The Beezer’s strange chicken legs bent in ways a human’s couldn’t, compensating for the uneven ground.

The world flashed by alarmingly fast as the Beezer loped along over tussocks and bogs. “I can see why they haven’t been fully exploited yet,” he said weakly, “Too bumpy.”

The Baba shook her head. “No. They are not used because they are too dangerous,” she said seriously.

“Oh, great. Thanks for that,” said Marlin dryly. He wrapped his fingers tighter around the rope. “Where are we going, anyway?”

The Baba ignored him.

“Where are we going?” Marlin persisted. I didn’t ask for any of this, he thought angrily. The lurching gait of the Beezer was starting to make him feel like he’d been shaken up in a shuttle pod for a couple of hours.

“Techpod,” said the Baba at last, her face still turned away from him.

“Techpod?” Marlin didn’t hide his surprise. The science base out in the marsh was off-limits for normal citizens. “You came from Techpod to get me? But... why didn’t they send an amphibious or something?” He would have expected a Hopper, an amphibious or anything. Anything but a Beezer and the woman in front of him.

“They have their reasons,” she said crisply, and turned round to fix him with her glittering little black eyes. “You mind your tongue, boy.”

“Will it take long to get there?” asked Marlin, but the look on her face silenced him. He settled himself as comfortably on the creature as he could, and concentrated on hanging on.

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