The Demon Plagues (13 page)

“Yes, yes, I can do this. Do you have the
optics to boresight??”

“Yes, right here. How long will it take?”

“A day only.”

Skull chewed the inside of his cheek in
thought. “
Bon
. Here is my number.”

“Thank you. I expect your gun will be a SIG
SG 510. I have several; one of them will do I am sure. A superb
weapon, if a bit dated.”

“
Bon
. I like, old reliable things. I
also need a concealment case.”

“Yes, for the trombone. No problem. And I
must ask for the money in advance.”

“Of course. How much?”

The old man spoke a number, and Skull nodded,
counting out considerable stacks of cash, well into high five
figures. He left quite happy to have paid the fee.
A workman is
worthy of his wages.
Every shot would have to tell if he was to
achieve his goal and again live to fight another day.

Chairman Markis saw the UG delegation enter
the opposite antechamber and the Swiss Foreign Minister nodded from
inside the main room. That worthy had already made his greetings,
and to avoid any indication of favoritism he now presided at the
end of the long table. The two opposing – negotiating – parties
would sit across the long axis from each other, bringing them face
to face.

Markis strode in confidently, timing his pace
to get him to his chair at precisely the same moment as the
Canadian Prime Minister. Millicent took her place to his right;
Security Chief Rogett, though disarmed of all his deadly tools,
filled the space to his left like a knight’s shieldbearer of
old.

Prime Minister Portmanteaux was a florid man
of about forty, short and red-faced with sandy brown hair, a
cheerful smile and beady eyes. He combined the nonthreatening,
easygoing manner of the British-descended Canadians with the smooth
elegance of the Quebecois nobility. He held out a gloved hand for
Markis to shake.

Even this was a concession for the
Plague-phobic UGNA, a measure of trust and confidence. Markis shook
hands with the man, exerting a carefully measured pressure, then
dropping it casually. He had no intention of covertly infecting
Portmanteaux even if he could; such an action would destroy any
chance of trust this meeting was meant to build. Besides, the man's
glove was certainly loaded with antivirals, as was the man’s
bloodstream.

“Mister Prime Minister, I thank you for
meeting me on such short notice and with such evident good will. I
hope that we can improve relations among all of our nations.”

“Well said, M’sieur Chairman. Shall we
sit?”

Both parties took their seats. Millicent and
the Canadian’s two staffers all took out computers and prepared to
take notes.

“Now, since you requested this meeting, and
it is informal, perhaps you can explain why, and what it is you
hope to accomplish.” The man’s accent was nasal but cultured, his
English precise. Markis could smell his cologne, expensive and
French, and suppressed an urge to sneeze.

“Generally, I would like to improve relations
and reduce the still-continuing bloodshed on both sides. More
specifically, with incidents like the latest strike on Kinshasa we
will never be able to create a climate of peace and allow the world
to recover from the chaos of the last decade.”

“Chaos that you caused.”

“Granted, I initiated it.” Markis rubbed his
nose to dispel the itch. “And I could list the offenses of the
Unionist Party as well. Let’s put aside history and recriminations,
shall we? It’s time to move forward, rather than backward, for the
good of everyone.”

“We are prepared to discuss any proposals you
should make.” Portmanteaux smiled reasonably, taking a carafe and a
glass from a tray. He poured himself a half a glass of water.

Markis idly wondered whether the man saw the
glass half full or half empty. “Excellent. May I say I am glad they
sent you, sir? I always considered you a sensible man.”

Portmanteaux put on a smooth, pleasant
expression. “And I for my part never believed the unfortunate
demonization some of our more enthusiastic press agencies have made
of you. So, now that we have greeted and mutually praised each
other, perhaps you would be so kind as to tell me just what you
want.”

Markis smiled more genuinely. “I would be
honored. First you have tens of thousands of infected citizens
languishing in concentration camps. You and we both view these
people as political detainees. Releasing them to the Free
Communities for resettlement would be an act of kindness and a
public relations victory for your nation. It would also remove our
incentive to make any more commando raids to free them. In short,
these people and the facilities that hold them are nothing but a
distraction and an embarrassment for your government.”

“I agree. I am authorized to grant this in
principle, subject to a signed agreement.” The Prime Minister
folded his hands in front of him, picking idly at a loose thread in
his left glove.

“So easily? I’m shocked, but I do thank
you.”

“
Oui, de rien
. But I have something I
want in return. I need the ongoing cyber attack on our command and
control systems to stop.”

“What makes you think we are responsible for
that?”

“Oh, come now, Mister Chairman, do not poison
the atmosphere of
détente
that has only just sprung up
between us. You either initiated the attacks or you can use your
influence to stop them.”

“All right, then. Granted, I will do my
utmost to return the cyber-conflict to
status quo ante
at a
minimum. I can’t promise more. I don’t have the authority of your
Triumvirate.”

“I realize that, but you are a powerful
symbol. Your power rises and falls with the intensity of our
conflict. In all frankness, my position has always been to make
peace and watch your politics fall apart from your own anarchist
tendencies, but I have been overruled thus far. I will continue to
try to speak reason to my colleagues.”

“Which I much appreciate. I would be happy to
give up my influence, such as it is, and live a quiet life with my
wife and children. I live in fear that one day one of your
strategic strikes will fall on them.” Markis’ voice hardened to
steel. “I am not your enemy, but on that day, should it come, I
will become implacable. Some in the United Governments believe we
are weak because we find it very difficult to kill, but I assure
you, my conscience will not stop me from bringing everyone
responsible to justice. Contemplate what would happen if –
when
– the entire world is finally infected. Contemplate
those responsible for wholesale murders of innocent civilians
rotting for
centuries
in solitary confinement, until they
finally see the error of their ways. They might beg for death.”

Portmanteaux leaned away from the sheer force
of Markis’ declaration, finding himself convinced that at the very
least the man was completely and utterly sincere.
A true
believer…this is why they follow him. He’s a fanatic, their own
personal Joan d'Arc, and thus a dangerous, dangerous man.

The Canadian took a moment to compose
himself, allowing his opponent’s words to hang, to grow stale and
to let those watching and listening to think them through again. It
was a technique he had used successfully many times in the past, to
just wait on his adversaries, to give them rope and, if not hang
themselves, then at least lose the momentum of their arguments.
When he finally spoke, his tone was mild, verbal aikido, providing
no force for Markis’ argument to push against.

“I believe ending the strikes is reasonable.
But the others may not so believe. This is a large concession, for
it means that you will be able to perform your weapons research
unimpeded. What can you give me as an incentive to bring back to my
government?”

Markis nodded. “First, we will pledge to end
our research to make the Plague airborne. If you genuinely believe,
as your propaganda – pardon me, your public information campaigns
claim, that you only object to the Plague because it might be
foisted upon someone against their will, this will go a long way
toward ending that concern.”

“But how could we verify this?” He drummed
his gloved hands on the tabletop in thought, the sound deadened by
the soft cotton.

“We can set up a regime of inspections, by a
combined team of your own scientists and those of the Neutral
States.”

“This is a good idea, but it would still be
too easy to conceal a biological laboratory. Unlike nuclear
materials, there is no signature one can detect at a distance, no
radioactive traces that cannot be hidden. Yes, this is good, but it
is not enough.”

“What more would you suggest?”

“That you give up your research programs for
missiles of greater than a certain range. The experts can wrangle
over that, but those of what you call the ‘Big Three’ –
coincidentally those who have true worldwide strategic strike
capability – are most concerned about you dropping missiles armed
with Plague upon their cities. It is enormously expensive to
maintain defensive readiness against biological warfare. I believe
I could convince my government to cease its strikes in exchange for
a research control regime in these two areas – missiles and germ
warfare.”

Markis sighed and sniffed. That cologne was
really starting to annoy his nose. He looked around the room. It
didn’t seem to be bothering anyone else, but he’d always been
sensitive to chemical scents and the Plague hadn’t completely done
away with it. “You make that all sound so good, but it would also
keep us out of space. If there is to ever be a true strategic
balance and trust between our nations, we must be able to launch
satellites for overhead observation, so we can look at your
facilities in turn, just like the Open Skies program during and
after the first Cold War.”

“So it worked for the East and West before,
eh, and now you want to settle into Cold War II? You are more of a
pragmatist than I gave you credit for.” Portmanteaux seemed
slightly smug, as if he had already gained a victory of some sort
and was merely being agreeable.

The serpent in the back of DJ’s head stirred
for the first time in a while, rustling around in the back of his
subconscious. Markis’ mind woke up to the fact that there was some
deeper game that the Prime Minister was playing – or thought he was
playing – and he had better be careful or he’d end up selling the
store on the cheap.

I’ve been slipping, feeling like this guy is
on our side, when I should know he’s not. I’m sure that’s what he
hoped. He may not be as cold and bloodyminded as the Mexican or
American presidents, but he is still a politician and he’s as slick
as they come.

“Thank you for your kind words. If we cannot
give up the space program – yes, I realize it is difficult to
distinguish it from a missile program – perhaps a similar
inspection regime could be devised for the research and launches,
to show you we are not designing weapons, but rather only space
vehicles for peaceful purposes.”

Portmanteaux nodded. “There will have to be
guarantees you will not militarize your observation
satellites.”

“Naturally.”

“Then let me bring these proposals back to
the Triumvirate and the Cabinet. We will see how much they will
agree to and whatever adjustments they wish made.”

Markis stood, then sneezed. “Pardon me, I am
sensitive to someone’s cologne.”

The Prime Minister and all the staffers stood
up immediately. Portmaneaux bowed this time. “Forgive me, it was a
gift from my wife. Ah…I would have thought the Plague would solve
this problem?”

“Contrary to popular myth, Mister Prime
Minister, there are some things even the Plague cannot do. Shall we
say tomorrow, at a similar time?”

“
Parfait
. I look forward to it, Mister
Chairman.”

The two parties turned to leave at the same
time. Karl spoke with one of the Swiss security guards, lagging
behind as the principals and their staffs cleared the room. He
asked a few innocuous questions about the arrangements until they
were the only two in the chamber. Blocking the man’s view with his
body, Karl casually slipped two thick fingers into the inside of
the Prime Minister’s drinking glass and slid it into his pocket,
politely taking his leave right away.

He caught up with the rest at the limousine.
“I’ll ride with the Chairman this time,” he said. Bettina moved out
of the way, her eyes questioning. He shook his head.

On the ride back to the hotel he interrupted
Markis’ contemplation. “Sir, are you still feeling a reaction to
that cologne?”

DJ looked at him sharply, and then sniffed.
“No, not really. It seems to be dying down.”

“Good.”

“What?”

“Nothing, sir. Just the paranoid mind of your
security chief.”

DJ laughed. “Good, that frees me to be
Pollyannaish. Oh yeah, I know what they say behind my back. The
boss is too trusting, too good-natured.”

“Maybe that’s your role, sir. What you’re
good at. I may be just a dumb old Marine but I’m smart enough to
know that you should do what you’re good at and ignore the
rest.”

Markis clapped Karl on the shoulder. “Sounds
pretty smart to me. I’m for the sauna, how about you?”

“Yeah, the Europeans have some coed naked
ones.”

“You’ll have to have fun with that one on
your own,” Markis said. They laughed together.

“Just kidding, sir.”

A minute went by, then DJ spoke. “Long way
from trying to kill me on Watts Island, huh?”

“Yes sir. Long way.” Karl stared out the
window at the Swiss streets. “Sorry about that.”

“Apology accepted.”