Read Online George R.R. Martin - [Wild Cards 18] by Inside Straight - Free Book Online Page B

assistant came toward them. He had coffee-and-cream skin and light, curly hair. Young, maybe twenty, his boyish face nonetheless had a tired look.
    “Hi, I’m John Fortune,” he said. “Looks like I’ll be the traffic cop this afternoon. Let me show you where we need you to stand for the shoot.”
    It took a half-hour for him to break up the party and herd everyone to where they needed to be for the publicity photo session.
    John asked, “Anything else you need? Is everybody okay?”
    “I think we’re fine,” Kate said, returning his smile. She looked around for confirmation. “Yeah?”
    “Great. We’ll start in a couple minutes.” With a mock salute, he left them.
    “I’d watch out for that guy,” Hive said to Kate. “Charm, multiethnic good looks—you may be doomed.”
    “Oh yeah?” she said.
    “Yeah, I saw the way he looked at you.”
    “Kind of like how you’re looking at me?”
    Hive quickly glanced away and pursed his lips. “So what if I am?” Kate blushed, and Hive sighed. “Whew, we haven’t been here an hour and we’re already making great TV drama.”
    Another half-hour passed while the crew adjusted the lighting.
    “Just like being on tour,” Drummer Boy muttered. He was nevertheless smiling.
    “This show business stuff must be old hat to you,” Kate said, looking up at him.
    “Old hat with a new twist. The scenery here’s way better.” He winked at Kate, who actually giggled.
    Oh, this was going to be a long day, Ana thought. She was so out of her league.
    A man Ana recognized from the audition detached from the mob of crew and regarded them all, a lord surveying his domain: Michael Berman, a network executive on hand to observe the proceedings. He was in his thirties, slick and intense. Even Ana could tell his suit and tie were expensive.
    “This is fabulous. Thank you all for helping make this a reality. I can’t wait to see what happens over the next few weeks. And I’m sure I can count on you to make this the best show possible.” He rubbed his hands together with obvious glee.
    “Is it a competition or entertainment?” Hive said with a smirk. “The world may
    never know.”
    “I don’t think I like that guy,” Kate whispered to Ana.
    Ana had to smile. “I know what you mean.”

    The meet-and-greet was at the hotel, but the actual unveiling of the teams for the premiere of
American Hero
took place on a Hollywood sound stage that looked like a night club, all dark glass and chrome, touched with blue neon.
    Peregrine was the emcee. In her fifties now, she was as poised and beautiful as ever, and her wings framed her perfectly. She wore a black strapless evening gown that shimmeredgold when she turned, and her hair lay in loose waves around her shoulders and wings.
    “Welcome to the first of what promises to be twelve weeks of excitement, astonishment, heartbreak, and—we hope—heroism the likes of which you have never seen. We’ve searched the country for undiscovered aces, for great powers, and for people who have the potential to change the world. This is
American Hero
.”
    Then came the theme song, a pounding, blood-stirring rock anthem that would no doubt be hitting the charts in weeks to come. Peregrine introduced the judges, two who in their younger days had been beloved aces in their own right: Topper, wearing her trademark tuxedo and top hat, from which she could pull any manner of items, and the Harlem Hammer, the massive, super-strong ace who had been coaxed out of retirement. The third judge knew his aces—had reported on them for
Aces!
for going on twenty-five years. Who better to judge the up-and-coming generation?
    Thomas “Digger” Downs spoke seriously, regarding the camera as he would an old friend. “After sixty years of living with the wild card, you’d think we couldn’t be astonished anymore. That we couldn’t be amazed. We’ve seen alien invasions, madmen with the power to take over the world, plagues of crime that steal away your