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Gormolly realized now how the old alarm clock had told the correct time - by
using his tables Ryker had read the
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.txt exact time off the sky each night., A More accurate clock presumably
freed him from the need to spend unnecessary.
time waiting for the satellite's arrival; he would now be able to set offfor
the tumulus only a few minutes beforehand.
Walking along the pier he began to search the sky. Away in the distance a low
cry sounded into the midnight air, diffusing like a wraith over the jungle.
Beside him, sitting on the bows of the launch, Connolly heard the helmsman
grunt and point at the sky above the opposite bank. Following the up-raised
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arm, he quickly found the speeding dot of light. It was moving directly
towards the tumulus. Steadily the satellite crossed the sky, winking
intermittently as it passed behind lanes of high-altitude cirrus, the
conscripted ship of the Nambikwaras' cargo cult.
It was about to disappear among the stars in the southeast when a faint
shuffling sound distracted Connolly. He looked down to find the moist-eyed
youth, the son of the witch doctor, standing only a few feet away from him,
regarding him dolefully.
'Hello, boy,' Connolly greeted him. He pointed at the vanishing satellite.
'See the star ?'
The youth made a barely perceptible nod. He hesitated for a moment, his
running eyes glowing like drowned moons, then stepped forward and touched
Connolly's wristwatch, tapping the dial with his horny finger nail.
Puzzled, Connolly held it up for him to inspect. The youth watched the second
hand sweep around the dial, an expression of rapt and ecstatic concentration
of his face.
Nodding vigorously, he pointed"[o the sky.
Connolly grinned. 'So you understand ? You've rumbled old man Ryker, have you
?, He nodded encouragingly to the youth, who was tapping the watch eagerly,
apparently in an effort to conjure up a second satellite. Connolly began to
laugh. 'Sorry, boy.' He slapped the manual. 'What you really need is this pack
of jokers.'
Connolly began to walk back to the bungalow, when the youth darted forward
impulsively and blocked' his way, thin legs spread in an aggressive stance.
Then, with immense ceremony, he drew from behind his back a round painted
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file:///F|/rah/J.%20G.%20Ballard/Ballard,%20J%20G%20-%20The%20Terminal%20Beach
.txt object with a glass face that Connolly remembered he had seen him
carrying before.
'That looks interesting.' Connolly bent down to examine the object, caught a
glimpse in the thin light of a luminous instrument before the youth snatched
it away.
'Wait a minute, boy. Let's have another look at that.'
After a pause the pantomime was repeated, but the youth was reluctant to allow
Connolly More than the briefest inspection. Again Cormolly saw a calibrated
dial and a wavering indicator. Then the youth stepped forward and touched
Cormolly's wrist.
Quickly Cormolly unstrapped the metal chain. He tossed the watch to the youth,
who instantly dropped the instrument, his barter achieved, and after a
delighted yodel turned and darted off among the trees.
Bending down, careful not to touch the instrument with his hands, Connolly
examined the dial. The metal housing around it was badly torn and scratched,
as if the instrument had been pried from some control panel with a crude
implement. But the glass face and the dial beneath it were still intact.
Across the centre was the legend:
LUNAR ALTIMETER
MILES: I GO
GOLIATH 7
GENERAL ELEGTRIC CORPORATION, SCHENECTADY
Picking up the instrument, Connolly cradled it in his hands. The pressure
seals were broken, and the gyro bath floated freely on its air CUshion. Like a
graceful bird the indicator needle glided up and down the scale.
The pier creaked under approaching footsteps. Connolly looked up at the
perspiring figure of Captain Pereira, cap in one hand, monitor dangling from
the other.
'My dear Lieutenant!' he panted, 'Wait till I tell you, what a farce, it's
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fantastic! Do you know what Ryker's doing ? - it's so simple it seems
unbelievable that no one's thought of it before. It's nothing short of the
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