The Icarus Hunt

"They tried," Brother John said, beaming some more. "Indeed they did. Thepressure was applied, and the governmental authorities had given the orders.

Somehow, though, the controllers were able to see through to a better and moreenlightened reasoning."

"We do owe him that," I agreed. "But when I said you'd underestimated him, Tera, I was referring to something else entirely. Mr. Ryland would never think ofkilling us here. Not when he can make a little extra money by turning us overto the Patth."

Tera stared at me, her mouth dropping open. "Are you saying—?" She looked backat Brother John. "You are a slime."

"I'd warn your lady friend to be quiet, Jordan," Brother John said, amid-November chill in his voice. "Particularly since the value of your liveshas decreased markedly in the past three minutes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nicabar asked calmly. The thugs had relievedTera of her pepperbox shotgun pistol; and now it was Nicabar's and my turn.

"He means he wasn't pla

"Nice guys," Shawn muttered, shying back as one of the thugs sent him awarninglook.

"You know, Jordan, I do believe I've been guilty of underestimating you,"

Brother John said as one of the searchers found Nicabar's Kochran-Uzi and tucked it away. "No, no, don't sit," he added as they started to push the two of usback into our seats. "You and your alien partner are coming with me. Yourealize you never told me he was an alien?"

"Yes, I know," I said. "Which was why Everett was able to mistake Jones for mypartner in the first place. You hadn't told him Ixil was an alien because atthe time you didn't know it yourself."

"I hate aliens," Brother John said conversationally. "Almost as much as I hatealien-lovers. Everett, you might as well come with us, too. The rest of youwill stay here while we decide what to do with you."

"You might want the girl, too, Mr. Ryland," Everett said, gesturing towardTera as he got to his feet. "McKell says she's Arno Cameron's daughter."

"Really," Brother John said, and for the first time since he'd come in I saw aflicker of genuine surprise cross his face. "By all means, bring her along.

After all, McKell might need extra persuasion."

"Persuasion?" Nicabar asked as the nearest thug hauled Tera back to her feet.

"Yes," Brother John said, his voice suddenly dark. "It seems our too-tooclever alien-lover did something to the Icarus's control systems. Our people can'tgetanything to work."

"I didn't want you leaving without having a chance for this little chat," Isaid mildly, looking over at Everett. "Everett, tell the truth. You put up a goodshow here; but you really did kill Jones, didn't you?"

He snorted. "So for all that bluster you really didn't know for sure, huh?" hesneered. "Of course I killed him. What, you think Chort did it?"

"Just wanted to make sure," I murmured.

"Glad we could clear that up," Brother John said. "Dar, Kinrick; you stayhere.

The rest of you, come with me."

The walk back to the Icarus seemed a lot longer this time. Brother John tookthe lead, with Everett and one of his men at his sides. Behind them, Ixil, Tera, and I were herded along by the other three, who made sure to keep us a respectfulfive paces behind the others in case one of us suddenly felt the urge tocommit suicide by trying to jump them.

It was darker outside now. Darker and colder, and the light breeze that hadbeen rustling the leaves earlier had picked up into something stiff and unpleasant.

Which were, not coincidentally, words that also described Tera as she stalkedalong in bitter silence beside me, undoubtedly heaping full blame for thesituation squarely on my head. To be fair, it was hardly a point of view Icould disagree with.

But at the moment I didn't really care about the cold or the footing or Tera'sanger or even the gun digging into my left kidney. My entire attention was onthe dice I could visualize rolling across a mental table in front of my eyes.

The dice had been thrown, the gamble had been made; and in a handful ofminutes I would find out whether I'd won or lost.

There was a shadowy figure waiting in the open hatchway as we reached theIcarus and started up the ladder. Brother John went first, followed by his bodyguardand Everett, then Tera, another guard, and Ixil. The other two guards saved mefor last, then sandwiched me between them as the three of us went up theladder.

Either Brother John considered me the most dangerous of the group, or else thefact that I had been the one to gimmick the ship entitled me to specialhandling.

Brother John had gone on ahead, but Tera and Ixil were still waiting as Ireached the wraparound, together with their guards, the shadowy figure I'dseen waiting up there, and two more of his buddies. I'd thought the bodyguardsBrother John had brought to the lodge were big, ugly, and well armed, but thislatter group beat them hands down on all three counts. Silently, they gesturedwith their guns; just as silently, we walked along the wraparound to the mainsphere.

The hatch to the sphere was closed. The leading thug opened it and steppedthrough, bobbling his balance somewhat as he passed through the gravitychange.

Tera and Ixil went next, negotiating the discontinuity with the grace of longpractice. Holding my breath, I followed.

The sphere looked more or less the way I'd left it earlier that evening, exceptthat the i

But it was the eighth man who caught my full attention, the man waiting at theexact bottom of the sphere as if not trusting the alien gravity that pi

The rolling dice had come to a halt. And I'd won.

"You must be McKell," the man said as Brother John led us down the hull towardhim, his voice as dead as his eyes.

"Yes," I acknowledged. "And you must be Mr. Antoniewicz. I'm very pleased tofinally meet you."

"Are you," he said. Some people, or so the saying goes, can undress you withtheir eyes. Antoniewicz's look was more like stripping me straight down to thebone. "Interesting. Most of those who are brought to meet me are not at alllooking forward to the experience. Many of them find themselves screaming, infact, and don't seem able to stop."

I swallowed despite myself, all the stories and rumors of what happened topeople brought before Antoniewicz flashing through my mind. "I understandthat, sir," I said humbly. "But if I may be so bold, I suspect none of those otherswere bringing the sort of gift I have to offer you."

The corners of his lips might have turned up, but it would have taken amicrometer to measure it. The smile, if that's what it was, made his eyes lookeven deader. "Really. I was under the impression that the Icarus was now minebysimple right of possession."