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BONCHANCE

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Fall rolled in, and I started it by going with Clea, John, and some others to Rice to meet with Duke North Star, as he liked to style himself. They had heard of Ceedo by now, and we had a thriving trade in lumber for crops. Even though we had started planting late, we weren’t going to starve, and we had stopped using the Old World rations months ago. We had also put away the helmets and the L70s, and the militia was only using the vests and earbeads to go with the self-loading rifles we had taken from the Dark Warriors. We only had a finite amount of ammunition for the Old World weapons, after all.

So there was a team on horseback riding to Rice as the colors changed in the leaves.

“Chance?” Clea said as she rode up next to me. “You know, stories about the technology Ceedo has will get out. Things like the Ape and the Guts, even if they’re not always visible, enough people will have seen them that word will spread.”

“The Duchess worried about that too…for perhaps a moment. It’s one of the reasons we have pulled back on using them. The Ape hasn’t left the garage in a month, “ I smiled as I realized how commonplace it felt saying that, and since the raid, we have kept the Guts parked. The Howlers and the bikes have only been used once each.”

I paused for a moment as I looked at the road ahead, “Which means no one alive, aside from the Galways, knows that they even exist. And before the raid, we had also pulled back on visible displays of Old World technology. Now we just have to wait until the rumors overpower the truths, and they become more and more outlandish, so when people visit the Duchy and see none of that, they’ll know just how ridiculous it all is.”

“And if looters drawn by the rumors come in?”

“We have a well-trained militia; Calvin Galway has proven to be a fine leader in that respect. They possess excellent self-loading rifles, courtesy of Lord Malcolm, and well-concealed body armor and communications, along with the Observation Post’s sensors feeding them information. I believe that any thieves would become very sad if they attempted anything.”

Clea laughed, “You’re probably correct.”

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Rice was a bustling small city, far larger than Malcolm’s and positively dwarfing Edgertown, as the village at the base of the ridge had been named. There were guards at the gates who looked up at us. The seamstresses and tailors among the refugees who were now members of Ceedo had created uniforms for the militia and the Duchess’s Own Guardsmen. They now had dapple camouflage for their day-to-day uniforms and much more formal dress for ceremonial and ‘play acting’, as Clea put it.

Her exact words had been, “Most nobles have no idea what the world is like. North Star probably does, seeing as how close to the frontier he is, so he is less likely to be fooled by a dandy persona. Be as honest as possible, but make sure you acknowledge that he is superior. All nobles love having their bellies rubbed like a good little doggie.”

So the guards saw the formal dark wool uniforms on the guards; I was in a suit with a canvas duster over the top, while Clea was wearing a long leather coat she had taken from Malcolm’s residence over a much more form-fitting shirt and trousers. With her long white hair and refined features, she was like a vision. The guards certainly thought so, and it took a long moment before they could stop looking at her.

Shaking his head, the sergeant looked up at Simon, who was acting as our guard detachment leader, “Who are you, and what’s your business?”

“This is Countess Lindquist and Lord Bonchance. Emissaries from the Duchy of Ceedo. They have an audience with Duke North Star.”

The sergeant snapped to and looked straight at Clea, “Yes, ma’am!.” Then he turned to one of the other two guards and whispered something before the guard took off running into the city. Turning back to us, he looked at Simon, “I have sent for an escort.”

Clea nodded slightly, “I am most appreciative of that kindness, sir.”

The sergeant gulped and nodded.

Five minutes later, according to the Old World watch on my wrist, which had been placed in a New World-designed shell to disguise its true nature, a group of six men arrived and led us into Rice. Clark, one of our people who had been performing the functions of trade negotiator, was with them. We had informed him by commset, that we were on our way and the titles we would be using.

“Lord Bonchance! Countess! It’s good to see you both.”

“As always, Master Clark,” Clea replied graciously and in a familiar tone. Which was quite impressive, considering she had never met the man before this very moment. “The Duchess will be pleased to hear you are well.”

He nodded, and I asked, “The accommodations?”

“All arranged, Milord. Lieutenant Jerome, would you do us the great honor?”

The leader of the detachment nodded, “With pleasure! Section…Atttention! About Face!”

Simon looked at our people, “Fall in to the rear of the Lord and Lady. Wagon, behind us.”

I kneed my horse, and we rode into the city of Rice.

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There were a fair amount of stone and brick buildings along with the wood. It had been well over a year since I had passed through here, and I doubted the ragged mechanician would be recognized now. Then, I had been staying at a small hotel at the edge of the poorest area of the city, a marked difference from the Regal Hotel, where Clark had rented a floor. There were some cars and trucks here, steam-hybrids mainly, but even some fuel burners as well, and they pulled to the side as our procession was led to the hotel. Once arriving, Simon and his men immediately transported the travel trunks up to our floor with the assistance of the bellmen. As Clea and I entered all eyes were fastened to her, I felt invisible.

“Is this how it always is?” I whispered.

“When I want it to be,” she replied in an amused tone before she took my arm and leaned slightly into me. “Now they know you are the man that has a woman like me.”

Entering the elevator, I finally let myself breathe again. That crossing of the lobby was the tensest I had ever been.

“Are you alright?” she sounded concerned.

“I would never dare stake a claim on someone like you…you are simply too far above my station in poise and appearance.”

“All learned. My father was a lumberjack, and my mother a camp cook. Your family was of much higher social standing than mine ever was.”

“I still can’t imagine being comfortable with that level of scrutiny all the time.”

“Neither can I. Chance,” she looked at me, “you know that’s not the way I normally act. This role I’m playing, Countess Lindquist, requires a certain attitude. Lord Bonchance will also require that attitude if he is to pass muster, and this is why I wanted you to come on this trip. You need to practice it in a more forgiving environment before you’re thrown to the wolves in the Empire. Also, I did notice that quite a few ladies were watching you, you handsome devil. I told you getting rid of that beard would help.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Me?”

“You. I can’t say I blame them. You are remarkably desirable.”

The elevator opened as I was still blushing, and we were guided down the hall by the waiting bellman and into a suite. Simon was already there. As soon as we closed the door, I sagged in relief and looked at him. “You set up?”

He nodded and passed me a case from one of the trucks as I put on a pair of data glasses and, setting the mode to THERM, quickly scanned the walls and ceiling. As I had suspected, there was a human body-sized heat source pressed against a wall.

Mara and Clea had presumed that since the Duchy of North Star was part of the Empire, it would have a section of the Security Police assigned…most likely undercover…and they would be very curious about strangers from the West.

Turning my body casually to block the view, I whispered to Simon that perhaps that observer should be thwarted. He smiled, and then Clea started issuing commands about how the room should be arranged. Simon and one of the troops were immediately pressed into service, rearranging furniture, which resulted in the peephole being blocked by a moved coat rack and one of the guard’s jackets.

Turning my attention back to the case and opening it, I pulled out a device that was a very sensitive electromagnetic detector and activated it. Mara had asked both of us what sort of eavesdropping they would try. I knew the quality and methodology of the microphones and most radio technology the Empire possessed, so it was a relatively simple matter to tune some Old World technology to be able to detect them.

Turning it on, there was an immediate result which led to a microphone attached to the ceiling fixture and its cable run mounted alongside the power line.

Leaning over to Clea, I whispered, “What would happen if it got disabled?”

“They would try to replace it. Probably with the maid service.”

“So if we kept someone here round the clock?”

“They would have issues.”

Thinking about it, I had an idea and signaled Simon over to our whispered conference, “There is a listening device hidden here. However, I believe I can degrade it, so it appears to be a fault in the device. Now, if I do it immediately, it will seem too much of a coincidence, so it will have to be later. Make sure we have a man here at all times, and when anyone comes in, especially if they seem to be a maid or a hotel maintenance worker, make sure they know they are being closely observed.”

Simon and Clea nodded; then Clea spoke, “Milord, I believe I am hungry. Shall we dine?”

I think so,” I replied.

“Perhaps I should bathe first…to remove the dust of the road,” she continued. “You could do with a wash…as well.”

Simon rolled his eyes as she almost purred those last words and said fairly strongly, “Countess, Milord, I will make sure the security assignments are arranged.” Then he exited.

“Thank you,” I replied, as still wearing the glasses and carrying the detector, I checked both the suite’s bedrooms for more devices. They were clear, at least. Turning around, I saw Clea stripping down and walking naked into the attached bathroom, where she turned on the water to fill the tub.

Hastily, I averted my gaze.

“Really? Chance, you really do not wish to wash my back?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You are attracted to me; I know it; I’ve known it since you kissed me at the gate. You may have thought at the time that it was an act, but I have been kissed with and without actual desire, and yours was real.”

She rested her hands on my shoulders from behind as I was still facing away, “Then you kept your distance. Which was fine. I didn’t know how I felt about you and, meaning to or not, you gave me that time to think. You were always a gentleman, but I could see the feelings behind your eyes, and I knew those feelings were real.”

Her arms came around my chest, and she began unbuttoning my vest and then my shirt, “I had thought that Mara and yourself were something, but it was soon very clear that you were just friends and equals and nothing more.”

She slid my vest off, then unfastened my shirt cuffs before sliding my braces off my shoulders, “So, I see you are not resisting me. Do you wish to wash my back?”

Turning in her arms, I faced her and kissed her. She leaned into me, and it felt wonderful. Breaking the kiss, I stared into her eyes, “More than you can imagine.”

She smiled and reached for the buttons on my trousers.

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CLEA

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Stretching, I felt wonderful. Chance was more than willing and energetic enough to have given me a marvelous time, and I knew we would be doing it again. After that, we had bathed and dressed, and at the moment, he was adjusting his neckcloth…poorly, I might add.’

“Let me get that.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I haven’t used one of these in over a decade.”

Standing behind him, I got his neckwear sorted. Clean-shaven and freshly bathed, Bonchance Magellan was a remarkably handsome man, naked even moreso, even with the strange juxtaposition of the dark brown skin of his right arm and hand contrasting with the tanned skin of the rest of his body.

I had asked him about it, and he had told me he had lost his arm, but Mara’s Old World technology had given him a new one with some small side effects. It was the reason he always wore a long black glove on that hand and tried never to be seen without long sleeves. Then I asked him if that was the reason he was able to catch a knife and punch through a heavy wooden door, and he admitted it was.

“Does Mara have the same as that? I’ve seen how strong she is.”

“She has something,” he admitted. “More than that, I shouldn’t say.”

An extra benefit was that he was very good at keeping secrets, something I could well appreciate, seeing how poorly most people fare at that simple operation. Tonight, I had decided to wear tight trousers and a corset that emphasized my assets but with lacing that I could cut in one particular place to allow me to breathe and fight easily if necessary. My choice of dress had decidedly gained Chance’s approval judging from his glance. Men are so simple on occasion.

He helped me on with my jacket and pulled on his own before placing a compact pistol in the concealed holster sewn into it. I had some blades, so I wasn’t defenseless, but this outfit I was wearing proscribed any weapon bulkier than those.

Arm in arm, we entered the main living area of the suite. Simon was there looking amused and raised an eyebrow at me. I smirked slightly, and he managed to keep from laughing as he said, “Took long enough,” quietly.

Chance looked more embarrassed at that and then sighed, “So I am slow. I admit it.”

“Captain,” I said clearly. “We would like to get dinner.”

“Yes, Milady, I’ll get an escort ready.”

A few minutes later, we were descending on the elevator, Simon saying, “I took the liberty of sending a runner to Master Clark. He will be joining you.”

“Good,” I replied. It made sense, and we wanted to keep an aura of normality to everything we did. In the lobby, Simon walked us to the restaurant. One of our other people beside him, we were immediately seated, with our ‘guards’ at an adjoining table, and after a few minutes, Clark entered. We exchanged pleasantries and, when the meal was finished, discussed what needed to be arranged with trade before I asked, “And the audience?”

“Tomorrow at ten. I’ll have a car waiting outside.”

“Good,” Chance said. Then asked quietly, “Clark, what kind of Imperial presence is here. I haven’t seen any of their uniforms.”

“There are some troops at the garrison by the rail depot and the telegraph office. Forty or so. The Security Police have an office by the Duchy’s main government building. I haven’t been able to tell how many people they have. There is the tax office, of course, and an Imperial Bureau of Management office. They’re both next to the Security Police office. I don’t know if there’s anything else.”

Chance nodded, then looked at me, “Anything missing?”

Thinking about it, I went through the list, “Money, management, security, military…I think that’s it, except…Chance, do you know if there is an Imperial intelligence agency?”

“The Security Police?”

“Not exactly; my group is not well-known outside of very lofty heights in the Republic government, but everybody in the Empire knows about the Security Police. So much so that they can be found quite easily. Now, they could have a covert arm, but it is so much safer to have a separate agency that the powers that be can play against each other and prevent too much power falling into one group.” I took a sip of my wine. “Master Clark, are there any businesses here that have expressed more than the expected interest in trade deals with the Duchy of Ceedo?”

Clark looked thoughtful; as he was contemplating, Chance leaned over and asked me, “What do you mean?”

“Well, one of the best ways to determine what a group can produce is to try to buy things from them. Merchants let things slip if they think there’s money to be made.”

“There are a few,” Clark said finally, “that seemed possibly more eager.”

“Can you get us the addresses tonight?” I continued.

Clark nodded, “I’ll have them by immediately.”

“Thank you.”

We finished our drinks and left the dining room. Once back in the suite, I began checking my equipment.

Chance saw me pull out the case and began talking about how he was truly looking forward to seeing the Duke tomorrow and that we both needed our rest. He really is very good at deception. About half an hour later, there was a knock on the door, and Clark was dropping off a piece of paper with names and directions.

Moving to the bedroom, I stripped down and put on a lower-class outfit along with a sling bag with my tools in it.

“Are you certain you don’t need help?” he asked.

“No more than you can give me with that device of Mara’s.”

“Good luck then,” he said and kissed me before opening the window. A blast of cold air rushed in, and I clambered out and made my way to the roof. There was a faint whirr directly above me.

“Anybody watching?” I asked thin air.

“Just me, Milady,” Michael replied as the drone whirred.