EDGE OF DAY

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

If Will wanted to get to Mars as much as Monday, why had he broken out of his police truck? Why wasn't he here being questioned with her?

A low, growling voice rebounded up the corridor outside.

"Why wasn't I called?" The door opened and in burst a plump, bearded man wearing layers of long robes.

Day's heartbeat accelerated. There was something familiar about the man. Yes, despite the great beard and the oblong hat, the eyes belonged to Shikshak Amada.

"I'm Monday Hollis' lawyer," the shikshak said, filling the room with his fake belly and big, stage attitude. A droid stumbled in after him, apologizing to Officer Rink. "Penal code 48 clearly states no criminally charged citizen may be questioned without a councilor, advisor or lawyer present."

"We're just talking to Miss Hollis. No charges have been brought against her."

"You've been holding her for twenty-four hours and fifteen minutes." He stopped and addressed Day. "Sorry I'm late. Paperwork. As soon as you went over the legal holding time, your droids took it upon themselves to charge her with the destruction of public property."

He tipped his head at Day like he was in a stage play. "Firing at the police droid and destroying the droid and the motorbike," he said by way of explanation. "Now..." He lay his briefcase on the table and the latches opened with a click. "Where can I speak to my client alone?"

Rink got up, tossing his chair against the wall in annoyance. He stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him. Two droids were posted outside. With the room emptied and the door closed the shikshak scratched his waist, and adjusted the enormous belly over his stomach.

"Will sent me to see if there was a problem."

If Day had hackles they would now have risen into dangerous, sharp points. She rolled the silver capsule between her fingers, and dropped it into the trouser pocket of her uniform grey slacks.

"Apart from the fact that he escaped and left me here?"

"A minor change of plans."

"I thought we were meant to be caught and sent to a space station prison orbiting the moon together."

"Ahh," the shikshak said as though finally understanding. Day gritted her teeth.

"Ah what?"

"You're not Monday."

"The police say Will is an activist and that's he's behind half a dozen shopping mall bombings."

"And what do you think?"

"The day I went for the personality implant, my memory of how I got home is messed up. But I remember seeing Will's black van."

"And?" The shikshak raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe Ed and Will are working for enemy organizations and I'm stuck in the middle."

"Day you must focus on getting to Mars. You saw Monday's message—your message. For the last two years you've risked everything to find the inter-dimensional gateway on Mars where you will find out what happened to your parents. You still have the personality organ leached into your thinking. It's clouding your ability to see straight. I'm sorry. I am to blame."

He pushed something hard and metal into her hands. She looked down and saw a slim pistol. Not a stinger gun to fry droid circuits, but bullets for humans.

"What's this for? I'm not going to shoot anyone!" She thrust it back at the shikshak but he didn't take it. "I don't want it."

"Let's get you to Mars," the Shikshak said. He clamped his hands around hers so that she stood with the gun pointed to his chest. She tried to release the pistol but he was too strong and she was afraid it would accidently fire.

The blood pounding through her made her body limp and her eyes blurry. Tears spilled from them.

"Please don't," she begged.

"They'll keep you rotting away in some earth prison for weeks or months if you carry on like this. They'll wear you down, confuse you and threaten you, while delaying your trial. But if you shoot your lawyer and try to escape—"

"No!" she hissed. The horror of what he wanted to do sunk in and she desperately tried to drop the gun, but the more she slackened her fingers the more he took control of her hands.

"It's an illusion Day. This is no more real than a dream. Now don't forget—you must try to escape." For a moment she thought she'd wriggled free of him. For an instant the fingers of his right hand weren't locked over hers. And then came a startling pop. He hadn't let go. He'd pulled the trigger. 

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