Robert Asprin – Tambu

“How will they stop me–kill me?” Tambu laughed sardonically. “That’s what it would take, and either way, they won’t have Tambu at the controls anymore. No, hopefully they’ll realize that if I’m not working willingly, I’ll be no good to them at all.”

“That’s if they’re thinking logically, which they don’t always do,” Ramona retorted. “At the very least, a lot of people are going to try to talk you out of it.”

“I know. One of the things I don’t know yet is how and when I’m going to make the announcement-if at all. It’ll blow things wide open if I do it at the captains’ meeting. Ideally, I’d like to wait until the Council idea has been passed and the members chosen, then tell them in a private meeting. That would give me some time to work with them, train them, and help organize the new structure before I left. I’ll just have to wait and see what the temperature of the water is like at the meeting before I make up my mind on that. Maybe it would be easier to just establish the structure and then disappear-you know, missing in action. They can’t argue with me if they can’t find me.”

“Well, I can’t see any way you can make a popular move,” Ramona said. “If you let the captains in on your decision, they’ll turn on you like a pack of animals.”

“So what’s new?” Tambu smiled. “I’ve gotten used to it over the last couple years. You know, Ramona, lately

I’ve taken to seeing the captains as opponents rather than allies. They’re a force to be dealt with-and they scare me more than the Defense Alliance ever could. If the Alliance starts getting frisky, I’ve got the fleet to fight them with. If the captains get upset, though, it’s just me and them. No one’s going to intercede in my behalf.”