Free A Murder of Clones: A Retrieval Artist Universe Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch Page B

It’s all possible, and so are probably a hundred things we haven’t even thought of.”
    She pushed herself up, then extended her hand. “Thank you,” she said. “You’ve been invaluable.”
    “Am I dismissed?” he asked.
    She shook her head. “I might need you again.”
    She almost told him that she trusted him more than she trusted Uzven, but that wasn’t really true. She trusted Okani on the translation because he had no personal interest in this case. She had no idea what game Uzven had been playing, and she didn’t want to know. Not now.
    “If you want,” he said, “I can go over this again.”
    “I’d rather have you go over the footage of my conversations with the ambassador. Double-check my translator.”
    Okani smiled. “I can do that.”
    “Good,” she said. “I hope you find nothing untoward.”
    But she doubted it. There was so much more going on here. She suspected most of it had nothing to do with her, but she wasn’t certain of that. She wasn’t certain of anything yet.
    She could only hope that certainty would arrive soon.
    She needed it. If only just a little.

 
     
     
     
     
    TEN
     
     
    BEFORE GOMEZ WENT to the surface, she summoned Rainger to the meeting room. He arrived, looking as tired as she felt.
    “I need you to do a few things while I’m gone,” she said. “First, I need to know what happened to those twelve clones after they killed the three.”
    “I’m pretty sure we have that information,” he said.
    “I’ll also need to know if there are any changes near the enclave. If anyone else emerges or if there are ships going in and out.”
    “I can tell you now that no one has left since we arrived, and that there have been no ships going anywhere.”
    “Good,” she said. She had asked for that information before, but she was glad to have the confirmation.
    “Finally,” she said, “Tell Lashante that I need to know who these clones are based on. She needs to speed up that research somehow. I’m pretty sure it’s as important as anything else we’re doing here.”
    Rainger nodded. “I heard from the diplomats,” he said. “The closest unit is a month out and they’re Peyti.”
    “Do you get a sense that the Peyti have some kind of agenda here?”
    “Yeah,” Rainger said. “I double-checked the record. Uzven’s never had a complaint lodged against it before. In fact, most marshals and diplomats talk about how accurate Uzven is. Its behavior here just seemed very odd and uncharacteristic.”
    She didn’t like that. Just like she didn’t like the month delay. “Can we ask for a mixed diplomatic unit or a human-only one? After all, this seems to be a human-Eaufasse issue.”
    Rainger grinned. “Or we can say that it is.”
    She nodded. She’d been thinking of that as well.
    “I’ll ask,” he said. “Here’s the other news. The Military Guard is two weeks away. Do you want them before the diplomats?”
    She thought about that for a few minutes. Technically, the Military Guard would be under her control. They would be able to help her if something happened at the enclave. And they wouldn’t have to do anything if the enclave were quiet while they waited for the diplomats.
    “Yes,” she said. “Let’s get the Guard here. Make sure they know I’m in charge of the mission.”
    “It’s policy,” he said.
    “Yeah, and translators are supposed to translate word for word, not interpret,” she said.
    “Point taken,” he said.
    “I’m leaving in a few minutes,” she said. “I want two deputies with me, in case we have to bring the boy back here. I also want an armored suit for him, a prison suit, one without weapons.”
    “You think someone will try to harm him?” Rainger asked.
    “You don’t?” she asked.

 
     
     
     
     
    ELEVEN
     
     
    GOMEZ BROUGHT A single shuttle to the surface. She knew that was a gamble: it was always best to have two. But she had an odd feeling that the enclave was keeping track of her movements. She