Mutant Legacy by Haber Karen

Author:Haber, Karen [Haber, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781612421957
Publisher: Phoenix Pick
Published: 2014-09-08T16:00:00+00:00

9

a crowd of better world members in their blue and green and red jumpsuits milled around outside of the door to Rick’s private apartment. Some paced, others leaned disconsolately against the wall, a few were even sitting on the floor, heads nodding as they dozed.

My overtired mind likened them to a scene out of a Renaissance painting: the courtiers awaiting the death of the king. I pushed my way through them, right up to the door. It was locked so I knocked gently.

“Hey,” said a dark-haired woman in green. “You can’t go in there.”

I knocked again. The door opened a crack and I pushed past the startled guard, coming face-to-face with Betty Smithson.

“No one is allowed in here,” she said, glaring. Then her gaze softened. “Oh, God, Julian. I didn’t recognize—”

I brushed past her, past the other acolytes, and reached for the still figure in the jellbed.

“Rick?”

He lay there, pale and sweaty, seemingly comatose. But my voice must have roused him and he opened his eyes halfway. When he saw me he smiled weakly and said, mumbling a bit, “I knew you’d come.”

“Shh,” I said. “Save your strength.”

Rick nodded and closed his eyes. I checked his pulse. It seemed a bit slow but regular.

I looked up and noticed Alanna, for the first time, standing on the other side of the bed. For a moment we glared at each other in silence. I had the feeling that she was going to grab Rick’s other hand and begin pulling. Between us we would tear him apart like a turkey wishbone.

“How long has he been this way?” I demanded.

“A day and a half.”

“And what do the doctors say?”

“We haven’t had any doctors in. He wouldn’t let us.”

“No doctors? Are you crazy?”

“Julian, he doesn’t want them.”

“What difference does it make what he wants? He collapsed, didn’t he? He’s obviously in no condition to make decisions about his well-being. He needs medical care.”

“We have to obey his wishes.” Alanna held Rick’s hand with fierce possessiveness. “You just don’t understand.”

I glanced at the pale figure in the bed. His forehead was coated with sweat. The sight—the result of their negligence—made me furious and I said, “Oh, I understand all right. It’s just part of your master plan, isn’t it, Alanna? Every religion needs its martyr, doesn’t it? And Better World would all be so much easier to control with the maestro out of the way.”

“How dare you!” Alanna made a move as though to reach across the bed and hit me. Then she seemed to realize where she was and caught herself in mid-swing. “You son of a bitch, coming in here at the last minute and making terrible accusations. What right do you have?”

“I’m not finished,” I said. “Not only do you want Rick dead, you’re probably in cahoots with Joachim Metzger. What do you intend to do? Divide up Better World between you when Rick’s safely out of the picture?”

“Metzger? An alliance? What are you talking about?” Alanna’s horrified expression made me realize I had gone too far, much too far.

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