Divine Deception: The Will Traveller Chronicals (18 page)

“When did you
first go there Captain” I asked, once on our way.

“Thirty years ago
Sire, with Lord Peter, I was an ensign then” He grinned,
remembering.

“Why did he need
to go there?” I queried, genuinely interested.

“To check on the
port system he had set up thirty years before” The Captain replied
“We all expected that they’d love him” He added, sounding
surprised.

“But they didn’t?”
I ventured, the Captain shook his head.

“Just shows you
doesn’t it?” He asked me earnestly “It’s pretty hard to get things
right around these parts, even for the Supreme Family” He added. It
was clear that, despite all that had happened; the Captain and his
crew were still locked into the deception. They were loyal to me
because I was Lord Robert of the Supreme Family. I decided to keep
whatever plans I came up with to Zoran and myself, perhaps telling
Susan, when and if I needed Carabindy or Alpine Grand to help with
whatever I came up with.

At my invitation,
the Captain launched into a long and detailed account of his first
and second visits, to this scandalous city state which was such a
vital link in the New World’s transportation system. It seems the
port control and operating system Lord Peter installed had worked
better and better, which was great for the people that owned and
operated it, but not for the locals. At one point, the Captain
paused, lowering his voice conspiratorially

“Those folk were
really the true government of Sentoria” He told me “They were
really in with Lady Ursula, you know?” Then the Captain continued
his narrative in a normal voice “The better it worked, the less
personnel the management needed” He told me.

“By the time we
arrived, more than half the State’s dock workers were unemployed!
So they had turned to crime, extorting money from the Port
Authority and local businesses. It was near anarchy”.

“Why didn’t they
get help?” I asked, confused at the loss of control

“Because the Port
Authority had said they would kill anyone in the Government who
breathed a word to the Supreme Family, along with their whole
family!” He answered “We had no idea what was going on until we
actually landed. Then, all hell broke loose!” He laughed at the
memory “It was obvious that the government was effectively under
siege” He continued “We picked up the Governor and some of his
staff, off the roof of Government house and we were taking small
arms fire all the time” The Captain recalled.

“Did you return
the fire?” I asked, expecting to hear of a bloodbath.

“No Lord Robert”
The Captain replied “Lord Peter wasn’t there to fight, in fact he
was really shocked” He added. “But I do know he was real mad at the
Port Authority people though” He grinned “Because we all heard him
in there, really ripping into them. Of course, I wasn’t in there
myself” He slipped back into that conspiratorial tone “But rumour
had it that him and Lady Ursula gave them twelve months to restore
order and control, or else the Supreme One would have to step in”
The Captain paused to sip his hot drink. Then he looked up at me
and added “And as you’d know Lord Robert, they didn’t manage
it”.

“No Captain” I
replied, keeping my interest out of my voice “If I knew anything
about Sentoria back then, I’ve totally forgotten it” I told him
almost truthfully.

“Of course Sire,
you’ve had so many things to deal with” He returned
apologetically.

“So, what was your
second visit for?” I asked him casually.

“Oh, well they
actually gave ‘em three years Sire” The Captain answered, adding
“By then the whole place was collapsing, so Lord Elton and Lord
Edmond came over with the whole fleet”.

“They would have
been the six superseded models that are used as transports now
right?” I offered.

“Yes Lord Robert”
The Captain confirmed “And they weren’t nearly as protected as this
baby” He added proudly, then continued “I’d made the flight deck by
then” He told his now fascinated colleagues and I.

“It was actually
my first combat mission” The Captain told us.

“There was an
outright war in Sentoria?” I asked, quite surprised.

“Well, not really
Lord Robert” The Captain replied, casting his eyes down and
shifting a little uncomfortably “More like a massacre I would say,
though, I’m sure Lord Elton was right in what he did” The Captain
added hastily “When a place gets so overrun by vermin, then you
have no choice but to eradicate them” He quoted my bloodthirsty
younger brother.

“Surely you didn’t
destroy the whole place? Kill everybody?” I asked, not hiding my
dismay..

“No, no, not at
all Sire” He replied, adding “The only buildings that we destroyed,
was the world’s biggest red light district”.

“That was where
all the bastards had taken refuge, among the women” He told us, his
disgust obvious “After that, we went around picking them off in
ones and twos, but not doing any damage to the place” The Captain
sounded more comfortable now.

“Did the rebels
offer much resistance” I inquired much more calmly than I felt.

“Heck yeah,
especially at first” The Captain snorted derisively “But all they
had was small arms and a few RPG’s. They just bounced off us, and
most of ‘em missed anyway” The Captain laughed suddenly “You know,
if they’d have had old Martin’s two stone guns, they could have
blown us away back then” He realised “But the only thing that can
stop this baby are those lasers that all of you carry” He told me
grinning.

The Captain didn’t
know that there were now three out of the Supreme One’s control,
mine, one with Jarrett, at the retirement home, and one with Zoran.
Though I’d wanted to leave one with Susan, to ward off any
reprisals that my family might attempt, I felt certain they’d make
some effort to rein me in first, before worrying about control of
their valuable Aklodyte resources.

“Sire, it was
clear why you had to visit Carabindy” The Captain said with
admiration “In less than a week you changed the face of that whole
Nation” He added, with what seemed genuine praise “May I be
permitted to enquire why you have come to this hell hole?” He
asked, not sure if he’d gone too far.

Just then, Zoran
came into the cockpit and provided the Captain and his crew with
our concocted answer, which left them stunned.

“Of course, I
won’t be able to travel then” I told them “So I’ve decided to get a
first hand look at all the trouble spots in our world” I explained
to the now totally subjugated crew, adding “So much has become my
responsibility already, that I felt I the need for a refresher
course. Clearly, there are many things that will have to change” My
voice was imperious.

“Far as I know
Sire” The navigator offered rather nervously “Sentoria is a model
of peace and prosperity these days. I haven’t heard of any piracy
for, oh, at least twenty years, ‘cept for the North West of course,
but that’s more like two States raiding each other, isn’t it?” He
asked. I presumed I would find out in time.

“It does appear
so” I replied, pretending to know what he was talking about “But
we’ll soon know, as we go there when I’m finished in Sentoria” I
said with an authority I didn’t feel.

“We’re going to
Arc Island and Port Rualé?” The pilot asked, momentarily forgetting
himself “Er, I’m so sorry Lord Robert” He apologised “But I was
born on Arc Island and I’ve not been back since being drafted into
Supreme House service” He told me.

“I’ll remember
that” I told the pilot, who was in his late thirties “Right now I’m
going to get some sleep, please wake me an hour before we arrive” I
requested and left the cockpit to do just that. A few hours later I
was awakened by one of the escorts and soon joined the Captain in
the cockpit.

“Wow, look at
that” The Captain exclaimed, when we were still several thousand
metres over Sentoria. Below us lay a massive high rise city, built
around a multi harbour port. There were literally dozens of
tankers, freight container ships and bulk carriers down there,
along with a spattering of smaller, far less sophisticated
freighters. Having been woken as requested, I now stood looking
down with the Captain and crew from the cockpit.

“Grown a bit in 30
years has it?” I queried the older officer..

“More than just
grown Sire” The Captain replied “It’s changed so much that I
wouldn’t recognise it, if not for it’s unique harbour formation” He
told me “It’s become a real metropolis” He added.

“Let’s have a look
around before we announce our arrival shall we” I suggested to
Zoran.

“Good idea Sire”
He answered, adding “This was the very first place where a
defoliation defence belt was used”. We could see the three
kilometre wide barren belt. It effectively cut the whole State off
from the mountainous hinterland that stretched beyond it.

“Problem was”
Commented the pilot wryly “All the bad guys were already inside” He
chuckled, taking us down to just on five hundred metres. As all
transport around here was by land or sea, no one was very likely to
look skywards and see us hovering silently overhead, and from up
there we could see everything. Though I’d not seen Centropolis from
the air, this city seemed to be as big and much more modern,
especially the downtown ten and twelve story city buildings.

From the fine
residences built on the gradually rising slopes, just North of the
city, to the rather spectacular beach side mansion we saw below us,
this seemed to be a far more affluent city as well. In fact, that
was all Susan had been able to tell me about Sentoria. It’s past
infamy and its present prosperity. The Captain pointed to the
northern slopes

“See all those
beautiful houses Sire?” He asked me “That whole mountain side was
covered in brothels, drug dens, sleazy hotels and the like” He
added “Just look at it now” There was no mistaking his pride in
what he considered a worthy act. “Last time I saw that place it was
just a pile of smoking rubble” He mused.

“So you torched
the place after you killed the inhabitants?” I asked innocently,
not expecting the casual and really callous reply.

“No Sire, we just
came in and cooked the whole place” He told me, adding “They never
knew what hit ‘em”. I forced back memories of the two really good
people I had met in Centropolis’ red light district. I turned to
Zoran, whose eyes reflected my own horror at what we had just
heard.

“Perhaps it’s time
to let them know we are here” I suggested.

“I’ll contact the
Governor” Zoran agreed and went into the communications room. This
seemed like one of those times when a really attention getting
arrival might be a good idea. Zoran got through instantly and, by
the time we were ready to land in front of the city’s most
impressive building, there were already thousands of people in the
streets below, looking up, pointing and chattering excitedly. Zoran
returned to the cockpit grinning.

“They have
respectfully requested we hold off landing for a few minutes Lord
Robert” Zoran reported, looking at me expectantly. Although we were
still more than a hundred metres off the ground, I ordered the
Captain to open the large, richly decorated main doorway, which he
did immediately. With my best red kaftan fluttering in the wind, I
walked out and floated fifty metres over the awe-struck crowd. My
weightless decent, shadowed by our sleek yet lethal looking craft,
had the desired effect on the official greeting party. They
themselves had definitely dressed to impress. The Governor had an
ermine collared cape with a huge gold Lord Mayor like chain around
his neck.

Like his male
colleagues, he wore a much decorated military officer’s uniform.
The uniforms seemed to indicate the person’s rank or position in
this ‘the most multi-cultural of all the New World’s cities’
according to the Captain. When it was just ten metres over the
ground, Zoran came out onto the T.T.V’s landing transom and
announced “Lord Robert of the Divine House of Red” In a
surprisingly loud, very formal voice. He then fixed the uncertain
group with a suggestive stare, cleared his throat quite obviously
and bowed, ever so slightly, from the waist. The Sentoria
executives took the hint and all of them bowed deeply, before the
main man removed his plumed hat and stepped forward. Before the
poor man could say a word, Zoran demanded his name.

“Who seeks the
privilege of speaking with Lord Robert?” Zoran asked
authoritatively.

“I am General
Marsoni, Governor of the State of Sentoria my Lord” He replied, his
voice trying to find an unfamiliar tone of deference. I remained
motionless and silent, though still hovering a metre or so above
the ground, so that everyone had to look up at me. My intuition
told me that, around here, first impressions didn’t just count;
they pretty much called the rest of the day’s play. And I sense
that we had to play this one right.

“This is my
executive officer Admiral Davis” General Marsoni introduced as the
tall fiftyish man in a much medalled uniform on his right bowed
again.

“This is Commander
Richards, Chief of Operations, the younger uniformed man on his
left bowed. Then Marsoni straightened and looked directly at
me.

“We were not told
of your coming Lord Robert” He was still having trouble working on
that submissive tone” You may be sure that we would have organised
a suitable welcome celebration for such an auspicious occasion had
we known” He added, smiling.

“Perhaps there
will be time for celebration later” I spoke with disdain “Right now
I want answers” I told him “You may prepare appropriate chambers
for me and organise a full meeting of your governmental and
commercial leaders in an hour” I instructed Governor General
Marsoni, who did not look too happy about being told what to do and
was about to complain.