Uncle Hoole looked skeptical. “Who would have a reason to harm Zak?”
Tash shrugged. “Maybe Zak wasn’t seeing things after all. Maybe this Dr. Evazan is still alive.”
Uncle Hoole considered the possibility. “It is extremely unlikely, Tash.”
But Tash’s words sounded right to her, and she was learning to trust her intuition.
“You’re a scientist,” she challenged. “You shouldn’t make up your mind until you have proof. And there’s only one way to find out.”
Hoole looked intrigued. “What do you propose?”
Tash decided to lay her cards on the table. “I want to dig up Dr. Evazan’s grave. That’s what Zak wanted to do, but I talked him out of it.”
She was afraid that Hoole would refuse immediately. To her surprise, the Shi’ido contemplated her request for a long moment. Then he turned to Deevee. “Deevee, you have files on Necropolis. Is there any custom or law that permits the dead to be exhumed?”
Deevee scanned his internal files. “I’m afraid not, Master Hoole. On Necropolis, once the body is buried, that’s where it stays. At least, that’s where one hopes it stays.”
Tash’s heart sank. “Does that mean we can’t have Evazan’s grave dug up?”
“No,” Uncle Hoole said firmly, “it means we will have to do it ourselves. “
Tash jumped to her feet. “Uncle Hoole, really?”
“That is an excellent decision, Master Hoole!” Deevee said excitedly. Then he calmed his voice down. “Of course, it’s my duty to warn you that grave-robbing is a serious offense on Necropolis. We must be careful.”
The Shi’ido nodded. “I agree. That’s why we must be ready to leave immediately. I want you to go back to the dockyard and see to the final arrangements about purchasing our new ship. Tash and I will meet you there.”
A few kilometers away and two meters beneath the ground, Zak heard the scraping outside his coffin grow louder. He could move one of his arms now, and he fumbled awkwardly in his pocket. He hoped they hadn’t removed his possessions before burying him…
There! He still had the small glowrod that Kairn had given him that first night. He activated it now, shedding a gloomy light on his tiny prison.
He wondered how much oxygen he had left. The light of the glowrod revealed small holes in the coffin. Who would put holes in a coffin?
Evazan!
As Zak watched, slimy, white creatures began to force their long fat bodies through the openings. The boneworms were coming in.
CHAPTER 16
Deevee arrived at the dockyard as nervous as a newly programmed protocol droid. Although he was pleased about Hoole’s decision, he wondered why his master was taking such a great risk. It wasn’t like Hoole to act irrationally. But sometimes the Shi’ido did things that even Deevee didn’t understand.
The smiling salesman, Meego, greeted Deevee warmly. “Good evening. We were just about to close up for the night. How may I be of service?”
“I am here to see that the ship we purchased is ready to be picked up.”
Meego’s smile widened. “Ah, yes, your ship, your ship. Well, we’ve had a slight problem with your ship. Nothing serious, mind you, just a small curve in the hyperspace lane, so to speak.”
Deevee was not programmed for metaphors. “A curve in a hyperspace lane would cause immense damage to anyone traveling there and probably result in a loss of life. Is that what you are implying, sir?”
The salesman winked as though he were telling a joke. “Look, it’s not that bad. The truth is we, um, accidentally sold your ship to someone else. Can you believe it? Of all the foolish things! I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“What can you tell me?” the droid said. “Specifically, what can you tell me about the credits my master transferred to you.”
Meego looked hurt. “Oh, not to worry, not to worry. Your master’s credits are safe with Meego. We’ll just consider them a down payment on any other ship you choose.”
The droid’s logic circuits sent out an internal alarm.
“Down payment? You mean you expect us to give you more money because you made a mistake?”
Meego’s expressive face sudden became very sympathetic. “Now, now, we are sorry about the error. But, you see, you bought the least expensive ship in the dockyard. So if you want to buy another one, you’ll have to spend just a little bit more.”
The salesman shrugged and smiled.
Deevee knew when he was being tricked. His analytical circuits burned hot as he searched for a solution. He looked around at the rows of ships until his photoreceptors settled on the well-worn hull of the ship Zak had told them about. It looked more like scrap metal than a starship, but Deevee trusted Zak’s opinion. “What about that ship?”