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Chapters (102)
  1. Cover
  2. DAW BOOKS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF W. MICHAEL GEAR:
  3. Dedication
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. 84
  89. 85
  90. 86
  91. 87
  92. 88
  93. 89
  94. 90
  95. 91
  96. 92
  97. 93
  98. 94
  99. 95
  100. 96
  101. EPILOGUE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“How could a child do what we saw done to Bill?” Vik asked, shooting a frantic glance at her husband. “Sheena, Felix, Felicity, they’re children. It would have taken a man to do what was done to Bill.”

“Or a woman,” Atumbo declared.

“Hey,” Michaela barked. “The killer used a vibraknife. Cut Bill across the back of the knee. A vibraknife will cut through bone, as Bill’s skull more than proves. He was taken down from behind. Probably had no idea what was happening. One second he’s getting ready to start breakfast, the next he was on the floor, bleeding out.”

Yosh added, “And the angle of the wound? It’s low, at a slight slant. The outside of the stroke runs lateral to the femoral condyles. Then the blade was run medially and down. A man or woman would have had to be on their knees to make that same cut.”

“That’s crazy!” Tobi Ruto slapped his hands to the table. “That’s saying one of the kids . . . Hey, I know these kids. We all do. Come on, seriously, you’re going to tell me that Felix, Sheena, or Felicity just decided to get up early and wander down to the kitchen to murder Bill? Are you hearing how pus-sucking insane that sounds?”

“All of this is insane,” Mikoru half-whispered as she broke into tears and dropped her head into her hands. Yosh laid a reassuring arm across her back.

“Got that right,” Odinga muttered, arms crossed. “Nightmare on the ocean, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up.”

“It doesn’t make any sense.” Kevina’s voice actually came across as half-rational for once. “These kids aren’t crazy. Seriously, any of you, have you ever seen any of the children acting irrationally? Violently? Making threats?”

“Does that include going catatonic like Toni?” Vik asked. “Let’s be honest. Sheena’s my daughter. I haven’t been watching her like a hawk. I’ve had other concerns. We all have. Yes, she’s seemed reserved, introspective. I caught her walking in a daze yesterday. Like she wasn’t home inside her head. But when I touched her, she was back. Looking up at me like she hadn’t seen me in a week. But to think that that same girl might have murdered Bill?”