Shadows, стр. 34
Then there was the matter of what to do with Yukannak. The handheld radio hadn’t worked since they’d gone underground. According to the mission instructions, he should leave the chamber and deliver the silci to Cutter or Moorefield immediately. But that would mean abandoning any chance of rescuing his wife, if Kesteluni was down those stairs. And that was unacceptable. So that left only one alternative…
“Unaa, you are going to escort this man to the nearest friendly unit. There you will turn him over to the ranking soldier and report the existence of the entrance and all the tunnels we have passed through in coming here.”
“No!” the younger man yelled, his neck veins distending. “I am not going! I mean to kill those who killed Kuun!”
Tanavuna’s patience only went so far when someone challenged his authority. As the hetman’s son, he had learned from an early age the difference between empathy and weakness. Had the doorway not stood between them, with a J’Stull possibly standing at the bottom with a rifle aimed on the opening, he would have thrown Unaa against the wall. As it was, he let the anger loose in his voice.
“What you are going to do is obey your hetman and superior officer! Because of your youth and the death of Kuun, I will overlook your insubordination, but I will not do so again. You will obey my orders, otherwise I will consider it a personal challenge. Is that what you wish?”
A personal challenge to the hetman was not simply a private matter; it was a statement of the challenger’s intent to replace the hetman, and it meant a fight to the death.
Unaa bowed his head, sullen. “No.”
“Good. This matter is over and forgotten.” Tanavuna turned to the stranger. “Listen carefully, Yukannak. I have to get word to my commander about this unknown passage and the J’Stull who are trying to escape, but we cannot hold this staircase with less than two. You will go with Unaa. As you can see, he would like to shoot anyone who is allied with those who killed his brother. Should you attempt to escape, he will be under orders to shoot you. He will shoot to kill. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” the silci answered. “I will not betray you.”
Tanavuna ignored him. “More of our men should be in the tunnel coming from the cache site. Unaa, once you have delivered this man safely, find one of the sergeants and tell him to come right away with his whole squad. Then find Captain Cutter. He should be somewhere in the Outer City.”
“Cutter. That is a strange name,” Yukannak said.
“That is not your concern. Unaa, brief the captain on our situation and tell him he must move to block any tunnels on the southern wall of the plateau that exit to the Outer City. Those may be escape routes.”
Unaa turned away, but Tanavuna could hear the scowl in his voice when he said, “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Go now.”
Unaa circled behind the closest truck to avoid showing himself in the doorway, then they took off, moving quickly. The muzzle of Unaa’s M14 never left Yukannak’s back.
“Now,” Tanavuna said, turning to Ammaii, “let’s figure out how to get down there.”
Ammaii nodded thoughtfully. “I believe I have an idea.”
* * * * *
Chapter 15
Ammaii backed along the wall to get a running start and was past the doorway in two steps. No bullets came for him. He stalked toward the two mechanics they had tied up. He stopped beside a pile of small barrels stacked against one wall. He touched a smudge near a plug on one of them and rubbed the oily compound between his fingers to smell it. He wiped the residue on his robe, approached the mechanics, and crouched to remove the cloth stuffed into the mouth of the nearest one. Tanavuna watched as best he could, while listening for anyone coming up the stairs.
“Is that the fuel for your vehicles?” Ammaii said in a voice loud enough for Tanavuna to hear.
The older mechanic had gray in his eyebrows and deep lines in his forehead, but the one he’d spoken to was little more than a boy, probably an apprentice. In answer to the question, he shook his head, eyes wide with fear.
“Is it used by the J’Stull to make things burn?”
“Y-yes.”
“Have you a fire-making kit?”
“Over there,” the boy said, pointing with his head. “In that chest.”
The older man glowered at him as Ammaii replaced the boy’s gag and retrieved the ignition kit, a long cloth, and one of the barrels. On his way back to the doorway, he grinned at them.
“What is this?” Tanavuna said.
Ammaii worked as he spoke, rolling the cloth into a long, thin cord. “Do you remember when I was fifteen and the J’Stull captured some of us, thinking we were marauders?”
“Of course, I went with Father to look for you.”
“I was still a prisoner of the J’Stull when they found the camp of the real marauders. They’d taken refuge in a rocky place that was proof against gunfire. Not