by David Drake
Judging by the private discussions among the five chief members—which Adele had perused in detail—the remainder of the absentees were simply unwilling to come to the capital when the populace was in a state of unrest. They were largely the less wealthy Councilors who didn't trust the size of their private armies to protect them.
The meeting was already past its scheduled midday start time, but a ship had landed in the harbor just as Monson was laboring to his feet. He'd had to wait till the echoes from the thrusters died away before starting to speak.
Though the Council Chamber wasn't quiet even now. The public wasn't allowed inside, but by tradition the double front doors were thrown back so that in theory they could listen to the deliberations.
Today the Councilors' retainers stood outside shoulder to shoulder in front of the building, each group wearing a colored beret or similar livery to mark their affiliation. The crowd beyond made a sound like an angry sea, washing in and out of the domed chamber. It half-smothered the Chairman's voice.
"This is a special meeting, called by Councilor Corius," Monson quavered. "As is the right of any of us. I therefore turn the floor over to the honorable Councilor."
He made a slight gesture with his hand, then settled cautiously onto his chair. His walker trembled.
Yuli Corius rose with a flourish. His choice of unadorned white robes made him stand out among the garish colors of his peers like a marble faun in a tulip bed. He was standing almost directly beneath Adele's balcony, so mostly she saw only the top of his head.
She wasn't terribly interested in looking at Corius anyway. There were no seats in the balcony so she'd placed her personal data unit on the floor between her and the railing. Its holographic display was capable of projecting images twenty feet with reasonable sharpness, so raising them from the floor to a short woman's working height was no trouble at all.
"Fellow Councilors, I'll get right to the point," Corius said; his delivery was breezy. "Our friends and allies on Dunbar's World—our close business associates on Dunbar's World—are faced with a threat which at best will overturn all existing trade arrangements unless it's successfully countered. I propose to counter it in the name of Bennaria but at my own expense. Do I have your approval?"
The other Councilors reacted in everything from laughter to the stark anger of Councilor Fahey, who leaped to his feet and pointed his finger across the room at Corius. Waddell made a small gesture. When that didn't work, he spoke sharply enough to get Fahey's attention. Fahey sat down, flicking his angry eyes from Corius to Waddell and back.
"You can't expect us—you couldn't expect anybody—to give you a blank check, Corius," said Councilor Waddell. He smiled at his rival, but his face was hard under the feigned amusement. "That's particularly true when you're making promises that you can't possibly fulfill."
"Well, Waddell, we differ on that matter," Corius said. His smile was wider than Waddell's but equally forced. "And on so many others, of course. But this one's easy to test: as soon as the government of Bennaria authorizes me, I'll go to Dunbar's World and either succeed or fail. Not so?"
The aides in the other balcony were taking calls from retainers outside the building; expressions of horror settled onto their faces. Fallert's grin was a predator's gape.
"Mistress?" said Tovera through the bead receiver in Adele's ear. "Troops're joining the mob in the square outside. I think they came from the ship that just landed."
She paused, then added, "They've got their right sleeve blue over battledress and they just carry clubs, but they're pushing a cart that could carry guns for fifty or sixty."
Adele didn't have a microphone to reply orally, but she used her data unit to send a text acknowledgement. Her servant would read it on the miniature display she was using to monitor sensors outside the building. Tovera was an information technician, not an artist like Adele herself, but she was a very well-trained and painstaking technician.
Adele already knew about the men advancing from the harbor, though. The aides on the opposite balcony had been informed as soon as the first of the prepositioned barges crossed the strait and unloaded in Charlestown.
Fallert had presumably known earlier than that: these were the mercenaries Corius had been hiring. Adele frowned, still sure that Corius wasn't planning a coup. He was too smart to believe he had enough men to succeed, and the weapons he'd brought were basically defensive.
"Corius, it's not news to me that you're pushy and full of yourself," Waddell said, losing even the semblance of good humor. "It shouldn't be news to you that you can't push us. Now—when you provide the Council with a detailed plan of the proposed operation, that'll be time for the Council to begin deliberations on whether you'll be allowed to carry them out."
He turned from Corius to sweep the circle with his eyes. "Or so I would propose to my colleagues," he added. The smile was back, this time with an oily sheen.
"Full of myself, Councilor?" said Corius pleasantly. He patted his belly with his left hand, striking hard enough to slap the fingers audibly against the hard muscles beneath his robe. "Not words I'd have expected to hear from you, to be honest."
Several of the Councilors grinned. Knox, seated at Waddell's right hand, blurted an open laugh which he quickly suppressed with his hand. He didn't meet Waddell's eyes.
"But for the rest. . .," Corius continued, meeting the eyes of his fellows one by one as his expression settled into speculative lines. "Councilors, every hour we delay makes success more difficult. Besides, I don't have a detailed plan; it'd be impossible to make one without knowing more than we can know until I'm on Bennaria with my troops. Give me the authorization, and I'll give you—give Bennaria—the victory. That or die trying."
The aides were signalling furiously to their principals beneath. "That's odd," said Luff in a husky whisper. "Nobody's allowed to step onto the floor while the Council's in session. I think those fellows are trying to get their masters to leave the chamber so they can tell them something!"
Adele said nothing. Luff was correct, of course, but it was so obvious a conclusion that she couldn't imagine why he'd thought it necessary to voice.
Councilor Layard started to rise, his eyes on the balcony. Waddell gestured him back with curt anger.
"Honorable Chairman?" Waddell said. "Our colleague demands we vote on his proposition immediately. I therefore move that we deny his request and adjourn to our homes!"
"Second," said Layard, still glancing up at his aide in obvious discomfort. "Call for an immediate vote."
Adele smiled coldly. He probably thinks a vote's the quickest way to learn what crisis had just broken. He was right about that.
"Well, ah. . .," said Monson. "Why yes, ah, will the honorable Council please vote on the motion before it."
"That we reject Corius' proposal!" Waddell said forcefully, staring at his rival.
Yuli Corius remained standing, his head cocked. He wore a faint smile.
"Yes, of course," said Monson. "Ah, a voice vote, I believe."
"Aye!" said Waddell, and the remaining Councilors echoed him with, "Yes," or "Aye," or—from Councilor Fahey—clearly audible over the chorus of murmurs, "Too bloody right!"
Councilor Waddell wobbled to his feet. "I don't know about the rest of you," he said, "but I'm going home now. Corius, I suggest you either drop this notion or work out a plan that the rest of us can consider."
"I'm afraid I won't have time for that, Waddell," Corius said, raising his voice to be heard over the shuffle of chairs and feet on the stone. "I have to chair a popular assembly in the square outside. I'm going to ask the people of Bennaria to authorize my proposal, since the Council hasn't seen fit to do so."
"Popular assembly?" Fahey said, his face growing blotchy with anger.
"Yes, indeed, Councilor," Corius answered brightly. "I suggest you all come to watch. And I can assure you there'll be no violence: I've brought two thousand men from my estate to keep order!"
"Oh my God!" said the Manco re
presentative, wringing his hands. "Oh, what does this mean?"
"Well, Master Luff," said Daniel. "I suggest you come with me and watch as Master Corius suggested. That way we can learn first hand."
* * *
The noise from the crowd outside was vibrantly excited, and the Councilors who'd reached the anteroom were talking in spiky concern as Daniel led his party down the balcony stairs. He stretched his arms, overhead and then back behind him, to loosen the muscles. His left shoulder throbbed from the knock the club'd given him, but he had full strength and movement in the limb.
He grinned cheerfully at the milling nervousness below: the RCN was ready for action. As usual.
"Daniel?" Adele murmured, but just then Yuli Corius reached the outer door with Fallert behind him. Corius raised his hands high and the mob beyond the line of armed guards bellowed in response. Daniel paused, lifting a hand to warn his companions.
The aides from the other balcony were with their principals in the anteroom now, relaying orders over radio links. The guards outside parted, some of them glancing back with set expressions. Corius passed out of the building and into a troop of his own blue-sleeved retainers. He raised his hands again, gesturing toward the steps at the other end of the plaza.
When Corius had moved out of sight and the noise had abated a smidgen, Adele leaned close again and said, "Daniel, I have business that'll prevent me from attending the assembly. I'll explain later."
"Yes, of course," he said, turning his head slightly; Adele might not be able to hear the words but at least she could see his lips moving. "Good luck."
Now that Corius had taken the crush away from the plaza outside, the other Councilors were leaving. Daniel started down again. He didn't know what Adele had in mind, but she wasn't somebody whose work he had to oversee.
And looking out through the open doorway, it was pretty obvious that he had enough on his plate already.
"Commander Leary?" Councilor Waddell called as Daniel reached the bottom of the stairs. "I wonder if I might have a word with you on a personal matter."
It was a question only in form. Daniel looked at him. He half expected Adele to wait to hear this, but she and her servant slipped past and out of the building with the stream of Councilors. Waddell stood with a single aide, the young man with curly hair and broad shoulders who'd been present at Manco House the previous day.
Tovera's intelligent and frequently very useful, but how Adele can stand to have her around is beyond me. That was a thought for another time, though.
"I'm not aware of any personal business between us, Councilor," Daniel said, but he turned into the alcove under the stairs he'd just come down. There was enough room for them despite the presence of a statue of a robed orator with two fingers raised.
Hogg lounged against the wall, picking his nose and looking completely the rustic buffoon; his mouth drooped slackly as he eyed Waddell's aide. Daniel would've thought Hogg was overdoing the act, but he'd learned—as his servant had known from the beginning—that city folk would believe any lack of culture or intelligence in a countryman. Hogg made himself so easy to underestimate that opponents frequently didn't know what'd hit them.
"I think you found some property of mine last night, Leary," Waddell said, coming within arm's length. His voice was pitched to be lost in the continuing background of crowd noise at any distance from the two of them. "I know you'll want to return it for the sake of friendship."
"I have no property of yours, Councilor," Daniel said. "Nor friendship either, I'd have said."
He cleared his throat and went on, "You referred to 'personal business', but I might mention my plan to hire some additional crew here. If so, they'll be RCN personnel to be tried by their captain for any infractions they happen to commit on Bennaria. Though of course that won't have any bearing on matters between you and me in our private capacities."
He knew that his face had stiffened from its usual smiling pleasantry, but he kept remembering the body he'd found in the dressing room. That needn't have been at Waddell's orders and might even have been against them, but it was a predictable result of hiring the sort of scum Waddell had picked.
The anteroom had emptied except for the two of them and their retainers. Guards wearing green-and-yellow rosettes like the aide's cap badge looked anxiously through the doorway but they didn't enter.
"I see," said Waddell. "I see indeed. Well, Commander, I'm sure that Nataniel Arruns will be in real danger if so resourceful an officer ever begins doing the job for which he was sent to Ganpat's Reach. Good afternoon, sir."
Waddell turned on his heel and stalked toward the doorway, flanked by his aide. Just before he exited, he turned and snapped, "Until we meet again, of course!"
Hogg scratched his right armpit. "Still want to push into the ruck on the other side a' the square, master?" he asked, his eyes focused on the plaza.
"Yes, Hogg," said Daniel. "I'm sure the crowd will be full of whores and pickpockets and the usual run of city layabouts."
He paused, smiling again. "They'll raise the average tone over what we've been dealing with thus far today."
CHAPTER 11: Charlestown on Bennaria
Luff waited outside the entrance of the Council Chamber. Either he'd gone on to give Daniel and Waddell more privacy, or he was simply trying to keep out of the angry Councilor's sight. Regardless, Daniel nodded to the Manco agent and said, "Hogg and I are going to move toward the speaker's stand, Master Luff. Care to join us?"
Luff hunched himself together reflexively. He grimaced and said, "Yes, if you think it's safe. I suppose I should hear what he says."
"Oh, I think this assembly should be safe enough," Daniel said. He smiled, thinking, For me at least it's much safer than almost anywhere else on Bennaria. He doubted Waddell would attack the Princess Cecile directly, but other places were all a possibility.
With Luff in tow and Hogg at his side, Daniel began maneuvering forward. It was a hot day but the haze that seemed to be normal here in Charlestown kept the sun from being the hammer it might otherwise have been. Daniel was in his best set of Grays, not garments he wanted to wear in a brawl but less restrictive than his Whites. He was comfortable enough.
The plaza was full of civilians, but they grew thicker toward the center like that of stars in a cluster. To Daniel's surprise, Corius had disposed the bulk of his force to protect the crowd from a sudden onslaught by his rivals' massed retainers. He had only fifty or so men around him personally.
The cordon of guards eyed Daniel grimly as he approached. Corius'd had their two-foot truncheons decorated with tinsel streamers. That wasn't to hide the fact they were weapons, Daniel supposed, but to permit the other Councilors to pretend the troops weren't an armed threat.
A red-head in his mid-thirties appeared to be in command of the section Daniel approached. He was speaking into a microphone on his wrist; responses would come through his earclip, a larger version of the unit Adele was wearing. His frown cleared, becoming a smile of professional welcome.
"Sorry sir," he said. "I didn't recognize your uniform. You're very welcome here, but we're not letting in troublemakers wearing livery, you understand?"
"I do indeed," Daniel said, passing between two of the blue-sleeved guards, but he might as well have saved his breath; they couldn't possibly hear him. Councilor Corius was climbing the steps at the far end of the plaza, sending the crowd into shrieks of rapturous enthusiasm.
Corius raised both hands high, building the mob's excitement; the air of the plaza reeked of sweat laced with adrenalin. The speaker's stand was still a hundred and fifty yards from Daniel; he resumed working his way forward. There were too many people in the way for that to be easy, but a determined push generally made an opening. People prefer not to be in actual contact with one another; Daniel exploited that instinct to move through them.
"Fellow citizens of Bennaria!" Corius called. His bodyguards stood two steps below him, so that he could easily see and be seen by everyone in the plaza
. "My brothers and sisters!"
"Bloody hell!" Hogg muttered angrily. "Does he think he's bulletproof? He's an easy shot from any roof around the square here. Any roof."
"We're not here to talk, Hogg," Daniel said, as quietly as he could and still be heard. With luck, none of the spectators had heard Hogg's comment. It would've sounded like a threat rather than the professional observation it was.
Hogg wasn't an assassin, but all his life he'd been a hunter. He was scarcely the only one on Bennaria today to view Councilor Corius as potential prey.
"It's been two generations since you, the people of Bennaria, met in solemn assembly," Corius said. "Now is the time to resume exercising your sacred rights of governance!"
The crowd had thickened further. Daniel thought he might be able to worm a little closer to the steps, but only a little.
Being close turned out not to be necessary for him to hear clearly. Not only was Corius using a concealed public address system, the plaza's acoustics were remarkably good. Behind the steps from which he spoke was the Port Administration Offices, the largest government building on the planet. The side facing the square sloped back at a 70o angle. Daniel wasn't sure that made it a better sounding board than a vertical wall would've been, but it was very effective.