Part 29 (1/2)

”Cut out the nonsense,” Rojer said, because the major had gone into a crouch and his troopers had drawn their weapons.

Th ”I told you they wouldn't hear us.”

The major walked up to the T-3, his face contorted with rage. He was a full head shorter than Rhodri Eagles. ”You're on report, Lieutenant.”

”Yes sir,” the lieutenant replied briskly, saluting.

Roddiel Asia said in exasperation. One day one of these funny little things you thinf( up is going to backfire on you.

So everyone tells me, Rhodri said with a carefully 'pathed sigh.

The surface party watched the stalwart workers trundling along, their backs loaded with freshly plucked wide, red-veined leaves.

”Like chard,” murmured Mialla Evshenk softly.

The burdens covered most of the creatures so that details of their appearance were obscured. They counted one hundred pairs of workers descending toward the facility. Still in impeccable files, they walked around to the entrance slope and disappeared into the maw. A mechanical rumble startled everyone.

”Sending the harvest to the processors,” Rojer said. ”Remember the data from Thian's downside visit?”

”Oh yes, of course,” Yakamasura said, smiling with relief.

Keiser-Tau gestured to another technician, who activated a handheld device, turning it as it followed movement below.

”Life-forms are now in a short tunnel and proceeding into a low wide . . .” one of the technicians reported, his handheld sensor following the movement.

Hole in the wall, said Roddie Eagles, irrepressibly.

”. . . stable or some sort of holding place.” A long pause. ”No more movement there, sir.”

”Where is there movement, Corporal?” the major demanded.

The corporal walked, as if on eggs, across the top of the structure and then stopped at the edge of the roof. ”Farther below, out in that direction, sir.”

”Laid out just as Thian's planet was,” Rojer said. ”And Xh-33, though I never got into the queens' quarters.” He gestured for the major to lead on.

We need GC readings every where. . .and samples of any dirt, Flaviasaid. And f(eep talking. To me, if not to the major.

So Rojer described everything as the ever vigilant major led them cautiously down the slope. Yakamasura and Mialla took dirt samples, having to dig with their bootheels to loosen enough tamped earth to fill their containers.

Once inside the structure . . .

”Ooops. GC is picking up a high concentration of selenoaldehydes and selenoketones, sir.”

Rojer reported that to Flavia.

”Night visor on,” the major ordered needlessly. Everyone had already adjusted their helmets to see in the underground darkness.

”The workers would have dumped their loads down a ramp directly in front of us, and the moving belts are still taking the stuff wherever it needs to go,” Rojer said. ”The tunnel to the queen's quarters should be to our left.” He felt a vague sensation of uneasiness, yet with Thian's report to rea.s.sure him, he couldn't imagine what he need worry about. The major grunted and signaled for advance scouts to go left. ”Tall narrow tunnels all right enough, sir,” was the report. ”D'you think we could have a look at where the workers went?” Yakamasura asked wistfully.

”Is that necessary?” Keiser-Tau asked.

”Well, if this report is to be as complete as Prime Thian's was, then we should,” he replied in his most conciliatory manner. ”Corporal, take four men and Dr. Yakamasura . . .” ”Me too, please,” Mialla said, putting up her hand. ”And Dr. Evshenk . . .” The major's sigh was audible over the com. When they had come to the end of the long narrow tunnel which Rojer described as well as he could-his apprehension still keen-their emergence into the queen's lair was almost anticlimactic. In fact, it was almost a duplicate of Thian's visuals. Scuttling things were running around on the floor, and the queen, sitting among the attendants who were busy stroking and cleaning her many limbs, had her black eyes on the quivering, changing wall screen.

I.

Thi Town and the Hivi n 9 I've been here before, Rojer said to Asia, who squeezed his hand and, ever so slightly, pulled him back the way they had just come. Nothing new or any different.

”We need GC readings, Prime,” the major said, and held out something to Rojer. ”And this remote is to be placed . . .”

Rojer took the remote, removed the strip from the adhesive on the back of it and 'ported it into place, exactly where Thian had positioned his.

Now, let's get out of here, Asia said. Something is b.u.t.ting into me.

”Could we be under attack, sir?” the sergeant asked, s.h.i.+fting his weight and lifting first one leg and then the other, trying to look all around him at the same time. Rounded beetles were buffeting him.

”Same thing happened to my brother, Sergeant,” Rojer said, with as much rea.s.surance as he could. ”Just more of the queen attendants.”

I'll say one thing. There was an odd touch of pride in Rhodri Eagles's voice. She isn't as big as my queen at Heinlein Base.

She isn't?

”We'll need to find sc.r.a.pes, fragments, something metallic, Major, for carbon dating of this facility,” Rojer said.

”Sabin, can you find any metallic refuse in the workers' garage?” Major Keiser-Tau said over the com, but he spoke softly, as if he too was impressed by being in the presence of the queen.

”Yes sir. Some sort of tool. Some broken bits just scattered about.”

”That may suffice. Now let's get out of here before they begin to smell us,” the security officer said.

If he had cautiously led the specialists to the chamber, he now rapidly led them all out again and into the wide-open s.p.a.ces. There were many sighs of relief heard over the connected corns.

How many of these do we have to go into, Rojer? Asia asked.

Oh, we have to do a fair number to mafye a valid report, honey . . . He felt the least bit of a reluctance she was trying to hide from him. But you don't have to go to another, if you don't want to.

Asia stood up as tall as she could, which was not quite to Rojer's shoulder. Where you go, I go. But it is spooky down there.

I.

Anne Mctafliey At least, in these hazmat suits, we don't have to endure sting-pzzt.

No, Asia brought her hands up to her suit, startled by his observation. We don't. Trust you to remember that.

I fyept waiting for it, Rojer said, only just realizing that that was what he had been antic.i.p.ating.

Fooled me too, Roddie admitted with a sheepish grin he allowed only the two Talents to see.

They felt the sting-pzzt, though, the moment they opened their helmets back in the shuttle. Sabin had draped a lumpy sack over his feet from which emanated the unique Hiver pheromones. The return 'por-tation took seconds, and the moment the deck officer opened the shuttle door, the three Talents 'ported themselves to the lounge.

”What on earth . . .” Flavia began when she saw all three lifting an arm and smelling it.