Part 21 (1/2)
”I am going to select my men for battle.”
”When do you go?”
”In a few hours, Earth-time.”
”And you're taking us on the s.h.i.+p, Molo? Where is your _Star-Streak_?”
”That I must find out.” He, gazed at us with a slow, faint smile. ”Not far. Nothing is far on Wandl. I do not know if I will take you on my s.h.i.+p. You might be of help, or you might be troublesome. The Great Master wants prisoners, or I would have killed you long ago.”
He took his sister and left us. There was a brief moment when Wyk, standing aside incuriously, gave us opportunity for swift whispers.
Again Anita clutched me. ”Gregg, we'll be separated now. But with Molo gone, Venza and I can get away from Meka.”
Venza whirled on us. ”Gregg, listen! Snap, be quiet! If we're ever going to escape, now is the time. You get away from Wyk. We'll handle Meka.”
”And do what?” Snap demanded.
”The control station! We'll find it!”
Anita whispered, ”We've got to wreck it, Gregg. Stop those contacts.
It'll mean the end of Earth if we don't.”
I protested. ”Better try for Molo's vessel. We might be able to navigate it, escape from this world.”
”The control station first,” Anita insisted. ”Gregg, we know something about it. You and Snap, with your strength, can demolish it. And then, if we can locate the _Star-Streak_....”
It was a desperate, mad plan, but there seemed nothing better. The girls insisted now that though they did not know where the control station was located, they knew the details of its interior; its physical layout; its human operators.
”In an hour,” whispered Snap. ”Have you got a timer? Is it going?”
The little timers we still had with us were undoubtedly operating differently from on Earth; but they were in agreement.
”An hour by our timers,” I whispered. ”We'll make the break then, try to find you inside. Anita, if you get free of Meka, don't come out.”
”All right.”
We had only a moment to try and plan it. ”Anita, in an hour, with Molo gone....”
He came suddenly with a driving leap from the doorway and dropped among us. ”All is ready. Come.”
We ignored the girls. Snap again protested that he was hungry, which indeed, for me at least, was certainly the truth. And I was parched with thirst. I felt that this vaunted strength of my Earth body would not last long without food and drink.
We entered the globular interior. There were narrow corridors; triangular rooms; a slatted, ladder-like incline leading upward to a higher level.
The girls followed Meka up the incline. Molo and Wyk herded us into a nearby room. ”You will have your food and drink here. Cause Wyk no trouble and you will be quite safe.”
He turned, but Snap plucked at him. ”When are you coming back?”
”Not too long.”