by NB VanYoos
* * * *
The ride to the Grand Anoor Casino was filled with more of Greelen’s adventures, and Tyler was nearing his boiling point. He gritted his teeth and tried to remain calm despite the inane ramblings. It didn’t help she nearly molested him. Toosia remained placid and her slight smile made it look as though she were enjoying the absurd scene.
Tyler was relieved when their car finally stopped in front of the casino. The place was enormous, twenty stories and three city blocks if Greelen was to be believed. As Tyler looked out the window, he believed it. He noticed the usual gauntlet of reporters waiting outside just as Greelen noticed them.
“Oh, dear,” she exclaimed, “those pesky reporters have found us here as well.”
Tyler saw that her face registered giddiness even as her voice sounded displeased.
“Don’t worry,” Tyler said, “we’ll simply ignore them.”
They exited the car, Toosia and Greelen once again grabbing each of Tyler’s arms. The grip Greelen had on Tyler nearly caused pain. She walked erratically, smiling and posing for every camera, and Tyler had difficulty keeping them on course. She was getting real mileage out of the evening, and Tyler had no doubt she would recount the whole affair often for years to come.
Tyler put on his best face as they pushed through the throng, ignoring questions thrown at them. It was a whole new batch of reporters, and they seemed even more aggressive. Apparently it was acceptable to be aggressive outside the casino. Tyler thought back to Los Angeles and the movie star’s complaints about paparazzi. He now understood their cries.
Once inside, the press backed off as security guards eyed them intensely. Tyler was blown away by the elegance and decadence within the casino. It may have been old, but it sparkled like a brand new diamond.
Tyler released Toosia and Greelen, although Greelen resisted at first. He wasn’t sure what to expect and wondered how Nayllen would contact him. Well, he showed, now it was Nayllen’s move.
They descended the sweeping staircase that put them on the first floor of the casino. Tyler was amazed at how similar it was to casinos in Las Vegas. Gaming tables overflowed with players and onlookers alike. What looked like slot machines lit up the grand room in long aisles stretching off into the distance. Even the sounds were reminiscent of Vegas.
He felt the usual twinge of excitement and made a mental note to try some of the games before leaving. He was curious to see how many were similar to those on Earth.
They were nearly to the floor when a voice called out from behind them.
“Admiral … Admiral Osloo!”
Tyler turned to see a smartly dressed man descending the steps towards them. He wore a single suit of spectacular material in the colors of the casino, and on the right side of his chest, a small pin labeled him as Tiineer Diinn of ‘Customer Services’.
Tyler waited. “Yes, what is it?”
The man caught his breath, regaining his composure.
“I am sorry to bother you, Admiral, but you have an urgent call from Marshall Sliss.” He stopped once more. “If you would follow me, I would be happy to show you to a private place to take the call.” He bowed to the Admiral and gestured back up the stairs.
“Okay.” Tyler replied. “Toosia and Greelen, will you excuse me while I take the Marshall’s call?”
“Please, dear, I, too, have someone to catch up with. I will meet you all later.” The thought irked Tyler as he knew who she was going to meet.
Greelen looked put out, but perked up quickly as if a light went off in her head.
“Well, yes, no problem,” she began, “I have some friends who said they would meet us here, so I’ll track them down and meet up with you later. Let’s meet for drinks on the 12th floor in a couple hours?”
“Splendid,” Tyler said, “I’ll meet you both there. Perhaps I’ll get some gaming in beforehand, assuming the call isn’t too critical.”
Tyler followed Tiineer up the stairs and through a door marked ‘Casino Staff Only’. It led to a small hallway ending in a single door Tyler assumed was a lift.
He was correct, but instead of going up as he assumed, the elevator went down, deep down. There was no indication of where they were, and Tyler lost count on what he thought was at least 15 floors underground. They finally stopped and the door opened onto a dimly lit room with one table in the middle.
Tiineer signaled Tyler into the room, but stayed in the elevator. Tyler walked off as the lift doors closed, leaving him alone.
He wondered where the communication console was as he scanned the sparse room. The walls were slightly reddish in color and the light of the room seemed to be emanating somewhere near the baseboards. It was more glow than light.
He was confused when a door opened to his right, flooding the room with bright light. Two figures entered, and the glow of the walls increased to a normal level.
Tyler saw Nayllen standing next to someone who appeared to be an assistant. At least the man reminded Tyler of his own staff, smartly dressed, walking behind in deference, and carrying a small electronic pad that glowed dimly in the brightened room.
“Admiral, so glad you could make it, I apologize for the subterfuge, but it was the best way to bring you here without raising suspicions.”
“So, there is no call from Marshall Sliss?” Tyler asked.
“No, no,” Nayllen responded shaking his head, “however, we are aware of his misgivings about me.”
Tyler didn’t like the sound of that. Did they know everything?
“You must be well informed.” Tyler accused.
“Indeed I am, Admiral, more than you can imagine. For instance, right now, the Emperor is entertaining a young woman, a staff aide I believe, in his one of his private quarters. They just finished two bottles of wine and are lazily lounging on a heavily cushioned sofa, talking about the love making they will engage in shortly. Foreplay.” He finished.
Tyler was dubious. Spying inside the Emperor’s private quarters?
“Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, either way, it is treason.” Tyler said.
“Indeed it is, Admiral, indeed it is. However, I assure you he is there as I have described.”
Tyler remained quiet, a look of doubt on his face.
“Very well, Admiral, let me demonstrate.”
Nayllen signaled to his assistant who did something on the pad. On the far wall, a large screen lit, partitioned into several smaller screens. Each one showed a different scene, and it reminded Tyler of his television room at Tooland. However, instead of commercials and news shows, the pictures never changed as if stationary. In some, people moved about or sat quietly while others depicted empty rooms. Tyler was impressed.
“What is it?” he asked.
“That is a small sample of the Imperial Palace.” Nayllen responded, “I can call up nearly every room if I desire.”
He gestured to the assistant again, and after some fiddling, the screen changed to a single view of a plush room, warmly lit, filled with soft pillows and furnishings.
On one of the sofas, two people intimately embraced, touching each other heavily, talking quietly. Tyler noticed one of them looked a lot like the Emperor. Tyler was speechless.
Nayllen signaled to his assistant again, and the clear voice of the Emperor and his consort filled the room. It was as clear as if they sat across from the sofa.
Nayllen nodded his head, and this time, the view changed entirely to a new room. Tyler was stunned as he saw Marshall Sliss and Officer Kooren talking quietly at a small table. Kooren, as usual, was engaged with his devices while listening to the Marshall. The Marshall was going through much of the data presented at the conference and had Kooren double checking the accuracy of certain figures. Tyler was doubly impressed and disturbed.
Nayllen signaled one last time, and the screen disappeared.
“You see, Admiral, I am a very well informed person. It is my primary mission to be well informed.”
Nayllen gestured to a chair and they bot
h sat down across from each other.
“Okay, Nayllen, I am surprised, concerned, and impressed. So why did you bring me here? To demonstrate treason?”
“That?” Nayllen swept his hand towards the now empty wall. “That was just a toy, one of many I possess to conduct my business—to my advantage, of course.”
“Of course.” Tyler agreed. He was very nervous now that he realized he was sitting across from a very dangerous man. He should have heeded the Marshall’s warning.
“Hmmm.” Nayllen sat back and looked at Tyler, assessing him with his eyes.
Nayllen signaled to his assistant and almost an instant later, the door opened with a young woman carrying a tray of two glasses and a bottle of liquid Tyler didn’t recognize.
She set it down in front of Nayllen and filled the two glasses from the bottle. She brought one over to Tyler. She quietly set it down before disappearing through the door as silently as she had came.
Nayllen picked up his glass and signaled Tyler to do the same. Tyler picked it up hesitantly, and watched carefully as Nayllen took a small sip before putting it down.
“Don’t worry, Admiral, I have no intentions of harming you. Go on, taste it, I think you will agree it is quite remarkable, and … exotic.”
Tyler lifted his glass and sniffed lightly before putting it to his lips. The smell was like vanilla, but the flavor slightly more bitter, with a fruity aftertaste. Tyler had to admit, it was good and exotic.
“That, my friend, is Krildon Sarrs-Berry wine, a true delicacy and very rare.” Nayllen said proudly.
Tyler searched the Admiral’s memories for a reference and found that the Admiral’s parents drank it on a regular basis while living on Krildon. Although the Admiral had never tried it, he remembered his father once remarked it was the nectar of the gods, and nothing in the family wine production came close.
Tyler had to admit, he saw the attraction. The aftertaste kept changing slightly, as though several different fruits were part of the drink. At the moment, he thought he tasted banana.
As though reading Tyler’s mind, Nayllen spoke. “Like me, your father and mother used to love this drink.”
“You knew my parents?” Tyler asked surprised.
“Oh, yes , quite well actually.”
Tyler could find no memory of this person and it seemed out of character for the Admiral’s parents to be affiliated with someone so dangerous.
Again, Nayllen read his mind. “Of course, I knew them a long time ago when I was a very different person. As we all were before the war.” He finished and took another sip of his drink staring at Tyler with disturbingly penetrating eyes.
“When did you know my parents?” Tyler asked.
“On Krildon.” Nayllen said placidly.
The answer surprised Tyler. He had expected him to say something else—something closer to Poolto.
“Really,” Tyler asked, “and what were you doing on Krildon?”
“I worked for your father, of course, as part of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, or IIA as we called it.”
“I don’t think so, my father was not in intelligence. He worked for the Diplomatic Corps as Ambassador to Krildon. My father respected Krildon and would never have betrayed them that way.”
Tyler said it, but wasn’t convinced himself. Had the Admiral been so naive? Tyler remembered growing up seeing many reports about foreign Ambassadors being expelled from the United States for spying. Maybe the Admiral’s father had spied as well. That may be why he was arrested. Nayllen read his mind again, and it was beginning to irk Tyler.
“The Emperor used your father for years, and when your father stood up for what he believed in, the Emperor betrayed him to Krildon which caused his immediate arrest. Surely you are not so naive to believe your father was only there as a diplomat?” He took another sip, “Your father ran the IIA on Krildon. All those years, and he never told you?”
Tyler saw the logic, and it explained a lot of strange things the Admiral remembered about growing up on Krildon. But still, he could find no memory of this man.
“No, he never mentioned it.”
“No matter, I am sure he had his reasons. As you no doubt have realized, I never met you since I was a very deep agent at that time. It was policy not to openly associate ourselves outside of work. I was a business man at that time, although a full agent for the Emperor. I made a lot of acquaintances, and developed a rather extensive network. Of course, after the war started, my network was difficult to maintain, but I’ve managed.” He signaled to Tyler with his glass, as if to say, ‘how do you think I got this?’
“So you have agents on Krildon?” Tyler asked with concern. Despite his ties to the Admiral’s parents, this man was not trustworthy.
“Of course. As I said, I am well informed.”
“Does the Emperor know?” Tyler waited, assuming the man was really working for the Imperial Palace. He smelled a trap.
“Does he know?” Nayllen smiled. “My dear friend, he encourages it.”
So this was a trap. He was working for the Imperial Palace, a spy for the Emperor. He was going to discredit the Admiral in some way, removing him from prominence, and thereby allowing the Emperor and Vice Admiral Teesen to go forward with their reckless plan. Well, if Tyler could help it, he wasn’t going to let that happen.
“So you work for the Emperor?” He asked.
“For him … as well as others.”
“Others?” Tyler asked. “What others?”
“For now, let’s just say they are people who share the same goals as I do.”
“Are these the same goals as the Emperor and Teesen?” Tyler retorted.
Nayllen smiled and looked more closely at Tyler. Tyler held his gaze, refusing to back down no matter how dangerous he was.
“You are not as … shrewd as I thought, Admiral. A brilliant commander no doubt, but not shrewd at politics or intelligence.” He took another sip before continuing. “That explains your avoidance of Yooso and your extended stays off-planet. It is no wonder you rely so heavily on the Marshall.”
Tyler remained quiet, absorbing the condescending words. This man knew everything about the Admiral, and Tyler was unnerved by it. He knew he was out of his league, even more so than when they first arrived. What had he gotten himself into, and how could he get himself out?
I can help.
Tyler froze as the voice inside found its way into his consciousness. His growing fear had lowered the mental barriers and he could sense the alien presence trying to exploit it. He forced it back with a stern warning.
I don’t need your help!
The inner voice fell silent, and Tyler hoped the internal exchange had not been visible to Nayllen. He went on the attack.
“Why am I here, Nayllen?” He demanded. “What is it you want with me?”
Nayllen smiled with disarming charm. “I want you to join me and help bring an end to this senseless war.”
Tyler was caught off-guard by comment. Wasn’t this man an arms dealer? Why would he want to end the war? “And why would I join you?”
“Not me personally, but my cause and the others I mentioned. I think they could convince you … if given the opportunity.”
Tyler couldn’t read the man. What was his motive? He couldn’t see it, at least not now. He didn’t think Nayllen was such a giving man that he wanted to end the war he had profited from so richly.
“An opportunity to speak with me? Isn’t that why I am here?”
“No, you are here so I could assess whether you would be worth recruiting … or whether we would have to use you in some other way. Ways that would not include your blessings or knowledge.”
Tyler was taken aback. He felt the remnants of the Admiral’s spirit bridling at that obvious display of power. Who was this man and who was he working for?
“I will not meet with any strangers,” Tyler replied, “either tell me who you are working for, or with, or let me leave.”
He was as resolute as
he was scared.
Nayllen sat back, leveling his piercing stare at Tyler from across the table. He sipped more wine before coming to some conclusion.
“Admiral, did you think it strange that we had the same name when we met?” Nayllen asked quietly.
“Yes, I suppose so. It isn’t a very common name, although I hear it is becoming one.”
“Indeed.” Nayllen folded his hands neatly in his lap. “It is not common among your generation or mine for that matter. In fact, I would guess that when you were born, there were only half a dozen or so on the whole planet, myself and my father included.”
“So? What are you trying to say, that I was named after you?”
“Yes.”
“Please, you have no proof and I have heard no such tale from my parents. It is coincidence.”
“Really? A coincidence that I worked with your father on Krildon and that we have the same rare name?”
Tyler had to admit, it appeared more than a coincidence.
“I have no proof that you worked for my father, you could tell me anything.” Tyler watched as that made him pause.
Nayllen stared before standing up. He made a slight signal with his hand and the view screen on the wall displayed a picture of the Admiral’s parents and what must have been a much younger Nayllen. All three were standing together, arms around each other smiling. The scene didn’t give enough details to make out where it was, but the photo did appear genuine. Of course, it could easily be faked.
Nayllen turned towards Tyler. “We will contact you within the next day or two. At that time, we must have an answer as to your intent to meet the others or to sever all ties and go it on your own. Thank you for your time, Admiral, my associate will show you out.”
Before Tyler could respond, Nayllen turned and left the room. Tyler was stunned. Had he been too cautious, or not cautious enough? Clearly, Nayllen and whoever he worked with had power. Tyler could access the Admiral’s memories, but found nothing so insidious. Of course, the Admiral had avoided politics, and now at least, it appeared it would be his downfall—or rather Tyler’s.
Tyler followed the assistant back into the lift and couldn’t help wondering whether this were a ruse by the Palace. It fell into character with Regent Sneerd’s record of dealing with people who opposed the Emperor or stood in the way of their agenda. In more than a few instances, councilmen had found themselves in unusual predicaments that forced them to resign their seats on the Supreme Council.
Not surprisingly, these poor men had differed with the Palace on some crucial issue that had been held up during a vote. In general, the Imperial Palace got most of what they wanted within the Council. Despite its design and intentions, the Supreme Council was a figure head parliament that rarely made major changes that weren’t designed or supported by the Imperial Palace. The Emperor and his staff were the true power of Poolto, and as Tyler reviewed these facts, he began to understand how thin his odds of coming out ahead would be.
He could read the headlines now: Poolto’s Greatest Hero—Traitor to Home World! It smelled like a trap, it felt like a trap, yet something about Nayllen confused him. Why would Nayllen want to trap the Admiral? Did he really support the Emperor? Had he really worked with the Admiral’s father on Krildon? How could he benefit from an attack plan that would surely fail? Resupplying the fleet, that’s how.
Was that it, Tyler thought, do you intend on rebuilding the destroyed fleet after the Vice Admiral’s plan fails?
Was greed the real motive here? Tyler didn’t think that was it. Something about Nayllen gave Tyler the feeling he wanted more than money—he wanted power. But what kind of power? To hear Nayllen himself, he already had a great deal of power, it was simply behind the scenes. Did he want to be in front? Did he want to be the new Emperor?
Not since the Emperor’s ancestors united Poolto had there been a coup—or even a plot. At least not in the open. Tyler wondered if coups happened frequently, but were kept quiet after being uncovered? If that was it, then why did they need the Admiral? Of course! They needed to seal their authority after the failure of the Vice Admiral and Emperor’s plan. The Admiral would be a prominent figure to legitimatize their claim to power.
Still … something didn’t feel right, and Tyler realized he was in over his head. Plots within plots within plots. Tyler wondered how a politician ever survived? He understood why Yooso was so distasteful to the Admiral. He remembered Raul once talking about the politics within their organization, but at the time, Tyler had ignored what he’d said. Now he understood the precarious position you held with power, and why the Emperor did so much to maintain it.
