"You were here the month before."
No, something in the back of her mind said, no, you were somewhere else. no, you were somewhere else.
You were somewhere else.
"No," she said, "I was . . . I was . . . " That was odd. She couldn"t remember.
Where had she been? Martle"s funeral was fresh in her mind, as was the raid, but the time in between was a blur.
"You were here," Dantalion repeated. "You were brought here. I was paid to remove a memory from your conscious mind and hide it where you would never find it."
She shook her head wildly. "No, it"s not true."
"It is true. And now I want to put it back again. That"s the payment."
The alien ship was closing rapidly on the Moorglade Moorglade. A vast maw had opened up in its prow, ready to catch the ship. Beltempest guessed that the fringe of blunt appendages surrounding it like tentacles were part of whatever device had located them in hypers.p.a.ce and pulled them back into the real universe.
"Better fasten your safety belts," Provost-Major Beltempest called back to the compartment behind him. "We"re in for a b.u.mpy ride!"
Beltempest uncoupled the controls from the autopilot and threw the shuttle hard to port, then dived beneath the approaching monster. The feel of the responsive controls beneath his fingers brought back memories of training sessions, many years ago. No simulators for the Landsknechte; they used and abused real ships. He"d stripped the spatial synchronets from more engines than he could count, pulling sharp turns in mock dog fights. It was all coming back to him now.
"What"s happening?" a voice wailed from the loudspeakers in his suit.
159."Doctor, glad to see you"re still alive. We"ve been hijacked out of hypers.p.a.ce."
"By whom?"
"If I knew, I would tell you. But they appear to be aliens."
"Well, try evasive manoeuvres!"
"Yes, thank you, Doctor. I"ll do that."
He shut off the connection in exasperation. Civilians! he thought, and concentrated on his screens. They appeared to be in clear s.p.a.ce no suns, no planets, no rogues nothing but stars and the odd hydrogen atom. And the alien craft. It had turned slowly until it was facing him again, and was in the process of lumbering slowly up to speed. It would never catch him at that rate, and the pilot must know it. That meant He peeled sideways again, just as a pale violet beam transected the portion of s.p.a.ce his ship had occupied only moments before. Gravity beam!
These creatures, whoever they were, were heavily armed. He didn"t recognize the design of the ship, and he"d been through all the military identification courses. Daleks, Sess, Sc.u.mble, Drahvins, Falardi: names, shapes and regis-tration details of every ship in their fleets memorized. But this one was new.
d.a.m.ned aliens, always trying to put one over on the Empire. Slap them down hard, that was the only language they understood.
The craft had reorientated itself, and was coming after him again. The pilot was good, for an alien. Really quite good. Probably trained by humans. Yes, that would explain it.
Beltempest examined his options with finely honed tactical skill. If he tried to jump into hypers.p.a.ce, the ship would just yank him out again. It had that capability. However, if he destroyed that capability . . . All he had to do was to shoot off those tentacles and, as the old phrase had it, Robert would be his interlocutor"s father"s brother.
Except that Dis had strict rules about armed ships attempting to come within range of its laser turrets. The Moorglade Moorglade"s weapons had been removed before it left Purgatory. Not just disarmed. Removed.
"d.a.m.n! d.a.m.n and blast! d.a.m.n and blast and "
Instinctively he threw the ship into a corkscrew turn, just as the gravity beam flashed past. The beam spiralled with him, always a few hundred metres behind but in perfect synchronization. He counted seconds, antic.i.p.ating the operator"s reaction time, then, at the moment the operator manually dragged the beam across the spiral, he broke away and took the ship in a curving path away from the alien craft, downwards, under its belly and up towards its rear.
Where another gravity beam caught him in its violet grip. The Moorglade Moorglade rang like a cracked and rather old bell. rang like a cracked and rather old bell.
Two gravity generators. That looked suspiciously like overkill to him.
160."Imperial Landsknecht shuttle," a voice boomed in his ears. He"d turned the communications systems off, so they were probably using some sort of modulation on their gravity beam. Smart. For aliens. "Imperial Landsknecht shuttle, heave to. We are about to board."
Standard Landsknecht message format as well. They must have been on the end of it themselves a few times. That gave him some clues. Obviously a race that had felt the sharp end of Imperial justice before. Not that it narrowed the field much.
The alien craft grew in his screens. He bent to retrieve his weapons from the floor. Try to board his shuttle, would they? He"d show them how the Landsknechte reacted to that kind of thing.
Chirell Tensen refastened the access plate and sat back on his heels. "Never understood why they can"t get a bot to do this," he grumbled, disengaging his heavy diagnostic unit and glancing around the room at the hulking but eerily silent null-grav generators. He didn"t like being down in the lowest level of the towers. Too close to the Undertown for his liking, what with the riots and all.
"What?" his colleague Trav Chan shouted. He was still working on the other side of the unit, and the constant high-pitched whine of the generators made it difficult to hear.
"I said I don"t know why they can"t get a bot to do this," he shouted.
"Accountability. If we screw up, we"re responsible. If a bot screws up, there"s n.o.body"s b.u.t.t in the sling."
Chirell rubbed his temple. His head was throbbing fit to burst, and the strap of the diagnostic unit was biting into his shoulder. His wife had bought a cheap body-bepple kit as a surprise birthday present for him, and he couldn"t stop thinking about the new softness of her skin and the fresh curves of her body. She was probably still asleep, curled up in the warmth of their bed.
G.o.ddess, he wished he were back there with her, running his fingernail up her back.
"If we screw up, this tower drops all the way down to the Undertown," he snapped. "They won"t be able to find enough of our b.u.t.ts to put in a nutsh.e.l.l, let alone a sling."
"No chance of that," Chan said. "These things are built with so much redun-dancy, you wouldn"t believe."
The pounding in Chirell"s head was making it difficult to think. He turned to look at Chan, but something was wrong with his eyes. All he could see was a red blur.
"Screw it," he snarled. "I just want out!"
161.He stood up, but a sudden wave of nausea made him stagger. Something flashed into his mind: a picture of Chan"s hands wandering across his wife"s b.r.e.a.s.t.s and b.u.t.tocks.
"Hey, you okay, man?" Chan asked in concern.
Chirell"s head was pounding. He wanted to lash out, to smash something, to hear somebody scream. In his mind, Chan was holding his wife down while she bucked and moaned in pleasure. Chan was s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g his wife! How could he have been so stupid?
Chan caught hold of his shoulders. "Hey, you want we should "
His words were cut off as Chirell smashed the sharp corner of the diagnostic unit into his forehead.
Green light. Bright light.
Forrester crept closer to the doorway of the hotel room, vibroknife held tightly in her hand. From inside, Fenn Martle"s voice snapped something short. He in her hand. From inside, Fenn Martle"s voice snapped something short. He sounded angry. No, he sounded furious. sounded angry. No, he sounded furious.
What in G.o.ddess" name was the moron doing here, especially without backup?
It had been obvious back at the lodge that he was on edge about something. It had also been obvious for some time that he was following up leads on a case had also been obvious for some time that he was following up leads on a case but wasn"t sure enough of himself to make it official meetings at odd hours, but wasn"t sure enough of himself to make it official meetings at odd hours, mysterious actions while on cases, a general air of preoccupation. The big idiot. mysterious actions while on cases, a general air of preoccupation. The big idiot.
Couldn"t he ever leave the job alone? He had to be the most dedicated Adjudicator that Forrester had ever come across. that Forrester had ever come across.
Knowing how he could go off half-c.o.c.ked sometimes, Forrester had followed him from the lodge in an unmarked flitter. She"d had to leave her judicial blaster him from the lodge in an unmarked flitter. She"d had to leave her judicial blaster behind; their use was tightly controlled, and Adjudicators weren"t allowed to sign behind; their use was tightly controlled, and Adjudicators weren"t allowed to sign them out after work. Spiralling up in the wake of his expensive sportster model them out after work. Spiralling up in the wake of his expensive sportster model towards the Overcity, she had felt an unaccustomed excitement blossom within towards the Overcity, she had felt an unaccustomed excitement blossom within her. If Martle had discovered some kind of connection between the Undertown her. If Martle had discovered some kind of connection between the Undertown gangs and the Overcity crime bosses, this could make their careers. Even better, gangs and the Overcity crime bosses, this could make their careers. Even better, they might at last be able to get a handle on Olias and her sordid little dealings. they might at last be able to get a handle on Olias and her sordid little dealings.
Martle"s flitter had been heading for an access point halfway up one of the hotel towers in the eastern sector. This one was near the s.p.a.ceport and overlooked towers in the eastern sector. This one was near the s.p.a.ceport and overlooked the hole left in the Overcity by the Sc.u.mble ship that had crashed some years the hole left in the Overcity by the Sc.u.mble ship that had crashed some years beforehand. She had recognized the one he was aiming for; it maintained suites beforehand. She had recognized the one he was aiming for; it maintained suites of rooms with variable environmental controls for the various alien diplomatic of rooms with variable environmental controls for the various alien diplomatic delegations that regularly came, cap in hand, to the Empress. Forrester had a delegations that regularly came, cap in hand, to the Empress. Forrester had a hard time keeping up with him; his flitter had a higher power rating than any hard time keeping up with him; his flitter had a higher power rating than any she"d seen. Must have cost him a bomb. she"d seen. Must have cost him a bomb.
Martle had brought his vehicle in for a smooth landing on the shelflike access point, and paid a valet bot to park it for him. It hadn"t been hard to spot him: point, and paid a valet bot to park it for him. It hadn"t been hard to spot him: 162 162out of his robes he usually wore an expensive five piece shrivenzale-skin suit and boots woven out of ditz hair. Circling high above like a hawk, Forrester had boots woven out of ditz hair. Circling high above like a hawk, Forrester had watched him enter the hotel, then swooped down and dashed in towards a slot watched him enter the hotel, then swooped down and dashed in towards a slot just ahead of a large, black diplomatic flitter. The bot had tried to wave her just ahead of a large, black diplomatic flitter. The bot had tried to wave her away, but she had flashed her forearm at it. A laser had tickled her flesh, and away, but she had flashed her forearm at it. A laser had tickled her flesh, and the bot had backed away humbly. the bot had backed away humbly.
"Park it!" she had snapped, jerking her thumb at her unmarked flitter, and then she had run into the hotel sub-lobby. The walls were lined with orange fur, then she had run into the hotel sub-lobby. The walls were lined with orange fur, and the floor was a mosaic of the sh.e.l.ls of small turtle-like creatures. Opulent. and the floor was a mosaic of the sh.e.l.ls of small turtle-like creatures. Opulent.
Opulent to the point where it made Forrester feel physically sick. It reminded her too much of her family"s mansion on Io: the same careless att.i.tude towards her too much of her family"s mansion on Io: the same careless att.i.tude towards wealth, the same impersonal feeling. wealth, the same impersonal feeling.
Martle had just been vanishing into a null-grav shaft. She had ducked back in case he had seen her, then, after his feet had vanished upwards, she jogged across case he had seen her, then, after his feet had vanished upwards, she jogged across the lobby, avoiding various human, beppled human and alien guests, and dived the lobby, avoiding various human, beppled human and alien guests, and dived in after him. in after him.
And here she was, standing outside the open door of the hotel room, personal vibroknife in her hand, listening to him shouting. A tiny bud of worry was vibroknife in her hand, listening to him shouting. A tiny bud of worry was flowering inside her chest. The moron obviously needed backup, but had been flowering inside her chest. The moron obviously needed backup, but had been too proud to ask Forrester to come with him. He"d be glad she was there. too proud to ask Forrester to come with him. He"d be glad she was there.
Wouldn"t he?
"You should be careful who you speak to like that," a calm, sardonic voice said.
"I might just have you killed."
"You wouldn"t dare!" Martle snapped. "I"ve been doing your dirty work for so long that you"ve forgotten what it"s like to get your hands soiled. I"ve set so long that you"ve forgotten what it"s like to get your hands soiled. I"ve set everything up for you. If you kill me, who"ll protect you from the Adjudicators?" everything up for you. If you kill me, who"ll protect you from the Adjudicators?"
"What makes you think you"re the only Adjudicator on my payroll?"
Forrester very deliberately tried not to think about what was being said. She didn"t a.n.a.lyse the words for their meaning. She didn"t dare think about Fenn didn"t a.n.a.lyse the words for their meaning. She didn"t dare think about Fenn Martle, fairest Adjudicator on the force, taking bribes. Martle, fairest Adjudicator on the force, taking bribes.
She didn"t succeed.
She had to see who Martle was talking to. Edging closer to the door, she tried to peer round the jamb. to peer round the jamb.
"Someone else?" Martle sounded shaken. "Who?"
"No harm in telling you, I suppose," the voice drawled. "Your Adjudicator Secular. Rashid, is that her name? Expensive, but she"s worth every penny."
"But "
"Why? Because I needed the extra protection. We have the Hith ship, thanks to a pilot who was open to bribery, and we"ve shipped it here to Earth. A fascinating vessel. Exploitation will start any day now. We tortured the navigator to a pilot who was open to bribery, and we"ve shipped it here to Earth. A fascinating vessel. Exploitation will start any day now. We tortured the navigator for information, and we were about to do the same with the pilot until they both for information, and we were about to do the same with the pilot until they both 163 163managed to escape. The pilot left Earth, but I"ve traced him to Oolis. No doubt if I pay enough money to the local militia, they"ll kill him for me. The navigator is I pay enough money to the local militia, they"ll kill him for me. The navigator is still on Earth, somewhere in the Undertown. I wouldn"t be concerned about him, still on Earth, somewhere in the Undertown. I wouldn"t be concerned about him, except that he took a vital control nexus from the ship before he went. We can"t except that he took a vital control nexus from the ship before he went. We can"t operate the engines properly without it. We need to find him." operate the engines properly without it. We need to find him."
"I can do that for you." Martle sounded as if he was pleading. Forrester couldn"t believe it. Through the doorway, past Martle"s expensively dressed figure, she believe it. Through the doorway, past Martle"s expensively dressed figure, she could see a large picture window, overlooking the hole in the Overcity where could see a large picture window, overlooking the hole in the Overcity where the Sc.u.mble s.p.a.cecraft had crashed. Far, far below, the fires of the Undertown the Sc.u.mble s.p.a.cecraft had crashed. Far, far below, the fires of the Undertown glittered. glittered.
"But you"re unreliable," the other man said. "And you are becoming increasingly expensive. Rashid can give us far better protection if we find this pilot and kill it. expensive. Rashid can give us far better protection if we find this pilot and kill it.
You, I"m afraid, are yesterday"s news, Mr Martle."
Forrester edged an inch further into the doorway, and saw the figure Martle was talking to. It glistened like metal, but it looked like a man. A man in an was talking to. It glistened like metal, but it looked like a man. A man in an old-fashioned suit, with a round-collared shirt. Its head had been moulded to old-fashioned suit, with a round-collared shirt. Its head had been moulded to resemble a face: a middle-aged face with a stern frown, a supercilious droop to resemble a face: a middle-aged face with a stern frown, a supercilious droop to the eyes, a sneer. The sort of man you wouldn"t want to cross in business. Or the eyes, a sneer. The sort of man you wouldn"t want to cross in business. Or anything else. anything else.
A bot built to resemble a man? There were laws against that sort of thing. And why was it giving Martle orders? why was it giving Martle orders?
It saw Forrester.
"My dear," it said affably, gesturing her into the room, "please join us." It turned to Martle. "You see," it said. "You"re getting to be a liability, my boy. You were to Martle. "You see," it said. "You"re getting to be a liability, my boy. You were followed." followed."
"Please . . . "
"No, Mr Martle, I"m afraid my mind is made up." It shook its head in mock sorrow, but Forrester could sense an undercurrent of dark humour in its voice. sorrow, but Forrester could sense an undercurrent of dark humour in its voice.
"Fenn . . . " she said uncertainly. "I don"t understand. Why are you taking orders from a bot?" from a bot?"
Martle looked away, unable or unwilling to meet her gaze.
"I"m not a bot, my dear," the bot said, striding forward surprisingly nimbly.
"Yeah, sure," she said, "and I"m the Draconian amba.s.sador. Well, if you"re for real, then I"m obliged to inform you that your words, gestures and postures will real, then I"m obliged to inform you that your words, gestures and postures will be recorded as soon as I can find a security bot to do it, and that they may be recorded as soon as I can find a security bot to do it, and that they may form part of any legal action taken against you. Under the terms of the Data form part of any legal action taken against you. Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 2820, as amended 2945, I am also obliged to inform you that Protection Act 2820, as amended 2945, I am also obliged to inform you that you and any appointed legal representative will be able to purchase a copy of all you and any appointed legal representative will be able to purchase a copy of all recordings upon payment of the standard fee. Until recording starts I am obliged recordings upon payment of the standard fee. Until recording starts I am obliged to warn you that you should say nothing." to warn you that you should say nothing."
"Martle," the bot said. "You wish to redeem yourself in my eyes. Kill her."
164.Forrester raised her eyebrows and looked over at her partner, inviting him to share her amazement at the audacity of the bot. Her partner, who had saved share her amazement at the audacity of the bot. Her partner, who had saved her life five times that she could count. Her partner, with whom she had shared her life five times that she could count. Her partner, with whom she had shared moments, memories, laughs and tears. Her partner, who was pulling a small but moments, memories, laughs and tears. Her partner, who was pulling a small but lethal needle out from a concealed holster. lethal needle out from a concealed holster.
"Roz, I"m sorry," he murmured, raising the gun.
And the Falardi"s claw carved its way up his spine with a thunk that she would hear for ever.
His hand, on the trigger.
The Falardi"s claw carved its way The look in his eye.
Thunk!
She flicked her hand, sending the vibroknife spinning through the air towards Martle. It caught him in his right eye, sending him spinning backwards, screaming, the needle dropping from his spasming hand, falling to the floor just before Martle. It caught him in his right eye, sending him spinning backwards, screaming, the needle dropping from his spasming hand, falling to the floor just before his body hit the wall. his body hit the wall.
Thunk.
She stood, as still as a statue, seeing the blood but somehow not understanding it. A numb feeling crept over her body, as if she had been wrapped in cotton wool it. A numb feeling crept over her body, as if she had been wrapped in cotton wool and insulated from the world. Shock? Was she in shock? She couldn"t move her and insulated from the world. Shock? Was she in shock? She couldn"t move her legs. She couldn"t even blink. legs. She couldn"t even blink.
The bot walked between her and Martle"s body. It was holding a small stunner, and she suddenly recognized the feeling from training sessions on Ponten IV She and she suddenly recognized the feeling from training sessions on Ponten IV She had been stunned, and shortly, she guessed, she would be dead. had been stunned, and shortly, she guessed, she would be dead.
"Thank you, my dear," it said. "You have done my dirty work for me, but provided me with a problem. One dead Adjudicator I could account for, with provided me with a problem. One dead Adjudicator I could account for, with Adjudicator Secular Rashid"s help, but two would raise eyebrows back on Ponten Adjudicator Secular Rashid"s help, but two would raise eyebrows back on Ponten IV. No, I think that the easiest solution will be to wipe your memory of our IV. No, I think that the easiest solution will be to wipe your memory of our meeting and implant a new version of events. An alien, I think, killing your meeting and implant a new version of events. An alien, I think, killing your partner and escaping while you tried to save his life. That way you all get to partner and escaping while you tried to save his life. That way you all get to be heroes, and I remain safe." It walked closer, its impa.s.sive metal face radiating be heroes, and I remain safe." It walked closer, its impa.s.sive metal face radiating sardonic good humour. "There are people down in the Undertown who are experts sardonic good humour. "There are people down in the Undertown who are experts at that sort of thing. It"s the best course of action. I"m sure that, given the choice, at that sort of thing. It"s the best course of action. I"m sure that, given the choice, you would agree with me." you would agree with me."
The bot raised the stunner.
The last thing she could remember seeing was Martle"s blood pooling beneath his head his head and the first thing she saw when the lid of the time tank opened was Chris Cwej smiling down at her. His skin was pink and new. And furless, apart from a fuzz of golden hair across his scalp. and the first thing she saw when the lid of the time tank opened was Chris Cwej smiling down at her. His skin was pink and new. And furless, apart from a fuzz of golden hair across his scalp.
"Hey, Roz," he said tenderly.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
165."I"m fine," he said, placing an arm beneath her shoulders and easing her upright. "I feel like I"ve slept for a month. Probably have: all the beppled cells have been replaced. I"m me again. But what about you? How do you . . . how do you feel?"
Forrester turned her attention inwards. The memories were there, as they always had been. She accepted them. She knew they were true.