forest side of the estate, edged in among thickets of ornamental ground cover, stopped in the center of one of the densest clusters of growth. Its side door opened. Telzey climbed from the driver’s seat to the top of the door, then onto the top of the car, followed by Gaziel. Each of them now had one of the big handguns Gaziel had discovered fastened to her dress belt. A thick taloak branch hung low over the car. They scrambled up to it, moved on.
Some five minutes later, they sat high in a tree near the edge of the grove, straddling branches six feet apart. They could watch much of the ground in front of the building through the leaves, were safely out of sight themselves. So far, there’d been no indication of activity in the area.
“It might be a while before they start looking for Linden,” Gaziel said presently.
“Unless Ti checks in to see how our indoctrination is coming along,” Telzey said.
“Yes, he’s likely—”
Gaziel’s voice broke off. Telzey looked over at her. She sat still, frozen, staring down at Linden’s gun which she was holding in both hands.
“I’m sorry,” Telzey said after a moment. “I wasn’t really sure myself until just now.”
Gaziel slowly refastened the gun to her belt, lifted her head.
“I’m nothing,” she said, gray-faced. “A copy! A wirehead.”
“You’re me,” Telzey said, watching her.
Gaziel shook her head. “I’m not you. You felt me get that order?”
Telzey nodded. “Ti’s working through the computer. You were to take control of me—use the gun if you had to—then get me and Linden’s car back to the main entrance.”
“And I’d have done it!” Gaziel said. “I was about to point the gun at you. You canceled the order—”
“Yes. I blanked out the computer contact.”
Gaziel drew a ragged breath. “So you’re back to being a psi,” she
Some five minutes later, they sat high in a tree near the edge of the grove, straddling branches six feet apart. They could watch much of the ground in front of the building through the leaves, were safely out of sight themselves. So far, there’d been no indication of activity in the area.
“It might be a while before they start looking for Linden,” Gaziel said presently.
“Unless Ti checks in to see how our indoctrination is coming along,” Telzey said.
“Yes, he’s likely—”
Gaziel’s voice broke off. Telzey looked over at her. She sat still, frozen, staring down at Linden’s gun which she was holding in both hands.
“I’m sorry,” Telzey said after a moment. “I wasn’t really sure myself until just now.”
Gaziel slowly refastened the gun to her belt, lifted her head.
“I’m nothing,” she said, gray-faced. “A copy! A wirehead.”
“You’re me,” Telzey said, watching her.
Gaziel shook her head. “I’m not you. You felt me get that order?”
Telzey nodded. “Ti’s working through the computer. You were to take control of me—use the gun if you had to—then get me and Linden’s car back to the main entrance.”
“And I’d have done it!” Gaziel said. “I was about to point the gun at you. You canceled the order—”
“Yes. I blanked out the computer contact.”
Gaziel drew a ragged breath. “So you’re back to being a psi,” she