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"Thanks: I'd appreciate that." But Caine didn't hear his own words; he was busy confronting a grim deduction. So: no way to run, no place to hide. And, if the...
And, paradoxically, that meant his only remaining option was to head directly towards his enemies. Downing had provided him with the means of exerting conside...
Caine felt himself sink into-and then past-the odd calm that arises after accepting a course of action that might end in one's own death. "Mr. Brinkley, have ...
The silence that ensued was not promising.
"You have a staff xenozoologist, right?"
"Uh-we have a xenobiologist: same thing?"
"Not exactly. Listen: didn't you have a zoologist by the name of"-Caine scanned down his palmtop-"by the name of Janel Bisacquino on your staff?"
"Oh, yeah, sure-but she shipped out four months ago. Science guys from further down the Big Green Main pulled rank and got her transferred to Zeta Tucanae."
Great. And since Bisacquino's transfer wasn't mentioned in Caine's mission packet, it meant that his briefing materials were so outdated as to be almost usele...
"Up there? Don't know. Doubt it. The Euros have left most of the science and infrastructure to us, I'm afraid."
"I thought you had a good relationship with the European Union settlement."
"We did. Well, I guess we still do. But they grabbed a second site that the international survey posted as off-limits. Prime real estate, too: big island, nic...
"And then the European Union just grabbed the island?"
"Yeah-well, no, not exactly. Their first settlement is just a few dozen klicks south of us here. Nice facility they were building there."
"Were building?"
"Yeah. I mean, it's still there, but then CoDevCo got involved. When they arrived, they were already partnered with a new EU administrator, and ran their own ...
"Where?"
"That's the name-well, the nickname-they gave to the island that they claim-jumped. Our pilot should have you up there by nightfall-and you can depend on him:...
"Mr. Brinkley."
"-uh, yes?"
"Why have we stopped?"
"Oh. Right. We're here. Let me show you around. Hey, you're going to need a hat. Do you have a hat? I've got an extra. You can even borrow it for your trip."
"Thanks, but-"
"Don't mention it. My pleasure. Now, before you go, let me show you around Downport. It's not your average colony town-and do you know why?"
Caine did not know why. But he was quite sure he was about to find out.
In agonizing detail.
Chapter Four
ODYSSEUS
Rocking in unison with the wind-shear chop, Caine's borrowed slouch hat flopped up and down against his upper back, the rawhide chinstrap tugging at his throat ...
"Sorry about this, Mr. Riordan," the pilot called over his shoulder into the payload bay. "We're over the coast and hitting some thermals. We should be out of...
"Not a problem. How long to Shangri-La?"
"Instruments are telling me five minutes, maybe a few more."
"What does human experience tell you?"
"Nothing, sir: only made this run once before, about a year ago. Then, no more."
"What happened a year ago?"
The vertibird shuddered, pitched down and sideways, righted. "CoDevCo came in, took over all the runs to and from the downport. Not real friendly about it, ei...
"That's a violation of the colonial 'equal-use' policy, isn't it?"
"I'm no lawyer, but it sure seems that way to me. If you're done checking your gear, I'd recommend you strap in. We've got a few more-"
The deck dove away from Caine's feet at the same instant that the ceiling struck a quick downward blow: the impact against the top of his head made a sound li...
"Shit. Sir, are you-?"
"I'm fine," Caine lied, staying on hands and knees as he moved forward into the cockpit, letting the pulsing spots-and the dull hum between his ears-subside. ...
The pilot stole a sideways look at him. "You sure you're-?"
"I'm fine."
"I really am sorry, sir. I should have warned you that-"
"Listen: it's my fault. Wasn't like I needed to check the lashings on my gear a fourth time."
"What is all that stuff, anyway?"
"Research materials."
Another sideways look from the pilot, skeptical this time. "Really? What kind of research do you do with a trail kit and a rifle?"
Caine smiled. "Field research." Caine wondered if the pilot had noticed any of the other unusual items. Besides the predictable collection of rations, salt pi...