Read Online Ghosts of Empire (Book 4 of The Empire of Bones Saga) by Terry Mixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Terry Mixon
Ads: Link
An atrocity would both derail the negotiations and taint her reputation.”
“I wonder if we could merge those ideas,” he said thoughtfully. “Killing some of the Fleet prisoners and then assassinating Olivia West. Those linked events could get everyone looking at Admiral Mertz as the guilty party for her death. That has possibilities.
“Keep a close eye on the negotiations and begin setting up plans to carry out the execution of some prisoners. If the moment seems ripe, we’ll see if we can get the dogs to attack one another. Call me as soon as something important occurs.”
He disconnected without waiting for her response. Abigail scowled at the view outside her window. This was risky. Impetuous. If things went wrong, she’d be the immediate suspect.
Which might be Master Calder’s plan, she admitted. He led the conservative alliance and his family had been in power before the system lord had crushed the planet. As one of only a few surviving members of that clan, he’d want to sit in the coordinator’s chair himself. With the death of Olivia West, he’d see Abigail as an obstacle to his ambitions.
She owed her rise in power to him, but she didn’t owe him her life. She decided she’d take steps to see that certain information about him became public if something unfortunate happened to her. Done properly, he’d find out and understand the message she was sending him. In the end, the real winner was the one left standing.
Chapter Six
The communicator on Olivia’s desk chimed. She answered her assistant’s request with the touch of a key. “Yes?”
“My deepest apologies, Coordinator. Lord Hawthorne is here without an appointment. He’s very insistent about speaking with you.”
“Send him in.”
The titles accorded to the higher orders by birth always made her smile bitterly. They were lords and ladies, just like the AIs that ruled them. Their ruling society had three layers: the Imperial lords who ruled the Empire, the system lords who managed individual solar systems, and the higher orders of humanity.
The machine intelligences always spoke of how they worked hand-in-hand with the human leaders, and the lower orders believed that fiction. Little did they know that even the most powerful humans were just as much slaves as they were.
William Hawthorne was different for a number of reasons. She’d known him for most of her life. He was actually one of her few friends—and her mentor.
The tall man with sandy curls came in and bowed his head. “My deepest apologies for interrupting your busy day, Coordinator. I bring word from my Lady Mother. She commanded me to deliver at once and in person.”
“Then come in and tell me. I can hardly wait.”
He closed the door and gave her a questioning look.
“My security team scanned the room this morning,” she said. “I’ve been here ever since. Speak freely. Did your mother actually have a message for me?”
He smiled. “She did, though that’s not why I’m here. My youngest sister is getting married next month and my Lady Mother would be delighted if you could attend.”
“I’ll check my schedule and let you know, but only because I like your sister more than your mother. She gets on my nerves with all her matchmaking. I’m tempted to tell her about my unrequited love for you just to get her off my back.”
William gave her a semi-panicked look. “Don’t you dare! Not even in jest! She’d never give me a moment’s peace, urging me to divorce Craig and marry you straight away. Oh, the scandal that would cause.”
He sat and gave her a considering look. “I might be persuaded to name my daughter after you, though. She’ll be out of the artificial womb in another two months and we still haven’t agreed on a name. Craig would be honored, I’m sure.”
“As would I. What do you really need?”
“I’ve spoken with the others and taken them the data you provided. Captain Black searched the few Fleet databases we still
“I wonder if we could merge those ideas,” he said thoughtfully. “Killing some of the Fleet prisoners and then assassinating Olivia West. Those linked events could get everyone looking at Admiral Mertz as the guilty party for her death. That has possibilities.
“Keep a close eye on the negotiations and begin setting up plans to carry out the execution of some prisoners. If the moment seems ripe, we’ll see if we can get the dogs to attack one another. Call me as soon as something important occurs.”
He disconnected without waiting for her response. Abigail scowled at the view outside her window. This was risky. Impetuous. If things went wrong, she’d be the immediate suspect.
Which might be Master Calder’s plan, she admitted. He led the conservative alliance and his family had been in power before the system lord had crushed the planet. As one of only a few surviving members of that clan, he’d want to sit in the coordinator’s chair himself. With the death of Olivia West, he’d see Abigail as an obstacle to his ambitions.
She owed her rise in power to him, but she didn’t owe him her life. She decided she’d take steps to see that certain information about him became public if something unfortunate happened to her. Done properly, he’d find out and understand the message she was sending him. In the end, the real winner was the one left standing.
Chapter Six
The communicator on Olivia’s desk chimed. She answered her assistant’s request with the touch of a key. “Yes?”
“My deepest apologies, Coordinator. Lord Hawthorne is here without an appointment. He’s very insistent about speaking with you.”
“Send him in.”
The titles accorded to the higher orders by birth always made her smile bitterly. They were lords and ladies, just like the AIs that ruled them. Their ruling society had three layers: the Imperial lords who ruled the Empire, the system lords who managed individual solar systems, and the higher orders of humanity.
The machine intelligences always spoke of how they worked hand-in-hand with the human leaders, and the lower orders believed that fiction. Little did they know that even the most powerful humans were just as much slaves as they were.
William Hawthorne was different for a number of reasons. She’d known him for most of her life. He was actually one of her few friends—and her mentor.
The tall man with sandy curls came in and bowed his head. “My deepest apologies for interrupting your busy day, Coordinator. I bring word from my Lady Mother. She commanded me to deliver at once and in person.”
“Then come in and tell me. I can hardly wait.”
He closed the door and gave her a questioning look.
“My security team scanned the room this morning,” she said. “I’ve been here ever since. Speak freely. Did your mother actually have a message for me?”
He smiled. “She did, though that’s not why I’m here. My youngest sister is getting married next month and my Lady Mother would be delighted if you could attend.”
“I’ll check my schedule and let you know, but only because I like your sister more than your mother. She gets on my nerves with all her matchmaking. I’m tempted to tell her about my unrequited love for you just to get her off my back.”
William gave her a semi-panicked look. “Don’t you dare! Not even in jest! She’d never give me a moment’s peace, urging me to divorce Craig and marry you straight away. Oh, the scandal that would cause.”
He sat and gave her a considering look. “I might be persuaded to name my daughter after you, though. She’ll be out of the artificial womb in another two months and we still haven’t agreed on a name. Craig would be honored, I’m sure.”
“As would I. What do you really need?”
“I’ve spoken with the others and taken them the data you provided. Captain Black searched the few Fleet databases we still
Similar Books
