[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

like at times like this, not much alcohol in it so you won't fuzz your brain,
or I could have Pic brew up some iska for you. Petro likes the stuff so we've
laid in a supply of it." Skeen chuckled. "Don't be so surprised. I'd get
insulted at the look on your face if asking you wasn't Pic's idea, she scolds
me all the time about neglecting my guests."
"Iska would be best, I think." Zelzony tried a smile and found it fairly easy
to manage with most of her mind distracted by the screen and what was
happening on it. "I don't believe this is the best time for experimenting."
"Could be you're right."
In the Round Room. "He's off. A half-hour late, but what boy ever got out of
bed on time."
To Rostico Burn from Picarefy. "Get ready for your passengers, you're clear to
go."
To the Kinravaly, Zelzony speaking, voice transmitted by Picarefy. "It begins.
The boy has started. Elexin reports the triad left Laby Youl separately three
hours ago. The seed spies show them still traveling across water. Lipitero and
Timka have landed in the Reserve. They're waiting."
From Tibo, a report. "We're moving; some clouds about, enough to keep him from
spotting us. We're some seven hundred meters above him and about as many
northeast. Tavva has glasses on the boy, no trouble at all keeping him in
view."
To Lipitero. "He's on his way. Anything happening around you?"
Lipitero to Picarefy. "Nothing. There wouldn't be, would there. It's a
twelve-hour wingflight there to here. We wait."
Rostico Burn to Picarefy. "Passengers in, we'll have to come back for the
wings and gasbombs and the rest of the junk. Probably need Lipitero if we're
to do the hauling in one trip. Those wings are bulky and gassing them up
doesn't work, we should have done a bit of experimenting before we tried
Page 102
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
hauling them."
Picarefy to Rostico Burn. "You didn't think of it either, chirk, so don't go
holier than on me. I'll get the message to Petro."
To Lipitero. "Ross is on his way, be there in an hour. The equipment has
turned out to be bulkier than expected, so be ready to help him ferry it.
Should be ample time. Tibo can let us know when the boy is getting close.
Swing wide on your rounds to the Residence and back, don't want the targets
spotting you, you can afford an extra half hour's flying time."
Lipitero to Picarefy. "Just as well I've got something to do, sitting around
here is making me crazy and I'm not the only one, Ti-cat is out and prowling."
Skeen to Lipitero. "When you see her, tell her if she's got ants, she should
make wings and hunt round the boy's campsite. The triad won't play with him
anywhere near that camp, but they might try ambushing him there. And tell her
if she isn't back by the time the boy hits the coast, I personally will dump
her on a waterworld where she'd have to spend the rest of her life as a fish."
Picarefy to Tibo. "Give a shout when the boy's about an hour from land. We've
had to do some revamping of arrangements, equipment foul-up."
Tibo to Picarefy. "Hear you. Isn't there always. The boy's sailing along easy
in clear skies, no sign of the triad. Me, I think twilight's when they'll do
it. Catch him flying, probably half asleep."
Skeen to Tibo. "I say they'll wait till he's on the ground."
Tibo to Skeen. "Double or nothing, the take's the stake."
Skeen to Tibo. "Done."
Time passes. Lipitero, Ross and Timka have something to do to help it pass.
They work hard, loading down the skips until they're dragging tail, then sweat
them back to the staging area where Marrin and the other agents work off some
of their nervous energy unloading their gear. In Picarefy, watching the screen
cells has lost whatever charm it had originally. Skeen has vanished somewhere
into Picarefy's entrails, Zelzony has settled to a painful brood over her
explosive and ambivalent emotions, trying to wrestle them into a shape more
pleasing to her and more conducive to maintaining her self-esteem.
Tibo to Picarefy. "Coastline of South Island ahead. Hour away as requested.
From his level, the sun's almost gone. Tavva says after he hits the coast he's
got another hour and a half before he reaches the camp. Where are the
targets?"
Picarefy to Tibo. "Everything is set at the staging ground. The targets are in
the air again, heading toward the boy. Estimated intersect, forty-five
minutes. The sooner they do it, the better we'll all feel."
Tibo to Skeen. "My game."
Skeen to Tibo. "Looks like, but we'll wait till they take him just to be sure.
Hmmm?"
Zelzony to the Kinravaly. "The boy has reached the coast. It's getting dark.
The triad is in the air, moving toward him. Soon now."
Kinravaly to Zelzony. "Please ask ship Picarefy to let us witness the capture.
We must see how it is done."
Picarefy to Zelzony, "With your permission, Zem-trallen, I'll comply with the
request."
Zelzony to Picarefy. "Given. Thank you."
Picarefy to Skeen in shower-room. "Hey, get your butt up here, things are
starting to happen. I'd rather you were here, Skeen, makes me feel more
secure."
Skeen to Picarefy. "Crock of shit, that; I'll be there soon as I dry off."
Dark wings, dark cloaks wound about them, the triad drifted toward the boy,
riding higher than him, silent shadows slipping closer and closer. When they
were a short distance from him, they separated and came at him from three
directions. One slipped into a long glide that would take him into the
airspace in front of the boy. The other two slanted more steeply, dropping
until they were beneath the wing and close behind their prey. He was limp,
half asleep, not bothering about what was going on around him. The sharp crack
as one of the riders behind him snapped a net out of its folds and tossed an
Page 103
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
end to the other rider broke through his weariness. He started to look around,
but it was too late. They swung the net up, tangled him in it. The rider in
front of him slipped in until the noses of the two wings were rubbing against
each other, then he swung a yautwhip at the boy's head and put him out with a
neat precision that spoke of considerable practice.
"Eshkel and his racing yauts," Zelzony muttered.
Skeen rubbed at her nose. "They've had a lot of practice at that maneuver.
You've found nine bodies; I'd say you better look for more."
"Saaaa smik!"
Picarefy to Lipitero. "Capture complete. They're on the move, going somewhere.
I'll advise when they settle."
Zelzony to Marrin. "Capture complete. Be ready to move when they settle."
Zelzony to Kinravaly. "Capture complete. Now we have to let them go to ground.
Marrin and the crew are in the air, waiting. Timka is after them already, bird
shape, she'll be on the scene before anyone else so she can take care of the
boy until we get there."
Kinravaly to Zelzony. "The All-Wise guard and guide."
The sandstone canyon was deep and rugged with a shallow creek wandering along
the bottom between thin stands of shuddering longleaves. At several points
wind and water had washed deep recesses into the walls. The triad flew the boy
into one of these.
Ti-owl glided past, circled round, came back. Glad of the darkness which [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Archiwum