The Burning Crown (Stone Blade Book 4)

by James Matt Cox

  "By watching and collecting data, Sir Allan," supplied Blue, "I've asked some friends of mine to keep an eye out for things amiss, but the more eyes the better. Most especially when those eyes have an official capacity through which such occurrences must pass. Mind you, we're not asking you to break oath or law."

  "Banish the thought, my lady," smiled Worthington, "My feelings opinions are totally my own and should I choose to share them, that is no one's concern but mine. Of course I shall inform you of any suspicious activities, but if my eyes see something McReely's miss I'll feast both of you for a week! Not to worry, dear lady. My eyes, such as they are, are at your command."

  Blue bowed and smiled.

  "Sir Allan," said Karr, "What finally happened to that shipment Fallstar lost?"

  "We have it," said Worthington. He printed something from his terminal and handed Karr the hardcopy. "House Brightcrown paid the loss. Standard rates, all forms filed, taxes and fees paid properly. Signed and sealed by all parties involved. They'll not be swishing our sewers with this! I personally voided the manifest and saw it removed from their inventory. Our House office there gave fair median price and had the recovered goods transferred properly."

  "Will you be selling it soon," asked Blue, interest piquing her voice.

  "I do not know, my lady. Because of my position as a port official I cannot, without conflict of interest, ethically participate in the sale. That is an impropriety certain other Houses would do well to observe!"

  "Can you put a hold on it," she asked, "Not officially, but through your House."

  "Of course. May I ask why?"

  Blue shrugged. "I don't exactly know, Sir Allan. We've mostly decided their sewer-swishing has no deeper purpose, but that shipment is something solid that we have. Moreover, it's something we have that they did not want us to have. If loss of value during the hold is an issue I'll have my House..."

  "Nonsense, dear lady," exclaimed Worthington, "I'll see to it personally. House Brightcrown will keep it secure and we'll not sell a jot of it until you deem it appropriate!"

  ***

  "Give me your thoughts," said Blue, "See if they match mine."

  "Tourmalin," said Karr instantly, "We should check to see if our virus is still intact."

  To his chagrin she guided the hover to the closest Chugbarn's.

  "It is. We lost the primary bait site but the others are intact."

  Karr sipped his tea as he said this. Then he wiped his hands, prepared his warez and meshed his terminal with Blue's.

  "So, m'lady. What shall we query first?"

  Karr wove his probe carefully through Tourmalin Shipping Interstellar's cryptobase. He copied everything he found, with Blue providing a solid backup. They'd break the data as they could since it provided a potential key to any company with which Tourmalin did business. Once Karr worked his way past that he queried the company's loss-recoveries. The sheer number of them bogged his terminal but Blue stepped in quickly to pull off some of the load.

  "Flames," she swore, "How do they show a profit with all of that?"

  Once his terminal cleared, Karr checked for security. He found plenty, but none active, nor did the tunnel from the bait site show anything unusual. Next he queried information concerning Fallstar Lines. He kept the date range recent so the resulting squirt, while massive, came nowhere close to slowing his terminal.

  "Try BinSu and Imix," suggested Blue.

  Again the connection lagged but not excessively so. Amazingly, Tourmalin had an impressive number of files associated with Brightcrown and McReely; files separated from the regular commercial transactions. Karr slirped that carefully: such data might well represent a trap placed there for burners associated with those Houses. He very carefully did not investigate or alter the data; that would come later.

  "I have spurious pings," said Blue softly.

  "I'm on it. Launching codefug and snap-trace. Is the big one ready?"

  "Loaded and coded. Just give the word."

  "Not yet," he said, "Let's see what they try first."

  Whoever tried to probe Karr's bait site fired a tendril-touch blindly into the codefog. Clever enough but it would take time to work. Karr placed a mirror-backlash between the fog and his presence. Karr's snap-trace locked tight and the intruder's tunnel started morphing.

  "Go," said Karr, "I think the stape's external but I'm not sure."

  Blue launched her carefully-prepared thorn snatch: a query massive enough to bog down even the fastest smesh. She actually received a lot of data before Tourmalin's security reacted. Slowly. Karr relaunched his twice-recursed codefog and Tourmalin's automatic dogz and probes hit it hard. That alongside the remnants of the other intruder's tendrils and the still-executing queries slowed Tourmalin's warez considerably.

  Knowing he'd soon lose his first bounce site, Karr trapped it with fractal flames. The intruder arrived just before Tourmalin and the space instantly hashed into mathematically-complex gibberish. Even though he had the key the active fractal structures slowed Karr, never mind what his opponents now faced! The snap-trace, forgotten but still active, reached the end of the stranger's tunnel. It deployed and anchored hard, squirting Karr everything it could before the burner jacked out.

  "They just spiked my masque," said Blue urgently.

  That was enough for Karr. The fractal flames finally degraded enough for solid probes and traces to penetrate. Karr left a crash-trap in his last bounce site, collapsed his tunnels and jacked out.

  They detected no suspicious traffic as they left Chugbarns and hovered down the streets but Karr still headed them for the closest Edders safe-house.

  Chapter 9. People 101

  Kenneth Tobart, Junior Leader in the Economic Subversion Division of the North Central Adminstrative District, growled and paced the length of the luxurious room he now occupied. At his terminal sat Adrian Mooke, Tobart's most senior team member, friend and burner without rival.

  "That was no silken glove slap, Ken. These stulti don't know the tenth of it! I'm not sure what the intruders managed to compromise before I burned in but they didn't seem in any hurry whatsoever. That does not speak well of our host's security."

  "Agreed, Adri. Fadding was not pleased when he discovered I knew of the incident. I pressed him hard about it, without revealing you. He assured me there was nothing to find there."

  "Spurcifer!"

  At this Tobart chuckled. "True, my friend. Trivappa cuculi one and all. Yet they are the hand we are dealt and we must use them until they play out. Do not lose sight of our goal or the reward that follows success. Has there been aught since they trashed the system?"

  "No sir. His Highness was also correct on one reserve. I found no mention of us or our project in any of his data."

  "Laudable work, Adri. Stay vigilant and stay the course. I must meet with the fool yet again. It will be interesting to see what paltry excuses he mouths this time."

  Mooke smiled and his smile held nothing save malice.

  ***

  Fadding took a deep breath and carefully held his temper in check. He truly was not in the mood to deal with Tobart's questions when he himself knew so little.

  "Again, Master Tobart, there is nothing worthy of concern in the cores that were compromised. Nothing of you, nothing of Nivan, nothing of our factory there and nothing of our project. Nothing!"

  "My partners are still nervous."

  "Then they must learn to tolerate some risk," snapped Fadding before he could contain himself. Then, "Master Tobart. How 'nervous' were they over the incident on Faircoast? Excessively. You yourself said then much the same of what you've said now. What finally happened?"

  Tobart said nothing.

  "Nothing," supplied Fadding, "The incident was handled properly and with due attention and nothing came of it nor will come of it. That fool of a Brightcrown filled out and filed the proper forms and certified the loss. Exactly as I said he would and with no shattering of the planet's crust. Loss and recovery is a normal
part of shipping on a large scale and it is to be expected. Where would we be without it? Answer me that!"

  "They confiscated the merchandise."

  "Aye. That he did and he subsequently sold it to another Brightcrown, all according to proper and ordinary procedure. I have copies of it if you wish to see them. He clung to propriety as do all Brightcrowns and did not shave a single credit off either end. At most House Varl lost a few thousand credits off what we might have earned with the sale. If that is your only concern..." Fadding left that hanging.

  "It is not, m'Laird, as you well know!"

  "Then what is your worry? We, the Great House of Varl, are bearing the entirety of the risk in this venture! Think you that we know nothing of prudence? Of patience?" Fadding nodded toward the portrait hanging above his fireplace. "One lesson the Idiot du'Varl passed along to all his descendants was that. I will not repeat his mistakes or allow such in my House or any allied to it!"

  "Peace and profit, m'Laird," said Tobart, voice mild and conciliatory now, "We have indeed studied your history and your ways, and we made our choice wisely. Do not mistake that we fail to know that. It is not your resolve or your ability that concerns us, but rather that of your enemies. They number more than just a few and even the Brightcrowns you despise so do possess resources and men of talent and skill."

  "Aye, and they will all receive their due! Ever and always do they try to bring low the Great House of Varl, and ever and always do they fail. And will! If you wish to know the detail of every time even the fool Brightcrowns tried to fell us we should be here until we are both old and gibbering. Be at peace, my friend. All is well."

  Tobart still looked uncertain.

  "Master Tobart," said Fadding with only a little exasperation, "The closest thing we have to a weak point is on Fallstar. Sir Outremin should be back from his trip ere long. If you wish it I shall message him and instruct him to stay there and observe matters until you are happy. Will that suffice?"

  "Yes, m'Laird. If, as you say, this is not an incident worthy of note then his stay there should be most short."

  "I do say, Master Tobart, and his stay will be so much the shorter."

  After Tobart left Fadding took another moment to compose himself, then summoned his head of data security.

  "Enter!"

  Lester Brown entered quickly but walked slowly to stand before Fadding.

  "My report?"

  Brown handed over a datacube. "Th-they compromised most of Tourmalin's data, my Laird. From what w-we observed they came in low-slow. Their initial attack m-mimicked an adpush that..."

  "Enough!" Fadding stared hard at Brown, who dropped his gaze instantly. "Did you eliminate the threat?"

  "Y-yes, m'Laird."

  "Did you protect the data we have left?"

  "Yes, m'Laird."

  "Did you project the damage they might do with the data they stole?"

  "Y-yes, m'Laird." Brown indicated the 'cube. "Th-they didn't get m-much of consequence, m'Laird. W-we redundantly recursion-encrypted..."

  "Silence, fool! You have no idea what our enemies might make of this or the damage they could do to the Great House of Varl!"

  Brown began trembling where he stood.

  "Do you have a family, Brown?"

  "Y-yes, m'Laird."

  "Go home to them. Bid them farewell and wish them a good life. Then return. Do not be long in the doing else they will join you."

  Brown actually sniffled on his way out. Weakling! A pity, thought Fadding, that Outremin took his latest treasure with him on his trip. Judging by what Outremin said, the man, Stone, would make very amusing sport of his former head of data security.

  ***

  "Narrow the query," said Blue, "Tourmalin loss-recoveries, recovered merchandise. Cross-correlate with Brightcrown."

  Karr entered the parameters and waited for the module to run.

  "Squelch," he said, "Nothing statistically significant compared to the rest."

  "Same query but this time lost merchandise."

  "Almost squelch. This time the profit is lower but the volume is higher. Significantly so."

  "Do they list the actual merchandise?"

  "Not directly," said Karr, "but they do list it by manifest and we can access those. I recognize a few of them as Fallstar, though."

  "Heh. Something worth checking, I trow?"

  "Indeed, m'lady. I've a thought. While I'm building the criteria will you message Sir Allan? We need as thorough a list as he can get us of loss-recovery manifests voided then purchased by Brightcrown. I'd also like one for merchandise purchased by allies, and the same but eventually purchased by Brightcrown. Given their attention to detail and dedication to propriety that shouldn't take too long."

  "I'm on it." Blue jacked in, composed the message and sent it. "What are you checking now?"

  "Same criteria but for BinSu, Imix and other close allies to House Varl. If I'm correct we may have a voyage or three in our future."

  "Polar."

  ***

  Rolf Sir Quinby, Order of Halm's Hall and managing partner of Catonatta RRC, took a courtesy sip of his tea and set the cup down.

  "I am truly sorry, Signora Kittley," he said, "but Catonatta will not be doing business with you. After some research into your company, which you were foolish to conceal from us, we found several considerations that preclude our direct participation. I thought it courteous to inform you in person."

  Quinby made to rise and leave but Kidwell put a hand on his arm.

  "Please stay a moment, Sir Rolf. I understand that you don't want to do business with us but I would greatly appreciate some explanation. Perhaps there is something we can do to change that."

  "As you wish, m'lady." Quinby sat back, albeit with reluctance. "It is a matter of propriety. Currently Catonatta is producing high-grade, heavy-duty photonic transfer arrays for the League Navy."

  Exactly what failed, thought Thompson, sipping his own tea.

  "While these items are not specifically restricted or classified, there is a concern about exporting them outside the League."

  "If it's a matter of Guild sanction," said Kidwell, "that's under review. We anticipate no difficulty in acquiring it."

  "It is not, m'lady" said Quinby, "The Merchant's Guild is of no concern whatsoever. We pride ourselves in meeting and exceeding Guild standard. It is completely a matter of ethics. Your company, Ion Skies Limited, is domiciled and based out of the League. That presents no problem, ethical or otherwise. The fact that you have offices within the Mekhajan Collective and potentially do business with the Esavians is our primary concern.

  "The Esavians are declared enemies of the League and many other sovereignties. Even the remotest possibility of arming League enemies is both abhorrent and unethical. The Mekhajan, while not specifically enemies, are not specifically friends either. Again, should we come into armed conflict with them we would be responsible for arming a League enemy.

  "Finally there is your office in the Unity of Triumph. I find it quite amazing that they agreed to an increase in trade with the League, and they are certainly not direct or potential enemies, but the treaties they signed have not been in place long enough to warrant sending them our military technology. Perhaps ten years from now these impediments will diminish, but now they are present and we must act accordingly.

  "I do thank you for your interest and your hospitality, m'lady, and I hope someday we will be able to trade with you. For now, though, we cannot."

  Kidwell smiled. "Thank you, Sir Rolf. I appreciate your explanation and I'll talk to our partners soon. Perhaps we will be able to reach a mutually agreeable path. If not, I still appreciate your courtesy in meeting with me."

  This time Quinby did rise and leave.

  "So are we concerned," asked Thompson.

  "We are, dear. Very much so."

  "People 101," said Thompson, "He felt very straightforward and convincing. He was also quite concerned about ethics and not just legality. He took his time e
xplaining things, even if he was stiff and superior about it. He wanted to avoid any possible harm to the League, the Crown and his company; he said exactly what he felt and frost the consequences. Totally opposite from that stape earlier."

  "Dermot," supplied Kidwell, "Before I give my read, what's yours and why?"

  "Signor Dermot put my nerves on edge," said Thompson, "It's not something I can describe exactly. It's more of a feeling but it's one I've learned to trust. It's like ambush and surprise combat sims. We spend a long time investigating, say, an asteroid belt or a large field of placed obstacles. Sometimes days or even weeks.

  "You carefully long-scan anything that might be big enough to conceal a narsty surprise, then you close-scan it and sometimes you send out fighters or probes. Sometimes command sent me out in a fighter! Sometimes there are very well-concealed ships behind those rocks. You don't know until the scanners go suborbital and you're painted for a hundred-nail swarm.

  "The drills are meant to teach reaction speed and sudden threat protocol. They do so quite well." Thompson spoke that last very dryly. "That's how Dermot felt to me. He was all smiles and friendly but I wouldn't slosh down with him unless I had a shipmate covering my six.

  "Quinby didn't rub me that way. He might be a bottomfeeder for a CO - surprise inspection at the worst time, strict on full-formal spiff even on a deep space drill, that sort of thing - but he'd be a ruddy good one if the feces hit the flinger. Something tells me he wouldn't even work up a twitch during ASC sims, too. Finally, he was from Brightcrown. You could feel that in his bones, never mind him telling us or showing his crest."

  "And Dermott was from Hallings," said Kidwell, "A House better known for its business acumen than its attention to the spirit of the law. You're learning, Cap'n John."

  "More than that," continued Thompson, "Podwell is affiliated with House Toms-Watt. Not the best of friends with Hallings."

  "Nor the worst of enemies," said Kidwell, "The middle- to upper nobility in both of those Houses, and in the individual Houses of Toms and Watt, don't consider themselves of age until they've had a lover from the other house."

  Thompson wrinkled his face at that. "That wasn't what I meant, but similar. Dermot or Podwell might be covering for the other in order to have some House one-up. They all operate that way but Hallings and Toms-Watt made an art of it."