Chapter 9

IX

CPG

Redsborough, on the south side of the river, facing the Human Quarter. Rows and rows of redbrick buildings, not too old, nor too young, are neatly stacked around one another, divided up into neat, straight roads, communal gardens fenced off with wrought iron.

The two ends of the street are taped off. Wingless apians in fluorescent yellow jackets stand guard. Small crowds of residents are gathering there. Within the cordon, police officers in riot gear - all wingless apians - clamber over the walls and roofs on all sixes. Either side of one otherwise inconspicuous door, about a dozen more are crouched down. All of them carry sub-machineguns.

At one end of the street, a white, blue and yellow van hulks on the curb. In the back, beneath low racks of black equipment, a wingless apian in body armour pores over a map. She holds a radio to her mandibles; her helmet sits between her front feet. When she has finished issuing orders for a moment, she turns to Zzg. "If your missing security guard was flying the flag for the CPG, then chances are he was in with these guys. You can see the CPG trying to switch to a cellular model to try and keep up with the Slinkist gangs, but they're not doing too good a job at it. I think winged apians are just too caught up in hierarchies to pull it off. No offence, Zzrh."

Zzrh smiles generously. "None taken, Zee."

The radio crackles. "Fibre optic sweep completed," a voice announces. "Three winged apian occupants, no visible armaments."

"All units report," Zee says.

"Team one, in position."

Five more teams report that they are in position. Zzrh looks at Zzg. She cocks her head to one side. There is a palpable tension in the air. Zee holds her radio tightly, the exoskeleton on her palm bending slightly under the pressure.

"Team six, charge placed. In position."

Zzg raises a feeler. "You're going to blow something up?"

"Just the door," Zee says with a chuckle. Then she speaks into the radio in low, businesslike tones: "All units, weapons free. Hold your fire unless you're certain you're in danger. They don't seem to be armed, but we have every reason to believe that they may have weapons in the building. Stand by… Go, go, go."

She sets the radio down. A muffled bang sounds somewhere outside the van, followed by shouts and breaking glass. The officers crawling on the walls and roof will have entered the building by the windows. The racist thugs inside are probably getting the fright of their life.

"In all honesty," Zee says thoughtfully, "I think we're only here because of this whole Ogive business. The guys in charge think that they're going to have to stomp on some human Slinkists in the near future, and they want the newspapers leading with us stomping on apian racists before it happens."

"I thought you had good reason to go after these guys," Zzrh says, leaning back into his uncomfortable seat.

"We do. Aside from the fact that they're fuckwits, we have every reason to believe they were involved in a jewellery store robbery a week or so back. But there doesn't seem to be enough evidence to build a case yet. They'll be up in the dock on the charge of being fuckwits. Reading Zez in the first degree? Do we know anything yet that we can actually get them for?"

She leans forward and pulls a cigarette out of a pocket in the side of her black combat trousers. "Then again, what do I know? I'm not a detective. They tell me whose head to pop and I pop it."

The radio crackles and snorts. "Zee, we're done here. All three suspects apprehended. One firearm recovered. I'll contact the forensics guys."

Zee shoves the cigarette in the corner of her mouth and replies. "Nice one."

"Do you have a light?" Zzrh asks her suddenly.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm not, I've lost my lighter. I don't suppose you could just-"

"I have your fucking lighter," Zzg says. "You're giving up smoking."

"I am? That's the first I've heard of it."

"I decided that you should use my initiative."

"I have to use someone's, I suppose. Zee, can we get some time with these guys? I'd like to know if they really do have anything to do with Zruz and Ogive."

"My suspects are your suspects," Zee says.

"I really hope so," Zzrh answers. "Zzg, can you put your superior communications skills into effect? I want to have a chat with the little human who inherited the painting."

"Sure," Zzg says. "I'll deal with the scary paramilitary types who are prejudiced against my whole wingless caste, while you spend some time with a timid little human. You don't think he knows anything about this, do you?"

"Probably not, but I'd like to try and find out for sure. We don't really have anything solid right now, but it seems like anyone could be involved - Slinkists, people who hate Slinkists… why not this guy?"

"Okay, knock yourself out. Just don't knock him out."

Zzrh smiles. "I'll be very subtle."