Ghost War

Public Safety perso

His testimony was enough to convict Aldrington Emblyn of multiple counts of treason. Share prices of Ring’s corporation collapsed abruptly, which caused something of a disaster for those people who had invested in it. Bianca’s Basalt Foundation organized a relief effort there, funded by large donations by two savvy individuals who had shorted a vast amount of Emblyn stock. On the way back to the hotel from the hospital, I’d shorted a million shares and suggested to Quam that he do the same. He shorted two million: “When I get advice that good, I employ it twice.”

Jacob Ba

My concerns stemmed from the fact that I was pretty sure Ba

My speculations about Ba

The other nice thing about working with Quam is that we were able to kill Sam Donelly and leave him dead. Bernard’s conviction on charges of treason far overshadowed the auxiliary charge of conspiracy to murder Sam. Someday I’ll go back to Obsidian Island and visit him. He’ll have lots of time on his hands. I wonder if he’ll want to play cards?

All is well, they say, that ends well, and the war for Basalt did end well. Casualties were minimized and damage done likewise. Still, there was some unfinished business that needed taking care of. Though I could only watch on Tri-Vid from a bar on Helen, I did smile as newly minted Republic Knight-Errant Nicodemus Niemeyer and his aide, Alba Dolehide—seconded to duty with him after her recall to and reinstatement in Stone’s Lament—arrested Ichabod Reis.

When Gypsy started singing, the events on Helen had become very clear. Reis had hired Gypsy to organize a small terrorist group so the citizenry would back Reis’ getting more power. In the jittery days after the HPG net went down, the plan worked perfectly.

Andy Harness turned on his barstool, jerked a thumb at the Tri-Vid projection, and smiled. “Could you believe that, Sam? He finally got what was coming to him. There he was, thinking he was invincible, and they got him. Shows there’s some justice in the universe, after all.”

“That there is.” I wanted to tell him that Niemeyer’s next task was to find him, interview him, and present him a lump sum representing all the pension he’d been robbed of, but that wasn’t my place. I’d told Niemeyer to take holos. I wanted to see the look on Andy’s face, but it was time for Sam Donelly to fully fade away.

I tossed a ten-stone note on the bar and pointed to Andy’s mug. “Keep it coming and cold until this is gone.” I slid from my stool and slapped him on the back. “Be good, Andy. Have a good life.”

He looked up at me. “Don’t say it like that, Sam, geez. Makes it sound as if I’ll never see you again, as if you’re dead or something.”

“In vino veritas, and beer, profundity.” I smiled and backed toward the door. “I am dead, Andy. You won’t see me again.”

“I’ll see you again, Sam.” The man hoisted his refilled mug in a salute. “You’ll be around. You don’t look like a ghost to me.”

No, my friend, I don’t, which is exactly why I am one.