“As expected, I’ve been fired,” said Mark, looking across the desk to where Arthur sat; he was in this room as well as circulating down below with the guests.
“Fired you flat, huh?” said Arthur.
“Yes. Finster and Charlotte have gotten someone else to argue the appeal. Pritikin and Schaum, I believe.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have fired you, my boy,” said Arthur. “You are the best corporate lawyer on the planet, though as a trial lawyer, well”—Coburn spread the fingers of his right hand and held it out horizontally and wobbled it—“let me just say I would have hired Melissa for that job instead.”
“I did my best for Charlotte and Finster,” said Perry, “but Melissa was simply too canny.” He smiled at her and made a slight bow, and she stood and curtseyed.
“Well, never mind, Mark,” said Arthur. “You and I and Melissa will whup up good on whoever they retain.”
“You know I cannot breach any client-attorney privileges,” said Mark.
“Yes, yes, my boy, I wouldn’t have it any other way. And oh, by the bye, I’d like to retain your exclusive services again. All right?”
“As before?” asked Mark.
“With a raise,” said Arthur.
“Then, I’m all for it.”
“Welcome aboard again. Now sit down. There’s a new business I want to start, and I’d like you to draft up the particulars.”
“New business, eh?” said Mark, taking a seat and eagerly leaning forward to listen, for now he was truly in his element. “Tell me about it.”
At that same moment in an adjoining chamber, Arthur said to Alice Maxon, “How’s the new talent going.”
“Well,” said Alice, “at first astral travel seemed a bit, uh, woo-woo.”
Meredith, Hiroko, Caine, Timothy, and Eric all broke into laughter, and Ky said, “As if what we can do isn’t already woo-woo.”
Alice smiled and said, “Regardless, it was.” She turned to the image of Arthur. “As I was saying, at first it was strange, but then it seems I got the hang of it. Even so, I can’t seem to drain the life out of even the tiniest fly.”
“Speaking of flying,” said Meredith, sitting with Timothy and holding his hand, “do you do so in astral travel?”
“I do,” said Alice.
Kane said, “Is your astral self attached to your physical body by a silver cord?”
“It is.”
“Well then, I suspect that unless you break that cord, you won’t be able to drain a flea. You see, I don’t think you’ll be a ghost as long as it is attached.”
Eric said, “I don’t advise you to ever break it. We had a helluva time finding you when it was missing.”
Alice leaned over and kissed him and smiled, for all was right in the world.
“By the way,” asked Kane, “how is Avery doing?”
“Making progress,” said Arthur. “But it’s slow going.” Then he laughed and added. “Psychiatrists are falling all over themselves to get to the Arkham asylum.”
“I shouldn’t wonder, what with the tasty staff there,” said Timothy.
“The men were certainly handsome,” said Meredith, “but the women . . . eh.”
“Meow,” said Timothy.
Then Eric said, “You called us in here for a private meeting. What’s up?”
“Well, I have a proposal to offer you. Given your peculiar talents, it’s an opportunity I think you’ll find difficult to refuse.”
“Ooh,” said Ky, snuggling closer to Kane, but keeping her attention on Arthur. “This sounds delicious.”
It was the heart of the evening when Alice and Eric, Meredith and Timothy, and Hiroko and Caine stepped to the balcony above the ball room, and down below, Arthur hoisted a holodrink and called out for all to hear, “Up the Black Foxes.”
And so shouted they all.
68
Two Years Later
(Frankie Roberts)
With a dispirited look on her face, Frankie sat at her newly won anchor desk, waiting for the commercial to end.
“Why so glum?” asked Steve.
Frankie took a deep breath and said, “It seems nothing at all exciting is happening in the world.”
“I wouldn’t say that, Frankie. There’s the trouble in China.”
“Yes, but—”
“Stand by, people,” said the floor-director. “Commercial is about to end.” Then he held up his hand five fingers extended. “In five, four . . .” He stopped saying the numbers, but his hand gestures continued the countdown: three, two, one, go.
With a serious expression upon her face, Frankie looked into the camera and said, “The troubles in the northeastern region of the Peoples Republic of China persist, as a terrorist group continues to detonate bombs among the civilian population, striking at markets and sports venues and other places where large numbers gather. Here to report the latest is Chungu Wang in the province of Jilin.”
The director cut to the recorded holo, and Frankie waited for the two-minute piece to end.
When Steve’s light came back on, Frankie said, “And in an allied story, several of Arthur Coburn’s associates—Eric Flannery, Alice Maxton, Timothy Rendell, Meredith Rodgers, Caine Easely, and Hiroko Kikiro—all members of the company, Risk Limited, are now in the same region. Arthur Coburn will only say that they are there to help the PRC contain the threat in that most dangerous of places. He assures us that the PRC will be doing everything in its power to keep them safe. This is the fourth perilous area in which Risk Limited has been involved, yet in every case the danger has vanished. This reporter can only say they must be very good at whatever it is they do.
“In an allied story, Arthur Coburn says that Avery and Avery are making progress in their therapy at the sanitarium in the virtual reality town of Arkham, Massachusetts. He also reports that psychiatrists are clamoring to observe the treatment under the auspices of Dr. Wade Wellman, who joins Avery and Avery in virtual reality to help them overcome their dissociative identity disorder. Rumor has it that among the psychiatrists, they are more than happy to also work with the staff at this VR asylum; several names keep popping up, in particular, Nurses Tonkins and Delilah, who seem to be the men’s favorites; for the women, it’s someone on the staff named Travis, as well as a Dr. Raymond. And of course, everyone speaks well of the students at Miskatonic U., the virtual university in town. Someday, perhaps we can arrange a broadcast from there and show you what goes on in Arkham.”
Frankie looked at the floor-director who held up his hands and silently counted down from ten. And she smiled into the cam and said, “When we return we’ll talk to impeached Judge Harold Danson to see what he’s doing these days, as well as revisit the border to look at events there.”
Steve’s holocam light went dark, and the commercial cut in. Frankie looked about the studio, a place she had always coveted, and rising to the anchor desk seemed at first to be the dream job she had always wanted. But she missed the excitement of the field, and the rough and tumble in the chase after a breaking story. She glanced down at the bullet list of topics and said, “Trouble in China. Wish I were there. You know, Steve, one of these days we need to go over to Coburn’s mansion and see if I can wheedle out of him just what it is that Risk Limited does. I mean, they send those six people into a dangerous area and soon things settle down. But what is it that they do? I mean, come on, an author, a biologist, a computer scientist, a rare books dealer, a cosmetic surgeon, and an artist? How can they possibly help put down insurgencies? It isn’t as if they are the real Black Fo—” Frankie’s eyes widened with sudden insight, and she breathed, “Oh. My. Go—”
“Stand by, people. We’re back in five, four . . .”
Cogito, ergo sum
Afterword
Just as Caverns of Socrates (now retitled Shadowtrap) was a fascinating and fun book to write, Shadowprey was a pleasure as well. Much of the research that went into the first book (a list appears at the end of Caverns, AKA Shadowtrap), also stood me in g
ood stead in the second book. However, since the writing of Caverns/Shadowtrap, much additional material has been published over the intervening years, having to do with consciousness, the mind, souls, and artificial intelligence, and there have been and will continue to be books and TV shows and lectures and conversations which impinge on the subjects in both this tale and its prequel.
In any event, I do hope that Shadowprey has been a worthwhile read for you. I know that the writing of it was a worthwhile endeavor for me.
~ Dennis L. McKiernan
Tucson, 2007
Photo by Silhouette Studios
Dennis L McKiernan lives in Tucson, Arizona, with Martha Lee (MLee) McKiernan; they married in 1957 (you do the math).
Table of Contents
Title
Copyright
Flap Copy
Other books by Dennis L. McKiernan
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Note
Opening Epigram
Chapter 1 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 2 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 3 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes)
Chapter 4 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes)
~Chapter 5 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes)
Chapter 6 ~ Courthouse (Greyson)
Chapter 7 ~ Five Months before the Hearing
Chapter8 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 9 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes and Toni’s Team)
Chapter 10 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 11 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing
Chapter 12 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 13 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 14 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 15 Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 16 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 17 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 18 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 19 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 20 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 21 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 22 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 23 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 24 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 25 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 26 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 27 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 28 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 29 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 30 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 31 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 32 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 33 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 34 ~ The Mountain (Dark and Light)
Chapter 35 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 36 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 37 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 38 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 39 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 40 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 41 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 42 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 43 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 44 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 45 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 46 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 47 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 48 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 49 ~ United States (Risk Ltd.)
Chapter 50 ~ Five months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 51 ~ United States (Risk Ltd.)
Chapter 52 ~ Courthoust (Greyson)
Chapter 53 ~ United States (Risk Ltd.)
Chapter 54 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 55 ~ Polaris (Starfighters)
Chapter 56 ~ Courthouse (Stein)
Chapter 57 ~ Polaris (Starfighters)
Chapter 58 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 59 ~ Polaris (Starfighters)
Chapter 60 ~ Courthouse (Paxton)
Chapter 61 ~ Mayo Clinic Teaching Hospital (Black Foxes)
Chapter 62 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 63 ~ Mayo Clinic Teaching Hospital (Black Foxes)
Chapter 64 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Corporate team)
Chapter 65 ~ Courthouse (Coburn)
Chapter 66 ~ Courthouse (Judge Marshall
Chapter 67 ~ Coburn Mansion (Arthu Coburn and Others)
Chapter 68 ~ Two years Later (Frankie Roberts)
Cloasing Epigram
Afterword
About the Author
Table of Contents
Title
Copyright
Flap Copy
Other books by Dennis L. McKiernan
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Note
Opening Epigram
Chapter 1 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 2 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 3 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes)
Chapter 4 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes)
~Chapter 5 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes)
Chapter 6 ~ Courthouse (Greyson)
Chapter 7 ~ Five Months before the Hearing
Chapter8 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 9 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Black Foxes and Toni’s Team)
Chapter 10 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 11 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing
Chapter 12 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 13 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 14 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 15 Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 16 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 17 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 18 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 19 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 20 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 21 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 22 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 23 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 24 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 25 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 26 ~ Itheria (Black Foxes)
Chapter 27 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 28 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 29 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 30 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 31 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 32 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 33 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 34 ~ The Mountain (Dark and Light)
Chapter 35 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 36 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 37 ~ Malagar (Crew of the Sorrow)
Chapter 38 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 39 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 40 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 41 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 42 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 43 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 44 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 45 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 46 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 47 ~ Egypt (Tomb Raiders)
Chapter 48 ~ Courthouse (Adkins)
Chapter 49 ~ United States (Risk Ltd.)
Chapter 50 ~ Five months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 51 ~ United States (Risk Ltd.)
C
hapter 52 ~ Courthoust (Greyson)
Chapter 53 ~ United States (Risk Ltd.)
Chapter 54 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 55 ~ Polaris (Starfighters)
Chapter 56 ~ Courthouse (Stein)
Chapter 57 ~ Polaris (Starfighters)
Chapter 58 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 59 ~ Polaris (Starfighters)
Chapter 60 ~ Courthouse (Paxton)
Chapter 61 ~ Mayo Clinic Teaching Hospital (Black Foxes)
Chapter 62 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Coburn Facility)
Chapter 63 ~ Mayo Clinic Teaching Hospital (Black Foxes)
Chapter 64 ~ Five Months Before the Hearing (Corporate team)
Chapter 65 ~ Courthouse (Coburn)
Chapter 66 ~ Courthouse (Judge Marshall
Chapter 67 ~ Coburn Mansion (Arthu Coburn and Others)
Chapter 68 ~ Two years Later (Frankie Roberts)
Shadowprey: A Black Foxes Adventure Page 32
