Excellent idea, moud. Ill head there now. Inform security.

Balbao collected a water tube and some meat gnarls from his office cooler, and walked the distance to the EVAC ship. He needed the thinking time. His route took him past the labs and munitions lock-ups and onto the perimeter walkway. This particular boardwalk ran the circ.u.mference of the pseudo-world, the equivalent of a fire exit on a real building. On Belle-Monde though, all exits led to the EVAC ships-four of them, though one was undergoing maintenance.

Gravity was much lighter out here, and he managed the endless stairs without any real effort. Eating the gnarls was another thing entirely; he had to slide them into his mouth straight from the packet to stop them floating off.

Eating and walking always calmed Balbao. Doing them together was almost like meditation. By the time he reached EVAC #1, hed reached a decision. If the invasion threat was real, he must take action. The survival of Soles chosen sentients-not to mention his own skin-could depend on his decisions.

The Balol guards on duty saluted and opened the outer hatch. He nodded at them to stand at ease as he disappeared inside. EVAC sentry duty was the most boring rotation on the security roster.

Ahhh. The smell of slightly stale air, catoplasma and t.i.tanium residues summoned sharp memories of his early years, which hed spent on cramped ships in distant systems, dropping payload and studying data flow. He felt a sudden longing for the past, but brushed it away. Sentimentality would not help him sort out this mess.

He settled in front of the com-sole and activated the 'cast. First he tried to contact his immediate reportage, Commander Lars Unthak at the Group of Higher Intelligence Affairs, which was based in the Alnitak system. The 'cast faded, so he switched to the Balol coding. It took some time to get a reply on the emergency line, and then it was only a harried junior officer at the Balol trans-cast relay station.

'This is Chief Astronomein Balbao, from Psuedoworld 9176, Cla.s.s 18. Transmitting OLOSS ident. He waited for the pingback before speaking again. 'Im unable to make contact with my direct reportage at GHIA. I require a risk a.n.a.lysis of our situation.

'Chief Balbao, I cant help you, said the young officer. 'All the senior personnel are in conference. Stand by for instruction.

'Stand by? For how long? spluttered Balbao.

'I cant be exact. Within six hours.

The chief grunted and pushed away from the com-sole to swallow some more gnarls. Sometimes he felt the meat concentrate was the only thing that kept him going.

Moud, inform the tyros that the meeting has been transferred to this location.

At what time, Chief Balbao?

Now.

Now translated into much longer.

Balbao counted the group as they squeezed into the comm-cabin. Moud, where are Javid Jividdat and the uulis?

Uuli Ummman and Nummun are in commune, and couldnt be disturbed. G.o.dhead Jividdat is nowhere to be found.

'Javids probably off with that piece of skin and bone from the service crew. And as for Um and Nu... of all the ridiculous times to be off with the Humm, said Miranda Seeward sourly. She was squashed uncomfortably into the second comm-seat, her dimpled flesh overflowing like a spilled jelly.

'Whats the idea of this? Lawmon Jise demanded.

'What does GHIA say? asked Labile Connit.

'Calm down, please, and listen. Balbao took a long swill of his water tube. 'The station comm is r.i.m.m.i.n.g, as you may have gathered. Ive had to use the emergency 'cast.

'To Balol?

'To the relay station, to be precise. I am waiting for an answer, hence the location of our meeting.

'Are things so dire, Balbao, that you must wait here on their whim? warbled Miranda.

Jise pinched her arm to quiet her, and she squealed.

Balbao glowered at them both. To think they were considered the greatest minds in their fields. In their fields. Remember that, he told himself. And you are the greatest in yours.

'Having had time to reflect and possibly confer with each other, do you have any theories on the Ent.i.tys sudden disappearance?

'Isnt it obvious? said Miranda. 'The Ent.i.ty is unimpressed with this ridiculous war and has decided to avoid it.

'Nonsense, said Connit. 'The war could not touch Sole. It is beyond such things.

'Is it? This came from Ra. The strange jewel- eyed Lostolian had not spoken since taking a seat in the cramped comm-cabin. He sat stiffly, legs crossed, wary of damaging his skin on the lifeships surfaces.

Thin-skinned weirdo, thought Balbao. 'What are you saying, G-G.o.dhead Ra? He stumbled over the pretentious t.i.tle.

'Im saying that I have seen glimpses of Soles inner world, and the Ent.i.ty is not without purpose.

'None of us are without purpose, Ra, said Jise impatiently. 'Is there something you wish to share?

'There are things we should all share, if we are to understand where the Ent.i.ty has gone.

'Are you suggesting we disclose the nature of our projects? Miranda Seeward spat with indignation.

Balbao steeled himself for another round of their ridiculous bickering, but found himself physically gripping his seat as a m.u.f.fled explosion sounded stationside, and the whole ship shook with the impact.

The tyros all started out of their seats.

'Sit down, Balbao barked. Moud, what in the- 'My moud is offline, screeched Miranda Seeward.

'Mine too, said Jise.

Moud! Moud!

Another explosion, this one louder and closer.

Balbaos fingers stumbled over the com-sole, trying to pull up status reports, but the station mayer-domo didnt respond. He asked for external views of Belle-Monde, but again nothing.

'Balbao! said Ra. 'Launch this ship immediately. Were in the direst of predicaments.

Balbao set the manual override on the EVAC ships cameras and rotated them in an arc. Belle-Mondes near s.p.a.ce was dominated by floating debris, bodies among the flotsam and jetsam. One drifted up close to the camera, its appearance so distorted by trauma that Labile Connit gagged.

'Strap into something, barked Balbao. Without his moud, hed need help to pilot. He set the ships controller to automatic launch and tried to recall how to programme trajectory. It-had been more than a decade since hed been in a ship without a moud, and even then it had only been a training run.

A moment of weightlessness before the stabilisers cut in, and they shot at full propulsion away from Belle-Monde.

The quick gravity change sent the tyros moaning.

'Heavens, gasped Miranda. 'What in Soles- Her terrified exclamation broke Balbaos concentration. He jerked his head so he could see the screens running the external views. Breaks in the floating debris gave them a glimpse of an object as big as Belle-Monde, which was shedding flecks of light.

'What is it? whispered Jise. 'Its like rain.

'Incendiaries. Labile Connit pointed uselessly, as if they could follow by line of sight. 'A Geni-carrier.

'The Extros are here, said Miranda in a hoa.r.s.e soprano. 'Well die.

Balbao was gripped by an emotion hed never experienced before: a warriors focus funnelling a brilliant mind. He turned back to the pilot corn-sole with a fierce determination to survive. 'No, we will not!

JO-JO RASTEROVICH.

Jo-Jo watched every dawn and dusk with new appreciation. Right now it was the dusk: violent reds, browns and bruised purples that bled into each other.

In fact, being trapped inside the Extro drum had made him much more acutely aware of... everything. Despite malnutrition and screwed-up biorhythms, it was good just to be able to feel again. And smell. And see. h.e.l.l, it was incredible! He felt like he could sit for long periods of time just bathing in the feedback from his senses.

Randall had other ideas.

'Get your carca.s.s away from the window. Dont want the Saqr seeing movement or shadow.

'The windows are tinted, he argued.

'Yeah, but we dont know how their eyes work. Could be they can see straight through it.

Randall had a point. Jo-Jo didnt know much about tardigrade micro-organisms, let alone these mutated macro counterparts. 'Whats up?

Randall had donned the boots and coat shed taken from the dead Latino. 'Time to take a little look-see outside.

Jo-Jo nodded. 'You got a plan?

She shrugged. 'Cant see much from here. Wish we had a 'scope of some kind.

The view out over the plains was clear and vast even in the dying light, but looking back to the mountain it was hard to distinguish the buildings from the boulders.

'Seeing as were at the bottom of the mountain, I say we divide it into sections. Go all the way to the top, each time. Couldnt take more than a few hours each way.

'What if we see trouble when were up top?

'Take some water with us. Hole up in one of the other buildings until the next night. She threw a canister and shoulder strap at his feet. 'Standard issue for visitors. Theyre all over the place.

Jo-Jo picked it up and peeled the lid back. The stale water stank of sulphur. 'We could just start close. Do the whole near perimeter. Might be we dont have to go to the top to find what we need.

Randall inclined her head, thinking about what hed said. 'Could do that, if youre too weak to go all the way.

He ignored her goading. Something told him it was better to rest now, not exhaust themselves again, hiking the mountain in the blistering night winds. 'I am, he said, and met her gaze. 'And Im bettin you are too. Youre just too dogged to say so.

Her eyes narrowed with mistrust. She was as mentally sharp as always, despite exhaustion and starvation. 'Your way this time. But dont get used to it.

He nodded, and followed her upstairs and along to the end of the building, to the door through which theyd first entered. Just the two of them. They left Catchut up a level, near the san, with a couple of water canisters and a plate of two-day-old polenta.

'Ill be s.h.i.ttin bricks by the time you get back, Capo, hed said to his boss.

'Long as its in the right place, Cat. Not cleaning up after you.

Catchut had barely smiled. Hed been subdued since escaping the Extro ship. The toll hed paid hadnt just been an injured foot. Something had deeply shaken his confidence. His eyes constantly followed Randall, as though he was seeking rea.s.surance. When they were leaving him, his face showed fear and a little desperation.

Jo-Jo hadnt said anything to him. Catchut wouldnt appreciate it.

Now, as they stepped outside into the dark, Jo-Jo concentrated on following Randalls back. Hed stopped short of suggesting that they strap themselves together so they didnt get separated.

As if reading his mind, Randall stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. 'Take a good look where the building is in relation to everything else. If we end up being split, youll have to find your own way back.

'I spent thirty years scouting minerals in the unchartered territories, he told her abruptly.

'Yeah, but did you ever do it without your gear? Your instruments?

He didnt answer. She was right about that. Dead reckoning wasnt something hed ever had to use.

'Just take a good look, she said. 'Its always different in the dark.

He did as she suggested without further protest, mapping points of reference: the angle of the landing port in the distance, the shape of the building, the approximate distance to the shadowy peak of Mount Pell.

He signalled that he was ready, and she began to climb.

Randall had already told him what she knew of the area: that many of the larger buildings-villas, shed called them-had been owned by the wealthy upper- caste Latinos. The dwellings were scattered around the impressive sprawling studium compound, the Principes palazzo and other official structures.

'Im figuring the Saqr willve been through all the important places-anywhere there mightve been a concentration of 'esques or resources. Could be well have more luck in houses of the lesser n.o.bles, and the smaller offices.

Jo-Jo liked her reckoning and settled in to let her lead the way. Randall had been here before. The closest hed gotten to planetside before now was the detention block in the Dowl station, and then...

Helpless. Drifting in the black alongside Dowl. Bethany Jonil had dragged him back to safety when theyd escaped the station by shooting themselves into s.p.a.ce. He owed her.

He spared a moment to wonder if shed found happiness with that idiot scholar. Though used badly by life, Beth had determination-like her brother, Lasper Farr. Shed made Jo-Jo promise to find her daughter. Hed agreed, never imagining hed be back here.

Now that he was, the idea gave him purpose. Hed seek Beths daughter out, if shed survived. What was her name? 'Jess?

'What? hissed Randall.

'Nothin, he replied.

'Then stop talking to yourself. Youre creepin me out.

He refocused on the climb through the darkness. Much of the mountainside was smooth, bare rock, or scree slopes of slippery gravel. Randall did her best to stay on the harder surfaces, but several times they found themselves slipping back in tiny rockfalls.

'At this rate, well have them all over us, she said as they stopped to rest.

Jo-Jo pointed through the dark to the solid shadow above them. 'Something there.

He heard her suck in a deep breath, even though her hood was up. 'Okay, lets back up a bit and try climbing a bit further out. Even if we have to go higher and come back. We need to stay on the hard rock.

She climbed off sideways for a while, and then began to ascend again.