On the other side of this twig of the Matrix lay a swamp shadowed by giant ferns in the plane which his ancestors—
—his mother’s ancestors—
—inhabited. This time, however, Fortin’s destination was not so much a part of the Matrix as apart from it. For a moment, Fortin heard the boom of something in a warm pool swelling its throat in a mating call, while his eyes were still locked with those of his servant, impassive until the Master was well and truly gone.
Fortin let his mind step sideways . . .
And his feet were on solid ground, beneath the sullen sky of Ruby. A company of soldiers in battledress stood at attention before Fortin. The guns of a dozen huge armored vehicles were trained on him without even a vague attempt to be discreet about their caution.
A communications specialist stood beside the officer in command of the drawn-up company. The officer keyed the handset flexed to the com-spec’s radio and said, “This is Bonecrack Three. The Inspector General has arrived. Out.”
The officer stepped forward and saluted Fortin sharply. “Sir!” he said. “I’m Major Brenehan, in charge of your escort. We’re very glad to have you with us again.”
Fortin responded a deliberately languid salute which he knew would infuriate Brenehan—infuriate anyone in Ruby, with its total dedication to precision and lethal efficiency. He wanted their help, but he couldn’t keep from insulting them. It made him hate himself—
But then, Fortin hated himself anyway, most of the time. At least most of the time.
He smiled at Brenehan, flicked a non-existent bit of dust from the breast of his uniform, and said, “Very good, Major. I wish to confer with the High Council at their earliest convenience.”
“Yes sir,” said Brenehan. “At once, sir.”
The major took the handset again and began speaking a series of codewords into it. The infantrymen remained at attention.
The tanks continued to point their main guns at the spot where Fortin had appeared, and where he continued to stand.
There was a pause in the radio conversation.
“You’re very security conscious,” Fortin said with a smile.
Brenehan looked as if the visitor had commented on the fact that they didn’t smear their faces with pigshit. “Yes sir,” he said guardedly. “We are. Of course.”
The radio chattered to Brenehan. He replied in a series of precise monosyllables, his eyes on Fortin. Finally he nodded and returned the handset to the com-spec.
“Very good, sir,” the major said. “If you’ll come with me, we’ll take you to the meeting site.”
The infantry fell out of formation in response to an order Fortin didn’t notice. Brenehan nodded toward an armored personnel carrier grounded behind the troops, then began striding to the vehicle without looking around to see if the visitor were following.
“What if I wanted to meet the Council at General Headquarters?” Fortin asked, speaking louder in order to be heard over the rising note of the APC’s lift engines.
“I don’t think that will be necessary, sir,” Major Brenehan said.
He offered Fortin the jumpseat near the door, where the commanding officer usually sat. A platoon of infantry piled aboard the vehicle behind them. The remainder of the company loaded onto the other three APCs. They took off with a roar of fans even as the last trooper slammed the door behind her.
There was a joystick attached to the seat. Fortin gripped it and toggled the switch that should give him a full holographic display—where they were, where they were going, and maps of any other region of Ruby he chose to view.
Nothing happened. Very security conscious, even with the Inspector General. . . .
“But if I did want to visit General Headquarters?” Fortin pressed, knowing that it was his self-destructive impulse working again.
“You’d have to take that up with the Council itself, sir,” said Brenehan. He stood beside the seat which would normally have been his, bracing himself against the armored ceiling as the vehicle pitched and bucked. The soldiers facing outward in a double line were robotically impassive as they checked and rechecked their weapons and other gear.
Fortin smiled at him. “I’m impressed by the way you always pick up my arrival,” he said.