The Dragon Never Sleeps

— 110 —

WarAvocat gave the order to pull out reluctantly. He stared at the image of P. Benetonica 3, dissatisfied. "I can't shake the suspicion that I've been suckered."

"Gemina is satisfied," Aleas said.

"Gemina hasn't met Lupo Provik. That man... I don't want him loose in the universe."

"You're going to try to trace the Ku, aren't you?"

"I don't want him running loose, either."

"He has a long head start. He hasn't done anything with what he learned. If he did learn anything."

He caught her gentle warning. The Deified had their eyes on him.

"The war will be waiting when we get there." He glared at that world. Six days down there and he had not found a chink. And did not know much more about it as a world. He'd even missed the famous Fuerogomenga Gorge.

"There's something rotten down there, Aleas. Too much has happened for it to be unrelated, coincidental. The Ku. The rogue. The Outsiders."

"The Ku didn't reach M. Shrilica by choice. The rogue had been Outside for centuries. You can't connect them, Hanaver."

"Not logically. But they connect. I'm sure."

Aleas gave him a troubled look.

VII Gemina ran the Lieutenant's trail out. WarAvocat was not surprised when it turned to smoke. He did not dig deep. He was aware of the unfriendly scrutiny of the Deified.

"That damned Ku is out there scheming, Aleas. If those Outsiders get him...."

"Speaking of Outsiders?"

"I know. We're supposed to be showing them the light. My esteemed predecessors think I'm obsessed. They think I'm using the Ku as an excuse to look for the artifact." He ordered Ops to take the Guardship to M. Meddinia. He was WarAvocat. He could not be overruled. "We'll see some truths pretty soon. And the grumblers will be silenced again."

"I hope so. For your sake."

So. Even she had doubts.

M. Meddinia presented no surprises but plenty of frustrations. Even Gemina could make only limited sense of exchanges with the ground. But it did seem that Seeker of the Lost Children and Amber Soul had come home before the destruction of the station, presumably by Outsiders. But neither was down there now, near as Gemina could figure. It was possible the locals meant they were dead.

WarAvocat gave up, ordered VII Gemina back to D. Zimplica in the face of protests from the Deified. He paused there only long enough to issue a Fleet Directive offering a reward for the Ku. He did not include Amber Soul because he saw no reason to fear it. He did fear Lady Midnight but ignored her for political reasons.

He had maneuvered himself into a precarious position without quite knowing how.

And he caught his sole friend watching him worriedly when she thought he would not notice.