This Day All Gods Die by Stephen R. Donaldson Read Free Book Online Page B

Mandich. "Since my departure from Suka Bator," he told Warden, "Data Acquisition has been diligent in its assigned functions. The technical aspects of this investigation I have entrusted to Lane Harbinger, whose qualifications for the task are superb. For my part, I have taken the occasion to impose Red Priority security locks on various data venues, hoping to ensure the accuracy of the information which may be obtained from them." Briskly he named the sites he'd sealed. "In addition I have obtained preliminary readouts from Data Storage on both Nathan Alt and Clay Imposs."
    "Go on," Warden murmured like a man who couldn't be moved.
    Hashi did. He had no intention of stopping.
    "The vanished Imposs we may dismiss," he stated. "His records are both correct and clean. No marks tell against him.

    We must assume, I believe, that he is dead—
    a victim of inten-
    tions in which he had no other role except to die. It is likely that his body will never be found."
    Corpses which had been burned down to their essential energies, or dissolved into their component chemicals, no longer existed in any form which might be susceptible to discovery.
    "Nathan Alt, as you might imagine, is another matter entirely.
    "I will spare you the less relevant details of his history."
    Hashi enjoyed lecturing. The more he explained, the more he understood. "The primary facts are these. Less than a year after his court-martial, Captain Alt found employment with Nanogen, Inc., a research-and-development concern studying the production of microchips and electronic devices by nanotechnological means. Specifically he found employment in Nanogen Security, despite—
    or perhaps because of—
    his record.
    "Not surprisingly," Hashi remarked dryly, "Nanogen, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of the United Mining Companies.
    "Since then, our subject's career has been one of steady advancement through the vast hierarchy of the UMC's Security departments. Again I will spare you the details. For our purposes, the crucial point is that approximately a year ago he attained the position of Security Liaison for Anodyne Systems, the sole licensed manufacturer of SOD-CMOS chips."
    "We know what Anodyne Systems does," Chief Mandich muttered.
    Hashi didn't respond. He went on speaking to Warden as if the two of them were alone.
    "I suspect that First Executive Assistant Fane will confirm this when you accept his call. One of the redoubtable FEA's duties as the Dragon's right hand concerns the over-sight of Anodyne Systems.''
    "We know that, too," Warden said brusquely. "Get to the point, Hashi."
    He didn't add, I have an act of war to worry about. There was no need.
    Nevertheless Hashi declined to be hurried. The quantum mechanics of truth yielded its secrets only when its uncertainties were handled with care.
    "Quite naturally," he continued as if he were impervious to any exigencies except his own, "as Security Liaison for Anodyne Systems, Nathan Alt had no dealings with us." In his own way he considered himself as unreachable as the UMCP director. "He had no direct contact with the UMCP at all. We supply all working personnel for Anodyne Systems. In particular we supply all security. Rather his duties involved coordinating the flow of knowledge and skill between UMC as well as UMCP cryptographers and Anodyne Systems Security.
    "Specifically his responsibilities centered on the design of the embedded code engines which generate clearances for both the Governing Council for Earth and Space and the United Mining Companies Police. His assigned task—
    I quote
    from the personnel mandate of his employment—
    was 'to en-
    sure the highest possible level of precision and invulnerability '
    in those codes.
    "The coincidence is intriguing, is it not? How did a man with Nathan Alt's record—
    and his reasons for disaffection—
    attain such a lofty and vital position? Perhaps Cleatus Fane will shed light on that question for us. Certainly our former captain's record suggests