Read Online Galactic Empires by Gardner Dozois - Free Book Online Page A

Finally he stood, a faint smile on his lips. “Good day, Investigator.”
    *
    Two days later, Paula woke up to a call request from Christabel flashing in her virtual vision. She yawned, stretched, and told her maidbot to bring some tea. Then her virtual finger touched Christabel’s green icon.
    “You made it back okay,” Christabel said. “I heard it’s getting tough in Baransly. CST asked for a week’s extension before they switch off the wormhole; they’re worried they won’t be able to get everyone out before the cutoff.”
    “There’s a lot of people there,” Paula said, remembering the trip back to the CST station, the way her police escort had to force their way to a train for her. “What did the Merioneth government say?”
    “No.”
    “Figures. Moalem has worked hard to reach this moment. He’s not going to allow anything to stop it now. Especially now.”
    “Especially now? Did you get some useful information?”
    “Very. He was the alibi memory. Svein Moalem went to Ormal and spent the day living Fiech’s life.”
    “ What ? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
    “No. I’m not.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “He fancied a redhead.”
    “Come on, talk sense to me.”
    “Moalem told me the stewardess on the plane Fiech flew on from Essendyne back to Harwood’s Hill was a redhead. He’s right, too.“ Paula closed her eyes, recalling the memories that didn’t belong to her, the ones she’d read from Fiech’s brain. Seeing wavery images of the attractive woman in her neat blue and green uniform, Celtic-red hair all tied up with leather clips. Trying to smile as she supported his body up the stairs, and, amazingly, still calm when she deposited him in his seat and he made a crude drunken pass.
    Paula had interviewed the woman a week later as she retraced the alibi, confirming the memory.
    “So?” Christabel asked.
    “That detail wasn’t in the memory deposition filed with the court. I just said a stewardess.”
    “He could have found out.”
    Paula pulled the straps of her slip up properly on her shoulders as the maidbot came in with a large breakfast cup of green Assam tea. “Why would he?”
    “Because they’re obviously all part of the same group of Isolationists. He’d want to know everything connected with the case.”
    “No, this was a casual detail. I know it was. He was the one on Ormal.”
    “Oh bloody hell, so now what?”
    “Obviously, he has to be arrested. He was a major part of the crime. If he was as deeply involved in the Free Merioneth Forces as I suspect, he could well expose the others with a memory read.”
    “Not going to happen. There’s only two and a half weeks left to Isolation. You’ll never get clearance for that. It would take a small army to go in there and arrest their new prime minister. Actually… how come you didn’t try while you were there? I know you. You cannot stand back.”
    “I know. It’s engineered into my nature. But the probability of a successful outcome if I’d tired to arrest him on the spot was zero. They would simply have eliminated me.”
    “So natural self-preservation is stronger than the rest of you after all. That’s a relief to know.”
    “It was simply a decision based on common sense. I am going to arrange a meeting with Nelson. He may be able to secure me the return ability I need to complete the case.”
    “Damn, that’s a long shot.”
    “Yes, but what else have I got? The Directorate won’t be able to lift Moalem from Merioneth.”
    “I wouldn’t count on the Sheldons doing it either. The political fallout would be too great: Lifting someone from an Isolated world and making them stand trial here all because they assassinated Dynasty members. That won’t look good for the Dynasties, Paula, not politically. Isolation was the end of this, the deal.”
    “I know, but Nelson is the best option I’ve got.” She sipped some of the tea. “What were you calling me about?”
    “I’ve been digging