I used the towel to clean my face and hands, then groped for my shoes and put them on. Along with another shirt and my jacket. After that I gurgled down at least a litre of water and was ready to face the world again. I stripped the blankets from the beds, bundled them under my arm-then left.
On tiptoe, as silently as I could, I slipped down to Stinger's cell. I felt immune, impervious. I realized that this was both foolish and dangerous. But after the traumatic events of the evening I seemed to have run out of fear. The cell door opened beneath my delicate touch and Stinger's eyes opened as well when I pushed his shoulder. "Get dressed," I said quietly. "We're getting out now." I'll give him this much-he didn't bother asking questions. Just pulled his clothes on while I took the blankets from his bunk. "We need at least two more," I said. "I'll get Eddie's." "He'll wake up." " "I'll see he goes back to sleep. " There was a murmured question-followed by a solid thud. Eddie went back to sleep and Stinger brought over the blankets.
"Here's what we do," I told him. "I found the way up to the roof. We go there and knot these blankets together. Then we climb down them and getaway. Okay?" Okay! I had never heard a more insane plan in my life. But not Stinger. "Okay! Let's go!" Once more up the stairs-1 was really getting pretty tired of this-and tired all over as well. I climbed the rungs, opened the trapdoor, and pushed the blankets through onto the roof when he passed them up to me. He didn't say a word until I had closed and sealed the door again.
"What happened? I heard you got away and fwas going to kill you if they ever brought you back. " "It's not that simple. I'll tell you when we get clear. Now let's start tying. Opposite corners lengthwise; we need all the length we can get. Use a square knot like you learned in the Boy Sprouts. Like this." We knotted and tied like crazy until they were all connected, then took the ends and pulled and grunted and that was that. I tied one end to a solid-looking pipe and threw the bundle of blankets over the side.
"At least twenty feet short," Stinger said, scowling down at the ground. "You go first because you're lighter, lfit breaks with me at least you got a chance. Get moving." The logic of this could not, be argued with. I climbed up on the parapet and seized the top blanket. Stinger squeezed my arm with an unexpected show of emotion. Then I was climbing down.
It was not easy. My hands were tired and the blanket fabric hard to grip. I went down as quickly as I could because I knew that my strength was running out.
Then my legs scrabbled at empty air and I had reached the end. The hard floor of the courtyard appeared to be very far below. It was difficult to let go-or rather really very easy. I could hold on no longer. My fingers opened and I fell-hit and rolled and sat on the ground gasping for breath. I had done it. High above I could see the dark figure of Stinger swarming down the rope, hand over hand. Within seconds he was on the ground, landing light as a cat beside me, helping me to my feet. Half-supporting me as I stumbled to the gate.
My fingers were trembling and I couldn't get the lock open. We were painfully visible here under the light and if any of the guards glanced out of a window above we were trapped....
I took in a long, shuddering breath-then inserted the picklock once again. Slowly and careftilly feeling the grooves on the interior, turning and pushing.
It clicked open and we buried ourselves through. Stinger pushed it silently shut, then turned and ran out into the night with me right at his heels.
We were free!
Chapter 5
"Wait!" I called after Stinger as he pelted down the road. "Not that way. I've gonna better plan. I worked it out before I was sent up. " He slowed to a halt and thought about this and slowly made up his mind. "You called the shots OK so far. So what we gonna do?" "For openers-leave a trail that they can follow with sniffer robots. This way." We left the road and cut through the grass and down to the nearby stream. It was shallow but cold and I could not suppress a shiver as we waded across. The main highway ran close by and we headed that way. Crouching low as a heavy transporter thundered by. For the moment there was no other traffic in sight.
"Now!" I called out. "Straight up to the road-then right back down walking in your own footprints." Stinger did what he was told, backtracking with me to the stream and into the frigid water again.
"That's smart," he said. "The sniffers find where we went into the water, where we came out-and follow us to the road. Then they think that a groundcar maybe picked us up. So what cOmes next?" "We go upstream-staying in the water-to the nearest farm. Which happens to be a porcuswine farm..." "No way! I hate them mothers. Got bit by one when I was a kid." "We have no other choice. Anything else we do the fuzz will pick us up at daybreak. I can't say I love the porkers either. But I grew up on a farm and I know how to get 30 31 along with them. Now let's move before my legs freeze off at the ankles." It was a long, cold slog and I could not stop the trembling once it began. But there was absolutely nothing el$e to do except push on. My teeth were rattling in my head like castanets before we came to the brook that bubbled down through the fields to join the stream that we were wading in. The stars were beginning to fade; dawn was not too far away.
"This is it," I said. 'The stream that we want. That chopped tree is my landmark. Stay right behind me-we're very close now." I reached up and broke off a dead branch that overhung the stream, then led the way. We waded along until we reached a tall, electrified fence that spanned the stream. It could be clearly seen in the growing light. I used the branch to lift the bottom of the fence so Stinger could crawl under; then he did the same for me. As I stood up I heard the familiar rustle of large quills from the oak grove nearby. A large, dark form separated itself from the trees and moved towards us. I grabbed the branch from Stinger and called out softly.
"Sooo-ee, sooo-ee... here swine, swine, swine." There was a bubbling grunt from the boar as it approached. Stinger was muttering under his breath, curses or prayers-or both-as he stood behind me. I called again and the great creature came close. A real beauty, a tonne at least, looking at me with its small red eyes. I stepped forward and raised the branch slowly-and heard Stinger moan behind me. The boar never moved as I poked the stick behind its ear, parted the long quills-and began to scratch its hide industriously.
"What are you doing? It'll kill usi" Stinger wailed.
"Of course not," I said, scratching harder. "Listen to it?" The porcuswine's eyes were half-closed with pleasure and it was burbling happily. "I know these big porkers well. They get vermin under their quills and can't get at them. They love a good scratch. Let me do the other ear-there are nice itchy patches behind the ears-then we can go on." I scratched, the boar moaned happily, and dawn crept up on us. A light came on in the farmhouse and we knelt down behind the porcuswine. The door opened, someone threw out a basin of water, then it closed again. "Let's get to the barn," I said. "This way." The boar grumbled when I stopped scratching, then trotted along behind us, hoping for more, as we skulked across the farm. Which was a good thing since there were plenty more of the spiky porkers on all sides. But they moved aside when the king-pig approached and we proceeded in stately parade to the barn.
"So long, big feller," I sdid, giving a last good scratch. "Been nice knowing you." Stinger had the barn door open and we slipped inside. We had just slid the bolt again when the heavy wood trembled as our overweight companion leaned against it and snorted.