Dan rubbed his eyes in a vain attempt to rid them of the afterimage the laser had burned into them. Quintus knelt beside his son. "Are you hurt, Dan? God, there's blood on your face!"

Dan pulled his hands away and saw blood on his right hand. He turned toward his father and took heart as the concern quickly bled from Quintus's expression. "Just a small cut, Dan, over your right eye. Won't even scar."

Dan nodded. "Probably flying glass."

Quintus glanced over at the toppled chairs. "You saved my life, Dan." He dug a handkerchief from his pants pocket. "That's as close as I ever hope to be again."

Dan accepted the handkerchief and pressed it to his forehead. Leaning heavily against the wall, he slid himself to his feet. He crossed to the corpse and kicked the boxy submachine gun free of the assassin's nerveless grasp. "Dark hair, darkish skin." He glanced up at his father. "Looks as though he's from a Hindi or Azami enclave—they never did mix much with others. Subhash Indrahar has a Hindi background and the Azami live in the Draconis Combine. Do you think this could be a Kurita Internal Security Force operation?"

Quintus knelt next to the body. "No. If the Combine wanted me dead, they would have used some of the Nekekami."

Dan nodded. "The Spirit Cats. I've heard it said they're as invisible as the wind and apprentices to Death itself."

Quintus grimaced. "You're right about them. This guy, however, is probably Hindi." The Count glanced down at the man's boots. "Wet, with sand in the treads. He came in from the sea."

Dan nodded. "That explains the red line around his eyes. It's from his diving mask. He probably left his gear down by the ocean, then slipped into this black jumpsuit."

Quintus pointed to the hole burned through at the man's ribs. "Had to be a laser rifle. Clean shot."

Dan nodded slowly. "From the angle, the shot must have gotten both lungs and heart. No blood, though. The beam cauterized everything."

Suddenly the bungalow's front door burst inward. Dan dropped to a crouch as two individuals in Jump Infantry body armor swept in, covering the room with the muzzles of their autorifles. Their full helmets and mirrored faceplates totally obscured their identities, but Dan easily recognized the golden star crest emblazoned on their chestplates.

"Clear," clicked the computer-adjusted voice of one. He and his partner snapped to attention as Precentor Tharkad stepped into the room. "Minister Allard . . . Captain . . . are you hurt?"

Quintus shook his head and Dan shrugged. "A scratch," he said.

The Precentor nodded distractedly as he viewed the body. "Shot at you through the skylight?"

Quintus nodded. "Dan pulled me from the chair as the attack started. We rolled into the hall and avoided the first burst."

Precentor Tharkad forced a light smile. "How fortunate." He glanced at Dan. "Excellent shooting, Captain."

Dan shook his head. "Wish I could take credit for it, Precentor. The shot came from outside."

The Precentor narrowed his eyes for half a second, then he let a big smile begin to play over his features. "Well, I'm glad no one was seriously hurt. If you would allow us some time here for a couple of hours, I assure you we can put everything right again."

Dan hesitated. Someone's wandering around on this island with a laser rifle and you 're worried about our accommodations!His anger gathered like a storm over his features, but Quintus laid a hand on Dan's arm.

"Come, Dan. Let us leave the good Precentor and his people to clean up this ... accident."

The Precentor nodded, smiling kindly. "I knew you would understand, Minister. We would not want to spoil the wedding by alarming anyone needlessly. It will be dealt with discreetly."

Quintus smiled as he and his son passed between the ROM guards toward the door. "Oh, Precentor."

"Yes, Minister?"

"The Peace of Blake be with you ..."

34

ComStar First Circuit Compound

Hilton Head Island, North America, Terra

19 August 3028

Justin Xiang pounded thunderously on the plasteel door to the suite shared by Romano Liao and Tsen Shang. Tsen swung the door open quickly, but his welcoming smile died instantly as Justin pushed his way past into the suite's parlor.

Justin turned back to face him, rage contorting his face and blazing through his eyes. "Where the hell is she?"

Shang stared at him. "What is this about?" He reached for Justin with his right hand, but Justin savagely parried with his metal hand.

"No, Tsen. This is between that scheming bitch and me." Before Tsen could oppose or restrain him, Justin had spun about and marched across the handsomely appointed room toward the far door. With a savage kick, he knocked down the door, then he hung in the darkened doorway like a madman, with one hand on each side of the portal.

Two candles burned on the outside panels of a three-way mirror. Her silken robe puddled at her feet, Romano Liao stood admiring the triple reflections of her naked form. Light from the open doorway washed over her, but Justin's hunched shadow clung to her back like an inky stain.

Contempt glowed in her green eyes as she stared at Justin's silhouetted form. Justin detected not a shiver, not even the shadow of a tremor to betray the outrage she must feel at his intrusion. Lifting her chin so that her eyes became half-hooded, she murmured, "I assume, Citizen Xiang, that you have a reason for this . . . visit."

"Oh yes, Lady Romano, a most urgent reason." Justin's voice came low and controlled despite his fury. Shaking his head in disbelief, he met her gaze with a fierce directness. "How could you have been so utterly stupid?"

Her eyes narrowed at his accusation, but she restrained an outburst. Brushing her red-brown hair back from her shoulders, she turned slowly to tease him with the sight of her naked body. As she moved to the side, Justin's shadow no longer shrouded her in darkness. Smiling coyly, she dropped her voice to a seductive whisper. "Am I not more desirable than Candace?"

"This is no time for your games, woman!" Justin's left hand tore free a long section of the doorway's wooden trim. As he stepped into the room, his shadow covered her again. "You senseless idiot! Do you have any idea what you risked? Little matter if it worked—which it didn't—the advantages you sought were phantoms!"

Justin's left hand came forward as he threw the chunk of wood at Romano. She flinched, ducking beneath it. The missile sailed past, shattering the mirror's central panel into a cloud of glittering crystals.

Furious, she snarled at Justin. "How dare you call me an idiot, you halfling whelp! You lack the fortitude to carry out the actions that must be taken! Don't fault me for your lack of courage."

Justin closed on her within the space of a heartbeat and lashed out viciously with his right hand. The backhanded slap smashed against the side of her face, sending her reeling off to his right. She crashed onto her bed, arms and legs splayed akimbo, and lay there staring up at Justin in terror. She pressed her hand to the hot red welt on her cheek.

A feral grin peeled Justin's lips back from his white teeth. "Yes, Lady Romano. I dared strike you. How fitting it is for you to lie there naked, for you are nothing more than a babe—hardly as innocent, but just as naive." Justin shook his head heavily. "And just as unquestionably self-centered."