50 in 50

They went more slowly now, until the grassland died away in a broken scree of rock at the foot of a nearly vertical cliff. To their left they could make out the black gorge of the river and hear it rushing by below.

"You told me those things can't fly," Haydin said.

"They can't. Jasmine, follow the trail."

The little pig, head up and sniffing, trotted steadily across the broken rock and pointed to the bare side of the cliff.

"Could there possibly be a concealed entrance here?" Haydin asked, feeling the rough texture of the rock.

"There certainly could be — and we have no time to go looking for the key. Get behind those rocks, way over there, while I open, this thing up."

He took blocks of a claylike substance from his pack — a plastic explosive — and placed them against the rock, where they remained, over the spot that Jasmine had indicated. Then he pushed a fuse into the explosive, pulled the igniter — and ran.

He had just thrown himself down with the others when flame ripped the sky and the ground heaved under them; a spatter of rocks fell on all sides. They ran forward through the dust and saw light spilling out through a tall crevice in the rock. The boars threw themselves against it and it widened. Once through, they saw that a metal door was fastened to a section of rock and could swing outward to give access to the large cavern they were standing in. Bron bit his lip and examined the tunnel that ran down into the heart of the mountain.

"What next?" Governor Haydin asked.

"That's what I'm concerned about. At night, and out in the open, I'll back my boars against the Sulbani — or against human beings, for that matter. But these tunnels are a death trap for them. Even their speed won't protect them against gunfire. So let's even the odds. Everyone — back flat against this wall."

The Governor obeyed quickly enough, but it took a bit of tail pulling and two well-placed kicks to get the excited boars to obey. Only after they were all in position did Bron throw the switch on the wall of the entrance chamber of the tunnel. A large, inset metal door moved slowly upward — and laser beams hissed through the expanded opening.

"The hovercraft hangar," Bron whispered. "Looks as if some of them are still in there."

The boars didn't need orders. They waited, trembling with repressed energy, until the gap had widened enough to admit them. Then they struck at once, twin furies.

"Don't damage the gun!" Bron shouted as the laser beam fired again, wildly, then vanished. There were loud crunching sounds from inside.

"We can go in now," Bron said.

Inside the tool-lined room they found the body of only a single Sulbani. He must have been a mechanic, since the torn skirt had been removed from the hovercraft and a new one was ready to be fitted into place. Bron stepped over the corpse and picked up the laser rifle.

"Have you ever shot one of these?" he asked.

"No, but I'm willing to learn."

"Some other time. I'm an expert marksman with this particular weapon and I will be happy to prove it. Stay here."

"No, I won't do that."

"That's your choice. Stay behind me, then, and maybe I can get you a weapon too. Let's move fast while we can still make some use of surprise."

Cautiously, flanked by the two boars, he moved down the well-lit cavern, and Haydin followed close behind. Trouble came at the first tunnel crossing. When they were about twenty yards from the other tunnel, a Sulbani leaped out suddenly, with his gun poised and ready to fire. Bron snapped a single shot from his waist, without appearing to aim, and the alien collapsed, motionless, on the tunnel floor.

"Go get them!" he shouted, and the boars plunged forward, one to each opening of the cross tunnel. Bron fired over them, into the tunnel mouths, until the air cracked and glowed with the discharge of the laser. The two men ran forward, but when they reached the cross tunnel the battle was over. Moe had a burn along one side— which did not slow him down, though it did make his temper worse. He rooted, snorting like a steam engine, in the temporary barricade, tossing boxes and furniture over his head.

"Here's your gun," Bron said, picking up an undamaged laser rifle. "HI set it on maximum discharge, single shot. Just aim it and pull the trigger. And let's go. They know we're in now, but luckily they were not prepared for a battle inside their own hideout."

They ran, counting on speed and shock to get them through, stopping only when they encountered resistance. As they passed one tunnel mouth they heard distant shouting, and Bron skidded to a stop and called to the others.

"Hold it. In here. Those sound like human voices." The metal door was set into solid rock. The laser beam turned the lock to a molten puddle, and Bron pulled the door open.

"I was so sure we would never be found — that we would die here," Lea Davies said. She came out of the cell, half supported by a tall man with the same coppery red hair.

"Huw Davies?" Bron asked.