Home Front (Star Kingdom #7) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,59

things would be difficult for one man to do,” Shayban said.

“Well, I will have help.” Casmir smiled and extended a hand toward the crushers, hoping Shayban still planned to let him take them. He could force the issue, since they were programmed to obey his commands, but he would rather not state that.

“Ah, indeed, but I do plan to attempt to buy some of these crushers from you. Also, others here—not only the odious and self-aggrandizing Queen Dya—have expressed interest in them.”

“Oh?” Casmir couldn’t sell the crushers, though he felt guilty about that since Shayban had provided the materials. Even though Jorg was gone, Casmir assumed Jager knew about them—or had been the one to command them to be built—and would miss them if they didn’t show up back at home.

“Yes. But what I meant to imply is that for all you plan to do, you will need allies and ships. And what better place to recruit than here?”

Casmir couldn’t imagine how many crushers he would have to promise to secure the assistance of ship-owning Miners’ Union leaders, and he suspected his smile was more bleak than enthusiastic.

A dark-skinned woman with elaborate braids of black hair wound about her head rode toward them in a float chair. It took Casmir a second to recall where he’d seen her before, but by the time she was near, he managed a semblance of a knight’s bow.

“Good evening, Princess Tambora,” he said. “I did not know you would be here or were coming to this system at all.”

Where was she from? Shango Habitat in System Boar. Kim had introduced them on Tiamat Station, but he’d only spoken with her for a few minutes.

“Had I known we would be trapped here, I wouldn’t have volunteered to come, but since I was on Tiamat Station when the first gate pieces were brought in, and happened to mention it to my mother, she thought I might like to tag along with Vice President Phan and learn more. And perhaps offer the assistance of our scientists in creating a new gate when the time comes. As you can imagine, we too would like access to more star systems.”

“I’m sure all of humanity will want that access and be curious to explore the rest of the galaxy.”

“Yes.” She tilted her head and studied him, appearing far more mature than the eighteen or nineteen years he guessed she was. “I understand you share that opinion and acted to ensure all of humanity could potentially participate.”

He spread a hand. “I don’t know how successful I was in that, but science and technology should benefit everyone, not a select few, if we’re to evolve as a people.”

“It’s also easier to get away from sisters you don’t like if there are more gates going to more places.” Her nose crinkled, and she looked her age again.

“I imagine so.”

Tambora peered around and spotted Kim with her mother standing away from the main herd of people. “I want to talk to Scholar Sato, but I shall first express my condolences that your people have lost your eldest prince.” She raised her eyebrows, as if uncertain if these condolences were in order. She was, Casmir recalled, an acquaintance of Oku’s. What had Oku said to her over the years about her older brother?

Shayban had stepped aside for this conversation, but he remained close enough to hear, and he curled a lip. “Losing that toad can’t be a sad event for anyone in the Kingdom. One wonders if his own parents could have loved him.”

Tambora’s eyebrows drifted higher. “I spoke briefly with Princess Nalini when I arrived about the, ah, attempted courtship.”

“As if you could call it that.”

Casmir, not wanting this to devolve into lambasting-the-Kingdom hour, said, “Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. It is regretful that solutions could not be reached without death. It is a difficult time for the Kingdom.”

“The Kingdom has made it so,” Shayban grumbled.

“There is a rumor, Professor,” Tambora said, “that you were responsible for the derailing of Dubashi’s mercenary army.”

After deciding she appeared more intrigued than concerned or annoyed—Dubashi didn’t seem to have many fans—Casmir said, “I think that was Tristan, actually. He pulled up Dubashi’s finances and put together spreadsheets. I just facilitated the delivery of the information to the mercenary leaders at an opportune time.”

“Your Kingdom ought to appreciate that you kept him from forming an even larger army,” she said.

If only.

Casmir smiled faintly. “If they don’t, do you have room for a robotics refugee on your