Time's Chariot Read Online Free

mid-air. 'Please follow
the light.'
    The light led them over to the valley side of the
courtyard, where a gap in the balustrade led onto a
suspended staircase that curved out into the open
air, then round and down to the level below them.
The apartment was set into the side of a mountain
and the drop below was sheer. Rico savoured
the view, and when his instincts protested at the
amount of solid ground that wasn't beneath his feet
he told himself the apartment would naturally have
agravs to catch him if he fell.
    Still, it was a relief to step into what was presumably
the apartment's main chamber. A split-level
sitting room, one side open to the view and the rest
of it carved out of the native rock. There was an
unusual number of people there – more than Rico
had expected Commissioner Daiho to have around.
Being a patrician and a Commissioner of the
College would mean a busy life, but this number of
staff was unexpected.
    As his foot touched the floor a voice symbed into
their minds. ' This area is under the jurisdiction of the
Security Division. Please state your business .'
    Security? He and Su looked at each other, then
Rico glanced back at the others already present.
Some were waving instruments here and there,
others seemed to be just lingering and chatting in
small groups. So, these were Security Ops.
    'Ops Garron and Zo,' he said. 'You can check
our business here with the household.'
    Presumably the voice did just that. ' You may
proceed .'
    'Did the Commissioner leave instructions for
us?' Su asked the ball of light.
    'I'm afraid not,' said the house's voice.
    'Can we see him, then?' Rico said.
    'I'm afraid not,' the light said again. 'The
Commissioner died this morning. He fell from his
balcony.'
    Rico and Su glanced at each other, then Rico
edged back to the stairs and peeked into the abyss,
trying to imagine the drop. The whistling of the
wind, the ground looming, the awful knowledge
that in just a few more moments that would be it,
the end, no comeback, body so smashed that no
surgery could repair it.
    'Ouch,' he said. Suddenly he felt a lot less secure
in the apartment's agrav safeties and he stepped
back into the security of the room again.
    'It was tragic,' the light agreed.
    'I think we should go,' Su said.
    'Go?' Rico protested. 'But we haven't got what
we came—'
    'Rico, I don't think now is a good time for removing
items from the late Commissioner's apartment,
do you?' Su murmured.
    Rico glanced around, then back at the light.
'We'll see ourselves out, if that's OK,' he said.
    'Of course.' Rico watched as the light moved
away, then turned back to Su.
    'Look,' he said, 'the place is crawling with
Ops . . .'
    ' Security Ops,' Su hissed.
    '. . . so who's going to notice a couple of extra?'
    'Rico, we're Field Ops. Completely different
thing.'
    Rico grinned and plucked at the tunic of his own
uniform. The cut and colours – yellow, with red
piping – were just the same: Security and Field Ops
all worked for the College. 'If you've got it,' he said,
'use it. Su, the sooner we find what we're after, the
sooner we can leave, right?' He blocked any further
argument by swinging round on his heel and
heading off for where he assumed the study was.
    Rico paused in the doorway because the room
was already occupied. A slight, blonde woman a few
years older than him, and a man his age; dark hair,
pale eyes. They were talking closely to each other,
voices barely more than a murmur, and Rico almost
apologized for interrupting. Then he remembered
he was masquerading as a Security Op and didn't
have to apologize to anyone, so he sidled in without
announcing himself. He sneaked a look around:
where to start?
    The study was decorated with a typical Home
Time eclecticism. Fake bookshelves lined the walls,
the carpet glowed with 1960s psychedelia and in an
alcove there was a bust of Jean Morbern, founder of
the College. Rico chose a shelf at random and
started to examine what was on it.
    '. . . suicide,' said the woman