Cobra

D'arl smiled. "I believe I can do even better than that, sir. I've already been in touch with the young man who suggested the Aventine colony in the first place. His brother, as it happens, is one of the Cobras out there."

H'orme returned the smile. "I see I've trained you better even than I thought. I'm proud to have you as my successor... Committé D'arl."

"Thank you, sir," the younger man managed to say. "May you always be so proud of me."

Together they left the garden, to which H'orme would never return.

Loyalist: 2414

The boundary between field and forest was as sharp as a laser beam, the giant blue-green cyprenes ru

Looking up from the note, he found the youth who had delivered it standing in a rigid imitation of military attention. "And what exactly is this supposed to mean?" he asked, waving the note paper gently.

"The message is self-explanatory, sir—" the boy began.

"Yes, I can read," Jo

"Cee-two Challinor didn't want to take any chances on word leaking out about this, sir—Jo

Jo

"Cee-two Challinor said I should emphasize the meeting was very important."

"So's my word—and I promised Chin he could start his second seedling run by tonight." Jo

"No—that's all right," Almo said hastily. "I'll tell him. Thank you for your time." With that he took off across the field toward where his car was waiting.

Jo

Almo's car took off with minimal dust, and Jo

Even after seven years on Aventine Jo

The extra-loud snap of a branch above and behind him was his only warning, but it was enough. His nanocomputer correctly interpreted the sound as being caused by a large airborne body, and almost before Jo

Standing flatfooted in the open, the only weapons Jo

The spine leopard screamed, a full-bodied ululation that seemed to bounce off the inside of Jo

And the brilliant flash of his antiarmor laser caught the spine leopard in the head... and this time the destruction was more than adequate.

Carefully Jo

Even on Aventine, it seemed, he couldn't entirely escape the aftereffects of the war.

Taking one last look around him, he pulled out his phone and punched for the operator. "Ariel," the computer's voice said.

"Chin Reston," Jo

"Jo

"Hell with the head. Are you okay?"

Jo

"Sounds good. Thanks a lot, Jo

"No charge. Talk to you later." Pressing the off switch, Jo

There was a moment of silence. "No answer," the operator informed him.

Jo

"Recording."

"Ken, this is Jo

Switching off, Jo