B20C23 - Manages

<The other chopper's going to see that this one has disappeared,> Tobias pointed out. <Even humans aren't that blind!>

But at that moment, as if in response to Tobias's warning, something new appeared. It looked as if it were a halo of light glowing all around the helicopter. But then it separated slowly, becoming distinct.

A second helicopter! It looked as if the real helicopter had shed an outer skin.

<A hologram,> Ax said grimly.

The true helicopter's rotors had come to a stop. The hatch was fully open. Up it rose. Up inside the Blade ship. And the hologram of the helicopter took its place, flying along, looking exactly like the real thing.

Jake and David soared. Jake flipped in midair, extended his talons, and caught an edge of one of the pylons. David grabbed a strut and held on.

The hatch began to close!

<No way!> I said. I flapped till I thought my lungs would burst. Hatch closing . . . me racing . . . hatch closing . . .

I saw Cassie zip through, followed by Ax.

No time left! The hatch was closing too quickly. The opening was two feet wide . . . eighteen inches . . . a foot . . . six inches . . .

Zoom!

I blew through, scraping my belly and my back. A split second later, I'd have splatted. But I was in! I killed speed, twisted hard, swooped under the belly of the helicopter, and landed on the now-closed deck.

<Yes!>

I'd made it! I'd made it aboard the Blade ship of Visser Three.

Oh, goody.

What, was I insane?