“Do you think that’s the best course of action?”
“I don’t believe I have much of a choice.”
“We sit at the top of The Republic,” Mallowes said, and his eyes might have actually twinkled. “We always have options.”
“Are you saying you don’t want me to use what I have? You don’t want me to go after Sinclair?”
“Is that the best use of the man? You know him. You have worked with him. Couldn’t he serve better as a Paladin than as a convict?”
“So I should just ignore the fact that he was involved in an assassination because I think he’d make a good Paladin?”
“No,” Mallowes said firmly. “Don’t ignore it. Never let him forget you know it. Make sure he regrets his actions for the rest of his days.”
“That’s why I planned to send him to prison.”
“You’re thinking too small, Paladin Levin. Imagine what happens if this situation hanging over Sinclair’s head goes away.”
“I’m sure he’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“More than that.” Mallowes speech came more rapidly now. “He’ll be stunned with gratitude. He’ll never forget the people who pulled him back from the brink of personal ruin. He will be in our—in your debt for the remainder of his career. A debt he will never forget because of the information you hold.”
“So instead of sending him to jail, I should punish him by blackmailing him for the rest of his life?”
“Those are not the terms I would use, but I suppose you’ve captured the idea I presented.”
Jonah leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head, as if giving deep consideration to the Senator’s words.
Finally he spoke. “I’m not sure if I should ask you to leave now or tell you what I think of your stinking proposal first.”
“Paladin Levin…”
“You call yourself a servant of The Republic? Suggesting that one Paladin blackmail another as a viable means of running a government? You’ve been in office too long.”
“I ask you to remember to whom you are speaking.”
“I know full well. A traitor.”
Mallowes leapt to his feet, his face twisted into a knot of wrinkles. “How dare you…”
“Enjoy your time, Senator. After the election tomorrow, I will do everything I can to convince the new Exarch to divest the Senate of as much power as possible. Maybe you won’t cling so tight to your office when your main job is attending official funerals.”
“You go too far. Be angry at me if you must, but such an attack on the entire Senate is unwarranted.”
“The hell it is. I could fit all the Senators who are not either corrupt or incompetent into this room and still have enough room for a marching band. Not that you would be in here to see it.”
“I made you,” Mallowes said, his words escaping between angry breaths. “I was there when you were raised to a Knight. You will remember your debt to me.”
“You were there as a ceremonial figure. I don’t mean to sound immodest, but I would have been elevated no matter who was there. You had nothing to do with it. I owe you nothing.”
Mallowes shook with rage. Jonah wondered if he would take a step toward him, or even make a fist. But Mallowes had long been accustomed to resolving conflicts without resorting to violence. He had found a large body of people who could carry out his violence for him.
He brought his breathing under control. His face slowly eased into a resting expression. Before Jonah’s eyes, Mallowes transformed back to the familiar statesman of tri-vid reports.
“We do not have to be enemies,” Mallowes said. “There is much we could accomplish together. The Senate was established by Devlin Stone, and will not go away so long as we remember his vision. We nobles ruled long before Stone came, and we will rule again. You will not be rid of us, so you would be advised to work with us.”
“Devlin Stone’s vision, of both the Senate and the Paladins, included people working for the good of The Republic, not for themselves. I’d be happy to have a Senate as Stone intended it. But if I had to choose between a Senate of self-interested vipers or nothing, my choice is quite clear.”
“You’re choosing dangerously.”
“I’m not choosing. I’m just trying to clean up the mess you, Sinclair, and all the rest have created. You made the choice for me.”
Mallowes did not show anger again. His face remained neutral, his expression relaxed. Then he turned and walked out the door without saying another word to Jonah.
Jonah sat, trying to let go of the anger he’d summoned up for this meeting. He hadn’t known how far he’d have to go, and had surprised himself with his more extreme statements. They did not reflect anything he had seriously thought about before. Now that he had a moment to think, though, he began to consider if he actually believed what he’d said.
51
Government District, Geneva
Terra, Prefecture X
19 December 3134
Levin had seen fire, Mallowes thought as he stalked through the streets of Geneva. Now he’d see ice.
It had to be done quickly, but not rashly. He couldn’t afford to let his anger push him into incaution. He’d managed to do this once before, and by all accounts carried it off perfectly, completely deflecting Levin from the correct trail. He’d had more time then, but not much. Once he’d received the information about Victor Steiner-Davion’s plans, he’d been forced to move fairly quickly. That was where preparation paid off. Having spent years learning which channels were best used for various types of business, Mallowes had little trouble finding the appropriate people for the job. The very first lesson any politician learns is the overwhelming importance of knowing the right people.
He didn’t want to be forced into using the same people. He couldn’t, really, since he’d heard, through roundabout channels, some unfortunate things about one of the operatives employed in Santa Fe. It was better to develop an all-new team, to avoid the risk of repeating himself, but he lacked time. Some degree of repetition would be necessary.
The shame of it, Mallowes thought, is that some of the difficulty arises from having done my job too well. He hadn’t gone into this project trying to create trouble for Sinclair; he’d simply noticed that a few signs pointed in the direction of his protégé and decided it would be advantageous to make sure those signs were seen and followed. He had not anticipated, however, that Levin would become so resolute in his pursuit. The whole purpose of the exercise was to create the proper climate for making deals, not to completely break down the relationship between himself and Levin.
Maybe it was for the best, though. He hadn’t seen this side of Levin, hadn’t known the secret contempt Levin had for him and the other Senators (though he suspected it—he suspected it of all the Paladins). If their differences were so deeply entrenched, it was best to deal with the situation now rather than wait for Levin to use his influence to make things worse.
In most cases, there were several options for dealing with a situation like this, but unfortunately Levin made most of them impossible. Levin was simply not the type to take bribes, or to keep a different woman in every port. It wasn’t that he was incorruptible—in his long life, Mallowes had never met a single person to whom that word could be applied—just that, whatever his weaknesses might be, they did not lie in conventional areas.
Mallowes honestly wished there were some other solution to this problem. He hated to stoop to the same low tactic twice in a single month. However, the short time frame and the dire nature of Levin’s intent left him with no other options.