The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds Read Free Book Online

the read-out. Something was approaching from the Parking Swarm, too small to be a lighthugger. Guardedly, he notched up the cutter’s defensive posture. Weapons unpacked and armed, but refrained from revealing themselves through the hull. Dreyfus concluded that the approaching object was moving too slowly to make an effective missile. A few moments later, the cutter’s cams locked on and resolved the foreshortened form of a small ship-to-ship shuttle. The vehicle had the shape of an eyeless equine skull. Black armour was offset with a scarlet dragonfly, traced in glowing filaments.
    He received an invitation to open audio-only communications.
    â€˜Welcome, Prefect,’ said an accentless male voice in modern Russish. ‘How may I be of assistance?’
    With some effort, Dreyfus changed verbal gears. ‘You can be of assistance by staying right where you are. I haven’t entered the Swarm.’
    â€˜But you’re very close to the outer perimeter. That would suggest an intention to enter.’
    â€˜To whom am I speaking?’
    â€˜I might ask the same question, Prefect.’
    â€˜I have legal authority in this airspace. That’s all you need to know. I presume I’m dealing with an assigned representative of the Swarm?’
    After a pause - which had nothing to do with timelag - the voice replied: ‘You may call me Harbourmaster Seraphim. I speak for all ships gathered in the Swarm, or docked at the central servicing facility.’
    â€˜Would that make you an Ultra?’
    â€˜By your very narrow definition of the term, no. I do not owe my allegiance to any single ship or crew. But while they are here, all crews are answerable to me.’
    Dreyfus racked his memory, but he did not recall any prior dealings with anyone called Seraphim, Ultra or otherwise.
    â€˜That’ll make life a lot easier, then.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, Prefect?’
    â€˜It could be that I need access to one of your crews.’
    â€˜That would be somewhat irregular.’
    â€˜Not as irregular as turning a drive beam on a habitat containing nine hundred and sixty people, Harbourmaster.’
    Again, there was a lengthy pause. Dreyfus felt a prickle of sweat on the back of his hands. He had jumped the gun by mentioning Ruskin-Sartorious, which was in express contravention of Jane Aumonier’s instructions. But Aumonier had not counted on Dreyfus being approached by someone willing to speak for the entire Swarm.
    â€˜Why are your weapons in a state of readiness, Prefect? I can see them through your hull, despite your baffle-cladding. You’re not nervous, are you?’
    â€˜Just sensible. If I could see your weapons, I’d expect them to be in a state of readiness as well.’
    â€˜Touché,’ Harbourmaster Seraphim said, with a chuckle. ‘But I’m not nervous. I have a duty to protect my Swarm.’
    â€˜One of your ships could do a lot more damage than one of ours. I think that’s already been adequately demonstrated.’
    â€˜Yes, so you said. That’s a serious accusation.’
    â€˜I wouldn’t make it if I didn’t have solid proof.’
    â€˜Such as?’
    â€˜Shipping movements. Forensic samples from the habitat, consistent with torching from one of your drives. I can even give you the name of a ship, if you—’
    â€˜I think we need to speak in person,’ Harbourmaster Seraphim said, with an urgency Dreyfus hadn’t been expecting. ‘Stand your weapons down, please. I am about to approach and initiate hard docking with your ventral airlock.’
    â€˜I haven’t given you permission.’
    â€˜But you’re about to,’ Harbourmaster Seraphim replied.
    As the lock cycled - coping with the different pressure and atmospheric-mix protocols in force on both ships - Dreyfus emptied his mind of all preconceptions. It never paid to make assumptions about the physical manifestations of Ultras.