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Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html it might be well for you to gain
whatever knowledge you can about your final approach, by gazing up earnestly
into the
Maracandan sky."
Harry walked a bit, looked around. He squinted into the sky as if he might be
able to see zone boundaries there.
He did some thinking.
Meanwhile Kul had plunged for a moment
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1203 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html into a niche between two cubic rocks,
from which he emerged holding a small, strange-looking device. He described
how he had already been doing some tests, with a little radio-controlled drone
flyer, taking off here and scouting out the irregular shape of this particular
live flight zone. I
Harry was pressed to take the little drone in
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1204 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html hand and look at it, wiggle its
miniature ornithopter wings. The overall look was somewhere between that of a
plastic mosquito and a metal hummingbird, but the size of a healthy chicken.
A narrow, antennalike loop of something projected from the front, and Kul said
this was the probe used to detect the boundary.
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1205 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html
"It's clear sailing up to about one hundred meters." Bulaboldo gestured up at
the seeming overcast, which gave no indication as to whether a ship could fly
through it or not. "At that altitude, a dome of breakdown field roofs it over.
But at one side of the dome is a narrow channel of free-zone space leading
out. Yes, all the way out, but through a somewhat
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1206 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html labyrinthine passage.
Hence the need for a pilot of more than common skill."
"How narrow?"
"Almost yes, almost
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prohibitively so. I tell you frankly that many people, many respected pilots,
would not want to take the risk. But the charts I have compiled show that
there is certainly a path that a small ship can travel,
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1207 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html just room for a vessel of the
Witch's size to squeeze through
though at the narrowest place with only this much clearance." And
Kul held up two hands half a meter apart.
"How the hell do you know my ship's exact dimensions?"
"Not that hard to find out, old lad. Not compared to various other things I've
dug up
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1208 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html in my time. Been working on it since
you came on world here.
Shipyards and licensors and such like to keep records, you know, and records
from many worlds tend to be accessible, even in backwaters like
Maracanda."
Harry couldn't help being impressed by the scheme, though he wasn't tempted to
sign
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1209 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html on. It had the simplicity of all the
best grand plans. The greatest physical risk would seem to be the pilot's, on
his solo flight in here.
But that was not why he was angry.
"What gives you the idea that I would use my ship to smuggle dope?"
"Well, to begin with, my lad, you'll be well compensated for a few hours'
work toil
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er's%20Star%20(v1.0).html (1210 of 1869)3/12/2004 11:22:04 PM
Fred Saberhagen - Berserker's Star.html virtually risk free for a pilot as
good as you are.
No, 'well compensated'
is too great an understatement. Your share of the total payoff will be vast
indeed far above and beyond the value of your ship, which we must agree is
quite substantial in itself.
"Even including your c-
plus cannon in the evaluation oh, don't look at me like that, dear
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