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.There was no evi-dence he was anything other than an oneirochronic artifact.Still, there had been a different quality about the character.Gabrielrecalled a flash of something like recognition when he'd finally seen Gury'sface.He wondered what that was.He would seek the answer within meditation again,when he wasn't quite so drained by his contact with the Voice.The Black-Eyed Qhost is a servant.But whose?Somehow this allegation was the most disturbing.Marcus had served underSaigo, of course, and had, he admitted, contributed to the design of the GaalSphere's primitive tech' nology without realizing it.But could he be Saigo'splant within Gabriel's organization? Or worse (the Voice's paranoia oozingagain through his veins) a kind of (seeking the right word) psychomorph, aplastic artificial personality created spe-cifically to appeal to Gabriel'stastes and get close to him?And Marcus had insisted on accompanying Gabriel to the Gaal Sphere perhaps asa spy.Gabriel contemplated this thought for a long, horrid moment before heconcluded that the scenario was far too un-likely.Marcus had been onIllyricum for years, and Saigo hadn't had any reason to spy on Gabriel until afew months ago.Unless, Gabriel thought (paranoia smothering him again like damp cotton wool),Saigo had done it to every one of the Aristoi.Created hundreds ofpsychomorphs, one for each.But wouldn't that be awesomely difficult?How hard could it be, Gabriel thought in sudden despair, for someone who hadcreated whole planets from scratch? Whole civil i^ations?Page 169 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHis ricocheting mind bounced again to the coachman.What if the coachman wasZhenling's psychomorph? Someone with access to her Sealed files in theoneirochronon?Gabriel blinked, calmed himself, slowed his breathing.This kind of thinkingwas perfectly insane.The Voice was getting too firm a grip on him.Gabriel heard a bolt working on the floor below, then the door opening."Ghibreel?" Remmy's voice.Gabriel played some chords on the cembalo to let Remmy know he was on thesecond floor, and continued to play as he listened to the sound of Remmy'sshoes on the stair.Incoming cipher tachline communication from Ariste Zhenling.Reno's voice.Gabriel thought for a moment, then called up Bear and gave the daimon controlof his body and voice before telling Reno to proceed.file:///F|/rah/Walter%20Jon%20Williams/Williams,%20Walter%20Jon%20-%20Aristoi%20UC.txt (179 of 272) [7/17/03 11:26:40 PM]file:///F|/rah/Walter%20Jon%20Williams/Williams,%20Walter%20Jon%20-%20Aristoi%20UC.txtSpringtime blossomed in Gabriel's mind.A brisk wind ruffled the surface ofthe once-frozen lake, stirred Zhenling's unbound hair.She stood on the sward in front of the onion-domed dacha, her slim bodyenclosed in a Yellow Epoch gown, high-collared, broad at the shoulder andhips, narrow at the waist and ankles.Seeing this, Gabriel gave himself an English walking suit from the sameperiod, with a four-in-hand scarf and a white carnation, its petal tips touched with scarlet.Faintly, through Bear, Gabriel felt the the ivory cembalo keys through hisfingertips, heard the sound of music, Schon's love aria from Gabriel's Lulu.He felt the touch of Remmy's lips on his cheek, Bear's answering sen' sationof warmth and abiding goodwill."Good news," Remmy said.He sat on the bench next to Gabriel."You're famous.""Famous in what way?""As the killer of Silva-nus.People live in terror of those sorts ofpeople everyone thinks we're well rid of298WALTER JON WILLIAMSGabriel embraced Zhen-ling, kissed her."I'm upwell and out-sys-tem," she said."I'm on my own, alone in my ship.Ididn't have time to order anyone to go with me.""It's wise you didn't delay," Gabriel said."I need information, Gabriel Vissarionovich," Zhen-ling said."I need to knowwhat to do, where to go.""The cipher changes every six hours or so," Gabriel said."More if there's alot of traffic." He took her arm, walked with her up the drive.Gravelcrunched beneath their feet."It's best if we save the private tachline onlyfor the most important and confidential communications the less traffic, themore difficult it will be to break any of the ciphers.""Understood.""I am sending you now" (Horus pulsed a message to Fleta) "plans for acommunications satellite network." (Transmitted, said Reno.) "This way you canrelay communications with a near-certainty of not being traced."him.And when Gerius and the doctor revealed the treachery ""Treachery?" Bear's pity for Gerius and Lavinius filled Gabriel's soul poor,benighted puppets.His fingers continued the aria."They said that Silvanus asked for a moment to refresh himself, and that heand Augustino drew sword and attacked without warning.That's how Gerius andthe doctor what's his name? that's how they were wounded."Page 170 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHow sad, Bear felt, that they needed to invent such falsehood.Remmy looked at Gabriel closely."You haven't said anything, Ghibreel," hesaid."Isn't that how it occurred?"Bear looked up."They.underexaggerate their own part."Remmy gazed at him carefully."What really happened?""It doesn't matter," Bear said."It's over."file:///F|/rah/Walter%20Jon%20Williams/Williams,%20Walter%20Jon%20-%20Aristoi%20UC.txt (180 of 272) [7/17/03 11:26:40 PM]file:///F|/rah/Walter%20Jon%20Williams/Williams,%20Walter%20Jon%20-%20Aristoi%20UC.txt"You haven't even said what the fight was about."Bear struck a fewAR1STOI299"I see
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