The Korozhet might have been out of gas and harpoon darts, but it wasn’t out of wind. “This species is incapable of the truth, Magh’mmm!”
“Translate,” said Chip quietly.
She did.
“Ask the Maggots if they haven’t got another alien they can ask,” he said in a whisper.
She did. The Magh’mmm seemed to like that idea.
The Korozhet did not.
* * *
Pistol had to be restrained from cheering when Chip called the Maggots hemorrhoids. But when the conversation switched to Korozhet, Bronstein backed off. She knew in her bones that this might be where she had to kill one of their rat-comrades because of the treacherous soft-cybers. She wasn’t sure how well the rat psyche would deal with what she was certain would come.
It was a good thing that she was ready. She had to stop three of the rats—from clapping and whistling.
Doc could not restrain himself. “I told you all so!” he hissed. “I told you the Korozhet betrayed us.”
Fal sounded positively choked. “Methinks our Ginny is as near to a rat as you’ll find in human form. I’d liefer have put ratsbane in my mouth than try to say that!”
Eamon showed teeth. “She’s far better than a rat!”
“Begorra!” O’Niel spat, “Be forgetting the silly arguments then. We need to get down there and help.”
Nym looked at the gap. “If we made it bigger we could abseil down. The rope is a bit short, but not much. . . .”
“That detection grid. Could the rats avoid it, Don Fluffy?” asked Bronstein.
The big-eyed galago shook his head violently. “No. The beams they move. It would not be at all of a possibility.”
“Can’t we just do it?” said Melene. “Some of us will make it.”
“No. The first one to go will get shot at. That’ll activate his slowshield and sever the rope. It is too far to fall,” said Nym.
There was a long silence. “We’ll have to drop the roof,” said Eamon.
“No,” said the galago quietly. “I will do it. For my Virginia I will do it. I can see the projector beams. I can climb down and avoid them. I alone am the one who can see them. I too am the only one who can climb upside down along the roof and the wall. Give for me a device of the explosive and I will destroy the projector.” The little creature shivered.
Chapter 44: Fluff at the Bridge.
” ‘Tis a valiant Fluff! You’re a hero!” said Doll, in a voice that suggested that receiving the hero’s rewards didn’t have to wait until after the deed.
The little creature shivered again. “No. I am just a scared galago. I . . . I admit. Not very brave, I am. You are all big tough soldiers. . . . Me . . . I am a rich lady’s toy.”
Doc patted the galago’s shoulder. “The true nature of courage is to know fear, and overcome it.”
“I think it overcomes me!”
“Here,” said Pistol, “have a stoup of Dutch courage.”
The galago took Pistol’s bottle with shaking hands, and took a deep chug. He shuddered. “Now I must go and pee on my hands and feet, even if ‘Ginia says it is a habit of the most vile. You can please make the hole bigger for me?”
Doll was distinctly puzzled. “Pee on his hands and feet?”
“Urine washing,” said Doc. “It increases the adhesiveness. The hyraxes and some lesser primates practice it.”
“Art sure he’s not just kinky? I wouldn’t have thought you’d have to practice it . . . much.” Melene was definitely doubtful on this one.
Pistol chuckled. “Methinks his aim is lousy. Let’s nibble that hole bigger. Fal’s got to get through, never mind the galago.”
* * *
The galago looked doubtfully again at the trigger bar. Then at the tiny bat-mine. “Señorita Bronstein, I am not very mechanical.”
Eamon grunted impatiently. “Let me be explaining to this numbskull, Michaela.”
“Good luck.” said Bronstein dryly, going off to take down some of the mines they’d rigged on the stanchions. That galago was definitely overdue to get bitten. Damn those rats for giving it strong drink first. She’d swear it was swaying on those glistening black feet. Mind you, at least it had stopped shivering. That was a plus.