Gwendy’s Final Task

“You see,” he says, as if speaking to a child, “I’ve come too far to turn back now, Senator. I have burned my bridges. Which is all right because, unlike you, I have an escape hatch. One that will take me to another world. A world I’ve already come to love. Let me tell you what’s going to happen if you don’t get with the program, you smartass bitch. You die—miserably, screaming through your disintegrating vocal cords—and then the rest of our Eagle Heavy compatriots die. Once the killing’s done I will call in my Chinese allies and we will search this place until I find what I came for. When I do, I will exit my current abode in a kind of space taxi provided by a corporation you may have heard of—”

“Sombra.”

“Yes! Good for you! I’ll turn over the box to those who want it so badly, and exit this reality for a much more pleasant one. Do you understand?”

“I believe the smartass bitch is following you,” Gwendy says.

“None of that has to happen, Gwendy. You can live. The rest of the crew can live, which will please me. You might not believe it, but I’ve come to like them. I will take the button box and go.”

Given a choice between believing that and believing in the Tooth Fairy, I’d opt for the Fairy, Gwendy thinks, but she nods as if she believes him. He’s pointing the tube at her and fiddling with the ring on the bottom in a way that makes her very nervous. Only nervous is too mild a word for it. She’s scared to death.

“Now we come to the Final Jeopardy question,” Winston says. He’s still grinning, but Gwendy can see beads of perspiration on his forehead. He’s scared, too. That gives her at least some comfort. “Where is it?”

She opens her mouth, closes it, then opens it again.

“You’re not going to believe this, Gareth, and I know you won’t like it, but it’s true. I can’t remember.”

42

HE STARES AT HER, eyes slitted. “You’re right. I don’t believe it. You aced the cognitive test they gave you. Dr. Glen was very impressed.”

“I had the chocolates then.”

“If you don’t start making sense, dear, you are going to be very sorry.”

Note to self, Gwendy thinks. Having a panty thief call you dear is extremely repulsive.

“The button box dispenses chocolates. They’re brain boosts.” They do much more, some of it not good, but this is no time for lengthy explanations. “I took a couple before the test. As you see, I can’t do that now because the box isn’t h—”

“I don’t believe you. It’s hogwash.”

“Says the man who believes he’s going to rule an entire planet, complete with pulp novel slave women and a handy nearby diamond mi—”

He slaps her. In zero-g it’s not hard, like a slap underwater, but it shocks her. She has been hit before, but not since childhood. The one who hit her lived to regret it … but not for long. Her eyes flash wide, and he sees something in them that makes him dance-float backwards, leveling the tube at her.

She thinks, I’m not a proponent of the death penalty, but if I get a chance, dear, I’m going to kill you. If you’d been involved in Ryan’s death, I’d try to kill you twice. Luckily for you, that happened before you got involved in this business. At least if I can believe your story. And she does. According to Winston, he met Bobby four years later, and what reason would he have to lie? All their cards are pretty much on the table now.

“You don’t want to make fun of me, Senator. That’s one thing you absolutely don’t want to do.”

“I’m not. I can’t remember where I put it.”

“In that case I have no use for you, do I? I’ll have to find it on my own, with the help of my Chinese associates. After I negate the rest of the crew, that is.” He raises the tube, and she sees in his eyes that he means to do it.

“Give me a minute to think. Please.”

“I’ll give you thirty seconds.” He raises his watch to his face. “Starting right now.”

Gwendy knows Winston thinks she’s faking; Gwendy knows she isn’t. She needs to use Dr. Ambrose’s trick, find a chain of association and follow it to the location of the button box. Only her time is fleeting and she can’t find a starting link. Her mind is whirling.

Yes, Richard Farris says, this isn’t good. You are in dire straits.

That lights her up, and when Winston aims the tube, she raises a hand. “Wait! Wait! I can get it!”

Dire Straits. Not Ryan’s favorite band, but one of them … and he loved that song about how sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re—

“The bug! Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug!”

“What in Christ’s name are you talking about, woman?”