Chaos Space - Marianne de Pierres [105]
‘I will go with Thales,’ said Bethany.
They all stared at her.
‘I suppose so. But stay with Latourn out of the way. I don’t reckon they would be expecting him to bring his woman.’ Rast ladled sarcasm onto the last two words.
Thales blushed and stared down at the table.
Jo-Jo clenched his fists. Did the young idiot think he was too good for Bethany?
‘All settled, then?’ said Rast.
‘Might be best if you went with Berniere,’ said Jo-Jo.
The mercenary’s expression became cool. ‘Might be best if I make that decision.’
‘Yeah,’ said Jo-Jo softly. ‘As long as you make the right one.’
His challenge was mild but unmistakable. The mercenary was running more than one job here, Jo-Jo was sure of it.
‘Just get on with your god-speaking, Rasterovich. Leave the protection to us.’
Jo-Jo shrugged. He didn’t need to say any more. They’d all heard him.
‘I need to use the shortcast.’ He gave a half-serious bow. ‘Baronessa?’
Mira Fedor stood up immediately. ‘Of course.’
As she moved behind Bethany and Thales her robe caught on the corner of Thales’s seat. It pulled tight for a brief moment and she wrenched it loose with quick, nervous hands. Her belly seemed unnaturally round on her slim frame.
Jo-Jo’s heart contracted. No. Surely not. . .
According to the visitor information, Rho Junction didn’t have a studium or any other such pretensions to learned institutions—but it did harbour a body called The Alliance of Free Thinkers. The TAFTers welcomed Jo-Jo Rasterovich with open arms.
‘It is timely,’ said their spokesperson, ‘that you should contact us just as we are about to hold convocation.’
‘Timing,’ Jo-Jo replied, ‘is one of my many talents.’ Like crap.
His bold approach had been rewarded and Insignia was granted landing rights along with priority docking. But the TAFTers’ enthusiasm and the proximity to Extropy space had made Jo-Jo jumpy.
The half-heads were unpredictable. Look at the Stain Wars. Just as Orion had looked set to be dragged into a protracted battle, Commander Lasper Farr had led an intervention backed by his own mercenary force, and the Extras had withdrawn. Just like that. Just like that.
Although Jo-Jo was pissed off with Rast, she was his best sounding-board. He sought her out again before he left the ship. She was in the armoury, counting ammunition, and halted only to give him a scowl.
Jo-Jo wasn’t going to be put off. ‘Why do you think the Extros pulled out so quickly when Farr entered the war?’
She logged a number in her filmtab and crossed her aims. ‘Funny time for a history lesson.’
‘Not a lesson,’ said Jo-Jo. ‘I’m about to go and hang my arse on the line about a few things. I want to know if it might get shot.’
‘Didn’t think you were the kind to worry about what others thought.’ Rast was being deliberately obtuse and Jo-Jo knew it. ‘Loner like you.’
‘I’m not and you know it. I’m also not stupid. This is too close to Extro space for my liking. Hell, just look at the station log-in—the place is teeming with them. Come on, Randall, you’ve seen them up closer than I have. What’s the deal?’
Rast counted and logged another shelf of ammo before she answered him. ‘Like I said to the Baronessa, they don’t think like us—or like any alien I’ve known. Maybe it’s something to do with the cryo process or the chemicals they use but it’s hard to get a grab on their logic. Maybe they don’t have any.’
‘What about Farr, then?’
‘There’re a million theories about why Farr had the juice to stop them. Most ‘esques don’t care, though -they just know he did and that’s enough.’
‘You’re not most, Randall. You make your living out of this kind of thing.’
‘You shoulda asked Lasper when you had the chance.’
This time Jo-Jo scowled. ‘Yeah, well, I’ll remember that next time we’re having beers together.’
He left Rast to it but continued to brood over what might await him as Insignia was directed to Bell Six of the mega-station: a huge, grey dome with multiple docking shelves affixed to its fluted outer shell.
When the Baronessa confirmed their arrival, he collected Catchut