Storm Force: Book Three of the Last Legion Series (5 page)

A lim with military insignia picked up Njangu and Celidon at the port, and, with many salutes, took off. Yoshitaro, noticing it was escorted by two Zhukovtype gunships, asked what the danger was.

“No danger,” Celidon said. “The Protector feels any public appearance by a member of the government should be accompanied with a display of force. It not only gives the workers something to admire, but something to think about if they’re considering the slightest dissidence.”

Agur was a monolithic city, its chunky buildings high-storied, frequently occupying whole blocks. They appeared to be poured in place, the blank concrete generally dyed brown or light blue, without facing or decoration other than the signs for the businesses within, which were gay and colorful.

The lim flew about ten meters above the street, siren wailing. Njangu could see people afoot, or in small vehicles of uniform design. There weren’t many lifters in the air.

“The Protector prefers his people use ground transport, or our extremely efficient undergrounds,” Celidon said, sounding like a government brochure. “Lifters are generally reserved for official use or, in larger forms, to take the citizens to the coliseums or to the country recreational areas.”

The people wore bright clothing, frequently streaked with conflicting colors that stood out against the drab buildings. Njangu couldn’t tell if they looked happy, sad, angry, or even ground-down.

“As a matter of curiosity,” Njangu said, “how do you deal with your criminals and dissidents? Conditioning?”

Celidon gave him a wintry smile.

“We hardly need Condit,” he said. “And the term we use is social misfits. The Protector sees no need for them to further fatten on the public by lazing about prisons, devising schemes for illegal enrichment when they’re released. Instead, they’re put to work, hard physical work in areas of risk. Undersea mines, on our moon stations, things such as that. Those who’re given lighter sentences, and survive them, generally are no longer a threat to society.

“As for dissidents …
real
ones were a generation ago. As for the others … you’ll see.”

Njangu, once a threat to society himself, and certainly now a dissident in Larix’s terms, thoughtfully considered Celidon’s words.

A few minutes later, Celidon nudged him. “There’s the Protector’s palace.”

The city encircled the grounds, three or four kilometers in diameter. The great building in the center was as grandiose and rococo as any dictator could dream of, all spires, domes, multicolored bubbles, strangely configured towers.

Yoshitaro decided that, one day, given the chance and enough explosives, he wanted to strike a blow for architects everywhere.

• • •

“Do you have any idea what brought about your exposure?” Protector Alena Redruth asked. There were only two people in the huge office, or at any rate only two Yoshitaro could see. He assumed Redruth wasn’t foolish enough to meet anyone without gun cover and wondered how many gunmen were hidden behind the walls.

Redruth was under normal height, in his early forties, and balding. He appeared unthreatening, except for his eyes, which held a strange, fixed gleam.

“As a matter of fact, sir, I do,” Njangu said. “One of my agents, who was under surveillance, contacted me to report the Confederation element was planning another intrusion. I had relay stations in place for these transmissions, but they succeeded in following the signal to my base.

“I just had time to activate self-destruct mechanisms and flee, with no more than the clothes I was wearing.”

Redruth leaned forward.

“Where are they coming, Yohns? Did your agent have time to give you that?”

“I had only a flash,” Njangu lied. “The charts they’d requested were for the alternate jump point for the Larix system, since they’d failed on their first try. The agent said nothing about when the intrusion would be mounted.”

“What is the Force mission?”

“The agent said one of the men said something to his fellow about ‘putting in a wrecking crew,’ which I’d guess means they’ll be putting in some sort of a sabotage force,” Yoshitaro said.

Redruth’s mouth worked. “We’ll be ready,” he said firmly. “We’ll stop them offworld as we did the last time, and this time destroy their ship or ships.”

“Good,” Njangu said. “My theory is the failure of your response to destroy the Cumbrians last time led to my exposure.”

“That intercept team has already been punished for its slipshod work,” Redruth said. “Forget about what happened.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ve done extraordinarily good work for me over the years,” Redruth said. “You were rewarded for your success, not punished for failure. Now, do you wish further … rewards?”

His eyes held on Yoshitaro, evaluating.

Njangu didn’t feel he had any choice. “Of course, sir. I assume I’ll continue to be compensated as in the past.”

“You shall. The first reward will be your immediate promotion to the rank of
Leiter
.

“What I wish you to do is help me evaluate Cumbrian designs on Larix and Kura and, within the next E-year, assist with intelligence missions to Cumbre, preparing for the inevitable invasion.”

Njangu nodded.

“When I attack, you’ll be part of my staff, and, after victory, I’ll find a high place for you in Cumbre’s puppet government. You’ll have more than enough of a chance to replace whatever you lost when you were driven away. In humiliation as well as material goods.”

Njangu let an evil smile come and go.

“In addition, you can help me here, now, since you think like a Cumbrian.”

Yoshitaro heard alarm bells.

“I need to know my weaknesses. How could Cumbrian spies, assassins, or saboteurs infiltrate Larix? I want you to tour the worlds of Larix, then, later, Kura, and with your fresh eyes, look for weakness. Maintain as low a profile as possible.

“Anything you discover should be reported directly to me. I shall punish the lazy and unwary, reward the wary and strong.”

“Yes, sir,” Njangu said. “What about Celidon? He told me he was head of intelligence. I certainly don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”

“If there are,” Redruth said firmly, “I shall deal with the problem. Celidon will be informed of what he needs to know by me. I am still the master of Larix and Kura.”

He stood. Yoshitaro, realizing the audience was over, stood and made an awkward attempt at a salute, like a civilian would attempt.

“In the future,” Redruth said, “there’ll be great rewards, even greater when, as is inevitable, I expand my empire, first to include Cumbre, then back into what used to be the Confederation. There are millions of worlds trapped in the chains of anarchy, and it’s the duty of Larix and Kura to free them.

“Great, great rewards.

“But for those who fail, or think they can serve their own masters, even greater penalties!”

• • •

Redruth’s majordomo escorted Yoshitaro to a different exit, where another of the military lims waited.

“The driver knows where to take you,” he said, and saluted.

Yoshitaro got in the lifter, found Celidon waiting.

“Was your meeting with the Protector … interesting,
Leiter?
”

“It was.”

“Remembering what I told you aboard ship, is there anything you wish to share with me, say, about what your tasks will be?”

Yoshitaro grinned. “How many rooms in the Protector’s palace do you monitor?”

Celidon looked mildly astonished, then laughed hard.

“Good, Yohns. Very good indeed. You are very adept at your analyses. I think that our relationship, assuming neither of us relaxes nor becomes arrogant, might be mutually profitable.”

• • •

Njangu’s city quarters were the three top floors in one of the half-block-long megaliths. He tried counting rooms, got three different figures depending on which elevator he used, and gave up.

He had, already in place, a staff of twenty-four. He asked if this’d been especially prepared for him, was told by his head-of-household, a calm man with shifty eyes named Kerman, the apartments had been previously occupied by … “but I must not use his name, sir. He was a member of a Cumbrian spy network our wonderful Protector sniffed out.”

Cumbrian spy network?

Of course Kerman, and Yoshitaro assumed everyone else in the household, was reporting to Celidon and then Redruth. No matter. He didn’t talk in his sleep, nor did he carry anything that’d give his mission away, except those four com chips he still had hidden.

He was in the middle of investigating the kitchens and bar areas when Kerman came to him again.

“
Leiter
Yohns, some possible candidates for your private quarters have arrived, and wish to know if you’d be interested in interviewing them.”

“Private quarters?”

“Yes, sir.”

“How’re these people different from you, or the maids, cooks, bakers, and laundry people I’ve already got?”

“If you’d care to accompany me, sir?”

There were half a dozen women, two blondes, two brunettes, two redheads. All were most attractive, seemed intelligent, and very interested in him. Yoshitaro took Kerman aside.

“I think I’ve got it. These women are applying for the job of my bed partner?”

“But of course, sir. We use the term companion. There are also men who serve similar functions, if you wish.”

Yoshitaro said he wasn’t interested in boys this week, then called one woman out of the room, a sultry-eyed brunette named Brythe.

“You want to become my … companion?”

“But of course.”

“Why?”

Brythe blinked. “Because that’s what I’ve been trained for.”

“What pressure, sorry, what encouragement did they put on you to become what you are?”

“Pressure, sir? I worked very hard in my training to be selected as a potential companion for someone of high rank, as did the other women in there.” She smiled. “I must say, sir, that I think I’ve got particular talents they might not have.”

“If I choose you, what happens?”

“Whatever you wish, whenever you wish.”

“No, I meant, what benefits do
you
get?”

“Well, I’d be permitted to live here, if you wished, which is much nicer than my own place, which is only a couple of rooms. Or I can merely come when you wish whatever services you want from me. Of course I get an increase in my living and clothing allowances. I’ll be able to shop in special stores, which are only open for high-ranking members of the government and their immediate staffs, and when I go to the stadiums sit in special sections. My parents also would be raised in status.”

“Um.” Yoshitaro had an idea. “Brythe, what would happen if I chose more than one of you?”

“Why, you’d be no more than a normal man. And, to be frank,” and she licked her lips, “some of the … pressure, to use your word, might be taken off me.”

Yoshitaro covered his reaction. Redruth’s regime programmed the citizens in more than one way.

“Very well. Come with me.”

He went back into the room, pointed to two blondes, a redhead.

“You three, and you, Brythe, can stay, if you choose. As for the rest of you, thanks for letting me meet you.”

The other two didn’t seem disappointed, but twittered about how gracious and noble the
Leiter
was, and perhaps they’d meet at another time, and were gone.

“Is there anyone else that’s going to get added to my retinue?” Yoshitaro asked Kerman.

“Only your personal bodyguards, sir.”

“Good. I’ll let you choose them. Get me big hulks. Male. Quiet ones. They ought to have military experience, and it wouldn’t hurt for them to be missing an ear or maybe be scalped.”

“Sir?” Kerman sounded shocked.

“I want any social misfit who’s thinking of harming me to know I’m well guarded,” Yoshitaro said. “Guys with scars are a good advertisement.”

“Yes, sir. I understand, sir.”

Yoshitaro yawned obviously. “Now, I think I’d like to … evaluate … my chambers. I assume the four women I chose will have their own bedrooms?”

“They will, sir, although not until I relocate two of the maids. The
Leiters
I’ve served normally only require one, sometimes two, companions.”

“Show them to their quarters, then ask Brythe and … what’s the redhead’s name?”

“Pyder, sir.”

“Ask them if they wish to come visiting.”

“As you wish, sir.”

If he played the part of a sex-besotted fool, Yoshitaro might be taken less seriously by Celidon and Redruth. Njangu hoped he was a clever devil, and not rationalizing being a drooling lech.

• • •

The next morning, feeling strangely refreshed, he met his bodyguards, who were just as big, silent, and nasty as he’d ordered, and hopefully as dumb as he wanted. He asked about their training, found out they were both rough-and-tumble experts, no more. Or so they claimed.

One said they’d be more than willing to help Njangu add to his security element. Yoshitaro said he thought he’d already taken care of that.

“Most
Leiters
,” the man said, “think it’s important to have other men and women … generally picked from the military … who can take care of the small things we won’t have time for. Also, in uniform, they make a better display to the populace.”

“What are the little things?” Njangu asked.

“Checking engine drives for bombs, clearing the way for your entrance at social events, generally ensuring that people you encounter are aware of your importance.”

“I’ll wait to make sure I get the right personnel,” Njangu lied, thinking it was going to be hard enough being a spy on this unknown world without carrying a full entourage around. He’d do with what he had.

With his personal requirements taken care of, it was time to get to work, both for himself and for Redruth.

• • •

“Your job is?” Njangu asked.

“Door guard, sir.”

“Sorry for the dumb question, but the businesses in this block don’t seem to need guarding. None of them are government that I can see.”