Empire of the One (Wine of the Gods Book 14) Read online

  "Endi must be an Isolationist."

  ***

  Urfa plunked his elbows comfortably on the table and refused to be intimidated.

  Orde was looking a bit angry.

  "Well, Director Agni. So nice of you to find a hole in your busy schedule to talk to me."

  "Thank you."

  No "sir." No explanation. Idiot.

  "I need a detailed briefing on Target Forty-two."

  "I’ll have one prepared."

  "Yes. And you’ll give me one right off the top of your head. Right now."

  Agni’s eyes narrowed a bit. He jerked his head at Urfa. "He shouldn’t be here."

  "It is traditional for the other directors to report first to the Presidential Director and through him, to me. You’ve been entrenched rather a long time, Agni. Don’t make me dig you out and retire you. Tell me about Target Forty-two."

  The man scowled. "That World was hit by a pair of comets. The second impact was regionally devastating, and could have been catastrophic. But the comet core shattered and most of it missed the planet. The nation we were backing to take over the world fragmented into roughly eight pieces, now consolidated back to four. The Earth troops hold the former capital city, and the part of the nation around it. There aren't many Earth soldiers there, seventy, at the last check, but they have several companies of well trained natives."

  "Their original Gate location was in Asia, which was depopulated by a comet striking the planet roughly a thousand years ago. We have intercepted Earth's transmissions, they have soldiers protecting a science outpost there. Due to our very thin presence, three agents, at the moment, we haven’t tried to get any more in depth information about the current status of the Asian base."

  "Seventy Earthers, and perhaps four hundred trained native troopers?"

  "Yes. It shouldn’t be a problem, to retake the world." Agni scowled. "If you politicians would stop playing games and get to it. Finally."

  "I don’t think ‘retake’ is quite the right word. We never held it, we simply had an allied government." Urfa eyed the other director. "Why only three agents?"

  "So that the Earthers don’t realize that we’ve still got a beacon on the world. They destroyed the one in Fascia, when they took the Embassy. When the army is ready, we’ll take another beacon to Fascia and shift the army through as fast as they can drive."

  Orde sighed. "I see. Do you know what sort of schedule they keep to, with the gating?"

  "No. We have not been able to get close enough to observe them gating."

  Orde sighed. "Right. Thank you Director. I’ll try and give you as much advanced notice as possible, on when an invasion might be started."

  Agni looked coldly amused as he stood. He gave a faint nod to the President, and ignored Urfa altogether.

  Urfa and Orde exchanged glances, and neither spoke until the door had closed behind Agni.

  Urfa sighed. "At least Interior’s cooperating. I’d try and pull Izzo into my in-group, but he’s such a pleasure to have right where he is, I think I’ll leave him and just recruit his junior agents."

  "Don’t forget that Izzo’s also the new boy on the block. There may be a lot of things going on that he isn’t privy to. As for Target Forty-two, I’ll invite the Prime Councilor for dinner. Maybe I can get enough wine into him to loosen his tongue."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Le Havre, European Region

  10 Rajab 1396 YP

  "Ojku, haven't seen you for awhile." Izzo smiled affably as the poor schmuck paled. "How was that meeting last night? You Isolationists doing all right?" He jabbed a finger at the chair and sat across from the man.

  "We mostly just bitched about that pretty boy Halfer and his smart mouth. 'Halfers can do magic' my ass. He can do some tiny little spell maybe once a day. That doesn't make him the equal to the One."

  "Well, no. And, in fact he didn’t limit it to Halfers. He seems to think the Multitude and Natives can as well. I think he must be working toward getting your kind of people to accept that everyone is equal under the law."

  "My ass. He comes down here, I'll show him some equality with the ground."

  "You must have liked that bill that just got introduced in Council, though, eh?"

  "Are you kidding? Attack some stupid Target World? Another Colony full of worthless subhuman Natives? I don't want that World at all, let alone at the cost of a war with Earth. It's the stupidest damn thing I've ever heard of, and we're going to protest. We'll have a half million Oners outside the Council Hall and they will feel us!"

  "Goodness. That will even be legal. Smart fellow." Izzo concealed his dislike and disapproval and sent the man away. Nothing this time, but if they do get up to no good, we may have early warning of it.

  ***

  "What do you think?" Xiat grinned at her old school girl chum.

  Poppy picked up the tumbler and turned it in the light. Then the plate. "The colors are just brilliant. It's not the fashion, but I could see it becoming all the rage. Really, Xiat, where did you find these?"

  "Le Havre. Horrible smelly place, I had quite the adventure. I feel like I safaried to the End of the Empire and bargained with Native craftsmen. Actually just some very independent people, at least one of them a princess. Brilliant and artistic."

  "Maybe I should check them out. I'll bet Uzga would notice if I redecorated with things like this."

  "Oh, dear. Not working out?"

  Poppy threw up her hands. "Thank the One you aren't that kind of princess, or I’d have to hate you. Damn it all. I never thought I'd have trouble getting my husband to at least have sex with me. But his assigned princess is one of the mistress types. She hates my guts and undercuts me. He never notices me."

  Xiat winced. The assigned princesses needed to get close enough to their principals to know what they were up to. And stop them, if the One so ordered. Most of the princesses took the easy way, and seduced the men. Others, like Qayg and the President, preferred a more professional relationship. But even then she'd probably been at odds with his now divorced wife. It was hard for a wife to not see a rival, when so many men saw the princesses as a reward for climbing the ladder of power. I am so glad the One deemed me unsuitable for assignment. I'd much rather be a bodyguard than a perk of high office.

  "Here's their card. Have fun redecorating."

  "Huh. I just hope it works."

  "Me too, Poppy. You're much too sentimental to play the game."

  "I know. I've committed the sin of falling in love with my husband. One Damn him."

  ***

  Este was studying law and politics. Heil tech and business. Deep history and philosophy. Kail hard sciences. They were all over the campus.

  Ydro sighed. "The two of us just can't keep up with all of them. And I swear that kid is just downloading the Professors' brains."

  Inre yawned. "Wish I could learn like that. I've heard that Princess School is like that. Sort of a miniature Hive Brain. I've spotted a few of the Directorate Investigators following them. Hell, one of them followed me. He said I looked like a likely mobster, when I ID'd him. Apparently they can't find any criminal ties either, they’re packing it in, next week."

  Ydro dumped the rest of his breakfast as their early morning train slid into the station. "I've seen them buying a ton of books, not just the texts they need for classes. But I checked, and the book pads I know they bought simply aren't at the shop. They've got some other place, somewhere."

  Inre nodded slowly. "You're right. I'll start trying to follow them when they're off campus." He pulled out his reader. "It's about time for a new chapter in the Outsiders story."

  "The what?"

  Inre eyed him. "Don't you read anything? It's a classic coming of age story—so far. His mother was an XD Info Agent, and she got pregnant while across. The other kids called him a Native until he touched the One and his powers bloomed. Big time."

  Ydro curled a lip. "Sounds . . . juvenile."

  "Yeah, well a bunch of people are pi
ssed, because the writer hints about Those Left Behind, and practically comes out and says the Prophets were 'outsiders' and 'Natives.' And about the evils of invading other worlds. No wonder it's all being posted anonymously."

  Ydro looked superior, but read over his shoulder all the way to Paris.

  Half an hour later they were in Government House and being ushered into Director Urfa's conference room. The princess manning the outer desk gave them a disapproving look over, but waved them through. There were two more princesses and a pair of high Oners already there.

  "Do you all know each other?" Urfa was at least not afraid to admit he was new to all this. A very bright man, all around.

  Ydro nodded. "Or at any rate I know who you all are. I'm pretty new to the Paris scene. I'm Ydro and this is Inre."

  The blonde one raised an eyebrow. "I'm Idlo Withione Alcairo."

  Oh, thank goodness he's being casual and leaving the subclan name off! Ydro tried to not sneer. He was going to be working with these people. He hoped.

  The clothes horse nodded politely. "Ahba Withione Black Point."

  Yeah, make sure we know who you're related to. All the Black Point "A" men.

  "I'm Rael and this is Xiat. I've noticed you around. Interior Agent, right?" Rael's green eyes moved to Inre. "I'll bet you blend in well. I don't think I've ever seen you."

  Inre grinned wickedly. "I've been to about half the palace parties for the last year. Yes, we’re both Interior. Working with Senior Analyst Izzo, at the moment."

  Urfa cleared his throat. "I asked them here, today, because they’re working an angle of the ID forgeries that intersects some other areas of interest. I’ve been getting their raw reports. Any progress?"

  Ydro shook his head. "We chat with that group regularly. I've seen no sign at all of criminal associations. They do regularly observe the Blood and Sword rallies, but their sympathies seem to fall with the Natives. I've dropped a few hints, exclamations in various native languages and so forth. No reactions at all."

  Xiat leaned forward on her elbows. "They don't look at all native. Even the black haired woman looks like a Oner. Senior Analyst Izzo wiped down all the glassware I picked up for a DNA analysis. I'll ask him to look specifically for any indication they're Native Halfers, and from where." She shrugged. ""

  Urfa grimaced. "I hope we don't have to bring Exterior into this as well."

  Ydro nodded his understanding. Director Agni of Exterior was more than a little bombastic. Must be Hell, suddenly finding oneself his boss. Not that the other Directors have ever been good about admitting that they were under the Presidential Director, either.

  Urfa leaned back and eyed the two High Oners. "Anything I need to know about the War Party?"

  Ahba shook his head. "They're all thinking about the next two elections, but the plans haven't gelled yet. The women are playing social games with parties and horse shows. The men are fencing more often."

  Idlo nodded. "It's subtle, but they're sorting out the pecking order. I think you'll see the emergence of a clear leader within a few months, and then they will split between going for local or regional offices in the election next year or prepping for the Council and Presidential elections in three years."

  "Horse shows, again?" Xiat crunched her nose. "Do we need to up Paer's security?"

  Ydro perked up and listened. The president's daughter, aged fourteen, was a rising star in the jumping competition. She was showing regionally, due to her age. Everyone expected her to zoom to world prominence as soon as she hit sixteen and could compete at the gran prix level.

  Urfa looked back at Ydro and Inre. "The missing man from your Knickknack shop is a professional rider, working for the daughter of the British Governor. You may have caught a few of his interviews, he's the fellow who says everyone is magic, even if only to a tiny degree. Endi Dewulfe."

  Inre slapped his head. "That's who that girl reminded me of. The idiot on the News. There's got to be a close relationship, brother and sister, most likely."

  "And he's going to be traveling all over Europe this summer?" Ydro grinned. "Smuggling, perhaps?"

  "Interior's all over that." Urfa nodded. "Have you seen any signs that the shop people are living beyond their means?"

  Ydro shook his head. "They're careful with their money. If they're making a profit selling or transporting ID blanks, it's a tiny one."

  Inre flashed a grin. "I figure half their income is from 'casually shopping' Agents."

  Xiat glared repressively.

  Idlo's nose rose a hair.

  Ydro suppressed a smirk. Doesn't like the Upcomer Neartuone criticizing a princess? Asshole.

  Urfa ignored them. "Xiat, you know some of the War Party wives, don't you? Keep an ear open that direction."

  Ydro hid a grin. Urfa's too smart to tell them to watch for the War Party maneuvers. They probably are War Party. After all, the last two Presidents—thirty-something years worth—were both War Party. He's going to have trouble getting good intel on them, for the next election. Interior is stuffed with War Partiers. It's going to be interesting watching Urfa juggling. I wonder if he’ll try to recruit Inre or me? Try, nothing. I’d leap at the chance, and so would Inre. Maybe that’s why he let us sit in on what otherwise looks a lot like an in-group meeting. Holy One! Mama’s little boy is coming up in the world.

  Chapter Fourteen

  London, European Region

  17 Rajab 1396 yp

  The show in London drew a lot of the War Party People. Even the ones who had little interest in horses. It was, perhaps, a good excuse for the power brokers to all be in one place at the same time. And for the younger set, the parties the locals threw.

  Xiat casually strolled the stabling area. Mrs. Haov's stable was well represented. Some younger riders—her son and daughter, and a few friends—with their horses, grooms and trainers took up a large line of stalls. Unfortunately located across an open stretch from a row of stalls occupied by two competing stables. Both rows were draped with their stable colors; the horse boys all wore matching jackets. Sneers passed, noses were raised.

  War Party—the horse—was segregated, with tack and feed rooms between him and the others.

  Endi Dewulfe—in Mrs. Haov's chocolate brown with blue piping—was signing autographs out at that end of the stable block.

  "Look at that disgusting Halfer!" A trainer from the other side glared. "Seducing all those innocent teenagers."

  A woman made a dismissive wave. "Hardly seducing. I've heard he's impotent." She made no effort to quiet her voice.

  Xiat could see Endi's face. A grin flashed, dimples lingered. Several girls threw indignant glances at the woman, and blushed as they looked back at Endi.

  "We know that's not true!" One of them averred.

  He snorted. "No you don't. And you lot are much too young to find out. But fear not. I shall take my revenge by trouncing them in the show ring." The grin flashed again. "Not that I wouldn't beat them anyway, being a better rider . . . "

  The girls laughed, and fluttered off to another attraction.

  Xiat watched a man on the periphery tap something on his shoulder. Oh great, a reporter with a video camera. Dewulfe'll be on the news again.

  Dewulfe walked back up the stable block, and started helping with the other horses. The Haov kids were ten and twelve, the rest of their cohort about the same. They all looked to be bouncing off the walls with excitement. I remember being like that. I couldn't decide if shows were incredibly fun or terrifying ordeals.

  As she walked back to Madam Chin's stabling area, she spotted a big screen vid, showing vignettes of the preparations, and then the shot of the insult and Dewulfe's reply. People laughed, chattered, pointed . . . She spotted Mrs. Haov and her husband, beaming from a circle of supporters.

  Good advertising for Lord Odme's future political career. If anyone remembers his name instead of Dewulfe's.

  Odme wrote something on a pad of paper, and handed it to a young man hovering in the background.
<
br />   Xiat sauntered casually after him, spotted him handing the note to a fellow who worked in the Ministry of War.

  The youngster then peeled off to the stables and started brushing horses.

  So Odme uses the horse boys as special messengers. I'll have to suggest infiltrating their ranks. If not here, then one of the other stables. War Party and Isolationists. Really, the show scene has some interesting possibilities.

  In the open classes, Dewulfe beat those particular rivals, but Paer and Crystal beat him by a fraction of a second in the jump off. In the Grand Prix, he manhandled War Party around for a clean round, and beat all the competition in the jump off.

  Interviewed after the show, Endi praised the work of the staff who were so good with the horses.

  "You make them sound like Oners." The newsie was obviously angling for another of Dewulfe's egalitarian spiels.

  He got it. "Oners have the advantage of being able to pull outside power into their mental workings. But anyone can do low level magic."

  A broad middle aged woman, a reporter for a horse magazine was affronted. "Don’t be absurd, young man!"

  "Wouldn’t dream of it. Horses are especially sensitive, and they’ll connect to sympathetic people, with or without power."

  Xiat eyed the clumping of the movers and shakers in the departing crowd. Wrong. It's all about power.

  When Xiat returned to Paer’s side, Idlo intercepted her. "I’ve wangled a couple of invitations to a celebration in London, a garden party in the morning. Shall we go check out the War Party party?"

  "Good idea."

  ***

  They followed directions to a government establishment upriver from the ruins of Old London, arriving just in time to watch Dewulfe show off the horses at Lady Haov's birthday party. The Governor had invited "everyone" from the horse show, as well as friends from Paris. Dewulfe and two grooms joined forces to keep War Party from killing anyone, mostly thanks to a whippy wind. The ladies weren’t inclined to stay outdoors too long. Even to watch Endi Dewulfe. There was a lot of teasing among the wives. Apparently their favorite Toy had had his "photoshoot."