Mirror Space - Marianne de Pierres [37]
‘And yours is not one of them?’
Farr got to his feet in a lithe, almost freakish, movement that belied his age. His expression lightened a little; a hint of amusement again. ‘Of course, you are welcome to my chapel, Tekton. But once you have worshipped and taken reflection, I would strongly suggest you make arrangements to move on. Our pleasant acquaintanceship may otherwise, depreciate in value.’
It took some time after Farr left for Tekton’s erection to subside. To his own fascination, he appeared to be developing an erotic attraction to the idea of physical threat. Perhaps he’d spent his recent years too cocooned from the wider worlds.
That realisation did not distract him entirely from his new purpose. Foil the projects of the other tyros. He would, however, find out as much as he could about Lasper Farr before he was forced to leave.
After instructing his moud to arrange transport to the Edo shift station to connect with a res-ship bound for Mintaka, he logged a request with the porter to pack his belongings (including the statue) and take them to the loading docks.
He then bathed, ate a small meal and dressed in his most comfortable and least ostentatious robes. By the time the moud informed him that his passage was booked and that the porter would be along shortly, he felt composed and ready.
Moud. Commander Farr has extended an invitation to me to pray at his private chapel. Enquire with the mayordomo for directions.
The moud consulted with the station AI and shortly afterwards Tekton said goodbye, forever, to his moderately luxurious suite. He found a Lamin waiting for him outside.
‘The mayordomo has directed me to escort you to the Commander’s chapel.’ It curled its front lock with a long nail and wiggled its nostrils.
Tekton shrugged. He detested Lamins, but a guide would be useful in this instance.
Surprisingly, the Lamin took him upwards, towards the surface, not deeper into the planet-station as he’d anticipated. Leaving the central lift shaft, they found a taxi that took them across the dock bridge and through a channel in the thick wall of twisted metal. Although the taxi appeared to stay level, Tekton experienced the sensation of ascent.
His curiosity forced him to talk to the Lamin. ‘I had thought the docks to be the highest level of Edo?’
The creature gave a smug smile. ‘Commander Farr resides on the surface of Edo.’
‘The surface? But there is no surface,’ objected Tekton. ‘The whole planet is a mound of floating rubbish.’
‘The Commander’s habitat is . . . fluid.’
‘Fluid? What in Sole’s tube does that mean?’ Tekton became irritated. Lamins were obtuse at best, and altogether too arrogant for a race of tedious bureaucrats.
‘You will see soon, visiting-Lostol.’
Visiting-Lostol! Tekton had an urge to smack the annoying creature across the face but thought better of it in case he tore his skin on its coarse facial hair. Lamins were known for their proclivity for diseases.
He settled for a look of crushing disdain.
Before the Lamin could further bother him, the taxi slowed to a halt outside a large hatch, big enough to have belonged to the hold of a deep spaceship. The hatch had been fitted arbitrarily into a wall of interwoven scrap, telltale trails of welding slag securing it in place.
The Lamin tapped along a section of the wall with its ridiculous nails.
The hatch popped open with a frightening sucking noise. Tekton felt a rush of wind and cold. He gasped against it and a sense of oxygen depletion.
‘Fr-ree-ezing,’ he chattered.
The Lamin’s fur stood on end against the cold, and it gave another smug smile. ‘Commander Farr likes to be reminded of the outside. The environment is within humanesque endurance limits, and the chapel itself is comfortable. Or would you prefer to return to the dock and await your departure?’
Tekton clamped his teeth together to control them. He would not let the Lamin intimidate him. He snatched the simple nose-mask it proffered and stepped through the hatch, head held high.