bare shoulder. She made no response. She merelystood there, waiting for some kind of an answer from him.
"Then we'll have to hide from Charlie too. Please believe me," Glaudotsaid. "I'm a spaceman and you know very little about spacemen. Do youwant to learn?"
"Yes. Yes, I do."
"Then take me some place even Charlie will have difficulty finding us."
"But he'll know."
"What do you mean he'll know? Don't tell me you can read one another'sminds?"
"Oh, goodness, no. Nothing like that. But when we were very little Ionce told Charlie if ever I got mad at him I would go to hide in thecountry of the Cyclopes and he would never be able to find me becausethe Cyclopes would eat him. That was after we read about the Cyclopes inthe Ulysses story in our encyclopedia. You see?"
"Cyclopes, huh? You really mean one-eyed giants?"
"Yes. We made them but they don't obey us."
"Can the two of us hide in their land? Is it far?"
"No. Very close. But I don't know if I want--"
"I'm a spaceman, aren't I? And you want to learn all about spacemen andthe worlds beyond this place, don't you? Then come with me!"
"But--"
"If you say no and I go back to the spaceship we'll blast off and you'llnever see spacemen again the rest of your life," threatened Glaudot.
Robin did not answer. "Well?" Glaudot snapped, as if he was quiteindifferent. "Would you want that to happen?"
"No," Robin admitted after a while.
"Then let's go." They had to hurry, Glaudot knew. Riding that stallion,that incredible conjured-out-of-nothing stallion, Chandler had probablyreached the spaceship by now. A few words, a few hurried explanations,and Purcell would lead an armed party out after Glaudot.
Again Robin was silent. Glaudot stood stiffly in front of her, so closehe could reach out and wrap his arms about her. But this wasn't thetime, he told himself. Later ... later ...
"All right," Robin said at last, her eyes looking troubled. "I'll takeyou to the land of Cyclopes."
They began to walk, in silence. Half an hour later, the barren terrainof rocks gave way to a verdant jungle in which the trees were quite thebiggest Glaudot had ever seen and in which even the grass and thefragrant wild flowers grew over their heads. Glaudot had never felt sosmall.
* * * * *
"Wait a minute, Chandler," Captain Purcell said. "I listened in silenceto what you said. All of it, as incredible as it sounded. But you don'texpect me to believe--"
"Look at the horse. Where did I get the horse, sir?"
"So there are horses on this world. So what?"
"But I saw the girl create it out of thin air!"
"Really, Chandler."
"And I saw the corpse. My corpse, Captain. Mine!"
"But hell, man. Glaudot would have come back here with the girl. Heknows his obligation to civilization. He--"
"Glaudot, sir? Does he?"
Purcell scowled and said finally: "Chandler, either you and Glaudot havemade the most astonishing discovery since man first domesticated hisenvironment and so became more than a reasonably clever animal, oryou're the biggest liar that ever crossed deep space."
Chandler offered his captain a pale smile. "Why don't you find outwhich, sir?"
"By God," said Purcell, "I will. McCreedy!" he bawled over the intercom."Smith! Wong! I want an armed expedition of twenty-five men ready toleave the ship in half an hour."
And, exactly half an hour later, the expedition set out with CaptainPurcell and Chandler leading it. Chandler went astride the roanstallion.
* * * * *
When Charlie and his small Indian band learned that the action had takenplace to the south, where Robin had gone, they set out quickly in thatdirection. The further they went, the more worried Charlie became. IfRobin had met with any kind of success, if she had called off the warparty and established some kind of peaceful relations with the spacemen,a runner would have been sent to tell them. But the desolate rock-strewnterrain stretched out before them as devoid of life as the PaleozoicEarth.
Charlie urged his men on relentlessly. He was a tireless hiker and sincethe braves lived by hunting they could match almost any pace he set.Finally Charlie saw the second Indian band ahead of them. Slinging theMannlicher Elephant Gun, he began to run.
"Tashtu!" he called. "Tashtu!"
The Indian sprinted to him. "Lord," he said breathlessly, "one skycritter, him die. Turn out man."
"What are you talking about?" Charlie asked.
Tashtu led him to the group of braves which still clustered about EnsignChandler's body. "Why?" Charlie demanded, horror-struck. "Why?"
Tashtu told him all that had happened. How the braves had mistaken thespacesuited man for a monster. How arrows had been fired before they hadlearned otherwise. How Robin had come, and gone off with the spaceman.
"To their spaceship?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, Lord. That is what they spoke of." Tashtu pointed to the top ofthe rampart of rock. "From there, Lord, you can see it."
Charlie scrambled up the rock. From his giddy perch on top he could seethe tiny silver gleam of the spaceship--and a band of men, led by a manon horseback, approaching them. Charlie hurried down the rock, halfclimbing, half sliding. "They are coming," he said. "Maybe Robin's withthem." He remembered what had happened last time and said: "The rest ofyou return to your homes. Tashtu and I will go on ahead."
"But Lord--" Tashtu began.
"Well?"
"I did not like the man. I did not trust him."
"Then why did you let Robin go?"
"Let her, Lord? But surely Robin, the Lady Robin, does not obey amere--"
"All right, all right," Charlie said. "But all the more reason for therest of the braves to return to their homes. We can handle this, Tashtu,you and I. I don't want any more killing."
"Yes, Lord," said Tashtu.
The Indians formed a marching column and moved off. Charlie told Tashtuwhat he had seen from the top of the rampart. Then he added: "Let's goand meet them."
And Charlie and Tashtu set out across the tortuous Wild Country.
* * * * *
"Two men coming!" Chandler cried, reining up the roan stallion.
Captain Purcell signaled his twenty-five men to halt, and their orderlydouble file came up short behind him. Pretty soon the two figures couldbe seen by all, advancing toward them across the rocks. When they wereclose enough, Captain Purcell hailed: "We come in peace!"
"And in peace we come!" Charlie called. A moment later he was shakinghands gravely with Captain Purcell.
"Tell the captain about--about my corpse," Chandler told Tashtu.
Charlie looked at Chandler. He had seen the dead man. "Did Robin makeyou?" he asked in surprise. "We never brought the dead to life before."
"Can you really do it?" Purcell demanded.
"No, not really. But we can copy perfectly--and the copies live."
"You see?" Chandler demanded triumphantly.
Captain Purcell said: "Show me."
* * * * *
Charlie created a brother to the roan stallion. Captain Purcell gawked.The one example sufficed and he did not ask for more as Glaudot haddone.
"Where's Robin?" Charlie asked. "At the ship?"
Chandler shook his head. "Glaudot went off with her."
"But I thought he was on the ship!"
"He deserted," Chandler said. "With the girl. He wants her. He wants herpower for himself."
Charlie moved very quickly. He swung in front of Chandler and grabbedhis tunic-front, bunching it, ripping it and all but dragging Chandlerclear off his feet before a hand could be raised to stop him. "Where didthey go?" he asked in a terrible voice. "Where are they? Take me tothem."
"But I don't--don't know!" Chandler protested, trying without success tobreak free.
It was Captain Purcell who came forward and firmly
took Charlie's arm,pulling him clear of Chandler. "Remember," he said. "In peace. Inpeace."
Charlie stood with his hands at his sides. His face was white andstrained. "The girl," he said.
"We all want to find out where Glaudot took her," Captain Purcell said."We're going to help you. Tell me: could the girl have gone willinglywith Glaudot? To share his mad dream of power, perhaps?"
"Robin?" Charlie cried. "Never!"
"Please, lad," Captain Purcell said. "I want you to think. I want you toconsider everything. You and this girl of yours may have almost godlikepowers, but you've spent your lives on an uncivilized world andwell--frankly--couldn't a sophisticated man like Glaudot turn the girl'shead? Couldn't he confuse her into going off with him, at leasttemporarily? And, assuming, he did, he doesn't know this world. He'saware of that. He'd know we'd be coming after him. Perhaps the girlwould tell him about you. Tell me, man--where would the girl go if shedidn't want you to find her? Is there such a place? Before you answer, Iwant you to know that what we do here may be far graver than you think.It is not merely the safety of one girl we have to consider--but no, youwouldn't understand ..."
"You mean," Charlie asked, "if this man Glaudot somehow convinces Robinto use her power as he tells her, he might want to take over all ofCrimson?"
"Do you mean this world? Is it called Crimson? Yes--and more than that.There's no telling how far a man like Glaudot could go with such power.And with the ability to create all the armament and all the deadlyweapons he needed, and all the missiles to carry those weapons, he mightchallenge the entire galaxy--and win!"
The words were strange to Charlie. He only understood them vaguely. NowRobin, she would understand, he thought. Robin was always moreinterested in things like that, Robin who almost knew their encyclopediaby heart, Robin ...
"Listen," he said. "Listen. We created all the life on this world. Wemade Greeks and Royal Navymen and Ministers and Russians and Congressmenand everything we knew or somehow had heard about or had read in ourbook. We get along fine with all of them, except ..."
"Yes," Captain Purcell prompted. "Go on, go on!"
"No, she'd never go there. She was always afraid of them."
"Where, man? Where?"
"No. Robin wouldn't. She just wouldn't."
It was not hot in Wild Country, but sweat trickled down Purcell's facewhile he waited for Charlie's answer.
* * * * *
"Show me!" cried Glaudot in rapture. "Show me! Show me! Show me!"
He stood with Robin in a little glade in the Land of the Cyclopes. Aboutthem were heaped all the treasures Glaudot had suddenly demanded. He didnot quite know why. He felt his iron control slipping and permitted itto slip now, for once he got this wild desire from his system, he knewonly his untroubled iron will would be left, and with it--and thegirl--he might conquer the galaxy.
Heaped about them were jewels and precious metals and deadly weapons,all of which Robin had summoned into being at Glaudot's orders, whileGlaudot smiled at her. It was almost a frightening smile. She was even alittle sorry she had come away with him, but she could always go back,couldn't she? She wasn't shackled to this strange man from space, wasshe? And the way he looked at her, the desire she saw in his eyes, thatwas frightening too. She did not know how to cope with it. Oh, she couldcreate a duplicate Charlie, for example. Charlie would know what to do.Charlie would help her. Charlie hadn't read the book as she had read it,but Charlie was more practical. Still, what would they do with theduplicate Charlie afterwards? You couldn't uncreate something ...
"A spaceship," Glaudot said suddenly. "Can you create a spaceship out ofnothing?"
* * * * *
Robin nodded slowly. "I can. Yes, I can. It tells all about spaceshipsin the book. But I don't know if I want to."
Glaudot let it pass. There was no hurry. He was thinking about thefuture, though. If Purcell opposed him, as Purcell would, and managedto escape in the exploration ship, Glaudot would need a ship to leavethis world ...
"Why not?" he asked, his voice quite calm now, the mania which hadseized him under control now, and only his iron purpose motivating him.
"I--I don't know. You have one spaceship. I guess that's why. What doyou need another one for?"
"It was just a thought," said Glaudot. "It doesn't matter." He kneelednear the heaps of sun-dazzled jewels. He let them trickle through hisfingers. No, the desire wasn't gone yet. It was still fighting with hiswill. And, since he knew his will could win at any time, it pleased himto give his desire free rein.
He scooped up a handful of jewels. He found a necklace and came close toRobin and dropped it over her head. The pearls were very white againsther sun-tanned skin. The pearl pendant hung almost to the start of thedusky valley which cleaved her breasts delightfully and disappeared withthe tanned swell of flesh on either side into the gold-mesh halter.Glaudot fingered the pendant. His fingers touched flesh. Abruptly hedrew the surprised Robin to him and kissed her lips hungrily.
For a moment she remained passive. She neither returned his ardor norfought it. But when his hands began to stroke her back she pulled awayfrom him and stood there looking at him. She took the necklace off andthrew it at his feet.
"I don't want that any more," she said. "Why did you do--what you did?"
* * * * *
He felt the fire in his veins. He willed it to subside. He needed hiscontrol now. All of it. But this girl, in the full flower of her youth... No, she was not a girl, not to Glaudot. He must not think of her asa girl. She was power. Power. The power was his--if he didn't alienatethe girl.
"We do such as that on my world," he said. "It is a kind of homage toloveliness. I hope you didn't mind."
"I--it was strange. With Charlie sometimes I hope--but with Charlie itis ... different. Please don't touch me again. Please promise me that."
Glaudot shrugged. "If you wish, my dear child, if you wish...."
The dual desire was gone now, truly gone. He knew that. For his will hadbeen threatened, more by his own foolish desire than by this innocentgirl. He had to think. Clearly. More clearly than he had ever thoughtbefore. He needed the girl as an ally. Not as a slave. She had to bewilling. She had to co-operate. Give her a warped picture of the rest ofthe galaxy? Convince her its governments were evil, totalitarian, whenin reality they were democratic? Convince her that he alone, givenunlimited power, could right the wrongs of a thousand worlds? She wasnaive enough for that sort of approach, he thought. Besides, it wouldstrike her as something like creation--moral creation, perhaps. Andcreation she would understand. Then, with her as his partner, he couldquickly build a war machine which the combined might of the galaxycouldn't stand against. And that, he suddenly realized, would eveninclude an unlimited number of soldiers for occupation and policingduties. This power would be unparalleled.
"I have something I want to tell you about," he said. "It will take along time and we must be undisturbed, which is why I asked you to bringme here."
"What is it you want to tell me?"
Before Glaudot could answer, they heard a crashing, rending sound nottoo far off in the woods. It sounded to Glaudot exactly as if trees werebeing uprooted, boulders strewn carelessly.
"Cyclopes!" Robin screamed in terror, and began to run.
Glaudot ran after her, stumbling, picking himself up, hurtling inpursuit. He couldn't let her get away. He had to follow her ...
Nothing living, he told himself as he ran, could uproot those hugetrees. Of course, there were the saplings, but even the saplings werethe size of full-grown oaks and maples on far Earth.
Something roared behind him. The sound was pitched almost too low forhuman ears. He whirled. The earth shook, great clods of it flying. Baretree roots suddenly appeared, and a young tree the size of a toweringoak was lifted skyward.
Behind it, brandishing it and then hurling it away, was a naked manwhose head towered impossibly a hundred and fifty fe
et into the air.Trembling, awestruck, Glaudot looked up at the great savage face. Wildhair streaming, filthy beard matted with dirt and tree-branches, it wasthe most ferocious face Glaudot had ever seen.
And it had only one eye, one enormous eye in the middle of its head. Butan eye three feet across!
"A Cyclops!" Robin screamed again.
A moment later the creature stooped and with a scooping motion of itsgreat right hand picked up the two tiny creatures on the forest floorbeneath it. Then it ran, uprooting oak-sized saplings, back toward therocky hillside where it dwelled, after the Cyclopes of old on whichRobin and Charlie had naively patterned it, in a cave overlooking thesea.
* * * * *
"Where, man? Where?" Captain Purcell demanded.
"I don't know," Charlie said. "I really don't think she would. You see,she always threatened she'd go there if we ever had a fight, but she wasusually half-joking. She knows it's dangerous--"
"But where? Don't you know a drowning man has to grasp at straws?Haven't I gotten it across to you--the whole