Alessandro nodded solemnly, his pleasure at Ryan's analysis shining in his eyes. "Had Frederick said, 'Alessandro, I'm taking the Tenth Lyran Guards to Tharkad to kick Katrina out of office,' I might have supported him. Aldo has already failed at least three times to assassinate Katrina, and I cannot see any indication that he might succeed this time."
Ryan straightened up in his chair. "You think he'll try to kill her again?"
Alessandro nodded. "Do neutrinos precede visible light in a supernova? As long as Katrina is alive, there is no one who will depose her. Her grip on power is too strong. People would rally to her defense. Katrina Steiner will rule the Lyran Commonwealth as long as she lives. Even if Frederick does not understand this, I am sure Lestrade does."
Ryan eased back in the chair. "What do you think Frederick meant when he hinted at dissolution of the Commonwealth? Do you think that has something to do with Lestrade's separatist movement in the Isle of Skye?"
Alessandro smiled broadly. "Very good question. It would be my guess that Lestrade will use any Kurita strike as an excuse to declare the Isle of Skye independent and a non-combatant. Pavel Ridzik has done something similar, and ComStar nearly beat the Federated Suns in declaring support for his realm. I would guess Lestrade has spoken to some ComStar officials about this already."
Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Why would ComStar support such independent nations?"
Alessandro shrugged carelessly. "Being pacifistic, perhaps they imagine they can extinguish the war one small nation at a time. They can also get a smaller government to grant them concessions—like paying for communication network upgrades— much more easily than with a larger nation. Maximilian Liao is notorious for leaving deep fingerprints on each C-bill his government spends."
Ryan smiled at the joke. "So we know Frederick will take power after something has happened to Katrina, and we know Lestrade will make the Isle of Skye independent. It strikes me that the latter should happen before the former, then Frederick could bring the Isle of Skye back into the fold to gain some instant appreciation from the people."
"Very good, Ryan. Very good." Alessandro watched his grand-nephew carefully. "So what do you imagine my reply is to Frederick?"
Ryan pursed his lips. "You refuse to support him."
Alessandro shook his head. "No. Wrong. If you want to be Archon, you must learn how to use your enemies. Here I have a situation where Frederick is pitted against Katrina. If Frederick fails, he is eliminated. If he succeeds, Katrina is eliminated. My role is to serve as a catalyst because either outcome is good for my, ah, your political future."
Ryan nodded slowly. "You tell Frederick you support him, but you do not, in fact, give him any help. If he succeeds, he will be weak. Then you can use your influence to support me in a drive to depose this bloody-handed murderer."
The Archon smiled. "Melissa will be torn between her husband and her homeland. You will rally all the anti-Davion support in the Commonwealth, and through a carefully orchestrated public relations campaign, we will win you support. You will be Archon while Melissa is left to live with her husband."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "What if Frederick's plan goes sour?"
Alessandro licked his lips like a hungry cat. "We will be sure the Archon sees a copy of the holodisk you just saw. It will be enough to reveal Frederick for the bumbler he is, and it will be enough for Katrina to rid herself of him. She will then be indebted to us, bringing you one step closer to becoming Archon."
The younger Steiner frowned deeply. "Why would you help her? You hate her. For over twenty years, you've tried to get rid of her. You even tried to have her killed on Poulsbo the year I was born. I'm confused."
Alessandro sat back, steepling his fingers as he did. "I see you have come to believe all the stories that my rivals have circulated over the years. I have opposed Katrina Steiner, but not because I do not believe she makes a fine Archon. I saw her leadership abilities long ago and would have designated her as my heir instead of Frederick."
Ryan could hardly believe his ears. "But you tried to have her killed on Poulsbo! That's hardly a sign of support for your Heir-Apparent."
"No, Ryan. I did not send Loki operatives after her on Poulsbo. That story is a complete and utter fabrication." Alessandro's eyes focused distantly, and he chuckled to himself. "Do you know what Heimdall is?"
Ryan stiffened as a chill ran down his spine. "It's supposed to be an anti-government movement. It's very secretive, but rumors suggest many highly placed members of the government are linked with Heimdall." Ryan hesitated. "It is said that Heimdall kept Katrina safe from your assassins on Poulsbo."
Alessandro sighed heavily. "It is true: the victors write the history. What you have said about Heimdall is true. A number of nobles formed the organization to combat excesses in the government ages ago—only members of that God-cursed group know when it was actually formed. It just so happens that back in 3005,I learned the identity of a Heimdall leader. It was Arthur Luvon."
Ryan's jaw dropped open. Katrina's husband and Melissa's father.'"The Duke of Donegal?"
Alessandro nodded solemnly. "I sent Loki operatives out to kill him while he visited Poulsbo. I had no way of knowing that Katrina and Luvon's cousin, Morgan Kell, would all be at dinner on the evening selected for the termination. Somehow they escaped the trap and assumed Katrina was the target. Over the next year, this view became reinforced in Katrina's mind and in the mind of the public. When she returned from hiding, our relationship was in tatters and she had fallen completely under the influence of Arthur Luvon. How could I explain to her that I had not meant to kill her, but the man she loved? Had I told her the truth, I think her vengeance would have been swifter and less merciful."
Ryan watched Alessandro deflate as weariness caught up with him. Part of him welcomes death and even wishes Katrina had killed him after she stripped him of office. Another part of him, the part pushing me as a rival for Melissa, relishes the fact that he has lived long enough to prepare his revenge for what she did to him so many years ago.
Ryan smiled. "The lesson you spoke of earlier ... I think I have learned it. If I am to be Archon, I must learn to pit enemies against each other. I must trust no one's word unless I have some evidence that this person will keep it. And in a political bargain, I must always look for a thumb on the scales. Everyone is out for himself."
Alessandro smiled broadly. "You do see what I have been teaching you. Remember, there is nothing in the universe more desirable than being Archon. Winning that post does not so much depend upon your being able to outrun opponents. What it requires is that you cut down the competition as ruthlessly as possible."
Ryan returned Alessandro's smile. "Then let us begin with Uncle Frederick..."
10
Nashira
Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine
27 April 3029
Akira Brahe turned to study his father's strong profile in the light of Nashira's bloody moon. The face looked like it might have been chiseled from stone. How can he look out over this destruction and maintain an expression so devoid of emotion?Yorinaga Kurita narrowed his dark, almond-shaped eyes. It is as though he is trying to make sense of what the Kell Hounds has done to Nashira in their assault.
From high atop the Genyoshabase's command center, Akira followed his father's gaze over the damage left by the mercenaries. Every building in the base, save the one where they stood, had been flattened with a vengeance. Some had vanished without a trace. With the others, the debris was not scattered randomly as it would have been if a battle had raged at the base, but was concentrated at the site where each building had stood.