Freedom, Humanity, and Other Delusions (Death's Handmaiden Book 3), Niall Teasdale [crime books to read .TXT] 📗

Taryn’s face had hardened when the voting figures were read out, but she had relaxed almost immediately. She hated losing, but she accepted defeat well too. She offered Mitsuko a hand to shake and then remained at the back of the stage while Mitsuko walked forward to make her acceptance speech.

Mitsuko shook hands with Courtney and then stepped up to the podium. She paused, looking up and around. ‘No one’s going to shoot at me this year? Well, that’s better than last time.’ Even the people near Nava who had, apparently, voted for Taryn laughed. ‘I thank you all for this chance to continue improving life here at SAS-squared. I am hopeful that things will be quieter here this year and that we can all get on with enjoying our time at our school. The only thing I have to worry about, it seems, is our little democracy. I’d like to nurture some additional competition for next year’s election. I think I’ve had a good opponent in Taryn Borchardt, but there must be others in the student body with their own ideas. Let’s hear them. Thank you.’

236/2/32.

‘I’m stepping down at the end of next term.’ There was silence in the sento following the statement. Courtney had made it without any warning, though it was sort of to be expected given that she was in her final year at school.

‘I see,’ Mitsuko said. ‘Have you informed the administration?’ Unlike the student president, the captain of the SSF was assigned by the school’s administration. The previous captain had a say and no captain had ever been assigned without the agreement of the other student council members, but the captain position was somewhat akin to a job.

‘Yes. They’ve started looking around for a replacement. They want my recommendation. I haven’t given them one yet.’

‘Perhaps it’s not my place to say this,’ Nava said, ‘but I don’t see any standout leaders among the SSF. Aside from you, obviously. Giving a recommendation won’t be easy.’

‘Actually, it’s easy… And not.’

‘That,’ Melissa said, ‘is not at all clear.’

‘I think,’ Mitsuko said, her eyes narrowing at Courtney, ‘that Courtney has a clear candidate in mind. However, she does not expect that candidate to agree.’

‘That’s an accurate summation,’ Courtney said.

‘I think it’s good that Courtney is stepping down,’ Nava said, ‘since she has clearly taken leave of her senses and requires several sessions of psychiatric evaluation.’

‘What?’ Melissa asked, looking between her friends in confusion. ‘Wait… You can’t mean–’

‘I want to put Nava’s name forward,’ Courtney said, removing any further doubt.

‘Nava’s right, you’re nuts,’ Melissa said flatly.

‘This isn’t the same as when I asked her to join the SSF. This time, I want her to run it.’

‘I agree,’ Nava said. ‘It’s totally different. It’s worse.’

‘No.’

‘No?’

‘Perhaps we could allow Courtney to explain?’ Mitsuko suggested.

‘I should like an explanation, certainly,’ Nava said. You could not tell she was angry. Not unless you knew her very well. Tonight, even Courtney, who knew Nava the least, could tell there was a level of annoyance under the calm.

‘You’d be the leader of the SSF,’ Courtney said. ‘The captain gets to decide how the SSF is going to function under their command. If you don’t want to be out on patrol, you don’t go on patrol. You get to make the SSF what you think it should be. I was always pretty hands-on because I was using it to beef up my credentials for when I went into policing. If you want to provide direction and only come out in emergencies, that’s your prerogative.’

Nava looked across the bath at Courtney. ‘I’m not entirely convinced.’

‘No. That’s why I haven’t told the principal about this yet.’ Courtney paused briefly. ‘I think that, now she’s lost the presidential election, Taryn Borchardt will put her name forward for captain when she finds out about it.’

‘That is fighting dirty, Courtney,’ Nava said. ‘I’ll consider the matter and let you know as soon as I’ve come to a decision.’

‘Okay. Just don’t leave it too long. The administration like to have the replacement lined up well in advance of the deadline.’

Nava sank a little lower in the water. It was almost like she was sulking. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

Part Three: Quis Custodiet

Trenton Mansion, Shinden, Clan Worlds Alliance, 236/3/2.

The second day of March in the northern hemisphere of Shinden was not meant for sunbathing. It was not bikini weather. It was, in fact, more like thick sweater and scarf weather. Luckily, the Trenton mansion came with copious grounds in which to walk and SAS2 students were expected to be fit; walking in the forested areas nearby was a reasonably pleasant option for the early spring break.

Mitsuko had relatively little to do this week. Normally, this holiday was a busy one for the incoming student president. There was work to be done deciding on the other council members, policy to be set down and agreed upon. This year, Darius and Marie had been uncertain, but both had been persuaded to stay on. It had been a little work with Marie since the treasurer’s confidence had taken something of a hit the previous year. Mitsuko had, however, been able to persuade Marie to stick around. Darius had decided he could manage another year as the vice president. The captain of the SSF was going to need a replacement, but that was the only position on the council that Mitsuko had no real say in. She could veto someone she thought was entirely inappropriate, but that was about it.

And Nava was still taking her time about accepting Courtney’s nomination. Various people had tried drawing her out on the subject, with varying degrees of failure.

‘Personally,’ Mitsuko said as they walked through the shaded forest in no particular direction, ‘I think you’d probably be an excellent leader of the SSF.’

‘I’m interested,’ Nava replied. ‘On what basis have you made this assessment?’

‘Personal observation. Nothing more. Nothing less.’

‘You haven’t actually seen me in action very often,’ Nava pointed out. ‘I generally go off on my own when