he said and got nods from them all.
On the other side, there were crowds of people who looked like they were shopping and chatting in sidewalk cafes, kids running, and moms pushing strollers. Some of those cafes were full and had long lines since it was prime dinnertime hours. As the group crossed the street to join the throngs, Lieutenant Sander grinned at the group.
Quietly, so he wouldn’t be overhead, Lieutenant Sander said, “From what I read, the street is alive with couples who are in love ... couples that aren’t even couples yet, kids wanting more sweets, and even a few folks who are upset that their dinners were not up to snuff. More moms along here appear to be running late, and I even found a waiter who wanted to dump soup on one patron’s head!” Bram said, and as the Adept officer, he surely knew what he read as they ambled along the street.
At the big corner, they stopped to look in the three new directions and ahead of them stretched the main street, Arkell Boulevard, which ran from the south end of Andros where the landing port lay all the way north to the EL space elevator ground station more than a few miles away. Looking down that broad street, the XO stood on tiptoes and said after a study, “Straight ahead then, lads. Looks like the whole town is out tonight.”
And he was right as their pace was slowed even more since the crowds were now twice what they had been earlier. At one sidewalk patio, Tanner simply turned, walked in, took a seat at an empty table, and waved the server over. Quickly seating themselves around him, the other three were able to get their orders taken too. Soon there was a couple of pitchers of Randian beer and a triple of Scotch for the captain. They sat and watched the parade of people walking by, which was almost addictive. They saw tall aliens from the Caliphate and six-armed aliens from Alex’n, who were able to walk holding three hands at the same time between couples. Once in a while, Leudies would walk by with their long cloaks and almost hidden neck snakes, and they appeared to always be arguing about something. Two Takans, aliens that reminded one of a porcupine with quills that would pierce just about anything, made their way down the street, and they always had lots of space around them on the busy streets. The XO elbowed Tanner as a whole flock of Djarreers went by, hopping on their stork-like long legs with their wings tucked up behind their wide backs. Djarreers were seldom seen, and this caused many on the street to give wide berth to the flock yet point and make conversation. Waving at the server, Tanner ordered another round of drinks for the table, which were quickly brought, and the table dug in for more.
As dusk slowly began to darken the Halberd skies, the group finished off those drinks and another round and then left the cafe to make their way farther into the city. Ahead, two Leudies walked just in front of them, and they overheard talk about some kind of trade dispute over on Subai, which lay near the far western edge of the RIM Confederacy and was a world that Tanner had never visited yet.
“Subai ... anyone of you been there?” he asked his group, his voice only slightly hoarse from the drinks so far this evening.
“Sir, yes, I’ve been there,” the Ensign said. “It’s a world that has almost no surface vegetation or un-contaminated land that can be farmed. Nukes did that, what about 400 years ago, so the aliens all live underground. Hydroponics is a big seller there as are just about anything that has to do with soil-less farming and—“
Radisson was suddenly cut off when a large but young Caliphate alien bumped right into him, knocked him down, and then fell on him.
“What the hell?” Tanner said as he grabbed the arm of the much taller Caliphate citizen and yanked him while the XO had a hold of the other arm, and they both manhandled the alien off their Ensign.
“You will let go of that citizen immediately,” a voice rang
On the other side, there were crowds of people who looked like they were shopping and chatting in sidewalk cafes, kids running, and moms pushing strollers. Some of those cafes were full and had long lines since it was prime dinnertime hours. As the group crossed the street to join the throngs, Lieutenant Sander grinned at the group.
Quietly, so he wouldn’t be overhead, Lieutenant Sander said, “From what I read, the street is alive with couples who are in love ... couples that aren’t even couples yet, kids wanting more sweets, and even a few folks who are upset that their dinners were not up to snuff. More moms along here appear to be running late, and I even found a waiter who wanted to dump soup on one patron’s head!” Bram said, and as the Adept officer, he surely knew what he read as they ambled along the street.
At the big corner, they stopped to look in the three new directions and ahead of them stretched the main street, Arkell Boulevard, which ran from the south end of Andros where the landing port lay all the way north to the EL space elevator ground station more than a few miles away. Looking down that broad street, the XO stood on tiptoes and said after a study, “Straight ahead then, lads. Looks like the whole town is out tonight.”
And he was right as their pace was slowed even more since the crowds were now twice what they had been earlier. At one sidewalk patio, Tanner simply turned, walked in, took a seat at an empty table, and waved the server over. Quickly seating themselves around him, the other three were able to get their orders taken too. Soon there was a couple of pitchers of Randian beer and a triple of Scotch for the captain. They sat and watched the parade of people walking by, which was almost addictive. They saw tall aliens from the Caliphate and six-armed aliens from Alex’n, who were able to walk holding three hands at the same time between couples. Once in a while, Leudies would walk by with their long cloaks and almost hidden neck snakes, and they appeared to always be arguing about something. Two Takans, aliens that reminded one of a porcupine with quills that would pierce just about anything, made their way down the street, and they always had lots of space around them on the busy streets. The XO elbowed Tanner as a whole flock of Djarreers went by, hopping on their stork-like long legs with their wings tucked up behind their wide backs. Djarreers were seldom seen, and this caused many on the street to give wide berth to the flock yet point and make conversation. Waving at the server, Tanner ordered another round of drinks for the table, which were quickly brought, and the table dug in for more.
As dusk slowly began to darken the Halberd skies, the group finished off those drinks and another round and then left the cafe to make their way farther into the city. Ahead, two Leudies walked just in front of them, and they overheard talk about some kind of trade dispute over on Subai, which lay near the far western edge of the RIM Confederacy and was a world that Tanner had never visited yet.
“Subai ... anyone of you been there?” he asked his group, his voice only slightly hoarse from the drinks so far this evening.
“Sir, yes, I’ve been there,” the Ensign said. “It’s a world that has almost no surface vegetation or un-contaminated land that can be farmed. Nukes did that, what about 400 years ago, so the aliens all live underground. Hydroponics is a big seller there as are just about anything that has to do with soil-less farming and—“
Radisson was suddenly cut off when a large but young Caliphate alien bumped right into him, knocked him down, and then fell on him.
“What the hell?” Tanner said as he grabbed the arm of the much taller Caliphate citizen and yanked him while the XO had a hold of the other arm, and they both manhandled the alien off their Ensign.
“You will let go of that citizen immediately,” a voice rang
Similar Books
