the Machinery Of Light (2010) by Williams David J

Author:Williams, David J [J, Williams, David]
Format: epub
Publisher: Spectra
Published: 2011-01-14T19:06:16.125000+00:00

Where are we now?” she asks.

“Heading for the South Pole,” says Szilard.

“You don’t need to go aboveground to do that.”

“Somewhere nearby, then.”

“Prime real estate, huh?”

Jharek Szilard laughs. Unexpectedly, he sits down on the floor in front of her, folds his lanky body up in a movement that’s almost sinuous. He gazes up at her.

“You’re quite a woman,” he says.

She looks at him without expression.

“Oh don’t worry. My tastes don’t run that way. Doesn’t mean I can’t express admiration for the girl around whom it’s all spinning. Especially with all that art you’ve adorned yourself with—”

“Let’s cut the bullshit,” she says.

“Who said it was bullshit?”

“To you I’m just a tool.”

“Wrong. That’s the mistake that Montrose made.”

“Among others,” says Haskell.

“And I took advantage of most of them.”

“Do you have a back door to me?”

“No.”

“Then how did you beat Montrose?”

“Never ask a magician to reveal his secrets.”

“Control was your creature, wasn’t he?”

“I suppose that’s one possibility,” says Szilard.

“There are others?”

“Stephanie started something she couldn’t finish.”

“Me.”

“Exactly. She couldn’t figure you out.”

Haskell makes a face. “I’ve got the same problem.”

“That’s the way Sinclair set it up.”

“And you really think you can beat him?”

“Do I need to? If he’s still alive, the Chinese have him.”

“If that’s so, that’s only because he wants it that way.”

“You think he’s that good?”

“I think you need to stop thinking of him as human.”

Szilard sighs. “Look, Claire, I get it. Okay? This war is mere veneer on the real war that’s raging. And to seriously answer your question: I can’t be sure of beating him unless I’ve got you. Will you help?”

“My answer makes no difference.”

“Of course it does.”

“You can’t afford to let me go—ever. Nor can you afford to venture into my mind without the proper key.”

“Let me get back to you on that,” says Szilard.

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.