Read Starfist: Hangfire for Free Online Page A

people throughout Human Space. It offered its contestants, ordinary working men and women, the chance for instant riches. All they had to do was answer correctly a set of very simple questions while revealing the most intimate details about their personal lives. The prizes were so huge nobody could blame a miner from Diamunde, or a waitress on Wanderjahr, for instance, for divulging the details of their sex lives to hundreds of millions of other people. The show ran on dozens of worlds, each with its own host. The contestants, men and women perfectly groomed, were ageless personalities virtually worshiped by their audiences.
    And the Grand Prize on each show was an all-expense-paid, top-of-the-line month-long vacation on Havanagas.
    "Gentlemen," Chang-Sturdevant continued, "in this regard, our policy toward Havanagas is ruled by show biz. Shut it down and," she shrugged, "I take heat I don't need. Running the Confederation Council is work enough by itself, I don't need legitimate investors and a trillion fans screaming for my head because I've ruined their fantasy. Shut Havanagas down, no; clean it up, yes. And I don't want anyone to know about it. And if things go bad, I've got to be able to deny my administration had anything to do with it. You take the heat if the operation blows up. I hate to say that, gentlemen, but to survive in politics sometimes you have to lie or sacrifice your loyal supporters."
    Nast and Long exchanged glances. They nodded; losing their jobs would be worth it if they could clean up Havanagas.
    "Also, gentlemen," the president continued, "don't forget there is a highly fragmented, indigenous resistance movement on Havanagas, people who want the mob out of their lives. They're not in the majority and they are largely ineffective, but the movement is alive. They could complicate things. They will want to fill the void when the mob bosses are gone. Have you thought about that, Mr. Nast?"
    "My plan will be executed with utter discretion, ma'am," he replied. "I call it ‘Operation Hangfire’
    and—"
    Chang-Sturdevant raised an eyebrow, "‘Hangfire,’ did you say? Translation, please!"
    "Oh, sorry, ma'am. The expression goes back to the days of gunpowder firearms and literally means a cartridge that does not fire immediately. But in another sense it means a slow and deadly reaction, and that's what Operation Hangfire will be to the mob."
    "Thank you, Thom." Chang-Sturdevant smiled. "Please continue."
    "Well, you mentioned the resistance movement, ma'am, the Havanagas Liberation Front, it's called. I am going to use it to rid Havanagas of the mobsters. And to answer your other question, no, ma'am, I hadn't thought about who'll run the place afterward. But shouldn't that be left up to the citizens of Havanagas and the legitimate stockholders in the enterprises that support the world's economy? I assure you, we can pull this off without destroying Havanagas or embarrassing your administration in the process."
    "How?" Chang-Sturdevant and Long asked at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.
    "How, Mr. Nast?" the president asked.
    "By snatching the leadership. I don't need convincing evidence of all their crimes, only one, and when I've got it I can take them all into custody. Many great criminal leaders over the centuries have been destroyed because they were convicted of relatively minor felonies. Tax evasion is one. As soon as I have the hard evidence I need, I'll take them." Briefly he explained how he would do it. "You see," he concluded, "the plan is flexible."
    Chang-Sturdevant and Long were silent for a moment, thinking. "It might work," Long said at last. He sighed and shifted his bulk in his chair. But it might not work, he reminded himself. "Larry, I think I'll have that drink now."
    "Very good, sir. I recall you enjoy bourbon with a dash of distilled water?"
    "Today, I want a cold Reindeer. Don't leave a head on it, Larry."
    "Tell me this, Mr. Nast," Chang-Sturdevant said. "I