by John Ringo
"Dinner?" Courtney said, clearly confused.
"Somewhere where people will see Countess Megan Travante and her fiancée consulting with their agricultural manager," Megan said, grinning. "And by tomorrow, anyone that is anyone will know who you and Mike are and I'll guarantee that you'll have a different reception at the Agriculture Department."
"I don't like this," Mike said, shaking his head. "I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. Maybe a letter to somebody in the department that would get me a better, or at least higher, meeting. But this is..."
"Underhanded and indirect," Megan said, nodding. "Herzer, you want to try to explain."
"Well, it's how the town works," Herzer said, shrugging. "I don't like it but as Duke Edmund says, democracy isn't the best government just the best that's ever been discovered. And this is how it works. The politicians get up and make speeches but where the deals get made are at parties and small meetings like, well, this one. You realize that you're doing a tit for tat, right?"
"No?" Mike said.
"Think about it. Megan makes sure you get your farm and you manage hers. That's how the town works. And it means that you've got an ear in Washan when something happens because part of her income is dependent on you being able to do your job. And it means that from now on you won't have trouble with bureaucracy or the ag corps. Everybody is a little afraid of councilors. But, right now, I think Washan is more terrified of Megan than Queen Sheida. Sheida sits in her aerie and manages things at long distance, not really getting involved in the political hustle-bustle. Megan walked into one party last night and walked out with agreements to build a new legion and upgrades to the Nawlins ports, both of which were dead in the water before she walked in."
"Oh," Courtney said, looking a little pale.
"I'd agree to help you even if you didn't agree to manage my farm," Megan said, looking at Herzer and frowning. "Because you're friends and you need somebody who understands the system. This is not a tit-for-tat."
"Well, hell," Mike said, shrugging. "I'd do it anyway because you're friends. But, hell, I'm not sure about a hundred thousand, two hundred thousand hectares. That's big management."
"All of it doesn't have to be proved out," Megan pointed out. "And I trust you where I wouldn't trust one of the ag corps to manage it."
"If you think we're up to it, we will be," Courtney said, still looking a trifle pale.
"And now, I think we should consider where to go to dinner," Megan said with a smile. "And we can talk about old times and you can tell me all of Herzer's secrets and embarrass him."
* * *
"So where did you three meet?" Megan asked as they were being seated. She'd carefully chosen a restaurant that would not be too upscale for their clothing and had changed to match. Herzer was still in undress day uniform which fit closely enough. The restaurant, however, was a frequent hang-out of congressional aides if not the commons and Peer members. When Ashley had sent a hurried message that Megan wanted to dine there, the staff had nearly had apoplexy.
"In Raven's Mill, right after the Fall," Courtney said, frowning as she looked at the menu and blanched at the prices. "This food is outrageous!"
"My treat," Megan said. "Traditional in a business deal like this so don't try to argue. And any restaurant that fit the bill for what we're trying to achieve would be as expensive. Or more so. And the food is, at least, good. You wouldn't believe how bad the food is in some of the really expensive restaurants in town. How'd you get to Raven's Mill?"
"Well, I'd lived nearby," Courtney said, shrugging. "I met Mike on the road and we sort of ganged up for protection, you know how it was..." She trailed off unhappily.
"I do," Megan said. "The area I was in wasn't taken by the Changed for about six months. Once New Destiny established control it was actually a bit better and they didn't burn and loot everyone. But when they were passing through was...bad. Very bad."
"Well," Courtney continued, "we got checked in at Raven's Mill. Did you have something like that?"
"No," Megan said, interested. "Edmund was there from the beginning, right?"
"Oh, yeah," Courtney said. "And you could tell. I mean, it's just a couple of weeks after the Fall and it's, like, civilization. You got checked in and they asked you questions about your skills and stuff then they put you up for a few days to get your head together. After that you had to get to work. Anyway, we met Herzer the first night, I think, right Mike?"
"Yeah, first night," he said, sipping his beer.
"So we hung out together until we joined the apprenticeship program and we were in that together too. Then, well, he joined the Legions while we were still in the program and Mike hit it off with Myron Raeburn who was the guy in charge of the farming program. He decided that running a farm was what he wanted to do. Herzer helped with that, too."
"Just a bit," Herzer said. "I had picked up a few extra credits and I figured Mike was a good bet."
"More than that," Courtney said. "He'd gotten an ox and some other livestock in the lottery. There he was laid up in bed..."
"Laid up?" Megan asked, frowning. "You were wounded?"
"Injured," Herzer said, chuckling. "I hit my head on a branch while I was riding."
"Herzer!" Courtney protested. "I can't let you get away with that. We were rounding up ferals to get some food and separate out the young ones and things so we could use them for farm animals. I mean, most of them had been from farm breeds so they could be used again. Anyway, this big boar..."
"Courtney," Herzer said.
"Shut up. Anyway, this big boar was about to gore Shilan and Herzer charged it on his horse, that was Diablo, right?"
"Yeah," Herzer said, grumpily. "It was Diablo."
"He charged it and got it with a spear and kept it from getting Shilan but then when Diablo jumped over the boar he hit his head on a branch. It darn near killed him."
"Sounds like my Herzer," Megan grinned. "You should see him on a dragon. But the question is: Who is Shilan?"
"Oh, Shilan was from the apprenticeship program, too," Courtney grinned. "I don't think she and Herzer ever really had a 'thing' you know, but they were pretty chummy," she added, grinning more broadly.
"Thanks, Courtney," Herzer growled.
"Then there was...what was the name of that red-head?" Courtney continued.
"Morgen," Herzer sighed. "Courtney, are you going to do a whole list?"
"Yes," Courtney said, grinning at Megan. "That only lasted about four hours..."
"Four hours?" Megan said, laughing. "Four hours?"
"From lunch until sometime in the early evening," Courtney confirmed. "Okay, maybe five. I don't know what they were doing in the interim, but they were pretty sweaty!"
"It wasn't sweat," Herzer said, loftily. "We'd washed off in a stream. We were picking wild-flowers."
"Oh, is that what you call it?" Courtney grinned. "Then they had an argument and Morgen stormed off. I think she works in the baths now."
"Okay, that's Shilan and Morgen," Megan said, glancing at Herzer who was turning red. "Now. Tell me about...Bast."
"Arrrgh," Herzer groaned.
"Well, I wasn't there when they met," Courtney said. "But Mike was, weren't you, honey?"
"Yeah," Mike agreed.
"She was hanging around with Rachel Ghorbani, you know, Edmund's daughter?"
"I've met her," Megan said, smiling faintly. "Of course, the last time I saw her she was covered in blood."
"Really?" Courtney said. "Surgery?"
"No," Megan noted. "She'd just killed one of New Destiny's top field agents. I spent some time sharing a cabin with her also. Nice girl."
"Is Madame ready to order?" the waiter said, nervously.
Megan glanced at the menu again and shrugged. "I hear they have a very good lobster."
"Well..." Courtney said, realizing that she hadn't really been paying attention to the menu.
"I'll have the strip steak, rare," Mike said.
"Lobster for m
e," Megan added, closing her menu.
"Same here," Herzer said.
"Make it three," Courtney added, closing her menu and shrugging. "I haven't had lobster since before the Fall."
"Still no tea," Herzer pointed out. "Or chocolate. Edmund complains about one and Daneh complains about the other..."
"I hadn't heard about that," Courtney said. "Rachel killing someone. I'm surprised, it doesn't seem like her. But I haven't seen her in ages; she's hardly in Raven's Mill anymore."
"Army surgeon corps," Herzer said. "I think she's back at Belmopan. You could run up the road and visit her if you wanted."
"Probably won't have the time," Mike said.
"About Bast..." Megan said.
"Well, she met up with Herzer and just sort of picked him out," Courtney said. "Told him he'd probably clean up well or something. After that they had quite a time. She wandered off for a while then turned up again when Dionys McCanoc's group was coming. Saved your life, right, Herzer?"
"Yeah," he said, sighing. "I'd stayed behind to cover the retreat of a cavalry patrol. Diablo was just about worn out and I couldn't outrun the group that was pursuing us. So I stayed back. I'd gotten a couple of them but I was having trouble with the rest and then Bast showed up." He paused and shrugged. "End of fight. Good guys six, bad guys nothing." He paused again and shook his head. "Make that bad guys one. Somebody... what the hell was his name. I can't believe I've forgotten his name. Anyway, they got one of the cavalry guys."
"Was that your first fight?" Megan asked.
"Yeah," Herzer mused. "It seems like an eternity but it's only been...five years? Jesus. All these changes in five damned years. But that's why I can't believe I don't remember his name. I thought he was going to make it but...well..." He stopped and shook his head, furrowing his brow.
"So how long did Bast stay around?" Megan asked.
"Not long after McCanoc got his," Courtney said as she looked at the muttering Herzer. "And we didn't see much of Herzer, either. He was always out of town. He'd show up at the farm from time to time, just passing through."
"I think she's gone for a while, this time," Megan said. "Right after the battle of Belmopan she dimension shifted out with one of those Changed elves. Even Mother can't track her. No knowing when she'll be back or even if she'll survive."
"Oh, she'll survive," Herzer said, shaking his head. "Thomas...Marcum, what the hell was it...?"
"You're going to be muttering about this all night, aren't you?" Megan said, smiling. "I'm sure there are records somewhere."
"With Edmund, it's for sure," Courtney said, smiling. "June Lasker's still the archivist in Raven's Mill. She'll have his name."
"I suppose," Herzer said. "What did I order?"
Chapter Four
"Dinner was nice," Megan said as she came in the bedroom wearing a thin nightgown. "They're very nice people. But is Mike always so..."
"Monosyllabic?" Herzer said, grinning. "When he's not sure of his ground, yeah. When he's comfortable he opens up a little. But he's never what you might call a big talker. He leaves that to Courtney. So, did you get enough information about my girlfriends?"
"Did it really bother you?" Megan said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and starting to brush her hair.
"No," Herzer replied. "I suppose it's easier than pulling it all out of me. If I go through the list I don't know whether it's just being honest or boasting."
"And quite a list it is," Megan said, thoughtfully.
"Not all that long," Herzer argued.
"Long enough," Megan said, turning around and smiling at him. "I'm not bothered by it but I wonder if it's part of something I couldn't put a finger on."
"What?" Herzer asked, frowning. "About me?"
"No..." Megan said, sighing in frustration. "I think it might be part of how I'm viewed, though. Nobody knows quite what to make of me in this town. Given my...relationship with Paul, I'm clearly not a virgin or any sort of pseudo virgin. I therefore, in their eyes, have to be either hyper-sexual, from my experiences, or asexual. Shanea's an example of the first and Meredith of the second. Love it or renounce it. And I'm afraid that, possibly because of your reputation, they've decided I'm hyper-sexual. It makes Duke Dehnavi's advances more...understandable. And angering."
"And, if anything, they've gotten it backwards," Herzer said, sadly. "Sorry. I guess I didn't think about my baggage."
"I haven't renounced sex, Herzer," Megan said, sorrowfully. "I'm just not ready."
"I know," he replied, holding out his arms. "Are you done brushing your hair so I can give you a hug?"
"How do you put up with this?" she asked, turning down the lamp and snuggling into his side.
"With difficulty," Herzer admitted. "But I love you and I trust that, someday, you'll be able to...get back on the horse as Bast put it. In the meantime...I'll wait."
"How long?" she asked, quietly.
"Long enough," Herzer said. "If it's going to be 'never' then you'll find the strength to tell me. And we'll...work something out. I don't want to give you up."
"You are very strange, Herzer," Megan muttered. "How are the demons?"
Herzer paused as he did a quick internal inventory.
"Not good," he admitted. "That encounter with Duke Dehnavi's...how'd you put it?"
"Doxie?" Megan asked.
"Yeah, doxie, caused them to slip their leash a little. Bottling them back up without...some outlet, is difficult."
"Were you attracted to her?" Megan asked, carefully.
"Hell, yes," Herzer replied, grinning in the dark. "I mean, I wouldn't toss her out of bed for eating crackers; the Duke at least has good taste in doxies. If you want me to lie about it, I will. But I try not to."
"No, don't lie," Megan said, yawning. "I'm afraid I'm going to dream of doxies tonight."
"Good dreams, sweetie," Herzer said, twisting to kiss her on the head. "Only good dreams."
* * *
Herzer had read somewhere that sleeping with a woman and not having sex was the closest form of intimacy. The writer should have tried doing it for four months in a row.
At this point, Herzer had to admit that in the deeps of the night, as Megan's breath whispered on his arm, that it was hard in more ways than one. Some nights seemed like one continuous wrestle with his demons. During the day he could keep active and, in general, his lack-a-nookie condition was no big deal. Occasionally there'd be an encounter with somebody like the Duke's doxie and it would get...hard. But mostly it was no problem.
In the nights, however, it was starting to be a problem. No, in honesty, it had started to be a problem a long time ago. Now it was starting to be a big problem.
Part of it was that he hadn't been getting enough exercise so he wasn't sleeping as well. Early to bed and early to rise would have helped. Even a ruck run every morning didn't really impact him much. Honestly, it didn't even keep him in shape. He was used to three to six hours of solid exercise a day and with the schedule he'd been keeping there just wasn't a time.
So he lay awake every night, pondering the various problems of the day and trying to convince Mr. Happy that he wasn't going to get any.
Hard. Good word.
He rolled over and contemplated the darkened wall then closed his eyes and told himself to go to sleep. Ignore it, it will go away he told himself, clicking his prosthetic lightly in thought. The faint noise made Megan mutter and roll over so he stopped.
He'd just about convinced himself when he heard the pounding on the door. Rolling to his feet his sword had whispered out of its scabbard before he really knew it was in his hand.
"Crap," he muttered, walking to the door of the bedroom. There were legionnaires on the door of the apartment and in the street below. And it was unlikely that an assassin would knock. Unlikely, not impossible.
"What is it?" Megan said, sleepily.
"I dunno," he muttered, going out of the room and down the corridor to the entry foyer.
"Yes?" he called as there
was another pounding on the door. "What the hell do you want?"
"I'm sorry, major," a voice said in the hallway. "There's a messenger here for you and Countess Travante from Duke Edmund."
Herzer looked through the peephole and recognized one of the guards but when he opened the door he did it from the side with two feet of steel pointing out.
"Sorry, major," the messenger said. He was an ensign in undress uniform with enough smell of horse that he must have ridden hard. He had a dispatch case in his hands and opened it up, proffering a heavy linen envelope.
"Stay here," Herzer growled, taking the envelope with his prosthetic and closing the door in the ensign's face. He walked to the couch and lit one of the lamps with a match then slit the pouch with his sword, tossing the latter on the couch.
It didn't take long to read the short note.
"Son of a BITCH!"
* * *
"THE WHOLE TEAM?" Herzer shouted, ignoring the fact that the other people in the room far outranked him. "The whole god damned team?"
"Sit down, Herzer," Edmund said, pointing at a chair. "Megan, thank you for coming at this time of night."
"No problem, Edmund," Megan said, sitting down at one end of the conference table. "This is very bad news."
"Yes, major," General Galbreath said, taking a sip of coffee and gesturing for Megan and Herzer to be served. "The whole team. Icarus is gone."
"With all due respect, sir, what the hell happened?" Herzer asked, taking a cup of coffee from a senior NCO with a nod of thanks.
