The Valkyries of Andromeda

by Lindsay Peet

CHAPTER SIX

  Our third day on Caliuga didn’t truly begin until mid-morning, as we’d all been up ‘til early hours acquainting ourselves with the place and its dawdling pace one way or another, or at least that was our excuse. Imagine our reactions when a heavy knocking startled us from our lazy late breakfast. “Who would pound so at the Inspector General’s door?” I wondered aloud as I swallowed my coffee and set down my toast. Lordano and Jedub were baffled, and Wanliet just raised one eyebrow above a small, sly smile. The help was no help at all. “Lordano, see what’s up,” I said, figuring he would baffle whatever it was, give me time to suss things out.

  It didn’t work, though. Up the stairs bounded two strangers, the mayor trailing, then his daughter Sirah (ah, the recuperative powers of youth!), and finally Lordano. I rose in my most stately manner, folded my napkin, and demanded what the hell this was all about.

  The mayor interceded. “This is Pex al-Pex, Kitec of the Planetary Union,” he said, indicating a woman, comely enough though she had a dozen years on me. As I looked at her I saw that she was fighting hard to hide those years, but was losing as the beautiful woman within her struggled against the political in-fighter. Here was a woman I’d met in many guises before, and spent some rollicking good times with. Also some extremely scary ones. “And this is her assistant, Aspe Iapmo. “

  I nodded my head to the young, pale, very intense-looking woman, who I couldn’t help but notice had a cute, petite shape which her tunic and slacks failed to conceal. I was distracted for a moment I confess, even began to plan my approach but a cooler, wiser head prevailed and my attention was back on the rude intrusion. “And why do they burst in on us, Mayor, while we are holding counsel ourselves? Is this the way things are done on Caliuga? Because I can assure you this is not the way things are done in the rest of the Empire.”

  “This is the way things are done in extraordinary circumstances such as these, Your Excellency,” Al-Pex answered, nodding to Wanliet. “When word reached Solip City that the Emperor had at long last sent an envoy, an Inspector General no less, to his lost colony of Caliuga, we rushed to send our greetings and convey our joy!” Al-Pex’s and Iapmo’s mouths smiled, but their eyes were hard, trying to assay our value. The Kitec’s words affirmed our status, but their eyes questioned it.

  “I thank you,” I snapped back. “But could you not wait, follow protocols, and be civil about it? The Emperor loves his citijects and appreciates their love and affection, but yet he is a man, as is his Inspector General, and as am I. And I insist on hearing what possessed you to think that this kind of ill-mannered approach would be welcome?”

  The room was silent. Our eyes locked, as I’d parried her lunge, and now riposted, or had it been a feint? Ah, who was I kidding, it was all feints and bluster. Much depended on her next move – had she read my intention right? Or my second intention? She’d come expecting an imposter, and maybe had found one. If I was a fraud, I was one with some steel and some wits. If she’d come here demanding to see the big balls that gave me my authority, well, how was I doing so far? She decided that showdown could wait.

  She smiled and bowed, suddenly the very model of gentility. Aspe Iapmo, however, kept her attention focused on my haughty expression while Pex al-Pex spoke to Wanliet. “I apologize for offending, Excellency. Please forgive us our eagerness. I hope you understand.

  “When your Excellency is ready to receive us, we shall be ready to make amends, and to acquaint your Excellency with conditions on Caliuga, and the efforts of the Planetary Union to bring peace and prosperity in the absence of the Emperor’s loving hand. Efforts which, we pray, will find favor with his Inspector General, efforts which we hope will prove to be the foundation for our imminent integration into the Empire.” With that they bowed, turned about, and left.

  “I’m so sorry, your Excellency, but they forced their way up here. Short of violence there was no way to halt them” protested the mayor.

  “I understand, Erah.”

  Wanliet finally spoke. “Mayor, explain something to me – we’ve been here only a couple of days. Have you any idea how the PU learned of our presence, much less managed to get here so quickly?”

  “Excellency, unlike most other colonies here, the founders of Solip City arrived with weapons, as I told Mr. Daskal. They also arrived with some land speeders, and although we haven’t first-hand knowledge of this, we believe they have some kind of wireless communications. We Caliugans knew such things on Old Caliuga, and chose not to bring them here, but we recall their abilities. As for their arrival, as I mentioned to your adjutant, the Planetary Union has a trade mission here, which they’ve just upgraded with the presence of the Kitec.”

  “I see. Thank you, Mayor. Now, please excuse us,” Wanliet nodded in dismissal. Rekaburb bowed and left, as did Sirah, but as she turned away I caught a wink from her. I hated to see her go, but loved to watch her walk away.

  Once the doors were closed Jedub nudged Lordano, and both smirked, then began laughing. That had been close – we could only guess how badly things could have gone if Pex al-Pex hadn’t faltered at my bluff, but we all knew it would have been bad. Sirah’s parting gesture had completely defused our fears –like slapstick, sex breaks tension. I also wondered if she too had been playing at two games, the coquette and a fellow-charadist. When working, I always fear that I reveal too much when I bed a woman, that she might see past whatever mask I’m wearing at the moment. I especially worry when the woman is guileless, or seems so, as had Sirah. When my clothes are off I fear the mask drops too, and I wonder just how much of me they see. That’s one of the drawbacks of this life – even when things are meant to be simple you complicate them.

  Should it come to that Pex al-Pex wouldn’t present such concerns for me, as she’d be so busy analyzing, processing, and testing me that she wouldn’t listen to her inner voices. No, her challenge and reward would be much more like a contest than a seduction.

  “Boss, if they’ve got guns and radios they probably know where we are, where Caliuga is compared to everything else. They wouldn’t want to leave here, when they’ve got such a sweet operation, and they don’t want to tip anybody outside, and they’ve had a lot of time to figure things out,” said Jedub. It surprised me that he was so quick on the uptake. It troubled me that he seemed to make sense – as frauds or as emissaries from the Emperor, in either case we presented a threat to the PU unless they could co-opt us. That meant they’d try to corrupt us, which I wouldn’t mind a bit, and if they were unsure they’d also try to compel us with force or blackmail. I kind of looked forward to it.

  There was the chance they reckoned on eliminating us entirely, which I did not look forward to.

  “What’s more,” added Wanliet, “they won’t be eager to share authority with the Emperor. Right now they’re the big kids, with their hands in everything on the planet. They’ve got heavy feet and light fingers.

  “And, Jaf, I know how you work. Watch out for that Pex al-Pex. She’s like one of those insects that eats her mate. With her you don’t know if you’re in her boudoir or abbatoir.”

  “Mr. Daskal, if your head being off-eaten by Kitec is, okay to see Sirah being?” asked Lordano.

  We all got a chuckle out of that, but there was no question that things had suddenly gotten far more complicated and serious. More dances, more partners, and more ways to wrong-foot it. And now our unfinished breakfast had gone cold! Things had changed now, so I ordered an early lunch and more coffee – it’s good to be the Emperor’s plenipotentiary’s aide! – and then we all sat down to do some planning.