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can think of a thousand new things, a thousand possibilities. The ships' minds
are working all the time. All our weapons and delivery systems are being
redesigned."
Hans entered and sat next to Giacomo, facing Martin across over nine billion
kilometers.
Martin was shocked by how thin and wiry Hans appeared, as if he had lost all
unnecessary flesh to prepare for some intense conflict. His eyes focused on
Martin's chin, then drifted down to his neck.
"Martin and I need to be alone. Jennifer, whoever else is there but Martin,
and the Brothers&
leave now," he said. "They can talk science in a few minutes."
Giacomo withdrew. Jennifer swore under her breath and left
Double Seed's noach chamber.
Hakim followed after he was sure the transmission was stable. Martin nodded to
him apologetically. Eye on Sky continued to confer with Stonemaker in two-part
Brother language, clicks and violin sighs.
"You actually went down there, had a one to one?" Hans asked, unable to
project more than a hint of feeling.
"We did. Twice," Martin said.
"Face to face with the enemy." Hans shook his head in dull-eyed wonder.
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"That's something, Marty."
Martin's eyes grew moist but he did not reach up to wipe them. Even now, when
his instincts told him something horrible had happened, even Hans' flat and
listless approval meant something.
"We've had shit up to our necks here," Hans said. "Giacomo's probably told you
some of it already."
"No details."
"Twenty-one of our crew mutinied. They tried to elect their own Pan. I told
them there couldn't be any proceedings until the Job was over and the crews
were reunited, but Jeanette Snap
Dragon and a few others kept at it until they broke the others down."
Martin doubted that was the entire story. "What about the Brothers?"
"They're going to take
Shrike
, leave us with
Greyhound
. I've agreed to that."
"They're not doing the Job with us?"
"We'll coordinate, but they've decided not to be on the same ship."
Martin shook his head in disbelief. "What in hell happened, Hans?"
"Rex is dead," Hans said. "He killed himself a tenday ago. He confessed to
killing Rosa and said he couldn't live with it."
"Why did he kill her?"
Hans leveled his gaze on Martin. "Necessities. She took him in as her lover.
Something happened. Has Giacomo explained what the moms are doing?"
"What about the rest of the crew?"
"They're with me. They want to do the Job. I make the decisions. What have you
got for me?"
Martin stared at the floor for a moment, trying to see beyond what he was
being told. "I'm noaching a big batch of information given to us by the
representatives from Sleep. All of you should look it over very carefully, as
much as you can absorb." He quickly explained the circumstances: the hundreds
of races, trillions of individuals, the representatives, the staircase god,
and what they had told him&
Hans listened intently, eyes growing more focused, more alive.
"Is it real?" Hans asked when Martin was done.
"I don't think it's illusion. They're real. The information is more than I can
assimilate.
Salamander "
"That's the other vulture, isn't it?" Hans asked.
"Yes. Salamander seemed distressed. We couldn't know each other's expressions,
understand emotions& but it clearly thinks I'm the bringer of something
terrible."
Hans folded his arms, straightened his back as if in satisfaction. "Good. But
they don't know where I am."
"I don't think so."
"You didn't tell them."
"No, but I was dealing with minds way beyond me. I felt like an ant. What they
can deduce or learn, how fast they can draw their conclusions or put evidence
together, I don't know. We have to vote and make a decision fast. If we stay
here much longer, they'll get tired of our uselessness and find some way to
kill us."
"Peaceful types, am I right?"
"Even if we believe all they say, they have every reason to destroy us. We're
a massive threat."
"Yeah," Hans said. "I'd like your opinion, Martin, but the group is past
voting now. I make the decision. We do the Job, we get the hell out. We go
live the rest of our lives. "
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Martin didn't know what to say.
"We can still do it," Hans said softly. "Are you with me?"
"You have to look at the information."
"It's all shit," Hans said briskly.
"You have to look at it," Martin repeated firmly.
"I will," Hans said. "Dot the i's and cross the t's, am I right?"
Martin had come to hate that sequence of three words; had come to hate Hans at
the same time
Hans could bring tears to his eyes.
Put a stop to it now. Refuse to let it go any further. But then they'll have
you; the ruse will have worked. The ultimate defense fogs the mind.
"Giacomo's itching to talk with Jennifer. My say is over for the time being,"
Hans said. "I'll look at the info. Get back to you in a couple of hours. Watch
your tail, Martin. Move out soon.
They can get you."
"I don't think they will until they're sure we're not going to bargain,"
Martin said.
"Maybe not. Maybe they're just too damned smart for their own good. Like you,
Martin."
Martin lowered his eyes, then raised them again, met Hans' gaze, his face
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