World's End

Page 177

WORLD S ENDing credits right up to the moment the Blues picked us up."

"That's not what I meant." HK shook his head, looked up at his brother, scowling.

Gundhalinu got up from his chair, grimacing slightly as his side hurt him. He moved around the desk and put out his hands to pull HK up.

HK climbed to his feet--leaped back with a yelp of fear as he saw the blood on his skin, blood from his brother's hand.

Gundhalinu shook his head, smiling faintly. "You aren't contaminated."

HK rubbed his arm against the leg of his coveralls, but the stain did not disappear.

Gundhalinu leaned heavily against the desk edge, trying to catch SB's gaze.

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SB looked down. "If you're waiting for excuses, I

don't have any."

Gundhalinu sighed. "No, brother. That's not what I

was waiting for."

SB's head came up slightly, but he only said, "I tried to kill you. I thought you were dead."

"I was close enough." His hand pressed his side.

"What happened?"

He almost thought his brother sounded aggrieved.

"The powerpack was nearly out of charge." Irony pulled his mouth up. "World's End had the last laugh, after all.

. . . Song's mother found me. Song showed her where I

was."

"Song?" HK said stupidly. "But I thought she was--"

"They're mind-linked somehow, by the Transfer. She can make her mother share what she sees--"

He broke off, as the memory of his time in the abandoned room

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blurred the present. "Hahn got me to a hospital. And I sent the order to have you arrested before you could get `>334' back to Foursgate and start blackmailing the

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