Clone City

Four Watchers stood around a coroner’s slab upon which lay a severed arm. It was crinkled and the colour of pig’s tripe, bar the inky blue bruises on the bicep and forearm. The hand was crumpled and the fingers stuck up stiffly.

‘Whose arm is it?’ asked Q’zar, transfixed by the grisly sight and addressing no one in particular.

‘At the moment, we have no idea,’ Warton replied, taking the lead in answering since Chu had been arrested for leaking the information about Ord’s visits to the Outside. Inwardly, he smirked at his success. Not only had he escaped detection, but he had got Zuriko to agree to his demand for an A-class courtesan as his reward. He had named the woman who found this arm.

‘It’s imperative we find out,’ said Q’zar, ‘And quickly. All clones are accounted for, correct?’ he snapped, his eyes still glued to the arm.

‘Yes, Domo,’ replied Warton, beginning to relish his new role. ‘All clones are accounted for and no citizen has been any reported as missing.’

‘How quickly can we get a forensic analysis?’ Q’zar asked, this time directing his question at Braun, Chu’s replacement.

‘By tomorrow afternoon we shall know exactly whose arm it is, Domo,’ came Braun’s response. He was on the point of adding that the Watchers would have the murderer behind bars before you could say Dovan the Great but checked himself, remembering he had only just been promoted.

‘The arm is badly bruised here. And look,’ Q’zar pointed, ‘see how bloated and puckered it is. How long was it in the lake? Make sure they give a time. These three fingers look broken. We need to know when this happened. It may not be as recent as we suspect. Although chemicals in the lake may have…’ Q’zar’s voice petered out as he realized the futility of conjecture. ‘You say the lake is being dredged?’

‘Yes, Domo,’ Warton replied. ‘If anything is found, you shall be informed at once.’

‘If they find nothing, have them search the entire park.’

‘Yes, Domo.’

‘What I can’t understand is how this arm was dislocated. It has not been cut off. Could it have been torn off? Get forensics to answer that, too. It’s not humanly possible to tear an arm off. Animals? Could an animal have roamed into the city? Highly unlikely. Can’t rule it out, though.’ No one answered. ‘We need a detailed analysis of this and quickly too. Get it to the laboratory at once.’

‘Yes, Domo,’ Hersh replied, drawing a black plastic bag from beneath the slab and placing it beside the arm. He drew on a pair of surgical gloves before placing the arm into the bag. Sealing the bag with a tape, he bowed and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, Q’zar barked another order.

‘Tell forensics this is a priority and not a word is to get out. Is that understood?’ He glared at each lieutenant in turn. ‘If I so much as hear a whisper of this, the person responsible will be behind bars a lot longer than Chu. Is that clear!’

‘Yes, Domo,’ all three shouted in unison.

When Hersh left the room, Warton and Braun went back to their desks and busied themselves, pretending not to notice Q’zar pacing up and down. Behind his back they exchanged furtive glances. They had never seen him as rattled as this.

Q’zar suddenly felt the need for space to think. The only place for him at times like this was either the Watchtower or the Practice Hall. He was about to leave the room when he stopped and said, ‘I want all Watchers placed on full alert. Anything new...anything,’ he repeated, ‘contact me immediately.’

‘Yes, Domo.’ Both Watchers jumped to their feet and clicked their heels.

‘While we’re waiting for forensics, I want that deconstructed clone taken to the Encrypt. He’s a suspect. Only a madman could tear an arm off. It’s highly unlikely that a deranged clone could do this, but it’s the only lead we have at the moment.’ Scowling, he added, ‘He won’t be going to the Outside anymore.’

As he turned to go, Warton indicated that he wished to speak.

‘What is it?’ Q’zar snapped.

‘Respectively, Domo, I suggest that the citizen who made this discovery be placed under immediate house arrest. She may talk to Media.’

Q’zar considered this for a moment.

‘It’s an odd way to reward a citizen’s diligence, but I see your point. If Media got whiff of this, we’d risk having a panic on our hands. Permission granted. Explain the reasons to her and, remember Warton, she’s a high-ranking courtesan. Make sure she has every comfort she requires and understands that this is only a temporary measure.’

‘Yes, Domo.’

When the door slammed shut behind Q’zar, Warton turned to face the mirror on the wall. He combed his oiled black hair back, first on the left then on the right side. As he did so, he told himself, no woman can resist those blue eyes.

Q’zar stepped into the stillness of the Practice Hall. At the far end, a pale milky glow shone down upon the bust of the founder. He slipped his sandals off before crossing the white tatami mats to bow before the bust. He then sat as still as a stone with the soles of his feet tucked beneath him. ‘Murder,’ he said to himself. His hands, which lay palms up resting upon his knees, twitched involuntarily. He focussed upon a spot forward of his knees and put his mind on the movement of his breath to calm himself.

As the turmoil inside began to abate, he began to think: the report should be ready tomorrow. Forensics may say it was an accident. Fine. But if they have no explanation, it’ll have to be treated as a crime. In which case, I’ll have to call an emergency meeting. But the day before the banquet? Damn, he swore, knowing Darvin would never agree to that.

Though it galled him, he realized he could not risk any further loss of political influence. If he demanded a meeting, it would create a storm of protest and play directly into the hands of his opponents. He resigned himself to having to sit on the results till the day after the banquet. But he would send a report to all the directors straightaway. He would outline how the matter stood at the moment and add that, pending forensics’ findings, everyone should be prepared to attend an emergency meeting the morning after the banquet. He would also demand that Media remain silent until the matter had been fully discussed.

As he tried to calm his mind, he wondered what Arron would think of Laia’s house arrest. The last thing I need is Arron joining the rest against me. Surely he can understand that security must come first. I’ll explain it to him personally. Who knows, maybe he’s changed his mind about her. Agreeing to meet a clone in her apartment! How could she have been so stupid.

Unable to focus his thoughts, he got up and walked across to a rack of swords. Taking one, he lifted it and looked along the timeless curve of its blade. Then, making a few cuts and thrusts, he stopped and felt the weight and balance of the sword appreciatively. Holding it, he thought of Chu. He missed him. He was his right-hand man. He intended to hand the department over to him when he retired. How could he do such a thing? He let the end of the sword fall. He felt uneasy about his verdict on Chu. There was no hard evidence, only the word of one of Zuriko’s girls. But all fingers pointed to Chu and even Chu could not swear that he had not blurted out something. And yet, even in saying that, Chu had shown his honest nature. I trusted him, he thought. I know how he holds his sword. I have seen him on this mat a thousand times. It doesn’t ring true.

After making a few cuts, he paused and thought of Warton. He’s come out of this rather well. A gunman. Nothing wrong with that but, it’s different. You’re removed, can’t see the enemy. And there are rumours about him. Seems he enjoys beating girls. Hardly fitting behaviour for a Watchman. Have to talk to him about it. Lifting the sword, turning it and seeing it glint, Q’zar wondered if he had detected a note of pleasure in Warton’s voice when he’d agreed to place Laia under house arrest. Slowly, he turned and moved to the centre of the mat where he began to execute a series of lightning cuts. Soon, all that could be seen in the dim light were flashes of tempered steel above a shadowy figure.