“Everyone okay? All right, I’m going down to lift the gate,” said the youngster. “Miss Kai-sung, you and Porsupah-al wait ten seconds and come after me. This tunnel descends slightly and then opens into the sea. It’s not a long drop, just deep enough to ensure that the outlet opening is always hidden from surface view. The shore here is pretty rocky. Find a spot shielded from land. Captain, after they’ve slipped out I’ll resurface inside. Then you follow me down. I’ll be holding the grating open from the sea side. When you feel the bottom of the grate, tap it with your watch and trail the body just behind you. I’ll hear it and let the gate drop. It ought to hold the corpse to the seafloor solidly.”

Without waiting for comment the youth hyperventilated, then ducked under. Porsupah and Kitten counted off the seconds together and followed. Water splashed the perpetually moist walls and Mal’s face. Several millennia later Mal heard the youngster break surface.

“Ready, Captain?”

Mal took an unbreakable grip on the corpse’s neck with his right hand. “One question. I’m no herpetologist, but I don’t recall noticing any gills on your scaly companion.”

“Oh, Pip? I discovered—quite by accident—that he can go without oxygen for a surprising amount of time. Some day I’ll run across a xenoherpetologist who can explain it to me. I’m going now.” Deep breathing, an echoing splash in the confining air bubble. Mal followed shortly, the tech’s body a tugging, naggingly buoyant parasite. Fortunately, as Philip had said, the gate didn’t go deep. He felt for and encountered the prongs at the bottom of the grating. Carefully, he eased the body belly-up against them, then tapped one-two-three times with his wristband. The grating immediately dropped with surprising speed, pinning the unlucky, unnamed man to the muddy channel bottom.

Immediately Mal turned and swam, away and downward. He could feel pressure waves from another body swimming alongside. The shipmaster had a moment of worry. When the power to the gate was switched back on, the body jamming it open ought to trigger every alarm on the island.

But by that time they’d be long gone.

They’d better be.

The two men broke the surface together. Only one moon was still in the sky, but there was enough light to make out two dim figures on shore, huddled close by an overhanging block of gneiss. Two shadowed faces, one human and the other not, stared back. Mal and Philip swam over and hugged the boulder, catching their breath.

“Nice to breathe fresh air again,” said Mal.

“Yeah. I’d like to rest too, but in the city. I’ll feel a lot better when we’re on board that hoveraft of yours.”

“Which direction is the inlet?” Kitten whispered. “My sense of direction is scrambled.”