CHAPTER 34Ping walked several paces ahead of them as they made their way across the damp lawn toward the odd roller-coaster-shaped landing tube and the net where the copter rested on the ground. Sam had smudges of something on his cheek from working in the fabrication shop but didn’t take the time to wash up before leaving.
“You look like you crawled from beneath a car in a garage. We would have waited for a few minutes for you to clean up,” Mara said.
“We’re going up in the air. No one will see me or care how dirty I am,” he said. “I’d be more worried that the Aphotis is floating around up there. Are you sure it’s a good idea for us to be doing this? Seems like it might be safer to look for the swarm from the ground.”
“We’ll never find it riding around in a wagon and certainly couldn’t
