Star Ship on Saddle Mountain

by Richard Ackley

  Almost immediately Charlie was straddling the smooth railing, and Biri and Dondee quickly joined him.

  "Lean to the inside, Charles!" Dondee said. "That way you don't fall outward—besides you get more speed!"

  "The faster you go," Biri added, "the more you better lean inward."

  Charlie got a head start and was far in the lead, heading down the eighteen tiers. Biri was only a little ahead of Dondee, beating him by inches. Charlie shouted back to them, while several startled people came out on their respective tiers, and stared down after them.

  "Those Bin children again," was one impulse Charlie caught, then another— "Those children of the Prime family are going to break their fool necks, or some part of their anatomy that not even the sciences can repair!"

  Laughing to themselves, as they glanced up at the distant faces speedily revolving away from them, Charlie and his duplicates whirled down toward the bottom tier. Charlie made it first, slowing to a stop on the end of the railing. Still looking up as Biri and Dondee came barreling down, neither of them slowed up, and both—one after the other— piled into Charlie's chest, bowling him off the end. All three tumbled in a dazed heap on the polished block tile surface.

  "I didn't break what those people up there thought I'd break," Dondee said, wincing, "but I sure bumped it plenty!"

  They found Navajo comfortably relaxed, sprawled out on his side, and Crustie also asleep nearby. With his many legs pulled up close about him, Dondee's big pet Crustie was making a mild grating sound as he slept leisurely near Navajo's head.

  "Hey," Charlie said, "I think Nav kinda likes Crustie's snore! Look at that relaxed look on his face!"

  Just then Navajo opened his eyes, glanced up and seeing who it was, sniffed lightly and went back to his snooze. Charlie grinned, and patted him and after spreading out some more of the freshly-dried straw that had come from the fields near the Mist Forests, they left Crustie and Navajo to their dreams.

  Charlie then went with Biri and Dondee to the upper surface out in the country, for a last check of the Lancer, before it would be taken up on one of the star ships to be moored at the race landing.

  After rushing around all day to make last preparations for the holiday, they left with the Primate and Elstara Bin late that evening, to be up on the space islands well before the Barrier World turned completely on its axis. In this way, they would be on hand to see the first morning Sun burst, and the Sun Rise ceremony that heralded the celebrated day.

  More and more Charlie found himself having the same feeling now, he had felt long ago back on Earth, on the night before Christmas. In the entire Capitol City, all the crowds were dancing about on the great Branzine Plaza.

  All people throughout the vast planet were in a happy and festive mood. It was the greatest day of the year.

  Morning finally came as Charlie, with Biri and Dondee and their parents, stood looking for the first great shafts of the Sun's light to shoot across their space island. And all about the great platform, other groups too stood waiting. And then it came! Charlie felt almost the same joy that Biri felt, but his joy was at the sight of the great shimmering blue cobalt ball, the blazing pale blue haze of the outer ammonia band, from which he felt sure all the blue skies in his world had been copied. It was a wonderful sight to see.

  Above the Hi Fi Winds, they were on one of the chain of space islands that orbited in the "doldrums," the almost completely windless band of space circling the big world. Off in the distance, Charlie could see the vast shadows of the mighty rings that banded the planet.

  It wasn't long after a quick breakfast, picnic style, that Charlie and his duplicates said goodbye to the Bin parents and, with their good luck wishes, they were beside their racer, the Lancer.

  The Lancer was strangely beautiful to Charlie. Its great, slightly curved mirror-reflector sail glittered in the Sun's , blue glare, and he found it hard to believe the great sweep ! of metal could be held up by the slim and frail-looking hull beneath it. But Dondee soon explained that, with the lack of any gravity, and its accompanying lack of weight, it wasn't hard to hold up the big sail. Besides, the sail's metal was an alloy far lighter than any aluminum in Charles's own home world.

  In every direction as far as Charlie could see, there were other space islands, all loaded with holiday people. The Sun Regatta would be watched by them all, while they ate from the special packeted foods they brought along, and listened to the musical groups playing their strange but somewhat familiar instruments, on each space island. Because Elstara Bin was one of the judges for the Regatta, the Primate was seated off behind the judge's stand, just like any other holiday seeker. Charlie noticed the Primate stretching his neck as he leaned out of the grandstand seat to watch them and the Lancer.

  Several of the other Council members, however, were also in the judging stand out front, so for the moment, they held more importance than the Primate himself. Charlie decided their world was a pretty democratic sort of place. Like Arizona.

  Though the Primate waved to them, Elstara didn't wave. She nodded with the reserve expected of a judge.

  "Mother's got to watch the rules!" Dondee said. "Still, I hope she doesn't forget who's in this old Lancer here, even if she is a judge!"

  "I know very well she's prejudiced," Biri said bluntly, "for us to win."

  As Charlie watched Dondee's maneuvering of the thin light sheet that was to power them from the direct force of the Sun's beams striking it, he found himself again wondering just how the Sun's light could give it any push-power.

  "Charles," Dondee explained, still eyeing the starter, "it's like the jet engines of your world. Only, we don't have too

  much force at the start, and it has to build up speed, under the direct cosmic bombardment from the Sun."

  The dozen or so other racers, similar to the Lancer, were also readying for the start.

  "The Sun's reflection on the sail is already making a very small push, Charles—see, how it strains at the release catch on the mooring?"

  Charlie nodded, still dubious about the force of light being strong enough to make the race exciting. He couldn't see how the Lancer or any other racer could get up much speed.

  "It's all in the tack, Charles. The crew that gets the best and most direct push reflection on their sail will also get the most speed. It takes real skill, Charles, believe me!"

  "Go!" the signal came from the official starter.

  The releases were all thrown at once, and then . . .

  "Hey—" Charlie said happily, "look at the platform! We're really moving away from it—we're moving! And I never thought we could!"

  "We sure are moving!" Biri said, letting out play on the guidon to the sail that she was controlling.

  Dondee adjusted his guidon line to the big glittering sail. Biri pointed, shooting an impulse to Charlie, and he quickly paid more attention to the playing out of his guidon. Watching the maneuvers of a nearby yacht, Charlie momentarily let their own Lancer lose the direct cosmic shots against the sail, when he didn't keep changing his lead line with the gradual turn of the craft.

  Both Biri and Dondee nodded assuringly to him, when he

  F

  yanked in the guidon, rapidly adjusting so that the great trapezoidal reflector above them squarely faced the cosmic | rays. The race was well under way. It was every yacht for itself. Platform after platform swung past, like slowly revolving islands, first looming large then slowly revolving away behind them. They were steadily gathering speed on the great oval course of the Regatta.

  Charlie was feeling more and more the thrill of it, the constant jockeying of the guidon lines for position, ever trying to keep the mirror sail at right angle to the Sun. Unlike the other crewmen and Dondee and Biri, Charlie didn't need the special tinted goggles, for being used to Sun's light he didn't have to do more than squint a little. He could see perfectly well in spite of the pale blue brilliance of the Sun's reflection in the sail.

  They were getting better speed now, gaining
slowly on the three yachts ahead of the Lancer, as Charlie got the knack of it. Without any direction other than his friends' enthusiastic impulses, Charlie knew he was doing all right as a sailor in the Sun Regatta. Crowds on each nearing space island seemed to be aware that the new citizen from Little Star was in the Lancer, and Charlie could feel their shower of impulses and see their waving as the slim black yacht approached their platform.

  From the various concerts, one at least on each space island, Charlie heard the music as they passed nearby. But they were all playing the same song. At first, he was inclined to think they were copying each other, but then he remembered, from his earlier days among them, just how important and

  beloved this particular serenade was to everyone. The happy serenade to the Sun was one that was quite familiar to Charlie. It was one they said they had taken from his own world, many years ago. It was an ancient folk song called by them the Sunlight Serenade, but on Charlie's world, it was called O Sole Mio.

  As he was paying too much attention to the music for a moment, the sharp aft corner of the great sail brushed lightly across Charlie's sunburned forearm. He looked at it, and noted the frosty-colored scrape on his arm.

  "Phew—boy!" he exclaimed. "That sail's as sharp as Uncle John's razor used to be!"

  Dondee and Biri didn't know what Uncle John's razor was but they reminded Charlie to be careful, specially on the final and very sharp turn not too far ahead. They'd be making it soon, when they swung into the turn for the finish line.

  They were third in place, and Charlie was as excited as his companions. All three were standing now. Dondee was eagerly juggling his guidon, playing out and taking in, to urge the last bit of speed out of their swiftly-moving craft. The fleet black Lancer edged up on the number two leader, and Biri leaned over to the far side to shift the angle for a more direct angle to the Sun. The sail was a blazing, shimmering blue fire, and Charlie felt sure now they were getting every last iota of cosmic power possible. It was working! The Lancer slowly passed number two—then eased into position alongside the lead yacht! It was nose-to-nose as they entered the final turn for the starting platform!

  "We're doing it—we're going to win!" Biri's impulse came to Charlie, as she clapped her hands. Then she quickly grabbed her guidon line again.

  "We sure are!" Charlie shouted at them. All three were standing—waving, as the Lancer curved over the finish line first.

  Then it happened. The black Lancer was swung about by Charlie and Dondee, a length ahead of the nearest competitor, before the crowded platform, for the waving people. In that instant, Charlie felt Dondee's startled impulse and turned to look. Released from the constant force of the cosmic rays, the great silver reflector sail had swung idly about, and the sharp lower corner had caught Biri off-guard. It struck her in the neck.

  As Charlie looked at her, Biri slumped to the deck, blood pumping from the vital arterial slash caused by the sail. Frantic, Dondee dropped down on his knees beside her, even as Charlie climbed over to them. It took only a moment as Dondee cried out for help, for Charlie to act. First pressing a finger to her throat beneath the pulsing wound that bubbled openly—he cut off the flow of blood that was filling her windpipe, choking her.

  Thinking for a second Charlie grabbed the ball-point pen from his pocket, as Dondee watched wide-eyed. Charlie then bit off the gold cap, yanking out the pen's inside tubing with his teeth, leaving only the empty black plastic cylinder.

  "Hold her, Dondee—hold her steady so she can't move, my finger's slipping." Charlie got a better grip on her small neck, his thumb pressed more firmly against the torn artery. The crowd on

  the nearby platform stood frozen in stunned silence since all had been watching the winners and had seen the accident. Not an impulse stirred in those few tense moments as Charlie worked. He inserted the pen's hollow cylinder down into the wound, where the torn edge of Biri's throat was still bubbling from her weak breathing.

  Dondee was already calling for a doctor as Charlie looked up.

  "Tell them to hurry it, Dondee—I can't hold on much longer."

  The terse, desperate impulse repeated, people were active now on the space island. Dondee got the impulses from Elstara and the Primate saying the doctors were coming and, with their impulses, they, too, climbed into the Lancer.

  Biri spluttered, coughing a little, but she was breathing.

  "Tell them to hurry, Dondee—"

  But as Dondee was about to repeat the call, several tall elderly men arrived. With their advanced medical aid, seven thousand years of scientific progress beyond Earth's, the alien doctors soon filmed the torn tissues, after first slowing the heart beat so that the pumping blood pressure was down to almost nothing. After the final outer filming, the doctors soon had Biri standing, for though still weak, the immediate transfusion had replaced her lost blood.

  Standing beside Biri, satisfied that she was now past the danger point, the chief doctor glanced curiously at the pen cylinder as he wiped it clean. He looked at it a long time. Then, turning his attention to Charlie, he said:

  "The Primate's daughter owes her life to the Primitive science of your world, young man. And to you, for your knowledge of that strange science. We could never have reached her in time."

  "Yes, Charles," said the Primate as he held Biri to him. "Your science seems to be not so primitive after all."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The Special Gift

  As they started home the Primate refused other help, carrying Biri himself to the airlift after the swift journey down to the surface. Though Elstara and Dondee were right there with him, all his attention was given to holding Biri, and to Charlie, whom he insisted stay close beside him.

  And Elstara Bin, always cordial and graciously friendly, now not only walked close to him, but held him close to her, silent all the way home to the tier apartment. Dondee followed close behind Charlie, for with his parents on either side of him, that was the closest he could get to the friend who had saved his duplicate.

  The quick healing medicines did their job well. It was only three days after the accident when the physician came to remove the last bandage and give Biri a final checkup.

  But as the doctor was removing the thin, drug-impregnated healers from her throat, Biri's greatest worry was that a scar would still remain. Though the doctor assured her it would be very small, if any mark at all, still Biri dreaded the thought of it.

  At last, as Dondee and Charlie held a disc-shaped mirror, smiling at her as they lifted it up before her, Biri frowned. She looked closely into it, despite their assurances, trying hard to find trace of a line. She could find no sign of the tear that had been in her throat three days before.

  In great delight Biri clapped her hands happily—a joyous shout coming clearly from her mouth. Biri clapped her hand over her mouth suddenly—puzzled, as she and the others looked uncertainly at the smiling doctor.

  "I thought perhaps that might happen," said the medical man. "Such injuries often change the un-used larynx structure. Biri, without the long training and exercises usually necessary, now has regained the bygone vocal power once used. She has regained her voice."

  Hardly had the doctor gone when the Bin family began making plans to hold a big dinner, a celebration party for Charlie, the newest member of the family. Charlie was aware of what was going on, but was kept out of most of the details, in their effort to surprise him. A special gift was planned for him, something they would do to make him feel fully at home, part of the family, for now and always.

  Charlie was grateful for all the attention, and not only for every special privilege they showed him, but also because Navajo was brought in for very special treatment, too.

  The Primate and Elstara, as well as "your own two duplicates," as Biri and Dondee constantly reminded him, did little else but concentrate on doing things for Charlie. Other Council members, and people of the Capitol City, were invited. They all came to meet Charlie and help make him feel at home in his new wo
rld.

  "Later," the Primate said, "you must go with me, Charles, to the Mist Forests, when I go next. And also, I’ll want you to come with me on other trips, such as to the six other cities of our world, so you can see how our world is conducted."

  "You never wanted to take me," Dondee said with a grin, "when you went off on trips, father."

  "Or me either," Biri put in, "except two times before."

  "Not a parallel case," Darda Bin said impatiently. "Charles is a special child ... in fact, very likely to sit in Council some day."

  "If Charles says we can, may we go too?" asked Dondee.

  "In that event, we'll all make trips together," said the Primate.

  The next day, before the first morning's lights were on in the streets outside, Dondee and Biri came out of their compartments, tiptoeing into the center compartment. They shook Charlie to waken him.

  "Hey—it's still the middle of the night!"

  "Today's the day—!" Dondee told him.

  "Just get out of bed!" Biri threw at him, using her newly-acquired sound language. All together, they went down the airlift to the bottom tier