Assumption of risk

by Michael A. Stackpole

  The desire for revenge fit the last target perfectly. Duke Ryan Steiner had gained immeasurably from Melissa's death, and he had done enough other things to be at the top of Victor's hate list. Because Melissa's claim to the throne had been beyond dispute, Ryan had been little more than a whining puppy while she was alive. With her death, however, Ryan moved one step closer to the throne and could now make an excellent case for becoming regent, if not the outright ruler of a newly independent Lyran Commonwealth.

  The separatist uprisings in Skye and along the Jade Falcon border pointed up the serious nature of Ryan's threat to the Federated Commonwealth and, in the assassin's eyes the shortsightedness of Ryan's ambition. If Skye and the border region pulled out of the Federated Commonwealth, Victor would be forced to commit troops to bring them back into the fold. He would have no choice because to lose that sector of space would be to lose important industrial capacity and a string of defensible worlds on the Clan border. Moreover, Victor was the sort of moralist who would believe it was his duty to protect the people of those worlds from the Clans, even if it meant military conquest and martial law to do so.

  Ryan's Skye Federation, or whatever he would call it, obviously would not be able to stand. Because of the way the Isle of Skye worlds sat smack in the middle of the Inner Sphere, Victor could bring forces against them from both sides. The Draconis Combine, which might once have backed separatists in a Federated Commonwealth civil war, would no doubt prefer to maintain the status quo than have a weakened ally on the other side of the Clans. In addition, the Combine did not have the personnel or equipment to lend Ryan, because the only way Theodore could provide it was by stripping units off the long border with the Federated Commonwealth, leaving the Combine open to attack.

  The Free Worlds League likewise could not support Ryan, nor, of course, could the Clans. Besides, the assassin seriously doubted that Ryan could survive politically if his people discovered that he had taken aid from either the Free Worlds League or the Clans. Ryan's only hope for success came if the Skye uprising were to trigger a popular uprising throughout the old Lyran Commonwealth, delivering it to him in one fell swoop. As the District of Donegal and Periphery March would back Victor, the miracle Ryan needed would not happen, dooming his effort to be nothing more than a boon to the funerary industries.

  Ryan apparently assessed matters differently. With supreme confidence in his ability to control or manipulate events, he moved forward with his own agenda. If the Skye worlds were to pull out of the Federated Commonwealth and Victor had to tie up troops putting down the rebellion, the Capellan Confederation might step up operations in the Sarna March, the Jade Falcons might pull off more raids into the Commonwealth, and the Free Worlds League might even decide to try to recapture planets it had lost to Lyran predation centuries before.

  Victor was not required to kill Ryan Steiner to eliminate the threat to the Federated Commonwealth. He certainly had other options. But the only final solution to the problem of Ryan was to assign his fate to an assassin. With the new disks and the potential of new information coming in every day to update him, the assassin knew he could do the job, and do it spectacularly.

  That solved his first problem.

  His second problem ran deeper and would take even more planning to solve. He harbored no illusions that Victor would thank the assassin for killing Ryan and then let him go on his way. He had, after all, killed the prince's mother, and he could appreciate the deep animosity Victor felt toward him for that. That animosity meant, of course, that after the assassin killed Ryan, Victor would have him killed.

  The assassin's second problem was that he did not want to die.

  He smiled as he sat down in front of the computer. Using the mouse he began to zip through Solaris City in a seemingly random fashion, turning left and right as new pictures flashed up on the screen. Victor was right to bring him up to date on Solaris because enough had changed even in the last three months that the assassin might otherwise never have been able to get to his target. The review and the study helped and the assassin was supremely confident because of it.

  He would get his man. And he would get away.

  13

  Solaris City, Solaris VII

  Tamarind March, Federated Commonwealth

  12 February 3056

  Kai gave the sleeves of his double-breasted, iridescent blue silk jacket a tug as he rode up in the elevator. Keith Smith seemed amused by his nervous fidgeting while Larry Acuff mirrored Kai, adjusting the sleeves of his own jacket. When Keith laughed lightly, Kristina Houpe slapped him on the shoulder. "You should wear a suit so well, Keith."

  Keith blinked his eyes, feigning surprise. "I don't have to dress as well because I already have a date."

  Kristina ignored him and reached out to straighten Kai's blue and gray striped tie. "There, that's perfect." She gently pressed his lapels flat, then returned to Keith's side. 'The way these two look, you could be without a date by the end of the evening."

  Larry smiled at Kai. "I told you she was smart as well as gorgeous."

  Kai nodded solemnly in agreement. "And she obviously has compassion for the less fortunate." As Keith started to protest, he added, "As evidenced by her willingness to make sure my tie was straight—since I had no one here to do that for me."

  Kristina laughed, then poked Keith in the ribs. "Losing ground here fast, Mister."

  Keith looked at the other two men. "Just remember whose computer work makes sure those paychecks come out on time."

  "Just remember who signs them," Kai shot back with a laugh as the elevator came to a stop. "Have fun tonight. I won't be able to enjoy it much, so I expect you to have my fun for me."

  Larry nodded quickly. "We'll keep our eyes peeled, in case you need rescuing."

  "Thanks."

  The elevator doors opened onto a vast room four times as wide as it was long. Eight huge, multi-armed chandeliers hung from the cathedral ceiling. The little flame-shaped electric bulbs set on each arm had multiple filaments that glowed in a random sequence to simulate real candlelight. The gold highlights sparkling from the chandeliers themselves found cousins in the glowing gold of the ornate wall paper.

  The room's two longest walls had no windows to the outside because the hall was on the top floor of Tormano's palace. In their place stood massive floor-to-ceiling mirrors that reflected back and forth into their opposite number, making the hallway into a giant, Escheresque version of Versailles. At the far end, beneath the tall windows looking south over the city, a string quartet played soft chamber music that was just audible over the murmuring hum of the crowd.

  The chandeliers and similarly styled wall fixtures provided a fair amount of light, yet to Kai it seemed somehow insufficient. Perhaps that was because he could recognize only one out of every five or six faces he saw, and could only put names to a quarter of those. He would have expected to see more people he considered friends present at a party ostensibly held in his honor.

  Then again, if only your friends were here, we could have held the party in the elevator. Kai smiled in spite of himself, knowing that wasn't totally accurate. It was true that he didn't make close friends easily, but once he let people in, he enjoyed their company. Alone with his friends in the elevator, letting Kristina adjust his tie or engaging in quick banter felt natural and he liked it. In public he became more reserved. And quite deserving of the nickname Steelsoul.

  He looked around to thank his uncle for the party, but Tormano was nowhere to be seen. Off to one side he saw Keith and Kristina making their way toward the bar, and thought he saw Larry deep in conversation with a woman who looked a lot like the cover model on the latest fashion holodisk. Then the milling crowd suddenly opened before him as if split by a wedge.

  Recognizing the man who approached, Kai descended the three steps to the main floor to meet him on equal footing. Kai bowed, then extended his hand. "Greetings, Wu Deng Tang."

  "It is my pleasure, Kai Allard-Liao." Wu stood as tall as Kai,
but his brown eyes and sharper features marked him as being more fully Asian-blooded. Kai knew that Wu's family prided itself on the purity of its bloodline, though less from any sense of racial superiority than from a desire to preserve and protect a heritage dating from long before man's first steps away from Terra a millennium ago.

  The crowd around them fell silent and waited breathlessly for something to happen. Wu took Kai's hand and shook it, then the two men bowed respectfully to each other. Kai saw a number of people look disappointed that they had not immediately gone for each other's throats, and he relished their frustration. Straightening up, he slapped Wu on the shoulder. "They want a show, but I have no desire to oblige them."

  "Nor I." Wu picked at the shoulders of his gray jacket. "These are not my work clothes."

  "I wouldn't wear these in a 'Mech cockpit even if someone wanted to pay me to endorse them." Kai saw something flash through Wu's eyes, but it vanished before he could identify it. "I'm glad to see you are well and looking fit."

  "And you also." Wu's voice dropped to a whisper that could not be heard beyond them. "I would have you meet Caren Fung, but my fiancee could not join me this evening."

  Kai's smile dropped away. "Nothing is wrong, I hope."

  "Quite the contrary. She is fine, but the doctors have ordered her to rest. She is carrying our child, and after two miscarriages they have forbidden her any excitement." Wu's lips pressed together in a grim smile. "I've heard whispers that you have guaranteed her safety against those who would like to influence our fight. It is said the Red Cobras have already forestalled an incident."

  Kai nodded. "There are those who do not understand that the fight between us is sport. Not a replay of the Fourth Succession War nor a prelude to another war. Being a sport, our duel should serve no other ends. Especially not political ones." Kai chose to refrain from adding that Keith had pulled a private detective's report about Wu's fiancee from Tormano's computer and had surmised what Tormano was intending to do to ensure a victory for his nephew. After a simple suggestion and a generous bribe to the Red Cobra Triad, no one would be able to get near her.

  "When we meet in battle, it will be a contest of skill to decide who is the best between us, nothing more," he said.

  "I agree."

  Kai let himself smile. "Is this your first child?"

  Wu nodded happily. "It is. I am told he will be a son. I plan to retire at least until he is two or three. I have enough savings to make that possible."

  Kai raised an eyebrow. "Roger Tandrek might not like losing you. You've come up almost as quickly as I have."

  "I know, but that will be his problem. I have no desire to die in the arena and leave my wife and child alone."

  As Deirdre's father did to her. "I understand and agree with your thinking. If he starts to get tough about letting you go, come talk to me. I will buy out your contract and free you."

  Wu was less than successful in hiding his surprise. "Why would you do that for me? We are enemies."

  "Are we? I always thought of us as rivals, which is different."

  "But my father commands a unit that might someday be used to attack the St. Ives Compact."

  "At that time, and for the duration of that conflict, yes, we would be enemies; but not until then." Kai shrugged. "I understand your desire to be with your wife and child. If I can help you, I'm happy to do so."

  Wu smiled. "Spoken like a man wise in the ways of fatherhood."

  Kai shook his head quickly. "Not me, I have no children. Put it down to my visiting Arc-Royal and seeing Morgan Kell with his son Phelan."

  "The Clan Khan?"

  "Yes. Though father and son serve masters who are mortal enemies, they're very close. The bond is impressive. If I'm ever a father, I'd be happy with a tenth of what they have."

  Sitting in his office, Tormano Liao smiled at the image of Kai on the screen of his holovid viewer. "And if my son had one tenth what you have, Kai, I too would be a very happy father indeed." The Mandrinn smiled and sat back in his chair. "Even the fact that you foiled my attempt to kidnap the Fung woman. That took initiative and bravery. You saw what needed to be done and you did it, just as I did in preparing to take her."

  He looked up as the door opened and Nancy Bao Lee entered the room. For a moment he resented her uninvited entry, but part of him liked that she was so comfortable in his presence that she no longer thought that courtesy necessary. And no woman so beautiful is ever an uninvited guest.

  Her black dress clung to her like shadow. The long sleeves had little triangular tabs covering the backs of her hands and were secured in place by a fabric loop encircling her middle and ring fingers. The mandarin collar and sweetheart neckline accented the fullness of her breasts, while the rest showed off her shapely legs. The floppy-topped black boots remained down around her ankles and the gold heel rims and toe caps matched the heavy, square-link gold chain around her neck.

  She wore her black hair up and held in place with two golden sticks. Her makeup had been expertly applied and deepened the hollows of her cheeks to emphasize her high cheekbones. Mascara rimmed her eyes and, in combination with a deep mauve eyeshadow, heightened the almond shape of her eyes. A similar shade of lipstick made her lips more full, but without the cheap garishness that would have resulted if the application had been overdone. The purple-gray coloring on her fingernails topped off her graceful and cosmopolitan image.

  "You are quite stunning, Nancy."

  "Oh, really? Thank you, my lord."

  Tormano killed the sound coming from the camera focused on Kai by hitting a button on his remote control. "You are early. I thought you were going to come for me in another fifteen minutes."

  A blush rose on her cheeks, making her look yet more beautiful. "I was, I mean, that is what I had intended, in accordance with what you told me, my lord." She glanced down, refusing to meet his direct gaze. "I had my computer running a check on something while I changed and, well, it concerns your nephew and I thought you might want to know about it before this evening."

  Tormano rose from behind his desk and crossed to the closet. He slipped a double-breasted black suit coat over his white shirt and adjusted the red necktie, snugging the knot against his Adam's apple. He glanced over at Nancy, watching her watch him dress, and smiled as he buttoned the jacket. "What did you learn?"

  "What?" She blinked her brown eyes a couple of times.

  "About Kai? What did you learn?"

  "Oh. When I read the file you had on him, I saw a note about how he had taken special care or paid special attention to the people who had been prisoners of war on Alyina. My predecessor put that down to your nephew's reaction to Twycross and his accepting responsibility for people when he didn't need to. It was regarded as a flaw."

  Tormano nodded as he opened the closet door and studied his image in the mirror on the inside. "Kai is known for having a soft heart and taking his responsibilities very seriously. It's for those reasons that I want him with us." It pleased Tormano to see in the mirror that Nancy listened intently to his every word and studied his every movement. "I recall reading about his POW work when the file was last updated."

  Nancy smiled briefly. "I thought you would. I decided to run a check on the names of those people and see what he had done for them. Cenotaph's open report policy makes finding payments and the like very easy. I was able to track everyone who had been with him on Alyina and determine what he had done for them."

  "And you learned that he's generous to a fault and obsessive about details. I bet he bought each one a house or a business wherever they wanted it."

  "Yes, my lord, I mean, no. I wanted to see if there was someone special that we might be able to use to bring your nephew over to Free Capella. I think I found what I was looking for."

  Tormano turned slowly. "I'm interrupting you, and obviously you have found something of significance. What is it?"

  "I don't know how significant it is, my lord." Nancy's head came up and she clasped her hands at the sm
all of her back, her breasts pushing up from her dress distracting Tormano for a moment. "Kai has helped everyone who was on Alyina with him except for one person. Her name is Dr. Deirdre Lear."

  "The name means nothing to me." Tormano's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about her?"

  "I've only started checking. She and David Lear obtained passage to Zurich last month. She is working at the Rencide Medical Center. Cenotaph Charities is funding that center, but all other aid has been more direct, so this is atypical. I've put out a request for further information, but it will be a while before I get anything back."

  "David and Deirdre." Tormano curled his upper lip. "I think anyone who marries a person with the same initials ought to be taken out and shot. They're probably planning to name their children Dennis, Donald, and Doris."

  "Yes, my lord." Nancy tried to suppress a smile, but it won through, brightening her face. "Shall I continue to follow up this lead?"

  Tormano nodded. "Yes, by all means. Pay attention to when she and David were married. If Kai had an affair with her during the war, well, it's not much, but it might be useful."

  "As you wish, my lord."

  Tormano smiled and offered Nancy his arm. "Now, let us go and greet my guests. I will introduce you to my nephew, but don't say anything to him about this Lear woman. We'll save that surprise for later."

  "Yes, my lord."

  "Just make sure Kai enjoys himself." Tormano shot her a sidelong glance and a wink. "And with you beside him, I cannot imagine how he could possibly do otherwise."

  14

  Solaris City, Solaris VII

  Tamarind March, Federated Commonwealth

  12 February 3056

  The turned heads and murmured whispers that accompanied his uncle's entree into the room attracted Kai's attention immediately. He turned and looked up the steps toward where Tormano was coming through a door built into the wall between two of the mirrors. It was no surprise that his uncle had waited to make his entrance, for Tormano was known for his dramatic flare. What did surprise Kai was that he permitted the woman on his arm to upstage him.