Peter Hamilton - Judas Unchained

The decoration in the west wing reception room harked back to the most lavish days of the French monarchy. Justine had always disliked quite so much gilt framing and gold leaf; and the period chairs, although beautifully ornate, were actually uncomfortable to sit on for any length of time.

Admiral Rafael Columbia was standing waiting in front of the huge fire-place, one foot raised slightly to rest on the marble hearth. In his immaculate uniform, all he was missing was a fur-lined coat for the image of an imperial tsar to be complete. He seemed to be studying the onyx case clock dominating the mantelpiece.

“Senator”—he gave her a small bow as she made her entrance, pushing the double doors open and striding in—“I was admiring the clock. An original?”

The doors swept shut behind her. “I imagine so. Father is quite an aggressive collector.”

“Indeed.”

Justine indicated a glass-top table, etched with the Burnelli crest. They sat down on opposite sides in high-back chairs.

“What can I do for you, Admiral?”

“Senator, I’m afraid I must ask why you interfered with a navy intelligence operation. Specifically, removing the body of a suspected terrorist from the scene of a crime.”

“I didn’t remove anything, Admiral. I accompanied the body.”

“You arranged for it to be moved to a nonofficial facility.”

“Our family biotechnology facility, yes. Where the autopsy was conducted under full official supervision.”

“Why, Senator?”

Justine gave him an icy smile. “Because I have no confidence in navy intelligence. I had just witnessed the entire surveillance operation fail catastrophically. I didn’t want any further failures. Kazimir’s body should provide the intelligence staff with a great many leads. From what I’ve seen so far, your department has proved remarkably incompetent. There are to be no further mistakes on this case, Admiral. I will not accept any excuses.”

“Senator, may I ask how you know Kazimir McFoster?”

“We met while I was taking a vacation on Far Away. We had a brief fling. He then showed up here at Tulip Mansion just before the Prime attack. Naturally, when he told me he was working for the Guardians, I informed Commander Hogan immediately. It’s all on file.”

“What did he want?”

“A number of things. To convince me the Starflyer was real. To remove the customs inspection of all cargo traveling to Far Away. I refused.”

“So you weren’t close then?”

“No.”

“I understand you were extremely upset by his death.”

“I was extremely shaken by it. I am not used to witnessing total death. No matter what his views and activities, nobody that young should suffer death.”

“Was the supervised autopsy your idea, Senator?”

“Yes.”

“I understand Paula Myo also accompanied the body.”

“I have every confidence in Investigator Myo.”

Rafael’s expression tightened. “I’m afraid I don’t share that confidence, Senator. The Investigator is a large factor in the whole Guardian problem which navy intelligence faces. I was surprised and not a little upset when I heard your family secured her appointment to Senate Security.”

“We were surprised you dismissed her from navy intelligence.”

“After a hundred thirty years of no results, I thought it expedient.”

“Everybody in the Commonwealth knows about the Investigator precisely because she does produce results.”

“To be frank with you, Senator, she’s beginning to lose the plot. She accused her own officers of disloyalty. She was running external operations without clearance. She also began to show sympathetic tendencies toward the terrorists she was supposed to be pursuing.”

“Sympathy, in what way?”

“She said she believed in the Starflyer alien.”

“And you don’t?”

“Of course not.”

“Who killed my brother, Admiral?”

“I don’t understand. You know it was the same assassin that killed McFoster.”

“Quite. And McFoster was a Guardian. Whoever that assassin works for, they are opposing both the Commonwealth and the Guardians. I believe that leaves you with a rather narrow field of suspects, doesn’t it?”

“The Guardians have been involved with the black market arms trade for a very long time. As a group, those people tend to settle their arguments with extreme force. We believe this assassin works for one of the merchants involved.”

“And my brother just got in the way?”

“If an arms shipment was blocked, then a lot of money would be at stake.”

“This is ridiculous. Commonwealth senators are not murdered in some primitive vendetta.”

“Nor are they killed by invisible aliens.”

Justine sat back and glared at the Admiral.

“However unpleasant it is to acknowledge, Senator,” Rafael said, “the Commonwealth has a large criminal fraternity. That is why the original Intersolar Serious Crimes Directorate was formed. If you don’t believe me, then feel free to ask Investigator Myo. Or you might like to consider why Senate Security exists. We have enough problems with genuine threats to the Commonwealth. We really don’t need to invent new ones.”

“Admiral, are you warning me off?”

“I’m advising you that your current actions are inappropriate at this difficult time. Right now we need to pull together and fight our very real enemy.”

“The navy has my full support, and will continue to receive it.”

“Thank you, Senator. One last thing. The McFoster terrorist was on some kind of courier mission. We didn’t find what he was carrying.”

She cocked her head to one side, and gave him a blank smile. “Isn’t that unusual?”

“Very, Senator. I was wondering if you saw anything while you accompanied him?”

“No.”

“Are you certain, Senator?”

“I never saw what he was carrying. If he was.”

“I see.” Columbia’s gaze never flickered. “We will find it eventually, you know.”

“You didn’t find the assassin afterward, did you?” It was a childish gibe, but Justine enjoyed it anyway, especially the way Columbia’s neck reddened slightly above his uniform collar.

Gore Burnelli and Paula Myo were talking on the worn leather sofa when Justine returned to her day room. Her father’s plain gold face reflected dapples of light that glinted on the pillars and floor, flowing around with any tiny movement he made. Justine activated the screening as she came in, cutting off the daylight.

“That McFoster boy made you soft and sentimental,” Gore said as soon as they were secure. “You should have kicked Columbia’s ass right into fucking orbit. In the old days you’d have eaten him for breakfast. I can’t believe any daughter of mine has turned into such a goddamned liberal wimp. ”

“These are the new days, Father,” Justine said calmly. “And I’m not the one out of place and time.” Inside she was seething that he’d say such a thing anywhere, let alone in front of the Investigator. Even Paula Myo, usually so composed, looked uncomfortable at Gore’s outburst.

“Just telling you the way it is, girl. If your dead boyfriend is fucking with your emotions you should get your memory of him wiped out of your brain. I can’t afford you to be weak, not now.”

“I’ll certainly consider eliminating anything I find distasteful from my life.” She sometimes wondered if Gore was still human enough to remember and understand a concept like love, there had been so many adaptations made to his body.

“That’s more like it,” he said, chuckling. “You know Columbia is going to come at you six ways from hell after the LA Galactic screwup? He wants Paula here out of the picture permanently, and while he’s at it he’d like the Senate to turn into a nice little Soviet parliament, voting for him unanimously every time.”