Long Live The Emperor (Imperial Hammer Book 3) by Cameron Cooper

Author:Cameron Cooper [Cooper, Cameron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stories Rule Press
Published: 2020-07-29T16:00:00+00:00

We settled back at the same table. Sauli sat at the table behind Marlow again.

The waitress brought over cups, coffee, cream and sugar and spoons and napkins. She put a plate of waffles in front of me. “You’re hungry,” she said, and I could hear Lyth’s doctor note in her voice. “Carbs will stop you firing from the hip.”

“Thanks,” I said dryly and picked up the knife and fork.

Marlow watched the by-play, his intent gaze missing nothing, I’m sure.

The waitress moved back to the counter, and he tracked her carefully. Then he picked up the unaltered coffee and drank deeply. “You have a tendency to go off half-cocked, then?” he asked, his tone enquiring.

“If I’m asked stupid questions when I’m the one who’s supposed to be doing the asking.”

He subsided with a grimace and drank more.

I sliced off a huge section of waffle and chewed hard. I was hungry, damn it.

Marlow waited with false patience.

I put the fork down. “The two words you used…”

“Sarov and Saguenay,” Marlow said flatly. “They’re place names. But you know that.” His gaze didn’t shift from mine.

I fought to keep my face immobile. “I do? Explain that to me.”

Marlow glanced around us once more. “Do we need the bubble?”

“Not now we know you’re merely human,” I assured him.

His eyes narrowed. That had tripped his interest meter, again. Then he said with a frank air, “You know the names, because you sent a message to Sarov. What did you think would happen, if you bellowed as you did?”

I stared back at him.

“I’m your response,” Marlow added, with the tone that said he was being charitable and explaining himself.

Horror touched me. “That was only…ten days ago.” I remembered at the last second that I’d lost a week, sealed up in my shell. “What, did you jump on the first transport out of there and hot foot it here?”

“He’s left a trail that I could follow, Captain,” Sauli added, sounding even more pissed than me. “We should get the others back.”

Marlow held up his hand. “I see why your AI thinks you need food. It only took thirty seconds for you to go off.”

I drew in a breath. “Listen, Marlow, you have no idea what you’ve stepped into here—”

“Then we agree that I let myself be brought here. Finally, we’re getting somewhere.”

“Lyth,” I said, raising my voice. “We should alert the others. Get them back here. This fool has left us wide open.”

“I’ve done nothing of the sort, captain,” Marlow said heavily, getting to his feet. “Beckon your people, if you want. They should see this, too.”

“See what? Where do you think you’re going?” I demanded, as he moved to the diner door.

“To demonstrate why you can take your finger off the trigger, Danny Andela.” He turned to face us. “Tell your crew to meet us at bay twenty-three in Lumina.”

“Lumina is on the other side of the city!” Sauli protested.

“So it is,” Marlow replied. “Will you ask your AI to open the door?”

“Captain, you can’t let him go,” Sauli spluttered.

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