Part 24 (2/2)

”You're wrong. It's not what you want to hear, G.o.d knows. But if you want to understand why she did what she did-that's something you should should know. I have one interest in this. Ari. Understand-she had cancer. Rejuv breakdown. The doctors argue whether the cancer kicked the rejuv or whether the rejuv was failing naturally and let the cancer develop. Whatever was going on, she know. I have one interest in this. Ari. Understand-she had cancer. Rejuv breakdown. The doctors argue whether the cancer kicked the rejuv or whether the rejuv was failing naturally and let the cancer develop. Whatever was going on, she knew knew she was in trouble and the timing couldn't have been worse. Surgery would have delayed the project, so she put Petros and Irina under orders and covered it up. She set the whole project up, so that when she had to go for surgery-I'm sure she didn't rule that out: she wasn't a fool; but so when she did, it wouldn't leave the subject without support, you understand, and it could run a few months with a light hand. Understand: I knew, because I was her friend, Justin. I was the one she allowed access to her notes. Giraud's d.a.m.n good at the money end of this. But my concern is her concern: the Project. I think you have your sincere doubts about it. No controls, no duplicatable result- But it's founded on two centuries of duplicatable results with the azi. And of course it's not the kind of thing that we can quantify: we're dealing with a human life, an emotional dimension, a subjective dimension. We may disagree like h.e.l.l, Justin, in there, in private, and I respect you for your professional honesty. But if you try to sabotage us, you'll have me for an enemy. Do you understand me?” she was in trouble and the timing couldn't have been worse. Surgery would have delayed the project, so she put Petros and Irina under orders and covered it up. She set the whole project up, so that when she had to go for surgery-I'm sure she didn't rule that out: she wasn't a fool; but so when she did, it wouldn't leave the subject without support, you understand, and it could run a few months with a light hand. Understand: I knew, because I was her friend, Justin. I was the one she allowed access to her notes. Giraud's d.a.m.n good at the money end of this. But my concern is her concern: the Project. I think you have your sincere doubts about it. No controls, no duplicatable result- But it's founded on two centuries of duplicatable results with the azi. And of course it's not the kind of thing that we can quantify: we're dealing with a human life, an emotional dimension, a subjective dimension. We may disagree like h.e.l.l, Justin, in there, in private, and I respect you for your professional honesty. But if you try to sabotage us, you'll have me for an enemy. Do you understand me?”

”Yes, ser.”

”I'll tell you another thing: Ari did some very wrong things. But she was a great woman. She was was Reseune. And she was my friend. I've protected you; and I've protected her reputation by the same stroke; and Reseune. And she was my friend. I've protected you; and I've protected her reputation by the same stroke; and d.a.m.ned d.a.m.ned if I'll see some sordid little incident destroy that reputation. I'll keep you from that. You understand me?” if I'll see some sordid little incident destroy that reputation. I'll keep you from that. You understand me?”

”You've got the tapes in the archives! If this poor kid halfway follows in Ari's track, researchers are going to want every last detail-and that's no small one.”

”No. That won't matter. That's from the end end of her life, beyond the scope of their legitimate interest. And even so, that's why we're working with Rubin. Rubin's the one the military can paw over. Ari is of her life, beyond the scope of their legitimate interest. And even so, that's why we're working with Rubin. Rubin's the one the military can paw over. Ari is our our project. project. We We keep t.i.tle on the techniques. Did Reseune ever release anything-it has a financial interest in?” keep t.i.tle on the techniques. Did Reseune ever release anything-it has a financial interest in?”

”My G.o.d, you can run that scam on the military for years. Admit it. It's Giraud's d.a.m.n fund-raiser. His bottomless source of military projects.”

Denys smiled and shook his head. ”It's going to work, work, Justin. We didn't prompt her.” Justin. We didn't prompt her.”

”Then tell me this: are you sure Giraud Giraud didn't?” didn't?”

Denys' eyes reacted minutely. The face did not. It went on smiling. ”Time will prove it, won't it? In your position, rather than be made a public fool, I'd keep my mouth shut, Justin Warrick. I've helped you. I've spoken for you and Jordan and Grant when no one else did. I've been your patron. But remember I was Ari's friend. And I won't won't see this project sabotaged.” see this project sabotaged.”

The threat was there. It was real. He had no doubt of it. ”Yes, ser,” he said in half a voice.

Denys patted his shoulder again. ”That's the only time I'm going to say that. I don't want ever to say it again. I want you to take the favor I'm doing you and remember what I told you. All right?”

”Yes ser.”

”Are you you all right?” all right?”

He drew a breath. ”That depends on what Petros is going to do, doesn't it?”

”He's just going to talk to you. That's all.” Denys shook at him gently. ”Justin, -are you getting tape-flashes?”

”No,” he said. ”No.” His mouth trembled. He let it. It made the point with Denys. ”I've just had enough h.e.l.l. The hospital panics me, all right? Do you blame me? I don't trust Petros. Or anyone on his staff. I'll answer his questions. If you want my cooperation, keep him away from me and Grant.”

”Is that blackmail?”

”G.o.d, I couldn't have learned anything about that, could I? No. I'm asking you. I'll do anything you want me to. I've got no percentage in hurting the kid. I don't want that. I just want my job, I want the phone-link, I want to-”

He lost his composure, turned and leaned against the wall until he had gotten his breath.

Hand them all the keys, sweet, that's right.

d.a.m.n stupid.

”You've got all that,” Denys said. ”Look. You answer Petros' questions. You try to work this thing out. You were a scared kid yourself. You're still scared, and I'm terribly afraid all this did you more damage than you're willing to have known-”

”I can do my job. You said that.”

”That's not in question. I a.s.sure you it's not. You don't know who to trust. You think you're all alone. You're not. Petros does care. I do. I know, that's not what you want to hear. But you can come to me if you feel you need help. I've told you my conditions. I want your help. I don't don't want any accusations against Ari, the project, or the staff.” want any accusations against Ari, the project, or the staff.”

”Then keep Petros' hands off me and Grant. Tell Security to take their d.a.m.n equipment out. Let me live my life and do my work, that's all.”

”I want to help you.”

”Then help me! Do what I asked. You'll get my cooperation. I'm not carrying on a feud. I just want a little peace, Denys. I just want a little peace, after all these years. Have I-ever-done anyone any harm?”

”No.” A pat on his shoulder, on his back. ”No. You haven't. Never anything. The harm was all against you.”

He turned, leaning against the wall. ”Then leave me alone, alone, for G.o.d's sake, let me talk to my father, let me do my work, I'll be all right, just let me alone and for G.o.d's sake, let me talk to my father, let me do my work, I'll be all right, just let me alone and get Security out of my bedroom!” get Security out of my bedroom!”

Denys looked at him a long time. ”All right,” he said. ”We'll try that awhile. We'll try it, at least on the home front. I don't say we won't notice who comes and goes through your door. If something looks suspicious they'll be on you. Not otherwise. I'll give that order. Just don't give me any cause to regret it.”

”No, ser,” he said, because it was all he could get out.

Denys left him then.

When he got back to the office Grant met him in the doorway-Grant, scared and silent, asking questions just by being there.

”It's all right,” he said. ”They asked if we meant to do it. I said no. I said some other things. Denys said they were going to get Security off our tails.”

Grant gave him a look that wondered who was listening and who he was playing for.

”No, it's what he said,” he answered Grant. And shut the door for what privacy they had. He remembered the other thing, the important thing, then, the back and forth of promises and threats like so many hammer-blows, and he leaned on the back of the work-station chair, rinding himself short of breath. ”He said they were going to let us talk to Jordan.”

”Is that true?” Grant wondered.

That was the thing that threw him off his balance, that they suddenly promised him favors when they had least reason. When they could haul him off to hospital by force and they had just demonstrated that.

Something was going on. was going on.

x ”Music,” he told the Minder that night, when they walked in the door. It started the tape at the cutoff point. It reported on calls. There were none. ”We're not popular,” he said to Grant. There was usually at least one, something from the lab, somebody asking about business, who had failed to catch them at the office.

”Ah, human inconstancy.” Grant laid his briefcase on the accustomed table, shed his coat into the closet, and walked over to the sideboard and the liquor cabinet while Justin hung his up. He mixed two drinks and brought them back. ”Double for you. Shoes off, feet up, sit. You can use it.”

He sat down, kicked the shoes off, leaned back in the cus.h.i.+ons and drank. Whiskey and water, a taste that promised present relief for frayed nerves. He saw Grant with the little plastic slate they used-writing things they dared not say aloud; and Grant wrote: Do we believe them about dropping the bugging? we believe them about dropping the bugging?

Justin shook his head. Set the gla.s.s down on the stone rim of the cus.h.i.+oned pit-group and reached for the tablet. We feed them a little disinformation and see if we can catch them. We feed them a little disinformation and see if we can catch them.

Back to Grant; a nod. Idea? Idea?

To him. Not yet. Thinking. Not yet. Thinking.

Grant: I suppose I have to wait till fishfeed to find out what happened. I suppose I have to wait till fishfeed to find out what happened.

Himself: Complicated. Dangerous. Petros is going to do interviews with me. Complicated. Dangerous. Petros is going to do interviews with me.

Grant: a disturbed look. Unspoken question.

Himself: They suspect about the flashes. They suspect about the flashes.

<script>