The man gazed at the door through which he'd entered, as if aware his time was limited. Then,
before speaking, he turned to nod at the sweeping panorama visible through the bubble glass behind
the desk.
"I can see that you are an admirer of the natural order.
CYBER UJflY 3
It causes me to wonder anew why you will not sell me the picture."
"My love of beauty is what attracted me to the picture in the first place," Kettrick replied. "Why
would I want to turn it over to you? We've been through this before. I thought I'd made it
perfectly clear that I never sell anything from my collection. I told you that the last time."
"I needed to hear it from you again. There is always a first time. I must have the painting."
Since he had not invited him to come in, Kettrick did not invite him to sit down. He left him
standing, convinced that the man posed no immediate threat- Kettrick chuckled to himself. Now, his
son-in-law, the gargantuan white boy his daughter had married, that was a threatening personality.
Cody had to be, since by profession he played backup nose-guard for the Bucs. This irritation who
had burst into his office was only a little more than average height and of slim build. Hardly an
imposing physicality. Kettrick thought that the man's straight black hair was exceptionally dark
even for an Amerindian. The industrialist found himself wondering if Indians could tan. The
intruder's clothing was simple and utilitarian.
All you really noticed were the obsidian eyes. You noticed mem because they didn't notice you.
They seemed to be focused on something behind Kettrick even though the man was gazing directly at
him. Odd. Nor was his visitor out-grabed. He was much too coherent for that. There was no telltale
clouding of the corneas, no nervous trembling in the fingers. Though come to think of it, this
fellow did hold his hands in a strange fashion, with the fingers curved back and up like hooks. Or
like paws.
He could be wrong, and although he wasn't an expert, Kettrick knew an addict when he saw one.
Friends of his son-in-law were always hinting that it would be nice if he could obtain the latest
designer steroids for them. All be-
M Rlan Dean Foster
cause a small chain of drugstores was included among his diverse holdings.
Of course he refused all such requests, no matter how oblique. Should it come out in the media, a
single such story could harm the business, not to mention his social standing in the community, in
which be took considerable pride. He had no intention of risking any of that simply to do a favor
for some of his son-in-law's buddies or even to improve the team, on whose behalf he annually
expended far too much money for season tickets. Of course the company paid for those, but still...
Strange face it was, and not only because of those eyes. It was sharp of side, like a piece of
dark marble whose rough edges had been hacked off but not yet polished smooth. High cheekbones,
nothing anywhere soft or rounded, the result a perpetually questioning expression. Lines ran from
the base of his nose up into his forehead, which was itself unlined. The crow's-feet at the
corners of the eyes seemed transplanted from someone far older. What might appear to some as
arrogance was in truth only preoccupation. It was as if this stranger were too busy with his
thoughts to pay much attention even to the conversation he had begun.
A single earring of silver and blue, as pure as the Gulf outside the window, called attention to
one ear. He bad yet to smile. Kettrick studied the strange visage and decided it was an expression
foreign to this face. In contrast to the dark hair, his eyebrows were astonishingly light—almost
not there. The few wispy hairs seemed to grow flush with the skin. He stood with a slight slouch,
as though suffering from curvature of the spine. After a while Kettrick realized there was nothing
physically wrong with his visitor. It was simply his natural stance.
And all the while, he kept the fingers of both hands curved up and backward. At any moment
Kettrick half expected
CYBER UJRY 5
him to drop to all fours and approach on his knuckles. Distant he was, yet intense.
Well, if he was wrong about him, there was always the red button in case the visitor made a sudden
move toward his host. Kettrick's fingers tapped on the desk close to the false inlay.
What might he be besides a truly odd duck? A collector like himself? Collectors could be fanatics.
Where the hell was Security, anyway?
"You've gone to a lot of trouble to force your way in here just to hear the same thing I've been
telling you over the phone. So one more time: the picture is not for sale."
"You won't even discuss price with me?"
Kettrick gestured expansively at his surroundings. "I presume that by now you have some idea of
who I am. Whatever you might offer me, I've no need of it, and I must add you don't look like you
could offer much. If it's any consolation to you, the amount wouldn't matter. I don't sell
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