The False Admiral (28 page)

“But they still tried to reward you. They gave you the Rothschild Mark and made you an admiral.”

“I
told
you it was an honorary title. Whoever heard of an admiral my age? Even an honorary one?” I smiled. “It only works if it's posthumous.”

“Yes, but it never occurred to me you might be telling the truth.”

“Salmagard should've tipped you off. She never hesitated to follow my orders.”

“I thought she was just being . . . Earth born.”

“She's not like that.”

“I see that now. That's why she was so determined to protect you—she couldn't have anything happen to the hero of the Empire on her watch. Or to the defecting prince, if that was what she thought. And I suppose she recognized you because she keeps important company. She knew Prince Dalton's face when she saw it. She put it all together pretty fast.” Deilani looked annoyed. We both gazed at the
Julian
.

The ship was beautiful; it was intimidatingly large, but also elegant. I'd heard about how the Empress had taken it into battle to save a ship in trouble in the Demenis system, even before the
Julian
's weapons and defenses were fully operational. That had been only a few short weeks ago.

It was a shame I'd never get to see it from the inside.

“So they heap these honors on you, then try to kill you.”

“Awkward, right?”

“Was it Tremma?”

“That sabotaged my sleeper? I don't know. He was a spy. It would've been perfectly plausible for him to get the order to switch me off. Maybe even likely. But the Empire's got plenty of people out there. It could've been anyone, anywhere. It's been a long road.”

“But you think it was him. That's why it didn't bother you when we found his body,” she said, staring at me.

“I didn't know him very well,” I replied. “He gave me a lift once. A long time ago.”

“You do think he did it.”

“I'll never know. It doesn't matter. It wasn't personal.”

“We can't admit to you—we can't admit to what you did. We can't admit to running ships like that freighter.”

“There are a lot of things they don't teach you,” I said.

“If you knew they were going to kill you, why come back at all? Why not run when you had the chance?”

“I was going to be awarded my honors by the Empress herself,” I said. “Aboard the
Julian
. It's not easy getting into a room with the Empress. How many people can say they've done that?”

“You had to know something wasn't right.”

I shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Are you going to try to take me in?”

“Take you in? Admiral, I'm just a young officer on station leave. I'm required not to show my face to these common galactics, and to conduct myself by imperial standards. Not to go hunting for my own government's embarrassments.” She holstered her sidearm.

“Risky,” I said. “Being seen with me. You may regret this.”

“I'll take my chances. I told her you saved her life.”

“That was thoughtful. Can you pass something else on for me?”

She cocked her head. “What?”

“Ask her if she wants to get dinner sometime.”

Deilani's mask stared at me. “Are you being funny?”

“What?”

“Half the galaxy is trying to kill you.”

“Is that weird?”

Deilani just sighed. I went back to admiring the view.

“Or do you think she's too good for a guy from Cohengard?” I asked.

“What?”

“You really couldn't tell? I've got Cohengard written all over me. Binsey Surleau, Sustenance Block Delta. Two sections from White Square. I'm getting homesick just thinking about it.”

The silence conveyed her surprise perfectly well; I didn't need to see past the mask. I knew what was on the other side.

“What's your real name?”

“What difference would it make?”

“None, I guess.” Deilani stepped back and straightened. “Honor and glory to the Eternal Empress.”

“Always may she reign,” I replied dutifully, stepping back from the viewport.

For the first time since we met, she saluted me. I didn't return it.

“Have a good career, Lieutenant.”

“Better than yours,” she replied.

I grinned, then turned and melted into the
crowd.

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