Diamond Star by Catherine Asaro Read Free Book Online Page A

keep you around."
    "You want him to do this?"
    "His family can hardly accuse us of forcing him to stay if he insists on it. And he'll be right here, under our control." He considered Mac. "How does this front-liner thing work? Do you manage him, too? The more we keep you involved, the better."
    Mac couldn't believe he was hearing this. "I just get him the contract. I'm not a manager. I don't have enough experience. And it would take a lot of time away from my other clients."
    "But could you do it?"
    Could he? Mac didn't know if it was a good idea for Del's career, and he disliked the idea of being responsible for someone so important to interstellar politics. But he had to admit it made sense. Although concentrating on Del's career would mean giving up some of his other clients, he would receive a percentage of Del's income, which could be substantial if Del succeeded.
    "I might be able to," Mac said. "Assuming I could find good front-liners for my other clients. But Del would have to agree, with full knowledge that I'm reporting back to you."
    "Do you think he will?"
    "I don't know." Mac exhaled. "It's his safety I'm worried about. He'll be leaving the base a lot more. He should have more security than me and my monitors."
    Fitz nodded. "We'll get him a full-time bodyguard. One of the teched-up Marines. With all the bioware those boys carry in their bodies, it'll be as if he has a phalanx of guards."
    "You can't have a Marine hulking around him!" Mac wondered if Fitz had any clue of the life Del would be living, especially on the road. "It would be like putting a sign over Del's head saying, 'Hey, look, I'm important.' "
    The general spoke wryly. "I'm not that out of it, Mac. We'll get someone who fits in. He can be part of--what do you call it? Del's staff."
    "His team. He doesn't have one yet."
    "Good. You can set it up," Fitz said. "We'll also need to implant a tracker in his body."
    "He already has one."
    Fitz snorted. "For all the good it does us. He isn't about to give us the key to one his own people put in him."
    Mac could imagine Del's explosion at the idea of yet another invasion of his privacy. "He'll never agree to a second one."
    "See if you can convince him. And we need Del to let his family know he's staying on Earth of his own free will."
    Mac almost groaned. It would be easier to convince Del to roll naked in a hill of fire ants than to talk to his family. "I'll try. But I can't make any promises on that."
    Fitz's gaze never wavered. "We'll be depending on you."
    Mac had felt before as if the roof were sagging; now it was caving in. Not only did he have to worry about Del loose in the holo-vid industry, but Fitz wanted him personally responsible for the prince. Damn it, I'm a civilian. He could walk out on this. But if he did, he would antagonize people he had no wish to alienate, starting with a top-ranked general. Besides, he already felt responsible for Del.
    Mac took a breath. "All right. I'll do my best."
    He just hoped it didn't all come crashing down on him.

    Del's living room balcony overlooked the glistening expanse of a river. In the distance, across the water, the Naval Academy basked in rays of the setting sun. The interplay of the aged light and rippled water fascinated Del.
    "Brighter than the crystal caves," Del sang softly. "Sunlight glancing on the waves." He used English because he finally had a good reason to learn it. Someone wanted to sell his songs.
    He kept expecting the woman Ricki to contact him and say they had made a mistake, that they weren't interested after all. Or that other person would tell him, the man. A vice president for technology, mechanicals, and media? What the blazes did that mean? Mac said "mechanicals" was a term from long ago, when mechanical devices played music. But then, Mac also claimed the deal with Prime-Nova was binding even though he hadn't finished negotiating it. To Del, it all felt as ephemeral as mist under a morning sun.
    A chime sounded inside the