[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

The story did cheer me up, I have to admit, because I always enjoyed reading
howthe largest billy goat butted the nastytroll offthe bridge and into the
gorge.
That is a good story ... for many reasons.
I froze for a second at the sound and feel of Paula's voice through my
implant.
You surprised me.
You read it well.Then she or Central Four was gone.
"What is it, Uncle Jonat?" Charis asked.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She was far too perceptive.
"I was just thinking." That was true enough. "Now, your book."
Hers was a fantasy, entitled
Page 138
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Colors of the Gate.
"One chapter, maybe two," I said.
"They're short."
"Well see."
Alan was almost asleep by the time I finished the second chapter, and I
carried him to bed and tucked him into bed.
Charis didn't seem as sleepy, but she yawned as I straightened her
counterpane.
"You and Mother are the only ones who do that."
"That's because our mother did it." I swallowed. "Don't forget your prayers."
"I won't."
Because prayers were private, I slipped out.
Later that night, well after Charis and Alan were sound asleep, I went into
Dierk's office and sat down before the console. I'd already used the emergency
system codes and transferred the system to me, while allowing the limited
usages for Charis and Alan, but I hadn't had a chance to look for Dierk's
instructions.
I had to laugh when I found the file key Sebastopol pinot grigio, but all
there was in the file was an article on the wine. I searched for hidden codes,
and found one symbol. There was a question mark. I
highlighted it. A question appeared: "Who dropped the bouquet?"
I entered "Shioban."
Text appeared, pages and pages. I began to read, and after a few lines of
text, I wasn't laughing at all.
Jonat...
If you find these instructions, and I am dead or nowhere to be found, read
them all the way through first. I realize that you've sworn off crusades and
integrity, but if you're reading this,there's probably no one else left...
Those words of Dierk's, truthful as they probably were, burned.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
DFR has ostensibly been bidding against Cornerstone Technologies and SteriNew
... both are in effect subsidiaries of PST, since they are headed by and
operated by PST board members ... key figure is Tarn
Lin Deng, director general of ISS ... myriad of groups involved, including the
Health Policy Centre and the Centre for Societal Research ... Aliora has been
most helpful... but I have worried about the danger of her becoming
involved...
The greater danger is that our children will live in a land secretly
controlled by the PST. I discovered all this almost by accident. Several years
ago, all of the DFR bids were being leaked. I had no proof, but we were being
underbid by just enough that it wasn't coincidental. I put a false bid in the
system, then hand typed a lower bid. We won ... I won't go into details,
because there's no way to prove it all, but don't trust the person who was
treasurer when I wrote this...
I've tried, as best I could, to let others know, indirectly, what has been
happening, and to block the PST
influences in my field. So has Aliora, even more indirectly. It hasn't been
enough, not if you're reading this...
The more I looked, the more apparent it was that similar patterns were
occurring in other industries, and that political figures were involved,
either as unwitting accomplices or as willing aides. Senator Crosslin is one
of them, as are Senators Kennison and Campbell. Bennon is just a dupe, but
that's often the most dangerous type. He's too stupid to understand what he's
doing and what damage his actions can cause...
When they want to make a killing look like a random act of violence, it will
Page 139
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
be something like a smash and grab with excessive force. There are indications
that the Kemal family small-time trupps out of westside may be handling such
matters...
You can't go to the Denv Safety Office with any of this, not with any
assurance. Deng has his own people there, scattered through various levels.
Most of the safos are probably honest, but I don't know enough to know which
ones are and which ones aren't. Even if I did, how could I have kept the word
from spreading to those who aren't?
I kept reading through all ten pages. Dierk had named names, lots of them, and
some I'd already guessed, like Abe Vorhees. Others I never would have guessed,
like Senator Kennison, who had a clean-cut pilotlike sincerity. From what I
could tell, the Centre for Societal Research was exactly what I'd suspected
from the beginning, an absolutely clean front producing impeccable studies and
research that served more nefarious purposes for other entities. So was the
Health Policy Centre.
For a time, I just sat there in Dierk's office, thinking it all over. Dierk
had never said a word about it, and
I knew why. He'd explained I was done with crusades. And now ... there was no
one left, except me.
Dierk had possessed greater access to wealth and resources than I had ever
had, and he'd done quite a bit, quietly, and, in the end, he'd been
discovered.
What could I do?
I couldn't do a damned thing. I'd already proved that. But... perhaps Paula,
Central Four, and I could. I
had to try. Very carefully. From Dierk's notes, and from what I'd already
received from Paula/Central
Four, it was clear that I didn't have too much time before someone would be
after me once more, and it looked liked I no longer had a choice of whether to
crusade or not.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
At the same time, there were advantages to working with Central Four, and
definite disadvantages. As I
saw it, the biggest problem was that I was effectively limited to doing what
was absolutely legal or to acting in self-defense. Somehow, I had to use
Central Four's abilities in a way to force others to act both illegally and in
a fashion that could be discovered. Or I had to act in a way where Central
Four did not know what I did.
Somehow...
Chapter 57
As almost always, when Yenci walked into the main Central Four briefing room,
there were no other bio safos present. The projection awaiting and facing the
safety officer was that of a rugged male safo.
"You're not using the Athene projection anymore?"
"You had suggested that using one projection too often was unwise," replied
the projected safo in a solid baritone voice.
"Are you still using that cydroid?"
"All Central Four cydroid units are fully functional. Some are undergoing
maintenance and their periodic appearance modification."
"Appearance modification? Why?"
"Continued use of the same facial appearances subjects the units to possible
recognition and unnecessary risk. That could necessitate higher levels of
replacement and higher medical and repair levels."
"Makes sense," Yenci conceded. "DeVrai has reappeared. Is Meara going to
charge him?"
Page 140
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Lieutenant Meara issued an order against any charges, Officer Yenci."
"I'd heard that. Did she give any reason?"
"She issued a statement. Would you like a copy projected?"
"I read it. Did she say anything else?"
There was a pause before the projected male safo replied, "In her media [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]