Chapter 24

           Mollyfishedthekeyoutonitsloopofnylon.

           `Youknow,’3Janesaid,craningforwardwithinterest,`Iwasundertheimpressionthatnoduplicateexisted.IsentHideotosearchmyfather’sthings,afteryoukilledhim.Hecouldn’tfindtheoriginal.’

           `Wintermutemanagedtogetitstuckinthebackofadrawer,’Mollysaid,carefullyinsertingtheChubbkey’scylindricalshaftintothenotchedopeninginthefaceoftheblank,rectangulardoor.`Hekilledthelittlekidwhoputitthere.’Thekeyrotatedsmoothlywhenshetriedit.

           `Thehead,’Casesaid,`there’sapanelinthebackofthehead.Zirconsonit.Getitoff.That’swhereI’mjackingin.’

           Andthentheywereinside.

           `Christonacrutch,’theFlatlinedrawled,`youdobelieveintakin’yourowngoodtime,don’tyou,boy?’

           `Kuang’sready?’

           `Hottotrot.’

           `Okay.’Heflipped.

           Andfoundhimselfstaringdown,throughMolly’sonegoodeye,atawhite-faced,wastedfigure,afloatinaloosefetalcrouch,acyberspacedeckbetweenitsthighs,abandofsilvertrodesaboveclosed,shadowedeyes.Theman’scheekswerehollowedwithaday’sgrowthofdarkbeard,hisfaceslickwithsweat.

           Hewaslookingathimself.

           Mollyhadherfletcherinherhand.Herlegthrobbedwitheachbeatofherpulse,butshecouldstillmaneuverinzero-g.