The Consuming Fire (The Interdependency #2)(28)

“Not all of it. Just most of it. There’s still End. Which your son Ghreni is attempting to gain control of, and which Nadashe sent a ship full of marines to in order to help him do so. It’s the one place in the Interdependency where humans will be able to survive in the long run. Your children planned to secure it, and make the House of Nohamapetan the new imperial house. Well, that didn’t go as planned. So it’s time to go back to plan A: Marry an Emperox. I’ll help you do it.”

“And all you want is the throne.”

“Yes. Eventually. You can have it first. Which is what you want. Ma’am.”

Assan saw the Countess Nohamapetan look over at her chief of staff, who nodded almost imperceptibly. Then her eyes came back to him. “Tell us more, Lord Teran.”

“To begin, which Wu would you prefer, ma’am?” Assan asked. “Jasin or Deran?”





Chapter

7

Kiva Lagos was in the middle of receiving some perfectly serviceable oral when her tablet pinged. She glanced over and saw it was Bunton Salaanadon, her executive assistant. Kiva considered not answering it, because she was busy and because she had told Salaanadon not to bother her unless the world was on fire. But then, because there was a possibility the world was on fire, and also because the oral was serviceable rather than full-attention-requiring spectacular, she picked up the tablet and answered it, voice only.

“Is the fucking world on fire?” she asked. From below, her partner looked up, quizzically, and gave Kiva a look that she interpreted as, Should I hold up? Kiva gave a motion with her hand, signaling that the oral should continue. Kiva’s partner got back to it.

“It depends on whether you consider an imperial summons a fire-bearing situation, ma’am,” Salaanadon said.

“What? Explain.”

“The Countess Nohamapetan has asked for, and received, a priority audience from the emperox regarding the disposition of the local activities of the house businesses. Specifically, she is asking you be removed from your position. I assume the em perox thought it only fair that you be allowed to offer your opinion on that, Lady Kiva.”

“When is this audience?”

“Two hours from now, ma’am.”

“Then I’m going to need a ride.”

“I’ve already arranged for a pickup at your apartments and a priority seat on the Xi’an shuttle. Since you explicitly have an imperial summons, you will have priority seating and clearance. An imperial escort will greet you when you arrive, and I’ve already filed the paperwork for expedited passage through security.”

“No firearms when I go, got it.”

“Yes, that would be advisable, ma’am,” Salaanadon said. Kiva was never sure if he ever really knew when she was being sarcastic or not and assumed he just chose the straight man lifestyle as a defensive choice.

“Will it just be the three of us?”

“The audience? I understand the countess will be bringing her lawyer. Ms. Fundapellonan. You met with her the other day, you may recall.”

“We’re acquainted,” Kiva said.

“Should I have one of our lawyers join you for the meeting?”

“I’ve got this,” Kiva said. “Just make sure my ‘receipts’ file has been updated. I may need it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“When is the car picking me up?”

“It will be at your apartments in fifteen minutes. Unless you would like it to arrive sooner.”

“No, that works,” Kiva said, disconnected and then refocused herself on the perfectly serviceable oral she was getting.

“You should probably check your messages,” Kiva said to her partner, after she came.

“Why is that?” asked Senia Fundapellonan.

“You’ll see.” Kiva went to her bathroom to go stop smelling like sex.

“You could have told me about this when you got the call,” Fundapellonan said when Kiva emerged from the bathroom, no longer having the whiff of being perfectly adequately serviced.

“You were busy.”

Fundapellonan waggled her tablet in her hand at Kiva. “This is slightly more important.”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” Kiva said. “And anyway, you’re not running any later because of it.”

“I have to order a cab to the shuttleport and then catch a shuttle.”

“Just come with me.”

“And you don’t think that looks at all bad, you and I taking a car from your apartment, together.”

Kiva shrugged. “It’s not like the countess doesn’t already know we’re fucking.”

Fundapellonan blinked at this. “What?”

“I assumed she told you I like to fuck around, so you should get with me to see if I would say anything useful while we banged.”

“Is that what you really think is going on here?” Fundapellonan asked.

“Isn’t it?”

“Well, yes,” Fundapellonan admitted. “But you’re not supposed to think it.”

“Just because I like to fuck, doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” Kiva said.

“If you knew this was a setup, then why did you…?”

“Screw your brains out?”