and Jeff's got to run things and won't be a big help on this anyway. Tell somebody to get to New Pericles. Bring both Spirit and Morgaine if they can. Tell 'em we'll meet 'em at the old West Gate. All of them. West Gate in—oh, two days. Suzl, you stand by with me. Me, I'm going down to the stringer office now and fire off a message to Cassie she's not gonna like."
Suzl was excited. "You're sending for Cass ?"
"No. Damn it, she's totally immune to Flux. Totally. Anybody shoots her, all the wizards in the world can't stop the bleeding, or mend a broken arm. Up at the Guild redoubt she's got doctors for that. She's also lecturing in history at the Guild college, and doing a fine job raising prize horses and good beef. I'm telling her to stay put. That's what she isn't gonna like. But I want her standing by with a world-class Guild wizard, the strongest there. It's entirely possible we may have to fly her God-knows-where at a moment's notice."
Suzl looked at him. "You've got a plan."
"A bunch of ideas. Can't have a plan until they make the next move."
Rondell looked at him in wonder. "You're actually enjoying this! All these dead, three innocent kids out there in terror, a horror weapon in the hands of their kidnappers, and you're enjoying this!"
Matson sighed. "Son, last night five firefighters died fighting those blazes. It's a crappy, risky job that's ninety percent boredom and ten percent life on the line. They don't get much respect, but they're necessary. Ever wonder why anybody'd be one?"
"Huh? I don't see. . . ."
"There's some folks that just love fires. It's a thing in their heads. The crazy ones go around setting them, or just follow the firefighters and dote on 'em. Now, the firefighter's got the same disease, only he's a sane and normal sort. He doesn't want any fires to break out. He doesn't want anybody to get hurt, and he doesn't want anybody to lose property to fire. But, by God, if there's a fire, he wants to be there! Same with me. I hate this kind of shit for the damage it does to people's lives and futures. I really do. I wish there never was a bad crisis or a gang of murderers or a kid kidnapped or abused or invaders from another world or anything else. I like peace. Among my happiest times were the past few years. But I got a talent and I'm good at what I do. If there's some kind of trouble I want to be there. And, by God, here I am again."
At that moment a young security officer came in. Internal security hadn't been very friendly to them up to now, but because they were directly involved in this there was a certain level of consultation that was grudgingly given.
Suzl grinned sardonically when she saw the officer. Major Verdugo did not look pleased at being a messenger boy.
"Yes, Major?" Matson prompted.
"Verdugo, sir. Internal security. I've been assigned as your liaison in this unpleasantness so long as you remain in New Eden."
Matson's lips curled into a sour smile. "In case we get contacted by the kidnappers or something, you mean. I'm not a novice at this system, Major. You did what you did under orders, but your patron's dead now and your superiors have decided that it's all your fault because it can't be theirs. Your career depends on a successful resolution of this mess. All right—we can't avoid you at this stage. Have they found where the raiders crossed into Flux yet?"
Verdugo was not used to being spoken to like that, and he bristled. His eyes clearly betrayed his wounded ego. Matson had deliberately made an enemy of him.
"No, sir. No trace of the lorry or the others. It's most puzzling. We've had the army scouring every millimeter of Flux border along the eastern frontier and there's nothing. No sign at all, not even tracks."
"Uh huh. Then they didn't go out that way."
"But they must have, Mr. Ryan. They would certainly be conspicuous now heading either west or southwest along the route they came from."
"Then you've either missed them or they're still here someplace. It was
Suzl was excited. "You're sending for Cass ?"
"No. Damn it, she's totally immune to Flux. Totally. Anybody shoots her, all the wizards in the world can't stop the bleeding, or mend a broken arm. Up at the Guild redoubt she's got doctors for that. She's also lecturing in history at the Guild college, and doing a fine job raising prize horses and good beef. I'm telling her to stay put. That's what she isn't gonna like. But I want her standing by with a world-class Guild wizard, the strongest there. It's entirely possible we may have to fly her God-knows-where at a moment's notice."
Suzl looked at him. "You've got a plan."
"A bunch of ideas. Can't have a plan until they make the next move."
Rondell looked at him in wonder. "You're actually enjoying this! All these dead, three innocent kids out there in terror, a horror weapon in the hands of their kidnappers, and you're enjoying this!"
Matson sighed. "Son, last night five firefighters died fighting those blazes. It's a crappy, risky job that's ninety percent boredom and ten percent life on the line. They don't get much respect, but they're necessary. Ever wonder why anybody'd be one?"
"Huh? I don't see. . . ."
"There's some folks that just love fires. It's a thing in their heads. The crazy ones go around setting them, or just follow the firefighters and dote on 'em. Now, the firefighter's got the same disease, only he's a sane and normal sort. He doesn't want any fires to break out. He doesn't want anybody to get hurt, and he doesn't want anybody to lose property to fire. But, by God, if there's a fire, he wants to be there! Same with me. I hate this kind of shit for the damage it does to people's lives and futures. I really do. I wish there never was a bad crisis or a gang of murderers or a kid kidnapped or abused or invaders from another world or anything else. I like peace. Among my happiest times were the past few years. But I got a talent and I'm good at what I do. If there's some kind of trouble I want to be there. And, by God, here I am again."
At that moment a young security officer came in. Internal security hadn't been very friendly to them up to now, but because they were directly involved in this there was a certain level of consultation that was grudgingly given.
Suzl grinned sardonically when she saw the officer. Major Verdugo did not look pleased at being a messenger boy.
"Yes, Major?" Matson prompted.
"Verdugo, sir. Internal security. I've been assigned as your liaison in this unpleasantness so long as you remain in New Eden."
Matson's lips curled into a sour smile. "In case we get contacted by the kidnappers or something, you mean. I'm not a novice at this system, Major. You did what you did under orders, but your patron's dead now and your superiors have decided that it's all your fault because it can't be theirs. Your career depends on a successful resolution of this mess. All right—we can't avoid you at this stage. Have they found where the raiders crossed into Flux yet?"
Verdugo was not used to being spoken to like that, and he bristled. His eyes clearly betrayed his wounded ego. Matson had deliberately made an enemy of him.
"No, sir. No trace of the lorry or the others. It's most puzzling. We've had the army scouring every millimeter of Flux border along the eastern frontier and there's nothing. No sign at all, not even tracks."
"Uh huh. Then they didn't go out that way."
"But they must have, Mr. Ryan. They would certainly be conspicuous now heading either west or southwest along the route they came from."
"Then you've either missed them or they're still here someplace. It was
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