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of the entrance, across from the gatehouse. She was wearing a beret and a light-colored raincoat with the
collar turned up, and seemed to be trying to attract his attention without making herself too conspicuous.
 Oh, Jesus  He looked at the two.  Look, I need a few minutes. Jay, stay right there. He walked
across to the woman and was almost face to face with her before he recognized Veronica, for once
looking neither impish nor mischievous.
 I ve just come down from the ship, Steve. She drew him close to the gatepost.
 Aren t the boarding gates being checked? Colman murmured, surprised.
 Of course they are. It s all a mess up there.
 Then how 
 I know Crayford and his wife. One of the crew got me through. That can wait. It s about Celia.
It wasn t a moment to be keeping up pretenses. Colman s frown deepened.  What about her? Is she
okay?
Veronica nodded her head quickly a couple of times.  She s not hurt or anything like that, but she s in a
lot, of trouble. She s gotten herself mixed up with Sterm, and she can t make a move without being
watched. She could be in real danger, Steve. She has to get away from there.
Colman nodded but tossed up his hands.  Okay, but how can she?
 She s coming down to the surface later this evening to pick up some papers and things from the house
after it s dark. But she ll be under escort. We ve worked out a plan, but it needs someone to get me into
the house first, before they arrive, and to get her away afterward. Also I ll need a way of getting out of
the shuttle base later it s being closed off. You re the only person she ll trust. Can you get away inside
the next hour, say?
Colman looked away in a daze. Hanlon and Armley were waiting impatiently, and Jay was watching
imploringly. He thought furiously. Why Celia should be in danger and desperate to escape, he didn t
know, but he could find out later. If he said he had to get away for a few hours. Sirocco would cover for
him, so that was okay. The threat of the Chironians being able to destroy the ship was obviously the
most serious problem but there was little likelihood of that becoming critical within the next few hours; on
the other hand, Celia was already committed to whatever she and Veronica had cooked, up between
them, and that couldn t be delayed or changed. So Celia would have to come first. Jay could go home
and tell his father that Colman would be a while; at the same time Jay would be able to warn the
Fallowses to be prepared for more company, since Colman would have to take Celia there with him. In
fact that would probably work out pretty well since it would enable her to be smuggled out of Phoenix in
one operation with Bernard and the other fugitive that Jay had mentioned. Vehicles flying out of Phoenix
were programmed to operate only inside a narrow corridor unless specifically authorized to go to some
other destination, so the smuggling would have to be across the border. He could fix something with
Sirocco back in the Orderly Room, no doubt, but that was a relatively minor issue since Colman was
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already adept at getting himself in and out of Phoenix. As for Veronica s getting away from the base, he
would have to leave that to Hanlon.
 We can probably figure out a way to get you into the house, Veronica. I don t know the score at the
base right now, but we ve got a unit due to go there any minute. That means you ll have to trust some
other guys too. Okay?
 If you say so. Do I have a choice?
 No. Colman turned his head and waved Hanlon over.  Bret, this is Veronica. Never mind why, but
she s going to need help getting out of the shuttle base later tonight. What do you think?
 We ll work out something. Where and when? Hanlon said. Colman looked over at Veronica.
 A shuttle s lifting off from Bay Five at 2130, she said.  I ll be coming off it about thirty minutes before
it leaves. All I need, is to get over into Chironian territory. I can make it on my own from there.
 Where to? Colman asked her.
 Casey s, I suppose. Veronica replied.
 Does Casey know? Colman asked. Veronica shook her head. Colman thought for a few seconds.  I
don t like the sound of what s going on around there, he said.  Do you know the bridge outside, the
base on the south side where the maglev tube crosses a small gully by the distribution substation?
 I think so. I can find it anyway.
 Make for the bridge and wait there, Colman told her.  I ll send one of the guys into Franklin with a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]