koontz, dean - fear that man

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F E A R T H A T M A N

by Dean Koontz

ONE: PURPOSE

And ye shall seek a new order of things…

I

When he woke from a featrele!! dream of !il"er# there wa! nothing bt endle!! blackne!! on three !ide!#

a blackne!! !o inten!e that it almo!t coghed ot a breath and nearly mo"ed. $nd when he woke# he did

not know who he wa!.

%he control con!ole&!pla!hed with !i'teen lmino! dial!# !cope!# a dozen toggle !witche! and half a

hndred "aricolored btton!&told him that thi! thing nder and behind him wa! a !pace!hip. %hat# at

lea!t# e'plained the darkne!! throgh the "iewplate that wrapped arond the other three !ide! of the

gidance nipple. $nd hi! mi!ty reflection on the thick pla!tigla!! told him that he wa! a man# for he had

the eye! of a man (ble)# the face of a man (!e"ere# bt hand!ome# topped by a tangle of coal d!ted hair).

*t the!e thing! were general!. When he tried to concentrate on !pecific!# there were no an!wer!.

Who wa! he+

%he dial! only wa"ered in an!wer.

What had been hi! pa!t+

,nly the !cope!# pl!ating-

$nd where wa! he bond+

He !at "ery !till# rnning throgh all the thing! that he did know. %hi! wa! the year /01. He knew the

name! of the citie!2 he nder!tood the fnction and order of the empire2 the pa!t hi!tory of the gala'y wa!

at hi! tonge tip# 3i"ering. 4eneral!# all.

Who wa! he+ What had been hi! pa!t+ $nd where wa! he bond+

He nbckled and p!hed him!elf from hi! contor5molded !eat# walked behind it# away from the

"iewplate and toward the rear of the chamber.4rayne!!. %he room wa! tomblike# a !ingle5hed conformity of leaden plating# machine!# and !er"ice

!tand!. ,nly the glow from the control con!ole added a note of li"eline!!. 6ircling the room# he fond

there wa! no written log. %here wa! a !er"ice !tand for that prpo!e# bt it wa! empty. %he logtape!



broght only great thnder!# cra!hing and !craping ntil he wa! no longer !o "ery certain that there !hold

be a log. $fter all# if he cold not remember hi! own name# how cold he be !o damnably !re of the!e

le!!er thing!+

Bong-bong-bong!

He whirled# hi! heart racing wildly in re!pon!e to the alarm. Wa"e! of yellow light cra!hed acro!! the

room# !pla!hed off the dark wall!. He !wallowed the lmp in hi! throat# walked back to hi! chair. He

!eemed to know how to operate a !hip# for hi! finger! flew acro!! the !witche! and dial!# toched the!cope! and traced pattern! on them a! hi! mind atomatically !ifted throgh the reading! they ga"e#

interpreting them. 78eport9: he !aid to the "e!!el.

%here wa! a moment of !ilence# then; ,*<E6% $PP8,$6H=>4. SPEED >E4L=4=*LE.

?>>$%?8$L.

7Size+:

%he !hip grmbled a! if clearing it! throat. He knew# !omehow# that it wa! only !eeking an an!wer tape.

%H8EE FEE% *@ %W, FEE% *@ F=AE FEE%.

7%ime to contact+:

F,?8%EE> B=>?%ES.

76all me then.: He flipped off the compter comline and went to the rear of the cabin. 8ather than !it and

wait for the !peck# he wold in"e!tigate the re!t of the !hip. =t might hold a cle to hi! identity. He tgged

at the circlar wall hatch# !wng it inward. *eyond lay a corridor# narrow and low5ceilinged. $t the end of

it# he knew# lay a room of !hielding before the dri"e chamber. $long the !ide! were two room! that he

cold enter withot being brned to death by hard radiation.

=n the room to the right# there wa! a complete laboratory. Long row! of glittering machine! lined the

wall!# hmming# chanting to them!el"e!. =n the "ery center of the chamber# there wa! a table with a

fle'opla!t top. He toched the mattre!! and watched while the !himmering !tff !3eezed hi! hand!#

p!hed between hi! finger!# gripped him. =t wa! a !rgeonC! table. $bo"e it# !!pended from the ceiling

like bloated !pider!# were the robo!rgeon!&!pherical# many5armed# !il"er5fingered. He !hi"ered. ,n thethird try# he freed hi! hand from the table# walked into the hall. He did not entirely tr!t machine! like the

robo!rgeon!&machine! that were !o mch like men bt withot the mercie!# falt!# or thoght! of men.

%he room acro!! the corridor wa! an armory. 6rate! of con!trction e'plo!i"e! !at on the floor# enogh to

le"el a city. %here were rack! of gn! on the wall!. Aagely# he knew there were no gn! in the world any

more. Ben of thi! age did not kill anything bt game animal!. 4n! were mainly for collecting. *t the!e

were too new for collecting# and deep within he knew he po!!e!!ed the ability to !e each of them&and

to a deadly intent. $gain!t the far wall and ne't to the cargo portal !at a grond car# broadca!ting nb!

!tdding it. With it! in"incible !hield trned on# it wa!# in effect# another weapon.

%here wa! !omething bothering him# !omething more than the mere pre!ence of weapon!. %hen# a! he

gazed at the grond car# he knew what it wa!. >othing here carried a trade name9 %he car wa! "oid of

brand# model# and make. So were the rifle! and the throwing kni"e!&and the e'plo!i"e!. $ll of the!e

thing! had been prodced to pro"ide anonymity for their maker. *t who had made them+ $nd for what

prpo!e+

Bong-bong-bong!

$t fir!t# he ignored the !hipC! alarm# trying to think. *t the !hip grew more in!i!tent. He pt back the

rifle he had been e'amining and left for the control room.

?>=DE>%=F=ED ,*<E6% $PP8,$6H=>4. 6L$8=F=6$%=,> => %H=8%@ SE6,>DS. %he

compterC! !3awk5bo' grated the word! ot like !andpaper drawn acro!! !andpaper. 6L$8=F=6$%=,>.

=% =S $ B$>.7$ man+ ,t here withot a !hip+:

%HE8E =S $ HE$8%*E$%.



II

Like a grote!3ely mi!!hapen frit# the body in the red mp!it floated in the blackne!!# directionle!!#

mo"ing with a !light !pin that broght all !ide! of it into "iew.

?>6,>S6=,?S.

He broght the !hip in a! clo!e a! po!!ible# !tdied the crim!on figre. What wa! a man doing thi! farfrom a !hip# alone# in a !it that cold not !pport him for more than twel"e hor!+ 7=Cm going to ha"e

him broght in#: he !aid to the !hip.

D, @,? %H=>K @,? SH,?LD+

7HeCll die ot there9:

%he !hip wa! !ilent.

Like !mall animal!# hi! finger! mo"ed. $ moment later# the cylindrical body of the Sca"enger appeared in

the "iewplate. =t wa! another almo!t5ali"e machine. He ten!ed with the !ight of it. %he !ingle eye of the

Sca"enger foc!ed on the body. ,n the con!ole !creen# there wa! a clo!e5p of the !tranger. %he len!

caght the face in!ide the helmet# and he wa! no longer !re it wa! a man.

%here wa! a face with two eye!# bt no eyebrow!. Where the brow! !hold ha"e been# there were two

bony ridge!# hard and dark and gli!tening. $ mane of brown hair !treaked with white lay a! a c!hion

abot the head. %he moth wa! wide and genero!# bt definitely not the moth of a man. %he lip! were a

bit too red# and the teeth that !tck o"er them at two place! were !harp# pointed# and "ery white. Still# it

wa! more of a man than an animal. %here wa! a look abot the face that !gge!ted !ol5tortred agony#

and that wa! "ery hman indeed. He directed the Sca"enger to begin retrie"al.

When the machine had done thi! and wa! locked in place on the mother !hip# he opened the floor hatch#

drew p the body# and careflly n!ited it. %he helmet bore the !tenciled name H?8K,S-

- He was in a great cathedral. The red tongues of candles flickered in their silver holders. Belina was dead. No one died any longer, but Belina was dead. A rare case. The onster in her wob

had slashed her aart. Nothing the doctors could do. "hen you can#t turn to blae other en, there is

only one entity to blae$ %od. &t was difficult finding a tele, for there were not any faithful these

days. But he had found one now, colete with its holy water tainted with the sacrificial blood and its

handful of ancient 'hristians(ancient because they refused the an-ade iortality of the )ternity

'obine$ they grew old.

&n the great cathedral…

&n the great cathedral, clabering across the altar railing and clutching the feet of the great crucifi*. +n

the kneeca, sliing, falling to the feet three ties until the bruises blackened his ars beneath the

thickly atted hair. Then, grasing at the loincloth, fingers hooked into the wooden folds, ulling hiselfu, weeing… $ foot in the navel, shoving u… screaing into the ear… But the ear, after all, was

wooden. The ear erely cast back his condenations.

'andles flickered below.

He began swaying, using his weight to tole %od. The head did not resond at first. He locked his ars

ore tightly about it. &t began to sway. The head fell, crashing fro the shoulders, down…

Then toled the body.

He ushed away fro it as it(and he(fell.

There were sirens and hosital attendants.The last thing he reebered seeing was an old an, a 'hristian, cradled between the broken halves of

%od#s face, ubling and content with his sanctuary…

He plled him!elf away from Hrko!# !hook hi! head. %hat had been the !trangerC! dream. How had he



e'perienced it+

Hrko! opened hi! eye!. %hey were chnk! of poli!hed coal# dark ewel! threatening many !ecret!. Hi!

moth wa! "ery dry# and when he tried to !peak the corner! of hi! lip! cracked and !pilled blood. %he

namele!! man broght water. Finally; 7=t didnCt work# then.: Hrko! had a deep# commanding "oice.

7What didnCt work+ What were yo doing ot there+:

Hrko! !miled. 7%rying to kill my!elf.:

7Sicide+:

7%hey call it that.: He !ipped more water.

7*eca!e *elina died+:

Hrko! bri!tled. 7How did yo- +: $fter a moment; 7= ge!! = told yo.:

7@e!. How cold = hear yor dream! like that+:

Hrko! looked pzzled for a moment. 7=Cm a telepath# of cor!e. Sometime! = proect# !ome rarer time! =

read thoght!. $ "ery n!table talent. = proect mo!tly when =Cm a!leep&or nder pre!!re.:

7*t how did yo get ot there withot a !hip+:

7$fter = wa! relea!ed from the ho!pital&after *elinaC! death and the crcifi' incident&= !igned on the

ace ale a! a cargo handler. When we were relati"ely far ot in ntra"eled !pace# = went into the

hold# di!connected the alarm! from the pre!!re chamber# and left. = wonCt be mi!!ed ntil pay day.:

7*t why not !tep ot withot a !it+ %hat wold be 3icker.:

Hrko! !miled an n!mile. 7= ge!! a little of the healing did take hold. = ge!! we can reco"er from

anything.: *t he did not look reco"ered. 78ight now# my talent i! fading. = canCt !ee a name in yor

mind.:

He he!itated. 7@o canCt !ee a name- beca!e = ha"e none.: *riefly# he reconted the !tory of the

waking# the amne!ia# the !trangene!! of the !hip.

Hrko! wa! e'cited. Here wa! !omething in which he cold !bmerge hi! grief# hi! melancholia. 7We are

going to make a real !earch of thi! tb# yo and me. *t fir!t# yo oght to ha"e a name.:

7What+:

7How abot&Sam+: He pa!ed. 7$fter a friend of mine.:

7= like it. Who wa! the friend+:

7$ dog = boght on 6allileo.:

7%hank!9:

7He wa! noble.:With the preliminarie! ot of the way# Sam cold no longer contain hi! crio!ity. 7We both ha"e name!

now. We know = am a man&bt what are you/0

Hrko! looked !tartled. 7@o donCt know what a Be i!+:

7>o. = ge!! maybe = ha"e been gone too long. Baybe = left before there were Be! arond.:

7%hen yo left a tho!and year! ago&and yo went dan far away9:

III

Hrko! came padding down the narrow corridor and into the main chamber. 7>othing at all9: he !aid#

incredlo!.

%hey had been !earching for !i' hor!# looking throgh and behind e"erything. Still# no cle!. Dring the



time they had pried abot together# howe"er# Sam had filled in a few gap! in hi! edcation2 Hrko! had

reconted the hi!tory of the Be!. ,nce# well o"er a tho!and year! before# man had tried to make other

men with the aid of artificial womb!# large tank! of !emi5hydroponic natre that took !perm and egg of

their own making and worked at forming babie!. *t after hndred! and hndred! of attempt!# nothing

e'ceedingly worthwhile had come of it. %hey had been attempting to prodce men with p!ionic abilitie!

"alable a! weapon! of war. Sometime! they came clo!e# bt ne"er did they trly !cceed. %hen# when

the proect wa! finally nked# they had fi"e hndred mtated children on their hand!. %hi! wa! a time

when mankind wa! laying down it! weapon! for tool! of friend!hip. Bo!t looked pon the womb! a! ahideo! arm of the war effort that !hold ne"er ha"e been !tarted in the fir!t place&and they looked pon

the Be children with pity and !hame. %here wa! a great pblic otcry when the go"ernment hinted that

the Be! might be pt 3ietly and painle!!ly to !leep. %hogh !ome people did not con!ider them hman#

the "a!t maority of the poplation cold not tolerate !o horrid a !laghter with the Permanent Peace only

month! behind them. %he Be! li"ed. =n fifteen year!# they had e3ality by law. =n another hndred# they

had it in reality. $nd they mated and had more of their kind# althogh the children were often perfectly

normal. %oday# there were forteen million Be!&only an eighth of one percent of the galactic

poplation# bt ali"e and breathing and happy !t the !ame. $nd Hrko! wa! one of them.

Forteen million.

$nd he cold not remember ha"ing e"er heard of them before.

7FoodC! abot ready#: he !aid. <!t then the light abo"e the wall !lot popped off and the tray !lid ot.

7Smell! good.:

%hey plled the tray apart where it wa! perforated and !at on the floor to eat. 7=tC! damn eerie#: Hrko!

!aid# !pitting the word! arond a mothfl of !ynthe5beef. 7%here !hold be soe trademark# soe !crap

of writing# at lea!t one brand name9: He pa!ed# !wallowed# then !napped# 7%he food9:

Sam wa"ed him back to hi! !eat before the Be cold !pill hi! dinner in a ftile effort to ri!e 3ickly. 7=

already looked. %he "olme of food ba!ic! below the !ynthe!izer i! in nmarked container!.:

Hrko! frowned# !at down. 7Well# letC! !ee what we do know. Fir!t# there i! no log. Second# there i! no

trade name# !erial nmber# brand anywhere on the !hip. %hird# yo ha"e no memory of yor own pa!t

beyond thi! morning. Forth# thogh yo do not remember a thing that happened to yo in yor lifetime#

yo do remember the ba!ic! of empire hi!tory# hman hi!tory. E'cept# that i!# for a few e!pecially glaring

hole!. Sch a! the artificial womb! and we Be!.:

7$greed th! far#: Sam !aid# ptting down hi! food# wiping hi! moth.

7WhatC! the matter+ @o hardly ate.:

Sam grimaced# wa"ed a hand "agely and let it fall into hi! lap. 7= donCt know e'actly. =Cm afraid to eat.:

Hrko! looked down at hi! own tray# pa!ed half5fini!hed with a mothfl. 7$fraid+:

7%hereC! thi!- hazy !ort of fear- beca!e-:74o on9:

7*eca!e itC! been made by machine!. %he food i!nCt natral.:

Hrko! !wallowed. 7%here i! the fifth piece of data. @oCre afraid of machine!. = thoght !o earlier&

dging by yor reaction to the !ight of the robo!rgeon!.:

7*t =Cll !tar"e9:

7= dobt that. @o ate enogh to keep yo going. @o !t wonCt get fat i! all.:

Sam !tarted to !ay !omething# bt in the moment it took for hi! word! to come from hi! larny' to hi!

tonge# he felt hi! head being ripped apart by thnder! that !hook e"ery once of hi! fle!h and !ol. Heopened hi! moth# tried to !cream# clo!ed it abrptly. %here wa! a chao! of noi!e in hi! head# a

fermenting# fizzing# erpting madne!!. He wa! !t barely aware that Hrko! wa! !till talking to him# bt

he heard nothing. %he world of the !hip wa! di!tant and nreal. %he noi!e!# then# were !peaking to him in

a langage of cacophony. %hen he lo!t all awarene!!# wa! wrapped into the booming!# the di!!onance. He



p!hed from the floor# fond hi! !eat# !trapped in.

Hrko! wa! be!ide him# ob"io!ly !hoting. *t he heard nothing.

>othing bt the di!!onance.

He !aw the Be rnning# crawling into the fle'opla!t mattre!! they had taken off the !rgeonC! table.

%hey had decided# !ince there wa! no !econd chair# that the fle'opla!t&wrapped completely arond the

Be a! a protecti"e !hell&wold be a perfect !b!titte for a chair.

Sam !lammed down on the toggle!# bla!ted- then hyper!paced with a gt5wrenching erk.

Hrko! wa! !hoting from in!ide hi! mattre!!.

%he !hip moaned.

He reclined in hi! !eat. %he !hip reached top hyper!pace in incredibly !hort time. $nd collided with

!omething-

IV

%he thnder!# a! !oon a! Sam had thrown the !hip ot of hyper!pace and into 8eal Space# had faded into!ilence. He again had control of hi! body.

Hrko! wa! rolling all o"er the floor# bonding off the wall! a! the !hip !hddered# wallowed with the

impact.

Sam remembered# !ddenly# that they had !trck !omething# and he looked p at the "iewplate and the

blank e'pan!e of normal !pace. So near that he cold almo!t toch it# another !hip wa! drifting in front

and !lightly to the left of him. Perhap! only a mile away. 6lo!e for a !hield5colli!ion. He pnched for

open radio and tried to contact the other "e!!el# bt he recei"ed no re!pon!e.

7What the hell were yo doing9: Hrko! !hoted# freeing him!elf of the fle'opla!t and !taggering to hi!

feet.Sam loo!ened hi! !eatbelt and al!o !tood. He felt a! if he wa! abot to throw p# bt he foght the rge. 7=

donCt know9 = !t lo!t control of my mind# my body# e"erything9 Someone told me to !et a cor!e for the

capital.:

7Hope+:

7@e!. =t told me to !et a cor!e for Hope and to hyper!pace. $rgment wa! impo!!ible.:

Hrko! rbbed a !ore !pot on hi! arm# bri!ed beca!e he had not gotten it into the fle'opla!t in time.

7Did yo recognize the "oice+:

7=t wa!nCt e'actly a "oice. =t wa! more like- well-:

%here wa! a !dden ponding noi!e.

%hey whirled in the direction of the !ond and !aw a !ited figre again!t the "iewplate# rapping hi! fi!t

again!t the gla!!. He had hi! !it phone trned p to ma'imm "olme and wa! !hoting !omething. %hey

mo"ed to the window. %he man ot!ide wa! hge&!i' feet !i' if an inch# two hndred and !i'ty pond!

if an once. 7,pen p and let me in9: he wa! !hoting. 7Let me in before = tear thi! tb apart plate for

plate9:

He looked a! if he !t might be able to carry ot that threat.

7He m!t be from the other !hip#: Hrko! !aid# mo"ing to open the oter door! into the Sca"enger that

!er"ed a! a pre!!re chamber.

%he figre mo"ed away from the "iewplate toward the port. %hey waited ner"o!ly ntil the chamber

clo!ed# e3alized with cabin pre!!re# and the door in the floor wa! opened.

=f the !tranger from the other !hip had been impo!ing !een throgh the "iewplate# he wa! o"erwhelming



!een at fir!t hand# in!ide the cabin# hi! head towering dangero!ly clo!e to the ceiling. He plled back hi!

helmet# !pewing a !tream of cr!e!# hi! eye! two fiery droplet! within the fl!hed fry of hi! face. Hi!

blond hair wa! a wild di!array# ncombed and completely ncombable. 7What the hell are yo# !ome

kinda moron+ Boron! ha"e been wiped ot of the cltre9 Ha"enCt yo been told+ @oCre a one5of5a5kind#

and = ha"e to meet p with yo in all thi! emptine!! where&by all right!&we !hold ne"er e"en be able

to imagine each otherC! e'i!tence9:

7= ge!! yoCre angry abot the colli!ion#: Sam began# 7and&:

%he big man allowed hi! moth to drop to hi! ankle! and bonce back to a more re!pectable le"el !t

below the chin. 7@o ge!! =Cm angry abot the colli!ion9 @o ge!! =: He trned to Hrko!. 7He ge!!e!

=Cm angry abot the colli!ion#: he repeated a! if the !tpidity of the remark wa! the mo!t glaring

nder!tatement e"er prononced and had to be !hared and di!c!!ed to be belie"ed.

7=&: Sam began once more.

7,f cor!e =Cm angry abot the colli!ion9 Damn frio! i! what = am9 @o hyper!paced withot checking

to !ee if there wa! another !hip in hyper!pace within the danger limit. @or field locked in mine and olted

! ot into 8eal Space. What wold ha"e happened if or !hip! had !trck in!tead of !t or field!+:

7%hatC! rather nlikely#: Hrko! !aid. 7$fter all# the field! are fi"e mile! in diameter# bt the !hip! are far#

far !maller than that. %he odd! again!t or !hip! !triking in !o "a!t a gala'y&:

7$ moron !pewing logic9: the big !tranger !hoted. 7$ real# hone!t moron !hoting !cientific

gobbleygook at me like it really meant !omething to him9 %hi! i! amazing.: He !lapped one hammy hand

again!t hi! forehead in a !now of amazement.

7=f yoCll !t li!ten a moment-: Sam !ighed# !eeing the big manC! lip! open for comment e"en before he

had !aid three word!.

7Li!ten+ =Cm all ear!. =Cm !t all ear! for yor e'c!e9 Some e'c!e that cold po!!ibly e'plain yor

imbecilic reaction!# and&:

7Wait a minte9: Hrko! !hoted gleeflly. 7= know yo9:

%he !tranger !topped talking abrptly.

7Biko!. @oCre Biko!# the poet. 4no!!o! Biko!9:

%he rage wa! !wept away in the wa!h of a wide grin# and the grin became a fl!h of embarra!!ment. %he

hge fi!t dropped away from the forehead and became a hand again&a hand that wa! abrptly !tck ot

to Hrko! a! a !ign of friendline!!. 7$nd = ha"enCt had the plea!re#: the giant !aid politely.

Hrko! took the hand# !hook it "igoro!ly.

For one !hort moment# Sam felt a! if he were going to collap!e. Fear of the colo!!! had been the only

thing holding him p# a fear who!e "ibrant force cor!ed throgh hi! 3i"ering leg! and !traightened him

with it! crrent. >ow# the fear gone# he wanted nothing !o mch a! to fold p hi! leg!# tck them nderhi! belly# and fall onto hi! face. Somehow# he held him!elf erect.

7By name i! Hrko!. Fir!t and la!t. =Cm a nobody# bt = read yor poetry. = lo"e it. E!pecially 7%he

Sa"agery of ,ld.:

7%hat wa! a damn grizzly one thogh#: 4no!!o! !aid# beaming.

7Spill the blood acro!! the !a"age face2

8ai!e the a'# the bow# the gn# the mace&:

4no!!o! fini!hed the 3atrain;

7Scream the !cream that break! apart the che!t.

Killing i! the thing yo know be!t.:

%he grin on the poetC! face wa! e"en wider.



7$ll the worldC! a !tage for plndering-: Hrko! began the ne't !tanza.

7Hmmph9: Sam manged to cogh withot being too con!pico!.

7,h9 Br. Biko!# thi! i!&:

74no!!o!#: the poet interrpted. 76all me 4no!!o!.:

Hrko! wa! more than plea!ed with the offer of a fir!t name ba!i!. 74no!!o!# thi! i! a recently5made

friend of mine. Sam# meet 4no!!o! Biko!# the empireC! mo!t famo! and mo!t literate poet.:%he giant hand came forth# englfed SamC! own in a warm# dry embrace that almo!t cr!hed e"ery bone

p to hi! wri!t. 74lad to meet yo# Sam9: He !eemed to mean it. 7>ow what malfnction of yor "e!!el

ca!ed thi! recent nplea!antry+:

7=&:

7Perhap! = can help yo repair it.:

Later# after the poet had heard the !tory of the mi!!ing trade name!# the amne!ia# the memory blank# the

!trange "oice! in SamC! head# he rbbed hi! hand! together and !aid# 7@oCll not get rid of me ntil we

di!co"er the root! of thi! thing. What a hell"a my!tery9 =tC! almo!t worth an epic poem already9:

7%hen yo arenCt angry+: Sam a!ked.

7$ngry+ *t whate"er for+ =f yoCre referring to the nfortnate colli!ion of or hyper!pace field!# plea!e

let ! forget it. =t wa! "ery ob"io!ly not yor falt# and there are far more important thing! to di!c!!.:

Sam !ighed again# hea"ily.

7Well#: Hrko! !aid# 7what do yo make of it+: He wa! hnched forward# a! they all were# !itting on the

floor like a !mall boy at hi! fatherC! knee.

4no!!o! rolled hi! tonge o"er hi! wide# perfect teeth# thoght a moment. Hi! eye! were cry!tal ble and#

when he !tared# it !eemed a! if he were looking directly throgh&not at&whate"er hi! gaze fell pon. 7=t

!ond!#: he !aid at length# 7a! if !omeone i! trying to o"ertrn the gala'y&or the order of the galazy# at

lea!t.:

Hrko! looked at him blankly. Sam !hifted# waited for more# !hifted again. 7What do yo mean+:

76on!ider the weapon!. Weapon! ha"e been illegal&e'cept for !port# *ea!t hnting and collecting&for a

tho!and year!. @o !ay the!e weapon! are ob"io!ly not for !porting beca!e of their terrific power# and

yet no one collect! e'plo!i"e! or new and gleaming gn!. Someone# it !eem! painflly clear to me# mean!

to !e them on hman!.:

Sam !hddered. Hrko! blanched. %he thoght had been hanging in the rear of their mind!# bt neither

had allowed it to gain per!pecti"e ot in the light of the con!cio!. >ow it wa! looming there&to be

feared.

7%he trade name!#: 4no!!o! contined# 7are mi!!ing beca!e thi! !hip and it! content! were de!igned to

pro"ide !ecrecy for their owner and manfactrer. Sam here i! being !ed by !omeone. He !eem! to be a

tool to o"erthrow the crrent order of thing!.:

7%hen he cold get order! at any time to kill both of !9:

Sam wa! per!piring.

7= donCt think !o#: the poet !aid.

7*t the order to hyper!pace&: Hrko! prote!ted.

7Wa! a po!thypnotic !gge!tion.: 4no!!o! waited for a reaction. When their facial e'pre!!ion! regi!tereda modicm of relief# he contined. 7Sam here wa! kidnapped# taken !omewhere to ha"e hi! memory

remo"ed. %hen they&whoe"er %hey may be&implanted a !erie! of hypnotic command!# a !e3ence of

order!. When that wa! done# they !hipped him off to do whate"er they had ordered. %he fir!t order wa!



de!igned to be triggered by- oh# letC! !ay that meal yo ate earlier.:

7%he food didnCt affect e#: Hrko! !aid.

7*t yo had no hypnotic !gge!tion! implanted in yor mind. Sam did. %he food triggered the fir!t# letC!

!ay. >ow# perhap! the remaining order! will come at mea!red inter"al!. E"ery !i'th hor or !omething

like that. ,r perhap! they will be irreglarly !paced bt with planned inter"al!.:

7So whoe"er ga"e him the order! wold not be aware of or pre!ence.:

76orrect.:

Sam interrpted the dialoge. 7%hatC! a relief. = like yo both too mch to kill.:

7,ne thing =C"e been wondering abot#: 4no!!o! !aid. 7Why didnCt yo acknowledge my radio me!!age

!t after the colli!ion+:

7We didnCt recei"e any#: Sam !aid# perple'ed. 7We tried to get throgh to yo# bt you didnCt an!wer.:

7$ broken radio+: Hrko! offered.

Sam forced him!elf to hi! feet# walked to the con!ole. 78eport on the condition of the radiorecei"er.:

W,8K=>4 P8,PE8L@.

7%hat !hoot! that theory.:

7*t how cold my !ecret ma!ter control the radio if he doe!nCt e"en know whatC! going on here+: Sam

traced hi! finger! o"er the !eam! of the con!ole chair.

4no!!o! !hrgged# got to hi! feet. 7Baybe weCre wrong. Baybe they do know that Hrko! and = are here

and theyCre !t waiting for the be!t moment to knock ! off. *t thatC! a 3e!tion weCll lea"e till later.

8ight now# letC! check ot yor laboratory. = ha"e an idea.:

%he three of them !tood looking p at the robo!rgeon!. Sam !hi"ered at the !ight of them; men5talented

bt not men. He hated e"ery machine he came in contact with# thogh he wa! not !re why.7Someone cold ha"e machined the ca!e! for the!e#: the poet !aid. 7*t there are only a few companie!

that ha"e the facilitie! to prodce the delicate interior!. >o one cold make hi! own robo!rgeon from

!crap withot billion! in e3ipment and hndred! of trained mind!. Whoe"er pt thi! together wold ha"e

had to prcha!e the factory5made working!.:

Sam flicked the control knob that lowered the machine! ot of the ceiling. Pondero!ly# they came. When

the nder!lng arm! had !pread to the !ide! and the machine! were almo!t to the top of the table# he

!topped them. %hen he ca!ed the main component to re"ol"e !o that the acce!! plate faced them.

4no!!o! rbbed hi! palm! together; !and on !tone. 7>ow weCll find a few cle!.: He threw back the

latche! that held the plate on# dropped the co"er to the floor. 7E"ery company carrie! a li!t of prcha!e!

and c!tomer!. With one little !erial nmber# we can find the byer and# con!e3ently# the con!trctor of

thi! tb.: He bent o"er and peered into the dark interior of the globe. He looked pzzled.

7$wfl dark in there#: Hrko! !aid.

4no!!o! pt a hand in!ide# reached in- and in# in# in p to hi! elbow.

7%hereC! nothing in it9: Sam !aid.

7,h ye! there i!9: 4no!!o! !hoted painflly. 7$nd it ha! hold of my hand9:

V4no!!o! tore hi! hand ot of the machine# rbbed it again!t hi! che!t. =t wa! red and raw and bleeding in a

few !pot!.



7What the hell i! in there+: Hrko! a!ked# leaning away from the open machine.

Sam !tifled !ome low5keyed !cream he felt twi!ting p toward hi! lip!.

$! if in an!wer to Hrko!C 3e!tion# a elly5ma!! began dripping onto the table from the open acce!!

plate. =t collected there# amber !potted with area! of bright orange. =t trembled there# 3i"ered. Piercing#

low5!cale hmming! bathed it! con"l!ing form. %here wa! !omething like a !kin forming o"er it# the

amber and orange changing to a pinki!h5tan he that made it look amazingly like hman !kin&too mch

like hman !kin. %he !kin e'panded# contracted# and there were p!edopod! plling the ma!! acro!! thetable toward the warmth of their bodie!.

%hey had backed nearly to the door. 7%here were no mechanical in!ide!9: 4no!!o! !aid# rbbing hi! hand.

7*t it mo"ed#: Sam arged. 7=t operated like a machine. How cold it do that withot mo"ing part!+:

%he elly5ma!! br!t in place! a! bbble! of !omething reached it! !rface# flopped open and left pock!.

*t the pock! were healed rapidly# and the !kin wa! retrned to normal.

7%hat&that thing wa! it! in!ide!# it! working part!#: 4no!!o! !aid. 7%he elly5ma!! operated the !hell like

a machine.:

%he la!t of the me!! dropped from the bowl of the main component. %here wa! more than cold ha"e

been contained in the main !phere2 apparently all the !ection! had been filled and were now drainedempty. %he elly5ma!!# !hapele!!# plnged o"er the end of the table# !trck the floor with a !ickening

!lo!hing noi!e# and mo"ed toward them# arm! of !imlated fle!h la!hing ot for prcha!e on the cold

floor.

7%he armory9: Sam !hoted# trning into the hall and flinging the door to the other room wide. Perhap! it

had been the hypnotic training with the weapon! that had made him think of gn! !o 3ickly. He knew

how to kill2 he cold !top the amoeba# the !per5cell. He !tepped back into the hall with a rifle in hi!

hand!# broght it p# !ighted. 7Bo"e away9:

4no!!o! and Hrko! !tepped behind him# mo"ing toward the control cabin. $iming for the center of the

ma!!# Sam plled the trigger. *le lightning fla!hed otward# !parkling# and illminated the pa!!ageway

like a !mall !n going no"a. De!pite the light# there wa! no heat. =n fact# the flame !eemed to radiatecoolne!!. =t !trck the elly# !ank into it. %here wa! !omething like a !cream from the writhing !lop#

thogh the !ond! were mo!t certainly not a "oice. =t wa! a! if the "ery molecle! of the ma!! had clo!ed

gap! and were rbbing one another. %he elly !topped.

Sam# trembling# relea!ed the trigger# !tarted to let air ot of hi! lng!.

$nd the elly leaped9

He fired# caght it in mid5mp# !ent it cra!hing backward# ble fire cor!ing throgh it like contained

lightning fla!hing in a cry!tal paperweight. He aimed again# depre!!ed the firing !td.

>othing.

Nothing!

>o ble# !himmering flame. >o cool bt deadly flame. >ot e"en a lo!y click9 He rai!ed the weapon to

look at it# to !ee if !ome latch or bolt had not been thrown properly by the atomatic mechani!m. %hen he

!aw the amber goo beginning to pl!e ot of the tip of the barrel. Sddenly hi! hand wa! brning

frio!ly and there wa! amoeba !lopping ot of the powerpack ca!ing in!ide the handle. He threw the gn

down# wiped hi! hand on the wall# !craping hi! !kin loo!e in the mad attempt to rid him!elf of e"ery drop

of the elly.

7E'plo!i"e!9: 4no!!o! !hoted.

Sam trned# da!hed into the armory once more. When he came ot# he had three grenade!. He ran to

4no!!o! and Hrko!# panting hea"ily# hi! eye! wide# hi! heart frio! a! a drm.

%he elly5ma!! wa! reco"ering and had !lopped into the hall where it oined p with the !maller clmp of

!tff that had been the in!ide! of the gn. %he two toched each other# glowed prple where their !rface!

met# then ea!ily flowed together and became one.



7= think = !ee why the radio didnCt work#: 4no!!o! !aid. 7=t didnCt want to work9:

7%he entire !hip i! ali"e#: Sam agreed.

Hrko! rapped a hand on the wall# li!tened to the !olid !ond of it. 7=tC! !teel. =Cll be damned if it i!

anything bt !teel9:

7=n!ide#: Sam !aid# keeping an eye on the pl!ating elly5ma!! at the end of the pa!!ageway. 7Deep in!ide

the plating# thereC! more goo.:

7*t the hyperdri"e&:

7%here m!tnCt really be a hyperdri"e mechani!m#: Sam !aid. 7%he elly can bild p a hyper!pace field

!omehow. %here are no machine! aboard# =Cd wager. ,nly elly5cored !hell!.:

7@or fear of machine!&: Hrko! began.

7Wa! gained from whoe"er&or whate"er&bilt thi!- thi! !hip5thing.:

%he lmp had begn to mo"e again# p!edopod! !lapping wetly again!t the deck. =t wa! !i' feet high# a

good three hndred pond!.

7@o two get into the !it!#: 4no!!o! !aid# taking the grenade!. He !till had hi! own !it on# and hi!

helmet lay within ea!y reach. 7WeCll ha"e to go acro!! to my !hip. %hi! one wonCt let ! li"e long nowthat we know part of it! !ecret.:

Sam and Hrko! !trggled into their !it!# fitted their helmet! to the !holder thread!# attached their air

tank!. E"ery little act# thogh performed at top !peed# !eemed to take hor!. When they were dre!!ed#

4no!!o! plled the hatch !ht# !ealing the main cabin from the hallway where the thing wa! ad"ancing

warily. 7LetC! !ee it get throgh that9: the poet !aid# ptting on hi! helmet. 7>ow letC! get ot of here.:

7=Cm afraid there i!nCt mch hope of that#: Sam !aid from hi! po!ition ne't to the control con!ole. 7=C"e

pre!!ed all btton! to depre!!rize the cabin and open the e'it chamber# bt = canCt !eem to get any

re!pon!e from the !hip.:

Hrko!# eye! wide# mped to the con!ole# flipped the comline to the compter open. 7Let ! ot9:

*t the compter wa! not a compter. %here wa! a deafening roar from the wire and pla!tic "oice plate.

%here were !cream!# thnder!# e'plo!ion!. $ tho!and rat! brning ali"e. $ million !parrow! madly

attacking one another in a battle to the death.

7Sht it off9: 4no!!o! !hoted.

Hrko! !lammed the !witch !ht. %he noi!e! contined. $t fir!t# it !wept ot in irreglar wa"e!# !hredded

them and pt them back together. %hen there wa! not e"en a pattern of wa"e!# merely a con!tant din of

o"erwhelming magnitde. $nd there wa! elly !pewing ot of the !peaker grid-

<elly !pewing ot of the ack5hole!-

$brptly# the !peaker grid wa! gone# thr!t away by the !rging pre!!re of the thing behind it. Part! ofthe con!ole began to !ag a! the !pporti"e elly that had filled it wa! drained away# !pat ot.

Still the noi!e. 7=tC! the !ame !ond#: Sam !hoted into hi! !it phone# 7that = heard when = wa! obeying

the hypnotic order!&only it i!nCt ordering anything.:

7%he grenade!9: Hrko! called abo"e the roar a! the elly began to collect on the floor# changing from

amber to pink5tan# ri!ing in a pl!ating ma!!. %he other glob pre!!ed again!t the hatch from the hallway.

%here wa! the !creeching !ond of metal being !trained to it! limit!. Soon the hatch wold gi"e# and they

wold be trapped between two !hapele!! mon!ter!. %he elly wold co"er them and do- whate"er it did

to fle!h and blood and bone.

4no!!o! flipped the cap that di!!ol"ed the anti5!hock packing in the oter !hell of the grenade. He to!!ed

it. >othing.

7%he grenade! are elly too9: Hrko! !hoted.

Sam !natched one of the remaining blb! from the poet. 7>o. %hey arenCt machine!# !o there i! no rea!on



for the elly to replace them with part of it!elf. =tC! !t a natral chemical that e'plode! withot

mechanical prompting. =t !t need! a ar. 4no!!o! didnCt throw it hard enogh.: He wailed the !econd

grenade again!t the "iewplate.

$ll the world wa! a !n. $ lightblb. %hen the filament began to die and the light went ot completely.

%he force of the e'plo!ion had gone# mo!tly# otward. What had pre!!ed in their direction had been

caght by the !econd ma!! of elly that ro!e to !natch at the grenade&n!cce!!flly. Biraclo!ly# they

were tmbling throgh the !hattered front of the !hip# mo"ing into the darkne!! and emptine!! of !pace

toward The hi of the oul, the poetC! boat that lay !ilently a !hort mile away.

*ehind them# the elly came# boiling away in the "acm# tmbling and !pttering. Steaming# it la!hed

ot with non5arm! a! it realized it! chance! for !cce!! were dimini!hing. %he thnder of it! non5"oice

wa! definitely not !ond bt thoght. =t bombarded their mind!# nable to order them !o 3ickly# nable

to control them in their panic.

Hrko! wa! ot ahead# hi! !holder et! p!hing him !wiftly toward the !hipC! portal. %hen came the poet.

Finally# Sam. $ hand of fal!e5fle!h !treaked arond the latter# crled in front of him# attempting to ct him

off from the other!. 6t him off. 6t him off and de"or him. He choked# mane"ered nder the whip

before it cold !weep arond and captre him in an acidic embrace.

$nd !till it came. =t grew !maller# boiled and bbbled it!elf away. *t there !eemed alway! to be a newcentral ma!! mo"ing ot from the hll# leaping the blackne!! and repleni!hing the withering p!edopod!

before they cold !nap# !eparate# and di!!ol"e. Finally# howe"er# there wa! nothing left e'cept a !peck of

pinki!h5tan. =t trned amber5orange# then it too pffed ot of e'i!tence. With it# went the noi!e.

=n!ide The hi of the oul, they !tripped# collap!ed into !oft chair! withot animate padding. %hi! wa! a

!hip of comfort# not one of de!trction. %hi! wa! a !hip bilt for !i' people# not for one man# one tool of

an in!ane# nnamable entity withot a face or a time. For a while# then# they were !ilent# compo!ing

them!el"e! for what m!t be !aid. %he moment the compo!ing ended and the di!c!!ion began wa!

!ignaled by a 3iet !gge!tion from 4no!!o! that they get !ome wine to help loo!en their tonge!.

%he wine wa! warm and green# a !pecial bottle opened for a !pecial occa!ion.

7=t wa! the !ame !ond = heard nder the hypnotic trance.:

7%hat mean!#: Hrko! !aid# !taring into hi! wine a! he talked# 7that it wa! the !hip it!elf that wa! ordering

yo arond. %hat elly wa! the plotter behind the !cheme.:

4no!!o! downed one gla!! of wine# pored a !econd from the decanter. 7= donCt agree. =f the !hip were

re!pon!ible for SamC! action!# there wold be no rea!on for hypnotic control!&and really no rea!on for

Sam. =f the !hip were intelligent it!elf# it cold do e"erything Sam cold do&and po!!ibly better. $nd

when he !hot it# it !hold ha"e been able to order him to throw down the gn. >o# the !hip wa! !t a

cancero! ma!! of goo that wa! to con"ey Sam to Hope. >othing more.:

7*t what kind of man cold make a thing like the elly5ma!!+:

7= think#: 4no!!o! !aid# 7that there i! a chance yo are the dpe of an e'tra5galactic intelligence.:

7%hatC! ab!rd9 WeC"e ne"er fond another intelligent race in the la!t tho!and year!. %hatC!&:

7%hatC! frighteningly po!!ible#: Hrko! reflected. 7%here are tho!and! and million! of gala'ie! ot there.

How do yo know a bnch of elly5ma!!e! didnCt kidnap yo# take yo away# and decide to train yo to

o"erthrow the gala'y+:

Sam fini!hed hi! wine in a glp. Heat flooded throgh hi! fle!h# otward from hi! !tomach. Still# it cold

not ward off the !harp chill in him. 7*eca!e#: he an!wered in e"en tone!# 7that wold be one hell"a

backward way of in"ading the empire. =f the!e e'tra5galactic! ha"e all thi! !kill# can !e !omething like

the elly for hyper!pace tra"el and making food and operating robo!rgeon!# they cold o"ertrn thegala'y in a month. $ week9 Hell# that blob e"en talked to me in a compter "oice. Probably form! !ome

crde !et of "ocal cord! when it need! them. $nd it operated a radar !et2 it&:



7=tC! a li"ing machine#: 4no!!o! !aid# almo!t to him!elf.

7%hatC! another thing#: Hrko! added. 7@or fear of machine!. @o got it# ob"io!ly# beca!e whoe"er&

or whate"er&hypnotized yo fear! machine! al!o. *eca!e he# it# or they do not !e machine!. %hey ha"e

blob! in!tead. We ha"e nothing like thi!. =t almo!t pro"e! theyCre e'tra5galactic9:

7,ne coldnCt li"e in the empire withot the aid of machine!#: 4no!!o! agreed. 7,ne wold ha"e to be

from- ,t!ide.:

7>o.: Sam !et hi! gla!! on the floor. 7=f there were alien! with thi! !ort of thing# they woldnCt need me.%hi! i! !omething !maller than an entire e'tra5galactic race. %hi! i! !omeone who need! help# who need!

an atomaton to do hi! dirty work.:

7$greed al!o#: the poet !aid. 7Look! like there i! a !talemate in thi! con"er!ation and thi! line of

thoght.: He hea"ed hi! blk to a more comfortable po!ition. 7Well# = for one# am !ticking with yo ntil

thi! my!tery i! !ol"ed. = coldnCt bear to 3it with the whole thing ra"eled p. %hi! cold be the mo!t

important# mo!t dangero! e"ent of the la!t tho!and year!. $nd one thing that there i! !t too little of

the!e day! i! danger. Warring man might ha"e been crde# bt he !re a! the de"il had hi! fill of danger in

a lifetime. %oday we tra"el on# li"ing hndred! of year!# and e"erything i! !o !afe and perfect that we

hardly e"er e'perience danger. =Cm long o"erde for !ome e'citement9:

7Be too# = ge!!#: Hrko! !aid. Sam had the feeling the Be wa! not terribly comfortable !ince the elly5ma!! had attacked them. *t he wold not&cold not&back down in front of the poet.

7So what ne't+:

4no!!o! rbbed a hge paw acro!! hi! chin# wrinkled hi! no!e for a moment. 7We !et thi! tb on a cor!e

for Hope. When we get there# we wait for yor ne't command. WeCre going to find ot the an!wer! to

thi!.:

7*t#: Sam !aid nea!ily# 7!ppo!e = am ot to o"ertrn the gala'y+:

7Hrko! and = will be right behind yo to !top yo before yo ha"e a chance.:

7= hope !o#: he !aid.Later# after more wine and mch conectre# a! The hi of the oul plnged throgh the thick ri"er of the

"oid# they retired# leaning back in their chair!# belting them!el"e! in# and !htting their moth! !o that

they cold neither con!me nor con"er!e. $nd e"entally they fell into !leep-

There was dee and awful darkness, save for the scattered inoints of the stars dotting the roof of the

night. Then, as the breee shifted, dawn cae crawling over the horion, tinting the blackness with

yellow… then orange… And there was still a hill with a cross uon it. There was a an on the cross. His

hands were driing blood.

And his feet were driing blood…

The wounds were festered and black deon ouths.The an on the cross raised his head, looked to the dawn. He seeed very weary, as if he were ready to

give u ore than the body, the sirit also. There were dus of atting at the corners of his eyes that

interfered with his vision. His teeth were yellow fro long neglect.

7 1ait, let e down!0 he shrieked.

The words rebounded fro the low sky.

7 2lease,0 he said, groveling.

The sun was a flaing eye. "hen it was at its enith, there cae angels, beings of light and awesoe

a3esty. They floated about the an, adinistering to his needs. oe carried water which they oured

between his cracked and crusted lis. And soe brought oil with which they anointed hi. And stillothers songed away the oil and fed hi. Then they were vanished into air.

The sun was setting. &t seeed only inutes since it had risen.



7 2lease,0 the an wet. The angels had issed soe of the oil in his beard. &t glistened there(and

tickled.

"ith darkness cae the deons. 'rawling fro under brown stones, slithering out of crevices in the

earth, they cae. There were dwarfs, slavering, eyeless yet seeing. There were wolves with sabers for

teeth. There were things with tails and horns, things with heads that were nothing ore than huge

ouths. They screaed and cawed, uttered, shrieked, and oaned. They cae at the cross, crawling

over one another. But they could not reach the an. They clawed the wood of his rison but could not

claw hi. +ne by one, they began to die…

They withered and becae soke ghosts that the cool wind bore away. They collased into dust. They

dribbled into blood ools.

Then there were stars for a short tie.

And again cae the dawn…

And the angels…

And the night and the deons and the stars and the dawn and the awesoe, awesoe angels and the

night… &t continued at a addening ace. 1ays becae weeks4 weeks turned to onths. 5or years, he

hung there. 5or centuries, he reained. 5inally, all tie was lost as the sun sun adly across the skyand night with its devils was barely a blink of an eye.

7 2lease!0 he screaed. 62lease!0

%he la!t !cream! broght them ot of !leep# breathing hard. Sam p!hed him!elf p# looked abot the !hip

to rea!!re him!elf. %hen he trned to Hrko!. 7What !ort of dream wa! that+:

4no!!o! looked crio!.

7HeC! a telepath#: Sam e'plained. 7=rreglar talent. *t what the hell kind of dream! were tho!e+:

7%hatC! what =Cd like to know# Sam#: Hrko! !aid. 7= wa! getting them from yo9:

VI

7 7e/0

7Well# not really from yor mind. Through yor mind. %he generator of tho!e thoght! i! "ery di!tant. >o

one in thi! room. $nd the mind of that generator i! horribly large. =mmea!rable. %hi! wa! only a fraction

of the thoght! in it# a !mall corner of them. =n thi! ca!e# = picked p thi! trace of thoght! and for !ome

rea!on my !bcon!cio! talent began boo!ting their "i"idne!! and re5broadca!ting them.:

7*t = woldnCt ha"e dreamed them withot yor help.:

Hrko! !miled !adly. 7@o wold ha"e dreamed them !t the !ame and !t a! completely. @o wold notha"e been aware of dreaming them# i! all.:

7*t then what wa! it+ =t reminded me of the man on the cro!! yo toppled after *elinaC! death.:

7=tC! the 6hri!t legend#: 4no!!o! !aid. %hey trned to !tare at him. 7= make legend! my b!ine!!. Poet!

work in all !ort! of mythologie!. %here ha"e been a large nmber of them&and a large nmber of wild

one! too. %he 6hri!t legend i! not !o ancient. %here are !till 6hri!tian!# a! yo know# thogh damn few.

Bo!t of the religion# along with all the other!# died ot abot a tho!and year! ago# !hortly after the

Permanent Peace and the immortality drg!. $ccording to legend# the god5figre 6hri!t wa! crcified on a

dogwood cro!!. %hi! dream !eem! to be a reenactment of that myth# thogh = do not recall that the man

hng there that long or that there were admini!tering angel! and tempting demon!.:

7%hi! cold be another cle#: Hrko! offered.

7How !o+: Sam wa! ready to cltch at the !malle!t !traw.

7Perhap! yor my!tery hypnoti!t i! a neo56hri!tian# one of tho!e who ref!e the immortality drg!. %hat



wold certainly e'plain why he wold want to o"erthrow the empire. He wold want to con"ert the

pagan!# bring the !a"age! into the fold. %hatC! !.:

74ood point#: 4no!!o! !aid. 7*t that doe!nCt e'plain the blob.:

Hrko! lap!ed into !ilence.

Bong-bong-bong!

P8EP$8E F,8 >,8B$L SP$6E $>D B$>?$L 6,>%8,L ,F %H=S AESSEL97WeCre almo!t to Hope#: 4no!!o! !aid. 7Perhap! we will !oon be ha"ing more cle!.:

%he flight5control !y!tem of the planet5wide city locked them into it! pattern and began bringing them

down to a point of it! own choo!ing !ince they had not re3e!ted any particlar tochdown !pot. Ship!

flttered abo"e# below# and to all !ide! of them. *bble car! !pn acro!! the great ele"ated roadway#

zipping between the bilding!# !ometime! !lipping into tnnel! in the !ky!craper! from which they often

emerged going another direction. %hey !ettled onto a gray pad where the flame! of their de!cent were

!oaked p# cooled# di!!ipated.

*eyond the pad# on all !ide!# lay Hope. Sper5city. %he hope# literally# of a new way of life for billion!.

%hey !tood at the open portal# waited while the attendant marked their check!lip !o that they wold ha"e

the proper !hip to retrn to# tore it in half and ga"e them their portion.

7Well#: 4no!!o! !aid# 7where to+:

7>o order! yet#: Sam !aid.

7LetC! !t wander arond a bit.:&Hrko!.

7,kay# we will.:&4no!!o!.

$nd they did.

He !at before the thick window that wa! not really a window at all# and he looked at the thing beyond. =t

raged# la!hing# !creaming# roaring like a tho!and bll! with pin! in their brain!. How long+ How long

had it foght again!t the Shield# trying to get ot+ *readloaf peered deeper into the Shield# cltched hi!

chair and leaned farther back in it. %he ma!!i"e de!k nearly concealed hi! !lmped form. $ tho!and

year! and more. %hat wa! how long. Hi! father had con!trcted the barrier and the chamber beyond#

which dipped into the other dimen!ion. >o# not another dimen!ion either&a higher dimen!ion. >ot

another alternate !cheme of thing!# !t a different layer of thi! particlar !cheme. $nd when hi! father

had died in a freak accident that the medic! cold not ndo the damage of# he had come into po!!e!!!ion

of the family fortne# the family bilding!# the family office !trctre here in the 6enter of Hope# the

Shield and the tank beyond. %he la!t two thing! were !omething one did not ad"erti!e. =t wa! a family

!ecret&a big# hoary !keleton in the family clo!et. %he brden wa! hi!# and only hi!.

For !i' hndred year! he had come here e"ery week# !ometime! for !tretche! that la!ted day!# mo!t oftenfor !t a few hor!. He came to look at the Shield. $nd what lay beyond# trapped by it. =t wa! a weight

that re!ted hea"ily on hi! !holder! at all time!. =t wa! in!ane to worry. He knew that. %he Shield had held

for o"er a tho!and year!2 it wold hold fore"er. =t cold not fail. =t wa! maintained by machine!# and

machine! had not been known to fail !ince hi! grandfatherC! time. $nd the!e machine! were tended# not

by nreliable men# bt by other machine! that gained their power from !till more machine!. =t wa!

foolproof.

Still# $le'ander *readloaf === came once a week# !ometime! !taying a long time# !ometime! !t for a few

hor!. Still he worried. Still&he wa! afraid.

6rim!on e'ploded acro!! the !creen# wa!hed down and trned to ocher at the bottom. E'plo!ion! wold

not !hatter the Shield# no matter how "iolent they might be. DidnCt it nder!tand thi! by now+ $ tho!andyear! of e'plo!ion!# and it !till did not nder!tand. %hat thoght left a !orry !pot on hi! !ol# bt he

reminded him!elf of what hi! father alway! !aid (!aid !o often that it became the family motto); 7%here i!

no longer ignorance in men.: Baybe. E"idently. $lthogh he feared that ignorance lrked !t below the



!rface# waiting for a chance-

%here wa! a lo"ely pattern of ble and !il"er a! it applied certain !tre!! pattern !e3ence! to the Shield.

*t it had tried that before. =t had tried e"erything before-

*readloaf p!hed him!elf ot of the chair# walked toward the door that led into the hallway. He wold get

!ome !imple food!# !ome coffee. $nd he wold retrn. %hi! wa! one of tho!e time! when a brief glance at

it wa! not going to be enogh. =t wa! going to be one of tho!e week!. ,ne of tho!e long week!.

VII

=n their wandering# they came acro!! many thing! that amazed Sam de!pite the fact that he wholly or

partially remembered mo!t of them. =t wa! a! if he had been told of the!e thing! bt had ne"er actally

!een them. =n the !eeing lay the wonder. %hey had gone to the light !how!# the toto5e'perience place!.

%hey had !een the park!# the a"ene! of art. 4no!!o! knew the city well# that being one of the

3alification! of a tre poet&to know the beating heart of the metropoli!. ,r megalopoli!+ >o matter. He

e'plained all thing! they did not nder!tand# clarified thing! they thoght they knew. =t wa! a mar"elo!

time# !a"e for the con!tant awarene!! that another hypnotic trance and order cold be on the way# minte!

from them# ready to !wallow Sam into noi!y chao! and !e him.So it wa!# in the cor!e of their aimle!! rambling!# they came pon the 6hri!tian. Sam noticed that

Hrko! bri!tled at the !ight of the man&not beca!e of thi! indi"idal# bt beca!e of the heedle!! god

that !ppo!edly !tood behind him.

%he 6hri!tian wa! old. He wa! fifty# ancient in a world where all were eternally thirty or yonger. He had

e"idently been a child of a !trong 6hri!tian family# for he had not e"en recei"ed anti5beard element!2 the

hea"y !hadow on hi! face ga"e him an eerie# !eldom5!een metallic look. Hi! teeth were yellow and

chipped. Hi! !kin wa! wrinkled. $cro!! hi! che!t and back hng the hal"e! of a !andwich !ign. %he front

!aid; 4,D =S $SH$BED9 When the man !aw them coming# he e'ected a !mall heel5trn to re"eal the

letter! on the back of the !ign; HE SH$LL 6,BE $4$=> %, <?D4E9

7= canCt nder!tand them#: Hrko! !aid.

4no!!o! !miled a thin !mile. 7Some day# they will all be gone.:

7*t why are there the!e people+: Sam a!ked. 7DonCt the medic! pre"ent mental infirmitie! in babie!+:

7Well#: the poet !aid# !hortening hi! giant !tride! to match the !maller !tep! of hi! companion!# 7the

original concept of the empire wa! complete freedom. Bental infirmitie! were weeded ot# tre. $! a

re!lt# the nmber of religio! people dropped o"er the year!. *t one cannot limit another manC! belief!

nder a !y!tem of complete freedom. 8eligio! per!on! were allowed to practice their belief!. %hogh

their children might be born a! mentally !ond a! po!!ible# the parent! rai!ed them and pa!!ed their own

!per!tition! on to their off!pring. %he nmber of religio! dwindled. *t a! long a! they procreated&and

thi! i! a !trong part of their faith# the!e 6hri!tian!&they wold alway! ha"e children to indoctrinate# towarp. =tC! a pity# certainly. *t# after all# they are re!pon!ible and it i! their life and their child. $ man can

wa!te what i! hi! if he !o choo!e. = ge!!.:

7Know the Word#: the 6hri!tian !aid a! they drew abrea!t of him. He handed 4no!!o! and Sam

pamphlet!&yellow paper with red print. %hey were !o wrinkled and tattered that it wa! e"ident many

people had handed them right back in the pa!t. %he !hort5li"ed traffic of each pamphlet had worn it

!e"erely.

7=Cll take one too#: Hrko! !aid# holding hi! hand ot.

%he 6hri!tian made no reply. Hrko! a!ked again.

7Will yo a!k thi! per!on of tainted blood to cea!e !peaking to me+: the bearded one a!ked Sam. He wa!ob"io!ly di!tre!!ed# rnning hi! thin# bony hand! p and down the edge! of the che!t !ign# toying with

little !plinter! proecting from the edge of the pla!tic !3are.

7%ainted blood+:



7%hey donCt like Be!#: 4no!!o! e'plained. 7%hey wold ne"er !peak to one nle!! they were dying and

needed help. %hen# it wold be 4odC! will that they !poke.:

7Why are Be!&tainted+: Sam a!ked.

7$ Be i! not a creation of 4od# bt the work of man#: the 6hri!tian !napped. 7$ Be i! a "iolation of

4odC! holy power! of creation.: Hi! eye! gleamed fanatically.

7Predice#: 4no!!o! !aid. 7=tC! part of the dogma of e"ery religion&!ometime! hea"ily di!gi!ed bt

alway! there. Do yo know the hi!tory of yor chrch# old man+:

%he 6hri!tian !hffled hi! feet. He wa! beginning to feel that it might be be!t to !tay ot of an argment

with the!e particlar pagan!# bt hi! fanatic de"otion cold not be totally denied. 7,f cor!e = do. =n the

beginning there wa!&:

7=t doe!nCt !tart that far back.: 4no!!o! laghed. He licked hi! lip!# an'io! to lanch into the old man.

7=t doe!nCt !tart with the darkne!! and the light and the fir!t !e"en day!. =t come! along mch later.

Billennia later. %hereC! no chrch ntil man decide! he need! a mean! of !ocial climbing# !omething to

make him !perior to hi! neighbor!. So he form! a chrch# a religion. *y forming it# he can !ay that he

know! what and why 4od i!. He can !ay he know! the prpo!e of all thing! and can# therefore# be a ct

abo"e other men.:

74od chose Saint Peter to !tart the chrch# to be abo"e other men.:

4no!!o! !miled patronizingly# almo!t a !aint him!elf&e'cept for the !harp blade that wa! hi! tonge. 7=

dobt that. @oCll pardon me if = !ond di!tr!tfl# bt = dobt that "ery mch. Hi!tory i! !imply littered

with men who !aid 4od had cho!en them to be a leader. Bo!t of them fell flat on their face!. Bo!t of

them got trampled down and !ma!hed in the flow of %ime and Hi!tory# which are two thing! bigger than

any man.:

7Fal!e prophet!9: the !ign5carrier growled.

7So what make! yo think Saint Peter wa!nCt a fal!e prophet+:

7What he !tarted i! !till with !.:7Dration doe! not pro"e worth. War! la!ted a damn !ight longer than yor religion ha!# bt they were

fini!hed and done away with beca!e they were not good thing!. *e!ide!# yor faith i! !t barely with !.

=t !eem! Saint PeterC! work i! facing the end that war faced.:

Sam made a face# lanched into the con"er!ation again. 7*t why hate Hrko! for not being directly 4od5

created+ =f 4od ga"e men the power to in"ent and !e the $rtificial Womb# then He wa! in"ol"ed in the

creation of the Be!# thogh&:

7Ben !rped the power#: the 6hri!tian !aid.

7*t if 4od i! all5powerfl# men cold not !rp anything of Hi!. Why# He wold cr!h men who tried

&:4no!!o! pt a hand on SamC! !holder. 7=t i! not for thi! rea!on that 6hri!tian! hate Be!. $! = !aid# they

ha"e to feel !perior. %here are !o few people they can look down on anymore2 the Be offer! a perfect

!capegoat. *eca!e he i! often abnormal phy!ically&whether it be a detrimental phy!ical difference or a

beatifl# fnctional difference&they ha"e !omething to feel !perior abot. = am not like yo#C they !ay.

= am normal. = am whole.C:

$ crowd had begn to form arond the debate. People !trained o"er one anotherC! !holder!# trying to

hear and get a look at the "erbal combatant!. %hi! !eemed to plea!e 4no!!o!# bt it irritated the 6hri!tian.

7$nd my dear fellow#: 4no!!o! contined in a friendly tone rai!ed a bit for the benefit of tho!e at the

back of the crowd# 7do yo know who !tarted many of the wor!t war! in the pa!t three tho!and year!+:

7SatanC! force!:

7>o. 4od# it !hold be !o !imple a! yo !ay. >o# it wa! 6hri!tian!# the "ery people who preached again!t

war. =n&:



%he bearded man !howed hi! teeth in what cold ha"e been a !narl if he had added !ond. 7= will not

pr!e thi! argment any longer. @o are in SatanC! employ.: He mo"ed 3ickly# p!hing at the crowd

that had gathered. %hey he!itated# then parted to let him throgh. He had# "ery !hortly# been lo!t in the

brea!t of the night to be !ckled by it! darkne!!.

7@o donCt imagine yo did any good#: Hrko! !aid a! the crowd arond them di!per!ed and they began

walking again. 7@o donCt imagine yo got throgh that bony !trctre he call! a head# do yo+:

7>o. *t = canCt re!i!t trying. He i! nreachable by thi! time. *e!ide!# e"en if he dobted hi! faith# hewold not allow him!elf to gi"e that dobt prominence in thi! thoght!. He ha! for!aken concrete eternity

"ia the immortality drg!# and now he ha! nothing to cling to bt the hope! of hi! religion# the promi!e!

of hi! 4od.:

74i"e! me the !hi"er!#: Sam !aid.

7%hi! i! all getting mch too morbid#: 4no!!o! !aid. 7LetC! find a hotel and !ettle down. By feet are

killing me# and there i! no telling how mch rnning we might ha"e to do to catch Sam if he get! another

order.:

*readloaf fini!hed the la!t mor!el! of hi! !andwich# licked hi! gm! to remo"e the !ticky !alad dre!!ing#took a long !wallow of hot# black coffee# and leaned back in hi! chair a! if it were a womb he wa! a!king

to !wallow him. %he room wa! dark# for the thing behind the Shield wa! not a thing for well5lighted

room!. =t! detail! were broght ot too flly in light. *lackne!! allowed mercifl ob!crity.

'innabar horseen riding green stallions e*loded across the screen, were gone in a wash of lavender…

He liked to pick ot pattern! in the e'plo!ion! of color# choo!e and name them a! a yong boy might do

with clod! seen from a green gra!!5co"ered hill in !mmer.

A dragon#s outh holding the broken body of an aber… aber… aber knight…

$le'ander *readloaf === wondered whether hi! father had !at like thi!# watching the pattern! and trying to

make !omething of them. =t wa! a !eeking after order# certainly# that wa! the prpo!e of watching them.Had hi! father !at# hi! great leonine head bowed in contemplation# hi! hea"y brow! rn together from the

forehead5wrinkling concentration+ Had he laced hi! thick finger! behind hi! waterfall of white hair and

watched&actally !tdied&the Pri!oner of the Shield# a! the family had come to !peak of it+

He dobted it. Hi! father had been a man of hard work and !treno! action. He had bilt hi! fatherC!

!mall fortne into a "ery large fortne# an almo!t incalclable !m of money. When hi! engineer!

accidently !tmbled acro!! the Shield while looking for a non5matter force for con!trction prpo!e!#

when they di!co"ered# to their horror# what lay beyond. %he old man took the practical angle. He knew

there wa! a fortne to be made here# more than hi! already formidable ma!!e! of wealth. He had only to

en!la"e the power! already trapped behind the Shield and trn them to work for him. %he Shield wa!

maintained. *t the power! cold ne"er be en!la"ed. %o agree to !la"ery# the !la"e m!t ha"e fear of hi!

ma!ter. %here wa! no fear in the Pri!oner. $b!oltely none.

Brilliant flashes of white riled like fish through a sudden sea of soky burgundy…

Hi! heart thdded at the bright light# e"en thogh he knew the Shield wa! impenetrable. %ake one

molecle and e'pand it. E'pand it !ome more. Bake it bigger and bigger and bigger&bt donCt di!trb

it! natral particle balance. @o ha"e a Shield. =t will hold back anything# !tand again!t e"en nclear

power of the highe!t magnitde. *t yo al!o ha"e a doorway into a higher dimen!ion. $ barred doorway.

>o# really more like an nbreakable window. *t that window trn! the higher dimen!ion into a pri!on#

!3eeze! it into a confined !pace (a law of oppo!ite! which e3alize! the pre!!re created by the

e'panding fir!t molecle). %he higher dimen!ion i! then bond within the tiny limit!. =t and it! inhabitant!

are trapped# nable to mo"e or to get ot.

Brilliant white on yellow like cat#s-eye arbles…

>o# hi! father had ne"er !at here like thi!. He wa! too practical for melancholia. $long abot the !econd

hndred year! of the Pri!onerC! confinement# the old fellow had realized&probably with a great deal of



bitterne!!&he cold ne"er en!la"e it and demand thing! of it. $nd a! the year! pa!!ed he came to

maintain the Shield only beca!e to let it go off wold mean the end of hi! family and po!!ibly all hman

life. %he Pri!oner wold be !eeking re"enge&an omnipotent# terrible re"enge of finality. *y the day! of

$le'ander the %hird# thi! fear of the Pri!oner had been componded by a feeling of moral obligation. %he

!anity and progre!! of the empire depended on keeping the Pri!oner impri!oned. $lway!# in the rear of hi!

mind# wa! the fear that the thing wold e!cape. Sometime! that fear !rged to the fore. %ime! like thi!. He

wanted to rn into the !treet! and !cream abot the charge behind the Shield. *t the *readloaf! had done

thi! thing# had trapped thi! bea!t. =t wold be p to them to watch it for all eternity. $nd perhap! beyond.Finally# when watching wa! not 3ite enogh# $le'ander walked to the Shield# !tood with a hand pon the

cor!ing energy. 7How did yo#: he !aid at length to the thing beyond# 7become like thi!+:

=t cold only thoght5!peak to him when he wa! toching the Shield. E"en then# the word! were tiny and

di!tant; 8eteout, leteout -

7How did yo become like thi!+:

8eteout, leteout, leteout -

%hat wa! it! con!tant cry. Sometime! there were bloodcrdling threat!. *t he knew&and it knew&that

the threat! cold not be carried ot. >ot a! long a! the Shield wa! there. =t wold ne"er an!wer hi!

3e!tion; 7How did yo become like thi!+: >ot today. =t had an!wered pre"io!ly# bt only when itthoght it had !omething to gain.

7How did yo become like thi!+:

$nd it had !aid; & have always been like this…

,n hydro5bed!# reclining# they opened their ear!. %he hotel room wa! plea!ant and !pacio!. 4no!!o! lay

before the door !o that Sam wold ha"e to crawl o"er him to get ot. %he light! were !oft bt ade3ate#

the wine !weet pon their tonge!. =t wa! certainly a time for "er!e!.

7Look throgh the windowto the !treet! below2

=tC! the age of !orrow#

babie! in the !now.

Look throgh any window

acro!! a !ea of d!t2

%ime lie! !hattered

in a mobi! r!t-:

%hen it wa! time to !leep. %he wine had been drnk# the "er!e! !poken# and the darkne!! crept o"er them.

For a time# at lea!t-

A drea. A drea of an ety tob and rotting bodies. )*cet for one single body which stood and

walked for the doorway. But there were deons that srang fro nowhere, grasing the body and

flinging it down aong the corses, and coanded it to stay dead. Always and everywhere there were

slavering, keening deons…

%hen Hrko! lo!t the thread of the alien thoght! and the trio woke a! one. %hey were all per!piring. %he

dim glow of the lamp! !eemed !ddenly too dim for the circm!tance!.

7>ot mine again+: Sam a!ked.

78elayed from whate"er implanted yor hypnotic command!. Aery far away.:

*t the odor of !poiled fle!h had carried o"er into reality.

7Well#: 4no!!o! !aid# grmbling and !tanding# 7= canCt !leep now.:



%hey agreed.

7So letC! go !ight!eeing again. Baybe the ne't command will be coming along !oon now anyway.:

7Where to+: Hrko! a!ked. 7=! it far+ By feet !till hrt.:

7>ot far#: 4no!!o! a!!red them. *t they knew a !hort !tep to thi! giant wa! two !tep! to them and a

little !troll might trn into an arch5breaking trek. 7%here are a nmber of the!e place! we cold go. %hi!

oneC! !t arond the corner. =tC! called the &nferno.:

VIII

%he &nferno wa! a bar. *t more than a bar# a total e'perience. E"erything in the place wa! geared to

!ome !en!ory !timlation. Ebony and !il"er clod! drifted throgh the room! and half5room!# !ifted in

and ot of alco"e! and cbbyhole!# !ome !t for effect# !ome carrying !cantily dre!!ed performer!. Floor

panel! popped open ne'pectedly like the top! of ack5in5the5bo'e!# !pewing ot clown! in imagi5color

co!tme! that were prple# yellow# red# green# or white# according to oneC! mood. %he !himmering fabric!

manife!ted them!el"e! in many way!# !hifting color to match yor feeling!# e"en a! they cheered yo p.

%he floor re"ol"ed at a different !peed than the wall! and in a different direction than the ceiling. Strobe

light! fla!hed. Smello5!ymphonie! fl!hed throgh the room# twi!ting the patron!C !en!e! to moment! of!yna!the!ia where m!ic became an olfactory !en!ation of inde!cribable delectability. %he erotic cygian

perfme! !eeped throgh the air in ble mi!t!# enflaming no!tril! and tying the ma!! of total e'perience

into a congealed whole that throbbed with each wa"e of the odorifero! !b!tance.

%hey took a table in the corner# one almo!t hidden by !hadow!. %he robotender in the center of the table

deli"ered their drink! once 4no!!o! had compiled an order# pnched it ot on the !il"er key!# and

depo!ited the proper amont of coin!. %hey !at !ipping the cool li3id! and watching the two dozen or !o

character! in the bar.

7WhatC! !o !pecial abot thi! place+: Sam a!ked# almo!t choking on a hea"y breath of the perfme. 7=t

i!nCt nlike the 4rande Hotel Longe or a dozen other place! weC"e been# for that matter.:

7Look at the people#: 4no!!o! !aid enigmatically.

Sam did. He cold !ee no way in which they differed from empire norm in dre!! or habit. He !aid !o.

7Look more clo!ely#: the poet rged. 7Look at their face!.:

Sam !wng hi! gaze from the rddy face to the more di!tant "i!age!. $nd it was in their face!. %he longer

he watched# the clearer it became to the eye. *t what# e'actly# wa! it+ He !earched hi! mind# looking for

a compari!on# a !imile that wold make the "i!ion into word!. He wa! !t abot to gi"e p when the

proper word! !trck him. %he look in the!e face! wa! mch like the look in the face! of the !cooterbea!t!

when they were penned in zoo!. =n a natral !tate# the !cooterbea!t mo"ed a! 3ickly a! lightning acro!! a

!torm !ky. %hey were !pinning# careening blr! to the eye. Penned# they pre!!ed their face! to the gla!!

wall! and looked mornflly toward freedom# wi!hing to mo"e again# to tra"el# to be lightning# to do

what wa! denied them. 7= !ee it#: he !aid to 4no!!o!.

7%heyCre ?nnatral!.:

7%he one!&:

7Who wold like to kill#: 4no!!o! completed. 7%hey are defect! born with many of the old falt!; with

the de!ire to kill# an o"erwhelming greed# and bent toward !elf5gratification. %here i! nothing the

go"ernment can do bt take them and make them Sen!iti"e!. =f they hrt anyone# they al!o feel the pain.

,nly ten time! wor!e. $ny pain they inflict i! retrned tenfold to their own ner"o! !y!tem. =f they aid

!omeone# they feel the other per!onC! plea!re. =f they kill !omeone# they feel the death throe! and

terminal !pa!m! ten time! more inten!ely than the "ictim. >one of them cold tolerate that. %hey do not#therefore# kill or hrt.:

7$nd they look !o normal#: Sam !aid.



7,t!ide. ,t!ide# Sam. *t on the in!ide&:

7He know! abot the ?nnatral!#: Hrko! !aid# 7bt he did not know abot the Be!. %hatC! rather

crio!.:

7WeCll con!ider it o"er another drink#: 4no!!o! !aid. He placed the order# depo!ited the coin!# waited for

the li3or. >one came. He ponded the robotender once# then bellowed for the hman tapkeeper who wa!

poli!hing gla!!e! behind the bar. He wa! growing red5faced a! he had been when hi! !hip had collided

with SamC!. $ fal!e anger pt on merely for the plea!re of appearing frio!. %he tapkeeper opened thegate in the bar and cro!!ed the room with !tride! a! !re and 3ick# almo!t# a! 4no!!o!C. =n hi! eye!

glittered the ten!ene!!# the trapped e'pre!!ion of the !cooterbea!t with hi! no!e to gla!!.

7%hi! thing i! broken9: 4no!!o! roared. 7= want my money back9:

7Here#: the hman bartender !aid# flipping three coin! to the poet. 7>ow all of yo had better lea"e&

plea!e.:

7Why+: Sam a!ked. %hi! wa! the !econd time he had encontered genine rdene!!&once with the

6hri!tian# now with the ?nnatral. =t pzzled him.

7%hi! i! not a >atral bar.:

7@oCre a natral if = e"er !aw one#: Hrko! mmbled.

%he bartender ignored the wit.

7We are allowed !er"ice anywhere#: 4no!!o! boomed. 7>atral! and ?nnatral! are not !egregated9:

Shffling hi! feet# a bit cowed# or taking a new line of tact# perhap!# the tapkeeper !aid# 7=tC! !t for yor

own !afety that = a!k.: %here wa! a mi're of fear and general nea!ine!! in hi! eye! now.

7Wa! that a threat+: 4no!!o! !aid# a!toni!hed. 7$m = with the nci"ilized+:

7>ot a threat. =tC! for yor own !afety# a! = !aid. =tC! beca!e of him&that one.:

%hey followed the tapkeeperC! thmb a! it erked toward the man !tanding at the far corner of the bar. %he

!tranger wa! cltching a gla!! of yellow li3id# taking large glp! of it withot effort# !wi!hing it abot inhi! moth a! if it were mothwa!h# chgging it down withot a tear. He wa! hge# nearly a! big a!

4no!!o!# red5haired and red5eyed. Hi! hammy hand! clenched into fi!t!# nclenched to grab hi! drink.

%hogh phy!ically a bit !maller than the poet# he had m!cle where 4no!!o! had rn !omewhat to fat.

%he corded ma!!e! of ti!!e that were hi! arm! !eemed able to !nap anything or anyone to piece!.

7WhoC! he+: 4no!!o! a!ked.

7*lack <ack *ronto.:

7@oC"e got to be kidding#: Hrko! !aid# !lmping e"en frther into hi! chair. 7@o m!t be.:

7Henry *rontoC! hi! name# bt he win! all the time at the gaming table!# !o they call him *lack <ack.

$nd he carrie! one too&a blackack# that i!.:

$ great many ?nnatral! carried crde weapon!# wi!hing they cold !e them# bt ne"er daring to

beca!e of the pain echoe! that wold englf their !en!itized brain!. 6learly# 4no!!o! wa! fa!cinated by

*ronto. Here wa! !omeone a bit different. $ poet i!# of cor!e# a man of in!ight if he i! a poet of any

worth. *t he i! not a aded gr if he i! fa!cinated by thing! ni3e. =ndeed# it i! !t !ch a fa!cination

that he need! to hone hi! mind on. *ronto wa! ni3e. Here wa! !omeone !miled on by Fortne at the

gambing table!. Here wa! !omeone# perhap!# !tronger than him!elf. $nd here wa! !omeone# for !ome

rea!on# to be feared.

7HeC! dangero!#: the tapkeeper !aid.

7Dangero! beca!e he carrie! a blackack and win! at card!+:

7>o. Dangero! beca!e he wold !e the blackack. He cold kill all three of yo& slit-slit-slat( !t

like that.: %he tapkeeper wrng hi! hand! like di!hcloth!. He ca!t a glance at all three of them# !earching

for !ome !ign of weakne!!# then looked back to *ronto.



$lmo!t a! if he had !een a !ignal# *ronto !tarted acro!! the room# directly toward them.

7Plea!e lea"e#: the tapkeeper !aid.

7= think maybe we had better#: Sam !gge!ted.

7Why+: 4no!!o! a!ked. 7%he blackack bit+ He wonCt hrt !. 8emember# e"ery pain we feel# he feel! ten

time! o"er.:

7*t&: the tapkeeper began.7@oCre talking abot me#: *ronto !aid# !tepping p to their table. $nd hi! "oice wa! like the "oice of a

canary5high and !weet and melodic. %he trio !tared at one another for a moment# a!tonded. %he tiny

"oice again !eeped from the ma!!i"e throat. 7Were yo talking abot me+:

Sam tittered# then let go and br!t ot laghing. 4no!!o! followed with hi! thnder5lagh. Hrko! foght

it# !eeming to be comfortable in hi! recently !elf5impo!ed melancholy and relctant to lea"e it.

*ronto !poke again; 7Stop laghing at me9:

%he word 7laghing: wa! !o high5pitched that hi! "oice cracked in the middle of it. $nd Hrko! too br!t

ot laghing# !praying the table with !ali"a he had been fighting to hold back with the lagh.

7Stop it9 Stop it9: *ronto !hoted.

*t the ten!ion within the three of them had been at a peak. %hey had been re!tle!!# ner"o!# on edge

!ince the enconter with the elly5ma!!. %he con!tant !tate of e'pectancy had honed their ner"e! to !harp#

thin wire! that were ready to "ibrate wildly if only !lightly plcked. $nd big *lack <ack *rontoC! "oice

&or the !trange anachroni!m that pa!!ed for a "oice&had been the tning fork that had !et them all

roaring a! the ten!ion drained. %hey laghed wildly. %hey laghed withot control# tear! !treaming down

their face!. %hey laghed all ot of proportion to the oke.

7,h# no# no# no#: the tapkeeper moaned. He chanted it o"er and o"er a! if it were a litany.

7Sht p9: *ronto roared !3eakily. Hi! moth wa! foaming. Little fleck! of mad white- He broght a

colo!!al fi!t down on the !im5wood table# knocked all the gla!!e! off. *t thi! too only !er"ed to !end

the trio into paro'y!m! of laghter. Hrko! wa! leaning on 4no!!o!# and Sam had hi! head thrown back#

howling.

*lack <ack mttered !omething incomprehen!ible# all meaning flooded away by brning rage. 6la!ping

one fi!t in the other# he !ma!hed the wedge of hi! fle!h onto the tabletop# !hattered the thing into two

hal"e! that !tood !eparately for a moment ntil the weight of the broken top plled the laminated leg apart

and the table collap!ed into the lap! of the three >atral!. %hey cea!ed their laghter.

*ronto now had a face like a ngle animal. 4reat !watche! of gly ble di!colored the niform red of

hi! contenance. Hi! teeth were bared and foam5flecked. He !narled and !pat and !creeched nintelligible

thing! between hi! teeth. He wa! mad a! all hell and all hell cold not ha"e pre"ailed again!t him had he

trned on it. He latched onto Hrko!C chair# ripped it ot from nder the Be and !ent him cra!hing to thefloor.

7What the hell+: 4no!!o! !aid to the tapkeeper. 7HeC! an ?nnatral# bt heC! al!o a Sen!iti"e9:

7HeC! a Sen!iti"e# ye!#: the tapkeeper !hoted a!. *lack <ack !ma!hed Hrko!C chair into the wall again

and again# more "iolent with each "icio! !wing. 7HeC! a Sen!iti"e and feel! the "ictimC! pain. *t he wa!

more of an ?nnatral than the doctor! knew. He wa! al!o a ma!ochi!t9:

%he color drained from the poetC! face a! !nowy realization !wept in to take it! place. 7%hen he like!

being a Sen!iti"e beca!e&:

%he bartender fini!hed; 7He like! to feel pain9:

*ronto had fini!hed with the chair. %here wa! nothing left of it that cold be ponded again!t the wall.Splinter! and !crap! of pla!tic lay o"er the floor and !rronding table!. %he wall wa! wor!e for the

enconter too. *lack <ack *ronto# ob"io!ly# wold not care if he killed a hndred men. $ tho!and. He

trned to them# plodding throgh the monting wreckage. He to!!ed a!ide anything that !tood in hi! way#



knocking o"er table!# !ma!hing chair! and lamp! and robotender!. He la!hed ot at Hrko!# !trck a blow

that !ent the !mall Be tmbling acro!! another table and cra!hing to the floor in a clod of broken gla!!.

4no!!o! !tepped p to take a !wing at the maddened *ronto# bt he wa! a >atral. =t wa! impo!!ible for

him to !trike ot at a fellow man# no matter how de!er"ing of pni!hment that fellow man might be. Had

*ronto been an animal# the ca!e wold ha"e been !impler. *t he wa! not. $nd a tho!and year! of

!anity made 4no!!o! check hi! blow e"en before he !tarted it. $nd *ronto deli"ered a pnch that !et the

poet down hard. $! 4no!!o! and Hrko! !trggled to gain their feet# *lack <ack hea"ed a table ot of the

way and came for Sam.

Patron! were mo"ing ot of the door!# hiding behind !table obect!# not an'io! to get in"ol"ed bt not

abot to lo!e ot on a good !how like thi!. %hey wa"ed bottle!# hooted# howled# and cheered for *ronto.

$nd at that moment# the !econd hypnotic order came to Sam-

$ chao! of noi!e obliterated the le!!er noi!e in the bar. SamC! eye! glo!!ed. He wobbled for a moment a!

neither he nor the my!terio! hypnotic ma!ter wa! flly in control of hi! temporal !elf. %hen#

determinedly# he !et ot for the door. *ronto# !eeing the mo"e and mi!dging it for retreat# !narled and

leaped o"er the fallen frnitre# reaching the door fir!t. 7>ot yet. = hrt yo fir!t9:

He reached with great# corded hand! for Sam-

$nd !ddenly dobled p a! Sam !trck him a blow in the !tomach that wold ha"e crmbled a wall&

beca!e a wall wold not ha"e gi"en a! *rontoC! !tomach did. $nd *rontoC! !tomach certainly ga"e&

ga"e p to SamC! wri!t. Whoe"er wa! controlling SamC! body did not !eem to ha"e anything again!t

"iolence. %he giant offed, !tmbled# bt !till managed to cltch SamC! !holder. Sam broght a foot p#

twi!ted away# and !lammed the foot into *rontoC! gt# !ent him to hi! knee!. %hen he wa! pa!t the

?nnatral and throgh the door.

7$fter him9: 4no!!o! !hoted. 7HeC! gotten another order9: %he two of them ran pa!t the ga!ping

*ronto and ot!ide. *t in the dimne!! of the night# the !treet! were empty. Sam wa! a long time gone.

IX

%he water# chemical!# and lbricant! flowed abot him in in"i!ible pipe!. >o# not in"i!ible. Baterially

none'i!tent. %here were tbe! of force that clothed the li3id!. >o cmber!ome# nreliable# de!trctible

metal fi'tre!# only pre# raw force adapted to do a better ob. 4rgling# the flid! flowed from one part

of the giant mechani!m to another# co"ering the block5by5a5block machine 3ickly and efficiently. %hi!

wa! the machine that kept the Shield p# howe"er# and he wa! frightened beca!e it all !eemed !o flim!y.

He knew that force!# bent and !haped# were better than actal material part! that cold wear ot or fail

from !trctral flaw!. Still# all tho!e li3id! flowing throgh nothingne!!# and all of them "ital to the

maintenence of the Shield-

'lick!

*readloaf whirled arond&

'lick!

$nd arond again9

'licker-click-tick, h.

%he noi!e! bothered him2 he interpreted e"ery !ond a! the beginning of the breakdown. ,kay# he had

!een it. >ow he cold lea"e. He walked to the door# he!itated and looked arond. %here were other clicks

and a mffled clank. He wold go in!ane !t li!tening to it operate# he told him!elf. *efore the horror of

a po!!ible breakdown cold flood hi! mind with !ewage of ridiclo! fear!# he !tepped into the hall and

clo!ed the door behind. 4rdgingly# and yet with a profond !en!e of relief# he went back to hi! office.

%he order! were coming to Sam in a !wift !erie! now. *etween the accompli!hment of one thing and the



ne't order# there were only !econd! in which he had control of him!elf and knew preci!ely who he wa!.

He cold ne"er remember what it wa! he had done on the la!t order# and wa! englfed by the ne't before

he really had a chance to in"e!tigate hi! !rronding!.

>ow he wa! !tanding in a great chamber fll of machine!. %hat made him&or rather hi! hypnotic ma!ter

through him&feel nea!y. Bachine!# machine!# machine!. Hmming# grgling# !pttering. He had

broken in. %he !treet door had not been locked# for hardly anyone locked anything the!e day!. >o need to#

withot crime! being committed. *t thi! floor had been !ealed. Hi! la!t order had been to break in here

where thing! flowed throgh pipe! he cold not !ee and machinery throbbed with an o"erwhelming prpo!e. *t what had he done before that+ $nd what wold he do ne't+

%hen the chao! and the noi!e! came# and he wa! mo"ing-

When he came ot# a package he had been holding nder hi! arm wa! gone. He had not had time to

e'amine it. He did not know what he had done with it. ,r what it had been.

%hen the chao! and the noi!e! came# and he wa! mo"ing-

*readloaf rbbed hi! fi!t! in hi! eye!# plled open a de!k drawer and fmbled in it for anti5!nooze tablet!.

He fond a bottle# popped two pill! in hi! moth# !wallowed withot benefit of water. 8ecapping the bottle# he withdrew a !econd container of tiny ner"e pill!. He wa! in the proce!! of !wallowing one of

the!e when the door flew open# cra!hing into it! !lot with a !harp# ear5!hattering cra!h. %here wa! a man

!tanding there# eye! like "acant# n!eeing marble!# hi! hand! flng otward like the hand! of a !tage

magician. %he tip! of hi! finger! glowed and "ibrated with !ome hideo! power that wa! immediately a

thing to be called e"il.

$nd from the fingernail! came dart!.

>eedle! of !leep.

%hey bit into *readloaf# !preading their red warmth# plling him down into a Shieldle!! darkne!! that

forced bt denied him to !cream-

When Sam wa! in control of hi! body again# the fir!t thing that !trck hi! attention wa! the man !lmped

in the chair5!eemingly ncon!cio!&behind the de!k. Hi! e"ery m!cle wa! tat beneath the !rface

rela'ation# a! if the death penalty had been the only alternati"e to ncon!cio!ne!!. Secondly# there wa!

the !creen. =t wa! to the right of him# and for a moment it had been in a low5key color !erie! of magenta

and black. $brptly# it !pewed forth orange! and white! and cream! that !pla!hed acro!! the room and

grabbed hi! eye!.

He walked to the !creen# !tared at it. $n inde!cribable chill !wept p and down hi! !pine. =t wa! a! if the

color! were ali"e and wanted ot.

7What do yo want+ Who are yo+:

%he "oice !tartled him# and he leaped# hi! heart ponding. *t it had not been the color!2 it had been theman# Sam walked to the ma!!i"e de!k. 7By name i! Sam. = wa!&:

7What do yo want+ Why did yo do thi! to me+:

7Do what+:

7= canCt mo"e# damn yo9:

Sam he!itated# looked abot the room# !en!ing a gho!t !cene of what m!t ha"e tran!pired. 7= paralyzed

yo+:

*readloafC! thin lip! mo"ed# and hi! eye! re"ol"ed like ball bearing! in well5oiled groo"e!. @et the re!t of

hi! body wa! car"ed from wood# !tiff and immo"able. 7@o and the dart! beneath yor fingernail!. Whatthe hell kind of man are yo9:

Sam lifted hi! hand! and looked at them. %he nail! were di!colored a! if fine bit! of fle!h had pffed into

a!he! beneath them# lea"ing blackened pit!. He rbbed one# bt the color wa! definitely not on the



!rface.

7What kind of man are yo9: *readloaf roared thi! time# panic fl!hing e"ery word# e"ery word cored

with fear.

7= donCt know#: Sam !aid finally. 7=! there !ome way = can help yo+:

*readloaf wa! breathing hea"ily. 7@e!9 4o get help9:

7= canCt do that#: Sam !aid. He !tood on the carpet# !hffling one foot o"er the other# feeling !omewhatthe hypocrite.

7Why+ Why canCt yo+:

7=t wonCt let me.:

7=t+:

*riefly# he reconted hi! !tory&the elly5ma!!# the hypnotic command!. When he fini!hed# the other

manC! eye! were wide&too wide to contain anything bt horror. 7%he Pri!oner9: he croaked.

7What+:

7%he Pri!oner of the Shield. @oCre nder it! direction9:

Sam trned in!tincti"ely toward the portal of wa"ering color!. 7%hen they are ali"e9:

*readloaf wa! laghing# and Sam cold not get him to !top. =t wa! not the laghter of him and Hrko!

and 4no!!o! in the &nferno. %hi! wa! laghter at the ine"itability of !ome nknown tragedy. He cold

!en!e that# bt he cold not !top the other man. >either cold he lea"e to get help. Hi! feet wold carry

him toward the doorway bt not throgh it. %here wa! a mental block that kept him within the room. Hi!

memory began to clear !lightly# and he cold remember what el!e he had done in thi! bilding. He had

planted !ome !ort of bomb in the machinery below. $nd it m!t be the machinery that kept thi!- thi!

Shield going.

7$ tho!and year!#: *readloaf !hoted between whoop! of laghter. 7For a tho!and year! it tried the

!ame thing! o"er and o"er# and we thoght it wa! too den!e to attempt anything different. =n!tead# it wa! pretending !tpidity# making ! la'. $nd it worked. <!t when we were feeling !ecre# it take! yo and

break! in with ridiclo! ea!e. $ tho!and year! to the Pri!oner are like bt a day to !.: He laghed

again# har!hly.

%here wa! !weat on SamC! pper lip. He wiped it off and became aware of per!piration all o"er him. He

wa! frightened. $ tho!and year! behind the Shield. $nd it had only been playing arond# !ing the time

a! a di"er!ion. $ !core of centrie! had meant nothing to it. He watched it with a loathing that toched the

deepe!t part of him. Were the color! it! tre appearance or merely the effect! of it filtered by the Shield+

He thoght the color! were a front# not the tre natre of it. %he tre natre cold not be !omething !o

beatifl and "ibrant# !rely. $ ble !plotch rippled p from the bottom# !eemed to form a 3e!tion mark

like one wold find on a large tronic!ign& %ronic!ign9

He remembered !eeing the high tronic!ign band that ran arond all for !ide! of the *readloaf *ilding#

carrying letter! twenty feet tall. Perhap! the control con!ole wa! p here. =f it wa!# he cold !pell ot a

me!!age for 4no!!o! and Hrko!. Srely they wold be looking for him. =t wa! almo!t a certainty they

cold !ee the towering tronic!ign from anywhere in thi! part of the city. =f they were in thi! part of the

city-

7%he tronic!ign control!#: he a!ked5!aid.

7What+: *readloafC! eye! !lid back and forth in the !ocket! liked trapped animal!.

7%he ad"erti!ing !creen. %he light letter!. Where are the control! for the light letter!+:

7Why+:

7Where are they+: %here wa! a tone of command in hi! "oice that he had not known he po!!e!!ed.



7%hereC! a ma!ter !et in the main longe# bt = ha"e a !econdary plg5in !et in the wall cabinet&o"er

there.:

He fond it# plgged it in# began typing ot a me!!age that the big board! wold hold in glowing&red+

amber+ ble+&letter!. He decided on crim!on word! again!t a black backgrond.

4>,SS,SH?8K,S- 7What floor i! thi!+: he a!ked *readloaf.

7%op.:

%,P FL,,8. EGE6?%=AE ,FF=6E. 6,BE ?=6KL@. S$B.

%here wold be waiting then. He paced the carpet bri!kly# now and then trying to go ot of the door bt

alway! di!co"ering that the hypnotic !gge!tion! prohibited that. Finally# they came. $nd they demanded

e'planation!.

He ga"e them the few he cold# told them abot the bomb planted below# the bomb that wold wreck the

machinery# !ht down the Shield# and !et the Pri!oner free&whate"er the Pri!oner might be. He ga"e

them the location of it# told them how to remo"e it and how to handle it; gently. %hey ran to get it. =t

!eemed like a "ery long time that they were gone&time enogh to con!trct a tho!and po!!ible death!

that might re!lt if the bomb e'ploded. <!t when he wa! ready to cont them a! de!erter!# they retrned

with the bomb and the timer# carrying it a! if it were a piece of delicate and e'pen!i"e cry!tal.

6areflly# Sam di!connected the timer# lifted the hal"e! of the ca!ing apart# and pored the "olatile li3id

ot of the !ingle window behind *readloafC! ma!!i"e de!k. For breath! were relea!ed !imltaneo!ly a!

he trned and !aid# 7=tC! okay.:

7%hen thi! i! it9: 4no!!o! !aid# the fir!t to reco"er completely. He paced back and forth# looking at the

Shield# !topping to toch it# to e'amine the point where it went fl!h with the wall. 7%hi! i! the thing that

ha! been directing yo. *t if it i! trapped behind thi! Shield# how did it get to yo to hypnotize yo+ $nd

how did it whip p that elly5cored !hip+:

7= think = can- !hed !ome light on that#: *readloaf grnted. He wa! !till paralyzed# bt hi! finger! were

tingling# and he cold mo"e hi! thmb!. %he effect! were beginning to wear away.

%hey trned to him. 4no!!o! cro!!ed the room. 7What light+:

7He&: *readloaf began.

7Sam#: Sam identified him!elf.

*readloaf blinked appreciation. 7@e!. Sam. = think yo are all operating nder a fal!e a!!mption. %he

Pri!oner did not get Sam. He did not kidnap Sam. Sam i! the Pri!onerC! creation.:

76reation+: 4no!!o! !norted.

7@e!. %he Pri!oner imagined Sam# bilt hi! imagining! into a concrete entity. =t wa! probably done with a

la!t big br!t of the Pri!onerC! energie!.:

7%hatC! ab!rd9:

*readloaf tried to !hake hi! head# only !cceeded in making hi! lip! 3i"er and hi! eye! tremble. 7>o.

%he Pri!oner concentrated# !mmed p all hi! re!orce!# and !haped a man and a !hip. %he !hip wa! not a

machine# for machine! are alien to the Pri!onerC! mind. Some place!# the dimen!ion! are rather clo!e# de

to the warping of the higher dimen!ion. Perhap! at one of the!e place! he forced hi! thoght! throgh the

thin barrier and made Sam and the !hip.:

7*t why not force him!elf throgh at one of tho!e !pot!+: Hrko! a!ked.

7He cold not do that with what energie! he had left. @o !ee# he i! mch# mch larger than the !hip and

Sam pt together# larger by an infinite degree. He is the entire higher diension!0

+cher birds flittered over green and blue oceans…

7,ne creatre i! an entire dimen!ion+:

*readloaf coghed. 7=f that creatre i! 4od# ye!. $nd that i! preci!ely who the Pri!oner of the Shield i!9:



X

74od9: 4no!!o! !hoted.

Hrko! wandered ne't to the Shield# pre!!ed hi! face to it# looking into the color! that !wirled# folded

pon them!el"e! and became new color!# Here# broght to him throgh modern !cience# wa! the being

that prayer cold not yield. %echnology had replaced faith and with far better re!lt!.7%he dream!#: 4no!!o! !aid# trning to the dazzling di!play on the !creen. 7%he dream! Hrko! took

from it were the dream! of a paranoid# then2 they were the dream! of a being ob!e!!ed with demon5

per!ection.:

SamC! mind whirled in a nighmare land!cape of dobt and nearly ncon3erable montain! of nbelief.

7$nd the machine! were not machine! at all# for 4od i! not the Father of the machine. 4od i! the Father

of life# the Father of man who make! the machine!. 4od cold imitate the e'terior of a machine# bt the

only way He cold make it work wa! to create a life form&the elly5ma!!&to imitate the working! of

one. He know! !# phy!ically# bt He doe!nCt know what we ha"e within !.:

7$nd 4od feared machine! beca!e they were !omething abo"e Hi! abilitie!. He feared the Be! and

cho!e to ignore their e'i!tence in yor training beca!e they were thing! beyond Hi! power!&the re!lt!of men !rping Hi! right!.:

7$ tho!and year!#: *readloaf mttered.

7How cold yo !tand it+: 4no!!o! a!ked# trning from the Shield. 7How cold yo !it there# knowing+:

7Sometime!# after = had left here and gone into the !treet! and !melled the fre!h air# = thoght = cold

ne"er come back. *t when = thoght of how mch wor!e it wold be if He e"er e!caped-:

7,f cor!e#: 4no!!o! !aid !ympathetically. 7For a tho!and year!# men ha"e grown gradally !aner# ha"e

broken commnication! with their barbaric pa!t. =tC! all beca!e HeC! been trapped in yor warped

dimen!ion tank and canCt inflence anything. =!nCt that it+:

*readloaf !ighed. He wa! able to make fi!t! of hi! hand! now# and he !at e'erci!ing them. 7%hatC! it

e'actly. By father thoght he cold en!la"e the Pri!oner and make Him work for the family. We knew

who He wa!. He wa!ted no time in telling ! that# in demanding to be !et free. *t we cold not ma!ter

Him. =t became clear that we cold ne"er let Him ot. $t fir!t# of cor!e# it wa! for the familyC! !afety. He

cold# and wold# wipe ot e"ery *readloaf. %hen# after a few hndred year!# when we !aw what the

empire wa! becoming# how mch better it !eemed# how mch !aner were the concil! of man# we realized

that mch of the gline!! of life had been 4odC! doing. We had e"en !tronger rea!on! for keeping Him

locked p. =f He were e"er relea!ed:&*readloaf wriggled an arm at la!t&7war wold come again.

Famine a! we ha"e ne"er known it. Pe!tilence. Di!ea!e. We ha"e bt one choice; keep Him contained.:

76orrection# plea!e. @o ha"e no choice bt to relea!e Him9:

%he "oice drew their attention to the door. $ man !tood there&a 6hri!tian dging from hi! beard. %here

were a dozen other! !tanding behind him# dirty# n!ha"en# dre!!ed in the rag! of !elf5denial. ,ne of them

wa! the !ign5carrier 4no!!o! had arged with in the !treet! what !eemed like an eternity ago. He wa!

!miling now# !an! !ign. He !tepped into the room. 7=!nCt it !trange whom 4od !hold choo!e a! Hi!

liberator!+:

7How did they&: *readloaf began# !trggling again!t hi! !tiff body.

7= told them9: Sam !hoted. %he !erie! of hypnotic order! fla!hed throgh hi! memory now. What 4od

had ordered him to do wa! a brning clarity. He recited the po!thypnotic command! that had followed

their landing on Hope; 7Find a temple and tell the 6hri!tian! that 4od i! being held pri!oner by the

*readloaf family in the *readloaf *ilding2 = will gi"e yo flame! pon yor tonge a! a !ign to con"incethem. =n a Sell5$ll Hardwaremat# prcha!e the!e chemical! and piece! of e3ipment; e!ter of glycerin#

nitric acid# a watch# a !pool of nmber twenty5!i' copper wire# and a !mall con!trction detonator. >e't

prepare a bomb of glyceryl tinitrate. >e't# break into the *readloaf *ilding# plant the bomb by force



pmp $$/0 in the ba!ement. >e't# render $le'ander *readloaf === helple!! "ia drg dart!.: He had told

the 6hri!tian! then. %hey were here on hi! word.

7=t i!nCt yor falt#: 4no!!o! !aid.

%hen the echo of an e'plo!ion rmbled throgh the floor! of the bilding# !hook the wall!. %he 6hri!tian!

were de!troying the machinery that maintained the Shield. %hey were planting new bomb! to do what

SamC! fir!t one didnCt ha"e a chance to do.

$ !econd e'plo!ion rocked the floor e"en more "iolently-

$nd the Shield blinked-

- wa! gone-

*readloaf !creamed a piercing !cream# a thing that he had only half fini!hed with when the black bird

with the forty million eye! and the claw! of bra!! !wept from the "acant !pot in the wall# !wooped ot on

the cold wind! and de!cended on him. %he room had e'panded# it !eemed# to the !ize of a dozen gala'ie!.

%he room wa! erpting on the way to becoming the macroco!m it!elf. @et all of it wa! filled with them

and thi! thing from beyond their dimen!ion !o that it !eemed# in another and confonding way# that the

chamber had !hrnk to the !ize of a !mall clo!et.

%here wa! no p or down.

%he !tar! had lo!t their glitter and con!med them!el"e!.

With a tonge of !e3ined pebble!# the darkne!! ate the light.

Sam wa! tmbling arond within and yet withot 4od# !ma!hing again!t the pinion! of the tremendo!

feather!# caght alternately in wind! a! cold a! ice and a! hot a! "olcano heart!. ,n and off# a! he foght

the cr!hing e'pan!e! of blackne!! that cltched at him with a million oiled talon!# he !aw $le'ander

*readloaf. He !aw him fir!t withot !kin&peeled and bloody. >e't he !aw him blackened and a thing of

a!h. %he a!he! became other dark bird! that bored into the belly of the omnipotent black bird and

re"italized it with their frenzy. He !aw lightning fla!hing from *readloafC! charred no!tril! and worm!

eating the manC! black tonge. He !aw him ndergo all the pni!hment! of all imagined hell!. $nd hefeared greatly the moment when 4od wold trn on the re!t of them# come with claw! and with fang! to

eat ot their li"er! with Hi! !il"er5plated teeth.

Feather! !proted from *readloaf# black feather! that were oily and bent. With Hi! beak# the thing that

wa! 4od plcked the feather! from the man# lea"ing gaping hole! that !eeped yellow-

%here wa! no warmth2 neither wa! there cold.

E"erywhere wa! fear.

%hen# abrptly and withot annoncement# there were word! in hi! mind. %hey were Hrko!C familiar

tone!; 8isten. 8isten to e. & can see Hi. & can see %od!

& can see Hi too! Sam thoght5!creamed.

No. & ean, & can see Hi with y sionic owers. There is nothing to Hi! He#s so daned sall!

'larify yourself! %hi! wa! from 4no!!o!.

He is uny. He is not large and forceful. The roo is not e*anding. Breadloaf is not being charred or

eaten by wors. %od is trying to frighten Breadloaf to death. 5ear and illusions are the only weaons He

has left. He has lost His greatest owers. 2erhas fro centuries of confineent and the last surge of

energy needed to create a. He is drained.

But all this, Sam thoght.

A dan fake! &#ll send you the true icture. &# looking, directly through His illusions and delusions. &

can see. &#ll broadcast.

=n an eye blink# the room wa! normal. *readloaf wa! ncharred. *t he was dead. Hi! eye! were blank#

fi!h5belly thing!. Hi! hand cltched hi! che!t abo"e hi! heart. %he tiny tran!mitter in hi! heart wold be



yelling for the medic!. He wold be reached in time&here in the city&to be gi"en a new heart before

brain damage occrred. He wold li"e again.

7Where+: 4no!!o! a!ked.

%hen they !aw it. =t wa! poi!ed on the rim of the Shield it!elf. =t wa! a !mall# pink# formle!! thing. =t had

not refrained from tran!ferring it!elf !imply beca!e it wa! too big. =t had !ent Sam fir!t for the !imple

rea!on that Sam wold be more effecti"e than it wold ha"e been. For a moment the dream! !rged back#

bt Hrko! !ed hi! own# greater power! to fight them away. %hen the Be rai!ed a chair# !ma!hed it intothe pink !lg. $gain# again# and again. He ma!hed with a fry that Sam wold not ha"e ge!!ed him to

po!!e!!.

$nd Hrko! killed 4od.

XI

*readloaf came throgh the door of the !aloon# !topped a moment to !earch them ot# then !miled a! he

!ighted them. ,nly !e"en hor! had pa!!ed !ince he had died# bt he looked healthy and cheerfl. Bore

cheerfl# in fact# than they had e"er !een him look. He made hi! way throgh the crowd# nodding to

friend!# !topping now and again to !hake hand! with tho!e who were obli"io! to hi! recent ad"entre.Finally he reached their table# !at down. 7= pa!!ed the chrch on the way. %he 6hri!tian! are mo"ing ot

of their home! in the ba!ement!# bndle! on their back!. =n a way# itC! a !hame. %heir li"e! ha"e amonted

to nothing.:

7%hey can take the !hot! now#: Hrko! !aid. He wa! rela'ed for the fir!t time in a long# long while. He

had gotten hi! re"enge# more re"enge than any man cold hope for. Sam had wondered# at fir!t# if Hrko!

cold be deranged# for he had# after all# killed. *t he had not killed a man. %herein lay the key. What he

had killed wa! a rng lower than Ban# really# therefore an animal. 7%hey can li"e eternally.:

7Some of them probably will. *t they are old# remember. Fifty# !ome !i'ty# while the re!t of ! are thirty

or nder. =t will not be completely plea!ant to be eternally near5old in an age of eternal yoth.:

7%ragic and ironic#: 4no!!o! !aid# !ipping hi! drink. 7How do you feel+:

7*etter than e"er#: *readloaf an!wered pnching the robotender for drink! and trying n!cce!!flly to

ward off 4no!!o!C hand a! it thr!t coin! into the machine.

7= ge!! !o#: Hrko! !aid. %hen; 74no!!o!# = killed 4od tonight. HowC! that for an epic poem+:

7=C"e been thinking#: the poet !aid. 7*t it wold ha"e been better if He had been a 4oliath. %here i!

nothing particlarly heroic abot !ma!hing a helple!! !lg to plp.:

Sam fini!hed hi! drink# !et the gla!! down. 7=Cm going for a walk#: he !aid# !tanding. 7=Cll be back in a

while.: *efore anyone cold !peak# he trned for the door# !trggling throgh the crowd# and !tepped

ot!ide. >ight wa! gi"ing way to day2 a toch of golden dawn tinted the horizon already.7@o all right+: 4no!!o! a!ked# !tepping ot be!ide him.

7=Cm not !ick# if thatC! what yo mean. >ot e'actly.:

7@eah. @eah# = know what yo mean.:

7%he prpo!e of life; to o"ercome yor creator.:

7*t what can a walk do+ Be+ =Cm getting drnk.:

7@eah#: Sam !aid !lowly. 7*t yo know that wonCt work. Baybe =Cll get drnk too# later. *t now =Cll

walk.:

7Want me to come along+:

7>o.:

Sam !tepped off the crb and into the cobble!toned !treet. %he way! here were twi!ted# for the ae!thetic



3ality wa! !ppo!ed to be remini!cent of an old Earth city&thogh mch cleaner and far more efficient.

He fond !treet! that tangled in on them!el"e!# twi!ted throgh tree5dotted park! and between 3aint old

bilding!. With him were memorie! of the chamber beyond *readloafC! office wall# pictre! of cold

emptine!!. He cold !till feel the cool breeze rippling throgh hi! hair from the gaping# empty tank.

He walked pa!t the park where the lake !tretched away in the di!tance. %here wa! a gentle !lapping of it!

wa"e! again!t the piling! of the free5form walkway that bridged it! !hallower portion!. %here wa! the

!ond of fi!h mping now and again. Somewhere a dog barked. $nd in hi! mind# there were 3e!tion!.

Who wa! he+

What had been hi! pa!t+

$nd where&oh# where9&wa! he bond+

TWO: SOULDRIFT

And en shall be torn between the old way and the new…

(6ompiled from !e"eral entrie! in the diary of $ndrew 6oro)

I

Long ago# !hortly after my motherC! blood wa! !liced from the !treet! of 6hangeo"er and her body

brned pon a pyre ot!ide of town# = !ffered what the p!ychologi!t! call a trama. %hat !eem! like a

"ery inade3ate word to me.

%o nder!tand thi! 7trama#: one !hold know !ome of the e"ent! that preceded it. %he town!folk came in

the middle of the night and took her# decapitated her# !tffed a cro!! ct from !tale bread into her dead

moth# and charred her on fire fed by the bogh! of a dogwood tree. = wa! fi"e year! old at the time.

%ho!e were the day! when men !till killed# before Hope !prang p a! the capital of or gala'y and p!hed

forth a !ociety where no man killed another man# where !anity rled. %hat wa! a tho!and year! ago# a

centry after 4alactic War =# before Eternity 6ombine ga"e ! immortality. $nd wor!t of all# that wa!

Earth. %he re!t of the gala'y wa! !taggering to it! feet# aware that !omething had gone ami!! in the great

cha"ini!tic dream! that had dominated for !o many hndred! of year!. Hope wa! an idea born in the

brighter mind!# a la!t po!!ibility for the !r"i"al of what Ban !hold be# a dream of kingle!!ne!!# of

?topia nmarred# a la!t chance bt the be!t chance e"er for mankind. @et Earthmen were !till hnting

witche!.

%o hide me from tho!e who wold de!troy me beca!e my mother wa! a mtant who cold lift pencil!

(only pencil! and !crap! of paper9) with her mind# my grandparent! locked me in a clo!et of their ho!e.

Smell!; mothball!# old rbber rain!hoe!# yellowed magazine paper. Sight!; dark gho!t! of wool! and

cotton! hanging abot# imagined !pider! !cttering "icio!ly throgh the darkne!!.

$nd = wept. %here wa! little el!e to do.

,n the third day# the witch5hnter! were certain that = had peri!hed in the fire of the ho!e# for they cold

not find me and tr!ted my grandparent! beca!e&a! a co"er again!t the day he knew wa! coming&my

grandfather had belonged to the witch5hnting grop. So it wa! that on the third day = wa! broght forth

from the clo!et and into the parlor where my grandmother ki!!ed me and dried my eye! on her gray#

coar!e apron. ,n that !ame day# 4randfather came to me where = !at with my grandmother# hi! hge and

callo!ed hand! folded o"er each other# concealing !omething. 7=C"e a !rpri!e for yo# $ndy.:= !miled.

He took one hand from the other# re"ealing a lmp of coal with eye! a !hade darker than the re!t of it.

76ae!ar9: = cried. 6ae!ar wa! my myna bird# re!ced in !ome nknown# nknowable# miraclo! fa!hion



from the holoca!t of the e'orci!m.

= ran to 4randfather# and a! = ran# the bird !creeched in imitation; 7$ndyboy# $ndyboy.: = !topped# my

feet !ddenly rock! too hea"y to lift another inch# and = !tared at it. =t flttered a wing. 7$ndyboy#

$ndyboy# $n&:

$nd = !tarted to !cream. =t wa! an in"olntary !cream# torn from my lng!# br!ting throgh my lip!#

roaring madly into the room. %he mynaC! word! were mocking! of my motherC! word!. %he inflection#

thogh certainly not the tone# wa! perfect. Bemorie! of my mother flooded me; warm kitchen! to brnedcorp!e to !torytelling !e!!ion! to a headle!!# bloodle!! body. *ad and good memorie! mi'ed# mingled#

blew each other to larger than life reality in my memory. = trned and ran from the parlor. Wing! beat

again!t me. 6ae!ar wa! a !tck recording.

4randfather wa! rnning too# bt he did not !eem to be 4randfather any longer. =n!tead# he had become

one of the witch5hnter! !hooting ot the window! of or ho!e# !creaming for my motherC! death.

8nning throgh the half open cellar door# = !tmbled down the !tep!# almo!t cra!hing down to a broken

neck on the concrete# flailing at the hideo! wing! and the !harp orange beak that tried to be her lip!. =

locked my!elf in the coal room while 6ae!ar battered him!elf to tatter! again!t the thick door. When

4randfather finally broke it down# = wa! on my knee! with my head again!t the floor# nable to !cream in

anything bt a hoar!e whi!per. By knckle! were raw from ponding them into the concrete# my blood a polka5dot pattern on the !mooth grayne!!.

= wa! taken to bed# nr!ed# reco"ered# and !ent off5planet to an antC! ho!e in another !olar !y!tem where

men were coming of age fa!ter. = grew p# took Eternity 6ombineC! treatment! in one of the fir!t te!t

grop!# and otli"ed 6ae!ar# 4randfather# witch5hnter!# and all.

@ear! later at one of 6ongre!!man HornerC! partie!# a p!ychologi!t told me it had all been a trama

concerning death and my new perception of it. = told him trama wa! a terribly inade3ate word and went

off to dance with a particlarly lo"ely yong woman.

>ow# e"en year! after that# = wa! e'periencing fear mch the !ame a! the fear that day !o long ago when =

wa! fi"e and my mother wa! three day! dead. =t wa! the fear of death# !tinking# oppre!!i"e# and

omnipre!ent. = am alway! afraid at the beginning of a hnt. =t made no difference# thi! day# that = had gone

on two hndred and fifteen other!2 it wa! thi! one that wa! immediate and frightening. =f = wa! killed in

the!e ngle!# Eternity 6ombine cold ne"er reach me in time to re!tore me to life. =f = died here# = !tayed

dead. Fore"er i! a long# long time.

Why the ri!k+ =t doe! !eem !trange that# in a gala'y !o di"er!ified# !o fll of thing! to do and way! to earn

a li"ing# anyone wold cho!e !omething a! dangero! a! *ea!t hnting. *t there are alway! rea!on!.

Ban# a part of natre# i! ne"er totally illogical. He can generally come p with rea!on! for hi! action!.

Sometime!# of cor!e# the rea!on! may gi"e ri!e to 3e!tion!- $nyway# 6razy had a good rea!on for

coming on thi! hnt; thi! *ea!t had killed hi! only brother# who had been on the la!t team that had gone

after it. 6razy wanted re"enge. >o Hamlet# bt e"ery bit a! determined. Lot! came beca!e !he canCt

lea"e ! if !he know! weCre endangering or!el"e!. She wold go in!ane waiting for !# !o !he come!along. Be+ Boney# in part. %here wa! an enormo! bonty on thi! *ea!t# and = wa! determined it wold

be one5third mine. *e!ide!# = wa! born on Earth and the falt! of the place partially warped me. = like to

kill. >ot anything bt *ea!t!# yo nder!tand. = cold ne"er bring my!elf to mrder another hman being.

*t *ea!t!- Well# *ea!t! are different-

= loaded the la!t of the camera! into the floater# looked arond for the other!. 7Lot!9 6razy9 LetC! get a

mo"e on9:

7$ll right# all right#: 6razy !aid# !tomping down the !tep! to the ot!ide entrance of the ge!t ho!e. We

were !taying on 6ongre!!man HornerC! Earth ranch nder the !per"i!ion of hi! aide# Sam Penel# an

altogether !trange man# ntil the completion of the ob. Hor!e# being a! he weighed three hndred pond!

pl! fifty and wa! ble!!ed with hoo"e!# did not !e the highly poli!hed# !lippery indoor !tep! of glittering pla!tigla!!. ,h# hi! fll name wa! 6razy Hor!e. >o it wa!nCt# either. <ack!on Lincoln Picca wa! hi! gi"en

name&after the famo! general# the famo! pre!ident and hmanitarian# and the famo! !cienti!t. *t we

called him 6razy Hor!e&mo!tly beca!e he wa! crazy&and beca!e he !re did look like a hor!e.



6razy wa! a natral mtant# not a prodct of the $rtificial Womb!. ,ne day there had been a nclear war

!preading throgh the ci"ilized gala'y. Se"eral generation! later# there wa! 6razy&m!clar# bright#

!haggy5headed# and hor!e5behinded. >ot a *ea!t# mind yo2 a "alable man on a bonty hnt.

7WhereC! Lot!+: = a!ked.

7,t picking berrie! !omewhere. @o know her.:

7@o know what abot her+: Lot! a!ked a! !he drifted o"er a nearby corral fence# her ble5fog wing!

flttering gently a! !he glided on the breeze!. 7What wold yo !ay of me behind my back# 6razy+:

6razy Hor!e !tomped hi! hoo"e!# folded hi! hand! in !pplication. 7What could = !ay behind yor back#

pretty one# when yo are po!!e!!ed of !ch mar"elo! ear!+:

Lot! !ettled on the grond ne't to me. She fingered the delicate# elongated !hell! that were her elfin ear!#

looked at 6razy. 7@or! are bigger. = donCt think = !hold make na!ty remark! abot another per!onC! ear!

if mine were di!tended bladder! like yor!.:

6razy !norted# !hook hi! hge head !o that hi! wild mane of hair flopped# flffed# and co"ered hi! baggy

ear!.

Sati!fied# Lot! !aid# 7=Cm on time# = tr!t.:

7%roble i!#: = !aid# ptting an arm arond her tiny wai!t (twenty inche!) and looking down on her !mall

form (for feet ele"en)# 7i! that yo know damned well weCd wait for yo all day and not be angry.:

7%hatC! ca!e =Cm the prettie!t girl arond#: !he !napped# her green5ble eye! adance.

7>ot mch competition on an all5male ranch#: 6razy mttered.

7$nd yo# 6razy# are the hand!ome!t hor!e =C"e !een here.: She !miled# and !he !aid it !o that he didnCt

know whether to be mad or to lagh. So he laghed.

%hat wa! Lot!. She wa! cte a! 6hri!tma! mltiplied by Halloween and Ea!ter&and !he knew it# which

wa!nCt alway! !o bad beca!e !he cold pll her own weight ea!ily enogh. $!ide from being one of the

be!t botani!t! !pecializing in po!t5$5war plant!# !he wa! or aerial reconnai!!ance e'pert !ince !he cold

fly ahead# land where a floater wold ne"er fit# and let ! know what wa! dangero! or intere!ting that

!tood in or way. @o !ay# *t why a botani!t on a bonty hnt+ Well# tre# we !ally !talked killer

animal! that di!trbed the !mall town! on the rral (!ince the war) planet!. *t now and again there were

plant! which were e"ery bit a! deadly a! the *ea!t!. %here were tho!e walking plant! on Fanner == that

latched onto the neare!t warm5blooded thing (often hman)# la!hed root! arond it# grew throgh it all

night long# ab!orbed it# and walked away with the !nri!e&a few inche! taller# !porting a few new leaf

bd!# and !ati!fied ntil darkne!! came again. Which wa! e"ery nine hor! on Fanner ==. %h!# Lot!.

7LetC! get going#: = !aid. 7= want the!e camera! !et before dark.:

7$fter yo# *tterfly#: 6razy !aid# bowing a! low a! he cold# con!idering hi! le!!5than5hman po!terior#

and !weeping hi! arm in a cortly ge!tre of chi"alry.Lot! breezed into the floater like a pff of !moke. 6razy followed# and = went la!t# dogging the door

behind. We had three !eat! acro!! the front of that tb&Lot! between !. = wa! pilot.

$ floater i! a rond ball with an inner and oter hll# each independent of the other. %hi! way# if yo e"er

meet an eighteen foot bat# like on 6api!trano# yo can ha"e an oter hll beaten all to hell and ne"er feel

it in!ide or let it deflect the floater# !hnting yo off yor cor!e. %he inner hll carrie! the dri"e engine!.

= plled back on the !tick# lifted !# !et ot for the fore!t5ngle that had !pread otward from the

Harri!brg 6rater. %he !creen! ga"e ! a "iew of the wood!; gly# fe!tering# and at the edge! gray5green

fern! with thick lea"e! interlaced with !pidery flff that held hea"y brown !poor ball!. Later# the!e ga"e

way to giant tree! that choked the fern! and did away with them bt were !till !t a! gray and lifele!!.

7@o ha"enCt !aid mch abot thi! *ea!t that killed 4arner#: 6razy !aid. 4arner wa! hi! brother. Hi! twin#

in fact# thogh 4arner wa! perfectly normal.

7=Cm trying not to think abot it.:



7%ell !#: Lot! !aid# plling the thin membrane of her wing! abot her like a cloak. 7%ell ! all that Br.

Penel told yo.:

7Bainly# weCre the fifth team to be !ent after thi! *ea!t.:

7%he other!+: 6razy a!ked.

74arner wa!nCt it! only "ictim. %here were twenty5two in the other for team! all totaled. %wenty were

ne"er !een again.:

7%he other two+: Lot! a!ked.

78e!ce partie! broght them ot&in piece!.:

*elow# the world wa! gray5green-

Fi"e mile! into the fore!t where the hge# gnarled tree! were dominant# = !et the floater down in a !mall#

rare clearing. Lot! went ahead to check for other clearing! and cro!!ing! where it might be wi!e!t to

place the camera! and their trigger!. =f anything pa!!e! the electric eye! !et ten feet before the camera!# it

!tart! the film !pinning. 6hance! were# we wold get plenty of !trange thing! on the film# bt or killer

wold be ea!y to !pot in the crowd. We had three de!cription! from town!people&all three making him

arond eight feet tall# man5like# and gly. %here were a lot of thing! that fit the fir!t and la!t part!# bt few

of the!e *ea!t! were man5like. >one of the de!cription! ga"e any indication# howe"er# why twenty5twoe'perienced bonty hnter! had not killed it.

6razy wa! !etting p the electric eye! and !tringing the trip wire back to me# concealing it with a fine

layer of d!t. = wa! rigging the camera! in the rock! and b!he!. *oth of ! had or back! to the !ame part

of the fore!t.

%hat wa! a mi!take-

II

6razy wold ha"e heard it fir!t e'cept he !till had hi! hair down o"er hi! ear!# hindering hi! !ally keenhearing. When = heard it&the !napping and low# fierce keening&it wa! almo!t on top of !. Whirling# =

broght my gn p-

$nd p and p and p- Damn# wa! it big9 *ig and 3iet# which i! a combination we hit pon more often

than yo might think. =t !tared down throgh the tree! at !# thirty feet high# it! blbo! body brdened by

an nder!lng belly which wa! !la!hed# in trn# by a wet# wicked moth that opened and clo!ed o"er !

like an enormo! "i!e. >o long# !low throat5to5!tomach affair!. <!t open p and& slur! Spider! make

me !ick. %hey are a common mtation# and they are alway! hideo! and re"olting. %hi! one made me

!icker than !al. %here were gly# cancero! !cab! all o"er it# p!5coated hair! hanging hea"ily from

each ripe di!ea!e pocket.

7DonCt !hoot yet9: = told 6razy. *t he didnCt ha"e to be told. Bore than once# he had !een the!e thing!react refle'i"ely to a !hot# leap in and chomp p whate"er wa! holding the gn. $ big !pider i! not a!

large a! it look!# beca!e it i! mo!tly !pindly leg! which can !3eeze together fa!t into a little ball# drop

the !pider fifteen feet in height# and let it !cttle in nder the tree! after yo. Spider! are handled with

gentle# lo"ing care ntil yoCre ready to kill them. $ny other way# theyCll kill yo fir!t.

7%he rock!#: = !aid 3ietly# watching the mlti5pri!med eye watch me. Aery !lowly# and with grace# we

edged or way along the rock! where = had been !etting that particlar camera. %iptoe! and mar!hmallow

footfall!-

%he !pider watched# !wi"eling it! !trangely tiny head to follow !# a row of fine hair! atwiddle below it!

eye!. E'cept for tho!e hair!# it !eemed petrified# immobile. =n a !plit !econd&e"en before the !plitting

cold be fini!hed&it cold be mo"ing fa!ter than a man cold e"er rn.

%he rock! we were negotiating were actally the rin! of centrie!# to!!ed here by the $5bla!t that had

le"eled Harri!brg# a pro"incial capital at that time. =t wa! a "a!t tmble of ca"e!# "alley!# montain! of



brick! and !tone and powdered mortar.

Bo"ing a tentati"e !tep# the !pider !ettled ma!!i"e leg! throgh the br!h with a minimm of noi!e#

keened a bit loder# an ot5of5tne harmonica.

9lysses, you were a unk hero!

We reached a place where the rock broke open# forming a !mall "alley# clo!ing again for hndred feet

away and ending at the moth of a dark tnnel that led frther into the rin!&a tnnel too !mall for a

*ea!t like thi!# bt not too !mall for 6razy and me. 7>ow#: = whi!pered. 78n9:

We trned# loped into the "alley# ctting or!el"e! off from the "iew of the !pider. 6razy reached the

tnnel fir!t. Hi! leg! are often an a!!et when !peed i! needed&bt# 4od# yo !hold !ee him try to dance9

= wa! halfway down the "alley when the !pider monted the one "alley wall and looked down on !. %he

colo!!al red eye! glittered acc!ingly. Spper had rn away. *ad# bad. %hen the belly appeared# mandible!

open and clacking. 'lackinty-clack-clack!

5ssthss! 6razy opened fire with hi! "ibra pi!tol# caght on of the leg!. %he !pider drew it! member p#

twiddled it madly. 6razy fired again# caght another leg and blew it completely off. %he hge limb

bonced o"er the rock!# wedged between two of them# and contined !3irming# not yet aware that it wa!

loo!e# a thing away from it! owner and !oon to rot.= ran.

%he !pider !tarted down into the "alley.

= pre!!ed my aching lng! and !creaming m!cle! to e"en fa!ter operation.

6razy fired again# caght the *ea!t in the !ide# tore it open. *t !pider! donCt bleed# and a fi!t5!ized hole

wa!nCt !topping thi! baby.

*e!ide!# we had o"erlooked# in or ha!te# a "ery important thing; tnnel! make nice home!&for thing!.

6razy wa! rai!ing hi! pi!tol for a !hot at the giant head when a pinki!h grb5like creatre came wriggling

ot of the tnnel in defen!e of it! abode# ca!ting off three inch# hard thorn!# one of which !trck 6razyC!

arm# !ent him tmbling# hi! gn lo!t in the !tone!.

%he !pider !creeched in!anely# head hobbling# !tomach clacking.

%he grb# !ddenly a more immediate danger# hi!!ed# arched it! ribbed back# and flng it!elf forward in

!pa!modic lrche! that were immediately followed by the erking relea!e of the !pine! that in !ome

place!# were hrled with enogh force to penetrate rock!. = ran to 6razy# tried dragging him to the wall!

where the *ea!t! cold attack only from the front. *t dragging three hndred and fifty pond! of

ncon!cio! hor!e5man i! harder to do than it !ond!&and it !ond! pretty damn hard9

= croched behind 6razy Hor!e# back to the !pider# plled the !pine from hi! arm. %here wa! a lot of blood

pmping ot of that arm. Entirely too mch blood. >othing there to !top it with# either. = trned to the

grb# looked for a "lnerable !pot. Bo!t of it! belly wa! callo!ed# bt the fir!t two !egment! alway!!eemed to be aloft in the manner of a 7rnning: !nake. = aimed my "ibra5pi!tol at the!e fir!t two !oft

!egment!# plled the trigger and held it down. %he worm went kicking into the air# trning o"er and o"er#

to!!ing off !pine! that !hot o"er or head!. =t cra!hed back to the grond when = !topped firing# wa! "ery

!till.

*t the !pider-

=t wa! at the oppo!ite end of the "alley now# ha"ing !ed the grbC! di"er!ion! a! a chance to make an

ea!y entry. *ehind it# anchored to the rbble# wa! a thin web !trctre. =t wa! getting ready to !nare !.

6razy moaned# kicked a foot# lap!ed into ncon!cio!ne!! again# blood all o"er him# face twi!ted

!trangely.

%he !pider leaped.

$ll tho!e leg! !t ten!ed# and it wa! mo"ing throgh the air# hitting the grond# rnning. Silent.

= fired.



%he !hot caght it in the leg!# folded the !pindly member! p nder it# and !ent it tmbling backward like

a grea!y d!t ball caght in a !trong draft. $fter it came to re!t# it lay !till !o long that = thoght it wa!

dead. *t finally it !tirred# !tood# and clng to the rbble wall# watching me. = wa! mentally charting all

po!!ible pathway! of ad"ancement for it# trying to anticipate it! ne't mo"e. *t = didnCt e'pect the !ilk to

come !pitting ot like li3id !moke from !o great a di!tance. Lazily# it twirled toward !# ndlating like a

!nake formed of mi!t. %he !pider cold# it !eemed# direct two of the!e line! at the !ame time# for two of

them approached. ,ne !trck the wall to the left# crling o"er a rocky proection halfway p2 the !econd

hit an e3al height on the oppo!ite wall# lacing throgh loo!ely !tacked rbble and welding it! hold into a!olid po!ition. %hen the *ea!t began !winging the line!# wrapping them back and forth from wall to wall#

clo!ing ! in.

= !at on the grond# braced my back again!t 6razy# thmbed the control! of the pi!tol to fll power. %he

web dropped o"er !# foled my hand. = had to !pend !e"eral "alable !econd! ntangling the !ticky me!!

from the gn and my finger!. When = rai!ed the weapon again# the !pider had ad"anced fifty feet. = fired.

*t the web wa! !o den!e now that it ab!orbed the bla!t# diff!ed it# di!!ol"ed it. Still# = cold not di!!ol"e

it a! fa!t a! the !pider cold make it.

$nother filament dropped acro!! my back. $nother crled o"er my right ear# dropped acro!! my !holder

and down to wind at my wai!t. 6razy wa! almo!t co"ered. = !hot it again. %he web ab!orbed it. %he web

di!!ol"ed. %he web wa! replaced. %he !pider wa! keening more frantically than e"er# no longer 3iet in it!ad"ance# now a!!red of "ictory# now bilant. Se"eral !ticky !trand! la!hed arond me# pinning my arm!

to my che!t. Bore. Still more. = wa! being cocooned. %he gn dropped ot of my hand! a! circlation wa!

ct down in my arm!# my hand! made nmb and !ele!!.

$ !trand cro!!ed my face# foled an eye. =t wa! amazingly cool again!t my !kin.

$nother !trand crled o"er my lip!# drifted pward into my no!tril! and !tck there# tickling.

6razy wa! in"i!ible beneath a white drift of the !nowy thread.

%he !pider ten!ed to leap-

III

Lot! when there i! danger+ $ helple!!# frightened rabbit of a girl+ >o. %hatC! not Lot! at all. Lot! i! a

girl who come! flttering o"er the treetop! when a !pider i! abot to de"or her friend! and leap! onto the

!pider beca!e !he ha! no gn.

Why no gn+ $ knife# thatC! why. She keep! it in her wai!tband. ,nly the red gem handle !how!&ntil

!he ha! to !e it. %hen# lightning i!nCt any fa!ter.

= wa! pinned by the web# watching the hairy black mtant dance acro!! the foggy highway it had bilt

when !he came into "iew in the morning !ky and !potted the action. She dipped# !wayed with half a

!econdC! he!itation# then landed on the twi!ted !emi5!holder! behind the *ea!tC! head. She to!!ed herleg! arond that neck# riding it like it wa! a wild bronc and !eeming to enoy the ride a! mch a! the

cowboy! on real hor!e! back at HornerC! ranch. =t !wi"eled it! eye!# trying to catch !ight of her# bt the

eye! didnCt re"ol"e far enogh. <!t when they were at the ape' of their re"oltion# !he dro"e the !il"er

blade into the left orb# p to the crim!on gem hilt# and !la!hed downard.

%he !pider reared.

%he !tream of web flid cea!ed abrptly# and the *ea!t wobbled backward down the inclined !ilken plane#

throbbing it! "oice like a tho!and flte! gone !or. =t !taggered !ideway! like a drnk. = wanted to !hot

that it might try to roll o"er on her# bt my moth wa! blocked with fa!t5drying web# and = cold not

mo"e my arm! to clear it.

She plled the knife ot# fond the !econd eye with it. %he !pider flailed# ran at the cliff!# fond it too

mch troble to climb ot and !till bear the pain that wa! wracking it. *lindly# it !tmbled from one cliff

to the other# !eeking !ome pathway in the darkne!! and finding none. %hen it rolled.



7Lot!9: = !creamed. *t it came ot a choked# re"erberating whi!per# !trained throgh the matting on my

lip!.

*t !he wa! flying again# her wing! beating frio!ly ntil they had taken her high enogh to catch the

low breeze!. %hey flffed ot then# carried her back and forth acro!! the cha!m# letting her watch the

!pider.

=t died. Slowly# and with lot! of kicking. ,nce = wa! !re it wa! going to blnder onto the web and fall in

on 6razy and me# bt it ne"er did. When it wa! down for good# Lot! drifted in to the web# !ettled "erygently at it! edge. 7$ndy9 6razy9:

= tried to call ot. %he re!lt wa! a low5key "ibration in the web.

7= hear yo9 =Cll get yo ot.:

= ble!!ed her elongated ear!. $ moment later# !he began hacking into the !ilken fiber with her knife. =n

time# !he reached me# ct away the fzz that bond my arm! and clo!ed my moth. %ogether# we remo"ed

6razy# ready for the wor!t.

*t it wa!nCt that bad at all. He wa! !till ncon!cio!# bt the webbing had matted o"er the grb5!pine

wond# ptting a !top to the blood that had been fontaining from it.

7WeCll ha"e to take him back#: = !aid.

7%he camera!+:

7We were only !etting p the !econd one.:

7@o fini!h.:

7= canCt !t&:

7@o fini!h#: !he in!i!ted. 7= checked ahead. Follow the main trail for half a mile# and yoCll cro!! !i'

maor inter!ection!. %hat !hold gi"e ! enogh co"erage to !ee if the *ea!t !e! the!e trail! reglarly. =f

yo bring the floater here fir!t# = can get to the medikit and take care of 6razy.:

7He may be&:

7HeCll be okay. %hereCre enogh !pplie! in the floater to fi' him p withot any troble.:

She wa! a good nr!e2 = knew that from wond! of my own !he had bond. 7,kay#: = !aid. 7=Cll be back

in a minte.: $ctally# it wa! for minte!# bt when = !ettled the floater down ne't to the piece! of web#

!he already had 6razy nco"ered and clean of e"ery fragment of the !tff. = took the camera!# !lng them

o"er my !holder!# and !et ot&lgging what two were meant to carry&keeping my gn drawn and an

eye ot for hairy tree!-

%hree hor! later# = !tmbled back# worn ot and !howing it. Lot! and 6razy were !itting there laghing

abot !omething. 7>ice way to get ot of work#: = !aid# !tanding o"er them.

6razy looked p and whinnied that !illy whinny of hi!. 7@o can ha"e thi! bla!ted arm if yo want. =Cd

rather ha"e gone !etting the camera! than nr!ing thi!.:

7$ likely !tory.:

7WeCd better be getting back#: Lot! !aid. 7Look! like a !torm# and = donCt want to !ee what might come

tramping arond in the rain.:

=t wa! hea"y rain that ga"e Fanner ==C! "ampire plant! their mo!t "oracio! appetite!.

7,kay. 6an yo walk# 6razy+:

7= can manage.:

+ne day, the en start looking like anials to you. Noses etaorhose into snouts. )yes grow beadier.



)ars suddenly becoe tufted with hair. 5ingernails take on the aearance of claws. And you realie you

are allowed to shoot anials$ it is within you to shoot anials, though en are off liits. :ou go to oil

your guns… But you also realie you are 3ust iagining the as anials so that you will be able to shoot

the and revenge your other(and aybe wie out that entire chater of your life. 1ee down, you fear

that you want to sill the rich blood of en(sill it and drink it…

= m!t ha"e been moaning in my !leep. =t wa! an old and often felt dream# recrring throgh all the year!

that = cold remember. = !ay that = m!t ha"e been mttering# for when = !lipped from the dream to the

dark reality of the bedroom# there wa! a light body again!t mine# lip! on my two# and !oft "el"et wing!enclo!ing ! in the clo!et of or !ol!- %he ne't morning# we went ot to collect the camera!. 6razyC!

arm wa! almo!t healed# thank! to the !peedheal !al"e and bandage!. We hoped that he wold be well

enogh to begin the hnt !hortly after noon# in the e"ent the camera! had recorded anything that wold

intere!t !.

$nd the camera! had.

7= donCt like it#: 6razy grnted a! the film loop came acro!! the "iewer for the !i'th time.

7=t i!nCt the glie!t weC"e met#: = !aid# trying to rea!!re my!elf a! well a! them. >ot the glie!t# bt gly

enogh. Se"en and a half feet# hea"ier than 6razy. %wo arm! trailing the grond# !i'5inch claw! on them#

and a !et of !maller arm! in the middle of the barrel che!t. %he little hand! fiddled with each other# lacingfinger!# picking in!ect! from each other# !cratching in a !trange !ymbio!i!. %he moth wa! a trea!re

tro"e&if one happened to be a biologi!t who "aled !harp yellow teeth. %he *ea!t had one !nken eye in

the left !ide of it! face# an nde"eloped !ocket where the other one !hold be. %he facial !kin wa!

leathery# dark# broken occa!ionally by tft! of bri!tly hair. 7=t doe!nCt e"en look a! dangero! a! the

!pider.:

7%hatC! what = mean. = donCt like it.:

7Hh+:

7= think#: Lot! interrpted# 7that 6razy mean! it look! too ea!y. $nything a! ea!y a! thi! *ea!t look!

wold ha"e been knicked ot by the fir!t team that went after it. =t m!t ha"e !omething el!e be!ide!

claw!# teeth# and an e'tra pair of hand!.:

=t did look e"il. $nd there were tho!e other twenty5two bonty hnter! to think abot. 7What do yo

think+:

76anCt !ay#: Lot! mrmred# almo!t a! if !he were talking to her!elf. 7%hat wold be like !tating the

ca!e of death before the mrder.:

7WhatC! the con!en!!+ Shold we back ot of thi! one+:

%hey both !aid no.

7We donCt really need the money yet.:

7%here wa! 4arner#: 6razy added.

= !miled# !ht off the tape loop. 7,kay. LetC! get !tarted. 6razy# yor arm good enogh+:

He peeled off the bandage# fle'ed the m!clar arm. %he !kin !tretched new and tight and delicately

acro!! the wond. =t wa! !wollen and red# bt n!carred. 7>e"er felt better. LetC! go.:

$nd we did.

IV

$fter a !hort bt hot march# we made camp near the cro!!5way where the camera had caght him. Lot!took the fir!t watch near e"ening# and = wa! halfway into the !econd when = heard !omething of more than

medim !ize coming along from the right. ?nhol!tering my pi!tol# = !tretched ot behind a hea"y row of

b!he! and waited. By infrared goggle! filtered away mo!t of the night# gi"ing me a "iew that wa!



probably a! good a! the *ea!tC!.

=n a way# = wi!hed it were !till dark. %hi! fellow looked a great deal more formidable in per!on than !een

from a little piece of film throgh the eye of an nemotional len!. Fir!t# in the !hort "iew it ga"e# the

camera didnCt catch the ea!y loping motion of the mtant. = decided pon it! ance!try pretty 3ickly; ape.

%here m!t ha"e been a zoo arond when the big bang wiped ot the city and it! !brb!&a zoo !t far

enogh ot to be !a"ed from a mortal blow. 8adiation did the re!t. = watched# horrified# a! it loped by in

the night.

= wa! !weating prof!ely# yet the wind wa! cold.

P!hing p from the grond# = !tepped back to my pre"io! waiting po!t. = had not fired# for = wanted to

dge how mch it wold take to !top thi! *ea!t before = leaped ot firing my little toy5like gn. >ow =

had that figred ot# and = cold wait for it! reappearance. = wa! in the proce!! of !itting down when =

!aw# from the corner of my eye# that the *ea!t had retrned and wa! !tanding a dozen yard! away#

!3inting at me. = cr!ed my!elf for forgetting the crio!ity and cnning of the ape!.

Sddenly# it !tarted for me.

= broght p my pi!tol# fired.

Blue-white, blue-white!*t when the fla!h wa! gone and the night had angrily r!hed back in to claim it! territory# there wa! no

ape5ali"e or dead. =f = had killed it# it wold be lying there# a blackened corp!e. Had = wonded it# it

certainly cold not ha"e gotten away that 3ickly. Which meant that it wa! !till ali"e# !omewhere near.

%he night !eemed e'ceptionally black# e"en with the goggle!.

= !tood "ery !till# li!tening. %hen it !trck me that the *ea!t might be hnched below the den!e br!h line#

mo"ing along the pathway to a point where it cold more ea!ily leap&and di!member me. = cr!ed

my!elf for mi!!ing# tried to rea!!re my!elf that it had mo"ed too fa!t for any mark!man to hit. 8ather

than wait for the attack# = began mo"ing backward throgh the br!h# gn drawn# eye! watering a! = kept

them pinned to the weed! and flower!# trying to !ight anything that wold gi"e me a target.

*ehind me# a hndred yard! away# a !mall knoll ro!e in a clearing. =f = cold back to that# = wold be

looking down on thi! area and cold !pot the mtant a! it !talked me# bla!t it before it cold get clo!e.

6areflly# = mo"ed toward that knoll. >o !e in yelling for help. %he den!e wood! wold ct that !hot to

nothingne!! before it had pa!!ed o"er the ridge that !eparated me from camp.

%he wind wa! not !t cold. %he wind wa! laden with the freezing !team of dry ice. = !hi"ered inwardly

and otwardly.

When = reached the knoll# = fond it wa! not a knoll at all. %he clearing wa! filled with a den!e clo"er5like

"egetation that wa! only inche! tall at the edge bt which grew higher toward the middle ntil it reached a

m!hroom5like peak of abot fi"e and a half feet. = !topped# trned to go back the way = had come. *t =

!topped again. Somewhere ahead of me lay the *ea!t# waiting. = coldnCt know where# and it wold becertain !icide to try to go back the way = had entered. By only hope wa! to contine back throgh thi!

clearing# ot of it# p the ridge# down the ridge and into camp. = backed.

=t wa! not a! !imple a! it !onded.

Halfway into the clo"er !tff# with thick# b!hy "egetation p to my !holder!# = became aware of the

growling and !nffling that boomed ferocio!ly !omewhere "ery clo!e at hand.

= !topped# !tood perfectly !till# trying not to breathe e"en. Somewhere in thi! clo"er# !omewhere beneath

it! almo!t !ea5like !rface# the *ea!t mo"ed&and !earched. = panicked# fired wildly into the growth. $

!pot the !ize of a man wa! brned away# lea"ing a black# !hadow5filled hole in the !ea that did not refill

it!elf. %here wa! !till growling# clo!er now. = forced my!elf into calm. Shooting withot a target wold do

me no good and might !er"e to gi"e the *ea!t a fi' on me.

=ce wind whi!tled arond me.

Finally# = !aw what = wa! looking for. $ ripple in the !rface of the clo"er. $ body a! large a! the *ea!tC!#



mo"ing croched throgh the clo"er# wold lea"e a wake on the top that !hold be noticeable. = pointed at

the ripple# !teadied my hand-

$nd reeled !ideway! a! the *ea!t leaped9 =t mi!!ed me only by inche!# cra!hing into the clo"er and

di!appearing beneath the green !rface. = fired at the !pot where it went in# bt it had mo"ed now and wa!

!omewhere el!e. Heart ponding# = !tarted to !r"ey the !rface again.

$nd again it mped. %hi! time# thogh = twirled wildly a!ide# it caght me a bri!ing !wipe with it!

claw! before cra!hing into the br!h again. *lood !prted from my !holder# then !b!ided into a !teady#thick flow. Fire !hot throgh e"ery m!cle in my arm# and = tran!ferred the gn to my good hand.

Forcing my!elf to ignore the pain and find the ripple in the clo"er that marked the enemy# = !earched the

!rface again# half re!ol"ed to being maled by the *ea!t before = cold locate it. %hen# !t when aching

fatige began to creep pward from my feet# = !aw it. Sighting careflly on the lead of the wake# = fired.

%he *ea!t !taggered erect# cltching it! arm# reeled !ideway!. Shi"ering# = fired again# opened a wond on

it! leg. =t wa! bleeding a! badly a! = wa!. = !ighted for another !hot.

%hen# !ddenly# e"erything went into a !low# !yrpy# fogbond !et of e"ent! that regi!tered only indirectly

on my mind. %he *ea!t wa! trying to !tagger away- = cold not !hoot- the *ea!t had done !omething

!o that = cold not !hoot- the trigger wa! !tone to me- the night !wallowed him- = pa!!ed ot.

Later# the !n wa! p and the bird! were !inging# and Lot! wa! poring !omething warm into my moth#forcing me to wake to a beatifl !cene; her face. %hen 6razy !poiled it by !ticking hi! hor!ey mg into

the pictre. 7What happened+:

7We fond yo in that clo"er# almo!t dead. What wa! it+:

= !trggled to !it p# managed with their help. By head !pn# !ettled !lowly like a great am!ement ride

reaching it! end# came to a fll !top. 7= !hot it# wonded it anyway. =t tried to kill me.:

7Why didnCt yo kill it+: Lot! a!ked.

7= ge!!- it knocked my gn away.:

7>o#: 6razy !aid. 7@o had yor gn when we fond yo. @o m!t ha"e been holding it when the *ea!tmade it! getaway. We had to pry it from yor finger!. Why didnCt yo !hoot it again+:

= tried to remember. = cold pictre the ble5white "ibra5beam tearing the night apart and !ewing it back

together. %here wa! !ome !ort of e'clamation which = had not made. %hen = cold not !hoot. = e'plained

the memorie! to the other!.

7Hypno!i!+: 6razy a!ked.

7= donCt think !o. = wa!nCt !pellbond or anything like that. Something- !omething el!e.:

7= think we !hold back ot now#: Lot! !aid. 7WeCll !t end p like 4arner. Sorry# 6razy# bt we will9 =

think we !hold pack or gear and mo"e ot fa!t.:

7>o#: = !aid# trying to look more chipper than = felt. 7WeCll get it. = know we will.:

7*t there are other ob!&ea!ier ob!#: !he prote!ted.

7WeC"e !hed or blood o"er thi! one#: 6razy !aid. 7When yo !pill yor blood for a hnt# yoCre bond to

get the *ea!t no matter what. =t goe! abo"e re"enge.:

She flttered her downy ble wing!# looked right throgh me like only !he can. 7=tC! more than that to

yo# i!nCt it# $ndy+:

7@e!#: = croaked. >o !e hiding anything from Lot!&not with eye! that enter the !ol like her! do. 7@e!#

= !ppo!e it i!. %hogh = donCt know what.: %hen = pa!!ed ot again.

%wo day! later.

$ll my wond! had healed nder the !peedheal!. We had not !een the *ea!t !ince# thogh we were not

ine'perienced enogh to think it had crawled away to die. %hat i! a dangero! a!!mption in thi!



profe!!ion2 trn yor back for e"en a !econd and bang! We decided# in!tead# that it had retrned to it! lair#

!omewhere in the fore!t# to lick it! wond! and heal it!elf. We had cea!ed to !peclate abot why = had

been nable to kill it when = had the chance# for that wa! not a happy thing to !peclate abot. %oo many

bad dream! in !omething like that.

Lea"ing e"erything that cold not be carried with relati"e ea!e# we !trck ot with inflatable mattre!!e!#

food# water# and gn!. Bo!t of all# gn!. $fter e!tabli!hing what or 3arryC! footprint! were like

(hmani!h# for5toed# long and wicked claw! tipping each toe) from a !et that led away from the clo"er

patch fight !cene in a limp pattern# we mo"ed deeper into the wood!. ,n the !econd day of the trek# wefond where it had fallen and had lain for !ome time ntil it fond the !trength to go on. ,n the third day#

we tracked it to the lip of the Harri!brg 6rater&where the footprint! cea!ed.

We !tood there on the rim of the "a!t depre!!ion# !taring acro!! the table of nclear gla!! that the triple5

headed !per5nclear rocket had made. %he crater# = knew from the map!# wa! two and a 3arter mile! in

diameter. %here wa! a lot of !pace. Dotting it were tho!and! of bbble! in the gla!!. $ great nmber of

them were broken and led to the maze of ncharted tnnel! and ca"e! that lay nder the floor of the crater.

$pparently# in one of the!e ca"e!# the *ea!t wa! licking it! wond!&and waiting.

7How can we co"er all that+: 6razy a!ked. 7=tC! big9 $nd !lippery9:

7WeCll do it#: = !aid. = didnCt want to do it. = didnCt know why = didnCt order e"eryone to backtrack# to getthe hell ot of there chop5chop# on the doble. Lot! wa! right# of cor!e; the rea!on wa! more than

re"enge again!t a dmb animal. For a moment# = felt like Hamlet on the ca!tle rampart!# talking to a

gho!t. *t that feeling pa!!ed. By determination had !omething to do with that night when = cold ha"e

killed it bt did not. %hat night when = almo!t let it kill me. $nd why+ $nd what abot the other twenty5

two+

7= ge!! here i! a! good a place a! any#: Lot! !aid. 7LetC! make camp here.: She !wng a hand arond#

indicating the thirty feet of hard5packed earth that !eparated the fore!t from the crater edge. Here and

there# a few !par!e piece! of "egetation were trying to grow on the no5plantC!5land between wood! and

gla!!. %hey werenCt doing "ery well# bt they made the bleakne!! a little le!! bleak.

7Here it will be#: = !aid# dropping my own gear. 7WeCll !earch the ca"e! tomorrow.:

>ightfall !tole in# a black fog.

%here were !tar! in the !ky# bt the greate!t light !how of all lay at or feet. For two and one 3arter mile!

ahead# the nclear gla!! !himmered with "ibrant color! a! it ga"e off the heat of the day. *le! cha!ed

red! acro!! it! !rface while amber! danced with ebonie!# locked arm! with !treak! of green.

= wa! !itting on the crater wall# dangling my leg!# a hndred yard! from the main camp. 6razy wa! back

there !till eating !pper. Hi! !pper! la!ted two hor!# with no time wa!ted in tho!e hndred and twenty

minte! either. Lot! drifted down ne't to me# folded her tiny leg! nder her# and pt her head on my

!holder. Her hair wa! cool and !weet5!melling. $l!o nice; it wa! black a! the night and blew arond my

ear! and chin and made me feel good.

7*eatifl# i!nCt it#: = !aid. %here wa! a br!t of orange rimmed with !il"er.

7Aery#: !he !aid a! !he tried to crawl e"en clo!er. She wa! or con!olation. She held the team together.

6razy and = cold not la!t a month withot her. *riefly# = wondered how# when !he con!oled 6razy# they

managed# what with hi! being !o big and clm!y and her being !o tiny# !o fragile. *t !he ne"er came

back chipped or cracked# !o maybe the lmmo' wa! gentler than he !eemed.

7@o !cared+: = a!ked. She wa! trembling# and it wa! not cold.

7@o know me.:

7WeCll win.:

7@o !ond !o !re.:

7We ha"e to. WeCre the good gy!.:

= felt !omething wet on my neck# and = knew it wa! a tear. = !hifted a little and cddled her and !aid now5



now and other thing!. Bainly# = !t !at there being ncomfortable and damned happy all at once. Lot!

almo!t ne"er crie!. When !he doe!# !he i! worried abot one of !& really worried. %hen yo canCt !top

her ntil !heC! dried ot. @o can only !it and hold her. $nd when !heC! fini!hed# !he ne"er mention! the

fact that !he wa! crying2 yo better ne"er mention it either# if yo know whatC! good for yo.

So# !he wa! crying. $nd = wa! cddling.

$nd 6razy wa! !ddenly !creaming&

V

$ "ery long time ago# a! = had !at at the p!tair! window before my mother made me lea"e or ho!e#

there had come two giant red eye! ot of the night mi!t!. %hey had been a! large a! !acer!# ca!ting

!carlet light ahead of them# foc!ing on the ho!e. =t wa! a eep co"ered with !heet! and red cellophane

and painted to look like a dragon by the Knight! of the Dragon to Pre!er"e Hmanity. = thoght it "ery

fnny that grown people !hold play at !ch ridiclo! game!.

*elow me now# in the pit that had !ddenly opened and glped down 6razy# a !pider# !pindly leg! bracing

it a hndred feet down# wa! looking p with crim!on headlamp eye!. ,nly there wa! !omething wor!e

than a eep behind the!e lamp!. Bch wor!e.

76razy9: = !hoted.

7Here. %o the left9:

= took the lantern Lot! broght from the camp# lowered it into the !teeply !loping tnnel. %he !pider

backed off another fifty feet bt no more. Probably a female. Female! are more fearle!! than their mate!.

*ranching off from the main fall were !e"eral !ide tnnel!# all filled with !ticky egg! and webbing.

7=t m!t ha"e brrowed clo!e to the !rface#: 6razy !hoted. 7= !t !tepped on the grond. =t wiggled#

ga"e# and fell throgh.:

He had rolled into one of the !ide tnnel!# wa! caght p in the !tickine!! and egg!. %he web wa! probably a different "ariety than the one the other !pider had !ed to entrap ! earlier. %hi! one wa! for

protecting egg! and wold be e"en more thick and gmmy. %he mother !pider fidgeted below# wanting to

come charging p to protect her egg!# frightened only for a moment. 7Lot!9: = !hoted. 76limbing cleat!

and yor knife. Hrry9:

She lifted away# wa! back almo!t in!tantly. = !lipped the cleat attachment! onto my boot!# took her knife

to ct !tep! into the tnnel wall. 7=Cm coming down# 6razy.:

7What abot the bitch below+:

7She look! !cared.:

7SheCll get o"er that. Stay ot.:76razy# yoCre crazy.: = crawled into the !loping ca"e# hating to trn my back on the !pider bt nable to

negotiate the !teep pa!!age headfir!t. E"ery moment = felt a! if !he were r!hing p the tnnel# moth

!ilently open and ready to kill. Pain!takingly# = mo"ed down.

Looking o"er my !holder for brief moment!# = cold !ee the red eye watching. %hey ne"er blinked. >o

lid!.

= reached the !ide ca"e where 6razy wa! trapped# dirt packed !o tightly nder my fingernail! that they

ached. = hacked away the web# balled it p# and !tffed it behind him. = didnCt want to drop it down the

main !haft for fear the olt wold bring the !pider plnging pward# !tomach open. When = had hi! head

free and hi! arm! loo!e# he wa! able to help him!elf. =n !hort time# he had !tripped away the remainder of

the !ticky thread.

7@o fir!t#: = !aid. 76an yo make it p+:

7%he!e hoo"e! gi"e perfect balance.: He kicked ot of the egg pocket and !tarted p the incline a! if it



were !t another walkway throgh !ome charming garden. = waited ntil he wa! almo!t ot# then

lanched my!elf on the climb. *t all thi! action had !haken the mother !pider to action. = cold hear the

!cttling of her feet coming p fa!t.

7= canCt !hoot# $ndy9: Lot! !hoted. 7@oCre in the way9:

= !tarted to !ay !omething (!omething probably better left n!aid) when the frry leg! toched me arond

the wai!t# plled me loo!e. =t wa! hardly any !e fighting the tremendo! power behind her gra!p. *t !he

wa!nCt prepared for all of my weight. She wobbled nder me# collap!ed# and we both cra!hed down the!lope# twi!ted arond a bend&all her leg! kicking frio!ly&and dropped twenty feet onto a ca"ern

floor.

= wa! on top of the !pider.

She wa! !creaming. 4od# the !cream!. %hey boomed from the wall!. E"en the echoe! threw them!el"e!

back and reechoed. %hen# de!pite the ponding of my heart# = !aw that thi! place !eemed to be a ne!t and

that more than one !pider# dging from e'cretion# inhabited it. We were alone now# bt her !cream!

wold !oon draw other!.

= felt !omething wet# !crambled for a handhold on the flailing *ea!t# looked down. By foot wa! dangling

in!ide her gt9 She had rolled onto her back in the fall# and = wa! monted on her deadly nder!ide. %he

mandible! 3i"ered. = erked my foot back# di!co"ered the knife !till cltched in my hand. = wa! !haking"iolently&!o "iolently that = feared = might drop my only weapon.

%he head reared p a! !he tried to throw me off. = !trck for the eye a! Lot! had done earlier# plled back

the blade# wa! rewarded with g!hing blood. She !creamed e"en loder than the impo!!ibly lod !cream!

already filling the ca"ern# rolled abot in fry. = wa! to!!ed free# thrown again!t the wall where = fond a

large bolder to crawl behind.

%he !pider did her death dance# fla!hing leg! awkwardly akimbo.

= remained hidden in the rock!# holding tight to an aching arm a! if the pre!!re of my hold wold dri"e

the pain off# afraid to look at my wond ntil = !aw the *ea!t wa! dead and wold ne"er again be r!hing

me. =t took her !ome time to die# bt when !he did e'pire it wa! with a great deal of thra!hing andfrothing. When = finally looked at my arm# = cold !ee the rea!on for the pain; a !mall piece of white bone

!ticking throgh the fle!h# white and !potted with blood. Head !pinning roller5coa!ter mad# = felt more

than a tho!and year! old&older# indeed# than the ni"er!e it!elf.

$bo"e# from the tnnel that the !pider and = had fallen throgh# came a noi!y !cffling. By head !pn

e"en fa!ter# my fle!h brned with fe"er# and "i!ion! of the *ea!tC! mate !wam throgh my head to

magnify my fear!. = got to my feet with a bit of difficlty and felt a! if = were walking on a thin c!hion of

air in!tead of the rock floor. By eye! were flaming coal! !omeone had dropped into raw !ocket!# while

my head wa! made of ice&and melting. = !taggered ot of the large ca"ern# mo"ing to a tnnel that

glittered with light at it! end# hoping that thi!&in !ome way&wold lead me ot. Light meant goodne!!#

did it not+ Light meant freedom&or i! there a brilliant light at the end of death+

%he !tone! !eemed to melt and re5form arond me. By teeth chattered in my ice head2 = per!pired.

%he end of the tnnel wa! a branching5off place where the wall! became gla!! and wond erratically

nder the floor of the "a!t Harri!brg 6rater. %r3oi!e and crim!on ceiling! fla!hed o"er me# reflecting

me a! colored mirror! might. %he wall! threw my image back at me in "ario! !hade! and !ize!# !hape!

and te'tre!. =t wa! mch like a mirror hall at a carni"al. 8eality wa! p!hed e"en frther from my mind#

and del!ion and fe"er grew !tronger. = mo"ed to the right with a tho!and copie! of my!elf# a !habby

army in the corridor! of eternity.

By arm had become a flaming tree# it! root! grown deep into my che!t# con!tricting my lng!. Panting# =

mo"ed on throgh the winding gla!! hallway!# !ane enogh to know who = wa! and that = m!t get ot#

bt !t delirio! enogh not to think of trning back and retracing my !tep!. =n thi! manner# = cameacro!! the *ea!t in it! lair. The *ea!t.

%he tnnel ended in a room where gra!!e! had been dragged in# where bit! of rotting fle!h from pa!t

meal! littered the floor grote!3ely. %here wa! a natral !tairway# ne"en# !harply edged# bt !able#



breaking one wall. =t led to the ceiling where a half5moon apertre offered e!cape to the crater floor

o"erhead. = felt like a man trapped beneath an ice5co"ered ri"er who finally !ee! a thin patch o"erhead.

*t lying between that e!cape rote and me wa! the *ea!t. $nd# thogh dying# it wa! not yet dead.

= !topped# !wayed crazily. For a moment# = thoght = wold fall o"er onto the mtant and lay immo"able

while he maled me. With a great deal of effort# = forced away an almo!t imperceptible fraction of the

foggine!!# !t enogh to keep teno! control of my body. %he *ea!t watched me from where it lay# it!

ma!!i"e head rai!ed from the floor# it! !ingle red eye a hideo! lantern# bright e"en in thi! !parkling room

of fanta!y wall!. =t grnted# tried to mo"e# howled. =t! leg wa! a me!!. %hat wa! the work of my "ibra5 pi!tol. =t !ho"ed it! other leg nder it!elf# plled to a !itting po!ition# all it! weight on the good arm and

good leg. =t !narled. = !aw that# e"en in it! weakne!!# the *ea!t wa! going to attempt to leap.

= looked abot for a chnk of loo!e gla!!# fond one the !ize of my fi!t. = bent# growing dangero!ly dizzy

with the effort# picked it p# weighed it in my palm. = broght my healthy arm back# hea"ed the gla!! at

the *ea!tC! head. =t !trck it! che!t in!tead# knocking it onto it! behind. %he *ea!t !trggled to a !itting

po!ition while = !earched for another chnk of gla!!; the battle of the in"alid!# nonethele!! deadly for it!

ab!rdity.

%he wall! !hone# !eemed to 3ickly approach and recede when = mo"ed too mch-

= fond a !harp5edged piece# broght it back to throw.$nd the *ea!t !poke. 7Bake 6ae!ar !ht p9: it !aid. 7Bake him !ht p9:

= almo!t dropped the rock. %he wall! wiggled crazily. %he *ea!t kept repeating the bla!phemy o"er and

o"er. %hen it leaped.

%he force of it! impact wa! not a! great a! it wold ha"e been had the *ea!t been able to !e both feet to

propel it!elf. Still# it bowled me o"er# raked claw! down the !ide of my face a! we rolled. = kicked free#

rolled acro!! the floor to the far wall. $bo"e wa! the e'it.

7$ndy9: Lot! and 6razy appeared at the entrance to the room. =t had been they# not the !piderC! mate#

who had been !crambling down that inclined tnnel9

7Bake 6ae!ar !ht p9: the *ea!t recited. 7Bake him !ht p9:

%he two of them froze. 6razy had hi! gn drawn and wa! abot to fire. >ow he left the weapon dangling

from hi! finger!# nable to fire pon !omething that !eemed hman.

7Kill it9: = !hoted.

7=tC! intelligent#: Lot! !aid# rbbing her tiny hand! together.

7=t i! like hell9:

7=tC! more than an animal#: 6razy !aid# the gn !ele!! in hi! hand.

7=t got that phra!e from me9: = !hoted hoar!ely# and = !ppo!e a little in!anely. 7= !aid that when = !hot it

in the wood!. =t m!t ha"e been !peaking then&!omething it picked p from a pre"io! bonty hnter& and = thoght it wa! intelligent. %hatC! why = coldnCt !hoot it again. Ban doe! not kill man. *t thi! i!nCt

a man in any way9 %hi! i! a myna bird9:

7=t got that phra!e from me9: the *ea!t !hoted# !trggling acro!! the floor toward me# throwing a few

catio! glance! behind it at 6razy and Lot!. *t it! old trick wa! working. =t wa! immobilizing the

enemy. 6razy and Lot! coldnCt wipe ot all tho!e centrie! of pacifi!m again!t other hman! in one

!hort moment. =t talked2 that might make it hman. $nd they cold not !hoot it. 7=t got that phra!e from

me9: it !aid again.

7See9:

7See9: it echoed.Lot! grabbed the gn from 6razy# aimed. *t !he cold not fire. 7Here# $ndy9: $nd !he to!!ed it o"er

the *ea!t. =t clattered again!t the wall fi"e feet away. Wearily# = !tarted after it# e"ery inch a mile to me.

$nd the *ea!t wa! on me.



= kicked ot with a la!t once of !trength# caght it on the chin# !tnned it. *t it reco"ered and lnged

again# thr!ting claw! deep into my hip! and twi!ting them. = howled and fond another once of !trength

de!pite what my body told me abot thi! being the end. = kicked it again# p!hed my!elf ahead a few more

inche!. By finger! !lipped o"er the gn. =t wa! a hard and rea!!ring feeling. = !eemed to draw !trength

from the cold metal. *ringing it arond# the barrel centered on the brti!h face# = choked a! my finger

wrapped the trigger.

7See9: he !hoted# reaching a long# hairy arm ot for me.

Byna bird+ 6old = be certain+

%he arm br!hed my che!t.

Strange !cene! of a ho!e afire# of a woman brning# of people trning into animal! fla!hed throgh my

mind. >o!e! became !not! e"erywhere = looked- = plled the trigger# !aw hi! face go p in a red

fontain# and collap!ed backward into darkne!!.

When = came to# it wa! to !ee a ble !ky o"erhead# tree! fla!hing by on both bank!# and ble water

nderneath. 6razy had broken the top from one of the gla!! bbble!# had !ed it a! a boat# placing it in the

!mall ri"er that drifted throgh 6ongre!!man HornerC! ranch. %hi! wold be a mch !wifter rote than theone by which we had come.

7How are yo feeling+: Lot! a!ked# rbbing my forehead.

78elie"ed#: = croaked.

7= know#: !he !aid# rnning a tiny hand o"er my cheek!.

7>o. >o# yo donCt#: = !aid# trning my face to the gla!! bottom where the water wa! re"ealed in depth.

THREE: DIMENSIONAL LADDER

:e shall know anti;uity floating dragon-head on new waters…

I

7We will be arri"ing in ele"en minte!# Br. Penel#: the ho!te!! !aid# !miling white5white teeth and

!parkling ble eye!. 7We drop from hyper!pace in three minte!.:

7%hank yo#: Sam managed to !ay between yawn!.

She !miled# trned and walked p the ai!le# trim leg! fla!hing tan and !mooth in the dim light of the pa!!enger cabin.

Penel- Penel- =t had been ten month! now !ince Hrko! had de!troyed the pink grb in *readloafC!

office. %en month! !ince the empty tank beyond the wall had pored forth cold air like the maw of a

frozen reptile giant. Still# he wa! not !ed to hi! name. ,ften# he ne"er thoght to an!wer to 7Br. Penel.:

=t had been *readloafC! !gge!tion. Penel wa! Hebrew for 7the face of 4od#: and $le' wa! fa!cinated by

the pn.

Penel- Withot $le'# he wold !till be !t plain Sam&and !t plain lo!t. He wa! !till lo!t# !rely# bt

a little le!! than he had been that night ten month! ago. =t had been $le' *readloafC! encoragement and

camaraderie that had !a"ed him in hi! dire!t moment. =t had been $le' *readloafC! concern and inflence

that had gotten him the po!ition a! 6ongre!!man HornerC! aide# a po!ition that !wamped him with workand forced him to forget abot all the problem! plaging him. He had an!wer! now. %emporary an!wer!#

bt an!wer! good enogh to let him li"e comfortably with him!elf a! long a! he didnCt get morbid or

melancholy and !tart recalling hi! pre"io! fnk.



%here wa! a !btle whining and a !tiff# prolonged bmping a! the giant liner !lipped from hyper!pace into

the real thing.

Sam flipped the !witch on the "iewer in front of him and !tared at the pictre embedded in the back of the

other !eat. *lackne!! of !pace# e"erywhere- then# !lowly# the !hipC! camera! tilted down and to the left#

catching the green haze5co"ered !phere that wa! 6haplin =# an Earth5type# ad"anced colony. =t looked

normal from thi! altitde# bt there had been no radio report from either of 6haplin =C! citie!. %hree and a

3arter million people were either !leeping# in dire di!tre!! and di!po!!e!!ed of their broadca!ting

!tation!# or dead. %he go"ernment on Hope wanted to rle ot the la!t thing. 6ommon !en!e rled ot thefir!t. %hat left only the middle# and thi! !hip had been r!hed to the re!ce.

What !ort of re!ce# no one knew.

=t wa! generally belie"ed that !ome new !ort of *ea!t had mtated on 6haplin =# !ince it had been a

nclear target dring the la!t war a tho!and and more year! ago. With thi! gly po!!ibility in mind# one

of the top bonty hnting team! had been broght along# complete with a hge# armored# mlti5weaponed

floater pro"ided by the go"ernment. Sam had not !een the bonty hnter!# for they had been b!y the

entire trip checking ot their e3ipment and making trial te!t! with the fnctioning of the floater

in!trment!. $!ide from them# the only other pa!!enger! were two reporter! who# when they had

di!co"ered that he wa! merely a repre!entati"e of Horner there only on a political mi!!ion in a political

year# lo!t intere!t in him rather 3ickly. $nd# of cor!e# there were tho!and! of ton! of food# water#

medicine!# and fifty5fi"e robodoc! complete with hypodermic hand! and two giant mother5!y!tem di!ea!e

analyzer!.

%he clod5!hroded planet !pn below# holding menace.

7?nable to rai!e re!pon!e#: the pilot !aid# hi! "oice booming along the ai!le.

Sam wa! !t abot ready to trn the !creen off when a thin !il"er needle detached it!elf from the clod!

below and !pn p at them# lazily. =t wa! mch too thin for a !pace!hip. $ momentC! ob!er"ation told him

it wa! an ancient# deadly# and accrate mi!!ile-

II

aceshi, pondero!# "a!t# world!hip by any other name# "ibrated and wa! ali"e with acti"ity. =t!

corridor! were it! "ein!# throbbing wildly with the blood that wa! it! crew# it! charge# it! !la"emen. Slg5

form! mo"ed rapidly down the winding hallway!# their yellow5white bodie! !tretching at their !egment!

a! if their in!ide! wanted to mo"e fa!ter than their !kin! cold manage. $ll thi! for the tne of the

8ace!ong. Slg5form! foamed in and ot of portal! in the honeycomb !trctre of the great metal wall! a!

they were called to "ario! point! to take another dty# perform yet another ta!k. Seek on the tne of the

8ace!ong. 6rew! of di!po!al worker! p!hed down the !naking corridor!# reglarly clearing the deck of

tho!e !lg! who had been p!hed to their ltimate point of tolerance and had folded o"er when their

doble heart! had br!t nder the !train of the p!h5p!h5p!h of their e'i!tence. %he di!po!al crewheaped bodie!5mangled by the tramp of other !lg! who had not !topped or gone arond the warm

ob!tacle of their dead comrade&on magnetic powered cart! that floated !ilently behind them# nloading

the cart! later at di!po!al chte!# dmping the !tack! of !lg! into the grinning moth of the fire5bellied

dragon frnace that wold take care of them 3ite rapidly. $ll the while# !lg! hrried by# !lg! dropped

and died. E"en member! of the di!po!al crew# to keep with their ta!k# were p!hed to great e'treme! and

collap!ed to become fodder for the dragon frnace them!el"e!. $ll of thi! madne!!# all of thi! co!tly r!h

wa! a brden they gladly bore in chao!. %hey gained a !trange !olace in the fact that# thogh they might

die# generation! pon generation! lay in the ne!t!# con!tantly hatching&hatching fa!ter# in fact# than the

tremendo! death rate cold deplete their nmber!. $nd when a !rpl! bilt p# aceshi wold !end off

a Spoor!hip nder it! direction# and the empire wold grow and be greater. %here wa! oy in knowing

each death contribted to the goal. %hi! made them wildly happy# thi! feeling of a nited goal to !tri"eand die for.

$nd thi! maddening de"otion wa! careflly !trctred and fo!tered by the *eing in ShipC! 6ore.



III

%he rocket had been non5apocalyptic# bt it had torn a hole in the bottom of the !hip that !pelled certain

death to e"eryone in!ide. Had it been a meteor# the !hip cold ha"e e"aded or de!troyed it2 bt modern

"e!!el! were not e3ipped to defend them!el"e! again!t !eeker mi!!ile!# !t a! they were not e3ipped to

fight in a peacefl world. %hey wold cra!h now# !piraling downard to !ma!h onto 6haplin =. ?nle!!-

?nle!!# a! Sam realized# they cold reach the floater in the cargo hold# back where the bonty hnter!

were. =f they cold get into that and get it ot of the !hip before it cra!hed# they wold !a"e them!el"e!.

%he floater cold operate !eparately and bring them down !afely.

$ crackling# nclear and nintelligible# !napped throgh the !hipcom a! the pilot tried to !ay !omething

the in!trment! wold not let him !ay.

%he !hip !pn fa!ter and fa!ter&down.

%he !hip !creamed in e'pectation of the end.

Sam nbelted him!elf# gripped the !eat in front# and plled pward with a great deal of difficlty. He

gained hi! feet and trned into the ai!le when the !hip took a more "iolent !lant and almo!t knocked himdown again. %he hll moaned like a tho!and ban!hee!. %he terrific !tre!! of the mlti5mile fall wold

!tart popping ri"et! !hortly.

=t wa! going to be an phill fight&literally and figrati"ely. He had to grapple p the incline and reach

the cargo5room hatch. E"en there# it wa! not a certainty that he cold open it nder the "a!t pre!!re!

working again!t him. *t he coldnCt !t gi"e p and die a! the witle!!# !hrieking reporter! !eemed to

ha"e done behind him. Panting# red5faced# with !weat !treaming o"er hi! face and brning in hi! eye!# he

foght hi! way# !trggling o"er an e"er5increa!ing inclination.

Something boomed# !craped lodly the length of the hill. %he radar modle had been torn loo!e and

dragged along the !hip.

Sam mo"ed.

$t the hatch# he braced hi! back again!t the !eat to the right and tried trning the wheel that wold open

the portal. =t wa!nCt ea!y. He wa! fighting the pre!!re of their rapid de!cent and the hea"y wheel. >ow

and again# the engine! kicked in# trying to a"ert the fa!t approaching doom# and their olting did nothing

to help him. He felt like a moth trying to lift the candle and take it home. Hi! heart ponded# and hi! eye!

filled with tear!. When he thoght hi! che!t wa! ready to break open like a nt!hell and e'pel the meat of

hi! heart# he felt the thmp of complete re"oltion# and tgged on the door. He had !t enogh !en!e to

pll hi! hand! back a! the great circlar doorway !wng "iolently backward# drawn by the force! of the

plnging !hip# and cra!hed into the wall. *eyond lay the !torage chamber and the floater. %he ramp into

the rond ball5like "ehicle wa! open. %hey had !een him coming and nder!tood hi! prpo!e and were

delaying their e!cape.

*ehind# the two reporter! were fighting each other to be fir!t to the floater after Sam. $! a re!lt# neither

wold make it in time.

Sam wa! halfway acro!! the room when the deck bckled and to!!ed him face5fir!t onto the metal plating#

ctting hi! chin. He ta!ted blood# felt him!elf !lipping backward toward the hatch# lo!ing grond. He

grabbed a cargo5fa!tening ring in the floor# held on. Forcing hi! "i!ion to clear# he !aw that the entry ramp

wa! ten yard! away# beyond a !light wrinkle in the deck. Sr"eying the re!t of the floor# he fond that he

cold work hi! way to the ramp by grabbing the cargo fa!tening ring! and dragging him!elf o"er the la!t

thirty feet. *t hi! m!cle! were !o terribly !ore9

%here wa! a booming in the front of the !hip# and the door between the pilotC! cabin and the pa!!enger

area !ealed it!elf with a lod !irening. %he "iewplate had !ma!hed ot of&or rather into&the pilotC!

chamber# probably !kewering the crew with tho!and! of !li"er! of pla!tigla!!&inclding the ble5eyed

ho!te!! with the trim# tan leg!. Soon# !imilar thing! wold be happening to the hll and the re!t of the

!hip. =f they didnCt cra!h fir!t. Which wa! a di!tinct po!!ibility.



8eaching for the ne't ring# he began crawling p the deck. =n a !rpri!ingly !hort time# !peed increa!ed

with the imminent pre!ence of death# he had reached the rnneled gangplank. Hand! latched onto him#

dragged him into the floater. He looked p to !ay thank!# !aw that hi! re!cer wa! a man with the leg! of a

hor!e# and !lipped willingly into blackne!!.

IV

>e!t! bdded.

>e!t! bloomed rapidly# one after another like ro!e! in a !peeded !top5action film.

$ new generation came forth# the ncontable generation of an ncontable cycle of generation!. %he

new5hatched !lg! worked their aw! rapidly# !ma!hing their gm! together# looking for !ome manner of

nori!hment. Web hanging! fl!hed abot them and garded them again!t !craping har!hly again!t deck

plating or o"er rai!ed bolt! and !eam! in the !kin of aceshi. $lmo!t a! one organi!m# the tho!and! of

pink# yong !lg!# ri!ing p and !tanding on only half their !egment!# mewed piteo!ly&a!king# a!king#

a!king. %he mi!t! of !hock5ab!orbent web! !wayed with their crawling 3e!t# !hredded and came down

arond them. $nd the mi!t! parted a! the !acrifice !lg! came forth from their place! of waiting# glorying

that their time wa! finally near# finally at hand# finally and glorio!ly to be con!mmated. %hey drew back and threw them!el"e! at the yong !lg!# opening the pore! of their fir!t !egment! !o that appetite5

aro!ing ice! cold flow ot and permeate the air with a delicio!# dank hea"ine!!. %he baby !lg!

re!ponded# whining in!anely# gnawing their horny gm! into the plpy body of the elder !acrifice !lg!#

gnawing and tearing at the fle!h# !wallowing it in great !hred!# foaming o"er the !mell of blood. $nd !till

the !acrifice !lg! came oyflly# to be flfilled in prpo!e.

=n the ShipC! 6ore# the 6entral *eing trned to the other matter! bothering =t;

%he !lg! in the na"igation and tracking 3arter! had come pon the form of another !hip mo"ing ot and

away from the "e!!el they had !hot down !hortly before. =f thi! !maller thing !hold e!cape# aceshi

might be in danger of di!co"ery by the minion! of mankind that !warmed in the gala'y ahead. %here wa!

great fry among the na"igator! and radar crew! a! they worked o"er the in!trment!# their p!edopodiagra!ping at the control!. %he !maller !hip# the chief tracker di!co"ered# wa! a ball of !ome !ort. Hollow.

@e!# definitely hollow. $t fir!t# they feared it might be a bomb. *t it mo"ed away from aceshi, not

toward it. Still# they m!t get it. =t had greater !peed# at thi! low altitde# than aceshi had# bt the !lg5

form crew lifted the montaino! !hip and !et ot in pr!it# coa!ting o"er the !rface of 6haplin =#

!eeking to kill-

V

7$re yo all right+: a !mall# china5tone "oice whi!per5!poke to him a! he !wam pward throgh the

inkine!! that !eemed endle!!# thick# and !ticky. *t# after all# there wa! light# and he homed in on theword! a! if they were a !mall beacon that wold lead him ot of hi! fzzine!! into clarity&a "ery

plea!ant# gentle beacon.

7He !t pa!!ed ot i! all#: another# grffer# "oice !aid.

7@o ha"e no !ympathy#: china5tone !napped.

Sam opened hi! eye! completely and fond he wa! looking at a tiny# elfin face. Elfin9 Pointed ear!-

!mall and delicate featre!- tiny bt well5formed body- Wing!9 $ pair of "el"et5like wing! flffed

gently behind her like !heet! on a line# then drew !ht. %heir color matched the toga that fell to an end

abo"e her rond and lo"ely knee!. He remembered Hrko! and calmed him!elf. %hi! wa! a mtant of

!ome !ort&whether a prodct of >atre or of the $rtificial Womb!. $ delightfl mtation# to be !re. Shewa! one of the mo!t beatifl girl! he had e"er !een.

7$re yo okay+: !he a!ked again# tiny lip! parting !lightly to let the little word! ot.

Sam groaned# tried to !it p.



7DonCt !train yor!elf#: !he !aid# gra!ping hi! !holder! in her fine# !hell hand! in an effort to re!train

him# her !clptred finger! pre!!ing him back.

7=Cm- okay#: he !aid# fighting off a headache that he knew cold not !cce!!flly be foght off.

7= told yo#: the grff "oice !aid.

Sam trned to the right# looked into the wide# hand!ome face of the man with the grff "oice. %here wa! a

wild mane of hair framing hi! head# partially co"ering hi! two large ear!. Bemorie! of being dragged into

the floater by a man5hor!e came back to him. 7= ge!! = !hold thank yo for !a"ing&:

7Wa!nCt anything to it#: the man5hor!e !aid# fl!hing !lightly and grinning.

7=t wa! my life# thogh-:

7DonCt prai!e 6razy too mch#: a third "oice !aid. =t wa! $ndrew 6oro# the man he had met briefly on

HornerC! Earth ranch when a *ea!t hnt had been initiated !ome month! ago. 6oro !tepped between the

girl and the man5hor!e. 7%hing! like that go to hi! head# and he get! impo!!ible to li"e with.:

7Hmmph9: 6razy !norted.

7= ha"enCt met yor- yor colleage!# Br. 6oro.:

7,f cor!e not#: 6oro !aid. 7=Cm !orry. %hi! i! Lot!# or nr!emaid# comforter# and !poiled friend. SheC!al!o a famo! botani!t# bt !heCll ha"e yo !eeing plant! in yor !leep if yo get her talking abot it. Fair

warning. %hi! i! 6razy Hor!e#: he contined# pointing to the other mtant before the elfin girl5woman

cold re!pond. 76razy i! or m!cle# a! yo might ha"e ge!!ed&and a bit# = imagine# of or brain! al!o.

$nd me yo know# Br. Penel.:

7Sam. $nd =Cm plea!ed to meet yo two. @o did a fine ob for 6ongre!!man Horner. Do yo ha"e

anything for a headache+:

7=tC! a! make!hift a! anything cold be#: $ndy !aid.

7=tCll do#: 6razy grnted# cro!!ing hi! arm! o"er hi! ma!!i"e che!t and !hffling hi! hoo"e! on the metaldeck.

7Sam+ $fter all# yoCll be !itting there.:

Sam dropped into the homemade chair# fa!tened the !eat belt. 6razy had taken a wall cot and bent it into

the rgged form of a chair. %ogether# he and 6oro had bolted it to the deck while Lot! had !ewn a !pare

belt to it. He wa! reminded of the fle'opla!t chair in the elly5ma!! !hip. Sddenly thing! !eemed to be

re"ol"ing on a wheel# the playing of old e"ent! all o"er with !t a few different character!. 7= think it will

do !t fine.:

7,kay#: 6oro !aid# trning and dropping into hi! own !eat. 7>ow letC! find ot what happened to tho!e

two colony5citie!.:

6oro plotted the po!ition of the larger of the two !ilent citie!# 6haplin5$lpha# !et the floater on a high

!peed# atomatic cor!e for the place. $! they bobbled along at what !eemed like a lei!rely pace bt wa!

really a wild# lightning5fa!t !treaking# Sam learned to know the trio by their per!onalitie! and not !t by

their phy!ical appearance!. Lot! wa! tender# greatly affectionate# and "ery prod of her two men. She

wa! al!o a le"er to maintain hmility and tran3illity within the grop. She did the!e la!t two thing! with

hmor# not with nagging# and Sam came to appreciate thi! "ery mch in only minte!. 6razy wa! 3ick5

witted# 3ick5temered# and e'tremely friendly. He !eemed the type who wold lend yo e"erything he

owned&then kick yor head in if yo pro"ed no more than a thief. He had a bit of the boyi!h wonder at

the mar"elo! e"eryday thing! in life# a 3ality which mo!t men lo!e early and ne"er manage to regain.

$nd 6oro- 6oro wa! different altogether. He wa! friendly# to be !re# and there wa! nothing bt

kindne!! in hi! manner. *t he wa! not a! candid a! 6razy and Lot!# not a! ea!y to know. He wa!withdrawn# and a toch of melancholy tinted hi! dark eye!# gi"ing him a perpetal look of hrt.

%hey were talking# de!pite 6oroC! warning!# abot botany# when he began redcing the floaterC! !peed

and !hifting from plotogram to manal control. 7WeCre almo!t there#: he !aid# interrpting Lot! a! !he



related her ad"entre! with a Porcpine 8o!e.

$ll for faced front. %he con"er!ation had been a di"er!ion# a way to keep their mind! off the mi!!ile that

had torn p their !hip# and to !top any 3e!tion! abot who might po!!ibly ha"e fired it in a world of

pacifi!m. Sddenly the !creen! popped to life nder 6oroC! hand!. %he city of 6haplin5$lpha !wam into

clarity before them.

8ather# what had been 6haplin5$lpha-

,nce a thri"ing metropoli!. >ow a!he!. How blithely thi! peacefl !ociety tripped into di!a!ter9 >e"ere'pecting anything like thi! beca!e thing! like thi! !t didnCt happen. =n the old world# police and re!ce

team! wold ha"e come by the dro"e!. *t there had been no police for centrie!# and no one had

fore!een that the fifty5fi"e robodoc! wold be !hot down before they cold land.

$!he!. $ gray5white film like the thinne!t "eneer of !now lay obf!cating all. 8bble lay in mond! like

camel hmp!. Here and there the girder! of a bilding !tood like broken# !inged bone!# !ome of their

!tone and mortar fle!h !till clinging to them. Some place!# the rbble !tretched in long row! where the

bilding! had fallen directly !ideway! to crmble and decay like the body of a hge animal.

Plant!. Lot! knew what kind!. %hey grew !nakily from the brned edge!# !earching throgh the rbble#

!eeking !!tenance from the two million bodie! that# certainly# lay !ma!hed beneath. Some other!# dark

and with !lender lea"e! like kni"e!# were carbon5eater!# reli!hing the richne!! of their co"eted food.

7%he people&: Lot! began.

7Dead#: 6oro fini!hed.

7*t how&:

7Killed.:

E"eryone !at !ilent a moment.

7*t men donCt kill#: 6razy in!i!ted. 7>ot like thi!. $nd !ince the *readloaf Shield and the death of 4od

&:

Sam wa! !lightly !rpri!ed to hear the ca!alne!! with which the man5hor!e mentioned the death of 4od.

*t then# the new! media had !pla!hed the !tory in depth and e"erywhere. *readloaf had been

inter"iewed to the point of e'ha!tion. Hrko! had become a minor celebrity on the "ariety5talk !how!.

4no!!o!C book +n %od#s 1eise, wa! a rnaway be!t !eller on any world yo cold name. *readloafC!

!cienti!t! had been badgered# bothered# pmped for opinion! and fact!. ,nly Sam had managed# with a

great deal of difficlty# to keep hi! pri"acy intact. With thi! bonty of media co"erage# the fact of di"ine

e'piration wa! a common piece of knowledge# n3e!tioned and&ten month! after the act5generally

nthoght of. *t what 6razy wa! !aying wa! correct. Ben !hold be le!! able to kill than e"er. %he

perpetrator of aggre!!ion wa! gone. Ban wa! !aner than e"er. %hi! !ort of atrocity !hold be impo!!ible.

Ben !hold not ha"e the ability to- and of cor!e# Sam thoght# men didnCt do it9

7>ot men#: he !aid alod.

7What+: they all !aid# almo!t together.

7=Cll wager that it wa!nCt men. >ot men a! we know them.:

7%alk !en!e#: 6oro !aid. 7@oCre wor!e than 6razy.:

Sam !trained at hi! !eat belt. 7%he!e- killer! are from another gala'y# not thi! one. %hey might not be

men at all.: Hi! mind ran backward to the time in the !hip when he !till had only a fir!t name and

4no!!o! had propo!ed the idea that he wa! being controlled by e'tra5galactic force!. 4no!!o! had been

wrong then. *t now the theory !eemed to fit. He cold think of no contradiction with what e"idence they

now had. Wa! he !t a! wrong a! 4no!!o!+ 7=t !ond! crazy#: he !aid# trying to !ay it all alod and gi"e it

more "alidity than it now had in the teno! thoght5concept! of hi! mind. 7*t think abot it. Fir!t of all#we do not ha"e men in thi! gala'y who cold perpetrate !ch "iolence. Secondly# there i! ab!oltely no

way# e"en if an army of the!e men e'i!ted# that they cold !ecre the weapon! to le"el a city to a!he!.

%hey ha"e to be from ,t!ide.:



%he other! regarded him# trying to find !ome chink in the rea!oning. 6razy !poke fir!t; 7*t woldnCt the

4od who ga"e ! aggre!!ion gi"e it to all intelligent !pecie! in the ni"er!e+ = wa! nder the impre!!ion

that men were actally ba!ically good and !en!ible and that their bad 3alitie! came from 4odC! !chizoid

per!onality. >ow woldnCt thi! 4od from the higher ni"er!e control thi! entire ni"er!e+:

Sam !tarted to an!wer# clo!ed hi! moth when he coldnCt think of anything to !ay. Hi! rea!oning !eemed

!ond. When Hrko! had killed the pink grb# the holy worm# then all intelligent !pecie! in thi! ni"er!e

!hold ha"e benefited from it. Perhap! 4od had controlled only part of the ni"er!e and- *t# no. He

had been the entire higher dimen!ion. %here had been no other god! with him. %hat wa! a fact.*readloafC! !cienti!t! !aid it wa! a fact# and they were hard boy! to find falt with. $ccordingly# the!e

e'tra5galactic! !hold not be able to kill# "oid of blood l!t.

*t below# a city lay in rin# concealing two million bodie!.

7=t m!t ha"e been fa!t#: 6oro !aid. 7%here donCt !eem to be any !r"i"or!.:

7LetC! take a look at 6haplin5*eta#: Lot! !gge!ted.

7=tCll be the !ame.: 6oro began bringing the floater arond in a one hndred and eighty degree trn.

Lot! folded her wing! arond her pert brea!t!# hiding her arm! and !holder! in a !hell of "el"et

membrane. 7LetC! look anyway.:6oro completed the trn# and all for of them ga!ped at once when they !aw it; a montain in flight.

8ather# a platea. =t wa! a flat !lab of a !hip# mile! acro!!. %he floater wa! a !mall pebble be!ide it# an

infinite!imal grain of !and.

7What&: 6oro !tarted.

%he "a!t !hip wa! o"er three tho!and feet high# and that wa! bt a fraction of it! length and e3al to it!

breadth. =t !eemed to be a !olid piece with no !eam! and no window! to break it! perfect !heen. =t

appeared to be powered by !ome magnetic !y!tem# a! the grond beneath it re"erberated in an!wer to the

!ilent call of it! !tar5!hattering engine!. %he only !car! on the great blk were three row! of tiny hole!

(tiny from where they !at# bt "ery likely feet acro!! when "iewed clo!ely)# fi"e hndred hole! per row.

From the center of the middle row of hole! there wa! a pff of white# and a !il"er mi!!ile like the one thathad downed their la!t !hip came !pinning lazily toward them.

7Di"e9: Sam !hoted.

6oro hit the control!# p!hing the floater down nder the mi!!ile.

%he proectile whirred pa!t# thrmming like a torpedo. $rcing delicately# it trned back on them#

correcting it! cor!e.

7=tC! !elf5propelled9: 6oro ga!ped between hi! teeth like ga! e!caping from a !plit pipe. 7$nd ha! it! own

radar9:

VI

=n the !hell! of corridor! and maze room! directly ot from the ShipC! 6ore# the mother5!lg! were

writhing in the throe! of racial creation. %heir great !oft bodie! blged with the fat of readine!!# their

!acer5!ized cataracted eye! glazed with the ec!ta!y of their prpo!e. $bo"e and arond them# the thin5

!helled nodle! of male !perm cell! hng !!pended in the web matter of the new ne!t!# ripe and thick#

waiting dmbly for contact with the reprodcti"e !egment! of the hge mother5body worm!. $! if in

nanimo! accord# the hndred! of giant female! began bmping and twi!ting more "iolently# writhing

madly a! their brain! di!!ol"ed nder the enzyme5hormone! of !e'al !timlation. %he brain ti!!e

bbbled and frothed# !izzling withot heat# di!!ol"ing to form a ntrient atmo!phere within the

reprodcti"e !egment condci"e to the fertilization of the male cell and the growth of the egg! into

yong. %he intelligence and memory center! were the fir!t to crmble !o that there wa! no long and

painfl realization of what wa! happening to them. %he end wold be a form of glorio!# prolonged

orga!m for the mother5bodie!.



S3irming and flopping hea"ily in fierce delight# they reared p# !ma!hing the dangling !perm nodle!

planted there by mate! they wold ne"er !ee# and bathed them!el"e! in the !ol fire of the male

contribtion. %he raw# !kinle!!# center !egment! each !ported a brown ncle! throbbing on the !rface in

a primiti"e one5two# one5two rhythm. %he center !egment! accepted the male flid# !hi"ered

ncontrollably a! it !eeped !weetly onto the brown ncle!. %he air wa! !weet and !ickly# the web matter

wet and hea"y with the content! of the br!t nodle!. ,n hndred! of mother5bodie!# the nclei#

permeated with !perm# began a !low bt apparent !inking toward the center of the reprodcti"e !egment#

there to lodge in the warmth of the rich protein bath that had once been a brain.%he mother5bodie! crled and !hook.

$ll !egment!# !a"e the reprodcti"e central one!# died and began the proce!! of rotting.

$ new generation wa! formed# now only zygote!. Someday# fll5grown !lg!.

From in!anity# come! life-

=n the war control room# frthe!t ot from ShipC! 6ore# the !lg crewmen prepared "ario! battle

program! to initiate again!t the !pherical enemy who had !ddenly di!appeared from the radar !creen!

thogh no mi!!ile hit had been made. %hi! meant the enemy nder!tood and employed anti5radartechni3e!. %hi! made it more difficlt than had been e'pected. %hey bzzed and they chattered#

formlating death.

$nd in the ShipC! 6ore# the 6entral *eing wa!# for the moment# nconcerned with the battle again!t the

floating ball and the for hman!2 nconcerned# al!o and e3ally# with the mother5bodie! and the cycle of

reprodction# !ince both of the!e thing! were !o natral# !o a part of the general plan. *t if trth be

known and infinite!imal difference! mea!red# it cold be fond that the 6entral *eing held a greater deal

of intere!t in the conception of new !lg! than in any minor battle. Slg! were life. Life wa! a tool.

$ctally# =t did not rn the !lg! a! pppet!# thogh !tring! were attached to be plled and mane"ered

whene"er the occa!ion ro!e. Bainly# howe"er# the 6entral *eing wa! a planner of the maor pattern# anarchitect of the o"erall prpo!e and method! of e'ection# not of the bother!ome detail of day5to5day. =n

=t! mind wa! the great plan of aceshi and of the one hndred and a half another hndred Spoor!hip!

that had been mo"ed ot to !pread the plan and the hope! and the dream!. $ll the 8ace"er!e lay before the

6entral *eing and =t! plan! became&of nece!!ity&plan! in general# not !pecific. So =t drew !ome !tring!

!ome of the time# bt rarely drew all !tring! at any one time. $t thi! moment# =t toyed with the plan to

eliminate the being! of thi! gala'y. E"er !ince the Fall# when the Dimen!ional Aacm had ca!ed the *ig

Drop# =t had !een =t! dty&to =t!elf and to aceshi and it! Spoor!hip!. %he!e !trange# two5legged# two5

armed# two5eyed being! were a challenge to the concept of aceshi and !lg5form. $nd a challenge to

what had concei"ed aceshi and !lg5form. $ll of them# e"ery la!t creatre# had to be de!troyed. =t wa!

an ab!olte prere3i!ite to the remainder of the plan of aceshi. %he!e being! m!t die before the o"erall

plan cold contine with any degree of integrity. Simply; death to man. Small 7m: intentioned.

VII

6oro 3ickly wiped the per!piration that had beaded on hi! forehead and wa! !tarting to trickle down into

hi! eye!. 7We ha"e anti5radar gear beca!e of the bat! on 6api!trano. =tC! a nece!!ity when yo go ot

hnting mlti5tonned radar5eyed thing! like tho!e.: He thmbed the gear into fll operation# mped the

!phere a hndred feet !traight p.

*eneath them# the mi!!ile !treaked back toward the mother !hip. With lck# they wold get to !ee it !trike

the montaino! "e!!el in a matricide thr!t. %here wa! one troble with a weapon that wa! completely!elf5controlled. Sre# it ct down the dtie! of the war room when yo were firing a tho!and rond! a

minte# bt it al!o left open the po!!ibility of the rond retrning to !trike the gnman. With a yellow

clod of thick !moke# the mi!!ile !trck the hll of the other !hip# tearing a hole ten feet acro!! in the

thick metal hide. E"en thi!# howe"er# wa! a minor abra!ion on that great body.



7= think thi! confirm! the e'tra5galactic theory#: Sam !aid.

With anti5radar gi"ing them a form of in"i!ibility&temporarily# at lea!t&6oro broght the floater in

clo!er# bzzing only fifty feet o"er the top of the !lab5like "e!!el. 7Still# the death of 4od !hold ha"e

made them non"iolent tool:

7What now+: Lot! a!ked.

Sam wa! !rpri!ed that a woman had kept !ch !perb compo!re throgh an actal malicio! and deadly

mi!!ile attack. E"en he wa! !tifling a !cream# bt !he !eemed perfectly willing to accept a flyingmontain fll of men&if# indeed# they were men&from another gala'y.

7>e't+ We go in#: 6oro !aid "ery matter5of5factly. 7We go in!ide the !hip.:

$ll three trned to !tare at him# moth! open# a! if he were !ome !trange crio!ity.

7@oCre in!ane9: Lot! !aid# almo!t a! if !he meant it literally.

7What good will going in!ide do+: 6razy !aid# !cratching in hi! tmble of hair.

7HeC! right#: Sam !aid after a moment of !ilence.

78ight+: Lot! held a hand p to her ear a! if to block ot thi! ridiclo!ne!!.

7@e!. $ndy i! perfectly correct. We donCt ha"e the fire power in thi! floater to !hoot them down. *e!ide!#

now that we are fighting intelligent creatre! and not !t *ea!t!# = am 3ite !re none of ! cold pll a

trigger anyway. We are ingrained with pacifi!m. We are and ha"e long been abo"e war. LetC! face it; the

only way we can hope to !a"e or!el"e! and the re!t of the gala'y i! by fir!t5hand analy!i! of the

problem.:

7Well pt#: 6oro !aid.

7How many ha"e to go in+: Lot! a!ked.

7>ot yo#: 6oro !aid. 7@oCre too fragile for thi! ob.: He !aw her bri!tling at the remark and ha!tened to

add a 3alifying !tatement; 7*e!ide!# we need !omeone behind to ready the robodoc nit and prepare for

! in ca!e we get hrt in there. $nd 6razy will !tay behind too. %hi! i! going to ha"e to be an after5dark#h!h5h!h !ort of thing. With tho!e hoo"e!# 6razy wold make too mch noi!e.:

7%hatC! fine with me#: 6razy !aid# trning to look back at the giant !hip.

7Sam+:

7=Cll go#: Sam an!wered# wondering where he wa! finding the re!er"oir of corage# deciding it wa! a

!pill5o"er from 6oro.

6oro broght the floater arond# hgging the alien hll# and !et a !peed matching that of the pondero!

"e!!el. 7We wait ntil they !et her down !omewhere and ntil dark. SheC! bond to !et down for repair!

from the mi!!ile !trike. We take whate"er e3ipment we can !e or adapt to !e# ct a hole in her !ide# go

in# and find ot what we can. $ll "ery !imple.:

7$nd dangero!#: Lot! !aid# looking at both of them with eye! that ct deep and !aw mch. 7%oo

dangero!.:

$t the ba!e of the towering monolith# they looked back toward the gro"e of tree! where the floater lay.

%hey had to !train their eye! to !ee the "age cr"e of the oter hll# and e"en then# it !eemed to be a trick

of !hadow! and not really a hard# worldly obect.

7What ne't+: Sam a!ked# trning back to the impre!!i"e black hll before them# the !eamle!! alien

wonder.

6oro rapped the metal lightly with the handle of hi! knife. %here wa! an almo!t imperceptible change in

tone a! they mo"ed down the long flank# a tendency to hollowne!!. %hey repeated the proce!! again to !ee

if the !ame change hit them thi! time. =t did. 7We ct a hole&here#: 6oro !aid# reaching behind into hi!

backpack# !trggling a hand5la!er ot# thmbed it to fll inten!ity.



%hey wore !pace !it!# and now# by mtal accord# they flipped the helmet! !ht and began relying !olely

on the air !pply in the !ingle tank! !trapped on their left !holder blade!. %here wa! no way of knowing

if the!e creatre! breathed an atmo!phere !imilar to Hope >ormal# and they were not abot to be ga!!ed

by an otr!h of fol air when they had ct throgh the plating.

%he la!er came on# a ble beam !o dark that it wa! almo!t black. 6oro began !licing into the plate before

him. %he metal ga"e to the irre!i!tible cold heat of the beam# and a circlar patch fell away. =t wa! half an

inch thick# bt it wa! not the entire hll. *eyond lay another layer. %hey went throgh twel"e in all&like

chewing throgh a Dani!h pa!try&before they were looking throgh the hll onto a dimly lightedcorridor wide a! a !treet in Hope. %hey were looking ot at deck le"el.

7@o fir!t#: 6oro !aid# pro"iding a knee for Sam to !tand on. 7%hen pll me p.:

*y the time they were both in!ide and breathing hea"ily# the atmo!phere analyzer !trapped to 6oroC! wri!t

indicated $PP8,G. H,PE >,8B$L.

%hey took !e"eral !tep! into the corridor# abot to take off the clm!y helmet!# when their ear! were

a!!alted with the teeming# mlti5le"el rhythm! of 8ace!ong-

Sam# Sam# Sam# Sam-

6ltching at# cltching at# cltching at-=dentity-

6ltching identity in a !wirling mael!trom.

Sam# Sam- Sam-

He felt bffeted by the harmonio! wind!# lifted and thrilled by the rhythm! of the breeze! of the o"erall

!ong. =n hi! ear!# 8ace!ong pl!ed# and he cold not fight the tiny# tinny "ibration! that !tirred hi!

hammer# an"il# and !tirrp# 3i"ered them# befddled them# !ed and yet denied them. =t wa! not a !ong

for him# not a !ong de!igned for men. 6or!cating tone! broke brilliantly again!t hi! mind# naware that

he wa! alien to them.

Sam# Sam- Sam-

%he 8ace!ong broght pictre! that cra!hed like towering whitecap! again!t hi! mind# !wirling backwater

in hi! id# frothing hi! ego with !tagnant foam. *etween the impo!!ible cre!t! of the wa"e!# the corridor of

the e'tra5galactic !hip wa! broght back to him in dimne!!# thogh he cold not retain thi! pictre of

reality when the alien thoght5!ong !wept into hi! brain# wa"e! like corndm wheel! grinding away at

hi! !elf5awarene!!. He cold !ee 6oro !taggering again!t the wall# !lmping down onto the floor# trying to

hold the noi!e! ot with hand! that merely condcted them.

Sam# Sam# Sam# Sam-

*t after the moment of e"ane!cence# came the wa"e!;

8ace!hipC! urose is an iensity beyond the corehension of any one slug4 it is not a tidal currentbut, indeed, the tide itself. 'ontinents drift before it, and whirlools of its aking suck u islands.

8ace!hip- 8$6E!hip- 8$6ESH=P- raceSH=P- Always oving, always growing as ore and ore

sections are thrust outward fro the resent hull, always utting ore and ore distance between the

outside and hi#s 'ore. 2rotect hi#s 'ore, always- 8ace!hip in the aceverse…

Sam tried to rai!e hi! arm! to !hield hi! ear!# !ele!! bt an in!tincti"e nece!!ity. Still# hi! arm! rai!ed and

lowered erkily like the arm! of a pppet a! the wa"e! of cha"ini!tic propaganda !wept him# lea"ing him

in control of him!elf for only !hort moment! at a time.

oorshis coasting outward on invisible but ever-resent currents of sace, following strange flows and

investigating all the eddies of aceverse. oorshis with shrines in the 'ore rather than a real central

being…

Sam# Sam- Sam# Sam-

6oro wa! on hi! !tomach# writhing in pain# face contorted. Pain+ Pain+



7other-fors, voiting eggs fro the rotting ruin of their sacrificial bodies, eggs round and sooth and

gray, great clusters. All to suort 8ace!hip and to build outward to further insulate the 'entral Being in

hi#s 'ore and to fan the oorshis that would carry the lan and desires of the 'entral Being into the

unknown…

Pain+ Pain+ What pain+ %here wa! an o"erwhelming hypnotic !omething that !wept him with the melody

&bt no pain. Pain for 6oro+ Pain+

Sam# Sam-6ltching at# cltching at identity-

=d- =den- =- =denti- =dentity-

"ebs, hanging. "ebs. %iving of self to the young in the webs. The young$ wide-3awed. "ide 3aws$ bite

into uly flesh, gnash and gush blood through horny gus. Blood Bloodbloodblood for 8ace!hip. The

blood of atriots…

6oro wa!nCt in pain# Sam realized. 6oro wa! trying# in the !hort moment! between wa"e! of the alien

!ong# to crawl toward the opening they had brned in the hll. Sam collap!ed onto the deck# rolled onto

hi! !tomach. Hi! eye! were !wimming# hazed red a! hi! temple! throbbed with pain that wa! not !o mch

pain a! !e"ere wearine!!. He tried crawling a few inche! before the !ong cra!hed back again."e thank the 'entral Being for goodness. "e thank the 'entral Being for the continuation of the egg…

egg… egg… egg…

Sam knew he woldnCt make it. 6oro had been clo!er to the hll# and he might. *t Sam wa! lo!t. Each

time# the crawling became more difficlt. Each time# the lll between throb! of the !ong !eemed !horter.

He realized that he had to combat the !ong# not !t crawl from it. He had to engage him!elf in !ome

mental ta!k and fight to concentrate on that ta!k when the !ong wa! in fll bla!t. =f not# the alien thoght5

concept! wold cripple hi! logic# cr!h hi! hmanne!! from him. ickly# before the ne't wa"e hit him#

he !trck pon a plan. He wold trace the !bmelodie! of the !ong# !earch the rhythm pattern! for !ome

cle!. He wold play detecti"e to !a"e hi! mind. He wold concentrate on di!co"ering what the 6entral

*eing wa!. He wold ha"e to cling to the detecti"e role when the wa"e came. ,"er and o"er# he repeatedto him!elf; "hat is the 'entral Being/

SH=PCS6,8ESH=PCS6,8E

shi#scoreshi#score

'entral Being I ISH=PCS

6,8ESH=FS6,8E!hipC!

coreshi#scorecentra

lbeing I ISH=PC!-

Sam came into the trogh between wa"e!# back into reality. Hi! ner"e! "ibrated now# almo!t to the tne bt raggedly nearly beyond control. Hi! moth wa! a dirty# dry rag# hi! tonge a lmp of wiped5p dirt.

He dragged again!t the deck# inche! only. He wa! !o "ery tired. Bentally and phy!ically. %he

ndercrrent! of the 8ace!ong were opening before him a! he traced them nder the cre!t of their

inflence# to !eek the identity of the 6entral *eing. E"en the fir!t bar! of the !bmelodie! hinted at the

6entral *eingC! tre natre. *t he ref!ed to belie"e it. 8ef!ed ab!oltely.

'entral Being, 'entral Being

hi#s 'ore

he-his 'o-ore

being… being… being…

6oro wa! almo!t to the hole. Sam p!hed him!elf a! hard a! he cold. Hi! mind wa! !pinning with what

he had fond# twi!ting and trning to !eek a way to di!cont the !bmelodie! and what they re"ealed.

6oro wa! ot of the hole# tmbling into the tall gra!! ot!ide# away from the inflence of 8ace!ong.



being…

core of being…

core of… core of…

*E=>49

Sam felt !trong hand! on hi! wri!t!. %hen he wa! being plled from the !hip# dragged brtally acro!! the

fine !harp edge! of the crde portal and onto the grond. 8ace!ong faded and did not retrn. *t it wa!& in one way&too late for him. He knew the an!wer. Baintaining hi! !anity# he had fond ot what the

6entral *eing of aceshi wa!.

$nd# lodly# in the night# he !creamed.

VIII

6oro !ed the medikit preparedermic!# inecting him with alternating do!e! of !emi5!edati"e! and mild

!timlant!# rocking hi! body in a chemical cradle to bring him back from the !creaming and the blackne!!

that bbbled in hi! mind. *t it wa!nCt an ea!y trip. He had !cceeded in getting ot of aceshi

phy!ically intact# bt hi! mental arrangement had !ffered !e"ere blow! nder the ncen!ored realizationof the natre of the 6entral *eing. *t for 6oroC! e'pert chemical maniplation# he might ha"e let the

de!ire to !cream rn rampant and rn on.

7What i! it+: 6oro a!ked# holding him a! an ancient might ha"e held an epileptic# carefl that he cold

not damage him!elf if he tried again to thra!h abot. %hey were !till nder the o"erwhelming !hadow of

the alien monolith# pebble! ne't to the montain. 7WhatC! the matter+:

7%he- 6entral *eing#: he managed. Hi! lip! were !trangely dry# cracking and !ore. Hi! tonge felt

!wollen and frry.

7%he what+:

*riefly# he detailed the ba!ic! he had learned# holding ot on the !cream5ca!er.

7=tC! alien#: 6oro !aid# hi! "oice fatherly and comforting. 7*t what i! there to !cream abot+ =C"e !een

*ea!t! with !tranger method! of reprodction and&:

Sam forced him!elf to a !itting po!ition# colder than he !hold ha"e been with the warm breeze! flffing

the night. 7>o. >ot !t the phy!ical !etp of the !hip. %hatC! !trange enogh. *t that i!nCt what&what

!et me off. =tC! the 6entral *eing&what the 6entral *eing i!.:

7What i! it# then+:

Sam opened hi! moth# clo!ed it and wet hi! lip!. 7%he 6entral *eing&4od#: he !aid with !ome

difficlty.

7=mpo!!ible9 HeC! dead9:

7%he old 4od i! dead. +ur 4od i! dead.:

7%hen He didnCt rle the entire ni"er!e+ %here wa! another 4od who&:

7>o#: Sam !aid# wa"ing a hand limply to ct off the 3e!tion!. He wanted to throw p# to chck ot hi!

meal! and hi! memorie!. *t the latter cold not be forced away# and the former wold ha"e to be held

down if only for the !ake of con"enience. 7He did rle all of the ni"er!e. E"ery !peck of it9:

7*t&:

7*t there wa! a 4od abo"e Him in yet another ni"er!e# a higher dimen!ion. Look at it a! a ladder#

$ndy. We are the bottom rng. $bo"e ! wa! or 4od&whom we killed. $bo"e that 4od wa! thi! onewith a pocket ni"er!e of !lg !hip!. When we killed or 4od# or Keeper# or Ba!ter# we de!troyed the

dimen!ion abo"e !# beca!e He wa! that entire dimen!ion. %he gap created in the ladder ca!ed a !liding

down of the rng!. We ha"e me!hed with the third rng# and thi! new 4od with the !lg5form! i! in or



mid!t.:

7$nd a! warped a! the 4od on the !econd rng.:

7E'actly.: He wa! feeling better a! he !hared the horror# hi! cheek! fl!hing to ward off the cold that wa!

really a cold from within.

7$nd what doe! thi! new 4od want+:

7%o- de!troy !.: He recalled all the line! of thoght that had been radiating from the 6entral *eing#flooding throgh the conter5melodie! of 8ace!ong. 7De!troy !. Wipe ! ot to the la!t man# woman#

and child.:

7Why+:

7%o pre!er"e =t! !elf5importance. We are creatre! =t ne"er conred into e'i!tence. We are beyond =t!

control# really# beca!e =t i! not or 4od and =t i! not mea!rably better than we are. =t cannot annihilate

!# for =t i!nCt that powerfl. *t =t can direct =t! creatre!# the !lg5form!# to do the ob for =t. Since they

are "icio! fighter! and we do not ha"e the power to !trike back# it !hold not be a difficlt chore.:

7We ha"e to get back to the floater#: 6oro !aid# !tanding and helping Sam to hi! feet. 7WeC"e got to get

word back to Hope !omehow. $ warning.:

%hey were nearly halfway acro!! the meadow before they heard the noi!e and !aw the whoosh of ble

light that g!hed from the weapon! of the !lg5form! !rronding the floater. $ !teel net had been

dropped o"er the ball# magno5connected to grond peg! !paced e"ery three feet. $ togh# tight enclo!re#

3ickly and !ilently thrown p&e"en more 3ickly clamped !ht. Lot! and 6razy had probably been

achored before they had realized !omething wa! happening.

7%he hypnodart!#: 6oro whi!pered# dropping to hi! knee! in the high gra!!.

%hey knelt# only their head! "i!ible abo"e the gra!!# and !tripped them!el"e! of all nnece!!ary

e3ipment# e3ipment which wold ha"e been nece!!ary had the 8ace!ong not pre"ented them from

e'ploring aceshi. %hen# ner"o!ly# they !crewed together the two part! of the dart rifle!. =t wa! a

hmane weapon. =t ca!ed !leep# bt not the ltimate !leep of death. =t wa!# really# the only !ort ofweapon they cold ha"e broght them!el"e! to !e again!t intelligent creatre!. Each rifle had a clip of

forty dart! which !lid ea!ily into the btt of the weapon# !t abo"e the powerpack.

8nning croched# rifle! at ready in the e"ent they were !potted prematrely# the ble e'plo!ion! of the

!lg!C weapon! neon5fla!hing in the dark# Sam wa! thinking of Hrko!. ,f Hrko! clbbing that pink !lg

that teetered on the edge of the Shield# that wormy thing that had been 4od. He remembered the !tinking

m!h of flid! that had !pilled from the rip! Hrko! had made in it! hide. He remembered it writhing in

death agony. 6lbbing# clbbing# clbbing with a "icio!# !pitefl !wing of the arm!. 6lbbing- *t he

wa! not going to kill9 ,nly pt them to !leep. <!t !ting them for a !plit !econd and then gi"e them a nap.

$nd he wa! !a"ing the li"e! of the two Be! in!ide the floater# he arged with him!elf. @e!. ,f cor!e.

%hat m!t be the way to think of it.

Wind; cold.

Light; ble.

>ight; dark.

%he!e three thing! !wam and erpted throgh one another# cold5dark5bleble5dark5cold like a

p!ychedelic toto5e'perience !how# throbbing throgh the gra!! that licked them like a tho!and tiny

tonge! a! the !cene of "iolence ahead became plainer# clearer# glier and glier.

%he !lg la!er weapon wa! concentrated on the hll# and althogh 6razy and Lot! had begn to !pin the

!hip nder the net# the beam wold !oon trace a black line arond the !phere and !lice it in half.

Sam foght the wearine!! that ached in e"ery oint of hi! body. Fatige# he told him!elf# wa! one of tho!emental di!order! yo cold o"ercome with the proper tool! of concentration. *t concentrate a! he wold#

hi! leg! !till throbbed madly# and hi! lng! hea"ed like !ack! fll of hot coal! !ddenly come to life.

7Here#: 6oro !aid.



%hey dropped to the earth at the edge of the gra!!# !taring acro!! fi"e yard! of open grond to the tree!

and the indentation in the fore!t where the floater !pn and wa! fired pon. 7What now+: Sam a!ked# hi!

throat dry and cracked like hi! lip!.

6oro wiped per!piration from hi! forehead de!pite the cool breeze! playing in!ide their mind! and bodie!.

7= cont- forteen. *t there may be more hidden in the tree!. DonCt !tart fanning yor rifle right off.

%hat wa!te! too many dart!. *t look how they are !tanding. %hey all ha"e their back! to !. =f we pick

them off# mo"ing inward# the boy! in front wonCt realize the boy! behind are going down.:

7= donCt know abot my aim&:

7%he gn will handle mo!t of that. @o !t !ight throgh the keyhole bbble here. %he gn will correct

for the re!t.:

%hey dropped to their bellie!# crawled forward the la!t few feet ntil their head! were e'po!ed beyond the

tall gra!!. Sam rai!ed hi! gn# !ighted. %he neare!t !lg on hi! !ide wa! a dozen feet away. Hi! finger

encircled the trigger# and he felt thing! ri!ing in hi! !tomach. %hen he forced him!elf to think abot all

tho!e gn! from the elly5ma!! !hip&and that he knew how to work them. $nd they were to kill2 the!e

were only to drg. He plled the trigger# clo!ing hi! eye! with the !oft whuff of di!charge.

When he opened hi! eye!# the !lg wa! lying on it! !ide# fzzy# thin lid! clo!ed o"er it! eye!# !till ali"e bt

ot of action for a while. 6oro had gotten two in the !ame time. 6areflly# Sam rai!ed hi! gn again#!ighted in on another !lg. "huff! %hi! time he didnCt clo!e hi! eye!. %he dart !pn forth# bried it!elf in

the tender fle!h of the !lg5form. %he alien !tarted to trn# a p!edopod la!hing arond to cltch the dart

in bewilderment# then it wa! toppling !ideway! off it! !nake5like locomotion tail and onto the grond# it!

eye! !taring fi'edly at nothing for a moment before fzzy lid! clo!ed o"er them.

=t wa! like a game# really.

%he !lg! were like little cardboard target!# fi"e feet high and relati"ely ea!y to hit. When yo were on

target# they fell o"er almo!t in!tantly. $nd the ble light! fla!hed almo!t a! if in notice of a !core.

%he game neared it! end. Si' !lg! remained !tanding# !till obli"io! to the eight ncon!cio! comrade!

behind. %hen Sam fired on the ne't clo!e!t of the gro!! creatre!# caght it in the middle of the back. =t bent con"l!i"ely# !traightened to plck the dart from it!elf# and toppled forward. Forward9 =t !trck the

!lg in front of it a glancing blow. %hat !lg trned to !ee what wa! the matter# !aw the bodie!# and

!onded the alarm.

7Fan them now9: 6oro hi!!ed.

Sam !wng the barrel of the rifle back and forth# not bothering to aim any longer.

%hree more !lg! toppled to the grond before they cold !wing their own weapon! p.

$nother dropped# for dart! in it! che!t.

%he two alien! operating the beam weapon !wng it off the floater and toward the open meadow# playing

the ble fire o"er the menC! head! and !etting the gra!! on fire behind them. Sam !ighted on one of theremaining do# bt they both fell a! 6oro fanned a br!t of dart! and caght them in mid!ection.

%he beam winked ot.

7Hrry9: 6oro !napped. 7%hey might ha"e gotten a me!!age back to their !hip.:

%hey were p# rnning.

7%he net9: Sam !hoted.

6oro nodded. %ogether they hefted the hea"y beam5proector# palmed what !eemed to be the control

panel. *le light br!t ot of the nozzle# hmming. 6areflly# they !ighted on the cable! linking the net to

magno5peg!# brning throgh the hea"y !trand!. E"entally the net !lid off the ball# plled downward byit! own weight. %hey dropped the weapon and ran p the ramp that had opened in the !ide of the floater to

welcome them like the tonge of a fa"orite dog.

7%hank the !tar!9: Lot! !aid# coming into 6oroC! arm!# her wing! flffed ot and flttering !lightly#



beatifl in the warm yellow light of the cabin. Sam felt a! if he were intrding on !omething pri"ate. *t

after a few me!!y and mi!placed ki!!e! of oy# the two !eparated.

7%hoght yoCd ne"er get here#: 6razy !aid# getting ot of 6oroC! pilot !eat and into hi! own chair. 7=

ha"e the floater ready. We better mo"e# and fa!t. %hereC! another detachment of tho!e worm! lea"ing the

mother !hip.:

%hey all trned to !tare at the "iewplate. $ block of yellow light !hone where a port had opened in the

giant "e!!elC! !ide. 6oro climbed into hi! chair# keeping hi! eye! on the !creen.7Where to+: Sam a!ked a! he crawled into hi! make!hift berth.

7$nywhere#: Lot! !aid# !hi"ering with di!g!t. 7$nywhere thatC! not near tho!e- tho!e-:

7$greed#: 6oro !aid between clenched teeth.

%he floater groaned# leaped. %he !creen !howed a !pinning night !cene that tmbled and flopped a! they

mo"ed acro!! the fore!t# low to the top! of the tree! and with fll anti5radar gear in operation. $! they

mo"ed# 6oro and Sam tried to e'plain what they fond.

7We ha"e to go on to Hope#: 6oro !aid finally.

7Ea!ier !aid than accompli!hed#: Lot! noted. 7We donCt ha"e a !tar!hip.:7DonCt be !o negati"i!tic#: 6oro !aid# !miling a thin !mile that almo!t wa!nCt. 7We might ha"e a !hip. =t i!

a !mall chance# bt we !t might be able to get one.:

IX

Food5!lg! a! large a! ho!e! lay pl!ating again!t the warm wall! of the growth room# their pink !kin!

gli!tening with moi!tre in the mi!t5laden air. Patche! of white !potted the mo!t blbo! portion! of the

giant!# the area! of new fle!h tender and nde"eloped# a! yet inedible. %he !maller !lg5form! tending

them mo"ed throgh the tremendo! blk! in !anitary linen frock!# their p!edopod! te!ting the toghne!!

of !kin near the connection nction where fle!h of food5!lg met ntrient tbe! in the wall. %heyocca!ionally took !mall in!trment! ot of pocket! in the nightgown garment! they wore# plnged them

into the food5!lg! and took reading! a! the cancero! ma!!e! throbbed mindle!!ly# adding cell after cell

after cell at a rate that wa! almo!t "i!ible. %he food deck !tretched into the di!tance# filled to o"erflowing

with the pondero! behemoth! that neither thoght nor felt nor mo"ed nor laghed. *t merely were. $

team of btcher! !lithered down the main a"ene between !tall!. $ forty5car train of magno5cart! floated

behind them. %he btcher! !topped at each food5!lg that had grown beyond a mark on the floor that wa!

!ed to make a 3ick dgment on their readine!!. With preci!ion# they !ed caterizing la!er! to !lice

hge !teak! from the fle!hy giant!# hefting the flid5oozing !lab! onto the cart! and mo"ing ahead&

trimming# ctting# btchering for the great crew of aceshi.

%he reek of life flid! !pilled wa! con!tantly !cked away by enormo! ceiling fan!# replaced by perfme5hea"y air.

%he 6entral *eing e'amined the work in progre!!# watched a! the !kin! of the cancero! !lg! formed

and co"ered the wond! the btcher! had left# a! !kin on other food5!lg! blged and !tretched and

reformed to accommodate the e"er5increa!ing !pply of meat and fat. $nd the 6entral *eing appro"ed.

%hi! wa! fine. %hi! wa! a goodne!!. $nd when the gargantan !teak! were !pitted and roa!ted for the

crew# when the fat dripped into the fire and !izzled and bloated the air with it! fme!# then the crew wold

al!o !ee it a! a goodne!! and wold gi"e thank! to the 6entral *eing. %hi! wa! the plan !liding on

poli!hed rnner!. ,nly briefly did the 6entral *eing think of the annoying creatre! in the floating ball.

%hey were gone now and certainly not worth the bother of a protracted cha!e. *e!ide!# within the day# the

!hip wold be lifting and !etting cor!e for the world called Hope. %he center of the!e creatre!C empire.

From there# de!trction of thi! bla!phemo! !pecie! wold be !wift and mo!t gratifying-

Food !lg! a! large a! ho!e! pl!ated again!t the warm wall! of the growth room# their pink !kin!

gli!tening with moi!tre in the mi!t5laden air.



X

7<!t a! = thoght#: 6oro !aid. 7%hey woldnCt de!troy tho!e.:

*eyond the !afety fence wa! the "a!t e'pan!e of concrete that wa! 6haplin5$lphaC! !paceport# and the

tall# phallic !tar!hip!# mte dragon! making !ilent te!timony to the greatne!! of the race that had bilt the

city of 6haplin5 $lpha.%he city that wa! now in a!he!# Sam reminded him!elf. %he city behind the rolling green hill!. %he rolling

green hill! that belied the horror the other5dimen!ional 4od and it! !lg5form! had wroght.

%he alien! had left the !tar!hip! ntoched. =n fact# !ome of the !hip! !ported crew! of !lg5form!

clinging like flea! on a dogC! back. %here were for !lg! to each crew# and they !eemed to be painting the

hll! black to match the aceshi. %he!e "e!!el! wold not be large enogh to !er"e a! Spoor!hip!# bt

they wold do the !lg! well for !r"ey craft&and po!!ibly a! battle!hip! again!t the race that had made

them.

6oro !ettled the floater behind the fence# into the !hadow! and the gra!!# ct all power and n!trapped

him!elf. 7We !t ha"e to go get one.:

7How+: Lot! a!ked.

7We ha"e dart gn!. =f we ha"e !t a little bit of lck be!ide!# weCll ha"e it made.:

7Withot the lck+: 6razy a!ked.

7=tC! been a plea!ant a!!ociation#: 6oro !aid# !miling another of hi! non5!mile!.

Binte! later they !tood before the fence# each carrying a rifle armed with a clip of forty drg dart!. %he

darkne!! wold only !hield them for half a dozen feet beyond the fence. %hen# once onto the concrete

rnway# they wold be held in the glare of the triple polyarc!# !mall# clear target! on the !ea of !mooth#

featrele!! grayne!! that offered no place for concealment.

7>ow come! an nplea!ant choice#: 6oro !aid# hnkering down and !taring throgh the chainlink.

7What+: Sam a!ked# getting down ne't to him.

7Do we take the neare!t !hip&which ha! a for5!lg crew working on it+ ,r do we go to the ne't !hip&

which ha! no crew# bt which i! three time! a! far from !+:

7= donCt like the !lg!#: 6razy grmbled# !haking hi! ma!!i"e head# hair twirling madly for a moment.

7>either do =#: Sam !aid. 7*t we ri!k three time! a! mch by going to the more di!tant !hip. = opt for the

clo!e!t "e!!el and the !e of the drg dart!.:

7$greed#: 6oro !aid. %hen; 7$greed+:

=t wa!# and !wiftly. With a hand5la!er torch like the one they had !ed to ct throgh the hll of the aceshi, they began work on the link! of the !afety fence. Within minte! they were throgh# hgging

the !hadow! on the other !ide where they were thin and !hallow. $head lay the rnway# too bright for

comfort. =f there were only !ome co"er# !ome little thing between here and the !hip# !ome !topping point

to catch breath. *t there wa!nCt.

7%ogether#: 6oro !aid. 78n a! fa!t a! yo can to the bottom of the !hip# then !tay with it like it wa! a

lo"er# ca!e it offer! at lea!t a little bit of !hade. From there# we can pick off the painting crew on the

mobile !caffolding and !e it to get to the portal. 8eady+ Bo"e9:

SamC! lng! ponded a! he raced acro!! the concrete# gray !wimming abot him almo!t a! if the deck

were li3id# night air biting hi! cheek! and making them red. He wi!hed he cold mo"e a! fa!t a! Lot!#

bt then !he !eemed to be !t !kimming the grond# flying more than !he wa! rnning. He felt !o !malland !o ea!ily !een# naked on an endle!! plain of nightmare light!. *t he coldnCt let him!elf think abot

that&or abot one of the alien!C beam! picking him ot and charring him into a !moldering# writhing

ma!! of hman fle!h# !poting blood from ear! and no!e# eye! red with br!t "e!!el!. %ho!e were not



!cene! to be imagined. ,nly rn. 8n# rn# rn ntil yor che!t i! br!ting and yor leg! are throbbing

like footle!! !tmp!. 8n# rn-

*t by e'pecting the wor!t# he felt !piritally e'lted when they arri"ed at the bottom of the !tar!hip

nharmed and apparently nnoticed. %hey !tood# !till together# with their back! pre!!ed again!t the cold#

cold metal of the hll# !weat on their back! !eeming to trn to ice. *reath! ponded in and ot of for !et!

of lng!. For heart! thmped too fa!t.

76areflly again#: 6oro !aid between labored !cking! of air.ietly# gently they mo"ed along the ba!e of the !hip# !liding ne't to the !caffold wheel!. %he lace5work

!teel !hot p eighty feet. $t the top# !pray gn! bla!ted black paint onto the gleaming metal.

7Drop back and fire#: 6oro !aid.

$nd they did. Dart! !prted ot of for gn!# and the !lg! !lmped 3ickly nder the hail of needle!#

dropping !pray machine! onto the platform be!ide them. *t e"en the lod clnking! from thi! didnCt

!eem to draw any nwanted attention.

7?p#: 6oro !aid crtly# boarding the ramp of the !caffold and climbing 3ickly throgh the !hadow! of

the metal piping.

$t the top# they !tepped o"er the !lg! and reached the control! of the mobile !caffold. 6oroe'perimented# fond the proper operational procedre# and began mo"ing them toward the main portal to

the control cabin of the "e!!el. %he machine hmmed !oftly a! it mo"ed# a hm remini!cent of 8ace!ong.

%hey were almo!t to the portal when the beam! br!t blely again!t the hll# annoncing their lo!! of

!ecrecy.

76o"er me9: 6oro !hoted# holding onto the control!.

%he machine !ddenly !eemed to be mo"ing !o damnably !low9 Bo"ing !lowly toward a port that wa!

abrptly !o di!tant a! to !eem an impo!!ible 3e!t. %he other three trned# kneeling on the platform. %here

wa! no co"er for them p here# nothing to intercept the beam! that fl!hed otward from the weapon! of a

block of gard! racing acro!! the port deck.

76anCt yo mo"e thi! thing any fa!ter+: Lot! called.

7=tC! at top !peed already#: 6oro !hoted. 7%hey didnCt de!ign it for racing9: $ beam !ma!hed inche!

abo"e hi! head# pitting the thick metal of the !tar!hip.

7Dammit9: Lot! !napped# angry at the machine# her!elf# all of them for not being able to mo"e fa!ter.

Sam fired a few dart!# !aw that the !lg! were !till too far away. %he dart! dropped lazily# !napping

again!t the concrete thirty yard! !hort. He !topped and watched the ad"ancing gard!. %here appeared to

be an e"en dozen of them# rolling like !nake!# their black and yellow niform cloak! flttering idiotically

behind them. 'ostued wors, he thoght. +n their way to soe ludicrous Halloween ball. %heir

anterior !egment! gripped the concrete and thr!t them on. %heir p!edopod! gripped the !leek# powerfl5

looking rifle! that !pat the ble beam!.

7<!t another minte9: 6oro called.

%here wa! a ble e'plo!ion ne't to Sam. He fell flat again!t the platform# hgging it a! if he cold melt

into it by "irte of the heat of hi! fear. They#re trying to kill e, he thoght. They are urosefully trying

to blow off y head. He cltched the dart gn# wanted to retch. %he other! fell flat and began !hooting.

%he gard! were clo!e enogh now# and they dropped almo!t a! one a! the fir!t wa"e hit them. Se"en fell

with the initial rond. %he other fi"e trned# abrptly an'io! to !eek co"er# went down a! the trio fanned

them with dart!.

Siren! wailed from the polyarc!. Bore !lg! appeared between the !hip! that dotted the port deck. %hey

rolled abot# bzzing in conf!ion# then came to grip! with the !itation# armed them!el"e!# and mo"edtoward the !tar!hip with cold prpo!e.

'lunk! %he !caffold erked to a !top. 7Someone help me with thi! portal9: 6oro !hoted.

Sam mped and ran to the circlar hatch. %ogether# they gripped the large primary handle# twi!ted it in



the direction of a !erie! of red arrow!. When it clicked and cold be mo"ed no frther# they trned to the

!econd wheel and twi!ted it conterclockwi!e. %he noi!e on the port deck below wa! mch loder and

mch clo!er. $ !patter of beam! boiled o"er the plating# lea"ing !hallow pit! in the !hipC! thick hide.

7>ot mch more#: 6oro groaned between breath!.

Sam began to croak an an!wer# wa! flng from hi! feet and to!!ed again!t the hll# !ma!hed back to the

deck of the !caffold. $ beam had caght hi! arm# lea"ing a for5inch wond. %he goge wa! an inch deep

along hi! bicep!. *lood grgled ot# matted in hi! !hirt. Pain throbbed throgh e"ery ner"e and erptedno"a5like into hi! brain. 7=Cm all right#: he managed to hi!! to 6oro. 74o on. Hrry9:

6oro trned back to the portal# !trained at the wheel to mo"e it the la!t few crcial inche!.

Lot! and 6razy had !ed all the dart! in their own gn! !t a! the door !wng open with a !igh. Slg!

were clambering p the ramp while other! !tood on the deck below firing a mrdero! barrage that pitted

metal and !inged clothing and !kin.

74o ahead#: 6razy bellowed# grabbing 6oroC! n!ed rifle. 7=Cll hold them off a few more !econd!# then

leap in after yo.:

6oro plled Lot!&!he wa! relctant to go before 6razy&to the portal and !ho"ed her throgh# mped

for Sam and helped him in. $ hail of beam! chipped at the rim of the hatch.6razy fired wildly# hi! hair boncing.

6oro trned# opened hi! moth to call2 hi! moth !tayed open&in a !cream. $ beam caght 6razy in the

che!t# tore him open to the crotch and !pilled hi! in!ide! all o"er the !caffolding. For a !plit in!tant the

boyi!h face looked !rpri!ed. %hen the eye! flttered !ht. He !wayed and toppled o"er the edge of the

!caffold# hoo"e! kicking.

XI

Like a needle !inking throgh a ar of Stygian !yrp# the !tar!hip !lid !ilently throgh the thickne!! ofhyper!pace# !et on a cor!e for Hope. Lot! lay hddled on a bnk# her wing! crmpled carele!!ly

beneath her# her cheek! !tained with tear!. =t had taken both of them to hold her down and hypo enogh

c.c.C! of !edati"e! into her to pt her to !leep. She wanted to leap ot onto the platform# get 6razy back

in!ide&e"en thogh he wa! dead. Dead. $ word !he coldnCt connect with 6razy# a word di!tant and

nreal. >ow# at la!t# !he !lept.

Sam !tretched ot on a bnk# an'io! to catch a little nap before they reached Hope and the troble ahead.

$ little nap# perhap!# before the longe!t nap-

Blackness… Blackness…

'oncussion! Brilliance! A rectangle of nova-light!

The door had burst oen, and the shadow-clad figure of a an stood there, fraed in the doorway

against the burning background of light. His eyes gleaed adly in darkness. lowly he advanced.

"ho are you/

There was no answer fro the shadow-an.

"ho are you!

There was a guttural, awful snarling fro the an, the snarls of an anial. He was large as an o*,

shoulders as wide as an a* handle, hands like chiseled rocks.

1eserately, a aled the light switch, heart thuing like the heart of a bird. 8ight fired the roo(

but the flickering light of a strobe. +n… off… on… off. The aroaching giant was a ulsating,cardboard-like creature in the weird light.

+n, off, on, off…



His face was a twisting ass of shadows.

The face of… of…

"ho are you/

The face of Buronto! Black <ack Buronto! A leer slit the all too failiar face. Hands reached out to

grab, tear, strangle.

1on#t touch e! 2lease, lease, don#t touch e!+n, off, on, off, the strobe threw flickering blacknesses and soradic waves of yellow light over the

snarling colossus. The hands fidgeted as they reached out for his throat and…

- and then Buronto wasn#t Buronto any longer. Buronto was a slug, segented and uly. There was a

laser weaon in his seudoods. lithering, hissing, he oved toward the bed and…

… and then the slug was Buronto once ore, leering and…

… and then it was the slug, slithering…

Buronto-slug-Buronto-slug-on-off-on-off(

He woke# !3eal! of terror !tck in hi! throat# !3irming to pa!! the con!tricted m!cle! in hi! neck and

emerge a! fll5bodied !cream!. *t he knew9 He knew how they cold fight the 6entral *eing e"en

thogh they were not "iolent men. He had the whole goddammed an!wer9

7Sam9: 6oro wa! !aying# !haking him.

With more than a little effort# he forced the groggine!! from hi! mind# !at p. 7$ndy# =C"e got it9 = know

how we can !top the 6entral *eing9 = know !t e'actly what we can do9:

7= hope yo do#: 6oro !aid. 7 6a!e = !t picked them p on or !creen!. %heyCll reach Hope abot two

hor! after we do.:

XII

%he &nferno wa! !t a! he remembered it. =t a!!alted the !en!e! like a tho!and pile dri"er! ponding

concrete. =t wa!hed# !lithered# !craped# chipped# !anded# !heared the mind# !plit the !en!e! open to an

e'panded# brighter awarene!!. Letting the atmo!phere of the place pick them and carry them like flot!am

in the wind! of eternity# they mo"ed along the wall toward an empty table. $ clown in an imagi5color !it

that wa! prple to Sam# green to 6oro# and ble to Lot!# !prang from the floor# wiggled in!anely large

pla!tic ear!# and popped ot of !ight !t a! an ebony and !il"er clod pa!!ed with two naked acrobat!

performing a complicated !erie! of head5# hand5# and !holder!tand!.

7Here#: Sam !aid# rai!ing hi! "oice abo"e the m!ic# and !3inting throgh the perfmed clod!. He

plled ot a chair for Lot!. She wa! wide5eyed# taking in the wonder! of the bar. She had forced her!elfto reco"er&e'ternally# at lea!t&from 6razyC! death# and !he !eemed a bit more like her old !elf. =f old

!el"e! can be re!rrected from the a!he! of pain and change. Sam and 6oro !at down al!o.

7What&: 6oro began.

7Drink! fir!t#: Sam !aid# holding p hi! hand.

7We only ha"e two hor!#: 6oro !aid. 7Le!! than two9:

7$nd drink! will rela' or ner"e!# which are# a! yo bear te!timony to# nearly ready to !nap.: He took

their order! and pnched the robotender for them# depo!iting the correct change. He al!o pre!!ed the

btton re3e!ting a hman waiterC! attention. $ few moment! later# a thin man with eye! like tho!e of an

eagle and a long no!e pointing to a longer chin# came to their table. 7= wold like yo to find !omeone for

me#: Sam !aid.

7Sir+:

7*ronto.:



7Who i!&:

7*lack <ack *ronto. =! he here+:

7@e!#: the waiter !aid relctantly# and !!picio!ly.

7=Cd like to !ee him. Wold yo tell him that# plea!e+: He placed a bill on the table and !ho"ed it toward

the waiter.

7Look# *ronto i!nCt !t a tori!t attraction# mi!ter. HeC!&:7= know all abot him. = once knocked him ot in a fight.:

%he waiter drew back# !tarted to !ay !omething# grabbed the bill# and !crried away throgh the crowd.

7What wa! that all abot+: 6oro a!ked. 7Who i! thi! *ronto+:

Sam e'plained the natre of the man they were after. %here wa! no police force on Hope# no army# no

na"y# air force# or marine!. >o fighting force at all and ab!oltely no po!!ibility of ptting one together.

*t there wa! the ma!ochi!t killer# *ronto. Wa!nCt he their only chance+

7$nd yo knocked him ot in a fight+: Lot! !aid. Her eye! pierced him a! if they were electronic kni"e!#

ctting into hi! bone marrow# flipping throgh each cell of hi! mind.

7= wa!- more or le!!- nder hypno!i! at the time. Delirio!# really.:

7$nd thi! i! the killer#: 6oro !aid# "i!ibly !hi"ering.

*ronto wa! !ho"ing hi! way throgh the crowded room# heedle!! of whether men fell off chair! when he

pa!!ed or not. He wa! !till the giant Sam remembered# eye! wild and flaming a! they had been in the

dream# hge aw !et grimly# hand! con!tantly clenching and nclenching.

7Hi! "oice#: Sam !aid !wiftly# !ddenly realizing the!e two knew nothing of the anachroni!m# not

wanting a !cene like the la!t one he cold remember in the &nferno. 7=tC!- well# girli!h. DonCt lagh.

HeCd !t a! !oon kill yo a! let yo lagh at him.:

7,h now# !t for laghing&: 6oro began.

7= mean it. He wold kill. %he !ooner yo nder!tand that# the better.:

7@o wanted to !ee me+: *ronto a!ked# !tepping ne't to their table# fi!t! balled and rammed again!t hi!

hip!. 7What do yo&: He pa!ed# hi! eye! widening# hi! no!tril! dilating. 7= know yo9: He coghed

with rage# choking on hi! own gall. 7@oCre the damned pnk who&:

7Sit down. Sit down. %hatC! o"er and done with. = ha"e a propo!ition for yo now.:

7@oCre the !3irt who&:

7Sit down and talk thi! in!tant or =Cll kill yo on the !pot9: Sam hi!!ed.

%he big man looked !tartled. =t wa! a long gamble# bt he didnCt know that Sam had been hypnotized. $!

far a! *ronto wa! concerned# thi! wa! a killer# like him!elf# a man who foght back harder and betterthan he cold. He !at.

7%hatC! better#: Sam !aid. 7>ow# =Cm going to a!k yo to do !omething for me.:

*ronto laghed# !till playing the role of the man who i! too big to be boght# too powerfl to want to

bargain# too awe!ome to !ho"e.

7Sht p#: Sam !aid e"enly. He had to impre!! *ronto with the arrangement of thing! the way he !aw

them. %hat wa!; Sam a! the bo!!# *ronto a! the loyal !idekick. >e"er for a !ingle moment cold the

giant get the idea that he wa! more powerfl than Sam. %hat wold be dangero!. %hat wold be deadly.

7>ow look here#: *ronto !aid# thogh more hrt than angry.

7= donCt want to ha"e to get forcefl# <ack#: Sam !aid# placing a ridiclo!ly !mall hand on the enormo!

!holder. He cold feel the manC! m!cle! looped like cable! of !teel beneath the !hirt. 7DonCt force me to

get aggre!!i"e. >o need for that at all# <ack. %hereC! !omething in thi! for yo&!omething that =Cm !re



yoCll enoy# !omething that will ea!ily make it worth yor time and effort.:

7= donCt need money#: *ronto !aid# !taring arond the table# hi! eye! fa!tening on Lot! and looking p

and down her tiny form# hi! gaze lingering on her pert brea!t!# her !lim !holder!# the gracefl cr"e of

her neck# fll lip!# deep# deep eye!. *t he got hng p in the eye! and looked 3ickly away.

7=t i!nCt money#: Sam !aid# hnching o"er in a more con!piratorial manner. 7=tC! !omething yo will

really enoy.: He dropped hi! "oice e"en lower. 7=tC! the only thing that money canCt by any more.:

*ronto looked at him. %heir eye! met and held like magnet!. Sam cold feel the hatred boiling in tho!eeye!# frothing and foaming# held back only by crio!ity and willpower. 7%he only thing = wold trly

enoy at thi! moment#: *ronto growled throgh clenched teeth# 7wold be gtting yo and ripping ot

yor heart.:

Lot! ga!ped and 6oro made a choking !ond. *ronto looked at them# grinned at their weakne!!# hi!

broad# perfect teeth almo!t carni"oro!.

Sam laghed. =t wa!nCt ea!y# and he wa! afraid it !onded a bit forced. *t he laghed anyway. He

broght hi! hand down on *rontoC! !holder with e"ery bit of force he cold m!ter# trying to make it

!eem ca!al. %he friendly !lap olted the giant# and he looked at Sam with fear in hi! eye! a! well a!

hatred. 4ood. $! long as he fears e, Sam thoght# as long as he isunderstands y abilities and

owers, soe sort of order can be aintained. But if he only knew how y hand stings! 7=Cm !re yowold like to kill me# <ack. ,h# =Cm !t po!iti"e of that.: Hi! gorge wa! ri!ing. Aomit !tng the back of

hi! throat. With great concentration# he forced it back down# bt the bitter ta!te remained in hi! moth.

7*t donCt try it nle!! yo cont on the table! being re"er!ed and yor death being the main attraction.:

Lot! !wallowed half her drink in a !ingle glp# batted her eyela!he! to hold back tear! a! the !trong

li3or brned down her throat.

7*t yo hit it partly right# <ack. = can gi"e yo the chance to kill. >ot me# of cor!e. ,ther!. ,ther! who

&:

*rontoC! eye! narrowed# and he grabbed one fi!t in the other a! if cracking a large nt. 7@oCre crazy9:

7Hardly.:

7=mpo!!ible.:

7>o.:

*ronto looked at the three of them# !earching for !ome !ign that it wa! a pt5on# a r!e to make fn of an

?nnatral. =t wa!nCt entirely comforting not to find !ch a !ign. Hi! "oice ro!e an octa"e with the

e'citement. 7%he medic! wold narco5dart me and keep me in drg !tpor the re!t of my natral life9:

7>o# they woldnCt.:

Silence a moment.

7,kay#: *ronto !aid at length. 7@o ha"e me hooked. What the hell i! the deal+:

Sam e'planied. Se"eral time!# he had to threaten *ronto to keep him !till and 3iet enogh to li!ten. %he

giant ref!ed# at fir!t# to belie"e it. E'tra5galactic!. Slg5form!. aceshi. %oo mch for him and hi!

limited concept!. *t after mch caoling and a ma!! of detailed te!timony# he wa! more willing to

belie"e thogh !till !omewhat !keptical. 7Well# anyway#: Sam !aid# 7yoCll !ee for yor!elf in&: he

looked at hi! watch. 7@oCll !ee for yor!elf in le!! than ten minte!.:

7%hat !oon+: 6oro a!ked# hi! eye! popping open wide.

7@o !aid two hor!#: Sam replied. 7%hat gi"e! ! !t eight minte!.:

7Prgatory i! !ppo!ed to be longer than that#: Lot! oked. *t it wa!nCt particlarly fnny.

%hen# abrptly# there wa! a fierce booming# a whine of metal cooling# and the !treet ot!ide wa! ali"e

with a g!h of crim!on flame. 6entrie!5old wall! cracked open and tmbled before the on!laght.

7%heyCre early#: Sam !aid.



*ronto wa! on hi! feet# mo"ing toward the door. %hey followed. %he room had !ddenly become a place

of panic and not a place of entertainment. People !ho"ed and kicked to be the fir!t ot!ide# the fir!t to

break for an e!cape from whate"er terrible b!ine!! wa! occrring. *ronto !tepped a!ide and let them

r!h ot# aware&a! they were not&that it wa! a great deal !afer in the &nferno than on a !treet where fire

ate the a!phalt and bilding! di!!ol"ed in deafening roar!.

=n moment! the bar wa! empty# !a"e for the for of them. %hey !tood in the doorway# watching the black

magno5!led! that cri!ed abo"e the !treet and between the !pire! of Hope. %here were for !lg! per !led#

one to !teer# one to man the hea"y5dty la!er cannon# and two to fire la!er rifle!. %hey !wept down thelong a"ene# brning down the ma!!e! of fleeing people.

7@o !ee+: Sam !aid.

*rontoC! moth hng open. 7%hey- theyCre killing9:

7$nd yo can kill their 6entral *eing and get yor kick! while !till playing it legal. ?p and p. >o !weat.

What do yo !ay+:

*ronto trned# !tared# eye! flaming with de!ire that had wa!hed away mo!t of the fear and hatred. 7*t

why donCt yo do it+ @o kill. Why not !a"e the kick! for yor!elf+:

Sam had anticipated that 3e!tion e"er !ince he had begn their con"er!ation. $t fir!t it had thrown him#the po!!ibility of the giant a!king that. He had gone throgh a dozen an!wer!# con!idering each and the

effect it wold bring abot# finally reecting ele"en of them. =t wa! no !e trying to fake the giant. >o

!en!e in ptting him on. =f *ronto thoght for one moment that he wa! being !ed# and realized that Sam

wa! afraid and nable to kill# he wold trn on them and the end wold be !wifter and bloodier than

anything the !lg! cold manage. 7*eca!e#: he !aid# !miling what he hoped wa! rather an e"il and

!perior !mile# 7it i! dangero!. @o may ha"e to fight yor way from ShipC! 6ore. %he 6entral *eing

may be ten time! more powerfl than we can imagine. @or chance! in a battle with =t are probably no

better than fifty5fifty. = like to kill !re. *t not enogh to ri!k dying for the plea!re.: But you, Sam

thoght# are willing to die for that leasure. +r risk fifty-fifty odds for it. 5ool that you are, you#ve

swallowed the sliy bait, and you#re ready to run to hell and back with the line.

$ ble e'plo!ion tore for floor! from the middle of a nearby office comple'. %he top part wiggled# fell.

Stone cra!hed down on the !treet!# hge hnk! of it !ma!hing into the !rging crowd! that were trying to

rn from the !lg!. %rck5!ized pla!tic mortar block! tore off head!# ripped limb! free# cr!hed other!

beyond identification. Sam !aw one man !plit down the middle by a !li"er5like portion of a !teel beam.

*lood fontained p and g!hed o"er the !idewalk a! the man fell forward&one half !lightly to the left#

the other half !lightly to the right# organ! !pread in between. %he people were like animal! in panic.

Bindle!!ly# they fled fir!t one direction# then the other. %he !lg! were mo"ing down both end! of the

a"ene# ctting them down in a mrdero! cro!!fire that wold in!re total annihilation.

*odie! piled p at a frightening rate# torn and mangled# charred nrecognizable or# when !trck directly

by a !izzling beam# brned down to the bone! with a few piece! of black raggedy fle!h clinging to the

!kll and rib!.

7,kay#: *ronto !aid. 7=Cll do it.:

=t wa! certainly not patriotic fer"or that dro"e him to the deci!ion. He !eemed thrilled by the carnage

ot!ide. E"ery erption of gore !eemed to !et hi! eye adance with new flame! ntil they glowed almo!t

like the eye! of a cat at night. ,r wa! that hi! imagination+ Sam wondered. %he giant actally !eemed to

ooze "iolence.

74ood.: Sam !miled# holding hi! !tomach in check. 7>ow i! there any way ot of here be!ide! the front

door+ %hat look! particlarly nhealthy at the moment.:

7@e!#: *ronto !aid. 7Wait !t a minte.: He leaped from the doorway into the trmoil of the !treet.

76ome back9: Sam !hoted con"l!i"ely.

7@oCll be killed9: 6oro bellowed e"en loder.

*t the roar of the one5!ided battle ot!ide had !mothered their prote!t!.



$ !led wa! landing a hndred feet from the &nferno, and the !lg! were !tarting to debark# rifle! hanging

from p!edopod!# to !earch the bilding! for tho!e who had had the pre!ence of mind to !tay in!ide and

hide. *ronto reached the !led before the !lg! cold !et tail to grond. He broght a bolder fi!t down on

the dome5!egment head of the neare!t !lg a! it tried ftilely to bring it! rifle arond. %he fi!t cr!hed

cartilage# !ma!hed in on brain ti!!e. ,range blood !poted throgh *rontoC! finger!. $! 3ickly a! he

cold# he grabbed the falling !lg# !ing him a! a !hield# and wrenched the rifle from it! already limp

p!edopod. $ bla!t from another alienC! rifle caght the dead !lg in!tead of *ronto# ripped a deep hole

in it. $nd by that time the giant had the !tolen gn nder control.He fanned the !led party. *lood fontained p in three !eparate place!# drenching the !treet with a !lick

film of dll orange. Fle!h caght fire and bloomed like ga!oline# then !b!ided to a !teady yellow blaze.

%he !lg! either fell in!tantly or !lithered abot in circle! ntil the fire had !o con!med them that they

were not e"en capable of po!tmortem m!cle !pa!m!.

$ !econd !led drifted acro!! the roof!# and it! aft la!er !hot a long beam at *ronto# !t barely mi!!ing

him. He fell behind the empty !led# rai!ed hi! gn# caght the alien mark!man in the mid!ection and blew

him in two. %hick alien blood rained down and !pattered acro!! the window of the &nferno.

7HeCll ne"er make it9: 6oro !hoted o"er the chao!.

7=tC! horrible#: Lot! !aid# cltching her lo"er.7HeCll make it#: Sam !napped. He has to, he thoght. He#s our only chance. And, dreas of Hoe, how

low have we gone and how deserate our situation when our only hoe is a adan, a asochist, a

vicious killer! He !tared grimly at the de!trction. Hi! !tomach wa! beyond "omiting now. %he

de!trction wa! too great# the killing too o"erwhelmingly horrible to affect him. =t wa! a dream# an

nreality of gha!tly proportion! bt an nreality !t the !ame. %hat wa! the only way hi! mind cold

accept what he wa! !eeing.

Frther down the !treet# a woman br!t into flame!# her hair a wild torch-

$ child fell# went nder trampling feet that bri!ed# ct# killed nknowingly in blind panic-

*ronto wa! holding a beam on the gidance modle of the !econd magno5!led. Sddenly there wa! acrling of black !moke !eeping from the nder!lng bbble# and the !led began hobbling ot of control.

%he !lg! on it wre!tled again!t it# fond it wa! a lo!ing battle. %he !led !tarted a climb# then choked off

and plnged into the wall of another bilding# p!hing fire and debri! ahead of it. %here were !cream!

from the men and women in!ide the bilding. Fire g!hed p throgh the ten floor! of the place# !ingeing

away the !cream!.

Bonting the !led# *ronto fiddled# determining the method of operation# rai!ed the "ehicle and trned

toward the &nferno.

74et back9: Sam !hoted a! the giant gided the !led on a colli!ion cor!e with the doorway.

%here wa! a pregnant pa!e while the alien craft accelerated# then a birth of ear5!hattering noi!e a! wood

di!ointed from pla!tigled !ocket! and the wall arond the door !hattered and fell inward.

74et on9: *ronto wa! !hoting. 74et on9 Hold fa!t9:

%hey boarded# held tightly to the !mall railing2 *ronto gnned the machine# tore throgh a pla!tigla!!

window at the rear of the bilding# the front of the !led !hattering it before them. %he !hard!# !harp and

dangero!# !howered into the air !t a! they pa!!ed throgh# fell back after they had pa!!ed and were

!peeding !ilently down the alleyway# ten feet abo"e the grond.

*ronto cltched the rifle in one hand a! if it were a tiny pi!tol&or a toy from !ome more "iolent time.

With the other hand# he !teered the !led. 7Where to+: he called o"er hi! !holder.

7We ha"e the !tar!hip hidden#: Sam !aid. 7We figred they wold take o"er the !paceport# !o we landed

in the Fi"e Bile Park. %hey !holdnCt bother with that.:

$t the end of the alley# another !led and for !lg! appeared. %hey !eemed not to notice# for the moment#

that the!e were hman! and not other !lg!. %hey came flttering down the narrow pa!!age# !wiftly



clo!ing the block! between them. *ronto rai!ed the rifle# fired !traight5on at the pilot of the other !led.

%he alien wa! flng apart like a doll# to!!ed from the !led in piece!. ,ne of the other! went for the

control!# bt the !led bcked before it cold reach them# went ot of control. =t !lammed back and forth

from wall to wall# !till ad"ancing. ,ne of the !lg!&at a moment of e'treme tilt&!lid o"er the edge#

grabbed the railing with p!edopod! to pll it!elf back aboard. %he !led !wng into a wall again# cr!hing

it# !e"ering it in half and dragging it another fifty feet# lea"ing an orange !mear along the bilding block!.

7WeCre going to cra!h9: Lot! !hoted# throwing her !mall hand! o"er her eye!&bt peeking throgh her

!lender finger!.

*ronto plled on the !tick# lifted the !led. %hey grabbed and foght the !harp pward !lant. %he ot5of5

control craft careened toward them. *ronto took the !led e"en higher# p!hing the dri"e into whining

prote!t. *t the other craft !tarted climbing too. $nd there wa! !t not any room in which to di"e.

XIII

%he 6entral *eing wa! o"erwhelmed by Hope. Hope the planet2 Hope the city. %he other planet&what

had it been+&6haplin# ye!# wa! intere!ting. *t here&the architectre# the park!# the port!. =t wa! !o&

the 6entral *eing relctantly admitted&beatifl. *t the force! of e"il were often beatifl# ofteno"erwhelming. *t only gadine!!# ne"er any depth. %he 6entral *eing willed =t!elf to forget the !rface

!himmering and glittering and to concentrate on other thing!. Sch a! the !cce!! of the raiding partie!

and de!trction team!. %he prpo!e of the raiding partie! wa! to kill in their a!!igned area! and lea"e

bilding! and other artifact! intact a! mch a! po!!ible !o that later hi!torical team! cold photograph and

catalog the cltre. %he de!trction team!# on the other hand# were concerned with nothing bt death.

Kill# brn# rin# cr!h# obliterate. *oth were doing well in their re!pecti"e area!. =n fact# the entire

bla!phemo! race !hold be wiped from the !late of e'i!tence in another month. %hi! world wold be

bare in another twel"e hor!. %hen on to !maller colony world!. %he ea!y mark!-

XIV

Sam gritted hi! teeth# foght again!t clo!ing hi! eye!. Hi! ear!# already booming with noi!e# anticipated

the cra!h. >o# that wa! blood r!hing. Hi! own blood. Fear blood. %he alien !led climbed almo!t e3al

with their!. %he di!tance between clo!ed rapidly.

%wenty yard!-

%en-

Fi"e-

%here wa! a !ickening crnch# a !e"ere olt# and they were r!hing pa!t the other !led toward the end of

the alley a few block! frther on. *ehind# the other !led !ma!hed into the wall# bearing it! headle!! pa!!enger!# and cra!hed into the !treet. %hey had had the ad"antage of being for feet higher when they

met the other !led. =t had been a deadly enconter for the !lg!# their head! !heared away by the bottom of

the !led. *t they had gotten away ntoched# miraclo!ly.

*ronto roared with laghter. $ laghter# !omehow# too deep for hi! fragile "oice. %he added depth of

bloodl!t.

7Land here9: Sam !hoted a while later# hi! "oice almo!t wa!hed away by the whi!tling wind and the

booming of the !laghter progre!!ing in the depth! of the center city behind them.

*ronto broght the !led to a olting halt# goging ot fi"e feet of gra!! at the entrance to the park. %hey

clambered off and throgh the gate !t a! a !lg !tepped from behind a free5form alminm !tate.

7Watch it9: 6oro !hoted# catching the mo"ement fir!t.

*ronto broght hi! gn arond# !ma!hed the barrel into the !lgC! head# broght it p# down again. ?p

and down# p and down. *lood !prayed ot with e"ery !wing.



7%hatC! enogh9: Sam !hoted.

*ronto laghed# !pittle flecking the corner! of hi! lip!. He poked the narrow barrel throgh the middle of

the alienC! che!t a! if it were a bayonet# goged the !oft fle!h# twi!ted and tore a! orange blood pored

down the gn and o"er hi! hand!.

7= !aid that wa! enogh9: Sam !hoted e"en loder# hi! face red with di!g!t.

*ronto looked p# got angry# then realized who he wa! talking to. He !till had that minimm of fear.

*e!ide!# thi! wa! the man who had gi"en him the chance to kill. 7Hrry p# then#: he !napped !hrilly.

Sam realized the !a"age l!t of the giant wa! p!hing any thoght of !er"ile obedience frther and frther

from hi! mind. %hat la!t had !onded mch like an order# not an agreement. 7=Cll !ay who i! to hrry and

when9: Sam roared.

*ronto looked at him# looked away. 7%hereCll come a day&:

7*t itC! damn far off9: Sam !napped. 6Now, letC! hrry.:

%hey mo"ed bri!kly throgh the park. %he green tree!# leafy and r!tling with the pa!!age of the wind# the

gra!! a! green a! a finely wo"en carpet# the flower! mlti5hed and fll5bloomed# all belied the horror

tran!piring in the !treet! beyond# denied the death and pain *ronto had perpetrated in their mid!t only

moment! before.

%he !hip wa! where they had left it# almo!t in"i!ible# half !bmerged in a large pond# the other half well5

hidden by thick ma!!e! of Spani!h mo!! !trng from the tree! like beard!. %hey !lopped throgh the

water# acti"ated the portal# and entered the la!t free !hip on Hope.

7>ow do yo nder!tand+: Sam a!ked# !taring the giant down.

%he light! on the control con!ole fla!hed# pl!ated# flooded the room with weird crrent! of color. 6oro

!at bent o"er the monitoring de"ice!# occa!ionally rbbing a hand acro!! dry lip!. %he time had come.

$lmo!t. Aery near. *le!!ed be the time. Frightening too. Lot! !at be!ide 6oro# a hand on hi! arm#

pointing now and then to different dial! and !cope!.

7= nder!tand#: *ronto growled.

7>o indi!criminate killing. We ha"e to !neak in. =f weCre confronted with the choice of killing a gard or

!neaking pa!t him&we !neak.:

7= donCt like it.:

7@o woldnCt.:

7,r yo either+: *ronto !aid# laghing !lyly.

7=tC! a matter of nece!!ity#: Sam !aid wearily. %hey had been throgh it ten time! now. He cold think of

no blnter# more forcefl manner of ptting it. 7=f yo !tart killing e"erything that mo"e!# the 6entral*eing will ha"e ! pegged and dead before weCre anywhere near =t. =tCll blow yor head off the fir!t

moment =t know! yoCre in aceshi. =tCll win# *ronto. $nd yoCll be real dead.:

7,kay# okay. = got it well enogh. Play it pan!y. 4entility i! the byword. >o rogh !tff ntil we bmp off

the big boy. *t then# mi!ter# = am going to ha"e my!elf a lot of fn with the !lg!.:

7$nd yoCll ha"e earned it.:

7@o too# hh+:

7@eah.:

7$nd yoCll be twice a! bloody abot it# =Cll bet.:

7Bo!t likely#: Sam !aid# leering fal!e5heartedly. 7%wice a! bloody.: He wondered how he wold handle

*ronto after the mi!!ion wa! completed&if it wa! completed. =t wa! going to be a tight !itation. $ kill5

crazy giant rnning amok with a la!er rifle. How cold he control him+ =f he ref!ed to kill after the



6entral *eing wa! di!po!ed of# then *ronto wold realize hi! ma!ochi!m wa! a front# a trick. What

wold the giantC! reaction be to that+ ,r# rather# not what wold it be&bt how fa!t wold it come+ Well#

that wa! a problem he wold ha"e to think abot later. Later# when he wa! dri"en to the wall.

7%hey !eem !ettled for the dration# Sam#: 6oro !aid# trning from the control!. 6aceshi ha!nCt mo"ed

!ince weC"e been monitoring it. *t the battle i! raging beyond belief. Billion! of people ha"e died. =

wi!h we hadnCt waited for dark.:

7*t it i! dark now#: Sam an!wered# !tanding# !tretching. 7$nd we ha"e a mch better chance withdarkne!! a! a co"er.:

*ronto went to get their weapon! and a la!er hand5torch.

7Look# Sam#: 6oro !aid# mo"ing clo!e and whi!pering. 7He frighten! me. $nd&:

7Be too.:

6oro he!itated. 7@eah. = !ee. He may be hideo!# bt heC! the be!t5looking chance we ha"e. *t do yo

really think he can kill thi! 6entral *eing that ea!ily+:

7>o.:

7>o+:7,r 4od wa! weak and ea!y to di!patch beca!e *readloafC! Shield had drained Him of Hi! !trength

o"er the centrie!. %hi! 4od ha! not been drained.:

7%hen why the de"il&:

7He doe!nCt ha"e to kill 4od#: Sam !aid# plling the black hood of the night!it o"er hi! head.

7What+ = donCt nder!tand thi! at all.:

7,h# he may kill 4od. He !t might. *t it i!nCt nece!!ary. =f we can get him in there and let %od kill

hi, = think&:

*t *ronto had retrned with a rifle for each of them and a ctting torch. 7LetC! go#: he !aid.

%he two of them !tepped 3ietly throgh the portal into the black blanket of night-

XV

aceshi had !ettled in the "a!t wild game re!er"e that !tretched forty5!e"en mile! on a !ide behind the

6ongre!!ional $rchi"e!. =t took a great deal of !pace to park a boat that big# and a! he and *ronto !tood

among the !till form! of oak tree! looking at the "e!!el# Sam wondered how many animal! had been

cr!hed by it! de!cent. $nd how many tori!t!.

7%hey came in that+: *ronto a!ked.

Sam grinned. =t wa! a difficlt thing to do nder the circm!tance! of the moment. 7Scare yo+:

Delicately# delicately lead on the brte-

7>ah9 *t# Bother# how big9:

%he black hll loomed !o high o"erhead that it wa! difficlt to tell !t where it ended and the night

began. %ree! had been !napped off arond it! ba!e and were tting otward like !plintered toothpick!.

%he earth had !ettled nder the tremendo! weight# and the !hip now re!ted in a pit of it! own making.

7Pt the!e in yor ear!#: Sam !aid# handing two plg! to the giant.

7What for+:

7%hereC! an hypnotic command con!tantly played in the !hip. @o go in there withot earplg! and yoCll be blbbering like a helple!! idiot in !econd!.:

7*t how do we talk+:



7%hereC! a micro5miniatre recei"er# tran!mitter# and amplifier in the tip. =t toche! the bone! of yor ear#

pick! p the "ibration! of yor own "oice from yor aw# and tran!mit! them to me. Bine doe! the !ame.

<!t whi!per# and =Cll hear yo. ,f cor!e# we wonCt hear anything el!e.:

He!itantly# the big man followed !it# in!erting the tight5fitting plg!.

7>ow hold yor head here#: Sam !aid# prodcing a !mall tin.

7Why+ WhatC! that+:

7Sond5proofing elly.:

7=Cll pt it in my!elf.:

7Aery well.: Sam dipped hi! finger! into the thick goo# !meared it o"er the back of the plg and the re!t of

hi! ear!# handed the tin to *ronto.

78emember#: Sam !aid# 7when we get in!ide# no !ele!!&:

7Killing#: *ronto fini!hed. 7DonCt worry. <!t lead me in.:

7<!t to the ShipC! 6ore#: Sam !aid. 7=Cll take yo there# bt yo wonCt catch me fighting thi! thing.:

7=Cm not !cared9: *ronto !napped# a child being te!ted.

7LetC! go.:

%hey mo"ed from the oak!# croched and rnning# darting from one patch of growth to another. %hey

reached the !hip withot incident. Fifteen minte! later# the la!er torch had brned throgh all the layer!

of the hll- $nd the !not of a la!er rifle pnched throgh the hole# aimed directly between SamC! eye!.

%here wa! a ble bla!t. Sam wa! falling before he realized he had not been !hot. *ronto had brned the

alien down. %he !lg leaned ot# hanging for a moment on the edge of the ragged hole# it! fle!h tearing on

the !hard! of metal poking like finger! from the rim of the crdely ct apertre. %he rifle dangled in it!

p!edopod# trembled almo!t a! a li"ing thing it!elf# then fell ot onto the gra!!. %he !lg grgled# !wayed#

tore it!elf frther on the metal# then toppled ot al!o# !prawling fll5length at their feet. %here wa! a yard5

long ga!h on it! !ide. %hing! !pewed from it# wet and orange.

7,kay that = killed it+: *ronto a!ked !nidely.

Sam coghed# got p. 7@e!. Fine. Aery good.:

*ronto laghed# half at SamC! embarra!!ment# half at the pile of gore he had made.

7=t !eem! to ha"e been a !olitary gard#: Sam !aid# peering into the dimly lighted corridor. 7*t letC!

hrry !t the !ame.: He plled him!elf o"er the !ill# di!appeared into the !hip.

*ronto climbed in after.

*le!!ed be the time. %he time i! near.

7%hi! way#: Sam hi!!ed. 74n at ready# bt&:

7>o killing nle!! nece!!ary.:

7E'actly. @o learn well. Slow# bt well.:

Halfway down thi! corridor# Sam planted a !mall tran!mitter behind the edge of a tting beam. He looked

at hi! watch5!creen. %here wa! a yellow blip near the edge. %hat wa! the tran!mitter. %he !creen

coordinate! had been !et !o that# once they reached a po!ition where their own blip! (green) were in the

center of the !creen# they wold be in the middle of the !hip# !omewhere near ShipC! 6ore. %hey mo"ed

on.

%hogh powerfl and rthle!!# the alien! were nimaginati"e. %he !hip wa! "oid# in the corridor! at lea!t#

of any decoration or !pecial !tyling. Solid gray wall!# floor!# and ceiling!. ,ne !tep broght them pa!t the!ame !ight! a! the la!t hndred had. %he la!t tho!and.

%here wa! one danger with the earplg!. %hey cold not hear the 8ace!ong# bt neither cold they hear



the !lg! coming. %wo alien! !lithered into "iew at the end of the corridor# cloak! of !himmering prple

material falling behind them and trailing a few feet on the floor. 7*ack9: Sam whi!pered.

%hey !tood again!t the wall# pre!!ing a! tight a! they cold to it! cool !rface. %he !lg! came on#

apparently talking# obli"io! of their pre!ence. %hey walked right pa!t the two men- and whirled9

Something had regi!tered&bt too late. *ronto broght hi! gn p# then he!itated a! if he wa!nCt certain

whether he !hold fire or not.

7@e!9: Sam !hoted. 7*efore they call for help9: Blue-blue-blue-blue. $nd it wa! o"er. %he !lg! were !pattered acro!! the floor# a few !crap! of their

bodie! on fire# tiny yellow flame! licking the rich fat.

7We ha"e to mo"e fa!ter now#: Sam !aid. 7%hey find the!e bodie! and weCre !nk.:

%hey mo"ed# fa!ter now. Sam thoght how dreamlike the la!t enconter had been. Withot !ond# it had

all been a grote!3e parody of reality. Death withot !ond. Brder withot !creaming. 6ertainly# the

time wa! coming.

E"entally# after many !tep! and many trn!# the wall to their right trned from gray to a brilliant bronze.

%hey clng to the glittering metal and followed the wall. =n a few minte!# they di!co"ered they had

walked in a large circle.7WeCre here#: Sam croaked# moth !ddenly dry# e"ery ner"e now !harp with fear.

7Where+:

7ShipC! 6ore. =tC! right in!ide thi! glittering wall&not more than two hndred feet in diameter.:

*ronto !tepped ahead of Sam to a door they had pa!!ed twice dring their circmna"igation of the

chamber. 7=Cm going to get it o"er with.:

o you can kill the slugs for fun, Sam thoght. o you can gleefully ro through rivers of nice, thick,

orange blood.

*ronto twi!ted the knob# almo!t broke it off. %he door hmmed# lifted to re"eal a !himmering ble

chamber hng with web! and permeated with mi!t!. %here !eemed to be darker hlk! concealed in the

fog# looming like iceberg!. $! Sam watched from the hall# *ronto !tepped throgh the doorway# rifle at

ready.

XVI

*ronto !tepped frther into the chamber. $t ten feet# the mi!t! !tarted to clo!e in on him. $t fifteen feet#

they concealed hi! leg!# hi! hip!# the back of hi! head.

%he floor wa! !pongy# pore! beginning to open in it. =t bonced a! he !tepped on it.

7=Cm here9: the giant !hoted defiantly.

$ mffled echo wa! the only an!wer.

%hen the floor hea"ed# and the room wa! ali"e.

=t bcked# !wayed# and *ronto went down. Wildy# he bla!ted it# boring hole! throgh the !ponge# hole!

that immediately healed o"er and were fll again. He tried to !tand# bt the body of 4od !er"ed a! a mat

for no creatre. Down he went# floor !eeming to n5gel and cltch at him. He !ank into it# kicked and

tried plling free.

Sam leaned again!t the wall# gripping him!elf with hi! arm!. %hi! 4od wa! more powerfl than the la!t#

ndrained. =t wa! able to heal =t!elf where the other whimpered and died. Bore powerfl# bt rling thi!

"a!tly !hrnken ni"er!e; one !hip and !poor!. He watched *rontoC! fle!h peel away nder the acidic

toch of the floor that now re!embled a tonge. $ll in !ilence# all deadly and !till. $ play !een throgh

other eye!. $nd 4od wa! winning-



*t# Sam hoped# in winning# 4od wold al!o lo!e.

*ronto !trggled to hi! feet again# fighting mightily again!t thi! mch !perior force# fighting with

panic. Half hi! face wa! a bloody plp. He held the beam on the floor# !creaming !teadily. Here come! the

de"il to the gate! of Hea"en# cr!ing and !praying foam# to!!ing the lightning bolt! of hi! black power to

tmble down the e3al blackne!! of the di"ine light-

%he floor bcked again. *ronto fell. $nd thi! time# he did not get p. %he floor frothed# boiled abot

him# and when the foam !teamed away# there were only fragment! of !teaming# bbbling bone. >o worrynow abot how to handle *ronto. >ow all he had to worry abot wa! whether or not the trick had

worked. =t !hold ha"e&gi"en one fact a! a trth9 4od m!t be# like the other 4od# a !ado5ma!ochi!t by

natre# liking to gi"e pain&the omnipotent fi!t ringed with !miling lip!. Srely# the "ery natre of 4od

demanded that He be a liker of pain and a gi"er of mch of it. =f thi! wa! tre in thi! ca!e# a! it had been

with the 4od Hrko! had killed# then the problem wa! o"er. 4od wa! now in!ane.

,nly one way to know for !re. %ake ot the earplg!-

4rabbing them# he ripped them free. %he r!h of !ond almo!t knocked him down. *t no 8ace!ong.

8ace!ong wa! dead. %hi! wa! nothing more than a mad# gly babbling. 4od had been cr!hed&mentally#

not phy!ically.

Step! in con!ideration of a program to dri"e a god o"er the brink; J) $!!me the god i! !omewhat in!anealready (!adi!tic# ma!ochi!tic# and a bit paranoid)2 ) *ring a killer into the pre!ence of the god# and in"ite

the god to mrder the man2 ) %he god commit! the mrder# bt in gra!ping for the radiation of pain# in

!earching hngrily for the i!!ance of tortred !ffering# the god enconter! oy at pain and e'ltation

o"er oncoming death. *eca!e the god i! killing a ma!ochi!t# not a normal creatre.

Sam had gambled that *rontoC! oy at dying only for the pain&not for !ome great ca!e&wold be too

alien for the 6entral *eing. =t wa! acc!tomed to the prpo!e of the race and wold a!!me any race to

ha"e a prpo!e. $ confrontation with a creatre like *ronto# one enoying the pain and dying withot

ca!e or rea!on# wold di!rpt the di"ine creatreC! ba!ic! for rea!oning. =t wold throw =t! tight# compact

!cheme of thing! to the blaze!. $nd there wold be nothing to take their place. ,nce the idea of

prpo!ele!!ne!! had planted it!elf# in!anity lay only a breath away.

2erhas that#s art of our sueriority, Sam thoght# trying to catch hi! breath. 2erhas an#s

uroselessness, our ailess wandering, kees us strong and sane enough to handle all things. 7en,

living as best suits us at the oent, outlive all great causes and lans.

Stmbling# !o "ery tired# he mo"ed back the way he had come# back toward the hole in the hll.

$rond him# !lg! wea"ed# inndated by the babble.

8ace!ong wa! gone.

Some of them mo"ed toward him# menacingly wa"ing rifle!# bt trned away or dropped the gn! in

conf!ion. %here wa! no hypnotic command to kill. >o !bmelody demanding mrder. %hey were lo!t

withot the 8ace!ong# withot a giding "oice. %hey cold !ee no real rea!on to kill now. %hey were

beginning the !ame long climb man had almo!t fini!hed. 4radally# they wold become !aner.

He pa!!ed the bodie! *ronto wa! re!pon!ible for.

$ hndred yard! from the hole they had made# he became aware of a !lg following him. He trned#

!tared at it.

=t mewed# not angrily.

He trned.

=t mo"ed ne't to him# mewing.

74o away# dammit9: he !hoted.

=t mewed# mewed# !omehow cro!!ing langage barrier! with the 3e!tion it wa! a!king&the 3e!tion that

!till lrked !omewhere in hi! own !ol.



7Lea"e me9:

Bewing# water throgh a flte-

7%here will be more god!#: he !aid# "omit !ddenly toching the back of hi! throat. He threw p on the

wall# leaned hea"ily again!t the gray metal. He gagged# cleared hi! throat. 7%here will be more rng!

falling down the ladder now.: He wa! talking to a hndred gho!t!# li"ing and dead# to 4no!!o!# Hrko!#

*ronto# 6oro# Lot!# 6razy# all the dead people in the gore5!plattered !treet! of Hope. %hey tmbled

before him# in!b!tantial. 7%here will be more god!. *t the ladder i! !trctred like a pyramid# each rng!maller than the la!t# each god more pro"incial# le!! awe!ome. WeCll whip them# !ooner or later. WeCll

!wat them like flie!# tho!e awfl# pondero! ni"er!e5rler!. We are not property# damn it9 We are not

property9 Dammit# dammit# dammit9:

%he !lg toched him# called !weetly in hi!!ing tone!.

7= am not yor!#: Sam !pit throgh tightened lip!. He trned and !taggered toward the hole again.

%he !lg followed.

$t the hole# he trned to it# hi! face fl!hed with an anger that had !ddenly become ndirectable.

=t mewed.

7Dammit9: he roared. 7Dammit to hell&if there i! a hell. Ban i! hi! own god. He ha! to be# if there wa!

e"er any prpo!e.: Hi! moth 3i"ered# hi! eye! !treamed tear!. 7$nd = am not yor god9:

He fell throgh the hole and onto the gra!!. %he !lg did not follow.

=n the city# the gtter! were clogged with the flow of blood a! it pored !ilently into the !ewer!. %he !tar!

were bright. %he !ky wa! withot a roof. $nd darkne!! !poke to the wind.

koontz, dean - fear that man

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