“She does? Which implies you don’t?”
“Like my father, I have little tolerance for those of Corth II’s ilk.”
“Ohh—kay,” she said, stretching out the word. “I suppose that made perfect sense—to you. And come to think of it, I’d just as soonnotknow what you mean by ‘ilk.’ I do find it odd, however, his having a number for a last name. Is that common in your country?”
“It is not a last name. He is the second in his line, an advanced model of Martha’s creation, similar to the original Corth.”
“Martha’s son?” she said with surprise.
“Something like that.”
“Something like—?” She frowned now. “Okay, I know I’m missing something here, and now I’d like that explanation. Martha, want to fill me in?”
“Not a chance, doll. I just love watching warriors dig holes they can’t get out of.”
Brittany made a face, but turned her questions back in Dalden’s direction. “So why didn’t this Corth get an original name?”
“Martha is a Mock II. It follows that anything that improves on the original, as she was, would get the same classification from her.”
“I give up. You’re talking like he’s a machine, an android or something like that, when that’s impossible.”
“Why impossible?”
“Because we might be making strides with robotic gadgets, but nothing even remotely like what just walked in here. That was a man. I’ve got eyes. There was nothing mechanical about him.”
He reminded her, “Inventions that defy belief, you were told.”
She blinked at him, but then she chuckled. “I’m glad you’ve got a sense of humor, Dalden, I really am. It’s an odd one, but none the less amusing.”
“Woman—”
“This might be a really good time to drop the subject, children,” Martha interjected dryly at that point. “You’ve overslept this morning. The big guy still needs to be fed. I was hoping we’d get to City Hall when it first opens, but now you’ll have to backtrack again, to make sure no mischief gets caused before your arrival. Waste of time that could have been prevented if someone’s alarm had been set.”
Brittany blushed, mumbled something about grumpy old women, and went back to the bedroom to get dressed.
Chapter 23
“IT’S AS I SUSPECTED,”MARTHA WAS SAYING AS THEYwalked into the central lobby at City Hall. “Jorran’s people were all turned loose on your fair town. The three that I have links to each abided the night in different locations, harmless for the most part. Buttheyshowed up here bright and early, unlike some—”
“There are times when you may ignore Martha,” Dalden told Brittany, his arm around her waist. “Were it important for us to be here sooner, she would have woken us herself.”
A snort first, then, “Actually, waking you myself, without any other distractions there to get you out of bed, would have guaranteed alotmore wasted time. Both blushing? I see you understand why I didn’t do the waking, but sent Corth II over instead.”
“Is there going to be a time when you can turn her off?” was Brittany’s mumbled response.
“Indeed, but not for several more months.”
Brittany frowned. “You don’t really think it’s going to take that long to find Jorran, do you?”
“No,” he replied. “But Martha cannot be gotten rid of until I return home, and she is returned to being only my mother’s nuisance.”
“Tedra doesnotconsider me a nuisance,” Martha interjected in hurt tones.
“Can my father say the same?”
“’Course not” came out with a chuckle that belied there’d been any real hurt in the last comment.
Brittany ignored the banter, was stuck on that “several months” remark. “Then you’re not going straight home after you’re done here?”
