“Mazian can be driven off. And when that’s done he has no bases at all. He’s
done; and we have peace, Mr. Lukas, with all the rewards of it. That’s why I’m
here.”
“I’m listening.”
“Officials have to be taken out. The Konstantins have to be taken out. You have
to be set in their place. Have you the nerve for that, Mr. Lukas, despite
relationships? I understand there’s a—kinship involved here; yourself,
Konstantin’s wife—”
He clamped his lips together, flinching as he always did, from the thought of
Alicia as she was now. Could not face that. Had never been able to stomach it.
It was not life, linked to those machines. Not life. He wiped at his face. “My
sister and I don’t speak. Haven’t, for years. She’s an invalid; Dayin would have
told you that.”
“I’m aware of it. I’m talking about her husband, her sons. Have you the nerve,
Mr. Lukas?”
“Nerve, yes, if the planning makes sense.”
“There’s a man on this station named Kressich.”
He sucked in a slow breath, the drink resting in his hand against the chair arm.
“Vassily Kressich, elected councillor of Q. How do you know him?”
“Dayin Jacoby gave us the name… as the concillor from that zone; and we have
files. This man Kressich… comes from Q when the council meets. He then has a
pass which will let him do so, or is it visual inspection?”
“Both. There are guards.”
“Can those who do the inspecting be bribed?”
“For some things, yes. But stationers, Mr. Whoever-you-are, have a natural
reluctance to doing anything to damage the station they’re living in. You can
get drugs and liquor into Q; but a man… a guard’s conscience about a case of
liquor and his instinct for self-preservation are two different things.”
“Then we’ll have to keep any conference with him brief, won’t we?”
“Not here.”
“That’s up to you. Perhaps the lending of an id and papers. I’m sure among your
many faithful employees something can be arranged, some apartment near the Q
zone—”
“What kind of conference are you talking about? And what are you looking for
from Kressich? The man is spineless.”
“How many employees do you have in all,” Jessad asked, “as faithful and trusted
as these men here? Men who might take risks, who might kill? We have need of
that sort.”
Jon cast a look at Bran Hale, feeling short of breath. Back again. “Well,
Kressich isn’t the type, I’ll tell you.”
“Kressich has contacts. Can a man stay seated atop that monster of Q without
them?”
ii
Pell: sector green seven: merchanter’s hospice; 2241 hrs.
Com buzzed. The light was on, a call coming through. Josh looked at it across
his room, stopped in his pacing. They had let him go. Go home, they had said,
and he had done so, through corridors guarded by police and Mazianni. They knew
at this moment where he was. And now someone was calling his room, hard after
his arrival.
The caller insisted; the red light stayed on, blinking. He did not want to
answer, but it might be detention checking to be sure he had gotten here. He was
afraid not to respond to it. He crossed the room and pushed the reply button.
“Josh Talley,” he said into the mike.
“Josh. Josh, it’s Damon. Good to hear your voice. Are you all right?”
He leaned against the wall, caught his breath.
“Josh?”
“I’m all right. Damon, you know what happened.”
“I know. Your message got to me. I’ve taken personal responsibility for you.
You’re coming to our apartment tonight. Pack what you need. I’m coming there
after you.”
“Damon, no. No. Stay out of this.”
“We’ve talked it over; it’s all right. No argument.”
“Damon, don’t. Don’t let it get on their records…”
“We’re your legal sponsors as it is, Josh. It’s already on the records.”
“Don’t.”
“Elene and I are on our way.”
The contact went dead. He wiped his face. The knot which had been at his stomach
had risen into his throat. He saw no walls, nothing of where he was. It was all
metal, and Signy Mallory, young face and age-silvered hair, and eyes dead and