Stoner was a throwback to the great conquerors of Africa. He ruled his fiefdom with an iron hand and with little interference from the government in the capital. The government’s writ didn’t run here. So Stoner meted out justice as he saw fit to the 300 or so native villages within his domain. He had his own little army complete with helicopters and the equipage of a small Marine battalion. He used this army to enforce his will within the borders of his empire and to keep friendly the rulers in the capital city. During the last coup attempt there, Stoner’s men had held the balance of power and the streets ran red before they were done preserving the rule of Stoner’s select.
Stoner had not yet stirred. He was sleeping, naked, in his huge four-poster bed. At the foot of his bed was a small
