony about dinner."

The tube stopped them and she stepped out,
both guns blazing. Wiley had a momentary flash:

what if there were Kona Tatsu on the roof?

But there weren't, only Cemians, and Nika was
cut down before him like a paper doll in a shredder.

"But..." Wiley fell to his knees beside her and
was jerked to his feet.

"Come with us," barked the Cernian. He
pulled Wiley toward a waiting APC.

"Of course." Wiley wasn't hungry anymore.

102

Chapter 7

Chaney and Tira stood breathless, listening.
The guards were on the floor, bound and gagged-
Chaney stared at Uncle Ken's body.

"I dont understand," he said. "Why? What did he
want?"

Tira watched him. His puzzlement made her
think: he really didn't understand. He'd thought

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

his uncle was trustworthy. Loyal.

But to whom? Tira bit her lip reflectively She was
beginning to trust Yon Chaney, maybe even to like
him a bit

"We can't stay," she said gently. "Where do we
go from here?"

"Not out the way we came in, thats certain," said
Chaney. There are armed guards, and if that tunnel
isn't mined, I'm a Lakme swamp-devil. We can't get
out that way, even if we could get transportation."

"So what do we do, then?" Tira asked. "We
can't wait here for them to find us."

"No, of course not." He looked around.
"Uncle Ken came from that direction. The
chances are there aren't as many guards that way.
It's supposed to be protected on this side, so lets
go that way. It's probably safer." He claimed an-
other pistol, giving him a total of three.

He led lira to the far door.

They were lucky; no guards were posted in the
back hallway at all.

As they walked through the corridors, it
became clear that they'd left the working instal-
lation and were now in a residence. An elaborate
private residence, fitted with brocade drapes and
tile floors. Along the walls were portraits of
famous admirals of the past. One showed Secre-
tary Bouriere and Admiral Sclerida reviewing a

104

CROWN OF EMPIRE

fine display of Naval acrobatic aircars and pur-
suit boats.

"Where are we?" whispered lira.

'The official answer is 'Naval Logistics Head-
quarters.' What it really is is Admiral Sclerida's
private palace," Chaney answered. The corridor
was still empty as he tried the nearest door, one
with elaborate carvings over the lintel.

It gave onto an opulent suite of three rooms,
each an astonishing realization of a fantasy. In
the first there were more lush tropical plants
than Chaney had seen outside of the Secretarial
arboretum. Two streams wound through the
large room, and brightly colored birds called
from the dense foliage. There was a scent of jun-
gle flowers so sweet it was cloying. In the center
of this all was a bed draped in gauzy fabric and
made up with silkeen sheets. One wall concealed
a closet, empty but for plant food.

T don't like the feel of this," said Tira.

Chaney was silent. They moved on through
the suite.

The second room was done up in rose-colored
plush, containing three divans and two enor-
mous hassocks. Overhead, the ceiling was
draped in cinnamon-colored damask so that it
appeared to be a tent instead of a room. Brass
trays leaned against the wall and the smell of

105

Chelsea Quinn farbro

sandalwood was everywhere, rising up in fra-
grant smoke in braziers. A fountain perfumed
the air with the scent of roses and jasmine. It
hurt to breathe.

"No wonder there are aliens and humans who
feel left out, who think they're taken advantage
of. This place would convince them completely."
Chaney scowled at the extravagance. 'That fab-
ric is off-planet hand-woven, and you won't get
me to believe that the weavers are paid decently.
The staff here is probably mostly aliens who
answer to a few human supervisors, just like at
any rich human's house. And the aliens probably
live in shacks or tiny apartments with five pieces
of furniture and a cooker."

'It makes you angry," said Tira.

"It makes me furious. Governor Windsor is
right. The Pact isn't going to work until all the
races are equal and all the planets are repre-
sented. If humans keep lording it over everyone
else, the Pact will collapse and we'll be back to
wars again." His eyes held an anger that sur-
prised Tu-a.

"It's been this way for a long time. Yon," she
said softly. "We're still here."

"Just barely. The Pact isn't thriving, its getting
by. That isn't good enough. The aliens are going
to get less and less as the humans want more and

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

more. No alliance can survive that. We need
equality. Only then can the Pact prosper and
thrive." He stopped suddenly. "Sorry. I didn't
plan to —"

Several floors above them an alarm shrilled.

"What do you think?" Tu-a whispered, moving
closer to Chaney. "Is it us?"

He listened. "No. It has nothing to do with us.
That's a landing warning, I think. Something
very large is coming in."

The third room was white-and-gilt, with stat-
ues of frolicking cherubs. There was a plethora
of mirrors, all in elaborate gilt frames. And there
was a tremendous bed occupying most of the far
end of the room, its canopy supported by twisted
pillars and topped with a golden crown.

"Come on, let's get moving," Tira said nerv-
ously.

"We've got to at least try to disguise you."
Chaney looked around the room again, some-
thing unreadable in his eyes. Then he noticed a
closet discreetly hidden behind a cavorting satyr.
He rummaged through the clothing there. *Try
these." He handed her a pair of flamboyant red
pants. She held them up against her body.

"Are you serious? I'll look like a flare!"

'Tut them on," ordered Chaney. "If they're
looking at the pants, they won't see you.

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Chelsea Quinn Jarbro

Besides," he added, a little bitterly, "who ever
looks at a fancy boy's face anyhow?"

Tira gave him a sharp look. "Fancy boy?"

Chaney handed her a black blouse and red
vest. "Sclerida doesn't keep these clothes for
himself."

'Then..."

"Just get dressed."

Tira ducked into the dressing alcove and
changed quickly. Her leggings were tight, and the
short britehes she wore above them were not much
looser. There was a long red vest edged in embroi-
dery which she wore over a matching black lace
shirt with awide full collar that concealed the rise of
her breasts. The only pair of boots she could find
that fit her were ankle-height and golden. The
pants had no pockets, but she was able to tuck her
reticule into a blousy sleeve and one more weapon,
retrieved from the guards, into her waistband,
under the vest. She stuffed her own clothes into a
hamper shaped like an um and stepped back into
the room. "Will it work?"

"You'll have to tie your hair back and change
your make-up, but I can't see why anyone would
suspect. I won't let them get close enough to
check anything important." He did his best to
laugh, and she dutifully tried to copy him. "What
do you think?"

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"I think we'd better get the guns, and then get
out of here." Chaney's nervousness had returned
full force.

"All right," said Tira. "It would have been nice
to have a bath," she said wistfully.

"And a good meal and someone to clean up
after," appended Chaney. "Maybe when all this is
over. In the meantime, do something about your
hair and face so we can get out of here."

She nodded, picked up her reticule, then
sought out one of the mirrors. "Make-up?" she
inquired as she surveyed the vast array of daubs
and powders before her.

"Fancyboys usually wear stylized cosmetics.
Soft mouths, sloe eyes. Tira, surely you've seen
the look at the Palace."

She nodded. "All right. I'll see what I can do."
She cleaned her face, then selected four tints to
use on her skin. She made her eyebrows
straighter, her lashes longer, and her mouth
rounder, "Is this what you had in mind?"

Chaney was unnerved at how boyish yet pretty
she looked. He rocked back on his heels. "Per-
fect! No one will notice your face."

"Splendid," responded Tira wryly.

Chaney blushed. "Of course. I didn't mean..."

"Don't worry about it. I just wish you could see
me when I haven't been running for my life all

109

Chdsea Quinn Yarfcro

day and dressed in a woman's clothes," said lira
lightly as she moved toward the door.

"Uh ... I guess we should look for an aircar.
Remember," he added, "walk very close to me,
and when there are others around, hold my
hand."

She looked startled. "Is that what's expected?"

"Yes." Chaney joined Tira at the door. He
opened it and went out into the hall as if he had
every right to be there, signaling at once for lira
to come after him. "We're going to take the
dropshaft up to ground level. Try not to stare.
I'm sorry. I'm really not sure what to do any-
more. I thought you'd be safe here."

"Me, too." She bit her lip.

They kept moving. Climbing two sets of mar-
ble stairs brought them to a small door that gave
out directly onto the landing field.

"Someone's landing, someone very impor-
tant," said Chaney, He drew Tira close to him,
draping his arm over her shoulder. She let him.
"You see the tower? They're doing flag displays."

"They did that for my father," said Tu-a softly.

"Don't think about that now," said Chaney,
"You'll need to do it later, but not now."

She nodded and leaned her head against his
shoulder. "I know it's going to catch up with me. I
can feel it waiting to happen."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Hang on a little longer," Chaney encouraged
her, "It's hard when you lose your father. I know."

"You lost yours?" she asked.

"Yeah. I lost him." His voice went sharp, then
softened again. '"When this is over, there'll be
time. I... I'll be there. If you want."

She looked up at him. "I want, I think."

Kissing her was not part of his strategy, but it
was suddenly the only thing worth doing. As he
wrapped his arms around her, he felt the weapon
tucked into her waistband at the small of her
back. For some reason he could not identify, it
made him hold her more tightly, and to deepen
their kiss.

She gazed at him as he slowly released her.

He put one finger to her lips; his feelings were
in such disorder that he could not speak. He
made himself take her hand and walk a little fur-
ther.

They looked out over the airfield. There were
a dozen armed aircars hovering over its expanse.
Electromagnetic defensive screens shimmered
in the early morning light.

"Assault boats, three of them," said Chaney,
pointing into the distance. 'The lead has the
Admirals flashes on it." He took her hand again.
"Let's go. If we can get to an aircar we can slip
out when the Admiral's boat comes in."

Ill

Chefsea Quifin farbro

As they came into the landing area, lira asked,
"What about the shields?"

They re down for the landing. We have to get
out before they close back up." He led the way
through the corridor, not quite running. They
rounded the first corner and found the first bay
empty. "Keep going," he urged Tu-a as they
rushed on.

In the second bay there was a military aircar, a
Sprinter 377, ready and waiting.

"Get the hatch," Chaney told Tira, "And get in.
Fast." He scanned the bay.

The door they'd just come through opened
again, and a tall, old man flanked by two enor-
mous Logistics guards stepped forward. He was
resplendent in his full dress Admiral s uniform
and he was smiling. "So you've come to see my
triumphant departure." The smile widened.
"Oh, yes, departure. You thought it was my arri-
val, didn't you?"

"Admiral Sclerida!" said Tira.

He bowed once. "It's been a long time,
Demoiselle." He spoke languidly.

Chaney spun around, his weapon aimed direcdy
at Admiral Sderida, and knew he could not fire.

"Oh, come now. Don't spoil it, son." He came
three steps nearer. "You've brought her to me,
Yon."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Tira had opened the hatch, but hesitated, lis-
tening to the exchange.

"Get going," Chaney said over his shoulder.
"Now."

She stepped into the aircar, but could not take
her attention away from the guards.

"You can abandon these false heroics, Yon.
You don't need to convince me, and it hardly
matters what Demoiselle Bouriere thinks now.
You've performed admirably." Admiral Sclerida
beamed. "I knew you would show yourself my
son, after all."

"Go!" bellowed Chaney, whirling to shove Tira
into the aircar. "CO!" Tira did as he ordered, her
mind still reeling with shock. Chaney turned
back to his father, gun wavering.

Tira felt the aircar lift at a sharp angle, then
had to wrestle with the controls to keep it stable
as it rose into the morning. Someone's shot out
the buffers, she thought. One of the Logistics
guards must have fired on her. That had to be it.
What else would cause the aircar to yaw the way
it did?

Clinging to the skid beneath the aircar,
Chaney watched the figure of his father shrink to
a spot as the Sprinter climbed out of the
defenses.

113

Chapter 8

Ereley knew the way to Horizon Park and he
gave the driver concise instructions on the quick-
est way to reach the huge reserve. Uke the
others with him, he had donned a short vest with
the spectrum painted on it, and wore an arm-
band that said Rainbow Dawn.

Jessine sat very still, waiting to see what would

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happen. She was still numbed by Kitchley's
death, and at the hands of a felIow-Daphnean.
More than anything she felt terribly tired.

As the aircar finally pulled away from the city,
the Daphneans grew more relaxed, a few were
almost jubilant. Sanldey, who seemed to be sec-
ond in command, began one of the traditional
chants of the Daphneans, a steady, repetitious
drone that the others joined, occasionally break-
ing out in high cawing sounds.

"You will admit it was a bold ploy, Madame,"
said Ereley as he took the empty place beside
Jessine.

"What? Killing Kitchley?" She turned to him
without fear. "He was helping you."

"Not he," said Ereley, contemptuous. "He was
helping you. That was his only intent, to save
you, human; he wouldn't have cared if all of us
died in the process."

"He was my friend," said Jessine with feeling.

"He was your toady, you mean." said Ereley.
"You liked him because he served you. If he had
not done that, you wouldn't have paid any atten-
tion to him at all. You would have treated him
like just another alien functionary."

Jessine did not answer at first, for she had to
admit there was some truth in the accusation. "I
knew him because he was the Appointments

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Clerk," she said at last, very carefully- "I didn't
have to like him for doing his job well. I liked
him because he was a likeable man."

"Daphnean," corrected Ereley sharply. "He
wasn't a human, he was Daphnean. We are all
Daphnean here. Except you. You are the alien
now." He could not conceal his satisfaction.
When he smiled he gloated- "You will do what
suits us best, for a change.**

"What is it that suits you best?" she echoed,
mistrusting even the sound of it.

The chanting was quite loud now, and it was
difficult for Ereley to be heard over the sound-
"We took a chance, capturing you, a very big
chance. And it will be worth it, or you will be
tossed aside as you have tossed so many of us
aside."

"Are you going to overthrow the Pact?" She
spoke more in disbelief than accusation. "Why
should you? Daphne is part of the Pact."

"Is it? Is it really?" Ereley scoffed. "A strange
way you have of showing our membership,,
Madame. You permit the Haiken Maru and
other conglomerates to ship us off to planets
where it doesn't suit you to work. You pay us
wages that would be laughable if they were not
tragic, and you say that because you permit a few
of us to serve your purposes at higher ranks that

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

you have included us in the Pact We aren't even
allowed to live on Earth without permits —
given or sold by a human's whim!" He slammed
down his hands on the back of the seat in front of
him. The occupant swung around but never
stopped chanting.

"But you are," said Jessine, belatedly begin-
ning to fear the Daphnean. "You are all welcome
in —" She stopped and went on more carefully.
"My husband said that there were officials who
took bribes to ignore the kinds of abuses you
describe. But that isn't the way the Pact is sup-
posed to work."

"Does that change anything, saying that we
aren't supposed to be a source of cheap labor for
humans?" Ereley gestured angrily. "You send us
your advisors, with their guns and their soldiers,
and you tell me that this is not the work of delib-
erate oppression?"

'That doesn't happen very often," said Jessine.

"What do you call often, Madame?" He indi-
cated the other Daphneans in the aircar. "Ask
them about relatives taken away at the whim of
an advisor, about land seized and children
pressed into service. Each one has endured
something of the sort." He patted his armband.
'This will make a change. The Rainbow will set
us all to rights."

117

Chelsea Quinn farbro

"And you are its leader?" she asked.

"I am the leader on this planet, but there are
others, many others. We have already made pro-
gress in the Harmony Cluster. Governor
Windsor supported equality. Governor Merikur
supported Windsor — and now continues his
campaign for equality. The Rainbow Dawn can
— and will, if necessary — provide him with an
army to enforce that equality." His eyes were
bright, glazed with zeal.

"And my part?" asked Jessine.

"Your part will be to many Governor Merikur.
With your support, he can take the Secretariat.
The Pact will continue, but will change, begin to
grow again, as it has not for centuries."

"And if I choose not to support him?"

"Madame, I'd prefer not to discuss that possi-
bility. After all, you are a sensible woman. Surely
you understand that the Pact cannot survive
much longer if it continues to abuse more than
ninety percent of its population."

"Perhaps."

The driver of the aircar stopped chanting long
enough to call out, "There is a fix being taken on
us. Someone is tracking where we go."

"Who?" Ereley demanded, motioning to the
others to chant more softly.

"I don't know. But the warning light came on

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

just now. Someone wants to know where we
are." The driver pointed to the light on die front
panel. "What do you want me to do?

"Keep a watch on it, and set our scanners to
trace it back to its origin. I want to know if the
tracker is moving or stationary." He cursed
roundly in Daphnean, then abruptly became
nonchalant. "It isn't that important, after all. If
they know where we are, so much the better. It
will help them realize how serious we are. We
know how strong our position is. And it's
stronger than any of you Senatorials think."

"How do you mean that?" asked Jessine, still
unable to believe him.

"We have access to Kitchle/s estate at Hori-
zon Park, of course, and that means we can fight
off attacks with a small force. 1*11 say this for
Kitchley — he made a fortress of his estate. I
doubt the Secretarial Palace was as well-armed
as Kitchley's retreat. Well, it has to be now,
doesn't it?" His amusement was emphatic and
he stared at Jessine, challenging her to correct
him or become angry.

'They will find you, Ereley. And when they do,
no matter who is in power, they will take me
back." Jessine masked the fear welling in her.
She would not give them the pleasure of know-
ing how badly they frightened her. As she moved

119

Chelsea Quznn Yarbro

in her seat she felt her locket move under her
shirt.

They were nearing the first boundaries of
Horizon Park now, and two skirmisher aircars
came up, demanding to know who was in the air-
car and where it was bound. "If you are not
authorized, turn back or we will be forced to
shoot you down," said die nearer skirmisher.

"Under-Clerk Ereley, for Appointments Clerk
Kitchley to Kitchleys estate, the Orchid," he
said, motioning the others to silence while the
identification process was completed. "Escorting
Madame Bouriere." He glared at her, daring her
to contradict him.

"Voiceprint checks," said the skirmisher. "But
we regret we do not have full release from
Appointments Clerk Kitchley. The first signal
was sent, but not the second."

Ereley stared out at the skirmishers. "What do
you mean?" he asked.

The other Daphneans were instantly somber,
and the driver looked anxiously from one skir-
misher to the other.

There must be a second release, which has not
yet arrived." The skirmisher said. "We must request
you land and wait until clearance is given "

"But," said Ereley, trying not to sound desper-
ate, "We have Madame Bouriere with us. We are

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

under orders to take her to the Orchid. We must
have clearance at once."

The skirmishers swung back and forth across
the aircar*s bow. "You must remain where you
are. We repeat. You must remain where you are.
This is an official warning."

Ereley swore, then signaled to the others. "We
have one chance. We have to take both of them
down at once or we won't make it," he said.

The other Daphneans were upset and sud-
denly worried. Sankley spoke for all of them,
saying, "We can't let this happen."

'Then shoot first and shoot straight," said
Ereley, his features showing more pleasure than
apprehension. He brought up his gun and aimed
it though the window at the nearer skirmisher.
"On the count of two. Everyone fire."

The Daphneans followed his orders quickly.
Each one sighted on the power pods of the skir-
mishers.

"One," said Ereley. Two."

The guns hammered and the skirmishers
broke apart in twin explosions, raining flaming
cinders on the barren stretch of land that bor-
dered the woodlands of Horizon Park.

"You couldn't stop them recording your iden-
tification," said Jessine. They know who you are
and where you are going."

121

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

"It doesn't matter now," said Ereley as he sig-
naled the driver to go on. "With any luck, the
clerk who gets the message will be one of us and
he'll lose the identification, at least for a while."
He saw the startled expression she could not
conceal. "You didn't think about that, did you?
We're not the only ones in the Rainbow. There
are thousands of us, thousands."

"What good will that do?" asked Jessine.

"We are ready. And when Anson Merikur
orders it, we will rise. There is no service any-
where in the Pact where we have not found a
rnche. Governor Windsor will bring us equality,
and we'll fight for him to achieve that." He had
the look of a man who wanted the fight more
than the equality.

"And the Cemians, the ones who tried to kid-
nap me, are they part of your Rainbow Dawn,
too?" she asked.

Ereley made a sharp gesture. "No! No. They
were, most likely, working for the Haiken Maru.
The Cernian Confederation is as bad as the Pact.
They've hired — or sold! — out to the Haiken
Maru. They sell and enslave members of all spe-
cies, including their own . . . When Governor
Windsor is High Secretary, abuses of that sort
will stop."

Jessine shrugged deliberately. "I don't think

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

that will be as simple as he thinks," she said in a
tone filled with doubt and subtle contempt.

"Be quiet. You understand nothing." Ereley
turned away from her and stared out the window
as the aircar sped toward the Orchid.

Given a respite. Jessine looked down at the
striations of specialized plantings in Horizon
Park. Each region was specially planted and
maintained, botanically and zoologically, with
species from several planets set next to each
other, protected by invisible barriers of elec-
tronic signals that kept each group of animals in
its designated sector by generating a high, pain-
ful sound in the animals' skulls.

A fretwork of monorail tubes looked like a
very simple spider web as the Daphnean aircar
passed high overhead. Looking down, Jessine
suspected that the monorail carried no sight-
seers today.

"Take her lower," Ereley ordered the driver.
"We don't want to be spotted by scanners."

"You will be," said Jessine.

"Perhaps," Ereley allowed. "But they're look-
ing for overflights, not for something coming in
for a landing. I know it's worked before."

Jessine did not reply, but sat quietly, watching
the exotic scenery below and trying to think what
she would do next.

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Chelsea Quznn Yarbro

There was a pride ofCemian blue lions drink-
ing at a lake. Their huge heads appeared more
enormous because of the standing ruff of thick,
azure hair around their necks. Double tusks
curled at the comers of their mouths; the
Cernian lion had as much in common with a
warthog as it did the big cats of Africa. Jessine
watched them, momentarily distracted from her
plight, admiring their grace.

Ereley noticed her gaze. 'There are sand
wolves down there, they tell me." He rubbed his
long hands together. "In the Dellos section. Isn't
the Orchid in the Dellos section?"

"I don't know," Jessine lied. "I've never been
to the Orchid." The last part was true.

"Dellos sand wolves. They're known to be the
most ferocious hunting animals in the Pact. I've
seen them, on Dellos. No one wants to deal with
them there. That's probably why they sent you so
many for Horizon Park." He made the dry
Daphnean equivalent of a chuckle. "A thank you
for all your kindness to them."

Jessine looked at Ereley. "You're warning me
about escaping. Shall we consider the warning
given^"

"Oh, it bothers you to think about those crea-
tures?" Ereley asked with false concern.

"It bothers me that you regard them with such

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relish." She looked out over the Park, her atten-
tion fixed on the distant, hassock-like ferns from
Peom. That environment contained some of the
most beautiful plants and some of the most fero-
cious animals of any of the sectors of Horizon
Park. Like the Peomers themselves, the animals
were not large, but what they lacked m size they
made up for in speed and rapacity. The Secretar-
ial Retreat was in the Peom sector of the Park.

"Ah, I see the Orchid," said Ereley with genu-
ine satisfaction. "And we are going to land in the
outer court, between the double walls and the
main compound itself."

The driver looked doubtful, but did his best to
set his course as ordered.

"When we're out, drop the car into the other
side of the estate. The others ought to be here,"
Ereley instructed the driver as they landed.

The ladders were lowered and the Daphneans
made their way down them. Ereley and Jessine
were last, and he ordered her to precede him.

It was windy as she started down the ladder,
and not from the downdraft of the aircar alone.
Now that she was out in the air, Jessine noticed
that the trees some distance away were bending
and tossing. That was not a good sign, for storms
could cause serious disruptions at Horizon Park.

As they reached the ground, a large group of

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Chelsea Qumn farbro

Daphneans rushed up to greet Ereley, and to
congratulate him on his prize.

"How many are here already?" asked Ereley,
holding his gun on Jessine.

"About three hundred," said one who was
clearly a second-in-command- "We're expecting
more in the next hour." He motioned toward the
massive doors of the fortress. "We had a little
resistance when we arrived, but that's over with."

"Good." Ereley signaled to Jessine. "Come
with us, Madame We have prepared a room for
you."

"How land," said Jessine acidly, but she did as she
was ordered. As she walked toward the door she
saw four men — human soldiers — in Treasury
uniforms lying side by side, a Peomer standing
guard over them. There were fresh scars on the
wall of the house and blackening at two of the win-
dows where fires had been put out.

"It will be our headquarters until Governor
Windsor arrives," said Ereley with pride. "We'll
be unassailable."

"Do you think so?" said Jessine as she stepped
onto the drawbridge. She noticed that there
were two rainbow banners hanging in the inner
courtyard.

The courtyard was crowded, most of the regu-
lar Orchid staff doing their best to be unnoticed.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

They were predominantly Daphneans and
Peomers, but there were Hillimots and a few hu-
mans as well. In addition there were the
Daphneans of Rainbow Dawn, most of them
relaxing in the first glow of victory. And in one
comer, there were more than a dozen bodies laid
out.

As they started to move, a section of the inner
wall smashed to bits.

Ereley reacted immediately, swinging his gun
into firing position, crouching as he jumped off
the rim of the fountain. Another massive shell
exploded on the second floor of the Orchid,
spewing glastic and masonry onto the courtyard
below.

"We're under attack," declared the second-in-
command m complete disbelief.

"Get into positions!" ordered Ereley, already
starting to move toward the massive gate to close
it.

A third explosion smashed the fountain, and
Ereley, struck by a flying stone flower, fell for-
ward.

Now there were screams and shouts, and the
second-in-command rushed to Ereley's side,
bending over him. "He's alive!" he shouted as the
next explosion rocked the courtyard.

Overhead three gunboats appeared out of the

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

southwest, the lowest of them bristling with
laser-cannon and grenade launchers. They kept
enough distance between themselves and the
fortress to be at the limit of Kanovsky range.

There was panic in the courtyard now as all
the staff tried to bolt for safety. The members of
Rainbow Dawn attempted to stem the flight,
though they were too disorganized to do much
more than contribute to the rampant confusion
around them.

Another shot ruined what was left of the foun-
tain, and the water shot straight up into the air
and fell onto the elaborate pattern of paving
stones in the inner court.

Jessine had rushed to the shelter of the guard-
post at the gate after the first shot.

The second-in-command started shouting
orders. He was drowned out in a new explosion,
this one collapsing the massive carved lintel over
the out gate and destroying the mechanism to
raise the drawbridge. Five bodies were blasted
out of die gun station nearest the fountain, turn-
ing over in the air, delicate as birds until they
landed.

Jessine hunched lower in the guard station
and clapped her hands to her ears against the
hideous noise. From the guard station, she could
see a dreadnought coming toward the Orchid, its

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

massive weapons trained on the estate. It fired a
first shot at the outer wall, to establish range.
The huge bricks collapsed into dust.

The Rainbow Dawn forces had their defenses
up now, and a lucky shot took out the stabilizers
in the nearest gunboat. It wobbled away. its com-
plement of Navy fighting men dropping out of it
in escape harnesses,

"Fire! Fire!" screamed Sankley, and was nearly
bowled over as three panic-stricken Peomers
rushed for the main gate.

A single blast from the dreadnought took out a
large part of the south wall and shattered what
remained of the windows.

Another blast from the dreadnought and
another quadrant of the courtyard wall fell.

On the opposite side, the guard station no
longer seemed much protection for Jessine. She
ducked through it, into the outer court.

She looked around for a place to hide and,
finding none, she turned east, away from the
attacking Navy craft.

Jessine heard the next volley of firing and saw
another section of the house heave, blast and fall
to pieces. She kept going toward the outer walls,
seeing only a few running Peomers and one
exhausted Zambretic servant sitting on the
grassy slope, gasping for breath and pounding

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Chelsea Quinn Yorforo

the turf with all four of his fists. Another explo-
sion behind her sent Jessine running for more
protective distance between her and the main
fortress.

A second dreadnought appeared, this one
holding back, its cannon trained on the fortress,
hovering in case more might was needed.

Jessine reached the breach in the walls and
hesitated. She was safe from Rainbow Dawn
now, but what of the Navy? What might Admiral
Sclerida have in store for her if she remained
within the grounds of the Orchid?

The dreadnought fired again, and this time
the west side of the Orchid blew up. Without
another qualm Jessine slipped through the gap-
ing hole in the wall into the verdure of Horizon
Park.

130

Chapter 9

Wiley was groggy from physical and emotional
shock. He wiped his hand across his forehead,
subconsciously trying to rub away present reality
and return himself to the familiar round of
wealth and privilege in which he'd spent his life
until this terrible day.

The armored aircar didn't have windows, but

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Wiley could see the forward vision screens past the
shoulders of the driver and co-driver. The vehicle
was slanting down toward a huge sky-colored dome
in which the aircar's own reflection raced toward
Wiley s eyes at redoubled speed.

They shot through the barrier into dimness
rather than shattering impact. The dome was a
polarizing bubble rather than a material wall.
The shield not only protected the interior
from observation, it combed sunlight and de-
creased the degree of illumination beneath
the dome. German eyes were adapted to much
lower light levels than those of humans —

And almost all the figures Wiley saw within
the domed enclosure were Germans. There
were hundreds of the aliens, driving equipment,
unloading cargo and performing maintenance
on the dozen or so starships on the ground
within the domed starport. Perhaps there were
more: the enclosed area was so large that moving
figures were lost against its scale.

'This is Haiken Maru headquarters, isn't it?"
demanded Wiley pugnadously. "I know it is! The
bubble north of the city is Haiken Maru head-
quarters!"

One of the Cernian guards blinked twice at
him. The others didn't give even that much
acknowledgement.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

The aircar slowed. Besides barracks, sheds,
and a maintenance hangar capable of holding
one of the grounded starships, the headquarters
complex included three hundred-story concrete
warehouse towers. The aircar slowed further as
the driver angled toward the landing pad on the
roof of the central tower.

"We are arriving," one of the Cemians
informed Wiley. It was the first time any of them
had spoken since they had spirited Wiley away
from the Kona Tatsu station.

"I can see that," said Wiley. He nibbed at his
eyes, wondering if it was his hands or his face
that felt so rough. The pilot set the aircar down
and cut the engine. The silence was abrupt.
Wiley had not been aware of how loud the aircar
was until now.

"You will leave after I do," the German
informed him, holding a Meinhauser pistol
aimed at the center ofWile/s chest.

"You bet," said Wiley. He tried not to shiver as
he looked at the pistol, but he could not com-
pletely conceal his fear. His captors pushed him
toward an access door. Air puffed out as the door
opened: it was an auiock, and the pressure
within was higher than ambient at this altitude.

Wiley stepped into the chamber in front of his
guard. The outer door shut behind them and

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

pressure built. The building was a sealed unit
with enough positive internal air pressure to pre-
vent gas or biotoxins from being introduced
from the outside in the event of an attack.

"Move along," said the German, gesturing
with his Meinhauser as the inner door opened.

"I'm moving," said Wiley.

Beyond the airlock was a reception hall two
stories high and domed with a tremendous
stained glass window representing all the worlds
on which the Haiken Maru traded. Beneath this,
the room filled with priceless antiques, including
a set of twenty-first century gaming tables, a full
suit of armor, and in a place of honor, a genuine
1957 Cadillac in perfect condition, its doors
open for those who wished to sit in it.

Wiley was still studying the eclectic but fasci-
nating collection when the far door opened and a
middle-aged man, broad of shoulder and
broader of girth, stepped through. Wiley recog-
nized Senator Lomax as the man extended his
hand in welcome.

"Good afternoon, good afternoon, my lad," he
cried merrily. "I'm very sorry about the incon-
venience, but you understand we didn't have
time to explain things when we rescued you."

Wiley stared at him. "Rescued?"

"Certainly, most certainly," said Senator

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Lomax with all the sincerity he was capable of
showing. "We couldn't have the Secretary's heir
in the hands of the Kona Tatsu, now could we?
No telling what those sly devils would do with
you. Damien Ver doesn't have to account for
how he handles his work. But that's going to
change. Isn't it?"

"Is it?" Wiley asked, uncertain how to react to
this affable reception.

"Well, of course itwill," said Senator Lomax, at
last grasping Wiley's hand and shaking it with
fervor. "You're just the lad to make the change.
And you'll find me ready to help you do it. You'll
have all the support you could ask for. No more
of this Kona Tatsu secrecy. Openness. That's the
answer." He turned on his heel, indicating his
remarkable collection. "Let me apologi2e for the
atmosphere. This building has some special
requirements, and I daresay you'll get used to it
shortly. There's nothing harmful in the environ-
mental adaptation, not for humans. People in
trade get used to these things. Well, what do you
think?"

This was much too fast for Wiley. He regarded
Senator Lomax narrowly. He answered a ques-
tion with a question of his own. "What's your
plan? The Kona Tatsu's job is to protect me.
What makes you think they'll give me up?"

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Lomax kept smiling. "My dear boy, you must
be starving. I'll have some dinner sent up right
away."

Wiley had not missed wery political dinner
and knew an evasion when he heard one. He
didn't think he'd be able to learn anything more
from Lomax and he didn't pursue the question.

"Yes, thank you." But he kept his eyes open
and tried to see everything.

Lomax left the room briefly, then returned
with a bottle and a pair of glasses. "Dinner will
be here shortly, but I thought you might like an
aperitif." He set the glasses down on a marble-
topped buffet and fumbled with the bottle's
seals. "I couldn't trust this to the servants," he
said. Too precious."

Wiley wondered if the bottle might not have
been safer in the hands of a servant. Lomax
looked as though he might drop it at any
moment.

"I must say," Lomax grunted, at last releasing
the cork. "Your father's regrettable demise
caught me a little unprepared. It was not
expected, not so soon, at any case." He poured a
golden liquid into the glasses and handed one to
Wiley. "We — the Haiken Maru — had to speed
up our operations to keep the Pact from failing.
But we are prepared to support you, my lad, and

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

we have the men to make you High Secretary
within the next two days."

"Pardon me, but I believe that job belongs to
the Kona Tatsu," replied Wiley. They are, after
all, the High Secretary's police."

Lomax frowned. "We have reason to believe
that the head of the Kona Tatsu — Damien Ver,
you know him — intends to try to take the Secre-
tariat for himself."

Wiley rolled the stem of the glass between his
fingers and studied the resulting small moments
in the liquid. "I see. What do you intend to do
about that?" He wasn't sure he believed Lomax,
but didn't know Ver well enough to deny the
charge.

"I have at my command right now over one
hundred thousand Cemian mercenaries," re-
plied Lomax. "Fully armed and with all
necessary materiel. They are ready to stop this
incursion from the Navy and place you at once at
the head of the Secretariat, They will also defend
you from the Kona Tatsu."

"Splendid," murmured Wiley. "I can see you
have my best interests at heart."

"Certainly. Certainly. And for the moment,
you really ought to relax. Let me provide a little
entertainment for you." He made a signal and a
concealed door opened.

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

There were five women, all different and all
stunning. Each of them was dressed elegantly
and each smiled at him as if there were no one
else in the room.

"Let me say that the Germans are utterly loyal
to Haiken Maru," said Senator Lomax, con-
vinced that Wiley could not possibly be
concentrating on his words. "We hold their con-
tract, and without our endorsement there is
nowhere on Earth they can go or hide."

The fairest of the women reached Wiley and
slid her arms around him, placing her soft lips at
the comer of his mouth. She was shapely and pli-
ant, fitting her body against his as if there were
no clothes between them.

Senator Lomax sipped at his drink. There is a
small chamber to which you might wish to retire."

The woman holding Wiley nodded and tugged
him toward an elaborate gold-chased door. He
followed, setting his glass, untouched, on the
hood of the '57 Cadillac.

The AID Nika had given him at the safe house
broke away from one of its belt loops. Wiley
grabbed for it. The other loop broke and the
whole unit fell to the floor.

The AID'S casing crumbled. It was as rotten as
ice that's been sitting for weeks in sub-freezing

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

temperatures, subliming directly from solid into
gas without passing through a liquid state.

A human in coveralls with orange and yellow
Haiken Maru collar flashes burst into the recep-
tion hall from a side door. One of the women
caressing Wiley began to scream. Behind the
shouting human was a German whose garments
were slick with blood.

The alien collapsed in the doorway, jamming
the panel open. In the corridor beyond him were
three more Cemians, fallen and hemorrhaging
through their skin. Purple-tinged blood pooled
on the tiles beneath them. Their eyes and
tongues protruded. One of the aliens thrashed
mindlessly; the other two bent backward in
bone-breaking convulsions.

Only dusty traces remained of the AID'S cas-
ing. The plastic had begun to decay into gases
toxic to German metabolisms as soon as Wiley
brought the unit into the higher atmospheric
pressure of the sealed building. Nika — the
Kona Tatsu — had used him as a Trojan horse!

Senator Lomax waved a control stylus. Vision
screens flashed from behind panels all around
the reception hall. Each screen displayed a dif-
ferent facet of the reality universal within the
immense building: Cemians dying in blood and
agony.

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Lomax pointed his stylus at Wiley. "You did
this!" the Senator shouted. "You did this! Kill
him!"

The aide who'd been too horror-struck to
report intelligently now scrabbled at the pistol
holster hanging from his belt. One of the women
tried to grab Wiley. Wiley knocked her aside and
bolted for the doorway.

Another human was coming toward him from
the other end of the corridor. 'Where are you
going?" the Haiken Maru employee demanded.
"Who are—"

Bullets from the reception hall ripped the cor-
nice molding above Wiley's head. The second
human drew his pistol with an inarticulate shout.
Wiley leaped into the dropshaft in the middle of
the corridor, then dodged out at the next level
down.

And into a precinct of Hell.

Weapons and materiel of all sorts lay strewn
amid the bodies of violently convulsing Germ-
ans, Huge lesions were opening in many of the
bodies, and grotesquely swollen organs pro-
truded as the aliens contorted in unspeakable
agony.

He couldn't bring himself to pick up any of the
guns lying there for the taking, not if it meant
getting any closer to the dying Germans. He ran

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

as quickly as he could, taking care where he
stepped. Twice he slid on welling blood and once
a feeble German hand almost closed on his
ankle.

Finally through the gloom Wiley spotted
another dropshaft, turned and dashed for it, as
much to escape the carnage around him as to put
more distance between him and any pursuers.
As he reached the dropshaft he consulted the
levels: 104 toG. He rode it all the way to Level 1.

There were Germans here as well. Thick
mucus ran from their eyes and their dying bodies
were slick with blood. The stench was hideous.
On the far side of the expanse of dying and dead
aliens there were humans, armed and deter-
mined, and shooting at him.

To his right, almost against one wall, there
were sleek Cobra tanks. At the head of the pha-
lanx, one of them was purring, idling in this
chamel vault.

Wiley raced for it with all the speed he pos-
sessed, hoping that if any of the bullets struck,
they would kill him at once; he did not want to
die slowly in all this wretchedness.

There was a German driver in the tank, his
chest burst open, his arms slick with blood. He
was not quite dead. Wiley hesitated, but the
shooting didn't, so he dragged the alien out of

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

the tank. Hurriedly, he climbed in, and without
bothering to try to figure out how to close the
hatch, slipped into the driver's position. He set
the huge machine in motion, heading toward the
loading bay's tremendous doors. He could hear
bullets and grenades bouncing off the armored
hide of the tank, and he began to hope that he
would make it out after all.

The door buckled, moaned, and gave way as
Wiley smashed the Cobra directly at its center.

Only then did he realize that the G on the
dropshaft indicated Ground, not Garage, and he
was hurtling out into a twenty foot drop with an
expanse of port paving below.

142

Chapter 10

Chaney had pulled himself up onto the skid
and was clinging with all his limbs. He wasn't
sure how much longer he could hold on. He
reached up and pounded on the underside of the
hull, hoping Tu-a could hear and would do some-
thing.

In fact, the aircars motion was so erratic that

143

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Tira thought it was damaged. She was wondering
if she dared set down. No, she was all alone;

Sclerida would catch her. She heard pounding
and checked her bottom view mirror. It was
Chaney. She opened the hatch; maybe Chaney
would be able to climb in. She dared not cut her
speed to aid him.

Chaney heard the hatch open above him. It
was a few moments before he had the courage to
look. Maybe ...

He stretched. Reached for a handhold inside
the door. One hand in. Good.

Tira heard him behind her and finally put the
controls on auto. She reached him as he was try-
ing to throw a leg into the cabin. She grabbed the
leg and pulled.

"Ouch!" The rest of him bumped and tumbled
over the threshold and into the aircar. Tira. fell
back against the opposite bulkhead.

"You okay?" she asked, catching her breath.

"Fine," answered Chaney. "My favorite way to
board an aircar."

Try not to be so late next time," she replied.

Stumbling to his feet, Chaney closed the
hatch, lira rose also and they embraced silently.

"Are you really okay?" she finally asked.

"Really," he answered- "A little bruised, no
problem. How about you?"

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"I'm okay." She sat back in the pilot's chair and
took the controls back to manual. "A little con-
fused."

Chaney dropped into the copilots seat and
sighed. "Yeah. It's like this. My parents split. I
stayed with my mother and my brother Dov
went with him . . . with our father. I kept my
mother's name. I guess I took her side, too,
but. . . well, she was right and he was a slime
mold. Still is. An ambitious slime mold."

"I thought you meant he was dead."

"I know. I'm sorry. Its just... I wanted to love
him. He was my father, you know? And then... I
guess he didn't really change. I just found out
things I hadn't known about him. It was like los-
ing him. I didn't want him to be my father
anymore."

Tira considered. "I guess," she said after a
while, "that in that respect I haven't really lost
my father. He's still my father. It's just his physi-
cal presence I've lost." Her voice caught at the
end of her sentence and Chaney reached out a
hand.

"I'm sony," he said.

She shook her head. "I've got to pull myself
together. Figure out what to do next."

Chaney nodded, squeezed her hand and let
go. "Do you have a destination in mind? We

145

Chelsea Quinn farbro

should really ditch this car; they've almost cer-
tainly got a tracer on it."

Tira grimaced. "Not good. But actually, I do
have a plan," she said, and there was a little mis-
chief back in her smile. "If they're tracing us, and
if you think they might have plans, then we
might as well go right back to the Secretarial Pal-
ace." Her smile did not hold up through her last
few words, but her resolution was clear.

"What?" said Chaney, unable to sit upright
harnessed into his couch.

"Because," she went on with purpose. "I've
been thinking about it, and I suspect that is the
place they would least expect me to go. Besides,
the Palace is so confused they wont be able to
mount much of a search for us. They'll have their
hands full just getting in the front door."

"And what about us?" asked Chaney, although
he was beginning to see the sense of her plan.

"I know the Palace very well, and I know
where we can hide out if we have to." She did not
add that she hoped that one or two of her staff
had survived and might be hiding in the Palace.
as well.

"What do you mean?" Chaney was waxy now.

"There are secret passages in the walls.
They're for the Kona Tatsu. My father showed
me where they arc and how to reach them."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

He could not help but agree with her. "All
right. It makes sense."

"I thought we'd set down outside the walls.
There's bound to be people from the city who've
come out to watch the fighting, and to do what
they can to use it to advantage. We could —"

"You mean you expect looters? So soon?"
Chaney was amazed at how calmly she suggested it

"I'd be a fool not to," she said. "And it could
mean we'd have a better chance to arrive unno-
ticed. If we try to set down inside the walls, even
in a Navy aircar, someone might pay attention."

"But outside, there would be other aircars,
and—"

"And every kind of vehicle you can imagine. If
we arrive in this, no one will think anything of it.
It will be just one more aircar. And if we leave it
where there are many others, then when the
Navy follows the tracer, they'll have to sort
through the confusion." She glanced at him.
"Not too bad, do you think?"

"It could work," Chaney allowed.

"And it wouldn't be risky. Under the circum-
stances. Lieutenant, I think it's the best we can
come up with,"

"All right, then. I'D check our supplies here." He
rose and went back to find the weapons lockers.

"Plenty of weapons," he called to her, pulling

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Chekea Quinn Varbro

out two railguns with shoulder straps. On further
reflection, he pulled out two more. Two people,
two shoulders each. He opened another locker:

half a dozen bandoliers ofrailgun ammunition.
Very nice.

The next locker held ration kits and Chaney
suddenly realized how hungry he was. He
brought his finds forward.

"Hungry?" He held a ration bar in front of
Tira's mouth.

"Ick," she said, shying away. "What's that?"

"Food," he answered. Somehow, he'd almost
forgotten that she wasn't a soldier. "Rations.
Portable feast."

"Good Lord," she said. 'That's what we feed
our soldiers?"

"Yup." He sat down and took a bite of his own
ration bar.

"No wonder the Navy's mutinied." She wrin-
kled her nose and Chaney's heart gave a little
jump.

Tira finally bit into the ration bar. "Guess it's
better than starving," she conceded.

Chaney laughed, an amazing feeling of pure
delight coming over him.

"We'll be fine," he said. "Somehow, one way or
another, we'll be fine."

They rode on toward the Palace.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

-t>        <-        ^

They landed the aircar on the far side of the
Senatorial building from the Palace. There were
dozens of aircars parked there and they hoped
the crowd would slow down any pursuers.

They made their way around the Senatorial
building and across the open plaza to the Palace.
There were crowds in the plaza: civilians of all
classes, fighting, screaming, walking in stunned
silence; and soldiers; Secretarial Guard, Navy —
Logistics and Protectorate both — and a few
plain black Kona Tatsu uniforms. Chaney and
Tira shoved through the crowds, clutching their
weapons and watching for trouble.

Finally they entered the Palace itself. Here
the bustle was greater, not less Clerks moved
through the halls at a frantic pace, carrying
papers, boxes, and even furniture. Tira couldn't
tell if they were looting or doing their jobs.

They reached a dropshaft without incident,
which lira admitted made her suspicious.
There's only one place to go with this, the cross-
over. No other stops."

"Let's try it," said Chaney.

lira stepped into the dropshaft and activated
it, relieved when it actually worked.

They reached the cross-over in seconds, and
found the whole of the long connecting tunnel a

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Chelsea Quinn Yarhro

mass of scattered debris and abandoned dead.
Most of the bodies were aliens — Daphneans
and Peomers — but there were clerks and
Treasury uniforms among them.

"It must have been quite a fight," said Chaney.

"Look at that on the wall. Rainbow Dawn.
What does that mean?"

Tu-a pointed to the huge scrawled letters.

"Don't ask me," said Chaney, and started cau-
tiously down the cross-over toward the
south-east tower.

They had reached the tower when three clerks
rushed out on them, holding chairlegs for clubs
and blocking their way.

"You can't come in. No one can come in." The
clerk nearest them took a frightened, brave step
forward. "Leave. Now."

"We're born armed. We have guns," said Chaney
patiently, not wanting to hurt the terrified clerks.

Tu-a did not step back either. "But I live here,"
she said simply.

The clerk stared at her. "Thousands of people
live here," he blustered. "That means nothing."

"It does to me," said lira. "And it must to you,
or you would have left with the others."

The nearest clerk looked perplexed. "Well,
someone has to keep order. We can't all run away
or it would all be... lost."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Yes," said Tu-a, taking a step nearer the clerk.
"I've been trying to get back here since the first
attack yesterday. Do you think you could let me
and my guard through, if we give you our words
that we won't do any damage?"

As she came closer, the clerk suddenly recog-
nized her. He turned to the others. "What do you
think?"

They were too scared to speak, but one of
them nodded.

"All right. Go through." The clerk kept his
chairleg at the ready "If anything happens, it will
be on your head."

"Fine," said Chaney, and followed Tira down
the hall.

"That was taking quite a chance," he said to
her as they moved out of earshot.

"Those clerks are the ones taking the chance.
We could have killed them." She was very seri-
ous. 'They have a lot of courage, staying here,
defending the Palace. They could be looting, but
the/re not. They're the land of people my rather
wanted the Pact for."

They found a relatively isolated lift tube and
stepped in, lira in the lead.

'Do you know where we are?" asked Chaney.

"Yes. In fact, if I recall properly, we're headed
someplace safe. I hope."

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i

w

Chelsea Quinn Yorbro

The lift tube led to the nurseiy.

"I haven't been up here for years. I'll bet Wiley
hasn't either," said lira. "Jessine hasn't given my
father any heirs, thank heavens; it's probably
been forgotten."

The genescan monitor was still working. It
politely informed them that it required authori-
zation before the doors could be opened. Tira
put her hand on the scanner and winced when
the machine said, "Missy Tira-Lira. How good to
see you again."

"Missy Tira-Ura?" Chaney asked as they went
through the door.

"I was a Idd," she answered defensively.

All the furniture was moved against the walls
and shrouded in dustsheets. No toys lay on the
floor, none of the teaching displays were on.
After the ravishment of the rest of the Palace,
these neglected apartments seemed pleasantly
serene.

"Forgotten?" remarked Chaney, pointing
down.

There were footprints in the dust.

He swung up one of his railguns. "Wait," he
said quietly, and followed the footprints. Tira
shouldered one other own guns and backed him
up.

The footprints led through a doorway and

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

behind a giant stuffed gorilla. Chaney stopped
several feet from the toy.

"Come out with your hands up," he said.

There was a single shriek, and then a gowned
figure appeared from behind the gorilla, hands
raised, calling tearfully, "Please, don't shoot."

Tira gave a joyful yelp and let her weapon
hang from its strap. "Cousin Helga!" She passed
Chaney to go to her cousin.

°'nro/"exclaimedthe old lady, and openedher arms
to embrace Tira. "Oh, my dear," she said, weeping
unashamedly. "Oh. Oh, gradous. It really is you."

Chaney stared, baffled.

"She's my cousin, Chaney," explained lira. "I
thought you were dead, Helga. What are you doing
here?"

The old woman looked flustered, then sighed
heavily. "I know I should have stayed in your
quarters. But I couldn't... bear to clean it up.
Half the outer wall was gone, and there were
bodies everywhere. There was blood on the ceil-
ing. I... I couldn't bear it, Tira. So I came up
here. Just until things settled down."

That was very sensible of you," said lira.

Cousin Helga shook her head. "No. No, I'm
afraid I've been very foolish. If I hadn't given the
Treasury men access to your chambers, none of
this would ever have happened."

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Chelsea Quinn 'Yarbro

"You gave the Treasury access —?" Tira demanded,
too amazed to be outraged.

"They said you were in danger, you see. They
said the Haiken Maru was going to kidnap you.
Or worse. Kitchley informed me of the trouble,
and we agreed that the Treasury officers were
the ones to protect you. But... but it turned out
so very badly." She started to cry again.

lira put her arm around Cousin Helgas shoul-
der. "Don't cry, dear. You mustn't cry. Please
don't cry."

Chaney came closer to them, looking down at
Cousin Helga. "I'm afraid Kitchley was wrong,"
he said as kindly as he could. "It wasn't the
Haiken Maru who did this." His eyes turned
somber. "It was Admiral Sclerida who killed the
High Secretary."

Cousin Helga stared at Chaney in shock.
"Admiral Sclerida?"

Chaney's voice hardened. 'The High Secre-
tary was lolled on his order. I'm certain of it."

"Chaney," said Tira, but she wasn't as shocked
as she thought she should be.

Cousin Helga began to cry in earnest.

154

Chapter 11

Thick underbrush offered Jessine cover almost
as soon as she'd slammed the fire door behind her.
She moved away through the brush, taking care to
leave as little trail as possible. In spite of the batde,
she feared she might stiH be pursued, for if Gover-
nor Merikur should arrive with troops, the tables
might easily be turned on the attackers.

155

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

She found a creek and decided to follow it.
Very soon, she came to a boundary fence. It was
essentially invisible, consisting of squat pillars of
metal and stone spaced about every hundred
meters. The pillars contained transmitters that
sent signals to the pain centers of Horizon Park's
animal inhabitants. The transmitters allowed for
a buffer of about a hundred meters between
strips, a sort of no-beast's-land where pain
implants ruled.

Jessine followed the stream through the buffer and
into the next strip. She was now in the Hillimot: sector,
a thickly wooded place with a variety of evergreen-
type trees and flowers me size of platters. There were
flying creatures here, as brightly colored as tropi-
cal parrots but more closely resembling large bats.
After the chaos of the Palace and then Kitchleys
house, the sector seemed peaceful, and Jessine let
herself be entranced by its beauty and calm.

A wail, sharp and high, broke that calm.

Jessine went very still. There were bauins in
this sector, she remembered — long, leggy
predators of stealthy habits and relentless appe-
tites. They hunted in packs, surrounding their
prey and making escape impossible.

She stepped into the stream. The water would
help keep the bauins from smelling her. She
hoped the bauins hunted by smell.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

The sound of the bauin was echoed by
another. Stream or no stream, they seemed to be
coming closer. She clutched at her rifle, then
picked up a rock instead. Maybe she could divert
it.

She threw the rock. It crashed into the under-
brush and the wails stopped for a moment. She
picked up another rock.

She stood still for several moments, but could
not hear any more bauin calls. She slogged for-
ward in the creek. Somewhere up ahead there
had to be a monorail station, and when she
found it, she would be safe. Might be safe, any-
how.

A hundred yards farmer on, the creek became
a small river. In places the bank was too steep for
her to walk and she had to swim, and hope her
weapons survived. After the first dunk, she
ditched the poncho. It wasn't heavy, but it
dragged at her and hindered her strokes.

A pillar on either side, and the river rolled into
the next sector: Dellos.

At once the environment changed, the vegeta-
tion more sparse and pulpier. There were few
trees, and those stood near the river. Standing
along the banks was a small herd of loose-limbed
sylees, high-shouldered and narrow-haunched.
They were formidable leapers, a necessary

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

survival trait for the favorite prey of sand wolves,
the rail-thin coursing carnivores called ninikik on
Dellos.

Jessine swam slowly, rolling over now and then
to check for signs of sand wolves.

The sylees kept their heads moving between
drinks, and ambled restlessly from one spot to
another, always prepared to run.

The river was growing louder. Jessine knew
there was a canyon ahead, and rapids. She
wanted to leave the water now, before it got any
faster and the walls of the canyon trapped her.

Jessine could see the first drop-off of rapids a
short distance ahead in the river, and she fought
her way toward the shore. But the river was
strong and fast now, and she smashed into a
shoal of hidden rocks, bruising her legs. Her
arms scraped on a boulder as she strove to grab
hold of it, but she refused to let the pain loosen
her grip, and this time she did not get pulled
from safety.

Slowly, aching from the battering in the river, she
dragged herself onto the rock, and sat there a short
while to inspect her bruises. Sighing at the colors
she knew would come later, she rose and started up
the slope for the plateau over the canyon.

It was a long canyon, growing deeper for fif-
teen miles, and then slowly giving way to the

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

rocky slopes at the back of Horizon Park, more
than thirty miles away. Jessine had often seen it
from the air but had never been this close to it.
The canyon divided the Dellos Sector from the
Daphnean sector. At its far end there was a fairly
good-sized settlement where the families of the
Horizon Park maintenance staff lived, but that
was too far and they might well be Rainbow
Dawn adherents.

The monorail was still her best bet, but she
still had not caught sight of it, and she fumed at
the planners of the Park» who had been at such
pains to be sure the monorail was not intrusive.

Coming to high ground, she paused. As she
turned in a circle, a bright flicker caught the cor-
ner other eye. She focused on it. Back toward
Kitchley's house, something was burning. She
wondered how fast the fire would spread.

Behind her, suddenly, she heard the eerie
chuckle of sand wolves who've found their prey.

She whirled, lifting her rifle to firing position,
but the wolves had found something else to eat.
Jessine bolted, heading for the sector line. If she
could reach the buffer before the wolves killed
their meal, she might be able to rest safely.

Safely. If you could call it safe to be caught
between sets of wild beasts. No more dangerous,
in a way, she thought, than being caught

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Chelsea Qumn farbrv

between two — or more — sets oftoild political
factions. At least the beasts would simply eat her
and be done with it.

She spotted the transmitter pillars and pushed
herself harder. Meters before of the boundary,
she stopped short. A Cernian spabot, massive,
mauve and scaly, stood beside a pillar, honking in
surprise.

Jessine stared at the beast, and realized that
the power had failed, for the spabot was on Del-
los sector ground.

The power station! thought Jessine. Someone
must have hit it!

She moved as quickly as she could to get out of
the path of the tremendous animal, watching its
nervous progress as she went.

The chucldes of the sand wolves stopped.

The spabot made its ponderous way forward,
armored head lowered defensively, long, rough-
scaled tail flicldng.

Then the sand wolves appeared over a ridge
and ran directly at the spabot. Two of them leapt
to sink teeth into the meaty shoulder.

The huge tail slapped the first wolf away, and
the second could not sink his teeth into the thick,
loose hide.

As the spabot lashed his tail again, the end
slapped Jessine across the shoulders, sending

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

her staggering, black spots forming before her
eyes.

The sand wolves began to circle the spabot,
one or two of them eyeing Jessine speculatively.
She raised her rifle and put her bruised back
against the pillar.

A new cry brought her head around. A hunt-
ing pack of Cernian blue lions had come from
the trees to find their planned spabot dinner
under attack. They were displeased.

The spabot made a short lunge at the sand
wolves, and this time one of the Dellos wolves
took hold, sinking his curved fangs deep into the
huge upper lip of the spabot.

With a rumbling squeal the spabot swung its tail
in frenzy and attempted to pull the sand wolf off.

Jessine swung the rifle from threat to threat.

Overhead there was the sound of an aircar. It
dropped down to hover above the fighting
beasts. The hatch opened and someone opened
fire. A path opened between Jessine and the air-
car, but she wasn't sure she wanted to trade her
wild beasts for wild politicians.

"Jessine! Stop daydreaming and get in here!"

It was Damien Ver. Her mind hesitated, but
her heart didn't. She rushed to the ladder he
held for her, and dragged herself up it and into
his arms.

161

Chapter 12

The tank slammed into the pavement. Its
nose was buried in the ground, and the tank
teetered for a moment. Inside, Wiley took the
shock against an expanding gel cocoon. Before
he had quite roistered what had happened,
the pavement lost its grip and the tank
slammed down to horizontal. The treads

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

squeaked as they caught at the surface and
then the power died.

Catching his breath, Wiley pushed out of the
gel cocoon and through the still-open hatch.

He ducked back in as gunfire snapped around
him- More cautiously, he peeked over the edge.
There were human guards in gas masks standing
in the doorway of the warehouse. Senator
Lomax was there, waving his arms and shouting.
Wiley dropped back into the tank and tried to
think.

The shouting continued. He put his head in
his hands. Why was all this happening? Because
he had been born the son of the High Secretary.
It suddenly occurred to him that it wouldn't mat-
ter if it were someone else, if he were a different
person — as long as he wore the body of the son
of the High Secretary, he would be a target.
Nothing personal.

And suddenly, all the lack of personal involve-
ment struck him. There was nothing personal,
about this attack, or about his life. He hung with
Dov Sclerida and that crowd, or they with him,
really, because he was the High Secretary's son,
not because he was a person. No girl had ever
taken an interest in him, only in the heir to the
Secretariat. Nothing he had ever done, or which
had been done for him, no conversation, nothing

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

of his life had any meaning or value outside of his
existence as the High Secretary's heir.

"Splendid," he said to himself- "I don't even
want the damned chair."

But he did want some land of life, so he'd better
get moving before someone came to get him. Once
again he raised his head slowly out of the tank.

And once again gunfire ripped through the air
around him. This time, though, there was
answering fire. He turned to see an open patrol
car, carrying a pair of Germans, rake hght cannon
fire across the warehouse doorway. The humans
fell, Lomax included, and the aircar slid inside
the warehouse. Wiley watched as the two guards
jumped out of the aircar and started to cross to
his tank. Clearly, they intended to rescue what
they thought was a Cemian comrade. He heard
their shouts of anger as they surveyed the car-
nage — dead Germans everywhere.

"Betrayal!" he heard them howl, before the
last remnants of the gas caught them and ren-
dered them mute.

Wiley looked around. His tank was dead. The
only options he had were to walk — not an
appealing choice — or to go back into the ware-
house and take the patrol car. Shuddering, he
climbed out of the tank and ran for the service
ladder.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

When he re-entered the loading bay, the sight
made his stomach turn. All this, because the
High Secretary had an heir. And because he was
that heir, he had to endure, to see it, to know it
was for him. Swallowing hard, he turned away
and took the patrol car.

Speeding around the complex, he looked for
the seam, barely visible, where the two screens
of the e-mag shield met. Passing it, he zipped
around another quarter of the shield. There,
halfway between the seams, should be a gener-
ator. He hoped it wasn't buried too deeply. He
opened fire with half of the patrol car's arsenal.
After a few seconds, there was the sound of shat-
tering syncrete and sparks jumped from his
target area. Then the shield flickered and went
down. Wiley turned and sped away.

1G5

Chapter 13

Ver gave Jessine one quick fierce kiss before

pushing her toward the copilot's seat. Taking the

pilots seat himself, he pulled the aircar out of its

hover.

"How are you?" he demanded. "Injuries?"
Jessine shook her head, dazed by the sudden

sense of safety. "Bruises. Nothing broken, I

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

think. How did you find me? How goes the —
war?" she asked.

Ver took one hand from the controls to lift
Jessine's cameo on a fingertip. 'There's a tracer
in this," he said, his eyes on his flying.

"But what if I hadn't worn it today!" Jessine
gasped.

The Kona Tatsu chief shrugged. "If you hadn't
worn the gift I'd asked you always to wear..." he
said without emotion. 'That would have been
your decision, wouldn't it?"

Jessine realized then, as she had never fully
appreciated before, that while Damien Ver
wasn't as cold as others thought him, her lover
was as implacable as lava welling from the heart
of a volcano. His will was a force of nature.

"As for the 'war,'" he continued mildly, "it
wont get that far. In fact, the situation is under
control and very close to over." He pushed the
aircar higher. Jessine thought its response was
sluggish.

She raised an eyebrow. The Navy is attacking
an alien rights group in a high official's residence,
the Palace is under attack by Germans, the High
Secretary is dead and the situation is under con-
trol?"

"It's not the Navy, it's only Logistics branch
under Sclerida and Logistics is being overcome.

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

The Cernians in the Palace are dead, and . . .
well, we still don't know precisely where the hen-
is. But, yes, the situation is under control.

"We do know that the Haiken Maru are out of
the game. There was an explosion and the shield
went down at their main complex and we were
able to clean up there."

The tracking screen bleeped. Jessine looked
over to see four dots appear, indicating ships in
pursuit. An instant later, the screen had identi-
fied the pursuers as Haiken Maru.

"Damien," she said, gesturing at the screen.
"Has anyone told the Haiken Maru that they're
out of the game?"

Ver glanced at the screen. "Fools. They've got
to know they've lost. Their primary puppet is
dead and ninety-six percent of their top staff are
under arrest.

"Ninety-six percent?" Jessine wasn't sure if she
was shocked or not.

Ver nodded. "We'll get the others. It's just a

matter of time."

Jessine nodded, watching the blips on the
screen. They were definitely in pursuit, and
gaining, "Who killed Lomax?"

"Unclear as yet. There were a lot of messily
dead Germans on the scene. Maybe their con-
tract expired. In any case, that's one faction

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

down. Sclerida's men have lost a number of bat-
tles to loyal Naval forces. He's not going to win."

The blips for the four aircars behind them
kept growing closer on the rear screen. She indi-
cated their pursuers. "I thought you said that
things are under control."

"I did," he said. "And they are."

"Un-huh," said Jessine with a significant
glance toward the rear.

"I meant it," Ver said with determination. "But
the matter isn't ended yet, and there might be a
few more difficulties before this is over."

"A few more difficulties like being shot out of
the sky," she said bluntly.

"That would be one," he agreed. "And I dont
want that to happen." He saw the communica-
tions scanner come alight and he studied the
jumble displayed there, his AID automatically
translating the code. "Until a few hours ago, very
few people knew what was actually going on.
There's been an emergency block on news, and
the military reports are often misleading. Our
biggest trouble is confusion. I've been relying on
the Kona Tatsu agents in the military services to
help rectify this."

"And support the Kona Tatsu position," said
Jessine.

"Naturally; that's their job," said Ver without

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

apology. He shoved a lever to increase the
strength of their shields.

Two seconds later a pair of missiles swept by,
deflected just in time. Two seconds after that the
warheads burst in Horizon Park, setting a stretch
of conifer forest ablaze. Ver banked the aircar
toward one of the small support villages at the
edge of Horizon Park. "I'm scanning these
places for Rainbow Dawn transmitters. The/re
going to need to be isolated."

Jessine could not keep from shuddering.
"Rainbow Dawn," she repeated.

"Kitchley got away with it for several years, but
once they became really active, he should have
known we'd find him out." He dropped a little
lower over the village, watching the display on
the right side of the control panel. "Using his
own estate was a foolish thing to do. He should
have realized that would give him away."

"Kitchley?" Jessine said indignantly. "He
was never their leader. Kitchley was killed by
Rainbow Dawn. I saw them do it. The one in
charge is Ereley. He told me about what they
were trying to do." She felt a twinge of grief
for her Daphnean friend who had been so
loyal to her, and had been murdered for his

loyalty.
"What are you saying?" Ver demanded as he

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

checked the screens in front of him. "It wasn't
Kitchley? You mean he was set up?"

"Yes," said Jessine. "Absolutely. He was the
Rainbow Dawn sacrificial goat. If they get any
power in a few months they'll probably convey
an official martyrdom on Kitchley. Ereley is ...
or was the head. He's made arrangements with
Governor Windsor and Anson Merikur to
change the government, with Rainbow Dawn
providing the support."

"Instead of the Kona Tatsu?" Ver asked with a
wicked chuckle.

"Instead of Haiken Maru, I suspect," she cor-
rected him, stretching as much as the harness would
allow to tiy to ease the hurt in her muscles. She was
gang to need a long massage and half a dozen ther-
apy baths before she would be free of the ache.

Ver nodded. "Or a combination of the two.
For all their claims of equality, it's apparent that
Rainbow Dawn has several classes of equality in
their reform schemes." He swung the aircar to
port, feeling it wallow as it responded.

"Is this vehicle going to make it?" Jessine
asked.

"I think so," he answered cautiously. "It will
get us back to the Secretariat Palace."

She blanched. "Why would we want to go
back there?"

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

"Because thats where we have the command
bunkers and where the most communication
equipment is. Right now communication is the
most important weapon we possess. That's why
we're winning and the others are losing."

"Including Admiral Sclerida?" Jessine
inquired with false sweetness.

"Jessine, I've said so. If we can keep his forces
in confusion, he will continue to lose." He lev-
eled off again, and checked the proximity of their
pursuers. 'That's the focus of what the Kona
Tatsu is doing with the Navy right now."

"But he might still pull it off," said Jessine.

"He might," Ver allowed. "If he is able to cap-
ture and keep either you or T^ra. If either of you
were forced to marry him, or Tira. was forced to
marry Dov, his claim to the succession would be
upheld." He frowned at the latest coded display.
"Scratch that last option," he said as his implant
translated the latest information.

"What is it?" Jessine asked.

"We've just found the wreckage of a Logistics
vessel in the city. It's full of dead Navy personnel
and Dov Sclerida." He watched the display. "We
have genescan confirmation. Dov Sclerida is
dead." He shook his head. "Poor Idd- He didn't
deserve —"

"He didn't deserve any of his life. Admiral

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Sclerida only wanted kids so he'd have pawns for
the game," Jessine said cynically. "I remember
one got away from him."

'The Chaney lad- His mother saw to that, sen-
sible woman that she was," said Ver with evident
approval. "I've never met him, but his files are
very satisfactory."

He tried another maneuver, straining the
ships power to the maximum.

"It isn't over yet, though?" remarked Jessine.
The four dots were closing more rapidly.

"Not yet," he said. "But it's closer to being over
than most people know. The Haiken Maru is out
of the game permanently. Logistics has two
moves until checkmate."

"But those two moves could change things. If
Sclerida captures either Tira or me." She shiv-
ered suddenly.

"Captures and keeps. From what I've seen
yesterday and today, that's not easy to do." His
smile was warm, suffused with pride for her.
"You're not the ornament Sclerida thinks you

are.

"He thinks all women are ornaments," said
Jessine contemptuously.

"And half the boys in the world as well," added
Ver. He stared at the next coded information.
"No sign of Tira yet. None of the Kona Tatsu in

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Logistics cover have heard anything about her.
There was a rumor she was at Sclerida's resi-
dence, but that's —"

"Absurd," said Jessine. "How would she get
there and if she did get there, how could Sclerida
not announce it?"

"Exactly, And there's an unsubstantiated
report that Admiral Sclerida has left there him-
self, which I doubt he would do if he had Tira."
He looked at the side screens and cursed,

"We're being boxed in," said Jessine.

"It's insane, doing this," said Ver, adding under
his breath, "There's no point in Haiken Maru fay-
ing something this foolish now."

Over their hailer came clipped instructions to
hover and leave the aircar, with the assurances
they would not be harmed if they obeyed
promptly.

"They're going to regret this," said Ver as he
slowed his aircar while he looked for a clear
space to set down.

"Oh, don't," said Jessine, at last disheartened
and weary. "Let's get it over with."

This really is for the best, darling," said Ver.

He informed the four Haiken Maru cars of the
site he had selected. There's enough room for
you to land, two on either side," he added
through gritted teeth.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Acceptable," came the response.

"You'd better land. We'll have to hover, there's some
trouble with the drive-fans or stabilizers. Something
isnt right with the gyroscopes." He paused.

"We saw you were having trouble," said one of
the leaders. 'Tough luck"

The four Haiken Maru aircars touched down,
two on either side of Ver s aircar.

"Fortunes of war," said Ver, and turned to Jessine.
"I'm going to lower the equipment ramp. Make sure
you raise your hands when you go down it"

"Can't we self-destruct?" she asked, trying to
laugh but unable to hide her serious intent.

"Stand here, and I'll set the scanner to show
them we're surrendering." He activated the
hailer. "We'll be coming out with hands raised.
There is an electronic record now of our surren-
der, here and at Kona Tatsu command." He
winked at her, and added softly. "Now they can't
claim any resistance or accidental injury."

"If you say so," she told him listlessly

"Don't worry, Jessine," he said seriously. "It's
going to be all right."

"Oh, yes. I'll be forced to marry Admiral
Sclerida or Governor Merikur and you'll be ban-
ished or killed. It couldn't be better." She raised
her hand once, then lowered it. "We might as
well get this over with."

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Chelsea Quinn farhro

"Yes." he said.

They started toward the loading ramp, Jessine
behind Ver. To her the open hatch loomed like
the grave.

Then it seemed Ver tripped; at least he stum-
bled a litde and reached out to one of the seats to
steady himself.

There was a sudden rush. Ver turned at once
and flung himself on Jessine throwing her back-
ward and covering her with his body.

The air around them rocked and thrummed
and all four of the Haiken Maru aircars flew to
bits in a welter of spectacular flames. The disin-
tegrated bits spattered against Ver's aircar's hull;

the rest was vaporized and vanished in a broad
wash of chemical brilliance.

Ver propped himself on his elbows and
beamed at her as he smoothed the splendid tan-
gle of hair back from her face. "Short-range
missiles," he said. "I installed two of them where
the auxiliary drive fans usually are. Just in case."

176

Chapter 14

In the living room of lira's suite the floor was
still unswept and the furniture in ruins, but
between Cousin Helga and Tira, Tira's bedroom
was now reasonably neat. The bed was made and
Cousin Helga was setting about the tedious task
of finding out how much of Tira's wardrobe was
still useable.

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Chelsea Quinn Varhro

Chaney had elected to stay in the rubble of the
living room and repair the communications
panel. If he were lucky, his AID would be able to
ferret out some information on the overall situ-
ation. "But I haven't been able to break into
Naval Logistics records," he admitted to Tira.

"Maybe they've dumped all the information,"
said 'Rra. She and Helga were starting in on the
mess that was the living room. "If they have,
then—"

"Oh, they haven't," said Chaney with certainty.
"They've squirreled it away somewhere, in tri-
ple-locked and twice-blind files. But not all of
the Navy £les are gone. Only Logistics. Sclerida
doesn't have every card," he concluded with sat-
isfaction. He punched up an action report.

Looking over his shoulder at the dancing holo-
grams, lira raised an eyebrow. The quality of the
images was dreadful and the action was jerky and
skittering, people moving about the display as if
escaping from a battalion of holographic fleas.

Cousin Helga was wrestling with the end of
one of the long, barge-like sofas that had been
mangled when lira's apartments were invaded.
Everything began to grow dim in the fading
afternoon light. She looked over her shoulder at
lira, sighing. "I wish I could find a better way to
do this. But it wouldn't be correct to ask the staff

178

CROWN OF EMPIRE

to do it — if there are any left in the building —
and it wouldn't be wise to use servobots, because
their activities would register on various of the
Palace terminals and that might lead to our dis-
covery in a way we would not quite like. Still —"
She pushed with all the weight other slight form
against the sofa; it failed to budge.

"We could bum it up," Tira suggested, consid-
ering the sofa.

"And the emergency services would come,"
said Cousin Helga. "And who knows who they
would report to, or what they would say."

"A problem," lira agreed. She stretched and
tossed her head.

"If I weren't so tired, I'd think better. Tira,
darling; I'm tired, too. I think I'll just pop into my
room and try to compose myself," said Helga.
Tira nodded distractedly, then slapped her fore-
head. "What have I been thinking of?" she asked
the air and hurried back to Chaney. "Have you
tried to tap into the emergency services commu-
nications? We might get a better picture of—"

"Who is where," Chaney finished for her. "And
it would tell them we're here. You know that
locator technique they use, don't you?"

"But if there are a lot of calls, we might have a
long time before we have to hide or switch off or
.. - whatever we'd have to do," she ended lamely.

179

Chelsea Quinn Yar-bro

"Don't tell me. I realize that they could find us
easily, and they would know we've been here.
Either they'd think it was looters, in which case
they'd lock us in a Security holding cell, or they'd
think I'd come back, in which case they'd put us
in a Navy holding cell." Her hands slapped
against her thighs, sending two small clouds of
dust into the air.

"I don't need to say anything. You explain it all
very well." He folded his arms as he stared down
at the latest display. This one was sharper and
steadier than the one before. "I think the Protec-
torate Office has kicked in. And about time, too."

Tira looked shocked. "The Protectorate? I
thought they must have gone to the Navy."

"Not the Protectorate. That's the whole idea.
I've been trying to find out what the rest of the
Navy is up to," Chaney said- "I haven't got very
far. It looks as if the Admiral has been trying to
put a lock on everything that might compromise
him." The steadiness of his features was belied
by the sound of his voice, which was husky with
fury.

"Chaney —" she began.

"He is!" he burst out. "He's doing everything
he can to protect himself. And that isn't the end
of it. He's casting about for those he can suborn,
He wants to keep power even if he loses his title

180

CROWN OF EMPIRE

and his ships," He took three long uneven
breaths. "He's a dangerous man."

Tira made a gesture of sympathy, saying, "It's
nothing you can change."

"No. I can't," he muttered angrily. He shoved
at the display controls. "From what I can make
out, all the rest of the Navy has turned itself over
to the Earth Protectorate Office, but the Logis-
tics Garrison continues loyal." He stared at the
holograph. 'That is the word I want, is it?
Loyal?"

"What have they done," asked Tira, unwilling
to be forced to defend Admiral Sclerida to
defend his sons pride, "in regard to the Protec-
torate?"

"The Logistics Garrison, do you mean? They've
attacked the Protectorate at every oppor-
tunity." He flipped through four displays in
quick succession: in each of them Logistics Gar-
rison Navy craft were battling with Protectorate
ships.

"Oh, dear," said Tira, shocked at the destruc-
tion being rained on the Protectorate ships.

"I've found clips and files that show most of
the other Navy ships out beyond the space sta-
tions. We have about a dozen of the huge Bases
on the far side of the moon. For the time being,
Naval personnel are being escorted there until

181

Chelsea Quinn farbro

there is some resolution to this impasse." He
keyed in the codes.

In three-second clips the newest information
was displayed on the holograph.

"How can you keep it all straight?" Tira asked
as she turned away. "I can't do it the way you do."

"I'm trained for it, and I have a strong left-
brain development." There was a hint of
amusement in his voice as he spoke and he
addressed her with far less deference than he
might have the day before. "From what I can
tell, the trouble with the military is mostly over. I
think the Haiken Maru has lost too much to
recover their position, so we shouldn't have to
shoot any more Cemians for a while. I don't
know what the Kona Tatsu is up to, but I'm
beginning to think that maybe all those rumors
— the ones we always laughed about? — that
they were in charge of the Protectorate, those
rumors just might have been right."

"You mean they haven't been trying to stop the
Protectorate?" asked lira in some shock.

"Not that I can discover, no," admitted
Chaney with a puzzled frown.

Tira nodded. 'Tou know," she said as a frown
line moved up her forehead between her brows,
"that could mean Damien Ver is the ... I don't
know what?"

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"It makes me wonder," said Chaney. "For the
Protectorate to move as quickly as it did to
restore order probably means there was help
inside the military . . . and since," he went on
with greater confidence, "we suspect that the
Kona Tatsu has agents in every military service,
couldn't it follow that it was Ver who put them
into motion when everything was blackest?"

"But why?" Tira asked. "He can't be doing this
for love of my step-mother and he knows his
birth isn't good enough to advance him any
higher than hes risen already."

Chaney nodded, his heart somber. "But
together —what if they're in this together? She
can't make him High Secretary, but if they were
married, it could be that his position would be
strong enough for him to gain Senatorial
approval to a fait accompli."

"And because he's Kona Tatsu, he might have
secrets on the Senators that would strengthen
his position? Is that what you mean?" She turned
her back on the console where a dozen gunboats
were transferring Protectorate officers to the
navy craft.

"It's a possibility," he admitted. "I don't know
how likely it is."

"Because you don't want to talk about things
you might not like?" she challenged. "How well

183

Chelsea Qwnn farbro

do you think I like them?" Her arms were folded
now and her pretty features showed more
strength of character than attractiveness. "You're
thinking about the need for a diplomatic mar-
riage, aren't you?"

"Well, there are several that could be possi-
ble," he hedged, unaware until then at how keen
her understanding was. His face felt hot and he
was afraid — correctly — that he was blushing.
"Your step-mother, of course, and possibly your
brother. It could be that —"

"And me. You mustn't forget me." She shoved
her hands into the pockets other work smock. "I
haven't forgotten me."

As they talked the holographic display contin-
ued to cycle through. It showed two Navy
gunboats under heavy attack from a dozen Pro-
tectorate skirmishers and a brace of mobile
observation platforms. The Navy was being
taken in tow by the Protectorate. This gave way
to a Marine engineering station where a flotilla
of three dreadnoughts with actual ocean-going
service ships for support were supervising the
change of command from Marine to Protector-
ate.

"Attention. Priority announcement incoming.
Imperial recognition code required," announced
the console.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

'Imperial recognition code?" Chaney asked.

Tira hesitated, then placed her hand on the
genescan plate,

"Word has just reached Protectorate Central
Control," said the machine voice, "that Governor
Windsor of Harmony Cluster is dead. Repeat;

Governor Windsor is dead. We will report as
more information is confirmed."

"Governor Windsor is dead," whispered Tira,
for the first time beginning to smile with pleas-
ure. "Oh, dear."

"Oh, dear?" Chaney echoed.

"It isn't correct to be pleased by the misfor-
tunes of others, of course, but with Governor
Windsor out of the picture, the succession has to
go to my brother. I wouldn't mind if it were
Jessine. The thing is, it wouldn't be me." She
pressed her hands together.

Chaney lost happiness even as she gained it.
"Really? It's possible, I suppose." He looked at
her. "But They didn't say anything about Anson
Merikur. If he is still bringing his forces here to
cany out Governor Windsor's policies, what
could happen? Either we would have to ratify
full and equal status for all members of intelli-
gent species or Windsor's break-away planets
continue to sow dissension through the Pact."
He scowled.

185

Chelsea Quinn Yarhro

"I thought you agreed with Governor Wind-
sor," said Tira uncertainly.

"I do-1 don't think the Pact has a prayer with-
out granting equality to all intelligent species
everywhere. But I think that the Pact needs time
to be persuaded to agree. Give immediate rights
across the board and there could be a back-lash
before the new status quo gets into place; in five
years there could be ... I don't know, guerrillas
in the streets, worse turmoil than there is even
now."

"That could be difficult," she said, sounding
remarkably composed. "But if there was a mar-
riage — finish the rest of it." She swung around
and put the console displays on hold. "You think
they might reach an agreement with Merikur by
arranging a marriage for Jessine or me. That's it,
isn't it?"

"I hope it won't happen," he said, revealing
much more of his true feelings than he had
intended.

"So do I," she said. "Because I won't agree to
it. No!" she went on sharply when he made a
half-hearted effort to protest. "No. You don't
know what it's like, to be told all your life that all
you're good for is adding a little oomph to the
signatures on documents, that you have to be
prepared to be auctioned off to the planet group

186

CROWN OF EMPIRE

with the best trade agreements. Well, I do. And I
wiH have no part of it. I am not going to turn into
a martyr like my mother, or a manipulator like
Jessine, or a nobody flumfluxis like Cousin
Helga."

In the last few seconds, the room where they
stood seemed to have shrunk. Chaney stared at
her, feeling as if he had dived too deeply and
running out of air. He forced himself to speak.
He could not bring himself to touch her. "What
will you do?"

"Whatever I do, ifs my business, my business
only." She made it very easy for him to kiss her.
The front rooms are terrible," she said a short
time later, breathing a little unsteadily herself,
"but let me show you the guest room."

"Come," Tu-a said, leading him by the hand
into the guest bedroom beside the entrance cor-
ridor. She locked doors between them and the
hving room, then turned to Chaney.

"But... Helga?" he said. He couldn't believe
this was happening.

"She'll sleep, I think," Tu-a said. "Anyway, I left
the console on in the living room. I dont think it
will distract us."

She began to open the fastenings of her cloth-
ing.

"No," he said as he watched her. "Not at all."

187

Chapter 15

As Wiley continued, he found himself growing
faint. He'd completely lost track of time, but he
knew he was exhausted and hungiy. And still feel-
ing the effects of the last party. He found it harder
to focus on the direction and speed of the aircar.

"Home," he muttered. "Home is where the...
is where the food is..."

188

CROWN OF EMPIRE

He spotted what he thought must be the Pal-
ace landing pad and aimed for it. As he brought
the car into a descent, the world unfocused. His
head dropped forward.

When he awoke several seconds later, the air-
car had crashed to the ground. He turned his
head, suddenly too tired to lift it.

He saw a knee by his face, and then he felt the
cold barrel of a light-weight pistol pressed at the
base of his skull. He remained veiy still. "Do you
mind?" he said tentatively. "That thing's cold."

"My stars!" gasped a voice. "It's LordWiley!"

"Milord," said the man kneeling beside him,
and withdrew the Meinhauser. "We thought you
were dead."

Wiley finally focused on the man's uniform:

Secretarial Guard. Wonder of wonders.

"So did I," he said, and started to struggle to
his feet.

"Wiley Bouriere," said the corporal in charge
of the squad. Awe touched her voice. "We were
told all your family were —"

"Dead?" said Wiley and saw the corporal
wince.

"It was what we were told," she said. "It was in
all the reports."

"Well, they lied," said Wiley. He finally pushed

189

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

himself to his feet. "Is there anything to eat
around here? I'm starving."

"Yes, there's food, in your apartments," said
another Guard, a fair-haired youngster named
Garring. "When the assault came and we
couldn't reach you, we decided we'd better dig
in and wait."

"Even when you were told I died?" Wiley
asked.

"Well. we were told, sir, but we hadn't seen...
well, a body," said the corporal.

Wiley looked at the five Guards surrounding
him. They were little older than he was, and
unaccustomed to taking the initiative. "Good
work," he said. "I'm glad you're here. Now, how
about that food?"

The corporal opened her mouth to reply and
was cut off by one other men.

"Look!"

A fully armed destroyer with Logistics flashes
was coming in low from the north-east. Its pas-
sage stirred up little tornadoes. Aircars in the
vicinity were all but knocked out of die air by its
turbulence. Laser-cannon and plasma batteries
decorated the hull.

It came nearer, blotting out the view of most
of the city. The destroyer was a quarter the size
of the Palace grounds.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Suddenly all the klaxons, sirens, bells, and
whistles of the Palace came to life. The noise was
overwhemung-

Wiley crouched down, hands over his ears. He
could see the others had done the same.

The noise grew louder as the Navy craft
crossed over the Palace wall and continued
inexorably forward.

Then someone high in the top of the south-
west tower turned a laser-cannon on the
Logistics vessel.

Garring was shouting something but Wiley
could not hear him over the noise.

A second laser-cannon — this one somewhere
on the grounds — opened on the Logistics ship.

The little group on the platform flattened and
tried to cling to the surface as huge winds buf-
feted them, burning.

Wiley tugged at the corporal's sleeve. When
she looked up, he gestured toward the nearest
entrance. '"We'd better get inside," he yelled.

Another blast was fired from the ground sta-
tion, but the huge ship's shields held against the
laser-cannon.

Then another combatant entered the fray, a
high-altitude Protectorate surveillance platform.
It directed its plasma guns at the destroyer. The
platform was designed to bring down armed and

191

Chelsea Qmnn Yarhro

shielded spacecraft; a single destroyer was no
opposition to its deadly strength.

Wiley tore his gaze from the battle and tugged
the corporal's sleeve again. This time she got it,
and the group began to crawl toward shelter.

The destroyer was almost on top of them, per-
haps seeking to use the Palace for protection, an
additional shield to the ones it already possessed.

A missile hissed from the Protectorate plat-
form. But the destroyers shields held and the
mushrooming fire scorched and blackened the
upper floors of the Secretarial Palace.

Wiley felt his hair singe and tasted burning at
the back of his mouth. He was slighdy dazed. His
eyes did not focus quite perfectly and he had to
resist the urge to simply collapse where he was. 7
wonder if I have a concussion? he thought in
some remote part of his brain.

The advance to safety was halted for the
moment.

Another missile overshot the destroyer and
struck a parking-and-storage building. The spec-
tacular explosion that followed reduced it all to a
few broken walls, like a broken child's toy.

A sound, deceptively soft, a deep, crinkling
sound as if someone far away had dropped a
gigantic chain onto steel, ricocheted along the
battered Palace walls.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Then the destroyer, almost direcdy overhead,
shivered a bit, wriggling like a sleeper about to
wake. Half a dozen of the turrets came loose and
the enormous weapons dangled, two breaking
away entirely.

Three lifeboats streaked away from the
destroyer, which shook itself again. It drew in on
itself, and then opened in a blaze that ballooned
upward, sufrused with gaudy colors and harle-
quin patches of black. Twisted metal shapes like
lethal party favors began to fall.

Wiley buried his head in his elbow and hoped
that if anything landed on him it would kill him
quickly.

Ground fire from the hidden lasers brought
down two of the lifeboats in blazing wreckage.

But the third lifeboat skittered and bobbed on
the ferocious currents of air and miraculously
came to rest at the far end of the landing pad. All
the lifeboat's guns were trained on the Guards
and Wiley,

'There's trouble," warned Garring, speaking
loudly against the fading roar of the explosions.
"Real trouble."

"Good guess," said Wiley. He looked around.
A good part of a cargo hatch, now warped and
charred, had fallen from the destroyer and
landed not more than twenty paces away. It

193

Chelsea Quinn Varbro

wasn't the door to inside, but it was better than
an open platform.

He nudged the corporal and pointed.

The corporal glanced at the wreckage, then
back at the lifeboat. She nodded. "I think we can
make it, if we move fast."

"Let's do it," said Wiley, preparing to run.

There were a number of men piling out of the
lifeboat, all in Navy Logistics uniforms. They had
their weapons at the ready and were forming
into three lines.

Wiley and his Guards lit out for the wrecked
cargo hatch, finding little purchase on the soot
slick surface. They stumbled into the metal just
as the Navy troops opened fire.

Hunched down behind the tortured metal,
Wiley flinched as another volley of shells left
pock-marks in the section of hatch. He glanced
at Garring, noticing that the man seemed very
calm, taking time to check his ammunition
before selecting a place where he could fire.

There!" shouted one of the Guards, pointing
toward the door they were seeking.

Peering around the end of the section of met-
al, Wiley could just see men in Navy Logistics
uniforms piling into the corridor beyond, a num-
ber ofCemians with them.

'They have to be Admiral Sderida's men," said

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

the corporal. "Who else could get this far? The
Protectorate has stopped most of Logistics;

these have to be the hold-outs. They couldn't
have reached that destroyer without Admiral
Sderida's help,"

"We better be ready to fight," said Garring.
"We have a sworn duty to uphold." He smiled at
Wiley. "Better get flat, sir. In case."

"No," said Wiley. It was one thing for the child
he had been to pretend to be a target, with all his
personal guards lying on top of him to keep him
from getting killed. It was something else now.
Death was real now. And enough was enough.

"Better do it now," said the corporal. "Sir."

"Bouriere!" came Admiral Sderida's voice,
magnified by the lifeboat's speakers. "Give your-
self up. Come out. Surrender. Or we will open
fire."

Wiley stared at the men and women huddled
behind the hatch with him. "I can't be a party to
this," he said. "I can't let you sacrifice your-
selves."

"Sorry, sir," Said one of the Guards. "We took
our oaths long ago." He smiled a little. "We knew
what we might have to do."

"You don't have to get killed," said Wiley in
desperation.

"Not unless it protects you," said Garring.

195

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

"Surrender, Wiley. You know it's the right
thing to do!" Admiral Sclerida urged.

"I don't want you — " Wiley protested to the
Guard.

"Better get Hat, sir," said the corporal again,
ignoring him. 'They're about to make a rush
from the hallway. And those Cemians look like
they're in a bad mood."

"Listen to me!" Wiley ordered through tight
teeth.

"When you talk sense, sir," said Garring, and
with a diffident shrug, reached forward and
shoved Wiley down onto the hard surface of the
platform. "You lie real still. You know how to do
this. Use that breathing trick." He lay across
Wiley, resting on his elbows on the ground and
training his weapon on the lifeboat.

The rest of the Guard piled on, each of them
taking a position that allowed them to shoot.

Before all the Guard were in position, the
Navy Logistics men were Bring. The last two
Guards on the protective pile were wounded
before they could brace themselves.

"Fire at will!" shouted Admiral Sclerida.

Never in the most terrifying nightmares of his
youth had Wiley imagined anything as horren-
dous as this. He lay under a mound of men and
women. Bullets, slugs, pellets and beams

196

CROWN OF EMPIRE

hammered them, and they shrieked and jerked
and shuddered and died, their blood and other
things running down, stinking and hot.

He thought he saw earring's hand, three of
the fingers gone and the two remaining with
grey matter clin^ng to them. Wiley was beyond
weeping or raging. As his brave Guard were cut
to pieces on top of him, he felt their weight on
his soul.

Without being aware of it, he lapsed into
shock.

197

Chapter 16

"Which way?" Jessine asked Ver. She was driv-
ing now, allowing Ver to concentrate on the
communications console.

He had activated the holographic display and
was busy searching for new information.

'Take a right, Jessine." He straightened up.
"There. I thought so."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

'Thought what?" she prompted. She was
holding the aircar on course, but having trouble
with the sluggish steering. It would take a while
to get used to it, she told herself.

"Admiral Sclerida has indeed come out of his
cave. Look at that!" He indicated the destroyer
drifting in miniature over the display. "He isn't
giving up easily, is he?"

"Who isn't?" demanded Jessine as she tried to
catch a glimpse of the display while she drove.

"Admiral Sclerida has left his fortress in a
newly-accepted destroyer, the Edward Teach.
He's heading for the Secretarial Palace, I think.
He's headed for the city, in any case." He rubbed
at the back of his neck, unwiDing to admit he was
growing tired.

A light flashed on the drivers instruments.
"Something coming up behind. Aircar. One," she
added as the information was flashed to her.
"Protectorate."

"Keep moving," said Ver steadily, worldngwith
his console to change the holographic display.

"But if — " she protested.

"Keep moving. I'll take care of things." He was
almost ready to bring in a new signal when the
speakers of the aircar burst into life.

"Aircar ahead. Aircar ahead. Pull over and
hover. Pull over and hover." A Protectorate

199

Chelsea Quinn Varbro

beacon was flashing on the sides of their pursuer.

"Reduce speed by half," said Ver, and reached
over to pull a small concealed lever.

"What's that?" Jessine asked, and then saw on
her instrument panel that the Kona Tatsu flashes
had been illuminated along with the emergency
tabs.

The aircar behind them veered off, putting
considerable distance between themselves and
Ver's aircar. "Sony, Kona Tatsu," the speakers
said for the retreating Protectorate officers.

"Carry on," Ver said to Jessine as he reached
down and secured the lever.

'Very nicely done," said Jessine in approval as
she increased their speed once more.

On the display the razed buildings of Haiken
Maru Central held Ver's attention as he strove to
discover how extensive the damage actually was.

"Another Protectorate aircar coming," said
Jessine, and reached for the lever Ver had
pulled. She maneuvered the heavy vehicle into a
slow glide to permit the Protectorate aircar to
read the identification, then resumed her speed
and course.

"Very good," Ver told her.

Thank you," she responded.

"I like die way you do this."

The Haiken Maru ruin vanished from the

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

display and a new one appeared, one where men
in improvised uniforms stormed the Biological
Substances Authority, halfway across the city
from the Secretarial Palace. Most of them had
little more than hand weapons and escape har-
nesses, but they went at the task with spirited
determination, cheering when any one of their
number made progress against the formidable
bulk of the building.

They went along in silence for several min-
utes, Jessine concentrating on driving, Ver on the
holographs. Then she gathered up her courage
and asked, "Damien? You don't have to tell me,
but I want to know. I really do want to know."

The tone of her voice alerted him. "Know
what?" He watched her closely. '"What is it,
Jessine?"

"Did you — the Kona Tatsu — loll Cowper?"
Her question ended on a gasp, as if she expected
anger from him.

His answer was flat. "No."

She took a deep breath. "Do you know who
did?"

"Yes." He froze the hologram, suspending a Pro-
tectorate squad rounding up a load of truculent
Marines. "Kitdiley killed the Hig^i Secretary."

Jessine stared at him in shock. "What do you
mean? Kitchley. That's impossible."

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Chelsea Quinn Yorfero

"Keep your eyes on your instruments," he
advised. "I'll tell you anything you want to know,
but be careful with the aircar." There was real
concern in his voice and a sadness in his eyes that
was almost as unexpected as his revelation.

She nodded and returned her eyes to the
screen and the instruments. "All right," she said,
amazed at how calm she sounded. "Why do you
say it was Kitchley? He was the most loyal man
— Daphnean — on the Palace staff."

"Precisely. But his loyalty was to the Pact, not
to the Secretariat, or to Cowper Bouriere.
Kitchley was worried about the Pact. He saw the
High Secretary in danger, with the Pact slipping
more and more into the hands of the Haiken
Maru, and Admiral Sclerida trying for a military
coup. No matter how many times he was
warned, or who warned him, Bouriere refused to
see the danger. He refused to take action against
Sclerida, claiming it was unwarranted. The High
Secretary was convinced it would diminish as
time went on, that interfering would only force
the issue."

"And it was working, wasn't it?" Jessine asked,
her voice a little desperate. She thought of the
many occasions when Cowper had promoted
that idea — leave well enough alone — to high-
ranking visitors and off-planet delegations. He

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had said he did not want the Pact to look like an
oppressor or a conquering army, but a reason-
able coalition of dedicated peoples working
together.

"No. Kitchley was right Admiral Sclerida was
about to launch his coup. That is a fact and we
can document it. And he had enough of the
treasury Guard on his side to have let him cany
it off." He paused as another update flashed on
his console.

The holographic display now showed a skir-
misher headed for die Palace. There was a
flicker and then a squad of Navy, Marines and
Cernians piled out of a huge ground transport at
the foot of one of the towers. All were armed and
ready for action.

"According to the latest reports, lira is back at
the Palace," saidVer. "Interesting."

"What makes you say that Admiral Sclerida
was about to launch a coup?" Jessine demanded.

Ver gave her an amused and distant look; with-
out his affection for her to soften his expression it
would have been terrifying. "It's the Kona Tatsu's
job to know such things. That's what we do."

Jessine could not argue that. "All right. But I
still don't understand why Kitchley would kill
Cowper."

*To prevent the coup. Without a major crisis

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

to disrupt his plans, Admiral Sclerida would have
moved to take over within the month. And
Kitchley had his own ideas. He was going to
hand over power to Admiral Merikur, He
thought he could keep the bureaucracy running
well enough then. He figured if he did that, he'd
have some control over the Secretariat." Ver
frowned at the holographic display. "There are
still too many armed assault boats in Logistics*
hands." He studied the figures running on the
display beneath the view of several air fields
overflown by Kona Tatsu reconnaissance satel-
lites.

As he watched, a dozen assault boats rose into
the air, set in a diamond formation and headed
off at high speed.

Ver switched the communications bank on,
"Check display feed. What ships are those and
where are they going? I want an answer in two
minutes- Contact by code." He shut the bank off
at once.

"Why not leave it open?" Jessine asked.

"I don't want anyone homing on the signal.
Bight now only a few Kona Tatsu know where I
am. I don't want to change that."

"I just can't believe that Kitchley would do
something like ... like kill the High Secretary."

"You may not believe it, but he did it," said Ver

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

bluntly. "He had created a strong position for
himself in the bureaucracy and did not want to
give it up. And he was aware of the dissatisfac-
tion in the client planets. He wanted to change
that, and thought that he could, given the
chance. He was a patriot — he thought. He
thought the bureaucracy could make everything
right. He was wrong."

The holographic display suddenly changed
and two tiny high-altitude platforms appeared
there, engaging each other in heavy fire. The
Logistics platform was firing plasma bolts and
the Protectorate platform was using laser-
cannons. They were carving one another apart.

Jessine glanced at Ver, then back at the con-
trols. "Could the Kona Tatsu take over? Could
you have staged a counter-coup against
Sclerida?"

He could not see the glitter other eyes. "Prob-
ably, but it would have been very costly."

"And this is an easier way?" She kept her eyes
straight ahead. "Many the widow and you
become High Secretary? Is that the plan?"

"Many the widow is, but not the rest," he said
carefully. "I have no wish to be High Secretary.
None. I never did." He paused; the two tiny plat-
forms continued to lob destruction at each other.
"I wouldn't mind advising one; I'll go that far.

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

The Pact needs some serious reworking or it will
come apart. I don't want to stand by and watch it
unravel if I can help stop it."

"Of course," she said in patent disbelief.

"Yes," he insisted with such conviction that she
began to believe him. "I am not qualified for the
job and I don't want it. But," he added in a gen-
tler voice, "I do want to marry the High
Secretary's widow." Before she could think of
something to say, he went on. "It wasn't possible
before, and I didn't think about it. Now it is pos-
sible and it's something I want, if you want me."

Jessine was flustered. "What do you expect me
to say?" She mistimed a turn around an aban-
doned mining building and the aircar rocked as
she steadied it

"I'm trying not to expect anything." He smiled
at her. "Think about it, though, will you,
Jessine?"

"Ver, this is Command Central. Ships in ques-
tion are Navy and are under Protectorate
supervision. Repeat, under Protectorate super-
vision. They have been dispatched to the Haiken
Maru polar complex."

"Good enough. Thanks," said Ver.

They were over the city at last, and Jessine had
to give her full attention to driving. She had the
Kona Tatsu identification on once again. Try as

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

she would she could not keep from thinking
about everything Ver had said-
reports are that there is still fighting at the
Palace," Ver informed her as his communica-
tions bank came to life again. That could be a
problem if we land inside the walls. We ought to
consider —"

"Why did you come after me, then, if you
don't want to be High Secretary?" she blurted
out, surprising herself almost more than she sur-
prised him.

"Because I love you," he said. "I couldn't bear
to see you lolled. You are the one thing I'm not
willing to lose." With an effort he made himself
more professional. 'The Kona Tatsu men at
Horizon Park were all... occupied. I couldn't di-
vert any of them to protect you." He bit his lower

iip.

A little later, as they rushed above the chaos of
the streets, Jessine said, "I love you too,
Damien." As she spoke the words she realized
she had never told him before.

'We've got company," Ver said, his holo-
graphic display showing three Navy assault boats
closing on them from side-streets.

"What do you want me to do?" Jessine asked,
all business again.

"Keep going. Make sure the shields are on

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Chelsea Quinn Yaritro

full." He coded in for more information but
received very little.

The communications bank relayed a message.
"Admiral Sclerida has arrived at the Secretarial
Palace. The Edward Teach makes direct attack
inadvisable."

"I should think so," said Ver, giving a critical
look to the holographic representation of the for-
midable destroyer.

'Then what should we do?" Jessine asked, for
the Palace was dead ahead of them and they
were coming up on the walls fast. "Land?
What?"

"Reduce speed," said Ver, and looked toward
the windows.

The Edward Teach hung over the Palace like a
baleful cloud, dark, enormous and threatening.

"This could be difficult," he said to Jessine as
the aircar diminished its speed.

From the side-streets the three Navy assault
boats appeared, moving quickly to box them in.

Jessine flashed the Kona Tatsu identification
but the assault boats did not move off.

"What's this all about?" she asked of the air.
"Damien — "

Two short blasts of heavy fire cut across their bow.

"What the —!" Jessine burst out, slowing the
aircar still more.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

A third shot would have plowed into the nose
of their craft but the shielding held while the
vehicle bucked and slithered against the impact.

Another shot was fired, this one a hyperveloc-
ity missile aimed directly at the power packs.

"It's not responding," Jessine shouted to Ver.

"We're going down," he said, and reached out
for her hand.

209

Chapter 17

Tira was half-dressed as she sat on the end of
the rumpled bed. She was reloading her
Samtoepoe A7mark923 while Chaney toweled
himself dry. 'Tell me," she said conversationally,
"do you think any of us will make it through
this?"

"You mean the coup attempt?" He wrapped

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

the towel around his waist and began to gather
up his scattered clothes.

"Yes. By this time tomorrow, are we going to be
dead?" She satisfied herself that the pistol was
ready to fire and put it back in her tattered reticule.

"I hope not," said Chaney seriously.

She nodded. "But there's still a chance it could
happen, isn't there?"

He was about to dismiss her fears when there
was a roaring explosion and the main door of the
suite gave way. The sound of breaking glastic and
falling debris silenced both of them.

"Surrender! Come out with your hands empty
and up!" shouted a rough voice from the
entrance to the suite.

Tira had pulled on a loose jacket and was fas-
tening it. She glanced at Chaney and saw that he
was tugging on his trousers.

A second burst of fire, which seemed to be
intended to demoralize more than harm, rack-
eted through the suite.

'Tira Bouriere! You are to surrender at once!"
the rough voice commanded.

Chaney frowned and shook his head. "Keep
down," he mouthed to Tira, and moved swiftly
toward the door, keeping out of sight.

"If you do not come out, we will open fire
again!" the voice informed them.

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Tira pulled on her most nigged shoes, hunker-
ing down on the floor to close them.

Chaney gestured to her to move back from
her position so that she would have the comer of
the armoire for additional protection. He
showed his most heartening smile and then
inched nearer the door.

"You are ordered to surrender immediately to
Admiral Sclerida."

Both Chaney and Tira winced.

They could hear Cousin Helga shriek in dismay.

There was a rush of men in the outer room as
they converged on the other bedroom.

Tira Bouriere, you are officially detained by
Admiral Sclerida. If you do not surrender your-
self at once we will be forced to open fire." There
was bravado in the rough voice now that he had
found his quarry.

Chaney scooted backward, keeping low to the
floor. As he reached lira, he said very quietly, "Is
Cousin Helga going to be all right in there?"

'The closet is shielded. If she gets inside
they'll need more than Kanovskys to get her out.
And she knows enough to use the closet." She
patted her reticule and the Samtoepoe inside.
This could come in handy."

"My guns are out there," Chaney said unhap-
pily. "I don't think I can reach them."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"Not to worry," said Tira with false insouci-
ance. 'There are a few toys in here, under the
floor of the armoire. There should be two Mein-
hausers, and they ought to be loaded."

The noise at Cousin Helga's door redoubled as
the Navy soldiers started to use the butts of their
guns against it.

'They're heavier than your Samtoepoe," said
Chaney in approval as the pounding on the other
bedroom door grew louder. "Why doesn't it
break?"

"All the interior doors have monocrystalline
boron mesh in them. It'll be a while before they
knock it down," she said, rummaging at the bot-
tom of the armoire for the release. As she swung
back the hidden door, she added, "And there's air
packs, too. What do you think?"

"Better safe than sorry," Chaney said, reaching
for the breathing unit before he grabbed the
Meinhauser. "You better take the other. Save the
Samtoepoe for a rainy day." He put his hand to
his ears. "Poor Cousin Helga."

"If she's in the closet, she's fine," said Tira as
she pulled out the Meinhauser and then the air
pack. "We'd better get busy."

"You're right," said Chaney. "We've got one
chance for surprise, and after that we're going to
need protection. So don't get too far away from

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Chelsea Qumn farhro

this door. Make sure you have cover. And don't
by to be heroic. This isn't the time."

"Yes, sir. Lieutenant Chaney, sir." She gave
him a mock salute before she shpped on the
breathing mask.

He motioned her to keep low, then slid back
toward the door. He indicated that Tira should
stay behind him and aim for the backs of the
Navy soldiers' legs.

"Ready?" he asked.

Tira nodded,

"Here we go." He eased the door open, wide
enough to allow him to slide out and provide
room enough for lira to take up a position be-
side him. He moved smoothly, knowing that the
soldiers were more likely to react to an abrupt
movement than a graceful one.

He braced himself against the wall and lifted the
Memhauser. He had a dip with sixty rounds and a
second with another sixty. That ought to make a
dent in the Navy men. He pulled the trigger.

The disruption was dramatic and immediate.
Those soldiers who could turned and began fir-
ing in Chaney s direction, but more of them fell,
yelling with pain as bullets smashed tibias and
fibulas and patellas and femurs. The body armor
that protected their torsos could not save their
legs.

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Tira aimed for those who were firing back,
deliberately setting about disabling them as
quickly as possible.

The floor was growing slick with blood still hot
enough to steam.

Chaney swore as a shot grazed his arm.

Several of the Logistics soldiers were already
retreating, dragging their injured comrades with
them, unwilling to try to fight in such close quar-
ters for so little gain.

"We'll be back!" one of the men shouted as he
reached the ruin of the main door. "And you
won't get out of here."

lira, who had been concealed behind the half-
open door, made herway arcmndtt, nextto Chaney,
her reticule dangling from her belt, her Mein-
hauser clutched in her hand, "He means it."

Tep," said Chaney, trying to find a way to stop
his arm bleeding.

"What can we do?" She looked around the
room as if hoping for reinforcements. "I guess
we could get into the closet with Cousin Helga,"
she said, thinking aloud.

'*We have to realize they're not going to be stu-
pid twice," said Chaney, cursing as the blood ran
off his arm and began making a puddle on the
floor. "They know this place is hard to crack, and
they'll come prepared."

215

Chelsea Quinn farbro

Tira nodded in irritation, then clicked her
tongue as she realized how badly he was hurt.
There's tissue cement in the first aid Idts in
Cousin Helga's room," she said decisively and
walked up to the closed door. She bent down and
pressed one of the sections of parquetry, clearing
the genescan,

The door swung open, revealing Cousin
Helga's bedroom. Where lira's room was rich
silkeen and tapestries. Cousin Helga's was all
lace and chintz. A plethora of doilies littered
every available surface and the two vanity mir-
rors were held in place by burnished gold cupids.

Helga came bustling out of the closet, a Ridly
pistol in her shaking hands. "You can't — " she
began, then realized who she was talking to. She
dropped the pistol and rushed to lira's side. "Oh,
my dear, thank goodness you're all right. I was so
frightened. The noise alone was enough to make
one crazed." She looked from Tira to Chaney
then back again. "Gracious, what are you doing
in those masks?"

"The Logistics men are going to be back," said
Chaney. "You can bet on it."

"But surely —" Helga protested, and then her
expression changed. "You mean it still isn't
over?"

"Not yet," said Tira grimly. "I need the first aid

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Idt, Cousin Helga. Will you fetch it for me? And
bring an air pack for yourself. They might try
using gas on us next time, or there could be a
fire. Let's get ready to hold them off."

"The double brace still works," said Cousin
Helga as she turned to get the first aid kit from
the closet. "I didn't have time to put it in place,
but we can do it now."

"Good," said Tira, slamming the door closed
and coding in the command for the eight steel
bars within the door to lock them in. There was a
satisfying thunk as the bars slid into place and
were anchored. The first aid kit?"

"Right here," trilled Cousin Helga as she
offered it as if it were a tray of sweetmeats. "But I
don't see — " And then she caught sight of
Chaney's arm. "Oh. Gracious!" The kit slid from
her nerveless fingers as she tottered toward her
bed, one hand to her brow.

lira picked up the kit and set to work tending
to Chaney s wound. She spoke to Cousin Helga
as she worked. "Don't let this bother you," she
said, feeling a little queasy herself.

"How did they know where to come?" Cousin
Helga wailed.

"I've been thinking about that," said Chaney.
"I'm afraid I did it. I think they traced my AID
code when I used the communications console.

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Ckelsea Quinn Yarforo

It's what I'd expect Sclerida to do. It makes
sense."

"Yes," said lira grimly. "It makes sense."

"That means he knows you're here, Tira,"
Chaney added. He touched lira's face with his
good hand. "I'm sorry."

She did her best to smile. "I know."

"I should have thought — "he began.

There was a sound from the warning beacon
near the door.

"They're coming back," said Cousin Helga,
reaching for the air pack and putting her mask
into place. She gathered up the first aid kit, half a
dozen pillows, lira's discarded reticule, and her
antique jewelry box and shoved them all into the
closet. "They'll be protected in there," she
announced.

Chaney and Tira were already shoving furni-
ture around to increase their protection. The
bed was upended and leaned against the door,
two of the settees were turned on their sides to
provide cover for the three of them.

"It'll take heavy fire to get through the door,"
said lira.

"We'd better be ready for it, anyway," said
Chaney. "They know what they're up against."

"Not quite. The bars weren't in place before,"
said lira, wanting to be more hopeful.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"No. But they may anticipate something of the
sort," said Chaney thoughtfully as he set about
reloading his Meinhauser. "I would."

"How much warning will we have?" Cousin
Helga asked with a quiver in her voice. "I'm not
sure I'm up to all this disturbance,"

"Who knows?" said Chaney. "I don't think they
intend to kill us. Or not Tu-a, anyway. That's
something.'* He had taken his position behind
one of the settees and was trying to find the least
uncomfortable position to hold his arm in.

"Do you think they'll use — " She broke off.
"Gas."

"That's it," said Chaney, adjusting the flow of
oxygen to his mask. "Be careful. Don't take off
the goggles, don't rub anything, don't scratch
your skin if it itches."

Tira was already rolling down her sleeves and
reaching for something to put over her hair. She
had been drilled throughout her youth for just
such an eventuality and now went about her
preparations with rote-learned skills.

Cousin Helga dragged her most elaborate ne^i-
gee off its hanger and wrapped herself in its vast
filmy folds of georgine and lace, all the while whi&-
pering imprecations at the attacking troops.
"Immune, storming the private quarters of the Hi^i
Secretaiys family. There's no excuse for it. none."

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

The gas grew thicker, and even with the masks in
place and the oxygen flow on full the rotten-eggs-
and-seaweed stench was almost overwhelming.
Everything in the bedroom was covered with a
fine, acrid mist of unwholesome greyish-green.

"Come out with your hands up. You will not be
harmed. Come out with your hands up." This
was not the voice they had heard earlier, but a
deeper one, more used to command. "Give
yourselves up."

"How dare they!" fumed Cousin Helga.

"lira Bouriere. Yon Chaney. Come out." The
voice was growing impatient. "If you don't come
out, we'll come in and get you."

lira looked over at Cousin Helga. "Get in the
closet," she ordered the old lady- 'They don't
know you're in here. You heard them. They
didn't call your name. Get in the closet,"

"But whatever for?" demanded Cousin Helga.

"In case they break through. We need some-
one who can ... rescue us, if it comes to that."
Tira glanced at Chaney and saw him nod.

"Come out before we open fire. We warn you,
we have two laser-cannon trained on that door.
We will fire on a count often."

Cousin Helga hesitated. "How can I — "

"If you don't hide in the doset, we won't have
a chance," said Chaney very seriously.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"One/

"Oh, if you really think..." said Cousin Helga,
torn between dismay and relief. "I'll be ready."

"Good." Tira all but pushed her through the
door, pressing it closed as soon as Cousin Helga
pulled the last other lacy garment inside.

Two."

"Better get ready," said Chaney.

Tira threw him a loss before she slipped down
behind the smaller settee and swung her Mein-
hauser up, leveling it at the door.

"Three."

"They'll probably just blow it up," said
Chaney. They don't want to cause too much
damage. And they can get in more — "

"Four."

" — easily if there isn't too much damage." He
checked his ammunition for the third time, and
for the third time swore at how inadequate his
supply was.

"Five."

Tira wanted to yell in defiance, to recite the
numbers faster so that they would get the fight
going. She was tired of waiting. She made sure
her goggles were firmly in position.

"Six."

"We're going to get out of this, Tira. We'll be
fine," said Chaney, not believing a word of it.

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Chelsea Quinn 'Yarbro

"Seven."

Chaney had a sudden thought — would
Admiral Sclerida actually order his death?
Would he let his men kill his son? At that
moment he would not have liked to wager on it.

"Eight."

"Get on with it," muttered Tira, realizing that
the Navy man wanted to irritate her; that recog-
nition made her more irritated than before.

"Nine."

Chaney's hands tightened on his weapon. He
prepared to fight.

Ten was announced by a nerve-shattering
explosion that shredded the door and sent sec-
tions of it flying through the room, smashing the
mirrors and wrecking the bed. Chaney's settee
was hit by a huge chunk of metal that broke its
frame and left one end sagging and shapeless.

No sooner had all the metal landed than a
squad of Navy soldiers with Logistics flashes
appeared in the doorway, spraying the room with
high velocity bullets.

Chaney slipped to the end of the settee and
started to pick off the soldiers in the front of the
squad, taking care not to waste shots trying to
penetrate the body armor protecting their tor-
sos. He aimed instead for the head or the legs,
firing steadily and deliberately.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

lira was equally cautious in her shooting, and
she succeeded in taking out half a dozen of the
Navy soldiers before she became a target and
once again retreated behind her settee, prepared
to change clips.

There were fifteen men lying in and near the
doorway, only two of them still moving. Chaney's
next round took out another soldier who landed
on top of another dead man.

More high velocity fire kept Chaney and Tira
behind their protective settees and played havoc
with the decorations of the room.

"You hogmaulers!" Tira shouted, unheard over
the gunfire. "We Just got this room cleaned up
again!" She fired three times and hit two men,
one of whom flopped forward, twitching. The
other staggered back against his comrades,
knocking one of them over as he strove to stay
erect.

Then the fire was silenced and the Logistics
soldiers moved back from the door.

"Form ranks!" shouted an officer, and the
straggling soldiers did their best to comply.

"What in — " Chaney whispered as he
watched the soldiers fall back.

In the next instant his question was answered.
From the entrance to the suite came a terrible,
familiar voice. "Yon. Tira. This is Admiral

223

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Sclerida. I am coming forward. Put down your
weapons. My men will not fire on you." The
Admiral's footsteps were strangely shuffling and
uneven.

Tira remained in her hidden position as a sud-
den, cold apprehension went over her. She
wished she had somewhere to run.

"We are going to work this out," Admiral
Sclerida informed them, coming still closer.
"You'll see."

And indeed they did, for Admiral Sderida
appeared in the doorway to Cousin Helga's bed-
room with Wiley held in front of him as a shield, the
muzzle of the Admiral's custom Campriani 56-007
firmly pressed to the young man's temple.

224

Chapter 18

The aircar jolted into the broken paving with
front-crushing force.

"Are you alive?" asked Ver as he unfastened
his harness.

"I think so," said Jessine unsteadily. She man-
aged to pry her fingers loose and then
unfastened her harness- "Yes, I'm too badly

225

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

bruised to be dead. I hope you like purple and
yellow,"

Ver stifled a grin. "On you, my love, any color,"
He made his way to the hatch and opened it.
Another aircar, with Protectorate flashes, was
descending.

The other aircar landed and half a dozen Protec-
torate men hurried out, all with their arms
bolstered. The man in the lead hurried over to Ver.

"Lieutenant Nkomo, Citizen Ver," he said with
a brisk salute and an apologetic air. "Sony we
had to bring you down like this."

"No more than I am," said Ver drily.

'The trouble is," the young man went on,
undaunted byVer's imposing manner, "we have a
very bad situation here. It developed very fast,
and we're still trying to get solid information on
it. You know how hard that can be."

Ver was curious now. "What is the situation,
Lieutenant Nkomo?"

"We had to bring you down," said Lieutenant
Nkomo, including Jessine in his explanation.
"Logistics forces have shot down everything
approaching the Palace for the last half hour.

"We have reason to believe that there is a
group of Logistics men in the Palace. Our best
guess is that Admiral Sclerida is there with
them."

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"Sounds like a tempting target," said Ver.

'Trouble is, the scanners also show that Tira
and Wiley Bouriere are in the Palace as well.
They may be hostages." Lieutenant Nkomo
scowled. 'We've — the Protectorate Office —
ringed the entire Palace, but we're not author-
ized to use heavy weapons against the Palace.
We can't put the High Secretary in danger."

"The High Secretary is dead," said Jessine.

"The High Secretary Wiley," Lieutenant
Nkomo said. "Sony, Madame Bouriere."

Jessine nodded. "Poor Wiley," she said.

"I understand," said Ver. 'Where is your Situ-
ation Command set up, Lieutenant?"

"Not far," said Nkomo. 1 can take you there at once."

"Good," said Ver. "Do it."

The Protectorate Office had taken over the
Ministry of Horticulture and Agribusiness out-
side the walls and the Appointments Division
inside the Palace.

"Can you get us inside?" Ver asked as he and
Jessine got into the Lieutenant's aircar.

"Inside the Palace, sir?" asked Nkomo as the
aircar rose.

"Yes." Ver fastened his harness as the aircar
banked steeply and shot down the street toward
the wide boulevard that would lead to the Minis-
try of Horticulture and Agribusiness.

227

Chetsea Quinn Yarbro

"I don't see how, sir," Nkomo answered. 'The
Admiral's forces —"

Ver reached over and took Jessine's hand. "If I
can get inside the walls, all the way to the Palace,
do you think you can get me to the Appoint-
ments Division?"

Lieutenant Nkomo thought carefully. "I sup-
pose it's possible."

They set down in the central quadrangle of the
Ministry of Horticulture and Agribusiness a few
minutes later and were at once surrounded by a
squad of Protectorate officers in body armor.

As soon as the squad's captain — Harbinger,
by his tags — recognized Ver he ordered the
men to form an honor guard,

"Lieutenant," said Ver over his shoulder to
Nkomo, "please come with us."

The main reception hall had been cleared of
its vast collection of potted and tubbed plants. In
their places a number of hastily assembled holo-
graphic displays were being monitored by
Protectorate officers and Kona Tatsu men in
black, working, openly for once side by side.

"This is the most recent material we have," said
Captain Harbinger, directing Ver to me largest of the
displays. "The contact is in lira Bouriere's suite."

Ver settled down to watch the playback of
Admiral Sclerida's arrival.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

The figures in the holograph were no larger
than rats, and they waited like intangible dolls to
be put into motion again.

Jessine found a place near the window, and
realized that there were Protectorate marksmen
on the roof. She looked toward Lieutenant
Nkomo. "You're using snipers?"

For an answer he tried to move her away. "You
don't want to make yourself a target. Logistics
has marksmen, too." As he spoke, a Logistics
man patrolling the balcony on the forty-fourth
floor of the Palace lurched and crumpled as a
Protectorate marksman found his target.

"Point taken," said Jessine, moving. "How
many have you got so far?"

'Thirty-one of them. They've lolled nineteen
of ours," said Nkomo.

There was a flurry of activity as the holo-
graphic console reran the incidents in Tiras
apartments.

"How long ago did this happen?" Ver asked as
the replay began.

"Four minutes, thirteen seconds," said the
Protectorate technician seated at the machine.

Admiral Sclerida appeared, his Campriani
clapped to Wiley's head. "We are going to v/ork
this out. You'll see."

Tira shrank back, her eyes enormous v.'i{h horroj.

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

"Let me explain," said Admiral Sclerida at his
most genial. "Unless one or the other of you is
willing to kill me and — well. High Secretary
Wiley Bouriere — you'll have to accept me as
the victor. In spite of the set-backs we have
encountered, I have prevailed, wouldn't you
say?"

No one answered him.

"Well, think it over a short while. It may take
some getting used to." He achieved a wolfish
smile. "Don't assume I won't Idll this boy. I've
done worse to get this prize and I won't let him
stop me."

"Stop it!" lira said sharply.

Wiley, who looked very pale and worn, and
whose hair and clothes were matted with drying
blood, spoke up. "Don't give in. Its all for noth-
ing if you do."

Admiral Sclerida tightened his grip on the boy.
"Shut up."

'Don't listen to him," Wiley said.

"Wiley!" Tira cried out

"Does it bother you, Tira, seeing him like this?
I found him under a pile of dead and dying
Guards. It seemed they were trying to save him."
His chuckle was unbearable. "I kept him from
being crushed. Didn't I?"

Wiley did not answer.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"So, for you and" — he smiled again — "for all
those watching this, here are my terms. You are
to recognize me as the official guardian of the
late High Secretary's two minor children, that is,
Tira and Wiley here, and give me full discretion-
ary powers in all Pact matters. Or you can kill all
of us and the Pact will go into chaos. One or the
other. Your choice."

Ver stood back from the console. "Four min-
utes ago, you say?"

"Closer to eight now," said the console techni-
cian.

Jessine stood behind Ver, her hand to her
mouth. "Stop him. Stop him."

231

Chapter 19

Chaney was proud to have Tira beside him as
he faced his father across the littered floor. His
Meinhauser was pointed toward the floor but he
held onto it with determination.

The Navy soldiers had been ordered back to
the door, and they gathered there now, staring in
at the confrontation.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

"You'd better kill me," said Wiley quietly- "You
can stop him if you kill me. He won't have any-
thing to —"

"No," said Tira.

"No," Chaney agreed. 'That isn't the answer."

"It's for the Pact," protested Wiley. "If he gets
his hands on it, he'll run it into the ground."

Admiral Sclerida laughed, "I had no idea you
cared so much for the Pact."

"Neither did I," said Wiley quietly. "But I
won't let it fall to you."

"Then your sister will have to kill you. Or my
son will have to loll me. And then, naturally, my
men would be forced to open fire. So you see,
you really have no choice." The Admiral was very
pleased with himself and smug in his triumph.

Tira half-raised her weapon, then faltered.

"Of course, you, Tira, could shoot me and Yon
could shoot your brother. It might be easier that
way." Admiral Sclerida beamed at Chaney. "Do
you think she'll do it, son?"

"Don't call me that," said Chaney.

"If I am —shall we call it regent? Yes, lets. If I
am regent, then you will advance very high in the
world. You will not have to be a lieutenant any
more. You can command whole battalions, for all
I care, and become a Commodore before I die."

"Tm not interested," said Chaney.

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Chelsea Quinn farbro

"Why don't you loll us, then?" asked Tira. "Get
it over with?"

"First, because I am enjoying myself. Second,!
happen to need you. You are pawns, but very neces-
sary pawns. Once I am established, that will be
another situation, and it may be that you will hamper
me. But both of you are young and well-born, and
should be worth something at the bargaining table.
No doubt I can use one of you to sweeten a truce
with a marriage?" He laughed again, and spoke to
Chaney. "That would bother you, wouldnl it, Yon?"

"If you're trying to goad me into shooting you,
you're doing a good job," said Chaney tightly.

Admiral Sderida saw the anger in his son's
eyes. "I think it would be a good idea for you to
put your gun down now. You're getting over the
shock of seeing me. Put it down. Or I will injure
this boy very badly." This time there was merry
anticipation in his smile- "Or shoot me."

Chaney ground his teeth. His arm rose once
and he tried to aim the Meinhauser at Admiral
Sderida. But he could not force himself to shoot
his father, and he damned himself for his weak-
ness. The pistol slid from his fingers and
dattered to the floor.

"That was sensible of you," approved Admiral
Sderida. "You don't believe it now, but in time
you'll see you've done the right thing."

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

Half-turning to lira, Chaney whispered, "I'm
sorry."

"It's all right," she said, and raised her own gun.

"Ah, ah, ah," warned Admiral Sderida. the aim
of his Campriani shifting from Wiley to Chaney.
"He may not be able to shoot me, but I have no
such hesitation to kill him. Put your gun down,
or you can watch both of these men die."

Reluctantly, lira shifted her grip on the pistol
to the end of the butt and let it down easily to the
floor. "Don't hurt either of them."

"Not if it isn't necessary," said Admiral
Sderida, He made a dismissing gesture. He sig-
naled his remaining troops. There were only
nine of them still alive and unwounded, and they
responded to his summons with alacrity, their
weapons up and ready.

"We must make arrangements for you. Now
that you arc orphans, it is the least that I can do."
He released Wiley, pushing him away. "Go to
your sister. And you, son, come here."

"I don't think so." said Chaney as he drew
Wiley between him and lira.

What Admiral Sderida might have answered
to this defiance none of them ever learned. Uke
Nemesis herself. Cousin Helga burst out of the
doset, lira's Samtoepoe A7mark923 dutehed in
her hands like a two-handed sword of God.

235

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

"You killed him. He was a saint and you mur-
dered him!" she shrieked as she cut the Admiral
and his men in half with the intensity of her fir-
ing. "You will not be permitted to live\"

Her fingers were still locked around the trig-
ger when Tira at last pried the empty gun out of
her hands.

236

Epilogue

The recently restored Grand Reception Hall
of the Secretarial Palace was filled to capacity
with representatives from throughout the Pact.
The activities had begun a week before with the
inauguration of Yon and Tira Bouriere-Chaney
as joint High Secretaries. This afternoon had
seen the ratification of the new terms of the Pact

237

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

alliance. Tonight's gala was — almost — purely
social.

"I'm glad you're the one taking the job," Wiley
admitted to his sister as they wandered through
the crowd. "I know I don't have the tempera-
ment to handle it." He looked older now than he
had just three months ago; there was a graveness
about him he had lacked before.

They smiled as the one surviving Daphnean of
Rainbow Dawn approached. Hanley, a former
under Appointments Clerk, supported himself
with a cane and there was a welt of half-healed
scar across his forehead. He nodded to lira.
"Good evening," he said, "It is splendid to see
everyone here tonight." He nodded at the med-
ley of beings surrounding them. "This week has
been a promising beginning. I hope that we can
continue this way."

"With the devotion shown by those of Rain-
bow Dawn, I'm sure we can," responded lira.

Hanley smiled. "Thank you, Madame."

"Are you sure you won't reconsider staying on
Earth?" asked Tira. Truly, your experience and
insights would be most valuable to us. To the
Pact"

Hanley shook his head. "Thank you, Madame,
but I think it's time I retired. I look forward to
sitting in my garden with my grandchildren.

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

With you and your husband in the Palace, I feel
safe in leaving such matters in younger hands."

Tira blushed a little. 'Thank you, sir. I hope
that your grandchildren will enjoy your com-
pany, for they are depriving us."

"You are most gracious." Hanley gave a half-
bow and another smile, then turned away.
Someone had called his name. "Good evening,
Madame, Sir."

Damien Ver approached as Hanley disap-
peared into the crowd.

Tira smiled at him and found herself wonder-
ing how she could ever have thought him cold
and uncaring. "How are you managing in this
mob?*'

'The same as I have for the last week," he
replied. "I review the holographic tapes at the
end of the day and check the delegates' registry
to make sure I know who's who." His smile was
quick and amused. "Have you seen my wife any-
where in the last half hour?"

"She's talking with the Peomer delegation,
over by the beverage table. They seem to believe
that because she is now Advisor to the High Sec-
retaries, she must be courted." lira linked arms
with her brother and... what was he? Her step-
father-in-law? Her friend.

Wiley could not enter into the amusement. T

239

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

don't envy any of you," he said with feeling. "You
have decisions to make that I could never —"

Ver cut him short. "You have other decisions
you're willing to make. Undertaking to be the
Pacts Inspector-General is quite a job in itself.
You know that some of those old-fashioned lead-
ers aren't going to give up their hegemony
without a struggle. If you want to keep the Pact
honest, you're going to tangle with some real vil-
lains. I'll back you all the way, but I don't want
your job."

A small band was set up in an alcove and it was
blaring away with Pact Victorious followed by
Glorious Heritage. In that part of the Reception
Hall the din of conversation was at shouting level
to be heard over the band.

"Cleaning up after the Haiken Maru is going
to be the beginning," said Wiley with the first
show of enthusiasm. "Once that's serried, then
we can show real reforms. There are so many
obligations we have left unfulfilled."

"But you don't have to do it all yourself," said
lira, trying to ease the burden her brother had
taken on,

"Yes," he countered her. "Yes, I do. I owe it to
Nika and all those dying Germans and my own
Guards, every one of them. I will never forget
any of them. They died to keep me alive, and I

240

CROWN OF EMPIRE

have to merit that. I don't now, but maybe in
time, I will, a litde." He smiled tentatively. "At
least this way I'll have a chance."

Tira relented and laid her hand over her
brother's, "If you must, you must."

Wiley gave Ver a slightly embarrassed look,
then broke away from his sister. "I'll join you for
the ceremony, but I want to talk to Anson
Merikur." He moved away, threading through
the bustling crowd with surprising speed.

"What do you think?" Ver asked of lira when a
few seconds had gone. "Do you think he's going
to do it?"

"Whatever it is?" Tira said. "Yes, I think he
will. But who would have thought that Wiley
would be the one to devote his life to the service
of Pact justice?"

"It doesn't seem all that far-fetched to me,"
Ver remarked, then leaned toward her. "And I
notice that Chaney is on the balcony watching

us.

Tira looked up at once, and grinned at Chaney
as their eyes met. "It's almost time."

They started toward the dais. Tira rubbed
absentmindedly at the two thin scars on the back
other hand, left by shattered glastic.

"Only two weeks, and everything changed,"
she mused,

241

Chelsea Quinn Yarfcro

"For the better, let us hope," said Ver. He
exchanged polite greetings with Anson Merikurs
second in command and was pleased to see that
Lieutenant Nkomo was with him.

'We're counting on you and Jessine to make
sure of that," said Tira. 'The non-human council
begins its congress next week. Everything we've
assessed this week is supposed to be used then.
It hardly sounds like much, but it's a start."

"Never forget that it is only a start," Ver advised,
and then his expression changed as Jessine, in a glo-
rious confection of sea-green silkeen with gold
beading came through the crowd toward him, leav-
ing the Peomers to devour the last of the scallop
steaks, eyes fixed on Ver.

Watching the silent exchange, Tira said to Ver,
"Please, tell me Chaney and I are not as bad as
you two."

'The style is different," Ver said, "but the con-
tent is the same."

At that Tu-a laughed aloud and attracted the
attention of a great many of the huge gathering.
She was about to dismiss their interest when she
decided that this might be the best time, better
than the formal ceremonies planned for the con-
clusion of the evening banquet. This was the
right time to call them all together, she decided,
and so she made her way to the dais, motioning

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CROWN OF EMPIRE

to her husband and brother to join her there. Ver
took Jessine s hand and joined them.

"Members of the Pact," she said, and waited
while the band fell silent and conversation faded
to a faint buzz. "Members of the Pact, we are
about to begin a new phase in our community of
peoples. For the first time the promise of the
Pact will be a promise given to all member-
species of reason."

Tira's family was gathered around her now,
and the delegates flocked toward them.

"We have all seen the terrible cost we pay for
inequality in the Pact. No one who values the
Pact can wish to see this continue. Therefore,
after long thought and the advice of countless
human and non-human Pact members, we are
inaugurating a writ of equality applicable to all
sentient species within the Pact. From this day
forward, all sentient species will enjoy equal
status and equal rights, with all the protections
and responsibilities accruing thereto."

Now Chaney was beside her. "We have
pledged," he said, taking up her thoughts, "to
enforce laws uniformly throughout the Pact, and
have taken it as a mandate to reform the exploi-
tations and hardships which have existed
previously. For there will be equality within the
Pact or there will be no Pact at all."

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Chelsea Quinn 'Yarbro

The cheer began raggedly but grew until the
Reception Hall rang with it, and it faded slowly,
leaving an expectant hush behind.

'There will be other crises, and other dangers,
ones that we cannot anticipate now," said lira,
pausing to make sure she had the full attention
of every delegate in the Reception Hall. "But
this I promise you. We all promise you. The dan-
ger of inequality will never be tolerated again, so
long as the Pact endures."

Chaney held up his right hand. "The Pact!" he
called out as if leading the entire glittering crowd
into battle. He took his wife's right hand.

'The Pact!" she echoed with deep emotion.

Wiley laid his right hand above theirs. The
Pact!" he declared with a fervor that would have
moved their father had he heard it.

Jessine and Ver offered their hands as well,
with the same victorious cry.

Gradually the delegates pressed forward,
reaching to add their hands to the knot, shouting
again and again as if with one voice 'The Pact!
The Pact! The Pact!"

244

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