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.Aside from our swords, we have noattachment to any object.Even our names aren t important.As I get older, Ihave to force myself to remember the current name on my passport. And that makes you happy? Happy is such an overused word it s almost lost its meaning.Happinessexists, of course, but it s a moment that passes.If you accept the idea thatmost Travelers cause positive change in this world, then a Harlequin s lifehasmeaning.We defend the right of humanity to grow and evolve. You defend the future? Yes.That s a good way to put it. Mother Blessing finished the champagneand placed her glass on the folding table.As she appraised Hollis, he senseda perceptive mind working behind her harsh persona. Does that life interestyou? Harlequins usually come from certain families, but sometimes we acceptoutsiders. Page 174 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html I don t give a damn about the Harlequins.I just want to make the Tabulasuffer for what they did to Vicki. As you wish, Mr.Wilson.But I warn you from my own experience: some hungerscan never be satisfied. THEY REACHED THEGare du Nord train station by ten o clock in the morning andtook a taxi to the northeast suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.The area wasdominated by public housing projects huge gray buildings that loomed over sidestreets crammed with video stores and butcher shops.The blackened shells ofburned-out cars were everywhere, and the only bright colors in theneighborhood came from bedsheets and baby clothes drying on clotheslines.Their French driver locked the doors of the cab as they glided past women inchadors and sullen groups of young men wearing hooded sweatshirts.Mother Blessing ordered the driver to let them off at a bus stop, then ledHollis down a cobblestone street to an Arabic bookshop.The storeowneraccepted an envelope of cash without saying a word and handed Mother Blessinga key.She went out the back door of the shop and used the key to unlock thepadlock holding a steel garage door.Inside the garage was a late-modelMercedes-Benz.Every detail had been handled.There was fuel in the gas tank,water bottles in the cup holders, and a key in the ignition. What about the car s registration? It s owned by a shell corporation with an address in Zurich. And weapons? They should be in the back. Mother Blessing opened the trunk and took out a cardboard shipping box thatcontained her Harlequin sword and a black canvas bag.She placed her laptopcomputer in the bag and Hollis saw that it held bolt cutters, lock picks, anda small canister of liquid nitrogen for disabling infrared motion detectors.Two aluminum suitcases had also been left in the trunk.They contained aBelgian-made submachine gun and two 9mm automatics with holsters. Where did you get this stuff? Weapons are always available.It s like a cattle auction in Kerry.You finda seller and haggle over the price. Mother Blessing went to the bathroom and returned wearing black wool pantsand a sweater.She opened the equipment bag and took out an electric-poweredscrewdriver. I m going to disable the car s black box.It s connected to theair bag. Why? Isn t that supposed to record information about accidents? That was the original intention. The Harlequin opened the driver s frontdoor and lay down on the seat.She began to unscrew the plastic panel beneaththe car s steering wheel. At first, Event Data Recorders were just foraccidents, and then car rental companies began to use electronic monitoring toidentify drivers who were speeding.These days, all new vehicles have attachedthe black box to the GPS device.Not only do they know the location of yourPage 175 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcar, but they can tell if you re accelerating, using the brakes, or wearingyour seat belt. How did they get away with this? Mother Blessing pried off the panel, exposing the car s air bag system. Ifprivacy had a gravestone it might read: Don t Worry.This Was for Your OwnGood. THEY TURNED ONTOthe A2 highway and drove across the French border intoBelgium.While Mother Blessing concentrated on the road, Hollis attached asatellite phone to the computer and contacted Jugger in London.Jugger hadreceived another message from some Free Runners in Berlin.Once Hollis andMother Blessing reached the city, they were supposed to meet these people atan apartment building on Auguststrasse. Did he give us any names? Mother Blessing asked. Two Free Runners named Tristan and Kröte. Mother Blessing smiled
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