Page 63 of Star Prince

“You have an audience with the crown prince. I’m making sure you get there.” There was more tussling.

Quin walked alongside. “You’ve caused us a lot of trouble, Your Highness.”

“The crown prince is not happy,” Gredda threw in. “I suppose you’ll have some explaining to do.”

Outrage tightened Klark’s aristocratic features, and he reached inside his cloak. Gredda shoved the heel of her boot behind his knee. Klark stumbled forward and his dagger skittered over the pavement. Quin snatched it away, shocked. The mechanic started sputtering.

Klark regained his footing, but Muffin seized him from behind. “Frisk him, Gredda.”

She gave Klark a slow smile. “My pleasure.”

Unrepentant, the prince glowered at her as she patted her hands over his body. “I hear you Valkarian women sodomize each other because your men won’t touch you. Is that true?”

Gredda cupped his groin and squeezed. “You tell me, Your Highness.”

Klark wrenched free and struck out with his right fist. The men were back on him so fast that it took them a moment to realize what he was shouting as he tried theatrically to struggle free. “Help! Please, help me! Pickpockets.Thieves!”

A crowd gathered. “Aw, bite my butt,” Muffin said glumly. Two eager-to-help, armed trade police were pushing their way past the spectators.

Tee’ah and Ianstrode to the senator’s ship. Randall and his guard Lucarelli met them at the bottom ofthe gangway. Recognition flashed in the Earth senator’s eyes. “Why, it’s Stone,” he said in English. “From the karaoke bar. I apologize, but I won’t have time for that drink I promised you. I’m heading home.”

“Stone is an alias, sir. My real name is Ian Hamilton. I’m here on a mission critical to maintaining galactic peace, on behalf of Romlijhian B’kah, ruler of theVash NadahTrade Federation.” He had spoken in Basic—for her, Tee’ah realized with a surge of feeling that was disturbingly more than affection. “We need to talk, senator. Now. Here or in private.”

Randall ignored the overture to hold the conversation in Basic. “Run a digital ID,” he ordered Lucarelli in English.

“I consent to a retinal scan too,” Ian told them.

Tee’ah reached into her thigh pocket for her wafer-thin Basic-to-English translator, Muffin’s gift to her weeks ago.

Lucarelli disappeared inside the ship and returned with a device that he held to Ian’s right eye. The man then aimed the device’s infrared beam at his gauntlet computer. No one spoke as the two processors communicated. After thirty seconds or so, Lucarelli glanced up. Astonishment tinged his voice. “It’s him, sir.”

Randall’s expression reflected both curiosity and cynicism—and a good deal of mistrust. Nonetheless, he extended his hand. “It’s about time we met.”

“I say so too, senator.” They shook hands warily.

Rumbling erupted from underneath the starship as mechanical components needed for its long space journey were brought online. Tee’ah was still so unsettled by the near miss with Klark’s hovercar that she jumped back. Resting her hand on her pistol, she watched the road for Klark’s return.

“Senator, hold off showing your footage of the fringe worlds to the president.”

Randall lifted a silver brow. “Why?”

“Because if you don’t, you’ll open a rift between Earth and the Federation. Yes, we need to help Barésh and the worlds like it—immediately—but alone Earth doesn’t have the technology to rebuild entire planets. You know that. We have to work together with the Federation. I’m in a once-in-a-lifetime—maybe aonce-in-historyposition to be that mediator, to make Earth a vital and important member of the Federation. But if the situation at home worsens and Earth declares independence, theVashwill never agree to me becoming king, and you’ll have lost the best chance, maybe the last chance, to play a positive role in the galaxy’s future.”

Randall took a couple of steps back from the small group, then he folded his arms over his chest and walked forward. Broken flagstones crackled under his shoes. “How do I know if you’re not asking me to behave just so you won’t lose the crown?”

A muscle jumped in Ian’s jaw. “You don’t. You also don’t know that aVash Nadahprince is usingyou as an instrument in a conspiracy to keep me from being confirmed as Rom B’kah’s successor.”

Randall exchanged bewildered glances with Lucarelli and the other man just joining them, Gruber, whom Tee’ah remembered from the bar.

“In fact, he did his best just now to run me down in his hovercar.”

The senator gave him a funny look. “Do you mean Kip?”

“His name is Klark, Klark Vedla. He’s a full-bloodedVashprince, the second-born son of the Vedlas, one of the eight royalVash Nadahfamilies.”

“Son, you’re mistaken. He’s no moreVashthan your companion is. They owe their appearances to mixed blood.”

Tee’ah read her translator and grimaced. If Ian only knew…

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