The Mullinix Book 1: Ascension

  Chapter 6 - Mullinix Study

  "Good lord," Massimaferro said as he put a folder down on the floor, "I can’t believe that so many of our people are so wrong for this job."

  "You mean there is someone right for it, Massy?" Insegniferro asked him as he sipped on a glass of water, "That’s the hard thing. The one person we do have to choose we’re going to feel very sorry for."

  "We should be sitting with Tali," Massy complained, "We shouldn’t be mucking around in a pile of paperwork."

  "If we went up there we’d be feeling more helpless than we are now," Iggy reminded him, "He’s getting worse and you know it. There’s nothing we can do but what we’re doing."

  "He’d yell anyway," Massy nodded, stretching his oversized frame out, "We need to make a choice."

  "Well," Iggy said, putting his glass down and standing up to put another log on the fire, "We do have several good candidates according to the tests. I do wish this had come later in the session though. These kids have been there a day now."

  "How did you and Tali do it with me?" Massimaferro asked him, "What on earth possessed you to pick me?"

  "You wanted it less than anyone else," Iggy shrugged, "And it had been at least three generations since any Mullinix had been chosen from the Southwest port areas. We had those nasty Strikes happening…"

  "I remember," Massy nodded, "Was that why I was the lucky one? So I could tell you what was pissing them off?"

  "Yep," Iggy agreed, "It has worked well. There hasn’t been a major problem in that sector in twenty years now."

  "Maybe that’s the tack we need," Massy said, looking at the papers, "I’m working it from the wrong angle. Where are we having problems in the long term?"

  "Our biggest one is that damned Southern border," Iggy said, looking up at the large marble map of the empire on the wall, "That is going to continue to be a pain in the ass as long as the Mavelans are launching raids. I’m from that area, though. We don’t need another one from there."

  "Those idiots up in Siraq are giving their people hell again," Massy said, looking at the map as well, "The refugees have been flooding in fast and furious. I had to authorize additional funds for language teachers up there to deal with it."

  "There hasn’t been one from that area in a while," Iggy admitted, "Taliaferro is from here in the capital, so the northern provinces were never his strong suit."

  "Where was Crianferro from?" Massy asked him.

  "Eastern border," Iggy said as soon as he pulled it from his memory, "That’s quiet though. The Sotans have had no reason to attack us. That’s the most peaceful border we have right now. Crian was chosen mainly because we hadn’t had one from that area in better than three hundred years."

  "You and I know the capital well," Massy shrugged, "So I guess the northeastern provinces would be the best place to grab one this time."

  "I was wondering when you two would start thinking about it logically," Edwina said as she entered the room, "About time too."

  Edwina had been in the palace for what seemed like forever. Her white hair framed a thin face that had once been very beautiful, though she was many years past her prime. One of the palace house staff in her youth, she had been there even before Taliaferro. Long since sent into semi-retirement by age, she still headed the yearly search for Mullinix candidates. It was usually a rather undemanding task, but this year it had taken on a new urgency.

  "Let me guess," Iggy said, looking up at her, "You’d already deduced that?"

  "Hard not to with all the time you’ve been spending on that area," Edwina chuckled, sitting her old body down on an easy chair, "I figured you’d probably need one from that region and I knew that Tali was getting worse. I had them assign the top four in the tests to the Service Center here and put someone from the guard in with them to observe."

  "What would we do without you?" Massy grinned, "I swear we’d lose our heads without you."

  "This is the last one I’ll be a part of," Edwina said, "At least I hope it is. I’m a year or two older than Taliaferro."

  "You’re too mean to die, Edwina," Iggy chuckled, "You’ll outlive us all."

  "I sincerely hope not," Edwina said, "Anyway, the ones that are here are Red Brokaw, Miranda Studebaker, Kyle O’Reilly, and Copeland Steele."

  "Who is in with them?" Massy asked her as he searched for the files.

  "Travis Costello is in with Red Brokaw," Edwina said, thinking about it for a second, "Stacy Cossy is in with the Studebaker girl, only female guard we had that could fit the bill. Eugene Alvarez is with O’Reilly and Rav Suvorov is sharing a room with Copeland Steele."

  "Suvorov?" Iggy said, recoiling at the thought, "That drunken idiot? The same one that got two people killed on the border last year?"

  "Suvorov may be a fathead," Edwina shrugged, "But he’s not stupid. Supposedly, he’s cleaned himself up a bit. He was overanxious on the border and he knows it, the generous helping of alcohol didn’t help either. He’s also young and since we’re shorthanded, we went ahead and used him. We’re having him play the opposite from Steele since he took to his other roommate immediately."

  "Have someone keep an eye on him," Massy suggested, "Suvorov has some problems and I don’t want to be down a perfectly good candidate because of him."

  "Will do," Edwina nodded, and pulled herself up, "By the way. I will be fully retiring from this after Tali goes. This is getting to be too much for me."

  "I understand, Edwina," Iggy nodded, "You’ll always have a place here, you know that. You’ve paid more than your due."

  "I’ve lived here all my life," Edwina smiled, "I’m not going anywhere. Someone has to smack those young girls down there when they get too involved with one of you."

  "Not likely with me," Iggy chuckled, "I haven’t been with one of the House Staff since Molly…"

  He trailed off as he remembered the woman he’d fallen in love with while younger. The Mullinix were not allowed to marry because they had too much on their plates for that. The pressure was immense, something that could often break men and women and create unstable rulers. To alleviate the pressure on them the house staff had come into being.

  The young women (and sometimes men, depending on whether one of the Mullinix was female or had tastes in that direction) kept the palace running and the minds of the Mullinix clear. This service often times included sex, but often no more than talking and listening. Their loyalties were directly to the Mullinix and no one else. To become one of the house staff was to serve the Empire in a direct and personal way.

  Molly had been one of the house staff and had come in as many of them do, scared and abused. She had been traumatized young and brought in slowly. The men and women who became Mullinix were by nature kind and comforting, so abused children often were brought in to serve the empire. To bed the Mullinix was a choice, and a choice that usually less than half of the staff ever made.

  "Remembering Molly again, eh?" Massy said, "She was a good kid, that’s for sure."

  Molly and Insegniferro had hit it off famously, so much so that he had never even looked at any member of the house staff after that. They were together for nearly twenty years until she contracted the wasting sickness. Her death had nearly broken Insegniferro several years before.

  "Yep," Iggy nodded, "I think I’ve had enough for tonight. I want reports tomorrow though."

  "It’s first day of class," Massy said, "Can you push all four of them in to the same civics class?"

  "Sure," Edwina nodded, "Why?"

  "I’m going to take the class," Massimaferro said, "I want to see them in person, but I don’t want them to see me for who I am."

  "Marina can change your looks with makeup and a wig," Iggy told him, "She’s good with that."

  "Sounds like a plan," Edwina said, "I’ll set it up. You probably know the contents of that class better than anyone now."

  "Beats sitting through receiving," Massy chuckled, "I’ll have to do that soon
enough anyway."

  "That you will," Iggy sighed, thinking about Tali again, "I’ll tell anyone who asks that you’re with Tali."

  "I think we have a plan," Massy said, standing up and helping Edwina to her feet, "Will they be able to get all of them in the same class without tipping any hands?"

  "Shouldn’t be a problem," Edwina said, "Class schedules aren’t posted until tomorrow."

  "I guess I’m going to head to bed then," Massimaferro said, "Nothing more is going to come for me from mere files."

  "I’ll finish looking over the files," Insegniferro nodded, "Could you have one of the house staff bring me some coffee before you retire?"

  "Marina was taking the night shift," Edwina said, "She and Sascha looked like they could use some company."

  "That may be an idea there," Massimaferro said with a smile, "See you two tomorrow."

  Insegniferro chuckled and shook his head as he continued to pour through the papers. He didn’t begrudge Massy his fun, as he was probably not far away from assuming the power of the empire on his shoulders. It was definitely not something he wished on the man. It wasn’t something he wished on anyone.