Chapter 46

It was obvious during the rest of our excursion that Aramissa was deep in thought for much of the time. Although she equally obviously enjoyed the visits to the other lower quarters as well as a couple of middle-class districts that we packed into the day. Afterwards we all returned to our group’s quarters to see the others whilst she hurried off, no doubt to speak to her brother.

“How was your day, my love?” I asked Amanda after a hug and a kiss.

“Boring, as they got the protocols right ... mostly, and then tried to change things in the agreements to favour the Hegemony,” she sighed.

“None of which can be changed as Nild himself had signed off on them, I presume?” I chuckled.

“Correct. Didn’t stop them trying though. They appeared to believe I can’t see through honeyed lies and verbal gibberish with the odd insulting barb thrown in for good measure,” she nodded.

“Take it the AI gave you a summary of what they’d actually said?” I asked.

“Oh yes, but it didn’t stop the long-winded demands couched as requests.”

“Only one more day to go, my love,” I chuckled.

“Yes, thank the gods.”

“My day was fun,” I said, changing the subject.

“I suspect everyone on the planet apart from those of us in that meeting had more fun, Dayyev,” Amanda laughed. “So, who did you offend now?”

I retold the events of my day to her; the incident with the guards making her smile, though she looked surprised when I mentioned Nild and rejuve.

“Mum might be persuaded, though I suspect Nild’s advisors may have reservations as to the possible hidden price behind obtaining it,” Amanda mused out loud. “Not that I think Mum would use it to gain influence, just that we’re dealing with people brought up in an age of serious paranoia from the previous Hegemon.”

“I suspect it wouldn’t just be Nild and family, but other high officials too who are important to the running of the Hegemony. Might just be easier to sell them the formula and the technical knowhow to make it,” I suggested.

“Probably, though it really depends on whether they’ll ask,” Amanda agreed as Torric emerged from a separate room.

“All rested now?” I asked him.

“Yes, a long but productive interrogation,” he answered.

“I take it he knew more than expected?” Amanda asked.

“A lot more. Their memory stripping techniques failed to remove his subconscious data and I was able to tap into that for various answers.”

“Anything of use to us?”

“Yes. The payments came from a source on the planet Hruta, a manufactory making parts for an Imperial company,” Torric began.

“Making parts to Imperial spec?” Verlig asked, frowning.

“Apparently so. Untraceable parts at that.”

“As in the parts used in medical seal mimickers?” Amanda asked.

“Very much so, Serenissimé,” Torric confirmed.

“I think I’m going to have to ask a favour of Aramissa,” Amanda replied with a grim smile.

“I take it he didn’t know which company in the Empire was being supplied?” Verlig asked.

“No, Verlig. Just that they were. His organisation was involved in the security on the freighters, though the destination in all cases was Kansdoorf.”

“Pretty sure the AIs will have traces,” Verlig nodded.

“Other than that, it was an attempt to get at Dayyev in order to warn you off, Serenissimé. After a successful attempt a message would have been delivered anonymously,” Torric explained. “Apparently they didn’t know Dayyev had a bodyguard.”

“Small mercies,” I chuckled.

“I take it the organisation behind the assassin does not know he is alive?” Amanda asked.

“Not as far as we are aware, Serenissimé,” Torric replied. “They may do, though getting at him would be difficult.”

“If he’s known to be alive, it might hinder further investigation into whoever hired him, is all,” Amanda nodded thoughtfully.

“It does mean I’ll have to be on my guard when out and about,” I added. “Kind of explains who and why that company were observing me as well.”

“As yet we have no proof of any connection, but yes, it does seem likely,” Trusha agreed.

“Yes, too many unlikely coincidences otherwise,” Amanda nodded. “Have the Gloriana relay the information obtained to ImpSec. I’ll also speak to my mother about it during the scheduled conference call.”

“Serenissimé,” both Trusha and Torric replied.

We were all relaxing on the comfortable furnishings in the central area when the AI informed us that Nild, Lisumi and Aramissa were requesting entry, which was naturally granted. Polite greetings were exchanged as our visitors entered and took seats as well.

“I’m assuming Ser Torric brought you up-to-date with our findings?” Nild asked Amanda.

“Yes. I can only apologise for the trouble it has put the Hegemony to,” she replied.

“Please, Amanda, it was no trouble at all,” Nild smiled. “Liono resolved it before anyone was hurt.”

“Thank you, but it was never our intent to bring Imperial problems with us.”

“Well, we have learned a few things as well; including a massive fraud in customs dues being played out on Hruta as we have no records of any exports from there to the Empire,” Nild replied. “Aramissa’s people are looking into it as well as determining who profited from it.”

“It’s quite a break for us,” Aramissa added. “We’re still a relatively small organisation in terms of the size of the Hegemony and mostly we’ve been working on Tarsil itself, other than a few well-known major abuses reported to us.”

“Finding honest folk to work there being a major problem for us,” Nild sighed. “We are getting there though. Yet it may well be the work of a century ... of our years that is.”

“Yes, your system works ... to a degree, but it does appear to be endemically corrupt the higher up you go.”

“Except at the very top,” Aramissa added with a chuckle.

“True,” Nild smiled. “Though it was your intriguing offer to Aramissa that has our interest piqued, Dayyev.”

“It was totally off the books. I hadn’t even spoken to Amanda about it,” I admitted.

“Yes, Aramissa suspected you hadn’t,” Nild nodded.

“He did mention it when he returned,” Amanda joined the conversation, “and I see no reason why mother would refuse ... from our end that is.”

“Yes, though I can’t imagine some of our Court being any too happy about an undying Hegemon,” Nild chuckled. “They’ve tended to undermine the competent ones by corrupting their offspring.”

“Which is why I’ve held off having a child,” Lisumi added. “Much as we wish for one.”

“There are also the political aspects. Some of the Court would seek to undermine me by accusations of being an Imperial puppet.”

“The Empire would probably sell you the process and the means to produce it,” Amanda replied. “Letting those accusations wither on the vine.”

“Certainly something to think on,” Nild nodded thoughtfully.

“You’d also be wise to build the production facility within the palace itself, where your Kilios guards can keep an eye on it.”

“Assuming the Empress says yes, I’d have to agree with that statement, brother,” Aramissa added.

“I’ll speak to Amantil later, though if you could mention it to her in your conference call?” Nild requested Amanda.

“Of course, Nild. It will give her some time to consider her response,” Amanda nodded.

“Our attempt to eliminate Dayyev as a warning to Amanda failed,” Noll informed the group.

“How was it thwarted?” Trask asked.

“Apparently he has a bodyguard from the Imperial family and they spotted the attempt as the assassin had to wait until the target ventured from the Hegemonial Palace.”

“Annoying, but perhaps not wasted as they will consider their actions, no doubt,” Vollt noted thoughtfully. “Traceability to us?”

“The assassin was reported severely injured in the attempt and died whilst being transported. Our agents in the Hegemonial Court are reporting an investigation of several Nobles who were bitterly opposed to the Princess’s visit.”

“I meant from the Imperial side,” Vollt replied.

“The Hegemon will be speaking to Amantil about it later. We have no indications of what may be discussed.”

“Assuming the truth of the matter over the death of the assassin I’d say we had nothing to worry about,” Vrice stated thoughtfully. “Even if alive he will have been mindwiped before attempting to kill Dayyev.”

“True,” Noll agreed as the meeting came to a close.

By special invitation I was, later that evening, in the quarters of Lisumi. Though quarters is a somewhat misleading term to describe a whole wing of the Hegemonial Palace. I was there to sketch, naturally, though my subject was not specifically Lisumi, but the ladies-in-waiting and various other female retainers who looked after whatever activities Lisumi got up to.

The outer door to the wing was naturally guarded, though it was obvious that they weren’t regular Hegemonial guards, but were all female and very competent. They only scanned me as I entered and gave Liono the professional respect due to an Imperial bodyguard.

“Always amuses me how no one checks you in the day-to-day stuff, despite you probably having enough weapons to start a small war,” I chuckled in an aside to her.

“They trust me to only use them in your defence,” Liono replied. “ These are Kilios trained, I recognise the signs.”

“Ah, like our close protection teams?”

“Yes.”

Lisumi was delighted to see me and told the various ladies to simply relax and keep it informal around me. “He doesn’t see the title but the person,” she explained.

“So why a full wing to yourself?” I asked her as I began the sketches.

“Tradition mostly. That, plus it’s a sanctuary in a sense, as by law no male can enter without my permission,” she replied.

“Even Nild?”

“Well ... no, but unlike previous Hegemons he doesn’t anyway; nor does he letch after my retainers either.”

“Sounds more like the original intent of the place was a harem.”

“You may be right, but now it’s a place I use for the administration of the charitable work I do,” she replied, looking amused as a couple of the ladies looked shocked at my bluntness.

“So long as it isn’t a golden cage,” I nodded.

“It isn’t, though I rarely leave the Palace. I’m not so bold as Aramissa. My parents were quite strict with me and as a daughter I had no real say or power in their household.”

“The Oramiral seems cordial enough now,” I replied, puzzled.