The Sorceress of Karres by Eric Flint & Dave Freer

Author:Eric Flint & Dave Freer [Flint, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 1-4391-3307-7
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2010-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

It didn't take her long to get to Franco's den. If she had to 'port pieces of the door away . . .

But it wasn't necessary. The door was just ajar, swinging gently. Goth went inside, up the stairs.

The room bore mute testimony to the fight that must have happened. Franco's bodyguard had had his head severed neatly. It lay on a smoldering, tipped rack of used clothes, the eyes still wide and staring.

It took her a little while longer to find Franco. He was in the long unused bath in the bathroom. Unconscious, bleeding badly, and dying. They'd plainly tortured him, and he was lying in a pool of his own blood. She went back to the front room and used his communicator to call the emergency number. She gave the address and told them they needed the police and an ambulance flier.

Then she went back into the bathroom. The window was now bricked up, she noticed. That hadn't helped him. Franco opened his eyes, screwed them up, trying to focus.

"Emergency services are on their way," said Goth, keeping her voice and feelings firmly under control.

"I told them to lay off. I told them you had 'nections," Franco slurred. "She don't care. Not interested in you . . . thought I mus' have box, 'cause I said you'd been to see me. Illtraming . . ."

His eyes shut again, and his head lolled.

Goth wondered if the ambulance would be in time. And she wondered if the escaped prisoners had headed for Pausert. She decided that making sure of that was more important than any assistance she might give to Franco, or whatever more she might learn from him.

She'd pick up some stuff and camp out in Pausert's loft.

When she got back to her apartment and saw the door swinging, she realized that it was not Pausert that was their target.

She went in. And realized that she'd been a little too quick. There was still someone inside, and they'd heard her.

Hastily, she light-shifted into the form of an elderly woman. "I've called the police," she said sternly.

Marshi stepped out from the door she'd ducked behind. "Where is the girl, old woman?" she demanded, waving a blaster.

"They . . . they left," quavered Goth. "A few days ago. Same day as that jailbreak." At the same time Goth was trying something new. She'd split light-shifted images of herself before, leaving herself invisible between them. That was a trick she'd learned from the little vatch. Now she left a light-shifted image of herself standing in place, while she stepped aside in no-shape.

Just in time! Marshi shot the image. No warning, no compunction. Goth projected it crumpling as soon as she realized what was happening.

She'd been caught by surprise, so there was a noticeable lag between the image being shot and starting to fall. And there was the additional awkwardness that the effect of the blaster on the wall behind the image made it obvious to anyone observing carefully that there'd been nothing in the way.

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