by Ann Wilson
5. Azrael
St. Thomas, Wednesday, 24 July 2571
Less than half an hour later, she was in the theater along with whatshe estimated at fifty others, all with Special Ops patches andspecialty badges--even Odeon, when she spotted him, was wearing hisTracker's badge, something he didn't normally do. She would be willingto bet, now that the operational arms needed them, that a Priest'sbadge was being made and they'd both be wearing those as well, not longafter the Strike Force was activated--and she'd also be willing to betMike would love wearing his. She made her way to him, exchangingintroductions with several others on the way and realizing quickly thatthose in the group had more than insigne in common. There was an airto them, a feel of anticipation as of a wolfpack scenting its prey, andshe shared it. "How did it go?" she asked Odeon.
"Not bad for someone who'd never done it before," he said with a smile."How about yours?"
"Better than I would've believed," she said. "I ended up with a serverand small congregation, thanks to Colonel Bradford--and I've alreadyheard my first Confession. It's strange being on the receiving end,believe me!"
Odeon chuckled. "I do--not wasting any time, are you?"
"I couldn't just let him suffer, could I?" she protested. "But yes,things are coming at me pretty fast. It's almost like someone'spushing me to get qualified at everything right now. Not that I mind;I hope I am able to handle everything by the time the Brothers decideto break loose again." She rubbed the backs of her hands absently. "Iwant--"
"Ten-shun!" an amplified voice called.
Cortin turned, coming to precise attention when she faced the stage.It was Colonel Bradford at the microphone; as soon as he had thegroup's full attention, he said, "Please be seated, gentles." Whenthat was done, he went on. "We have all met, but some of you know meonly as an anonymous Lieutenant. In fact, I am Colonel David Bradfordof His Majesty's Own. I am also, in this case as His Majesty'sPersonal Deputy, Commander of the St. Thomas Strike Force. You allknow the basics of that, and are all under oaths of secrecy concerningit for the time being. Although some of you have made your wishesknown privately, I must now ask you all, formally: Do you wish to bepart of the Strike Force?"
Cortin's shout of assent was lost in the general clamor of enthusiasmthat died only gradually as Bradford stood with both hands raised.When he could be heard again, he lowered his hands with a smile. "Iwas certain you'd all respond that way. You're the ones qualified asLeaders and seconds of Strike Force Teams--is there anyone here whodoesn't want one of those positions?"
When the second clamor died, Bradford smiled again. "I thought not.In this case, I am to extend His Majesty's appreciation, and his regretthat the secrecy of getting the Strike Force started prevents him frombeing here himself. We have kept together those of you who have provenyou work well together; that gave us four Leader-second combinations.The rest have been paired on the basis of records and interviews. Ineither case, you will have the next week to confirm or rearrange thesematch-ups and choose your team names, though you can do eitherimmediately if you prefer. If you'll look in the package you weregiven when you came in, you'll see our team-ups, and a few team nameswe hope will give you ideas. Take half an hour, get together with yoursuggested Leader or second, and tell me if you're ready to confirm now.Refreshments are available in the lobby."
"I finished a big breakfast less than an hour ago," Cortin said as mostof the others rose. "We know we're paired, and I don't care which ofus is Leader, so if you don't mind, I'll stay here and see what I cancome up with for a team name."
"Suits," Odeon agreed. "I could stand some juice, but I'll be backshortly."
"Right." Cortin opened the briefing packet as he left, finding thatthey were paired, as promised, with her as Leader. Scanning the bios,she found that their teaming wasn't unusual except in them knowing eachother so long; the pre-selected leadership teams had the one with themost personal grudge against the Brothers, rather than the senior inrank, named as Leader--though in some cases, like theirs, the twocoincided; she'd gotten her captain's bars two days before Mike gothis, so technically she did outrank him, if not by much.
Team names, now. She studied the short list of suggestions, seeingnames of angels, predatory animals, military qualities. Quite avariety, she thought--and the list did give her an idea. She grinned,then decided not to take any chances on having someone else beat her toeven such an unlikely name; she went into the lobby to find Mike andthen Colonel Bradford.
She almost ran into Odeon when she opened the door; he greeted her witha grin and a salute. "I gather you've come up with a name,Team-Leader? So've I--I was just coming to see what you thought aboutit." He sobered. "Better make sure you like the one we settle on; Ioverheard Colonel Bradford say the team's name will be the Leader'scode name until we go public, then it'll be the team's radio call sign."
She thought about that for a moment, then smiled. "I like the one Icame up with well enough for that, definitely. What's yours?"
He murmured a word in her ear, and she chuckled. "Great minds,Mike--that's the same one I thought of. But if the two of us did,others may too; let's get to Colonel Bradford and have him confirm it."
"Right. Last time I saw him, he was over by the juice machine."
The two made their way in that direction. It was clear than severalLeader-and-second pairs had already confirmed; those were the onesdiscussing either team names or possible personnel. Those who hadn'twere getting acquainted; Cortin saw a couple she thought would confirmshortly, another couple she thought probably wouldn't at all. Theyfound the Colonel still at the juice machine, approaching him withCortin in the lead and Odeon a step behind and to her left. "By theColonel's leave?" Cortin asked.
Bradford smiled. "I thought so--you'll make a good pair." He took outa notebook, made a checkmark. "Have you picked out a name?"
"Yes, sir. We are agreed on Azrael."
Bradford raised an eyebrow, still smiling. "That shouldn't surpriseme--but I admit I'd expected you to choose something less openlydescriptive."
"If you'd seen her in action, sir," Odeon said, "you'd know it fits."
"I have, Captain; I've been following her activities with considerableinterest since I debriefed her, which has included watching films ofher interrogations rather than just reading summaries; I certainlydon't argue the appropriateness of her choice. My surprise is onlythat she's being so open about her intentions for the Brothers."
"It's deliberate, sir," Cortin said. "Major Illyanov told me early onthat terror can be useful; naming my team after the Angel of Death ison the same order as taking my gloves off for the conclusion of a huntor during an interrogation."
"I understand that--but it could also work against you, if they suiciderather than face interrogation."
Cortin smiled. "I think I can count on the 'can't-happen-to-me'syndrome, sir, at least in the great majority of cases. At worst, afew of them die quickly and with relative ease."
"True." Bradford made a note, put the pad back in his pocket. "Azraelit is, then."
When the break was over and everyone was back in the theater proper,Bradford went on with the briefing. "We have nine confirmedLeader-second pairs, five of which have chosen names: Wolf, Guardian,Flame, Falcon, and Azrael. The rest of you, as I said earlier, have aweek to let me know your decisions.
"During that week, in addition to those decisions, you will startselecting your team members. Eligible volunteers have been brought inon TDY orders, the way most of you were, and are being quartered at theAcademy. You'll meet them tomorrow morning, and can begin interviewsthen; their records will be made available to you as soon as we finishhere."
"In two weeks, you will have your teams together and ready, because youdeploy during the following week." He paused. "True, there may be noneed for such hurry--but we don't know, so we want you prepared and inplace as soon as humanly possible. Now--some details.
"To start with, you--and through you, your tea
m members--will holdWrits of Immunity good in every system in the Kingdoms. The scope onthese Writs is even broader than an Inquisitor's Warrant; as long asyou avoid regicide or treason, and what you do is aimed at suppressingterrorist groups--primarily the Brothers of Freedom--your actions willcarry the license of both the Church and the various Kingdoms. You'llbe expected to follow normal procedures, as a rule; however, yourprimary purpose is to eliminate terrorists, and if normal proceduresinterfere, you are to disregard them. Questions?"
There was a murmur of astonishment both Cortin and Odeon joined. Thisfreedom of action was as unprecedented as the Brothers' horror attacks,but Bradford's orders were clear; there was nothing to question.
"Excellent. You'll be sent to bases or stations as close as possibleto where the Brothers you're particularly interested in appear to belocated. You'll use that as your headquarters, but you are subject tono-notice assignment anywhere in this Kingdom and four-hour-noticeassignment to any other one, so keep your kits up to date and readilyavailable. You will also cooperate, as fully as possible withoutneglecting your own missions, with other kingdoms' Strike Forces;they'll do the same if you need to go to their systems. Any questionson this part?"
Again, there were none; he went on. "You Team Leaders and seconds, I'mafraid, will have to live on base or at the station, in separatebuildings where possible. Your teams should too, but if that wouldcause too much hardship to either them or the personnel normallystationed there, you can permit them to live up to five miles away."He raised a hand, forestalling objections. "It's not as bad as itsounds, gentles. You will all be issued personal radios, as well aspersonal vehicles; those of you who can't drive or do basic vehiclemaintenance will be taught how. And you'll use those vehicles any timeyou're in areas where they can be supplied and maintained. You'll usehorses only where there are no facilities for vehicles. Any questions?"
"I have one, sir." A tall Major with a missing ear stood. "Vehiclefuel and service aren't cheap; they're certainly beyond my pay grade.How do we pay for them? And more importantly, how do our people payfor them?"
"Until we go public," Bradford said, "you'll be given an allowance forsuch things, and you'll pass it along to your people. After that,you'll use your Strike Force ID, and the Kingdoms will reimburse thedealers. The same thing goes for all non-personal expenses." Hegrinned. "As for personal expenses, you'll be interested to know thatStrike Force personnel get a 50% hazardous-duty bonus. Which, believeme, you'll earn!"
There was a mixture of laughter and good-natured complaining, in whichCortin and Odeon joined. Yes, they all knew they'd earn any hazardbonuses; you didn't go into something called Special Operations, muchless into a Strike Force, for the safety of it. On the other hand,Cortin thought, they got the chance to go after Brothers with almost nolimitations; that seemed fair enough to her, and it sounded like therest agreed.
"That's about it for now, then, though of course you'll get dailyupdates on anthing we find out about the Brothers," Bradford said."This is my primary duty, so I'll be in the area most of the time; ifyou have questions, or just want to talk, I'll be available."
* * * * *
Cortin was uncertain what to do after the briefing. Part of her saidto read the records and start picking her troops; the other part saidto find herself another Brother to question. After some internaldebate, she went with the first alternative; her fellow Inquisitors hadtold her they'd get any information she might be interested in to her,as soon as possible after they'd gotten it, so she could start pickingher team without worrying that she'd miss something she should know.
With that decided, she and Mike went to the Academy area that had beenset up for such record study and interviews. She groaned when she sawthe masses of personnel folders she'd be expected to gothrough--paperwork had never been her strong point--but she grabbed ahandful, sighing. "You, too, Mike," she said. "We may not be able totell who we do want from these, but we ought to be able to pick theones we don't."
"Right." Odeon didn't like paperwork any better than she did, but hedid know as well as she how inevitable it was. "Anything inparticular, or just someone we could both work with?"
"I think it'll be good enough if we get someone we can work with,"Cortin said. "Manage that, and we can go from there. Just look forgood strong motivations, because where we're likely to be going afterBrothers, we'll sure be earning our bonuses."
By the end of the afternoon, the two of them had gone through about athird of the records, finding a medic and a communications specialistthey definitely wanted, as well as several that looked promising if aninterview showed they had no objection to working for an Inquisitor.Quite a number of people objected to even working near an Inquisitor,for which Cortin supposed she couldn't blame them--she'd beenapprehensive about Inquisitors herself, not all that long ago--butsince all the teams would have Inquisitors, it semed reasonable toassume that those who couldn't work with them at all would have beenremoved from consideration.
Her first interview was the following day with the medic, a nuntransferred from St. Ignatius to St. Thomas by her Order, at herrequest. Cortin rose as the young woman in sky-blue slacks andshirt--the Blue Sisters' field habit--entered. Sister Mary Piety wasas attractive as her photo indicated, but there was an air of stressthat hadn't shown there. From her records, Cortin thought it wasprobably the residue of her mistreatment by the Brothers--well, she'dfind out. She introduced herself and gestured the nun to a chair, thentook her own seat. "I know what's in your records, of course, Sister;I just want to get to know you as a person, and let you know me wellenough to decide whether or not you can work for me. So relax; I onlyhurt criminals."
"I understand, Captain." Chang studied the woman in Enforcement gray,puzzled. There was something about Captain Cortin that reminded her ofthe Raidmaster--but in Cortin, it wasn't frightening. It wasn't evenmildly disturbing, the way she usually felt around an Inquisitor; ifanything, it was reassuring, even comforting. "What do you wish toknow?"
"Well . . . it puzzles me that when you reported the attack on theclinic, you always called Shannon 'the Raidmaster', never by name. Iadmit he's frightening, but that much?"
"I was not aware then that he used that name," Chang said, hiding herirritation. "Nor is it fear that keeps me silent. I tried to tell thetroopers, but I was unable to say his name--or to describe how Idiscovered his identity."
"No offense intended," Cortin said mildly. "Your report said he'dforbidden you to tell, yes--obviously with more than words."
"That is true, Captain," Chang said, mollified. "Though I have foundthat almost as difficult to describe." She smiled tentatively. "Itmay be as well I have such difficulty--were I able to identify him as Iknow him, I would not be believed."
"If you ever feel able, I'll believe you. He qualified me for SpecialOps and the Strike Force, too." Cortin chuckled, though with littlereal humor. "I don't even think I'd be too surprised if you identifiedhim as Shayan incarnate. Mind you, I don't think I'd believe it--"She broke off at the nun's sudden expression of shock. "Did I saysomething wrong?"
Chang sighed with the relief of Shannon's coercion dissolving. "Thatis he. You have said what I could not, Captain Cortin. I am in yourdebt."
Cortin didn't believe the identification, but her truthsense left nodoubt Chang did. And she had to admit it was a natural identificationto make, given the plaguer's actions. "Was there anything special toidentify him?"
"His power and evils are enough, but I believe he wished me to becertain. Did he seem a normal man when he attacked you?"
"As normal as a terrorist ever is," Cortin said.
"That was not so in my case. His general body temperature was quitehigh, well beyond a human's survival limits. His genitals, however,were extremely cold--the classic description, as you know."
"Yes." That had to be hypnotism or drugs, Cortin thought, but beliefswere hard for mere facts to alter; she wouldn't argue pointle
ssly withsomeone who promised to be extremely good for the team. "Even withthat, you're willing to help hunt him?"
"We are all called to fight evil," Chang said calmly. "My call wassimply more unmistakable than many. Yes, I am willing."
She couldn't ask for more than that, Cortin decided. Excellent medicalqualifications, an "Expert" small-arms rating, plenty of courage--andshe sounded almost as devout as Mike. Cortin thought it odd that she'dbe concerned about devotion when she wasn't particularly devoutherself, but the fact remained: talking to Piety had made it clear thatit should be one of her considerations. "One stipulation, and you'rein," she said. "I don't want any auxiliaries on Team Azrael; you'llhave to trade that habit for a uniform. There's no proof you'retechnically qualified for Special Ops, but since you've gotten awaiver, that's no problem."
"As this branch of Enforcement now has priests, there is no reason itshould not also have a nun. I will make the trade."
"Good! Let me get my second and another witness, and I'll swear youin."
Cortin was a little surprised that no one questioned her power toadminister a commissioning oath without prior authorization, but she'dapparently been right in her guess that it was one of her rights as aStrike Team leader; after all, it was neither treason nor regicide, andit was in the interest of eliminating the terrorists. As a sideeffect, one she hoped might reduce press attention to herself, it madeher no longer the only female Enforcement officer.
When the ceremony was over and Chang had accepted Odeon's offer to helpher get her ID and uniforms later, that afternoon--"Anything to getaway from stacks of personnel records," he admitted cheerfully--he andthe other witness left the two women alone. Cortin studied the nun fora moment before speaking again.
"You're aware, of course, that your Enforcement oath takes precedenceover your vows--and that being Strike Force means you owe obedienceonly to your Strike Force superiors, the High King, and His Holiness."
"I am aware of all that." Which was true, Chang thought. She was nolonger restricted by her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience--orprotected by them, illusory as that protection had proven when she hadmost needed it.
"And you're a field medic, so you know what tends to go on in a team'sspare time. Will that bother you, now?"
"No, Captain. I have been on missions since; shelter parties and thelike do not disturb me." Chang smiled momentarily. "In fact, my last. . . experience . . . with His Infernal Majesty seems to have had aside effect he did not anticipate and may not like. Forcing me to feelsexual pleasure, even with him, has let me appreciate what willingpartners give each other. Since then, I have found it highly enjoyablewatching them, where earlier I had no particular reaction."
"As long as you don't have to participate, naturally." Which she mostcertainly wouldn't; any attempt to compel sex, at least in Enforcement,was dealt with harshly--and usually right then. "If you'd like, I'lltell the men not to even ask you."
"I would appreciate that. Even though I am unable to accept theiroffers, I would prefer not to hurt their feelings by refusing."
"I'll take care of it, then. Have you tried therapy, to get over whathappened?"
"And prayer," Chang agreed. "I shall increase my efforts at both now,of course; it would be unfair to the rest of the team to do less."
That was true, Cortin thought. No one could be faulted for not takingpart, but that shouldn't be because of a correctable disability; itshould be either voluntary, or because of permanent disability like herown. It seemed a cruel irony that Chang had the ability without thedesire, while she had the desire without the ability. At least shecould try to take comfort in the fact that one of them had a chance tobe fully functional again . . . "If there's any way I can help, justlet me know. And let the men know if you beat your problem."
"I will be certain to."
* * * * *
Shannon felt a brief surge of power, traced it--and hastily retreated,swearing. That God-loving Cortin had dissolved the compulsion ofsilence he'd put on Piety, without even knowing she was doing it! Thatwas a minor use of power, of course, but it was more than he'd thoughther capable of, even--or especially--unconsciously. If she could dothat, he'd have to stop even observing her--not just when she was idle,but when she should have her full attention on her work. No morewatching her while he played with Victor, then, unfortunately--no morewatching her, period.
He could do without the entertainment she provided, but it would beinconvenient doing without the information she let him eavesdrop on.What really bothered him was the timing. It might simply becoincidence that Cortin's first real use of her power took place thefirst time she met Piety--but he didn't trust coincidence, especiallynot when it involved someone with Cortin's latent power.
He should've killed the nun when he had her, amusing though it had beento torment her further by letting her live. Well, that was one mistakehe could remedy! Sister-Lieutenant Eleanor Mary Piety Chang had justmade it to the top of the Brotherhood's wipe list.
There was more than a little risk to that, of course, especially if anattempt was made on her when Cortin was in the area--it might triggerthe Bitch into using her powers instead of keeping her from them--buthe thought it a risk worth taking.
Wait a minute! Lieutenant? He'd barely brushed her mind beforejerking back, but the brief contact had been enough to tell him shethought of herself differently. A Lieutenant of Enforcement, and amember of the whatever-it-was--Strike Force?--the various Kingdoms hadgathered groups of their best to form.
Shannon scowled. A Strike Force or equivalent, able to attract peoplelike Piety, was extremely bad news--especially at a time when he wasforced to restrict his own powers.
* * * * *
Cortin's next interview, with the communications specialist, was ratherdifferent. She'd known his size and race, from his records--but facinga man over two meters tall and built like a weightlifter, with skin sodark it was almost blue, was an experience she'd never had before. Sowas his reaction, when he entered the interview office; his eyes litup, and he gave her a brilliant smile before saluting. "LieutenantJoseph Pritchett reporting to Team Leader Azrael as ordered, ma'am.And thank you for considering me."
"Be seated, Lieutenant," Cortin said. As he obeyed, she went on."Your enthusiasm is flattering; may I ask why?"
It was impossible for his complexion to get any darker, but she had theimpression he was flushing. "I've heard about Captain Cortin eversince my freshman year at the Academy," he said. "I've always wantedto work with you, but I was never in the right place at the right time,and when I heard what the Brothers had done to you, I thought sureyou'd retire. I'm glad you didn't, and I'll finally get to work withyou--if you want me after this, of course. I hadn't heard you were anInquisitor, though."
"That's quite recent," Cortin said. "Would it bother you, working forone?" She was flattered that he'd wanted to work with her that much,and hoped it wouldn't.
"Not working for one, no, ma'am--but I've got to tell you right fromthe start that I'd really rather not help with third-stage."
"I don't see any reason you should have to," Cortin assured him. "I'mtraining my second, Captain Odeon, as my assistant, and I hope to findsomeone with Inquisitor as a second specialty for the team. Any otherproblems?"
"No, ma'am."
"Good. Welcome to Team Azrael, then. Two more items, before I turnyou over to Captain Odeon for a complete briefing and equipment issue.Firstly, off duty and within the team, first names are proper; mine isJoan. Do you prefer Joseph or Joe?"
"Either is fine, ma'am. I'm generally called Tiny, though."
Cortin chuckled. "Tiny it is, then. The other thing: I will expectyour sexual conduct to remain withing so-called 'normal' bounds whilewe're within populated areas. I'll make sure you have adequate accessto decent, reputable courtesans, or you can find yourself an informalwife; that's up to you. Otherwise--as long as you don't involve anyonewho
isn't willing, of course--what you do is up to you."
"Couldn't ask for more than that," Pritchett said. "Ah--does thatfreedom include yourself, ma'am? I've heard how much fun you are,especially at a shelter party; I'd appreciate being allowed in, eitheralone or with the rest of the team."
"And I'd enjoy having you, either way." She'd liked the pairing that,even with Enforcement's dispensation, it was wisest to confine oneselfto in civilization--but she'd also liked, and taken full advantage of,the opportunities offered by an entire team in one of the shelters theService put up for its people traveling in remote areas. She cut offthose memories sternly, before they could become too painful."Unfortunately, the attack left me incapable of that pleasure."
"Dear God!" Pritchett said, looking sick. "There must be somethingthat can be done!"
"Cosmetically, yes, my doctor says. Nothing . . . erotically useful."Cortin grinned sourly. "Which I don't think upset her unduly. She's agood doctor, but a typical civilian. I'm learning to live with that,as well as the pain. I appreciate your concern, but if you'll excuseme the Terran slang, what can't be cured must be endured; don't worryabout it." She stood, extending a hand. "Welcome again, Tiny."
* * * * *
It took two dozen more interviews over the next couple of days to findthe other two members she wanted for Team Azrael. Odeon had conductedthe interviews with both; she promised herself she'd have a privatetalk with each of them later, when they were less pushed for time. Onewas Lt. David Bain, demolitions expert and the backup Inquisitor she'dhoped to find, a tall blue-eyed brunet with an easy grin; the other wasLt. Anthony Degas, a quiet, self-contained small-arms expert who couldhave been the model for Michelangelo's David. She could have hadmore--some teams had over a dozen--but she and Odeon wanted to keepTeam Azrael small and mobile enough to respond quickly.
With the team complete, Cortin had them begin training together everymorning. She herself started the day with Mass for the DetentionCenter Inquisitors and their guests, as she'd promised, losing herselfin the ceremony and coming back to mundane reality only when it wasover and she removed the stole. After breakfast was the team training,then lunch, followed by individual work or study. For her, that meantinterrogations--and she decided quickly to allow Bain to do thepreliminary stages, concentrating her own attention on the stubbornersubjects. With a limited, if uncertain, time before they had to beready, she had to get Odeon past his squeamishness as quickly aspossible so she could start training him as her assistant.
It was Saturday before he managed to get through a session withoutthrowing up, and she didn't think it proper to conduct interrogationson Sunday except in an emergency, so it was Monday when she startedteaching him. The subject was a young Brother that Bain evaluated ashaving no useful information, but as being strong enough to survive upto a week of teaching sessions. Cortin preferred to go after somethingspecific, make it a contest between her and her subject, even though itwas a contest she was almost certain to win. But teaching was as valida function as extracting information, and it would insure that theBrother served at least one useful function in his life while payingfor his crimes against the Kingdoms.
Their subject was waiting when they entered the interrogation suite'sthird-stage room, prepared as usual: naked, with some bruising,spreadeagled between ceiling chains and floor eyebolts. Cortingestured at him, speaking to Odeon. "You've already noticed I keep ourmethods simple, Captain; the reason is that almost all our work will bedone in the field, so I think it best to practice with equipment we caneither take or adapt there. This method of securing a subject is anexample; you can almost always find trees and ropes, while you'llseldom if ever find a surgical table. The same principle goes fordrugs; we use ones like algetin or eroticine that are effective, simpleto administer, and can easily be replaced at a shelter or detentioncenter. Any questions so far?"
"No, ma'am." Odeon had been more concerned with keeping his stomachunder control than with evaluating her methods and techniques, butthinking back, he realized she had kept them to the basics.
"Good." Cortin went to the prisoner. "The preliminary examinationseems simple, but it will give you both physical and psychologicalinformation invaluable to the interrogation process itself." She ranfingers over the subject's face and throat. "For instance, LieutenantBain has convinced this one that arguing back is not a good idea,although there is little damage visible; that tells me he is easilyintimidated, and would not normally require third-stage interrogation."
"Why, then?" the subject burst out. "I told--"
Cortin backhanded him across the throat. "Because I need a trainingaid, and you were available. Now be silent." She paused, but saw nosign of disobedience. "That's better."
She continued her examination and commentary to Odeon. "No particularsensitivity around the ears . . . about average for the eyes . . . restof the face and throat the same . . . minor sensitivity at the nipples,promising . . . ribs tender in spots . . . same over the kidneys, haveto be careful there if we want him to last; internal injuries should beavoided in an extended interrogation." She paused, turning to Odeon."We are getting to a particularly interesting area now. There are afew rare subjects who do not seem to mind being naked to an Inquisitor,or having their buttocks and genitals handled--but in most cases, asubject's sexuality is his most vulnerable area, in theory especiallyso to a female Inquisitor. Physically, these areas are extremely richin nerves; psychologically, they are ego-centers. Both make them easytargets, which is why I seldom exploit them early; if the subjectcooperates without that particular pressure, nothing is lost since youcan still use it as punishment if you feel it desirable. If thesubject does not cooperate, you can be almost positive he will when youadd that pressure to the rest. A perfect example is the firstinterrogation you saw me conduct."
Where Illyanov had raped the subject while Joanie finished her skinningof him with his genitals. "Yes, ma'am, I remember--though I'm afraid Idon't understand how the Major could have been . . . able . . . to dohis part."
Cortin grinned without humor. "You'll see, perhaps with this subject,probably within another two or three. It's a reaction I'm no longercapable of, but it's perfectly normal for pain--usually another's, butsometimes your own--to provoke arousal. I'm told it's similar to thepre-danger form we're all familiar with."
Odeon nodded slowly. Put that way, he thought he could understand, atleast a little.
"With this one, if you feel the urge, go ahead; in a seriousinterrogation, I may need for you to wait till it's most useful."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good." Cortin turned back to her subject, probing between hisbuttocks, pleased when he whimpered. "Brothers, in particular, expressa strong revulsion for what they choose to call 'unnatural' sex--butyou would be surprised how many of the older ones show evidence ofhaving participated in it repeatedly. I know I was." She probeddeeper, hearing truth in her subject's cries of horrified denial."This one, however, seems not to be party to such, ah, rarefiedpleasures. Yet." She moved to his front, stroking the underside ofhis penis and smiling at his uncertain response. "Or to more usualones, it seems. Is it possible you are a virgin, Brother? I do findthat hard to believe."
"Yes . . ." the subject gasped.
"Intriguing . . . I will have to inform my colleagues. But you willcooperate in anything Captain Odeon wants of you?"
"No, please!"
"Don't bother begging; I am not inclined to show a Brother any moremercy than they showed me. The primary difference is that I finish thejob."
The youth stared at her, then shook his head. "No, you can't be--theBitch is dead!"
Cortin started to hit him for his insolence, then paused. "Perhaps sheis," she said thoughtfully. "But if they killed the Bitch, they gavebirth to Azrael." She turned to Odeon. "I gather the Brothers don'tbelieve the news stories of my survival. That is unfortunate; for themaximum psychological impact, they should." She turned back to
thesubject, frowning as she studied him, her fists on her hips. "Is thatit, Brother?"
The young man shook his head, then nodded. "Sort of . . . theRaidmaster says you're alive, and a few may believe him, but the othersin the raiding party say you can't be--an' since no one wants you tobe, well . . ."
"I see." Cortin's frown deepened as she thought. "I had not intendedto permit any Brother who came to me to live--but I begin to think Ishould make an exception, use you as a messenger and advertisement."
"You can't just let him go!" Odeon exclaimed.
"No, of course not--that would give the wrong impression." Cortinscowled as her subject licked dry lips. "He is a Brother, bydefinition deserving of a painful death and eternal damnation.Conventional punishment, however--especially mine--would leave him inno shape for anything except intensive care or a disabled ward. If youhave any suggestions, I would appreciate them."
"Um." Odeon thought for several minutes, then said slowly, "I don'tknow if it's possible, but what you said about sexual vulnerabilitygives me an idea. He's a virgin, and he had a strong negative reactionwhen you mentioned homosex, both of which his superiors must know abouthim. He's also beautiful--so how about turning him into a catamite forthem?"
Cortin turned to him in surprise. She hadn't expected anything thatcreative; it certainly wouldn't have occurred to her. "It should bepossible, given the appropriate drugs and experiences--I like it."
"What's a catamite?" the subject asked apprehensively.
"A young male prostitute, especially one for older men."
The subject looked sick. "No, please--it's not right!"
"It isn't as if homosexuality were still banned," Cortin saidreprovingly. Thanks to St. Eleanor and the Compassionate Mother,sexual orientation had been recognized as something one was born with,like blue eyes or black skin, and no more blameworthy; the Church evenrecognized stable pairings as equivalent to common-law marriage, thoughit still didn't grant them the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
"Even if I were that, I'm no whore! I won't--you can't make me!"
"Wrong on both counts," Cortin said pleasantly. "We can, and on thephysical level, you will find it most enjoyable. How you feel about itemotionally may be less pleasant, and I hope it is. It goes against mygrain to release a Brother, and you may assure the rest that you willbe the only one--but if I must let you live, even for my own purposes,simple justice demands that you suffer." She turned to Odeon. "I canhandle the drugs and overall direction, but I obviously cannotparticipate in the operation itself. We'll need more than you topartner him, too, if we want him properly promiscuous; if you'll checkwith the rest of the team, I'll check with my fellow Inquisitors." Shegrinned. "I'm sure several of them will find this project interestingenough to want to participate as their own projects permit." Shelooked around, then chuckled. "These aren't appropriate surroundings,though; I'll have to arrange for some redecoration." She turned to thesubject. "Under the circumstances, anonymity isn't appropriate either;what's your name?"
"Charles Powell," he said sullenly.
"Very well, Charles." She went to the instrument table and loaded ahypodermic, then returned to him. "This is eroticine, a potentaphrodisiac. Under its influence, you will have no interest inanything except sex, of whatever type your partner wants. And I assureyou, you will find it most pleasant."
Powell shivered as she made the injection, but said nothing.
"It will take effect in about five minutes." Cortin turned to Odeon."I'm going to make arrangements for the redecoration, and ask whoever'saround if they'd be interested in helping with his tutoring. You canwait if you want, or release him and begin his lessons when you see theeroticine taking effect. It'll definitely be noticeable--and as I toldhim, he won't be interested in minor distractions like fighting."
Odeon nodded. "I'll do whatever looks best when he shows a reaction."
"Good enough." Cortin left, thinking it would be useful if she couldhelp in the redirection. Mike, plus any of the other men on the teamand any Inquisitors who were interested, could handle the positiveaspects of Powell's reorientation, but it would be even better if awoman could provide negative reorientation. She was incapable in oneway, Piety in another, and you couldn't ask a civilian--even apaid-woman--to take part in something like this. There might be a fewfemale enlisted personnel willing to take part, but by the time onecould be found and brought here, it would be well after the StrikeForce teams had left. Too late, in other words; she'd just have tohope the reorientation worked without that. She scowled, angry atherself. If she'd realized, rather than just read, that even asimulation of sexual function could be this important, she'd haveinsisted on what little Dr. Egan had admitted to being able to do. Toolate for that as well, now, though; she'd talk to Sis later, see whatshe could do when they had some time available. A synthetic vaginalpassage shouldn't be more than minor surgery, well within a medic'sabilities--and Sis would be able to understand why she wanted it, evenknowing its limitations.
* * * * *
The Powell project proved even more popular with her team and theInquisitors than Cortin had expected. And, after a night ofconsiderable thought, she'd reluctantly decided that she couldn'tdirect it properly if she couldn't take part, so she'd turned directionof the project over to Illyanov, who'd promised to handle it as well ashe could, as far as the subject was concerned acting under herinstructions. She made it a point to spend some time in theobservation center every morning, though, following Powell's progress.
The redecoration she'd ordered was in place the first morning; thethird-stage room of Interrogation Suite Delta now looked more like acourtesan's room at the New Eden. Most of the equipment was still inplace, she knew, but the surgical table had been replaced by a widebed, the floor now had thick rugs covering tile, and draperies hid drugand instrument cabinets, with others turning the harsh brilliance ofoverhead fluorescent lighting into soft pastels. Powell was stillapprehensive despite the eroticine, looking as if he wanted to pullaway when the Inquisitor with him began to caress him, but unable toresist the drug. Cortin disliked seeing a Brother display even thelittle enjoyment Powell did, despite the fact his pleasure wasdrug-enforced, but she was pleased that his tutor was obviouslyenjoying himself.
The next day, Powell's apprehension had disappeared; when she enteredthe observation room, he was absorbed in his tutor's instruction.Cortin found it amusing that he took to his lessons so readily, andthat his instructors were so gentle and patient. It wouldn't surpriseher too much, she thought, if they decided they wanted to keep him; shemight even agree, for their sakes, if his testimony to his Brothersuperiors weren't so important to her plans.
The day after that, Chang and an Inquisitor were coaching him onrelaxation techniques. By now, he seemed eager to learn, even moreeager to try what he was being taught, and Cortin found her hostilityto him diminishing. He seemed more like an innocent boy now than likea Brother of Freedom, and she found herself hoping, when the Inquisitorhad him roll over for a practical demonstration, that he wouldn't findit too distressing.
He didn't; when his instructor began penetration, his sounds andmovements were ones of unmistakable pleasure, increasing rapidly as theInquisitor rode and manipulated him. To Cortin's surprise, she waspleased when Powell's enjoyment peaked at his climax. When she leftthe observation room after telling one of the techs to have Changreport to her when the session was over, she found herself thinkingPowell would be wasted on the Brothers--but told herself sternly thathe would do well, for both her plan and herself.
An hour later, Chang joined her in the Inquisitors' Lounge. "Good day,Captain," she said. "A most interesting experiment, though perhaps abit too reminiscent of what was done to me for complete comfort."
"If you want out, all you have to do is say so," Cortin told her. "Thelast thing I want to do is make things worse for you."
"I do not," the nun said with a brief smile. "While it is reminiscen
t,the purpose is entirely different, and for a good cause. By God'sgrace, that relieves the discomfort. And as I said, I enjoy watchingothers enjoy themselves. So: is there anything more I can do to help?"
"Not with him, no. With others in the future, maybe." Cortin went onto explain what she would have liked to do, and what she would likefrom Chang whenever it was possible. "Can you do that?"
"Easily; as you say, it is minor surgery. However, it may--and Istress may--not be necessary to settle for function without sensation."
"Nerves don't regenerate," Cortin said flatly. "Dr. Egan was quiteemphatic about that. And the necessary tissue is gone."
"The latter I can do nothing about," Chang conceded. "The first,however, I am less sure of. With all respect to the good Dr. Egan, Idoubt she follows the doings of Inquisitors on St. Ignatius, while Ihave heard rumors that one has had some success in regrowing removedorgans, with restoration of full function." She raised a cautioninghand. "I believe that to be an exaggeration--such regrowth would, Ibelieve, require a saint rather than an Inquisitor or medic--but thereis a grain of fact behind any rumor. I would be most happy toinvestigate, and, if his actual results warrant, apply his findings toyour problem."
Cortin took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled slowly. Getting herhopes up, on the basis of some fact that might lie behind a rumor, wasstupid. She knew that, she'd resigned herself to her loss--butapparently not as well as she'd thought, because she found she washoping. Regrowth and restoration of full function would mean thechance, again, of children--though honesty compelled her to admit thather failure to become pregnant in years of more than adequateopportunity meant the chance was vanishingly small. Even the chance ofrestored sensation would be worth a lot, though! "Please do,Lieutenant. Let me know the results as soon as you have somethingdefinite, then we'll base what we do on that."
Chang inclined her head respectfully. "I shall begin at once,Captain." She left, and Cortin went on to her next subject.
Powell was released the Saturday before the Strike Force's Mondayreassignments, in an area known to be infested with terroristsympathizers. He was provided with fresh clothing, a month's supply oferoticine, an authorization to get more from any medical supply centerhe happened to be near--which she didn't expect him to need or use--anda brief message that "The Bitch" was most definitely alive, and wasdeeply interested in the Brothers' welfare.