else as if they’re still in the room with you. It might screw him up.”
Harris looked after Athelstane and grimaced. “Dammit. All right. But wait a second. Let’s see if we can do to him what he’s doing to us.” He ran out of frame.
He was back in a moment with a radio headset. “This was on one of the grimworlders. Check it out.” He put it on, fiddled with it. “Testing, one, two, three . . . ”
Gaby switched away from the laboratory talk-box and listened. Then she heard Harris again, two voices; one was crisp and clear, the other distant and fuzzy. She went looking for the fainter signal.
The first of the soldiers descending the stairs rounded the turn, coming into view on the landing. Alastair and Ixyail opened up with their autoguns. The attack caught the first two men by surprise. They fell; those behind brought up their guns to fire. Alastair and Ish ducked behind the cover of the banister and backed down the stairs.
“This will not work,” Doc shouted over the gunfire. “We can’t hold here long against those weapons. And if they have any sense, they’re covering the other stairways and elevators.”
“We could perhaps lure some of them ahead of the others,” Noriko shouted back. “Take their weapons and use them against the rest. When the enemy is stronger, you must use his strength against him.”
Doc nodded. “That’s partly correct.” He clapped Alastair on the back. “Fighting retreat,” he told the healer.
Alastair nodded
Harris looked after Athelstane and grimaced. “Dammit. All right. But wait a second. Let’s see if we can do to him what he’s doing to us.” He ran out of frame.
He was back in a moment with a radio headset. “This was on one of the grimworlders. Check it out.” He put it on, fiddled with it. “Testing, one, two, three . . . ”
Gaby switched away from the laboratory talk-box and listened. Then she heard Harris again, two voices; one was crisp and clear, the other distant and fuzzy. She went looking for the fainter signal.
The first of the soldiers descending the stairs rounded the turn, coming into view on the landing. Alastair and Ixyail opened up with their autoguns. The attack caught the first two men by surprise. They fell; those behind brought up their guns to fire. Alastair and Ish ducked behind the cover of the banister and backed down the stairs.
“This will not work,” Doc shouted over the gunfire. “We can’t hold here long against those weapons. And if they have any sense, they’re covering the other stairways and elevators.”
“We could perhaps lure some of them ahead of the others,” Noriko shouted back. “Take their weapons and use them against the rest. When the enemy is stronger, you must use his strength against him.”
Doc nodded. “That’s partly correct.” He clapped Alastair on the back. “Fighting retreat,” he told the healer.
Alastair nodded