Snowman in Flames

by Perry Rhodan

  "I have no contact with him," said the little mousebeaver regretfully. "He's getting word to Rhodan."

  "Rhodan!" whispered Milly and clung desperately to Tiff. "He's our last hope. If he doesn't show up soon..."

  They all stared silently at the rising waters—and the red wall that began to glow on the horizon.

  • • •

  Rhodan discovered the Solar System within a few moments after emergence from hyperspace. He ordered Marshall to join him aboard the Stardust with one of the small space fighter planes. Major Nyssen was requested to return at once to his former position and to help McClears in creating diversionary tactics destined to distract the Springers' attention. Those Traders must be prevented from interfering during Rhodan's rescue action.

  Minutes later Marshall stood before Rhodan. "Just at this moment there is no contact with Pucky and Tiff. They are in a cave below the bottom of the ocean but Pucky maintains that they can reach safety—on an island."

  "Let's go; we've got no time to lose! Do you know where this island is located?"

  "More or less. It's difficult to find your way in this fog."

  "Try to pinpoint the location to Tiff's sender. Also watch out for any telepathic calls from Pucky. Bell, set the Stardust on its proper course. Every second counts."

  As far as Rhodan was concerned for the time being the Springers and the attacking patriarch no longer existed. He was confronted by one paramount problem: to save his people who were facing death on the flaming iceworld.

  The giant spacesphere moved at a low altitude over the waves of the steaming ocean, which was already boiling farther north, propelling huge cloud banks skywards. Here and there some jagged rock islands jutted above the surface of the sea but he failed to detect the least sign of life on them.

  And then suddenly Marshall cried out: "I've got them—both. Pucky and Tiff! They're very close—they're on the island. Yes, keep on the same course—it should be the next island."

  Rhodan looked at the screen. There wasn't much to be seen for the fog grew denser by the second. But then he recognized a dark dot in the swirling masses of steam, water and clouds.

  The island. And on it, moving about, were seven tiny dots—five human beings, Pucky and Aubrey the robot.

  But the island was far too small. The hugeStardust could not possibly come in for a landing on it.

  "Ask Pucky if he can transport all of them into the Stardust ," said Rhodan and let the spacesphere descend as far as possible toward the little island's surface. At the same instant a red light lit up, a signal connecting the radio room with the command center. Rhodan pushed down a lever. "Yes, what is it?"

  "Emergency call from Maj. Nyssen, sir. Etztak has escaped from the two cruisers and is attacking the ice

  planet with his entire fleet. Nyssen says he is in hot pursuit and trying to attack him from the rear." "Fine, tell Nyssen to keep up the good work. Show Etztak no mercy. And, also, the old patriarch will be ruthlessly dealt with from now on, tell that to Nyssen."

  "Right, sir." The red light went out. Bell's mouth became pencil-thin. "We'll fight to the finish?" he asked. Rhodan nodded his head. "We have no alternative. Marshall, tell Pucky we'll send him a destroyer. I can't jeopardize the Stardust

  's fighting efficiency in any way now by opening its hatches to receive the rescued group. Tiff will have to

  try make his way to safety with the destroyer. If necessary they'll have to leave the robot behind." "But these light destroyers are quite small and have hardly enough room to accommodate three people," objected Bell.

  "Sorry, but the cabin will have to do this time for five persons and Pucky, unless our little mouse-beaver would consider teleporting himself directly into the Stardust ."

  "He won't do that under any circumstances," Bell defended his friend. "He'll want to stay with Tiff." Rhodan called the ammunitions supply room. "Get both tele-transmitters ready for action! No, this time no atom bombs! A three-man destroyer!"

  A puzzled silence. Then the counter question: "A destroyer?" "Yes, a destroyer! Teletransport one of the small destroyers to the island just below us. Hurry! Here are the data..." Rhodan waited until suddenly he saw the slender torpedo-shaped destroyer materialize down on the island. Then he sent the Stardust shooting toward Etztak's fleet as it emerged with lightning speed from the sky.

  • • •

  Gesturing like a victorious field marshall Pucky pointed to the little area of the island that was still rising out of the ocean. "Abracadabra-simsalabim... well how much longer will that take?" "Have you finally lost your marbles?" inquired Hump, worried. The mouse-beaver shook his head. "Nope! Marshall says Rhodan will send us a destroyer—by

  teleportation. Must be some new trick he brought back from Wanderer. He can't tend to us personally as he had intended—the Springers are about to launch an attack."

  "A destroyer?" mumbled Tiff and threw a quick glance in Aubrey's direction. "We'll be awfully crowded there."

  High above in the clouds overhead the gigantic silhouette of the Stardust became visible for a few seconds. Then at exactly the same spot Pucky had just pointed out they watched the destroyer materialize from the void.

  Tiff picked up the box with the semi-sleepers, grabbed Milly by the hand and ran toward the sanctuary of the destroyer. He noticed now how hot the rocky ground under his feet had become. It was really a last minute escape.

  But before they could reach the small ship an orange colored energy finger came hissing from the clouds, creating a boiling funnel some distance from them.

  "Watch out!" yelled Pucky. "I'm jumping up to the destroyer to open the hatch for you. Keep on running, I'll get you afterwards!"

  And that same instant the heavy hatch door swung open. Pucky lost no time. The second energy ray of the attacking Springer ships hit the ground considerably closer. But at the same time the shadow of the Solar System appeared and placed the enemy ship under heavy bombardment.

  From one second to the next Tiff found himself transported into the tiny cabin of the destroyer. He pushed the box containing the semi-sleepers under a small table along one wall, then darted to the controls.

  Milly made her appearance and shortly afterwards Felicita. The engines started vibrating.

  Also Hump and Eberhardt materialized in the tiny cockpit, followed by Pucky a few seconds later. It was so terribly crowded inside the cabin that the two girls had to sit on Hump's and Eberhardt's laps.

  "Take off!" shrieked Pucky, trying to squeeze himself inside a wall cabinet. "It's high time. The ocean is at the boiling point—and the rocks are scorching hot. It's getting rapidly worse."

  As Tiff let the destroyer race into the opaque sky at top acceleration, he suddenly remembered Aubrey.

  "Heehee," giggled Pucky from the wall cabinet. "Did you ever get me wrong, my friend! Did you really believe for a moment I'd abandon our life-saver in that hell down there? He's in the engine room. I threw out some of the tool boxes to make room for him. All seems like magic or witchcraft, doesn't it? But that's teleportation for you!"

  Tiff grinned with relief. "I'd've been mighty sorry to lose that robot—I've taken a fancy to him."

  They shot out into space past some detonating Springer ships, all the while evading the dangerously groping fingers of the energy rays of the enemy. The ice planet fell away beneath them. Actually it could no longer be called an iceworld. It had already turned into a fireworld. Only the south pole was still white with the flood waters of the new oceans were already washing over the icy expanses.

  Beta-Albireo's second planet was dying and its whirling cloud masses were like the last breaths of a giant in the throes of agony.

  They were assembled before Rhodan and listened to his report. Only the highest officials of Terrania's administration and the leading officers of the space fleet were present.

  In addition, of course, Tiff, Hump, Eberhardt, Milly and Felicita.

  And naturally Pucky!

  The meeting had been calle
d together on the sunroof garden of the administrative building. Above them was the clear blue sky of Earth, unobscured by any cloud. The last rays of the setting sun fell through the glass roof and played on Pucky's glistening fur. The mouse-beaver was standing next to Bell who was caressing his little friend's neck. Bell seemed totally absorbed in this occupation.

  Milly and Felicita however could not waste any tune now on their little mouse-beaver friend. They devoted their full attention to their human boy friends, Tiff and Hump. Only Eberhardt seemed to remain unchanged; he was still the same old hermit.

  "...and thus we had no choice," Rhodan was just saying, "but to make an all-out attack on the Springers' fleet and destroy it. There was nothing that Etztak could do against the tele-transmitters. He lost one ship after the other till he fled panic-stricken with his last two ships. Our instruments indicated that he carried out a hyperspace jump through 12,000 light-years. I let him escape so he could spread the message that Earth is too dangerous a target for those who want to set out on a mission of conquest."

  A wave of murmuring voices passed through the assembly. Rhodan suddenly broke out in a smile and erased the horrible impact of his last remarks by adding: "If we owe thanks to anyone for this victory over a highly intelligent and superbly armed race, we must not forget Cadet Julian Tifflor and his companions. Their courage and willingness to carry out any action required of them during this dangerous enterprise made it possible to deceive the Springers as to our real intentions. And last but not least I want to mention our little friend Pucky who brought this dangerous mission to a successful conclusion. Let me therefore express to all those who contributed to this mission my gratitude as well as that of all mankind."

  A question and answer period followed and Rhodan was kept busy for a considerable length of time supplying all desired information.

  Bell pulled Pucky aside. The two dissimilar friends stood close to a great glass window which afforded them a magnificent view of Terrania, the world's youngest metropolis and capital of the New Power. Something new had been added to the fabulous view: flower beds had been planted all around the glass veranda. And growing there were giant tulips. Or such they appeared to be at first glance. Five huge tulips of varying shades, stretching their pleasingly shaped calyxes and lovely petals toward the warming rays of the terrestrial sun. Their almond-shaped brown eyes were opened wide as if they wished to get to know better, to observe in smallest detail every aspect of the new planet to which they had been transplanted. A delicate fragrance rose from the flowerbeds, perfuming the air breathed by the people in the vicinity.

  "So these are your semi-sleepers, Pucky," whispered Bell, gently stroking one of the blossoms with his hand. The flower was a red one. In each of the beds there were always five different-colored tulips. "They are the last remnants of their race. We hope they'll like it here."

  "They are very happy to have escaped a horrible death," said Pucky, exposing his incisor and breaking into a joyful grin. "They'll be fruitful—I mean flowerful—and multiply and keep their race alive. It is true, however, that it will take at least another 50 years till the first new—heh, heh-transplants will make their appearance. They take their time."

  "Half a century?" groaned Bell. "Half a century for a new offshoot of a plant? That definitely wouldn't do for my aunt and her cactus plants."

  "Your aunt hasn't as much time as the semi-sleepers—and us."

  "Us?" Reg regarded Pucky in a speculative light. "Just how old will you grow? You've never told us."

  The setting sun had dipped far below the horizon and now cast a reddish glow everywhere—including the protruding tooth of the mouse-beaver from the planet Vagabond. "You want to know how old I can get? You mean when will I die? " He appeared tremendously human as he shrugged his shoulders in a typically man-like gesture. "Well, that's quite uncertain. There is really only one way of determining my lifespan exactly."

  "Really?" Reg was falling into the trap. He bent down familiarly to his droll little friend. "And how would that be?"

  "Wait till I'm dead!" chipped Pucky.

  Bell's hand hit only the empty air because Pucky was quicker than his reaction. Before Reg had decided that he was miffed enough to swat him, Pucky had teleported himself to the other side of the hall.

  "Wait'll I get my hands on you!" threatened Reg in mock anger.

  "I'm too young to die," said Pucky, brushing an imaginary tear from his eye.

  SNOWMAN IN FLAMES

  Copyright © Ace Books 1973

  Ace Publishing Corporation

  All Rights Reserved