Nikanatedanniell

Chapter 42 Fifteen minutes of fame

Niel swooped Debby up and circled her around the floor with loud whoops.  They ended up in a tight hug and giggles. 

"Danniell sir," one of the guards spoke, "we are your humble servants. What would you have us do?"

Niel put Debby down and faced the guards. They were still kneeling by the body. Niel walked over to them and while extending his arm to each in turn said, "stand up please. Serve the Parents, not Their servant. Please go outside and ask Supreme Commander Kershon to come in. Brief him on what happened."

"Begging your pardon sir, I will only tell him what I saw because I am not sure what happened."

Niel smiled, "that will be fine, thank you."

After the guards left Nikki walked over to the shell that was once an emperor and stood for a long moment. Debby joined her and took her hand. "Aunt Nikki, I guess we're both orphans," she said sadly. "I didn't expect to live with him, but I hoped he would change to a nice person so I could talk to him once in a while."

Nikki squeezed the small hand, "so did I." She knelt and faced the half-sized Amazon. "No one is ever an orphan if she has family. The day after I listened to the teaching cube Grandma told me she thought I would find family here and we did. We lost our parents but we have each other, the Breckets and lots of Loboths and Sandelezes that we haven't even met yet. I bet you have a grandma and grandpa that will spoil you rotten."

"Oh yeah," Debby cheered up. "Mommy's mommy and daddy, I didn't even think about them. I was too busy thinking about," she looked at the body, "him. I guess we don't hafta be sad, just miss them."

"Sounds good to me." Then Nikki switched to Maeta, "we have a very large birdcage to open. Let us go find out what Niel wants to do now."

They walked over to where Niel was talking with the Prophet. "Right," he said when he saw them, "as soon as Marcin comes in, ah, here he is now."

The doors opened and the Palace Security guards returned with Kershon and several of his followers. They all stopped and stared incredulously at the corpse. Kershon walked over to it and shook his head. "You did not exaggerate," he exclaimed. Then to Niel, "How did this happen?"

Niel pulled Debby in front of him. "I will let the one who knows tell you."

Debby looked up and with a sly smile said, "he wanted the full power of the Eye. Father God gave it to him. I guess all that power got very old very fast."

Niel and Nikki laughed.

Kershon smiled in amazement. "I guess so," he told her and then to Niel, "what now Danniell?  You wish to publicize this I imagine."

"In every way," Niel said. "I want the Death Examiner's office in here first. I want an official declaration of death before I let the media in. What time is it?"

Kershon consulted his watch and replied, "half-past eleven."

"He died about five minutes ago. Is not there a main communications office from where you can send an empire wide message?"

"Yes sir, it is across the hall. What do you wish the message to say?"

"What indeed, it has to be exact. Give me a moment."

While Niel thought, Kershon ordered guards to summon the coroner and get him a hand tablet. One guard stepped aside and activated her com unit; another pulled the needed writing tool from his pack.

"Alright here it is," Niel dictated slowly. "At 11:25 today Kart Loboth, former Casarónian Emperor died at his residence incident to advanced old age. With him at the time of death were his daughter Dracia Sandelez-Loboth, Zerel Shamin, leader of the Followers of the Redeemer and his wife Joriana Shamin. Control of the empire is now in the hands of the Imperial Senate. All Armed Forces personnel will cease fire. Details will be forthcoming." He concluded with a wave of his hand, "we will let the reporters fill in the details.  Would you also arrange for a car to take the Shamins home?  And of course order the ceasefire."