"No." Pritchard's nostrils flared slightly. "Just a part of it, that's all. Most of it got away."
"Most of it!"
He nodded slowly. "It was leaving when I started closing those ports. It was leaving by this intake port—maybe the way it came in—and the valve started to slice into it. In other words, we had it by the tail. It tried to yank free and that's what tipped us over."
"Y-y-you mean—?" They stared at him, refusing to credit the comprehension dawning in their minds.
"What else?" Pritchard's cheeks twitched in amusement.
"Hey, that's big!" said Sturgis softly.
"Quite big," murmured the tall hunter. "And quite intelligent if it came for McManus."
Their jaws dropped and their eyes protruded glassily.
"On the other hand," went on Pritchard musingly, "it might not be as smart as the person who sent it."