Warlord

were tired, and that you'd see the Governor at the morning levee.' A silence, broken only by the rattle of the wheels that changed to a rumble as they neared the Palace and the surface of the street switched from cobblestones to more recent concrete. The soft thudding of the dogs' paws remained, and their panting.

'Better still,' the 2nd's commander continued, 'if you'd taken a day or so longer getting back from the frontier; I understand some of your people are still recovering from their injuries.'

Unspoken threat; Raj looked out the window again. The 2nd's new uniforms were beautifully tailored, but the jackets were a sand-colored khaki now, and they were riding with the butts of their rifles on their thighs.

'Well,' he said after a minute. 'I suppose you're to be the new Governor, Des?'

Des Poplanich stuttered; he was plumper than his older brother had been-is, Raj thought he's not dead, just. . out of circulation-but had much of the same well-meaning earnestness. Raj had always rather liked him; Des was very much what his brother might have been, without the force of will and with only nine-tenths of the brains.

'Raj, you know I'm not an ambitious man,' he began. Raj nodded; that was the only reason Des was still alive, that and Barholm's thorough-going contempt. Des continued:

'But this. . it's for the good of the State. Barholm's a madman, and he's. . Raj, you've been away from Court, but he's getting worse. This religious policy, it's insane! Yes, we can't allow outright heathens like the Christos equal rights, but that's no excuse for confiscating their property or denying them all basic liberties. The taxes are grinding half of what's left of the free-farmer class into debt-peonage, and where's it going? Where is every penny going? To line Tzetzas' pockets, and creatures like him, and what's left over is squandered on new temples and crazy schemes like this cross-country railway to Sandoral, and foreign wars that enrich nobody but mercenaries and contractors-Tzetzas again. .

'He has to go, Raj; him and that whore he had the effrontery to make Governor's Lady. Did you know,' he continued bitterly, with the offended pride of fifteen generations of patricians, 'that he's had her face put on a coin? That respectable Messas have been banished from court-even imprisoned-because they wouldn't treat a common prostitute like one of themselves?'

Raj nodded; because that was all true, yes, and because he needed to know as much as he could. Although most of those Ladies. . at least Anne probably always gave value for money.

'Barholm's a son-of-a-bitch, right enough,' he said. Stanson watched him with slitted sauroid eyes. Careful, he's no fool. 'And Tzetzas is worse; he's not just robbing the treasury, he's tried to rob men under my command.' A slight relaxation; his own clashes with the Chancellor were legendary, by now. 'But I swore Barholm an oath, and I'll not be party to his murder.'

'Raj!' Des said, genuine wonder and offense in his tone. 'You know me better than that! Barholm, and even his. . woman. . well, they'll be kept under heavy guard, of course, and we couldn't allow them back into Descott County-no offense-'

Raj nodded; the County had gotten used to having one of its own on the Chair, and a good quarter of the Civil Government's native cavalry were recruited there.

'— he'll be taken to Chongwe Island, one of his estates. He can drink himself to death in his own time, or indulge in religious dementia-I think he's already half convinced he's an Avatar-or whatever. That'll be enough vengeance for Thom, and my grandfather.'

Stanson had coughed and covered his face with his hand, but the reflection in the window behind Des' head had worn an expression more suitable for a hunting sauroid in the unguarded instant before; one of the smaller, nimbler kinds that killed by biting hunks out of their prey on the run. Raj thought he detected a change in the other man's posture, as well; he had probably been prepared to shoot Raj on the spot if he fell in with the plan suspiciously easily, and damn the complications. Perhaps it would be worth the trouble to become a fast-draw artist himself, and Suzette could study poisons-Des, Des, Raj thought. You should have stayed in your townhouse, or better still gone to your estates and written philosophy and plays and spent your time being a good Messer to your tenants. He felt a deep sadness; covered his own eyes and sighed wearily. Because when you run with the sicklefeet, you'd better be equipped with claws.

'Who's behind this?' he said aloud. 'Because Stanson, I'm not stupid enough to think you could bring it off by yourself. You don't have enough influence in the Army.'

The other officer leaned forward and began reeling off names; Raj nodded at the progression. Several million acres of land, including most of the rich Hemmar Valley-Trahn Minh was in on it, no surprise-and another million or so FedCreds worth of East Residence shipping and manufacturing. Men who were not likely to rejoice either at the taxes necessary to pay for reconquests in the western territories, or at the disruption of the export-import trade it implied.

'Well, that's impressive enough,' Raj said. 'I'm. . not a suicidal man, whatever the newsmongers say. I've got eight men, myself and Suzette-'

Stanson winced slightly.

'— which is scarcely enough for a firefight; and I don't think you're stupid enough to try it without putting the 2nd in control of the Palace, either, Stanson. It's not as if Barholm were the best Governor we've ever had'-just essential to the purposes of the Spirit of Man, somehow-'so as long as I'm not expected to participate in anything against my oath,' he shrugged, 'what can I do?'

Des leaned over and clasped his hand warmly, beaming. 'Everyone knows you're as scrupulous of your honor as any officer in the Army, and the most able field commander in the Civil Government. But not one of these crazy fanatics who think we can restore the Holy Federation overnight, you care for your men too much for that,' he said. 'When you accept a high command under me, all decent men will rally to my side.'

You'd be a puppet, Raj thought coldly, as he smiled and his mouth said words, and with Stanson in on this, I'd be unsuspiciously dead in about a year. That could not be allowed to matter, but the consequences to the State which embodied Holy Federation here on Earth-

least unfavorable possibility, probability 15 %, 200 years after this date, plusminus 20. observe.

* * *

— East Residence was burning; it was this street, in the city Raj knew, but worn somehow, buildings aged and not repaired for decades. Grass grew through patchy cobbles, and the harbor was empty. The clothing styles on the men and women who lay in the streets were altogether strange, those who were not naked or in rags. A motley line of infantry stormed a barricade; the people behind it looked to be ordinary East Residence types, but the troops were black Zanj in Civil Government uniforms.

highest probability. 83 %, plusminus 4. observe.

* * *

— East Residence was burning. A line of troops retreated down the street outside; he recognized the banners of the 7th Descott Rangers and his own 5th. Cannister plowed gruesomely through their ranks, and other men in Civil Government uniforms pursued; Rogor Slashers, Kelden Foot, and the odd short jackets of Brigade soldiers mixed in. Citizens on the roofs above threw tiles and chamberpots, until the Kelden infantry turned and fired a volley upward-

* * *

Civil war, Raj thought. At best, centuries in the future when all hope had rotted away. More probably within the year; he knew his Descott gentry, they were not going to stand for a regime dominated by cityman merchants and worse, the Hemmar Valley counties and their lords. The lowlanders had money in plenty, but were unlikely to trust their peons with arms; they would hire outsiders, which meant both sides would be forced to seek help abroad. He shivered.

* * *

'And?' Stanson prompted. They were through the outer wall of the Palace district. Raj met his eyes, turned up his hands.

'Anything is better than civil war,' he said. 'Anything at all.'

Belief, because Stanson was a good judge of men in his way, and he was hearing absolute truth.

'But it'd be very suspicious indeed, if I don't at least pay a courtesy call on the Governor.' Stanson's fingers flexed, moving with an independent life.