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and snapped to attention while Colman and Hanlon led the guard sections by with rifles sloped precisely
on shoulders, free hands swinging crisply; as if attached by invisible wires, and boots crashing in unison
on the steel floor plates. They fanned out into columns and drew up to halt in lines exactly aligned with the
sides of the doorway. Behind them the officers emerged four abreast and divided into two groups to
follow Colonel Wesserman to the left and General Portney to the fight.
 Present...arms! Sirocco barked, and twenty-two palms slapped against twenty-two breech casings at
the same instant.
Through the gap between the officers, the diplomats moved forward and came to a halt in reverse order
of precedence, black suits immaculate and white shirtfronts spotless, and finally the noble form of Amery
Farnhill conveyed itself regally forward to take up its position at their head.
 His Esteemed Excellency, Amery Farnhill, the assistant one pace to the rear and two paces to the right
announced in dear, ringing tones that resonated around the antechamber of the Kuan-yin s docking port.
 Deputy Director of Liaison of the Supreme Directorate of the official Congress of the Mayflower II and
appointed emissary to the Kuan-yin on behalf of the Director of Congress... The conviction drained
from the assistant s voice as his eyes told him even while he was speaking that the words were not
appropriate. Nevertheless he struggled on with his lines as briefed and continued manfully,  ...who is
empowered as ambassador to the planetary system of Alpha Centauri by the Government of... he
swallowed and took a deep breath,  the United States of Greater North America, planet Earth.
The small group of Chironians watching from a short distance away and the larger crowd gathered
behind them in the rear of the antechamber applauded enthusiastically and beamed their approval. They
weren t supposed to do that. It didn t preserve the fight atmosphere.
 They re okay, Corporal Swyley s disembodied voice u whispered from no definable direction.  We re
making ourselves look like jerks.
 Shuddup, Colman hissed.
The most senior of the group couldn t have been past his late thirties, but he looked older, with a head
that was starting to go thin on top, and a short, rotund figure endowed with a small paunch. He was
wearing an open necked shirt of intricately embroidered blues and grays, and plain navy blue slacks held
up with a belt. His features looked vaguely Asiatic. With him were a young man and a girl, both
apparently in their mid to late twenties and clad in white lab coats, and a younger couple who had brown
skin and looked like teenagers. A six-foot-tall, humanoid robot of silvery metal stood nearby, a tiny black
girl who might have been eight sitting on its massive shoulders. Her legs dangled around its neck and her
arms clasped the top of its head.
 Hi, the paunchy man greeted amiably.  I m Clem. These are Carla and Hermann, and Francine and
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Boris. The big guy here is Cromwell, and the little lady up top is Amy. Well, I guess...welcome aboard.
Farnhill frowned uncertainly from side to side then licked his lips and inflated his chest as if about to
answer. He deflated suddenly and shook his head. The words to handle the situation just wouldn t come.
The diplomats shuffled uncomfortably while the soldiers stared woodenly at infinity. A few awkward
seconds dragged by. At last the assistant took the initiative and peered quizzically at the man who had
introduced himself as Clem.
 Who are you? he demanded. The formality had evaporated from his voice.  Are you in authority here?
If so, what are your rank and title?
Clem frowned and brought a hand up to his chin.  Depends what you mean by authority, he said.  I
organize the regular engineering crew of the ship and supervise the maintenance. I suppose you could say
that s authority of a kind. Then again, I don t have a lot to do with some of the special research programs
and modifications but Hermann does.
 True, Hermann, the young man in the white labcoat, agreed.  But on top of that, parts of this place are
used as a school to give the kids early off-planet experience. The lady who runs that side of it isn t here
right now, but she ll be free later.
 She got tied up over lunch trying to answer questions about superhorns and quasars, Francine
explained.
 On the other hand, if you mean who s in charge of assigning the equipment up here and keeping track [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]