Carnival

He bit his lip, leaning forward, voice low and focused, taut with wrath. “Elena Pretoriacan bring me the New Amazonian government, once Singapore is out of the way. Can you? My mother willsupply the Captains’ council. We can guarantee New Earth. That’s three. It’s not enough, but it’s what we’ve got, and once things are started, a few more may take their chances. You were right when you said my mother is famously charismatic. But this is a civil warwe’re discussing, Antonia, and one Old Earth will fight like hell to win, because every planet it loses means one less place for the population to expand to. Will your half a million armed women fight for you, fight against Coalition technology, if they think you’re going to take away theirspot at the top of the pecking order?”

“They’ll fight to keep New Amazonia free. We can explain the rest afterward,” Kyoto said. Determination squared her. She unfolded her hands and let them drop against her thighs, the right one hovering close to her holster. “And, if you wouldn’t mind putting the rest of the lecture on hold for a minute, Miss Katherinessen, we have company.”

Vincent had caught the motion in his fisheye, and was already putting his back to the wall. Someone walked toward them, a tripled shadow cast by multiple light sources splayed on the pavement before her. The unfastened safety snap bounced against her holster and her hair caught blond and crimson and fuchsia highlights off the domed street lights lining the walls of the half-empty square. A big animal—a khir—stood beside her, the angular silhouette also casting three long shadows that interlocked with the woman’s.

“You shouldn’t raise your voice so, Miss Katherinessen,” Lesa said, pausing, her thumb resting on the butt of her weapon. “It’s unseemly to shout.”

He slid his arm off Elder Kyoto’s shoulder and stepped back with a sigh. Kyoto glanced at him and he shrugged. He didn’t say it, but he didn’t think you’d have to be a superperceiver to read the I told you soin the twist of his mouth. “Miss Pretoria,” he said. “Welcome to the party. Is Robert coming?”

Lesa let her hand drift away from her holster as she came forward, but didn’t fix the snap. Kyoto hadn’t unbonded her honor; it wouldn’t slow her down much, if she opened fire—but probably enough. Considering how people treated Lesa when she had a weapon in her hand.

“I don’t know,” Lesa said. She stepped under the arch, into the shadows, and Walter trotted beside her, fluffed up and cheerful. “You’d have to ask his true mistress.” She tilted her head, frowning at Kyoto under the fall of her hair, and lowered her voice. “In between plotting treason in the streets. Where’s Kusanagi-Jones, Vincent?”

“Keeping busy with a little industrial espionage. You leave Angelo to me. That’s not negotiable.”

Kyoto glared for a moment before she nodded. “All right,” she said. “Vincent. You are authorized to deal for your mother.”

“Full authority,” he said. “New Earth, too.”

Kyoto nodded and turned to Lesa. “Then we’ll join forces. One good Coalition deserves another.”

“Mother won’t like it.”

“I’ll handle your mother.” And now Kyoto’s hand dropped to her gun butt. Vincent stiffened, ready to grab her wrist and trust to his wardrobe to save him, but all she did was stroke a thumb across the snap, assuring herself that it was closed.

Lesa snorted, but she echoed the gesture, causing a

click. “I’d like to see that. Who else do you have in Pretoria house?”

“Nobody,” Kyoto said. Vincent believed her; he glanced at Lesa to see what shethought. He was still half convinced that Kyoto was a Liar. Or the next best thing.

Lesa was nibbling her lower lip, leaning forward aggressively as if completely oblivious that she was facing down her superior officer. “Then where’s Robert tonight?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Robert left the Blue Rooms somehow. He’s gone.”

Vincent had rarely seen somebody’s mouth actually drop open. Kyoto’s did, and stayed down for seconds while she thought it over. “I’m sorry,” she said at last. “I have no idea.”

“Shit,” Lesa said. She thumbed her watch and turned slightly away, as people did for politeness when taking remote calls. Her eyes unfocused slightly. “Agnes? Yes. Sweetie, I’m sorry…we have a fairly serious problem.”

“When you’re done with that,” Vincent said, “I’ll need a distraction while I sneak back into my room.”

Kusanagi-Jones returned to the guest suite half an hour before dawn, walking camouflaged through the door when the security guards knocked to awaken Vincent. He slipped into the bed as Vincent was shaking the covers in an ostensible attempt to awaken him, reabsorbed the mannequin, and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Morning already?”

“You don’t look very rested,” Vincent said. He walked toward the shower as Kusanagi-Jones rolled out of bed.

“Somebody’s snoring kept me up,” he said between push-ups.

“Your own?” Vincent replied.