by Alan David
The skyraft had swung around and come back, and they had not heard it. Now it blotted out the stars as it zig-zagged slowly around the area, sending blasts of pure energy at the shadowed ground.
Fortunately the first blast was also the nearest to them, and Clark lay motionless, his mind tight with fear, watching the imperceptible movement of the craft. The others did not move, and Clark was relieved that Hanton had not attempted to retaliate with his Laser.
Presently the skyraft moved away again, and they watched it for some moments, deluging areas of the ground with death, and the farther away it went the easier Clark began to breathe.
‘That was too close for comfort,’ Balfin said shortly. ‘Do you figure they’ve got detectors aboard that picked up signs of us?’
‘I don’t think so!’ Clark shook his head. ‘If they had, that first shot would have been a whole lot closer. Let’s get moving again, Kester. We can’t afford to drop behind schedule.’
Balfin nodded and got slowly to his feet. ‘We’ll have to keep a better watch after this,’ he vowed.
Clark went back to Mallory and Magenta as they went on, and put an arm around Mallory, getting his right shoulder in Mallory’s left armpit. Mallory put an arm around Clark’s shoulder, and it was obvious to Clark that Mallory had taken about enough. With Magenta on the other side of Mallory, helping with her light strength, they continued.
They went on without further incident, although they saw activity in the distance, and several skyrafts seemed to be involved in the shooting. There was no noise, and the bright, stabbing beams of energy were striking the ground several miles away. Some answering flashes were directed skywards, and Clark figured there was another Ogrin raid in progress. But they did not halt, and Balfin went on tirelessly, leading the way without hesitation.
The moons appeared above the horizon, one following the other after an interval of twenty minutes, and Clark did not like the pale light that infused the velvet night. The stars seemed all the brighter now, and when Clark gazed around he could see the faces of his companions quite clearly.
Time passed and Clark felt the burden of Mallory sapping his strength. Mallory was becoming weaker, sagging in the arms of Clark and Magenta, and finally Clark had to call a halt. He lowered Mallory to the ground and left Magenta sitting beside him while he went on to Balfin.
‘Mallory can’t go any farther under his own power,’ Clark said. ‘I’ve practically carried him the last two miles. I figure we’re gonna have to carry him or leave him for a spell.’
‘How can we leave him?’ Balfin demanded. ‘We couldn’t get back for him before daylight.’
‘If we got Ralip to use her skyraft we could pick him up around dawn,’ Clark said.
‘That’s if the situation is as we left it over a week ago,’ Balfin said slowly. ‘What happens if we get to the farm and find it impossible to use the skyraft? When daylight comes Mallory will be spotted.’
‘How far to the farm now, do you reckon?’ Clark demanded.
‘Must be a couple of hours at least. I think I know exactly where we are, but it’s difficult to tell in this light.’
‘We’ve got nothing we can use to rig up a stretcher,’ Clark said. ‘We can’t sling him across a shoulder because it would be too uncomfortable for his injured ribs.’
‘Two of us could carry him between us,’ Balfin said. ‘I think Hanton could help me. We’re both big men. If you’ll take the lead, Commander, we’ll handle Mallory.’
‘Okay, let’s try it.’ Clark took the Laser. He waited while Balfin and Hanton organized themselves, then started off in the lead. Magenta came to join him and Balfin and Hanton, carrying Mallory between them, followed a few paces in the rear.
Clark adjusted his pace to those behind him, and he stared around, his eyes ceaselessly searching his surroundings. He felt vulnerable in the moonlight, but his increased field of vision enabled him to check his direction more easily, and he was certain the farm was not so far ahead.
Balfin called for a halt an hour later, and they sat on the ground in a group, breathless and tense. Mallory stretched himself out and lay breathing heavily, and Clark was worried about the future. If Mallory became too weak or ill to move then they would have to lie up in cover somewhere during the long hours of daylight, and he suspected there would be considerable activity in the area when the sun came up. But he said nothing to the others, and waited patiently until Balfin was ready to go on.
As he and Hanton picked up Mallory the Lieutenant tried to get away from them, and he fell to the ground as they lost their hold upon him.
‘Leave me!’ Mallory said in ringing tones. ‘I ain’t too keen on going through with this. Leave me here and I’ll take my chances with the Brutans in the morning.’
‘You’re going along with us,’ Clark said. ‘Just stay quiet. We’re not far from the farm now. We’ll be able to rest up there all day tomorrow. You’re tired now, Mallory. We’re all tired. But you’ll feel better when you’ve had some food and rested up.’
They went on once more, and soon Clark saw dawn creeping into the sky. He felt a sense of urgency seeping into his mind, and he hoped they would not have trouble finding the farm. He went on relentlessly, pushing one foot before the other, finding the effort becoming increasingly more difficult to find. When he glanced back and saw Balfin and Hanton staggering under the weight of the now semi-conscious Mallory he clenched his teeth and prayed for a chance to succeed. They had been up against it from the moment they had detached from Probe 2. There had been the promise of success right from the start, but now the situation was tightening up against them, and in the darker hours that came upon them, Clark found his determination and hope foundering.
Magenta recalled his attention to his surroundings, and he thinned his lips as he looked around, blinking when he realized that he had let his thoughts wander — a dangerous practice under the circumstances.
‘There are buildings ahead,’ the woman reported softly, and Clark took a swift breath of relief. He narrowed his eyes and saw the outbuildings of Ralip’s farm, and a sigh gusted from him as he felt his determination strengthen once more.
‘Get down and stay down,’ he said in low tones, and turned as Balfin and Hanton lowered Mallory to the ground. ‘Come with me, Kester. We’ll go check out the house. It’s almost dawn and we need to get under cover.’
Magenta moved to Mallory’s side to examine him while Balfin came towards Clark, and Clark turned instantly, tightening his grip upon the Laser as he started towards the farm. They went on in silence, bent almost double, moving slowly, watchful and alert, and Balfin was ready to use the Laser should the need arise.
They skirted the small garage that housed the skyraft, and then got their first glimpse of the house itself. Clark halted in surprise as he peered through the shadows. The outline of the house was not tall and smooth, as it should have been. The roof and the upper storey was crumpled and in ruins.
Balfin went to ground instantly, and Clark followed quickly. For a moment they stared at the house, then looked at one another, and in the early morning they could see nothing more than the pale oval of their faces.
‘What the hell happened here?’ Balfin demanded hoarsely. ‘There’s been trouble for sure. The house is practically knocked flat.’
Clark shook his head slowly, his mind enveloped by shreds of shock. There was an image of Ralip’s heavy face on the screen of his mind, and he was already fearing the worst, although he tried to prevent the working of his imagination. He pushed himself slowly to his feet and started towards the ruins, and when Balfin arose, Clark turned on him.
‘You’d better stay down and cover me, Kester, just in case,’ he said.
Balfin nodded and dropped flat again, and Clark went forward alone, the Laser ready in his hands. He heard his footsteps echoing as he crossed the open space before the house, and he stumbled several times as bits of rubble turned underfoot. As he drew nearer to the ruin he saw more clearly the exte
nt of the damage, and his mind kept trying to tell him that they were finished, for without Ralip’s help they could not possibly make it to the spaceport.
He dared not call Ralip’s name or give any indication of his presence. He found the front of the house blocked to his feet and walked around the shattered building, wondering how it had come to be destroyed. But more important — what had happened to Ralip herself?
There was deep shadow around the rear of the building and Clark moved slowly, his nerves taut. He found the kitchen door closed and obdurate against his attempts to open it, and the slight sounds that he made echoed away into the surrounding grey shadows. He started to go on, to make a complete circuit of the house, and turned a corner to find three tall figures confronting him with rod-like weapons levelled in their hands.
Clark halted instantly, too shocked to think of using the Laser, and the three figures closed upon him immediately. One of them spoke sharply, in Brutan, and Clark waited for the transmuter to give him the question in English. It came through in a few seconds.
‘Who are you and what are you doing here?’
Clark knew it was too late to try and resist. He was covered by three weapons, and even if he managed to use the Laser they would surely cut him down before he managed to get all three of them. They were out of sight of Balfin, who would not know what was happening, and Clark figured that if he surrendered without trouble the Brutans might take him away immediately, enabling Balfin to spot them, and sight of himself under restriction by Brutans would enable Balfin to understand the situation. The others might be able to get clear.
Clark’s thoughts were fast and furious in that split second as he contemplated, and then he raised his hands above his shoulders.
‘I am one of the aliens from the spaceship that was destroyed in orbit over a week ago,’ he said resignedly, and waited for his words to be translated. ‘I surrender myself to you.’
His words convinced him more than the weapons covering him that he had come to the end of his escape attempt, and all he could do now was prevent these aliens learning of the presence of Balfin and the others. Someone had to escape, and Clark meant to do his best to see that the others avoided capture. But he mentally consigned himself to his fate, and as he stood watching the three Brutans his hopes for his own future sank way below zero!
Chapter Thirteen
‘Where are your companions?’ the apparent leader of the Brutan trio demanded. ‘You are wearing a transmuter and can understand my language. Answer now, and drop that weapon you are holding. It cannot avail you in this situation.’
Clark got the words after a slight pause, and he let the Laser fall from his right hand. It thudded on the hard ground and Clark felt that the small sound was the knell to his own doom.
‘I am alone,’ he said, having no intention of admitting to the presence of the others.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Looking for food!’
‘You were looking for the woman who lives here. She has befriended you.’
‘A Brutan?’ Clark demanded scornfully. ‘You should know better than that.’
‘We have arrested the woman. She was identified as flying her skyraft around the spaceport, and it is supposed that you were with her.’
‘I have not made contact with any alien on this planet,’ Clark said.
Their voices were echoing slightly against the wall beside them, and Clark let his shoulders slump a little as he lowered his hands to his side. Daylight was beginning to filter through the shadows, and he could see a crimson glow in the sky to the east. He took a deep breath and recalled how sweet daybreak was back on Earth, and his breath quivered in his throat as emotion struck him.
‘You will accompany us! Walk towards the front of the house and do not try to escape. You will be interrogated at headquarters. You are an alien, and it is suspected that you have killed Brutans in your activities since landing.’
They stepped aside for him, and Clark felt dwarfed by them as he moved forward. He saw one of them bend to pick up the Laser, and then he reached the front corner of the house and stepped around it. As he reached the corner he saw Balfin coming across the yard towards him.
In the split second that he was out of sight of the Brutans, Clark hurled himself sideways. Balfin saw him, had halted at his appearance at the corner, but when Clark hurled himself flat Balfin was alerted. He dropped to one knee when he caught sight of the tall figures of the Brutans appearing. For a moment he hesitated, and heard the shouts of the big aliens. Then he fired the Laser and cut them down, blinding Clark with the flash.
Clark closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He heard the strange crackling sound of Balfin’s attack, and for several seconds he could not see properly. He sat up, blinking, when Balfin reached him.
‘Where the hell did they come from?’ Balfin demanded. ‘I got the shock of my life when you appeared around that corner, then threw yourself down. I guessed something was wrong, but I didn’t figure it was as wrong as that.’
‘You saved my life, and probably the whole situation.’ Clark got unsteadily to his feet. He looked around anxiously. Daylight was coming in now, and the fiery tip of the sun was just showing above a distant ridge. ‘We’re in trouble, Kester.’ He quickly narrated what he had learned from the three Brutans.
‘Hell, we’re in bad trouble! What are we gonna do, Commander?’
‘Ralip’s skyraft!’ Clark was grasping at straws and he knew it. ‘It barely made it back from that flight I made to the spaceport, but it might have been repaired. I don’t know when Ralip was arrested.’
‘You figure to go right ahead with this plan we made?’ Balfin stared into Clark’s face.
‘You get a better idea?’ Clark kept his gaze steady. ‘Can we get back to the jungle and the Avics? And if we do, are we going to spend the rest of our days with them?’
‘I don’t want to go back.’ Balfin sighed heavily and shook his head. ‘I want to get back to Earth. I’ll go through hell with you, Commander, but I don’t think there’ll be much chance of coming out the other side.’
‘We could take the skyraft to the perimeter of the spaceport and look over the place. If there’s a chance of getting away we’ll take it, but I have no intention of throwing our lives away in a suicide bid.’ Clark turned and looked at the dead Brutans. ‘We’ll have to conceal their bodies.’
‘I’ll take care of that while you look over that skyraft.’ Balfin spoke grimly. ‘We’ve got to get moving. The sun is coming up fast. Did you get any idea on how to fly one of these things when Ralip took you up?’
‘I think I can get us where we want to go,’ Clark said. He started away across the yard. ‘I’ll call the others in. We’ve got to get out of here fast in case those three have friends.’
Balfin went across to the dead Brutans and picked up the Laser Clark had discarded. He tested it in a short emission, and Clark was surprised it still worked. He took it and hurried away across the yard, and when he reached the garage he paused and looked for Hanton and the others. He saw Hanton’s head and shoulders sticking up out of a depression, and waved a hand, beckoning them to come in. He waited until he saw Hanton and Magenta helping Mallory forward then went into the garage.
Clark paused in the doorway of the garage and stared at the empty space where the skyraft had stood. A bitter sight escaped him as he turned slowly and went out. Another setback, and the worst so far. He stared around the yard, his dark eyes filled with a bleak expression.
Hanton came up, supporting Mallory, who seemed semiconscious.
‘What was the shooting, Commander?’ the big gunner demanded.
‘Just a little trouble the Major took care of. Can you make it across to the house?’
Hanton nodded and went on, taking most of Mallory’s weight. Magenta paused and looked into Clark’s taut face. She had a gaunt expression on her smooth features, but her eyes were bright.
‘Another setback, Commander?’ she asked
They started across the open ground, and Clark saw that Balfin had already dragged the bodies of the dead Brutans out of sight. Hanton was helping Mallory through the doorway of the house, and Balfin stood at the left front corner of the shattered building, watching their surroundings.
Clark and Magenta were twenty yards from the house when Balfin yelled.
‘Skyraft coming. Get under cover!’
Clark grasped the woman’s arm and hurried her into the house. He closed the door and went to a window, peering out anxiously at the sky. There was a skyraft visible, still a long way off but obviously making for the farm.
‘Stay in cover and don’t go near to the windows,’ Clark said. He went to a side window and peered out, catching a glimpse of Balfin pressed back out of sight of the yard around the corner, his back to Clark. ‘Kester!’ Clark called, and the Major turned quickly.
‘We need that craft, Commander,’ Balfin said. His face was tense and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
‘I agree with you! I’ll cover it from the front of the house. If it lands we’ve got to take it without damaging it. Let’s see who gets out of it and how many there are before we do anything.’
‘They could be coming to check on the men we killed,’ Balfin said. ‘They didn’t have any kind of a craft here, so perhaps they were dropped off and now they’re to be picked up.’
‘Okay. I’ll go back to the front door. Stay out of sight.’
Balfin nodded and grinned and Clark turned away, moving back to a front window. Mallory was lying on the floor with Hanton and Magenta bending over him.
The skyraft was coming in to land. It swung around the farm first, and Clark was afraid that Balfin might be spotted. But the craft, painted black and white in large squares, eased down to drop into the dust twenty yards from the front of the house.
Clark stayed back from the window, peering out cautiously, and he narrowed his eyes when two figures alighted from the craft. One he recognized instantly as Ralip, and he felt a surging of hope as he stared at her large, heavy face. Her companion was dressed in a dark leathery uniform, a big man, almost nine feet tall, and carrying a rod-like weapon in his hands. He spoke to Ralip, who seemed downcast and subdued, and they came slowly towards the house, Ralip leading, the man following closely, his face showing impatience and bad humour.
