The Evolutionary Void by Peter F. Hamilton Read Free Book Online

same.”
    “Oh, we are,” the Cat said.
    “We are not,” Oscar countered forcefully.
    “Mixal, Freddy,” Tandra called. “Come here.”
    The Cat’s smile was joyous as her hold around both children tightened. “I
like the twins,” she said mildly.
    Martyn started forward as Mixal and Freddy began to twist about in her
unyielding grip. Tomansio intercepted him fast, restraining him. “Don’t move,”
he growled.
    Beckia gripped Tandra. “No,” she warned as the woman tried to lunge at
her children.
    “Let go of me,” Tandra shouted.
    “If you move again, I will shoot you,” Oscar told her flatly, hating
himself for doing it, but he had no choice. Besides, it might just shock her
into obedience. She’d never understand that the twins’ only chance of surviving
the next five minutes was to let him and his team take charge.
    “Big words,” the Cat said.
    “I don’t have many options,” Oscar said.
    “How’s Paula?”
    “I thought you’d seen her.”
    “Not quite. Not yet.”
    “There’s always a next time, huh?”
    “You should know that better even than I.”
    “You know, last time I saw you on the plane to Far Away, you weren’t so
bad.”
    “I assure you I was,” the Cat said.
    “Strange, because that was you now. The you that founded the Knights
Guardian is in your personal memory’s future.”
    “That sounds horribly convoluted and confusing, darling.”
    “Thinking about it, you you never actually met
me on the plane to Far Away. Your memories come from the day before you were
sent to Randtown.”
    “And your point is?”
    “Interesting that you’ve researched yourself.”
    “Know your enemies.”
    “Ah, now that actually does make sense. Especially with the number you
have by now.”
    “Whereas you live in a happy universe.”
    Oscar gave her a lopsided grin. “It has you in it.”
    “Ouch. That was personal, darling.”
    “Of course it was personal. After what happened on the plane between us,
how could it be anything else? Oh, wait, you don’t have that memory.”
    The Cat actually looked quite startled. “You have to be kidding, darling.
You don’t even like girls.”
    “No. But as you said, you like me, and racing toward almost certain death
triggers some reflexes no matter what. I just had to work with what was
available.”
    “Now you’re being insulting.”
    Oscar kept his face perfectly blank. “No, I’m still being personal. After
all, whose kid did you go and have after the Starflyer crash?”
    “Kid?” the Cat spluttered. “Me? With you?”
    “What is wrong with you people!” Tandra screamed. “Just go, all of you.
Go and leave us alone.”
    Oscar held a finger up to the distraught woman, then ignored her. “If you
didn’t research that bit, ask the Knights Guardian here you created . Was there a gap in your history around then?”
    The Cat glanced at Tomansio, who was still holding back Martyn.
“Actually, there is a chunk of your time line missing following the crash,” he
said slowly. “Nobody knows what you were doing then.”
    “Fuck off,” the Cat snapped at him. “And you”—she glared at Oscar—“you
don’t know, either. You were a memorycell dangling on Paula’s chain for a
thousand years.”
    “The kid visited me after I was re-lifed. Told me the whole story.”
    “Stop it. Now.”
    “Okay,” he said reasonably. “Did you have time to ask these good people
anything?”
    “You cannot screw with my mind.”
    Oscar winked. “Already done the body.” He turned to Tandra. “Did she ask
you about Araminta?”
    Tandra stretched her arms out toward the couch, where the twins were
still squirming ineffectually. “Please?”
    Oscar extended his arm. A red laser shone through the skin on his
forefinger, splashing a dot onto Freddy’s forehead. Everyone froze. Freddy
started wailing, curling up tighter against the Cat, believing she would
protect him. If only you knew how wrong that instinct is ,
Oscar thought miserably. “Did