––––––––
For a moment, at least, the firing stopped—followed by an eerie silence as the elevator touched down and its barred doors rattled open. Even the cat hesitated. My God, thought Red, watching as Naaygi stepped out and seemed to look directly at him, her eyes gleaming and flickering as he had seen clear marbles do when illuminated by a laser pointer. They’ve reached a verdict.
And then, as the smilodon growled and the Nano-Ts followed Naaygi—slowly, assuredly, behaving nothing like animals—she raised her left arm and pointed a finger directly at the infirmary ... even as her right arm raised and pointed a finger at the carnival rides. And finally, as the cat snarled and moved toward her, she pointed at it (then simply stepped aside), and Red watched in disbelief as the animal he’d
