“That’s pretty well the condition of everybody born, isn’t it? Except you, being what you are–”
“And you’re Jordan’sreplicate, so you know things you wouldn’t, if you were Amy, or Sam, or Maddy. You know things. You were part of that world, the way it was.”
“I know things.”
“So you’re the best I could choose. And I’ll give you a verbal code, which will only work in your voiceprint, and only if my CIT number has gone inactive in the system. Just say my name three times. Just say AriAriAri. And Base One is yours. Even if Yanni’s Base Two is still active. I trust you, more than Yanni. And if anything happens to me, you take possession of this apartment, and all my staff, and every defense this place has. And you bring my friends in until it’s safe.”
“Don’t get killed. Pleasedon’t get killed.”
He did care. He did. And that mattered. She was in the mode she’d been in when they’d come after Uncle Denys–close to that. But she could be amused, just a little, and moved to put a hand on his shoulder. “So you don’t have to run Reseune? There’s a major difference between you and your father. You really love the work, the puzzles in it; you tolerate me because I bring you puzzles.”
His brows knit, just a little offense, not much. “You’re a little better than a puzzle, young sera. Just a little.”
“And you’re a little better than a puzzle‑solver. A lot better, in fact.” She pressed her fingers into his arm. “I’ve been in love with you since forever. So far I’ve been mostly good. And you know that, too.”
“Don’t even open that door.”
“My name is Ari. Not kid. Not young sera. I wish you’d use it.”
“And you know you areyoung sera, to most everybody.”
She tilted her head to look up at him, right in the eyes, pursed her lips slightly and shook her head, ever so slightly. “I’m Ariane,” she said. “That covers everything people say I am. You’re only half a replicate. Thank God. I’m pretty damned close to the original. Don’t worry about me. Just don’t let anybody get in a hit behind my back. I want you safe while I’m gone.”
“ You’renot going with Yanni.”
“Yanni will have already left by now–or be on the verge of it. I’m going to be busy. And I’d like to give you Amy, but she’s going to Novgorod. She’s real quiet. The media let her alone. She’ll find out things. She’ll have Quentin with her, and he’ll be out of uniform. All very quiet. Just a business trip. Give me a kiss. I’m collecting them, storage for the next few days.”
He did, just a kiss on the cheek. She’d wondered what he’d do if she asked.
That he could do that, that smoothly, that collectedly, said worlds about his mental state.
She left him, then, to go talk to Amy.
“Sure.” Amy said. “When?”
“See if Yanni caninfuse some backbone into Jacques and get Khalid shut out. I’m worried, all things considered, that that won’t be enough.”
“If Khalid’s involved in Spurlin’s murder…”
“Likely it won’t stop other things from happening. That’s what’s got me worried: if Yanni succeeds, Yanni’s in imminent danger.”
“Jacques is in trouble, in either case,” Amy said.
“He’s a dead man, either walking around for a while, or cold before nightfall. But we can only protect him if he agrees with us and puts Bigelow in the line of fire–if that’s what’s going on. This is dangerous, Amy. You should understand that. I’m not sure Patil and Thieu aren’t linked into this, and that means Yanni is a majortarget.”
“I’m in the fish breeding business. It’s about your tank. I’m staying in the Wilcox, third floor–fast to reach ground leveclass="underline" and Quentin’s my secretary. You want some blennies.”
“You’ve got it,” she said. “Bore anybody who asks. If you’re absolutely sure you’re overheard, you and Quentin start arguing about calcium supplements and temperature stability in the bar.”
Amy laughed. Then: “Understood,” Amy said, with a little pat on her arm, and went to talk to Quentin.
A plane took off. Ari caught the sound, above the water‑sound of the room. That would probably be Yanni.
Good luck, she wished him. Good luck.
Please stay alive, Yanni.
BOOK THREE Section 5 Chapter iv
JULY 26, 2424
0828H
“Ser.” Rafael met Florian in the foyer of the little office, opened the back hall door, and showed him right through.
An item had turned up. That was what Rafael’s message had said, and when Florian went into Rafael’s office a very anxious young woman leapt up and bowed that slight degree ReseuneSec protocol taught. She was no older than the rest of them, just old enough for assignment. Her uniform tag said CARLY BC‑18, and she was dark‑skinned, broad‑faced, wide‑shouldered. She clutched half a ream of physical printout to her chest as if it were state secrets.
Which, given that Rafael was investigating staff backgrounds, it might be.
“This is Carly BC, ser. Records.”
“Ser,” Carly said.
Florian took the available conference chair. Carly settled on the edge of her seat and held her printout on her knees.
“So what do you have, Carly BC?”
“Ser, Giraud Nye’s contacts, systematized; the azi in question. Also Giraud Nye’s aides and seconds, their whereabouts, their contacts. I have the computer file.” She touched her breast pocket.
“Tell me what you learned,” Florian said. He expected a little nervousness. Carly BC was new, straight from the barracks. First real assignment.
And Carly had, first off, a shorter document, within the cover of the first. She pulled it out and handed it over, a set of graphs and schematics. Trips to Novgorod. Time spent in Novgorod. Meetings with Defense. Persons involved. Giraud. Abban. Gorodin, deceased Councillor.
Regime change. Giraud, Abban, Hicks. Khalid. Jacques. Spurlin. Jacques, just recently.
He looked up at Rafael. “You’ve seen this?”
“I’ve skimmed it, yes, ser.”
“Specific data on Hicks. Carly BC.”
“Ser.”
“Can you pull that out?”
Carly opened the printout on her lap and frantically turned pages. “It’s here, ser.” Large, dark eyes fixed on his. “I broke out stats on each individual involved. Nye, Abban AB, Hicks, Gorodin, Khalid, Jacques, Spurlin…”
“Give me the data file,” Florian said, and held out his hand. Carly BC opened her pocket and handed it to him immediately, a finger marking her place in the printout.
Branches. Branch led to branch, led to branch. One person connected to another. It didn’t always produce valid theory, but the investigative AI tended to err on the side of the smallest connection, once it launched.
“Well done, Carly BC.”
“Thank you, ser.”
The threads all wove back and forth. That was the pattern. Never expect that it was going to connect up too tightly. Defense was massive.
“Visits by Abban to Hicks,” he said. “Do you have that stat?”
“A lot, ser. I can find it.” She started to resort to the printout again.
“That’s good, Carly BC. No, don’t bother. If it’s searchable, it’s in here, isn’t it?”
“Yes, ser.”
“I think we’re through with Carly BC’s report,” Florian said quietly. “Thank you, Carly BC.”
“Ser.” She looked uncertain. Then started to get up.
“I’ll take the report,” Florian said. And took it, and Carly received a nod from Rafael and left.
Florian looked at Rafael, at the azi who’d been primed to report to Hicks.
“How are you now, Rafael BR?” he asked. “Are you with us on this?”
“My Contract is to sera,” Rafael said firmly.
“No lingering troubles.”
“None, ser.”
Florian looked at him a long time, and Rafael gazed back, level and long.
“Take precautions,” Florian said. “The ferret she sent may have rung bells in certain offices. It shouldn’t. But sometimes we aren’t as clean as we hope to be. Assume we’re not. That’s safest.”