Standing closer to what Victor considered a reasonable height, the slender man smiled warmly at the Prince. The laugh lines at the corners of his almond-shaped eyes and the occasional snowy strand showing through his coal-black hair were the only hints of the man's true age. He extended his right hand to Victor, allowing his glove-sheathed left hand to remain hidden at his side. "Congratulations, Highness, on your graduation with honors."

Victor shook the visitor's hand firmly. "Thank you, Secretary Allard."

Justin Allard narrowed his brown eyes. "You are aware, I believe, that no one has ever beat the La Mancha simulator scenario before."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "But I've heard rumors that your son salvaged a victory from it in his final New Avalon Military Academy tests. In fact, news of Kai's success prompted me to try my solution."

A mild look of surprise spread over Justin's face before he brought his expression under control. "Your intelligencegathering network is good, Victor. I'll have to look into the leaks in NAMA security."

The younger man shook his head. "No crisis, I assure you. Just don't let my brother Peter near a diplomatic Hermes bundle again." Victor hesitated for a moment. "Isn't Kai graduating this week as well? I mean, the ceremonies run concurrently, don't they?"

Justin nodded, unable to totally mask his feelings. "Yes, they do. I wanted to be there, but duty called and so I am here."

Victor heard no animosity in Justin's voice, only the matter-of-fact reporting of a situation. "Will Kai's mother be able to attend?"

Pain shot through the Intelligence Secretary's dark eyes. "I'm afraid affairs of state delayed her departure from the St. Ives Compact. But after he gets settled in his new posting, we will see him. I probably won't head back to New Avalon until next fall, but the detour will be easy to arrange."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "What detour? I thought Kai was joining the Heavy Guards, and they're stationed on New Avalon. Anyway, those were his plans during the year I spent as a transfer at NAMA. I know he had good enough grades to make it."

Hanse Davion's spymaster smiled with fatherly pride at Victor's last comment. "His grades were good enough, but he changed his mind. He told me of his decision two weeks ago when I met with him just before leaving to come here. He's been assigned to the Tenth Lyran Guards. Kai asked me to congratulate you on his behalf and to express his gratitude for your half of the work you did together during your time at NAMA."

Victor nodded, smiling as he remembered Kai Allard. "Before this week is over, I'll record a holodisc message and we can arrange to have it waiting for Kai when he arrives at his unit." Victor turned and brought Justin into the circle, introducing him to everyone. Then, along with the others, he accepted a glass of champagne from a waiter's silver tray.

Conversation in the room died as Prince Hanse Davion turned to the crowd and lifted his glass high. "I would like to offer a toast to our assembled sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and companions." With pride in his eyes, he glanced at Victor and Renny, then faced the crowd again. "They are the future of the Successor States and we are blessed that so able a group is ready to fulfill such a mighty responsibility."

Victor sipped the champagne, but tasted none of it. Deep down inside, Father, I know you 're right. I am ready for the burdens an accident of birth will thrust upon me.He swallowed hard. Still, I must dread the coming of that day, for it will mean billions of lives depend on my judgment—and a mistake made then will be irreversible.

3

Starglass Beach , Emerald Ocean , New Avalon

Crucis March, Federated Suns

19 May 3049

Kai Allard felt his heart sink as he spit out the hydrolizer pack's regulator. He swayed with the minor swells of the warm ocean water, but resisted its urging long enough to remove his swimfins and set his diving mask back on his head. No sense in delaying it, Kai. It's obvious she knows.He licked the tangy brine from his lips. You can't run now.

Wading in toward the black sandy shore where she waited, he shrugged off the hydrolizer, yet still felt weighed down by an oppressive heaviness. The waves pushing him into shore warred with the undertow trying to drag him back out to the depths, but neither force could gain sufficient purchase on his lithe form to win the battle. As Kai drew close enough to see the redness rimming her eyes, he toyed momentarily with the idea of surrendering to the undertow, of letting it drag him out and down to where he would have no more troubles.

No,he told himself resolutely. Suicide's not an option for you, Kai Allard-Liao. It would dishonor your parents and that youmust never do.

Sunlight sparkled off the grains of ebon sand, making them blaze like stars. Kai tossed the hydrolizer into the sand next to the towel he'd laid out earlier, then sent the swim mask and fins flying after it. Chasing the water from his closely cropped black hair with one hand, he turned to face her. Her uniform, the dress blues all NAMA cadets wore for graduation, looked far too warm for the beach, and the incoming tide had already soaked the bottoms of her trousers.

"How long have you been here, Wendy?" Kai tried to keep his voice neutral, but the woman stared up at him, then looked down as tears dropped to the sand. "Not long enough, I guess." The mournfulness of her tone tore at him, but Kai knew that nothing he could say would help her. Feeling impotent and awkward, he just waited and watched as Wendy Sylvester fought to transform her emotions into words.

Finally, her head came up again and she pushed back teardampened strands of straw-blond hair from her cheeks. "I've been trying to figure out why you did it, but whenever I get that squared away, trying to fathom why you didn't tell me about it keeps crossing me up." She opened her hands, then tightened them back into fists again. "I don't understand it. Everything was going to be perfect."

She looked at him and took his silence as a negation of her words. "I've told you again and again that I don't care that you're a couple of years younger than I am. It doesn't matter. Not at all. I thought you understood that." She paused and looked out toward the water, bringing Kai's awareness back to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. "I thought I meant something to you," she said, looking up at him again.

Kai breathed in slowly, filling his lungs with the salt air, but he was unable to meet her eyes. "You do mean something to me. You mean a great deal to me—more than anyone else ever." He sighed deeply. Why can't you see it, Wendy? If not now, I would only have screwed it up later."I dolove you."

"Do you? You have a curious way of showing it. I told you of my family's tradition. My father and mother, my grandparents on both sides, and for as far back as I have heard, all belonged to the Davion Heavy Guards. I grew up steeped in the lore of the Heavy Guards and joining the Guards is all I've ever wanted to do."

Kai finally met her stare. "I know that and I respect your family's tradition more than you know."

Wendy shook her head. A breeze coming from the sea blew her hair back from her face and rustled through the sea grasses behind her. "I hear your words, Kai, but I see something different in your actions. Don't you understand I wanted the same thing for you?"