Read Online BlackWing: First Ordinance, Book 3 by Connie Suttle - Free Book Online Page B

weren't included in the initial requests, I've adjusted everyone else's appearance to match those on the application sent by the original criminals. To anyone else who sees the rest of you, you'll look different. You'll still be the same—to yourselves and the rest of us, but the outside world will see something different. Those images will also match the ones distributed by the ASD, who are now actively hunting us—according to their records."
    "Those images are on the comp-vid Salidar has," Kooper said. "Study the images so you'll recognize them. Vic'Law allows for an extra six people to travel with those submitting the application; those six generally are wives, concubines or lovers. Quin, Terrett and Justis are the only three added to the original application."
    "They will not see me as Larentii," Daragar supplied. "My humanoid disguise is included in those images."
    This was becoming far more complicated than I'd expected. I wondered why they'd waited to tell us this, but shrugged it off. My mission was to find Vardil Cayetes and destroy him. I hoped it wouldn't take long to do so.
    * * *
    We'd arrived in the Vic'Law city of Der'Vek during the night, therefore, I didn't get to see the extensive grounds surrounding our palace until the following morning. Daragar and Kaldill had set perimeter shields so nobody could get inside without their permission while we slept.
    I'd slept badly—the bed was fine enough, but the strangeness of the place unsettled me. Terrett and Yanzi hadn't fared much better—both were in the kitchen when I wandered in. I was offered tea and eggs. I accepted both.
    "Der'Vek has six millions," Yanzi informed me while raking scrambled eggs onto my plate. "Will find fruit later," he promised.
    "Big city, then," I nodded. "The eggs are wonderful," I chewed a mouthful.
    "Reah teach," he grinned.
    Sal says that people are disappearing from the poorer sections of Der'Vek , Terrett sent mindspeech to Yanzi and me. We must find an excuse to go there .
    "That easy," Yanzi shrugged. "Claim missing kinsman. Ask questions. See what we find."
    "Not bad," Justis joined us, taking a seat at the wide table. "We can say he had some reason to go there, then disappeared."
    "We're working on it," Salidar arrived and set a mug on the table. He'd already had tea—that was evident.
    "I've spoken with Kooper," he said. "After training," he turned to give me a stiff nod, "we'll venture into the city. It may take a day or two to officially lose an imaginary member of our party, but it'll be easy after that."
    * * *
    I discovered what Sal had been doing after rising so early; he'd turned a small ballroom into his dojo. That's what he called it, anyway. The wall decorations and lighting fixtures clashed with the canvas-padded floor, the racks of weights and wooden practice swords, but he refused to notice or apologize.
    The main thing I carried away from my first lesson on Vic'Law was this; move faster, punch harder .
    * * *
    Der'Vek reminded me of my first sight of Kondar—tall, glass-clad buildings towered over shorter neighbors, leaving them in shadow during parts of the day. With six million inhabitants, it shouldn't be a surprise to see such a modern, sprawling city.
    "There are strict laws, here," Berel informed me as our hovercar carried us along. "Littering is punished by a harsh beating, as are several other, somewhat minor infractions."
    "I don't think I want to know what the more serious punishments are," I said, although I'd already seen it in his face.
    Public beatings were handed out by a brutal constabulary. Berel's research on Vic'Law suggested that the criminals who ran the planet were very particular about what their residents could and couldn't do. Perhaps they took pleasure in another's pain—Yevil certainly had, and he was among the worst I'd ever seen.
    As I hadn't met any of these yet, I couldn't say what their eyes and faces might reveal. The thought made me shudder.
    "Are you cold?" Berel asked