Frays In The Weave 91 Aftermath: 4

He felt his fingers twitching with need to make true of that promise when Mairild finally entered the room with Erwin in tow.

Arthur turned to them and interrupted Hepaten's tirade. "The brain dead a.s.shole you call minister just don't know when to stop."

Erwin flinched but Mairild only grinned.

"If my spraying his lack of brains over the walls here is too embarra.s.sing I'll ask Admiral Radovic here to sign whatever doc.u.ment you need to allow me to do it on the square outside."

"You are serious about this?" Erwin asked.

"I demand to be made knowledgeable of your conversation," Hepaten's voice cut through the room in De Vhatic.

Arthur obliged and translated. The obvious reaction followed, and when Hepaten started to bellow a repet.i.tion of the threats he had earlier delivered in an almost civil tone Arthur had had enough.

He drew his gun and put the muzzle to the ministerial face. "This is an outworlder weapon. Do you understand?"

Behind him Erwin gasped, but Arthur also sensed Mairild holding the admiral back.

Hepaten stood absolutely still. He did raise one hand in acknowledgement Very slowly.

"It fires something we call needle grenades. One shot will take off your head and most of your upper abdomen. Am I clear?"

The hand came up again.

"I'm a taleweaver. I can do this and if anyone tries to kill me for it this city will be reduced to ashes. Is that correct?"

It took a little longer for the hand to rise, but it did.

"Then get your gherin sp.a.w.ned d.i.c.k out of here and plug it into one of your thugs! Dismissed!"

Hepaten vanished almost fast enough for Arthur to miss his fuming rage. It was an impotent rage though. Arthur knew that.

"Now when we've dispensed with the diplomacy, could we sort out the last idiocy?"

"Certainly," Mairild answered.

"Admiral, you witnessed the Terran Federation surrender unconditionally to all signatories of the Perth treaty. As such we're not even supposed to maintain a military presence here."

"Are you saying..."

"That we give the lady everything she demands. n.o.bunaga, all her hardware and all remaining shuttles are turned over to Keen."

"Why on Earth should we hand a carrier cla.s.s s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+p over to a nation that doesn't even know how to run a hovercraft?"

Arthur smiled. For once he had thought things over before he acted. It might even turn into a bad habit if he was successful. "Orbit one needs to be neutral territory."

Erwin nodded agreement.

"New Sweden would sure like to add a carrier cla.s.s s.h.i.+p to their fleet though. The moment they do Orbit one becomes a colony of theirs. Now, good Federation citizen that I am, I'd hate to see that."

That made Erwin laugh. "You don't care about our glorious Federation any more than Minister de Felder does, so why?"

"Because if Keen doesn't get what she needs then you can be d.a.m.ned certain Otherworld Disclosed will have its original newscaster back. As you so correctly pointed out. I don't care. The Federation ate my family. I'll bite back."

Arthur had to admit that Erwin took it gracefully. He surprised himself by actually liking the man, and he suspected it was mutual. The fencing was mostly for Mairild's benefit.

The admiral nodded curtly. "I'll sign. Workers will work under a contract though. I won't have any forced migrants."

"I wouldn't want you to," Arthur answered before Mairild had a chance to protest. Keen might be his chosen home, but he wouldn't force citizens.h.i.+p on anyone stranded in Otherworld s.p.a.ce.

"And you stay the h.e.l.l out off holo casting."

Arthur bowed.

Erwin returned a flamboyant bow of his own and departed.

"Wonderfully done," Mairild laughed. "I could almost believe you once worked the stage."

Arthur turned.

"Almost," she continued. "You're a naughty boy, but you have a lot to learn."

Arthur blushed.

"I won't say anything to the other eleven. We got enough from this surrender of yours. Just, what did he say, stay the h.e.l.l off the stage!"

The minister of culture was easily ten years his senior, but he only saw the woman who had started her career as an actress.

She was stunningly beautiful.