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ned him。 The two men went to work on the bolts that held the grating to its frame； and in a moment they were able to lift the panel free。 Scott and Rand crawled in。 Lunk handed rope； a tool pouch； and an aluminum carry case up to Rook。 She waved him good luck and followed Scott's lead into the horizontal duct。
Less than fifteen feet into the duct； Scott stopped and whispered： 〃The control room is on the third floor。 It should take us about ten minutes to get there。〃
Rook could barely discern him in the darkness。 Ten minutes was going to feel like an eternity。
Down below； the arena was rapidly filling to capacity and Annie was circulating in front of the stage doing what she did best： inciting the crowd。
〃。。。At her last concert a whole bunch of people got up on stage； and everybody started partying and having a good ole time；〃 she told everyone within earshot。 〃Some of us even got to go backstage with Yellow Dancer after the concert and party some more！ But this one's going to be the best！ I hear that she might not perform like this again； so we better make this the one to remember。 Right？！〃
〃All right！〃 several people shouted。 〃Party time！〃
Meanwhile； Yellow Dancer was entertaining guests in her backstage dressing room。 She had changed to a sleeveless pink and burgundy pants outfit with a matching bowed headband； which held her hair up and off her neck。
〃At the last concert； some of my fans came up on stage and really made a mess of things；〃 she was explaining； facing the mirror while she applied eye liner。 〃I'd rather that didn't happen again。〃
〃We won't allow that here；〃 Briggs； the facility security chief； said from behind her。 Yellow smiled at him in the mirror。 〃We'll do our job and guarantee you plete security。 As long as nothing happens to bring the Invid down on us。〃
〃Those horrible creatures；〃 Yellow said； twisting up her face。
〃Aah； they're not so bad once you get to know them；〃 the chief started to say。
Lancer's friend； Woods； threw him a conspiratorial wink from a corner of the room。 He was a handsome young man with a pencil…thin mustache whose taste ran to calfskin jackets and black leather ties。 Just now he was holding the large bouquet of flowers Briggs had brought along for Yellow Dancer。 〃We know you'll do your best； Colonel；〃 Woods said encouragingly。
Lancer saw the chief's puffy face turn red with embarrassment。 〃You're damn right we will。〃
〃And I want to thank you so much for the flowers；〃 Yellow gushed； turning away from the mirror now to flash Briggs a painted smile。 〃They're lovely。〃
Briggs leered at her。 〃Anything for you； Yellow； anything you want。〃
Scott； Rook； and Rand had reached the third floor of the facility。 The duct opened out into a small area that served as the relay center for the facility's security systems。 Scott and Rand moved in to try to make sense of the tangle of wires and switches that covered two full walls of the room。 It took several minutes to locate the feeds from the security cameras； but the rest was child's play。 Rook unsnapped the clasps on the carry case and began to hand over the devices Lunk assured them would scramble the a/v signals。 Scott and Rand quickly attached these to the feeder cables and set off on the next leg of their cramped journey。
The map called for a brief return to the air duct system before they could enter the actual storage area。 But once through this； they would be free to move about at will…assuming Lunk's devices did the trick。 They dropped out of the duct into a maintenance corridor that encircled the supply room but had no access to it except for a single elbow conduit located clear around the back of the building。 Rand volunteered to test the effectiveness of Lunk's scramblers by making faces at one of the surveillance cameras。 When no sirens went off and no guards came running； the trio figured they were in the clear and decided to use one of the maintenance carts to convey them to the conduit…an open…topped electric affair with two seats and a single headlamp that brought them around back in a quarter the time it would have taken them to walk。
They stopped at the first elbow conduit and menced a careful count。 Rook looked over the map； while Scott took charge of noting their position relative to the first main。
〃Under the main line； thirteenth from the right；〃 Scott said； recalling the scrawled notation on the map。 He gestured to an elbow up ahead。 〃That must be it。〃
The conduit was made of light…gauge metal； it was a good four feet in circumference and stood at least six feet high from floor to right…angle bend。 It was held in place by a circular flange； but promised to be flexible enough once the bolts securing the flange to the floor were undone。 Rand and Scott took box wrenches from the tool pouch and immediately set to work。 At the same time； Rook took a coil of rope from the cart and began to tie it fast to one of the adjacent elbows。
When the last of the bolts had been loosened and removed； Rook and Scott shoved the conduit to one side and bent down to peer into the shaft below。
Rand squinted and smiled to himself as his eyes fixed upon the objects of their search： crate after crate of Protoculture canisters； each the size and shape of a squat thermos。
〃There's a mountain of it down here；〃 he reported。
Scott gave a tug on the rope Rook had tied to the conduit。 〃Feels strong enough；〃 he mented while Rook tied the other end around her waist。 〃The security system down there is still operative。 You touch anything…the wall； the ceiling； the floor…and you'll trigger it。〃
Rook sat down and let her legs dangle through the opening。 Rand and Scott took hold of the rope and signaled their readiness。 〃All right；〃 she told them。 〃Let's get this over with before I change my mind。〃
Yellow Dancer's concert was under way。 She streaked onto the stage like a et； with the band already laying down the intro to 〃Look Up！〃 and the audience of several thousand roaring their appreciation。 It was a heavy message number that had bee something of an anthem in the Southlands； and Yellow loved singing it。 She stood with her legs spread apart； one hand on her hip； holding the mike like an upturned glass； her body accenting the beat。
Another winter's day
Another gray reminder that what used to be
Has gone away。
It's really hard to say；
How long we'll have to live with our insanity；
We have to pay for all we use；
We never think before we light the fuse。。。
Look up； look up； look up！
The sky is fall…ing！
Look up；
There's something up you have to know。
Before you try to go outside；
To take in the view；
Look up； because the sky
Could fall on you。。。
Yellow looked to the stage wings； where the colonel was eagerly trying to stomp his foot to the music； an ear…to…ear grin on his face； his men vigilant throughout the arena。
Loaded down with canisters of Protoculture fished from the storage room； the electric cart sped away from the maintenance corridor and entered a stone serviceway； damp； foul…smelling； and seemingly unused for centuries。 Rook； still dizzy from her upside…down descent into the storage room； had the map spread open in her lap while Scott drove。 In the dim ambient light； she tried to match juncture points in the serviceway with the vague scrawls indicated on the map。 Finally she told Scott to stop the cart。 He got out and began to inspect the stones at eye level along the right…hand wall of the corridor。
〃Should be over here somewhere；〃 Rook heard him say。 She watched him lay his hand against one of the stones； and in a moment the wall was opening。 Another corridor was revealed； perpendicular to the first and decidedly downhill。
〃And this is supposed to lead to the concert hall？〃 Rook said uncertainly。
〃Looks to me like it leads to the dungeon；〃 Rand said behind her。
Back at the wheel； Scott edged the cart forward into the dark passageway。 〃Lancer said it was an escape route constructed by the man who originally had this place built。〃
〃Well； let's hope so；〃 Rook answered him as the stone wall reassembled itself behind them。
The ramp dropped at a steep angle that sorely tested the electric cart's brakes； but the important thing was that they were