running his interplanetary corporate maneuvers, they assured their watchers.
Saito Yamagata, Bracknell told himself as he tumbled endlessly through space. Saito Yamagata. When he finally lapsed into unconsciousness he was still burning with hatred of Saito Yamagata.
He opened his eyes and almost smiled. Bracknell found himself lying on an infirmary bed, safe and warm, with a crisp sheet over his naked body. It was all a dream, he thought. A nightmare.
But the dark-skinned, slightly plump nurse who stepped into his view was a stranger. And she wore a white uniform with the crescent logo of Selene on her left breast, just above a name tag that identified her as norris, g.
Bracknell blinked at her, then croaked, “Where am I?”
She smiled pleasantly at him, white teeth gleaming in her dark face. “A classic question.”
“But where—”
“You’re in the hospital at Selene. A salvage team picked you up when they went out to claim the wreck of
The nurse fussed over the intravenous drip inserted in Bracknell’s arm as she replied, “From what I hear,
Raising his head anxiously, Bracknell asked, “Did anybody else … are there are any other…”
“No, you’re the only one who survived. What were you doing outside in a spacesuit?” Without waiting for an answer the nurse went on, “Whatever, it saved your life. Were you outside doing some repairs, or what?”
He sank back onto the pillow. “I don’t remember,” he lied.
The nurse cast him a doubtful glance. “There wasn’t any ID on you when they brought you in. What’s your name?”
Bracknell started to reply, then caught himself. “I… I don’t remember,” he said.
“You don’t remember your own name?”
Trying to look upset about it, Bracknell said, “I can’t remember
“Posttraumatic shock,” muttered the nurse. “We’ll have to run some scans on you, then, and check them against the files.”
She left Bracknell’s bedside. He raised himself up on his elbows and looked around. He was in a cubicle created by portable plastic partitions. His clothes were nowhere in sight. And he knew he had to get out of this hospital before the computer scans identified him as Mance Bracknell, the criminal who’d been sentenced to lifelong exile.
In his office in New Kyoto, Nobuhiko Yamagata watched the image of the white-haired servant as he delivered his final message. It’s finished, then, he said to himself. At last it’s finished. I can breathe freely again.
Within an hour the news came that a corporation ship named
Nobu’s first instinct was to uncork a bottle of champagne, but he knew that would be incorrect. Besides, he found that he didn’t feel like celebrating. Instead, a profound sense of gloom settled upon him like a massive weight.
It’s finished, he repeated to himself. This terrible business is finished at last.
BOOK IV
VENGEANCE
SELENE HOSPITAL
After a bland meal, Bracknell pushed his tray aside and got out of the hospital bed. The floor tiles felt comfortably warm to his bare feet. He seemed strong enough, no wobbles or shakes. The cubicle was barely large enough to hold his bed. Portable plastic partitions, he saw. No closet. Not even a lavatory. And this damned IV hooked into my arm.
He cracked the accordion door a centimeter and peeped out. The same nurse was striding down the corridor in his direction.
Bracknell hopped back into the bed and pulled the sheet over his naked body.
She pushed the door back and gave him an accusing look. “I saw you peeking out the door. Feeling better, huh?”
“Yes,” said Bracknell.
“Long as you’re taking solid food we can disconnect this drip,” she said, gripping his arm and gently pulling the IV tube out of him. Even so, Bracknell winced.
As she sprayed a bandage over his punctured arm, Nurse Norris said happily, “You’re going to have a pair of visitors, Mr. X.”
“Visitors?” He felt immediately alarmed.
“Yep. Psychotechnician to talk to you about your amnesia, and some suit from the corporate world. Don’t know what he wants.”
“Can I get some clothes?” Bracknell asked. “It’s kind of awkward like this.”
Norris looked at one of the monitors on the wall behind the bed and fiddled with her handheld remote. “The coveralls you came in with were pretty raw. I sent ’em to the laundry. I’ll see if I can find them for you. Otherwise it’s hospital issue.”
“Before the visitors arrive?”
She gave him that unhappy look again. “For a charity case you make a lot of demands.”
Before he could answer, though, she ducked back outside and slid the partition closed.
Once I get my clothes back I can make a run for it, Bracknell said to himself. I can’t let them scan me; I’ve got to get out of here before they find out who I am.
And go where? I’m in Selene, on the Moon. As soon as they find out who I am they’ll slap me into another ship and send me back to the Belt. Where can I hide?
He thought about escaping back to Earth, to Lara. But he knew that was ridiculous. How can I get to Earth from here? Besides, she’s Victor’s wife now. Even if she wanted to hide me, she wouldn’t be able to. Then he realized that he hadn’t the faintest idea of where on Earth Lara might be. Shaking his head morosely, he decided that going back to Earth would be impossible.
Toshikazu said he had a brother, he remembered. What was his name? Takeo. Takeo Koga. And he’s here, on the Moon. Somewhere in the Hell Crater complex. Maybe I can get to him. Maybe—
The partition slid open again and somebody, he couldn’t see who, tossed a flapping pair of gray coveralls at him. In the soft lunar gravity they arched languidly through the air and landed softly on his bed. By then the door had slid shut again. A new set of underwear was tucked into one of his coverall sleeves.
