Night's Pawn Read Free Page B

it quiet because you didn't want anyone to know you were getting backing from a corp." The glare in her eyes was blinding, and her aura left no question that she was prepared for battle. Alexander knew he had to keep talking, keep her interested just long enough. The music of Mozart's death mass surged, still audible, but now coming to their astral hearing as the anguish and the tears of its composer rather than the musical notes the physical world heard.
    "More than money, you wanted the dragon, and you wanted him enough to come to Seattle to see him." Alexander paused and her eyes narrowed. "You wanted Lofwyr behind you," he said.
    "So?" she snapped. "With the dragon backing us, we could rally the apathetic Awakened."
    "Saeder-Krupp is one of the controlling corporations of the Restoration. Why would Lofwyr betray it for a bunch of street hustlers?"
    Her eyes glinted as she saw an opening. "I've spoken with him. You forget how old he is. A Restored Europe would quickly become a concrete and steel Europe. He wants to return it to the way he remembers it."
    "Damn it, Shavan! Haven't you ever looked at Saeder-Krupp's profile? They're Saeder-Krupp Heavy Industries , for god's sake. Who the frag do you think is going to be pouring all that concrete and casting all that steel? Who do you think pumps more toxins into the air? Who do you think pollutes more rivers?"
    "Those are all companies he's bought. It takes time to bring them into line environ—"
    "Don't you know that wonderful American saying?" Alexander said, cutting her off. " 'Never deal with a dragon'? Don't you know why that's true, Shavan? It's because the likes of you and I could never hope to understand them. They have more secret motives, more plans, than we could ever suspect, and to them we're just along for the ride. Trust me on this."
    She snorted. "What would you know? I've spoken with Lofwyr; he is very direct, very aware and concerned…" A dark shape moved somewhere beyond the shield. She let her words trail off and watched it circle the room. The time had come.
    "I don't run Der Nachtmachen, Shavan. A friend of mine does. A friend who's also very concerned about who has influence where. And he doesn't want his brother fragging around in Europe any more than he already is!"
    They both moved. Alexander's hands slammed together and he pumped every drop of his will into a shatter-shield spell. Raw astral force ripped around them, and power streamed upward out of him, tearing into the lattice of the shield. He felt tendrils of ice whip into him as she struck with her own energy. He reeled, trying to control the power arcing around him. As his mystic bolt impacted, the shield was hit hard from the outside. Unable to withstand the dual concussion, it shattered, raining prismatic energy. A giant dark form poured through the opening and past the falling shards.
    Alexander felt his power slipping from him as he saw her for the last time. The dragon's astral form slammed into her, its unearthly claws tearing great, jagged rips into her spirit body. Magical energies flowed from her to dissipate harmlessly around the dragon. Alexander shuddered as her screams merged with the dragon's roar.
    "Shavan, meet Alamais!" he cried out, unheard.
    The world spun into red-tinged darkness, the music stopped, and he became utterly calm. Floating in darkness, he smiled. He would survive, the dragon would see to it. A new road was opened before him.
    Dosvidanya , my past, he thought. You are behind me now.

PART 1
    MANHATTAN, 2053
    Shadowrun n . Any movement action, or series of such made to carry out illegal or quasi-legal operations.
    —Worldwide WordWatch, 2053 edition

1
    It took a careful, knowing eye to perceive the subtle changes in the shades of the black plasticrete rushing below the aircraft's landing gear. Except for Jason Chase, who forced himself to watch, the pilot was the only other person who noticed. Feeling her craft pass safely over the spot, she offered a silent