L Modesitt - Empress of Eternity

Exactly what could he do? The lorry had better traction and more mass, and there was no local Gaerda station nearby. Besides which, if Ashauer happened to be correct, there was no guarantee that a Gaerda operative wasn?t driving the chase lorry.

The Laarnian Martyrs? Memorial! That just might work…if the oncoming traffic kept his follower from attempting anything until Maertyn reached Memorial Park…and if he could accomplish on ice slicked roads what he had done on a dare years before when he?d been too young to know the dangers.

He continued to drive onward, glad that it was still relatively early and that there was just enough traffic on the avenue to keep his pursuer from making another attempt. As he neared the park entrance, he eased his speed up as much as he dared before angling left into the narrower road. Ahead was the roundabout.

Behind him, the lorry accelerated, doubtless because there were no headlamps along the access road or on the roundabout.

Maertyn didn?t even try to make the turn into the roundabout, but cut off all the lights and guided the runabout straight across the hand-high berm separating the pavement from the sidewalk. The runabout bounced, but settled almost straight on the narrow park pathway, and Maertyn let it decelerate, guiding it through the antique stone pillars, flanked by near-ancient golden oaks, that served as the south gateway to the memorial placed in the center of the roundabout. The runabout slid through the stone with little more than a finger?s clearance on either side, and Maertyn let the vehicle slow without attempting to brake on the slick surface.

He?d decelerated to little more than a fast walk when he came to the right-hand branch pathway, which he took. Fifty yards along the path, he slowly eased his vehicle through another set of pillars and back down the eastern radial from the monument to the roundabout road. Gingerly, he added a touch of power to get the runabout over the berm. Then he continued around the memorial.

As he neared the entry road, through the darkness he could make out what had happened. The lorry had attempted the turn and slid into the trunk of one of the large golden oaks flanking the memorial entrance. The entire front had crumpled. He?d hoped for something like that.

What he hadn?t expected was the larger black lorry and the men in black already dragging the damaged vehicle into the covered rear section of the larger lorry. None of them so much as looked in his direction as he eased the runabout onto the entry road back to the avenue.

He kept checking behind him, but if anyone followed, they were doing so at enough distance that he couldn?t discern them. Even so, he left both running lights and headlamps off for the remaining distance to the house.

Once he had parked the runabout in the garage, he just sat there for several moments, his body not quite shivering while he thought over what had just occurred.

Ashauer had intimated that, while some people wanted him to succeed in his research, more than a few people wanted him dead or out of the picture. Maertyn still didn?t understand why he posed a threat to anyone. As a deputy assistant minister, he served at the pleasure of Minister Hlaansk and the Executive Administrator of the Unity. If they wished his departure, all they had to do was ask. If he refused to resign, they could terminate his appointment immediately. His research on the canal could certainly be ended with the stroke of a pen, as Hlaansk had hinted merely by asking for a report.

Unless…unless there was actually some evidence somewhere that some sort of power that could be used lay within the canal structure. But…if that were so…why hadn?t those who wanted him to discover how to use such a power found a way to let him know?

After a few more moments of fruitless speculation he eased himself out of the runabout, glancing at each side. Except for several golden leaves caught around the doors, he didn?t see any signs that he?d actually scraped anything in his escape maneuver.

Rhesten was standing in the hallway between the kitchen and the breakfast room.

"Is there a problem with the runabout, sir?" asked Rhesten. "I noticed you entered without lights."

"I made certain that the charger was attached," replied Maertyn. "It should be fully powered in the morning."

Rhesten nodded. "I did take the liberty of preparing a light supper in case you might wish something to eat. I had thought…the breakfast room."

"That sounds excellent," Maertyn admitted. "I had an early lunch and didn?t eat all that much."

The "light" supper consisted of cream of mushroom soup, with a touch of roast garlic, two warm biscuits, and a small green salad, accompanied by green-gold hot tea. Maertyn ate it all and had two cups of tea.

When he finished, he looked to Rhesten. "Thank you. That was excellent, and perfect on a chill evening." He paused. "Rhesten…"

"Sir?"

"I?ll be assembling a number of items and packing them up in a crate. In the next day or so I?d like you to arrange shipping it to Lady S?Eidolon at the canal research station. It?s nothing urgent. The crate can go as regular freight, but you?ll need to have a second crate built around it. Some of the items for her comfort are fragile."

"Very good, sir. I?ll take care of it."

Once Rhesten had departed to the kitchen, Maertyn made his way down to the lower workroom, where he had gathered and hidden various items before he and Maarlyna had left for the canal. He?d concealed them because he hadn?t believed they?d be necessary at a research station. While he would retain several, such as the miniature stunner, the invisible knives, and the light-cloaking uniform he?d never returned after his stint in the Gaerda as a very junior ensign, the others would go in the crate.

That way, if a warrant should appear, they wouldn?t be in the house, and they would be where Maertyn could make use of them, if necessary. The crate might or might not arrive at the canal research station, but if it did, Maertyn would feel far more relieved…assuming he also arrived at the station.

30 Quad 2471 R.E.

Despite Eltyn?s worries, no aircraft or other inspectors soon followed the first group of RF inspecting enforcers. Their sole captive lapsed into sullen silence. Eltyn had also been correct about the difficulties in changing the calibration settings for Faelyna?s equipment. After another day?s work by both of them, her modified assemblage was ready to test by late afternoon on sixday.

Once more the assembly was focused upon the upper-level north side window, except this time Eltyn was standing well back from both window and the projecting transmitter.

Ready…actuate! pulsed Faelyna.

The only sound was a faint hum-and the window opened, far wider than Eltyn had seen whenever he?d touched it to open it in the past. Outside, the sky was a hazy grayish yellow, an indication that another sandstorm was imminent, possibly why they had not seen another RF attempt to attack the station.

Eltyn looked back to where the window would have been on the south side of the chamber, but that space remained solidly closed. !!!!!!!!!! Faelyna smiled broadly.

"You did it!" exclaimed Rhyana from the top of the ramp into the work space. "You didn?t have to touch the window."

"Would you look down below and see if any windows or doors opened?" asked Eltyn.

"Yes, sir." Rhyana headed down the ramp.

That shouldn't happen. That command shouldn't affect any openings below.

Correct…but…sometimes…

Skeptic.

[rueful admission]

The delivery woman reappeared. "Tight as tight can be down below."

Faelyna arched her eyebrows. [satisfied amusement]

I concede. "So…we can now seal the entrances and windows?" Eltyn spoke aloud for Rhyana?s benefit. "From one location? You won?t have to cart the assembly to each place?"