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Lena can put it to them, explain the situation."
"Oh, fuck the situation," Sturgis said angrily. "A good piece of the world
order may be at stake here. I'm supposed to be responsible for security; first
I get forced to depend on Romero, who screws up everything, and now you tell
me I have to depend on Trevina. People like that will blow everything wide
open if we're not careful."
"Oh, don't get so grandiose. Might be interesting to see how this all turns
out." The other voice gave a sarcastic laugh. "Besides, you need to learn,
even you can't control everything."
"God damn it, it's not funny, Stafford."
A message machine beeped. "Hey, Doug. We can't find Brach. He's not in his
room."
"Oh, shit," Sturgis said.
In Elena's room, Carter sat as Elena paced back and forth, pulling herself
together too easily. "Sorry,
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Carter. I can't tell you much yet." She stopped behind her little table, as if
for protection, hands spread on its surface. She was cool now.
"Can't, or won't?"
"Won't. Not yet."
"What do you want me to say in Mars City?"
"Carter. You're a good person. Give us time. We're trying to decide how to
handle this, now that you've blundered into it. We'll meet again tomorrow. I
was hoping to talk some sense into you tonight."
"Handle what? For chrissakes, Elena."
Her shoulders slumped slightly. "Everything. I didn't know what this job was
going to lead to when I
took it. I think they're right, though, the people who say that some science
is too important for scientists to handle. With you here, everything is more
difficult. We don't want a lot of attention drawn to what's happening here.
That's what I want to get across to you. Do you think you could just trust me
on that?"
"Draw attention?"
"You're good, Carter, but you're naive. We're all naive, I guess. Anyway, you
don't see the big picture.
You don't see what's really important."
"Maybe I would if you'd talk some sense."
"I'm not going to talk anymore tonight. I've said enough already." She
laughed, and her eyes burned into his. "Poor Carter. We've all got our
problems. It isn't going to be easy for me, this mess you've made.
Tomorrow we've got a meeting scheduled at ten. We'll try to work it out with
you. But for now, come on. Stay with me tonight. Let me show you I'm not such
a bad person."
Carter rarely turned down such an invitation. But tonight he felt tempted only
by the chance to gain information. Who was exploiting whom? "Sorry. Maybe
we'll make a date after you tell me what's going on."
She slumped perceptibly.
"Can I go now, or do I have to wait for my warden?"
She pressed a button on her terminal. "Your escort is on his way." Her face
was harder now.
When he was leaving, she said, "Be careful, Carter, you could ruin
everything."
What the hell was that supposed to mean? Carter decided he wasn't cut out for
mysteries. Besides, he was sick of people telling him he was naive.
When Carter reached his room, he found that Annie and Philippe had left a
message on his machine.
COME TO ANNIE'S ROOM. NEWS. ANNIE & PHILIPPE.
Annie's room was just like Carter's. Philippe's gangly frame was sprawled on
the bed. He jumped up when Carter came in. Annie sat in the chair by the desk.
"I have seen the holy ghost!" Philippe said. "He's here!"
"Who? What are you talkingabout. "
Annie just sat there, grinning.
Philippe slid onto the table, pulling his feet up in front of him and wrapping
his arms around his knees. He looked over the tops of his knees with a
mischievous grin. "Stafford!"
"Here?" Carter found himself leaning against the wall in the corner by the
door, as if he had been blown over. He was surprised at his own reaction; he
had told himself that's what they would find.
"Here. Alive."
"You saw him? You're sure?"
"Well, I did not actually see him. But I heard him. I heard them talking to
him. Finally they used his name.
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Certainly it was him." Philippe described how he had crept out for a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]