Page 73 of Company of Thieves
The head of the guard marched down the ramp leading into the cargo bay, informing them that the emperor awaited them inside, his gaze touching first on the two disruptors strapped to Alan’s hips, then on the same that Zand bore, finally resting on Hallie’s bow. To Alan’s surprise, they were not asked to disarm before being escorted up two flights of stairs and into a grand reception room at the rear of the gondola.
“Ah, you come at last,” William said, sitting at a massive gilded white desk. He rose at their arrival, moving around to take Octavia’s hand before pressing a kiss to it. “Octavia, my dear, how well you look. Wedded life clearly agrees with you. I’m delighted to see that no one has yet claimed the bounty that was placed upon your head.”
“A bountyyouput there,” she said somewhat acidly.
Jack took her hand back from the emperor, and put a possessive arm around her, before narrowing his eyes on William. “Speaking of which, you can just bloody well remove that bounty.”
“Ah,” William said, studying Jack for a moment. “I believe we will come to that in time. And this is?”
He stopped in front of Zand.
“My lieutenant,” Alan said, gesturing toward Safie. “Zand has recently wedded my sister Safie, and is the captain of theFalcon.”
“My felicitations,” William said gravely, bowing over Safie’s hand before turning to where Alan stood with Hallie at his side.
“And you’ve met my wife, Hallie. She is Jack’s sister.”
“Indeed?” He pursed his lips at the bow that Hallie held, his hand straying to his shoulder. “You will no doubt be relieved to know that my physician has decreed the wound you inflicted upon me was of a minor nature, and should heal nicely with care.”
Alan half expected her to make a comment that would stir William’s ire, but once again, she surprised him. “I wish to say how very sorry I am that I was responsible for the death of one of your men, and I hope you will allow me to make a reparation. I don’t have a lot of money, but I would like very much for what I do have to be given to the poor man’s family.”
William’s eyes widened for a moment; then calculation entered his blue eyes. “Have the Moghuls adopted a new policy toward those they fight? Can I expect a payment for all the men who have fallen under their onslaught?”
Alan smiled to himself. “As you appear to be under no delusion as to who I am, I believe I can say that such reparation would need to go both ways, and since you’ve slaughtered far more Moghuls than we have imperial forces, I doubt if you’d be willing to enter into any such agreement.”
“Ever the diplomat,” William said, bowing, then gestured to one of the three guards who remained in the room to leave. “Sit, please. We have much to discuss.” He paused in the act of retaking his own chair, asking Alan, “I had no idea, you know. Not until I saw you today, and I might say that I wish I had known the truth about you, since it has created a good deal of trouble for me. You were a very good diplomat. I regret your loss to my service. I assume, that is, that you will no longer wish to remain in service to me?”
Alan was amused despite himself. “I think it would probably be for the best, since I have devoted myself and my men to the Company of Thieves. I might be accused of having some sort of bias against your best interests, otherwise.”
“Ah, yes, the Company of Thieves. Unusual name, that,” William said, sitting at last. “One that I might take issue with, considering ships bearing the emblem of it have reportedly raided my stores in a number of locations across Europe.”
“Only a few,” Octavia said with complacence. “And only when there were no Black Hand resources available.”
“I am grateful for such mercy,” William said, his gaze moving amongst them all before settling on Alan. “So grateful that I have a proposition to make you, one that I feel you will find beneficial to your interests.”
“Oh?” Alan asked, slipping into the negotiation mode so familiar to William’s diplomats. “In what way?”
“My original proposal was to ask Octavia for her company to join the Imperial Aerocorps in order to better fight the Moghuls and Black Hand, but I gather the rumors that Prince Akbar has been killed are true.” He gazed mildly at Alan. “That means that rather than having three goals, we have only two: to eliminate the imperator’s hold on the Hungarian empire, and to destroy the Black Hand once and for all.”
Alan was silent. He’d known the time would come when he had to commit himself to a path that would be difficult for many reasons, but he had thought he might have a bit of time before he actually had to walk it. “The imperator will not relinquish the Hungarian empire easily,” he answered. “His intentions are to hold as much of Europe as is possible and, toward that end, has joined forces with the Black Hand. Etienne made an agreement with my ... with the imperator that gave the latter Bohemia, while Etienne would rule Prussia, and assumedly points west.”
“So those rumors were true, as well,” William said, his expression thoughtful. “I had heard that the duchess had agreed to a marriage contract with the prince, but obviously, that is no longer valid.”
“It never was,” Alan said evenly, reaching over to take Hallie’s hand. “The imperator signed the contract, not the intended bridegroom.”
“Interesting.”
Alan glanced at the others, but they had all evidently ceded the floor to him, allowing him to deal with William as best he could. “I have heard that the imperator intends on wedding the duchess himself.”
A flash of anger flared in William’s mild blue eyes, but it was so quickly gone that Alan wasn’t absolutely sure he’d seen it at all. “I believe the phrase that comes to mind with regards to the duchess marrying such a man is that she has made her bed and now must lie upon it.”
“I will admit to being shocked at hearing you speak so harshly of her,” Octavia said, drawing the emperor’s attention. She glanced at Alan before continuing. “As I was shocked to hear that your wedding to her was canceled.”
Alan raised his eyebrows, and studied the paintings that hung on the wall.
“Yes, well, the Moghuls made certain that the wedding did not happen,” William said drily. “And then Constanza insisted on arguing about some trivial matter or other, and one thing led to another, and we agreed to part. But that is past history, and not important other than to reflect on the capriciousness of women.”
“Hey, now,” Hallie said, frowning at him. “Let’s not tar everyone with that sin.”
