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"An understatehts?"

"I’d prefer we stick together" She aze and saw the plea there; whether he’d meant to hide it or not, she knew he needed to do this "But I think Skadz is right Kip seen of trouble, and if he comes back eh" He still seeo "Arkin will drop us at Aura’s Edge near the valley, then join the Zorich crew for their trip to Belem"

Sam nodded Skadz did the same

"Now," Prumble said, "on the off chance we’re unable to rendezvous with Skyler--"

Sa rendezvous"

"On the off chance Skyler is unable--"

"Skyler will hed "It’s another option I’ll leave it at that"

"All right, you nificent bastard," Skadz said "This is all bloody fascinating, but what about the vault? I wouldn’t hly zero ure so out"

"Kip said it was impenetrable; you said ‘leave that to , I suppose"

"Pruet us inside the vault"

Sarin again "I’ve done it before Twice, as a matter of fact" At their incredulous stares he held up his hands "No, I didn’t break in"

"Then how?"

"I was invited First tio, when I was merely an apprentice installer with Novak and Sons Security out of Wellington Top-notch operation, mind you World-renowned The second tio"

"About when SUBS hit," Sa, you’ll note I was, uination Someone needed access to that vault in a hurry and flewand sordid tale, and the reason I was even in Darwin at all when the world went pear-shaped Nice bit of luck, eh?"

"Yeah"

"Point is, I’ve got the level-one originator’s fail-safe code burned into , I’ll open it"

The note generated by the aircraft’s engines spiked as it adjusted course for the approach to Nightcliff Below, the sprawling fortress caht and warm, but Sam noted there were few people about

Other than the iiant tower that surrounded the Elevator cord itself, she thought the whole place looked fairly bland A spread of buildings saudy mansion that Neil Platz himself used to live in She’d seen all this many times when, on occasion, she’d taken the co-pilot’s seat in the Melville on the return leg of a scavenger outing But she’d never paid it ravitated to one of the converted high-rise hotels, the one where Vaughn now occupied a er room on the third floor The rooo and warned him

She wondered ould happen if they ran into hih she suspected her visit had swayed which side he’d come down on, she still had no idea which side that would be

"Here we go," Skadz said "Pru he leaned forward and poked his head into the cockpit, where Arkin oversaw the hauler’s auto pad Pruainst theto him Arkin replied They conversed in this way for thirty seconds or so Finally Prumble clapped him on the shoulder Then Arkin leaned across the cockpit and pulled a slate from a pocket near the base of the co-pilot’s seat where June sat No, not a slate, Sale larease pen fro on the top sheet, signing it with a flourish

Prurinned with satisfaction

Across from him, Skadz waited for an answer Sa grin on Prumble’s face was one she kneell

"Not funny,here, I mean it"

Prumble held up the borrowed object and tapped it "Have clipboard, will travel," he said brightly

"Flankinto Arkin’s office at the water plant, Saht shoulder and Skadz followed at the left

"Don’t brandish your weapons," Prumble added "But don’t attempt to conceal them, either Squint a lot Look both bored and alert"

Weapons Sah Skadz had taken one of the umbrellas apart and kept the central shaft He’d offered her one as well, but Saht it would snap on the first skull it came down upon Instead she had the shorter half of a broken broom handle stuffed into her belt at her lower back

Skadz snorted a laugh "This is perhaps theyou’ve ever done"

"Which is why it ork"

"I think on my tombstone I want the words, ‘It’s the fat man’s fault’ Sam?"

She considered "Mine will say ‘Had clipboard, died h," Prumble snapped with uncharacteristic impatience "Focus now Time to fool the fools"

He strode from the aircraft like a lion loose in a zoo Absolute confidence wafted off hiht into Saht up to her The wo the crew that had colanced up just in ti over her Her eyes widened "Who the--"

Prumble held the clipboard before her and tapped it with his index finger "Who the hell am I? I’m the one you promised a new skid for the one your idiots cracked That was a o A month!"

"I … I promised?" she stalanced at the clipboard, which Saht operations checklist "Osht here, is it not? I refuse to let that water go until he comes out here and personally fits a new skid to this bird"

Sam realized that Prumble had chosen his ned, and though she was no doubt a fine little Jacobite, she had no experience or real authority out here on the landing pads The wory tone He stood at least a half meter taller than her and easily that much wider