Nova War by Gary Gibson Read Free Book Online Page B

I can see it,’ he demanded, and Remembrance was conscious of a simultaneous translation into human speech.
    He ignored the request, keeping his shotgun trained on Bourdain.
    ‘Remembrance of Things Past,’ said Bourdain, extending his arms across the back of his chair. ‘It’s been a while, but maybe not long enough.’ He waved one desultory hand towards the weapon aimed at his chest. ‘I really don’t think that’s such a good idea in a place like this, do you?’
    The metallic tones of Remembrance’s interpreter clashed with the moist clicking of his mouth-parts. ‘But, Alex, I’d hate for you to leave when we’ve still got so much to talk about.’
    ‘Like?’
    ‘Friends. Family. The smuggling of banned alien technology through Bandati-controlled space. The usual.’
    ‘You know, I figured all along you were the one who betrayed me. Someone used a Giantkiller to destroy the world I made, Remembrance, and you were one of those responsible for ensuring that device reached me in the first place.’
    ‘The technical term is “deep cover”, Alex. I was only performing my duty.’
    ‘Your “duty” murdered a lot of innocent people when the Rock was destroyed. How does that make you any better than me?’
    ‘I have no idea who activated the weapon. We wouldn’t even have known you were smuggling that kind of technology if we hadn’t been alerted by your attempt to illicitly acquire one of our liquid shields. When you look at the sheer length of the chain eventually leading to you, it’s hardly a surprise if a link happens to break. Tell me, how long have you known?’
    ‘About you? Long enough,’ Bourdain replied. ‘You were the weak link – the one whose story was a little too perfect, a little too contrived.’
    ‘But good enough while it lasted,’ Remembrance replied, keeping his shotgun trained on Bourdain. ‘I’m afraid it’s over, Alex.’
    Remembrance twisted around, changing his grip on his shotgun so he now held it like a club, and batted Honeydew’s shotgun out of the agent’s hands. It was still attached to Honeydew’s wrist by a loop, but Remembrance had bought himself precious moments, unless either Kapur or Mazower—
    He heard a pair of near-simultaneous clicks and turned to see the two bodyguards standing up, next to their kicked-over chairs, each training a handgun on him. Remembrance froze in mid-swing, and saw Bourdain’s grin spread a little wider.
    ‘You should have gone through the proper channels,’ Honeydew rasped, retrieving his shotgun back out from where it had slipped between two slats, but keeping his distance now.
    ‘Why? To give you even more time to warn Bourdain I was on my way?’
    ‘I want you to put your weapon down, and I want you to do it very softly, and very gently,’ Honeydew replied. ‘And then we’re going to talk. Remember what I told you: this is the last place you ever want to start a fire-fight.’
    Remembrance stood stock-still, considering his options. He was peripherally aware of motion at some distance and glanced sideways to see that the kitchen staff and the few remaining clientele were making their escape as quietly and carefully as possible.
    As if in response to the sudden tension in the air, a faint tremor rolled through the moist flesh underfoot. More small winged shapes erupted from the deep shadows in the upper reaches of the maul-worm’s interior, and there was a long exhalation of air from the darker reaches of the cave further in that bordered on a low animal moan.
    Honeydew’s wings twitched nervously as they all waited to see if anything more happened, but the tremor faded after a few moments and then there was nothing. Remembrance noticed the fleeing staff and customers had all frozen in place, somewhat comically, once the maul-worm had started twitching. They started moving again a little more quickly once it looked like they were in less danger. A few cast frightened glances towards the tableau of armed Bandati and