The stinger was a discriminating weapon. You had to aim it. That meant it wasn't of much use against this kind of attack. But Nightingale used his as well as he could, keeping the trigger depressed, and just swinging it around his head.

Biney's laser was a different matter. He saw it flash through the air, watched whole legions of the redbirds spin wildly and go down. Down in flames, you sons of bitches.

Other cactuses blew up as the stingers touched them.

Then something ripped into his back. He bit down a scream and fell to his knees, thinking he'd been hit by one of the weapons. But when he reached behind, his fingers closed on a feathery thing, which struggled frantically to get free. He crushed it.

The injury was in an awkward place, near his shoulder blade. He tried to reach it, gave up, and fell down on his back, gaining some relief by pressing it against the ground. He got off a couple more shots when something hit him again. In the neck.

The edges of his vision turned dark, his breathing slowed, and the world began to slip away.

Tatia was bending over him. She smiled when she realized he was awake. "Glad to see you're back with us, boss."

They were in the lander. He was on a couch. "What happened?" he asked.

"Here." She produced a mug from somewhere. "Drink this." Apple cider. It tasted warm and sweet. But his back and neck felt stiff. "We had to give you a painkiller."

He tried to look past her. Saw only Cookie. "Did everybody make it back?"

"All of Biney's people." She squeezed his arm. "But not Biney. Not Sherry. And not Andi." Her voice caught.

"There were swarms of the goddam things," said Cookie. "We were lucky any of us got out of there."

"It was horrible." Tatia shuddered. "They were coordinated. They'd hit us, and back off. Hit us, and back off. They came in waves, came from every direction."