Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

she had something official and very unpleasant in mind.
    "Dram, so glad you've got yourself comfortable. Don't sit up on my account. And no, we haven't found the damned thing yet, thank you so much for asking. This is all I need right now, more complications. Some days things wouldn't go right if you bribed them with a barony."
    "You should now," said Dram. "So tell me; how did I do? Was I convincing? Will people believe I'm the real Dram?"
    "Of course they will," said Lionstone. "If only because they'll find the alternative too disturbing to contemplate. They'll believe you're the real you because they won't want to think a clone could get so close to me; they'll assume my security scanners must have validated you, and leave it at that. As long as I say you're Dram, that's all that matters.
    "The only people who saw the previous Dram die are contained in the Dauntless, and they're going on a mission that will keep them away from Court for several years. By the time I allow them to return, it'll be old news, old gossip, and no one will give a damn anymore. You will have proved yourself by then. I'll see to that. If need be, I can always set the mind techs on Silence and his crew and edit their memories as necessary. It'd be simpler to have them all die in an unfortunate accident, but Silence and his crew are popular heroes at the moment.
    And you never know when you might need a hero."

    "You don't need a hero," said Dram. "You've got me."
    The Empress smiled coldly. "My people tell me you still haven't ordered the mass execution of the Tax and Tithe Headquarters security staff."
    "It seemed a trifle harsh," said Dram. "They were just unlucky. It wasn't their fault. No one could have anticipated a Hadenman ship."
    "The old Dram would have executed them all without a second thought. Some of them personally, pour discouragez les autres. They didn't call him the Widowmaker for nothing, you know. I want those executions ordered today. People might think you were getting soft, and we can't have that. So pick out a hundred of them at random for public execution, and kill the more senior ones yourself.
    It'll make a good impression."
    "Of course, Your Majesty. Any other little errands you'd like me to run?"
    "Don't get snappy, dear; it doesn't suit you. Now, how are you getting on with your new project?"
    Dram thought for a moment, wondering how best to say it. He'd been put in charge of mass-producing esp-blockers, using dead espers from the Silo Nine uprising as raw material. Even with current advances in technique, it still took one complete esper brain to make one esp-blocker, which was why they were so rare.
    And even with the mass slaughter in Silo Nine, the tech people were already running short of materials. Especially, since they were also being used up in the other experiment Lionstone had authorized. Something called Legion.
    Something she wouldn't even talk to him about.
    "Ah, yes," said Dram, before the pause could become incriminating. "One hundred and one uses for a dead esper. Production of esp-blockers is continuing.
    Following your instructions, my scientists are also experimenting to see if dead
    esper brain tissue can be used in the construction of mindbombs big enough to destroy a city, thinking machines faster and more powerful than standard computers, as used on Mistworld, and devices that could change probability in our favor."
    "You've been experimenting for some time now. Do you have anything concrete to show me?"
    "Not… as such. The shortage of raw materials as we run out of bodies is slowing us down."
    "Then, kill some more espers," said Lionstone. "Don't disappoint me, Dram. I'd hate to have to scrap you and start over again with a new clone."
    "Yes," said Dram. "I'd hate that, too."
    "I take it you've heard by now about Julian Skye being helped to escape?"
    "Yes. Rather unfortunate, that."
    Lionstone glared at him. "You always did have a gift for understatement, Dram.
    Still, Skye's loss is a setback, but we're really no worse off now than before we had him. At least now we can be sure Skye is as important as we thought he was. He slipped up once, he'll slip up again, and then we'll have him. And there'll be no second last-minute escape, even if I have to have both his legs cut off to slow him down. For the moment, I'm more interested in who helped him escape. Security cameras got a good look at him. It was quite definitely Finlay Campbell, of all people. God's gift to fashion accessories. I