T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought · bridge.
"How does the case stand upon each of the local fields?"
"All of it goes forward smoothly by Saint Cana's plan — very smoothly indeed. By any estimate that crew of the Imperial Senate and the nobles never looked for such a turn as this; they were caught flat-out unprepared and killed outright." Secretary Lilith spoke at Zhao Chen's side.
Zhao Chen could not help laughing. "Just so. Who could have thought their own house would be robbed from behind? Though we have Saint Cana's plan to thank for it as well. This Sacred Angel Legion commander is by no means so simple as she looks upon the surface; for all that she seems a righteous, guileless girl, she had in truth built her own web of connections long ago. And it stands to reason — of those who come out of great houses of that kind, which one is a harmless soul?"
"Then how do you mean to arrange this… sorry mess of the Holy Radiance Empire hereafter?" Secretary Lilith laid a particular weight upon those last three words.
A sorry mess…
Indeed. The Holy Radiance Empire now is splendid upon the surface, but within, through troubles of every kind, it has long since rotted past bearing.
For all the world like a great dam hollowed out.
It might collapse at any moment, and pour forth in a flood no man could stop.
To call it a sorry mess is perhaps to flatter it.
Because of that permanent Grade-5 cosmic bug-nest, the Holy Radiance Empire is quite simply a time bomb that might go off at any moment.
Zhao Chen held his own head with a bitter smile.
And this bomb, of all bombs, was one he could not allow to go off.
For Zhao Chen's own ground is like a village hard against that great dam of the Holy Radiance Empire.
Once that dam collapses, the flood it produces will reach his village too.
As the saying has it: when the city gate takes fire, the fish in the moat come to grief.
What else was to be done? Defuse the bomb.
Whose fault was it that he had come by such a neighbor?
"Haah…" Zhao Chen rubbed at his own temples.
On this side the interstellar hive-race; on that side the Demon Race.
And the trouble is that down to this moment there is no means whatever of closing this cosmic bug-nest — which is to say that so long as this bug-nest exists a single day, interstellar hive-race will pour out of it in great quantity, and a T5 Hive Mothership will surface from time to time besides.
And upon the other side the Demon Race, who may not pose a continuous threat, but of whom no one can say when they will spring up and take a bite out of you — while by the Owl Dragon Legion's present strength and foundation.
It cannot yet bear an expedition to destroy the Demon Race at all.
Enough to worry a man to death.
"Report. General Saint Cana has arrived at our hangar with her party, and awaits your arrangement." A subordinate came up to report.
"Call me up the surveillance picture of that hangar," said Zhao Chen.
Lilith very soon called up the hangar's picture.
Zhao Chen looked at the ten-odd shuttles berthed within it, and at several hundred people packed together in a dark mass, with a squad of crew outside holding laser pistols and watching them.
These high men who had once stood so far above all others within the Holy Radiance Empire were at this hour for all the world like pigs and sheep penned in one place, trembling, as though in the next second they would be dragged out and slaughtered.
"Let Saint Cana choose for herself whom she brings to see me. The rest remain there and await arrangement." So saying, Zhao Chen closed the surveillance picture.
He had still to think how this sorry mess before him was to be handled.
Truly vexing. He rather missed his own great white cat's furry head and tail — the feel of them was very fine indeed, a divine implement for the relief of pressure!
……
Within the hangar
Saint Cana had received Zhao Chen's instruction as well.
She walked before her own father, and Consul Gilbert, and Consul Melissa, and bade them follow her to face Zhao Chen.
Then she looked toward Consul Ernest and Consul Andrew in the corner.
"Consul Gilbert, trouble yourself to bring these two along under guard," Saint Cana requested.
"Right you are." Consul Gilbert, without a word, took one under each arm outright and walked out after Saint Cana.
Seeing Saint Cana leaving with several people, and leaving this crowd of them here under the watch of soldiers with weapons.
No few of them were thrown into a panic on the instant.
"This… what are we set here for?"
"My lady Saint Cana, why are you leaving? Do not leave us here — our family is willing to swear fealty to you!"
"They cannot mean to put us to death, can they? Ahh, ahh — I do not want to die!"
"Elder brother — niece — do not leave me here!"
At the outset it was only a few; but feeling of this kind is catching, and very soon more of them fell into a panic.
Some even meant to run after Saint Cana and the rest.
Bang bang bang bang.
Several bullet-scars smoking black upon the ground brought this crowd to their senses on the instant.
"Every one of you stay where you are and do not stir, or bear the consequences yourselves!" the squad leader roared.
And at this point one raised hand stood out most conspicuously.
The second uncle pointed piteously at the party that had already walked out of the hangar. "I am of the Sacred Angel family too — I am Saint Cana's second uncle!"
But at this several laser pistols were already aimed at the second uncle's head.
"All those Miss Saint Cana did not name just now remain here without exception. Whoever disobeys the order may be killed on the spot!" a petty officer roared.
At this the second uncle grew honest indeed; he pulled in his neck and shrank back into the crowd, though he muttered still, "I… I am her second uncle… her second uncle…"
While this crowd were in their terror and confusion.
Saint Cana's party had already come to this super-starship's bridge.
Consul Melissa, having walked onto the bridge, did not let her eyes rest for a moment, but looked the place over on every side.
Set against her, Consul Gilbert, being of a soldier's making, looked exceedingly grave.
And Chieftain Saint George was exceedingly tense, swallowing without cease.
And at last the party saw that man reclining at his ease upon a sofa.
This scene was, by any estimate, not quite the scene no few of them had pictured.
Though Saint Cana did not find it unlooked-for; she had after all kept company with this man before, and knew his character and temper.
"I have brought them. This is—" Saint Cana made to introduce them, but was cut short by Zhao Chen.
"I know him."
Zhao Chen rose, walked smiling up before Chieftain Saint George, and put out his hand. "How do you do, Chieftain Saint George."
"How… how… how do you do." Chieftain Saint George grasped Zhao Chen's hand at once, his tone showing some excitement.
"You have an exceedingly fine daughter," Zhao Chen praised him with a smile.
"Not at all… not at all… I have never seen so fine a young man as yourself," said Chieftain Saint George.
Zhao Chen looked toward the beautiful lady behind him.
"Consul Melissa. Your fair name I have long heard." Zhao Chen looked at this beautiful lady Consul and said it with a smile.
Only that what she did next was more than anyone had looked for.
Consul Melissa bowed slightly, drew Zhao Chen's hand with her own jade one, brought it to her own lips, and touched her red lips gently to it.
This sight left the onlookers staring dumbfounded.
Zhao Chen too was blank a moment.
"Ah… have I been discourteous? I had heard that over in your Starlight Empire there is an ancient courtesy — the kissing of the back of the other's hand. Forgive me, forgive me." Consul Melissa apologized over and over, wearing a look of shame.
This woman is a great deal of theater.
Another might guess that Melissa truly meant by this courtesy to express her respect for Zhao Chen.
But Zhao Chen understood this woman's little designs very well.
If you say a hand-kiss, then let it be a hand-kiss.
Why must you lick as well?
And from this moment Zhao Chen fixed a label upon this beautiful lady Consul.
Glib of tongue.