Bones of Empire Read Free

“I’m a total and unforgivable jerk,” Cato said sincerely as he reached out to take her hand. “Come on. . . . Let’s go up to our cabin, where I promise to dress up like a Hiberian Zerk monkey so Legate Usurlus can show me off.”
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    Though not enough to neutralize the way she felt, the mental image was enough to make Alamy smile, and Cato was quick to take advantage of the opening by walking side by side with her as if she were free, and insisting that she pass through doors first. The result was that by the time they entered the Class III cabin the government was paying for, they were on speaking terms again.
    True to her very efficient ways, Alamy had already assembled the basic elements of Cato’s dress uniform and laid them out on the bed they shared. The arrangement wasn’t a necessary aspect of the master-slave relationship but wasn’t all that unusual either, especially where wealthy individuals were concerned.
    The next forty-five minutes were spent showering, shaving, and dressing. Cato’s uniform consisted of a helmet, which he would be forced to hold in the crook of his left arm while standing, sculpted body armor, and a knee-length kilt. The subtle plaid was supposed to remind observers that the Xeno Corps was technically part of the 3rd Legion, although that organization wasn’t all that proud of the group and would have been happy to hand it off to some other outfit had there been any takers. A pair of high-gloss combat boots completed the outfit.
    That was the basic kit. But Alamy, who had been born free but raised in a slum, was a stickler for all of the little things that had to do with rank and status. So she made sure that the flashes that denoted Cato’s rank as a Centurion were equally spaced on his shoulders, the brightly polished medals that had previously been stored at the very bottom of his footlocker were perfectly aligned on his chest, and the length of gold braid that looped under his left arm was properly secured.
    The braid marked Cato’s status as an aide to a senior officer, in this case Legate Usurlus, who, though of sufficient rank to command a Legion, hadn’t done so for many years. As Usurlus liked to put it, “I fight battles in the Senate and its surrounds, which though quieter are just as dangerous.”
    The comment referred to the fact that Usurlus was related to Emperor Emor and had long been one of his troubleshooters. The latest assignment had been on the planet Dantha, where it had been necessary to remove a corrupt Procurator from office and reestablish the rule of law. A task that brought the patrician and the policeman together and had everything to do with Cato’s presence on the ship.
    â€œThere,” Alamy said, as she took two steps back. “You look very handsome.” And it was true, in her opinion at least, because Cato had a nice, if somewhat battered, face. Plus, his body, with which she was intimately familiar, was tall and strong. So much so that he frequently drew admiring glances from other women, many of whom were free and therefore more eligible than she was. Still, Cato had been true to her so far as Alamy knew, and that would have to do.
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    â€œI wish you could come,” Cato said, as his eyes met hers. “Then you’d know how painful these dinners are.”
    â€œI do know,” Alamy responded tartly. “I was one of Governor Nalomy’s servants, remember? Now mind your manners. No swearing, no belching, and don’t stab things with your knife. It isn’t polite.”
    â€œOkay,” Cato agreed good-naturedly. “But only if you kiss me.”
    Alamy raised a quizzical eyebrow. “You could order me to kiss you.”
    â€œTrue,” Cato allowed, “but there would be a price to pay.”
    â€œThere certainly would be,” Alamy agreed as she stepped into the circle of his arms.
    Cato “felt” the strength of