Children of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy Page A

indignation had helped her develop an outraged speech, and she was intent on delivering it. Instead, she walked onto a battlefield where Natesa and Theron were engaged in combat, and her personal objections were irrelevant.
    Natesa stood at the head of a long table, her mood black as the Reach. Theron sat stiffly at the other end, as far from her as possible. Clearly they’d been at it for a while, so wrapped up in the conflict that neither acknowledged Edie whenNatesa’s assistant showed her in. Between them sat a thin man with captain’s stripes on his uniform. Edie remembered the kitchenhand had called him Captain Lachesis. He wore a slightly apologetic look, as if embarrassed by the display of emotion going on before him.
    “This isn’t a case of martial law,” Natesa was saying. “There’s no war going on here. Edie works for CCU, and you simply don’t have the authority to reassign her to your team.”
    “Yet you had Caleb Chessell reassigned from my team to yours last year.”
    “Ardra requires the best cyphertecks in the Crib and the project is important enough to demand them. Your pet project with its senile BRATs can hardly compare.”
    “You’re delaying the inevitable, Ms Natesa,” Theron shot back. “I will get the permission I need—it’s only a matter of time. I don’t believe you have as many friends in the Crib as you think, especially not while Prisca flounders.”
    “Prisca is not floundering. Everything is going as expected.”
    “That’s not what I hear.”
    “Who have you been talking to? Read my official updates. CCU is perfectly happy with the way things are going.”
    “Pardon me for not quite believing your official updates.”
    “This is ridiculous. Prisca has been online for less than a year, and you’re judging the entire project on the basis of a few wild rumors. There are people who want to see me fail. That’s no secret.” Natesa sent Captain Lachesis an appealing look, as if he should speak in her defense. The captain remained silent, staring at his interlocked fingers on the tabletop. “I’ve implemented a process that speeds up terraforming a hundredfold. There will be medals all round, no doubt. It’s no wonder others are trying to drag me down.”
    “ You implemented it? My cypherteck created it! You owe me a huge favor.”
    “You have some nerve, after you put a member of my team in the infirmary—”
    “You don’t even intend to use Sha’nim’s talents here. Instead you’ve relegated her to menial tasks.”
    “That will change in time. I know Edie won’t disappoint me.”
    “She can serve the Crib far better by working for my research division.”
    Edie caught her breath. Work for the Weapons Research Division? “I refuse to work for you,” she said.
    Theron and Natesa swiveled to face her, their expressions mirror images of shock, as if they’d only just remembered she was in the room. Her comment was addressed to Theron. He seemed unperturbed by it.
    “You’ll work where you’re told to work.” Theron jabbed his finger on the table to emphasize his words.
    “You tortured Finn. I refuse to work for you,” Edie repeated.
    Natesa looked smug, at what she must have perceived to be a sign of her protégée’s loyalty. “That’s right. You work for me,” she told Edie. “The colonel is getting ideas beyond his jurisdiction.”
    Lachesis cleared his throat as he prepared to intervene. Theron got there first.
    “You’d better hope that Prisca is recoverable.” His expressive brows grew thunderous as he pushed back his chair and stood. “You were only given one shot at this, Adminstrator. If Prisca collapses, as my sources think it will, this discussion is moot and Edie will join my team. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my schooner is ready to leave and I’m eager to get back to my pet project .”
    He left the room with a generic nod of respect to the captain.
    “Damn arrogant sonofabitch.” Natesa fumed. “The audacity of that man!