Waela turned her head, saw Ferry and Hali releasing themselves from the command couches. The plaz beyond them framed a seamed barrier of black rock only a few meters away illuminated by wavering beams of artificial light.

Ferry’s hand moved to a control in front of him. There was a hiss near Waela’s feet, then the sudden rush of cold sea wind through an open hatchway. It was night beyond those moving lights. The hatch was blocked for a moment by the entrance of two people. As though awakening from a dream, Waela recognized them—Panille and Thomas.

“Waela!” They spoke in unison, both appearing startled at the sight of her.

Hali pushed herself away from the control console, intensely aware that Panille was focused on Waela’s mounded abdomen. Neither Panille nor the man with him, she realized, had expected to see Waela, and certainly not in the full bloom of pregnancy.

“Kerro,” Hali said.

He faced her, equally startled. “Hali?”

Thomas threw his head back in sudden laughter. “You see? A surprise package from Ship!”

Waela fumbled with the straps holding her to the couch. Hali rushed to assist her, released the straps and helped her off the couch. The sound of the surf was loud and they could feel its pounding through their feet.

“Hello,” Waela said. She took three short steps up to Thomas, hugged him.

Hali tried to identify the play of emotions across the man’s face. Fear?

Panille touched Hali’s arm. “This is Raja Thomas, leader of the army and nemesis of Morgan Oakes.”

“Army?” Hali looked from Panille to Thomas.

Thomas gently released Waela’s grip around his waist, steadied her while he directed a glare at Panille. “You joke about this?”

“Never.” Panille shook his head.

Hali could not understand the exchange. She started to frame a question, but Thomas spoke first.

“What else is in the freighter?”

The Bitten program responded, a crackling voice from the overhead ‘coder, full of baps and bursts of static but the listing of the cargo manifest remained understandable.

“Weapons!” Thomas said. He ran to the open hatch, shouted something to people outside, whirled back. “We have to unload this thing before the surf breaks it up or Oakes’ people destroy it. Everybody out!”

Hali felt a touch on her shoulder, Ferry standing there. “I think I’m owed an explanation.” Even his demands were shaded in whines.

“Later,” Thomas said. “There’s a guide right outside who’ll take you to our camp. She’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“Demons?” Ferry asked.

“Nothing like that around here,” Thomas said. “Now hurry it up while . . .”

“You can’t dismiss him just like that!” Hali protested. “If it weren’t for him, Murdoch would have . . . We’d be dead!”