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as the fact that you spent
some time at a party with Sentator Cannon, and someone thought you might be
closer to the senator than
you are. There's some tie-in with the senator. He's just issued a press
release suggesting that Mr.
Brazelton's multilateral superior has been involved in significant wrongdoing
involving the Martian
Republic.
From the sharp look on the sergeant's face, I could tell that was new to her.
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"Because I argued with a senator?"
Parsfal laughed. "Anyone who argues with a sitting senator is considered close
enough to matter because
everyone else is too busy currying favor. He paused. "The senator listened,
didn't he?"
"He seemed to, I admitted. I didn't want to mention the rezads, but it might
help. "I'd done a few rezads
for his campaign, but he didn't know that. Then, after that, I mean, after the
argument, his campaign
asked me to do some more, and even a special one about education.
Jude Parsfal frowned. "That could be the Hansen tie-in.
Both Sarao and I waited.
"Kemal has been backing Senator Cannon's opponent. If you were making a
difference in the way his
ads were working, I wouldn't put it past Kemal to have you removed. Kemal
doesn't hesitate to remove
obstacles, especially if he thinks he can get away with it.
I had to admit I hadn't the faintest idea who or what Kemal was.
The big technician from Westside Physical Systems walked out onto the front
step.
Sarao turned to him.
"Eugene was right. There was a problem there, he said. "Your techs are
finishing up documenting and
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authenticating the changes to the system. I need to get some replacement
covers for the fuel cell. He
looked at me. "Everything will be all right. Once they're finished, I'll make
sure it's done the way it should
be.
"Thank you. I still didn't have any idea why someone would want to hurt me.
The only person who'd
truly gotten furious with me had been Michael. That had been years earlier.
Besides, he'd been dead
before the Brazelton people had worked on the system. Jude Parsfal's
explanation made as much sense
as anyone's, but that was scary in itself. Being targeted to be killed because
you helped someone win an
election?
The Westside technician nodded, then turned and walked toward his lorry.
"I don't want to drag you into this" Parsfal looked almost sheepish "but I'd
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like to mention this as a
possibility without using your name. Would you mind if I slipped something
into the story about how it
appears that others involved in Senator Cannon's campaign were apparently also
targeted?"
"I don't know. I don't want people to know, or to think that I might be
involved with the senator. I only
talked to him once, and that was because I was the hired help at a soiree.
"I'm only asking, he said quietly. "I wouldn't even put your name or your
gender in the background
story just a mention of a key technical and advertising support person who was
also targeted, but
escaped.
I felt uneasy about that, but I'd have felt uneasy about saying no, too. "Just
so you keep my name and
direct background out of it. I flipped back my hair, and then felt nervous
about that as well.
"I promise. He smiled, warmly, and it wasn't all professional. "If I don't
get back to NetPrime, my boss
will have my skin. He inclined his head. "It was good to meet you in person,
Professor, and I'm very
glad that you're safe. Please take care.
"I will. What else could I say?
As Jude Parsfal walked away, Sarao grinned at me. "He likes you. I've never
seen a newsie bend over
that way to protect someone. He's sticking his neck out to keep you out of
it.
"I wouldn't know. I didn't, but it did seem strange that a newsie I'd talked
to once would double-check
on me while the people I worked with were trying to get rid of me and my job
merely because I'd
spoken my mind.
Chapter 47 Kemal
Friday night, after dinner, I was standing on the balcony of the family
retreat in Aspen. I was looking [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]