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.Alongside the antiques were contemporary works of fragile beauty to contrast the timeless pieces.Drew had arrived early enough that he'd already drunk his fill of the Emptor's Chamber.Joining him now were his fellow members of the Solaris Stable Owners Association, each with fighters still in the Grand Tournament.His peers.His enemies.He watched them with some amusement as the sweet and spicy scents of the food finally pulled their attention back to the table— laid out just before their arrival so that no rattling dishes or clumsy servers might ruin the atmosphere of the Paradise.Only Thomas DeLon seemed as comfortable in these elegant surroundings as Drew.He sat directly opposite at the table and waited for Drew to open the meeting.DeLon could be trouble.As stable master for Theodore Gross, the defending Champion, his word carried some extra weight.DeLon and his 'Warriors did not indulge in the usual pre-fight rhetoric to jack up the challenges, grudges, and normal rivalries on which the Game World thrived.He didn't need to; his fights were always in high demand.Drew shrugged that aside.The Combine was a different culture where showy displays were not as admired.Also, the games were still a new treat for its people, having become legally available only these last six years.DeLon could afford to hold back, for now.But that would change.Drew had the history of the Game World on his side.On Solaris nothing remained constant.Though Drew had nearly been ruined learning that lesson, eventually he'd used it to raise his personal fortune, and fortunes, to new heights.Now here he was, master of Blackstar, one of the strongest stables on Solaris VII.Vying for leadership against DeLon and a very few others for the power to direct the course of the Game World."My friends," he lied, "welcome to Paradise.I would like to thank Mr.DeLon for helping me arrange this afternoon's meeting."Jerry Stroud was the owner of Skye Tiger Stables and possibly the second-most dangerous man after Drew on Solaris VII."Why is this meeting being held in Kobe?" he asked, voice carefully guarded.While Stroud often affected an upper-class manner, Drew knew that it concealed a ruthless and predatory nature."And why today?" he went on."The SSOA mid-tournament lunch is usually held tomorrow, before the Day Five matches when the playing field has been narrowed to the final eight."Drew wasn't about to admit that he'd chosen Kobe because it was inconvenient for the two Silesians present."Coming from a man whose final contender is predicted to fall in the first sixty seconds against Theodore Gross tonight, I would think you'd appreciate an early meeting so that you might attend."Stroud glowered, but didn't take the bait.Drew decided to prod him again."In answer to your question, we meet today instead of tomorrow because Thomas DeLon has raised the issue of the recent"—he paused— "troubles between the Black Hills and Silesia.Damage to the Boreal Reach arena is a serious concern.The Kobe sector seemed to be more neutral ground.You have no objection to meeting me on equal footing, do you, Jerry?"Seated between Drew and Stroud, Nicole Singh smiled and stifled a laugh.Perhaps she was recalling another meeting of a few months back, when Stroud had accused Drew of hiring some local mercenaries to sabotage the Clan OmniMech he'd just managed to purchase.The powerful machine might have won Skye Tiger a prime position and made possible sortie interesting matches against Singh's outcast Diamond Shark warrior and Drew's Clan Smoke Jaguar renegade.There were still many who enjoyed seeing the former Clanners beat on each other.At the time Stroud had commented that Drew wanted the 'Mech destroyed because he was afraid to meet Stroud on equal footing.Stroud flushed with anger."If I ever find proof, you'd better watch out, Hasek."Drew pulled himself up proudly."Hasek-Davion," he snapped, though that sword certainly cut both ways.He had appropriated the Davion name years before, though his only tie was remote, through marriage twice-removed rather than by blood.He'd once hoped it would win him a political boost among those who opposed the ruling Davion line, especially in the Capellan March where the Haseks governed and a Hasek-Davion had once held great power and prominence.So far that path to greater power had been a dead end.People seemed ill-disposed to turn on the current ruling Hasek line.Though he kept his new name, Drew had then embraced the more hard-core anti-Davion sentiment, opposing the merger between the Federated Suns and the old Lyran state.Only to find himself once again on the losing side of a wager.And now, this year, here he was one of the strongest Davion supporters.At least, in front of the cameras.The viewing public had a very short memory."Don't waste your time, Jerry.There's no proof to find." That was because Drew had guaranteed that sabotage of the OmniMech could not be linked back to him.Both men knew the showdown was coming, though by unspoken consent they were waiting until a new Champion emerged from the Grand Tournament.At least, Drew appeared to be waiting."Shall we table business matters until after we've eaten?" Drew asked the group in general.Besides Nicole Singh, Stroud, and DeLon, also seated at the table were Tran Ky Bo, another Black Hills stable master, and beyond him Jurgen Gaalf, representing the interests of Montenegro.Only the Liao-affiliated stables were not represented, though by choice rather than exclusion.Jerry Stroud did not look ready to drop the argument, but retreated when no one else offered to back him up.The beautifully prepared dishes had been set on ceramic plates arranged around a revolving wheel that comprised the table's center.The Paradise's specialty was tea-smoked riverwader, the Solaran equivalent of duck.The tender meat seemed to dissolve on the tongue, leaving behind a wonderful smoky taste.There were also plates of hot and spicy chicken served over a large bed of rice, shrimp tempura, and yakisoba, in quantities the stable owners could not possibly ever eat.The moment they touched their food, a trio of the hana josei returned with green tea, sake, and a dark plum wine, which they poured for everyone.Not a drop was spilled or a cup rattled against saucer.So light was their presence that it was almost as if they did not exist at all, but were simply beautiful apparitions conjured to serve.They reappeared occasionally, sweeping through the room to see that glasses were filled and to whisk away dishes as necessary—one at a time rather than risk unnecessary noise with stacking.Even Drew, who had been waiting for the meal to finish, could not say for certain when the last dish disappeared and suddenly the stable owners were left alone with their drinks and a clear table over which to talk."Time for business," he said, opening the meeting."I know Thomas is worried about what happened under Boreal Reach last evening, the live fire that damaged the Davion arena.Also the violence in the streets that has continued even to this morning.I think there may have been a few deaths." He knew very well that five residents of the Black Hills and twelve Silesians had been killed in the sporadic rioting.So far."I believe we should address the issue."Jurgen Gaalf nodded."I agree.We've got to do something about it, but what?"At first everyone was silent.After all, Drew had already spoken for DeLon, preempting what might have been an impassioned plea for calm and control—neither of which suited Drew's plans [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]