"I’m betting my good-luck bill,” said Terl. “But you got to promise you won't spend it and that you'll trade it back to me on payday if I...I lose it?”
The smaller Chamco brother had gotten money-hungry by now. He was picking up nearly two weeks' pay, and the wage cuts had hurt. Yes, he'd promise to do that.
As winner, the smaller Chamco brother went first. He had never been very good at rings. He fired and ouch! It was a one. Anything, but anything, would beat it.
Terl stared at it. He went drunkenly forward and looked at it closely. He reeled back to the firing line, faced the wrong way, had to be turned, and then zip! He got off a sizzler.
It hit the blank wall.
With that, Terl passed out. The attendant, helped by the Chamcos and Char and couple of others, got Terl on a banquet serving trolley that groaned and bent. They wheeled him in a triumphal parade to his quarters, got the key out of his pocket, brought him in, and dumped him on the floor. They were pretty drunk, too, and they went away chanting the funeral dirge of the Psychlos in a most feeling way.
When they were gone, Terl crawled to the door and closed and locked it.
He had taken counter-kerbango pills after dinner, and all he had to do now was get rid of the excess, which he did, tickling his throat with a talon over the wash basin.
Quietly then, with great satisfaction, he undressed and got into bed and had a beautiful sleep full of beautiful dreams concerning the beautiful future of Terl.
Chapter 4
Jonnie heard the monster enter the cage and close the door.
In the past few weeks Jonnie's hands and face had healed and his hair; eyebrows, and beard had grown out. His reflection in the water from the snow he had melted in a pan told him that. He couldn't see any scars on his hands but they still looked red where they had been burned.
He was wrapped in a robe, facing away from the door, and he didn't look around. He had worked late with the instruction machine.
“Look over here, animal,” said Terl. “See what I brought you.”
There was something different in the monster's voice. It seemed jovial if that were possible. Jonnie sat up and looked.
Terl was holding up four rats by their tails. Lately the nearby rat population had been cut down and Terl had been shooting rabbits and bringing them in, a very welcome change indeed. Yet here were more rats and the monster thought it was a favor.
Jonnie lay down again. Terl threw the rats over by the fire. One wasn't quite dead and started to crawl away. Terl flashed his handgun from its holster and blew its head off.
Jonnie sat up. Terl was putting the gun away.
“Trouble with you, animal,” said Terl, “you have no sense of appreciation. Have you finished the discs on basic electronics?”
Actually, Jonnie had. Terl had brought the discs weeks ago, along with some discs on higher mathematics. He didn't bother to answer.
“Anybody that could be fooled by remote controls couldn't ever really operate machines,” said Terl. He had harped on this before, omitting the truth that it was he who had been fooled.
“Well, here are some other texts. And you better wrap your rat brain around them if you ever expect to handle machines– mining machines.”
Terl threw three books at him. They looked huge but they were featherweight. One hit Jonnie but he caught the other two. He looked at them. They were Psychlo texts, not Chinko translations. One was Control Systems for Beginning Engineers. Another was Electronic Chemistry. The third was Power and its Transmission. Jonnie wanted the books. Knowledge was the key out of captivity. But he put the books down and looked at Terl.
“Get those into your rat brain and you won't be sending machines over cliffs,” said Terl. Then he came nearer and sat down in the chair. He looked closely at Jonnie. “When are you really going to start cooperating?”
Jonnie knew this was a very dangerous monster, a monster that wanted something that hadn't been named.
“Maybe never,” said Jonnie.
Terl sat back, watching Jonnie closely. “Well, never mind, animal. I see you pretty well recovered from your burns. Your fur is growing back.” Jonnie knew Terl had no interest in that and wondered what was coming next.
“You know, animal,” said Terl, “you sure had me fooled that first day.” Terl's eyes were watchful but he seemed to be just rambling along. “I thought you were four-legged!" He laughed very falsely. “It sure was a surprise when you fell apart into two animals.” He laughed again, amber eyes very cunning. “Wonder what happened to that horse.”
Before he could stop himself, Jonnie experienced a wave of sorrow over Windsplitter. He choked it off instantly.
Terl looked at him. Then he got up and wandered over to the cage door. To himself Terl was thinking: the horse is a key to this. He had been right. The animal was attached emotionally to that horse. Leverage, leverage. It came in many guises and its use was power.
Terl appeared to be laughing. “You sure had me fooled that first day. Well, I’ve got to be going. Get busy on those books, rat brain.” He went out. “That's a good one; ratbrain."
Jonnie sat staring after him. He knew he had betrayed something. And he knew Terl was up to something. But what? Was Windsplitter alive?
Uneasy, Jonnie built up the fire and began to look over the books. And then he was gripped in a sudden wave of excitement: he had found “uranium” listed in the index of Electronic Chemistry.
Chapter 5
Terl was not at all surprised to see the smaller Chamco brother come nervously into his office.
“Terl,” he said hesitantly. “You know that good-luck credit note you lost to me. Well, I won't be able to exchange-”
“What are you talking about?” said Terl.
“That good-luck credit note. You lost it to me and I promised to exchange it with you. I wanted to tell you-'
“Wait a minute,” said Terl. He fished out his wallet and looked into it. “Hey, you're right. It isn't here.”
“You lost it to me playing rings and I promised to exchange it back. Well-'
“Oh, yes. I have some dim recollection of it. That was quite a night. I was drunk, I guess. What about it?”
The smaller Chamco brother was nervous. But Terl seemed so open and pleasant he was emboldened. “Well, it's gone. Stolen.”
“Stolen!” barked Terl.
“Yes. Actually the five hundred credits I won and a hundred sixty-five more besides. The good-luck bill was among-'
“Hey, now. Slow up. Stolen from where?”
“My room.”
Terl got out an official pad and began to make notes. “About what time?”
“Maybe yesterday. Last night I went to get some drinking money and I found-'
“Yesterday. Hmmm." Terl sat back thoughtfully and gnawed at the top of his pen, “You know this isn't the first theft reported from rooms. There were two others. But you're in luck.”
“How so?”
“Well, you realize of course that I am responsible for security.” Terl made an elaborate demonstration of searching through piles of junk on his back bench. He turned to the smaller Chamco brother. “I shouldn't let you in on this.” He looked thoughtful, then seemed to make a sudden decision. “I can trust you to keep this secret.”
“Absolutely,” said the smaller Chamco brother.
“Old Numph worries all the time about mutinies.”
“He should after that pay cut.” “And so– well, you understand, I wouldn't do this on my own initiative-but it just so happened that your room was under surveillance yesterday– along with several other rooms, of course.”
This did not much shock the Chamco. The company often put work areas and quarters under surveillance.
Terl was fumbling through stacks of discs among the clutter. “I haven't reviewed them. Actually, never intended to. Anything to keep management happy...ah, yes. Here it is. What time yesterday?”
“I don't know.”
Terl put the disc on
a player and turned on the screen. “You're just lucky.”
“I should say so!”
“We'll just scan through this disc. It was on for two or three days...I’ll give it a fast-forward."
“Wait!” said the smaller Chamco brother. “Something flashed by.”
Terl obligingly reversed it. “Probably just you going in and out. I never review these things. It takes so long and there's so much to do. Company regulations-”
“Wait! Look at that!”
Terl said. “Here?”
“Yes. Who's that?”
Terl brightened up the screen.
“That's Zzt!" cried the Chamco. “Look what he's doing! Searching the room. Hah! He found it. Crap! Look at that! There's your bill!”
"Incredible," said Terl. “You sure are lucky there was a mutiny scare on.
Where you going?”
The Chamco had made an angry dive at the door, "I’m going down and beat the crap out of that low-'
“No, no,” said Terl. “That won't get your money back.” And it wouldn't either, for the money was nestling in a wad under Terl's front belt. He had taken it from the room soon after the Chamco had hidden it. “This has become an official matter because it was detected on an official disc, during an official surveillance.”
Terl opened a book of regulations, Volume 989, to Article 34a-IV. He turned several pages and then spun the book about and showed the Chamco where it said “theft of personal monies from the quarters of employees by employees,” and “when duly evidenced” and “vaporization.”
The smaller Chamco read it. He was surprised. “I didn't know it was that stiff.”
“Well, it is. And this is official, so don't go rushing off to take the law into your own hands.”
Terl took a blast rifle out of the rack and handed it to the smaller Chamco. “You know how to use this. It 's fully charged. You're now a deputy.”
The smaller Chamco was impressed.
He stood there fumbling with the catches and made sure the safety was on. “You mean I can kill him?”
“We'll see. This is official.”
Terl picked up the disc and a smaller portable screen and player and the book of regulations, then looked around to see whether he had everything. “Come along. Stay behind me and say nothing.”
They went to the quarters and found an attendant. Yes, the attendant had seen Zzt coming out of Chamco's room. Yes, he knew Zzt by sight. He didn't recall whether it was the thirteenth or the fourteenth of the month. But he'd seen him. He was cautioned to say nothing, for “it was official and had to do with mutiny surveillance,” and the attendant obligingly signed the witness report, vowing to himself to be sure to keep quiet. He didn't care much for executives anyway.
And so it was that Terl, followed by the smaller Chamco brother with a blast rifle in ready position, came to the maintenance area of the garage. Terl snapped a small button camera on the wall and pushed its remote.
Zzt looked up. He had a heavy wrench in his paw. He looked at the blast rifle and the set faces. Fear stirred in him.
“Put down that wrench,” said Terl. “Turn around and hold onto that chain-lift rail with both paws.”
Zzt threw the wrench. It missed. Terl's paws batted him across three dollies. The Chamco danced around trying to get in a shot.
Terl put his boot on Zzt's neck. He waved the Chamco back.
His body obscuring the Chamco's view,
Terl knelt and, with a rapid sleight of paw, “extracted” the wad of bills from Zzt's rear pocket.
Terl handed them to the Chamco. “Are these your bills?”
Zzt had rolled over and stared up at them from the greasy floor.
The Chamco counted. “Six hundred fifty credits. And here's the good-luck bill!” He was ecstatic.
Terl said, “You're witness to the fact they were in his back pocket.”
“Absolutely!” said the Chamco.
“Show that bill to the camera on the wall,” said Terl.
“What is this?” roared Zzt.
“Back up and keep that blast rifle ready,” said Terl to the Chamco. Then, keeping himself out of the fire path to Zzt, he laid the things he had carried on the bench. He opened the book of regulations and pointed it out to Zzt.
Zzt angrily read it aloud. He faltered toward the end and turned to Terl. “Vaporize! I didn't know that!”
“Ignorance is no excuse, but few employees know all the regulations. That you didn't know it is probably why you did it.”
“Did what?” cried Zzt.
Terl turned on the disc. Zzt looked at it, confused, incredulous. He saw himself stealing the money!
Before Zzt could recover, Terl showed him the attendant's signed statement.
“Do I vaporize him now?” begged the Chamco, waving the rifle about and fumbling off the safety catch.
Terl waved a conciliatory paw. "Chamco, we know you have every right– no, actually the duty– to carry out the execution.” He looked at Zzt, who was standing there stunned. “Zzt, you're not going to do this sort of thing again, are you?” Zzt was shaking his head, not in answer but in dumbfounded confusion.
Terl turned back to Chamco. “You see? Now, listen, Chamco, I can understand your anger. This is a first-time mistake for Zzt. You've got your money back– and by the way, we'll exchange that bill now. I’ll need it for the evidence file.”
The Chamco took the note Terl offered and handed over the good– luck bill. Terl held the bill up to the wall camera running on remote and then laid it down on the statement.
“You see, Chamco,” said Terl, “I can keep this file open, but in a safe place where it can be found if anything happens to either of us. It can be activated at any time. And would be activated if further offenses occurred.” His voice took on a pleading tone. "Zzt has been a valuable fellow in the past. As a favor to me, lay aside your revenge and let it lie.”
The Chamco was thoughtful, his bloodlust cooling.
Terl glanced at Zzt and saw no attack signals. He put out his paw to the Chamco. “Give me the rifle.” The Chamco did and Terl put on the safety slide. “Thank you,” said Terl. “The company is indebted to you. You can go back to work.”
The Chamco smiled. This Terl was sure a fair and efficient Psychlo. “I sure appreciate your getting my money back,” said the Chamco and left.
Terl turned off the camera he had put on the wall and restored it to his pocket. Then he picked up the things on the bench and made them into a neat package.
Zzt was standing there restraining the tremble that threatened to engulf him. The aura of death had gripped him all too nearly. Stark terror flared in his eyes as he looked at Terl. He was not seeing Terl. He was seeing the most diabolical devil ever drawn in the mythology of the Psychlos.
“All right?” said Terl quietly. Zzt sank slowly down on a bench.
Terl waited a bit but Zzt didn't move. “Now to business,” said Terl. “I want certain things assigned to my department. A Mark III ground car, executive. Two battle planes, unlimited range. Three personnel freighters. And fuel and ammunition without inventory. And a few other things. In fact, I just happen to have the requisitions right here for you to sign. Oh, yes, there are some blank ones, too. All right?”
Zzt did not resist the pen as it was pushed between his claws. The thick sheaf of requisitions was slipped onto his knee. Lifelessly he began to sign each one.
That night a very cheerful Terl, who said he felt lucky even though a bit drunk, won all six hundred fifty credits back from the smaller Chamco brother in a very narrowly contested game of rings.
Terl even bought kerbango for the whole crowd out of his winnings as a good– night gesture. They cheered him when he happily rumbled off to a well-earned sleep.
He dreamed beautiful dreams wherein leverage made him wealthy, crowned him king, and got him far away from this accursed planet.
Chapter 6
Jonnie laid down his book and stood, stretching. There was more than
a smell of spring in the air. The snow had run off and only lingered in shady places. The air was crystal, the sky a beautiful blue. There was a surging tension in his limbs and muscles. It was one thing to be cooped up in winter. It was quite another to sit in a cage in spring.
He saw what had distracted him a few moments before. Terl drove up to the cage gate in a long, sleekly gleaming, black tank. It purred quietly, hiding awesome power behind its gun muzzles and slitted ports.
Terl bounded out and the ground shook. He was very jovial. “Get your clothes on, animal. We're going for a drive.”
Jonnie was dressed in buckskin.
“No, no, no,” said Terl. “Clothes! Not hides. You'll stink up my new ground car. How do you like it?”
Jonnie was suddenly alert. Terl asking for opinion or admiration was not the Terl he knew. "I’m dressed,” said Jonnie.
Terl was unhooking the leash from the cage. “Oh, well. What's the difference? I can stand it if you can. Get your air mask. You'll be inside, and I am damned if I’ll drive around in one. Bring your clubs, too.”
Now Jonnie was alert. He put on a belt and a pouch with flints and the bits of glass for cutting. He put the thong of the kill-club over his wrist.
Terl checked the air bottles and playfully snapped the elastic of Jonnie's mask as he put it on him. “Now get in, animal. Get in. Some ground car, eh?”
Indeed it was, thought Jonnie, as the gunner's seat engulfed him. Blazing purple fabric, gleaming instrument panel, and shining control buttons.
“I checked her all out for remotes,” said Terl. He laughed and laughed at his joke as he climbed in. “You know what I’m refer ring to, rat brain. No over the cliff on fire today.” He hit a button and the doors closed and sealed. He turned on the breathe-gas louvers and the atmosphere changed in a blink. “Crap, were you stupid!” he laughed some more.
The ground car went hurtling toward the open, four feet above the earth, accelerating to two hundred miles per hour in a breath, almost breaking Jonnie's spine.
Terl unsnapped his face mask and threw it aside. “You see those doors? Don't ever hit a latch or try to open one when I’m not wearing a mask, animal. This thing would wreck with no driver.”
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