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round here?
She nodded.  The women at Gouronkah find them and sell them.
 Gouronkah? Rose wondered. It sounded more alien than some of
the places the Doctor took her.
 A backwards little settlement nearby, Fynn explained.  The locals
tend to be. . . intolerant of staff from the agri-units. See us as violating
the land, the old traditions. He frowned.  Why would you wish to
consort with such people, Adiel?
Adiel shrugged, and Rose caught the coldness in her dark eyes.  I
believe my vacation time is my own, Director.
 May I see the stones? the Doctor asked, holding out his hand.
A little reluctantly, she passed him the necklace. And as she did so,
the lead box suddenly jumped with a violent scrape across the table-
top, making everyone skitter.
 Whatever s underneath the volcano, that thing in there s pretty
keen to get back, said Rose shakily.
 Director Fynn, I need to take a rest period, Adiel said abruptly.
Fynn nodded, distracted again by his souped-up data-get.  Thirty
minutes, no more. We need to start imaging that volcano. He looked
at the Doctor.  This will be of untold value to the project. We can accu-
rately survey the entire lava-tube network from the outside, increase
user access and harvesting efficiency. . . 
 Yeah, hello, Director? The Doctor made a pair of scissors with his
fingers.  Cut.
Not meeting anyone s gaze, Adiel swept across the room to the far
door.
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The Doctor went over to Rose, put on a smile.  Give her a few
minutes, he said under his breath so Fynn wouldn t hear,  then go
after her.
 Worried I might be getting lonely? said Rose.
The Doctor shook his head.  Worried she might be getting up to
something.
In the pink-red glare of the setting sun, Solomon stood at the edge
of the east fields and watched the guards talking at the main gate.
The day shift would soon be drifting back to their homes in Condo
City Three, or to the dive clubs, casinos and bars they preferred to kill
time in.
In many ways, the new cities were every bit as dirty and danger-
ous as the camps and shanties they had been thrown up to replace.
Solomon thought of the comfortless cement block he d been assigned
when he d first started working for the agri-units. The toilets backed
up and the tap water was undrinkable. The whole district smelt of
sewage and all residents were on a waiting list to move to better ac-
commodation on the east edge.
Three years later Solomon was still waiting.
 Hey, Solomon, man, said Nadif, shuffling amiably along, raising
small clouds of sand in his wake.  You off duty too?
 Nah, he said mildly, still watching the chatting guards, carefree in
their ignorance.  Looks like I m here to stay.
 Bad luck, my friend. Reckon we could all use a drink after what
we ve seen today. He paused, troubled.  Fynn and his type will ex-
plain it all away, right?
 Uh-huh. You wait.
Apparently reassured, Nadif nodded and set off for the main gate.
 Be seeing you.
Solomon nodded.  Guess you will.
Where else would he be? His father had said he could come home
 to the family home  any time he wanted. But Dad had died the
same way he had lived, in hardship and poverty, because he stayed
true to the old traditions, the old ways. Solomon didn t want that
48
for his sons. He wanted them to have a shot at the chances in life
that his ID pass had ruled out for him from birth. If you were born
in an old-style village  or Native Settlement (Primitive) in the new-
speak  then you had to fight tooth and nail and wait for ever for even
the most basic urban upgrades. Solomon had taken thirteen years to
work his way up from labour grade nobody to Chief Overseer, selling
himself to the likes of Fynn for peanuts  but it was worth every cent
he never saw. Now his sons were graded urban sector, attended speed
schools, would have their own bank accounts some day  would stand
a chance of getting out of the poverty trap and into a better life for
themselves somewhere else.
So long as their daddy wasn t exposed as a thief. So long as he
didn t wind up in a labour camp because he couldn t turn his back on
his old birthplace and his father s ghost.
So long as the golden death didn t come for them all. Solomon spat
on the floor and watched the sun slowly sinking behind Mount Tarsus.
 Please, God, he murmured as the sky went on darkening,  don t let
others suffer for my sins.
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ose made her way to the common room. The broken windows had
Rbeen boarded up with planks of wood. Only a little clear glass
remained to hint at the beautiful African nightscape.
Adiel and Basel were leaning forward on separate couches, talking
in low voices. When Rose walked in they looked up guiltily, like they
were whispering dirty secrets.  fancied a fruit shot, said Rose
Just
vaguely, crossing to the fridge.  Everyone sent home who needs to
be? Basel nodded.
 Cept me.
 Everything OK?
 Sure, said Basel, in a tone that suggested it wasn t. She pointed
to her bad foot.  Mind if I drink the fruit shot here? Need to rest the
ankle.
Adiel looked meaningfully at Basel and shrugged.  We can speak
Kenga, she said.
 That s nice for you, said Rose blankly.
Basel s expression was apologetic.  Conversation s sort of personal.
 Yeah, well, don t mind me, said Rose, turning to her drink.  Pretend
I m not here.
Which, to her amazement, was exactly what they did.
51
 I just can t believe you ve done this, Basel muttered.  People are
gonna get hurt.
 Security will know, they ll be prepared.
 That lot are animals! This situation could go belly up in a moment.
He shook his head wearily.  What I really can t get my head round is
that you d drop Solomon in it, just like that.
 I have to, Adiel said simply.  It s for the greater good.
 Act like an activist, talk like a scientist, he sneered.
 I don t see why you re not happier. You told me yourself that you
were after something that could get you publicity.
 Yeah, the right kind of publicity  like catching a solid-gold vul-
ture, Basel agreed, loud as you like.  Something that ll draw atten-
tion to what places like this are doing to the environment. Something
small enough to smuggle out of the unit before Fynn starts covering
everything up.
Rose stared at them, gobsmacked. So that was why Basel had been
so keen to catch the golden vulture  and quite happy to let her risk
her life helping him. What she couldn t believe was the way they were
chatting about all this like she didn t exist, like she wasn t even worth
their secrecy.
 Exactly, said Adiel.  If this alien golem stuff is really true, the gov-
ernment will put this whole place under wraps, top secret, all of that.
She looked at Basel.  But a story like this, this is news. If I m going to
get Fynn investigated  
 Listen to yourself! Basel shook his head like he was disgusted.
 Don t pretend you re doing this for Gouronkah. This is about you.
Rose couldn t stay quiet any longer.  What are you two on about?
 Told you, Rose, it s personal. Basel turned back to Adiel.  Whatever
happens, State Guards will end up searching the tunnels, find out
what Solomon s been up to  and pack him off to a labour camp.
 If he s got secret links to this glowing stuff, then maybe he deserves
it!
 What? Rose said, more loudly.
 He d never do something like that! Basel insisted.  He s straight.
52
You know damn well that without him everyone in Gouronkah would
have starved to death. He s risked his whole life for them   [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]