"Get me to Holomos."​ 

     Which meant that Claudia was to take over control of the Stargod.  She caused the hovercraft to rise a thousand feet, Paul's Acura still attached, then fly at maximum speed, south, to Victor Holomo's private estate. As she did, she switched on the scramblers so that the Stargod disappeared completely from any scanner, be it sonar or radar or whatever.  

     "We're getting a lot of messages," Claudia said. "Want to take any?" 

     "I suppose Clegger's one of them." 

     "Top of the list."  

     "Put him on, then. He'll just keep bugging me until I do." ​

     "Visual?"  

​     "Sure, why not? I'm not naked."  

​     Senator Clegger's face, when it came on the screen, was beet red with fury. "What did we tell you, Forwarder? We were very specific. We..." 

​     "He was weaving in and out of traffic like a crazy man!"

​     "Very specific. You were not, under any circumstances, to allow any of the general public to be able to see a hovercraft in actual use." 

     "I'm sorry. We didn't get the visual scrambler on in time. That's my bad. If you had any idea how sincerely seriously I've tried to adhere to the edicts you and your fellow senators have presented..." 

​     "They are not edicts! They are articles of a binding contract that you signed!" 

​     "I know, and I feel just terrible about what happened, but..." Adam shrugged. "So, how's the old re-election campaign coming along there, Senator?" 

     "I'll see you in prison, Forwarder! You see if I don't!  You think that, because of your untold wealth, you can do whatever you please without regard to the law, but..."

     Adam yawned. This argument could go on for hours, if he let it.  

     "Talk to Claudia," he said. "I'll instruct her to kick in a couple million for your campaign. That ought to shut you up for a week or two."

     "Of all the insolent..."

     "Yeah, bye now." 

                                                      CONTINUE

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