is no time for a successful evacuation. Delay will almost certainly cost lives." Dissanayake stood and picked up his cap from the desktop. "And now I must see to my duties. You're welcome to monitor the operation from here if you like."
Jayewardene shook his head. "No, thank you. We do appreciate your taking time to see us."
The general extended his palms. "I wish I could have been more helpful. Good luck to us all, even the ape." The sky was beginning to brighten when they got back to the car. Saul was leaning against the door, an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Tachyon and Jayewardene walked over to him as Danforth and Paula got into the car.
"Everything proceeding according to plan?" Jayewardene asked.
"She's out and hidden. Nobody seems to have noticed a thing." Saul pulled out a plastic lighter. "Now?"
"Now or never," said Tachyon, sliding into the backseat. Saul flicked the lighter and stared a moment at the flame before starting up his cigarette. "Let's get the hell out of Dodge."
"Five minutes," said Jayewardene, walking quickly to the other side of the car.
They pulled up next to the front gate. The guard walked slowly over and extended his hand. "Your badges, please." Jayewardene unclipped his and handed it over as the guard collected them.
"Shit," said Danforth. " I dropped the damn thing." Saul flipped on the car's interior lights. Jayewardene glanced at his watch. They didn't have time for this. Danforth reached into the crack between the edge of the seat and the door, made a face, and pulled out the badge. He handed it quickly to the guard, who took the badges back to his post before swinging the gate open.
The gate creaked closed behind them with less than two minutes left. Saul pushed the accelerator quickly up to fifty, doing his best to avoid the larger potholes.
" I hope Radha can manage this. She's never extended her powers over such a large area before." Tachyon drummed his fingers on the vinyl car seat. He turned to look back. "We're far enough away, I think. Stop here."
Saul pulled over and they all got out and looked back toward the base.
"I don't get it." Danforth crouched down next to the rear of the car. "I mean, all she can do is turn into an elephant. I don't see where this gets us."
"Yes, but the mass has to come from somewhere, Mr. Danforth. And electrical energy is the most easily convertible source." Tachyon looked at his watch. "Twenty seconds."
"You know, if you could make your movies this exciting, Mr D...." Paula shook her head. "Come on, Radha."
The entire base went silently dark. "Hot damn." Danforth popped up and bounced on his toes. "She did it." Jayewardene looked at the gray sky above the horizon. A dark shape lifted itself up out of the larger blackness and moved toward them, throwing off occasional blue sparks. "I think she may be a bit overcharged," said Tachyon. "But no gunfire. I'm sure they don't know what hit them."
"That's fine," said Danforth. "Because I'm not really sure what did either."
"What I understand," said Saul, leaning into the front seat and starting up the car, "is that no more choppers are taking off from there for a while. And Miss Elephant Girl owes me a new battery from yesterday."
Radha flew in and landed next to the car, sparks igniting from each foot as she touched the ground. Jayewardene thought she looked a little bigger than she had the day before. Tachyon walked over and stepped onto her front leg, his hair standing out like a clown's wig as he touched her. Radha lifted him up onto her back.
"We'll see you soon, with luck," the alien said, waving. Jayewardene nodded. "The drive to Adam's Peak should take us about an hour from here. Fly northwest as quickly as you can."
The elephant rose noiselessly into the air and they were gone before anything else could be said.
The road was narrow. Dense trees grew to its edge and stretched ahead endlessly. They had been alone except for a bus and a few horse-drawn carts. Jayewardene explained to them what the ape really was and how he had come by the knowledge. Discussing his ace ability passed the time during the drive. Saul was pushing as hard as he could on the mud-slicked roads, making better time than Jayewardene had thought possible.
"I don't understand one thing, though," said Paula, leaning forward from the backseat to put her head next to