Deathstalker 01 - Deathstalker

disappeared. She was so bright, so funny. Nowadays they keep us under guard as much as possible. Understandable, I suppose, but it makes for a very quiet life."
    Robert nodded. "And now, here we are, about to get married. It's going to seem strange, having lifelong enemies as my in-laws."
    "Same here," said Letitia, clapping her hands together suddenly and grinning
    wickedly. "Do you Campbells really eat babies for breakfast?"
    "Oh, every day. Beats the hell out of bran flakes."
    "Maybe we'll bring our Families together, like we're supposed to. Stranger things have happened. Bobby…"
    "Yes, Tish?"
    "If I have to marry someone, I'm glad it's someone like you."
    "Same here, Tish. Same here."
    She put out her hand, and he took it gently, enfolding her small slender fingers in his. And they sat there, smiling together, for an endless moment. And then Adrienne came bustling in.
    "All this time, and you've only got as far as holding hands? I don't know what's wrong with you young people these days. I'd have had him pinned up against the wall by now. But time's up, I'm afraid. Finlay sent me to fetch you, Robert.
    Urgent Family business, and your presence is required."
    Robert gave Letitia's hand one last squeeze and got to his feet. "Family business is always urgent, especially when it's inconvenient. I'm glad we had this chance to talk, Tish. I'll see you shortly."
    "Bye," said Letitia, and blew him a kiss. Robert snatched it out of midair, put it in an inner pocket over his heart, and only then allowed Adrienne to lead him away.
    It turned out to be quite a Family gathering, all squeezed together in a side room, with guards outside the door to make sure they wouldn't be disturbed.
    Finlay was there, at his most outrageously foppish, studying Adrienne through his pince-nez as though she were a stranger. William and Gerald were arguing quietly but heatedly, barely stopping to nod to Robert as he closed the door
    behind him. He took in their earnest faces, and his heart dropped. Something bad was in the wind. He could feel it. Finlay cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him.
    "The Campbell himself cannot be here in person," he said flatly. "He's had a communication from our allies on Shub. It came via a series of espers, so we're pretty sure it wasn't intercepted. It seems that some other House has discovered our connection with Shub."
    "Wait a minute," said Robert. "Hold everything. What's this about Shub? What allies have we got on that hellhole?"
    "You have a right to know," said Finlay. He sounded surprisingly articulate, for once. "Now that you're to be a central part of Family business. But you cannot discuss this with anyone outside the Family; not even your wife. No one must know. Our existence as a House depends on this. For some time now, we've been secretly intriguing with the rogue AIs on Shub, in defiance of Empire policy.
    The Enemies of Humanity have been passing us designs for advanced technology to help us win the contract for mass-production of the new stardrive in return for us making the drive available to them. They are desperate to remain the Empire's equal, and we need to contract. Our finances are somewhat depleted at the moment."
    "To be exact," said Adrienne, "we're in deep shit. If we don't get the contract, we're ruined. Bankrupt."
    William winced, but nodded. "We must win the contract if we are to survive as a Clan. Everything depends on it."
    "Anyway," said Finlay, "it appears someone has found out. They can't have any definite proof yet, or they'd have turned us in to the Empress. And we'd all be facing a quick trial and a lingering execution."

    "Can you blame them?" said Robert hotly. "We're working with the AIs on Shub?
    They're dedicated to wiping out Humanity in its entirety, and we're giving them the new stardrive? Is it just me, or is this completely bloody crazy!"
    "Please don't shout," said Finlay. "This has all been discussed and decided at the highest Clan levels. We have absolutely no intention of giving them the drive, whatever happens. We are ambitious and desperate but not, as you say, crazy."
    "In the meantime," said Adrienne, "it's vital we find out who knows our secret.
    That's why you're here, Robert. We're already running several clandestine operations to discover our enemy, and you're uniquely suited to investigating the Shrecks. But you're not to discuss this with your wife. She may be marrying into the Campbells, but for now she's still a Shreck. Use her, but