case. Then we’ll go down through the Gatehouse stab’s to the
lower levels and out into the Pit. It should still be light enough
to find what we’re looking for fairly quickly. Once we have it,
we’ll go back up the stairs and out the same way we came in.”
For a moment, no one said anything. Then Drutt said, his
voice gravelly, “We’ll be recognized, Padishar. Bound to be
some of the same soldiers there as when we were taken.”
Padishar shook his head. “There was a shift change three
days ago. That was the shift that was on duty when we were
seized.”
“What about that commander?”
“Gone until the beginning of the work week. Just a duty
officer.”
“We’d need Federation uniforms.”
“We have them. I brought them in yesterday.”
Drutt and Stasas exchanged glances. “Been thinking about
this for a time, have you?” the latter asked.
The outlaw chief laughed softly. “Since the moment we
walked out of those cells.”
Morgan, who had been seated on a bench next to Par, stood
up.”If anything goes wrong and they discover what we’re about,
they’ll be all over the Gatehouse. We’ll be trapped, Padishar.”
The big man shook his head. “No, we won’t. We’ll carry in
grappling hooks and ropes with our cleaning equipment If we
can’t go back the way we came, we’ll climb out of the Pit using
those. The Federation will be concentrating on getting at us
through the Gatehouse entry. It won’t even occur to them that
we don’t intend to come back that way.”
The questions died away. There was a long silence as the six
sifted through their doubts and fears and waited for something
inside to reassure them that the plan would work. Par found
himself thinking that there were an awful lot of things that could
go wrong.
“Well, what’s it to be?” Padishar’s patience gave out.
“Time’s something we don’t have to spare. We all know that
there’s risks involved, but that’s the nature of the business. I
want a decision. Do we try it or not? Who says we do? Who’s
with me?”
Par listened to the silence lengthen. Coil and Morgan were
statues on the bench to either side of him. Stasas and Drutt, who
it had seemed might speak first, now had their eyes fixed firmly
on the floor. Damson was looking at Padishar, who in turn was
looking at her. Par realized all at once that no one was going to
say anything, that they were all waiting on him.
He surprised himself. He didn’t even have to think about it
He simply said, “I’ll go.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Coil whispered urgently in his
ear. Stasas and Drutt had Padishar’s momentary attention, d-‘–
claring that they, too, would go. “Par, this was our chance to
get out!”
Par leaned close to him. “He’s doing this for me, don’t you
see? I’m the one who wants to find the Sword! I can’t let Padishar
take all the risks! I have to go!”
Coil shook his head helplessly. Morgan, with a wink at Pi-
over Coil’s shoulder, cast his vote in favor of going as well. Coil
just raised his hand wordlessly and nodded.
That left Damson. Padishar had his sharp gaze fixed on her
waiting. It suddenly occurred to Par that Padishar needn’t have
asked who wanted to go with him; he simply could have ordered
it. Perhaps in asking he was also testing. There was still a traitor
loose. Padishar had told him earlier that he didn’t believe it was
any of them-but he might have it in his mind to make sure.
“I will wait for you in the park,” Damson Rhee said, and
everyone stared at her. She did not seem to notice. “I would
have to disguise myself as a man in order to go in with you. Tha-
is one more risk you would be taking-and to what end? There
is nothing I can offer by being with you. If there is trouble, I
will be of better use to you on the outside.”
Padishar’s smile was immediately disarming. “Your thinking
is correct as usual. Damson. You will wait in the park.”