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has come, others may be soon to follow. Best to halt this inclination to
enhancement before it spawns a greater infestation still harder to excise."
Tilting back his head, he gazed at the ceiling, which had been designed to
resemble the early morning sky of his home world. Carefully placed points of
light duplicated familiar constellations while a single rust-hued moon gleamed
not far to the right of his visitor's head. The pleasant vista never failed to
soothe his liver.
"What do you have in mind?" Piarai waited expectantly.
Essasu lowered his gaze. "The humanx station has survived many mastorms, but
it is not invulnerable. Surely successive blows have weakened it."
The first assistant made a perfunctory fourth-degree gesture of comprehension.
"I see your thinking. You wish to eliminate not only the personnel but the
installation itself. Is it truly necessary?"
The movement of Essasu's lips conveyed seconddegree insistence. "Their
presence here is a burr, their progress an embarrassment. Our contact
specialists have enough to do without the added burden of competition weighing
constantly upon them. I am convinced the time has come to remove that." He
gestured importance.
"Something must happen first to the inhabitants of the humanx station and then
to the structure itself. This something must occur discreetly and unnoticed by
talkative locals." He picked at his teeth. "During severe weather would be the
best time. It would provide impenetrable cover."
Piarai was visibly alarmed. "Surely you cannot be thinking of putting a
readjustment party on
Torrelau in the midst of a mastorm? Even the best stabilized floater would be
hard-pressed to make the journey."
"I know that." Essasu shifted again in his lounge. "The readjustment party
will stand ready to depart at a moment's notice. At the first sign of an
approaching mastorm, they will move at maximum speed to Torrelau. It is a
high, rugged place and offers ample room for concealment.
According to the reports there are areas where even the locals choose not to
go.
"I am thinking particularly of certain high sea cliffs on the east shore that
the natives find negotiable but unattractive. A cut in the enclosing reef
there allows large swells to break against the rocks, making fishing or any
other gainful activity difficult. An expertly piloted float craft could make
the approach and land atop the cliffs. From there a landing party could make
its way unseen and on foot to the site of the humanx station." Teeth flashed.
"Cleansing should not take long."
Piarai indicated assent. "The humans will not venture out during a storm."
"Just as we would not-normally. I myself will lead the team." He reeled off a
handful of names.
"Chosatuu should certainly participate. I believe she is adept with
explosives."
The first assistant emphasized his words with a gesture of third-degree
concern. "When the station goes silent, investigators will be sent from
Ophhlia. If they find any evidence of explosives, blame will not fall on the
Parramati."
"Appropriate care will be taken." Now that he had made the decision, Essasu
was not to be denied.
The AAnn commander clicked the claws of one hand against those on the other.
"Signs of severe
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Have confidence in our technicians."
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Piarai remained uncertain but did not show it.
"For example," Essasu went on, trying to reassure his visitor, "the humanx
station includes the usual equipment for monitoring and recording the weather.
We will adjust these on site to reflect a mastorm of exceptional intensity.
Appropriate explanations in abundance will be provided for any who arrive
seeking enlightenment. The destruction will be seen as a consequence of a
freak storm among freak storms."
In light of the base commander's unshakable confidence, the first assistant's
enthusiasm rose.
"And the bodies?" One sandaled foot shuffled against the floor.
Essasu's gesture was imperceptible. "Seeking shelter from the storm elsewhere
on the island, their skimmer will have an accident. It may be found. Their
physical remains will be offered to the voracious ocean scavengers of this
world. I am confident they will not be found." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]