"The kelp says it," Scudi said.

"It showed me a vision of Keel in captivity," Brett said.

"Vision!" Twisp said.

"The only important thing is to kill Gallow," Bushka muttered.

Twisp looked at Kareen Ale. "The only reason we went back to the cargo bay was to ask you for advice," he said. "What does the ambassador suggest?"

"Use the kelp," she said. "Take the foil down to the inner edge of the kelp in sight of the outpost ... and we wait. Let them see Scudi and me. That should tempt Gallow to come out. And yes, Justice Keel is there. I've seen him."

"I say we run for Vashon," Brett said.

"Let me remind you," Ale said, "that the hyb tanks will be brought down here. The pickup team is at this outpost."

"And they're either Gallow's people or Gallow's captives," Twisp sneered. "Any way you look at it, the hyb tanks are his."

Ale glanced at the chrono beside the control panel. "If all goes well, the tanks could be here in a little more than eight hours."

"With seven of us aboard, we couldn't stay down eight hours," Panille said.

Bushka began to giggle, startling them. "Empty argument," he said. "Empty words. The kelp won't permit us to leave until we do its bidding. It's kill Gallow or nothing."

Nakano was the first to break the subsequent silence. "Then we'd better get busy," he said. "Personally, I like the ambassador's plan but I think we also should send in a scout party."

"And you're volunteering?" Twisp asked.

"If you have a better idea, let's hear it," Nakano said. He returned to the cabin's rear bulkhead and opened a supply locker, exposing fins, air tanks, breathers and dive suits.

"You saw the kelp crush that sub," Brett reminded Twisp. "And you saw what happened with the dashers."

"Then I'm the one who goes in," Twisp said. "They don't know me. I'll carry our message so they get it real clear."

'Twisp, no!" Brett protested.

"Yes!" Twisp glanced at the others, focusing on each face for a blink, then: "With the exception of the ambassador there, who can't go in for obvious reasons - they want her, for Ship's sake! But except for her, I'm the obvious one. I'll take Nakano with me." Twisp sent a dasher grin at Nakano, who looked both surprised and pleased.

"Why you?" Brett asked. "I could -"

"You could get yourself in eelshit for no good reason. You've never dealt with people who want to get the best of you, kid. You've never had to drive the best bargain you could for your fish. I know how to deal with such people."

"Gallow is no fish dealer," Bushka said.

"It's still bargaining for your life and everything you want," Twisp said. "The kid stays here with Panille. They keep an eye on you, Bushka, to see you don't do something crazy. Me, I'm going to tell this Gallow just what he gets - so much and no more!"

Within the first minute of the dive, Twisp tumbled along, flailing his long arms, his fins thrusting inefficiently. He watched helplessly as the gap between himself and Nakano widened. Why was Nakano speeding off that way?

Like most Islanders, Twisp had trained with Merman-style breathers for emergency use; he had even considered at one time that he might permit himself to become one of the rare Islanders fitted for an airfish. But airfish were a cash crop and the operation was outrageously costly. And his arms, superb for net pulling, were not suited to swimming.

Twisp struggled to keep Nakano in sight. He skimmed the bottom, his fins puffing sand along a blue-black canyon illuminated by Merman lights set into the rock. The sea above him remained a black remoteness hidden in the short-night.

When Panille had locked the foil against a rocky outcrop within the outpost's kelp perimeter, he had warned them: "The current's ranging between two and four knots. I don't know where the current came from, but it'll help you get to the outpost."

"Kelp is making that current," Bushka had said.

"Whatever is causing it, be careful," Panille had said. "You'll be moving too fast for mistakes."

Brett, still protesting the assignment of duties, had demanded: "How will they get back to us?"

"Steal a vehicle," Nakano had said.

As he had sealed the dive hatch behind them and prepared to flood the foil's lock, Nakano had said: "Stay close, Twisp. We'll be about ten minutes getting to the outpost hatch. I'll tow you the last few meters. Make it look like you're my prisoner."

But now Nakano was far ahead in the chill, green-washed distance. The floppy bubbles of his exhalations raced upward behind him, creating strange prism effects in the artificial light. The Merman obviously was in his element here and Twisp was the muree-out-of-water.

I should've anticipated that! Twisp thought.

Abruptly, Nakano rolled to one side in a powerful turn, clutched one of the light mountings anchored in the canyon's wall and held himself against the current, waiting for Twisp's arrival. Nakano's air tank glistened yellow-green along his back and his masked face was a grotesque shadow beside the rock.

Twisp, somewhat reassured by the Merman's action, tried to change course but would have missed Nakano had not the latter pushed off smoothly and grabbed the breather valve at Twisp's left shoulder. They rode along together then, swimming gently as the current slackened near the underwater cliff into which the outpost had been planted.

Twisp saw a wall of black rock ahead, some of it looking as though it were part of the sea's natural basement complex, some appearing man-changed - great dark shapes piled one atop another. A wide plaz dive lock outlined in light had been set into this construction. Nakano operated controls at the side of the plaz with one hand. A circular hatch opened before them. They swam into the lock, Nakano still holding Twisp's breather valve.

It was an oval space illuminated by brilliant blue lights set into the walls. A plaz hatch on the inner curve revealed an empty passage beyond.

The outer hatch sealed automatically behind them and water began swirling out of the lock through a floor vent. Nakano released his grip on Twisp when their heads emerged from the water.

Removing his mouthpiece, Nakano said: "You're being very intelligent for a Mute. I could've shut off your air at any time. "You'd have been eelbait."

Twisp removed his own mouthpiece but remained silent. Nothing was important except getting to Gallow.

"Don't try anything," Nakano warned. "I could break you into small pieces with only one hand."

Hoping Nakano was playing a part for any would-be listeners, Twisp looked at the Merman's heavily muscled body. Nakano's threat could be real, Twisp thought, but the Merman might be surprised at the strength in a net-puller's arms ... even if those arms did appear to be mutated monstrosities.

Nakano took off his tank and harness and held the equipment in his left hand. Twisp waited for the last of the water to swirl through the floor vent, then shucked off his own tank. He held it loosely cradled in one long arm, feeling the weight of it and thinking how potent a weapon this would be if hurled suddenly.

The inner hatch swung aside and Twisp tasted hot, moist air. Nakano pushed Twisp ahead of him through the hatchway and they emerged into a rectangular space with no other visible exit.

Abruptly, a voice barked at them from an overhead vent: "Nakano! Send the Mute topside. You get off at level nine and come to me. I want to know why you didn't bring the foil straight in."

"Gallow," Nakano explained, looking at Twisp. "After I get off, you go straight on up."

Twisp's gut felt suddenly empty. How many people did Gallow have here? Was Gallow so confident of his Security that he could release an Islander prisoner to wander around without a guard? Or was this a ploy to disarm the stupid Islander?