The Siege by Bill Baldwin

Author:Bill Baldwin
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, High Tech, Fiction
ISBN: 9781587521812
Publisher: Questar
Published: 1994-03-01T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

A Puzzling Hiatus

That evening, after collecting Tissuard's promised message from the desk--and a lovely note from Marsha Browning, that he answered on the spot--Brim KA'PPAed his report to Avalon. Aside from a brief, personal recap of nov Vobok's demise, this latest submission contained little new data. In spite of his recent adventures in enemy territory, he had yet to reach the front lines.

This, however, would be the last communiqué he mostly compiled from the reports of others. Only metacycles after debarking from Nord that morning--and proving to a military hospital he was still in good health--he had convinced both Borodov and Ursis that the only way he was going to experience the war well enough to report on it was to actually join the fighting. The Bears had been resistant at first, but had finally given in and Borodov had arranged everything before teatime. In two days hence, Brim would report to a remote training station where he would become combat rated in a ZBL-4. Then, when he visited a battle zone, he would be able to experience the way the war was going, not merely observe.

Tissuard was waiting outside the Embassy that evening. As usual in Gromcow, it was snowing, and had been for more than a metacycle. Streets and buildings were already covered in a gentle blanket of white, turning the tall trees lining Moloco Prospekt into fantastic sculptures of black and white. Returning the salutes of Marines ceremoniously guarding the Embassy, he strode down the wide, recently swept staircase--already covered by a new layer of snow--and looked around for a staff skimmer. Nadia Tissuard had a way of charming transportation officers--male as well as female--like no one else in the known Universe. However, no skimmer appeared to be stopped anywhere near the Embassy; only a graceful white troika waited at the curb. It was decorated by intricately carved scrollwork in gold leaf and drawn by three huge calico droshkats. The yamshchik , on a high seat at the forward end, wore a high woolen cap with the two coveted zavencock feathers protruding from its right side, a crimson greatcoat with gold frogs, and black, shiny boots. He waved his long, slender whip as Brim approached, pointing to the passenger compartment with a great, toothy smile.

Brim peered through the snow at what appeared to be a mountain of multicolored blankets, then burst out in a guffaw as he spotted Tissuard peering out at him from near the top of the pile. Her face wore a huge grin, as if she had just perpetrated the best joke in the Universe. "Come cuddle with me, Wilf Brim," she said. "It's the only way to keep warm!"

Matching her grin for grin, Brim climbed into the seat beside her and began to open the blankets when a hand emerged from the blankets and grasped his forearm.

"Not with your Fleet Cloak on, you big dunce." She chuckled darkly. "That will be cold."

Brim felt his eyebrows rise and he noticed Tissuard's Fleet Cloak lying in a heap on the opposite seat.

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