Page 218 (1/1)

And for all her reputation, all her ruthlessness, I realize I’ve never seen Jubilee kill anyone before

I hear her draw a slow, steadying breath beside me "Anyone else want to start a war today?"

Just the touch of her skin on h h I lift my head "We need to talk All of us, Fianna and soldiers Let us show you the truth of what’s been happening here"

I see the roup of ain, to call myself one of them But I can’t order the to trusthis head as the roup of fighters to reach hirabbed him, but he doesn’t reach for it Instead, our eyes ht

"Flynn" Jubilee breathes aze

Out in the swa their weapons Coirl is dreareen-eyed boy and go, and we’ll buy a subether at the bottoht she has before the dreaht and people she’s loved, and the spaces between are filled with nonsense, a juotten

And the rest of it, she doesn’t remember

"AND SO IT’S IN THE spirit of peace that ould like to offer our assistance with the reconstruction efforts here on Avon We may not have our money invested here, but we can’t stand idly by when disaster strikes"

Listening, I grip the edges ofwith the effort of keeping still My right ar at the head of the boardroom I know his face--everyone knows his face Roderick LaRoux looks al at the crown of his head, but I find ns of the ine those blue eyes hard, the firhter was so frightened of hiaze flicks to Lilac, where she sits behind hihter Hair just so, es, but not too elaborate--a dress that says I’ understated for today’s colonial outing I’ence and warmth she displayed over the hypernet connection, but there’s nothing to hang that depth on Her facade is as flawless as her appearance

Her father is still speaking "As anization was involved in the inhual experiments that led to this outbreak of violence" Roderick LaRoux gives a sad shake of his head, letting his eyes fall with all the grace and poise of a saint "I can’t explain these claims except to say that there will always be those who seek to blas Mine is, and always has been, a philanthropic corporation, concerned only with providing the best in cutting-edge technologies to the galaxy There is nothing these…fringe conspiracy theorists can say to change that"

LaRoux’s gaze lifts again and sweeps the chamber For the briefest of instants, his eyes meet mine He knoe found there, in the bowels of that facility Just as he knows his words are true; there is nothing we can say

Not yet

Watching hih he’s used Avon as his own private laboratory, practicing this art of ripping into people’s minds, it won’t end here The thousands of soldiers affected on Avon ht places? The President’s closest advisers; the general in charge of troop deployment; the forty-two senators that aze away from Roderick LaRoux as he continues his flowery speech to announce the resources and new infrastructure being offered by LRI--a bribe,off any public suspicion about his involve at hih we sent h the research facility after the ceasefire, there wasn’t a single hint anywhere that LaRoux Industries was involved--even the ident chip I’d found and used to open the whispers’ prison was gone Though the staff remained, not one of the for the tile one still had their ident badges

There was no reason for anyone to believe us that Roderick LaRoux was behind the madness and the secret base The official story was that soroup had ca with psychotropic drugs, and that hat had led to the open hostilities two o between the Fianna and the soldiers

Still, a few did believe Commander Towers, for one Several of Flynn’s people A few of my soldiers, those with more faith in me than sense And there are ruth Netsites clai written by anonymous authors about secret projects decades back in LaRoux Industries’ history It’s enough that as I gaze around the roo masses