Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [137]
'We had an agreement. Neither one of us is going to be safe. The escapees in Davlin's hideout will need your protection as much as these townspeople need mine. One of us has to get out of this alive for Nikko - wherever he is.'
'We were supposed to flip a credit chip.' -.'-:
'I did--you lost. I'm a better shot anyway.'
Crim was flustered. 'No you're not. We're even.'
'Not today. Go with them!' She gave him a quick kiss, squeezed Orli in a hug, and scrambled up a rickety ladder to the top of the thick wall where her gunners had already begun to open fire, Maria and her recruits shot at the robots, knocking several of them from the wall like massive cockroaches.
Davlin grabbed Mr Steinman's scrawny arm and pushed him toward Orli, the Governess compy, and the children. 'Lead them back to the sandstone bluffs. Mayor Ruis, you join them.'
'But how are we going to get out of here without anyone seeing?'
A projectile-launched explosive from the swarming robots blew up one of the Klikiss towers. It slowly collapsed, crumbling, wobbling, then shattering on the ground.
'This mess is going to last a long time. Just run! I'll make a nice big door for you.' Davlin reached into his pocket and found the remote control, without hesitating, he pressed the detonator. The construction explosives he had planted blew a large gap through the barricade.
Orli hesitated as the dust cleared. Now they could all flee to the open desolate plain, but there was little shelter in the arroyos and draws, only a few boulder outcroppings and dead, clawlike trees.
UR marched forward, pushing the children ahead of her. Mr Steinman, Mayor Ruis, and Crim Tylar ran along with a group of others. DD turned. 'Come with us, Margaret!'
The older woman hesitated and looked directly at Orli. 'You have your synthesizer strips? Keep the others safe if the Klikiss come after you.'
What do you mean? Will the breedex still recognize me?'
'Use your music. DD, go along and help them!'
'Should I not remain with you, Margaret?' The compy's voice clearly showed that he was torn.
'You can do more good for them. Now go!'
Several black robots clambered over the wall. Another part of the barricade was destroyed by repeated blasts from their weapons. Seeing Sirix approach was all DD needed to set him in motion again.
Eighty-six
Mage-Imperator Jora'h
As the Mage-Imperator greeted representatives of various kiths, he watched Daro'h's face, reading the intelligence and sensitivity there. Instead of spending another day servicing one pleasure mate after another, as a Prime Designate normally did, Daro'h attended his father and Nira in the skysphere audience chamber.
Jora'h had been poorly prepared when his father's death had forced him to ascend prematurely to his position, and he would not make the same mistake with Daro'h. A Prime Designate must never forget that one day he would lead the Ildiran Empire. By now, the burn marks on the young man's face had mostly healed, but the angry redness would remain for a long time. Daro'h remained distraught over what he feared the faeros might be doing. Jora'h couldn't blame him. Since before Adar Zan'nh had left on his mission of mercy, the Mage-Imperator had sensed the constant arpeggio of anxiety across his Empire, like the plucking of strings on a taut musical instrument. There was also an emptiness, a troubling silence in the . His scouts had not returned from the Horizon Cluster. Neither had he received any report from Tal O'nh in his procession around the once-rebellious worlds, nor had he heard anything from the scientific team on Hyrillka. No one was reporting.
After two hours of court duties, the line of pilgrims that came to see him still seemed endless. Jora'h gave a discreet signal to Yazra'h, who strode to the base of the dais with her three Isix cats and rapped her crystal spear on the polished stone floor. 'The Mage-Imperator requires a recess - and some privacy. Would you like me to leave as well, Liege?'
Jora'h shook his head as the pilgrims dutifully departed. 'All of you can offer valuable advice.'