The Tejano Conflict Read Online Free PDF Page B

can watch the room they go into.”
    â€“ – – – – –
    Jo marked Gunny and Singh as they entered the hotel lobby behind her.
    If the period piece they had stepped into bothered Kay, Jo saw no indication of it.
    Fascinating what people will spend their money on.
    Kay got a few stares as they crossed the lobby to the lift.
    Along the way, they heard the whispers nobody knew they could hear:
    â€œLook, Mama, a Vastalimi!”
    â€œI never saw one in person before!”
    â€œMan, that’s an ugly-ass critter! Look at that face!”
    Kay ignored the whispers.
    They achieved the elevator. Although such things would not have been found in a hotel of the period represented, it being pre–Industrial Revolution, it had been made to match the decor: There were wrought-iron gates that slid back to allow entrance to the elevator cage, a space large enough to hold a score of people. The inside was carpeted, some floral design, with plush red velvet, pleated into a tuck and roll on three of the walls. There was a mirrored ceiling.
    A man in colorful livery stood to one side, by a mechanical device, brass and dials, that looked like it belonged on an ancient ship’s wheelhouse. He smiled at them. “Floor?”
    â€œFiftieth,” Jo said.
    The man cranked a lever on the control, and the elevator started to rise. With nothing but ornate bars blocking the entrance, one could see out of, or into, the cage as it passed each floor, and it was moving slowly enough to give good views either way.
    A few floors up, a mother and a little girl of maybe three got onto the lift. The child lurched closer before her mother could stop her. She put out a tiny hand to touch Kay’s leg fur.
    â€œSoft!” the little girl said.
    Kay smiled at her, an expression that made the mother’s eyes go wide.
    â€œCome here, Darla!”
    â€œShe won’t bite,” Jo said, but the mother pressed herself against the elevator’s far wall and got off at the next stop.
    Kay waved at the child, who smiled and waved back. “Bye!”
    There were a pair of guards in civilian clothes outside the room, but they opened the portal without speaking or asking for weapons. Just as well; Kay’s weapons were biological, and Jo wouldn’t have given up her flat-pack pistol if they’d asked for it, even though she did have a one-shot electrical zapper built in.
    Inside, the rep who had called was waiting. He smiled at them.
    â€œFems, come in, come in! I am Dhama, delighted to meet you!”
    There was an almost inaudible hum in the background, something electrical, and the air was overfiltered and lacking any real scent.
    Single-name Dhama had the look: tall, well made, handsome. Black hair, a few streaks of gray at the temples, a four-day stubble of beard. He had a firm jaw, perfect teeth, green eyes. Old enough to look as if he knew what to do, young enough to look as if he could do it. He wore a perfectly tailored uniform, understated in gray silk, a holographic Dycon patch over the right breast pocket, his name shimmering over the left pocket. He sported handmade boots of some kind of patterned, mottled leather Jo didn’t recognize. The Willis 4.4mm pistol holstered on his right side had grips of what looked like ivory and rode in a holster that matched the boots.
    If he was as good as his clothes, he would be formidable.
    According to her radiopathic pickups, her olfactories and otics, he had several augs running, nothing esoteric she could tell.
    Right out of an entcom vid casting director’s top choices for a soldier-of-fortune officer; couldn’t miss him.
    Jo was not one to put a lot of stock in looks, however, and while Kay could tell the difference between humans visually, she wouldn’t be impressed by anything so superficial, either.
    â€œFems, this way.”
    He turned to lead them down the hall.
    Kay subvocalized quietly: “He does not move