And how either the stranger or Queex could get through it he did not see.
"What the--?" Ali clattered down the ladder to halt abruptly as Dane waved
at him.
"Queex," the Cargo-apprentice kept his voice to a half whisper, "it got
loose and chased something out of the Old Man's cabin down here."
"Queex--!" Ali began and then shut his mouth, moving noiselessly up to
join Dane.
The short corridor ended at the hydro entrance. And Dane had been right,
there they found the Hoobat, crouched at the closed panel, its claws
clicking against the metal as it picked away useless at the portal which
would not admit it.
"Whatever it's after must be in there," Dane said softly.
And the hydro, stripped of its luxuriance of plant life, occupied now by
the tanks of green scum, would not afford too many hiding places. They
had only to let Queex in and keep watch.
As they came up the Hoobat flattened to the floor and shrilled its war
cry, spitting at their boots and then flashing claws against the stout
metal enforced hide. However, though it was prepared to fight them, it
showed no signs of wishing to retreat, and for that Dane was thankful.
Pages:
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202