"The man at the airport!" Charlotte said in a fearful gasp.
"What man?" Suzi asked keenly.
"I saw him twice, maybe three times. He was waiting at Capetown when I landed, then he was at the Monaco airport, too. And I thought I caught a glimpse of him at the Newfields ball, but I couldn't be certain. He was dressed as a waiter."
"Interesting," Greg said.
"No such thing as coincidence," Victor murmured.
"No messing." Greg turned back to Charlotte. "When did Baronski tell you to meet Jason Whitehurst?"
"He called me right after my flight landed at Capetown. I was still in the spaceport."
"A day after he organized the ticket. Plenty of time for the Dolgoprudnensky agents to discover the flower. After that, after they had analysed it and discovered it was alien, they would have been very interested in exactly where in New London you obtained it, and from whom. They must have allowed you to go to the Newfields ball so they could confirm it was Julia you were delivering the flower to. Then Jason Whitehurst was supposed to take you straight to them for interrogation." He shook his head in amused admiration. "They must have been frantic when you dropped out of sight. I imagine they've had their agents searching New London for the last four days."
"So if the Dolgoprudnensky haven't contacted the alien, why did Mutizen make their offer to me?" Julia asked.
"It wasn't a genuine offer," Greg said. "As far as we know, Event Horizon is the only company to be offered generator data by Mutizen. Everyone else has been approached by Clifford Jepson, including Mikoyan who loyally informed the Russian Defence Ministry. Consider the timing. Three or four days ago the Dolgoprudnensky learned about atomic structuring, either from contacts in Mikoyan or the Russian Defence Ministry. A technology so startlingly original it's frightened the crap out of every company and government that's heard about it. Then, at more or less the same time, they find out there could be an alien in the solar system. Just like you did, Julia; and just like you they drew the same conclusion. The two have to be connected. Since then, they have been doing exactly the same as everyone else, trying to find the source of atomic structuring, the owner of the generator data. Their advantage was that they were the first to know about both atomic structuring and Royan's alien together. They thought all they had to do was interrogate Charlotte and they would get to the alien first. But then Jason Whitehurst played his joker and isolated her. The Dolgoprudnensky started to panic. There's a definite deadline involved, because tomorrow Clifford Jepson is going to finalize his partnership. If they want in, they're going to have to find the alien before then. They're trying to get you and Clifford Jepson to do their work for them.
"Mutizen was ordered to offer you the joint development deal and production partnership. It's a complete phoney, but it made sure you knew about atomic structuring after you'd been given the flower. That way you would be bound to mount a major operation to chase after Royan, an operation that was naturally put together in a hurry. In other words, a sloppy one, one which would be easy for them to follow. And Mutizen's offer would also spur Clifford Jepson along, maybe even force him to visit the alien to ask how come Mutizen were also offering generator data. Certainly they slipped him the know about Charlotte and maybe Royan as well; that's why Leol Reiger appeared on the scene. The Dolgoprudnensky couldn't lose; they have their own agents searching New London, then they had Event Horizon and Clifford Jepson plugged in as well, three trails to follow. Vassili was right, that Kirilov is one smart bastard."
"I've been used?" Julia asked quietly.
Suzi tried to tell herself she wasn't bothered by the icecool tone. But Julia had a way of speaking direct into the brain. And hearing her angry like this was daunting. All that power, safely bottled away by Julia's stuffy conventions and convictions, but what that woman could do if she ever lashed out. . .
"Yes, you," Greg said lightly. "And me, and Suzi, Victor, Clifford. The Dolgoprudnensky loaded our programs, and we jerked about like cyborgs. The only one who didn't was Jason Whitehurst."
Julia's face was perfectly composed, staring out of the window, swallowed by thought.
"The synopsis Greg suggests does seem to plug in to the profile we've been assembling on Mutizen," one of Julia's screen images said. "We were unable to find any reference to atomic structuring technology prior to two days ago. There have been no funds allocated to physics research teams, they don't employ any scientists capable of doing that kind of work. Your original assessment that they had obtained the data from someone else is the most logical solution."
"Humm," Julia turned to Greg. "Is he still alive?"
"You know I can't answer that, but—" Greg's face went all slack. "I don't get any bad vibes about carrying on the search. Maybe it'll be worthwhile. Tell you, I'm going to keep going." He fixed Suzi with a bleary gaze. "How about you?"
"New London next stop," she said levelly. Then Leol Reiger.
"I didn't say I was going to stop." Julia spiked Greg with a vexed glare.
"Good," he said. "New London is a big place, and the Dolgoprudnensky agents wouldn't even know where to begin."
"And you do?" Julia asked.
"No. But Charlotte does. How about it? Will you come with us, Charlotte? Identify the priest for us?"
Charlotte gave a cautious nod. "Yes. If you think I can help."
"Thank you, Charlotte." Julia showed her a warm smile. The girl's tension seemed to flake away.
"Are you sure New London is the source?" Victor asked. He struck Suzi as the only one round the table who wasn't entirely convinced about Royan and the alien. Which was strange, he'd seen Greg's psi at work before.
"Only lead we've got," Greg said. "Unless the SETI team has found anything at Jupiter?"
"Sorry, not a thing," Rick said. "I've been updating this morning. There have been no detectable electromagnetic signals. Something might turn up on the visual search, but it's early days yet."
Victor gave a dispassionate grunt. Definitely some tension there, Suzi thought.
"I want my hardliners with me," Suzi told Julia. "We came out of yesterday looking like shit. If we'd had some decent fire-power it would've been another fucking story. And if the Dolgoprudnensky have got some people up in New London, you can be sure they're carrying."
"New London is a dormitory town and tourist resort," Julia said. "I'm not having you take a private army up there."
"Take the crash team with you," Victor said smoothly. "You know they're good, yes? And Julia's right. We really can't permit armed tekmercs in New London, no matter how loyal to you or well disciplined they are. Highest bid, Suzi."
She grinned. "Sold. It sounds fluid enough." The crash team would be OK; she'd been talking to them, putting on the old-time pro routine, surprising what'd kicked free.
"I hope you'll allow me to accompany Greg and the security team up to New London," Rick Parnell said.
Suzi hadn't paid him much attention, a hunk in a bad suit. University man, who looked for aliens in the stars, his talk would be in the stratosphere. He'd been very keen to sit next to Julia.
"I want the Jupiter search supervised properly," Julia said.
"It will be," Rick insisted. "But I'm not an astronomer. I couldn't contribute to that. You always say put the experts in charge. And I'd be best employed in contacting the alien. It's going to have a very strange psychology. I'm not saying I'll understand its motivational behaviour patterns, but, well, the SETI department has initiated some studies into—"
"All right," Julia cut in. "If Greg doesn't object to you tagging along."
"No."
Rick let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Victor, you chase up Royan's next memory package," Julia said. "It ought to be at the North Sea Farm company."
"We've already accessed every memory core at the Farm," said one of the screen Julias. "They're clean."
"All the more reason for Victor to go in person," Julia said. "He can find what you're missing." She looked round the t
able. "Right, well if that's it, we'll start. Greg, your spaceplane will be here in an hour."
"Are you coming to New London with us?" Suzi asked.
"Not initially, first I'm going to try and sort out the atomic structuring situation with the kombinates and Clifford. But as soon as you locate the Celestial priest, I'll follow you up."
"Right." Suzi stood up. There wasn't even the slightest tweak of pain from her knee. The clinic's bioware bracing was the best she'd ever seen.
What about the Dolgoprudnensky?" Fabian asked.
"Fabian—" Charlotte began warningly.
"No," the boy said stubbornly. "I won't be quiet. The Dolgoprudnensky started all this, they got you all fighting each other. And that's why my father is dead." He turned to face Julia Evans, eyes accusing. "Why aren't you going to do anything about them?"
"I am going to do something about them, but this situation requires my full attention right now. They'll still be there in a week, after this is all over. And you'll be a big part of their demise, Fabian. We can pass on everything you know about their timber operation to the Russian Justice Ministry." She gave him a modest smile. "Good enough?"
He hunched his shoulders, looking belligerent. "Yes. All right."
"Thank you, Fabian. I know it's hard for you right now."
"Can I go up to New London with Charlotte?"
"I don't think so. You'll be a lot safer here. Charlotte will be back in a couple of days."
Fabian's sullen expression darkened, but he didn't push it. Charlotte's arm had slipped round him, giving him a reassuring hug.
Suzi felt like cheering the kid on, someone who wasn't totally intimidated by Julia. Fuck knows, there were few enough in the world.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The sun hadn't quite risen high enough to burn the dew off Wilholm's lawns. Julia's Pegasus sent the pale grey and silver droplets scurrying in vast interference patterns as it landed.
She walked down the stairs from the belly hatch to be greeted with kisses and shouts from her animated children. Brutus barked at her, then started sniffing round her feet.
"You've been gone all night."
"Where did you go?"
"Was it with Uncle Greg?"
"Do you know where Daddy is yet?"
She put her arms around both of them, hugging tight. They started to walk towards the manor together, Daniella skipping.
Julia took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I had to rush off. It was Listoel. Yes. And, I think we might now." She laughed at Matthew, his jaw had dropped as he tried to match answers to questions.
"Where do you think Daddy is?" Daniella asked.
"New London. Your Uncle Greg is going up there today to find out if he truly is. We should know by tonight. I might have to leave again."
"Can we come?"
"No. If I find Daddy, I'll bring him straight back here. Promise."
Daniella and Matthew exchanged a look, annoyed and half relieved. Julia grinned at them. "Come on, I've got a teleconference in a minute, but we'll have some elevenses together first."
"No interruptions?" Matthew asked suspiciously.
"None at all."
* * * *
David Marchant had been the first New Conservative Prime Minister elected after the PSP fell, a position he held for twelve years and two further elections before finally standing down in favour of his successor, Joshua Wheaton. Julia had found herself regretting his decision with increasing frequency over the last five years. Wheaton was too much like Harcourt, an image merchant desperate for public support, a spin doctor's cyborg. At least Marchant had the guts to make unpopular decisions on occasion. These days he had settled into a cosy role of elder statesman and New Conservative grandee. Always on the channel current affair casts, ready with an opinion and a quip. Perceived as the power behind Wheaton's throne. An accurate enough assessment.
When his image appeared on the study's flatscreen she felt herself relaxing. There had been a lot of head to head sessions in the old days, hammering out deals to their mutual advantage. Nowadays it was done through an army of assistants and lawyers, departmental interfaces, industry and government working groups, advisory committees.
One reason why the whole Harcourt problem had arisen in the first place. No hands-on control any more.
"Hello, Julia," he said. As always a rich resonant voice, instantly trustworthy.
"Morning, David. I have a problem."
"Whatever I can do, Julia, you know that."
"Choosing a better successor would have been a good start."
David Marchant smiled wisely. "Joshua is right for these times, as I was for mine. We needed strong leadership to recover from the Warming and the PSP, and now we need to loosen up a little, consolidate."
"There's a difference between loose and falling to pieces. Wheaton has lost just about all of his authority, over the country and the party. And I have Michael Harcourt on my back because of it."
"Michael is an ambitious man, admittedly."
"Michael is a bought man."
David Marchant laughed. "You're just annoyed because it isn't you who owns him."
"He isn't from your wing of the party. And if he does snatch the premiership from Wheaton, he'll purge the cabinet. You really will have to become a professional current affairs presenter if you want your voice to be heard after that. Trouble is, Jepson runs Globecast too. You'll be locked out. Give you a chance to get your golf handicap down," she said maliciously. Marchant hated sports; when Peterborough United won the FA cup she had sat next to him in Wembley's royal box for the match. He had emptied two hip flasks of whisky. Out of boredom, he always claimed.
"If you'd given Wheaton some support over Wales none of this would have happened, Julia."
"Life isn't as black and white as it used to be in your day, David. Politics isn't as simple, nothing is as simple. Which is a step to the good."
"Hardly, Julia; complexity is a step towards chaos."
"And simplicity makes control easy," she countered wryly. "It's oppressive."
"The PSP was oppressive, Julia, never us. We created the economic environment you thrived in, you have a lot to be grateful for. And as long as we remain in Westminster, Event Horizon can go on expanding. You have carte blanche, you know that."
"Event Horizon is already large enough, thank you. Besides, pure capitalism is as unsavoury as pure communism. I never favoured either extreme. There has to be a degree of regulation, and responsibility. A social market somewhere in the middle."
"That's rich, coming from you. You know the gains to be made from our policies. Without us acting in tandem this country would only be a second-rate European state, not the leading power we are today."
"You people, you're always so hemmed in by geography, aren't you? It ruins your thinking. The rest of Europe, the rest of the world for that matter, needs to develop their economies to the same level as England. If for no other reason than if they're poor they can't buy our goods."
"Nice in theory, Julia. You'll never see it in practice. Governments are too parochial, too protective. They have to be; it's how they get elected."
She favoured him with an indolent smile. "Unless they're Welsh governments."
"Touché. So what did that little shit Harcourt offer you?"
"He claims a direct line to Jepson, which he'll use to tell me what the other bids are. That's his edge. The rest of it was a standard government to industry inducement package."
"Hmm." David Marchant rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking hard. "Well, of course, the inducement package will remain, that goes without saying. After all, my natural successors are placed in the Exchequer as well as Number Ten. That just leaves us with the problem of the actual bid. Fortunately, the PM can offer you Treasury backing for any offer you make to Jepson. In which case anything Harcourt tells you becomes irrelevant. I imagine Wheaton will consider a more appropriate position for him afterwards; Minister we can all blame for traffic jams, or somesuch. I tak
e it you are arranging a suitable figure for Jepson with your financial backing consortium."
"Yes," she said grudgingly. Another bloody problem. Her finance division chief had briefed her during the flight from Listoel; the banks and finance houses were terrified by atomic structuring, running round like headless chickens. It was making business extremely difficult in the money markets.
"Good. Simply put in a figure you know the kombinates can't match. We will bridge the gap between that and the amount the banks will advance you. Blank cheque, Julia. And interest free."
"It will run to tens of billions, if not hundreds."
"So? Taxpayers are a bottomless source of money for governments. And they're not going anywhere."
"As a taxpayer, I object."
"Ah, but, Julia, you don't pay much tax, do you? New Conservative policies see to that."
"What about Wales?"
"I'm sure that if you have a chat with Joshua Wheaton he'll convince you to see our point of view. Perhaps you could say a few words to that effect when you leave Number Ten, there's always a lot of reporters hanging around outside."
"Tell me one thing, David. Why do the New Conservatives want to hang on to Wales?"
"A large country is a stable and strong country. Without Wales, we would be weakened, possibly fatally. I have no intention of allowing that to happen, to waste all we have built over the last seventeen years. It would be national suicide."
"And you would lose your majority in Westminster."
David Marchant gave a delicate shrug. "If we lose, you lose, Julia." The flatscreen went blank.
Going to be one of those days, I think, Juliet, her grandpa said.
Yes. And if I'm not extremely careful, it might be the last.
You should have told him about the alien.