Archiwum
- Index
- Sandemo_Margit_17_Narzeczona_Fabiana
- Longyear, Barry Circus World 1 Circus World
- Mushrooms How To Grow Them
- Harry Turtledove War Between the Provinces 03 Advance and Retreat
- Susan X Meagher The Lies That Bind
- Fremdsprache Deutsch _04
- Alas Clarin, Leopoldo Su unico hijo
- Jane Heller Szcz晜›liwe gwiazdy
- Awakening Pr
- Eden Robins Whatever Tomorrow Brings
- zanotowane.pl
- doc.pisz.pl
- pdf.pisz.pl
- aeie.pev.pl
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moment, and a few shouted insults from the guy standing behind him, Dougaln turned
away. He hefted the bag onto his shoulder.
He turned back to his room, seeing maybe for the first time exactly where it was
he lived. The lowest levels of the station, down here with the criminals and the
destitute, places too small for real living, so much so that people tried to move up and
escape this place. No wonder he wanted to keep it from Reynau. If the poor man
blanched when he learned about Domino, he d probably faint if he saw this place. It
seemed crass, too dirty for him. And yet, at this moment, he couldn t imagine not
showing Reynau all of his life.
Adera Orfanelli Singing Up the Sun - 43 -
Determined, he headed for the tube, and before he d really thought it out, he
headed toward Reynau s floor. He understood Reynau s not answering the
communications unit. If he d had one, he probably would have done the same thing. He
had to go see Reynau. The man had lost his homeworld, had been exiled, because
someone hadn t been truthful with him. He couldn t do the same. Not if he wanted a
chance with Reynau. And he couldn t imagine heading into the new year without him.
The tube doors slid open, revealing a nearly empty hall. A few people stood in
the hallway in conversation, and from the door behind him, the sounds of a muffled
party filtered into the hall. Around Reynau s door it was quiet. Dougaln stopped. He
listened, not hearing anything.
He pressed the intercom.
No one answered.
Dougaln s heart fell. He d been stupid, made the wrong move. A wry smile
twisted his lips; it wouldn t have been the first time. He shrugged and touched the
intercom again. Still no answer. He knocked. Maybe, like on his floor, the intercom
didn t work.
The door next to his opened. What the hell are you doing? A man leaned out
the door, a robe wrapped around him. The sounds of a party filtered into the hallway
behind him, the shrill-high laughter of women, some kind of electronic music.
Sorry. Was hoping my friend was home.
You missed him, the guy called. Made quite the racket leaving.
Where d he go? Dougaln tamped down his worry. Reynau liked the
reclamation gardens. He d check there next.
The docks. Talked about needing to catch a shuttle. The guy ducked back into
his room.
Hey, where d he go? Dougaln stepped toward the open door.
The guy appeared again, this time with a woman wound around him. Do I look
like his fucking travel agent? Don t know. Just heard him say he had to catch a shuttle.
Adera Orfanelli Singing Up the Sun - 44 -
Why? You break his heart? With a laugh the guy ducked back inside his quarters, and
Dougaln knew he wasn t getting any more answers.
He stared at the closed door. Staying here probably wasn t the best idea. Not
only did Lanx Station Security frown on people sleeping in the hall, but if Reynau had
indeed gone to catch a shuttle, who knew when, or if, he d come back. And maybe the
guy had lied. Though it would have been easier for him to simply duck back into his
quarters, and apparently his women, and not say anything.
Dougaln contemplated the closed door. If Reynau had gone to catch a shuttle,
he d either made arrangements and kept silent, or he d done so awfully quickly. He
made a quick decision. Going to the docking area wouldn t cost him anything. He
hurried back to the tube and pressed the button for the common area.
The tube doors opened to a crushing throng of people. With some of the first
winter holidays over, people spilled out of their quarters and into the common areas.
The delay frustrated him. He shouldered his way through the crowd by the tubes,
earning a few dirty looks. Someone called out, shouted epithets to him. Scowling, he
ignored them.
Hey, buddy, we re all trying to get somewhere, someone else yelled.
Sorry, Dougaln muttered. He had to get to the docking area. If Reynau left
without saying goodbye& if anything he d done had caused Reynau to jump ship& he
shook his head. Taking a deep breath, he slowed down. The urgent need to find Reynau
didn t mean he had to be rude. It was the winter holidays, after all. Moving carefully
through the crowd, Dougaln finally reached an open area where he broke into a jog.
On the outskirts of the docking area the first sounds of ships arrivals and
departures crackled over the intercom. He paused, listening to the transports heading to
places he d never been. The far-off worlds promised exciting destinations for the winter
vacation, several of them terraformed resort spots. Surely Reynau couldn t afford to go
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