[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
his subordinates like servants.
"How are we today, Wong?" Mr. Figueroa said, his Adam's apple protruding.
"Okay, sir."
"Happy in your work?"
"Happy enough."
"Have you heard the news?"
"About?"
"Supreme Commander Moon."
"I saw nothing on the news about him."
"Come, Master Wong, I know you are a Carpathia pet. Surely you have inside
knowledge."
Chang shook his head.
"Moon is dead."
"Dead? How?"
"Shot to death outside the potentate's plane."
Chang tried to appear stunned and curious, but he hated being drawn in as
Figueroa's confidant.
"The enemy?"
"No! Don't be naïve! Our people at the level are surrounded by security."
Page 102
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Who then?"
"They suspect the stewards." Figueroa leaned close. "Both Indians."
"But why?"
"No one else would have done it."
"Why would they?"
"Why not? You know the Indians."
"No, I do not."
"They have a contact on the inside."
"On the inside of what?"
"Here."
"Why?"
"You are naive, aren't you?"
Chang bit his tongue. He hated stupid people, especially ones twice his age.
"Not too naive to guess your middle name."
Figueroa's eyes turned dark. "What does that have to do with anything, Wong?"
Chang shrugged. "Forget it."
"You couldn't know it anyway."
"Of course I couldn't."
"Unless you saw my personnel file."
"How would I do that?"
"You couldn't. Not without my knowing. Everything done on these computers is
recorded, you know."
"Of course."
"I could see if you have been snooping."
"Feel free."
Figueroa broke into a wide grin. "But I trust you, Wong! You are a friend of
His Excellency."
"Well, my Father is."
"I suppose you have heard they have asked for lie-detecting software. I
uploaded it this morning."
"How would I know that?"
Figueroa clutched Chang's shoulder, and it was all Chang could do to keep from
recoiling. "Because you are connected, my friend!"
"I'm not."
"We are all going to be subjected to searches, you know. Interrogations."
"Why?"
"I told you! The Indians, the stewards, have a connection here, a leak."
Chang shrugged.
"You want to be first or last?"
"To what?"
"To be interrogated."
"I have nothing to hide. They can interrogate me anytime they want."
"They will search your apartment, want to see your personal computer."
"They may feel free. The hard drive has been worthless for some time."
"Then you have nothing to worry about."
"I was not worried."
Figueroa looked around, as if realizing he might be criticized for paying too
much attention to one worker. "Of course, you weren't, Wong. You're
connected."
Chang shook his head. "Who will replace Moon?"
"Akbar is too important where he is. Fortunato has already had that job. Maybe
Ms. Ivins, who knows? Maybe no one. Maybe Nicolae himself. One thing is
certain, Wong," Figueroa added, turning to leave, "it won't be you or me."
"Don't be so sure," Chang said, hating himself for playing these games.
As Chang expected, Figueroa stopped. "What are you saying? What do you know?"
"Nothing to speak of, sir," Chang said. "Have to protect my connection, you
know."
"You're putting me on. You know nothing."
Page 103
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Of course."
"Seriously, now. I mean it."
"Me too, sir."
Five minutes later, as Chang was collating reports from around the world and
assembling them for a briefing, Figueroa called from his office. "You swear
you've never tapped in to see my personnel
files?"
"I swear."
"If I ran a review on your computer, the one here and your own, it would bear
that out?"
"This one would."
"But your personal computer?"
"I told you. The hard drive crashed."
"Then this about knowing my full name ..."
"Would be guessing, sir."
"Want to guess?"
"I'm busy, sir."
"I'll give you one guess."
"I was just talking. I don't know."
"Come now, Wong. Take a shot. Tell you what-you get it right, I'll leave your
name off the interrogation list."
"How could you do that?"
"I have my ways."
"Why would I care about being interrogated?"
"It's a waste of time, a nuisance, stressful."
"Not if you're innocent. I never even heard of the Indian stewards."
"The offer stands."
Chang sighed. Why had he started this? And who would believe Figueroa gave a
rip anyway? "I know it starts with an S. "
"Everybody knows that. It's on my nameplate. But maybe it's like the S in
Harry S Truman and stands for nothing."
"You use the period after it, so it stands for something. I'd just be
guessing."
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]