"I thought you were trying to negotiate amnesty," I said. "Don't you know nuclear blackmail automatically disqualifies you? It's the law."

"You will soon be very sorry if you do not take my demands seriously," insisted Desert Claw.

"If you want to be taken seriously, you need to keep your demands reasonable. I cannot just empty the prisons of terrorists. But, just between you and me, let's talk money. I can offer you a split of the Lieutenant Barker payoff if you help me keep him alive just one more month. I can beat any offer Babloo made you on Barker's life, and it will be easy money. Just don't kill Barker, and provide me with intelligence on future plots."

"Your money is nothing compared to the wealth of the whole planet," said Desert Claw. "I want it all."

"I'll pay fifteen million dollars to keep Lieutenant Barker alive," I offered. "Interested?"

"You have a deal," answered Desert Claw, greedily. "But I still want amnesty."

"Only if you promise to retire," I said. "Your megalomaniac plots have to stop."

"Fine," said Desert Claw. "We have an agreement between you and me on Laika Barker. No one else is safe."

"I want a truce for New Memphis and all of the New Gobi," I demanded. "I want no more Wheat Farmer Riots. I have you on tape at that riot. Another indictment would skew any chance of your amnesty ever being approved by General Kalipetsis."

"Agreed. The truce will last for one month only."

I called the Spider Commander of New Gobi. He was not happy to hear from me, and seemed stressed. I got straight to the point. "When were you going to bother telling me that you lost one of your nukes? It was just one nuke, right?"

"How did you find out about that?" asked the spider commander. "Have you found it?"

"Ha!" I said. "Desert Claw has your nuke and has already threatened to blow up your Queen's birthday party. A fine mess you've gotten us into this time."

"Any ideas on what to do about Desert Claw?" asked the spider commander. "I am open to all suggestions."

"Searching Redrock seems like the most logical start," I suggested. "I'll send the Legion to a.s.sist, if the local militia becomes a problem. Try to get the militia's voluntary support. I have already dispersed my troops so they won't be a tempting target for the nuke. You should do the same. Civilians in the main population centers are being urged to evacuate to the South unless they do business along the DMZ. The number of checkpoints is being doubled, and we are on high alert. What else can I do? Maybe you should cancel the Queen's birthday celebration. The risk seems disproportionate."

"The Emperor has already rejected that suggestion," replied the spider commander. "He will not be intimidated by terrorist rabble."

"Not even rabble with a nuke?" I asked. "If there is any good news, it is that the DMZ is already the most militarized part of the planet. We have plenty of resources, and reinforcements are on the way. We need only to be diligent and contain the threat. Personally, I plan to be nowhere near your Royal Birthday Party. It could be hazardous for my health."

"I do not have that option," complained the spider commander. "I am charged with my Emperor's safety."

"I almost forgot to ask you," I said, changing the subject. "Are there any good pet stores on your side of New Gobi City? We don't have one. The closest pet store I know of is in Finisterra, and I don't want to travel that far."

"Yes," said the spider commander. "We have one of the best pet stores on New Colorado. Are you buying a pet monitor dragon? Be careful, they get kind of grumpy if you do not pay adequate attention to them."

"I need a cat," I said. "It's for a friend."

"What?" asked the spider commander. "A cat? Snack food for your dragon? I think they have cats. They are feral and kept safely at the back of the store in the gourmet dragon food section. Cats are real pricy."

Chapter 17.

Lieutenant Laika Barker lay on his bunk, thinking about his murdered family. The more he grieved, the angrier he got. It was time he phoned Desert Claw.

"I was wondering if I would ever hear from you again," anwered Desert Claw. "What do you want?"

"I want your nuke," said Lieutenant Barker. "I intend to use it to kill the Royal Family at the Queen's birthday party."

"And I should trust you why?" asked Desert Claw. "You betray everyone you come into contact with."

"The nuke is worthless to you," said Lieutenant Barker. "You don't dare try to move it because of Legion and Arthropodan checkpoints. I'll bet you buried it somewhere. It's only a matter of time before one of your own freedom fighters gives you up for the reward. Give it to me."

"You did not answer my question," said Desert Claw. "Why should I trust you?"

"I have killed almost everyone responsible for my family's murder," said Lieutenant Barker. "Ultimately, it is the Emperor who is most responsible, because he ordered marines to burn out human farmers who refused to move to the South. Killing the Emperor will finally give me closure."

"Not good enough," said Desert Claw. "You think I would give a nuke to a crazy whack job human pestilence like you? I will not be fooled again."

"You can stop pretending you are in charge of the insurgency," said Lieutenant Barker. "I know you did not orchestrate that nuke theft. I have already contacted your sponsors, and they granted my request. They will order you to give me the nuke shortly. I will smuggle the nuke to the Capital s.p.a.ceport in a Legion vehicle. I only contacted you as a courtesy, and to give you fair warning. You have been trying to play both sides against the middle. Decide now if your loyalties are with us, or I will kill you myself. The insurgency is bigger than all the foreign armies on New Colorado, and all your drug dealer friends. Understand?"

"Yes," said Desert Claw. "I apologize if I appeared to stray from our cause. Do not worry. We are one."

After they disconnected, Desert Claw gave the matter more thought. Not only is that human pestilence crazy, he is delusional. Not only is that human pestilence crazy, he is delusional.

General Kalipetsis ordered me to send an Honor Guard company of legionnaires to the Arthropodan Capital s.p.a.ceport at the western edge of the New Gobi Desert to represent the Legion and to fly the colors. He ordered Lieutenant Barker to command.

"What?" I asked. "Do you think it wise to deploy Lieutenant Barker to the field? I am concerned about attempts on Barker's life because of that New Memphis betting line. I'm also not sure he has fully recovered from his injuries."

"Nonsense," said General Kalipetsis. "Major Lopez informed me that Barker's health is fine. I am not going to coddle Lieutenant Barker because of the actions of a few disgruntled gamblers. We all face threats on our lives. Legionnaires just have to deal with it. Especially officers."

"But what of Desert Claw's threat to use his nuke?" I asked. "We could be putting civilians as well as legionnaires in harm's way by putting Barker in the middle of an internal spider struggle."

"The insurgency affects us all," argued General Kalipetsis. "There will always be risk. If you don't think Lieutenant Barker can be trusted to do a good job, I can always send you."

"No, thank you," I replied. "I do not want to be anywhere near Ground Zero."

"The Honor Guard will also be charged with protecting the President and First Lady. Did you know the President has put me on a short list to be his next Vice Presidential running mate?" asked General Kalipetsis.

"I did not know that. Will you be greeting the President at the s.p.a.ceport?"

"No, I will meet the President at the governor's mansion. Both shuttles will land at about the same time for a brief ceremony. A motorcade will take the President, the First Lady, and the Royal Couple to the mansion, where we will do lunch and schmooze with the press."

The new American President was eager to meet the Arthropodan Emperor. It promised to be a historic event. President Michael Romney would be the first American President to visit a foreign head of state outside of the Solar System. The event was to be quite a political feather in the President's cap, and would define the tone of foreign relations for his entire term. The press corps was following the President's every move. The public back home was infatuated with the prospect of the President reaching out across the stars to royalty. How would the First Lady and Queen Rainbow get on? What would they wear? It all was broadcast live on Intergalactic TV and Channel Five World News Tonight with Phil Coen.

Lieutenant Barker supervised the loading of a heavy wooden crate onto his armored car. The nuke was secured inside. The armored car and the rest of the company of legionnaires boarded shuttles bound for the Arthropodan Capital s.p.a.ceport. Security was tight. The Honor Guard set up a perimeter around the landing pads. Already there had been a skirmish at the s.p.a.ceport's perimeter fence. All the attacking insurgents, disguised as Arthropodan marines, were either killed or captured.

Killing the Emperor was more important to Lieutenant Barker than his own life. He planned to crash the motorcade and commit suicide by detonating the nuke. He had to get as close to the Emperor as possible. It was just a small tactical nuke.

After the shuttles landed, and the President and Emperor met and shook hand-to-claw, limousines quickly whisked them away. The motorcade sped toward the governor's mansion along a wide central boulevard. Crowds cheered and waved.

Lieutenant Barker thought about just firing his 50-caliber machine gun, but decided to stick to the original plan to make sure he killed them all. Barker positioned the armored car so he could easily cut off the motorcade. The armored car crashed through barriers and collided with the first escort car, knocking it on its side. The armored car kept going, crashing into a second limousine and blocking the motorcade. Imperial bodyguards and Secret Service agents fired automatic weapons at the armored car.

"This is for my family!" yelled Barker on the PA system as he pushed a red b.u.t.ton atop the nuke control panel. Nothing happened. Barker frantically continued pushing the b.u.t.ton. Still nothing. "No!"

Barker climbed up to the turret, but the machine gun was not loaded. Enraged, he picked up the nuke and threw it down to the Emperor's limousine. The bomb crashed onto the limousine hood, bounced, and smashed through the shatterproof windshield. Spider marines grabbed Lieutenant Barker from all sides, pulling him from the turret and beating him into submission. Lieutenant Barker's world went black. He would wake up in a prison cell, defeated and in much pain.

Chapter 18.

The President relieved General Kalipetsis of his Legion command and of the governorship of New Colorado. Kalipetsis was confined to quarters, pending an investigation of the a.s.sa.s.sination attempts on the President and the Emperor. Of particular interest to investigators was discovering why the general made the last minute a.s.signment of Lieutenant Laika Barker to command the legionnaire security detail. Lieutenant Barker's questionable past obviously should have raised red flags, but General Kalipetsis not only put him in charge of a sensitive command, but had also sponsored Lieutenant Barker's entry into Officer's Candidate School. Military Intelligence Officer Major Lopez led the investigation for the Legion. Lopez promised to use new truth serum drugs developed by the spider Intelligentsia State Security Police.

General Kalipetsis was replaced by Marine Corps General Daniel Daly. It was decided that the Foreign Legion on New Colorado needed outside leadership to move the Legion in a more credible direction. Hope was that General Daly's no-nonsense competent style would bring a calming effect to volatile New Colorado. General Daly, a combat veteran of the Coleopteran Frontier, expected his appointment to New Colorado to be a nice vacation, comparatively. After all, how hard could it be to put down a few insurgents?

When he arrived at New Phoenix, General Daly immediately went to Legion Headquarters to take command. He found General Kalipetsis' old office to be in disarray and still littered with personal effects.

"What the h.e.l.l is it with all these d.a.m.n dead plants?" shouted General Daly. "This place looks like a rotting cacao jungle h.e.l.l! Clean this mess up!"

"Sorry, sir," said Sergeant Nesbit. "General Kalipetsis wanted the plants a.n.a.lyzed to determine why they died. He was very upset about it. I was in charge of the investigation."

"You are an idiot!" shouted General Daly. "Get this trash out of my office! How would you like to be transferred to the DMZ?"

"Not very much, sir," said Sergeant Nesbit. "I like New Phoenix. It's very cosmopolitan. The DMZ is hot, dusty, and dangerous to your health."

"You want to live forever?" asked General Daly, more irritated than ever. "How did you ever get promoted to sergeant?"

"I was cited for heroic action at the Battle of the North Highway," boasted Sergeant Nesbit. "And I was with the first legionnaires to beam onto New Colorado with Colonel Czerinski. I have seen combat from here to Arthropoda."

"Just get these plants out of here," said General Daly, softening a bit. "They stink! It's like you're raising skunk cabbage indoors. I want to talk to this Colonel Czerinski I have been hearing so much about. Get him on the phone!"

I was summoned to General Daly's office in New Phoenix. Daly returned my salute and gave me a hearty handshake. The general was short, but obviously had a lot of energy. He never stopped pacing, moving his hands, or talking. I suspected ADD was in play.

"I realize there must be apprehension about my appointment as Legion Commander and new Military Governor of New Colorado," said General Daly. "While it is true I am not a legionnaire, I hope to overcome that difficulty with your help. You and I have a lot in common. I also rose through the ranks, earning a battlefield commission."

"You are Irish, aren't you?" I asked.

"Yes," said General Daly. "And proud of it!"

"We have lots of Irish in the Legion," I said. "The Irish love to fight. It's because they're so stubborn. You will fit right in, sir."

"Thank you for your a.s.surance," said General Daly. "I need your support."

"I think they only promoted me when they thought I had no chance of survival," I commented. "Now the powers that be are stuck with me."

"I know the feeling! When I was offered my commission, at first I refused. I reasoned it was nonsense to go from being an excellent sergeant to being just another second lieutenant. Later, I rationalized it meant more money, and I might be able to do some good as an officer. I could help my fellow marines. It's all bulls.h.i.t!"

"I'm glad you got over your idealistic phase," I replied. "Touchy-feely types die in the New Gobi."

"d.a.m.n straight I got over that malarkey," said General Daly. "Now I just kick a.s.s!"

"You are on the right planet for that," I said. "Welcome. Things are still not settled here with the spiders. We have a working relationships with local commanders and the governor, but it is impossible to make everyone happy. The insurgency continues to flare up, and now there are rumors of conspiracy among the homegrown planetary elite on both sides of the DMZ. Our fellow humans still shoot at us."

"Working relationships with the spiders is exactly what I need to talk to you about," said General Daly. "The spiders are refusing to release our company of Honor Guard camped near the Capital s.p.a.ceport. Our legionnaires are not being mistreated or held in custody, but I fear they may face arrest and interrogation soon. I will not tolerate our Honor Guard company being humiliated or accosted."

"What can we do about it?" I asked. "The Capital s.p.a.ceport is a long ways from the DMZ."

"You will take charge of negotiations," said General Daly. "If necessary, you will coordinate a commando rescue effort. However, I don't think it will come to that. As a precaution, I am granting you diplomatic status. That means you will enjoy full diplomatic immunity while you are at the Capital s.p.a.ceport."

"Why do I need that?" I said. "I'm not the amba.s.sador, and negotiations shouldn't last that long."

"Our legal department thinks there might still be Imperial warrants out for your arrest," answered General Daly. "After all, you are the Butcher of New Colorado."

"What about Lieutenant Barker?" I asked. "I think we need to maintain precedents in that case. It is important that we not allow Lieutenant Barker to be moved from the New Gobi Region, or that we allow his summary execution by the spiders. Even if Lieutenant Barker is guilty and I'm sure he is guilty, or at least insane we must make sure he is afforded reasonable due process. He is still a legionnaire, and arrest by the spiders could happen to any of us. Also, our investigators need to interrogate Lieutenant Barker about any possible human involvement in the a.s.sa.s.sination conspiracy. Perhaps Lieutenant Barker's deposition can clear up doubts about General Kalipetsis' loyalty."

"I have already sent a message to the spider Governor of the North Territory, stating that I want a Legion investigator, Secret Service agent, or FBI agent present during all interrogations of Barker so that information can be shared, and to prevent abuse. How rough are the spiders during such questioning?"

"That depends on how upset they are," I answered, glancing down at my prosthetic hand, a souvenir of spider brutality. "Their Intelligentsia has already told us their investigators will use drugs to extract information. The technique is not entirely effective, but it can wear you down to the point where you want to tell all you know. I do not have much sympathy for Lieutenant Barker. We will do the same to General Kalipetsis, but I feel the general needs to be treated with more dignity than that."

"Major Lopez is in charge of the interrogation of General Kalipetsis," commented General Daly. "I was told Major Lopez is your right-hand man. Do you not have confidence in him?"

"If General Kalipetsis is guilty of treason, Major Lopez will find out every detail," I said. "I am just concerned Major Lopez might do too good a job."

"I see," said General Daly. "I will closely monitor Major Lopez's progress. Anything else?"

"No, sir."

"So you are not sure if General Kalipetsis is a traitor?" asked General Daly. "What about signs of mental instability or fatigue? There are rumors he once had a mental breakdown."

"No, sir," I said. "General Kalipetsis is a remarkable intellect and leader."

"What is it with all these dead plants all over my office at Legion Headquarters?" asked General Daly. "Are you sure General Kalipetsis is sane? He must have a screw loose somewhere. He put that idiot Nesbit in charge of an investigation about how all these lousy plants died."

"Maybe General Kalipetsis suffers a little bit from the stress of command," I conceded. "A lot has happened to us here on New Colorado. We all cope in different ways. I use Epsom-salt, zero-gravity floatation therapy to relax. It helps me to unwind at the end of the day."