Thanks to the time difference, there was a report from Kernan on Gareth’s desk when he stepped into his office the next morning.
He pressed play and Kernan’s face appeared. ‘Your Majesty, I’ve spoken with the Pontifex of Tatryn. She has no idea who the man is, and I’m convinced it’s not just an act. He must be such a low-ranked functionary here in the palace that he is beyond her notice. She’s going to wait a few hours, then ask for her head of palace security to bring him to her. The story she will tell is that she had heard marvellous things about his commitment to her and to Tatryn and she wants to meet him and congratulate him. Once he’s there, she’ll summon me and I’ll come and arrest him. I’ll bring him back to Angonia and we’ll do a mindscan. In the meantime, I’ll catch up with my contacts and see what I can find out about Hactrim and the stockpile.’
Gareth smiled. He’d known Kernan was the right man to put in charge of this. By the time the squad had gotten used to each other and were ready to work together, they’d have all the information they needed to find and arrest everyone involved with the plot.
Gareth went to the Angonian Security Force headquarters, where the squad had been gathered. Kernan had left instructions with his second in command, a Haityn called Zoran. The first thing was that the squad’s fitness was to be assessed, to see where the strengths and weaknesses lay. Next came their weapon skills. A few had terrible aim with their blasters and Gareth wondered why they’d been sent for this squad. But then their tactics were tested and those people showed a talent for subtle plans and considering consequences that their fellow squad members lacked.
Gareth saw a range of strengths across the squad. Some were technically skilled, some had brilliant tactical knowledge. Some were experienced at undercover work and others were great at intelligence gathering.
It was a skilful and cohesive unit.
When he got back to the palace, there was a message from Kernan. The man Diana had identified had been arrested and was on his way to Angonia.
Kernan arrived with the man late in the afternoon. He was taken to an interrogation room deep in the palace. Gareth fetched Diana to take her to see him.
‘That’s him,’ she said, looking at him through the one-way mirror. ‘Who is he?’
‘His name is Crag Zimmer.’ Kernan read from his tablet. ‘Thirty-five years old, Tatryn born and bred. He’s an accountant in the palace. There’s nothing in his employment record or his security record that hints at him being involved in a threat of this magnitude.’
‘Then let’s find out what’s going on in his head,’ Gareth said.
‘Assuming the memories are still there,’ Kernan said. ‘Remember how Hactrim messed with Maltar’s memories?’
Gareth nodded. Cassandra had found out what Grendon was up to, but needed a certain level of proof for the planetarium to investigate and convict him. Proof that she’d hoped to find in Ham Maltar, an employee of Plissa Waltric. Only when they’d done the mind-read, it was to find that Maltar’s memory had been wiped clear of what he’d done.
It had taken some trickery on Gareth’s part to manoeuvre Grendon into a situation where the planetarium agreed to mind-read him and everything he’d been doing had been revealed.
Trickery that had turned Diana on.
Gareth diverted his thoughts. As amazing as having Diana in bed was — and it was superb, she was the best lover he’d ever had, passionate and adventurous — now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that.
‘Let’s hope,’ he said.
Kernan stepped into the room and Zimmer jumped to his feet. ‘I don’t know why I’m here, Angonian, but I promise you, I will do nothing to betray my country.’
‘I’m not Angonian,’ Kernan said calmly.
‘You might as well be. You saved the King. Traitor.’
‘Wow, Kernan’s almost as popular in Tatryn as you,’ Diana murmured.
‘Crag Zimmer, I’m going to give you the opportunity to confess everything you know connected to the bombing of Hero Park. If not, then we’ll get it out of you another way.’ Kernan pressed a button and one of the walls slid up, revealing the mindscan machine.
The mindscan took place in a large cylindrical tube. The subject was placed on their back and rolled into the device. Gareth went through it regularly — necessary to ensure someone hadn’t planted false information in his mind — and it wasn’t a comfortable experience. It felt very close and claustrophobic.
‘You can’t do that. Not without the Pontifex’s permission and she’ll never allow a good Tatryn resident to be so abused by an Angonian.’
‘The planetarium supports your mindscan, and the Pontifex approves,’ Kernan said. ‘This isn’t about Tatryn versus Angonia. If you can bomb this land, which land will you bomb next?’
‘None. It’s only Angonia.’
‘Point one to Kernan,’ Gareth said. ‘This is just about us.’
‘Regardless, the mindscan will take place. It has planetarium approval. So you can speak, or I will take the information from you.’
‘You can try, Angonian worm. You’ll never succeed.’
Kernan smiled and for the first time, Diana saw how he had earned his fearsome reputation. That expression was terrifying in its calm superiority. ‘Of course not. But I’m going to give it a go anyway.’
So some security came in and Zimmer was strapped down and put into the mindscan machine. At the front of it was a screen. His memories would play on it, like a movie.
Gareth led Diana in so they could see it all more clearly. While he was in the machine, Zimmer would be unaware of who was in the room.
‘We know the point that his plans were overheard,’ Kernan said to the technician running the machine. ‘Let’s find that, then go backwards from there. Di, do you know the time?’
Diana thought. ‘I’m going to guess around 3 p.m. in the afternoon.’
The technician started to dial in the machine. You could start scrolling through a person’s memory and see everything, but it was also possible to pinpoint memories. This procedure took less time, but also resulted in greater potential damage to the recipient.
It turned out the conversation Diana had overheard had taken place at 2.45 p.m. When the vision started, she gasped as the face of the other man came into focus.
‘Cassius.’
Gareth remembered the Pontifex had mentioned something in the phone call Diana had played him about Cassius. ‘Who is he?’
‘The Pontifex’s nephew. She has plans for us to marry. He’s awful. The hatred he spewed about you was horrendous. I’m really not surprised to see him involved. Poor Pontifex. I think she’ll be mortified when it comes out her own nephew was part of the plot.’
‘Go back and find other conversations with that man,’ Kernan said.
The next conversation was all about money. Zimmer was demanding more. ‘We’ve perfected the procedure, but it took more money than we expected. We need extra funds to get to Angonia and plant the explosives.’
‘Explosives,’ Kernan said. ‘Plural.’
Gareth shook as the realisation took hold that there was at least one other bomb in Angonia somewhere. Diana slipped her hand into his, and despite the fact they weren’t alone, he gripped it tightly.
They went through and found more conversations, but they were all about funding. Cassius was bankrolling the plans, but he wasn’t involved in exactly what was going on.
‘He mentioned the procedure,’ Kernan said. ‘That’s got to be the enrichment of balcite. Let’s see if our man has actually met Hactrim.’
A search for Hactrim’s face yielded nothing. ‘Alright, let’s go forward from the last conversation about money and find Zimmer handing it over to his accomplices.’
The memories started to scroll quickly across the screen. Gareth didn’t look at them. Instead, he focussed on the feet poking out of the mindscan machine. Where are the other bombs, he wondered. What threat exists to my people that I can’t counteract?
‘Here.’ Gareth looked up as the memories slowed and then focussed on one.
Zimmer was in a room with two other men and a woman. Before them lay a map of Angonia City.
‘So we’re agreed. We’ll go to Angonia tomorrow and set up the three blasts. First bomb here.’ One of the men pointed to Hero Park. ‘Second bomb here.’ His finger stabbed at The Place, the popular open-air markets. ‘Third bomb here.’ This location was the Angonia flightport.
‘Set the first one off, send the blackmail, see what the reaction is and if it’s not looking like Angonia are going to do what we ask, set off the second as a warning. The third is the punishment for not paying on time.’
‘Peace,’ Diana said. ‘If they know we’ve got Zimmer, that could be the sign they need to set off the second one.’
Gareth let go of her hand, and swept out of the room and contacted Bana. ‘There’s a bomb at The Place. I want it closed down No one is to be allowed in there until we find it. Evacuate the surrounding area, in case it’s a larger detonation. Also, I want a search of the flightport to find the third bomb.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty.’
Gareth went back into the room to see another memory. Again, the same four people, but with them was a fifth. A small, neatly kept woman with stunning green eyes. She was holding a small blob of grey material in her hand.
‘That’s it?’
‘This is it. It acts just like the real thing.’
‘Enriched balcite.’ The four gazed in wonder at it.
‘Treat it carefully. It’s very delicate and can go off at any moment.’
‘You can make this any time?’
‘Any time. As much as you want. We’ve got that whole stockpile to work with.’
‘Brilliant.’
‘Terrifying,’ Diana whispered.
Despite the searching, they saw no more memories that showed anyone but the green-eyed scientist and the four main planners.
‘Right. So there’s Cassius the bank-roller, these four the brains and the girl who is bringing them the e. She must be the one involved with Hactrim,’ Kernan said.
Gareth folded his arms over his chest. ‘Interesting that Hactrim isn’t involved with the planning. We always thought he’d be right at the top of whatever is going on.’
‘Maybe he is, but he’s playing with the strings from the background,’ Kernan said. ‘We need to get hold of these six people and mindscan them.’
‘You’re going to have issues getting Cassius,’ Diana said. ‘He’s the Pontifex’s nephew. If he goes missing…’
‘Actually, let’s leave Cassius in place, but keep an eye on him,’ Gareth said. ‘I’ve a feeling he could lead us to quite a few plots against Angonia.’
‘I’ll go work with the squad and get them prepared to go into Tatryn and make the arrests,’ Kernan said.
Gareth walked Diana back to her suite. He came in with her and sat down on her couch.
‘My people, still in danger,’ he whispered. ‘What if we don’t act quickly enough? We don’t know when that bomb could go off.’
Diana sat beside him, curled her arms around his so she hugged his arm to her chest and kissed his shoulder before laying her head on it. ‘We pray that we are in time,’ she said. ‘We hope and we pray.’
Gareth leant his head on hers and they did just that.
***
‘So, what do you think?’
Diana waited with anticipation for Plissa Waltric to respond. She’d just practiced the presentation she was planning on giving to the style setters of Angonia on the other woman. Before she’d been dragooned into working at the RBMC, Plissa had been one of the rich and fabulous of Angonia. She personally knew some of the women Diana wanted to impress, so getting her feedback seemed a good idea.
‘It’s good, as the general presentation, but they’re each going to want to have their own personal moment with you. It’s not often they get sold to by a member of Jorda royalty. I’ll send you a dossier with some pointers on each of them, so you’ll know the direction to take with each. The secret is to make them each feel they’re getting a special deal, even though they aren’t.’
‘Oh, I think I know how to do that.’
‘I’m surprised to see how adventurous and ambitious you are in business, Diana. I wouldn’t have expected it of a Wiltmore.’
Diana decided not to respond to that, knowing it was a dig at Cassandra. The more time she spent with Plissa, the more she was convinced the main bone of contention between the two women was that they were so similar and had been placed in direct opposition with each other. Now that was no longer the case, maybe one day friendship would blossom.
Assuming Cassandra ever became a completely different person.
‘Thank you for your assistance, Plissa. It’s much appreciated.’
‘My pleasure. I’ll forward that dossier in the hour, along with a report on the building project. Work is going well.’
Diana disconnected, glad that her plan was coming together. Her communicator buzzed before she could put it down, and she presumed it was Waltric, remembering something.
‘Hello?’
‘Diana, darling girl.’ The Pontifex’s aged voice rang in her ear. ‘I’ve some wonderful news for you.’
Diana mentally switched from being the businesswoman to the part of airhead she was playing for the ruler of Tatryn. ‘I’m so glad to hear you so happy during this difficult time.’
‘How can I not be happy, when I know I will be welcoming you to my family.’
Diana blinked. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘My darling, this morning I declared Cassius my heir. I’ve been holding off, waiting to see who in my family would prove most worthy and he is the one.’
Damn, Diana thought. As the heir to the throne, Cassius was now nominally a member of the planetarium. Kernan couldn’t arrest and mindscan him.
‘As a result, he is now a most worthy husband for you. The Prince of Rica agrees, and once all this silliness is dealt with, you will become Cassius’s wife.’
Diana had never understood the phrase ‘time stood still’ but she did now. There was a loud beat of her heart, then another, then a third, before finally her brain computed the words the Pontifex had just said.
‘I’m to marry Cassius?’
‘The Prince of Rica is thrilled with the match, as am I. You are a delight, Diana, and will be an ornament to our beautiful land. Your sister might gain the throne of Rica thanks to accident of birth, but you have earned the right to sit by Cassius and rule the greatest land on Jorda.’
Oh, Peace. ‘Your Excellency, I’m not sure what to say.’
‘Oh, Diana, I can hear the joy in your voice. You need say nothing. Cassius is so delighted, my dear. I look forward to seeing your first child at least before my passing.’
Diana considered the prospect of sleeping with Cassius and shuddered. ‘I’m sure you do.’
‘I must leave you now. We are planning a great ceremony for Cassius’s investiture. What a shame you can’t be here, but it will be broadcast so I hope you will watch.’
‘Of course,’ Diana said and the Pontifex was gone.
She stared at the communicator, her mind struggling to form a plan of action. Once it was decided, she stabbed angrily at the keypad.
‘I want to speak to the Prince,’ she growled when it was answered.
‘And good morning to you too,’ Cassandra said. ‘Why do you want to speak to the old coot?’
‘Because he’s just married me off to the Pontifex of Tatryn’s heir, that’s why.’
‘He’s what?’ Cassandra’s screech was gratifying if painful.
‘It’s not going to happen, Cass.’
‘Of course not. He’s just got a bee in his bonnet about something. Let me talk to him.’
Cassandra hung up and Diana moved onto part two of her plan of action. She ran out of her suite and through the corridors to Gareth’s. There, she planted her hand against the lock. ‘Diana Wiltmore requests admittance.’
‘Denied,’ the door said immediately.
Diana’s eyes widened. ‘Uh, no, not denied. I must speak with the King. Diana Wiltmore requests admittance.’
‘Denied.’
Diana thought about thumping the door but that would be a waste of time — Gareth wouldn’t hear her.
Mumbling, she turned and stormed back to her suite. She paced up and down until her communicator buzzed.
‘Bad news,’ Cassandra said. ‘The Prince has decided that Rica will be the bridge of peace between Angonia and Tatryn. With you married to the future Pontifex, and Kernan and I so close to Gareth, he figures we can influence them both. In fact, he’s become so taken with the idea of marrying Wiltmores out to the various royal houses that he’s talking about rumours he’s heard about the new Great Youson and thinking of sending Telamon there for his holidays.’
Diana slouched onto the lounge. ‘He’s not to be budged?’
‘Not at the moment, but let me keep working on him. I’ll bring him around. In the meantime, think of ways you can postpone the wedding. If we’re lucky, the Prince will finally die and I’ll take over and you’ll be safe.’
‘Great. I just have to wait for the man who claims immortality to get sick of ruling.’
‘Sorry.’
Diana took a deep breath. ‘Can I speak to him?’
‘He says he’s too busy.’
‘Of course he does.’
‘Write to him, Di. Put your case before him. Make it about Rica and ruling and stuff. Convince him that marrying this Cassius dude will be wrong for Rica. That’s your only hope.’
Diana hung up. How the hell was she meant to do that?
‘Melina Ox requests admittance.’
Diana let her in. ‘Miss Wiltmore, your guests have arrived.’
Oh, crap. ‘Excellent. Thank you so much, Melina.’ Her life was on the verge of falling to pieces and she needed to keep going. Internally, she let out a bitter laugh. What if this did turn out to be a success, but she had to give it all up to marry Cassius?
She closed her eyes and pulled her shoulders back. Performing the role of witty socialite when she just wanted to crawl into bed was something she’d done many times over the years. She could do it yet again.
She looked at Melina and smiled. ‘Let’s win these women over.’
She did. They loved the Venus Collection, and not only did Diana sell every piece already made, but she took orders for another dozen.
She was buzzing as she went back to her suite. Rica Designs was on its way. She was going to be a success.
She stepped into her lounge room and stopped at the sight of Gareth lounging on her chair. Everything that had happened before the meeting came flooding back.
‘Oh, so now you’re ready to talk to me,’ Diana said.
Gareth frowned. ‘What are you talking about? I came here to see how your afternoon tea went?’
‘And I came to see you beforehand, but you denied me entry.’
Enlightenment blossomed across his face. ‘Diana, I’m sorry. My door is programmed to only let certain people in when it’s set on privacy mode, and you’ve not been added to the list. I’ll make sure that happens right away. Forgive me?’
A weight lifted from Diana that she hadn’t realised she was carrying. ‘Of course.’
‘Now, come and tell me everything.’ He held out his hand.
Diana put her belongings on the coffee table and went over to him, thinking to sit beside him but instead he took her hand and pulled her onto his lap. She curled up on him and sighed. This was much nicer.
‘How did the afternoon tea go?’ he said, nuzzling her neck.
It was so nice, to sit here, with his affectionate caresses and to talk mundane things that for a moment, Diana considered not telling him the important news.
‘Fine, but that’s not what we need to talk about.’ She pulled away from his insistent lips. ‘The reason I came to see you. The Pontifex has declared Cassius her heir.’
Gareth’s eyes widened, his mouth dropped open. ‘What the fucking mine?’
Diana decided not to take him to task for using the mine as a swear word. It was a common thing on Jorda and she was used to it. ‘That was pretty much my reaction, although not in those exact words. Kernan can’t arrest him at all now.’
‘Clever. It’s going to be much harder to get to Cassius now.’
‘Does that mean she knows?’ Diana said. ‘I could have sworn she didn’t.’
‘I too. Which means either it’s coincidence, or she knows now and she’s protecting her nephew. Are you still close enough to her to find out?’
‘Close, and getting closer. She’s convinced the Prince of Rica that it’s in Rica’s best interests for me to marry Cassius.’
‘No.’ Gareth’s instant, loud exclamation was a welcome reaction. ‘It won’t happen. I’ll make sure of that. If you do decide to marry, you’ll be free to marry who you want. You won’t be forced into it.’
‘Thank you. Cassie is working on the Prince and is hopeful she can change his mind. She said I needed to put a case before him that my marrying Cassius would be bad for Rica, but I’m not sure what that would be.’
‘We’ll work it out.’ Gareth kissed her forehead tenderly and it occurred to Diana that a perfect way to avoid marrying Cassius was to already be married. Perhaps to Gareth.
She pushed that idea away. She did not want to marry Gareth. No matter how enticing he was.
‘Now, I’ve got a precious few minutes before I have to take another meeting, so why don’t you tell me about the afternoon tea?’
Diana smiled. ‘I can think of a much better way of spending the time.’ She shifted so she straddled his lap.
‘Wise and beautiful,’ Gareth said, and he was smiling as she kissed him.