In the Hall of the Martian King Read Online Free PDF Page B

now,” Jak said. “And since they don’t turn them around for anything, I guess I’m in charge. How long do you think
     I should wait before staging a coup and declaring a provisional government?”
    Sib laughed, coping with difficulty with his mouthful of salad. “You should call and ask him. It might be a welcome stimulus.
     The poor man is about to be bored to death.”
    Gweshira nodded vigorously as she picked bones out of her fish. “Neither of us had traveled in decades, you know, we’d spent
     all our time on the Hive, and before when we traveled, it was always ‘business.’ ” The way she said it meant “Circle Four
     business.” “We hadn’t quite realized what a month on a quarkjet liner would be like—nothing much to do but the Disciplines,
     gambling, reading, and catching viv entertainment … they’re mainly set up for younger people to stand around watching each
     other try to be beautiful. I’m afraid we’re turning into a couple of old gwonts who think life was better in their youth.”
    “Well, maybe it was,” Jak said.
    Sibroillo half smiled. “At least our youth was better for us, eh, old pizo? Just remember that someday you’re going to be
     describing this as the golden age.”
    “I don’t think Deimos has ever had a golden age, Uncle Sib. At best it’s had a tar age. But I appreciate your not being too
     discouraging. I’m looking forward to some very dull months, and my orders are to keep them that way if at all possible.”
    Sib beamed. “Now, that was nicely put, pizo. Very nicely put. You’d rather not offend me, but you’d rather not be left holding
     the bag for whatever I might do.”
    “Um, very blunt, but toktru.”
    “Well, Gweshira and I, having had one good meal and a night’s sleep here, are going to head down to Mars. Deimos is only interesting
     because you’re here. Is that good news?”
    Jak made a face. “I never thought I’d be saying this, Uncle Sib, but I want to stay out of trouble.”
    Sib and Gweshira roared with laughter so merry that Jak joined in. “What’s the joke?”
    Gweshira shrugged. “Back when we were both at school on Mars—this was in different decades, by the way—each of us had the
     experience of a certain teacher—also the teacher of Bex Riveroma—”
    Jak shuddered. “That data sliver still in my liver—”
    Sib shrugged. “In a few years the information will be outdated and he won’t care. Till then just be careful. He’s crazy, evil,
     and dangerous, but rational enough—in fact that’s why he’s so dangerous. This teacher whose name we won’t mention always said
     he thought of Bex as one of the two most dangerous people he’d ever trained.”
    “Were you the other one, Gweshira?” Jak asked.
    Jak and Gweshira waited to laugh until Sib’s face was a mask of fury. A moment later Sib was laughing too. “I don’t know why
     I always fall for that.”
    “Because it gives us such pleasure,” Jak suggested.
    “Possibly.” Sib held up a finger, recalling his point. “Well, anyway, when you said you wanted to stay out of trouble, it
     reminded us of something. During our training, believe me,
we
said that often. ‘Out of trouble’ was all we wanted. And every time we even thought that phrase, this teacher-we-won’t-name
     would say (I can’t intone like he could), ‘You are invoking the Great God Murphy Whose Will Is Law, and he will be moved to
     act.’ And because we’re planning to visit him as soon as we fly down to Mars, he was on our mind, and you triggered the memory.”
    When Sib and Gweshira had finished eating, they were tired, so Jak called a sprite to guide them to their hotel, and they
     airswam after the little twinkling glow.
    At the office, the tasks accumulated overnight consumed ten minutes, and it still wasn’t officially start time; Jak had nothing
     to do for the rest of the day except interview Pikia. While he waited for her, he set up a flask of coffee and two bulbs.
    “Pikia