I must have been getting morose. Alex told me to cheer up, hang in, that we'd be all right. "We'll get out of here," he said. "And we'll get Belle and go out to the Lantner world and find out what's going on." In the evenings, sometimes, I wrapped up in a blanket, turned off the outside lights, and went out on the deck to look at the sky. At the haze that was the rim of the Milky Way. Or in the opposite direction at Callistra. On the evening that we heard the economist, Alex joined me. We stood for a while, standing in the darkness. "They should be here soon," he said.
TWENTY-THREE
Watch your head.
- Dying to Know You
The day after we'd watched the interview with the economist, they came. Alex was spread out on the sofa, reading a political history of the Korant Domain. He'd just finished commenting on what he would give to obtain something, anything , from that era. A Brokasian vase from the courtroom where they'd tried the whole family. What would that be worth? It was evening. We both heard the approaching skimmer long before we saw it. (It was my turn on watch.) We did a quick inspection of our setup to make sure everything was ready. Then we saw the lights overhead, and the vehicle began to descend. "Showtime," said Alex. A cable, painted gold, ran down the matching gold wall opposite the front door until it reached the floor behind the sofa. There it passed through a ceiling hook that we'd hammered into the floor. It then ran up the arm of the sofa and was secured so that anyone sitting on the sofa could reach it and release it. The arrangement was not particularly noticeable to visitors coming in the front door. We waited for the skimmer to set down. As it did, Alex sat up, released the end of the cable from the sofa arm, and tugged on it once or twice to make sure it wasn't stuck anywhere. He held it out of sight,
gripped in his right hand, which dangled casually over the sofa arm. I'd put a smooth gray rock on a side table about eight strides from the door. The table had an artificial plant on it. I'd made no effort to hide the rock. It was right out there where anyone could see it, like an innocent decoration. The engines shut off, and we heard the hatch open. Then voices. I took station by the window. "Three of them," I said. "Which ones?" "Krestoff and the bong thrower. Corel. And somebody else. Little, dumpy guy." "You don't mean the pilot?" "No. The pilot's still in the aircraft." "Okay. The dumpy guy will be the tech." "They've closed the hatch." We'd been pretty sure that would happen. The pilot had closed it when he'd delivered us. It was too cold out there to sit with it open. "Here they come." "Okay. We ready?" "Yes, sir. Krestoff will be first in the door. Bong is bringing up the rear." "Okay. The tech shouldn't be dangerous." "Let's hope." "Whoever can get to him first-" The voices had gotten louder. "Here they come." I waited by the door. Krestoff asked Kellie to open up. She waited a few seconds and tried again. I went over and opened the door for them. "We didn't trust Kellie," I said. Krestoff stood in the entrance, amused. But she had her scrambler in her hand. "She wasn't spying on you. Nobody's that interested. But it doesn't matter." She indicated I should back off a few steps, and came inside. She looked over at Alex, sitting lazily on the sofa. She was wrapped in a heavy jacket. A thick woolen hat was pulled down over her ears. I allowed myself to look scared. It didn't take much acting. "Hello," Alex said. "We were beginning to think you'd forgotten us." She signaled the others to come in. The dumpy little guy carried a black box. He had a straggly beard, just beginning to gray. Bong came in behind him, hauling a larger black box. He set it down on a chair and closed the door. He'd never looked bigger. Didn't even bother showing us a weapon. "We want to run an exam," Krestoff said. "Make sure you're okay. After we've done that, you'll be released." "Look," Alex said. "We know what this is about. Don't try to hide it from us." "What what is about?" "You're going to do a lineal block. On each of us." She hesitated. "Okay. I don't suppose there's any point hiding the truth. But you won't be harmed." "You're going to lock away what? Everything having to do with Vicki Greene?" Another pause. "Yes." "Before you do that, answer a question for me." "If I can?" "Who are you working for?" "The CSS." "I hope you're a rogue unit. That the entire organization hasn't been corrupted." She turned to the dumpy guy. "Doctor, do him first." "It's Wexler, isn't it?" That stopped her in her tracks. "No," she said finally. But her eyes delivered a different message. "And that's enough nonsense." She walked over to the table with the chess set and swept the pieces onto the floor. "Use this." I doubted the guy was a doctor. He did not look especially bright. Bong picked up the larger box, brought it over to the table, and set it down.
"Please," said Alex. His voice quivered. "I'll give you all I have." All I have was the operative phrase. I started a four count. The tech set his own box down, and opened it. He signaled Alex to come over and sit down at the table. Alex started to get to his feet, keeping the cable out of sight. I'd gotten to three. I checked the exact position of the rock on the table with the plant. The tech was about to say something to Bong as I reached four. Alex let go of the cable. The far end was outside the house, looped over a branch of the tree that jutted from the cliff edge. It was attached to a heavier rock than the one I had available. That rock, of course, plunged downward, yanking the cable with it. Inside, the cable jumped up the wall with a sudden slithering sound, raced across the overhead through the series of ceiling hooks and the corners of two blankets, which were held together by nails. Their corners released, the blankets opened and dropped their loads on our startled visitors. Rocks and firewood, loose earth, paint cans, wrenches, dishware, glasses, lamps, and a glass bottle we'd found in one of the bathrooms rained down on them. I stepped in while the stuff was still falling and nailed Bong on the jaw with my rock. I'd planned to get him between the eyes, but he'd gone into reflex protective mode, and I had to settle for whatever target presented itself. He went down like a small rhino. Seconds later, Alex had the scrambler from a startled Krestoff. I went digging in Bong's pockets, found another weapon, a blaster, and aimed it at the tech. He threw up his hands and squealed. "Don't shoot. Please. I didn't mean any harm to anyone." "Okay," I said. "Don't-" "I'm only here because they called me." He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead. "I'm not part of this." I took a quick look out the window. "He's still in the vehicle." Krestoff was getting to her feet. Alex leveled the weapon at her. She flicked on her comm link. "Don't," he said. "Not a sound." She hesitated. The link was on a bracelet. She gazed at it. "Take it off," he said. "Don't say a word. Just toss it over here." She removed the bracelet and dropped it at her feet. "Back away from it," I said. She did, while Bong started to growl and began struggling to his feet. He turned a look of pure hatred in my direction. I picked up the rock and hit the bracelet with it. Krestoff looked up at the overhead, where the two blankets dangled. She began to laugh. "Not bad," she said. "I wouldn't have thought you two had it in you." "Just don't make any sudden moves," he said. "Corel." Bong reacted to his name. "Let me have your link." He shook his head. No. Alex sighed. He aimed Krestoff's scrambler at him and pulled the trigger. Bong started to cry out, but the scream ended in a whimper, and he collapsed. Krestoff's eyes came up to meet Alex's. "I'll kill you," she said quietly. The link was clipped to his collar. Alex removed it, inspected it, dropped it on the floor, and stepped on it. I used a piece of cable to secure Krestoff's hands. Alex got the technician. I checked Bong. He was breathing. "He'll be out for a while," I said. The pilot was sitting out there reading. "Don't hurt him," said Krestoff. We gagged her and the tech. Krestoff's eyes found me. She would have loved to get me alone in an alley.