4

"Why me?" I asked modestly. But I already knew it would have something to do with my Talent. Haggerty recruited me into his Section of the Agency at the peak of my career as a Sport Talent. Maybe you know the name Johnny Fleet. You'll still find it in several of the record books. I've added a few tricks since, but it was during my sports career that I perfected most of my Talent for operating more clones, particularly modified clones, in close coordination than anyone had managed before. Haggerty has told me on more than one occasion since that he still knows of no one else who has equaled my ability, and if such a person did exist Haggerty would find him.

So when he said "I want you to impersonate a Minor," I asked "Why me?" again, this time more seriously.

"Because we don't know what you'll be going up against. Whoever it is, he has a Talent we've never encountered before. And if it really is Linkowski, he's one of the top Talents of all time. Linkowski was independent. He bought himself free of the Agency's support as soon as he was earning enough with his Talent to make it on his own and pay off the nurture debt. And he was the youngest in our history to do that, although you might have been able to do it at that age if you'd been inclined to. So even I don't know as much about him as I might. Never mind what he may have been up to since we wrote him off as dead.

"Linkowski aside, if we don't pull this off we may not get another chance. Once this guy knows we're on to him, he could get cagey. So we've got to give it our best shot. And that means you."

"Okay, Boss. You don't have to lay it on so thick. But please explain to me what you have in mind. What's this about impersonating a Minor?"

"All our target's victims have been Minors, wealthy ones. He borrows one of their clones, uses it to get in and kill the Primary, presumably either because the victim could interfere with his control of the clone or because he might be able to identify him in some way, then uses the clone to go to the victim's bank and make a large cash withdrawal before the bank is aware of the victim's death.

"Even before we understood this much of the pattern, we had started watching the wealthy Minors who are the obvious potential victims. That's been some help; it gave us Linkowski's name. But it may also be scaring our target off. What we need is bait, to draw him back out so we can trap him and identify him. We'll set you up as a high-living Minor visiting from some other country. We'll give you an ostentatious retinue and an obvious source of plenty of ready cash. Then we'll watch and wait, and hope he'll try the same stunt on you.

"What we're counting on is that you will be able to stop him. The risk is high, but we've got to give it our best. It's up to you; what do you say?"

"From what you've told me, if it really is Linkowski, he's probably a brain-damaged, half-talent clone of his former self, with most of his ability gone except for this freak talent for picking up the dormant clones of Minors. And if its not him, it must be some other relatively no-Talent maverick if you don't already have him in your files. So maybe the risk isn't so bad at that. All the people he's messed with so far have been Minors. This time, things will be different. I'll be waiting for him. I'm really curious to find out what this guy can do."

"All right, Johnny. Come with me, and we'll work out the details. With your retinue of clones, Straight and Modified, we ought to be able to put on a pretty convincing show."