The Zero Stone

by Andre Norton

  “I gave it to Eet. He took it away.”

  “Eet!” And who is Eet?”

  “The mutant born of the ship’s cat on the Vestris.”

  I think that had he not been so sure of the infallibility of the reader-helm, he would not have taken that for the truth. For it must have been the last answer he expected.

  “Was that” - he spoke slowly now - “here on this planet, or on the Vestris?”

  “Here.”

  “And when?”

  “Just before your ship planeted.”

  “Where is this Eet now?” Again he leaned forward eagerly.

  “Dead, I believe. He was crossing the top of the wreck when you flamed down. He must have been burned off by your deter rockets.”

  “You- “ The Captain turned his head. “Thangsfeld, jump to it! I want every palm’s width of that ship’s surface searched and all the ground around it! Now!”

  One of the crewman left at a run. Once more the Captain turned to me.

  “Why did you give the ring to Eet?”

  “The ring pulled us toward this place rather than to the wrecked ship. Eet wanted to know why.”

  “Eet wanted to know,” he repeated. “What do you mean? You have stated that this creature was a mutant born of a ship’s cat - not an intelligent being.” Once more he looked to the medico for confirmation of my truthfulness.

  “I do not know what Eet is,” I replied. “But he is not an animal, save perhaps outwardly.”

  “Why did he and not you take this ring to the source of attraction?”

  “We were besieged by the natives. Eet had a chance of getting out, I did not.”

  “But why was it so important that the ring get out, via this Eet?”

  “I do not know. Eet wanted to take it.”

  “In what direction?”

  “Farther on - over the river.”

  “So!” He was on his feet in one lithe movement. “We are on the right track after all.” Once more he looked down at me. “Do you know what the ring stone is?”

  “A source of energy - I think.”

  “A good enough answer.” Still he looked at me, his inner eyelids almost closed, giving his eyes a disquieting opacity.

  “What do we do Captain, with him-?” one of the human crewman asked.

  “For the present, nothing. Keep him here. But then, even if he runs loose, I do not think he is going anywhere.” He laughed. “After all we owe him some small thanks. More if we find the ring at the wreck.”

  They unstrapped me. I was very tired and willing to yield to my fatigue. But I remembered they had not asked me - the why and how of my leaving the Vestris. Had they swallowed my plague story and so would not question me about that? The indications were that they had not been in touch with the Free Trader, at least not since my escape. If these represented those who had bought me free from Tanth for their own purposes, they had not been in direct contact with other members of their team lately.

  But this time I did not have Eet to depend upon, and thinking of Eet hurt more than I would have earlier believed possible. I hoped that he had not suffered, that that flash of violence had marked an instantaneous ending for him.

  Would they find his body with the ring still tied about his neck? And what did they want it for - to lead them to others of its kind as it had guided me across space to the dead stones in the derelict? That such gems might be a revolutionary source of power was an easy guess. And such power, in the hands of the Guild, was worth far more to them than the ransom of a whole system of planets.

  The medico and the other human crewman gathered their apparatus and left. But the X-Tee continued to sit by the door of the tunnel, on the stool left by the Captain. He, too, had pulled a green stick out and was chewing on it, but, while his eyes were half closed in enjoyment, his fronds pointed in my direction.

  I slept then, and awoke to a shaking of the rock around me, a roar in my ears. There was another ship coming in. Perhaps the Vestris. If so, the Captain might be back with more questions. I lay listening, watching my guard.

  He stood looking down the tunnel. However, the fronds still pointed at me, and his upper hands hovered over laser butts.

  It was clear from the attitude of the X-Tee that this second ship was not expected. Therefore - who? The Patrol? Or some innocent scout or trader arriving just at the wrong time? That the new arrival was about to walk into a trap, I did not doubt.

  The thunder of the planeting died away. Now I could not feel or hear the vibration caused by the workers in the other tunnel.

  “What is it?” I dared to ask my guard.

  His attentive fronds twitched, but he did not turn his head. Only now the lasers were drawn as if he were prepared to repel an invasion.

  We continued to wait. I tried other questions until the wave of a weapon in my direction silenced me. Then there was a tramp of feet in the passage and a voice raised in a hail. My guard restored one laser to its holster, held the other ready.

  Three of them came in, human crewmen. They carried a struggling bundle which they dumped without ceremony and with extra roughness on the floor. Once in port I had seen a crewman, drunk on the maddening lorthdrip, subdued by a police tangle gun. And now I looked upon a captive completely enmeshed in the same fashion. Among the coils of gummy rope I caught sight of the black tunic known across space. They had bagged a Patrolman, and securely.

  THIRTEEN

  He had sense enough to cease struggling as he was dropped, so that his bonds did not tighten. Luckily none had crossed his face or throat. But his captors were so sure of him they walked away, leaving the two of us to the X-Tee. He surveyed the Patrolman, no expression on his face. Then he returned to his stool.

  The Patrolman’s eyes were open and, I judged, he was busy examining his prison and its occupants. He stared a long time at me. The ordeal of questioning under the probe, though sleep had followed, had left me weak. And not only weak, but caught in a curious lethargy, disinclined to action. I could foresee that at any moment the X-Tee might turn a laser on me. But I was no longer afraid.

  After a while one of the human crewmen came in, pitched in my general direction another tube of E-ration. Though I felt hunger stir in me when I saw it, a strong effort of will was required to put out my hand, shift my body to reach it. And I held it in my shaking fingers for some time before I could summon the energy to suck at its contents.

  With the flow of food into my mouth, that dreamy, half-awake state broke, and I aroused enough to know that this was no nightmare but grim and threatening reality. The entangled Patrolman lay where they had dropped him, watching me. I had sucked about half the tube before I realized they had left nothing for him. Nor could he feed himself. I started to crawl to where he lay.

  “Naw-“ It was not good Basic, no more than a guttural bark. A laser appeared in our guard’s hand, his intent of using it plain. I halted. He waved me back.

  “Staaay-tharrr-“

  I stayed. But I did not finish the tube. It would appear that our guard was determined to keep his two charges well apart.

  Now I returned the Patrolman’s stare. He was immobile in the net casing. Had he landed here alone, as a scout? Or did he have companions who would come seeking him? I would have given a great deal at that moment to be able to communicate with him as I had with Eet.

  It could well be that I was a latent esper, and my talent - though limited - had been so aroused by Eet that I could at least make my fellow prisoner aware I was striving to contact him. So I put most of my energy into a beamed call.

  What followed was so great a surprise that I betrayed my astonishment and had to dissemble quickly by throwing both hands to my head as if struck by a sudden pain - though how good a cover that could be I did not know. The X-Tee was on his feet, his feather fronds sweeping swiftly back and forth.

  I had been answered. Not by the man who lay across the cavern - but by Eet! And as quickly as that touch of recognition had come, it was gone - a single fla
sh of light across the dark of a moonless night.

  The X-Tee advanced to the center of the working, his fronds still swinging, as if those antennae could pick up our communication. And the Patrolman looked from one of us to the other, inquiry plain on his face.

  There was nothing more, and I could guess the reason for Eet’s caution. If the X-Tee had been able to sense that touch, then mind speech was to be avoided. But the very fact the mutant was alive was almost as good as if someone had dropped a laser into my reach.

  I continued to play a part, huddling together, my hands to my head. The guard halted by me and kicked out, the metal-enforced tip of his boot landing painfully against my shin.

  “Whaaat-do-you-?” His guttural mouthing of Basic was hard to understand.

  “Pain- in my head- hurts-“

  “Mind-talk-you-“ He did not make that a question.

  I felt then a kind of clumsy, fumbling thought approach which was only a feeble pushing, bearing no relation to Eet’s. It was easy to withstand such a probe. The X-Tee must have esper powers to a degree, but perhaps they worked better among his own kind. At any rate he got nothing from me.

  Now he begin a crisscross search of the cavern, his fronds ever in motion. That they were highly astute sense organs, I did not doubt. But whether they could nose out Eet I did not know.

  My confidence arose as I saw that the uneasiness of the X-Tee did not abate, but rather grew. Had he been able to get a quick line on Eet, he would not have continued to prowl but would have gone into action.

  Where was Eet? I had no idea from which direction that flash of recognition had come. But that he was alive-! Now I hoped furiously that they would not question me again. But if the guard continued to be suspicious perhaps they would.

  He stood close to the Patrolman now, his fronds still seeking. Slowly he turned, then put his head back and looked up at the dim expanse overhead. Eet - was Eet up there somewhere?

  Clearly the X-Tee’s attention was now riveted and I could only believe that he had a line on the esper tie. But how could he? Eet had been quiet.

  The laser swung up, pointed at a spot almost directly above the guard. There were hollows in plenty there, and they might hide anything. A mass of crystals larger than my head was visible. He fired-

  A flash of light blinded me. I had reason enough to cry out and cover my eyes now. I heard a gasping which could have come from either the Patrolman or the guard. A thud - and a rattling-

  To be blind was horror at that moment. I feared to move, sure that ray was bringing down the rocks over us, to bury us alive. When that did not follow, I tried vainly to see through a blood-red fog.

  “Are you dead?” That demand which penetrated my dark was no call from Eet, nor was it the bark of our guard. Basic in human voice - it could only come from the Patrolman.

  “Where are you?” I asked, groping out with one hand.

  “Ahead, a little to your right!” he answered swiftly.

  “You must have been looking up as he fired-“

  “What happened?” I did not try to get to my feet, but crawled forward on hands and knees, sweeping now and then a hand before me.

  “He beamed straight up. Brought down a hunk of crystal on his head. Look out, he is right before you now-“

  But my hands had already encountered the body. I made myself examine it by touch, locate one of the lasers. And all the time I feared I was blind.

  I edged around the body and crawled on until one of my hands touched the Patrolman. To burn off his bonds was a job demanding good sight, and I could not do it blind.

  “Wait!”

  I settled back on my heels, a surge of relief breaking like a high tide in me. “Eet!”

  He came out of nowhere as far as I was concerned. I felt the pat of his hand-paws on mine and I released the laser into his hold. I guessed that he was quick and efficient about freeing the Patrolman. For it was only moments later that a human hand fell on my shoulder, drawing me up to my feet. I wavered there, almost as I had when I had played the role of plague wanderer for the Captain. Eet climbed me as if I were a tree and his weight once again ringed my shoulders. I felt the tickle of his whiskers against my cheek.

  “Hold still! Let me see your eyes-“ That was the Patrolman. I flinched involuntarily from his touch and then obeyed. I could feel him spread the lids, the sting of moisture against the balls.

  “Close and hold!” he ordered. “From my aid kit - that ought to help.”

  “They will have heard-“ I put up my hand to touch Eet’s wiry fur. “They will come-“

  “Not for a while,” Eet answered quickly. “It is night and they have posted an outer guard, but there are none in any of the tunnels. We have a good chance of getting free. This guard was the only sensitive among them.”

  My hand was caught in a firm grip which pulled me on. Eet meanwhile directed my steps around piles of debris. We must have re-entered the tunnel, heading for the outside.

  “Who are you?” the Patrolman asked. “A hostage?”

  I gave him the version I had edited for the Guild men. “I caught an unknown disease, was spaced from a ship in an LB. It made tape landing here and I was hunted by natives. I took refuge in a wrecked ship. Then these landed. They made me prisoner after their medico pronounced me clean.”

  “You are lucky they did not just beam you down, he returned. “I wonder why they did not.”

  I had to supply him with a plausible answer. “They thought I knew about what they hunt here. I am an apprentice gemologist”

  “Gems!” He paused and then added, “They are conducting mining operations - that is true.”

  “Were you tailing them? And where is your ship?” I counterquestioned.

  “I am a scout.” He gave me the most disheartening answer for one hoping for a quick way out of trouble. “They took me when I came out after landing. But my ship is on time lock - they cannot break into her. If we can reach her- But what- or who- is your friend?”

  “I am Eet,” Eet answered for himself. “This human and I are in defensive alliance - which was good for you, Patrolman. To get him free I had also to extend aid to you.”

  “Then you did engineer that fall of rock,” I observed.

  Eet corrected me. No, the creature brought it on himself. I only gave him mind direction, confused him to make him think he saw something threatening above. He was esper, but to a limited degree save with his own kind. He lost his head and shot at a shadow which was not there, bringing down the rock.”

  My hand slipped along Eet’s body and he suffered that examination by touch. I did not feel the twined roots about his long neck, or any indication that he still carried the ring. Nor in that company could I ask questions. For the less the Patrolman knew the better. The Patrol ever takes the view that the good of many is superior to the good of the individual.

  I sensed that Eet was in complete agreement with me on that point, and that the ring was in a safe place. But I fretted a little - no place save my own custody really satisfied me.

  “Try to use your eyes,” said the Patrolman.

  The sensation of being closed in was gone, and a cool wind laden with outdoor scents blew about us. I lifted my lids and blinked rapidly. That sweep of violent red had faded, and though there were some shadowy blotches, I could see blearily.

  Not too far away a rude sentry post had been erected from debris of the mine tunnels and blocks of the ruins. There was a beamer mounted on its uneven wall, and at intervals that swept, not toward the tunnel mouths, but across the jumble of ruins, touching the broken walls which had once dammed the river.

  “They fear an attack from the natives,” Eet explained.

  “Clubs against lasers?” I scoffed.

  “Clubs in the night, when one cannot see well - the odds are not as uneven as you think.”

  “Why do they not just hole up in their ship?” was my second question.

  “They have equipment in the tunnels. Once before they tried retreatin
g into the ship at night. The natives smashed things that could not he repaired - they had to go off world for more.”

  “You seem to know a lot about them!” flashed the Patrolman.

  “You,” returned Eet in his most insufferable voice, “are one Celph Hory, ten years with the force. You are a native of Loki, one of four sons, two of whom are dead. You were sent here, not on a routine scout, but to search out the source of a well-sustained rumor that the Guild has made a discovery which will give them superiority in space. You have orders to keep under cover ( which you did not carry out well, mainly because your ship had been skillfully sabotaged, something you did not discover until you were in orbit here ) and to report back, not revealing your presence to the Guild. Is this not true?”

  I heard a breath drawn in sharply. “You read minds.” Hory made it close to an accusation.

  “I merely follow the instinct bred into me, as you follow yours, Hory. Be glad that I do, or you would have been prisoner until Captain Nactitl gave the order for your burning. He was debating the folly of keeping you any longer an hour ago. I would suggest as speedy a withdrawal as possible. These miners have not come upon what they are seeking, but they are close-“

  “You found it!” I broke in. By this time I could pick up not only Eet’s mental speech but some of his emotions. He was at his smuggest now, suggesting that once again he had bested those physically stronger and bigger.

  “So far they look in the wrong place. However, sooner or later that will occur to them. Nactitl is not in the least stupid, and certainly not to be underrated. He has only failed so far because he did not have the right guide.”

  The right guide! The ring which Eet had taken, which- which might have drawn him to the source. I wanted to ask questions so badly they choked my throat, buzzed in my head. But if he answered them, then Hory, too, would have that information.

  “What have they to find here?” broke in the Patrolman, and I knew he would continue to seek an answer. It all depended now on how much he knew of gems. If I guessed wrongly and he had any training in that field, then my secret was threatened. But again Eet took the lead, giving me a briefing in his reply.