But my warning was too late. There was the muted flash of a plasma-bolt ignition, and with a gasped curse Nicabar dropped to one knee, his gun firing spasmodically toward the area where the shot had originated.

"d.a.m.n," I snarled, jumping to his side and pulling him flat onto the floor as Ixil's plasmic opened up from behind me, laying down a spray of cover fire.

"Shoulder," Nicabar bit out from between clenched teeth, his voice almost inaudible over the rapid-fire hiss of Ixil's plasma fire and the louder three-millimeter rounds from his own gun. "Not too bad. Can you see him?"

I couldn't, though I could make out vague movements back in the shadows as our unseen a.s.sailant apparently repositioned himself for his next shot. But without a weapon that could reach that far it didn't much matter whether I could see him or not. Instead, I darted to the edge of the wiggle floor, grabbed the nearest table, and half shoved, half threw it to where Nicabar was firing.

And then, even as the table skidded with a horrendous screech into a position where he could use it for cover, there was another plasmic flash from just tothe right of our attacker's direction, this one accompanied by a startlingly forlorn sort of squeak. "I got him," a hoa.r.s.e voice croaked. "Come on-I got him!"

"Stay here," Ixil ordered quietly, pushing me unceremoniously into the cover of the table beside Nicabar. Before I could do more than flail around for balance he heaved himself up from his p.r.o.ne position on the floor and was gone, charging in a broken run across the open area with a speed and agility that were surprising in a being of his size and bulk. Pix and Pax had already made it across the floor, and I caught a glimpse of them as they disappeared among the maze of tables and chairs on that side. I held my breath, watching Ixil run, waiting in helpless agony for the shot that would take him down.

But that killing shot didn't come; and then he was there, ducking down and using the tables for maximum cover as he headed in. Abruptly he stopped. I held my breath again-"Come on," he called, waving toward us as he holstered his plasmic.

"It's Everett. He's hurt."

I felt like saying who isn't, but with an effort I managed to restrain myself.

Helping each other, with the added incentive of not knowing whether another attacker might be lurking in the shadows somewhere, Nicabar and I made it across the wiggle floor in record time.

It was indeed Everett, lying beside a tangle of chair legs, and he was indeed hurt. A single plasmic burn, a pretty severe one, in his left thigh just above the knee. "I must have been looking the wrong way at the wrong time," he explained, managing a wan smile as Ixil carefully tore the charred pant leg away from the wound. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I said, taking his plasmic from him and making a quick but careful survey of the area. If there were more attackers lying in wait, they were being awfully quiet about it. "None of the rest of us are exactly in mint condition at the moment, either. Where's the chap who was shooting at us?"

"He's over there somewhere," he said, nodding to the side.

"I see him," I said, stepping over to a misshapen bundle on one of the chairs a couple of tables away from Everett's position. The bundle turned out to be another of the ubiquitous Iykams, this one lying draped across the seat with a plasmic still hanging loosely from his hand. Cause of death was obvious: a close-range plasmic burn in his back. "Nice shooting."

"Thanks," Everett said, the word cut off by a hissing intake of breath as Ixil finished with the charred cloth. "I'm sorry I didn't get him sooner-I've been drifting in and out of consciousness. I didn't even know he was there until he took that shot at you. How bad is that burn, Revs?"

"Hurts like h.e.l.l, but I don't think there's any serious damage," Nicabar said.

He was on one knee beside Everett, rummaging around in the medical pack lying on the floor beside him. "So how come they left you here alive after they shot you?"

"I don't know," Everett confessed. "I'm just glad they did."

"Ditto," I said. "Can you walk?"

"Do I have a choice?" Everett countered. He dug into the med pack, pushing Nicabar's hands impatiently out of the way, and came up with a couple of burn pads. "I presume you know how to apply one of these," he said to Nicabar as he handed him one of the pads."I've had more practice than I care to remember," Nicabar grunted, pulling the charred shirt material away from his shoulder with stoic disregard for the pain.

"What about you, McKell?" Everett went on as he opened his own pad and arranged it carefully over his burn. "I seem to remember you being the one we were charging in to rescue in the first place."

"I'm all right," I a.s.sured him. "I could use a painkiller for my head, but they hadn't started on the really rough stuff yet. Aside from Ixil, I think I'm probably in the best shape of all of us."

"I wouldn't tempt fate that way if I were you," Nicabar warned. "Everett?"

"I'm ready," Everett said, wincing once as he pressed the edges of the pad firmly into place against his leg. "Though I may need some help until the anesthetic takes effect."

I sighed. We were, without a doubt, just exactly the right men to be challenging the giant octopus of Patth economic domination. Humanity was counting on us, and humanity was in trouble. "Tell me some more good news," I said sourly.

"As a matter of fact, I can," he said, digging out a bottle of painkillers and tossing it to me. "I've found us a safe haven. A temporary one, at least."

I frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I got in touch with a friend of mine on my way over from the ship," he said, dropping his voice. "Called him on that StarrComm station by the tram lines.

He's a retired doctor, one of my instructors when I went through med training.

He's running a private ski and ice-climbing place now on a quiet little resort world about five days away, complete with a small but full-service landing area.

Fuel supply, landing-pad repulsors, perimeter lift-a.s.sist grav beams-the works."

"He'll be used to private yachts there," Nicabar pointed out doubtfully. "Can he handle a ship the size of the Icarus?"

"I spelled out the dimensions and he says he can," Everett said. "And it's off-season there right now, which means the place is deserted."

"Other towns?" Ixil asked.

"Nearest is two hundred kilometers away," Everett said. "We'll have time to finish the camouflage work on the ship and give all these burns some healing time." He lowered his voice still further. "We might even be able to get the stardrive working."

"Sounds too good to be true," I said. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," Everett said. "He has no idea who or what we are-I told him you were a group of investors interested in buying into resorts like his and pouring expansion money into the more successful ones. He won't even be there-he's heading out in two days on an equipment-buying trip. We'll have the whole place to ourselves."

I looked at Ixil and lifted my eyebrows questioningly. He shrugged slightly in reply, his expression mirroring my own thoughts. Even if this turned out to be a trap, given that the Patth were already breathing down our necks we didn't have a lot to lose. At least with a trap set the Patth and Iykams might not be so quick to flail around with blunt objects, a restraint that would not only give my head a chance to heal but would also automatically raise our chances ofslipping or fighting our way out of it. "All right," I said. "We'll try it.

Where is this place?"

Everett hesitated, glancing around the darkened room. "I don't know," he said.

"Out here in the open-you know."

"I want to know now," I told him, moving close and putting my ear to his lips.

"Just whisper it."

He sighed, his breath unpleasantly warm on my cheek. "It's on Beyscrim," he whispered. "The northwest section of the Highlandia continent."

"Got it," I said, getting a grip under his arm. He was right; even whispering it in here was risky. But I needed to know, and I needed to know before we got back to the ship. "Okay. Now we can go."

CHAPTER 21.

AFTER ALL THE firepower that had been expended inside the club, I'd half expected to find a wall of local police surrounding the place as we slipped out the emergency exit and down the alley onto the crowded k'Barch streets. But to my mild surprise not a single badgeman was visible anywhere among the colorfully dressed celebrants. Either they just hadn't made it to the scene yet because of the crowds or because they were tied up with other more pressing business, or else a little good-natured gunplay wasn't remarkable enough during the Grand Feast to warrant official attention.

Especially without the club's ownership making any complaints; and it was for sure that Amba.s.sador Nask wouldn't have risked losing Patth control of the Icarus by calling the local authorities in.

Which was just as well, considering how much trouble we had making our escape even without governmental interference. Now that it was full night, the crowds filling the streets were at least twice as dense as they'd been when I'd first arrived, and it seemed like every third step one of us managed to get jostled or b.u.mped in a tender spot by some boisterous or flat-out drunk reveler. Even the high-quality painkillers and anesthetic pads Cameron had stocked the Icarus with could only do so much, and by the end of the second block I was about ready to haul out my plasmic and start shooting us a clear path.

Adding to the physical torture of pushing through the mora.s.s was the tension of wondering if and when the Patth would be able to regroup for another stab at us.

Even in a multispecies gathering like this Ixil and his ferrets stood out, drawing far more attention than any of us liked. But like the badgemen, the Patth and their Iykami minions failed to materialize. Either we'd already taken out the bulk of their force, or else Nask had decided to concentrate whatever he had left on the various s.p.a.ceport entrances instead of trying to comb the entire city. I could only hope that the informally thrown-together Bangrot s.p.a.ceport wouldn't have made it onto his map.

It turned out that the night-to-dawn club wasn't too far from the pharmacy where the Iykams had jumped me, which was itself not very far from the tram stationwhere I'd first gotten off. But from the unfamiliar terrain we quickly pa.s.sed into, it was clear that Ixil was leading us in a different direction entirely.

I.

understood the tactical reasoning behind the plan: The nearest station would naturally be where the Patth would concentrate any observers they might be able to pull together. But at the same time, I found myself privately grousing at having to put up with more of this than I absolutely had to.

But we made it through the crowds, and my head didn't fall off along the way, and finally I saw the undulating sign of a tram station ahead of us. "Wait here," Ixil said, steering the three of us into the mouth of another alleyway.

"I'll go check for unwelcome company."

"Right," I said, helping him ease Everett to the ground. "The k'Tra might have monitor cameras in there, too."

"I'll take care of them," he promised. Two steps later, he was lost to sight among the teeming mult.i.tudes.

"What was all that about monitors?" Everett asked, rubbing his leg at the edge of the burn pad.

"Monitor cameras can be used by people other than those who set them up," I told him. "It could be the Patth aren't bothering to look for us out here because they've already tapped into the k'Tra citywide monitor system."

"A fact Ixil seemed to pick up on right away," Nicabar said. He was leaning against the opposite wall from me, regarding me with a thoughtful expression.

"Has he had any military experience, McKell?"

I shrugged. "We started flying the Stormy Banks together about six years ago,"

I.

told him. "I can't recall him ever mentioning military service in any of that time."

"Interesting," Nicabar said. He had closed his eyes, and I saw now that what I'd taken to be thoughtfulness was merely a deep fatigue. "In some ways he thinks like a military man."

"Probably my influence," I said. "I had five years in EarthGuard back in my twenties."

"Yes, Tera told me a little about your career," Nicabar said, opening his eyes briefly, then closing them again. "Anyway, I hope you realize what a good partner you've got there."

I didn't straighten up, or inhale sharply, or do any of the other things that traditionally accompany a moment of blinding epiphany. But with Nicabar's words, the last of the stubborn pieces finally fell into place. I knew now who had murdered Jones, had tried to murder Ixil, and had been working at cross- purposes to us ever since the Icarus lifted off Meima.

And perhaps even more important, I knew why.

I was still working out all the ramifications when Ixil reappeared in the alleyway. "All clear," he said, offering Everett a hand. "I can see the lights of an incoming tram headed our direction."

"Good," I said, helping him get Everett to his feet. "You three get going.

I'll meet you back at the ship."

They looked at me as if I'd just sprouted a second head. "What are you talking about?" Nicabar demanded.

"I'm talking about finishing the job I came here to do," I said. "I never had a chance to get Shawn's borandis. Speaking of which, Nask has all my cash.""I'll go get the borandis," Ixil volunteered. "You head back with the others."

I shook my head. "They're walking wounded, Ixil," I reminded him. "You're the only able-bodied person we've got this side of the ship. They need you to help them get back safely."

"But what about you?" Everett objected. "It's not exactly safe for you to wander around alone, you know."

"He's right," Nicabar agreed. "Ixil, you help Everett back. I'll go with McKell."

"Ixil might need your help, too," I said. "Everett could still go into delayed shock and have to be carried. For that matter, Revs, you could go into shock, and there's no way in h.e.l.l I could lug you back by myself." I craned my neck.

"And if you don't get moving, you're going to miss this tram."

"But-" Nicabar began.

"Save your breath," Ixil advised, settling Everett's arm in place over his shoulder, Pix and Pax scrabbling around for new positions out of the way.

"It's no use arguing with him when he's made up his mind this way."

"And what if the Iykams find him?" Nicabar growled.

"The Iykams are dead or scattered," I said. "Personally, I'm more worried about what'll happen if the Patth stumble onto the ship and none of you are there to defend it. Or do you really think Tera and Chort can hold off a concerted attack by themselves?"

"I suppose he's right," Everett said reluctantly.

"Of course I'm right," I said. "Give me one hour after you get to the ship for me to catch up with you. If I'm not back, Ixil, you'd better try lifting off.

Head for Everett's hiding place, and I'll try to catch up with you. And let me have some money, will you?"

"Here," Ixil said, pulling out his wallet and handing it to me, his eyes steady on my face. "There should be enough there."

"Thanks," I said as I took it. There was a lot he wanted to say, I could tell, but didn't dare do so in front of the others. "Now get going."

Ixil nodded. "Be careful."

"Trust me," I promised.

They headed out, varying degrees of unhappiness mirrored in their faces and postures. I leafed through the wallet-three hundred commarks; more than enough-making sure to give them a good head start. Then, diving into the crowd, I followed after them. Partly it was simple caution on my part, a desire to be in backup position in case the Iykams hadn't all been killed or scattered.

Mainly, though, I wanted to make sure all three actually got on that tram and stayed there. What I was about to do next I couldn't afford to let even a hint leak out about.

And so I stood half-concealed behind a group of s.k.a.n.ks and watched as they got aboard. I hung around until the tram pulled out; then, standing on tiptoe to study the flapping display flags, I headed for the nearest pharmacy.

I had antic.i.p.ated having no trouble picking up borandis in the middle of the Grand Feast, and no trouble was exactly what I got. Ten minutes after entering, I was out on the street again, two hundred commarks' worth of borandis safely tucked away in my inner pocket. With any luck that would be far more than we would actually need, but it would look suspicious if I'd only brought enough to get us to Everett's Beyscrim hideout. I made my way back to the station andhid in the crowd until the next tram arrived.

Not surprisingly, the tram was quite uncrowded; with the revels in full swing the majority of the traffic was headed into the cities and not vice versa. The spa.r.s.e occupancy meant I was more conspicuous than I might otherwise have been, but it also meant I got a seat all to myself, plus a few minutes of badly needed rest. All in all, I decided it was a fair trade.