Conqueror

surprised.'

'Not as surprised as she was when he murdered her as soon as he was firmly in power,' Barholm said, grinning; there was a polite chuckle.

observe, Center said. A brief flicker this time; a woman in her bath. Handsome in a big- boned way, with grey in her long blond hair. She looked up angrily when the maidservant scrubbing her back fled, then tried to stand herself as she saw the big bearded men who had forced their way through the door. They wore bandanas over their lower faces, but the short fringed leather jackets marked them as Brigade nobles. Water fountained over the marble tiles of the bathroom as they gripped her head and held it under the surface. Her feet kicked free, thrashing at the water for a moment until the body slumped. Then there were only the warriors' arms, rigid bars down through the floating soapsuds. .

Chancellor Tzetzas raised an index finger in stylized horror. 'Quite a gothic tale,' he said. 'Barbarians.'

Raj nodded. 'We can certainly spare seventeen or eighteen thousand men,' he went on. 'The Southern Territories are fairly quiet, all they need is garrison forces to keep the desert nomads in order. The military captives sent here will more than replace any drawdown. We could ship a substantial force into Stern Island-' that was directly north of the reconquered Southern Territories, and the easternmost Brigade possession '-and. . hmm. Don't we have some claim to it, being heirs to the Admirals? It would make a first-rate base for an advance to the west.'

The Minister of Barbarians leaned forward. 'Indeed,' he said, pushing up his glasses. 'The former Admiral of the Squadron-ex-Admiral Auburn's predecessor's father-married Mindy-Sue Grakker, a daughter of the then General of the Brigade, and acquired extensive estates on Stern Island as her dower. The Brigade commander there has refused to turn over their administration to the envoys I sent.'

'Excellent,' Barholm said, leaning back and steepling his fingers. He might be of Descotter descent, but his fine-honed love of a good, legally sound swindle was that of a native-born East Residencer. 'From there, we can exploit opportunity as it offers.'

'Your Supremacy,' Raj said in agreement. 'We could move most of the troops up from the Southern Territories? They're surplus to requirements, closer, and I know what they can do. It's going on for summer already, so there's a time factor here.'

'Ah,' Barholm said, giving him a long, considering look. 'Well, General, I'll certainly withdraw some of those forces. . but it wouldn't be wise to make it appear that you have some sort of private army of your own. People might misunderstand. . '

Raj smiled politely. 'Quite true, Your Supremacy,' he said.

Everyone understands that it's the Army that disposes of the Chair, in the end. Three generations without a coup would be something of a record-if you didn't count Barholm's own uncle Vernier Clerett. He hadn't shot his way onto the Chair, strictly speaking, but he had been Commander of East Residence Forces when the last Poplanich Governor died of natural causes.

Probably natural causes.

'We certainly don't want people to think that,' Raj went on. 'Half the cavalry battalions from the Southern Territories, then?' Barholm nodded.

'And the infantry?'

'By all means,' the Governor said, slightly surprised Raj would mention the subject. Infantry were second-line troops, and Barholm saw little difference between one battalion of them and another.

You haven't seen what Jorg Menyez and I can do with them, Raj thought. 'I'll draw the other cavalry battalions and artillery from the Residence Area Forces Group, then?'

Barholm signed assent. 'I'll be sending along my nephew Cabot Clerett, as well,' the Governor said. 'He's been promoted to Major, in command of the 1st Residence Battalion.' A Life Guards unit; they rarely left East Residence, but many of the men were veterans from other outfits. Of late, most had been from the Clerett family's estates. 'It's time Cabot got some military experience.'

Raj spread his hands. 'At your command, Your Supremacy. I've met him; he seems an intelligent young officer, and doubtless brave as well.' A subtle reminder: don't blame me if he stops a bullet somewhere.

'Indeed. Although I hope he won't be seeing too much action.' An equally subtle hint: he's my heir. Barholm was nearly forty, and he and Lady Anne hadn't produced a child in fifteen years of marriage. The Governor smiled like a shark at the exchange. It was worth the risk, since he had other nephews. A Governor didn't have to be a general, but he did need enough field experience for fighting men to respect him. He continued:

'In fact-this doesn't go beyond these walls-we are, in fact, negotiating with General Forker right now. The, ah, death of Charlotte Welf. . Charlotte Forker. . aroused considerable animosity among some of the Brigade nobles. Particularly since Forker's main claim to membership in the Amalson family was through her. General Forker has expressed interest in our offer of a substantial annuity and an estate near East Residence in return for his abdication in favor of the Civil Government.'

'He may abdicate, Sovereign Mighty Lord, but I doubt his nobles would all go along with it. The Brigade monarchy is elective within the House of Theodore Amalson. The Military Council includes all the adult males, and they can depose him and put someone else in his place.'

'That,' Barholm said dryly, 'is why we're sending an army.'

Raj nodded. 'I'll get right on to it, then, Your Supremacy, as soon as the Gubernatorial Receipt-' a general- purpose authorizing order '-comes through. It'll take a month or so to coordinate. . by your leave, Sovereign Mighty Lord?'

CHAPTER THREE

How utterly foolish of him, Suzette Whitehall thought, looking at the petitioner.

Lady Anne leaned her head on one hand, her elbow on the satinwood arm of her chair. Her levees were much simpler than the Governor's, as befitted a Consort. Apart from the Life Guard troopers by the door, only a few of her ladies-in-waiting were present, and the room was lavish but not very large. A pleasant scent of flowers came through the open windows, and the sound of a gitar being strummed. The cool spring breeze fluttered the dappled silk hangings.

Despite that, the Illustrious Deyago Rihvera was sweating. He was a plump little man whose stomach strained at the limits of his embroidered vest and high-collared tailcoat, and his hand kept coming up to fiddle with the emerald stickpin in his lace cravat.

Suzette reflected that he probably just did not connect the glorious Lady Anne Clerett with Supple Annie, the child-acrobat, actress and courtesan. He'd only been a client of hers once or twice, from what Suzette had heard- even then, Anne had been choosey when she could. But since then Rihvera had been an associate of Tzetzas, and everyone knew how much the Consort hated the Chancellor. To be sure, the men who owed Rihvera the money he needed so desperately-to pay for his artistic pretensions-were under Anne's patronage. Not much use pursuing the claims in ordinary court while she protected them.

'. . and so you see, most glorious Lady, I petition only for simple justice,' he concluded, mopping his face.

'Illustrious Rihvera-' Anne began.

A chorus broke in from behind the silk curtains. They were softer-voiced, but otherwise an eerie reproduction of the Audience Hall singers, castrati and young girls:

'Thou art flatulent, Oh Illustrious Deyago

Pot-bellied, too:

Oh incessantly farting, pot-bellied one!'

Silver hand-bells rang a sweet counterpoint. Anne sat up straighter and looked around.

'Did you hear anything?' she murmured.