Chapter 20

           TheVillaStraylightwasaparasiticstructure,Caseremindedhimself,ashesteppedpastthetendrilsofcaulkandthroughMarcusGarvey’sforwardhatch.StraylightbledairandwateroutofFreeside,andhadnoecosystemofitsown.

           Thegangwaytubethedockhadextendedwasamoreelaborateversionoftheonehe’dtumbledthroughtoreachHaniwa,designedforuseinthespindle’srotationgravity.Acorrugatedtunnel,articulatedbyintegralhydraulicmembers,eachsegmentringedwithaloopoftough,nonslipplastic,theloopsservingastherungsofaladder.ThegangwayhadsnakeditswayaroundHaniwa;itwashorizontal,whereitjoinedGarvey’slock,butcurvedupsharplyandtotheleft,averticalclimbaroundthecurvatureoftheyacht’shull.Maelcumwasalreadymakinghiswayuptherings,pullinghimselfupwithhislefthand,theRemingtoninhisright.Heworeastainedpairofbaggyfatigues,hissleevelessgreennylonjacket,andapairofraggedcanvassneakerswithbrightredsoles.Thegangwayshiftedslightly,eachtimeheclimbedtoanotherring.

           TheclipsonCase’smakeshiftstrapdugintohisshoulderwiththeweightoftheOno-SendaiandtheFlatline’sconstruct.Allhefeltnowwasfear,ageneralizeddread.Hepusheditaway,forcinghimselftoreplayArmitage’slectureonthespindleandVillaStraylight.Hestartedclimbing.Freeside’secosystemwaslimited,notclosed.Zionwasaclosedsystem,capableofcyclingforyearswithouttheintroductionofexternalmaterials.