Part 31 (1/2)

A squeak was plainly heard.

For a long moment, the queen sat still, then slowly, majestically, she rose to her hind limbs, staring straight ahead of her.

”Aha,” Gollee said, ”she's noticed the screen isn't hers!”

From under her and around, movement could be seen, but even with the remotes set up to receive images in the usual darkness of a Hive, the watchers could not tell where and what was sent. Then, all of a sudden, a perceivable green glow bathed the queen. She sat back down.

”Suspects merely a power outage,” Gollee said, chuckling.

The queen had just settled back when she rose and scrambled with unexpected speed down her tunnel. . . beyond the remote's range.

”Can we get an outside fix on transfer fifty-four?” Xahra asked.

”I'm working on screen transfer, ma'am,” said the expediter. ”On screen three.”

That showed the outside of the collection point. The queen, scuttling with breakneck speed and followed by her male attendants, raced to the top of her facility and stood, slowly turning to survey the fields. She moved her lower limbs.

”The queen of all she surveys,” Gollee remarked.

”I don't think she likes what she sees,” Pietro said.

”Not one little tiny bit,” Gollee agreed.

”Let's get her workers in place, shall we? She's going to be calling them and they'd better answer or we've blown the maneuver,” Xahra said, and the generators built up speed. ”Expediter, let's see the garages there.”

The screens split into several smaller sections. Quickly Xahra leaned into the merge and one stable after another the workers were transferred from one facility to the other. Immediately, the ranks began to move.

”We got that in time.”

Thanks for the warning, Xahra. Perry's voice came to them. I thinly we caught number one in her morning nap. Ah, now she's waging up to the switch. d.a.m.n it. Why couldn't we have transferred their screen designs too?

Number fifty-four is sending her children out in their hordes, Gollee said as the ranks came trundling up out of the building, two by two, each file turning off and up into the fields. If she's setting them to worfy she seems to be settling in her.. . new quarters all right enough.

The trampled fields were farther from the queens' quarters, as each had tried to protect her home grounds. The queen remained in position, slowly turning to be sure the workers were reaching the damaged fields before she came down on all legs and descended into the dark interior and back to her Hive. She arrived and could be seen on the remote putting her face close to the screen, before she backed off and resumed the position in which she had first been seen.

”One down and fifty-three more to go,” Gollee said.

”We have the eggs to do first, you know,” Xahra said. ”Let's see if we can get them in the one basket.”

That was the trickiest part, as they all admitted, trying to keep the ovoids from slipping away from their 'port. The first time they tried, half the eggs eluded their grasp. Some fell out onto the deserted floor of the queen's Hive. These had to be gathered up.

Get the sides, Gollee and Pietro, I'll get the top and bottom, Xahra said.

Why not, Pietro said, thinly a sleeve around them so they can't escape?

That's not a bad concept, Gollee agreed.

A stocking is better because it has a toe and nothing can slip out the bottom, was Xahra's amendment.

Better and better.

Then let's do it. Ready? Xahra asked her crew.

”When you are, ma'am,” said Amos, who was the receiving 'path.

This time the transfer worked smoothly.

”Whee, that's a 'port and a half,” Gollee said.

”You're just out of practice,” Xahra said with a teasing contempt in her voice. ”Expediter, may we have the coordinates for number fifty-three.”

Tkt lowei and (he Hin ' j ”Yes ma'am.”

Let's not be so sloppy this time. On the double, queen and her gang first, the workers second and the eggs third. Then we can watch the queen react, said Xahra.

Now, now, we have to learn the trices of doing these ma.s.s 'ports, Gollee said cheerfully.

Xahra shot him a startled look. What do you mean?

I mean that if this proves successful in preventing another war on Xh-33, we're apt to be doing it on other occupied planets where we need to prevent similar ma.s.sacres.

We are? Pietro looked delighted with the prospect even if Xahra didn't.

Speaf^for yourself, Gollee, she said rather tartly.

Oh, I do. And we all obey Earth Prime. A touch of reprimand colored his tone, but he had carefully spoken only to Xahra. He could see the flush on her cheeks. ”Let's handle number fifty-three, shall we?”

And they did, with expedition and efficiency, missing not one egg or tiny scurrier.

Sir, said Prime Thian to Earth Prime from the Was.h.i.+ngton, in orbit around its second target Hiver-occupied planet. This one has twelve empty facilities. It was one of those that sent its sphere after us. . , or rather, came out to join the sphere heading toward the system with the right kind of primary.

Really? replied Jeff Raven with suddenly active interest. Just twelve? Been down on the surface yet?

We've done initial probes, sir, andean investigate if you wish. There seems to be a lot of arable land left for them to expand onto.

We need to have GC readings on at least twelve Hives to be certain of the basic. . . shall I say, health and welfare . . . of the queens. The more data we have for comparison, the better we can plan the containment of the Hiver queens.

Thian chuckled. As you wish. And, ah, how's Operation Switch doing?

Jeff Raven chuckled. With the ma.s.sed might of eight fine Primes, the switcheroo is going very well indeed. Got two more days of s.h.i.+fting to do. They average about ten a day. Bit tricky getting those eggs from one basket to another. Young Pietro thought of a sleeve and Xahra upped that notion to a stocking just about the time EUzara thought of a tube bandage.

Yes, Thian replied, remembering how they had been stored on the Great Sphere, that would be tricky. They don't ma^e a neat package, li^e workers do.

However, the ones that fell out don't seem to have been harmed, nor did their fall concern the queens. They had more on their minds than wobbling eggs underfoot. Jeff Raven sent Thian a flash of a report of the queens' marshaling workers to the fields. Your father, your brother and your two sisters have all performed very well, Gollee tells me.

You sent Gollee Gren out there?