Deathstalker Rebellion

every credit he could, in lieu of retaining any interest in the Family businesses. We should have insisted on prenuptial arrangements, but with dear Daddy's will they had us over a barrel, and they knew it. Either way, it's my business and my money, and he's not getting any of it. I'll see him dead and rotting in the ground first.'

'Now, there's an idea,' said Daniel. Stephanie looked quickly to see if he was picking up on her hint, but she could tell from his preoccupied face that he was just being polite, and had already moved on to something else. 'Steph, after the ceremony, how much longer do we have to hang around here?'

'Danny, we've been through this. At least two months, maybe three. Even with the little surprise we've got planned, it'll still take that long to wrest control of the factory from dear Valentine.'

'You don't need me here for that. You don't need me here at all. 1 need to get away; there's something more important I should be doing.'

'Danny…'

'Our father is still out there, somewhere. With the Wolfe resources behind me, I can find him, I know I can.'

'Danny, our father is dead. He died in the hostile takeover of Clan Campbell. You saw the body. What you and I saw in the Court that time was just a Ghost Warrior: a corpse with computer implants to keep it moving and talking.'

'No! It was him. He recognized me. He's still alive, trapped in that decaying body. I have to find him, free him, one way or another.'

'Let it go, Danny! Our father, whatever state he's in now, is the past. We have to look to the future. He never cared for us, except to carry on the Family genes. I need you. I need your support, here and at Court. I can't tear down Valentine and run this Family on my own. I need you, Danny! I always have, you know that.'

'Why? So I can stand at your side and look good? Fight duels over your honor? Hold your hand when things get a bit rough? You've got Michel for that, or if he's not up to it, you can always hire someone. The only real battles are over politics and money, and I've never understood either of them. I have to go, Steph. Daddy needs me. No one else will help him. Most people are glad he's dead. I'm all he's got.'

'Our father is dead! How many times do I have to tell you? Get it through your thick skull; what we saw was just a Shub trick, and you fell for it!'

'I thought you at least would believe me! You think I'm crazy, too!'

His face went all red and puffy, and he started to cry like a child. Stephanie sighed, stepped forward, and took him into her arms. He held her tightly, his face buried in her neck.

'I can't let him down,' he said muffledly. 'He never needed me for anything before. And he went and died before I could say good-bye. Before I could tell him I loved him.'

'Forget Daddy,' said Stephanie. 'You don't need him anymore. You've got me now.'

And she pushed him away from her a little and kissed him on the mouth with far more passion than a sister should show for a brother. Daniel put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently but firmly away from him.

'No. This isn't right, Steph.'

'We're Wolfes, Danny. We can do whatever we want. We decide what's right.'

'Not this. Wolfes have never gone in for… this sort of thing. Even we have to follow some rules, or there'd be no point to anything. Besides, if word got out, and you know it would eventually, we'd lose all respect among the Clans. If we're too weak to control our own desires, then we're too weak to control our Family. That's what they'd think, and they'd be right. I love you, Steph, and I'll always love you—as a sister. I'll stay with you for as long as you really need me, but then I'm gone. Don't try and stop me. I love you, but he's my father.'

'Let's go,' said Stephanie, not looking at him. 'We have to meet with Cardinal Kassar and Half A Man before the ceremony begins.'

They all ended up in the main reception hall again. Some optimistic soul had put up colored trimmings and streamers, and servants in full formal dress were preparing a buffet of little snacks and munchie things. There were also wines and champagnes in great quantity, if not quality. Cardinal Kassar seemed to be drinking most of it. Word had quickly reached him of his troops' fate in the rebel tunnels, and though he was loudly declaring it a great success to all and sundry, it was clear he wasn't fooling anyone, not even himself. Daniel and Stephanie looked on impatiently as Kassar blustered on, angrily brandishing his glass as he shored up his arguments with details that had more and more of fantasy in them. Half A Man's thoughts were hidden, as always, and the Investigator at his side kept a diplomatic silence.

'Slaughtered the rebels in their hundreds,' Kassar said loudly. 'Maybe even thousands; hard to tell without dragging the bodies to the surface. All right, we lost some good men, a lot of good men, but we're the ones that ended up with prisoners. Your people never managed that before. We got three hundred and twenty-seven. I've decided to have them all executed at the end of the ceremony. Make a nice finish to the show, and make it clear to everyone who's in charge here.'

'I've seen your prisoners,' said Stephanie. 'Mostly women and children and a few wounded men. That's going to make a great impression on the watching billions. Would you like us to supply you with some puppy dogs and cute little kittens to kill as well, to complete the picture? I mean, children! What's the matter, Kassar, couldn't your people find enough cripples and retards to make up the numbers?'

Kassar glared at her. 'A rebel is a rebel. The executions will be a sign of authority and strike a major blow to the rebels' morale.'

'Can't say I agree,' said Daniel. 'I mean, killing women and children in cold blood. It's not done, you know.'

'We're not playing your decadent Court rituals here, boy,' said Kassar, his ruined face dangerously red. 'This is Church business. Don't try and interfere with the executions, or I'll have my troops run you off.'

'So much death excites you, doesn't it, Kassar?' said Stephanie. 'You enjoy the thought of such slaughter.'

'And you don't?' The Cardinal sniffed contemptuously. 'I thought you Wolfes had more guts.'

'We're in the same room as you, aren't we?' said Daniel.

Kassar started to reply to that, and then stopped as he caught the glint in Daniel's eye. He knew of Daniel's reputation as a duelist, and his men were a long way away. Half A Man and his Investigator were supposedly on his side, but…

'I've heard a few reports of my own,' said Stephanie, 'about what happened, down in the tunnels. According to my sources, the rebels drove you off with some new kind of esper weapon.'

'Rumors,' said Kassar coldly. 'Exaggerations. You should know better than to listen to gossip. The Rejects have no espers, let alone esper weapons.'

'But they do have Jack Random,' said Daniel.

'So they say,' said Kassar. 'I'm looking forward to hanging him. I mean, he's hardly a real threat anymore. Just an old man, worn down by time and failure, desperately trying for one last success. The Empire kicked his ass on Cold Rock, and my people will kick it again here. No one can stand against the Faithful. Just as no one can stand against the Church.'

And he smiled, thinking of the explosives he'd had placed in the factory. Not enough to do any real damage, but more than enough to disrupt stardrive production, make fools of the Wolfes, and lay the groundwork for a Church takeover of Technos III. And then no one would care about a few troops lost in an unlucky venture.

Half A Man stood silently a little to one side, following the conversation, and what was said and what wasn't, but feeling no wish to join in. He made a stern, forbidding presence with Investigator Shoal at his side like a primed attack dog, and he knew it. People here had been getting too familiar just recently. They needed to be reminded where power really lay. And he felt a need to appear strong after his babbling to Shoal. He'd never spoken that much about his past damnation since his original debriefings, and he didn't know why he'd opened up so much to Shoal. Perhaps because the dreams had been so vivid just lately, or just because Shoal's grandfather had been such a good friend. Half A Man felt the need for a friend now more than ever. He didn't need to worry that Shoal might talk. She was an Investigator and completely loyal to the man who'd trained and shaped her life. He had no doubt of that. Which was why he'd had her oversee the placing of Kassar's explosives in the factory. He could trust her to do a thorough job.

Michel and Lily chose that moment to make their appearance, late as usual. They'd made some effort to dress up for the occasion, but not much. Their clothes were of the finest cut, but worn without the necessary elan