Harlow knew that he had failed. He had not found even the first clue to Dundonald's trail, and if he left ML-441 now, he would never find one. Yet they were not going to let him into the town again to look for Brai, that was clear.
He turned and walked back into the darkness of the plain. He heard low, fierce voices behind him, and the timbre of them made him think that he had been lucky to get away from them unscathed.
But had he got away yet? The torches were soon well behind him, and the lights of the Thetis a half mile ahead, when Harlow's ears picked up a stealthy sound from behind. A sound of quiet running.
He turned quickly. He could see nothing. Whoever came was being careful not to show himself against the distant torches.
So they had decided not to wait out their own ultimatum, and had sent someone after him? Harlow felt anger rise in him. He had no weapon. But they were not going to hunt down an Earthman in the dark like this.
Too far, to call to the Thetis. His only chance was in counter-surprise. He went down on one knee and poised waiting, listening.
He heard the soft, fast footsteps come closer, and just glimpsed a flitting darker shadow against the dark.
Harlow lunged and crashed into the runner, hard.
CHAPTER II
They rolled over and over together in the dark. Then Harlow, grabbing fiercely for his antagonist, got a surprise. It was a girl.
He held onto her by her smooth bare shoulders, but now she managed to speak in a quick, panting whisper.
"I am not your enemy. Please!"
It took him a moment to speak; he had to think of the Ktashan words he had learned, and for that moment he stood gripping her. Back at the edge of the town the torches were moving, and they struck a fitful gleam that showed Harlow the short-robed figure and clear, golden young face of the girl.
"Who are you and why did you follow me?” he demanded.
"You look for Brai?” she said breathlessly.
Harlow was instantly alert. “I want to talk to him, that's all. Do you know him?"
"I am Yrra,” said the girl. “I am Brai's sister."
Harlow took his hands off her. He glanced back toward the moving torches, but they were moving into the town, not toward him. Yet he was sure there were still watchers there, and he kept his voice down when he spoke.
"I was beginning to doubt whether there was a Brai. Where is he?"
Yrra talked in a rush that he could hardly understand. “They are holding him a prisoner. N'Kann and the Council. He was already under disapproval, and when your ship came they seized him and hid him away."
"For God's sake, why?"
"So that he could not talk to you of the Vorn as he had talked to the other Earthman,” she answered.
"To Dundonald?” Harlow felt a kindling excitement. “Listen, Yrra — what did your brother tell Dundonald? About the Vorn, I mean."
She was silent a moment. “There are only legends. That is all Brai knew, all any of us know."
"But the legends? Do they speak of where the Vorn come from, where their native star is?"
"Yes. They do,” she said. “It is said that long ago some of the Vorn who came to our world spoke in their own way — with some of our people, and told them things."
"Then you know as much as your brother on that point!” Harlow said. “Good. You can tell me what he told Dundonald, about the origin-world of the Vorn."
"I will not tell you,” said Yrra flatly.
"Why not? You mean you're superstitious too about the Vorn?"
Her reply was edged with pride. “We are not all as backward here as N'Kann. My brother is a student and a thinker. He would like to see our world become more civilized. That is why he talked so eagerly to the other Earthman — Dundonald."
"All right, so you're not superstitious,” Harlow said impatiently. “Then why won't you tell me?"
She caught his arm. “Listen, Earthman—"
"The name is Harlow,” he interrupted. “Go ahead."
"It is this, Harlow. I am afraid for my brother. They said N'Kann and the others — that he was only locked up to keep him from talking with you, that he would be released when you left. But I fear that in their superstitious anger, they may kill him."
"Go on,” said Harlow.
"Help me set Brai free,” said Yrra coolly. “Then he and I will tell you all that is known about the Vorn."
Harlow felt his momentary hopes wither. “It's no good,” he said. “It can't be done; we're not allowed to interfere with local law and justice. Anyway, where would your brother go? They'd just grab him again when we left."
"There are other towns and people on this world beside Ktasha,” said the girl. “Brai and I will go to one of them. Our parents are dead, there's only the two of us."
Harlow shook his head. “I don't blame you for trying to break him out but it's no deal. We can't use force, it's against our orders and anyway, we're about to be run out as it is."
"There would be no need of fighting!” Yrra said earnestly. “I know where he is, all I need is help to slip him out of there.” She added, “Unless you do so you will learn nothing."
Harlow felt trapped. The rules of the Star Survey were rigid. Its men were allowed to defend themselves but not to barge into other peoples’ worlds and throw their weight around. From the very start, it had been a basic tenet that Earth's sudden leap into space was not to be used for crude imperialism.
And yet if he left ML-441 without a single clue to Dundonald's trail, without an inkling of where Dundonald had gone in his search for the Vorn, he would have to go home and report failure. It was a long way back to Sol, for that.
"I just don't see how—” Harlow began, and then was stricken dumb by a startling interruption.
From the moonless sky of stars came a faraway shriek that in a heartbeat of time became a thunderous roar. Yrra cried out and upward at a black bulk with rows of lights that was down upon them like a falling meteor. But Harlow had ready recognized that sound, and it was the last sound he had expected to hear.
"Another ship!” he exclaimed. “Now why—” Then his hopes bounded. “By Heaven, maybe it's Dundonald come back here!"
"They have seen, in the town,” Yrra said swiftly. “Look!"
Back in the Ktashan town the torches were tossing wildly as men ran back out onto the dark plain. Over the dull, steady roar of riven atmosphere from the descending ship, Harlow could hear faraway cries of anger and alarm. He could well imagine the state of mind of N'Kann and the others when, right after ordering his own ship away, they saw another one arrive.
"They are coming,” Yrra said. “And if they find me talking secretly with you here, I will be imprisoned like Brai."
He took her arm. “Come with me. It's all you can do, until they calm down."
He ran with her toward the lights of the Thetis glancing up warily to make sure he did not get under the descending ship. But the newcomer was dropping down on the plain a little beyond the Thetis.
Men were running out of the Thetis, as he and Yrra ran up. He darted a glance backward and saw the torches streaming out over the plain. Now the newly-arrived ship was landing on the ground, its keel tubes spurning ghostly clouds of ions, and he made out its outlines as those of a twenty-man star-cruiser like his own ship.
Kwolek came running up to him, as he and Yrra reached the Thetis.
"It's another Star Survey cruiser! Do you suppose it's—” Then he broke off, looked at Yrra, and whistled. “Where'd you pick her up?"
"Get the men back into the ship,” snapped Harlow. “There's liable to be trouble. And take her with you. Garcia, you'll come with me."
To Yrra he spoke as rapidly as he could in the Ktashan tongue. “Go with him. Your people are coming and they must not see you with us."
She flashed a look of understanding at him, and went with Kwolek without a word.
The torches were corning across the plain in ragged order, still some distance away. Harlow glanced at them worriedly
and then with Garcia beside him he hot-footed it around the stern of the Thetis.
His first close look at the newly-landed ship shattered his hopes.
Dundonald's cruiser had been the Starquest, but the name on the bows of this one, beneath the Survey, emblem, was Sunfire.
"Not Dundonald,” said Garcia. “But I didn't know another Survey ship was anywhere near here."
The lock of the Sunfire opened as a square of glowing light in the dark flank. A tall figure shouldered out, glanced around, and then came toward Harlow and Garcia.
By the light streaming from the lock, from which other men in the standard uniform were now emerging, Harlow saw a big young man with close-cropped red hair — and keen, light blue eyes in a rawboned face.
"Taggart, commanding the Sunfire," he said, extending his hand. “You'll be Harlow? I'm from Sector Three Division, I don't think we ever met. What the devil's going on here?"
"The people here are not happy about your coming,” Harlow said dryly. “If I may make a suggestion, I'd confine your men aboard ship for the present."
Taggart looked at the oncoming torches and swore, then turned and rapped out an order to the men in the lock. Then he turned back to Harlow.
"Service courtesy demands that I visit your ship first, but shall we get a move on?” he said.
Harlow thought they had better. The torches were uncomfortably close, and he could hear the angry voices of the men who carried them.
With Garcia following them, he and Taggart went back around the Thetis on the double. As they reached its lock, he saw that the Ktashans had stopped a pistol-shot away, but a shout that he knew was from N'Kann rolled loudly.
"I warn you again, be gone by sunrise! All of you!"
Inside the Thetis, Taggart turned to Harlow with a perplexed look on his face.
"What's got into these people? They were listed as quite friendly."
"They were — until Dundonald got to talking with one of them about the Vorn,” said Harlow.
Taggart's face lengthened. “So that's it. I wish no one had ever heard this cursed myth about the Vorn. It's kicked up trouble from here to Earth and it's still kicking. It's why I'm here."
Harlow didn't like the sound of that, but kept from asking questions as they went toward his cabin. He passed Yrra standing uncertainly in a companionway with Kwolek. Taggart looked at the girl admiringly as Harlow said, “Wait here for a little, Yrra. They mustn't see you come out of our ship."
She nodded, looking very young and more than a little unhappy, and he went on.
When Taggart was sprawled in a chair in his little cabin, with a drink, Harlow said, “Let's have it."
Taggart set the drink down. “We were pulled out of Sector Three survey work to come here on special service. Our orders — to report to you, and assist under your command to find Dundonald and the Starquest."
Harlow stared. “Meaning no discourtesy to you, but why in the world would they send another ship? If one can't find Dundonald, two can't."
"There's more to it than that,” said Taggart. He looked keenly at Harlow. “Ever hear of the Cartel?"
Harlow was about to say he hadn't, but then checked himself. He remembered something. He said slowly, “That was years ago, back in the time when the star-drive was first invented, wasn't it? A bunch of tycoons on Earth who decided the star-drive was too profitable a thing to let the UN have, and tried to grab it. They got slapped down hard.
Taggart nodded. “That was the bunch. Now it's happening again, according to what the Survey just heard. There's a new Cartel operating — a group of tough magnates on Earth who are after something as big as the star-drive."
"After what?” demanded Harlow.
Taggart picked up his glass and drained it. “After the Vorn."
"The Vorn?” repeated Harlow. “I'll be — Why, nobody even knows who or what or where the Vorn are!"
"Right,” said Taggart. “But one thing people do know. They know that ever since the Survey started exploring the star-worlds, at world after world we've heard the stories about the mysterious Vorn, and how they can travel between the stars — without using ships like ours. It's why your friend Dundonald is hunting for them. It's why some very rich men on Earth are also extremely interested in finding them."
He hunched forward, speaking earnestly. “Lots of people think these Vorn may have some method of instantaneous transmission of matter across interstellar distances. If they do, it would make starships obsolete. All right. A new Cartel, so the Survey just learned, is out to find that secret."
Harlow stared at him troubledly. It made sense. There was a type who felt that nothing must be discovered, invented or made that did not make them richer than they already were.
Taggart leaned back, stretching tiredly. “When Survey Center heard that the Cartel has ships out hunting for Dundonald too, they thought you'd better have reinforcement. I was available, so they shoved me here. I've brought some weapons, by order, in case of trouble."
He added, almost cheerfully, “Well, that's it and I'm reporting for orders. When do we start looking for Dundonald, and where?"
"I wish I knew,” Harlow said gloomily. “There's one man here who knows where Dundonald went, but I can't even get to him."
He told Taggart about Brai, and what Yrra had said. The red-haired captain listened attentively. Then he exclaimed, “Why, there's no big problem in that. We'll help the girl get her brother out and this Brai can tell us what we want to know."
"But Survey regulations forbid intrusions into local law and justice—” Harlow began.
Taggart snorted, and got to his feet. “Listen, Harlow. I'm fresh from Survey Center and I can tell you this: Survey is in such a sweat over the possibility of this Cartel getting to the Vorn and their secret that they'll overlook any minor infraction of rules. But they won't overlook failure on your part."
That, too, made sense, Harlow knew. He had realized from the first that he couldn't leave ML-441 without finding out anything.
"What we ought to do is take this wench and spank the information out of her,” he growled.
Taggart grinned. “I'd sure enjoy it. But she may not really know much, so we have to get her brother. I'll take on the job of doing it."
Harlow said, “We will. We can't send men into danger on a mission that's against the rules, but we can go ourselves."
He touched the intercom and spoke into it and presently Yrra came into the cabin. Taggart whistled softly in appreciation, much as Kwolek had done. But she looked anxiously at Harlow, and her fine brown eyes lit up when he told her.
"It has to be tonight, your people will be at our throats by tomorrow,” he finished. “The question is, can you lead two of us to where your brother's locked up without our being seen?"
"I'm almost sure I can!” Yrra said.
"Confidence is a wonderful thing,” grunted Harlow. “All right, Taggart, we'll start our jail-breaking mission in an hour. We'll have to circle out in a big curve to come at the town from the other side."
Two hours later, he and Taggart and Yrra had made most of their big detour and were approaching the Ktashan city from the far side. They walked quietly in the darkness on the grass, and the wind brought them a heavy fragrance from flowering trees outside the town, mingled with a smell of acrid smoke from the crude vegetable oil lamps these people used. Beyond the trees the monolithic town was a blacker bulk dotted with softly lighted windows, looking for all the world like a single rambling stone castle that went on and on.
Yrra's warm fingers closed on Harlow's wrist. “From here I must lead."
Harlow nodded, and he heard Taggart murmur, “All seems quiet enough."
"Too quiet,” Harlow muttered. “Most of the people are out watching our ships and waiting for sunrise. Then it'll blow off."
He and Taggart went forward in the dark, and Yrra led the way as silently as a shadow. From the sky the unfamiliar stars looked down incuriously, a spangled canopy made even more strange to E
arthly eyes by the vast, brooding black blot of the Horsehead. Harlow looked up at that alien sky and wished that nobody had ever heard of the Vorn. We wished that the first sputniks and rockets had never happened and that man had had sense enough to stay on his own world.
He did not know just how desperately he would wish that before morning.
CHAPTER III
They walked in a dark, narrow street that was no more than a corridor cut out of the rock. On either side rose walls of the same stone, with here and there a door or shuttered windows. The doors and shutters were of metal, and no light came from them. Nor was there any sound except the clump of their boots, which seemed to Harlow's strained ears loud enough to wake the dead. He thought that this stone city would make a fine trap.
The makers of this place had been a patient folk. They had found a great solid outcrop of red sandstone and they had set to work to carve it into a city. How many centuries they had chiseled away at the soft stone, he could not guess. But rooms and walls and streets and narrow ways like this one had taken shape under the chisels, and as the people had grown they had worked ever farther and deeper into the outcrop until this staggering monolith town was the result.
"These are the ways between the grain warehouses,” whispered Yrra. “Now we must cross a street, and we must not be seen."
Harlow was grateful that there was no street lighting, when they came to the wider crossways The only illumination was lamplight from windows along it, but that was enough to show a number of the Ktashan men and women. They were hurrying along the street, calling to each other in excited tones.
"They're talking about the arrival of your ship,” muttered Harlow to Taggart.
"Yes, I got it,” said Taggart unexpectedly, and then explained. “I studied copies of some of the language-tapes the first Survey party here made — the one before Dundonald. Nothing else to do on the way here."
Harlow waited until there were no passersby within a block, then whispered the word. They skipped across the shadowy street into another narrow stone way.
The Godmen Page 2
