"Ellen?" gasped Anse. "Ellen?"
"Inside," rasped Janazik. "She's inside. We have to get out of here—only way to get your attention—Come on!"
Anse saw the armed band swarming at them from one of the outer towers, defenders who had finally noticed the battle at the rocket and were coming to aid their king. Not a chance against them—except the boat!
Man and Khazaki stepped back into the airlock. A storm of arrows and javelins broke loose. Anse saw two of his men fall—then Janazik had slammed the heavy outer valve and dogged it shut.
"Ellen!" he gasped. "Ellen—take the boat up before they dynamite it!"
The girl nodded. She was strapping herself into the pilot's seat before the gleaming control panel. Only Alonzo was there with her, bleeding but still on his feet. Four of them survived—only four—but they had the boat!
Through the viewport, Anse saw the attackers surging around the hull. They'd use ballistae to crush it, dynamite to blow it up, blaster cannon to fry them alive inside the metal shell—unless they got it into the sky first.
"Take the engines, Alonzo," said Ellen.
Gonzales Alonzo nodded. "You help me, Janazik," he said. "I'm not sure I—can stay conscious—"