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Romus's tentacles flutter uneasily. "I will take the test," he decides.
"Very good. I will have Anstine give you the application forms and schedule
the scan.
Aiah watches Romus leave, then returns to the piles of paper spread before
her.
She decides she needs a bigger desk.
THE GOLDEN LADY FREEDOM FIGHTER OR PLASM THIEFTOMORROW ON THE WIREAiah looks
stonily at the jerky video as another arrested suspect explodes. Fortunately
the soldier carrying the camera faints almost immediately, and the video is
short.
"Did you see the room?" Kelban says. "Bottles everywhere. Pills. Take-out
food. And a girl had just left, a pro surveillance saw her exit.
Nictitating membranes half-lid Ethemark's eyes. "The Party Sickness," he
says.
"Two people with Party Sickness symptoms, and they both blow up when
arrested," Kelban says. "This is not a coincidence.
"But the first fellow to explode," Ethemark remarks, "did so in front of his
family. No Party Sickness there.
Kelban frowns. "Maybe he was in the early stages.
Maybe he was starting the party with the wife, Aiah thinks. She ventures a
cautious shrug. "What can we do?" she says. "I've never heard of an illness
that acts this way, and we're not the Health Ministry in any case.
Ethemark tilts his head back, considers. "We are not empowered to act on
matters of public health, true. But if this is the result of a Slaver Mage,
say, or an ice man, then this is definitely a case of misused plasm, and
therefore falls within our purview.
"I'd like an opinion from counsel in that regard," Aiah says.
"Still," says Kelban, "if this is a case of some kind of supernatural
possession, then its only victims are Handmen. This mage, or whatever it is,
is doing us favors.
"We don't know that its only victims are Handmen," Ethemark points out. He
turns to Aiah. "I'd like authorization to open a file on this, perhaps commit
some of our investigators.
"It looks like a dead end to me," Aiah says. "We have no evidence, nothing
but some bodies.
"We don't have any evidence yet. We haven't looked I want to thoroughly
investigate the movements of the victims, who they saw, when and if they began
to act strangely.
That seems harmless enough, Aiah thinks. Certainly digging through the
victims' files and backgrounds is not going to lead anyone to Constantine.
"All right," Aiah says. "Submit a proposal, then, and I'll approve it,
providing it doesn't take too many personnel from their regular duties.
Ethemark looks at her. "Very good. I don't think we'll need more than one
mage, and maybe one good investigator on the ground.
"Not full-time, I trust.
"Probably not.
"Well. Submit your proposal, and we'll see.
Aiah wonders if Ethemark has heard the same rumor that Khorsa had, that
Constantine interviews prisoners, orders them released, and that they
subsequently die of the Party Sickness. If this is an attempt by Ethemark, or
Ethemark and Adaveth together, to discover something they can use against
Constantine, or to hold over him.
Aiah remembers Constantine in the limousine just a few days ago, smiling as he
gazed into his wineglass, firmly in command of Caraqui and himself, confident
in his ability to manage any crisis. Taikoen was an element of his
confidence, his power, but a dangerous element.
She wonders if it is possible to kill a hanged man, and how.
JABZI ATTACKS "GOLDEN LADY
AIAH "COMMON CRIMINAL," SAYS INFORMATION MINISTER"The hearings in the
Timocracy came to nothing," Colonel Galagas is pleased to report. He touches
his mustache, smiles. "No evidence was ever developed, and none of the
Escaliers were ever required to testify.
"I'm pleased for you.
Aiah has little actual interest in the findings, but they allow Galagas and
the Escaliers to keep their standing within their profession. Invitations to
the other mercenaries' regimental dinners will continue.
Aiah leans forward across her desk and asks the question that truly interests
her.
"Have the hearings revealed who betrayed us?
Galagas shakes his head. Plasm displays, reflected from the window behind
Aiah, glow gold and red in his eyes.
"I regret to say that they did not. The order to attack the Escaliers came
from the headquarters of a Provisional general named Escart, but he was killed
in the fighting, and we don't know where he got his information.
"Who could have told him?
"Quite a few people, unfortunately. The information could have come from
above, which would have meant army group or Provisional headquarters in
Lanbola. Or below, possibly his own intelligence section.
"Is there a way to find out?
He gives a thin smile. "The Escaliers, too, have an intelligence section.
They're working on it there is little else for them to do, really and we'll
let you know if we find anything. Provisional headquarters no longer exists,
and a number of their employees are now hard up for funds.
Aiah returns Galagas's smile. "The PED has a small budget for informers," she
says.
"Ah." Galagas's look brightens. "That is good to know." He touches his
mustache again. "When I was in the Tim-ocracy," he says, "I looked at the
Wire's piece on you.
Aiah finds herself making a face. "And?" she says.
"They made no effort to understand Barkazils, but otherwise I thought it was
fair enough. And you?
Aiah tries to banish the tension she feels in her shoulders. The Wire's
investigation had been extremely thorough, though fortunately it was
reasonably objective it gave her credit for investigating plasm thefts in
Jaspeer and for her work against the Silver Hand and the militia, even as it
raised suspicions about other activities.
Her heart had lurched when she'd seen her ex-lover quoted, but to her
surprise, Gil had spoken nothing but praise, and defended her against any
suggestion of criminality, something that relieved and gratified her. She
should send him a wire of thanks, she thinks.
"I hate to see those old charges raked over," Aiah says. "But at least they
admitted they couldn't find evidence.
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