“Your luck has just run out.”
A shadow flew out of the darkness, swiping out a limb as it came—fast, so fast—and slashed at Crin’s arm.
She screamed as she dropped the shockgun.
The speed, the silence—it reminded Fee how scary the grahudi was.
Then it disappeared back into the shadows.
For a moment there was nothing but utter silence. Even Crin made no sound, curled over her arm, head turned to look behind her.
Natta grabbed her shockgun from where it lay in the dirt and stumbled back a bit.
“What. The. Fuck. Was—” Vunia’s voice was an octave higher.
“Shush!” Trayla turned to her, eyes snapping. “It might come back.”
“It won’t.” Fee walked over to Crin and stood over her, her silver rod at the ready. “It thought we needed a little help.”
“You . . . you know what it is?” Crin asked, voice a whisper, the pain making her face colorless.
“Yes.”
“And whatisit?” Natta asked softly.
“I think . . .” Fee turned to look at him. “I think it’s classified. Just know I’m pretty sure it won’t hurt us.” She tilted her head as she heard the same rumbling sound again. “Got to move, people.”
Her words snapped them out of their stupor and Natta hauled Crin to her feet, ignoring her cry of pain, and Fee and the others carried the stretcher out to the runner.
She hadn’t seen it before, she’d stayed in the tunnel. It was long and sleek, and it looked like it would barely fit five, let alone seven.
She was holding the back of the stretcher and Vunia and Hardy took over, sliding it in and disappearing inside.
Another rumble sounded and she moved even further back out from under the outcrop that shielded the air tunnel, walking backwards and shading her eyes.
The sun was just starting to set, and the sky was a brilliant mix of oranges and blues. She couldn’t see the cables at all, but there was something happening. She could just see the curved rib tops of the frame and they moved, twisting a little as they rose up and then dipped down again.
The vibrations came up through her boots as the frame lifted a little again and then suddenly, just as the bottom of the frame cleared the amphitheater, she heard a massive snap.
The whole frame seemed to flex and while Fee couldn’t see the cables in the dusk light, she heard them whip through the air.
High above, theUnhilfaltered.
She saw it dip, and held her breath.
If it dipped too far down and left nearspace for the top of Balco’s atmosphere, it could?—
“Go! Now, now, now!” Hardy shouted behind her. “That ship is coming down.”
The frame shook again as the ship seemed to move in slow motion.
Not every cable had been severed, Fee realized. Whatever had happened, it was going to drag the frame either up and out of the amphitheater by one or two ribs, or it was going to crumple the whole thing against the side, and she didn’t think the amphitheater could withstand the pressure.
A sound came from inside the tunnel and Fee spun, saw a dark figure just inside the gate.
The grahudi.
“Come. Come here.” She ran toward it and then crouched, hand outstretched.
