Those on board the skimmer followed the frantic flight of their former adversaries as they drifted safely toward the harbor.
“What do you think?” September asked their teacher.
“I don’t know. We don’t have any idea what their setup here is capable of or where its limits lie. Obviously Bamaputra believes he’s keeping within them.”
“He seems to be the only one,” Ethan commented.
“That doesn’t mean he isn’t right.”
“I don’t like the idea of going off and leaving him holed up in there,” September muttered. “Won’t do us much good to escort this lot back to Brass Monkey if we don’t shut down what they’ve left behind.”
“Let’s get back to the ship and decide there,” Ethan suggested. “Roger, what do you think our chances are of blasting into this control room and taking him?”
“Not good, if that other one was telling the truth. Plexalloy’s tough.”
“The foreman had one good point,” Williams reminded them. “What are we going to do with them now that they’ve put aside their weapons?”
“Let ’em stumble around Yingyapin for a while,” September said. “Let the Tran there see what their all-powerful friends are really like. By the time they make it to the harbor I don’t think we’ll have to worry about keeping watch over ’em. Maybe we can lash a couple of ice ships together and tow the whole bunch of miscreants back to Brass Monkey. They’ll be too cold to give us any trouble. The trip back may not force confessions out of all of ’em, but it sure as hell will make ’em humble.”
They were moving out across the ice, heading for the Slanderscree, when Ethan pointed toward the mountain that contained the terraforming station.
“Something’s happening up there. Some kind of activity.”
September squinted, cursed under his breath. “Can’t see. Eyes are getting old, like the rest of me. Hunnar! Can you see anything up there?”
The knight joined them. “Truly I can, friend Skua. Clouds are coming out of the mountain. I think mayhap your mad kinsman is making a rifs.”
Not a rifs in the traditional sense, but a massive storm front was forming with incredible speed above the highest peak. Lightning began to flash inside the boiling mass of cumulonimbus and thunder boomed across the harbor. The cloud bank continued to thicken until it dominated the visible sky. And then something else happened, something so extraordinary it stimulated excited discussion among the scientists and awe among the Tran.
For the first time in forty thousand years, rain fell on Tran-ky-ky.
“Liquid ice.” Warm drops pelted the skimmer. “Water.” Elfa stared in astonishment at the tiny pool that accumulated in her cupped paws. “Who thought ever to see such a thing?”
A shout from the mainmast lookout drew their attention. The heavy metal gate which had barred the icerigger’s flight was slowly swinging open, sliding out of the way on its multiple runners. On board the Slanderscree, Ta-hoding gaped at the retreating barrier, then began bellowing orders. Sails were unfurled, spars adjusted, stays pulled taut.
“What of the humans who came out of the mountain?” Ethan asked Hunnar.
“They are…” The knight paused a moment to be certain of what he was seeing. “They are running through the city. The townspeople are staring at them. Now a few begin to throw stones.”
A new sound, deeper and more ominous than the thunder. Shouts and yells from both those on the icerigger and in the city acknowledged its power. The rumbling arose deep within the solid rock of the continental shelf, a gigantic hiss. It was as though something monstrous was awakening inside the earth.
“Look at that. Even I can see that.” September nodded toward the docks. In haste and confusion the personnel from the installation were pouring out onto the ice. They promptly began slipping and sliding all over the place. Their repeated failures only made them redouble their frantic efforts.
“Any arms?” asked Colette du Kane.
Iriole was peering through a military monocular. “None visible, ma’am.”
“Hell. Pick them up and put them aboard the big ship, I guess. The prosecution’s going to want as many witnesses as possible.” She turned demurely to Ethan. “If that meets with your approval, my love?”
He didn’t doubt for an instant that the question was rhetorical, but he appreciated it nonetheless.
“You have my consent,” he replied grandly.
“Thank you.” She actually batted her eyelashes at him. They exchanged a grin.
Then and there he decided this wasn’t going to be a bad marriage after all.
The skimmer had to make several trips to transfer all of the refugees from the ice to the Slanderscree, which fortunately had ample room since it had been traveling with a minimal crew ever since departing Poyolavomaar. Body searches revealed that the technicians and engineers had fled the station unarmed. Most were too exhausted to have offered any resistance even had they wished to.
The foreman was in the second group. Antal didn’t look in control of anything including himself as he scrambled frantically onto the skimmer’s deck.
“Move, move, we’ve got to get out of here!”
“Not yet,” Ethan told him.
“Why, what’s the hold up?” The foreman was staring worriedly at the storm raging over the mountain.
Ethan gestured onto the ice. Led by Hunnar and Elfa, a group of sailors from the icerigger were chivaning at maximum speed toward Yingyapin.
“We still have to warn the people you were going to use.” He eyed Antal accusingly. “You could have done that on your way out.”
“No time, we don’t have any time. Don’t you understand?”
“Perfectly,” said Ethan softly. “We’ve talked to your engineering people. If the installation melts, it won’t affect us.”
“Not the installation, not that.” The foreman was on the edge of hysteria. “You can’t imagine how much heat a complete and sudden melt down up there will release. There are three industrial fusion plants operating on overload inside that mountain, for god’s sake!”
“We know.”
“No you don’t know. If the containment fields fail, more than the installation will melt. Rock will melt.” He paused for impact. “Ice will melt a lot faster.”
“Oh, hell,” Colette muttered. Together she and Ethan turned away from the city. The Slanderscree was heading out of the harbor, loaded down with its contingent of Tran and scientists and refugee humans. It was accelerating slowly under Ta-hoding’s skillful guidance, but was it accelerating fast enough?
“They’ll make it,” he murmured. “We’ll wait here for Hunnar and Elfa and the rest.” He favored Antal with a look of disgust. “What are you worried about? You’re safe. A skimmer’s as stable traveling over water as over a solid surface. Meanwhile I’m sure we can find a portable recorder or two. Why don’t you tell your story? For the records?”
The foreman hesitated, licked his lips.
“Or maybe,” Colette said sweetly, “you’d prefer to walk?”
“Or swim, as the case may be.” September was looking at him hard. “Come on, man, the only way you’ve a chance of surviving your former employer’s wrath is in protective custody. Tell it all now without coercion and you might even escape mindwipe.”
Antal looked at him, then nodded to Ethan. Iriole provided recording materials, a guard, and privacy belowdecks.
“People will do anything for money.” Colette du Kane’s jaw was set as she leaned over the railing. “I know. My father was like that. But he was lucky. He grew out of it before he died.” She gestured toward the city as another violent rumble came from inside the mountain. “Hunnar and his people better get back here fast. They can skate like hell, but I doubt there’s one among them who can swim.”