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Kaleb leaned back in his chair and swiveled to stare out at the gray chill of Moscow People hurried across the snow-flecked square, all walking as if they had soiven the city’s forty-year reign as one of the world’s econoave the order?" He turned back to Silver

"Negative" Her eyes flicked to thebehind hiement"

He’d already seen the trail laid by the approaching high-speed airjet "We have ten uest makes it down to this office Tell me what else I need to know" This infore in his plans

"The authorization cah up in the Council ranks The individual or individuals were able to provide test subjects who either volunteered or were those ould not be ue on that point"

An intentional oversight, Kaleb thought No rational Psy would accede to having his or her brain implanted with a device that hadn’t yet reached beta testing He could aluarantee there had been no volunteers

"The data is fragmented," Silver continued, "but I’roup is limited to ten members They’ve already had one confirmed fatality"

"FindPsy whoon it" She glanced down at the flat screen of her organizer "There are two other crucial factors The first is that Ashaya Aleine appears to have solved the issue of Static"

Static, a terround noise - the sound ofsimulations to test the theory behind Protocol I No Psy could function with that kind of mental distraction

"The second factor?" A sht flashed on the surface of his fully co pad

"It’s coe that Protocol I would never have worked as initially postulated because it would have reduced the entire population to one level To use an analogy, ould have all become worker bees"

And a hive could not survive without a queen "You’re saying Aleine solved the proble power remained in the hands of those ould use it to keep the Psy at the top of the food chain

"Not completely," Silver clarified, "but she does appear to have broken the iories - priinal participants in the trial, eight had secondary implants, two primary"

Two rulers With possible total control over the other eight Such influence would be the prerogative of those in power should Protocol I coet me any names" He had his suspicions, but what he needed was proof

"Yes, Councilor" She gave a short nod and walked out

Another light flashed on the glea black smoothness of his desk to indicate that his visitor had exited the glass hover-elevator and was heading toward his office Touching a concealed panel under the desk, he initiated its securethe co that went on in this room Of course, he had no doubt that his visitor had coency

A knock and then the door opened to reveal his administrative assistant, Lenik "Sir, Councilor Duncan is here for your h

Walking around the desk, Kaleb went to ood of you to come all this way"

Almond-shaped brown eyes looked into his, cool and certainly calculating "As it appears we need to discuss certain discreet ical choice Your offices aren’t as closely watched as mine"

He had no need to ask for further explanation The DarkRiver cats and their allies, the SnowDancer wolves, hadn’t been shy about the fact that they were keeping tabs on Nikita She was the only Councilor within easy reach of their territories since Tatiana’s er be a problem in the near future" The Council had taken steps to elihtly and the light frolossy black of her hair "We will see I’m not as convinced as the rest of the membership about the infallibility of the plan Our data collection on the changelings has been allowed to lapse to a disgraceful level We’redecisions based on outdated information"

Kaleb made a mental note to check her assertion "The DarkRiver Project is still bearing good returns, I trust?" He was referring to the groundbreaking real estate deal between the Duncan Group and the leopard pack that controlled San Francisco and its surrounding areas

"Yes," she confirmed "Despite the annoyance the cats present in terood for my economic interests"

"A sharp distinction"

"Precisely My profit e should the Council’s plan succeed But I’m sure you’re well aware of that It’s why you asked ht have a number of interests in common"

Nikita walked past hi a core of pure poison "I thought you would ally with Shoshanna She was responsible for your entry into the Council"