Free The Broken Universe by Paul Melko Page A

them?”
    “There’s a motion on the table to dissolve the company!” Gesalex said. “How do you vote?”
    Banks’s face turned red with anger.
    “Will you excuse us for a few minutes?” Banks said finally. “Seems we need a private conference.”
    “Of course,” Grace said. The four left Gesalex and the other three in the conference room alone, shutting the door after them. They wandered down the thickly carpeted hallway to the window and looked out over the parking lot. Even with the door closed, they could hear the shouting, though they couldn’t make out the words.
    “Well, we know what their game is now,” Henry said.
    “Revenge,” John said. “Gesalex must know he can’t get the device by simply taking over our company. He’s trying to pressure us into giving it up by taking away the company.”
    “Did Charboric leave the most intelligent lackeys behind?” Grace asked. “Probably not.” Charboric had been Visgrath’s second-in-command.
    The door opened and Banks walked out. He glanced over at the four.
    “Well, I bought you about a week,” he said. “He’s removed me from the board, but it’ll take a while for him to find a replacement.”
    “Thanks, Jack,” Grace said. “Sorry you had to waste your time.”
    “Not a waste at all,” he said cheerfully. “I learned quite a bit about you all and your business.”
    “You don’t happen to have fifteen million dollars, do you?” Grace asked. “You did say you were an investor.”
    “I wouldn’t have taken this job if I had that kind of money,” he said, laughing. “Not sure why he hates you all, but he won’t stop until he’s destroyed your company.”
    Grace shrugged. “EmVis and Grauptham House are under a lot of pressure.”
    “I guess so,” Banks said. “Good luck!”
    He disappeared down the hallway.
    “A week won’t do us much good,” Casey said.
    “More time to talk to investors,” Grace said. “More time to—”
    The door to the conference room opened and Gesalex and his two cronies exited. Gesalex stopped and stared at them.
    “Gesalex,” John said. “How about a deal?”
    “John, what are you doing?” Casey asked.
    “Getting them out of our hair.”
    “What deal?” Gesalex said.
    “We’ll transfer you to any universe you want,” John said. “As many of you as you want, as long as you never come back.”
    “You dare make an unsuitable offer?” Gesalex shouted.
    “Bite me, Gesalex,” John said. “We have a transfer device, and you don’t.”
    “We have—” Gesalex started, and then stopped. “If you give us the transfer device and show us how to build more, we will let you live.”
    John cocked his head. “Uh, no.”
    “Multiples,” Gesalex spat. “We want the device.”
    “You mean the one you used after you killed my parents?”
    “We take what we want.”
    “Why didn’t you make copies of it?” John asked. “Why didn’t you make another one? Too stupid?”
    Gesalex took a step forward. John laughed.
    “A lawsuit would solve this in our favor just as well,” John said.
    Gesalex growled, and then turned away.
    “The offer stands,” John called. “Transport anywhere. It must suck to be the last ones left.”
    Gesalex and his friends didn’t answer.
    “It was worth a shot,” John said.
    “They’re idiots,” Grace said.
    “I expect Charboric doesn’t want to see them unless they have a functioning device,” Casey said. “Come back victorious or don’t come back at all.”
    “They must have transfer devices in their universe or wherever they went,” Henry said. “Right?”
    “If they did, they wouldn’t need ours,” John said. “But they aren’t talking. At least not to us.”
    Grace nodded. “Well, we have maybe a week. Let’s make it count.”

CHAPTER 7
    Twice that week, John took Grace to 7651, dropping her off and letting her return via the 7651 transfer gate. Grace-7651 and Henry-7651 came once to the factory to watch how the pinball machines were