World's End

Page 178

JOAND. VINGE

Hegemony." It all sounds so simple. Like a lie. He watched his brothers' faces tighten and close.

"What did you do with the stardrive?" SB asked, finally.

"Just what I said I'd do. I turned the sample over to the Chief Justice, along with a full report." He could barely even remember the circumstances, anymore. After his coded call to the Chief Inspector, they had come to World's End and taken him back to Foursgate, into a hell of reconstructive surgery and questions, rehabilitative therapy and questions, interviews and interrogations and questions, questions, questions.. . . "My hypothesis has been confirmed."

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Their faces turned as desolate as the wastes of World's

End. "And what did it get you?" SB said bitterly, looking around the room. "Nothing."

"On the contrary." Gundhalinu smiled. "You didn't hear the sergeant--I'm quite a hero. They can't do enough for me. They're about to promote me to commander.

I expect I could have just about anything I asked for, at this point." And maybe I knew it would happen this way all along. He watched their faces, and felt his smile turn to iron. And that was why I could never let you be a part of it.

"Then, why don't you take it?" HK said. "You said there were things you wanted. You're just like we are!"

"No," Gundhalinu said softly, "I'm not. But you're right, there are things I want. I've already gotten one or two of them. But most of the things I want just aren't that simple. They take time."

And planning, and patience.

. . . And the certainty that he could change the web of other people's manipulation that was already tightening around him; that he could make it into a ladder, leading him ever upward toward his goal.

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"What about us?" SB asked.

Gundhalinu looked back at them almost absently. He folded his arms across his aching chest.

"Well, I thought

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WORLD S END