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"Master Sergeant! I should walk point for him, not you! I'm the junior man -"
"My responsibility, Dawd, my responsibility. Nor will I shirk. You just be quick with that ca
A Nondescript House
Parus
"I have a private comm call to the Cornuelle on intercept," Lachlan a
"Show me," the old Mйxica woman growled, sitting up from her bed. A v-pane ready to display voice analysis and a ru
"Voice-only call, mi'lady." Lachlan didn't sound apologetic, he sounded exhausted. "The call is on a cross-link from a native cell network."
"Where are you intercepting? Can you get me a delay?"
Lachlan's image shook his head. "We're tapping the call directly from the Cornuelle. We could override local comm on the ship, but their bridge crew is sure to notice."
Itzpalicue grimaced, head cocked to one side, listening. The sound of aerocar fans was loud, and then the voice of a Fleet ensign said, "Co
Chu-sa Hadeishi? This is Thai-i Sagamish – I'm attached to Resident Petrel's staff -
Yes, the Naval attachй. Has something happened? Where are you?
Flying into Parus by aerocar. Kyo, have you seen the latest news reports? Is there fighting in the city?
Itzpalicue raised an eyebrow. The senior lieutenant sounded panicked. She tapped up his perso
Things were quiet when I went to bed, Hadeishi said in a very dry voice. Why the call, Thai-i ?
I live in the suburbs, Sagamish replied, still sounding on edge. Just after midnight my house was attacked – vandalized – graffiti on the walls warned me to leave Jagan before the old ways were restored and the Empire swept away.
Has this happened before in your district? The sound of the Chu-sa tapping up the latest situation reports was clear in Itzpalicue's left ear. He sounded very calm. Have you been attacked before?
Slicks throwing rocks at my car. Two of my servants quit – I believe they were threatened.
Do you know why? Hadeishi's voice changed tone, making Itzpalicue curse softly, wishing the transmission were carrying video as well. She opened another v-pane, showing the data sources from the Cornuelle, but a tap into the captain's workstation was not available.
I've heard…I'm sorry, Chu-sa, I shouldn't be bothering you with this. Legation comm section is shut down at this hour…I was hoping to reach your bridge watch officer for a situation report.
You're on the shortlist of groundside perso
I've heard plenty, Sagamish said, now almost calm. It is said the Fleet is going to tear down all the old temples and put statues of the Emperor in their place; that the kujen is going to accept the quill as the official currency in Parus and its dependencies; that prince Tezozуmoc has been sent to be the new planetary viceroy; that the kujen has agreed to sell six hundred thousand Jehanan of the lowest caste to Legate Petrel for blood-sacrifice on AnГЎhuac. Those are the things I've heard – or my informants have heard – in the last three days.
The Emperor is very busy, it seems. Hadeishi's voice was tinged with dismay. Next there will be secret weather satellites causing famines and droughts to inflate the demand for imported grain.
The old Mйxica woman coughed in surprise, her lips twitching into a grim smile. "That is for later," she muttered caustically. "If this world becomes unruly. Or the pochteca cartels need a few extra quills at end of quarter."
Thai-i - none of these things are fact, to my knowledge. Have you heard differently?
No, sir. The sound of aerocar fans in the background changed. Itzpalicue could tell they were shifting into vertical landing mode. Unbidden, a v-pane opened in a relatively clear section of her panel, showing a video-feed from the Legation. A late-model aerocar, splashed with angular Jehanan script in vivid green paint, was setting down on the staff landing stage. Legate Petrel has been very, very strict about keeping a low profile, adapting to native customs, treating fairlywith the princes… I don't know who is spreading this…it's not us, not the Fleet or Armystaff…
How many, Hadeishi said slowly, in a thoughtful tone, Imperial citizens have business on Jagan?
I don't know, Sagamish replied and the sound of venting fans whined down to nothing. What kind of merchant or tourist is going to spread those kinds of rumors? Be bad for business, I think…
True. The Chu-sa did not sound convinced. Let me know if anything else happens.
Hadeishi closed the co
Then he fell back into bed and was instantly asleep.
"Lachlan, what did he hear?" Itzpalicue turned her fierce dark eyes on the Йirishman.
Lachlan shook his head slowly, unkempt hair falling into his eyes. "We've…nothing scheduled on the Flower Priest agitation plot for his district. Must be either the darmanarga-moktar or locals copying what they've heard has happened elsewhere."
"Coordinated action? Or is the lid starting to come off? Did the attachй provoke something with his neighbors?"
The young Йirishman shrugged, spreading his hands. "If a local animosity cell has triggered, they're not organizing by comm. The build-out schedule for the wireless network won't even reach this suburb for another two years. So any organization will be face-to-face and we've no tap on that."
Itzpalicue nodded in understanding. These kinds of operations were always much easier on planets with pervasive comm networks. Here, hoary old rumor had legs like Painal and leapt from city to city with a speed rivaling a t-relay. "Re-route a Flower Listener into his neighborhood today. See what they can pick up. And have analysis section pull an incident map for the last two days for the whole land of the Five Rivers. This feels…"
She stopped, shaking her head. The agitation pattern ru