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"Excellency," Leon said softly, "that was more than two years ago
. . . ."
"You!" Carpathia roared. "You call this meeting and now you counter me as
well?"
"No, sir. I apologize if it sounds as if I am c "
"What would you call it? Would you like to join Aunt Viv and return to your
office to work on what you have been assigned? You are head of the church,
man! What happens to Carpathianism while you worry about water? Where are the
scientists, the technologists who have something to offer here?"
Leon did not respond.
"Ms. Ivins, why are you still here?"
"I but I thought you "
"Go! For the love of all "
"Sir," Suhail began, as if the voice of reason, "I did consult the experts
before coming, and "
"Finally! Someone who uses the brain I gave him! What do you have? "
"If you'll notice here, Your Highness . . ."
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Chang heard the rattle of paper, as if Akbar was spreading a document.
"Satellite photography has detected a spring in the middle of
Petra that has apparently been producing freshwater since the day of the
bombings."
"So we are back to Petra, are we, Director Akbar? The site of so many billions
of Nicks poured into the desert sands?"
"It has been a boondoggle, sir, but notice what the aerial photography shows.
Apparently the missile struck an aquifer that supplies thousands of gallons of
pure water every day. It only stands to reason that the source of this spring
extends far outside the city of Petra, and our people see no reason why we
could not access it as well. "
"Where do they believe it extends?"
"To the east."
"And how deep?"
"They are not able to tell from this kind of technology, but if a missile
could tap into it in Petra, surely we could drill or even use another missile
east of there. "
"Use a missile to tap into a spring? Suhail, have you heard of using too much
equipment for a job?"
"Begging your pardon, sir, but two daisy cutter bombs and a Lance missile
produced only drinking water for a million of our enemies.".
Mac had called Abdullah to tell him of the news of the finishing of a new Co
op airstrip, "beautifully hidden" just east of
Ta'izz, north of the Gulf of Aden in southern Yemen. "Albie's got a shipment
he'd like to deliver to Petra, if you could run it down there sometime in the
next day or so."
"Me?" Abdullah said. "By myself?"
"Need me to hold your hand there, Smitty?"
"No. It is not that. It is just that such errands are so much more fun with
company."
"Yeah, I'm a barrel o' laughs, but that's a quick oneman run you can do with
one of the lighter planes."
"One of Mr. Whalum's people left a Lear here. Can the new strip take a Lear?"
"Sure. A or smaller. Anyway, watch for us around noon. When do you think
you'd do this?"
"Probably today. If I finish with my hair and nail appointments in time. I was
going to have my face done too, but "
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"What in heaven's name are you goin' on about?"
Abdullah laughed. "I finally got you, Mr. Mac! I was doing a joke on you!"
"Very funny, Smitty. " "I got you, didn't I, cowboy?"
Abdullah was checking the weather at the communications center when Naomi
called out to him. "Mr. Smith,
t
could you tell me what you make of this?"
He hurried over.
"What does that look like to you?" she said.
Abdullah's stomach dropped. Dare he say it? Dare he not? "That looks like
incoming."
"That's what I thought! What do I do?"
"Get Tsion and Chaim. Code red."
"May I tell them you said that, sir?"
"Tell them whatever you need to, but quickly."
She pushed a button and spoke into a microphone. "Communications central to
leadership."
"Leadership here. Morning, Naomi."
"I need Drs. Ben Judah and Rosenzweig here ASAP on a code red, authorized by
Mr. Smith."
"I will not ask you to repeat that if you can confirm what I
thought you said."
"That's affirmative, Leadership. Code red."
Abdullah met Tsion and Chaim at the entrance. Several grave looking elders
accompanied them. "Abdullah," Chaim said, "code reds are reserved for threats
to the well being of the whole."
"Follow me."
He took them to Naomi, where they formed a half circle behind her and stared
at the screen.
" A missile? "Looks like it," Abdullah said.
"Headed for the city?"
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"Actually no, but close."
"From ? "
"Probably Amman."
"Time? "
"Minutes."
"Target? "
"Looks east."
"Where they have been drilling?"
Abdullah nodded.
Tsion said, "They have been drilling for weeks, and
we have seen nothing. No oil, no water, no blood. Now
they are going to bomb the place? It is not like Carpathia [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]