Wolf Hunters by Kevin Killiany

Author:Kevin Killiany [Killiany, Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780451460950
Google: IGQLnwEACAAJ
Amazon: 0451460952
Barnesnoble: 0451460952
Goodreads: 896451
Publisher: Roc
Published: 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

24

Caravanserail, Kalidasa

Protectorate Coalition

Former Prefecture VII

20 December 3135

The eyes of the Kalidasan customs agent slid over him, looking toward the large family waiting behind the line on the floor. That happened a lot, which was good. He worked hard to make sure it did.

Either the family behind him pointed or the agent realized his mistake. Either way, his eyes came back to Green. He smiled apologetically and Green smiled pleasantly.

Pleasant people were never remembered.

He had all his data in order, the crystal ready for the scanner, his luggage unlocked. Security at Caravanserail DropPort had become tighter. Again. The rumors were rampant. The Republic was coming back. The Republic was gone forever. The Mariks were considering annexation. The Steel Wolves had raided Rochelle. Stewart was invading neighbors to form its own pocket kingdom.

The only truth in the entire melange was the Steel Wolves raid, and it was the only part he'd had nothing to do with. Green found that amusing.

Stewart's Planetary Legate MacNaughton and her lap- dog Governor Ingram would be particularly shocked by that last bit. It was their solidarity, and her espoused dedication to Stone's ideals, that had prevented them from becoming the center of power in this region.

Not that he bought her faith in the return of The Republic for a moment. His intelligence sources were thin in this region, so he had no hard data, but unless he missed his guess, MacNaughton was waiting until everyone's back was turned. Then she would go running to the Marik-StewartCommonwealth, taking their namesake planet with her. That would be irony.

He watched the customs agent go through the mind- numbing routine of checking his luggage with three kinds of sniffer—in the proper sequence—and hand enter the negative results into the appropriate info fields on his terminal. Someone who'd never had to pass through customs or fill out a civil service form in his or her life had devised this system.

Green loved it.

It was the dearest wish of every underpaid minion forced to slog through this tedium to make it through a shift without finding anything that might require filling out additional forms. He did his best to help them achieve their goals. One case in the most common style, neatly packed with all the appropriate items present and nothing unusual in sight. Data chit flawless, manner un- imposing, every exchange courteous but not one syllable past the necessary.

Green never wished anyone a nice day—after hours in line he'd be remembered as the only one who had. He never chatted about where he was going, inquired how to find anything, or stood in main traffic patterns.

Kalidasa really was the best choice as the center of this neighborhood—even before their parochial attitude had ruled out his boss' first choice.

Rochelle had many of the qualifications, but having already been invaded once, it lacked credibility as a leader. And after the Steel Wolves' visit, Governor Pe- trokovitch had been eager to become part of a mutual- defense network—despite Legate Illiarveski's objections.

Alkes and New Hope had gained

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