Successio by Alison Morton

Author:Alison Morton [Morton, Alison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: alternate history, fantasy, historical, military, Rome, SF
ISBN: 178132218X
Amazon: B00KOSV1YC
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Published: 2014-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

XVII

Stella was brought into Custodes XI Station through the back gate, taken to the medical room and given a thorough examination. She said nothing as the techs carried out the blood, urine and vitals tests. Normally robotic in their neutrality – testing druggies couldn’t have been the pleasantest of jobs – they were more circumspect in their actions than I’d ever seen. One assistant dropped a tube that clattered on his metal instrument tray. Stella jumped at the noise and Lurio frowned at both techs.

I stayed with Stella throughout, but she more or less ignored me, only giving me a pleading look once when they gave her an intimate search. I took her hand and squeezed it in sympathy, but once they finished she shook it off. The medic gave her a drink and a shot – vitamins he told me later – and she was taken away to a locked room.

Lurio took me to his office and dosed me with coffee. He looked as grim as I felt.

‘How the fuck did it get to this? She’s had every chance. Jupiter, I’d strangle her myself if she was my daughter.’

‘Don’t, Lurio. Please.’

‘What is it with you lot? First your fluffy bunny, now this one.’

‘That’s unfair and you know it, but if you want to have a temper fit, be my guest.’

He stopped pacing up and down and threw himself into his chair. He tapped his fingers on his desk, reached for his keyboard and attacked that.

‘We can hold her in the medical unit and stretch out the detox, but she’ll have to go to trial eventually. I’m sorry for your cousin, personally, but it’ll send shock waves through the whole country. Bloody glad it’s not me having to deal with that.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Pelonia will want to get started. I’d better wander down.’

In the detention suite, he nodded to the custody sergeant, and as I went to follow him down the corridor to the interview rooms, Lurio barred the way.

‘Sorry, no further.’

‘C’mon, Lurio, don’t be such a hard-ass. She’s only a kid, she needs somebody there for her.’

‘She’s a legal adult arrested on narcotics charges, suspected dealer and uncooperative. Nothing doing.’ He relaxed a centimetre. ‘Look, I’m sorry about your professional trouble coming on top of your family problems, but I can’t bend the procedure for civilians. Even a prominent one like yourself, Countess.’

I stared at him, dumbstruck. I really was excluded now.

His eyes were full of understanding, but his mouth went into a tight line. He turned and disappeared through the scanlocked door.

*

I struggled back to the palace in my car, cursing the evening rush hour traffic as it sucked me in from the Dec Max and dropped me like a discard at the palace gates. Favonius met me in the staff car park and escorted me through to Silvia’s office. His smooth shell seemed a little cracked.

‘I wanted to have a quick word first, Countess,’ he said as we strode along. He looked like he was swallowing a box of steel tacks.

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