Never trust an elf

Instantly suspicious. Neko asked, "Black ice?" "Naw, just shades of gray." "Then let's start with the public stuff." "Okay. I'll patch through to the public base." She was as good as her word, and soon Neko was able to scan whatever he wanted to see in the public records of the Foundation. And what he saw was most interesting. The organization had been founded in the late twentieth century by a man of unknown age, but described as being in his twenties. That man would be in his eighties today. He was something of a recluse, understandable for one described as the heir to an unspecified fortune. There was one picture, taken in connection with the opening of a hospital in Portland, Oregon, sometime around the turn of the century. Though originally a photograph, the image had long since been rendered into a datapic. The most curious thing was that this young man, also named Laverty, looked exactly like the red-haired elf Neko had met. No older, no younger. Of course, the man in the picture didn't have pointed ears; or rather, those ears didn't show, being covered by beautifully coifed hair. The resemblance was too close to be father and son, unless the son had had reconstructive surgery. An unlikely possibility.

Answers always led to more questions. Neko smiled. That was how he liked it. Before the Awakening, this Laverty had run an operation that had sponsored many "special children."

"Jenny, I think we have to look deeper into this operation."

"You think you got something?"

"Let's see, shall we?"

"I think I like you, Neko. You're almost nosy enough to be a decker."

"Curiosity can be a curse. It can take you where you'd rather not be."

Jenny laughed. "Sure, but if it's all tame, there ain't no fun."

They rose through the crystalline lattice and raced along icicles of dazzling beauty. Despite Jenny's forebodings, for several moments it seemed that nothing was in their way. Then the bubbles frozen in the icicles around them began to flow, converging toward them. "Uh-oh," Jenny muttered. "What is it?" "WeVe been spotted."

Neko's perspective shifted dizzily. "What's happening? What are you doing?''

"Running for cover. I had to load a lot of cutters for this run, so I'm not packing any heavy fighting programs."

The perspective shift halted with jarring suddenness.

"Drek!" The frustration in Jenny's voice was clear even through the voice modulator. "Hello, Jenny."

Neko heard the words in his head but saw no source. He craned his head, trying to force the interface to shift perspective. He wanted to see who was addressing them. Slowly Jenny shifted her orientation, meeting with the intruding interface.

They were faced by an ebon boy in a glittering cloak of silver sparks. The icon was smaller than Neko expected. Had it been real, the figure would have been almost his size.

"Sorry, Jenny," the ebon boy said. "Even your boss' connections don't get you in here. Goodbye."

The boy waved a hand and a jolt like a roundhouse punch jarred Neko. The screen went dark. From the other room, a crash signaled that Jenny had been affected as well. Neko ripped off the helmet and ran to the door. He knew he couldn't breach it, so he started to work on the locks. Behind him, the computer spoke with Jenny's voice.

"It's okay. Just a little bit of dump shock." "What happened?" "We got kicked out." "Another decker?"

"Yup."

"Can we go back?"

"We could, but we won't. At least not me. You can try somebody else, but I don't think they'll get anywhere against the Dodger."

Neko wasn't sure he had heard correctly. "That was Dodger?"

"In the electrons."

Neko was shocked, but not really surprised. He'd known Dodger was a decker and that Dodger was connected to Laverty. Who better to defend Laverty's secrets? The guardian decker's swift response to invasion suggested the importance of what was being protected. "He's that good?"

"The Dodger used to be good. Now he's special." Special? Indeed he might be. Special enough to be one of Laverty's "special children"? Laverty seemed to have been born in a time when elves were not yet supposed to exist. Was the same true for Dodger? Zip's testimony said so.

Elves older than magic. That went counter to the accepted theories about the awakening of magic and the beginning of the Sixth World. Clearly, the elves had secrets. It could well be that one of those secrets was immortality. Kham could be right about the crystal and what it represented.

Stealing that secret from the elves would be a coup, and using the secret would be an even greater one. The runners who achieved it would be immortal-not just among the shadows. They would live long after their deaths in the tales that inspired those who came after. Sure, it would be dangerous, but Neko knew he would not miss this run for his life. Neko wondered what his old master would think.