Part 6 (2/2)

Thian pa.s.sed on that information, though how Grm could tell the creature's age was beyond him.

I'll go in, he told Semirame, at the same time he announced that intention to Clancv.

Toi *** came at him from two directions and he shook his head against the blast.

Semirame looked at him, her eyes hidden by the visor, but there was no mistaking the negative posture of her body or her raised hand, ready to clout him if he moved.

All right then. You go first, Rame, he said, trying to sound pleasant when he wanted to lift her up and shake her for being so d.a.m.ned cautious about his Talented self, when he could react faster in his own defense than anyone else could because he'd instantly sense injurious intent.

Semirame must have caught some of that, because she lowered her hand and shrugged. Carefully she entered the queen's quarters, Thian with equal stealth right behind her, so they were almost moving in tandem.

This is much bigger than I expected, Thian said, and Semirame gave a barely perceptible nod of agreement.

Palatial, considering where she stashes the guys that do all the wor.

Describe! Clancy demanded. Admiral talking, he added a second later in an explanatory fas.h.i.+on.

Thian could just see the scene, with As.h.i.+ant stiff with apprehension.

The mam room is say thirty meters by thirty meters and half that to the ceiling. It's crammed with bodies, her attendants, and there's a ledge against one wall, and against the wall perpendicular to it, another sort of seat - it may be where she extrudes her eggs . . .

Yeah, it does loof^ like a birthing stool with the big hole in the bac^ and a son of tube opening in the wall, Semirame said, then added in a tone of disgust, * don't tynow why I'm 'pathing. We could be roaring and this lot wouldn't hear us. We're right in front of them - they've got to know there ore three individuals staring at them. And something just scurried over my Je& * . . didn't even notice it was canted to one side doing so. Hey, wait a minute, Grm.

It doesn't hear you, Rame, Thian said, quickly following the 'Dini as 't moved farther into the room. Grm did have the good sense to move slowly, but the 'Dim was determined to see all it could of the habitat of its lifelong enemy. He caught up with Cirm and planted one hand firmly on its shoulder, tightening his grip when the 'Dim tried to evade. He squeezed bis fingers to make certain Grin knew it wasn't supposed to go on unattended.

Lool^atthe walls, Thmn, Semirame said urgently, and Thian glanced upward, having been tar more aware of the queen and her bustling attendants. He really hadn't noticed more than the size of the room. Now he saw that on three walls, just above the height of his head, there were glowing screens or monitors.

Their communications boards?

Why not? The queen's reading the one in front of her. Loo*( at her head. She's tracking something, Semirame said. But I don't see as much change in the panels on the side walls.

Thian watched long enough to be aware of changes, rippling top to bottom of the panel, as if scrolling.

CAN YOU SI*:ND SAMPLE?.

Only if you and the Admiral stop roaring at me suddenly. I d.a.m.ned near jumped onto something, Thian said testily. Rume, tape a recording of the side panels. I can focus on the one she's watching from where I am now. F le lifted his wrist com, activating the record touch b.u.t.ton, and grabbing (inn's arm before it took advantage of his need of both hands and got loose. Cirm did pull its feet out of the way of several rapidly moving attendants who pa.s.sed where it had been standing and went out through a hole in the wall. Get Mocmurra in here too, to record the smells.

I thinfy Sam would call them pheromones, Olancy said.

Then something rammed into Thian's heel and he lifted his foot as another variety of attendant charged out, only momentarily thwarted by his being in its way.

Place is crait'lmg with bugs and beetles, Thian said, dipping his hand so the watchers could see the rammer skittering into the heap that surrounded the queen. With two of her nether limbs, she was tilted slightly backward, her egg-bulb ]tist clearing the floor. Thian could see thai ir was being coated-or cleaned, he wasn't sure which-by those surrounding that section of her.

Admiral and Lieutenant Commander ttntt, the science officer, say that she is not, I repeat not, as large as the Heinlein queen. Commander, please focus for one minute on the left-hand panel. Then for a minute on the right-hand one. We seem to get some sort of variation, but very erratic. Thian, go bacf^ to the wall she's watching. This ma be a significant breakthrough.

Being sure he wasn't going to walk on anything scuttling about, Thian backed up so that bis recorder would catch the full screen of the front wall the queen was watching. She opened her mouth. Thian and Rame both fro*.e. A creature, slightly larger than most of her attendants, held up a lump. She lowered her head slightly, opening a maw, and the lump was inserted. She seemed to inhale the material because it certainly didn't go down her throat as a lump.

Did you see that? A male? Feeding her?

Before Semirame could answer, Thian was distracted when something connected hard against his s.h.i.+n. He danced off that foot, then replaced it to lift the other and avoid what was scurrying about.

Keep the camera still, Claney said.

I will if they'II stop fycfyng me in the s.h.i.+ns. There! That better?

Frankly, I couldn't tell, Claney ^<., but=”” the=”” experts=”” sure=”” are=””>

Why? Semirame asked in her droll fas.h.i.+on. We'd need a Hwer to decipher it. . . maybe even read it, and none of 'em are talking to us.

If it keeps the experts happy, Claney said, his mental tone amused, let 'em try it, Wonder what would happen if we could replicate this for the Heinlein queen? Thian said mischievously. He heard Clancy's mental chortle and Semirame's snort.

An, that would be sheer mental cruelty, Thian, Semirame said, after porting her into a functional sphere so she could start it up for us and then whistyng her bacl{ to prison.

Thian grinned in the green darkness around him at the memory of tnat incident. Well, the ploy had worked and the queen had shown them the sequence of start-up controls that the I luman engineers had been unable to fathom. They'd 'ported the queen without the knowledge of the Phobos Base commander, but the t;ictic had worked.

That wouldn't wor^this time, Rame. She won't tal(( to us, and how what they might be saying to each other would help us, I don't fyiow.

You're right, Semirame said wistfully.

Admiral asks could you set up a surveillance unit in her quarters? Clancy asked.

Sure. But I'll need a night-vision unit and some heavy-duty stic^um, Semirame said. She added quickly, And it has to be an odor-free adhesive!

Carl do, Clancy said. Just hang in there a few minutes, if you can.

We can, Semirame blithely a.s.sured him.

On their way, Clancy said.

To get it really stucf{ proper in position, I'm going to have to stand on your shoulders, I thinly, Thian. You're good far something now and then, you ((now. Semirame gave him a picture of her, patting his head. Only she was on stilts and he was much, much shorter.

Suddenly Thian heard a mechanical whirring and air was blowing against him.

That's odd, Semirame said.

Thian felt Cirm tug at his sleeve and he leaned down.

THEY SMELL US, the 'Dim murmured in his ear.

Grm seems to think, we smell, Thian said.

I don't doubt that in the least, Semirame said. They gotta have clean air.

If they smell us, why don't they see us? Thian asked.

* dunno, and I'm as happy they can't. Hurry up with that spy-eye, will ya? If they're cleansing the air, they might loo^for . . . Thanks. A package landed against Rame's chest and she clutched it firmly to her.

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