In between the sex, Cissy was getting to know the men on a deeper level, good and bad characteristics alike. Quiet Wal was sensitive, empathetic to the extreme. He took an interest in the people who had been brought into his court, victims and perpetrators alike. Cissy had found out that many years ago, a young man who had a drug problem accidentally killed another man in a shuttle accident. The victim, an unclanned Nobek, had been raising his younger Dramok brother who had not quite reached his teens. Wal had kept tabs on the boy, making sure he was placed with good foster parents. When the Dramok finished his basic schooling, Wal had paid for the young man’s continued education. The Dramok had gone on to become a legal representative in the military.
Wal had not focused merely on the victim of the case. In the case of the drug addicted Nobek whose actions had cost the life of another, Wal made it a point to get to know the young man after sentencing him to a work camp term. Discovering that the perpetrator had been essentially abandoned to training camp by his parent clan and left to fend for himself once his training was done had upset the Imdiko judge. Wal had kept in contact with the Nobek throughout his prison stay, encouraging him to enter rehabilitation and psychiatric counseling. Determined to save the Nobek’s future, Wal had pushed Rolat to mentor the young man.
Rolat had smiled and shaken his head as he told Cissy the story. “I see addicts in prison all the time. We put them through programs to get them off the drugs, but it only sticks when they want it to. Many times, they get out and return to their old ways within a few weeks. I had little faith we could make a difference in this particular man’s life. He was stubborn, worse than most. But Wal refused to give up on him, and he wouldn’t let me give up either.”
“Did it work?” Cissy had asked.
“Damned if it didn’t. That young Nobek ended up being one of the best trustees I’d ever seen. When his term was up, we put him to work as a counselor and later trained him to be a guard. Now he’s an assistant warden for the Empire’s fifth biggest work camp. Because of him and the programs he’s put in place, those who go through his camp have the smallest number of repeat offenses.”
Wal had been conspicuously absent during Rolat’s telling of the story. He was too modest to discuss the matter, other than to say, “If someone sees the good they can do if given the chance and if someone is willing to give them that chance, they will rise to the occasion.”
Tara’s gasp jerked Cissy out of her reverie. She noted her aunt was still speaking to Michaela. “Oh dear. Of all times for this to happen—”
Michaela nodded, her black curls bouncing about her shoulders. “I know. I don’t think she’s aware that Rajhir might be facing trouble.”
Noticing that the rest of them were looking at her, Michaela explained, “Councilman Rajhir’s Matara is pregnant. They just found out this morning.”
Cissy felt ill. The past couple of days, when Diltan wasn’t concentrating on her, he worried over today’s council meeting and the accusations he would set against the Imperial Fathers. He had mentioned that Dramoks Rajhir and Ospar also faced indictments. Rajhir had twins already, and Ospar’s adored stepson was a special needs child.
A lot of people were going to suffer, including innocent kids. Cissy said, “This situation is going to hell in a hand basket fast.”
Michaela made a face in agreement. “No shit. I don’t know that this can get any worse, but I’m not going to tempt fate by saying it can’t.”
Cissy went to the glass wall and looked down at the council floor. Two tiers up, she spied Diltan talking to a couple of other councilmen. She wondered if he’d heard Rajhir was about to become a father again. Then she realized it didn’t matter. Diltan had a job to do, no matter how distasteful it might be.
Poor man. He looks like he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders. Well, he does, doesn’t he? The weight of the Kalquorian Empire.
His handsome face, so serious with his brows drawn towards each other, gave Cissy a jolt of warmth. Affection filled Cissy’s being. Thank goodness that Diltan was as self-assured as he was. It took a strong man to do the right thing when so much bad could come of it. Knowing he couldn’t avoid what was coming, Diltan would face trouble with power and dignity.
You wonderful, pompous jerk. If you knew how much you mean to me, your head would explode in disbelief.
Cissy couldn’t help but smile a little. She should tell him that, just to see the look on his face. She thought shocking Diltan would never get old.
Everyone suddenly looked towards the front of the chamber, coming to attention as four people entered through a door and climbed the stairs to the upper dais. Except for the slight shuffling of councilmen taking their seats, the place went silent as the Imperial Clan of Kalquor sat upon the four thrones: Bevau, Jessica, Clajak, and Egilka.
The three emperors and empress looked across the circular floor at the tiers crowded with councilmen. Their faces, all so different in structure, looked identical with grave intent. Beautiful Bevau, elfin-faced Jessica, strong-jawed Clajak, and sharp-featured Egilka had the dignified resolve of those bravely facing a firing squad.
Clajak’s honey-smooth voice rolled through the hush like the tide coming in. “This meeting of the Royal Council will come to order.”
Cissy’s heart sped up.
* * * *
The beginning of the meeting was the usual business: debates over pending legislation, the latest committee reports from Infrastructure, Nobek Youth Affairs, and Border Control. Diltan thought there was nothing to suggest that real ugliness was in the offing unless one noted the tension on the Imperial Clan’s faces. Diltan stole a glance at Councilman Rajhir and saw he looked drawn. Oiteil looked worried, not because Diltan had told him anything but because Diltan had been so silent. It was enough to tell Diltan’s mentor that bad news was coming. To his credit, Oiteil had not pressed for inside information.
As for Maf, he at least had the good breeding to not appear excited. The bent Dramok’s manner was quiet but expectant. Diltan didn’t know if he preferred the councilman’s usual dignified mien or the truth behind that mask. If others saw how enthralled Maf was with tearing Kalquor’s peace apart, perhaps they would not be so quick to rally to his side.
But then again, there were plenty of men who wore their prejudices on their sleeves. How many more were like Maf, pretending to be willing to hear all arguments but actually waiting for the slightest note of trouble to scream wrongdoing? It worried Diltan.
The knowledge that Cissy was there, high overhead in the Imperial Family’s gallery, was the only thing that gave Diltan a good feeling right now. Her presence bolstered his resolve to get this right. Even that pleasure was tempered, however. Her extended family faced public upheaval. He’d done everything he could think of to prepare her as she tried to be strong for her aunt and the empress. Diltan hoped it had been enough. Thank the ancestors Cissy possessed the strength and the grit that she did. Her propensity to fly in the face of good manners was a boon in a situation such as this. The coming revelations demanded courage to stand up to others, not politeness.
The meeting dragged on, but Diltan dreaded what was to come at the end. Too soon, Clajak’s gaze flicked to meet his, and the emperor said the dreaded words. “Next on the agenda, the report from Councilman Diltan as to the disposition of former Emperor Dramok Zarl’s records.”
Diltan rose from his seat on the tier. He had already agreed with both Maf and the Imperial Clan that he would cut right to the chase and reveal the damaging information.
In a carrying voice that impressed with its firmness, Diltan bowed to the emperors and empress. “My emperor, my review of the records of our former ruler and your Imperial father Zarl has been completed.”
With equal steadiness, Clajak asked, “What did you find of note, Councilman?”
“I have the unhappiness to report a grave injustice set down by the hand of Zarl. An injustice he visited upon the Empire and the people of Earth.”
That brought a low tide of mutters from the public gallery. Around Diltan, other councilmen shifted, silent with waiting as they watched Diltan with wide eyes. All but Maf, whose narrowed gaze kept trained on Clajak.
Clajak nodded. “Proceed, Councilman.”
Diltan stepped down the tiers until he reached the chamber floor. His gaze swept from the emperors, to the public gallery, to his fellow councilmen. He refrained from looking up at the gallery where Cissy stood with her family. It was best not to give any indication of favoritism, however slight.
He told the council, “The nature of the crime Zarl admits to is so heinous that I have already brought the matter before the ethics committee. This has led us to move for a vote to indict several people including Imperial fathers Yuder and Tidro, along with Councilman Rajhir and governor of Haven Colony, Dramok Ospar.”
He looked Rajhir in the eye. It was not a challenge, only an invitation for the other man to show he had nothing to hide. Rajhir’s face remained tense but controlled, and he met Diltan’s gaze without flinching. Good. People would remember that.
The rest of the room hung in quiet shock. It seemed that no one even dared to breathe.
Behind Diltan, Clajak asked, “And the crime the Ethics Committee would have these men indicted for?”
Diltan spoke the dreaded words. “The willful abduction of one thousand eight hundred seventy-three Earther women from various colonies, planets, and space stations throughout the member territories of the Galactic Council of Planets. Said abductions resulted in war between Earth and Kalquor and the subsequent destruction of Earth, killing several billion innocent men, women, and children.”
For a moment, the silence spun out, leaving space for Diltan’s charge to hang loud and clear. Then the public gallery and tiers of councilmen erupted in cries and shouts of denial, accusation, and outrage. Fists beat on the glass walls overhead, and councilmen sprang to their feet, shaking fists at Diltan, at the Imperial Clan, at each other. The din was deafening.
The steady thud-thud-thud of Emperor Bevau pounding on his podium rose over the bedlam. His powerful voice, aided by amplification, rose over the yelling. “This session will return to order or the gallery will be cleared!”
Between that angry voice and the Royal Guard assuming attack stances, the chamber quieted. A few stray growls drifted from the gallery and council, but everyone seemed to have regained control over his passions ... for the moment. Diltan could only hope good sense would prevail. Riots had occurred in the council chamber before. People had been hurt. He could well imagine his report inciting such disquiet.
When he could be heard without amplification, Clajak’s smooth but powerful voice rose once more. “The records in question must be presented to the members of the Royal Council and reviewed. Are you prepared to submit these records, Councilman Diltan?”
Diltan faced him and bowed. “I am, my emperor.”
“Are the men accused present?”
There was a rustle of robes behind Diltan. He looked over his shoulder to see Rajhir stand tall and proud. “Councilman Rajhir, my emperor.”
Diltan added, “Imperial father Yuder is also present, my emperor. Imperial father Tidro is in seclusion following his Dramok’s death and Governor Ospar is currently at his post on Haven Colony.”
Clajak’s gaze darted up at the Imperial gallery for a brief moment before calling out, “Let those accused and present come before the Imperial Clan.”
Rajhir descended the tiers to stand on the council floor with Diltan. Yuder was ushered in from a waiting room off the council floor. He looked as fierce as ever, his jaw set with determination. Both Rajhir and Diltan bowed to the Imperial Father as he approached to stand with them.
The three men stood before the dais, looking up at the three emperors and empress. Diltan didn’t miss how pale Jessica looked, though her expression was as composed as her clanmates’. He knew how close she was to Yuder, however. And she worshipped her mother, Yuder’s lover. How this must be tearing her apart!
If Clajak hurt similarly by seeing his father called before him in shame, he showed no sign of it. “Dramok Rajhir and Imperial Father Nobek Yuder, once this council has had the opportunity to review the records of former Emperor Zarl, it will vote on the matter of indicting you for criminal abductions. As representatives of the government, one that prides itself on transparency to its people, this is just and fair treatment. Do you wish to say anything on your behalf before the matter goes any further?”
Yuder gave Rajhir a slight nod, indicating he should speak first. Rajhir said, “I have no statement to make without legal counsel, my emperor.”
“Noted, Councilman Rajhir. You recognize this will result in your suspension from the Royal Council until the matter is settled?”
“I do, my emperor.”
“So be it.” Clajak’s steady gaze went to his father. “Imperial Father Nobek Yuder, do you have a statement?”
Yuder lifted his chin. In a tone that had made the Royal Council shake for well over a century, the Nobek stated, “Only that the matter of the Earther Matara abductions rests entirely with myself and my Dramok, Imperial Father Zarl. None of the other men accused, not Dramoks Rajhir and Ospar nor even Imperial Father Tidro, had any criminal involvement in the matter. Neither did anyone else. As the only living conspirator, I take full responsibility for the crime.”
Diltan drew a sharp, surprised breath. Rajhir muttered an oath. Around them, the shouting began again. The thudding of fists against the gallery’s reinforced glass was louder than before. Royal Guards had their blasters out, letting Diltan know that violence was beginning to break out.
Bevau shot to his feet, his beautiful face transforming in an instant into something bestial as he snarled with fangs exposed. His thunderous shout, deadly with promise, brought tense quiet descending upon their surroundings once more.
The Nobek emperor growled, “One more outburst like that, and the gallery will be emptied, Captain of the Royal Guard. You will bring me any man who raises his hand to another so that I may relieve its owner of it permanently.”
Diltan’s breath froze to see the fury on Bevau’s almost purple face. He could well imagine the Nobek ripping body parts off anyone who pissed him off.
Clajak at last looked upset, his control slipping. Some of the shouts had been for Yuder’s life. Still, he managed to keep his tone from wavering. “I have heard your confession, Nobek.” Drawing a deep breath, Clajak continued. “Imperial Father Yuder has admitted to culpability in the matter of the Earther Matara abductions. He is to be placed under house arrest until the council has reviewed the records of the late Emperor Zarl and held a vote on whether or not to indict. Councilman Rajhir remains relieved of his duties until this matter is settled. Meanwhile, Governor Ospar and Imperial Father Imdiko Tidro will be informed that they are to be recalled if necessary. The vote as to who should be indicted will take place here on the council floor one week from today. This meeting of the Royal Council is adjourned.”
Diltan, Rajhir, and Yuder bowed to the grim-faced Imperial Clan. The emperors and empress were hurriedly ushered out by the Royal Guard, no doubt worried fighting might still break out.
Yuder was just as quickly escorted out by six more guards. There were a few shouts of ‘Execution!’ and ‘Genocide!’, but order remained. Rajhir also had a small contingent of guards, along with a couple of Global Security officers, one of whom Diltan recognized as Rajhir’s own Nobek. Between that man’s feral snarl and the big muscled hulk of the other dreadlocked officer, no one challenged the trio as they left.
Diltan went to the council tiers and sat down heavily. When other excited members of the council came towards them, Oiteil warned them off. “Not now, he won’t tell you anything further. You will have to review the records yourselves and come to your own conclusions.”
Diltan wanted to feel gratitude to his mentor, but instead dread filled him. Yuder had decided to take the fall for the whole affair, most likely in an atte
mpt to protect his Imdiko and anyone else he could. The man courted a possible death penalty or life imprisonment rather than let others get hurt.
Diltan could understand that. If half the council was indicted as Maf wanted, it would rip the Kalquorian Empire apart. Yuder taking the entirety of the blame might be the only thing that would keep revolt from becoming revolution. Still, it made his heart heavy to think of one man burdened with the blame of billions of deaths ... deaths he was sure Yuder never could have imagined happening.
The other councilmen dispersed, leaving Diltan alone. Oiteil left too, heeding his own words though he no doubt burned to ask questions. Diltan felt thankfulness towards his mentor and vowed to stop by Oiteil’s chambers as soon as he felt capable of facing others.
For his part, Diltan pretended absorption in his handheld, tapping keys to build a document of nonsense words and phrases. He knew he hid behind the device like a frightened child, not wanting to address those who lagged behind. He didn’t care if it was cowardice. He couldn’t stand to discuss the matter with those who now found themselves in the line of fire or those who wished to be part of the firing squad.
Little by little, the angry muttering of those in the gallery faded as the public onlookers left. Diltan heard hushed voices from the dais at the front of the chamber but still kept his gaze down. He didn’t want to talk to the Imperial Clan either. He felt responsible for Yuder being placed under house arrest, though it was the Imperial Father’s fault for speaking out as he had. Still, Diltan had presented the evidence, and it had led to the shocking scenario.
A flash of green fabric and a very nice set of feminine ankles and calves appeared in his peripheral vision. At last Diltan’s head came up to the surprising and delightful sight of Cissy standing in front of him. If not for that special fire in her eyes, he would have mistaken her for Tasha. He thought her breathtaking in the skirt and blouse ensemble.
“Hi,” she said softly, not like Cissy at all. Again, Diltan thought he might be looking at Tasha. Then the woman tugged at the lace collar of her white blouse as if it made her ill at ease. Yes, this was his comfort-loving Cecilia, no doubt wishing she wore something not so prim.
Alien Indiscretions Page 30
