Queen of the Pirates by Blaze Ward

Author:Blaze Ward [Ward, Blaze]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Exploration, Hard Science Fiction, Space Fleet, Space Opera, Military, Artificial intelligence, Galactic Empire, starship, Pirates, Space Exploration
Amazon: B012LI171O
Publisher: Knotted Road Press
Published: 2015-08-17T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter XXVIII

Date of the Republic November 2, 393 City of Corynthe, Petron

Jessica walked down the clinic corridor past four of her own marines, plus two of the King’s Own, currently in a very polite pissing match about precedence and who was the bigger bad–ass.

Boys being boys.

Marcelle waited outside, with the boys. Probably would make them all look like pikers in seconds. She was good at that.

Inside, Warlock was awake, his eyes bright on her as she entered and closed the door.

He looked sallow, almost yellow, eyes bloodshot and tired even after a night of sleep.

“Apparently,” he said with a smile, “I’m not dead.”

Jessica cocked an eyebrow at him. “Is this your vision of what hell looks like, Warlock?”

He shrugged, painfully from the wince on his face, and then smiled. “Heaven, maybe.”

“Really?” Her voice dripped with utter sarcasm.

Warlock grinned at her and tried to leer. The yellow hue to his cheeks ruined the effect. And she was in no mood to play nurse.

“Feel like answering some useful questions for a change?” Jessica inquired, hoping she could play on his weakness and emotional debts.

“Depends, Keller,” he replied, suddenly going all cagey on her. “What type of questions?”

She looked closely at him. Wounded on hip, forearm, and shoulder, plus the after–effect of the poison. Tired, weak, perhaps a touch angry, although at her for bothering him, or at himself for being bedridden, was a hard call. An active man like him couldn’t enjoy that level of disability.

“I met Desianna Indah–Rodriguez last night,” she began.

Warlock smiled. “She worried you’ll supplant her as First Wife?”

“Not anymore,” Jessica replied. “I hope. We’re meeting later.”

The man pursed his lips, but remained silent.

“What kind of woman is she, Warlock?”

He was silent for several moments.

“Driven,” he said finally. “She’s been with Arnulf for nearly thirty years, protecting him, protecting the kids.” He thought for a moment. “Hard. Tough. Smart. Reminds me of someone.”

Jessica’s eyes threatened to roll back in her head. Flirtatious banter from a pirate was absolutely not on her menu this morning.

“She and Chancellor Du get along?”

“Nobody gets along with Jing Du,” Warlock replied. “He is simply a fact of life. Not a force of nature like Arnulf, but a quiet little schemer who makes things run.”

“He the one who tried to have you assassinated?”

“What do you mean, Keller?”

She had his interest now.

“Hellhound cleared it with Arnulf before he challenged you, Ishikura,” she said simply. “I presume that he felt he had some level of protection. Arnulf was so angry he warned the family off you, under penalty of exile, so it had to be someone else who would have given him that protection, if the fight had gone the other way.”

“Really?” Warlock got a thoughtful look on his face. “That would explain a lot.”

He started to say something else, but stopped himself.

“What?” Jessica asked, leaning closer. Not quite in his face, but hovering over him.

“It would…” he trailed off.

“Talk, Daneel.”

He looked up in surprise at her hard tone. She was tired of dancing with him. Either she got something useful, or she abandoned him, right here.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.