"A temporary fix only," Frost assured him. "We've already removed all the Foxwolf's lifepods, and any other oxygen supply they find isn't likely to last more than a few hours."
"Will that give us time for the refitting?" Neverlin asked.
"If necessary, the Brummgas can start the job in vac suits," Frost said.
"Assuming we want the Brummgas handling that job."
"What, Harper's story about traitors in the ranks?" Frost scoffed.
"Someone did apparently try to get into my office," Neverlin reminded him. "Mrishpaw or someone else."
"Fine—my men can do it," Frost said, starting for the door. "I'll go clear the plan change with the Lordhighest."
"But don't tell him why," Neverlin said. "We don't want our guests thinking we're not all friendly trusting allies together."
"Right." With a tight smile, Frost left the room.
Taneem waited another minute, wondering if Neverlin would use the intercom to give any more orders. But he merely pulled out some papers and began to study them. Backing away from the grille, she found a place where it was safe to talk. "Alison?" she whispered.
"Yes, I heard," Alison said. "Get back here as quickly as you can. We need to get ready."
Taneem felt her muscles tense up. "We're going to battle to save Jack and Draycos?"
"We're going to save them," Alison said. "Hopefully, without a battle."
"How?"
"You'll see," Alison said. "Trust me." She paused. "Trust me," she said again, very softly.
CHAPTER 21
Two hours later, the Advocatus Diaboli came off ECHO in the midst of the rest of the fleet waiting at the rendezvous point.
And Alison was ready.
"We'll be leaving?" Taneem asked timidly from inside Alison's shirt.
"Yes," Alison said, sparing a moment from the lifepod's controls to glance down at the flat dragon head gazing up at her through her collar. Despite Alison's explanation, the K'da probably didn't really grasp what it was they were about to do.
Or else she knew full well what they were about to do and was wondering how they were going to live through it. "You'll leave before I will, though," Alison added. "In about a minute, you're going back into the ducts and getting as far away from this side of the ship as you can."
"Because when the lifepod leaves the ship, the ducts here will be closed off," Taneem said.
At least she'd gotten that part clear. "Because of the hole we melted in the duct, yes," Alison confirmed. "Popping the lifepod will open the duct to vacuum, and the system will react by isolating this area."
"But then how will you escape?"
"I'll already be out in the corridor," Alison said, feeling a flicker of impatience. They'd already been over this part of the plan twice. "There will still be air out there."
"But you'll also be isolated from the rest of the ship," Taneem said. "You'll be trapped here."
Alison grimaced. So Taneem did understand what they were going to do. "You have to trust me, Taneem," she said. "You just concentrate on getting yourself to safety."
"And then find you afterward?"
"Yes, but don't push your luck on that," Alison said. "You've got six hours—plenty of time for us to touch base again. You get yourself safe, and leave everything else to me."
She felt Taneem's tail flick against her leg. "I have been honored to be your friend, Alison," the K'da said quietly. "If we don't survive . . ."
"We'll survive, Taneem," Alison assured her.
Alison looked back at the lifepod's navigational display. The troop carrier was maneuvering close to the Foxwolf now, getting ready for Neverlin's planned transfer of the K'da/Shontine ship's crew and passengers. The Advocatus Diaboli itself was moving into the third point of the triangle, driven no doubt by Neverlin's usual desire to supervise everything.
Alison smiled to herself. Frost probably figured that removing the Foxwolf 's lifepods had eliminated the last obstacle to his plan for asphyxiating Jack and Draycos.
He was about to find out otherwise.
"Here we go," she said, lifting her hand to the hole in the duct.
With a surge of weight on her hand, Taneem slid off into the duct. "Hang on," Alison said, crossing to the packet she'd made of her comm clip and the equipment they'd borrowed from inside Harper's ventilation grille. Heading back to the duct, she maneuvered it through the hole. "Remember, as far across the ship as you can get," she reminded the K'da. "All the way on the far side would be best. And don't stop by any of the red-edged sections of duct—those are the emergency seals."
"Which could cut me in half," Taneem said. "Yes, I remember. Alison—"
"Be careful, and I'll see you soon," Alison cut her off. "Now scoot."
For a moment Alison could see a hint of gray scales in the gloom. Then, the scales stirred and were gone.
Alison returned to the lifepod's helm and sat down, giving her program one last check. All was ready. She counted out ninety seconds to let Taneem get some distance, then flipped up the protective cover on the drive control. "Incoming," she muttered, and threw the switch.
Instantly, the raucous clamoring of the separation alarm filled the lifepod. Getting up, she crossed to the door and slapped the release. It slid open, and she ducked out into the corridor.
The door slid closed. Three seconds later there was the multiple thud of explosive bolts as the lifepod blew free of the hull.
The decompression alarm hooted, and from all directions came the sound of multiple thuds as emergency seals slid into place across the various corridors around her. Over the alarm's bellowing Alison could hear the sudden hiss as her section was flooded with oxygen.
The hissing ended quickly as the damaged duct was sealed off and the sensors realized the corridor itself wasn't leaking air. Alison thought about sitting down, decided she'd rather meet Frost's men on her feet, and settled in to wait.
She didn't have to wait very long. Three minutes later, with another set of somewhat softer thuds, the emergency seals slid back into their slots.
And waiting behind them, their weapons drawn and ready, were a half-dozen men in Malison Ring uniforms. They spotted her, and at least three jaws dropped in expressions of stunned disbelief.
"Hello, Dumbarton," Alison said, nodding to the owner of one of those jaws. "Come on; come on. Frisk me or whatever you have to do, and then take me to Frost and Neverlin. They'll want to see me."
"Oh yes," Dumbarton said. His look of astonishment, she noted uneasily, was rapidly turning into one of malicious anticipation. "I'm sure they will."
She had thought they might take her to Neverlin's office for a more private chat. Instead, Dumbarton and his team escorted her to the Advocatus Diaboli's bridge.
After frisking her for weapons, of course, rather more roughly than they really had to.
They reached the bridge to find Neverlin and Frost with their angry faces already in place. Alison expected Frost to get in the first word, and she wasn't disappointed. "Well, well," he said, his voice darkly sarcastic. "Why am I not surprised to see you?"
"Oh, come on, now—be honest," Alison chided him. "There's no way you aren't surprised to find me on your ship."
"Fine. I'm surprised." Frost nodded his head toward Neverlin. "Shall we just kill her now?"
"She certainly deserves it," Neverlin agreed. His voice, unlike Frost's, was utterly calm and cool.
Alison focused past Neverlin's shoulder on the main ship's display. He was right, she had to admit. By his and Frost's standards, she probably did deserve to die.
The troop carrier was a mess. The deep dent her lifepod had made when it rammed into the ship's side was trailing tendrils of smoke and debris from a dozen different cracks in the hull. Through some of those cracks she could see a fiery glow, showing that some of the interior oxygen seals hadn't quite done their job.