BattleTech: Not the Way The Smart Money Bets: Kell Hounds Ascendant 1 (Kell Hounds Trilogy) by Michael A. Stackpole

Author:Michael A. Stackpole
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
Published: 2019-03-19T05:00:00+00:00

10

CONSULATE OF THE DRACONIS COMBINE

GALATEAN CITY, GALATEA

LYRAN COMMONWEALTH

4 OCTOBER 3010

Morgan had arrived at the consulate without much of a plan. Intellectually he understood that people crashed the gates at events all the time. His family’s gatherings always had one or two people who managed to get in through inexplicable means. It was as if they had some sort of carte blanche which enabled them to enter.

Because the event was billed as a charity reception for some hero of the Combine, Morgan assumed he could just buy his way in. He’d had Walter try to scare up a ticket, but to no avail. Charity event tickets weren’t high on the list for scalpers.

Despite not having a ticket, we went anyway. He rented a very nice tuxedo, with a ruby vest and bow tie. It was a little bolder than he liked, but he wanted to stand out. He wanted representatives seeing him speak with others of their kind, priming the pump along Patrick’s suggestion.

Walter dropped him off, at his request, a block from the Consulate. He walked toward it as if he owned the place. No one at the gate even gave him a second glance, so he mingled, then moved toward the door, where some rather large ISF agents flanked a bureaucrat with a noteputer. He was scanning the invitations.

For just a half a second, Morgan’s confidence failed him, and he was lost. He patted his chest as if looking for his invitation, and one of the ISF agents noticed him. About that same time Morgan figured out that the patting-your-chest routine had to be a warning sign that a gate-crasher was close, so his chances of getting in had just shrunk to nothing.

Then he felt a hand on his elbow. “I’m sorry I’m late, Colonel. Traffic was horrible.”

Morgan turned and blinked. “You’re right on time, Miss Matova. And quite transformed.”

Veronica had opted for traditional Japanese garb, which half the people attending had chose, but none wore as well as she did. The kimono was mostly black, with red sleeves and white blossoms, so the color scheme very closely matched his tuxedo. Her cosmetics had been applied in a traditional manner, accentuating her beauty and hiding her behind the demure mask of a geisha. She shortened her gait and lowered her head. Even her hair had been bound up tightly, being woven around jeweled platinum sticks.

“You are so kind.” She extended her invitation to the clerk.

He scanned it and waved them in. Morgan smiled, which did not decrease the glare the one ISF agent gave him. Once inside, he drew Veronica to a corner.

“Were you having me watched, or is this serendipity?”

“Perhaps it’s both, Colonel. At the very least, it is convenient.” She smiled. “You needed entry, and it would not have done for me to come alone.”

Morgan looked back outside. “So someone will be waiting for you there.”

“I’ll make it up to him.” She gave his arm a tug. “The reception line, then we can mingle.”

Morgan moved with her and greeted a succession of officials up to the guest of honor.

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