Carnifex

6/10/466 AC, Zioni Embassy, Ciudad Balboa

The Jewish Brigadier, Yonatan Bar El, laughed aloud. "Yes, Duque," he answered. "I do rather understand the problems inherent in the Legion using Zioni equipment in Arab lands. Even your friends—and we in Zion are amazed at some of the friends you've made—wouldn't, just as you say, know whether to support you or shoot at you. Still, you must admit, our Chariot is a tank infinitely superior to the Volgan dreck you've been using."

"The Volgan stuff is better than you admit, Yoni," Carrera replied. "After all, don't you use every piece of Volgan equipment you can get your hands on, after a quality rebuild."

"We do," the Jew admitted.

"Well, we have a substantial, if not quite controlling interest, in the Kirov tank factory. They do a quality initial build. We're pretty happy with our equipment, with a few exceptions."

"Which exceptions," the Zioni inquired. Maybe there was a sale to be made after all.

"Lighter but longer ranged artillery would be nice. Small arms are acceptable but . . . " Carrera shrugged eloquently.

"But the Volgan Bakanovas don't really have the range you would like."

"They lack range," Carrera admitted. "They lack penetration—"

Lourdes, wearing a long, silk sheath dress interrupted. "Patricio, Mrs. Bar El asked me to her family quarters. Do you mind if I slip out for a few minutes?"

The other half of the sales team, Carrera thought, answering, "Not at all, miel. I'll still be here when you return."

Lourdes pecked chastely at Carrera's cheek before turning to sway away. Yoni Bar El's eyes followed for just as long as politeness permitted, while thinking, Yum.

"We have a new small arms system in Zion . . . " he said, once he could tear his eyes away from Lourdes' seductively swaying posterior.

"I know. We've looked at the SAR-47. Not interested."

"Yeah . . . our troops don't like it either." It was Bar El's turn to shrug. "Though I expected them to like the grenade system that goes with it."

"Now that looked to have promise," Carrera agreed. "But what we really want is something that takes advantage of all the recent developments in small arms: super fast burst rates to make burst fire practical—the Bakanova has that, but only for two rounds, a cartridge firing a bullet with really superior ballistics, combustible casings, electronic ignition, integral limited visibility sights."

"It's funny, isn't it?" the Zioni observed. "There really are a number of major . . . oh . . . possibilities out there, and nobody seems interested in pursuing them. You would think that the FSC—"

"That much I don't really understand myself," Carrera said. "I served in the FS Army for quite a long time. The rifle my troops were last issued wasn't any better, really, than the rifle I'd been first issued. And it was a twenty-year-old design then. But they don't seem able to come up with a new one. This would be fine if the old one were great. But it wasn't."

"In any case," Bar El said, "we've blown our small arms design budget on the SAR-47 and we're stuck with it. And it's not a bad weapon, really. But now, we've got our designers reduced to making oversized pistols for Columbians with penis envy."

It was Carrera's turn to snicker. Then he turned serious. "You know, Yoni, I still do have money for small arms development. Maybe we could arrange something."