Jinx on a Terran Inheritance (36 page)

Mason smiled coldly and filled the room with his voice. "An
arriviste
like you is always shocked when he learns how wrong he can be."

"I want my daughter back."

"You may take her when you leave, Captain Dincrist, as I promised you. But first I'd like the Betters of Blackguard to see something."

He gestured. Scenes from the hunt disappeared from the screens and projectors, replaced by other images.

Data began running, showing Dincrist's attempts to bribe and intrigue his way into control, to secure financial and blackmail leverage against the Betters. People in the audience who saw their corporations or governments or confidants mentioned—who understood then what Dincrist had been trying to do to them—hollered or bellowed as though they'd been gored. Others caught the fear and anger like a plague, taking up the outcry.

Dincrist glanced around impassively at the shaking fists and concealing masks. He didn't answer.

It would only make them madder,
Alacrity saw. Floyt watched with a certain professional detachment; some of the material was stuff he'd gathered for Mason, and he'd wondered how the baron was going to use it.

Mason didn't have to defeat Dincrist physically now. Dincrist would be lucky to get off Blackguard in one piece. In any case, his influence among the Betters was broken; even his own supporters were drawing away from him.

"I hate to see Mason win, but I'd've hated to see Dincrist win even worse," Sintilla said.

"They're gonna tear him apart in a second," Alacrity yelled to Floyt over the uproar. "They might go for Heart too! Do something!"

Floyt was making putting-off motions to him, fiddling with the systems terminal, into which he'd inserted an AI memory cube. After an interminable wait, the familiar voice came like a miracle. "Are you safe, Hobart?"

"Yes, yes, Diogenes, for the moment. Can you run that information for me?"

"Beginning now."

The incriminating evidence against Dincrist stopped flowing and everything went blank as Diogenes assumed control of the household systems. The AI began displaying the information Mason had had file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis...aley%20-%20Jinx%20on%20a%20Terran%20Inheritance.htm (189 of 320)19-2-2006 17:12:30

[Fitzhugh 2]-JINX ON A TERRAN INHERITANCE

Floyt digging up.

The assembled Betters were treated to an overdub of Mason's instructions to Pollolo and Floyt, while they scanned the damning exhibits. Mason was quite simply dumbfounded.

"What have you been up to?" somebody howled.

"They're in it together!"

"
Traitors
!"

The mob started closing in on the two factions, pointing fingers, waving fists and riding crops, cigar holders and ashtray stands. Punches were exchanged. The slave guards were forced aside or downed by jot charges. Alacrity and Floyt ducked back, to avoid stray jolts.

"Look alive!" Sintilla yelped. "This is it!" She was off at a run, the two friends right behind her, around the balcony to a spot above the commotion. With all that was going on, few people noticed or cared when the three climbed over the rail and dropped onto the transept.

"Get her and stay close behind me!" Alacrity shouted. He wormed his way through the crowd in Mason's direction.

The baron and Dincrist were immobilized by the vengeful Betters, while their followers tried to reason with the mob. Information was still flashing, even though Floyt had recovered and pocketed Diogenes; the AI had dumped enough data into the household system to keep the screens and displays lit for some time to come. Every so often a man or woman in hunt disguise would wail as some personal matter or secret was illuminated. The crowd milled and struggled.

No one was watching Heart as Floyt and Sintilla barged their way to her and pulled her out of the chair.

Even stronger and more agile than she looked, Sintilla did her share of the blocking. Floyt saw a hefty male Better back up against her; she sent him tumbling with a leg trip. With Heart half in tow, half on her own, Sintilla and Floyt began fighting their way through the press.

Alacrity, capitalizing on height and strength, made good headway through the thronging Betters. Many of them were taller and far heavier, but the breakabout was well trained, in good shape, and highly motivated.

He reached Mason, who was turned toward another Better, exchanging loud accusations. The other had removed his mask; it was Matterse, who'd used the garderobe when Alacrity and Floyt were down below.

"You Judas!" Matterse was bellowing. "You treacherous old bugger!"

"Shut up, you ignorant young parvenue!
Shut up! And take your hands off me
!"

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[Fitzhugh 2]-JINX ON A TERRAN INHERITANCE

Alacrity eased up behind Mason and grabbed his right arm. Plenty of people were accosting the baron and jabbing fingers at him, but Alacrity's move opened the floodgate, unleashing real violence and determined layings-on of hands.

Alacrity worked fast, unclasping Mason's proteus and dragging it off his wrist. Mason's indignant protest was lost in the melee, but he managed to swing his head around, seeing the silver-in-gray banner of hair waving behind the black kabuki mask. "
Fitzhugh
!"

Mason went after him but was held fast by the press of his accosters. Alacrity, disappearing into the crowd, waving the proteus tantalizingly, called, "See you in the garderobe!"

Mason was excoriating everyone around him, pointing to Alacrity, crying, "Stop him! He's the one behind all of this! He and his friends!
Stop them, you fools
!"

But at that moment a new image came on all the visual units. It was the logo and lead-in music of the New Pathé News Service, with its crowing rooster.

The mob of Betters, terrified before all else of
exposure
, stood rooted for slow seconds, still holding Dincrist and Mason.

"Oh, suffering
Shiva
!"

"The newsspews! It's on the newsspews!"

"I'm ruined!
Ruined
!"

Mason took advantage of the confusion to shake loose the clutching hands and leap up, hauling himself over the balcony railing. Betters swarmed after in pursuit. Dincrist tried to emulate the baron but didn't get far.

Alacrity caught up with Sintilla and Floyt, moving in under the Nonpareil's arm to bear part of her weight.

She smiled at him wanly. "Hi, handsome. I think we're even now."

"Had to look after you; I think you might be an heiress soon."

Alacrity showed the proteus. "I took this away from Mason; he's gonna have trouble borrowing a spare or using the house commo. But we've gotta be away from here fast."

"Then let's. I can make it." She pushed free and took his hand. He drew her along as he followed Floyt and Sintilla through a side door and into the night.

Sintilla was for grabbing the first decent-size craft they came to, but Alacrity insisted on the
Harpy.
He was trying frantically to think what he should do about the jot behind the Nonpareil's knee.

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[Fitzhugh 2]-JINX ON A TERRAN INHERITANCE

Alacrity recovered Constance's pistol from the thornbower tree.

At his order, Sintilla detoured to fetch Sile's stungun from behind the prism icon, with Floyt guarding her back. There was no one around, but a terrific furor was coming from Grand Guignol.

It was that much more of a surprise when a jot unit downed Alacrity, Heart, and Floyt like a scythe.

Mason bounded out of the darkness, a hammergun pistol covering Sintilla and a jot unit in the other hand. "Don't be foolish, little lady. Throw your gun aside. I'm really rather vexed at the moment."

Sintilla, caught off guard, obeyed. The other three were writhing, just getting their breath back.

"Now, where's the lock transceiver for that boat? Quickly!" Mason cast a fast, nervous glance over his shoulder. The three who'd been jotted were trying to get to their feet now, Alacrity helping Heart, Sintilla assisting Floyt.

"Come, come, who has it? Fitzhugh, I'll kill them all if you don't give it to me."

Mason's vast stores of calm were just about gone. He'd broken into a sweat and the hammergun shook.

"I should kill
you
anyway!" He brought up the jot unit, aiming it at Heart. "This is your last chance."

Alacrity was in an agony of indecision, but he didn't think he could bear to see Heart hurt any more.

"The ship isn't locked; I didn't want to have to waste time getting clear of here."

Mason kept the pistol on him, moving to pull Heart to him and get her to the boat. Alacrity prepared to move. But before he could, the baron was struck from behind by a short, hard club. He fell without another sound.

Sintilla started for Mason but froze as Gute, waving the cosh, squatted next to the baron and snagged the pistol.

"I thought you were headed home," Alacrity got out.

Gute motioned to the spacefield. "All holy hades has been loosed, Alacrity. Everyone gives a different order. This is what happens when many know-it-alls rule a place jointly."

Alacrity recovered Constance's handgun. "What next, Gute?"

"You say it's not like this on all worlds?"

Alacrity answered slowly. "Like I was telling you, some are better, some way worse. On the average, better, I'd say. Why?"

Gute shifted his burdens, dropping the club and tucking the gun under his left arm, dipping into his laden game bag. He drew forth his treasured Spican atlas just enough for Alacrity to recognize it. They both file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis...aley%20-%20Jinx%20on%20a%20Terran%20Inheritance.htm (192 of 320)19-2-2006 17:12:30

[Fitzhugh 2]-JINX ON A TERRAN INHERITANCE

smiled. "I think I shall find out for myself," Gute said.

"Well, don't drag your feet; we're in a rush." Alacrity and Heart went to the
Harpy's
lock. Floyt picked up the baron's jot unit and Gute, after a moment's thought, offered him the hammergun grip first. Then Gute trotted to the lock too, Sintilla following.

"Whup! What about him?" Floyt toed Mason, who was beginning to come around.

The boat lock was open. "I don't care," Alacrity said. "Do whatever you feel like, only do it now; the timer's running out." He disappeared inside.

Mason stared up at Floyt, who was less than two meters away. The baron swallowed. Floyt thought for a moment, then brought the hammergun up and took dead aim, letting Mason look into the barrel. Mason opened his mouth to speak, couldn't, and waited open-mouthed, hypnotized.

"Gives you a new perspective, doesn't it?" Floyt lowered the gun and walked away.

Sintilla was waiting at the lock. "Hobart Floyt, do you mean to tell me that's all, after what he did to you?"

"What do you want me to do, execute him? I couldn't find it in my heart."

"Then maybe you oughta start looking in your
head
!" She turned and fired for effect. The bright tanglevine of energy bowled the baron over flat, just as he was struggling to get up.

"
Tilla
!"

"Settle down, lovie." She held up her weapon. "Stungun, see? You don't want him getting through to Heart's jot anytime soon, do you?"

"No. Good thinking."

"Now get in! Alacrity says company's coming."

The
Harpy
lifted as the hatch was closing. Floyt and Sintilla passed through the boat's hedonistic main cabin. Gute sat on a couch, transfixed, staring out a viewbay.

The cockpit wasn't much roomier than the bridge of the
Pihoquiaq.
Floyt and Sintilla wedged themselves in behind the pilot and copilot pozzes. Alacrity yielded the controls to Heart, who was more familiar with them.

"We had to head away from the spacefield," Alacrity said. "The defenses are on alert."

"I want to get a little farther from the compounds area before we start taking on altitude," Heart explained.

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[Fitzhugh 2]-JINX ON A TERRAN INHERITANCE

"Altitude?" Sintilla repeated. "What for? This crate doesn't have a Hawking, right? So the only way we're going to get out of this system is to get your ship, Heart. The best time to do that's now, while everything's all stirred up. Maybe we can get in on the ground somehow."

The Nonpareil was shaking her head. "The whole area's sealed off, and they'll be searching everywhere soon, no matter whether Mason wins or my father. But Alacrity's thought of something."

"Constance and Skate took the
Mountebank
up; it's still in orbit," he explained. "With him aboard, I suppose. Now, the
Harpy's
got a lot of countermeasures equipment, stealth stuff. Ho, I wouldn't be surprised if Sile and Dincrist were tied in with the intruder ship we ran into at the Precursor site on Epiphany."

"That may be," Heart put in. "My father is very interested in the Precursors. Obsessed, you might say."

"So I say we try a rendezvous with the
Mountebank
," Alacrity went on, "and take her."

Heart was beginning a long climb, playing with some of the controls among the stealth systemry. "I can take us right off their screens," she said.

"No," Floyt said. "Security doesn't know we've taken the
Harpy,
and they won't fire on a vessel your father uses. Let them see the
Harpy
leaving Blackguard."

Alacrity gave Floyt a troubled glance.

"Taking
Mountebank's
the best idea for Heart and Tilla," Floyt said. "Heart has to get out of Blackguard's vicinity before Mason can activate her jot. But Alacrity, you and I—we'll have to remain behind."

"Are you serious?"

"Very. You see, I've got a lead on
Astraea Imprimatur.
I came across the information in the computers using Diogenes. She made a visit to Parish, the population center on the other side of this planet, about a year ago."