Curse of the Iris by Jason Fry

Author:Jason Fry
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins

11

A PRINCELING OF GANYMEDE

Tycho’s gloom began to lift as the grav-sled bumped across the scarps and hills between Port Town and Darklands. Yana’s delight at their early success proved hard to resist, and before they were halfway home, Carlo had joined them in discussing how to outmaneuver Lord Sicyon and Oshima Yakata. Tycho wasn’t sure if their conversation with Loris had made Carlo less certain the treasure was gone or if Carlo was simply enjoying the hunt. Either way, it made for a more pleasant journey.

Plus there was the sight of open space above them, dotted with starships in orbit and dominated by the gigantic sphere of Jupiter. Tycho peered at the familiar gas giant through the radiation shield, tracing its bands of gray and tan, white and rust, forever being churned into whorls and swirls by the tumbling storm known as the Great Red Spot.

The poverty and hopelessness of Port Town had gnawed at Tycho, but more than that he’d hated feeling trapped beneath hundreds of meters of rock and ice. Out here, under the vast vault of space, he felt free again. By the time the Hashoones descended the spiral stairs of Darklands, he and Yana were whooping and yelling like conquerors bearing the spoils of war, and even Carlo was smiling.

To their disappointment, this commotion went unnoticed—unless you counted Parsons, who stood waiting for them outside the simulation room, head cocked in polite expectation.

“Where are Mom and Dad?” Yana asked.

“Your mother and father are in dry dock, running diagnostics on the Shadow Comet,” Parsons said in his slow baritone. “Your grandfather is in the crypt, and your aunt is in her office.”

“Oh,” Yana said. “Well, can we see Aunt Carina? We have news!”

Parsons rarely if ever asked about news, but they were still mildly disappointed that he betrayed no curiosity.

“Your aunt is preparing for tomorrow’s meeting,” he said. “I will tell her you are in the living area. But you may have to wait awhile.”

He was correct—five minutes dragged into ten, and then ten dragged into fifteen, and still there was no sign of Carina.

“Calm down,” Carlo said, annoyed by the rat-a-tat-tat of Yana’s fingers drumming on the table. “You look like you’re about to go into orbit.”

“You heard what Loris said! We know where the treasure is, and we have the scanner we need to get it. He told us it’s—”

“Under old Josef’s home,” Carlo said. “Which was at the southern end of the Sidon Flexus. I heard him, Yana. But Pieter knew where his father lived—so why didn’t he dig the treasure up?”

“Because he never had a signal to receive,” Yana said.

Carlo shook his head. “I’ve been thinking more about that. Pieter spent his whole life searching for that treasure, and he didn’t think it was on Europa. And remember, he thought someone had stolen it.”

Yana tossed her head in exasperation. “Loris said that was crazy talk. The signal’s transmitting—don’t you want to at least take a look? Let’s tell Aunt Carina and then go get it.

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