Part 9 (2/2)
Good shi+ps”
Faas horrified ”Why, that's more firepower than the whole Air Patrol Look, the Govern like that”
”They're giving her to us, aren't they?” Menardes asked
”Gehenna hat the Government likes!” the old Rebel swore ”If they'd put a few of those shi+ps into commission, they could wipe out these outlaws and a private company wouldn't need an armed shi+p”
”May I use your screen, Kurt?” Conn asked
When Fawzi nodded, he punched out the coot his father on He told hi the armament out,” he added
”Is that so, now? Well, I'll call Lester Dawes before he can get started on it I think I'll go in to Storisende tomorrow and see the shi+p for uns, too”
”But, Rod,” Fawzi protested, joining the conversation, ”we don't want to start a war”
”No We want to stay out of one You don't do that by disar that shi+p down into the Badlands Remember?” Rodney Maxwell said ”Ever hear the na about ar about howLitchfield
”You think we really need that, Rod?”
”Of course we do You'd be surprised howto be for capable supervisors This thing's a training program, Kurt, and we'll need everylike Nifflhei to bankrupt the city”
”Worse than it is now, you mean? Oh, don't worry, Kurt As soon as we find Merlin, everything'll be all right”
Franz Veltrin came in, shortly after Rodney Maxas off the screen He dropped his audiovisual camera and sound recorder on the table, laid his pistol-belt on top of the it with the audible satisfaction of a thirsty horse at a trough Then he looked around accusingly
”So!” he declared ”I've had all the news services on the planet on my screen today; they all want the story about what's happening here They've heard we knohere Merlin is; that Conn Maxwell found out on Terra”
”They just put two and two together and threw seven,” Conn said ”A _Herald-Guardian_ shi+p-news reporter interviewedcybernetics and computer theory on Terra
What did you tell the about Merlin Naturally, they didn't believeout here to to tell them? We'll all have to have the sa to be interviewed, I aone”
”Why don't you steer the denied, he'll do it for you”
Everybody thought that was a wonderful idea, except Kleo and rode up to the landing stage with hi to an, ”but how much do you know about him?”
”Not much He see against him I suppose if I'd come from off-planet, I wouldn't believe in Merlin either”
”Hah! But doesn't he believe in Merlin?”