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The vine disintegrated in a flicker of light-and the gantua's legs, straining against it, flew wide apart to expose its abdomen.
Afterward, Jonny would shudder at the risk none of them had quite known they were taking. The gantua's underbelly was relatively unprotected, the two antiarm...
Halloran summed it up for all of them when the gantua finally lay still. "Good God, those things are built tough."
"I don't remember ever hearing of anyone killing one before," Jonny said. "Now I know why."
"I sure hope he was a rogue," Kier agreed, rubbing his shin where the creature's death throes had touched it. "If they've all gone crazy, we'll have to evacu...
"Or get a whole lot of new Cobras," Jonny muttered. Ignoring Halloran's suddenly thoughtful look, he pulled out his phone.
* * *
Governor-General Zhu had the pained look of a man caught between two opposing but equally valid requirements. "But the vote has already been taken," he said....
"So negate the vote on the grounds of new evidence," Jonny argued, staring hard at the other through the phone screen. He'd borrowed the Niparin mayor's offi...
"The others were ready to vote-what was I supposed to do? Anyway, you and the other two missing syndics wouldn't have made a difference. The vote was eleven ...
"Doesn't that depend on why they went crazy?"
Zhu's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know-yet. The scientific people are just starting a biochemical study of the gantua we killed to see if there are any foreign substances in its syst...
" 'Foreign substances'? Moreau, it strikes me you're being unnecessarily mysterious. What, in plain language, are you driving at?"
Jonny took a deep breath. "I'm not being mysterious; I simply don't know anything for certain. I have . . . suspicions . . . but I'd rather not air them with...
Zhu studied his face for a long minute. "All right," he said at last. "I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll call another council meeting for tomorrow morning at ...
"Yes, sir," Jonny nodded.
"Good. Ten tomorrow, then. Good-bye."
For a moment Jonny stared at the blank screen, trying to form his strategy for the meeting. But there were still too many unknowns. Giving up, he flicked on ...
Chrys answered on the second ring. "Hi," she said, the slight tension lines leaving her face as she saw him. "How are things going?"
"Slow, at the moment," he told her. "I'm just sitting around Niparin waiting for the scientific types to give us something solid to use. Cally went back to P...
"That helps," Chrys nodded. "Is Niles's leg okay?"
"Oh, sure. Bruised, but I'm sure he's had worse."
She smiled faintly. "Listen, Jonny, about a half hour ago we got a call from Capitalia. It was your brother Jame."
So D'arl had brought him along. "Well! How was he?"
"Fine, he said. He wanted to know if you and Gwen could meet him at about eleven tonight for a late supper."
Jonny grinned. Imagine Jame Moreau, late of Cedar Lake, Horizon, casually inviting relatives to fly two thousand kilometers for a meal! Life on Asgard had af...
"She said sure, made me promise to call you in plenty of time, and hopped an aircar for Capitalia."
"On my syndic's authority, I presume." He looked at his watch: two hours before he'd have to leave. Well, he could always have the gantua data phoned to him ...
She shook her head. "Jame already asked me that, but I think this one should be for Moreaus only. I'll get to meet him before he leaves Aventine. Oh, Gwen su...
"Sounds good." He grimaced. "This is some vacation for you, isn't it? I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about me," she said softly. "You just be careful yourself."
"I will. Love you, Chrys."
"Love you, Jonny. Say hi to Jame for me."
He broke the connection and again glanced at his watch. Two hours . . . and nothing he could do to help with the gantua autopsy. And whatever they found . . ...
Would not in and of itself be proof that D'arl was behind it all.
But at least a part of that proof might still be available. Heading outside, he picked up his aircar and flew back down to Paleen. It was getting dark by the...
An hour and a half later, he was flying over the starlit landscape toward Capitalia . . . with information that would turn the ill-considered council vote on...
* * *
Gwen and Jame were already seated at a table when Jonny arrived at the restaurant. "Jonny!" Jame exclaimed, rising for a firm handshake as he joined them. "I...
It took Jonny a few seconds to track down the reference. "Oh-right. The day I left Horizon. You're looking good, Jame."
His brother grinned. "Hard but useful work. Same prescription you've been following. Let's sit down, shall we? Gwen's been trying to translate this menu for ...
They sat down together and the conversation continued . . . and as they talked, Jonny studied the man his brother had become.
Physically, of course, Jame's transition from nineteen to thirty-five was less of a jolt than Gwen's maturing had been; but like Gwen, there was something ab...
Or else he's gone beyond even arrogance and learned how to fake sociability, he thought, and felt immediately ashamed. This was Jame, after all; the one who'...
From which it followed that Jame didn't really know what kind of man he was working for. And if that was the case . . .
Jonny waited for an appropriate opening, as a good soldier should, and as the meal drew to a close it presented itself.
" . . . so when I found out Committi D'arl was going to personally supervise the whole thing here, I naturally made sure to get my bid in early to come with ...
"So D'arl's got his political reputation on the line here, does he?" Jonny asked casually.
A flicker of uncertainty passed across Jame's face. "He's got some prestige at stake, but nothing quite that crucial."