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"Did he check the data grapevine, where we all leave word?"
"Yes, he took full computer readouts. But the man was in a hurry. Refueled,
restocked, and left. Something about a rendezvous, though how you people can
compute such things in the
Long View "
"Yeah. It's not easy. " But right now was a shorter view. "Dominguez, though.
You know if his cargo included any aircars?"
Ingalls nodded. "Yes. Two. And that's odd. Because they weren't packaged for
stowing. In fact, when I saw them, not long before
Buonatierra lifted, those cars were simply sitting just inside the cargo
hatch, and the local pilots who delivered them seemed to be doing routine
maintenance. "
Tregare leaned forward. "Those pilots. They belong to anybody in particular?
Some clan, some oligarch?"
"Mmm, no. They hire out. Not particularly savory characters, I might add. They
work for "
"The dal Nardos, maybe?"
"Sometimes. And the No Names. And last summer one of them did a month of
chasing poachers off the fishing grounds that young Fennerabilis is trying to
develop. More legitimate than most of their enterprises, that one. I'm just as
glad they're gone with Dominguez. "
Not with Dominguez, but gone, yes.
"Why "
Tregare stood. After a moment, so did Prestor. Bran said, "This morning a ship
went over where I was and two aircars came down bombing and shooting. Anybody
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wants to investigate, I
can tell 'em where the pieces landed. How the investigators get there, across
the Big Hills, is their problem. "
Briefly, Ingalls looked startled. Then he nodded. "Quite so. I assume that if
I asked your cooperation ?"
"You'd get it. But hardly anyone else would. "
"Yes, " Ola Stannert answered. "The floodlights are working. "
"Good, " said Tregare. "Expect us pretty quick now. " He lifted the scout,
started toward the
Big Hills and then swung back. On his comm-panel he punched a call into the
local system for
Layne Ingalls's office and got relayed to the Commissioners home. "Tregare
here. I think I know which is the dal Nardo estate" he gave the coordinates
he'd spotted on the map "but I want to be sure. Confirm?"
"Why, yes; that's correct. But, Tregare, you can't just "
"I know, Ingalls. I'm not certain they hired the bombing just positive. And
they didn't kill me, so I'll return the favor. "
"What are you going to do?"
"Teach Lestrad dal Nardo something he can't learn any younger. "
Prestor was gasping and protesting but Tregare didn't have time for it. He'd
spotted the dal
Nardo mansion, and drifted toward it, while he talked with the Commish. Now he
dropped near to ground level; the scout tilted, its Drive raising hell with
the immediate landscape. All around the great house, twice, he walked the
small craft, turning the ornamental grounds to pure chaos. Then he lifted the
scout high and took it across the Big Hills slowly. Because he figured he had
some talking to do.
He looked to Leanne. "What's your problem? You said you liked me because I
know what I'm doing, but when I do it you get all shook up. You having second
thoughts, maybe?"
Her head moved, not decisively. "But you you just took this scout and smashed
somebody's property. I "
"Not somebody's. Lestrad dal Nardos. Case you didn't notice, it's his people
tried to bomb us out, at the cabin; nobody else here had reason to. " He
overrode her attempt to interrupt. "He's leaned on me before; I
told him what would happen if he kept it up. He did, and I did. Any more
questions?"
She had none, but he gave answers anyway. "It's close to time for lifting
Inconnu off Number
One. What I need here is almost done, and it's years before I " No, he didn't
have to tell her about the fleet he wanted, or when rendezvous could occur.
" before I come back here. What I
do is, I use those years on fast time, ships'
time making contacts I need, and plainly raising hell with UET any chance I
get. I don't waste that time sitting here and getting old. " His right fist
clenched. "I want UET scared, up to its neck in puke. So I have to go hit the
bastards. And I
can't leave some scorpion behind who thinks he can go eat eggs out of my nest
when I'm not looking. You understand that?"
"Yes. "
"Good. " But another thought came. "From now on, when I do something, why
don't you just figure I have a reason for it? And do the asking later. "
Her smile came a little shaky. "Yes, I think I can do that. "
The remaining twilight let him land, with no need for instrument work,
alongside
Inconnu.
In that ship's galley, because he and Prestor hadn't eaten since leaving the
cabin, he talked while he ate. "What I want to know, Jargy, is how they knew
where I was. "
"MacDougall. Aguinaldo. " Gonnelson said it. "Their "
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Needing to swallow before talking, Tregare shook his head. "No. Mac and Pete
wouldn't cross us. "
Jargy Hoad said, "Their crew, he means. Moved back and forth a lot, in the
other scout, to have days-off in town. So somebody got to one of them. More,
maybe. Right?" Gonnelson nodded.
Tregare could see it but he didn't like it. "How soon can we dump most of the
outsiders and do our own work?"
Hoad-grinned. "Yesterday. Mac and Pete stay and three they vouch for. The rest
are superfluous now, anyway. "
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