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‘All you have to do,’ Bernice had explained patiently for the third time, ‘is get the guard where Cwej here can come in and lay him out from behind.’

An explosion of anger from inside the room snapped him back to reality.

‘He said what? The dirty scummy slug!’

‘I know, I know.’ Forrester’s voice was world-weary. ‘But the shift supervisor’s a fraggin’ alien-lover. Me, I get caught in the middle. Do us both a favour: show me the stain. If I say it’s still there, then we’ve got grounds to get rid of the slug. Nothing but a troublemaker, that one.’

Powerless Friendless shifted slightly beside Cwej, and frowned.

‘It’s all right,’ Cwej said soothingly. ‘She doesn’t mean it.’

‘I suspect she does,’ Bernice said softly.

There was a scuffle of movement inside the room, then the guard said,

‘There, look at it. What kind of job do you call that?’

‘Hmm.’ Forrester was silent for a moment, then she said, ‘Hey, look at this.’

‘What?’

‘No, down here.’

‘Where?’

‘Look, right down here . . . ’

Cwej risked a look around the edge of the door. The guard was kneeling down, his eyes a few inches from the floor and Forrester’s pointing finger.

Forrester looked up at the doorway, saw Cwej and nodded towards the nape of the guard’s neck. A few quiet steps brought Cwej up behind the kneeling man’s back.

‘Can’t see nothing,’ the guard said.

‘What about this?’ Forrester said as Cwej’s hand sliced through the air, impacting on the guard’s temple with a meaty chunk! He shook his head slowly, and tried to turn around. By the time his eyes locked with Cwej’s, there was nobody home. He slumped gracelessly to the floor.

‘Brilliant,’ Bernice said as she and Powerless Friendless entered the room.

‘If ever I want some heavy hitting done, I’ll be in touch.’

‘Thanks,’ Cwej said, pleased at the unexpected praise. He looked around, taking in the details of the room for the first time. Apart from a desk and chair on one side and a metal vault door and a window set into the far wall, the 180

room was empty. Like Powerless Friendless had said, the window showed a view across to the next block, but the door in the wall next to it was security rated. He moved across and looked out of the window. It was no simcord, that was for sure.

Bernice walked across his side and stared at the vault door. As far as Cwej could see it was made of solid alutrium. A small but sophisticated security lock on the desk presumably controlled access to whatever lay beyond.

‘I don’t suppose . . . ’ Bernice started to say, then looked back at Forrester, Cwej and Powerless Friendless. ‘No,’ she finished, ‘I don’t suppose any of you do.’

‘Wait a moment,’ the Hith said, and slid forward. ‘I think I might be able to help.’

‘You?’ Forrester said. ‘How?’

Powerless Friendless’s eyestalks rotated to look at her. ‘Krohg,’ he said. ‘My pet. He’s good with locks.’ He started rummaging around in his rucksack.

‘This isn’t just a lock,’ Bernice said. ‘It’s a computer-controlled access system. No budgie, however smart, is going to get in.’

‘He’s very clever,’ Powerless Friendless said, still rummaging. ‘But I can’t seem to –’

‘He’s here,’ Cwej said, reaching into his pocket and closing his hand around the small, soft form of the creature named Krohg. At Forrester and Powerless Friendless’s accusing glares, he shrugged and said, ‘Well, he’s cute.’

‘Cute?’ Forrester said. ‘Cwej, you’re sick.’.

Cwej tickled the little orange creature under the chin – at least, he assumed it was the chin – and handed it to Powerless Friendless. The Hith slithered across to the desk and placed Krogh against the access panel, murmuring something to it as he did so. The little creature flattened itself against the keys, and quivered slightly.

‘We’re wasting time,’ Forrester said. ‘We need to get through that door, and this isn’t doing us any –’

With a beep and a faint rumble of machinery, the door opened.

‘I don’t believe it,’ Forrester murmured.

Cwej rushed across and picked Krohg up before Powerless Friendless could retrieve it.