In that case the skiff would be Toshio's only chance. She had to find Hikahi before Gillian did. Gillian might decide to send the skiff after Tom Orley instead of Toshio.

She knew she wasn't thinking things out, and felt a little guilty about her decision. But if she could lie to one dolphin, she could lie to another.

93 ::: Takkata-Jim Metz

The former vice-captain tossed his head and gnashed his teeth as he contemplated the latest sabotage.

"I will string their entrails from the foressst branches!" he hissed. The heavy waldo-arms of his armored spider whined.

Ignacio Metz stared up at the thin, almost invisible wires that formed a tight tracery over the longboat, holding it to the ground. He blinked, trying to follow the trail of fibers into the forest.

Metz shook his head. "Are you sure you're not overreacting, vice-captain? It seems to me the boy was only trying to make sure we didn't take off before we agreed to.

Takkata-Jim whirled to glare down on the human. "And have you sssuddenly changed your mind, Doctor Metz? Do you now think we should let the lunatic woman who now controls Streaker send our crewmates out to certain death?"

"N-no, of course not!" Metz shrank back from the dolphin officer's rancor. "We should persevere, I agree. We must try to make our offer of compromise to the Galactics, but…"

"But what?"

Metz shrugged uncertainly. "I just don't think you should blame Toshio for doing his job…"

Takkata-Jim's jaws clapped together like a gunshot, and he caused the spider to advance upon Metz, stopping less than a meter from the nervous man.

"You think! You THINK! Of all comedies, that one topsss all! You, who had the arrogance to suppose his wisdom exceeded the councils of Earth — who brought pet monsters amongst an already fragile crew — who deceived himself into thinking all was well, and ignored danger signs when his wisdom was needed by his desperate clients — yes, Ignacio Metz. Tell me how you think-k!" Takkata-Jim snorted in derision.

"B-but we… you and I agreed on nearly everything! My gene-graft Stenos were your most loyal supporters! They're the only ones who stood by you!"

"Your Stenos were not Stenos! They were benighted, erratic creatures who did not belong on thisss mission! I used them as I've used you. But don't class me with your monsters, Metz!"

Stunned, Metz sagged back against the hull of the longboat.

From nearby came the sounds of returning machines. With a withering glance, Takkata-Jim warned the human to be silent. Sreekah-pol's spider pushed through the foliage.

"The fibersss lead to the p-pool," the fin announced. His Anglic was almost too high-pitched for Metz to follow. "They go below and wrap around the drill-tree sh-shaft-t."

"You've cut them?"

"Yesss!" The neo-fin tossed its head.

Takkata-Jim nodded. "Dr. Metz, please prepare the Kiqui. They are our second greatest trade item, and musst be ready for inspection by whichever race we contact-t."

"Where are you going?" Metz asked.

"You don't want to know."

Metz saw Takkata-Jim's determined expression. Then he noted the three Stenos. Their eyes gleamed with an eager madness.

"You've been goading them in Primal!" he gasped. "I can tell! You've taken these fen over the edge! You're going to make them homicidals!"

Takkata-Jim sighed. "I will wrestle with my conscience later, Dr. Metz. In the meantime I will do what I must to save the ship and our mission. Since a sane dolphin cannot kill human beings, I needed insane dolphins."

The three Stenos grinned at Metz. He looked at their eyes in terror, and listened to their feral clickings.

"You're mad!" he whispered.

"No, Dr. Metz," Takkata-Jim shook his head pityingly. "You are mad. These fen are mad. But I am only acting as a desperate and dedicated human being might act. Criminal or patriot, that's a matter of opinion, but I am sentient."

Metz's eyes were wide. "You can't take back to Earth anyone who knows…" He paled, and turned to run for the airlock.

Takkata-Jim did not even have to give the order. From Sreekah-pol's spider a burst of actinic blue light lanced out. Ignacio Metz sighed and fell to the muddy ground just outside the longboat's hatch. He stared up at Sreekah-pol, like a father betrayed by a son he had doted on.

Takkata-Jim turned to his crew, hiding the nauseated feeling that churned within him.

# Find, Find,

Find and Kill,

# Kill

Soft-skin human

Hairy ape

# I wait, wait

Here

# Wait Here — #

The fen gave out a shrill assent in unison, and turned as one to go crashing back into the forest, heavy manipulator arms brushing aside saplings like twigs.

The man groaned. Takkata-Jim looked down at him and considered putting him out of his misery. He wanted to. But he couldn't bring himself to do direct violence against a human being.

Just as well, he thought. There are still repairs to do. I must be ready when my monsters return.

Takkata-Jim stepped daintily over the supine human and climbed into the airlock.

"Dr. Metz!" Toshio pulled the wounded man to one side and lifted his head. He whispered urgently as he applied a spray ampule of pain killer to the geneticist's neck. "Dr. Metz, can you hear me?"

Metz blearily looked up at the young man. "Toshio? My boy, you've got to get away! Takkata-Jim has sent…"

"I know, Dr. Metz. I was hiding in the bushes when they shot you."

"Then you heard," he sighed.

"Yes, Sir."

"And you know what a fool I've been…"

"Now's not the time for that, Dr. Metz. We've got to get you away. Charlie Dart's hiding nearby. I'll go get him now, while the Stenos are searching another part of the island."

Metz clutched Toshio's arm. "They're hunting for him, too."

"I know. And you've never seen a more stunned chimp. He honestly believed they'd never think he helped me! Let me go get him, and we'll move you away from here."

Metz coughed, and red foam appeared on his lips. He shook his head.

"No. Like Victor Frankenstein, it seems I am murdered by my own hubris. Leave me. You must go to your sled and depart."

Toshio grimaced. "Their first stop was the pool, Dr. Metz. I followed and saw them sink my sled.

"I ran ahead then to chase the Kiqui off the island. Dennie taught me their panic signal, and they split like crazed lemmings when I called it out, so at least they're safe from the Stenos…"

"Not Stenos," Metz corrected. "Demenso cetus metzii, I should think. 'Metz's mad dolphins'… you know, I think I'm the first dolphin-perpetrated homicide in…" He brought his fist to his mouth and coughed again.

Metz looked at the red spittle in his hand, then up at Toshio. "We were going to give the Kiqui to the Galactics you know. I wasn't too happy about it, but he convinced me…"

"Takkata-Jim?"

"Yes. He didn't think offering the ETs the location of the derelict fleet would be enough…"

"He's got tapes?" Toshio felt stunned. "But how… ?"

Metz wasn't listening. He seemed to be fading fast. "… He didn't think that would be enough to win Streaker's freedom, so… decided we'd give them the aboriginals, as well."

The man grabbed feebly at Toshio's arm. "You must set them free, Toshio. Don't let the fanatics have them. They are so promising. They must have kind patrons. Maybe the Linten, or the Synthians… but we're not suited for the job… we'd… we'd make them into caricatures of ourselves. we'd…"

The geneticist sagged.

Toshio waited with him. It was all he could do for the man. His tiny aid kit could do nothing but ease the pain.

Metz roused once more, a minute later. He stared up without seeing.