Free The Albino Knife by Steve Perry

Rouge pointed a small scanner at Khadaji and then Veate. "Clean," she said.
    The word had no effect on Staver's alert pose.
    "This way, sir."
    Rouge moved ahead of them, with Staver behind, and they walked down the hallway and around a corner, stopping at the third door they came to.
    "President Carlos is looking forward to seeing you, sir.And to meeting you, fem."
    The door slid open. Before he moved, Khadaji said, "You and Staver move well, Rouge."
    The young woman grinned and her face flushed a little. "Thank you, sir."
    Khadaji stepped into the room, Veate behind him, and the door slid shut. The room was fairly large, had a couch and several chairs facing a large, carved desk of some dark wood. There was a door next to the desk, closed. They were alone in the room.
    Veate said, "What wasthat all about? She looked at you as if you were Jesus or Chang come back to life. When you told her she moved well, sheblushed !"
    "She's a matadora," he said. "Trained at the school I started on Renault. My, ah, reputation there is somewhat high."
    "Oh, that's right.The Man Who Never Missed.Inspiration for the whole set-up. I guess it would be like meeting a god from mythology for her, wouldn't it?" Her voice was dry, but he heard the undertone. Was it contempt?Or just amusement?
    "It was a tool," he said."Nothing more. The enemy was a giant; we needed somebody who could rally the small folk to slay him. At my best I was never half as good as the story."
    She looked at him, and he saw surprise in her face.
    Before she could speak, the door next to the desk slid back and Rajeem Carlos stood there. Next to him was Jarl, his personal matador. Disguised as Pen, Khadaji had trained Jarl. He nodded once to his student, who returned the nod, but looked no less alert for it. Good. The two out front were new; Khadaji hadn't known them personally or that they were on Carlos's staff, but Jarl was almost like family.
    Carlos looked much as Khadaji remembered him.Tall, athletic, blue eyes, a light complexion. There was more gray in the red hair, more wrinkles around the eyes, but the last five years had been kind to his looks, at least. He wore a blue thinsilk monosuit and kung fu slippers.
    Carlos moved toward Khadaji, a wide smile deepening the lines next to his eyes. Jarl stayed next to the door, watching and listening.
    "Emile. It's great to see you!"
    The two men embraced warmly. Khadaji noted that the President of the Republic managed to find time to continue working out; there was still muscle under the clothes and little fat.
    Carlos broke the hug and looked at Khadaji's daughter. "And you are Veate?"
    "Sir," she said. She was nervous, but her poise was solid. She was, after all, an albino. Being a good actress came naturally.
    "I am very pleased to meet you. You are the image of your father."
    Khadaji stared at his old friend. Had his eyes gone bad? Veate looked nothing like him.
    "Come, sit," Carlos said. He gestured at the two form-chairs in front of the desk."Something to eat or drink?"
    Khadaji shook his head, "Not for me."
    "Nor me," said Veate.
    As Carlos moved to sit behind the desk, he said, "I'm sorry about your mother. Pen called me as soon as he heard. I have my best team of Republic investigators looking for her."
    "Thank you," Veate said.
    "What else, Rajeem?" Khadaji asked.
    Carlos measured his old friend with a glance that held within it a calculation not there when last they had been together. Khadaji saw the look and understood how the years had affected his friend. Some of the idealist he had been was now replaced with a portion of cynic.
    Before Carlos could speak, Khadaji said, "Are we going to play fugue, President Carlos?Or something worse?"
    The measuring look vanished, and Carlos's smile, small though it was, returned. "Apparently you have not grown fat and stupid in your retirement."
    "Have your men found me in the five years since I left?"
    "No."
    "And when did they start looking?"
    Carlos chuckled. "About a month