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iew%2005%20-%20The%20Long%20View%20v1.0.txt on the slow end of the trip, it
does save a bit of time."
"Time-Bran, I have lost track. Taking the battle so far above ecliptic-are we
much behind our schedule?" "Not bad-two weeks, maybe a little more." "Good.
Then we should be well able to receive
Lisele in safety."
CURVING into the ecliptic plane and still decelerating, the fifty ships
followed Earth in its path, always gaining but ever more slowly. Still at a
distance, Hain Deverel sighted a group of ships. "Seventeen, I make it,
skipper-looks like they're riding Trojan position ahead of Luna."
"Good safe place," said Tregare. "UET on Earth must be gone bushstomper. Let's
call those ships.
In clear-peace take me, 1 want UET to know what they're up against!"
Deverel arranged the circuit, then nodded. Tregare said, "Ahoy, lunar
contingent! Combined fleet calling. Who speaks for you?"
Distance made the voice waver. "Who speaks for you?"
Tregare failed to contain his laughter. "Bran Tregare speaking. You hear that,
you on Earth?
Bran Tregare Moray! Thirteen years ago I took Stronghold from you; I've taken
ail the ships you've sent me, since. I command those and what's left of Ozzie
Newhausen's fleet. And now here, I think, are seventeen more to join me!"
Again he laughed. "UET on Earth, get ready to surrender -or to die!"
He waited. The first voice spoke again. "Tregare-thank peace it's you! This is
Coryle Hagenau on
Committee's Fall. We're-Ragan's told you about the Escape plans, I suppose?
Well, eight of us made it clean and ten more stalemated and killed drives
until things were settled. One group had to blow their ship-then the rest of
the UET people listened. We-"
"What's your situation now?"
"Low on supplies, some ships-half rations, or worse. The loyalists destroyed
food to try to force us to land. And a tense balance, too-some UET fanatics
are armed, hold parts of
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several ships, still think they can recoup. Get us down safe, Tregare! And get
some food to us!"
Rissa said, "Bran? The food comes first, I think. Can we meet them?"
His fist thumped the control console. "Sure-we'll put scouts over to them,
when we're close enough. But you heard -no trust this time-our people go with
power suits and heavy guns. Order it out, will you, Anders?"
WHILE they waited, still approaching, a call came. Rissa was sure she had
never seen the man on the viewscreen, yet he looked familiar. He said, "I am
calling Bran Tregare Moray."
Tregare answered. "Who are you?"
"Kane Altworth." Altworth? "Currently prime minister of Australia."
"Glad you called-I'm honored. What can I do for you?"
"I wish to explain something. UET keeps its forces out of this country. Do you
know why?"
Tregare grinned. "I've heard, yes. Anyway-rest assured, my forces will visit
Australia only by your invitation, and in friendship. We do want contact,
naturally, after the shooting's over-
assuming we win. You agree?"
"Surely-and good luck."
Before Tregare could cut the circuit, Rissa said, "Sir? I knew a Camilla
Altworth once-and she went to Australia. Are you-?"
The man smiled. "My grandmother. But-you knew her?"
"I have traveled in space a great deal. But-someday, when there is time for
it, I would like to talk with you about Camilla Altworth."
"My pleasure." And with that, the call ended.
SLOWING, the fleet reached and passed Luna, and made rendezvous with Coryle
Hagenau's ships. As agreed, Tregare saw to the transshipment of food to those
in need of it. At the same time, all ships were cleared of UET holdouts-not
always peaceably. The mortality rate on UET's side was close to half.
And when Jamie Pescadore, wearing a bandage on his shoulder, reported the last
ship secured, Tregare said, "Good
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job. And now I guess it's time to go."
As the screen dimmed he turned to Anders Kobolak. "Any answer yet from the
Hulzein
Establishment?"
"No-we've been running the loop tape, calling them, for three days. Still are,
in fact. But there's been no response."
SIXTY-SEVEN ships now approached Earth. Tregare called, "UET, North America-HQ
Port, whoever you've named it for by now. Tregare speaking. We're landing-your
choice is, do we land quiet or shooting? Answer-and when you do, speak up and
name yourself."
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A voice said, "I'll do better-I'll show myself. Tune your screen." The screen
showed flickering light-then a woman's face, harsh-lined below short gray
hair. The lips parted. The woman said, "All right, I see you. I'm Ingrith
Hannulan, deputy port commander. You don't look so much, Tregare, but I can't
argue with sixty-seven ships. Not when two-thirds of my goddamned defense
missile sites don't respond, 1 can't." She shook her head. "Now how the hell
did you manage that?"
"I'm the questions, Hannulan-you're the answers. You got room for us?"
"Yes-barely." Her hand moved; at one corner of the screen a map appeared.
"North is up. The HQ
building, where I am, it's middle of the west end. How do you-?"
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"Just a minute." On ships' circuit: "Coryle? Is that straight?"
"She's told you the truth, so far. But-Tregare, watch out for that one!"
"Naturally-and thanks. Any special reason?"
"No. Just that-nobody gets as far as she has, in UET, by being easy."
"Sure. Tregare out-but keep listening." Back to Ingrith Hannulan: "All right.
Turn on some landing markers, spaced as wide as you have room, like this: one
group, circular perimeter, west half of the port, seventeen ships. Those land
first. Another circle, same way in the east half-
twenty-five in that one. You got it so far?"
"It's clear enough; you're hardly overloading me. And the rest?"
Rissa nudged him, and whispered, "This is still a battle.
\r127
\rKeep some aloft, and all the scouts, and do not say how many."
Tregare nodded; he turned and winked at her. Then, to the screen; "Hannulan,
you're smart enough to guess what I'm doing so I'll tell you. Mostly so you
don't try something fancy and make me wreck this port. All right-the seventeen
are Escaped and stay buttoned when they land, until I
have time for them. The twenty-five are what's left of the sixty Ozzie started
with. My people are in charge of those, but they stay closed until I say so,
too."
"I understand."
"All right, then-around those two circles you spot fifteen sites in a
figure-eight-forty-five degree intervals. That's for my ships-except the ones
I keep upstairs with me a while."
"What-"
"Tell anybody you want to, Hannulan-I hope you do. Before I land, I'm
neutralizing any threat that's more than a popgun."
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