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Authors: Steven Campbell
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interpret the Will of the
Prophet,” he said nonsensically.
I couldn’t call him full of crap in his
own temple, but he had made the Commandment specifically to make it difficult
for my Kommilaire. His Order had their own police force and they sure as hell
didn’t dispense brotherly love—unless it was compassion that led them to speed
their adversaries into the blessed afterlife.
Already I had instances where my Stair
Boys had refused to act against other Order members and it had caused people to
get hurt. I couldn’t have external groups exerting influence from within the
Kommilaire. Not only did it make our jobs that much harder, but it might make
us lose that last hair of credibility which turned the citizens on us.
“I think you want to work with me on
this. I can’t protect you, otherwise,” I said.
“Protection? We are a peaceful
religion,” he said, flanked by his mutant bodyguard, in a part of the city
blockaded by his paramilitaries.
“Maybe we can do something for you,”
Valia said, dragging her fingernails across his jawbone and making him raise
his head like a cat being stroked.
“Are you planning on running for Governor
in the election?” he asked me.
“No. Who the hell would want that job?”
“Me. I want you to back me for the
position.”
“I’m not backing anyone. No one even
knows what the job does. What if we decide the Governor has to sweep the
streets?”
Hobardi paused to think of another
angle.
“If you’re not backing anyone, then help
with the Olmarr Republic. They’ve kidnapped a member of my personnel. I want
you to get him back.”
“How do you know it was them? People go
missing all the time. Despite our best efforts, this is still a dangerous
city.”
“They told us they had him right after he
disappeared.”
“Oh. That seems odd. Why would they take
him? Who is he?”
“A member of my church. Two Clem.”
“Two Clem?” I asked, surprised. “The
actor? He’s still alive?”
Two Clem had been a big shot celebrity
like a hundred years ago. I mean really famous. Funny hair and funny pants and
starred in dramas. I had never seen his work but I had pulled a job for him
once back when Belvaille was in the state of Ginland. I hadn’t thought about
him much since then, but I assumed he was dead or had left Belvaille or both.
“Yes, he’s alive,” Hobardi answered,
irritated. “He’s a very important figure for the Order. Especially in
communicating our message off-station.”
“What?” I said, honestly confused.
Then I remembered that the Sublime Order
of Transcendence had actually managed to spread to places other than Belvaille.
The religion was such a joke that it was hard for me to imagine anyone taking
it seriously out of the poverty-stricken confines of gullible Belvaille.
I suppose it made sense that he would
use a celebrity, or former celebrity, to help him endorse his wares. I wonder
if Two Clem actually believed in the Order. Two Clem didn’t like to share the
spotlight and neither did Hobardi. Seemed an unusual fit.
“I can talk to the Olmarr—” I started.
“I don’t want you to talk. I want you to
get my people back and kill Peush,” he said, who was the leader of the Olmarr
Republic faction on Belvaille.
“Who do you think I am?”
Hobardi leaned forward on the couch, his
eyes hard.
“I think you’re Hank, and I know exactly
who you are.”
http://www.belvaille.com/hlh3/hobardi.gif
CHAPTER 10
I was at my apartment trying to trim my
toenails.
It wasn’t as easy as you might think. I
couldn’t reach them for one. Not even close. And there was nothing that could
cut them. If I shot them with a high-powered rifle, I’d just have mashed
bullets all over my feet.
I had a file I was using. But it took a
long time and was tiring. I could get someone else to do this, I guess, but I’d
just feel like a pampered idiot having someone else hack away at my feet for hours.
The doorbell rang and I was thankful
Prophet,” he said nonsensically.
I couldn’t call him full of crap in his
own temple, but he had made the Commandment specifically to make it difficult
for my Kommilaire. His Order had their own police force and they sure as hell
didn’t dispense brotherly love—unless it was compassion that led them to speed
their adversaries into the blessed afterlife.
Already I had instances where my Stair
Boys had refused to act against other Order members and it had caused people to
get hurt. I couldn’t have external groups exerting influence from within the
Kommilaire. Not only did it make our jobs that much harder, but it might make
us lose that last hair of credibility which turned the citizens on us.
“I think you want to work with me on
this. I can’t protect you, otherwise,” I said.
“Protection? We are a peaceful
religion,” he said, flanked by his mutant bodyguard, in a part of the city
blockaded by his paramilitaries.
“Maybe we can do something for you,”
Valia said, dragging her fingernails across his jawbone and making him raise
his head like a cat being stroked.
“Are you planning on running for Governor
in the election?” he asked me.
“No. Who the hell would want that job?”
“Me. I want you to back me for the
position.”
“I’m not backing anyone. No one even
knows what the job does. What if we decide the Governor has to sweep the
streets?”
Hobardi paused to think of another
angle.
“If you’re not backing anyone, then help
with the Olmarr Republic. They’ve kidnapped a member of my personnel. I want
you to get him back.”
“How do you know it was them? People go
missing all the time. Despite our best efforts, this is still a dangerous
city.”
“They told us they had him right after he
disappeared.”
“Oh. That seems odd. Why would they take
him? Who is he?”
“A member of my church. Two Clem.”
“Two Clem?” I asked, surprised. “The
actor? He’s still alive?”
Two Clem had been a big shot celebrity
like a hundred years ago. I mean really famous. Funny hair and funny pants and
starred in dramas. I had never seen his work but I had pulled a job for him
once back when Belvaille was in the state of Ginland. I hadn’t thought about
him much since then, but I assumed he was dead or had left Belvaille or both.
“Yes, he’s alive,” Hobardi answered,
irritated. “He’s a very important figure for the Order. Especially in
communicating our message off-station.”
“What?” I said, honestly confused.
Then I remembered that the Sublime Order
of Transcendence had actually managed to spread to places other than Belvaille.
The religion was such a joke that it was hard for me to imagine anyone taking
it seriously out of the poverty-stricken confines of gullible Belvaille.
I suppose it made sense that he would
use a celebrity, or former celebrity, to help him endorse his wares. I wonder
if Two Clem actually believed in the Order. Two Clem didn’t like to share the
spotlight and neither did Hobardi. Seemed an unusual fit.
“I can talk to the Olmarr—” I started.
“I don’t want you to talk. I want you to
get my people back and kill Peush,” he said, who was the leader of the Olmarr
Republic faction on Belvaille.
“Who do you think I am?”
Hobardi leaned forward on the couch, his
eyes hard.
“I think you’re Hank, and I know exactly
who you are.”
http://www.belvaille.com/hlh3/hobardi.gif
CHAPTER 10
I was at my apartment trying to trim my
toenails.
It wasn’t as easy as you might think. I
couldn’t reach them for one. Not even close. And there was nothing that could
cut them. If I shot them with a high-powered rifle, I’d just have mashed
bullets all over my feet.
I had a file I was using. But it took a
long time and was tiring. I could get someone else to do this, I guess, but I’d
just feel like a pampered idiot having someone else hack away at my feet for hours.
The doorbell rang and I was thankful
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