Coughing and choking, we ran up the tunnel, with the sounds and the glare fading behind us; and the pure air reviving us.
"All the Radaks will be after us," Shorty panted. "Faster, Taro!"
Distant cries were all around us in the maze of tunnels. The alarm was spreading everywhere. We saw a few plunging Radak shapes, but were able to avoid them.
Taro was leading us; I gripped him as we ran. "You say you know where they keep their space-flyer?"
"Yes. Not far from Blaine and the others."
Then we reached the girls and Blaine, who were crouching in that tunnel recess with the still unconscious Mack. Vivian and Tahn just stared at us white-faced, with little cries of relief.
Blaine gasped, "You did it!"
"We sure did," Shorty agreed. "Come on—the space-ship—"
"You and I—we'll carry Mack—" I said. Shorty nodded, and we lifted him.
Carrying Mack slowed us. But his emaciated body was light. In a moment I slung him over my shoulders, and with Shorty steadying him, we made better speed. It wasn't far, but there were Radak figures everywhere now. Weirdly, only one of them came near us. Shorty and Taro were ready to attack him. The squat little shape came plunging along a side tunnel, apparently heading for us. He seemed to be gibbering, mouthing, then screaming. But he ignored us, running, knife in hand, until he bashed himself into a rock....