BtH10

==Chapter 10 - By the Horns==
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Humphreys Manor
River City, Andurien, Duchy of Andurien
Free Worlds League
October 13th, 3025
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“So,” Dame Catherine Humphreys, Duchess of Andurien, said simply to the woman who knelt in her presence. “Did Kyalla send you?”
“The Magestrix grants this one leave to serve her without needing to approve my every action, Your Grace,” the woman replied. “Much like your own Andurien Intelligence Agency benefited from our training in this regard—they are far more capable than your average SAFE agent.”
“Indeed they are,” mused Catherine. “This information from Taurus—a trick? A trap?”
“Unknown. But it would behoove both our nations,” and the nameless woman smiled, “if we were to have access to this Core.”
“And the ship?”
“We cannot smuggle in the manpower to either steal it or destroy it—but why should we worry? The Davions and Liaos will fight over it and wind up breaking the toy between them—each blaming the other. So typically male.”
“Possibly—but they will be after the Core as well.”
“Yes. But their best agents are men—men who while capable tend to still favor brawn over brains. Our agents will take a different tack. After all, Dame Catherine, we need only a few minutes of access to the Core in order to make a copy—perhaps a quarter, maybe one half an hour at most. And knowing Taurus,” the woman smiled, “the vast majority of their guards will be male. And therefore quite vulnerable to . . . shall we say, penetration? By my agents. Our agents.”
“Then let it be done.”
“And Janos?”
“He has SAFE, does he not? In a decade or two they might realize there something worth pursuing on Taurus—until then, why bother the old man?”
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