Free Inferno: A Chronicle of a Distant World (The Galactic Comedy) by Mike Resnick Page B

I shall overlook it." He paused and stared at Samuels. "This one time."
    "And since you are not a Man, I shall overlook your threat this one time," shot back Samuels.
    "Gentlemen, this meeting is over," said Barioke. "You are guests on Faligor, and if you will not behave as guests, I will not listen to you."
    "Please, Mr. President," said Cartright hastily. "I am sure Mr. Samuels meant no offense. It is essential that this meeting take place. We have only Faligor's best interests at heart."
    "Did you mean to offend, Mr. Samuels?" asked Barioke.
    Samuel glared at Cartright for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I did not, Mr. President."
    "And if you knew you had caused offense, you would certainly apologize, would you not?" continued Barioke.
    "I apologize," said Samuels softly.
    "Very well, then," said the president. "Now, Mr. Cartright, what have you come to discuss?"
    "Mr. President, this world has been without a constitution or an election for too long. The rights of the citizenry are being eroded almost daily. We cannot force you to change, but we strongly urge that you consider the consequences of your actions."
    "The consequences are quite clear," replied Barioke. "Where there was tribalism, now there is none. Where there was unrest, now the cities are quiet. Where there was inequity, now there is equality."
    "Do you really believe that?" demanded Samuels.
    "You have made us a society of laws," responded Barioke. "If you can show me a place where they are being broken, I will order the army there immediately to set matters right."
    Samuel got to his feet. "He has no intention of listening to us, Arthur, and I, for one, am not going to waste my breath talking to him. We're going to have to get the Republic involved in this."
    He walked out the door, and Cartright was left to apologize for his behavior and steer the conversation back on track. Barioke listened patiently for almost two hours, made an occasional comment, thanked the Men for their concern, and finally dismissed them.
    That evening Jeffrey Samuels was found dead behind a human restaurant in Romulus. The police ruled it an attack by an unknown assailant, and released evidence to indicate that the murderer was a mole. The next morning a mole shopkeeper was arrested, charged with the murder, and executed before noon without a trial, while Samuels' family received a note of condolence personally signed by the president.
    Cartright decided that Barioke had to be stopped, and contacted those officials within the Republic with whom he had remained in touch. Most expressed regret that they were unable to help him, since Faligor was neither a protectorate nor a member world; a few were genuinely amused that his carefully-constructed Utopia was falling apart and he had to beg them for help. But whether amused or regretful, the result was the same: Faligor would have to solve its problems on its own.
    Within weeks a jason journalist released a story that Barioke had funneled millions of credits into a private account on the nearby world of Talisman. He was arrested that afternoon, but not before evidence of his story was mailed to hundreds of Men and government officials.
    Barioke went on video two nights later to deny the charges, declared that any stories impugning the integrity of the office of the president or its present occupant was an act of treason, and declared the matter closed. Nevertheless, a trio of Enkoti lawyers went to Talisman the next morning to institute proceedings to freeze Barioke's bank account until it could be determined whether the money had been misappropriated. As soon as word of their efforts reached him, Barioke flew to Talisman to defend his ownership of the funds.
    And that evening, a large, round, familiar, fur-covered face appeared on every video channel.
    "Good evening, citizens," it said in the Maringo dialect. "I have an announcement to make that is of major importance to every inhabitant of Faligor, no matter what his tribe or