Page 38 of Agrippa's Acceptance

Number One shrugged. “For now.”

Amelagar stepped in front of the clone. He was slightly taller than the clone and more muscled, but they were a good match. “If you betray us clone, I will make sure you beg for death.”

The clone sneered. “You may address me as Exultant Vice Regent Apsu, machine.”

Amelagar’s fist balled and he grew taller. Agrippa quickly grabbed his arm. “We are here to do a job. If he betrays us, you can kill him.”

Amelagar did not look away from the clone male who continued to lean casually against the vehicle, but his eyes were sharp. “Can you get us into the temples, clone?”

“Yes.”

Amelagar didn’t budge. “Why would you betray your own people. If you can betray them, what is stopping you from betraying us?”

The male sneered and somehow managed to look down on all of them. “I don’t care about any of you cyborg freaks. I am helping you to ensure the survival of my people. That is all you need to know.”

“This one will betray us and we all going to die before I see my human again,” Anatu said sullenly.

Amelagar sneered back at the clone. “Then he will die.”

“Do you have the explosives?” Number One asked.

“Yes.” Amelagar kept staring at the clone, his curled lip showing his contempt.

“We will go to the outskirts of the city. You will meet me at the two checkpoints and I will get you through.”

Amelagar tensed even more. “Why are you not coming with us?”

“You will come from a natural slum and I will approach the checkpoint from the other side. I will get you through and you will pretend to be naturals going to do menial work in the temples.”

“If you betray us, clone—”

“I know, you will try to kill me.”

“I will not try. I will succeed,” Amelagar said with such vicious assurance, Agrippa shivered.

The clone got into the vehicle and drove away and the two resistance fighters motioned to a group of buildings in the distance. “We brought clothes for you. Get dressed and then we will go to meet that arrogant clone.”

Agrippa took the clothes and bile rose in her throat. “I thought I was done with these awful things.”

“Maybe, if you can do enough damage to their temples, we can make a few changes.” She hesitated and then said. “We contacted your family as you requested, but they do not wish to make contact with you.”

Agrippa looked down and nodded. “I understand.”

Amelagar took her in his arms and held her until Number One cleared her throat. “Get dressed, we don’t have much time before we have to meet the clone.

Walking through the ghetto where her people lived, Agrippa realized how truly bad things were. They went to a small shack where more resistance people waited for Number One. She’d thought LBS small and living with the other people on board difficult, but she’d had it good compared to these conditions.

At the first checkpoint the clone waited as promised. He got them through easily, but they’d relaxed too soon. At the second check point, a clone with an arrogant swagger stopped them and asked for their papers. He took one look at the papers and took up his communicator. He crumpled to the ground, a surprised look on his face.

The clone put away his weapon. “Help me get him out of sight. Number One get one of your people to man this checkpoint.”

The clone made to drag the body into the small guard office, but Amelagar easily picked it up and placed it inside. He closed the door.

“Why did you do that?” Number One hissed at the clone. “We could have talked our way out of trouble or bribed him.”

“Not that one. He has peculiar taste and was already planning how he would use the females. Come on, we have to hurry.”

They walked behind him and entered the first temple. The attendant inside frowned when he saw them. “There is no cleaning scheduled for today.”

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