“He actually jumped from Kerak to Acquatainia?” Spencer still looked unconvinced.
“In something less than a second,” Leoh repeated. “Four hundred and fifty light-years in less than a second.”
Spencer’s brow darkened. “Do you realize what you’ve done, Albert? The military potential of this … teleportation. And Kanus must know all about it, too.”
“Yes. And he’s holding Hector somewhere in Kerak. We’ve got to get him out … if he’s still alive.”
“I know,” Spencer said, absolutely glowering now. “And what about this Kerak assassin? I suppose the Acquatainians have him safely filed away?”
Nodding again, Leoh answered, “They’re not quite sure what to do with him. Technically, he’s not charged with any crimes. Actually, the last thing in the world anyone wants is to send him back to Kerak.”
“Why did he leave? Why come back to Acquatainia?”
“Don’t know. Odal won’t tell us anything, except to claim asylum on Acquatainia. Most people here think it’s another sort of trick.”
Spencer drummed his fingers on his thigh impatiently. “So Odal is imprisoned in Acquatainia, Hector is presumably Jailed in Kerak—or worse. And I have a survey fleet heading for the Acquataine-Kerak frontier on a mission that’s now obviously hopeless. Kanus needn’t fight his way into Acquatainia. He can pop into the midst of the Cluster, wherever there are dueling machines.”
“We could shut them down, or guard them,” Leoh suggested.
Frowning again. Spencer pointed out, “There’s nothing to prevent Kanus from building machines inside every Kerak embassy or consulate building in the Cluster .. . or in the Commonwealth, for that matter. Nothing short of war can stop him from doing that.”