Chapter 15
The cave was much wider than Jim feared, leaving room for him and Maerlis to swim side by side. Belles and Nesil went in front, and the other three followed behind Rob. The red lights showed irregular dark rock all around them. No signs of machinery or anything other than a natural cave.
“Light up ahead,” Belles said. “Faint, but clear. Someone’s in here.”
Maerlis darted ahead. Jim touched her foot before she got too far away.
“You’re not going to let me go first, are you? Just promise you’ll look, not engage. If anything serious is going on, or if there are guards, we back out of here and call in the professionals.”
“I got it, Jim. And no, you’re not going first. You’re too slow.”
She joined the two Greponians in front, and they swam out of sight around a bend in the cave
