Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [168]
Chapter 84 — KING PETER
Peter shook his head and handed the prepared document back to Basil. “I’m sorry, but I won’t read this.”
He saw an immediate flush of anger cross the Chairman’s face. “I dictate Hansa policy, and you’re more than aware of how far I’ll go to make sure my orders are obeyed.” Basil wasn’t usually a man to lose his composure, even in private, but the years of costly defeats and the intransigence of those who were supposed to be “team players” had eaten away at him. He hated to lose control in any fashion.
Peter tried to be calm but firm. “Your media plants have already done an excellent job of turning public opinion against the Roamers, Basil, but if I read this invective, we’ll have lynchings, if not an outright civil war.”
“We already have a civil war, King Peter—caused by the Roamers.”
Peter called the Chairman’s bluff, though he knew it was a dangerous move. “Then why don’t you have Prince Daniel read it? Try him out, see how the public reacts?”
Basil scowled. “I’ve had enough of your attitude, Peter.”
Peter drummed his fingers on the tabletop in the King’s private retiring room where the Chairman had come to meet with him. “Believe it or not, Basil, we both have the interests of the Hansa at heart. Speaker Peroni was betrothed to Estarra’s brother—maybe the Queen and I could talk with her reasonably, resolve this matter.”
“No need. The Roamers will back down soon. I envision several scenarios—all of which result in my holding humanity together, in spite of itself.”
The Chairman was further upset because he had just learned from Sarein, through Nahton, that groups of Roamers had been working in the ruined worldforest for over a month—and somehow the court green priest had never seen fit to inform anyone of the fact.
Nahton had responded with placid indifference when Basil confronted him. “It is within our rights as an independent colony to accept aid from anyone who wishes to give it. It is not a matter for Hansa discussion.” He had refused to understand the relevance of such information in the overall picture.
Now Peter leaned closer to the simmering Chairman. “Basil, you taught me to think of second- and third-order consequences. It’s fine that I rally the people and fan their anger against the hydrogues. But your end goal is to assimilate the Roamers into the Hanseatic League. Therefore, it’s counterproductive for me, as King, to officially portray them as unsalvageable traitors or monsters. If I make a formal statement from the Whisper Palace, and then your plan succeeds, I’ll have to recant my words and change my position. You don’t want that.”
Basil lifted his head slowly, a strange expression on his face. “I don’t know whether to strangle you, Peter, or pat you on the back for being a good student. Your conclusions aren’t the same as mine, but they do have…some small merit. I’ll consider what you’ve said.” He took the document back and turned to leave, clearly not admitting defeat. “The Roamers will be quickly and cleanly defeated, and soon. Perhaps it’s best if you just stay out of it for now. Then you can appear benevolent afterward.”
He looked over his shoulder. “But I warn you, the Hansa must be absolutely unified under my instructions. If I decide to ask you again, Peter, don’t even think about contradicting me.”
Even when he was most troubled, Peter always knew one place where he could feel like a man, instead of a puppet ruler. When the lights were down late at night and he was in his own bedchamber—after OX had searched the room for surveillance cameras and deactivated any listening devices—Peter felt safe and comforted, simply holding his Queen.
He caressed the warm, smooth skin of Estarra’s back, tracing the outline of her shoulder blades,