base, though, which gives us an edge. Jamil and
I will dress up in our best Army officer suits and—”
Quong interrupted.
“Imitating an officer of the Armed Services is illegal. If you are caught, you
could be accused of spying and sentenced to death.”
Xris shrugged. “They
have to catch us first. And we’ll be on and off that base so fast they won’t
hardly know we were there. Where was I?” He consulted his electronic notepad. “Oh,
yeah. Jamil and I get onto the base. We do a little song and dance to pay for
our supper. While he’s entertaining the troops, I inspect the security, make
any adjustments necessary. That night, we slip off base, find the robot, grab
it, bring it back, stash in with out luggage, and depart.”
Quong was
sceptical. “How big is this robot?”
Xris smiled,
pulled out a twist, put it in his mouth. “Oh, about two and a half meters tall,
half a meter in diameter, and probably weighs around two thousand kilos.”
Quong sniffed. “And
you are going to put that in your suitcase? You had better take Raoul’s luggage
instead.”
“It wouldn’t fit,”
Raoul said complacently. After a thoughtful pause, he amended. “Well, yes, it
would, but I’d have to leave half my wardrobe behind.” He was excited. “Xris
Cyborg, it sounds as if you do not need me on this mission. If so, don’t forget
the religious holiday—”
“I haven’t,” Xris
said grimly. He raised his hand, forestalled the Adonian’s arguments. “We’ll
discuss this later. To answer your concerns, Doc, Sakuta provided us with a
crate for the robot—specially built with moisture control systems and pillows
to keep it comfy and God knows what else. Jamil and I just have to figure how
to bring the crate onto the base without arousing suspicion.”
“I’ve got an idea
on that,” Jamil said. “ And an idea for why we’re on the base in the
first place.”
“Good. Well,
gentlemen, that’s it for that job. Jamil and I can handle it. There’s another
matter that I have to cover.” Xris was silent a moment, chewing on a twist.
Finally he said
quietly, “I had a visit today. From the bureau. One of their agents—my old
boss—bumped into me.”
“They know about
Darlene!” Harry was out of his chair, ready to run to her rescue.
“Yes and no.” Xris
motioned for the big man to sit down. “The bureau is aware that the person they
know as Dalin Rowan is alive and well. They found his footprints in their
computer files. But they don’t know anything more than that. And we have to
keep them from knowing. Because if they find out, odds are that the Hung will
find out, too.”
“Damn! What are we
going to do? We have to do something Xris,” Harry said, his face creased with
worry.
“I am,” Xris said,
rubbing his temples. His head ached. “I’m sending Darlene to Adonia with Raoul—”
“In time for the
festival?” Raoul was breathless from the suspense.
“Yes, in time for
the festival. You see—” He would have explained further, but Raoul had leaped
from his chair, hurled himself at Xris, and flung his arms around Xris’s neck.
“Thank you! Thank
you, my friend!” Raoul cried fervently. “You have no idea how much this means
to me. I unfortunately have been forced to miss the last three festivals and my
friends on Adonia are most annoyed with me since I owe them all parties and now
I will have a chance to fulfill my social obligations—”
Choking in a cloud
of lilac perfume, Xris endeavored to disentangle himself from the Adonian’s
fond embrace. “Your main obligation is to take care of Darlene. And don’t
forget it.” He rubbed his cheek where Raoul had planted a kiss, looked
suspiciously at the smear of red lipstick on his hand. “What is this? Do I need
an antidote or something?”
“No, no,” Raoul
said reassuringly, patting his hair— which had become mussed in the flurry of
the moment— and picking up the hat that had been knocked to the floor. “It is
ordinary
I will dress up in our best Army officer suits and—”
Quong interrupted.
“Imitating an officer of the Armed Services is illegal. If you are caught, you
could be accused of spying and sentenced to death.”
Xris shrugged. “They
have to catch us first. And we’ll be on and off that base so fast they won’t
hardly know we were there. Where was I?” He consulted his electronic notepad. “Oh,
yeah. Jamil and I get onto the base. We do a little song and dance to pay for
our supper. While he’s entertaining the troops, I inspect the security, make
any adjustments necessary. That night, we slip off base, find the robot, grab
it, bring it back, stash in with out luggage, and depart.”
Quong was
sceptical. “How big is this robot?”
Xris smiled,
pulled out a twist, put it in his mouth. “Oh, about two and a half meters tall,
half a meter in diameter, and probably weighs around two thousand kilos.”
Quong sniffed. “And
you are going to put that in your suitcase? You had better take Raoul’s luggage
instead.”
“It wouldn’t fit,”
Raoul said complacently. After a thoughtful pause, he amended. “Well, yes, it
would, but I’d have to leave half my wardrobe behind.” He was excited. “Xris
Cyborg, it sounds as if you do not need me on this mission. If so, don’t forget
the religious holiday—”
“I haven’t,” Xris
said grimly. He raised his hand, forestalled the Adonian’s arguments. “We’ll
discuss this later. To answer your concerns, Doc, Sakuta provided us with a
crate for the robot—specially built with moisture control systems and pillows
to keep it comfy and God knows what else. Jamil and I just have to figure how
to bring the crate onto the base without arousing suspicion.”
“I’ve got an idea
on that,” Jamil said. “ And an idea for why we’re on the base in the
first place.”
“Good. Well,
gentlemen, that’s it for that job. Jamil and I can handle it. There’s another
matter that I have to cover.” Xris was silent a moment, chewing on a twist.
Finally he said
quietly, “I had a visit today. From the bureau. One of their agents—my old
boss—bumped into me.”
“They know about
Darlene!” Harry was out of his chair, ready to run to her rescue.
“Yes and no.” Xris
motioned for the big man to sit down. “The bureau is aware that the person they
know as Dalin Rowan is alive and well. They found his footprints in their
computer files. But they don’t know anything more than that. And we have to
keep them from knowing. Because if they find out, odds are that the Hung will
find out, too.”
“Damn! What are we
going to do? We have to do something Xris,” Harry said, his face creased with
worry.
“I am,” Xris said,
rubbing his temples. His head ached. “I’m sending Darlene to Adonia with Raoul—”
“In time for the
festival?” Raoul was breathless from the suspense.
“Yes, in time for
the festival. You see—” He would have explained further, but Raoul had leaped
from his chair, hurled himself at Xris, and flung his arms around Xris’s neck.
“Thank you! Thank
you, my friend!” Raoul cried fervently. “You have no idea how much this means
to me. I unfortunately have been forced to miss the last three festivals and my
friends on Adonia are most annoyed with me since I owe them all parties and now
I will have a chance to fulfill my social obligations—”
Choking in a cloud
of lilac perfume, Xris endeavored to disentangle himself from the Adonian’s
fond embrace. “Your main obligation is to take care of Darlene. And don’t
forget it.” He rubbed his cheek where Raoul had planted a kiss, looked
suspiciously at the smear of red lipstick on his hand. “What is this? Do I need
an antidote or something?”
“No, no,” Raoul
said reassuringly, patting his hair— which had become mussed in the flurry of
the moment— and picking up the hat that had been knocked to the floor. “It is
ordinary
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