Joshua squirmed from her hand as she stroked the sensitive skin at the side of his ribs. I think Louise is very sweet. Thats all.
Sweet. Marjorie smiled softly. I was just eighteen when I had her. And Ill thank you not to work out how old that makes me! So you see I know exactly what shes thinking right now. Captain Romance from beyond the sky. Norfolk girls of my class are virgins in more ways than one. Im not about to let some over-sexed stranger ruin her future, she has a slim enough chance of a happy one as it is, what with arranged marriages and minimal education, which is the lot of females on this planet, even for our class. And Im doing you a favour into the bargain.
Me?
You. Grant would kill you if you ever laid a finger on her. And, Joshua, I dont mean metaphorically.
Er ... He couldnt believe that; not even in this society.
So Im going to sacrifice my virtue to save both of you. She undid the belt, and slipped the robe from her shoulders. Sultry red light gleamed on her body, embellishing the erotic allure. Isnt that just so terribly noble of me?
The emergent snowlily plants were starting to be a problem around the village jetties along the length of the Juliffe and its multitudinous tributaries. The tightly clumped red-brown fronds occupied the shallows, the banks, and the mud-banks. None of which affected the Isakore as it sailed its unerringly straight course along the Zamjan towards the Quallheim Counties, carrying its boisterous passenger complement of four Confederation Navy Marines, and three Kulu ESA tactical operation agents. Isakore hadnt put ashore once since it left Durringham. It was an eighteen-metre-long fishing boat, with a carvel hull of mayope, sturdy enough for its original owners to take it down to the mouth of the Juliffe and catch sea fish in their nets. Ralph Hiltch had ordered its thermal-conversion furnace to be taken out, and got the boatyard to install the micro-fusion generator which the Kulu Embassy used as its power reserve. With one high-pressure gas canister of He3 and deuterium for fuel, Isakore now had enough power to circumnavigate the globe twice over.
Jenny Harris was lying on her sleeping-bag under the plastic awning they had rigged up over the prow, out of the light drizzle sweeping the river. The sheeting didnt make much difference, and her shorts and white T-shirt were soaking. Four days of sailing without a break from the humidity left her vainly trying to remember whether she had ever been dry.
A couple of the marines were on their sleeping-bags beside her, Louis Beith and Niels Regehr, barely out of their teens. They were both vising their personal MF players, eyes closed, fingers tapping out chaotic rhythms on the deck. She envied their optimism and confidence. They treated the scouting mission with an almost schoolboyish enthusiasm; although she admitted they were well trained and physically impressive with their boosted muscles. A tribute to their lieutenant, Murphy Hewlett, who had kept his small squads morale high even on a dead-end posting like Lalonde. Niels Regehr had confided they all thought the mission upriver was a reward not a punishment.
Her communication block datavised that Ralph Hiltch was calling. She got to her feet and walked out from under the awning, giving the young marines some privacy. The dampness in the air wasnt noticeably increased. Dean Folan, her deputy, waved from the wheel-house amidships. Jenny acknowledged him, then leant on the gunwale and accepted the channel from the communication block.
Im updating you on the Edenist agents, Ralph datavised.
Youve found them? she queried. It had been twenty hours since they had gone off air.
Chance would be a fine thing. No, and the observation satellite images show that Ozark village is being abandoned. People are just drifting awaywalking into the jungle, as far as we can tell. We must assume they have been either sequestrated or eliminated. There is no trace of the boat they were using, the Coogan , the satellite cant see it anywhere on the river.
I see.
Unfortunately, the Edenists knew you were coming upriver behind them.
Hellfire!
Exactly, so if they have been sequestrated the invaders will be watching out for you.
Jenny ran a hand over her head. Her ginger hair had been shaved down to a half-centimetre stubble, the same as everyone else on board. It was standard procedure for jungle missions, and her combat shell-helmet would make better contact. But it did mean anyone who saw them would immediately know what they were. We werent exactly inconspicuous anyway, she datavised.
No, I suppose not.
Does this change our mission profile?
Not the directive, no. Kelven Solanki and I still want one of these sequestrated colonists brought back to Durringham. But the timing has certainly altered. Where are you now?
She datavised the question into her inertial guidance block. Twenty-five kilometres west of Oconto village.
Fine, put ashore at the nearest point you can. Were a little worried about the boats coming out of the Quallheim and Zamjan tributaries. When we reviewed the satellite images we found about twenty that have set off downriver in the last week, everything from paddle-steamers to fishing ketches. As far as we can make out theyre heading for Durringham, they certainly arent stopping.
You mean theyre behind us as well? Jenny asked in dismay.
It looks that way. But, Jenny, I dont leave my people behind. You know that. Im working on a method of retrieving you that doesnt include the river. But only ask if you really need it. There are only a limited number of seats, he added significantly.
She stared across the grey water at the unbroken jungle, and muttered a silent curse. She liked the marines, a lot of trust had been built up between the two groups in the last four days; there were times when the ESA seemed too duplicitous and underhand even for an Intelligence agency. Yes, boss, I understand.
Good. Now, remember; when you put ashore, assume everyone is hostile, and avoid all groups of locals. Solanki is convinced it was sheer numbers which overwhelmed the Edenists. And, Jenny, dont let prejudice inflate your ego, the Edenist operatives are good.
Yes, sir. She signed off and picked her way past the wheel-house to the little cabin which backed onto it. A big grey-green tarpaulin had been rigged over the rear of the boat to screen the horses. She could hear them snorting softly. They were agitated and jumpy after so long cooped up in their tiny enclosure. Murphy Hewlett had kept them reasonably comfortable, but shed be glad when they could let them loose on land again. So would the team which had to shovel their crap overboard.
Murphy Hewlett was sheltering in the lee of the tarpaulin, his black fatigue jacket open to the waist, showing a dark green shortsleeved shirt. She started to explain the change in schedule.
They want us to go ashore right now? he asked. He was forty-two years old, and a veteran of several combat campaigns both in space and on planets.
Thats right. Apparently people are deserting the villages in droves. Picking one of them up shouldnt be too big a problem.
Yeah, youre right about that. He shook his head. I dont like this idea that were already behind enemy lines.
I didnt ask my boss what the situation was like in Durringham right now, but to my mind this whole planet is behind the lines.
Murphy Hewlett nodded glumly. Theres real trouble brewing here. You get to recognize the feeling after a while, you know? Combat sharpens you, I can tell when things aint right. And theyre not.