Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

on Michel's cravat, and Lily's long silver wig was perhaps just a little off center. They were giggling together as they burst in, but tried to stop when they picked up on the cold formality in the room. They beamed around them innocently and headed straight for the wine. Daniel glared after them.

    "What are you looking so damn pleased about? Any later, and you'd have missed the meeting completely."
    "And wouldn't that have been a shame?" said Lily, not looking around as she poured herself a very large drink. "Don't worry, darling. I'm sure nobody missed us. And we're in plenty of time for the ceremony. Which is all you really need me for, after all. Personally, I wouldn't miss the ceremony for anything. I love a good ceremony."
    And she and Michel shared another smile, thinking of the Chojiro-supplied explosives they'd placed in the factory. This would be one ceremony no one would forget in a hurry.
    "We may have a problem with the ceremony," said Stephanie, and everyone looked at her sharply. "The presence here of Toby Shreck and his cameraman has proved something of an embarrassment. He was supposed to be here to provide useful propaganda, but apparently no one told him that. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone here of the repercussions from his previous broadcasts. Unfortunately, he has viewers in very high places, including Lionstone herself, and as a result he has gained exclusive rights to a live broadcast of the ceremony. I had hoped to arrange a little accident for him at the last moment, but now that he's the only commentator available, we can't do without him. The ceremony must be seen, and by as many people as possible."
    "Oh, it must," said Kassar. "All kinds of people will be watching."
    "Don't worry," said Half A Man. "I'll have the Investigator stand right next to him. That should make him choose his words carefully."
    "I take it the main aerial has been replaced?" said Daniel.
    "Yes," said Stephanie. "Sometime ago. I do wish you'd read your memoranda
    occasionally, Daniel. The Cardinal was kind enough to supply us some of his technical people to help."
    "Should bloody think so," said Daniel. "After he blew the bloody thing up in the first place."
    "I have made my apologies," said Kassar frostily. "I have nothing further to say on the subject."
    "That makes a change," said Daniel.
    "You are always so full of opinions, young Wolfe," said Half A Man. "Perhaps you have some view on how the forthcoming war with the aliens should be fought, too?"
    There was a pause, as everyone wondered where the hell that change in the conversation had come from. It wasn't entirely unexpected, given Half A Man's well-known preoccupations, but even so no one present was quite sure what had set him off this time. Still, they were all glad of an excuse to change the subject, for their various reasons.
    "I'm not sure there will be a war," said Daniel after a moment. "The aliens have left us alone this long. I don't see why they shouldn't go on doing so. But if they do turn up, the answer's obvious. Draft every commoner in sight, dope them to the gills with battle drugs, and send them out to kick six different colors of shit out of the aliens. Casualties aren't a problem. We've got an endless supply of cannon fodder in the Empire."
    "No," said Half A Man. "That's not the answer. It's never a good idea to give the lower orders weapons. They might start getting ideas above their station.
    Guns and commoners don't mix. Never have."
    "So what's your great plan, then?" said Daniel.
    Half A Man fixed him with his single cold eye. "Investigators. I've been
    training them for decades on the best way to deal with aliens. Let me train an army of Investigators, and I'll show you an armed force no alien attack could hope to overcome."
    There was another long pause as everyone considered the idea of an army of single-minded, cold-blooded killing machines, answerable only to Half A Man.
    Investigators were scary enough on their own, but the thought of an army of them was enough to loosen anyone's bowels. Daniel for one thought he'd rather face an army of aliens stark naked, with both feet tied behind his back, but for once had the sense not to say so out loud. Everyone else was thinking hard as to why Half A Man had brought such a subject up now. Was it his way of saying that he had a power base that even mass-produced stardrives couldn't undermine? They were still thinking furiously when the door swung open and Toby Shreck hurried in,