12
"There is only one way they could be moving--toward the mountains."Hume stood in the open space among the bubble tents, facing him thefour men of the camp, the three civs and Rovald. "You say it's beenseven days, planet time, since I left here. They may have been fivedays on that trail. If possible we have to stop them before they reachthat valley."
"A fantastic story." Chambriss wore the affronted expression of a manwho expected no interference with his own concerns. Then catchingHume's eye he added, "Not that we doubt you, Hunter. We have theevidence in those dumb brutes waiting out there. However, by your ownstory, this Wass is an outside-the-law Veep, on this planet secretlyfor criminal purposes. Surely there is no reason for us to risk oursafety in his behalf. Are you certain he is in any danger at all? Youand this young man here have, by your testimony, been into theenemies' territory and have been able to get out again."
"Through a series of fortunate chances which might never occur again."Hume was patient, too patient, Rovald seemed to think. His hand moved,he was holding a ray tube so that a simple movement of the wrist couldsend a crisping blast across all the rest of the party.
"I say, stop this yapping and get out there and pick up the Veep!"
"I intend to--after I call the Patrol."
Rovald's tube was now aimed directly at Hume. "No Patrol!" heordered.
"This wrangling has gone far enough." It was Yactisi who spoke with anauthority which startled them all. And as their attention swung tohim, he was already in action.
Rovald cried out, the weapon spun from his fingers, fingers which wereslowly reddening. Yactisi nodded with satisfaction and he held hiselecto pole ready for a second attack. Vye scooped up the tube whichhad whirled across the ground to strike against his borrowed boot.
"I'll set the call for the Patrol, then I'll try to locate Wass," Humestated.
"Sensible procedure," Yactisi approved in his dry voice. "You believethat you are now immune to whatever force this alien installationcontrols?"
"It would seem so."
"Then, of course, you must go."
"Why?" Chambriss countered for the second time. "Suppose he isn't soimmune after all? Suppose he gets out there and is captured again?He's our pilot--do you want to be planet bound _here_?
"This man is also a pilot." Starns indicated Rovald, who was nursinghis numb hand.
"Since he, too, is one of these criminals, he's not to be trusted!"Chambriss shot back. "Hunter, I demand that you take us off planet atonce! And it is only fair to inform you that I also intend to prefercharges against you and against the Guild. Empty world! Just how emptyhave we found this world?"
"But, Gentlehomo," Starns showed no signs of any emotion but eagercuriosity, "to be here at this time is a privilege we could not hopeto equal except by good fortune! The T-Casts will be avid for ourstories."
What had that to do with the matter, puzzled Vye. But he saw Starns'reminder produce a quick change in Chambriss.
"The T-Casts," he repeated, his expression of anger smoothing away."Yes, of course, this is, in a manner of speaking, a truly historicoccasion. We are in a unique position!"
Had Yactisi smiled? That change of lip line had been so slight Vyecould not call it a smile. But Starns appeared to have found the rightway to handle Chambriss. And it was the same little man who offeredhis services in another way when he said, diffidently to Hume:
"I have some experience with coms, Hunter. Do you wish me to send yourmessage and take over the unit until you return? I gather," he addedwith a certain delicacy, "that it will not be expedient for yourgearman to engage in that duty now."
So it was that Starns was installed in the com cabin of the spacer,sending out the request for Patrol aid, while Rovald was locked in thestorage compartment of the same ship, pending arrival of those sameauthorities. As Hume sorted out supplies and Vye loaded them into thewaiting flitter, Yactisi approached the Hunter.
"You have a definite plan of search?"
"Just to cast north from their camp. If they've been gone long enoughto hit the foothills we may be able to sight them climbing. Otherwise,we'll go all the way up to the valley, wait for them there."
"You don't believe that they will be released after they havebeen--processed?"
Hume shook his head. "I don't think we would have been free,Gentlehomo, if it hadn't been for a series of fortunate accidents."
"Yes, though you didn't give us many details about that, Hunter."
Hume put down the needler he had been charging. He studied Yactisiacross that weapon.
"Who are you?" His voice was soft but carried a snap.
For the first time Vye saw the tall, lean civ really smile.
"A man of many interests, Hunter--shall we let it go at that for thepresent? Though I assure you that Wass is not one of them in the wayyou might believe."
Gray eyes met brown, held so straightly. Then Hume spoke. "I believeyou. But I have told you the truth."
"I have never doubted that--only the amount of it. There must be moretalking later on--you understand that?"
"I never thought otherwise." Hume set the needler inside the flitter.The civ smiled again, this time including Vye in that evidence of goodwill before he walked away.
Hume made no comment. "That does it," he told his companion. "Stillwant to go?"
"If you do--and you can't do it alone." No man could take on thevalley and Wass and his men.
Hume made no comment. They had rested briefly after their return tothe safari camp, and Vye had been supplied with clothing from Hume'sbags, so that now he wore the uniform of the Guild. He went armed,too, with the equipment belt taken from Rovald and that other'sweapons, needler and tube. At least they started on their dubiousrescue mission with every aid the safari camp could muster.
It was mid-afternoon when the flitter took to the air once again,scattering the hovering globes. There was no alteration in the ranksof the blue watchers waiting--for the barrier to go down, or someonein the camp to step beyond that protection?
"They're stupid," Vye said.
"Not stupid, just geared to one set of actions," Hume returned.
"Which could mean that what sends them here can't change its orders."
"Good guess. I'd say that they were governed by something akin to ourtapes. No provision made for any innovations."
"So the guiding intelligence could be long gone."
"I think it has been." Hume then changed the subject sharply.
"How did you get into service at the Starfall?"
It was hard now to think back to Nahuatl--as if the Vye Lansor who hadbeen swamper in that den of the port town was a different personaltogether. In that patch of memories into which Rynch Brodie stillintruded he hunted for the proper answer.
"I couldn't hold the state jobs. And once you get the habit of eating,you don't starve willingly."
"Why not the state jobs?"
"Without premium they're all low-rung tenders' places. I tried hardenough. But to sit pressing buttons when a light flashed, hour afterhour--" Vye shook his head. "They said I was too erratic and gave methe shove. One more move on and it would have been compulsiveconditioning. I turned port-drift instead."
"Ever thought of trying for a loan premium?"
Vye laughed shortly. "Loan premium? That's a true fantasy if you'vebeen job hopping. None of the companies will take a chance on a manwith an in and out record. Oh, I tried...." That memory arose to thesurface, clear and very chilling. Yes, he had tried to break out ofthe net the law and custom had put around him from the day he hadbeen made a state child. "No--it was conditioning, or port-drift."
"And you chose port-drift?"
"I was still me--as long as I stayed away from conditioning."
"Then you became Rynch Brodie in spite of your flight."
"No--well, maybe, for a while. But I'm still Vye Lansor here."
"Yes, here. And I don't think you'll have to worry about raising apremium to get a new start. You can claim victim
compensation, youknow."
Vye was silent, but Hume did not let him remain so.
"When the Patrol arrives, you put in your claim. I'll back you."
"You can't."
"That's where you're mistaken," Hume told him crisply. "I've alreadytaped a full story back at the spacer--it's on record now."
Vye frowned. The Hunter seemed determined to ask for the worst thePatrol--or the planet police back on Nahuatl--could deal out. A caseof illegal conditioning was about as serious as you could get.
They shot along the diagonal of the triangle made by three points, themountain valley, Wass' camp, and the safari headquarters, heading tothe slopes up which the men must be herded if the beasts wereshepherding them to the mountain valley. Vye, surveying the forestthick below, began to doubt they would ever be able to pick them upbefore they reached the valley gate.
Hume took a weaving course, zigzagging back and forth, while they bothwatched intently for a glint from one of the globes, any movementwhich would betray that trail. And it was on one of the upper slopesthat the flitter passed over two of the blue beasts lumbering along.Neither of the creatures paid any attention to the flyer, they movedwith purpose on some mission of their own.
"Maybe the tail end of the hunting pack," Hume commented.
He sent the flyer hovering over a stunted line of trees and brush.Beyond that was bare rock. But though they hung for moments, nothingmoved into that open.
"Wrong scent somehow." Hume brought the flitter around. He had it onmanual control now, keeping it answering to the quick changes of hiswill.
A longer sweep supplied the answer--a vegetation roofed slit runningback into the uplands, in a way resembling the crevice through whichthey had originally found their way into this country. Hume broughtthe flyer along that. But if the men they sought were pushing theirway through below they could not be sighted from the air. At last,with evening drawing in, Hume was forced to admit failure.
"Wait by the gap?" Vye asked.
"Have to now." Hume glanced about. "I'd say maybetomorrow--mid-morning before they make it that far--_if_ they arehere. We'll have plenty of time."
Time for what? To make ready for a pitched battle with Wass--or withthe beasts herding him? To try in the space of hours to solve themystery of the lake?
"Do you think we could blast that thing in the lake?" Vye asked.
"We might be able to, just might. But that must be the last resort. Wewant that in working order for the X-Tee men to study. No, we'd betterplan to hold Wass at the gate, wait for the Patrol to come in."
Less than an hour later after a soaring approach, Hume brought theflitter down with neat skill on the top of one of the cliffs whichhelped to form the portal of the gap. There was no difference in thescene below, save that where the two bodies of the blue beasts hadlain there were now only clean and shining bones.
Darkness spread out from the lake woods like a growing stain of evilpromise as the sun fell behind the peaks. Night came earlier here thanin the plains.
"Watch!" Vye had been gazing down the gap; he was the first to notethat movement in the cloaking bush.
Out of the cover trotted a four-footed, antlered animal he had notseen before.
"Syken deer," Hume identified. "But why in the mountains? It's a longway from its home range."
The deer did not pause, but headed directly for the gap and, as itneared, Vye saw that its brown coat was roughed with patches of whitefroth, while more dripped from the pale pink tongue protruding fromits open jaws, and its shrunken sides heaved.
"Driven!" Hume picked up a stone, hurled it to strike the ground aheadof the deer.
The creature did not start, nor show any sign of seeing the rock fall.It trotted on at the same wearied pace, passed the portal rocks intothe valley. Then it stood still, wedge-shaped head up, black hornsdisplayed, while the nose flaps expanded, testing the air, until itbounded toward the lake, disappearing in the woods.
Though they shared watches during the night there were no other signsof life, nor did the deer reappear from the woods. With themid-morning there was a sudden sound to warn them--a wild cry whichmust have come from a human throat. Hume tossed one of the needlers toVye, took the other, and they scrambled down to the floor of the gappassage.
Wass did not lead his men, he came behind the reeling trio as if hehad joined the blasts as driver. And while his men wavered, staggered,gave the appearance of nearly complete exhaustion, he still walkedwith a steady tread, in command of his wits, his fears, and thecompany.
As the first of the men blundered on, a fresh trickle of red runningdown his bruised face, Hume called:
"Wass!"
The Veep stopped short. He made no move to unsling the needler hecarried, its barrel pointing skyward over his shoulder, but his roundhead with its upstanding comb of hair swung slightly from side toside.
"Stop--Wass--this is a trap!"
His three men kept on. Vye moved, for Peake leading that waveringgroup, stumbled, would have fallen had not the younger man advancedfrom the shadows to steady him.
"Vye!" Hume made his name a warning.
He had only time to glance around. Wass, his broad face impassiveexcept for the eyes--those burning madman's eyes--was aiming a raytube.
Broken free of his hold, Peake fell to the right, came up againstHume. As Vye went down he saw Wass dart forward at a speed he wouldn'thave believed a driven man could summon. The Veep lunged, escaping theshot the Hunter had no time to aim, rolled, and came up with theneedler Vye had dropped.
Then Hume, hampered by Peake's feeble clawing, met head on theswinging barrel of that weapon. He gave a startled grunt and smashedback against the cliff, a wave of scarlet blood streaming down theside of his head.
The momentum of Wass' charge carried him on. He collided with his men,and the last thing Vye saw, was the huddle of all four of them,flailing arms and legs, spinning on through the gate into the valleywith Wass' hoarse, wordless shouting, bringing echoes from the cliffs.