Stephen Goldin - Tsar Wars: Agents of ISIS, Book 1

Agents Of ISIS

Book 1:

Published by Parsina Press atSmashwords

You can buy a paperback copy of TsarWars at https://www.createspace.com/3436876 .

Copyright 2010 by Stephen Goldin. AllRights Reserved.

Cover photo courtesy of the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration.

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dedicated to Isaac Asimov

who taught us that breaking up is hard to do

particularly when its a galactic empire

RANKS

tsar (m), tsaritsa (f), tsary (m pl), tsaritsy (fpl): supremeruler

velikiy knyaz (m), velikaya knyaghinya (f), velikie knyazya(m pl), velikie knyaghini (f pl): child or consort of ruler

knyaz (m), knyaghinya (f), knyazya (m pl), knyaghini (fpl) : ruler of a sectorof space comprising one or more stars

graf (m), grafinya (f), grafy (pl): ruler of a solar system or anindividual planet

baron (m), baronessa (f), barony (pl): ruler of a city or specificlocale

dvoryanin (m), dvoryanka (f), dvoryane (pl): person of thenobility, specifically of noble birth

boyarin (m), boyarynya (f), boyare (pl) : person of non-hereditary nobility,usually a lifetime-appointment

kupets (m), kupchikha (f), kuptsy (pl) : person of high middleclass

krepostnoy (m), krepostnaya (f), krepostnye (pl): person of lowerclass

RUNGLISH WORDS AND PHRASES

blyad, blyady (pl): whore

Bog znaet: God knows

Bozhe moi!: My God!

chetvertak, chetvertaky (pl): one-quarter ruble, 25kopecki

da: yes, okay

damy i gospoda: ladies and gentlemen

Da zdravstvuyet Imperiya!: Long live the Empire!

Da zdravstvuyet tsaritsa!: Long live the tsaritsa!

dub (slang, pronounced doob), duby (pl): bodyguard, hiredmuscle (literally oak)

Duma: legislative assembly

desiatka: 10 rublei

freilina, freiliny (pl): lady-in-waiting

gornichnaya, gornichnie (pl): maid

gospodin, gospoda (pl): Mr.

gospozha: Ms.

gossie: missy (slang)

imperatritsa: empress

kavalergard, kavalergardy (pl): palace guard

kopeck, kopecki (pl): 1/100 of a ruble

legavye: derogatory slang term for militsia

lyubovnika: lover, honey, sugar (slang)

menty (pl): derogatory term for members of the militia

militsioner, militsia (pl): member of the militia

nichevoh: nothing; its nothing; dont worry

oprichnik (m), oprichnikya (f). oprichniki (pl): bodyguard, muscle,strong arm, goon

piatak, piataki (pl): 5 kopecki = 1/20 of a ruble

politseiskiy, politseiskie (pl): police officer

politsia: police, police force

ruble, rublei (pl): basic unit of currency

shliukha, shliukhi (pl): slut

sotnia: 100 rublei

Sovyet Knyazey: a special legislative/advisory council composed ofknyazya

sterva. stervy (pl): shrew, bitch

suka, suki (pl): bitch

tovarishch, tovarishchi (pl): comrade

tsarstvo: territory ruled by a tsar

zek, zeki (pl): prisoner; resident of Gulag

Acknowledging Olga Gardner Galvin for herinvaluable help with the Russian language

The open-air mall was bustling with earlyafternoon shoppers walking to and fro. Many had specific errands torun. Others were simply window-shopping or enjoying the fineafternoon. The ebb and flow of foot traffic guaranteed anonymityand privacy without calling particular attention to oneself.

For one particular man who was busy appearingcasual, that was exactly how he wanted it. Wong Chins gait was acarefully calculated stroll; he had a couple of hours of leisuretime at his disposal, so he didnt need to hurry. At the same timehis mothers birthday was coming up soon, so this was a legitimateshopping trip for a gift. There was nothing to arouse anyonessuspicions.

Chin was dressed in the uniform of thekavalergardy, which got him some extra looks but not an excessiveamount. It would have been more suspicious if hed changed intocivilian clothes for this errand. It would have looked as though hehad something to hideand since he did, that was an appearance bestavoided.

He was approaching the gift shop where heintended to make his purchase, at the same time keeping asurreptitious eye on the time. He also kept careful track of thecrowd around him, making sure no one was following him. Atprecisely the specified time Chin calmly lifted his wristcom up tohis mouth, as though to make a personal memo. In a quiet,matter-of-fact voice he said, Dispatch 226. In a singleelectronic blip, the message hed carefully composed, encrypted andcompressed was transmitted from his computer through a local relayto a topcomm repeater that carried the information to itsdestination many parsecs away.

With that accomplished, Chin felt a greatwave of relief sweep over himthough he did not show it outwardly.The most crucial part of this excursion was done. For better orworse the information he knew would quickly be in trusted hands.Now he could concentrate on the more innocent task of choosing hismothers birthday gift. Being the methodical person he was, hedalready scouted out the shop where his purchase would takeplace.

His mother had always been fond ofhand-crafted music boxes. A store here in this mall carried awonderful assortment. Wong Chin spent a relaxed twenty minutesinspecting the wares before deciding on his purchase, a music boxwith a dancing bear on top. He had the shopkeeper wrap it up and,carrying it carefully, he returned to the knyazs palace.

As he entered the private gate, before hecould go to his quarters and drop off the package, he received acall on his wristcom. Captain Chin, the knyaz would like to seeyou immediately. Report to his study at once.

Chin frowned. Anything out of the ordinarywas suspicious, and posed a risk to his safety. I have a packageto drop off in my room, and then Ill

He needs you at once. I doubt hell mind ifyou bring the package with you.

On my way, then, Chin said. His voice wascrisp and correct, but inwardly he was worried. The knyaz had onlyseen him three times in the six months Chin had been working here,and had never singled him out for anything. Why this suddenurgencyand why today of all days? Still, he had no legitimatereason to balk at the orders, so he entered the main building andproceeded to the knyazs second-floor study.

Captain Chin entered the study through itswest door. The study was a large room with dark breckwood panelingon the east, west and north walls. Inset shelves on these wallsheld actual printed books with leather bindings in brown, black andoxblood. In addition to the west door there were two doors alongthe east wall and three along the long north wall. Chin didnt knowwhere any of these doors led; hed always used the west door on thefew occasions when hed come here.

The entire south wall was a picture windowoverlooking the knyazs private zoo. This menagerie was one of theknyazs obsessions, containing some of the most interestingcreatures from the many worlds in his sector. He took great pridein the fact that it was considered among the top privatecollections in the entire Empire.

In front of the picture window was a heavycherrywood desk carved with ornate scrollwork along the legs andgeometric designs on the sides. The top was flat and inset with alarge tridee tank, currently blank.