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.""Your mother may not be fully functional," Catrone said."Mentally.""Correct." Roger considered his next words carefully."Again," he said, "wehave.reports which indicate that.The people who provided the analysisin those reports believe there will be significant impairment.Look, Tom, Idon't want the Throne.What sort of lunatic would want it in a situation likethis one? But from all reports, Mother isn't going to be sufficientlyfunctional to continue as Empress.""We don't know that," Catrone argued mulishly, his face set."All we have arerumors and fifth-hand information.Your mother is a very strong woman."Roger leaned back and cocked his head to the side, examining the old soldieras if he'd never seen him before."You love her," the prince said."What?" Catrone snapped, and glared at him."What does that have to do withit? She's my Empress.I was sworn to protect her before you were a gleam in New Madrid's eye.I wasSilver's battalion sergeant major when she wasHeir Primus.Of course I love her! She's myEmpress, you young idiot!""No." Roger leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, and staredCatrone in the eye."Being in that pressure cooker taught me more than justhow to swing a sword, Tomcat.It made me a pretty fair judge of human nature,too.And I mean you love her.Not as a primary, not as the Empress as a woman.Tell me I lie."Catrone leaned back and crossed his own arms.He looked away from Roger'smodded browneyes, then looked back."What if I do?" he asked."What business is that of yours?""Just this." Roger leaned back in turn."Which do you love more her, or theEmpire?" He watched the sergeant major's face for a moment, then nodded."Ah,there's the rub, isn't it? If it comes down to a choice between AlexandraMacClintock and the Empire, can you decide?""That's hypothetical," Catrone argued."And it's impossible to judge ""It's an important hypothetical," Roger interrupted."Face it, if we succeed,we will be the kingmakers.And people everyone on Old Earth, in the Navy, inthe Corps, the Lords, the Commons, all of them are going to want to know,right away, who's in charge." He made a cutting motion with his hand in emphasis."Rightthen.Who's giving the orders.Who holds the reins.Not to mention theplanetary defense control codes.My information is that Mother's in no condition to assume that responsibility.What do your sources say?""That she's.impaired." Catrone's face was obsidian-hard."That they'reusing psychotropic drugs, toot controls, and.sexual controls to keep herin line.""What?" Roger said very, very softly."They're using psychotropic ""No.That last part.""That's why the Earl is involved," Catrone said, and paused, looking at theprince."You didn't know,"he said quietly after a moment."No." Roger's fists bunched.His arms quivered, and his face went set andhard.For the first time, Thomas Catrone felt an actual trickle of fear as helooked at the young man across the table from him."I did not know," Prince Roger MacClintock said."It's a.refinement." Catrone's own jaw worked."Keeping Alex in line isPage 126 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlapparently pretty hard.New Madrid figured out how." He paused and took a deep breath, getting himselfunder control."It's his.style."Roger had his head down, hands together, nose and lips resting on the ends ofhis fingers, as if he were praying.He was still quivering."If you go in now, guns blazing, Prince Roger," Catrone said softly, "we'reall going to die.And it won't help your mother."Roger nodded his head, ever so slightly."I've had some time to get over it," Catrone said, gazing at something only hecould see, his voice distant, almost detached."Marinau brought me the word.All of it.He brought it in person, along with a couple of the other guys.""They have to hold you down?" Roger asked quietly.His head was still bent,but he'd managed to stop the whole-body quivers."I nearly broke his arm," Catrone said, speaking each word carefully, in asort of high, soft voice of memory.He licked his lips and shook his head."Itcatches me, sometimes.I've been wracking my brain over what to do, other thangetting myself killed.I don't have a problem with that, but it wouldn't havehelped Alex one bit.Which is why I didn't hesitate, except long enough forsome tradecraft, when you turned up.I want those bastards, Your Highness.Iwant them so bad I can taste it.I've never wanted to kill anyone like I wantto kill New Madrid.I want a new meaning of pain for him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.""Your mother may not be fully functional," Catrone said."Mentally.""Correct." Roger considered his next words carefully."Again," he said, "wehave.reports which indicate that.The people who provided the analysisin those reports believe there will be significant impairment.Look, Tom, Idon't want the Throne.What sort of lunatic would want it in a situation likethis one? But from all reports, Mother isn't going to be sufficientlyfunctional to continue as Empress.""We don't know that," Catrone argued mulishly, his face set."All we have arerumors and fifth-hand information.Your mother is a very strong woman."Roger leaned back and cocked his head to the side, examining the old soldieras if he'd never seen him before."You love her," the prince said."What?" Catrone snapped, and glared at him."What does that have to do withit? She's my Empress.I was sworn to protect her before you were a gleam in New Madrid's eye.I wasSilver's battalion sergeant major when she wasHeir Primus.Of course I love her! She's myEmpress, you young idiot!""No." Roger leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, and staredCatrone in the eye."Being in that pressure cooker taught me more than justhow to swing a sword, Tomcat.It made me a pretty fair judge of human nature,too.And I mean you love her.Not as a primary, not as the Empress as a woman.Tell me I lie."Catrone leaned back and crossed his own arms.He looked away from Roger'smodded browneyes, then looked back."What if I do?" he asked."What business is that of yours?""Just this." Roger leaned back in turn."Which do you love more her, or theEmpire?" He watched the sergeant major's face for a moment, then nodded."Ah,there's the rub, isn't it? If it comes down to a choice between AlexandraMacClintock and the Empire, can you decide?""That's hypothetical," Catrone argued."And it's impossible to judge ""It's an important hypothetical," Roger interrupted."Face it, if we succeed,we will be the kingmakers.And people everyone on Old Earth, in the Navy, inthe Corps, the Lords, the Commons, all of them are going to want to know,right away, who's in charge." He made a cutting motion with his hand in emphasis."Rightthen.Who's giving the orders.Who holds the reins.Not to mention theplanetary defense control codes.My information is that Mother's in no condition to assume that responsibility.What do your sources say?""That she's.impaired." Catrone's face was obsidian-hard."That they'reusing psychotropic drugs, toot controls, and.sexual controls to keep herin line.""What?" Roger said very, very softly."They're using psychotropic ""No.That last part.""That's why the Earl is involved," Catrone said, and paused, looking at theprince."You didn't know,"he said quietly after a moment."No." Roger's fists bunched.His arms quivered, and his face went set andhard.For the first time, Thomas Catrone felt an actual trickle of fear as helooked at the young man across the table from him."I did not know," Prince Roger MacClintock said."It's a.refinement." Catrone's own jaw worked."Keeping Alex in line isPage 126 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlapparently pretty hard.New Madrid figured out how." He paused and took a deep breath, getting himselfunder control."It's his.style."Roger had his head down, hands together, nose and lips resting on the ends ofhis fingers, as if he were praying.He was still quivering."If you go in now, guns blazing, Prince Roger," Catrone said softly, "we'reall going to die.And it won't help your mother."Roger nodded his head, ever so slightly."I've had some time to get over it," Catrone said, gazing at something only hecould see, his voice distant, almost detached."Marinau brought me the word.All of it.He brought it in person, along with a couple of the other guys.""They have to hold you down?" Roger asked quietly.His head was still bent,but he'd managed to stop the whole-body quivers."I nearly broke his arm," Catrone said, speaking each word carefully, in asort of high, soft voice of memory.He licked his lips and shook his head."Itcatches me, sometimes.I've been wracking my brain over what to do, other thangetting myself killed.I don't have a problem with that, but it wouldn't havehelped Alex one bit.Which is why I didn't hesitate, except long enough forsome tradecraft, when you turned up.I want those bastards, Your Highness.Iwant them so bad I can taste it.I've never wanted to kill anyone like I wantto kill New Madrid.I want a new meaning of pain for him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]