‘I thought you were going to wait,’ he said as the two mercenaries drew close.

Svent nodded at their burden. The man had a trail of dark blood from one nostril and his head had more movement at the neck than was natural.

‘Sonny here started to get anxious when we walked in. I walked over and gave him a friendly hug. Few people in there, and I got fed up with his lack of conversation.’

Stanton motioned to the boot of the car and looked around. Apart from a few revellers that had gone into the metrotel, there was no one about. It was a perfect night for murder. Svent’s victim went into the boot too, shortly followed by the catadapt Mennecken dragged out of the alley.

‘Phew! You stink, Mennecken,’ said Svent as they all crammed into the car. He pointed to the unconscious ECS men on the back seat. ‘Who’s this?’

‘Pelter wants a chat,’ said Corlackis.

There was general laughter Stanton felt no inclination to join in with. He flung the AGC round and headed out for the wasteland.

* * *

Pelter pocketed his comunit and stopped. He stared blankly into the rain-curtained night. How would the Golem react? That it had overheard that conversation he had no doubt. He peered around at the rain dripping from the acacias, then at a nearby wrecked AGC and, further back in a tangle of growth, the corroding cargo section of a small carrier. It would have worked out what had happened and perhaps now be considering how it might rescue its companions. It wasn’t to know about their little rehearsed conversation. He reached up and touched the scaled aug on the side of his head and from it, through the command module, he gave Mr. Crane his instructions. So clear and precise was this aug, it almost made him see the world in a different light. Crane held out the briefcase for him and he took it. Crane then stepped to one side. Pelter watched through the android’s night vision. Shortly, as expected, the Golem broke cover and walked towards him.

‘What are your intentions, Pelter?’ it asked.

So very much like a very beautiful woman, Pelter thought. It was almost a shame.

‘I intend to kill a man,’ he replied.

The Golem woman stopped and tilted her head to one side. She seemed puzzled. It annoyed Pelter that even in these circumstances she still went through the charade of human body language and reaction.

‘I do not understand,’ she reluctantly admitted. ‘You have my three companions.’

‘Yes, I do.’

‘What are your intentions toward them?’

‘You should, really, worry about my intentions towards you.’

‘I should?’ She tilted her head and shot a look of contempt at Mr. Crane.