Part
Seven
The Hashon Woman
In the midst of all the planning for the move to Academy City on the moon Big Sister, North's communicator rang one afternoon, and on the screen appeared Blue Stone. From his look, North knew there was some kind of problem.
"I've got some bad news," the Guard officer said, "about your friend Morn."
Northern Star leaped to his feet.
"Is he alright?" he cried, "What happened?"
"It's not him," said Blue Stone, "his mother's been murdered in her apartment. They say it was a burglar, but everyone around here is saying assassination. Ever since The Lord God put her out and took another wife, there's been plotting against her and Morn. There's many people that fear the control they have over The Lord God."
North sat back down in his chair. "This is too clean," he said, "too well done to be amateurs. assassins did this, all right. Put everyone of our people on alert. I want to know the guild and who hired them. Is that clear?"
Blue Stone was obviously taken back by the sharpness and bitterness of this order. Rarely did his young leader snap at his subordinates like this.
"Yes sir!" the older man replied. "I guarantee you I'll find out!"
North's manner became a little bit calmer. "I'm sure you will," he told him. "We didn't make you Intelligence Officer for nothing."
The older man smiled back. This was again the leader they all loved.
"Signing off, sir," he said, and with North's nod he broke the connection. North got up and went out into the kitchen. His mother was out of the apartment and the two Hashon servants he had hired were preparing lunch. How the old man had managed to get assigned as his butler, North could never understand!
"Will you two come into the living room and sit down?" asked North. The two Hashons looked at him with worry. They knew something was wrong.
"I don't know any other way to say this," North began, "I know how your people feel about her. Golden One has been assassinated."
The young female covered her face with her hands and began to mutter prayers for The Dead. The Hashons would have dared not to do this in front of anyone but North. The old man only asked questions, and remained his steady, calm self.
"Our young Lord," he said, "Is going to have a hard time. Can you call him, sir? At times like this, the words of a true friend can have tremendous meaning to a man."