Chip looked at the alien in its shallow waterbath. How did you tell whether a ball of prickles is in pain? “What’s wrong?” He sniffed. The place smelled like the clothes he’d taken from the poor box, before he’d been apprenticed. The smell brought back a flood of unpleasant memories.
“This liquid immobilizes my spikes,” the Korozhet explained.
The rats were already trying to lift the alien. He was too heavy for the efforts of Virginia and the rats, and Chip had to give a hand.
Lifting it by the base of two of the hollow spikes was the closest Chip had ever been to one of the aliens. Sure, they’d given the colonists at least a breathing space, and a chance to halfway prepare for the Magh’ invasion. They had even visited Chez Henri-Pierre, in the early days, before the war. He, along several of the other kitchen-vats, had risked thick ears from Henri-Pierre to steal a closer glimpse than they’d gotten as part of the cheering crowd at that first Korozhet motorcade.
Like most Vats, Chip had seen the arrival of an FTL ship as the end of the Company monopoly. Hah. When it had arrived the Korozhet ship’s engines were apparently virtually still smoldering from their race to beat the Magh’. The ship had lain in state till weeks ago, being repaired. He’d heard over the radio that it had lifted at last. Well, if this Korozhet was here, they must surely be coming back.
He began to help Virginia dry the spines with some cloths that had been piled near the tank. Not much of a critter if it could be trapped by a bowl of water. Still, it seemed to be well-spoken. It also seemed innocuous enough, although he wished like hell it hadn’t screamed like that.
“Maggots!” Siobhan called from the entrance. “Maggots coming.”
“We’ve got to run,” said Chip to the alien. “Can you move fast?”
“Yes, the Professor is wonderfully fast on his spikes,” Virginia informed him cheerfully.
The Korozhet mournfully contradicted. “Alas, not now, Miss Virginia. My joints are still very stiff. Also I have changed sex. I am now female. Please remember that.”
Chip grabbed Virginia’s spike-caressing arm. “Come on. Take one side. We’re going to have to carry it, even if it is a little double-adaptor. The rest of you will have to deal with the Maggots.”
It was possibly the most awkward bundle Chip had ever carried. They were sure as hell not going to make good speed like this. Glancing back hastily, Chip saw Eamon dive onto a Maggot-scorp. There was no way they were traveling around the scorpiary undetected any more. “Hell, Crotchet, I’m going to drop you any minute! Stop wriggling those spines.”
“I am most sorry. I am trying to get life back into them!” It sounded most contrite. Chip would rather it had just stopped wriggling.
“Down this side passage! Quickly!” called Behan.
They bundled off at right angles. “With any luck Siobhan and O’Niel will lead them straight past!” said Chip, grinning.
“Eeeeeee!!!!!!”
Chip’s grin vanished. He menaced the Korozhet with the hammer again. “Shut up! You damn fool creature . . .”
“Eeeee! The pain. I cannot help it! The pain. My limbs are in agony!”
“Move it up!” The rats staggered into the passage, carrying one of their number. “We didn’t shake them. Phylla’s hurt.”
“Here. Get her into my magazine pocket.” Soldiers in this war might have no use for spare magazines, but the uniform trousers still had the big thigh pockets.
“Just a cut.” Chip could hear the pain in the rat’s voice as she climbed into his pocket.
“Run!” shouted Bronstein.
Chip was taking strain. Looking across at his companion, he saw that she was doing well, comparatively. It wasn’t just that the alien was heavy, it was also just so awkward to carry. The spines kept poking into him, and the two he held were constantly twitching. Whatever they’d done to this poor creature must have been hellish.
They were crossing a ramp-bridge, above a Maggot aqueduct and lower roadway. “Try to stop twitching, will you? If we drop you here you’ll go splat. And we’re both close to dropping you.” The creature was stilled.