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"I declare a holy war. A war against heresy. Against treason. Against all who blaspheme against the
name of Talamein."
The men were in ecstasy, breaking ranks and rushing forward to lift Mathias up and carry him away in
triumph.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
COLONEL IAN MAHONEY, still commander of the Mercury Corps, stood at attention, his heels
locked, his face red, his spine a steel bar. He was receiving the chewing out of his life, a dressing down
delivered by the all-time master of dressings down.
"Colonel Mahoney, I do not know what to do with you. I do not know what to say."
Mahoney refrained from noting that the Emperor had been at no loss for words for at least an hour.
"Do you realize what has happened, Mahoney? I have just given my blessing to a fanatic. A fanatic who
calls me a heretic. Me. ME!"
Mahoney was wisely silent.
"Clot it, man, I hung myself out there like a babbling fool. State visit. Empire-wide vid coverage. I
clotting declared the Lupus Cluster open."
He leaned across his antique desk. "And when I declare something open, by all that is holy in this silly
sorry Empire that I was dumb enough to found, I expect it to stay open. Do you understand, Colopel?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Don't yessir me!"
"No, sir."
"Don't nossir me, either." He glared at Mahoney, trembling
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with anger. Then a long sigh. "Ah, clot it, Mahoney. Siddown. Pour us a drink. Something nasty.
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Something poisonous. Something that will get me good and clotting drunk."
Mahoney sat-but did not make the mistake of relaxing. If it was possible to sit at attention, he did it. He
reached for the Eternal Emperor's latest batch of experimental scotch and poured drinks. He sipped at
his with as much military bearing as a man could possibly sip.
The Emperor noticed the scotch. Gave Mahoney a thin smile. "You never did like this drakh much, did
you, Mahoney?"
Mahoney made a noncommital noise. And waited for the Commander in Chief of the greatest military
force in human history to finish speaking his mind.
The Emperor shot back his scotch, shuddered, and poured himself another.
"I'm a reasonable man, Mahoney. I know how things can go wrong. All right. So I'm up to my butt in
alligators. So what? I've been there before."
He drank.
"I only have one question," he said in his most reasonable tone of voice.
"Which is, sir?" Mahoney asked.
The Eternal Emperor rose to his feet.
"WHO PUT MY ARSE IN THE SWAMP, MAHONEY? WHO? WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS
DEBACLE?"
Mahoney couldn't tell his boss it was, after all, the Emperor's idea.
"I take full responsibility, sir," he said.
"You're clotting right, you do, Mahoney. I'm gonna... I'm gonna... Colonel, I want you to think of the
worst command in my empire. A hell hole. A place you won't be guaranteed to survive in for more than a
week."
"Yes, sir."
"I want a full report on it by tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
"Now, who's that other fellow. Lieutenant what-his-name?"
"Sten, sir. Sten."
"Right. Sten. Is he still alive?"
"Yes, sir."
"That was his first mistake, Colonel. Now, Sten. For him I have special plans. Do I still own Pluto,
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Mahoney?"
"I believe so, sir."
"No. No. Too soft. I'll think of something. You just leave
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that Sten to me, Mahoney. You'll be too busy finding that hell hole I'm going to send you to."
"Yes, sir."
The Eternal Emperor eased back in his chair. Closed his eyes. Almost as if he were asleep. Mahoney
waited a very long, very uncomfortable time. Finally the Emperor opened them again. He gave Mahoney
a tired look. For a moment Mahoney could almost see just how very ancient the Eternal Emperor was.
"I'm counting on you, lan," the Emperor said softly. "Solve it. Get rid of this Prophet for me. Get rid of
Mathias."
Mahoney came to his feet, knowing that he had finally gotten the Emperor's orders. He snapped his best
salute.
"That. sir. will be my extreme pleasure." He wheeled and began to march out.
"Mahoney?"
The Colonel stopped. "Yes, sir?"
"Just don't embarrass me again. Please? As a favor to an old drinking buddy?"
"I won't, boss."
"Being embarrassed is just one of those things I'm lousy at. Funny thing is, the older I get, the worse I am
at it."
He looked up at Mahoney. "You'd think it would be the other way around, wouldn't you? You'd think
by now I wouldn't give a clot."
"I wouldn't know, boss."
"Well, I do, Mahoney. I do care."
And the Eternal Emperor closed his eyes again. Mahoney silently crept out.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
AT THAT MOMENT, the prospect of exile on Pluto-or worse- was the least of Sten's worries. He and
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Alex were hunched over a com in Otho's castle, the coldest, grayest, dankest building Sten had ever
been in. The two of them had been freezing their behinds off for weeks and trying to endure the worst
food known to beingkind.
They had been notified two hours earlier to stand by on the com. Mahoney was about to issue his
orders.
"It'll be tha gibbett, lad. Ah just know it," Alex said.
"No," Sten replied. "Mahoney won't let us off with anything as easy as death."
"Me mither always said Ah should'na be a soldier."
They froze as the com line crackled and Mahoney's scowling face swam into view on the screen.
"I've just been to see the Emperor. He is not pleased."
"I can understand that, sir," Sten said.
Mahoney softened. "Ah, well, at least the two of you are alive."
He peered out at them through the screen. "I tried to do the best I could for you. gentlemen," Mahoney
said. "But..." He shrugged. It was the kind of shrug that did not bode well for careers.
"What do we do next, sir?" Sten asked.
"You don't do anything," Mahoney answered. "Just sit tight.
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Don't get into any more trouble. I'll have a ship pick you up in a few weeks."
"But Mathias-"
"Don't worry, Lieutenant Sten. We'll take care of Mathias. By the time you're home, I'll have inserted
another Mantis team, and it should be over. One way or the other."
"Sir," Sten blurted. "Let me do it. Give me back my team. Team Thirteen. We'll settle Mathias for you."
Mahoney frowned. Alex gave Sten a warning nudge.
"Revenge, Lieutenant? I thought we had trained you better than that."
"No. Not revenge. We just have a better chance. I know Mathias. I know Sanctus."
"Can't take the chance, lad," Mahoney said kindly. "Among other problems, all the mining and
exploration certificates were personally approved by the Emperor before Mathias decided on patricide.
There's a whole fleet of miners heading for the Eryx Region. Straight through the Lupus Cluster."
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"Mathias will kill them all," Sten said. "It's even more important that you let us handle it."
"I don't see how," Mahoney said.
"I have a plan." And he began talking quickly. Laying it all out, to an increasingly surprised Mahoney.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
IT WASN'T THE first time Ffillips had been dragged, restraints chinking, up from a dungeon by thugs
and hurled to her knees in front of Mathias.
But, the woman wondered, as she did a body-tuck, side-rolled away from the expected kick, and came
back to her feet, it could well be the last.
The late and less-than-lamented Theodomir's throne room had seen considerable change, Ffillips
realized as she glanced around. The tapestries and exotic statues were gone, as were the pillows on the
stone chair.
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