Grave Covenant

Victor immediately executed a formal bow, then deepened and held it for an instant longer than he would have for Hohiro. He knew countless people in the Federated Commonwealth might have read that gesture as subservient—and high treason—but he offered it out of respect and specifically out of gratitude for the Coordinator's gesture. Then he straightened and marveled at how Theodore Kurita managed to match his bow in depth and duration so effortlessly.

  "Konnichi wa, Theodore Kurita-sama." Victor forced himself to enunciate the words, knowing his Japanese was as flawed as his swordsmanship. "I wish you had been spared this exhibition."

  Theodore shook his head. "Why? You honor my son by your close attention to the lessons he has taught you, and you honor the Combine by your willingness to learn about our traditions such as the Way of the Sword."

  "Yes, but I hardly showed respect to kenjitsu or my sensei with that display." Victor cracked a smile. "Your applause was polite, but I think the laughter of my friends was more suitable."

  Theodore gave Victor a curt nod. "Your cut at the second balloon was inexact, but it was not what I applauded. There, at the end of the exercise, despite your distraction and humiliation, you resheathed your sword without hesitation, without thought. The presence of mind you demonstrated in doing that is something few raised outside our society, or that of the Capellan tradition, ever attain."

  Victor let his mind replay what he had done. He hadn't thought, he had just acted. He had rehomed the blade because that was the right and appropriate action. The idea of cursing or throwing the sword down in frustration had not occurred to him. Without realizing it, he had completed the exercise, and had even returned the blade to its scabbard without cutting himself—something he had done several times before under much less pressure.

  Theodore smiled. "There are times, Prince Victor, when knowing how to return a weapon to its scabbard is more important than knowing how to cut with it. Anyone can cut and kill, but knowing when cutting and killing is not necessary, that is a milestone on the path to true wisdom."

  "Thank you, Coordinator. I would like to think the road I travel is one where wisdom can be attained." Victor opened his hands. "I believe you have met my companions." Victor nodded to his cousin. "Kai Allard-Liao."

  Theodore bowed toward Kai. "The Champion of Solaris. You were most kind to my daughter during her sojourn there."

  "Retired champion, Coordinator." Kai returned the bow. "And hosting Omi was a pleasure."

  Victor pointed to the man on his left. "Morgan Hasek-Davion."

  "We met on Outreach, Coordinator."

  "As well I recall, Marshal Hasek-Davion."

  After Theodore and Morgan exchanged bows, Victor turned toward Jerrard Cranston. "And this is my intelligence advisor, Jerrard Cranston."

  Theodore bowed toward Jerry. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Cranston. My intelligence has a file on you that is most complete, but hardly conveys the true nature of the man."

  Cranston smiled as he returned the bow. "We all have our secrets, Coordinator, and reasons to keep them."

  "Indeed."

  Victor was fairly certain Theodore knew that Jerrard Cranston had once been Galen Cox. Hohiro knew it, but Hohiro had spent more time with Cox on Outreach seven years ago than his father ever had, making the deception rather transparent for him. The Prince did not mind Theodore knowing the truth, but Theodore's comment about his intelligence apparatus suggested that his people did not know Cranston's secret. It did not seem unreasonable to Victor that the Coordinator might want to keep the information from his own intelligence personnel, primarily because it gave him something with which to impress or castigate them, but the idea that he might find value in being able to do that surprised Victor. The Combine operates by rules I don't think I will ever understand.

  The Coordinator raised his hands. "I did not come here to interrupt your lessons, Prince Victor, but when Hohiro told me you would be here, I decided to come to speak of matters that are best kept away from prying eyes and hungry ears."

  Kai cleared his throat. "I could stand getting a cold drink, if you will excuse me. Anyone else?"

  The Coordinator shook his head. "You should stay, Kai Allard-Liao, and you Marshal and even you, Mr. Cranston. What I say here you will doubtless learn from the Prince, and I have no reason to not want you to hear my words from my lips. What I say this afternoon may not be for public consumption, but it is not to be denied, either."

  Theodore glanced down for a moment, as though gathering his thoughts. "First, I wish to express to you my sorrow at the loss of your mother and father. I knew him better than I did her, but I respected them both. Hanse Davion, the Fox, was a major source of anxiety for the Combine, and if not for incredible luck, I would be your vassal. Your mother, Melissa Steiner-Davion, amazed me with her ability to undercut factional fighting by appealing directly to the people over whom she governed. The future of the Inner Sphere was darkened when their lights were extinguished."

  Victor swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Thank you, Coordinator. Your daughter Omi was most kind and gracious in attending my father's funeral and in expressing your regrets over my mother's death. I know both of them respected you, and it would have pleased them to know the sentiment was shared."

  "The second matter I wish to mention is not one steeped in grief." Theodore's head came up and a smile spread across his face. "Your study of kenjitsu with my son, and your studies of Japanese, please me very much. Your father knew only one aspect of the Combine. He knew us as enemies who could and would fight as fiercely as anyone else. He knew us as the murderers of his brother. As much as he might respect us, anger and fear also insulated him from understanding us. From his perspective, we were simply a warrior people with whom he was at war.

  "You, through your friendship with my son"—Theodore hesitated for a moment—"and my daughter, have access to the attainment of a better understanding of us. Your father looked at the symbolism of the sword and saw it as an embodiment of our martial intent. He knew of, but never fully comprehended, the greater significance the sword holds in our culture. The sword, and the right to wear two of them, separates nobles from commoners. It is a weapon of war, but as you know, is one that can only be wielded successfully after being studied and pursued with discipline. Similarly, the art of forging a sword requires study and discipline. In this, swordsmanship and the crafting of swords become a paradigm for all of the Combine."

  Victor slowly nodded. "The Combine demands discipline and hard work from its people to facilitate the strengthening of the state. In my realm we use private enterprise—the profit motive—to motivate people. We stimulate compassion by offering rewards. Our system works well, if the profit in a situation can be recognized; otherwise things do not get done."

  "And among us, these unprofitable things are done because they are a societal duty." Theodore's smile slackened slightly. "There are trade-offs, but these traditions form the core of our existence. And with the Clans a constant threat to our border, discipline and order have their value, even at the cost of creativity and freedom.

  "Your father would have understood all this the way he understood martial law and the need for order. He would not see it as you can, as part of a whole. Your father pursued a grand plan of liberating the Combine from the oppressive nature of our regime, as if my father was as mad as Maximilian Liao—no offense intended, Kai."

  Kai shook his head. "My grandfather's madness was not inherited by my line, so I am not offended."

  "Domo arigato." Theodore's eyes narrowed. "Your father would have tried to liberate us from that which defines us. The Combine is not like the Clans—we are not a machine that stamps out warriors. We are a society that reveres the Way of the Warrior because of the discipline and the service that warriors give to us. They keep us safe and they provide an example of selfless duty to society."

  Victor smiled. "Yet Hohiro has told me of the poetry and art they also create—though I don't think you'll find me ruining a perfe
ctly good piece of rice-paper by splashing ink over it."

  Hohiro laughed. "There is always haiku."

  "True, but I was raised here on Tharkad, with German as my primary language, ja?" Victor frowned lightly. "In German there are words that would use up the syllable allotment for a haiku, and have syllables left over. Not my art form."

  "It matters not that you have yet to find your personal avenue of expression, Victor. It only matters that you realize there is room for you to do so." Theodore folded his arms over his chest. "This provides you insights your father never really had a chance to attain. Despite that, however, your father was an intelligent and cunning man, which brings me to my third point.

  "Seven years ago, on Outreach, all of the leaders of the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere gathered together as they do now, here on Tharkad. Back then, your father and I recognized that our internecine fighting could only hurt the effort against the Clans. We resolved, informally, of course, to refrain from attacking each other until the threat of the Clans was dealt with."

  Victor nodded. "My father spoke to me of your agreement."

  "Good." Theodore caught Victor's eyes. "I want you to understand that I intend to continue that agreement. Though I applaud this meeting and hope that the Inner Sphere will form a united front against the Clans because of it, we both know it is our two realms that will bear the brunt of the fighting. As long as we are united, we have a foundation for resistance."

  Victor offered Theodore his hand. "I can only speak for my half of the Federated Commonwealth, but no troops of mine will attack the Combine while the Clans are still out there." The Prince's blue-flecked gray eyes narrowed. "In fact, I don't see troops under my command ever attacking the Combine."

  Theodore shook his hand. "It is my profound wish that your vision of a peaceful future can be realized."

  "As long as I'm in charge, it will." Victor nodded toward Hohiro. "He beats me with swords and he blacked my eye when we were boxing, so I know first-hand how tough Combine warriors are. Why would I send my people against them?"

  Hohiro frowned. "You've been administering a nation, Victor. That doesn't give you the time Kai or I have to spend training."

  Kai agreed with a nod. "And at that, you're coming on pretty fast and pretty strong. Your greatest asset, Victor, is that you learn well. Given enough time, you'll be giving as good as you get."

  Hohiro laughed. "Then I'll be telling others how tough FedCom warriors are and using that to justify my refusal to spill blood needlessly."

  Morgan Hasek-Davion cracked his knuckles. "I'd certainly be happy if more people shared the insights about the futility of old rivalries. I guess part of this conference should involve educating some of our counterparts about exactly that sort of thing."

  The Coordinator bowed his head toward Morgan. "Indeed, that would be wise. Let our unity here make that our first task, then meld that effort into going after the Clans. Let them learn how valiant and fierce all the Inner Sphere's warriors are."

  "That's a lesson that will take some teaching." Victor smiled and rested his hands on the hilt of his katana. "But it's one we'll drive home to them. And soon."

  4

  Grand Ballroom, Royal Court The Triad

  Tharkad City, Tharkad

  District of Donegal, Lyran Alliance

  1 October 3058

  It was not until the welcoming reception for the delegates to the Whitting Conference had begun that Katrina Steiner realized that there was a problem with her playing hostess. Standing at the far end of Grand Ballroom, in the corner opposite the string quartet playing chamber music, she realized that it meant having to spend more time with these people than she had any desire to. And I must smile all evening, even if I don't feel like it.

  Though she was indifferent to most of the individuals present—from the Hero of Coventry, Leftenant General Caradoc Trevena, to the plethora of Allard-Liaos accompanying Candace Liao—it was the ones for whom she felt contempt who garnered the lion's share of her attention. Those she could ignore she did, but there always seemed to be someone in her field of vision who irritated her.

  Thomas Marik, Captain-General of the Free Worlds League, spun past on the dance floor with his new companion, the slender, petite Sherryl Halas. The dark-haired, hazel-eyed woman was the daughter of Christopher Halas, Duke of Oriente. The Halases were long-time supports of the Marik family, leading a substantial voting block in the Parliament, so Thomas' courting her made perfect sense. And Katrina could not blame him. Marik had recently made overtures toward Katrina herself, but she'd simply left them unanswered. Sherryl Halas is pretty enough to console him for not getting me.

  What angered her about Thomas was less his temerity in bringing the Halas woman to Tharkad than his audacity at courting someone who, except for her height, looked so much like his daughter Isis. Watching Thomas introduce Halas to the other delegates and squire her around set Katrina' s teeth on edge.

  Too bad Sherryl doesn't have Isis' taste in clothes. The woman was dressed for the occasion in pearls and black velvet, but the gown was several years out of date and it was the same one Katrina had seen her wearing in a holograph from some state function on Atreus. Yes, the people of Oriente are known for being practical, but this borders on vulgar.

  Isis Marik, garbed in a simple gown of blue silk cut along classical Greek lines, was better dressed, but she found little more favor in Katrina's eyes. Isis had arrived on the arm of her betrothed, Sun-Tzu Liao, but had soon let him go his own way. She, in turn, successfully gathered a coterie of admirers from the various military staffs assembled for the conference. Isis laughed at their jokes, blushed at their compliments, and rather often reached out to touch one on the arm or shoulder, conveying her pleasure in this or that one's company.

  Katrina almost admired the ease with which the young woman manipulated the men, except for two things. The first was Isis' brazen attempt to charm Morgan Kell. The gray-haired mercenary tolerated her ploys well enough, but was obviously immune. Isis, however, seemed unaware that he was invulnerable to her charms. Katrina knew he had nothing to offer the Marik girl, so why was she even wasting her energies on him?

  Worse yet, in Katrina's mind, was the fact that Isis constantly monitored Sun-Tzu's activities. Any time she detected Sun-Tzu watching her, she would do something designed to kindle jealousy in his heart. The signs were plain tor anyone to read, as was Isis' frustration that Sun-Tzu seemed not to notice. She's not a stupid girl—her ability to charm soldiers and statesmen indicates that—but she should have Sun-Tzu wrapped around her finger by now.

  Sun-Tzu clearly had his hands full with other things. The cut of his embroidered silk Han jacket emphasized both his Asian ancestry and his tall, slender build. The green dragons that chased all the way up the sleeves of the gold jacket shimmered as the young Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation moved through the room. His expression remained unreadable when people stopped to speak with him, but his features sharpened as he stalked off in pursuit of his sister.

  I never did buy into that bumbling idiot act of his. Katrina allowed herself a private smile. Though I do believe his sister utterly and irredeemably mad.

  Kali Liao packed a lot of venom into a small body. She wore her reddish-brown hair piled high on top of her head, fixed in place with enough golden sticks to resemble a radio antennae array. Her sleeveless silken gown matched the color of her green eyes, had a high mandarin collar, and was slit to the hip on the right. It would have made Kali quite fetching, but her inability to master the art of walking in stiletto heels utterly destroyed the elegance she tried to project.

  When Katrina greeted her, Kali had hissed a reply in Chinese. Though Katrina did not understand the words, the tone of voice and the look in Kali's eyes needed no translation. Not only was Kali a member of the brutal Thugee cult, but its members considered her an avatar of their goddess. The young woman apparently was so persuaded of her own divinity that she considered it unnecessary to be civil when dealin
g with inferiors. Which would include most of the people in her realm, clearly.

  The three Kuritas from the Draconis Combine did their best to redeem the image of Asian dignity that the Liaos destroyed. Theodore, as always, exuded an aura of serene power. Distinguished and handsome, yet possessed of an intelligence that shone like a beacon in his brown eyes, he had a presence that demanded attention. Katrina easily saw why her father had considered Theodore a serious threat to the Federated Commonwealth.

  His son, Hohiro, had inherited his father's good looks, but seemed to lack the strength of soul his father projected. The war against the Clans had not been kind to Hohiro. He had been imprisoned once by the Smoke Jaguars and then trapped behind the lines by the Nova Cats on another world.

  If not for her brother's efforts, Hohiro would have been lost to the Combine forever—making his rescue another crime against the Federated Commonwealth for which Victor would some day have to pay.

  Katrina watched Hohiro through heavily lidded eyes. How much more pressure can he endure before he cracks?

  Omi Kurita, as always looking prim, proper, and gorgeous, hung back behind her father's shoulder. Katrina had gotten to know her three and a half years earlier on Arc-Royal and again on Solaris, the Game World. Katrina had liked Omi, and if not for the Kurita woman's peculiar taste in men, might have tried to make of her a close friend. She guards the avenues to power in the Combine. Right now House Kurita is focused on the Clans, but that will not always be so. It's a pity she has fallen for my brother.

  Katrina broadened the smile on her face as Candace Liao came through the crowd to greet her. "Duchess, I am so pleased to see you." Katrina bowed to the older woman, then shook her hand. "I trust you find Elm House suitable accommodations for you and your entourage."

  The older woman nodded carefully. "Quite suitable. Please convey my thanks to your Alpine Toy Manufacturing Corporation for outfitting that play room and the nursery. My grandson is thrilled with the toys, and the nursery is perfect for my granddaughter."