No Confidence (Wine of the Gods Book 31) Read online

  No Confidence

  Pam Uphoff

  Copyright © 2017 Pamela Uphoff

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN

  978-1-939746-24-5

  This is a work of fiction.

  All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional.

  Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Design P.A. McWhorter

  Table of Contents

  No Confidence

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  Star Struck

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  What I'm Reading

  About the Author

  Other Books by Pam Uphoff

  No Confidence

  Pam Uphoff

  Chapter One

  Winter 1402 px

  24 Muharram 1404 yp

  20 January 3519 ce

  Xen sat back and frowned at Inso Withione, theoretically his current boss. "So you're saying that this vote of no confidence won't just jump-start an Empire-wide Presidential Election, it will remove most of President Orde's power and dump it into a committee composed of the instantly appointed candidates from all the political parties?"

  "No. Only the five largest. Membership in the Modernists is so low that Orde is not going to be on the committee. Orde is a figurehead until and unless he wins reelection." Inso rubbed his face. "All the parties are caucusing tonight. Mind you they've been arguing behind closed doors all month, so this will probably just be the official meeting and vote. The Interim Ruling Committee should be in place by tomorrow afternoon."

  Lon sighed. "With the worst warmongers from the War Party and the Isolationists running the show?"

  "With help from the Strong Federalists, the One First Party, and Multitude Supreme." Inso snorted. "I hope Orde is challenging the membership numbers of the Firsters. I can't believe there aren't more Modernists."

  "He did. It failed." Jiol walked into the room. "What a cluster fuck. The Newsies are all on about the coming war with Comet Fall. Everyone is sure the vote will be strongly No Confidence."

  Not good. Xen frowned. "That's insane. A committee running the Empire? Can they replace directors? Will Urfa have any authority?"

  "Crap. It's been a century since we've done this. Before Granite Peak, when we crashed head-on into Earth. Before we met you fruitcakes. I . . . think the directors . . . hell, I don't recall any rules that they can't be replaced."

  Jiol frowned. "The fuss last time was whether to admit Homestead as an equal region of the Empire as they were requesting, or send in the army and conquer them first and bring them in as controlled territory. Idiots. That was even stupider than this, but they didn't change any directors until after the election. Then it was a clean sweep by the new Strong Federalist President."

  Inso looked at Xen. "What is Comet Fall likely to do?"

  Xen opened his mouth . . . paused. "Umm . . . " Shit, I'm going to be recalled. Sicced on the Empire . . .

  "Uh oh. Yeah. You and I have conflicts of interest." Inso looked at Lon. "Your turn. As a Oner I shouldn't be the one in charge. Congratulation, Director Hackathorn."

  Lon squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Are we supposed to hand off the office of—in theory—the most powerful person in the Multiverse like it's a booby prize?"

  "It's all talk and paperwork. Xen and Q do whatever they want, whenever they want. Have fun!"

  "Shit." Lon turned and eyed Xen. "So . . . what do you think we should expect, and what warning signs do we need to notice?"

  "From the Comet Fall side?" Xen bit his lip. "If the king recalls me . . . they've run out of diplomatic options and are getting ready for war."

  Lon looked back at Inso and raised his eyebrows.

  The old Oner winced. "If I were in charge of the Oners' war strategy, first thing I'd do is kill Xen."

  Chapter Two

  24 Muharram 1404 yp

  No Wednesday night movie in the huge common room/gymnasium/cafeteria in the Guards' Barracks in Versalle this week.

  Rael was packed in with the rest of the Blackhorse Guards, the Presidential Guards, and the Presidential Directorate Agents as they all watched the big vid screen in grim silence. The last speaker finished his rant and the Prime Councilor stepped back up to the podium.

  It was time for the Empire Council to vote.

  The Prime Councilor, thin smile on his meaty face, opened the voting. The screen behind him lit up. First just a tally of the number of votes entered. Or official abstentions. The tally ran up quickly. A few minutes were all that were needed for the tally to match the number of councilmen. "Please check your pads. This is your last opportunity to correct errors or change your mind." He surveyed the room. The tally dropped down a bit, then returned to full attendance.

  "The vote is accepted." A few buttons, and the results showed on the screen.

  Less than a third of the Council supported the president.

  "By a sixty-eight percent super majority, the Government finds No Confidence in President Orde Withione Tarsus Ottoman."

  The Council rose, clapping and whistling.

  Let the party begin. One Damn you assholes. Rael sat back with a huff, as the Prime Councilor explained what would happen next.

  A committee. A freaking committee to take over while an Empire-wide Special Presidential Election is rushed through. I do not fracking like this!

  The room lights brightened and Major Eppa climbed up onto the table in front of the screen as the sound was muted.

  "All right. That makes it official, however much we expected it. I spoke to Urfa earlier. Blackhorse guards and," he nodded to Princess Feol, "The Presidential Guards will continue to guard President Orde and his daughter. We will add guarding the Interim Ruling Committee members and their families as they are announced. All leaves are cancelled, expect to work overtime, depending on the number of family members requesting protection. Urfa specifically said that he would not be giving orders to any of us until after the election and that I had complete command of Presidential Security."

  He look over the other heads at the smaller group sitting in the back. There was a lot of intermingling with the guards and the princesses, but Urfa's agents sort of clumped. "The Directorate Agents and staff will continue to work directly for the Presidential Director. Urfa said he'd meet with you all tomorrow morning here at the mansion."

  Rael looked over at the head of the Presidential Guards with a frown . . . "Feol? I am officially Directorate now, aren't I?"

  Feol snorted. "Yes. Just as well. I'd be so tempted to set you to guard Agni . . . "

  Rael clutched her head. "Maybe the War Party will nominate Ahvi."

  "Dream on. You didn't embarrass Agni, you got him publicity."

  I can quit. Run . . . somewhere I can't be found. Except the One can find me anywhere.

  Her comm dinged. She stepped back to answer it.

  "You will stay. You will obey the orders of the Committee. To the letter." She recognized the voice of an old instructor. One Ytry was a part of the hive mind. Enough detached to maintain personality, but not an independent operator.

  Oh. Shit. Will I be helping or hindering . . . which side?

  Eppa finished his pep talk. "I recommend everyone get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow morning the parties should start announcing their candidates and we are going to be very busy."

  To the letter.

  Rael had nightmares.

  The news kept rolling in all morning.

  "Agni for the War Party." Urfa sat back with a sigh. "Of course. I tried to get Orde to move out here so he could be guarded separately from the Committee, but he said he wasn't ceding Government House until they beat him in the election."

  Major Eppa looked around at that. "Surely they aren't going to move in?"

  Urfa grinned at that. "What? You think their wives and kids will let them pass up an opportunity to live in Government House for three months? It's going to be interesting."

  "Oh One! Three meals a day with five families? Plus Orde and Qayg?" Feol sighed. "And their Princesses. Can we force them to surrender their brag boxes?"

  Rael giggled. "Can I watch you try?" She had a small speaker—a bud—in one ear monitoring a live feed of the One First caucus, but they were still behind closed doors.

  Idro pulled a bud out of his ear. "Amfw for the Isolationists? Must be a compromise, he's a thoroughly unspectacular Councilman."

  Eppa groaned. "Wife, Princess, four children. Two of them quite young."

  "Are any of Agni's kids still living with him?" Rael bit her lip. "Hasn't he married again?"

  "No, he's still shopping. Nine of his dozen are underage . . . One knows how many of his exes will foist on him 'for the experience.' And then there's his assigned Princess."

  "The Wicked Witch of the West." Rael turned up the sound on her bud, they were coming out . . .

  "Yeah. Her." Feol looked at the vidscreen, the newscast running a few minutes behind the actual nomination votes
. The newsies were switching to the One First Party.

  "Oh shit. Edte Withione Copenhagen? Total war monger." Rael turned to watch the vid news broadcast the announcement.

  Then it was Onre's turn to report. "The Strong Federalists nominated Expo, that was what we expected."

  "One! Two teenage boys. Estranged wife. And a Princess, of course."

  Wsca frowned. "And Multitude Supreme has chosen Ynbu Clostuone? Who the hell is that?"

  "City Councilman in !Tso. . ." Izzo stopped in mid click. "Sorry, Tick Tock City, Homestead. He's a quarter *Zolt."

  "He's going to get eaten alive." Rael eyed the list in dismay. "Four to one." And they'll disregard the Colonial.

  Izzo sighed. "Unfortunately no. A lot of *Zolts try to be more Oner than Oners. Especially the Upcomers. Including Ynbu. Damn. The only real chance we had for a dove."

  Rael leaned back, heart sinking. All five of them. Oh Xen. This isn't going to end well. And they'll use me against you.

  She looked away from the list. "I hope to hell Orde can beat Agni. I don't think they can start a war in three months but they'll certainly try to push the diplomacy well past the point of no return. If Agni wins we'll be in a shooting war before the end of the year."

  There was a hasty shuffle of living quarters.

  President Orde had never lived in the ornate oversized official presidential quarters.

  Until now.

  "He's making a point." Qayg sighed as servants trooped through with her clothes and put them in the second bedroom, the "Wife's Bedroom" that was the expected arrangement of High Oners who married for status and connections.

  "And you're staying close." Rael shook her head. Heh. If I was Orde's assigned Princess I'd have seduced him first thing. But if they want to be professional about it, none of my business.

  "Five enemies, all with trained Princesses, living down the hall or down a single flight of stairs? Yes. I'm staying close."

  Rael nodded. "And Urfa's office is now across the hall from the formal Office of the President. I . . . don't like the way he's setting it up for ease of handing off to a new Presidential Director."

  "If it happens, it'll only be for three months." Qayg's lips thinned.

  "I've got office suites all set up across from the formal meeting room, name plaques for the new Committeemen and the works. Three months. How much trouble can they cause in three months?"

  "Don't ask. Or I'll tell you all about my nightmares."

  "They're nothing compared to anything Agni might order me to do."

  Qayg eyed her, and nodded. "Don't forget to watch your own back."

  ***

  Rael hovered, out of sight, listening at the door between Orde's secretary's office and the formal meeting room.

  First time Orde's used the formal office for anything but news vids and diplomacy.

  "I move Agni be head of the committee."

  Qayg, beside her grimaced at the chorus of "Ayes."

  "Excellent. Sit, gentlemen. First order of business, is the business of running the Empire. Which the Committee now does, through the three directors. Comments?"

  "Ajki at Exterior is War Party . . . but solid." Rael couldn't recognize the voice through the door, even with the stethoscope. The door was both thick, and spelled against magical eavesdropping. She wasn't sure what bothered her the most, the garbling of soft voices, or realization of how simple it was to listen in, however garbled.

  Faint murmurs. Agreement all around, apparently.

  "Interior . . . Agfi's pretty damned old. Efge would be better, more energetic, more flexible during a crisis."

  More vocal agreements, this time.

  "And Urfa has to go."

  A roar of agreement.

  Shit. There goes all hope of rational . . . anything.

  "Uxli would be good there. Decisive, good people skills."

  Who? Dammit, some Ministry bureaucrat they all know . . .

  Rael stepped away from the door and walked over to the President's office. Door wide open, Orde and Urfa looked up.

  "They're canning you, Boss. Hashing over someone named Uxli."

  Orde growled.

  Urfa shrugged. "Number three man at the Ministry of War. Well . . . guess I'd better find an apartment."

  "Don't go far. I need a campaign director. Rael . . . I think you . . . " The President paused at the sound of footsteps.

  Agni always thumps and crashes when he moves.

  "Send them in, Jacky."

  Lip service in support of his poor receptionist. Agni stalked in. Smiled nastily at Orde and turned to Urfa. "You are fired." His grin broadened as he looked Rael up and down. "And I know just where Uxli is going to assign you."

  ***

  The Committee's first dinner at Government House was small and intimate. For the seat of the Imperial government. Just the President, all five Committeemen, all three Directors, six wives (one of whom had rather abruptly stopped divorce proceedings) and fourteen teenagers, equally divided between male and female.

  Orde looked down the table . . . and rather wished Amfw had brought his seven-year-old and two-year-old along. Fussing children would definitely be an improvement, and out-and-out screaming might spare him the conversations that were going to happen, like it or not.

  He knew all the adults, but not a single one was a friend. Not one political ally.

  "Welcome to Government House. May the One True God bless this meal." Orde sat back and the staff swept into motion with the first course.

  Agni, at his right hand, glowered down the table. "I'd rather have had the princesses than the children here."

  Orde smiled. "Qayg thought they should all have a little meeting. Just to . . . emphasize that they are the assigned watchers of their own principals, not assassins or spies."

  "His" new Presidential Director winced. "No need to be so blunt, sir. I'm sure the Committee and their families will get along famously."

  The woman sitting next to him was actually Efge's wife, a drop dead gorgeous women who looked about sixteen. She glanced down the table at the teenagers. "Oh, they'll learn so much, and it's so nice to have matched numbers. My goodness Ynbu's boy is handsome!"

  And he was. And knew it. Just enough of a red tone to hair and complexion to make him really stand out and get noticed.

  Efge eyed her with exasperation. "He's an Upcomer."

  She giggled, reminding him of Rael. Except Rael uses it as a mask for her brains. This one . . .

  Rael, in servant white, a white cloth folded over one arm was standing quietly against the wall, hair darkened a bit, weapons out of sight. And hopefully not needed tonight.

  Agni growled. "My exes thought this would be such a good opportunity. I ought to have told them to . . . keep them."

  Ha! Watching Agni trying to be diplomatic, and watching his cursing, for three months could be entertaining.

  "Well, no doubt you'll make your own arrangements. I'll be campaigning and out of Paris more often than not. Leaving tomorrow, in fact." Orde looked back to Uxli. "Don't worry, I'll be taking a very small number of guards with me. You'll have plenty of people to bring you up to speed both on Security and issues that need close monitoring or to be brought to the Committee's attention."

  Orde looked back to Agni, then down the table toward the others. "The Helios situation has been my top priority, recently. Internally, the economic impact of the corridors on other modes of transportation needs further attention. And negotiating the genetic . . . "

  "Negotiating?" Five Councilmen leaned and glared, their voices a chorus.

  "We should flatten them and then make them repair the damage they've done to us." Edte bent the soup spoon in his hands.

  "To our children!" Amfw glared.

  The only one known to have a child on the way. Most Withiones and Neartuones have put off having children until this matter is settled.

  "What we wish to do, in our fully justified anger, does not always result in the best long-term outcome." Orde took a taste of his soup. Not just for effect. He was hungry, and taking a bit of time to think never hurt. I've had eight years practice at not letting politics keep me from refueling. I wonder how long it takes to actually enjoy the meal while verbally battling people you despise?