Calum started the reactivation sequence while Acorna was busy framing a spurt code message, which she thought should so to Maganos, Kezdet (in case Mr. Li was at home), and Laboue.
“I’m thinking ofRafiks Uharu, too,” Calum said. “Won’t take more than three seconds a spurt, and it’ll quadruple the chances of one message getting through.”
“First of all we send one in clear to Shenjemi Federation,” Acorna said, and when Calum opened his mouth to protest, she added firmly: “We promised.” Calum sighed. “So we did.” And looked up the direction code for the Federation. The other destinations he had already long memorized. A low whistle startled them both as Markel, with Johnny Greene assisting Dr. Hoa, came into the main compartment.
“This is some ship,” Market said, awed.
“You can say that again,” Johnny added, equally impressed as he helped Dr. Hoa into one of the conformable chairs. “You got a galley on board?” he asked.
Acorna pointed.
“Is there a shield over the hangar entry, Markel?” Calum asked. “Our messages could bounce right back at us if there is.”
“I took that off when I disabled the grapples,” the boy said absently, far more intent on prowling around the room, running his hands over the soft fabrics and looking into compartments in the furnishings. “There’s so much space for everything,” he said, standing in the middle of the room, arms outspread and turning slowly around.
Johnny came back with a tray full of steaming cups which he offered first to Dr. Hoa and then to the others. “A pick-you-up,” he explained. “This ship isn’t just a pretty space, its well appointed.”
“Got your earphone in, Market? I’m about to spurt, and I want to know if they catch it,” Calum said.
“Gotta be outside for that,” Markel said, and headed off to the hatch. “If they do hear us, get back inside in one helluva hurry, lad, because I’ll take off and risk their firing at us; we’ll just have to hope that everyone’s too busy looking for us to see us,” Calum warned.
“Gotcha,” was Markel’s insouciant response.
“On my mark,” Calum said, raising his arm, “NOW!” He reactivated the ship and waited tensely through the seconds before the corn unit would be ready to function. “Anything on your end, Markel?” After a moments silence, he toggled down the spurt relay.
“Wait!” Market cried from outside the ship. “What? You don’t-” The boy’s cry was too loud to miss, and filled with an unidentifiable emotion.
Calum hit the toggle for the spurt relay and punched in the shutdown sequence for the ship in three quick, deft motions.
“I’m sorry,” he said to Acorna. “The Shenjemi message got through, I don’t know about the coded spurt to our friends; it was processing the multiple address list when I shut down. With luck, some of the addresses will have been cleared. Where’s Market? What was he yelling about?”
As if on cue, the boy wandered in, a dazed and incredulous look on his face. “I think it’s all over.”
“What’s all over?” Johnny demanded.
“I think …” and Markel hesitated, “… I think there’s been another coup. Nueva and the others were so busy chasing us, they weren’t paying attention to the other passengers. Nueva and her gang’ve been taken prisoner. I think the Starfarers-at least what are left of them—are back in charge again.”
“I think we stay right where we are until we know that’s what’s happened,” Johnny said, and gestured for Calum to close the hatch manually. “And let’s not reactivate the AcaSecki just yet. If everything’s okay, we have plenty of time to let our friends at home know-and if it isn’t, we don’t really need to alert anybody who didn’t notice that one spurt. We’ll just listen in for a bit. You can patch in to the bridge using Havens systems, can’t you, Markel?”
“I think so.”
With shaking hands, the boy began to do just that.
Maganos, Unified Federation Date^I.OS.lS
hariinye was too stunned to resist the security guard’s firm hold on his arm. First the children, then the man seemed to have resisted his projections. Was there some force field in this part of the base that annulled telepathic projections? He sought contact with the Linyaari on board the ship to reassure himself.