"Who?"
"Not who, what. Distance." It was a most preposterous untruth. "If we don't get there in time we'll let them have both of the Centauris. We'll go on to the next star."
"You can always think of some way out," said Anti as tiny lights began to flash on the panel. The flickering confusion there matched his emotions.
"Jordan?" he said urgently when the latter appeared on the screen. And after that there was Webber and anyone else who knew something about electronics or could be taught with a minimum of instruction. They were willing to drive themselves to exhaustion but there was no substitute for technical superiority.
"Now don't worry," said Anti after he'd finished summoning everyone who could help. "I have a feeling they can't stop us no matter what they do."
"That so?" he said. "Which toe tells you that, or is it an ache in your bones? Think it will rain tomorrow?"
"Don't laugh," said Anti, rising and leaving with him as he hurried out. "I have confidence in what we're able to do together."
It was a good thing someone did.
"Maureen's getting worse," said Jeriann. "I need more power." There was a tiny bead of sweat on her temple, the first Docchi had seen since ordinarily she didn't perspire.