World's End

Page 173

knew you weren't so fucking pure. You can have anything you want; we'll share it, all of us--"

Naked greed fills his face, and HK's. "There's more than enough."

"No," I say flatly. "Never." I realize there is nothing that could make me willing to give them that kind of power. "You don't deserve it."

Their faces freeze. I glance at Song, still standing vacant-eyed beside me and gazing at the globe.

"Then let me give you one more reason why you should do this our way, little brother," SB says.

He reaches into his ragged coat, and brings out the beamer.

"Because you want to stay alive."

"Father of all our grandfathers!" I move forward angrily, not believing for a moment that he means it. "I've had enough of this shit, SB. Give me the globe, and the

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gun, damn it." I hold out my hand.

SB doesn't falter, the gun stays steady in his hand.

I stop, looking from his bleak stranger's face to HK's.

HK looks down, staring at the globe. My empty hands clench. "Come on!" I almost laugh. "You aren't going to use that gun. You aren't going to kill a police officer. You aren't going to kill a sibyl." I hold up the trefoil. "Damn it, you aren't going to murder your own brother--" I take another step.

SB fires.

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//^^ undhalinu cursed softly, slumping back against

II yj the clear window-wall as the shock of betrayal

^^-¿J doubled the agony of remembered pain. For a long moment he sat staring into the minutely familiar corners of his office, like an amnesiac who had suddenly recovered his memory. And at last he pushed himself stiffly to his feet, pressing his arm against his side as he

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made his way back to his desk. "Ossidge?"

"Sir." His sergeant's voice answered him in less than a heartbeat.

"I'm ready to see the prisoners now."

"Yes, sir."