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review radio procedures and check weapons before Usurlus plus Alamy and six personal attendants arrived on the tarmac. Ten minutes later, sirens wailing, the convoy of black vehicles left the relative security of the airport and entered the maze of streets that constituted Port City.
    Alamy was in the first limo, all the way in the back, sitting next to a couple of the Legate’s servants. They were talking about how good it was to be home again as she peered out through bulletproof glass. Alamy had been reading about Imperialus in an effort to prepare herself for life in the city and to impress Cato. So as the motorcade pushed regular traffic out of the way, she knew that Imperialus occupied roughly five hundred square miles of land and boasted a population of more than fifteen million people, which meant that affordable living space was at a premium.
    It was a problem Cato would have to confront very soon. She knew her master had been forced to borrow money in order to purchase her, and, having paid the debt prior to lifting from Dantha, was almost broke except for the money made playing cards with the Far Star ’s crew. The upshot was that things would be tight.
    Was that why he hadn’t freed her? Alamy wondered. Because he wanted to save some money first? Maybe . . . But what if he was forced to sell her in order to pay his bills? That possibility filled Alamy with a sense of dread as Port City closed in around the car.
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    Having placed himself in the lead limo, which could be expected to come under attack first if there was an ambush, Livius had asked Cato to ride in the heavily armored war wagon with Usurlus. Then, if the motorcade was cut in two, each segment would have an experienced leader.
    Now, as the convoy burrowed even deeper into the slum, groups of bystanders could be seen. They stood on street corners, where they cheered, waved enthusiastically, and held up freshly printed signs that had Emperor Emor’s smiling countenance on them. “All of them have been paid,” Usurlus said cynically as he stared out through a rectangular gun port. “That’s the only way someone of my rank can draw a crowd. Still, that’s good for the local economy,” he added dryly, “and it’s nice to see that the Office of Public Morale is doing its job.”
    Cato wasn’t so sure. The whole charade seemed pointless to him, but he’d never been interested in politics even though he knew such things were important.
    Meanwhile, a half dozen spherical media drones were cruising along fifteen feet above the motorcade, taking everything in. So they were in a good position to witness the full extent of the destruction as pre-positioned charges went off, and entire buildings tumbled into the street. Both were occupied, which meant that more than a hundred people were dead before the actual battle began.
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    The first rocket aimed at limo one hit, the resulting explosion rocking the vehicle from side to side, but heavy armor prevented the projectile from penetrating the interior. The doors on the right side of the vehicle were bent inward and jammed, but Livius discovered that those on the left were still operable and hurried to exit. “Come on!” he ordered. “Our job is to go back and defend the war wagon.”
    Four security men followed Livius out into the roiling dust as incoming small-arms fire began to ping the limo and the doors slammed shut. Alamy had never been in such a situation before, but it was obvious that the attackers were going to inspect the vehicle as soon as they could and would probably kill everyone inside. “Quick!” Alamy said. “Lock the doors!”
    The other women were frightened but used to following orders and quick to obey. Alamy heard a series of clicks as she crawled forward, slid in behind the wheel, and discovered that the engine was still running.
    She had never driven any sort of motorized vehicle before; but