psychedelic paint job and was fully armed.
Gideon turned to look at du Bois and grinned.
‘Why would you do that to an aircraft?’ du Bois demanded.
‘I know, it seems so retro now, doesn’t it?’
‘It doesn’t have the range—’ du Bois started.
‘It isn’t what it seems. That’s basically a shell for an L-tech aircraft. It has enough stealth capabilities to avoid casual detection, though it may struggle to hide from the capabilities of the Circle. But that’s okay, because you’re just out of touch at the moment, right?’
Something about the way that Gideon said it made the skin on the back of du Bois’s neck prickle. Beth had climbed out of the helicopter and was standing by the Harrier, looking at it with a mixture of awe and worry.
‘Have you seen Alexia?’ du Bois asked.
‘Now there’s a girl who knows how to change with the times.’ Gideon leaned in close to du Bois. ‘I like your sister, I mean really like her.’ Du Bois gritted his teeth but managed to control his temper. ‘I haven’t seen her,’ Gideon finally said.
‘Do you have a way to find her?’
‘Looking? But you know, the indolence.’
Du Bois just glared at him.
Gideon felt the downdraught ruffle his hair as the Harrier rose above the trees. He could hear the war beyond the walls. He was just about ready for the modern world. He wondered if he should get a new guitar.
6
A Long Time After the Loss
They watched Scab walk out of the conference room. The Monk had to admit there was a certain amount of defiance in his exit, however much she wished to put it down to sheer petulance. She glanced at Churchman. Despite the golden armour she knew him well enough to know he was disappointed. However ruthless he had to be, she knew the years had softened him, while the rest of Known Space had just got harder.
‘He’s insane,’ Talia said quietly.
‘So you slept with him, then?’ It was out of her mouth before she realised she’d said it. It was an ancient reflex. It was the repressed anger over the words they had exchanged the last time they’d met. Talia looked like she’d been slapped.
‘You haven’t changed!’ Then Talia was storming out of the room.
The Monk banged the back of her head against the transparent smart matter of the internal wall. Everyone was looking at her now. Even Churchman had turned in his chair. Elodie had stopped examining her nails and was grinning at her.
The Monk pushed herself off the wall and followed Talia. She felt someone grab her arm. She broke the grip and moved away, turning, instinctively ready to fight. Vic, the big insect, was standing over her.
‘Maybe I should go and speak to her?’ he suggested.
‘Really?’ the Monk blurted, more out of surprise than anything else. She shook her head. ‘Okay, fine.’ She turned and left the room anyway and ‘faced the Cathedral for Scab’s whereabouts.
It took a moment for the Monk to realise that the horrible rasping noise was Scab singing. She was just about able to make out the words.
‘Every time I plant a seed, He said kill it before it grow, He said kill them before they grow.’
He was walking around the upper corridors in the Cathedral’s roof. Where he walked the floor was turning transparent so he could look down at the clouds in the massive habitat. It had started to rain below. A light cruiser was rising up through the dark clouds. The Monk recognised the cruiser as the St Andrew . She didn’t like the ship’s AI.
‘Oi, wanker!’ the Monk shouted.
Scab ignored her. He was wearing an ancient pair of audio crystals in his ears that would impair his hearing but there was no way he couldn’t be aware of her, particularly with the black sphere of his P-sat bobbing along on its AG motor after him.
She increased her pace and reached for his shoulder, grabbing him and yanking him around. It was, of course, what he had been waiting for. A rapid flurry of strike, counter strike and attempted
Gideon turned to look at du Bois and grinned.
‘Why would you do that to an aircraft?’ du Bois demanded.
‘I know, it seems so retro now, doesn’t it?’
‘It doesn’t have the range—’ du Bois started.
‘It isn’t what it seems. That’s basically a shell for an L-tech aircraft. It has enough stealth capabilities to avoid casual detection, though it may struggle to hide from the capabilities of the Circle. But that’s okay, because you’re just out of touch at the moment, right?’
Something about the way that Gideon said it made the skin on the back of du Bois’s neck prickle. Beth had climbed out of the helicopter and was standing by the Harrier, looking at it with a mixture of awe and worry.
‘Have you seen Alexia?’ du Bois asked.
‘Now there’s a girl who knows how to change with the times.’ Gideon leaned in close to du Bois. ‘I like your sister, I mean really like her.’ Du Bois gritted his teeth but managed to control his temper. ‘I haven’t seen her,’ Gideon finally said.
‘Do you have a way to find her?’
‘Looking? But you know, the indolence.’
Du Bois just glared at him.
Gideon felt the downdraught ruffle his hair as the Harrier rose above the trees. He could hear the war beyond the walls. He was just about ready for the modern world. He wondered if he should get a new guitar.
6
A Long Time After the Loss
They watched Scab walk out of the conference room. The Monk had to admit there was a certain amount of defiance in his exit, however much she wished to put it down to sheer petulance. She glanced at Churchman. Despite the golden armour she knew him well enough to know he was disappointed. However ruthless he had to be, she knew the years had softened him, while the rest of Known Space had just got harder.
‘He’s insane,’ Talia said quietly.
‘So you slept with him, then?’ It was out of her mouth before she realised she’d said it. It was an ancient reflex. It was the repressed anger over the words they had exchanged the last time they’d met. Talia looked like she’d been slapped.
‘You haven’t changed!’ Then Talia was storming out of the room.
The Monk banged the back of her head against the transparent smart matter of the internal wall. Everyone was looking at her now. Even Churchman had turned in his chair. Elodie had stopped examining her nails and was grinning at her.
The Monk pushed herself off the wall and followed Talia. She felt someone grab her arm. She broke the grip and moved away, turning, instinctively ready to fight. Vic, the big insect, was standing over her.
‘Maybe I should go and speak to her?’ he suggested.
‘Really?’ the Monk blurted, more out of surprise than anything else. She shook her head. ‘Okay, fine.’ She turned and left the room anyway and ‘faced the Cathedral for Scab’s whereabouts.
It took a moment for the Monk to realise that the horrible rasping noise was Scab singing. She was just about able to make out the words.
‘Every time I plant a seed, He said kill it before it grow, He said kill them before they grow.’
He was walking around the upper corridors in the Cathedral’s roof. Where he walked the floor was turning transparent so he could look down at the clouds in the massive habitat. It had started to rain below. A light cruiser was rising up through the dark clouds. The Monk recognised the cruiser as the St Andrew . She didn’t like the ship’s AI.
‘Oi, wanker!’ the Monk shouted.
Scab ignored her. He was wearing an ancient pair of audio crystals in his ears that would impair his hearing but there was no way he couldn’t be aware of her, particularly with the black sphere of his P-sat bobbing along on its AG motor after him.
She increased her pace and reached for his shoulder, grabbing him and yanking him around. It was, of course, what he had been waiting for. A rapid flurry of strike, counter strike and attempted
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