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r E。T。 cap。 〃I just couldn't leave without saying good…bye。 Um； well； my dreamboat's waiting…g'bye！〃 She skipped out the door； tra…la…la…ing。
〃Good…bye； Annie；〃 Yellow Dancer said softly。
〃Love；〃 Carla mused； realizing what it was that she had seen in Lancer's eyes。 〃And ours is gone forever； isn't that what you were going to say？〃
Annie caught up with Eddie where he was waiting for his father at the Central Deguello Bank。 Mr。 Truman came down the steps of the bank with a briefcase under one arm； looking up as he heard his son call out to him。
Eddie's father had been away for a few days； so Eddie said； 〃I'd like you to meet a very special friend of mine。〃
〃Hi； Mr。 Truman！ My name's Annie LaBelle！〃
Truman； a lean； stoop…shouldered man with salt…and…pepper hair and mustache； had a careworn face and wore much…repaired wire…rim glasses。 He looked weary but friendly。 〃Well； Annie LaBelle； I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance。〃
He thought he knew why Eddie had taken a liking to Annie； she was so much like Eddie's little sister； Aly…Aly； dead these eighteen months since the White Virus cut its swath through the region。
To his son； Truman said； 〃Eddie； we'll be leaving soon…just as soon as I wrap up a few things。 I found a buyer who wants the shop； and Mrs。 Perio upped her offer for the house。 Make sure everything's packed； and as soon as I get home； we'll be on our way。〃
Eddie shifted from foot to foot； hands in the pockets of his leather jacket。 〃Um； Dad； I told Annie she could e with us。 〃
Truman let show a faint smile。 〃Why； of course you did； Son。 Don't leave anything behind； Annie； we're getting out of here for good。〃
As Mr。 Truman walked off； Eddie whooped and did a little war dance； Annie pirouetted； giggling deliriously。 〃Paradise； we're on our way！〃
The ten…ounce gold bars； flat and wide as candy bars but much smaller； looked so insignificant there on the desk； Mr。 Truman thought。 And yet they had taken so much time and sacrifice and work to accumulate。 The sunlight streaming through the tall windows made them so bright that they made him squint。
Across the wide desk； Mayor Maxwell said； 〃You should be proud； Mr。 Truman。 I know what you had to go through to get this； but not one man in a hundred succeeds like this。〃
Truman nodded tiredly。 It had been explained to him； long since； why Maxwell's map cost so much。 Certain parts of the route had to be changed constantly； to reflect new Invid activities and patrolling patterns。 And there was the need for Maxwell's Lurp teams to set up safe resting places and resupply caches along the route。 The cost of maintaining the teams was high； not to mention the fact that a cut of all proceeds went to the Resistance effort against the Invid。
Or so Maxwell insisted。 There were rumors to the contrary； but there were rumors about everything in Deguello。 Reliable people swore they had heard from friends and relatives who had made it to Paradise； and that Maxwell was a trustworthy man。 Truman was too tired to hesitate anymore； too ground down by the loss of a daughter and the dead…end of life in Deguello。 He just wanted to be on his way； to get his family to the safety of Paradise。
Maxwell handed over a folded； waterproofed bundle。 〃And here's a current map showing the safe route through the mountains。 It was updated by my Lurps just this week； you'll be safe with this。〃
Truman accepted it with a trembling hand。 〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃In Paradise； you'll live a better life；〃 Maxwell said。 〃I'm glad you're the one getting this； Truman。 I know what some people think of me； asking all the market will bear for these maps； but…the traffic along the secret route has to be kept to a minimum； and there's still the Resistance to finance。 Still； I sleep better when the people I help deserve it。〃
Carla； on the other side of the ballroom； stared through the big tropical fishtank there； watching the scene played out as she had watched it played out dozens of times before。 She looked at the map Truman held； wishing…struggling with herself。
Truman was quickly on his way； eager to get a start in what was left of the day。 Carla sat in a wing chair near a window； looking up at the nearby mountains。
The team； minus Annie； was making a poor afternoon snack of a few canned party tidbits…salted nuts and the like…of prewar vintage； at an outdoor table。 Buying local food； even at high prices； seemed wiser than eating current…dated Mars Division rations out where people might take notice。
All their inquiries had gotten them nowhere。 There were other people with mysterious maps…in fact； it seemed to be one of the town's major industries。 But what little reliable advice they had been able to get said that none were to be trusted…except； perhaps； the mayor's。 And the price of the mayor's help； payable in gold； was beyond the team's reach。
Lancer had told the team about his contact with Maxwell。 But he told them nothing of his old ties with Carla； and so there seemed to be no avenue of map…acquisition there； Maxwell was all business。
Scott was seriously considering letting Maxwell know who and what the team members were； but held off。 More than one purported Resistance sympathizer had turned out to be an Invid stoolie。
Meanwhile； the team was concerned about Annie and her new adopted family。 They couldn't blame her for wanting to restore some kind of stability to her life； even though her trip to Paradise did sound like a pipe dream。 But Scott worried that she would inadvertently tell more than she should。 However much she was sworn to silence； there was always the chance that she would betray the team's secrets。
Rand； chasing one of the few surviving pistachios around the dish； said； 〃They'll be serving free buffets in Deguello before we can ever scrape together the money for Maxwell's map！ So what're we gonna do now？〃
Scott stared down at his coffee。 He had a plan to fall back on； and as much as he regretted using it； it seemed like the team's only hope now。 Scott's plan was to pay a call on Maxwell； in full armor； with VTs in Battloid mode； and force the man to hand over the map。 Then they would make a break for the mountains； leaving the mayor inmunicado。 Hopefully they would get through before anybody could alert the Invid。
Scott was about to bring it up； but Rook spoke first。 〃Hell； it seems like this one never worries about anything。〃 By that； she meant Ariel； who still wore Rook's jacket； and who still looked at the world with the lost expression of a total stranger。
And yet； Scott thought； it wasn't really irritation Rook was showing。 Instead it was concern。 Most traumatic…amnesia cases recovered in a few days； but this woman had been a blank for a week now。
Scott sighed。 〃I'm glad you brought that up。 Isn't it about time we gave her a name of some kind？〃
The Simulagent made a little questioning sound； aware that they were talking about her。 Rand smirked； 〃Hey Lunk！ How 'bout you giving us a few suggestions？〃
Lunk looked upset； as he always did when anyone asked him to take a lead。 〃I； ah； I bet Scott could e up with a nice name。〃
Scott had intended to say something else； but found himself asking； 〃Why don't we c