Read Online Storm Force: Book Three of the Last Legion Series by Chris Bunch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chris Bunch
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high-ranking
Leiter
. “Been one for six, seven years.”
“What happened to the person you replaced?”
“Dunno, sir. Heard he didn’t pay close enough attention to what people said.”
“But you do.”
“Sure do, sir. I don’t mean to boast, sir, but I think it’s people like me who keep Protector Redruth, bless his name, safe, especially from the Cumbrian infiltrators.”
“There’s no question about that,” Njangu said.
• • •
“So these reports come in from the block wardens to you, then?” Njangu asked.
“Yessir,” the thin man said. He pointed around his spotless cubicle. “Notice, there’s no paperwork left undone here. I read the reports, and report on up to the next level within the day, generally within a few hours.
“Then, if my supervisor tells me somebody needs talking to or … or worse, I go out with the watch and help them pick him up, if that’s what’s been ordered. I make sure everybody else in the block knows what happens, too, and give the block warden who first reported the misfit to me a reward.”
• • •
“All these district reports are collated,” the brisk man, “then an abstract is made, which goes directly to …” He broke off.
“You can use the word,” Njangu said.
“To the Protector’s intelligence service, and they make estimates from them.”
“Suppose there’s been twice as many complaints of, I guess you’d call it social misbehavior. Sorry, but I’m still learning your terminology. What happens then?” Njangu asked.
“Then the entire district is punished, by cutting supplemental rations or even refusing permission for them to spend their summer leaves at recreational areas.
“Sometimes we even reduce their sports-viewing or -attendance privileges. This is a particularly important district, as I’m sure you’re aware, with our shipyards working at full speed, so we keep a very close watch on trends.”
“ ‘Kay,” Yoshitaro said. “Now, suppose a district has less than normal complaints?”
“Possibly minor benefits are increased,” the bureaucrat said. “Or, more likely, a congratulatory message from Protector Redruth will be ‘cast on their vids. We keep several varieties on record.”
Son of a bitch
, Yoshitaro thought.
These bastards all seem to like narking each other off, and playing pissant tyrant, level by level It’s like a disease, and every goddamned one of them’s running a frigging fever
.
• • •
“Several of the people I’ve interviewed mentioned Cumbrian infiltrators,” Njangu asked Celidon. They were in Celidon’s apartments, as spare as his shipboard compartment.
Celidon smiled. “What about them?”
“To the best of my knowledge, the Cumbrians didn’t start infiltrating Larix until recently,” Yoshitaro said. “Where did these spies I never heard of come from?”
“Protector Redruth has an uncanny ability to define and sniff out moles from another system,” Celidon said. “He’s been discovering Cumbrian spy rings for about two or three years now.
“Before that, we were woefully troubled with anarchists from Confederate worlds spreading their poison. Fortunately, the Protector discovered and wiped them all out.”
“I think I see,” Yoshitaro said.
“Traitors tend to appear when Protector Redruth is developing an interest in a certain area, so it’s only natural that the prospective enemy does inimical things, thus proving the Protector’s concerns to be justified.”
“And obviously,” Njangu said, “you’re quite certain the Protector doesn’t have these rooms wired.”
“I assume nothing,” Celidon said. “Being a dedicated servant of the Protector’s, I have nothing to fear.”
• • •
“Oh dear,” the blonde whispered. “Not again?”
“You want me to stop, Enide?”
“Oh no. I’m just … worn-out keeping up with you. I’m not even twenty and you’re, what, almost thirty?”
“A bit older, m’love.”
“You don’t
ever
seem to
Leiter
. “Been one for six, seven years.”
“What happened to the person you replaced?”
“Dunno, sir. Heard he didn’t pay close enough attention to what people said.”
“But you do.”
“Sure do, sir. I don’t mean to boast, sir, but I think it’s people like me who keep Protector Redruth, bless his name, safe, especially from the Cumbrian infiltrators.”
“There’s no question about that,” Njangu said.
• • •
“So these reports come in from the block wardens to you, then?” Njangu asked.
“Yessir,” the thin man said. He pointed around his spotless cubicle. “Notice, there’s no paperwork left undone here. I read the reports, and report on up to the next level within the day, generally within a few hours.
“Then, if my supervisor tells me somebody needs talking to or … or worse, I go out with the watch and help them pick him up, if that’s what’s been ordered. I make sure everybody else in the block knows what happens, too, and give the block warden who first reported the misfit to me a reward.”
• • •
“All these district reports are collated,” the brisk man, “then an abstract is made, which goes directly to …” He broke off.
“You can use the word,” Njangu said.
“To the Protector’s intelligence service, and they make estimates from them.”
“Suppose there’s been twice as many complaints of, I guess you’d call it social misbehavior. Sorry, but I’m still learning your terminology. What happens then?” Njangu asked.
“Then the entire district is punished, by cutting supplemental rations or even refusing permission for them to spend their summer leaves at recreational areas.
“Sometimes we even reduce their sports-viewing or -attendance privileges. This is a particularly important district, as I’m sure you’re aware, with our shipyards working at full speed, so we keep a very close watch on trends.”
“ ‘Kay,” Yoshitaro said. “Now, suppose a district has less than normal complaints?”
“Possibly minor benefits are increased,” the bureaucrat said. “Or, more likely, a congratulatory message from Protector Redruth will be ‘cast on their vids. We keep several varieties on record.”
Son of a bitch
, Yoshitaro thought.
These bastards all seem to like narking each other off, and playing pissant tyrant, level by level It’s like a disease, and every goddamned one of them’s running a frigging fever
.
• • •
“Several of the people I’ve interviewed mentioned Cumbrian infiltrators,” Njangu asked Celidon. They were in Celidon’s apartments, as spare as his shipboard compartment.
Celidon smiled. “What about them?”
“To the best of my knowledge, the Cumbrians didn’t start infiltrating Larix until recently,” Yoshitaro said. “Where did these spies I never heard of come from?”
“Protector Redruth has an uncanny ability to define and sniff out moles from another system,” Celidon said. “He’s been discovering Cumbrian spy rings for about two or three years now.
“Before that, we were woefully troubled with anarchists from Confederate worlds spreading their poison. Fortunately, the Protector discovered and wiped them all out.”
“I think I see,” Yoshitaro said.
“Traitors tend to appear when Protector Redruth is developing an interest in a certain area, so it’s only natural that the prospective enemy does inimical things, thus proving the Protector’s concerns to be justified.”
“And obviously,” Njangu said, “you’re quite certain the Protector doesn’t have these rooms wired.”
“I assume nothing,” Celidon said. “Being a dedicated servant of the Protector’s, I have nothing to fear.”
• • •
“Oh dear,” the blonde whispered. “Not again?”
“You want me to stop, Enide?”
“Oh no. I’m just … worn-out keeping up with you. I’m not even twenty and you’re, what, almost thirty?”
“A bit older, m’love.”
“You don’t
ever
seem to
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