[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Just as well, Steward thought. Bribery was a skill best learned on the job.
When Reese arrived, Steward was dressed in tropical white, sitting on the
dining-room terrace with his third pina colada.
Reese seemed to be in her mid-thirties, about an inch taller than
Steward, wiry and small-breasted, with a long-legged stride that was all
confidence. Her hair was short, a dark bronze that the sun was turning to
copper. She wore white cotton drawstring trousers, sandals, and a sleeveless
bright tropical shirt. Steward could see dark floss beneath her arms, silver
ear cuffs dropping bangles that gleamed against her neck, fading imprints on
her cheeks where the mask and gill unit had pressed into her flesh.
She was carrying a tall iced drink of a mellow golden color.
Try the grilled flying fish, she said. The conch salad isn t bad, either.
I ll have one of each, Steward said. I haven t eaten since morning. He
stood up to shake hands. Muscle moved catlike in her upper arms as she clasped
his hand.
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Williams, Walter Jon - Voice of the Whirlwind
Are we alone in this place? Steward asked.
Reese looked around at the rows of blank linen tablecloths. It s the off
season, she said. And it s early. They settled into their chairs. The sun
on the terrace was bright and Steward was wearing his shades. Reese looked at
him without squinting.
Steward concluded the dark gray eyes were artificial implants.
You re pretty young to be such a good friend of Griffith s,
Reese said.
It s a new body. I m a clone.
Page 56
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Griffith ought to get a new body soon, Reese said. He looks worse every
time I see him.
How did you come to know each other?
Reese smiled. We were dumped on the street together. After the
Artifact War.
Steward sensed himself stiffening. You were on Sheol?
No. I was on Archangel. Ross 47, with Far Jewel. It wasn t as bad there.
Steward sipped his drink and settled back into his seat. Griffith and I were
in the same unit, he said.
That s what I heard. She put her drink on the tablecloth and frowned at it
for a short minute, then looked up at him. You ve done vac training?
Yes.
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of%20the%20Whirlwind.html (128 of 423)23-2-2006 20:24:57
Williams, Walter Jon - Voice of the Whirlwind
Rad suit?
Yes.
How long ago?
About eight or nine months ago, in terms of my memory. Years ago, real time.
Reese seemed startled. Your former... personality... he didn t update your
memories?
Steward was mildly surprised she had realized this so quickly. I
lost about fifteen years.
My god. She looked at him. I don t suppose he told you why?
Afraid not.
She shook her head. I hope you re not as forgetful as he was.
He didn t forget. I think there were just some things he didn t want me to
know.
Yeah. Well. Reese shifted uncomfortably in her seat. I guess we all have
memories like that. She took a sip of her golden drink. I don t suppose
you re familiar with the specifications of a Fiat-Starbright FSVII inertial
drive? Because that s what you d be working with on the
Max Born
.
Relief trickled into Steward. As a matter of fact, I know the
FSVII, he said. Some of Coherent Light s ships used them.
The specifications he knew were mainly for purposes of sabotage, but at least
they gave him a good idea of how the
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of%20the%20Whirlwind.html (129 of 423)23-2-2006 20:24:57
Williams, Walter Jon - Voice of the Whirlwind engines were put together.
Reese grinned. So. That makes things easier.
I was afraid you d have some fancy new system I d never heard about.
A lot of ships do. But the
Born
s a venerable beast. Sixty years old, but they keep rebuilding it. She
sipped her drink. I should tell you something, by the way.
Born isn t owned by Starbright [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
Just as well, Steward thought. Bribery was a skill best learned on the job.
When Reese arrived, Steward was dressed in tropical white, sitting on the
dining-room terrace with his third pina colada.
Reese seemed to be in her mid-thirties, about an inch taller than
Steward, wiry and small-breasted, with a long-legged stride that was all
confidence. Her hair was short, a dark bronze that the sun was turning to
copper. She wore white cotton drawstring trousers, sandals, and a sleeveless
bright tropical shirt. Steward could see dark floss beneath her arms, silver
ear cuffs dropping bangles that gleamed against her neck, fading imprints on
her cheeks where the mask and gill unit had pressed into her flesh.
She was carrying a tall iced drink of a mellow golden color.
Try the grilled flying fish, she said. The conch salad isn t bad, either.
I ll have one of each, Steward said. I haven t eaten since morning. He
stood up to shake hands. Muscle moved catlike in her upper arms as she clasped
his hand.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20krui...20Williams%20-%20Voice%20
of%20the%20Whirlwind.html (127 of 423)23-2-2006 20:24:57
Williams, Walter Jon - Voice of the Whirlwind
Are we alone in this place? Steward asked.
Reese looked around at the rows of blank linen tablecloths. It s the off
season, she said. And it s early. They settled into their chairs. The sun
on the terrace was bright and Steward was wearing his shades. Reese looked at
him without squinting.
Steward concluded the dark gray eyes were artificial implants.
You re pretty young to be such a good friend of Griffith s,
Reese said.
It s a new body. I m a clone.
Page 56
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Griffith ought to get a new body soon, Reese said. He looks worse every
time I see him.
How did you come to know each other?
Reese smiled. We were dumped on the street together. After the
Artifact War.
Steward sensed himself stiffening. You were on Sheol?
No. I was on Archangel. Ross 47, with Far Jewel. It wasn t as bad there.
Steward sipped his drink and settled back into his seat. Griffith and I were
in the same unit, he said.
That s what I heard. She put her drink on the tablecloth and frowned at it
for a short minute, then looked up at him. You ve done vac training?
Yes.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20krui...20Williams%20-%20Voice%20
of%20the%20Whirlwind.html (128 of 423)23-2-2006 20:24:57
Williams, Walter Jon - Voice of the Whirlwind
Rad suit?
Yes.
How long ago?
About eight or nine months ago, in terms of my memory. Years ago, real time.
Reese seemed startled. Your former... personality... he didn t update your
memories?
Steward was mildly surprised she had realized this so quickly. I
lost about fifteen years.
My god. She looked at him. I don t suppose he told you why?
Afraid not.
She shook her head. I hope you re not as forgetful as he was.
He didn t forget. I think there were just some things he didn t want me to
know.
Yeah. Well. Reese shifted uncomfortably in her seat. I guess we all have
memories like that. She took a sip of her golden drink. I don t suppose
you re familiar with the specifications of a Fiat-Starbright FSVII inertial
drive? Because that s what you d be working with on the
Max Born
.
Relief trickled into Steward. As a matter of fact, I know the
FSVII, he said. Some of Coherent Light s ships used them.
The specifications he knew were mainly for purposes of sabotage, but at least
they gave him a good idea of how the
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20krui...20Williams%20-%20Voice%20
of%20the%20Whirlwind.html (129 of 423)23-2-2006 20:24:57
Williams, Walter Jon - Voice of the Whirlwind engines were put together.
Reese grinned. So. That makes things easier.
I was afraid you d have some fancy new system I d never heard about.
A lot of ships do. But the
Born
s a venerable beast. Sixty years old, but they keep rebuilding it. She
sipped her drink. I should tell you something, by the way.
Born isn t owned by Starbright [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]