The Icarus Hunt

CHAPTER 24

"I'M IMPRESSED, JORDAN, really I am," Brother John said, his voice accompaniedby the sound of measured footsteps coming toward me across the wooden floor.

"So that's why you were sitting on the portico all afternoon, was it? Waiting tosee if I'd show up?"

"Not really," I told him. "No—don't try it," I added, shifting my aim towardNicabar as he began to ease one hand toward the edge of the table.

"Yes, do listen to the man," Brother John agreed. "At least, if you want tolive. You can put your gun down, too, Jordan, there's a good boy. So youdidn't expect me to show up?"

"Not while I was watching, no," I said, laying my plasmic on the table andonly then half turning to look around behind me. Brother John was standing in thearchway, beaming with apparent ease in our direction, as six of the biggestand meanest-looking thugs I'd ever seen strode purposefully toward us. Their faceswere without a doubt those of casual killers; the large black guns they werepointing at us made my plasmic look like a toy in comparison. "I assumedEverett was watching the cliffs behind the lodge, waiting for you to arrive."

"Don't be absurd," Brother John said. His voice was still cheerful, but therewas a sudden undercurrent of menace beneath it. "You don't really think I'dhave let you get here ahead of us, do you? We've been waiting in the back wing ofthe lodge for almost a day now. No, I think you were waiting for Everett to gettired of his vigil and come inside."

"What exactly is going on here?" Tera asked, her voice trying hard to be calmbut not entirely succeeding.

"I should think that was obvious," Brother John said, his gaze still on me.

"We're taking the Icarus and its alien stardrive off your hands."

"I'm afraid I hadn't gotten to that part yet," I said apologetically, turningback to the table. The bodyguards had reached us now, and as four of themstood watch the other two hauled Ixil and Chort to their feet and began a quick butthorough frisking. "Everett was told to lure us here with the promise of asafe haven. Mr. Ryland and his people were, we know now, waiting in hiding here inthe comfort of the lodge. As soon as the rest of us were inside out of theway, the plan was to sneak out to the ship and take off, leaving us stranded."

The thugs found no weapons on Ixil or Chort, pushed them back down into theirchairs, and moved on to Tera and Shawn. "I'm surprised they didn't just lineus up and shoot us," Tera bit out, glaring ice-shredders at Brother John andignoring as best she could the hands moving over her body.

"You underestimate Mr. Ryland," I told her.

"Yes, indeed," Brother John seconded. "After all, you already owe me yourlives once over. It was my people on Palmary who stood guard over the spaceportduringyour mad rush off the planet. As well as in the control tower, I might add."

"I wondered why we got away so easily," Nicabar murmured. "The least the Patthshould have done was lock down all departures."

"They tried," Brother John said, beaming some more. "Indeed they did. Thepressure was applied, and the governmental authorities had given the orders.

Somehow, though, the controllers were able to see through to a better and moreenlightened reasoning."

"We do owe him that," I agreed. "But when I said you'd underestimated him, Tera, I was referring to something else entirely. Mr. Ryland would never think ofkilling us here. Not when he can make a little extra money by turning us overto the Patth."

Tera stared at me, her mouth dropping open. "Are you saying—?" She looked backat Brother John. "You are a slime."

"I'd warn your lady friend to be quiet, Jordan," Brother John said, amid-November chill in his voice. "Particularly since the value of your liveshas decreased markedly in the past three minutes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nicabar asked calmly. The thugs had relievedTera of her pepperbox shotgun pistol; and now it was Nicabar's and my turn.

"He means he wasn't planning to sell us to the Patth just to pick up a littlespare change," I explained, wincing as the searching hands ran afoul of myassortment of sore muscles and joints. "It was mainly to buy him more time toget the Icarus out of here and bury it somewhere. Since none of us would knowwhat had happened to the ship, the Patth could interrogate us until Junewithout learning anything that would do them any good."

"Nice guys," Shawn muttered, shying back as one of the thugs sent him awarninglook.

"You know, Jordan, I do believe I've been guilty of underestimating you,"

Brother John said as one of the searchers found Nicabar's Kochran-Uzi and tucked it away. "No, no, don't sit," he added as they started to push the two of usback into our seats. "You and your alien partner are coming with me. Yourealize you never told me he was an alien?"

"Yes, I know," I said. "Which was why Everett was able to mistake Jones for mypartner in the first place. You hadn't told him Ixil was an alien because atthe time you didn't know it yourself."

"I hate aliens," Brother John said conversationally. "Almost as much as I hatealien-lovers. Everett, you might as well come with us, too. The rest of youwill stay here while we decide what to do with you."

"You might want the girl, too, Mr. Ryland," Everett said, gesturing towardTera as he got to his feet. "McKell says she's Arno Cameron's daughter."

"Really," Brother John said, and for the first time since he'd come in I saw aflicker of genuine surprise cross his face. "By all means, bring her along.

After all, McKell might need extra persuasion."

"Persuasion?" Nicabar asked as the nearest thug hauled Tera back to her feet.

"Yes," Brother John said, his voice suddenly dark. "It seems our too-tooclever alien-lover did something to the Icarus's control systems. Our people can'tgetanything to work."

"I didn't want you leaving without having a chance for this little chat," Isaid mildly, looking over at Everett. "Everett, tell the truth. You put up a goodshow here; but you really did kill Jones, didn't you?"

He snorted. "So for all that bluster you really didn't know for sure, huh?" hesneered. "Of course I killed him. What, you think Chort did it?"

"Just wanted to make sure," I murmured.

"Glad we could clear that up," Brother John said. "Dar, Kinrick; you stayhere.

The rest of you, come with me."

The walk back to the Icarus seemed a lot longer this time. Brother John tookthe lead, with Everett and one of his men at his sides. Behind them, Ixil, Tera, and I were herded along by the other three, who made sure to keep us a respectfulfive paces behind the others in case one of us suddenly felt the urge tocommit suicide by trying to jump them.

It was darker outside now. Darker and colder, and the light breeze that hadbeen rustling the leaves earlier had picked up into something stiff and unpleasant.

Which were, not coincidentally, words that also described Tera as she stalkedalong in bitter silence beside me, undoubtedly heaping full blame for thesituation squarely on my head. To be fair, it was hardly a point of view Icould disagree with.

But at the moment I didn't really care about the cold or the footing or Tera'sanger or even the gun digging into my left kidney. My entire attention was onthe dice I could visualize rolling across a mental table in front of my eyes.

The dice had been thrown, the gamble had been made; and in a handful ofminutes I would find out whether I'd won or lost.

There was a shadowy figure waiting in the open hatchway as we reached theIcarus and started up the ladder. Brother John went first, followed by his bodyguardand Everett, then Tera, another guard, and Ixil. The other two guards saved mefor last, then sandwiched me between them as the three of us went up theladder.

Either Brother John considered me the most dangerous of the group, or else thefact that I had been the one to gimmick the ship entitled me to specialhandling.

Brother John had gone on ahead, but Tera and Ixil were still waiting as Ireached the wraparound, together with their guards, the shadowy figure I'dseen waiting up there, and two more of his buddies. I'd thought the bodyguardsBrother John had brought to the lodge were big, ugly, and well armed, but thislatter group beat them hands down on all three counts. Silently, they gesturedwith their guns; just as silently, we walked along the wraparound to the mainsphere.

The hatch to the sphere was closed. The leading thug opened it and steppedthrough, bobbling his balance somewhat as he passed through the gravitychange.

Tera and Ixil went next, negotiating the discontinuity with the grace of longpractice. Holding my breath, I followed.

The sphere looked more or less the way I'd left it earlier that evening, exceptthat the inner lights were blazing cheerfully away and that there were anothereight strangers glowering at us. Four of them, stamped from the same mold asour current escort, were standing in a loose group near the bottom of the sphere; three others, working diligently at my helm and nav setup up the forward sideof the hull, were apparently the pilot and engine specialists who were supposedto have had the Icarus well on its way by now.

But it was the eighth man who caught my full attention, the man waiting at theexact bottom of the sphere as if not trusting the alien gravity that pinnedhis tech people to the deck halfway up the side. He was a small man, at leastcompared to the four bodyguards grouped around him, well past middle agedespitethe signs of extensive rejuvenation therapy, wearing a dark and expensive suitand some muted and even more expensive jewelry. His face was old; hisexpression was impassive; and his eyes were as dead as a thousand-year-old corpse. He wasa man I had never met, but I knew instantly who he was.

The rolling dice had come to a halt. And I'd won.

"You must be McKell," the man said as Brother John led us down the hull towardhim, his voice as dead as his eyes.

"Yes," I acknowledged. "And you must be Mr. Antoniewicz. I'm very pleased tofinally meet you."

"Are you," he said. Some people, or so the saying goes, can undress you withtheir eyes. Antoniewicz's look was more like stripping me straight down to thebone. "Interesting. Most of those who are brought to meet me are not at alllooking forward to the experience. Many of them find themselves screaming, infact, and don't seem able to stop."

I swallowed despite myself, all the stories and rumors of what happened topeople brought before Antoniewicz flashing through my mind. "I understandthat, sir," I said humbly. "But if I may be so bold, I suspect none of those otherswere bringing the sort of gift I have to offer you."

The corners of his lips might have turned up, but it would have taken amicrometer to measure it. The smile, if that's what it was, made his eyes lookeven deader. "Really. I was under the impression that the Icarus was now minebysimple right of possession."

"I agree," I said, passing over the fact that if I hadn't cooperatively flownthe ship into his waiting arms it wouldn't have been in his possession.

Considering the size and number of his bodyguards, comments like that werequiteeasy for me to stifle. "I was actually speaking of something else entirely.

Or, rather, someone else entirely."

"Wait a minute," Everett growled, taking a step toward me. "You take creditfor her and I'll cave your face in."

"Ryland?" Antoniewicz invited, gesturing at Tera.

"Everett claims she's the daughter of Arno Cameron," Brother John said. Icould still hear the phony good humor in his voice, but it was curiously subdued.

Most everything good, I suspected, humor included, would darken or wilt inAntoniewicz's presence. "Cameron's the man who—"

"I know who he is," Antoniewicz said. "Tell me why Everett thinks he deservescredit for her."

"I'd like to take a moment to remind everyone that I'm not anyone's carnivalprize," Tera cut in, glaring at each of us in turn but saving her mostwitheringlook for me. I couldn't really blame her on that count, either; if I hadn'trevealed her identity during my brilliant summing up of the case a few minutesago, she'd be just one more anonymous prisoner back in the lodge.

I cleared my throat. "If I might explain—"

"Quiet," Antoniewicz said. He hadn't raised his voice, or changed hisinflection, or even looked at me—the full force of his gaze was on Tera at themoment. And yet, my mouth clamped shut, almost of its own accord, my attemptedmediation cut short as if guillotined. The sheer presence of the man, thepowerand evil lurking veiled beneath the surface, were almost physical qualitieslike his voice or face or expensive suit. For the first time, I truly understood how it was he'd been able to create such a huge and wide-ranging criminal empire.

Tera wasn't nearly as easily impressed as I was. "I don't know who exactly youare," she continued on into the silence, "but whatever it is you think I'mworth to you, you're sadly mistaken."

"No, I don't think so," Antoniewicz disagreed mildly. "Of all those who workedclosely on this ship, only your father remains at large. You're the lever thatwill pry him out of hiding."

"If you think that, you're more of a fool than I thought," Tera scoffed, clearlynot caring whether she offended him or not. Across our little circle I sawboth Everett and Brother John wince, with Pix and Pax giving a little twitch aswell.

One simply didn't talk that way to Mr. Antoniewicz. "My father is fully awareof what this ship is worth to humanity," Tera continued. "And he has never yetlet personal considerations get in the way of what needs to be done. Whateverinformation he has about the Icarus, the last thing he'll do is give it awayto someone like you. Certainly not under duress."

"Not even with his daughter's life at stake?" Antoniewicz asked, his voicepolitely incredulous.

"No," Tera said flatly, straightening to an almost-haughty posture as pridemomentarily eclipsed every evidence of fear and uncertainty. I could imaginethe true royalty of old facing the peasant mobs with the same courage and disdain.

And with the same results. "Pity," Antoniewicz said, sounding almostregretful.

"In that case, you're worth nothing to me at all." He looked at the manstandingbehind me to my right and lifted a languid hand.

And abruptly, the pressure of the gun muzzle on my back vanished as, out ofthe corner of my eye, I saw him bring the weapon around to point straight atTera's face I don't know why I did it Antoniewicz was bluffing, and I knew he wasbluffing. He would never kill a potential hostage whose usefulness hadn't yetbeen tested, not even one who'd verbally spit in his eye the way she had. Iknew it was an act, and if I'd had another fraction of a second to think about itI'd have realized that I was playing directly into his hands.

But I'd promised Cameron that I would watch over his daughter, and thereflexes just kicked in on their own. With my right hand I slapped the thug's gun offtarget, then spun around on my right heel to drive my right elbow into hissolar plexus as I grabbed for the weapon with my left hand.

It was about as close to a complete failure as anything I'd ever tried in mylife My elbow struck an unyielding slab of body armor, my snatch for the gunmissed completely as he twitched it aside out of my reach, and before I couldregain my balance to try something else he'd taken a long pace backward andwas looking at me with the sort of expression you might use for a particularly interesting new species of insect. About the only thing that kept it frombeinga complete failure was that I didn't fall flat on my face in the process.

I braced myself, waiting for the inevitable flurry of shots and the searingpainthat would accompany them. But once again, my reflexive thought was out ofstepwith reality. "Interesting," Antoniewicz said, his voice cutting calmly acrossthe sudden tension. "You were right, Ryland. He is something of the heroictype, isn't he?"

"And seems to have soft feelings for Ms. Cameron, besides," Brother Johnagreed.

He was openly gloating now, I saw, though whether that was at my failure orhis own cleverness I couldn't tell.

"The only feelings I have for her are ones you couldn't understand," I growledback with the ill temper of a man who's just completely humiliated himself.

"Loyalty, for one. Or any of the other sympathetic emotions human beings havefor each other. Of course, in your case, I use the term 'human being' in itsloosest possible sense. You're a lot less human than most of the aliens Iknow."

The gloating vanished from Brother John's face, the handsome face turningsuddenly ugly. "Listen, McKell—"

"Enough," Antoniewicz cut him off, giving me the same interesting-insect lookhis bodyguard had. "Whatever the details of his character flaws, it's clearnow that McKell would not wish harm to come to the lady." He lifted his eyebrowsslightly. "That is clear, is it not?"

I looked at Tera. Some of that earlier defiance was still simmering in hereyes, but the face behind them had gone noticeably pale. The aura of death and evilsurrounding Antoniewicz was starting to get to her. "What's that supposed tomean?" I asked, giving bluff and bluster one last try.

I might as well have saved myself the trouble. "Don't play stupid, McKell,"

Antoniewicz reproved me. "It doesn't suit you. Will you release the locks youput on the Icarus's systems? Or do my men take Ms. Cameron back to the engineroom?"

The ship, I noticed dimly, suddenly felt very cold. "Let me offer analternative deal," I said, my tongue feeling sluggish in my mouth. Antoniewicz wasstartingto get to me, too. "If you'll let Tera, Ixil, and me leave here unharmed, I'llungimmick the ship and give you something that'll be far more valuable to youthan all three of us put together."

"He's stalling," Brother John said contemptuously. "He hasn't got anythingleft to bargain with."

"On the contrary," I said. "I have Arno Cameron."

"You can tell us where he is?" Antoniewicz asked.

"I can do better than that," I said, trying hard to ignore the suddenlystricken look on Tera's face. "I can deliver him to you. Right now."

The atmosphere was suddenly electric. "What are you talking about?" BrotherJohn demanded, looking around as if expecting Cameron to pop out of the alien hull.

"Where is he?"

"He's hiding in the smaller sphere," I said, settling for the simplestexplanation. Giving them the complete story would only confuse the issue. "Ican go in there and get him."

"Really," Antoniewicz said, his voice suddenly cold. "Do you think us fools, McKell? My people checked every cubic centimeter of this ship before I cameaboard."

"Maybe everything out here and in the engine section, but not the smallsphere,"

I said, shaking my head. "Not visually, anyway. That place is a mess of cablesand wires—they'd have been hours at it. What did they use, body-heat sensorsand motion detectors?"

"And a few other specialized devices," Antoniewicz said, eyeing mespeculatively. "You realize, I trust, that Cameron dead is not a bargainingchip."

"He's not dead," I assured him. "There's an area in there that sensors can'treach. All that alien machinery, I suppose."

Antoniewicz glanced at Brother John, turned back to me. "All right," he said.

"Tell me where he is. I'll send one of my men in after him."

"It's very hard to find the place," I said. "Besides, if it's anyone but me, he'll probably put up a fight. That could damage something."

"Possibly even Cameron himself," Brother John murmured.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight," Antoniewicz said in a tone that saidthere would be no further discussion on the matter. "Tell us where he is."

I sighed. "That's not necessary," I said reluctantly. "I told him that when itwas safe to come out I'd either come personally or else send in one of Ixil'sferrets. There's an entrance in the engine room that should be open."

"Good," Antoniewicz said. He was all calm again now that he'd gotten his way.

"Send him."

I looked at Ixil and nodded. He nodded back, and Pix scampered down his legand headed up toward the wraparound. "You'd better tell whoever you have in thewraparound and engine room not to stop him," I warned.

"There's no one back there," Antoniewicz said. "I presume Cameron will becomingout the same way?"

"No, he'll come out here," I said, pointing to the covered access hole besideTera's computer. "There's a better access panel over there."

"Open it," Antoniewicz said, flicking his eyes to one of the bodyguards.

"While we wait, McKell, you can start fixing my ship."

"Yes, sir," I said. Furtively, with the feeling of someone about to rub saltinto his own raw flesh, I looked over at Tera. Knowing that, however painfulit was going to be, I had to see how she was taking this.

I was prepared for rage, for fear, for even borderline hysteria. But there wasnone of that in her face. Not anymore. Her face was instead totally drained ofemotion, as dead as Antoniewicz's eyes, the face of someone facing the end ofall things with the certain knowledge that there was nothing left to beredeemed from the ashes. The strong industrialist's daughter, the proud and defiantroyalpersonage—all of that was gone. There was nothing left but fatigue, and ayoungwoman facing the inevitability of her own death.

"I trusted you," she said quietly.

I turned my eyes away. It hurt just exactly as bad as I'd expected it to. "I'msorry," I said. "I did what I had to."

I estimated it would take about ten minutes for Pix to make it to the center of the sphere and trip the stargate mechanism. I took my time unlocking the sealsI'd put on the Icarus's helm and nav systems, with the result that nine ofthose minutes were gone by the time I walked back down to where Antoniewicz and theothers were still waiting. "They can get started now," I told Antoniewicz, nodding up at the techs. "I locked down the computer and engine controls, too, but I can't undo that until the helm and nav have been fired up and done theirself-checks."

"Then you should go up there so as to be ready for that occurrence,"

Antoniewicz said, gesturing up toward the computer and the two bodyguards standing watchover the now open access panel. "You've cost me far too much time as it is."

"It'll take another few minutes before I can get started," I told him. "In themeantime, I wanted to give you a warning."

His eyebrows lifted in obvious amusement. "Indeed? Something to do with youand the others, no doubt?"

"Not at all," I said. "I wanted to tell you that I've heard rumors that Genevahas folded under Patth pressure and forbidden all Earth citizens andassociates to give aid to the Icarus,"

"And you think such orders apply to me?" Antoniewicz said, even more amused.

"Not your core people, no," I said. "But a lot of your looser associates mightget cold feet under that kind of pressure, particularly those quiet governmentand military contacts you've got who will now have management or seniorofficers looking over their shoulders. Add to that the Patth reward, which is probablydoubling every six hours, and even you might have trouble moving and hidingthe Icarus."

"I'm quite aware of the challenges involved," Antoniewicz said. "That wasprecisely why I came myself, bringing only those most loyal to me." He gave meanother of those micrometer smiles. "That's also why I'll be taking the Icarusto one of my private estates when we leave here."

I glanced at Ixil. "I see," I said. "I presume you'll be dropping Ixil andTera and me off on the way?"

He frowned, another micrometer-level expression. "Who said anything aboutdropping you off anywhere?"

"That was the deal," I reminded him, frowning in turn. "I would give youCameron in exchange for Tera."

"Ah, yes," Antoniewicz said. "I forgot." He craned his neck to look at thehelm.

"Yodanna?" he called.

"Helm coming up now, Mr. Antoniewicz," one of the techs called back.

"What about the rest of the ship?"

"Checking now, sir, but it looks promising."

Antoniewicz looked back at me. "For such a clever man, McKell, you'reamazinglystupid sometimes," he said. "Ms. Cameron is far too useful as insurance forher father's cooperation for me to release her. As for you and your alien, the two of you are far too dangerous to keep around any longer than necessary." Helooked up again. "Yodanna?"

"Yes, sir," the call wafted its way back down to us. "I've got the sequence heused. We can unlock the computer and engine systems ourselves."

Antoniewicz looked back at me. "And I would say that the moment ofobsolescence has arrived sooner than expected," he said quietly. "I always offer a man thechance for final words, McKell. Have you any?"

A ripple of breeze brushed past my hair "No last words, Mr. Antoniewicz," Isaid firmly, standing up straight and closing my eyes. "Go ahead and shoot."

Even with my eyes closed, it was like a strobe light had gone off in my face.

A

multiple strobe light, a dozen flickering bursts of light like the prophetElijah calling fire down from heaven. I heard a gasp from somewhere beside me, a

startled reflexive scream from Tera, an equally startled curse from BrotherJohn.

And then, silence. Cautiously, wary of another round of flashes, I eased openmyeyes.

Antoniewicz was standing rigidly exactly where I'd left him, his face utterlyexpressionless. Everett had turned completely white. Brother John's face waswhite, too, his expression that of a man walking through a graveyard in thedead of night.

Which was, I decided as I looked around, an extremely apt analogy. All aroundus, this most loyal group of Antoniewicz's bodyguards were sprawled on thedeck where they'd stood, their weapons for the most part still clutched in rigidhands, the tops of their heads smoking with the nose-curling stink of burnthair and skin and bone. Fire from heaven, indeed.

From Tera's direction came a sudden choked gasp—apparently, her vision wasjustnow clearing up from the aftereffects of that multiple stutter of laser fire.

"It's all right, Tera," I assured her quickly, crossing to her side. "Justrelax. It's all over."

"But—" She broke off, looking back over her shoulder at the entrance to thewraparound "Not there," I told her, pointing above us. "There."

Even having known what to expect, I had to admit the sight was something tobehold. There were twelve of them grouped together in a tight knot in thecenter of the sphere, starting now to drift off in various directions toward the hullunder the influence of the alien grav field. Their squashed-iguana faces wereonly partly visible through their helmet faceplates, the body-armored ferretscrouching on their broad shoulders adding a surrealistic touch of theridiculous to the scene.

But there was nothing either surrealistic or ridiculous about the heavymilitarycombat lasers in their hands, or in the steady professional grip with whichtheypointed them at Antoniewicz, Brother John, Everett, and the three techs.

"They're Royal Kalixiri commandos," I said into the stunned silence, just incase my audience was too shy to ask the question themselves. "Loaned to us bythe one government in the Spiral that no longer has anything to lose by defyingthe Patth."

Tera was still staring up at them. "But—you said—where's my father?"

"He's safe," I told her. "The Icarus isn't a stardrive, you see. It's astargate, connected to a duplicate somewhere hell and away across the galaxy.

Your father accidentally triggered it and got bounced to the other end."

"The other end has Kalixiri in it?" Everett demanded, his voice distant andconfused.

"Hardly," I said. "Or rather, it didn't until a couple of hours ago. TheKalixiri were waiting here when we landed, hidden down in the trees—that's themain reason I insisted on parking the ship so close in under the branches.

Once it was dark, and once I'd chased Everett out and put on the hatchwayfloodlightsso that the glare would mask their movements, they used a collapsible ladderand the latch grooves on the starboard side to climb onto the engine section, goin through that dorsal hatch, and from there into the small sphere and down therabbit hole to where your father was waiting."

"So then... Pix?"

"Actually, I worked rather hard to maneuver Mr. Antoniewicz into insistingthat Pix go in instead of me," I said, looking at Antoniewicz. The dead look hadbeen replaced now by a clear and violent lust for death. My death. But then theKalixiri were landing on the deck around him, and the commandos and armor andheavy lasers were between him and the rest of us, and he'd lost his chanceforever. "When Pix went across, he took with him his visual memories of thenumber, weapon-status, and approximate placement of the men they'd have totake down. Popping in from nowhere, and in the last place anyone would expect anattack to come from, the whole thing was almost literally a duck shoot. Theonlyreal question was whether they'd get here before Antoniewicz decided I wasn'tuseful anymore and had me shot."

I looked at one of the commandos as he walked toward me, an empty spot on hisshoulder showing where Pix had been sitting. Pix himself, I noted, was alreadysettling onto Ixil's shoulder. "Speaking of being in time, Commander, what'sthe status of the lodge?"

"It has been taken," he said, his voice flavored with a thick regional accent.

"I have only now been so informed."

"What are you talking about?" Brother John demanded. "You said—"

"Well, they didn't all go down the rabbit hole," I explained apologetically.

"A

second group was hidden somewhere in or near the lodge to take care of anyoneyou'd left outside the ship. Once the commander learned from Pix's memoriesthat Nicabar and the others were being held hostage there, he knew to call in thedetails to the reserve troops as soon as they popped in here."

Tera looked at Brother John, then back to me. "But I thought you worked forthese people," she protested. "You said you owed them a half-millioncommarks."

"So I did," I acknowledged. "And so I do. But you see, I was working forsomeone else long before Brother Johnston Scotto Ryland came out of the woodwork and smilingly mortgaged my soul. For that matter, long before I even ran up thedebt that attracted him to me in the first place."

And then, finally, she got it. "You mean—?"

"Yes," I said, straightening up into an almost-forgotten military attention. Ihad my pride, too... and it had been a long time since I'd been able to saythis to anyone at all. "I'm Major Jordan McKell, EarthGuard Military Intelligence, detached on Special Covert Branch duty. May I also introduce my boss: ColonelIxil T'adee, Kalixiri Special Command for Drug Enforcement. Our job these pasttwelve years has been to work our way inside the Spiral's worst drug andgunrunning organizations and try to bring them down."

I turned to Antoniewicz. "And as I said before, Mr. Antoniewicz," I addedquietly, "I'm very pleased to meet you. Badgemen all over the Spiral have beenwaiting a long time for you to come out of your hole so that you could finallybe arrested. I'm honored you chose to do it for me."