The barrier completely closed off the harbor from the open sea beyond. Even if they could somehow cut the power to the tiny engines that moved the gate that didn’t mean they could move it. Not if the hinge had been locked in place. The tops of the X’s were four meters above the ice, the connecting metal tube or bar half that. No flimsy construct this, it looked solid and immovable. They were trapped.
A glance back toward Yingyapin revealed groups of Tran moving back and forth like clusters of ants. Probably someone was talking to installation security on a communicator right now. It might even be that Antal’s security personnel had moved this harbor barrier into position by remote control. If that was the case, it explained the lack of reaction from above. There was no hurry. The escapees weren’t going anywhere. Plenty of time to break out the skimmer with its laser cannon and escort the would-be refugees back to their cells. And Ethan knew they wouldn’t be given a second chance to pull the recycle-the-monitor-view trick.
Meanwhile the Slanderscree rested on ice topped with three centimeters of water as those on board frantically tried to decide what to do next.
“Can we hold the ship?” Suaxus-dal-Jagger wondered aloud.
“Not against heavy energy weapons,” Ethan told him.
“Suppose,” Budjir said, “we threatened to burn it? That would not matter to the skypeople here, but this Corfu covets the Slanderscree desperately. He would at least argue with them that since we cannot flee they can wait and starve us out.”
“Now that’s a thought,” September murmured. “Bamaputra’s not the type to waste anything. And keep in mind he wants Hwang and her buddies alive in case any curious types from the outpost come calling to see what’s happened to them. I think you’re right, Budjir. I think they’ll hold off any shooting. They can see we’re stuck here, so why not just wait us out? Better for him if we give up quiet-like. Except we ain’t giving up just yet. We’re leaving.”
Ethan eyed him sideways. “You just finished saying that we’re stuck here.”
“The Slanderscree’s stuck. We’re not.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Skua. I don’t want to go back up there anymore than you do.” He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the mountain and its underground complex. “But at the same time I don’t think we can make it back to Brass Monkey on foot.”
“I’m not much on sliding myself, lad. That’s why we’re going to take one of the lifeboats.”
“Are you seriously considering attempting a return to your outpost in one of those tiny craft?” Hunnar asked him in disbelief.
“Not to Brass Monkey, no. But if we can make it to the southern shipping lanes near Poyolavomaar, we can hail a trader and buy ourselves passage the rest of the way. If we can make it that far, the young Landgrave will give us a decent ship and the crew to sail her back to the outpost.”
“I am coming as well,” Ta-hoding told them.
“Someone who can give orders has to stay with the ship,” Ethan argued.
“Monslawic can handle command. Already he has proven that. Without me you will not have a chance.”
“I’d argue you on that,” September told him, “but fight it I won’t. Be good to have you at the helm, Captain. I think we should take that Seesfar gal, too. She knows the territory between here and Poyo better than any of us.”
“I would rather leave her behind,” Hunnar growled.
“I ain’t especially fond of her myself, but when you’re trying to save your neck and the necks of your friends, personal likes and dislikes kind of recede into the back ground. You don’t have to marry her, just sail with her. Now what about a representative from our scientific contingent?”
“Ought to be Milliken.” Ethan looked down on the deck. Williams was deep in animated conversation with Cheela Hwang and Snyek, the glaciologist. “He knows what it’s like out on the ice. The others don’t.”
Hwang and her colleagues agreed that the teacher was the best qualified of their number to make the journey. This Ethan expected. They were nothing if not sensible. What he did not expect was the ferocity with which Hwang kissed the teacher farewell. That was neither expected nor sensible. Amazing what a little casual conversation could accomplish between intelligent people, he mused.
“Six then,” said Hunnar as they watched the, crew unlatch one of the icerigger’s two lifeboats. “Three Tran, three human.”
“Go, husband,” Elfa murmured softly. “Ride the wind back to me. I will be here waiting for you when you return.” Sailors swung the small craft over the side, manipulating ropes and pulleys.
“Till the next evening.” Hunnar put out his right paw, palm upward, and they locked fingers, then parted. September was already over the side, catching and stowing sacks of supplies. Williams followed, then Grurwelk Seesfar, Hunnar, Ethan, and lastly Ta-hoding, puffing hard and trying not to show it.
With only six of them aboard they had ample room to move about. It was a much smaller version of the Slanderscree, equipped with four runners instead of five, a steering handle instead of a wheel, and a single folding mast. The raised central cabin provided the only shelter from the ceaseless wind. As they settled in and found places, sailors began to push the little iceboat toward the metal barrier. The central cabin barely passed between two of the welded-beam X-shapes and beneath the connecting bar.
Then they were on the other side, past the barrier. Ta-hoding, Hunnar, and September fought to raise the mast and lock it into position just forward of the cabin. The single sail was set and secured to the tip of the boom. As wind filled the woven pika-pina the metal gate, the mountains, and Yingyapin harbor began to recede behind them. The icerigger’s bulk was clearly visible, imprisoned on the other side of the barrier. No one cheered their escape, no lookouts waved enthusiastically from their posts atop the masts. If they were lucky, they would slip away without being noticed by those on shore, whose attention should be concentrated on the much larger ice ship.
As they began to emerge from the shelter of the harbor the sail bulged with west wind and they picked up speed. Freezing water splashed up and back from beneath the bow runner, splattering everyone aboard. Icicles began to form on the boom, the rails, and the roof of the cabin. Water was something no ship on Tran-ky-ky was designed to contend with.
Utilizing a spare sail from the lifeboat’s storage locker, they were able to rig a crude screen between bow and mast. It slowed them slightly but kept the water off. Williams had been staring intently astern ever since they’d left.
“No skimmers. That means Bamaputra and his people don’t know we’ve left. They might not miss us for quite a while.”
“Don’t count on it,” said September, scraping ice crystals from the rim of his visor. “The first thing Antal will do is order a head count. They might not miss the lifeboat but they’ll sure as hell miss us. I’m sure your lady friend will stall them as long as possible.”
“Yes, Cheela ought to—” Williams halted in mid-sentence and eyed him sharply. “Lady friend? What makes you say that, Skua?”
“Why, nothing, nothing at all, Milliken. Except she pretty near had you right there on the deck by way of saying good-bye.”
Fortunately for the easily embarrassed teacher, his skin was much too dark to show a blush.
XII
TRAN-KY-KY’S FROZEN OCEAN SURROUNDED them, the rim of the southern continent was rapidly falling astern, and still there was no sign of the expected pursuit. Ethan was beginning to believe they’d pulled it off.