Strapp stood silent for a moment, his intense eyes never leaving Ryan's face. "Of course. Still, I'd like to ask you a few questions about where you were at the time of the assassination. Simply routine, you understand, but I must tell you that I'm a mage and skilled in truth detection."

Ryan met his eyes and saw nothing but cold calculation there, despite the warm tone. "Of course."

"All right, then let's get down to it. You say you were out of the country. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

Ryan smiled. "I was looking out for some of Dunkelzahn's business interests in Aztlan."

Strapp smiled. "Really? That's pretty dark country for a simple business trip."

Ryan nodded. "I won't try and fool you. The trip wasn't without its risks."

"Is there someone who can confirm where you were? Someone who was with you perhaps?"

Ryan frowned. "I was alone."

"I see."

"Carla Brooks can vouch for me, Mr. Strapp."

"Yes, perhaps that is so, but Ms. Brooks was in Washington at the time of the assassination."

"I spoke with her by telecom just before the explosion."

Strapp smiled, showing yellow teeth behind his thin lips. "Is this the same call the President received just prior to the assassination?"'

Again, Ryan nodded. "Yes, Carla patched me through to Dunkelzahn. I had discovered what he'd sent me to find out, and I'd been given strict instructions to call him immediately. I follow orders."

Strapp's stare intensified. "What did you discover?"

Ryan shook his head. "As much as I'd like to tell you, it isn't information I have the authority to pass along."

Strapp turned abruptly, and began a casual inspection of the ancient hardcopy books that lined the study's shelves. "Mister Mercury, you disappeared for a few days following the President's death. Where were you?"

Ryan smiled, letting his exhaustion show through. "Well, my pride would like to say I was in hiding after reporting in, but I guess I'm not quite as good at covert operations as I'd like to be. I was caught just after sending the message. I was detained for several days before being rescued."

Strapp turned back slowly, open disbelief on his face. "You were caught? Why do I find that just a bit too convenient?"

Ryan let some anger show through. "You wouldn't have found it so convenient if you'd been in my place, Mr. Strapp. It was no party."

"Perhaps not, but is there a record of your incarceration? Is there someone who can corroborate your story?"

Ryan felt the anger well inside him. He remembered waking up in Roxborough's delta clinic. Not knowing who he was, trusting the face on the screen. The boyish face of Thomas Roxborough. Ryan had believed he was Roxborough. He had wanted to help free Roxborough from his vat; he had felt sorry for the man.

Roxborough had used the drug laes to erase Ryan's memory. And his scientists had implanted gengineered retroviruses to encode Roxborough's memories and personality onto Ryan's mind. All as part of a plan to transfer Roxborough's spirit out of his disintegrating body and into Ryan's.

The image of Roxborough's vat body came to Ryan's mind, the tendrils of brain matter floating in the thick saline like dreadlocks. Wires and cybernetics shone among the translucent pink, connected to the heavy black cords that led out of his tank to his Matrix interface. Bits of re-differentiated tissue scattered throughout his amorphous flesh. Bone and muscle and organ.

That man's ruthless personality had almost overcome Ryan, and it had been Nadja's love that had brought back his own memories. And later, it had been Nadja's love again, combined with Dunkelzahn's teachings, that had helped Ryan battle Roxborough's evil desire inside him. Desire to keep the Dragon Heart and all the power that came with it.

Now, Ryan shook off the memory and glared at Strapp. "No," he said, grinding his teeth. "I was held in custody alone, and I doubt you'll find records of my stay."

Strapp nodded and perhaps he sensed how edgy Ryan was getting because he changed tactics. "All right, let's take this from a different angle. Do you suppose that what you found down there could have prompted the Azzies to take action against the President."

Ryan shrugged. He'd mentioned nothing specific about the Aztlan government or Aztechnology thus far, but there was no point in playing games with Strapp. He was just as anxious to see Dunkelzahn's killer apprehended. "I see where you're heading, but I don't think so. Make no mistake, the Azzies never liked Dunkelzahn and may have wanted him dead. But they would have needed weeks of planning and, as I understand things, the assassination happened only minutes after I called in. Unless they had planned on doing it anyway, my being discovered couldn't have had anything to do with the assassination."

Strapp scratched at the stubble on his chin. "My thoughts exactly, but I had to ask. What else did you talk to the President about during the phone conversation?"

"Nothing."

Strapp nodded and paced back around behind Ryan.

"All right, next question. How well do you know Damien Knight?"

For the first time, Ryan was actually taken by surprise. "Knight? Not well at all. I've met him once, but it was brief and informal."

"What do you think of Dunkelzahn's and Damien Knight's relationship."

Ryan chuckled. "Not much. Dunkelzahn respected Knight, I think. They played chess, which means Knight must be a slotting good master of the board. Other than that, I didn't pay it much attention. Why?"

"I'm just checking out all leads. As CEO of Ares, Knight certainly had the resources to pull off the assassination, as would any high-level megacorp executive. But Knight seems to have been closer to the President than most others. Dunkelzahn's will has been difficult to sort through, but I noticed Knight received a chess set-a much more personal item than nuyen, and indicating a long-term relationship. Anyone who could play chess with a great dragon might be able to kill him."

"You suspect him?"

Strapp gave Ryan a hard stare. "Not anymore than I suspect you, Mr. Mercury. Aren't you the 'Ryanthusar' to whom Dunkelzahn willed his Heart?"

Ryan took a step back. "Yes, but-"

"And what is this Heart? Is it an ancient magical artifact? Is it a small personal item? It doesn't matter either way, Mr. Mercury, because it incriminates you regardless. It gives you motive."

"But I-"

Strapp interrupted, scanning from Ryan to Nadja. "You both have motive, inheriting billions of nuyen, and perhaps powerful magic. You were both personally close to the President, and you, Mr. Mercury"-Strapp pointed at Ryan-"you had the resources to pull it off. You have an alibi, but it's far from airtight. You could have made that telecom call from Aztlan or from around the corner, you have no one to vouch for your being captured, and perhaps you were just lying low until you could eliminate the evidence."

Ryan clapped. "Wonderful story, Mr. Strapp, but it would hardly hold up." But he was thinking, This man might be able to pin the assassination on Nadja and me, even though we had nothing to do with it.

Strapp lost the hard-line stare. "Perhaps not yet, but more digging will tell." Abruptly, he turned to Nadja. "Thank you for being so understanding, I know your schedule made this meeting a bit difficult." Then he turned back to Ryan. "You've been very cooperative, and I thank you for that."

Lying right through his teeth, thought Ryan.

"I trust you'll inform my office if you decide to make any travel plans."

Ryan stood, forced himself to maintain the appearance of civility, and stretched out his hand. "Of course. If there's anything else, give me a call. As I said before, I'm more than happy to help in any way possible."

Strapp didn't bother taking Ryan's hand, but simply looked at them both as if from far away. "I will figure out who killed the president," he said. "And I just hope for your sakes, you had nothing to do with it, because if you did, I will bury you."