Last Measure of Devotion (TCOTU, Book 5) (This Corner of the Universe) Read Online Free PDF Page A

price of failure would be for
the Republic.
    As
if reading Brewer’s mind, Fane promised, “We have not failed, Sebastian.  One
fails only when one stops trying.”
    Brewer
acknowledged the minister’s words with a nod and used them to change tactics. 
“Agreed, Madam Minister.  This is why we should not waste valuable resources on
revenge that might otherwise be allocated toward the Parasite Initiative.”
    “I
cannot let him go, Sebastian,” Fane admitted quietly.  “You will end Jacob
Heskan’s line or force me to intervene.”
    The
marginal dip in the Secretary of Internal Security’s shoulder would have been
imperceptible to anyone else.  Satisfied, the cruel line of Fane’s mouth
shifted upward.  “Now tell me about the Initiative.”
    “It will take some time,
Madam Minister.”
    *  *  *
    Heskan
had watched the christening of Dioscuri , Seshafi’s newest ship of the
line, from Covington’s shuttle the day before.  Now, he was twenty minutes late
for another ceremony, this one a more personal groundbreaking.  When he arrived
at the site, powerful machinery had already burrowed several meters into the
soil.  Augmenting the mechanical clamor were the coordinated efforts of dozens
of men and women working around the location.  Thirty meters from the main
effort, construction transport shuttles ferried material to a staging area.
    After
Heskan’s shuttle landed, he remained at the makeshift landing pad while
searching, fruitlessly, for his contact.  In the end, the brawny woman found
him and casually tossed a bright yellow hard hat at him as she approached. 
“You’re late.  I told them to proceed without you, Mr. Heskan.  I hope you
don’t mind.”
    Heskan
attempted to catch the hard hat, bobbled it and watched it drop into the nearby
beach grass.  He picked the hat up and donned it.  “It’s okay… is there
anything left for me to do since they’ve started?”
    The
project manager shrugged indifferently as she reached Heskan.  “Just pick up
the shovel from storage.  The holo-vid is a close-up of the shovel going into
the earth with the beach and ocean in the background.”  The woman turned to
face the ocean and the wind made her brown hair dance.  The seemingly non-stop
breeze was blowing offshore but it would turn, later, as the land heated. 
“It’s a spectacular view.”  She inhaled deeply.  “And smell that ocean air…”
    They
call it the smell of the ocean but it’s actually the smell of the land, Heskan thought pedantically.
    “When
I reviewed the work order, I thought you were crazy for insisting on real
windows along the east side of the house.”  She inhaled deeply a second time. 
“I understand why now and with that breeze, you’ll barely have to run the
cooling unit at all.”
    Heskan
had taken Vernay’s advice and decided early upon a Spanish colonial - style house that complied with
the stringent building codes on the continent.  That single decision seemed to
be the only constant during the entire planning process.  Originally, he just wanted
a small and simple domicile but with each passing week, Heskan’s “simple” house
design grew in size and complexity as he added more and more features.  His
former first officer only aggravated matters, insisting that Heskan “build the
house he deserved” and encouraging him to have no regrets regarding the
conveniences commonly available to terrestrial homes.  What began as a simple,
three-bedroom house had evolved into a five-bedroom estate, which included a
small courtyard overlooking the ocean.  In many ways, it was not unlike Samanta
De Luca’s plantation house on Hollara, but on a more humble scale.
    “If you’ll follow me,
Mr. Heskan,” the manager requested, “we’ll get that shovel.  We’re also going
to have to modify the foundation a bit.  We’re encountering more sand than we
expected and need to use some higher end materials to keep up with code.”
    *  *