Every Last Mother's Child
Page 64
Chapter 3: The Queen’s Summons
“Your majesty, the Marshal is here,” Queen Agatha’s secretary showed Wilson in.
“Leave us and make sure we are not disturbed.” Agatha commanded. Her secretary quietly left them.
“What’s up?” as Wilson sat down he couldn’t help, but notice the Queen’s dark mood.
“This,” The Queen almost snapped then spoke to the Page the palace’s AI aid, “play diplomatic message 12.”
“Your highness,” The computer displayed an image of the Trena Ambassador to Earth. “We received a package from Ebio. They are making a request that we arrest and hold for pickup some ten thousand biopeople, including Lady Wilson. Many are escaped biopeople. One or two are for former employees. A few like Lady Wilson are wanted for questioning by company police about a murder. I’ve shared it with mostly with Mr. Lampert my crown attorney. One video shows Lady Wilson on a gun range shooting with a man who latter was found dead with a message on his body, ‘Never kill a marine. Their friends and family will render justice!’ Circumstantial evidence indicates she may have done it. Another shows a Henry Kellogg who is implicated in a grisly murder. Shows he might have tortured a bio.
“We haven’t replied to Ebio,” the diplomat finishing up, “It is crown policy to give asylum to escaping biopeople. Even if we suspected they have committed a crime. What are your instructions your majesty?”
“Michael,” The Queen said, “I almost didn’t show you this to you. I didn’t want you to know I knew about Lisa’s past. I knew Lady Wilson had a history. I almost had the entire package destroyed. Then I wasn’t going to tell you what I knew.”
“Then why tell me,” Michael asked.
“Because I made a solemn promise to myself that I would never hide anything from you.” The young queen replied, “There can be no secrets between us. None! If the trust between the two of us isn’t total; then our people are in really poor shape. Besides I wanted you know I had it. I’ve seen what Lisa is implicated in I don’t want to believe she could do something like that. I want that video never to see the light of day. Yet it will leak and I didn’t want it to surprise you.”
“I’ve seen the video,” Michael said, “before I left the Black Guard the IRS responded to a derelict vessel. It turned out to be an Ebio courier. That was about 28 years ago. We hit a data gold mind. We not only recovered that video. We also recovered several hundred terabytes of data. It also showed several executions of imperial officers. Is there another reason you want to keep this quiet?”
“There’s a lot of other stuff.” Agatha said, “A lot of it should never see the light of day. I want to send arrest warrants out for all these people. Especially that Henry Kellogg, he’s the one that was here the other day and caused all that excitement.”
“Before you do that,” Mike suggested, “have James’ people run the names. You might be surprised what comes back.”
The young woman looked at the older man not knowing what to say.
“The other thing,” Mike continued scratching his jaw, “Is that none of those names are attached to a GalPol warrant. If they did they would not get beyond the space station or other port of entry for the kingdom. Matter of fact if there were GalPol warrants out for them and they got through the port, anytime they needed municipal or other governmental services, their identities would be checked, they would be flagged. There are no warrants or there would be extradition warrants from Earth or the jurisdiction where the crime was committed.”
“That’s right,” the young queen remarked trying to remember the hours of interstellar law that her regent had patiently tried to teach her.
“What do we do?” Agatha asked.
“We keep this dispatch confidential,” Marshal Wilson answered. “Notice I said confidential not secret! That gives us more freedom of action. We can choose how to deal with each of the people on that list on a case by case basis!”
“That makes sense,” The Queen commented, “I want the Mounties to review that video. Especially that one on that Kellogg!”
“Then what?” Mike asked.
“Whatever they recommend, I’ll do. Up to and including extradition, or deportation!” Aggie responded.
“No matter who it is,” Wilson responded, “It could be Lisa.”
That got her attention. She looked at him with sudden understanding.
“Let’s be reasonable.” Her Marshal continued, “You are going to find out there are Ebio defectors on your staff and throughout the kingdom. Many have not committed one crime here on Trena.”
“Even Kellogg,” the Queen asked.
Marshal Wilson nodded before continuing, “Aggie there are people who have defected from the company that are good upstanding people. Kellogg in particular. He’s an ex closer, who immigrated to Trena. He works around the edges of bio society. He sometimes takes action to protect the bios he once killed for the company. Outside of Lisa, he is the clone’s greatest protector.” Michael continued, “There are others who for one reason or another tried to work within the company to stop the cloning. The new CEO is determined to change the company, looks like she did. I’ll not pressure you one way or the other. But don’t make any decisions on this for a couple of days. Whatever you decide, I’ll of course support it.”
She looked at the older man. She had never felt even as close to her father as she did to Marshal Wilson. He would follow her orders. Once she had come to an informed decision there was no question about following them. He never let her act irrationally. Her other advisors would do whatever she asked without question, they never challenged her, never told her what they really thought, Lord Mercer yes, but none of the others. Mike had argued with her in private, and had questioned some of her decisions, and had chewed her out like a young recruit, but when she made her decision that was all there was to it. “Okay Sir Mike, no rash decisions.”