Gridlinked

'We could call him Scar now,' said Thorn, from behind him.

Cormac studied the dracoman's face and saw it had been opened from one nostril to just underneath its eye. Its blood was the colour and consistency of mustard.

'And what do we call the other one?' asked Cormac.

'Nonscar?'

'Yeah, good. Now let's get this mess cleared up and a rota set up,' he said. He looked up at the sky. 'How long till dawn?'

'Ten hours, solstan,' Thorn replied.

'We'll sleep in groups of four in the carrier. Let the ES ones go first. We shouldn't be any less secure than we were. Oh, I want someone at that turret gun at all times.'

It took an hour to clear the camp and set up further covert defences. Aiden and Cento acted as guards, since they needed no sleep.

'We'll need to take out that turret gun. When he finds out you're not amongst the dead, he'll know it was just a probe. There won't be a trap next time,' said Corlackis.

'Of course,' said Pelter, his eyes still glued to the screen stuck to the framework of the missile launcher.

'So really it's just that and the two Golem.'

Pelter glanced aside and waved to Svent to take them down. Svent nodded, and fiddled with the old guide-ball control of the transporter. Slowly it started to drop down into the trees. In the shadow the thick photoactive paint on it slowly changed from a deep red to greenish black. Corlackis tapped at the controls on the minicon-sole he was holding, then dropped it into his pocket.

'What about those two lizard men?' asked Dusache.

'Don't concern yourself,' said Pelter. 'You'll be on this platform operating the launcher. You take out the carrier. Myself, Mr Crane, Mennecken and Corlackis will be going in on the ground.'

'Crane will be able to handle the Golem?' Corlackis asked.

'He will handle them,' said Pelter. 'Remember that arrogant bitch on Huma? No, we go in and we flatten them. Of course none of you hits Cormac - not even by accident. He is mine.'

Branches broke and flicked round the transporter, and large leaves spiralled down with it. Svent landed it by the private AGC that was already on the ground.

'When do we hit them?' Mennecken asked.

'Not yet,' said Pelter, then looked up as four objects settled through the trees. In the dim light they were difficult to see until very close. When visible, they had the appearance of small birds of transparent film stretched over black bones. They came in to land in a neat row on the launcher, where they closed their wings and became featureless ovoids. Corlackis took up a metal box from the deck and carefully placed each of the surveillance drones in its respective compartment. As an afterthought he took the miniconsole from his pocket and placed it in its compartment as well.

The sky was a kind of muddy-brown just before sunrise. Cormac would not have seen it, as he had been deeply asleep. But Aiden shook him awake.

'Another AGC coming directly here. Cento is rousing the others.'

Cormac rubbed sleep from his eyes. 'What's going on, they relocated the AGC park?'

'Pardon?'

'Never mind.'

Cormac sat upright and looked around. Thorn was already at the door of the carrier, his weapon resting on his shoulder. The sergeant and one of the two men were putting on their boots. Lying with his cuffed wrists secured to a steadying handle above one of the bunks, Stanton watched with disinterest. Cormac slid from his bed fully dressed. It was not the first time he had slept in body-armour.

'How far?' he asked.

'Ten minutes away'

Cormac turned to Stanton. 'Pelter?'

Stanton shrugged. 'Could be, but I doubt it. He'll want you to sweat for a while.'

Cormac snorted and turned away. 'Who's on the turret gun?… Never mind. Sergeant, no firing unless fired on. Thorn, Aiden, with me.'

The sergeant began speaking into his comunit as the three headed for the door. Above, they heard the drone of hydraulics as the turret gun swung round. Outside, Cormac saw that the men were dispersed around the camp with their weapons trained on the sky. Once again an AGC came in with its lights on and landed in the middle of the camp. Cormac immediately recognized the diminutive figure that stepped out, and advanced from cover with a smile on his face. Taking their cue from him, the other men did the same.

'All this fuss over me,' said Mika as she lifted a case from the AGC. 'I could get to like it.'

It was the first time Cormac had heard her be coquettish. It seemed very unlike her. He had imagined her as being more direct.

'It's good to see you, but why are you here?' asked Cormac.

'They're refitting the Hubris. It's like a madhouse there. I asked Blegg if I could come to follow up on some studies.' She looked pointedly at the dracomen as they came from the trees to squat by the carrier.

'He's still there then - Blegg?'

'Yes, and managing to annoy everyone with the minimum effort.'

They walked towards the carrier.

Mika went on. 'I also thought you might need a medic, if you haven't got one…'

'A couple of the men are trained, Thorn as well. There was an attack last night, but most injuries have been tended to.'

'Attack. Presumably not the Maker?'

'A Separatist group.'

Mika nodded. 'I see one injury that hasn't been tended to,' she said. She gestured to the dracoman now called Scar.

Cormac could not think of a reply. Just then one of the regulars came running across.

'Sir! Sir! Something took one of the bodies in the night.'

Mika looked at Cormac, and Cormac looked at Mika. They both looked at the dracomen.

'Probably an animal. We should have buried them,' Cormac told the man.

'Shall we bury them, sir?'

'If you like.'

The regular departed.

'You could have at least fed them,' said Mika accusingly, and then walked over to the wounded draco-man. Cormac watched her go, a slight smile twisting his features, and then he frowned and headed back for the carrier. Once inside he called to the soldier at the gun.

'You, go outside for a moment, please,' he said.

The soldier climbed down from the control seat, saluted, and quickly went on his way. Cormac dropped down on the bunk opposite Stanton.

'You were right,' he said.

Stanton just stared back at him.

Cormac went on. 'How long do you think Pelter will… let me sweat?'

'The longer he leaves it, the more it will work for him. Your men will be tired, less alert. But he does want to kill you rather badly. I'd say two days at most.'

'Now tell me why I should believe you.'

Stanton looked down at the floor for a long moment before replying. 'Pelter has a large quantity of money with him. I intended to relieve him of it once I found a way round Crane.'

'Crane?'

'Mr Crane. The broken Golem. Watch out for him. He was a Twenty-five, and now he's armoured and very tough. You wouldn't believe what he's capable of.'

'I would,' said Cormac. 'I have two Golem Thirties with me.'

Stanton stared for a long moment, then a slow smile broke out on his face. 'Won't Pelter be surprised,' he said.

'Tell me about this money. That's not like you, John. You've had ample opportunity to rip Pelter off.'

'That's what Jarvellis said.'

'jarvellis?'

Stanton told him, and Cormac made his decision. He couldn't wait for Pelter. He needed to resolve some things now before Dragon got impatient and threw a tantrum that many of those on Samarkand might not survive. He took up the two Enropower boxes from under one of the bunks, and then left Stanton where he was. Outside the carrier he turned to the soldier.

'Get back on that gun. The call I'm just about to put out does not apply to you.'