“Bogen’s on the island,” the man responded. “Besides, anything about security concerning you is more my problem than his.”
“No offense, but you’re too small. Besides, it’s not a breach. You’re a good cop, Hanak, but this is out of your league.”
That nettled him. “What the hell are you spouting off about, Zhang?”
“Radio Bogen and tell him I want to talk to him right away. Just do it, Hanak, will you? It won’t cost you anything.”
“He won’t see you,” he sneered back at me. “He has more important things to do.”
“If you send this message just the way I dictate it, I guarantee you I’ll not only see him, but he’ll break the galactic record to get to me.”
“So what’s this big, important message?”
“Tell him…” Here goes. “Tell him that he’ll never solve the deprogramming problem no matter how much time, money, and effort he puts in Project Phoenix. Tell him I can do it.”
Hanak stared at me. “You ain’t supposed to know about that.”
“Just send it. And let me know when he wants the meeting. I have work to do back in my office.” And with that I turned and walked out the door and back to the administrative complex. I had no doubt that Bogen would take the bait. None at all. I figured I’d hear the explosion from the office, and I wasn’t far wrong.
Just a few minutes after I’d settled back down to try and get some work done, Hanak rushed in to see me.
“Well, big shot,” he said, “I sent it out to the island and they threw a half-dozen shit fits. Bogen’s up on the satellite but he’s coming back down, personal, just like you wanted. You’re to meet him in ninety minutes.”
I nodded and grinned at him. “Where?”
“In his office in the Castle.”
“On the island?”
“What other castle is there?” He paused a moment, looking at me strangely. “You know, Zhang, you’re either the dumbest guy I ever met or the nerviest. Which are you?”
I gave him a wide, toothy grin. “Guess!”
It was harder to get up a crew on this day-off than I’d figured, but with backup and emergency services I was able to muster a gunboat crew in about half an hour, leave a note for Dylan reading simply, “It’s started,” and head for the island.
Bogen, although coming from the space station, would probably arrive before or at least at the same time as I did, assuming he left right after sending his reply. In point of fact, his “ninety minutes” was unrealistic for me to make, short of flying over, which security really wasn’t prepared for. Even at top speed of something around seventy kilometers an hour, the boat would take almost ninety minutes just to reach the island, and we’d had a half-hour delay in starting. That was just fine with me. I liked to keep people waiting and fuming a bit—knocks them off balance and makes them somewhat emotional in a situation where I’m perfectly rational and as calm as I can be given my training.
Still, it seemed like an eternity crossing that stretch of ocean. I kept having nightmares about being attacked by a bork on the way over and having the whole thing end right there.
The crossing, though, was uneventful, and soon the shining tower of the Castle hove into view, rising eerily up out of the trees. The sky was darkening, and I could feel a slight chill that told me that rain was due. It hardly bothered me. The executioner might care what sort of day it was, but not his victim.
We pulled up to the island dock and secured quickly. I walked off and up to the security building in back.
“Zhang,” I told the duty officer. “Here to see Bogen.”
She checked a screen and nodded. “You’re cleared to his office and no other areas. Pick up your escort at the security gate.”
“Escort, huh? Well, well!” I turned and walked out, then over to the gate I’d never gone through before. I had to put on a scanner to enter. Finally it confirmed that I was me and slid open, allowing me to step into a second chamber, where the procedure was repeated. Finally a far gate opened, and I walked through, meeting two khaki-clad and very serious members of the National Police, both very large men and both heavily armed.
“Walk between us and don’t deviate from our path,” one of them ordered. I gestured for him to lead the way. As we walked along the tree-lined paths I couldnt help but notice the special security systems all over the place and the fact that just about every step we took was being closely watched by somebody. Still, we were almost to the Castle when we had to get through yet another double gate with scan, and from there we walked on into the inner courtyard.
I was impressed. Although artificially surfaced like the docks and landing areas, and made from careful cutting of the trees, the area around the Castle was something I hadn’t seen since leaving the Confederacy. They had imported sod from somewhere—probably Lilith, since that was supposedly the garden planet—and there was a huge, brilliant green lawn complete with exotic plants and flowers. I was impressed a little more with Laroo; this was the sort of thing I would have done in his position, but few others would have.
After another scan at the Castle entrance as we approached, we were inside double sliding doors. I had to admit, despite the tales from the concubines, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. We walked through huge open areas with incredibly opulent furnishings. Beautiful rugs and carpeting blended into furlike couches, chairs, and recliners. On the walls were beautiful works of original—I supposed—artwork that matched the mood of the rooms. The only jarring note was the policemen standing guard just about everywhere, that plus the knowledge that cameras were following us everywhere and seeing everything.
I never saw any stairways, although they might well be somewhere if only for safety reasons. We went up in a large elevator that was basically a glass tube wrapped completely around its supporting pole. Very neat, I thought. They control access to and egress from the elevators, can see you at all times, and make sure you go only where you’re supposed to.
We got off on what I thought was either the fourth or fifth floor, walked across to the main building on a small ramp—which had emerged when we stopped there and pulled back into the wall once we were clear, another nice touch—and down another corridor. This floor was filled with rooms resembling national museums, complete with display cases and lighting. Weapons, corns, and gems from many worlds were all there in their respective places. I was more than impressed. I knew, too, that this stuff wasn’t Wagant Laroo’s—it was just put in his charge. Everything here was a type of object that could survive Warden sterilization from the Cerberan organism, and all of it belonged to somebody else, put here for safekeeping until its owner needed it or was in a position to enjoy it. I began to appreciate just what Bogen secured most of the time.
Finally we reached the end of the hall and a door slid back to reveal a modern office waiting room, complete with receptionist but lacking, I noticed, anything to read or look at.
My two guards flanked me while I presented myself. The receptionist nodded at my name. “Go right in. Director Bogen is waiting for you.”
“I’ll bet,” I muttered and walked to the inner office door, then turned and looked back at my guards. “Not coming?”
They said nothing, so I opened the door and stepped inside.
It was a small, cramped office, one that looked really lived in—all sorts of books, magazines, print-cuts, you name it—were scattered over the place, practically obscuring an L-style office desk with computer access terminals on one side and a pile of papers and other stuff, even a dictawriter, on the other. Bogen, dressed in casual work clothes, needed a shower and shave. Clearly he wasn’t prepared for this, and his eyes had an angry look.