Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

celebrities. Finn wouldn't have them. Parasites, he said dismissively. And perhaps they were, but you could always rely on them to add a touch of color and excitement. Anne sighed quietly. It seemed Finn was determined to run an austere court. And of course there were no espers or aliens, to add a little charm and strangeness…
    Is this what we've come to? thought Anne. Nothing hut fanatics and puritans… and a King who cares for nothing but heing King?
    The ceremony proper commenced exactly on time, and proceeded with military precision. Everyone was in the right place, at the right time, and everyone knew their lines. Fear can be a great motivator. The crowd cheered and clapped in all the right places. The guards saw to that. Joseph Wallace, now official head of the Church Militant as well as chairman of the Transmutation Board, worked his way through the rituals with efficient if graceless thoroughness. He'd gone way overboard on the gold trimmings and face paint, but no one said anything. It was a slightly rushed ceremony, reduced in advance by Finn and Anne to the bare essentials, and they completely dispensed with Owen's traditional warning to the people, on the unanswerable grounds that the Terror was already upon them. Wallace placed the crown on Finn's head, and everyone cheered. The fanatics made the most noise, of course, along with certain MPs hoping to be noticed by the new King, but in the end most of the cheers were honest enough. James was dead,Douglas was disgraced, and the Empire needed a King, so why not Finn? He looked the part well enough. And at least no one would ever accuse him of being weak or indecisive.
    The floating news cameras carried the scene live to every planet in the Empire, and there was much rejoicing. Only remote cameras had been allowed into the Court. No actual reporters. Finn had absolutely no intention of answering any awkward questions. He controlled an awful lot of the news media now, directly or indirectly, but you never could tell what a reporter might suddenly get it into his head to ask. A few had tried to sneak in anyway, and had been very thoroughly thrown out. All except for demon girl reporter Nina Malapert, who was there as the guest of the Paragon Emma Steel. Nina got away with it because absolutely nobody wanted to risk upsetting Emma Steel.
    No other Paragons were present, not even Finn's close personal friend Stuart Lennox of Virimonde.
    Paragons were not popular at present, for a variety of reasons, including what had just happened with Clan Deathstalker on Virimonde.
    King Finn stood up from his throne to make his first official speech. Anne had put a lot of work into it, and Finn made it all sound suitably spontaneous. The speech was short and to the point, mostly vague but emphatic promises of better times ahead for everyone, and the announcement of Douglas Campbell's forthcoming trial for treason, sedition, murder, and royal fratricide. There were some murmurs at that, quickly glared into silence by the watching guards. Everyone cheered at the end of the speech, King Finn smiled and waved, and then disappeared behind the hanging black drapes, and everyone went home.
    There was no official party, this time. Finn wasn't a party person.
    In fact, Finn's first official visit as King was to the apartment of his close friend, the Paragon Stuart Lennox. Finn had sent an official summons, calling on Stuart to attend his new King, but Stuart wouldn't open his door to the messenger, and his comm line was closed down. So Finn went to see Stuart.
    Anyone else would have had their door kicked in, and been dragged before their King in chains for such
    a slight, but Finn went in person. For old times' sake.
    Stuart had a nice apartment in a nice part of town. Finn arrived incognito, with just a handful of guards.
    He knocked politely on Stuart's door, and called out his name. There was a long pause. Finn waited patiently. Eventually the door opened a crack, and Stuart looked out. Finn had to admit he was surprised at the changes in Stuart since he'd last seen him. The young Paragon's face was gaunt and haggard, his eyes were red and puffy, and he hadn't shaved in days. He was wearing old, unwashed clothes that looked and smelled as though they'd been slept in. Several times. But Stuart's gaze was steady and his mouth was firm, as he looked coldly out at his old friend Finn.
    "Well, Stuart," Finn said lightly. "Aren't you going to invite me in? I've come a long way,