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out -of the Woodwork now get their hands on those weapons, we could have a
catastrophe that would end civilization across this whole planet. You've all
seen what's happening back on Earth. Well, the same mentalities are here too,
and they're panicking. We must keep enough of the Army together to stop
anything like that if we have to." And so they had stayed.
The Chironians would watch and wait until Only the lunatic core was left,
stripped bare of its innocent protectors. Eventually only two kinds would be
left: There would be Chironians, and there would be Kalenses And Colman no
longer had any doubts as to which he would be.
In the D Company Orderly Room in the Omar Bradley barracks block, Hanlon
secured his ammunition belt, put on his helmet, and took his M32 from the
rack. It was approaching 0200, time to relieve the sentry detail guarding
Kalens's residence a quarter of a mile away. "Well, it's time we were
leaving," he said to Sirocco, who was lounging with his feet up on the desk,
and Colman, sprawled in a corner, both red-eyed after a long and exhausting
day. "I'll try to shout quietly. I'd hate to be disturbing His Honor in his
sleep."
Sirocco smiled tiredly. '"You're excused from taking off your boots," he
murmured.
"Are we still invited to the Fallowses tonight, Steve?' Hanlon asked, stopping
at the door to look back at Colman.
Colman nodded. "I guess so. I'll probably be asleep when you come off duty.
Better give me a call."
"I will indeed. See you later." Hanlon left, and they heard him forming up the
relief guard outside.
"Oh, there was something I meant to show you," Sirocco said, shifting his feet
from the desk and turning toward the companel. "It come in earlier this
evening. Want a laugh?"
"What?" Colman asked him.
Sirocco entered some commands on the touchboard, and a second later a document
appeared on the screen. Colman got up and came across to study it while
Sirocco sat back
- out of the way. It was a communication from Leighton Merrick, the Assistant
Deputy Director of
Engineering in the Mayflower II, routed for comment via Headquarters and
Brigade. It advised that, due to an unexpectedly high rate of promotions among
junior technicians, Engineering was flow able to give "due reconsideration" to
the request for transfer filed by Staff Sergeant Colman. Would the Military
please notify his current disposition? "Looks like they're running out of
Indians,"
Sirocco remarked. "What do you want me to say?"
"What do you think?" Colman answered, and went back to his chair. Sirocco
casually entered
NEGATIVE, and cut the display.
"So what will you do? Sirocco inquired, propping his feet back on the desk.
"Figured it out yet?"
"Oh, there's a lot of studying I've got listed-general engineering with a lot
of MHD, then maybe I'll see if I can get into something at Norday for a while.
Later on I might move out to the new place they're talking about."
"Will Kath fix it up for you?"
Colman nodded. "To start with, anyhow. Then, I guess, it's a case of how well
you make out. You know how things operate here." After a pause he asked, "How
about you?"
Sirocco tweaked his moustache pensively. "It's a problem knowing where to
start. You know the kind of thing I'd like to get out and see the whole
planet. The Barrier Range is as big as the
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Himalayas, there's Glace . . . a Grander Canyon out in Oriena . . . there's so
much of it. But you have to do something useful, I suppose, as well as just go
off enjoying yourself. But I think there's a lot of survey work waiting to be
done yet. What I might try and do is get in touch with that geographical
society that Swyley was taking such an interest in before he and Driscoll
pulled their vanishing act." Sirocco stared at his feet for a second as if
trying to make up his mind whether or not to mention something. "And then of
course there's Shirley," he added nonchalantly.
"Shirley? You mean Ci's mother?"
"What About her?"
Sirocco raised his eyebrows in what was obviously feigned surprise. "Oh,
didn't I tell you? She wants me to move in. It's surprising how a lot of these
Chironian women have a thing
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