Part 29 (1/2)
At the proper moment, with his free hand, Bandit lifted the Mask of Sa.s.sacus. We are one ... one mind, one spirit...
Yessss . . .
Your trust in me is complete ...
Yessss . . .
You have confided everything to me ... you have entrusted me with all your secrets great and small... sharing your secrets with me brings you great pleasure, great warmth ... you desire to tell me everything ... you wish to share everything with me ...
Yesss ... it is so ...
There is something you wish to tell me now ...
Yesss ...
Who is the man you call Ansell Surikov?
He is Ansell... my husband ...
There is something you wish him to do ...
Yesss ... it is true ...
Tell me ...
I... wish him to go to a new place ... a new ... organization ...
Tell me why ...
It will profit us both ...
Are you keeping secrets from the runners?
Yes ... they do not know my name - What is your name?
Fa ... Farrah Moffit ...
Why is this name important?
If they knew it, they would not trust me ...
Hours later, when the woman Marena Farris, Farrah Moffit, awoke, she slowly sat up, pressed back her hair, then turned her head and looked right at him, looked at him and stared.
She knew.
Bandit pondered how that could be.
”Would you trust a traitor?”
In the subdued light of the dilapidated warehouse office, Rico turned in the swivel chair to face the door. To his left, Piper sat in an armchair with her axe across her lap and a datacable jacked into her head.
In the shadows of the doorway before him stood Bandit, fingering his new flute...
Rico pointed with his chin. ”Say again?”
”Would you trust a traitor?”
”Dose the door.”
Bandit stepped forward, swung the door shut ”Who we talking about?” Rico asked.
”The woman. Marena Farris.”
”She's a traitor?”That's what she thinks.”
”A traitor to who?”
”Perhaps Fuchi Mult.i.tronics.”
”She told you that?”
A few moments pa.s.sed. Bandit looked down at the flute in his hands. His expression, as usual, was unreadable. What he was thinking was anybody's guess. ”I ascertained certain things. She is afraid for her life. She wishes Ansell Surikov to join a new organization. She fears you will not trust her. She views herself as a traitor. Some of what you know of her is false. She has not always worked for Fuchi Mult.i.tronics. Her name is not Marena Farris.”
What the frag? Rico forced himself to keep cool, lean back in his chair. ”What's her real name?”
”Pariah Moffit.”
Rico searched his memory. The name meant nothing to him. ”Who is she?”
”A former employee of Prometheus Engineering. Sent to Fuchi as a mole. Ten years ago a Fuchi joygirl named Marena Farris was quietly killed. Farrah Moffit took her place. She insinuated herself into the Special Administration and used this position to learn Fuchi secrets and transmit them to Prometheus. She believes she is now under suspicion. She did not willingly go on leave. She is afraid to return to Prometheus because she has transmitted no data since put on leave. She fears they may kill her. She believes that moving to Maas Intertech is her only way out.”
Rico rubbed at his brow. Maybe a hundred or so questions should have come to mind by now. Maybe he was too tired to think that hard. Maybe the run was wearing him down. Only one thought came to mind.
”Why Intertech? Why would they trust her any more than anybody else?”
”Her contact is in a position of power. They met some years ago. If she could bring him someone of value, someone like Surikov, to Intertech, her contact will see she gets what she wants.”
”What does she want?”
”She wants to counsel children.”
”What?”
”She is a psychologist. She is disaffected with corporate intrigues. She wants to counsel children, perhaps have a child of her own. She wants out of the game.”
”You believe that? All of it?”
”I believe she believes it.”
Nothing was ever certain. ”Who's her contact at Maas Intertech?”