those holding the ropes let go of
them. Only the quick action of the anchor men kept the ship from sliding
back under, dragging the harnessed doryms with it. A wave of silence
washed across the swamp in the wake of the running man's shouts. They
could be heard clearly now.

"_Quake! Quake on the way! South--only safe way is south!_"

One by one the ropes dropped back into the water and the Pyrrans turned
to wade to solid land. Before they were well started Rhes' voice cracked
out.

"Stay at work! Get the ship up, it's our only hope now. I'll talk to
Hananas, find out how much time we have."

These solitary people were unused to orders. They stopped and milled
about, reason fighting with the urgent desire to run. One by one they
stepped back to the ropes as they worked out the sense of Rhes' words.
As soon as it was clear the work would continue he turned away.

"What is it? What's happening?" Jason called to him as he ran by.

"It's Hananas," Rhes said, stopping by the litter, waiting for the
newcomer to reach him. "He's a quakeman. They know when quakes are
coming, before they happen."

Hananas ran up, panting and tired. He was a short man, built like a
barrel on stubby legs, a great white beard covering his neck and the top
of his chest. Another time Jason might have laughed at his incongruous
waddle, but not now. There was a charged difference in the air since the
little man had arrived.

"Why didn't ... you have somebody near a plate? I called all over this
area without an answer. Finally ... had to come myself--"

"How much time do we have?" Rhes cut in. "We have to get that ship up
before we pull out."

"Time! Who knows about time!" the graybeard cursed. "Get out or you're
dead."

"Calm down, Han," Rhes said in a quieter voice, taking the oldster's
arms in both his hands. "You know what we're doing here--and how much
depends on getting the ship up. Now how does it feel? This going to be a
fast one or a slow one?"

"Fast. Faster than anything I felt in a long time. She's starting far
away though, if you had a plate here I bet Mach or someone else up near
the firelands would be reporting new eruptions. It's on the way and, if
we don't get out soon, we're not getting out t'all."

* * * * *

There was a burble of water as the ship was hauled out a bit farther. No
one talked now and there was a fierce urgency in their movements. Jason
still wasn't sure exactly what had h