now they had to follow the passageways that held least risk of detection or offered the shortest path to the hangar. Some of the walls they crept through felt cold, others almost unbearably hot and, over one section-the coil to main drive-Acorna went from one member of their group to another, to heal blistered knees, hands, and other portions of their anatomies they could not keep from touching the hot metal.
“Lousy insulation,” Johnny muttered, as Acorna laid her horn up and down his thigh where the material of his pant leg had been seared away.
They rested every time they reached a double tube crossing because there Acorna and Johnny could stand upright and ease their backs.
“You do know where you’re taking us, young’un?” Johnny asked.
“I told you, Johnny Greene, I know this ship like no one else, First or Second Generation. What’s the matter, can’t you take the heat?” Markel asked so fiercely that Johnny held up his hands in mock selfdefense.
“Lay on, Macduff,” the spacer said with a smothered laugh, “and damned be he who first cries Hold, Enough! That is,” he added, “if you and Dr. Hoa can manage, Acorna? “
Acorna wanted nothing more than to be through with this claustrophobic journey. She fervently assured Johnny and Markel that there was no need to slow down on her behalf.
Markel had indeed known exactly where he was taking them, a storage room for tools on the hangar deck itself. Through the grill on the narrow window, they could even see the Aca3ecki, clamped tight to the deck but still in front of the other smaller vessels that were part of the Haven’s force.
“And that is their first mistake,” Markel said with great satisfaction.
As if he hadn’t been crawling for days through narrow tubes and inspection conduits, Markel made space on the worktable and started plugging his equipment into some of the power-tool sockets. Everyone else flopped down, exhausted, on the metal floor. Acorna was certain she would retain the honeycomb pattern of the room’s floor on the tender parts other anatomy, but it was worth it to stretch out at last. The cramped journey through the tunnels had tried her sorely; for once she envied Calum his lack of inches.
“Ha! They haven’t found anything, and it’s going to take them days to inspect the entire network,” Market said. He rubbed his hands together and glanced in the direction of the AcaSeckl. He tried to peer in other directions, but his view was restricted. “Ooops.” He pulled back as if someone could have seen his face in the window. “Guards.” He peeked out again. “No more than three that I can see. There’re usually ten or twelve on hangar duty.” Gleefully he washed his hands. “We really have them running up their own … sorry.” Markel caught himself at Johnny’s sharp nudge and shot a quick apology in Acornas direction. “But that doesn’t get us out of here.”
“If we could get to the AcaSecki and power up,” Calum asked Markel, “could you patch into the Havens command centers from there and disable their communications and other systems?”
“Nothing to it,” Market nodded, preening a little.
Calum stood, shakily, and pointed at the window. “Lemme have a look?” Markel moved aside. Calum grunted. “You’re sure there’re only three here now?” Markel nodded. “What we need is a diversion … that is, if you can get us out of this storage room.”
“No problemo,” Markel said, and, taking an odd-shaped bit of plastic from a thigh pocket, inserted it into the door. They could all hear the light “snick” as the lock was opened. “Only now what? Soon as I open the door, we’re in clear sight of at least two of the guards.”
“And each of them would like to take credit for the recapture of Dr. Hoa,” Johnny said, with a gleam of malice in his eyes. “If you don’t mind acting as bait. Doctor?”
“I owe the universe whatever action will repair my disastrous misjudgment,” Dr. Hoa said with a slight bow, “even should it require the sacrifice of my life.”
“Oh, I don’t think it will come to that,” Calum said cheerfully, heftmg a length of thick steel bar which he had quitetly “acquired” during their passage through the tunnels. Acorna looked around the supply room and found a heavy mallet, which she swung about to test its balance.