obviously thought that I had a better chance of cracking
the code—which explained why he thought we should talk, but not why he was
apparently ready to make me a gift of the book, and to risk displaying it on a
phone-channel that was almost certainly being monitored by the police. I presumed
that he was lying, laying down bait for the next phase of the game.
"Put it in the
post," I said.
"We don't have
time," he replied. "I can send it by courier, or you can come and
collect it, as you please. To be perfectly honest, I would rather not run the
risk of a courier being intercepted by . . . other interested parties. If you
would care to name a public meeting-place, where two innocent citizens could
meet without fear of interference, I shall be happy to bring it there myself.
You are welcome to bring your military escort with their flame-pistols at the
ready. If it will help you to reach a decision, your companions might care to
know that it will assist them greatly in their pursuit of the multiple murderer
Myrlin."
Susarma Lear had
overheard every word. She shouldered me out of the way, and said: "I'll be
in that square near the foot of the skychain in whatever the local equivalent
of twenty Earth minutes is," she said. "On the steps of the building
where we found Rousseau this morning. Don't keep me waiting too long."
"I am
delighted to know that Mr. Rousseau has such decisive friends," the
vormyran said. "I look forward to meeting you in person."
He broke the
contact.
"Thanks a
lot," I said. "He might still have time to set up a trap, even on the
steps of the Hall of Justice. It's nighttime out there, you know."
"Don't be
paranoid," she said. "Anyway, you don't have to go. I'll even leave
Serne to look after you, if you want." While she was speaking, she started
kicking her men, although most of them had been woken up when I tripped over
them on the way to the phone, and they'd all started paying attention when
she'd walked over them to shoo me out of the way.
"It can't be
as straightforward as it seems," I said. "If that book has directions
to where Myrlin's going, why would Guur hand it over to us?"
"I don't
know," she admitted. "But I know the easiest way to find out. Are you
ready to go?"
"You just said
I didn't have to!"
"Yes, I did—but
that's like accusing you of being a coward. You're a trooper in the Star Force
now, Rousseau— when someone suggests that you might be a coward, you're
supposed to show them that they're wrong. That's a little local knowledge for your edification. Now move." Her men didn't seem in the least perturbed by the
fact that they'd only had the briefest of cat-naps. They were already moving.
"Do I get a
flame-pistol?" I asked, bitterly.
"Not
yet," she said. "But if you come through this little expedition like
a good Star Force man, I'll think about it."
We attracted a
certain amount of attention as we made our way through the streets, even though
it was the dead of night. The Tetrax set the clocks, but other species'
circadian rhythms weren't always able to comply. There were enough people about
to be seriously inconvenienced as we hurried along, considerably faster than
the moderate pace at which the road-strips ran. Usually, people who ran on the
moving strips, barging past other pedestrians, attracted a continual barrage of
loud complaints, but there's something about bulky sidearms that reduces all
complaints to mute resentful stares. We attracted a good many of those.
As we went, the
star-captain made further plans.
"Okay,
Rousseau," she said. "How many people can we get into this truck of
Lyndrach's?"
"It's a small
one—built to carry two, although it can take three," I told her.
"Shit,"
she said. "We're going to need another."
I was amazed.
"Do you know how much a truck costs?" I asked.
"No," she
said, "but I'll pay it. I'm not chasing the android with only you and
Crucero as back-up. If you've read this situation right, he killed seven men
with his bare hands and
the code—which explained why he thought we should talk, but not why he was
apparently ready to make me a gift of the book, and to risk displaying it on a
phone-channel that was almost certainly being monitored by the police. I presumed
that he was lying, laying down bait for the next phase of the game.
"Put it in the
post," I said.
"We don't have
time," he replied. "I can send it by courier, or you can come and
collect it, as you please. To be perfectly honest, I would rather not run the
risk of a courier being intercepted by . . . other interested parties. If you
would care to name a public meeting-place, where two innocent citizens could
meet without fear of interference, I shall be happy to bring it there myself.
You are welcome to bring your military escort with their flame-pistols at the
ready. If it will help you to reach a decision, your companions might care to
know that it will assist them greatly in their pursuit of the multiple murderer
Myrlin."
Susarma Lear had
overheard every word. She shouldered me out of the way, and said: "I'll be
in that square near the foot of the skychain in whatever the local equivalent
of twenty Earth minutes is," she said. "On the steps of the building
where we found Rousseau this morning. Don't keep me waiting too long."
"I am
delighted to know that Mr. Rousseau has such decisive friends," the
vormyran said. "I look forward to meeting you in person."
He broke the
contact.
"Thanks a
lot," I said. "He might still have time to set up a trap, even on the
steps of the Hall of Justice. It's nighttime out there, you know."
"Don't be
paranoid," she said. "Anyway, you don't have to go. I'll even leave
Serne to look after you, if you want." While she was speaking, she started
kicking her men, although most of them had been woken up when I tripped over
them on the way to the phone, and they'd all started paying attention when
she'd walked over them to shoo me out of the way.
"It can't be
as straightforward as it seems," I said. "If that book has directions
to where Myrlin's going, why would Guur hand it over to us?"
"I don't
know," she admitted. "But I know the easiest way to find out. Are you
ready to go?"
"You just said
I didn't have to!"
"Yes, I did—but
that's like accusing you of being a coward. You're a trooper in the Star Force
now, Rousseau— when someone suggests that you might be a coward, you're
supposed to show them that they're wrong. That's a little local knowledge for your edification. Now move." Her men didn't seem in the least perturbed by the
fact that they'd only had the briefest of cat-naps. They were already moving.
"Do I get a
flame-pistol?" I asked, bitterly.
"Not
yet," she said. "But if you come through this little expedition like
a good Star Force man, I'll think about it."
We attracted a
certain amount of attention as we made our way through the streets, even though
it was the dead of night. The Tetrax set the clocks, but other species'
circadian rhythms weren't always able to comply. There were enough people about
to be seriously inconvenienced as we hurried along, considerably faster than
the moderate pace at which the road-strips ran. Usually, people who ran on the
moving strips, barging past other pedestrians, attracted a continual barrage of
loud complaints, but there's something about bulky sidearms that reduces all
complaints to mute resentful stares. We attracted a good many of those.
As we went, the
star-captain made further plans.
"Okay,
Rousseau," she said. "How many people can we get into this truck of
Lyndrach's?"
"It's a small
one—built to carry two, although it can take three," I told her.
"Shit,"
she said. "We're going to need another."
I was amazed.
"Do you know how much a truck costs?" I asked.
"No," she
said, "but I'll pay it. I'm not chasing the android with only you and
Crucero as back-up. If you've read this situation right, he killed seven men
with his bare hands and
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