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[ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] the myths and legends pictured in them still exist in them." "I see," said Cully thoughtfully. "Indeed, I see. Tell me more, though, about this Demon himself. How does the legend go, exactly?" Will obliged. A sudden flicker of movement now in the corner of Cully's field of vision interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head slightly to look away from the fencepost. It was Doak at last. The little man had drifted into sight, pushing a broom like Will's. In fact, it was Will's. The scraps of paper and a single nail identified the litter it pushed across the deck. Will must have switched jobs with Doak in order to get him free from whatever had been holding him from coming. Cully caught Doak's eye, inclined his head slightly toward the garbage area, and began to chip his way along the bottom rail of the fence in that direction. He continued until he came within sight of the open-sided, fifteen-by-six-foot area, where a prisoner, chained to the wall for safety, was usually at work letting down the heavy, oversized, filled garbage containers on long chains to the sharks and other sea scavengers sixty feet below. Still bent over, Cully ducked around a corner into the area itself, to find the rest of the Board of Governors impatiently waiting for him. 7 « ^ » They were all big, hard men on the Board of Governors, thick of body if not unusual in height with two exceptions: Mark Leestrom, who was Cully's height, and Dr. James Toy, slightly shorter, stick-thin and gray-haired, Toy stood beside the empty belt and chain anchored to the wall behind them, which secured the prisoner on garbage detail. The prisoner had evidently been sent elsewhere by the Board, for not all the cans in sight were empty, and the metal-ridged outer part of the deck edge, which sloped toward the open sea, gleamed with uncleaned grease and a litter of table scraps. Beside the wide gape of the empty belt, the narrow waist and frail height of Toy made him look Page 21 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html too fragile to survive under prison conditions which had driven younger men to death through illness or suicide. Beside Toy, Leestrom was simply big like a stone castle. It was at Leestrom Cully looked, as he straightened up and joined the group. "What is it?" he asked. "It's an unscheduled SA ship from North America," answered Leestrom. "We just got word through the Station Commander's messboy. It's a private yacht belonging to one of the Tri-Worlds Council Members, and it's bringing the three Moldaug Ambassadors here to have a look at us nobody knows why. It'll be here in three hours less, now!" The last two words were a growl of reproach at Cully. "Sorry," said Cully, swiveling slightly so that his gaze went past the angle of the end of the wall to see Doak sweeping toward them. Doak's eye met Cully's, and Cully twitched a beckoning finger surreptitiously. "The point is," broke in Toy, "what're we going to do? The boat isn't finished yet, even if we had time to get the parts smuggled up on deck here and put together somewhere." "Stage a riot and rush the boat when it reaches the platform," growled Leestrom grimly. "Take the boat back and hijack the SA ship." "It doesn't stand a chance, and you know it!" said Toy, evidently resuming an argument already underway when Cully appeared. "We've talked that over forty times in the last couple of years rushing a ferryboat. That's just what the guards on duty are expecting." "A boat from a regularly scheduled guardship, sure!" said Leestrom. "But a private vessel, with civilian pilots& " Cully risked a glance at Doak. The little man had swept to just around the corner and was now waiting. Cully signaled him to move on in. "We'll never get a chance like this again!" Leestrom was saying, low-voiced but furious. "An unscheduled ship a yacht with civilians aboard! Think of it!" "What I think of," Toy retorted, "is that if the guards here at Number One ever protected anything in their lives, they'll protect that boat, from landing to leaving, as long as Moldaug Ambassadors are aboard. The guards here may be sloppy about some things, but not when it comes to that. I'll bet they're unhappy enough about their responsibility in having the Moldaug here, right now. I don't see anything for it but to let this chance go by, finish our own boat and wait for a supply ship, the way we've always planned " He broke off, for Doak had calmly stepped into their midst and laid his broom against the wall. Child-sized among that circle of big men, he looked quietly around them. "Get out of here, Doak!" snapped Leestrom. "This is a Board meeting!" "That's why I'm here," Doak answered him. He turned to Cully and spoke. "I know what's bothering you. And I've got an answer." "Out!" growled Leestrom in a low voice. "Unless you want to go overboard!" He took a step toward Doak, and then stopped abruptly. For Doak turned and [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] |