"I'm sorry, sir," says Oschmann. "It's just that, well, he expects to see you, now."
I glare at her. "If Rrueo had another human officer to spare, Rrueo would gladly disembowel you," I tell her. "But since we must keep up this imposture -"
We are back in Oschmann's apartment, and her tame Baron is on his way to bring more tittle-tattle of the Grand Imperial court. I hope he has something useful to say. We need more information, especially in the light of recent events. Melani D'ian's informal communications channels are still open, and the last message that she passed to Shalo was... disturbing reading.
So, now, once again, I start to remove my uniform. "It's not any more pleasant for me than it is for you, sir," says Oschmann. "Dealing with the Baron, I mean."
"At least you get to keep your clothes on!" I snarl at her.
"So far," Oschmann mutters darkly.
"Do not expect Rrueo to intervene if the Baron makes demands of that nature. Rrueo is an innocent non-sapient house pet and knows nothing of such matters.... How can he be such a fool? He must know that nobody breeds hunting cats like Rrueo, by now!"
"This planet's communications infrastructure is rubbish," says Oschmann. "They don't even have a fully accessible planetary data net! Earth had one of those back in the twentieth century, but these idiots -" She sighs and runs her hand through her hair. I kick my uniform out of sight, and assume what is, by now, becoming a familiar position.
Again, a brassy fanfare sounds from the intercom, and a synthesized voice says, "Attention! Prepare for the ingress of the noble Baron Josef Chaka Guevara Foch, who honours you with his presence!"
"Oh, God," groans Oschmann. She composes her face in a pleasant expression, which belies her underlying mind-tone. I dwell on thoughts of leaping on prey and rending it.
The door opens. "Lady Cynthia!" The noble Baron's puddle of a mind is oozing with ignoble thoughts. "Charmin' to see you."
"Delighted, as always, my lord," trills Oschmann.
"And your pet, what?" The Baron steps over to me, and scratches me behind my left ear. I resist the temptation to take his hand off at the wrist. It is not easy. I force a purr, instead. "Delightful beast, what? Lots of spirit in her, eh?"
Then he turns back to Oschmann, and says, in that drawling voice which is suddenly thick with unpleasant intentions, "However, I rather think you'd better, well, put her out for the night, what? Seems to me, my lady, that matters between us need to proceed to a conclusion, don't y'think? And, well, I don't much care for the house pets watchin' me perform. M'first wife, now, she used to let her dog sleep on the bed. Puts a fellow off his stroke, that sort of thing, what?"
Even mind-blind, he must surely be able to see the tension in Oschmann's body language. I tense, myself. I do not propose to let this arrogant primitive outrage one of my officers, and be damned to the consequences -
Then the decision is taken out of my hands, as the apartment window lights up with a brilliant flash. The sound of the first explosion follows, seconds later... and by then, there have been more flashes.
"'pon my word." The Baron, distracted, wanders over to the window and peers out. "But," he says, bewilderment fogging his mind-tone, "that can't be right, can it?"
"What is it?" asks Oschmann.
"Well, now." The Baron scratches his head. "The word on the old grapevine was, Duke Thrang would be consolidatin' his position by takin' out the Grand Admiral. So, well, we were all expectin' some jolly old fireworks to kick off sometime soon. But, well, it would be a space battle, wouldn't it? But those flash-bangs, now, they're on the ground... comin' from the area of -"
It is at this point that I leap across the room, seize the Baron by the shoulder and the waistband of his trousers, and heave him face-first out of the window.
The continual rumblings of the explosions, and the distant warbling of phaser fire, do not quite drown out the sound of the crash, and the outcries, as he hits the pavement. Oschmann comes to the window and looks down. "I don't think he's dead, sir."
"A pity. But we have no time to attend to trivia." I turn and grab my clothing out from under the bed. "Thrang has let idiots like that think that he plans a challenge to this Grand Admiral. Thrang, not being an idiot, has already come to a cosy arrangement with the Grand Admiral."
"That noise is the Imperial Palace under attack," says Oschmann.
"Precisely." I shrug on my uniform tunic, and grab my wrist comm. "Rrueo to Skaldak. We are evacuating. Send the Hoh'Sus in, cloaked, under cover of the battle to make pickup. Rrueo and Oschmann."
"We're... leaving?" Oschmann says.
"We have done all we can. By tomorrow morning, Thrang will have completed his coup, and will be installed as Emperor. Our task, now, is to see that this is the only place where he is installed as Emperor."
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