"The pilot was winning now, Gustat could see that. Mostly because of the Predator’s body weight. He was going to make it, the Predator sliding farther and farther back—until, finally, at the last possible moment, the Predator lost his grip, fell off to the ground.
Narith shouted the order and the big guns roared, stitching up and obliterating the ground around the Predator, who was just rising, holding onto something made of metal. Gustat couldn’t tell what." Page 143 Chapter 32

"The plane rose and rose and rose—and then dipped and then there was an odd crumbling sound and it exploded into a thousand pieces, red and orange and black smoke, a wheel dropping straight out of the sky like a child’s toy." Page 143 Chapter 32

"The Predator threw the piece of the airplane’s rudder into a corner and sat down in the huge black bone chair that dominated the bridge of its spaceship" Page 145 Chapter 33