The Imperium Game Read Online Free Page B

dropping him on the floor to lie there like a beached whale, trying to breathe air that burned his throat. A racking cough overtook him again, and then he understood. “Out!” he gasped, pushing himself to his knees. “We have to—”
    “Micio, old pal, I thought the matter over while you were having your little swim.” The voice sounded funny, tinny, as though whoever it was were speaking into a metal box. “Five million is just too stiff for me.”
    His eyes were burning, brimming with tears. The air seared his throat until he could barely speak. “Help!” he croaked hoarsely, and tried to crawl in the direction of the door.
    A foot caught him in the kidney and flipped him over on his back, then stamped down on his chest and pinned him to the floor like a dying fish impaled on a spear. The smoke was swirling, growing thicker and thicker, he couldn’t breathe—had to get out. “Anything!” he gasped. “Your terms—anything you—” Coughing overtook him again, racking his lungs until he thought he would turn inside out.
    “A pity,” said the cool, metallic voice above him. “We might have done such lucrative business together.”
    * * *
    Dragging into the Interface, Kerickson glanced uneasily at his fellow programmer. Wilson looked at least ten years older than he had yesterday, maybe fifteen. “Have you thought of finding another line of work—maybe something with a bit less stress?”
    “Give up the Game?” Wilson ran a hand through his brown hair, a stunned look on his haggard face. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just that I’ve been up all night running diagnostics on Minerva.”
    There was a long silence interrupted only by a faint background hum from the monitors. “And?” Kerickson finally prompted.
    “And—it’s coming.” Wilson plopped into his chair.
    “So, let’s have a look at the old girl.” Kerickson punched in the call code for Minerva, and the center screen erupted in a blaze of light.
    “I AM MINERVA, GODDESS OF WISDOM, REASON, AND PURITY, PROTECTRESS OF CIVILIZED LIFE AND THE CITY.” The light coalesced into a tiny brown owl holding a writhing gray mouse in the talons of one foot.
    “So—” Kerickson tried to sound nonchalant. “How are the Saturnalia plans coming?”
    “I CAN’T BE BOTHERED WITH SUCH TRIVIALITIES NOW.” The owl tore off a bit of bloody mouse and swallowed.
    Shaking his head, Kerickson turned back to his partner.
    “I’ll work on it,” Wilson said under his breath, then punched Minerva off.
    “Great.” Kerickson closed his eyes. “Just great. Three more days until the Saturnalia and her exaltedness is eating mice. She’s a goddess; she’s not supposed to be eating rodents!”
    “So she’s a little confused.” Wilson punched in some figures and studied the screen. “I almost have it, unless you think that you could do better yourself.”
    “No, I haven’t got time.” Kerickson limbered his fingers up, then reached for the console. “I have to find some virgins pronto or old Vesta’s liable to burn down the city.”
    “You mean you still don’t have any?” Wilson glanced up.
    “Well, I offered triple family experience points, but everyone seems to have heard about Vesta’s strict standards, not to mention her nasty temper. No one is biting.” Kerickson punched the code for access to the Imperium newsnet. “I didn’t get one offer of a new girl over the age of three, and Vesta is only programmed for six and up.”
    “I could write her some new parameters.” Wilson reached for the keyboard. “It won’t take that long.”
    Kerickson grabbed Wilson’s hand. “Isn’t that what you were supposed to be doing last week?” A muscle jumped underneath Kerickson’s eye. “Just before she went—down?”
    “That had nothing to do with me.”
    “Yeah, right.” Placing Wilson’s hand on the arm of the chair, well away from the keyboard, he turned back to his own console. “You touch Vesta, bud, and you’re dead.”
    The