Prodigal Sun

, and to keep things interesting. In the back of the canoe, Jeremy Jordan finally wondered what the

le moons above, Ding and Dong, helped guide their way. The river was gently whispering away around them, and ther

ey were smart too. If startled, they could play hide-and-seek for hours – and a bunch of geriatrics in canoes didn't have hours to play games. Canoes didn

ohn Atkins, (67, ex of Space Fleet) – why it was that young people called them old f

" He chided his paddling partner

s, (80 – former Starmarine RSM) stopped paddl

hand by his ear. Deaf as a

repared to start tossing a few stun grenades in the center. The cases of surp

d, preparing to give the

lashing over them. When the deluge had passed, sitting in the now bobbing canoe, spluttering and coughing, wiping water out of his bushy white eyebrows, Smythe

ater. He could see the other canoes bobbing o

" The General roared. "I

Atkins repl

om behind glasses as thick as bullet-proof glass. He was trying hard

the back of the canoe, sopping, but just as relaxed as before, hadn't realized he w

till closed anyway. He just shrugged at him. Th

Over

e large, looked metallic and almost spherical in shape. There were no lights on it and judging by the steam rising fr

it?" Some

ing upside down on the surface, quite still, steaming. Kee

ger me!" C

George!" Smythe cried, nearing exasperation. "A man

ason enough to wonder, wasn't it? Something

that is!" He said. "I

houted Andy Wilkins, cupp

From a ship in orbit

E

, pointing upwards while adding unde

lkins, now cupping his hands over both ears as his

athan Forrest (Formerly a WO