Part 69 (1/2)
”Not right now. Not anytime soon. Khalid is just in. Let him make a move.”
”Oh, that's a wonderful wonderful idea.” idea.”
”Don't get smart, sera. Let him draw the line, I say. While you, young sera, do some catch-up studying. You'd better learn what an average fourteen-year-old is like.”
”I know. I know real well. I might know better, if my friends hadn't Disappeared to Fargone, mightn't I?”
”Don't do this for the cameras. You think you're playing a game. I'm telling you you can really lose everything. I've explained nationalization-”
”I do fine with big words.”
”Let's see how you do with little ones. You're not sweet little Ari for the cameras anymore, you're more and more like the Ari certain people remember-enough to make it a lot more likely you'll get harder and harder questions, and you don't know where the mines are, young sera. We're going to stall this as long as we can, and if we can get you another year, it's very likely you'll have to apply for your majority status. That's the point at which some interest will get an injunction to stop the Science Bureau granting it; and you'll be in court again . . . with a good chance of winning it: the first Ari did at sixteen. But that won't won't solve the problem, it'll only put the opposition in a bad light, taking on a fifteen-year-old who solve the problem, it'll only put the opposition in a bad light, taking on a fifteen-year-old who has has to handle herself with more finesse than you presently have, young sera.” to handle herself with more finesse than you presently have, young sera.”
”I learn.”
”You'd better. Age is catching up with us. Your predecessor's friend Catherine Lao, who's helped you more than you know-is a hundred thirty-eight. Giraud is pus.h.i.+ng a hundred thirty. Your presence-your resemblance resemblance to your predecessor-is like a shot of adrenaline where certain Councillors are concerned, but you have to have more than presence this time. If you make a mistake-you can see Reseune sucked up by the national government, and Defense declaring it a military zone, right fast. They'll have a pretext before the ink is dry. You'll spend your days working on whatever they tell you to do. Or you'll find yourself in some little enclave with no access to Novgorod, no access to Council or the Science Bureau.” to your predecessor-is like a shot of adrenaline where certain Councillors are concerned, but you have to have more than presence this time. If you make a mistake-you can see Reseune sucked up by the national government, and Defense declaring it a military zone, right fast. They'll have a pretext before the ink is dry. You'll spend your days working on whatever they tell you to do. Or you'll find yourself in some little enclave with no access to Novgorod, no access to Council or the Science Bureau.”
She looked at Denys straight on, thinking: You haven't done that well. Or how else are we in this mess? You haven't done that well. Or how else are we in this mess?
But she didn't say it. She said: ”Base One only lets me go so fast, uncle Denys.”
”Let me try you on another big word,” Denys said. ”Psychogenesis.” That was was a new one. ”Mind-originate,” she said, remembering her Greek roots. a new one. ”Mind-originate,” she said, remembering her Greek roots.
”Mind-origination. Mind-cloning. Now do you understand me?”
She felt cold inside. ”What has that got to do with anything?”
”The resemblance between you and Ari. Let me give you a few more words to try on your Base. Bok. Endocrinology. Gehenna. Worm.”
”What are you talking about? What do you mean, the resemblance-” What do you mean, the resemblance-”
The sound-s.h.i.+elding hurt her teeth.
”Don't shout,” Denys said. ”You'll deafen us. I mean just what I've always told you. You are are Ari. Let me tell you something else. Ari didn't die of natural causes. She was murdered.” Ari. Let me tell you something else. Ari didn't die of natural causes. She was murdered.”
She took in a breath. ”By who?”
”Whom, dear.”
”Dammit, uncle Denys-”
”Watch your language. You'd better clean it up. Ari was killed by someone no longer at Reseune.” your language. You'd better clean it up. Ari was killed by someone no longer at Reseune.”
”She died here?” here?”
”That's all I'm going to tell you. The rest is your problem.”
ARCHIVES: RUBIN PROJECT: CLa.s.sIFIED CLa.s.s AA.
DO NOT COPY.
CONTENT: Computer Transcript File #8001 Seq. #1 Personal Archive Emory I/Emory II
2420: 10/3: 2348.
AE2: Minder, this is Ari Emory. I'm alone. Give me references on psychogenesis.
B/1: Stand by. Retrieving.
Ari, this is Ari senior. Stand by.
The program finds you are 14 chronological years, with accesses for 16 years. This program finds you an average of 10 points below my scores overall.
Your psych scores are 5 points off my scores.
Your Rezner score has not been updated since age 10.
You are 5 points off qualification for access.
AE2: Base One: can my accesses reach data on Bok: keyword, clone?
B/1: Stand by. Retrieving.
Accesses inadequate.
AE2: Try endocrinology: keyword, psychogenesis. Gehenna: keyword, project. Worm: keyword, psych.
B/1: Accesses inadequate.
2420: 11/1: 1876:02.
AE2: Minder, this is Ari Emory. I'm alone. Reference: psychogenesis. B/1: B/1: Stand by. Retrieving. Ari, this is Ari senior. Stand by. Stand by. Retrieving. Ari, this is Ari senior. Stand by.
The program finds you are 14 chronological years, with accesses for 16 years. This program finds you an average of 7 points below my scores overall.
Your psych scores are I point above my scores.
Your Rezner score has not been updated since age 10.
You are qualified to access files. Stand by.
Ari, this is Ari senior. These files can be read only from Base One Main Terminal. All relevant and resultant files are being stored in your personal archive under voice-lock.