Well, it worked. But as Chip’s previous experience with flamethrowers had been caramelizing sugar with a blowtorch, he was more than a bit nervous of the gadget. The whole thing struck him as a recipe for disaster. But if it scared Maggots . . .
“Where’s Don Whatsisname?” he asked.
Nym shook his head. “Dunno. The girls have been looking for him.”
“He’s probably gone into hiding then.”
* * *
They found the tiny galago asleep. Deep asleep.
“It is daytime, ‘ginia. Not waking up time.” The galago curled tighter under his tail.
“Nocturnal,” muttered Doc. “That explains the big eyes.”
“What sort of guide is it that I have to carry because he’s flat out?” complained Chip, picking the creature up.
“He’s probably been through a lot in the last while, poor mite,” said Bronstein. “He’s obviously some rich woman’s plaything. Not used to this sort of life. He’s probably having the first decent sleep he’s had ever since they were captured.”
“You falling for him too, Bronstein?”
The bat snorted. “Hah. I’m not one of those oversexed rats. Likely the next time he holds forth about needing a real male for the job, his pretty little ears I’ll notch for him. Still, though he was as scared as a rabbit to go back into the Maggot-tunnels, he was still ready to try. That took courage, real courage, for a pampered little thing.”
Chip sighed. “That’s true enough. But this is a stupid idea, Bronstein. We’re never gonna get away with it. Maggots are up and about now. They were asleep when the others went in.”
“True. So I think we should wait. Eamon and I have an idea.”
“Which involves blowing something up.”
The bat had the grace to look faintly abashed. “Uh. Yes. But only if it is needed.”
“Oh. You mean Eamon is going to give up a chance at mayhem? Explain that one.”
The bat snarled. Restrained herself. “I’ll explain what we have in mind! Look, when Siobhan flew after the little fellow, she found out that there are tunnels which go straight across . . . from one side of the mound to the other. And at the other end there was a down chute . . . I don’t know, an air hole, whatever, identical to this side.”
Chip raised his eyes to the twinkling force field that was between him and heaven. “Oh wonderful. Now all we need to do is find that there are ones going along as well as across and we can set up a toll booth, or walk straight to the middle of the whole Maggot nest!”
“Will you listen, Connolly? Springing this human, which Eamon and Behan are none too keen on, I’ll tell you, is bound to alert the Maggots. If we get out, we will want to come back to the farmhouse. That’s where the food is, and that’s the right direction for the sea. So what we want to do is to go across to the far side. Set up a shot pattern to get us out into the valley we escaped out of originally.”
Chip cocked his head. “Which is the wrong direction.”
“Right,” Bronstein said, in the tone used to humor a small and annoying child. “We’ll set things up so that the Maggots can chase off to where we aren’t going to be. That’ll give us a head start, at least.”
Chip rolled his eyes. “So you’re going to cross the whole mound and set up a dummy first. Don’t let me stop you.”
Bronstein looked uneasy. “Well, we need you to come along. You’ll be carrying the fertilizer. And quite a lot of diesel. And that would save us from having to use more than one satchel-charge.”
These bats had bats in the belfry and no mistake! “I see. And doubtless you want a couple of rats along for hole digging. Forget it, Bronstein. It’s a good idea, maybe, but there is more chance of my falling pregnant than the rats agreeing.”
“We . . . took the liberty of getting Melene and Doc to put a cold chisel and a four-pound hammer in the bag. Those hollow blocks give us really quick shot holes . . .”