Sara's shoulder. "Dead!"
"You mean you didn't know?"
"No ... I ... I've been busy. All day."
"Yeah." Her tone was bitter; then abruptly she dropped a gentle sympathetic mask over her pale features. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you."
Jenkins tiptoed over. "Doctor, it seems you've had bad news. We'll talk another time."
Sara gripped Tachyon's arm with both hands and tugged him toward the elevators. "This has been a shock. You're very pale. !Maybe you should lie down."
"I need a drink."
Sara hung on grimly to his arm. "Don't you have something in your room?"
He frowned at her. "Yes."
"Let's ... let's go there." Pale tongue running briefly across those too thin lips. "I ... I need to talk to you." Physical vertigo added to his emotional vertigo as the elevator shot upward. "Chrysalis." He shook his head. "Tell me."
She did, in quick terse sentences, her pale eyes locked on his lilac ones. She seemed to be pressing for a mind contact, and he tightened his control. He didn't really want to know what went on behind that intense face.
He led them into the suite. Stood staring into the mirror over the wet bar, a hand closed limply about a brandy bottle. Mirrors. Chrysalis had loved mirrors, and had filled her boudoir with them.
He pictured the skull head with its trademark swirl of glitter on one transparent cheek. Pictured it battered to a bloody pulp. The tink of glass on glass was loud in the room.
He turned, and held out the glass, but Sara was gone. Hearing the squeak of a mattress, he walked into the bedroom, and stared in bewilderment at her pose. Elbows resting on the coverlet. One leg cocked over the other. Skirt hiked to mid-thigh. She accepted the drink, and coyly patted the bed next to her. Feeling like a man sharing a bench with a spider, he sank warily down.
"Secrets." He sighed and drank. "I suppose Chrysalis at last found the secret that killed her."
"Yes." Sara stared rigidly at the far wall. Gave a shake, and placed her hand on his arm. It lay there heavy and lifeless. "I know how much this must hurt you. You two were very close."
He removed her hand, squeezed it, and sat it aside. "I don't know if I would go that far."
The hand crept back, fingers tightening suddenly on the big muscle in his thigh. She began to rub him. Tach rolled a nervous eve in her direction. Sweat had broken along her hairline, and her lips were compressed into a thin line. She sensed his scrutiny, and smiled at him, eyelids half lowered, pouted her lips. Tachyon drained his glass. His leg muscle was beginning to cramp under her furious assault.
"Another?" He waved the glass. Throaty, husky. "Oh, yes. Please."
They sat drinking in silence. Tachyon felt his guts cramping. "I wonder-JESUS!"
He hit the edge of the bed, slid off onto the floor, brandy sloshing across his crotch. Thrust his little finger into his ear, and wiped out the moisture left by the sudden thrust of Sara's tongue. It had felt like someone driving a Q-tip dipped in icy Vaseline into his ear.
She hung over the bed staring down at him with feverbright eyes. Gasped out, "I want you! I want you!"
It was like getting hit with a rake. Bony knees, elbows, pelvis digging into his chest, groin, thighs as she flung herself upon him. They thrashed for a few moments, Sara dropping inexpert kisses onto whatever part of his anatomy she could hit. Tachyon threw her off, and tottered to the far side of the bed.
"What in the hell are you doing?" Tears of shame and rage filled his eyes.
"I want to make love with you."
"If this is some kind of joke, it is in pretty goddamn bad taste! Or actually, it's in perfect taste if you go in for cruel Takisian humor."
"What are you driveling about?" she screamed, raking back her hair.
"I'm impotent! Impotent! IMPOTENT!" "Still?" Honest amazement filled the word.
It shredded his last vestige of control. "Yes, fuck you! Now get out! Just get the hell out of here!"
Blotchy red patches flamed in her cheeks. Sara flung herself on his chest, hands clasped frenziedly behind his neck. "No, please, I cant leave you. I'm next, don't you see? Only you can keep me safe!"
"Are you out of your mind? Keep you safe from what?"
"Hartmann! HARTMANN! He killed Andi, he killed Chrysalis, and now he's going to kill me!"
"I'm not going to listen to any more of this."
"He's