Темное, кривое зеркало. Том 3 : След на песке - страница 44

Catherine had been waiting in silence for nearly half an hour, and she was becoming more and more agitated by the minute. That was the point, of course, but recognising it did not make the wait any easier.

Finally, after an interminable time, the door opened the briefest fraction and Hampton announced, "He will see you now." Swallowing harshly, Catherine entered, avoiding the suspicious stares of the towering security guards.

She blinked sharply as she walked into the room. There was a slight hiss as the door closed behind her, shutting the room in total darkness. She could see nothing, nothing at all. There was no sound either.

"Mr. Zento," she said softly, walking forward. There was no reply. She said his name again, but still there was nothing. She winced as she bumped into something just in front of her. Feeling it gingerly she realised it was a chair.

"Sit down," said a voice from nowhere. It was electronically distorted. Feeling her way carefully around the chair, Catherine did so. No sooner had she placed her arms on the rests than steel restraints slid out from them, trapping her there. Similar bonds wrapped around her ankles.

"A precaution, nothing more," spoke the same electronic voice. "I apologise for the…. awkwardness of this meeting, but it was necessary."

"Mr. Zento?" she asked softly.

"No. He is busy elsewhere." Even through the distortion, the politeness in the voice came through. Urbane, civilised, efficient, and no one she knew. "I was given the task of conducting this interview."

"What is this about?"

"What does the name G'Kar mean to you?"

A cold sweat gripped her. "Just a name," she replied. "Just…. a name."

"Uh-uh, Miss Sakai. I am afraid that is a lie. Please try to tell the truth. This will go so much more easily if you do. You know more than just his name."

She swallowed harshly. "What is this about?"

"An interview, as I told you. A means to determine…. various issues important to the company at this time. Now again, please answer the question, or certain…. less pleasant methods will have to be employed."

"G'Kar…." she said. Her mouth felt very dry. "A former member of the Narn Government body…. the Kha'Ri. A war hero during their first war with the Centauri. He resigned under mysterious circumstances towards the end of that war, and disappeared. Rumour described him as a prominent preacher of some sort, wandering his homeworld, before he disappeared again just over two years ago. No one has seen him since."

"Not quite no one, Miss Sakai. That is an awful lot of information about a Narn, is it not?"

"He was an important figure. Very prominent."

"Oh yes, but still. You have been investigating him, have you not? Out of a certain…. personal interest. Explain why."

"His name appeared in relation to various…. anomalies in our shipping records. Periods of time unaccounted for, unrecorded journeys."

"I see. And how is he connected to these anomalies?"

"His name appeared somewhere in most of the shipping records. His name or that of others in the Kha'Ri…. all affiliates of his from his time in the Kha'Ri."

"And your conclusion? I trust you have made one."

"I think certain elements within this company have a deal with G'Kar, and are arranging valuable shipments to him, or others in the Narn Government. For what reason, I do not know."

"And what would these shipments consist of?"

"The actual cargoes on the ships which were diverted were all along the lines of weapons technology, genetics information and gene strands, and metals necessary for jump gate construction."

"I see. Is there any trace of such cargoes going missing?"

"No, but I feel the cargo manifests may have been filled in incorrectly."

"Well, my congratulations on such a thorough investigation, Miss Sakai. This matter is now out of your hands. Do not speak to anyone of it, do not continue any investigations, and never mention the name of G'Kar to anyone at all. Resume your normal duties."

"Yes," she said, angrily. She did not like any of this.

"Oh, one last question, Miss Sakai. Are you involved with anyone at the moment?"