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shortly. Tell them to relax and take advantage of CenSec's generosity. But
don t tell them where I am!" She turned to glare at it "You got that?'
"It's done, Joat. Joseph says to tell you that you and he need to talk."
"Did he ask where I was?"
"Yes, I told him that you hadn't said," Rand's voice sounded strained. "I
don't understand how you hu-
mans can do that so casually. I find it very disorienting to make statements
that are contrary to the facts."
Joat smiled gently at it. 'Thank you for lying for me, Rand. I know you don't
like it. What did Al say?"
"Alvec says he'll bring you home some take-out."
Joat smiled wanly at that.
"I belted Nomik Ciety in the chops," she said. Then she smiled faintly in
satisfaction. "I knocked him right on his ass."
After a moment, Rand asked, "Was that wise?"
She sighed, "Certainly not. But I really needed to do it-Rand's lights glowed
yellow in puzzlement.
"I believe I have insufficient information," it concluded. "Because based on
what you've just told me, I
would be forced to agree that you have, indeed, lost your mind."
"Oh, I did," she assured it. "But it's back now and we have work to do. What
have you found out so far?"
"The Kolnari have apparently never actually visited Rohan," it told her.
Joat waved a hand dismissively.
"Not surprising, they're uncomfortable off their ships, they like to have a
ceiling over their heads and walls around them. Looking up through that dome
would just about drive them crazy. Besides, they don't exactly enjoy
socializing with other races." She shook her head. "They'd use go-betweens or
tight beam communications. My bet is the latter. See if you can find anything
unusual in ship to port messages. Meanwhile, I'll try'n get into Ciety's
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
cyber-house through a back door."
The two worked intently for a while and the quiet soothed Joat's jangled
nerves.
There's nothing like working out a technical problem to get yourself centered,
she thought.
"I'm in!" Joat called.
"Congratulations," Rand said. Then, "Or perhaps not."
Her head snapped up.
"What?"
"Something's wrong. Something's gotten in."
"What is it?" she demanded.
"I don't know. But it's eating me."
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Sal?"
"Yeah?" he looked up from The Anvil's accounts at his secretary.
"That fine that Mr. va Riguez wanted paid?" "Yeah?" he said again, with
exaggerated patience. This particular employee seemed incapable of just saying
what was on his mind.
"Can't do it Mr. va Riguez's account says insufficient funds." Sal grunted and
reached for the note-
screen in his secretary's hand. He skimmed through the bankers' jargon until
he reached the amount of the fine. "Oi vey!" he exclaimed. 'That can't be
right." "I double checked it, Sal. That's the right amount." "A hundred and
twenty thousand credits! You gotta be kiddin' me. What the hell did Simeon-
Hap do for a fine that size?" "I couldn't find out." The secretary shrugged.
"It's confidential." Sal just looked at him from under lowered brows.
"Get me Dyson," he said at last. "Now."
Graf Dyson shrugged. "She had to be fined, Sal. She entered the station
illegally."
Sal gave him a look. "A hundred and twenty thousand?" he said.
Dyson threw up his hands and leaned forward. "Look," he said, "Clal va Riguez
says to me, make it a big fine. Use your discretion. And she ticked me off."
He leaned back and shrugged. "So I did what he said."
Sal rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, he told me to pay it. But his account
says insufficient funds. I
don't think he expected it to be this much." He gave Dyson a hard look. "He
didn't set a ceiling?"
Graf didn't like Sal's attitude. This wasn't even his affair and he was
getting really pushy. Besides
Grafs dealings were supposed to be confidential. And this conversation was
lasting way too long.
"Look, maybe you're right, maybe there's been a misunderstanding. Have va
Riguez call me. We'll straighten it out."
"He's not here," Sal grumbled, still looking like he was waiting for a
concession.
"What is this?" Dyson snapped, suddenly angry. People were supposed to come to
him hat in hand and to say thanks when they left. He'd had dealings with Sal
before and hadn't gotten the respect he thought he deserved. "I don't discuss
your business with other people. I won't discuss va Riguez's business with
you. He has a problem, have him get back to me. I don't hear from him, I
figure he wants this fine to stick. You," he snapped a finger towards Sal, "I
don't wanta hear from." And he disconnected.
He leaned back thoughtfully.
Maybe I should reduce it, he thought. Mr. va Riguez had told him no more than
Page 93
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zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
shortly. Tell them to relax and take advantage of CenSec's generosity. But
don t tell them where I am!" She turned to glare at it "You got that?'
"It's done, Joat. Joseph says to tell you that you and he need to talk."
"Did he ask where I was?"
"Yes, I told him that you hadn't said," Rand's voice sounded strained. "I
don't understand how you hu-
mans can do that so casually. I find it very disorienting to make statements
that are contrary to the facts."
Joat smiled gently at it. 'Thank you for lying for me, Rand. I know you don't
like it. What did Al say?"
"Alvec says he'll bring you home some take-out."
Joat smiled wanly at that.
"I belted Nomik Ciety in the chops," she said. Then she smiled faintly in
satisfaction. "I knocked him right on his ass."
After a moment, Rand asked, "Was that wise?"
She sighed, "Certainly not. But I really needed to do it-Rand's lights glowed
yellow in puzzlement.
"I believe I have insufficient information," it concluded. "Because based on
what you've just told me, I
would be forced to agree that you have, indeed, lost your mind."
"Oh, I did," she assured it. "But it's back now and we have work to do. What
have you found out so far?"
"The Kolnari have apparently never actually visited Rohan," it told her.
Joat waved a hand dismissively.
"Not surprising, they're uncomfortable off their ships, they like to have a
ceiling over their heads and walls around them. Looking up through that dome
would just about drive them crazy. Besides, they don't exactly enjoy
socializing with other races." She shook her head. "They'd use go-betweens or
tight beam communications. My bet is the latter. See if you can find anything
unusual in ship to port messages. Meanwhile, I'll try'n get into Ciety's
Page 92
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
cyber-house through a back door."
The two worked intently for a while and the quiet soothed Joat's jangled
nerves.
There's nothing like working out a technical problem to get yourself centered,
she thought.
"I'm in!" Joat called.
"Congratulations," Rand said. Then, "Or perhaps not."
Her head snapped up.
"What?"
"Something's wrong. Something's gotten in."
"What is it?" she demanded.
"I don't know. But it's eating me."
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Sal?"
"Yeah?" he looked up from The Anvil's accounts at his secretary.
"That fine that Mr. va Riguez wanted paid?" "Yeah?" he said again, with
exaggerated patience. This particular employee seemed incapable of just saying
what was on his mind.
"Can't do it Mr. va Riguez's account says insufficient funds." Sal grunted and
reached for the note-
screen in his secretary's hand. He skimmed through the bankers' jargon until
he reached the amount of the fine. "Oi vey!" he exclaimed. 'That can't be
right." "I double checked it, Sal. That's the right amount." "A hundred and
twenty thousand credits! You gotta be kiddin' me. What the hell did Simeon-
Hap do for a fine that size?" "I couldn't find out." The secretary shrugged.
"It's confidential." Sal just looked at him from under lowered brows.
"Get me Dyson," he said at last. "Now."
Graf Dyson shrugged. "She had to be fined, Sal. She entered the station
illegally."
Sal gave him a look. "A hundred and twenty thousand?" he said.
Dyson threw up his hands and leaned forward. "Look," he said, "Clal va Riguez
says to me, make it a big fine. Use your discretion. And she ticked me off."
He leaned back and shrugged. "So I did what he said."
Sal rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, he told me to pay it. But his account
says insufficient funds. I
don't think he expected it to be this much." He gave Dyson a hard look. "He
didn't set a ceiling?"
Graf didn't like Sal's attitude. This wasn't even his affair and he was
getting really pushy. Besides
Grafs dealings were supposed to be confidential. And this conversation was
lasting way too long.
"Look, maybe you're right, maybe there's been a misunderstanding. Have va
Riguez call me. We'll straighten it out."
"He's not here," Sal grumbled, still looking like he was waiting for a
concession.
"What is this?" Dyson snapped, suddenly angry. People were supposed to come to
him hat in hand and to say thanks when they left. He'd had dealings with Sal
before and hadn't gotten the respect he thought he deserved. "I don't discuss
your business with other people. I won't discuss va Riguez's business with
you. He has a problem, have him get back to me. I don't hear from him, I
figure he wants this fine to stick. You," he snapped a finger towards Sal, "I
don't wanta hear from." And he disconnected.
He leaned back thoughtfully.
Maybe I should reduce it, he thought. Mr. va Riguez had told him no more than
Page 93
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