by F. M. Busby
"It was not quite as you said." Rissa made clear the dif-ferent roles of Stagon dal Nardo and Jimar Peralta and, as Zelde nodded, said, "And you wil command Valkyrie. Have you yet met Kile Ressider?"
"Oh, sure-we get along fine. He told it straight-first dis-appointed, then sold on the chance for a command at Strong-hold, probably sooner than he'd have succeeded Norden in the ordinary way. I've gotta depend on Kile a lot-he knows the ship and I don't-so I made damn sure we're friends."
Did M'tana wink? Rissa could not be sure; she said, "I am glad al is to be wel between you." Tregare laughed. "Everybody gets along with Zelde. The easy way or the hard way-it's their choice."
"I learned that part from you, Tregare-you're a good teacher."
"The way I heard it, you kept things in line pretty wel on Chanticleer while Parnel was faling apart, and after." She shrugged. "You do what you have to. I was scared a lot."
"If you do the job," said Tregare, "nobody fusses how you felt while you did it." Zelde grimaced but did not answer. Rissa said, "Tregare? Do you feed people on this ship, or has Inconnu run out of supplies?" He laughed and ordered lunch served; the talk turned to im-mediate planning.
Now Rissa's days sped fast. She and Tregare lived aboard Inconnu, in the quarters they had shared with Chira. On Carcharodon and No Return, several turrets were modified to serve as practice positions. The work of arming Valkyrie and Graf Spee proceeded; now, with the crews experienced, it went much faster.
Rissa rode with Tregare when he took the scout across the Hills to return the truth field equipment. When they came back to Base Two, he delivered Ami Gustafson's greetings and regards to Felcie. On the same trip, scheduled with fore-thought, Rissa's third ovum went safely to the Hatchery, and Tregare made his "backup deposit."
Hilaire Gowdy came aboard Inconnu one day with a list of proposed officers for No Return. Her Second had been kiled in Peralta's mutiny, and her Third had failed the truth field. Her candidates for those positions were upper-grade ratings who had been loyal in the fighting-but for First Officer she named Elrain Hardekamp, once Peralta's man.
"He's the best I've got, Tregare. But do you approve him?"
Tregare's brows lowered, then his face relaxed. "Yes, I remember-the first one I questioned. Wel, the field said he's straight-and even without it I might've believed him. Sure, Gowdy, go ahead and make him First Hat." When the woman left, Rissa said, "It comes together-does knot, Bran?"
He put an arm around her. "I think so-I really begin to think so."
"How much leeway have you left?"
"Not much-not a hell of a lot." He shook his head. "Peace be perpetrated-we've got to make it!" the next day Hawkman called; in the control room Rissa watched the wavering picture as Tregare answered. "A ship landed-where did you say?" Over the relayed circuit the voice came weak. "Three sight-ings. Near the Windy Lakes settlements it made a pass but didn't land. Then it did sit down, a little back from the coast at North Point-Rissa's peninsula. Several people are missing there. And now it's gone to ground somewhere beyond the Slab Jumbles."
Tregare's lips drew taut, white against his teeth. "Iden-tification?"
She saw the indistinct head shake. "Nothing solid. The only witnesses who know anything about ships say it looked awfully small. But nobody-nobody that's still around to talk -saw it up close."
"UET?" Tregare's Voice was almost a whisper. Then back to normal: "I heard talk-before we Escaped-they planned to try smaller ones, Cheaper, for some purposes-if the design worked. But in all these years I've heard no more, anywhere. And out here? No. I-"
"Then who, Bran?" Rissa could stand silent no longer.
"Who do you suppose?" He turned back to Hawkman. "I've got to check this. And damn it-I can't use one of my ships. The fuel, the work schedules-we'd miss deadline." He scowled. "The scout! It's not armed to match a real ship, but maybe I can dodge what I can't stand up to."
Hawkman paused, then said, "Yes. Anything I can do, Bran?"
It was Tregare's turn to hesitate, then he said, "Ask Dr. Estelle Marco at the Hatchery if she or some other competent medic can meet us at the port tomorrow and come along. I'll be there by-oh, call it mid-morning."
"I'll see to it. And-I forgot-Liesel and I looked over the plans you sent for contingencies at Earth. They're sound-we have no changes to suggest."
"Good. I'll be in touch when I can-before final liftoff, surely."
"I'm glad. And-that's you, Rissa, behind Bran?"
"Yes. Hello, Hawkman-my love to all of you."
"And ours to you. Well, I'll call Marco. Good-bye."
The picture dimmed. Rissa said, "It is the Shrakken?"
"Who else?" Tregare spread his hands.
"Why do you wish Dr. Marco to be with us?"
"Us? This one you're not going on!"
"As you often say, the hell I am not. Now, again-why Marco?"
Before he spoke, he shrugged. "Because something's funny about the Shrakken-and I don't mean chuckle. There's no fancy specialists here-shipboard or groundside-a plain medic's all we've got. But maybe she can take one of them apart and see what makes it tick.'
"You would kill them?"
"They've killed, haven't they? But-" He shook his head. "Autopsies are the last resort; maybe we can do without them. But either way, I want Marco with us."
"Us? But, Bran-you said-"
"If you want to go, you'l go-one way or another. Might as wel go together."
"It is pleasant to have an understanding husband." Then, "Bran! Not here!" Enjoying the game of playing helpless when both knew she was not, she waited until he released her. "You have calls to make, I know. I go to our quarters. Twenty minutes?" When he arrived some minutes late, she ignored the lapse.
In the night she woke, not knowing why. She heard Tregare's breathing; it was not that of a sleeper. "Bran? You are awake?"
"Yeah. Can't sleep."
"You are not ill?"
"No." She sensed the movement of his headshake. "It's just this thing tomorrow-the Shrakken. It's so damned crucial- if they're a real menace, maybe we have to stay here-all bets off-"
"Bran?" She reached for him. "Might I help, now?"
He laughed and came to hold her. "I don't know-you might, at that."
But in their embrace she felt him strain to achieve at all, and at the end she knew it had not gone well for him. Afterward she lay hoping to hear him breathe in the rhythms of sleep -but if he did, it was after she herself slept.
Rissa took the scout up next morning and flew it across the Big Hils, but Tregare-though he showed evident fatigue-took control for the landing, saying, "You're almost ready for that, but not quite."
Ivan was with them, and Hilaire Gowdy. The older woman's appearance surprised Rissa; while she might never be slim nor pretty, her weight loss gave her a healthy look. In her own strong-featured way, Rissa decided, Gowdy was becom-ing an attractive woman. Even the unruly hair was trimmed and brushed into relative neatness.
Rissa was caught staring; Gowdy grinned. "Let myself go something awful, hadn't I? That outspoken young chit with the truth gear brought me up short. Took a good look and didn't like it, so ..."
"You must be very pleased now. I am happy for you."
"Oh, I have more to take off. But it gets easier."
As Tregare landed the scout, talk ceased. Rissa let the ramp out and down, and stepped onto it. She saw Estele Marco get out of a groundcar, and waved. A younger woman-tal, car-rying an equipment bag that seemed heavy, followed the doc-tor to and up the ramp.
"My assistant, Landa Cohoes," said Marco. Inside, Co-hoes set the bag down; Rissa took charge of introductions. Shaking Cohoes's hand, Tregare said, "You're both com-ing along?"
"If you don't mind," the doctor said. "One of you could carry this ton of junk for me, I suppose-but if I understood what Hawkman Moray was saying, another pair of skilled hands could help."
Tregare nodded. "Sure, that's good. Rissa-fill it in, will you, on the way? Might as well
take off now, if we're all ready." With al seated and securely belted, he took the scout up.
As she talked, Rissa watched the two women's reactions. Marco occasionally nodded or grimaced; the other's grave ex-pression did not change. Rissa could see the woman was past first youth but her skin was clear, her brown hair-worn long, coiled at the nape-untouched by gray. Finaly Landa Cohoes said, "And these creatures have been seen-by humans-only twice?" "Yes," said Rissa, "First by the Committee troops who
-we are almost certain-killed them. Then by the settlers on Charleyhorse-where, as I said, they kiled at least one." Tregare said, "Limmer-one of my captains-saw them over a viewscreen, ship to ship. But not for long, and the pic-ture wasn't very good."
"Are you sure they kiled the woman at the colony?" said Marco.
"We're sure of damned little," said Tregare. "That's why
-until we find out more, if we can-I don't want this world left undefended."
He took the scout high; now they passed over those unbe-lievable piles of stone, the Slab Jumbles. Beyond them Rissa saw a gleam of light, and Tregare shouted, "There it is! UET or Shrakken, we've found it!" The scout dropped low over the monstrous stones, and then alongside them toward the ground. Balancing the vessel on thrust that barely supported it, Tregare moved slowly to the last southernmost slab. Half-way along its great length, he grounded beside it.
To their left as they disembarked, the fallen monolith loomed high. Tregare, leading, turned to the others. "If this bucket weren't so noisy, we could've got closer. Try to land beside them, though-they'd take off-al I could do is shoot. So we have to sneak up on foot."
"And then what, Bran?"
"What you're good at, Rissa-play it by ear." He looked from one to another. "Except for our medics, we're al armed
-right?"
Marco said, "We're armed, too, but Landa will be hampered by the equipment."
Ivan moved to take the bag but Hilaire Gowdy said, "No-let me. I'm only fair with guns, anyway." Ivan smiled and stepped aside as she shouldered it.
They set off-Tregare and Ivan ahead, Rissa guarding the rear. Occasionally Tregare gave further instructions. "If we can, we want to talk. If they shoot first-wel, depends on the setup. If we can, get to cover and play it from there. If not-standard practice-get flat and shoot the piss out of them.
Until they quit or as long as we last-but I always bet on our side."
A little farther along. "Say they manage to take off. I run like hell back to the scout and chase-only thing I can do. They leave any behind, that's up to you-keep them alive if you can, but don't take any chances you don't have to."
"And then what, Bran?"
"Oh, sure, Rissa-this is no place to be stuck. Soon as I'm high enough, I'll call Hawkman-get a couple of aircars here, needed or not. Five vacant seats and the rest full of armed help."
Rissa frowned. "Bran-"
"What's wrong?"
"I wish we had conferred." He waited; she said, "If an air-car had made rendezvous and were here now-''
He turned, eyes widened. "Peace take me, yes! We could drop in quietly, surprise them-and me or someone in the scout, ready to go up if need be."
"And without-your having to run like hell, Bran."
"Yeah, yeah-wait a minute." Then he shook his head. "No-we don't have the time. I'm sorry-we're stuck with things as they are. Damn! I couldn't sleep last night, and I miss it."
They reached the end of the towering slab; Tregare dropped to his belly and crawled to peer around a sharply angled cor-ner. Rissa looked back; she saw bare rock and flat ground; the only clumps of boulders large enough to give cover to an enemy were outside the range of a quick rushing attack. She moved to join Tregare. She looked. "Are you sure, Bran, we have not circumnavi-gated the Slab Jumbles?" For the ship ahead, perhaps a hun-dred meters distant, was almost a twin to Tregare's scout. But near it a dozen or so Shrakken sat or moved, pursuing their activities.
"Bran-what are they doing?"
"No way of knowing-the equipment's totally unfamiliar." Over his shoulder. "Ivan? Could you man the scout?"
"If Rissa's not ready to land it yet-and she's flown it some -it's too hot for me. Sorry."
"Then damn it, it's up to you and her to lead the parade-because I have to stay in position to run for it." And nearly a kilometer back, Rissa thought...
"I could fly it," said Gowdy.
"Sure. But-no offense-you'd take too long getting there."
"I could start now. If theirs goes up, I see it and follow."
Tregare hesitated. "AH right-go ahead." Gowdy handed the medical kit to Cohoes and turned to jog back toward the scout. Slowly, along the base of the great stone, they began to move-Ivan and Rissa ahead, Marco and Cohoes folowing, and Tregare behind. Lesser boulders, singly and in groups, spotted the plain and gave sparse cover. Stil, Rissa was sur-prised at how closely they approached before one Shrakken's high-pitched cry brought al the aliens standing, staring at the intruders. Rissa stood. "Please! We want to talk!" She held her gun behind her, out of sight-but Ivan had risen also, and his weapon was visible, pointing above the Shrakken but not by much. Again she wished for better advance planning- this muddle isnot like Tregare. But, lack of sleep-she shrugged.
After a frozen moment, she repeated her cry. The Shrakken broke into a rapid gabble, all shouting at once-then, hit or miss, grabbing up equipment or leaving it, they ran for their ship. Now Rissa and Ivan ran also, both firing-but at the ground ahead, barring several Shrakken from their sanctuary.
Seeking refuge, the remaining aliens-those who had not reached their ship-scattered. Some vanished among boulder clumps, and two into the passageway between the first major slab and its neighbor.
Then Rissa heard and felt the Shrakken drive's hum build, and threw herself flat behind a boulder. Concussion from the violent takeoff jarred but did not injure her; she rose to see Ivan coming first to hands and knees, then standing. He shook his head and grinned.
"Some blast-my ears are ringing."
Marco and Cohoes approached; the doctor said, "Tregare's sprinting for the scout ship. If Ms. Gowdy gets it off ahead of him, he'l be back. Otherwise she wil."
"Yes," said Rissa. "Now-has any of us counted how many Shrakken are stil here?" Marco said, "Three out among those tumbled rocks, and two went into that-not a tunnel, exactly-where the one slab 238
rests against the other. Five, in all."
"That's presuming," said Landa Cohoes, "that there aren't some others out somewhere that we didn't see." Rissa shook her head. "All right-another approach, then. Did any see how many got aboard their ship?" The consensus was five minimum, eight at most. "Then we can assume," said Rissa, "that we saw them all. For the ship is the size of Tregare's scout. Unless they spend their time stacked like cordwood, twelve is a reasonable number for it to carry."
Noise struck them; she looked to see Tregare-or was it Gowdy?-flash into the sky. Then she said, "We have our own job to do-catching one of the Shrakken for Tregare. How-?"
"This is my game," said Ivan, "I know the rules. Okay, Rissa?"
"Certainly-if you have the greater knowledge, then you must take charge."
"All right." He explained. "We're not going into that blind passage-too good a place for ambush. I didn't recognize any weapons, but we don't know. So we'll scout those clumps of rocks out in the open. Now here's how it works..." Rissa and Estelle Marco guarded the open ground between the big slabs and the boulder groups so no Shrakken could cross it. Before Ivan and Landa set out to explore the rock-studded area, he said, "And remember- always be sure you're in sight of one other person, and the more the better."
At first, with the need to check on the whereabouts of others while also watching for any sign of aliens, the search was slow. Then Rissa caught the knack of it, ranging back and forth, getting cross-sights on a cluster of rocks and Ivan or Landa approached it from a different direction. But all signals were "negative." Then she saw one! She signaled; Ivan sprinted over rough ground a
nd shouted to the creature. It ran; Ivan pursued, stopping short- how can he know without looking?- of going out of Rissa's line of sight. Almost leisurely, he fired. Dust erupted at the Shrakken's feet and it fel, roling. Curving his path so that Rissa never lost sight of him, he ran to it. She started toward him-had he wounded the creature, or avoided that?-when she heard a thin scream. She looked around-Marco and Cohoes were safe enough and looked as puzzled as she was.
The scream came again-full-throated this time, and rasp-ing-and this time she sensed its direction. From around the huge slab, it sounded-from the direction they had come. Without thought, she began running. Ivan called to her, but she did not pause.
Turning the corner, Rissa looked and saw nothing. She slowed, peering to each side. Again the scream, and now it was to her left-from outlying boulders a distance away. She ran faster-then, realizing she might need breath to fight, slowed and took it. Before she reached the clump, a Shrakken fled it. Momen-tarily she veered toward it, then resumed her course; Ivan already had his alien-and those screams had not been Shrak-ken! Slowing, she rounded the clump of boulders and reached her goal. Hilaire Gowdy lay there-eyes bulging and upturned, hands twitching feebly, clothes torn and crotch running blood. The woman made a weak sound, almost a whispered scream. Then her eyes closed. Gasping, Rissa dropped to her knees-looking closely, she saw that Gowdy stil breathed.
She shook her head and stood-what to do? A touch on her shoulder-she spun to face a Shrakken, standing, topping her by more than a head, bobbing lightly up and down as the long, thin hands reached toward her and withdrew again. Shock! part of Rissa's mind calmly compared the reality to the pictures she had seen, while time slowed and another part of her prepared to kil-for this creature was-Now! Danger! - the Shrakken pursed its strange mouth and spat. Not a liquid-her involuntary gasp inhaled a vapor that smeled of musk.
Danger, indeed!-she struck, but her arm was as slow as time itself-numbness took her strength and the Shrakken pushed her down. She saw the upright segmented member-"a real hard-on," Tregare had said-it dripped viscous liquid tinged with red. At its base a bulge appeared and moved out along it.
