mind, and Antonov’s instantiation. I can try and retard the rate of growth again, but unless I can figure out some new strategy . . .’
Luc shuddered inwardly. ‘How bad is it?’
‘Impossible to say. Remember, this was fast, sloppy work – Antonov was improvising when he did this.’
‘So it’s not like I’m carrying the whole of his thoughts and memories inside me. He can’t . . . take me over, or anything like that?’ He had to force the words out.
She laughed. ‘Hardly. You can’t just dump a copy of someone’s mind into a living, breathing human body with pre-existing cognitive structures.’
‘But that’s what he did, isn’t it?’
‘True, but the outcome is proving far from beneficial for either party.’
‘The Sandoz Clans do it, don’t they? And you. You’re a Councillor. If you die, you can be reborn in a clone body.’
‘Yes, a
‘And I don’t have a clone-body ready to jump into.’
‘Precisely. And unless I can find a way to retard this thing’s growth, all you have to look forward to, I’m afraid, is madness followed by death.’
Luc stared at her, a sick feeling building inside him. ‘Isn’t there anyone else in the Council you could talk to in confidence about this? Someone who understands how lattices work?’
‘Well, there’s Rowena Engberg, and also Cutler Suszynski. They developed the lattice technology together. Engberg still runs the clinic that engineers all of the Council’s lattices. Unfortunately, they’re both loyal Eighty-Fivers. They’d hand both our heads to Cheng on a plate in a flat instant if we approached them.’
‘The Ambassador knew I was there, at Vasili’s service. He could see me. He said my lattice is far in advance of anything the Tian Di can make.’
De Almeida nodded distractedly. ‘Yes, you told me already.’
‘So where the hell could Antonov have got this thing inside me
She said nothing, and he guessed she had no more idea than he did.
‘I asked you before for access to Vanaheim’s global security network. I think maybe it’s time you finally gave it to me.’
To Luc’s astonishment, she didn’t even argue or scoff at the request this time. Instead, she held a hand up towards him, palm out, and after a moment he saw a single bright flash of light, centred on her palm.
Suddenly he was aware of things he had never been aware of until that moment, and yet which felt as if they had always been known to him. The feeling was extraordinary – like stumbling across a part of his mind he had never noticed before.
‘Done,’ she said. ‘You now have
‘Limited in what way?’
‘It’s restricted to the Ambassador’s movements only. You’ll be able to see where he goes, and when. Give it a try.’
‘How?’
‘Picture him. The lattice will pinpoint his location and filter the appropriate A/V data to you.’
Luc closed his eyes and pictured Ambassador Sachs, as he had been on board the
‘I can see a building, but not the Ambassador.’
‘You’re seeing through the eyes of one of my micro-mechants currently in his vicinity. Just tell it to move in closer.’
He nodded and tried again.
The view jumped as the tiny machine lifted from its perch and swooped in low towards the building. Luc caught sight of a ground-to-orbit flier in the process of dropping onto a landing area to one side of the building, halfway between it and the trees. The sunlight passing through the craft’s AG field shimmered with rainbow colours.
The Ambassador emerged from the spacecraft as Luc watched, making his way towards a second flier parked at the other end of the landing area. He still wore his mirror mask and hood, even though he was alone – something which made him seem even more otherworldly than he already did.
‘Just how many of these micro-mechants do you have scattered all across Vanaheim?’ asked Luc.
‘A lot,’ de Almeida replied.
The viewpoint shifted again as the tiny mechant buzzed several metres closer. Luc saw the Ambassador board
