Deadman

The tent-flap to my room opened, and I looked up from my water to see Leroy, the King of the Rens, standing there. He looked different from the last time I’d seen him. His hair was unkempt, his attire had shifted from grandiose to practical, he was sporting a few fresh scars, and he now wore a large sword at his waist and a shotgun on his back. Much like the Khan, he wore an ursan fur cape, as well as a few other pieces of clothing made from their hide. I detected the faint traces of Atlan’s scent on him, mingled with his own.

I considered reaching for my weapons, but Leroy’s were still in their holster and sheath, and his expression was mild, if cold. I kept my weapons where they were and crossed my arms. Keeping my freeze ability ready, just in case. I nodded at him. “Leroy.”

He nodded back to me. “Donovan.”

“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you here.”

A mocking smile spread across his face. “No. You shouldn’t be.”

“There something I can do for you?”

“Not really. I just felt I needed to see you.”

“Not something many people would choose willingly.”

“You shared bread and salt in my home once. Then you betrayed that hospitality.”

I nodded, recognizing the concept from the books I’d read. “I did. Don’t really have any excuse for it.”

“I’d like to thank you for it.”

That surprised me. “Why?” I asked.

“It taught me a valuable lesson.”

“What’s that?”

“Survival of myself and my people is more important than pride.”

I nodded. Thinking back to all I’d had to do to survive. Pride had never been a factor for me. Wasn’t ever given the option to have any. I could see how losing it might hurt someone who considered themselves a king though. “You’re welcome I guess.”

He shook his head. “I don’t like you, but I don’t hate you either. I understand why you acted as you did. The wastes are a more complicated place than I knew.” He took a breath. “That being said, my people may not be so understanding.” With that, he gave a small tilt of his head in my direction and walked away.

I felt a smirk tug at one corner of my mouth. He may not be a king anymore, but he still definitely had a flair for the dramatic. The sword he had was also one that I felt most people couldn’t lift one handed, but he carried it at his waist with no dip in posture. He was strong. The information I’d gotten out of the bunker indicated all of the Rens were. I wondered if the Horde had realized their value yet.

With Leroy gone, I started taking an inventory of my ammo and food, then began running through some maintenance and cleaning my guns. I was well equipped. I’d gained more from taking out the slavers and their contacts than I’d used to kill them. I’d also netted another completed investigation and a fair amount of PP from combat, not to mention a handful of skill levels. My gains had been steady, which was good. It was nice that the improvements continued even when I was performing actions less dangerous than storming a heavily guarded facility, or investigating a murder.

Just as I finished up service on my 9mm, one of the Khan’s wives, the one with the broad shoulders, entered my room.

“The Khan is ready to see you. Follow me.”

I nodded, and fell in behind her. She led me through the Khan’s personal fleet of vehicles and behind the dais on which he greeted tribute and messengers. Behind that was a tent within the tent that was the building. It was painted with black oil in the patterns I was used to seeing tattooed on the members of the horde, but it seemed almost austere based on the Khan’s status as a leader. She held open the flap to the tent and gestured for me to go inside.

I nodded my thanks and walked in. It was hot inside. Fette already felt like it was just a few degrees off from being the heat of the sun, and the Khan’s tent was even warmer. There was a fire in the center of the room, behind which sat an old metal table that had a number of maps and markers on it. Next to that table was another covered in machine parts, and books with diagrams and images of engines drawn across them. On a further end of the room, I saw a simple cot.

The Khan himself was standing at the table with engine parts, he was screwing something in with an incredibly small screwdriver, that looked comical in his massive hands. He was wearing only a pair of pants. His feet were bare and his tattoos visible across his skin.

“Not what you expected?” asked the Khan as I looked around.

I shook my head. “No.”

“This is my personal quarters. I have some set aside to meet my generals and others that are much more grand and intimidating, but these are the ones I prefer. Do you know why I brought you to these quarters instead of those?”

I thought for a moment, but shook my head. I had no answer.

“Because deadmen, and you in particular, see through pageantry like that. You use it so much yourself, I saw no reason to make the attempt.”

“It has value. I thought you’d appreciate the effort.”

He nodded, and finished the piece of metal he was working on to look at me. “You requested this audience, but I have been meaning to call upon you since you left STAR territory.”

“I can be a hard man to find.”

The Khan gave a wolflike smile. “Not so much as you may think.” He lifted a dingy rag and began wiping his hands. “As you are my guest, and you offered me tribute, I shall allow you to speak of your business first.”

I nodded to him. “It has to do with my trip into STAR territory.”

“Go on.”

“I was working on behalf of another Marshall. Leah. Helping her to clear up a problem that may have destabilized the region. In the course of it, I made a discovery I feel I need to share with you.”

He looked at me with no change in expression, the dingy rag still in his hands.

“There’s a new faction moving into the wastes. They call themselves ‘The Remnants’ and claim to be what’s left of the original US government. They’re close to assuming control of STAR and they plan on taking much more than that. They have tech far beyond what anyone else in the wastes has access to, and they’ve told me they have partial access to the system as well. ”

The Khan nodded. “I know.”

I paused, surprised. “You know?”

“Yes. I have many who operate with my authority aside from you. Including dozens in STAR.”

“Did you know that Leah is one of them?”

He nodded. “I had my suspicions. I was simply waiting for you to confirm them yourself, so I could know what you were and weren’t willing to share.” He removed the rag from his hand, revealing that he’d concealed a sawed-off shotgun beneath it, which he then holstered at his waist. “I imagine there’s more?”

“They offered Pott’s Field a deal. They’re left alone, and in return, they help them to search certain deadzones and provide information. They also asked that I continued to work with them as I had been.”

“Was this offer accepted?”

I nodded.

The Khan brought a hand up to his beard. “It is not unlike the deal I myself offered your undertakers, and you.” He looked me over. “You thought I would think of this as a betrayal?”

I nodded. “I figured it was a possibility.”

“Then why have you told me?”

“I don’t trust the Remnants. They lied and manipulated me, but I also didn’t want to make a choice on behalf of all other deadmen. I figured giving you this information would give us a possible ally if things didn’t work out.”

“And if they do, and these Remnants sweep across my territory and conquer it?”

I stayed silent.

The Khan smirked. “These agreements, and deals, and intimations are interesting, but meaningless.” The Khan moved back to the parts table and started assembling. “These Remnants, and your people in Pott’s, and STAR all have the same weakness. They see words as the same as actions. The remnant’s have taken no actions against me yet, Pott’s has only ever acted honorably in our dealings, and you’ve done more for me in my territory than even some of my greatest warriors. This talk of who may do what, and what’s agreed to is meaningless until someone actually does something. I bear you and Pott’s and even the Remnants no ill will until action is taken. STAR is another story, but even that may change. I thank you for your warning, and your honesty.”

I nodded.

“You are starting to feel what I first felt when I began my khanate I think.”

“What’s that?”

“The weight of power. You’re not dragged down by it too much now, but I believe you will be. You hesitate to make decisions for your people without their say, but eventually, you may come to find that your will and theirs is the same.” The Khan finished what he was assembling and looked at it thoughtfully. “You may go. Nothing has changed in your status within the Khanate.”

I turned, and walked out of the tent.