Chapter 23 (Patreon)

Chapter 23

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The gas giant that filled two-thirds of the huge window slowly melted into a silver shadow as the sun rose. The thin needles of the distant towers already glittered gold at their tops, but just below, the predawn twilight still reigned, tinged with the lights of the central part of the capital. Down below, like a great lazy river, the haze of the cloud layer slowly flowed, above which, looping among the towers, ran the lights of flyers and aircars, stretching one after another like an endless string of luminous beads.

His lordship Prince Cassard, naked to the waist, walked along the window, waving his arms, and sometimes he paused for a minute or two in thought, only to resume his occupation shortly afterward.

"What would I do if I were in their shoes?" Alex muttered to himself under his nose, making another stop near the window and looking down at all this splendor. "There aren't many options...."

He'd been looking at the contents of the infostick as soon as they'd gotten into the aerocar. The contents were a huge scattering of videos, which he had begun to look at with interest after Dudo had helped him connect the headset to the infoblock. Not that - Krain and Dudo posed any particular risk of leakage - he just didn't want to embarrass others with the murky political secrets that were pouring into his ears. And the secrets were very murky, and the fact that the records were not organized did nothing to dispel the murk.

When he got back to the tower, he went up to his room and was only distracted for the first time an hour and a half later when, as always, the thoughtful Liora brought a huge tray of snacks that were convenient to eat with one hand. Thanks to that, the second break-in absorption of information came only after eight hours. At the end of the night, he simply began to cramp.

He had been warned, but still, the sudden twisted fingers, the hands in a strange sort of fetal position, and the savage pain in every muscle in his arms took him by surprise. Involuntarily dropping the infoblock, he hissed in pain in his chair for about half a minute. It felt like a dozen thin, narrow blades had been shoved into his hands. It was also a little scary:

How long will it last? He was almost helpless, his hands and fingers completely disobedient.

He didn't know what to do. When his leg cramped, it was obvious: prick or pinch the cramped muscle, try to straighten the cramped leg. What about the arm? His arm was cramped for the first time in his life. How do you pinch it if both of them are cramped? Bite it...?

For lack of better ideas, he even tried to bite, but he just couldn't reach it. The tight muscles pulled his arms up to his chest, and he couldn't reach them with his teeth.

He clumsily climbed out of the chair and tried to straighten one arm, resting it against the doorjamb. It must have been incredibly hilarious from the outside, but Alex was not amused, and he concentrated on the jamb, trying to get his right arm caught and straightened. To his surprise, it worked-it took him about a fifth attempt to straighten his right arm, the pain subsided, and more importantly, he regained some control over his arm. The left arm was much easier, and he was able to help with the other hand. He pulled off his shirt and kneaded the aching muscles in his naughty hands for a while:

Actually, it's a cause for celebration. he urged himself, looking for some positivity. The cramp means that the new muscles with the altered structure have taken root, finished growing, and are ready to work.

It wasn't that he had gained any enviable relief; his arms looked rather swollen and inflamed. But, after all, this wasn't about appearance. It was about improving his chances:

Damn, but it hurts so bad...

Regular exercise was recommended for his cramp problems, and he'd just gotten the first wake-up call that it was time to get in on it. There was a full-fledged gym inside the tower's "personal area." But the pain had receded and he was too lazy to go to the gym, so Alex did an impromptu workout in his room, using this change of activity to organize the jumble of new information in his head.

Roughly speaking, there were two types of records on the infostick: one with Baron Assaro in the main role where he, usually sitting in a luxurious chair, emotionally denounced his former companions, not hiding his desire to cause them as much trouble as possible in case of his premature death. There were only three such recordings with the Baron, the rest of the array of information was formed by recordings of the second type. With a twitching picture and grinding sound, taken from under his jacket or from a great distance, these were "operational recordings" that were supposed to confirm the Baron's accusations. There were a lot of them, but it was very difficult to deal with such information. The footage was devoid of any context, only the time and with whom the meeting was held. And it was impossible to verify even these crumbs of information - often the quality of the recordings was so terrible that it was unclear even with whom the conversation was held.

It's probably a case for forensics and analytical machines. Alex suggested, pacing along the window and making vigorous waving of his arms.

It didn't matter for now. It was not a court hearing, and there was no need to prove the authenticity of the material.

The Baron, quite obviously, presented everything in the light he wanted, but if you believe him, it was an interesting picture:

Some time ago, a prediction was made of the Emperor's death. The Baron did not go into details, obviously implying that his majesty, to whom these accusatory notes were addressed, knew everything perfectly well. When the prediction was confirmed, as the Baron mentioned in the very first record, a piece of which Alex saw during the shootout at the "Alley of Heroes," the powers that be decided to act. A certain circle of power-seekers was formed - House Peltar, House Melato, and the Inquisition. The Inquisition wasn't exactly a sure thing. Alex got the impression from the Baron's notes that Lord Quezox was speaking on behalf of the capital's bureaucracy rather than his department. With the other two participants, it was clearer: House Melato was to provide force support, using both its fleet and the position of many of its nobles at the top of the organizational pyramid of the Imperial fleet. House Peltar, on the other hand, to Alex's surprise, was in charge of crime. It was responsible for the actions of rebels, pirates, and other antisocial elements that the Baron felt House Peltar had great influence over.

And, interestingly enough, according to the Baron, the plans of the "conspirators", if they could be called so, were characterized by a noticeable piety toward the Emperor. Alex thought again, having stuck for a few seconds at the window.

They did not imply any action against his majesty. Not at all. The plan was to wait for his death from causes beyond their control and only then to act. For now, their actions were reduced to "preparing the ground" so that they would be in a more favorable position to share power.

The events on Tallana and the assassination attempts on him were part of that preparation.

Nothing personal, buddy - just politics. Alex grinned involuntarily.

There was no personal motive, of course. Lord Cassard's death was meant to distract House Fyron and cause unrest that, with any luck, would bring that planet's Cassard into the Imperial deployment zone. Same with Tallana. The riots were just an excuse to bring in the troops. The trick was that House Melato had every reason to expect their men to lead those troops.

And then, when the power-sharing begins after the emperor dies, it's much easier to get what you already control.

Especially if Lord Quezox becomes the new emperor.

Baron Assaro was tactfully silent about it, but Alex got the impression that it was part of the deal, Houses Pletar and Melato helping him become the new Emperor, and he helped to make the state of emergency regions officially theirs.

I don't know what House Peltar's interest is. They have a lot of work to do, but what are they supposed to get for it? Alex wondered. The Melatians were supposed to be in charge of the emergency zones, and they would have gotten them, but the Peltarians would have gotten what? They didn't get into this for the idea, did they?

The latter was unlikely, but it was more likely another white spot carefully left by Baron Assaro. And there were plenty of such white spots. For example, he could not find a single word about how it was planned to sneak Lord Quezox into the Emperor's office. There were at least two problems to be solved: that the Senate would think that the situation was critical enough for the introduction of an Emperium and that the Empire would be entrusted to Lord Quezox.

Let's assume that these guys have some experience in creating critical situations... Alex hummed, remembering what they had planned to do on Tallana and what they had managed to do there. On the other hand, last time, it took almost losing the war. Or to convince everyone that the war was almost lost..... A terrorist attack is a bit small, even if it is a nuclear bomb. But they must have had some options if they went for it.

In any case, the conception was not without elegance.

But something went wrong ... And this disruption of plans posed a simple question for him:

"What would I do in their place?" Alex muttered again, pausing at the window. The sky was getting lighter and lighter, and the golden disk of the rising light almost completely drowned the running beads of air traffic in its light. "This place is pretty nerve-wracking for conspirators."

They knew, or thought - it didn't matter - that Baron was under suspicion and could compromise them.

And they must have known the Baron's character. He wasn't the kind of man who would keep quiet. That's why the Baron was killed. Alex started pacing along the window again, immersed in his thoughts. Who killed him is not important yet. Although, criminal actions are the area of expertise of the House of Peltar. And by the way, Baron was dating someone with a slender build, probably a woman.

Alex paused for a moment, wondering if Lady Pell herself could have been the Baron's murderer.

"Don't... .-" He mentally waved it away, remembering Nadina's reaction at the sight of the corpse. - "She's too much of an exalted person for something like that. And a princess of a great House probably has someone else to do this sort of thing besides herself. If the Peltarians did it...".

That wasn't certain, but bringing in rebels to attack Lord Lister was very Peltarians. In his suicide notes, Baron claimed they wielded enormous influence over the "Anti-Imperial Alliance."

The conspirators knew about the Baron's suicide note, too, Alex concluded. They made two attempts to destroy it. A break-in into Lord Lister's palace rooms and an attempted kidnapping. It didn't work...

So what would I do if I were them? Getting the droid didn't work. Moreover, there's the risk of expanding the leak just by interrogating the attackers. They'll easily find out who was helping Lord Lister. So what do we do?

In fact, there were only three options: sprinkle their heads in ashes and go to repent to his majesty. After all, they hadn't done anything against him personally. Obviously, it was a bad option, so bad that they preferred to kill one of their own. The second option was to try to negotiate a good deal.

But what can they offer me? Alex wondered sincerely. He didn't know what to offer him to get away from them. And he wasn't going to get away from them at all. It's nothing personal, but people who try to kill me should be punished in some way so others won't repeat it.

There remained a third option - forceful action.

But where exactly the droid is, we don't know. They're not going to break through all the layers of security, are they? Not that he doubted the House of Melato could muster enough forces for something like this. But what would be the point of such an operation? It's practically a war, and there's no way to hide it.

Direct attack wasn't an option.

What else can you do if you can't kill or buy? It was a good question.

In thought, he made several more passes along the window until he had a working hypothesis:

If a person has nothing to offer, you can create a problem and then offer a solution. That sounded like common sense and in the spirit of bureaucrats. And if we assume that House Peltar tried to solve the problem first, with the help of the rebels, and that the power of House Melato is the last resort of kings when there is nothing left to lose. So now it's Lord Quezox's turn to try his hand. And he's in charge of the bureaucracy...

Alex didn't even doubt that they would be able to create problems for him. Just because of his inexperience, he was doomed to make a mistake, and experienced bureaucrats would have no problem to spin it into a problem for him personally. Or they could charge him with a crime:

Even a false accusation will cause problems, and even a real one... Alex involuntarily wrinkled his nose, imagining what kind of problems it could cause since he already had a lot of real sins behind him. Ties with the rebels, ordering the assassination of the lord of the empire - just to start the conversation.

And he really wanted to be wrong, but it was hard to shake the feeling that the First Lord Inquisitor suspected him of something, like being a transmigrator.

And Taer's kidnapping was clearly intended to dig on me. He remembered where his current troubles began. And judging by the questions they wanted to ask her, they knew something about rebel contacts. So they've been at this for a long time...

Alex froze for a moment, out of shock. He realized his own stupidity:

Of course, they would know! He wanted to kick himself for overlooking such an obvious connection. If House Peltar connected with the leadership of the anti-Imperial alliance, then of course they knew....

Finding out was half the trouble, but they had to prove it. Here, he could only hope his caution played to his advantage. He'd crossed paths with the rebels only twice, and both times at official functions. The money he was handing over was cash that had been laundered when Taer had been bribed.

The only thing left was personal testimony, which Krain and Liora could provide. But Krain was in his tower now, and there was no problem hiding him so no one would find him.

"Liora's a different matter." Where she was, we could only guess. Worse, Liora is a noblewoman. Her testimony in court is far stronger than Krain's. - "The Peltarians, using their influence, could easily summon her to the capital and have her arrested by the SS."

It sucked, even hopelessness, but Alex took a couple of deep breaths and didn't let himself get discouraged:

Digging for me is Lord Quezox and the SS. Liora, on the other hand, is Nadina and House Peltar. It's unlikely they trust each other that much, and it's unlikely that House Pell, in general, or Nadina, in particular, is passing on what they know to Lord Quezox...

It was self-persuasion, of course, but there was a grain of truth in it, as well as a little bit of hope:

We have to get to Liora first. There's a chance. It's been less than a day since the attempted kidnapping of Lord Lister, and they're probably still just digesting the information and formulating plans...

The plan was simple enough. Krain most likely knew where to look for his boss, and, as Alex hoped, would not refuse to help, especially since it was in his and Liora's interests not to be investigated.

If not.  He didn't want to think about the alternative, but he couldn't give up on it either. Krain would have to be interrogated again under Lim's serum, and Liora... Liora would have to be kidnapped. He wrinkled his nose. He refused to even think of more reliable ways to keep the information.

Kidnapping... It appeared he was planning a new crime to cover the old one. A vicious cycle, but what else is there to do?

Especially since there was no certainty of success, if he really had to organize a kidnapping, he was a complete ignoramus. How much Dudo could be relied on in such a delicate matter was a big question. The only bright spot is that "Not Taer" before her "departure" agreed to organize a group for illegal operations. So he had people, hypothetically...

But man, I could use a competent organizer right now. Alex groaned, thinking about "Not Taer," realizing the irony. He thought about getting rid of it, but he was absolutely sure that the "Not Taer" could be much more useful than the original.

"Well, it's all for nothing." He muttered aloud. "What else can be done to improve the situation?"

He finally stepped away from the window and walked back to the chair to put his shirt back on, switching the infoblock screen to mirror mode.

I could consult with a lawyer on how to behave in court and in general. In case we couldn't get to Liora first.

It would be nice to stress these guys out, he thought, scrutinizing himself in the mirror. Maybe then they wouldn't have time to plot against me or organize attacks.

He liked the idea. Somehow he was getting tired of being the perpetually defensive party:

The only question is, how do you stress them?

He had the droid's records, of course. Handing them over to the Emperor would strain them to the max... But he didn't like the idea:

First of all, they would have nothing to lose, and in that case, he could expect anything, including storming the tower. And second... Second, it deprived him of his own influence.

The Baron's records were only very tentative about his death. Yes, he suspected that one of the two men might want to kill him. But which one? Especially since both Nadina and Lord Quezox represented entire organizations and large interest groups, it was unlikely that either of them had personally killed the old man.

They might not even have known about it. It could have been an excess of the perpetrator or someone else's misplaced initiative. In the end, the murder could have been committed by some third force just to frame one of these two.

No, the Baron's notes are about the conspiracy, the events on Tallana.

And it won't be me who'll be doing it. In that case, the Baron's records would turn from a serious leverage into a problem that could provoke his opponents to do something stupid.

He hadn't been able to decide what to do with the droid and the recordings from it before. But now it was pretty obvious.

The fewer people who see these records, the better off I am. That meant that the droid itself had obviously taken a few bad blaster hits in the firefight, and the " lance" that had cut it open was going to be visited by heavily armed men with Lim serum. The good news is that not much time has passed, plus some tests with an "illegal group". I just need to consult with Dudo on the best way to hit the droid so that nothing can be restored, even in theory.

Bad or good, he was forming a plan of action, and yes, how to create stress for the conspirators was also an idea.

He pulled out his infoblock and summoned the secretary droid:

"Prepare the text of a request to the Emperor's Chancellery that would be appropriate to use to request a private audience. If necessary, it may be noted that it is related to the investigation into the attacks on nobles of House Fyron."

I am, after all, the suzerain of Daim Diltar, it would be foolish not to use it.

"Already executed, Your Lordship." The secretary rattled off at the same time as the data transfer icon appeared on the infoblock screen. "Would you care to make any adjustments?"

"I'll look at it now." Alex nodded, authorizing the transmission.

"I think it should be highlighted somehow that I am addressing as ergo seneschal of the capital if that is appropriate in terms of protocol and tradition."

"Of course, Your Lordship, I will make the changes right now." The droid assured him immediately and added with incredible regret. "Please forgive my slowness. I should have foreseen this, and considered..."

"In the case of such requests, a letter or comm call on my behalf is appropriate?" Alex decided to clarify, not paying attention to the droid's self-abuse.

"A letter is more formal, and a call in person from Your Lordship will indicate the urgency of the situation."

"Better a letter, then." He decided. "Form it, and bring it in for signature." Sign as Lord Cassard, he practiced all the way to the capital.

That's how it came in handy.

"Your Lordship." Suddenly the droid began to rant, seeing that Alex was about to pass out. "You've been busy, and I didn't dare to disturb you, but the thing is that the esteemed Lugas left a message for you..."

"Who is that, anyway?" Alex frowned.

"Manager of a banking partnership." Explained the droid. "Your Lordship asked him to arrange a meeting..."

"Ah... Right." Alex finally remembered. Because of this story with the attack on Lord Lister and the messenger droid, he had completely forgotten about his request to organize a meeting with someone from the Inquisition. Someone not too high up and in need of money. "And what of the esteemed Lugas? Another insurmountable ethical conflict and other excuses?"

"No, Your Lordship. Respected Lugas asked me to tell you that he would be honored if Your Lordship would grace the charity hunt he plans to organize with your presence. And he also asked me to tell you that Your Lordship might find the society there interesting."

"Even so." Alex hummed contentedly. "So he was able to organize a meeting after all... Well, contact him and tell him I'm grateful and very interested, but I'll be able to respond when my schedule is more definite. In the next couple of days. Just be nice about it."

"As your lordship's pleasure." The droid on the infoblock screen bowed, and Alex disconnected.

The plans were made the same day. The Emperor's Chancellery replied that His Majesty would be able to receive Prince Cassard tomorrow. And as Alex understood it was very fast, but in any case he had time for hunting organized by respected Lugas.

The hunt was to take place on the second inhabited satellite of Vaylar, the gas giant around which the capital, Talis, revolved. The landing bots, although they could go into space, were not designed for interplanetary travel, so it took several hours to organize the inevitable hustle and bustle of moving, complicated by the fact that all the attendants, mostly guards, could not fit into one yacht.

The journey to the hunting ground was uneventful. In less than an hour, after a short jump, the viewports showed a huge gray-green sphere of the planet with sparse patches of inland seas, which, as they descended, turned into dark, crevice-cut rocks with rare specks of water bodies that glistened in the sun like splashed mercury. Soon, the hunting camp came into view. Three snow-white domes and the chrome spire of a shield generator between them, an addition from the advance guard group that had arrived a little earlier.

The yacht swiftly descended to the ground, the onboard doors opened with a barely audible hiss, and the shining polished metal ribbon of the gangway stretched downward, stopping at the feet of the greeters.

Alex lingered a little longer, giving himself time to look around:

A place not lacking in severe beauty.

Outside, it was cool, fifteen degrees at most, and a chilly wind blew, bringing an unfamiliar odor that reminded me of chlorine. The white domes of the camp grew on a rocky plateau among a scattering of sharp, jagged boulders covered with patches of red moss.

"Thank you for the invitation." Alex smiled at the organizer of the "charity hunt" extending his hand.

The esteemed Lugas met him at the gangway, as a master should. Just behind him stood a shapely blonde woman with a doll's face, wearing a business suit. Must be an assistant or a secretary. But the manager of the banking partnership himself was wearing a hunting suit "a-la aristocrat," decorated with embroidery and precious stones.

"Not at all, Your Lordship." The esteemed Lugas smiled a practiced smile, shaking his outstretched hand. "On the contrary, it is a great honor to me and to all assembled that you have found the opportunity to honor me with your presence."

"Don't..." Alex waved away, not stopping smiling back. "Better introduce me to the crowd. I don't know anyone here."

"Of course, Your Lordship. Come along." He suggested, pointing toward the domes.

And the esteemed Lugas did not fail. He introduced him to the audience, more than a hundred of them, with such care and meticulousness that Alex had the impression that not only the chance to meet Lord Cassard was being sold but also his position in the queue.

It's to be expected, though. Everyone has their interests. Alex was thinking philosophically, bowing courteously to another very lonely girl. Most of the gathered hunting fans turned out to be exactly them. Of course, there were some managers, heads of corporations, and other business people, but they were completely lost in this flower garden.

But he did not say anything to Mr. Lugas for such amateurishness, deciding inwardly that if he had done what was required of him, he had earned the right to such a trick.

At last the stream of beauties who were practically finding out how revealing a hunting suit could be while remaining a hunting suit dried up. There were only three guests left, one of whom was even familiar to Alex:

"We've already met Count Zeper." He preceded the esteemed Lugas by walking up to the Count and his companion, whose face seemed vaguely familiar. I've seen her somewhere before. But where? The green-eyed beauty with a mane of ashy hair was also wearing a hunting costume, which, by local standards, was very strictly cut, being a hunting costume rather than a variation of underwear.

"Introduce me to your lovely companion." He turned to Count after shaking hands.

"My good friend, Lady Laer." Count Zeper stepped aside and bowed slightly to his friend. "His Lordship Prince Cassard." A new slight bow already towards Alex. "Please, be acquainted."

"Nice to meet you." Kissed Alex's outstretched hand. "Are you a hunting enthusiast?"

"Only if you count rumor hunting." She smiled. "But Count convinced me that sometimes you have to try something new."

"It was a dastardly deception on my part." The Count exclaimed dramatically, wringing his hands. He froze for a few seconds for effect and then continued normally. "It's just that hunting is always so dreary, and without good company, it's just unbearable."

"Why did you come here in the first place, Count?" Alex asked politely, not hiding his sincere curiosity.

"I asked his lordship to help," Lugas answered in the Count's place. "I lack experience in organizing receptions for such lordships as you, Your Lordship."

"I couldn't refuse." Count Zeper smiled. "We've been friends with the esteemed Lugas for a long time."

After a few minutes of meaningless small talk with Lady Laer and the Count, Alex bade them farewell, promising to keep them company later, and it was time for the last participant of this hunt, for the sake of which everything was planned:

"Dear Elay Ornu, the Senior Observer of the Third Department of the Inquisition." This was how they introduced a smooth-shaven, thin man in his fifties with a slightly gaunt face and tired gray eyes, who, judging by his expression, clearly didn't understand what he was doing here.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Elay." Alex didn't falter in the slightest. "I've always been fascinated by the stories of your service."

"Yes?" The inquisitor was genuinely surprised. "Well, this is a bit strange, Your Lordship. Most of our service is perfect routine. Not the best material for stories."

"And yet." His Lordship insisted, gesturing to the organizer of the hunt that he was no longer needed. "Fighting illegal adepts, even demons. It can't be routine."

"That's a great rarity." The Watcher Ornu smiled tiredly. "Though the holo shows try to convince everyone otherwise."

"But just because a threat is rare doesn't stop it from being a threat. Doesn't it?"

"It is, you might say, the unofficial motto of our service." His smile became a little more sincere. "So you are quite right, Your Lordship."

"I've experienced the truth of that motto myself." Alex continued as he looked at the manager Lugas. He took the hint and not only left but also began to take out the girls hanging around in an organized manner, saying that it was time to go to the spots.

"I was shot by an HGM the other day." He continued, focusing his attention back on the Inquisitor. "Not a common threat, fortunately, but no less dangerous."

"Oh." The inquisitor tried to feign polite interest. "I hope they caught the villains?"

"You could say so." Alex brushed it off, not seeing the point in going into details, and changed the subject a little. "You have one of the late numbers too, don't you? Why don't we sit down and have a drink in the meantime?"

The Senior Watcher, though he obviously did not understand why the prince was so interested, did not refuse, and soon they were comfortably seated in very comfortable armchairs covered with skins near one of the domes. There was a small metal column heater so despite the fresh weather, it was quite comfortable and, in some sense, secluded. The only people with them were Liora, who was supervising the serving of snacks and drinks, and a couple of his guards, who were checking the food for safe consumption with a small handheld scanner. A couple of persistent girls tried to break the seclusion but were politely rebuffed by the joint efforts of Liora and the manager Lugas.

"So that's about the rare threats." Alex continued the interrupted conversation. "To be honest, when our hospitable host introduced you, I thought it was the finger of fate. I've had a series of assassination attempts on me, and I admit I'm afraid next time the attackers might have an adept."

"If you have any specific reasons for these concerns, it's worth bringing them to our office. I'm sure they can help you." Elay advised automatically, trying to adjust the massive cylinder of the heavy paralyzer on his lap at the same time

The trophy of the hunt, a small animal that looked like a furry ball on long legs with an upturned nose like a bat, was hunted with paralyzers. Blasters left such a small thing in shreds.

"Uh, no." Alex laughed. "It's nothing more than my doubts. I haven't received any threats. But as we've already said: if a threat is rare, it doesn't mean you don't need to prepare for it. I was thinking: I need to prepare my guards for it somehow."

"A very prudent idea, Your Lordship." The inquisitor nodded in agreement, still clearly not understanding Alex's point.

"And I'd like to find someone with actual experience in the field, not an empty theorist..." He paused and continued with more meaningful intonations. "I am told that you are among the few Inquisitors who have actually encountered adepts."

"Me?" The senior watcher was sincerely surprised. "It happened." He confessed, somewhat confused. "But it was long ago. Now I'm more engaged in organizational issues."

"What do you think about the idea of giving a series of lectures to my guards?" Hints apparently weren't working, and Alex decided to change tactics.

"I?" The inquisitor was even more surprised. "I don't know... I've never done this before, and..."

"I'm sure you'll do a great job. You're a great storyteller." Alex assured him, not letting the maelstrom of doubts and excuses grow. "But I'm not comfortable asking you for such a favor, depriving you of those little crumbs of free time that the service leaves you. Perhaps I can compensate you for your trouble in some way?"

"I'm afraid that's impossible, Your Lordship." With a sigh of regret, the senior watcher replied; he was clearly the sort of man who was very uncomfortable refusing straightforwardly. "In the Inquisition, while we are on active duty, it is forbidden to be employed elsewhere."

"I've heard of that." Alex smiled disarmingly, who had read the question beforehand. "But I wasn't talking about hiring. That's kind of even a bit vulgar. It's more about remuneration. A royalty for the course of lectures you created. In the form of recordings. As far as I know, it's not illegal for inquisition employees to receive royalties. Am I right?"

"I don't think so." His interlocutor answered without any certainty. He obviously didn't know whether he could or not.

"I'm sure it's not illegal," Alex assured him, and this confidence was backed up by consultation with a lawyer. The legality of this maneuver was verified even before the flight to the hunt. "What do you say to ten thousand danarii for a lecture? I think a full course of study would require at least fifteen or twenty lectures to begin with. If you can find the time, of course..."

"I... I'm not sure it's acceptable. It's a very large sum." The inquisitor objected in confusion. It was obvious that he was in doubt, and the offer was very tempting.

The strategy of looking for someone suffering from debts has been fully justified. Alex praised himself mentally, watching the inquisitor's reaction and giving him time to hesitate a bit.

"That's too much for such a minor favor..." The inquisitor finally pronounced. "But if your lordship insists..."

"I insist." Nodded Alex, helping to overcome his doubts. "It would be completely unacceptable for me to offer you less for such a hassle. And then, I'm really quite taken with the subject, and I probably won't resist the temptation to call you occasionally with questions if you accept my offer, of course."

"Good." The senior watcher finally gave up. "How can I help your lordship?"

"You know, I've been doing a little investigating of my own." He went on to explain. "I've been studying the various records that are in the public domain. I realize that most of it is fiction, synthesized images, and other falsifications. But still, what's the deal with it? I mean, adepts. Can it be fought? For example, on one record, there was a flame adept, a sororitas. It looked like an explosion that came to life. How do you deal with that?"

"Usually, Your Lordship." The Inquisitor shrugged. "In the case of confrontations with adepts, there is a general rule, the more the better. The standard group against an adept is sixteen men. In the case of such a threat as a flame adept capable of transformation, a minimum of two groups. And of course the appropriate equipment and weapons. It's no harder to deal with a flame adept than any other. In fact, it's easier in some ways."

"What kind of weaponry?" Alex frowned. "She was shot with blasters on the recording, and it did have absolutely no effect whatsoever."

"An ordinary blaster won't work here." The senior observer nodded. "You need a weapon that creates a significant blast wave. In fire form, they're only vulnerable to dispersal. Grenade launchers and vortex blasters are good."

"That sounds a little over the top." Alex shared, imagining the results of a massive rocket-propelled grenade attack.

"The damage will be considerable in any case." Again, the inquisitor shrugged. "I think you may have seen on the footage how great the damage can be from an adept if he is not stopped."

"That's right..." He stretched, remembering how the metal bulkheads had shattered like wet cardboard under the pressure of the live fire. "That's it? Just more men and heavier weapons? No secrets?"

"There are always nuances." His interlocutor smiled meaningfully. "For example, in this particular case, portable shield projectors work well. If you catch an adept under the dome, he'll be forced to turn back and become vulnerable to conventional means. Or they will simply burn out. The longer they stay in flame form, the less chance they have of successfully turning back..." The senior watcher paused and added in a more trusting tone, leaning slightly toward Alex. "But in general, in the case of flame adepts, frills are unnecessary. Good armor with shields to keep him from scattering the group and heavy weapons worked almost always. It's also good to have a couple of protected aircars in case of pursuit, but Flame Adepts rarely run away."

"What about the Seer?" Alex decided to go for the more likely option, the chances of Taer being a flame adept were not high.

"The Seer?" The senior watcher was sincerely surprised. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, your lordship."

"How do you fight a seer?" He repeated, not understanding what there was to understand.

"You mean when the seer leads the attackers?" Clarified the inquisitor doubtfully. "If so, it is certainly unpleasant, but the attackers remain themselves, and the usual means of defense and offense retain their effectiveness."

"I mean the case of being attacked by the seer," Alex explained again.

"A seer attacks?" Elay raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's kind of strange. Seers aren't strong in direct combat. And they are simply too valuable to participate in it. In ancient times, some sects of the Church of Twilight used to train assassins from seers, but that's a long-dead practice. But in any case, they used the same means that are available to ordinary assassins. Their talent only allowed them to better choose the moment to strike... And, as I said, the practice is long dead. Seers are too valuable to be risked like that. And a wild adept has nowhere to go for training."

"And if we imagine there is such a threat." With a strained smile, Alex continued to insist. "However unlikely it may be. What would you advise?"

"The seer chooses from the available options. The less you give him chances, the less effective his gift is. And most importantly, in terms of offense. He is an ordinary man: armor, shields, bodyguards, just doors and walls. All this works against him."

"So, no nuances again?" He asked with a meaningfully raised eyebrow.

"Well, there's a lot of subtlety in the case of seers. Often, weak seers need to see a target or a threat for their gift to work, so in direct combat, conventional smoke grenades combined with ultrasonic or wave sights can be very effective. It really doesn't work at all against the strong."

"Anything else?" Alex asked hopefully, suspecting in his case it was more about a strong adept.

"Don't rely on automatic security systems and locks." The Inquisitor advised. "Strong seers can simply turn off the automatics. It's rare, but it happens. Same with locks. Mechanical ones are best. And speaking of very strong adepts on the edge of stability or even beyond it, some of them can sort of cease to exist, completely disappearing. It's worth considering."

"And how do you deal with it?"

"We don't." With an apologetic smile, Elay waved his hands. "Just wait. Even the strongest can disappear for no longer than a minute."

"Can they move in this state?" Alex asked cautiously.

"Strong yes." Nodded the inquisitor. "But slow, at the speed of a very leisurely step or even slower."

"Not bad..." Alex exhaled lingeringly. "So the seer can suddenly appear behind us, bypassing any guards."

"Yes." Again, the inquisitor nodded. "But there's a reason the old estates are so huge. As I said they are time-limited and move rather slowly in this state. An adept will be forced to manifest somewhere inside, and the usual guards will be effective against him again."

"What if the task is to capture a seer alive?" Alex finally asked the question that had been tormenting him. "What to do in this case? I'm sure there are some techniques. After all, as far as I know, the Inquisition tries to capture adepts alive. Don't they?"

"Yes, your lordship." The senior watcher covered his eyes in agreement. "When possible, we do try to capture them alive. But in the case of seers, the main difficulty is finding them. In the case of a strong seer, it's almost impossible." He admitted with a pained grimace. "At least in the context of a densely populated planet. In the wilderness, it's all about finding and analyzing signatures. It's a purely technical task and quite doable given enough resources."

"But there must be some methods, right?" Alex asked, trying not to sound so desperate.

The inquisitor's answer was not at all hopeful:

"Unless it's just normal agent work." The man sighed, and there wasn't much confidence in his voice. "Adepts are still human. They have needs, and they may desire money, fame, or something else. Sometimes, we can trace their purchases or transfers and determine their location by technical interception. If, of course, we know of the adept's existence in principle." Elay clarified with an apologetic smile. "Then they may have loved ones who are dear enough to them that they will seek out a meeting with them despite the premonition of danger. But, admittedly, these are all options that rely on error on the part of the adept. And they do happen, even to seers, but this one is not reliable."

Alex exhaled disappointedly, raising his eyes to the pale purple sky:

It's not like the situation has gotten any easier. He guessed that catching adepts wasn't easy, but he hoped that the Inquisition had an effective answer to the problem.

"Is that it?" He asked aloud, looking at his interlocutor again. There was no solution to his problems in the sky, either.

"Another seer might be able to help in the search. But that kind of help is pretty hard to get, even for our department..." The Senior Watcher admitted with a somewhat pained grimace and pondered, tweaking his chin, obviously going over something in his mind:

"Gas, combined with massive use of search droids, can be very effective." He finally answered after a moment's thought. "But only if the adept's location is known at least roughly."

"Gas?" Re-questioned Alex with a surprised raised eyebrow. "You mean tear gas or poison gas?"

"Causing paralysis." The Inquisitor explained, somewhat surprised at the assumptions being made. "And I'm not talking about a few gas grenades, but a massive application where many dozens or maybe even hundreds of comers are poured around the location of the target. There are varieties of gases that are effective not only when inhaled, but also when splashed on the skin, they give the best results."

"A seer can't find protection or shelter even if he foresees a threat?" Alex thought. "And if you pour a lot and fast, he just won't physically have time to escape?"

"Quite right, Your Lordship," nodded the senior observer. You've got the idea exactly right. Few people carry a full spacesuit, and finding one on the ground is often impossible unless the adept is near a spaceport. After the gas is applied, search droids scour the area and, if they're lucky, find what they're looking for."

"Sounds pretty effective." Alex hummed contentedly, thinking to himself. ?? "It's only necessary to solve the issue of Taer's localization somehow. They said that she was at least in the palace... I don't think she's there now, but it's still worth asking the courtiers if anyone knows anything.

"But this is an extreme method, your lordship." The senior observer warned anxiously as if he seriously feared that his advice would be immediately followed. "There are serious costs involved - in a densely populated area, large numbers of paralyzed people inevitably lead to injuries and deaths: someone falling off a balcony, someone in a flyer that's out of control. You know."

"I understand." Alex nodded thoughtfully. Not that he was going to flood half the capital with gas. // And I don't have the ability to do that."

"In any case, it's interesting food for thought." He replied to the inquisitor. "Thank you, it was a fascinating talk. I look forward to listening to your lectures." He added and immediately clarified. "Of course, when they're ready, I'm not rushing you in any way. And if you don't mind - take ше." Alex stood up a little from his chair and handed the inquisitor a com he had brought with him beforehand. "This is a closed-circuit communicator. My guards are very sensitive about such matters." He spread his hands with an apologetic smile. "I told you I probably couldn't resist the temptation to distract you with questions once in a while."

"That won't trouble me at all, Your Lordship." The senior observer replied, looking thoughtfully at the communicator he had received. From the look on his face, the inquisitor seemed to guess that their meeting was not accidental, but he said nothing.

"Good hunting, then." Alex wished goodbye and, together with his small retinue, hurried to join Count Zeper, expecting to talk to him before the main events:

He gives the impression of a man who's up to date on the latest rumors. And he's probably at court often, if not constantly. He's a member of the Imperial Guard...

"You know, I have a question for you, a personal one, you might say." Alex began in a half voice, stepping back a few steps with Count Zeper. "What do they say about Daim Diltar at the palace? I realize it's a strange question, but as her suzerain and friend, I'm worried about her.... If you understand me."

"Of course." The earl smiled understandingly in response. "Well, I don't recall any particular rumors, which is even a little strange given the circumstances..." He was silent for a few seconds, obviously thinking about something of his own. "All in all, a fairly expected set. The first night, the court entertained the idea that they were lovers, but by the next day, everyone agreed that it was just one sororitas visiting another. Maybe it's the name Daim Dilthar, or maybe it's the way she holds herself in the light. Sometimes she can be colder than a sociar queen. Well, I don't need to tell you. You already know her better than anyone else in the capital."

"I know..." Alex nodded, continuing to smile back at the Count. He didn't understand at all what the conversation was about, who was the lover of whom, and what the sororitas had to do with it, but he didn't want to show it yet.

"And then, of course, there are those who like to look for secrets and conspiracies in everything." Count Zeper continued. "It is fashionable among them to believe that this is a manifestation of the alliance between you and Peleng-admiral Niazur, with Daim Diltar acting as confidant and liaison."

"What was the reason for such a theory?" Alex asked, trying to give his face a concerned expression. And it almost didn't require any effort because the thought was already beating in his head. // "What does the princess have to do with it?" - Creating a fair amount of genuine concern. "Maybe I should suggest something to Daim Diltar so she doesn't feed the rumor mill?"

"Oh, Prince..." Count sighed heavily and his thin eyebrows drew down slightly, giving his face a pleading expression. "If I could control the thoughts of the court coteries..... Face it, as long as Daim Diltar is a guest in Lady Niazur's palace apartment, there will still be rumors. And any attempts to deny them will only fuel curiosity and foster new theories."

It took Alex a few seconds to reproduce any reaction to what he had heard:

"You're probably right." He finally squeezed out. "Any denials will only feed the rumors. Thank you for your kind advice, and... I think we should go back to Lady Laer. She looks bored." He added with a nod toward the ash-haired beauty who was sipping her cocktail with the look of a desperate man resigned to his fate.

They returned, and while Count Zeper gracefully and casually kept up small talk for all of them at once. Alex answered with one-word answers and nods and tried to digest what he had heard. It was not working so well:

Taer is a guest of the princess?! It just didn't make sense: How? Why?

Taer was definitely not a sororitas. She didn't cut her hair short, wasn't noted for her religiosity, and never mentioned the convet.

She did say she came from a very religious family... Alex remembered a long-ago conversation. But she definitely didn't study in a sister convent! I read her file...

So it's not about the old Taer, it's about the new Taer. Not-Taer. It was the only and very unpleasant conclusion that could be drawn, and it begged the inevitable question:

Why? Why the princess specifically? Why is she sheltering her?

Of course, the palace was quite a favorable place to hide there: Alex wouldn't risk taking forceful steps there. But that didn't explain why it was the princess' place.

And according to the Inquisitor, a strong seer is almost impossible to find. So it's not a matter of safety. So, either Not-Taer is a weak seer or... It's about the princess. Alex involuntarily wrinkled his nose, so much he didn't like his own conclusion. What could Not-Taer need from the princess? the question was rhetorical - he didn't know and couldn't even imagine. There were too many options.

But things were coming to a point where the upcoming visit to the palace might be even more eventful than he had anticipated.

* * *