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. I was glad to see them
disappear into the lock. And it worked out all right as Ekaterina's husband
cycled outward through the main lock just as we were losing our VIPs.
Nigel O'Toole took his family (including that pathetic little body) back
the same way, after Gwen hugged Ekaterina and promised to call her.
Then it was our turn... only to find that Tree-San could not be fitted into
a Kwiklok. So we backed out and went around to the larger (and slower) lock.
Someone, I saw, was lifting down the body from the turret of Hear Me, Jesus and
others were unloading its cargo, under the eyes of four armed guards. I wondered
what was in that cargo. But it was none of my business. (Or maybe it was-it
seemed possible that this cargo had been the cause of carnage and death.) We
went into the larger lock-ourselves, bonsai maple, small suitcase, purse,
packaged wig, cane, prosthetic foot.
The lock cycled and we entered a long, sloping tunnel, then passed through
two pressure doors. At the second door was a slot machine for vending short-time
air licenses but it had a sign on it: OUT OF ORDER-Visitors please leave a half
crown for 24 hrs. A saucer with some coins in it rested on top of the machine; I
added a crown for Gwen and me.
At the bottom of the tunnel one more pressure door let us into the city.
There were benches just inside for the convenience of persons suiting up or
suiting out
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