"Stop it!" lira said sharply.
Wiley, who looked very pale and worn, and whose hair and clothes were matted with drying blood, spoke up. "Don"t give in. Its all for noth- ing if you do."
Admiral Sclerida tightened his grip on the boy.
"Shut up."
"Don"t listen to him," Wiley said.
"Wiley!" Tira cried out
"Does it bother you, Tira, seeing him like this?
I found him under a pile of dead and dying Guards. It seemed they were trying to save him."
His chuckle was unbearable. "I kept him from being crushed. Didn"t I?"
Wiley did not answer.
230.
"So, for you and" - he smiled again - "for all those watching this, here are my terms. You are to recognize me as the official guardian of the late High Secretary"s two minor children, that is, Tira and Wiley here, and give me full discretion- ary powers in all Pact matters. Or you can kill all of us and the Pact will go into chaos. One or the other. Your choice."
Ver stood back from the console. "Four min- utes ago, you say?"
"Closer to eight now," said the console techni- cian.
Jessine stood behind Ver, her hand to her mouth. "Stop him. Stop him."
231.
Chapter 19.
Chaney was proud to have Tira beside him as he faced his father across the littered floor. His Meinhauser was pointed toward the floor but he held onto it with determination.
The Navy soldiers had been ordered back to the door, and they gathered there now, staring in at the confrontation.
232.
"You"d better kill me," said Wiley quietly- "You can stop him if you kill me. He won"t have any- thing to -"
"No," said Tira.
"No," Chaney agreed. "That isn"t the answer."
"It"s for the Pact," protested Wiley. "If he gets his hands on it, he"ll run it into the ground."
Admiral Sclerida laughed, "I had no idea you cared so much for the Pact."
"Neither did I," said Wiley quietly. "But I won"t let it fall to you."
"Then your sister will have to kill you. Or my son will have to loll me. And then, naturally, my men would be forced to open fire. So you see, you really have no choice." The Admiral was very pleased with himself and smug in his triumph.
Tira half-raised her weapon, then faltered.
"Of course, you, Tira, could shoot me and Yon could shoot your brother. It might be easier that way." Admiral Sclerida beamed at Chaney. "Do you think she"ll do it, son?"
"Don"t call me that," said Chaney.
"If I am -shall we call it regent? Yes, lets. If I am regent, then you will advance very high in the world. You will not have to be a lieutenant any more. You can command whole battalions, for all I care, and become a Commodore before I die."
"Tm not interested," said Chaney.
233.
Chelsea Quinn farbro
"Why don"t you loll us, then?" asked Tira. "Get it over with?"
"First, because I am enjoying myself. Second,!
happen to need you. You are p.a.w.ns, but very neces- sary p.a.w.ns. Once I am established, that will be another situation, and it may be that you will hamper me. But both of you are young and well-born, and should be worth something at the bargaining table.
No doubt I can use one of you to sweeten a truce with a marriage?" He laughed again, and spoke to Chaney. "That would bother you, wouldnl it, Yon?"
"If you"re trying to goad me into shooting you, you"re doing a good job," said Chaney tightly.
Admiral Sderida saw the anger in his son"s eyes. "I think it would be a good idea for you to put your gun down now. You"re getting over the shock of seeing me. Put it down. Or I will injure this boy very badly." This time there was merry antic.i.p.ation in his smile- "Or shoot me."
Chaney ground his teeth. His arm rose once and he tried to aim the Meinhauser at Admiral Sderida. But he could not force himself to shoot his father, and he d.a.m.ned himself for his weak- ness. The pistol slid from his fingers and dattered to the floor.
"That was sensible of you," approved Admiral Sderida. "You don"t believe it now, but in time you"ll see you"ve done the right thing."
234.
Half-turning to lira, Chaney whispered, "I"m sorry."
"It"s all right," she said, and raised her own gun.
"Ah, ah, ah," warned Admiral Sderida. the aim of his Campriani shifting from Wiley to Chaney.
"He may not be able to shoot me, but I have no such hesitation to kill him. Put your gun down, or you can watch both of these men die."
Reluctantly, lira shifted her grip on the pistol to the end of the b.u.t.t and let it down easily to the floor. "Don"t hurt either of them."
"Not if it isn"t necessary," said Admiral Sderida, He made a dismissing gesture. He sig- naled his remaining troops. There were only nine of them still alive and unwounded, and they responded to his summons with alacrity, their weapons up and ready.
"We must make arrangements for you. Now that you arc orphans, it is the least that I can do."
He released Wiley, pushing him away. "Go to your sister. And you, son, come here."
"I don"t think so." said Chaney as he drew Wiley between him and lira.
What Admiral Sderida might have answered to this defiance none of them ever learned. Uke Nemesis herself. Cousin Helga burst out of the doset, lira"s Samtoepoe A7mark923 dutehed in her hands like a two-handed sword of G.o.d.
235.