Read Willful Child for Free Online Page A

some penal moon!”
    “Stop prevaricating, Commander,” Hadrian snapped. “As for your penile moon, why, you know where you can stick it. A crime syndicate is operating right under your very nose in this system, which leads to this very pointed question. To whit: Are you a) really that incompetent, or b) corrupt as all hell? Well, I’m here to find out which answer is correct.” Hadrian leaned forward. “Know your ancient history by any chance, Commander?”
    “What?”
    “There was this thing, back in the stone age of the twenty-first century, or thereabouts. It was called ‘extraordinary rendition.’ Ever heard of it?”
    “No! Listen!! What—”
    “Let me explain about ‘extraordinary rendition.’ It’s where a government decides one of its own generals is, and I quote: ‘terrible, and indeed terribly engaged in terroristible activities,’ and yes, that is a quote. Leading that government to swoop in, covertly, and kidnap that general and throw him into a guano-filled cell—that’s right, guano-filled. That was actually specified. Granted, the Benefactors’ rogue EM burst scrambled records a bit, but we’ve recovered plenty. Plenty! Once in that cell, the general was tortured with boards and water, which is assumed to be the evil side of surfing.” Hadrian leaned back. “Kidnapping. Torture. All … acceptable behavior, so long as it comes from the good guys. Just to make this present situation clear to you, Commander. Either you’re incompetent or corrupt, but either way, it’s an act of terroristibleness. ”
    “Are you threatening me? With … kidnapping and torture ?”
    “My mandate is the truth, Commander, and if that takes me down into the cesspit of your command structure in this system, well, the only one coming up smelling of roses will be me.”
    “Are you insane?”
    Hadrian waved a hand. “Geniuses field that particular question every day. Now, I believe we’re approaching your station. Have you sent us the registry list, Commander? I don’t really want to waste time in this cruddy armpit of the Affiliation. Let’s get on with it and the sooner that’s done, the sooner I can get out of your hair.”
    “You have threatened to kidnap and torture me, Captain! And now you expect me to cooperate with you?”
    “Relax, I won’t be kidnapping you. Why would I? I can tell already that I don’t even like you. Ever heard of Stalkerhome syndrome? What with your talk of penile moons, the last thing I want is you hanging around. So, let’s get together on this detail: the more we work together here, the faster we can see the last of each other.”
    “Fine!” The commander threw something at Hadrian’s image. The connection fizzled and winked out.
    Hadrian rose from his chair, adjusted his lime-hued polyester shirt, and then returned to the bridge. “Comms, we got that registry list yet?”
    “Just came in, Captain,” Polaski replied.
    “Good. Now, separate out the automated vessels. We’ll track them down and request their ship logs.”
    Sin-Dour moved up to stand beside the command chair even as Hadrian was sitting down. “Captain, the likelihood of a suborned AI being engaged in smuggling is very remote. This is surely an activity involving real people.”
    “Of course, somewhere down the rabbit hole, there’s probably a corpulent, pimply twat at the very heart of the operation. I am aware of that. But that arch-criminal Dr. Wu or whatever his name is, well, he’s smart. He thinks outside the FedEx box. I’ve taken the measure of the local fleet commander and I’m pretty sure he isn’t corrupt. There’s a more obvious reason why he hit the ceiling and ended up in this backwater. So, think, 2IC—wouldn’t that fool follow the Book on investigative procedures? Of course he would, and so he did, and found nothing. No, Sin-Dour, just take my lead on this, and we’ll end up in a bed of clover.”
    “Uh, of course, sir.”
    Polaski said, “Captain, we have the