"About a quarter of a mile that way."
They shielded their eyes against the westering sun. A block of solid
masonry loomed high in the sky, dwarfing not only the building they
were standing on but all the towers around it. Its imposing lines made
clear its one-time importance.
"Palace," mused Lablet, "or capitol. I'd say it was just about the
heart of the city."
He dropped his glasses to swing on their cord, his eyes glistening as
he spoke directly to Raf.
"Can you set us down on that?"
The pilot measured the curving roof of the structure. A crazy fool
might try to make a landing there. But he was no crazy fool. "Not on
that roof!" he spoke with decision.
To his relief the captain confirmed his verdict with a slow nod.
"Better find out more first." Hobart could be cautious when he wanted
to. "Are they still broadcasting, Soriki?"
The com-tech had stripped the earphones from his head and was rubbing
one ear. "Are they!" he exploded. "I'd think you could hear them clear
over there, sir!"
And they could. The gabble-gabble which bore no resemblance to any
language Terra knew boiled out of the phones.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73