Read Online Eternity's End by Jeffrey Carver - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeffrey Carver
Tags: Science-Fiction
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surprised if they killed him ." It was obvious Jakus had been lying on someone's orders. And if he'd been overheard arguing about it...
Legroeder was mad as hell at the guy, but he didn't want him dead. For one thing, there was always the chance that he might recant and exonerate Legroeder. A dwindling chance, to be sure.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he was killed, either. If you still had the bloody cap, we'd have more to go on," Harriet pointed out.
Legroeder grunted. He wasn't sure if he'd dropped the cap where he'd found it, or lost it when he'd gotten clubbed. The bash in the head seemed to have clouded his memories.
"Of course, now it has your finger oils on it as well as Jakus's blood," Harriet said. "So I suppose it's not something we necessarily want turning up right away."
"Look, I'm sorry . But isn't there something we should do? Call the police, at least? What if they've got his body in there or dumped it nearby?"
Harriet sighed. "Given the circumstances, and the frame-up that you yourself are experiencing, I'm not entirely sure who I trust. That hangar is probably under Spacing Authority jurisdiction."
"But—"
"Still, I suppose I could contact my PI and ask him to phone in an anonymous report. He could say he heard reports of a fight. Hang on a moment." She touched her throat com and swiveled her chair away. "Peter? Harriet Mahoney. I need you to do something..."
When she was finished, she swiveled back to Legroeder. "Don't get your hopes up," she cautioned. "And don't expect them to find armed ships, even if they look. If you know what I mean."
Legroeder raised his hands and dropped them. "All right. So we've done our duty. What next?"
"I'll ask Peter to keep his ear to the ground, to see what he can find out about possible covert military, or paramilitary, operations. Or who knows what—there could be a dozen explanations for those ships you saw. And yes—given Jakus's involvement, it's probably something we should find out about. But that's Peter's job, not yours. As for what we will do next..." Harriet lowered her glasses on their chain and studied him again. "Are you ready to take the advice of your attorney?"
He sank back in defeat. "I promised I would, didn't I?"
"I'm glad you remember." Harriet smiled faintly. "Then I think it's time we learned all there is to learn in this city about starship Impris ."
He spread his hands in question. "Where are we going to do that? The RiggerGuild and Spacing Authority libraries had nothing."
Harriet snapped her compad shut. "We're going to start by getting some sleep. I've got a place where you can stay. Unless you've got someplace else in mind—? Good. Then first thing tomorrow, we're going to pay a visit to the public library."
"The public library?"
"Believe it or not, Legroeder, riggers are not the only people interested in knowledge..."
* * *
An orange-tinged sun woke Legroeder before the knock on the door. He was up on one elbow in bed, staring out the window at rooftops, when a velvety voice purred, "You wanted to be up at six, Mr. Legroeder-r-r?" It was Harriet's housekeeper, Vegas.
"I'm up," he called back. He dressed and stepped out of the guest quarters. It was actually a small cottage, set back twenty meters or so from Harriet's house. By the time he'd crossed the garden to the back door of the main house, Vegas was there to open it for him. Vegas was a Faber aborigine who looked like a cross between a swan and a very slender, very white-skinned humanoid woman with small vestigial wings. She led the way to the dining room.
Harriet was seated at the table with a cup of tea, studying her compad. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Clearly Harriet was a morning person. Legroeder was not. And he had not slept well; he'd awoken constantly during the night. "Couldn't have been better. Have you already gotten started?"
"I checked the Guild library files on Impris , and as you said, there's not much. So I thought I'd try the main
Legroeder was mad as hell at the guy, but he didn't want him dead. For one thing, there was always the chance that he might recant and exonerate Legroeder. A dwindling chance, to be sure.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he was killed, either. If you still had the bloody cap, we'd have more to go on," Harriet pointed out.
Legroeder grunted. He wasn't sure if he'd dropped the cap where he'd found it, or lost it when he'd gotten clubbed. The bash in the head seemed to have clouded his memories.
"Of course, now it has your finger oils on it as well as Jakus's blood," Harriet said. "So I suppose it's not something we necessarily want turning up right away."
"Look, I'm sorry . But isn't there something we should do? Call the police, at least? What if they've got his body in there or dumped it nearby?"
Harriet sighed. "Given the circumstances, and the frame-up that you yourself are experiencing, I'm not entirely sure who I trust. That hangar is probably under Spacing Authority jurisdiction."
"But—"
"Still, I suppose I could contact my PI and ask him to phone in an anonymous report. He could say he heard reports of a fight. Hang on a moment." She touched her throat com and swiveled her chair away. "Peter? Harriet Mahoney. I need you to do something..."
When she was finished, she swiveled back to Legroeder. "Don't get your hopes up," she cautioned. "And don't expect them to find armed ships, even if they look. If you know what I mean."
Legroeder raised his hands and dropped them. "All right. So we've done our duty. What next?"
"I'll ask Peter to keep his ear to the ground, to see what he can find out about possible covert military, or paramilitary, operations. Or who knows what—there could be a dozen explanations for those ships you saw. And yes—given Jakus's involvement, it's probably something we should find out about. But that's Peter's job, not yours. As for what we will do next..." Harriet lowered her glasses on their chain and studied him again. "Are you ready to take the advice of your attorney?"
He sank back in defeat. "I promised I would, didn't I?"
"I'm glad you remember." Harriet smiled faintly. "Then I think it's time we learned all there is to learn in this city about starship Impris ."
He spread his hands in question. "Where are we going to do that? The RiggerGuild and Spacing Authority libraries had nothing."
Harriet snapped her compad shut. "We're going to start by getting some sleep. I've got a place where you can stay. Unless you've got someplace else in mind—? Good. Then first thing tomorrow, we're going to pay a visit to the public library."
"The public library?"
"Believe it or not, Legroeder, riggers are not the only people interested in knowledge..."
* * *
An orange-tinged sun woke Legroeder before the knock on the door. He was up on one elbow in bed, staring out the window at rooftops, when a velvety voice purred, "You wanted to be up at six, Mr. Legroeder-r-r?" It was Harriet's housekeeper, Vegas.
"I'm up," he called back. He dressed and stepped out of the guest quarters. It was actually a small cottage, set back twenty meters or so from Harriet's house. By the time he'd crossed the garden to the back door of the main house, Vegas was there to open it for him. Vegas was a Faber aborigine who looked like a cross between a swan and a very slender, very white-skinned humanoid woman with small vestigial wings. She led the way to the dining room.
Harriet was seated at the table with a cup of tea, studying her compad. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Clearly Harriet was a morning person. Legroeder was not. And he had not slept well; he'd awoken constantly during the night. "Couldn't have been better. Have you already gotten started?"
"I checked the Guild library files on Impris , and as you said, there's not much. So I thought I'd try the main
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