Fish Swim in the Lake

Part 7.3 | Peel me a grape

alphaDana felt as though a razorwing glider had neatly clipped away the left side of her body but left the right side unimpressed. She was surprised and surprised that she was surprised. She forced Colin convulsively away from her.

"You're just a plant!" she sputtered. "You're probably bugged! You idiot!"

Colin jerked his head short and hard. "No, no," he muttered. "Vlad wouldn't. I know him. He's not. Besides," he said, throwing his chin out, "I'm a mentech. I would know. I would notice. Couldn't you tell if you were wired?"

"No," alphaDana said. "Security is impossible. There's no way to be sure nobody's listening in. It's better to not have any secrets at all."

"Like the real reason you shot Nemoros?"

"Don't be stupid," alphaDana said.

"You leave me alone about Tony, then. OK?"

"If you can get some real phionine for Vas I'll fasten it about anything you want. Can it kill him? Not having the phionine?"

"Sure," Vas wheezed. "Didn't have time -- to convert to heavy gee -- just got here -- bones -- useless as Tony." He intimated a laugh.

"Who can we trust?" alphaDana said. "How can we get some safe phionine? No pharmacy would carry it -- nobody needs it but astronauts. And they must be watching for us to move, to try to get some..."

She took his hand and saw him wince at the pressure. "We'll put him in the bathtub," she said. "Go fill the bath while I undress him. It'll be easier than the bed. Don't worry," she said with a bright, brittle shell of gentleness as she stripped off his evening clothes. "We'll find, we'll figure out a way to get it."

His face was chequered like a picnic tablecloth from where his blood had pooled or avoided.

"Try room service," Vas slurred, and passed out.

Posted by gtaylor at May 22, 2002 10:36 PM