Chapter 22

"First thing is, I need a high pass over this area here." Miller pointed on the display of the Eden terrain that was appearing on one of the lander's monitors. "High enough nobody down there notices us, but still we need to be able to see what's there, OK, First Officer?"

Thus far Igwanda approved; there was no point to advertising their presence and interest to the natives below, and it was well to fine-tune their estimates about where the two parties would contact each other. He kept the rest of his feelings to himself for the moment, but was growing ever more concerned about the major's plans.

The day had started off smoothly enough. Igwanda had slept poorly, his mind preoccupied with concern about his wife and child in their rude accommodations, but he had slept. He knew from long experience how to divorce his thoughts from emotional stresses, and though the latter were especially acute he also knew he needed rest to function at peak capacity the next day—and peak capacity was what he would need.

Although Igwanda had made it a point to arrive in the lander port a full hour before the appointed time, he was gratified to find that Miller had made no attempt to pre-empt him by an early departure. The military task force, all in full battle armor and weaponry, had arrived together about ten minutes ahead of the scheduled time, and had boarded efficiently—and in total silence.

It was the silence that troubled the colonel. That alone said loudly that Miller had briefed his troops in advance—a briefing to which Igwanda had not been privy—and that whatever action they would take, to which he was likewise not privy, had already been planned. He was highly pessimistic about that action being anything even close to what he might have himself proposed.

This was not, however, the time to take that up with Miller, not yet. He simply joined the major in observing the situation below.

The two alien groups had made even greater progress than he'd anticipated. They were now within a mere 50 or 60 klicks of each other, and continuing to move rapidly nearer. Close enough already that they could think together fully, he thought. It is only that they choose not to do so.

In that moment the idea that had been lurking in the recesses of his mind burst into fruition. He knew now what to do. It was only a matter of persuading the bellicose Miller to adopt his plan.

Assaying the same situation Igwanda was seeing, the major turned to him. "Looks like they'll hook up about here," he said, pointing to the display. "You agree, Igwanda?"

"Yes."

"OK, that's where we want to set down. There's a clearing, it's ideal. First Officer, as quiet as you can make it, land us there. Not straight down, go low and come in at an angle, we don't want to make a show."

As Cherney obliged, Miller turned to his troops.

"Now, soldiers, as soon as we're down I want you to deploy as we planned. Get yourselves situated and in camouflage. Sergeant, set it up. Half crescent, nobody's in anybody's line of fire. Be prepared to shift, like I told you, either direction if we need to, but keep to strict for­mation."

"May I ask what are your plans, Major?" the colonel put in.

"Wait 'til we're down and set up, Igwanda, tell you then. All right, soldiers, one more time, remember what I told you about not getting too worked up if you lose a weapon. Try not to let it happen, but if it does ignore it; the bugs can't fire them at you." As on the prior trip, all weapons were programmed to fire only if wielded by familiar hands—hands that had been identified, one by one, into recognition software. In his time the colonel had made the effort to program in identifiers for all civilians as well as his troopers; Miller had been more restrictive, but all troopers could fire any weapon, and no alien could.

The major turned to Cherney. "First Officer, soon as we're out you need to get out of here. But I'm going to want you close. Maybe over there," he pointed again, "put the lander down there and just wait for my signal. But keep it low and quiet moving the ship. And soldiers," he added, turning back to his troops, "total silence begins now. Nobody knows we're here, not even a whisper. Shut up and hold still unless Sgt. Zo or I tell you to move, and even then no talking at all."

It went as Miller had ordered. Igwanda was mildly impressed by the speed and silence of the troops' deployment, much less so by the covert glances they kept casting at their commander; it was clear that the major had thoroughly intimidated them. Zo, too, moved in complete silence as he motioned them into place. Soon all were so concealed in the clearing and its surrounding undergrowth that no sign of their presence was visible. And the lander had moved well beyond view.

The colonel held himself in check while all of this was transpiring. There remains sufficient time, he thought, stilling his impatience. Even so, he turned quickly to Miller as the last soldier concealed himself.

"Major, I renew my question—" he began in a low tone.