Angelmass

"Hold it," Forsythe cut him off. "Anti-angels?"

"The angel anti-particle," Kosta said.

"Never heard of it."

"No one has," Kosta said. "But I'm convinced they exist."

He nodded his head toward the ceiling, in the general direction of Angelmass. "And if I'm right—and if anti-angels have the same potential for intelligence that angels do—then Angelmass itself may have become sentient."

Pirbazari shook his head. "This is ridiculous," he said. "We're talking about a black hole, not some two-year-old kid or even a well-trained chimp. How could it possibly be intelligent?"

"I know it sounds crazy," Kosta admitted. "But Angelmass's behavior is already defying all known black hole theory. This orbit-changing thing is only the latest example."

"So how would you go about proving it?" Forsythe asked.

"First step is to pin down the existence of anti-angels," Kosta told him. "I've put together some equipment that will hopefully be able to locate, identify, and capture one. While I'm doing that, we need Dr. Frashni's team to get busy on larger angel arrays, to work on the intelligence aspect."

"I see," Forsythe murmured. "Well, we can certainly get Dr. Frashni busy on the second part. As to the first part..." He cocked his head slightly to the side. "We'll see who the Institute can recommend for that."

Kosta felt his throat tighten. "Sir, I already have the equipment ready. It would take someone else days to design and assemble their own version."

"Why can't they just use yours?"

Kosta waved a hand, a truncated gesture with the wrist cuffs anchoring his arms to the chair. "Most of the pla

"Then they can start from scratch," Forsythe declared, standing up. "First things first, Zar. Have EmDef order a transport to Angelmass Central. The station's got three hours to evacuate."

"Yes, sir," Pirbazari said, an odd look on his face. "Sir, under the circumstances...?"

"We have to evacuate the station anyway," Forsythe said. "There's no reason we can't get the Institute busy on this, too."

Pirbazari grimaced, but nodded. "All right. Do you want Central's net left on?"

"Might as well," Forsythe said. "As Mr. Kosta suggests, we may want to get someone up there to check things out."

"High Senator, please," Kosta said in a low voice. "We can't afford to waste time."

"I'll be sure to mention that to Director Podolak," Forsythe said. "And when you've finished that call, Zar, you and the guards can escort Mr. Kosta to the EmDef military jail. I'm done with him."

"Yes, sir."

Pirbazari disappeared back into the outer office complex, closing the door behind him. "Ironic, isn't it," Forsythe commented, half to Kosta, half seemingly to himself. "For months I've been searching for a way to stop the flow of angels into the Empyrean. For a time, in fact, I even thought your research might be the key I needed."

He shook his head. "And so now you give me the key I've needed; just as the Pax begin their invasion. Fu

He straightened up. "I'll give you one chance. Tell me what sort of Fifth Column arrangements the Pax has set up across the Empyrean, and I'll ask EmDef to be lenient with you."

"I wish I could, sir," Kosta said. "I really do. I don't want this war any more than you do. I can give you the location of the automated sleeper drop on Lorelei where I picked up my documents, but that's all I've got."

"Too bad," Forsythe said. "Normally, the court would probably hand down a life sentence for the crime of espionage. Considering that we're at war, I suspect they'll opt for summary execution instead." Turning, he started for the door.

It was odd, Kosta thought distantly, to hear a sentence of death being handed down to you. Odd, because at that moment his own life didn't seem to matter. In his mind's eye he could see the blazing fury that was Angelmass, moving impossibly about in its orbit, threatening hunterships and Angelmass Central.

Perhaps even Seraph itself.

Was Angelmass intelligent? Kruyrov's data certainly pointed that direction. Was it evil? They had only Ronyon's terrified reaction to go by, plus the vicious attacks on the various hunterships. But if the angels were influences for good, even imperfect ones, what else could a mass of anti-angels be?

He didn't have any answers. But there was one thing that was certain, and that was that they didn't have much time. Not with Angelmass only four days from Central. Not with the bureaucratic delays that would inevitably slow down any solutions even once the anti-angel's existence had been proven.

Not with the Pax war machine already at Lorelei.

No one else at the Institute could come up with an experimental procedure fast enough. It had to be Kosta's equipment, and the Daviees' huntership. And he could certainly not run any experiments from an EmDef prison cell.

Forsythe was reaching for the door now. "You're not wearing an angel, High Senator," Kosta said.

Forsythe turned back, a puzzled frown on his face. "What are you talking about?" he asked, tapping the gold chain and pendant around his neck. "What do you think this is?"

"It's a fake," Kosta said, studying Forsythe's face. The man was good, all right, every bit as competent an actor as he'd earlier accused Kosta of being. "Ronyon has the real one."

For a long moment the puzzlement persisted. Kosta held the other's gaze steadily, waiting for him to make his decision. "That's nonsense," Forsythe said at last. "You're grabbing at dust."

"I don't want to expose you, High Senator," Kosta said quietly. "I imagine this is something they can impeach you for, or whatever it is they do to elected officials here. But I don't care about that. All I want is to be allowed to go to Angelmass and find out what's happened to it. Let me go, and I give you my word that I'll come back and turn myself in."

Forsythe's mouth twisted. "Of course you will."

"It's the truth," Kosta insisted. To his mild surprise, he realized it really was. "We have to find out what Angelmass is doing—"

"All you want is to get free so you can bring me down," Forsythe cut him off harshly. "I'm the only one who can still function through this sheep-like fog the angels have everyone else buried in. If you can destroy me, there won't be anyone left to oppose the Pax."

"High Senator—"

"Forget it," Forsythe said. "It won't work. I won't let it work."

Behind him the door opened, and Pirbazari stepped inside, the two guards visible behind him.

"Central's evacuation has begun, sir," he told Forsythe. "And we're ready to take Mr. Kosta."

"I've changed my mind," Forsythe said, his voice betraying none of the rage and paranoia that had been there five seconds earlier. "I'm going to keep him locked up in here for the night."

Pirbazari blinked. "Excuse me?"

"It'll give him time to think about cooperating with us," Forsythe said. "Tomorrow morning will be soon enough to turn him over to EmDef if he decides not to."

Pirbazari shot a look at Kosta, turned his eyes back to Forsythe. "Yes, sir," he said, still clearly confused. "Ah... you going to leave him cuffed to that chair?"

Forsythe glanced at his watch; automatically, Kosta glanced at his. It was nearly ten o'clock. "Have someone bring in a cot," Forsythe said. "Then disco

He looked at Kosta. "After that, go ahead and unlock him. There's nothing in here he can bother."