Kara’s eyes locked onto Ham. He was trying to play it cool, but he couldn’t hide the disappointment.

  Hemric, who escaped the UG thirty years earlier and worked his way up to Joseph’s master rancher, entered the solemn ceremony to stares of disbelief. Joseph was apoplectic.

  “Hemric? Why have you done this?”

  “Apologies, Joseph. Hamilton. I didn’t see another way. Any deal involving Scylla couldn’t be completed without Francois learning of it. If your proposal is what I believe, Ham, we need all the factions inside the Alliance. Francois has limitless resources, both materiel and manpower.” He turned a sharp eye to Francois. “I told you to arrive at the front gates and be civil. This could have been avoided.”

  “Time was short, and I enjoy the element of surprise. Now that we have removed our masks, there is one matter I must address before we venture inside. Hemric is your spy, Joseph. Yet he also spies for me. Therefore, he has proven himself unworthy of our trust. We can go no further with him.”

  Francois’s volume dipped in his final words, sending shivers through Kara and shocked responses from Hemric, Ham, and Joseph.

  “What are you implying?” Ham said.

  “I cannot be clearer. A man who divides his loyalty will soon reach only for himself, at the expense of his benefactors.”

  Francois gave a subtle nod, but it was enough. Two of his “grubs” surrounded Hemric.

  “Do not be an ass!” Joseph lurched toward Francois. “Hemric is trying to bring us together, not betray us.”

  “My dear Joseph, he does this only because he has betrayed us. At the proper time, he will play us against each other. This is the Chancellor within. Take him.”

  Hemric struggled to no avail.

  “I’m sorry, Joseph. Ham, I never lied to you. I never betrayed you. Please, Francois. I work for the Kingdom.”

  “You have tried. Thirty years to redeem yourself after killing so many of our young men. Do not worry, Hemric. I will compensate your family for the suffering.”

  The grubs forced him onto the closest phantop. The others kept their weapons drawn.

  “Where are you taking him?” Joseph asked.

  “To a rich and just reward,” Francois said. “Now, might we convene inside your home, Joseph? I’d love a tall bottle of sween.”

  Francois straightened his jacket and licked his lips.

  “Be ready,” Cando whispered as they marched to the porch.

  Ready for what? She wondered.

  12

  O BJECTIONS OVER HEMRIC’S treatment continued into the house, but Francois said nothing as the phantop carried the master rancher away. Kara expected Ham to fight harder for an old friend, yet he cooperated with little comment as Francois arranged the proceedings to his satisfaction. He sent the Mogandi women and house staff to a bedroom, where they were held under guard. He dispatched his other eight grubs to shield the house – two per side.

  “Now we have the privacy we need,” he told the ground team and Joseph. “You will not have to negotiate under the watchful barrel of a gun. As you said, Hamilton, gracious men can work through their differences with reason and discipline.”

  “I think our interpretation of gracious might differ,” Ham said, pointing outside the window, where two grubs were visible.

  “Joseph, tell your people to keep their distance. I do not wish them to make a tragic mistake.”

  Joseph tapped his ear bead.

  “All staff and family, continue to your duties. The main house will be off-limits until I notify you otherwise.”

  “Thank you, Joseph. My grubs will not take action unless they feel threatened. We will now proceed to negotiate terms for the return of our property, the warship Scylla.”

  “Why?” Ham asked.

  “I do not understand your question.”

  “Why negotiate? You have hostages. Why not simply demand the ship in exchange for our lives?”

  “A good point, Hamilton. Why did I not think of it?” Francois laughed. “Always playing catchup with the Chancellors. Naturally, that was my first consideration, which I disregarded in seconds. A straight-up trade would end in catastrophe. You did not come to the Kingdom without a backup plan. Perhaps it is being executed as I speak. Your people possess a ship capable of destroying cities from orbit. You would never surrender such a prize without threatening to demonstrate her power. If I do not hold you hostage, I have no leverage. Therefore, is it not better we negotiate acceptable terms?”

  “Define acceptable.”

  “An outcome whereby Zwahilis have reclaimed their property and your crew has redeemed itself for the brazen theft of Scylla.”

  “Francois, I can show you Scylla’s logs from the time the Chancellors, under the leadership of a madman named Dayton Romilius, stole her, attacked Artemis Station, and left us with no choice but to take the ship from them.”

  “Logs can be manipulated.”

  “I have vid testimony from the woman who killed Capt. Romilius to prevent the slaughter of her crew. She lays out in detail why the Chancellors stole the ship and their ultimate plans for it. If we are to negotiate with reason and discipline, we must start from positions of truth. Who is your source of the slander against my crew?”

  “Multiple people of impeccable reliability. They have provided documentation of Scylla’s seizure.”

  “Documentation which can be manipulated. Name your source.”

  “I have promised them confidentiality.”

  “That, sir, is an evasion. Are they Chancellors?”

  “No.”

  “You hesitated. Francois, I find your perspective confusing. You once envisioned destroying an Ark Carrier. Your hatred of the Chancellors runs deep. Yet you accept their accusation about us with no direct proof.”

  “The Chancellors belong to our Alliance. Their wealth made our ships possible.”

  “Ah. So, they have redeemed themselves in your eyes?”

  “They have made great strides. Yes.”

  Ham smiled, as he might toward a confused child. He turned to his team, all of whom shook their hands. Kara knew the next words were critical. Francois did not seem like the sort of man who would tolerate being condescended to or patronized.

  “The Chancellors plan to leave the Alliance,” Ham said. “They intend to claim Aeterna for themselves. They will need additional resources to assure their success. They will either fight to reclaim Scylla or they will make a play for the second and third warships on Euphrates when approved for flight. Our surveillance says that will happen in less than sixty standard days.”

  “So you admit it. You have been spying on the shipyards. Scylla is not enough for your band of thieves and murderers.”

  “Francois, there is one thing I know about my people. I learned it from an early age. Chancellors have no interest in redemption. Their right is the only right. They would prefer to kill millions of their own than reverse a wrong. Whole cities on Earth are wastelands because of this narcissism. If they cannot have Earth for themselves, they are damned well not prepared to share any other. They poured their wealth into the Alliance to gain leverage.”

  Francois’s laughter filled the room like the disbelieving child who thinks he knows far more than the adults.

  “Because they had none. It was their only way to avoid living in space as nomads for the remainder of their existence.”

  Joseph stepped into the fray.

  “Francois, you are deluding yourself. Remember your history. The Chancellors lived in the Carriers for centuries. The colonies were large enough for them to occupy as well, but they chose separation. Most men and women our age have never met a Chancellor in their lives. This was true across the Collectorate. Hamilton knows who they truly are. He left them of his own accord, as did Hemric. They are not our allies and they never will be.”

  “And I thought I was the cynical one.” Francois followed with a large gulp of sween. “Hmm. This is very good, Joseph. It is smart to brew your own. Ah, well. Someone must make a gesture. How about this? I will compromise. For now, I will take the matter of thievery off the table. You represent the current owners of Scylla. We will negotiate from that position. Hamilton, you said you came with a proposal that I will find interesting. What is it?”

  “Order your people to return Hemric, and I will lay it out. When I’m finished, you will be satisfied.”

  “No. Hemric must face a reckoning for his crimes.”

  Joseph pounded the table.

  “He has committed no crimes, Francois.”

  “Espionage. Many counts, I believe.”

  “Then why do you not accuse men like me who gave the orders?”

  “A man is responsible for his own actions. I will compromise again, but this is the final time. If we reach an acceptable deal today, I will make sure Hemric is never brought to account.”

  Ham and Joseph shared a knowing glance.

  “He will be returned to his family?” Ham said.

  “Before sunset.”

  “Progress. Excellent. Now, if your men were to stand down, I’m sure we’d be able to negotiate without duress.”

  Francois wagged the bottle at Ham.

  “I have already compromised twice. Now, what is your proposal?”

  Kara fidgeted beneath the table. Ham was about to lay out the make-or-break to this gambit. With Joseph, it might have worked. But this man?

  “We need to find Amayas Knight. We believe he is endangering not only Alliance worlds but all worlds with his use of the Splinters. We do not have absolute proof they pose a danger, but we have strong evidence. Those other universes you see when you speak with your counterparts? They are fractured from this one. The Splinters might break down the barriers between universes. If that happens, the chaos would be unimaginable. There is no scientific hypothesis to account for such a scenario.”

  Francois didn’t have to speak. Kara saw the incredulity in his eyes.

  “What? All this effort to prevent an impossible disaster? This is why you have come here?”

  “If you can think of a greater cataclysm, I’d love to hear it.”

  “I do not have the imagination or time to create such a myth.”

  “Few do. But for the sake of argument, consider the principle of better safe than dead. What harm is there in finding the Inventor, demanding proof of what precisely the Splinters are, and leaving satisfied that there is no danger of a universal collapse?”

  “It is a waste of time and resources. This is an insult.”

  “But it’s all we ask.”

  “That we help you find the Inventor?”

  “That’s it.”

  “And what do you offer in return?”

  “A lopsided option, in your favor. We will use Scylla – with Zwahili assistance – to protect the Euphrates shipyards and ensure the other warships come into your possession. We will train your people to operate those ships. Joseph has told us of the larger plan – that the ships will form the backbone of an Alliance security force. We won’t stand in the way, but we are concerned that those ships in the wrong hands will do more damage than the Chancellors ever did. Those are the broad strokes. Cando will lay out a more detailed timeline. Leto can speak to military training. Kara can tell you why those warships will be useless without our help.”

  Ham improvised those last bits; they weren’t part of the agreed-upon language. However, Kara suspected she was not kept in the loop on all matters. Cando wasn’t telling her everything. “Be ready,” he whispered after Francois took control. Now, he showed no outward response to Ham’s off-script maneuver. He drew an imaginary circle on the table with his left index finger. Across from them, Leto flinched at Ham’s pronouncement. Suddenly he was designated to do what? Train Zwahilis? Obvious news to him. He too drew invisible circles.

  Francois leaned back and raised a brow as he studied Ham.

  “You have presented an ambitious plan with many caveats, all for the sake of finding one man. What happens if we are unable to find the Inventor by the time the other ships are completed?”

  “We maintain control of Scylla. However, your question suggests you lack confidence in the Inventor’s whereabouts.”

  “I know how to find him.”

  “Please, do tell.”

  “He has a right-hand man.” Francois turned to Kara. “A Hokki named Shin Wain. Perhaps you know him?”

  “I know of him. We’ve never met.”

  Kara felt like she knew him. Shin Wain came up in her initial investigation of High Cannon Collective. He had ties to Hotai Counsel at one time. More important, Ryllen Jee vowed to kill him.

  “He was here two months ago,” Francois said. “He spoke to the Alliance Triad about progress on the ships and delivered a timetable to formalizing the Alliance.”

  Ham nodded. “Do you know how to contact Shin?”

  “He operates on his own schedule, but there is a network within the Alliance. However, I do not believe he would be receptive if I told him you were pursuing the Inventor.”

  “You wouldn’t need to.”

  “Leading him into a trap would fail. He is a man of extraordinary cunning. He would never lead you to Amayas.”

  “Then I put this question before you and Joseph. Have either of you personally met with the Inventor in the past year?”

  Silence. Joseph bowed his head, as if in shame. Francois hesitated.

  “We have received vids, as all members do from time to time,” he said. “However, we know he has visited the sites where his miracles are being constructed. They are brief visits, but he continues to push the agenda forward.”

  “Has he always been this reclusive?”

  “No, but he must divide his time between ten planets and the Chancellors. He has delegated a greater role to Alliance members.”

  “Such as?”

  “We have more advisors at the creation sites for the miracles.”

  “And what role do the advisors perform?”

  “They oversee construction.”

  “As I understand it, advisors are not allowed to participate in the physical construction. That is restricted to native labor. Correct?”

  “This is true. It is stated in the Alliance Charter.”

  “So, you can’t be certain your warships are constructed properly, and the man who designed them rarely if ever visits. Correct?”

  “We have the designs. Our engineers have studied them.”

  “Are your engineers qualified to understand all the mechanics of a so-called miracle?”

  Francois lost his cool. He rapped the table and pointed.

  “Enough. Enough. Make your point, Hamilton!”

  “These projects are not miracles. They are technological leaps, but no more. They are grounded in solid engineering principles and adhere to the known laws of physics. We made an important discovery at Artemis Station before we were almost killed. The Inventor designed a flaw into each project. It is a systems-critical piece that will escape the eye of every unaware colonial engineer. Armed with this knowledge, our engineer, Kara, was able to diagnose and repair the flaw built into Scylla. No doubt it will reside in the other two.”

  “What flaw?” He asked Kara.

  Kara came prepared.

  “I’ll tell you when our deal is complete, Francois. Until then, it won’t matter if the other two come online. They won’t be useful for long, and you’ll get your people killed.”

  “Well said,” Cando whispered.

  “Everything we have told you and Joseph is true,” Ham said. “Please ask yourself: Why does the Inventor introduce flaws into his gifts? Why does no one see him anymore? Why he has not given the Alliance membership permission to make formal overtures to your governments? Does he not trust you? What is the holdup? These questions, among others, should bother you.”

  Joseph added: “Francois, be honest with yourself. Many in the Triad have asked some of these questions. They are legitimate concerns. Even if this notion of the Splinter seems farfetched, the doubts about Amayas are valid. Why shouldn’t we pursue them?”

  Kara sensed a shift in the mood. Francois seemed taken aback as the list of valid points grew. The arrogance he shouldered upon his arrival appeared to dissipate. Smart money suggested he was coming around, but Kara assumed nothing. She’d been burned too often trying to read the tea leaves.

  Therefore, she wasn’t surprised by Francois’s response.

  “You use rhetorical questions to undermine our commitment. If we begin to doubt our principles and sink into a state of suspicion and paranoia, we will falter. This is your purpose, Hamilton. I should have expected no less.”

  Ham protested. “Truth is always an ill-mannered mistress, but we must listen to what she is telling us.”

  Francois spoke of his disdain for sloppy metaphors; the two men fell into a back-and-forth. Ham wanted to break down each question to show its validity, but Francois replied with a verbal brick wall.

  Ham did not relent, bouncing off Francois’s opposition by driving deeper into the weeds with questions beneath questions. He pushed buttons, stopping just shy of saying the Zwahili was a fool. Kara thought the exchange sounded more like a verbal schoolyard joust.

  She noticed a decided change in tenor among the Talons. Cando and Leto were unfazed. Was that a wink? Did they actually wink?

  No, she was imagining it.

  Then Cando turned to her and smiled.

  “Remember your wedding day?” He whispered.

  “What?”

  “Be ready.”

  He wasn’t worried in the least.

  “I don’t understand,” Ham told Francois. “Your Alliance is fragile, at best. Why do you refuse to acknowledge the potential danger Amayas Knight poses?”

  “Every man has secrets. Most often, they pose a danger only to himself. Amayas is a brilliant man who wishes to change our lives for the better. I will not tear him down, but I will stand against his enemies. I believe you have cemented yourself as …”

  The flash lasted a second, but the sound that followed shook everyone’s attention. Something smacked the east window and crumpled. Right afterward, another flash and a similar impact.

  Cando grabbed her hand.

  “Stay calm.”