A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born

Then my legs scrabbled at empty air and I had reached the end. The hard floor of the courtyard appeared to be very far below. It was difficult to let go-or rather really very easy. I could hold on no longer. My fingers opened and I fell-hit and rolled and sat on the ground gasping for breath. I had done it. High above I could see the dark figure of Stinger swarming down the rope, hand over hand. Within seconds he was on the ground, landing light as a cat beside me, helping me to my feet. Half-supporting me as I stumbled to the gate.

My fingers were trembling and I couldn't get the lock open. We were painfully visible here under the light and if any of the guards glanced out of a window above we were trapped....

I took in a long, shuddering breath-then inserted the picklock once again. Slowly and careftilly feeling the grooves on the interior, turning and pushing.

It clicked open and we buried ourselves through. Stinger pushed it silently shut, then turned and ran out into the night with me right at his heels.

We were free!

Chapter 5

"Wait!" I called after Stinger as he pelted down the road. "Not that way. I've gonna better plan. I worked it out before I was sent up. " He slowed to a halt and thought about this and slowly made up his mind. "You called the shots OK so far. So what we gonna do?" "For openers-leave a trail that they can follow with sniffer robots. This way." We left the road and cut through the grass and down to the nearby stream. It was shallow but cold and I could not suppress a shiver as we waded across. The main highway ran close by and we headed that way. Crouching low as a heavy transporter thundered by. For the moment there was no other traffic in sight.

"Now!" I called out. "Straight up to the road-then right back down walking in your own footprints." Stinger did what he was told, backtracking with me to the stream and into the frigid water again.

"That's smart," he said. "The sniffers find where we went into the water, where we came out-and follow us to the road. Then they think that a groundcar maybe picked us up. So what cOmes next?" "We go upstream-staying in the water-to the nearest farm. Which happens to be a porcuswine farm..." "No way! I hate them mothers. Got bit by one when I was a kid." "We have no other choice. Anything else we do the fuzz will pick us up at daybreak. I can't say I love the porkers either. But I grew up on a farm and I know how to get 30 31 along with them. Now let's move before my legs freeze off at the ankles." It was a long, cold slog and I could not stop the trembling once it began. But there was absolutely nothing el$e to do except push on. My teeth were rattling in my head like castanets before we came to the brook that bubbled down through the fields to join the stream that we were wading in. The stars were beginning to fade; dawn was not too far away.

"This is it," I said. 'The stream that we want. That chopped tree is my landmark. Stay right behind me-we're very close now." I reached up and broke off a dead branch that overhung the stream, then led the way. We waded along until we reached a tall, electrified fence that spanned the stream. It could be clearly seen in the growing light. I used the branch to lift the bottom of the fence so Stinger could crawl under; then he did the same for me. As I stood up I heard the familiar rustle of large quills from the oak grove nearby. A large, dark form separated itself from the trees and moved towards us. I grabbed the branch from Stinger and called out softly.

"Sooo-ee, sooo-ee... here swine, swine, swine." There was a bubbling grunt from the boar as it approached. Stinger was muttering under his breath, curses or prayers-or both-as he stood behind me. I called again and the great creature came close. A real beauty, a tonne at least, looking at me with its small red eyes. I stepped forward and raised the branch slowly-and heard Stinger moan behind me. The boar never moved as I poked the stick behind its ear, parted the long quills-and began to scratch its hide industriously.

"What are you doing? It'll kill usi" Stinger wailed.