The Pearl Wars Read Online Free PDF Page A

details. I’m required to bring two others with me. My bodyguard will be joining us, of course, but I’d like to offer you the second spot.”
    Cassius tried to contain his smile. He’d never been invited to participate in important government meetings before, especially ones off-Surface. “Why me?”
    She clasped her hands in front of her. “I’d like to give them something to think about.”
    Cassius shifted uneasily, unsure of what she meant.
    “But we’ll save that discussion for tomorrow.” She cleared her throat. “The meeting’s not until Thursday. Now, back to the matter at hand. It won’t happen again, will it? Going outside of the Net without clearance, I mean.”
    He shook his head, though he knew he couldn’t promise it. Being cooped up inside the Lodge all day was so boring.
    “Good.” Madame’s attention returned to the Pearl. “Though I can’t argue with your results.” Her fingers danced along the top, mirroring the weaving energy inside. “Marvelous little baubles, a ren’t they? To think that we ever lived without them. I still remember that first winter after the bombings. Seventy-six degrees in the middle of December. In Boston, no less.” She chuckled. “People thought it was great. Impromptu vacations. Christmas at the beach. That was before the insects started multiplying and crops began to die. I wish you could have seen it, Cassius, the way it was. Real snow, not that nonsense the Weathermen program into the Bio-Nets. Just pure white, stretching out as far as the eye could see.”
    Cassius strained to imagine it. The only large-scale weather event he’d ever experienced was the arid, dusty wind of the Fringes.
    Madame smiled. “You know, I’ve never been a very religious person, but every time I hold one of these in my hands I feel like we’re not alone in this universe.”
    Cassius chuckled nervously. Despite growing up with her, he still found himself tongue-tied around Madame. Mostly he just let her do the talking.
    “I’ll have someone put it into stasis right away,” she continued. “I look forward to our trip up to Atlas. It’ll give us some time to catch up. It feels like I’ve hardly seen you these p ast few weeks.”
    “You’ve been busy.”
    She nodded. “True, but that’s a lazy excuse, isn’t it? This is an important time in your life. I’d regret missing too much of it.”
    Cassius was about to respond when a powerful wave of heat rushed throug h his chest, like someone had lit a fuse and buried it deep inside his body. The room fractured and spun, a kaleidoscope of car pet patterns, bookshelves, and Pearl energy. He staggered sideways, nearly toppling over onto the floor before catching himself and straightening his posture.
    Madame stood immediately, revealing a slim figure covered with a fitted blouse tucked into dark trousers. “Cassius, are you all right?”
    He rubbed his head. “Yeah, I just got a little dizzy there for a second.”
    “You’ve been outside the Net for too long,” she spoke with a tremor of concern. “You should go lie down.”
    “Maybe.” His heart pounded at double time as his chest co ntinued to burn. He cleared his throat, making sure to conceal his discomfort in front of Madame.
    Her eyes narrowed. “Are you sure nothing happened to you back in Syracuse?”
    His mind raced back to the rooftop—separating from the Skyship boy, thrown across the ground. “Yeah,” he lied, careful not to stumble on his words. “I’m fine.”
    She frowned, unconvinced. “All right. We’ll talk tomorrow. Get some rest and a glass of water. And please call the infirmary if you feel ill.”
    He nodded and turned to leave the room, desperate to get out before he did something stupid and embarrassed himself in front of her.
    “And Cassius?”
    He looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
    “I’m very proud of you.”
    Her words comforted him as he staggered out the door, gripping his burning chest. He continued down the hallway, each