Morgan's Return by Greta van Der Rol Page B

to the Conflagration Museum, and we were sent here."
    Her eyes narrowed, she smiled. "And what did you seek here?"
    "Does the name Rosmenyo mean anything to you?" Prasad leaned toward her, hopeful, almost pleading. Morgan was impressed. He put on a good act.
    The woman considered for a moment. "His name is in the old books."
    "Yes, we know. With a reference to the menace from the stars. Do you know what that means?"
    "I can't be certain."
    "Understood."
    The woman chewed at her lip, then said, "The seers describe the menace from the stars as demons led by the Arch-demon Zenji, sent to torment us because of our treatment of our planet, but I think they were really the war machines, the great fighting engines. We created our own destruction, and learned a lesson we should never forget." She sighed. "Although it seems many have forgotten already."
    "Can you tell us any more than what's in the books?"
    She shook her head. "No. I'm simply interpreting what I read. You can read the texts as easily as I."
    "And if you wanted to learn more, what would you do?"
    She shrugged. "The best Conflagration collection is the central library in Torreno."
    The priestess told the truth, all she knew. Morgan checked her heart rate. Calm. It fitted the body language, the way she stood with her hips angled away, wanting to be gone. Beyond her, the two meditating figures had risen to their feet, clearly waiting for her. Morgan glanced at Ravindra and Prasad, and told them, with a barely perceptible shrug, there was nothing more to be learned here.
    Prasad bowed his head. "Thank you. It has been a pleasure to see your beautiful cathedral."
    Huh. Superstitious nonsense . Morgan had a good mind to say so, but tightening his grip on her arm, Ravindra marched her toward the exit. "With any luck Davaskar and Jirra will have the replenishment finished," he murmured.
    "Silly bitch. She thinks Supertechs are a danger? Huh."
    "You could be, without some control," Ravindra said.
    "Huh. And what about that stupid war machine? What sort of idiot would make a weapon as inefficient as a human body? Can't fly, can't turn, can't do any damned thing worth doing."
    Chuckling, Ravindra released her. "Yes, my dear, you're right. So… what now?"
    "That was a crashing waste of time, wasn't it?" They passed through the crumbling archway back into the street. "Now? We get off this dump of a world and…" Morgan sidestepped to avoid a uniformed woman on the footpath, "…sorry. Then we head for Torreno. There's sure to be some clues in the central library."
     
    ***
     
    E llen watched them as they entered an autocab, which disappeared into the heavy air.
    Bloody Selwood. She'd walked around her, said sorry. Ellen had worried for a moment that she would be recognized, that Selwood would detect her as another Supertech. She should have known better. Nobody ever recognized her, especially not the famous Morgan Selwood. Ellen had just been another junior Supertech, hovering around the edges of whatever it was Selwood did, easily ignored, easily overlooked.
    The man she was with, though. It had been worth the risk, just to get a better look at him. What a man. He was even more impressive in the flesh, with a beautiful, deep voice, smooth as dark chocolate. The other man was no slouch, either, lithe and graceful as a dancer. She hadn't understood the language they spoke, but Selwood had said 'Torreno'.
    Beyond the wall the cathedral's petal-like pillars opened out to the fetid atmosphere between the office towers. This was just another bunch of back to nature crazies, the last remnant of a once-powerful church. According to the literature, the strictest adherents wouldn't even use common medical technology to delay aging. Idiots.
    So then why had Selwood and her friends come here? Rats. She'd have to go in to find out. She paid her admission, and went inside, gazing around at the vibrant murals on the walls, moving from the battle for the planet against the impossible war