Part 15 (2/2)

The Doctor nodded, silently counting off the seconds. 'Come left thirteen degrees in five four three two one mark.'

Lefkhani moved the control stick slightly and Ace followed the directional readings as the forward indicators s.h.i.+fted thirteen degrees.

'And down seventy six in three two one mark.'

The chart s.h.i.+fted position as their perspective changed with the s.h.i.+p s bearing. There was a sudden flare of static from Fortalexa's console.

'Good work, Doctor that was the detonation.'

'And right two degrees in three two one mark. We should be in the channel now.'

The chart s.h.i.+fted again and a black line appeared across it, stretching forward from their current position. The Doctor looked at his watch again. Then he pulled a length of string from his jacket pocket and measured along the line with it.

There was another loud ping.

'Doctor they've got us again.'

'And they know where we're going,' Ace pointed out. 'We have to follow the channel, The asteroids were packed close along either side, a slight deviation would crush them to pieces.'

'They may not follow us in their charts aren't as detailed as ours.'

'But they will launch.'

'Yes. Doctor, we need to outrun them.'

The Doctor had his abacus out and was flicking beads furiously. 'Lefkhani, increase speed by twenty*five percent in three two one mark.'

The thrust pushed them all back in their seats. The Doctor staggered slightly, dropping his string. A moment later there as a ping from the headset higher pitched this time. It was followed a second later by another. And another.

'They've launched.' Fortalexa was timing the gaps between the pings. 'The missile has acquired us and is locking on. Gaining.'

The Doctor's face was set, his eyes focused on the chart as his finger moved slowly up the black line. It was about a third of the way along it. 'Increase speed by ten percent in two one mark.'

Ace checked the readings as the thrusters surged again. She was not sure she had ever been so fast in normal s.p.a.ce. But if they tried to jump without calculating the shot they could end up anywhere. And this close, their pursuers could follow the trace themselves, or task a missile to do it.

The Doctor's finger was moving more quickly along the line now. And the pings from Fortalexa's headset were coming faster and faster.

'Impact in eleven.'

Lefkhani's hand stiffened on the control stick sweat breaking out on his forehead and his eyes still tight shut.

'Impact in eight.' Each ping was starting almost as the previous one finished. The gap between them shortened further, and they started to overlap, becoming a continuous sound with peaks and troughs rather than discrete pings.

The Doctor's finger traced its way painfully slowly along the line. It was almost at the top now. He checked his watch. 'Be ready to come right seventy degrees and up thirty on my mark.'

'Impact in five.' The sound was almost a single tone. Ace wondered how Fortalexa could tell how close they were now. Perhaps he was guessing.

'Right seventy and up thirty in three two '

'Impact in two.'

' one mark.'

Lefkhani's hand jerked across and up, almost in spasm. The s.h.i.+p trembled after it, throwing the Doctor off balance. And then the blast wave hit them, sending the control deck spinning and knocking the Doctor to the floor as it dropped away from him. The screen went blank.

'Impact within one hundred meters.'

The Doctor was on his feet as soon as the s.h.i.+p stopped rolling. 'Ace where are we?' he shouted across.

She called up the flight log. 'We rolled thirty*one degrees right and fourteen down.'

'Then come left twenty*eight and up seventeen now.'

Lefkhani responded immediately. After a moment the screen came back on, re*oriented to their current perspective.

'Decrease speed by eighty per cent two one mark.' The Doctor pulled out a paisley handkerchief and rubb his hands and face with it.

'Are we through?' asked Lannic.

'We're still in the belt, but the asteroids aren't so densely packed here. And we've slowed right down.'

'But are we safe now?' Klasvik looked more shaken than anyone else.

'Probably,' Fortalexa said. 'You never can tell, but with luck they'll think they caught us in the blast. I doubt if they'll follow us through the channel. Even if they have a decent set of charts we're not worth the effort.'

In the silence that followed, they all heard the ping, clear and distinct.

'I wouldn't put money on it,' the Doctor said.

The sun was setting over the Mansionhouse behind them as they came down the shallow steps into the water avenue. Braxiatel was holding Benny's right hand in his left. He held it high, at about the level of her shoulder, his fingers around hers. She delicately made her way down to the path, the scarlet dress dragging slightly at the steps behind. As they reached the base of the steps, Braxiatel let go of her hand and gestured for her to continue. She realized with a silent smile that he had been holding her hand to support her if she slipped on the steps. He probably a.s.sumed she was wearing high heels under the dress. She wondered what he would make of the genuine antique Nike trainers she actually had on.

'Have you known the Doctor long?' he asked after a few steps.

'A while. Difficult to tell really.'

There had seemed no doubt in Braxiatel's mind that they both knew the same Doctor. 'I realized you must know him when you used his research ticket. But it never occurred to me that he might actually be on Menaxus.'

'Have you you known him long?' known him long?'

Braxiatel turned to her and smiled. The light from the setting sun lit his face, casting shadows across it which exposed an age and experience Benny had not noticed before. 'For ever,' he said.

'Yet you won't help him I don't understand why.'

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