Out in the brooding darkness she saw no sign of the three Klikiss robots. She hushed Louis and listened, but heard no sound of moving centipedelike legs. “We should go back to the cliff city. We can protect ourselves there, and DD’s waiting for us.”

Louis started to question her, not intending to argue as much as to work through the confusion in his mind. “Are you really suggesting that Sirix and the other two robots—”

“Give me a more reasonable possibility, Louis, and I’ll listen. But for now, we’ve got to move. We’re completely exposed here in the camp.”

The two backtracked into the narrow canyons. Margaret felt weary, her muscles sore. Louis panted heavily, and she worried about him. But the possibility of getting a few strained muscles and aching joints was the least of their problems.

As the cold stone walls folded inky shadows around them, they could see the twinkling, hopeful lights that DD had rigged inside the cliff overhang. Breathing hard, Margaret looked around her, smelled the dry air and foolishly wished for another flash flood to scour away any approaching black robots.

The three ancient machines were probably following them, even now.

Margaret did not doubt that she and Louis would be their next victims. During their stumbling flight, Louis seemed to have worked through his questions, but found no acceptable answers.

At the metal scaffolding that leaned against the sheer walls, allowing them easy access to the cliff city, Margaret urged Louis to ascend first. His footfalls were heavy, and she understood how utterly exhausted he was, not only from the exertion but from the toll of fear.

Hearing them climbing the metal staircase, DD came to the open overhang. His silvery body glinted in the light, and the Friendly compy seemed quite enthusiastic. “Ah, Margaret and Louis, you have returned. Come, I have found something—”

“DD, help us up. Have you seen the Klikiss robots?”

“No, Margaret, not since this afternoon. Do we need their help?”

Louis reached the cave opening and collapsed to his knees, wheezing. Margaret hurried after him. “No. DD, help me. We’ve got to tear down the staircase.”

Louis looked at her, then nodded grimly. “May as well make it a siege.”

“Whatever for?” DD asked. “We will have a much harder time getting down, although there are some ropes back with our equipment.”

“Just do it, DD!” Margaret snapped.

She and Louis worked with the small compy to disengage the anchor bolts from the cave mouth. With a powerful shove and a loud clamor of bent metal and struts, the scaffolding crashed into the narrow canyon. Rubble pattered down the walls, and the clatter shot into the night with all the subtlety of a brass band.

Louis gazed down the long cliff as if he were an ancient knight standing atop a castle wall, assessing the defenses of their moat and preparing for a siege. “Well, are we safe now, dear?”