Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds by Brian Daley Read Free Book Online Page B

there'd been considerably more room once Reesa had moved from her alcove. The seventeen-year-old was engaged in a work-study program in pursuit of an advanced degree, deeply involved in a somewhat romantic recreation of a Pleistocene tribal group. Her parents were quite fond of her, but had been relieved when she'd relocated to the school dormitory in Lapland. Leaving flint chips in the hygiene chamber to ambush bare feet, singeing the carpet with sparks struck during firemaking attempts, and the aroma of artificial animal grease had severely tested her parents' affection. She'd been rather hurt when they'd drawn the line at joining her in primate grooming behavior; Balensa in particular had been dismayed at the thought of searching her family for vermin.
    Floyt grew alert when he realized that someone was in the modest living room with Balensa—a female whose voice he didn't recognize. And it was no tete-a-tete, for the stranger's voice was cold and formal, even hostile.
    There was an expectant pause in the conversation. They were looking his way when he appeared.
    Balensa seemed subdued but vexed. She was still an attractive woman, petite, with chestnut hair, an unlined face, and the figure of a teenager. She was dressed in a reproduction, an Italian style from the latter fifteenth century, of synthetics posing as stiff, densely patterned blue velvet interwoven with gold, its V-shape front showing off her slenderness to good advantage.
    The other woman was unknown to Floyt, but seeing her gave him a start of dismay. She wore a well-tailored office suit and the pleated brown robes of an Earthservice supervisor. He concluded at once that the corridor incident had been picked up by Peaceguardian surveillance equipment.
    He forgot his emotional disarray, worried now that he'd been remiss in not reporting the trouble at once, that he'd violated a regulation and was in trouble for it. But he couldn't understand why such an encounter would merit the attention of a full supervisor, even granted that it involved an off-worlder.
    At about forty, she was extremely young for supervisor's rank. Though tall and severe, she wore her long auburn hair loose. She looked him over with cold brown eyes.
    "We've been wondering when you'd get home," Balensa said with a touch of nervousness.
    "Supervisor Bear has been waiting for nearly an hour. Why weren't you wearing your accessor?"
    "Greetings, Citizen Floyt," the supervisor said before he could become bogged down in explanations or excuses. Her tone was rather steely. "I'm Supervisor Bear, of the Resource Recovery Division. You and I have something to discuss."
    Floyt moved into the room warily, clearing his throat. She'd addressed him as "citizen" instead of the more formal "functionary," so that might be a good sign. Though he was theoretically free to address her the same way, he would never have dreamt of doing so.
    "I—I was going to report the attack as soon as I arrived home, Supervisor. 1 wasn't sure of the procedure, but I thought it would be safer than if I—"
    Bear seemed to gather her self-restraint. An hour or so with my wife has doubtless taxed it, Floyt thought. Even a supervisor's cloak wouldn't have deflected all of Balensa's curiosity. Clearly, the subject of contract termination had been tabled by Balensa for the time being.
    "Citizen Floyt," Bear interrupted, "be so kind as to sit down, if you will. My time's in rather short supply. Won't you have a drink?"
    Floyt refused the drink and perched himself warily on the least comfortable seat in the living room.
    Balensa was artfully arranged on the sofa, while Supervisor Bear had, of course, taken the cloud-rest lounger.
    On the center table a small bottle of premium Scotch, and a setup stood on Balensa's best imitation-silver tray. The refreshments had undoubtedly been obtained from the apt's service unit with Bear's allotment code; the machine would've ignored such an order given with his own or Balensa's code.
    Even in his