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the thing breathing.
He edged closer.
H nnar and Tryben stood with the two techs watch-ing one of the larger
screen with enigmatic u shapes flickering across it. Ilaörn didn t
understand any of that and the continual repetition of the pattern irri-tated
him. He examined the monstrosity carefully, looking for breathing holes.
He didn t want to waste his spores. He shifted about, feeling for currents
of air, moving very slowly, careful not to attract attention.
Hakh. I think I ve got it. Let me have the board, tech. Tryben settled
himself before a sensor paten,
blanked the screen, and ran his fingers over the finger squares, calling up
another pattern. He touched a square, another, ran the pattern through a few
permutations until he had one he was satisfied with, wiped it, repeated the
process twice more, pulled up the first two patterns and merged them with the
third, enlarg-ing the result until it filled the whole screen.
You know it better than I do, tech. Take a look.
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I can t say for sure, but seems to me it s a lot like the anomaly.
Ilaörn stopped his fidgeting a moment and smiled at the sullen resentment in
the tech s voice.
O Ykkuval, if you will permit, an eyeprint will au-thorize adding this
pattern to the Library. Then we ll see if the anomalies remain.
Do it.
Them watched with interest as a curious helmet was brought from a locked
cupboard, clamped on
Hun-nar s head, a lead plugged into the kephalos.
Now, he thought.
Do it now.
He slipped the strap of the harp off his shoulder, set the instrument on the
floor.
Chel Dé bless, old friend.
After a last caress on the smooth live wood, he took the spore packets from
his sleeve and tore them open. Holding the packets between little finger and
fourth finger, he slipped the sheaths off the air-gun darts.
Expelling the breath he d been holding, he cast the spores in the
face of the kephalos, leaped forward, drove one dart into Hunnar s neck
and the second into his own.
19. Fire in the Sky
1
Shadith took another length of rope from the storage bin, tied it to a strut
on the front seat. She tossed the free end over the limb, looked down at
Marrin in his blanket sling. You ready?
His hands were hooked around the crudely tied net that helped
support the sling, his face was gray-green with pain, shiny with sweat.
No. His mouth squeezed into a thin, wry smile. Get this going, hm. The
sooner it s over, the sooner I can faint.
She made a face at him and swung out over the thorn patch, careful to land on
her good foot. She tottered a moment, then picked up the staff she d cut from
one of the trees and shaped into a crutch of sorts. She used it to bring the
sling rope to her, tossed the staff up to Marrin and carried the rope end to
the tethered cow grazer, one of the pair the spy had used as camouflage. She
fastened it to the harness she d improvised from rope and strips of
padding, pulled the knot loose on the tether and spent a moment
scratching the curly black poll while she tightened her hold on the cow s
impulses. It wasn t a full mindride, she wasn t looking out through grazer
eyes, but she could prod her into moving where she wanted, at the precise
speed and direction. She straightened, called, Ready to go, Marrin. Yell if
you get snagged.
The grazer leaned into the harness and step by step hauled Marrin from the
crashed flier. When he was swinging free and had the staff ready to shove
himself clear of the thorn patch, she called again, Ready?
He grunted, set the end of the staff against the trunk. Ready.
Shadith clucked to the grazer, got her to take an awkward step backward, then
another and another.
The cow mooawwed her displeasure and shook her head angrily. She didn t like
backing up, she didn t like the rubbing and pressure from the harness, but it
only needed half a dozen steps to lower Marrin gently to the ground and
the job was done before she balked and wouldn t move again even
with
Shadith s mind-tickling.
After a last scratch of the curly poll, Shadith used her belt knife to cut the
rope off the harness, then the harness off the beast. My thanks, lady. She
patted the cow on the flank and watched her run off, heading back for the
ambush-clearing and her calf.
As Shadith hobbled wearily back to Marrin, she saw the Chav watching her.
Before she moved out of sight round the bulge of the thorn patch, she gave him
a broad smile that she hoped irritated him
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intensely.
She squatted beside Marrin. How you doing?
I have been better.
Well, let s get you in the tent. Then I ll see if I can get hold of our
rescue service.
What about the spy?
He s contemplating cloud drift right now. No doubt plotting like mad and
waiting for an opening to set those plots going.
Don t leave him alone long, Shadow. He tried to lift himself and help her
move him but his arms had no strength left and there wasn t even a twitch in
his legs. I m no use.
Feeling sorry for yourself, are you? Hmp. You ll be fine once we get you in
the ottodoc at the
Clave.
He smiled up at her. And we can be sure the Goës will come for us. We ve got
his proof.
Sorry and cynical. She chuckled. And very right. Brace yourself. I m going
to have to slide you along on the blanket and it won t be comfortable.
2
I am a Scholar with a Scholar s constraints. And while I sympathize deeply,
your people are not my people, this is not a fight I have any business
joining. Aslan spoke slowly, with a weightiness that made her cringe a
little; but she wanted no mistakes about what she was saying. I can suggest
this, treat with the Goës Koraka hoeh Dexios. He will probably provide
trans-port and medical services but the price he ll ask for these is something
that you might not want to pay. He will not sell you weapons.
They were in a sun-filled tree-shaded patio with Eolt graspers on the eaves
and a fountain playing gen-tly in the center, water from a hotspring below the
blai shooting at intervals into high jets but mostly bub-bling up, then
dripping musically from bowl to bowl and into a small stream that vanished
under a wall. Aslan found the humid heat uncomfortable, but the Eolt and the
Denchok who d come to talk with her seemed cozy enough.
Daizil Voice for the Earth leaned into the speaking tentacle of Bladechel
Voice for the Air. After a mo-ment, xe sighed and straightened. Why? We fight
the same enemy.
The Goës is not a warrior, he s a trader. He takes the long view. Which is
that what you use to defeat the enemy will be turned on him once the enemy is
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