His e-butler told him Inima was calling.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m at the office. What about you?”
“We’re safe here, aren’t we, Hoshe?”
“Safest place in the Commonwealth, I promise. Shall I come home?”
“No. You stay there. I don’t want you worrying about me.”
“I don’t worry. I love you. I’m leaving now.”
“No, Hoshe. I’ve got the news summary in my virtual vision. The attacks aren’t anywhere near Earth. You stay at work.”
“I want to be with you, in case.” In case of what, he didn’t know. If Earth fell, it would all be over. And not even Paula could get them places on a Dynasty lifeboat.
“Should you travel now?” she asked.
“Of course. If anything gets through that force field it won’t matter where you are. I’ll get a taxi.”
“I don’t want to be trouble.”
“You’re not.”
Hoshe grabbed his coat from the hook on the back of the door. A red priority icon flashed up into his virtual vision; it was Captain Kumancho, who was leading the Senate Security detail following Victor Halgarth. “Damn!” Hoshe touched the icon with his turquoise virtual finger.
“We’ve just arrived on Boongate,” Kumancho said. “Victor went to one of the warehouses out in the station marshaling yard. It belongs to a company called Sunforge, local transport and courier outfit. We’re datamining it now.”
“Okay. Are you emplaced?”
“As best we can. Hoshe, it’s chaos here. There’s half the planet’s population camped outside the station. CST has just closed the wormhole. We must have been on the last train in. My people are worried we won’t be able to get back.”
“Shit. Right, leave it with me. Is the Halgarth team with you?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, that’s good. I’ll get in touch with Warren Halgarth; we’ll coordinate our approach and put a process in place to extract you as soon as CST reopens the wormhole. I’ll try and get information on that as well.”
“Thanks, Hoshe.”
“Do you know what’s in the Sunforge warehouse?”
“Not yet. We’re going to start running an infiltration operation once we’re properly established.”
“Do you need help from the locals? I can run the request from this office. It’ll carry more clout.”
“I think we’re on our own, Hoshe. Government here has just about collapsed. CST’s station security teams and the city police force are still hanging together, almost, but they’re not going to be assed about a bunch of spooks asking for cooperation. Don’t worry, we can handle Victor and the warehouse.”
“Okay, keep me updated on an hourly basis. I’ll be in the office.” Hoshe stood perfectly still for a moment as he cursed every god he knew about, then hung his coat back on the hook. His turquoise finger touched Inima’s icon. “Darling, I’m sorry. Something’s come up.”
***
“Don’t worry,” Anna said. Her small mouth tightened into a smile as she straightened the shoulders on Wilson’s dress uniform, brushing away creases. “You know and I know that you did everything you could. There were no alternatives, no smartass answers. You told it to them as it was, and they gave you the budget they wanted to.”
Several people were looking at them as they stood nose to nose outside the Senate Hall’s underground chamber, aides to the other War Cabinet members who were in session, and had been for thirty minutes. It was as if Wilson and Anna were radioactive; nobody said hello, nobody swapped idle chat, not even Daniel Alster and Patricia Kantil. For Wilson not to be in a War Cabinet meeting was a clear indication of what was being discussed inside. There wasn’t any informed, measured debate going on in there; it was an open power struggle.
“Damn Nigel for not telling us what he’d got,” Wilson muttered. His voice carried just far enough to provoke some glances from the nearest aides. “Damn him for not sharing.”
“They only just got their ship operational in time,” Anna said, patting his arm.
“So he claims,” he hissed. “Hell, listen to me. Nobody trusts anyone else anymore.”
“How can we?” Anna looked around, and pulled him farther away from the immaculately dressed, polite, obedient aides. “We don’t know who is working for the Starflyer.”
“This isn’t just because of the Starflyer. Look at them all.” He tilted his head at the aides. “All the Dynasties and Grand Families see here is an opportunity to put one over on the rest. They’re concentrating on internal politics while the human race is faced with extinction.”
“That’s not quite fair.”
“Yeah yeah.” Tension and dismay were giving him the shakes. Being made to wait outside like a schoolkid hauled up before the principal; it’s not right. I did a good job. “Damn, I feel sorry for myself.” His virtual vision was showing a tactical display from Pentagon II, where the navy was keeping watch for any further sign of Prime activity. It was only seven hours since the wormholes into Commonwealth space had shut down. He didn’t have time for this bullshit. They had to organize the navy’s response immediately. That’s if he was going to be organizing it.
“Hey, stop it.” She nuzzled his face. “They’re probably just deciding which medal to give you.”
He gave her a tired look. “Thanks.”
“You know I’ll stay with you, don’t you?”
He kissed her. “Couldn’t have got this far without you.”
“It’ll be nice to have a real life together. I’ve never had a rich husband before. I still haven’t seen your home on York5.”
“You’ll love it. We’ve got an area the size of Oregon which I’ve been shaping and planting. And the Château needs refurbishing.”
“Sounds good. Me, an unlimited credit tattoo, and every interior designer on that side of the Commonwealth.”
He held her tight. “It will be good. It will.”
The doors to the conference room opened. Rafael Columbia strode out. He was also wearing his full dress uniform; immaculately tailored, it made him the perfect authority figure. Even the aides straightened up as he appeared.
Wilson hadn’t known Rafael was in the War Cabinet. It could only mean one thing. “Shit.” At least he didn’t have to wait anymore; he knew for sure now. I don’t even have to go through with this humiliation, not really.
“Wilson.” Rafael put on a suitably sober expression of greeting. He extended his hand.
I could just tell him to shove it.
Anna made a small sound at the back of her throat.
Wilson shook hands. Like a proper officer would, with dignity. They’d be proud of me back at the academy—if it still existed.
“I’m sorry,” Rafael said. “They called me in after they asked for you.”
“It’s okay.” As Caesar said to Brutus. “I don’t think either of us is in an enviable position.”
Rafael nodded sympathetically. “They’re ready for you.”
“Sure.”
Anna squeezed his hand. He walked with Rafael into the conference room to face the War Cabinet. Surprisingly, it was only President Doi who met his eye as he stood at the head of the table. Heather Antonia Halgarth simply looked bored, while Nigel Sheldon had a thunderous expression on his face. It was a hugely telling sight, that the man whose family warship and private weapons project had just saved the entire Commonwealth could suffer a political defeat directly afterward.
Rafael came to stand just behind Wilson.
“Admiral,” President Doi said, “we have reviewed the performance of the navy and yourself before and during this latest disastrous invasion. To say that we find it lacking would be the understatement of this century. In view of the catastrophic loss of life, we require your immediate resignation.”
Argue. Tell her to fuck off. Nobody could have done better. “As you wish,” he said coolly.
Rafael came up to him. “Admiral, your navy authorization codes have now been revoked. You will be placed on our inactive list, effective immediately.”