An alarmed Katou-Zimmer raised her voice. “Gavin! Let her go!” A glance showed that the pair of Kaijank were close now, though she could not tell if they were armed. “This isn’t helping!”

“It might: it remains to be seen. You three stay where you are. This is my call, my decision. I’d just as soon die on board a ship as out in space or ‘accidentally’ suffocated in my cabin.” He pressed the blade he was holding tighter against Tilenyii’s neck. The supervisor immediately ceased struggling. “What do you think, Jakob, Chiasa? If I cut her throat will she bleed out faster or slower than a human? And will the blood be red?”

—IX—

They had their answer as to whether the Kaijank were armed or not when the pair of domed giants halted, drew what looked like aerodynamic teacups from holders at their waists, and pointed the leading edge of the unfamiliar devices in Reed’s direction. When Dev moved to intervene, Katou-Zimmer held him back.

“Running out of people to talk to,” she murmured to him. “Whatever happens to Gavin, Jakob and I would like to have at least one other human for company.”

Mindful of her request, he held back. Not that he could do much of anything anyway, he told himself. Physically, he would be as helpless against the much bigger Kaijank as he would have been against Gavin Reed. Nor was he likely to dissuade the aliens by pleading for restraint in a language neither of them understood.

Breathing hard, Vantolos chose that moment to arrive. The gathering A'jeii made way for him.

“Now then.” Puffing hard, he waved one tentacle while balancing on the tripod formed by the remaining three. “What is going on here?” Slitted eyes shifted to Dev. “Your colleague is threatening the supervisor with a cutting instrument. Do you realize how dangerous this is for all of you!”

Seeing that she wasn’t going to dissuade Reed from his chosen course of action, the petite Katou-Zimmer drew herself up to her full height to confront the Olone. “It’s been nothing but dangerous moments ever since you forcibly took us away from our homeworld. We need answers to some questions. Syrenii is apparently too busy to talk to us.” She gestured toward Reed and his diminutive captive. “Now Tilenyii is too busy to talk to us.”

“Whereas I am never too busy to talk.” Vantolos’ response was welcome if unsurprising. “I will be pleased to attend to whatever questions you wish to ask. But first you must let the supervisor go.”