Children of a Dead Earth Book One Read Online Free Page A

see,” she said disapprovingly. Not in Benson, but in her expectation for the species at large. She busied herself placing the painting back inside its protective cocoon.
    â€œHow often does your search return a hit like this?”
    â€œNot so often as in past years, but enough. We’re still looking for pieces from the Heist. That’s why I still have my warrant almost forty years later.”
    Benson nodded. The Heist had been the single most brazen crime ever committed onboard the Ark. Murders had happened, of course, and other crimes of passion or indifference, but nothing compared to the theft of over three hundred irreplaceable artifacts from mankind’s last museum. It had meant the end of the previous curator’s career, and Devorah’s ascension. Both were well before Benson’s time as chief. Indeed, before his birth.
    â€œI thought everything had been recovered decades ago.”
    â€œThat’s what we told everyone, yes.” She replaced the back cover. “I wanted the public to think we’d won, and for the vandals to think we’d given up the chase. I wanted them to get lazy and complacent. It worked too, up to a point. We quietly nabbed another fifty pieces in short order, but there’s still about a dozen pieces outstanding.”
    â€œIf that’s true, why haven’t you ordered a compartment-to-compartment search? We could have turned the ship inside out a hundred times by now.”
    â€œI ask in every session, but no council has ever given permission, that’s why. They fear riots.”
    And they’re probably right about that , Benson reflected. “Could this be one of your missing pieces?”
    â€œHmm? No, no. We never had this. It was reported lost in the looting of the Louvre in 2136. We never had any Monets.”
    Benson rubbed his chin. Nothing about this made sense. Laraby was certainly better off than most of the cattle, but among floaters, he was middle-management, at best. The painting, and frankly the house itself, seemed awfully extravagant.
    â€œWhat will happen to it now, after your tests, I mean?”
    â€œWell, if it’s a forgery, I’d imagine it will be returned to whoever lives here.”
    â€œHis name is Edmond Laraby,” Benson added helpfully. “Although he’s a bit difficult to reach at the moment.”
    She continued as though she hadn’t heard him. “There’s no law against private art collections, so long as the provenance can be traced. I’ve seen some pieces hung in the command crew’s quarters that would make you weep.” She looked up at Benson’s hard face. “Well, maybe not you, detective.”
    â€œI’m a teddy bear.”
    â€œSure you are. On the other hand, if it is genuine, then it was stolen from the Louvre two hundred and fifty years ago and no trail of provenance will protect it from confiscation.” The tiny woman actually licked her lips. “I wouldn’t even need to reframe it.”
    Devorah seemed to snap out of her daydream and picked up the painting, then headed for the door.
    â€œI’ll need an escort back to the museum. Come along, detective.”
    â€œRegrettably, I have more work here. But I have just the man for the job sitting outside.” Benson eased by the woman, careful not to touch the frame as he passed, then opened the door. The rookie from before sat under the grove of trees in plain clothes, just as he’d been instructed. Yet he still managed to stick out like a shark fin prowling the waves at a crowded beach. He was hopeless.
    â€œConstable!” Benson waved. “Come over here.” The young man sprang up and trotted over double time. “What’s your name, lad?”
    â€œConstable Korolev, sir.”
    â€œA strong, Russian name, excellent. I assume you have your stun-stick in there somewhere?” Korolev nodded. The stun-stick was as close to a weapon as the