"This is one of the Brothers I also have a personal matter to settle
with, Excellency. A severe beating of someone I love, in addition to
the other things done to her."
So that was his personal reason for joining the Strike Force! It'd
taken her long enough to learn it, Cortin thought, since she hadn't
thought it a good idea to ask him. "In that case, Captain, yours had
best take precedence. Just make sure, please, that he isn't damaged
too badly for questioning."
"No worse than second stage," Odeon promised. He'd like to do more,
but he wouldn't interfere with either her job or her revenge.
"Lieutenant Bain has agreed to monitor, to assure that."
"In that case, he's in your custody; secure him in Suite Bravo when
you're finished, and inform me. Lieutenant Pritchett, please provide
any assistance Captain Odeon requires."
"With pleasure, Excellency." Pritchett reached out a big hand and
pulled the Brother toward him, grinning widely. "Come with me, little
man. We've got some real interesting plans for you." He turned to
Cortin. "We'll turn him over to guards for the trip to the Lodge, Your
Excellency, then be right back."
"Very good, Lieutenant." When they left, Cortin continued the
separation, but her primary concern remained her former tormentor and
what he'd said about the Brothers soon having real Inquisitors of their
own. They'd always had amateur Inquisitors, of course, and
occasionally--temporarily--a real one who'd gone rogue. That was
something else she'd definitely have to question him about, but just
the information she had so far was enough to disturb her deeply. Civil
Inquisitors were necessary to investigate, and in many capital cases
punish, crime. That was difficult enough, sometimes, even though crime
for the most part was objective, not dependent on intent. Sin, on the
other hand, was dependent on intent, and the ancient Terran Holy
Inquisition had proven that religious Inquisitors were more likely to
drive people away from God than bring them to Him.
Which, she thought grimly, would serve Shayan's ends perfectly. She
couldn't be certain why he wanted souls, but the fact that he did was
beyond question. Any people his Church Inquisitors drove away from God
would end up as his subjects in Hell--and if they were effective enough
at that, there could be an Infernal population explosion.
Population explosion. Cortin frowned at that thought. If they were
accepted, Families could, and hopefully would, provide that sort of
increase in the Systems. Which would give Shayan a chance at the
larger number, which would explain why there'd been nothing from the
Vatican objecting to that part of what she was trying to do. Her
theory might be wrong, she acknowledged, but it felt right, and she
knew nothing that would contradict it. At least it was some sort of
explanation, better that the total lack she'd had before.
* * * * *
Cortin joined her team for the return to Harmony Lodge, riding in a
command van for what felt like the first time in years. It took longer
than the Fleet helicopter would have, but by the time they got home,
she'd been fully briefed on the action, and her opinion of Blackfeather
had gone up several notches.
As they entered the outskirts of New Denver, she turned her attention
to the reporter. "The convent raid ends the cover on the Strike Force,
Sara. Their Majesties agree that news should be broken by a Sealed
representative; as the only Sealed member of the press, and the only
reporter who was there, you're the logical one to do so. At my
request, you'll also be allowed to do the first stories about the
existence of Family Cortin and the new Archduchy; no other reporters
will be officially briefed until tomorrow morning. That should give
you adequate time, I think."
"More than adequate," Blackfeather said. "Since I knew I'd be able to
publish soon, those two stories are already written--but I hadn't
expected that much of a lead. Thanks!"
"You've earned it. And thank you for saving Chuck's life."
Blackfeather shrugged. "I've changed my opinion of Enforcement,
Colonel. Before Mike did what he did for me, I'd probably have enjoyed
watching a trooper die, though I can't be sure since it never came up.
I'm glad to find out that now I'm not like that." She shook her head,
her expression rueful. "It seems my attitude's become exactly the
opposite of what it was, in fact. I used to defend the Brothers, you
know."
Cortin nodded. "I know, and say the troopers who were hurt or killed
fighting them deserved what they got. The only thing I could find in
your favor then was that you believed what you were saying."
"I couldn't do that now," Blackfeather said. "It's not just seeing
Brothers and troopers in action for the first time, though that did
help crystallize my new feelings. Mostly it's seeing the Family being
a family, seeing the Special Ops troopers I thought were the worst
playing with kids and kittens, and . . . well, the part I'm not going
to be able to write about because no one who hasn't at least been
around it could possibly believe it. But being troopers--especially an
Inquisitor--gives you a whole new kind of understanding."
"You liked being part of Dave, in particular?"
"Oddly enough, yes." Blackfeather hesitated. "They're all good men,
but there's something special about Dave . . . something I have a hard
time describing, even if I am a reporter. A special kind of idealism,
maybe . . . tougher, not that any of them are soft . . ."
"I know what you mean," Cortin said, glancing around at the rest of the
team and getting nods. Unity during sex was most intense between man
and woman, but it was there between any Sealed; they'd all felt what
Blackfeather was talking about, with her, Bain, or both.
"He reminds me of Larry, in a way," Blackfeather went on, surprising
them. "So do you. Because in his own way, he's an idealist too--even
though I'm not sure he knows that, or would believe it. An idealist
who's turned cynical, soured against just about everything--but I
believe there's still a tiny bit of him that wants the same things we
do."
Chang gave the reporter an appraising look, then turned to Cortin. "I
believe we may have a truly virtuous person among us, Joan. Not merely
sinless, but virtuous--willing to believe the best of people, which I
find surprising for a reporter."
"I doubt I'll be a reporter much longer," Blackfeather said. "What Sis
calls a virtue isn't, in my particular field; once I've filed these
three stories, backing Enforcement, the Families, and Colonel Cortin, I
fully expect to be fired. So would any of you happen to know of any
job openings for an ex-reporter?"
"How about historian?" Odeon asked. "We need one, with a reporter's
training, while it's still early enough to get an accurate account of
what's happening. The First and Second Testaments were written by
groups, edited by others, and translated by still others; after that
many opportunities for intentional or accidental change, we might not
know what the originals really said." He made a wry face. "Yes, I
believe everyone involved was inspired. As investigators, though, we
all know humans are fallible--with or without inspiration. But they
didn't have modern publishing; given a press run of ten or fifteen
thousand, by one writer and in the original language, there'll always
be a totally genuine version somewhere."
To Odeon's surprise, Blackfeather snickered. "You've got your
historian, Mike--but if you believe a press run as low as ten or
fifteen thousand, it's sure clear you're no publisher! On this
particular subject, especially with Colonel Cortin involved, go up a
couple of orders of magnitude. A million or million and a half copies
wouldn't be an unreasonable estimate of sales, even at a price double
or triple that of a standard book. A copy she autographed would be
worth . . . well, even my imagination isn't quite that wild!"
"Even better," Odeon said.
"You do know, though, that it'll mean interviews to get everything you
remember that has anything to do with Joan--and that the result won't
leave you much, if any, privacy. You don't get a major social
revolution by hiding the sort of personal behavior you're trying to
encourage--even though other people may choose to do so."
"Sis and I figured as much," Odeon said. "We talked it over, between
us and with the rest of the team, and it's necessary. There's going to
be a lot written about what we're doing, one way or the other, and
we're agreed one of them has to be accurate. So you'll get full
cooperation."
"Including an Inquisitor's help," Bain said. "Colonel Bradford's the
best you'll find at the memory-enhancing techniques we use with
cooperative subjects, but I'm no slouch; you may get more information
than you can use."
"More than I can include, maybe," Blackfeather said, "but not more than
I can use, if only as background." She turned to Cortin. "What about
you, Colonel?"