The Code War by Ciaran Nagle Page A

we find you in
reflective mood . There are not many who
come to Navaho's to meditate.'
    'Madam Bezejel,' said Hideki,
noticing her for the first time and half-bowing where he sat. 'It's
a great pleasure to see you again. Won't you join me for a
drink?'
    Bezejel sat down slowly in the opposite chair and crossed her legs
tightly. She looked around her at the gawking faces, which rapidly
turned away. Kodrob, Gog and Magog stood
respectfully three paces back.
    'Now, what is your poison?' asked Hideki, rapping the table in front of
him. A serving vixen in high red heels appeared and placed a bottle and two glasses on the table. 'Our best
cold diesel ma'am,' she said, without making eye
contact.
    The drumbeat restarted. The chatter around them picked up.
    Hideki poured some fuel into both glasses and pushed one across to
Bezejel. He also poured some into a small bowl by his feet and
pushed it towards his slavegirl. Kodrob could see the creature's
eyes focus on the drink. But she was waiting for the order of
command before she would imbibe.
    Hideki raised his glass to Bezejel. 'I trust you are happy with
the performance of my department so far, Lady Bezejel. You are here
to reward and congratulate me, no doubt.'
    'Hideki, you squaw-voucher
thieving son of Nippon, ' replied Bezejel,
completely ignoring the slave footrest. 'Why shouldn't I have you
sent to the incinerators for a thousand years? You didn't tell me
that knicker-dropping shiksa Nancy isn't a shiksa at all. She's a
Hebrew of tribe Judah. That could be important.'
    Hideki smiled broadly.
H e was clearly familiar with Bezejel's
verbal salvos and was not the least intimidated.
    'Bezejel , my satyr-squeezing friend, you're a motivation to us all.
But you clearly haven't looked at the notes I sent you. Remember,
detail is for devils.'
    'Go on.' Bezejel had relaxed a
little. Nobody spoke to her like this without a very good
reason.
    'I have spent a lot of time in the
company of the young woman Nancy. Observing her. I know her
intimately. Well, almost intimately.'
    Watching his expression, Kodrob could guess just how intimately Hideki
would like to know Nancy. If he ever got the chance.
    The Japanese demon looked up at
Bezejel. 'I sent you a sheaf of
information when the Leader first asked you to take the project.
Maybe it got lost en route?' Hideki held his hands in front of him,
fingers together, steeple-style.
    'I don't read, Hideki. Everyone knows
that. I expect to be told anything important.' Bezejel was trying
to be fierce but it wasn't quite working.
    'Ah .'
    Hideki picked up his glass and
took a mouthful of diesel. He swished it around his mouth for a
moment. Then replacing the glass on the table he picked up a
lighted candle and held it in front of his mouth. As he blew
upwards, a perfect cloud of flame leapt twenty feet into the vault
above.
    Heads turned nervously all around
the room as curious demons and squaws followed the flame cloud.
They twisted in their seats to see what was going on at Hideki's
table without drawing attention to themselves. Everyone had
expected Hideki to be roasted by now. It hadn't
happened.
    'Ah so,' Hideki repeated quietly
to Bezejel. 'Then let me take the opportunity now.'
    The other demons turned back to their own business. It was
dangerous to stare in Bezejel's direction for too long.
    'We have known for a long time
that Nancy is a Jew. That was a factor in her selection. But not
the only factor. Here is why she excites us. We have looked back
many generations into her past and there are significant character
strengths in one of her ancestors which we can, with care, bring
forward to poison her mind permanently. Those strengths include
ambition and lust for power in impressive quantities. What you see
in Nancy now is like the painted flower that conceals a hidden
serpent under it. Soon you will see the serpent, dragon even,
reveal itself in her and lay the foundations of the empire that
will last a thousand years.'
    'Dragon?' Bezejel knew