The Fireseed Wars

Maldar nodded. "Anyway, Sirna, being in the way, was sent off with the new Great Queen of Hos-Harphax to Harphax City. Since Queen Lavena is a Hostigi, both women are fish out of water-as they say on Fourth Level Europo-American-and they appear to have become close allies or even friends. Lavena has even made her a Baroness and given her a significant stipend.

"It was my idea that we could convince Sirna to act as our eyes and ears within the Harphaxi Royal Court."

"Good idea. How do you suspect she'll react to all this?"

Maldar laughed. "With great distress, since she's had over a moon half to contact the Harphax Kalvan Study Team and has made no effort to do so. Once she realizes her position and what we can do to make her life miserable, we should be able to flip her like a pancake."

"Do it. We could really use someone inside the Harpahxi Royal Circle. The situation in the Upper Middle Kingdoms is in flux. According to our man inside Thebra City, Styphon's House fleet is about to ferry Soton's army to Argrys City. Meanwhile, Phidestros is preparing a force to settle the Thaphigos' hash once and for all.

"The Grand Host is on its way to lay siege to Thagnor City. At the moment, we don't know what Kalvan plans to do about it. However, his new fortifications will make Thagnor City a very tough nut to crack. With the Darro Creek running through it and all the hills, Hostigos Town was almost impossible to fortify. That's not the case in Thagnor City, not with Kalvan's new earthworks. It looks like the Grand Host has its work cut out for it."

THIRTY-FOUR

Hadron Tnarn pressed his thumb into the ID plate at the residence of Hasthor Flan and the door whooshed open. Tharn had spent half-a-million Paratemporal Exchange Units purchasing the thumb-lock override that allowed him to open the locks of any door on First Level. He was on the 685th Floor of the University Towers where Councilman Flan's residence took up one quarter of the entire floor.

Politics must pay well, he thought. leant wait to see the Councilman's face when I pop-up in his bedroom unannounced. His wife's, too.

He entered the darkened foyer followed by his bodyguard, Warntha Swarn, who moved like a shadow. Warntha was very useful if any bodily persuasion was required. Although as his mana had grown, Tharn had discovered qualities within himself that he'd never anticipated. For some strange reason, people are always so anxious to be helpful, he thought wryly.

He'd been in Hasthor's residence before, so he had no trouble navigating the hallways to the bedroom using just his pin-light. The door's not even locked! Oh to be so trusting.

He touched the light-plate three times and the bedroom was lit up like an aircar landing stage. Both Hasthor Flan and his wife bolted upright out of their bed.

"What are you doing here, Tharn?" Hasthor stammered. "There are more warrants for your arrest than there are fingers on my hands!"

"I guess you don't want to be associated with a known felon, Flanny, old friend. Well, now that I think about it, that never stopped you from taking my campaign contributions. Did it now?"

Hasthor's wife, a wizened woman of indeterminate age, looked at Warntha and started to shriek.

"Shut her up!" he commanded.

Warntha yanked her out of bed and slapped her so hard for a moment it appeared he'd broken her neck, as she soundlessly slumped to the floor. Her body convulsed, shook once or twice, and then stopped. A low rattling noise from her throat confirmed that she was only unconscious, not dead.

Hasthor's hands were out in supplication. "Why did you have to hurt her?"

"I wanted your full attention, Councilman."

"W… w… what do you want from me?"

"I wanted to congratulate you on the Censure Motion you passed against our wayward top Paracop, Verkan Vail. One of my spies just informed me that Verkan has just resigned from the Paratime Police. A long-delayed action; one I was beginning to believe I would never be able to savor!"

"So you're not mad at me, you just broke into my residence to crow?"

Tharn nodded and Warntha's hand shot out and grasped the Opposition Party's chief by the throat.

"And to think I was coming here to congratulate you, you ungrateful piece of human garbage."

Hasthor, whose face was now brick red, tried to speak but all that came out was a sputtering garble.

"It's lucky for you that I still find you useful, Councilor. Warntha, release him. Let me warn you, Flanny, any more of your disrespect will cost you the opportunity of a lifetime."

"What's that?" Flan cried, massaging his throat while his eyes filled with greed.

"Tomorrow in the Council you're going to call for a Vote of No Confidence against Management Party. When Management fails to muster enough votes to continue, you are going to be nominated for General Manager."

Speaking to Tharn as if he were a untutored intern, Hasthor pompously said, "It's too early for a Crisis of Confidence; it would be a waste of time and Opposition would lose face."