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t wait for you？ Twiddling our thumbs or whatever？〃
〃You're wele to twiddle whatever you want；〃 I told him； walking down the curve toward them； 〃since you and Everett are staying in here where he can try to keep you quiet until I get back with the medicine。〃
I pointed at Chort and Tera； the latter approaching the group from the other side。 〃You two and Nicabar； on the other hand； aren't going to have time to twiddle much of anything。 I want the three of you to collect all the emergency lights we've got and start stringing them just inside the gaps in the shroud out there； with the lights shining outward。 All nice and decorative for the Grand Feast； and with any luck the glare will keep everyone from seeing past them to the linked spheres underneath。〃
〃Maybe we could also get hold of some colored transparent sheeting to cover them with；〃 Tera suggested。 〃They'd look even more festive that way。〃
〃Probably would；〃 I agreed。 〃But I don't know how well they've got this temporary spaceport equipped。 I don't want anyone wandering too far afield hunting for anything that's not really vital。〃
〃They've got tram systems leading from the port into each of the two city centers；〃 Nicabar put in from the wraparound； apparently having arrived in time to hear this last exchange。 〃I spotted them on the monitors while you were putting us down。 If they had time to set those up； they've surely got an outfitters' shop or two in place。 I can go check…it won't take me long。〃
〃Forget it；〃 Shawn growled before I could answer。 〃He never lets anyone go anywhere except him； remember？ Just him。〃
〃Shawn；〃 Everett said warningly； putting a massive hand on the kid's shoulder。
〃Don't 'Shawn' me；〃 Shawn snapped； angrily shrugging off the hand。 〃I'm not a child； you know。〃
〃If you want to make a quick check； go ahead；〃 I told Nicabar。 〃Just watch yourself； and be back in half an hour to help Tera and Chort with the lights。〃
〃I will；〃 Nicabar promised。 〃Don't worry…it's a zoo out there。 I won't even be noticed。〃 Turning； he disappeared back down the wraparound。
〃What about him？〃 Tera asked； nodding toward Ixil； who was standing slightly off to the side keeping out of the conversation。
〃He'll be in overall charge here；〃 I told her； ignoring the glare Shawn was giving me； this particular bile probably a result of me proving him wrong by letting Nicabar go。 Even at his best Shawn hated being proved wrong； and in the middle of borandis withdrawal he was a long way from his best。 〃He'll also be using Pix and Pax to keep an eye on things outside the ship。〃
〃How do you plan to get it this time？〃 Tera asked。 〃The borandis； I mean。〃
I focused on her face。 She was gazing evenly back at me； her expression not giving anything away。
But then； the fact that she didn't want her expression giving anything away spoke volumes all by itself。 〃Why； you feeling squeamish？〃 I countered。 〃I'll do whatever I have to。 Leave it at that。〃
〃Fine；〃 she said； not taking offense。 At least no visible offense。 〃I just want to remind you that we can't afford for you to get into any trouble。 If you don't make it back； we don't lift。〃
〃I'll make it back；〃 I assured her； brushing past her and heading up toward the wraparound。 〃Don't worry about me；〃 I added over my shoulder。 〃You just concentrate on getting those lights up and running。〃
The transition between the different gravity vectors of the sphere and the wraparound was as always a bit tricky to navigate； but I managed it without any serious loss of balance or dignity。 Nicabar had already opened the hatchway and lowered the ladder the ten meters to the ground； checking to make sure my plasmic was riding loose in its holster； I stepped to the top of the ladder and looked down。
Nicabar had been right： It was indeed a zoo out there。 The close packing of the parked ships was funneling the prospective merrymakers down the relatively narrow lanes between them； lanes they were further having to share with fueling trucks； the occasional token customs vehicle； and about a million little two…man runaround cars that were obviously intended to alleviate the pedestrian congestion but were only succeeding in making it worse。
All of which boiled down to about as ideal a situation as I could have asked for。 Even if the Patth and their lumpy Iykami allies were out there looking for us； the sheer volume of people they would have to sift through ought to make this as quick and clean as possible。 Getting my bearings toward the nearest spur of the tram lines Nicabar had mentioned； I headed down the ladder and elbowed my way into the river of pedestrians。
My first thought had been to try to corral one of the cars for myself。 But there weren't any unused ones in sight； so I set off on foot。 Which was just as well； I quickly realized； as I saw how easily the cars were getting snarled up in the traffic flow。 The tram spur wasn't that far away； and I could use the exercise。 And the time to do some hard thinking。
But not about how I was going to acquire Shawn's borandis。 Despite my somewhat melodramatic pronouncement to Tera about doing whatever I had to； that part was actually going to be the least of my worries。 With borandis a perfectly legal substance for at least a dozen of the species jostling against me； every pharmacy on the planet would have the stuff in stock； with few if any questions asked。 No； the immediate and burning question right now was the same one that had been gnawing at me for quite a while： how to get the Icarus to Earth ahead of the Patth。
Along with the subsidiary question of whether that was even the smart thing for me to do。
Because lurking in the back of my mind was my most recent conversation with Ixil； and his half…joking question of whether I would be offering the Icarus to Brother John instead。 Then； I'd assured him I had no intention of doing so； now； though； I wasn't nearly so sure it wasn't the best solution we had。 It would keep the stargate in human hands…bloody hands； certainly； but human nevertheless…as well as giving me the kind of career boost someone in my position could usually only dream of。 I might even get to meet the elusive Mr。 Antoniewicz； which would put me in exalted pany indeed。
Cameron wouldn't be pleased by such a move； of course。 Neither would Tera； and if Tera wasn't happy； Nicabar probably wouldn't be happy； either。 The two of them seemed to have bee quite chummy since that confrontation on the bridge regarding my shadier business associations。 Still； at this point； other people's happiness or lack thereof wasn't particularly high on my priority list。 We'd covered barely a fifth of the distance from Meima to Earth； and already we'd had far too many close calls than I cared to think about。 The others； believing that the Icarus was a superfast alien stardrive； undoubtedly still had their hopes pinned on using it to beat out the Patth net； Ixil and I； on the other hand； knew that hope was nonexistent。
On almost every level I could think of； the idea made sense。 And Cameron and Tera would surely get over their pique eventually。 Still； I reluctantly concluded； I wasn't quite ready to make such a decision。 Not yet。 Maybe once we were off Palmary。
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