"I wouldn"t mind advising one; I"ll go that far.
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The Pact needs some serious reworking or it will come apart. I don"t want to stand by and watch it unravel if I can help stop it."
"Of course," she said in patent disbelief.
"Yes," he insisted with such conviction that she began to believe him. "I am not qualified for the job and I don"t want it. But," he added in a gen- tler voice, "I do want to marry the High Secretary"s widow." Before she could think of something to say, he went on. "It wasn"t possible before, and I didn"t think about it. Now it is pos- sible and it"s something I want, if you want me."
Jessine was fl.u.s.tered. "What do you expect me to say?" She mistimed a turn around an aban- doned mining building and the aircar rocked as she steadied it
"I"m trying not to expect anything." He smiled at her. "Think about it, though, will you, Jessine?"
"Ver, this is Command Central. Ships in ques- tion are Navy and are under Protectorate supervision. Repeat, under Protectorate super- vision. They have been dispatched to the Haiken Maru polar complex."
"Good enough. Thanks," said Ver.
They were over the city at last, and Jessine had to give her full attention to driving. She had the Kona Tatsu identification on once again. Try as
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she would she could not keep from thinking about everything Ver had said- reports are that there is still fighting at the Palace," Ver informed her as his communica- tions bank came to life again. That could be a problem if we land inside the walls. We ought to consider -"
"Why did you come after me, then, if you don"t want to be High Secretary?" she blurted out, surprising herself almost more than she sur- prised him.
"Because I love you," he said. "I couldn"t bear to see you lolled. You are the one thing I"m not willing to lose." With an effort he made himself more professional. "The Kona Tatsu men at Horizon Park were all... occupied. I couldn"t di- vert any of them to protect you." He bit his lower
iip.
A little later, as they rushed above the chaos of the streets, Jessine said, "I love you too, Damien." As she spoke the words she realized she had never told him before.
"We"ve got company," Ver said, his holo- graphic display showing three Navy a.s.sault boats closing on them from side-streets.
"What do you want me to do?" Jessine asked, all business again.
"Keep going. Make sure the shields are on
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full." He coded in for more information but received very little.
The communications bank relayed a message.
"Admiral Sclerida has arrived at the Secretarial Palace. The Edward Teach makes direct attack inadvisable."
"I should think so," said Ver, giving a critical look to the holographic representation of the for- midable destroyer.
"Then what should we do?" Jessine asked, for the Palace was dead ahead of them and they were coming up on the walls fast. "Land?
What?"
"Reduce speed," said Ver, and looked toward the windows.
The Edward Teach hung over the Palace like a baleful cloud, dark, enormous and threatening.
"This could be difficult," he said to Jessine as the aircar diminished its speed.
From the side-streets the three Navy a.s.sault boats appeared, moving quickly to box them in.
Jessine flashed the Kona Tatsu identification but the a.s.sault boats did not move off.
"What"s this all about?" she asked of the air.
"Damien - "
Two short blasts of heavy fire cut across their bow.
"What the -!" Jessine burst out, slowing the aircar still more.
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A third shot would have plowed into the nose of their craft but the shielding held while the vehicle bucked and slithered against the impact.
Another shot was fired, this one a hyperveloc- ity missile aimed directly at the power packs.
"It"s not responding," Jessine shouted to Ver.
"We"re going down," he said, and reached out for her hand.
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Chapter 17.
Tira was half-dressed as she sat on the end of the rumpled bed. She was reloading her Samtoepoe A7mark923 while Chaney toweled himself dry. "Tell me," she said conversationally, "do you think any of us will make it through this?"
"You mean the coup attempt?" He wrapped
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the towel around his waist and began to gather up his scattered clothes.
"Yes. By this time tomorrow, are we going to be dead?" She satisfied herself that the pistol was ready to fire and put it back in her tattered reticule.
"I hope not," said Chaney seriously.
She nodded. "But there"s still a chance it could happen, isn"t there?"
He was about to dismiss her fears when there was a roaring explosion and the main door of the suite gave way. The sound of breaking glastic and falling debris silenced both of them.