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Marine.
The Ecolitan felt sorry for her.Too many jolts to her system. But he had
already left theentryway behind.
The bed was mussed, in the way that indicated it had not been slept in, but
the quarters were vacant.
Nathaniel palmed the lock to his office and snapped a shot through the barely
open portal to the spot behind the console.
He followed his shot, low and to the left, rolling and firing. Strumm!
Another damned Marine! Strumm!
A line of fire burned down his right arm. The stunner dropped to the floor
from his numb right hand. He shifted the aim of the stunner in his left hand.
 Strumm!Strumm!
Nathaniel s first shot spun the female Marine to the carpet, and the second
stilled her twitching.
He stood momentarily over the bodies, looking down at the second face of a
man who looked like him.F or a moment, he studied the patched wall, yet to be
fully repaired from earlier explosive events.
He checked the portal to the staff office, decided that it would hold and
took out the two small probes. The one he held in his right hand clattered to
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the floor. Even with full concentration, his pain conditioning could not
override the jangled nerves in his right arm. With the single probe in his
left hand, it took several minutes for him to lock the portal, though it would
hold against anything less than a military laser cutter.  Hope they don t have
that handy.
 Strumm!
He gave another jolt to the Marine beforeholstering the stunner and bending
to drag his double back into his own private quarters through the still open
portal.
He smiled as he glimpsed the ragged thunderclouds through the vista of the
office window panorama.Definitely prophetic.Definitely. Back in theentryway of
his private quarters with the three unconscious bodies, he knelt down, rolled
Hillary over, listened to the heartbeat. He was no doctor, but he didn t like
the sound. Still& he had to make a few changes. First, he focused the stunner
and burned out all four visual snoops. When he finished, he laid the stunner
aside. The charge was exhausted.
With his good hand, he pulled the diplomatic blacks off his double and
stuffed the man into the greens he had been wearing minus the equipment belt
and gear, which he retained. Then he hurried into a set of his own blacks,
pocketing theI.D s and other  official credentials carried by the false
Envoy.
Finally, he wiped off the useless stunner and tucked it into the other s belt
holder.
The remaining stunner was down to about twenty percent charge, but he decided
to keep it until he could replace or recharge it. He straightened his stiff
shoulders. He hadn t been thinking clearly.Too long since he d slept well. The
easiest way out was the direct way.
After a sigh, he took a deep breath. With a grunt, he stooped and swung
Hillary over his shoulder, lugging her through his quarters before setting her
on the couch in his office.
Next, he dragged his double back into the office and laid him out ina
position on the floor, and put the exhausted stunner in the unconscious man s
hand.
Finally, he unlocked the portal and hit the emergency stud.
First through the portal from the staff office was Mydra, followed by another
Marine.
 Whoever he is, snapped the Ecolitan,  he attacked through my
privatequarters, he used poor Hillary as a shield, and managed to get both
guards as well. He glared at the Marine.  Some protection you are!
 But, sir& 
 But nothing.All s well that ends well, I suppose. Now& the woman& I mean&
Hillary. She s in a bad way. Probably needs emergency medical care. Handle
that immediately. Then there s the other Marine in my quarters, plus that one
over there. You d better post some guardsoutside my private exit this time.
Damn the gossip. Enough senough.
The Marine saluted and thumbed his belt comm.  Lord Whaler &  began Mydra
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slowly. He nodded at her.  What do you intend to do with the intruder?
 Take him to breakfast, of course.Under guard. He could see the effort she
was making to keep her jaw in place.
He chuckled, which he had never done in front of her before, and added,
 Since I seem to require armed guards these days, they might as well carry my
friend with me to my morning appointment.
& XXIX&
Sylvia, in the yellow and white that did not become her, was waiting for him
in the outer lobby of the Legate s dining room.
Nathaniel watched her eyes widen as he walked in, flanked by three red-coated
Imperial Marines, two of whom supported a semiconscious figure. The Ecolitan
opened and closed his right hand several times, blocking away the pain. He had
full control back, but it would be several hours before he wouldb e able to
relax his controls.
 I apologize for being late, dear Lady, but I had a great deal to accomplish
since we talked, as I am sure you realize. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]