[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
eased her away. She went reluctantly, glaring at him.
"Have you lost your mind? Why wasn't I informed?"
"You're busy. Until yesterday, it was all mundane. Just a little discreet
body guarding
"The Packlord told you to report to me," Half Moon said. "You understand what
that means? To me."
"Yes." Korkal sighed. "I was preparing a report. And then this--"
Page 49
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"That's not good enough, Lord Denai. If I want bureaucratic lies and
stalling, I've got plenty of my own people. I don't expect it from you. Not
about him."
Korkal saw that her face had gone the color of new bricks. "I'm sorry."
She started to say something, then stopped and shrugged. "All right.
What's done is done. Is he okay?"
"They gave him some pain medication. Bruised nerve in his shoulder, but it's
fading. They'll work on his face later. The med tech said he had a tough
skull."
Serena closed her eyes. "Tough skull. Jesus. Don't you understand what's
riding on him? Don't you--" She shook her head. "And Tabitha's with him.
What was it? What happened?"
Korkal thought about the Packlord. About Char and the Hunzza.
About the dark man. "I think it was a barroom brawl," he said carefully. She
eyed him. "Okay. I'm going to say hello."
Korkal glanced over and saw Char watching them, her eyebrows riding high on
her forehead. "I wish you wouldn't."
"Wish in one hand, Korkal, crap in the other."
He thought he knew Terran slang pretty well, but this was a mystery.
"I beg your pardon?"
"See which one turns warm and brown first," the chairman said as she strode
past him.
WILLIAM SHATNER
" ello, Jim, Tabitha," the chairman said. "Scrunch wedged herself between
them.
"Serenamwhat are you doing here? And Korkal?"
"You didn't think we'd let you run off on your own, did you?" Jim looked
down, bit his lip. "I told you I didn't want--"
The chairman glanced at Char. "Young woman, would you us for a moment?"
Char wrinkled her nose. "You're the chairman?"
Serena glanced at one of her guards. "Harry, if escort.." uh .. ."
"Char." She unfolded herself and stood up. "I'hanks, I
an escort." She turned and walked away. Jim watched her go vanished beyond
the wreckage of the front door. "Serena, she's a friend of mine." "Yes,
certainly."
"Look, I thought we had a deal. You were going to leave me for a while. I
need some time to myself..."
"I don't know if that's a luxury I can allow you. Look what pened."
She gestured. "And last night, with the grav-van, the "Damn it, Serena, shut
up." "What grav-van?" Tabitha said. "Serena..."
The chairman flapped one hand. "It's nothing."
"Serena, I don't want this. You've got Korkal following me haven't you?"
She glanced at the Alban, who stood a dozen feet away, them. "I'm not sure if
it isn't the other way around. He's using ple."
"But you're giving him access. Damn it, Serena, you owe want is to be left
alone for a while. Why can't you're"
"Nobody bothered, you. You wouldn't have known we were if..." She looked up
at the gaping cavity where the roof had "You're a trouble magnet, Jim. And
you're too valuable to risk.
"Serena," Tabitha broke in, "I want to know what's going on. happened to Jim
last night?" She turned. "Jim?"
He wouldn't meet her eyes. "It wasn't anything. An accident, "Serena?"
"He got involved in a drive-by shooting. Some gang thing."
-Jim!"
Page 50
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
-Morn, really. I just happened to be there when it happened." Korkal walked
up. 'rabitha, how are you?" she nodded, her expression distracted.
"You shouldn't worry, Tabitha. I was there almost immediately,"
said soothingly.
"Almost immediately. What does that mean? You weren't there it happened,
right?"
"Well..."
"I hate this! Jim, you shut me out. Tell me not to worry. And then I
find out there's all kinds of reasons to worry. What else aren't you telling
me? Serena--you're involved in this, too, aren't you?"
"I keep an eye on your son, Tabitha. Would you rather nobody did?"
She swept one hand at the shambles of the bar. "If Korkal hadn't been
here..."
Tabitha reached up and touched the swollen bruise on the right side of
Jim's face. He winced.
"Oh, Jimmy."
He looked up at Korkal. "How long have you been watching me?" "All along."
"It stops, okay? I want it to stop. I want my own life back.
Serena?"
"No, I can't do that. It isn't your own life any longer, Jim. You're too
important. What if--"
He stood up. "It/s my life, damn it. It is. You forget who I am.
What I can do."
She stared at him, her black eyes flickering. "No, I don't forget.
That's why."
He swung around to face them all. "Leave me alone. All of you. I
mean it!"
"Jim..." Korkal said, but Jim ignored the Alban, spun on his heel, and
followed Char out the door. Korkal hurried after him, leaving the two women
behind.
"He's a handful," Serena said.
"He's my son, Serena. What are you people doing to him?"
"It's not us, Tabitha. He's doing it to himself, isn't he?"
Tabitha nodded slowly. "No matter what he wants, will you keep on
Watching him? Guarding him?"
"Yes."
"lank you."
"Who's the girl?"
"I'm not sure. He said he just met her." "Last night?" "Yes."
"I'll look into it," the chairman said. She paused, then Tabitha's hand.
"Boys are hard, aren't they?"
"And he's still just a boy, Serena. Everybody forgets that." Serena shook
her head. "No, he isn't."
Korkal caught up with Jim a couple of blocks down from and grabbed him by the
elbow. "Jim!"
He shook Korkal's hand away. "I told you, leave me alone." He on walking.
Korkal had to pump his shorter legs to keep up. saved your life back there.
You weren't doing all that well. And about
Tabitha?"
Jim stopped. "Tabitha?"
"That guy was nuts. What if he'd done you, then turned and started blasting?.
You think of that?" He waited. "I didn't
Jim, what's the matter with you?"
"I don't know, Korkal. But you following me around, it's like I
breathe. Can't think. There's no place for me to go anymore."
They came to a small grav-tube station. "Sit down with me and," Korkal said,
Page 51
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
and led him to a bench next to the door.
"I don't really want to talk to you, Korkal. Not right now."
"That's free. But I need to talk to you. There are things you knOW."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Jim, you think you're the one caught in the middle, but are, too. Me,
for instance. How many times have you saved my
Jim shrugged. "Does it matter?"
"And I've pulled your bacon out of the fire, too."
"Okay, yes. Korkal, I'm not saying we aren't friends. It's just
"I know." He looked up at Jim's face. 'laat's why I need to tell
But when I do, I'm placing my life in your hands. Again."
"Hey, this is serious, isn't it?"
Korkal nodded, his eyes wide, opaque.
Korkal took a deep breath and then told him about the Packlord his fears about
Leapers. When he finished, he shook his head. "I
don't know ."
-Korkal, is that right? He'd make you kill me if..."
Korkal nodded. "He's the Pacldord. And--"
"And friendship isn't a suicide pact. My God!" Jim looked around, not really
seeing anything, his eyes stunned. "He's that afraid?"
"He's that afraid, Jim."
"Do you go along with it? Are you that afraid, too?"
"I told you, didn't I?"
"Jeez... I thought I had problems. Man, you must really like me."
"More than that. I trust you. You earned my trust, Jim. It's not mine to
throw away. Even for.." whatever."
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]