Read Online Destiny's Choice (The Wandering Engineer) by Chris Hechtl - Free Book Online Page A

their backer
was also someone behind his exile. He was curious about who. He was pretty sure
Sprite wanted to find out.
    Mayfair
was definitely a piece of work. She had a long dour face. No one in their right
mind would ever call her pretty or beautiful. Mousy brown hair, cut short and
curled close to her scalp. She had a mottled olive complexion that didn't
compliment her in the slightest.
    She
was wearing a gown, white with faux pearls. Most likely they were plastic. The
chrome chain around her right wrist with some sort of dangling time piece was
an interesting item. She didn't look at all happy to be there. He could
understand.
    Being
torn like that must be hard on some, the Admiral thought. On the one hand your
boss sends you out to do a mission, then you find out he tried to kill you. To
stab you in the back and you owe your life to the guy your boss hated. To hang
onto that prejudice even after everything that had happened....
    It
was strange, they had been stabbed in the back and yet they still clung to
their loyalties to the very people who had tried to murder them. And the same
went for the assassin, he couldn't understand why someone would do something
like that after finding out about the virus. Some misplaced loyalties defied
logic apparently.
    But
then again people were fallible. No doubt Miss Mayfair had convinced herself
that Irons had made the entire emergency up? But how did she explain the
missing equipment?
    “Something
to say Miss Mayfair?” the captain asked politely, eyes narrowed.
    Mayfair
squirmed under the gaze a little, fighting the urge to glare. Instead she looked
down and away for a moment. “Ah no,” she said looking up. Her hand crumpled the
napkin she was holding. “No, not at all captain. Welcome, welcome. It is so
nice to have a visitor from our past. And a celebrity at that,” she smiled a
false smile that fooled no one.
    Irons
snorted mentally. She obviously had no experience in diplomacy and high stakes
politics. She didn't put a lot of effort into herself or into that smile. That
spoke volumes to him about her chances of achieving anything worthwhile.
    “Oh
this is going to be so much fun. Joy,” Bailey muttered.
    So
why'd you come?” Irons asked, leaning over to the simian.
    Brown
eyes met his briefly before the simian's large nostrils dilated. “You needed
the back up. Besides, seeing their choked faces was worth all the annoyance of
the pomp and circumstance crap of a formal dinner. I'm hoping one of them has a
nice coronary by the time we reach dessert.”
    “Gee
thanks,” Irons said. “Least I'm the source of someone's entertainment.”
    “Every
day Admiral. Every day,” the simian said, smiling slightly and slapping him on
the shoulder. “Come on, let's eat.”
     
    “Well,
that was fun,” Bailey said picking up his beer stein as he watched the bulk of
the Pyraxian delegation leave. “I gotta hand it to you Admiral, you do make things
lively. Not to mention clear a room.” He saluted the Admiral with the stein.
    Irons
snorted. Mayfair and her people had cleared the decks as quickly as they could
without making too much of a scene. Mayfair's backward glare at him hadn't been
missed though. “Something like that,” Irons said shaking his head at the
chief's perfidy. “I'm curious why though.” He rubbed his chin, looking
thoughtful.
    “Patronage,”
the captain said tracing a finger on a linen napkin. He looked up as they
looked to him. “Seriously. Most of them were nominated for this by the ruling
council. Some by members of that committee who no doubt screwed you. And damn
near screwed us.”
    A
blond head down the row looked up and then grimaced. She nodded though. “He's
right,” She shook her head.
    “Miss
Willis? I didn't see you there,” Bailey said leaning forward to get a look.
“I'm surprised that you didn't turn tail with your fellows and high tail it out
of here first chance you got.”
    Irons
was surprised by the dancing blue green eyes and