Liao leaned back in his throne and steepled his fingers. "Why did you not have this information before?"

Shang hesitated, and Justin stepped forward. "If I might, Highness, I would suggest that we did not have this information sooner because of the bureaucracy and the way it has become entrenched. Getting the reports we needed to confirm these suspicions took months . . ."

Liao shot forward. "Who denied you this vital data? Give me his name and he will be dealt with shortly. I will not have incompetents around me."

Candace glanced at Justin, then moved forward, eclipsing her sister. "Father, I do not believe Citizen Xiang is singling out one person as the cause of this problem." She turned toward Justin and nodded at him. "Please, Citizen, continue."

"As your daughter has suggested, it is not the fault of any one person, Universal Paragon. Consider that, for the longest time, the Maskirovka was concerned with the Free Worlds League. This is a valid concern, and the civil war we prompted there certainly sapped much of House Marik's vitality. Because of this attention, the Maskirovka's Marik section has grown, and much of the information from the Lyran sector now filters through it. The longer the chain, the slower the transmission and the more likely the distortion of the message."

Tsen Shang nodded cautiously. "Citizen Xiang and I have also noticed a reliance in our sector on the troop information and other intelligence coming from Michael Hasek-Davion."

"What is wrong with that?" the Chancellor roared. "It is from him that we have finally learned of this marriage."

Shang held his hands forward. "Nothing is wrong with using his information, Highness, but our other operations seem to be secondary to this one source. The information still comes in, but our analysts are so busy sorting through the Duke's data that they cannot clear as much of the other data as they should."

Liao narrowed his eyes and turned to Chandra Ling. "What are you doing about this?"

Ling smiled serenely. "In my discussions with Shang and Xiang, they have suggested creating a 'crisis team.' It would be an elite group of analysts concerned solely with solving special problems or investigating odd situations. They would operate at a level just below my office, and could command information from all the sectors, bypassing the normal bureaucratic channels."

Liao nodded curtly. "Very well." He pointed at the two analysts. "You will assemble the staff you need and will move into the Palace. I want you here and on call at all times. You will never be more than twelve hours distant from me, unless I order you away on some mission."

Shang's jaw dropped open. Justin shared a timid glance with him, then looked up at the Chancellor. "Excellency, I believe the Director might have more suitable candidates in mind for this crisis team."

Liao rocked back in his throne. "How could she disagree that the two of you are the correct choices? You are new enough in the Sian organization not to have become trapped in the bureaucracy. It is your plan, and so you will execute it. I am certain the Director sees this as the only logical choice."

Liao glanced down at the Maskirovka Director long enough to see her weary nod of agreement, then he stared off above the heads of both analysts. "Now, what shall we do about this treacherous new turn of events that Hanse Davion has engineered for us?"

Before they could answer, Liao had shot to his feet, anger darkening his expression. Justin turned just enough to see the chamber's main door opening and the helpless minister cringe beneath Liao's verbal assault. "What are you doing?" the Chancellor screamed. "I gave orders I was not to be disturbed!"

"May I die a thousand deaths if this is not important, O He-Whom-The-Universe-Envies." The pale minister looked back toward the outer chamber. "It is Lord Victor Robertson, the Federated Suns' Ambassador. He says he comes concerning a matter of great urgency!"

"Indeed!" Maximilian Liao settled back down on his throne like a cat basking on a sun-warmed window sill. "Send him in. It has been too long since I have eaten a Davion envoy alive. This I shall enjoy."

3

Sian

Sian Commonality Capellan Confederation

15 October 3027

A large, robust man with a thick shock of black hair, Lord Victor Robertson ate up the distance between the door and Liao's throne with the enthusiasm of a child dashing for presents. A large, most undiplomatic smile displayed his true feelings, though it faded slightly when he noticed Justin standing beside Tsen Shang. He shot Justin a dagger glance of pure hatred, then faced Liao and bowed respectfully.

"I am grateful to you for taking the time to see me." Robertson's tenor voice expressed deep sincerity, yet rang with a counter-current that Justin recognized instantly.

Victor, you cannot fool me. I remember the time you spent as my father's aide when he served in the Embassy here. You have something up your sleeve. But what is it?Justin lifted his head and caught Candace watching him. She turned away smoothly. Smoothly, but not naturally enough to prevent suspicion. What does she have upher sleeve?

Maximilian Liao bowed his head, then smiled in his most predatory fashion. "I will always have time for an envoy from the Fox." Liao swept his right hand toward his daughters. "You remember, of course, my daughters Candace and Romano."

Robertson bowed to them—though not as deeply as he had to their father—and smiled. "A pleasure, as always. It must give you great joy to have mostof your children here for the coming celebration."

Liao ignored the veiled reference to his disinherited son Tormana, and nodded at the mistress of the Maskirovka. "And you have met Chandra Ling?"

Again Robertson bowed and smiled effortlessly. "Madame Ling and I met two years ago, or has it been even longer than that?" When Ling made no reply, the Davion Ambassador shrugged almost imperceptibly. "It is good to see you, Madame Ling."

Liao let his smile grow as he directed Robertson's attention toward the two Maskirovka analysts. "Lest you think me impolite, allow me to present Tsen Shang and Justin Xiang. They are Maskirovka specialists in dealing with the Federated Suns."

Robertson reinforced his automatic smile and nodded to Shang. "If I may be of service . . ."

The Ambassador started to turn back toward the throne, but Liao did not let him escape so easily. "Oh, it occurs to me that you might already know Justin Xiang. I believe you knew him as Justin Allard."

Robertson stiffened. "If it pleases you, Chancellor, I would prefer not to renew my acquaintance with this quisling."

Liao stood. "It pleases me, Lord Victor, for you to be polite to my citizens."

Justin stepped forward and offered the Ambassador his right hand. "Hello, Victor."

Robertson ignored Justin's gesture. "Xiang! You should have died on Solaris VII. It would have saved everyone so much trouble."

Justin smiled slyly. "Lost some money on that last fight, did you, Victor?"

Robertson turned back toward Liao. "Chancellor, I have come on important business for my Prince."

Liao shook his head slightly, then wearily settled back against his throne. "This, Ambassador, I cannot understand. In the Federated Suns, you place so much importance upon mission and duty. Here, in my realm, we value friendship and people even higher. I would have thought you pleased to see an old friend again."