The Liberation Paradox

The King of Paradoxes

Eddie Daniau

23:45

(last night)

Eddie Daniau, owner of the Paradox Hotel and leader of the Paradox "organization," had been enjoying a nightcap in his 17th floor penthouse and anticipating going to bed when his phone rang. It was Oswin Miles, his chief lieutenant. Eddie sighed. Miles wouldn't be disturbing him at this late hour unless it was something important.

And likely something bad.

Eddie set his drink down and answered the phone on the second ring. "What's going on, Miles?"

"Sorry to call you so late, Mr. Daniau, but you're probably going to want to see this. Couple of the boys caught some small-time conman running a hustle in the hotel. Selling counterfeit mining bonds for cash under the table."

Eddie felt that there was more to the story than just that. Miles likely wouldn't have called him at this hour over a simple conman running a hustle in the hotel. Likely, Miles would have just had his enforcers clean the guy out, beat him up, and throw him out on the street. Normally, Miles would have told Eddie about it in the morning. There was more to the story. Eddie sighed, "What else?"

"Reason the boys noticed him, he was meeting with Kenneth Harmon."

That got Eddie's attention. Ken Harmon was the leader of the Distortion Planetary Congress's conservative caucus. He was the hypocrite son of a bitch who led the congress in the daily prayer circle. Ken Harmon was one of the principal supporters of a new racketeering and anti-corruption bill that was designed to make life harder on "honest businessmen" like Eddie. And here he was, Mr. High-And-Mighty himself, caught in a dirty deal in a hotel room. "And? Tell me no one was stupid enough to hurt Congressman Harmon?"

"No, sir. The congressman is okay. Scared half out of his mind that we might... um, hurt him, but otherwise unharmed. We've got him and his bodyguard here in your office."

"That's good. What about the conman?"

"He's unharmed, too. We got him in room eight." Room eight, or more accurately room 1608, was a secure room on the 16th floor. It was where the enemies of Eddie's "organization" were brought to be "questioned." "There's something else, though, Mr. Daniau."

Eddie sensed some hesitation from his lieutenant. "Yes?"

"Well, um, we think he's been running this scam of his for some time right here in your hotel. We caught him with a large sum of cash in his possession and he's been checked in for over three weeks."

Eddie was silent for a long moment. It looked very bad indeed that some small-time hustler had managed to operate right under their noses for so long. Who does a thing like that? Either some rube from off world who doesn't know whose hotel he was operating in or some dangerous operator who knew exactly whose hotel this was. Eddie would definitely have to have a chat with that man. "Very well. I'm coming to my office. First thing we need to deal with is Congressman Harmon. Offer the congressman a drink and tell him I'll be with him shortly."

"Yes, sir."

Eddie hung up the phone without saying goodbye. His mind was already calculating how to turn this potentially hazardous situation to his advantage. Eddie Daniau had risen from a street level nobody to become the leader of the Paradox Syndicate by always being able to leverage unfortunate situations to his advantage. And by always being more ruthless than the next guy.

Mr. Daniau

00:02

(last night)