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obbing gently around the edges； looking like some exotic form of seaweed drifting in a calm current。 Half a dozen of the lighted displays I'd seen against the walls were also at the edge of the open area； fastened by wires through the mesh and facing inward toward the center； from one of them a slender； articulated black…and…silver…banded extension arm stretched right to the point six and a half meters away from me where the center of the sphere should be。 All the display lights were red； giving the area an eerie； blood…tinged look。 I moved my light around the room again； steeling myself for what would probably be the very unpleasant sight of a dead ferret。 But there was no sign of his body。 Apparently； he hadn't made it through the wire maze before he died。
And then； abruptly； I caught my breath； swinging my light back toward the center again。 So intent was I on looking for Pax's body that it had only now occurred to me that there should have been something else in here： the resonance crystal and control board that Nicabar and Chort said a stardrive like this was supposed to e equipped with。
Unfortunately； this one wasn't。
Carefully； I ran my light over every square centimeter of the place； a tight knot twisting like a case…hardened drill bit into my stomach。 I'd pinned a lot on Tera's assumption that the Icarus concealed an alien stardrive； but not until that moment did I realize just how much pinning I had actually done。 If we couldn't get this thing to jump us past the Patth net； then we'd had it； pure and simple。 I remembered Shawn's question on that point； and how glibly I'd brushed him off with the suggestion that we would be no worse off if Cameron's archaeologists had been wrong。
But I'd been the one who'd been wrong。 All the work we'd done had indeed been for nothing； just as Shawn had warned。 Worse； my brilliant scheme had cost us precious time； a loss I realized now we were going to sorely regret。 Not only had the Patth been given the opportunity to consolidate and perhaps reconfigure their hunt for us； but the lost days had let Shawn's medical condition deteriorate to the point where there were probably no more than three or four planets we could reach in time to get him the borandis he would soon be needing。 And to top it off； if the Patth had guessed we had had to go to ground for repairs or recalibration after the Utheno attack； then they would be concentrating everything they had on this region。 The region that； sooner or later； we were going to have to pop up into。
On the other hand； if this electrician's nightmare wasn't a stardrive； what the hell would the Patth want with it anyway？ A possibly reassuring thought； but not； I realized immediately； nearly as reassuring as it might have been。 The Icarus could still be the massive alien stardrive Cameron's people suspected； only with the vital crystal either removed or crumbled into dust。 That would put us in the depressing position of having something that was totally useless to us； yet was still worth killing us to get。
Unless。。。
I played the light around again。 If it was merely a matter of finding the right kind of crystal； that was the kind of miracle we still had an outside chance of pulling off。 I doubted such a rock would be an off…the…shelf item these days； but if I could get a message to Uncle Arthur； he might be able to dig one up from somewhere and get it to us。
I let go of the mesh； hovering in midair as I wiped some more sweat from my face。 And as I did so； I suddenly heard a sound like two pieces of metal scratching together。 The same sound； I realized； that I'd heard while sitting out in the big sphere with Tera。
Only this time it was ing from somewhere nearby。
I swung my light around； hoping to catch a glimpse of moving machinery。 But the sound had stopped before I could get the light more than a fraction of the way around； despite the fact that I'd whipped my arm fast enough to send the rest of my body into a slow tumble。 Cursing under my breath； I reached back out for the mesh。
My fingers closed on thin air。 The mesh was out of my reach。
I tried again； swinging my body awkwardly over as I tried to get enough extension； frowning at the plete illogic of the situation。 I'd been motionless relative to the mesh when I'd started； and no matter how much I'd twisted and turned； my center of mass should have remained that same distance away from it。 That was basic level…one physics。
Yet there the mesh was； sitting a good five centimeters outside my best reach。 I knew I hadn't bumped the mesh； which might have given me the necessary push； and any air current strong enough to account for this much movement ought to have been whistling in my ears； which it wasn't。 Muttering a curse； I reached to my tool pouch for the longest probe I had with me。 The patented McKell luck was running true to form； gumming up my life with plications I didn't need； didn't want； and most certainly didn't have time to deal with。 I got a good grip on the end of the probe and stretched it out to the mesh。
It didn't reach。
I stared at the gap between mesh and probe； a bad taste suddenly tingling against my tongue。 I was moving away from the mesh； all right。 Slowly and subtly； but now that I was looking for it I could definitely see the mesh receding。 And the only way I could be moving like this was if the small sphere had suddenly developed a gravitational field like its big brother beside it。
I looked around again； paying special attention to the loops of cable hanging through to my side of the mesh。 No； the field wasn't exactly like that of its big brother； I corrected myself。 It was； instead； an exact inverse of it。 Instead of pulling everything toward the outer wall； this one was pushing everything toward the center。 I tried to think how it could be pulling that one off； but my mind wasn't up to it。
Besides； I had more urgent things to think about at the moment。 If the field was focused toward the center of the sphere…and that was certainly how it looked from the way the hanging cables were now pointed inward…then once I hit the zero mark I would be pretty well stuck there。 Any direction I turned I would be looking uphill； and with absolutely nothing available to kick or push off against； I would be as solidly pinned as a mosquito in a spiderweb。
I picked another curse out of my repertoire； a heavy…duty one this time； as I swung my light around looking for inspiration。 There were the hanging cables； of course； now resembling Spanish moss more than they did floating seaweed。 But without knowing what any of them were for I would have to be pretty desperate before I'd risk damage to either the Icarus or myself by tugging at them。 Besides which； a second look showed that I wasn't going to get anywhere within grabbing range of any of them。
Still； once I'd choked down the panic reaction and forced myself to think rationally； I realized that I was hardly in dire straits。 Tera knew I was in here； and once I failed to emerge it would only be a matter of time before Ixil or one of the others ventured in to find out what had happened to me。 A rope belayed outside and carefully threaded in through the tangle of wires； and I could pull my