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extra charges for their energy tubes and rocket magazines for their launchers. The four amiable monsters ambled over that way.
    "Where did Yumi go, Alacrity?"
    "While you were adjusting your hardware, she went below-decks with Charivari and the other noncombatants."
    " Huh ? You mean we're combatants ?"
    "Would you mind not shouting, Ho? You're making my conditioning queasy. Anyway, no. Under local procedure, we're just classed as part of the trained, able-bodied ship's complement, that's all. And anyway, we'll just be hanging around overhead while that Invincible aircutter does all the work.
    Dorraine said so."
    That made Floyt feel better, but he still wanted to be with Yumi.
    At that moment a swift, deadly shadow streaked up alongside Blue Pearl. The Scimitar was exactly like the aircutters that had shown up to rescue them and arrest them less than a day before, after the airbike crash and just as a hungry fangster had nearly breakfasted on them.
    "I want to see this. Come on, Ho." Alacrity led Floyt up short staircases and across various terraces and mingling places. Floyt, hesitant to go poking belowdecks, especially with members of the band posted as guards, was content to follow. He was also eager to see what was going on, but commented, "It's rather a helluva note, isn't it, Redlock's dragging diplomatic envoys and civilians and irreplaceable us into something like this?"
    "Local conventions," Alacrity replied as they reached a spot by a red plush loveseat, near where Dorraine had stood. "The Domain's been a war zone more than it's been at peace, so they figure everybody who's not on active duty is in the ready reserves. There goes the Scimitar."
    The two ships had descended into a broad valley where a fast-moving river widened out into silty sluggishness. The valley walls were steep, with cliffs breaking through facades of green, gray, mauve, and rust-red vegetation. The familiar, glassy glitter of ice-trees made a bright background for the few flocks of darting tarwings and jackflyers that scattered with the ships' approach.
    The aircutter began circling an area in the center of the valley several kilometers from where the Pearl took up her station. "What makes you think it's a Precursor site, Alacrity?"
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    [Fitzhugh 2]-JINX ON A TERRAN INHERITANCE
    "Has to be. The alarm came from a ground sensor. Why would they have one planted out here in the epicenter of no place, and why get apoplectic about it, if it's not something pretty important, like a significant Precursor find?"
    "Mmm—maybe." Floyt watched carefully as the Scimitar banked and began low fly-bys, each a little closer to the ground, coming from different vectors.
    "Remember the hunt?" Alacrity said. "The staff had hunting parties spread out just about everywhere on Epiphany except here, on this continent. I noticed that on the staff maps the other morning when we set out from Frostpile."
    "A Precursor site … " Floyt mulled that, even as the Scimitar started spiraling down for a close look.
    Certainly there were no visible aboveground installations to warrant alarm sensors.
    Or, Floyt thought, Alacrity's guess might just be a product of his preoccupation with the Precursors. He always keeps his own counsel about that. Some contended that there'd never been any such thing as Precursors; Floyt, like all Terrans, gave the matter as little thought as possible. "Well, it might be," he conceded, only to make Alacrity feel better.
    "Except that Precursors almost never built anything on or under planetary surfaces." Alacrity tched.
    Scimitar made another approach, preparing to land some recon troops. Reinforcements were due within minutes.
    "For all we know, this might've been some kind of false alarm."
    "Precursor site, Ho." Alacrity shook his head slowly. "And we know it because we've already seen an artifact from it."
    "An