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I was in the corridor half a second later； heading for the mechanics…room door five meters away。 I crossed the distance in two seconds more； hearing a soft but ominous hissing sound that grew steadily louder as I neared it。 I slapped the pad； and the door slid open。
And with a roar like a rabid dragon a wall of flame blew out of the doorway toward me。
An instant later I was rolling to my feet from three meters farther down the corridor with no clear memory of how I'd gotten there。 I spun back to the open doorway； the terrifying image of Ixil trapped in the midst of that inferno paralyzing my entire thought process。 I clawed my way back to the doorway； the smell of burning acetylene filling my nose and mouth； a small and still functional part of my mind noting with some confusion that there was now no trace of the wall of flame that had sent me diving instinctively away。 I reached the doorway； bracing myself for the worst； and looked inside。
It was bad enough； but not nearly as bad as I'd feared。 Off to the left； the twin tanks of the Icarus's oxyacetylene cutting torch were sitting upright beside the main workbench； the pressure of the pressed gases sending their connected hoses writhing together along the deck like a pair of demented Siamese…twin snakes。 From the open ends of the coupled hoses was spewing an awesome spray of yellow flame。 Even as I took it all in I was forced to once again duck back as the skittering hoses swung past the doorway and sent another burst my direction…clearly； that was what I'd mistaken earlier for an all…enpassing wall of flame。 The blast swept past and I looked back inside。
And it was only then； in the back of the room beyond the flopping hoses； that I spotted Ixil。
He was lying against the line of equipment…storage lockers that made up the back wall； his torso half…propped up against the lockers； his eyes closed。 There was no sign of Pix and Pax； odds were they were cowering in a nook or corner somewhere。 If they were even alive； Ixil's right pant leg was smoldering above his low boot； but otherwise the fire didn't seem to have marked him。
But that bit of grace wasn't going to last much longer。 Even just since I'd started watching I could see that the hoses' gyrations were swinging wider with each oscillation； and within a minute or less they would be twisting around to the point where the fire stream would be washing directly over my unconscious partner。
〃God and hellfire；〃 a voice breathed in my ear。
I twisted my head around to find Nicabar standing just behind me； staring wide…eyed into the room。 〃I heard the motion and smelled the fire；〃 he said。 〃Where's the damn suppression system？〃
〃There isn't one；〃 I bit out； jabbing my finger toward the bridge door。 〃There's an extinguisher just inside the bridge to the left。〃
He was off before I'd even finished the sentence。 I turned back to the mechanics room； dodging back just in time as the semirandom fire spray once again did its best to take my eyebrows off。 There was another extinguisher； I knew； just inside the door to my right； the question was whether I could slip into the room and get to it without incinerating myself。
Unfortunately； at that point came an even bigger question： What could I do with the thing if and when I got to it？ Shipboard fire extinguishers used a two…prong approach； the foam smothering the air away from the flames while simultaneously pulling out as much of the heat as possible。 But that acetylene fire had a lot of heat built up already； possibly more than a small extinguisher canister could handle； and given that the blaze had its own built…in oxygen supply； the question of smothering was even more problematic。
There was a breath of sudden movement beside me。 〃Got it；〃 Nicabar said； holding the half…meter…long orange canister ready in the doorway。 〃Straight in？〃
〃Straight in；〃 I told him。 He squeezed the handle； and a stream of yellowish fluid sprayed toward the writhing hoses； its loud hissing joining the crackle of the flames。 Joining； but not eliminating。 For a few seconds the blaze faltered as the droplets sucked heat away from it； but then seemed to gather its strength again in defiance。 The hoses twisted around in their unpredictable way； sending the tip skittering off the edge of Nicabar's spray； and with an almost…triumphant roar the fire blazed fully back to life。
But those few seconds were enough。 I jumped into the room and ducked to my right； grabbing at the bright orange object at the edge of my peripheral vision as I kept my main attention on the fire and Nicabar's attack on it。 The quick…releases holding the extinguisher to the bulkhead worked exactly as they were supposed to； though in the mood I was in I would have had the canister off the wall no matter how it was fastened there。 I continued to my right； twisting the canister around into position in my hands as I moved。 I got it lined up just as the hoses started to shift toward me； and squeezed the handle。
My spray joined Nicabar's； and the tanks and hoses all but vanished into a roiling cloud of mist。 But the fire itself was still clearly visible； diminished but a long way yet from being quenched。 And with the gas pressure driving its erratic movements pletely unaffected by the foam； it was still just as dangerous as it had been before。
There was only one chance； and I had to take it before the extinguishers ran dry and the flame roared back to full strength again。 Squeezing the handle hard； keeping my stream of foam aimed as best I could； I charged straight in toward our adversary。 Nicabar shouted something from the doorway； but I couldn't make out what he was saying over the noise。 The hoses finished their oscillation the other direction and started swinging back； and in about half a second the flame would get its chance to incinerate me on its way to doing the same to Ixil。
And at the last moment； with my best effort at the long jump since failing to make my college track team； I leaped over the flame and landed squarely on the end of the hoses； pinning them in place on the deck。
I heard Nicabar give an encouraging whoop； and suddenly the billowing mist from his extinguisher was flowing coldly around my legs； a sharp contrast to the backwash of heat that already seemed to be trying to cook my feet inside my boots。 But for that final two seconds I didn't care about either the fire or Nicabar's efforts to put it out。 Dropping my own canister onto the deck； I grabbed the valve handle on the acetylene tank and twisted for all I was worth。
And with one final indignant gasping wheeze from the hoses； the fire went out。
CHAPTER 8
〃ALL I CAN say is that you were very lucky；〃 Everett said； shaking his head as he finished sealing the last burn pad around Ixil's leg and picked up the medical scanner again。 〃Very lucky indeed。 I know my hearing's not up to picking up sounds that subtle； especially through two doors。 If I'd still been on the bridge instead of McKell； I'd be pulling a blanket over your face about now。〃
〃Yes； I know；〃 Ixil said； his voice and manner the subdued humility of someone who knows he's done something stupid that has put himself in danger and made trouble for every