by Clay Moore
Brian did not have any ideas about what they were going to do. Which is why he knocked on the door in the morning. Brian was met at the door by Brenda Paling. Brenda escorted Brian to her Office. She shut the door, and he had a feeling of being in the director’s Office.
“Now How can Intentions work for you.”
“Let me see if I get this straight. You calculate the percent chance that something will happen.”
“Correct. We can predict with a seventy percent chance of success.”
I’m interested in Giesling.”
Brenda looked concerned. “The Director was also interested.”
“Don’t mention this until the end of the day. Could you have all work products moved into my Slate.”
“Sure. Have you seen anything?”
“I see why they are sending me into Giesling.”
“Why are they doing it.”
“They want me to save the life of the Ofana!” He rushed out of the building and drove to the Eridani Secret Service Starport.
Carla was watching Brian’s Aponte. He parked in a spot. Then Carla watched as he walked into the starport. Then he went off screen,
“What does that represent?” The Emir asked.
“It represents that my Special Agent knows what the threat is to the Ofana. Now he will go into trouble. There may be a large loss of life.”
“Not my Daughter!
“Brian on the mission is like a bulldog.”
“What is with these dog metaphors.”
“Your Sainted father loved dogs. He could be seen walking his various dogs. I just assumed that you are a dog person as well.”
“Maybe I should take tit-willow on a walk.”
“What is tit-willow.”
“Name for my pet Bird-cat. It is very tame. It likes to pounce on things.”
“Thank you, your Majesty.”
CHAPTER TWO
Welcom to Giesling
Ofana knew that they were trapped in the old ruined building a few hundred yards from the Fourth Starport on Giesling. All her father had said was to wait there. Their mutual friend would be there today.
Somehow the opposition had discovered that they were getting help. Ofana enemy was hoping to end her life which would call that person off. Nobody here really understands that a Special Agent would find each and every person and kill those people. She found a little solace in having someone would avenge her.
Her people that attached themselves were firing rifles and shotguns. They were not doing well at all. One more thing that she blew. She did not think that a diplomat should have to bring weapons. She only brought the pistol, but they were next to useless in her hands. She thought about trying with her gun but thought differently about it.
There was a sudden up tempo of firing and then complete silence.
Brian had landed on Giesling. This Starport was the only one on the equatorial zone. He allowed Amarantha to land the ship while he gathered whatever they might need. Amarantha indicated that she has deployed the nondescript blue grav-car He got from the ship’s locker the six Athro sub-assault rifles. He picked up all of the six burners. He then brought ammo for the athro assault rifles. He holstered a pistol and brought ammo for that. He loaded all this stuff into the Grav-car. He brought six sticks of HDX explosive. The final thing were the needles that held death or sleep.
He shifted into the one Suits he had brought with him. Brian had three of the grey ship uniforms and put on a sand-tight shoe. Brian was not wearing the highly polished shoe in the high sand content areas. Now he had to find out where she was. He heard a clatter of weaponry. Sounded like everything from modern rifles to muskets.
Brian did not need even to ask himself the question. Where would a spoiled Royal be? Brian got in the grav-car he drove off. Brian also put the earbud for Amarantha in his ear. He drove off the cargo hold ramp and drove carefully through the streets of Fundament. Everyone wore the sand robes that kept the irritant off their skin. Then he noticed the saddest location for a defensive point. It looked like a sharp point pointing down the road. Even an idiot should have known that these ruins were ruins for a reason.
He stopped the grav-car. He took his personal athro assault rifle, and stepped out of the grav-car, slapped in a magazine. Leaning against his car. He started shooting the people shooting into the building. It took them long enough to understand they were under attack. By then it was too late. Brian took up a position directly across from the closed door into the building. He liked how the light highlighted him.
The door tentatively opened. Brian could see the Ofana cringing behind a broken down desk. She must have guessed what Brian was about. Brian decided to end the stalemate. He walked into the ruined building and walked over to the Ofana. He grabbed her upper arm. She tried to get out of Brian’s hold. The other people were yelling at him not to take her. Brian asked the question that would change his direction.
“What is she to you?”
There were some hemming and hawing among the people. Then the man who as second in command after Ofana said: “I would die for her.”
Brian pointed at the blond woman. She nodded. All of the other ragtag group of activists.
“I respect that,” said Brian. My name is Brian Butler. If you want to know more about me ask her.”
The other people asked her about the Special Agent. Finally, she knew that she had to tell Brian that she was his greatest fan.
“You have to understand that most of the royal family works with my Father or the government. I know things that the average voter won’t know. One day a man in a grey suit came to visit my Father. I intruded in my Father’s office. He let me stay.
“The man conducted his report to my Father. That is not normal unless gold is involved.”
The people that she recruited all laughed. Eridani and their love of gold is a joke.
“My Father handed him his hand. The man kissed my Father’s ring. I got turned on. The man in this gray suit was powerful. My Father was nervous around him. I saw the weapons he carried on himself. That’s why my Father made this man bow and kissed his ring.”
“Turned on Ofana?”
“Yes. If Brian asked to marry me at that time, I would have become Mrs. Butler with no other thought. Then I found out what an adrenaline-charged life they lead. The sex during or afterward is nothing but a dessert.
“How could they survive such an adrenaline filled life?
Ofana indicated for him to answer. He nodded to the questioner. “You are not required to do things back to back. I usually get two weeks after a mission.”
Ofana came up close to Brian. She whispered into his ear.
“Can there be time for us on Giesling.”
“I never turn anything down out of hand. I want to see how you turn out.”
“At least I will know when I pass your class.” Brian smiled his first smile at Ofana. “What is the first thing I need to do?”
“Use your thought. What time is it now?
“Coming up on 1500.”
“We are going to need shelter.”
“I did not bring desert dwellings.”
“That means we might want to stay at a hotel.”
“Most of your entourage is going to look out of place. In your kind of hotel.”
“Really?” She looked at her entourage, and she had to agree that Brian was the only other person than she who looked like they belong to a high-end hotel.”
She picked up her Slate and searched for a three-star hotel. There was one At Desartre. At an oasis. Brian didn’t like it, but they need a place to crash. Even Ofana could use a little sleep. Brian has been on the go since he broke hyper in the Giesling system and could use a little shut-eye.
“I hope you brought an account card,” said Brian. “Because They did not refresh my account card.” Brian was lying, but he wanted her to feel constrained about spending money.
“My dad usually shuts my cord off when he wants me to come home.”
“He knows you are the only source of income we have. We also will get to determine his mind.”
“How?”
“If he wants you back, he would freeze the cards. That forces you into my ship. If he is hoping that you are doing something about the problem, he will be watching where you are going. If it looks like all you are doing is taking a Valartes Trip, he will freeze your card.”
“How did you learn my data so well.”
“He has twenty daughters and five wives. If he does anything despicable to any one of them, think of all that female anger. That will drop on him. I think your mother went to bat for you with him.”
“How do you know this?”
“You are not the only one with this kind of problem. The Emir has a rather interesting problem. Your Father must punish you while keeping your mother at bay. His strategy for that situation is to punish some of your sisters as well.”
“C’mon stop doing this, Brian. It’s not funny anymore.”
“You can do the same thing I am doing. If you get good enough, you can look a person in the eye and determine when they will take a shot at you.”
“How good are you.”
“I am about eighty percent correct. It does freak people out when I draw and touch them with the barrel of my weapon before they completely decided to draw down on me.”
“That is just weird.”
“It only looks weird. It comes from knowing human nature. You want to be a diplomat when you grow up? If you make a study of humans and human nature, that will serve you well.”
“Will you teach me?”
“Will you allow me the whip hand of the teacher?”
“Yes,” Ofana said not knowing what he meant by whip hand.
“Okay. We’re going to be leaving soon. Look around you beyond this ruin. What do you see.”
“I see a group of poor workers marching home.”
“Are their heads up or down.”
“Up.”
“Are they poor workers?”
“I can’t tell.”
“Yes, you can. You do it every time you go to Central City for shopping. Do it to those people.”
“Those people’s pants.”
“What about those pants.”
“They are still good.”
“What does that mean these people are?”
“Miner’s guild.”
“Miner’s guild indeed. They stamp their way home while others stew in their own juices. With no jobs. Now that you know who they are is there anything you won’t do to them.”
“I won’t ask them to work for my alliance.”
“You have to stay alive to all situations. Play that game we did just now. This is the only thing that will help you get better.”
“If I need a ruling on an interpretation.”
“I will be here.
“Let get to the grav car. There are two jump-seats three can sit on the back seat bench. The Ofana and I will take the front seat. Is that okay?”
Everyone voiced the words, but two did not have the posture of acceptance. Alerted Brian put that one under the deranged classification. Brian just prayed that he could catch the bad guy doing wrong before it was too bad.
“Okay, let’s go.”
They piled into the grav-car. Ofana’s fan club was going to drive to the oasis of Omer. Brian hoped that the trip was going to be worth it.
They had been driving to the Oasis of Omer for about ninety minutes. Brian brought one of his three tactical Helmets, and He was wearing his favorite Tactical Helmet. Amarantha was updating the driving maps as they drove. He knew how many more minutes of driving he had left, thanks to the driving routes. The other members of her group were asleep. He was going to leave the grav-car on the pad for anyone who wanted the vehicle. He doubted that anybody would be this relaxed with the others. Perhaps he had read the person wrong.
Brian looked at the Ofana. She was light olive skinned and Raven-haired. She looked at him with her eyes, not trusting her head to obey her when she wanted it to move.
“May I speak with you on something?” Ofana asked, not wanting to offend this person.
“You can ask, I may not answer.”
“All the ladies in the security training course said that you captured three women and forced them.”
“That is illegal. Each woman was asked after they were caught if they wished to continue. One woman grabbed my pants and had them off, Another woman kissed me. My final fox actually hunted me. She threw a flying block, and the rest would just bore you.”
“No, details of sexual trysts would not bore me.”
“You are the Ofana.”
“Calheart becomes Ofana on my father’s death, or if I can’t perform the duties of Ofana. May I ask a favor?”
“The Ofana has to ask, and it is so.”
“I don’t need the Court sycophant. I get enough of that at home.”
“I apologize. My plebeian upbringing. We have been laughing at the Emirate for generations.”
“I forgive that. Would you touch me, intimately.”
Brian nearly lost control of the vehicle. He watched as she lifted her long skirts above her waist, and Brian could see in the waning sunlight her impeccably manicured jade gate.
“How do you wish to be manipulated, all the way around or just feeling fine.
“Feeling fine.’
Brian nodded to her. Then he licked his two right-hand fingers. He then proceeded to explore her jade gate. She liked it if the change in breathing was any indicator. Then he had an indication as to how stressful was her day. She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He did not wake her as his training told him to do. In fact, he was the only one awake in the car. Why would they accept him as what he purported to be? The answer was Ofana. He spoke to Amarantha.
“Does Ofana have a school record?”
“It is sealed under royal privilege.”
“I know what it is, and I am on a mission for the Royal family.”
“The Emir is talking.”
“So, Mister Butler, you wish sensitive information.”
“The situation here is developing. With just herself, Ofana managed to assemble a cadre of like-minded individuals.”
“What is she saying to the other bands?”
“I really don’t know about that. Ofana is talking to them. I don’t think she has it quite in mind. I am thinking that she is thinking of what is possible.”
“Should I contact her?”
“That would be premature. As far as I can tell, Ofana wants to unite some of the political organizations into getting enough votes that the Miner’s guild loses power. Then she talks Alliance with Eridani with the victory. The Alliance she is proposing is the Eridani Alliance type.
“She is not coming home now. If you need her, I can get her on the ship and back to Eridani in three and a half days.”
“I did want her back, but if she can do what you say, then I want that. Where is she?”
“Asleep on the front seat with me.”
“You didn’t…”
Brian heard the unspoken question. In Brian’s mind, it was none of the Emir’s business whether or not his daughter had relations with anyone, let alone himself. He also could hear the concerned father who did not want to have a son-in-law like him.
“I have not yet, Majesty. I am not going to cause her mind to think about something else. She has got people willing to listen. As a Victory dance? Who knows.”
As an answer that was an equivocation. The Emir knew what his subjects wanted. They wanted her to be allowed to have the kind of relationships that ameurgen permitted. He wanted the family back in the days of his youth.
What would happen if she succeeded where more experienced people failed. What would he do then? If he were like his father, he would force Brian to marry the Ofana. That would never work. The Special Agent would have to be of the wind. It was the nature of his job. It takes a special kind of woman to live with such a man.
&nb
sp; “I have given her maturing to you. Bring back an Ofana worthy of the title.”
The Emir signed off. The screen of the grav-car’s Slate was filled with subject name - grade pairs. The thing that hit him, she was a good debater, an excellent public speaker and the class in international relations meant she had to feel like she could. He would not add a level of complexity to the box.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking at your past. Why, you were outstanding, Public speaking, debate, and international relations. These are the things we need from you.”
“I won’t play tricks on people.”
“How are you playing tricks?”
“Using rhetorical tricks.”
“Do you believe it what you are saying?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, we don’t have the time to do a normal campaign. We need every trick in the book to get heard and to win. this—”
Brian flipped her skirt down over her knees.
“—is something we can use later on our trip home. My Quarters have been rated five stars. My bed is round, and it rotates.”
“I thought you were going to chicken out, and take me home.”
“I am looking forward to that on our trip home. To get to that, we have to win and get that Alliance. Once all that is done, there will be hot showers together, rubdowns, and sex if you want.”
The target proximity alarm announced they are close to the Hotel. As they approached the Hotel, Brian scanned the outside. On the roadside, there were no cars.
“Everyone stay here. Don’t get out of the grav-car. Brian’s door lifted up like a dragonfly. He stepped out of the car. Then he ran to the Hotel.
The Hotel was an internal hotel and not the motel with access to outside straight out of the front door. Brian ran down to the end of the Hotel, he went to the opposite side and ran towards the top of the four-story building. He ran back to the grav-car. He lifted the driver side gull wing door. The kids in the back seat were still asleep. Ofana was yawning. It was time to mark time and get some rest.
