The Darkness of God: Book Three of the Shadow Warrior Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page A

held by the Al’ar, have been cancelled. Supposedly these two expeditions would have gone into the “center” of the Al’ar fringe worlds — the same sector that A887-3 is in.
    I’d discount these stories, except for my two facts:
    The first and most disturbing is that the heirs and beneficiaries of the scientists on the Universidad expedition have had their death benefits paid in full, even though no official notice of death has been made. This suggests to me that someone at a very high level knows what happened, but no one is willing to admit to it.
    The second fact is that I’ve been advised by my department head to ignore any stories about Halcyon III, and to pass along to her the name of anyone spreading such tales, for transmission to what she called the “proper authorities.”
    I protested, of course, reminding her of our long tradition of free speech, but she scowled at me and asked if I remembered the necessary restrictions on speech back during the war. I said I certainly did, and considered most of them imbecilic. She told me that if I wished my annual review to go as smoothly as it should, I’d take heed of her warning and stop being silly.
    I don’t know what to make of all this, Juan.
    But I certainly think you should be warned. Something seems to be going wrong out there in the former Al’ar worlds, and I’d suggest you stay well clear until there’s further data.
    Best,

    Scholar Eliz Shulbert
    L’Ecole de Science
    Janzoon IX

CHAPTER FOUR
    Wolfe’s chill eyes swept the hotel lobby. “This’ll do,” he said.
    The manager fawned slightly. “You mentioned you have quite precise requirements?”
    “I do. We’ll take the penthouse suite in the tower for myself and my personal assistant, and the entire floor below it for my staff and the crew of my yacht. I’ll also need the next floor to be vacant. I despise noise when I’m trying to sleep.”
    The manager realized his eyes were bulging and corrected the situation. “But — there’re already guests on some of …”
    “Inform them that their charges to date are on my bill, and you’ll assist in finding them acceptable rooms elsewhere in the hotel — or else help them relocate to another, equally prestigious hotel.” A large bill changed hands. “If they insist on staying …” Wolfe shrugged.
    The manager managed to look as if he were bowing without moving. “I’m sure with such generosity — I’m sure there’ll be no problem.”
    “Good. Also, I’ll need one of your private dining rooms on constant standby, a conference room, and three of my men added to your staff to ensure proper security.”
    “As you wish, Mister Taylor.” The manager spun. “Front!”
    A platoon of bellboys scurried forward and began sorting the mountain of luggage, including the fourteen matched bags in pink reptile hide.
    Kristin stepped close to Wolfe. She no longer wore the drab simplicity of a Chitet. Her blond hair, starting to grow out, had a slightly iridescent streak curving along the hairline above her left ear. She was wearing tight red silk shantung pants, sandals, and a bare-midriff blouse in white.
    “I feel like everyone is watching us,” she murmured.
    “Not us,” Wolfe corrected. “Mostly you.”
    A bit of a smile appeared.
    Lucian and Max were also dressed for their roles, one wearing a black-white checked silk shirt, the other a green-patterned shirt, with the currently popular white false-leather tight jackets. They wore dark trousers, short boots. Neither man bothered to conceal the bulge of a holster on his right hip.
    Wolfe was all in black, a silk turtleneck, finely woven wool pants, and a black jacket.
    “You’ll see,” he told the manager, “that my ship-crew is taken care of when they finish porting arrangements?”
    “But of course.”
    This time the bow was real.
    • • •
    Kristin wandered through the huge, multilevel suite in a completely un-Chitet-like manner. Everything was stained wood, old paintings,