Platinum Donkeys by Pat Scaramuzza

Author:Pat Scaramuzza
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction, hard sci-fi, sci-fi, insanity
Publisher: Pat Scaramuzza
Published: 2024-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11—Props and Costumes

The Van Hoogan dining room consisted of a long mahogany table in an otherwise barren, oval room. The walls were matte black and curved smoothly into the ceiling. On the black carpet stood a row of androids in livery, each holding a platter of cheese, fruit, or glasses of wine. The guests picked at the food and milled around the room, avoiding each other, although a few surrounded Maggie as she entered.

A pair of medical robots met Delano, extending their stilt-like legs to examine and treat his bruised cheek. Maggie headed toward him, intending to use one of the slender robots as a club, but Bailey took her arm and pulled her away.

"Please sit over here, mum," he said over her sputtering profanities. "I'll serve you myself."

"Get your hands off of me. I don't want any cheese. I want a long knife."

"You should get the lady what she wants," said Hasan, standing at her shoulder. "Or perhaps I will."

Hwong folded his hands. "I don't feel comfortable with weapons. Perhaps, if miss Megaputri would tell us what made her so angry..."

A voice at the table interrupted him. "Maggie is a passionate woman. But I'm sure she's only kidding about the knife. Aren't you, Maggie?"

They all turned. The speaker was Simon, sitting at the table with a wineglass in his hand, Fianna standing by his side. As Maggie yanked her arm away from the butler and stepped toward him, the android moved to intercept, but Simon waved her away.

"Simon," Maggie said, not sure of what to say next. Delano and his pet manservant were in earshot, and the psychos surrounding her made her skin crawl. She inhaled to compose herself, pretended she had heard a stage cue, and gave him a practiced smile. "You look like hell."

The lawyer had new, dark bags under his gray eyes, and his hand trembled enough to slosh wine almost to the rim of his glass. "Yes, well, I only managed our little trek under a lot of medication. Spent that last leg completely sedated. It does take its toll, I suppose."

Maggie nodded. She had gotten used to seeing a look of terror on Simon's face, but now the man seemed haunted and drained. His jacket hung on him like an oversized shell. But he maintained a thin, brave smile, and before she could speak he interrupted again.

"So you and Delano are fighting? You know, he's a very dangerous man."

"Yeah. Well, I'm dangerous, too."

"Quite. Perhaps we'll compare later. But for now, as your lawyer, may I suggest that you not make him angry? Unless, of course, you feel that you—"

"Everyone! To the table!" Delano bellowed. He marched to the end seat, his cheek covered with a passable layer of makeup. Maggie sat down in the chair that Bailey offered, to Delano's left, across from Simon. The balding physicist sat next to her. The man placed his jar of undulating clay on the table, then possessively hugged it to his chest when he caught Maggie staring at the thing.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.