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〃Here；〃 he said； stacking boxes of clips。 〃And I presume a weaponscart？〃
Heris nodded； glad that she would not have to pay for this。 Cecelia's credit cube went into the reader； and the assembled weaponry stacked neatly into a covered cache on a cart that looked like a miniature flitter and hummed at her。
〃Palm…print it；〃 the man said。 Heris laid her palm on the membrane set in one side of the thing's bow； and it bleeped。 〃It won't open the cache to anyone else；〃 he said。 〃It'll follow you； if you want it to stay somewhere； palm…print and say； 'Stay。 ' But I'd keep it with you； if it's stolen someone could break in。 Local law says those weapons are your responsibility now。〃
〃Thank you；〃 said Heris； and retrieved Cecelia's cube。 She hadn't even looked at the total； it was like going into Fleet refitting。
On the way back to the flitter bays； Heris's mind caught up with her again。
What she was about to do； with Lady Cecelia and a supply flitter； was exactly what Admiral Lepescu had demanded that she do with her crew and ship。。。 what she had refused to do； in fact。 Why was she so willing now to charge into an obvious trap？ If she wouldn't risk a crew of professionals； why would she risk one rich old lady？ And what did that say about her loyalty to her employer？
If she tried this； and failed； Lepescu would have beaten her twice … he would have made her play his game； something she couldn't avoid as a military officer。。。。 But now she had options。
If she could think of them。 If she had time。 If she could convince her employer who was even more stubborn； if less vicious； than Admiral Lepescu。
Of course； she could try another end play and tell Bunny herself。 Let Lady Cecelia fire her； if that's what it came to。 That's what she'd done last time； and it hadn't worked。。。。 She did not have to make the same mistake twice。
This time； if what she suspected was true； Lepescu was in the trap … not her。
She could win； using her own strategy； and prove she'd been right。
But she had to convince Cecelia。
Chapter Thirteen
〃This is the island we're on；〃 Petris said； outlining it on the chart。 They had survived their first night on the island； Ronnie felt much better； and ignored the dull pain in his head。 He had kept that first ration bar down； and another this morning； he was sure he was over his concussion。 〃About eight kilometers by five；〃 Petris went on； 〃but most of it's narrower。 Relief's about two hundred meters … this hill's given as two…twenty。 It's steeper on the west； but nowhere difficult； except for this little ravine here … 〃 He pointed。 〃Now … the cover is mixed： open forest； on these slopes； and down near the water scrub undergrowth。 It's full of trails as a kid's playground in some park …〃
〃That's what it was；〃 Bubbles said。 〃I told you； we all camped over here。 My cousins； too。 About … oh … five years ago was the last time I remember。 We'd stay here while the grown…ups were on Bandon。 We'd sail over in little boats。
My father thought it up … it was out of some old books from England on Old Earth。 Kids went camping on an island …〃
〃Yes； well； this isn't camping。〃 Petris dismissed her memories abruptly。 Oblo spoke up。
〃Do you remember seeing anything that indicated someone else used the island that way？〃
〃No。〃 Bubbles wrinkled her nose。 〃No … in fact； we always had to clear the trails every year。 I wanted to have someone do it； but my father insisted we 'have the fun' as he put it。〃
〃So this kind of hunting was either somewhere else； or not going on then；〃
Oblo pointed out。 〃It would be interesting to know when it started； if your father hired someone new； who could have set it up。 It would take connections … someone who knew likely clients …〃
Bubbles frowned。 〃I'm trying to think。 Daddy mentioned he'd hired a new outrange supervisor when Vittorio Zelztin retired； but I don't remember what he said。 It didn't seem important。〃
〃Not as important as staying alive；〃 Petris said。 〃And we need to break this up and get moving。 Let me finish the briefing。〃 He waited until Ronnie wanted to ask why； then went on； sure of their attention。 〃They introduce new prey when they have confirmed killing all but two of the old ones。 Those are the preeves； the previous survivors。 That's how we know some of the things we do； and that's where our few weapons e from。 New prey's given two days free； then hunting resumes。 They supply basic rations every four days at a single site on the west side of the island； during a non…hunting period。 They hunt no more than fourteen Standard hours a day。 The problem is； we're not sure which fourteen hours。 Sometimes they do a split shift。 If we don't keep a constant watch； they're over here before we know it。
〃What the preeves told us is that the first week they hunt only in daylight。
That weeds out the really stupid and incapable； they think。 Then they start night…hunting。 They have dark gear； we don't。 If they hunt all night； they'll leave us alone the following day； but they usually hunt only half a night shift。 From sundown to midnight； or midnight to sunrise； say。 We've been here a couple weeks； so they're night…hunting almost every night。 Last night they didn't … I expect they were waiting to see if you were followed。〃
〃If they have Barstow sensors； why don't they just find us and wipe us out？〃
asked George。
〃They don't use Barstows；〃 Petris said。 〃Again； that's not 'sporting' in their books。 The preeves say if someone eludes them the full month； they'll use a Barstow to find and capture him … but that almost never happens。〃
〃But if they know we're here … and they want to eliminate witnesses … won't they use Barstows sooner this time？〃
〃I was hoping you wouldn't ask that。 They might。 And if they do； we're out of luck。 We can't build a shelter that will shield us from Barstow scans and escape notice in flyovers。 The island's not deep enough； and the woods aren't thick enough。〃
〃That other flyover；〃 Raffa said。 〃That could've been a rescue attempt； but we weren't there。〃 Ronnie had missed the flyover； but they'd told him about the flitter that came； hovered above the wreck； and then departed。
〃They'd only want to rescue us if they could do it before we made contact with the prey；〃 Bubbles said。 Looking at her now； Ronnie could hardly believe that was her name。 None of the fluffhead left； none at all。 〃They'll think … if we met them … the secret's out。 Either they have to kill us all； and fake an accident somehow； or they have to escape。 And even if they do escape； there's the evidence。。。。〃
〃So the only logical thing for them to do is add our names to the list and go on。〃 Raffa shivered。 〃I don't like this。 Yet … if they kill us； there'll be the evidence then； too。 When someone es to look。〃
〃Unless they try to capture you four；〃 Petris said。 〃And then kill you in some way that can be explained。 They might well try a chemical weapon。 Knock you unconscious； take you up in a flitter … even your own … and drop you into the rocks。 If we're all dead and gone … or if they can create that accident on another island … it might well pass。 Ordinarily； the preeves say； they don't use chemicals； but now they might。〃
Ronnie lifted his