"Who the frunge knows?" the voice growled. "We're suddenly doing a six-day evasive to Point Three instead of going straight there. Something to do with that Pergnoir-7 that blew in a few minutes ago, I think."
Jack felt his throat tighten. Wasn't that the class of ship Alison had said the Essenay was? "I suppose someone'll tell us when they figure we need to know," he managed.
"Sure they will," the voice said. "You said the timer's going?"
Jack looked helplessly around for the proper display. He had no idea which one it was.
Three minutes to fall charge, Draycos told him.
"Three minutes," Jack said.
There was a grunt, and the other voice fell silent.
Do you think the ship he mentioned could be the Essenay? Draycos asked.
You know any other Pergnoir-7s that might be wandering around the area? Jack retorted, looking around. There didn't seem to be any external displays in the room. We've got to find out what's going on out there.
There's a monitor station out the door to the left, Draycos said. They may have it activated.
Good. Let me have his head.
The K'da foreleg stretching out through Jack's flight suit released its grip on Williams's neck. Jack eased the man's head against the chair's headrest, balancing it to stay as upright as he could.
The result wasn't very convincing, he knew. Especially since Williams's eyes were closed and his mouth hung slightly open.
But the Brummgas in the room didn't seem particularly attentive. Hopefully, the deception would last long enough. Stepping away from the slumped figure, Jack headed for the door.
Three Brummgas were in the monitor station, standing beside the too-small chairs and gazing at the wall of displays. Most of the screens showed views of the Foxwolf's interior, but Jack spotted three that were linked to exterior cameras. One of them showed a telescopic view of the Advocatus Diaboli.
And docked beside it, looking like a baby whale nuzzling up to its mother, was the Essenay.
Before Jack could get more than that one quick look, there was a single warning hoot from somewhere, and the view dissolved into the blue of hyperspace.
Was it the Essenay? Draycos asked. I couldn't tell.
It was, Jack said grimly. What in space is Uncle Virge up to?
Draycos was silent a moment. If it is Uncle Virge, he said at last.
No, Jack said firmly. Harper and Chiggers couldn't have gotten loose.
We will hope not, Draycos said. In the meantime, we have a job to do.
Abruptly, Jack realized he was still standing in the monitor room doorway. Right, he said, trying to shake away the image of Harper or Chiggers running loose on his ship. Where do we go?
Look at the two monitors at the left end of the second row, Draycos said.
Jack did so. The two displays seemed to be showing different angles of the same room. Aside from a single large machine in the center, the room was mostly empty, though he could see the places where other equipment or chairs had once been bolted to the floor.
He focused on the machine. It was roughly cylindrical in shape, about six feet long, with rounded ends and a slight bend in the center. The surface was dark brown and covered with tiny black spots. At one end were a set of handgrips and a small square pattern of muted blue lights. The whole thing was mounted on a pedestal swivel arrangement. Looks like a giant Polish sausage, Jack commented. What is it?
Draycos's tone seemed to darken. It is the Death. Jack swallowed hard. The device looked so innocent. Comical, even, for something that had caused so much destruction and misery.
He glanced across the other monitors. Now that he knew what to look for, and adjusting for the multiple views, it looked as if there were three more of the weapons elsewhere aboard. Got it, he said, backing out of the room. How do I get there?
Out the door and to your left, Draycos said.
Okay, Jack said grimly. Let's go have us an old-fashioned wienie roast.
He'd made it past one more doorway when there was a sudden hoot like the one he'd heard just before the Foxwolf went into hyperspace. "Medical unit to ECHO room," a Brummgan voice bellowed over hidden loudspeakers.
Looks like someone finally noticed Williams, Jack said.
There's a door up here on the left, Draycos said urgently. Hurry—we need to get out of sight.
Easy, Jack soothed him. Ahead, Brummgas were starting to stream into sight as they left their bored lounging and headed aft to see what was happening. Hurrying people make other people wonder why they're hurrying.
But you're going the wrong direction, Draycos objected. You should be heading back to the ECHO room.
Why? Jack countered. I'm a fighter pilot, not a medic.
But—
Trust me, Jack said. First of all, there shouldn't be any bruises on Williams's neck yet, so they'll just think he's fainted or something. Nothing to get excited about. Second, there was no mention that it was a human who needed help. With the number of Brummgas aboard, Chiggers would naturally assume it was one of them.
Even so, wouldn't Chiggers at least want to know what the problem was?
Not Chiggers, Jack said. I get the feeling he doesn't much care about anyone. And vice versa.
Sure enough, none of the Brummgas gave Jack so much as a second glance as they lumbered past. Jack continued forward, keeping an ear cocked for the sound of any of Chiggers's fellow humans.
But to his surprise, he saw no one. It was as if Neverlin had simply turned the Foxwolf over to the Brummgas and Valahgua. This doesn't make any sense at all, Jack commented as Draycos directed him into another corridor. The way Alison was talking, it didn't sound like Neverlin trusted the Patri Chookoock any farther than he could push him uphill
Perhaps he's relying on the Valahgua to keep the Brummgas in line, Draycos suggested. Certainly they have the most to lose if something happens to the ship or the Death weapons.
Good point, Jack agreed, trying to think. Back on Brum-a-dum, he knew, Alison had tried to sow a little dissention between Neverlin, Frost, and the Patri Chookoock. Maybe he and Draycos could stir up a little distrust of their own between the Valahgua and Brummgas.
The Number Two weapons bay is around the next corner to the left, Draycos warned. The Death weapon is mounted in the bay's auxiliary control room.
Any idea how many Valahgua might be aboard?
There will be at least nine, Draycos said. A Death weapon requires one operator and one controller, There will also be a Lordover in command aboard this ship, plus a Lordhighest in overall command, probably on the Advocatus Diaboli with Neverlin and Frost.