Death's Head: Maximum Offence by David Gunn

Author:David Gunn [Gunn, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Publisher: TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS
Published: 2008-11-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

THE AUX WON’T LOOK AT ME. COLONEL VIJAY STARES AT THE horizon. A seagull circles overhead and spray splashes the step down from the quay. Our boat is waiting, grating gently against the dockside with every wave. The damn thing could sink and I doubt they would even notice.

This is how I find them.

The colonel hasn’t bothered with the few huts we left unsearched. Only one way to deal with this. Stamping over to where he stands, I salute. ‘Reporting for duty, sir.’

‘You know OctoV? ‘ Colonel Vijay is obviously taking it personally.

‘We’ve—’

I’m about to say met. That doesn’t come close to describing what happens when OctoV invades your mind as a break from invading planets.

‘Not really,’ I say instead.

‘God,’ says Colonel Vijay. ‘Empire ministers go their entire lives hoping he’ll notice them. And you . . .’

‘What, sir?’

‘You don’t even mention it.’

Now he’s got me angry. ‘What am I meant to say?’ I ask. ‘While riddled with kyp fever I get visited by our beloved leader? Only I’m too busy shitting myself stupid to care . . .’

‘You have a kyp? ‘

The colonel’s taken a step back. I’m not sure he’s aware he’s gripping his pistol.

‘Lieutenant,’ he says, ‘that’s . . .’

‘Illegal technology . . . ? A mortal offence . . . ? Yes, sir. Round here everything is.’

‘Where did you get it?’

‘From a man called deCharge.’ I say this without thinking.

‘Senator deCharge? He died in . . .’ The colonel looks at me. ‘Who else knows?’

‘Major Silva.’

‘Dead,’ says Colonel Vijay. ‘I saw the report. Who else?’

‘Colonel Nuevo.’

‘Died heroically at Ilseville . . .’

‘Paper Osamu knows,’ I say. ‘And they know.’ My nod takes in the Aux, standing by the quay and shooting glances in this direction when they think we won’t notice. Colonel Vijay needs to keep his voice down.

‘Paper Osamu knows?’

‘Yes, sir,’ I say. ‘That’s why she asked for me.’

That’s only just occurred to me. What is stuck in my throat might stick in theirs, but the U/Free want me because of what happened after Ilseville. And what happened, only happened because Haze is a braid, I am kyped and the Aux can kill to order the way other people breathe, without needing to think about it first.

‘Sven,’ says Colonel Vijay, ‘what are you?’

‘Ex-sergeant, Légion Etrangère. Now lieutenant, Death’s Head, Obsidian Cross, second class.’

He grinds his teeth.

———

The boat trip back takes half the time. Might have something to do with the wind changing direction. Every night it changes direction, Iona tells us. Every night of her entire life. She’s never met anyone who says different.

Neen nods as she says this, and pretends to be interested. Unless he is, and I mean in more than the way that belt around her waist makes her breasts seem bigger. Glancing up, he catches me watching.

I nod.

He smiles a moment later. A slight twist of the lips, once he thinks I’m not looking. It’s meant for Haze and Franc and Rachel. The other two, Iona and Ajac, aren’t included yet, but they’re getting there.

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