Deathstalker 06 - Deathstalker Legacy

the lion's share of available resources," said Rowan Boswell, Member for Hercules IV "Irrespective of the size and needs of their populations. It's simple mathematics. The old system of equal shares among planets has become grossly unfair; and cannot be allowed to continue."
    "Are you suggesting some form of rationing?" Tel Markham said smoothly. "That we rob Peter to pay Paul? The largesse that flows from the Transmutation Board makes possible the prosperity the Empire currently enjoys. Do you really want to put that at risk? For the first time in centuries we can say with pride that no one goes hungry, no one lacks a roof over their head, no one wants for any of the basic necessities of life. Yes, some people enjoy more luxuries than others; but that has always been the way of things. There must be incentives; reasons for people to work hard and apply themselves. For poor worlds to struggle to make themselves into rich worlds. The Transmutation Board is not there to be Humanity's nanny. They know their job. I say we leave them alone to get on with it."
    "You can afford to be complacent," said Michel du Bois, glaring about him. "A rich man, from a rich world. Virimonde was stamped back into barbarism under Lionstone, and it still hasn't fully recovered.
    We get more resources from the Board per person of population, because we need more. We have a civilization to rebuild. Hell, we have an ecostructure to rebuild. Nothing we get is wasted. There are few luxuries for anyone on Virimonde. We will not give up any of our share, just because some poor blinkered fool thinks he's getting a raw deal!"
    After that, it got really bad tempered, everyone accusing everyone else of cheating them out of what was rightfully theirs. MPs were on their feet, shouting at each other, all order and precedence forgotten, to the delight of the hovering media cameras. In the end, Douglas stood up and whispered in Jesamine's ear, and she sang a note so loud and high and piercing that it cut right through the din, and had everyone falling silent, clutching at their heads. Jesamine stopped singing, and smiled sweetly at everyone. The MPs glared mutinously back at her, and then at Douglas, still on his feet. He smiled coldly back at them.
    "The honorable Members will resume their Seats and behave in a proper manner, or I will call on the Houses security people to move among them and bang some heads together. And I am not being metaphorical." The MPs thought about that, remembered that this was an ex-Paragon talking, and stiffly resumed their Seats. Douglas nodded, and sat down again too. "That's better. Now; sometimes justice
    must not only be done but be seen to be done. If the people of the Empire had a better idea of how the Board arrived at its decisions, it might help to convince them that the process is inherently fair. I suggest, therefore, that this House appoint some form of outside regulatory body to investigate the Board's decisions, past and present, and then make its findings public. My grandfather was a great believer in open government, and so am I. How say the honorable Members?"
    The Members liked the general sound of it, but for pride's sake still discussed it thoroughly for some time before agreeing to set up the regulatory system. Secretly, many of the MPs approved. The Transmutation Board had been growing too powerful, too independent. And the public would like it, because they'd finally be able to see who was getting what, and why. So once again, the King came out of it looking good.
    Which would have made an excellent ending to the day's Session, but while the House's business was over, one man in the House still had business with the King. A human figure suddenly broke out from among the human holo images in the alien section, elbowing aside the few corporeal aliens, and ran forward onto the floor of the House. The handful of security men actually in the chamber were taken completely by surprise. The aliens were startled and shocked too, many of the holo images snapping on and off in the confusion. It shouldn't have been possible for a human to have been among them undetected for so long.
    The man now standing in the center of the House threw off his enveloping cloak to reveal a large device strapped to his chest, and everyone went very quiet. No one actually said the word bomb, but everyone was thinking it. The King gestured quickly for the security people to stand still, and they did. The man with the device looked