He is staring at the official hardcopy sent to him by Warden Dios. That hardcopy contains orders for him not to leave the UMCPHQ space station for any reason.Godsen feels trapped. His being Holt Fasner's protégé SHOULD have protected him from orders that could defy the will of the Dragon. He feels that Warden Dios should understand that Holt Fasner is his BOSS, and that the Dragon
could surely fire Godsen as easily as Warden. Godsen fears Holt might not protect him if he's fired by Warden and Holt is not yet ready to fire Warden.No wonder that Godsen feels trapped. He's ambitious and wants to succeed Abrim Len as president of the Governing Council for Earth and Space. All his years being patient and subservient to Holt for that reward might come to nothing if he ends up fired by either Warden or Holt. And...
Godsen wonders what Warden's motive is to restrict him to UMCPHQ. To keep him from the prostitutes he liked to visit on EarthWhat if this quicksand of plots and counterplots proved too thick for him; too subtle and deadly? What if he drowned in it? He could survive being fired. And if he was fired in Holt Fasner's name, the Dragon would eventually reward him. But what if the plotting actually killed him?
There was blood in these orders. He knew without asking that they were a response to the attack on Sixten Vertigus. People were going to die before this tangle of betrayals sorted itself out. Somewhere, somehow, the decision had already been made that the stakes were worth killing for.
Godsen Frik didn't want to be one of the casualties.
, where he might be an easier assassination target? Not an inconvenience for him, really, because Protocol has attractive women, some of whom were interested in him, and his UMCPHQ apartment was luxurious enough to entertain him on his time off. Further, his office was sufficiently supplied with equipment to allow him to get all his work done on this space station.The answers come to him. Because he was concerned about Angus being sent against Billingate under the control of Milos. Because Angus wasn't to rescue Morn. Because Warden's and Hashi's video conference with the GCES was a disaster for Protocol.So why did he feel trapped? Why was he scared?
Godsen has already received multiple calls from Abrim Len, special prosecutor Maxim Igensard, and United Western Block's Junior Member Carsin. Godsen hasn't answered their calls, because he doesn't know what to say about how the conference went. He would like to go to Earth to smoothe matters out with them in person, and is frustrated Warden's orders won't let him.
He flinches when the intercom chime from his secretary precedes her telling him a call is coming from Holt Fasner. Godsen tells her to put Holt through at once. Holt demands to know what is going on that has "the votes" [the GCES Members] so upset. Godsen stalls him by saying he is preparing a report for him and that he doesn’t know what Holt is talking about. Holt will have none of it and insists Godsen knows what he is concerned about. Godsen asks Holt if he wants to know about Security after the Vertigus assassination attempt. Holt snarls a denial. So Godsen asks the Dragon if he wants to know about Warden's video conference with the GCES. In a surly voice, Holt confirms this.
Now Godsen openly guesses Holt wishes to learn why Warden tried to upset the Members in that video conference. Holt is silent
. The PR Director knows this communication is being recorded somewhere in UMCPHQ, and he doesn't want to say too much right now. Further, Godsen Frik is not sure if the answer is that Warden is crazy or that he is playing a deep game against Holt. So he tells the Dragon it would be best not to talk about that now, andcalso that Warden never explained his rationale to him.Holt demands Godsen grab a shuttle to UMC's command station to report on what he knows or suspects about Warden in person. The PR Director objects that there's a state of emergency and Warden has ordered him restricted to UMCPHQ. He informs Holt that Warden can accuse him of malfeasance if he leaves. Holt counters that he'll consider it malfeasance if Godsen DOESN'T leave for UMC. Godsen Frik now knows that he must choose between ambitions and survival, between Warden and Holt.
He knows Holt can make him GCES President, but also feels that Holt doesn't really care about his welfare. He also believes Warden considers him untrustworthy, even dangerous. He fears Warden may have gone crazy. It's hard for me not to pity Godsen, because he is caught between two schemers, and it's not entirely his fault that Warden does not trust him with his plans. Warden doesn’t trust Min or Hashi in that way, either, and neither are spies for Holt.
Now Godsen considers that while Warden Dios may be capable of professional suicide, he's not capable of murdering his subordinates or people he is to protect, so couldn't have sent that kaze to Vertigus. On the other hand, Godsen is sure that Holt is incapable of suicide but fully capable of murdering anybody that's displeased him.
Inside, this makes him want to side with Warden, even though that may be more dangerous. Godsen is discovering an inner morality and courage.
Why Godsen did not ask Holt to countermand Warden's order so that he could leave without threat of malfeasance accusation is beyond me.Stalling for time so that he could think, he said slowly, "Sir, let's imagine for a moment that what you want is possible. Let's imagine that my orders aren't on record yet--that the shuttle crew and dock handlers don't know I've been restricted. Are you telling me to violate a direct order from the director of the United Mining Companies Police?"
Are you telling me I'm expendable?
Holt actually chucked. "No, Godsen, I'm not telling you that. You didn't hear me saying anything of the sort. What I am saying is this. If you don't make up your mind in ten minutes--if you don't shuttle your ass over here and give a report in person immediately--I don't care what you do."
The speaker went dead. Holt Fasner's voice disappeared into the black gravity well that restricted UMCPHQ to its orbit.
In a fury of trepidation, Godsen crumpled the hardcopy of his orders and flung the defenseless wad against the wall.
Godsen is very frustrated at Warden for forcing him to choose between the UMC and the UMCP. But he knows that Warden won't kill the people he is sworn to protect, so realizes he trusts and appreciates Warden more than Holt.
That decides it for him.
He tells his secretary to FLARE a copy of this conversation with Holt to Warden's desk. Making this decision gives Godsen the confidence to study the messages from Len, Igensard, and Carsin to try to craft replies to them.
For this moment, Godsen Frik is sure of where he stands, and he stands with Warden.
That gives him considerable feelings of comfort and security.
For now.
