come back. And I have to see that thegate is closed before ..."
"What gate? Get back where?" Farmer managed to put more curiosity thanimpatience into his tone.
"Back to my own planet--Tamdivar, sun Nogore, member of the GalacticFederation," she said patiently. "The gate is a matter-transmitterbetween my world and yours. It was once in constant use, but mygovernment closed it when you people got to the point where you wererunning around in submarines, using depth bombs, and just noticing ouraircraft too much."
* * * * *
Somehow, what popped into Farmer's head was the chorus of an old song hehad sung in boy's camp when very young. "_There's a hole in the bottomof the sea! There's a log in the hole...._"
"Your machine reactivated the gate from this side, even if that isn'twhat you designed it to do," Dor went on. "It's a good thing I noticedthe gate was open. Of course, the area affected isn't large--it includesthose steps and a lot of water around them.
"The gate'll stay open now until it's closed from our side--but I'llhave to take your outfit back and destroy it, anyway. Our cops would betough with you if they found you operating the thing, and FederationSecuritymen would be even tougher. Take it as a warning: don't do itagain."
She turned to go, but Farmer held on. "What's this about a GalacticFederation? And if they've banned all communication with Earth, whyhaven't they just blasted the planet out of existence and gotten rid ofit? Of course, I know we're thoroughly uncivilized and too warlike forany other race to trust, and all that. I can see how Earth might beconsidered the plague spot of the universe...."
Dor gawked, and saw that he was very serious. Then she threw back herhead and laughed a merry laugh. "Listen, friend," she said at last. "Theonly real trouble with you Earth people is that you have a tremendousinferiority complex, collectively and individually--as you've justillustrated. Get over that and you'll eliminate most of your trouble. Asfor the Federation, they let _us_ in, and most member-races have warsoccasionally; they'll undoubtedly accept you, once you develop spacetravel.
"Just at the moment, of course, you're at a crossroads. You could jumpin either direction, blowing yourself up or taking the big step intospace. I think you'll turn out okay, but not everybody agrees--and theFederation can't take even small chances. So you can't be allowed to setoff your atom bombs, or worse, where they might get through to anotherplanet. We can't actually interfere with you, so we've closed the gates;that's all."
John Andrew, thinking it over, said "Oh," and let go of her wrist. Sheturned and went back to the rail again, after flashing him the most deluxe smile so far. Farmer came out of a philosophic haze to notice shewas leaving. He said, "Hey!"
She looked over her shoulder. Farmer didn't know what to say, but hewanted to delay her. Finally, he pointed to the nonapus, and said, "Whatabout that monster? You're not going to leave it here?"
She laughed again. "Oh, the robot? It'll follow me. It's designed to....Oh damn!"
The damn was for something she saw in the water as she looked back overthe rail again. John Andrew rushed to her side and looked as she got setfor a dive. Garf, he saw immediately, had returned, and was picking upthe Judge's invention.
"Put that down!" Dor's yell was high-pitched. Garf faced them, andFarmer could just make out his lazy, contemptuous smile through themurky water. The fishman raised his arm in one of the now-familiargestures.
The boat heaved, wallowed, and sank.
Farmer thought desperately again that he couldn't swim, and then hethought wildly of the Judge, who hadn't regained full consciousness. Hewent under once, and came up choking and sputtering. He decided his endhad come--and he didn't even know the identity of the enemy who had donehim in. It was ironic. He should have asked Dor to tell him more aboutGarf--was he a traitor, or a Tamdivarian gangster, or what? John Andrewgasped and started sinking again....
To find himself hauled out of the water unceremoniously by the scruff ofhis neck. As he rose, ropy tentacles twined about him, and he saw whathad saved him. He was being cradled, gently but firmly, by the nonapus,which had Judge Ray in another set of tentacles. And the nonapus, itbecame apparent, was not only a water-creature.
It could also fly.
* * * * *
Garf paddled idly around Dor's apartment, pretending interest in theshell-paintings that decorated the walls. He had presented her a bouquetin which rare blossoms hid slimy, smelly weeds, and she was sore athim--again. As she finished her conversation and switched off thetwo-way radio, he turned to her. "Dor," he said softly.
She looked at him haughtily. "Don't speak to me!" she said. "I told youyou'd have to stop your irresponsible practical joking and settle down.Some hard work wouldn't hurt you even if you did inherit a fortune. Idon't mind so much when you pull these stunts on me, but when I think ofhow you practically drowned those poor, defenseless Earth-creatures...."
His mouth twisted. "Poor, defenseless Earth-creatures! How was I to knowthey couldn't swim? Just imagine--beings that live on a world withalmost as much water as ours, who can't use their natural abilities anymore than that! It's ridiculous. I never saw such morons--the big, uglyone especially!"
He had intended that to sting, and it did. Dor raised her nose anothernotch. "I think he's cute, and I'm learning he's pretty intelligent,too. He catches on fast to everything I tell him. He and his littlefriend will have their spaceship finished soon now, and...."
"That's another thing!" Garf snapped, keeping her on the defensive."Maybe I violated Security by going to Earth when they accidentallyopened the gate, but what are you doing? What would the Fed say if theyknew you were giving out information the Earthmen hadn't acquired bythemselves--helping them get into space? What about that?"
Dor shrugged. "I'm not telling them anything, really. Just dropping afew hints of the most elementary sort. Things they'd have figured outsoon anyway--and things they still have to work hard to makepracticable. Even if some of the inventions they've worked out so farhave enabled them to make enough money to live on nicely--after all,those things are the merest toys to us--what could it possibly matter?"
Garf considered. This bickering was, as usual, getting them exactlynowhere. He gave up. "All right, dear," he said. "You win; you're right,of course, and I'm wrong. I only hope you won't bother so much withtalking to that Earth-slug on the radio after we're married."
Dor laughed a tinkly laugh and came into his waiting arms. "Darling,"she cooed. "What a thing to say. I actually believe you're jealous--andyou know I only love you."
Which wasn't strictly true. The big Earthman _was_ cute, she thought,and it was quaint of him to be in love with her, and to tell her soevery day over the radio built into the robot-nonapus. Of course, he wasinferior to her in every way, and she wouldn't think of marrying him oranything like that. But even his inferiority was interesting, in a way.
Yes, it was nice to know he loved her.
And she loved him, too--like an amusing baby brother.
+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note | | | | This etext was produced from "Future combined with Science | | Fiction stories" September 1951. Extensive research did not | | uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this | | publication was renewed. | | | | | | Errata | | | | The following typographical errors have been corrected: | | | | |Error |Correction | | | |effected |affected | | | |to to |to | | |
| +--------------------------------------------------------------+
Stairway to the Stars Page 4
