Jacob had no time to wonder what they were doing… whether they were attacking, or just playful. (What a thought!) He had to take advantage of this respite quickly.
Hughes had landed nearby. The man was already on his feet, stumbling in shock. Jacob hurried up and took the man’s arm in his… avoiding contact between their wounded hands.
“Come on, Hughes. If Culla’s been stunned we might both be able to jump him!”
Hughes nodded. The man was confused, but he was willing. His movements were exaggerated, though. Jacob had to guide him the right way, hurrying.
They came around the curve of the central dome to find Culla just rising to his feet. The alien wavered but as he turned toward them Jacob knew it was hope-less. One of Culla’s eyes flashed brightly, the first time Jacob had actually seen one in operation. That meant…
There was a smell of burning rubber and the left strap of his goggles parted. He was dazzled by the blue brightness of the chamber as they fell off.
Jacob shoved Hughes back around the curve of the dome and flung himself after the man. At any moment he expected a sudden pain in the back of his neck, but they stumbled together all the way to the gravity-loop hatch and fell within, safe.
Fagin moved aside to let them in. He trilled loudly and waved his branches.
“Jacob! You are alive! And your associate as well! This is better than I’d feared!”
“How…” Jacob gasped for breath. “How long since we started falling?”
“It has been five, perhaps six minutes. I followed you down after regaining my wits. I may not be able to fight but I can interpose my body. Culla would never have enough power to cut his way through me to get above!” The Kanten piped shrill laughter.
Jacob frowned; that was an interesting point. How much power did Culla have? What was it he once read about the human body operating on an average of one hundred and fifty watts? Culla put out considerably more than that, but it was in short, half-second bursts.
Given enough time, Jacob could figure it out. When projecting his hoaxed Solarians, Culla had made the apparitions last for about twenty minutes. Then the anthropomorphic Ghosts “lost interest” and Culla was suddenly ravenously hungry. They’d all attributed his appetite to nervous energy, but actually the Pring had to replenish his supply of coumarin… and probably of high-energy chemicals to power the dye-laser reaction, as well.
“You are hurt!” Fagan fluted. The branches fluttered in agitation. “You had best take your compatriot upside and both have your wounds tended.”
“I guess so,” Jacob nodded, reluctant to leave Fagin alone. “There are some important questions I have to ask Dr. Martine while she’s treating us.”
The Kanten gave out a long whistling sigh, “Jacob, under no circumstances disturb Dr. Martine! She is in rapport with the Solarians. It is our only chancel”
“She’s what!”
“They were attracted by the flashing of the Parametric Laser. When they came, she donned her psi helmet and initiated communications! They positioned several of their magnetovores beneath us and have substantially arrested our fall!”
Jacob’s heart leapt. It sounded like a reprieve. Then he frowned.
“Substantially? Then we aren’t rising?”
“Regrettably, no. We are falling slowly. And there is no knowing how long the toroids can hold us.”
Jacob felt distantly in awe of Martine’s accomplishment. She had contacted the Solarians! It was one of the epochal accomplishments of all time, and still they were doomed.
“Fagin,” he said carefully. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Meanwhile, can you fake my voice well enough to fool Culla?”
“I believe so. I can try.”
“Then talk to him. Throw your voice. Use all your tricks to keep him busy and uncertain. He can’t be allowed more time at that computer access!”
Fagin whistled assent. Jacob turned, with his arm in Hughes and started around the gravity-loop.
The loop felt strange, as if the gravity fields had started to fluctuate slightly. His inner ear bothered him as it never had before, as he helped Hughes traverse the short arc, and he had to concentrate to keep his step.
Topside was still red — the red of the chromosphere. But fluttering blue-green Solarians danced just outside, closer than Jacob had ever seen them before. Their “butterfly wings” were almost as broad as the ship itself.
Blue traceries of the P-laser also shone in the dust up here. Near the edge of the deck, the laser itself hummed inside its bulky mounting.
They dodged several of the thin beams.
If only we’d had the tools to unship that thing from its holder, Jacob thought. Well, it was no use wishing. He steadied his partner until he could get him into a couch. Then he strapped the man in and went looking for the aid-kit.
He found it by the Pilot Board. Since he hadn’t seen Martine, it was apparent she’d chosen another quadrant of the deck to do her communing with the Solarians, away from the others. Near the Pilot Board, LaRoque, Donaldson, and the unliving body of crewman Dubrowsky lay firmly strapped in. Donaldson’s face was half covered with medicinal flesh-foam.
Helene deSilva and her remaining crewman bent over their instruments. The Commandant looked up as he approached.
“Jacob! What happened?”
He kept his hands behind his back, to keep from distracting her. It was getting hard to stay on his feet, though. He’d have to do something soon.
“It didn’t work. We got him talking, though.”
“Yes, we heard it all up here, then a lot of noise. I tried to warn you before we impacted the toroids. I was hoping you could use it.”
“Oh the impact helped, all right, It shook us up but it saved our lives.”
“And Culla?”
Jacob shrugged. “He’s still down there. I think he’s running low on juice. During our fight up here he burned off half of Donaldson’s face with one shot. Down there he was a miser, taking tiny pot shots at strategic places.”
He told her about Culla’s attack with his mashies. “I don’t think he’s going to run out early enough. If we had lots of men we could keep throwing them at him until he went dry. But we haven’t. Hughes is willing, but he can’t fight anymore. I suppose you two can’t leave your posts.”
Helene turned to answer a beeping alarm from her control board. She stabbed a switch and it cut off. Then she looked back, apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Jacob. But we’ve got all we can handle here. We’re trying to get through to the computer by actuating the ship’s sensors in coded rhythms. It’s slow work, and we have to keep turning away to handle emergencies. I’m afraid we’re slipping. The controls are deteriorating.” She turned to answer another signal.
Jacob backed away The last thing he wanted to do was distract her.
“Can I help?”
Pierre LaRoque looked up at him from a couch a few feet away. The little man was constrained, his couch straps secured out of reach. Jacob had all but forgotten about him.
He hesitated. LaRoque’s behavior just before the fight topside hadn’t inspired confidence. Helene and Martine had strapped him in to keep him out of everyone’s hair.
Yet Jacob needed someone’s hands to operate the aid-kit. Jacob remembered LaRoque’s near escape on Mercury. The man was unreliable, but he had talent when he chose to use it.
LaRoque looked coherent and sincere at the moment. Jacob asked Helene for permission to release him. She glanced up and shrugged.