Chaos Space - Marianne de Pierres [81]
Farr stiffened as though he’d been unexpectedly shot. ‘How interesting, Baronessa. What mineral would that be?’
‘It is called quixite.’
‘And you say your planet has an abundance of quixite?’
‘I am not sure. There is a single mine, I’m sure, in which the alloy can be found.’
‘Quixite is only ever found in small quantities. Are you sure your information is correct?’
Mira reviewed what she had heard in her mind. ‘Si,’ she said simply.
Farr closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, Jo-Jo noticed that they had changed colour. No longer grey but darker, almost black.
‘I have some things to consider. Randall, take your people back to your biozoon. You are free to move around the city and enjoy the biannual Trade Fest as long as you respond immediately to my next summons for a meeting. Bethany and Mr Rasterovich may use our guest facility as you have no current transport. Petalu Mau, you may return home.’
Mau’s lip quivered in appreciation and Jo-Jo felt relieved for the big man—and for himself.
He and Bethany walked to the door.
‘For the record, too, Farr,’ said Jo-Jo, ‘when we tried to shift here, a ship cut into shiftspace ahead of us. We had to loop out and go again. The H-M on the Savvy saved our skins by being smart. The Captain ... he would have got us all dead.’
Carnage Farr nodded. ‘I will investigate it.’
To his right the Baronessa suddenly sagged as if punched. Rast Randall moved to her side and jerked her upright. ‘We’ve been through a rough shift too,’ said the mercenary. ‘’Zoon’s had some injuries. Think maybe the lady needs to rest.’
Jo-Jo sensed the undercurrent between the women.
So did Carnage. The famous warman’s gaze flicked ground the group. ‘Later,’ he said. ‘We will continue this later.’
THALES
Gutnee Paraburd lied to me. That thought obsessed Thales. I could have been imprisoned. If I hadn’t lost my temper at Sophos Mianos…if the Baronessa hadn’t sent her man back to help me… .
He found it impossible to reconcile the notion that his aggression, his loss of composure, had been the thing that had saved his life. Jain taught that self-control was the only way to attain moksha—true realisation of the soul.
Thales nursed his revelation all the way back to the biozoon and into the ribbed space that the Baronessa called the cucina.
The five of them convened around a table over a variety of recomposed meals. The Baronessa sprang up and took a container from the unfolded shelves.
She handed it to Thales. ‘Risotto without meat,’ she said. ‘I hope this is suitable.’
He smiled and thanked her.
She looked weak with fatigue.
‘Sit and eat,’ Rast ordered her.
The Baronessa resumed her seat near the mercenary. She broke off a tiny amount of bread and put some to her lips. ‘It was them,’ she whispered.
Rast shovelled in large mouthfuls off food. ‘Too late for conscience now, Fedor. We survived. Most of them survived. Coulda been worse.’
Thales didn’t understand the meaning of their exchange and knew it pointless to ask. He’d become caught up, unwittingly, amongst fugitives, and in truth he did feel some sympathy for the plight of the Baronessa’s world. But he had too many of his own concerns.
His shaken faith, for instance; Paraburd’s DNA, the state of his own world, and Rene, of course. What must he do to win her back?
He knew that the people he sat eating with thought him to be naive and senseless. But naivety was a phase soon passed, and senseless he was not—although it seemed useful for now that they thought of him as such. Their tongues would be less guarded if they did. They would take less notice of him.
The God-Discoverer Jo-Jo Rasterovich interested Thales the most. Though obnoxious and uncouth, the man had knowledge of Belle-Monde and the Entity. Tonight, at the Trade Fest, he would seek out his company...
‘Will Lasper Farr support me?’ Mira Fedor asked Randall.
The mercenary scraped a fork moodily across her empty plate. ‘Carnage won’t do anything that doesn’t suit him. Course, there’s one thing