The net opened across the gallery.
Its corners struck the rails at the same moment, one edge held by a temporary clamp, the other drawn tight by the specialist’s winch. He had not thrown it at Iven. He had made the gallery into a narrowing pocket and left himself room to draw the whole pocket closed.
Iven stopped short of the first mesh.
A bolt struck his plate from below.
The bowman had moved into the open bay, where the angle let him shoot beneath the gallery’s outer rail. The third specialist came up behind the net man, carrying the long catching pole in both hands. Three prepared positions, supporting one another.
Iven gave them the movement they expected.
He sprang toward the outer rail.
The net man drew hard, bringing the mesh across the place where he would have landed. The bowman lifted his weapon toward the jump. The pole specialist shifted to cover the gallery’s far end.
