“Leary Force, this is, ah, Mundy Force,” Daniel’s earphones announced in a crisp, familiar voice. It was like hearing his mother crooning when he woke screaming from an infant nightmare. “Liebig tells me that we’ll be landing beside you in approximately two minutes.”
There was a pause which presumably included Adele getting some politely worded suggestions from within the aircar. “Right, over,” she said.
“Mundy Force, this is Leary,” Daniel said. “We’re very glad to see you. Break. Unit, you can come up to greet our friends now. Out.”
The aircar was descending as it neared, keeping an even keel instead of dropping its nose in a dive. The driver—Liebig? Daniel doubled his magnification to 40x. Yes, Liebig. The driver was more able than Daniel had realized.
Daniel noticed who was with Liebig and Adele in the vehicle’s cab. A slight frown wriggled his brows.
“Hogg, this is Tovera,” another voice said. “I’d appreciate it if you not shoot Mr. Dorotige at least until after we’ve landed. I understand your feelings, but I didn’t bring a change of clothes for my mistress. The impeller you’re aiming is going to bathe her in brains if you fire now. Out.”
Hogg stepped up beside Daniel, laughing like he hadn’t done since one of Mistress Leary’s city visitors had fallen into the Bantry cesspool. “I swear, master,” he said between gulps of laughter. “Ain’t she a pistol? Ain’t she just!”
“Yes,” said Daniel. “I believe Tovera is that indeed.”
Chapter Twenty
It was crowded with four on the cab’s bench seat, but Woetjans had insisted in riding up front with Adele, Daniel and Liebig. The central driver’s station was the problem: Adele was squeezed between Daniel and the right doorpanel, while Woetjans had the relative luxury of all the space to Liebig’s left.
Woetjans didn’t do things without a reason. Adele wouldn’t have requested the bosun’s presence, but her strength and experience had been a welcome addition when Mon ordered that she accompany Adele’s party.
“Adele?” Daniel said. “Can you connect me with Spires? The squadron’s scheduled liftoff is in ten minutes, so it’s time for me to take my medicine from Commodore Pettin. The news will make his day, I’m sure.”
“We told Captain Mon that you and the crew were fine, sir,” Woetjans said. Adele felt her lips tighten at the bosun intercepting a request meant for her. “We called in as soon as we landed.”
“Yes, I’m sure you did, Woetjans,” Daniel said. There was a touch of reserve in his tone, an echo of what Adele herself was feeling. “But I need to report to the commodore directly and tell him that it’ll be at least four hours before I reach the harbor. Adele, can you . . . ?”
“Of course,” Adele said. She’d already wiggled out her personal data unit and brought it live. “Do you want the cruiser’s communications center or a direct patch to Mr. Pettin?”
Adele had linked the aircar’s satellite radio to her RCN helmet, but she couldn’t claim to be any more comfortable with the helmet than she was with the radio’s own peculiar voice controller. She’d learned on the flight out from Spires that the aircar was as smooth as a library table, so she’d reprogrammed the unit in order to run it with her wands through the data unit.
She hadn’t expected to be quite as cramped as she was at the moment, but the task was easy enough. She switched on the radio and brought up the RCN menu as she spoke.
“He’ll send me a rocket whichever choice I make,” Daniel said reflectively. He didn’t sound depressed, but his voice wasn’t as boyishly ebullient as usual. “I think the direct line, though.”
He grinned. “I’d rather be accused of arrogantly calling my superior direct,” he said, “than of being a coward and hoping that I could avoid his notice by dealing with his staff.”
“Ma’am?” Woetjans said. “Officer Mundy? Don’t make the call. Don’t make any more calls out till we’re back with the Sissie, all right?”
Daniel leaned forward to look at the bosun past Liebig. Obviously the driver had been warned to expect what was happening now, because he had a false smile and his eyes fixed front.