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That will be an observer in a hovercar. Probably with a rifle-microphone which le him listen to every word we say. So we cannot go by stealth, said Terry. Then we will go boldly and defy them their worst. Come on, he said, which way toward the spaceport? Beauregarde pointed, then, as Terry started walking in that direction with a determined stride, Beauregarde aligned himself at the lad s side. * * * * VIII Once more there came a change in the environment. A subtle change; not one of crac windows, peeling paint, nor of lost elegance or a standard of living. It was a change in traffic, both vehicle and human. It was not a change in the pattern, but in the density; as some computer had extrapolated the natural city pattern of shaded randomness along asymptote toward zero. It looked exactly like one of those periods in the life of any community in which, in certain hours, everyone in the area is busy inside. And, being so natural-looking, it went unnoticed by Terry and Beauregarde. The total area was roughly elliptical, with the major axis aligned with their general course. Being further geometric, Terry and Beauregarde were approximately at one fo point of the ellipse, the behind point, so that the other focus was always ahead of them they walked toward the spaceport still far across the city the citizens of Xanabar we being ordered aside and away, to clear the area; they remained aside and out of sight the Terrestrial pair passed, and were then permitted to resume their daily lives. It was an operation that could only have been carried out with the resources of a large, despotic organization which was driven by the prospect of great gain or loss. From the site, the operation was not possible to grasp, but it was clearly visible t Martell and Homburg. These Xanabarians had abandoned their offices and the huge illuminated map fo cramped quarters in a huge tractor-trailer van, fitted inside as temporary field offices. I place of the citywide map was a sectional area to the same approximate scale and det showing the neighborhood. Tiny colored pointlets of light labeled and identified all veh and pedestrian traffic so that citizen could be told from Peacekeeper, with Terry and Beauregarde especially coded. * * * * They were not alone, citizen, Peacekeeper, and the two targets. Peter Hawley was pre too. Peter did not have the advantage of the high-flying hovercars, with their rifle microphones and the super tele video lenses, and the computer that maintained surve over the neighborhood by following the moving traffic and maintaining the code once t object was identified. But Peter Hawley was not without his own sources of information. Earth s recogn of the silliness of trying to operate under cover in a universe full of Understanding had another facet. By using Beauregarde, an object as conspicuous as a paid political advertisement, Peter could keep track of Terry with fair accuracy. For the passage of anything as exotic as Terrestrial dog through any district made various waves. Some w frightened, some curious; many had heard of this strange beast with the tongue of man Speculation, fear, wonder, sometimes amusement, and quite frequently fanciful tales o personal encounter were commonplace in the streets and in the vurguzz joints; all one do was listen carefully and then sort fact from fiction. By keeping one ear to the ground, Peter Hawley had been able to keep track of T and the dog, and so long as progress was maintained, Peter let well enough alone. Like Terry, Peter was at a total loss to figure out what Xanabar had in mind; certa there was enough manpower to collect the kid if Xanabar wanted to, and was willing to the price of overt kidnap. In the hope of gaining some idea of what was going on, Pete things ride, while watching carefully. When the call went out to execute one of their mobilization plans, its interception the Terrestrial Office was a matter of standard operating procedure. Peter went to the periphery of the ellipse, along with Martell, Homburg, and their specialized force of Peacekeepers. Knowing the city well, Peter stationed himself fairly accurately on a nea between Beauregarde s position and the spaceport. This left an error-probability of se city blocks, but it was close. So in this area there were three very determined attitudes. One, a very large and determined group, was not going to let Terence Lincoln get to City Coleban spaceport were restrained only by the sure knowledge that open violence would bring about retal and they were wary of the fratchy temper of all Terrestrials. The second, a minority consisting solely of Peter Hawley, was bent on joining forces with Terry and Beaurega and marching out of the district with them, daring any Xanabarian to put one toe over th demarking a forty-foot circle about them. The third consisted of Terry and Beauregard wanted out and were going to get out, with or without help, with flags flying or furled, ei marching down the avenue or slinking through the alleys. * * * * It was Terry who noted the lightening traffic. Not as such, however, but in an entirely di way. The sight of standard urban traffic is natural, as inconspicuous to the city man as Poe s purloined letter or the postman whose presence was so stereotyped and sched that he was above suspicion. But when traffic thins down, it is no longer the collective C Traffic, but individuals and vehicles which are not a mass, but a bunch of articles that n look nor act alike. Put another way, vehicle is a means of traffic is a moving mass; but a transportation. Beau, said Terry. Why must we walk? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |