The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [133]
The conversation stopped as a pair of shadowy men walked toward them across the bridge from the mainland. They carried no personal lights, which in itself seemed odd. Though crime was almost unknown in Argo City, Alura felt a shiver of fear. She had been edgy ever since her husband had cast out Zod’s fanatics. Fortunately, the Society of Vigilance patrolled the bridge ramps to be sure no unwanted visitors crossed over during the night. Even so, Alura hesitated before installing another crystal, holding it in her hand.
Out of long habit, Charys nodded politely as the two men came closer. “Good evening.”
One of the men said to Alura, without any pleasantries, “I know you. You are the wife of Zor-El.”
“The other one is his mother,” said the second man. “We’d better take them both.”
Before either woman could answer, the first man lunged for Alura, arms extended, as if he thought he could just grab her and carry her off. She swung the fist that held the illumination crystal and opened her fingers at the last moment. The sharp-edged jewel smashed his left cheek just under his eye, and the man reeled backward, cursing. Something dropped from his hand and clattered on the span of the bridge. A stunner!
Charys lashed out with surprising violence at the other man, thrashing and flailing her hands as she yelled at the top of her lungs, “We’re being attacked! Guards! Help!” The old woman startled her attacker by striking him hard in the nose with an openhanded blow, sending a gush of blood down his face. He roared and tried to throw himself on her.
Alura snatched up the fallen stunner and pointed it at the man fighting Charys. She shot quickly, without aiming, and the sizzling beam caught his legs below the knees, making him crumple.
She could already hear people running to offer their assistance. Lights began to glow in the sleepy buildings of Argo City as volunteers were alerted.
The man facing Alura got to his feet and wiped blood from his cheek where the crystal had cut him. He glared at the two women, spun, and bolted as fast as he could back across the bridge toward the mainland.
As Vigilance guards arrived, Alura pointed into the darkness. “One ran that way. See if you can capture him!”
Charys shook herself off, more indignant than injured. Alura turned to look at the man whose legs she had paralyzed. She was shocked to see that through sheer force of will, the fanatic had dragged himself to the edge of the bridge and used his arms to pull himself up onto the crossbars. “Stop him!”
Blood still streamed from his broken nose. With a defiant leer, he flung himself through the gap. He didn’t scream, didn’t shout any last words, but simply plummeted into the darkness. After a very long moment, Alura heard the hard slap of a body striking the still water.
“Now we’ll never know who they were,” Charys said.
Alura looked toward the mainland in dismay. The other attacker had already gotten away. “We know exactly who they were.”
CHAPTER 62
With a tremendous sense of urgency, Jor-El went to see Zod early the next morning. The impending celestial impact was imminent and definite. Four months! Unless something deflected the hurtling ball of ice, it would smash into Krypton only days after the birth of his baby. It was straightforward celestial mechanics, and the numbers did not lie.
However, if Commissioner Zod pulled together all of his resources and diverted manpower from his other projects, Krypton just might be able to do what was necessary. After the obvious success of the Rao-beam project in mitigating the instabilities in the planet’s core, Jor-El hoped the Commissioner would listen to his warning now. After all, the man prided himself on getting things done.
Jor-El strode purposefully toward the government palace, taking no time to notice the glory of the towering crystalline spires; he walked right past the intricate mosaics and murals that Lara had designed; he cut across the center of the Square of Hope, passing Zod’s ominous new statue. Behind him, he saw a Sapphire Guard noting his movement.