Aaron smiled tightly. The alcove was open to the main restaurant floor, and Corrie-Lyn had downed her usual amount.

'That's why Inigo set up the movement hierarchy like an order of monks. Not that you couldn't have lots of sex, she sniggered. 'You just weren't supposed to take advantage of the desperate faithful; you just screw around among your own level.

'So far, so pretty standard.

'Course, I wasn't very pure. We had quite a thing going, me and Inigo. Did you know that?

'I do believe you mentioned it once or twice.

'Course you did, that's why you hit on me.

'This isn't hitting on you Corrie-Lyn.

'Slim and fit. She licked her lips. 'That's what I am, wouldn't you agree?

'Very much so. Actually, he didn't want to admit how physically attractive she was. It helped that any sexual impulse he might have felt was effectively neutralized by her drinking. After the first hour of any evening, she wasn't a pleasant person to be around.

Corrie-Lyn smiled down at her dress. 'Yeah, that's me all right. So… we had this thing, this fling. I mean, sure, he saw other women. For Ozzie's sake, the poor shit had a billion females willing and eager to rip their clothes off for him and have his babies. And I enjoyed it too, I mean, hell, Aaron, some of them made me look like I'd been hit hard by the ugly stick.

'I thought you said he was incorruptible.

'He was. He didn't take advantage is what I'm saying. But he's human. So am I. There were distractions, that's all. The cause. The vision. He stayed true to that, he gave us the dreams of the Void. He believed, Aaron, he believed utterly in what he was shown. The Void really is a better place for all of us. He made me believe, too. I'd always been a loyal follower. I had faith. Then I actually met him, I saw his belief, his devotion, and through that I became a true apostle. She finished the port and slumped back in her chair. 'I'm a zealot, Aaron. A true zealot. That's why Ethan kicked me off the Council. He doesn't like the old guard, those of us who remain true. So you, mister, you just keep your snide patronizing bollocks to yourself, you bastard, I don't fucking care what you think, I hate your smartarse weasel words. You don't believe and that makes you evil. I bet you haven't even experienced one of the dreams. That's your mistake, because they're real. For humans the Void is heaven.

'It could be heaven. You don't know for sure.

'See! She wagged a finger in his direction, barely able to focus. 'You do it every time. Smartarse words. Not stupid enough to agree with me, oh no, but enough to make me have a go preaching at you. Setting it up so I can save you.

'You're wrong. This is all about the money.

'Ha! She held up the empty bottle of port, and scowled at it.

Aaron hesitated, he could never quite tell how much control she had. He took a risk and pushed. 'Anyway, if the Void is salvation, why did he leave?

The result wasn't quite what he'd expected. Corrie-Lyn started sobbing.

'I don't know! she wailed. 'He left us. Left all of us. Oh where are you, Inigo? Where did you go? I loved you so much.

Aaron groaned in dismay. Their quiet meal was now a fullblown public spectacle. Her sobs were increasing in volume. He hurriedly called the waiter and shuffled round the seats to sit next to Corrie-Lyn, putting himself between her and the other curious patrons. 'Come on, he murmured. 'Let's go.

There was a landing platform on the thirtieth floor, but he wanted her to get some fresh air, so they took a lift straight down to the skyscraper's lobby. The boulevard outside was almost deserted. A slim road running down the middle was partially hidden behind a long row of tall bushy evergreen trees. The footpath alongside was illuminated by slender glowing arches.

'Do you think I'm attractive? Corrie-Lyn slurred as he encouraged her to walk. Past the skyscraper there were a couple of blocks of apartments, all surrounded by raised gardens. Local nightbirds swooped and flittered silently through the arches. It was a warm air, with the smell of sea ozone accompanying the humid gusts coming in from the coast.

'Very attractive, Aaron assured her. He wondered if he should insist she take the detox aerosol he'd brought along for this very eventuality. The trouble with drinkers of this stature was that they didn't want to sober up that quickly, especially not when they were burdened with as much grief as Corrie-Lyn.

'Then how come you don't try it on? Is it the drink? Do you not like me drinking? She broke away to look at him, swaying slightly, her eyes blurred from tears, hauntingly miserable. With her light coat undone to show off the exclusive cocktail dress, she presented a profoundly unappealing sight.

'Business before pleasure, Aaron said, hoping she'd accept that and just shut the hell up. He should have caught a taxi from the skyscraper's platform. As if she was finally picking up on his exasperation, she turned fast and started walking.

Someone appeared on the path barely five metres in front of them, a man in a one-piece suit that still had the remnants of its black stealth envelope swirling away like water in low gravity. Aaron scanned round with his full field functions. Two more people were shedding their envelopes as they walked up behind him. His combat routines moved smoothly to active status, accessing the situation. The first of the group to confront them was designated One. Eighty per cent probability he was the commander. The subordinates were tagged Two and Three. His close-range situation exoimage showed all three of them glowing with enrichments. He actually relaxed: by confronting him they'd taken away all choice. With that accepted, there would only be one outcome now. He simply waited for them to present him with the maximum target opportunity.

Corrie-Lyn blinked in mild bewilderment, peering forward at the first man as she clutched her small scarlet bag to her belly. 'I didn't see you. Where were you?

'You don't look too good, your honour, One replied. 'Why don't you come along with us?

Corrie-Lyn pressed back into Aaron's side, degrading his strike ability by a third. 'No, she moaned. 'No, I don't want to.

'You're bringing the Living Dream into disrepute, Your Honour, One said. 'Is that what Inigo would have wanted?

'I know you, she said wretchedly. 'I'm not going with you. Aaron, don't leave me. Please.

'Nobody is going anywhere they don't want to.

One didn't even look at him. 'You. Fuck off. If you ever want a sales meeting with a Councillor, be smart now.

'Ah, well now, here's the thing, Aaron said affably. 'I'm so stupid I can't afford an IQ boost come regeneration time. So I just stay this way for ever. Behind him, Two and Three were standing very close now. They both drew small pistols. Aaron's routines identified their hardware as jelly guns. Developed a century and a half ago as a lethal short-range weapon, they did exactly as specified on human flesh. He could feel accelerants slipping through his neurones, quickening his mental reaction time. Biononic energy currents synchronized with them, upgrading his physical responses to match. The effect dragged out spoken words, so much so he could easily predict what was going to be said long before One finished his sentence.

'Then I'm sorry for you. One sent a fast message to subordinates, which Aaron intercepted, it was nothing more than a simple code. He didn't even need to decrypt it. Both of them raised their weapons. Aaron's combat routines were already moving him smoothly. He twisted Corrie-Lyn out of the way as he bent down. The first shot from Two's jelly gun seared through the air where Aaron's head had been less than a second before. The beam struck the wall, producing a squirt of concrete dust. Aaron's foot came up fast, smashing into the knee of Three. Their force fields clashed with a screech, electrons flaring in a rosette of blue-white light. The velocity and power behind Aaron's kick was enough to distort his opponent's protection. Three's leg shattered as it was punched backwards, throwing the whole body sideways. Aaron's energy currents formatted a distortion pulse which slammed into One. He was flung back six metres into the garden wall, hitting it with a dull thud. His straining force field pushed out a dangerous bruised-purple nimbus as another of Aaron's distorter pulses pummelled him, trying to shove him clean through the wall. His back arched at the impact, force field close to outright failure.