Rissa and Tregare

by F. M. Busby

  And then the creature dropped onto her and- pain! - as the Shrakken forced itself into her, her scream echoed the one she first had heard. And the next, and the next. . . but she could not move.

  Nor could she think. She felt something torn from her, saw the Shrakken rise, turn in mid-air, and fall to ground in the fixed range of her vision. Where the segmented member had been, bright orange blood gushed and a short-tentacled ovoid thing-its color pulsating between pink and orange-emerged and fel to ground. The Shrakken cried out once, then shud-dered and fel silent, limp. Rissa's sight glazed; dimly she saw Ivan, brandishing a knife stained orange. His mouth moved, but she heard nothing. And then she saw nothing, and felt not even pain.

  "peace take you, is she going to be all right? It's been two days-you must have some idea!" It was Tregare's voice, and though she could barely open her eyes, she recognized that she lay on a bunk in the scoutship. Rissa's instinctive defenses relaxed. She assayed herself. She could not move, except a twitch of fingers-certainly she could not speak. But pain and numb-ness had lessened; she could wait for the rest of it.

  She heard Marco say, "... time for the paralytic agent to wear off, and it's beginning to. As I said, I got the thing out of her before it could dig its roots in. I don't think I've men-tioned-I wasn't so lucky with Ms. Gowdy. The egg, or larva or whatever it is, had gotten deeper, and attached solidly to the uterine wal. I had to do a hysterectomy to save her life."

  Briefly she laughed, a dry sound that carried no hint of amusement. "I found a fibroid tumor that would have given trouble before too long, and Gowdy's past fertile anyway-so maybe, unwittingly, that obscene creature did her a favor." Now it was Tregare who laughed. "Obscene? Earth has wasps that do about the same thing. But who would have thought it?" Peripherally, Rissa saw him shake his head. "The Shrakken was female, and the big hard-on an ovipositor."

  "But why do they use people?" Dr. Marco.

  "The way I get it-I've talked with one of them a little-when the instinct hits, they can't help it. The immature form has to eat to survive; they're driven to take whatever's han-dy."

  "But how can we have dealings with such creatures?"

  Tregare cleared his throat. "We'll manage-we'l have to. Usually they use a drug to hold off ovulation when that's necessary, but this ship had run out. So the way it'll have to work is, they watch their people closely as they can, and we provide animals for when they need them. It's not pleasant, but life often isn't-or maybe you've noticed."

  "I have, Tregare-I wish I hadn't. I'll go now. I want another look at the foot of the Shrakken your brother-in-law first brought down. The injury's not serious, but I'm in-terested in the way they heal. Never saw anything quite like it." Hearing them leave, seeing what she could see while her head refused to move, Rissa considered what she had heard. After a time she relaxed and let sleep have its way.

  The next day she woke able to move and speak-still slowed, but recovering rapidly. She sat propped against pilows while Tregare fed her and told her more.

  " . . . and I see how they'll help us take Stronghold. But, after what happened-do you want to meet them?"

  "Of course I do." She smiled. "For one thing, I should like to know whether there is any way we might duplicate their zombie gas." the Shrakken had not surrendered easily. When Rissa next accompanied Tregare to Base Two, repairs were underway on their scoutship-but she could see how his projector had half-gutted it. She wondered how they had managed to land the craft.

  "As soon as they were out of atmosphere, I holed them," Tregare said. "They had to duck back down for air, and for a while they followed orders pretty wel. But they were suiting up, and made another break for it. That's when they got the works."

  "And were many killed?"

  "Afraid so-six on their scout, plus the one Ivan got groundside, out of fifteen total. But they don't seem to hold a grudge on it. They know we can't put up with the way they have to incubate their young sometimes, and they're willing to compromise. Not that they have much choice...."

  Approaching the full-sized Shrakken starship where it sat alongside Graf Spee, Rissa walked with ease and little pain. She thought, and said, "Compromise? On what terms?"

  "You'll see. And listen close-they talk funny-put our words into their own grammar, I guess. You'll get the hang of it."

  "For what use? Bran-what is it you wish me to do here?"

  "Just listen, mostly-and talk with them, if you want. I trust your savvy."

  She nodded and saw five Shrakken emerge from their ship. Without speaking, the aliens joined the procession as Tregare led the way to Inconnu. Waiting in that ship's galley were Limmer, Gowdy, and Ivan. Tregare motioned for the aliens to sit.

  When all were seated, Rissa looked around at the disparate group, waiting to see who would speak first. No one did, so she looked to the Shrakken and said, "We know you as Shrak-ken. How are we known to you?" One-the most vividly colored-answered, "Humans, call you yourselves. Say we-would we the deaths not had." Rissa looked to Tregare; he made no move. She nodded and sard, "Neither did we wish to kill-only to talk. But you-" The alien moved its mouth; Rissa could not interpret the ac-tion. It said, "Sad we feel. But the egg need, control we not can. Death a time or other comes. This we not would want-"

  Tregare spoke. "Stonzai-we already covered this. We give you freeze-chambers-for incubator animals or to hold one of you with the hot eggs. But you don't ever gut a human again. Right?"

  In neither nod nor shake, the Shrakken's head moved; Rissa could not guess what was meant. "Try what you say do-to live and breed-all we can, is."

  Tregare grinned. "Then you'll do as I've asked?"

  Horizontally across the triangular eyes, Stonzai's eyelids twitched. "As we must will. Humans, you-much demand. But-you do mercy have."

  At Tregare's nod, the Shrakken rose and left; the others followed. Rissa looked at Tregare. "You might tell me, Bran-what have you asked of them-and why?"

  "Simple. We could use a decoy at Stronghold. They're it."

  "They will do what you wish? You can trust them?"

  He smiled. "Both yeses, I'm convinced. Now, then-what did you think of them?" She shook her head. "I do not know enough to judge. The one seemed sincere; certainly their biology is not a mater of choice." She paused.

  "You have not told me, as yet-how did you coerce their major ship to join you here?" Seeing Tregare's grin, she thought of what he had told of his early training. But he said only, "They didn't have a choice. That ship's weapons-camouflaged, by the way-are pea-shooters, compared to ours. About even with the projector on my scout. But mainly, they were low on fuel-no place they could go. So they gave up." He laughed. "When I got them refueled at the port, now there was a shindy for you."

  "But the main point," said Rissa. "On that basis, you trust them to help you?"

  "It's more than that. I don't know who they've been up against before, and that's fine with me-because they ex-pected to be killed ten for one-and they're grateful I didn't do that, as a matter of course. You heard what Stonzai said about mercy?"

  "Yes. But can you place trust in that saying?"

  "Rissa-outside of you and my family and the truth field, I trust damned few. But like it or not I have to deal with a lot of others. And it doesn't bother me an awful lot."

  Looking at him, she saw no signs of strain. "In that case, Bran, it does not bother me greatly, either." He came to her. "It better not." He kissed her. "You knew the worst of me from the start.'' Again a kiss. "Didn't you?''

  She pushed back enough to stand and face him. "And I am also learning the best. When I heal from the hurt the Shrakken gave me, we wil pursue that mater further."

  Tregare cupped her face in his hands. "I can wait. I don't like it, but I can." tregare ordered four of the spare projectors mounted in the Shrakken ship. To Rissa, he explained, "The Sharanj- that's close to how they pronounce it-has to look like a real menace, chasing one of our ships into Stronghold. One with 244

  its weapons camouf
laged, of course. Now, then-" He gestured with both hands. "Here's the rest of us in hot pursuit forcing the alien ship down to land at the port. See how it works? UET's too busy-until it's too late-to give us much trouble about identifications."

  "But-to arm the Shrakken-possibly against us, later?"

  "Not exactly. Inside, the turrets are bare bulkheads. No traversing motors, no controls except the trigger switch. Power leads, sure-the things have to spit so's you can see it. But I'm installing fixed-tuned units-to look deadly, but way off effective frequencies. And I haven't explained how our heterodyne-tuning circuitswork."

  "I see. Yes, Bran, that is well planned."

  He smiled. "If Stonzai does the job for us at Stronghold, I may make those turrets fully operational. I've hinted as much to her-and that's more bait, you see."

  "Stonzai is their captain?"

  "Not exactly-she speaks for Sharanj, is how she puts it. But from our standpoint it works the same."

  "Bran-do you think the Shrakken might become our allies -not enemies as we had feared?"

  "I thiink they want allies-that that's why their ship went to Earthy As for being enemies-well-" The Shrakken home worjds, he explained, lay more than half the width of the -galactic arm from Earth, and slightly down it. Shrakken ex-ploration and expansion had been more along the arm than across it-as had Earth's. So the two species were not in direct competition.

  "-and won't be, for centuries. By then, relations should be pretty well established-maybe joint colonies, for that matter. With the drug to delay ovulation there'd be no problem. Bad luck nobody on Sharanj knows just what it is or how to pro-duce it."

  "And they are-how far from their own nearest world?" She saw Tregare shrug. "Bran-without freeze-chambers, how would they have managed on the home voyage? What could they have used?"

  "Stonzai told me the answer to that one. First, as many animals as they could keep alive, aboard. And then-each other."

  Rissa gasped. "Oh-the poor, poor creatures!"

  "Yeah. You might say, pardon the pun, that it takes a lot of guts for them to go to space at all." time and Tregare's temper grew short. Now there was litle Rissa could do to help; the last-minute problems were not in her field of knowledge. She had no luck with her idea of duplicating the Shrakken paralytic vapor, for she could not procure a sample-none of the aliens was due to ovulate before departure deadline.

  Belatedly she realized that her two identities would cause confusion in intership communications and-feeling shame-faced in some cases-made her true name known to those who knew her as Tari Obrigo. Vanois seemed put out, but Derek Limmer waved her apology aside. "Hiding, when it's out of necessity, is a hard habit to break. But I'm glad to know you-Rissa." the day before departure Hawkman flew the pass, bringing Liesel, Sparline and Ernol to the cabin. The six lunched together, crowding the small kitchen, and afterward sipped wine as they talked.

  Tregare handed Hawkman an envelope. "Bernardez is over-due but I still think he'll get here. If he does, the Hoover's your best bet for going to Earth-a ship that's kept cover with UET but known to our people, too. Here's your bona fides to deal with him-or with Malloy, if he turns up. Look them over."

  Hawkman did so and nodded. "Yes-authorizing me to represent you-his instructions to arm the ship and camou-flage the weapons-but now-?"

  "I'm leaving a technical cadre here. Four people, attached to you-if you don't mind-for logistics, and under your orders. They can rotate duty while they're waiting-here, the Lodge, or in town-but two here at al times. If Bernardez-or Malloy-doesn't show up in a reasonable time, the four wil fit into your operation al right. They're volunteers."

  "Yes." Hawkman looked again at the papers he held. "Then, let's see-if ready before the critical date, to go to Stronghold-"

  "But I told you, Bran," said Liesel, "I've no time for such travel."

  "Freeze-chambers," Tregare said, "The Hoover's are always in good shape."

  "-or if not," Hawkman went on, "to go directly to Earth. And the signals to look for, and-yes, the new codes for him to use." He looked up.

  "It's thorough."

  "I'd hoped so," said Tregare. For a moment, he frowned. "The way to get along with Bernardez-it's the way you prob-ably would, anyway. Tel him right away that your effective command doesn't mean you're looking over his shoulder al the time-that you rely on him for all the information you need and none that you don't. And you'l get it, too. But Ber-nardez works best when he's not nervous, and it makes him nervous to have somebody jogging his elbow."

  "You're saying," said Sparline, "that this Bernardez is a dangerous man?" Tregare laughed. "Hell, yes-to his enemies. Or he wouldn't have the Hoover,"

  "And you, Bran," said Rissa, "have Inconnu, and Left-hand Thread, and No Return, and-"

  "-and Rissa Kerguelen," he said. "And that makes me most dangerous of al." she laughed then, but Liesel, not smiling, said, "It's true-you two together make a greater force than you do separately. And that's saying a lot."

  "As may be," said Rissa. She stood. "Anyone care for a walk?" Ernol and Sparline joined her; the rest declined. The three walked to the plateau's edge and looked down past the shadows to the lower Hills and the vast plain beyond. "The Big Hills!" said Rissa. "There is nothing like them. I hate to leave-them, and you." Sparline gripped her arm. "And I hate it that you must l eave. You and Bran-I'm just getting to know you both. And then maybe Liesel and Hawkman go, too." She shook her head; "If only Ernol and I could join you-but somebody has to mind the damned store!" Ernol's hand clasped his wife's shoulder. "It's a good store and a good world. And they'll be back, I'm betting."

  Sparline's mouth twisted. "Maybe when we're old, they will. All those years..." Rissa spoke. "The long view, Sparline, remember? But I agree; it does take its toll." She turned and led them back along the rim of the plateau; when they reached the rear of it she stopped and pointed uphil. "The trail here-at this time of day, if we hurry, there is a view point-the plains wil awe you."

  She turned to walk, but Sparline caught her hand. "Not me-I'm not for climbing today, especially in a hurry. You two go ahead, but don't take too long. Even Hawkman wouldn't care to fly the pass in twilight, and six of us would sleep cramped in Bran's cabin." She squeezed Rissa's hand, smiled, and walked away.

  Rissa's brows raised; Ernol nodded and they climbed the trail, breathing faster as they reached the viewsite. For a time they watched, as shadows crept out across the plain.

  Then she turned to him. For a moment, until he smiled, she thought she would have to ask. And this time her joy matched his. Each still holding the other, Ernol said, "I'm glad for you." "I wished you to know-and this was the last chance. I feared I would have to merely tell you, but-" "Sparline's guessed for some time. It's good she was right." "Sparline is often right. As, for instance-concerning you."

  Both laughed; they dressed and ran down the trail. They reached the cabin soon enough that goodbyes, when they came, were not unduly brief.

  Too quickly, even so, came time for parting. "We'll be together again-"

  "On Earth, and here, too-"

  "It's not so long if you look at it right-"

  "-and stay in freeze a lot-"

  "Unfreezing's the best part-a new world-"

  "-or the same one again-"

  "The same us!"

  "Oh, damn it, I'll miss you-"

  "-and I you, but-"

  "We love you-"

  "If we don't get into the air soon," said Hawkman, "the four of us won't get home today." So the final round of kisses went quickly. And then Tregare and Rissa stood looking after the aircar.

  "Oh, Bran! Will we ever see them again?"

  wondering what had roused her, she came awake. Tregare? He breathed evenly enough, but...

  "Bran?"

  "You should be asleep."

  "And you-but we are not." Her hand found his cheek. "Why?"

  For a time he did not answer. Then, "When we lift tomor-row-ready or not, we're staking all of it."


  "Of course. We have known that."

  She felt his head shake. "For us, sure-and even for Earth. But it's just now got to me-we're risking the Hidden Worlds, too."

  "I do not understand. What new danger?''

  "UET's been playing it close to home-not ranging out here, much. I'd figured it was our raids, held them back. But-" His laugh held no humor. "Not to sound conceited, you see, it's not me or anything I really have that scares them-"

  "Oh! As Ivan told-on Earth, the Underground rumors, But, Bran-" In sudden comprehension she fel silent.

  "Yeah-you get it now. Those rumors-they only work as long as I don't show up. If we fail at Stronghold . . ." Shud-dering, he sighed. "You see, Rissa? It's not just Stronghold, or even Earth. It's all the marbles!" While she thought, her fingers kneaded his neck's rigid cords. "Of course, Bran-how could it be otherwise?" She paused. "Have you lost confidence in your plan? I have not."

  "No. With what we have, it's as good as can be done.

  But..."

  "Tregare! We have agreed that this must be tried, and who else could attempt it? So-do we go ahead?" gripped her. At first his laughter wrenched him, as though he sobbed-then it came freely. "Yes, Rissa-peace knows it, yes! I'll be all right." And when at last he slept, in the moments before she herself found sleep, Rissa thought: Whatever happens-here is where my life belongs.