Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

can't believe Valentine turned me down. It's so obviously in both our interests to work together against our common enemies, that even he should have been able to see the advantages. All right, he's a drug-soaked weirdo with no more common sense than a leper playing volleyball, but if we'd stood together, no one would have dared stand against us."
    "Can't say I'm sorry," said Toby. "Valentine may be number one at the moment, but there's no one here who likes or trusts him, despite all the smiles in his direction. Putting a good PR shine on an alliance between you two would have really strained my creativity. You'd have a better chance of selling lepers'
    fingers as a fashion accessory. So what now, Uncle? Move to Plan B?"
    "What's Plan B?" said Grace suspiciously. "No one's mentioned any Plan B to me.
    Honestly, Gregor, you never tell me anything anymore."
    "That's because you don't need to know anything; just shut up and do as you're told. Stay here with Toby. Don't move. I'll take care of Plan B."
    Gregor stalked away without looking back. He knew they wouldn't move without his permission. Plan B was the Chojiros. If the first Family wouldn't deal, there was always the chance the second might. He kicked his way through the deep snow, and people moved quickly to get out of his way. But he no more noticed that than the air that he breathed. He drew himself up before BB Chojiro, glared briefly
    at the Investigator beside her to show he wasn't intimidated, and then bowed briefly to BB. She bowed back, calm and assured. Razor ignored him.
    "We have a common enemy in the Wolfes," Gregor said flatly. "May I suggest that it is in our interest to combine against Valentine? You produce the computers for his starships, and I make the shells; but as long as he controls production of the new stardrive, we have to run our businesses to suit him. With just the right pressure and timing, he could ruin either one of us, even drive us out of business completely, so he could move in and take over. I had planned to work with the Campbells, back when they looked to be in the lead for the stardrive contract. We had an understanding. That's why I permitted a linking marriage.
    But that fell through, and Valentine won't deal. I work under his conditions or I don't work at all. And that is completely unacceptable. So I need an ally to make sure I don't get squeezed out, and you need someone to watch your back while you work with him. We could both profit from such a union, and after all, neither of us has any cause to love Valentine."
    "Both?" said BB. "I think not. All the profit would be on your side. We don't need you, Lord Shreck, and you have nothing we want. Yes, you build shells, but anyone can build shells. And to be honest, Lord Shreck, we're rather choosy about who we ally ourselves with."
    "You little bitch," hissed Gregor, and before he really knew what he was doing, his hand was shooting out to grab her by the throat. He hadn't even got close before Investigator Razor's hand shot out to intercept his. Gregor's pudgy white hand disappeared entirely inside Razor's big black fist, and Gregor cried out as Razor clamped down hard, grinding the bones of Gregor's hand together. He let go after a long moment, and Gregor fell back a step, clutching his throbbing hand
    to his breast. BB Chojiro and her Investigator studied him with the same impersonal gaze as he stood before them, trembling with impotent rage.
    "Turn around and go back to your own people, Shreck," said Razor calmly. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't have to. "You have no business here."
    Gregor glared at them both, searching for some final insult or threat that he could use to crush them, but in the end he had to turn silently and trudge back through the snow again. People moved even faster to get out of his way this time, giving him the same kind of respect one would a maddened scorpion that might strike out at anyone, just for being there. Gregor was actually thinking too hard to bother about that. He had to find allies and support from somewhere, or he might easily find himself being edged out of the starship business altogether. Anyone could build shells… His alliance with the Church should bring long-term benefits, but right now he needed the money. He'd find someone. There was always someone. And when he was a power again in his own right, he'd make BB
    Chojiro pay for daring to humiliate him. He made himself breathe more slowly.
    There was still latitude