The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds Read Free Book Online Page A

They could look as fully human as any Panoply operative, and yet be crawling with furtive and dangerous machines.
    Dreyfus had seen stranger than Harbourmaster Seraphim, though. His limbs and torso were encased in the bright green armour of a powered exoskeleton. His head had a shrunken look to it, his mouth and nose hidden behind a grilled silver breathing device that appeared to be grafted in place. There was a chrome-plated input socket set into the left side of his skull - Ultras favoured direct hook-up when they interfaced with their machines - but other than that there was no suggestion of extensive cyborgisation. He had long, black hair drawn back into a single braided tail. His delicate, pale hands reminded Dreyfus of the imprint of a bird’s wings in ancient rock.
    â€˜Thank you for letting me aboard,’ Seraphim said, the voice emanating from somewhere beneath his throat.
    Dreyfus introduced himself, then escorted the Ultra into the cutter’s habitation area. ‘Is there anything I can offer you by way of hospitality?’
    â€˜Can you run to blood dialysis?’
    â€˜I’m afraid not.’
    â€˜That’s a pity. My ship’s having trouble purging my fatigue poisons. I think the filters need changing, but I can’t ever seem to find the time to return to the central servicing facility.’
    â€˜How about coffee instead?’
    â€˜I’ll pass, Prefect. Now: concerning this disagreeable subject we were about to touch on.’
    â€˜Nine hundred and sixty casualties. That’s way beyond disagreeable. Those people weren’t ever on my radar, Harbourmaster. That means they were just decent human beings trying to get on with their lives without hurting anyone else. None of them made it out alive.’
    â€˜I’m sorry about the deaths. Truly, I am. We do have souls, Prefect Dreyfus. We do have consciences. But I assure you this could not have been what it appears to be.’
    â€˜I can place the Accompaniment of Shadows near enough to rule out the involvement of any other ship.’
    Seraphim touched one hand to the side of his breather mask, as if making some microscopic adjustment to his airflow settings. ‘Have you considered the possibility that someone else committed the crime, yet wished it to appear the work of an innocent crew who just happened to be in the neighbourhood?’
    â€˜There’s nothing my boss and I would rather have than an excuse not to stir up trouble with the Ultras. But we know of only one thing that could have sliced open the Ruskin-Sartorious Bubble, and that’s a Conjoiner drive.’
    â€˜You’ve ruled out the possibility of something else: a weapon, for instance?’
    â€˜There’s nothing that could have done that.’
    â€˜Maybe nothing known to us now. But no one would deny that things were created in the past - terrible, destructive things - that may have survived into the present era. We’ve all heard talk of the hell-class weapons—’
    â€˜I’m a prefect, Seraphim,’ Dreyfus said patiently. ‘I deal in known facts, not speculation. And I don’t have to look for some fabled weapon from the dark ages. I have proof that a drive was involved. That’s all I need.’
    â€˜There must still be a mistake. No crew would perpetrate such an atrocity.’
    â€˜Even if a deal went sour?’
    â€˜Children act out of spite, Prefect Dreyfus. We’re not children.’
    â€˜All right. What about an accident?’
    â€˜A Conjoiner drive doesn’t just switch on spontaneously.’
    â€˜Fine. Then someone had to have their hands on the controls. Glad we cleared that up.’
    â€˜We’ve cleared nothing up. What are you expecting me to do?’
    â€˜I want you to prevent the Accompaniment of Shadows from leaving the Swarm. That’s step one. Step two is you stop any of her crew from jumping ship. Step three is you use your influence to