“Plain as day, sir. Thank you. sir. Good day, sir. And to you, sir,” Johnny said, snapping salutes at both Luzon and the astonished Shepherd Howling.
Then with a smart about face, he leapt over a hillock and proceeded as fast as the terrain permitted back to the copter.
He took off, aware of the moans of Coaxtl, who had never endured such an experience, and the purring reassurances of Nanook, who found himself suddenly braver about flying.
No sooner was Johnny in the air than he switched channels on the comm unit, grinning as he did so. “Hey, there MoonBase, this is Bravo-Jig-Fox-trot four-two-nine-one, Captain Johnny Greene, calling in for the immediateI repeatthe immediate dispatch of a copter to these coordinates” He read them out. “to collect Intergal Vice-Chairman Matthew Luzon, assistant, and guest passenger. This is top priority Please log in request immediately as of 1940.34 30 “
“You got yourself in Luzon’s bad books, honey? asked a female voice.
“Me, MoonBase? Not me,” Johnny replied in his most ingenuous tone. “Is that Neva Marie’s voice in my ears?”
“The very one.”
Well, listen up, Neva Marie, because Luzon is in urgent need of transport, and I cannot seem to make contact with either SpaceBase or any airborne copters planetside. So cut loose one of those light shuttles and let one of your bushpilots have some fun. Landing’s dicey, so tell him to be careful where he sets down. Oh, and off the record, bring a real strong deodorizer!”
“Beg pardon?
Johnny repeated his last remark and grinned at Yana over his shoulder. “You got this request logged in proper and on the dot?”
“Like you saidand the off the record is off the record.”
“Neva Marie, I owe you.”
A low chuckle preceded the sign-off as the dispatch officer purred, “I’ll give a good deal of thought to that, Johnny. Over and out. Shuttle pilot scrambling as of right now. 1943.30.02.”
“Won’t he get back to SpaceBase faster than we will?” Bunny asked anxiously from the snocub, where she had strapped herself and her sister in. That way, Sean had room to stretch out his injured leg while Yana cushioned his upper body against hers. Diego sat up front with Johnny.
“Possibly,” Johnny replied carelessly. “The important aspect is that the request was logged in as we were taking off. And I know for a fact that all the SpaceBase copters are being used by Luzon’s men for ‘field research.’” He chuckled to himself and then raised his voice. “Bunny, how’s your sister traveling back there?”
“Fine, Johnny, just fine! I’m thinking what name we should give her.”
“Why not give her your mother’s, Bunka?” Sean asked in a low tone that hid much of the fatigue he was feeling from all save Yana. She could feel his body spasaming and shivering from his recent ordeal and clasped him more tightly to her. “Your dad had his way with yours.”
“Aoifa Rourke!” Bunny savored the name, which she pronounced properly as “Eeefa.” “Your name, your real name, your heart’s name, is Aoifa, ‘Cita. But, if you feel safer, we will only call you ‘Cita.”
There was a sleepy mumble, and very shortly there was silence from all Johnny’s passengers, though Diego’s lips moved frequently, soundlessly.