[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"Well now," Santoo breathed. "Who might this person be?"
"He's a fellow named Brady Duncan." Yankee looked at one, then the other. "You don't know him?"
Daniel scratched his chin in consternation. "I think I've heard the name. I don't think I've met him,
though. Do you know anything about him?"
"No. I hadn't met him until this morning. Of course, since I've only been here a few months it's hard to
know everyone in such a short time."
"What did Brady say?"
"He was very interested in the land. He offered me four or five times what the land is worth. The man
was quite adamant about purchasing it. I told him the land wasn't for sale."
"Daniel?" Santoo turned towards him, "when the repelling circuit went down you said that Saul's outdoor
group came into the area and looked up at the sound of the shuttle's gravity drive."
"Saul and Ann, yes, but . . ."
"Is Brady Duncan one of that group?"
Yankee thoughtfully tapped his pencil on his desk top. "And what if he were?"
Daniel said, "He may have heard the shuttle, too. We could find out easily enough, I suppose. Ann
would know."
Santoo glanced at his watch. "It's nine-thirty. Would Ann be in her office by now?"
"Yes," Daniel said.
"Let's give her a call," Santoo said, and picked up the telephone.
***
"I know Brady Duncan. He joins Saul's group occasionally." Ann took a bite out of her salad. The
Eagle's Nest was busy with noontime diners. She had been busy when Santoo had called earlier, but had
joined them for lunch.
"You're sure?" Daniel asked, perplexed now.
"I'm sure. Did he tell Yankee why he wanted the land?"
"No. But he offered Yankee almost five times the land's worth. Yankee is taking care of all of Santoo's
business dealings now, so knowing what he knows about Santoo, he's extremely protective."
"How did this man know to come to Yankee?"
Daniel and Santoo looked blankly at each other. "Yes, how did he know to come to Yankee?" Santoo
wondered aloud.
"Look, both of you, I think you are worrying for nothing. This man saw your land and wanted it. Then he
most likely started calling the lawyers around town to see who handled the property. He couldn't very
well call Santoo since Santoo doesn't live here. Right?" Ann looked at one, then the other. "Right?" she
asked again.
"Right," Santoo said. "Perhaps you're right. But I think that whatever his motives, we will have to find a
different plot of land and build a new hiding place for the shuttle."
Daniel sighed. He knew Santoo was cautious, but right. They would have to move the shuttle hiding
place. They couldn't risk it being discovered.
Santoo said, "By the way, does Saul remember he was on the ship with us?"
"No."
"You've talked to him then? I thought you sent him on his way."
"I did. For about half a day. He's back and I took him back."
"Oh the course of true love . . ." Santoo murmured, happily. "But Saul doesn't remember anything about
the most recent abduction?"
"He remembers nothing. I related details of my personal experience and I tried to fill him in regarding
your experiences, but he swears he doesn't know what I'm talking about."
"Ann," Santoo said, "let me suggest you don't pursue this any further with Saul at this time. Apparently
the Zeta don't want him to know. Trying to help him remember could be harmful."
"I suppose it could."
"Trust that if the Zeta take you again, Saul will be there to protect you. Right now that's all you can hope
for. That's all any of us can hope for."
"I love him. I don't want to upset him further." Ann wiped her mouth with her napkin and looked at
Santoo. "I'll ask Saul about this Brady Duncan. I'll let you know."
"Don't worry about it, Ann." Santoo replied. "It doesn't matter what Mr. Duncan is offering. I'm not
going to sell the land. I am going to move the shuttle bays. I'm sure we can find a safer location."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Santoo found a chair and slowly lowered himself onto it. It was imperative they know more about
Duncan Brady, and on a hunch, Santoo had decided to question Saul. "Saul, you were in the woods that
night when Daniel and ta'Sara tried to bring in the shuttle. You remember hearing a faint hum above you.
Correct?"
"Correct," Saul said.
"Was there any other person with you that could have heard the shuttle?"
"Fred. Fred was with me."
Santoo glanced quickly at Daniel in a look of 'I told you so.' "What kind of a man is Fred?"
"A little rough around the edges, you might say. A real outdoorsman. Kind of a military-survivalist type,
but a reasonable man on the whole. A natural leader."
"Hmm." Santoo was thinking now. "Did Fred comment when he heard the shuttle's gravity drive above
him?"
"Well, he couldn't see anything. At least, I couldn't, so how could Fred?"
Santoo screwed up his nose in thought. "He couldn't-the shuttle was cloaked. Daniel always comes in
with the shuttle cloaked." Santoo glanced at Daniel and smiled. "Daniel is the most careful man I've ever
known, so I'm truly not concerned that people in your party saw the shuttle. But there is no way to quiet
the gravity drive. Strange noises in the air above can fuel the imagination and take it in directions we don't
want."
Daniel, perplexed, rubbed his chin. "Do Fred and Duncan know each other?"
"It's possible, I suppose," Saul said.
Daniel didn't like the possibilities of that."Is Duncan Brady a rich man?" Daniel pressed. "He'd have to be
to be able to buy Santoo's land. It's seventy acres of prime timber."
"I don't think Duncan is rich. I believe he has a nine to five job like the rest of us."
"We are going to have to find a new place for the shuttle," Santoo said abruptly. "This man could be
wandering around out there as we speak, looking over his prospective purchase."
Daniel looked blankly at Santoo. "So we're going to have to dig another hole for the shuttles?"
"It's starting to look like it. I'm not selling the land, but it they've discovered the shuttle bays . . . Hmmm.
It will involve a considerable amount of work, even with power lasers."
Daniel said, "It may be difficult to find another place."
"Roger has land," Santoo said, "and he may be willing to help us out. I'll ask him in the morning. I don't
know why this man wants my timber, but I'm not going to wait and find out."
***
The next afternoon as Daniel left work, he thought about the good day he had. As he drove towards
town, his thoughts drifted to Sara and Eric. He was pleased with how well working half days for Eric's
sake had solved their baby sitting problem. Soon, though, they would have to discuss the possibility of
both of them going back to work full time. Daniel didn't want to leave Eric in the hands of someone
whom Eric didn't know that well, but eventually they would have no choice. If they wanted to be effective
at their jobs, they would have to find a day sitter for Eric. He chuckled ruefully. Effective at his job? With
the Zeta running the show? And the sweet babysitter. Would the Zeta abduct her, too? Eric was to start
school the next fall. He didn't want to even think about that. How would he manage in school if the Zeta
decided to pull him up through the ceiling?
But they had been fairly lucky with Eric, Daniel realized. Considering where he came from, it was
miraculous he had adjusted at all to living on the ground. Daniel thought of the Zeta: about their frightening
appearance; their nonhuman behavior; their terrible black eyes that sucked you in with only a look. He
wondered how they evolved-what they evolved from. They were insectoidal. He was sure of that.
Maybe that's why he had been so terrified of insects all his life. The Zeta had entered his and Sara's lives [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
"Well now," Santoo breathed. "Who might this person be?"
"He's a fellow named Brady Duncan." Yankee looked at one, then the other. "You don't know him?"
Daniel scratched his chin in consternation. "I think I've heard the name. I don't think I've met him,
though. Do you know anything about him?"
"No. I hadn't met him until this morning. Of course, since I've only been here a few months it's hard to
know everyone in such a short time."
"What did Brady say?"
"He was very interested in the land. He offered me four or five times what the land is worth. The man
was quite adamant about purchasing it. I told him the land wasn't for sale."
"Daniel?" Santoo turned towards him, "when the repelling circuit went down you said that Saul's outdoor
group came into the area and looked up at the sound of the shuttle's gravity drive."
"Saul and Ann, yes, but . . ."
"Is Brady Duncan one of that group?"
Yankee thoughtfully tapped his pencil on his desk top. "And what if he were?"
Daniel said, "He may have heard the shuttle, too. We could find out easily enough, I suppose. Ann
would know."
Santoo glanced at his watch. "It's nine-thirty. Would Ann be in her office by now?"
"Yes," Daniel said.
"Let's give her a call," Santoo said, and picked up the telephone.
***
"I know Brady Duncan. He joins Saul's group occasionally." Ann took a bite out of her salad. The
Eagle's Nest was busy with noontime diners. She had been busy when Santoo had called earlier, but had
joined them for lunch.
"You're sure?" Daniel asked, perplexed now.
"I'm sure. Did he tell Yankee why he wanted the land?"
"No. But he offered Yankee almost five times the land's worth. Yankee is taking care of all of Santoo's
business dealings now, so knowing what he knows about Santoo, he's extremely protective."
"How did this man know to come to Yankee?"
Daniel and Santoo looked blankly at each other. "Yes, how did he know to come to Yankee?" Santoo
wondered aloud.
"Look, both of you, I think you are worrying for nothing. This man saw your land and wanted it. Then he
most likely started calling the lawyers around town to see who handled the property. He couldn't very
well call Santoo since Santoo doesn't live here. Right?" Ann looked at one, then the other. "Right?" she
asked again.
"Right," Santoo said. "Perhaps you're right. But I think that whatever his motives, we will have to find a
different plot of land and build a new hiding place for the shuttle."
Daniel sighed. He knew Santoo was cautious, but right. They would have to move the shuttle hiding
place. They couldn't risk it being discovered.
Santoo said, "By the way, does Saul remember he was on the ship with us?"
"No."
"You've talked to him then? I thought you sent him on his way."
"I did. For about half a day. He's back and I took him back."
"Oh the course of true love . . ." Santoo murmured, happily. "But Saul doesn't remember anything about
the most recent abduction?"
"He remembers nothing. I related details of my personal experience and I tried to fill him in regarding
your experiences, but he swears he doesn't know what I'm talking about."
"Ann," Santoo said, "let me suggest you don't pursue this any further with Saul at this time. Apparently
the Zeta don't want him to know. Trying to help him remember could be harmful."
"I suppose it could."
"Trust that if the Zeta take you again, Saul will be there to protect you. Right now that's all you can hope
for. That's all any of us can hope for."
"I love him. I don't want to upset him further." Ann wiped her mouth with her napkin and looked at
Santoo. "I'll ask Saul about this Brady Duncan. I'll let you know."
"Don't worry about it, Ann." Santoo replied. "It doesn't matter what Mr. Duncan is offering. I'm not
going to sell the land. I am going to move the shuttle bays. I'm sure we can find a safer location."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Santoo found a chair and slowly lowered himself onto it. It was imperative they know more about
Duncan Brady, and on a hunch, Santoo had decided to question Saul. "Saul, you were in the woods that
night when Daniel and ta'Sara tried to bring in the shuttle. You remember hearing a faint hum above you.
Correct?"
"Correct," Saul said.
"Was there any other person with you that could have heard the shuttle?"
"Fred. Fred was with me."
Santoo glanced quickly at Daniel in a look of 'I told you so.' "What kind of a man is Fred?"
"A little rough around the edges, you might say. A real outdoorsman. Kind of a military-survivalist type,
but a reasonable man on the whole. A natural leader."
"Hmm." Santoo was thinking now. "Did Fred comment when he heard the shuttle's gravity drive above
him?"
"Well, he couldn't see anything. At least, I couldn't, so how could Fred?"
Santoo screwed up his nose in thought. "He couldn't-the shuttle was cloaked. Daniel always comes in
with the shuttle cloaked." Santoo glanced at Daniel and smiled. "Daniel is the most careful man I've ever
known, so I'm truly not concerned that people in your party saw the shuttle. But there is no way to quiet
the gravity drive. Strange noises in the air above can fuel the imagination and take it in directions we don't
want."
Daniel, perplexed, rubbed his chin. "Do Fred and Duncan know each other?"
"It's possible, I suppose," Saul said.
Daniel didn't like the possibilities of that."Is Duncan Brady a rich man?" Daniel pressed. "He'd have to be
to be able to buy Santoo's land. It's seventy acres of prime timber."
"I don't think Duncan is rich. I believe he has a nine to five job like the rest of us."
"We are going to have to find a new place for the shuttle," Santoo said abruptly. "This man could be
wandering around out there as we speak, looking over his prospective purchase."
Daniel looked blankly at Santoo. "So we're going to have to dig another hole for the shuttles?"
"It's starting to look like it. I'm not selling the land, but it they've discovered the shuttle bays . . . Hmmm.
It will involve a considerable amount of work, even with power lasers."
Daniel said, "It may be difficult to find another place."
"Roger has land," Santoo said, "and he may be willing to help us out. I'll ask him in the morning. I don't
know why this man wants my timber, but I'm not going to wait and find out."
***
The next afternoon as Daniel left work, he thought about the good day he had. As he drove towards
town, his thoughts drifted to Sara and Eric. He was pleased with how well working half days for Eric's
sake had solved their baby sitting problem. Soon, though, they would have to discuss the possibility of
both of them going back to work full time. Daniel didn't want to leave Eric in the hands of someone
whom Eric didn't know that well, but eventually they would have no choice. If they wanted to be effective
at their jobs, they would have to find a day sitter for Eric. He chuckled ruefully. Effective at his job? With
the Zeta running the show? And the sweet babysitter. Would the Zeta abduct her, too? Eric was to start
school the next fall. He didn't want to even think about that. How would he manage in school if the Zeta
decided to pull him up through the ceiling?
But they had been fairly lucky with Eric, Daniel realized. Considering where he came from, it was
miraculous he had adjusted at all to living on the ground. Daniel thought of the Zeta: about their frightening
appearance; their nonhuman behavior; their terrible black eyes that sucked you in with only a look. He
wondered how they evolved-what they evolved from. They were insectoidal. He was sure of that.
Maybe that's why he had been so terrified of insects all his life. The Zeta had entered his and Sara's lives [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]