Eric Flint: Pyramid Power

Miggy made a groping motion with his hand, in midair. "How do you explain that, Melvin? It certainly can't be from any lack of faith in the country-the whole world over-in luck."

"Maybe…" Steinmetz ran fingers through his thick gray hair. "Argh. I swear, Miggy, a particle physicist like you may be used to it. But this stuff makes even a hard-bitten old nuclear war theorist like me feel like a fish out of water-and you know how screwball most of our theories were."

"Still are," grunted Tremelo humorously. "But if it makes you feel any better, this hard-bitten old particle physicist feels the same way."

Steinmetz sat up a little straighter. "All right. But no matter what theories you lean toward, the thing that now seems very apparent-"

Tremelo cut him off. "-is that directly intervening in the pyramid is at least possible, because there has got to be some basis for reality in there that doesn't depend on the Krim. Yes, I understand that, Melvin. And I'm willing, for the first time, to start considering the matter. But I've got one condition, and it's absolute."

"You run the show. Not the PSA."

"Yes. If you agree to that, we can keep talking."

"Agreed," came Steinmetz's immediate reply. "You understand, I can only speak for myself. Well, and the institute. I sided with the defense industry and their political spokesmen, but I never had their vested interest in the answer. They did and still do-and they don't call them 'vested interests' for nothing. They're not going to let up, Miggy."

Tremelo shrugged. "No-but they just took a bad hammering in Congress, too. Senator Larsen tells me he doesn't think he can get APSA repealed outright, but he's dead sure he can get the worst provisions altered. And he also thinks he's got a very good chance of getting all operational efforts involving the pyramid placed clearly and unequivocally under the authority of the Pyramid Scientific Research Group."

It was his turn to bestow a sharp, considering gaze-on Steinmetz. "It would help…"

"If the Future Enterprise Institute weighed in publicly in support of that. I'll point out to you that it would give us still more weight if one of us-that'd be me-were formally added to the Pyramid Scientific Research Group's board of directors."

"Agreed," said Miggy, without hesitating. Leaving aside the fact that it would be a shrewd political move, having Melvin Steinmetz on the board probably would be helpful. The man's way of looking at everything, from that incredibly dark perspective that came with being a nuclear war strategist, rubbed Miggy the wrong way. But there was no denying that Steinmetz was as shrewd as they come-and the truth was, Miggy himself was scared by all the possible implications of the pyramid. Having Steinmetz with them was probably a good idea, now that he'd broken from the PSA crowd.

"In that case, your newest board member will give you his first piece of advice. Change the damn name. I'd recommend the Pyramid Control Agency."

Miggy scowled. "Don't you think there are enough 'agencies' floating around already?"

"It's the way it is, Miggy," said Melvin, shrugging. "?'Research Group' is a title that has elbow patches on it. You might as well hang a sign around your neck that says 'kick me, I'm a professor.' There's no way most people-and nobody at all in the so-called 'intelligence community'-is going to believe that an outfit that calls itself a 'research group' is capable of doing serious operational work."

"Well… yes. You're probably right."

Melvin's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "I presume you intend to use the dragons as part of your… can I call it a 'commando unit'?"

"I suppose it's as good a term as any. Yes, Bitar and Smitar-and Bes has agreed. So have Sergeant Cruz and Corporal McKenna. And their wives, for that matter."

"You realize the 'pros' are going to have a fit, I hope."

Tremelo snorted. "You mean the 'real experts' on commando operations like the SEALs and Delta Force and whatever cowboys the spook outfits round up? I will point out two things. First, the scorecard still stands."

Steinmetz's wry smile became a grimace. "Yes, I know. The remaining two members of the PSA, Bott and Stephens, finally came out dead. What little was left of Stephens, anyway-but there was enough to identify his DNA. And none of your people have. The talk shows are having a field day with it. Sometime I'll explain to you my theory-well, not mine, but I subscribe to it-of America's Humphrey Bogart syndrome. What's the second point?"

"Any 'real pro' who gets too obstreperous will simply be required to prove their superior skills at unarmed combat against Bes here."

Bes grinned.

Steinmetz looked a bit disconcerted. Tremelo chuckled. "I'm throwing the security establishment a big bone, though. I've talked it over with the military and they've agreed-seeing as how Cruz and McKenna are already in the unit anyway-that the 101st will be officially designated as the force assigned to provide whatever military personnel are needed for pyramid operations. There's a Lieutenant Rich Evans who seems quite promising. Cruz and McKenna tell me that Evans won't have any trouble understanding that everything has to be done differently in the Mythworlds. And he's got a Private Henderson that Cruz and McKenna think highly of, as well."

"Tough soldier, I take it."

"No, it's not that. He got arrested for pizza."

Melvin frowned. "I don't get it."

Tremelo shrugged. "Neither do I. But Cruz and Mac figure anybody who can get arrested for pizza will probably manage just fine in the weirdness of the pyramid. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's to trust the instincts of the only people in the world who can really claim to be 'pyramid pros.'?"

"Fair enough," said Steinmetz. "I'll back you up on that point, for sure, after watching Garnett's fiasco." He took a long, slow breath. "I just wish we knew what was happening now with your people in the Norse Mythworld."

"We'll find out soon enough. But there's one thing we already know for sure. This isn't over yet. In fact, I think the…"

Steinmetz chuckled. "Call it a 'war,' why don't you, Miggy? That's what it is, you know."

"Yes," sighed Tremelo. "The first skirmishes are over. The Krim pyramid war is just starting."

Eric Flint Dave Freer

Pyramid Power

Standing on the hillside, Jerry had his arm linked with Liz as they watched Loki and Thor entering Asgard's gates. Lamont and Marie stood with them.

With the wall breached, and the forces of Vanir arrayed with those of Loki, and the dragons and the Valkyries having harried the now leaderless Einherjar into retreat, Thrud had had no trouble in getting Idun to offer terms to the remaining?sir. Only Heimdall had wanted to fight on. Tyr sat on him, and reminded him exactly why he'd had to get gold teeth.

The only other possible serious objector, Thjalfi-Harkness, had disappeared. Not died. Just vanished while in custody.

Liz squeezed Jerry's hand. "It's just occurred to me why the Norns were so sour and uncooperative when I asked them to tell our futures. Loki said they only ever tell you things that make matters worse. They also apparently don't lie. So, the fact that they wouldn't tell us anything meant that the future was looking far too rosy for their liking."

Jerry kissed her.

She grinned. "See what I mean?"

"Something else occurred to me, Lamont," said Jerry, looking at his now much younger friend and wife, standing next to them, unable to stop hugging each other. "You were lamenting about your luck no longer following you, because Marie was dying. But actually you've never stopped being lucky. In fact, I think we've been seeing your luck at work. From what the doctors said, Marie's condition must have preexisted your blessing by Tyche. The only way that she could be cured-or at least treated-was by magic. So luck brought you to where you could get a reprieve for her. I don't know if it's a cure, but you've either reversed it or at least put it off."