Hidden Empire - Kevin J. Anderson [53]
Under the lights of the presentation square, General Kurt Lanyan of the Earth Defense Forces stood precisely on his mark on the long red carpet. In his full dress uniform he looked both impressive and uncomfortable. Unlike Basil, the EDF commander had no choice but to be a public figure at times such as this.
After the latest round of cheers faded, Frederick held high the outrageously gaudy Medal of Glorious Commendation like ancient King Arthur about to dub a devoted knight. Imagers captured every moment from every angle. The records would be distributed across the Hansa colonies by fast stardrive ships, showing off the pomp and ceremony that was a daily routine at the WhisperPalace.
Robes covered the old King with a cocoon of color, but the broad sleeves drooped, exposing his sticklike upraised arms. Frederick's face was gaunt, and on the screens Basil could see that the attendants had applied too much makeup, giving the King a powdery, surreal appearance. Basil frowned, hoping no one else would notice.
Lanyan stood at attention, his head formally bowed with the reverence and solemnity of the occasion.
Frederick boomed, "General Kurt Lanson, I have summoned you here to receive this honor." Basil winced at the obvious error in pronunciation. Lanson? Couldn't the King at least memorize his own general's name?
A twitter passed through the crowd like a breeze ruffling a smooth surface of water. Basil gritted his teeth, hoping the slip would not attract too much attention. The people loved their King, but Basil hated for the man to show such obvious signs of age. Charming befuddlement was only a small step away from senility. No one in the Hansa-settled worlds should ever suspect that their King might not be competent to rule.
Frederick didn't even notice his gaffe. "You have halted the depredations of the vile space pirates led by the Roamer Rand Sorengaard. You have succeeded where others have failed." On cue, for Basil had stationed numerous agents throughout the crowd, cheers erupted in a deafening howl that cut off the King's sentence and seemed to disorient him.
Victorious, General Lanyan had returned to Earth bringing the battered corsair ships they had impounded after capturing Sorengaard's pirates. Though the vessels looked dirty and poorly used, Hansa engineers had discovered startling ship modifications. Sorengaard's stardrives had been improved to an efficiency that no Hansa ship exhibited. What were the Roamers doing out there in secret?
Basil quietly instructed that the breakthroughs be analyzed, copied, and incorporated into EDF ships. After the military vessels were upgraded, the technology could be sold to merchant ships at a great premium. Basil would even claim that Hansa engineers had developed the innovations on their own.
King Frederick droned on, reading scripted words projected onto his retinas. "The Earth Defense Forces have a charter to crush lawlessness in the Spiral Arm. Without the obeying of laws, we have no civilization, merely anarchy. And under my rule there will be no anarchy!" More cheers. Basil sank into a comfortable chair, relieved. The King was doing better.
On the screens surrounding him, Basil watched as Frederick lowered the heavy medal on its colorful ribbon to drape it over General Lanyan's neck. The EDF commander had received numerous accolades before, and each one made him a more prominent hero in the eyes of the public. Ceremonies such as this helped to increase the standing of the military forces.
Basil Wenceslas partook in almost no hedonistic pleasures, though he had tried them all when he was younger. Long ago, he'd given up drinking and drugs and smoking, finding that he acquired a greater sense of euphoria from his accomplishments. An only child and an overachiever, Basil had learned from his parents, both their successes and their mistakes.
His mother and father were