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.The Indowy was clan chief only bydint of being the senior survivor of over fourteen million other clan members;he no longer tended to worry about the odd loss here and there."As well as sending a warning to some 'exterior' groups.""The O'Neals?" Aelool asked."Yes, among others," the monsignor answered."We don't have a team thereanymore; we lostTeam Conyers trying to prevent the Ontario sanction.So I think they'll be ontheir own.But I'll warn them that there might be hostile visitors.""Keeping the O'Neals, and Michael O'Neal specifically, functional has positivelong-term implications," Aelool said with a nod."It is a thread that is beingmonitored at the very height of the BaneSidhe.I have methods to contact them discreetly; would you prefer that I doso?""Go ahead," O'Reilly said."And then get ready for a storm."* * *Shari ran her finger up a long scar on Papa O'Neal's stomach and fingered atwist of gray chest hair."That was very nice; you're good.""Thanks," O'Neal said, rolling over without breaking contact and snagging thebottle of muscadine wine he'd left by the side of the bed."So are you; youwear an old guy out.""Fat chance," Shari said with a chuckle."I'm pretty old and tired myself.""You're not old at all," O'Neal said, pulling her closer against him."You'reno teenager, but Iwouldn't want a teenager in my bed; a person who doesn't have any scars isn'tworth my time.""I don't have any scars," she said, deliberately misunderstanding."See?" Shewaved down her body."Well, an appendix scar, but that's about it.""You know what I mean," O'Neal replied, looking into her eyes."I think forall the knife slashes and zippers I've got on my body, I've probably got fewerscars than you.Not many fewer, but fewer.""Liar.""When you say that, smile," Mike Senior said, but he smiled as he said it."Seriously, I made a mistake a long time ago thinking that young and prettywas enough.It's not; a person who hasn't been through the fire doesn't knowwhat the world is about.They think that it's all sweetness and light.It'snot;the world is at best chiaroscuro.I swear, my ex-wife still believes you cantalk to the Posleen and show them the error of their ways.'Bring them to theGoddess.' It makes me want to puke.Especially when Ithink about all the time and effort the 'peace at any price' assholes cost usin the early days of the war.And there are people that are, frankly, five times as bad as the Posleen.Thehorses don't have any sense or a way out of their cycle; humans can choose.The fact is that too damned many of them choose evil.""I don't think that violence settles everything," she said."And calling humans evil is pretty questionable, even myex-husband who is about as close as it gets.But it is certainly the onlylanguage the Posleen understand.I.didn't always believe that.But Ihaven't been the same person sinceFredericksburg.""I know," he said, wrapping his arms around her."You're better."Page 172ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlShe leaned into him and nipped at his shoulder."You're just saying that tomake me feel better.""No, I'm saying that to get laid," O'Neal said with a laugh."If you feelbetter, that's what they call a fringe benefit.""What? Again? Did you get a Viagra prescription?""For you, baby, I don't need no Viagra!" O'Neal intoned with a waggle of hiships."What?" Shari yelped."Now that is corny! Not to mention insulting!""Sorry," the farmer repented with a laugh."I must have been channeling BruceCampbell there for a second.""Well, as long as you don't come out with something like 'baby, you got realugly' I'll let you live,"she said with a kiss.Later she ran her fingers up his spine and whispered in his ear:" 'Bad Ash, Good Ash, you're the one with the gun.' "Chapter 21Clarkesville, GA, United States, Sol III0115 EDT Saturday September 26, 2009 ad"So, Goloswin, how does it go?" Tulo'stenaloor asked.The Posleen technician looked up from his monitor and flapped his crest."Itis going well.We have received a new piece of.intelligence.""Ah?" Tulo'stenaloor asked."From the Net?""Yes," Goloswin answered, gesturing at the monitor."From a Kessentai who wason Aradan.It seems he has gained access to control codes for the metalthreshkreen communications.We are now 'in their net' as the humans would say.This includes communications between the chief of all threshkreen in this landand the metal threshkreen.Also, there are other threshkreen who use thiscommunications medium; among others your lurp friends.I also have theirnumbers and disposition in the entire U.S.; the only available unit is in itsquarters in the area the humans call 'Pennsylvania.' It also permits entry toIndowy communications on the planet, few as they are.The few Darhel are stilllocked out, but it gives me a starting point to work on them as well.""Excellent," Tulo'stenaloor said, flapping his crest in reply."The assaultstarts tomorrow at midday.With this information we can know when the damned 'ACS' is coming.""We can change some of their information," Goloswin said."Make them thinkthat things have been said which have not or tell them false items.But thatwill quickly be detected.Or we can simply listen in.As long as they do not realize that we are acting on the basis of theinformation they should never know.""That is good," Tulo'stenaloor said."I think we'll just listen for now.Ensure that Esstu has this information.""I shall," Goloswin bubbled happily."It is so very timely!""Yes," Tulo'stenaloor said, fingering his crest ornament in thought."Verytimely indeed."* * *"Balanosol, your forces are a mess," Orostan snapped.He cast a baleful eyeover the Kessentai's oolt and raised his crest in anger.The oolt'os were halfstarved, many of them showing prominent shoulders and backbones, and theirequipment was falling apart.The Kessentai, on the other hand, was a resplendent figure in gold and silverharness he had enough heavy metal on his harness alone to feed his oolt for amonth and his tenar sported the heaviest model of plasma gun."I think," the oolt'ondar continued, "that all things considered, you shallhave the honor of leading my portion of the assault on the morrow."The conversation was taking place under the light of a half moon, just northPage 173ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlof Clarkesville where the millions of Posleen were opening up and getting inposition to begin the assault [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]