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"Just a second," the woman said She fumbled for a handheld that was clipped to her belt, alht it to her lips "Could so twenty seconds passed, Pru his foot iines of the water hauler dwindled down to zero The yard beca There were few people about, Sam realized, and then she reated in the mess for prayers or whatever it was they did Idly Sam wondered where Sister Haley’s famous book was Grillo’s breast pocket seemed the most likely answer
"Uh …," a static-laden voice said "This is Kip?"
The woman eyed Prumble as she spoke "There’s some people down here from the water plant; they said--"
Pruet down here and ood on your proher authority"
His response came out like a squawk "You’re here? I mean Yes, of course Urinned, shoved the radio back into the still-cowering woman’s hands, and said, "You … deserve a proe in her facial expression ca lip and wide, terrified eyes vanished in place of so like awe
"Where’s this lobby?" Prumble asked her
She pointed to the centerpiece of Nightcliff’s grounds--the Elevator tower
"Of course Again, ive your crew a dinner break while we sort this out"
With that Pruers at Sam and Skadz, turned, and marched toward theto suppress her own grin Skadz shot her a sidelong glance and gave a little shrug "Have clipboard, will travel," he round h to e lorry had rued followed She glanced up at the source of the noise--the Elevator cable
"Someone’s found another object," Skadz said
"And if it was Skyler," Prumble replied, "he could be here in a matter of hours"
Sam couldn’t see the cord vibrate, but the noise unsettled her It seeh of course she hadn’t been standing right under the thing then Certainly it went on longer The initial noise seeth Then, a few seconds later, it rippled back down It rehly stylized sound effects often heard in sensory shows about starships and laser weapons, not of anything a real-world object could generate
She glanced down at her feet, trying to ienerator somewhere below that Skyler had visited Had it initiated the vibration? So, had it shut off? Saed Skadz and leaned in to whisper to him when he turned to her "Keep an eye on Prumble," she whispered "In case that noise was the aura shutting down"
His eyebrows arched
"It happened a few tilanced doard, pointedly "Skyler said the generator was down there, souards stationed in front of the lobby, and the wide sliding doors were fully open Pru about for thesoared lass and supported by thin ht along the cord For reasons she’d never understood, the thread didn’t go precisely straight up, but rather at a slight angle that tilted toward the equator Eventually the path of it leveled out, but frohtly off balance The tilt made sense, no doubt, froht it looked ready to topple over
She turned her gaze to the lobby itself Two curved staircases wrapped around a wide central shaft that no doubt concealed the Elevator cord, for it, too, rose at that slight grade The stairs ended at a second-floor balcony that looked down over thein or out, uard, for he wore the ar up at the Elevator tower, one finger pressed to his ear The vibration on the cord has theht
On the main floor there were four square areas evenly dispersed, with low couches facing in toward coffee tables It had no doubt once been very slick and high-end, but not anyrimy, with tears in the upholstery either covered in tape or simply left exposed
Around the perie for men’s and woht this place would act like an airport terminal when he’d funded it, she mused
Toward the back wall, behind the stairs, she saw the sickly form of Kip Osmak He peered out fro dealer, all hunched over and eyes shifting Stringy hair clung to both sides of his hollow face
"There," Sa toward him
Prumble strode across the nearly e, but Kip shushed him He stood, Sam realized, at the top of a stairwell that led down
"Uh, Prumble Hello," he said "And your friends, too Wasn’t expecting you" He stole a glance at a sht hand The hand, Sa
"Well, we’re here," Prumble replied, "and tio?"
The frail man chuckled nervously and retreated a step toward the doard stairwell "I’ll try" He glanced at the slate again
"What’s wrong?" Sa for the changing of the guard Five et out of the lobby, please?" Skadz asked
"Of course, of course Um, this way" Kip descended the steps half turned, as if he needed to be ready to run back up at any second No, that wasn’t it, Sauests into a house he was embarrassed to display
At the botto that fronted a pair of gray double doors A sign stenciled on both said AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY--NO VISITORS BEYOND THIS POINT
Kip pressed his thumb on a reader adjacent to the entry while si down to stare into a retinal scanner A second later a sharp click emitted from the doors and he pulled one open for them Sam noted sweat on his brow as she passed him into the corridor beyond "Relax," she said
His response cah
The subfloor below the Elevator tower lobby had none of the grandeur of the space above Grimy tile floors that had once been white h buildings outside Darwin to know the drill: rooers, and various closets for a litany of supplies Perhaps a small break area for those types of eenerally prefer didn’t nitaries
Kip led thele LED bulb e He pulled the door closed behind theaze fixed on the slate in his hand
Prue is just at the end of that hall Once Kip here gets us past the bioer alerts anywhere, but we’d best conclude our business quickly"
Sairl named Eileen Arkin?"
"Err, no," Kip said "Sorry"
"Can you look her up? She’s here in Nightcliff somewhere, and I need to find her"