Seeker (Alex Benedict)

367 Pages·2006·1.27 MB·English

by  Jack McDevitt

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Ace Books by Jack McDevitt
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the engines of god
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ancient shores
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eternity road
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moonfall
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infinity beach
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deepsix
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chindi
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omega
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polaris
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seeker
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E E E 8
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J M D
ack c evitt
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ACE BOOKS, NEW YORK
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are
used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is
entirely coincidental.
Seeker
A BERKLEY Book / published by arrangement with the author
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2005 by The Berkley Publishing Group.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by
mimeograph or any other means, without permission.
Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes
copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to
criminal and civil liability.
For information address:
The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is
http://www.penguinputnam.com
ISBN: 0-7865-6061-4
A BERKLEY BOOK®
BERKLEY Books first published by Berkley Publishing Group,
a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY and the "B" design are trademarks belonging to
Penguin Putnam Inc.
Electronic edition: November 2005
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For T.E.D. Klein and Terry Carr
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with my appreciation
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A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S 8
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I’m indebted to Michael Shara of the American Museum of Nat-
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ural History, to David DeGraff of Alfred University, and to Wal-
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ter Cuirle, for advice and technical assistance. To Jerry Oltion, for
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reading and commenting on an early version of the manuscript.
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To Ginjer Buchanan, for editorial assistance. To Ralph Vicinanza,
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for his continuing support. And, as always, to my wife and in-
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house editor, Maureen McDevitt.
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P O L O G U
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“We advise that our patrons not attempt the slopes today, other than the Blue 10
Run. A distinct danger from avalanches is still present throughout the skiing
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area. It would be prudent to remain in the chalet, or perhaps to consider spend-
ing the day in town.” 12
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1398, RIMWAY CALENDAR 17
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Wescott knew he was dead. There seemed little chance for Margaret, ei- 19
ther. Or for his daughter. He had followed the instruction and stayed in- 20
side and now he lay beneath tons of ice and rock. He could hear weeping 21
and screams, lost in the dark around him. 22
He was trembling in the cold, his right arm crushed and pinned be- 23
neath a fallen timber. He could no longer feel the pain. Or the arm. 24
He thought of Delia. Just beginning her life and almost certainly 25
swept away. Tears ran down his cheeks. She’d been so anxious to come. 26
He closed his eyes and tried to resign himself. Tried to place himself 27
again aboard the Falcon, where he and Margaret had met. Those had 28
been priceless years. He’d known the day would come when he would 29
wish he could go back and do it all again. 30
The Falcon. 31
My God. It occurred to him that, if Margaret had not escaped the 32
building, their discovery would die with them. Delia knew about it, but 33
she was too young to understand. 34 S
They had told nobody! Except Mattie. Mattie knew. 35 R
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2 JACK MCDEVITT
1 He tore at the timber, tried to drag himself free. Tried to change his
2 angle and get his feet against it. He had to survive long enough to tell
3 them. Just in case...
4 But Margaret was not dead. Could not be dead.
5 Please, God.
6 The cries and screams around him dwindled, became occasional
7 moanings. How long had it been? It seemed like hours since the chalet
8 had crashed down on him. Where were the rescue workers?
9 He listened to his own labored breathing. The floor had shaken, had
10 stopped, had shaken again. Then, after the shocks, when everybody in
11 the dining room had thought maybe it was over, he’d heard the sudden
12 roar. They’d looked at one another, some people had gotten up to run,
13 others had sat terrified, the lights went out, and the walls had imploded.
14 He was pretty sure the floor had collapsed and that he was trapped in a
15 cellar. But he couldn’t be certain. Not that it mattered.
16 He heard distant sirens. Finally.
17 He pushed at the timber that held his arm. He didn’t feel entirely con-
18 nected to his body anymore. He’d retreated into his head and looked out,
19 not unlike a spectator hiding in a cave. Beneath him, the ground trembled
20 again.
21 He wanted to believe Margaret had survived. Bubbly, immortal,
22 farseeing Margaret, who was never, ever, taken by surprise. It didn’t seem
23 possible she could be caught in all this, swept aside in that single terrible
24 moment. She’d gone back to their room to get a sweater. Had left just
25 moments before it had all happened. Had gone up the staircase and van-
26 ished forever from his life.
27 And Delia. In the apartment. Eight years old. Sulking because he’d re-
28 fused permission for her to go out on her own, I don’t care if they’re say-
29 ing the Blue Run is safe, we’ll wait until we hear everything’s okay. The
30 apartment was on the third floor, toward the front of the building. Maybe
31 it had been spared. He prayed they were both standing out there some-
32 where now, in the snow, worrying about him.
33 When they’d issued the warning, they’d said the chalet was safe. Safe
S 34 and solid. Stay indoors and everything will be okay. Avalanche-free zone.
R 35 In the dark, he smiled.
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SEEKER 3
They’d been sitting in the dining room with their newest acquain- 1
tance, Breia Somebody-or-Other, who was from his hometown, when Mar- 2
garet had gotten up, said something about now don’t you two eat all the 3
eggs I’ll only be a minute, and walked off. A group of skiers stood near 4
the front doors, ready to go out, angrily complaining about the level of 5
caution at the chalet and how Blue Run was for beginners. Two couples 6
sat amid potted plants enjoying a round of drinks. A heavyset man who 7
looked like a judge was descending the staircase. A young woman in a 8
gray-green jacket had just sat down at the piano and begun to play. 9
Margaret would just have had time to reach their room before the first 10
shock came. The diners had looked around at each other, their eyes wide 11
with surprise. Then the second jolt, and the fear in the room became pal- 12
pable. There’d been no screams, as best he could remember, but people 13
were throwing back their chairs and starting for the exits. 14
Breia, middle-aged, dark-haired, a teacher on vacation, had looked out 15
the window, trying to see what was happening. His angle was bad so he 16
couldn’t see much, but his hair stood straight up when she gasped and 17
whispered Run in a terrified voice. Without another sound she threw 18
back her chair and fled. 19
Outside, a wall of snow appeared and bore down on them. It had 20
been smooth, rhythmic, almost choreographed, a crystal tide flowing 21
down the side of the mountain, engulfing trees and boulders and, finally, 22
the heavy stone wall that marked the perimeter of the chalet’s grounds. 23
As he watched, it swept over someone. Man or woman, it happened too 24
quick to be sure. Somebody trying to run. 25
Wescott had sat quietly, knowing there was no place to hide. He took 26
a sip of his coffee. It was as if time had stopped. The desk clerk, a simu- 27
lation, blinked off. So did the host and one of the doormen. The skiers 28
near the front door scattered. 29
Wescott held his breath. The rear and sidewalls blew into the dining 30
room and there was a sharp pain and the sensation of falling. 31
Somewhere, doors slammed. 32
Something wet was running down his ribs. Tickling him, but he 33
couldn’t reach it. 34 S
Breia hadn’t gotten out of the dining room. She was probably within 35 R
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