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Chapter Thirty-seven

Darwin, Australia

10FEB2283

The plan required waiting until the next stor wet season in Darwin that meant less than a day

Thunder, Prumble hoped, would mask any noise or vibration caused by their activities Skyler didn’t cherish the idea of euns trained on his face, and readily agreed To pass the tie to the roof, where they could watch the sky

A spectacular sunset greeted them--crimson and sapphire, broken by wide swaths of purple clouds Wet season, for all its faults, kne to paint a canvas

Despite the show, the Elevator pulled at Skyler’s gaze "The subhu"

"Heard that, too," Pru away at the edge of the city Soh The pile of proble buried alive "How long do you give us?"

Pru in the breeze "You shall outlive ood--"

"I iantour just due, for e did to old Mother Nature"

Skyler cast his eyes doard, nodding soleer," Prumble said, "ten years The population here shrinks by the day, and construction Up There could only make a snail proud"

Skyler picked up a stone and hurled it over the edge "You never know We’re tenacious buggers"

"Perhaps Perhaps"

Their talk turned to less depressing rydanced within the purple puffs

"I think it’s tireed and led the way back to the panic roorates, spaced a half aps between the bars in each grate were just big enough for Skyler to push his hand through

"This is going to rate With extreainst the second barricade A loop of duct tape on the back joined it to the bars

The process was repeated for the first grate

"We’re under Ryland Square here," Prumble said "Not even to the wall yet And there’s a storm It will be okay"

"I’m worried more for my own ears," Skyler said "We should move as far back as we can"

The spindle of fiber optic cable held fifty e wire and Skyler planned to use all of it He poked two laser-initiated blasting caps into each brick of explosive and plugged the optical connectors into a hub on the end of the o," he said Prumble picked up the extra supplies and headed back the way they’d co backward

Storh brook of babbling rainwater in the botto effect on Skyler, so long as he ignored the smell of excrement and urine

When the cable ran out, Pruer mechanism A simple le and one red button Skylerto activate the device with his foot He plugged his ears and looked at Pruoes--"

"Wait," Pruers out of his ears "What is it?"

The big e of tears His lower lip quivered

"What is it?"

"Once you blow the grate," Pruet in there quick In case they do hear it"

"So?" Skyler said

"So," he said, "so this ulfed Skyler in a crushing bear hug

Face mashed into the faux leather of Pru "It’s not goodbye, okay?"

"Don’t underestioodbye," he repeated "It’s see-you-soon, if anything I’ll get this done and bring the crew back, and we’ll spend our days playing cards at your quiet little café, drinking to the good old days"

Prumble pressed his lips into a thin line, as if he’d taken a bite of le back tears, Skyler realized

"You better, you bastard," Pruh "Whatever happens, I’ll either be there or leave word for you"

"Good"