‘Tell us y'r name, lad," Alex said.
"Say clottin‘ what?"
"Y'r name. ‘Tis a wee test."
Sten snarled back. "Kilgour, if you don't get your haggis breath out of my face, I'm going to stuff you into a ship's stomach along with the rest of the porridge."
Kilgour turned back to Freston. A big smile wreathed his round face. "Aye, he's fightin‘ fit. Altho' his slangin‘ c'd use a bit o' work."
"What the clot's going on, Kilgour?" Sten demanded.
"W hae to‘ leave, wi'oot waitin' on th‘ order ae our comin't, nor f'r you't' bash th‘ cruiser. Th' mad Emp hae stuck his foot in th‘ drakh i' whae's goin't on, young Sten."
"I repeat my opening remarks, Kilgour. What the clot is going on?"
"Th‘ Emp's blow'it up his pet livie station."
"What the clot for?" Sten was gaping.
Alex made a motion with his heavy-world shoulders. It was a shrug that came in a massive wave.
"P'raps he dinnae like th‘ panto."
CHAPTER FIVE
EYES ONLY
NODIST NONONIMP
NOFILE
PERSONALLY DESTROY POST RECEIPT ACKNOWLEDGE TO ORIGINATOR VERBAL ONLY NOREC
DOCUMENT ID: None (vice Originator)
TO: ALL IS STATION HEADS
DESIGNATED/CLEARED EMBASSY SECURITY STATION CHIEFS OTHER PERS DESIGNATED BY P. OR HIGHEST
FROM: POYNDEX, HEAD, INTERNAL SECURITY
1. All stations have received orders for the immediate apprehen-sion of STEM, (NO INITIAL). No task is to be given higher priority by IS personnel unless specifically notified otherwise by P. or designated subordinate.
2. This task is to include the apprehension or deactivation, by any means necessary, of all involved co-conspirators; both those identified to date in Imperial Bulletins and those who are clearly participants but not yet named.
3. To this end, you are authorized to commandeer or requisition any Imperial resources whatsoever, WITH HIGHEST AUTHORIZATION with no justification for actions of this nature required to normal-channel suppliers.
4. In addition, ANY intelligence of any nature pertaining to STEN, NI, and KILGOUR, ALEX, is to be forwarded to this station, PRIOR-ITY ONE-ALPHA. Particularly sought is physical descriptions, hab-its, hobbies, speciality areas (civilian and otherwise), places where above are known to have frequented, in short, ALL data concerning above two individuals.
5. No, repeat no screening of raw data relevant to (para. 4) above is to be made.
6. (Para. 4) and (para. 5) are not to be discussed with local au-thorities nor any conventional division of Imperial Intelligence.
7. Any request for data in the area of (para. 4) cannot be an-swered at this time, and IS chiefs are advised to avoid mention-ing reasons to anyone in (para. 6). This is due to some confusion and doubling of input, caused as an act of sabotage by STEN, NI, or some other conspirator yet to be discovered and indicted. As complete data becomes available on STEN, NI, and KILGOUR, ALEX, it will be immediately disseminated to all levels.
8. Under no circumstances is the information in (para. 4), (para. 5), (para. 6), and (para. 7) to be conveyed with any personnel formerly associated with the discredited Mercury Corps, nor, most particularly, with Mantis Section. In addition, any inquiries as to STEN, NI, by former operatives of this branch, especially Mantis Section, must be reported immediately, Priority One-Alpha, to P.
9. If possible, STEN, NI, is to be apprehended secretly and imme-diately prepared for transfer directly to Prime for trial. No infor-mation is to be released, particularly to media.
10. If, however, apprehension is made by operatives other than IS, and publicity is inevitable, STEN, NI, is to be charged with
HIGH TREASON, MURDER, CONSPIRACY and ATTEMPTED REGICIDE.
Other charges will be filed after STEN, NI, has been transferred to Prime World and is in high-security custody.
11. In the event of contact with STEN, NI, and apprehension is not possible, or in the event of attempted escape after apprehension, immediate termination must be made.
12. As a corollary task, all IS operatives are ordered to devote maximum attention to uncovering the degree of conspiracy at-tempted by STEN, NI. However, under no circumstances is this in-vestigation to be regarded as a "hunting license" to remove other enemies of the Empire. This task is too important and too imme-diate to be allowed to broaden to such a degree, although oper-atives should maintain files on the above matter for eventual attention.
13. Successful accomplishment of this most vital mission will not only be deemed in the Highest Traditions of Internal Secu-rity, but a personal service to the Eternal Emperor himself, and so rewarded.
FOR THE ETERNAL EMPEROR
P.
CHAPTER SIX
THE SCHOOL OF fish broke the surface, scattering spray against the face of a wind-whitened wave, then skittered down across the trough.
Their flight was pointless. Death was close.
The sea exploded as the great creature arced out of the water in front of the school, mouth gaping as it inhaled the leader. A monstrous flipper crashed and two more of the half-meter-long fish writhed, then floated limply, momentarily stunned.
The com buzzed, and Rykor's focus on her alfresco midday meal was shattered. But she didn't answer immediately. Instead, she deliberately devoured both fish before they could recover, thoughtfully analyzing their taste.
Yes, she thought. These were not from our farm-spawnings. Yet another ground is breeding back to its proper level. True wild fish can always be distinguished. The taste is... more... more...
Pondering just what it was more of, the being that was the Empire's most gifted psychologist rolled on her back, oblivious to the raging hurricane and the below-zero-C temperatures. Rykor's flipper waved over the bone-induction com that fitted closely around her neck. Neck was an arbitrary designation— Alex Kilgour had once observed that "it hae't‘ be th' lass' neck, since some'at keeps her head frae bangin‘ into her chest, aye?"
The caller was one of her assistants, in the luxurious quarters/ office she'd had lovingly built that some insensitive sorts compared to an arctic sea cave.
"I do not," Rykor rumbled, "particularly appreciate being interrupted in midmeal. Lunch, as the humans say, is important"
"There is a priority message from Prime," the assistant said, new enough to be somewhat awed by this communication from the Imperial capital. "It requires that you stand by for special duties, at the command"—and his tone grew more hushed—"of the Eternal Emperor himself."
Rykor stiffened. "What sort of duties?"
"The message was not specific. But it said the duties would almost certainly be protracted, so you are advised to bring a gravchair and pack accordingly."
No mention of the late Ian Mahoney, Rykor thought. Nor of the recently outlawed Sten. Nor did the message suggest that perhaps the Emperor—or more likely his new head of secret police, Poyndex—might also be interested in why Rykor had conferred recently, in the greatest secrecy, with one Sr. Ecu, Diplomat Extraordinaire.
Bad, bad, very bad.
"And how am I to get to Prime?"
"An Imperial ship has been dispatched. I have a confirm from the spaceport that its time of arrival is within two E-days."
Worse and worse, Rykor thought.