Mundus Cerialis by Sharon Bidwell & Andy Frankham-Allen

Author:Sharon Bidwell & Andy Frankham-Allen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Steampunk
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Published: 2011-12-31T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Four

“All That Remains…”

1.

“WHY THE BLOODY hell didn’t you stop him?”

Blayney stood in the loading bay, looking at the spot once occupied by Brooker’s flyer. He turned on Callaghan again. “You’re a bloody idiot, you are! What if he finds out that Fontaine isn’t on Hygeia? How will we look then? You obviously don’t care about your job, do you, boyo?”

“But…” Callaghan looked around helplessly, but there was no help coming his way from the other miners, who were well used to Blayney’s moods. They all kept their heads down and continued on with their work. “Boss, what could I do?”

“You tell me!” Blayney pushed his way past Callaghan and called over to another miner. “Wright, you just back from provender?”

Paul Wright looked up from the ore he was loading. “Yes, boss! Brooker was in the canteen, too, with his sister. Left with Lester,” he said, derision escaping his mouth with the name, “and Miss Brooker went with the Fin.”

That came as a surprise to Blayney; he didn’t think a man like Eero would have been Miss Brooker’s cup of tea. Didn’t he see an engagement ring on her finger, too? Well, while the mice were away… As for the professor; Gully and his butties were just the kind of people Blayney didn’t want Brooker talking to. Controlling the miners’ tongues was one thing, but keeping people like Gully under control was another.

“Thank you. At least someone knows what’s going on here!” He turned back to Callaghan. “I’ll deal with you when I get back now.” He had to find a solution, put Brooker and his party off the scent, and he knew just the way.

2.

ORLONDO QUINTANA WOULD normally have been Nathanial’s kind of hands-on palaeontologist. He could tell by the calluses on the Spaniard’s hands that he liked to get involved, although he clearly did his best to appear presentable. Even now he was dressed in a smart suit, albeit a dusty one. He handed the remains of a skull to Nathanial, who took it politely, but did not look at it.

“Gully’s people, they do an amazing job out on Pallas! Some of the best archaeologists I have known. He borrowed me some of his team. I work alone mostly, you see?”

“Yes, but you called Doctor Fontaine in from Mercury?”

Quintana smiled, his rheumy eyes twinkling. “Of course! I needed a good mineralogist, and he was well recommended. Plus,” at this he winked, “he likes his cognac as much as me.” Nathanial smiled indulgently, memories of Arnaud’s insistence on sharing his cognac on Mercury filling his mind. Quintana continued. “I have found some kind of…well, can only call them ruins. It wasn’t easy. Blayney, he’s the local pit-boss—you have met him, sí?”

“I have had that pleasure, yes,” Nathanial said, trying to keep the irritation from his voice.

“He will keep us out there weeks at a time. Does not like us much, I think. Took us a long time to arrange for Gully’s people to come to Hygeia, but this we did.

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