* * * * *
Uneasily I caught Val's glance from a corner of my eye. Sweat was
rolling down her smooth forehead faster than the auto-wiper could swab
it away.
"Why don't you do something? What are you waiting for, Ron?"
"Easy, baby," I said. I knew what our ace in the hole was. But I had to
get Ledman within reach of me first.
"Enough," he said. "I'm going to turn you loose outside, right after--"
"_Get sick!_" I hissed to Val, low. She began immediately to cough
violently, emitting harsh, choking sobs. "Can't breathe!" She began to
yell, writhing in her bonds.
That did it. Ledman hadn't much humanity left in him, but there was a
little. He lowered the blaster a bit and wheeled one-hand over to see
what was wrong with Val. She continued to retch and moan most horribly.
It almost convinced me. I saw Val's pale, frightened face turn to me.
He approached and peered down at her. He opened his mouth to say
something, and at that moment I snapped my leg up hard, tearing the
tangle-cord with a snicking rasp, and kicked his wheelchair over.
The blaster went off, burning a hole through the Dome roof. The
automatic sealers glued-in instantly. Ledman went sprawling helplessly
out into the middle of the floor, the wheelchair upended next to him,
its wheels slowly revolving in the air. The blaster flew from his hands
at the impact of landing and spun out near me. In one quick motion I
rolled over and covered it with my body.
* * * * *
Ledman clawed his way to me with tremendous effort and tried wildly to
pry the blaster out from under me, but without success. I twisted a bit,
reached out with my free leg, and booted him across the floor. He
fetched up against the wall of the Dome and lay there.
Val rolled over to me.
"Now if I could get free of this stuff," I said, "I could get him
covered before he comes to. But how?"
"Teamwork," Val said. She swivelled around on the floor until her head
was near my boot. "Push my oxymask off with your foot, if you can."
I searched for the clamp and tried to flip it. No luck, with my heavy,
clumsy boot. I tried again, and this time it snapped open. I got the tip
of my boot in and pried upward. The oxymask came off, slowly, scraping a
jagged red scratch up the side of Val's neck as it came.
"There," she breathed. "That's that."