A Dark and Hungry God Arises by Stephen R. Donaldson Page A

who saw him once would recognize him again.
    He was a failed - or an incompletely successful -
    experiment: a human being who'd been given a mutagen which the Amnion had hoped would make him one of them - genetically, psychologically - while leaving his physical form intact. Only pieces of his former self remained, however: the stubborn residue of his humanity. He retained some areas of his brain, some human habits or resources of thought. Much of his body was still human: one arm, most of his chest, both shins, half his face. And he was able to breathe human air without much difficulty. But his knees were knots of Amnion skin so thick that his shipsuit had to be cut away to let him move freely. His other arm looked like a metallic tree limb gone to rust. And half his face was distorted by an unblinking Amnion eye as well as by sharp teeth with no lips to cover them.
    He entered the bridge between Liete and Simper as if he had no fear - as if he'd been made oblivious to his own mortality by the essentially Amnion knowledge that he had no individual significance; that his uniqueness among his people was only a tool, not a matter of identity.
    That was his strength. It may also have been his weakness.
    'Don't tell me, ' Nick drawled as soon as the emissary stood before him. 'You want to sit. '
    Marc Vestabule blinked his human eye at this reference to their previous encounter. In a voice like flakes of rust scraped off an iron bar, he replied, 'No, Captain Succorso. I want you to honor your bargains with the Amnion. '
    Nick shrugged. Well, I'm going to sit. Looking at a shit like you makes me weak in the knees. ' A small flick of his hand sent Mikka away from the command station.
    Sprawling casually into the g-seat, he turned it to face Vestabule.
    As he grinned into the emissary's gaze, he said, 'Scorz, set up a recording of this. Put it on automatic relay. If anything happens to us - for instance, if we're attacked while we aren't looking, or if Vestabule here is on a kaze mission - I want Operations to hear everything we say.
    But only, ' he cautioned, 'if we're attacked or damaged.
    As long as this clown plays straight with us, we'll keep the conversation to ourselves. '
    'Right. ' Scorz went to work promptly.
    'Now, ' Nick said to Vestabule, 'why don't you start by telling me exactly what bargains you want me to honor
    - and why. Just so we all know specifically what we're talking about. '
    Including Operations.
    The blinking of Vestabule's eye was the only hint that he may have experienced human agitation or anger. Like his expression and his posture, his tone revealed nothing as he replied, 'Captain Succorso, this is foolish. You protect yourself from dangers which do not exist, and at the same time you aggravate your true peril. You have entered into agreements with the Amnion' - he appeared to grope for the right word - Voluntary agreements.
    'The mutual satisfaction of requirements. " We satisfied your requirements. You did not satisfy ours. '
    That's not my fault, ' Nick put in amiably. 'I told you
    - the mother of that brat went crazy. You might call it a mutiny of one. I got her back under control - but she was crazier than I thought. She escaped again. '
    As if Nick hadn't spoken, Vestabule continued, 'On more than one occasion, you have promised to fulfill your part of the agreements. But you have not done so. You have accepted our demand for recompense for the difficulties you have caused us. But you have not provided that recompense. This is not honorable trade. '
    Nick sharpened his grin. 'You aren't listening. I said she escaped again. I had her locked up, but she got out.
    That's the only reason you didn't get what I promised you. She reprogrammed the ejection pod. '
    That, ' the emissary pronounced flatly, 'is not our concern. '
    The hell it isn't. ' Nick feigned a little anger. It came easily, but it was pure charade. He was having too much fun to be angry. 'She did that -I didn't. I wasn't trying to