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complete.
Very different from the dusty abandonment she'd smelled that first night here. She remembered
dropping into the midst of the humans and growled slightly.
The contractor looked at her and frowned. Gwen schooled her features and nodded at him to
continue.
"Ms. Ingolfsson, I can build this," he said, tapping the computer screen, "but I'm damned if I know
what it'll do."
Much of it was completely beyond local theory; and there were gaps in the CAD data, elements
that were being hand-fabricated by Singh and Mueller down in the Bahamas.
Haven't these people ever heard of the concept "Do as you're told?" she thought. The
contractor went on:
"I don't have the slightest idea what it is. And you'll need a pretty heavy set of capacitors to
energize magnets like that."
She smiled without looking around at him. "Just put it together exactly as specified," she said. "It's .
. . experimental equipment. We're planning to surprise the competition."
The man's jacket rustled as he shrugged. "It's your money. What I can't do is build it in the
time-frame you're asking for."
The man took a half pace backward as Gwen's head rotated around to look him full in the eyes.
She controlled herself with an effort, and he relaxed slightly, swallowing.
"Those were your own estimates," she said softly. "Why, exactly, are you changing your mind?"
"Look, ma'am, I'm only the prime contractor here. If subcontractors are willing to pay the penalty
clause rather than deliver components to me, I can't send out a goon squad to take the stuff."
Gwen felt her hair rise and bristle, her ears lay themselves back. She forced down the reaction.
Who else would be ordering rare-earth alloys in this quantity?
"Why are they willing to do that?" she asked, her voice still a deadly monotone.
"Because somebody else is bidding for 'em. Paying so much above market that it's worthwhile to
forfeit. And those components are the bottleneck for the whole . . . whatever it is."
"Exactly," Gwen said dryly. "Well, let my people have the data on the defaulters, and I'll see what
can be done. In the meantime, press ahead with the things you can do. That's all."
He nodded jerkily. "We'll knock off for the day, then."
Gwen stood, with her feet spread and her hands holding her elbows behind her back. "Dolores will
see you out."
"The Samothracian?" Tom asked, when the door closed behind the outsider.
"Possibly. Possibly through a local agent. It's ingenious, in its way; but it smells local. Only the
Samothracian could have identified the critical elements, of course, and we'll have to check everything that
comes in with redoubled care."
She frowned. "I'm really going to have to have a talk with that man. This is becoming annoying."
Alice cleared her throat: "Another health inspector's notice," she said. The bureaucratic paperwork
for having so many of the staff living on-site had turned out to be formidable.
The Draka turned and smiled at her. Lovely scent she has now, she thought. Almost as mellow as
a servus's. And a beautiful glow to her skin, as if the being within were shining through the human
envelope. She patted the woman on the stomach with a surge of protective affection.
"Somebody's harassing us again," Gwen said, taking the paper from her. "Considering the
sweeteners we've spread out, somebody with influence . . . or a great deal of money, or both."
Vulk Dragovic came through the door in time to hear her.
"The enemy?" the security chief said.
"Probably. It's a little subtle for one of them, though." She paused. "Again, he could be acting
through local agents. I did leave a bit of a trail when I first came through, and no doubt he could convince
some others. We know he's contacted some of the local police, although not how much he's told them."
Another pause. "We'll have to look into that. There are certain obvious leads . . . that policeman, for
instance. The computers don't show anything, but that's meaningless with a Samothracian involved.
Meanwhile, get this paperwork squared away."
"I'll see to it," the Californian said, with a weary sigh. "It'd be easier on the west coast, or back in
the Bahamas."
"Yes, but the signaler wouldn't work in either of those places, probably," she said, handing over the
form. "Get right on it, Tom. Vulk, have you finished the postings?"
"Yes," the Serb said, jerking a nod. "All approaches covered. There were some difficulties, but the
weapons will be within reach, despite the Americans."
Gwen stretched and rose. "Then that's everything for this evening. Go wait for me in the room,
Vulk; I'll be having you tonight."
The Serb's darkly aquiline features flushed as he left the room, a combination of hatred and longing.
Alice chuckled, with a touch of malice.
"I don't think Vulk likes being the girl," she said with a sly smile.
Gwen stopped for a moment. Then she laughed. "I see what you mean," she said. "Well, he's just
lucky it wasn't a male of my species that got dropped through, isn't he?"
She was still laughing and unbuttoning her jacket as she walked through the door.
***
"You're having all that?" Louisa Englestein said.
"Damned right," Jennifer said.
She speared a french fry with her fork and ate it slowly, then took a bite from the pastrami
sandwich, savoring the rich flavors. Chez Laurence did have them, if you asked. She hummed a little under
her breath.
"Don't tell me," Louisa said. "You got laid."
Jennifer looked at a french fry with an elaborate expression of innocence, then ate it, slowly.
"No. Not the Italian cop?"
"Henry. And he's more than an ethnic identifier and a job, you know. He's a sweet guy. And
smart."
Louisa rolled her eyes. "Puh-leez. Sweet? Oi vey gevalt, this is worse than I thought. Think of
what your mother would say."
"Don't be sarcastic. He is a sweet guy; not only did he call, but roses, no less, today. Pass the
ketchup."
Louisa looked at her. "How long have you been off the diet?" she said.
"A few months—since the Bahamas."
"But you've lost weight, I'd swear."
"Twelve pounds," Jennifer said, and patted her stomach. All from the right places, too. "And for [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]