Man-Kzin Wars XII by Larry Niven (books you have to read .TXT) 📕

CHAPTER X

Farouk's eyes tell me everything I need to know. I've let him down, and I am in serious trouble. His big hand holds me back, letting some distance form between Lucie and ourselves.

“You've been seen with the girl, and you've been spotted returning late multiple nights.” He won't look me in the eye. “You'll have to deal with the consequences. Do yourself a favor. Don't talk too much. Keep the answers short.”

I don't answer. I follow in his long shadow through the tunnels to what looks like the darkest part of this whole city. The smell of wet dirt accosts my nose. Nothing good is down here.

Farouk walks through an open door, and I step in behind him. The room is about five times the size of my bedroom. A small unkempt bed graces the wall next to the bathroom on my right. On the opposite wall are six monitors stacked atop each other. They are more worn than any of the monitors in Egypt. Grainy feeds of the field and the exterior of the stadium play on all but one.

The last monitor shows something entirely different. It's a large clean room. In the center are two of the medical beds like I recovered in back at the compound. The glass covers are closed, and they look like the two newest pieces of equipment in this entire stadium. That must be the bunker for the Genesys.

“Sit.” Lucie snaps me from my trance. Farouk is already sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. Lucie sits on the other side of a table from him. The table is littered with tablets and some of those old books Atom used to read.

I take a seat in the chair next to Farouk, heeding his advice. I plan to speak as little as possible. I keep my posture in the chair as rigid as possible, still trying my best to pass off being a drone.

Her eyes study every inch of my body, inside and out. “Where were you?”

I take a moment to process my answer. “Exploring.”

My brief answer seems to catch her off guard; the way she crosses her arms tells me she's frustrated with what I said. She looks at Farouk for help, but he stays quiet. She looks back at me. “Exploring what?”

“The city.” I'm intent on keeping every reply as brief as possible.

“Why?” she snaps back.

“To learn about the outsiders.” I keep myself as calm as possible.

She leans forward, intrigued. “Why do you want to learn about them?

“They are not like the outsiders near the compound in Egypt. I am curious why.” I'm almost as surprised by my answer as she is.

Lucie looks to Farouk, and this time he nods. She faces me again and smiles. “Who is the girl?”

My breathing stops. She knows about KJ. This isn't good. She could do something to her and her family. I shape the words I say next with extreme caution. “I have questioned many girls. They are different than me, and I like to learn what else makes them different other than appearances.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Farouk smirk, and I know that I answered that well. I want to apologize to KJ for saying there are other girls, even though I know I meant nothing wrong by what I said.

“And what makes them different?” Lucie presses, attempting to catch me in a lie.

I have gotten into a good rhythm by now, so I am ready to answer whatever she asks me. “They smile more often than the males and take appreciation in the smallest details. They care more about the well-being of others. They are smart, and strong, and they seem better suited to lead, like yourself.”

My last comment seems to surprise Lucie. She stammers, and her cheeks turn red. The compliment catches Farouk off guard as well.

“Get him out of here!” she yells out before she expresses any embarrassment. She still wants to maintain the upper hand. “And don't let him leave the compound again.”

Farouk leads me out and waits a few moments before he speaks. “Your development is remarkable. I would have never in a million years thought that you would develop the ability to lie, compliment, and manipulate.

“Thank you.” My smile almost reaches my ears. It is the nicest thing he has said to me.

“Don't let it go to your head. You are not off the hook. You messed up and will have to face the consequences.” Farouk states. He's careful not to speak when we are in earshot of anyone else.

“Okay. What do I need to do?” I whisper.

He waits to answer until we have made it back to my room, and he shuts the door. “You will need to lay low for the next week. Don't leave this room. She's going to be watching you and will have someone follow your every move. She'll get tired in a week, but until then, we can't compromise your progress. Paz has filled me in on everything you've told her. Do you still have any full vials?”

“Yes, two.” I grab them from under my bed. I hope Paz hasn't told him everything we've talked about. I don't want him to know that I've been second-guessing my leadership.

Farouk grabs the vials from my hands and places them in his pocket. “Do you trust 13 to be able to continue your work?”

“Absolutely. He has been there with me every time I've turned a drone.” I let 13 do it the last time, but I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to tell Farouk.

“Good.” He opens the door. “Don't let me catch you outside.”

He shuts the door behind him, and I fall back onto my bed. Thoughts are littering my head. Can 13 keep turning the drones? We have built a decent-sized community in Badwater, and 13 kept other drones away from there to ensure that no one would catch on to what we