Might need her again, in case I can’t get to the dueling machine.
It took him ten minutes to grope his way back to the hatch in darkness. Ten minutes, three shin-barldngs, and one head-banging of near concussion magnitude. But finally Hector stood outside the hatch once more. He took a deep breath, faced the Intelligence building, and touched the control stud of the jet belt.
In the quiet night, the noise was shattering. Hector’s ears rang as he flew. squinting into the stinging wind, toward the castle. Maybe this isn’t the best way to sneak up on them, he suspected. But now the battlements were looming before him, racing up fast. Cutting power, he tumbled down and hit hard, sprawling on the squaredoff top of the tallest tower.
Shaking his head to clear it and get rid of the earringing, Hector got to his feetHe was unhurt. The platform as about ten meters square, with a stairway leading down from one comer. Did they hear me coming?
As if in answer, he heard footsteps ticking up the stone stairway. Shrugging off the jet belt, he hefted its weight in his hands, then hurried over to the top of the stairs. A man’s head came into view. He turned as he ran up the last few steps and started to whisper hoarsely, “Are you here. Watchman? I….”
Hector knocked him unconscious with the jet belt before he could say any more. As he struggled into the Kerak guard’s uniform, pulling it over his own coveralls, Hector suddenly wondered: How did he know it was a Watchman? Maybe he’s been alerted by the star-ship captain. If that’s the case, then these people are against Kanus.