He spun around, sprinted back to the cargo lock. The janandra had come
silently out of the nearest side passage behind him, was approaching
with the remembered oiling swiftness of motion, its great head lifted a
yard from the floor. Gefty plunged through the lock, jumped for the top
of the cubicle door steps, came stumbling into the cubicle. Kerim was on
her feet, staring. He swung the cubicle door switch to the left,
slapping it flat to the panel. The door snapped back into the wall
behind him with a force that shook the floor.
On the screen, the janandra's thick, dark worm-shape was swinging around
in the dim lock to regain the open hall. It had seen the trap. But the
freight door switch went flat beside the other, and the freight door
rose with massive swiftness. The heavy body smashed against it, went
sliding back to the floor as the door slammed shut and the screen
section showing the cargo lock turned dark.
"Got it--got it--got it!" Gefty heard himself whispering exultantly. He
switched on the lock's interior lights.
Then he swore softly, and, beside him, Kerim sucked in her breath.
* * * * *
The screen showed the janandra in violent but apparently purposeful
motion inside the lock ... and it was also apparent now that it was a
more complexly constructed creature than the long worm-body and heavy
head had indicated. The skin, to a distance of some eight feet back of
the head, had spread out into a wide, flexible frill. From beneath the
frill extended half a dozen jointed, bone-white arms, along with waving,
ribbonlike appendages less easy to define. The thing was reared half up
along the hall door, inspecting its surface with these members; then
suddenly it flung itself around and flashed over to the outer lock door.
Three arms shot out; wiry fingers caught the three spin-locks
simultaneously, began to whirl them.