The fort Administrator, Zzarrat, was also angry about being left out of the Magi Circle, but, moreover, he was scared. If the new Mage found out about his black marketeering, he'd be blaster bait. He went to find Sheel. He found her at the market, getting fitted for a wedding dress.
"Congratulations on your new command. How may your humble zervant be of bezt use?"
She was not fooled by his good will. She and Jim had talked about this man. His only interest was money. She had a plan that would keep him busy for a while. She had talked to the Preacher man and Jimmy about her plan. They had agreed. She turned on her best smile, "We need you to stay on as the administrator to get that mine operating quickly. I know that the mine offices were destroyed in the cave in. If you need offices, the old Command offices are vacant. You may have them."
His heart leaped in his chest. "Yes, Thank you, Colonel..." What a coup, he thought to himself. "I will do my best, mon Commandante."
"We will be watching. I understand that the mine is now up to 47% precrash output. "
"I believe the reports from last night show that up to 57%"
"Good… I will expect those reports on my desk by end of business today.”
The little frog bowed low, “Yes, mon Colonel?”
“And, your department has less than a moon to reach 66%."
He gulped, "I forsee no problem with that."
She bent over until she was right in his face. He could feel her hot breath on his face. She stared into his eyes. Sweat broke out on his pale green face. He stammered, "Is there something else?"
She spoke in a low firm voice that struck like ice down the little man's back, "We want kindness and regular shifts and full pay with proper bonuses." Then she sat back in her chair.
In a normal, businesslike tone, she continued, "Let's be sensible and safe. Right?"
"Right...uh...yes, Ma'am." He scurried out, happy at his luck. With the new miners arriving every day, he had been finally able to get three shifts going. The new people should make it all right.
Sheel chuckled at the little man. "God, I love to scare Froggers."
Quickly shaking her head as if to remove a fly, she said to Paris and the dress maker, "Come on, ladies. Let's get this dress done. I got a weddin' ta git ready fer."
After Even Song, the Preacherman did not give the usual Bene Dictas. He raised his arms to quiet them, I ask you people to stay for some special business.” They murmured among themselves. He looked out to the back, "Sheel DeNoor and James Magregor, would you come forward?"
Sheel came in from the right attended by Paris, Tristan, and Tantee. She wore a silky white dress. The others wore silky blue. Jim came in from the left followed by his brother. They both were stuffed into rented tuxedoes. Zeer marvelled at how fast this had been put together.
"Women are a marvel, ma sweet. When will you learn this?"
"Right you are, ma love, and modest, too."
Zeer read the ancient banns. Jim and Sheel repeated the ancient vows. When it was over, they kissed as the crowd of about forty thousand cheered. A small wedding party repaired to the Abbey for dinner. They laughed and ate together with much kissing.
Jim and Sheel left after cake, slipping out a side door to avoid the newsies. Later, as they lay in bed, Jim spoke, "Whew, what a big day for us, huh?"
Sheel rolled on top of her new husband, "Well, let's see if'n we caint make this an even bigger night."
"I don't know, my darling wife, I'm pretty tired…"
She began to move on top of him. "How's this, Mr. Mage. Am I waking yer old, tired bones up any?"
He pretended a big yawn, "I just can't seem to stay awake."
"Yeah, well the part of you that I'm interested in is stayin' awake jest fine."
Jim rolled them both over in one movement, "Yeah, I think I'm waking up now. How'm I doin'?"
"Yer doin' fine," and he was.
By morning, the old Commandant's building was empty. Sheel's new Command Staff had worked through the night moving files and furniture. Tantee had left the wedding party to manage the crew. She wanted her sister’s Command Center ready for her first day at work. She drove her men mercilessly. Later, Tristan showed up with some of her men to help. They both wanted it to be ready. They were true Triandese. They were proud that one of theirs would be their number one.
They had quietly stepped over the sleeping drunk in the back office moving the last of the necessary files to the waiting haulers. It gave them great pleasure to know that after tonight, they wouldn't have to see this man ever again.
When he awoke, he sat on the single unbroken chair that had been left by the movers. “Where is everything? Who stole my stuff?”
His next visitor was Zzarrat. The Major peered at him through his hang over. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Zzarrat had nothing but contempt for this broken man. "I should ask you the same thing, Major. You are in the way here. These are my offices now."
"What do you mean?" For the first time, he opened his eyes up enough to look around the room. "Where is everyone? Where is my staff? Who stole my furniture?"
"In case you were too drunk yesterday to remember, COLONEL Mireen is now in charge of this garrizon, now. You have no staff! You are to return to your old office at the maintenance compound."
"I will see about this. I'll sue. They can’t treat me this way." The Major staggered out into the morning heat.
Sheel showed up at her office. She was astounded to see it filled with people and activity. She nodded to a few people and went into her office as if that was normal. In truth, she was scared to death. "All this responsibility." she said, flopping into her chair.
She almost fell to the floor as her phone buzzed. She hit the button, "Yes?"
"The Builders are here for your orders, Ma'am."
She sat up, "Okay, send them in."
Her sister, Tristan came in to the office. "My baby sister... She’s a Lt. Colonel now." She gave her a big hug, "and a new wife, all in one night."
“That’s District Commandant, ya silly buzz gwump."
"Details... details... well, what's ma orders, boss lady?"
"As soon as my new husband and the Cardinal arrive, we’re going look at yer new dam. Now, that’s weird ta say out loud."
Tristan put her arm around the shoulders of her younger sister, "Your crew awaits, Madame Commissioner."
"Don't mix me up with those space gassers...I'm a soldier and that's all I'll ever be..."
"Sorry, Sis..."
"Just don't let it happen again." They laughed, "Come on! We gotta pick up the boys." They stepped out into the hall. Tristan blew her whistle loud. "Two Colonels on the deck!!!" Everyone jumped to attention.
“Quit that! At ease! Pay no attention to this mad woman! And you, you aint a bit funny!” they all laughed and headed for the flitter.
Jim and Zeer leaped out into the hall. They stood at attention with gigantic fake salutes. Tristan smiled sweetly, like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, "Mornin' boys."
Sheel fumed, “I suppose you set that up, too?”
They held formation for a moment, then nearly fell over laughing.
"Y'all very funny... heh, heh, heh..." Sheel punched Jim. She went to punch the Preacher man, but he made a sad face and she pinched his cheek instead, "Boy... one of these days..."
He kissed her on her furry cheek, "Come on, people, that’s enough foolishness. We got work ta do." Together they headed for the flight deck on the roof. Jim naturally stepped between the two lion women with an arm on each one's shoulders, "Work, work, work...that's all we ever do."
They climbed into the flitter, "Tantee, how nice to see you. Got away from the Frog, too, eh?"
"Yep, I knew them flyin' lessons'd make a difference some day. I'm off the old man's service. I'm attatched to Admin Transport," she kissed her older sisters quickly, "and luckily fer me, that means you."
Jim looked stern, “Excuse me! I am Admin here. That means she’s my pi
lot!”
Sheel snapped a salute, “Yes, of course, yer Mage-ness!”
He saluted back, “And, don’t you forget it!”
They all laughed and took seats in the flitter, "Well, pilot darlin' Sargeant-MAJOR Tantee DeNoor, let 'er rip!"
“Sar’nt Major!”
“Yes, Sis. That was a nice operation you spear headed on my Command Center!”
“T’weren’t nuthin’.”
“Yeah it was. You got every file and desk out of there. Then, you got my new operation set up and you got it done in one night. Now, let’s see you fly this thang!”
”Yes, Ma’am!” With a roar and a cloud of dust, the machine lifted smoothly and headed for the new dam site.
Down on the street, a thin, hooded figure looked up and smiled. "And you, ma wee Tantee, will be me watch mouse," he muttered. When the chopper was out of sight, he stepped into a waiting grounder for the trip to their little home on the edge of town.
He settled back in his chair and closed his eyes. In his mind, a clear image of everything Tantee saw and heard was playing as if on a viddy screen. "We're here, Boss," the driver said softly. He knew better than to speak loudly when Patch was ‘meditating.’ Many a player was never seen again when soft voices weren't used around the Admiral in one of his “naps…”.
Patch roused himself, stretched to full height out of the door, and limped inside. Several groups of men appeared to be lounging around in the various doorways and alleys. They all suddenly snapped to active watching all up and down the street. One group closed around Patch as he moved away from his vehicle toward the door. One of the guards, a short, fat man already sweating large circles under the armpits of his tunic, opened the door for Patch. He said, "Anything else, Admiral?"
"You know the drill, Doggy." The fat man motioned to to one of the others. Two men went inside first, checking all the rooms quietly and efficiently. The others resumed their previous nonchallant posing in various parts of the neighborhood. Patch looked at his old partner, smiled gently, handed him his hat, and said, "Doggy, we've been away from the Emerish Navy for more than thirty cycles."
"More likes forty, Sir, countin’ school. I was on yer crew since I could walk." the older man interupted, chin still high, still at attention.
"Okay, forty cycles, then, when will you relax that hard headed station of yours?"
"The men expects it, Sir. You are the greatest pirate what ever lived."
"I've never been an Admiral, nor a Prince of nuttin’for lo these many cycles either, ma wee Doggy!" he said exasperatedly for the thousandth time.
"When we're with the men, you are still the Prince of all the Emerish Planets."
Patch looked at the old wrinkled face and laughed out loud. "I'm gonna take a bath."
At the mention of a bath, three tiny Demarian females appeared. They were barely three feet tall, but they were well formed and quite pretty by Emerish standards to look at. Tantee had hated them at first, but she got used to them after a few moons. The bathtub in Patch's house was nearly two meters deep in places and purely medicinal.
The Demarian people made excellent bathhouse personnel because of their ability to swim and their gills that allowed them to breath above and below the surface of water. They followed Patch into the bathroom. He sat quietly as one checked the bath temperature and two of them gently undressed him, very careful of his many scars.
Vara, the oldest and Patch's favorite asked him, "When we go back to our cool mountains, Patchie Man?"
"When I find out what my brother is hiding, ma sweet. Now gentle me."
"Aye, Aye, Cap'm...."
He said nothing and floated in the warm water, reconnecting with Tantee. They knew that they were to watch him and leave him alone. His new woman was a giant Triandese lion female. Tantee would make two bites of these little blue women. The Demarians placed floating pillows under his neck and shoulders. Then, they began swimming slowly around him keeping the healing, warm waters moving across his burn scars. Yet, they never touched him.
Drifting in the pool, protected from drounding, he remerged with Tantee. What he saw aboard the chopper was Little Jim leaning up and looked over Tantee's shoulder, "Did ya get what I ordered?"
"Yes, Sir. It's under your seat."
He pulled a box out from under the seat. In it was a jug and four crystalline mugs. He poured them each a drink and passed them out. "I say, what's this?" said Zeer.
"Touch a cup, Father. Congrats to one and all."
Sheel looked at her new mate, " Nice touch, darlin'. Let the first meeting of the Emeswan Commission..."
"Ah...excuse me, Madame Commandant, isn't this a Magi Circle?" said Zeer.
"Yes...I guess it is at that. Okay, I stand corrected. Let this first meeting of the Purgatory Magi Circle commence." They all touched glasses and laughed. She nodded at Zeer, "Preacher man, you have the floor."
Zeer handed out copies of the proposal as amended by the VR. They spent the rest of the flight discussing it and getting it ready for resubmission to the Viceroy. Back in his warm tub, Zeer's brother listened to this discussion carefully. He nodded to himself, impressed at his brother’s plan.
Tantee spoke, "Looky there, Sirs. I think we've arrived at the new dam."
She pointed off in the distance at a cloud of smoke and dust that rose and blew around in the valley winds. Tiny people and machines could be seen climbing around on a small structure looking like ants on a hive. They put away their papers and prepared to land. As they got closer, thay could see terraformers were filling in the forms placed across a small river. Tristan touched Tantee's shoulder and pointed in an upward circle. Tantee took them on an aerial tour of the site. As they flew she explained, "We intend to use the canyon walls as the walls of the reservoir."
As they made a high pass along the farthest back wall, Zeer began to pick up a message in his head, "Do you hear that, Dad?"
"Aye, son, I hear them. I think it's Askirabim."
Zeer touched Tantee's shoulder, "I want to see what's out that way." He looked at Sheel. She nodded. They headed further back into the canyon. Up a few klicks farther, Zeer heard the message plainly, "Ta-Namu, you must not allow this."
Zeer turned to Tristan, "Who scouted this canyon?"
Tristan looked in her logue book, "Let's see..." She flipped through the file, "Let me see. It says here that a fly over was handled by the old Commandant himself."
Zeer looked out of his window grimly, "I see."
Tristan squirmed and continued, "The report was that this here canyon was empty."
"Askirabs must not count, sonny." said his father disgustedly.
She hesitated, "Holy Crap! Excuse me, yer Grace. I see the Namu dan now! There's people in here, aint there. You wouldn't be asking me this if'n there wasn't."
"Aye, lass, it's true. Look right down there." He pointed out several Askirabi dugout homes to her. Around the next turn, the central nest and it's Namu Dan could easily be seen. They landed next to it in a cloud of dust, and they were met by their Namu.
She touched two fingers to two of Jim’s fingers, "Father, may I introduce you to Piwot Xing, Namu of this Dan?” He turned back to the Namu.
The old woman began talking quickly to Jim. Zeer heard every word in his head. When they were done, Jim turned and translated for the others. Zeer didn’t even pretend to listen. “We are sorry. We will stop this construction immediately.”
She bowed, “Thank you, Namu- Kalik.”
“It is a blessing to serve Thee.”
Her face split in a toothy smile, “It is a blessing to be served by Thee.”
Jim is telling the others, “This canyon has been their home for several centuries. They are afraid that we mean to drown them when the water rises.”
Zeer spoke quickly, "Tristan, you must call your people. Construction must halt."
"But, Father, caint we jist move 'em."
"Typical..." snorted Zac.
Jim stepped forward. Zeer had ne
ver seen him look this serious. He spoke very softly so that she could learn and not be embarrassed any further. "No, Tris, they have lived in this nest for hundreds of cycles. They just won't move. They will stay here in their homes and drown."
"I see. Well, that's it, then," She hurriedly spoke into her comm unit, "Shut down the project. Now! Proceed to site B, and have somebody in our own units scout the fill basin. Check for life. Yes, Scrubbs ARE life. What’re you thinkin’! I don’t care how many bogus scans were done by the previous administration! Them scans were wrong! Redo ‘em! NOW! Out!"
The old woman bowed to Zeer, "Thank you, Zeer-Namu, We are blessed with such a worthy Father."
He bowed, "Again, my sister, it is a blessing to serve thee."
The old woman bowed returned the blessing, "It is a blessing to be served by thee."
The others only saw the two leaders bowing, unaware of what had really happened. They went inside for a cool drink. As they were walking, he asked, "Piwot-Namu, where can we put our lake?"
Tristan was busy looking at the Dan. She marveled at the way it was constructed of overlaid slabs of carved stone, locked together water tight and cool. Zeer noticed her interest. “Can thee make us one of these in the corner by the Church?
“Sure I can. It would be a test of my skills, but I’m game.”
“Great. This building is called a Namu Dan, a nest. When the Namus come ta visit us in the valley, they will want Dan space like this.”
Jim piped in, “I can help with some of it.” I grew up in Tarrad Washoe. A dan like this was the first house that I have ever lived in not carved from a cliff wall.”
“Okay, I’ll get started right away.”
“Thankee, Tris. I can’t wait to see it.” He returned to Piwot-Namu and their plans. In their minds, the maps were gone over. She showed Zeer the location that was best for all concerned. They had drinks and snack cakes and went out to their flitter.
"Thank you," said Zeer to the old woman. Their chieftains were called Namu. His people climbed back aboard the flitter.
“A Blessng shared is more than doubled, sayeth the Word.” said the old woman in his mind as she waved them off. He was surprised that she knew his Holy Texts.
The back of the flitter was big enough for a company of Guardians. Sheel had set a table full of maps for them to pore over while they flew. Zeer looked through several maps, then picked one. He spread it out on the top of the pile. Matching the map that the old Namu had put in his mind to the Lexan map, Zeer lead the discussions on the new location. He carefully steered the others to pick the spot that the old Namu had showed him. They flew over the area to ensure that there were no mistakes.
Satisfied, they left Tristan at the old dam site. Only the bottom couple of layers of the dam had been Terraplasted. It would make a smaller lake. These waters would not reach Piwot's Dan. As she got out, she touched Zeer's arm. "I am sore ashamed, Father. Those people would have died."
"Let us agree together today to assume that anything that was done by the previous Commandant was screwed up."
"I will do that, Sir. We'll recheck all of the surveys from now on."
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes, "Tristan, you`re a good woman and a great builder. Forget this! No one was hurt. I know that we're gonna do great things together."
She hung her head, "I won't fail again, Father."
"I know. The Master called you here because you're the best." He jumped back into the flitter for the ride home. "See ya."
As she waved to him, it came to her that situations like this made it no surprise to any of them. Zeer had become their leader. She was glad to follow him where ever he took them. He had sure saved her that time. So far, as near as she could tell, all of the good things that had happened had been his idea. Each day, solution by solution, he was proving to be an able leader. As the days passed, they all turned to him more and more for advice and council. He had a special ability to get people to do his bidding and make them think it was their own idea.
As the old fort emptied, the Paronese Council began buying up empty buildings inside the station. For storage, they said. As the lakes were filling, people were getting settled. Taxes were being collected by the Magi Circle and bills were being paid. The mine was back to 70% efficiency ahead of schedule.
Schools were soon open and running in their new buildings outside of the fort. Zopha, Paris’s old friend became principal and organized a teaching crews from anyone they could find. Most of the teachers were Paronese and Ssarrians. They had advanced schooling before shipping out here to be miners. Children were soon attending classes instead of working in the mines.
Paris did what she could, but her training was medical and she had newborn kits to feed several times a day. As the ad hoc Magi Circle, Tristan, Sheel, Jim, and Zeer toured the school. Paris was working in the office, the boys asleep in a play area behind her. Because of his two companions, they spoke aloud, “Is she ready?”
Paris touched a button in front of her. Zopha came out, “Oh, I am so happy to show you our school.”
They went down the cool hall ways passing room after room of youngsters. Paronese kits were studying beside Ssarrian lizard children beside lion and leopard young. Because of the translator environment, they were reciting and reading and working on various tasks in a common language on the way to an education. All agreed that the school was a spectacular success.
Zeer spoke to her mind,“You are doing a superior job, Zopha!” Paris beamed behind her.
“It’s all because of you, Cardinal. If you had not found me down in that mine cave in and saved us, none of this would be happening.”
“Lot’s of people worked together to save you, Little Sister. They are also to be praised.”
“Share it any way you like, Cardinal. I choose to hold you responsible for all of this. Sheel, have we named this school yet?”
Sheel shook her had slightly, “No, Zopha, I never thought about it.”
“I think that this school should be named Cardinal Zeer MacTarn Academy.”
Zeer put up his hands, “Nooo!” The others applauded.
“You are outvoted, Cardinal! This measure passes by acclamation. Tris, can tou make us a sign?"
“I may be able to cook up somethin’.”
Tristan walked over to a cloth covered heap and pulled on the cloth. It fell away leaving a shiny gold colored plasteel sign saying, Cardinal Zeer and Paris MacTarn Academy. A legend at the bottom of the sign went on to tell about their many heroic acts during the recent cave in at the mine and the founding of Purgatory Parish.
“This is ridiculous! I canna allow it!”
Jim looked pensive and turned to the women, “I’m sorry. Is dissent allowed after a legal vote?”
Sheel shook her head, “Nah! This vote is over! The matter is settled!” and they walked back inside leaving Zeer and his wife.
“You did this!” he thought to her, looking grim.
Her tiny voice echoed in his mind, “No, ma hoosband. I knew nothing until today. They kept it from me as well.”
Arm in arm they rejoined their friends for lunch in the school cafeteria. The children gathered around him. He told them stories of the Master’s work among children. He told them how the Master always loved children best. He ended thus, “The Master loved you before anyone. We must seek a way to love each other as much as he loves us.” He spread his arms and blessed each child. The party broke up with hugs and gentle kidding.
His last goodbye was with Little Jim, “Ma Brother, perhaps there is an out house somewhere we can name after thee.” Much laughter trailed off as the various Magi went back to their daily duties.
As he was leaving, Zeer noticed a Par Cat child and an Askirabi child arm in arm, heading back to class. He kept walking, not wanting to make the children uncomfortable.
Zopha noticed his interest, “Aye, yer Grace. They were a natural match. The Paronese can speak standard and mental. We are trying t
hese two out as a way to teach the natives to speak better Standard. These two have become siblings. It is a grand experiment, so far.”
“Great work, Sister.”
She bowed, “It is a blessing to serve Thee.”
He bowed back, “It is a blessing to be served by Thee.”
At one full moon of operation, a viddy conference was held. One by one, each brand new committee acting as a government agency took its turn on the secure space channel with the Viceroy. Sometimes they talked with the Viceroy and sometimes to his people, answering questions, changing plans, and completing their reports.
When they were done, the Viceroy's face wavered into view on all screens. "Is that all?"
Zeer looked around the table. Each in turn nodded to him, "Yes, Sire. We have no further reports."
"Well, people, I think you have done well. The project is progressing nicely. On behalf of thee Imperion, I want to thank you."
"It was our pleasure, Sire. We had your good blue print. Your Colony #10 notes were extremely helpful."
The Viceroy beamed. "Thank you, Cardinal. That is quite a complement."
"Facts are facts, Sire."
"You may continue into the next phase and implement the Magi Circle. When is the election?"
"We can complete the election in two more days, Sire."
"Can we meet again in seven days?"
"We can meet when ever you wish, Sire. We will have second phase reports ready then."
"Thank you." Their screens went blank.
Once the image faded from the screen, the Viceroy looked at the Vicate, "We have chosen well. Those people are moving that project along quickly." He snapped off the viddy screen, stood, and stretched, "I am exhausted. I need a nap after that report."
"Yes, your Majesty, I quite agree." They shook hands and headed for their private chambers. When the Viceroy got to his room, he changed into a soft green bathrobe. As he was preparing to enter his bath, a guard knocked softly on the chamber port. The Viceroy motioned him forward. The guard whispered, "The one eyed man, Zire."
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot." The Viceroy went to a large carved desk by a window and sat down in the raised chair. From this position, he appeared much taller to whomever he was interviewing. "Show him in."
A tall, thin, bent figure hobbled slowly and painfully into the room. He wore a hooded cloak with the hood pulled forward over a wild mop of red hair. The Viceroy never saw his face. He didn't need to, he knew his visitor well.
The man stopped a few metres from the desk, "Your Majesty..." he bowed.
"What have you got for me?"
"I have your regular shipment, Sire." The man took a silken bag from an inner pocket and laid it gently on the desktop.
"A paltry lot," the Viceroy mumbled as he passed each stone through an analyser.
"We have checked the Quallite content of the entire batch, Sire."
"And..."
"The Quallium ore that we are getting off of Tara is 30% lighter in pure Quallite than it was a cycle ago. My people think that maybe this planet is playing out."
"I need more and more of it to maintain my life style. Prices are getting worse all the time."
"We are trying, Sire. As you know, most of the little mines are gone and the big mines are getting better protected."
"Yes, the Empra's paranoid need for security causes problems." He waved disgustedly, dismissing the man. The smuggler backed slowly out of the room maintaining his bow. Once out of sight, he limped slowly toward the flight deck, entered his ship, and sat in the pilot's seat. He motioned to the pilot. The pilot spoke into his comm set, "Ready for take off?"
"Ready, Sir. Follow vector A-niner-L-3."
"Check..." quickly he entered the steering instructions into the ship's computer. The pilot threw the throttle forward. His little ship seemed to leap out of the flight bay and into space. Once out of the traffic patterns, he set the coordinates for Tarra and hit the auto pilot button. He turned to his passenger, "All set, sir. Nothin' ta do now but ride."
"Aye, lad, I think I'll just wait back there."
"Yes sir," he turned back to the panel as the man limped back to the small cabin and crawled into the bunk. The pilot said softly, "Sure, and who wouldn't want a little nap with dat cargo ta abide wiff."
MacTarn snuggled up to the sleeping woman, "That frog gets stupider by the moon, T."
Only half awake, Tantee rolled into his arms, "Patchie, what are you cookin' up now?"
"That Toad is livin' in the past, T. Each and every mine on Tarra is runnin' out of Quallium. What little is left is poorer and poorer in grade. We refine less and less Quallite out of every shipment."
"So, does that mean that we are through here?"
"No, darlin', I think that my sainted little brother has found something that will make us all fergit Quallite."
"So?"
"So, nuthin', Miss...I think he's got Verdollium."
"Where?"
"I don't know yet. It's hard ta pump him without tippin' ma hand. I will have to be patient, go slow, and play him out."
"Well, yer the best I ever seen at that game, Patch Man."
"And with you piloting him around, you can help me keep an eye on him." At this word of praise, she snuggled up to her man and beamed to herself.
"I am yours to command. I feel us growing closer each day. I am yours, darlin. I love that you need me."
More than you will ever know, me sweet, sweet thing, he said to himself.
He raised up on one elbow and looked at her, "So. How are we gonna use this twelve hour trip back to Tarra?"
She smiled slyly and moved in closer to him. The silky sheet that covered her fell away revealing her lack of military atire. Neither of them seemed too upset about her breach of military protocol. "Gee, Patchie, I dunno. How are we? "
He lay back and closed his eyes. "I'm too tired to make any decisions," he mumbled.
She began to gently undress him, "Let's... try... this..."
Back at the Palais, the Viceroy was dressing quickly, his bath forgotten. He then scooped up the latest shipment of Quallium and put it back into its pouch.
Looking around to make sure that no one was watching, he touched a panel in the wall behind him. A panel slid open, and he stepped inside. He touched another button and the panel slid shut. A cool, musty breeze blew in his face from up a flight of stone steps. To the Viceroy that smell meant money. Under this place was was his secret storehouse.
Placing one hand on the slimy, cool, stone wall to steady himself, he went quickly down the steps, through a series of hallways and rooms carved from the rock below his mountain retreat. He placed the pouch on a scale, smiled, and wrote the ammount in a ledger. Then he placed the pouch on a growing pile of similiar pouches gathered from his many sources. He ran back up the steps, and, checking the room through a peep hole, slipped back into his chamber.
He undressed humming to himself. Naked, he padded across his suite to the bath. Slipping beneath the warm muddy water, he closed his eyes as the young breeders began to swim around him in the murky water. Almost ignoring the young females, he let them have their way. In a dreamlike state, he remembered finding this place back when he had still been governor of Colony #10.
Even as a boy on vacation, he had liked to wander the backwashes of the universe searching for interesting places. He had continued the practice when he had become governor of this quadrant. The Royal court had long since become bored with his antics and eventually no one would even go with him on these trips. He had pretended to be hurt, but, in reality, that was just what he had wanted. Only completely alone, away from prying eyes and ears could he have found such an old fortress on this out of the way planet.
He had brought his Major Domo here to begin building what he had called his retirement palais. The Domo was astounded when he first saw the small moon with its tumbled down castle that he had purchased. "Why build way out here, Governor? There are but a few hundred people, mostly earthers
to serve thee."
As if he had no plan, he replied innocently. "Oh, it is a quiet place where I can dream and write in my old age. We can bring a few people with us when we come out to stay so we don't get lonely."
Satisfied that the Royal family was still nuts, the Domo went back to Colony #10 and never thought about it again. In secret, he hired an engineer to oversee the project. Working with hand picked people, each coming from different quadrants, they built the new palais over the foundation of the old castle. They had used much of the old rocks from the castle walls to make the palais look centuries old. Inside of the stone walls were terraplast walls to make the place nearly impregnable to blaster attacks. All along, they had connected the new walls to secret tunnels that lead down to the dungeons of the old castle.
Once it was completed the crews gathered to collect their pay and head on to the next job. They lifted off and headed out to deep space. Out past the third moon, they tried to jump to star speed. There was an explosion so big that the entire construction crew died. Now, the only person in the galaxy who knew about the rooms filling up with quallite, gold, and jewels down below was the Viceroy.
He learned to live very frugally while appearing to spend as much as his peers. He had many outfits made that he could mix and match to appear that he was always buying new clothes and living in the standard, lavish life style of the other members of court. All of his spare money had gone into the storerooms under this new home.
When he was in court, he attended all the right parties. To save money, he was careful to give very few parties. He would stay only for short visits by arranging for some threatening message to be delivered that would become his excuse to prove that the pressures of the governorship of a frontier full of pirates were too pressing and he simply must get back.
In reality, he had always hated court life and was glad for any excuse to leave it. "No life for a soldier," he would grumble when he saw his brothers wasting their lives and fortunes living in such high style. This manner of living allowed him to accumulate much stashed and secret wealth. He had used his secret stash more than once to finance political moves.
"As we know," he told his image in the mirror, "accidental' deaths can be very expensive." And then he would squeak with laughter at his wit. Fortune smiled on him twice within a single moon. He followed his "accidentally" dead uncle from a governor's mansion to the Palais of the Viceroy. The second stroke of luck was that, after only six moons as Viceroy, Quallium had been discovered on Tarra, a tiny, out of the way planet that he owned in his sector.
Using a need to keep close to the mines on Tarra as an excuse, the new Viceroy had turned his retreat into his Viceregal Palais, giving the old Governor's mansion to his aunt so that she would not be turned out of her home. The Empra accepted his excuse for moving to this location. It placed him more at the center of his sector and solved two other problems as well. The Empra recognized that the young Viceroy was ambitious and this new job would keep him busy far from court.
Second, the extravagance of this Palais project by his nephew had saved him from having to spend any of his precious credits building another home for his half sister, the former Vice Regent. The Empra was as cheap as a miser. He knew that he would have had to support her back at court if she had lost her home. She had loved the idea of returning to the Court at Frogance. She would never have been able to live in this manner on the money that she had left to her. Now, with being able to keep her home and her new pension, she could.
The mines of Tarra quickly became the jewel in the Imperial crown and the young Viceroy moved up to prime contender's position for heir apparent. In the last ten cycles, untold billions of credits had been dug from the bowels of that planet, and he had seen to it that an enormous share has ended up in his pockets. Careful manipulation of various sources and the discreet use of pirates and other black marketeers had filled his storerooms with hidden wealth. He had slowly begun to arm and place legions in readiness for the struggle that would follow the death of his oldest brother.
Money in the right hands had caused the deaths of two older half brothers and an older half sister when the last flyer in a squadron of fighters on a parade flyover had crashed into the reviewing stand. Comforted by the visit to the vault, the Viceroy began to stir a bit, ready to enjoy the wonders found in his Pond. It was in a special glass enclosure through a portal on the far side of the huge office. It had cost him a month's Quallium to move this pond here from Home World. He felt the water stir around him. "Mmmmm...here they come..." he opened one eye, "I wondered what kept you..."
The new breeders that he had brought in from Home world surrounded him in the pond. They drew him to a shallow, warm place. Tido, one of his favorites, put her head on his chest, "Princey... where you been? We been waitin' here..."
"He kissed her softly, "I'm sorry, baby... a prince has much to do..."
"Do me..."
"No, me" They all began to swim around him.
"Girlz... girlz... plenty for all..." and there was.