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.Gaby's taxi stood at the end of the rank, and Simon opened the rear door toslip in, crouching low between the seats.Gaby glanced up from his paper but did not look around, simply adjusting themirror until the Saint came into focus.He held the paper so that Simon could see it."I thought you were a guest of our celebrated Inspector Lebeau."The Saint smiled and shook his head. I didn't like the accommodation, so I decided to leave."Gaby laughed and switched on the engine."Whereto?""The Port Canto.Quick as you can."Already Gaby was heading his Buick towards the Boulevard."You are always in a hurry,n'est-ce pas? "Page 45 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Life is short, and I always have so much to do," Simon apologised.He risked a quick look out of the side windows.There seemed to be police onevery corner and he hurriedly sank down again out of sight, pulling atravelling rug over himself.The taxi driver intrigued him.The man always seemed to be available, it wasalmost as if he lived in his cab."Tell me-don't you ever go home?""I have to make my living.""I hope it will not be endangered because of me."Gaby laughed again."For certain clients," he said, "it is a pleasure to bend the rules."Gaby drove through the private parking entrance with a familiar wave to theguard, and followed the Saint's directions to the place where Samantha's cabincruiser had been.Simon studied the scene with dismay.The quay where Protege had been berthedbefore was empty.If it wasProtege that the launch carrying Maclett hadrendezvoused with between the islands, as the Saint had now concluded, thefast cruiser had not returned to port.Was it still out there? Or, much morelikely, where was it speeding now?The Saint swore, and Gaby turned his head."You want another boat?"Simon grinned ruefully."Not unless it has wings."Gaby thought for a moment."I don't know of any boats with wings, but I have a friend who has them.Youwould like to meet him?"Mystified, the Saint could only say: "I'd be delighted."Gaby explained as he turned the car and drove back along the Croisette."My friend is a helicopter pilot for the sea rescue service.""Will he help us?" The Saint did not try to keep the excitement out of hisvoice."I do not know, but he owes me a favour, several of them."Gaby followed the coast road from the old port towards La Napoule but turnedoff at La Bocca, taking the inland route towards Mandelieu, where the Saintremembered that there was a small airfield.The Buick finally stopped at the edge of a concrete landing pad.Two brightred helicopters stood beside a couple of ramshackle huts.A man in flying gearapproached, and threw his arms around the taxi driver as if he were greeting aPage 46 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmllong-lost brother.Simon stayed in the car while Gaby explained their problem.After aconversation that appeared to consist more of arm-waving gestures than words,Gaby called him over."He will help you, but only if you promise to say that you forced him at thepoint of a gun to take you, if anything goes wrong."The Saint promised, and was led to the nearest helicopter.Gaby climbed inafter him, saying: "I have come so far, and I have always wanted to ride inone of these."The blades whirred into life and they lifted clear of the pad.The Saintnavigated, searching the sea below.On the face of it, it might have seemed like a real wild-goose chase, but hewas gambling on a hunch that after all those elaborate preparations theProtegi would not just be moving along to the next nearest marina.Much morelikely was yet another rendezvous southward, beyond sight of land, and outthere in the open sea there were not so many cabin cruisers travelling that itwould be hard to spot one from the air.After what seemed an eternity he recognized a white hull racing southeast,towards Corsica, and under his direction the pilot banked his craft on acourse that would bring them over her stern.Despite the cruiser's power, there was no chance of her outrunning thecopter, and the pilot easily countered her turns to stay a steady fifty feetabove her.Samantha was at the wheel, with Demmell beside her.Simon told the pilot togo lower, and quickly broke out the rescue harness."I'm going down," he said."Tell Gaby how to work this gear."They were still fifteen feet above the pitching cruiser when the Saint slidout of the cabin and began to be winched down.As he did so, Demmell ran downinto the cabin under the bridge.As Simon prepared for the final descent,Demmell re-emerged with an automatic in his hand.He braced himself against astanchion and took two-handed aim.Without sparing the time to calculate the odds, the Saint let everything goand plummeted down towards him.10Demmell's finger jerked at the trigger.The bullet passed so close that SimonPage 47 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfelt the wind of its passage fan his cheek.Frantically Demmell leapt aside,but the Saint twisted his body as he fell and cannoned into him.They crashedto the deck together.Simon's breath was momentarily forced from his lungs as he landed on top ofDemmell.Every bone jarred with the impact, pain shooting like lightning alonghis legs and back [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Gaby's taxi stood at the end of the rank, and Simon opened the rear door toslip in, crouching low between the seats.Gaby glanced up from his paper but did not look around, simply adjusting themirror until the Saint came into focus.He held the paper so that Simon could see it."I thought you were a guest of our celebrated Inspector Lebeau."The Saint smiled and shook his head. I didn't like the accommodation, so I decided to leave."Gaby laughed and switched on the engine."Whereto?""The Port Canto.Quick as you can."Already Gaby was heading his Buick towards the Boulevard."You are always in a hurry,n'est-ce pas? "Page 45 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Life is short, and I always have so much to do," Simon apologised.He risked a quick look out of the side windows.There seemed to be police onevery corner and he hurriedly sank down again out of sight, pulling atravelling rug over himself.The taxi driver intrigued him.The man always seemed to be available, it wasalmost as if he lived in his cab."Tell me-don't you ever go home?""I have to make my living.""I hope it will not be endangered because of me."Gaby laughed again."For certain clients," he said, "it is a pleasure to bend the rules."Gaby drove through the private parking entrance with a familiar wave to theguard, and followed the Saint's directions to the place where Samantha's cabincruiser had been.Simon studied the scene with dismay.The quay where Protege had been berthedbefore was empty.If it wasProtege that the launch carrying Maclett hadrendezvoused with between the islands, as the Saint had now concluded, thefast cruiser had not returned to port.Was it still out there? Or, much morelikely, where was it speeding now?The Saint swore, and Gaby turned his head."You want another boat?"Simon grinned ruefully."Not unless it has wings."Gaby thought for a moment."I don't know of any boats with wings, but I have a friend who has them.Youwould like to meet him?"Mystified, the Saint could only say: "I'd be delighted."Gaby explained as he turned the car and drove back along the Croisette."My friend is a helicopter pilot for the sea rescue service.""Will he help us?" The Saint did not try to keep the excitement out of hisvoice."I do not know, but he owes me a favour, several of them."Gaby followed the coast road from the old port towards La Napoule but turnedoff at La Bocca, taking the inland route towards Mandelieu, where the Saintremembered that there was a small airfield.The Buick finally stopped at the edge of a concrete landing pad.Two brightred helicopters stood beside a couple of ramshackle huts.A man in flying gearapproached, and threw his arms around the taxi driver as if he were greeting aPage 46 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmllong-lost brother.Simon stayed in the car while Gaby explained their problem.After aconversation that appeared to consist more of arm-waving gestures than words,Gaby called him over."He will help you, but only if you promise to say that you forced him at thepoint of a gun to take you, if anything goes wrong."The Saint promised, and was led to the nearest helicopter.Gaby climbed inafter him, saying: "I have come so far, and I have always wanted to ride inone of these."The blades whirred into life and they lifted clear of the pad.The Saintnavigated, searching the sea below.On the face of it, it might have seemed like a real wild-goose chase, but hewas gambling on a hunch that after all those elaborate preparations theProtegi would not just be moving along to the next nearest marina.Much morelikely was yet another rendezvous southward, beyond sight of land, and outthere in the open sea there were not so many cabin cruisers travelling that itwould be hard to spot one from the air.After what seemed an eternity he recognized a white hull racing southeast,towards Corsica, and under his direction the pilot banked his craft on acourse that would bring them over her stern.Despite the cruiser's power, there was no chance of her outrunning thecopter, and the pilot easily countered her turns to stay a steady fifty feetabove her.Samantha was at the wheel, with Demmell beside her.Simon told the pilot togo lower, and quickly broke out the rescue harness."I'm going down," he said."Tell Gaby how to work this gear."They were still fifteen feet above the pitching cruiser when the Saint slidout of the cabin and began to be winched down.As he did so, Demmell ran downinto the cabin under the bridge.As Simon prepared for the final descent,Demmell re-emerged with an automatic in his hand.He braced himself against astanchion and took two-handed aim.Without sparing the time to calculate the odds, the Saint let everything goand plummeted down towards him.10Demmell's finger jerked at the trigger.The bullet passed so close that SimonPage 47 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfelt the wind of its passage fan his cheek.Frantically Demmell leapt aside,but the Saint twisted his body as he fell and cannoned into him.They crashedto the deck together.Simon's breath was momentarily forced from his lungs as he landed on top ofDemmell.Every bone jarred with the impact, pain shooting like lightning alonghis legs and back [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]