‘To murder Professor Leoh,” she said.
The Star Watchman slumped back on the bench.
“You’re right. And I guess I’ve got to stop him from doing that.”
Geri turned and grabbed him by the ears and kissed him. Hector felt his feet come off the deck. He held onto her and kissed back. Then she slid away from him. He reached for her, but she took his hand in hers.
“Let me catch my breath,” she said.
He eased over toward her, feeling his heart thumping louder than the slap of the waves against the skimmer’s hull.
“Of course,” Geri said coolly, “it seems that Professor Leoh can take care of himself in the duehng machine.”
“Uh-huh,” Hector edged closer to her.
“It was very surprising to hear that Lal Ponte had challenged the Professor,” she said, backing into the corner of the bench. “Ponte is such a … a nothing type of person. I never thought he’d have the courage to fight a duel.”
Leaning close to Geri and sliding an arm across the bench’s backrest and around her shoulders. Hector said nothing.
“I remember my father saying that if anyone in the legislature was working for Kerak, it would be Ponte.”
“Huh?”
Geri was frowning with the memory. “Yes, Father was concerned that Ponte was allied with Kerak’If Kerak ever conquers us,’ Father said to me once, ‘that little coward will be our Prime Minister.'”
Hector sat upright. “But now he’s serving Martine … and Martine sure isn’t pro-Kerak.”
“I know,” Geri said, nodding. “Perhaps Father was wrong. Or Ponte may have changed his mind. Or….”
“Or he could still be working for Kerak.”