Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

really kill your
    promotion chances. Now, get out of here. I'm sick of looking at you."
    Kassar nodded jerkily and stepped carefully backward. "I won't forget this, bitch."
    "That's the idea. Now, piss off. I have work to do."
    Kassar turned and strode away, his stiff back radiating helpless rage. God help the first person he ran into back at the complex. Beatrice watched him go, hefting the scalpel thoughtfully. There wasn't actually any hidden camera, but Kassar wouldn't believe that. It was the sort of thing he'd do, after all. She'd do well to keep a watchful eye on the Cardinal after this. He was a spiteful man, and he never forgot an insult. Beatrice couldn't find it in herself to care. She had more important things to concern her. She turned around as one of the doctors called her name urgently and trudged back through the blood and death to see what she could do to help.
    Cardinal James Kassar was still fuming when he joined Half A Man in his quarters for their prearranged meeting. He'd fix the bitch. Though maybe not personally.
    And not until he'd got the tape. Wouldn't do for anyone else to find out how she'd humiliated him. He nodded curtly to Half A Man, who was standing at parade rest beside a bed Kassar suspected he never used anyway. It was hard to think of Half A Man doing something as human and vulnerable as sleeping. The spitting energy field that made up the right half of the man's body was openly disturbing when seen up close. It seemed to be no color and every color all at once, and if you looked at it too long it swallowed up your gaze till you were lost in it.
    Kassar kept his gaze fixed on what was left of Half A Man's face. Though even that didn't seem very human anymore.
    "Let's get to the point," Kassar said harshly. "I need to debrief what's left of
    my men after today's debacle. You have instructions from my superiors on how to deal with the Wolfes?"
    "Very simple instructions," said Half A Man. When he opened his mouth to speak, Kassar could see energy seething within it. He made himself concentrate on what Half A Man was saying. "You're to plant explosives I've brought with me in certain delicate parts of the factory. I have a map that will show you the exact positions. The explosions will do just enough damage to slow down stardrive production, without actually putting it in jeopardy. The purpose is to make the Wolfes look incompetent. The Church will then be in a strong position to take over control of stardrive production in the best interests of the Empire.
    Apparently, your superiors feel the need for rather more influence at Court."
    Kassar nodded. "Easy enough to arrange. I know just the man for the job. Very discreet and, if need be, completely expendable. You supply the map and the explosives, and I'll take care of the details. No one will notice anything until the bombs go off." He stopped and studied Half A Man thoughtfully for a moment.
    "You've never struck me as particularly religious before. Why risk your much-vaunted impartiality to smuggle in explosives for the Church? What are you getting out of this?"
    "Something I want very badly. Nothing you need to know about."
    "Well, I want something, too," said Kassar. "Mother Superior Beatrice of the Sisters of Mercy. She's running a field hospital here. I want her killed.
    Horribly. You arrange that for me, and I'll keep quiet about what I know."
    "I could kill you right now," said Half A Man.
    "You can't make this work without me," said Kassar evenly. "You don't have the contacts. Only my men have unsupervised access to the kinds of places the bombs will have to go. Anyone else, and the Wolfes' security people will start asking
    awkward questions. You need me."
    "The quality of people entering the Church has gone right down the drain in recent years," said Half A Man. "Very well. I'm empowered to be… flexible, to get the job done. I'll see that Beatrice meets an unpleasant end."
    "I'll tell you when," said Kassar. "I need to check if a certain tape exists first."
    "Very well. But Kassar… don't ever try to pressure me again. I have a very short and unpleasant way with people who annoy me. You'll find the map on my writing table, along with instructions on where to find the explosives. They're to be timed to go off during the Wolfes' ceremony to celebrate stardrive production finally going on-line. Shreck and his fellow news reptiles will be there to capture it all for posterity."
    "Good," said Kassar. "I've got a little