her, smiling.
"What's the alternative?" She said, oblivious to the tease.
"Maybe the Cheshire let you shoot it—to give us this." He raised the rope.
"A rope?" Kebe said.
"You know what it looks like?"
"It's a cord—don't play games."
"One of their tails."
Kebe gasped. "You're kidding! Why would they want us to have a tail?"
"It didn't taste bad." Nero held his breath. The implication in his statement had a menacing slant. "It tasted funny, but not bad."
"How much did you eat?" Kebe said.
"There's my bite mark here, see?" He showed Kebe. He smacked his tongue twice. "It's all gone now," and rubbed his tummy. "Keep me in sight for the next couple of days."
Kebe looked at him with concern. The hangar was approaching quickly; chills rippled across her back in anticipation of leaving the warm cabin.
*
Engaging the generator was as simple as tripping a switch now, Nero told her as they walked into the hangar. He said the switch triggered a pinhole in the plasma torus of the fusion reactor. A leak of plasma was driven through the reaction mass of the magneto-hydrodynamic generator, igniting it. Hot ionized gases streamed across electrodes, generating power, and were then cooled down by heating water that produced steam for the micro-turbines.
"Who cares? I want electricity for the mailer, and I want to get out of here," she replied.
Kebe wished that Nero shared her concern about Cheshires; but Nero clung to his belief. "They're peaceable," he insisted. She dreaded each step they were taking.
In sight, he'll stay within my line of sight, she thought.
"There." Nero turned the handle on the control module. The machine ignited with a roar. Something whirred, accelerating.
"Let's get out now," Kebe said.
"Sure, sure." Nero started walking back to the door; this time he was steady on his legs. The whine was sharp, shifting onto even sharper registers.
"I'm amazed at how fast you're recovering." Kebe shouted too loud.
"I was clothed heavily. My left ear bleeding was from an old scar." Nero said, looking over his shoulder at her. "In a way, that scar is the reason I'm here, you know. It was the trap that destiny laid for my hubris." Kebe, now wearing Nero's parka, was shivering and chose not to inquire further.
As they moved away from the generator, the hangar became quieter. The claps of their footfalls died in a million echoes; Nero walked a little ahead of Kebe. Her hand was steady on the microwave gun. Nero disappeared around a corner; Kebe quickened her pace: In line of sight, she thought.
Yet before she could round the corner the sound of Nero's steps had vanished. Her hair tickled, pushed outward again: she ran towards him, ignoring fear’s sudden grip.
"Nero!" She said pulling her gun, her hair sticking out straight, her skin suddenly clammy, the trigger half squeezed.
When she reached past the edge of the corner Kebe stopped as if hitting a glass wall. Her free hand moved to her gaping mouth. Instead of shooting, the other hand dropped her gun to the floor.
"Oh, my God," she said, "my God."
CHAPTER 10
Civil Defense was not done searching by nightfall, so Jenus tried to sleep on the couch in his office. He took a pill and managed to snooze a couple of hours before more questions. Where was he yesterday? The day before? With whom? Why? Was the lab insured? For how much? How was business? How did he hurt his head? On and on.
He had to lie at times, making it up as he went along. Too little sleep did not help; he knew right away he was digging his grave. Yet, if he told the truth, he would not even have the few hours that CD needed to check his tale.
When CD was done, they told him he was free, and also: "Mr. Dorato, please remain at your apartment. An agent will be in touch with you."
Sure, Jenus thought.
"If CD cannot locate you within six hours, we'll issue a warrant for your
"What's the alternative?" She said, oblivious to the tease.
"Maybe the Cheshire let you shoot it—to give us this." He raised the rope.
"A rope?" Kebe said.
"You know what it looks like?"
"It's a cord—don't play games."
"One of their tails."
Kebe gasped. "You're kidding! Why would they want us to have a tail?"
"It didn't taste bad." Nero held his breath. The implication in his statement had a menacing slant. "It tasted funny, but not bad."
"How much did you eat?" Kebe said.
"There's my bite mark here, see?" He showed Kebe. He smacked his tongue twice. "It's all gone now," and rubbed his tummy. "Keep me in sight for the next couple of days."
Kebe looked at him with concern. The hangar was approaching quickly; chills rippled across her back in anticipation of leaving the warm cabin.
*
Engaging the generator was as simple as tripping a switch now, Nero told her as they walked into the hangar. He said the switch triggered a pinhole in the plasma torus of the fusion reactor. A leak of plasma was driven through the reaction mass of the magneto-hydrodynamic generator, igniting it. Hot ionized gases streamed across electrodes, generating power, and were then cooled down by heating water that produced steam for the micro-turbines.
"Who cares? I want electricity for the mailer, and I want to get out of here," she replied.
Kebe wished that Nero shared her concern about Cheshires; but Nero clung to his belief. "They're peaceable," he insisted. She dreaded each step they were taking.
In sight, he'll stay within my line of sight, she thought.
"There." Nero turned the handle on the control module. The machine ignited with a roar. Something whirred, accelerating.
"Let's get out now," Kebe said.
"Sure, sure." Nero started walking back to the door; this time he was steady on his legs. The whine was sharp, shifting onto even sharper registers.
"I'm amazed at how fast you're recovering." Kebe shouted too loud.
"I was clothed heavily. My left ear bleeding was from an old scar." Nero said, looking over his shoulder at her. "In a way, that scar is the reason I'm here, you know. It was the trap that destiny laid for my hubris." Kebe, now wearing Nero's parka, was shivering and chose not to inquire further.
As they moved away from the generator, the hangar became quieter. The claps of their footfalls died in a million echoes; Nero walked a little ahead of Kebe. Her hand was steady on the microwave gun. Nero disappeared around a corner; Kebe quickened her pace: In line of sight, she thought.
Yet before she could round the corner the sound of Nero's steps had vanished. Her hair tickled, pushed outward again: she ran towards him, ignoring fear’s sudden grip.
"Nero!" She said pulling her gun, her hair sticking out straight, her skin suddenly clammy, the trigger half squeezed.
When she reached past the edge of the corner Kebe stopped as if hitting a glass wall. Her free hand moved to her gaping mouth. Instead of shooting, the other hand dropped her gun to the floor.
"Oh, my God," she said, "my God."
CHAPTER 10
Civil Defense was not done searching by nightfall, so Jenus tried to sleep on the couch in his office. He took a pill and managed to snooze a couple of hours before more questions. Where was he yesterday? The day before? With whom? Why? Was the lab insured? For how much? How was business? How did he hurt his head? On and on.
He had to lie at times, making it up as he went along. Too little sleep did not help; he knew right away he was digging his grave. Yet, if he told the truth, he would not even have the few hours that CD needed to check his tale.
When CD was done, they told him he was free, and also: "Mr. Dorato, please remain at your apartment. An agent will be in touch with you."
Sure, Jenus thought.
"If CD cannot locate you within six hours, we'll issue a warrant for your
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