[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

the right words. "When I give physicals I just check the parts, not
how they're put together. It's a lot more fun to concentrate on the
assembly."
Teddy and I laughed at that and Ringer said, "Are you taking any
weapons? Those outfits tend to limit what you can carry."
"We're going out clean," I responded. "If we wanted to match their
firepower we'd need an atomic cannon. Besides, I know how they handle
things in Flowerville, and if we run into any arguments we won't be
using conventional weapons. Any final comments or criticisms? If not,
everybody wave bye-bye."
Some of the doctors did just that but Ringer growled, "Don't waste
any more time than you have to, and make sure at least one of you
gets back here with that vial."
I blew him a kiss, and Teddy and I left to pick up our battered old
luggage and get a hopper. When I'd set the course and turned on the
autopilot, I lit a cigarette and leaned back to relax.
"I didn't know you could fly a hopper," Teddy commented as she
glanced out the window at the ground far below us.
"What made you think I couldn't?" I countered.
"Well, you always had a pilot when you came to 2 for the class," she
said, dismissing the landscape to give me her attention again. "I
just assumed you couldn't handle a hopper."
"That was no pilot, that was my guard," I said with a small laugh.
"Pete wanted to make sure I didn't head for the shuttleport near
file:///C|/Downloads/Diana-Santee/Tanderon/Tanderon12.html (9 of 20)18/09/2005 15:01:03
Tanderon by Sharon Green - Chapter 12
Valleyvale, but you'll have to wait to get the whole story on that.
But tell me, how did you like your first taste of real equality?"
She looked at me blankly. "What equality?"
"Didn't you hear Ringer's final comment?" I asked. "I would have
thought you couldn't miss it."
"Oh, that," she remembered aloud after a moment of thought. "Sure, I
heard it, but he was exaggerating, wasn't he? Sort of like 'with your
shield or on it'?"
"That was no exaggeration," I said, watching her reaction. "It's the
best thing about Ringer. He expects all his agents to die if it means
getting the job done, and in this instance being female doesn't buy
you a thing. So I repeat, how does it feel?"
"I don't know yet," she answered slowly, obviously never having
really considered the point. "I think it takes getting used to - like
this seat," she added as she squirmed around. "And that fall I took
didn't help any. Does he always do that?"
"Not always," I denied with amusement. "You're just lucky you weren't
alone with him. He teaches a harder lesson in private."
"You sound like the voice of experience," she mused, studying me.
"What would have happened in private?"
"Try it and find out for yourself," I came back, flicking some ashes
onto the floor of the hopper. "Nobody warned me either. It was a long
time ago, but I have confidence in Ringer."
"What could he possibly do?" she demanded. "I have a 5 rating in hand
to hand combat."
"I have a 9 rating, but you didn't find me in his lap," I pointed
out. "I can hold my own with him in the gym, but when nobody's
looking he fights dirty. At that point it isn't a game anymore, and
you either fight to put him away for keeps, or you take your lumps.
Personally, I've had enough trouble with the Council lately. Female
or no, I have no intention of having to tell them they need a new
file:///C|/Downloads/Diana-Santee/Tanderon/Tanderon12.html (10 of 20)18/09/2005 15:01:03
Tanderon by Sharon Green - Chapter 12
Chief of Agents because of me. But they don't know you yet. Maybe you
could get away with it."
"Some other time, maybe," she muttered, her eyes saying she was sorry
she'd asked. "What do we do when we reach Wheatley?"
"We act as obnoxious as possible to give Lammerly an excuse for not
sending the police after us when we go," I explained, automatically
checking our position at the reminder. "If we should be picked up by
the Flowerville police we don't want to be sent back, but we do want
a just-in-case alibi. It's better to be sent back and have to start
all over than to have our final paychecks made out. I'll give you
that sketch of Valleyvale now, so we don't have to worry about who
might be listening."
I gave her a general, street by street description of Valleyvale,
filling in only the main points of interest. Teddy listened with her
eyes closed and no expression on her face, which meant she was
memorizing the data. I had brought her along more on an impulse than
anything else, but it looked like the impulse might pay off.
I finally grounded the hopper in a tall weed patch about half a mile
from the main highway leading to Wheatley, then we walked back to the
highway. After fighting our way through all those weeds, we really
looked like we'd been traveling for a while. We strolled along the
highway waiting for somebody to come by, but Tanderon's local ground
traffic tended to be on the light side. After an hour's worth of
strolling, Teddy stopped to wipe the sweat and dust from her forehead
with the back of the hand that wasn't holding a valise.
"I think five miles away from Wheatley would have been a better
idea," she said, sounding as hot and sweaty as she looked. "At this
rate it'll take us a week to get there."
"No, it won't," I disagreed, glancing at her. "If we don't get a bite
soon, you get your first real lesson in overland travel mode. You've
had the foundation for it laid down, haven't you?"
"Yes, and we were even given one practice," she answered glumly.
"Somehow the classroom is starting to look better and better."
Meaning that that one practice had left her as drained as everyone
file:///C|/Downloads/Diana-Santee/Tanderon/Tanderon12.html (11 of 20)18/09/2005 15:01:03
Tanderon by Sharon Green - Chapter 12
got at first. Overland travel mode lets you move incredibly fast for [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]