按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
on； Heller； a ragged； shabby and starving； panhandling bum； approached on the street and begged me for a quarter and I pulled the sleeve of my tailored jacket out of his bony； clutching fingers and slammed the door of my limousine in his tear…streaked face。
Chapter 2
At the Apparatus hangar everything was well。 Ske crunched down on the landing target； went into ground mode and rolled off to the side。
From where I sat； I could see Tug One continuing to boil。 The back fin was finished。 They were doing something to the whole outside hull。 In addition to other crews on other jobs； over a hundred contractor men； in bright yellow cover suits were working with bright yellow spray which instantly went black when it hit the plating。
I knew what this was： Heller was redoing the original Fleet absorbo…coat。 You could see the difference between the old coating and the new。 The old coating was a tiny bit gray； the new coating was so black it was almost not there。 Absorbo…coat takes all ining waves and simply drinks them up； absolutely no energy gets reflected； visible or invisible。 Not the most searching beams or screens can get a bounce off of it。 The vessel bees pletely undetectable unless it blocks off a light behind it like a star。 It will defeat any modern surveillance system。
I smiled when I thought of going to all that work just to baffle the primitive detection systems of Blito…P3。 Even a shabby； old； chipped Apparatus vessel could do it。 And then I felt less cheerful： all this absorption would multiply the dangers of Tug One blowing up。 She would shed nothing！ Screaming through space； picking up fields and light 。 。 。 I looked away quickly to get my mind off it。
Ah； something more cheerful！ The Blixo！ The Blixo was just clearing in！ My luck was really holding！
One of the several Blito…P3 run freighters； the Blixo was no better or worse。 These are small freighters； only about two hundred and fifty feet long。 They are rather skinny and light。 But they carry good tonnage； certainly all the tonnage that could be utilized。 And they would carry fifty or sixty passengers in addition to a twenty spacer crew。 Their warp drives push them about six weeks one way； sometimes more； sometimes less。 Unfortable and shabby； they can slip in and out easily and they are no more dangerous than any other freighter。 The best part of them is； they look ordinary： nobody remarks about them ing in and out of Voltar…just some of the thousands every week。
I motioned to Ske and he ground…drove over…a half a mile was too far to walk in my exalted state。
She had settled into her gantry within the last half hour and the huge trundle dolly had finished taking her into the hangar and lowering her to the floor。 It was now pulling back out。
But that wasn't all that was beginning to leave the Blixo。 Behind the tall hangar screens that had been dropped down for security； I could hear the chatter of small cranes。
A convoy of armored flying lorries was standing by in a short column。 They were one by one inching ahead。 The Blixo was discharging her priceless cargo under the cover of screens。
The first lorry； all buttoned up after loading； drew out and stood waiting。 When joined by the loaded remainder； they would go roaring off across the desert； advertisedly to Camp Endurance； actually all the way through to Spiteos。 The vast storage spaces of the antique fortress would be getting filled up。 Just a small amount as yet； but as the months went on； it would be appreciable。 Lombar would be in jumping glee to see these lorry loads roll in。
Half a regiment of Apparatus guards were standing about to keep the area secure。 It wasn't very important to them。 They were leaning haphazardly on their blast…rifles； talking to one another about some prostitute or some dice game。
It wouldn't take them long to discharge this priceless cargo。 I sat and waited and at length； all the flying lorries were full and the convoy drove over to the nearby landing target and one after the other； they lumbered into the sky。 The chain of them thundered off toward Camp Endurance。
I nudged Ske and we drove up near the guard mander and I flashed my identoplate。 An orderly near him took its reflection on his board and we went through the security screens and stopped at the airlock ladder。
Actually； it was by my authority as head of Section 451 that these freighters came and went。 But you wouldn't have thought it by the attitude of the spacer by the airlock ladder。 He was plainly anxious to get off and go into town and have himself a binge。
〃Tell Captain Bolz that Officer Gris is here；〃 I said。
〃Tell him yourself；〃 said the spacer。 They are always a bit surly when they e in from a run。
But we didn't have time for me to administer proper discipline。 I was just getting out of the airbus when there was a row in the airlock。
Three big Apparatus guards； apparently sent from Spiteos for the purpose； were pushing and hauling at a debarking passenger…captive is the better word。
There was nothing unusual in this and I was stepping aside to let them brawl their way down the ladder when my alert ear caught what the captive was saying。
〃Take your God （bleeped） hands off my God （bleeped） neck and get these God （bleeped） cuffs off my God （bleeped） wrists！〃 It was in English！ Not Turkish or Arabic。 But English！
The individual was a bit of a mess； very dishevelled and much the worse for wear from his voyage。 He was squat； very muscular。 He had black hair and black eyes and a swarthy plexion。 He had on the remains of a tailored suit and a blue shirt with black stripes。 But that wasn't the oddity。 He was in metal； not electric cuffs and he had no ankle shackles。 Further； he was not atose； but awake and talking and tough！ All very irregular。
As they reached the bottom I said to the leading guard that had him； 〃I am Officer Gris。 This is all very irregular。 Where are your orders？〃 I sounded very official。 You have to be with these Camp Endurance riffraff。
The leading guard was thumbing through his papers。 There was apparently more than one captive。 He found it。 〃It says he is to be brought in straight up and taken directly to top interrogation。〃 The use of 〃straight up〃 means minimal duress and awake。 Dangerous practice。
〃Who signed those orders？〃 I demanded。
The leading guard looked at the sheet and then at me。 〃Why you did； Officer Gris。〃 Oh well； just one of thousands of orders one has to stamp。 I looked at it。 The order was from one of Lombar's personal clerks； the one that handles interrogation personnel。 I went a little bit chilled。 I hope they had the right man here。 Lombar hated slip…ups。 I read the name。
I turned to the captive。 〃Is your name Gunsalmo Silva？〃 I said in English。
〃American？〃 he said。 〃God （bleep） it； do you talk American？ Where is this （bleeping） place？ What the God （bleeped） Hell is this？ What the Jesus H。 Christ am I doing in a barn full of flying saucers？〃
〃Please；〃 I said patiently。 〃Is your name Gunsalmo Silva？〃
〃Look； I demand you call the God （bleeped） United States Consul！ Right now； do you hear？ I know my God （bleeped） rights！ You get the United States Consul down here； buster； before I decide to