Arkship Alliance (The Arkship Saga Book 3) by Niel Bushnell

Author:Niel Bushnell [Bushnell, Niel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Magic Number Books
Published: 2018-03-07T22:00:00+00:00

THE UNSEEN

Valine rested in her suite on board the arkship Gargan, letting her mind wander. Music played, a choral arrangement that didn’t draw attention to itself, letting her focus on the pads spread on the floor in front of her. Each one contained information on a different person: Prince Halstead of the House of Kenric, General Leonov of the House of Fedorov, Genshu Hoshino of the House of Li Zhang, and the other members of the Carter & Grey board. One of the files piqued her interest, and she picked it up. It detailed one of her own commodores: Ingeborg Nilsdatter.

If a rebellion was coming, Nilsdatter would be its instigator. She was in her late fifties, a hardliner with a solid career under Orcades Draig. She didn’t take risks, and she knew how to fulfill her former leader’s orders with ruthless efficiency. There was nothing sentimental about Ingeborg Nilsdatter. Valine couldn’t rely on her sense of tradition to keep her in line, and that was what made her dangerous. Valine’s position was still precarious. The takeover of Carter & Grey had gone to plan, and that had silenced most of the whispering voices. But Valine knew she was still vulnerable, and her grip on power could be easily loosened. She stared at the image on the pad, wondering how ambitious Nilsdatter was. Did she want to be Valtais? She had a son. She might be thinking of her legacy. Valine made a note of her son’s name. She would have him watched . . . she would have him compromised. Perhaps a sex scandal might help? Something to discredit Nilsdatter’s son, just in case she needed it one day soon. Yes, it would be worth the effort. But that wouldn’t fix the immediate problem: Commodore Nilsdatter’s loyalty. Valine had to know where she stood, that was why she had invited her and Reader Mallory to a meeting here, in the calm confines of her suite.

Valine projected and planned and schemed, playing the variables, weighting each outcome, then, as the time approached for her meeting, she cleared away the pads.

The door chime pinged; it would be Mallory, Valine guessed. Nilsdatter would be late.

‘Come in,’ Valine said, smiling to the Reader.

‘Am I first?’ Mallory asked hesitantly.

‘Yes.’

‘I can wait outside, if you wish.’

Valine offered her a chair at the table. ‘Nonsense. The Commodore will not be long.’

The Reader sat, appearing nervous.

‘How have you been?’ Valine asked, noting the startled expression on Mallory’s face. She seemed more on edge than usual.

‘I am well, thank you, Valtais.’

‘And what of our people?’

Reader Mallory looked at her, puzzled.

‘You speak to them during your services,’ Valine explained. ‘You tend to their spiritual needs. You can gauge their mood. How do they seem?’

‘Very happy,’ Mallory replied quickly. Too quickly.

‘You can be frank with me, Reader. In fact, I would prefer it if you were. I need to know the state of mind of the Draig people. I need to know if they are troubled by . . . recent events.

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