the sheen of the streetlights. The motion of the water gave the illusion that the warehouses were rocking gently.
And cradled within one of those faded and pitted buildings was Baby, Tachyon's living spaceship. Her friend, servant, stellar steed.
Tach was once again in Tommy's arms as they flew toward the building.
"How you doin'?"
Tach threw back her hair. "I can't reach her," she panted. She licked sweat from her upper lip.
"Maybe Baby'll be suspicious. I mean Durg and Blaise ordering her to leave, and you told her not to trust Blaise."
"Yes, but they'll have the master with them. Even if this creature which has stolen my skin hasn't mastered my mental powers, Baby won't question him." Tach pressed a hand to her face. "They're loyal ... they aren't bright."
"Even if she buys it," Tommy said, "they can't get far, right? You burned out the whatchacallit when you came to earth, right? You know, the warp drive, whatever you call it ... "
"The ghost drive," Tach told him, her voice dull.
"Yeah," Tommy agreed. "So the ship's crippled..."
"Once," Tach said heavily. "No longer."
Tommy turned his head to look at her. His mouth opened wordlessly. Tach didn't need to be a telepath to read the dismay in his eyes.
"On Takis, we have a saying-as patient as a ship.' They are living organisms, Tommy. Given time enough, and rest, the ships can heal themselves."
"Oh, fuck," he said. "How long since..."
"It took her forty-two of your years to recover from the grievous damage I'd done her in my haste to reach earth. Two years ago, Baby told me that she was whole again." A thin hysterical laugh bubbled out between her lips. "I thought it best to keep it secret. Your government has coveted Baby before. I saw no reason to reawaken their interest. So I told no one... except of course my heir... my blood and bone... my beloved grandson, Blaise. . ."
They were drawing closer. Tachyon struggled to contain it, but the sound erupted like steam from a broken pipe. A shrill inchoate scream that finally resolved into words.
"Baby, listen to me! Hear me!"
"Oh ... shit."
Something in Tommy's voice brought her head up, eyes searching desperately through the video monitors. It wasn't hard to spot. The roof of the warehouse was erupting like a wood-and-plaster volcano. The hull of the ship seemed almost white against the murky New York sky. The lights on her spines were glowing amber and lilac. It was a beautiful sight. Except when it was ruining your life.
"Baby, No!" Tach slewed around, one fist beating desperately at the Turtle's chest. "Tommy, do something!" Tom flipped on the PA system. "This is the turtle. Stop! That's not lord tisianne. I have the real tachyon! Stop!"
Baby was bolting for the smog layer like a falcon with her tail on fire. Tommy muttered a curse, leaned back in the contoured chair, closed his eyes. Tach felt the muscles in the human's arms bunch and jump as Tom gripped the arms of his chair and concentrated. And suddenly they were climbing, and at a greater speed than Tachyon had ever experienced with the turtle shell.
Their increased speed was not closing the gap with Baby. No matter how much Tom pushed, he was not going to match the speed of a spacecraft attaining escape velocity. But as Tach watched, she saw Baby shudder and jerk like a trout hitting the end of a fishing line.
"What have you done?"
"Grabbed her with my teke," grunted Tommy. His eyes were narrowed to slits, and sweat was starting to roll down his round cheeks.
Tach was amazed. "Can you hold her?"
"I have no fucking idea."
"So what are you trying to do?"
"I don't know yet! I just did itl Now I'm trying to work it out!"
Tach glanced again at one of the monitors. If Baby escaped, she was trapped-forever. Her mind spun in frenzied circles-this can't be happening ... Tommy won't let this happen ... if I close my eyes, it's yesterday, and this isn't happening.
"Shit," said Tommy, and his teeth rattled like dice on a marble floor.
Tachyon realized that she was shivering, great shuddering heaves that shook her tiny frame. "What?"
"I'm not flying the shell any longer. We're being pulled along. And I'm not slowing her at all." Tommy craned about, examining the shell as if he'd never seen it before. "First the heat goes, then the air. We gotta go back."
"No!"
"Tachyon, we've got no choice." His fingers bit deep into her shoulders.