Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 53
could about it.
Closing her eyes, she activated her Link. "Axel," she
subvocalized. Spots of color floated in front of her eyes, then
coalesced into the word CALLING.
"Cal?" His voice sounded pure and strong in her head, as
it had on the several occasions they'd talked last night. She had
been in touch with Axel Chan from the moment she found
Mason on the trail. If the youth had gotten away from her,
Axel would have scooped him up.
"What's your status, Cal? I read you as ten kilometers
northeast. Still have Mason?"
"Yes. But I have a job for you, to help cover our tracks."
"Go ahead."
She told him about her arrangement with Jordan. Axel
grunted once or twice as she spoke, but made no other
comment. "Think you can take care of her, Axel? Keeping her
safe from yourself too, I might add."
"Cal!" He sounded hurt. "I like 'em experienced, you
should know that. Yeah, she's safe, as soon as I find her. What
about you?"
"I'm taking Maso east and then north. There's a manse
located about twenty-five kilometers from here, we'll make for
that first. Then west again. What say we rendezvous at the
Boros manor in one week?"
"Unless you get Armiger's location first, right?"
"Exactly."
"Will do. I'll call you as soon as I get the girl."
"Good. Bye."
The connection went dead, but Calandria did not open
her eyes. She accessed her skull computer, and told it to
initiate a scan of the area. "Check for morphs," she told it.
Gradually, from left to right, a ghost landscape appeared