The Web and the Stars by Brian Herbert

thought of Tesh, and the paranormal kiss he gave her, reaching across the cosmos. Not a real kiss; they’d never had one. Envisioning her classically beautiful face and bright, emerald eyes, he felt a tug of emotion. So unfortunate that the two of them ever had conflicts, but Noah realized now that he was responsible for much of the acrimony himself, since he hadn’t wanted to intrude on Anton’s romantic interests. But Noah had noticed the way she looked at him, and recalled the secret way he felt for her whenever they were together.
    “Ah,” Dr. Bichette said in his basso voice, as attendants guided a hover stretcher into the laboratory. Noah realized that he was unable to move, because electronic restraints held him down. “I’ve been looking forward to this!” The doctor’s eyes were filled with wild fascination. Three men in white biocoats and gloves looked on, scientists who were dressed as their superior was.
    Noah thought back. This was the first time he had been aware of the doctor since Francella shot Noah in the chest and he recovered afterward miraculously, in only a few remarkable moments.
    As Noah listened, Francella filled the director in on the security measures that would be followed. Armed guards would always be present in the laboratory, and for even greater security Noah had been fitted with an electronic restraint system that could be customized for the movements he was permitted to make, and would stun him if he tried to do anything without authorization.
    “So,” Bichette said, when he finally had a chance to examine Noah, “you claim to be immortal, eh?”
    Noah glared up at him. “Let’s put it this way. I have no need of your medical services.”
    With a tight smile, the doctor removed all of Noah’s clothing except for his underwear. Then, with Francella looking on, he proceeded to look at the skin on Noah’s chest with a high-powered magnifying glass. “Remarkable,” he said, looking away from the eyepiece of the instrument. “I see the faintest evidence of a large wound—directly over the heart—but it is completely healed. This is not possible.”
    Running a scanner over Noah, he next examined the internal organs. “Incredible, incredible,” he said. “I don’t believe it. They’ve all regrown. There is evidence of massive new cellular growth.”
    Going back to the magnifying glass, Bichette continued to go over the skin of Noah’s entire body, centimeter by centimeter. At the left ankle, he said he found a very faint line all the way around. “Like an amputation mark,” he said.
    Noah muttered an insult under his breath, and smiled to himself when he noticed that Francella could not make out the words.
    Performing an interior body scan, Bichette exclaimed, “Yes! This entire foot was amputated! Then … then … it grew back. I see new bones, muscles, tissue. This is unbelievable.”
    “Don’t be so dramatic,” Noah said. “You cut the foot off yourself, said you had to do it or I would have lost my leg, or my life. You were also there when the foot regrew.”
    Bichette looked at him blankly.
    “He doesn’t remember any of that, dear brother,” Francella said. “One of your robots zapped his brain.”
    Not even looking in her direction, Noah considered what must have happened to the doctor. Subi Danvar or Thinker must have instituted a security measure, sometime after the Doge put Noah under arrest.
    “Like a lizard,” one of the scientists remarked. “This guy grows body parts back like a lizard.”
    “Yes,” Francella said in a wary voice, “but lizards can be killed.”
    Maybe not this one, Noah thought. And a shudder ran down his spine, as he considered the horrors that this woman might inflict on him.

Chapter Seventeen
    Racial extinction is always closer than anyone realizes.
    —Parvii Inspiration
    The armored man watched as a long silver machine dug a new chamber, throwing dirt and bits of rock around, making so much noise that he had to wear