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What is the plot of the story? | [
"The story opens up on a bank robbery. Three men, wearing identical outfits and masks, walk in and threaten the citizens in the bank, raising a weapon. As the men are taking money from behind the counter, a woman, Miss English, makes a run for the door. She is shot at but missed, caught by one of the men at the door, and another citizen, Mr. Anderson, manages to escape and call for help. The men flee the bank and hop into a stolen car, just missing the incoming police. As the men get away, the car suddenly malfunctions and crashes into another car, and they are eventually caught by the police. Detective Stevenson discusses the incident with Detective Pauling, and he is perplexed by how the tires of the stolen car seemed to melt instantly, and how the words \"The Scorpion\" were branded into the car. The owner of the stolen car, John Hastings, arrives, and he confirms that the words were not on the car before it was stolen. Two days later, the Daily News receives a crank letter, addressed from \"The Scorpion\" and explaining that he fights crime, threatening criminals. The letter was not published. About a month after the robbery, another incident occurs in Brooklyn, where Jerome Higgins murders his wife and injures his sister after spending days in his bedroom. Police and cameramen arrive at his home, where a standoff occurs for an hour before Higgins suddenly throws his rifle and runs outside, his hands burned severely. Stevenson finds the rifle and sees \"The Scorpion\" burned into the side of it. Stevenson goes to Captain Hanks, questioning the similarities between the two events, and Hanks dismisses his conspiracies. The Daily Mail receives another letter, but still does not publish it. On Halloween, two gangs, the Challengers and the Scarlet Raiders, plan a rumble over territory. Judy Canzanetti is a lookout for the Scarlet Raiders, and she is guarding the street when a group of children approach her. Judy warns them to leave, but one of the children goes around her and runs down the street. Suddenly, the police arrive, and Judy warns the gang, but then sees them jumping around and throwing their weapons and jackets. Again, the words \"The Scorpion\" are found on the jackets of both gangs. Stevenson brings this up to Hanks again, but he denies it and tells him to stop bringing the theory up.",
"The story begins in a bank. It is under control of three bank robbers, who have taken nine other people in the bank hostage. One man escapes out the door, shouting for help. The robbers quickly run outside to meet their getaway driver, where they speed off. They are followed by police. The getaway car reaches ahead until the car crashes, and the police clap handcuffs on the robbers, taking them to the station. \nBack in the station Detective-Sergeant Stevenson discusses with his colleague what happened. The tires of the getaway car seemed to have melted. The car was normal, apart from the words \"the scorpion\", burned in big black letters on the trunk lid. They meet the owner of the stolen car at the station, who tells them that he never put that sign on the car. That was on Wednesday. On Friday, the Daily News is sent a crank letter from someone signed \"the scorpion\" who tells the paper to warn their readers that \"the scorpion fights crime\" and that criminals are not safe.\nJerome Higgins, a man from Brooklyn goes crazy and kills his wife and injures his sister with a gun. Both neighbours and police surround the house after his sister Mrs.Strober escapes the house. inside, Higgins goes ballistic, shooting at random. That is until Higgins runs out of the house, his hands and shoulder having severe burns. He is taken to get his wounds treated, and then to jail. On the gun, it is burned into the wood \"The Scorpion\". \nThe Sergeant and his Captain discuss these cases. Stevenson thinks that they must be connected, but the Captain tells Stevenson to stop looking into this fantasy, as they have nothing in common, and it's a mere coincidence. The Daily News received another letter of warning that was never published. \nIt is Halloween night. The gangs \"The Challengers\" and \"The Scarlet Raiders\" are getting ready for a fight. The two leaders of the gang have agreed to a knife fight over a schoolyard for territory. Judy Canzanetti is sent out by the Scarlet Raiders as a lookout for any kids or cops going by. She sees a group of kids, who she tries to divert, but when one of them escapes and runs in the direction of the fight, she is caught off guard. That is until she hears sirens, and goes to warn the gang. Before she gets there though, all the members of the two gangs jump around, throwing their weapons on the ground and taking off their jackets. It is explained later on by Steavenson that their weapons all of a sudden became freezing cold, as did their jackets, with \"the scorpion\" burned into the backs of them. The captain once again tells Stevenson to let this \"nonsense\" go, and it's nothing more than a coincidence.",
"The story starts with a bank robbery in late June. There are twelve people in the bank when it is robbed. The three robbers, who look like triplets, all wear the same outfits. One man draws a pistol while the other one takes the guard's pistol, Mr. Anderson. The last one takes a black satchel bag and fills it with money. Then, they join the fourth robber in a stolen car while the police chase them. It seems that they will get away, but the tires melt, which gives the police the opportunity to apprehend them. On Wednesday, Detective-Sergeant Stevenson finds it very strange, but Detective-Sergeant Pauling tells him it is common for plans to have these flaws. Stevenson mentions that the car has 'The Scorpion' burned into it just as the owner arrives. John Hastings says that he reported his car as soon as it was stolen. Stevenson is surprised that he would leave his keys in it, but Hastings says it is usually safe for him because he is a wine and liquor salesman. Hastings is angry at the police for melting his tires, but Stevenson says the police had no part in that. Both of them are confused by the writing on the car since it was not there before. On Friday, the Daily News receives a letter from The Scorpion that warns the readers of the paper because it fights crime. However, the letter is ignored and filed into the wastebasket instead. The second incident happens in early August when a Brooklyn man named Jerome Higgins goes berserk after failing a Civil Service exam for the third time. The crime is in Canarsie, in southeast Brooklyn near Jamaica Bay. Mrs. Higgins and his sister, Mrs. Thelma Stodbetter, try to wake him up; Mister Higgins kills his wife and injures his sister with a hunting rifle. He then goes on a rampage, barricading himself in the house and shooting at anything that moves. Policemen, firemen, neighbors, ambulance attendants, and even two cameramen from the mobile unit are present. After one hour, Higgins plans to shoot at the camera, but he suddenly throws his rifle away. He then complains about his hands, which are severely burned, and Stevenson finds the words 'The Scorpion' present again. Precinct Captain Hanks tells him that his idea of an external force fighting crime out there is silly, while the Daily News receives a second letter from The Scorpion. The third case details a Hallowe'en rumble in a schoolyard. Judy Canzanetti is made to stand chicken, and she tells a group of kids in Hallowe'en masks to stay away from the schoolyard. The kid named Eddie dashes down the street, and the cops soon appear after. Stevenson tries to bring up how strange it is for both gangs to have 'The Scorpion' on their jackets when the conflict was a territorial war. Hanks refutes his points and tells him to stop worrying about any Scorpion nonsense.",
"A bank is being robbed by three similar looking men. Picking a moment, one of the hostages, Miss English, rushes out, but she is stopped, while another captive, Mr. Anderson, manages to escape and call the police. The robbers hit Miss English into unconsciousness and run away. Police cars come and go in the wrong way, but surprisingly manage to capture the robbers after all. The stupid mistake of the robbers seems suspicious as the car's tires melted for no reason and the stolen car was very noticeable with \"The Scorpion\" written in the back. When the car owner comes, he is very angry and upset, and he mentions the inscription wasn't there before the robbery. Soon, a letter from \"The Scorpion\" is received by a newspaper, saying that the sender will keep fighting crime. About one month later, a clerk murders his wife from a rifle after going berserk. This man, Mr. Higgins, barricades himself at home and fires outside in defense, while his sister runs to the police and the neighbors call. After an hour of no success in arresting the man, he runs out himself with his hands being terribly burnt. The same detective who led the first case, Stevenson, comes to the scene, and sees an engraving \"The Scorpion\" on the rifle. Higgins' lawyer claims the inscription was put by his client, while the least denies it, which the lawyer uses to proclaim him insane. Stevenson holds on to someone else making those inscriptions while Captain Hanks denies the version. Stevenson keeps posing questions making the case strange, but Hanks tries to close the case with explaining everything as primitively as possible. Hanks orders Stevenson to forget his ideas of someone pretending to be a superhero and even threatens him reminding about a precedent. Another warning letter to the readers comes from \"The Scorpion\" to the newspaper, but it's not printed again. Another story takes place on Halloween, two gangs meet to fight for a school yard with knifes and chains. A fifteen year old girl Judy stands chicken on the corner during the fight and sees a bunch of kids heading home, she says them to go another way, but one kid sees the rumble and rushes there. Suddenly the cops come and the gangs do not hear Judy's warning, everyone is arrested. \"The Scorpion\" appears on the participants' jackets after the fight. Turns out the fight didn't happen as all the metallic weapons and leather jackets suddenly got extremely cold to hold. Hanks again finds an explanation - the kids threw all of these away not tore arrested. He again tells Stevenson to stop with this nonsense from the superhero books."
] | [1] CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail!
[2] Hoodlums fear his fury—and, for that matter, so do the cops!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] The man with the handkerchief mask said, "All right, everybody, keep tight.
[6] This is a holdup."
[7] There were twelve people in the bank.
[8] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger.
[9] There was the perfect stranger, an itinerant garage mechanic named Rodney (Rod) Strom, like the check said.
[10] There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages.
[11] There was Mister Anderson, the guard, dozing by the door in his brown uniform.
[12] There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior.
[13] There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street.
[14] There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again.
[15] And there were three bank robbers.
[16] The three bank robbers looked like triplets.
[17] From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes.
[18] The eyes themselves looked dangerous.
[19] The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket.
[20] He waved it menacingly.
[21] One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend."
[22] The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money.
[23] It was just like the movies.
[24] The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door.
[25] The third man stuffed money into the black satchel.
[26] The man by the door said, "Hurry up."
[27] The man with the satchel said, "One more drawer."
[28] The man with the gun turned to say to the man at the door, "Keep your shirt on."
[29] That was all Miss English needed.
[30] She kicked off her shoes and ran pelting in her stocking feet for the door.
[31] The man by the door spread his arms out and shouted, "Hey!"
[32] The man with the gun swung violently back, cursing, and fired the gun.
[33] But he'd been moving too fast, and so had Miss English, and all he hit was the brass plate on Mr. Featherhall's desk.
[34] The man by the door caught Miss English in a bear hug.
[35] She promptly did her best to scratch his eyes out.
[36] Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help!
[37] Help!
[38] Robbery!"
[39] The man with the gun cursed some more.
[40] The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
[41] Then the man with the gun hit Miss English on the head.
[42] She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine.
[43] Everyone except Miss English ran out after the bandits, to watch.
[44] Things got very fast and very confused then.
[45] Two police cars came driving down the block and a half from the precinct house to the bank, and the car with the four robbers in it lurched away from the curb and drove straight down the street toward the police station.
[46] The police cars and the getaway car passed one another, with everybody shooting like the ships in pirate movies.
[47] There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers were going to get away after all.
[48] The police cars were aiming the wrong way and, as they'd come down with sirens wailing, there was a clear path behind them.
[49] Then, after the getaway car had gone more than two blocks, it suddenly started jouncing around.
[50] It smacked into a parked car and stopped.
[51] And all the police went running down there to clap handcuffs on the robbers when they crawled dazedly out of their car.
[52] "Hey," said Eddie Clayhorn, ten years old.
[53] "Hey, that was something, huh, Mom?"
[54] "Come along home," said his mother, grabbing his hand.
[55] "We don't want to be involved."
[56] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
[57] "An operation planned that well, you'd think they'd pay attention to their getaway car, you know what I mean?"
[58] Detective-Sergeant Pauling shrugged.
[59] "They always slip up," he said.
[60] "Sooner or later, on some minor detail, they always slip up."
[61] "Yes, but their tires ."
[62] "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car.
[63] I suppose they just grabbed whatever was handiest."
[64] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that.
[65] I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot.
[66] And they weren't going that fast.
[67] I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
[68] Pauling shrugged again.
[69] "We got them.
[70] That's the important thing."
[71] "Still and all, it's nutty.
[72] They're free and clear, barrelling out Rockaway toward the Belt, and all at once their tires melt, the tubes blow out and there they are."
[73] Stevenson shook his head.
[74] "I can't figure it."
[75] "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," suggested Pauling.
[76] "They picked the wrong car to steal."
[77] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
[78] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
[79] "Why?
[80] What was it, a foreign make?"
[81] "No, it was a Chevvy, two-tone, three years old, looked just like half the cars on the streets.
[82] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away."
[83] "Maybe they didn't notice it when they stole the car," said Pauling.
[84] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners.
[85] It doesn't make any sense."
[86] "What do they have to say about it?"
[87] Pauling demanded.
[88] "Nothing, what do you expect?
[89] They'll make no statement at all."
[90] The squad-room door opened, and a uniformed patrolman stuck his head in.
[91] "The owner of that Chevvy's here," he said.
[92] "Right," said Stevenson.
[93] He followed the patrolman down the hall to the front desk.
[94] The owner of the Chevvy was an angry-looking man of middle age, tall and paunchy.
[95] "John Hastings," he said.
[96] "They say you have my car here."
[97] "I believe so, yes," said Stevenson.
[98] "I'm afraid it's in pretty bad shape."
[99] "So I was told over the phone," said Hastings grimly.
[100] "I've contacted my insurance company."
[101] "Good.
[102] The car's in the police garage, around the corner.
[103] If you'd come with me?"
[104] On the way around, Stevenson said, "I believe you reported the car stolen almost immediately after it happened."
[105] "That's right," said Hastings.
[106] "I stepped into a bar on my route.
[107] I'm a wine and liquor salesman.
[108] When I came out five minutes later, my car was gone."
[109] "You left the keys in it?"
[110] "Well, why not?"
[111] demanded Hastings belligerently.
[112] "If I'm making just a quick stop—I never spend more than five minutes with any one customer—I always leave the keys in the car.
[113] Why not?"
[114] "The car was stolen," Stevenson reminded him.
[115] Hastings grumbled and glared.
[116] "It's always been perfectly safe up till now."
[117] "Yes, sir.
[118] In here."
[119] Hastings took one look at his car and hit the ceiling.
[120] "It's ruined!"
[121] he cried.
[122] "What did you do to the tires?"
[123] "Not a thing, sir.
[124] That happened to them in the holdup."
[125] Hastings leaned down over one of the front tires.
[126] "Look at that!
[127] There's melted rubber all over the rims.
[128] Those rims are ruined!
[129] What did you use, incendiary bullets?"
[130] Stevenson shook his head.
[131] "No, sir.
[132] When that happened they were two blocks away from the nearest policeman."
[133] "Hmph."
[134] Hastings moved on around the car, stopping short to exclaim, "What in the name of God is that?
[135] You didn't tell me a bunch of kids had stolen the car."
[136] "It wasn't a bunch of kids," Stevenson told him.
[137] "It was four professional criminals, I thought you knew that.
[138] They were using it in a bank holdup."
[139] "Then why did they do that ?"
[140] Stevenson followed Hastings' pointing finger, and saw again the crudely-lettered words, "The Scorpion" burned black into the paint of the trunk lid.
[141] "I really don't know," he said.
[142] "It wasn't there before the car was stolen?"
[143] "Of course not!"
[144] Stevenson frowned.
[145] "Now, why in the world did they do that?"
[146] "I suggest," said Hastings with heavy sarcasm, "you ask them that."
[147] Stevenson shook his head.
[148] "It wouldn't do any good.
[149] They aren't talking about anything.
[150] I don't suppose they'll ever tell us."
[151] He looked at the trunk lid again.
[152] "It's the nuttiest thing," he said thoughtfully.... That was on Wednesday.
[153] The Friday afternoon mail delivery to the Daily News brought a crank letter.
[154] It was in the crank letter's most obvious form; that is, the address had been clipped, a letter or a word at a time, from a newspaper and glued to the envelope.
[155] There was no return address.
[156] The letter itself was in the same format.
[157] It was brief and to the point: Dear Mr. Editor: The Scorpion has struck.
[158] The bank robbers were captured.
[159] The Scorpion fights crime.
[160] Crooks and robbers are not safe from the avenging Scorpion.
[161] WARN YOUR READERS!
[162] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION The warning was duly noted, and the letter filed in the wastebasket.
[163] It didn't rate a line in the paper.
[164] II The bank robbery occurred in late June.
[165] Early in August, a Brooklyn man went berserk.
[166] It happened in Canarsie, a section in southeast Brooklyn near Jamaica Bay.
[167] This particular area of Canarsie was a residential neighborhood, composed of one and two family houses.
[168] The man who went berserk was a Motor Vehicle Bureau clerk named Jerome Higgins.
[169] Two days before, he had flunked a Civil Service examination for the third time.
[170] He reported himself sick and spent the two days at home, brooding, a bottle of blended whiskey at all times in his hand.
[171] As the police reconstructed it later, Mrs. Higgins had attempted to awaken him on the third morning at seven-thirty, suggesting that he really ought to stop being so foolish, and go back to work.
[172] He then allegedly poked her in the eye, and locked her out of the bedroom.
[173] Mrs. Higgins then apparently called her sister-in-law, a Mrs. Thelma Stodbetter, who was Mr. Higgins' sister.
[174] Mrs. Stodbetter arrived at the house at nine o'clock, and spent some time tapping at the still-locked bedroom door, apparently requesting Mr. Higgins to unlock the door and "stop acting like a child."
[175] Neighbors reported to the police that they heard Mr. Higgins shout a number of times, "Go away!
[176] Can't you let a man sleep?"
[177] At about ten-fifteen, neighbors heard shots from the Higgins residence, a two-story one-family pink stucco affair in the middle of a block of similar homes.
[178] Mr. Higgins, it was learned later, had suddenly erupted from his bedroom, brandishing a .30-.30 hunting rifle and, being annoyed at the shrieks of his wife and sister, had fired seven shells at them, killing his wife on the spot and wounding his sister in the hand and shoulder.
[179] Mrs. Stodbetter, wounded and scared out of her wits, raced screaming out the front door of the house, crying for the police and shouting, "Murder!
[180] Murder!"
[181] At this point, neighbors called the police.
[182] One neighbor additionally phoned three newspapers and two television stations, thereby earning forty dollars in "news-tips" rewards.
[183] By chance, a mobile television unit was at that moment on the Belt Parkway, returning from having seen off a prime minister at Idlewild Airport.
[184] This unit was at once diverted to Canarsie, where it took up a position across the street from the scene of carnage and went to work with a Zoomar lens.
[185] In the meantime, Mister Higgins had barricaded himself in his house, firing at anything that moved.
[186] The two cameramen in the mobile unit worked their hearts out.
[187] One concentrated on the movements of the police and firemen and neighbors and ambulance attendants, while the other used the Zoomar lens to search for Mr. Higgins.
[188] He found him occasionally, offering the at-home audience brief glimpses of a stocky balding man in brown trousers and undershirt, stalking from window to window on the second floor of the house.
[189] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[190] There were policemen everywhere, and firemen everywhere, and neighbors milling around down at the corner, where the police had roped the block off, and occasionally Mr. Higgins would stick his rifle out a window and shoot at somebody.
[191] The police used loudspeakers to tell Higgins he might as well give up, they had the place surrounded and could eventually starve him out anyway.
[192] Higgins used his own good lungs to shout obscenities back and challenge anyone present to hand-to-hand combat.
[193] The police fired tear gas shells at the house, but it was a windy day and all the windows in the Higgins house were either open or broken.
[194] Higgins was able to throw all the shells back out of the house again.
[195] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[196] Then it ended, suddenly and dramatically.
[197] Higgins had showed himself to the Zoomar lens again, for the purpose of shooting either the camera or its operator.
[198] All at once he yelped and threw the rifle away.
[199] The rifle bounced onto the porch roof, slithered down to the edge, hung for a second against the drain, and finally fell barrel first onto the lawn.
[200] Meanwhile, Higgins was running through the house, shouting like a wounded bull.
[201] He thundered down the stairs and out, hollering, to fall into the arms of the waiting police.
[202] They had trouble holding him.
[203] At first they thought he was actually trying to get away, but then one of them heard what it was he was shouting: "My hands!
[204] My hands!"
[205] They looked at his hands.
[206] The palms and the palm-side of the fingers were red and blistering, from what looked like severe burns.
[207] There was another burn on his right cheek and another one on his right shoulder.
[208] Higgins, thoroughly chastened and bewildered, was led away for burn ointment and jail.
[209] The television crew went on back to Manhattan.
[210] The neighbors went home and telephoned their friends.
[211] On-duty policemen had been called in from practically all of the precincts in Brooklyn.
[212] Among them was Detective-Sergeant William Stevenson.
[213] Stevenson frowned thoughtfully at Higgins as that unhappy individual was led away, and then strolled over to look at the rifle.
[214] He touched the stock, and it was somewhat warm but that was all.
[215] He picked it up and turned it around.
[216] There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
[217] You don't get to be Precinct Captain on nothing but political connections.
[218] Those help, of course, but you need more than that.
[219] As Captain Hanks was fond of pointing out, you needed as well to be both more imaginative than most—"You gotta be able to second-guess the smart boys"—and to be a complete realist—"You gotta have both feet on the ground."
[220] If these were somewhat contradictory qualities, it was best not to mention the fact to Captain Hanks.
[221] The realist side of the captain's nature was currently at the fore.
[222] "Just what are you trying to say, Stevenson?"
[223] he demanded.
[224] "I'm not sure," admitted Stevenson.
[225] "But we've got these two things.
[226] First, there's the getaway car from that bank job.
[227] The wheels melt for no reason at all, and somebody burns 'The Scorpion' onto the trunk.
[228] Then, yesterday, this guy Higgins out in Canarsie.
[229] He says the rifle all of a sudden got too hot to hold, and he's got the burn marks to prove it.
[230] And there on the rifle stock it is again.
[231] 'The Scorpion'."
[232] "He says he put that on there himself," said the captain.
[233] Stevenson shook his head.
[234] "His lawyer says he put it on there.
[235] Higgins says he doesn't remember doing it.
[236] That's half the lawyer's case.
[237] He's trying to build up an insanity defense."
[238] "He put it on there himself, Stevenson," said the captain with weary patience.
[239] "What are you trying to prove?"
[240] "I don't know.
[241] All I know is it's the nuttiest thing I ever saw.
[242] And what about the getaway car?
[243] What about those tires melting?"
[244] "They were defective," said Hanks promptly.
[245] "All four of them at once?
[246] And what about the thing written on the trunk?"
[247] "How do I know?"
[248] demanded the captain.
[249] "Kids put it on before the car was stolen, maybe.
[250] Or maybe the hoods did it themselves, who knows?
[251] What do they say?"
[252] "They say they didn't do it," said Stevenson.
[253] "And they say they never saw it before the robbery and they would have noticed it if it'd been there."
[254] The captain shook his head.
[255] "I don't get it," he admitted.
[256] "What are you trying to prove?"
[257] "I guess," said Stevenson slowly, thinking it out as he went along, "I guess I'm trying to prove that somebody melted those tires, and made that rifle too hot, and left his signature behind."
[258] "What?
[259] You mean like in the comic books?
[260] Come on, Stevenson!
[261] What are you trying to hand me?"
[262] "All I know," insisted Stevenson, "is what I see."
[263] "And all I know," the captain told him, "is Higgins put that name on his rifle himself.
[264] He says so."
[265] "And what made it so hot?"
[266] "Hell, man, he'd been firing that thing at people for an hour!
[267] What do you think made it hot?"
[268] "All of a sudden?"
[269] "He noticed it all of a sudden, when it started to burn him."
[270] "How come the same name showed up each time, then?"
[271] Stevenson asked desperately.
[272] "How should I know?
[273] And why not, anyway?
[274] You know as well as I do these things happen.
[275] A bunch of teen-agers burgle a liquor store and they write 'The Golden Avengers' on the plate glass in lipstick.
[276] It happens all the time.
[277] Why not 'The Scorpion'?
[278] It couldn't occur to two people?"
[279] "But there's no explanation—" started Stevenson.
[280] "What do you mean, there's no explanation?
[281] I just gave you the explanation.
[282] Look, Stevenson, I'm a busy man.
[283] You got a nutty idea—like Wilcox a few years ago, remember him?
[284] Got the idea there was a fiend around loose, stuffing all those kids into abandoned refrigerators to starve.
[285] He went around trying to prove it, and getting all upset, and pretty soon they had to put him away in the nut hatch.
[286] Remember?"
[287] "I remember," said Stevenson.
[288] "Forget this silly stuff, Stevenson," the captain advised him.
[289] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson....
[290] The day after Jerome Higgins went berserk, the afternoon mail brought a crank letter to the Daily News : Dear Mr. Editor, You did not warn your readers.
[291] The man who shot all those people could not escape the Scorpion.
[292] The Scorpion fights crime.
[293] No criminal is safe from the Scorpion.
[294] WARN YOUR READERS.
[295] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION Unfortunately, this letter was not read by the same individual who had seen the first one, two months before.
[296] At any rate, it was filed in the same place, and forgotten.
[297] III Hallowe'en is a good time for a rumble.
[298] There's too many kids around for the cops to keep track of all of them, and if you're picked up carrying a knife or a length of tire chain or something, why, you're on your way to a Hallowe'en party and you're in costume.
[299] You're going as a JD.
[300] The problem was this schoolyard.
[301] It was a block wide, with entrances on two streets.
[302] The street on the north was Challenger territory, and the street on the south was Scarlet Raider territory, and both sides claimed the schoolyard.
[303] There had been a few skirmishes, a few guys from both gangs had been jumped and knocked around a little, but that had been all.
[304] Finally, the War Lords from the two gangs had met, and determined that the matter could only be settled in a war.
[305] The time was chosen: Hallowe'en.
[306] The place was chosen: the schoolyard.
[307] The weapons were chosen: pocket knives and tire chains okay, but no pistols or zip-guns.
[308] The time was fixed: eleven P.M. And the winner would have undisputed territorial rights to the schoolyard, both entrances.
[309] The night of the rumble, the gangs assembled in their separate clubrooms for last-minute instructions.
[310] Debs were sent out to play chicken at the intersections nearest the schoolyard, both to warn of the approach of cops and to keep out any non-combatant kids who might come wandering through.
[311] Judy Canzanetti was a Deb with the Scarlet Raiders.
[312] She was fifteen years old, short and black-haired and pretty in a movie-magazine, gum-chewing sort of way.
[313] She was proud of being in the Auxiliary of the Scarlet Raiders, and proud also of the job that had been assigned to her.
[314] She was to stand chicken on the southwest corner of the street.
[315] Judy took up her position at five minutes to eleven.
[316] The streets were dark and quiet.
[317] Few people cared to walk this neighborhood after dark, particularly on Hallowe'en.
[318] Judy leaned her back against the telephone pole on the corner, stuck her hands in the pockets of her Scarlet Raider jacket and waited.
[319] At eleven o'clock, she heard indistinct noises begin behind her.
[320] The rumble had started.
[321] At five after eleven, a bunch of little kids came wandering down the street.
[322] They were all about ten or eleven years old, and most of them carried trick-or-treat shopping bags.
[323] Some of them had Hallowe'en masks on.
[324] They started to make the turn toward the schoolyard.
[325] Judy said, "Hey, you kids.
[326] Take off."
[327] One of them, wearing a red mask, turned to look at her.
[328] "Who, us?"
[329] "Yes, you!
[330] Stay out of that street.
[331] Go on down that way."
[332] "The subway's this way," objected the kid in the red mask.
[333] "Who cares?
[334] You go around the other way."
[335] "Listen, lady," said the kid in the red mask, aggrieved, "we got a long way to go to get home."
[336] "Yeah," said another kid, in a black mask, "and we're late as it is."
[337] "I couldn't care less," Judy told them callously.
[338] "You can't go down that street."
[339] "Why not?"
[340] demanded yet another kid.
[341] This one was in the most complete and elaborate costume of them all, black leotards and a yellow shirt and a flowing: black cape.
[342] He wore a black and gold mask and had a black knit cap jammed down tight onto his head.
[343] "Why can't we go down there?"
[344] this apparition demanded.
[345] "Because I said so," Judy told him.
[346] "Now, you kids get away from here.
[347] Take off."
[348] "Hey!"
[349] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume.
[350] "Hey, they're fighting down there!"
[351] "It's a rumble," said Judy proudly.
[352] "You twerps don't want to be involved."
[353] "Hey!"
[354] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume again.
[355] And he went running around Judy and dashing off down the street.
[356] "Hey, Eddie!"
[357] shouted one of the other kids.
[358] "Eddie, come back!"
[359] Judy wasn't sure what to do next.
[360] If she abandoned her post to chase the one kid who'd gotten through, then maybe all the rest of them would come running along after her.
[361] She didn't know what to do.
[362] A sudden siren and a distant flashing red light solved her problems.
[363] "Cheez," said one of the kids.
[364] "The cops!"
[365] "Fuzz!"
[366] screamed Judy.
[367] She turned and raced down the block toward the schoolyard, shouting, "Fuzz!
[368] Fuzz!
[369] Clear out, it's the fuzz!"
[370] But then she stopped, wide-eyed, when she saw what was going on in the schoolyard.
[371] The guys from both gangs were dancing.
[372] They were jumping around, waving their arms, throwing their weapons away.
[373] Then they all started pulling off their gang jackets and throwing them away, whooping and hollering.
[374] They were making such a racket themselves that they never heard Judy's warning.
[375] They didn't even hear the police sirens.
[376] And all at once both schoolyard entrances were full of cops, a cop had tight hold of Judy and the rumble was over.
[377] Judy was so baffled and terrified that everything was just one great big blur.
[378] But in the middle of it all, she did see the little kid in the yellow-and-black costume go scooting away down the street.
[379] And she had the craziest idea that it was all his fault.
[380] Captain Hanks was still in his realistic cycle this morning, and he was impatient as well.
[381] "All right, Stevenson," he said.
[382] "Make it fast, I've got a lot to do this morning.
[383] And I hope it isn't this comic-book thing of yours again."
[384] "I'm afraid it is, Captain," said Stevenson.
[385] "Did you see the morning paper?"
[386] "So what?"
[387] "Did you see that thing about the gang fight up in Manhattan?"
[388] Captain Hanks sighed.
[389] "Stevenson," he said wearily, "are you going to try to connect every single time the word 'scorpion' comes up?
[390] What's the problem with this one?
[391] These kid gangs have names, so what?"
[392] "Neither one of them was called 'The Scorpions,'" Stevenson told him.
[393] "One of them was the Scarlet Raiders and the other gang was the Challengers."
[394] "So they changed their name," said Hanks.
[395] "Both gangs?
[396] Simultaneously?
[397] To the same name?"
[398] "Why not?
[399] Maybe that's what they were fighting over."
[400] "It was a territorial war," Stevenson reminded him.
[401] "They've admitted that much.
[402] It says so in the paper.
[403] And it also says they all deny ever seeing that word on their jackets until after the fight."
[404] "A bunch of juvenile delinquents," said Hanks in disgust.
[405] "You take their word?"
[406] "Captain, did you read the article in the paper?"
[407] "I glanced through it."
[408] "All right.
[409] Here's what they say happened: They say they started fighting at eleven o'clock.
[410] And they just got going when all at once all the metal they were carrying—knives and tire chains and coins and belt buckles and everything else—got freezing cold, too cold to touch.
[411] And then their leather jackets got freezing cold, so cold they had to pull them off and throw them away.
[412] And when the jackets were later collected, across the name of the gang on the back of each one had been branded 'The Scorpion.'"
[413] "Now, let me tell you something," said Hanks severely.
[414] "They heard the police sirens, and they threw all their weapons away.
[415] Then they threw their jackets away, to try to make believe they hadn't been part of the gang that had been fighting.
[416] But they were caught before they could get out of the schoolyard.
[417] If the squad cars had showed up a minute later, the schoolyard wouldn't have had anything in it but weapons and jackets, and the kids would have been all over the neighborhood, nice as you please, minding their own business and not bothering anybody.
[418] That's what happened.
[419] And all this talk about freezing cold and branding names into jackets is just some smart-alec punk's idea of a way to razz the police.
[420] Now, you just go back to worrying about what's happening in this precinct and forget about kid gangs up in Manhattan and comic book things like the Scorpion, or you're going to wind up like Wilcox, with that refrigerator business.
[421] Now, I don't want to hear any more about this nonsense, Stevenson."
[422] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [1] CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail!
2. [2] Hoodlums fear his fury—and, for that matter, so do the cops!
3. [157] It was brief and to the point: Dear Mr. Editor: The Scorpion has struck.
4. [158] The bank robbers were captured.
5. [159] The Scorpion fights crime.
6. [160] Crooks and robbers are not safe from the avenging Scorpion.
7. [161] WARN YOUR READERS!
8. [290] The day after Jerome Higgins went berserk, the afternoon mail brought a crank letter to the Daily News : Dear Mr. Editor, You did not warn your readers.
9. [291] The man who shot all those people could not escape the Scorpion.
10. [292] The Scorpion fights crime.
11. [293] No criminal is safe from the Scorpion.
12. [294] WARN YOUR READERS.
13. [3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
14. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
15. [5] The man with the handkerchief mask said, "All right, everybody, keep tight.
16. [6] This is a holdup."
17. [7] There were twelve people in the bank.
18. [8] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger.
19. [9] There was the perfect stranger, an itinerant garage mechanic named Rodney (Rod) Strom, like the check said.
20. [10] There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages.
21. [11] There was Mister Anderson, the guard, dozing by the door in his brown uniform.
22. [12] There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior.
23. [13] There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street.
24. [14] There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again.
25. [15] And there were three bank robbers.
26. [16] The three bank robbers looked like triplets.
27. [17] From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes.
28. [18] The eyes themselves looked dangerous.
29. [19] The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket.
30. [20] He waved it menacingly.
31. [21] One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend."
32. [22] The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money.
33. [23] It was just like the movies.
34. [24] The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door.
35. [25] The third man stuffed money into the black satchel.
36. [26] The man by the door said, "Hurry up."
37. [27] The man with the satchel said, "One more drawer."
38. [28] The man with the gun turned to say to the man at the door, "Keep your shirt on."
39. [29] That was all Miss English needed.
40. [30] She kicked off her shoes and ran pelting in her stocking feet for the door.
41. [31] The man by the door spread his arms out and shouted, "Hey!"
42. [32] The man with the gun swung violently back, cursing, and fired the gun.
43. [33] But he'd been moving too fast, and so had Miss English, and all he hit was the brass plate on Mr. Featherhall's desk.
44. [34] The man by the door caught Miss English in a bear hug.
45. [35] She promptly did her best to scratch his eyes out.
46. [36] Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help!
47. [37] Help!
48. [38] Robbery!"
49. [39] The man with the gun cursed some more.
50. [40] The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
51. [41] Then the man with the gun hit Miss English on the head.
52. [42] She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine.
53. [43] Everyone except Miss English ran out after the bandits, to watch.
54. [44] Things got very fast and very confused then.
55. [45] Two police cars came driving down the block and a half from the precinct house to the bank, and the car with the four robbers in it lurched away from the curb and drove straight down the street toward the police station.
56. [46] The police cars and the getaway car passed one another, with everybody shooting like the ships in pirate movies.
57. [47] There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers were going to get away after all.
58. [48] The police cars were aiming the wrong way and, as they'd come down with sirens wailing, there was a clear path behind them.
59. [49] Then, after the getaway car had gone more than two blocks, it suddenly started jouncing around.
60. [50] It smacked into a parked car and stopped.
61. [51] And all the police went running down there to clap handcuffs on the robbers when they crawled dazedly out of their car.
62. [52] "Hey," said Eddie Clayhorn, ten years old.
63. [53] "Hey, that was something, huh, Mom?"
64. [54] "Come along home," said his mother, grabbing his hand.
65. [55] "We don't want to be involved."
66. [56] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
67. [57] "An operation planned that well, you'd think they'd pay attention to their getaway car, you know what I mean?"
68. [58] Detective-Sergeant Pauling shrugged.
69. [59] "They always slip up," he said.
70. [60] "Sooner or later, on some minor detail, they always slip up."
71. [61] "Yes, but their tires ."
72. [62] "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car.
73. [63] I suppose they just grabbed whatever was handiest."
74. [64] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that.
75. [65] I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot.
76. [66] And they weren't going that fast.
77. [67] I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
78. [68] Pauling shrugged again.
79. [69] "We got them.
80. [70] That's the important thing."
81. [71] "Still and all, it's nutty.
82. [72] They're free and clear, barrelling out Rockaway toward the Belt, and all at once their tires melt, the tubes blow out and there they are."
83. [73] Stevenson shook his head.
84. [74] "I can't figure it."
85. [75] "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," suggested Pauling.
86. [76] "They picked the wrong car to steal."
87. [77] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
88. [78] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
89. [79] "Why?
90. [80] What was it, a foreign make?"
91. [81] "No, it was a Chevvy, two-tone, three years old, looked just like half the cars on the streets.
92. [82] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away."
93. [83] "Maybe they didn't notice it when they stole the car," said Pauling.
94. [84] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners.
95. [85] It doesn't make any sense."
96. [86] "What do they have to say about it?"
97. [87] Pauling demanded.
98. [88] "Nothing, what do you expect?
99. [89] They'll make no statement at all."
100. [163] It didn't rate a line in the paper. |
What pattern does Stevenson notice in the crimes that makes him suspicious? | [
"In all three incidents that take place in the story, the criminals were stopped and caught by the police. They all seemed to be mysteriously burned in one way or another: the tires on the car melted off, Higgins' hands were burned by the rifle, and the jackets and weapons of the gang members seemed to have the same effect. Additionally, all three events were tagged by \"The Scorpion\": the words were branded on the car, the rifle, and the jackets.",
"There is a very odd pattern that Stevenson notices in the crimes that makes him suspicious. In all the crimes mentioned in the story, there has been the words \"The Scorpion\" left behind on some piece of evidence relating to the crime by an unknown source. There is also the connection of heat in all three cases. In the bank robbery case, the tires melt without explanation, and \"the scorpion\" is burned onto the outside of the car. \nIn the murder case, the gun which Mr Higgins holds burns his hands and his shoulder, and the words are left burned into the wooden part of the gun. \nIn the incident involving the two gangs, their weapons and jackets become increasingly cold, up to the point where they can no longer touch them. The words \"the scorpion\" and imprinted on the back of their jackets.",
"Stevenson notices that shortly after all of the criminals are arrested, the mark of ‘The Scorpion’ is left behind. In the bank robbery, the writing is burned into the lid of the car. In the Brooklyn rampage incident, it is burned onto the wood stock of Mister Higgin’s hunting rifle. In the schoolyard incident, the word is written on the back of all the jackets of the two gangs. These patterns make him suspicious because although there is no evidence of any external interference, the word appears whenever the criminals’ plans have been thwarted and the police have arrived. The words also do not seem to be written by the criminals themselves either.",
"Each crime is very different - a bank robbery, a domestic murder and a kids gangs fight. Nevertheless, they bare linked with an inscription \"The Scorpion\" appearing on some attributes and weird things preventing the crimes. First, well-organized robbers make a stupid mistake of picking a noticeable car and their tires burn for no cause, then a rifle gets hot all of a sudden and burns the hands holding it. In the end, weapons and jackets become impossible to hold as they are extremely cold. Thus, the thee crimes are stopped. And the same inscription is told by everyone not to have been there before."
] | [1] CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail!
[2] Hoodlums fear his fury—and, for that matter, so do the cops!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] The man with the handkerchief mask said, "All right, everybody, keep tight.
[6] This is a holdup."
[7] There were twelve people in the bank.
[8] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger.
[9] There was the perfect stranger, an itinerant garage mechanic named Rodney (Rod) Strom, like the check said.
[10] There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages.
[11] There was Mister Anderson, the guard, dozing by the door in his brown uniform.
[12] There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior.
[13] There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street.
[14] There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again.
[15] And there were three bank robbers.
[16] The three bank robbers looked like triplets.
[17] From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes.
[18] The eyes themselves looked dangerous.
[19] The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket.
[20] He waved it menacingly.
[21] One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend."
[22] The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money.
[23] It was just like the movies.
[24] The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door.
[25] The third man stuffed money into the black satchel.
[26] The man by the door said, "Hurry up."
[27] The man with the satchel said, "One more drawer."
[28] The man with the gun turned to say to the man at the door, "Keep your shirt on."
[29] That was all Miss English needed.
[30] She kicked off her shoes and ran pelting in her stocking feet for the door.
[31] The man by the door spread his arms out and shouted, "Hey!"
[32] The man with the gun swung violently back, cursing, and fired the gun.
[33] But he'd been moving too fast, and so had Miss English, and all he hit was the brass plate on Mr. Featherhall's desk.
[34] The man by the door caught Miss English in a bear hug.
[35] She promptly did her best to scratch his eyes out.
[36] Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help!
[37] Help!
[38] Robbery!"
[39] The man with the gun cursed some more.
[40] The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
[41] Then the man with the gun hit Miss English on the head.
[42] She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine.
[43] Everyone except Miss English ran out after the bandits, to watch.
[44] Things got very fast and very confused then.
[45] Two police cars came driving down the block and a half from the precinct house to the bank, and the car with the four robbers in it lurched away from the curb and drove straight down the street toward the police station.
[46] The police cars and the getaway car passed one another, with everybody shooting like the ships in pirate movies.
[47] There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers were going to get away after all.
[48] The police cars were aiming the wrong way and, as they'd come down with sirens wailing, there was a clear path behind them.
[49] Then, after the getaway car had gone more than two blocks, it suddenly started jouncing around.
[50] It smacked into a parked car and stopped.
[51] And all the police went running down there to clap handcuffs on the robbers when they crawled dazedly out of their car.
[52] "Hey," said Eddie Clayhorn, ten years old.
[53] "Hey, that was something, huh, Mom?"
[54] "Come along home," said his mother, grabbing his hand.
[55] "We don't want to be involved."
[56] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
[57] "An operation planned that well, you'd think they'd pay attention to their getaway car, you know what I mean?"
[58] Detective-Sergeant Pauling shrugged.
[59] "They always slip up," he said.
[60] "Sooner or later, on some minor detail, they always slip up."
[61] "Yes, but their tires ."
[62] "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car.
[63] I suppose they just grabbed whatever was handiest."
[64] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that.
[65] I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot.
[66] And they weren't going that fast.
[67] I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
[68] Pauling shrugged again.
[69] "We got them.
[70] That's the important thing."
[71] "Still and all, it's nutty.
[72] They're free and clear, barrelling out Rockaway toward the Belt, and all at once their tires melt, the tubes blow out and there they are."
[73] Stevenson shook his head.
[74] "I can't figure it."
[75] "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," suggested Pauling.
[76] "They picked the wrong car to steal."
[77] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
[78] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
[79] "Why?
[80] What was it, a foreign make?"
[81] "No, it was a Chevvy, two-tone, three years old, looked just like half the cars on the streets.
[82] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away."
[83] "Maybe they didn't notice it when they stole the car," said Pauling.
[84] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners.
[85] It doesn't make any sense."
[86] "What do they have to say about it?"
[87] Pauling demanded.
[88] "Nothing, what do you expect?
[89] They'll make no statement at all."
[90] The squad-room door opened, and a uniformed patrolman stuck his head in.
[91] "The owner of that Chevvy's here," he said.
[92] "Right," said Stevenson.
[93] He followed the patrolman down the hall to the front desk.
[94] The owner of the Chevvy was an angry-looking man of middle age, tall and paunchy.
[95] "John Hastings," he said.
[96] "They say you have my car here."
[97] "I believe so, yes," said Stevenson.
[98] "I'm afraid it's in pretty bad shape."
[99] "So I was told over the phone," said Hastings grimly.
[100] "I've contacted my insurance company."
[101] "Good.
[102] The car's in the police garage, around the corner.
[103] If you'd come with me?"
[104] On the way around, Stevenson said, "I believe you reported the car stolen almost immediately after it happened."
[105] "That's right," said Hastings.
[106] "I stepped into a bar on my route.
[107] I'm a wine and liquor salesman.
[108] When I came out five minutes later, my car was gone."
[109] "You left the keys in it?"
[110] "Well, why not?"
[111] demanded Hastings belligerently.
[112] "If I'm making just a quick stop—I never spend more than five minutes with any one customer—I always leave the keys in the car.
[113] Why not?"
[114] "The car was stolen," Stevenson reminded him.
[115] Hastings grumbled and glared.
[116] "It's always been perfectly safe up till now."
[117] "Yes, sir.
[118] In here."
[119] Hastings took one look at his car and hit the ceiling.
[120] "It's ruined!"
[121] he cried.
[122] "What did you do to the tires?"
[123] "Not a thing, sir.
[124] That happened to them in the holdup."
[125] Hastings leaned down over one of the front tires.
[126] "Look at that!
[127] There's melted rubber all over the rims.
[128] Those rims are ruined!
[129] What did you use, incendiary bullets?"
[130] Stevenson shook his head.
[131] "No, sir.
[132] When that happened they were two blocks away from the nearest policeman."
[133] "Hmph."
[134] Hastings moved on around the car, stopping short to exclaim, "What in the name of God is that?
[135] You didn't tell me a bunch of kids had stolen the car."
[136] "It wasn't a bunch of kids," Stevenson told him.
[137] "It was four professional criminals, I thought you knew that.
[138] They were using it in a bank holdup."
[139] "Then why did they do that ?"
[140] Stevenson followed Hastings' pointing finger, and saw again the crudely-lettered words, "The Scorpion" burned black into the paint of the trunk lid.
[141] "I really don't know," he said.
[142] "It wasn't there before the car was stolen?"
[143] "Of course not!"
[144] Stevenson frowned.
[145] "Now, why in the world did they do that?"
[146] "I suggest," said Hastings with heavy sarcasm, "you ask them that."
[147] Stevenson shook his head.
[148] "It wouldn't do any good.
[149] They aren't talking about anything.
[150] I don't suppose they'll ever tell us."
[151] He looked at the trunk lid again.
[152] "It's the nuttiest thing," he said thoughtfully.... That was on Wednesday.
[153] The Friday afternoon mail delivery to the Daily News brought a crank letter.
[154] It was in the crank letter's most obvious form; that is, the address had been clipped, a letter or a word at a time, from a newspaper and glued to the envelope.
[155] There was no return address.
[156] The letter itself was in the same format.
[157] It was brief and to the point: Dear Mr. Editor: The Scorpion has struck.
[158] The bank robbers were captured.
[159] The Scorpion fights crime.
[160] Crooks and robbers are not safe from the avenging Scorpion.
[161] WARN YOUR READERS!
[162] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION The warning was duly noted, and the letter filed in the wastebasket.
[163] It didn't rate a line in the paper.
[164] II The bank robbery occurred in late June.
[165] Early in August, a Brooklyn man went berserk.
[166] It happened in Canarsie, a section in southeast Brooklyn near Jamaica Bay.
[167] This particular area of Canarsie was a residential neighborhood, composed of one and two family houses.
[168] The man who went berserk was a Motor Vehicle Bureau clerk named Jerome Higgins.
[169] Two days before, he had flunked a Civil Service examination for the third time.
[170] He reported himself sick and spent the two days at home, brooding, a bottle of blended whiskey at all times in his hand.
[171] As the police reconstructed it later, Mrs. Higgins had attempted to awaken him on the third morning at seven-thirty, suggesting that he really ought to stop being so foolish, and go back to work.
[172] He then allegedly poked her in the eye, and locked her out of the bedroom.
[173] Mrs. Higgins then apparently called her sister-in-law, a Mrs. Thelma Stodbetter, who was Mr. Higgins' sister.
[174] Mrs. Stodbetter arrived at the house at nine o'clock, and spent some time tapping at the still-locked bedroom door, apparently requesting Mr. Higgins to unlock the door and "stop acting like a child."
[175] Neighbors reported to the police that they heard Mr. Higgins shout a number of times, "Go away!
[176] Can't you let a man sleep?"
[177] At about ten-fifteen, neighbors heard shots from the Higgins residence, a two-story one-family pink stucco affair in the middle of a block of similar homes.
[178] Mr. Higgins, it was learned later, had suddenly erupted from his bedroom, brandishing a .30-.30 hunting rifle and, being annoyed at the shrieks of his wife and sister, had fired seven shells at them, killing his wife on the spot and wounding his sister in the hand and shoulder.
[179] Mrs. Stodbetter, wounded and scared out of her wits, raced screaming out the front door of the house, crying for the police and shouting, "Murder!
[180] Murder!"
[181] At this point, neighbors called the police.
[182] One neighbor additionally phoned three newspapers and two television stations, thereby earning forty dollars in "news-tips" rewards.
[183] By chance, a mobile television unit was at that moment on the Belt Parkway, returning from having seen off a prime minister at Idlewild Airport.
[184] This unit was at once diverted to Canarsie, where it took up a position across the street from the scene of carnage and went to work with a Zoomar lens.
[185] In the meantime, Mister Higgins had barricaded himself in his house, firing at anything that moved.
[186] The two cameramen in the mobile unit worked their hearts out.
[187] One concentrated on the movements of the police and firemen and neighbors and ambulance attendants, while the other used the Zoomar lens to search for Mr. Higgins.
[188] He found him occasionally, offering the at-home audience brief glimpses of a stocky balding man in brown trousers and undershirt, stalking from window to window on the second floor of the house.
[189] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[190] There were policemen everywhere, and firemen everywhere, and neighbors milling around down at the corner, where the police had roped the block off, and occasionally Mr. Higgins would stick his rifle out a window and shoot at somebody.
[191] The police used loudspeakers to tell Higgins he might as well give up, they had the place surrounded and could eventually starve him out anyway.
[192] Higgins used his own good lungs to shout obscenities back and challenge anyone present to hand-to-hand combat.
[193] The police fired tear gas shells at the house, but it was a windy day and all the windows in the Higgins house were either open or broken.
[194] Higgins was able to throw all the shells back out of the house again.
[195] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[196] Then it ended, suddenly and dramatically.
[197] Higgins had showed himself to the Zoomar lens again, for the purpose of shooting either the camera or its operator.
[198] All at once he yelped and threw the rifle away.
[199] The rifle bounced onto the porch roof, slithered down to the edge, hung for a second against the drain, and finally fell barrel first onto the lawn.
[200] Meanwhile, Higgins was running through the house, shouting like a wounded bull.
[201] He thundered down the stairs and out, hollering, to fall into the arms of the waiting police.
[202] They had trouble holding him.
[203] At first they thought he was actually trying to get away, but then one of them heard what it was he was shouting: "My hands!
[204] My hands!"
[205] They looked at his hands.
[206] The palms and the palm-side of the fingers were red and blistering, from what looked like severe burns.
[207] There was another burn on his right cheek and another one on his right shoulder.
[208] Higgins, thoroughly chastened and bewildered, was led away for burn ointment and jail.
[209] The television crew went on back to Manhattan.
[210] The neighbors went home and telephoned their friends.
[211] On-duty policemen had been called in from practically all of the precincts in Brooklyn.
[212] Among them was Detective-Sergeant William Stevenson.
[213] Stevenson frowned thoughtfully at Higgins as that unhappy individual was led away, and then strolled over to look at the rifle.
[214] He touched the stock, and it was somewhat warm but that was all.
[215] He picked it up and turned it around.
[216] There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
[217] You don't get to be Precinct Captain on nothing but political connections.
[218] Those help, of course, but you need more than that.
[219] As Captain Hanks was fond of pointing out, you needed as well to be both more imaginative than most—"You gotta be able to second-guess the smart boys"—and to be a complete realist—"You gotta have both feet on the ground."
[220] If these were somewhat contradictory qualities, it was best not to mention the fact to Captain Hanks.
[221] The realist side of the captain's nature was currently at the fore.
[222] "Just what are you trying to say, Stevenson?"
[223] he demanded.
[224] "I'm not sure," admitted Stevenson.
[225] "But we've got these two things.
[226] First, there's the getaway car from that bank job.
[227] The wheels melt for no reason at all, and somebody burns 'The Scorpion' onto the trunk.
[228] Then, yesterday, this guy Higgins out in Canarsie.
[229] He says the rifle all of a sudden got too hot to hold, and he's got the burn marks to prove it.
[230] And there on the rifle stock it is again.
[231] 'The Scorpion'."
[232] "He says he put that on there himself," said the captain.
[233] Stevenson shook his head.
[234] "His lawyer says he put it on there.
[235] Higgins says he doesn't remember doing it.
[236] That's half the lawyer's case.
[237] He's trying to build up an insanity defense."
[238] "He put it on there himself, Stevenson," said the captain with weary patience.
[239] "What are you trying to prove?"
[240] "I don't know.
[241] All I know is it's the nuttiest thing I ever saw.
[242] And what about the getaway car?
[243] What about those tires melting?"
[244] "They were defective," said Hanks promptly.
[245] "All four of them at once?
[246] And what about the thing written on the trunk?"
[247] "How do I know?"
[248] demanded the captain.
[249] "Kids put it on before the car was stolen, maybe.
[250] Or maybe the hoods did it themselves, who knows?
[251] What do they say?"
[252] "They say they didn't do it," said Stevenson.
[253] "And they say they never saw it before the robbery and they would have noticed it if it'd been there."
[254] The captain shook his head.
[255] "I don't get it," he admitted.
[256] "What are you trying to prove?"
[257] "I guess," said Stevenson slowly, thinking it out as he went along, "I guess I'm trying to prove that somebody melted those tires, and made that rifle too hot, and left his signature behind."
[258] "What?
[259] You mean like in the comic books?
[260] Come on, Stevenson!
[261] What are you trying to hand me?"
[262] "All I know," insisted Stevenson, "is what I see."
[263] "And all I know," the captain told him, "is Higgins put that name on his rifle himself.
[264] He says so."
[265] "And what made it so hot?"
[266] "Hell, man, he'd been firing that thing at people for an hour!
[267] What do you think made it hot?"
[268] "All of a sudden?"
[269] "He noticed it all of a sudden, when it started to burn him."
[270] "How come the same name showed up each time, then?"
[271] Stevenson asked desperately.
[272] "How should I know?
[273] And why not, anyway?
[274] You know as well as I do these things happen.
[275] A bunch of teen-agers burgle a liquor store and they write 'The Golden Avengers' on the plate glass in lipstick.
[276] It happens all the time.
[277] Why not 'The Scorpion'?
[278] It couldn't occur to two people?"
[279] "But there's no explanation—" started Stevenson.
[280] "What do you mean, there's no explanation?
[281] I just gave you the explanation.
[282] Look, Stevenson, I'm a busy man.
[283] You got a nutty idea—like Wilcox a few years ago, remember him?
[284] Got the idea there was a fiend around loose, stuffing all those kids into abandoned refrigerators to starve.
[285] He went around trying to prove it, and getting all upset, and pretty soon they had to put him away in the nut hatch.
[286] Remember?"
[287] "I remember," said Stevenson.
[288] "Forget this silly stuff, Stevenson," the captain advised him.
[289] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson....
[290] The day after Jerome Higgins went berserk, the afternoon mail brought a crank letter to the Daily News : Dear Mr. Editor, You did not warn your readers.
[291] The man who shot all those people could not escape the Scorpion.
[292] The Scorpion fights crime.
[293] No criminal is safe from the Scorpion.
[294] WARN YOUR READERS.
[295] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION Unfortunately, this letter was not read by the same individual who had seen the first one, two months before.
[296] At any rate, it was filed in the same place, and forgotten.
[297] III Hallowe'en is a good time for a rumble.
[298] There's too many kids around for the cops to keep track of all of them, and if you're picked up carrying a knife or a length of tire chain or something, why, you're on your way to a Hallowe'en party and you're in costume.
[299] You're going as a JD.
[300] The problem was this schoolyard.
[301] It was a block wide, with entrances on two streets.
[302] The street on the north was Challenger territory, and the street on the south was Scarlet Raider territory, and both sides claimed the schoolyard.
[303] There had been a few skirmishes, a few guys from both gangs had been jumped and knocked around a little, but that had been all.
[304] Finally, the War Lords from the two gangs had met, and determined that the matter could only be settled in a war.
[305] The time was chosen: Hallowe'en.
[306] The place was chosen: the schoolyard.
[307] The weapons were chosen: pocket knives and tire chains okay, but no pistols or zip-guns.
[308] The time was fixed: eleven P.M. And the winner would have undisputed territorial rights to the schoolyard, both entrances.
[309] The night of the rumble, the gangs assembled in their separate clubrooms for last-minute instructions.
[310] Debs were sent out to play chicken at the intersections nearest the schoolyard, both to warn of the approach of cops and to keep out any non-combatant kids who might come wandering through.
[311] Judy Canzanetti was a Deb with the Scarlet Raiders.
[312] She was fifteen years old, short and black-haired and pretty in a movie-magazine, gum-chewing sort of way.
[313] She was proud of being in the Auxiliary of the Scarlet Raiders, and proud also of the job that had been assigned to her.
[314] She was to stand chicken on the southwest corner of the street.
[315] Judy took up her position at five minutes to eleven.
[316] The streets were dark and quiet.
[317] Few people cared to walk this neighborhood after dark, particularly on Hallowe'en.
[318] Judy leaned her back against the telephone pole on the corner, stuck her hands in the pockets of her Scarlet Raider jacket and waited.
[319] At eleven o'clock, she heard indistinct noises begin behind her.
[320] The rumble had started.
[321] At five after eleven, a bunch of little kids came wandering down the street.
[322] They were all about ten or eleven years old, and most of them carried trick-or-treat shopping bags.
[323] Some of them had Hallowe'en masks on.
[324] They started to make the turn toward the schoolyard.
[325] Judy said, "Hey, you kids.
[326] Take off."
[327] One of them, wearing a red mask, turned to look at her.
[328] "Who, us?"
[329] "Yes, you!
[330] Stay out of that street.
[331] Go on down that way."
[332] "The subway's this way," objected the kid in the red mask.
[333] "Who cares?
[334] You go around the other way."
[335] "Listen, lady," said the kid in the red mask, aggrieved, "we got a long way to go to get home."
[336] "Yeah," said another kid, in a black mask, "and we're late as it is."
[337] "I couldn't care less," Judy told them callously.
[338] "You can't go down that street."
[339] "Why not?"
[340] demanded yet another kid.
[341] This one was in the most complete and elaborate costume of them all, black leotards and a yellow shirt and a flowing: black cape.
[342] He wore a black and gold mask and had a black knit cap jammed down tight onto his head.
[343] "Why can't we go down there?"
[344] this apparition demanded.
[345] "Because I said so," Judy told him.
[346] "Now, you kids get away from here.
[347] Take off."
[348] "Hey!"
[349] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume.
[350] "Hey, they're fighting down there!"
[351] "It's a rumble," said Judy proudly.
[352] "You twerps don't want to be involved."
[353] "Hey!"
[354] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume again.
[355] And he went running around Judy and dashing off down the street.
[356] "Hey, Eddie!"
[357] shouted one of the other kids.
[358] "Eddie, come back!"
[359] Judy wasn't sure what to do next.
[360] If she abandoned her post to chase the one kid who'd gotten through, then maybe all the rest of them would come running along after her.
[361] She didn't know what to do.
[362] A sudden siren and a distant flashing red light solved her problems.
[363] "Cheez," said one of the kids.
[364] "The cops!"
[365] "Fuzz!"
[366] screamed Judy.
[367] She turned and raced down the block toward the schoolyard, shouting, "Fuzz!
[368] Fuzz!
[369] Clear out, it's the fuzz!"
[370] But then she stopped, wide-eyed, when she saw what was going on in the schoolyard.
[371] The guys from both gangs were dancing.
[372] They were jumping around, waving their arms, throwing their weapons away.
[373] Then they all started pulling off their gang jackets and throwing them away, whooping and hollering.
[374] They were making such a racket themselves that they never heard Judy's warning.
[375] They didn't even hear the police sirens.
[376] And all at once both schoolyard entrances were full of cops, a cop had tight hold of Judy and the rumble was over.
[377] Judy was so baffled and terrified that everything was just one great big blur.
[378] But in the middle of it all, she did see the little kid in the yellow-and-black costume go scooting away down the street.
[379] And she had the craziest idea that it was all his fault.
[380] Captain Hanks was still in his realistic cycle this morning, and he was impatient as well.
[381] "All right, Stevenson," he said.
[382] "Make it fast, I've got a lot to do this morning.
[383] And I hope it isn't this comic-book thing of yours again."
[384] "I'm afraid it is, Captain," said Stevenson.
[385] "Did you see the morning paper?"
[386] "So what?"
[387] "Did you see that thing about the gang fight up in Manhattan?"
[388] Captain Hanks sighed.
[389] "Stevenson," he said wearily, "are you going to try to connect every single time the word 'scorpion' comes up?
[390] What's the problem with this one?
[391] These kid gangs have names, so what?"
[392] "Neither one of them was called 'The Scorpions,'" Stevenson told him.
[393] "One of them was the Scarlet Raiders and the other gang was the Challengers."
[394] "So they changed their name," said Hanks.
[395] "Both gangs?
[396] Simultaneously?
[397] To the same name?"
[398] "Why not?
[399] Maybe that's what they were fighting over."
[400] "It was a territorial war," Stevenson reminded him.
[401] "They've admitted that much.
[402] It says so in the paper.
[403] And it also says they all deny ever seeing that word on their jackets until after the fight."
[404] "A bunch of juvenile delinquents," said Hanks in disgust.
[405] "You take their word?"
[406] "Captain, did you read the article in the paper?"
[407] "I glanced through it."
[408] "All right.
[409] Here's what they say happened: They say they started fighting at eleven o'clock.
[410] And they just got going when all at once all the metal they were carrying—knives and tire chains and coins and belt buckles and everything else—got freezing cold, too cold to touch.
[411] And then their leather jackets got freezing cold, so cold they had to pull them off and throw them away.
[412] And when the jackets were later collected, across the name of the gang on the back of each one had been branded 'The Scorpion.'"
[413] "Now, let me tell you something," said Hanks severely.
[414] "They heard the police sirens, and they threw all their weapons away.
[415] Then they threw their jackets away, to try to make believe they hadn't been part of the gang that had been fighting.
[416] But they were caught before they could get out of the schoolyard.
[417] If the squad cars had showed up a minute later, the schoolyard wouldn't have had anything in it but weapons and jackets, and the kids would have been all over the neighborhood, nice as you please, minding their own business and not bothering anybody.
[418] That's what happened.
[419] And all this talk about freezing cold and branding names into jackets is just some smart-alec punk's idea of a way to razz the police.
[420] Now, you just go back to worrying about what's happening in this precinct and forget about kid gangs up in Manhattan and comic book things like the Scorpion, or you're going to wind up like Wilcox, with that refrigerator business.
[421] Now, I don't want to hear any more about this nonsense, Stevenson."
[422] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question:
1. [56] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
2. [61] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that."
3. [64] "I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot."
4. [65] "And they weren't going that fast."
5. [66] "I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
6. [77] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
7. [78] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
8. [84] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners."
9. [85] "It doesn't make any sense."
10. [213] Stevenson frowned thoughtfully at Higgins as that unhappy individual was led away, and then strolled over to look at the rifle.
11. [214] He touched the stock, and it was somewhat warm but that was all.
12. [215] He picked it up and turned it around.
13. [216] There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
14. [225] "But we've got these two things."
15. [226] "First, there's the getaway car from that bank job."
16. [227] "The wheels melt for no reason at all, and somebody burns 'The Scorpion' onto the trunk."
17. [228] "Then, yesterday, this guy Higgins out in Canarsie."
18. [229] "He says the rifle all of a sudden got too hot to hold, and he's got the burn marks to prove it."
19. [230] "And there on the rifle stock it is again."
20. [231] "'The Scorpion'."
21. [240] "I don't know."
22. [241] "All I know is it's the nuttiest thing I ever saw."
23. [242] "And what about the getaway car?"
24. [243] "What about those tires melting?"
25. [257] "I guess I'm trying to prove that somebody melted those tires, and made that rifle too hot, and left his signature behind." |
Describe the setting of the story. | [
"The story takes place in New York City. The first scene takes place in a bank, where a police station is a few blocks away. The second crime takes place in Canarsie, a part of Brooklyn, at the home of Jerome Higgins, which is located in a residential neighborhood. The third crime takes place on Halloween in Manhattan, this time in a schoolyard, a neutral territory up for grabs between the Scarlet Raiders and the Challengers.",
"There are multiple settings in this story. The first part of this story is set in a bank, where the hostages are ousted against the back wall. That is until the action is taken out onto the street, where a high speed car chase and shootout take place between the police and the perpetrators. \nIn the next part of the story, we see the precaint. Detective Stevenson takes the Chevy owner to the police garage around the corner. \nAfter this, the story moves to Southeast Brooklyn, to the home of Jerome Higgins, who after locking himself in his bedroom, shot his wife and sister, injuring one and killing the other. The house is surrounded on the street by neighbours and police. \nIn the final setting of the story, we see a schoolyard, which the Challengers and Scarlet Raiders are fighting for the right to control over. The rumble takes place on Halloween night.",
"The bank has a desk for Mr. Featherhall and gilded teller cages in the first crime. Mr. Featherhall leads everybody to the back wall when the bank is being robbed. There is also a brass plate on his desk. Outside, a precinct house is a block and a half from the bank. There is also a police station down the street that the robbers drive towards. The car that the criminals steal is a two-tone Chevvy that looks like half the cars on the streets. At the precinct house, there is a squadroom and a front desk connected by a hallway. \n\nThe second crime is located in Canarsie, a section in southeast Brooklyn located near Jamaica Bay. The residential area is primarily composed of one or two family houses. The Higgins house is described to have a bedroom with a door that locks. The mobile unit arrives from Belt Parkway during the incident after seeing the prime minister off at Idlewild airport. \n\nThe final incident is located in a schoolyard. The schoolyard is a block wide, with entrances on two streets. The Challenger gang claims the street on the North as their territory, while the Scarlet Raider gang claims the street on the south as theirs. Both sides also have claims on the schoolyard.",
"The story begins in a bank being robbed by three men dressed in the same way and holding hostages. They run away in a stolen car, which is very typical for the city, but has a noticeable inscription \"The Scorpion\" in the back. In the police department the robbery is discussed, the car owner comes and they go to the police garage to look at his car. Another crime takes place in Higgins' apartment, where a man. killed his wife and barricaded himself. The police is outside, the windows are open and the man shoots everyone from there. Suddenly, he gives in with his hands burning. He is taken to the police. There a dialogue between Hanks and Stevenson takes place. The third scene is on a school yard during Halloween, two gangs are fighting, a girl stands chicken. The police comes and manages to. arrest everyone."
] | [1] CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail!
[2] Hoodlums fear his fury—and, for that matter, so do the cops!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] The man with the handkerchief mask said, "All right, everybody, keep tight.
[6] This is a holdup."
[7] There were twelve people in the bank.
[8] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger.
[9] There was the perfect stranger, an itinerant garage mechanic named Rodney (Rod) Strom, like the check said.
[10] There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages.
[11] There was Mister Anderson, the guard, dozing by the door in his brown uniform.
[12] There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior.
[13] There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street.
[14] There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again.
[15] And there were three bank robbers.
[16] The three bank robbers looked like triplets.
[17] From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes.
[18] The eyes themselves looked dangerous.
[19] The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket.
[20] He waved it menacingly.
[21] One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend."
[22] The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money.
[23] It was just like the movies.
[24] The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door.
[25] The third man stuffed money into the black satchel.
[26] The man by the door said, "Hurry up."
[27] The man with the satchel said, "One more drawer."
[28] The man with the gun turned to say to the man at the door, "Keep your shirt on."
[29] That was all Miss English needed.
[30] She kicked off her shoes and ran pelting in her stocking feet for the door.
[31] The man by the door spread his arms out and shouted, "Hey!"
[32] The man with the gun swung violently back, cursing, and fired the gun.
[33] But he'd been moving too fast, and so had Miss English, and all he hit was the brass plate on Mr. Featherhall's desk.
[34] The man by the door caught Miss English in a bear hug.
[35] She promptly did her best to scratch his eyes out.
[36] Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help!
[37] Help!
[38] Robbery!"
[39] The man with the gun cursed some more.
[40] The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
[41] Then the man with the gun hit Miss English on the head.
[42] She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine.
[43] Everyone except Miss English ran out after the bandits, to watch.
[44] Things got very fast and very confused then.
[45] Two police cars came driving down the block and a half from the precinct house to the bank, and the car with the four robbers in it lurched away from the curb and drove straight down the street toward the police station.
[46] The police cars and the getaway car passed one another, with everybody shooting like the ships in pirate movies.
[47] There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers were going to get away after all.
[48] The police cars were aiming the wrong way and, as they'd come down with sirens wailing, there was a clear path behind them.
[49] Then, after the getaway car had gone more than two blocks, it suddenly started jouncing around.
[50] It smacked into a parked car and stopped.
[51] And all the police went running down there to clap handcuffs on the robbers when they crawled dazedly out of their car.
[52] "Hey," said Eddie Clayhorn, ten years old.
[53] "Hey, that was something, huh, Mom?"
[54] "Come along home," said his mother, grabbing his hand.
[55] "We don't want to be involved."
[56] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
[57] "An operation planned that well, you'd think they'd pay attention to their getaway car, you know what I mean?"
[58] Detective-Sergeant Pauling shrugged.
[59] "They always slip up," he said.
[60] "Sooner or later, on some minor detail, they always slip up."
[61] "Yes, but their tires ."
[62] "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car.
[63] I suppose they just grabbed whatever was handiest."
[64] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that.
[65] I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot.
[66] And they weren't going that fast.
[67] I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
[68] Pauling shrugged again.
[69] "We got them.
[70] That's the important thing."
[71] "Still and all, it's nutty.
[72] They're free and clear, barrelling out Rockaway toward the Belt, and all at once their tires melt, the tubes blow out and there they are."
[73] Stevenson shook his head.
[74] "I can't figure it."
[75] "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," suggested Pauling.
[76] "They picked the wrong car to steal."
[77] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
[78] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
[79] "Why?
[80] What was it, a foreign make?"
[81] "No, it was a Chevvy, two-tone, three years old, looked just like half the cars on the streets.
[82] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away."
[83] "Maybe they didn't notice it when they stole the car," said Pauling.
[84] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners.
[85] It doesn't make any sense."
[86] "What do they have to say about it?"
[87] Pauling demanded.
[88] "Nothing, what do you expect?
[89] They'll make no statement at all."
[90] The squad-room door opened, and a uniformed patrolman stuck his head in.
[91] "The owner of that Chevvy's here," he said.
[92] "Right," said Stevenson.
[93] He followed the patrolman down the hall to the front desk.
[94] The owner of the Chevvy was an angry-looking man of middle age, tall and paunchy.
[95] "John Hastings," he said.
[96] "They say you have my car here."
[97] "I believe so, yes," said Stevenson.
[98] "I'm afraid it's in pretty bad shape."
[99] "So I was told over the phone," said Hastings grimly.
[100] "I've contacted my insurance company."
[101] "Good.
[102] The car's in the police garage, around the corner.
[103] If you'd come with me?"
[104] On the way around, Stevenson said, "I believe you reported the car stolen almost immediately after it happened."
[105] "That's right," said Hastings.
[106] "I stepped into a bar on my route.
[107] I'm a wine and liquor salesman.
[108] When I came out five minutes later, my car was gone."
[109] "You left the keys in it?"
[110] "Well, why not?"
[111] demanded Hastings belligerently.
[112] "If I'm making just a quick stop—I never spend more than five minutes with any one customer—I always leave the keys in the car.
[113] Why not?"
[114] "The car was stolen," Stevenson reminded him.
[115] Hastings grumbled and glared.
[116] "It's always been perfectly safe up till now."
[117] "Yes, sir.
[118] In here."
[119] Hastings took one look at his car and hit the ceiling.
[120] "It's ruined!"
[121] he cried.
[122] "What did you do to the tires?"
[123] "Not a thing, sir.
[124] That happened to them in the holdup."
[125] Hastings leaned down over one of the front tires.
[126] "Look at that!
[127] There's melted rubber all over the rims.
[128] Those rims are ruined!
[129] What did you use, incendiary bullets?"
[130] Stevenson shook his head.
[131] "No, sir.
[132] When that happened they were two blocks away from the nearest policeman."
[133] "Hmph."
[134] Hastings moved on around the car, stopping short to exclaim, "What in the name of God is that?
[135] You didn't tell me a bunch of kids had stolen the car."
[136] "It wasn't a bunch of kids," Stevenson told him.
[137] "It was four professional criminals, I thought you knew that.
[138] They were using it in a bank holdup."
[139] "Then why did they do that ?"
[140] Stevenson followed Hastings' pointing finger, and saw again the crudely-lettered words, "The Scorpion" burned black into the paint of the trunk lid.
[141] "I really don't know," he said.
[142] "It wasn't there before the car was stolen?"
[143] "Of course not!"
[144] Stevenson frowned.
[145] "Now, why in the world did they do that?"
[146] "I suggest," said Hastings with heavy sarcasm, "you ask them that."
[147] Stevenson shook his head.
[148] "It wouldn't do any good.
[149] They aren't talking about anything.
[150] I don't suppose they'll ever tell us."
[151] He looked at the trunk lid again.
[152] "It's the nuttiest thing," he said thoughtfully.... That was on Wednesday.
[153] The Friday afternoon mail delivery to the Daily News brought a crank letter.
[154] It was in the crank letter's most obvious form; that is, the address had been clipped, a letter or a word at a time, from a newspaper and glued to the envelope.
[155] There was no return address.
[156] The letter itself was in the same format.
[157] It was brief and to the point: Dear Mr. Editor: The Scorpion has struck.
[158] The bank robbers were captured.
[159] The Scorpion fights crime.
[160] Crooks and robbers are not safe from the avenging Scorpion.
[161] WARN YOUR READERS!
[162] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION The warning was duly noted, and the letter filed in the wastebasket.
[163] It didn't rate a line in the paper.
[164] II The bank robbery occurred in late June.
[165] Early in August, a Brooklyn man went berserk.
[166] It happened in Canarsie, a section in southeast Brooklyn near Jamaica Bay.
[167] This particular area of Canarsie was a residential neighborhood, composed of one and two family houses.
[168] The man who went berserk was a Motor Vehicle Bureau clerk named Jerome Higgins.
[169] Two days before, he had flunked a Civil Service examination for the third time.
[170] He reported himself sick and spent the two days at home, brooding, a bottle of blended whiskey at all times in his hand.
[171] As the police reconstructed it later, Mrs. Higgins had attempted to awaken him on the third morning at seven-thirty, suggesting that he really ought to stop being so foolish, and go back to work.
[172] He then allegedly poked her in the eye, and locked her out of the bedroom.
[173] Mrs. Higgins then apparently called her sister-in-law, a Mrs. Thelma Stodbetter, who was Mr. Higgins' sister.
[174] Mrs. Stodbetter arrived at the house at nine o'clock, and spent some time tapping at the still-locked bedroom door, apparently requesting Mr. Higgins to unlock the door and "stop acting like a child."
[175] Neighbors reported to the police that they heard Mr. Higgins shout a number of times, "Go away!
[176] Can't you let a man sleep?"
[177] At about ten-fifteen, neighbors heard shots from the Higgins residence, a two-story one-family pink stucco affair in the middle of a block of similar homes.
[178] Mr. Higgins, it was learned later, had suddenly erupted from his bedroom, brandishing a .30-.30 hunting rifle and, being annoyed at the shrieks of his wife and sister, had fired seven shells at them, killing his wife on the spot and wounding his sister in the hand and shoulder.
[179] Mrs. Stodbetter, wounded and scared out of her wits, raced screaming out the front door of the house, crying for the police and shouting, "Murder!
[180] Murder!"
[181] At this point, neighbors called the police.
[182] One neighbor additionally phoned three newspapers and two television stations, thereby earning forty dollars in "news-tips" rewards.
[183] By chance, a mobile television unit was at that moment on the Belt Parkway, returning from having seen off a prime minister at Idlewild Airport.
[184] This unit was at once diverted to Canarsie, where it took up a position across the street from the scene of carnage and went to work with a Zoomar lens.
[185] In the meantime, Mister Higgins had barricaded himself in his house, firing at anything that moved.
[186] The two cameramen in the mobile unit worked their hearts out.
[187] One concentrated on the movements of the police and firemen and neighbors and ambulance attendants, while the other used the Zoomar lens to search for Mr. Higgins.
[188] He found him occasionally, offering the at-home audience brief glimpses of a stocky balding man in brown trousers and undershirt, stalking from window to window on the second floor of the house.
[189] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[190] There were policemen everywhere, and firemen everywhere, and neighbors milling around down at the corner, where the police had roped the block off, and occasionally Mr. Higgins would stick his rifle out a window and shoot at somebody.
[191] The police used loudspeakers to tell Higgins he might as well give up, they had the place surrounded and could eventually starve him out anyway.
[192] Higgins used his own good lungs to shout obscenities back and challenge anyone present to hand-to-hand combat.
[193] The police fired tear gas shells at the house, but it was a windy day and all the windows in the Higgins house were either open or broken.
[194] Higgins was able to throw all the shells back out of the house again.
[195] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[196] Then it ended, suddenly and dramatically.
[197] Higgins had showed himself to the Zoomar lens again, for the purpose of shooting either the camera or its operator.
[198] All at once he yelped and threw the rifle away.
[199] The rifle bounced onto the porch roof, slithered down to the edge, hung for a second against the drain, and finally fell barrel first onto the lawn.
[200] Meanwhile, Higgins was running through the house, shouting like a wounded bull.
[201] He thundered down the stairs and out, hollering, to fall into the arms of the waiting police.
[202] They had trouble holding him.
[203] At first they thought he was actually trying to get away, but then one of them heard what it was he was shouting: "My hands!
[204] My hands!"
[205] They looked at his hands.
[206] The palms and the palm-side of the fingers were red and blistering, from what looked like severe burns.
[207] There was another burn on his right cheek and another one on his right shoulder.
[208] Higgins, thoroughly chastened and bewildered, was led away for burn ointment and jail.
[209] The television crew went on back to Manhattan.
[210] The neighbors went home and telephoned their friends.
[211] On-duty policemen had been called in from practically all of the precincts in Brooklyn.
[212] Among them was Detective-Sergeant William Stevenson.
[213] Stevenson frowned thoughtfully at Higgins as that unhappy individual was led away, and then strolled over to look at the rifle.
[214] He touched the stock, and it was somewhat warm but that was all.
[215] He picked it up and turned it around.
[216] There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
[217] You don't get to be Precinct Captain on nothing but political connections.
[218] Those help, of course, but you need more than that.
[219] As Captain Hanks was fond of pointing out, you needed as well to be both more imaginative than most—"You gotta be able to second-guess the smart boys"—and to be a complete realist—"You gotta have both feet on the ground."
[220] If these were somewhat contradictory qualities, it was best not to mention the fact to Captain Hanks.
[221] The realist side of the captain's nature was currently at the fore.
[222] "Just what are you trying to say, Stevenson?"
[223] he demanded.
[224] "I'm not sure," admitted Stevenson.
[225] "But we've got these two things.
[226] First, there's the getaway car from that bank job.
[227] The wheels melt for no reason at all, and somebody burns 'The Scorpion' onto the trunk.
[228] Then, yesterday, this guy Higgins out in Canarsie.
[229] He says the rifle all of a sudden got too hot to hold, and he's got the burn marks to prove it.
[230] And there on the rifle stock it is again.
[231] 'The Scorpion'."
[232] "He says he put that on there himself," said the captain.
[233] Stevenson shook his head.
[234] "His lawyer says he put it on there.
[235] Higgins says he doesn't remember doing it.
[236] That's half the lawyer's case.
[237] He's trying to build up an insanity defense."
[238] "He put it on there himself, Stevenson," said the captain with weary patience.
[239] "What are you trying to prove?"
[240] "I don't know.
[241] All I know is it's the nuttiest thing I ever saw.
[242] And what about the getaway car?
[243] What about those tires melting?"
[244] "They were defective," said Hanks promptly.
[245] "All four of them at once?
[246] And what about the thing written on the trunk?"
[247] "How do I know?"
[248] demanded the captain.
[249] "Kids put it on before the car was stolen, maybe.
[250] Or maybe the hoods did it themselves, who knows?
[251] What do they say?"
[252] "They say they didn't do it," said Stevenson.
[253] "And they say they never saw it before the robbery and they would have noticed it if it'd been there."
[254] The captain shook his head.
[255] "I don't get it," he admitted.
[256] "What are you trying to prove?"
[257] "I guess," said Stevenson slowly, thinking it out as he went along, "I guess I'm trying to prove that somebody melted those tires, and made that rifle too hot, and left his signature behind."
[258] "What?
[259] You mean like in the comic books?
[260] Come on, Stevenson!
[261] What are you trying to hand me?"
[262] "All I know," insisted Stevenson, "is what I see."
[263] "And all I know," the captain told him, "is Higgins put that name on his rifle himself.
[264] He says so."
[265] "And what made it so hot?"
[266] "Hell, man, he'd been firing that thing at people for an hour!
[267] What do you think made it hot?"
[268] "All of a sudden?"
[269] "He noticed it all of a sudden, when it started to burn him."
[270] "How come the same name showed up each time, then?"
[271] Stevenson asked desperately.
[272] "How should I know?
[273] And why not, anyway?
[274] You know as well as I do these things happen.
[275] A bunch of teen-agers burgle a liquor store and they write 'The Golden Avengers' on the plate glass in lipstick.
[276] It happens all the time.
[277] Why not 'The Scorpion'?
[278] It couldn't occur to two people?"
[279] "But there's no explanation—" started Stevenson.
[280] "What do you mean, there's no explanation?
[281] I just gave you the explanation.
[282] Look, Stevenson, I'm a busy man.
[283] You got a nutty idea—like Wilcox a few years ago, remember him?
[284] Got the idea there was a fiend around loose, stuffing all those kids into abandoned refrigerators to starve.
[285] He went around trying to prove it, and getting all upset, and pretty soon they had to put him away in the nut hatch.
[286] Remember?"
[287] "I remember," said Stevenson.
[288] "Forget this silly stuff, Stevenson," the captain advised him.
[289] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson....
[290] The day after Jerome Higgins went berserk, the afternoon mail brought a crank letter to the Daily News : Dear Mr. Editor, You did not warn your readers.
[291] The man who shot all those people could not escape the Scorpion.
[292] The Scorpion fights crime.
[293] No criminal is safe from the Scorpion.
[294] WARN YOUR READERS.
[295] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION Unfortunately, this letter was not read by the same individual who had seen the first one, two months before.
[296] At any rate, it was filed in the same place, and forgotten.
[297] III Hallowe'en is a good time for a rumble.
[298] There's too many kids around for the cops to keep track of all of them, and if you're picked up carrying a knife or a length of tire chain or something, why, you're on your way to a Hallowe'en party and you're in costume.
[299] You're going as a JD.
[300] The problem was this schoolyard.
[301] It was a block wide, with entrances on two streets.
[302] The street on the north was Challenger territory, and the street on the south was Scarlet Raider territory, and both sides claimed the schoolyard.
[303] There had been a few skirmishes, a few guys from both gangs had been jumped and knocked around a little, but that had been all.
[304] Finally, the War Lords from the two gangs had met, and determined that the matter could only be settled in a war.
[305] The time was chosen: Hallowe'en.
[306] The place was chosen: the schoolyard.
[307] The weapons were chosen: pocket knives and tire chains okay, but no pistols or zip-guns.
[308] The time was fixed: eleven P.M. And the winner would have undisputed territorial rights to the schoolyard, both entrances.
[309] The night of the rumble, the gangs assembled in their separate clubrooms for last-minute instructions.
[310] Debs were sent out to play chicken at the intersections nearest the schoolyard, both to warn of the approach of cops and to keep out any non-combatant kids who might come wandering through.
[311] Judy Canzanetti was a Deb with the Scarlet Raiders.
[312] She was fifteen years old, short and black-haired and pretty in a movie-magazine, gum-chewing sort of way.
[313] She was proud of being in the Auxiliary of the Scarlet Raiders, and proud also of the job that had been assigned to her.
[314] She was to stand chicken on the southwest corner of the street.
[315] Judy took up her position at five minutes to eleven.
[316] The streets were dark and quiet.
[317] Few people cared to walk this neighborhood after dark, particularly on Hallowe'en.
[318] Judy leaned her back against the telephone pole on the corner, stuck her hands in the pockets of her Scarlet Raider jacket and waited.
[319] At eleven o'clock, she heard indistinct noises begin behind her.
[320] The rumble had started.
[321] At five after eleven, a bunch of little kids came wandering down the street.
[322] They were all about ten or eleven years old, and most of them carried trick-or-treat shopping bags.
[323] Some of them had Hallowe'en masks on.
[324] They started to make the turn toward the schoolyard.
[325] Judy said, "Hey, you kids.
[326] Take off."
[327] One of them, wearing a red mask, turned to look at her.
[328] "Who, us?"
[329] "Yes, you!
[330] Stay out of that street.
[331] Go on down that way."
[332] "The subway's this way," objected the kid in the red mask.
[333] "Who cares?
[334] You go around the other way."
[335] "Listen, lady," said the kid in the red mask, aggrieved, "we got a long way to go to get home."
[336] "Yeah," said another kid, in a black mask, "and we're late as it is."
[337] "I couldn't care less," Judy told them callously.
[338] "You can't go down that street."
[339] "Why not?"
[340] demanded yet another kid.
[341] This one was in the most complete and elaborate costume of them all, black leotards and a yellow shirt and a flowing: black cape.
[342] He wore a black and gold mask and had a black knit cap jammed down tight onto his head.
[343] "Why can't we go down there?"
[344] this apparition demanded.
[345] "Because I said so," Judy told him.
[346] "Now, you kids get away from here.
[347] Take off."
[348] "Hey!"
[349] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume.
[350] "Hey, they're fighting down there!"
[351] "It's a rumble," said Judy proudly.
[352] "You twerps don't want to be involved."
[353] "Hey!"
[354] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume again.
[355] And he went running around Judy and dashing off down the street.
[356] "Hey, Eddie!"
[357] shouted one of the other kids.
[358] "Eddie, come back!"
[359] Judy wasn't sure what to do next.
[360] If she abandoned her post to chase the one kid who'd gotten through, then maybe all the rest of them would come running along after her.
[361] She didn't know what to do.
[362] A sudden siren and a distant flashing red light solved her problems.
[363] "Cheez," said one of the kids.
[364] "The cops!"
[365] "Fuzz!"
[366] screamed Judy.
[367] She turned and raced down the block toward the schoolyard, shouting, "Fuzz!
[368] Fuzz!
[369] Clear out, it's the fuzz!"
[370] But then she stopped, wide-eyed, when she saw what was going on in the schoolyard.
[371] The guys from both gangs were dancing.
[372] They were jumping around, waving their arms, throwing their weapons away.
[373] Then they all started pulling off their gang jackets and throwing them away, whooping and hollering.
[374] They were making such a racket themselves that they never heard Judy's warning.
[375] They didn't even hear the police sirens.
[376] And all at once both schoolyard entrances were full of cops, a cop had tight hold of Judy and the rumble was over.
[377] Judy was so baffled and terrified that everything was just one great big blur.
[378] But in the middle of it all, she did see the little kid in the yellow-and-black costume go scooting away down the street.
[379] And she had the craziest idea that it was all his fault.
[380] Captain Hanks was still in his realistic cycle this morning, and he was impatient as well.
[381] "All right, Stevenson," he said.
[382] "Make it fast, I've got a lot to do this morning.
[383] And I hope it isn't this comic-book thing of yours again."
[384] "I'm afraid it is, Captain," said Stevenson.
[385] "Did you see the morning paper?"
[386] "So what?"
[387] "Did you see that thing about the gang fight up in Manhattan?"
[388] Captain Hanks sighed.
[389] "Stevenson," he said wearily, "are you going to try to connect every single time the word 'scorpion' comes up?
[390] What's the problem with this one?
[391] These kid gangs have names, so what?"
[392] "Neither one of them was called 'The Scorpions,'" Stevenson told him.
[393] "One of them was the Scarlet Raiders and the other gang was the Challengers."
[394] "So they changed their name," said Hanks.
[395] "Both gangs?
[396] Simultaneously?
[397] To the same name?"
[398] "Why not?
[399] Maybe that's what they were fighting over."
[400] "It was a territorial war," Stevenson reminded him.
[401] "They've admitted that much.
[402] It says so in the paper.
[403] And it also says they all deny ever seeing that word on their jackets until after the fight."
[404] "A bunch of juvenile delinquents," said Hanks in disgust.
[405] "You take their word?"
[406] "Captain, did you read the article in the paper?"
[407] "I glanced through it."
[408] "All right.
[409] Here's what they say happened: They say they started fighting at eleven o'clock.
[410] And they just got going when all at once all the metal they were carrying—knives and tire chains and coins and belt buckles and everything else—got freezing cold, too cold to touch.
[411] And then their leather jackets got freezing cold, so cold they had to pull them off and throw them away.
[412] And when the jackets were later collected, across the name of the gang on the back of each one had been branded 'The Scorpion.'"
[413] "Now, let me tell you something," said Hanks severely.
[414] "They heard the police sirens, and they threw all their weapons away.
[415] Then they threw their jackets away, to try to make believe they hadn't been part of the gang that had been fighting.
[416] But they were caught before they could get out of the schoolyard.
[417] If the squad cars had showed up a minute later, the schoolyard wouldn't have had anything in it but weapons and jackets, and the kids would have been all over the neighborhood, nice as you please, minding their own business and not bothering anybody.
[418] That's what happened.
[419] And all this talk about freezing cold and branding names into jackets is just some smart-alec punk's idea of a way to razz the police.
[420] Now, you just go back to worrying about what's happening in this precinct and forget about kid gangs up in Manhattan and comic book things like the Scorpion, or you're going to wind up like Wilcox, with that refrigerator business.
[421] Now, I don't want to hear any more about this nonsense, Stevenson."
[422] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [167] This particular area of Canarsie was a residential neighborhood, composed of one and two family houses.
2. [165] Early in August, a Brooklyn man went berserk.
3. [166] It happened in Canarsie, a section in southeast Brooklyn near Jamaica Bay.
4. [168] The man who went berserk was a Motor Vehicle Bureau clerk named Jerome Higgins.
5. [169] Two days before, he had flunked a Civil Service examination for the third time.
6. [170] He reported himself sick and spent the two days at home, brooding, a bottle of blended whiskey at all times in his hand.
7. [171] As the police reconstructed it later, Mrs. Higgins had attempted to awaken him on the third morning at seven-thirty, suggesting that he really ought to stop being so foolish, and go back to work.
8. [172] He then allegedly poked her in the eye, and locked her out of the bedroom.
9. [173] Mrs. Higgins then apparently called her sister-in-law, a Mrs. Thelma Stodbetter, who was Mr. Higgins' sister.
10. [174] Mrs. Stodbetter arrived at the house at nine o'clock, and spent some time tapping at the still-locked bedroom door, apparently requesting Mr. Higgins to unlock the door and "stop acting like a child."
11. [175] Neighbors reported to the police that they heard Mr. Higgins shout a number of times, "Go away! Can't you let a man sleep?"
12. [176] At about ten-fifteen, neighbors heard shots from the Higgins residence, a two-story one-family pink stucco affair in the middle of a block of similar homes.
13. [177] Mr. Higgins, it was learned later, had suddenly erupted from his bedroom, brandishing a .30-.30 hunting rifle and, being annoyed at the shrieks of his wife and sister, had fired seven shells at them, killing his wife on the spot and wounding his sister in the hand and shoulder.
14. [178] Mrs. Stodbetter, wounded and scared out of her wits, raced screaming out the front door of the house, crying for the police and shouting, "Murder! Murder!"
15. [179] At this point, neighbors called the police.
16. [180] One neighbor additionally phoned three newspapers and two television stations, thereby earning forty dollars in "news-tips" rewards.
17. [181] By chance, a mobile television unit was at that moment on the Belt Parkway, returning from having seen off a prime minister at Idlewild Airport.
18. [182] This unit was at once diverted to Canarsie, where it took up a position across the street from the scene of carnage and went to work with a Zoomar lens.
19. [183] In the meantime, Mister Higgins had barricaded himself in his house, firing at anything that moved.
20. [184] The two cameramen in the mobile unit worked their hearts out.
21. [185] One concentrated on the movements of the police and firemen and neighbors and ambulance attendants, while the other used the Zoomar lens to search for Mr. Higgins.
22. [186] He found him occasionally, offering the at-home audience brief glimpses of a stocky balding man in brown trousers and undershirt, stalking from window to window on the second floor of the house.
23. [187] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
24. [188] There were policemen everywhere, and firemen everywhere, and neighbors milling around down at the corner, where the police had roped the block off, and occasionally Mr. Higgins would stick his rifle out a window and shoot at somebody.
25. [189] The police used loudspeakers to tell Higgins he might as well give up, they had the place surrounded and could eventually starve him out anyway.
26. [190] Higgins used his own good lungs to shout obscenities back and challenge anyone present to hand-to-hand combat.
27. [191] The police fired tear gas shells at the house, but it was a windy day and all the windows in the Higgins house were either open or broken.
28. [192] Higgins was able to throw all the shells back out of the house again.
29. [193] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
30. [194] Then it ended, suddenly and dramatically.
31. [195] Higgins had showed himself to the Zoomar lens again, for the purpose of shooting either the camera or its operator.
32. [196] All at once he yelped and threw the rifle away.
33. [197] The rifle bounced onto the porch roof, slithered down to the edge, hung for a second against the drain, and finally fell barrel first onto the lawn.
34. [198] Meanwhile, Higgins was running through the house, shouting like a wounded bull.
35. [199] He thundered down the stairs and out, hollering, to fall into the arms of the waiting police.
36. [200] They had trouble holding him.
37. [201] At first they thought he was actually trying to get away, but then one of them heard what it was he was shouting: "My hands! My hands!"
38. [202] They looked at his hands.
39. [203] The palms and the palm-side of the fingers were red and blistering, from what looked like severe burns.
40. [204] There was another burn on his right cheek and another one on his right shoulder.
41. [205] Higgins, thoroughly chastened and bewildered, was led away for burn ointment and jail.
42. [206] The television crew went on back to Manhattan.
43. [207] The neighbors went home and telephoned their friends.
44. [208] On-duty policemen had been called in from practically all of the precincts in Brooklyn.
45. [209] Among them was Detective-Sergeant William Stevenson.
46. [210] Stevenson frowned thoughtfully at Higgins as that unhappy individual was led away, and then strolled over to look at the rifle.
47. [211] He touched the stock, and it was somewhat warm but that was all.
48. [212] He picked it up and turned it around.
49. [213] There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
50. [1] CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail!
51. [2] Hoodlums fear his fury—and, for that matter, so do the cops!
52. [3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
53. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
54. [5] The man with the handkerchief mask said, "All right, everybody, keep tight.
55. [6] This is a holdup."
56. [7] There were twelve people in the bank.
57. [8] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger.
58. [9] There was the perfect stranger, an itinerant garage mechanic named Rodney (Rod) Strom, like the check said.
59. [10] There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages.
60. [11] There was Mister Anderson, the guard, dozing by the door in his brown uniform.
61. [12] There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior.
62. [13] There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street.
63. [14] There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again.
64. [15] And there were three bank robbers.
65. [16] The three bank robbers looked like triplets.
66. [17] From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes.
67. [18] The eyes themselves looked dangerous.
68. [19] The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket.
69. [20] He waved it menacingly.
70. [21] One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend."
71. [22] The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money.
72. [23] It was just like the movies.
73. [24] The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door.
74. [25] The third man stuffed money into the black satchel.
75. [26] The man by the door said, "Hurry up."
76. [27] The man with the satchel said, "One more drawer."
77. [28] The man with the gun turned to say to the man at the door, "Keep your shirt on."
78. [29] That was all Miss English needed.
79. [30] She kicked off her shoes and ran pelting in her stocking feet for the door.
80. [31] The man by the door spread his arms out and shouted, "Hey!"
81. [32] The man with the gun swung violently back, cursing, and fired the gun.
82. [33] But he'd been moving too fast, and so had Miss English, and all he hit was the brass plate on Mr. Featherhall's desk.
83. [34] The man by the door caught Miss English in a bear hug.
84. [35] She promptly did her best to scratch his eyes out.
85. [36] Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help! Help! Robbery!"
86. [37] The man with the gun cursed some more.
87. [38] The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
88. [39] Then the man with the gun hit Miss English on the head.
89. [40] She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine.
90. [41] Everyone except Miss English ran out after the bandits, to watch.
91. [42] Things got very fast and very confused then.
92. [43] Two police cars came driving down the block and a half from the precinct house to the bank, and the car with the four robbers in it lurched away from the curb and drove straight down the street toward the police station.
93. [44] The police cars and the getaway car passed one another, with everybody shooting like the ships in pirate movies.
94. [45] There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers were going to get away after all.
95. [46] The police cars were aiming the wrong way and, as they'd come down with sirens wailing, there was a clear path behind them.
96. [47] Then, after the getaway car had gone more than two blocks, it suddenly started jouncing around.
97. [48] It smacked into a parked car and stopped.
98. [49] And all the police went running down there to clap handcuffs on the robbers when they crawled dazedly out of their car.
99. [50] "Hey," said Eddie Clayhorn, ten years old.
100. [51] "Hey, that was something, huh, Mom?"
101. [52] "Come along home," said his mother, grabbing his hand.
102. [53] "We don't want to be involved."
103. [54] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
104. [55] "An operation planned that well, you'd think they'd pay attention to their getaway car, you know what I mean?"
105. [56] Detective-Sergeant Pauling shrugged.
106. [57] "They always slip up," he said.
107. [58] "Sooner or later, on some minor detail, they always slip up."
108. [59] "Yes, but their tires ."
109. [60] "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car.
110. [61] I suppose they just grabbed whatever was handiest."
111. [62] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that.
112. [63] I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot.
113. [64] And they weren't going that fast.
114. [65] I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
115. [66] Pauling shrugged again.
116. [67] "We got them.
117. [68] That's the important thing."
118. [69] "Still and all, it's nutty.
119. [70] They're free and clear, barrelling out Rockaway toward the Belt, and all at once their tires melt, the tubes blow out and there they are."
120. [71] Stevenson shook his head.
121. [72] "I can't figure it."
122. [73] "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," suggested Pauling.
123. [74] "They picked the wrong car to steal."
124. [75] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
125. [76] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
126. [77] "Why?
127. [78] What was it, a foreign make?"
128. [79] "No, it was a Chevvy, two-tone, three years old, looked just like half the cars on the streets.
129. [80] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away."
130. [81] "Maybe they didn't notice it when they stole the car," said Pauling.
131. [82] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners.
132. [83] It doesn't make any sense."
133. [84] "What do they have to say about it?"
134. [85] Pauling demanded.
135. [86] "Nothing, what do you expect?
136. [87] They'll make no statement at all."
137. [88] The squad-room door opened, and a uniformed patrolman stuck his head in.
138. [89] "The owner of that Chevvy's here," he said.
139. [90] "Right," said Stevenson.
140. [91] He followed the patrolman down the hall to the front desk.
141. [92] The owner of the Chevvy was an angry-looking man of middle age, tall and paunchy.
142. [93] "John Hastings," he said.
143. [94] "They say you have my car here."
144. [95] "I believe so, yes," said Stevenson.
145. [96] "I'm afraid it's in pretty bad shape."
146. [97] "So I was told over the phone," said Hastings grimly.
147. [98] "I've contacted my insurance company."
148. [99] "Good.
149. [100] The car's in the police garage, around the corner.
150. [101] If you'd come with me?"
151. [102] On the way around, Stevenson said, "I believe you reported the car stolen almost immediately after it happened."
152. [103] "That's right," said Hastings.
153. [104] "I stepped into a bar on my route.
154. [105] I'm a wine and liquor salesman.
155. [106] When I came out five minutes later, my car was gone."
156. [107] "You left the keys in it?"
157. [108] "Well, why not?"
158. [109] demanded Hastings belligerently.
159. [110] "If I'm making just a quick stop—I never spend more than five minutes with any one customer—I always leave the keys in the car |
What is the relationship between Stevenson and Hanks? | [
"Stevenson and Hanks have a tense relationship. Though they are both in high positions at the police precinct, Hanks is the Captain, Stevenson's superior. This power dynamic is evident throughout the story, particularly when Stevenson tries to bring up his theories and suspicions about The Scorpion. Instead of hearing him out, Hanks refuses to listen, becoming increasingly frustrated and calling Stevenson's thoughts childlike nonsense. Despite this, Stevenson is still determined to get his idea through to Hanks.",
"There are multiple settings in this story. The first part of this story is set in a bank, where the hostages are ousted against the back wall. That is until the action is taken out onto the street, where a high speed car chase and shootout take place between the police and the perpetrators. \nIn the next part of the story, we see the precaint. Detective Steavenson takes the Chevy owner to the police garage around the corner. \nAfter this, the story moves to Southeast Brooklyn, to the home of Jerome Higgins, who after locking himself in his bedroom, shot his wife and sister, injuring one and killing the other. The house is surrounded on the street by neighbours and police. \nIn the final setting of the story, we see a schoolyard, which the Challengers and Scarlet Raiders are fighting for the right to control over. The rumble takes place on Halloween night.",
"Hanks is the Precinct Captain, while Stevenson works under him as a Detective-Sergeant. Hanks and Stevenson share a good working relationship; however, Hank gets annoyed whenever Stevenson brings up his theories about “The Scorpion” and thinks of them as nonsense. He refutes every point realistically, saying that Higgins burned the words onto the rifle himself. When Stevenson brings up the earlier robbery incident, Hanks refuses to accept those observations and says Stevenson’s points are similar to that of a comic book. During the schoolyard incident, Hank is extremely annoyed at Stevenson trying to connect more points to ‘The Scorpion’ and tells him that the children just had a silly brawl. He also warns Stevenson to stop thinking about these foolish ideas and return to doing his job in the precinct.",
"Stevenson and Hanks are both important people in the police with years of experience. They have completely different views on the described crimes. Stevenson wants to check every possibility, something doesn't adds up for him and he wants to keep investigating. He is determined to find out the truth and he is passionate about it, he is also emotional in proving his point and thinks a lot about the cases. Hanks simply wants to close the cases as fast as possible and Stevenson's guesses irritate him. He is not interested in other possibilities and has rather realistic explanations. He uses his position and authority to threaten Stevenson into shutting up and stopping irritated Hanks."
] | [1] CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail!
[2] Hoodlums fear his fury—and, for that matter, so do the cops!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] The man with the handkerchief mask said, "All right, everybody, keep tight.
[6] This is a holdup."
[7] There were twelve people in the bank.
[8] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger.
[9] There was the perfect stranger, an itinerant garage mechanic named Rodney (Rod) Strom, like the check said.
[10] There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages.
[11] There was Mister Anderson, the guard, dozing by the door in his brown uniform.
[12] There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior.
[13] There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street.
[14] There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again.
[15] And there were three bank robbers.
[16] The three bank robbers looked like triplets.
[17] From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes.
[18] The eyes themselves looked dangerous.
[19] The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket.
[20] He waved it menacingly.
[21] One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend."
[22] The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money.
[23] It was just like the movies.
[24] The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door.
[25] The third man stuffed money into the black satchel.
[26] The man by the door said, "Hurry up."
[27] The man with the satchel said, "One more drawer."
[28] The man with the gun turned to say to the man at the door, "Keep your shirt on."
[29] That was all Miss English needed.
[30] She kicked off her shoes and ran pelting in her stocking feet for the door.
[31] The man by the door spread his arms out and shouted, "Hey!"
[32] The man with the gun swung violently back, cursing, and fired the gun.
[33] But he'd been moving too fast, and so had Miss English, and all he hit was the brass plate on Mr. Featherhall's desk.
[34] The man by the door caught Miss English in a bear hug.
[35] She promptly did her best to scratch his eyes out.
[36] Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help!
[37] Help!
[38] Robbery!"
[39] The man with the gun cursed some more.
[40] The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
[41] Then the man with the gun hit Miss English on the head.
[42] She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine.
[43] Everyone except Miss English ran out after the bandits, to watch.
[44] Things got very fast and very confused then.
[45] Two police cars came driving down the block and a half from the precinct house to the bank, and the car with the four robbers in it lurched away from the curb and drove straight down the street toward the police station.
[46] The police cars and the getaway car passed one another, with everybody shooting like the ships in pirate movies.
[47] There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers were going to get away after all.
[48] The police cars were aiming the wrong way and, as they'd come down with sirens wailing, there was a clear path behind them.
[49] Then, after the getaway car had gone more than two blocks, it suddenly started jouncing around.
[50] It smacked into a parked car and stopped.
[51] And all the police went running down there to clap handcuffs on the robbers when they crawled dazedly out of their car.
[52] "Hey," said Eddie Clayhorn, ten years old.
[53] "Hey, that was something, huh, Mom?"
[54] "Come along home," said his mother, grabbing his hand.
[55] "We don't want to be involved."
[56] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
[57] "An operation planned that well, you'd think they'd pay attention to their getaway car, you know what I mean?"
[58] Detective-Sergeant Pauling shrugged.
[59] "They always slip up," he said.
[60] "Sooner or later, on some minor detail, they always slip up."
[61] "Yes, but their tires ."
[62] "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car.
[63] I suppose they just grabbed whatever was handiest."
[64] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that.
[65] I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot.
[66] And they weren't going that fast.
[67] I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
[68] Pauling shrugged again.
[69] "We got them.
[70] That's the important thing."
[71] "Still and all, it's nutty.
[72] They're free and clear, barrelling out Rockaway toward the Belt, and all at once their tires melt, the tubes blow out and there they are."
[73] Stevenson shook his head.
[74] "I can't figure it."
[75] "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," suggested Pauling.
[76] "They picked the wrong car to steal."
[77] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
[78] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
[79] "Why?
[80] What was it, a foreign make?"
[81] "No, it was a Chevvy, two-tone, three years old, looked just like half the cars on the streets.
[82] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away."
[83] "Maybe they didn't notice it when they stole the car," said Pauling.
[84] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners.
[85] It doesn't make any sense."
[86] "What do they have to say about it?"
[87] Pauling demanded.
[88] "Nothing, what do you expect?
[89] They'll make no statement at all."
[90] The squad-room door opened, and a uniformed patrolman stuck his head in.
[91] "The owner of that Chevvy's here," he said.
[92] "Right," said Stevenson.
[93] He followed the patrolman down the hall to the front desk.
[94] The owner of the Chevvy was an angry-looking man of middle age, tall and paunchy.
[95] "John Hastings," he said.
[96] "They say you have my car here."
[97] "I believe so, yes," said Stevenson.
[98] "I'm afraid it's in pretty bad shape."
[99] "So I was told over the phone," said Hastings grimly.
[100] "I've contacted my insurance company."
[101] "Good.
[102] The car's in the police garage, around the corner.
[103] If you'd come with me?"
[104] On the way around, Stevenson said, "I believe you reported the car stolen almost immediately after it happened."
[105] "That's right," said Hastings.
[106] "I stepped into a bar on my route.
[107] I'm a wine and liquor salesman.
[108] When I came out five minutes later, my car was gone."
[109] "You left the keys in it?"
[110] "Well, why not?"
[111] demanded Hastings belligerently.
[112] "If I'm making just a quick stop—I never spend more than five minutes with any one customer—I always leave the keys in the car.
[113] Why not?"
[114] "The car was stolen," Stevenson reminded him.
[115] Hastings grumbled and glared.
[116] "It's always been perfectly safe up till now."
[117] "Yes, sir.
[118] In here."
[119] Hastings took one look at his car and hit the ceiling.
[120] "It's ruined!"
[121] he cried.
[122] "What did you do to the tires?"
[123] "Not a thing, sir.
[124] That happened to them in the holdup."
[125] Hastings leaned down over one of the front tires.
[126] "Look at that!
[127] There's melted rubber all over the rims.
[128] Those rims are ruined!
[129] What did you use, incendiary bullets?"
[130] Stevenson shook his head.
[131] "No, sir.
[132] When that happened they were two blocks away from the nearest policeman."
[133] "Hmph."
[134] Hastings moved on around the car, stopping short to exclaim, "What in the name of God is that?
[135] You didn't tell me a bunch of kids had stolen the car."
[136] "It wasn't a bunch of kids," Stevenson told him.
[137] "It was four professional criminals, I thought you knew that.
[138] They were using it in a bank holdup."
[139] "Then why did they do that ?"
[140] Stevenson followed Hastings' pointing finger, and saw again the crudely-lettered words, "The Scorpion" burned black into the paint of the trunk lid.
[141] "I really don't know," he said.
[142] "It wasn't there before the car was stolen?"
[143] "Of course not!"
[144] Stevenson frowned.
[145] "Now, why in the world did they do that?"
[146] "I suggest," said Hastings with heavy sarcasm, "you ask them that."
[147] Stevenson shook his head.
[148] "It wouldn't do any good.
[149] They aren't talking about anything.
[150] I don't suppose they'll ever tell us."
[151] He looked at the trunk lid again.
[152] "It's the nuttiest thing," he said thoughtfully.... That was on Wednesday.
[153] The Friday afternoon mail delivery to the Daily News brought a crank letter.
[154] It was in the crank letter's most obvious form; that is, the address had been clipped, a letter or a word at a time, from a newspaper and glued to the envelope.
[155] There was no return address.
[156] The letter itself was in the same format.
[157] It was brief and to the point: Dear Mr. Editor: The Scorpion has struck.
[158] The bank robbers were captured.
[159] The Scorpion fights crime.
[160] Crooks and robbers are not safe from the avenging Scorpion.
[161] WARN YOUR READERS!
[162] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION The warning was duly noted, and the letter filed in the wastebasket.
[163] It didn't rate a line in the paper.
[164] II The bank robbery occurred in late June.
[165] Early in August, a Brooklyn man went berserk.
[166] It happened in Canarsie, a section in southeast Brooklyn near Jamaica Bay.
[167] This particular area of Canarsie was a residential neighborhood, composed of one and two family houses.
[168] The man who went berserk was a Motor Vehicle Bureau clerk named Jerome Higgins.
[169] Two days before, he had flunked a Civil Service examination for the third time.
[170] He reported himself sick and spent the two days at home, brooding, a bottle of blended whiskey at all times in his hand.
[171] As the police reconstructed it later, Mrs. Higgins had attempted to awaken him on the third morning at seven-thirty, suggesting that he really ought to stop being so foolish, and go back to work.
[172] He then allegedly poked her in the eye, and locked her out of the bedroom.
[173] Mrs. Higgins then apparently called her sister-in-law, a Mrs. Thelma Stodbetter, who was Mr. Higgins' sister.
[174] Mrs. Stodbetter arrived at the house at nine o'clock, and spent some time tapping at the still-locked bedroom door, apparently requesting Mr. Higgins to unlock the door and "stop acting like a child."
[175] Neighbors reported to the police that they heard Mr. Higgins shout a number of times, "Go away!
[176] Can't you let a man sleep?"
[177] At about ten-fifteen, neighbors heard shots from the Higgins residence, a two-story one-family pink stucco affair in the middle of a block of similar homes.
[178] Mr. Higgins, it was learned later, had suddenly erupted from his bedroom, brandishing a .30-.30 hunting rifle and, being annoyed at the shrieks of his wife and sister, had fired seven shells at them, killing his wife on the spot and wounding his sister in the hand and shoulder.
[179] Mrs. Stodbetter, wounded and scared out of her wits, raced screaming out the front door of the house, crying for the police and shouting, "Murder!
[180] Murder!"
[181] At this point, neighbors called the police.
[182] One neighbor additionally phoned three newspapers and two television stations, thereby earning forty dollars in "news-tips" rewards.
[183] By chance, a mobile television unit was at that moment on the Belt Parkway, returning from having seen off a prime minister at Idlewild Airport.
[184] This unit was at once diverted to Canarsie, where it took up a position across the street from the scene of carnage and went to work with a Zoomar lens.
[185] In the meantime, Mister Higgins had barricaded himself in his house, firing at anything that moved.
[186] The two cameramen in the mobile unit worked their hearts out.
[187] One concentrated on the movements of the police and firemen and neighbors and ambulance attendants, while the other used the Zoomar lens to search for Mr. Higgins.
[188] He found him occasionally, offering the at-home audience brief glimpses of a stocky balding man in brown trousers and undershirt, stalking from window to window on the second floor of the house.
[189] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[190] There were policemen everywhere, and firemen everywhere, and neighbors milling around down at the corner, where the police had roped the block off, and occasionally Mr. Higgins would stick his rifle out a window and shoot at somebody.
[191] The police used loudspeakers to tell Higgins he might as well give up, they had the place surrounded and could eventually starve him out anyway.
[192] Higgins used his own good lungs to shout obscenities back and challenge anyone present to hand-to-hand combat.
[193] The police fired tear gas shells at the house, but it was a windy day and all the windows in the Higgins house were either open or broken.
[194] Higgins was able to throw all the shells back out of the house again.
[195] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[196] Then it ended, suddenly and dramatically.
[197] Higgins had showed himself to the Zoomar lens again, for the purpose of shooting either the camera or its operator.
[198] All at once he yelped and threw the rifle away.
[199] The rifle bounced onto the porch roof, slithered down to the edge, hung for a second against the drain, and finally fell barrel first onto the lawn.
[200] Meanwhile, Higgins was running through the house, shouting like a wounded bull.
[201] He thundered down the stairs and out, hollering, to fall into the arms of the waiting police.
[202] They had trouble holding him.
[203] At first they thought he was actually trying to get away, but then one of them heard what it was he was shouting: "My hands!
[204] My hands!"
[205] They looked at his hands.
[206] The palms and the palm-side of the fingers were red and blistering, from what looked like severe burns.
[207] There was another burn on his right cheek and another one on his right shoulder.
[208] Higgins, thoroughly chastened and bewildered, was led away for burn ointment and jail.
[209] The television crew went on back to Manhattan.
[210] The neighbors went home and telephoned their friends.
[211] On-duty policemen had been called in from practically all of the precincts in Brooklyn.
[212] Among them was Detective-Sergeant William Stevenson.
[213] Stevenson frowned thoughtfully at Higgins as that unhappy individual was led away, and then strolled over to look at the rifle.
[214] He touched the stock, and it was somewhat warm but that was all.
[215] He picked it up and turned it around.
[216] There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
[217] You don't get to be Precinct Captain on nothing but political connections.
[218] Those help, of course, but you need more than that.
[219] As Captain Hanks was fond of pointing out, you needed as well to be both more imaginative than most—"You gotta be able to second-guess the smart boys"—and to be a complete realist—"You gotta have both feet on the ground."
[220] If these were somewhat contradictory qualities, it was best not to mention the fact to Captain Hanks.
[221] The realist side of the captain's nature was currently at the fore.
[222] "Just what are you trying to say, Stevenson?"
[223] he demanded.
[224] "I'm not sure," admitted Stevenson.
[225] "But we've got these two things.
[226] First, there's the getaway car from that bank job.
[227] The wheels melt for no reason at all, and somebody burns 'The Scorpion' onto the trunk.
[228] Then, yesterday, this guy Higgins out in Canarsie.
[229] He says the rifle all of a sudden got too hot to hold, and he's got the burn marks to prove it.
[230] And there on the rifle stock it is again.
[231] 'The Scorpion'."
[232] "He says he put that on there himself," said the captain.
[233] Stevenson shook his head.
[234] "His lawyer says he put it on there.
[235] Higgins says he doesn't remember doing it.
[236] That's half the lawyer's case.
[237] He's trying to build up an insanity defense."
[238] "He put it on there himself, Stevenson," said the captain with weary patience.
[239] "What are you trying to prove?"
[240] "I don't know.
[241] All I know is it's the nuttiest thing I ever saw.
[242] And what about the getaway car?
[243] What about those tires melting?"
[244] "They were defective," said Hanks promptly.
[245] "All four of them at once?
[246] And what about the thing written on the trunk?"
[247] "How do I know?"
[248] demanded the captain.
[249] "Kids put it on before the car was stolen, maybe.
[250] Or maybe the hoods did it themselves, who knows?
[251] What do they say?"
[252] "They say they didn't do it," said Stevenson.
[253] "And they say they never saw it before the robbery and they would have noticed it if it'd been there."
[254] The captain shook his head.
[255] "I don't get it," he admitted.
[256] "What are you trying to prove?"
[257] "I guess," said Stevenson slowly, thinking it out as he went along, "I guess I'm trying to prove that somebody melted those tires, and made that rifle too hot, and left his signature behind."
[258] "What?
[259] You mean like in the comic books?
[260] Come on, Stevenson!
[261] What are you trying to hand me?"
[262] "All I know," insisted Stevenson, "is what I see."
[263] "And all I know," the captain told him, "is Higgins put that name on his rifle himself.
[264] He says so."
[265] "And what made it so hot?"
[266] "Hell, man, he'd been firing that thing at people for an hour!
[267] What do you think made it hot?"
[268] "All of a sudden?"
[269] "He noticed it all of a sudden, when it started to burn him."
[270] "How come the same name showed up each time, then?"
[271] Stevenson asked desperately.
[272] "How should I know?
[273] And why not, anyway?
[274] You know as well as I do these things happen.
[275] A bunch of teen-agers burgle a liquor store and they write 'The Golden Avengers' on the plate glass in lipstick.
[276] It happens all the time.
[277] Why not 'The Scorpion'?
[278] It couldn't occur to two people?"
[279] "But there's no explanation—" started Stevenson.
[280] "What do you mean, there's no explanation?
[281] I just gave you the explanation.
[282] Look, Stevenson, I'm a busy man.
[283] You got a nutty idea—like Wilcox a few years ago, remember him?
[284] Got the idea there was a fiend around loose, stuffing all those kids into abandoned refrigerators to starve.
[285] He went around trying to prove it, and getting all upset, and pretty soon they had to put him away in the nut hatch.
[286] Remember?"
[287] "I remember," said Stevenson.
[288] "Forget this silly stuff, Stevenson," the captain advised him.
[289] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson....
[290] The day after Jerome Higgins went berserk, the afternoon mail brought a crank letter to the Daily News : Dear Mr. Editor, You did not warn your readers.
[291] The man who shot all those people could not escape the Scorpion.
[292] The Scorpion fights crime.
[293] No criminal is safe from the Scorpion.
[294] WARN YOUR READERS.
[295] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION Unfortunately, this letter was not read by the same individual who had seen the first one, two months before.
[296] At any rate, it was filed in the same place, and forgotten.
[297] III Hallowe'en is a good time for a rumble.
[298] There's too many kids around for the cops to keep track of all of them, and if you're picked up carrying a knife or a length of tire chain or something, why, you're on your way to a Hallowe'en party and you're in costume.
[299] You're going as a JD.
[300] The problem was this schoolyard.
[301] It was a block wide, with entrances on two streets.
[302] The street on the north was Challenger territory, and the street on the south was Scarlet Raider territory, and both sides claimed the schoolyard.
[303] There had been a few skirmishes, a few guys from both gangs had been jumped and knocked around a little, but that had been all.
[304] Finally, the War Lords from the two gangs had met, and determined that the matter could only be settled in a war.
[305] The time was chosen: Hallowe'en.
[306] The place was chosen: the schoolyard.
[307] The weapons were chosen: pocket knives and tire chains okay, but no pistols or zip-guns.
[308] The time was fixed: eleven P.M. And the winner would have undisputed territorial rights to the schoolyard, both entrances.
[309] The night of the rumble, the gangs assembled in their separate clubrooms for last-minute instructions.
[310] Debs were sent out to play chicken at the intersections nearest the schoolyard, both to warn of the approach of cops and to keep out any non-combatant kids who might come wandering through.
[311] Judy Canzanetti was a Deb with the Scarlet Raiders.
[312] She was fifteen years old, short and black-haired and pretty in a movie-magazine, gum-chewing sort of way.
[313] She was proud of being in the Auxiliary of the Scarlet Raiders, and proud also of the job that had been assigned to her.
[314] She was to stand chicken on the southwest corner of the street.
[315] Judy took up her position at five minutes to eleven.
[316] The streets were dark and quiet.
[317] Few people cared to walk this neighborhood after dark, particularly on Hallowe'en.
[318] Judy leaned her back against the telephone pole on the corner, stuck her hands in the pockets of her Scarlet Raider jacket and waited.
[319] At eleven o'clock, she heard indistinct noises begin behind her.
[320] The rumble had started.
[321] At five after eleven, a bunch of little kids came wandering down the street.
[322] They were all about ten or eleven years old, and most of them carried trick-or-treat shopping bags.
[323] Some of them had Hallowe'en masks on.
[324] They started to make the turn toward the schoolyard.
[325] Judy said, "Hey, you kids.
[326] Take off."
[327] One of them, wearing a red mask, turned to look at her.
[328] "Who, us?"
[329] "Yes, you!
[330] Stay out of that street.
[331] Go on down that way."
[332] "The subway's this way," objected the kid in the red mask.
[333] "Who cares?
[334] You go around the other way."
[335] "Listen, lady," said the kid in the red mask, aggrieved, "we got a long way to go to get home."
[336] "Yeah," said another kid, in a black mask, "and we're late as it is."
[337] "I couldn't care less," Judy told them callously.
[338] "You can't go down that street."
[339] "Why not?"
[340] demanded yet another kid.
[341] This one was in the most complete and elaborate costume of them all, black leotards and a yellow shirt and a flowing: black cape.
[342] He wore a black and gold mask and had a black knit cap jammed down tight onto his head.
[343] "Why can't we go down there?"
[344] this apparition demanded.
[345] "Because I said so," Judy told him.
[346] "Now, you kids get away from here.
[347] Take off."
[348] "Hey!"
[349] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume.
[350] "Hey, they're fighting down there!"
[351] "It's a rumble," said Judy proudly.
[352] "You twerps don't want to be involved."
[353] "Hey!"
[354] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume again.
[355] And he went running around Judy and dashing off down the street.
[356] "Hey, Eddie!"
[357] shouted one of the other kids.
[358] "Eddie, come back!"
[359] Judy wasn't sure what to do next.
[360] If she abandoned her post to chase the one kid who'd gotten through, then maybe all the rest of them would come running along after her.
[361] She didn't know what to do.
[362] A sudden siren and a distant flashing red light solved her problems.
[363] "Cheez," said one of the kids.
[364] "The cops!"
[365] "Fuzz!"
[366] screamed Judy.
[367] She turned and raced down the block toward the schoolyard, shouting, "Fuzz!
[368] Fuzz!
[369] Clear out, it's the fuzz!"
[370] But then she stopped, wide-eyed, when she saw what was going on in the schoolyard.
[371] The guys from both gangs were dancing.
[372] They were jumping around, waving their arms, throwing their weapons away.
[373] Then they all started pulling off their gang jackets and throwing them away, whooping and hollering.
[374] They were making such a racket themselves that they never heard Judy's warning.
[375] They didn't even hear the police sirens.
[376] And all at once both schoolyard entrances were full of cops, a cop had tight hold of Judy and the rumble was over.
[377] Judy was so baffled and terrified that everything was just one great big blur.
[378] But in the middle of it all, she did see the little kid in the yellow-and-black costume go scooting away down the street.
[379] And she had the craziest idea that it was all his fault.
[380] Captain Hanks was still in his realistic cycle this morning, and he was impatient as well.
[381] "All right, Stevenson," he said.
[382] "Make it fast, I've got a lot to do this morning.
[383] And I hope it isn't this comic-book thing of yours again."
[384] "I'm afraid it is, Captain," said Stevenson.
[385] "Did you see the morning paper?"
[386] "So what?"
[387] "Did you see that thing about the gang fight up in Manhattan?"
[388] Captain Hanks sighed.
[389] "Stevenson," he said wearily, "are you going to try to connect every single time the word 'scorpion' comes up?
[390] What's the problem with this one?
[391] These kid gangs have names, so what?"
[392] "Neither one of them was called 'The Scorpions,'" Stevenson told him.
[393] "One of them was the Scarlet Raiders and the other gang was the Challengers."
[394] "So they changed their name," said Hanks.
[395] "Both gangs?
[396] Simultaneously?
[397] To the same name?"
[398] "Why not?
[399] Maybe that's what they were fighting over."
[400] "It was a territorial war," Stevenson reminded him.
[401] "They've admitted that much.
[402] It says so in the paper.
[403] And it also says they all deny ever seeing that word on their jackets until after the fight."
[404] "A bunch of juvenile delinquents," said Hanks in disgust.
[405] "You take their word?"
[406] "Captain, did you read the article in the paper?"
[407] "I glanced through it."
[408] "All right.
[409] Here's what they say happened: They say they started fighting at eleven o'clock.
[410] And they just got going when all at once all the metal they were carrying—knives and tire chains and coins and belt buckles and everything else—got freezing cold, too cold to touch.
[411] And then their leather jackets got freezing cold, so cold they had to pull them off and throw them away.
[412] And when the jackets were later collected, across the name of the gang on the back of each one had been branded 'The Scorpion.'"
[413] "Now, let me tell you something," said Hanks severely.
[414] "They heard the police sirens, and they threw all their weapons away.
[415] Then they threw their jackets away, to try to make believe they hadn't been part of the gang that had been fighting.
[416] But they were caught before they could get out of the schoolyard.
[417] If the squad cars had showed up a minute later, the schoolyard wouldn't have had anything in it but weapons and jackets, and the kids would have been all over the neighborhood, nice as you please, minding their own business and not bothering anybody.
[418] That's what happened.
[419] And all this talk about freezing cold and branding names into jackets is just some smart-alec punk's idea of a way to razz the police.
[420] Now, you just go back to worrying about what's happening in this precinct and forget about kid gangs up in Manhattan and comic book things like the Scorpion, or you're going to wind up like Wilcox, with that refrigerator business.
[421] Now, I don't want to hear any more about this nonsense, Stevenson."
[422] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship between Stevenson and Hanks?":
1. [219] As Captain Hanks was fond of pointing out, you needed as well to be both more imaginative than most—"You gotta be able to second-guess the smart boys"—and to be a complete realist—"You gotta have both feet on the ground."
2. [220] If these were somewhat contradictory qualities, it was best not to mention the fact to Captain Hanks.
3. [221] The realist side of the captain's nature was currently at the fore.
4. [222] "Just what are you trying to say, Stevenson?" he demanded.
5. [223] "I'm not sure," admitted Stevenson.
6. [238] "He put it on there himself, Stevenson," said the captain with weary patience.
7. [239] "What are you trying to prove?"
8. [255] "I don't get it," he admitted.
9. [256] "What are you trying to prove?"
10. [257] "I guess," said Stevenson slowly, thinking it out as he went along, "I guess I'm trying to prove that somebody melted those tires, and made that rifle too hot, and left his signature behind."
11. [258] "What? You mean like in the comic books? Come on, Stevenson! What are you trying to hand me?"
12. [262] "And all I know," the captain told him, "is Higgins put that name on his rifle himself. He says so."
13. [268] "How come the same name showed up each time, then?"
14. [269] Stevenson asked desperately.
15. [270] "How should I know? And why not, anyway? You know as well as I do these things happen. A bunch of teen-agers burgle a liquor store and they write 'The Golden Avengers' on the plate glass in lipstick. It happens all the time. Why not 'The Scorpion'? It couldn't occur to two people?"
16. [279] "But there's no explanation—" started Stevenson.
17. [280] "What do you mean, there's no explanation? I just gave you the explanation. Look, Stevenson, I'm a busy man."
18. [282] You got a nutty idea—like Wilcox a few years ago, remember him? Got the idea there was a fiend around loose, stuffing all those kids into abandoned refrigerators to starve. He went around trying to prove it, and getting all upset, and pretty soon they had to put him away in the nut hatch. Remember?"
19. [287] "I remember," said Stevenson.
20. [288] "Forget this silly stuff, Stevenson," the captain advised him.
21. [289] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson.
22. [380] Captain Hanks was still in his realistic cycle this morning, and he was impatient as well.
23. [381] "All right, Stevenson," he said. "Make it fast, I've got a lot to do this morning. And I hope it isn't this comic-book thing of yours again."
24. [382] "I'm afraid it is, Captain," said Stevenson.
25. [383] "Did you see the morning paper?"
26. [384] "So what?"
27. [385] "Did you see that thing about the gang fight up in Manhattan?"
28. [388] "Stevenson," he said wearily, "are you going to try to connect every single time the word 'scorpion' comes up? What's the problem with this one? These kid gangs have names, so what?"
29. [393] "Both gangs? Simultaneously? To the same name?"
30. [394] "Why not? Maybe that's what they were fighting over."
31. [404] "It was a territorial war," Stevenson reminded him.
32. [405] "They've admitted that much. It says so in the paper. And it also says they all deny ever seeing that word on their jackets until after the fight."
33. [406] "A bunch of juvenile delinquents," said Hanks in disgust. "You take their word?"
34. [407] "Captain, did you read the article in the paper?"
35. [408] "I glanced through it."
36. [409] "All right. Here's what they say happened: They say they started fighting at eleven o'clock. And they just got going when all at once all the metal they were carrying—knives and tire chains and coins and belt buckles and everything else—got freezing cold, too cold to touch. And then their leather jackets got freezing cold, so cold they had to pull them off and throw them away. And when the jackets were later collected, across the name of the gang on the back of each one had been branded 'The Scorpion.'"
37. [413] "Now, let me tell you something," said Hanks severely. "They heard the police sirens, and they threw all their weapons away. Then they threw their jackets away, to try to make believe they hadn't been part of the gang that had been fighting. But they were caught before they could get out of the schoolyard. If the squad cars had showed up a minute later, the schoolyard wouldn't have had anything in it but weapons and jackets, and the kids would have been all over the neighborhood, nice as you please, minding their own business and not bothering anybody. That's what happened. And all this talk about freezing cold and branding names into jackets is just some smart-alec punk's idea of a way to razz the police."
38. [419] "Now, you just go back to worrying about what's happening in this precinct and forget about kid gangs up in Manhattan and comic book things like the Scorpion, or you're going to wind up like Wilcox, with that refrigerator business. Now, I don't want to hear any more about this nonsense, Stevenson."
39. [420] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson. |
Who is "The Scorpion" and why are they significant? | [
"The Scorpion is a mysterious figure, self-proclaimed to be fighting crime, as stated in the crank letters to the Daily Mail. The true identity of The Scorpion is unknown, and no one has ever seen him. However, The Scorpion is a powerful force in the story, as he ends up being responsible for the capturing of several criminals. The Scorpion makes his presence known by tagging his signature at different crime scenes through branding, but the characters in the story, especially Stevenson, are determined to know who he is.",
"The Scorpion is an unknown vigilante, who seeks to fight crime, with some mysterious super power. They send messages to the daily news, asking them to warn their readers that they will be after any criminals. It seems as though whoever they are, they have the ability to control heat in objects. They melt the tires of the Chevy, they heat the gun to such an intense level that it burns Mr. Higgins' hands, and they cool the weapons and jackets of the two hangs so much that they have to get rid of both. Detective Stevenson thinks that the scorpion is all the same force, affecting these three cases, but his boss, Captain Hanks, doesn't see one.",
"“The Scorpion” is an anonymous bringer of justice. Their identity is never revealed, but they send warning letters to the Daily News explaining their intentions of stopping crime and helping the police arrest the criminals to bring justice. They are significant because the crimes could have gotten out of hand without them. In the first case, it looked as though the robbers would get away, but “The Scorpion” managed to stop them in time for the police to come. They can also help stop crime a lot faster than the police. Furthermore, “The Scorpion” also becomes an object of interest for Stevenson and leads him to start following these patterns.",
"\"The Scorpion\"'s identity is not exposed. It is a person or an organization which decided to take the mission of fighting crime. He is like a modern superhero dealing with any kind of crime. He stops the criminals and makes them surrender to the police. After every intervention he leaves an inscription saying \"The Scorpion\" as a mark of his intervention. He also sends letters to a newspaper warning people about his existence. He is significant as he is connected to every crime described and stays the main mystery of the story, being also the reason of disputes between Hanks and Stevenson."
] | [1] CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail!
[2] Hoodlums fear his fury—and, for that matter, so do the cops!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] The man with the handkerchief mask said, "All right, everybody, keep tight.
[6] This is a holdup."
[7] There were twelve people in the bank.
[8] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger.
[9] There was the perfect stranger, an itinerant garage mechanic named Rodney (Rod) Strom, like the check said.
[10] There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages.
[11] There was Mister Anderson, the guard, dozing by the door in his brown uniform.
[12] There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior.
[13] There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street.
[14] There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again.
[15] And there were three bank robbers.
[16] The three bank robbers looked like triplets.
[17] From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes.
[18] The eyes themselves looked dangerous.
[19] The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket.
[20] He waved it menacingly.
[21] One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend."
[22] The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money.
[23] It was just like the movies.
[24] The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door.
[25] The third man stuffed money into the black satchel.
[26] The man by the door said, "Hurry up."
[27] The man with the satchel said, "One more drawer."
[28] The man with the gun turned to say to the man at the door, "Keep your shirt on."
[29] That was all Miss English needed.
[30] She kicked off her shoes and ran pelting in her stocking feet for the door.
[31] The man by the door spread his arms out and shouted, "Hey!"
[32] The man with the gun swung violently back, cursing, and fired the gun.
[33] But he'd been moving too fast, and so had Miss English, and all he hit was the brass plate on Mr. Featherhall's desk.
[34] The man by the door caught Miss English in a bear hug.
[35] She promptly did her best to scratch his eyes out.
[36] Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help!
[37] Help!
[38] Robbery!"
[39] The man with the gun cursed some more.
[40] The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
[41] Then the man with the gun hit Miss English on the head.
[42] She fell unconscious to the floor, and all three of them ran out of the bank to the car out front, in which sat a very nervous-looking fourth man, gunning the engine.
[43] Everyone except Miss English ran out after the bandits, to watch.
[44] Things got very fast and very confused then.
[45] Two police cars came driving down the block and a half from the precinct house to the bank, and the car with the four robbers in it lurched away from the curb and drove straight down the street toward the police station.
[46] The police cars and the getaway car passed one another, with everybody shooting like the ships in pirate movies.
[47] There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers were going to get away after all.
[48] The police cars were aiming the wrong way and, as they'd come down with sirens wailing, there was a clear path behind them.
[49] Then, after the getaway car had gone more than two blocks, it suddenly started jouncing around.
[50] It smacked into a parked car and stopped.
[51] And all the police went running down there to clap handcuffs on the robbers when they crawled dazedly out of their car.
[52] "Hey," said Eddie Clayhorn, ten years old.
[53] "Hey, that was something, huh, Mom?"
[54] "Come along home," said his mother, grabbing his hand.
[55] "We don't want to be involved."
[56] "It was the nuttiest thing," said Detective-Sergeant Stevenson.
[57] "An operation planned that well, you'd think they'd pay attention to their getaway car, you know what I mean?"
[58] Detective-Sergeant Pauling shrugged.
[59] "They always slip up," he said.
[60] "Sooner or later, on some minor detail, they always slip up."
[61] "Yes, but their tires ."
[62] "Well," said Pauling, "it was a stolen car.
[63] I suppose they just grabbed whatever was handiest."
[64] "What I can't figure out," said Stevenson, "is exactly what made those tires do that.
[65] I mean, it was a hot day and all, but it wasn't that hot.
[66] And they weren't going that fast.
[67] I don't think you could go fast enough to melt your tires down."
[68] Pauling shrugged again.
[69] "We got them.
[70] That's the important thing."
[71] "Still and all, it's nutty.
[72] They're free and clear, barrelling out Rockaway toward the Belt, and all at once their tires melt, the tubes blow out and there they are."
[73] Stevenson shook his head.
[74] "I can't figure it."
[75] "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," suggested Pauling.
[76] "They picked the wrong car to steal."
[77] "And that doesn't make sense, either," said Stevenson.
[78] "Why steal a car that could be identified as easily as that one?"
[79] "Why?
[80] What was it, a foreign make?"
[81] "No, it was a Chevvy, two-tone, three years old, looked just like half the cars on the streets.
[82] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away."
[83] "Maybe they didn't notice it when they stole the car," said Pauling.
[84] "For a well-planned operation like this one," said Stevenson, "they made a couple of really idiotic boners.
[85] It doesn't make any sense."
[86] "What do they have to say about it?"
[87] Pauling demanded.
[88] "Nothing, what do you expect?
[89] They'll make no statement at all."
[90] The squad-room door opened, and a uniformed patrolman stuck his head in.
[91] "The owner of that Chevvy's here," he said.
[92] "Right," said Stevenson.
[93] He followed the patrolman down the hall to the front desk.
[94] The owner of the Chevvy was an angry-looking man of middle age, tall and paunchy.
[95] "John Hastings," he said.
[96] "They say you have my car here."
[97] "I believe so, yes," said Stevenson.
[98] "I'm afraid it's in pretty bad shape."
[99] "So I was told over the phone," said Hastings grimly.
[100] "I've contacted my insurance company."
[101] "Good.
[102] The car's in the police garage, around the corner.
[103] If you'd come with me?"
[104] On the way around, Stevenson said, "I believe you reported the car stolen almost immediately after it happened."
[105] "That's right," said Hastings.
[106] "I stepped into a bar on my route.
[107] I'm a wine and liquor salesman.
[108] When I came out five minutes later, my car was gone."
[109] "You left the keys in it?"
[110] "Well, why not?"
[111] demanded Hastings belligerently.
[112] "If I'm making just a quick stop—I never spend more than five minutes with any one customer—I always leave the keys in the car.
[113] Why not?"
[114] "The car was stolen," Stevenson reminded him.
[115] Hastings grumbled and glared.
[116] "It's always been perfectly safe up till now."
[117] "Yes, sir.
[118] In here."
[119] Hastings took one look at his car and hit the ceiling.
[120] "It's ruined!"
[121] he cried.
[122] "What did you do to the tires?"
[123] "Not a thing, sir.
[124] That happened to them in the holdup."
[125] Hastings leaned down over one of the front tires.
[126] "Look at that!
[127] There's melted rubber all over the rims.
[128] Those rims are ruined!
[129] What did you use, incendiary bullets?"
[130] Stevenson shook his head.
[131] "No, sir.
[132] When that happened they were two blocks away from the nearest policeman."
[133] "Hmph."
[134] Hastings moved on around the car, stopping short to exclaim, "What in the name of God is that?
[135] You didn't tell me a bunch of kids had stolen the car."
[136] "It wasn't a bunch of kids," Stevenson told him.
[137] "It was four professional criminals, I thought you knew that.
[138] They were using it in a bank holdup."
[139] "Then why did they do that ?"
[140] Stevenson followed Hastings' pointing finger, and saw again the crudely-lettered words, "The Scorpion" burned black into the paint of the trunk lid.
[141] "I really don't know," he said.
[142] "It wasn't there before the car was stolen?"
[143] "Of course not!"
[144] Stevenson frowned.
[145] "Now, why in the world did they do that?"
[146] "I suggest," said Hastings with heavy sarcasm, "you ask them that."
[147] Stevenson shook his head.
[148] "It wouldn't do any good.
[149] They aren't talking about anything.
[150] I don't suppose they'll ever tell us."
[151] He looked at the trunk lid again.
[152] "It's the nuttiest thing," he said thoughtfully.... That was on Wednesday.
[153] The Friday afternoon mail delivery to the Daily News brought a crank letter.
[154] It was in the crank letter's most obvious form; that is, the address had been clipped, a letter or a word at a time, from a newspaper and glued to the envelope.
[155] There was no return address.
[156] The letter itself was in the same format.
[157] It was brief and to the point: Dear Mr. Editor: The Scorpion has struck.
[158] The bank robbers were captured.
[159] The Scorpion fights crime.
[160] Crooks and robbers are not safe from the avenging Scorpion.
[161] WARN YOUR READERS!
[162] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION The warning was duly noted, and the letter filed in the wastebasket.
[163] It didn't rate a line in the paper.
[164] II The bank robbery occurred in late June.
[165] Early in August, a Brooklyn man went berserk.
[166] It happened in Canarsie, a section in southeast Brooklyn near Jamaica Bay.
[167] This particular area of Canarsie was a residential neighborhood, composed of one and two family houses.
[168] The man who went berserk was a Motor Vehicle Bureau clerk named Jerome Higgins.
[169] Two days before, he had flunked a Civil Service examination for the third time.
[170] He reported himself sick and spent the two days at home, brooding, a bottle of blended whiskey at all times in his hand.
[171] As the police reconstructed it later, Mrs. Higgins had attempted to awaken him on the third morning at seven-thirty, suggesting that he really ought to stop being so foolish, and go back to work.
[172] He then allegedly poked her in the eye, and locked her out of the bedroom.
[173] Mrs. Higgins then apparently called her sister-in-law, a Mrs. Thelma Stodbetter, who was Mr. Higgins' sister.
[174] Mrs. Stodbetter arrived at the house at nine o'clock, and spent some time tapping at the still-locked bedroom door, apparently requesting Mr. Higgins to unlock the door and "stop acting like a child."
[175] Neighbors reported to the police that they heard Mr. Higgins shout a number of times, "Go away!
[176] Can't you let a man sleep?"
[177] At about ten-fifteen, neighbors heard shots from the Higgins residence, a two-story one-family pink stucco affair in the middle of a block of similar homes.
[178] Mr. Higgins, it was learned later, had suddenly erupted from his bedroom, brandishing a .30-.30 hunting rifle and, being annoyed at the shrieks of his wife and sister, had fired seven shells at them, killing his wife on the spot and wounding his sister in the hand and shoulder.
[179] Mrs. Stodbetter, wounded and scared out of her wits, raced screaming out the front door of the house, crying for the police and shouting, "Murder!
[180] Murder!"
[181] At this point, neighbors called the police.
[182] One neighbor additionally phoned three newspapers and two television stations, thereby earning forty dollars in "news-tips" rewards.
[183] By chance, a mobile television unit was at that moment on the Belt Parkway, returning from having seen off a prime minister at Idlewild Airport.
[184] This unit was at once diverted to Canarsie, where it took up a position across the street from the scene of carnage and went to work with a Zoomar lens.
[185] In the meantime, Mister Higgins had barricaded himself in his house, firing at anything that moved.
[186] The two cameramen in the mobile unit worked their hearts out.
[187] One concentrated on the movements of the police and firemen and neighbors and ambulance attendants, while the other used the Zoomar lens to search for Mr. Higgins.
[188] He found him occasionally, offering the at-home audience brief glimpses of a stocky balding man in brown trousers and undershirt, stalking from window to window on the second floor of the house.
[189] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[190] There were policemen everywhere, and firemen everywhere, and neighbors milling around down at the corner, where the police had roped the block off, and occasionally Mr. Higgins would stick his rifle out a window and shoot at somebody.
[191] The police used loudspeakers to tell Higgins he might as well give up, they had the place surrounded and could eventually starve him out anyway.
[192] Higgins used his own good lungs to shout obscenities back and challenge anyone present to hand-to-hand combat.
[193] The police fired tear gas shells at the house, but it was a windy day and all the windows in the Higgins house were either open or broken.
[194] Higgins was able to throw all the shells back out of the house again.
[195] The show lasted for nearly an hour.
[196] Then it ended, suddenly and dramatically.
[197] Higgins had showed himself to the Zoomar lens again, for the purpose of shooting either the camera or its operator.
[198] All at once he yelped and threw the rifle away.
[199] The rifle bounced onto the porch roof, slithered down to the edge, hung for a second against the drain, and finally fell barrel first onto the lawn.
[200] Meanwhile, Higgins was running through the house, shouting like a wounded bull.
[201] He thundered down the stairs and out, hollering, to fall into the arms of the waiting police.
[202] They had trouble holding him.
[203] At first they thought he was actually trying to get away, but then one of them heard what it was he was shouting: "My hands!
[204] My hands!"
[205] They looked at his hands.
[206] The palms and the palm-side of the fingers were red and blistering, from what looked like severe burns.
[207] There was another burn on his right cheek and another one on his right shoulder.
[208] Higgins, thoroughly chastened and bewildered, was led away for burn ointment and jail.
[209] The television crew went on back to Manhattan.
[210] The neighbors went home and telephoned their friends.
[211] On-duty policemen had been called in from practically all of the precincts in Brooklyn.
[212] Among them was Detective-Sergeant William Stevenson.
[213] Stevenson frowned thoughtfully at Higgins as that unhappy individual was led away, and then strolled over to look at the rifle.
[214] He touched the stock, and it was somewhat warm but that was all.
[215] He picked it up and turned it around.
[216] There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
[217] You don't get to be Precinct Captain on nothing but political connections.
[218] Those help, of course, but you need more than that.
[219] As Captain Hanks was fond of pointing out, you needed as well to be both more imaginative than most—"You gotta be able to second-guess the smart boys"—and to be a complete realist—"You gotta have both feet on the ground."
[220] If these were somewhat contradictory qualities, it was best not to mention the fact to Captain Hanks.
[221] The realist side of the captain's nature was currently at the fore.
[222] "Just what are you trying to say, Stevenson?"
[223] he demanded.
[224] "I'm not sure," admitted Stevenson.
[225] "But we've got these two things.
[226] First, there's the getaway car from that bank job.
[227] The wheels melt for no reason at all, and somebody burns 'The Scorpion' onto the trunk.
[228] Then, yesterday, this guy Higgins out in Canarsie.
[229] He says the rifle all of a sudden got too hot to hold, and he's got the burn marks to prove it.
[230] And there on the rifle stock it is again.
[231] 'The Scorpion'."
[232] "He says he put that on there himself," said the captain.
[233] Stevenson shook his head.
[234] "His lawyer says he put it on there.
[235] Higgins says he doesn't remember doing it.
[236] That's half the lawyer's case.
[237] He's trying to build up an insanity defense."
[238] "He put it on there himself, Stevenson," said the captain with weary patience.
[239] "What are you trying to prove?"
[240] "I don't know.
[241] All I know is it's the nuttiest thing I ever saw.
[242] And what about the getaway car?
[243] What about those tires melting?"
[244] "They were defective," said Hanks promptly.
[245] "All four of them at once?
[246] And what about the thing written on the trunk?"
[247] "How do I know?"
[248] demanded the captain.
[249] "Kids put it on before the car was stolen, maybe.
[250] Or maybe the hoods did it themselves, who knows?
[251] What do they say?"
[252] "They say they didn't do it," said Stevenson.
[253] "And they say they never saw it before the robbery and they would have noticed it if it'd been there."
[254] The captain shook his head.
[255] "I don't get it," he admitted.
[256] "What are you trying to prove?"
[257] "I guess," said Stevenson slowly, thinking it out as he went along, "I guess I'm trying to prove that somebody melted those tires, and made that rifle too hot, and left his signature behind."
[258] "What?
[259] You mean like in the comic books?
[260] Come on, Stevenson!
[261] What are you trying to hand me?"
[262] "All I know," insisted Stevenson, "is what I see."
[263] "And all I know," the captain told him, "is Higgins put that name on his rifle himself.
[264] He says so."
[265] "And what made it so hot?"
[266] "Hell, man, he'd been firing that thing at people for an hour!
[267] What do you think made it hot?"
[268] "All of a sudden?"
[269] "He noticed it all of a sudden, when it started to burn him."
[270] "How come the same name showed up each time, then?"
[271] Stevenson asked desperately.
[272] "How should I know?
[273] And why not, anyway?
[274] You know as well as I do these things happen.
[275] A bunch of teen-agers burgle a liquor store and they write 'The Golden Avengers' on the plate glass in lipstick.
[276] It happens all the time.
[277] Why not 'The Scorpion'?
[278] It couldn't occur to two people?"
[279] "But there's no explanation—" started Stevenson.
[280] "What do you mean, there's no explanation?
[281] I just gave you the explanation.
[282] Look, Stevenson, I'm a busy man.
[283] You got a nutty idea—like Wilcox a few years ago, remember him?
[284] Got the idea there was a fiend around loose, stuffing all those kids into abandoned refrigerators to starve.
[285] He went around trying to prove it, and getting all upset, and pretty soon they had to put him away in the nut hatch.
[286] Remember?"
[287] "I remember," said Stevenson.
[288] "Forget this silly stuff, Stevenson," the captain advised him.
[289] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson....
[290] The day after Jerome Higgins went berserk, the afternoon mail brought a crank letter to the Daily News : Dear Mr. Editor, You did not warn your readers.
[291] The man who shot all those people could not escape the Scorpion.
[292] The Scorpion fights crime.
[293] No criminal is safe from the Scorpion.
[294] WARN YOUR READERS.
[295] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION Unfortunately, this letter was not read by the same individual who had seen the first one, two months before.
[296] At any rate, it was filed in the same place, and forgotten.
[297] III Hallowe'en is a good time for a rumble.
[298] There's too many kids around for the cops to keep track of all of them, and if you're picked up carrying a knife or a length of tire chain or something, why, you're on your way to a Hallowe'en party and you're in costume.
[299] You're going as a JD.
[300] The problem was this schoolyard.
[301] It was a block wide, with entrances on two streets.
[302] The street on the north was Challenger territory, and the street on the south was Scarlet Raider territory, and both sides claimed the schoolyard.
[303] There had been a few skirmishes, a few guys from both gangs had been jumped and knocked around a little, but that had been all.
[304] Finally, the War Lords from the two gangs had met, and determined that the matter could only be settled in a war.
[305] The time was chosen: Hallowe'en.
[306] The place was chosen: the schoolyard.
[307] The weapons were chosen: pocket knives and tire chains okay, but no pistols or zip-guns.
[308] The time was fixed: eleven P.M. And the winner would have undisputed territorial rights to the schoolyard, both entrances.
[309] The night of the rumble, the gangs assembled in their separate clubrooms for last-minute instructions.
[310] Debs were sent out to play chicken at the intersections nearest the schoolyard, both to warn of the approach of cops and to keep out any non-combatant kids who might come wandering through.
[311] Judy Canzanetti was a Deb with the Scarlet Raiders.
[312] She was fifteen years old, short and black-haired and pretty in a movie-magazine, gum-chewing sort of way.
[313] She was proud of being in the Auxiliary of the Scarlet Raiders, and proud also of the job that had been assigned to her.
[314] She was to stand chicken on the southwest corner of the street.
[315] Judy took up her position at five minutes to eleven.
[316] The streets were dark and quiet.
[317] Few people cared to walk this neighborhood after dark, particularly on Hallowe'en.
[318] Judy leaned her back against the telephone pole on the corner, stuck her hands in the pockets of her Scarlet Raider jacket and waited.
[319] At eleven o'clock, she heard indistinct noises begin behind her.
[320] The rumble had started.
[321] At five after eleven, a bunch of little kids came wandering down the street.
[322] They were all about ten or eleven years old, and most of them carried trick-or-treat shopping bags.
[323] Some of them had Hallowe'en masks on.
[324] They started to make the turn toward the schoolyard.
[325] Judy said, "Hey, you kids.
[326] Take off."
[327] One of them, wearing a red mask, turned to look at her.
[328] "Who, us?"
[329] "Yes, you!
[330] Stay out of that street.
[331] Go on down that way."
[332] "The subway's this way," objected the kid in the red mask.
[333] "Who cares?
[334] You go around the other way."
[335] "Listen, lady," said the kid in the red mask, aggrieved, "we got a long way to go to get home."
[336] "Yeah," said another kid, in a black mask, "and we're late as it is."
[337] "I couldn't care less," Judy told them callously.
[338] "You can't go down that street."
[339] "Why not?"
[340] demanded yet another kid.
[341] This one was in the most complete and elaborate costume of them all, black leotards and a yellow shirt and a flowing: black cape.
[342] He wore a black and gold mask and had a black knit cap jammed down tight onto his head.
[343] "Why can't we go down there?"
[344] this apparition demanded.
[345] "Because I said so," Judy told him.
[346] "Now, you kids get away from here.
[347] Take off."
[348] "Hey!"
[349] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume.
[350] "Hey, they're fighting down there!"
[351] "It's a rumble," said Judy proudly.
[352] "You twerps don't want to be involved."
[353] "Hey!"
[354] cried the kid in the black-and-yellow costume again.
[355] And he went running around Judy and dashing off down the street.
[356] "Hey, Eddie!"
[357] shouted one of the other kids.
[358] "Eddie, come back!"
[359] Judy wasn't sure what to do next.
[360] If she abandoned her post to chase the one kid who'd gotten through, then maybe all the rest of them would come running along after her.
[361] She didn't know what to do.
[362] A sudden siren and a distant flashing red light solved her problems.
[363] "Cheez," said one of the kids.
[364] "The cops!"
[365] "Fuzz!"
[366] screamed Judy.
[367] She turned and raced down the block toward the schoolyard, shouting, "Fuzz!
[368] Fuzz!
[369] Clear out, it's the fuzz!"
[370] But then she stopped, wide-eyed, when she saw what was going on in the schoolyard.
[371] The guys from both gangs were dancing.
[372] They were jumping around, waving their arms, throwing their weapons away.
[373] Then they all started pulling off their gang jackets and throwing them away, whooping and hollering.
[374] They were making such a racket themselves that they never heard Judy's warning.
[375] They didn't even hear the police sirens.
[376] And all at once both schoolyard entrances were full of cops, a cop had tight hold of Judy and the rumble was over.
[377] Judy was so baffled and terrified that everything was just one great big blur.
[378] But in the middle of it all, she did see the little kid in the yellow-and-black costume go scooting away down the street.
[379] And she had the craziest idea that it was all his fault.
[380] Captain Hanks was still in his realistic cycle this morning, and he was impatient as well.
[381] "All right, Stevenson," he said.
[382] "Make it fast, I've got a lot to do this morning.
[383] And I hope it isn't this comic-book thing of yours again."
[384] "I'm afraid it is, Captain," said Stevenson.
[385] "Did you see the morning paper?"
[386] "So what?"
[387] "Did you see that thing about the gang fight up in Manhattan?"
[388] Captain Hanks sighed.
[389] "Stevenson," he said wearily, "are you going to try to connect every single time the word 'scorpion' comes up?
[390] What's the problem with this one?
[391] These kid gangs have names, so what?"
[392] "Neither one of them was called 'The Scorpions,'" Stevenson told him.
[393] "One of them was the Scarlet Raiders and the other gang was the Challengers."
[394] "So they changed their name," said Hanks.
[395] "Both gangs?
[396] Simultaneously?
[397] To the same name?"
[398] "Why not?
[399] Maybe that's what they were fighting over."
[400] "It was a territorial war," Stevenson reminded him.
[401] "They've admitted that much.
[402] It says so in the paper.
[403] And it also says they all deny ever seeing that word on their jackets until after the fight."
[404] "A bunch of juvenile delinquents," said Hanks in disgust.
[405] "You take their word?"
[406] "Captain, did you read the article in the paper?"
[407] "I glanced through it."
[408] "All right.
[409] Here's what they say happened: They say they started fighting at eleven o'clock.
[410] And they just got going when all at once all the metal they were carrying—knives and tire chains and coins and belt buckles and everything else—got freezing cold, too cold to touch.
[411] And then their leather jackets got freezing cold, so cold they had to pull them off and throw them away.
[412] And when the jackets were later collected, across the name of the gang on the back of each one had been branded 'The Scorpion.'"
[413] "Now, let me tell you something," said Hanks severely.
[414] "They heard the police sirens, and they threw all their weapons away.
[415] Then they threw their jackets away, to try to make believe they hadn't been part of the gang that had been fighting.
[416] But they were caught before they could get out of the schoolyard.
[417] If the squad cars had showed up a minute later, the schoolyard wouldn't have had anything in it but weapons and jackets, and the kids would have been all over the neighborhood, nice as you please, minding their own business and not bothering anybody.
[418] That's what happened.
[419] And all this talk about freezing cold and branding names into jackets is just some smart-alec punk's idea of a way to razz the police.
[420] Now, you just go back to worrying about what's happening in this precinct and forget about kid gangs up in Manhattan and comic book things like the Scorpion, or you're going to wind up like Wilcox, with that refrigerator business.
[421] Now, I don't want to hear any more about this nonsense, Stevenson."
[422] "Yes, sir," said Stevenson. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is 'The Scorpion' and why are they significant?":
1. [157] It was brief and to the point: Dear Mr. Editor: The Scorpion has struck.
2. [158] The bank robbers were captured.
3. [159] The Scorpion fights crime.
4. [160] Crooks and robbers are not safe from the avenging Scorpion.
5. [161] WARN YOUR READERS!
6. [81] Except that in the trunk lid the owner had burned in 'The Scorpion' in big black letters you could see half a block away.
7. [215] He picked it up and turned it around. There, on the other side of the stock, burned into the wood, were the crudely-shaped letters, "The Scorpion."
8. [290] The day after Jerome Higgins went berserk, the afternoon mail brought a crank letter to the Daily News : Dear Mr. Editor, You did not warn your readers.
9. [291] The man who shot all those people could not escape the Scorpion.
10. [292] The Scorpion fights crime.
11. [293] No criminal is safe from the Scorpion.
12. [294] WARN YOUR READERS.
13. [295] Sincerely yours, THE SCORPION
14. All other context sentences are less directly relevant to answering the question. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Ferris and Mitchell discuss the struggles they are experiencing with their research. They are eager to test their new research and want the test subject to be Elliot Macklin, a well-known and attractive scientist with a reputation akin to Albert Einstein. Macklin experiences migraines and the two believe that their injection shot could cure them. The two want Macklin to participate because it could ensure that their research will have strong financial support.\n\nMacklin soon enters their laboratory and begins to ask about what they’re looking to do with their research. Ferris and Mitchell discuss their theory with Macklin and how their supposed cure works. They mention to Macklin, to his dismay, that it has only been tested on animals. Macklin is skeptical and considers the injection too risky and initially does not agree to take the treatment. \n\nMacklin begins to start experiencing a migraine. As he suffers through a migraine, Ferris and Mitchell use the opportunity to try again to convince him to participate in the research. They further emphasize the very minimal potential risk. Macklin finally agrees to take the injection due to the immense pain he is experiencing. \n\nLater on, Mitchell is upset with Ferris for sharing their unverified results with the press. Ferris exclaims to Mitchell that the experiment with Macklin was a success and that he should not be concerned. The phone rings and Ferris answers it but quickly passes it to Mitchell. Macklin’s wife is on the phone accusing them of giving her husband heroin as Macklin appears to be in a trance. The doctors are concerned by the news and decide to check on the test animals. They do not find anything of concern with the test animals and go to Macklin’s house. Ferris does not seem worried to Mitchell as they wait to be let into the house. When they enter the house, an army Colonel meets them and expresses his unhappiness with their actions. \n\nAs the group heads into the living room, they greet an army physician that tells them that medically there is nothing wrong with Macklin’s health the only difference is that Macklin is no longer a mathematical genius. The three go into the hallway and discuss how the experiment most likely went wrong. The Colonel becomes upset because Macklin was very important to many missions because of his invaluable research. Mitchell suddenly exclaims that he thinks that Macklin can be cured. \n\nHowever, Macklin overhears the possibility of a cure and protests receiving the treatment. The Colonel is upset at Macklin’s reaction and tries to convince Macklin’s wife to force him to be cured. Macklin’s wife does not wish to go against her husband’s wishes. They leave the house without convincing Macklin or his wife. Later on, Mitchell wakes up and calls Macklin. Mitchell attempts to get Macklin to trust him and goes about luring Macklin back to the laboratory by saying that he can help with the new types of worries that Macklin experiences.",
"Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Ferris are preparing to test out their new medical breakthrough on world renowned scientist, Dr. Macklin. Their new injection that they have discovered will potentially cure Macklin of his incessant migraines, which plague the genius' daily life. Macklin is famed for being at the forefront of the research team that is almost finished developing a faster than light drive, to help the US army reach Pluto. The only thing in the way of the completion of this project could be Macklin's headaches. Mitchell and Ferris ask Macklin if he would like to be the trial patient for their new antidote, which they only have funding to test out on one person. The antidote consists of a virus that is injected into a specific spot in the brain, blocking off oxygen from entering, curing the patient of any headaches. After walking Macklin through the science behind it and Macklin signing some waivers, they deliver the treatment to him. \nThe next day, Ferris gives the story of their success with the Doctor to the newspapers, that is until they get a call form Macklin's wife. She tells him that her husband seems to be high on a form of heroin. To this the two scientists protest, but then go to check on their previous animal test subjects to see their state. All the animals tested appear fine, yet subdued. They decide to go and check up on Macklin. \nThey arrive at his house to meet a colonel at the door, who invites them into the living room, where Macklin is sitting. He has just been evaluated by the doctor, and it turns out that the vaccine has reduced his brain capacity, to the point where he is now a \"moron\". The oxygen that the brain has been denied has made Macklin stupid, almost childlike. The two scientists propose they can fix this quite easily, and they just need to reverse the treatment they gave him, which would return him to his original state. Both Macklin and his wife refuse this. Macklin wants to live a life without pain, and the thoughts about the universe that would keep him up worrying, late at night. His wife tells the men that she doesn't want to go against her husband's wishes, and if the US government wants to take the pair to court over it, so that Macklin might regain full consciousness and continue with his work on the Pluto project, the court would side in her and her husband's favour. \nThe men leave, defeated. That is until Mitchell wakes up in the middle of the night, and calls Macklin, convincing him that it's in his best interest to come to his lab, so that he might make him better. The colonel has given his wife a sedative, so she won't wake up. Macklin leaves to unknowingly go to have his treatment reversed.",
"The story starts with Steven Mitchell and Harold Ferris arguing over the candidate that they should test their discovery on. While Ferris suggests Mitchell to be the candidate, Mitchell points out that it wouldn’t be ethical. He suggests that Elliot Macklin, the late Albert Einstein, has more reputation and his migraine is well known. He is the perfect candidate they have. After a knock on the door, Mitchell and Ferris invite Macklin inside. They introduce the injection and claim that his headache can be cured forever with this one simple injection. Macklin notices that they have not yet tested this on a human being, but they assert that it worked fine on rats and chimps. They explain their situation to Macklin, which is a lack of time and money. They have the resources to cure one person. However, Macklin is still suspicious of the injection. Mitchell and Ferris assure that there is practically no possibility of getting a low enough blood pressure to stop the heart. Along with another attack of the migraine, Macklin gives them permission to inject. \n\nMacklin’s wife calls and blames them for giving her husband heroin. Being confused, Mitchell and Ferris look at the test animals and realize that the ones with injections are much more calmer and have less energy. They go to see Macklin. Macklin has become the healthiest, happiest person, but he also becomes a moron, namely not very intelligent. After Mitchell explains that he has the antitoxin to fix him, Carson demands them to give it to Macklin. However, Macklin refuses. He used to be worried all the time, but now he is peaceful. Since he is legally responsible, he can definitely refuse the antitoxin. Thus, they go to Mrs. Macklin, hoping that she will be able to persuade Macklin to take the antitoxin. She also refuses. Later, Mitchell calls Macklin pointing out that he is still doing a lot of thinking. Mitchell tells him that he can get rid of them if he wants.",
"Ferris and Mitchell are two biologists that are in the process of developing a cure to the common headache. They want to test their cure on Elliot Macklin, a well-known genius mathematician who suffered from a stroke and is victim to periodic migraines. Macklin arrives, and the two inform him of their plan. They want to create a cure to the headache using an injection of a virus that attacks pituitrin, which causes migraines. They have had no confirmation of success of their cure on humans, only animals, so there is uncertainty with their experiment. Macklin initially tells them that there is too much of a risk, and that too many people rely on him for him to take the risk. However, after some consideration, Macklin agrees to take the injection. Later on, Mitchell scolds Ferris after learning that he had released the story to the press, despite the results not being confirmed yet. They then receive a call from Macklin's wife, hsyterically accusing them of giving Macklin narcotics and claiming that he has been put under a trance. Ferris and Mitchell visit Macklin, where they meet a team of Army doctors and officials, and find Macklin to be in a mellow, relaxed state. The army doctor claims that Macklin is happy and healthy, but that the injection has caused him to become dumber due to a miscalculation. Ferris and Mitchell suggest fixing the issue by wiping out the virus, but Macklin refuses, not wanting to return to his previous state. They ask Mrs. Macklin, who wants to support her husband's best interests. The two suspect that she is jealous of Macklin's genius and wants to keep him subdued in his current condition. One night, Mitchell wakes and calls Macklin, asking him to come to his lab to fix him."
] | [1] THE BIG HEADACHE BY JIM HARMON What's the principal cause of headaches?
[2] Why, having a head, of course!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
[6] Ferris asked eagerly.
[7] "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
[8] Mitchell inquired.
[9] "He outweighs you by fifty pounds and you needn't look to me for help against that repatriated fullback."
[10] Ferris fingered the collar of his starched lab smock.
[11] "Guess I got carried away for a moment.
[12] But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test.
[13] We've had it if he turns us down."
[14] "I know," Mitchell said, exhaling deeply.
[15] "Somehow the men with the money just can't seem to understand basic research.
[16] Who would have financed a study of cyclic periods of the hedgehog?
[17] Yet the information gained from that study is vital in cancer research."
[18] "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone.
[19] But those crummy trustees didn't even leave us enough for a field test."
[20] Ferris scrubbed his thin hand over the bony ridge of his forehead.
[21] "I've been worrying so much about this I've got the ancestor of all headaches."
[22] Mitchell's blue eyes narrowed and his boyish face took on an expression of demonic intensity.
[23] "Ferris, would you consider—?"
[24] "No!"
[25] the smaller man yelled.
[26] "You can't expect me to violate professional ethics and test my own discovery on myself."
[27] " Our discovery," Mitchell said politely.
[28] "That's what I meant to say.
[29] But I'm not sure it would be completely ethical with even a discovery partly mine."
[30] "You're right.
[31] Besides who cares if you or I are cured of headaches?
[32] Our reputations don't go outside our own fields," Mitchell said.
[33] "But now Macklin—" Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind.
[34] He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
[35] No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it.
[36] Macklin was in his early fifties but looked in his late thirties, with the build of a football player.
[37] The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets.
[38] For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars.
[39] Mitchell had overheard two coeds talking and so knew that the project was nearing completion.
[40] If so, it was a case of Ad astra per aspirin .
[41] The only thing that could delay the project was Macklin's health.
[42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
[43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
[44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
[45] Ferris paced off the tidy measurements of the office outside the laboratory in the biology building.
[46] Mitchell sat slumped in the chair behind the blond imitation wood desk, watching him disinterestedly.
[47] "Do you suppose the Great Man will actually show up?"
[48] Ferris demanded, pausing in mid-stride.
[49] "I imagine he will," Mitchell said.
[50] "Macklin's always seemed a decent enough fellow when I've had lunch with him or seen him at the trustees meetings."
[51] "He's always treated me like dirt," Ferris said heatedly.
[52] "Everyone on this campus treats biologists like dirt.
[53] Sometimes I want to bash in their smug faces."
[54] Sometimes, Mitchell reflected, Ferris displayed a certain lack of scientific detachment.
[55] There came a discreet knock on the door.
[56] "Please come in," Mitchell said.
[57] Elliot Macklin entered in a cloud of pipe smoke and a tweed jacket.
[58] He looked more than a little like a postgraduate student, and Mitchell suspected that that was his intention.
[59] He shook hands warmly with Mitchell.
[60] "Good of you to ask me over, Steven."
[61] Macklin threw a big arm across Ferris' shoulders.
[62] "How have you been, Harold?"
[63] Ferris' face flickered between pink and white.
[64] "Fine, thank you, doctor."
[65] Macklin dropped on the edge of the desk and adjusted his pipe.
[66] "Now what's this about you wanting my help on something?
[67] And please keep the explanation simple.
[68] Biology isn't my field, you know."
[69] Mitchell moved around the desk casually.
[70] "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance.
[71] There may be an element of risk."
[72] The mathematician clamped onto his pipe and showed his teeth.
[73] "Now you have me intrigued.
[74] What is it all about?"
[75] "Doctor, we understand you have severe headaches," Mitchell said.
[76] Macklin nodded.
[77] "That's right, Steven.
[78] Migraine."
[79] "That must be terrible," Ferris said.
[80] "All your fine reputation and lavish salary can't be much consolation when that ripping, tearing agony begins, can it?"
[81] "No, Harold, it isn't," Macklin admitted.
[82] "What does your project have to do with my headaches?"
[83] "Doctor," Mitchell said, "what would you say the most common complaint of man is?"
[84] "I would have said the common cold," Macklin replied, "but I suppose from what you have said you mean headaches."
[85] "Headaches," Mitchell agreed.
[86] "Everybody has them at some time in his life.
[87] Some people have them every day.
[88] Some are driven to suicide by their headaches."
[89] "Yes," Macklin said.
[90] "But think," Ferris interjected, "what a boon it would be if everyone could be cured of headaches forever by one simple injection."
[91] "I don't suppose the manufacturers of aspirin would like you.
[92] But it would please about everybody else."
[93] "Aspirins would still be used to reduce fever and relieve muscular pains," Mitchell said.
[94] "I see.
[95] Are you two saying you have such a shot?
[96] Can you cure headaches?"
[97] "We think we can," Ferris said.
[98] "How can you have a specific for a number of different causes?"
[99] Macklin asked.
[100] "I know that much about the subject."
[101] "There are a number of different causes for headaches—nervous strain, fatigue, physical diseases from kidney complaints to tumors, over-indulgence—but there is one effect of all of this, the one real cause of headaches," Mitchell announced.
[102] "We have definitely established this for this first time," Ferris added.
[103] "That's fine," Macklin said, sucking on his pipe.
[104] "And this effect that produces headaches is?"
[105] "The pressure effect caused by pituitrin in the brain," Mitchell said eagerly.
[106] "That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes.
[107] It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland.
[108] We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin."
[109] "That may mean the end of headaches, but I would think it would mean the end of the race as well," Macklin said.
[110] "In certain areas it is valuable to have a constriction of blood vessels."
[111] "The virus," Ferris explained, "can easily be localized and stabilized.
[112] A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain."
[113] The mathematician took the pipe out of his mouth.
[114] "If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I?
[115] The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach.
[116] But it's better than the migraine.
[117] How should I go about removing my curse?"
[118] He reinserted the pipe.
[119] "I assure you, you can forget ergotamine tartrate," Ferris said.
[120] "Our discovery will work."
[121] "Will work," Macklin said thoughtfully.
[122] "The operative word.
[123] It hasn't worked then?"
[124] "Certainly it has," Ferris said.
[125] "On rats, on chimps...." "But not on humans?"
[126] Macklin asked.
[127] "Not yet," Mitchell admitted.
[128] "Well," Macklin said.
[129] "Well."
[130] He thumped pipe ashes out into his palm.
[131] "Certainly you can get volunteers.
[132] Convicts.
[133] Conscientious objectors from the Army."
[134] "We want you," Ferris told him.
[135] Macklin coughed.
[136] "I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project.
[137] My wife would like it even less."
[138] Ferris turned his back on the mathematician.
[139] Mitchell could see him mouthing the word yellow .
[140] "Doctor," Mitchell said quickly, "I know it's a tremendous favor to ask of a man of your position.
[141] But you can understand our problem.
[142] Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing.
[143] We should run a large-scale field test.
[144] But we haven't the time or money for that.
[145] We can cure the headaches of one person and that's the limit of our resources."
[146] "I'm tempted," Macklin said hesitantly, "but the answer is go.
[147] I mean ' no '.
[148] I'd like to help you out, but I'm afraid I owe too much to others to take the rest—the risk, I mean."
[149] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead.
[150] "I really would like to take you up on it.
[151] When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine.
[152] The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs.
[153] The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids.
[154] Ugh."
[155] Ferris smiled.
[156] "Gynergen makes you sick, does it, doctor?
[157] Produces nausea, eh?
[158] The pain of that turns you almost wrong side out, doesn't it?
[159] You aren't much better off with it than without, are you?
[160] I've heard some say they preferred the migraine."
[161] Macklin carefully arranged his pipe along with the tools he used to tend it in a worn leather case.
[162] "Tell me," he said, "what is the worst that could happen to me?"
[163] "Low blood pressure," Ferris said.
[164] "That's not so bad," Macklin said.
[165] "How low can it get?"
[166] "When your heart stops, your blood pressure goes to its lowest point," Mitchell said.
[167] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead.
[168] "Is there much risk of that?"
[169] "Practically none," Mitchell said.
[170] "We have to give you the worst possibilities.
[171] All our test animals survived and seem perfectly happy and contented.
[172] As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing.
[173] Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger....
[174] But we may be wrong."
[175] Macklin held his head in both hands.
[176] "Why did you two select me ?"
[177] "You're an important man, doctor," Ferris said.
[178] "Nobody would care if Mitchell or I cured ourselves of headaches—they might not even believe us if we said we did.
[179] But the proper authorities will believe a man of your reputation.
[180] Besides, neither of us has a record of chronic migraine.
[181] You do."
[182] "Yes, I do," Macklin said.
[183] "Very well.
[184] Go ahead.
[185] Give me your injection."
[186] Mitchell cleared his throat.
[187] "Are you positive, doctor?"
[188] he asked uncertainly.
[189] "Perhaps you would like a few days to think it over."
[190] "No!
[191] I'm ready.
[192] Go ahead, right now."
[193] "There's a simple release," Ferris said smoothly.
[194] Macklin groped in his pocket for a pen.
[195] II "Ferris!"
[196] Mitchell yelled, slamming the laboratory door behind him.
[197] "Right here," the small man said briskly.
[198] He was sitting at a work table, penciling notes.
[199] "I've been expecting you."
[200] "Doctor—Harold—you shouldn't have given this story to the newspapers," Mitchell said.
[201] He tapped the back of his hand against the folded paper.
[202] "On the contrary, I should and I did," Ferris answered.
[203] "We wanted something dramatic to show to the trustees and here it is."
[204] "Yes, we wanted to show our proof to the trustees—but not broadcast unverified results to the press.
[205] It's too early for that!"
[206] "Don't be so stuffy and conservative, Mitchell!
[207] Macklin's cured, isn't he?
[208] By established periodic cycle he should be suffering hell right now, shouldn't he?
[209] But thanks to our treatment he is perfectly happy, with no unfortunate side effects such as gynergen produces."
[210] "It's a significant test case, yes.
[211] But not enough to go to the newspapers with.
[212] If it wasn't enough to go to the press with, it wasn't enough to try and breach the trustees with.
[213] Don't you see?
[214] The public will hand down a ukase demanding our virus, just as they demanded the Salk vaccine and the Grennell serum."
[215] "But—" The shrill call of the telephone interrupted Mitchell's objections.
[216] Ferris excused himself and crossed to the instrument.
[217] He answered it and listened for a moment, his face growing impatient.
[218] "It's Macklin's wife," Ferris said.
[219] "Do you want to talk to her?
[220] I'm no good with hysterical women."
[221] "Hysterical?"
[222] Mitchell muttered in alarm and went to the phone.
[223] "Hello?"
[224] Mitchell said reluctantly.
[225] "Mrs.
[226] Macklin?"
[227] "You are the other one," the clear feminine voice said.
[228] "Your name is Mitchell."
[229] She couldn't have sounded calmer or more self-possessed, Mitchell thought.
[230] "That's right, Mrs. Macklin.
[231] I'm Dr. Steven Mitchell, Dr. Ferris's associate."
[232] "Do you have a license to dispense narcotics?"
[233] "What do you mean by that, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said sharply.
[234] "I used to be a nurse, Dr. Mitchell.
[235] I know you've given my husband heroin."
[236] "That's absurd.
[237] What makes you think a thing like that?"
[238] "The—trance he's in now."
[239] "Now, Mrs. Macklin.
[240] Neither Dr. Ferris or myself have been near your husband for a full day.
[241] The effects of a narcotic would have worn off by this time."
[242] "Most known narcotics," she admitted, "but evidently you have discovered something new.
[243] Is it so expensive to refine you and Ferris have to recruit new customers to keep yourselves supplied?"
[244] "Mrs. Macklin!
[245] I think I had better talk to you later when you are calmer."
[246] Mitchell dropped the receiver heavily.
[247] "What could be wrong with Macklin?"
[248] he asked without removing his hand from the telephone.
[249] Ferris frowned, making quotation marks above his nose.
[250] "Let's have a look at the test animals."
[251] Together they marched over to the cages and peered through the honeycomb pattern of the wire.
[252] The test chimp, Dean, was sitting peacefully in a corner scratching under his arms with the back of his knuckles.
[253] Jerry, their control in the experiment, who was practically Dean's twin except that he had received no injection of the E-M Virus, was stomping up and down punching his fingers through the wire, worrying the lock on the cage.
[254] "Jerry is a great deal more active than Dean," Mitchell said.
[255] "Yes, but Dean isn't sick.
[256] He just doesn't seem to have as much nervous energy to burn up.
[257] Nothing wrong with his thyroid either."
[258] They went to the smaller cages.
[259] They found the situation with the rats, Bud and Lou, much the same.
[260] "I don't know.
[261] Maybe they just have tired blood," Mitchell ventured.
[262] "Iron deficiency anemia?"
[263] "Never mind, doctor.
[264] It was a form of humor.
[265] I think we had better see exactly what is wrong with Elliot Macklin."
[266] "There's nothing wrong with him," Ferris snapped.
[267] "He's probably just trying to get us in trouble, the ingrate!"
[268] Macklin's traditional ranch house was small but attractive in aqua-tinted aluminum.
[269] Under Mitchell's thumb the bell chimbed dum-de-de-dum-dum-dum .
[270] As they waited Mitchell glanced at Ferris.
[271] He seemed completely undisturbed, perhaps slightly curious.
[272] The door unlatched and swung back.
[273] "Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said quickly, "I'm sure we can help if there is anything wrong with your husband.
[274] This is Dr. Ferris.
[275] I am Dr.
[276] Mitchell."
[277] "You had certainly better help him, gentlemen."
[278] She stood out of the doorway for them to pass.
[279] Mrs. Macklin was an attractive brunette in her late thirties.
[280] She wore an expensive yellow dress.
[281] And she had a sharp-cornered jawline.
[282] The Army officer came out into the hall to meet them.
[283] "You are the gentlemen who gave Dr. Macklin the unauthorized injection," he said.
[284] It wasn't a question.
[285] "I don't like that 'unauthorized'," Ferris snapped.
[286] The colonel—Mitchell spotted the eagles on his green tunic—lifted a heavy eyebrow.
[287] "No?
[288] Are you medical doctors?
[289] Are you authorized to treat illnesses?"
[290] "We weren't treating an illness," Mitchell said.
[291] "We were discovering a method of treatment.
[292] What concern is it of yours?"
[293] The colonel smiled thinly.
[294] "Dr. Macklin is my concern.
[295] And everything that happens to him.
[296] The Army doesn't like what you have done to him."
[297] Mitchell wondered desperately just what they had done to the man.
[298] "Can we see him?"
[299] Mitchell asked.
[300] "Why not?
[301] You can't do much worse than murder him now.
[302] That might be just as well.
[303] We have laws to cover that."
[304] The colonel led them into the comfortable, over-feminine living room.
[305] Macklin sat in an easy chair draped in embroidery, smoking.
[306] Mitchell suddenly realized Macklin used a pipe as a form of masculine protest to his home surroundings.
[307] On the coffee table in front of Macklin were some odd-shaped building blocks such as were used in nursery schools.
[308] A second uniformed man—another colonel but with the snake-entwined staff of the medical corps in his insignia—was kneeling at the table on the marble-effect carpet.
[309] The Army physician stood up and brushed his knees, undusted from the scrupulously clean rug.
[310] "What's wrong with him, Sidney?"
[311] the other officer asked the doctor.
[312] "Not a thing," Sidney said.
[313] "He's the healthiest, happiest, most well-adjusted man I've ever examined, Carson."
[314] "But—" Colonel Carson protested.
[315] "Oh, he's changed all right," the Army doctor answered.
[316] "He's not the same man as he used to be."
[317] "How is he different?"
[318] Mitchell demanded.
[319] The medic examined Mitchell and Ferris critically before answering.
[320] "He used to be a mathematical genius."
[321] "And now?"
[322] Mitchell said impatiently.
[323] "Now he is a moron," the medic said.
[324] III Mitchell tried to stop Colonel Sidney as he went past, but the doctor mumbled he had a report to make.
[325] Mitchell and Ferris stared at Colonel Carson and Macklin and at each other.
[326] "What did he mean, Macklin is an idiot?"
[327] Mitchell asked.
[328] "Not an idiot," Colonel Carson corrected primly.
[329] "Dr. Macklin is a moron.
[330] He's legally responsible, but he's extremely stupid."
[331] "I'm not so dumb," Macklin said defensively.
[332] "I beg your pardon, sir," Carson said.
[333] "I didn't intend any offense.
[334] But according to all the standard intelligence tests we have given you, your clinical intelligence quotient is that of a moron."
[335] "That's just on book learning," Macklin said.
[336] "There's a lot you learn in life that you don't get out of books, son."
[337] "I'm confident that's true, sir," Colonel Carson said.
[338] He turned to the two biologists.
[339] "Perhaps we had better speak outside."
[340] "But—" Mitchell said, impatient to examine Macklin for himself.
[341] "Very well.
[342] Let's step into the hall."
[343] Ferris followed them docilely.
[344] "What have you done to him?"
[345] the colonel asked straightforwardly.
[346] "We merely cured him of his headaches," Mitchell said.
[347] "How?"
[348] Mitchell did his best to explain the F-M Virus.
[349] "You mean," the Army officer said levelly "you have infected him with some kind of a disease to rot his brain?"
[350] "No, no!
[351] Could I talk to the other man, the doctor?
[352] Maybe I can make him understand."
[353] "All I want to know is why Elliot Macklin has been made as simple as if he had been kicked in the head by a mule," Colonel Carson said.
[354] "I think I can explain," Ferris interrupted.
[355] "You can?"
[356] Mitchell said.
[357] Ferris nodded.
[358] "We made a slight miscalculation.
[359] It appears as if the virus colony overcontrols the supply of posterior pituitary extract in the cerebrum.
[360] It isn't more than necessary to stop headaches.
[361] But that necessary amount of control to stop pain is too much to allow the brain cells to function properly."
[362] "Why won't they function?"
[363] Carson roared.
[364] "They don't get enough food—blood, oxygen, hemoglobin," Ferris explained.
[365] "The cerebral vessels don't contract enough to pump the blood through the brain as fast and as hard as is needed.
[366] The brain cells remain sluggish, dormant.
[367] Perhaps decaying."
[368] The colonel yelled.
[369] Mitchell groaned.
[370] He was abruptly sure Ferris was correct.
[371] The colonel drew himself to attention, fists trembling at his sides.
[372] "I'll see you hung for treason!
[373] Don't you know what Elliot Macklin means to us?
[374] Do you want those filthy Luxemburgians to reach Pluto before we do?
[375] Macklin's formula is essential to the FTL engine.
[376] You might just as well have blown up Washington, D.C.
[377] Better!
[378] The capital is replaceable.
[379] But the chances of an Elliot Macklin are very nearly once in a human race."
[380] "Just a moment," Mitchell interrupted, "we can cure Macklin."
[381] "You can ?"
[382] Carson said.
[383] For a moment Mitchell thought the man was going to clasp his hands and sink to his knees.
[384] "Certainly.
[385] We have learned to stabilize the virus colonies.
[386] We have antitoxin to combat the virus.
[387] We had always thought of it as a beneficial parasite, but we can wipe it out if necessary."
[388] "Good!"
[389] Carson clasped his hands and gave at least slightly at the knees.
[390] "Just you wait a second now, boys," Elliot Macklin said.
[391] He was leaning in the doorway, holding his pipe.
[392] "I've been listening to what you've been saying and I don't like it."
[393] "What do you mean you don't like it?"
[394] Carson demanded.
[395] He added, "Sir?"
[396] "I figure you mean to put me back like I used to be."
[397] "Yes, doctor," Mitchell said eagerly, "just as you used to be."
[398] " With my headaches, like before?"
[399] Mitchell coughed into his fist for an instant, to give him time to frame an answer.
[400] "Unfortunately, yes.
[401] Apparently if your mind functions properly once again you will have the headaches again.
[402] Our research is a dismal failure."
[403] "I wouldn't go that far," Ferris remarked cheerfully.
[404] Mitchell was about to ask his associate what he meant when he saw Macklin slowly shaking his head.
[405] "No, sir!"
[406] the mathematician said.
[407] "I shall not go back to my original state.
[408] I can remember what it was like.
[409] Always worrying, worrying, worrying."
[410] "You mean wondering," Mitchell said.
[411] Macklin nodded.
[412] "Troubled, anyway.
[413] Disturbed by every little thing.
[414] How high was up, which infinity was bigger than what infinity—say, what was an infinity anyway?
[415] All that sort of schoolboy things.
[416] It's peaceful this way.
[417] My head doesn't hurt.
[418] I've got a good-looking wife and all the money I need.
[419] I've got it made.
[420] Why worry?"
[421] Colonel Carson opened his mouth, then closed it.
[422] "That's right, Colonel.
[423] There's no use in arguing with him," Mitchell said.
[424] "It's not his decision to make," the colonel said.
[425] "He's an idiot now."
[426] "No, Colonel.
[427] As you said, he's a moron.
[428] He seems an idiot compared to his former level of intelligence but he's legally responsible.
[429] There are millions of morons running around loose in the United States.
[430] They can get married, own property, vote, even hold office.
[431] Many of them do.
[432] You can't force him into being cured.... At least, I don't think you can."
[433] "No, I can't.
[434] This is hardly a totalitarian state."
[435] The colonel looked momentarily glum that it wasn't.
[436] Mitchell looked back at Macklin.
[437] "Where did his wife get to, Colonel?
[438] I don't think that even previously he made too many personal decisions for himself.
[439] Perhaps she could influence him."
[440] "Maybe," the colonel said.
[441] "Let's find her."
[442] They found Mrs. Macklin in the dining room, her face at the picture window an attractive silhouette.
[443] She turned as the men approached.
[444] "Mrs. Macklin," the colonel began, "these gentlemen believe they can cure your husband of his present condition."
[445] "Really?"
[446] she said.
[447] "Did you speak to Elliot about that?"
[448] "Y-yes," Colonel Carson said, "but he's not himself.
[449] He refused the treatment.
[450] He wants to remain in his state of lower intelligence."
[451] She nodded.
[452] "If those are his wishes, I can't go against them."
[453] "But Mrs.
[454] Macklin!"
[455] Mitchell protested.
[456] "You will have to get a court order overruling your husband's wishes."
[457] She smoothed an eyebrow with the third finger of her right hand.
[458] "That was my original thought.
[459] But I've redecided."
[460] "Redecided!"
[461] Carson burst out almost hysterically.
[462] "Yes.
[463] I can't go against Elliot's wishes.
[464] It would be monstrous to put him back where he would suffer the hell of those headaches once again, where he never had a moment's peace from worry and pressure.
[465] He's happy now.
[466] Like a child, but happy."
[467] "Mrs. Macklin," the Army man said levelly, "if you don't help us restore your husband's mind we will be forced to get a court order declaring him incompetent."
[468] "But he is not!
[469] Legally, I mean," the woman stormed.
[470] "Maybe not.
[471] It's a borderline case.
[472] But I think any court would give us the edge where restoring the mind of Elliot Macklin was concerned.
[473] Once he's certified incompetent, authorities can rule whether Mitchell and Ferris' antitoxin treatment is the best method of restoring Dr. Macklin to sanity."
[474] "I doubt very much if the court would rule in that manner," she said.
[475] The colonel looked smug.
[476] "Why not?"
[477] "Because, Colonel, the matter of my husband's health, his very life, is involved."
[478] "There is some degree of risk in shock treatments, too.
[479] But—" "It isn't quite the same, Colonel.
[480] Elliot Macklin has a history of vascular spasm, a mild pseudostroke some years ago.
[481] Now you want to give those cerebral arteries back the ability to constrict.
[482] To paralyze.
[483] To kill.
[484] No court would give you that authority."
[485] "I suppose there's some chance of that.
[486] But without the treatment there is no chance of your husband regaining his right senses, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell interjected.
[487] Her mouth grew petulant.
[488] "I don't care.
[489] I would rather have a live husband than a dead genius.
[490] I can take care of him this way, make him comfortable...." Carson opened his mouth and closed his fist, then relaxed.
[491] Mitchell led him back into the hall.
[492] "I'm no psychiatrist," Mitchell said, "but I think she wants Macklin stupid.
[493] Prefers it that way.
[494] She's always dominated his personal life, and now she can dominate him completely."
[495] "What is she?
[496] A monster?"
[497] the Army officer muttered.
[498] "No," Mitchell said.
[499] "She's an intelligent woman unconsciously jealous of her husband's genius."
[500] "Maybe," Carson said.
[501] "I don't know.
[502] I don't know what the hell to tell the Pentagon.
[503] I think I'll go out and get drunk."
[504] "I'll go with you," Ferris said.
[505] Mitchell glanced sharply at the little biologist.
[506] Carson squinted.
[507] "Any particular reason, doctor?"
[508] "To celebrate," Ferris said.
[509] The colonel shrugged.
[510] "That's as good a reason as any."
[511] On the street, Mitchell watched the two men go off together in bewilderment.
[512] IV Macklin was playing jacks.
[513] He didn't have a head on his shoulders and he was squatting on a great curving surface that was Spacetime, and his jacks were Earth and Pluto and the rest of the planets.
[514] And for a ball he was using a head.
[515] Not his head.
[516] Mitchell's.
[517] Both heads were initialed "M" so it was all the same.
[518] Mitchell forced himself to awaken, with some initial difficulty.
[519] He lay there, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, listening to his heart race, and then convulsively snatched the telephone receiver from the nightstand.
[520] He stabbed out a number with a vicious index finger.
[521] After a time there came a dull click and a sleepy answer.
[522] "Hello?"
[523] Elliot Macklin said.
[524] Mitchell smiled to himself.
[525] He was in luck; Macklin had answered the phone instead of his wife.
[526] "Can you speak freely, doctor?"
[527] Mitchell asked.
[528] "Of course," the mathematician said.
[529] "I can talk fine."
[530] "I mean, are you alone?"
[531] "Oh, you want to know if my wife is around.
[532] No, she's asleep.
[533] That Army doctor, Colonel Sidney, he gave her a sedative.
[534] I wouldn't let him give me anything, though."
[535] "Good boy," the biologist said.
[536] "Listen, doctor—Elliot—El, old son.
[537] I'm not against you like all the others.
[538] I don't want to make you go back to all that worrying and thinking and headaches.
[539] You believe me, don't you?"
[540] There was a slight hesitation.
[541] "Sure," Macklin said, "if you say so.
[542] Why shouldn't I believe you?"
[543] "But there was a hesitation there, El.
[544] You worried for just a second if I could have some reason for not telling you the truth."
[545] "I suppose so," Macklin said humbly.
[546] "You've found yourself worrying—thinking—about a lot of other problems since we left you, haven't you?
[547] Maybe not the same kind of scientific problem.
[548] But more personal ones, ones you didn't used to have time to think about."
[549] "If you say so."
[550] "Now, you know it's so.
[551] But how would you like to get rid of those worries just as you got rid of the others?"
[552] Mitchell asked.
[553] "I guess I'd like that," the mathematician replied.
[554] "Then come on over to my laboratory.
[555] You remember where it's at, don't you?"
[556] "No, I—yes, I guess I do.
[557] But how do I know you won't try to put me back where I was instead of helping me more?"
[558] "I couldn't do that against your wishes.
[559] That would be illegal!"
[560] "If you say so.
[561] But I don't guess I can come anyway.
[562] The Army is watching me pretty close."
[563] "That's alright," Mitchell said quickly.
[564] "You can bring along Colonel Carson."
[565] "But he won't like you fixing me up more."
[566] "But he can't stop me!
[567] Not if you want me to do it.
[568] Now listen to me—I want you to come right on over here, El."
[569] "If you say so," Macklin said uncertainly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [121] "Will work," Macklin said thoughtfully. "The operative word. It hasn't worked then?"
2. [197] "Right here," the small man said briskly. He was sitting at a work table, penciling notes.
3. [198] "I've been expecting you."
4. [203] "We wanted something dramatic to show to the trustees and here it is."
5. [207] "Macklin's cured, isn't he? By established periodic cycle he should be suffering hell right now, shouldn't he? But thanks to our treatment he is perfectly happy, with no unfortunate side effects such as gynergen produces."
6. [209] "It's a significant test case, yes. But not enough to go to the newspapers with. If it wasn't enough to go to the press with, it wasn't enough to try and breach the trustees with."
7. [211] "Don't you see? The public will hand down a ukase demanding our virus, just as they demanded the Salk vaccine and the Grennell serum."
8. [354] "I think I can explain," Ferris interrupted.
9. [355] "You can?" Mitchell said.
10. [356] Ferris nodded.
11. [357] "We made a slight miscalculation. It appears as if the virus colony overcontrols the supply of posterior pituitary extract in the cerebrum. It isn't more than necessary to stop headaches. But that necessary amount of control to stop pain is too much to allow the brain cells to function properly."
12. [380] "Just a moment," Mitchell interrupted, "we can cure Macklin."
13. [381] "You can?" Carson said.
14. [382] For a moment Mitchell thought the man was going to clasp his hands and sink to his knees.
15. [383] "Certainly. We have learned to stabilize the virus colonies. We have antitoxin to combat the virus. We had always thought of it as a beneficial parasite, but we can wipe it out if necessary."
16. [388] "Good!" Carson clasped his hands and gave at least slightly at the knees.
17. [389] "Just you wait a second now, boys," Elliot Macklin said.
18. [390] He was leaning in the doorway, holding his pipe.
19. [391] "I've been listening to what you've been saying and I don't like it."
20. [392] "What do you mean you don't like it?" Carson demanded.
21. [393] He added, "Sir?"
22. [394] "I figure you mean to put me back like I used to be."
23. [398] " With my headaches, like before?"
24. [399] Mitchell coughed into his fist for an instant, to give him time to frame an answer.
25. [400] "Unfortunately, yes. Apparently if your mind functions properly once again you will have the headaches again. Our research is a dismal failure."
26. [401] "I wouldn't go that far," Ferris remarked cheerfully.
27. [402] Mitchell was about to ask his associate what he meant when he saw Macklin slowly shaking his head.
28. [403] "No, sir!" the mathematician said.
29. [404] "I shall not go back to my original state. I can remember what it was like. Always worrying, worrying, worrying."
30. [405] "You mean wondering," Mitchell said.
31. [406] Macklin nodded.
32. [407] "Troubled, anyway. Disturbed by every little thing. How high was up, which infinity was bigger than what infinity—say, what was an infinity anyway? All that sort of schoolboy things. It's peaceful this way. My head doesn't hurt. I've got a good-looking wife and all the money I need. I've got it made. Why worry?"
33. [421] Colonel Carson opened his mouth, then closed it.
34. [422] "That's right, Colonel. There's no use in arguing with him," Mitchell said.
35. [423] "It's not his decision to make," the colonel said.
36. [424] "He's an idiot now."
37. [425] "No, Colonel. As you said, he's a moron. He seems an idiot compared to his former level of intelligence but he's legally responsible. There are millions of morons running around loose in the United States. They can get married, own property, vote, even hold office. Many of them do. You can't force him into being cured.... At least, I don't think you can."
38. [426] "No, I can't. This is hardly a totalitarian state."
39. [427] The colonel looked momentarily glum that it wasn't.
40. [428] Mitchell looked back at Macklin.
41. [429] "Where did his wife get to, Colonel? I don't think that even previously he made too many personal decisions for himself. Perhaps she could influence him."
42. [430] "Maybe," the colonel said.
43. [431] "Let's find her."
44. [432] They found Mrs. Macklin in the dining room, her face at the picture window an attractive silhouette.
45. [433] She turned as the men approached.
46. [434] "Mrs. Macklin," the colonel began, "these gentlemen believe they can cure your husband of his present condition."
47. [435] "Really?" she said.
48. [436] "Did you speak to Elliot about that?"
49. [437] "Y-yes," Colonel Carson said, "but he's not himself. He refused the treatment. He wants to remain in his state of lower intelligence."
50. [438] She nodded.
51. [439] "If those are his wishes, I can't go against them."
52. [440] "But Mrs. Macklin!" Mitchell protested.
53. [441] "You will have to get a court order overruling your husband's wishes."
54. [442] She smoothed an eyebrow with the third finger of her right hand.
55. [443] "That was my original thought. But I've redecided."
56. [444] "Redecided!" Carson burst out almost hysterically.
57. [445] "Yes. I can't go against Elliot's wishes. It would be monstrous to put him back where he would suffer the hell of those headaches once again, where he never had a moment's peace from worry and pressure. He's happy now. Like a child, but happy."
58. [446] "Mrs. Macklin," the Army man said levelly, "if you don't help us restore your husband's mind we will be forced to get a court order declaring him incompetent."
59. [447] "But he is not! Legally, I mean," the woman stormed.
60. [448] "Maybe not. It's a borderline case. But I think any court would give us the edge where restoring the mind of Elliot Macklin was concerned. Once he's certified incompetent, authorities can rule whether Mitchell and Ferris' antitoxin treatment is the best method of restoring Dr. Macklin to sanity."
61. [449] "I doubt very much if the court would rule in that manner," she said.
62. [450] The colonel looked smug.
63. [451] "Why not?"
64. [452] "Because, Colonel, the matter of my husband's health, his very life, is involved."
65. [453] "There is some degree of risk in shock treatments, too. But—"
66. [454] "It isn't quite the same, Colonel. Elliot Macklin has a history of vascular spasm, a mild pseudostroke some years ago. Now you want to give those cerebral arteries back the ability to constrict. To paralyze. To kill. No court would give you that authority."
67. [455] "I suppose there's some chance of that. But without the treatment there is no chance of your husband regaining his right senses, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell interjected.
68. [456] Her mouth grew petulant.
69. [457] "I don't care. I would rather have a live husband than a dead genius. I can take care of him this way, make him comfortable...."
70. [458] Carson opened his mouth and closed his fist, then relaxed.
71. [459] Mitchell led him back into the hall.
72. [460] "I'm no psychiatrist," Mitchell said, "but I think she wants Macklin stupid. Prefers it that way. She's always dominated his personal life, and now she can dominate him completely."
73. [461] "What is she? A monster?" the Army officer muttered.
74. [462] "No," Mitchell said. "She's an intelligent woman unconsciously jealous of her husband's genius."
75. [463] "Maybe," Carson said. "I don't know. I don't know what the hell to tell the Pentagon. I think I'll go out and get drunk."
76. [464] "I'll go with you," Ferris said.
77. [465] Mitchell glanced sharply at the little biologist.
78. [466] Carson squinted.
79. [467] "Any particular reason, doctor?"
80. [468] "To celebrate," Ferris said.
81. [469] The colonel shrugged.
82. [470] "That's as good a reason as any." |
Describe the setting of the story | [
"The story begins with the two doctors, Ferris and Mitchell, discussing their research in a laboratory in the biology building. Macklin comes into their office to discuss their potential cure for headaches. It is in the office that Macklin agrees and is administered the experimental cure. \n\nLater, Mitchell is angry at Ferris and goes to scold him in the laboratory. After they receive a concerning call from Macklin’s wife, the two examine their test animals kept in cages. With no significant revelations found, they head to Macklin’s house. \n\nMacklin’s house is described as a traditional ranch style home. At the house, they see Macklin sitting in a very femininely decorated living room. Ferris, Mitchell, and the Colonel have discussions throughout the house about the possibility of a cure and how they might be able to get Macklin to take the cure. They leave the house without any success. \n\nThe next section of the story begins with Mitchell waking up in his bed where he suddenly calls Macklin in an attempt to lure him back to the laboratory.",
"The story moves through two settings. At the beginning of the story, Mitchell and Ferris are in their lab on a university campus. The lab is situated in the biology building. There is a wooden desk and a chair. There are cages where they keep their animal test subjects.\nThe setting then moves to Macklin's house. It is a traditional, small ranch house, covered in aqua aluminium. There is a living room with an easy chair, covered in embroidery and a coffee table. There is a hallway outside the living room which leads to a dining room. In the dining room is a picture window.",
"Mitchell and Ferris’s office are in the biology building. There is a blond imitation wood desk in front of the chair in the office, which is connected to the laboratory. There is a work table and a folded paper on top of it. The room also has a telephone. There are cages of test animals, including a twin chimp and two rats. Macklin has is a small traditional ranch house in aqua-tinted aluminum. The door has a doorbell that rings. Inside, the living room is very feminine, it has a chair filled with embroidery. There is also a coffee table and a marble-effect carpet. And Macklin’s wife stands in the dining room area.",
"The first part of the story takes place in the office lab of Ferris and Mitchell, located on the campus of Firestone University. Their lab contains several cages of animals that they have experimented on, including chimps and rats. When the two receive news that their experiment has backfired, they visit Macklin at his ranch house, small but uniquely decorated in an overly feminine manner. The living room is covered in embroidery and has a marble carpet."
] | [1] THE BIG HEADACHE BY JIM HARMON What's the principal cause of headaches?
[2] Why, having a head, of course!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
[6] Ferris asked eagerly.
[7] "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
[8] Mitchell inquired.
[9] "He outweighs you by fifty pounds and you needn't look to me for help against that repatriated fullback."
[10] Ferris fingered the collar of his starched lab smock.
[11] "Guess I got carried away for a moment.
[12] But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test.
[13] We've had it if he turns us down."
[14] "I know," Mitchell said, exhaling deeply.
[15] "Somehow the men with the money just can't seem to understand basic research.
[16] Who would have financed a study of cyclic periods of the hedgehog?
[17] Yet the information gained from that study is vital in cancer research."
[18] "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone.
[19] But those crummy trustees didn't even leave us enough for a field test."
[20] Ferris scrubbed his thin hand over the bony ridge of his forehead.
[21] "I've been worrying so much about this I've got the ancestor of all headaches."
[22] Mitchell's blue eyes narrowed and his boyish face took on an expression of demonic intensity.
[23] "Ferris, would you consider—?"
[24] "No!"
[25] the smaller man yelled.
[26] "You can't expect me to violate professional ethics and test my own discovery on myself."
[27] " Our discovery," Mitchell said politely.
[28] "That's what I meant to say.
[29] But I'm not sure it would be completely ethical with even a discovery partly mine."
[30] "You're right.
[31] Besides who cares if you or I are cured of headaches?
[32] Our reputations don't go outside our own fields," Mitchell said.
[33] "But now Macklin—" Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind.
[34] He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
[35] No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it.
[36] Macklin was in his early fifties but looked in his late thirties, with the build of a football player.
[37] The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets.
[38] For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars.
[39] Mitchell had overheard two coeds talking and so knew that the project was nearing completion.
[40] If so, it was a case of Ad astra per aspirin .
[41] The only thing that could delay the project was Macklin's health.
[42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
[43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
[44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
[45] Ferris paced off the tidy measurements of the office outside the laboratory in the biology building.
[46] Mitchell sat slumped in the chair behind the blond imitation wood desk, watching him disinterestedly.
[47] "Do you suppose the Great Man will actually show up?"
[48] Ferris demanded, pausing in mid-stride.
[49] "I imagine he will," Mitchell said.
[50] "Macklin's always seemed a decent enough fellow when I've had lunch with him or seen him at the trustees meetings."
[51] "He's always treated me like dirt," Ferris said heatedly.
[52] "Everyone on this campus treats biologists like dirt.
[53] Sometimes I want to bash in their smug faces."
[54] Sometimes, Mitchell reflected, Ferris displayed a certain lack of scientific detachment.
[55] There came a discreet knock on the door.
[56] "Please come in," Mitchell said.
[57] Elliot Macklin entered in a cloud of pipe smoke and a tweed jacket.
[58] He looked more than a little like a postgraduate student, and Mitchell suspected that that was his intention.
[59] He shook hands warmly with Mitchell.
[60] "Good of you to ask me over, Steven."
[61] Macklin threw a big arm across Ferris' shoulders.
[62] "How have you been, Harold?"
[63] Ferris' face flickered between pink and white.
[64] "Fine, thank you, doctor."
[65] Macklin dropped on the edge of the desk and adjusted his pipe.
[66] "Now what's this about you wanting my help on something?
[67] And please keep the explanation simple.
[68] Biology isn't my field, you know."
[69] Mitchell moved around the desk casually.
[70] "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance.
[71] There may be an element of risk."
[72] The mathematician clamped onto his pipe and showed his teeth.
[73] "Now you have me intrigued.
[74] What is it all about?"
[75] "Doctor, we understand you have severe headaches," Mitchell said.
[76] Macklin nodded.
[77] "That's right, Steven.
[78] Migraine."
[79] "That must be terrible," Ferris said.
[80] "All your fine reputation and lavish salary can't be much consolation when that ripping, tearing agony begins, can it?"
[81] "No, Harold, it isn't," Macklin admitted.
[82] "What does your project have to do with my headaches?"
[83] "Doctor," Mitchell said, "what would you say the most common complaint of man is?"
[84] "I would have said the common cold," Macklin replied, "but I suppose from what you have said you mean headaches."
[85] "Headaches," Mitchell agreed.
[86] "Everybody has them at some time in his life.
[87] Some people have them every day.
[88] Some are driven to suicide by their headaches."
[89] "Yes," Macklin said.
[90] "But think," Ferris interjected, "what a boon it would be if everyone could be cured of headaches forever by one simple injection."
[91] "I don't suppose the manufacturers of aspirin would like you.
[92] But it would please about everybody else."
[93] "Aspirins would still be used to reduce fever and relieve muscular pains," Mitchell said.
[94] "I see.
[95] Are you two saying you have such a shot?
[96] Can you cure headaches?"
[97] "We think we can," Ferris said.
[98] "How can you have a specific for a number of different causes?"
[99] Macklin asked.
[100] "I know that much about the subject."
[101] "There are a number of different causes for headaches—nervous strain, fatigue, physical diseases from kidney complaints to tumors, over-indulgence—but there is one effect of all of this, the one real cause of headaches," Mitchell announced.
[102] "We have definitely established this for this first time," Ferris added.
[103] "That's fine," Macklin said, sucking on his pipe.
[104] "And this effect that produces headaches is?"
[105] "The pressure effect caused by pituitrin in the brain," Mitchell said eagerly.
[106] "That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes.
[107] It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland.
[108] We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin."
[109] "That may mean the end of headaches, but I would think it would mean the end of the race as well," Macklin said.
[110] "In certain areas it is valuable to have a constriction of blood vessels."
[111] "The virus," Ferris explained, "can easily be localized and stabilized.
[112] A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain."
[113] The mathematician took the pipe out of his mouth.
[114] "If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I?
[115] The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach.
[116] But it's better than the migraine.
[117] How should I go about removing my curse?"
[118] He reinserted the pipe.
[119] "I assure you, you can forget ergotamine tartrate," Ferris said.
[120] "Our discovery will work."
[121] "Will work," Macklin said thoughtfully.
[122] "The operative word.
[123] It hasn't worked then?"
[124] "Certainly it has," Ferris said.
[125] "On rats, on chimps...." "But not on humans?"
[126] Macklin asked.
[127] "Not yet," Mitchell admitted.
[128] "Well," Macklin said.
[129] "Well."
[130] He thumped pipe ashes out into his palm.
[131] "Certainly you can get volunteers.
[132] Convicts.
[133] Conscientious objectors from the Army."
[134] "We want you," Ferris told him.
[135] Macklin coughed.
[136] "I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project.
[137] My wife would like it even less."
[138] Ferris turned his back on the mathematician.
[139] Mitchell could see him mouthing the word yellow .
[140] "Doctor," Mitchell said quickly, "I know it's a tremendous favor to ask of a man of your position.
[141] But you can understand our problem.
[142] Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing.
[143] We should run a large-scale field test.
[144] But we haven't the time or money for that.
[145] We can cure the headaches of one person and that's the limit of our resources."
[146] "I'm tempted," Macklin said hesitantly, "but the answer is go.
[147] I mean ' no '.
[148] I'd like to help you out, but I'm afraid I owe too much to others to take the rest—the risk, I mean."
[149] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead.
[150] "I really would like to take you up on it.
[151] When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine.
[152] The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs.
[153] The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids.
[154] Ugh."
[155] Ferris smiled.
[156] "Gynergen makes you sick, does it, doctor?
[157] Produces nausea, eh?
[158] The pain of that turns you almost wrong side out, doesn't it?
[159] You aren't much better off with it than without, are you?
[160] I've heard some say they preferred the migraine."
[161] Macklin carefully arranged his pipe along with the tools he used to tend it in a worn leather case.
[162] "Tell me," he said, "what is the worst that could happen to me?"
[163] "Low blood pressure," Ferris said.
[164] "That's not so bad," Macklin said.
[165] "How low can it get?"
[166] "When your heart stops, your blood pressure goes to its lowest point," Mitchell said.
[167] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead.
[168] "Is there much risk of that?"
[169] "Practically none," Mitchell said.
[170] "We have to give you the worst possibilities.
[171] All our test animals survived and seem perfectly happy and contented.
[172] As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing.
[173] Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger....
[174] But we may be wrong."
[175] Macklin held his head in both hands.
[176] "Why did you two select me ?"
[177] "You're an important man, doctor," Ferris said.
[178] "Nobody would care if Mitchell or I cured ourselves of headaches—they might not even believe us if we said we did.
[179] But the proper authorities will believe a man of your reputation.
[180] Besides, neither of us has a record of chronic migraine.
[181] You do."
[182] "Yes, I do," Macklin said.
[183] "Very well.
[184] Go ahead.
[185] Give me your injection."
[186] Mitchell cleared his throat.
[187] "Are you positive, doctor?"
[188] he asked uncertainly.
[189] "Perhaps you would like a few days to think it over."
[190] "No!
[191] I'm ready.
[192] Go ahead, right now."
[193] "There's a simple release," Ferris said smoothly.
[194] Macklin groped in his pocket for a pen.
[195] II "Ferris!"
[196] Mitchell yelled, slamming the laboratory door behind him.
[197] "Right here," the small man said briskly.
[198] He was sitting at a work table, penciling notes.
[199] "I've been expecting you."
[200] "Doctor—Harold—you shouldn't have given this story to the newspapers," Mitchell said.
[201] He tapped the back of his hand against the folded paper.
[202] "On the contrary, I should and I did," Ferris answered.
[203] "We wanted something dramatic to show to the trustees and here it is."
[204] "Yes, we wanted to show our proof to the trustees—but not broadcast unverified results to the press.
[205] It's too early for that!"
[206] "Don't be so stuffy and conservative, Mitchell!
[207] Macklin's cured, isn't he?
[208] By established periodic cycle he should be suffering hell right now, shouldn't he?
[209] But thanks to our treatment he is perfectly happy, with no unfortunate side effects such as gynergen produces."
[210] "It's a significant test case, yes.
[211] But not enough to go to the newspapers with.
[212] If it wasn't enough to go to the press with, it wasn't enough to try and breach the trustees with.
[213] Don't you see?
[214] The public will hand down a ukase demanding our virus, just as they demanded the Salk vaccine and the Grennell serum."
[215] "But—" The shrill call of the telephone interrupted Mitchell's objections.
[216] Ferris excused himself and crossed to the instrument.
[217] He answered it and listened for a moment, his face growing impatient.
[218] "It's Macklin's wife," Ferris said.
[219] "Do you want to talk to her?
[220] I'm no good with hysterical women."
[221] "Hysterical?"
[222] Mitchell muttered in alarm and went to the phone.
[223] "Hello?"
[224] Mitchell said reluctantly.
[225] "Mrs.
[226] Macklin?"
[227] "You are the other one," the clear feminine voice said.
[228] "Your name is Mitchell."
[229] She couldn't have sounded calmer or more self-possessed, Mitchell thought.
[230] "That's right, Mrs. Macklin.
[231] I'm Dr. Steven Mitchell, Dr. Ferris's associate."
[232] "Do you have a license to dispense narcotics?"
[233] "What do you mean by that, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said sharply.
[234] "I used to be a nurse, Dr. Mitchell.
[235] I know you've given my husband heroin."
[236] "That's absurd.
[237] What makes you think a thing like that?"
[238] "The—trance he's in now."
[239] "Now, Mrs. Macklin.
[240] Neither Dr. Ferris or myself have been near your husband for a full day.
[241] The effects of a narcotic would have worn off by this time."
[242] "Most known narcotics," she admitted, "but evidently you have discovered something new.
[243] Is it so expensive to refine you and Ferris have to recruit new customers to keep yourselves supplied?"
[244] "Mrs. Macklin!
[245] I think I had better talk to you later when you are calmer."
[246] Mitchell dropped the receiver heavily.
[247] "What could be wrong with Macklin?"
[248] he asked without removing his hand from the telephone.
[249] Ferris frowned, making quotation marks above his nose.
[250] "Let's have a look at the test animals."
[251] Together they marched over to the cages and peered through the honeycomb pattern of the wire.
[252] The test chimp, Dean, was sitting peacefully in a corner scratching under his arms with the back of his knuckles.
[253] Jerry, their control in the experiment, who was practically Dean's twin except that he had received no injection of the E-M Virus, was stomping up and down punching his fingers through the wire, worrying the lock on the cage.
[254] "Jerry is a great deal more active than Dean," Mitchell said.
[255] "Yes, but Dean isn't sick.
[256] He just doesn't seem to have as much nervous energy to burn up.
[257] Nothing wrong with his thyroid either."
[258] They went to the smaller cages.
[259] They found the situation with the rats, Bud and Lou, much the same.
[260] "I don't know.
[261] Maybe they just have tired blood," Mitchell ventured.
[262] "Iron deficiency anemia?"
[263] "Never mind, doctor.
[264] It was a form of humor.
[265] I think we had better see exactly what is wrong with Elliot Macklin."
[266] "There's nothing wrong with him," Ferris snapped.
[267] "He's probably just trying to get us in trouble, the ingrate!"
[268] Macklin's traditional ranch house was small but attractive in aqua-tinted aluminum.
[269] Under Mitchell's thumb the bell chimbed dum-de-de-dum-dum-dum .
[270] As they waited Mitchell glanced at Ferris.
[271] He seemed completely undisturbed, perhaps slightly curious.
[272] The door unlatched and swung back.
[273] "Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said quickly, "I'm sure we can help if there is anything wrong with your husband.
[274] This is Dr. Ferris.
[275] I am Dr.
[276] Mitchell."
[277] "You had certainly better help him, gentlemen."
[278] She stood out of the doorway for them to pass.
[279] Mrs. Macklin was an attractive brunette in her late thirties.
[280] She wore an expensive yellow dress.
[281] And she had a sharp-cornered jawline.
[282] The Army officer came out into the hall to meet them.
[283] "You are the gentlemen who gave Dr. Macklin the unauthorized injection," he said.
[284] It wasn't a question.
[285] "I don't like that 'unauthorized'," Ferris snapped.
[286] The colonel—Mitchell spotted the eagles on his green tunic—lifted a heavy eyebrow.
[287] "No?
[288] Are you medical doctors?
[289] Are you authorized to treat illnesses?"
[290] "We weren't treating an illness," Mitchell said.
[291] "We were discovering a method of treatment.
[292] What concern is it of yours?"
[293] The colonel smiled thinly.
[294] "Dr. Macklin is my concern.
[295] And everything that happens to him.
[296] The Army doesn't like what you have done to him."
[297] Mitchell wondered desperately just what they had done to the man.
[298] "Can we see him?"
[299] Mitchell asked.
[300] "Why not?
[301] You can't do much worse than murder him now.
[302] That might be just as well.
[303] We have laws to cover that."
[304] The colonel led them into the comfortable, over-feminine living room.
[305] Macklin sat in an easy chair draped in embroidery, smoking.
[306] Mitchell suddenly realized Macklin used a pipe as a form of masculine protest to his home surroundings.
[307] On the coffee table in front of Macklin were some odd-shaped building blocks such as were used in nursery schools.
[308] A second uniformed man—another colonel but with the snake-entwined staff of the medical corps in his insignia—was kneeling at the table on the marble-effect carpet.
[309] The Army physician stood up and brushed his knees, undusted from the scrupulously clean rug.
[310] "What's wrong with him, Sidney?"
[311] the other officer asked the doctor.
[312] "Not a thing," Sidney said.
[313] "He's the healthiest, happiest, most well-adjusted man I've ever examined, Carson."
[314] "But—" Colonel Carson protested.
[315] "Oh, he's changed all right," the Army doctor answered.
[316] "He's not the same man as he used to be."
[317] "How is he different?"
[318] Mitchell demanded.
[319] The medic examined Mitchell and Ferris critically before answering.
[320] "He used to be a mathematical genius."
[321] "And now?"
[322] Mitchell said impatiently.
[323] "Now he is a moron," the medic said.
[324] III Mitchell tried to stop Colonel Sidney as he went past, but the doctor mumbled he had a report to make.
[325] Mitchell and Ferris stared at Colonel Carson and Macklin and at each other.
[326] "What did he mean, Macklin is an idiot?"
[327] Mitchell asked.
[328] "Not an idiot," Colonel Carson corrected primly.
[329] "Dr. Macklin is a moron.
[330] He's legally responsible, but he's extremely stupid."
[331] "I'm not so dumb," Macklin said defensively.
[332] "I beg your pardon, sir," Carson said.
[333] "I didn't intend any offense.
[334] But according to all the standard intelligence tests we have given you, your clinical intelligence quotient is that of a moron."
[335] "That's just on book learning," Macklin said.
[336] "There's a lot you learn in life that you don't get out of books, son."
[337] "I'm confident that's true, sir," Colonel Carson said.
[338] He turned to the two biologists.
[339] "Perhaps we had better speak outside."
[340] "But—" Mitchell said, impatient to examine Macklin for himself.
[341] "Very well.
[342] Let's step into the hall."
[343] Ferris followed them docilely.
[344] "What have you done to him?"
[345] the colonel asked straightforwardly.
[346] "We merely cured him of his headaches," Mitchell said.
[347] "How?"
[348] Mitchell did his best to explain the F-M Virus.
[349] "You mean," the Army officer said levelly "you have infected him with some kind of a disease to rot his brain?"
[350] "No, no!
[351] Could I talk to the other man, the doctor?
[352] Maybe I can make him understand."
[353] "All I want to know is why Elliot Macklin has been made as simple as if he had been kicked in the head by a mule," Colonel Carson said.
[354] "I think I can explain," Ferris interrupted.
[355] "You can?"
[356] Mitchell said.
[357] Ferris nodded.
[358] "We made a slight miscalculation.
[359] It appears as if the virus colony overcontrols the supply of posterior pituitary extract in the cerebrum.
[360] It isn't more than necessary to stop headaches.
[361] But that necessary amount of control to stop pain is too much to allow the brain cells to function properly."
[362] "Why won't they function?"
[363] Carson roared.
[364] "They don't get enough food—blood, oxygen, hemoglobin," Ferris explained.
[365] "The cerebral vessels don't contract enough to pump the blood through the brain as fast and as hard as is needed.
[366] The brain cells remain sluggish, dormant.
[367] Perhaps decaying."
[368] The colonel yelled.
[369] Mitchell groaned.
[370] He was abruptly sure Ferris was correct.
[371] The colonel drew himself to attention, fists trembling at his sides.
[372] "I'll see you hung for treason!
[373] Don't you know what Elliot Macklin means to us?
[374] Do you want those filthy Luxemburgians to reach Pluto before we do?
[375] Macklin's formula is essential to the FTL engine.
[376] You might just as well have blown up Washington, D.C.
[377] Better!
[378] The capital is replaceable.
[379] But the chances of an Elliot Macklin are very nearly once in a human race."
[380] "Just a moment," Mitchell interrupted, "we can cure Macklin."
[381] "You can ?"
[382] Carson said.
[383] For a moment Mitchell thought the man was going to clasp his hands and sink to his knees.
[384] "Certainly.
[385] We have learned to stabilize the virus colonies.
[386] We have antitoxin to combat the virus.
[387] We had always thought of it as a beneficial parasite, but we can wipe it out if necessary."
[388] "Good!"
[389] Carson clasped his hands and gave at least slightly at the knees.
[390] "Just you wait a second now, boys," Elliot Macklin said.
[391] He was leaning in the doorway, holding his pipe.
[392] "I've been listening to what you've been saying and I don't like it."
[393] "What do you mean you don't like it?"
[394] Carson demanded.
[395] He added, "Sir?"
[396] "I figure you mean to put me back like I used to be."
[397] "Yes, doctor," Mitchell said eagerly, "just as you used to be."
[398] " With my headaches, like before?"
[399] Mitchell coughed into his fist for an instant, to give him time to frame an answer.
[400] "Unfortunately, yes.
[401] Apparently if your mind functions properly once again you will have the headaches again.
[402] Our research is a dismal failure."
[403] "I wouldn't go that far," Ferris remarked cheerfully.
[404] Mitchell was about to ask his associate what he meant when he saw Macklin slowly shaking his head.
[405] "No, sir!"
[406] the mathematician said.
[407] "I shall not go back to my original state.
[408] I can remember what it was like.
[409] Always worrying, worrying, worrying."
[410] "You mean wondering," Mitchell said.
[411] Macklin nodded.
[412] "Troubled, anyway.
[413] Disturbed by every little thing.
[414] How high was up, which infinity was bigger than what infinity—say, what was an infinity anyway?
[415] All that sort of schoolboy things.
[416] It's peaceful this way.
[417] My head doesn't hurt.
[418] I've got a good-looking wife and all the money I need.
[419] I've got it made.
[420] Why worry?"
[421] Colonel Carson opened his mouth, then closed it.
[422] "That's right, Colonel.
[423] There's no use in arguing with him," Mitchell said.
[424] "It's not his decision to make," the colonel said.
[425] "He's an idiot now."
[426] "No, Colonel.
[427] As you said, he's a moron.
[428] He seems an idiot compared to his former level of intelligence but he's legally responsible.
[429] There are millions of morons running around loose in the United States.
[430] They can get married, own property, vote, even hold office.
[431] Many of them do.
[432] You can't force him into being cured.... At least, I don't think you can."
[433] "No, I can't.
[434] This is hardly a totalitarian state."
[435] The colonel looked momentarily glum that it wasn't.
[436] Mitchell looked back at Macklin.
[437] "Where did his wife get to, Colonel?
[438] I don't think that even previously he made too many personal decisions for himself.
[439] Perhaps she could influence him."
[440] "Maybe," the colonel said.
[441] "Let's find her."
[442] They found Mrs. Macklin in the dining room, her face at the picture window an attractive silhouette.
[443] She turned as the men approached.
[444] "Mrs. Macklin," the colonel began, "these gentlemen believe they can cure your husband of his present condition."
[445] "Really?"
[446] she said.
[447] "Did you speak to Elliot about that?"
[448] "Y-yes," Colonel Carson said, "but he's not himself.
[449] He refused the treatment.
[450] He wants to remain in his state of lower intelligence."
[451] She nodded.
[452] "If those are his wishes, I can't go against them."
[453] "But Mrs.
[454] Macklin!"
[455] Mitchell protested.
[456] "You will have to get a court order overruling your husband's wishes."
[457] She smoothed an eyebrow with the third finger of her right hand.
[458] "That was my original thought.
[459] But I've redecided."
[460] "Redecided!"
[461] Carson burst out almost hysterically.
[462] "Yes.
[463] I can't go against Elliot's wishes.
[464] It would be monstrous to put him back where he would suffer the hell of those headaches once again, where he never had a moment's peace from worry and pressure.
[465] He's happy now.
[466] Like a child, but happy."
[467] "Mrs. Macklin," the Army man said levelly, "if you don't help us restore your husband's mind we will be forced to get a court order declaring him incompetent."
[468] "But he is not!
[469] Legally, I mean," the woman stormed.
[470] "Maybe not.
[471] It's a borderline case.
[472] But I think any court would give us the edge where restoring the mind of Elliot Macklin was concerned.
[473] Once he's certified incompetent, authorities can rule whether Mitchell and Ferris' antitoxin treatment is the best method of restoring Dr. Macklin to sanity."
[474] "I doubt very much if the court would rule in that manner," she said.
[475] The colonel looked smug.
[476] "Why not?"
[477] "Because, Colonel, the matter of my husband's health, his very life, is involved."
[478] "There is some degree of risk in shock treatments, too.
[479] But—" "It isn't quite the same, Colonel.
[480] Elliot Macklin has a history of vascular spasm, a mild pseudostroke some years ago.
[481] Now you want to give those cerebral arteries back the ability to constrict.
[482] To paralyze.
[483] To kill.
[484] No court would give you that authority."
[485] "I suppose there's some chance of that.
[486] But without the treatment there is no chance of your husband regaining his right senses, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell interjected.
[487] Her mouth grew petulant.
[488] "I don't care.
[489] I would rather have a live husband than a dead genius.
[490] I can take care of him this way, make him comfortable...." Carson opened his mouth and closed his fist, then relaxed.
[491] Mitchell led him back into the hall.
[492] "I'm no psychiatrist," Mitchell said, "but I think she wants Macklin stupid.
[493] Prefers it that way.
[494] She's always dominated his personal life, and now she can dominate him completely."
[495] "What is she?
[496] A monster?"
[497] the Army officer muttered.
[498] "No," Mitchell said.
[499] "She's an intelligent woman unconsciously jealous of her husband's genius."
[500] "Maybe," Carson said.
[501] "I don't know.
[502] I don't know what the hell to tell the Pentagon.
[503] I think I'll go out and get drunk."
[504] "I'll go with you," Ferris said.
[505] Mitchell glanced sharply at the little biologist.
[506] Carson squinted.
[507] "Any particular reason, doctor?"
[508] "To celebrate," Ferris said.
[509] The colonel shrugged.
[510] "That's as good a reason as any."
[511] On the street, Mitchell watched the two men go off together in bewilderment.
[512] IV Macklin was playing jacks.
[513] He didn't have a head on his shoulders and he was squatting on a great curving surface that was Spacetime, and his jacks were Earth and Pluto and the rest of the planets.
[514] And for a ball he was using a head.
[515] Not his head.
[516] Mitchell's.
[517] Both heads were initialed "M" so it was all the same.
[518] Mitchell forced himself to awaken, with some initial difficulty.
[519] He lay there, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, listening to his heart race, and then convulsively snatched the telephone receiver from the nightstand.
[520] He stabbed out a number with a vicious index finger.
[521] After a time there came a dull click and a sleepy answer.
[522] "Hello?"
[523] Elliot Macklin said.
[524] Mitchell smiled to himself.
[525] He was in luck; Macklin had answered the phone instead of his wife.
[526] "Can you speak freely, doctor?"
[527] Mitchell asked.
[528] "Of course," the mathematician said.
[529] "I can talk fine."
[530] "I mean, are you alone?"
[531] "Oh, you want to know if my wife is around.
[532] No, she's asleep.
[533] That Army doctor, Colonel Sidney, he gave her a sedative.
[534] I wouldn't let him give me anything, though."
[535] "Good boy," the biologist said.
[536] "Listen, doctor—Elliot—El, old son.
[537] I'm not against you like all the others.
[538] I don't want to make you go back to all that worrying and thinking and headaches.
[539] You believe me, don't you?"
[540] There was a slight hesitation.
[541] "Sure," Macklin said, "if you say so.
[542] Why shouldn't I believe you?"
[543] "But there was a hesitation there, El.
[544] You worried for just a second if I could have some reason for not telling you the truth."
[545] "I suppose so," Macklin said humbly.
[546] "You've found yourself worrying—thinking—about a lot of other problems since we left you, haven't you?
[547] Maybe not the same kind of scientific problem.
[548] But more personal ones, ones you didn't used to have time to think about."
[549] "If you say so."
[550] "Now, you know it's so.
[551] But how would you like to get rid of those worries just as you got rid of the others?"
[552] Mitchell asked.
[553] "I guess I'd like that," the mathematician replied.
[554] "Then come on over to my laboratory.
[555] You remember where it's at, don't you?"
[556] "No, I—yes, I guess I do.
[557] But how do I know you won't try to put me back where I was instead of helping me more?"
[558] "I couldn't do that against your wishes.
[559] That would be illegal!"
[560] "If you say so.
[561] But I don't guess I can come anyway.
[562] The Army is watching me pretty close."
[563] "That's alright," Mitchell said quickly.
[564] "You can bring along Colonel Carson."
[565] "But he won't like you fixing me up more."
[566] "But he can't stop me!
[567] Not if you want me to do it.
[568] Now listen to me—I want you to come right on over here, El."
[569] "If you say so," Macklin said uncertainly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [268] Macklin's traditional ranch house was small but attractive in aqua-tinted aluminum.
2. [269] Under Mitchell's thumb the bell chimbed dum-de-de-dum-dum-dum.
3. [278] Mrs. Macklin was an attractive brunette in her late thirties. She wore an expensive yellow dress. And she had a sharp-cornered jawline.
4. [303] The colonel led them into the comfortable, over-feminine living room.
5. [304] Macklin sat in an easy chair draped in embroidery, smoking.
6. [307] On the coffee table in front of Macklin were some odd-shaped building blocks such as were used in nursery schools.
7. [308] A second uniformed man—another colonel but with the snake-entwined staff of the medical corps in his insignia—was kneeling at the table on the marble-effect carpet.
8. [442] They found Mrs. Macklin in the dining room, her face at the picture window an attractive silhouette.
9. [1] THE BIG HEADACHE BY JIM HARMON
10. [2] Why, having a head, of course!
11. [3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962.]
12. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
13. [5] "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
14. [6] Ferris asked eagerly.
15. [7] "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
16. [8] Mitchell inquired.
17. [9] "He outweighs you by fifty pounds and you needn't look to me for help against that repatriated fullback."
18. [10] Ferris fingered the collar of his starched lab smock.
19. [11] "Guess I got carried away for a moment.
20. [12] But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test.
21. [13] We've had it if he turns us down."
22. [14] "I know," Mitchell said, exhaling deeply.
23. [15] "Somehow the men with the money just can't seem to understand basic research.
24. [16] Who would have financed a study of cyclic periods of the hedgehog?
25. [17] Yet the information gained from that study is vital in cancer research."
26. [18] "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone.
27. [19] But those crummy trustees didn't even leave us enough for a field test."
28. [20] Ferris scrubbed his thin hand over the bony ridge of his forehead.
29. [21] "I've been worrying so much about this I've got the ancestor of all headaches."
30. [22] Mitchell's blue eyes narrowed and his boyish face took on an expression of demonic intensity.
31. [23] "Ferris, would you consider—?"
32. [24] "No!"
33. [25] the smaller man yelled.
34. [26] "You can't expect me to violate professional ethics and test my own discovery on myself."
35. [27] " Our discovery," Mitchell said politely.
36. [28] "That's what I meant to say.
37. [29] But I'm not sure it would be completely ethical with even a discovery partly mine."
38. [30] "You're right.
39. [31] Besides who cares if you or I are cured of headaches?
40. [32] Our reputations don't go outside our own fields," Mitchell said.
41. [33] "But now Macklin—" Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind.
42. [34] He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
43. [35] No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it.
44. [36] Macklin was in his early fifties but looked in his late thirties, with the build of a football player.
45. [37] The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets.
46. [38] For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars.
47. [39] Mitchell had overheard two coeds talking and so knew that the project was nearing completion.
48. [40] If so, it was a case of Ad astra per aspirin.
49. [41] The only thing that could delay the project was Macklin's health.
50. [42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
51. [43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
52. [44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
53. [45] Ferris paced off the tidy measurements of the office outside the laboratory in the biology building.
54. [46] Mitchell sat slumped in the chair behind the blond imitation wood desk, watching him disinterestedly.
55. [47] "Do you suppose the Great Man will actually show up?"
56. [48] Ferris demanded, pausing in mid-stride.
57. [49] "I imagine he will," Mitchell said.
58. [50] "Macklin's always seemed a decent enough fellow when I've had lunch with him or seen him at the trustees meetings."
59. [51] "He's always treated me like dirt," Ferris said heatedly.
60. [52] "Everyone on this campus treats biologists like dirt.
61. [53] Sometimes I want to bash in their smug faces."
62. [54] Sometimes, Mitchell reflected, Ferris displayed a certain lack of scientific detachment.
63. [55] There came a discreet knock on the door.
64. [56] "Please come in," Mitchell said.
65. [57] Elliot Macklin entered in a cloud of pipe smoke and a tweed jacket.
66. [58] He looked more than a little like a postgraduate student, and Mitchell suspected that that was his intention.
67. [59] He shook hands warmly with Mitchell.
68. [60] "Good of you to ask me over, Steven."
69. [61] Macklin threw a big arm across Ferris' shoulders.
70. [62] "How have you been, Harold?"
71. [63] Ferris' face flickered between pink and white.
72. [64] "Fine, thank you, doctor."
73. [65] Macklin dropped on the edge of the desk and adjusted his pipe.
74. [66] "Now what's this about you wanting my help on something?
75. [67] And please keep the explanation simple.
76. [68] Biology isn't my field, you know."
77. [69] Mitchell moved around the desk casually.
78. [70] "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance.
79. [71] There may be an element of risk."
80. [72] The mathematician clamped onto his pipe and showed his teeth.
81. [73] "Now you have me intrigued.
82. [74] What is it all about?" |
Describe Elliot Macklin and his established health issues? | [
"It is well-known that Macklin succumbs to migraines from time to time in his life. Physically, Macklin is very fit and is regarded as having a built, athletic frame. However, internally he does suffer from various ailments. His migraine symptoms involve incorrectly substituting words with others, overstimulation of color and light between his eyes, and a concrete pain through his temples. In addition to the migraines, Macklin has a history of vascular spasms. He had even experienced a pseudo stroke in the past.",
"Elliot Macklin is a Doctor of science. He is renowned to be as intelligent as Albert Einstein. He is described as being in his fifties, yet having the appearance of one in his thirties. He created the Theory of Spatium. For the past seven years, Macklin has worked in the advanced studies department of Firestone university, creating a faster than light speed drive. It is believed that a number of years ago, he suffered a mild stroke. He has to deal with never-ending, terrible migraines every day. His health issues have been life threatening at times, something which Mrs Macklin uses to back up her argument to let her husband remain treated.",
"Elliot Macklin, the late Albert Einstein, has a great reputation as Mathematician and Scientist. The government even uses him as the symbol of Ideal Scientist. He has been involved in helping the Army reach Pluto and other stars. His headache is also well known. He has a record of chronic migraine, and had to be absent from classes. He had a mild stroke before. When he has headaches, the reputation and lavish salary do not really help.",
"Elliot Macklin is a genius mathematician and scientist in his fifties, though he looks much younger and has an athletic build. He is responsible for his Theory of Spatium and is aiding the Army in developing an expedition to Pluto. Despite his genius, Macklin had suffered a stroke to his cerebral artery. Because of this, Macklin periodically suffers with severe migraines, enough for him to not be able to function. The migraines also affect his speaking."
] | [1] THE BIG HEADACHE BY JIM HARMON What's the principal cause of headaches?
[2] Why, having a head, of course!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
[6] Ferris asked eagerly.
[7] "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
[8] Mitchell inquired.
[9] "He outweighs you by fifty pounds and you needn't look to me for help against that repatriated fullback."
[10] Ferris fingered the collar of his starched lab smock.
[11] "Guess I got carried away for a moment.
[12] But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test.
[13] We've had it if he turns us down."
[14] "I know," Mitchell said, exhaling deeply.
[15] "Somehow the men with the money just can't seem to understand basic research.
[16] Who would have financed a study of cyclic periods of the hedgehog?
[17] Yet the information gained from that study is vital in cancer research."
[18] "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone.
[19] But those crummy trustees didn't even leave us enough for a field test."
[20] Ferris scrubbed his thin hand over the bony ridge of his forehead.
[21] "I've been worrying so much about this I've got the ancestor of all headaches."
[22] Mitchell's blue eyes narrowed and his boyish face took on an expression of demonic intensity.
[23] "Ferris, would you consider—?"
[24] "No!"
[25] the smaller man yelled.
[26] "You can't expect me to violate professional ethics and test my own discovery on myself."
[27] " Our discovery," Mitchell said politely.
[28] "That's what I meant to say.
[29] But I'm not sure it would be completely ethical with even a discovery partly mine."
[30] "You're right.
[31] Besides who cares if you or I are cured of headaches?
[32] Our reputations don't go outside our own fields," Mitchell said.
[33] "But now Macklin—" Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind.
[34] He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
[35] No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it.
[36] Macklin was in his early fifties but looked in his late thirties, with the build of a football player.
[37] The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets.
[38] For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars.
[39] Mitchell had overheard two coeds talking and so knew that the project was nearing completion.
[40] If so, it was a case of Ad astra per aspirin .
[41] The only thing that could delay the project was Macklin's health.
[42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
[43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
[44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
[45] Ferris paced off the tidy measurements of the office outside the laboratory in the biology building.
[46] Mitchell sat slumped in the chair behind the blond imitation wood desk, watching him disinterestedly.
[47] "Do you suppose the Great Man will actually show up?"
[48] Ferris demanded, pausing in mid-stride.
[49] "I imagine he will," Mitchell said.
[50] "Macklin's always seemed a decent enough fellow when I've had lunch with him or seen him at the trustees meetings."
[51] "He's always treated me like dirt," Ferris said heatedly.
[52] "Everyone on this campus treats biologists like dirt.
[53] Sometimes I want to bash in their smug faces."
[54] Sometimes, Mitchell reflected, Ferris displayed a certain lack of scientific detachment.
[55] There came a discreet knock on the door.
[56] "Please come in," Mitchell said.
[57] Elliot Macklin entered in a cloud of pipe smoke and a tweed jacket.
[58] He looked more than a little like a postgraduate student, and Mitchell suspected that that was his intention.
[59] He shook hands warmly with Mitchell.
[60] "Good of you to ask me over, Steven."
[61] Macklin threw a big arm across Ferris' shoulders.
[62] "How have you been, Harold?"
[63] Ferris' face flickered between pink and white.
[64] "Fine, thank you, doctor."
[65] Macklin dropped on the edge of the desk and adjusted his pipe.
[66] "Now what's this about you wanting my help on something?
[67] And please keep the explanation simple.
[68] Biology isn't my field, you know."
[69] Mitchell moved around the desk casually.
[70] "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance.
[71] There may be an element of risk."
[72] The mathematician clamped onto his pipe and showed his teeth.
[73] "Now you have me intrigued.
[74] What is it all about?"
[75] "Doctor, we understand you have severe headaches," Mitchell said.
[76] Macklin nodded.
[77] "That's right, Steven.
[78] Migraine."
[79] "That must be terrible," Ferris said.
[80] "All your fine reputation and lavish salary can't be much consolation when that ripping, tearing agony begins, can it?"
[81] "No, Harold, it isn't," Macklin admitted.
[82] "What does your project have to do with my headaches?"
[83] "Doctor," Mitchell said, "what would you say the most common complaint of man is?"
[84] "I would have said the common cold," Macklin replied, "but I suppose from what you have said you mean headaches."
[85] "Headaches," Mitchell agreed.
[86] "Everybody has them at some time in his life.
[87] Some people have them every day.
[88] Some are driven to suicide by their headaches."
[89] "Yes," Macklin said.
[90] "But think," Ferris interjected, "what a boon it would be if everyone could be cured of headaches forever by one simple injection."
[91] "I don't suppose the manufacturers of aspirin would like you.
[92] But it would please about everybody else."
[93] "Aspirins would still be used to reduce fever and relieve muscular pains," Mitchell said.
[94] "I see.
[95] Are you two saying you have such a shot?
[96] Can you cure headaches?"
[97] "We think we can," Ferris said.
[98] "How can you have a specific for a number of different causes?"
[99] Macklin asked.
[100] "I know that much about the subject."
[101] "There are a number of different causes for headaches—nervous strain, fatigue, physical diseases from kidney complaints to tumors, over-indulgence—but there is one effect of all of this, the one real cause of headaches," Mitchell announced.
[102] "We have definitely established this for this first time," Ferris added.
[103] "That's fine," Macklin said, sucking on his pipe.
[104] "And this effect that produces headaches is?"
[105] "The pressure effect caused by pituitrin in the brain," Mitchell said eagerly.
[106] "That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes.
[107] It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland.
[108] We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin."
[109] "That may mean the end of headaches, but I would think it would mean the end of the race as well," Macklin said.
[110] "In certain areas it is valuable to have a constriction of blood vessels."
[111] "The virus," Ferris explained, "can easily be localized and stabilized.
[112] A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain."
[113] The mathematician took the pipe out of his mouth.
[114] "If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I?
[115] The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach.
[116] But it's better than the migraine.
[117] How should I go about removing my curse?"
[118] He reinserted the pipe.
[119] "I assure you, you can forget ergotamine tartrate," Ferris said.
[120] "Our discovery will work."
[121] "Will work," Macklin said thoughtfully.
[122] "The operative word.
[123] It hasn't worked then?"
[124] "Certainly it has," Ferris said.
[125] "On rats, on chimps...." "But not on humans?"
[126] Macklin asked.
[127] "Not yet," Mitchell admitted.
[128] "Well," Macklin said.
[129] "Well."
[130] He thumped pipe ashes out into his palm.
[131] "Certainly you can get volunteers.
[132] Convicts.
[133] Conscientious objectors from the Army."
[134] "We want you," Ferris told him.
[135] Macklin coughed.
[136] "I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project.
[137] My wife would like it even less."
[138] Ferris turned his back on the mathematician.
[139] Mitchell could see him mouthing the word yellow .
[140] "Doctor," Mitchell said quickly, "I know it's a tremendous favor to ask of a man of your position.
[141] But you can understand our problem.
[142] Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing.
[143] We should run a large-scale field test.
[144] But we haven't the time or money for that.
[145] We can cure the headaches of one person and that's the limit of our resources."
[146] "I'm tempted," Macklin said hesitantly, "but the answer is go.
[147] I mean ' no '.
[148] I'd like to help you out, but I'm afraid I owe too much to others to take the rest—the risk, I mean."
[149] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead.
[150] "I really would like to take you up on it.
[151] When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine.
[152] The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs.
[153] The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids.
[154] Ugh."
[155] Ferris smiled.
[156] "Gynergen makes you sick, does it, doctor?
[157] Produces nausea, eh?
[158] The pain of that turns you almost wrong side out, doesn't it?
[159] You aren't much better off with it than without, are you?
[160] I've heard some say they preferred the migraine."
[161] Macklin carefully arranged his pipe along with the tools he used to tend it in a worn leather case.
[162] "Tell me," he said, "what is the worst that could happen to me?"
[163] "Low blood pressure," Ferris said.
[164] "That's not so bad," Macklin said.
[165] "How low can it get?"
[166] "When your heart stops, your blood pressure goes to its lowest point," Mitchell said.
[167] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead.
[168] "Is there much risk of that?"
[169] "Practically none," Mitchell said.
[170] "We have to give you the worst possibilities.
[171] All our test animals survived and seem perfectly happy and contented.
[172] As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing.
[173] Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger....
[174] But we may be wrong."
[175] Macklin held his head in both hands.
[176] "Why did you two select me ?"
[177] "You're an important man, doctor," Ferris said.
[178] "Nobody would care if Mitchell or I cured ourselves of headaches—they might not even believe us if we said we did.
[179] But the proper authorities will believe a man of your reputation.
[180] Besides, neither of us has a record of chronic migraine.
[181] You do."
[182] "Yes, I do," Macklin said.
[183] "Very well.
[184] Go ahead.
[185] Give me your injection."
[186] Mitchell cleared his throat.
[187] "Are you positive, doctor?"
[188] he asked uncertainly.
[189] "Perhaps you would like a few days to think it over."
[190] "No!
[191] I'm ready.
[192] Go ahead, right now."
[193] "There's a simple release," Ferris said smoothly.
[194] Macklin groped in his pocket for a pen.
[195] II "Ferris!"
[196] Mitchell yelled, slamming the laboratory door behind him.
[197] "Right here," the small man said briskly.
[198] He was sitting at a work table, penciling notes.
[199] "I've been expecting you."
[200] "Doctor—Harold—you shouldn't have given this story to the newspapers," Mitchell said.
[201] He tapped the back of his hand against the folded paper.
[202] "On the contrary, I should and I did," Ferris answered.
[203] "We wanted something dramatic to show to the trustees and here it is."
[204] "Yes, we wanted to show our proof to the trustees—but not broadcast unverified results to the press.
[205] It's too early for that!"
[206] "Don't be so stuffy and conservative, Mitchell!
[207] Macklin's cured, isn't he?
[208] By established periodic cycle he should be suffering hell right now, shouldn't he?
[209] But thanks to our treatment he is perfectly happy, with no unfortunate side effects such as gynergen produces."
[210] "It's a significant test case, yes.
[211] But not enough to go to the newspapers with.
[212] If it wasn't enough to go to the press with, it wasn't enough to try and breach the trustees with.
[213] Don't you see?
[214] The public will hand down a ukase demanding our virus, just as they demanded the Salk vaccine and the Grennell serum."
[215] "But—" The shrill call of the telephone interrupted Mitchell's objections.
[216] Ferris excused himself and crossed to the instrument.
[217] He answered it and listened for a moment, his face growing impatient.
[218] "It's Macklin's wife," Ferris said.
[219] "Do you want to talk to her?
[220] I'm no good with hysterical women."
[221] "Hysterical?"
[222] Mitchell muttered in alarm and went to the phone.
[223] "Hello?"
[224] Mitchell said reluctantly.
[225] "Mrs.
[226] Macklin?"
[227] "You are the other one," the clear feminine voice said.
[228] "Your name is Mitchell."
[229] She couldn't have sounded calmer or more self-possessed, Mitchell thought.
[230] "That's right, Mrs. Macklin.
[231] I'm Dr. Steven Mitchell, Dr. Ferris's associate."
[232] "Do you have a license to dispense narcotics?"
[233] "What do you mean by that, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said sharply.
[234] "I used to be a nurse, Dr. Mitchell.
[235] I know you've given my husband heroin."
[236] "That's absurd.
[237] What makes you think a thing like that?"
[238] "The—trance he's in now."
[239] "Now, Mrs. Macklin.
[240] Neither Dr. Ferris or myself have been near your husband for a full day.
[241] The effects of a narcotic would have worn off by this time."
[242] "Most known narcotics," she admitted, "but evidently you have discovered something new.
[243] Is it so expensive to refine you and Ferris have to recruit new customers to keep yourselves supplied?"
[244] "Mrs. Macklin!
[245] I think I had better talk to you later when you are calmer."
[246] Mitchell dropped the receiver heavily.
[247] "What could be wrong with Macklin?"
[248] he asked without removing his hand from the telephone.
[249] Ferris frowned, making quotation marks above his nose.
[250] "Let's have a look at the test animals."
[251] Together they marched over to the cages and peered through the honeycomb pattern of the wire.
[252] The test chimp, Dean, was sitting peacefully in a corner scratching under his arms with the back of his knuckles.
[253] Jerry, their control in the experiment, who was practically Dean's twin except that he had received no injection of the E-M Virus, was stomping up and down punching his fingers through the wire, worrying the lock on the cage.
[254] "Jerry is a great deal more active than Dean," Mitchell said.
[255] "Yes, but Dean isn't sick.
[256] He just doesn't seem to have as much nervous energy to burn up.
[257] Nothing wrong with his thyroid either."
[258] They went to the smaller cages.
[259] They found the situation with the rats, Bud and Lou, much the same.
[260] "I don't know.
[261] Maybe they just have tired blood," Mitchell ventured.
[262] "Iron deficiency anemia?"
[263] "Never mind, doctor.
[264] It was a form of humor.
[265] I think we had better see exactly what is wrong with Elliot Macklin."
[266] "There's nothing wrong with him," Ferris snapped.
[267] "He's probably just trying to get us in trouble, the ingrate!"
[268] Macklin's traditional ranch house was small but attractive in aqua-tinted aluminum.
[269] Under Mitchell's thumb the bell chimbed dum-de-de-dum-dum-dum .
[270] As they waited Mitchell glanced at Ferris.
[271] He seemed completely undisturbed, perhaps slightly curious.
[272] The door unlatched and swung back.
[273] "Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said quickly, "I'm sure we can help if there is anything wrong with your husband.
[274] This is Dr. Ferris.
[275] I am Dr.
[276] Mitchell."
[277] "You had certainly better help him, gentlemen."
[278] She stood out of the doorway for them to pass.
[279] Mrs. Macklin was an attractive brunette in her late thirties.
[280] She wore an expensive yellow dress.
[281] And she had a sharp-cornered jawline.
[282] The Army officer came out into the hall to meet them.
[283] "You are the gentlemen who gave Dr. Macklin the unauthorized injection," he said.
[284] It wasn't a question.
[285] "I don't like that 'unauthorized'," Ferris snapped.
[286] The colonel—Mitchell spotted the eagles on his green tunic—lifted a heavy eyebrow.
[287] "No?
[288] Are you medical doctors?
[289] Are you authorized to treat illnesses?"
[290] "We weren't treating an illness," Mitchell said.
[291] "We were discovering a method of treatment.
[292] What concern is it of yours?"
[293] The colonel smiled thinly.
[294] "Dr. Macklin is my concern.
[295] And everything that happens to him.
[296] The Army doesn't like what you have done to him."
[297] Mitchell wondered desperately just what they had done to the man.
[298] "Can we see him?"
[299] Mitchell asked.
[300] "Why not?
[301] You can't do much worse than murder him now.
[302] That might be just as well.
[303] We have laws to cover that."
[304] The colonel led them into the comfortable, over-feminine living room.
[305] Macklin sat in an easy chair draped in embroidery, smoking.
[306] Mitchell suddenly realized Macklin used a pipe as a form of masculine protest to his home surroundings.
[307] On the coffee table in front of Macklin were some odd-shaped building blocks such as were used in nursery schools.
[308] A second uniformed man—another colonel but with the snake-entwined staff of the medical corps in his insignia—was kneeling at the table on the marble-effect carpet.
[309] The Army physician stood up and brushed his knees, undusted from the scrupulously clean rug.
[310] "What's wrong with him, Sidney?"
[311] the other officer asked the doctor.
[312] "Not a thing," Sidney said.
[313] "He's the healthiest, happiest, most well-adjusted man I've ever examined, Carson."
[314] "But—" Colonel Carson protested.
[315] "Oh, he's changed all right," the Army doctor answered.
[316] "He's not the same man as he used to be."
[317] "How is he different?"
[318] Mitchell demanded.
[319] The medic examined Mitchell and Ferris critically before answering.
[320] "He used to be a mathematical genius."
[321] "And now?"
[322] Mitchell said impatiently.
[323] "Now he is a moron," the medic said.
[324] III Mitchell tried to stop Colonel Sidney as he went past, but the doctor mumbled he had a report to make.
[325] Mitchell and Ferris stared at Colonel Carson and Macklin and at each other.
[326] "What did he mean, Macklin is an idiot?"
[327] Mitchell asked.
[328] "Not an idiot," Colonel Carson corrected primly.
[329] "Dr. Macklin is a moron.
[330] He's legally responsible, but he's extremely stupid."
[331] "I'm not so dumb," Macklin said defensively.
[332] "I beg your pardon, sir," Carson said.
[333] "I didn't intend any offense.
[334] But according to all the standard intelligence tests we have given you, your clinical intelligence quotient is that of a moron."
[335] "That's just on book learning," Macklin said.
[336] "There's a lot you learn in life that you don't get out of books, son."
[337] "I'm confident that's true, sir," Colonel Carson said.
[338] He turned to the two biologists.
[339] "Perhaps we had better speak outside."
[340] "But—" Mitchell said, impatient to examine Macklin for himself.
[341] "Very well.
[342] Let's step into the hall."
[343] Ferris followed them docilely.
[344] "What have you done to him?"
[345] the colonel asked straightforwardly.
[346] "We merely cured him of his headaches," Mitchell said.
[347] "How?"
[348] Mitchell did his best to explain the F-M Virus.
[349] "You mean," the Army officer said levelly "you have infected him with some kind of a disease to rot his brain?"
[350] "No, no!
[351] Could I talk to the other man, the doctor?
[352] Maybe I can make him understand."
[353] "All I want to know is why Elliot Macklin has been made as simple as if he had been kicked in the head by a mule," Colonel Carson said.
[354] "I think I can explain," Ferris interrupted.
[355] "You can?"
[356] Mitchell said.
[357] Ferris nodded.
[358] "We made a slight miscalculation.
[359] It appears as if the virus colony overcontrols the supply of posterior pituitary extract in the cerebrum.
[360] It isn't more than necessary to stop headaches.
[361] But that necessary amount of control to stop pain is too much to allow the brain cells to function properly."
[362] "Why won't they function?"
[363] Carson roared.
[364] "They don't get enough food—blood, oxygen, hemoglobin," Ferris explained.
[365] "The cerebral vessels don't contract enough to pump the blood through the brain as fast and as hard as is needed.
[366] The brain cells remain sluggish, dormant.
[367] Perhaps decaying."
[368] The colonel yelled.
[369] Mitchell groaned.
[370] He was abruptly sure Ferris was correct.
[371] The colonel drew himself to attention, fists trembling at his sides.
[372] "I'll see you hung for treason!
[373] Don't you know what Elliot Macklin means to us?
[374] Do you want those filthy Luxemburgians to reach Pluto before we do?
[375] Macklin's formula is essential to the FTL engine.
[376] You might just as well have blown up Washington, D.C.
[377] Better!
[378] The capital is replaceable.
[379] But the chances of an Elliot Macklin are very nearly once in a human race."
[380] "Just a moment," Mitchell interrupted, "we can cure Macklin."
[381] "You can ?"
[382] Carson said.
[383] For a moment Mitchell thought the man was going to clasp his hands and sink to his knees.
[384] "Certainly.
[385] We have learned to stabilize the virus colonies.
[386] We have antitoxin to combat the virus.
[387] We had always thought of it as a beneficial parasite, but we can wipe it out if necessary."
[388] "Good!"
[389] Carson clasped his hands and gave at least slightly at the knees.
[390] "Just you wait a second now, boys," Elliot Macklin said.
[391] He was leaning in the doorway, holding his pipe.
[392] "I've been listening to what you've been saying and I don't like it."
[393] "What do you mean you don't like it?"
[394] Carson demanded.
[395] He added, "Sir?"
[396] "I figure you mean to put me back like I used to be."
[397] "Yes, doctor," Mitchell said eagerly, "just as you used to be."
[398] " With my headaches, like before?"
[399] Mitchell coughed into his fist for an instant, to give him time to frame an answer.
[400] "Unfortunately, yes.
[401] Apparently if your mind functions properly once again you will have the headaches again.
[402] Our research is a dismal failure."
[403] "I wouldn't go that far," Ferris remarked cheerfully.
[404] Mitchell was about to ask his associate what he meant when he saw Macklin slowly shaking his head.
[405] "No, sir!"
[406] the mathematician said.
[407] "I shall not go back to my original state.
[408] I can remember what it was like.
[409] Always worrying, worrying, worrying."
[410] "You mean wondering," Mitchell said.
[411] Macklin nodded.
[412] "Troubled, anyway.
[413] Disturbed by every little thing.
[414] How high was up, which infinity was bigger than what infinity—say, what was an infinity anyway?
[415] All that sort of schoolboy things.
[416] It's peaceful this way.
[417] My head doesn't hurt.
[418] I've got a good-looking wife and all the money I need.
[419] I've got it made.
[420] Why worry?"
[421] Colonel Carson opened his mouth, then closed it.
[422] "That's right, Colonel.
[423] There's no use in arguing with him," Mitchell said.
[424] "It's not his decision to make," the colonel said.
[425] "He's an idiot now."
[426] "No, Colonel.
[427] As you said, he's a moron.
[428] He seems an idiot compared to his former level of intelligence but he's legally responsible.
[429] There are millions of morons running around loose in the United States.
[430] They can get married, own property, vote, even hold office.
[431] Many of them do.
[432] You can't force him into being cured.... At least, I don't think you can."
[433] "No, I can't.
[434] This is hardly a totalitarian state."
[435] The colonel looked momentarily glum that it wasn't.
[436] Mitchell looked back at Macklin.
[437] "Where did his wife get to, Colonel?
[438] I don't think that even previously he made too many personal decisions for himself.
[439] Perhaps she could influence him."
[440] "Maybe," the colonel said.
[441] "Let's find her."
[442] They found Mrs. Macklin in the dining room, her face at the picture window an attractive silhouette.
[443] She turned as the men approached.
[444] "Mrs. Macklin," the colonel began, "these gentlemen believe they can cure your husband of his present condition."
[445] "Really?"
[446] she said.
[447] "Did you speak to Elliot about that?"
[448] "Y-yes," Colonel Carson said, "but he's not himself.
[449] He refused the treatment.
[450] He wants to remain in his state of lower intelligence."
[451] She nodded.
[452] "If those are his wishes, I can't go against them."
[453] "But Mrs.
[454] Macklin!"
[455] Mitchell protested.
[456] "You will have to get a court order overruling your husband's wishes."
[457] She smoothed an eyebrow with the third finger of her right hand.
[458] "That was my original thought.
[459] But I've redecided."
[460] "Redecided!"
[461] Carson burst out almost hysterically.
[462] "Yes.
[463] I can't go against Elliot's wishes.
[464] It would be monstrous to put him back where he would suffer the hell of those headaches once again, where he never had a moment's peace from worry and pressure.
[465] He's happy now.
[466] Like a child, but happy."
[467] "Mrs. Macklin," the Army man said levelly, "if you don't help us restore your husband's mind we will be forced to get a court order declaring him incompetent."
[468] "But he is not!
[469] Legally, I mean," the woman stormed.
[470] "Maybe not.
[471] It's a borderline case.
[472] But I think any court would give us the edge where restoring the mind of Elliot Macklin was concerned.
[473] Once he's certified incompetent, authorities can rule whether Mitchell and Ferris' antitoxin treatment is the best method of restoring Dr. Macklin to sanity."
[474] "I doubt very much if the court would rule in that manner," she said.
[475] The colonel looked smug.
[476] "Why not?"
[477] "Because, Colonel, the matter of my husband's health, his very life, is involved."
[478] "There is some degree of risk in shock treatments, too.
[479] But—" "It isn't quite the same, Colonel.
[480] Elliot Macklin has a history of vascular spasm, a mild pseudostroke some years ago.
[481] Now you want to give those cerebral arteries back the ability to constrict.
[482] To paralyze.
[483] To kill.
[484] No court would give you that authority."
[485] "I suppose there's some chance of that.
[486] But without the treatment there is no chance of your husband regaining his right senses, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell interjected.
[487] Her mouth grew petulant.
[488] "I don't care.
[489] I would rather have a live husband than a dead genius.
[490] I can take care of him this way, make him comfortable...." Carson opened his mouth and closed his fist, then relaxed.
[491] Mitchell led him back into the hall.
[492] "I'm no psychiatrist," Mitchell said, "but I think she wants Macklin stupid.
[493] Prefers it that way.
[494] She's always dominated his personal life, and now she can dominate him completely."
[495] "What is she?
[496] A monster?"
[497] the Army officer muttered.
[498] "No," Mitchell said.
[499] "She's an intelligent woman unconsciously jealous of her husband's genius."
[500] "Maybe," Carson said.
[501] "I don't know.
[502] I don't know what the hell to tell the Pentagon.
[503] I think I'll go out and get drunk."
[504] "I'll go with you," Ferris said.
[505] Mitchell glanced sharply at the little biologist.
[506] Carson squinted.
[507] "Any particular reason, doctor?"
[508] "To celebrate," Ferris said.
[509] The colonel shrugged.
[510] "That's as good a reason as any."
[511] On the street, Mitchell watched the two men go off together in bewilderment.
[512] IV Macklin was playing jacks.
[513] He didn't have a head on his shoulders and he was squatting on a great curving surface that was Spacetime, and his jacks were Earth and Pluto and the rest of the planets.
[514] And for a ball he was using a head.
[515] Not his head.
[516] Mitchell's.
[517] Both heads were initialed "M" so it was all the same.
[518] Mitchell forced himself to awaken, with some initial difficulty.
[519] He lay there, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, listening to his heart race, and then convulsively snatched the telephone receiver from the nightstand.
[520] He stabbed out a number with a vicious index finger.
[521] After a time there came a dull click and a sleepy answer.
[522] "Hello?"
[523] Elliot Macklin said.
[524] Mitchell smiled to himself.
[525] He was in luck; Macklin had answered the phone instead of his wife.
[526] "Can you speak freely, doctor?"
[527] Mitchell asked.
[528] "Of course," the mathematician said.
[529] "I can talk fine."
[530] "I mean, are you alone?"
[531] "Oh, you want to know if my wife is around.
[532] No, she's asleep.
[533] That Army doctor, Colonel Sidney, he gave her a sedative.
[534] I wouldn't let him give me anything, though."
[535] "Good boy," the biologist said.
[536] "Listen, doctor—Elliot—El, old son.
[537] I'm not against you like all the others.
[538] I don't want to make you go back to all that worrying and thinking and headaches.
[539] You believe me, don't you?"
[540] There was a slight hesitation.
[541] "Sure," Macklin said, "if you say so.
[542] Why shouldn't I believe you?"
[543] "But there was a hesitation there, El.
[544] You worried for just a second if I could have some reason for not telling you the truth."
[545] "I suppose so," Macklin said humbly.
[546] "You've found yourself worrying—thinking—about a lot of other problems since we left you, haven't you?
[547] Maybe not the same kind of scientific problem.
[548] But more personal ones, ones you didn't used to have time to think about."
[549] "If you say so."
[550] "Now, you know it's so.
[551] But how would you like to get rid of those worries just as you got rid of the others?"
[552] Mitchell asked.
[553] "I guess I'd like that," the mathematician replied.
[554] "Then come on over to my laboratory.
[555] You remember where it's at, don't you?"
[556] "No, I—yes, I guess I do.
[557] But how do I know you won't try to put me back where I was instead of helping me more?"
[558] "I couldn't do that against your wishes.
[559] That would be illegal!"
[560] "If you say so.
[561] But I don't guess I can come anyway.
[562] The Army is watching me pretty close."
[563] "That's alright," Mitchell said quickly.
[564] "You can bring along Colonel Carson."
[565] "But he won't like you fixing me up more."
[566] "But he can't stop me!
[567] Not if you want me to do it.
[568] Now listen to me—I want you to come right on over here, El."
[569] "If you say so," Macklin said uncertainly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe Elliot Macklin and his established health issues?":
1. [33] Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind. He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
2. [42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
3. [43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
4. [44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
5. [149] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead. "I really would like to take you up on it. When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine. The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs. The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids. Ugh."
6. [151] "The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs. The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids. Ugh."
7. [114] "If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I? The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach. But it's better than the migraine."
8. [136] "I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project. My wife would like it even less."
9. [42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
10. [167] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead. |
Describe the experiment and the mechanisms of how it works. | [
"Ferris and Mitchell believe they have an injection that can cure headaches forever. They acknowledge during their initial discussion with Macklin that there is a potential risk with the injection, but they heavily downplay the risk. From their research, the two doctors believe that the over-production in the pituitary gland creates a pressure effect that constricts blood vessels in a section of the frontal lobe. Their injection is synthetically made that is meant to feed on the pituitrin that causes the pressure effect. They believe their virus is safe because it is able to target a specific area and remain stabilized within the brain cells. \n\nAfter they give Macklin the injection, they later receive news that he has become a moron and is no longer a mathematical genius. The injection was successful in stopping the pain but in doing so it stopped the brain cells from functioning properly because the vessels cannot pump the necessary amount of blood through the brain to maintain an active and alert mind.",
"The experiment is used to try and eliminate headaches. Headaches are said to cause pressure to pituitrin in the brain. It is a constriction of blood vessels in the front of the brain. This is caused by an overproduction of the pituitary gland. The two men have created a virus that feeds on this pituitrin. The localised virus will relax the cerebral vessels, so that the cerebrospinal fluid won't create pressure in the cavities of the brain.",
"Since headaches are caused by over-productions of the pituitary gland, which will constrict the blood vessels leading to pressure differences in the brain. Because the virus created by them feeds on pituitrin, the pressure effect can be eliminated. The experiment is to inject the right amount of virus into the body so that the brain cells will relax the pressure effect. Moreover, since the virus can be easily localized and stabilized, it will only affect the cerebral vessels. Other cavities of the brain will not be effected. However, in reality, there is a miscalculation and the amount of control needed in stopping the pain is too much for the brain cells to still function properly.",
"The experiment that Ferris and Mitchell have come up with aims to cure headaches permanently. They plan to do so by targeting pituitrin, the main cause of constricting blood vessels that cause headaches. The cure is in the form of an injection containing a virus. This virus would feed on pituitrin and put an end to headache production. The virus can be stabilized, and is only designed to target the necessary vessels without interfering with other functions of the brain."
] | [1] THE BIG HEADACHE BY JIM HARMON What's the principal cause of headaches?
[2] Why, having a head, of course!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
[6] Ferris asked eagerly.
[7] "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
[8] Mitchell inquired.
[9] "He outweighs you by fifty pounds and you needn't look to me for help against that repatriated fullback."
[10] Ferris fingered the collar of his starched lab smock.
[11] "Guess I got carried away for a moment.
[12] But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test.
[13] We've had it if he turns us down."
[14] "I know," Mitchell said, exhaling deeply.
[15] "Somehow the men with the money just can't seem to understand basic research.
[16] Who would have financed a study of cyclic periods of the hedgehog?
[17] Yet the information gained from that study is vital in cancer research."
[18] "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone.
[19] But those crummy trustees didn't even leave us enough for a field test."
[20] Ferris scrubbed his thin hand over the bony ridge of his forehead.
[21] "I've been worrying so much about this I've got the ancestor of all headaches."
[22] Mitchell's blue eyes narrowed and his boyish face took on an expression of demonic intensity.
[23] "Ferris, would you consider—?"
[24] "No!"
[25] the smaller man yelled.
[26] "You can't expect me to violate professional ethics and test my own discovery on myself."
[27] " Our discovery," Mitchell said politely.
[28] "That's what I meant to say.
[29] But I'm not sure it would be completely ethical with even a discovery partly mine."
[30] "You're right.
[31] Besides who cares if you or I are cured of headaches?
[32] Our reputations don't go outside our own fields," Mitchell said.
[33] "But now Macklin—" Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind.
[34] He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
[35] No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it.
[36] Macklin was in his early fifties but looked in his late thirties, with the build of a football player.
[37] The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets.
[38] For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars.
[39] Mitchell had overheard two coeds talking and so knew that the project was nearing completion.
[40] If so, it was a case of Ad astra per aspirin .
[41] The only thing that could delay the project was Macklin's health.
[42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
[43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
[44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
[45] Ferris paced off the tidy measurements of the office outside the laboratory in the biology building.
[46] Mitchell sat slumped in the chair behind the blond imitation wood desk, watching him disinterestedly.
[47] "Do you suppose the Great Man will actually show up?"
[48] Ferris demanded, pausing in mid-stride.
[49] "I imagine he will," Mitchell said.
[50] "Macklin's always seemed a decent enough fellow when I've had lunch with him or seen him at the trustees meetings."
[51] "He's always treated me like dirt," Ferris said heatedly.
[52] "Everyone on this campus treats biologists like dirt.
[53] Sometimes I want to bash in their smug faces."
[54] Sometimes, Mitchell reflected, Ferris displayed a certain lack of scientific detachment.
[55] There came a discreet knock on the door.
[56] "Please come in," Mitchell said.
[57] Elliot Macklin entered in a cloud of pipe smoke and a tweed jacket.
[58] He looked more than a little like a postgraduate student, and Mitchell suspected that that was his intention.
[59] He shook hands warmly with Mitchell.
[60] "Good of you to ask me over, Steven."
[61] Macklin threw a big arm across Ferris' shoulders.
[62] "How have you been, Harold?"
[63] Ferris' face flickered between pink and white.
[64] "Fine, thank you, doctor."
[65] Macklin dropped on the edge of the desk and adjusted his pipe.
[66] "Now what's this about you wanting my help on something?
[67] And please keep the explanation simple.
[68] Biology isn't my field, you know."
[69] Mitchell moved around the desk casually.
[70] "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance.
[71] There may be an element of risk."
[72] The mathematician clamped onto his pipe and showed his teeth.
[73] "Now you have me intrigued.
[74] What is it all about?"
[75] "Doctor, we understand you have severe headaches," Mitchell said.
[76] Macklin nodded.
[77] "That's right, Steven.
[78] Migraine."
[79] "That must be terrible," Ferris said.
[80] "All your fine reputation and lavish salary can't be much consolation when that ripping, tearing agony begins, can it?"
[81] "No, Harold, it isn't," Macklin admitted.
[82] "What does your project have to do with my headaches?"
[83] "Doctor," Mitchell said, "what would you say the most common complaint of man is?"
[84] "I would have said the common cold," Macklin replied, "but I suppose from what you have said you mean headaches."
[85] "Headaches," Mitchell agreed.
[86] "Everybody has them at some time in his life.
[87] Some people have them every day.
[88] Some are driven to suicide by their headaches."
[89] "Yes," Macklin said.
[90] "But think," Ferris interjected, "what a boon it would be if everyone could be cured of headaches forever by one simple injection."
[91] "I don't suppose the manufacturers of aspirin would like you.
[92] But it would please about everybody else."
[93] "Aspirins would still be used to reduce fever and relieve muscular pains," Mitchell said.
[94] "I see.
[95] Are you two saying you have such a shot?
[96] Can you cure headaches?"
[97] "We think we can," Ferris said.
[98] "How can you have a specific for a number of different causes?"
[99] Macklin asked.
[100] "I know that much about the subject."
[101] "There are a number of different causes for headaches—nervous strain, fatigue, physical diseases from kidney complaints to tumors, over-indulgence—but there is one effect of all of this, the one real cause of headaches," Mitchell announced.
[102] "We have definitely established this for this first time," Ferris added.
[103] "That's fine," Macklin said, sucking on his pipe.
[104] "And this effect that produces headaches is?"
[105] "The pressure effect caused by pituitrin in the brain," Mitchell said eagerly.
[106] "That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes.
[107] It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland.
[108] We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin."
[109] "That may mean the end of headaches, but I would think it would mean the end of the race as well," Macklin said.
[110] "In certain areas it is valuable to have a constriction of blood vessels."
[111] "The virus," Ferris explained, "can easily be localized and stabilized.
[112] A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain."
[113] The mathematician took the pipe out of his mouth.
[114] "If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I?
[115] The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach.
[116] But it's better than the migraine.
[117] How should I go about removing my curse?"
[118] He reinserted the pipe.
[119] "I assure you, you can forget ergotamine tartrate," Ferris said.
[120] "Our discovery will work."
[121] "Will work," Macklin said thoughtfully.
[122] "The operative word.
[123] It hasn't worked then?"
[124] "Certainly it has," Ferris said.
[125] "On rats, on chimps...." "But not on humans?"
[126] Macklin asked.
[127] "Not yet," Mitchell admitted.
[128] "Well," Macklin said.
[129] "Well."
[130] He thumped pipe ashes out into his palm.
[131] "Certainly you can get volunteers.
[132] Convicts.
[133] Conscientious objectors from the Army."
[134] "We want you," Ferris told him.
[135] Macklin coughed.
[136] "I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project.
[137] My wife would like it even less."
[138] Ferris turned his back on the mathematician.
[139] Mitchell could see him mouthing the word yellow .
[140] "Doctor," Mitchell said quickly, "I know it's a tremendous favor to ask of a man of your position.
[141] But you can understand our problem.
[142] Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing.
[143] We should run a large-scale field test.
[144] But we haven't the time or money for that.
[145] We can cure the headaches of one person and that's the limit of our resources."
[146] "I'm tempted," Macklin said hesitantly, "but the answer is go.
[147] I mean ' no '.
[148] I'd like to help you out, but I'm afraid I owe too much to others to take the rest—the risk, I mean."
[149] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead.
[150] "I really would like to take you up on it.
[151] When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine.
[152] The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs.
[153] The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids.
[154] Ugh."
[155] Ferris smiled.
[156] "Gynergen makes you sick, does it, doctor?
[157] Produces nausea, eh?
[158] The pain of that turns you almost wrong side out, doesn't it?
[159] You aren't much better off with it than without, are you?
[160] I've heard some say they preferred the migraine."
[161] Macklin carefully arranged his pipe along with the tools he used to tend it in a worn leather case.
[162] "Tell me," he said, "what is the worst that could happen to me?"
[163] "Low blood pressure," Ferris said.
[164] "That's not so bad," Macklin said.
[165] "How low can it get?"
[166] "When your heart stops, your blood pressure goes to its lowest point," Mitchell said.
[167] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead.
[168] "Is there much risk of that?"
[169] "Practically none," Mitchell said.
[170] "We have to give you the worst possibilities.
[171] All our test animals survived and seem perfectly happy and contented.
[172] As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing.
[173] Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger....
[174] But we may be wrong."
[175] Macklin held his head in both hands.
[176] "Why did you two select me ?"
[177] "You're an important man, doctor," Ferris said.
[178] "Nobody would care if Mitchell or I cured ourselves of headaches—they might not even believe us if we said we did.
[179] But the proper authorities will believe a man of your reputation.
[180] Besides, neither of us has a record of chronic migraine.
[181] You do."
[182] "Yes, I do," Macklin said.
[183] "Very well.
[184] Go ahead.
[185] Give me your injection."
[186] Mitchell cleared his throat.
[187] "Are you positive, doctor?"
[188] he asked uncertainly.
[189] "Perhaps you would like a few days to think it over."
[190] "No!
[191] I'm ready.
[192] Go ahead, right now."
[193] "There's a simple release," Ferris said smoothly.
[194] Macklin groped in his pocket for a pen.
[195] II "Ferris!"
[196] Mitchell yelled, slamming the laboratory door behind him.
[197] "Right here," the small man said briskly.
[198] He was sitting at a work table, penciling notes.
[199] "I've been expecting you."
[200] "Doctor—Harold—you shouldn't have given this story to the newspapers," Mitchell said.
[201] He tapped the back of his hand against the folded paper.
[202] "On the contrary, I should and I did," Ferris answered.
[203] "We wanted something dramatic to show to the trustees and here it is."
[204] "Yes, we wanted to show our proof to the trustees—but not broadcast unverified results to the press.
[205] It's too early for that!"
[206] "Don't be so stuffy and conservative, Mitchell!
[207] Macklin's cured, isn't he?
[208] By established periodic cycle he should be suffering hell right now, shouldn't he?
[209] But thanks to our treatment he is perfectly happy, with no unfortunate side effects such as gynergen produces."
[210] "It's a significant test case, yes.
[211] But not enough to go to the newspapers with.
[212] If it wasn't enough to go to the press with, it wasn't enough to try and breach the trustees with.
[213] Don't you see?
[214] The public will hand down a ukase demanding our virus, just as they demanded the Salk vaccine and the Grennell serum."
[215] "But—" The shrill call of the telephone interrupted Mitchell's objections.
[216] Ferris excused himself and crossed to the instrument.
[217] He answered it and listened for a moment, his face growing impatient.
[218] "It's Macklin's wife," Ferris said.
[219] "Do you want to talk to her?
[220] I'm no good with hysterical women."
[221] "Hysterical?"
[222] Mitchell muttered in alarm and went to the phone.
[223] "Hello?"
[224] Mitchell said reluctantly.
[225] "Mrs.
[226] Macklin?"
[227] "You are the other one," the clear feminine voice said.
[228] "Your name is Mitchell."
[229] She couldn't have sounded calmer or more self-possessed, Mitchell thought.
[230] "That's right, Mrs. Macklin.
[231] I'm Dr. Steven Mitchell, Dr. Ferris's associate."
[232] "Do you have a license to dispense narcotics?"
[233] "What do you mean by that, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said sharply.
[234] "I used to be a nurse, Dr. Mitchell.
[235] I know you've given my husband heroin."
[236] "That's absurd.
[237] What makes you think a thing like that?"
[238] "The—trance he's in now."
[239] "Now, Mrs. Macklin.
[240] Neither Dr. Ferris or myself have been near your husband for a full day.
[241] The effects of a narcotic would have worn off by this time."
[242] "Most known narcotics," she admitted, "but evidently you have discovered something new.
[243] Is it so expensive to refine you and Ferris have to recruit new customers to keep yourselves supplied?"
[244] "Mrs. Macklin!
[245] I think I had better talk to you later when you are calmer."
[246] Mitchell dropped the receiver heavily.
[247] "What could be wrong with Macklin?"
[248] he asked without removing his hand from the telephone.
[249] Ferris frowned, making quotation marks above his nose.
[250] "Let's have a look at the test animals."
[251] Together they marched over to the cages and peered through the honeycomb pattern of the wire.
[252] The test chimp, Dean, was sitting peacefully in a corner scratching under his arms with the back of his knuckles.
[253] Jerry, their control in the experiment, who was practically Dean's twin except that he had received no injection of the E-M Virus, was stomping up and down punching his fingers through the wire, worrying the lock on the cage.
[254] "Jerry is a great deal more active than Dean," Mitchell said.
[255] "Yes, but Dean isn't sick.
[256] He just doesn't seem to have as much nervous energy to burn up.
[257] Nothing wrong with his thyroid either."
[258] They went to the smaller cages.
[259] They found the situation with the rats, Bud and Lou, much the same.
[260] "I don't know.
[261] Maybe they just have tired blood," Mitchell ventured.
[262] "Iron deficiency anemia?"
[263] "Never mind, doctor.
[264] It was a form of humor.
[265] I think we had better see exactly what is wrong with Elliot Macklin."
[266] "There's nothing wrong with him," Ferris snapped.
[267] "He's probably just trying to get us in trouble, the ingrate!"
[268] Macklin's traditional ranch house was small but attractive in aqua-tinted aluminum.
[269] Under Mitchell's thumb the bell chimbed dum-de-de-dum-dum-dum .
[270] As they waited Mitchell glanced at Ferris.
[271] He seemed completely undisturbed, perhaps slightly curious.
[272] The door unlatched and swung back.
[273] "Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said quickly, "I'm sure we can help if there is anything wrong with your husband.
[274] This is Dr. Ferris.
[275] I am Dr.
[276] Mitchell."
[277] "You had certainly better help him, gentlemen."
[278] She stood out of the doorway for them to pass.
[279] Mrs. Macklin was an attractive brunette in her late thirties.
[280] She wore an expensive yellow dress.
[281] And she had a sharp-cornered jawline.
[282] The Army officer came out into the hall to meet them.
[283] "You are the gentlemen who gave Dr. Macklin the unauthorized injection," he said.
[284] It wasn't a question.
[285] "I don't like that 'unauthorized'," Ferris snapped.
[286] The colonel—Mitchell spotted the eagles on his green tunic—lifted a heavy eyebrow.
[287] "No?
[288] Are you medical doctors?
[289] Are you authorized to treat illnesses?"
[290] "We weren't treating an illness," Mitchell said.
[291] "We were discovering a method of treatment.
[292] What concern is it of yours?"
[293] The colonel smiled thinly.
[294] "Dr. Macklin is my concern.
[295] And everything that happens to him.
[296] The Army doesn't like what you have done to him."
[297] Mitchell wondered desperately just what they had done to the man.
[298] "Can we see him?"
[299] Mitchell asked.
[300] "Why not?
[301] You can't do much worse than murder him now.
[302] That might be just as well.
[303] We have laws to cover that."
[304] The colonel led them into the comfortable, over-feminine living room.
[305] Macklin sat in an easy chair draped in embroidery, smoking.
[306] Mitchell suddenly realized Macklin used a pipe as a form of masculine protest to his home surroundings.
[307] On the coffee table in front of Macklin were some odd-shaped building blocks such as were used in nursery schools.
[308] A second uniformed man—another colonel but with the snake-entwined staff of the medical corps in his insignia—was kneeling at the table on the marble-effect carpet.
[309] The Army physician stood up and brushed his knees, undusted from the scrupulously clean rug.
[310] "What's wrong with him, Sidney?"
[311] the other officer asked the doctor.
[312] "Not a thing," Sidney said.
[313] "He's the healthiest, happiest, most well-adjusted man I've ever examined, Carson."
[314] "But—" Colonel Carson protested.
[315] "Oh, he's changed all right," the Army doctor answered.
[316] "He's not the same man as he used to be."
[317] "How is he different?"
[318] Mitchell demanded.
[319] The medic examined Mitchell and Ferris critically before answering.
[320] "He used to be a mathematical genius."
[321] "And now?"
[322] Mitchell said impatiently.
[323] "Now he is a moron," the medic said.
[324] III Mitchell tried to stop Colonel Sidney as he went past, but the doctor mumbled he had a report to make.
[325] Mitchell and Ferris stared at Colonel Carson and Macklin and at each other.
[326] "What did he mean, Macklin is an idiot?"
[327] Mitchell asked.
[328] "Not an idiot," Colonel Carson corrected primly.
[329] "Dr. Macklin is a moron.
[330] He's legally responsible, but he's extremely stupid."
[331] "I'm not so dumb," Macklin said defensively.
[332] "I beg your pardon, sir," Carson said.
[333] "I didn't intend any offense.
[334] But according to all the standard intelligence tests we have given you, your clinical intelligence quotient is that of a moron."
[335] "That's just on book learning," Macklin said.
[336] "There's a lot you learn in life that you don't get out of books, son."
[337] "I'm confident that's true, sir," Colonel Carson said.
[338] He turned to the two biologists.
[339] "Perhaps we had better speak outside."
[340] "But—" Mitchell said, impatient to examine Macklin for himself.
[341] "Very well.
[342] Let's step into the hall."
[343] Ferris followed them docilely.
[344] "What have you done to him?"
[345] the colonel asked straightforwardly.
[346] "We merely cured him of his headaches," Mitchell said.
[347] "How?"
[348] Mitchell did his best to explain the F-M Virus.
[349] "You mean," the Army officer said levelly "you have infected him with some kind of a disease to rot his brain?"
[350] "No, no!
[351] Could I talk to the other man, the doctor?
[352] Maybe I can make him understand."
[353] "All I want to know is why Elliot Macklin has been made as simple as if he had been kicked in the head by a mule," Colonel Carson said.
[354] "I think I can explain," Ferris interrupted.
[355] "You can?"
[356] Mitchell said.
[357] Ferris nodded.
[358] "We made a slight miscalculation.
[359] It appears as if the virus colony overcontrols the supply of posterior pituitary extract in the cerebrum.
[360] It isn't more than necessary to stop headaches.
[361] But that necessary amount of control to stop pain is too much to allow the brain cells to function properly."
[362] "Why won't they function?"
[363] Carson roared.
[364] "They don't get enough food—blood, oxygen, hemoglobin," Ferris explained.
[365] "The cerebral vessels don't contract enough to pump the blood through the brain as fast and as hard as is needed.
[366] The brain cells remain sluggish, dormant.
[367] Perhaps decaying."
[368] The colonel yelled.
[369] Mitchell groaned.
[370] He was abruptly sure Ferris was correct.
[371] The colonel drew himself to attention, fists trembling at his sides.
[372] "I'll see you hung for treason!
[373] Don't you know what Elliot Macklin means to us?
[374] Do you want those filthy Luxemburgians to reach Pluto before we do?
[375] Macklin's formula is essential to the FTL engine.
[376] You might just as well have blown up Washington, D.C.
[377] Better!
[378] The capital is replaceable.
[379] But the chances of an Elliot Macklin are very nearly once in a human race."
[380] "Just a moment," Mitchell interrupted, "we can cure Macklin."
[381] "You can ?"
[382] Carson said.
[383] For a moment Mitchell thought the man was going to clasp his hands and sink to his knees.
[384] "Certainly.
[385] We have learned to stabilize the virus colonies.
[386] We have antitoxin to combat the virus.
[387] We had always thought of it as a beneficial parasite, but we can wipe it out if necessary."
[388] "Good!"
[389] Carson clasped his hands and gave at least slightly at the knees.
[390] "Just you wait a second now, boys," Elliot Macklin said.
[391] He was leaning in the doorway, holding his pipe.
[392] "I've been listening to what you've been saying and I don't like it."
[393] "What do you mean you don't like it?"
[394] Carson demanded.
[395] He added, "Sir?"
[396] "I figure you mean to put me back like I used to be."
[397] "Yes, doctor," Mitchell said eagerly, "just as you used to be."
[398] " With my headaches, like before?"
[399] Mitchell coughed into his fist for an instant, to give him time to frame an answer.
[400] "Unfortunately, yes.
[401] Apparently if your mind functions properly once again you will have the headaches again.
[402] Our research is a dismal failure."
[403] "I wouldn't go that far," Ferris remarked cheerfully.
[404] Mitchell was about to ask his associate what he meant when he saw Macklin slowly shaking his head.
[405] "No, sir!"
[406] the mathematician said.
[407] "I shall not go back to my original state.
[408] I can remember what it was like.
[409] Always worrying, worrying, worrying."
[410] "You mean wondering," Mitchell said.
[411] Macklin nodded.
[412] "Troubled, anyway.
[413] Disturbed by every little thing.
[414] How high was up, which infinity was bigger than what infinity—say, what was an infinity anyway?
[415] All that sort of schoolboy things.
[416] It's peaceful this way.
[417] My head doesn't hurt.
[418] I've got a good-looking wife and all the money I need.
[419] I've got it made.
[420] Why worry?"
[421] Colonel Carson opened his mouth, then closed it.
[422] "That's right, Colonel.
[423] There's no use in arguing with him," Mitchell said.
[424] "It's not his decision to make," the colonel said.
[425] "He's an idiot now."
[426] "No, Colonel.
[427] As you said, he's a moron.
[428] He seems an idiot compared to his former level of intelligence but he's legally responsible.
[429] There are millions of morons running around loose in the United States.
[430] They can get married, own property, vote, even hold office.
[431] Many of them do.
[432] You can't force him into being cured.... At least, I don't think you can."
[433] "No, I can't.
[434] This is hardly a totalitarian state."
[435] The colonel looked momentarily glum that it wasn't.
[436] Mitchell looked back at Macklin.
[437] "Where did his wife get to, Colonel?
[438] I don't think that even previously he made too many personal decisions for himself.
[439] Perhaps she could influence him."
[440] "Maybe," the colonel said.
[441] "Let's find her."
[442] They found Mrs. Macklin in the dining room, her face at the picture window an attractive silhouette.
[443] She turned as the men approached.
[444] "Mrs. Macklin," the colonel began, "these gentlemen believe they can cure your husband of his present condition."
[445] "Really?"
[446] she said.
[447] "Did you speak to Elliot about that?"
[448] "Y-yes," Colonel Carson said, "but he's not himself.
[449] He refused the treatment.
[450] He wants to remain in his state of lower intelligence."
[451] She nodded.
[452] "If those are his wishes, I can't go against them."
[453] "But Mrs.
[454] Macklin!"
[455] Mitchell protested.
[456] "You will have to get a court order overruling your husband's wishes."
[457] She smoothed an eyebrow with the third finger of her right hand.
[458] "That was my original thought.
[459] But I've redecided."
[460] "Redecided!"
[461] Carson burst out almost hysterically.
[462] "Yes.
[463] I can't go against Elliot's wishes.
[464] It would be monstrous to put him back where he would suffer the hell of those headaches once again, where he never had a moment's peace from worry and pressure.
[465] He's happy now.
[466] Like a child, but happy."
[467] "Mrs. Macklin," the Army man said levelly, "if you don't help us restore your husband's mind we will be forced to get a court order declaring him incompetent."
[468] "But he is not!
[469] Legally, I mean," the woman stormed.
[470] "Maybe not.
[471] It's a borderline case.
[472] But I think any court would give us the edge where restoring the mind of Elliot Macklin was concerned.
[473] Once he's certified incompetent, authorities can rule whether Mitchell and Ferris' antitoxin treatment is the best method of restoring Dr. Macklin to sanity."
[474] "I doubt very much if the court would rule in that manner," she said.
[475] The colonel looked smug.
[476] "Why not?"
[477] "Because, Colonel, the matter of my husband's health, his very life, is involved."
[478] "There is some degree of risk in shock treatments, too.
[479] But—" "It isn't quite the same, Colonel.
[480] Elliot Macklin has a history of vascular spasm, a mild pseudostroke some years ago.
[481] Now you want to give those cerebral arteries back the ability to constrict.
[482] To paralyze.
[483] To kill.
[484] No court would give you that authority."
[485] "I suppose there's some chance of that.
[486] But without the treatment there is no chance of your husband regaining his right senses, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell interjected.
[487] Her mouth grew petulant.
[488] "I don't care.
[489] I would rather have a live husband than a dead genius.
[490] I can take care of him this way, make him comfortable...." Carson opened his mouth and closed his fist, then relaxed.
[491] Mitchell led him back into the hall.
[492] "I'm no psychiatrist," Mitchell said, "but I think she wants Macklin stupid.
[493] Prefers it that way.
[494] She's always dominated his personal life, and now she can dominate him completely."
[495] "What is she?
[496] A monster?"
[497] the Army officer muttered.
[498] "No," Mitchell said.
[499] "She's an intelligent woman unconsciously jealous of her husband's genius."
[500] "Maybe," Carson said.
[501] "I don't know.
[502] I don't know what the hell to tell the Pentagon.
[503] I think I'll go out and get drunk."
[504] "I'll go with you," Ferris said.
[505] Mitchell glanced sharply at the little biologist.
[506] Carson squinted.
[507] "Any particular reason, doctor?"
[508] "To celebrate," Ferris said.
[509] The colonel shrugged.
[510] "That's as good a reason as any."
[511] On the street, Mitchell watched the two men go off together in bewilderment.
[512] IV Macklin was playing jacks.
[513] He didn't have a head on his shoulders and he was squatting on a great curving surface that was Spacetime, and his jacks were Earth and Pluto and the rest of the planets.
[514] And for a ball he was using a head.
[515] Not his head.
[516] Mitchell's.
[517] Both heads were initialed "M" so it was all the same.
[518] Mitchell forced himself to awaken, with some initial difficulty.
[519] He lay there, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, listening to his heart race, and then convulsively snatched the telephone receiver from the nightstand.
[520] He stabbed out a number with a vicious index finger.
[521] After a time there came a dull click and a sleepy answer.
[522] "Hello?"
[523] Elliot Macklin said.
[524] Mitchell smiled to himself.
[525] He was in luck; Macklin had answered the phone instead of his wife.
[526] "Can you speak freely, doctor?"
[527] Mitchell asked.
[528] "Of course," the mathematician said.
[529] "I can talk fine."
[530] "I mean, are you alone?"
[531] "Oh, you want to know if my wife is around.
[532] No, she's asleep.
[533] That Army doctor, Colonel Sidney, he gave her a sedative.
[534] I wouldn't let him give me anything, though."
[535] "Good boy," the biologist said.
[536] "Listen, doctor—Elliot—El, old son.
[537] I'm not against you like all the others.
[538] I don't want to make you go back to all that worrying and thinking and headaches.
[539] You believe me, don't you?"
[540] There was a slight hesitation.
[541] "Sure," Macklin said, "if you say so.
[542] Why shouldn't I believe you?"
[543] "But there was a hesitation there, El.
[544] You worried for just a second if I could have some reason for not telling you the truth."
[545] "I suppose so," Macklin said humbly.
[546] "You've found yourself worrying—thinking—about a lot of other problems since we left you, haven't you?
[547] Maybe not the same kind of scientific problem.
[548] But more personal ones, ones you didn't used to have time to think about."
[549] "If you say so."
[550] "Now, you know it's so.
[551] But how would you like to get rid of those worries just as you got rid of the others?"
[552] Mitchell asked.
[553] "I guess I'd like that," the mathematician replied.
[554] "Then come on over to my laboratory.
[555] You remember where it's at, don't you?"
[556] "No, I—yes, I guess I do.
[557] But how do I know you won't try to put me back where I was instead of helping me more?"
[558] "I couldn't do that against your wishes.
[559] That would be illegal!"
[560] "If you say so.
[561] But I don't guess I can come anyway.
[562] The Army is watching me pretty close."
[563] "That's alright," Mitchell said quickly.
[564] "You can bring along Colonel Carson."
[565] "But he won't like you fixing me up more."
[566] "But he can't stop me!
[567] Not if you want me to do it.
[568] Now listen to me—I want you to come right on over here, El."
[569] "If you say so," Macklin said uncertainly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question:
1. [107] It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland. We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin.
2. [111] The virus can easily be localized and stabilized. A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain.
3. [106] That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes.
4. [105] The pressure effect caused by pituitrin in the brain.
5. [108] We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin.
6. [109] That may mean the end of headaches, but I would think it would mean the end of the race as well.
7. [110] In certain areas it is valuable to have a constriction of blood vessels.
8. [112] A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain.
9. [113] The mathematician took the pipe out of his mouth.
10. [114] If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I? The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach. But it's better than the migraine.
11. [115] The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach. But it's better than the migraine.
12. [116] How should I go about removing my curse?
13. [117] He reinserted the pipe.
14. [118] I assure you, you can forget ergotamine tartrate.
15. [119] Our discovery will work.
16. [120] Our discovery will work.
17. [121] The operative word. It hasn't worked then?
18. [122] Certainly it has.
19. [123] On rats, on chimps....
20. [124] But not on humans?
21. [125] Not yet.
22. [126] Well.
23. [127] Well.
24. [128] He thumped pipe ashes out into his palm.
25. [129] Certainly you can get volunteers. Convicts. Conscientious objectors from the Army.
26. [130] We want you.
27. [131] Macklin coughed.
28. [132] I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project. My wife would like it even less.
29. [133] Ferris turned his back on the mathematician.
30. [134] Mitchell could see him mouthing the word yellow.
31. [135] Doctor, I know it's a tremendous favor to ask of a man of your position. But you can understand our problem. Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing. We should run a large-scale field test. But we haven't the time or money for that. We can cure the headaches of one person and that's the limit of our resources.
32. [136] I'm tempted, but the answer is go. I mean 'no'. I'd like to help you out, but I'm afraid I owe too much to others to take the rest—the risk, I mean.
33. [137] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead.
34. [138] I really would like to take you up on it. When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine. The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs. The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids. Ugh.
35. [139] Ferris smiled.
36. [140] Gynergen makes you sick, does it, doctor? Produces nausea, eh? The pain of that turns you almost wrong side out, doesn't it? You aren't much better off with it than without, are you? I've heard some say they preferred the migraine.
37. [141] Macklin carefully arranged his pipe along with the tools he used to tend it in a worn leather case.
38. [142] Tell me, what is the worst that could happen to me?
39. [143] Low blood pressure.
40. [144] That's not so bad.
41. [145] How low can it get?
42. [146] When your heart stops, your blood pressure goes to its lowest point.
43. [147] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead.
44. [148] Is there much risk of that?
45. [149] Practically none.
46. [150] We have to give you the worst possibilities. All our test animals survived and seem perfectly happy and contented. As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing. Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger.... But we may be wrong.
47. [151] Macklin held his head in both hands.
48. [152] Why did you two select me?
49. [153] You're an important man, doctor. Nobody would care if Mitchell or I cured ourselves of headaches—they might not even believe us if we said we did. But the proper authorities will believe a man of your reputation. Besides, neither of us has a record of chronic migraine. You do.
50. [154] Yes, I do.
51. [155] Very well. Go ahead. Give me your injection.
52. [156] Are you positive, doctor? Perhaps you would like a few days to think it over.
53. [157] No! I'm ready. Go ahead, right now.
54. [158] There's a simple release.
55. [159] Macklin groped in his pocket for a pen. |
How do people react to the choice of using the cure? | [
"When Macklin overhears the possibility of receiving a cure to return him back to his previous state before the injection, he protests that he does not want to receive a cure. He does not want to reverse the injection because he remembers how awful the migraines were and refuses to return back to his original state where he has to experience them. He recollects how he was always worrying back then. He is perfectly content with living in a peaceful existence as he has all the money he could want and an attractive wife. \n\nThe Colonel is shocked at Macklin’s revelation and is upset when he realizes he cannot force Macklin to be cured. The Colonel, Ferris, and Mitchell go to Macklin’s wife to try to convince her to get him to be cured. The Colonel is desperate as he wants to use Macklin’s intelligence since it is such a great advantage for the country. \n\nMacklin’s wife supports her husband’s decision because she recognizes the pain and suffering Macklin has experienced. She is glad that he can be peaceful and happy, even if he is childish. \n\nFerris seems unphased and is overall happy to celebrate that the injection did work to cure headaches. Mitchell still wants to attempt to convince Macklin to take the cure.",
"Each character in the story reacts differently to Macklin's choice to go through with Ferris and Mitchell's cure for migraines. Macklin himself is thrilled with the outcome. He is happy he no longer has the worries of his day to day life that he used to have. Now he can just lead a happy, healthy life with his wife. His wife feels the same way, but for more complicated reasons. She is addicted to controlling her husband, and she sees this as an opportunity to do this completely now, as he has the wits of a child. The colonel is enraged by the fact that the virus has turned Macklin's brain to mush. Macklin is the US government's biggest asset, and he fears what they will do if Macklin doesn't go back to the way he was. Mitchell is remorseful for what the virus has done to Macklin, and goes about finding a way to convince Macklin to reverse the effects. Ferris, while completely on board with the idea of returning Macklin to normal, is happy that the experiment was not a complete failure.",
"Macklin first reacted with a surprise. He take the pipe out from his mouth and is quite delight that he can stop taking the gynergen. However, after hearing that it has not been tested on humans, he believes that there are too much risk involved and refuses to take the injection. After they assure that there is practically no possibility of getting a low blood pressure to the point that the heart stops and along with another attack of the migraine, Macklin gives them permission to inject, immediately. Later Mrs. Macklin calls and blames them for giving his husband heroin, and orders them to make him better. But later, she does not want to go against Macklin’s wish of staying in the current state. Carson has always wanted Macklin to become normal again since the Army still need his intelligence. However, there is nothing he can do since Macklin is still in a legally responsible state.",
"Macklin is initially hesitant about receiving the cure, but eventually agrees to it out of desperation for his migraines to end. However, the rest of the people around him are not as receptive, especially once the side effects settle in causing Macklin to become less intelligent. Macklin's wife is in distress, convinced that Ferris and Mitchell have given him narcotics. The Army officers and doctors do not approve of the injection either, holding the two scientists responsible for any potential harm done to Macklin and demanding that they reverse it immediately. However, Macklin does not mind the effects of the cure, and prefers it to his old experiences."
] | [1] THE BIG HEADACHE BY JIM HARMON What's the principal cause of headaches?
[2] Why, having a head, of course!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
[6] Ferris asked eagerly.
[7] "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
[8] Mitchell inquired.
[9] "He outweighs you by fifty pounds and you needn't look to me for help against that repatriated fullback."
[10] Ferris fingered the collar of his starched lab smock.
[11] "Guess I got carried away for a moment.
[12] But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test.
[13] We've had it if he turns us down."
[14] "I know," Mitchell said, exhaling deeply.
[15] "Somehow the men with the money just can't seem to understand basic research.
[16] Who would have financed a study of cyclic periods of the hedgehog?
[17] Yet the information gained from that study is vital in cancer research."
[18] "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone.
[19] But those crummy trustees didn't even leave us enough for a field test."
[20] Ferris scrubbed his thin hand over the bony ridge of his forehead.
[21] "I've been worrying so much about this I've got the ancestor of all headaches."
[22] Mitchell's blue eyes narrowed and his boyish face took on an expression of demonic intensity.
[23] "Ferris, would you consider—?"
[24] "No!"
[25] the smaller man yelled.
[26] "You can't expect me to violate professional ethics and test my own discovery on myself."
[27] " Our discovery," Mitchell said politely.
[28] "That's what I meant to say.
[29] But I'm not sure it would be completely ethical with even a discovery partly mine."
[30] "You're right.
[31] Besides who cares if you or I are cured of headaches?
[32] Our reputations don't go outside our own fields," Mitchell said.
[33] "But now Macklin—" Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind.
[34] He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
[35] No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it.
[36] Macklin was in his early fifties but looked in his late thirties, with the build of a football player.
[37] The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets.
[38] For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars.
[39] Mitchell had overheard two coeds talking and so knew that the project was nearing completion.
[40] If so, it was a case of Ad astra per aspirin .
[41] The only thing that could delay the project was Macklin's health.
[42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
[43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
[44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
[45] Ferris paced off the tidy measurements of the office outside the laboratory in the biology building.
[46] Mitchell sat slumped in the chair behind the blond imitation wood desk, watching him disinterestedly.
[47] "Do you suppose the Great Man will actually show up?"
[48] Ferris demanded, pausing in mid-stride.
[49] "I imagine he will," Mitchell said.
[50] "Macklin's always seemed a decent enough fellow when I've had lunch with him or seen him at the trustees meetings."
[51] "He's always treated me like dirt," Ferris said heatedly.
[52] "Everyone on this campus treats biologists like dirt.
[53] Sometimes I want to bash in their smug faces."
[54] Sometimes, Mitchell reflected, Ferris displayed a certain lack of scientific detachment.
[55] There came a discreet knock on the door.
[56] "Please come in," Mitchell said.
[57] Elliot Macklin entered in a cloud of pipe smoke and a tweed jacket.
[58] He looked more than a little like a postgraduate student, and Mitchell suspected that that was his intention.
[59] He shook hands warmly with Mitchell.
[60] "Good of you to ask me over, Steven."
[61] Macklin threw a big arm across Ferris' shoulders.
[62] "How have you been, Harold?"
[63] Ferris' face flickered between pink and white.
[64] "Fine, thank you, doctor."
[65] Macklin dropped on the edge of the desk and adjusted his pipe.
[66] "Now what's this about you wanting my help on something?
[67] And please keep the explanation simple.
[68] Biology isn't my field, you know."
[69] Mitchell moved around the desk casually.
[70] "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance.
[71] There may be an element of risk."
[72] The mathematician clamped onto his pipe and showed his teeth.
[73] "Now you have me intrigued.
[74] What is it all about?"
[75] "Doctor, we understand you have severe headaches," Mitchell said.
[76] Macklin nodded.
[77] "That's right, Steven.
[78] Migraine."
[79] "That must be terrible," Ferris said.
[80] "All your fine reputation and lavish salary can't be much consolation when that ripping, tearing agony begins, can it?"
[81] "No, Harold, it isn't," Macklin admitted.
[82] "What does your project have to do with my headaches?"
[83] "Doctor," Mitchell said, "what would you say the most common complaint of man is?"
[84] "I would have said the common cold," Macklin replied, "but I suppose from what you have said you mean headaches."
[85] "Headaches," Mitchell agreed.
[86] "Everybody has them at some time in his life.
[87] Some people have them every day.
[88] Some are driven to suicide by their headaches."
[89] "Yes," Macklin said.
[90] "But think," Ferris interjected, "what a boon it would be if everyone could be cured of headaches forever by one simple injection."
[91] "I don't suppose the manufacturers of aspirin would like you.
[92] But it would please about everybody else."
[93] "Aspirins would still be used to reduce fever and relieve muscular pains," Mitchell said.
[94] "I see.
[95] Are you two saying you have such a shot?
[96] Can you cure headaches?"
[97] "We think we can," Ferris said.
[98] "How can you have a specific for a number of different causes?"
[99] Macklin asked.
[100] "I know that much about the subject."
[101] "There are a number of different causes for headaches—nervous strain, fatigue, physical diseases from kidney complaints to tumors, over-indulgence—but there is one effect of all of this, the one real cause of headaches," Mitchell announced.
[102] "We have definitely established this for this first time," Ferris added.
[103] "That's fine," Macklin said, sucking on his pipe.
[104] "And this effect that produces headaches is?"
[105] "The pressure effect caused by pituitrin in the brain," Mitchell said eagerly.
[106] "That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes.
[107] It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland.
[108] We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin."
[109] "That may mean the end of headaches, but I would think it would mean the end of the race as well," Macklin said.
[110] "In certain areas it is valuable to have a constriction of blood vessels."
[111] "The virus," Ferris explained, "can easily be localized and stabilized.
[112] A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain."
[113] The mathematician took the pipe out of his mouth.
[114] "If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I?
[115] The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach.
[116] But it's better than the migraine.
[117] How should I go about removing my curse?"
[118] He reinserted the pipe.
[119] "I assure you, you can forget ergotamine tartrate," Ferris said.
[120] "Our discovery will work."
[121] "Will work," Macklin said thoughtfully.
[122] "The operative word.
[123] It hasn't worked then?"
[124] "Certainly it has," Ferris said.
[125] "On rats, on chimps...." "But not on humans?"
[126] Macklin asked.
[127] "Not yet," Mitchell admitted.
[128] "Well," Macklin said.
[129] "Well."
[130] He thumped pipe ashes out into his palm.
[131] "Certainly you can get volunteers.
[132] Convicts.
[133] Conscientious objectors from the Army."
[134] "We want you," Ferris told him.
[135] Macklin coughed.
[136] "I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project.
[137] My wife would like it even less."
[138] Ferris turned his back on the mathematician.
[139] Mitchell could see him mouthing the word yellow .
[140] "Doctor," Mitchell said quickly, "I know it's a tremendous favor to ask of a man of your position.
[141] But you can understand our problem.
[142] Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing.
[143] We should run a large-scale field test.
[144] But we haven't the time or money for that.
[145] We can cure the headaches of one person and that's the limit of our resources."
[146] "I'm tempted," Macklin said hesitantly, "but the answer is go.
[147] I mean ' no '.
[148] I'd like to help you out, but I'm afraid I owe too much to others to take the rest—the risk, I mean."
[149] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead.
[150] "I really would like to take you up on it.
[151] When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine.
[152] The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs.
[153] The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids.
[154] Ugh."
[155] Ferris smiled.
[156] "Gynergen makes you sick, does it, doctor?
[157] Produces nausea, eh?
[158] The pain of that turns you almost wrong side out, doesn't it?
[159] You aren't much better off with it than without, are you?
[160] I've heard some say they preferred the migraine."
[161] Macklin carefully arranged his pipe along with the tools he used to tend it in a worn leather case.
[162] "Tell me," he said, "what is the worst that could happen to me?"
[163] "Low blood pressure," Ferris said.
[164] "That's not so bad," Macklin said.
[165] "How low can it get?"
[166] "When your heart stops, your blood pressure goes to its lowest point," Mitchell said.
[167] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead.
[168] "Is there much risk of that?"
[169] "Practically none," Mitchell said.
[170] "We have to give you the worst possibilities.
[171] All our test animals survived and seem perfectly happy and contented.
[172] As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing.
[173] Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger....
[174] But we may be wrong."
[175] Macklin held his head in both hands.
[176] "Why did you two select me ?"
[177] "You're an important man, doctor," Ferris said.
[178] "Nobody would care if Mitchell or I cured ourselves of headaches—they might not even believe us if we said we did.
[179] But the proper authorities will believe a man of your reputation.
[180] Besides, neither of us has a record of chronic migraine.
[181] You do."
[182] "Yes, I do," Macklin said.
[183] "Very well.
[184] Go ahead.
[185] Give me your injection."
[186] Mitchell cleared his throat.
[187] "Are you positive, doctor?"
[188] he asked uncertainly.
[189] "Perhaps you would like a few days to think it over."
[190] "No!
[191] I'm ready.
[192] Go ahead, right now."
[193] "There's a simple release," Ferris said smoothly.
[194] Macklin groped in his pocket for a pen.
[195] II "Ferris!"
[196] Mitchell yelled, slamming the laboratory door behind him.
[197] "Right here," the small man said briskly.
[198] He was sitting at a work table, penciling notes.
[199] "I've been expecting you."
[200] "Doctor—Harold—you shouldn't have given this story to the newspapers," Mitchell said.
[201] He tapped the back of his hand against the folded paper.
[202] "On the contrary, I should and I did," Ferris answered.
[203] "We wanted something dramatic to show to the trustees and here it is."
[204] "Yes, we wanted to show our proof to the trustees—but not broadcast unverified results to the press.
[205] It's too early for that!"
[206] "Don't be so stuffy and conservative, Mitchell!
[207] Macklin's cured, isn't he?
[208] By established periodic cycle he should be suffering hell right now, shouldn't he?
[209] But thanks to our treatment he is perfectly happy, with no unfortunate side effects such as gynergen produces."
[210] "It's a significant test case, yes.
[211] But not enough to go to the newspapers with.
[212] If it wasn't enough to go to the press with, it wasn't enough to try and breach the trustees with.
[213] Don't you see?
[214] The public will hand down a ukase demanding our virus, just as they demanded the Salk vaccine and the Grennell serum."
[215] "But—" The shrill call of the telephone interrupted Mitchell's objections.
[216] Ferris excused himself and crossed to the instrument.
[217] He answered it and listened for a moment, his face growing impatient.
[218] "It's Macklin's wife," Ferris said.
[219] "Do you want to talk to her?
[220] I'm no good with hysterical women."
[221] "Hysterical?"
[222] Mitchell muttered in alarm and went to the phone.
[223] "Hello?"
[224] Mitchell said reluctantly.
[225] "Mrs.
[226] Macklin?"
[227] "You are the other one," the clear feminine voice said.
[228] "Your name is Mitchell."
[229] She couldn't have sounded calmer or more self-possessed, Mitchell thought.
[230] "That's right, Mrs. Macklin.
[231] I'm Dr. Steven Mitchell, Dr. Ferris's associate."
[232] "Do you have a license to dispense narcotics?"
[233] "What do you mean by that, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said sharply.
[234] "I used to be a nurse, Dr. Mitchell.
[235] I know you've given my husband heroin."
[236] "That's absurd.
[237] What makes you think a thing like that?"
[238] "The—trance he's in now."
[239] "Now, Mrs. Macklin.
[240] Neither Dr. Ferris or myself have been near your husband for a full day.
[241] The effects of a narcotic would have worn off by this time."
[242] "Most known narcotics," she admitted, "but evidently you have discovered something new.
[243] Is it so expensive to refine you and Ferris have to recruit new customers to keep yourselves supplied?"
[244] "Mrs. Macklin!
[245] I think I had better talk to you later when you are calmer."
[246] Mitchell dropped the receiver heavily.
[247] "What could be wrong with Macklin?"
[248] he asked without removing his hand from the telephone.
[249] Ferris frowned, making quotation marks above his nose.
[250] "Let's have a look at the test animals."
[251] Together they marched over to the cages and peered through the honeycomb pattern of the wire.
[252] The test chimp, Dean, was sitting peacefully in a corner scratching under his arms with the back of his knuckles.
[253] Jerry, their control in the experiment, who was practically Dean's twin except that he had received no injection of the E-M Virus, was stomping up and down punching his fingers through the wire, worrying the lock on the cage.
[254] "Jerry is a great deal more active than Dean," Mitchell said.
[255] "Yes, but Dean isn't sick.
[256] He just doesn't seem to have as much nervous energy to burn up.
[257] Nothing wrong with his thyroid either."
[258] They went to the smaller cages.
[259] They found the situation with the rats, Bud and Lou, much the same.
[260] "I don't know.
[261] Maybe they just have tired blood," Mitchell ventured.
[262] "Iron deficiency anemia?"
[263] "Never mind, doctor.
[264] It was a form of humor.
[265] I think we had better see exactly what is wrong with Elliot Macklin."
[266] "There's nothing wrong with him," Ferris snapped.
[267] "He's probably just trying to get us in trouble, the ingrate!"
[268] Macklin's traditional ranch house was small but attractive in aqua-tinted aluminum.
[269] Under Mitchell's thumb the bell chimbed dum-de-de-dum-dum-dum .
[270] As they waited Mitchell glanced at Ferris.
[271] He seemed completely undisturbed, perhaps slightly curious.
[272] The door unlatched and swung back.
[273] "Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell said quickly, "I'm sure we can help if there is anything wrong with your husband.
[274] This is Dr. Ferris.
[275] I am Dr.
[276] Mitchell."
[277] "You had certainly better help him, gentlemen."
[278] She stood out of the doorway for them to pass.
[279] Mrs. Macklin was an attractive brunette in her late thirties.
[280] She wore an expensive yellow dress.
[281] And she had a sharp-cornered jawline.
[282] The Army officer came out into the hall to meet them.
[283] "You are the gentlemen who gave Dr. Macklin the unauthorized injection," he said.
[284] It wasn't a question.
[285] "I don't like that 'unauthorized'," Ferris snapped.
[286] The colonel—Mitchell spotted the eagles on his green tunic—lifted a heavy eyebrow.
[287] "No?
[288] Are you medical doctors?
[289] Are you authorized to treat illnesses?"
[290] "We weren't treating an illness," Mitchell said.
[291] "We were discovering a method of treatment.
[292] What concern is it of yours?"
[293] The colonel smiled thinly.
[294] "Dr. Macklin is my concern.
[295] And everything that happens to him.
[296] The Army doesn't like what you have done to him."
[297] Mitchell wondered desperately just what they had done to the man.
[298] "Can we see him?"
[299] Mitchell asked.
[300] "Why not?
[301] You can't do much worse than murder him now.
[302] That might be just as well.
[303] We have laws to cover that."
[304] The colonel led them into the comfortable, over-feminine living room.
[305] Macklin sat in an easy chair draped in embroidery, smoking.
[306] Mitchell suddenly realized Macklin used a pipe as a form of masculine protest to his home surroundings.
[307] On the coffee table in front of Macklin were some odd-shaped building blocks such as were used in nursery schools.
[308] A second uniformed man—another colonel but with the snake-entwined staff of the medical corps in his insignia—was kneeling at the table on the marble-effect carpet.
[309] The Army physician stood up and brushed his knees, undusted from the scrupulously clean rug.
[310] "What's wrong with him, Sidney?"
[311] the other officer asked the doctor.
[312] "Not a thing," Sidney said.
[313] "He's the healthiest, happiest, most well-adjusted man I've ever examined, Carson."
[314] "But—" Colonel Carson protested.
[315] "Oh, he's changed all right," the Army doctor answered.
[316] "He's not the same man as he used to be."
[317] "How is he different?"
[318] Mitchell demanded.
[319] The medic examined Mitchell and Ferris critically before answering.
[320] "He used to be a mathematical genius."
[321] "And now?"
[322] Mitchell said impatiently.
[323] "Now he is a moron," the medic said.
[324] III Mitchell tried to stop Colonel Sidney as he went past, but the doctor mumbled he had a report to make.
[325] Mitchell and Ferris stared at Colonel Carson and Macklin and at each other.
[326] "What did he mean, Macklin is an idiot?"
[327] Mitchell asked.
[328] "Not an idiot," Colonel Carson corrected primly.
[329] "Dr. Macklin is a moron.
[330] He's legally responsible, but he's extremely stupid."
[331] "I'm not so dumb," Macklin said defensively.
[332] "I beg your pardon, sir," Carson said.
[333] "I didn't intend any offense.
[334] But according to all the standard intelligence tests we have given you, your clinical intelligence quotient is that of a moron."
[335] "That's just on book learning," Macklin said.
[336] "There's a lot you learn in life that you don't get out of books, son."
[337] "I'm confident that's true, sir," Colonel Carson said.
[338] He turned to the two biologists.
[339] "Perhaps we had better speak outside."
[340] "But—" Mitchell said, impatient to examine Macklin for himself.
[341] "Very well.
[342] Let's step into the hall."
[343] Ferris followed them docilely.
[344] "What have you done to him?"
[345] the colonel asked straightforwardly.
[346] "We merely cured him of his headaches," Mitchell said.
[347] "How?"
[348] Mitchell did his best to explain the F-M Virus.
[349] "You mean," the Army officer said levelly "you have infected him with some kind of a disease to rot his brain?"
[350] "No, no!
[351] Could I talk to the other man, the doctor?
[352] Maybe I can make him understand."
[353] "All I want to know is why Elliot Macklin has been made as simple as if he had been kicked in the head by a mule," Colonel Carson said.
[354] "I think I can explain," Ferris interrupted.
[355] "You can?"
[356] Mitchell said.
[357] Ferris nodded.
[358] "We made a slight miscalculation.
[359] It appears as if the virus colony overcontrols the supply of posterior pituitary extract in the cerebrum.
[360] It isn't more than necessary to stop headaches.
[361] But that necessary amount of control to stop pain is too much to allow the brain cells to function properly."
[362] "Why won't they function?"
[363] Carson roared.
[364] "They don't get enough food—blood, oxygen, hemoglobin," Ferris explained.
[365] "The cerebral vessels don't contract enough to pump the blood through the brain as fast and as hard as is needed.
[366] The brain cells remain sluggish, dormant.
[367] Perhaps decaying."
[368] The colonel yelled.
[369] Mitchell groaned.
[370] He was abruptly sure Ferris was correct.
[371] The colonel drew himself to attention, fists trembling at his sides.
[372] "I'll see you hung for treason!
[373] Don't you know what Elliot Macklin means to us?
[374] Do you want those filthy Luxemburgians to reach Pluto before we do?
[375] Macklin's formula is essential to the FTL engine.
[376] You might just as well have blown up Washington, D.C.
[377] Better!
[378] The capital is replaceable.
[379] But the chances of an Elliot Macklin are very nearly once in a human race."
[380] "Just a moment," Mitchell interrupted, "we can cure Macklin."
[381] "You can ?"
[382] Carson said.
[383] For a moment Mitchell thought the man was going to clasp his hands and sink to his knees.
[384] "Certainly.
[385] We have learned to stabilize the virus colonies.
[386] We have antitoxin to combat the virus.
[387] We had always thought of it as a beneficial parasite, but we can wipe it out if necessary."
[388] "Good!"
[389] Carson clasped his hands and gave at least slightly at the knees.
[390] "Just you wait a second now, boys," Elliot Macklin said.
[391] He was leaning in the doorway, holding his pipe.
[392] "I've been listening to what you've been saying and I don't like it."
[393] "What do you mean you don't like it?"
[394] Carson demanded.
[395] He added, "Sir?"
[396] "I figure you mean to put me back like I used to be."
[397] "Yes, doctor," Mitchell said eagerly, "just as you used to be."
[398] " With my headaches, like before?"
[399] Mitchell coughed into his fist for an instant, to give him time to frame an answer.
[400] "Unfortunately, yes.
[401] Apparently if your mind functions properly once again you will have the headaches again.
[402] Our research is a dismal failure."
[403] "I wouldn't go that far," Ferris remarked cheerfully.
[404] Mitchell was about to ask his associate what he meant when he saw Macklin slowly shaking his head.
[405] "No, sir!"
[406] the mathematician said.
[407] "I shall not go back to my original state.
[408] I can remember what it was like.
[409] Always worrying, worrying, worrying."
[410] "You mean wondering," Mitchell said.
[411] Macklin nodded.
[412] "Troubled, anyway.
[413] Disturbed by every little thing.
[414] How high was up, which infinity was bigger than what infinity—say, what was an infinity anyway?
[415] All that sort of schoolboy things.
[416] It's peaceful this way.
[417] My head doesn't hurt.
[418] I've got a good-looking wife and all the money I need.
[419] I've got it made.
[420] Why worry?"
[421] Colonel Carson opened his mouth, then closed it.
[422] "That's right, Colonel.
[423] There's no use in arguing with him," Mitchell said.
[424] "It's not his decision to make," the colonel said.
[425] "He's an idiot now."
[426] "No, Colonel.
[427] As you said, he's a moron.
[428] He seems an idiot compared to his former level of intelligence but he's legally responsible.
[429] There are millions of morons running around loose in the United States.
[430] They can get married, own property, vote, even hold office.
[431] Many of them do.
[432] You can't force him into being cured.... At least, I don't think you can."
[433] "No, I can't.
[434] This is hardly a totalitarian state."
[435] The colonel looked momentarily glum that it wasn't.
[436] Mitchell looked back at Macklin.
[437] "Where did his wife get to, Colonel?
[438] I don't think that even previously he made too many personal decisions for himself.
[439] Perhaps she could influence him."
[440] "Maybe," the colonel said.
[441] "Let's find her."
[442] They found Mrs. Macklin in the dining room, her face at the picture window an attractive silhouette.
[443] She turned as the men approached.
[444] "Mrs. Macklin," the colonel began, "these gentlemen believe they can cure your husband of his present condition."
[445] "Really?"
[446] she said.
[447] "Did you speak to Elliot about that?"
[448] "Y-yes," Colonel Carson said, "but he's not himself.
[449] He refused the treatment.
[450] He wants to remain in his state of lower intelligence."
[451] She nodded.
[452] "If those are his wishes, I can't go against them."
[453] "But Mrs.
[454] Macklin!"
[455] Mitchell protested.
[456] "You will have to get a court order overruling your husband's wishes."
[457] She smoothed an eyebrow with the third finger of her right hand.
[458] "That was my original thought.
[459] But I've redecided."
[460] "Redecided!"
[461] Carson burst out almost hysterically.
[462] "Yes.
[463] I can't go against Elliot's wishes.
[464] It would be monstrous to put him back where he would suffer the hell of those headaches once again, where he never had a moment's peace from worry and pressure.
[465] He's happy now.
[466] Like a child, but happy."
[467] "Mrs. Macklin," the Army man said levelly, "if you don't help us restore your husband's mind we will be forced to get a court order declaring him incompetent."
[468] "But he is not!
[469] Legally, I mean," the woman stormed.
[470] "Maybe not.
[471] It's a borderline case.
[472] But I think any court would give us the edge where restoring the mind of Elliot Macklin was concerned.
[473] Once he's certified incompetent, authorities can rule whether Mitchell and Ferris' antitoxin treatment is the best method of restoring Dr. Macklin to sanity."
[474] "I doubt very much if the court would rule in that manner," she said.
[475] The colonel looked smug.
[476] "Why not?"
[477] "Because, Colonel, the matter of my husband's health, his very life, is involved."
[478] "There is some degree of risk in shock treatments, too.
[479] But—" "It isn't quite the same, Colonel.
[480] Elliot Macklin has a history of vascular spasm, a mild pseudostroke some years ago.
[481] Now you want to give those cerebral arteries back the ability to constrict.
[482] To paralyze.
[483] To kill.
[484] No court would give you that authority."
[485] "I suppose there's some chance of that.
[486] But without the treatment there is no chance of your husband regaining his right senses, Mrs. Macklin," Mitchell interjected.
[487] Her mouth grew petulant.
[488] "I don't care.
[489] I would rather have a live husband than a dead genius.
[490] I can take care of him this way, make him comfortable...." Carson opened his mouth and closed his fist, then relaxed.
[491] Mitchell led him back into the hall.
[492] "I'm no psychiatrist," Mitchell said, "but I think she wants Macklin stupid.
[493] Prefers it that way.
[494] She's always dominated his personal life, and now she can dominate him completely."
[495] "What is she?
[496] A monster?"
[497] the Army officer muttered.
[498] "No," Mitchell said.
[499] "She's an intelligent woman unconsciously jealous of her husband's genius."
[500] "Maybe," Carson said.
[501] "I don't know.
[502] I don't know what the hell to tell the Pentagon.
[503] I think I'll go out and get drunk."
[504] "I'll go with you," Ferris said.
[505] Mitchell glanced sharply at the little biologist.
[506] Carson squinted.
[507] "Any particular reason, doctor?"
[508] "To celebrate," Ferris said.
[509] The colonel shrugged.
[510] "That's as good a reason as any."
[511] On the street, Mitchell watched the two men go off together in bewilderment.
[512] IV Macklin was playing jacks.
[513] He didn't have a head on his shoulders and he was squatting on a great curving surface that was Spacetime, and his jacks were Earth and Pluto and the rest of the planets.
[514] And for a ball he was using a head.
[515] Not his head.
[516] Mitchell's.
[517] Both heads were initialed "M" so it was all the same.
[518] Mitchell forced himself to awaken, with some initial difficulty.
[519] He lay there, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, listening to his heart race, and then convulsively snatched the telephone receiver from the nightstand.
[520] He stabbed out a number with a vicious index finger.
[521] After a time there came a dull click and a sleepy answer.
[522] "Hello?"
[523] Elliot Macklin said.
[524] Mitchell smiled to himself.
[525] He was in luck; Macklin had answered the phone instead of his wife.
[526] "Can you speak freely, doctor?"
[527] Mitchell asked.
[528] "Of course," the mathematician said.
[529] "I can talk fine."
[530] "I mean, are you alone?"
[531] "Oh, you want to know if my wife is around.
[532] No, she's asleep.
[533] That Army doctor, Colonel Sidney, he gave her a sedative.
[534] I wouldn't let him give me anything, though."
[535] "Good boy," the biologist said.
[536] "Listen, doctor—Elliot—El, old son.
[537] I'm not against you like all the others.
[538] I don't want to make you go back to all that worrying and thinking and headaches.
[539] You believe me, don't you?"
[540] There was a slight hesitation.
[541] "Sure," Macklin said, "if you say so.
[542] Why shouldn't I believe you?"
[543] "But there was a hesitation there, El.
[544] You worried for just a second if I could have some reason for not telling you the truth."
[545] "I suppose so," Macklin said humbly.
[546] "You've found yourself worrying—thinking—about a lot of other problems since we left you, haven't you?
[547] Maybe not the same kind of scientific problem.
[548] But more personal ones, ones you didn't used to have time to think about."
[549] "If you say so."
[550] "Now, you know it's so.
[551] But how would you like to get rid of those worries just as you got rid of the others?"
[552] Mitchell asked.
[553] "I guess I'd like that," the mathematician replied.
[554] "Then come on over to my laboratory.
[555] You remember where it's at, don't you?"
[556] "No, I—yes, I guess I do.
[557] But how do I know you won't try to put me back where I was instead of helping me more?"
[558] "I couldn't do that against your wishes.
[559] That would be illegal!"
[560] "If you say so.
[561] But I don't guess I can come anyway.
[562] The Army is watching me pretty close."
[563] "That's alright," Mitchell said quickly.
[564] "You can bring along Colonel Carson."
[565] "But he won't like you fixing me up more."
[566] "But he can't stop me!
[567] Not if you want me to do it.
[568] Now listen to me—I want you to come right on over here, El."
[569] "If you say so," Macklin said uncertainly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "How do people react to the choice of using the cure?":
1. [162] "Tell me," he said, "what is the worst that could happen to me?"
2. [183] "Very well. Go ahead. Give me your injection."
3. [190] "No! I'm ready. Go ahead, right now."
4. [394] "What do you mean you don't like it?"
5. [398] " With my headaches, like before?"
6. [407] "I shall not go back to my original state."
7. [418] "I've got it made. Why worry?"
8. [445] "Really?" she said.
9. [463] "It would be monstrous to put him back where he would suffer the hell of those headaches once again, where he never had a moment's peace from worry and pressure."
10. [487] Her mouth grew petulant. "I don't care. I would rather have a live husband than a dead genius. I can take care of him this way, make him comfortable...."
11. [1] THE BIG HEADACHE BY JIM HARMON What's the principal cause of headaches?
12. [2] Why, having a head, of course!
13. [3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962.
14. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
15. [5] "Do you think we'll have to use force on Macklin to get him to cooperate in the experiment?"
16. [6] Ferris asked eagerly.
17. [7] "How are you going to go about forcing him, Doctor?"
18. [8] Mitchell inquired.
19. [9] "He outweighs you by fifty pounds and you needn't look to me for help against that repatriated fullback."
20. [10] Ferris fingered the collar of his starched lab smock.
21. [11] "Guess I got carried away for a moment.
22. [12] But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test.
23. [13] We've had it if he turns us down."
24. [14] "I know," Mitchell said, exhaling deeply.
25. [15] "Somehow the men with the money just can't seem to understand basic research.
26. [16] Who would have financed a study of cyclic periods of the hedgehog?
27. [17] Yet the information gained from that study is vital in cancer research."
28. [18] "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone.
29. [19] But those crummy trustees didn't even leave us enough for a field test."
30. [20] Ferris scrubbed his thin hand over the bony ridge of his forehead.
31. [21] "I've been worrying so much about this I've got the ancestor of all headaches."
32. [22] Mitchell's blue eyes narrowed and his boyish face took on an expression of demonic intensity.
33. [23] "Ferris, would you consider—?"
34. [24] "No!"
35. [25] the smaller man yelled.
36. [26] "You can't expect me to violate professional ethics and test my own discovery on myself."
37. [27] " Our discovery," Mitchell said politely.
38. [28] "That's what I meant to say.
39. [29] But I'm not sure it would be completely ethical with even a discovery partly mine."
40. [30] "You're right.
41. [31] Besides who cares if you or I are cured of headaches?
42. [32] Our reputations don't go outside our own fields," Mitchell said.
43. [33] "But now Macklin—" Elliot Macklin had inherited the reputation of the late Albert Einstein in the popular mind.
44. [34] He was the man people thought of when the word "mathematician" or even "scientist" was mentioned.
45. [35] No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it.
46. [36] Macklin was in his early fifties but looked in his late thirties, with the build of a football player.
47. [37] The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets.
48. [38] For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars.
49. [39] Mitchell had overheard two coeds talking and so knew that the project was nearing completion.
50. [40] If so, it was a case of Ad astra per aspirin .
51. [41] The only thing that could delay the project was Macklin's health.
52. [42] Despite his impressive body, some years before he had suffered a mild stroke ... or at least a vascular spasm of a cerebral artery.
53. [43] It was known that he suffered from the vilest variety of migraine.
54. [44] A cycle of the headaches had caused him to be absent from his classes for several weeks, and there were an unusual number of military uniforms seen around the campus.
55. [45] Ferris paced off the tidy measurements of the office outside the laboratory in the biology building.
56. [46] Mitchell sat slumped in the chair behind the blond imitation wood desk, watching him disinterestedly.
57. [47] "Do you suppose the Great Man will actually show up?"
58. [48] Ferris demanded, pausing in mid-stride.
59. [49] "I imagine he will," Mitchell said.
60. [50] "Macklin's always seemed a decent enough fellow when I've had lunch with him or seen him at the trustees meetings."
61. [51] "He's always treated me like dirt," Ferris said heatedly.
62. [52] "Everyone on this campus treats biologists like dirt.
63. [53] Sometimes I want to bash in their smug faces."
64. [54] Sometimes, Mitchell reflected, Ferris displayed a certain lack of scientific detachment.
65. [55] There came a discreet knock on the door.
66. [56] "Please come in," Mitchell said.
67. [57] Elliot Macklin entered in a cloud of pipe smoke and a tweed jacket.
68. [58] He looked more than a little like a postgraduate student, and Mitchell suspected that that was his intention.
69. [59] He shook hands warmly with Mitchell.
70. [60] "Good of you to ask me over, Steven."
71. [61] Macklin threw a big arm across Ferris' shoulders.
72. [62] "How have you been, Harold?"
73. [63] Ferris' face flickered between pink and white.
74. [64] "Fine, thank you, doctor."
75. [65] Macklin dropped on the edge of the desk and adjusted his pipe.
76. [66] "Now what's this about you wanting my help on something?
77. [67] And please keep the explanation simple.
78. [68] Biology isn't my field, you know."
79. [69] Mitchell moved around the desk casually.
80. [70] "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance.
81. [71] There may be an element of risk."
82. [72] The mathematician clamped onto his pipe and showed his teeth.
83. [73] "Now you have me intrigued.
84. [74] What is it all about?"
85. [75] "Doctor, we understand you have severe headaches," Mitchell said.
86. [76] Macklin nodded.
87. [77] "That's right, Steven.
88. [78] Migraine."
89. [79] "That must be terrible," Ferris said.
90. [80] "All your fine reputation and lavish salary can't be much consolation when that ripping, tearing agony begins, can it?"
91. [81] "No, Harold, it isn't," Macklin admitted.
92. [82] "What does your project have to do with my headaches?"
93. [83] "Doctor," Mitchell said, "what would you say the most common complaint of man is?"
94. [84] "I would have said the common cold," Macklin replied, "but I suppose from what you have said you mean headaches."
95. [85] "Headaches," Mitchell agreed.
96. [86] "Everybody has them at some time in his life.
97. [87] Some people have them every day.
98. [88] Some are driven to suicide by their headaches."
99. [89] "Yes," Macklin said.
100. [90] "But think," Ferris interjected, "what a boon it would be if everyone could be cured of headaches forever by one simple injection."
101. [91] "I don't suppose the manufacturers of aspirin would like you.
102. [92] But it would please about everybody else."
103. [93] "Aspirins would still be used to reduce fever and relieve muscular pains," Mitchell said.
104. [94] "I see.
105. [95] Are you two saying you have such a shot?
106. [96] Can you cure headaches?"
107. [97] "We think we can," Ferris said.
108. [98] "How can you have a specific for a number of different causes?"
109. [99] Macklin asked.
110. [100] "I know that much about the subject."
111. [101] "There are a number of different causes for headaches—nervous strain, fatigue, physical diseases from kidney complaints to tumors, over-indulgence—but there is one effect of all of this, the one real cause of headaches," Mitchell announced.
112. [102] "We have definitely established this for this first time," Ferris added.
113. [103] "That's fine," Macklin said, sucking on his pipe.
114. [104] "And this effect that produces headaches is?"
115. [105] "The pressure effect caused by pituitrin in the brain," Mitchell said eagerly.
116. [106] "That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes.
117. [107] It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland.
118. [108] We have artificially bred a virus that feeds on pituitrin."
119. [109] "That may mean the end of headaches, but I would think it would mean the end of the race as well," Macklin said.
120. [110] "In certain areas it is valuable to have a constriction of blood vessels."
121. [111] "The virus," Ferris explained, "can easily be localized and stabilized.
122. [112] A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain."
123. [113] The mathematician took the pipe out of his mouth.
124. [114] "If this really works, I could stop using that damned gynergen, couldn't I?
125. [115] The stuff makes me violently sick to my stomach.
126. [116] But it's better than the migraine.
127. [117] How should I go about removing my curse?"
128. [118] He reinserted the pipe.
129. [119] "I assure you, you can forget ergotamine tartrate," Ferris said.
130. [120] "Our discovery will work."
131. [121] "Will work," Macklin said thoughtfully.
132. [122] "The operative word.
133. [123] It hasn't worked then?"
134. [124] "Certainly it has," Ferris said.
135. [125] "On rats, on chimps...." "But not on humans?"
136. [126] Macklin asked.
137. [127] "Not yet," Mitchell admitted.
138. [128] "Well," Macklin said.
139. [129] "Well."
140. [130] He thumped pipe ashes out into his palm.
141. [131] "Certainly you can get volunteers.
142. [132] Convicts.
143. [133] Conscientious objectors from the Army."
144. [134] "We want you," Ferris told him.
145. [135] Macklin coughed.
146. [136] "I don't want to overestimate my value but the government wouldn't like it very well if I died in the middle of this project.
147. [137] My wife would like it even less."
148. [138] Ferris turned his back on the mathematician.
149. [139] Mitchell could see him mouthing the word yellow .
150. [140] "Doctor," Mitchell said quickly, "I know it's a tremendous favor to ask of a man of your position.
151. [141] But you can understand our problem.
152. [142] Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing.
153. [143] We should run a large-scale field test.
154. [144] But we haven't the time or money for that.
155. [145] We can cure the headaches of one person and that's the limit of our resources."
156. [146] "I'm tempted," Macklin said hesitantly, "but the answer is go.
157. [147] I mean ' no '.
158. [148] I'd like to help you out, but I'm afraid I owe too much to others to take the rest—the risk, I mean."
159. [149] Macklin ran the back of his knuckles across his forehead.
160. [150] "I really would like to take you up on it.
161. [151] When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine.
162. [152] The drilling, grinding pain through my temples and around my eyeballs.
163. [153] The flashes of light, the rioting pools of color playing on the back of my lids.
164. [154] Ugh."
165. [155] Ferris smiled.
166. [156] "Gynergen makes you sick, does it, doctor?
167. [157] Produces nausea, eh?
168. [158] The pain of that turns you almost wrong side out, doesn't it?
169. [159] You aren't much better off with it than without, are you?
170. [160] I've heard some say they preferred the migraine."
171. [161] Macklin carefully arranged his pipe along with the tools he used to tend it in a worn leather case.
172. [162] "Tell me," he said, "what is the worst that could happen to me?"
173. [163] "Low blood pressure," Ferris said.
174. [164] "That's not so bad," Macklin said.
175. [165] "How low can it get?"
176. [166] "When your heart stops, your blood pressure goes to its lowest point," Mitchell said.
177. [167] A dew of perspiration had bloomed on Macklin's forehead.
178. [168] "Is there much risk of that?"
179. [169] "Practically none," Mitchell said.
180. [170] "We have to give you the worst possibilities.
181. [171] All our test animals survived and seem perfectly happy and contented.
182. [172] As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing.
183. [173] Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger....
184. [174] But we may be wrong."
185. [175] Macklin held his head in both hands.
186. [176] "Why did you two select me ?"
187. [177] "You're an important man, doctor," Ferris said.
188. [178] "Nobody would care if Mitchell or I cured ourselves of headaches—they might not even believe us if we said we did.
189. [179] But the proper authorities will believe a man of your reputation.
190. [180] Besides, neither of us has a record of chronic migraine.
191. [181] You do."
192. [182] "Yes, I do," Macklin said.
193. [183] "Very well. Go ahead. Give me your injection."
194. [184] Mitchell cleared his throat.
195. [185] "Are you positive, doctor?
196. [186] Perhaps you would like a few days to think it over."
197. [187] "No! I'm ready. Go ahead, right now."
198. [188] "There's a simple release," Ferris said smoothly.
199. [189] Macklin groped in his pocket for a pen.
200. [394] "What do you mean you don't like |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Orison McCall is applying for a job at the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company. She is a government spy who has been selected from the Treasury Department to work at the bank. The man who she meets for the job is Mr. Wanji, the First Vice President. He dresses strangely compared to the regular banker. Mr. Wanji also speaks to Orison in strange slang and leaves her with the job of reading newspapers into a microphone. She takes her lunch break at noon, eats a tuna salad on whole-wheat, and returns to reading at her desk until five. Orison gets the job and notes that the bank is very bizarre. All of the workers wear earmuffs, and her only task is to read into a microphone. After her dinner, she goes home and waits to receive a call from Washington. At eleven-thirty, she receives a call from Monitor J-12 from the Department of Treasury. He asks Orison for a report but flirts with her slightly by calling her beautiful and kissing the microphone. The next morning, the bank President Dink Gerding personally welcomes her. She notes that he is as crazy as the rest of the bank, and he asks her out for dinner even though they have just met. Once Orison begins reading a copy of yesterday’s Congressional Record, Auga Vingt silently comes and introduces herself. She threatens Orison to stay away from Dink, to which Orison agrees and tells her to leave. Then, Kraft Gerding introduces himself to her, and she threatens to quit because of how crazy this bank is. Orison then receives a call from Wanji, and he tells her to tell Dink that escudo green is pale. Although she is banned from taking the elevator to the upper floor, she takes the stairs to the seventh floor instead and is greeted by the sight of millions of spiders in pink liquid. Kraft threatens to toss her into the tank, but then Dink comes and rescues her. He crashes his fist into Kraft’s jaw, and the perpetrators leave him and Orison alone. He explains to her that the creatures are Microfabridae and are more closely related to shellfish than spiders. She holds one, and Dink says that the company is raising them in secret because it does not have a patent. He lets her listen to the hymn of the Microfabridae and feed the tiny creatures. Orison swears that she can see Benjamin Franklin winking at her, but she believes it is nonsense.",
"Orison is having an interview for the position of secretary in Taft Bank with its vice-president Mr. Wanji. The least is talking slang and wears furry earmuffs and a scarlet vest, not reminding a banker at all. Orison's job is to read into a microphone whatever she is given. After the first day, the new employee is feeling very confused with her tasks, her boss, everyone in the office wearing earmuffs and forbidden upper floors. Turns out she is to spy for Washington in this bank and she writes down her observations. Orison gets a food and a drink and heads home, waiting for a call from Washington. As she doesn't get it, she goes to bed and suddenly hears a voice. They establish an every day time for the talks and Orison tell everything she saw. The person on the other end, J-12, flirts with her and hangs up. Next morning in the office orison meets the bank president, a handsome young man Dink Gerding. He praises her efforts and asks on a dinner that night. Later, an extravagant woman, Auga, comes in. She shortly warns orison against touching 'her' Dink, following it by serious threats. Right after Kraft Gerding, Dink's elder brother, comes to welcome Orison. He warns her against mixing work and pleasure as well, which makes Orison ask him to leave. Soon she gets a call from Mr. Wangi speaking a strange language. She decides to go up via stairway. On the seventh floor she finds a huge room full of tanks and sees green liquid with pink bubbles inside. The bubbles turn out to be millions of spiders and Orison screams rushing back. There she is captured by Kraft and two earmuffs, who ask about the reasons for her entering the room. Suddenly, Dink enters and frees her, he beats his brother, who knelt to Dink's rank, and everyone leaves except Orison and Dink. The least shows her Microfabridae and gives one to hold, explaining he is no spider, after Orison describes her intrusion as an act of curiosity. Dink embraces Orison and they listen for the singing of little creatures for a while, then they feed them and leave.",
"The story talks about a spy named Miss Orison McCall, and her weird investigation object, the Taft Bank. In the beginning Orison tries to get a job in this bank. She is interviewed by the bank’s vice president, Mr. Wanji, who acts like a racetrack tout. Though Orison’s new job has a higher salary than the previous one, her job is very simple. She only has to read newspapers and fairy-tales to a microphone every day. After finishing a day of work at the Taft Bank, Orison reports what she saw to Washington. Since there has not been any calls, she decides to go to sleep. However, as she lies down, a radio in her pillow talks to her. She is surprised, but agrees to report to the pillow at 11:15 every day from then on. Easy work and high salary, suspicious earmuffs for some of the workers, restricted floors, they all make the bank seems oddly strange. The next day, Orison meets Mr. Dink Gerding who seems to have an interest in Orison and asks her out for dinner. Orison agrees. However, both Mr. Kraft, the elder brother of Dink, and Auga Vingt, who thinks that Dink is hers, warned Orison to keep a distance from Dink.\n\nLater, Mr. Wanji calls Orison and wants her to bring a message to Dink. This gives Orison a vague excuse to explore the higher floors. Through a stairway, Orison goes to the 6th floor, but the door is locked. The door to the 7th floor is not. She pushes through the door and enters. She first thinks that she sees Benjamin Franklin. She got so scared that she screams. Then, mistakenly thinks that the Microfabridae are spiders, which Orison was afraid of, she screams again. Then, the appearance of Kraft and two other men with earmuffs make Orison unable to leave. Kraft threatens Orison. Luckily, Dink appears and saves her from the situation. Orison learns about Microfabridae, which are useful for a secret developing commercial process. Whereas, they are secretly fed by the bank because of the problem of patent.",
"Orizon McCall has an interview with Vice-President, Mr. Wanji of the Taft National Bank and Trust Company for the new position of secretary in the company. He takes her inside the elevator of the building, where he tells her she is not to go past the fifth floor of the building. He takes her to her office on the fifth floor where she will be working. He tells her that her job is to read the paper, as well as different books into a microphone. It is then revealed that the real reason for Orizon's application for this position was to spy on the bank for the government. Mr. Wanji leaves her. Orizon reads into the microphone all morning, then breaks for lunch. She sees more men with earmuffs on the elevator, coming down from the upper floors. She comes back after lunch, and then heads home. \nOrizon arrives home in her apartment, where she waits for Washington to call her, asking for an initial report. At eleven thirty, she decides to go to bed, after having not received any call. Just then, an invisible voice breaks out in the room. It is coming from her pillow, a speaker hiding in it. It belongs to Monitor J-12 from the agency, asking her if she has anything to report. She briefs him on her findings from the day. The next day, Orizon is back in her office, where she meets the president of the bank, Dink Gerding. He tells her she is to be his confidential secretary. He asks her out to dinner and dancing, which she accepts. He leaves, getting in the elevator. Orizon is visited by Kraft Gerding, Dink's older brother, who also warns her not to get involved with Dink. \nOrizon continues to read, when half an hour later, she gets a call from Mr. Wanji. He tells her to pass on a message to Mr. Dink Gerding. She decides to use the excuse of passing on this message to Dink as a reason to explore the upper floors. She opens the door to an expansive room, flooded with light. There are steel tanks all around, filled with green fluid with tiny pink bubbles. She then realises that the pink bubbles are spiders. She screams, and backs into the arms of Kraft. His two men take her by the wrists. He threatens to throw her into the spider tanks if she doesn't tell him what she's doing there. She tells him she has a message for Dink. Dink enters the room, and the two men, including Dink's brother, drop to the floor. Dink goes to her, soothing her, then punches Kraft. He orders the three men to leave. He tells her that the spiders are not spiders at all. They are tiny frustrations called Microfabridae, who eat stone and metal. He tells her he can't explain what they do, as it's confidential. They listen as the tiny creatures sing."
] | [1] CINDERELLA STORY By ALLEN KIM LANG What a bank!
[2] The First Vice-President was a cool cat—the elevator and the money operators all wore earmuffs—was just as phony as a three-dollar bill!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I The First Vice-President of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company, the gentleman to whom Miss Orison McCall was applying for a job, was not at all the public picture of a banker.
[6] His suit of hound's-tooth checks, the scarlet vest peeping above the vee of his jacket, were enough to assure Orison that the Taft Bank was a curious bank indeed.
[7] "I gotta say, chick, these references of yours really swing," said the Vice-President, Mr. Wanji.
[8] "Your last boss says you come on real cool in the secretary-bit."
[9] "He was a very kind employer," Orison said.
[10] She tried to keep from staring at the most remarkable item of Mr. Wanji's costume, a pair of furry green earmuffs.
[11] It was not cold.
[12] Mr. Wanji returned to Orison her letters of reference.
[13] "What color bread you got eyes for taking down, baby?"
[14] he asked.
[15] "Beg pardon?"
[16] "What kinda salary you bucking for?"
[17] he translated, bouncing up and down on the toes of his rough-leather desert boots.
[18] "I was making one-twenty a week in my last position," Miss McCall said.
[19] "You're worth more'n that, just to jazz up the decor," Mr. Wanji said.
[20] "What you say we pass you a cee-and-a-half a week.
[21] Okay?"
[22] He caught Orison's look of bewilderment.
[23] "One each, a Franklin and a Grant," he explained further.
[24] She still looked blank.
[25] "Sister, you gonna work in a bank, you gotta know who's picture's on the paper.
[26] That's a hunnerd-fifty a week, doll."
[27] "That will be most satisfactory, Mr. Wanji," Orison said.
[28] It was indeed.
[29] "Crazy!"
[30] Mr. Wanji grabbed Orison's right hand and shook it with athletic vigor.
[31] "You just now joined up with our herd.
[32] I wanna tell you, chick, it's none too soon we got some decent scenery around this tomb, girlwise."
[33] He took her arm and led her toward the bank of elevators.
[34] The uniformed operator nodded to Mr. Wanji, bowed slightly to Orison.
[35] He, too, she observed, wore earmuffs.
[36] His were more formal than Mr. Wanji's, being midnight blue in color.
[37] "Lift us to five, Mac," Mr. Wanji said.
[38] As the elevator door shut he explained to Orison, "You can make the Taft Bank scene anywhere between the street floor and floor five.
[39] Basement and everything higher'n fifth floor is Iron Curtain Country far's you're concerned.
[40] Dig, baby?"
[41] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[42] She was wondering if she'd be issued earmuffs, now that she'd become an employee of this most peculiar bank.
[43] The elevator opened on five to a tiny office, just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs.
[44] On the desk were a telephone and a microphone.
[45] Beside them was a double-decked "In" and "Out" basket.
[46] "Here's where you'll do your nine-to-five, honey," Mr. Wanji said.
[47] "What will I be doing, Mr.
[48] Wanji?"
[49] Orison asked.
[50] The Vice-President pointed to the newspaper folded in the "In" basket.
[51] "Flip on the microphone and read the paper to it," he said.
[52] "When you get done reading the paper, someone will run you up something new to read.
[53] Okay?"
[54] "It seems a rather peculiar job," Orison said.
[55] "After all, I'm a secretary.
[56] Is reading the newspaper aloud supposed to familiarize me with the Bank's operation?"
[57] "Don't bug me, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[58] "All you gotta do is read that there paper into this here microphone.
[59] Can do?"
[60] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[61] "While you're here, Mr. Wanji, I'd like to ask you about my withholding tax, social security, credit union, coffee-breaks, union membership, lunch hour and the like.
[62] Shall we take care of these details now?
[63] Or would you—" "You just take care of that chicken-flickin' kinda stuff any way seems best to you, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[64] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[65] This laissez-faire policy of Taft Bank's might explain why she'd been selected from the Treasury Department's secretarial pool to apply for work here, she thought.
[66] Orison McCall, girl Government spy.
[67] She picked up the newspaper from the "In" basket, unfolded it to discover the day's Wall Street Journal , and began at the top of column one to read it aloud.
[68] Wanji stood before the desk, nodding his head as he listened.
[69] "You blowing real good, kid," he said.
[70] "The boss is gonna dig you the most."
[71] Orison nodded.
[72] Holding her newspaper and her microphone, she read the one into the other.
[73] Mr. Wanji flicked his fingers in a good-by, then took off upstairs in the elevator.
[74] By lunchtime Orison had finished the Wall Street Journal and had begun reading a book an earmuffed page had brought her.
[75] The book was a fantastic novel of some sort, named The Hobbit .
[76] Reading this peculiar fare into the microphone before her, Miss McCall was more certain than ever that the Taft Bank was, as her boss in Washington had told her, the front for some highly irregular goings-on.
[77] An odd business for a Federal Mata Hari, Orison thought, reading a nonsense story into a microphone for an invisible audience.
[78] Orison switched off her microphone at noon, marked her place in the book and took the elevator down to the ground floor.
[79] The operator was a new man, ears concealed behind scarlet earmuffs.
[80] In the car, coming down from the interdicted upper floors, were several gentlemen with briefcases.
[81] As though they were members of a ballet-troupe, these gentlemen whipped off their hats with a single motion as Orison stepped aboard the elevator.
[82] Each of the chivalrous men, hat pressed to his heart, wore a pair of earmuffs.
[83] Orison nodded bemused acknowledgment of their gesture, and got off in the lobby vowing never to put a penny into this curiousest of banks.
[84] Lunch at the stand-up counter down the street was a normal interlude.
[85] Girls from the ground-floor offices of Taft Bank chattered together, eyed Orison with the coolness due so attractive a competitor, and favored her with no gambit to enter their conversations.
[86] Orison sighed, finished her tuna salad on whole-wheat, then went back upstairs to her lonely desk and her microphone.
[87] By five, Orison had finished the book, reading rapidly and becoming despite herself engrossed in the saga of Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit.
[88] She switched off the microphone, put on her light coat, and rode downstairs in an elevator filled with earmuffed, silent, hat-clasping gentlemen.
[89] What I need, Orison thought, walking rapidly to the busline, is a double Scotch, followed by a double Scotch.
[90] And what the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company needs is a joint raid by forces of the U.S. Treasury Department and the American Psychiatric Association.
[91] Earmuffs, indeed.
[92] Fairy-tales read into a microphone.
[93] A Vice-President with the vocabulary of a racetrack tout.
[94] And what goes on in those upper floors?
[95] Orison stopped in at the restaurant nearest her apartment house—the Windsor Arms—and ordered a meal and a single Martini.
[96] Her boss in Washington had told her that this job of hers, spying on Taft Bank from within, might prove dangerous.
[97] Indeed it was, she thought.
[98] She was in danger of becoming a solitary drinker.
[99] Home in her apartment, Orison set the notes of her first day's observations in order.
[100] Presumably Washington would call tonight for her initial report.
[101] Item: some of the men at the Bank wore earmuffs, several didn't.
[102] Item: the Vice-President's name was Mr. Wanji: Oriental?
[103] Item: the top eight floors of the Taft Bank Building seemed to be off-limits to all personnel not wearing earmuffs.
[104] Item: she was being employed at a very respectable salary to read newsprint and nonsense into a microphone.
[105] Let Washington make sense of that, she thought.
[106] In a gloomy mood, Orison McCall showered and dressed for bed.
[107] Eleven o'clock.
[108] Washington should be calling soon, inquiring after the results of her first day's spying.
[109] No call.
[110] Orison slipped between the sheets at eleven-thirty.
[111] The clock was set; the lights were out.
[112] Wasn't Washington going to call her?
[113] Perhaps, she thought, the Department had discovered that the Earmuffs had her phone tapped.
[114] "Testing," a baritone voice muttered.
[115] Orison sat up, clutching the sheet around her throat.
[116] "Beg pardon?"
[117] she said.
[118] "Testing," the male voice repeated.
[119] "One, two, three; three, two, one.
[120] Do you read me?
[121] Over."
[122] Orison reached under the bed for a shoe.
[123] Gripping it like a Scout-ax, she reached for the light cord with her free hand and tugged at it.
[124] The room was empty.
[125] "Testing," the voice repeated.
[126] "What you're testing," Orison said in a firm voice, "is my patience.
[127] Who are you?"
[128] "Department of Treasury Monitor J-12," the male voice said.
[129] "Do you have anything to report, Miss McCall?"
[130] "Where are you, Monitor?"
[131] she demanded.
[132] "That's classified information," the voice said.
[133] "Please speak directly to your pillow, Miss McCall."
[134] Orison lay down cautiously.
[135] "All right," she whispered to her pillow.
[136] "Over here," the voice instructed her, coming from the unruffled pillow beside her.
[137] Orison transferred her head to the pillow to her left.
[138] "A radio?"
[139] she asked.
[140] "Of a sort," Monitor J-12 agreed.
[141] "We have to maintain communications security.
[142] Have you anything to report?"
[143] "I got the job," Orison said.
[144] "Are you ... in that pillow ... all the time?"
[145] "No, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[146] "Only at report times.
[147] Shall we establish our rendezvous here at eleven-fifteen, Central Standard Time, every day?"
[148] "You make it sound so improper," Orison said.
[149] "I'm far enough away to do you no harm, Miss McCall," the monitor said.
[150] "Now, tell me what happened at the bank today."
[151] Orison briefed her pillow on the Earmuffs, on her task of reading to a microphone, and on the generally mimsy tone of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company.
[152] "That's about it, so far," she said.
[153] "Good report," J-12 said from the pillow.
[154] "Sounds like you've dropped into a real snakepit, beautiful."
[155] "How do you know ... why do you think I'm beautiful?"
[156] Orison asked.
[157] "Native optimism," the voice said.
[158] "Good night."
[159] J-12 signed off with a peculiar electronic pop that puzzled Orison for a moment.
[160] Then she placed the sound: J-12 had kissed his microphone.
[161] Orison flung the shoe and the pillow under her bed, and resolved to write Washington for permission to make her future reports by registered mail.
[162] II At ten o'clock the next morning, reading page four of the current Wall Street Journal , Orison was interrupted by the click of a pair of leather heels.
[163] The gentleman whose heels had just slammed together was bowing.
[164] And she saw with some gratification that he was not wearing earmuffs.
[165] "My name," the stranger said, "is Dink Gerding.
[166] I am President of this bank, and wish at this time to welcome you to our little family."
[167] "I'm Orison McCall," she said.
[168] A handsome man, she mused.
[169] Twenty-eight?
[170] So tall.
[171] Could he ever be interested in a girl just five-foot-three?
[172] Maybe higher heels?
[173] "We're pleased with your work, Miss McCall," Dink Gerding said.
[174] He took the chair to the right of her desk.
[175] "It's nothing," Orison said, switching off the microphone.
[176] "On the contrary, Miss McCall.
[177] Your duties are most important," he said.
[178] "Reading papers and fairy-tales into this microphone is nothing any reasonably astute sixth-grader couldn't do as well," Orison said.
[179] "You'll be reading silently before long," Mr. Gerding said.
[180] He smiled, as though this explained everything.
[181] "By the way, your official designation is Confidential Secretary.
[182] It's me whose confidences you're to keep secret.
[183] If I ever need a letter written, may I stop down here and dictate it?"
[184] "Please do," Orison said.
[185] This bank president, for all his grace and presence, was obviously as kookie as his bank.
[186] "Have you ever worked in a bank before, Miss McCall?"
[187] Mr. Gerding asked, as though following her train of thought.
[188] "No, sir," she said.
[189] "Though I've been associated with a rather large financial organization."
[190] "You may find some of our methods a little strange, but you'll get used to them," he said.
[191] "Meanwhile, I'd be most grateful if you'd dispense with calling me 'sir.'
[192] My name is Dink.
[193] It is ridiculous, but I'd enjoy your using it."
[194] "Dink?"
[195] she asked.
[196] "And I suppose you're to call me Orison?"
[197] "That's the drill," he said.
[198] "One more question, Orison.
[199] Dinner this evening?"
[200] Direct, she thought.
[201] Perhaps that's why he's president of a bank, and still so young.
[202] "We've hardly met," she said.
[203] "But we're on a first-name basis already," he pointed out.
[204] "Dance?"
[205] "I'd love to," Orison said, half expecting an orchestra to march, playing, from the elevator.
[206] "Then I'll pick you up at seven.
[207] Windsor Arms, if I remember your personnel form correctly."
[208] He stood, lean, all bone and muscle, and bowed slightly.
[209] West Point?
[210] Hardly.
[211] His manners were European.
[212] Sandhurst, perhaps, or Saint Cyr.
[213] Was she supposed to reply with a curtsy?
[214] Orison wondered.
[215] "Thank you," she said.
[216] He was a soldier, or had been: the way, when he turned, his shoulders stayed square.
[217] The crisp clicking of his steps, a military metronome, to the elevator.
[218] When the door slicked open Orison, staring after Dink, saw that each of the half-dozen men aboard snapped off their hats (but not their earmuffs) and bowed, the earmuffed operator bowing with them.
[219] Small bows, true; just head-and-neck.
[220] But not to her.
[221] To Dink Gerding.
[222] Orison finished the Wall Street Journal by early afternoon.
[223] A page came up a moment later with fresh reading-matter: a copy of yesterday's Congressional Record .
[224] She launched into the Record , thinking as she read of meeting again this evening that handsome madman, that splendid lunatic, that unlikely bank-president.
[225] "You read so well , darling," someone said across the desk.
[226] Orison looked up.
[227] "Oh, hello," she said.
[228] "I didn't hear you come up."
[229] "I walk ever so lightly," the woman said, standing hip-shot in front of the desk, "and pounce ever so hard."
[230] She smiled.
[231] Opulent, Orison thought.
[232] Built like a burlesque queen.
[233] No, she thought, I don't like her.
[234] Can't.
[235] Wouldn't if I could.
[236] Never cared for cats.
[237] "I'm Orison McCall," she said, and tried to smile back without showing teeth.
[238] "Delighted," the visitor said, handing over an undelighted palm.
[239] "I'm Auga Vingt.
[240] Auga, to my friends."
[241] "Won't you sit down, Miss Vingt?"
[242] "So kind of you, darling," Auga Vingt said, "but I shan't have time to visit.
[243] I just wanted to stop and welcome you as a Taft Bank co-worker.
[244] One for all, all for one.
[245] Yea, Team.
[246] You know."
[247] "Thanks," Orison said.
[248] "Common courtesy," Miss Vingt explained.
[249] "Also, darling, I'd like to draw your attention to one little point.
[250] Dink Gerding—you know, the shoulders and muscles and crewcut?
[251] Well, he's posted property.
[252] Should you throw your starveling charms at my Dink, you'd only get your little eyes scratched out.
[253] Word to the wise, n'est-ce pas ?"
[254] "Sorry you have to leave so suddenly," Orison said, rolling her Wall Street Journal into a club and standing.
[255] "Darling."
[256] "So remember, Tiny, Dink Gerding is mine.
[257] You're all alone up here.
[258] You could get broken nails, fall down the elevator shaft, all sorts of annoyance.
[259] Understand me, darling?"
[260] "You make it very clear," Orison said.
[261] "Now you'd best hurry back to your stanchion, Bossy, before the hay's all gone."
[262] "Isn't it lovely, the way you and I reached an understanding right off?"
[263] Auga asked.
[264] "Well, ta-ta."
[265] She turned and walked to the elevator, displaying, Orison thought, a disgraceful amount of ungirdled rhumba motion.
[266] The elevator stopped to pick up the odious Auga.
[267] A passenger, male, stepped off.
[268] "Good morning, Mr. Gerding," Miss Vingt said, bowing.
[269] "Carry on, Colonel," the stranger replied.
[270] As the elevator door closed, he stepped up to Orison's desk.
[271] "Good morning.
[272] Miss McCall," he said.
[273] "What is this?"
[274] Orison demanded.
[275] "Visiting-day at the zoo?"
[276] She paused and shook her head.
[277] "Excuse me, sir," she said.
[278] "It's just that ... Vingt thing...." "Auga is rather intense," the new Mr. Gerding said.
[279] "Yeah, intense," Orison said.
[280] "Like a kidney-stone."
[281] "I stopped by to welcome you to the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company family, Miss McCall," he said.
[282] "I'm Kraft Gerding, Dink's elder brother.
[283] I understand you've met Dink already."
[284] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[285] The hair of this new Mr. Gerding was cropped even closer than Dink's.
[286] His mustache was gray-tipped, like a patch of frosted furze; and his eyes, like Dink's, were cobalt blue.
[287] The head, Orison mused, would look quite at home in one of Kaiser Bill's spike-topped Pickelhauben ; but the ears were in evidence, and seemed normal.
[288] Mr. Kraft Gerding bowed—what continental manners these bankers had!—and Orison half expected him to free her hand from the rolled-up paper she still clutched and plant a kiss on it.
[289] Instead, Kraft Gerding smiled a smile as frosty as his mustache and said, "I understand that my younger brother has been talking with you, Miss McCall.
[290] Quite proper, I know.
[291] But I must warn you against mixing business with pleasure."
[292] Orison jumped up, tossing the paper into her wastebasket.
[293] "I quit!"
[294] she shouted.
[295] "You can take this crazy bank ... into bankruptcy, for all I care.
[296] I'm not going to perch up here, target for every uncaged idiot in finance, and listen to another word."
[297] "Dearest lady, my humblest pardon," Kraft Gerding said, bowing again, a bit lower.
[298] "Your work is splendid; your presence is Taft Bank's most charming asset; my only wish is to serve and protect you.
[299] To this end, dear lady, I feel it my duty to warn you against my brother.
[300] A word to the wise...." " N'est-ce pas? "
[301] Orison said.
[302] "Well, Buster, here's a word to the foolish.
[303] Get lost."
[304] Kraft Gerding bowed and flashed his gelid smile.
[305] "Until we meet again?"
[306] "I'll hold my breath," Orison promised.
[307] "The elevator is just behind you.
[308] Push a button, will you?
[309] And bon voyage ."
[310] Kraft Gerding called the elevator, marched aboard, favored Orison with a cold, quick bow, then disappeared into the mysterious heights above fifth floor.
[311] First the unspeakable Auga Vingt, then the obnoxious Kraft Gerding.
[312] Surely, Orison thought, recovering the Wall Street Journal from her wastebasket and smoothing it, no one would convert a major Midwestern bank into a lunatic asylum.
[313] How else, though, could the behavior of the Earmuffs be explained?
[314] Could madmen run a bank?
[315] Why not, she thought.
[316] History is rich in examples of madmen running nations, banks and all.
[317] She began again to read the paper into the microphone.
[318] If she finished early enough, she might get a chance to prowl those Off-Limits upper floors.
[319] Half an hour further into the paper, Orison jumped, startled by the sudden buzz of her telephone.
[320] She picked it up. "
[321] Wanji e-Kal, Datto.
[322] Dink ger-Dink d'summa. "
[323] Orison scribbled down this intelligence in bemused Gregg before replying, "I'm a local girl.
[324] Try me in English."
[325] "Oh.
[326] Hi, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[327] "Guess I goofed.
[328] I'm in kinda clutch.
[329] This is Wanji.
[330] I got a kite for Mr. Dink Gerding.
[331] If you see him, tell him the escudo green is pale.
[332] Got that, doll?"
[333] "Yes, Mr. Wanji.
[334] I'll tell Mr.
[335] Gerding."
[336] Orison clicked the phone down.
[337] What now, Mata Hari?
[338] she asked herself.
[339] What was the curious language Mr. Wanji had used?
[340] She'd have to report the message to Washington by tonight's pillow, and let the polyglots of Treasury Intelligence puzzle it out.
[341] Meanwhile, she thought, scooting her chair back from her desk, she had a vague excuse to prowl the upper floors.
[342] The Earmuffs could only fire her.
[343] Orison folded the paper and put it in the "Out" basket.
[344] Someone would be here in a moment with something new to read.
[345] She'd best get going.
[346] The elevator?
[347] No.
[348] The operators had surely been instructed to keep her off the upstairs floors.
[349] But the building had a stairway.
[350] III The door on the sixth floor was locked.
[351] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
[352] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
[353] Orison closed her eyes for a moment.
[354] There was a curious sound.
[355] The buzzing of a million bees, barely within the fringes of her hearing.
[356] Somehow, a very pleasant sound.
[357] She opened her eyes and tried the knob.
[358] The door opened.
[359] Orison was blinded by the lights, brilliant as noonday sun.
[360] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
[361] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
[362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
[363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
[364] One hundred and eight tanks.
[365] She walked closer.
[366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
[367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
[368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
[369] For a moment Orison thought she saw Benjamin Franklin winking up at her from the liquid.
[370] Then she screamed.
[371] The pink bubbles, the tiny flesh-colored flecks glinting light from the spun-sugar bridges between the tanks, were spiders.
[372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
[373] Orison put her hands over her ears and screamed again, backing toward the stairway door.
[374] Into a pair of arms.
[375] "I had hoped you'd be happy here, Miss McCall," Kraft Gerding said.
[376] Orison struggled to release herself.
[377] She broke free only to have her wrists seized by two Earmuffs that had appeared with the elder Gerding.
[378] "It seems that our Pandora doesn't care for spiders," he said.
[379] "Really, Miss McCall, our little pets are quite harmless.
[380] Were we to toss you into one of these tanks...." Orison struggled against her two sumo -sized captors, whose combined weights exceeded hers by some quarter-ton, without doing more than lifting her feet from the floor.
[381] "... your flesh would be unharmed, though they spun and darted all around you.
[382] Our Microfabridae are petrovorous, Miss McCall.
[383] Of course, once they discovered your teeth, and through them a skeleton of calcium, a delicacy they find most toothsome, you'd be filleted within minutes."
[384] "Elder Compassion wouldn't like your harming the girl, Sire," one of the earmuffed sumo -wrestlers protested.
[385] "Elder Compassion has no rank," Kraft Gerding said.
[386] "Miss McCall, you must tell me what you were doing here, or I'll toss you to the spiders."
[387] "Dink ...
[388] Dink!"
[389] Orison shouted.
[390] "My beloved younger brother is otherwise engaged than in the rescue of damsels in distress," Kraft said.
[391] "Someone, after all, has to mind the bank."
[392] "I came to bring a message to Dink," Orison said.
[393] "Let me go, you acromegalic apes!"
[394] "The message?"
[395] Kraft Gerding demanded.
[396] "Something about escudo green.
[397] Put me down!"
[398] Suddenly she was dropped.
[399] Her mountainous keepers were on the floor as though struck by lightning, their arms thrown out before them, their faces abject against the floor.
[400] Kraft Gerding was slowly lowering himself to one knee.
[401] Dink had entered the spider-room.
[402] Without questions, he strode between the shiko-ing Earmuffs and put his arms around Orison.
[403] "They can't harm you," he said.
[404] She turned to press her face against his chest.
[405] "You're all right, child.
[406] Breathe deep, swallow, and turn your brain back on.
[407] All right, now?"
[408] "All right," she said, still trembling.
[409] "They were going to throw me to the spiders."
[410] "Kraft told you that?"
[411] Dink Gerding released her and turned to the kneeling man.
[412] "Stand up, Elder Brother."
[413] "I...." Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
[414] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
[415] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
[416] Kraft struggled to one knee and remained kneeling, gazing up at Dink through half-closed eyes.
[417] "No?
[418] Then get out of here, all of you.
[419] Samma! "
[420] Kraft Gerding arose, stared for a moment at Dink and Orison, then, with the merest hint of a bow, led his two giant Earmuffs to the elevator.
[421] "I wish you hadn't come up here, Orison," Dink said.
[422] "Why did you do it?"
[423] "Have you read the story of Bluebeard?"
[424] Orison asked.
[425] She stood close to Dink, keeping her eyes on the nearest spidertank.
[426] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see.
[427] My excuse was to have been that I was looking for you, to deliver a message from Mr. Wanji.
[428] He said I was to tell you that the escudo green is pale."
[429] "You're too curious, and Wanji is too careless," Dink said.
[430] "Now, what is this thing you have about spiders?"
[431] "I've always been terrified of them," Orison said.
[432] "When I was a little girl, I had to stay upstairs all day one Sunday because there was a spider hanging from his thread in the stairway.
[433] I waited until Dad came home and took it down with a broom.
[434] Even then, I didn't have appetite for supper."
[435] "Strange," Dink said.
[436] He walked over to the nearest tank and plucked one of the tiny pink creatures from a web-bridge.
[437] "This is no spider, Orison," he said.
[438] She backed away from Dink Gerding and the minuscule creature he cupped in the palm of his hand.
[439] "These are Microfabridae, more nearly related to shellfish than to spiders," he said.
[440] "They're stone-and-metal eaters.
[441] They literally couldn't harm a fly.
[442] Look at it, Orison."
[443] He extended his palm.
[444] Orison forced herself to look.
[445] The little creature, flesh-colored against his flesh, was nearly invisible, scuttling around the bowl of his hand.
[446] "Pretty little fellow, isn't he?"
[447] Dink asked.
[448] "Here.
[449] You hold him."
[450] "I'd rather not," she protested.
[451] "I'd be happier if you did," Dink said.
[452] Orison extended her hand as into a furnace.
[453] Dink brushed the Microfabridus from his palm to hers.
[454] It felt crisp and hard, like a legged grain of sand.
[455] Dink took a magnifier from his pocket and unfolded it, to hold it over Orison's palm.
[456] "He's like a baby crawdad," Orison said.
[457] "A sort of crustacean," Dink agreed.
[458] "We use them in a commercial process we're developing.
[459] That's why we keep this floor closed off and secret.
[460] We don't have a patent on the use of Microfabridae, you see."
[461] "What do they do?"
[462] Orison asked.
[463] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling.
[464] "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
[465] "What's he doing now?"
[466] Orison asked, watching the Microfabridus, perched up on the rear four of his six microscopic legs, scratching against her high-school class-ring with his tiny chelae.
[467] "They like gold," Dink explained, peering across her shoulder, comfortably close.
[468] "They're attracted to it by a chemical tropism, as children are attracted to candy.
[469] Toss him back into his tank, Orison.
[470] We'd better get you down where you belong."
[471] Orison brushed the midget crustacean off her finger into the nearest tank, where he joined the busy boil of his fellows.
[472] She felt her ring.
[473] It was pitted where the Microfabridus had been nibbling.
[474] "Strange, using crawdads in a bank," she said.
[475] She stood silent for a moment.
[476] "I thought I heard music," she said.
[477] "I heard it when I came in.
[478] Something like the sighing of wind in winter trees."
[479] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said.
[480] "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
[481] He took her arm.
[482] "If you listen very carefully, you'll find the song these little workers sing the most beautiful music in the world."
[483] Orison closed her eyes, leaning back into Dink's arms, listening to the music that seemed on the outermost edge of her hearing.
[484] Wildness, storm and danger were its theme, counterpointed by promises of peace and harbor.
[485] She heard the wash of giant waves in the song, the crash of breakers against granite, cold and insatiable.
[486] And behind this, the quiet of sheltered tide-pools, the soft lub of sea-arms landlocked.
[487] "It's an ancient song," Dink said.
[488] "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years."
[489] He released her, and opened a wood-covered wooden box.
[490] He scooped up a cupful of the sand inside.
[491] "Hold out your hands," he told Orison.
[492] He filled them with the sand.
[493] "Throw our singers some supper for their song," he said.
[494] Orison went with her cupped hands to the nearest tank and sprinkled the mineral fishfood around inside it.
[495] The Microfabridae leaped from the liquid like miniature porpoises, seizing the grains of sand in mid-air.
[496] "They're so very strange," Orison said.
[497] At the bottom of the tank she thought she saw Ben Franklin again, winking at her through the bubbling life.
[498] Nonsense, she thought, brushing her hands. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [67] Orison McCall, girl Government spy.
2. [76] Orison was more certain than ever that the Taft Bank was, as her boss in Washington had told her, the front for some highly irregular goings-on.
3. [96] Her boss in Washington had told her that this job of hers, spying on Taft Bank from within, might prove dangerous.
4. [100] Presumably Washington would call tonight for her initial report.
5. [151] Orison briefed her pillow on the Earmuffs, on her task of reading to a microphone, and on the generally mimsy tone of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company.
6. [162] At ten o'clock the next morning, reading page four of the current Wall Street Journal, Orison was interrupted by the click of a pair of leather heels.
7. [313] How else, though, could the behavior of the Earmuffs be explained?
8. [314] Could madmen run a bank?
9. [315] Why not, she thought.
10. [316] History is rich in examples of madmen running nations, banks and all.
11. [340] Meanwhile, she thought, scooting her chair back from her desk, she had a vague excuse to prowl the upper floors.
12. [341] The Earmuffs could only fire her.
13. [350] But the building had a stairway.
14. [359] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
15. [360] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
16. [366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
17. [367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
18. [368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
19. [369] For a moment Orison thought she saw Benjamin Franklin winking up at her from the liquid.
20. [370] Then she screamed.
21. [371] The pink bubbles, the tiny flesh-colored flecks glinting light from the spun-sugar bridges between the tanks, were spiders.
22. [372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
23. [373] Orison put her hands over her ears and screamed again, backing toward the stairway door.
24. [374] Into a pair of arms.
25. [375] "I had hoped you'd be happy here, Miss McCall," Kraft Gerding said.
26. [376] Orison struggled to release herself.
27. [377] She broke free only to have her wrists seized by two Earmuffs that had appeared with the elder Gerding.
28. [378] "It seems that our Pandora doesn't care for spiders," he said.
29. [379] "Really, Miss McCall, our little pets are quite harmless.
30. [380] Were we to toss you into one of these tanks...."
31. [381] "... your flesh would be unharmed, though they spun and darted all around you.
32. [382] Our Microfabridae are petrovorous, Miss McCall.
33. [383] Of course, once they discovered your teeth, and through them a skeleton of calcium, a delicacy they find most toothsome, you'd be filleted within minutes."
34. [384] "Elder Compassion wouldn't like your harming the girl, Sire," one of the earmuffed sumo-wrestlers protested.
35. [385] "Elder Compassion has no rank," Kraft Gerding said.
36. [386] "Miss McCall, you must tell me what you were doing here, or I'll toss you to the spiders."
37. [387] "Dink ... Dink!" Orison shouted.
38. [388] "My beloved younger brother is otherwise engaged than in the rescue of damsels in distress," Kraft said.
39. [389] "Someone, after all, has to mind the bank."
40. [390] "I came to bring a message to Dink," Orison said.
41. [391] "Let me go, you acromegalic apes!"
42. [392] "The message?" Kraft Gerding demanded.
43. [393] "Something about escudo green. Put me down!"
44. [394] Suddenly she was dropped.
45. [395] Her mountainous keepers were on the floor as though struck by lightning, their arms thrown out before them, their faces abject against the floor.
46. [396] Kraft Gerding was slowly lowering himself to one knee.
47. [397] Dink had entered the spider-room.
48. [398] Without questions, he strode between the shiko-ing Earmuffs and put his arms around Orison.
49. [399] "They can't harm you," he said.
50. [400] She turned to press her face against his chest.
51. [401] "You're all right, child. Breathe deep, swallow, and turn your brain back on. All right, now?"
52. [402] "All right," she said, still trembling.
53. [403] "They were going to throw me to the spiders."
54. [404] "Kraft told you that?" Dink Gerding released her and turned to the kneeling man.
55. [405] "Stand up, Elder Brother."
56. [406] "I...." Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
57. [407] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
58. [408] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
59. [409] Kraft struggled to one knee and remained kneeling, gazing up at Dink through half-closed eyes.
60. [410] "No? Then get out of here, all of you. Samma!"
61. [411] Kraft Gerding arose, stared for a moment at Dink and Orison, then, with the merest hint of a bow, led his two giant Earmuffs to the elevator.
62. [412] "I wish you hadn't come up here, Orison," Dink said.
63. [413] "Why did you do it?"
64. [414] "Have you read the story of Bluebeard?" Orison asked.
65. [415] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see.
66. [416] My excuse was to have been that I was looking for you, to deliver a message from Mr. Wanji.
67. [417] He said I was to tell you that the escudo green is pale."
68. [418] "You're too curious, and Wanji is too careless," Dink said.
69. [419] "Now, what is this thing you have about spiders?"
70. [420] "I've always been terrified of them," Orison said.
71. [421] "When I was a little girl, I had to stay upstairs all day one Sunday because there was a spider hanging from his thread in the stairway.
72. [422] I waited until Dad came home and took it down with a broom. Even then, I didn't have appetite for supper."
73. [423] "Strange," Dink said.
74. [424] He walked over to the nearest tank and plucked one of the tiny pink creatures from a web-bridge.
75. [425] "This is no spider, Orison," he said.
76. [426] "These are Microfabridae, more nearly related to shellfish than to spiders.
77. [427] "They're stone-and-metal eaters. They literally couldn't harm a fly.
78. [428] Look at it, Orison."
79. [429] He extended his palm.
80. [430] Orison forced herself to look.
81. [431] The little creature, flesh-colored against his flesh, was nearly invisible, scuttling around the bowl of his hand.
82. [432] "Pretty little fellow, isn't he?" Dink asked.
83. [433] "Here. You hold him."
84. [434] "I'd rather not," she protested.
85. [435] "I'd be happier if you did," Dink said.
86. [436] Orison extended her hand as into a furnace.
87. [437] Dink brushed the Microfabridus from his palm to hers.
88. [438] It felt crisp and hard, like a legged grain of sand.
89. [439] Dink took a magnifier from his pocket and unfolded it, to hold it over Orison's palm.
90. [440] "He's like a baby crawdad," Orison said.
91. [441] "A sort of crustacean," Dink agreed.
92. [442] "We use them in a commercial process we're developing.
93. [443] That's why we keep this floor closed off and secret.
94. [444] We don't have a patent on the use of Microfabridae, you see."
95. [445] "What do they do?" Orison asked.
96. [446] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling.
97. [447] "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
98. [448] "What's he doing now?" Orison asked, watching the Microfabridus, perched up on the rear four of his six microscopic legs, scratching against her high-school class-ring with his tiny chelae.
99. [449] "They like gold," Dink explained, peering across her shoulder, comfortably close.
100. [450] "They're attracted to it by a chemical tropism, as children are attracted to candy.
101. [451] Toss him back into his tank, Orison. We'd better get you down where you belong."
102. [452] Orison brushed the midget crustacean off her finger into the nearest tank, where he joined the busy boil of his fellows.
103. [453] She felt her ring. It was pitted where the Microfabridus had been nibbling.
104. [454] "Strange, using crawdads in a bank," she said.
105. [455] She stood silent for a moment.
106. [456] "I thought I heard music," she said.
107. [457] "I heard it when I came in. Something like the sighing of wind in winter trees."
108. [458] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said.
109. [459] "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
110. [460] He took her arm.
111. [461] "If you listen very carefully, you'll find the song these little workers sing the most beautiful music in the world."
112. [462] Orison closed her eyes, leaning back into Dink's arms, listening to the music that seemed on the outermost edge of her hearing.
113. [463] Wildness, storm and danger were its theme, counterpointed by promises of peace and harbor.
114. [464] She heard the wash of giant waves in the song, the crash of breakers against granite, cold and insatiable.
115. [465] And behind this, the quiet of sheltered tide-pools, the soft lub of sea-arms landlocked.
116. [466] "It's an ancient song," Dink said.
117. [467] "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years."
118. [468] He released her, and opened a wood-covered wooden box.
119. [469] He scooped up a cupful of the sand inside.
120. [470] "Hold out your hands," he told Orison.
121. [471] He filled them with the sand.
122. [472] "Throw our singers some supper for their song," he said.
123. [473] Orison went with her cupped hands to the nearest tank and sprinkled the mineral fishfood around inside it.
124. [474] The Microfabridae leaped from the liquid like miniature porpoises, seizing the grains of sand in mid-air.
125. [475] "They're so very strange," Orison said.
126. [476] At the bottom of the tank she thought she saw Ben Franklin again, winking at her through the bubbling life.
127. [477] Nonsense, she thought, brushing her hands. |
Describe the setting of the story | [
"The location is primarily set at the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company. Orison’s office is on the fifth floor, and it is a tiny space just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs. There is also a telephone, a microphone, and a double-decked basket. The basket is an “In” and “Out” basket for the papers she will read. There is also an elevator, and there are always operators in earmuffs present. Although she is not allowed onto the upper floors by elevator, the building has a staircase that leads up to the upper levels. The sixth floor is locked, but the seventh floor has a glass door that is painted black and a cellar-dark landing. Inside, there is a mass of fluorescent lamps on the ceiling and boarded shut windows. One hundred and eighty steel tanks line the floor. The tanks are half-full with greenish fluid and laced together by angel-hair, delicate white lattices sparkling with pink. \n\nFrom the outside of the building, there is a stand-up counter down the street to eat. There is also a restaurant near Orison’s apartment called the Windsor Arms, where she grabs a meal and a single Martini. Her apartment is described as having a place to shower in and a bed. There is also a pillow, and it is where Monitor J-12 communicates with her.",
"The story starts in a cabinet in Taft Bank with Mr. Wanji, a weirdly dressed up for a banker man, talking to a new employee. Then the two move to the elevators with an operator wearing earmuffs similar to the ones Mr. Wanji has. They enter a tiny office with a single desk, a telephone and a microphone - Orison's new workplace. Later, she goes outside for lunch, meeting a couple more people with earmuffs on. her way from the office. She has lunch in a stand-up place down the street and returns to her tiny office. In the end of the day Orison heads home and stops in a restaurant for food and a drink. After she returns to her apartment waiting for a call from Washington. Home she hears a voice from an unknown monitor in her pillow. Next morning she comes to her office again and has a couple visitors. When they enter the elevator they all keep bowing making the atmosphere rather continental. She goes up through the stairway and enters a huge room on the seventh floor. There are a plenty of tanks and she sees green liquid with pink bubbles in one. The bubbles turn out to be spiders.",
"The story focuses on a strange bank which has a total of 14 floors including the basement. Apparently, people without earmuffs can only go to ground floor to fifth floor. Some people who have high ranks, like the President Mr. Dink Gerding and his elder brother Mr. Kraft Gerding can go to the higher floors. Also, this building has an elevator and a stairway. Different operators with earmuffs will be on duty in the elevator. The sixth floor cannot be visited by the stairway since it is locked, but the seventh floor can. On the seventh floor, the bank hides the Microfabridae for a developing commercial process.",
"The story is set in the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company. Orizon is taken up to her office in a lift. Her office on on level five of the building. It is particularly small, having one single desk and two chairs. On the desk is a microphone. Adjacent to the microphone is a basket that is checked with \"in\" and \"out\". She gets off the elevator at the lobby to go for lunch. She eats lunch at the stand up counter down the street. She decides to explore the upper levels. When she arrives on level seven, she notices how dark it is. There is a glass door, painted black on the inside. The landing on the outside is pitch black. The huge room spread across the entire seventh floor, it's windows being worded shit. The ceiling is covered in fluorescent lamps. There are twelve rows on steel tanks, with nine tiers to each. Lacing between each tank are delicate strands of angel hair. There is a greenish fluid on each tank, with tiny pink bubbles."
] | [1] CINDERELLA STORY By ALLEN KIM LANG What a bank!
[2] The First Vice-President was a cool cat—the elevator and the money operators all wore earmuffs—was just as phony as a three-dollar bill!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I The First Vice-President of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company, the gentleman to whom Miss Orison McCall was applying for a job, was not at all the public picture of a banker.
[6] His suit of hound's-tooth checks, the scarlet vest peeping above the vee of his jacket, were enough to assure Orison that the Taft Bank was a curious bank indeed.
[7] "I gotta say, chick, these references of yours really swing," said the Vice-President, Mr. Wanji.
[8] "Your last boss says you come on real cool in the secretary-bit."
[9] "He was a very kind employer," Orison said.
[10] She tried to keep from staring at the most remarkable item of Mr. Wanji's costume, a pair of furry green earmuffs.
[11] It was not cold.
[12] Mr. Wanji returned to Orison her letters of reference.
[13] "What color bread you got eyes for taking down, baby?"
[14] he asked.
[15] "Beg pardon?"
[16] "What kinda salary you bucking for?"
[17] he translated, bouncing up and down on the toes of his rough-leather desert boots.
[18] "I was making one-twenty a week in my last position," Miss McCall said.
[19] "You're worth more'n that, just to jazz up the decor," Mr. Wanji said.
[20] "What you say we pass you a cee-and-a-half a week.
[21] Okay?"
[22] He caught Orison's look of bewilderment.
[23] "One each, a Franklin and a Grant," he explained further.
[24] She still looked blank.
[25] "Sister, you gonna work in a bank, you gotta know who's picture's on the paper.
[26] That's a hunnerd-fifty a week, doll."
[27] "That will be most satisfactory, Mr. Wanji," Orison said.
[28] It was indeed.
[29] "Crazy!"
[30] Mr. Wanji grabbed Orison's right hand and shook it with athletic vigor.
[31] "You just now joined up with our herd.
[32] I wanna tell you, chick, it's none too soon we got some decent scenery around this tomb, girlwise."
[33] He took her arm and led her toward the bank of elevators.
[34] The uniformed operator nodded to Mr. Wanji, bowed slightly to Orison.
[35] He, too, she observed, wore earmuffs.
[36] His were more formal than Mr. Wanji's, being midnight blue in color.
[37] "Lift us to five, Mac," Mr. Wanji said.
[38] As the elevator door shut he explained to Orison, "You can make the Taft Bank scene anywhere between the street floor and floor five.
[39] Basement and everything higher'n fifth floor is Iron Curtain Country far's you're concerned.
[40] Dig, baby?"
[41] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[42] She was wondering if she'd be issued earmuffs, now that she'd become an employee of this most peculiar bank.
[43] The elevator opened on five to a tiny office, just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs.
[44] On the desk were a telephone and a microphone.
[45] Beside them was a double-decked "In" and "Out" basket.
[46] "Here's where you'll do your nine-to-five, honey," Mr. Wanji said.
[47] "What will I be doing, Mr.
[48] Wanji?"
[49] Orison asked.
[50] The Vice-President pointed to the newspaper folded in the "In" basket.
[51] "Flip on the microphone and read the paper to it," he said.
[52] "When you get done reading the paper, someone will run you up something new to read.
[53] Okay?"
[54] "It seems a rather peculiar job," Orison said.
[55] "After all, I'm a secretary.
[56] Is reading the newspaper aloud supposed to familiarize me with the Bank's operation?"
[57] "Don't bug me, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[58] "All you gotta do is read that there paper into this here microphone.
[59] Can do?"
[60] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[61] "While you're here, Mr. Wanji, I'd like to ask you about my withholding tax, social security, credit union, coffee-breaks, union membership, lunch hour and the like.
[62] Shall we take care of these details now?
[63] Or would you—" "You just take care of that chicken-flickin' kinda stuff any way seems best to you, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[64] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[65] This laissez-faire policy of Taft Bank's might explain why she'd been selected from the Treasury Department's secretarial pool to apply for work here, she thought.
[66] Orison McCall, girl Government spy.
[67] She picked up the newspaper from the "In" basket, unfolded it to discover the day's Wall Street Journal , and began at the top of column one to read it aloud.
[68] Wanji stood before the desk, nodding his head as he listened.
[69] "You blowing real good, kid," he said.
[70] "The boss is gonna dig you the most."
[71] Orison nodded.
[72] Holding her newspaper and her microphone, she read the one into the other.
[73] Mr. Wanji flicked his fingers in a good-by, then took off upstairs in the elevator.
[74] By lunchtime Orison had finished the Wall Street Journal and had begun reading a book an earmuffed page had brought her.
[75] The book was a fantastic novel of some sort, named The Hobbit .
[76] Reading this peculiar fare into the microphone before her, Miss McCall was more certain than ever that the Taft Bank was, as her boss in Washington had told her, the front for some highly irregular goings-on.
[77] An odd business for a Federal Mata Hari, Orison thought, reading a nonsense story into a microphone for an invisible audience.
[78] Orison switched off her microphone at noon, marked her place in the book and took the elevator down to the ground floor.
[79] The operator was a new man, ears concealed behind scarlet earmuffs.
[80] In the car, coming down from the interdicted upper floors, were several gentlemen with briefcases.
[81] As though they were members of a ballet-troupe, these gentlemen whipped off their hats with a single motion as Orison stepped aboard the elevator.
[82] Each of the chivalrous men, hat pressed to his heart, wore a pair of earmuffs.
[83] Orison nodded bemused acknowledgment of their gesture, and got off in the lobby vowing never to put a penny into this curiousest of banks.
[84] Lunch at the stand-up counter down the street was a normal interlude.
[85] Girls from the ground-floor offices of Taft Bank chattered together, eyed Orison with the coolness due so attractive a competitor, and favored her with no gambit to enter their conversations.
[86] Orison sighed, finished her tuna salad on whole-wheat, then went back upstairs to her lonely desk and her microphone.
[87] By five, Orison had finished the book, reading rapidly and becoming despite herself engrossed in the saga of Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit.
[88] She switched off the microphone, put on her light coat, and rode downstairs in an elevator filled with earmuffed, silent, hat-clasping gentlemen.
[89] What I need, Orison thought, walking rapidly to the busline, is a double Scotch, followed by a double Scotch.
[90] And what the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company needs is a joint raid by forces of the U.S. Treasury Department and the American Psychiatric Association.
[91] Earmuffs, indeed.
[92] Fairy-tales read into a microphone.
[93] A Vice-President with the vocabulary of a racetrack tout.
[94] And what goes on in those upper floors?
[95] Orison stopped in at the restaurant nearest her apartment house—the Windsor Arms—and ordered a meal and a single Martini.
[96] Her boss in Washington had told her that this job of hers, spying on Taft Bank from within, might prove dangerous.
[97] Indeed it was, she thought.
[98] She was in danger of becoming a solitary drinker.
[99] Home in her apartment, Orison set the notes of her first day's observations in order.
[100] Presumably Washington would call tonight for her initial report.
[101] Item: some of the men at the Bank wore earmuffs, several didn't.
[102] Item: the Vice-President's name was Mr. Wanji: Oriental?
[103] Item: the top eight floors of the Taft Bank Building seemed to be off-limits to all personnel not wearing earmuffs.
[104] Item: she was being employed at a very respectable salary to read newsprint and nonsense into a microphone.
[105] Let Washington make sense of that, she thought.
[106] In a gloomy mood, Orison McCall showered and dressed for bed.
[107] Eleven o'clock.
[108] Washington should be calling soon, inquiring after the results of her first day's spying.
[109] No call.
[110] Orison slipped between the sheets at eleven-thirty.
[111] The clock was set; the lights were out.
[112] Wasn't Washington going to call her?
[113] Perhaps, she thought, the Department had discovered that the Earmuffs had her phone tapped.
[114] "Testing," a baritone voice muttered.
[115] Orison sat up, clutching the sheet around her throat.
[116] "Beg pardon?"
[117] she said.
[118] "Testing," the male voice repeated.
[119] "One, two, three; three, two, one.
[120] Do you read me?
[121] Over."
[122] Orison reached under the bed for a shoe.
[123] Gripping it like a Scout-ax, she reached for the light cord with her free hand and tugged at it.
[124] The room was empty.
[125] "Testing," the voice repeated.
[126] "What you're testing," Orison said in a firm voice, "is my patience.
[127] Who are you?"
[128] "Department of Treasury Monitor J-12," the male voice said.
[129] "Do you have anything to report, Miss McCall?"
[130] "Where are you, Monitor?"
[131] she demanded.
[132] "That's classified information," the voice said.
[133] "Please speak directly to your pillow, Miss McCall."
[134] Orison lay down cautiously.
[135] "All right," she whispered to her pillow.
[136] "Over here," the voice instructed her, coming from the unruffled pillow beside her.
[137] Orison transferred her head to the pillow to her left.
[138] "A radio?"
[139] she asked.
[140] "Of a sort," Monitor J-12 agreed.
[141] "We have to maintain communications security.
[142] Have you anything to report?"
[143] "I got the job," Orison said.
[144] "Are you ... in that pillow ... all the time?"
[145] "No, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[146] "Only at report times.
[147] Shall we establish our rendezvous here at eleven-fifteen, Central Standard Time, every day?"
[148] "You make it sound so improper," Orison said.
[149] "I'm far enough away to do you no harm, Miss McCall," the monitor said.
[150] "Now, tell me what happened at the bank today."
[151] Orison briefed her pillow on the Earmuffs, on her task of reading to a microphone, and on the generally mimsy tone of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company.
[152] "That's about it, so far," she said.
[153] "Good report," J-12 said from the pillow.
[154] "Sounds like you've dropped into a real snakepit, beautiful."
[155] "How do you know ... why do you think I'm beautiful?"
[156] Orison asked.
[157] "Native optimism," the voice said.
[158] "Good night."
[159] J-12 signed off with a peculiar electronic pop that puzzled Orison for a moment.
[160] Then she placed the sound: J-12 had kissed his microphone.
[161] Orison flung the shoe and the pillow under her bed, and resolved to write Washington for permission to make her future reports by registered mail.
[162] II At ten o'clock the next morning, reading page four of the current Wall Street Journal , Orison was interrupted by the click of a pair of leather heels.
[163] The gentleman whose heels had just slammed together was bowing.
[164] And she saw with some gratification that he was not wearing earmuffs.
[165] "My name," the stranger said, "is Dink Gerding.
[166] I am President of this bank, and wish at this time to welcome you to our little family."
[167] "I'm Orison McCall," she said.
[168] A handsome man, she mused.
[169] Twenty-eight?
[170] So tall.
[171] Could he ever be interested in a girl just five-foot-three?
[172] Maybe higher heels?
[173] "We're pleased with your work, Miss McCall," Dink Gerding said.
[174] He took the chair to the right of her desk.
[175] "It's nothing," Orison said, switching off the microphone.
[176] "On the contrary, Miss McCall.
[177] Your duties are most important," he said.
[178] "Reading papers and fairy-tales into this microphone is nothing any reasonably astute sixth-grader couldn't do as well," Orison said.
[179] "You'll be reading silently before long," Mr. Gerding said.
[180] He smiled, as though this explained everything.
[181] "By the way, your official designation is Confidential Secretary.
[182] It's me whose confidences you're to keep secret.
[183] If I ever need a letter written, may I stop down here and dictate it?"
[184] "Please do," Orison said.
[185] This bank president, for all his grace and presence, was obviously as kookie as his bank.
[186] "Have you ever worked in a bank before, Miss McCall?"
[187] Mr. Gerding asked, as though following her train of thought.
[188] "No, sir," she said.
[189] "Though I've been associated with a rather large financial organization."
[190] "You may find some of our methods a little strange, but you'll get used to them," he said.
[191] "Meanwhile, I'd be most grateful if you'd dispense with calling me 'sir.'
[192] My name is Dink.
[193] It is ridiculous, but I'd enjoy your using it."
[194] "Dink?"
[195] she asked.
[196] "And I suppose you're to call me Orison?"
[197] "That's the drill," he said.
[198] "One more question, Orison.
[199] Dinner this evening?"
[200] Direct, she thought.
[201] Perhaps that's why he's president of a bank, and still so young.
[202] "We've hardly met," she said.
[203] "But we're on a first-name basis already," he pointed out.
[204] "Dance?"
[205] "I'd love to," Orison said, half expecting an orchestra to march, playing, from the elevator.
[206] "Then I'll pick you up at seven.
[207] Windsor Arms, if I remember your personnel form correctly."
[208] He stood, lean, all bone and muscle, and bowed slightly.
[209] West Point?
[210] Hardly.
[211] His manners were European.
[212] Sandhurst, perhaps, or Saint Cyr.
[213] Was she supposed to reply with a curtsy?
[214] Orison wondered.
[215] "Thank you," she said.
[216] He was a soldier, or had been: the way, when he turned, his shoulders stayed square.
[217] The crisp clicking of his steps, a military metronome, to the elevator.
[218] When the door slicked open Orison, staring after Dink, saw that each of the half-dozen men aboard snapped off their hats (but not their earmuffs) and bowed, the earmuffed operator bowing with them.
[219] Small bows, true; just head-and-neck.
[220] But not to her.
[221] To Dink Gerding.
[222] Orison finished the Wall Street Journal by early afternoon.
[223] A page came up a moment later with fresh reading-matter: a copy of yesterday's Congressional Record .
[224] She launched into the Record , thinking as she read of meeting again this evening that handsome madman, that splendid lunatic, that unlikely bank-president.
[225] "You read so well , darling," someone said across the desk.
[226] Orison looked up.
[227] "Oh, hello," she said.
[228] "I didn't hear you come up."
[229] "I walk ever so lightly," the woman said, standing hip-shot in front of the desk, "and pounce ever so hard."
[230] She smiled.
[231] Opulent, Orison thought.
[232] Built like a burlesque queen.
[233] No, she thought, I don't like her.
[234] Can't.
[235] Wouldn't if I could.
[236] Never cared for cats.
[237] "I'm Orison McCall," she said, and tried to smile back without showing teeth.
[238] "Delighted," the visitor said, handing over an undelighted palm.
[239] "I'm Auga Vingt.
[240] Auga, to my friends."
[241] "Won't you sit down, Miss Vingt?"
[242] "So kind of you, darling," Auga Vingt said, "but I shan't have time to visit.
[243] I just wanted to stop and welcome you as a Taft Bank co-worker.
[244] One for all, all for one.
[245] Yea, Team.
[246] You know."
[247] "Thanks," Orison said.
[248] "Common courtesy," Miss Vingt explained.
[249] "Also, darling, I'd like to draw your attention to one little point.
[250] Dink Gerding—you know, the shoulders and muscles and crewcut?
[251] Well, he's posted property.
[252] Should you throw your starveling charms at my Dink, you'd only get your little eyes scratched out.
[253] Word to the wise, n'est-ce pas ?"
[254] "Sorry you have to leave so suddenly," Orison said, rolling her Wall Street Journal into a club and standing.
[255] "Darling."
[256] "So remember, Tiny, Dink Gerding is mine.
[257] You're all alone up here.
[258] You could get broken nails, fall down the elevator shaft, all sorts of annoyance.
[259] Understand me, darling?"
[260] "You make it very clear," Orison said.
[261] "Now you'd best hurry back to your stanchion, Bossy, before the hay's all gone."
[262] "Isn't it lovely, the way you and I reached an understanding right off?"
[263] Auga asked.
[264] "Well, ta-ta."
[265] She turned and walked to the elevator, displaying, Orison thought, a disgraceful amount of ungirdled rhumba motion.
[266] The elevator stopped to pick up the odious Auga.
[267] A passenger, male, stepped off.
[268] "Good morning, Mr. Gerding," Miss Vingt said, bowing.
[269] "Carry on, Colonel," the stranger replied.
[270] As the elevator door closed, he stepped up to Orison's desk.
[271] "Good morning.
[272] Miss McCall," he said.
[273] "What is this?"
[274] Orison demanded.
[275] "Visiting-day at the zoo?"
[276] She paused and shook her head.
[277] "Excuse me, sir," she said.
[278] "It's just that ... Vingt thing...." "Auga is rather intense," the new Mr. Gerding said.
[279] "Yeah, intense," Orison said.
[280] "Like a kidney-stone."
[281] "I stopped by to welcome you to the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company family, Miss McCall," he said.
[282] "I'm Kraft Gerding, Dink's elder brother.
[283] I understand you've met Dink already."
[284] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[285] The hair of this new Mr. Gerding was cropped even closer than Dink's.
[286] His mustache was gray-tipped, like a patch of frosted furze; and his eyes, like Dink's, were cobalt blue.
[287] The head, Orison mused, would look quite at home in one of Kaiser Bill's spike-topped Pickelhauben ; but the ears were in evidence, and seemed normal.
[288] Mr. Kraft Gerding bowed—what continental manners these bankers had!—and Orison half expected him to free her hand from the rolled-up paper she still clutched and plant a kiss on it.
[289] Instead, Kraft Gerding smiled a smile as frosty as his mustache and said, "I understand that my younger brother has been talking with you, Miss McCall.
[290] Quite proper, I know.
[291] But I must warn you against mixing business with pleasure."
[292] Orison jumped up, tossing the paper into her wastebasket.
[293] "I quit!"
[294] she shouted.
[295] "You can take this crazy bank ... into bankruptcy, for all I care.
[296] I'm not going to perch up here, target for every uncaged idiot in finance, and listen to another word."
[297] "Dearest lady, my humblest pardon," Kraft Gerding said, bowing again, a bit lower.
[298] "Your work is splendid; your presence is Taft Bank's most charming asset; my only wish is to serve and protect you.
[299] To this end, dear lady, I feel it my duty to warn you against my brother.
[300] A word to the wise...." " N'est-ce pas? "
[301] Orison said.
[302] "Well, Buster, here's a word to the foolish.
[303] Get lost."
[304] Kraft Gerding bowed and flashed his gelid smile.
[305] "Until we meet again?"
[306] "I'll hold my breath," Orison promised.
[307] "The elevator is just behind you.
[308] Push a button, will you?
[309] And bon voyage ."
[310] Kraft Gerding called the elevator, marched aboard, favored Orison with a cold, quick bow, then disappeared into the mysterious heights above fifth floor.
[311] First the unspeakable Auga Vingt, then the obnoxious Kraft Gerding.
[312] Surely, Orison thought, recovering the Wall Street Journal from her wastebasket and smoothing it, no one would convert a major Midwestern bank into a lunatic asylum.
[313] How else, though, could the behavior of the Earmuffs be explained?
[314] Could madmen run a bank?
[315] Why not, she thought.
[316] History is rich in examples of madmen running nations, banks and all.
[317] She began again to read the paper into the microphone.
[318] If she finished early enough, she might get a chance to prowl those Off-Limits upper floors.
[319] Half an hour further into the paper, Orison jumped, startled by the sudden buzz of her telephone.
[320] She picked it up. "
[321] Wanji e-Kal, Datto.
[322] Dink ger-Dink d'summa. "
[323] Orison scribbled down this intelligence in bemused Gregg before replying, "I'm a local girl.
[324] Try me in English."
[325] "Oh.
[326] Hi, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[327] "Guess I goofed.
[328] I'm in kinda clutch.
[329] This is Wanji.
[330] I got a kite for Mr. Dink Gerding.
[331] If you see him, tell him the escudo green is pale.
[332] Got that, doll?"
[333] "Yes, Mr. Wanji.
[334] I'll tell Mr.
[335] Gerding."
[336] Orison clicked the phone down.
[337] What now, Mata Hari?
[338] she asked herself.
[339] What was the curious language Mr. Wanji had used?
[340] She'd have to report the message to Washington by tonight's pillow, and let the polyglots of Treasury Intelligence puzzle it out.
[341] Meanwhile, she thought, scooting her chair back from her desk, she had a vague excuse to prowl the upper floors.
[342] The Earmuffs could only fire her.
[343] Orison folded the paper and put it in the "Out" basket.
[344] Someone would be here in a moment with something new to read.
[345] She'd best get going.
[346] The elevator?
[347] No.
[348] The operators had surely been instructed to keep her off the upstairs floors.
[349] But the building had a stairway.
[350] III The door on the sixth floor was locked.
[351] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
[352] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
[353] Orison closed her eyes for a moment.
[354] There was a curious sound.
[355] The buzzing of a million bees, barely within the fringes of her hearing.
[356] Somehow, a very pleasant sound.
[357] She opened her eyes and tried the knob.
[358] The door opened.
[359] Orison was blinded by the lights, brilliant as noonday sun.
[360] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
[361] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
[362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
[363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
[364] One hundred and eight tanks.
[365] She walked closer.
[366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
[367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
[368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
[369] For a moment Orison thought she saw Benjamin Franklin winking up at her from the liquid.
[370] Then she screamed.
[371] The pink bubbles, the tiny flesh-colored flecks glinting light from the spun-sugar bridges between the tanks, were spiders.
[372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
[373] Orison put her hands over her ears and screamed again, backing toward the stairway door.
[374] Into a pair of arms.
[375] "I had hoped you'd be happy here, Miss McCall," Kraft Gerding said.
[376] Orison struggled to release herself.
[377] She broke free only to have her wrists seized by two Earmuffs that had appeared with the elder Gerding.
[378] "It seems that our Pandora doesn't care for spiders," he said.
[379] "Really, Miss McCall, our little pets are quite harmless.
[380] Were we to toss you into one of these tanks...." Orison struggled against her two sumo -sized captors, whose combined weights exceeded hers by some quarter-ton, without doing more than lifting her feet from the floor.
[381] "... your flesh would be unharmed, though they spun and darted all around you.
[382] Our Microfabridae are petrovorous, Miss McCall.
[383] Of course, once they discovered your teeth, and through them a skeleton of calcium, a delicacy they find most toothsome, you'd be filleted within minutes."
[384] "Elder Compassion wouldn't like your harming the girl, Sire," one of the earmuffed sumo -wrestlers protested.
[385] "Elder Compassion has no rank," Kraft Gerding said.
[386] "Miss McCall, you must tell me what you were doing here, or I'll toss you to the spiders."
[387] "Dink ...
[388] Dink!"
[389] Orison shouted.
[390] "My beloved younger brother is otherwise engaged than in the rescue of damsels in distress," Kraft said.
[391] "Someone, after all, has to mind the bank."
[392] "I came to bring a message to Dink," Orison said.
[393] "Let me go, you acromegalic apes!"
[394] "The message?"
[395] Kraft Gerding demanded.
[396] "Something about escudo green.
[397] Put me down!"
[398] Suddenly she was dropped.
[399] Her mountainous keepers were on the floor as though struck by lightning, their arms thrown out before them, their faces abject against the floor.
[400] Kraft Gerding was slowly lowering himself to one knee.
[401] Dink had entered the spider-room.
[402] Without questions, he strode between the shiko-ing Earmuffs and put his arms around Orison.
[403] "They can't harm you," he said.
[404] She turned to press her face against his chest.
[405] "You're all right, child.
[406] Breathe deep, swallow, and turn your brain back on.
[407] All right, now?"
[408] "All right," she said, still trembling.
[409] "They were going to throw me to the spiders."
[410] "Kraft told you that?"
[411] Dink Gerding released her and turned to the kneeling man.
[412] "Stand up, Elder Brother."
[413] "I...." Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
[414] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
[415] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
[416] Kraft struggled to one knee and remained kneeling, gazing up at Dink through half-closed eyes.
[417] "No?
[418] Then get out of here, all of you.
[419] Samma! "
[420] Kraft Gerding arose, stared for a moment at Dink and Orison, then, with the merest hint of a bow, led his two giant Earmuffs to the elevator.
[421] "I wish you hadn't come up here, Orison," Dink said.
[422] "Why did you do it?"
[423] "Have you read the story of Bluebeard?"
[424] Orison asked.
[425] She stood close to Dink, keeping her eyes on the nearest spidertank.
[426] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see.
[427] My excuse was to have been that I was looking for you, to deliver a message from Mr. Wanji.
[428] He said I was to tell you that the escudo green is pale."
[429] "You're too curious, and Wanji is too careless," Dink said.
[430] "Now, what is this thing you have about spiders?"
[431] "I've always been terrified of them," Orison said.
[432] "When I was a little girl, I had to stay upstairs all day one Sunday because there was a spider hanging from his thread in the stairway.
[433] I waited until Dad came home and took it down with a broom.
[434] Even then, I didn't have appetite for supper."
[435] "Strange," Dink said.
[436] He walked over to the nearest tank and plucked one of the tiny pink creatures from a web-bridge.
[437] "This is no spider, Orison," he said.
[438] She backed away from Dink Gerding and the minuscule creature he cupped in the palm of his hand.
[439] "These are Microfabridae, more nearly related to shellfish than to spiders," he said.
[440] "They're stone-and-metal eaters.
[441] They literally couldn't harm a fly.
[442] Look at it, Orison."
[443] He extended his palm.
[444] Orison forced herself to look.
[445] The little creature, flesh-colored against his flesh, was nearly invisible, scuttling around the bowl of his hand.
[446] "Pretty little fellow, isn't he?"
[447] Dink asked.
[448] "Here.
[449] You hold him."
[450] "I'd rather not," she protested.
[451] "I'd be happier if you did," Dink said.
[452] Orison extended her hand as into a furnace.
[453] Dink brushed the Microfabridus from his palm to hers.
[454] It felt crisp and hard, like a legged grain of sand.
[455] Dink took a magnifier from his pocket and unfolded it, to hold it over Orison's palm.
[456] "He's like a baby crawdad," Orison said.
[457] "A sort of crustacean," Dink agreed.
[458] "We use them in a commercial process we're developing.
[459] That's why we keep this floor closed off and secret.
[460] We don't have a patent on the use of Microfabridae, you see."
[461] "What do they do?"
[462] Orison asked.
[463] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling.
[464] "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
[465] "What's he doing now?"
[466] Orison asked, watching the Microfabridus, perched up on the rear four of his six microscopic legs, scratching against her high-school class-ring with his tiny chelae.
[467] "They like gold," Dink explained, peering across her shoulder, comfortably close.
[468] "They're attracted to it by a chemical tropism, as children are attracted to candy.
[469] Toss him back into his tank, Orison.
[470] We'd better get you down where you belong."
[471] Orison brushed the midget crustacean off her finger into the nearest tank, where he joined the busy boil of his fellows.
[472] She felt her ring.
[473] It was pitted where the Microfabridus had been nibbling.
[474] "Strange, using crawdads in a bank," she said.
[475] She stood silent for a moment.
[476] "I thought I heard music," she said.
[477] "I heard it when I came in.
[478] Something like the sighing of wind in winter trees."
[479] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said.
[480] "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
[481] He took her arm.
[482] "If you listen very carefully, you'll find the song these little workers sing the most beautiful music in the world."
[483] Orison closed her eyes, leaning back into Dink's arms, listening to the music that seemed on the outermost edge of her hearing.
[484] Wildness, storm and danger were its theme, counterpointed by promises of peace and harbor.
[485] She heard the wash of giant waves in the song, the crash of breakers against granite, cold and insatiable.
[486] And behind this, the quiet of sheltered tide-pools, the soft lub of sea-arms landlocked.
[487] "It's an ancient song," Dink said.
[488] "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years."
[489] He released her, and opened a wood-covered wooden box.
[490] He scooped up a cupful of the sand inside.
[491] "Hold out your hands," he told Orison.
[492] He filled them with the sand.
[493] "Throw our singers some supper for their song," he said.
[494] Orison went with her cupped hands to the nearest tank and sprinkled the mineral fishfood around inside it.
[495] The Microfabridae leaped from the liquid like miniature porpoises, seizing the grains of sand in mid-air.
[496] "They're so very strange," Orison said.
[497] At the bottom of the tank she thought she saw Ben Franklin again, winking at her through the bubbling life.
[498] Nonsense, she thought, brushing her hands. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [162] At ten o'clock the next morning, reading page four of the current Wall Street Journal , Orison was interrupted by the click of a pair of leather heels.
2. [43] The elevator opened on five to a tiny office, just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs.
3. [350] But the building had a stairway.
4. [359] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
5. [360] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
6. [362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
7. [363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
8. [364] One hundred and eight tanks.
9. [366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
10. [367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
11. [368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
12. [372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
13. [350] But the building had a stairway.
14. [351] The door on the sixth floor was locked.
15. [352] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
16. [353] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
17. [359] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
18. [1] CINDERELLA STORY By ALLEN KIM LANG What a bank!
19. [2] The First Vice-President was a cool cat—the elevator and the money operators all wore earmuffs—was just as phony as a three-dollar bill!
20. [5] I The First Vice-President of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company, the gentleman to whom Miss Orison McCall was applying for a job, was not at all the public picture of a banker.
21. [6] His suit of hound's-tooth checks, the scarlet vest peeping above the vee of his jacket, were enough to assure Orison that the Taft Bank was a curious bank indeed.
22. [10] She tried to keep from staring at the most remarkable item of Mr. Wanji's costume, a pair of furry green earmuffs.
23. [11] It was not cold.
24. [34] The uniformed operator nodded to Mr. Wanji, bowed slightly to Orison.
25. [35] He, too, she observed, wore earmuffs.
26. [36] His were more formal than Mr. Wanji's, being midnight blue in color.
27. [38] As the elevator door shut he explained to Orison, "You can make the Taft Bank scene anywhere between the street floor and floor five.
28. [39] Basement and everything higher'n fifth floor is Iron Curtain Country far's you're concerned.
29. [40] Dig, baby?"
30. [43] The elevator opened on five to a tiny office, just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs.
31. [44] On the desk were a telephone and a microphone.
32. [45] Beside them was a double-decked "In" and "Out" basket.
33. [350] But the building had a stairway.
34. [351] The door on the sixth floor was locked.
35. [352] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
36. [353] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
37. [359] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
38. [360] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
39. [362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
40. [363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
41. [364] One hundred and eight tanks.
42. [366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
43. [367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
44. [368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
45. [372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks. |
What are the Microfabridae, and what characteristics do their music have? | [
"The Microfabridae are tiny, flesh-pink-colored creatures that resemble shellfish. They are stone and metal eaters. These creatures are completely harmless and have six microscopic legs. Orison notices that they feel like a legged grain of sand, crisp and hard. She finds that it is similar to a baby crawdad, to which Dink agrees that the Microfabridae are similar to a sort of crustacean. The creatures also take a liking to gold. \n\nWhen all of the Microfabridae sing together, it is a chorus of around twenty million voices. Orison notes that their singing sounds like the sighing of the wind in winter trees. When she listens to them sing again, it sounds like wilderness, storm, and danger. However, there also exists sounds of promises of peace and harbor that act as a counterpoint. She also hears the sound of waves and the crash of breakers against granite throughout this million-year-old song.",
"At first, Orison considers them pink bubbles, then. they remind spiders, turns out they are closer to shellfish. They are harmless because they eat stone and metal. They are used for commercial processes, though the bank doesn't have a patent for their use. While they are working, they sing, and their music seems the most beautiful in the world. They eat something like sand - the mineral fish food. They are kept in secret on the sixth floor and their job remain unknown, though it seems that Orison saw Benjamin Franklin in the liquid of their tanks.",
"Microfabridae are little pink creatures fed by the bank secretly on the 7th floor. The bank put them into tubs with greenish fluid. They are closer related to shellfish than to spiders, and they have six microscopic legs. Also, they feel crisp and hard to touch. Microfavridae are normally harmless, but when they discover calcium, stone or metal, especially gold, they will be attracted to eat it. When they work, they will sing together. When they are in the liquid, they will leap from the liquid like miniature porpoises to get food like sand in mid-air.",
"The Microfabridae are tiny little crustaceans that share a lot of the characteristics of spiders. They are small flesh coloured creatures that eat stone and metal. They are harmless to any living thing. The bank uses them in commercial processing. They have six, microscopic legs. Dink tells Orizon how they like gold, attracted to it by chemical tropism. Dink tells Orizon how the Microfabridae sing together while working. The theme of their music is of wildness, storm and danger, with counterpoints of peace and harbour. In their song Orizon can hear giant waves against granite rock. Behind this harshness, she can hear quiet tide pools. Dink tells her their song is ancient, they have been singing it for millions of years."
] | [1] CINDERELLA STORY By ALLEN KIM LANG What a bank!
[2] The First Vice-President was a cool cat—the elevator and the money operators all wore earmuffs—was just as phony as a three-dollar bill!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I The First Vice-President of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company, the gentleman to whom Miss Orison McCall was applying for a job, was not at all the public picture of a banker.
[6] His suit of hound's-tooth checks, the scarlet vest peeping above the vee of his jacket, were enough to assure Orison that the Taft Bank was a curious bank indeed.
[7] "I gotta say, chick, these references of yours really swing," said the Vice-President, Mr. Wanji.
[8] "Your last boss says you come on real cool in the secretary-bit."
[9] "He was a very kind employer," Orison said.
[10] She tried to keep from staring at the most remarkable item of Mr. Wanji's costume, a pair of furry green earmuffs.
[11] It was not cold.
[12] Mr. Wanji returned to Orison her letters of reference.
[13] "What color bread you got eyes for taking down, baby?"
[14] he asked.
[15] "Beg pardon?"
[16] "What kinda salary you bucking for?"
[17] he translated, bouncing up and down on the toes of his rough-leather desert boots.
[18] "I was making one-twenty a week in my last position," Miss McCall said.
[19] "You're worth more'n that, just to jazz up the decor," Mr. Wanji said.
[20] "What you say we pass you a cee-and-a-half a week.
[21] Okay?"
[22] He caught Orison's look of bewilderment.
[23] "One each, a Franklin and a Grant," he explained further.
[24] She still looked blank.
[25] "Sister, you gonna work in a bank, you gotta know who's picture's on the paper.
[26] That's a hunnerd-fifty a week, doll."
[27] "That will be most satisfactory, Mr. Wanji," Orison said.
[28] It was indeed.
[29] "Crazy!"
[30] Mr. Wanji grabbed Orison's right hand and shook it with athletic vigor.
[31] "You just now joined up with our herd.
[32] I wanna tell you, chick, it's none too soon we got some decent scenery around this tomb, girlwise."
[33] He took her arm and led her toward the bank of elevators.
[34] The uniformed operator nodded to Mr. Wanji, bowed slightly to Orison.
[35] He, too, she observed, wore earmuffs.
[36] His were more formal than Mr. Wanji's, being midnight blue in color.
[37] "Lift us to five, Mac," Mr. Wanji said.
[38] As the elevator door shut he explained to Orison, "You can make the Taft Bank scene anywhere between the street floor and floor five.
[39] Basement and everything higher'n fifth floor is Iron Curtain Country far's you're concerned.
[40] Dig, baby?"
[41] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[42] She was wondering if she'd be issued earmuffs, now that she'd become an employee of this most peculiar bank.
[43] The elevator opened on five to a tiny office, just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs.
[44] On the desk were a telephone and a microphone.
[45] Beside them was a double-decked "In" and "Out" basket.
[46] "Here's where you'll do your nine-to-five, honey," Mr. Wanji said.
[47] "What will I be doing, Mr.
[48] Wanji?"
[49] Orison asked.
[50] The Vice-President pointed to the newspaper folded in the "In" basket.
[51] "Flip on the microphone and read the paper to it," he said.
[52] "When you get done reading the paper, someone will run you up something new to read.
[53] Okay?"
[54] "It seems a rather peculiar job," Orison said.
[55] "After all, I'm a secretary.
[56] Is reading the newspaper aloud supposed to familiarize me with the Bank's operation?"
[57] "Don't bug me, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[58] "All you gotta do is read that there paper into this here microphone.
[59] Can do?"
[60] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[61] "While you're here, Mr. Wanji, I'd like to ask you about my withholding tax, social security, credit union, coffee-breaks, union membership, lunch hour and the like.
[62] Shall we take care of these details now?
[63] Or would you—" "You just take care of that chicken-flickin' kinda stuff any way seems best to you, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[64] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[65] This laissez-faire policy of Taft Bank's might explain why she'd been selected from the Treasury Department's secretarial pool to apply for work here, she thought.
[66] Orison McCall, girl Government spy.
[67] She picked up the newspaper from the "In" basket, unfolded it to discover the day's Wall Street Journal , and began at the top of column one to read it aloud.
[68] Wanji stood before the desk, nodding his head as he listened.
[69] "You blowing real good, kid," he said.
[70] "The boss is gonna dig you the most."
[71] Orison nodded.
[72] Holding her newspaper and her microphone, she read the one into the other.
[73] Mr. Wanji flicked his fingers in a good-by, then took off upstairs in the elevator.
[74] By lunchtime Orison had finished the Wall Street Journal and had begun reading a book an earmuffed page had brought her.
[75] The book was a fantastic novel of some sort, named The Hobbit .
[76] Reading this peculiar fare into the microphone before her, Miss McCall was more certain than ever that the Taft Bank was, as her boss in Washington had told her, the front for some highly irregular goings-on.
[77] An odd business for a Federal Mata Hari, Orison thought, reading a nonsense story into a microphone for an invisible audience.
[78] Orison switched off her microphone at noon, marked her place in the book and took the elevator down to the ground floor.
[79] The operator was a new man, ears concealed behind scarlet earmuffs.
[80] In the car, coming down from the interdicted upper floors, were several gentlemen with briefcases.
[81] As though they were members of a ballet-troupe, these gentlemen whipped off their hats with a single motion as Orison stepped aboard the elevator.
[82] Each of the chivalrous men, hat pressed to his heart, wore a pair of earmuffs.
[83] Orison nodded bemused acknowledgment of their gesture, and got off in the lobby vowing never to put a penny into this curiousest of banks.
[84] Lunch at the stand-up counter down the street was a normal interlude.
[85] Girls from the ground-floor offices of Taft Bank chattered together, eyed Orison with the coolness due so attractive a competitor, and favored her with no gambit to enter their conversations.
[86] Orison sighed, finished her tuna salad on whole-wheat, then went back upstairs to her lonely desk and her microphone.
[87] By five, Orison had finished the book, reading rapidly and becoming despite herself engrossed in the saga of Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit.
[88] She switched off the microphone, put on her light coat, and rode downstairs in an elevator filled with earmuffed, silent, hat-clasping gentlemen.
[89] What I need, Orison thought, walking rapidly to the busline, is a double Scotch, followed by a double Scotch.
[90] And what the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company needs is a joint raid by forces of the U.S. Treasury Department and the American Psychiatric Association.
[91] Earmuffs, indeed.
[92] Fairy-tales read into a microphone.
[93] A Vice-President with the vocabulary of a racetrack tout.
[94] And what goes on in those upper floors?
[95] Orison stopped in at the restaurant nearest her apartment house—the Windsor Arms—and ordered a meal and a single Martini.
[96] Her boss in Washington had told her that this job of hers, spying on Taft Bank from within, might prove dangerous.
[97] Indeed it was, she thought.
[98] She was in danger of becoming a solitary drinker.
[99] Home in her apartment, Orison set the notes of her first day's observations in order.
[100] Presumably Washington would call tonight for her initial report.
[101] Item: some of the men at the Bank wore earmuffs, several didn't.
[102] Item: the Vice-President's name was Mr. Wanji: Oriental?
[103] Item: the top eight floors of the Taft Bank Building seemed to be off-limits to all personnel not wearing earmuffs.
[104] Item: she was being employed at a very respectable salary to read newsprint and nonsense into a microphone.
[105] Let Washington make sense of that, she thought.
[106] In a gloomy mood, Orison McCall showered and dressed for bed.
[107] Eleven o'clock.
[108] Washington should be calling soon, inquiring after the results of her first day's spying.
[109] No call.
[110] Orison slipped between the sheets at eleven-thirty.
[111] The clock was set; the lights were out.
[112] Wasn't Washington going to call her?
[113] Perhaps, she thought, the Department had discovered that the Earmuffs had her phone tapped.
[114] "Testing," a baritone voice muttered.
[115] Orison sat up, clutching the sheet around her throat.
[116] "Beg pardon?"
[117] she said.
[118] "Testing," the male voice repeated.
[119] "One, two, three; three, two, one.
[120] Do you read me?
[121] Over."
[122] Orison reached under the bed for a shoe.
[123] Gripping it like a Scout-ax, she reached for the light cord with her free hand and tugged at it.
[124] The room was empty.
[125] "Testing," the voice repeated.
[126] "What you're testing," Orison said in a firm voice, "is my patience.
[127] Who are you?"
[128] "Department of Treasury Monitor J-12," the male voice said.
[129] "Do you have anything to report, Miss McCall?"
[130] "Where are you, Monitor?"
[131] she demanded.
[132] "That's classified information," the voice said.
[133] "Please speak directly to your pillow, Miss McCall."
[134] Orison lay down cautiously.
[135] "All right," she whispered to her pillow.
[136] "Over here," the voice instructed her, coming from the unruffled pillow beside her.
[137] Orison transferred her head to the pillow to her left.
[138] "A radio?"
[139] she asked.
[140] "Of a sort," Monitor J-12 agreed.
[141] "We have to maintain communications security.
[142] Have you anything to report?"
[143] "I got the job," Orison said.
[144] "Are you ... in that pillow ... all the time?"
[145] "No, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[146] "Only at report times.
[147] Shall we establish our rendezvous here at eleven-fifteen, Central Standard Time, every day?"
[148] "You make it sound so improper," Orison said.
[149] "I'm far enough away to do you no harm, Miss McCall," the monitor said.
[150] "Now, tell me what happened at the bank today."
[151] Orison briefed her pillow on the Earmuffs, on her task of reading to a microphone, and on the generally mimsy tone of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company.
[152] "That's about it, so far," she said.
[153] "Good report," J-12 said from the pillow.
[154] "Sounds like you've dropped into a real snakepit, beautiful."
[155] "How do you know ... why do you think I'm beautiful?"
[156] Orison asked.
[157] "Native optimism," the voice said.
[158] "Good night."
[159] J-12 signed off with a peculiar electronic pop that puzzled Orison for a moment.
[160] Then she placed the sound: J-12 had kissed his microphone.
[161] Orison flung the shoe and the pillow under her bed, and resolved to write Washington for permission to make her future reports by registered mail.
[162] II At ten o'clock the next morning, reading page four of the current Wall Street Journal , Orison was interrupted by the click of a pair of leather heels.
[163] The gentleman whose heels had just slammed together was bowing.
[164] And she saw with some gratification that he was not wearing earmuffs.
[165] "My name," the stranger said, "is Dink Gerding.
[166] I am President of this bank, and wish at this time to welcome you to our little family."
[167] "I'm Orison McCall," she said.
[168] A handsome man, she mused.
[169] Twenty-eight?
[170] So tall.
[171] Could he ever be interested in a girl just five-foot-three?
[172] Maybe higher heels?
[173] "We're pleased with your work, Miss McCall," Dink Gerding said.
[174] He took the chair to the right of her desk.
[175] "It's nothing," Orison said, switching off the microphone.
[176] "On the contrary, Miss McCall.
[177] Your duties are most important," he said.
[178] "Reading papers and fairy-tales into this microphone is nothing any reasonably astute sixth-grader couldn't do as well," Orison said.
[179] "You'll be reading silently before long," Mr. Gerding said.
[180] He smiled, as though this explained everything.
[181] "By the way, your official designation is Confidential Secretary.
[182] It's me whose confidences you're to keep secret.
[183] If I ever need a letter written, may I stop down here and dictate it?"
[184] "Please do," Orison said.
[185] This bank president, for all his grace and presence, was obviously as kookie as his bank.
[186] "Have you ever worked in a bank before, Miss McCall?"
[187] Mr. Gerding asked, as though following her train of thought.
[188] "No, sir," she said.
[189] "Though I've been associated with a rather large financial organization."
[190] "You may find some of our methods a little strange, but you'll get used to them," he said.
[191] "Meanwhile, I'd be most grateful if you'd dispense with calling me 'sir.'
[192] My name is Dink.
[193] It is ridiculous, but I'd enjoy your using it."
[194] "Dink?"
[195] she asked.
[196] "And I suppose you're to call me Orison?"
[197] "That's the drill," he said.
[198] "One more question, Orison.
[199] Dinner this evening?"
[200] Direct, she thought.
[201] Perhaps that's why he's president of a bank, and still so young.
[202] "We've hardly met," she said.
[203] "But we're on a first-name basis already," he pointed out.
[204] "Dance?"
[205] "I'd love to," Orison said, half expecting an orchestra to march, playing, from the elevator.
[206] "Then I'll pick you up at seven.
[207] Windsor Arms, if I remember your personnel form correctly."
[208] He stood, lean, all bone and muscle, and bowed slightly.
[209] West Point?
[210] Hardly.
[211] His manners were European.
[212] Sandhurst, perhaps, or Saint Cyr.
[213] Was she supposed to reply with a curtsy?
[214] Orison wondered.
[215] "Thank you," she said.
[216] He was a soldier, or had been: the way, when he turned, his shoulders stayed square.
[217] The crisp clicking of his steps, a military metronome, to the elevator.
[218] When the door slicked open Orison, staring after Dink, saw that each of the half-dozen men aboard snapped off their hats (but not their earmuffs) and bowed, the earmuffed operator bowing with them.
[219] Small bows, true; just head-and-neck.
[220] But not to her.
[221] To Dink Gerding.
[222] Orison finished the Wall Street Journal by early afternoon.
[223] A page came up a moment later with fresh reading-matter: a copy of yesterday's Congressional Record .
[224] She launched into the Record , thinking as she read of meeting again this evening that handsome madman, that splendid lunatic, that unlikely bank-president.
[225] "You read so well , darling," someone said across the desk.
[226] Orison looked up.
[227] "Oh, hello," she said.
[228] "I didn't hear you come up."
[229] "I walk ever so lightly," the woman said, standing hip-shot in front of the desk, "and pounce ever so hard."
[230] She smiled.
[231] Opulent, Orison thought.
[232] Built like a burlesque queen.
[233] No, she thought, I don't like her.
[234] Can't.
[235] Wouldn't if I could.
[236] Never cared for cats.
[237] "I'm Orison McCall," she said, and tried to smile back without showing teeth.
[238] "Delighted," the visitor said, handing over an undelighted palm.
[239] "I'm Auga Vingt.
[240] Auga, to my friends."
[241] "Won't you sit down, Miss Vingt?"
[242] "So kind of you, darling," Auga Vingt said, "but I shan't have time to visit.
[243] I just wanted to stop and welcome you as a Taft Bank co-worker.
[244] One for all, all for one.
[245] Yea, Team.
[246] You know."
[247] "Thanks," Orison said.
[248] "Common courtesy," Miss Vingt explained.
[249] "Also, darling, I'd like to draw your attention to one little point.
[250] Dink Gerding—you know, the shoulders and muscles and crewcut?
[251] Well, he's posted property.
[252] Should you throw your starveling charms at my Dink, you'd only get your little eyes scratched out.
[253] Word to the wise, n'est-ce pas ?"
[254] "Sorry you have to leave so suddenly," Orison said, rolling her Wall Street Journal into a club and standing.
[255] "Darling."
[256] "So remember, Tiny, Dink Gerding is mine.
[257] You're all alone up here.
[258] You could get broken nails, fall down the elevator shaft, all sorts of annoyance.
[259] Understand me, darling?"
[260] "You make it very clear," Orison said.
[261] "Now you'd best hurry back to your stanchion, Bossy, before the hay's all gone."
[262] "Isn't it lovely, the way you and I reached an understanding right off?"
[263] Auga asked.
[264] "Well, ta-ta."
[265] She turned and walked to the elevator, displaying, Orison thought, a disgraceful amount of ungirdled rhumba motion.
[266] The elevator stopped to pick up the odious Auga.
[267] A passenger, male, stepped off.
[268] "Good morning, Mr. Gerding," Miss Vingt said, bowing.
[269] "Carry on, Colonel," the stranger replied.
[270] As the elevator door closed, he stepped up to Orison's desk.
[271] "Good morning.
[272] Miss McCall," he said.
[273] "What is this?"
[274] Orison demanded.
[275] "Visiting-day at the zoo?"
[276] She paused and shook her head.
[277] "Excuse me, sir," she said.
[278] "It's just that ... Vingt thing...." "Auga is rather intense," the new Mr. Gerding said.
[279] "Yeah, intense," Orison said.
[280] "Like a kidney-stone."
[281] "I stopped by to welcome you to the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company family, Miss McCall," he said.
[282] "I'm Kraft Gerding, Dink's elder brother.
[283] I understand you've met Dink already."
[284] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[285] The hair of this new Mr. Gerding was cropped even closer than Dink's.
[286] His mustache was gray-tipped, like a patch of frosted furze; and his eyes, like Dink's, were cobalt blue.
[287] The head, Orison mused, would look quite at home in one of Kaiser Bill's spike-topped Pickelhauben ; but the ears were in evidence, and seemed normal.
[288] Mr. Kraft Gerding bowed—what continental manners these bankers had!—and Orison half expected him to free her hand from the rolled-up paper she still clutched and plant a kiss on it.
[289] Instead, Kraft Gerding smiled a smile as frosty as his mustache and said, "I understand that my younger brother has been talking with you, Miss McCall.
[290] Quite proper, I know.
[291] But I must warn you against mixing business with pleasure."
[292] Orison jumped up, tossing the paper into her wastebasket.
[293] "I quit!"
[294] she shouted.
[295] "You can take this crazy bank ... into bankruptcy, for all I care.
[296] I'm not going to perch up here, target for every uncaged idiot in finance, and listen to another word."
[297] "Dearest lady, my humblest pardon," Kraft Gerding said, bowing again, a bit lower.
[298] "Your work is splendid; your presence is Taft Bank's most charming asset; my only wish is to serve and protect you.
[299] To this end, dear lady, I feel it my duty to warn you against my brother.
[300] A word to the wise...." " N'est-ce pas? "
[301] Orison said.
[302] "Well, Buster, here's a word to the foolish.
[303] Get lost."
[304] Kraft Gerding bowed and flashed his gelid smile.
[305] "Until we meet again?"
[306] "I'll hold my breath," Orison promised.
[307] "The elevator is just behind you.
[308] Push a button, will you?
[309] And bon voyage ."
[310] Kraft Gerding called the elevator, marched aboard, favored Orison with a cold, quick bow, then disappeared into the mysterious heights above fifth floor.
[311] First the unspeakable Auga Vingt, then the obnoxious Kraft Gerding.
[312] Surely, Orison thought, recovering the Wall Street Journal from her wastebasket and smoothing it, no one would convert a major Midwestern bank into a lunatic asylum.
[313] How else, though, could the behavior of the Earmuffs be explained?
[314] Could madmen run a bank?
[315] Why not, she thought.
[316] History is rich in examples of madmen running nations, banks and all.
[317] She began again to read the paper into the microphone.
[318] If she finished early enough, she might get a chance to prowl those Off-Limits upper floors.
[319] Half an hour further into the paper, Orison jumped, startled by the sudden buzz of her telephone.
[320] She picked it up. "
[321] Wanji e-Kal, Datto.
[322] Dink ger-Dink d'summa. "
[323] Orison scribbled down this intelligence in bemused Gregg before replying, "I'm a local girl.
[324] Try me in English."
[325] "Oh.
[326] Hi, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[327] "Guess I goofed.
[328] I'm in kinda clutch.
[329] This is Wanji.
[330] I got a kite for Mr. Dink Gerding.
[331] If you see him, tell him the escudo green is pale.
[332] Got that, doll?"
[333] "Yes, Mr. Wanji.
[334] I'll tell Mr.
[335] Gerding."
[336] Orison clicked the phone down.
[337] What now, Mata Hari?
[338] she asked herself.
[339] What was the curious language Mr. Wanji had used?
[340] She'd have to report the message to Washington by tonight's pillow, and let the polyglots of Treasury Intelligence puzzle it out.
[341] Meanwhile, she thought, scooting her chair back from her desk, she had a vague excuse to prowl the upper floors.
[342] The Earmuffs could only fire her.
[343] Orison folded the paper and put it in the "Out" basket.
[344] Someone would be here in a moment with something new to read.
[345] She'd best get going.
[346] The elevator?
[347] No.
[348] The operators had surely been instructed to keep her off the upstairs floors.
[349] But the building had a stairway.
[350] III The door on the sixth floor was locked.
[351] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
[352] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
[353] Orison closed her eyes for a moment.
[354] There was a curious sound.
[355] The buzzing of a million bees, barely within the fringes of her hearing.
[356] Somehow, a very pleasant sound.
[357] She opened her eyes and tried the knob.
[358] The door opened.
[359] Orison was blinded by the lights, brilliant as noonday sun.
[360] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
[361] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
[362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
[363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
[364] One hundred and eight tanks.
[365] She walked closer.
[366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
[367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
[368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
[369] For a moment Orison thought she saw Benjamin Franklin winking up at her from the liquid.
[370] Then she screamed.
[371] The pink bubbles, the tiny flesh-colored flecks glinting light from the spun-sugar bridges between the tanks, were spiders.
[372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
[373] Orison put her hands over her ears and screamed again, backing toward the stairway door.
[374] Into a pair of arms.
[375] "I had hoped you'd be happy here, Miss McCall," Kraft Gerding said.
[376] Orison struggled to release herself.
[377] She broke free only to have her wrists seized by two Earmuffs that had appeared with the elder Gerding.
[378] "It seems that our Pandora doesn't care for spiders," he said.
[379] "Really, Miss McCall, our little pets are quite harmless.
[380] Were we to toss you into one of these tanks...." Orison struggled against her two sumo -sized captors, whose combined weights exceeded hers by some quarter-ton, without doing more than lifting her feet from the floor.
[381] "... your flesh would be unharmed, though they spun and darted all around you.
[382] Our Microfabridae are petrovorous, Miss McCall.
[383] Of course, once they discovered your teeth, and through them a skeleton of calcium, a delicacy they find most toothsome, you'd be filleted within minutes."
[384] "Elder Compassion wouldn't like your harming the girl, Sire," one of the earmuffed sumo -wrestlers protested.
[385] "Elder Compassion has no rank," Kraft Gerding said.
[386] "Miss McCall, you must tell me what you were doing here, or I'll toss you to the spiders."
[387] "Dink ...
[388] Dink!"
[389] Orison shouted.
[390] "My beloved younger brother is otherwise engaged than in the rescue of damsels in distress," Kraft said.
[391] "Someone, after all, has to mind the bank."
[392] "I came to bring a message to Dink," Orison said.
[393] "Let me go, you acromegalic apes!"
[394] "The message?"
[395] Kraft Gerding demanded.
[396] "Something about escudo green.
[397] Put me down!"
[398] Suddenly she was dropped.
[399] Her mountainous keepers were on the floor as though struck by lightning, their arms thrown out before them, their faces abject against the floor.
[400] Kraft Gerding was slowly lowering himself to one knee.
[401] Dink had entered the spider-room.
[402] Without questions, he strode between the shiko-ing Earmuffs and put his arms around Orison.
[403] "They can't harm you," he said.
[404] She turned to press her face against his chest.
[405] "You're all right, child.
[406] Breathe deep, swallow, and turn your brain back on.
[407] All right, now?"
[408] "All right," she said, still trembling.
[409] "They were going to throw me to the spiders."
[410] "Kraft told you that?"
[411] Dink Gerding released her and turned to the kneeling man.
[412] "Stand up, Elder Brother."
[413] "I...." Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
[414] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
[415] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
[416] Kraft struggled to one knee and remained kneeling, gazing up at Dink through half-closed eyes.
[417] "No?
[418] Then get out of here, all of you.
[419] Samma! "
[420] Kraft Gerding arose, stared for a moment at Dink and Orison, then, with the merest hint of a bow, led his two giant Earmuffs to the elevator.
[421] "I wish you hadn't come up here, Orison," Dink said.
[422] "Why did you do it?"
[423] "Have you read the story of Bluebeard?"
[424] Orison asked.
[425] She stood close to Dink, keeping her eyes on the nearest spidertank.
[426] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see.
[427] My excuse was to have been that I was looking for you, to deliver a message from Mr. Wanji.
[428] He said I was to tell you that the escudo green is pale."
[429] "You're too curious, and Wanji is too careless," Dink said.
[430] "Now, what is this thing you have about spiders?"
[431] "I've always been terrified of them," Orison said.
[432] "When I was a little girl, I had to stay upstairs all day one Sunday because there was a spider hanging from his thread in the stairway.
[433] I waited until Dad came home and took it down with a broom.
[434] Even then, I didn't have appetite for supper."
[435] "Strange," Dink said.
[436] He walked over to the nearest tank and plucked one of the tiny pink creatures from a web-bridge.
[437] "This is no spider, Orison," he said.
[438] She backed away from Dink Gerding and the minuscule creature he cupped in the palm of his hand.
[439] "These are Microfabridae, more nearly related to shellfish than to spiders," he said.
[440] "They're stone-and-metal eaters.
[441] They literally couldn't harm a fly.
[442] Look at it, Orison."
[443] He extended his palm.
[444] Orison forced herself to look.
[445] The little creature, flesh-colored against his flesh, was nearly invisible, scuttling around the bowl of his hand.
[446] "Pretty little fellow, isn't he?"
[447] Dink asked.
[448] "Here.
[449] You hold him."
[450] "I'd rather not," she protested.
[451] "I'd be happier if you did," Dink said.
[452] Orison extended her hand as into a furnace.
[453] Dink brushed the Microfabridus from his palm to hers.
[454] It felt crisp and hard, like a legged grain of sand.
[455] Dink took a magnifier from his pocket and unfolded it, to hold it over Orison's palm.
[456] "He's like a baby crawdad," Orison said.
[457] "A sort of crustacean," Dink agreed.
[458] "We use them in a commercial process we're developing.
[459] That's why we keep this floor closed off and secret.
[460] We don't have a patent on the use of Microfabridae, you see."
[461] "What do they do?"
[462] Orison asked.
[463] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling.
[464] "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
[465] "What's he doing now?"
[466] Orison asked, watching the Microfabridus, perched up on the rear four of his six microscopic legs, scratching against her high-school class-ring with his tiny chelae.
[467] "They like gold," Dink explained, peering across her shoulder, comfortably close.
[468] "They're attracted to it by a chemical tropism, as children are attracted to candy.
[469] Toss him back into his tank, Orison.
[470] We'd better get you down where you belong."
[471] Orison brushed the midget crustacean off her finger into the nearest tank, where he joined the busy boil of his fellows.
[472] She felt her ring.
[473] It was pitted where the Microfabridus had been nibbling.
[474] "Strange, using crawdads in a bank," she said.
[475] She stood silent for a moment.
[476] "I thought I heard music," she said.
[477] "I heard it when I came in.
[478] Something like the sighing of wind in winter trees."
[479] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said.
[480] "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
[481] He took her arm.
[482] "If you listen very carefully, you'll find the song these little workers sing the most beautiful music in the world."
[483] Orison closed her eyes, leaning back into Dink's arms, listening to the music that seemed on the outermost edge of her hearing.
[484] Wildness, storm and danger were its theme, counterpointed by promises of peace and harbor.
[485] She heard the wash of giant waves in the song, the crash of breakers against granite, cold and insatiable.
[486] And behind this, the quiet of sheltered tide-pools, the soft lub of sea-arms landlocked.
[487] "It's an ancient song," Dink said.
[488] "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years."
[489] He released her, and opened a wood-covered wooden box.
[490] He scooped up a cupful of the sand inside.
[491] "Hold out your hands," he told Orison.
[492] He filled them with the sand.
[493] "Throw our singers some supper for their song," he said.
[494] Orison went with her cupped hands to the nearest tank and sprinkled the mineral fishfood around inside it.
[495] The Microfabridae leaped from the liquid like miniature porpoises, seizing the grains of sand in mid-air.
[496] "They're so very strange," Orison said.
[497] At the bottom of the tank she thought she saw Ben Franklin again, winking at her through the bubbling life.
[498] Nonsense, she thought, brushing her hands. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question:
1. [345] Someone would be here in a moment with something new to read.
2. [346] The elevator? No. The operators had surely been instructed to keep her off the upstairs floors.
3. [347] But the building had a stairway.
4. [350] The door on the sixth floor was locked.
5. [351] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
6. [352] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
7. [353] Orison closed her eyes for a moment.
8. [354] There was a curious sound.
9. [355] The buzzing of a million bees, barely within the fringes of her hearing.
10. [356] Somehow, a very pleasant sound.
11. [357] She opened her eyes and tried the knob.
12. [358] The door opened.
13. [359] Orison was blinded by the lights, brilliant as noonday sun.
14. [360] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
15. [361] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
16. [362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
17. [363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
18. [364] One hundred and eight tanks.
19. [365] She walked closer.
20. [366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
21. [367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
22. [368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
23. [369] For a moment Orison thought she saw Benjamin Franklin winking up at her from the liquid.
24. [370] Then she screamed.
25. [371] The pink bubbles, the tiny flesh-colored flecks glinting light from the spun-sugar bridges between the tanks, were spiders.
26. [372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
27. [373] Orison put her hands over her ears and screamed again, backing toward the stairway door.
28. [374] Into a pair of arms.
29. [375] "I had hoped you'd be happy here, Miss McCall," Kraft Gerding said.
30. [376] Orison struggled to release herself.
31. [377] She broke free only to have her wrists seized by two Earmuffs that had appeared with the elder Gerding.
32. [378] "It seems that our Pandora doesn't care for spiders," he said.
33. [379] "Really, Miss McCall, our little pets are quite harmless. Were we to toss you into one of these tanks...."
34. [380] Orison struggled against her two sumo -sized captors, whose combined weights exceeded hers by some quarter-ton, without doing more than lifting her feet from the floor.
35. [381] "... your flesh would be unharmed, though they spun and darted all around you. Our Microfabridae are petrovorous, Miss McCall. Of course, once they discovered your teeth, and through them a skeleton of calcium, a delicacy they find most toothsome, you'd be filleted within minutes."
36. [382] "Elder Compassion wouldn't like your harming the girl, Sire," one of the earmuffed sumo -wrestlers protested.
37. [383] "Elder Compassion has no rank," Kraft Gerding said.
38. [384] "Miss McCall, you must tell me what you were doing here, or I'll toss you to the spiders."
39. [385] "Dink ... Dink!" Orison shouted.
40. [386] "My beloved younger brother is otherwise engaged than in the rescue of damsels in distress," Kraft said.
41. [387] "Someone, after all, has to mind the bank."
42. [388] "I came to bring a message to Dink," Orison said.
43. [389] "Let me go, you acromegalic apes!"
44. [390] "The message?" Kraft Gerding demanded.
45. [391] "Something about escudo green. Put me down!"
46. [392] Suddenly she was dropped.
47. [393] Her mountainous keepers were on the floor as though struck by lightning, their arms thrown out before them, their faces abject against the floor.
48. [394] Kraft Gerding was slowly lowering himself to one knee.
49. [395] Dink had entered the spider-room.
50. [396] Without questions, he strode between the shiko-ing Earmuffs and put his arms around Orison.
51. [397] "They can't harm you," he said.
52. [398] She turned to press her face against his chest.
53. [399] "You're all right, child. Breathe deep, swallow, and turn your brain back on. All right, now?"
54. [400] "All right," she said, still trembling.
55. [401] "They were going to throw me to the spiders."
56. [402] "Kraft told you that?" Dink Gerding released her and turned to the kneeling man.
57. [403] "Stand up, Elder Brother."
58. [404] "I...." Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
59. [405] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
60. [406] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
61. [407] Kraft struggled to one knee and remained kneeling, gazing up at Dink through half-closed eyes.
62. [408] "No? Then get out of here, all of you. Samma!"
63. [409] Kraft Gerding arose, stared for a moment at Dink and Orison, then, with the merest hint of a bow, led his two giant Earmuffs to the elevator.
64. [410] "I wish you hadn't come up here, Orison," Dink said.
65. [411] "Why did you do it?"
66. [412] "Have you read the story of Bluebeard?" Orison asked.
67. [413] She stood close to Dink, keeping her eyes on the nearest spidertank.
68. [414] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see.
69. [415] My excuse was to have been that I was looking for you, to deliver a message from Mr. Wanji.
70. [416] He said I was to tell you that the escudo green is pale."
71. [417] "You're too curious, and Wanji is too careless," Dink said.
72. [418] "Now, what is this thing you have about spiders?"
73. [419] "I've always been terrified of them," Orison said.
74. [420] "When I was a little girl, I had to stay upstairs all day one Sunday because there was a spider hanging from his thread in the stairway.
75. [421] I waited until Dad came home and took it down with a broom. Even then, I didn't have appetite for supper."
76. [422] "Strange," Dink said.
77. [423] He walked over to the nearest tank and plucked one of the tiny pink creatures from a web-bridge.
78. [424] "This is no spider, Orison," he said.
79. [425] She backed away from Dink Gerding and the minuscule creature he cupped in the palm of his hand.
80. [426] "These are Microfabridae, more nearly related to shellfish than to spiders," he said.
81. [427] "They're stone-and-metal eaters. They literally couldn't harm a fly.
82. [428] Look at it, Orison."
83. [429] He extended his palm.
84. [430] Orison forced herself to look.
85. [431] The little creature, flesh-colored against his flesh, was nearly invisible, scuttling around the bowl of his hand.
86. [432] "Pretty little fellow, isn't he?" Dink asked.
87. [433] "Here. You hold him."
88. [434] "I'd rather not," she protested.
89. [435] "I'd be happier if you did," Dink said.
90. [436] Orison extended her hand as into a furnace.
91. [437] Dink brushed the Microfabridus from his palm to hers.
92. [438] It felt crisp and hard, like a legged grain of sand.
93. [439] Dink took a magnifier from his pocket and unfolded it, to hold it over Orison's palm.
94. [440] "He's like a baby crawdad," Orison said.
95. [441] "A sort of crustacean," Dink agreed.
96. [442] "We use them in a commercial process we're developing. That's why we keep this floor closed off and secret.
97. [443] We don't have a patent on the use of Microfabridae, you see."
98. [444] "What do they do?" Orison asked.
99. [445] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling.
100. [446] "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
101. [447] "What's he doing now?" Orison asked, watching the Microfabridus, perched up on the rear four of his six microscopic legs, scratching against her high-school class-ring with his tiny chelae.
102. [448] "They like gold," Dink explained, peering across her shoulder, comfortably close.
103. [449] "They're attracted to it by a chemical tropism, as children are attracted to candy.
104. [450] Toss him back into his tank, Orison. We'd better get you down where you belong."
105. [451] Orison brushed the midget crustacean off her finger into the nearest tank, where he joined the busy boil of his fellows.
106. [452] She felt her ring. It was pitted where the Microfabridus had been nibbling.
107. [453] "Strange, using crawdads in a bank," she said.
108. [454] She stood silent for a moment.
109. [455] "I thought I heard music," she said.
110. [456] "I heard it when I came in. Something like the sighing of wind in winter trees."
111. [457] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said.
112. [458] "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
113. [459] He took her arm.
114. [460] "If you listen very carefully, you'll find the song these little workers sing the most beautiful music in the world."
115. [461] Orison closed her eyes, leaning back into Dink's arms, listening to the music that seemed on the outermost edge of her hearing.
116. [462] Wildness, storm and danger were its theme, counterpointed by promises of peace and harbor.
117. [463] She heard the wash of giant waves in the song, the crash of breakers against granite, cold and insatiable.
118. [464] And behind this, the quiet of sheltered tide-pools, the soft lub of sea-arms landlocked.
119. [465] "It's an ancient song," Dink said.
120. [466] "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years."
121. [467] He released her, and opened a wood-covered wooden box.
122. [468] He scooped up a cupful of the sand inside.
123. [469] "Hold out your hands," he told Orison.
124. [470] He filled them with the sand.
125. [471] "Throw our singers some supper for their song," he said.
126. [472] Orison went with her cupped hands to the nearest tank and sprinkled the mineral fishfood around inside it.
127. [473] The Microfabridae leaped from the liquid like miniature porpoises, seizing the grains of sand in mid-air.
128. [474] "They're so very strange," Orison said.
129. [475] At the bottom of the tank she thought she saw Ben Franklin again, winking at her through the bubbling life.
130. [476] Nonsense, she thought, brushing her hands. |
Who is Dink Gerding, and what are his characteristics? | [
"Dink Gerding is the eccentric president of the bank. He is a tall, handsome man, and Orison assumes that he is around twenty-eight the first time she meets him. He has an older brother named Kraft, but he is higher in power than his brother. When Dink first meets Orison, he is courteous and personally welcomes her to the office. However, he is also rather confident. Dink casually asks her out for dinner despite never meeting her before, and he even offers to dance. However, it is noted that Dink has some form of military experience as a soldier. His shoulders are square, and the crisp clicking of his steps is similar to a military metronome. Nevertheless, Dink is protective of Orison; this is especially shown during the confrontation with his brother. He is also gentle to her around the Microfabridae and is extremely happy when she takes an interest in holding one.",
"Dink Gerding is the president of Taft Bank. He is a tall handsome man, he is young and full of grace. He is confident and direct as he almost immediately asks Orison on a date, being very convincing. He has muscles and European manners. He also has some connection to military, probably a former soldier. He doesn't look like a bank president, he is respected by everyone and his appearance impresses Orison deeply. Dink is also the highest in rank, which is why everyone bows to him - they have some sort of hierarchy. Even his elder brother kneels to him and has to obey. Dink is rather mild, he saves Orison from his brother and tells as much as he could about the secret Microfabridae.",
"Mr. Dink Gerding is the President of the bank, who has the highest rank. He does not wear earmuffs. To Orison’s mind, he is a handsome, tall, good-mannered and straightforward man. When Orison first meets him, Dink acts like a solider, such as his crisp clicking steps. Also, he does not hide his interest on Orison. Though they just meet and introduced themselves to each other, Dink directly asks Orison out for a dinner together.",
"Dink Gerding is the president of the bank where Orizon is spying on. He is a handsome, gentlemanly fellow, who walks with a very purposeful stride, his leather heels clicking as he walks. He bows at Orizon when they first meet, showing his old fashioned manners, something Orizon thinks he must've picked up in Europe, or perhaps more likely, the military. He looks to be around twenty eight, and very tall. Orizon notices how \"kooky\" he is due to his demeanour. He asks her to call him Dink instead of \"Sir\", unusual for a boss who has never met his employee. He then shows his forwardness by asking her out immediately. Later, when Orzion is being threatened by Kraft, Dink comes to her rescue. He holds Orizon, punching Kraft in the face, showing his chivalry. He is understanding when Orizon explains why she is on the upper floors, and shows his kindness when he helps her get over her fear of the Microfabridae."
] | [1] CINDERELLA STORY By ALLEN KIM LANG What a bank!
[2] The First Vice-President was a cool cat—the elevator and the money operators all wore earmuffs—was just as phony as a three-dollar bill!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I The First Vice-President of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company, the gentleman to whom Miss Orison McCall was applying for a job, was not at all the public picture of a banker.
[6] His suit of hound's-tooth checks, the scarlet vest peeping above the vee of his jacket, were enough to assure Orison that the Taft Bank was a curious bank indeed.
[7] "I gotta say, chick, these references of yours really swing," said the Vice-President, Mr. Wanji.
[8] "Your last boss says you come on real cool in the secretary-bit."
[9] "He was a very kind employer," Orison said.
[10] She tried to keep from staring at the most remarkable item of Mr. Wanji's costume, a pair of furry green earmuffs.
[11] It was not cold.
[12] Mr. Wanji returned to Orison her letters of reference.
[13] "What color bread you got eyes for taking down, baby?"
[14] he asked.
[15] "Beg pardon?"
[16] "What kinda salary you bucking for?"
[17] he translated, bouncing up and down on the toes of his rough-leather desert boots.
[18] "I was making one-twenty a week in my last position," Miss McCall said.
[19] "You're worth more'n that, just to jazz up the decor," Mr. Wanji said.
[20] "What you say we pass you a cee-and-a-half a week.
[21] Okay?"
[22] He caught Orison's look of bewilderment.
[23] "One each, a Franklin and a Grant," he explained further.
[24] She still looked blank.
[25] "Sister, you gonna work in a bank, you gotta know who's picture's on the paper.
[26] That's a hunnerd-fifty a week, doll."
[27] "That will be most satisfactory, Mr. Wanji," Orison said.
[28] It was indeed.
[29] "Crazy!"
[30] Mr. Wanji grabbed Orison's right hand and shook it with athletic vigor.
[31] "You just now joined up with our herd.
[32] I wanna tell you, chick, it's none too soon we got some decent scenery around this tomb, girlwise."
[33] He took her arm and led her toward the bank of elevators.
[34] The uniformed operator nodded to Mr. Wanji, bowed slightly to Orison.
[35] He, too, she observed, wore earmuffs.
[36] His were more formal than Mr. Wanji's, being midnight blue in color.
[37] "Lift us to five, Mac," Mr. Wanji said.
[38] As the elevator door shut he explained to Orison, "You can make the Taft Bank scene anywhere between the street floor and floor five.
[39] Basement and everything higher'n fifth floor is Iron Curtain Country far's you're concerned.
[40] Dig, baby?"
[41] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[42] She was wondering if she'd be issued earmuffs, now that she'd become an employee of this most peculiar bank.
[43] The elevator opened on five to a tiny office, just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs.
[44] On the desk were a telephone and a microphone.
[45] Beside them was a double-decked "In" and "Out" basket.
[46] "Here's where you'll do your nine-to-five, honey," Mr. Wanji said.
[47] "What will I be doing, Mr.
[48] Wanji?"
[49] Orison asked.
[50] The Vice-President pointed to the newspaper folded in the "In" basket.
[51] "Flip on the microphone and read the paper to it," he said.
[52] "When you get done reading the paper, someone will run you up something new to read.
[53] Okay?"
[54] "It seems a rather peculiar job," Orison said.
[55] "After all, I'm a secretary.
[56] Is reading the newspaper aloud supposed to familiarize me with the Bank's operation?"
[57] "Don't bug me, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[58] "All you gotta do is read that there paper into this here microphone.
[59] Can do?"
[60] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[61] "While you're here, Mr. Wanji, I'd like to ask you about my withholding tax, social security, credit union, coffee-breaks, union membership, lunch hour and the like.
[62] Shall we take care of these details now?
[63] Or would you—" "You just take care of that chicken-flickin' kinda stuff any way seems best to you, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[64] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[65] This laissez-faire policy of Taft Bank's might explain why she'd been selected from the Treasury Department's secretarial pool to apply for work here, she thought.
[66] Orison McCall, girl Government spy.
[67] She picked up the newspaper from the "In" basket, unfolded it to discover the day's Wall Street Journal , and began at the top of column one to read it aloud.
[68] Wanji stood before the desk, nodding his head as he listened.
[69] "You blowing real good, kid," he said.
[70] "The boss is gonna dig you the most."
[71] Orison nodded.
[72] Holding her newspaper and her microphone, she read the one into the other.
[73] Mr. Wanji flicked his fingers in a good-by, then took off upstairs in the elevator.
[74] By lunchtime Orison had finished the Wall Street Journal and had begun reading a book an earmuffed page had brought her.
[75] The book was a fantastic novel of some sort, named The Hobbit .
[76] Reading this peculiar fare into the microphone before her, Miss McCall was more certain than ever that the Taft Bank was, as her boss in Washington had told her, the front for some highly irregular goings-on.
[77] An odd business for a Federal Mata Hari, Orison thought, reading a nonsense story into a microphone for an invisible audience.
[78] Orison switched off her microphone at noon, marked her place in the book and took the elevator down to the ground floor.
[79] The operator was a new man, ears concealed behind scarlet earmuffs.
[80] In the car, coming down from the interdicted upper floors, were several gentlemen with briefcases.
[81] As though they were members of a ballet-troupe, these gentlemen whipped off their hats with a single motion as Orison stepped aboard the elevator.
[82] Each of the chivalrous men, hat pressed to his heart, wore a pair of earmuffs.
[83] Orison nodded bemused acknowledgment of their gesture, and got off in the lobby vowing never to put a penny into this curiousest of banks.
[84] Lunch at the stand-up counter down the street was a normal interlude.
[85] Girls from the ground-floor offices of Taft Bank chattered together, eyed Orison with the coolness due so attractive a competitor, and favored her with no gambit to enter their conversations.
[86] Orison sighed, finished her tuna salad on whole-wheat, then went back upstairs to her lonely desk and her microphone.
[87] By five, Orison had finished the book, reading rapidly and becoming despite herself engrossed in the saga of Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit.
[88] She switched off the microphone, put on her light coat, and rode downstairs in an elevator filled with earmuffed, silent, hat-clasping gentlemen.
[89] What I need, Orison thought, walking rapidly to the busline, is a double Scotch, followed by a double Scotch.
[90] And what the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company needs is a joint raid by forces of the U.S. Treasury Department and the American Psychiatric Association.
[91] Earmuffs, indeed.
[92] Fairy-tales read into a microphone.
[93] A Vice-President with the vocabulary of a racetrack tout.
[94] And what goes on in those upper floors?
[95] Orison stopped in at the restaurant nearest her apartment house—the Windsor Arms—and ordered a meal and a single Martini.
[96] Her boss in Washington had told her that this job of hers, spying on Taft Bank from within, might prove dangerous.
[97] Indeed it was, she thought.
[98] She was in danger of becoming a solitary drinker.
[99] Home in her apartment, Orison set the notes of her first day's observations in order.
[100] Presumably Washington would call tonight for her initial report.
[101] Item: some of the men at the Bank wore earmuffs, several didn't.
[102] Item: the Vice-President's name was Mr. Wanji: Oriental?
[103] Item: the top eight floors of the Taft Bank Building seemed to be off-limits to all personnel not wearing earmuffs.
[104] Item: she was being employed at a very respectable salary to read newsprint and nonsense into a microphone.
[105] Let Washington make sense of that, she thought.
[106] In a gloomy mood, Orison McCall showered and dressed for bed.
[107] Eleven o'clock.
[108] Washington should be calling soon, inquiring after the results of her first day's spying.
[109] No call.
[110] Orison slipped between the sheets at eleven-thirty.
[111] The clock was set; the lights were out.
[112] Wasn't Washington going to call her?
[113] Perhaps, she thought, the Department had discovered that the Earmuffs had her phone tapped.
[114] "Testing," a baritone voice muttered.
[115] Orison sat up, clutching the sheet around her throat.
[116] "Beg pardon?"
[117] she said.
[118] "Testing," the male voice repeated.
[119] "One, two, three; three, two, one.
[120] Do you read me?
[121] Over."
[122] Orison reached under the bed for a shoe.
[123] Gripping it like a Scout-ax, she reached for the light cord with her free hand and tugged at it.
[124] The room was empty.
[125] "Testing," the voice repeated.
[126] "What you're testing," Orison said in a firm voice, "is my patience.
[127] Who are you?"
[128] "Department of Treasury Monitor J-12," the male voice said.
[129] "Do you have anything to report, Miss McCall?"
[130] "Where are you, Monitor?"
[131] she demanded.
[132] "That's classified information," the voice said.
[133] "Please speak directly to your pillow, Miss McCall."
[134] Orison lay down cautiously.
[135] "All right," she whispered to her pillow.
[136] "Over here," the voice instructed her, coming from the unruffled pillow beside her.
[137] Orison transferred her head to the pillow to her left.
[138] "A radio?"
[139] she asked.
[140] "Of a sort," Monitor J-12 agreed.
[141] "We have to maintain communications security.
[142] Have you anything to report?"
[143] "I got the job," Orison said.
[144] "Are you ... in that pillow ... all the time?"
[145] "No, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[146] "Only at report times.
[147] Shall we establish our rendezvous here at eleven-fifteen, Central Standard Time, every day?"
[148] "You make it sound so improper," Orison said.
[149] "I'm far enough away to do you no harm, Miss McCall," the monitor said.
[150] "Now, tell me what happened at the bank today."
[151] Orison briefed her pillow on the Earmuffs, on her task of reading to a microphone, and on the generally mimsy tone of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company.
[152] "That's about it, so far," she said.
[153] "Good report," J-12 said from the pillow.
[154] "Sounds like you've dropped into a real snakepit, beautiful."
[155] "How do you know ... why do you think I'm beautiful?"
[156] Orison asked.
[157] "Native optimism," the voice said.
[158] "Good night."
[159] J-12 signed off with a peculiar electronic pop that puzzled Orison for a moment.
[160] Then she placed the sound: J-12 had kissed his microphone.
[161] Orison flung the shoe and the pillow under her bed, and resolved to write Washington for permission to make her future reports by registered mail.
[162] II At ten o'clock the next morning, reading page four of the current Wall Street Journal , Orison was interrupted by the click of a pair of leather heels.
[163] The gentleman whose heels had just slammed together was bowing.
[164] And she saw with some gratification that he was not wearing earmuffs.
[165] "My name," the stranger said, "is Dink Gerding.
[166] I am President of this bank, and wish at this time to welcome you to our little family."
[167] "I'm Orison McCall," she said.
[168] A handsome man, she mused.
[169] Twenty-eight?
[170] So tall.
[171] Could he ever be interested in a girl just five-foot-three?
[172] Maybe higher heels?
[173] "We're pleased with your work, Miss McCall," Dink Gerding said.
[174] He took the chair to the right of her desk.
[175] "It's nothing," Orison said, switching off the microphone.
[176] "On the contrary, Miss McCall.
[177] Your duties are most important," he said.
[178] "Reading papers and fairy-tales into this microphone is nothing any reasonably astute sixth-grader couldn't do as well," Orison said.
[179] "You'll be reading silently before long," Mr. Gerding said.
[180] He smiled, as though this explained everything.
[181] "By the way, your official designation is Confidential Secretary.
[182] It's me whose confidences you're to keep secret.
[183] If I ever need a letter written, may I stop down here and dictate it?"
[184] "Please do," Orison said.
[185] This bank president, for all his grace and presence, was obviously as kookie as his bank.
[186] "Have you ever worked in a bank before, Miss McCall?"
[187] Mr. Gerding asked, as though following her train of thought.
[188] "No, sir," she said.
[189] "Though I've been associated with a rather large financial organization."
[190] "You may find some of our methods a little strange, but you'll get used to them," he said.
[191] "Meanwhile, I'd be most grateful if you'd dispense with calling me 'sir.'
[192] My name is Dink.
[193] It is ridiculous, but I'd enjoy your using it."
[194] "Dink?"
[195] she asked.
[196] "And I suppose you're to call me Orison?"
[197] "That's the drill," he said.
[198] "One more question, Orison.
[199] Dinner this evening?"
[200] Direct, she thought.
[201] Perhaps that's why he's president of a bank, and still so young.
[202] "We've hardly met," she said.
[203] "But we're on a first-name basis already," he pointed out.
[204] "Dance?"
[205] "I'd love to," Orison said, half expecting an orchestra to march, playing, from the elevator.
[206] "Then I'll pick you up at seven.
[207] Windsor Arms, if I remember your personnel form correctly."
[208] He stood, lean, all bone and muscle, and bowed slightly.
[209] West Point?
[210] Hardly.
[211] His manners were European.
[212] Sandhurst, perhaps, or Saint Cyr.
[213] Was she supposed to reply with a curtsy?
[214] Orison wondered.
[215] "Thank you," she said.
[216] He was a soldier, or had been: the way, when he turned, his shoulders stayed square.
[217] The crisp clicking of his steps, a military metronome, to the elevator.
[218] When the door slicked open Orison, staring after Dink, saw that each of the half-dozen men aboard snapped off their hats (but not their earmuffs) and bowed, the earmuffed operator bowing with them.
[219] Small bows, true; just head-and-neck.
[220] But not to her.
[221] To Dink Gerding.
[222] Orison finished the Wall Street Journal by early afternoon.
[223] A page came up a moment later with fresh reading-matter: a copy of yesterday's Congressional Record .
[224] She launched into the Record , thinking as she read of meeting again this evening that handsome madman, that splendid lunatic, that unlikely bank-president.
[225] "You read so well , darling," someone said across the desk.
[226] Orison looked up.
[227] "Oh, hello," she said.
[228] "I didn't hear you come up."
[229] "I walk ever so lightly," the woman said, standing hip-shot in front of the desk, "and pounce ever so hard."
[230] She smiled.
[231] Opulent, Orison thought.
[232] Built like a burlesque queen.
[233] No, she thought, I don't like her.
[234] Can't.
[235] Wouldn't if I could.
[236] Never cared for cats.
[237] "I'm Orison McCall," she said, and tried to smile back without showing teeth.
[238] "Delighted," the visitor said, handing over an undelighted palm.
[239] "I'm Auga Vingt.
[240] Auga, to my friends."
[241] "Won't you sit down, Miss Vingt?"
[242] "So kind of you, darling," Auga Vingt said, "but I shan't have time to visit.
[243] I just wanted to stop and welcome you as a Taft Bank co-worker.
[244] One for all, all for one.
[245] Yea, Team.
[246] You know."
[247] "Thanks," Orison said.
[248] "Common courtesy," Miss Vingt explained.
[249] "Also, darling, I'd like to draw your attention to one little point.
[250] Dink Gerding—you know, the shoulders and muscles and crewcut?
[251] Well, he's posted property.
[252] Should you throw your starveling charms at my Dink, you'd only get your little eyes scratched out.
[253] Word to the wise, n'est-ce pas ?"
[254] "Sorry you have to leave so suddenly," Orison said, rolling her Wall Street Journal into a club and standing.
[255] "Darling."
[256] "So remember, Tiny, Dink Gerding is mine.
[257] You're all alone up here.
[258] You could get broken nails, fall down the elevator shaft, all sorts of annoyance.
[259] Understand me, darling?"
[260] "You make it very clear," Orison said.
[261] "Now you'd best hurry back to your stanchion, Bossy, before the hay's all gone."
[262] "Isn't it lovely, the way you and I reached an understanding right off?"
[263] Auga asked.
[264] "Well, ta-ta."
[265] She turned and walked to the elevator, displaying, Orison thought, a disgraceful amount of ungirdled rhumba motion.
[266] The elevator stopped to pick up the odious Auga.
[267] A passenger, male, stepped off.
[268] "Good morning, Mr. Gerding," Miss Vingt said, bowing.
[269] "Carry on, Colonel," the stranger replied.
[270] As the elevator door closed, he stepped up to Orison's desk.
[271] "Good morning.
[272] Miss McCall," he said.
[273] "What is this?"
[274] Orison demanded.
[275] "Visiting-day at the zoo?"
[276] She paused and shook her head.
[277] "Excuse me, sir," she said.
[278] "It's just that ... Vingt thing...." "Auga is rather intense," the new Mr. Gerding said.
[279] "Yeah, intense," Orison said.
[280] "Like a kidney-stone."
[281] "I stopped by to welcome you to the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company family, Miss McCall," he said.
[282] "I'm Kraft Gerding, Dink's elder brother.
[283] I understand you've met Dink already."
[284] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[285] The hair of this new Mr. Gerding was cropped even closer than Dink's.
[286] His mustache was gray-tipped, like a patch of frosted furze; and his eyes, like Dink's, were cobalt blue.
[287] The head, Orison mused, would look quite at home in one of Kaiser Bill's spike-topped Pickelhauben ; but the ears were in evidence, and seemed normal.
[288] Mr. Kraft Gerding bowed—what continental manners these bankers had!—and Orison half expected him to free her hand from the rolled-up paper she still clutched and plant a kiss on it.
[289] Instead, Kraft Gerding smiled a smile as frosty as his mustache and said, "I understand that my younger brother has been talking with you, Miss McCall.
[290] Quite proper, I know.
[291] But I must warn you against mixing business with pleasure."
[292] Orison jumped up, tossing the paper into her wastebasket.
[293] "I quit!"
[294] she shouted.
[295] "You can take this crazy bank ... into bankruptcy, for all I care.
[296] I'm not going to perch up here, target for every uncaged idiot in finance, and listen to another word."
[297] "Dearest lady, my humblest pardon," Kraft Gerding said, bowing again, a bit lower.
[298] "Your work is splendid; your presence is Taft Bank's most charming asset; my only wish is to serve and protect you.
[299] To this end, dear lady, I feel it my duty to warn you against my brother.
[300] A word to the wise...." " N'est-ce pas? "
[301] Orison said.
[302] "Well, Buster, here's a word to the foolish.
[303] Get lost."
[304] Kraft Gerding bowed and flashed his gelid smile.
[305] "Until we meet again?"
[306] "I'll hold my breath," Orison promised.
[307] "The elevator is just behind you.
[308] Push a button, will you?
[309] And bon voyage ."
[310] Kraft Gerding called the elevator, marched aboard, favored Orison with a cold, quick bow, then disappeared into the mysterious heights above fifth floor.
[311] First the unspeakable Auga Vingt, then the obnoxious Kraft Gerding.
[312] Surely, Orison thought, recovering the Wall Street Journal from her wastebasket and smoothing it, no one would convert a major Midwestern bank into a lunatic asylum.
[313] How else, though, could the behavior of the Earmuffs be explained?
[314] Could madmen run a bank?
[315] Why not, she thought.
[316] History is rich in examples of madmen running nations, banks and all.
[317] She began again to read the paper into the microphone.
[318] If she finished early enough, she might get a chance to prowl those Off-Limits upper floors.
[319] Half an hour further into the paper, Orison jumped, startled by the sudden buzz of her telephone.
[320] She picked it up. "
[321] Wanji e-Kal, Datto.
[322] Dink ger-Dink d'summa. "
[323] Orison scribbled down this intelligence in bemused Gregg before replying, "I'm a local girl.
[324] Try me in English."
[325] "Oh.
[326] Hi, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[327] "Guess I goofed.
[328] I'm in kinda clutch.
[329] This is Wanji.
[330] I got a kite for Mr. Dink Gerding.
[331] If you see him, tell him the escudo green is pale.
[332] Got that, doll?"
[333] "Yes, Mr. Wanji.
[334] I'll tell Mr.
[335] Gerding."
[336] Orison clicked the phone down.
[337] What now, Mata Hari?
[338] she asked herself.
[339] What was the curious language Mr. Wanji had used?
[340] She'd have to report the message to Washington by tonight's pillow, and let the polyglots of Treasury Intelligence puzzle it out.
[341] Meanwhile, she thought, scooting her chair back from her desk, she had a vague excuse to prowl the upper floors.
[342] The Earmuffs could only fire her.
[343] Orison folded the paper and put it in the "Out" basket.
[344] Someone would be here in a moment with something new to read.
[345] She'd best get going.
[346] The elevator?
[347] No.
[348] The operators had surely been instructed to keep her off the upstairs floors.
[349] But the building had a stairway.
[350] III The door on the sixth floor was locked.
[351] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
[352] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
[353] Orison closed her eyes for a moment.
[354] There was a curious sound.
[355] The buzzing of a million bees, barely within the fringes of her hearing.
[356] Somehow, a very pleasant sound.
[357] She opened her eyes and tried the knob.
[358] The door opened.
[359] Orison was blinded by the lights, brilliant as noonday sun.
[360] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
[361] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
[362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
[363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
[364] One hundred and eight tanks.
[365] She walked closer.
[366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
[367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
[368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
[369] For a moment Orison thought she saw Benjamin Franklin winking up at her from the liquid.
[370] Then she screamed.
[371] The pink bubbles, the tiny flesh-colored flecks glinting light from the spun-sugar bridges between the tanks, were spiders.
[372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
[373] Orison put her hands over her ears and screamed again, backing toward the stairway door.
[374] Into a pair of arms.
[375] "I had hoped you'd be happy here, Miss McCall," Kraft Gerding said.
[376] Orison struggled to release herself.
[377] She broke free only to have her wrists seized by two Earmuffs that had appeared with the elder Gerding.
[378] "It seems that our Pandora doesn't care for spiders," he said.
[379] "Really, Miss McCall, our little pets are quite harmless.
[380] Were we to toss you into one of these tanks...." Orison struggled against her two sumo -sized captors, whose combined weights exceeded hers by some quarter-ton, without doing more than lifting her feet from the floor.
[381] "... your flesh would be unharmed, though they spun and darted all around you.
[382] Our Microfabridae are petrovorous, Miss McCall.
[383] Of course, once they discovered your teeth, and through them a skeleton of calcium, a delicacy they find most toothsome, you'd be filleted within minutes."
[384] "Elder Compassion wouldn't like your harming the girl, Sire," one of the earmuffed sumo -wrestlers protested.
[385] "Elder Compassion has no rank," Kraft Gerding said.
[386] "Miss McCall, you must tell me what you were doing here, or I'll toss you to the spiders."
[387] "Dink ...
[388] Dink!"
[389] Orison shouted.
[390] "My beloved younger brother is otherwise engaged than in the rescue of damsels in distress," Kraft said.
[391] "Someone, after all, has to mind the bank."
[392] "I came to bring a message to Dink," Orison said.
[393] "Let me go, you acromegalic apes!"
[394] "The message?"
[395] Kraft Gerding demanded.
[396] "Something about escudo green.
[397] Put me down!"
[398] Suddenly she was dropped.
[399] Her mountainous keepers were on the floor as though struck by lightning, their arms thrown out before them, their faces abject against the floor.
[400] Kraft Gerding was slowly lowering himself to one knee.
[401] Dink had entered the spider-room.
[402] Without questions, he strode between the shiko-ing Earmuffs and put his arms around Orison.
[403] "They can't harm you," he said.
[404] She turned to press her face against his chest.
[405] "You're all right, child.
[406] Breathe deep, swallow, and turn your brain back on.
[407] All right, now?"
[408] "All right," she said, still trembling.
[409] "They were going to throw me to the spiders."
[410] "Kraft told you that?"
[411] Dink Gerding released her and turned to the kneeling man.
[412] "Stand up, Elder Brother."
[413] "I...." Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
[414] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
[415] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
[416] Kraft struggled to one knee and remained kneeling, gazing up at Dink through half-closed eyes.
[417] "No?
[418] Then get out of here, all of you.
[419] Samma! "
[420] Kraft Gerding arose, stared for a moment at Dink and Orison, then, with the merest hint of a bow, led his two giant Earmuffs to the elevator.
[421] "I wish you hadn't come up here, Orison," Dink said.
[422] "Why did you do it?"
[423] "Have you read the story of Bluebeard?"
[424] Orison asked.
[425] She stood close to Dink, keeping her eyes on the nearest spidertank.
[426] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see.
[427] My excuse was to have been that I was looking for you, to deliver a message from Mr. Wanji.
[428] He said I was to tell you that the escudo green is pale."
[429] "You're too curious, and Wanji is too careless," Dink said.
[430] "Now, what is this thing you have about spiders?"
[431] "I've always been terrified of them," Orison said.
[432] "When I was a little girl, I had to stay upstairs all day one Sunday because there was a spider hanging from his thread in the stairway.
[433] I waited until Dad came home and took it down with a broom.
[434] Even then, I didn't have appetite for supper."
[435] "Strange," Dink said.
[436] He walked over to the nearest tank and plucked one of the tiny pink creatures from a web-bridge.
[437] "This is no spider, Orison," he said.
[438] She backed away from Dink Gerding and the minuscule creature he cupped in the palm of his hand.
[439] "These are Microfabridae, more nearly related to shellfish than to spiders," he said.
[440] "They're stone-and-metal eaters.
[441] They literally couldn't harm a fly.
[442] Look at it, Orison."
[443] He extended his palm.
[444] Orison forced herself to look.
[445] The little creature, flesh-colored against his flesh, was nearly invisible, scuttling around the bowl of his hand.
[446] "Pretty little fellow, isn't he?"
[447] Dink asked.
[448] "Here.
[449] You hold him."
[450] "I'd rather not," she protested.
[451] "I'd be happier if you did," Dink said.
[452] Orison extended her hand as into a furnace.
[453] Dink brushed the Microfabridus from his palm to hers.
[454] It felt crisp and hard, like a legged grain of sand.
[455] Dink took a magnifier from his pocket and unfolded it, to hold it over Orison's palm.
[456] "He's like a baby crawdad," Orison said.
[457] "A sort of crustacean," Dink agreed.
[458] "We use them in a commercial process we're developing.
[459] That's why we keep this floor closed off and secret.
[460] We don't have a patent on the use of Microfabridae, you see."
[461] "What do they do?"
[462] Orison asked.
[463] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling.
[464] "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
[465] "What's he doing now?"
[466] Orison asked, watching the Microfabridus, perched up on the rear four of his six microscopic legs, scratching against her high-school class-ring with his tiny chelae.
[467] "They like gold," Dink explained, peering across her shoulder, comfortably close.
[468] "They're attracted to it by a chemical tropism, as children are attracted to candy.
[469] Toss him back into his tank, Orison.
[470] We'd better get you down where you belong."
[471] Orison brushed the midget crustacean off her finger into the nearest tank, where he joined the busy boil of his fellows.
[472] She felt her ring.
[473] It was pitted where the Microfabridus had been nibbling.
[474] "Strange, using crawdads in a bank," she said.
[475] She stood silent for a moment.
[476] "I thought I heard music," she said.
[477] "I heard it when I came in.
[478] Something like the sighing of wind in winter trees."
[479] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said.
[480] "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
[481] He took her arm.
[482] "If you listen very carefully, you'll find the song these little workers sing the most beautiful music in the world."
[483] Orison closed her eyes, leaning back into Dink's arms, listening to the music that seemed on the outermost edge of her hearing.
[484] Wildness, storm and danger were its theme, counterpointed by promises of peace and harbor.
[485] She heard the wash of giant waves in the song, the crash of breakers against granite, cold and insatiable.
[486] And behind this, the quiet of sheltered tide-pools, the soft lub of sea-arms landlocked.
[487] "It's an ancient song," Dink said.
[488] "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years."
[489] He released her, and opened a wood-covered wooden box.
[490] He scooped up a cupful of the sand inside.
[491] "Hold out your hands," he told Orison.
[492] He filled them with the sand.
[493] "Throw our singers some supper for their song," he said.
[494] Orison went with her cupped hands to the nearest tank and sprinkled the mineral fishfood around inside it.
[495] The Microfabridae leaped from the liquid like miniature porpoises, seizing the grains of sand in mid-air.
[496] "They're so very strange," Orison said.
[497] At the bottom of the tank she thought she saw Ben Franklin again, winking at her through the bubbling life.
[498] Nonsense, she thought, brushing her hands. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Dink Gerding, and what are his characteristics?":
1. [165] "My name," the stranger said, "is Dink Gerding. I am President of this bank, and wish at this time to welcome you to our little family."
2. [167] "We're pleased with your work, Miss McCall," Dink Gerding said.
3. [191] "Meanwhile, I'd be most grateful if you'd dispense with calling me 'sir.' My name is Dink. It is ridiculous, but I'd enjoy your using it."
4. [199] "Dinner this evening?"
5. [206] "Then I'll pick you up at seven. Windsor Arms, if I remember your personnel form correctly."
6. [208] He stood, lean, all bone and muscle, and bowed slightly. West Point? Hardly. His manners were European. Sandhurst, perhaps, or Saint Cyr.
7. [216] He was a soldier, or had been: the way, when he turned, his shoulders stayed square. The crisp clicking of his steps, a military metronome, to the elevator.
8. [275] "Visiting-day at the zoo?"
9. [277] "Excuse me, sir," she said. "It's just that ... Vingt thing...."
10. [280] "Auga is rather intense," the new Mr. Gerding said.
11. [281] "Yeah, intense," Orison said. "Like a kidney-stone."
12. [282] "I'm Kraft Gerding, Dink's elder brother."
13. [285] The hair of this new Mr. Gerding was cropped even closer than Dink's. His mustache was gray-tipped, like a patch of frosted furze; and his eyes, like Dink's, were cobalt blue.
14. [288] Mr. Kraft Gerding bowed—what continental manners these bankers had!—and Orison half expected him to free her hand from the rolled-up paper she still clutched and plant a kiss on it.
15. [289] "I understand that my younger brother has been talking with you, Miss McCall. Quite proper, I know. But I must warn you against mixing business with pleasure."
16. [400] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
17. [411] Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
18. [412] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
19. [420] "Samma!"
20. [426] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see."
21. [440] He extended his palm.
22. [464] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling. "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
23. [480] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said. "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
24. [487] "It's an ancient song," Dink said. "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years." |
Who is Mr. Wanji, and what are his characteristics? | [
"Mr. Wanji is the Vice-President of the bank and the first person Orison meets. His fashion choice is not the same as a public picture banker. When she first applies for her job, he wears a hound’s-tooth check suit and a scarlet vest. He also wears a pair of furry green earmuffs even though it is not cold. To top off his outfit, he matches it with a pair of rough-leather desert boots. Orison does not know his ethnicity, but she guesses if he is Oriental based on his name. He speaks strangely too, and Orison finds herself unable to understand him unless he says in plain English. It is a very casual form of speech with lots of slang mixed in. Later, when he calls Orison, he speaks in a completely different language. Mr. Wanji is loud and carefree, as he did not hesitate to give Orison more money than supposedly her last job paid. When she asks him about tax numbers and social security information, he waves it off as if it is nothing. He is very carefree, too, sending Orison to deliver a message to Dink when she is supposed not ever be allowed to the upper floors.",
"Mr. Wanji is the vice-president of Taft Bank. He is dressed up in a weird way, nothing like a banker - scarlet vest, hound's-tooth suit, furry green earmuffs. He talks in some sort of a jargon and doesn't want to bother himself with additional tasks, he is rather relaxed. He talks some strange unknown language with other workers. Dink considers him careless. He seems not strict and indifferent, his talk is emotional and contented, overall he seems funny.",
"Mr. Wanji is the First Vice-President of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company. He is also the one who interviews Miss Orison McCall and gives her the job of reading newspapers and story books. He is an energetic man who talks like a racetrack tout. Also, Mr. Wanji does not like to deal with small details, so he gives Orison much freedom to decide things like lunch union, withholding tax, and social security. He is careless as well. He called Orison by mistake, so he directly let Orison to tell Dink a message. But he does not tell her where to find Dink, which gave Orison a vague excuse to explore the upper floors that she is restricted to enter.",
"Mr. Wanji is the Vice President of William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company. He is very unusual in the way he dresses. The way he speaks is even more peculiar, it being something like English, but not quite, almost like he speaks in code. He calls Orizon ``baby\", noting how attractive she is, obviously showing his built in misogyny through his objectification of a female employee. He then later calls Orizon, once again speaking in even stranger code, asking her to relay a message to Dink. He is a very mysterious and zany character."
] | [1] CINDERELLA STORY By ALLEN KIM LANG What a bank!
[2] The First Vice-President was a cool cat—the elevator and the money operators all wore earmuffs—was just as phony as a three-dollar bill!
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] I The First Vice-President of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company, the gentleman to whom Miss Orison McCall was applying for a job, was not at all the public picture of a banker.
[6] His suit of hound's-tooth checks, the scarlet vest peeping above the vee of his jacket, were enough to assure Orison that the Taft Bank was a curious bank indeed.
[7] "I gotta say, chick, these references of yours really swing," said the Vice-President, Mr. Wanji.
[8] "Your last boss says you come on real cool in the secretary-bit."
[9] "He was a very kind employer," Orison said.
[10] She tried to keep from staring at the most remarkable item of Mr. Wanji's costume, a pair of furry green earmuffs.
[11] It was not cold.
[12] Mr. Wanji returned to Orison her letters of reference.
[13] "What color bread you got eyes for taking down, baby?"
[14] he asked.
[15] "Beg pardon?"
[16] "What kinda salary you bucking for?"
[17] he translated, bouncing up and down on the toes of his rough-leather desert boots.
[18] "I was making one-twenty a week in my last position," Miss McCall said.
[19] "You're worth more'n that, just to jazz up the decor," Mr. Wanji said.
[20] "What you say we pass you a cee-and-a-half a week.
[21] Okay?"
[22] He caught Orison's look of bewilderment.
[23] "One each, a Franklin and a Grant," he explained further.
[24] She still looked blank.
[25] "Sister, you gonna work in a bank, you gotta know who's picture's on the paper.
[26] That's a hunnerd-fifty a week, doll."
[27] "That will be most satisfactory, Mr. Wanji," Orison said.
[28] It was indeed.
[29] "Crazy!"
[30] Mr. Wanji grabbed Orison's right hand and shook it with athletic vigor.
[31] "You just now joined up with our herd.
[32] I wanna tell you, chick, it's none too soon we got some decent scenery around this tomb, girlwise."
[33] He took her arm and led her toward the bank of elevators.
[34] The uniformed operator nodded to Mr. Wanji, bowed slightly to Orison.
[35] He, too, she observed, wore earmuffs.
[36] His were more formal than Mr. Wanji's, being midnight blue in color.
[37] "Lift us to five, Mac," Mr. Wanji said.
[38] As the elevator door shut he explained to Orison, "You can make the Taft Bank scene anywhere between the street floor and floor five.
[39] Basement and everything higher'n fifth floor is Iron Curtain Country far's you're concerned.
[40] Dig, baby?"
[41] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[42] She was wondering if she'd be issued earmuffs, now that she'd become an employee of this most peculiar bank.
[43] The elevator opened on five to a tiny office, just large enough to hold a single desk and two chairs.
[44] On the desk were a telephone and a microphone.
[45] Beside them was a double-decked "In" and "Out" basket.
[46] "Here's where you'll do your nine-to-five, honey," Mr. Wanji said.
[47] "What will I be doing, Mr.
[48] Wanji?"
[49] Orison asked.
[50] The Vice-President pointed to the newspaper folded in the "In" basket.
[51] "Flip on the microphone and read the paper to it," he said.
[52] "When you get done reading the paper, someone will run you up something new to read.
[53] Okay?"
[54] "It seems a rather peculiar job," Orison said.
[55] "After all, I'm a secretary.
[56] Is reading the newspaper aloud supposed to familiarize me with the Bank's operation?"
[57] "Don't bug me, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[58] "All you gotta do is read that there paper into this here microphone.
[59] Can do?"
[60] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[61] "While you're here, Mr. Wanji, I'd like to ask you about my withholding tax, social security, credit union, coffee-breaks, union membership, lunch hour and the like.
[62] Shall we take care of these details now?
[63] Or would you—" "You just take care of that chicken-flickin' kinda stuff any way seems best to you, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
[64] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[65] This laissez-faire policy of Taft Bank's might explain why she'd been selected from the Treasury Department's secretarial pool to apply for work here, she thought.
[66] Orison McCall, girl Government spy.
[67] She picked up the newspaper from the "In" basket, unfolded it to discover the day's Wall Street Journal , and began at the top of column one to read it aloud.
[68] Wanji stood before the desk, nodding his head as he listened.
[69] "You blowing real good, kid," he said.
[70] "The boss is gonna dig you the most."
[71] Orison nodded.
[72] Holding her newspaper and her microphone, she read the one into the other.
[73] Mr. Wanji flicked his fingers in a good-by, then took off upstairs in the elevator.
[74] By lunchtime Orison had finished the Wall Street Journal and had begun reading a book an earmuffed page had brought her.
[75] The book was a fantastic novel of some sort, named The Hobbit .
[76] Reading this peculiar fare into the microphone before her, Miss McCall was more certain than ever that the Taft Bank was, as her boss in Washington had told her, the front for some highly irregular goings-on.
[77] An odd business for a Federal Mata Hari, Orison thought, reading a nonsense story into a microphone for an invisible audience.
[78] Orison switched off her microphone at noon, marked her place in the book and took the elevator down to the ground floor.
[79] The operator was a new man, ears concealed behind scarlet earmuffs.
[80] In the car, coming down from the interdicted upper floors, were several gentlemen with briefcases.
[81] As though they were members of a ballet-troupe, these gentlemen whipped off their hats with a single motion as Orison stepped aboard the elevator.
[82] Each of the chivalrous men, hat pressed to his heart, wore a pair of earmuffs.
[83] Orison nodded bemused acknowledgment of their gesture, and got off in the lobby vowing never to put a penny into this curiousest of banks.
[84] Lunch at the stand-up counter down the street was a normal interlude.
[85] Girls from the ground-floor offices of Taft Bank chattered together, eyed Orison with the coolness due so attractive a competitor, and favored her with no gambit to enter their conversations.
[86] Orison sighed, finished her tuna salad on whole-wheat, then went back upstairs to her lonely desk and her microphone.
[87] By five, Orison had finished the book, reading rapidly and becoming despite herself engrossed in the saga of Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit.
[88] She switched off the microphone, put on her light coat, and rode downstairs in an elevator filled with earmuffed, silent, hat-clasping gentlemen.
[89] What I need, Orison thought, walking rapidly to the busline, is a double Scotch, followed by a double Scotch.
[90] And what the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company needs is a joint raid by forces of the U.S. Treasury Department and the American Psychiatric Association.
[91] Earmuffs, indeed.
[92] Fairy-tales read into a microphone.
[93] A Vice-President with the vocabulary of a racetrack tout.
[94] And what goes on in those upper floors?
[95] Orison stopped in at the restaurant nearest her apartment house—the Windsor Arms—and ordered a meal and a single Martini.
[96] Her boss in Washington had told her that this job of hers, spying on Taft Bank from within, might prove dangerous.
[97] Indeed it was, she thought.
[98] She was in danger of becoming a solitary drinker.
[99] Home in her apartment, Orison set the notes of her first day's observations in order.
[100] Presumably Washington would call tonight for her initial report.
[101] Item: some of the men at the Bank wore earmuffs, several didn't.
[102] Item: the Vice-President's name was Mr. Wanji: Oriental?
[103] Item: the top eight floors of the Taft Bank Building seemed to be off-limits to all personnel not wearing earmuffs.
[104] Item: she was being employed at a very respectable salary to read newsprint and nonsense into a microphone.
[105] Let Washington make sense of that, she thought.
[106] In a gloomy mood, Orison McCall showered and dressed for bed.
[107] Eleven o'clock.
[108] Washington should be calling soon, inquiring after the results of her first day's spying.
[109] No call.
[110] Orison slipped between the sheets at eleven-thirty.
[111] The clock was set; the lights were out.
[112] Wasn't Washington going to call her?
[113] Perhaps, she thought, the Department had discovered that the Earmuffs had her phone tapped.
[114] "Testing," a baritone voice muttered.
[115] Orison sat up, clutching the sheet around her throat.
[116] "Beg pardon?"
[117] she said.
[118] "Testing," the male voice repeated.
[119] "One, two, three; three, two, one.
[120] Do you read me?
[121] Over."
[122] Orison reached under the bed for a shoe.
[123] Gripping it like a Scout-ax, she reached for the light cord with her free hand and tugged at it.
[124] The room was empty.
[125] "Testing," the voice repeated.
[126] "What you're testing," Orison said in a firm voice, "is my patience.
[127] Who are you?"
[128] "Department of Treasury Monitor J-12," the male voice said.
[129] "Do you have anything to report, Miss McCall?"
[130] "Where are you, Monitor?"
[131] she demanded.
[132] "That's classified information," the voice said.
[133] "Please speak directly to your pillow, Miss McCall."
[134] Orison lay down cautiously.
[135] "All right," she whispered to her pillow.
[136] "Over here," the voice instructed her, coming from the unruffled pillow beside her.
[137] Orison transferred her head to the pillow to her left.
[138] "A radio?"
[139] she asked.
[140] "Of a sort," Monitor J-12 agreed.
[141] "We have to maintain communications security.
[142] Have you anything to report?"
[143] "I got the job," Orison said.
[144] "Are you ... in that pillow ... all the time?"
[145] "No, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[146] "Only at report times.
[147] Shall we establish our rendezvous here at eleven-fifteen, Central Standard Time, every day?"
[148] "You make it sound so improper," Orison said.
[149] "I'm far enough away to do you no harm, Miss McCall," the monitor said.
[150] "Now, tell me what happened at the bank today."
[151] Orison briefed her pillow on the Earmuffs, on her task of reading to a microphone, and on the generally mimsy tone of the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company.
[152] "That's about it, so far," she said.
[153] "Good report," J-12 said from the pillow.
[154] "Sounds like you've dropped into a real snakepit, beautiful."
[155] "How do you know ... why do you think I'm beautiful?"
[156] Orison asked.
[157] "Native optimism," the voice said.
[158] "Good night."
[159] J-12 signed off with a peculiar electronic pop that puzzled Orison for a moment.
[160] Then she placed the sound: J-12 had kissed his microphone.
[161] Orison flung the shoe and the pillow under her bed, and resolved to write Washington for permission to make her future reports by registered mail.
[162] II At ten o'clock the next morning, reading page four of the current Wall Street Journal , Orison was interrupted by the click of a pair of leather heels.
[163] The gentleman whose heels had just slammed together was bowing.
[164] And she saw with some gratification that he was not wearing earmuffs.
[165] "My name," the stranger said, "is Dink Gerding.
[166] I am President of this bank, and wish at this time to welcome you to our little family."
[167] "I'm Orison McCall," she said.
[168] A handsome man, she mused.
[169] Twenty-eight?
[170] So tall.
[171] Could he ever be interested in a girl just five-foot-three?
[172] Maybe higher heels?
[173] "We're pleased with your work, Miss McCall," Dink Gerding said.
[174] He took the chair to the right of her desk.
[175] "It's nothing," Orison said, switching off the microphone.
[176] "On the contrary, Miss McCall.
[177] Your duties are most important," he said.
[178] "Reading papers and fairy-tales into this microphone is nothing any reasonably astute sixth-grader couldn't do as well," Orison said.
[179] "You'll be reading silently before long," Mr. Gerding said.
[180] He smiled, as though this explained everything.
[181] "By the way, your official designation is Confidential Secretary.
[182] It's me whose confidences you're to keep secret.
[183] If I ever need a letter written, may I stop down here and dictate it?"
[184] "Please do," Orison said.
[185] This bank president, for all his grace and presence, was obviously as kookie as his bank.
[186] "Have you ever worked in a bank before, Miss McCall?"
[187] Mr. Gerding asked, as though following her train of thought.
[188] "No, sir," she said.
[189] "Though I've been associated with a rather large financial organization."
[190] "You may find some of our methods a little strange, but you'll get used to them," he said.
[191] "Meanwhile, I'd be most grateful if you'd dispense with calling me 'sir.'
[192] My name is Dink.
[193] It is ridiculous, but I'd enjoy your using it."
[194] "Dink?"
[195] she asked.
[196] "And I suppose you're to call me Orison?"
[197] "That's the drill," he said.
[198] "One more question, Orison.
[199] Dinner this evening?"
[200] Direct, she thought.
[201] Perhaps that's why he's president of a bank, and still so young.
[202] "We've hardly met," she said.
[203] "But we're on a first-name basis already," he pointed out.
[204] "Dance?"
[205] "I'd love to," Orison said, half expecting an orchestra to march, playing, from the elevator.
[206] "Then I'll pick you up at seven.
[207] Windsor Arms, if I remember your personnel form correctly."
[208] He stood, lean, all bone and muscle, and bowed slightly.
[209] West Point?
[210] Hardly.
[211] His manners were European.
[212] Sandhurst, perhaps, or Saint Cyr.
[213] Was she supposed to reply with a curtsy?
[214] Orison wondered.
[215] "Thank you," she said.
[216] He was a soldier, or had been: the way, when he turned, his shoulders stayed square.
[217] The crisp clicking of his steps, a military metronome, to the elevator.
[218] When the door slicked open Orison, staring after Dink, saw that each of the half-dozen men aboard snapped off their hats (but not their earmuffs) and bowed, the earmuffed operator bowing with them.
[219] Small bows, true; just head-and-neck.
[220] But not to her.
[221] To Dink Gerding.
[222] Orison finished the Wall Street Journal by early afternoon.
[223] A page came up a moment later with fresh reading-matter: a copy of yesterday's Congressional Record .
[224] She launched into the Record , thinking as she read of meeting again this evening that handsome madman, that splendid lunatic, that unlikely bank-president.
[225] "You read so well , darling," someone said across the desk.
[226] Orison looked up.
[227] "Oh, hello," she said.
[228] "I didn't hear you come up."
[229] "I walk ever so lightly," the woman said, standing hip-shot in front of the desk, "and pounce ever so hard."
[230] She smiled.
[231] Opulent, Orison thought.
[232] Built like a burlesque queen.
[233] No, she thought, I don't like her.
[234] Can't.
[235] Wouldn't if I could.
[236] Never cared for cats.
[237] "I'm Orison McCall," she said, and tried to smile back without showing teeth.
[238] "Delighted," the visitor said, handing over an undelighted palm.
[239] "I'm Auga Vingt.
[240] Auga, to my friends."
[241] "Won't you sit down, Miss Vingt?"
[242] "So kind of you, darling," Auga Vingt said, "but I shan't have time to visit.
[243] I just wanted to stop and welcome you as a Taft Bank co-worker.
[244] One for all, all for one.
[245] Yea, Team.
[246] You know."
[247] "Thanks," Orison said.
[248] "Common courtesy," Miss Vingt explained.
[249] "Also, darling, I'd like to draw your attention to one little point.
[250] Dink Gerding—you know, the shoulders and muscles and crewcut?
[251] Well, he's posted property.
[252] Should you throw your starveling charms at my Dink, you'd only get your little eyes scratched out.
[253] Word to the wise, n'est-ce pas ?"
[254] "Sorry you have to leave so suddenly," Orison said, rolling her Wall Street Journal into a club and standing.
[255] "Darling."
[256] "So remember, Tiny, Dink Gerding is mine.
[257] You're all alone up here.
[258] You could get broken nails, fall down the elevator shaft, all sorts of annoyance.
[259] Understand me, darling?"
[260] "You make it very clear," Orison said.
[261] "Now you'd best hurry back to your stanchion, Bossy, before the hay's all gone."
[262] "Isn't it lovely, the way you and I reached an understanding right off?"
[263] Auga asked.
[264] "Well, ta-ta."
[265] She turned and walked to the elevator, displaying, Orison thought, a disgraceful amount of ungirdled rhumba motion.
[266] The elevator stopped to pick up the odious Auga.
[267] A passenger, male, stepped off.
[268] "Good morning, Mr. Gerding," Miss Vingt said, bowing.
[269] "Carry on, Colonel," the stranger replied.
[270] As the elevator door closed, he stepped up to Orison's desk.
[271] "Good morning.
[272] Miss McCall," he said.
[273] "What is this?"
[274] Orison demanded.
[275] "Visiting-day at the zoo?"
[276] She paused and shook her head.
[277] "Excuse me, sir," she said.
[278] "It's just that ... Vingt thing...." "Auga is rather intense," the new Mr. Gerding said.
[279] "Yeah, intense," Orison said.
[280] "Like a kidney-stone."
[281] "I stopped by to welcome you to the William Howard Taft National Bank and Trust Company family, Miss McCall," he said.
[282] "I'm Kraft Gerding, Dink's elder brother.
[283] I understand you've met Dink already."
[284] "Yes, sir," Orison said.
[285] The hair of this new Mr. Gerding was cropped even closer than Dink's.
[286] His mustache was gray-tipped, like a patch of frosted furze; and his eyes, like Dink's, were cobalt blue.
[287] The head, Orison mused, would look quite at home in one of Kaiser Bill's spike-topped Pickelhauben ; but the ears were in evidence, and seemed normal.
[288] Mr. Kraft Gerding bowed—what continental manners these bankers had!—and Orison half expected him to free her hand from the rolled-up paper she still clutched and plant a kiss on it.
[289] Instead, Kraft Gerding smiled a smile as frosty as his mustache and said, "I understand that my younger brother has been talking with you, Miss McCall.
[290] Quite proper, I know.
[291] But I must warn you against mixing business with pleasure."
[292] Orison jumped up, tossing the paper into her wastebasket.
[293] "I quit!"
[294] she shouted.
[295] "You can take this crazy bank ... into bankruptcy, for all I care.
[296] I'm not going to perch up here, target for every uncaged idiot in finance, and listen to another word."
[297] "Dearest lady, my humblest pardon," Kraft Gerding said, bowing again, a bit lower.
[298] "Your work is splendid; your presence is Taft Bank's most charming asset; my only wish is to serve and protect you.
[299] To this end, dear lady, I feel it my duty to warn you against my brother.
[300] A word to the wise...." " N'est-ce pas? "
[301] Orison said.
[302] "Well, Buster, here's a word to the foolish.
[303] Get lost."
[304] Kraft Gerding bowed and flashed his gelid smile.
[305] "Until we meet again?"
[306] "I'll hold my breath," Orison promised.
[307] "The elevator is just behind you.
[308] Push a button, will you?
[309] And bon voyage ."
[310] Kraft Gerding called the elevator, marched aboard, favored Orison with a cold, quick bow, then disappeared into the mysterious heights above fifth floor.
[311] First the unspeakable Auga Vingt, then the obnoxious Kraft Gerding.
[312] Surely, Orison thought, recovering the Wall Street Journal from her wastebasket and smoothing it, no one would convert a major Midwestern bank into a lunatic asylum.
[313] How else, though, could the behavior of the Earmuffs be explained?
[314] Could madmen run a bank?
[315] Why not, she thought.
[316] History is rich in examples of madmen running nations, banks and all.
[317] She began again to read the paper into the microphone.
[318] If she finished early enough, she might get a chance to prowl those Off-Limits upper floors.
[319] Half an hour further into the paper, Orison jumped, startled by the sudden buzz of her telephone.
[320] She picked it up. "
[321] Wanji e-Kal, Datto.
[322] Dink ger-Dink d'summa. "
[323] Orison scribbled down this intelligence in bemused Gregg before replying, "I'm a local girl.
[324] Try me in English."
[325] "Oh.
[326] Hi, Miss McCall," the voice said.
[327] "Guess I goofed.
[328] I'm in kinda clutch.
[329] This is Wanji.
[330] I got a kite for Mr. Dink Gerding.
[331] If you see him, tell him the escudo green is pale.
[332] Got that, doll?"
[333] "Yes, Mr. Wanji.
[334] I'll tell Mr.
[335] Gerding."
[336] Orison clicked the phone down.
[337] What now, Mata Hari?
[338] she asked herself.
[339] What was the curious language Mr. Wanji had used?
[340] She'd have to report the message to Washington by tonight's pillow, and let the polyglots of Treasury Intelligence puzzle it out.
[341] Meanwhile, she thought, scooting her chair back from her desk, she had a vague excuse to prowl the upper floors.
[342] The Earmuffs could only fire her.
[343] Orison folded the paper and put it in the "Out" basket.
[344] Someone would be here in a moment with something new to read.
[345] She'd best get going.
[346] The elevator?
[347] No.
[348] The operators had surely been instructed to keep her off the upstairs floors.
[349] But the building had a stairway.
[350] III The door on the sixth floor was locked.
[351] Orison went on up the stairs to seven.
[352] The glass of the door there was painted black on the inside, and the landing was cellar-dark.
[353] Orison closed her eyes for a moment.
[354] There was a curious sound.
[355] The buzzing of a million bees, barely within the fringes of her hearing.
[356] Somehow, a very pleasant sound.
[357] She opened her eyes and tried the knob.
[358] The door opened.
[359] Orison was blinded by the lights, brilliant as noonday sun.
[360] The room extended through the entire seventh floor, its windows boarded shut, its ceiling a mass of fluorescent lamps.
[361] Set about the floor were galvanized steel tanks, rectangular and a little bigger than bathtubs.
[362] Orison counted the rows of tanks.
[363] Twelve rows, nine tiers.
[364] One hundred and eight tanks.
[365] She walked closer.
[366] The tubs were laced together by strands of angel-hair, delicate white lattices scintillating with pink.
[367] She walked to the nearest of the tubs and looked in.
[368] It was half full of a greenish fluid, seething with tiny pink bubbles.
[369] For a moment Orison thought she saw Benjamin Franklin winking up at her from the liquid.
[370] Then she screamed.
[371] The pink bubbles, the tiny flesh-colored flecks glinting light from the spun-sugar bridges between the tanks, were spiders.
[372] Millions upon millions of spiders, each the size of a mustard-seed; crawling, leaping, swinging, spinning webs, seething in the hundred tanks.
[373] Orison put her hands over her ears and screamed again, backing toward the stairway door.
[374] Into a pair of arms.
[375] "I had hoped you'd be happy here, Miss McCall," Kraft Gerding said.
[376] Orison struggled to release herself.
[377] She broke free only to have her wrists seized by two Earmuffs that had appeared with the elder Gerding.
[378] "It seems that our Pandora doesn't care for spiders," he said.
[379] "Really, Miss McCall, our little pets are quite harmless.
[380] Were we to toss you into one of these tanks...." Orison struggled against her two sumo -sized captors, whose combined weights exceeded hers by some quarter-ton, without doing more than lifting her feet from the floor.
[381] "... your flesh would be unharmed, though they spun and darted all around you.
[382] Our Microfabridae are petrovorous, Miss McCall.
[383] Of course, once they discovered your teeth, and through them a skeleton of calcium, a delicacy they find most toothsome, you'd be filleted within minutes."
[384] "Elder Compassion wouldn't like your harming the girl, Sire," one of the earmuffed sumo -wrestlers protested.
[385] "Elder Compassion has no rank," Kraft Gerding said.
[386] "Miss McCall, you must tell me what you were doing here, or I'll toss you to the spiders."
[387] "Dink ...
[388] Dink!"
[389] Orison shouted.
[390] "My beloved younger brother is otherwise engaged than in the rescue of damsels in distress," Kraft said.
[391] "Someone, after all, has to mind the bank."
[392] "I came to bring a message to Dink," Orison said.
[393] "Let me go, you acromegalic apes!"
[394] "The message?"
[395] Kraft Gerding demanded.
[396] "Something about escudo green.
[397] Put me down!"
[398] Suddenly she was dropped.
[399] Her mountainous keepers were on the floor as though struck by lightning, their arms thrown out before them, their faces abject against the floor.
[400] Kraft Gerding was slowly lowering himself to one knee.
[401] Dink had entered the spider-room.
[402] Without questions, he strode between the shiko-ing Earmuffs and put his arms around Orison.
[403] "They can't harm you," he said.
[404] She turned to press her face against his chest.
[405] "You're all right, child.
[406] Breathe deep, swallow, and turn your brain back on.
[407] All right, now?"
[408] "All right," she said, still trembling.
[409] "They were going to throw me to the spiders."
[410] "Kraft told you that?"
[411] Dink Gerding released her and turned to the kneeling man.
[412] "Stand up, Elder Brother."
[413] "I...." Dink brought his right fist up from hip-level, crashing it into Kraft's jaw.
[414] Kraft Gerding joined the Earmuffs on the floor.
[415] "If you'd care to stand again, Elder Brother, you may attempt to recover your dignity without regard for the difference in our rank."
[416] Kraft struggled to one knee and remained kneeling, gazing up at Dink through half-closed eyes.
[417] "No?
[418] Then get out of here, all of you.
[419] Samma! "
[420] Kraft Gerding arose, stared for a moment at Dink and Orison, then, with the merest hint of a bow, led his two giant Earmuffs to the elevator.
[421] "I wish you hadn't come up here, Orison," Dink said.
[422] "Why did you do it?"
[423] "Have you read the story of Bluebeard?"
[424] Orison asked.
[425] She stood close to Dink, keeping her eyes on the nearest spidertank.
[426] "I had to see what it was you kept up here so secretly, what it was that I was forbidden to see.
[427] My excuse was to have been that I was looking for you, to deliver a message from Mr. Wanji.
[428] He said I was to tell you that the escudo green is pale."
[429] "You're too curious, and Wanji is too careless," Dink said.
[430] "Now, what is this thing you have about spiders?"
[431] "I've always been terrified of them," Orison said.
[432] "When I was a little girl, I had to stay upstairs all day one Sunday because there was a spider hanging from his thread in the stairway.
[433] I waited until Dad came home and took it down with a broom.
[434] Even then, I didn't have appetite for supper."
[435] "Strange," Dink said.
[436] He walked over to the nearest tank and plucked one of the tiny pink creatures from a web-bridge.
[437] "This is no spider, Orison," he said.
[438] She backed away from Dink Gerding and the minuscule creature he cupped in the palm of his hand.
[439] "These are Microfabridae, more nearly related to shellfish than to spiders," he said.
[440] "They're stone-and-metal eaters.
[441] They literally couldn't harm a fly.
[442] Look at it, Orison."
[443] He extended his palm.
[444] Orison forced herself to look.
[445] The little creature, flesh-colored against his flesh, was nearly invisible, scuttling around the bowl of his hand.
[446] "Pretty little fellow, isn't he?"
[447] Dink asked.
[448] "Here.
[449] You hold him."
[450] "I'd rather not," she protested.
[451] "I'd be happier if you did," Dink said.
[452] Orison extended her hand as into a furnace.
[453] Dink brushed the Microfabridus from his palm to hers.
[454] It felt crisp and hard, like a legged grain of sand.
[455] Dink took a magnifier from his pocket and unfolded it, to hold it over Orison's palm.
[456] "He's like a baby crawdad," Orison said.
[457] "A sort of crustacean," Dink agreed.
[458] "We use them in a commercial process we're developing.
[459] That's why we keep this floor closed off and secret.
[460] We don't have a patent on the use of Microfabridae, you see."
[461] "What do they do?"
[462] Orison asked.
[463] "That's still a secret," Dink said, smiling.
[464] "I can't tell even you that, not yet, even though you're my most confidential secretary."
[465] "What's he doing now?"
[466] Orison asked, watching the Microfabridus, perched up on the rear four of his six microscopic legs, scratching against her high-school class-ring with his tiny chelae.
[467] "They like gold," Dink explained, peering across her shoulder, comfortably close.
[468] "They're attracted to it by a chemical tropism, as children are attracted to candy.
[469] Toss him back into his tank, Orison.
[470] We'd better get you down where you belong."
[471] Orison brushed the midget crustacean off her finger into the nearest tank, where he joined the busy boil of his fellows.
[472] She felt her ring.
[473] It was pitted where the Microfabridus had been nibbling.
[474] "Strange, using crawdads in a bank," she said.
[475] She stood silent for a moment.
[476] "I thought I heard music," she said.
[477] "I heard it when I came in.
[478] Something like the sighing of wind in winter trees."
[479] "That's the hymn of the Microfabridae," Dink said.
[480] "They all sing together while they work, a chorus of some twenty million voices."
[481] He took her arm.
[482] "If you listen very carefully, you'll find the song these little workers sing the most beautiful music in the world."
[483] Orison closed her eyes, leaning back into Dink's arms, listening to the music that seemed on the outermost edge of her hearing.
[484] Wildness, storm and danger were its theme, counterpointed by promises of peace and harbor.
[485] She heard the wash of giant waves in the song, the crash of breakers against granite, cold and insatiable.
[486] And behind this, the quiet of sheltered tide-pools, the soft lub of sea-arms landlocked.
[487] "It's an ancient song," Dink said.
[488] "The Microfabridae have been singing it for a million years."
[489] He released her, and opened a wood-covered wooden box.
[490] He scooped up a cupful of the sand inside.
[491] "Hold out your hands," he told Orison.
[492] He filled them with the sand.
[493] "Throw our singers some supper for their song," he said.
[494] Orison went with her cupped hands to the nearest tank and sprinkled the mineral fishfood around inside it.
[495] The Microfabridae leaped from the liquid like miniature porpoises, seizing the grains of sand in mid-air.
[496] "They're so very strange," Orison said.
[497] At the bottom of the tank she thought she saw Ben Franklin again, winking at her through the bubbling life.
[498] Nonsense, she thought, brushing her hands. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Mr. Wanji, and what are his characteristics?":
1. [7] "I gotta say, chick, these references of yours really swing," said the Vice-President, Mr. Wanji.
2. [8] "Your last boss says you come on real cool in the secretary-bit."
3. [13] "What color bread you got eyes for taking down, baby?"
4. [16] "What kinda salary you bucking for?"
5. [19] "You're worth more'n that, just to jazz up the decor," Mr. Wanji said.
6. [20] "What you say we pass you a cee-and-a-half a week. Okay?"
7. [22] He caught Orison's look of bewilderment.
8. [23] "One each, a Franklin and a Grant," he explained further.
9. [25] "Sister, you gonna work in a bank, you gotta know who's picture's on the paper. That's a hunnerd-fifty a week, doll."
10. [29] "Crazy!"
11. [30] Mr. Wanji grabbed Orison's right hand and shook it with athletic vigor.
12. [31] "You just now joined up with our herd."
13. [32] "I wanna tell you, chick, it's none too soon we got some decent scenery around this tomb, girlwise."
14. [33] He took her arm and led her toward the bank of elevators.
15. [57] "Don't bug me, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
16. [58] "All you gotta do is read that there paper into this here microphone. Can do?"
17. [63] "You just take care of that chicken-flickin' kinda stuff any way seems best to you, kid," Mr. Wanji said.
18. [68] Wanji stood before the desk, nodding his head as he listened.
19. [69] "You blowing real good, kid," he said.
20. [70] "The boss is gonna dig you the most."
21. [322] "Wanji e-Kal, Datto. Dink ger-Dink d'summa."
22. [325] "Oh. Hi, Miss McCall," the voice said.
23. [326] "Guess I goofed. I'm in kinda clutch. This is Wanji."
24. [327] "I got a kite for Mr. Dink Gerding. If you see him, tell him the escudo green is pale. Got that, doll?" |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"With pressure coming from Fred, who elected him into this investigation, Tremaine first goes to the police station to meet his friend who works here so that he can get familiar with the town and learn about unusual activities and strange events if there are any. Jess, the police officer, is surprised to see Tremaine coming back to this town. Tremaine asks Jess if he has any idea of a transmitter in this area, however, Jess does not seem really interested in the transmitters as he think drawing is a beer advertisement. Afterwards, Jess tells Tremaine about the old man Bram who seems to have lived in this town forever. He is the mystery man of the town. As a foreigner who no one knows much about, he seems strange. Knowing that Bram has lived on the same property since as long as anyone could remember, he goes to the Municipal Office of Records to check the last time that there was a change of hands on Bram’s property. \n\nThen Tremaine goes to the Elsby Public Library, checking for the newspapers around the time when Bram bought the property. On his way back to the hotel that he is staying at, he notices Grammond’s men. But Tremaine has told Grammond to keep his men away from this town for now. Apparently, Grammond didn’t listen, Tremaine is afraid that with the police searching around the town, the person they are looking for will sense that something is off, and will hide before they are able to find him/her.\n\nDesiring to learn more about this old man, Jess has also mentioned to Tremaine that Linda Carroll had been with Bram for a while when Carroll was in her twenties, which is a few decades ago. So then Tremaine goes to Carroll’s house hoping to learn more about the mysterious man Bram. Then after he left Carroll’s house, he goes to Bram’s house together with Jess. Shots were fired, the house is empty, but Bram is not there. They go straight to Hull Gaskin to ask questions since he did set fire on Bram’s place before.",
"Tremaine, a former hyperwave lab worker, dials Washington from a hotel room in his old hometown. On the other end Fred, an appointive official, is impatiently waiting for Tremaine to catch the transmitter who intervened with their Top Secret project. Jimmy Tremaine visits an old acquaintance Jess in a local police department, the former shares details of his secret mission and asks whether Jess has any idea who can be the transmitter. Jess says everyone around is bad with technologies, but Mr. Bram is a mystery man, so it could be him. The man is a foreigner but he has been living in the town for so long that no one knows when and where he came from. Not long ago his house was set on fire by a bunch of kids, nothing serious. Jess tells a story about the past: a local beauty by then, Miss Carol, wanted nothing to do with locals and set her trap for Mr. Bram. They left a party together and the next morning she was back alone. Her reputation was destroyed, she never married and now works as a teacher. Tremaine heads towards the Elsby Town Hall, he learns that Bram bought his property in 1901. Then in the local public library he finds an article concerning this purchase, then he sees an article of July 7, 1900 regarding a severe thunderstorm. Near the hotel he notices a car and heads after the police to ask Grammond, the chief, to keep the police away from the hotel so as not to scare off the intermitter. Grammond is offended by being kept ignorant. Further, Jimmy heads to Miss Carol's and asks questions about Mr. Bram, she can't answer them for sure and a tear drops from her eye. Soon, she decides to tell about the night at Bram's place back in the years : he told he fought evil every night, went downstairs for the whole night and left her alone. Then he gave her a locket and said to press in a particular way if he is ever needed. Miss Carol considered him crazy and never met me again. She says Bram fears thunder and gives Jimmy the locket. Jess picks Jimmy up to look for Bram who hasn't shown up recently. The two enter the deserted house with Tremaine's gun, they see blood in the kitchen making up a trail. They go back to talk to Hull, a boy who set Bram's house on fire recently. Turns out he considered Bram a spy as he is a foreigner and a communist, and the boy heard the boys were looking for spies.",
"Jimmy Tremaine works for the government, conducting a secret operation about implementing hyperwaves in the military. An interfering transmission had recently been detected tampering with the hyperwaves, and when tracked down, the source seems to come from Elsby, Tremaine's hometown. Fred, Tremaine's superior, orders Tremaine to figure out where the transmission is coming from before he interferes his own way. Tremaine visits Elsby's police station, where he meets Jess. Tremaine tells Jess about the transmission and asks if he has any ideas or leads on the situation. Jess is stumped, but notes that Mr. Bram is an odd character at Elsby, who has been there for an unusually long amount of time. Curious about Mr. Bram, Tremaine goes to the Office of Record, where he bribes the man at the counter to tell him the year that Mr. Bram purchased his home, which is revealed to be 1901. The clerk also tells Tremaine that no one has seen Bram between sundown and sunup. Tremaine then visits the library, where he finds an article about Bram purchasing the house, as well as an account of a thunderstorm that occurred there a year before the purchase. On his way back from the library, Tremaine sees a police car speeding off, and he follows. He gets in contact with the State Police Chief, who does not approve of being left out of Tremaine's investigation. Tremaine speaks to Miss Carroll, known to have had a history with Bram. She tells Tremaine about her encounter with Bram and how he kept her in a cave under his house for the night, and she never spoke to him again. She also tells Tremaine that Bram is afraid of thunder. As Tremaine walks back to his room, Jess finds him and asks how the investigation is going, and Tremaine replies that he is stumped. Jess suggests that they visit Bram's house together, and the two enter and see an empty gun shell. They find blood in the kitchen. Jess and Tremaine then visit a police station where they find Hull Gaskin, who admits to shooting Bram after some cops prompted him to help catch spies.",
"Tremaine calls Fred from his hotel room and gives him an update on his progress. Fred expresses his frustration with the progress and complains that General Margrave has been breathing down his neck about the case. Tremaine tells Fred to be confident in him and Fred ends by yelling that he wants the transmitter and for someone to pay. Tremaine eventually leaves his hotel room and heads towards the local police station. At the station, Tremaine greets Jess once he enters the building. The two go to have a private conversation where Tremaine tries to get Jess’s help with a case. Jess tells Tremaine what he knows about Bram from what he’s heard and what he’s seen. It is clear that Bram lives a very private life. \n\nOnce his conversation with Jess finishes, Tremaine goes to the Municipal office of Records at the town hall. He has to bribe a reluctant man in the office to let him look for the information that he needs. He is able to find out information about Bram’s property and then leaves to go to the library to gather more information. At the library, Tremaine looks through old newspapers. He learns from one newspaper about a severe thunderstorm that affected the Bram property. \n\nBack at his hotel room, Tremaine has a tense phone call with Fred. When it ends, he pours himself a glass of scotch. After finishing his drink, he goes to Miss Carroll’s nearby house Tremaine asks her about Bram. She is unable to give him many details about Bram. However, Miss Carroll does willingly detail her personal relationship with Bram. Carroll mentions that Bram gave her a locket and to use it to contact him if she ever needed his help. Tremaine asks for the locket and she hands it over to him. She mentions that she remembers how Bram was afraid of thunder. With all the information that he could gather from Miss Carroll, Tremaine leaves her house.\n\nUpon leaving Miss Carroll’s house, Jess pulls up to Tremaine on the street in his car and they decide to go check on Bram as he hasn’t been seen in a while. The two get out of their car once they reach the property and inspect the outside of the house. They become alert by the suspicious state of the house, especially because of the empty shotgun shell that they find, so they retrieve a gun from the car for their safety. They start hearing strange noises once they enter the house, causing them both to become uneasy. Inside the kitchen, they spot a suspicious trail of blood and hear another strange sound. They decide to go to the police station to ask Hull Gaskin – one of the teens arrested for setting fire to Bram’s property- some questions. Hull says that he was approached by cops asking him to help them find spies. He says he told them about Bram because he’s a foreigner."
] | [1] THE LONG REMEMBERED THUNDER BY KEITH LAUMER [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of Tomorrow April 1963 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[2] He was as ancient as time—and as strange as his own frightful battle against incredible odds!
[3] I In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom cover plate from the telephone.
[4] He inserted a tiny aluminum cylinder, crimped wires and replaced the cover.
[5] Then he dialed a long-distance Washington number and waited half a minute for the connection.
[6] "Fred, Tremaine here.
[7] Put the buzzer on."
[8] A thin hum sounded on the wire as the scrambler went into operation.
[9] "Okay, can you read me all right?
[10] I'm set up in Elsby.
[11] Grammond's boys are supposed to keep me informed.
[12] Meantime, I'm not sitting in this damned room crouched over a dial.
[13] I'll be out and around for the rest of the afternoon."
[14] "I want to see results," the thin voice came back over the filtered hum of the jamming device.
[15] "You spent a week with Grammond—I can't wait another.
[16] I don't mind telling you certain quarters are pressing me."
[17] "Fred, when will you learn to sit on your news breaks until you've got some answers to go with the questions?"
[18] "I'm an appointive official," Fred said sharply.
[19] "But never mind that.
[20] This fellow Margrave—General Margrave.
[21] Project Officer for the hyperwave program—he's been on my neck day and night.
[22] I can't say I blame him.
[23] An unauthorized transmitter interfering with a Top Secret project, progress slowing to a halt, and this Bureau—" "Look, Fred.
[24] I was happy in the lab.
[25] Headaches, nightmares and all.
[26] Hyperwave is my baby, remember?
[27] You elected me to be a leg-man: now let me do it my way."
[28] "I felt a technical man might succeed where a trained investigator could be misled.
[29] And since it seems to be pinpointed in your home area—" "You don't have to justify yourself.
[30] Just don't hold out on me.
[31] I sometimes wonder if I've seen the complete files on this—" "You've seen all the files!
[32] Now I want answers, not questions!
[33] I'm warning you, Tremaine.
[34] Get that transmitter.
[35] I need someone to hang!"
[36] Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY MUNICIPAL POLICE cut in the stone lintel above the door.
[37] Inside, a heavy man with a creased face and thick gray hair looked up from behind an ancient Underwood.
[38] He studied Tremaine, shifted a toothpick to the opposite corner of his mouth.
[39] "Don't I know you, mister?"
[40] he said.
[41] His soft voice carried a note of authority.
[42] Tremaine took off his hat.
[43] "Sure you do, Jess.
[44] It's been a while, though."
[45] The policeman got to his feet.
[46] "Jimmy," he said, "Jimmy Tremaine."
[47] He came to the counter and put out his hand.
[48] "How are you, Jimmy?
[49] What brings you back to the boondocks?"
[50] "Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess."
[51] In a back room Tremaine said, "To everybody but you this is just a visit to the old home town.
[52] Between us, there's more."
[53] Jess nodded.
[54] "I heard you were with the guv'ment."
[55] "It won't take long to tell; we don't know much yet."
[56] Tremaine covered the discovery of the powerful unidentified interference on the high-security hyperwave band, the discovery that each transmission produced not one but a pattern of "fixes" on the point of origin.
[57] He passed a sheet of paper across the table.
[58] It showed a set of concentric circles, overlapped by a similar group of rings.
[59] "I think what we're getting is an echo effect from each of these points of intersection.
[60] The rings themselves represent the diffraction pattern—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[61] To me it just looks like a beer ad.
[62] I'll take your word for it."
[63] "The point is this, Jess: we think we've got it narrowed down to this section.
[64] I'm not sure of a damn thing, but I think that transmitter's near here.
[65] Now, have you got any ideas?"
[66] "That's a tough one, Jimmy.
[67] This is where I should come up with the news that Old Man Whatchamacallit's got an attic full of gear he says is a time machine.
[68] Trouble is, folks around here haven't even taken to TV.
[69] They figure we should be content with radio, like the Lord intended."
[70] "I didn't expect any easy answers, Jess.
[71] But I was hoping maybe you had something ..." "Course," said Jess, "there's always Mr. Bram ..." "Mr. Bram," repeated Tremaine.
[72] "Is he still around?
[73] I remember him as a hundred years old when I was kid."
[74] "Still just the same, Jimmy.
[75] Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river."
[76] "Well, what about him?"
[77] "Nothing.
[78] But he's the town's mystery man.
[79] You know that.
[80] A little touched in the head."
[81] "There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember," Tremaine said.
[82] "I always liked him.
[83] One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten.
[84] Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me.
[85] I never did go.
[86] We kids used to play in the caves near his place, and sometimes he gave us apples."
[87] "I've never seen any harm in Bram," said Jess.
[88] "But you know how this town is about foreigners, especially when they're a mite addled.
[89] Bram has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he talks just like everybody else.
[90] From a distance he seems just like an ordinary American.
[91] But up close, you feel it.
[92] He's foreign, all right.
[93] But we never did know where he came from."
[94] "How long's he lived here in Elsby?"
[95] "Beats me, Jimmy.
[96] You remember old Aunt Tress, used to know all about ancestors and such as that?
[97] She couldn't remember about Mr. Bram.
[98] She was kind of senile, I guess.
[99] She used to say he'd lived in that same old place out on the Concord road when she was a girl.
[100] Well, she died five years ago ... in her seventies.
[101] He still walks in town every Wednesday ... or he did up till yesterday anyway."
[102] "Oh?"
[103] Tremaine stubbed out his cigarette, lit another.
[104] "What happened then?"
[105] "You remember Soup Gaskin?
[106] He's got a boy, name of Hull.
[107] He's Soup all over again."
[108] "I remember Soup," Tremaine said.
[109] "He and his bunch used to come in the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around with me, and Mr. Hempleman would watch them from over back of the prescription counter and look nervous.
[110] They used to raise cain in the other drug store...." "Soup's been in the pen since then.
[111] His boy Hull's the same kind.
[112] Him and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it on fire."
[113] "What was the idea of that?"
[114] "Dunno.
[115] Just meanness, I reckon.
[116] Not much damage done.
[117] A car was passing by and called it in.
[118] I had the whole caboodle locked up here for six hours.
[119] Then the sob sisters went to work: poor little tyke routine, high spirits, you know the line.
[120] All of 'em but Hull are back in the streets playin' with matches by now.
[121] I'm waiting for the day they'll make jail age."
[122] "Why Bram?"
[123] Tremaine persisted.
[124] "As far as I know, he never had any dealings to speak of with anybody here in town."
[125] "Oh hoh, you're a little young, Jimmy," Jess chuckled.
[126] "You never knew about Mr. Bram—the young Mr. Bram—and Linda Carroll."
[127] Tremaine shook his head.
[128] "Old Miss Carroll.
[129] School teacher here for years; guess she was retired by the time you were playing hookey.
[130] But her dad had money, and in her day she was a beauty.
[131] Too good for the fellers in these parts.
[132] I remember her ridin by in a high-wheeled shay, when I was just a nipper.
[133] Sitting up proud and tall, with that red hair piled up high.
[134] I used to think she was some kind of princess...." "What about her and Bram?
[135] A romance?"
[136] Jess rocked his chair back on two legs, looked at the ceiling, frowning.
[137] "This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one.
[138] I was no more'n eight years old.
[139] Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made her an old maid, in those times.
[140] The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram.
[141] He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot.
[142] Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks.
[143] There was a big shindy planned.
[144] Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night.
[145] But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically.
[146] Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay.
[147] And the next day, she was home again—alone.
[148] That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned.
[149] It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job.
[150] By that time, she was already old.
[151] And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her."
[152] Tremaine got to his feet.
[153] "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.
[154] Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights."
[155] "What about that gear of yours?
[156] Didn't you say you had some kind of detector you were going to set up?"
[157] "I've got an oversized suitcase," Tremaine said.
[158] "I'll be setting it up in my room over at the hotel."
[159] "When's this bootleg station supposed to broadcast again?"
[160] "After dark.
[161] I'm working on a few ideas.
[162] It might be an infinitely repeating logarithmic sequence, based on—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[163] You're over my head."
[164] Jess got to his feet.
[165] "Let me know if you want anything.
[166] And by the way—" he winked broadly—"I always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front teeth."
[167] II Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street.
[168] Tremaine went up the steps and past heavy double doors.
[169] Ten yards along the dim corridor, a hand-lettered cardboard sign over a black-varnished door said "MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF RECORD."
[170] Tremaine opened the door and went in.
[171] A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at Tremaine.
[172] "We're closed," he said.
[173] "I won't be a minute," Tremaine said.
[174] "Just want to check on when the Bram property changed hands last."
[175] The man turned to Tremaine, pushing a drawer shut with his hip.
[176] "Bram?
[177] He dead?"
[178] "Nothing like that.
[179] I just want to know when he bought the place."
[180] The man came over to the counter, eyeing Tremaine.
[181] "He ain't going to sell, mister, if that's what you want to know."
[182] "I want to know when he bought."
[183] The man hesitated, closed his jaw hard.
[184] "Come back tomorrow," he said.
[185] Tremaine put a hand on the counter, looked thoughtful.
[186] "I was hoping to save a trip."
[187] He lifted his hand and scratched the side of his jaw.
[188] A folded bill opened on the counter.
[189] The thin man's eyes darted toward it.
[190] His hand eased out, covered the bill.
[191] He grinned quickly.
[192] "See what I can do," he said.
[193] It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where a two-foot-square book lay open.
[194] An untrimmed fingernail indicated a line written in faded ink: "May 19.
[195] Acreage sold, One Dollar and other G&V consid.
[196] NW Quarter Section 24, Township Elsby.
[197] Bram.
[198] (see Vol.
[199] 9 & cet.)"
[200] "Translated, what does that mean?"
[201] said Tremaine.
[202] "That's the ledger for 1901; means Bram bought a quarter section on the nineteenth of May.
[203] You want me to look up the deed?"
[204] "No, thanks," Tremaine said.
[205] "That's all I needed."
[206] He turned back to the door.
[207] "What's up, mister?"
[208] the clerk called after him.
[209] "Bram in some kind of trouble?"
[210] "No.
[211] No trouble."
[212] The man was looking at the book with pursed lips.
[213] "Nineteen-oh-one," he said.
[214] "I never thought of it before, but you know, old Bram must be dern near to ninety years old.
[215] Spry for that age."
[216] "I guess you're right."
[217] The clerk looked sideways at Tremaine.
[218] "Lots of funny stories about old Bram.
[219] Useta say his place was haunted.
[220] You know; funny noises and lights.
[221] And they used to say there was money buried out at his place."
[222] "I've heard those stories.
[223] Just superstition, wouldn't you say?"
[224] "Maybe so."
[225] The clerk leaned on the counter, assumed a knowing look.
[226] "There's one story that's not superstition...." Tremaine waited.
[227] "You—uh—paying anything for information?"
[228] "Now why would I do that?"
[229] Tremaine reached for the door knob.
[230] The clerk shrugged.
[231] "Thought I'd ask.
[232] Anyway—I can swear to this.
[233] Nobody in this town's ever seen Bram between sundown and sunup."
[234] Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco facade of the Elsby Public Library.
[235] Inside, Tremaine followed a paper-dry woman of indeterminate age to a rack of yellowed newsprint.
[236] "You'll find back to nineteen-forty here," the librarian said.
[237] "The older are there in the shelves."
[238] "I want nineteen-oh-one, if they go back that far."
[239] The woman darted a suspicious look at Tremaine.
[240] "You have to handle these old papers carefully."
[241] "I'll be extremely careful."
[242] The woman sniffed, opened a drawer, leafed through it, muttering.
[243] "What date was it you wanted?"
[244] "Nineteen-oh-one; the week of May nineteenth."
[245] The librarian pulled out a folded paper, placed it on the table, adjusted her glasses, squinted at the front page.
[246] "That's it," she said.
[247] "These papers keep pretty well, provided they're stored in the dark.
[248] But they're still flimsy, mind you."
[249] "I'll remember."
[250] The woman stood by as Tremaine looked over the front page.
[251] The lead article concerned the opening of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo.
[252] Vice-President Roosevelt had made a speech.
[253] Tremaine leafed over, reading slowly.
[254] On page four, under a column headed County Notes he saw the name Bram: Mr. Bram has purchased a quarter section of fine grazing land, north of town, together with a sturdy house, from J. P. Spivey of Elsby.
[255] Mr. Bram will occupy the home and will continue to graze a few head of stock.
[256] Mr. Bram, who is a newcomer to the county, has been a resident of Mrs. Stoate's Guest Home in Elsby for the past months.
[257] "May I see some earlier issues; from about the first of the year?"
[258] The librarian produced the papers.
[259] Tremaine turned the pages, read the heads, skimmed an article here and there.
[260] The librarian went back to her desk.
[261] An hour later, in the issue for July 7, 1900, an item caught his eye: A Severe Thunderstorm.
[262] Citizens of Elsby and the country were much alarmed by a violent cloudburst, accompanied by lightning and thunder, during the night of the fifth.
[263] A fire set in the pine woods north of Spivey's farm destroyed a considerable amount of timber and threatened the house before burning itself out along the river.
[264] The librarian was at Tremaine's side.
[265] "I have to close the library now.
[266] You'll have to come back tomorrow."
[267] Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in windows along the side streets.
[268] Tremaine turned up his collar against a cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel.
[269] A block away a black late-model sedan rounded a corner with a faint squeal of tires and gunned past him, a heavy antenna mounted forward of the left rear tail fin whipping in the slipstream.
[270] Tremaine stopped short, stared after the car.
[271] "Damn!"
[272] he said aloud.
[273] An elderly man veered, eyeing him sharply.
[274] Tremaine set off at a run, covered the two blocks to the hotel, yanked open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed north after the police car.
[275] Two miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine rounded a curve.
[276] The police car was parked on the shoulder beside the highway just ahead.
[277] He pulled off the road ahead of it and walked back.
[278] The door opened.
[279] A tall figure stepped out.
[280] "What's your problem, mister?"
[281] a harsh voice drawled.
[282] "What's the matter?
[283] Run out of signal?"
[284] "What's it to you, mister?"
[285] "Are you boys in touch with Grammond on the car set?"
[286] "We could be."
[287] "Mind if I have a word with him?
[288] My name's Tremaine."
[289] "Oh," said the cop, "you're the big shot from Washington."
[290] He shifted chewing tobacco to the other side of his jaw.
[291] "Sure, you can talk to him."
[292] He turned and spoke to the other cop, who muttered into the mike before handing it to Tremaine.
[293] The heavy voice of the State Police chief crackled.
[294] "What's your beef, Tremaine?"
[295] "I thought you were going to keep your men away from Elsby until I gave the word, Grammond."
[296] "That was before I knew your Washington stuffed shirts were holding out on me."
[297] "It's nothing we can go to court with, Grammond.
[298] And the job you were doing might have been influenced if I'd told you about the Elsby angle."
[299] Grammond cursed.
[300] "I could have put my men in the town and taken it apart brick by brick in the time—" "That's just what I don't want.
[301] If our bird sees cops cruising, he'll go underground."
[302] "You've got it all figured, I see.
[303] I'm just the dumb hick you boys use for the spade work, that it?"
[304] "Pull your lip back in.
[305] You've given me the confirmation I needed."
[306] "Confirmation, hell!
[307] All I know is that somebody somewhere is punching out a signal.
[308] For all I know, it's forty midgets on bicycles, pedalling all over the damned state.
[309] I've got fixes in every county—" "The smallest hyperwave transmitter Uncle Sam knows how to build weighs three tons," said Tremaine.
[310] "Bicycles are out."
[311] Grammond snorted.
[312] "Okay, Tremaine," he said.
[313] "You're the boy with all the answers.
[314] But if you get in trouble, don't call me; call Washington."
[315] Back in his room, Tremaine put through a call.
[316] "It looks like Grammond's not willing to be left out in the cold, Fred.
[317] Tell him if he queers this—" "I don't know but what he might have something," the voice came back over the filtered hum.
[318] "Suppose he smokes them out—" "Don't go dumb on me, Fred.
[319] We're not dealing with West Virginia moonshiners."
[320] "Don't tell me my job, Tremaine!"
[321] the voice snapped.
[322] "And don't try out your famous temper on me.
[323] I'm still in charge of this investigation."
[324] "Sure.
[325] Just don't get stuck in some senator's hip pocket."
[326] Tremaine hung up the telephone, went to the dresser and poured two fingers of Scotch into a water glass.
[327] He tossed it down, then pulled on his coat and left the hotel.
[328] He walked south two blocks, turned left down a twilit side street.
[329] He walked slowly, looking at the weathered frame houses.
[330] Number 89 was a once-stately three-storied mansion overgrown with untrimmed vines, its windows squares of sad yellow light.
[331] He pushed through the gate in the ancient picket fence, mounted the porch steps and pushed the button beside the door, a dark panel of cracked varnish.
[332] It was a long minute before the door opened.
[333] A tall woman with white hair and a fine-boned face looked at him coolly.
[334] "Miss Carroll," Tremaine said.
[335] "You won't remember me, but I—" "There is nothing whatever wrong with my faculties, James," Miss Carroll said calmly.
[336] Her voice was still resonant, a deep contralto.
[337] Only a faint quaver reflected her age—close to eighty, Tremaine thought, startled.
[338] "I'm flattered you remember me, Miss Carroll," he said.
[339] "Come in."
[340] She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the furnishings of another era.
[341] She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a straight chair across the room from him.
[342] "You look very well, James," she said, nodding.
[343] "I'm pleased to see that you've amounted to something."
[344] "Just another bureaucrat, I'm afraid."
[345] "You were wise to leave Elsby.
[346] There is no future here for a young man."
[347] "I often wondered why you didn't leave, Miss Carroll.
[348] I thought, even as a boy, that you were a woman of great ability."
[349] "Why did you come today, James?"
[350] asked Miss Carroll.
[351] "I...." Tremaine started.
[352] He looked at the old lady.
[353] "I want some information.
[354] This is an important matter.
[355] May I rely on your discretion?"
[356] "Of course."
[357] "How long has Mr. Bram lived in Elsby?"
[358] Miss Carroll looked at him for a long moment.
[359] "Will what I tell you be used against him?"
[360] "There'll be nothing done against him, Miss Carroll ... unless it needs to be in the national interest."
[361] "I'm not at all sure I know what the term 'national interest' means, James.
[362] I distrust these glib phrases."
[363] "I always liked Mr. Bram," said Tremaine.
[364] "I'm not out to hurt him."
[365] "Mr. Bram came here when I was a young woman.
[366] I'm not certain of the year."
[367] "What does he do for a living?"
[368] "I have no idea."
[369] "Why did a healthy young fellow like Bram settle out in that isolated piece of country?
[370] What's his story?"
[371] "I'm ... not sure that anyone truly knows Bram's story."
[372] "You called him 'Bram', Miss Carroll.
[373] Is that his first name ... or his last?"
[374] "That is his only name.
[375] Just ...
[376] Bram."
[377] "You knew him well once, Miss Carroll.
[378] Is there anything—" A tear rolled down Miss Carroll's faded cheek.
[379] She wiped it away impatiently.
[380] "I'm an unfulfilled old maid, James," she said.
[381] "You must forgive me."
[382] Tremaine stood up.
[383] "I'm sorry.
[384] Really sorry.
[385] I didn't mean to grill you.
[386] Miss Carroll.
[387] You've been very kind.
[388] I had no right...." Miss Carroll shook her head.
[389] "I knew you as a boy, James.
[390] I have complete confidence in you.
[391] If anything I can tell you about Bram will be helpful to you, it is my duty to oblige you; and it may help him."
[392] She paused.
[393] Tremaine waited.
[394] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram.
[395] One day he asked me to go with him to his house.
[396] On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale.
[397] He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
[398] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
[399] "I was torn between pity and horror.
[400] I begged him to take me back.
[401] He refused."
[402] Miss Carroll twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past.
[403] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen.
[404] He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel.
[405] There were stairs.
[406] He went down ... and left me there alone.
[407] "I waited all that night in the carriage.
[408] At dawn he emerged.
[409] He tried to speak to me but I would not listen.
[410] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand.
[411] He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come.
[412] I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call.
[413] He drove me home.
[414] He never called again."
[415] "This locket," said Tremaine, "do you still have it?"
[416] Miss Carroll hesitated, then put her hand to her throat, lifted a silver disc on a fine golden chain.
[417] "You see what a foolish old woman I am, James."
[418] "May I see it?"
[419] She handed the locket to him.
[420] It was heavy, smooth.
[421] "I'd like to examine this more closely," he said.
[422] "May I take it with me?"
[423] Miss Carroll nodded.
[424] "There is one other thing," she said, "perhaps quite meaningless...." "I'd be grateful for any lead."
[425] "Bram fears the thunder."
[426] III As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car pulled to a stop beside him.
[427] Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and asked: "Any luck, Jimmy?"
[428] Tremaine shook his head.
[429] "I'm getting nowhere fast.
[430] The Bram idea's a dud, I'm afraid."
[431] "Funny thing about Bram.
[432] You know, he hasn't showed up yet.
[433] I'm getting a little worried.
[434] Want to run out there with me and take a look around?"
[435] "Sure.
[436] Just so I'm back by full dark."
[437] As they pulled away from the curb Jess said, "Jimmy, what's this about State Police nosing around here?
[438] I thought you were playing a lone hand from what you were saying to me."
[439] "I thought so too, Jess.
[440] But it looks like Grammond's a jump ahead of me.
[441] He smells headlines in this; he doesn't want to be left out."
[442] "Well, the State cops could be mighty handy to have around.
[443] I'm wondering why you don't want 'em in.
[444] If there's some kind of spy ring working—" "We're up against an unknown quantity.
[445] I don't know what's behind this and neither does anybody else.
[446] Maybe it's a ring of Bolsheviks ... and maybe it's something bigger.
[447] I have the feeling we've made enough mistakes in the last few years; I don't want to see this botched."
[448] The last pink light of sunset was fading from the clouds to the west as Jess swung the car through the open gate, pulled up under the old trees before the square-built house.
[449] The windows were dark.
[450] The two men got out, circled the house once, then mounted the steps and rapped on the door.
[451] There was a black patch of charred flooring under the window, and the paint on the wall above it was bubbled.
[452] Somewhere a cricket set up a strident chirrup, suddenly cut off.
[453] Jess leaned down, picked up an empty shotgun shell.
[454] He looked at Tremaine.
[455] "This don't look good," he said.
[456] "You suppose those fool boys...?"
[457] He tried the door.
[458] It opened.
[459] A broken hasp dangled.
[460] He turned to Tremaine.
[461] "Maybe this is more than kid stuff," he said.
[462] "You carry a gun?"
[463] "In the car."
[464] "Better get it."
[465] Tremaine went to the car, dropped the pistol in his coat pocket, rejoined Jess inside the house.
[466] It was silent, deserted.
[467] In the kitchen Jess flicked the beam of his flashlight around the room.
[468] An empty plate lay on the oilcloth-covered table.
[469] "This place is empty," he said.
[470] "Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week."
[471] "Not a very cozy—" Tremaine broke off.
[472] A thin yelp sounded in the distance.
[473] "I'm getting jumpy," said Jess.
[474] "Dern hounddog, I guess."
[475] A low growl seemed to rumble distantly.
[476] "What the devil's that?"
[477] Tremaine said.
[478] Jess shone the light on the floor.
[479] "Look here," he said.
[480] The ring of light showed a spatter of dark droplets all across the plank floor.
[481] "That's blood, Jess...." Tremaine scanned the floor.
[482] It was of broad slabs, closely laid, scrubbed clean but for the dark stains.
[483] "Maybe he cleaned a chicken.
[484] This is the kitchen."
[485] "It's a trail."
[486] Tremaine followed the line of drops across the floor.
[487] It ended suddenly near the wall.
[488] "What do you make of it.
[489] Jimmy?"
[490] A wail sounded, a thin forlorn cry, trailing off into silence.
[491] Jess stared at Tremaine.
[492] "I'm too damned old to start believing in spooks," he said.
[493] "You suppose those damn-fool boys are hiding here, playing tricks?"
[494] "I think."
[495] Tremaine said, "that we'd better go ask Hull Gaskin a few questions."
[496] At the station Jess led Tremaine to a cell where a lanky teen-age boy lounged on a steel-framed cot, blinking up at the visitor under a mop of greased hair.
[497] "Hull, this is Mr. Tremaine," said Jess.
[498] He took out a heavy key, swung the cell door open.
[499] "He wants to talk to you."
[500] "I ain't done nothin," Hull said sullenly.
[501] "There ain't nothin wrong with burnin out a Commie, is there?"
[502] "Bram's a Commie, is he?"
[503] Tremaine said softly.
[504] "How'd you find that out, Hull?"
[505] "He's a foreigner, ain't he?"
[506] the youth shot back.
[507] "Besides, we heard...." "What did you hear?"
[508] "They're lookin for the spies."
[509] "Who's looking for spies?"
[510] "Cops."
[511] "Who says so?"
[512] The boy looked directly at Tremaine for an instant, flicked his eyes to the corner of the cell.
[513] "Cops was talkin about 'em," he said.
[514] "Spill it, Hull," the policeman said.
[515] "Mr. Tremaine hasn't got all night."
[516] "They parked out east of town, on 302, back of the woodlot.
[517] They called me over and asked me a bunch of questions.
[518] Said I could help 'em get them spies.
[519] Wanted to know all about any funny-actin people around hers."
[520] "And you mentioned Bram?"
[521] The boy darted another look at Tremaine.
[522] "They said they figured the spies was out north of town.
[523] Well, Bram's a foreigner, and he's out that way, ain't he?"
[524] "Anything else?"
[525] The boy looked at his feet. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [392] She paused. Tremaine waited.
2. [393] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram. One day he asked me to go with him to his house. On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale. He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
3. [394] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
4. [395] "I was torn between pity and horror. I begged him to take me back. He refused."
5. [396] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen. He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel. There were stairs. He went down ... and left me there alone."
6. [397] "I waited all that night in the carriage. At dawn he emerged. He tried to speak to me but I would not listen."
7. [398] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand. He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come. I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call. He drove me home. He never called again."
8. [1] THE LONG REMEMBERED THUNDER BY KEITH LAUMER [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of Tomorrow April 1963 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
9. [2] He was as ancient as time—and as strange as his own frightful battle against incredible odds!
10. [3] I In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom cover plate from the telephone.
11. [4] He inserted a tiny aluminum cylinder, crimped wires and replaced the cover.
12. [5] Then he dialed a long-distance Washington number and waited half a minute for the connection.
13. [6] "Fred, Tremaine here.
14. [7] Put the buzzer on."
15. [8] A thin hum sounded on the wire as the scrambler went into operation.
16. [9] "Okay, can you read me all right?
17. [10] I'm set up in Elsby.
18. [11] Grammond's boys are supposed to keep me informed.
19. [12] Meantime, I'm not sitting in this damned room crouched over a dial.
20. [13] I'll be out and around for the rest of the afternoon."
21. [14] "I want to see results," the thin voice came back over the filtered hum of the jamming device.
22. [15] "You spent a week with Grammond—I can't wait another.
23. [16] I don't mind telling you certain quarters are pressing me."
24. [17] "Fred, when will you learn to sit on your news breaks until you've got some answers to go with the questions?"
25. [18] "I'm an appointive official," Fred said sharply.
26. [19] "But never mind that.
27. [20] This fellow Margrave—General Margrave.
28. [21] Project Officer for the hyperwave program—he's been on my neck day and night.
29. [22] I can't say I blame him.
30. [23] An unauthorized transmitter interfering with a Top Secret project, progress slowing to a halt, and this Bureau—"
31. [24] "Look, Fred.
32. [25] I was happy in the lab.
33. [26] Headaches, nightmares and all.
34. [27] Hyperwave is my baby, remember?
35. [28] You elected me to be a leg-man: now let me do it my way."
36. [29] "I felt a technical man might succeed where a trained investigator could be misled.
37. [30] And since it seems to be pinpointed in your home area—"
38. [31] "You don't have to justify yourself.
39. [32] Just don't hold out on me.
40. [33] I sometimes wonder if I've seen the complete files on this—"
41. [34] "You've seen all the files!
42. [35] Now I want answers, not questions!
43. [36] I'm warning you, Tremaine.
44. [37] Get that transmitter.
45. [38] I need someone to hang!"
46. [39] Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY MUNICIPAL POLICE cut in the stone lintel above the door.
47. [40] Inside, a heavy man with a creased face and thick gray hair looked up from behind an ancient Underwood.
48. [41] He studied Tremaine, shifted a toothpick to the opposite corner of his mouth.
49. [42] "Don't I know you, mister?"
50. [43] he said.
51. [44] His soft voice carried a note of authority.
52. [45] Tremaine took off his hat.
53. [46] "Sure you do, Jess.
54. [47] It's been a while, though."
55. [48] The policeman got to his feet.
56. [49] "Jimmy," he said, "Jimmy Tremaine."
57. [50] He came to the counter and put out his hand.
58. [51] "How are you, Jimmy?
59. [52] What brings you back to the boondocks?"
60. [53] "Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess."
61. [54] In a back room Tremaine said, "To everybody but you this is just a visit to the old home town.
62. [55] Between us, there's more."
63. [56] Tremaine covered the discovery of the powerful unidentified interference on the high-security hyperwave band, the discovery that each transmission produced not one but a pattern of "fixes" on the point of origin.
64. [57] He passed a sheet of paper across the table.
65. [58] It showed a set of concentric circles, overlapped by a similar group of rings.
66. [59] "I think what we're getting is an echo effect from each of these points of intersection.
67. [60] The rings themselves represent the diffraction pattern—"
68. [61] "Hold it, Jimmy.
69. [62] To me it just looks like a beer ad.
70. [63] I'll take your word for it."
71. [64] "The point is this, Jess: we think we've got it narrowed down to this section.
72. [65] I'm not sure of a damn thing, but I think that transmitter's near here.
73. [66] Now, have you got any ideas?"
74. [67] "That's a tough one, Jimmy.
75. [68] This is where I should come up with the news that Old Man Whatchamacallit's got an attic full of gear he says is a time machine.
76. [69] Trouble is, folks around here haven't even taken to TV.
77. [70] They figure we should be content with radio, like the Lord intended."
78. [71] "I didn't expect any easy answers, Jess.
79. [72] But I was hoping maybe you had something ..."
80. [73] "Course," said Jess, "there's always Mr. Bram ..."
81. [74] "Mr. Bram," repeated Tremaine.
82. [75] "Is he still around?
83. [76] I remember him as a hundred years old when I was kid."
84. [77] "Still just the same, Jimmy.
85. [78] Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river."
86. [79] "Well, what about him?"
87. [80] "Nothing.
88. [81] But he's the town's mystery man.
89. [82] You know that.
90. [83] A little touched in the head."
91. [84] "There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember," Tremaine said.
92. [85] "I always liked him.
93. [86] One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten.
94. [87] Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me.
95. [88] I never did go.
96. [89] We kids used to play in the caves near his place, and sometimes he gave us apples."
97. [90] "I've never seen any harm in Bram," said Jess.
98. [91] "But you know how this town is about foreigners, especially when they're a mite addled.
99. [92] Bram has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he talks just like everybody else.
100. [93] From a distance he seems just like an ordinary American.
101. [94] But up close, you feel it.
102. [95] He's foreign, all right.
103. [96] But we never did know where he came from."
104. [97] "How long's he lived here in Elsby?"
105. [98] "Beats me, Jimmy.
106. [99] You remember old Aunt Tress, used to know all about ancestors and such as that?
107. [100] She couldn't remember about Mr. Bram.
108. [101] She was kind of senile, I guess.
109. [102] She used to say he'd lived in that same old place out on the Concord road when she was a girl.
110. [103] Well, she died five years ago ... in her seventies.
111. [104] He still walks in town every Wednesday ... or he did up till yesterday anyway."
112. [105] "Oh?"
113. [106] Tremaine stubbed out his cigarette, lit another.
114. [107] "What happened then?"
115. [108] "You remember Soup Gaskin?
116. [109] He's got a boy, name of Hull.
117. [110] He's Soup all over again."
118. [111] "I remember Soup," Tremaine said.
119. [112] "He and his bunch used to come in the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around with me, and Mr. Hempleman would watch them from over back of the prescription counter and look nervous.
120. [113] They used to raise cain in the other drug store...."
121. [114] "Soup's been in the pen since then.
122. [115] His boy Hull's the same kind.
123. [116] Him and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it on fire."
124. [117] "What was the idea of that?"
125. [118] "Dunno.
126. [119] Just meanness, I reckon.
127. [120] Not much damage done.
128. [121] A car was passing by and called it in.
129. [122] I had the whole caboodle locked up here for six hours.
130. [123] Then the sob sisters went to work: poor little tyke routine, high spirits, you know the line.
131. [124] All of 'em but Hull are back in the streets playin' with matches by now.
132. [125] I'm waiting for the day they'll make jail age."
133. [126] "Why Bram?"
134. [127] Tremaine persisted.
135. [128] "As far as I know, he never had any dealings to speak of with anybody here in town."
136. [129] "Oh hoh, you're a little young, Jimmy," Jess chuckled.
137. [130] "You never knew about Mr. Bram—the young Mr. Bram—and Linda Carroll."
138. [131] Tremaine shook his head.
139. [132] "Old Miss Carroll.
140. [133] School teacher here for years; guess she was retired by the time you were playing hookey.
141. [134] But her dad had money, and in her day she was a beauty.
142. [135] Too good for the fellers in these parts.
143. [136] I remember her ridin by in a high-wheeled shay, when I was just a nipper.
144. [137] Sitting up proud and tall, with that red hair piled up high.
145. [138] I used to think she was some kind of princess...."
146. [139] "What about her and Bram?
147. [140] A romance?"
148. [141] Jess rocked his chair back on two legs, looked at the ceiling, frowning.
149. [142] "This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one.
150. [143] I was no more'n eight years old.
151. [144] Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made her an old maid, in those times.
152. [145] The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram.
153. [146] He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot.
154. [147] Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks.
155. [148] There was a big shindy planned.
156. [149] Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night.
157. [150] But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically.
158. [151] Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay.
159. [152] And the next day, she was home again—alone.
160. [153] That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned.
161. [154] It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job.
162. [155] By that time, she was already old.
163. [156] And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her."
164. [157] Tremaine got to his feet.
165. [158] "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.
166. [159] Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights."
167. [160] "What about that gear of yours?
168. [161] Didn't you say you had some kind of detector you were going to set up?"
169. [162] "I've got an oversized suitcase," Tremaine said.
170. [163] "I'll be setting it up in my room over at the hotel."
171. [164] "When's this bootleg station supposed to broadcast again?"
172. [165] "After dark.
173. [166] I'm working on a few ideas.
174. [167] It might be an infinitely repeating logarithmic sequence, based on—"
175. [168] "Hold it, Jimmy.
176. [169] You're over my head."
177. [170] Jess got to his feet.
178. [171] "Let me know if you want anything.
179. [172] And by the way—" he winked broadly—"I always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front teeth."
180. [173] II Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street.
181. [174] Tremaine went up the steps and past heavy double doors.
182. [175] Ten yards along the dim corridor, a hand-lettered cardboard sign over a black-varnished door said "MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF RECORD."
183. [176] Tremaine opened the door and went in.
184. [177] A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at Tremaine.
185. [178] "We're closed," he said.
186. [179] "I won't be a minute," Tremaine said.
187. [180] "Just want to check on when the Bram property changed hands last."
188. [181] The man turned to Tremaine, pushing a drawer shut with his hip.
189. [182] "Bram?
190. [183] He dead?"
191. [184] "Nothing like that.
192. [185] I just want to know when he bought the place."
193. [186] The man came over to the counter, eyeing Tremaine.
194. [187] "He ain't going to sell, mister, if that's what you want to know."
195. [188] "I |
What information has Tremaine gathered about Bram? | [
"Tremaine learns from Jess that Bram is the mystery man of the Elsby town. He is a foreigner to the town despite the fact that he has similar appearances as the rest of the town. People do not know where he is from, when he started living in the town, and not even his full name, but there are still many conspiracies about him. The clerk at the Municipal Office of Record is confident that Bram has never been seen between sundown and sunup. He also tells Tremaine that the property that Bram currently lives on was purchased by him in 1901. Tremaine learns from the newspapers that the same property was accidentally caught on fire from a thunderstorm about a year before the transaction was made between Bram and J. P. Spivey. Interestingly, from Jess, Tremaine also learns that Hull and his friends started a fire on Bram’s place some time ago. \n\nTremaine acknowledged the relationship between the young Bram and young Linda Carroll. Carroll explains to Tremaine how he told her that there is a cave beneath his house. And every night he has to fight evil beings that are right below his house. He went downstairs for the night and by the time he came up, it was dawn. Later, he handed her a locket which allows her to ask him to come simply by pressing it in a certain way. Moreover, Carroll tells Tremaine that he is afraid of thunder. Furthermore, after Bram has gone missing, Tremaine learns from Hull that Bram is a Commie.",
"Mr. Bram is a foreigner which is rare in the town. He came such a long time ago that no one knows when and where from. From the record, Tremaine finds out Bram bought his house soon after his arrival in the year 1901, so he should be in his nineties now. A year before the purchase a severe thunderstorm took place. Bram is never seen at night. He is a mystic figure and there are legends about his house. He courted Miss Carol, who is an unmarried old lady. He told her he fought evil every night in his house downstairs. She also says he is afraid of thunder. He gave her a locket to touch in a particular way to call him and she considers him crazy. Local boys consider him a spy and a communist. Now he disappeared.",
"Bram remains a mystery is Elsby, but Tremaine has gathered some information about him. Jess tells him that Bram has been at Elsby for a long time, and has outlived some residents abnormally. The clerk at the Record Office helps Tremaine gather more information about Bram's house, and tells Tremaine that Bram has never been spotted overnight. Miss Carroll tells Tremaine about her encounter with Bram, and also tells him that he is afraid of thunder.",
"Tremaine gathers different information from different people throughout the story. From Jess, Tremaine gathers information about Bram’s routines. According to Jess, Bram comes into town about once a week to buy his groceries, specifically on Wednesdays. It’s not known where Bram is from but it is assumed that he is a foreigner. Jess tells Tremaine that recently some delinquent kids set Bram’s place on fire and Bram has not been seen since the incident. \n\nFrom the worker at the Municipal Office of Record, he finds out when Bram bought his property. The clerk continues to tell him some rumors about Bram, such as Bram’s place supposedly being haunted and having money buried on the property. \n\nAt the library, Tremaine is able to learn more information about Bram from old newspapers. He learns who originally owned the property and how Bram was a newcomer to the area."
] | [1] THE LONG REMEMBERED THUNDER BY KEITH LAUMER [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of Tomorrow April 1963 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[2] He was as ancient as time—and as strange as his own frightful battle against incredible odds!
[3] I In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom cover plate from the telephone.
[4] He inserted a tiny aluminum cylinder, crimped wires and replaced the cover.
[5] Then he dialed a long-distance Washington number and waited half a minute for the connection.
[6] "Fred, Tremaine here.
[7] Put the buzzer on."
[8] A thin hum sounded on the wire as the scrambler went into operation.
[9] "Okay, can you read me all right?
[10] I'm set up in Elsby.
[11] Grammond's boys are supposed to keep me informed.
[12] Meantime, I'm not sitting in this damned room crouched over a dial.
[13] I'll be out and around for the rest of the afternoon."
[14] "I want to see results," the thin voice came back over the filtered hum of the jamming device.
[15] "You spent a week with Grammond—I can't wait another.
[16] I don't mind telling you certain quarters are pressing me."
[17] "Fred, when will you learn to sit on your news breaks until you've got some answers to go with the questions?"
[18] "I'm an appointive official," Fred said sharply.
[19] "But never mind that.
[20] This fellow Margrave—General Margrave.
[21] Project Officer for the hyperwave program—he's been on my neck day and night.
[22] I can't say I blame him.
[23] An unauthorized transmitter interfering with a Top Secret project, progress slowing to a halt, and this Bureau—" "Look, Fred.
[24] I was happy in the lab.
[25] Headaches, nightmares and all.
[26] Hyperwave is my baby, remember?
[27] You elected me to be a leg-man: now let me do it my way."
[28] "I felt a technical man might succeed where a trained investigator could be misled.
[29] And since it seems to be pinpointed in your home area—" "You don't have to justify yourself.
[30] Just don't hold out on me.
[31] I sometimes wonder if I've seen the complete files on this—" "You've seen all the files!
[32] Now I want answers, not questions!
[33] I'm warning you, Tremaine.
[34] Get that transmitter.
[35] I need someone to hang!"
[36] Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY MUNICIPAL POLICE cut in the stone lintel above the door.
[37] Inside, a heavy man with a creased face and thick gray hair looked up from behind an ancient Underwood.
[38] He studied Tremaine, shifted a toothpick to the opposite corner of his mouth.
[39] "Don't I know you, mister?"
[40] he said.
[41] His soft voice carried a note of authority.
[42] Tremaine took off his hat.
[43] "Sure you do, Jess.
[44] It's been a while, though."
[45] The policeman got to his feet.
[46] "Jimmy," he said, "Jimmy Tremaine."
[47] He came to the counter and put out his hand.
[48] "How are you, Jimmy?
[49] What brings you back to the boondocks?"
[50] "Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess."
[51] In a back room Tremaine said, "To everybody but you this is just a visit to the old home town.
[52] Between us, there's more."
[53] Jess nodded.
[54] "I heard you were with the guv'ment."
[55] "It won't take long to tell; we don't know much yet."
[56] Tremaine covered the discovery of the powerful unidentified interference on the high-security hyperwave band, the discovery that each transmission produced not one but a pattern of "fixes" on the point of origin.
[57] He passed a sheet of paper across the table.
[58] It showed a set of concentric circles, overlapped by a similar group of rings.
[59] "I think what we're getting is an echo effect from each of these points of intersection.
[60] The rings themselves represent the diffraction pattern—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[61] To me it just looks like a beer ad.
[62] I'll take your word for it."
[63] "The point is this, Jess: we think we've got it narrowed down to this section.
[64] I'm not sure of a damn thing, but I think that transmitter's near here.
[65] Now, have you got any ideas?"
[66] "That's a tough one, Jimmy.
[67] This is where I should come up with the news that Old Man Whatchamacallit's got an attic full of gear he says is a time machine.
[68] Trouble is, folks around here haven't even taken to TV.
[69] They figure we should be content with radio, like the Lord intended."
[70] "I didn't expect any easy answers, Jess.
[71] But I was hoping maybe you had something ..." "Course," said Jess, "there's always Mr. Bram ..." "Mr. Bram," repeated Tremaine.
[72] "Is he still around?
[73] I remember him as a hundred years old when I was kid."
[74] "Still just the same, Jimmy.
[75] Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river."
[76] "Well, what about him?"
[77] "Nothing.
[78] But he's the town's mystery man.
[79] You know that.
[80] A little touched in the head."
[81] "There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember," Tremaine said.
[82] "I always liked him.
[83] One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten.
[84] Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me.
[85] I never did go.
[86] We kids used to play in the caves near his place, and sometimes he gave us apples."
[87] "I've never seen any harm in Bram," said Jess.
[88] "But you know how this town is about foreigners, especially when they're a mite addled.
[89] Bram has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he talks just like everybody else.
[90] From a distance he seems just like an ordinary American.
[91] But up close, you feel it.
[92] He's foreign, all right.
[93] But we never did know where he came from."
[94] "How long's he lived here in Elsby?"
[95] "Beats me, Jimmy.
[96] You remember old Aunt Tress, used to know all about ancestors and such as that?
[97] She couldn't remember about Mr. Bram.
[98] She was kind of senile, I guess.
[99] She used to say he'd lived in that same old place out on the Concord road when she was a girl.
[100] Well, she died five years ago ... in her seventies.
[101] He still walks in town every Wednesday ... or he did up till yesterday anyway."
[102] "Oh?"
[103] Tremaine stubbed out his cigarette, lit another.
[104] "What happened then?"
[105] "You remember Soup Gaskin?
[106] He's got a boy, name of Hull.
[107] He's Soup all over again."
[108] "I remember Soup," Tremaine said.
[109] "He and his bunch used to come in the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around with me, and Mr. Hempleman would watch them from over back of the prescription counter and look nervous.
[110] They used to raise cain in the other drug store...." "Soup's been in the pen since then.
[111] His boy Hull's the same kind.
[112] Him and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it on fire."
[113] "What was the idea of that?"
[114] "Dunno.
[115] Just meanness, I reckon.
[116] Not much damage done.
[117] A car was passing by and called it in.
[118] I had the whole caboodle locked up here for six hours.
[119] Then the sob sisters went to work: poor little tyke routine, high spirits, you know the line.
[120] All of 'em but Hull are back in the streets playin' with matches by now.
[121] I'm waiting for the day they'll make jail age."
[122] "Why Bram?"
[123] Tremaine persisted.
[124] "As far as I know, he never had any dealings to speak of with anybody here in town."
[125] "Oh hoh, you're a little young, Jimmy," Jess chuckled.
[126] "You never knew about Mr. Bram—the young Mr. Bram—and Linda Carroll."
[127] Tremaine shook his head.
[128] "Old Miss Carroll.
[129] School teacher here for years; guess she was retired by the time you were playing hookey.
[130] But her dad had money, and in her day she was a beauty.
[131] Too good for the fellers in these parts.
[132] I remember her ridin by in a high-wheeled shay, when I was just a nipper.
[133] Sitting up proud and tall, with that red hair piled up high.
[134] I used to think she was some kind of princess...." "What about her and Bram?
[135] A romance?"
[136] Jess rocked his chair back on two legs, looked at the ceiling, frowning.
[137] "This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one.
[138] I was no more'n eight years old.
[139] Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made her an old maid, in those times.
[140] The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram.
[141] He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot.
[142] Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks.
[143] There was a big shindy planned.
[144] Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night.
[145] But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically.
[146] Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay.
[147] And the next day, she was home again—alone.
[148] That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned.
[149] It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job.
[150] By that time, she was already old.
[151] And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her."
[152] Tremaine got to his feet.
[153] "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.
[154] Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights."
[155] "What about that gear of yours?
[156] Didn't you say you had some kind of detector you were going to set up?"
[157] "I've got an oversized suitcase," Tremaine said.
[158] "I'll be setting it up in my room over at the hotel."
[159] "When's this bootleg station supposed to broadcast again?"
[160] "After dark.
[161] I'm working on a few ideas.
[162] It might be an infinitely repeating logarithmic sequence, based on—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[163] You're over my head."
[164] Jess got to his feet.
[165] "Let me know if you want anything.
[166] And by the way—" he winked broadly—"I always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front teeth."
[167] II Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street.
[168] Tremaine went up the steps and past heavy double doors.
[169] Ten yards along the dim corridor, a hand-lettered cardboard sign over a black-varnished door said "MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF RECORD."
[170] Tremaine opened the door and went in.
[171] A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at Tremaine.
[172] "We're closed," he said.
[173] "I won't be a minute," Tremaine said.
[174] "Just want to check on when the Bram property changed hands last."
[175] The man turned to Tremaine, pushing a drawer shut with his hip.
[176] "Bram?
[177] He dead?"
[178] "Nothing like that.
[179] I just want to know when he bought the place."
[180] The man came over to the counter, eyeing Tremaine.
[181] "He ain't going to sell, mister, if that's what you want to know."
[182] "I want to know when he bought."
[183] The man hesitated, closed his jaw hard.
[184] "Come back tomorrow," he said.
[185] Tremaine put a hand on the counter, looked thoughtful.
[186] "I was hoping to save a trip."
[187] He lifted his hand and scratched the side of his jaw.
[188] A folded bill opened on the counter.
[189] The thin man's eyes darted toward it.
[190] His hand eased out, covered the bill.
[191] He grinned quickly.
[192] "See what I can do," he said.
[193] It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where a two-foot-square book lay open.
[194] An untrimmed fingernail indicated a line written in faded ink: "May 19.
[195] Acreage sold, One Dollar and other G&V consid.
[196] NW Quarter Section 24, Township Elsby.
[197] Bram.
[198] (see Vol.
[199] 9 & cet.)"
[200] "Translated, what does that mean?"
[201] said Tremaine.
[202] "That's the ledger for 1901; means Bram bought a quarter section on the nineteenth of May.
[203] You want me to look up the deed?"
[204] "No, thanks," Tremaine said.
[205] "That's all I needed."
[206] He turned back to the door.
[207] "What's up, mister?"
[208] the clerk called after him.
[209] "Bram in some kind of trouble?"
[210] "No.
[211] No trouble."
[212] The man was looking at the book with pursed lips.
[213] "Nineteen-oh-one," he said.
[214] "I never thought of it before, but you know, old Bram must be dern near to ninety years old.
[215] Spry for that age."
[216] "I guess you're right."
[217] The clerk looked sideways at Tremaine.
[218] "Lots of funny stories about old Bram.
[219] Useta say his place was haunted.
[220] You know; funny noises and lights.
[221] And they used to say there was money buried out at his place."
[222] "I've heard those stories.
[223] Just superstition, wouldn't you say?"
[224] "Maybe so."
[225] The clerk leaned on the counter, assumed a knowing look.
[226] "There's one story that's not superstition...." Tremaine waited.
[227] "You—uh—paying anything for information?"
[228] "Now why would I do that?"
[229] Tremaine reached for the door knob.
[230] The clerk shrugged.
[231] "Thought I'd ask.
[232] Anyway—I can swear to this.
[233] Nobody in this town's ever seen Bram between sundown and sunup."
[234] Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco facade of the Elsby Public Library.
[235] Inside, Tremaine followed a paper-dry woman of indeterminate age to a rack of yellowed newsprint.
[236] "You'll find back to nineteen-forty here," the librarian said.
[237] "The older are there in the shelves."
[238] "I want nineteen-oh-one, if they go back that far."
[239] The woman darted a suspicious look at Tremaine.
[240] "You have to handle these old papers carefully."
[241] "I'll be extremely careful."
[242] The woman sniffed, opened a drawer, leafed through it, muttering.
[243] "What date was it you wanted?"
[244] "Nineteen-oh-one; the week of May nineteenth."
[245] The librarian pulled out a folded paper, placed it on the table, adjusted her glasses, squinted at the front page.
[246] "That's it," she said.
[247] "These papers keep pretty well, provided they're stored in the dark.
[248] But they're still flimsy, mind you."
[249] "I'll remember."
[250] The woman stood by as Tremaine looked over the front page.
[251] The lead article concerned the opening of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo.
[252] Vice-President Roosevelt had made a speech.
[253] Tremaine leafed over, reading slowly.
[254] On page four, under a column headed County Notes he saw the name Bram: Mr. Bram has purchased a quarter section of fine grazing land, north of town, together with a sturdy house, from J. P. Spivey of Elsby.
[255] Mr. Bram will occupy the home and will continue to graze a few head of stock.
[256] Mr. Bram, who is a newcomer to the county, has been a resident of Mrs. Stoate's Guest Home in Elsby for the past months.
[257] "May I see some earlier issues; from about the first of the year?"
[258] The librarian produced the papers.
[259] Tremaine turned the pages, read the heads, skimmed an article here and there.
[260] The librarian went back to her desk.
[261] An hour later, in the issue for July 7, 1900, an item caught his eye: A Severe Thunderstorm.
[262] Citizens of Elsby and the country were much alarmed by a violent cloudburst, accompanied by lightning and thunder, during the night of the fifth.
[263] A fire set in the pine woods north of Spivey's farm destroyed a considerable amount of timber and threatened the house before burning itself out along the river.
[264] The librarian was at Tremaine's side.
[265] "I have to close the library now.
[266] You'll have to come back tomorrow."
[267] Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in windows along the side streets.
[268] Tremaine turned up his collar against a cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel.
[269] A block away a black late-model sedan rounded a corner with a faint squeal of tires and gunned past him, a heavy antenna mounted forward of the left rear tail fin whipping in the slipstream.
[270] Tremaine stopped short, stared after the car.
[271] "Damn!"
[272] he said aloud.
[273] An elderly man veered, eyeing him sharply.
[274] Tremaine set off at a run, covered the two blocks to the hotel, yanked open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed north after the police car.
[275] Two miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine rounded a curve.
[276] The police car was parked on the shoulder beside the highway just ahead.
[277] He pulled off the road ahead of it and walked back.
[278] The door opened.
[279] A tall figure stepped out.
[280] "What's your problem, mister?"
[281] a harsh voice drawled.
[282] "What's the matter?
[283] Run out of signal?"
[284] "What's it to you, mister?"
[285] "Are you boys in touch with Grammond on the car set?"
[286] "We could be."
[287] "Mind if I have a word with him?
[288] My name's Tremaine."
[289] "Oh," said the cop, "you're the big shot from Washington."
[290] He shifted chewing tobacco to the other side of his jaw.
[291] "Sure, you can talk to him."
[292] He turned and spoke to the other cop, who muttered into the mike before handing it to Tremaine.
[293] The heavy voice of the State Police chief crackled.
[294] "What's your beef, Tremaine?"
[295] "I thought you were going to keep your men away from Elsby until I gave the word, Grammond."
[296] "That was before I knew your Washington stuffed shirts were holding out on me."
[297] "It's nothing we can go to court with, Grammond.
[298] And the job you were doing might have been influenced if I'd told you about the Elsby angle."
[299] Grammond cursed.
[300] "I could have put my men in the town and taken it apart brick by brick in the time—" "That's just what I don't want.
[301] If our bird sees cops cruising, he'll go underground."
[302] "You've got it all figured, I see.
[303] I'm just the dumb hick you boys use for the spade work, that it?"
[304] "Pull your lip back in.
[305] You've given me the confirmation I needed."
[306] "Confirmation, hell!
[307] All I know is that somebody somewhere is punching out a signal.
[308] For all I know, it's forty midgets on bicycles, pedalling all over the damned state.
[309] I've got fixes in every county—" "The smallest hyperwave transmitter Uncle Sam knows how to build weighs three tons," said Tremaine.
[310] "Bicycles are out."
[311] Grammond snorted.
[312] "Okay, Tremaine," he said.
[313] "You're the boy with all the answers.
[314] But if you get in trouble, don't call me; call Washington."
[315] Back in his room, Tremaine put through a call.
[316] "It looks like Grammond's not willing to be left out in the cold, Fred.
[317] Tell him if he queers this—" "I don't know but what he might have something," the voice came back over the filtered hum.
[318] "Suppose he smokes them out—" "Don't go dumb on me, Fred.
[319] We're not dealing with West Virginia moonshiners."
[320] "Don't tell me my job, Tremaine!"
[321] the voice snapped.
[322] "And don't try out your famous temper on me.
[323] I'm still in charge of this investigation."
[324] "Sure.
[325] Just don't get stuck in some senator's hip pocket."
[326] Tremaine hung up the telephone, went to the dresser and poured two fingers of Scotch into a water glass.
[327] He tossed it down, then pulled on his coat and left the hotel.
[328] He walked south two blocks, turned left down a twilit side street.
[329] He walked slowly, looking at the weathered frame houses.
[330] Number 89 was a once-stately three-storied mansion overgrown with untrimmed vines, its windows squares of sad yellow light.
[331] He pushed through the gate in the ancient picket fence, mounted the porch steps and pushed the button beside the door, a dark panel of cracked varnish.
[332] It was a long minute before the door opened.
[333] A tall woman with white hair and a fine-boned face looked at him coolly.
[334] "Miss Carroll," Tremaine said.
[335] "You won't remember me, but I—" "There is nothing whatever wrong with my faculties, James," Miss Carroll said calmly.
[336] Her voice was still resonant, a deep contralto.
[337] Only a faint quaver reflected her age—close to eighty, Tremaine thought, startled.
[338] "I'm flattered you remember me, Miss Carroll," he said.
[339] "Come in."
[340] She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the furnishings of another era.
[341] She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a straight chair across the room from him.
[342] "You look very well, James," she said, nodding.
[343] "I'm pleased to see that you've amounted to something."
[344] "Just another bureaucrat, I'm afraid."
[345] "You were wise to leave Elsby.
[346] There is no future here for a young man."
[347] "I often wondered why you didn't leave, Miss Carroll.
[348] I thought, even as a boy, that you were a woman of great ability."
[349] "Why did you come today, James?"
[350] asked Miss Carroll.
[351] "I...." Tremaine started.
[352] He looked at the old lady.
[353] "I want some information.
[354] This is an important matter.
[355] May I rely on your discretion?"
[356] "Of course."
[357] "How long has Mr. Bram lived in Elsby?"
[358] Miss Carroll looked at him for a long moment.
[359] "Will what I tell you be used against him?"
[360] "There'll be nothing done against him, Miss Carroll ... unless it needs to be in the national interest."
[361] "I'm not at all sure I know what the term 'national interest' means, James.
[362] I distrust these glib phrases."
[363] "I always liked Mr. Bram," said Tremaine.
[364] "I'm not out to hurt him."
[365] "Mr. Bram came here when I was a young woman.
[366] I'm not certain of the year."
[367] "What does he do for a living?"
[368] "I have no idea."
[369] "Why did a healthy young fellow like Bram settle out in that isolated piece of country?
[370] What's his story?"
[371] "I'm ... not sure that anyone truly knows Bram's story."
[372] "You called him 'Bram', Miss Carroll.
[373] Is that his first name ... or his last?"
[374] "That is his only name.
[375] Just ...
[376] Bram."
[377] "You knew him well once, Miss Carroll.
[378] Is there anything—" A tear rolled down Miss Carroll's faded cheek.
[379] She wiped it away impatiently.
[380] "I'm an unfulfilled old maid, James," she said.
[381] "You must forgive me."
[382] Tremaine stood up.
[383] "I'm sorry.
[384] Really sorry.
[385] I didn't mean to grill you.
[386] Miss Carroll.
[387] You've been very kind.
[388] I had no right...." Miss Carroll shook her head.
[389] "I knew you as a boy, James.
[390] I have complete confidence in you.
[391] If anything I can tell you about Bram will be helpful to you, it is my duty to oblige you; and it may help him."
[392] She paused.
[393] Tremaine waited.
[394] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram.
[395] One day he asked me to go with him to his house.
[396] On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale.
[397] He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
[398] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
[399] "I was torn between pity and horror.
[400] I begged him to take me back.
[401] He refused."
[402] Miss Carroll twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past.
[403] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen.
[404] He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel.
[405] There were stairs.
[406] He went down ... and left me there alone.
[407] "I waited all that night in the carriage.
[408] At dawn he emerged.
[409] He tried to speak to me but I would not listen.
[410] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand.
[411] He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come.
[412] I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call.
[413] He drove me home.
[414] He never called again."
[415] "This locket," said Tremaine, "do you still have it?"
[416] Miss Carroll hesitated, then put her hand to her throat, lifted a silver disc on a fine golden chain.
[417] "You see what a foolish old woman I am, James."
[418] "May I see it?"
[419] She handed the locket to him.
[420] It was heavy, smooth.
[421] "I'd like to examine this more closely," he said.
[422] "May I take it with me?"
[423] Miss Carroll nodded.
[424] "There is one other thing," she said, "perhaps quite meaningless...." "I'd be grateful for any lead."
[425] "Bram fears the thunder."
[426] III As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car pulled to a stop beside him.
[427] Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and asked: "Any luck, Jimmy?"
[428] Tremaine shook his head.
[429] "I'm getting nowhere fast.
[430] The Bram idea's a dud, I'm afraid."
[431] "Funny thing about Bram.
[432] You know, he hasn't showed up yet.
[433] I'm getting a little worried.
[434] Want to run out there with me and take a look around?"
[435] "Sure.
[436] Just so I'm back by full dark."
[437] As they pulled away from the curb Jess said, "Jimmy, what's this about State Police nosing around here?
[438] I thought you were playing a lone hand from what you were saying to me."
[439] "I thought so too, Jess.
[440] But it looks like Grammond's a jump ahead of me.
[441] He smells headlines in this; he doesn't want to be left out."
[442] "Well, the State cops could be mighty handy to have around.
[443] I'm wondering why you don't want 'em in.
[444] If there's some kind of spy ring working—" "We're up against an unknown quantity.
[445] I don't know what's behind this and neither does anybody else.
[446] Maybe it's a ring of Bolsheviks ... and maybe it's something bigger.
[447] I have the feeling we've made enough mistakes in the last few years; I don't want to see this botched."
[448] The last pink light of sunset was fading from the clouds to the west as Jess swung the car through the open gate, pulled up under the old trees before the square-built house.
[449] The windows were dark.
[450] The two men got out, circled the house once, then mounted the steps and rapped on the door.
[451] There was a black patch of charred flooring under the window, and the paint on the wall above it was bubbled.
[452] Somewhere a cricket set up a strident chirrup, suddenly cut off.
[453] Jess leaned down, picked up an empty shotgun shell.
[454] He looked at Tremaine.
[455] "This don't look good," he said.
[456] "You suppose those fool boys...?"
[457] He tried the door.
[458] It opened.
[459] A broken hasp dangled.
[460] He turned to Tremaine.
[461] "Maybe this is more than kid stuff," he said.
[462] "You carry a gun?"
[463] "In the car."
[464] "Better get it."
[465] Tremaine went to the car, dropped the pistol in his coat pocket, rejoined Jess inside the house.
[466] It was silent, deserted.
[467] In the kitchen Jess flicked the beam of his flashlight around the room.
[468] An empty plate lay on the oilcloth-covered table.
[469] "This place is empty," he said.
[470] "Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week."
[471] "Not a very cozy—" Tremaine broke off.
[472] A thin yelp sounded in the distance.
[473] "I'm getting jumpy," said Jess.
[474] "Dern hounddog, I guess."
[475] A low growl seemed to rumble distantly.
[476] "What the devil's that?"
[477] Tremaine said.
[478] Jess shone the light on the floor.
[479] "Look here," he said.
[480] The ring of light showed a spatter of dark droplets all across the plank floor.
[481] "That's blood, Jess...." Tremaine scanned the floor.
[482] It was of broad slabs, closely laid, scrubbed clean but for the dark stains.
[483] "Maybe he cleaned a chicken.
[484] This is the kitchen."
[485] "It's a trail."
[486] Tremaine followed the line of drops across the floor.
[487] It ended suddenly near the wall.
[488] "What do you make of it.
[489] Jimmy?"
[490] A wail sounded, a thin forlorn cry, trailing off into silence.
[491] Jess stared at Tremaine.
[492] "I'm too damned old to start believing in spooks," he said.
[493] "You suppose those damn-fool boys are hiding here, playing tricks?"
[494] "I think."
[495] Tremaine said, "that we'd better go ask Hull Gaskin a few questions."
[496] At the station Jess led Tremaine to a cell where a lanky teen-age boy lounged on a steel-framed cot, blinking up at the visitor under a mop of greased hair.
[497] "Hull, this is Mr. Tremaine," said Jess.
[498] He took out a heavy key, swung the cell door open.
[499] "He wants to talk to you."
[500] "I ain't done nothin," Hull said sullenly.
[501] "There ain't nothin wrong with burnin out a Commie, is there?"
[502] "Bram's a Commie, is he?"
[503] Tremaine said softly.
[504] "How'd you find that out, Hull?"
[505] "He's a foreigner, ain't he?"
[506] the youth shot back.
[507] "Besides, we heard...." "What did you hear?"
[508] "They're lookin for the spies."
[509] "Who's looking for spies?"
[510] "Cops."
[511] "Who says so?"
[512] The boy looked directly at Tremaine for an instant, flicked his eyes to the corner of the cell.
[513] "Cops was talkin about 'em," he said.
[514] "Spill it, Hull," the policeman said.
[515] "Mr. Tremaine hasn't got all night."
[516] "They parked out east of town, on 302, back of the woodlot.
[517] They called me over and asked me a bunch of questions.
[518] Said I could help 'em get them spies.
[519] Wanted to know all about any funny-actin people around hers."
[520] "And you mentioned Bram?"
[521] The boy darted another look at Tremaine.
[522] "They said they figured the spies was out north of town.
[523] Well, Bram's a foreigner, and he's out that way, ain't he?"
[524] "Anything else?"
[525] The boy looked at his feet. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What information has Tremaine gathered about Bram?":
1. [392] She paused. Tremaine waited.
2. [393] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram. One day he asked me to go with him to his house. On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale. He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
3. [394] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
4. [395] "I was torn between pity and horror. I begged him to take me back. He refused."
5. [396] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen. He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel. There were stairs. He went down ... and left me there alone."
6. [397] "I waited all that night in the carriage. At dawn he emerged. He tried to speak to me but I would not listen."
7. [398] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand. He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come. I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call. He drove me home. He never called again."
8. [415] "This locket," said Tremaine, "do you still have it?"
9. [416] Miss Carroll hesitated, then put her hand to her throat, lifted a silver disc on a fine golden chain.
10. [417] "You see what a foolish old woman I am, James."
11. [418] "May I see it?"
12. [419] She handed the locket to him.
13. [420] It was heavy, smooth.
14. [421] "I'd like to examine this more closely," he said. "May I take it with me?"
15. [422] Miss Carroll nodded.
16. [423] "There is one other thing," she said, "perhaps quite meaningless...."
17. [424] "I'd be grateful for any lead."
18. [425] "Bram fears the thunder."
19. [71] "Mr. Bram," repeated Tremaine.
20. [72] "Is he still around? I remember him as a hundred years old when I was kid."
21. [73] "Still just the same, Jimmy. Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river."
22. [74] "Well, what about him?"
23. [75] "Nothing. But he's the town's mystery man."
24. [76] "There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember," Tremaine said.
25. [77] "I always liked him."
26. [78] "One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten. Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me."
27. [79] "I never did go."
28. [80] "We kids used to play in the caves near his place, and sometimes he gave us apples."
29. [81] "I've never seen any harm in Bram," said Jess.
30. [82] "But you know how this town is about foreigners, especially when they're a mite addled."
31. [83] "Bram has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he talks just like everybody else."
32. [84] "From a distance he seems just like an ordinary American."
33. [85] "But up close, you feel it. He's foreign, all right."
34. [86] "But we never did know where he came from."
35. [94] "How long's he lived here in Elsby?"
36. [95] "Beats me, Jimmy."
37. [96] "You remember old Aunt Tress, used to know all about ancestors and such as that?"
38. [97] "She couldn't remember about Mr. Bram."
39. [98] "She was kind of senile, I guess."
40. [99] "She used to say he'd lived in that same old place out on the Concord road when she was a girl."
41. [100] "Well, she died five years ago ... in her seventies."
42. [101] "He still walks in town every Wednesday ... or he did up till yesterday anyway."
43. [102] "Oh?"
44. [103] Tremaine stubbed out his cigarette, lit another.
45. [104] "What happened then?"
46. [105] "You remember Soup Gaskin?"
47. [106] "He's got a boy, name of Hull."
48. [107] "He's Soup all over again."
49. [111] "His boy Hull's the same kind."
50. [112] "Him and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it on fire."
51. [113] "What was the idea of that?"
52. [114] "Dunno."
53. [115] "Just meanness, I reckon."
54. [116] "Not much damage done."
55. [117] "A car was passing by and called it in."
56. [118] "I had the whole caboodle locked up here for six hours."
57. [119] "Then the sob sisters went to work: poor little tyke routine, high spirits, you know the line."
58. [120] "All of 'em but Hull are back in the streets playin' with matches by now."
59. [121] "I'm waiting for the day they'll make jail age."
60. [122] "Why Bram?"
61. [123] Tremaine persisted.
62. [124] "As far as I know, he never had any dealings to speak of with anybody here in town."
63. [125] "Oh hoh, you're a little young, Jimmy," Jess chuckled.
64. [126] "You never knew about Mr. Bram—the young Mr. Bram—and Linda Carroll."
65. [127] Tremaine shook his head.
66. [128] "Old Miss Carroll. School teacher here for years; guess she was retired by the time you were playing hookey."
67. [129] "But her dad had money, and in her day she was a beauty."
68. [130] "Too good for the fellers in these parts."
69. [131] "I remember her ridin by in a high-wheeled shay, when I was just a nipper."
70. [132] "Sitting up proud and tall, with that red hair piled up high."
71. [133] "I used to think she was some kind of princess...."
72. [134] "What about her and Bram? A romance?"
73. [135] Jess rocked his chair back on two legs, looked at the ceiling, frowning.
74. [136] "This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one."
75. [137] "I was no more'n eight years old."
76. [138] "Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made her an old maid, in those times."
77. [139] "The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram."
78. [140] "He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot."
79. [141] "Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks."
80. [142] "There was a big shindy planned."
81. [143] "Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night."
82. [144] "But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically."
83. [145] "Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay."
84. [146] "And the next day, she was home again—alone."
85. [147] "That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned."
86. [148] "It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job."
87. [149] "By that time, she was already old."
88. [150] "And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her."
89. [194] An untrimmed fingernail indicated a line written in faded ink: "May 19. Acreage sold, One Dollar and other G&V consid. NW Quarter Section 24, Township Elsby. Bram. (see Vol. 9 & cet.)"
90. [195] "Translated, what does that mean?"
91. [196] "That's the ledger for 1901; means Bram bought a quarter section on the nineteenth of May."
92. [197] "You want me to look up the deed?"
93. [198] "No, thanks," Tremaine said. "That's all I needed."
94. [253] On page four, under a column headed County Notes he saw the name Bram: Mr. Bram has purchased a quarter section of fine grazing land, north of town, together with a sturdy house, from J. P. Spivey of Elsby. Mr. Bram will occupy the home and will continue to graze a few head of stock. Mr. Bram, who is a newcomer to the county, has been a resident of Mrs. Stoate's Guest Home in Elsby for the past months.
95. [261] An item caught his eye: A Severe Thunderstorm. Citizens of Elsby and the country were much alarmed by a violent cloudburst, accompanied by lightning and thunder, during the night of the fifth. A fire set in the pine woods north of Spivey's farm destroyed a considerable amount of timber and threatened the house before burning itself out along the river.
96. [392] She paused.
97. [393] Tremaine waited.
98. [394] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram. One day he asked me to go with him to his house. On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale. He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
99. [395] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
100. [425] "Bram fears the thunder." |
What is the relationship between Bram and Carroll? | [
"From Jess, Tremaine learns that the school teacher, Linda Carroll had a relationship with Bram while they were young. Carroll’s family is quite wealthy and she was very beautiful. People in the town was not really up to her standards. Bram is a foreigner and does not really like social events. However, apparently, Carroll went off together with Bram one day afternoon with almost the whole town there. Then the next day Bram was not by her side, she came back by herself. This made her reputation really bad and she could not even be hired as a teacher for 10 years afterwards. From Carroll, Tremaine learns another story. She seems to not know Bram well. She confirms that she and Bram was in a relationship. And after Bram invited her to his place one day, he explains that he has to fight evil beings below his house every night. After they arrived at his house, she was left in the carriage for the whole night while he was below the house until dawn. Thus she decided to not talk to him when him came to see her in the carriage again. He gave her a locket where a pattern of tapping would allow him to get to her if she ever needs him. Interestingly, she also tells Tremaine that Bram is afraid of the thunder.",
"Back in the years, when Carol was in her twenties and Bram a couple years older, he courted her. She was the prettiest young lady in town, unmarried as all locals were too good for her. She was determined to get this foreigner and even made a plan. He was a handsome young man, not a social type of a person, but he was somehow dragged to a shiny. He left together with Carol in the evening, took her to his house and scared her on the way. He talked about fighting evil every night and some other crazy things and disappeared downstairs. She waited outside the whole night and was scared of his madness, she had no intention of listening to him. He gave her a locket which would summon him if used in the right way. They never met again. The memories are still painful for Carol, her reputation was destroyed and she stayed unmarried.",
"In the past, Bram and Carroll had pursued a romantic relationship. He had courted her and taken her to his house, where he scared her by telling her that he fights with evil beings in his house and then locking her beneath the kitchen. The next morning, Bram gave Carroll a locket to keep. Carroll refused to speak to Bram again, telling him that he needed to seek a doctor. The two had not spoken since, but it is revealed that Carroll kept the locket Bram had given her since.",
"Jess tells Tremaine how something romantic happened between Carroll and Bram. However, from his knowledge, it did not end well and Carroll’s reputation was ruined from the events. \n\nFrom Miss Carroll’s own words, she says that her experience with Bram was a bad one. He took her out on a date but began to act strange and talking as if he was crazy. He disappeared, running down a set of stays. Meanwhile, she stayed alone in the car all night. In the morning when he reappeared, she refused to speak with him and told him she would not associate with him until he got help."
] | [1] THE LONG REMEMBERED THUNDER BY KEITH LAUMER [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of Tomorrow April 1963 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[2] He was as ancient as time—and as strange as his own frightful battle against incredible odds!
[3] I In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom cover plate from the telephone.
[4] He inserted a tiny aluminum cylinder, crimped wires and replaced the cover.
[5] Then he dialed a long-distance Washington number and waited half a minute for the connection.
[6] "Fred, Tremaine here.
[7] Put the buzzer on."
[8] A thin hum sounded on the wire as the scrambler went into operation.
[9] "Okay, can you read me all right?
[10] I'm set up in Elsby.
[11] Grammond's boys are supposed to keep me informed.
[12] Meantime, I'm not sitting in this damned room crouched over a dial.
[13] I'll be out and around for the rest of the afternoon."
[14] "I want to see results," the thin voice came back over the filtered hum of the jamming device.
[15] "You spent a week with Grammond—I can't wait another.
[16] I don't mind telling you certain quarters are pressing me."
[17] "Fred, when will you learn to sit on your news breaks until you've got some answers to go with the questions?"
[18] "I'm an appointive official," Fred said sharply.
[19] "But never mind that.
[20] This fellow Margrave—General Margrave.
[21] Project Officer for the hyperwave program—he's been on my neck day and night.
[22] I can't say I blame him.
[23] An unauthorized transmitter interfering with a Top Secret project, progress slowing to a halt, and this Bureau—" "Look, Fred.
[24] I was happy in the lab.
[25] Headaches, nightmares and all.
[26] Hyperwave is my baby, remember?
[27] You elected me to be a leg-man: now let me do it my way."
[28] "I felt a technical man might succeed where a trained investigator could be misled.
[29] And since it seems to be pinpointed in your home area—" "You don't have to justify yourself.
[30] Just don't hold out on me.
[31] I sometimes wonder if I've seen the complete files on this—" "You've seen all the files!
[32] Now I want answers, not questions!
[33] I'm warning you, Tremaine.
[34] Get that transmitter.
[35] I need someone to hang!"
[36] Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY MUNICIPAL POLICE cut in the stone lintel above the door.
[37] Inside, a heavy man with a creased face and thick gray hair looked up from behind an ancient Underwood.
[38] He studied Tremaine, shifted a toothpick to the opposite corner of his mouth.
[39] "Don't I know you, mister?"
[40] he said.
[41] His soft voice carried a note of authority.
[42] Tremaine took off his hat.
[43] "Sure you do, Jess.
[44] It's been a while, though."
[45] The policeman got to his feet.
[46] "Jimmy," he said, "Jimmy Tremaine."
[47] He came to the counter and put out his hand.
[48] "How are you, Jimmy?
[49] What brings you back to the boondocks?"
[50] "Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess."
[51] In a back room Tremaine said, "To everybody but you this is just a visit to the old home town.
[52] Between us, there's more."
[53] Jess nodded.
[54] "I heard you were with the guv'ment."
[55] "It won't take long to tell; we don't know much yet."
[56] Tremaine covered the discovery of the powerful unidentified interference on the high-security hyperwave band, the discovery that each transmission produced not one but a pattern of "fixes" on the point of origin.
[57] He passed a sheet of paper across the table.
[58] It showed a set of concentric circles, overlapped by a similar group of rings.
[59] "I think what we're getting is an echo effect from each of these points of intersection.
[60] The rings themselves represent the diffraction pattern—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[61] To me it just looks like a beer ad.
[62] I'll take your word for it."
[63] "The point is this, Jess: we think we've got it narrowed down to this section.
[64] I'm not sure of a damn thing, but I think that transmitter's near here.
[65] Now, have you got any ideas?"
[66] "That's a tough one, Jimmy.
[67] This is where I should come up with the news that Old Man Whatchamacallit's got an attic full of gear he says is a time machine.
[68] Trouble is, folks around here haven't even taken to TV.
[69] They figure we should be content with radio, like the Lord intended."
[70] "I didn't expect any easy answers, Jess.
[71] But I was hoping maybe you had something ..." "Course," said Jess, "there's always Mr. Bram ..." "Mr. Bram," repeated Tremaine.
[72] "Is he still around?
[73] I remember him as a hundred years old when I was kid."
[74] "Still just the same, Jimmy.
[75] Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river."
[76] "Well, what about him?"
[77] "Nothing.
[78] But he's the town's mystery man.
[79] You know that.
[80] A little touched in the head."
[81] "There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember," Tremaine said.
[82] "I always liked him.
[83] One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten.
[84] Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me.
[85] I never did go.
[86] We kids used to play in the caves near his place, and sometimes he gave us apples."
[87] "I've never seen any harm in Bram," said Jess.
[88] "But you know how this town is about foreigners, especially when they're a mite addled.
[89] Bram has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he talks just like everybody else.
[90] From a distance he seems just like an ordinary American.
[91] But up close, you feel it.
[92] He's foreign, all right.
[93] But we never did know where he came from."
[94] "How long's he lived here in Elsby?"
[95] "Beats me, Jimmy.
[96] You remember old Aunt Tress, used to know all about ancestors and such as that?
[97] She couldn't remember about Mr. Bram.
[98] She was kind of senile, I guess.
[99] She used to say he'd lived in that same old place out on the Concord road when she was a girl.
[100] Well, she died five years ago ... in her seventies.
[101] He still walks in town every Wednesday ... or he did up till yesterday anyway."
[102] "Oh?"
[103] Tremaine stubbed out his cigarette, lit another.
[104] "What happened then?"
[105] "You remember Soup Gaskin?
[106] He's got a boy, name of Hull.
[107] He's Soup all over again."
[108] "I remember Soup," Tremaine said.
[109] "He and his bunch used to come in the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around with me, and Mr. Hempleman would watch them from over back of the prescription counter and look nervous.
[110] They used to raise cain in the other drug store...." "Soup's been in the pen since then.
[111] His boy Hull's the same kind.
[112] Him and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it on fire."
[113] "What was the idea of that?"
[114] "Dunno.
[115] Just meanness, I reckon.
[116] Not much damage done.
[117] A car was passing by and called it in.
[118] I had the whole caboodle locked up here for six hours.
[119] Then the sob sisters went to work: poor little tyke routine, high spirits, you know the line.
[120] All of 'em but Hull are back in the streets playin' with matches by now.
[121] I'm waiting for the day they'll make jail age."
[122] "Why Bram?"
[123] Tremaine persisted.
[124] "As far as I know, he never had any dealings to speak of with anybody here in town."
[125] "Oh hoh, you're a little young, Jimmy," Jess chuckled.
[126] "You never knew about Mr. Bram—the young Mr. Bram—and Linda Carroll."
[127] Tremaine shook his head.
[128] "Old Miss Carroll.
[129] School teacher here for years; guess she was retired by the time you were playing hookey.
[130] But her dad had money, and in her day she was a beauty.
[131] Too good for the fellers in these parts.
[132] I remember her ridin by in a high-wheeled shay, when I was just a nipper.
[133] Sitting up proud and tall, with that red hair piled up high.
[134] I used to think she was some kind of princess...." "What about her and Bram?
[135] A romance?"
[136] Jess rocked his chair back on two legs, looked at the ceiling, frowning.
[137] "This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one.
[138] I was no more'n eight years old.
[139] Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made her an old maid, in those times.
[140] The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram.
[141] He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot.
[142] Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks.
[143] There was a big shindy planned.
[144] Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night.
[145] But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically.
[146] Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay.
[147] And the next day, she was home again—alone.
[148] That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned.
[149] It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job.
[150] By that time, she was already old.
[151] And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her."
[152] Tremaine got to his feet.
[153] "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.
[154] Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights."
[155] "What about that gear of yours?
[156] Didn't you say you had some kind of detector you were going to set up?"
[157] "I've got an oversized suitcase," Tremaine said.
[158] "I'll be setting it up in my room over at the hotel."
[159] "When's this bootleg station supposed to broadcast again?"
[160] "After dark.
[161] I'm working on a few ideas.
[162] It might be an infinitely repeating logarithmic sequence, based on—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[163] You're over my head."
[164] Jess got to his feet.
[165] "Let me know if you want anything.
[166] And by the way—" he winked broadly—"I always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front teeth."
[167] II Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street.
[168] Tremaine went up the steps and past heavy double doors.
[169] Ten yards along the dim corridor, a hand-lettered cardboard sign over a black-varnished door said "MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF RECORD."
[170] Tremaine opened the door and went in.
[171] A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at Tremaine.
[172] "We're closed," he said.
[173] "I won't be a minute," Tremaine said.
[174] "Just want to check on when the Bram property changed hands last."
[175] The man turned to Tremaine, pushing a drawer shut with his hip.
[176] "Bram?
[177] He dead?"
[178] "Nothing like that.
[179] I just want to know when he bought the place."
[180] The man came over to the counter, eyeing Tremaine.
[181] "He ain't going to sell, mister, if that's what you want to know."
[182] "I want to know when he bought."
[183] The man hesitated, closed his jaw hard.
[184] "Come back tomorrow," he said.
[185] Tremaine put a hand on the counter, looked thoughtful.
[186] "I was hoping to save a trip."
[187] He lifted his hand and scratched the side of his jaw.
[188] A folded bill opened on the counter.
[189] The thin man's eyes darted toward it.
[190] His hand eased out, covered the bill.
[191] He grinned quickly.
[192] "See what I can do," he said.
[193] It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where a two-foot-square book lay open.
[194] An untrimmed fingernail indicated a line written in faded ink: "May 19.
[195] Acreage sold, One Dollar and other G&V consid.
[196] NW Quarter Section 24, Township Elsby.
[197] Bram.
[198] (see Vol.
[199] 9 & cet.)"
[200] "Translated, what does that mean?"
[201] said Tremaine.
[202] "That's the ledger for 1901; means Bram bought a quarter section on the nineteenth of May.
[203] You want me to look up the deed?"
[204] "No, thanks," Tremaine said.
[205] "That's all I needed."
[206] He turned back to the door.
[207] "What's up, mister?"
[208] the clerk called after him.
[209] "Bram in some kind of trouble?"
[210] "No.
[211] No trouble."
[212] The man was looking at the book with pursed lips.
[213] "Nineteen-oh-one," he said.
[214] "I never thought of it before, but you know, old Bram must be dern near to ninety years old.
[215] Spry for that age."
[216] "I guess you're right."
[217] The clerk looked sideways at Tremaine.
[218] "Lots of funny stories about old Bram.
[219] Useta say his place was haunted.
[220] You know; funny noises and lights.
[221] And they used to say there was money buried out at his place."
[222] "I've heard those stories.
[223] Just superstition, wouldn't you say?"
[224] "Maybe so."
[225] The clerk leaned on the counter, assumed a knowing look.
[226] "There's one story that's not superstition...." Tremaine waited.
[227] "You—uh—paying anything for information?"
[228] "Now why would I do that?"
[229] Tremaine reached for the door knob.
[230] The clerk shrugged.
[231] "Thought I'd ask.
[232] Anyway—I can swear to this.
[233] Nobody in this town's ever seen Bram between sundown and sunup."
[234] Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco facade of the Elsby Public Library.
[235] Inside, Tremaine followed a paper-dry woman of indeterminate age to a rack of yellowed newsprint.
[236] "You'll find back to nineteen-forty here," the librarian said.
[237] "The older are there in the shelves."
[238] "I want nineteen-oh-one, if they go back that far."
[239] The woman darted a suspicious look at Tremaine.
[240] "You have to handle these old papers carefully."
[241] "I'll be extremely careful."
[242] The woman sniffed, opened a drawer, leafed through it, muttering.
[243] "What date was it you wanted?"
[244] "Nineteen-oh-one; the week of May nineteenth."
[245] The librarian pulled out a folded paper, placed it on the table, adjusted her glasses, squinted at the front page.
[246] "That's it," she said.
[247] "These papers keep pretty well, provided they're stored in the dark.
[248] But they're still flimsy, mind you."
[249] "I'll remember."
[250] The woman stood by as Tremaine looked over the front page.
[251] The lead article concerned the opening of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo.
[252] Vice-President Roosevelt had made a speech.
[253] Tremaine leafed over, reading slowly.
[254] On page four, under a column headed County Notes he saw the name Bram: Mr. Bram has purchased a quarter section of fine grazing land, north of town, together with a sturdy house, from J. P. Spivey of Elsby.
[255] Mr. Bram will occupy the home and will continue to graze a few head of stock.
[256] Mr. Bram, who is a newcomer to the county, has been a resident of Mrs. Stoate's Guest Home in Elsby for the past months.
[257] "May I see some earlier issues; from about the first of the year?"
[258] The librarian produced the papers.
[259] Tremaine turned the pages, read the heads, skimmed an article here and there.
[260] The librarian went back to her desk.
[261] An hour later, in the issue for July 7, 1900, an item caught his eye: A Severe Thunderstorm.
[262] Citizens of Elsby and the country were much alarmed by a violent cloudburst, accompanied by lightning and thunder, during the night of the fifth.
[263] A fire set in the pine woods north of Spivey's farm destroyed a considerable amount of timber and threatened the house before burning itself out along the river.
[264] The librarian was at Tremaine's side.
[265] "I have to close the library now.
[266] You'll have to come back tomorrow."
[267] Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in windows along the side streets.
[268] Tremaine turned up his collar against a cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel.
[269] A block away a black late-model sedan rounded a corner with a faint squeal of tires and gunned past him, a heavy antenna mounted forward of the left rear tail fin whipping in the slipstream.
[270] Tremaine stopped short, stared after the car.
[271] "Damn!"
[272] he said aloud.
[273] An elderly man veered, eyeing him sharply.
[274] Tremaine set off at a run, covered the two blocks to the hotel, yanked open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed north after the police car.
[275] Two miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine rounded a curve.
[276] The police car was parked on the shoulder beside the highway just ahead.
[277] He pulled off the road ahead of it and walked back.
[278] The door opened.
[279] A tall figure stepped out.
[280] "What's your problem, mister?"
[281] a harsh voice drawled.
[282] "What's the matter?
[283] Run out of signal?"
[284] "What's it to you, mister?"
[285] "Are you boys in touch with Grammond on the car set?"
[286] "We could be."
[287] "Mind if I have a word with him?
[288] My name's Tremaine."
[289] "Oh," said the cop, "you're the big shot from Washington."
[290] He shifted chewing tobacco to the other side of his jaw.
[291] "Sure, you can talk to him."
[292] He turned and spoke to the other cop, who muttered into the mike before handing it to Tremaine.
[293] The heavy voice of the State Police chief crackled.
[294] "What's your beef, Tremaine?"
[295] "I thought you were going to keep your men away from Elsby until I gave the word, Grammond."
[296] "That was before I knew your Washington stuffed shirts were holding out on me."
[297] "It's nothing we can go to court with, Grammond.
[298] And the job you were doing might have been influenced if I'd told you about the Elsby angle."
[299] Grammond cursed.
[300] "I could have put my men in the town and taken it apart brick by brick in the time—" "That's just what I don't want.
[301] If our bird sees cops cruising, he'll go underground."
[302] "You've got it all figured, I see.
[303] I'm just the dumb hick you boys use for the spade work, that it?"
[304] "Pull your lip back in.
[305] You've given me the confirmation I needed."
[306] "Confirmation, hell!
[307] All I know is that somebody somewhere is punching out a signal.
[308] For all I know, it's forty midgets on bicycles, pedalling all over the damned state.
[309] I've got fixes in every county—" "The smallest hyperwave transmitter Uncle Sam knows how to build weighs three tons," said Tremaine.
[310] "Bicycles are out."
[311] Grammond snorted.
[312] "Okay, Tremaine," he said.
[313] "You're the boy with all the answers.
[314] But if you get in trouble, don't call me; call Washington."
[315] Back in his room, Tremaine put through a call.
[316] "It looks like Grammond's not willing to be left out in the cold, Fred.
[317] Tell him if he queers this—" "I don't know but what he might have something," the voice came back over the filtered hum.
[318] "Suppose he smokes them out—" "Don't go dumb on me, Fred.
[319] We're not dealing with West Virginia moonshiners."
[320] "Don't tell me my job, Tremaine!"
[321] the voice snapped.
[322] "And don't try out your famous temper on me.
[323] I'm still in charge of this investigation."
[324] "Sure.
[325] Just don't get stuck in some senator's hip pocket."
[326] Tremaine hung up the telephone, went to the dresser and poured two fingers of Scotch into a water glass.
[327] He tossed it down, then pulled on his coat and left the hotel.
[328] He walked south two blocks, turned left down a twilit side street.
[329] He walked slowly, looking at the weathered frame houses.
[330] Number 89 was a once-stately three-storied mansion overgrown with untrimmed vines, its windows squares of sad yellow light.
[331] He pushed through the gate in the ancient picket fence, mounted the porch steps and pushed the button beside the door, a dark panel of cracked varnish.
[332] It was a long minute before the door opened.
[333] A tall woman with white hair and a fine-boned face looked at him coolly.
[334] "Miss Carroll," Tremaine said.
[335] "You won't remember me, but I—" "There is nothing whatever wrong with my faculties, James," Miss Carroll said calmly.
[336] Her voice was still resonant, a deep contralto.
[337] Only a faint quaver reflected her age—close to eighty, Tremaine thought, startled.
[338] "I'm flattered you remember me, Miss Carroll," he said.
[339] "Come in."
[340] She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the furnishings of another era.
[341] She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a straight chair across the room from him.
[342] "You look very well, James," she said, nodding.
[343] "I'm pleased to see that you've amounted to something."
[344] "Just another bureaucrat, I'm afraid."
[345] "You were wise to leave Elsby.
[346] There is no future here for a young man."
[347] "I often wondered why you didn't leave, Miss Carroll.
[348] I thought, even as a boy, that you were a woman of great ability."
[349] "Why did you come today, James?"
[350] asked Miss Carroll.
[351] "I...." Tremaine started.
[352] He looked at the old lady.
[353] "I want some information.
[354] This is an important matter.
[355] May I rely on your discretion?"
[356] "Of course."
[357] "How long has Mr. Bram lived in Elsby?"
[358] Miss Carroll looked at him for a long moment.
[359] "Will what I tell you be used against him?"
[360] "There'll be nothing done against him, Miss Carroll ... unless it needs to be in the national interest."
[361] "I'm not at all sure I know what the term 'national interest' means, James.
[362] I distrust these glib phrases."
[363] "I always liked Mr. Bram," said Tremaine.
[364] "I'm not out to hurt him."
[365] "Mr. Bram came here when I was a young woman.
[366] I'm not certain of the year."
[367] "What does he do for a living?"
[368] "I have no idea."
[369] "Why did a healthy young fellow like Bram settle out in that isolated piece of country?
[370] What's his story?"
[371] "I'm ... not sure that anyone truly knows Bram's story."
[372] "You called him 'Bram', Miss Carroll.
[373] Is that his first name ... or his last?"
[374] "That is his only name.
[375] Just ...
[376] Bram."
[377] "You knew him well once, Miss Carroll.
[378] Is there anything—" A tear rolled down Miss Carroll's faded cheek.
[379] She wiped it away impatiently.
[380] "I'm an unfulfilled old maid, James," she said.
[381] "You must forgive me."
[382] Tremaine stood up.
[383] "I'm sorry.
[384] Really sorry.
[385] I didn't mean to grill you.
[386] Miss Carroll.
[387] You've been very kind.
[388] I had no right...." Miss Carroll shook her head.
[389] "I knew you as a boy, James.
[390] I have complete confidence in you.
[391] If anything I can tell you about Bram will be helpful to you, it is my duty to oblige you; and it may help him."
[392] She paused.
[393] Tremaine waited.
[394] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram.
[395] One day he asked me to go with him to his house.
[396] On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale.
[397] He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
[398] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
[399] "I was torn between pity and horror.
[400] I begged him to take me back.
[401] He refused."
[402] Miss Carroll twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past.
[403] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen.
[404] He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel.
[405] There were stairs.
[406] He went down ... and left me there alone.
[407] "I waited all that night in the carriage.
[408] At dawn he emerged.
[409] He tried to speak to me but I would not listen.
[410] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand.
[411] He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come.
[412] I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call.
[413] He drove me home.
[414] He never called again."
[415] "This locket," said Tremaine, "do you still have it?"
[416] Miss Carroll hesitated, then put her hand to her throat, lifted a silver disc on a fine golden chain.
[417] "You see what a foolish old woman I am, James."
[418] "May I see it?"
[419] She handed the locket to him.
[420] It was heavy, smooth.
[421] "I'd like to examine this more closely," he said.
[422] "May I take it with me?"
[423] Miss Carroll nodded.
[424] "There is one other thing," she said, "perhaps quite meaningless...." "I'd be grateful for any lead."
[425] "Bram fears the thunder."
[426] III As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car pulled to a stop beside him.
[427] Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and asked: "Any luck, Jimmy?"
[428] Tremaine shook his head.
[429] "I'm getting nowhere fast.
[430] The Bram idea's a dud, I'm afraid."
[431] "Funny thing about Bram.
[432] You know, he hasn't showed up yet.
[433] I'm getting a little worried.
[434] Want to run out there with me and take a look around?"
[435] "Sure.
[436] Just so I'm back by full dark."
[437] As they pulled away from the curb Jess said, "Jimmy, what's this about State Police nosing around here?
[438] I thought you were playing a lone hand from what you were saying to me."
[439] "I thought so too, Jess.
[440] But it looks like Grammond's a jump ahead of me.
[441] He smells headlines in this; he doesn't want to be left out."
[442] "Well, the State cops could be mighty handy to have around.
[443] I'm wondering why you don't want 'em in.
[444] If there's some kind of spy ring working—" "We're up against an unknown quantity.
[445] I don't know what's behind this and neither does anybody else.
[446] Maybe it's a ring of Bolsheviks ... and maybe it's something bigger.
[447] I have the feeling we've made enough mistakes in the last few years; I don't want to see this botched."
[448] The last pink light of sunset was fading from the clouds to the west as Jess swung the car through the open gate, pulled up under the old trees before the square-built house.
[449] The windows were dark.
[450] The two men got out, circled the house once, then mounted the steps and rapped on the door.
[451] There was a black patch of charred flooring under the window, and the paint on the wall above it was bubbled.
[452] Somewhere a cricket set up a strident chirrup, suddenly cut off.
[453] Jess leaned down, picked up an empty shotgun shell.
[454] He looked at Tremaine.
[455] "This don't look good," he said.
[456] "You suppose those fool boys...?"
[457] He tried the door.
[458] It opened.
[459] A broken hasp dangled.
[460] He turned to Tremaine.
[461] "Maybe this is more than kid stuff," he said.
[462] "You carry a gun?"
[463] "In the car."
[464] "Better get it."
[465] Tremaine went to the car, dropped the pistol in his coat pocket, rejoined Jess inside the house.
[466] It was silent, deserted.
[467] In the kitchen Jess flicked the beam of his flashlight around the room.
[468] An empty plate lay on the oilcloth-covered table.
[469] "This place is empty," he said.
[470] "Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week."
[471] "Not a very cozy—" Tremaine broke off.
[472] A thin yelp sounded in the distance.
[473] "I'm getting jumpy," said Jess.
[474] "Dern hounddog, I guess."
[475] A low growl seemed to rumble distantly.
[476] "What the devil's that?"
[477] Tremaine said.
[478] Jess shone the light on the floor.
[479] "Look here," he said.
[480] The ring of light showed a spatter of dark droplets all across the plank floor.
[481] "That's blood, Jess...." Tremaine scanned the floor.
[482] It was of broad slabs, closely laid, scrubbed clean but for the dark stains.
[483] "Maybe he cleaned a chicken.
[484] This is the kitchen."
[485] "It's a trail."
[486] Tremaine followed the line of drops across the floor.
[487] It ended suddenly near the wall.
[488] "What do you make of it.
[489] Jimmy?"
[490] A wail sounded, a thin forlorn cry, trailing off into silence.
[491] Jess stared at Tremaine.
[492] "I'm too damned old to start believing in spooks," he said.
[493] "You suppose those damn-fool boys are hiding here, playing tricks?"
[494] "I think."
[495] Tremaine said, "that we'd better go ask Hull Gaskin a few questions."
[496] At the station Jess led Tremaine to a cell where a lanky teen-age boy lounged on a steel-framed cot, blinking up at the visitor under a mop of greased hair.
[497] "Hull, this is Mr. Tremaine," said Jess.
[498] He took out a heavy key, swung the cell door open.
[499] "He wants to talk to you."
[500] "I ain't done nothin," Hull said sullenly.
[501] "There ain't nothin wrong with burnin out a Commie, is there?"
[502] "Bram's a Commie, is he?"
[503] Tremaine said softly.
[504] "How'd you find that out, Hull?"
[505] "He's a foreigner, ain't he?"
[506] the youth shot back.
[507] "Besides, we heard...." "What did you hear?"
[508] "They're lookin for the spies."
[509] "Who's looking for spies?"
[510] "Cops."
[511] "Who says so?"
[512] The boy looked directly at Tremaine for an instant, flicked his eyes to the corner of the cell.
[513] "Cops was talkin about 'em," he said.
[514] "Spill it, Hull," the policeman said.
[515] "Mr. Tremaine hasn't got all night."
[516] "They parked out east of town, on 302, back of the woodlot.
[517] They called me over and asked me a bunch of questions.
[518] Said I could help 'em get them spies.
[519] Wanted to know all about any funny-actin people around hers."
[520] "And you mentioned Bram?"
[521] The boy darted another look at Tremaine.
[522] "They said they figured the spies was out north of town.
[523] Well, Bram's a foreigner, and he's out that way, ain't he?"
[524] "Anything else?"
[525] The boy looked at his feet. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship between Bram and Carroll?":
1. [140] The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram.
2. [141] He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot.
3. [142] Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks.
4. [143] There was a big shindy planned.
5. [144] Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night.
6. [145] But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically.
7. [146] Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay.
8. [147] And the next day, she was home again—alone.
9. [148] That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned.
10. [149] It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job.
11. [150] By that time, she was already old.
12. [151] And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her.
13. [392] She paused.
14. [393] Tremaine waited.
15. [394] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram.
16. [395] One day he asked me to go with him to his house.
17. [396] On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale.
18. [397] He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
19. [398] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
20. [399] "I was torn between pity and horror.
21. [400] I begged him to take me back.
22. [401] He refused."
23. [402] Miss Carroll twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past.
24. [403] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen.
25. [404] He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel.
26. [405] There were stairs.
27. [406] He went down ... and left me there alone.
28. [407] "I waited all that night in the carriage.
29. [408] At dawn he emerged.
30. [409] He tried to speak to me but I would not listen.
31. [410] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand.
32. [411] He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come.
33. [412] I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call.
34. [413] He drove me home.
35. [414] He never called again." |
What is the relationship between Tremaine and Jess? | [
"Jess is a police officer at the Elsby town where both Jess and Tremaine grew up. They have not seen each other in a very long time. Jess is surprised to see Tremaine showing up at Elsby again after being away for such a long time. Tremaine has explained to Jess that he is here to figure out the location of a transmitter. While Jess does not seem to be interested in the transmitters, he tells Tremaine about Bram. He explains to him that Bram is quite mysterious, which lead Tremaine to investigate on Bram’s properties. He informs Tremaine about Bram’s relationship with Linda Carroll, and then Tremaine pays her a visit and asks about Bram. Tremaine asks Jess to not tell anyone what they’ve discussed, but pretend that he is a tourist. Later, Jess asks Tremaine to find Bram together after pulling a car next to him on the street. Realizing that Bram is not home and the house seemed suspicious with blood and shotgun shell, they go to question Hull who is being held at the police station. Since Jess works at the police station, he can easily have Tremaine ask Hull questions.",
"The two used to live in the same town - Elsby. They share some childhood memories. They haven't seen each other for so long that Jess doesn't even recognize Jimmy at first. Their communication is friendly though they don't seem to have been close friends. Jess is older and he still lives in the town so he knows much more about it. Jimmy trusts him enough to tell about his secret mission, he believes Jess. can help. They cooperate throughout the story and help each other - Jess tells curious stories that may help, Jimmy accompanies him to the dark house with a gun. Jess has being hearing about Jimmy's work for the government these years.",
"Tremaine, having grown up in Elsby, has a history with Jess, but Jess does not recognize him right away due to the amount of time that has passed. However, the two hit it off again automatically, and have a trusting relationship to each other. They act as partners, and Tremaine fills Jess in on his mission. Jess gives Tremaine any possible information, eager to help him. The two also have a candid relationship, shown when Jess asks Tremaine why the state police is not allowed to interfere with the investigation.",
"Jess is a police officer. When Jess reminds him who he is, it appears that the two have a friendly relationship where they have known each other for a while. They appear to be familiar with each other. They are probably friends as Jesses uses the nickname Jimmy when referring to Tremaine. Later in the story, Jess helps Tremaine search Bram’s property. It shows that they have a close relationship and that Tremaine trusts Jess. Tremaine is very private about the case and does not want many people to know his intentions in town, but he willingly tells Jess because he trusts him."
] | [1] THE LONG REMEMBERED THUNDER BY KEITH LAUMER [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of Tomorrow April 1963 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[2] He was as ancient as time—and as strange as his own frightful battle against incredible odds!
[3] I In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom cover plate from the telephone.
[4] He inserted a tiny aluminum cylinder, crimped wires and replaced the cover.
[5] Then he dialed a long-distance Washington number and waited half a minute for the connection.
[6] "Fred, Tremaine here.
[7] Put the buzzer on."
[8] A thin hum sounded on the wire as the scrambler went into operation.
[9] "Okay, can you read me all right?
[10] I'm set up in Elsby.
[11] Grammond's boys are supposed to keep me informed.
[12] Meantime, I'm not sitting in this damned room crouched over a dial.
[13] I'll be out and around for the rest of the afternoon."
[14] "I want to see results," the thin voice came back over the filtered hum of the jamming device.
[15] "You spent a week with Grammond—I can't wait another.
[16] I don't mind telling you certain quarters are pressing me."
[17] "Fred, when will you learn to sit on your news breaks until you've got some answers to go with the questions?"
[18] "I'm an appointive official," Fred said sharply.
[19] "But never mind that.
[20] This fellow Margrave—General Margrave.
[21] Project Officer for the hyperwave program—he's been on my neck day and night.
[22] I can't say I blame him.
[23] An unauthorized transmitter interfering with a Top Secret project, progress slowing to a halt, and this Bureau—" "Look, Fred.
[24] I was happy in the lab.
[25] Headaches, nightmares and all.
[26] Hyperwave is my baby, remember?
[27] You elected me to be a leg-man: now let me do it my way."
[28] "I felt a technical man might succeed where a trained investigator could be misled.
[29] And since it seems to be pinpointed in your home area—" "You don't have to justify yourself.
[30] Just don't hold out on me.
[31] I sometimes wonder if I've seen the complete files on this—" "You've seen all the files!
[32] Now I want answers, not questions!
[33] I'm warning you, Tremaine.
[34] Get that transmitter.
[35] I need someone to hang!"
[36] Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY MUNICIPAL POLICE cut in the stone lintel above the door.
[37] Inside, a heavy man with a creased face and thick gray hair looked up from behind an ancient Underwood.
[38] He studied Tremaine, shifted a toothpick to the opposite corner of his mouth.
[39] "Don't I know you, mister?"
[40] he said.
[41] His soft voice carried a note of authority.
[42] Tremaine took off his hat.
[43] "Sure you do, Jess.
[44] It's been a while, though."
[45] The policeman got to his feet.
[46] "Jimmy," he said, "Jimmy Tremaine."
[47] He came to the counter and put out his hand.
[48] "How are you, Jimmy?
[49] What brings you back to the boondocks?"
[50] "Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess."
[51] In a back room Tremaine said, "To everybody but you this is just a visit to the old home town.
[52] Between us, there's more."
[53] Jess nodded.
[54] "I heard you were with the guv'ment."
[55] "It won't take long to tell; we don't know much yet."
[56] Tremaine covered the discovery of the powerful unidentified interference on the high-security hyperwave band, the discovery that each transmission produced not one but a pattern of "fixes" on the point of origin.
[57] He passed a sheet of paper across the table.
[58] It showed a set of concentric circles, overlapped by a similar group of rings.
[59] "I think what we're getting is an echo effect from each of these points of intersection.
[60] The rings themselves represent the diffraction pattern—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[61] To me it just looks like a beer ad.
[62] I'll take your word for it."
[63] "The point is this, Jess: we think we've got it narrowed down to this section.
[64] I'm not sure of a damn thing, but I think that transmitter's near here.
[65] Now, have you got any ideas?"
[66] "That's a tough one, Jimmy.
[67] This is where I should come up with the news that Old Man Whatchamacallit's got an attic full of gear he says is a time machine.
[68] Trouble is, folks around here haven't even taken to TV.
[69] They figure we should be content with radio, like the Lord intended."
[70] "I didn't expect any easy answers, Jess.
[71] But I was hoping maybe you had something ..." "Course," said Jess, "there's always Mr. Bram ..." "Mr. Bram," repeated Tremaine.
[72] "Is he still around?
[73] I remember him as a hundred years old when I was kid."
[74] "Still just the same, Jimmy.
[75] Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river."
[76] "Well, what about him?"
[77] "Nothing.
[78] But he's the town's mystery man.
[79] You know that.
[80] A little touched in the head."
[81] "There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember," Tremaine said.
[82] "I always liked him.
[83] One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten.
[84] Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me.
[85] I never did go.
[86] We kids used to play in the caves near his place, and sometimes he gave us apples."
[87] "I've never seen any harm in Bram," said Jess.
[88] "But you know how this town is about foreigners, especially when they're a mite addled.
[89] Bram has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he talks just like everybody else.
[90] From a distance he seems just like an ordinary American.
[91] But up close, you feel it.
[92] He's foreign, all right.
[93] But we never did know where he came from."
[94] "How long's he lived here in Elsby?"
[95] "Beats me, Jimmy.
[96] You remember old Aunt Tress, used to know all about ancestors and such as that?
[97] She couldn't remember about Mr. Bram.
[98] She was kind of senile, I guess.
[99] She used to say he'd lived in that same old place out on the Concord road when she was a girl.
[100] Well, she died five years ago ... in her seventies.
[101] He still walks in town every Wednesday ... or he did up till yesterday anyway."
[102] "Oh?"
[103] Tremaine stubbed out his cigarette, lit another.
[104] "What happened then?"
[105] "You remember Soup Gaskin?
[106] He's got a boy, name of Hull.
[107] He's Soup all over again."
[108] "I remember Soup," Tremaine said.
[109] "He and his bunch used to come in the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around with me, and Mr. Hempleman would watch them from over back of the prescription counter and look nervous.
[110] They used to raise cain in the other drug store...." "Soup's been in the pen since then.
[111] His boy Hull's the same kind.
[112] Him and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it on fire."
[113] "What was the idea of that?"
[114] "Dunno.
[115] Just meanness, I reckon.
[116] Not much damage done.
[117] A car was passing by and called it in.
[118] I had the whole caboodle locked up here for six hours.
[119] Then the sob sisters went to work: poor little tyke routine, high spirits, you know the line.
[120] All of 'em but Hull are back in the streets playin' with matches by now.
[121] I'm waiting for the day they'll make jail age."
[122] "Why Bram?"
[123] Tremaine persisted.
[124] "As far as I know, he never had any dealings to speak of with anybody here in town."
[125] "Oh hoh, you're a little young, Jimmy," Jess chuckled.
[126] "You never knew about Mr. Bram—the young Mr. Bram—and Linda Carroll."
[127] Tremaine shook his head.
[128] "Old Miss Carroll.
[129] School teacher here for years; guess she was retired by the time you were playing hookey.
[130] But her dad had money, and in her day she was a beauty.
[131] Too good for the fellers in these parts.
[132] I remember her ridin by in a high-wheeled shay, when I was just a nipper.
[133] Sitting up proud and tall, with that red hair piled up high.
[134] I used to think she was some kind of princess...." "What about her and Bram?
[135] A romance?"
[136] Jess rocked his chair back on two legs, looked at the ceiling, frowning.
[137] "This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one.
[138] I was no more'n eight years old.
[139] Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made her an old maid, in those times.
[140] The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram.
[141] He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot.
[142] Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks.
[143] There was a big shindy planned.
[144] Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night.
[145] But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically.
[146] Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay.
[147] And the next day, she was home again—alone.
[148] That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned.
[149] It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job.
[150] By that time, she was already old.
[151] And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her."
[152] Tremaine got to his feet.
[153] "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.
[154] Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights."
[155] "What about that gear of yours?
[156] Didn't you say you had some kind of detector you were going to set up?"
[157] "I've got an oversized suitcase," Tremaine said.
[158] "I'll be setting it up in my room over at the hotel."
[159] "When's this bootleg station supposed to broadcast again?"
[160] "After dark.
[161] I'm working on a few ideas.
[162] It might be an infinitely repeating logarithmic sequence, based on—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[163] You're over my head."
[164] Jess got to his feet.
[165] "Let me know if you want anything.
[166] And by the way—" he winked broadly—"I always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front teeth."
[167] II Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street.
[168] Tremaine went up the steps and past heavy double doors.
[169] Ten yards along the dim corridor, a hand-lettered cardboard sign over a black-varnished door said "MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF RECORD."
[170] Tremaine opened the door and went in.
[171] A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at Tremaine.
[172] "We're closed," he said.
[173] "I won't be a minute," Tremaine said.
[174] "Just want to check on when the Bram property changed hands last."
[175] The man turned to Tremaine, pushing a drawer shut with his hip.
[176] "Bram?
[177] He dead?"
[178] "Nothing like that.
[179] I just want to know when he bought the place."
[180] The man came over to the counter, eyeing Tremaine.
[181] "He ain't going to sell, mister, if that's what you want to know."
[182] "I want to know when he bought."
[183] The man hesitated, closed his jaw hard.
[184] "Come back tomorrow," he said.
[185] Tremaine put a hand on the counter, looked thoughtful.
[186] "I was hoping to save a trip."
[187] He lifted his hand and scratched the side of his jaw.
[188] A folded bill opened on the counter.
[189] The thin man's eyes darted toward it.
[190] His hand eased out, covered the bill.
[191] He grinned quickly.
[192] "See what I can do," he said.
[193] It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where a two-foot-square book lay open.
[194] An untrimmed fingernail indicated a line written in faded ink: "May 19.
[195] Acreage sold, One Dollar and other G&V consid.
[196] NW Quarter Section 24, Township Elsby.
[197] Bram.
[198] (see Vol.
[199] 9 & cet.)"
[200] "Translated, what does that mean?"
[201] said Tremaine.
[202] "That's the ledger for 1901; means Bram bought a quarter section on the nineteenth of May.
[203] You want me to look up the deed?"
[204] "No, thanks," Tremaine said.
[205] "That's all I needed."
[206] He turned back to the door.
[207] "What's up, mister?"
[208] the clerk called after him.
[209] "Bram in some kind of trouble?"
[210] "No.
[211] No trouble."
[212] The man was looking at the book with pursed lips.
[213] "Nineteen-oh-one," he said.
[214] "I never thought of it before, but you know, old Bram must be dern near to ninety years old.
[215] Spry for that age."
[216] "I guess you're right."
[217] The clerk looked sideways at Tremaine.
[218] "Lots of funny stories about old Bram.
[219] Useta say his place was haunted.
[220] You know; funny noises and lights.
[221] And they used to say there was money buried out at his place."
[222] "I've heard those stories.
[223] Just superstition, wouldn't you say?"
[224] "Maybe so."
[225] The clerk leaned on the counter, assumed a knowing look.
[226] "There's one story that's not superstition...." Tremaine waited.
[227] "You—uh—paying anything for information?"
[228] "Now why would I do that?"
[229] Tremaine reached for the door knob.
[230] The clerk shrugged.
[231] "Thought I'd ask.
[232] Anyway—I can swear to this.
[233] Nobody in this town's ever seen Bram between sundown and sunup."
[234] Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco facade of the Elsby Public Library.
[235] Inside, Tremaine followed a paper-dry woman of indeterminate age to a rack of yellowed newsprint.
[236] "You'll find back to nineteen-forty here," the librarian said.
[237] "The older are there in the shelves."
[238] "I want nineteen-oh-one, if they go back that far."
[239] The woman darted a suspicious look at Tremaine.
[240] "You have to handle these old papers carefully."
[241] "I'll be extremely careful."
[242] The woman sniffed, opened a drawer, leafed through it, muttering.
[243] "What date was it you wanted?"
[244] "Nineteen-oh-one; the week of May nineteenth."
[245] The librarian pulled out a folded paper, placed it on the table, adjusted her glasses, squinted at the front page.
[246] "That's it," she said.
[247] "These papers keep pretty well, provided they're stored in the dark.
[248] But they're still flimsy, mind you."
[249] "I'll remember."
[250] The woman stood by as Tremaine looked over the front page.
[251] The lead article concerned the opening of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo.
[252] Vice-President Roosevelt had made a speech.
[253] Tremaine leafed over, reading slowly.
[254] On page four, under a column headed County Notes he saw the name Bram: Mr. Bram has purchased a quarter section of fine grazing land, north of town, together with a sturdy house, from J. P. Spivey of Elsby.
[255] Mr. Bram will occupy the home and will continue to graze a few head of stock.
[256] Mr. Bram, who is a newcomer to the county, has been a resident of Mrs. Stoate's Guest Home in Elsby for the past months.
[257] "May I see some earlier issues; from about the first of the year?"
[258] The librarian produced the papers.
[259] Tremaine turned the pages, read the heads, skimmed an article here and there.
[260] The librarian went back to her desk.
[261] An hour later, in the issue for July 7, 1900, an item caught his eye: A Severe Thunderstorm.
[262] Citizens of Elsby and the country were much alarmed by a violent cloudburst, accompanied by lightning and thunder, during the night of the fifth.
[263] A fire set in the pine woods north of Spivey's farm destroyed a considerable amount of timber and threatened the house before burning itself out along the river.
[264] The librarian was at Tremaine's side.
[265] "I have to close the library now.
[266] You'll have to come back tomorrow."
[267] Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in windows along the side streets.
[268] Tremaine turned up his collar against a cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel.
[269] A block away a black late-model sedan rounded a corner with a faint squeal of tires and gunned past him, a heavy antenna mounted forward of the left rear tail fin whipping in the slipstream.
[270] Tremaine stopped short, stared after the car.
[271] "Damn!"
[272] he said aloud.
[273] An elderly man veered, eyeing him sharply.
[274] Tremaine set off at a run, covered the two blocks to the hotel, yanked open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed north after the police car.
[275] Two miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine rounded a curve.
[276] The police car was parked on the shoulder beside the highway just ahead.
[277] He pulled off the road ahead of it and walked back.
[278] The door opened.
[279] A tall figure stepped out.
[280] "What's your problem, mister?"
[281] a harsh voice drawled.
[282] "What's the matter?
[283] Run out of signal?"
[284] "What's it to you, mister?"
[285] "Are you boys in touch with Grammond on the car set?"
[286] "We could be."
[287] "Mind if I have a word with him?
[288] My name's Tremaine."
[289] "Oh," said the cop, "you're the big shot from Washington."
[290] He shifted chewing tobacco to the other side of his jaw.
[291] "Sure, you can talk to him."
[292] He turned and spoke to the other cop, who muttered into the mike before handing it to Tremaine.
[293] The heavy voice of the State Police chief crackled.
[294] "What's your beef, Tremaine?"
[295] "I thought you were going to keep your men away from Elsby until I gave the word, Grammond."
[296] "That was before I knew your Washington stuffed shirts were holding out on me."
[297] "It's nothing we can go to court with, Grammond.
[298] And the job you were doing might have been influenced if I'd told you about the Elsby angle."
[299] Grammond cursed.
[300] "I could have put my men in the town and taken it apart brick by brick in the time—" "That's just what I don't want.
[301] If our bird sees cops cruising, he'll go underground."
[302] "You've got it all figured, I see.
[303] I'm just the dumb hick you boys use for the spade work, that it?"
[304] "Pull your lip back in.
[305] You've given me the confirmation I needed."
[306] "Confirmation, hell!
[307] All I know is that somebody somewhere is punching out a signal.
[308] For all I know, it's forty midgets on bicycles, pedalling all over the damned state.
[309] I've got fixes in every county—" "The smallest hyperwave transmitter Uncle Sam knows how to build weighs three tons," said Tremaine.
[310] "Bicycles are out."
[311] Grammond snorted.
[312] "Okay, Tremaine," he said.
[313] "You're the boy with all the answers.
[314] But if you get in trouble, don't call me; call Washington."
[315] Back in his room, Tremaine put through a call.
[316] "It looks like Grammond's not willing to be left out in the cold, Fred.
[317] Tell him if he queers this—" "I don't know but what he might have something," the voice came back over the filtered hum.
[318] "Suppose he smokes them out—" "Don't go dumb on me, Fred.
[319] We're not dealing with West Virginia moonshiners."
[320] "Don't tell me my job, Tremaine!"
[321] the voice snapped.
[322] "And don't try out your famous temper on me.
[323] I'm still in charge of this investigation."
[324] "Sure.
[325] Just don't get stuck in some senator's hip pocket."
[326] Tremaine hung up the telephone, went to the dresser and poured two fingers of Scotch into a water glass.
[327] He tossed it down, then pulled on his coat and left the hotel.
[328] He walked south two blocks, turned left down a twilit side street.
[329] He walked slowly, looking at the weathered frame houses.
[330] Number 89 was a once-stately three-storied mansion overgrown with untrimmed vines, its windows squares of sad yellow light.
[331] He pushed through the gate in the ancient picket fence, mounted the porch steps and pushed the button beside the door, a dark panel of cracked varnish.
[332] It was a long minute before the door opened.
[333] A tall woman with white hair and a fine-boned face looked at him coolly.
[334] "Miss Carroll," Tremaine said.
[335] "You won't remember me, but I—" "There is nothing whatever wrong with my faculties, James," Miss Carroll said calmly.
[336] Her voice was still resonant, a deep contralto.
[337] Only a faint quaver reflected her age—close to eighty, Tremaine thought, startled.
[338] "I'm flattered you remember me, Miss Carroll," he said.
[339] "Come in."
[340] She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the furnishings of another era.
[341] She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a straight chair across the room from him.
[342] "You look very well, James," she said, nodding.
[343] "I'm pleased to see that you've amounted to something."
[344] "Just another bureaucrat, I'm afraid."
[345] "You were wise to leave Elsby.
[346] There is no future here for a young man."
[347] "I often wondered why you didn't leave, Miss Carroll.
[348] I thought, even as a boy, that you were a woman of great ability."
[349] "Why did you come today, James?"
[350] asked Miss Carroll.
[351] "I...." Tremaine started.
[352] He looked at the old lady.
[353] "I want some information.
[354] This is an important matter.
[355] May I rely on your discretion?"
[356] "Of course."
[357] "How long has Mr. Bram lived in Elsby?"
[358] Miss Carroll looked at him for a long moment.
[359] "Will what I tell you be used against him?"
[360] "There'll be nothing done against him, Miss Carroll ... unless it needs to be in the national interest."
[361] "I'm not at all sure I know what the term 'national interest' means, James.
[362] I distrust these glib phrases."
[363] "I always liked Mr. Bram," said Tremaine.
[364] "I'm not out to hurt him."
[365] "Mr. Bram came here when I was a young woman.
[366] I'm not certain of the year."
[367] "What does he do for a living?"
[368] "I have no idea."
[369] "Why did a healthy young fellow like Bram settle out in that isolated piece of country?
[370] What's his story?"
[371] "I'm ... not sure that anyone truly knows Bram's story."
[372] "You called him 'Bram', Miss Carroll.
[373] Is that his first name ... or his last?"
[374] "That is his only name.
[375] Just ...
[376] Bram."
[377] "You knew him well once, Miss Carroll.
[378] Is there anything—" A tear rolled down Miss Carroll's faded cheek.
[379] She wiped it away impatiently.
[380] "I'm an unfulfilled old maid, James," she said.
[381] "You must forgive me."
[382] Tremaine stood up.
[383] "I'm sorry.
[384] Really sorry.
[385] I didn't mean to grill you.
[386] Miss Carroll.
[387] You've been very kind.
[388] I had no right...." Miss Carroll shook her head.
[389] "I knew you as a boy, James.
[390] I have complete confidence in you.
[391] If anything I can tell you about Bram will be helpful to you, it is my duty to oblige you; and it may help him."
[392] She paused.
[393] Tremaine waited.
[394] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram.
[395] One day he asked me to go with him to his house.
[396] On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale.
[397] He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
[398] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
[399] "I was torn between pity and horror.
[400] I begged him to take me back.
[401] He refused."
[402] Miss Carroll twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past.
[403] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen.
[404] He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel.
[405] There were stairs.
[406] He went down ... and left me there alone.
[407] "I waited all that night in the carriage.
[408] At dawn he emerged.
[409] He tried to speak to me but I would not listen.
[410] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand.
[411] He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come.
[412] I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call.
[413] He drove me home.
[414] He never called again."
[415] "This locket," said Tremaine, "do you still have it?"
[416] Miss Carroll hesitated, then put her hand to her throat, lifted a silver disc on a fine golden chain.
[417] "You see what a foolish old woman I am, James."
[418] "May I see it?"
[419] She handed the locket to him.
[420] It was heavy, smooth.
[421] "I'd like to examine this more closely," he said.
[422] "May I take it with me?"
[423] Miss Carroll nodded.
[424] "There is one other thing," she said, "perhaps quite meaningless...." "I'd be grateful for any lead."
[425] "Bram fears the thunder."
[426] III As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car pulled to a stop beside him.
[427] Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and asked: "Any luck, Jimmy?"
[428] Tremaine shook his head.
[429] "I'm getting nowhere fast.
[430] The Bram idea's a dud, I'm afraid."
[431] "Funny thing about Bram.
[432] You know, he hasn't showed up yet.
[433] I'm getting a little worried.
[434] Want to run out there with me and take a look around?"
[435] "Sure.
[436] Just so I'm back by full dark."
[437] As they pulled away from the curb Jess said, "Jimmy, what's this about State Police nosing around here?
[438] I thought you were playing a lone hand from what you were saying to me."
[439] "I thought so too, Jess.
[440] But it looks like Grammond's a jump ahead of me.
[441] He smells headlines in this; he doesn't want to be left out."
[442] "Well, the State cops could be mighty handy to have around.
[443] I'm wondering why you don't want 'em in.
[444] If there's some kind of spy ring working—" "We're up against an unknown quantity.
[445] I don't know what's behind this and neither does anybody else.
[446] Maybe it's a ring of Bolsheviks ... and maybe it's something bigger.
[447] I have the feeling we've made enough mistakes in the last few years; I don't want to see this botched."
[448] The last pink light of sunset was fading from the clouds to the west as Jess swung the car through the open gate, pulled up under the old trees before the square-built house.
[449] The windows were dark.
[450] The two men got out, circled the house once, then mounted the steps and rapped on the door.
[451] There was a black patch of charred flooring under the window, and the paint on the wall above it was bubbled.
[452] Somewhere a cricket set up a strident chirrup, suddenly cut off.
[453] Jess leaned down, picked up an empty shotgun shell.
[454] He looked at Tremaine.
[455] "This don't look good," he said.
[456] "You suppose those fool boys...?"
[457] He tried the door.
[458] It opened.
[459] A broken hasp dangled.
[460] He turned to Tremaine.
[461] "Maybe this is more than kid stuff," he said.
[462] "You carry a gun?"
[463] "In the car."
[464] "Better get it."
[465] Tremaine went to the car, dropped the pistol in his coat pocket, rejoined Jess inside the house.
[466] It was silent, deserted.
[467] In the kitchen Jess flicked the beam of his flashlight around the room.
[468] An empty plate lay on the oilcloth-covered table.
[469] "This place is empty," he said.
[470] "Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week."
[471] "Not a very cozy—" Tremaine broke off.
[472] A thin yelp sounded in the distance.
[473] "I'm getting jumpy," said Jess.
[474] "Dern hounddog, I guess."
[475] A low growl seemed to rumble distantly.
[476] "What the devil's that?"
[477] Tremaine said.
[478] Jess shone the light on the floor.
[479] "Look here," he said.
[480] The ring of light showed a spatter of dark droplets all across the plank floor.
[481] "That's blood, Jess...." Tremaine scanned the floor.
[482] It was of broad slabs, closely laid, scrubbed clean but for the dark stains.
[483] "Maybe he cleaned a chicken.
[484] This is the kitchen."
[485] "It's a trail."
[486] Tremaine followed the line of drops across the floor.
[487] It ended suddenly near the wall.
[488] "What do you make of it.
[489] Jimmy?"
[490] A wail sounded, a thin forlorn cry, trailing off into silence.
[491] Jess stared at Tremaine.
[492] "I'm too damned old to start believing in spooks," he said.
[493] "You suppose those damn-fool boys are hiding here, playing tricks?"
[494] "I think."
[495] Tremaine said, "that we'd better go ask Hull Gaskin a few questions."
[496] At the station Jess led Tremaine to a cell where a lanky teen-age boy lounged on a steel-framed cot, blinking up at the visitor under a mop of greased hair.
[497] "Hull, this is Mr. Tremaine," said Jess.
[498] He took out a heavy key, swung the cell door open.
[499] "He wants to talk to you."
[500] "I ain't done nothin," Hull said sullenly.
[501] "There ain't nothin wrong with burnin out a Commie, is there?"
[502] "Bram's a Commie, is he?"
[503] Tremaine said softly.
[504] "How'd you find that out, Hull?"
[505] "He's a foreigner, ain't he?"
[506] the youth shot back.
[507] "Besides, we heard...." "What did you hear?"
[508] "They're lookin for the spies."
[509] "Who's looking for spies?"
[510] "Cops."
[511] "Who says so?"
[512] The boy looked directly at Tremaine for an instant, flicked his eyes to the corner of the cell.
[513] "Cops was talkin about 'em," he said.
[514] "Spill it, Hull," the policeman said.
[515] "Mr. Tremaine hasn't got all night."
[516] "They parked out east of town, on 302, back of the woodlot.
[517] They called me over and asked me a bunch of questions.
[518] Said I could help 'em get them spies.
[519] Wanted to know all about any funny-actin people around hers."
[520] "And you mentioned Bram?"
[521] The boy darted another look at Tremaine.
[522] "They said they figured the spies was out north of town.
[523] Well, Bram's a foreigner, and he's out that way, ain't he?"
[524] "Anything else?"
[525] The boy looked at his feet. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship between Tremaine and Jess?":
1. [43] "Sure you do, Jess. It's been a while, though."
2. [45] The policeman got to his feet.
3. [46] "Jimmy," he said, "Jimmy Tremaine."
4. [47] He came to the counter and put out his hand.
5. [48] "How are you, Jimmy?"
6. [49] "What brings you back to the boondocks?"
7. [50] "Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess."
8. [51] In a back room Tremaine said, "To everybody but you this is just a visit to the old home town. Between us, there's more."
9. [52] "I heard you were with the guv'ment."
10. [82] "I always liked him."
11. [83] "One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten."
12. [84] "Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me."
13. [85] "I never did go."
14. [152] "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess."
15. [153] "Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights."
16. [165] "Let me know if you want anything."
17. [166] "And by the way—" he winked broadly—"I always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front teeth."
The most helpful sentences are those that directly establish the relationship between Tremaine and Jess, such as Jess recognizing Tremaine and their friendly interaction. The less helpful sentences provide some background information on Tremaine and Jess's past, but do not directly address their current relationship. |
Describe the setting of the story? | [
"The story takes place in the late twentieth century in a town in America named Elsby. It starts out in Tremaine’s hotel room, after he is pressured, he goes to Elsby Municipal Police to find Jess. We follow Tremaine to the Municipal Office of Record and the Elsby Public Library to find out more information regarding the property that Bram owns currently, the mystery man in the town. Then he visits Linda Carroll’s house to learn more about Bram, but she does not seem to know much either. Later we follow Jess and Tremaine to Bram’s house since Jess is concerned that he still have not seen Bram. At Bram’s house, they do not find him, but there is blood and other suspicious objects. They believe that they have to find Hull in the police station. The story ends with Hull, Jess and Tremaine inside the police station at where Hull is being held.",
"The story begins in a room at the Elsby Commercial Town. A secret phone call takes place there. From the hotel Tremaine goes to the nearby municipal police. A huge policeman is sitting there behind the counter. The two move to the back room to talk. From there the main character heads toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat brick building. Up the steps and behind the double-doors there is a dim corridor leading to \"municipal office of record\". There is a man over the counter who finds the data in a huge old book put on the table. In the late-afternoon Tremaine goes to the Public Library, where a paper-dry woman shows him the requested old newspapers from the shelves, they are to be handled carefully. Jimmy returns to the hotel, takes his car and follows the police past the Elsby city limits. He returns to his room and makes a call. Then he pays a visit to Miss Carol in her old mansion. Tremaine enters a pleasant parlor with old furniture. Jess picks him up and they drive to Mr. Bram's house. The place looks dark and dangerous, it looks as if it was empty for a week or so. Yelps and wails are heard from time to time, there is a trace of blood in the kitchen. The two return to the station and visit Hull's cell.",
"The story takes place in Elsby, a small, old town where a mysterious transmission has been detected. The story opens at Elsby Commercial Hotel, where Tremaine stays. Then, he visits multiple buildings throughout. The first place Tremaine visits is the police station, then the office of record, then the library. The buildings are described as run-down and discolored, indicative of their age. Tremaine then visits Miss Carroll's place, a large mansion with overgrown vines. Finally, Jess and Tremaine investigate Bram's house, a dark, abandoned-looking house.",
"The story begins with Tremaine in his hotel room at the Elsby Commercial hotel. Tremaine leaves the hotel room and walks along Commerce Street towards the Elsby Municipal Police building. After talking with Jess at the police station, Tremaine leaves and heads towards the Municipal Office of Record. \n\nAfter finding out some information about Bram’s property at the Municipal Office of Record, Tremaine leaves to go to the library. It is not late in the afternoon. Once the library is closing, Tremaine leaves the building. When he’s outside, he bundles himself up in reaction to the cold weather. He heads back to his hotel but suddenly stops when a car speeds past him. He begins to run after the car until he gets to his own and then chases after the car in his car. After catching up with the car and finding out its purpose, he returns to his hotel room. \n\nAfter having a tense conversation with Fred on the phone, he again leaves his hotel room and walks outside. He walks through old houses until he comes upon a large, three-stories structure and enters its front gate. It’s Miss Carroll’s house. She lets him in and invites him to sit down in her leaving room. \n\nTremaine gathered as much information as he could about Bram from Miss Carroll and then leaves her house. When he walks outside, he notices a car pulling up and it stops by him. It’s Jess driving the car. They both then go to Bram’s property to inspect it themselves. They get to Bram’s property and when inspecting the outside of the house, they find an empty shotgun shell. After retrieving a gun from Jess’s car, they enter Bram’s house. They spot a trail of blood in the kitchen. While inspecting the house, they hear a lot of strange noises. Wanting to learn more information, they go to the jail to talk with one of the teenagers arrested for setting fire on Bram’s property."
] | [1] THE LONG REMEMBERED THUNDER BY KEITH LAUMER [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of Tomorrow April 1963 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[2] He was as ancient as time—and as strange as his own frightful battle against incredible odds!
[3] I In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom cover plate from the telephone.
[4] He inserted a tiny aluminum cylinder, crimped wires and replaced the cover.
[5] Then he dialed a long-distance Washington number and waited half a minute for the connection.
[6] "Fred, Tremaine here.
[7] Put the buzzer on."
[8] A thin hum sounded on the wire as the scrambler went into operation.
[9] "Okay, can you read me all right?
[10] I'm set up in Elsby.
[11] Grammond's boys are supposed to keep me informed.
[12] Meantime, I'm not sitting in this damned room crouched over a dial.
[13] I'll be out and around for the rest of the afternoon."
[14] "I want to see results," the thin voice came back over the filtered hum of the jamming device.
[15] "You spent a week with Grammond—I can't wait another.
[16] I don't mind telling you certain quarters are pressing me."
[17] "Fred, when will you learn to sit on your news breaks until you've got some answers to go with the questions?"
[18] "I'm an appointive official," Fred said sharply.
[19] "But never mind that.
[20] This fellow Margrave—General Margrave.
[21] Project Officer for the hyperwave program—he's been on my neck day and night.
[22] I can't say I blame him.
[23] An unauthorized transmitter interfering with a Top Secret project, progress slowing to a halt, and this Bureau—" "Look, Fred.
[24] I was happy in the lab.
[25] Headaches, nightmares and all.
[26] Hyperwave is my baby, remember?
[27] You elected me to be a leg-man: now let me do it my way."
[28] "I felt a technical man might succeed where a trained investigator could be misled.
[29] And since it seems to be pinpointed in your home area—" "You don't have to justify yourself.
[30] Just don't hold out on me.
[31] I sometimes wonder if I've seen the complete files on this—" "You've seen all the files!
[32] Now I want answers, not questions!
[33] I'm warning you, Tremaine.
[34] Get that transmitter.
[35] I need someone to hang!"
[36] Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY MUNICIPAL POLICE cut in the stone lintel above the door.
[37] Inside, a heavy man with a creased face and thick gray hair looked up from behind an ancient Underwood.
[38] He studied Tremaine, shifted a toothpick to the opposite corner of his mouth.
[39] "Don't I know you, mister?"
[40] he said.
[41] His soft voice carried a note of authority.
[42] Tremaine took off his hat.
[43] "Sure you do, Jess.
[44] It's been a while, though."
[45] The policeman got to his feet.
[46] "Jimmy," he said, "Jimmy Tremaine."
[47] He came to the counter and put out his hand.
[48] "How are you, Jimmy?
[49] What brings you back to the boondocks?"
[50] "Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess."
[51] In a back room Tremaine said, "To everybody but you this is just a visit to the old home town.
[52] Between us, there's more."
[53] Jess nodded.
[54] "I heard you were with the guv'ment."
[55] "It won't take long to tell; we don't know much yet."
[56] Tremaine covered the discovery of the powerful unidentified interference on the high-security hyperwave band, the discovery that each transmission produced not one but a pattern of "fixes" on the point of origin.
[57] He passed a sheet of paper across the table.
[58] It showed a set of concentric circles, overlapped by a similar group of rings.
[59] "I think what we're getting is an echo effect from each of these points of intersection.
[60] The rings themselves represent the diffraction pattern—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[61] To me it just looks like a beer ad.
[62] I'll take your word for it."
[63] "The point is this, Jess: we think we've got it narrowed down to this section.
[64] I'm not sure of a damn thing, but I think that transmitter's near here.
[65] Now, have you got any ideas?"
[66] "That's a tough one, Jimmy.
[67] This is where I should come up with the news that Old Man Whatchamacallit's got an attic full of gear he says is a time machine.
[68] Trouble is, folks around here haven't even taken to TV.
[69] They figure we should be content with radio, like the Lord intended."
[70] "I didn't expect any easy answers, Jess.
[71] But I was hoping maybe you had something ..." "Course," said Jess, "there's always Mr. Bram ..." "Mr. Bram," repeated Tremaine.
[72] "Is he still around?
[73] I remember him as a hundred years old when I was kid."
[74] "Still just the same, Jimmy.
[75] Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river."
[76] "Well, what about him?"
[77] "Nothing.
[78] But he's the town's mystery man.
[79] You know that.
[80] A little touched in the head."
[81] "There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember," Tremaine said.
[82] "I always liked him.
[83] One time he tried to teach me something I've forgotten.
[84] Wanted me to come out to his place and he'd teach me.
[85] I never did go.
[86] We kids used to play in the caves near his place, and sometimes he gave us apples."
[87] "I've never seen any harm in Bram," said Jess.
[88] "But you know how this town is about foreigners, especially when they're a mite addled.
[89] Bram has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he talks just like everybody else.
[90] From a distance he seems just like an ordinary American.
[91] But up close, you feel it.
[92] He's foreign, all right.
[93] But we never did know where he came from."
[94] "How long's he lived here in Elsby?"
[95] "Beats me, Jimmy.
[96] You remember old Aunt Tress, used to know all about ancestors and such as that?
[97] She couldn't remember about Mr. Bram.
[98] She was kind of senile, I guess.
[99] She used to say he'd lived in that same old place out on the Concord road when she was a girl.
[100] Well, she died five years ago ... in her seventies.
[101] He still walks in town every Wednesday ... or he did up till yesterday anyway."
[102] "Oh?"
[103] Tremaine stubbed out his cigarette, lit another.
[104] "What happened then?"
[105] "You remember Soup Gaskin?
[106] He's got a boy, name of Hull.
[107] He's Soup all over again."
[108] "I remember Soup," Tremaine said.
[109] "He and his bunch used to come in the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around with me, and Mr. Hempleman would watch them from over back of the prescription counter and look nervous.
[110] They used to raise cain in the other drug store...." "Soup's been in the pen since then.
[111] His boy Hull's the same kind.
[112] Him and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it on fire."
[113] "What was the idea of that?"
[114] "Dunno.
[115] Just meanness, I reckon.
[116] Not much damage done.
[117] A car was passing by and called it in.
[118] I had the whole caboodle locked up here for six hours.
[119] Then the sob sisters went to work: poor little tyke routine, high spirits, you know the line.
[120] All of 'em but Hull are back in the streets playin' with matches by now.
[121] I'm waiting for the day they'll make jail age."
[122] "Why Bram?"
[123] Tremaine persisted.
[124] "As far as I know, he never had any dealings to speak of with anybody here in town."
[125] "Oh hoh, you're a little young, Jimmy," Jess chuckled.
[126] "You never knew about Mr. Bram—the young Mr. Bram—and Linda Carroll."
[127] Tremaine shook his head.
[128] "Old Miss Carroll.
[129] School teacher here for years; guess she was retired by the time you were playing hookey.
[130] But her dad had money, and in her day she was a beauty.
[131] Too good for the fellers in these parts.
[132] I remember her ridin by in a high-wheeled shay, when I was just a nipper.
[133] Sitting up proud and tall, with that red hair piled up high.
[134] I used to think she was some kind of princess...." "What about her and Bram?
[135] A romance?"
[136] Jess rocked his chair back on two legs, looked at the ceiling, frowning.
[137] "This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one.
[138] I was no more'n eight years old.
[139] Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made her an old maid, in those times.
[140] The word got out she was setting her cap for Bram.
[141] He was a good-looking young feller then, over six foot, of course, broad backed, curly yellow hair—and a stranger to boot.
[142] Like I said, Linda Carroll wanted nothin to do with the local bucks.
[143] There was a big shindy planned.
[144] Now, you know Bram was funny about any kind of socializing; never would go any place at night.
[145] But this was a Sunday afternoon and someways or other they got Bram down there; and Miss Linda made her play, right there in front of the town, practically.
[146] Just before sundown they went off together in that fancy shay.
[147] And the next day, she was home again—alone.
[148] That finished off her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned.
[149] It was ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job.
[150] By that time, she was already old.
[151] And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram in front of her."
[152] Tremaine got to his feet.
[153] "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.
[154] Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights."
[155] "What about that gear of yours?
[156] Didn't you say you had some kind of detector you were going to set up?"
[157] "I've got an oversized suitcase," Tremaine said.
[158] "I'll be setting it up in my room over at the hotel."
[159] "When's this bootleg station supposed to broadcast again?"
[160] "After dark.
[161] I'm working on a few ideas.
[162] It might be an infinitely repeating logarithmic sequence, based on—" "Hold it, Jimmy.
[163] You're over my head."
[164] Jess got to his feet.
[165] "Let me know if you want anything.
[166] And by the way—" he winked broadly—"I always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front teeth."
[167] II Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street.
[168] Tremaine went up the steps and past heavy double doors.
[169] Ten yards along the dim corridor, a hand-lettered cardboard sign over a black-varnished door said "MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF RECORD."
[170] Tremaine opened the door and went in.
[171] A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at Tremaine.
[172] "We're closed," he said.
[173] "I won't be a minute," Tremaine said.
[174] "Just want to check on when the Bram property changed hands last."
[175] The man turned to Tremaine, pushing a drawer shut with his hip.
[176] "Bram?
[177] He dead?"
[178] "Nothing like that.
[179] I just want to know when he bought the place."
[180] The man came over to the counter, eyeing Tremaine.
[181] "He ain't going to sell, mister, if that's what you want to know."
[182] "I want to know when he bought."
[183] The man hesitated, closed his jaw hard.
[184] "Come back tomorrow," he said.
[185] Tremaine put a hand on the counter, looked thoughtful.
[186] "I was hoping to save a trip."
[187] He lifted his hand and scratched the side of his jaw.
[188] A folded bill opened on the counter.
[189] The thin man's eyes darted toward it.
[190] His hand eased out, covered the bill.
[191] He grinned quickly.
[192] "See what I can do," he said.
[193] It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where a two-foot-square book lay open.
[194] An untrimmed fingernail indicated a line written in faded ink: "May 19.
[195] Acreage sold, One Dollar and other G&V consid.
[196] NW Quarter Section 24, Township Elsby.
[197] Bram.
[198] (see Vol.
[199] 9 & cet.)"
[200] "Translated, what does that mean?"
[201] said Tremaine.
[202] "That's the ledger for 1901; means Bram bought a quarter section on the nineteenth of May.
[203] You want me to look up the deed?"
[204] "No, thanks," Tremaine said.
[205] "That's all I needed."
[206] He turned back to the door.
[207] "What's up, mister?"
[208] the clerk called after him.
[209] "Bram in some kind of trouble?"
[210] "No.
[211] No trouble."
[212] The man was looking at the book with pursed lips.
[213] "Nineteen-oh-one," he said.
[214] "I never thought of it before, but you know, old Bram must be dern near to ninety years old.
[215] Spry for that age."
[216] "I guess you're right."
[217] The clerk looked sideways at Tremaine.
[218] "Lots of funny stories about old Bram.
[219] Useta say his place was haunted.
[220] You know; funny noises and lights.
[221] And they used to say there was money buried out at his place."
[222] "I've heard those stories.
[223] Just superstition, wouldn't you say?"
[224] "Maybe so."
[225] The clerk leaned on the counter, assumed a knowing look.
[226] "There's one story that's not superstition...." Tremaine waited.
[227] "You—uh—paying anything for information?"
[228] "Now why would I do that?"
[229] Tremaine reached for the door knob.
[230] The clerk shrugged.
[231] "Thought I'd ask.
[232] Anyway—I can swear to this.
[233] Nobody in this town's ever seen Bram between sundown and sunup."
[234] Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco facade of the Elsby Public Library.
[235] Inside, Tremaine followed a paper-dry woman of indeterminate age to a rack of yellowed newsprint.
[236] "You'll find back to nineteen-forty here," the librarian said.
[237] "The older are there in the shelves."
[238] "I want nineteen-oh-one, if they go back that far."
[239] The woman darted a suspicious look at Tremaine.
[240] "You have to handle these old papers carefully."
[241] "I'll be extremely careful."
[242] The woman sniffed, opened a drawer, leafed through it, muttering.
[243] "What date was it you wanted?"
[244] "Nineteen-oh-one; the week of May nineteenth."
[245] The librarian pulled out a folded paper, placed it on the table, adjusted her glasses, squinted at the front page.
[246] "That's it," she said.
[247] "These papers keep pretty well, provided they're stored in the dark.
[248] But they're still flimsy, mind you."
[249] "I'll remember."
[250] The woman stood by as Tremaine looked over the front page.
[251] The lead article concerned the opening of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo.
[252] Vice-President Roosevelt had made a speech.
[253] Tremaine leafed over, reading slowly.
[254] On page four, under a column headed County Notes he saw the name Bram: Mr. Bram has purchased a quarter section of fine grazing land, north of town, together with a sturdy house, from J. P. Spivey of Elsby.
[255] Mr. Bram will occupy the home and will continue to graze a few head of stock.
[256] Mr. Bram, who is a newcomer to the county, has been a resident of Mrs. Stoate's Guest Home in Elsby for the past months.
[257] "May I see some earlier issues; from about the first of the year?"
[258] The librarian produced the papers.
[259] Tremaine turned the pages, read the heads, skimmed an article here and there.
[260] The librarian went back to her desk.
[261] An hour later, in the issue for July 7, 1900, an item caught his eye: A Severe Thunderstorm.
[262] Citizens of Elsby and the country were much alarmed by a violent cloudburst, accompanied by lightning and thunder, during the night of the fifth.
[263] A fire set in the pine woods north of Spivey's farm destroyed a considerable amount of timber and threatened the house before burning itself out along the river.
[264] The librarian was at Tremaine's side.
[265] "I have to close the library now.
[266] You'll have to come back tomorrow."
[267] Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in windows along the side streets.
[268] Tremaine turned up his collar against a cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel.
[269] A block away a black late-model sedan rounded a corner with a faint squeal of tires and gunned past him, a heavy antenna mounted forward of the left rear tail fin whipping in the slipstream.
[270] Tremaine stopped short, stared after the car.
[271] "Damn!"
[272] he said aloud.
[273] An elderly man veered, eyeing him sharply.
[274] Tremaine set off at a run, covered the two blocks to the hotel, yanked open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed north after the police car.
[275] Two miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine rounded a curve.
[276] The police car was parked on the shoulder beside the highway just ahead.
[277] He pulled off the road ahead of it and walked back.
[278] The door opened.
[279] A tall figure stepped out.
[280] "What's your problem, mister?"
[281] a harsh voice drawled.
[282] "What's the matter?
[283] Run out of signal?"
[284] "What's it to you, mister?"
[285] "Are you boys in touch with Grammond on the car set?"
[286] "We could be."
[287] "Mind if I have a word with him?
[288] My name's Tremaine."
[289] "Oh," said the cop, "you're the big shot from Washington."
[290] He shifted chewing tobacco to the other side of his jaw.
[291] "Sure, you can talk to him."
[292] He turned and spoke to the other cop, who muttered into the mike before handing it to Tremaine.
[293] The heavy voice of the State Police chief crackled.
[294] "What's your beef, Tremaine?"
[295] "I thought you were going to keep your men away from Elsby until I gave the word, Grammond."
[296] "That was before I knew your Washington stuffed shirts were holding out on me."
[297] "It's nothing we can go to court with, Grammond.
[298] And the job you were doing might have been influenced if I'd told you about the Elsby angle."
[299] Grammond cursed.
[300] "I could have put my men in the town and taken it apart brick by brick in the time—" "That's just what I don't want.
[301] If our bird sees cops cruising, he'll go underground."
[302] "You've got it all figured, I see.
[303] I'm just the dumb hick you boys use for the spade work, that it?"
[304] "Pull your lip back in.
[305] You've given me the confirmation I needed."
[306] "Confirmation, hell!
[307] All I know is that somebody somewhere is punching out a signal.
[308] For all I know, it's forty midgets on bicycles, pedalling all over the damned state.
[309] I've got fixes in every county—" "The smallest hyperwave transmitter Uncle Sam knows how to build weighs three tons," said Tremaine.
[310] "Bicycles are out."
[311] Grammond snorted.
[312] "Okay, Tremaine," he said.
[313] "You're the boy with all the answers.
[314] But if you get in trouble, don't call me; call Washington."
[315] Back in his room, Tremaine put through a call.
[316] "It looks like Grammond's not willing to be left out in the cold, Fred.
[317] Tell him if he queers this—" "I don't know but what he might have something," the voice came back over the filtered hum.
[318] "Suppose he smokes them out—" "Don't go dumb on me, Fred.
[319] We're not dealing with West Virginia moonshiners."
[320] "Don't tell me my job, Tremaine!"
[321] the voice snapped.
[322] "And don't try out your famous temper on me.
[323] I'm still in charge of this investigation."
[324] "Sure.
[325] Just don't get stuck in some senator's hip pocket."
[326] Tremaine hung up the telephone, went to the dresser and poured two fingers of Scotch into a water glass.
[327] He tossed it down, then pulled on his coat and left the hotel.
[328] He walked south two blocks, turned left down a twilit side street.
[329] He walked slowly, looking at the weathered frame houses.
[330] Number 89 was a once-stately three-storied mansion overgrown with untrimmed vines, its windows squares of sad yellow light.
[331] He pushed through the gate in the ancient picket fence, mounted the porch steps and pushed the button beside the door, a dark panel of cracked varnish.
[332] It was a long minute before the door opened.
[333] A tall woman with white hair and a fine-boned face looked at him coolly.
[334] "Miss Carroll," Tremaine said.
[335] "You won't remember me, but I—" "There is nothing whatever wrong with my faculties, James," Miss Carroll said calmly.
[336] Her voice was still resonant, a deep contralto.
[337] Only a faint quaver reflected her age—close to eighty, Tremaine thought, startled.
[338] "I'm flattered you remember me, Miss Carroll," he said.
[339] "Come in."
[340] She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the furnishings of another era.
[341] She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a straight chair across the room from him.
[342] "You look very well, James," she said, nodding.
[343] "I'm pleased to see that you've amounted to something."
[344] "Just another bureaucrat, I'm afraid."
[345] "You were wise to leave Elsby.
[346] There is no future here for a young man."
[347] "I often wondered why you didn't leave, Miss Carroll.
[348] I thought, even as a boy, that you were a woman of great ability."
[349] "Why did you come today, James?"
[350] asked Miss Carroll.
[351] "I...." Tremaine started.
[352] He looked at the old lady.
[353] "I want some information.
[354] This is an important matter.
[355] May I rely on your discretion?"
[356] "Of course."
[357] "How long has Mr. Bram lived in Elsby?"
[358] Miss Carroll looked at him for a long moment.
[359] "Will what I tell you be used against him?"
[360] "There'll be nothing done against him, Miss Carroll ... unless it needs to be in the national interest."
[361] "I'm not at all sure I know what the term 'national interest' means, James.
[362] I distrust these glib phrases."
[363] "I always liked Mr. Bram," said Tremaine.
[364] "I'm not out to hurt him."
[365] "Mr. Bram came here when I was a young woman.
[366] I'm not certain of the year."
[367] "What does he do for a living?"
[368] "I have no idea."
[369] "Why did a healthy young fellow like Bram settle out in that isolated piece of country?
[370] What's his story?"
[371] "I'm ... not sure that anyone truly knows Bram's story."
[372] "You called him 'Bram', Miss Carroll.
[373] Is that his first name ... or his last?"
[374] "That is his only name.
[375] Just ...
[376] Bram."
[377] "You knew him well once, Miss Carroll.
[378] Is there anything—" A tear rolled down Miss Carroll's faded cheek.
[379] She wiped it away impatiently.
[380] "I'm an unfulfilled old maid, James," she said.
[381] "You must forgive me."
[382] Tremaine stood up.
[383] "I'm sorry.
[384] Really sorry.
[385] I didn't mean to grill you.
[386] Miss Carroll.
[387] You've been very kind.
[388] I had no right...." Miss Carroll shook her head.
[389] "I knew you as a boy, James.
[390] I have complete confidence in you.
[391] If anything I can tell you about Bram will be helpful to you, it is my duty to oblige you; and it may help him."
[392] She paused.
[393] Tremaine waited.
[394] "Many years ago I was courted by Bram.
[395] One day he asked me to go with him to his house.
[396] On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale.
[397] He said that each night he fought a battle with evil beings, alone, in a cave beneath his house."
[398] Miss Carroll drew a deep breath and went on.
[399] "I was torn between pity and horror.
[400] I begged him to take me back.
[401] He refused."
[402] Miss Carroll twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past.
[403] "When we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen.
[404] He lit a lamp and threw open a concealed panel.
[405] There were stairs.
[406] He went down ... and left me there alone.
[407] "I waited all that night in the carriage.
[408] At dawn he emerged.
[409] He tried to speak to me but I would not listen.
[410] "He took a locket from his neck and put it into my hand.
[411] He told me to keep it and, if ever I should need him, to press it between my fingers in a secret way ... and he would come.
[412] I told him that until he would consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call.
[413] He drove me home.
[414] He never called again."
[415] "This locket," said Tremaine, "do you still have it?"
[416] Miss Carroll hesitated, then put her hand to her throat, lifted a silver disc on a fine golden chain.
[417] "You see what a foolish old woman I am, James."
[418] "May I see it?"
[419] She handed the locket to him.
[420] It was heavy, smooth.
[421] "I'd like to examine this more closely," he said.
[422] "May I take it with me?"
[423] Miss Carroll nodded.
[424] "There is one other thing," she said, "perhaps quite meaningless...." "I'd be grateful for any lead."
[425] "Bram fears the thunder."
[426] III As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car pulled to a stop beside him.
[427] Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and asked: "Any luck, Jimmy?"
[428] Tremaine shook his head.
[429] "I'm getting nowhere fast.
[430] The Bram idea's a dud, I'm afraid."
[431] "Funny thing about Bram.
[432] You know, he hasn't showed up yet.
[433] I'm getting a little worried.
[434] Want to run out there with me and take a look around?"
[435] "Sure.
[436] Just so I'm back by full dark."
[437] As they pulled away from the curb Jess said, "Jimmy, what's this about State Police nosing around here?
[438] I thought you were playing a lone hand from what you were saying to me."
[439] "I thought so too, Jess.
[440] But it looks like Grammond's a jump ahead of me.
[441] He smells headlines in this; he doesn't want to be left out."
[442] "Well, the State cops could be mighty handy to have around.
[443] I'm wondering why you don't want 'em in.
[444] If there's some kind of spy ring working—" "We're up against an unknown quantity.
[445] I don't know what's behind this and neither does anybody else.
[446] Maybe it's a ring of Bolsheviks ... and maybe it's something bigger.
[447] I have the feeling we've made enough mistakes in the last few years; I don't want to see this botched."
[448] The last pink light of sunset was fading from the clouds to the west as Jess swung the car through the open gate, pulled up under the old trees before the square-built house.
[449] The windows were dark.
[450] The two men got out, circled the house once, then mounted the steps and rapped on the door.
[451] There was a black patch of charred flooring under the window, and the paint on the wall above it was bubbled.
[452] Somewhere a cricket set up a strident chirrup, suddenly cut off.
[453] Jess leaned down, picked up an empty shotgun shell.
[454] He looked at Tremaine.
[455] "This don't look good," he said.
[456] "You suppose those fool boys...?"
[457] He tried the door.
[458] It opened.
[459] A broken hasp dangled.
[460] He turned to Tremaine.
[461] "Maybe this is more than kid stuff," he said.
[462] "You carry a gun?"
[463] "In the car."
[464] "Better get it."
[465] Tremaine went to the car, dropped the pistol in his coat pocket, rejoined Jess inside the house.
[466] It was silent, deserted.
[467] In the kitchen Jess flicked the beam of his flashlight around the room.
[468] An empty plate lay on the oilcloth-covered table.
[469] "This place is empty," he said.
[470] "Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week."
[471] "Not a very cozy—" Tremaine broke off.
[472] A thin yelp sounded in the distance.
[473] "I'm getting jumpy," said Jess.
[474] "Dern hounddog, I guess."
[475] A low growl seemed to rumble distantly.
[476] "What the devil's that?"
[477] Tremaine said.
[478] Jess shone the light on the floor.
[479] "Look here," he said.
[480] The ring of light showed a spatter of dark droplets all across the plank floor.
[481] "That's blood, Jess...." Tremaine scanned the floor.
[482] It was of broad slabs, closely laid, scrubbed clean but for the dark stains.
[483] "Maybe he cleaned a chicken.
[484] This is the kitchen."
[485] "It's a trail."
[486] Tremaine followed the line of drops across the floor.
[487] It ended suddenly near the wall.
[488] "What do you make of it.
[489] Jimmy?"
[490] A wail sounded, a thin forlorn cry, trailing off into silence.
[491] Jess stared at Tremaine.
[492] "I'm too damned old to start believing in spooks," he said.
[493] "You suppose those damn-fool boys are hiding here, playing tricks?"
[494] "I think."
[495] Tremaine said, "that we'd better go ask Hull Gaskin a few questions."
[496] At the station Jess led Tremaine to a cell where a lanky teen-age boy lounged on a steel-framed cot, blinking up at the visitor under a mop of greased hair.
[497] "Hull, this is Mr. Tremaine," said Jess.
[498] He took out a heavy key, swung the cell door open.
[499] "He wants to talk to you."
[500] "I ain't done nothin," Hull said sullenly.
[501] "There ain't nothin wrong with burnin out a Commie, is there?"
[502] "Bram's a Commie, is he?"
[503] Tremaine said softly.
[504] "How'd you find that out, Hull?"
[505] "He's a foreigner, ain't he?"
[506] the youth shot back.
[507] "Besides, we heard...." "What did you hear?"
[508] "They're lookin for the spies."
[509] "Who's looking for spies?"
[510] "Cops."
[511] "Who says so?"
[512] The boy looked directly at Tremaine for an instant, flicked his eyes to the corner of the cell.
[513] "Cops was talkin about 'em," he said.
[514] "Spill it, Hull," the policeman said.
[515] "Mr. Tremaine hasn't got all night."
[516] "They parked out east of town, on 302, back of the woodlot.
[517] They called me over and asked me a bunch of questions.
[518] Said I could help 'em get them spies.
[519] Wanted to know all about any funny-actin people around hers."
[520] "And you mentioned Bram?"
[521] The boy darted another look at Tremaine.
[522] "They said they figured the spies was out north of town.
[523] Well, Bram's a foreigner, and he's out that way, ain't he?"
[524] "Anything else?"
[525] The boy looked at his feet. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story?":
1. [167] II Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street.
2. [234] Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco facade of the Elsby Public Library.
3. [328] He walked south two blocks, turned left down a twilit side street.
4. [329] Number 89 was a once-stately three-storied mansion overgrown with untrimmed vines, its windows squares of sad yellow light.
5. [448] The last pink light of sunset was fading from the clouds to the west as Jess swung the car through the open gate, pulled up under the old trees before the square-built house.
6. [1] THE LONG REMEMBERED THUNDER BY KEITH LAUMER [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of Tomorrow April 1963 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
7. [3] I In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom cover plate from the telephone.
8. [36] Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY MUNICIPAL POLICE cut in the stone lintel above the door.
9. [269] A block away a black late-model sedan rounded a corner with a faint squeal of tires and gunned past him, a heavy antenna mounted forward of the left rear tail fin whipping in the slipstream.
10. [274] Tremaine rounded a curve. The police car was parked on the shoulder beside the highway just ahead.
11. [330] Number 89 was a once-stately three-storied mansion overgrown with untrimmed vines, its windows squares of sad yellow light.
12. [425] As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car pulled to a stop beside him.
13. [448] The last pink light of sunset was fading from the clouds to the west as Jess swung the car through the open gate, pulled up under the old trees before the square-built house. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Major Polk is given orders by his Boss, Colonel Walsh, to go to Venus in search of a man named Joe. Mars is in open revolt against the Colonel and the system that he runs, and Walsh tells Polk that there is a man on Venus who will be able to solve the problem of the revolt, as he spent time on Mars, and knows the natives. The Major and the Colonel hate each other, and it's clear from the get-go that the Colonel is setting the Major up for a trap. He tells Polk that the man's name is Joe, and that he has an affinity for Terran cigarettes. The Major travels to Venus to find this man, and complete the mission. When he arrives though, it becomes clear to him soon that every native Venusian is named Joe, and they all love cigarettes. Polk calls the Major from the office on Venus, asking for extra information, but the Colonel gives none. He has screwed him. The Major decides to look for this man regardless, as returning to Earth without having completed the mission could mean a demotion or a loss of job. He hires a guide to take him through the jungle terrain of Venus, obviously named Joe. As they spend weeks traveling through the jungle together they quickly become friends. They stop at various villages together, where they meet the locals, they chat on their walks and the Major tells Joe all about his past. After a few weeks, they arrive at a village, where a starship and the Colonel are waiting for them. He has a gun pointer and Polk, informing him he plans on killing him, because Polk ratted on Walsh when they were in the academy together about dozing off while he was on watch over a tank filled with uranium. Just before he goes to shoot the Major, he starts insulting the locals of Mars, and then natives in general. Joe becomes visibly upset. The story ends, and it's presumed that Joe will save the Major.",
"Colonel Walsh has appointed Major Polk for a mission on Venus. The two hate each other strongly due to a history at the Academy and Walsh's totalitarian nature towards natives on Mars. The Colonel tells Major Polk that he is to find a specific Venusian native named Joe, who is experienced in trading and loves cigarettes. Major Polk arrives on Mars and immediately meets a Venusian named Joe, but he soon realizes that it is not the man in question. The Major goes into the Officer's Club, where the Venusian bartender is also named Joe. Perplexed, the Major realizes that every native on Venus is named Joe. He meets with Captain Bransten, who tells him that since becoming in contact with Terran men, the Venusians had picked up their mannerisms and behaviors, including their love for cigarettes. Major Polk realizes that the Colonel has sent him on a goose chase, in impossible search of a man. Major Polk calls the Colonel, who smugly assures him that he can find the man in the jungle. The Major decides to play along with Walsh's trick and find a man for the mission. He meets a Venusian tour guide to take him through the jungle, who he gradually befriends as they visit several villages. With still no luck finding the right Joe, Major Polk soon encounters Walsh aboard his ship flying above him. Walsh tells Polk that he will kill him, recalling the time Polk reported him at the Academy. He then expresses his frustration with dealing with the natives on Mars.",
"The story begins with the Major being told by Colonel Walsh that he is going to be sent to find a man on Venus. The Colonel says that the man is a Venusian native that holds very valuable information about Mars. He says the man is named Joe and that he likes cigarettes. The Major tries to gather more information but the Colonel only gives him vague answers with a grin on his face. So, with his orders, the Major heads to Venus. When he steps off the ship, he is greeted by a man named Joe. He is shocked because he initially believes it could be the Joe he needs. However, he soon realizes that it is not the correct Joe and asks to be directed to the Officer’s Club. Once he gets inside and goes to the bar, the bartender introduces himself as Joe. \n\nThe Major realizes that Walsh played a trick on him. He’s upset at Walsh for sending him on a petty, retaliatory trip. Frustrated, he heads to the Captain’s shack, where he asks why everyone is named Joe. The Captain chuckles in response and replies that it’s an unoriginal culture. Joe grows angry upon learning this. He’s taken to his sleeping quarters after the meeting. He calls the Colonel and asks for more information on the Joe he’s meant to find. The Colonel finds amusement knowing that Polk has realized his predicament. All the Colonel offers up to the Major is that Joe is somewhere in the jungle. In response, he asks for a guide to take him. As he’s waiting, he thinks of the Colonel’s intentions and how he should respond. The Major decides to go along with the trip and do his best. Once he meets his guide, they head off through the jungle. \n\nHis guide takes him through the jungle, proving to be helpful and useful. They find themselves going from village to village with days turning into weeks spent in the jungle searching for a specific Joe. Joe smiles at some of the Major’s complaints of the tedious nature of the journey in an unusual way during their journey. They eventually reach another village and Joe smiles very wide when he delivers the news to Major Polk. The Major notices that there are no natives in the new village. He sees the Colonel standing near a ship with a stun gun pointed at him. It also seems like Joe knew that the Colonel would be there. Walsh tells the Major that he is going to kill him. As they tensely converse with each other, Joe chuckles and is excited with glee during the conversation. However, when Mars is mentioned, Joe stops being excited and a frown starts to form on his face. Walsh begins to shout hateful words about natives when he realizes that Joe is a native. Joe changes his attitude and looks at the Colonel in confusion.",
"The story starts with Colonel Walsh assigning Major Polk the job of finding a man named Joe on Venus to help them with the revolt on Mars. Despite the fact that he has never been to Venus and Venus is not even in their jurisdiction, Colonel Walsh calls it a simple assignment and asks the Major to travel to Venus. After arriving on Venus, he immediately encounters a boy called Joe. However, this Joe is not the person that he is looking for. Before reporting to Captain Bransten, the Major decides to stop for a drink. He asks Joe to take him there. Somehow, this Joe realizes that the Major is new to this place after he tips him. After arriving at the bar, he meets two more Joes talking to each other, calling each other Joe. Neither is the one that the Major needs to find. Later, he learns from the Captain that the name Joe is just a culture here on Venus, and the natives all like cigarettes. This makes the Major furious since those are two of the few characteristics provided by Colonel Walsh. After chow, the Major calls Walsh, who is on Earth. After getting the information that this Joe is in the jungle, he asks a Joe to find him a guide for going into the jungle. Then, Major begins to realize that maybe Colonel Walsh didn’t want him back since he is the next in line for command. He decides to be more careful. Following the guide, the Major walks from village to village, searching the natives for that particular Joe. The Major and the guide get close and become friend. However, the next village they visit does not have any natives, only Colonel Walsh. And Colonel is there to kill the Major."
] | [1] A PLANET NAMED JOE By S. A. LOMBINO There were more Joes on Venus than you could shake a ray-gun at.
[2] Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories November 1952.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Colonel Walsh had a great sense of humor.
[6] I hated his guts ever since we went through the Academy together, but he had a great sense of humor.
[7] For example, he could have chosen a Second Looie for the job on Venus.
[8] He might even have picked a Captain.
[9] But he liked me about as much as I liked him, and so he decided the job was just right for a Major.
[10] At least, that's what he told me.
[11] I stood at attention before his desk in the Patrol Station.
[12] We were somewhere in Area Two on Earth, takeoff point for any operations in Space II.
[13] The duty was fine, and I liked it a lot.
[14] Come to think of it, the most I ever did was inspect a few defective tubes every now and then.
[15] The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy.
[16] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
[17] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
[18] "Yes, sir," I said.
[19] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
[20] I wanted to say, "Then why the hell don't you send a green kid on the job?
[21] Why me?"
[22] Instead, I nodded and watched him playing with his fingers.
[23] "The man is a trader of sorts.
[24] Rather intelligent."
[25] He paused, then added, "For a native, that is."
[26] I had never liked Walsh's attitude toward natives.
[27] I hadn't liked the way he'd treated the natives on Mars ever since he'd taken over there.
[28] Which brought to mind an important point.
[29] "I always figured Venus was under the jurisdiction of Space III, sir.
[30] I thought our activities were confined to Mars."
[31] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
[32] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true.
[33] But this is a special job.
[34] It so happens this Venusian is the one man who can help us understand just what's happening on Mars."
[35] I tried to picture a Venusian understanding Mars and I didn't get very far.
[36] "He's had many dealings with the natives there," Walsh explained.
[37] "If anyone can tell us the reasons for the revolt, he can."
[38] If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh.
[39] I had to laugh at the way he called it "revolt."
[40] It had been going on for six months now and we'd lost at least a thousand men from Space II.
[41] Revolt.
[42] "And this man is on Venus now?"
[43] I asked for confirmation.
[44] I'd never been to Venus, being in Space II ever since I'd left the Moon run.
[45] It was just like Walsh to ship me off to a strange place.
[46] "Yes, Major," he said.
[47] "This man is on Venus."
[48] At the Academy he had called me Fred.
[49] That was before I'd reported him for sleeping on Boiler Watch.
[50] He'd goofed off on a pile of uranium that could've, and almost did, blow the barracks sky-high that night.
[51] He still thought it was my fault, as if I'd done the wrong thing by reporting him.
[52] And now, through the fouled-up machinery that exists in any military organization, he outranked me.
[53] "And the man's name, sir?"
[54] "Joe."
[55] A tight smile played on his face.
[56] "Joe what?"
[57] I asked.
[58] "Just Joe."
[59] "Just Joe?"
[60] "Yes," Walsh said.
[61] "A native, you know.
[62] They rarely go in for more than first names.
[63] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[64] Among the natives, I mean."
[65] "I don't know, sir."
[66] "A relatively simple assignment," Walsh said.
[67] "Can you tell me anything else about this man?
[68] Physical appearance?
[69] Personal habits?
[70] Anything?"
[71] Walsh seemed to consider this for a moment.
[72] "Well, physically he's like any of the other Venusians, so I can't give you much help there.
[73] He does have a peculiar habit, though."
[74] "What's that?"
[75] "He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes."
[76] I sighed.
[77] "Well, it's not very much to go on."
[78] "You'll find him," Walsh said, grinning.
[79] "I'm sure of it."
[80] The trip to Venus came off without a hitch.
[81] I did a lot of thinking on that trip.
[82] I thought about Mars and the revolt there.
[83] And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt.
[84] Ever since Walsh had taken command, ever since he'd started pushing the natives around, there'd been trouble.
[85] It was almost as if the whole damned planet had blown up in our faces the moment he took over.
[86] Swell guy, Walsh.
[87] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be.
[88] Much too hot for the tunic I was wearing.
[89] It smelled, too.
[90] A funny smell I couldn't place.
[91] Like a mixture of old shoe and after-shave.
[92] There were plants everywhere I looked.
[93] Big plants and small ones, some blooming with flowers I'd never seen before, and some as bare as cactus.
[94] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
[95] He was tall, looking almost human except that everything about him was elongated.
[96] His features, his muscles, everything seemed to have been stretched like a rubber band.
[97] I kept expecting him to pop back to normal.
[98] Instead, he flashed a double row of brilliant teeth at me.
[99] I wondered if he spoke English.
[100] "Hey, boy," I called.
[101] He ambled over with long-legged strides that closed the distance between us in seconds.
[102] "Call me Joe," he said.
[103] I dropped my bags and stared at him.
[104] Maybe this was going to be a simple assignment after all.
[105] "I sure am glad to see you, Joe," I said.
[106] "Same here, Toots," he answered.
[107] "The guys back in Space II are searching high and low for you," I told him.
[108] "You've got the wrong number," he said, and I was a little surprised at his use of Terran idiom.
[109] "You are Joe, aren't you?
[110] Joe the trader?"
[111] "I'm Joe, all right," he said.
[112] "Only thing I ever traded, though, was a pocketknife.
[113] Got a set of keys for it."
[114] "Oh," I said, my voice conveying my disappointment.
[115] I sighed and began wondering just how I should go about contacting the Joe I was looking for.
[116] My orders said I was to report to Captain Bransten immediately upon arrival.
[117] I figured the hell with Captain Bransten.
[118] I outranked him anyway, and there wasn't much he could do if I decided to stop for a drink first.
[119] "Where's the Officer's Club?"
[120] I asked the Venusian.
[121] "Are you buying information or are you just curious?"
[122] "Can you take me there?"
[123] I asked.
[124] "Sure thing, Toots."
[125] He picked up my bags and started walking up a heavily overgrown path.
[126] We'd probably walked for about ten minutes when he dropped my bags and said, "There it is."
[127] The Officer's Club was a plasteel hut with window shields that protected it from the heat of the sun.
[128] It didn't look too comfortable but I really wanted that drink.
[129] I reached into my tunic and slipped the native thirty solars.
[130] He stared at the credits curiously and then shrugged his shoulders.
[131] "Oh well, you're new here.
[132] We'll let it go."
[133] He took off then, while I stared after him, wondering just what he'd meant.
[134] Had I tipped him too little?
[135] I shrugged and looked over at the Officer's Club.
[136] From the outside it looked as hot as hell.
[137] On the inside it was about two degrees short of that mark.
[138] I began to curse Walsh for taking me away from my nice soft job in Space II.
[139] There wasn't much inside the club.
[140] A few tables and chairs, a dart game and a bar.
[141] Behind the bar a tall Venusian lounged.
[142] I walked over and asked, "What are you serving, pal?"
[143] "Call me Joe," he answered.
[144] He caught me off balance.
[145] "What?"
[146] "Joe," he said again.
[147] A faint glimmer of understanding began to penetrate my thick skull.
[148] "You wouldn't happen to be Joe the trader?
[149] The guy who knows all about Mars, would you?"
[150] "I never left home," he said simply.
[151] "What are you drinking?"
[152] That rat!
[153] That dirty, filthy, stinking, unprincipled....
[154] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[155] Among the natives, I mean.
[156] Sure.
[157] Oh sure.
[158] Real simple.
[159] Walsh was about the lowest, most contemptible.... "What are you drinking, pal?"
[160] the Venusian asked again.
[161] "Skip it," I said.
[162] "How do I get to the captain's shack?"
[163] "Follow your nose, pal.
[164] Can't miss it."
[165] I started to pick up my bag as another Venusian entered.
[166] He waved at the bartender.
[167] "Hello, Joe," he said.
[168] "How's it going?"
[169] "Not so hot, Joe," the bartender replied.
[170] I listened in fascination.
[171] Joe, Joe, Joe.
[172] So this was Walsh's idea of a great gag.
[173] Very funny.
[174] Very.... "You Major Polk, sweetheart?"
[175] the Venusian who'd just come in asked.
[176] "Yes," I said, still thinking of Colonel Walsh.
[177] "You better get your butt over to the captain's shack," he said.
[178] "He's about ready to post you as overdue."
[179] "Sure," I said wearily.
[180] "Will you take my bags, please?"
[181] "Roger," he answered.
[182] He picked up the bags and nodded at the bar.
[183] "So long, Joe," he said to the bartender.
[184] "See you, Joe," the bartender called back.
[185] Captain Bransten was a mousey, unimpressive sort of man.
[186] He was wearing a tropical tunic, but he still resembled a wilted lily more than he did an officer.
[187] "Have a seat, Major," he offered.
[188] He reached for a cigarette box on the desk and extended it to me.
[189] He coughed in embarrassment when he saw it was empty.
[190] Quickly, he pressed a button on his desk and the door popped open.
[191] A tall, blue Venusian stepped lithely into the room.
[192] "Sir?"
[193] the Venusian asked.
[194] "We're out of cigarettes, Joe," the Captain said.
[195] "Will you get us some, please?"
[196] "Sure thing," the Venusian answered.
[197] He smiled broadly and closed the door behind him.
[198] Another Joe , I thought.
[199] Another damned Joe.
[200] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
[201] "Steal what?"
[202] I asked.
[203] "Cigarettes.
[204] I sometimes think the cigarette is one of the few things they like about Terran culture."
[205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
[206] He does have a peculiar habit, though.
[207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
[208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
[209] "All right," I said, "suppose we start at the beginning."
[210] Captain Bransten opened his eyes wide.
[211] "Sir?"
[212] he asked.
[213] "What's with all this Joe business?
[214] It may be a very original name but I think its popularity here is a little outstanding."
[215] Captain Bransten began to chuckle softly.
[216] I personally didn't think it was so funny.
[217] I tossed him my withering Superior Officer's gaze and waited for his explanation.
[218] "I hadn't realized this was your first time on Venus," he said.
[219] "Is there a local hero named Joe?"
[220] I asked.
[221] "No, no, nothing like that," he assured me.
[222] "It's a simple culture, you know.
[223] Not nearly as developed as Mars."
[224] "I can see that," I said bitingly.
[225] "And the natives are only now becoming acquainted with Terran culture.
[226] Lots of enlisted men, you know."
[227] I began to get the idea.
[228] And I began to appreciate Walsh's doubtful ancestry more keenly.
[229] "It's impossible to tell exactly where it all started, of course," Bransten was saying.
[230] I was beginning to get angry.
[231] Very angry.
[232] I was thinking of Walsh sitting back in a nice cozy foam chair back on Earth.
[233] "Get to the point, Captain!"
[234] I barked.
[235] "Easy, sir," Bransten said, turning pale.
[236] I could see that the Captain wasn't used to entertaining Majors.
[237] "The enlisted men.
[238] You know how they are.
[239] They'll ask a native to do something and they'll call him Joe.
[240] 'Hey, Joe, give me a hand with this.'
[241] Or 'Listen, Joe, how'd you like to earn some cigarettes?'
[242] Do you follow?"
[243] "I follow, all right," I said bitterly.
[244] "Well," Bransten went on, "that sort of thing mushrooms.
[245] The natives are a simple, almost childish people.
[246] It appealed to them—the Joe business, I mean.
[247] Now they're all Joe.
[248] They like it.
[249] That and the cigarettes."
[250] He cleared his throat and looked at me apologetically as if he were personally responsible for Venusian culture.
[251] In fact, he looked as if he were responsible for having put Venus in the heavens in the first place.
[252] "Do you understand, Major?
[253] Just a case of extended idiom, that's all."
[254] Just a case of extended idiot , I thought.
[255] An idiot on a wild goose chase a hell of a long way from home.
[256] "I understand perfectly," I snapped.
[257] "Where are my quarters?"
[258] Bransten asked a Venusian named Joe to show me my quarters, reminding me that chow was at thirteen hundred.
[259] As I was leaving, the first Venusian came back with the cigarettes Bransten had ordered.
[260] I could tell by the look on his face that he probably had half a carton stuffed into his pockets.
[261] I shrugged and went to change into a tropical tunic.
[262] I called Earth right after chow.
[263] The Captain assured me that this sort of thing was definitely against regulations, but he submitted when I twinkled my little gold leaf under his nose.
[264] Walsh's face appeared on the screen.
[265] He was smiling, looking like a fat pussy cat.
[266] "What is it, Major?"
[267] he asked.
[268] "This man Joe," I said.
[269] "Can you give me any more on him?"
[270] Walsh's grin grew wider.
[271] "Why, Major," he said, "you're not having any difficulties, are you?"
[272] "None at all," I snapped back.
[273] "I just thought I'd be able to find him a lot sooner if...." "Take your time, Major," Walsh beamed.
[274] "There's no rush at all."
[275] "I thought...." "I'm sure you can do the job," Walsh cut in.
[276] "I wouldn't have sent you otherwise."
[277] Hell, I was through kidding around.
[278] "Look...." "He's somewhere in the jungle, you know," Walsh said.
[279] I wanted to ram my fist into the screen, right smack up against those big white teeth.
[280] Instead, I cut off the transmission and watched the surprised look on his face as his screen went blank millions of miles away.
[281] He blinked at the screen, trying to realize I'd deliberately hung up on him.
[282] "Polk!"
[283] he shouted, "can you hear me?"
[284] I smiled, saw the twisted hatred on his features, and then the screen on my end went blank, too.
[285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
[286] I thanked Captain Bransten for his hospitality and went back to my quarters.
[287] As I saw it, there were two courses for me to follow.
[288] One: I could say the hell with Walsh and Venus.
[289] That would mean hopping the next ship back to Earth.
[290] It would also mean disobeying the direct order of a superior officer.
[291] It might mean demotion, and it might mean getting bounced out of the Service altogether.
[292] Two: I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a trader Joe who knew the Martians well.
[293] I could always admit failure, of course, and return empty handed.
[294] Mission not accomplished.
[295] Or, I might really find a guy who was trader Joe.
[296] I made my decision quickly.
[297] I wanted to stay in the Service, and besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his life.
[298] Maybe there was a Joe here who could help us on Mars.
[299] If there was I'd try to find him.
[300] It was still a hell of a trick though.
[301] I cursed Walsh again and pushed the buzzer near my bed.
[302] A tall Venusian stepped into the room.
[303] "Joe?"
[304] I asked, just to be sure.
[305] "Who else, boss?"
[306] he answered.
[307] "I'm trying to locate someone," I said.
[308] "I'll need a guide to take me into the jungle.
[309] Can you get me one?"
[310] "It'll cost you, boss," the Venusian said.
[311] "How much?"
[312] "Two cartons of cigarettes at least."
[313] "Who's the guide?"
[314] I asked.
[315] "How's the price sound?"
[316] "Fine, fine," I said impatiently.
[317] And the Captain had said they were almost a childish people!
[318] "His name is Joe," the Venusian told me.
[319] "Best damn guide on the planet.
[320] Take you anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do.
[321] Courageous.
[322] Doesn't know the meaning of fear.
[323] I've known him to...." "Skip it," I said, cutting the promotion short.
[324] "Tell him to show up around fifteen hundred with a complete list of what we'll need."
[325] The Venusian started to leave.
[326] "And Joe," I said, stopping him at the door, "I hope you're not overlooking your commission on the deal."
[327] His face broke into a wide grin.
[328] "No danger of that, boss," he said.
[329] When he was gone I began figuring out a plan of action.
[330] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
[331] Everybody, at least, but the Captain, the small garrison attached to the Station, and me.
[332] I began wondering why Walsh had gone to so much trouble to get rid of me.
[333] The job, as I saw it, would take a hell of a long time.
[334] It seemed like a silly thing to do, just to get even with a guy for something that had happened years ago.
[335] He surely must have realized that I'd be back again, sooner or later.
[336] Maybe he had another little junket all set for me.
[337] Or maybe he didn't expect me to come back.
[338] The thought hadn't occurred to me before this, and I began to consider it seriously.
[339] Walsh was no good, rotten clear through.
[340] He was failing at the job of keeping Mars in hand, and he probably realized that a few more mistakes on his part would mean the end of his career with Space II.
[341] I chuckled as I thought of him isolated in some God-forsaken place like Space V or Space VII.
[342] This probably bothered him a lot, too.
[343] But what probably bothered him more was the fact that I was next in command.
[344] If he were transferred, I'd be in charge of Space II, and I could understand how much that would appeal to Walsh.
[345] I tried to figure the thing out sensibly, tried to weigh his good points against his bad.
[346] But it all came back to the same thing.
[347] A guy who would deliberately go to sleep on Boiler Watch with a ton of uranium ready to blast a barracks to smithereens if it wasn't watched, would deliberately do just about anything.
[348] Sending me off on a wild goose chase after a character named Joe may have been a gag.
[349] But it may have been something a little grimmer than a gag, and I made up my mind to be extremely careful from here on in.
[350] The guide arrived at fifteen hundred on the dot.
[351] He was tall, elongated, looked almost like all the other Venusians I'd seen so far.
[352] "I understand you need a Grade A guide, sir," he said.
[353] "Are you familiar with the jungle?"
[354] I asked him.
[355] "Born and raised there, sir.
[356] Know it like the back of my hand."
[357] "Has Joe told you what the payment will be?"
[358] "Yes, sir.
[359] A carton and a half of cigarettes."
[360] I thought about Joe deducting his commission and smiled.
[361] "When can we leave?"
[362] "Right away, sir.
[363] We won't need much really.
[364] I've made a list of supplies and I can get them in less than an hour.
[365] I suggest you wear light clothing, boots, and a hat."
[366] "Will I need a weapon?"
[367] He looked at me, his eyes faintly amused.
[368] "Why, what for, sir?"
[369] "Never mind," I said.
[370] "What's your name, by the way?"
[371] He lifted his eyebrows, and his eyes widened in his narrow face.
[372] He was definitely surprised.
[373] "Joe," he said.
[374] "Didn't you know?"
[375] When we'd been out for a while I discovered why Joe had suggested the boots and the hat.
[376] The undergrowth was often sharp and jagged and it would have sliced my legs to ribbons were they not protected by the high boots.
[377] The hat kept the strong sun off my head.
[378] Joe was an excellent guide and a pleasant companion.
[379] He seemed to be enjoying a great romp, seemed to love the jungle and take a secret pleasure in the work he was doing.
[380] There were times when I couldn't see three feet ahead of me.
[381] He'd stand stock still for a few minutes, his head barely moving, his eyes darting from one plant to another.
[382] Then he'd say, "This way," and take off into what looked like more impenetrable jungle invariably to find a little path leading directly to another village.
[383] Each village was the same.
[384] The natives would come running out of their huts, tall and blue, shouting, "Cigarettes, Joe?
[385] Cigarettes?"
[386] It took me a while to realize they were addressing me and not my guide.
[387] Everybody was Joe.
[388] It was one beautiful, happy, joyous round of stinking, hot jungle.
[389] And I wasn't getting any nearer my man.
[390] Nor had I any idea how I was supposed to find him.
[391] I began to feel pretty low about the whole affair.
[392] Joe, on the other hand, enjoyed every moment of the trip.
[393] In each village he greeted the natives cheerfully, told them stories, swapped gossip and jokes.
[394] And when it was time to leave, he would say goodbye to all his friends and we would plunge into the twisted foliage again.
[395] His spirits were always high and he never failed to say the right thing that would give a momentary lift to my own depressed state of mind.
[396] He would talk for hours on end as we hacked our way through the jungle.
[397] "I like Venus," he said once.
[398] "I would never leave it."
[399] "Have you ever been to Earth?"
[400] I asked.
[401] "No," Joe replied.
[402] "I like Terrans too, you understand.
[403] They are good for Venus.
[404] And they are fun."
[405] "Fun?"
[406] I asked, thinking of a particular species of Terran: species Leonard Walsh.
[407] "Yes, yes," he said wholeheartedly.
[408] "They joke and they laugh and ... well, you know."
[409] "I suppose so," I admitted.
[410] Joe smiled secretly, and we pushed on.
[411] I began to find, more and more, that I had started to talk freely to Joe.
[412] In the beginning he had been just my guide.
[413] There had been the strained relationship of employer and employee.
[414] But as the days lengthened into weeks, the formal atmosphere began to crumble.
[415] I found myself telling him all about Earth, about the people there, about my decision to attend the Academy, the rigid tests, the grind, even the Moon run.
[416] Joe was a good listener, nodding sympathetically, finding experiences in his own life to parallel my own.
[417] And as our relationship progressed from a casual one to a definitely friendly one, Joe seemed more enthusiastic than ever to keep up our grinding pace to find what we were looking for.
[418] Once we stopped in a clearing to rest.
[419] Joe lounged on the matted greenery, his long body stretched out in front of him, the knife gleaming in his belt.
[420] I'd seen him slash his way through thick, tangled vines with that knife, his long, muscular arms powerfully slicing through them like strips of silk.
[421] "How far are we from the Station?"
[422] I asked.
[423] "Three or four Earth weeks," he replied.
[424] I sighed wearily.
[425] "Where do we go from here?"
[426] "There are more villages," he said.
[427] "We'll never find him."
[428] "Possibly," Joe mused, the smile creeping over his face again.
[429] "A wild goose chase.
[430] A fool's errand."
[431] "We'd better get started," Joe said simply.
[432] I got to my feet and we started the march again.
[433] Joe was still fresh, a brilliant contrast to me, weary and dejected.
[434] Somehow, I had the same feeling I'd had a long time ago on my sixteenth birthday.
[435] One of my friends had taken me all over the city, finally dropping me off at my own house where the whole gang was gathered for a surprise party.
[436] Joe reminded me of that friend.
[437] "There's a village ahead," he said, and the grin on his face was large now, his eyes shining.
[438] Something was missing here.
[439] Natives.
[440] There were no natives rushing out to greet us.
[441] No cries of "Cigarettes?
[442] Cigarettes?"
[443] I caught up with Joe.
[444] "What's the story?"
[445] I whispered.
[446] He shrugged knowingly and continued walking.
[447] And then I saw the ship, nose pointing into space, catching the rays of the sun like a great silver bullet.
[448] "What...?"
[449] I started.
[450] "It's all right," Joe said, smiling.
[451] The ship looked vaguely familiar.
[452] I noticed the crest of Space II near the nose, and a lot of things became clear then.
[453] I also saw Walsh standing near one of the huts, a stun gun in his hand.
[454] "Hello, Major," he called, almost cheerfully.
[455] The gun didn't look cheerful, though.
[456] It was pointed at my head.
[457] "Fancy meeting you here, Colonel," I said, trying to match his joviality.
[458] Somehow it didn't quite come off.
[459] Joe was walking beside me, waving at the colonel, beaming all over with happiness.
[460] "I see you found your man," Walsh said.
[461] I turned rapidly.
[462] Joe nodded and kept grinning, a grin that told me he was getting a big kick out of all this.
[463] Like a kid playing a game.
[464] I faced Walsh again.
[465] "Okay, what's it all about, pal?"
[466] "Colonel," Walsh corrected me.
[467] "You mustn't forget to say Colonel, Major ."
[468] He emphasized my rank, and he said it with a sort of ruthless finality.
[469] I waited.
[470] I could see he was just busting to tell me how clever he'd been.
[471] Besides, there wasn't much I could do but wait.
[472] Not with Walsh pointing the stun gun at my middle.
[473] "We've come a long way since the Academy, haven't we, Major?"
[474] "If you mean in miles," I said, looking around at the plants, "we sure have."
[475] Walsh grinned a little.
[476] "Always the wit," he said drily.
[477] And then the smile faded from his lips and his eyes took on a hard lustre.
[478] "I'm going to kill you, you know."
[479] He said it as if he were saying, "I think it'll rain tomorrow."
[480] Joe almost clapped his hands together with glee.
[481] He was really enjoying this.
[482] Another of those funny Terran games.
[483] "You gave me a powerful handicap to overcome," Walsh said.
[484] "I suppose I should thank you, really."
[485] "You're welcome," I said.
[486] "It wasn't easy living down the disgrace you caused me."
[487] "It was your own damn fault," I said.
[488] "You knew what you were doing when you decided to cork off."
[489] Beside me, Joe chuckled a little, enjoying the game immensely.
[490] "You didn't have to report me," Walsh said.
[491] "No?
[492] Maybe I should have forgotten all about it?
[493] Maybe I should have nudged you and served you orange juice?
[494] So you could do it again sometime and maybe blow up the whole damn Academy!"
[495] Walsh was silent for a long time.
[496] When he spoke his voice was barely audible.
[497] The heat was oppressive, as if it were concentrated on this little spot in the jungle, focusing all its penetration on a small, unimportant drama.
[498] I could hear Joe breathing beside me.
[499] "I'm on my way out," Walsh rasped.
[500] "Finished, do you understand?"
[501] "Good," I said.
[502] And I meant it.
[503] "This Mars thing.
[504] A terrible fix.
[505] Terrible."
[506] Beside me, a slight frown crossed Joe's face.
[507] Apparently he couldn't understand the seriousness of our voices.
[508] What had happened to the game, the fun?
[509] "You brought the Mars business on yourself," I told Walsh.
[510] "There was never any trouble before you took command."
[511] "The natives," he practically shouted.
[512] "They ... they...." Joe caught his breath sharply, and I wondered what Walsh was going to say about the natives.
[513] Apparently he'd realized that Joe was a native.
[514] Or maybe Joe's knife had something to do with it.
[515] "What about the natives?"
[516] I asked.
[517] "Nothing," Walsh said.
[518] "Nothing."
[519] He was silent for a while.
[520] "A man of my calibre," he said then, his face grim.
[521] "Dealing with savages."
[522] He caught himself again and threw a hasty glance at Joe.
[523] The perplexed frown had grown heavier on Joe's face.
[524] He looked at the colonel in puzzlement. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences in order of importance for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [291] It would also mean disobeying the direct order of a superior officer.
2. [292] It might mean demotion, and it might mean getting bounced out of the Service altogether.
3. [293] I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a trader Joe who knew the Martians well.
4. [294] I could always admit failure, of course, and return empty handed.
5. [295] Mission not accomplished.
6. [296] Or, I might really find a guy who was trader Joe.
7. [297] I wanted to stay in the Service, and besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his life.
8. [298] Maybe there was a Joe here who could help us on Mars.
9. [299] If there was I'd try to find him.
10. [300] It was still a hell of a trick though.
11. [301] I cursed Walsh again and pushed the buzzer near my bed.
12. [302] A tall Venusian stepped into the room.
13. [303] "Joe?" I asked, just to be sure.
14. [304] "Who else, boss?" he answered.
15. [305] "I'm trying to locate someone," I said.
16. [306] "I'll need a guide to take me into the jungle.
17. [307] Can you get me one?"
18. [308] "It'll cost you, boss," the Venusian said.
19. [309] "How much?"
20. [310] "Two cartons of cigarettes at least."
21. [311] "Who's the guide?"
22. [312] I asked.
23. [313] "How's the price sound?"
24. [314] "Fine, fine," I said impatiently.
25. [315] "His name is Joe," the Venusian told me.
26. [316] "Best damn guide on the planet.
27. [317] Take you anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do.
28. [318] Courageous.
29. [319] Doesn't know the meaning of fear.
30. [320] I've known him to...."
31. [321] "Skip it," I said, cutting the promotion short.
32. [322] "Tell him to show up around fifteen hundred with a complete list of what we'll need."
33. [323] The Venusian started to leave.
34. [324] "And Joe," I said, stopping him at the door, "I hope you're not overlooking your commission on the deal."
35. [325] His face broke into a wide grin.
36. [326] "No danger of that, boss," he said.
37. [327] When he was gone I began figuring out a plan of action.
38. [328] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
39. [329] Everybody, at least, but the Captain, the small garrison attached to the Station, and me.
40. [330] I began wondering why Walsh had gone to so much trouble to get rid of me.
41. [331] The job, as I saw it, would take a hell of a long time.
42. [332] It seemed like a silly thing to do, just to get even with a guy for something that had happened years ago.
43. [333] He surely must have realized that I'd be back again, sooner or later.
44. [334] Maybe he had another little junket all set for me.
45. [335] Or maybe he didn't expect me to come back.
46. [336] The thought hadn't occurred to me before this, and I began to consider it seriously.
47. [337] Walsh was no good, rotten clear through.
48. [338] He was failing at the job of keeping Mars in hand, and he probably realized that a few more mistakes on his part would mean the end of his career with Space II.
49. [339] I chuckled as I thought of him isolated in some God-forsaken place like Space V or Space VII.
50. [340] This probably bothered him a lot, too.
51. [341] But what probably bothered him more was the fact that I was next in command.
52. [342] If he were transferred, I'd be in charge of Space II, and I could understand how much that would appeal to Walsh.
53. [343] I tried to figure the thing out sensibly, tried to weigh his good points against his bad.
54. [344] But it all came back to the same thing.
55. [345] A guy who would deliberately go to sleep on Boiler Watch with a ton of uranium ready to blast a barracks to smithereens if it wasn't watched, would deliberately do just about anything.
56. [346] Sending me off on a wild goose chase after a character named Joe may have been a gag.
57. [347] But it may have been something a little grimmer than a gag, and I made up my mind to be extremely careful from here on in.
58. [448] "It's all right," Joe said, smiling.
59. [449] The ship looked vaguely familiar.
60. [450] I noticed the crest of Space II near the nose, and a lot of things became clear then.
61. [451] I also saw Walsh standing near one of the huts, a stun gun in his hand.
62. [452] "Hello, Major," he called, almost cheerfully.
63. [453] The gun didn't look cheerful, though.
64. [454] It was pointed at my head.
65. [455] "Fancy meeting you here, Colonel," I said, trying to match his joviality.
66. [456] Somehow it didn't quite come off.
67. [457] Joe was walking beside me, waving at the colonel, beaming all over with happiness.
68. [458] "I see you found your man," Walsh said.
69. [459] I turned rapidly.
70. [460] Joe nodded and kept grinning, a grin that told me he was getting a big kick out of all this.
71. [461] Like a kid playing a game.
72. [462] I faced Walsh again.
73. [463] "Okay, what's it all about, pal?"
74. [464] "Colonel," Walsh corrected me.
75. [465] "You mustn't forget to say Colonel, Major."
76. [466] He emphasized my rank, and he said it with a sort of ruthless finality.
77. [467] I waited.
78. [468] I could see he was just busting to tell me how clever he'd been.
79. [469] Besides, there wasn't much I could do but wait.
80. [470] Not with Walsh pointing the stun gun at my middle.
81. [471] "We've come a long way since the Academy, haven't we, Major?"
82. [472] "If you mean in miles," I said, looking around at the plants, "we sure have."
83. [473] Walsh grinned a little.
84. [474] "Always the wit," he said drily.
85. [475] And then the smile faded from his lips and his eyes took on a hard lustre.
86. [476] "I'm going to kill you, you know."
87. [477] He said it as if he were saying, "I think it'll rain tomorrow."
88. [478] Joe almost clapped his hands together with glee.
89. [479] He was really enjoying this.
90. [480] Another of those funny Terran games.
91. [481] "You gave me a powerful handicap to overcome," Walsh said.
92. [482] "I suppose I should thank you, really."
93. [483] "You're welcome," I said.
94. [484] "It wasn't easy living down the disgrace you caused me."
95. [485] "It was your own damn fault," I said.
96. [486] "You knew what you were doing when you decided to cork off."
97. [487] Beside me, Joe chuckled a little, enjoying the game immensely.
98. [488] "You didn't have to report me," Walsh said.
99. [489] "No? Maybe I should have forgotten all about it?
100. [490] Maybe I should have nudged you and served you orange juice?
101. [491] So you could do it again sometime and maybe blow up the whole damn Academy!"
102. [492] Walsh was silent for a long time.
103. [493] When he spoke his voice was barely audible.
104. [494] The heat was oppressive, as if it were concentrated on this little spot in the jungle, focusing all its penetration on a small, unimportant drama.
105. [495] I could hear Joe breathing beside me.
106. [496] "I'm on my way out," Walsh rasped.
107. [497] "Finished, do you understand?"
108. [498] "Good," I said.
109. [499] And I meant it.
110. [500] "This Mars thing. A terrible fix. Terrible."
111. [501] Beside me, a slight frown crossed Joe's face.
112. [502] Apparently he couldn't understand the seriousness of our voices.
113. [503] What had happened to the game, the fun?
114. [504] "You brought the Mars business on yourself," I told Walsh.
115. [505] "There was never any trouble before you took command."
116. [506] "The natives," he practically shouted.
117. [507] "They ... they...."
118. [508] Joe caught his breath sharply, and I wondered what Walsh was going to say about the natives.
119. [509] Apparently he'd realized that Joe was a native.
120. [510] Or maybe Joe's knife had something to do with it.
121. [511] "What about the natives?"
122. [512] I asked.
123. [513] "Nothing," Walsh said.
124. [514] "Nothing."
125. [515] He was silent for a while.
126. [516] "A man of my calibre," he said then, his face grim.
127. [517] "Dealing with savages."
128. [518] He caught himself again and threw a hasty glance at Joe.
129. [519] The perplexed frown had grown heavier on Joe's face.
130. [520] He looked at the colonel in puzzlement. |
Why do the Colonel and the Major hate each other? | [
"The Colonel and the Major seemed as if they were acquaintances before they first fell out. The Colonel had called the Major, by his first name, Fred. Now, he only calls him Major, as a mark of disrespect, since the colonel somehow outranks him. The Colonel also demands that Polk use his proper title, as a way of putting him down. They initially fell out because one night, while the Colonel was supposed to be on boiled watch, guarding the uranium in a tank beneath the barracks, he fell asleep on duty. The entire barracks could've been blown up. The Major had to report him to their superiors. This meant that the colonel's career took a big hit, and he had to fight his way back into the ranks. He felt as if the Major betrayed him, and ratted him out. Now, the Colonel is in charge of Mars, where he has caused a revolt based on his shocking treatment of the natives. His prejudice towards the native people of Venus and Mars is another reason the Major hates him.",
"The Colonel and the Major attended the Academy together, and the two have despised each other since. At the Academy, Major Polk had reported the Colonel for falling asleep on duty, risking severe damage. Major Polk also holds reservations about the Colonel because of Walsh's treatment of natives, specifically on Mars after conquering the planet. He understands why there is a revolt against Walsh on Mars, given the way he degrades its natives. Colonel Walsh still holds reservations towards Major Polk since he reported him.",
"Colonel Walsh and Major Polk have hated each other ever since they both went through the Academy at the same time. The Major does not like Walsh’s attitude towards natives, especially how he treats them. From this, it is able to be discerned that Walsh has a very unfavorable attitude towards natives and regularly insults or hurts them. He also does not believe that the Colonel is understanding the severity of the current military situation. The Major also believes that Walsh does a bad job of managing the planet. The hatred that the Colonel has towards the Major is because the Major reported him for sleeping on the job while they were both at the Academy. The Major defends his reporting of the Colonel by arguing that the Colonel was supposed to be watching a uranium supply that was very dangerous and could have killed many people. \n\nThe Colonel appears to be threatened by the Major because he would be next in line of command if the Colonel is ousted from his position. The Colonel acknowledges that he is possibly failing at his job with the Mars issue and does not want to be demoted and for Major Polk to take over his job.",
"The Major and Colonel were in the same Academy. But one time, the Colonel fell asleep on Boiler Watch. There was a pile of uranium that could’ve blown up the whole Academy. When the Major caught this he reported him. But apparently, the Colonel still thinks that it is the Major’s fault for reporting him. The Major also dislikes the way that the Colonel treats the natives. He calls them savages. The Colonel sends the Major to Venus and tells him a non-description of a man that he needs to find. This annoys the Major. He gets angry especially when he finds out that the description is completely useless since every man here names Joe and likes cigarette. The Colonel actually sends the Major here to kill him."
] | [1] A PLANET NAMED JOE By S. A. LOMBINO There were more Joes on Venus than you could shake a ray-gun at.
[2] Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories November 1952.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Colonel Walsh had a great sense of humor.
[6] I hated his guts ever since we went through the Academy together, but he had a great sense of humor.
[7] For example, he could have chosen a Second Looie for the job on Venus.
[8] He might even have picked a Captain.
[9] But he liked me about as much as I liked him, and so he decided the job was just right for a Major.
[10] At least, that's what he told me.
[11] I stood at attention before his desk in the Patrol Station.
[12] We were somewhere in Area Two on Earth, takeoff point for any operations in Space II.
[13] The duty was fine, and I liked it a lot.
[14] Come to think of it, the most I ever did was inspect a few defective tubes every now and then.
[15] The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy.
[16] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
[17] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
[18] "Yes, sir," I said.
[19] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
[20] I wanted to say, "Then why the hell don't you send a green kid on the job?
[21] Why me?"
[22] Instead, I nodded and watched him playing with his fingers.
[23] "The man is a trader of sorts.
[24] Rather intelligent."
[25] He paused, then added, "For a native, that is."
[26] I had never liked Walsh's attitude toward natives.
[27] I hadn't liked the way he'd treated the natives on Mars ever since he'd taken over there.
[28] Which brought to mind an important point.
[29] "I always figured Venus was under the jurisdiction of Space III, sir.
[30] I thought our activities were confined to Mars."
[31] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
[32] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true.
[33] But this is a special job.
[34] It so happens this Venusian is the one man who can help us understand just what's happening on Mars."
[35] I tried to picture a Venusian understanding Mars and I didn't get very far.
[36] "He's had many dealings with the natives there," Walsh explained.
[37] "If anyone can tell us the reasons for the revolt, he can."
[38] If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh.
[39] I had to laugh at the way he called it "revolt."
[40] It had been going on for six months now and we'd lost at least a thousand men from Space II.
[41] Revolt.
[42] "And this man is on Venus now?"
[43] I asked for confirmation.
[44] I'd never been to Venus, being in Space II ever since I'd left the Moon run.
[45] It was just like Walsh to ship me off to a strange place.
[46] "Yes, Major," he said.
[47] "This man is on Venus."
[48] At the Academy he had called me Fred.
[49] That was before I'd reported him for sleeping on Boiler Watch.
[50] He'd goofed off on a pile of uranium that could've, and almost did, blow the barracks sky-high that night.
[51] He still thought it was my fault, as if I'd done the wrong thing by reporting him.
[52] And now, through the fouled-up machinery that exists in any military organization, he outranked me.
[53] "And the man's name, sir?"
[54] "Joe."
[55] A tight smile played on his face.
[56] "Joe what?"
[57] I asked.
[58] "Just Joe."
[59] "Just Joe?"
[60] "Yes," Walsh said.
[61] "A native, you know.
[62] They rarely go in for more than first names.
[63] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[64] Among the natives, I mean."
[65] "I don't know, sir."
[66] "A relatively simple assignment," Walsh said.
[67] "Can you tell me anything else about this man?
[68] Physical appearance?
[69] Personal habits?
[70] Anything?"
[71] Walsh seemed to consider this for a moment.
[72] "Well, physically he's like any of the other Venusians, so I can't give you much help there.
[73] He does have a peculiar habit, though."
[74] "What's that?"
[75] "He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes."
[76] I sighed.
[77] "Well, it's not very much to go on."
[78] "You'll find him," Walsh said, grinning.
[79] "I'm sure of it."
[80] The trip to Venus came off without a hitch.
[81] I did a lot of thinking on that trip.
[82] I thought about Mars and the revolt there.
[83] And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt.
[84] Ever since Walsh had taken command, ever since he'd started pushing the natives around, there'd been trouble.
[85] It was almost as if the whole damned planet had blown up in our faces the moment he took over.
[86] Swell guy, Walsh.
[87] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be.
[88] Much too hot for the tunic I was wearing.
[89] It smelled, too.
[90] A funny smell I couldn't place.
[91] Like a mixture of old shoe and after-shave.
[92] There were plants everywhere I looked.
[93] Big plants and small ones, some blooming with flowers I'd never seen before, and some as bare as cactus.
[94] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
[95] He was tall, looking almost human except that everything about him was elongated.
[96] His features, his muscles, everything seemed to have been stretched like a rubber band.
[97] I kept expecting him to pop back to normal.
[98] Instead, he flashed a double row of brilliant teeth at me.
[99] I wondered if he spoke English.
[100] "Hey, boy," I called.
[101] He ambled over with long-legged strides that closed the distance between us in seconds.
[102] "Call me Joe," he said.
[103] I dropped my bags and stared at him.
[104] Maybe this was going to be a simple assignment after all.
[105] "I sure am glad to see you, Joe," I said.
[106] "Same here, Toots," he answered.
[107] "The guys back in Space II are searching high and low for you," I told him.
[108] "You've got the wrong number," he said, and I was a little surprised at his use of Terran idiom.
[109] "You are Joe, aren't you?
[110] Joe the trader?"
[111] "I'm Joe, all right," he said.
[112] "Only thing I ever traded, though, was a pocketknife.
[113] Got a set of keys for it."
[114] "Oh," I said, my voice conveying my disappointment.
[115] I sighed and began wondering just how I should go about contacting the Joe I was looking for.
[116] My orders said I was to report to Captain Bransten immediately upon arrival.
[117] I figured the hell with Captain Bransten.
[118] I outranked him anyway, and there wasn't much he could do if I decided to stop for a drink first.
[119] "Where's the Officer's Club?"
[120] I asked the Venusian.
[121] "Are you buying information or are you just curious?"
[122] "Can you take me there?"
[123] I asked.
[124] "Sure thing, Toots."
[125] He picked up my bags and started walking up a heavily overgrown path.
[126] We'd probably walked for about ten minutes when he dropped my bags and said, "There it is."
[127] The Officer's Club was a plasteel hut with window shields that protected it from the heat of the sun.
[128] It didn't look too comfortable but I really wanted that drink.
[129] I reached into my tunic and slipped the native thirty solars.
[130] He stared at the credits curiously and then shrugged his shoulders.
[131] "Oh well, you're new here.
[132] We'll let it go."
[133] He took off then, while I stared after him, wondering just what he'd meant.
[134] Had I tipped him too little?
[135] I shrugged and looked over at the Officer's Club.
[136] From the outside it looked as hot as hell.
[137] On the inside it was about two degrees short of that mark.
[138] I began to curse Walsh for taking me away from my nice soft job in Space II.
[139] There wasn't much inside the club.
[140] A few tables and chairs, a dart game and a bar.
[141] Behind the bar a tall Venusian lounged.
[142] I walked over and asked, "What are you serving, pal?"
[143] "Call me Joe," he answered.
[144] He caught me off balance.
[145] "What?"
[146] "Joe," he said again.
[147] A faint glimmer of understanding began to penetrate my thick skull.
[148] "You wouldn't happen to be Joe the trader?
[149] The guy who knows all about Mars, would you?"
[150] "I never left home," he said simply.
[151] "What are you drinking?"
[152] That rat!
[153] That dirty, filthy, stinking, unprincipled....
[154] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[155] Among the natives, I mean.
[156] Sure.
[157] Oh sure.
[158] Real simple.
[159] Walsh was about the lowest, most contemptible.... "What are you drinking, pal?"
[160] the Venusian asked again.
[161] "Skip it," I said.
[162] "How do I get to the captain's shack?"
[163] "Follow your nose, pal.
[164] Can't miss it."
[165] I started to pick up my bag as another Venusian entered.
[166] He waved at the bartender.
[167] "Hello, Joe," he said.
[168] "How's it going?"
[169] "Not so hot, Joe," the bartender replied.
[170] I listened in fascination.
[171] Joe, Joe, Joe.
[172] So this was Walsh's idea of a great gag.
[173] Very funny.
[174] Very.... "You Major Polk, sweetheart?"
[175] the Venusian who'd just come in asked.
[176] "Yes," I said, still thinking of Colonel Walsh.
[177] "You better get your butt over to the captain's shack," he said.
[178] "He's about ready to post you as overdue."
[179] "Sure," I said wearily.
[180] "Will you take my bags, please?"
[181] "Roger," he answered.
[182] He picked up the bags and nodded at the bar.
[183] "So long, Joe," he said to the bartender.
[184] "See you, Joe," the bartender called back.
[185] Captain Bransten was a mousey, unimpressive sort of man.
[186] He was wearing a tropical tunic, but he still resembled a wilted lily more than he did an officer.
[187] "Have a seat, Major," he offered.
[188] He reached for a cigarette box on the desk and extended it to me.
[189] He coughed in embarrassment when he saw it was empty.
[190] Quickly, he pressed a button on his desk and the door popped open.
[191] A tall, blue Venusian stepped lithely into the room.
[192] "Sir?"
[193] the Venusian asked.
[194] "We're out of cigarettes, Joe," the Captain said.
[195] "Will you get us some, please?"
[196] "Sure thing," the Venusian answered.
[197] He smiled broadly and closed the door behind him.
[198] Another Joe , I thought.
[199] Another damned Joe.
[200] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
[201] "Steal what?"
[202] I asked.
[203] "Cigarettes.
[204] I sometimes think the cigarette is one of the few things they like about Terran culture."
[205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
[206] He does have a peculiar habit, though.
[207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
[208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
[209] "All right," I said, "suppose we start at the beginning."
[210] Captain Bransten opened his eyes wide.
[211] "Sir?"
[212] he asked.
[213] "What's with all this Joe business?
[214] It may be a very original name but I think its popularity here is a little outstanding."
[215] Captain Bransten began to chuckle softly.
[216] I personally didn't think it was so funny.
[217] I tossed him my withering Superior Officer's gaze and waited for his explanation.
[218] "I hadn't realized this was your first time on Venus," he said.
[219] "Is there a local hero named Joe?"
[220] I asked.
[221] "No, no, nothing like that," he assured me.
[222] "It's a simple culture, you know.
[223] Not nearly as developed as Mars."
[224] "I can see that," I said bitingly.
[225] "And the natives are only now becoming acquainted with Terran culture.
[226] Lots of enlisted men, you know."
[227] I began to get the idea.
[228] And I began to appreciate Walsh's doubtful ancestry more keenly.
[229] "It's impossible to tell exactly where it all started, of course," Bransten was saying.
[230] I was beginning to get angry.
[231] Very angry.
[232] I was thinking of Walsh sitting back in a nice cozy foam chair back on Earth.
[233] "Get to the point, Captain!"
[234] I barked.
[235] "Easy, sir," Bransten said, turning pale.
[236] I could see that the Captain wasn't used to entertaining Majors.
[237] "The enlisted men.
[238] You know how they are.
[239] They'll ask a native to do something and they'll call him Joe.
[240] 'Hey, Joe, give me a hand with this.'
[241] Or 'Listen, Joe, how'd you like to earn some cigarettes?'
[242] Do you follow?"
[243] "I follow, all right," I said bitterly.
[244] "Well," Bransten went on, "that sort of thing mushrooms.
[245] The natives are a simple, almost childish people.
[246] It appealed to them—the Joe business, I mean.
[247] Now they're all Joe.
[248] They like it.
[249] That and the cigarettes."
[250] He cleared his throat and looked at me apologetically as if he were personally responsible for Venusian culture.
[251] In fact, he looked as if he were responsible for having put Venus in the heavens in the first place.
[252] "Do you understand, Major?
[253] Just a case of extended idiom, that's all."
[254] Just a case of extended idiot , I thought.
[255] An idiot on a wild goose chase a hell of a long way from home.
[256] "I understand perfectly," I snapped.
[257] "Where are my quarters?"
[258] Bransten asked a Venusian named Joe to show me my quarters, reminding me that chow was at thirteen hundred.
[259] As I was leaving, the first Venusian came back with the cigarettes Bransten had ordered.
[260] I could tell by the look on his face that he probably had half a carton stuffed into his pockets.
[261] I shrugged and went to change into a tropical tunic.
[262] I called Earth right after chow.
[263] The Captain assured me that this sort of thing was definitely against regulations, but he submitted when I twinkled my little gold leaf under his nose.
[264] Walsh's face appeared on the screen.
[265] He was smiling, looking like a fat pussy cat.
[266] "What is it, Major?"
[267] he asked.
[268] "This man Joe," I said.
[269] "Can you give me any more on him?"
[270] Walsh's grin grew wider.
[271] "Why, Major," he said, "you're not having any difficulties, are you?"
[272] "None at all," I snapped back.
[273] "I just thought I'd be able to find him a lot sooner if...." "Take your time, Major," Walsh beamed.
[274] "There's no rush at all."
[275] "I thought...." "I'm sure you can do the job," Walsh cut in.
[276] "I wouldn't have sent you otherwise."
[277] Hell, I was through kidding around.
[278] "Look...." "He's somewhere in the jungle, you know," Walsh said.
[279] I wanted to ram my fist into the screen, right smack up against those big white teeth.
[280] Instead, I cut off the transmission and watched the surprised look on his face as his screen went blank millions of miles away.
[281] He blinked at the screen, trying to realize I'd deliberately hung up on him.
[282] "Polk!"
[283] he shouted, "can you hear me?"
[284] I smiled, saw the twisted hatred on his features, and then the screen on my end went blank, too.
[285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
[286] I thanked Captain Bransten for his hospitality and went back to my quarters.
[287] As I saw it, there were two courses for me to follow.
[288] One: I could say the hell with Walsh and Venus.
[289] That would mean hopping the next ship back to Earth.
[290] It would also mean disobeying the direct order of a superior officer.
[291] It might mean demotion, and it might mean getting bounced out of the Service altogether.
[292] Two: I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a trader Joe who knew the Martians well.
[293] I could always admit failure, of course, and return empty handed.
[294] Mission not accomplished.
[295] Or, I might really find a guy who was trader Joe.
[296] I made my decision quickly.
[297] I wanted to stay in the Service, and besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his life.
[298] Maybe there was a Joe here who could help us on Mars.
[299] If there was I'd try to find him.
[300] It was still a hell of a trick though.
[301] I cursed Walsh again and pushed the buzzer near my bed.
[302] A tall Venusian stepped into the room.
[303] "Joe?"
[304] I asked, just to be sure.
[305] "Who else, boss?"
[306] he answered.
[307] "I'm trying to locate someone," I said.
[308] "I'll need a guide to take me into the jungle.
[309] Can you get me one?"
[310] "It'll cost you, boss," the Venusian said.
[311] "How much?"
[312] "Two cartons of cigarettes at least."
[313] "Who's the guide?"
[314] I asked.
[315] "How's the price sound?"
[316] "Fine, fine," I said impatiently.
[317] And the Captain had said they were almost a childish people!
[318] "His name is Joe," the Venusian told me.
[319] "Best damn guide on the planet.
[320] Take you anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do.
[321] Courageous.
[322] Doesn't know the meaning of fear.
[323] I've known him to...." "Skip it," I said, cutting the promotion short.
[324] "Tell him to show up around fifteen hundred with a complete list of what we'll need."
[325] The Venusian started to leave.
[326] "And Joe," I said, stopping him at the door, "I hope you're not overlooking your commission on the deal."
[327] His face broke into a wide grin.
[328] "No danger of that, boss," he said.
[329] When he was gone I began figuring out a plan of action.
[330] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
[331] Everybody, at least, but the Captain, the small garrison attached to the Station, and me.
[332] I began wondering why Walsh had gone to so much trouble to get rid of me.
[333] The job, as I saw it, would take a hell of a long time.
[334] It seemed like a silly thing to do, just to get even with a guy for something that had happened years ago.
[335] He surely must have realized that I'd be back again, sooner or later.
[336] Maybe he had another little junket all set for me.
[337] Or maybe he didn't expect me to come back.
[338] The thought hadn't occurred to me before this, and I began to consider it seriously.
[339] Walsh was no good, rotten clear through.
[340] He was failing at the job of keeping Mars in hand, and he probably realized that a few more mistakes on his part would mean the end of his career with Space II.
[341] I chuckled as I thought of him isolated in some God-forsaken place like Space V or Space VII.
[342] This probably bothered him a lot, too.
[343] But what probably bothered him more was the fact that I was next in command.
[344] If he were transferred, I'd be in charge of Space II, and I could understand how much that would appeal to Walsh.
[345] I tried to figure the thing out sensibly, tried to weigh his good points against his bad.
[346] But it all came back to the same thing.
[347] A guy who would deliberately go to sleep on Boiler Watch with a ton of uranium ready to blast a barracks to smithereens if it wasn't watched, would deliberately do just about anything.
[348] Sending me off on a wild goose chase after a character named Joe may have been a gag.
[349] But it may have been something a little grimmer than a gag, and I made up my mind to be extremely careful from here on in.
[350] The guide arrived at fifteen hundred on the dot.
[351] He was tall, elongated, looked almost like all the other Venusians I'd seen so far.
[352] "I understand you need a Grade A guide, sir," he said.
[353] "Are you familiar with the jungle?"
[354] I asked him.
[355] "Born and raised there, sir.
[356] Know it like the back of my hand."
[357] "Has Joe told you what the payment will be?"
[358] "Yes, sir.
[359] A carton and a half of cigarettes."
[360] I thought about Joe deducting his commission and smiled.
[361] "When can we leave?"
[362] "Right away, sir.
[363] We won't need much really.
[364] I've made a list of supplies and I can get them in less than an hour.
[365] I suggest you wear light clothing, boots, and a hat."
[366] "Will I need a weapon?"
[367] He looked at me, his eyes faintly amused.
[368] "Why, what for, sir?"
[369] "Never mind," I said.
[370] "What's your name, by the way?"
[371] He lifted his eyebrows, and his eyes widened in his narrow face.
[372] He was definitely surprised.
[373] "Joe," he said.
[374] "Didn't you know?"
[375] When we'd been out for a while I discovered why Joe had suggested the boots and the hat.
[376] The undergrowth was often sharp and jagged and it would have sliced my legs to ribbons were they not protected by the high boots.
[377] The hat kept the strong sun off my head.
[378] Joe was an excellent guide and a pleasant companion.
[379] He seemed to be enjoying a great romp, seemed to love the jungle and take a secret pleasure in the work he was doing.
[380] There were times when I couldn't see three feet ahead of me.
[381] He'd stand stock still for a few minutes, his head barely moving, his eyes darting from one plant to another.
[382] Then he'd say, "This way," and take off into what looked like more impenetrable jungle invariably to find a little path leading directly to another village.
[383] Each village was the same.
[384] The natives would come running out of their huts, tall and blue, shouting, "Cigarettes, Joe?
[385] Cigarettes?"
[386] It took me a while to realize they were addressing me and not my guide.
[387] Everybody was Joe.
[388] It was one beautiful, happy, joyous round of stinking, hot jungle.
[389] And I wasn't getting any nearer my man.
[390] Nor had I any idea how I was supposed to find him.
[391] I began to feel pretty low about the whole affair.
[392] Joe, on the other hand, enjoyed every moment of the trip.
[393] In each village he greeted the natives cheerfully, told them stories, swapped gossip and jokes.
[394] And when it was time to leave, he would say goodbye to all his friends and we would plunge into the twisted foliage again.
[395] His spirits were always high and he never failed to say the right thing that would give a momentary lift to my own depressed state of mind.
[396] He would talk for hours on end as we hacked our way through the jungle.
[397] "I like Venus," he said once.
[398] "I would never leave it."
[399] "Have you ever been to Earth?"
[400] I asked.
[401] "No," Joe replied.
[402] "I like Terrans too, you understand.
[403] They are good for Venus.
[404] And they are fun."
[405] "Fun?"
[406] I asked, thinking of a particular species of Terran: species Leonard Walsh.
[407] "Yes, yes," he said wholeheartedly.
[408] "They joke and they laugh and ... well, you know."
[409] "I suppose so," I admitted.
[410] Joe smiled secretly, and we pushed on.
[411] I began to find, more and more, that I had started to talk freely to Joe.
[412] In the beginning he had been just my guide.
[413] There had been the strained relationship of employer and employee.
[414] But as the days lengthened into weeks, the formal atmosphere began to crumble.
[415] I found myself telling him all about Earth, about the people there, about my decision to attend the Academy, the rigid tests, the grind, even the Moon run.
[416] Joe was a good listener, nodding sympathetically, finding experiences in his own life to parallel my own.
[417] And as our relationship progressed from a casual one to a definitely friendly one, Joe seemed more enthusiastic than ever to keep up our grinding pace to find what we were looking for.
[418] Once we stopped in a clearing to rest.
[419] Joe lounged on the matted greenery, his long body stretched out in front of him, the knife gleaming in his belt.
[420] I'd seen him slash his way through thick, tangled vines with that knife, his long, muscular arms powerfully slicing through them like strips of silk.
[421] "How far are we from the Station?"
[422] I asked.
[423] "Three or four Earth weeks," he replied.
[424] I sighed wearily.
[425] "Where do we go from here?"
[426] "There are more villages," he said.
[427] "We'll never find him."
[428] "Possibly," Joe mused, the smile creeping over his face again.
[429] "A wild goose chase.
[430] A fool's errand."
[431] "We'd better get started," Joe said simply.
[432] I got to my feet and we started the march again.
[433] Joe was still fresh, a brilliant contrast to me, weary and dejected.
[434] Somehow, I had the same feeling I'd had a long time ago on my sixteenth birthday.
[435] One of my friends had taken me all over the city, finally dropping me off at my own house where the whole gang was gathered for a surprise party.
[436] Joe reminded me of that friend.
[437] "There's a village ahead," he said, and the grin on his face was large now, his eyes shining.
[438] Something was missing here.
[439] Natives.
[440] There were no natives rushing out to greet us.
[441] No cries of "Cigarettes?
[442] Cigarettes?"
[443] I caught up with Joe.
[444] "What's the story?"
[445] I whispered.
[446] He shrugged knowingly and continued walking.
[447] And then I saw the ship, nose pointing into space, catching the rays of the sun like a great silver bullet.
[448] "What...?"
[449] I started.
[450] "It's all right," Joe said, smiling.
[451] The ship looked vaguely familiar.
[452] I noticed the crest of Space II near the nose, and a lot of things became clear then.
[453] I also saw Walsh standing near one of the huts, a stun gun in his hand.
[454] "Hello, Major," he called, almost cheerfully.
[455] The gun didn't look cheerful, though.
[456] It was pointed at my head.
[457] "Fancy meeting you here, Colonel," I said, trying to match his joviality.
[458] Somehow it didn't quite come off.
[459] Joe was walking beside me, waving at the colonel, beaming all over with happiness.
[460] "I see you found your man," Walsh said.
[461] I turned rapidly.
[462] Joe nodded and kept grinning, a grin that told me he was getting a big kick out of all this.
[463] Like a kid playing a game.
[464] I faced Walsh again.
[465] "Okay, what's it all about, pal?"
[466] "Colonel," Walsh corrected me.
[467] "You mustn't forget to say Colonel, Major ."
[468] He emphasized my rank, and he said it with a sort of ruthless finality.
[469] I waited.
[470] I could see he was just busting to tell me how clever he'd been.
[471] Besides, there wasn't much I could do but wait.
[472] Not with Walsh pointing the stun gun at my middle.
[473] "We've come a long way since the Academy, haven't we, Major?"
[474] "If you mean in miles," I said, looking around at the plants, "we sure have."
[475] Walsh grinned a little.
[476] "Always the wit," he said drily.
[477] And then the smile faded from his lips and his eyes took on a hard lustre.
[478] "I'm going to kill you, you know."
[479] He said it as if he were saying, "I think it'll rain tomorrow."
[480] Joe almost clapped his hands together with glee.
[481] He was really enjoying this.
[482] Another of those funny Terran games.
[483] "You gave me a powerful handicap to overcome," Walsh said.
[484] "I suppose I should thank you, really."
[485] "You're welcome," I said.
[486] "It wasn't easy living down the disgrace you caused me."
[487] "It was your own damn fault," I said.
[488] "You knew what you were doing when you decided to cork off."
[489] Beside me, Joe chuckled a little, enjoying the game immensely.
[490] "You didn't have to report me," Walsh said.
[491] "No?
[492] Maybe I should have forgotten all about it?
[493] Maybe I should have nudged you and served you orange juice?
[494] So you could do it again sometime and maybe blow up the whole damn Academy!"
[495] Walsh was silent for a long time.
[496] When he spoke his voice was barely audible.
[497] The heat was oppressive, as if it were concentrated on this little spot in the jungle, focusing all its penetration on a small, unimportant drama.
[498] I could hear Joe breathing beside me.
[499] "I'm on my way out," Walsh rasped.
[500] "Finished, do you understand?"
[501] "Good," I said.
[502] And I meant it.
[503] "This Mars thing.
[504] A terrible fix.
[505] Terrible."
[506] Beside me, a slight frown crossed Joe's face.
[507] Apparently he couldn't understand the seriousness of our voices.
[508] What had happened to the game, the fun?
[509] "You brought the Mars business on yourself," I told Walsh.
[510] "There was never any trouble before you took command."
[511] "The natives," he practically shouted.
[512] "They ... they...." Joe caught his breath sharply, and I wondered what Walsh was going to say about the natives.
[513] Apparently he'd realized that Joe was a native.
[514] Or maybe Joe's knife had something to do with it.
[515] "What about the natives?"
[516] I asked.
[517] "Nothing," Walsh said.
[518] "Nothing."
[519] He was silent for a while.
[520] "A man of my calibre," he said then, his face grim.
[521] "Dealing with savages."
[522] He caught himself again and threw a hasty glance at Joe.
[523] The perplexed frown had grown heavier on Joe's face.
[524] He looked at the colonel in puzzlement. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Why do the Colonel and the Major hate each other?":
1. [48] At the Academy he had called me Fred. That was before I'd reported him for sleeping on Boiler Watch.
2. [49] He'd goofed off on a pile of uranium that could've, and almost did, blow the barracks sky-high that night.
3. [50] He still thought it was my fault, as if I'd done the wrong thing by reporting him.
4. [51] And now, through the fouled-up machinery that exists in any military organization, he outranked me.
5. [82] I thought about Mars and the revolt there. And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt.
6. [83] Ever since Walsh had taken command, ever since he'd started pushing the natives around, there'd been trouble.
7. [84] It was almost as if the whole damned planet had blown up in our faces the moment he took over.
8. [86] Swell guy, Walsh.
9. [265] Walsh's face appeared on the screen. He was smiling, looking like a fat pussy cat.
10. [266] "What is it, Major?" he asked.
11. [267] "This man Joe," I said. "Can you give me any more on him?"
12. [268] Walsh's grin grew wider.
13. [269] "Why, Major," he said, "you're not having any difficulties, are you?"
14. [270] "None at all," I snapped back.
15. [271] "I just thought I'd be able to find him a lot sooner if...."
16. [272] "Take your time, Major," Walsh beamed.
17. [273] "There's no rush at all."
18. [274] "I thought...."
19. [275] "I'm sure you can do the job," Walsh cut in.
20. [276] "I wouldn't have sent you otherwise."
21. [277] Hell, I was through kidding around.
22. [278] "Look...."
23. [279] "He's somewhere in the jungle, you know," Walsh said.
24. [280] I wanted to ram my fist into the screen, right smack up against those big white teeth.
25. [281] Instead, I cut off the transmission and watched the surprised look on his face as his screen went blank millions of miles away.
26. [282] He blinked at the screen, trying to realize I'd deliberately hung up on him.
27. [283] "Polk!" he shouted, "can you hear me?"
28. [284] I smiled, saw the twisted hatred on his features, and then the screen on my end went blank, too.
29. [285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
30. [330] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
31. [331] Everybody, at least, but the Captain, the small garrison attached to the Station, and me.
32. [332] I began wondering why Walsh had gone to so much trouble to get rid of me.
33. [333] The job, as I saw it, would take a hell of a long time.
34. [334] It seemed like a silly thing to do, just to get even with a guy for something that had happened years ago.
35. [335] He surely must have realized that I'd be back again, sooner or later.
36. [336] Maybe he had another little junket all set for me.
37. [337] Or maybe he didn't expect me to come back.
38. [338] The thought hadn't occurred to me before this, and I began to consider it seriously.
39. [339] Walsh was no good, rotten clear through.
40. [340] He was failing at the job of keeping Mars in hand, and he probably realized that a few more mistakes on his part would mean the end of his career with Space II.
41. [341] I chuckled as I thought of him isolated in some God-forsaken place like Space V or Space VII.
42. [342] This probably bothered him a lot, too.
43. [343] But what probably bothered him more was the fact that I was next in command.
44. [344] If he were transferred, I'd be in charge of Space II, and I could understand how much that would appeal to Walsh.
45. [345] I tried to figure the thing out sensibly, tried to weigh his good points against his bad.
46. [346] But it all came back to the same thing.
47. [347] A guy who would deliberately go to sleep on Boiler Watch with a ton of uranium ready to blast a barracks to smithereens if it wasn't watched, would deliberately do just about anything.
48. [348] Sending me off on a wild goose chase after a character named Joe may have been a gag.
49. [349] But it may have been something a little grimmer than a gag, and I made up my mind to be extremely careful from here on in.
50. [452] I also saw Walsh standing near one of the huts, a stun gun in his hand.
51. [453] "Hello, Major," he called, almost cheerfully.
52. [454] The gun didn't look cheerful, though.
53. [455] It was pointed at my head.
54. [456] "Fancy meeting you here, Colonel," I said, trying to match his joviality.
55. [457] Somehow it didn't quite come off.
56. [458] Joe was walking beside me, waving at the colonel, beaming all over with happiness.
57. [459] "I see you found your man," Walsh said.
58. [460] I turned rapidly.
59. [461] Joe nodded and kept grinning, a grin that told me he was getting a big kick out of all this.
60. [462] Like a kid playing a game.
61. [463] I faced Walsh again.
62. [464] "Okay, what's it all about, pal?"
63. [465] "Colonel," Walsh corrected me.
64. [466] "You mustn't forget to say Colonel, Major."
65. [467] He emphasized my rank, and he said it with a sort of ruthless finality.
66. [468] I waited.
67. [469] I could see he was just busting to tell me how clever he'd been.
68. [470] Besides, there wasn't much I could do but wait.
69. [471] Not with Walsh pointing the stun gun at my middle.
70. [472] "We've come a long way since the Academy, haven't we, Major?"
71. [473] "If you mean in miles," I said, looking around at the plants, "we sure have."
72. [474] Walsh grinned a little.
73. [475] "Always the wit," he said drily.
74. [476] And then the smile faded from his lips and his eyes took on a hard lustre.
75. [477] "I'm going to kill you, you know."
76. [478] He said it as if he were saying, "I think it'll rain tomorrow."
77. [479] Joe almost clapped his hands together with glee.
78. [480] He was really enjoying this.
79. [481] Another of those funny Terran games.
80. [482] "You gave me a powerful handicap to overcome," Walsh said.
81. [483] "I suppose I should thank you, really."
82. [484] "You're welcome," I said.
83. [485] "It wasn't easy living down the disgrace you caused me."
84. [486] "It was your own damn fault," I said.
85. [487] "You knew what you were doing when you decided to cork off."
86. [488] Beside me, Joe chuckled a little, enjoying the game immensely.
87. [489] "You didn't have to report me," Walsh said.
88. [490] "No? Maybe I should have forgotten all about it? Maybe I should have nudged you and served you orange juice? So you could do it again sometime and maybe blow up the whole damn Academy!"
89. [491] Walsh was silent for a long time.
90. [492] When he spoke his voice was barely audible.
91. [493] The heat was oppressive, as if it were concentrated on this little spot in the jungle, focusing all its penetration on a small, unimportant drama.
92. [494] I could hear Joe breathing beside me.
93. [495] "I'm on my way out," Walsh rasped.
94. [496] "Finished, do you understand?"
95. [497] "Good," I said.
96. [498] And I meant it.
97. [499] "This Mars thing. A terrible fix. Terrible."
98. [500] Beside me, a slight frown crossed Joe's face.
99. [501] Apparently he couldn't understand the seriousness of our voices.
100. [502] What had happened to the game, the fun? |
What is the main setting of the story? | [
"The main setting of the story is the planet Venus. The planet is described as being extremely hot, and having the scent of an old shoe and after shave. There are plants everywhere, of all sizes and varieties, some with strange and wonderful flowers. There is a station for Space II, which includes The Officers Club: a small shack which functions as a bar, and The Captain's Shack. The world is covered in thick jungle, which is impossible to orient unless you're a local. The floor of the jungle is filled with sharp undergrowth that would shred your feet. In the jungle are little hidden pathways that lead to small villages, where native Venusians live.",
"The story mainly takes place on the planet Venus, its climate primarily consisting of thick jungles and rainforests. Major Polk describes the planet as very hot with a strange smell, with unfamiliar plants. The natives on Venus are tall, blue, human looking figures. Major Polk first visits the Officer's Club, a tiny hut. Later in the story, Major Polk is guided through the jungles of Venus by Joe, which are described as impenetrable and humid.",
"The story begins on Earth. Major Polk is at the Patrol Station in Area Two on Earth to meet with the Colonel. Major Polk is assigned to find a man on Venus by the Colonel. So, he heads to Venus. The Major describes the planet as incredibly hot and uncomfortable. It also has a smell that isn’t easily discernible. There are large and small plants with unusual flowers dotted all over the place. The first place that the Major goes to on Venus is the Officer’s Club, a hut with window shields meant to protect from the heat. Nevertheless, the place was still very hot inside. Inside there were some seating, basic bar games, and the bar where a Venusian bartender stood. Once he leaves the bar, he heads to the Captain’s shack to find more information on the situation. Eventually leaving the Captain’s shack, he goes to his sleeping quarters. After finding a guide, the Major and his guide head off into the jungle in search of a Joe. They go through a thick jungle, encountering different villages along the way. The jungle is so thick that occasionally, the guide has to use a knife to cut through the brush. After weeks, they make it to one particular village where the Major spots a ship that catches the rays of the sun. The Colonel is standing near the ship with a gun pointed at Major Polk.",
"The main setting of the story is on Venus, where the temperature is very hot and has a strange smell. The whole planet is filled with plants, big and small, blooming and bare. There is a heavily overgrown path that leads to the Officer’s Club. The bar has pastel hut and window shields for protection against the sun. The bar has some chairs and tables, a dart game, and a bar. Captain Bransten’s office has a desk and there is a button on the desk that would call for a Venusian. There is also a screen for calling Earth. The Major’s quarter also has a buzzer near his bed. The jungle is filled with plants, and sometimes even fogs. The villages have natives and huts that they live in. Later in the village where there is no natives, there is only a ship that has the crest of Space II."
] | [1] A PLANET NAMED JOE By S. A. LOMBINO There were more Joes on Venus than you could shake a ray-gun at.
[2] Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories November 1952.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Colonel Walsh had a great sense of humor.
[6] I hated his guts ever since we went through the Academy together, but he had a great sense of humor.
[7] For example, he could have chosen a Second Looie for the job on Venus.
[8] He might even have picked a Captain.
[9] But he liked me about as much as I liked him, and so he decided the job was just right for a Major.
[10] At least, that's what he told me.
[11] I stood at attention before his desk in the Patrol Station.
[12] We were somewhere in Area Two on Earth, takeoff point for any operations in Space II.
[13] The duty was fine, and I liked it a lot.
[14] Come to think of it, the most I ever did was inspect a few defective tubes every now and then.
[15] The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy.
[16] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
[17] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
[18] "Yes, sir," I said.
[19] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
[20] I wanted to say, "Then why the hell don't you send a green kid on the job?
[21] Why me?"
[22] Instead, I nodded and watched him playing with his fingers.
[23] "The man is a trader of sorts.
[24] Rather intelligent."
[25] He paused, then added, "For a native, that is."
[26] I had never liked Walsh's attitude toward natives.
[27] I hadn't liked the way he'd treated the natives on Mars ever since he'd taken over there.
[28] Which brought to mind an important point.
[29] "I always figured Venus was under the jurisdiction of Space III, sir.
[30] I thought our activities were confined to Mars."
[31] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
[32] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true.
[33] But this is a special job.
[34] It so happens this Venusian is the one man who can help us understand just what's happening on Mars."
[35] I tried to picture a Venusian understanding Mars and I didn't get very far.
[36] "He's had many dealings with the natives there," Walsh explained.
[37] "If anyone can tell us the reasons for the revolt, he can."
[38] If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh.
[39] I had to laugh at the way he called it "revolt."
[40] It had been going on for six months now and we'd lost at least a thousand men from Space II.
[41] Revolt.
[42] "And this man is on Venus now?"
[43] I asked for confirmation.
[44] I'd never been to Venus, being in Space II ever since I'd left the Moon run.
[45] It was just like Walsh to ship me off to a strange place.
[46] "Yes, Major," he said.
[47] "This man is on Venus."
[48] At the Academy he had called me Fred.
[49] That was before I'd reported him for sleeping on Boiler Watch.
[50] He'd goofed off on a pile of uranium that could've, and almost did, blow the barracks sky-high that night.
[51] He still thought it was my fault, as if I'd done the wrong thing by reporting him.
[52] And now, through the fouled-up machinery that exists in any military organization, he outranked me.
[53] "And the man's name, sir?"
[54] "Joe."
[55] A tight smile played on his face.
[56] "Joe what?"
[57] I asked.
[58] "Just Joe."
[59] "Just Joe?"
[60] "Yes," Walsh said.
[61] "A native, you know.
[62] They rarely go in for more than first names.
[63] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[64] Among the natives, I mean."
[65] "I don't know, sir."
[66] "A relatively simple assignment," Walsh said.
[67] "Can you tell me anything else about this man?
[68] Physical appearance?
[69] Personal habits?
[70] Anything?"
[71] Walsh seemed to consider this for a moment.
[72] "Well, physically he's like any of the other Venusians, so I can't give you much help there.
[73] He does have a peculiar habit, though."
[74] "What's that?"
[75] "He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes."
[76] I sighed.
[77] "Well, it's not very much to go on."
[78] "You'll find him," Walsh said, grinning.
[79] "I'm sure of it."
[80] The trip to Venus came off without a hitch.
[81] I did a lot of thinking on that trip.
[82] I thought about Mars and the revolt there.
[83] And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt.
[84] Ever since Walsh had taken command, ever since he'd started pushing the natives around, there'd been trouble.
[85] It was almost as if the whole damned planet had blown up in our faces the moment he took over.
[86] Swell guy, Walsh.
[87] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be.
[88] Much too hot for the tunic I was wearing.
[89] It smelled, too.
[90] A funny smell I couldn't place.
[91] Like a mixture of old shoe and after-shave.
[92] There were plants everywhere I looked.
[93] Big plants and small ones, some blooming with flowers I'd never seen before, and some as bare as cactus.
[94] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
[95] He was tall, looking almost human except that everything about him was elongated.
[96] His features, his muscles, everything seemed to have been stretched like a rubber band.
[97] I kept expecting him to pop back to normal.
[98] Instead, he flashed a double row of brilliant teeth at me.
[99] I wondered if he spoke English.
[100] "Hey, boy," I called.
[101] He ambled over with long-legged strides that closed the distance between us in seconds.
[102] "Call me Joe," he said.
[103] I dropped my bags and stared at him.
[104] Maybe this was going to be a simple assignment after all.
[105] "I sure am glad to see you, Joe," I said.
[106] "Same here, Toots," he answered.
[107] "The guys back in Space II are searching high and low for you," I told him.
[108] "You've got the wrong number," he said, and I was a little surprised at his use of Terran idiom.
[109] "You are Joe, aren't you?
[110] Joe the trader?"
[111] "I'm Joe, all right," he said.
[112] "Only thing I ever traded, though, was a pocketknife.
[113] Got a set of keys for it."
[114] "Oh," I said, my voice conveying my disappointment.
[115] I sighed and began wondering just how I should go about contacting the Joe I was looking for.
[116] My orders said I was to report to Captain Bransten immediately upon arrival.
[117] I figured the hell with Captain Bransten.
[118] I outranked him anyway, and there wasn't much he could do if I decided to stop for a drink first.
[119] "Where's the Officer's Club?"
[120] I asked the Venusian.
[121] "Are you buying information or are you just curious?"
[122] "Can you take me there?"
[123] I asked.
[124] "Sure thing, Toots."
[125] He picked up my bags and started walking up a heavily overgrown path.
[126] We'd probably walked for about ten minutes when he dropped my bags and said, "There it is."
[127] The Officer's Club was a plasteel hut with window shields that protected it from the heat of the sun.
[128] It didn't look too comfortable but I really wanted that drink.
[129] I reached into my tunic and slipped the native thirty solars.
[130] He stared at the credits curiously and then shrugged his shoulders.
[131] "Oh well, you're new here.
[132] We'll let it go."
[133] He took off then, while I stared after him, wondering just what he'd meant.
[134] Had I tipped him too little?
[135] I shrugged and looked over at the Officer's Club.
[136] From the outside it looked as hot as hell.
[137] On the inside it was about two degrees short of that mark.
[138] I began to curse Walsh for taking me away from my nice soft job in Space II.
[139] There wasn't much inside the club.
[140] A few tables and chairs, a dart game and a bar.
[141] Behind the bar a tall Venusian lounged.
[142] I walked over and asked, "What are you serving, pal?"
[143] "Call me Joe," he answered.
[144] He caught me off balance.
[145] "What?"
[146] "Joe," he said again.
[147] A faint glimmer of understanding began to penetrate my thick skull.
[148] "You wouldn't happen to be Joe the trader?
[149] The guy who knows all about Mars, would you?"
[150] "I never left home," he said simply.
[151] "What are you drinking?"
[152] That rat!
[153] That dirty, filthy, stinking, unprincipled....
[154] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[155] Among the natives, I mean.
[156] Sure.
[157] Oh sure.
[158] Real simple.
[159] Walsh was about the lowest, most contemptible.... "What are you drinking, pal?"
[160] the Venusian asked again.
[161] "Skip it," I said.
[162] "How do I get to the captain's shack?"
[163] "Follow your nose, pal.
[164] Can't miss it."
[165] I started to pick up my bag as another Venusian entered.
[166] He waved at the bartender.
[167] "Hello, Joe," he said.
[168] "How's it going?"
[169] "Not so hot, Joe," the bartender replied.
[170] I listened in fascination.
[171] Joe, Joe, Joe.
[172] So this was Walsh's idea of a great gag.
[173] Very funny.
[174] Very.... "You Major Polk, sweetheart?"
[175] the Venusian who'd just come in asked.
[176] "Yes," I said, still thinking of Colonel Walsh.
[177] "You better get your butt over to the captain's shack," he said.
[178] "He's about ready to post you as overdue."
[179] "Sure," I said wearily.
[180] "Will you take my bags, please?"
[181] "Roger," he answered.
[182] He picked up the bags and nodded at the bar.
[183] "So long, Joe," he said to the bartender.
[184] "See you, Joe," the bartender called back.
[185] Captain Bransten was a mousey, unimpressive sort of man.
[186] He was wearing a tropical tunic, but he still resembled a wilted lily more than he did an officer.
[187] "Have a seat, Major," he offered.
[188] He reached for a cigarette box on the desk and extended it to me.
[189] He coughed in embarrassment when he saw it was empty.
[190] Quickly, he pressed a button on his desk and the door popped open.
[191] A tall, blue Venusian stepped lithely into the room.
[192] "Sir?"
[193] the Venusian asked.
[194] "We're out of cigarettes, Joe," the Captain said.
[195] "Will you get us some, please?"
[196] "Sure thing," the Venusian answered.
[197] He smiled broadly and closed the door behind him.
[198] Another Joe , I thought.
[199] Another damned Joe.
[200] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
[201] "Steal what?"
[202] I asked.
[203] "Cigarettes.
[204] I sometimes think the cigarette is one of the few things they like about Terran culture."
[205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
[206] He does have a peculiar habit, though.
[207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
[208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
[209] "All right," I said, "suppose we start at the beginning."
[210] Captain Bransten opened his eyes wide.
[211] "Sir?"
[212] he asked.
[213] "What's with all this Joe business?
[214] It may be a very original name but I think its popularity here is a little outstanding."
[215] Captain Bransten began to chuckle softly.
[216] I personally didn't think it was so funny.
[217] I tossed him my withering Superior Officer's gaze and waited for his explanation.
[218] "I hadn't realized this was your first time on Venus," he said.
[219] "Is there a local hero named Joe?"
[220] I asked.
[221] "No, no, nothing like that," he assured me.
[222] "It's a simple culture, you know.
[223] Not nearly as developed as Mars."
[224] "I can see that," I said bitingly.
[225] "And the natives are only now becoming acquainted with Terran culture.
[226] Lots of enlisted men, you know."
[227] I began to get the idea.
[228] And I began to appreciate Walsh's doubtful ancestry more keenly.
[229] "It's impossible to tell exactly where it all started, of course," Bransten was saying.
[230] I was beginning to get angry.
[231] Very angry.
[232] I was thinking of Walsh sitting back in a nice cozy foam chair back on Earth.
[233] "Get to the point, Captain!"
[234] I barked.
[235] "Easy, sir," Bransten said, turning pale.
[236] I could see that the Captain wasn't used to entertaining Majors.
[237] "The enlisted men.
[238] You know how they are.
[239] They'll ask a native to do something and they'll call him Joe.
[240] 'Hey, Joe, give me a hand with this.'
[241] Or 'Listen, Joe, how'd you like to earn some cigarettes?'
[242] Do you follow?"
[243] "I follow, all right," I said bitterly.
[244] "Well," Bransten went on, "that sort of thing mushrooms.
[245] The natives are a simple, almost childish people.
[246] It appealed to them—the Joe business, I mean.
[247] Now they're all Joe.
[248] They like it.
[249] That and the cigarettes."
[250] He cleared his throat and looked at me apologetically as if he were personally responsible for Venusian culture.
[251] In fact, he looked as if he were responsible for having put Venus in the heavens in the first place.
[252] "Do you understand, Major?
[253] Just a case of extended idiom, that's all."
[254] Just a case of extended idiot , I thought.
[255] An idiot on a wild goose chase a hell of a long way from home.
[256] "I understand perfectly," I snapped.
[257] "Where are my quarters?"
[258] Bransten asked a Venusian named Joe to show me my quarters, reminding me that chow was at thirteen hundred.
[259] As I was leaving, the first Venusian came back with the cigarettes Bransten had ordered.
[260] I could tell by the look on his face that he probably had half a carton stuffed into his pockets.
[261] I shrugged and went to change into a tropical tunic.
[262] I called Earth right after chow.
[263] The Captain assured me that this sort of thing was definitely against regulations, but he submitted when I twinkled my little gold leaf under his nose.
[264] Walsh's face appeared on the screen.
[265] He was smiling, looking like a fat pussy cat.
[266] "What is it, Major?"
[267] he asked.
[268] "This man Joe," I said.
[269] "Can you give me any more on him?"
[270] Walsh's grin grew wider.
[271] "Why, Major," he said, "you're not having any difficulties, are you?"
[272] "None at all," I snapped back.
[273] "I just thought I'd be able to find him a lot sooner if...." "Take your time, Major," Walsh beamed.
[274] "There's no rush at all."
[275] "I thought...." "I'm sure you can do the job," Walsh cut in.
[276] "I wouldn't have sent you otherwise."
[277] Hell, I was through kidding around.
[278] "Look...." "He's somewhere in the jungle, you know," Walsh said.
[279] I wanted to ram my fist into the screen, right smack up against those big white teeth.
[280] Instead, I cut off the transmission and watched the surprised look on his face as his screen went blank millions of miles away.
[281] He blinked at the screen, trying to realize I'd deliberately hung up on him.
[282] "Polk!"
[283] he shouted, "can you hear me?"
[284] I smiled, saw the twisted hatred on his features, and then the screen on my end went blank, too.
[285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
[286] I thanked Captain Bransten for his hospitality and went back to my quarters.
[287] As I saw it, there were two courses for me to follow.
[288] One: I could say the hell with Walsh and Venus.
[289] That would mean hopping the next ship back to Earth.
[290] It would also mean disobeying the direct order of a superior officer.
[291] It might mean demotion, and it might mean getting bounced out of the Service altogether.
[292] Two: I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a trader Joe who knew the Martians well.
[293] I could always admit failure, of course, and return empty handed.
[294] Mission not accomplished.
[295] Or, I might really find a guy who was trader Joe.
[296] I made my decision quickly.
[297] I wanted to stay in the Service, and besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his life.
[298] Maybe there was a Joe here who could help us on Mars.
[299] If there was I'd try to find him.
[300] It was still a hell of a trick though.
[301] I cursed Walsh again and pushed the buzzer near my bed.
[302] A tall Venusian stepped into the room.
[303] "Joe?"
[304] I asked, just to be sure.
[305] "Who else, boss?"
[306] he answered.
[307] "I'm trying to locate someone," I said.
[308] "I'll need a guide to take me into the jungle.
[309] Can you get me one?"
[310] "It'll cost you, boss," the Venusian said.
[311] "How much?"
[312] "Two cartons of cigarettes at least."
[313] "Who's the guide?"
[314] I asked.
[315] "How's the price sound?"
[316] "Fine, fine," I said impatiently.
[317] And the Captain had said they were almost a childish people!
[318] "His name is Joe," the Venusian told me.
[319] "Best damn guide on the planet.
[320] Take you anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do.
[321] Courageous.
[322] Doesn't know the meaning of fear.
[323] I've known him to...." "Skip it," I said, cutting the promotion short.
[324] "Tell him to show up around fifteen hundred with a complete list of what we'll need."
[325] The Venusian started to leave.
[326] "And Joe," I said, stopping him at the door, "I hope you're not overlooking your commission on the deal."
[327] His face broke into a wide grin.
[328] "No danger of that, boss," he said.
[329] When he was gone I began figuring out a plan of action.
[330] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
[331] Everybody, at least, but the Captain, the small garrison attached to the Station, and me.
[332] I began wondering why Walsh had gone to so much trouble to get rid of me.
[333] The job, as I saw it, would take a hell of a long time.
[334] It seemed like a silly thing to do, just to get even with a guy for something that had happened years ago.
[335] He surely must have realized that I'd be back again, sooner or later.
[336] Maybe he had another little junket all set for me.
[337] Or maybe he didn't expect me to come back.
[338] The thought hadn't occurred to me before this, and I began to consider it seriously.
[339] Walsh was no good, rotten clear through.
[340] He was failing at the job of keeping Mars in hand, and he probably realized that a few more mistakes on his part would mean the end of his career with Space II.
[341] I chuckled as I thought of him isolated in some God-forsaken place like Space V or Space VII.
[342] This probably bothered him a lot, too.
[343] But what probably bothered him more was the fact that I was next in command.
[344] If he were transferred, I'd be in charge of Space II, and I could understand how much that would appeal to Walsh.
[345] I tried to figure the thing out sensibly, tried to weigh his good points against his bad.
[346] But it all came back to the same thing.
[347] A guy who would deliberately go to sleep on Boiler Watch with a ton of uranium ready to blast a barracks to smithereens if it wasn't watched, would deliberately do just about anything.
[348] Sending me off on a wild goose chase after a character named Joe may have been a gag.
[349] But it may have been something a little grimmer than a gag, and I made up my mind to be extremely careful from here on in.
[350] The guide arrived at fifteen hundred on the dot.
[351] He was tall, elongated, looked almost like all the other Venusians I'd seen so far.
[352] "I understand you need a Grade A guide, sir," he said.
[353] "Are you familiar with the jungle?"
[354] I asked him.
[355] "Born and raised there, sir.
[356] Know it like the back of my hand."
[357] "Has Joe told you what the payment will be?"
[358] "Yes, sir.
[359] A carton and a half of cigarettes."
[360] I thought about Joe deducting his commission and smiled.
[361] "When can we leave?"
[362] "Right away, sir.
[363] We won't need much really.
[364] I've made a list of supplies and I can get them in less than an hour.
[365] I suggest you wear light clothing, boots, and a hat."
[366] "Will I need a weapon?"
[367] He looked at me, his eyes faintly amused.
[368] "Why, what for, sir?"
[369] "Never mind," I said.
[370] "What's your name, by the way?"
[371] He lifted his eyebrows, and his eyes widened in his narrow face.
[372] He was definitely surprised.
[373] "Joe," he said.
[374] "Didn't you know?"
[375] When we'd been out for a while I discovered why Joe had suggested the boots and the hat.
[376] The undergrowth was often sharp and jagged and it would have sliced my legs to ribbons were they not protected by the high boots.
[377] The hat kept the strong sun off my head.
[378] Joe was an excellent guide and a pleasant companion.
[379] He seemed to be enjoying a great romp, seemed to love the jungle and take a secret pleasure in the work he was doing.
[380] There were times when I couldn't see three feet ahead of me.
[381] He'd stand stock still for a few minutes, his head barely moving, his eyes darting from one plant to another.
[382] Then he'd say, "This way," and take off into what looked like more impenetrable jungle invariably to find a little path leading directly to another village.
[383] Each village was the same.
[384] The natives would come running out of their huts, tall and blue, shouting, "Cigarettes, Joe?
[385] Cigarettes?"
[386] It took me a while to realize they were addressing me and not my guide.
[387] Everybody was Joe.
[388] It was one beautiful, happy, joyous round of stinking, hot jungle.
[389] And I wasn't getting any nearer my man.
[390] Nor had I any idea how I was supposed to find him.
[391] I began to feel pretty low about the whole affair.
[392] Joe, on the other hand, enjoyed every moment of the trip.
[393] In each village he greeted the natives cheerfully, told them stories, swapped gossip and jokes.
[394] And when it was time to leave, he would say goodbye to all his friends and we would plunge into the twisted foliage again.
[395] His spirits were always high and he never failed to say the right thing that would give a momentary lift to my own depressed state of mind.
[396] He would talk for hours on end as we hacked our way through the jungle.
[397] "I like Venus," he said once.
[398] "I would never leave it."
[399] "Have you ever been to Earth?"
[400] I asked.
[401] "No," Joe replied.
[402] "I like Terrans too, you understand.
[403] They are good for Venus.
[404] And they are fun."
[405] "Fun?"
[406] I asked, thinking of a particular species of Terran: species Leonard Walsh.
[407] "Yes, yes," he said wholeheartedly.
[408] "They joke and they laugh and ... well, you know."
[409] "I suppose so," I admitted.
[410] Joe smiled secretly, and we pushed on.
[411] I began to find, more and more, that I had started to talk freely to Joe.
[412] In the beginning he had been just my guide.
[413] There had been the strained relationship of employer and employee.
[414] But as the days lengthened into weeks, the formal atmosphere began to crumble.
[415] I found myself telling him all about Earth, about the people there, about my decision to attend the Academy, the rigid tests, the grind, even the Moon run.
[416] Joe was a good listener, nodding sympathetically, finding experiences in his own life to parallel my own.
[417] And as our relationship progressed from a casual one to a definitely friendly one, Joe seemed more enthusiastic than ever to keep up our grinding pace to find what we were looking for.
[418] Once we stopped in a clearing to rest.
[419] Joe lounged on the matted greenery, his long body stretched out in front of him, the knife gleaming in his belt.
[420] I'd seen him slash his way through thick, tangled vines with that knife, his long, muscular arms powerfully slicing through them like strips of silk.
[421] "How far are we from the Station?"
[422] I asked.
[423] "Three or four Earth weeks," he replied.
[424] I sighed wearily.
[425] "Where do we go from here?"
[426] "There are more villages," he said.
[427] "We'll never find him."
[428] "Possibly," Joe mused, the smile creeping over his face again.
[429] "A wild goose chase.
[430] A fool's errand."
[431] "We'd better get started," Joe said simply.
[432] I got to my feet and we started the march again.
[433] Joe was still fresh, a brilliant contrast to me, weary and dejected.
[434] Somehow, I had the same feeling I'd had a long time ago on my sixteenth birthday.
[435] One of my friends had taken me all over the city, finally dropping me off at my own house where the whole gang was gathered for a surprise party.
[436] Joe reminded me of that friend.
[437] "There's a village ahead," he said, and the grin on his face was large now, his eyes shining.
[438] Something was missing here.
[439] Natives.
[440] There were no natives rushing out to greet us.
[441] No cries of "Cigarettes?
[442] Cigarettes?"
[443] I caught up with Joe.
[444] "What's the story?"
[445] I whispered.
[446] He shrugged knowingly and continued walking.
[447] And then I saw the ship, nose pointing into space, catching the rays of the sun like a great silver bullet.
[448] "What...?"
[449] I started.
[450] "It's all right," Joe said, smiling.
[451] The ship looked vaguely familiar.
[452] I noticed the crest of Space II near the nose, and a lot of things became clear then.
[453] I also saw Walsh standing near one of the huts, a stun gun in his hand.
[454] "Hello, Major," he called, almost cheerfully.
[455] The gun didn't look cheerful, though.
[456] It was pointed at my head.
[457] "Fancy meeting you here, Colonel," I said, trying to match his joviality.
[458] Somehow it didn't quite come off.
[459] Joe was walking beside me, waving at the colonel, beaming all over with happiness.
[460] "I see you found your man," Walsh said.
[461] I turned rapidly.
[462] Joe nodded and kept grinning, a grin that told me he was getting a big kick out of all this.
[463] Like a kid playing a game.
[464] I faced Walsh again.
[465] "Okay, what's it all about, pal?"
[466] "Colonel," Walsh corrected me.
[467] "You mustn't forget to say Colonel, Major ."
[468] He emphasized my rank, and he said it with a sort of ruthless finality.
[469] I waited.
[470] I could see he was just busting to tell me how clever he'd been.
[471] Besides, there wasn't much I could do but wait.
[472] Not with Walsh pointing the stun gun at my middle.
[473] "We've come a long way since the Academy, haven't we, Major?"
[474] "If you mean in miles," I said, looking around at the plants, "we sure have."
[475] Walsh grinned a little.
[476] "Always the wit," he said drily.
[477] And then the smile faded from his lips and his eyes took on a hard lustre.
[478] "I'm going to kill you, you know."
[479] He said it as if he were saying, "I think it'll rain tomorrow."
[480] Joe almost clapped his hands together with glee.
[481] He was really enjoying this.
[482] Another of those funny Terran games.
[483] "You gave me a powerful handicap to overcome," Walsh said.
[484] "I suppose I should thank you, really."
[485] "You're welcome," I said.
[486] "It wasn't easy living down the disgrace you caused me."
[487] "It was your own damn fault," I said.
[488] "You knew what you were doing when you decided to cork off."
[489] Beside me, Joe chuckled a little, enjoying the game immensely.
[490] "You didn't have to report me," Walsh said.
[491] "No?
[492] Maybe I should have forgotten all about it?
[493] Maybe I should have nudged you and served you orange juice?
[494] So you could do it again sometime and maybe blow up the whole damn Academy!"
[495] Walsh was silent for a long time.
[496] When he spoke his voice was barely audible.
[497] The heat was oppressive, as if it were concentrated on this little spot in the jungle, focusing all its penetration on a small, unimportant drama.
[498] I could hear Joe breathing beside me.
[499] "I'm on my way out," Walsh rasped.
[500] "Finished, do you understand?"
[501] "Good," I said.
[502] And I meant it.
[503] "This Mars thing.
[504] A terrible fix.
[505] Terrible."
[506] Beside me, a slight frown crossed Joe's face.
[507] Apparently he couldn't understand the seriousness of our voices.
[508] What had happened to the game, the fun?
[509] "You brought the Mars business on yourself," I told Walsh.
[510] "There was never any trouble before you took command."
[511] "The natives," he practically shouted.
[512] "They ... they...." Joe caught his breath sharply, and I wondered what Walsh was going to say about the natives.
[513] Apparently he'd realized that Joe was a native.
[514] Or maybe Joe's knife had something to do with it.
[515] "What about the natives?"
[516] I asked.
[517] "Nothing," Walsh said.
[518] "Nothing."
[519] He was silent for a while.
[520] "A man of my calibre," he said then, his face grim.
[521] "Dealing with savages."
[522] He caught himself again and threw a hasty glance at Joe.
[523] The perplexed frown had grown heavier on Joe's face.
[524] He looked at the colonel in puzzlement. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences in order of importance for answering the question "What is the main setting of the story?":
1. [91] There were plants everywhere I looked. Big plants and small ones, some blooming with flowers I'd never seen before, and some as bare as cactus.
2. [87] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be. Much too hot for the tunic I was wearing.
3. [92] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
4. [93] He was tall, looking almost human except that everything about him was elongated. His features, his muscles, everything seemed to have been stretched like a rubber band.
5. [94] I kept expecting him to pop back to normal.
6. [95] Instead, he flashed a double row of brilliant teeth at me.
7. [96] I wondered if he spoke English.
8. [97] "Hey, boy," I called.
9. [98] He ambled over with long-legged strides that closed the distance between us in seconds.
10. [99] "Call me Joe," he said.
11. [127] The Officer's Club was a plasteel hut with window shields that protected it from the heat of the sun.
12. [128] It didn't look too comfortable but I really wanted that drink.
13. [136] From the outside it looked as hot as hell.
14. [137] On the inside it was about two degrees short of that mark.
15. [139] There wasn't much inside the club. A few tables and chairs, a dart game and a bar.
16. [140] Behind the bar a tall Venusian lounged.
17. [141] I walked over and asked, "What are you serving, pal?"
18. [142] "Call me Joe," he answered.
19. [190] A tall, blue Venusian stepped lithely into the room.
20. [191] "Sir?" the Venusian asked.
21. [192] "We're out of cigarettes, Joe," the Captain said.
22. [193] "Will you get us some, please?"
23. [194] "Sure thing," the Venusian answered.
24. [195] He smiled broadly and closed the door behind him.
25. [196] Another Joe, I thought. Another damned Joe.
26. [197] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
27. [198] "Steal what?" I asked.
28. [199] "Cigarettes. I sometimes think the cigarette is one of the few things they like about Terran culture."
29. [205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
30. [206] He does have a peculiar habit, though. He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
31. [207] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
32. [220] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
33. [221] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
34. [222] "Yes, sir," I said.
35. [223] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
36. [224] "Then why the hell don't you send a green kid on the job? Why me?" I wanted to say.
37. [225] Instead, I nodded and watched him playing with his fingers.
38. [226] "The man is a trader of sorts. Rather intelligent."
39. [227] "For a native, that is," he paused, then added.
40. [228] I had never liked Walsh's attitude toward natives.
41. [229] I hadn't liked the way he'd treated the natives on Mars ever since he'd taken over there.
42. [230] Which brought to mind an important point.
43. [231] "I always figured Venus was under the jurisdiction of Space III, sir. I thought our activities were confined to Mars."
44. [232] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
45. [233] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true. But this is a special job."
46. [234] "It so happens this Venusian is the one man who can help us understand just what's happening on Mars."
47. [235] I tried to picture a Venusian understanding Mars and I didn't get very far.
48. [236] "He's had many dealings with the natives there," Walsh explained.
49. [237] "If anyone can tell us the reasons for the revolt, he can."
50. [238] If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh. |
What is the relationship between Major Polk and his guide, Joe? | [
"The relationship between the two characters starts off as one of business. Polk hires Joe to show him through the jungle. Joe is described as the best that there is, as he has lived there all his life. The two set off immediately for the jungle. As they journey through the forest, they begin to talk. Polk finds that he really enjoys the company of the Venusian. He likes that Joe always seems to be happy, and knows just what to say to cheer Polk up. He admires that he's so friendly to the locals, and immediately chats and laughs with them. Polk soon begins speaking freely to Joe, telling him about his past, as Joe would listen with the sympathetic ear. They found that they hsa a lot in common. This is why it was shocking to discover that Joe was in fact working for the Colonel the whole time, leading Polk right to him, and right to his death.",
"The relationship between Major Polk and Joe initially starts out as strictly professional, with Joe guiding him through the jungle. As the trip progresses the two become companions, speaking to each other casually. Major Polk notes the passion Joe has for the jungle and how much he enjoys the trip, and says that Joe provides a refreshing and uplifting presence throughout the trip. The two eventually begin telling each other about their own lives, sharing stories and becoming friends.",
"At the beginning of their time together, Joe the guide seems to be very helpful to Polk. He recommends the supplies the Major would need to have a more comfortable journey in the jungle and they prove to be very useful during their adventure. During their time together, the Major observes that Joe seems to really enjoy his job. Days into their journey, the Major is feeling very dejected by not making any progress while Joe seems to be very content. It appears Joe is always in a good mood and is not influenced by the Major’s emotionally discontent. The Major notes that the relationship started off as an employer and employee constrained type but it soon became very friendly and developed to where they were sharing stories with each other. The Major increasingly talks freely with his guide. \n\nWhile the relationship appeared to be very friendly during the journey in the jungle, it appears that Major Polk should have not trusted the guide. The guide appears to have already known that the Colonel would be in a clearing waiting with a stun gun for Polk as he laughs during the beginning of their encounter. It becomes clearer that Joe planned this with the Colonel, and thus betraying the friendly relationship he made with Polk. However, Joe’s attitude begins to change as he responds with a confused look towards the Colonel’s remarks about natives and Mars.",
"Major Polk has a formal relationship with his guide in the beginning. He would pay the guide, Joe, cigarettes and he would simply follow Joe as he finds his way through the jungle. Later, they started to talk more freely as the journey progresses. It was much less formal but more casual as the time went by. The Major starts to talk about Earth, the Academy, the Moon run, etc. And Joe is a great listener. Thus, they become friends."
] | [1] A PLANET NAMED JOE By S. A. LOMBINO There were more Joes on Venus than you could shake a ray-gun at.
[2] Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories November 1952.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Colonel Walsh had a great sense of humor.
[6] I hated his guts ever since we went through the Academy together, but he had a great sense of humor.
[7] For example, he could have chosen a Second Looie for the job on Venus.
[8] He might even have picked a Captain.
[9] But he liked me about as much as I liked him, and so he decided the job was just right for a Major.
[10] At least, that's what he told me.
[11] I stood at attention before his desk in the Patrol Station.
[12] We were somewhere in Area Two on Earth, takeoff point for any operations in Space II.
[13] The duty was fine, and I liked it a lot.
[14] Come to think of it, the most I ever did was inspect a few defective tubes every now and then.
[15] The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy.
[16] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
[17] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
[18] "Yes, sir," I said.
[19] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
[20] I wanted to say, "Then why the hell don't you send a green kid on the job?
[21] Why me?"
[22] Instead, I nodded and watched him playing with his fingers.
[23] "The man is a trader of sorts.
[24] Rather intelligent."
[25] He paused, then added, "For a native, that is."
[26] I had never liked Walsh's attitude toward natives.
[27] I hadn't liked the way he'd treated the natives on Mars ever since he'd taken over there.
[28] Which brought to mind an important point.
[29] "I always figured Venus was under the jurisdiction of Space III, sir.
[30] I thought our activities were confined to Mars."
[31] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
[32] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true.
[33] But this is a special job.
[34] It so happens this Venusian is the one man who can help us understand just what's happening on Mars."
[35] I tried to picture a Venusian understanding Mars and I didn't get very far.
[36] "He's had many dealings with the natives there," Walsh explained.
[37] "If anyone can tell us the reasons for the revolt, he can."
[38] If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh.
[39] I had to laugh at the way he called it "revolt."
[40] It had been going on for six months now and we'd lost at least a thousand men from Space II.
[41] Revolt.
[42] "And this man is on Venus now?"
[43] I asked for confirmation.
[44] I'd never been to Venus, being in Space II ever since I'd left the Moon run.
[45] It was just like Walsh to ship me off to a strange place.
[46] "Yes, Major," he said.
[47] "This man is on Venus."
[48] At the Academy he had called me Fred.
[49] That was before I'd reported him for sleeping on Boiler Watch.
[50] He'd goofed off on a pile of uranium that could've, and almost did, blow the barracks sky-high that night.
[51] He still thought it was my fault, as if I'd done the wrong thing by reporting him.
[52] And now, through the fouled-up machinery that exists in any military organization, he outranked me.
[53] "And the man's name, sir?"
[54] "Joe."
[55] A tight smile played on his face.
[56] "Joe what?"
[57] I asked.
[58] "Just Joe."
[59] "Just Joe?"
[60] "Yes," Walsh said.
[61] "A native, you know.
[62] They rarely go in for more than first names.
[63] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[64] Among the natives, I mean."
[65] "I don't know, sir."
[66] "A relatively simple assignment," Walsh said.
[67] "Can you tell me anything else about this man?
[68] Physical appearance?
[69] Personal habits?
[70] Anything?"
[71] Walsh seemed to consider this for a moment.
[72] "Well, physically he's like any of the other Venusians, so I can't give you much help there.
[73] He does have a peculiar habit, though."
[74] "What's that?"
[75] "He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes."
[76] I sighed.
[77] "Well, it's not very much to go on."
[78] "You'll find him," Walsh said, grinning.
[79] "I'm sure of it."
[80] The trip to Venus came off without a hitch.
[81] I did a lot of thinking on that trip.
[82] I thought about Mars and the revolt there.
[83] And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt.
[84] Ever since Walsh had taken command, ever since he'd started pushing the natives around, there'd been trouble.
[85] It was almost as if the whole damned planet had blown up in our faces the moment he took over.
[86] Swell guy, Walsh.
[87] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be.
[88] Much too hot for the tunic I was wearing.
[89] It smelled, too.
[90] A funny smell I couldn't place.
[91] Like a mixture of old shoe and after-shave.
[92] There were plants everywhere I looked.
[93] Big plants and small ones, some blooming with flowers I'd never seen before, and some as bare as cactus.
[94] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
[95] He was tall, looking almost human except that everything about him was elongated.
[96] His features, his muscles, everything seemed to have been stretched like a rubber band.
[97] I kept expecting him to pop back to normal.
[98] Instead, he flashed a double row of brilliant teeth at me.
[99] I wondered if he spoke English.
[100] "Hey, boy," I called.
[101] He ambled over with long-legged strides that closed the distance between us in seconds.
[102] "Call me Joe," he said.
[103] I dropped my bags and stared at him.
[104] Maybe this was going to be a simple assignment after all.
[105] "I sure am glad to see you, Joe," I said.
[106] "Same here, Toots," he answered.
[107] "The guys back in Space II are searching high and low for you," I told him.
[108] "You've got the wrong number," he said, and I was a little surprised at his use of Terran idiom.
[109] "You are Joe, aren't you?
[110] Joe the trader?"
[111] "I'm Joe, all right," he said.
[112] "Only thing I ever traded, though, was a pocketknife.
[113] Got a set of keys for it."
[114] "Oh," I said, my voice conveying my disappointment.
[115] I sighed and began wondering just how I should go about contacting the Joe I was looking for.
[116] My orders said I was to report to Captain Bransten immediately upon arrival.
[117] I figured the hell with Captain Bransten.
[118] I outranked him anyway, and there wasn't much he could do if I decided to stop for a drink first.
[119] "Where's the Officer's Club?"
[120] I asked the Venusian.
[121] "Are you buying information or are you just curious?"
[122] "Can you take me there?"
[123] I asked.
[124] "Sure thing, Toots."
[125] He picked up my bags and started walking up a heavily overgrown path.
[126] We'd probably walked for about ten minutes when he dropped my bags and said, "There it is."
[127] The Officer's Club was a plasteel hut with window shields that protected it from the heat of the sun.
[128] It didn't look too comfortable but I really wanted that drink.
[129] I reached into my tunic and slipped the native thirty solars.
[130] He stared at the credits curiously and then shrugged his shoulders.
[131] "Oh well, you're new here.
[132] We'll let it go."
[133] He took off then, while I stared after him, wondering just what he'd meant.
[134] Had I tipped him too little?
[135] I shrugged and looked over at the Officer's Club.
[136] From the outside it looked as hot as hell.
[137] On the inside it was about two degrees short of that mark.
[138] I began to curse Walsh for taking me away from my nice soft job in Space II.
[139] There wasn't much inside the club.
[140] A few tables and chairs, a dart game and a bar.
[141] Behind the bar a tall Venusian lounged.
[142] I walked over and asked, "What are you serving, pal?"
[143] "Call me Joe," he answered.
[144] He caught me off balance.
[145] "What?"
[146] "Joe," he said again.
[147] A faint glimmer of understanding began to penetrate my thick skull.
[148] "You wouldn't happen to be Joe the trader?
[149] The guy who knows all about Mars, would you?"
[150] "I never left home," he said simply.
[151] "What are you drinking?"
[152] That rat!
[153] That dirty, filthy, stinking, unprincipled....
[154] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[155] Among the natives, I mean.
[156] Sure.
[157] Oh sure.
[158] Real simple.
[159] Walsh was about the lowest, most contemptible.... "What are you drinking, pal?"
[160] the Venusian asked again.
[161] "Skip it," I said.
[162] "How do I get to the captain's shack?"
[163] "Follow your nose, pal.
[164] Can't miss it."
[165] I started to pick up my bag as another Venusian entered.
[166] He waved at the bartender.
[167] "Hello, Joe," he said.
[168] "How's it going?"
[169] "Not so hot, Joe," the bartender replied.
[170] I listened in fascination.
[171] Joe, Joe, Joe.
[172] So this was Walsh's idea of a great gag.
[173] Very funny.
[174] Very.... "You Major Polk, sweetheart?"
[175] the Venusian who'd just come in asked.
[176] "Yes," I said, still thinking of Colonel Walsh.
[177] "You better get your butt over to the captain's shack," he said.
[178] "He's about ready to post you as overdue."
[179] "Sure," I said wearily.
[180] "Will you take my bags, please?"
[181] "Roger," he answered.
[182] He picked up the bags and nodded at the bar.
[183] "So long, Joe," he said to the bartender.
[184] "See you, Joe," the bartender called back.
[185] Captain Bransten was a mousey, unimpressive sort of man.
[186] He was wearing a tropical tunic, but he still resembled a wilted lily more than he did an officer.
[187] "Have a seat, Major," he offered.
[188] He reached for a cigarette box on the desk and extended it to me.
[189] He coughed in embarrassment when he saw it was empty.
[190] Quickly, he pressed a button on his desk and the door popped open.
[191] A tall, blue Venusian stepped lithely into the room.
[192] "Sir?"
[193] the Venusian asked.
[194] "We're out of cigarettes, Joe," the Captain said.
[195] "Will you get us some, please?"
[196] "Sure thing," the Venusian answered.
[197] He smiled broadly and closed the door behind him.
[198] Another Joe , I thought.
[199] Another damned Joe.
[200] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
[201] "Steal what?"
[202] I asked.
[203] "Cigarettes.
[204] I sometimes think the cigarette is one of the few things they like about Terran culture."
[205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
[206] He does have a peculiar habit, though.
[207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
[208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
[209] "All right," I said, "suppose we start at the beginning."
[210] Captain Bransten opened his eyes wide.
[211] "Sir?"
[212] he asked.
[213] "What's with all this Joe business?
[214] It may be a very original name but I think its popularity here is a little outstanding."
[215] Captain Bransten began to chuckle softly.
[216] I personally didn't think it was so funny.
[217] I tossed him my withering Superior Officer's gaze and waited for his explanation.
[218] "I hadn't realized this was your first time on Venus," he said.
[219] "Is there a local hero named Joe?"
[220] I asked.
[221] "No, no, nothing like that," he assured me.
[222] "It's a simple culture, you know.
[223] Not nearly as developed as Mars."
[224] "I can see that," I said bitingly.
[225] "And the natives are only now becoming acquainted with Terran culture.
[226] Lots of enlisted men, you know."
[227] I began to get the idea.
[228] And I began to appreciate Walsh's doubtful ancestry more keenly.
[229] "It's impossible to tell exactly where it all started, of course," Bransten was saying.
[230] I was beginning to get angry.
[231] Very angry.
[232] I was thinking of Walsh sitting back in a nice cozy foam chair back on Earth.
[233] "Get to the point, Captain!"
[234] I barked.
[235] "Easy, sir," Bransten said, turning pale.
[236] I could see that the Captain wasn't used to entertaining Majors.
[237] "The enlisted men.
[238] You know how they are.
[239] They'll ask a native to do something and they'll call him Joe.
[240] 'Hey, Joe, give me a hand with this.'
[241] Or 'Listen, Joe, how'd you like to earn some cigarettes?'
[242] Do you follow?"
[243] "I follow, all right," I said bitterly.
[244] "Well," Bransten went on, "that sort of thing mushrooms.
[245] The natives are a simple, almost childish people.
[246] It appealed to them—the Joe business, I mean.
[247] Now they're all Joe.
[248] They like it.
[249] That and the cigarettes."
[250] He cleared his throat and looked at me apologetically as if he were personally responsible for Venusian culture.
[251] In fact, he looked as if he were responsible for having put Venus in the heavens in the first place.
[252] "Do you understand, Major?
[253] Just a case of extended idiom, that's all."
[254] Just a case of extended idiot , I thought.
[255] An idiot on a wild goose chase a hell of a long way from home.
[256] "I understand perfectly," I snapped.
[257] "Where are my quarters?"
[258] Bransten asked a Venusian named Joe to show me my quarters, reminding me that chow was at thirteen hundred.
[259] As I was leaving, the first Venusian came back with the cigarettes Bransten had ordered.
[260] I could tell by the look on his face that he probably had half a carton stuffed into his pockets.
[261] I shrugged and went to change into a tropical tunic.
[262] I called Earth right after chow.
[263] The Captain assured me that this sort of thing was definitely against regulations, but he submitted when I twinkled my little gold leaf under his nose.
[264] Walsh's face appeared on the screen.
[265] He was smiling, looking like a fat pussy cat.
[266] "What is it, Major?"
[267] he asked.
[268] "This man Joe," I said.
[269] "Can you give me any more on him?"
[270] Walsh's grin grew wider.
[271] "Why, Major," he said, "you're not having any difficulties, are you?"
[272] "None at all," I snapped back.
[273] "I just thought I'd be able to find him a lot sooner if...." "Take your time, Major," Walsh beamed.
[274] "There's no rush at all."
[275] "I thought...." "I'm sure you can do the job," Walsh cut in.
[276] "I wouldn't have sent you otherwise."
[277] Hell, I was through kidding around.
[278] "Look...." "He's somewhere in the jungle, you know," Walsh said.
[279] I wanted to ram my fist into the screen, right smack up against those big white teeth.
[280] Instead, I cut off the transmission and watched the surprised look on his face as his screen went blank millions of miles away.
[281] He blinked at the screen, trying to realize I'd deliberately hung up on him.
[282] "Polk!"
[283] he shouted, "can you hear me?"
[284] I smiled, saw the twisted hatred on his features, and then the screen on my end went blank, too.
[285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
[286] I thanked Captain Bransten for his hospitality and went back to my quarters.
[287] As I saw it, there were two courses for me to follow.
[288] One: I could say the hell with Walsh and Venus.
[289] That would mean hopping the next ship back to Earth.
[290] It would also mean disobeying the direct order of a superior officer.
[291] It might mean demotion, and it might mean getting bounced out of the Service altogether.
[292] Two: I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a trader Joe who knew the Martians well.
[293] I could always admit failure, of course, and return empty handed.
[294] Mission not accomplished.
[295] Or, I might really find a guy who was trader Joe.
[296] I made my decision quickly.
[297] I wanted to stay in the Service, and besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his life.
[298] Maybe there was a Joe here who could help us on Mars.
[299] If there was I'd try to find him.
[300] It was still a hell of a trick though.
[301] I cursed Walsh again and pushed the buzzer near my bed.
[302] A tall Venusian stepped into the room.
[303] "Joe?"
[304] I asked, just to be sure.
[305] "Who else, boss?"
[306] he answered.
[307] "I'm trying to locate someone," I said.
[308] "I'll need a guide to take me into the jungle.
[309] Can you get me one?"
[310] "It'll cost you, boss," the Venusian said.
[311] "How much?"
[312] "Two cartons of cigarettes at least."
[313] "Who's the guide?"
[314] I asked.
[315] "How's the price sound?"
[316] "Fine, fine," I said impatiently.
[317] And the Captain had said they were almost a childish people!
[318] "His name is Joe," the Venusian told me.
[319] "Best damn guide on the planet.
[320] Take you anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do.
[321] Courageous.
[322] Doesn't know the meaning of fear.
[323] I've known him to...." "Skip it," I said, cutting the promotion short.
[324] "Tell him to show up around fifteen hundred with a complete list of what we'll need."
[325] The Venusian started to leave.
[326] "And Joe," I said, stopping him at the door, "I hope you're not overlooking your commission on the deal."
[327] His face broke into a wide grin.
[328] "No danger of that, boss," he said.
[329] When he was gone I began figuring out a plan of action.
[330] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
[331] Everybody, at least, but the Captain, the small garrison attached to the Station, and me.
[332] I began wondering why Walsh had gone to so much trouble to get rid of me.
[333] The job, as I saw it, would take a hell of a long time.
[334] It seemed like a silly thing to do, just to get even with a guy for something that had happened years ago.
[335] He surely must have realized that I'd be back again, sooner or later.
[336] Maybe he had another little junket all set for me.
[337] Or maybe he didn't expect me to come back.
[338] The thought hadn't occurred to me before this, and I began to consider it seriously.
[339] Walsh was no good, rotten clear through.
[340] He was failing at the job of keeping Mars in hand, and he probably realized that a few more mistakes on his part would mean the end of his career with Space II.
[341] I chuckled as I thought of him isolated in some God-forsaken place like Space V or Space VII.
[342] This probably bothered him a lot, too.
[343] But what probably bothered him more was the fact that I was next in command.
[344] If he were transferred, I'd be in charge of Space II, and I could understand how much that would appeal to Walsh.
[345] I tried to figure the thing out sensibly, tried to weigh his good points against his bad.
[346] But it all came back to the same thing.
[347] A guy who would deliberately go to sleep on Boiler Watch with a ton of uranium ready to blast a barracks to smithereens if it wasn't watched, would deliberately do just about anything.
[348] Sending me off on a wild goose chase after a character named Joe may have been a gag.
[349] But it may have been something a little grimmer than a gag, and I made up my mind to be extremely careful from here on in.
[350] The guide arrived at fifteen hundred on the dot.
[351] He was tall, elongated, looked almost like all the other Venusians I'd seen so far.
[352] "I understand you need a Grade A guide, sir," he said.
[353] "Are you familiar with the jungle?"
[354] I asked him.
[355] "Born and raised there, sir.
[356] Know it like the back of my hand."
[357] "Has Joe told you what the payment will be?"
[358] "Yes, sir.
[359] A carton and a half of cigarettes."
[360] I thought about Joe deducting his commission and smiled.
[361] "When can we leave?"
[362] "Right away, sir.
[363] We won't need much really.
[364] I've made a list of supplies and I can get them in less than an hour.
[365] I suggest you wear light clothing, boots, and a hat."
[366] "Will I need a weapon?"
[367] He looked at me, his eyes faintly amused.
[368] "Why, what for, sir?"
[369] "Never mind," I said.
[370] "What's your name, by the way?"
[371] He lifted his eyebrows, and his eyes widened in his narrow face.
[372] He was definitely surprised.
[373] "Joe," he said.
[374] "Didn't you know?"
[375] When we'd been out for a while I discovered why Joe had suggested the boots and the hat.
[376] The undergrowth was often sharp and jagged and it would have sliced my legs to ribbons were they not protected by the high boots.
[377] The hat kept the strong sun off my head.
[378] Joe was an excellent guide and a pleasant companion.
[379] He seemed to be enjoying a great romp, seemed to love the jungle and take a secret pleasure in the work he was doing.
[380] There were times when I couldn't see three feet ahead of me.
[381] He'd stand stock still for a few minutes, his head barely moving, his eyes darting from one plant to another.
[382] Then he'd say, "This way," and take off into what looked like more impenetrable jungle invariably to find a little path leading directly to another village.
[383] Each village was the same.
[384] The natives would come running out of their huts, tall and blue, shouting, "Cigarettes, Joe?
[385] Cigarettes?"
[386] It took me a while to realize they were addressing me and not my guide.
[387] Everybody was Joe.
[388] It was one beautiful, happy, joyous round of stinking, hot jungle.
[389] And I wasn't getting any nearer my man.
[390] Nor had I any idea how I was supposed to find him.
[391] I began to feel pretty low about the whole affair.
[392] Joe, on the other hand, enjoyed every moment of the trip.
[393] In each village he greeted the natives cheerfully, told them stories, swapped gossip and jokes.
[394] And when it was time to leave, he would say goodbye to all his friends and we would plunge into the twisted foliage again.
[395] His spirits were always high and he never failed to say the right thing that would give a momentary lift to my own depressed state of mind.
[396] He would talk for hours on end as we hacked our way through the jungle.
[397] "I like Venus," he said once.
[398] "I would never leave it."
[399] "Have you ever been to Earth?"
[400] I asked.
[401] "No," Joe replied.
[402] "I like Terrans too, you understand.
[403] They are good for Venus.
[404] And they are fun."
[405] "Fun?"
[406] I asked, thinking of a particular species of Terran: species Leonard Walsh.
[407] "Yes, yes," he said wholeheartedly.
[408] "They joke and they laugh and ... well, you know."
[409] "I suppose so," I admitted.
[410] Joe smiled secretly, and we pushed on.
[411] I began to find, more and more, that I had started to talk freely to Joe.
[412] In the beginning he had been just my guide.
[413] There had been the strained relationship of employer and employee.
[414] But as the days lengthened into weeks, the formal atmosphere began to crumble.
[415] I found myself telling him all about Earth, about the people there, about my decision to attend the Academy, the rigid tests, the grind, even the Moon run.
[416] Joe was a good listener, nodding sympathetically, finding experiences in his own life to parallel my own.
[417] And as our relationship progressed from a casual one to a definitely friendly one, Joe seemed more enthusiastic than ever to keep up our grinding pace to find what we were looking for.
[418] Once we stopped in a clearing to rest.
[419] Joe lounged on the matted greenery, his long body stretched out in front of him, the knife gleaming in his belt.
[420] I'd seen him slash his way through thick, tangled vines with that knife, his long, muscular arms powerfully slicing through them like strips of silk.
[421] "How far are we from the Station?"
[422] I asked.
[423] "Three or four Earth weeks," he replied.
[424] I sighed wearily.
[425] "Where do we go from here?"
[426] "There are more villages," he said.
[427] "We'll never find him."
[428] "Possibly," Joe mused, the smile creeping over his face again.
[429] "A wild goose chase.
[430] A fool's errand."
[431] "We'd better get started," Joe said simply.
[432] I got to my feet and we started the march again.
[433] Joe was still fresh, a brilliant contrast to me, weary and dejected.
[434] Somehow, I had the same feeling I'd had a long time ago on my sixteenth birthday.
[435] One of my friends had taken me all over the city, finally dropping me off at my own house where the whole gang was gathered for a surprise party.
[436] Joe reminded me of that friend.
[437] "There's a village ahead," he said, and the grin on his face was large now, his eyes shining.
[438] Something was missing here.
[439] Natives.
[440] There were no natives rushing out to greet us.
[441] No cries of "Cigarettes?
[442] Cigarettes?"
[443] I caught up with Joe.
[444] "What's the story?"
[445] I whispered.
[446] He shrugged knowingly and continued walking.
[447] And then I saw the ship, nose pointing into space, catching the rays of the sun like a great silver bullet.
[448] "What...?"
[449] I started.
[450] "It's all right," Joe said, smiling.
[451] The ship looked vaguely familiar.
[452] I noticed the crest of Space II near the nose, and a lot of things became clear then.
[453] I also saw Walsh standing near one of the huts, a stun gun in his hand.
[454] "Hello, Major," he called, almost cheerfully.
[455] The gun didn't look cheerful, though.
[456] It was pointed at my head.
[457] "Fancy meeting you here, Colonel," I said, trying to match his joviality.
[458] Somehow it didn't quite come off.
[459] Joe was walking beside me, waving at the colonel, beaming all over with happiness.
[460] "I see you found your man," Walsh said.
[461] I turned rapidly.
[462] Joe nodded and kept grinning, a grin that told me he was getting a big kick out of all this.
[463] Like a kid playing a game.
[464] I faced Walsh again.
[465] "Okay, what's it all about, pal?"
[466] "Colonel," Walsh corrected me.
[467] "You mustn't forget to say Colonel, Major ."
[468] He emphasized my rank, and he said it with a sort of ruthless finality.
[469] I waited.
[470] I could see he was just busting to tell me how clever he'd been.
[471] Besides, there wasn't much I could do but wait.
[472] Not with Walsh pointing the stun gun at my middle.
[473] "We've come a long way since the Academy, haven't we, Major?"
[474] "If you mean in miles," I said, looking around at the plants, "we sure have."
[475] Walsh grinned a little.
[476] "Always the wit," he said drily.
[477] And then the smile faded from his lips and his eyes took on a hard lustre.
[478] "I'm going to kill you, you know."
[479] He said it as if he were saying, "I think it'll rain tomorrow."
[480] Joe almost clapped his hands together with glee.
[481] He was really enjoying this.
[482] Another of those funny Terran games.
[483] "You gave me a powerful handicap to overcome," Walsh said.
[484] "I suppose I should thank you, really."
[485] "You're welcome," I said.
[486] "It wasn't easy living down the disgrace you caused me."
[487] "It was your own damn fault," I said.
[488] "You knew what you were doing when you decided to cork off."
[489] Beside me, Joe chuckled a little, enjoying the game immensely.
[490] "You didn't have to report me," Walsh said.
[491] "No?
[492] Maybe I should have forgotten all about it?
[493] Maybe I should have nudged you and served you orange juice?
[494] So you could do it again sometime and maybe blow up the whole damn Academy!"
[495] Walsh was silent for a long time.
[496] When he spoke his voice was barely audible.
[497] The heat was oppressive, as if it were concentrated on this little spot in the jungle, focusing all its penetration on a small, unimportant drama.
[498] I could hear Joe breathing beside me.
[499] "I'm on my way out," Walsh rasped.
[500] "Finished, do you understand?"
[501] "Good," I said.
[502] And I meant it.
[503] "This Mars thing.
[504] A terrible fix.
[505] Terrible."
[506] Beside me, a slight frown crossed Joe's face.
[507] Apparently he couldn't understand the seriousness of our voices.
[508] What had happened to the game, the fun?
[509] "You brought the Mars business on yourself," I told Walsh.
[510] "There was never any trouble before you took command."
[511] "The natives," he practically shouted.
[512] "They ... they...." Joe caught his breath sharply, and I wondered what Walsh was going to say about the natives.
[513] Apparently he'd realized that Joe was a native.
[514] Or maybe Joe's knife had something to do with it.
[515] "What about the natives?"
[516] I asked.
[517] "Nothing," Walsh said.
[518] "Nothing."
[519] He was silent for a while.
[520] "A man of my calibre," he said then, his face grim.
[521] "Dealing with savages."
[522] He caught himself again and threw a hasty glance at Joe.
[523] The perplexed frown had grown heavier on Joe's face.
[524] He looked at the colonel in puzzlement. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship between Major Polk and his guide, Joe?":
1. [417] And as our relationship progressed from a casual one to a definitely friendly one, Joe seemed more enthusiastic than ever to keep up our grinding pace to find what we were looking for.
2. [414] I began to find, more and more, that I had started to talk freely to Joe.
3. [411] I began to find, more and more, that I had started to talk freely to Joe.
4. [405] "Fun?" I asked, thinking of a particular species of Terran: species Leonard Walsh.
5. [400] "Have you ever been to Earth?" I asked.
6. [397] "I like Venus," he said once. "I would never leave it."
7. [390] Nor had I any idea how I was supposed to find him.
8. [380] There were times when I couldn't see three feet ahead of me.
9. [376] When we'd been out for a while I discovered why Joe had suggested the boots and the hat.
10. [375] When we'd been out for a while I discovered why Joe had suggested the boots and the hat.
11. [374] "Didn't you know?"
12. [371] He lifted his eyebrows, and his eyes widened in his narrow face. He was definitely surprised.
13. [370] "What's your name, by the way?"
14. [360] "When can we leave?"
15. [357] "A carton and a half of cigarettes."
16. [352] "I understand you need a Grade A guide, sir," he said.
17. [350] The guide arrived at fifteen hundred on the dot.
18. [332] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
19. [324] "And Joe," I said, stopping him at the door, "I hope you're not overlooking your commission on the deal."
20. [317] And the Captain had said they were almost a childish people!
21. [306] "Who else, boss?"
22. [303] "Joe?"
23. [301] A tall Venusian stepped into the room.
24. [298] If there was I'd try to find him.
25. [297] I wanted to stay in the Service, and besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his life.
26. [292] Two: I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a trader Joe who knew the Martians well.
27. [288] One: I could say the hell with Walsh and Venus.
28. [285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
29. [272] "Take your time, Major," Walsh beamed.
30. [269] "Can you give me any more on him?"
31. [262] I called Earth right after chow.
32. [259] As I was leaving, the first Venusian came back with the cigarettes Bransten had ordered.
33. [257] Bransten asked a Venusian named Joe to show me my quarters, reminding me that chow was at thirteen hundred.
34. [254] Just a case of extended idiot , I thought.
35. [251] In fact, he looked as if he were responsible for having put Venus in the heavens in the first place.
36. [248] They like it.
37. [247] Now they're all Joe.
38. [246] It appealed to them—the Joe business, I mean.
39. [245] Well," Bransten went on, "that sort of thing mushrooms.
40. [244] "The enlisted men. You know how they are.
41. [243] "I follow, all right," I said bitterly.
42. [242] "Or 'Listen, Joe, how'd you like to earn some cigarettes?'"
43. [241] "'Hey, Joe, give me a hand with this.'"
44. [240] "The natives are a simple, almost childish people.
45. [239] "You know how they are.
46. [238] "The enlisted men.
47. [237] "You know how they are.
48. [236] I could see that the Captain wasn't used to entertaining Majors.
49. [235] "Easy, sir," Bransten said, turning pale.
50. [234] "Get to the point, Captain!"
51. [233] "I was beginning to get angry.
52. [232] Very angry.
53. [231] I was thinking of Walsh sitting back in a nice cozy foam chair back on Earth.
54. [230] I was beginning to get angry.
55. [229] "It's impossible to tell exactly where it all started, of course," Bransten was saying.
56. [227] I began to get the idea.
57. [226] "And the natives are only now becoming acquainted with Terran culture.
58. [225] "I can see that," I said bitingly.
59. [224] "It's a simple culture, you know.
60. [223] "Not nearly as developed as Mars."
61. [222] "Is there a local hero named Joe?"
62. [221] "I hadn't realized this was your first time on Venus," he said.
63. [220] "What's with all this Joe business?
64. [219] "Is there a local hero named Joe?"
65. [218] "I'm trying to locate someone," I said.
66. [217] I personally didn't think it was so funny.
67. [216] Captain Bransten began to chuckle softly.
68. [215] I tossed him my withering Superior Officer's gaze and waited for his explanation.
69. [214] "It may be a very original name but I think its popularity here is a little outstanding."
70. [213] "What's with all this Joe business?
71. [212] It may be a very original name but I think its popularity here is a little outstanding."
72. [211] "Sir?"
73. [210] Captain Bransten opened his eyes wide.
74. [209] "All right," I said, "suppose we start at the beginning."
75. [208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
76. [207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
77. [206] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
78. [205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
79. [204] "Will you get us some, please?"
80. [203] "Steal what?"
81. [202] I asked.
82. [201] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
83. [200] "Another damned Joe."
84. [199] "Another Joe , I thought.
85. [198] "Another Joe."
86. [197] He smiled broadly and closed the door behind him.
87. [196] "Sir?"
88. [195] the Venusian asked.
89. [194] "We're out of cigarettes, Joe," the Captain said.
90. [193] the Venusian asked.
91. [192] "Sir?"
92. [191] A tall, blue Venusian stepped lithely into the room.
93. [190] Quickly, he pressed a button on his desk and the door popped open.
94. [189] He coughed in embarrassment when he saw it was empty.
95. [188] He reached for a cigarette box on the desk and extended it to me.
96. [187] "Have a seat, Major," he offered.
97. [186] He was wearing a tropical tunic, but he still resembled a wilted lily more than he did an officer.
98. [185] Captain Bransten was a mousey, unimpressive sort of man.
99. [184] "See you, Joe," the bartender called back.
100. [183] "So long, Joe," he said to the bartender.
101. [182] He picked up the bags and nodded at the bar.
102. [181] "Roger," he answered.
103. [180] "Sure," I said wearily.
104. [179] "He's about ready to post you as overdue."
105. [178] "You better get your butt over to the captain's shack," he said.
106. [177] "You Major Polk, sweetheart?"
107. [176] the Venusian who'd just come in asked.
108. [175] "Yes," I said, still thinking of Colonel Walsh.
109. [174] "You Major Polk, sweetheart?"
110. [173] Very....
111. [172] So this was Walsh's idea of a great gag.
112. [171] Joe, Joe, Joe.
113. [170] I listened in fascination.
114. [169] "Not so hot, Joe," the bartender replied.
115. [168] "How's it going?"
116. [167] "Hello, Joe," he said.
117. [166] He waved at the bartender.
118. [165] I started to pick up my bag as another Venusian entered.
119. [164] "Follow your nose, pal. Can't miss it."
120. [163] "How do I get to the captain's shack?"
121. [162] "Skip it," I said.
122. [161] "What are you drinking, pal?"
123. [160] the Venusian asked again.
124. [159] "Oh sure. Real simple."
125. [158] "Sure."
126. [157] "Oh sure."
127. [156] "Sure, Among the natives, I mean."
128. [155] "Among the natives, I mean."
129. [154] "Sure. Oh sure."
130. [153] That dirty, filthy, stinking, unprincipled....
131. [152] That rat!
132. [151] "What are you drinking?"
133. [150] "I never left home," he said simply.
134. [149] "The guy who knows all about Mars, would you?"
135. [148] "You wouldn't happen to be Joe the trader?
136. [147] A faint glimmer of understanding began to penetrate my thick skull.
137. [146] "Joe," he said again.
138. [145] He caught me off balance.
139. [144] "What?"
140. [143] "Call me Joe," he answered.
141. [142] I walked over and asked, "What are you serving, pal?"
142. [141] Behind the bar a tall Venusian lounged.
143. [140] There wasn't much inside the club.
144. [139] I began to curse Walsh for taking me away from my nice soft job in Space II.
145. [138] From the outside it looked as hot as hell.
146. [137] On the inside it was about two degrees short of that mark.
147. [136] I shrugged and looked over at the Officer's Club.
148. [135] Had I tipped him too little?
149. [134] "Oh well, you're new here. We'll let it go."
150. [133] "Oh well, you're new here.
151. [132] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true.
152. [131] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
153. [130] I reached into my tunic and slipped the native thirty solars.
154. [129] I reached into my tunic and slipped the native thirty solars.
155. [128] It didn't look too comfortable but I really wanted that drink.
156. [127] The Officer's Club was a plasteel hut with window shields that protected it from the heat of the sun.
157. [126] We'd probably walked for about ten minutes when he dropped my bags and said, "There it is."
158. [125] He picked up my bags and started walking up a heavily overgrown path.
159. [124] "Sure thing, Toots."
160. [123] I asked.
161. [122] "Are you buying information or are you just curious?"
162. [121] "Can you take me there?"
163. [120] "Where's the Officer's Club?"
164. [119] I asked the Venusian.
165. [118] "Yes, sir," I said.
166. [117] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
167. [116] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
168. [115] I sighed and began wondering just how I should go about contacting the Joe I was looking for.
169. [114] "Oh," I said, my voice conveying my disappointment.
170. [113] "Got a set of keys for it."
171. [112] "The only thing I ever traded, though, was a pocketknife."
172. [111] "I'm Joe, all right," he said.
173. [110] "Joe the trader?"
174. [109] "You are Joe, aren't you?
175. [108] "You've got the wrong number," he said, and I was a little surprised at his use of Terran idiom.
176. [107] "The guys back in Space II are searching high and low for you," I told him.
177. [106] "Same here, Toots," he answered.
178. [105] "I sure am glad to see you, Joe," I said.
179. [104] Maybe this was going to be a simple assignment after all.
180. [103] I dropped my bags and stared at him.
181. [102] "Call me Joe," he said.
182. [101] He ambled over with long-legged strides that closed the distance between us in seconds.
183. [100] "Hey, boy," I called.
184. [99] I wondered if he spoke English.
185. [98] I kept expecting him to pop back to normal.
186. [97] He flashed a double row of brilliant teeth at me.
187. [96] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
188. [95] He was tall, looking almost human except that everything about him was elongated.
189. [94] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
190. [93] Big plants and small ones, some blooming with flowers I'd never seen before, and some as bare as cactus.
191. [92] There were plants everywhere I looked.
192. [91] Like a mixture of old shoe and after-shave.
193. [90] A funny smell I couldn't place.
194. [89] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be.
195. [88] Much too hot for the tunic I was wearing.
196. [87] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be.
197. [86] Swell guy, Walsh.
198. [85] It was almost as if the whole damned planet had blown up in our faces the moment he took over.
199. [84] Ever since Walsh had taken command, ever since he'd started pushing the natives around, there'd been trouble.
200. [83] And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt.
201. [82] I thought about Mars and the revolt there.
202. [81] I did a lot of thinking on that trip.
203. [80] The trip to Venus came off without a hitch.
204. [79] "You'll find him," Walsh said, grinning.
205. [78] "I'm sure of it."
206. [77] "Well, it's not very much to go on."
207. [76] I sighed.
208. [75] "What's that?"
209. [74] "He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes."
210. [73] "Well, physically he's like any of the other Venusians, so I can't give you much help there.
211. [72] "Well, physically he's like any of the other Venusians, so I can't give you much help there.
212. [71] Walsh seemed to consider this for a moment.
213. [70] Anything?"
214. [69] Personal habits?
215. [68] Physical appearance?
216. [67] "Can you tell me anything else about this man?
217. [66] "I don't know, sir."
218. [65] "A relatively simple assignment," Walsh said.
219. [64] "Among the natives, I mean."
220. [63] "It should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
221. [62] "They rarely go in for more than first names.
222. [61] "A native, you know.
223. [60] "Just Joe?"
224. [59] "Just Joe?"
225. [58] "Just Joe."
226. [57] I asked.
227. [56] "Joe what?"
|
How does the Major find out that all the natives are called Joe, and why do they like cigarettes? | [
"When the Major first arrives, he meets a man named Joe. He is a native. The Major thinks that he may have found his man already, but when he asks him if he's a trader, which would match the description that the colonel gave him, the native tells him that he's never traded anything in his life. He then keeps meeting natives, all of whom are named Joe. He asks the Captain why all the Venusians are named Joe. The captain explains that it's because when the men of the Terran space program arrived they used their slang with the locals, all calling them Joe. The men would tell them that if they did a job for them, they would get a pack of cigarettes. Because the Venusians had no names of their own before this, eventually the name \"Joe\" stuck, and everyone on the planet answered to it. They also kept an affinity for cigarettes.",
"When the Major lands on Venus, the first native he comes across introduces himself as Joe. Thinking that he had found the man he was assigned to find, the Major is pleased, but he then realizes that the man is not the right one. As the Major goes through Venus, he begins to notice that every Venusian native addresses the other as \"Joe\", and he realizes that they all share the same name. Captain Bransten then informs the Major of the phenomenon. When Terran men were enlisted on Venus, they would often call the natives \"Joe\" as a nickname, and reward them with cigarettes. Eventually, the natives caught on and began to adapt this behavior into their own culture.",
"Once Major Polk meets the bartender, it is the second person that he meets on the planet named Joe. He realizes from this second encounter that the Colonel had set him up by sending him on an impossible mission. \n\nHis first hint that the natives like cigarettes are when the Captain offers him a cigarette as soon as he sits down in his office. The Captain says that the Venusians steal them during their conversation. The Captain explains that it is a part of the native Venusian culture to like cigarettes. He further realizes how important cigarettes are to natives when he is told the price for a guide can be paid with cigarette cartons. When they go through each village during their time in the jungle, the natives consistently ask for cigarettes.",
"The Major first encounters three Venusian natives, all with the name Joe. Even the server of Captain Bransten is named Joe. Thus he asks the Captain about this popular name. Because the enlisted man would call the native Joe, they like the name. Thus they are all called Joe. The Captain also reveals that the natives like the cigarettes because the enlisted men keep on asking them if they want to earn some cigarettes. The natives seem to only like these two things about Terran culture. This makes the Major realize that the tips given to one of the Joe that led him to the bar should have been cigarettes. Moreover, the Captain also notes that the natives like to steal the cigarettes."
] | [1] A PLANET NAMED JOE By S. A. LOMBINO There were more Joes on Venus than you could shake a ray-gun at.
[2] Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories November 1952.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Colonel Walsh had a great sense of humor.
[6] I hated his guts ever since we went through the Academy together, but he had a great sense of humor.
[7] For example, he could have chosen a Second Looie for the job on Venus.
[8] He might even have picked a Captain.
[9] But he liked me about as much as I liked him, and so he decided the job was just right for a Major.
[10] At least, that's what he told me.
[11] I stood at attention before his desk in the Patrol Station.
[12] We were somewhere in Area Two on Earth, takeoff point for any operations in Space II.
[13] The duty was fine, and I liked it a lot.
[14] Come to think of it, the most I ever did was inspect a few defective tubes every now and then.
[15] The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy.
[16] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
[17] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
[18] "Yes, sir," I said.
[19] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
[20] I wanted to say, "Then why the hell don't you send a green kid on the job?
[21] Why me?"
[22] Instead, I nodded and watched him playing with his fingers.
[23] "The man is a trader of sorts.
[24] Rather intelligent."
[25] He paused, then added, "For a native, that is."
[26] I had never liked Walsh's attitude toward natives.
[27] I hadn't liked the way he'd treated the natives on Mars ever since he'd taken over there.
[28] Which brought to mind an important point.
[29] "I always figured Venus was under the jurisdiction of Space III, sir.
[30] I thought our activities were confined to Mars."
[31] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
[32] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true.
[33] But this is a special job.
[34] It so happens this Venusian is the one man who can help us understand just what's happening on Mars."
[35] I tried to picture a Venusian understanding Mars and I didn't get very far.
[36] "He's had many dealings with the natives there," Walsh explained.
[37] "If anyone can tell us the reasons for the revolt, he can."
[38] If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh.
[39] I had to laugh at the way he called it "revolt."
[40] It had been going on for six months now and we'd lost at least a thousand men from Space II.
[41] Revolt.
[42] "And this man is on Venus now?"
[43] I asked for confirmation.
[44] I'd never been to Venus, being in Space II ever since I'd left the Moon run.
[45] It was just like Walsh to ship me off to a strange place.
[46] "Yes, Major," he said.
[47] "This man is on Venus."
[48] At the Academy he had called me Fred.
[49] That was before I'd reported him for sleeping on Boiler Watch.
[50] He'd goofed off on a pile of uranium that could've, and almost did, blow the barracks sky-high that night.
[51] He still thought it was my fault, as if I'd done the wrong thing by reporting him.
[52] And now, through the fouled-up machinery that exists in any military organization, he outranked me.
[53] "And the man's name, sir?"
[54] "Joe."
[55] A tight smile played on his face.
[56] "Joe what?"
[57] I asked.
[58] "Just Joe."
[59] "Just Joe?"
[60] "Yes," Walsh said.
[61] "A native, you know.
[62] They rarely go in for more than first names.
[63] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[64] Among the natives, I mean."
[65] "I don't know, sir."
[66] "A relatively simple assignment," Walsh said.
[67] "Can you tell me anything else about this man?
[68] Physical appearance?
[69] Personal habits?
[70] Anything?"
[71] Walsh seemed to consider this for a moment.
[72] "Well, physically he's like any of the other Venusians, so I can't give you much help there.
[73] He does have a peculiar habit, though."
[74] "What's that?"
[75] "He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes."
[76] I sighed.
[77] "Well, it's not very much to go on."
[78] "You'll find him," Walsh said, grinning.
[79] "I'm sure of it."
[80] The trip to Venus came off without a hitch.
[81] I did a lot of thinking on that trip.
[82] I thought about Mars and the revolt there.
[83] And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt.
[84] Ever since Walsh had taken command, ever since he'd started pushing the natives around, there'd been trouble.
[85] It was almost as if the whole damned planet had blown up in our faces the moment he took over.
[86] Swell guy, Walsh.
[87] Venus was hotter than I'd expected it to be.
[88] Much too hot for the tunic I was wearing.
[89] It smelled, too.
[90] A funny smell I couldn't place.
[91] Like a mixture of old shoe and after-shave.
[92] There were plants everywhere I looked.
[93] Big plants and small ones, some blooming with flowers I'd never seen before, and some as bare as cactus.
[94] I recognized a blue figure as one of the natives the pilot had told me about.
[95] He was tall, looking almost human except that everything about him was elongated.
[96] His features, his muscles, everything seemed to have been stretched like a rubber band.
[97] I kept expecting him to pop back to normal.
[98] Instead, he flashed a double row of brilliant teeth at me.
[99] I wondered if he spoke English.
[100] "Hey, boy," I called.
[101] He ambled over with long-legged strides that closed the distance between us in seconds.
[102] "Call me Joe," he said.
[103] I dropped my bags and stared at him.
[104] Maybe this was going to be a simple assignment after all.
[105] "I sure am glad to see you, Joe," I said.
[106] "Same here, Toots," he answered.
[107] "The guys back in Space II are searching high and low for you," I told him.
[108] "You've got the wrong number," he said, and I was a little surprised at his use of Terran idiom.
[109] "You are Joe, aren't you?
[110] Joe the trader?"
[111] "I'm Joe, all right," he said.
[112] "Only thing I ever traded, though, was a pocketknife.
[113] Got a set of keys for it."
[114] "Oh," I said, my voice conveying my disappointment.
[115] I sighed and began wondering just how I should go about contacting the Joe I was looking for.
[116] My orders said I was to report to Captain Bransten immediately upon arrival.
[117] I figured the hell with Captain Bransten.
[118] I outranked him anyway, and there wasn't much he could do if I decided to stop for a drink first.
[119] "Where's the Officer's Club?"
[120] I asked the Venusian.
[121] "Are you buying information or are you just curious?"
[122] "Can you take me there?"
[123] I asked.
[124] "Sure thing, Toots."
[125] He picked up my bags and started walking up a heavily overgrown path.
[126] We'd probably walked for about ten minutes when he dropped my bags and said, "There it is."
[127] The Officer's Club was a plasteel hut with window shields that protected it from the heat of the sun.
[128] It didn't look too comfortable but I really wanted that drink.
[129] I reached into my tunic and slipped the native thirty solars.
[130] He stared at the credits curiously and then shrugged his shoulders.
[131] "Oh well, you're new here.
[132] We'll let it go."
[133] He took off then, while I stared after him, wondering just what he'd meant.
[134] Had I tipped him too little?
[135] I shrugged and looked over at the Officer's Club.
[136] From the outside it looked as hot as hell.
[137] On the inside it was about two degrees short of that mark.
[138] I began to curse Walsh for taking me away from my nice soft job in Space II.
[139] There wasn't much inside the club.
[140] A few tables and chairs, a dart game and a bar.
[141] Behind the bar a tall Venusian lounged.
[142] I walked over and asked, "What are you serving, pal?"
[143] "Call me Joe," he answered.
[144] He caught me off balance.
[145] "What?"
[146] "Joe," he said again.
[147] A faint glimmer of understanding began to penetrate my thick skull.
[148] "You wouldn't happen to be Joe the trader?
[149] The guy who knows all about Mars, would you?"
[150] "I never left home," he said simply.
[151] "What are you drinking?"
[152] That rat!
[153] That dirty, filthy, stinking, unprincipled....
[154] But then, it should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
[155] Among the natives, I mean.
[156] Sure.
[157] Oh sure.
[158] Real simple.
[159] Walsh was about the lowest, most contemptible.... "What are you drinking, pal?"
[160] the Venusian asked again.
[161] "Skip it," I said.
[162] "How do I get to the captain's shack?"
[163] "Follow your nose, pal.
[164] Can't miss it."
[165] I started to pick up my bag as another Venusian entered.
[166] He waved at the bartender.
[167] "Hello, Joe," he said.
[168] "How's it going?"
[169] "Not so hot, Joe," the bartender replied.
[170] I listened in fascination.
[171] Joe, Joe, Joe.
[172] So this was Walsh's idea of a great gag.
[173] Very funny.
[174] Very.... "You Major Polk, sweetheart?"
[175] the Venusian who'd just come in asked.
[176] "Yes," I said, still thinking of Colonel Walsh.
[177] "You better get your butt over to the captain's shack," he said.
[178] "He's about ready to post you as overdue."
[179] "Sure," I said wearily.
[180] "Will you take my bags, please?"
[181] "Roger," he answered.
[182] He picked up the bags and nodded at the bar.
[183] "So long, Joe," he said to the bartender.
[184] "See you, Joe," the bartender called back.
[185] Captain Bransten was a mousey, unimpressive sort of man.
[186] He was wearing a tropical tunic, but he still resembled a wilted lily more than he did an officer.
[187] "Have a seat, Major," he offered.
[188] He reached for a cigarette box on the desk and extended it to me.
[189] He coughed in embarrassment when he saw it was empty.
[190] Quickly, he pressed a button on his desk and the door popped open.
[191] A tall, blue Venusian stepped lithely into the room.
[192] "Sir?"
[193] the Venusian asked.
[194] "We're out of cigarettes, Joe," the Captain said.
[195] "Will you get us some, please?"
[196] "Sure thing," the Venusian answered.
[197] He smiled broadly and closed the door behind him.
[198] Another Joe , I thought.
[199] Another damned Joe.
[200] "They steal them," Captain Bransten said abruptly.
[201] "Steal what?"
[202] I asked.
[203] "Cigarettes.
[204] I sometimes think the cigarette is one of the few things they like about Terran culture."
[205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
[206] He does have a peculiar habit, though.
[207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
[208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
[209] "All right," I said, "suppose we start at the beginning."
[210] Captain Bransten opened his eyes wide.
[211] "Sir?"
[212] he asked.
[213] "What's with all this Joe business?
[214] It may be a very original name but I think its popularity here is a little outstanding."
[215] Captain Bransten began to chuckle softly.
[216] I personally didn't think it was so funny.
[217] I tossed him my withering Superior Officer's gaze and waited for his explanation.
[218] "I hadn't realized this was your first time on Venus," he said.
[219] "Is there a local hero named Joe?"
[220] I asked.
[221] "No, no, nothing like that," he assured me.
[222] "It's a simple culture, you know.
[223] Not nearly as developed as Mars."
[224] "I can see that," I said bitingly.
[225] "And the natives are only now becoming acquainted with Terran culture.
[226] Lots of enlisted men, you know."
[227] I began to get the idea.
[228] And I began to appreciate Walsh's doubtful ancestry more keenly.
[229] "It's impossible to tell exactly where it all started, of course," Bransten was saying.
[230] I was beginning to get angry.
[231] Very angry.
[232] I was thinking of Walsh sitting back in a nice cozy foam chair back on Earth.
[233] "Get to the point, Captain!"
[234] I barked.
[235] "Easy, sir," Bransten said, turning pale.
[236] I could see that the Captain wasn't used to entertaining Majors.
[237] "The enlisted men.
[238] You know how they are.
[239] They'll ask a native to do something and they'll call him Joe.
[240] 'Hey, Joe, give me a hand with this.'
[241] Or 'Listen, Joe, how'd you like to earn some cigarettes?'
[242] Do you follow?"
[243] "I follow, all right," I said bitterly.
[244] "Well," Bransten went on, "that sort of thing mushrooms.
[245] The natives are a simple, almost childish people.
[246] It appealed to them—the Joe business, I mean.
[247] Now they're all Joe.
[248] They like it.
[249] That and the cigarettes."
[250] He cleared his throat and looked at me apologetically as if he were personally responsible for Venusian culture.
[251] In fact, he looked as if he were responsible for having put Venus in the heavens in the first place.
[252] "Do you understand, Major?
[253] Just a case of extended idiom, that's all."
[254] Just a case of extended idiot , I thought.
[255] An idiot on a wild goose chase a hell of a long way from home.
[256] "I understand perfectly," I snapped.
[257] "Where are my quarters?"
[258] Bransten asked a Venusian named Joe to show me my quarters, reminding me that chow was at thirteen hundred.
[259] As I was leaving, the first Venusian came back with the cigarettes Bransten had ordered.
[260] I could tell by the look on his face that he probably had half a carton stuffed into his pockets.
[261] I shrugged and went to change into a tropical tunic.
[262] I called Earth right after chow.
[263] The Captain assured me that this sort of thing was definitely against regulations, but he submitted when I twinkled my little gold leaf under his nose.
[264] Walsh's face appeared on the screen.
[265] He was smiling, looking like a fat pussy cat.
[266] "What is it, Major?"
[267] he asked.
[268] "This man Joe," I said.
[269] "Can you give me any more on him?"
[270] Walsh's grin grew wider.
[271] "Why, Major," he said, "you're not having any difficulties, are you?"
[272] "None at all," I snapped back.
[273] "I just thought I'd be able to find him a lot sooner if...." "Take your time, Major," Walsh beamed.
[274] "There's no rush at all."
[275] "I thought...." "I'm sure you can do the job," Walsh cut in.
[276] "I wouldn't have sent you otherwise."
[277] Hell, I was through kidding around.
[278] "Look...." "He's somewhere in the jungle, you know," Walsh said.
[279] I wanted to ram my fist into the screen, right smack up against those big white teeth.
[280] Instead, I cut off the transmission and watched the surprised look on his face as his screen went blank millions of miles away.
[281] He blinked at the screen, trying to realize I'd deliberately hung up on him.
[282] "Polk!"
[283] he shouted, "can you hear me?"
[284] I smiled, saw the twisted hatred on his features, and then the screen on my end went blank, too.
[285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
[286] I thanked Captain Bransten for his hospitality and went back to my quarters.
[287] As I saw it, there were two courses for me to follow.
[288] One: I could say the hell with Walsh and Venus.
[289] That would mean hopping the next ship back to Earth.
[290] It would also mean disobeying the direct order of a superior officer.
[291] It might mean demotion, and it might mean getting bounced out of the Service altogether.
[292] Two: I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a trader Joe who knew the Martians well.
[293] I could always admit failure, of course, and return empty handed.
[294] Mission not accomplished.
[295] Or, I might really find a guy who was trader Joe.
[296] I made my decision quickly.
[297] I wanted to stay in the Service, and besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his life.
[298] Maybe there was a Joe here who could help us on Mars.
[299] If there was I'd try to find him.
[300] It was still a hell of a trick though.
[301] I cursed Walsh again and pushed the buzzer near my bed.
[302] A tall Venusian stepped into the room.
[303] "Joe?"
[304] I asked, just to be sure.
[305] "Who else, boss?"
[306] he answered.
[307] "I'm trying to locate someone," I said.
[308] "I'll need a guide to take me into the jungle.
[309] Can you get me one?"
[310] "It'll cost you, boss," the Venusian said.
[311] "How much?"
[312] "Two cartons of cigarettes at least."
[313] "Who's the guide?"
[314] I asked.
[315] "How's the price sound?"
[316] "Fine, fine," I said impatiently.
[317] And the Captain had said they were almost a childish people!
[318] "His name is Joe," the Venusian told me.
[319] "Best damn guide on the planet.
[320] Take you anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do.
[321] Courageous.
[322] Doesn't know the meaning of fear.
[323] I've known him to...." "Skip it," I said, cutting the promotion short.
[324] "Tell him to show up around fifteen hundred with a complete list of what we'll need."
[325] The Venusian started to leave.
[326] "And Joe," I said, stopping him at the door, "I hope you're not overlooking your commission on the deal."
[327] His face broke into a wide grin.
[328] "No danger of that, boss," he said.
[329] When he was gone I began figuring out a plan of action.
[330] Obviously, I'd just have to traipse through the jungle looking for a guy named Joe on a planet where everyone was named Joe.
[331] Everybody, at least, but the Captain, the small garrison attached to the Station, and me.
[332] I began wondering why Walsh had gone to so much trouble to get rid of me.
[333] The job, as I saw it, would take a hell of a long time.
[334] It seemed like a silly thing to do, just to get even with a guy for something that had happened years ago.
[335] He surely must have realized that I'd be back again, sooner or later.
[336] Maybe he had another little junket all set for me.
[337] Or maybe he didn't expect me to come back.
[338] The thought hadn't occurred to me before this, and I began to consider it seriously.
[339] Walsh was no good, rotten clear through.
[340] He was failing at the job of keeping Mars in hand, and he probably realized that a few more mistakes on his part would mean the end of his career with Space II.
[341] I chuckled as I thought of him isolated in some God-forsaken place like Space V or Space VII.
[342] This probably bothered him a lot, too.
[343] But what probably bothered him more was the fact that I was next in command.
[344] If he were transferred, I'd be in charge of Space II, and I could understand how much that would appeal to Walsh.
[345] I tried to figure the thing out sensibly, tried to weigh his good points against his bad.
[346] But it all came back to the same thing.
[347] A guy who would deliberately go to sleep on Boiler Watch with a ton of uranium ready to blast a barracks to smithereens if it wasn't watched, would deliberately do just about anything.
[348] Sending me off on a wild goose chase after a character named Joe may have been a gag.
[349] But it may have been something a little grimmer than a gag, and I made up my mind to be extremely careful from here on in.
[350] The guide arrived at fifteen hundred on the dot.
[351] He was tall, elongated, looked almost like all the other Venusians I'd seen so far.
[352] "I understand you need a Grade A guide, sir," he said.
[353] "Are you familiar with the jungle?"
[354] I asked him.
[355] "Born and raised there, sir.
[356] Know it like the back of my hand."
[357] "Has Joe told you what the payment will be?"
[358] "Yes, sir.
[359] A carton and a half of cigarettes."
[360] I thought about Joe deducting his commission and smiled.
[361] "When can we leave?"
[362] "Right away, sir.
[363] We won't need much really.
[364] I've made a list of supplies and I can get them in less than an hour.
[365] I suggest you wear light clothing, boots, and a hat."
[366] "Will I need a weapon?"
[367] He looked at me, his eyes faintly amused.
[368] "Why, what for, sir?"
[369] "Never mind," I said.
[370] "What's your name, by the way?"
[371] He lifted his eyebrows, and his eyes widened in his narrow face.
[372] He was definitely surprised.
[373] "Joe," he said.
[374] "Didn't you know?"
[375] When we'd been out for a while I discovered why Joe had suggested the boots and the hat.
[376] The undergrowth was often sharp and jagged and it would have sliced my legs to ribbons were they not protected by the high boots.
[377] The hat kept the strong sun off my head.
[378] Joe was an excellent guide and a pleasant companion.
[379] He seemed to be enjoying a great romp, seemed to love the jungle and take a secret pleasure in the work he was doing.
[380] There were times when I couldn't see three feet ahead of me.
[381] He'd stand stock still for a few minutes, his head barely moving, his eyes darting from one plant to another.
[382] Then he'd say, "This way," and take off into what looked like more impenetrable jungle invariably to find a little path leading directly to another village.
[383] Each village was the same.
[384] The natives would come running out of their huts, tall and blue, shouting, "Cigarettes, Joe?
[385] Cigarettes?"
[386] It took me a while to realize they were addressing me and not my guide.
[387] Everybody was Joe.
[388] It was one beautiful, happy, joyous round of stinking, hot jungle.
[389] And I wasn't getting any nearer my man.
[390] Nor had I any idea how I was supposed to find him.
[391] I began to feel pretty low about the whole affair.
[392] Joe, on the other hand, enjoyed every moment of the trip.
[393] In each village he greeted the natives cheerfully, told them stories, swapped gossip and jokes.
[394] And when it was time to leave, he would say goodbye to all his friends and we would plunge into the twisted foliage again.
[395] His spirits were always high and he never failed to say the right thing that would give a momentary lift to my own depressed state of mind.
[396] He would talk for hours on end as we hacked our way through the jungle.
[397] "I like Venus," he said once.
[398] "I would never leave it."
[399] "Have you ever been to Earth?"
[400] I asked.
[401] "No," Joe replied.
[402] "I like Terrans too, you understand.
[403] They are good for Venus.
[404] And they are fun."
[405] "Fun?"
[406] I asked, thinking of a particular species of Terran: species Leonard Walsh.
[407] "Yes, yes," he said wholeheartedly.
[408] "They joke and they laugh and ... well, you know."
[409] "I suppose so," I admitted.
[410] Joe smiled secretly, and we pushed on.
[411] I began to find, more and more, that I had started to talk freely to Joe.
[412] In the beginning he had been just my guide.
[413] There had been the strained relationship of employer and employee.
[414] But as the days lengthened into weeks, the formal atmosphere began to crumble.
[415] I found myself telling him all about Earth, about the people there, about my decision to attend the Academy, the rigid tests, the grind, even the Moon run.
[416] Joe was a good listener, nodding sympathetically, finding experiences in his own life to parallel my own.
[417] And as our relationship progressed from a casual one to a definitely friendly one, Joe seemed more enthusiastic than ever to keep up our grinding pace to find what we were looking for.
[418] Once we stopped in a clearing to rest.
[419] Joe lounged on the matted greenery, his long body stretched out in front of him, the knife gleaming in his belt.
[420] I'd seen him slash his way through thick, tangled vines with that knife, his long, muscular arms powerfully slicing through them like strips of silk.
[421] "How far are we from the Station?"
[422] I asked.
[423] "Three or four Earth weeks," he replied.
[424] I sighed wearily.
[425] "Where do we go from here?"
[426] "There are more villages," he said.
[427] "We'll never find him."
[428] "Possibly," Joe mused, the smile creeping over his face again.
[429] "A wild goose chase.
[430] A fool's errand."
[431] "We'd better get started," Joe said simply.
[432] I got to my feet and we started the march again.
[433] Joe was still fresh, a brilliant contrast to me, weary and dejected.
[434] Somehow, I had the same feeling I'd had a long time ago on my sixteenth birthday.
[435] One of my friends had taken me all over the city, finally dropping me off at my own house where the whole gang was gathered for a surprise party.
[436] Joe reminded me of that friend.
[437] "There's a village ahead," he said, and the grin on his face was large now, his eyes shining.
[438] Something was missing here.
[439] Natives.
[440] There were no natives rushing out to greet us.
[441] No cries of "Cigarettes?
[442] Cigarettes?"
[443] I caught up with Joe.
[444] "What's the story?"
[445] I whispered.
[446] He shrugged knowingly and continued walking.
[447] And then I saw the ship, nose pointing into space, catching the rays of the sun like a great silver bullet.
[448] "What...?"
[449] I started.
[450] "It's all right," Joe said, smiling.
[451] The ship looked vaguely familiar.
[452] I noticed the crest of Space II near the nose, and a lot of things became clear then.
[453] I also saw Walsh standing near one of the huts, a stun gun in his hand.
[454] "Hello, Major," he called, almost cheerfully.
[455] The gun didn't look cheerful, though.
[456] It was pointed at my head.
[457] "Fancy meeting you here, Colonel," I said, trying to match his joviality.
[458] Somehow it didn't quite come off.
[459] Joe was walking beside me, waving at the colonel, beaming all over with happiness.
[460] "I see you found your man," Walsh said.
[461] I turned rapidly.
[462] Joe nodded and kept grinning, a grin that told me he was getting a big kick out of all this.
[463] Like a kid playing a game.
[464] I faced Walsh again.
[465] "Okay, what's it all about, pal?"
[466] "Colonel," Walsh corrected me.
[467] "You mustn't forget to say Colonel, Major ."
[468] He emphasized my rank, and he said it with a sort of ruthless finality.
[469] I waited.
[470] I could see he was just busting to tell me how clever he'd been.
[471] Besides, there wasn't much I could do but wait.
[472] Not with Walsh pointing the stun gun at my middle.
[473] "We've come a long way since the Academy, haven't we, Major?"
[474] "If you mean in miles," I said, looking around at the plants, "we sure have."
[475] Walsh grinned a little.
[476] "Always the wit," he said drily.
[477] And then the smile faded from his lips and his eyes took on a hard lustre.
[478] "I'm going to kill you, you know."
[479] He said it as if he were saying, "I think it'll rain tomorrow."
[480] Joe almost clapped his hands together with glee.
[481] He was really enjoying this.
[482] Another of those funny Terran games.
[483] "You gave me a powerful handicap to overcome," Walsh said.
[484] "I suppose I should thank you, really."
[485] "You're welcome," I said.
[486] "It wasn't easy living down the disgrace you caused me."
[487] "It was your own damn fault," I said.
[488] "You knew what you were doing when you decided to cork off."
[489] Beside me, Joe chuckled a little, enjoying the game immensely.
[490] "You didn't have to report me," Walsh said.
[491] "No?
[492] Maybe I should have forgotten all about it?
[493] Maybe I should have nudged you and served you orange juice?
[494] So you could do it again sometime and maybe blow up the whole damn Academy!"
[495] Walsh was silent for a long time.
[496] When he spoke his voice was barely audible.
[497] The heat was oppressive, as if it were concentrated on this little spot in the jungle, focusing all its penetration on a small, unimportant drama.
[498] I could hear Joe breathing beside me.
[499] "I'm on my way out," Walsh rasped.
[500] "Finished, do you understand?"
[501] "Good," I said.
[502] And I meant it.
[503] "This Mars thing.
[504] A terrible fix.
[505] Terrible."
[506] Beside me, a slight frown crossed Joe's face.
[507] Apparently he couldn't understand the seriousness of our voices.
[508] What had happened to the game, the fun?
[509] "You brought the Mars business on yourself," I told Walsh.
[510] "There was never any trouble before you took command."
[511] "The natives," he practically shouted.
[512] "They ... they...." Joe caught his breath sharply, and I wondered what Walsh was going to say about the natives.
[513] Apparently he'd realized that Joe was a native.
[514] Or maybe Joe's knife had something to do with it.
[515] "What about the natives?"
[516] I asked.
[517] "Nothing," Walsh said.
[518] "Nothing."
[519] He was silent for a while.
[520] "A man of my calibre," he said then, his face grim.
[521] "Dealing with savages."
[522] He caught himself again and threw a hasty glance at Joe.
[523] The perplexed frown had grown heavier on Joe's face.
[524] He looked at the colonel in puzzlement. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question:
1. [205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
2. [207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
3. [154] Among the natives, I mean.
4. [285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
5. [62] They rarely go in for more than first names.
6. [61] A native, you know.
7. [63] It should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
8. [73] He does have a peculiar habit, though.
9. [75] Well, it's not very much to go on.
10. [205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
11. [208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
12. [3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories November 1952.]
13. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
14. [1] A PLANET NAMED JOE By S. A. LOMBINO
15. [2] Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe.
16. [5] Colonel Walsh had a great sense of humor.
17. [6] I hated his guts ever since we went through the Academy together, but he had a great sense of humor.
18. [7] For example, he could have chosen a Second Looie for the job on Venus.
19. [8] He might even have picked a Captain.
20. [9] But he liked me about as much as I liked him, and so he decided the job was just right for a Major.
21. [10] At least, that's what he told me.
22. [11] I stood at attention before his desk in the Patrol Station.
23. [12] We were somewhere in Area Two on Earth, takeoff point for any operations in Space II.
24. [13] The duty was fine, and I liked it a lot.
25. [14] Come to think of it, the most I ever did was inspect a few defective tubes every now and then.
26. [15] The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy.
27. [16] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
28. [17] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
29. [18] "Yes, sir," I said.
30. [19] "It will involve finding one man, a Venusian native."
31. [20] I wanted to say, "Then why the hell don't you send a green kid on the job?
32. [21] Why me?"
33. [22] Instead, I nodded and watched him playing with his fingers.
34. [23] "The man is a trader of sorts.
35. [24] Rather intelligent."
36. [25] He paused, then added, "For a native, that is."
37. [26] I had never liked Walsh's attitude toward natives.
38. [27] I hadn't liked the way he'd treated the natives on Mars ever since he'd taken over there.
39. [28] Which brought to mind an important point.
40. [29] "I always figured Venus was under the jurisdiction of Space III, sir.
41. [30] I thought our activities were confined to Mars."
42. [31] He folded his fingers like a deck of cards and dropped them on his desk as if he were waiting for me to cut.
43. [32] "Mmmm," he said, "yes, that's true.
44. [33] But this is a special job.
45. [34] It so happens this Venusian is the one man who can help us understand just what's happening on Mars."
46. [35] I tried to picture a Venusian understanding Mars and I didn't get very far.
47. [36] "He's had many dealings with the natives there," Walsh explained.
48. [37] "If anyone can tell us the reasons for the revolt, he can."
49. [38] If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh.
50. [39] I had to laugh at the way he called it "revolt."
51. [40] It had been going on for six months now and we'd lost at least a thousand men from Space II.
52. [41] Revolt.
53. [42] "And this man is on Venus now?"
54. [43] I asked for confirmation.
55. [44] I'd never been to Venus, being in Space II ever since I'd left the Moon run.
56. [45] It was just like Walsh to ship me off to a strange place.
57. [46] "Yes, Major," he said.
58. [47] "This man is on Venus."
59. [48] At the Academy he had called me Fred.
60. [49] That was before I'd reported him for sleeping on Boiler Watch.
61. [50] He'd goofed off on a pile of uranium that could've, and almost did, blow the barracks sky-high that night.
62. [51] He still thought it was my fault, as if I'd done the wrong thing by reporting him.
63. [52] And now, through the fouled-up machinery that exists in any military organization, he outranked me.
64. [53] "And the man's name, sir?"
65. [54] "Joe."
66. [55] A tight smile played on his face.
67. [56] "Joe what?"
68. [57] I asked.
69. [58] "Just Joe."
70. [59] "Just Joe?"
71. [60] "Yes," Walsh said.
72. [205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
73. [207] He has an affinity for Terran cigarettes.
74. [154] Among the natives, I mean.
75. [285] He's somewhere in the jungle, you know.
76. [62] They rarely go in for more than first names.
77. [61] A native, you know.
78. [63] It should be simple to find a man with a name like Joe.
79. [73] He does have a peculiar habit, though.
80. [75] Well, it's not very much to go on.
81. [205] So Walsh had taken care of that angle too.
82. [208] Cigarettes was the tip I should have given; not solars.
83. [3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories November 1952.]
84. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
85. [1] A PLANET NAMED JOE By S. A. LOMBINO
86. [2] Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe.
87. [5] Colonel Walsh had a great sense of humor.
88. [6] I hated his guts ever since we went through the Academy together, but he had a great sense of humor.
89. [7] For example, he could have chosen a Second Looie for the job on Venus.
90. [8] He might even have picked a Captain.
91. [9] But he liked me about as much as I liked him, and so he decided the job was just right for a Major.
92. [10] At least, that's what he told me.
93. [11] I stood at attention before his desk in the Patrol Station.
94. [12] We were somewhere in Area Two on Earth, takeoff point for any operations in Space II.
95. [13] The duty was fine, and I liked it a lot.
96. [14] Come to think of it, the most I ever did was inspect a few defective tubes every now and then.
97. [15] The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy.
98. [16] "It will be a simple assignment, Major," he said to me, peering over his fingers.
99. [17] He held them up in front of him like a cathedral.
100. [18] "Yes, sir," I said. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Bob Parker, the President of Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., sells asteroids to wealthy people on earth. Clients ask for asteroids with size parameters and specifications, and Bob finds them in space and hauls them to earth. His company is almost bankrupt because a rival company, Saylor & Saylor, stole his idea and now offers the same services. Bob receives mail from Mr. Andrew S. Burnside with a request for an asteroid that he would like to use in an upcoming wedding.\n\nBob and his partner Queazy set out to find the perfect asteroid for Mr. Burnside, although they know it’s a longshot. Fairly quickly, they find one that looks perfect. The men land on the asteroid, and Bob deploys his atomic-whirl spectroscope to test it. Suddenly, a beautiful woman interrupts him and demands that they leave the asteroid. She pulls out her spasticizer gun before telling them that they can have it in a month after she’s gone. Bob explains that they are desperate, but the girl retorts that her fate is worse than death if she leaves.\n\nSuddenly, the Saylor brothers’ ship appears, and Bob tells the girl that they have to fight this enemy together. Wally and Billy Saylor, along with three other men, jump out of the ship. Bob tells them that Mr. Burnside has ordered this asteroid, and the Saylor brothers say that they received the same order. Bob quickly grabs the girl’s spasticizer while Queazy throws his body at Billy. However, Wally manages to shoot the gun out of Bob’s hand and attack him. Bob is knocked unconscious in the scuffle. \n\nWhen Bob wakes up, he is completely alone, floating in space. He panics because he has very little oxygen left. Finally, he hears Queazy’s voice explaining that the girl used her ship’s technology to find them both. The mystery girl introduces herself as Starre Lowenthal, the granddaughter of Mr. Burnside. She concedes that this entire mission was fake. She told her grandfather that she would only marry her fiance Mac if he could get this particular asteroid, and then she made plans to conquer and protect the asteroid so it could not be supplied for the wedding. \n\nBob is confident that they can reach the Saylor brothers before they bring the asteroid back to earth, but his plan does nothing to protect Starre from marrying a man she doesn’t love. She agrees to help Bob and Queazy. Within five days, Bob realizes he is in love with Starre. \n\nStarre compares her small ship to a yo-yo, and Bob gets an idea - they will use Starre’s ship like a yo-yo to retrieve the asteroid from the Saylor brothers. Once the team catches up to the Saylor brothers, Bob flings Starre’s ship at the asteroid several times, and Wally calls them to tell them that they might die as a result of the damage their ship has sustained. Bob makes it clear that they have no intention of stopping, and the Saylor brothers release the asteroid.",
"Bob Parker and his business partner Quentin \"Queazy\" Zuyler fly through an asteroid belt searching for one with exact specifications in terms of size and mineral composition requested by a wealthy client, Andrew S. Burnside. Bob and Queazy operate the Interplanetary Hauling Company, which provides the innovative service of delivering an asteroid to the client's home. Bob had invented this service, but his business is suffering thanks to strong-arming by their main competitor, the Saylor Brothers. They need to find Mr. Burnside's asteroid because the payout of $550,000 will save their business. When Bob and Queazy discover an appropriate asteroid, they land and survey the surface to check its dimensions and mineral composition. However, they are interrupted by a beautiful young woman who confirms the composition of the asteroid but demands they leave at once or else she will alert the Interplanetary Commission that they have broken the law. When Bob sees her dumbbell-shaped spaceship, he realizes she comes from wealth and becomes obstinate; he shares with her the importance of this asteroid to his business. While the woman acknowledges his situation, she says if she leaves the asteroid, she will face \"a fate worse than death!\" As they finish their conversation, the Saylor Brothers' ship arrives, and Bob informs the woman that they must stick together to stand against them. Bob argues with Wally and Billy Saylor and eventually he and Queazy attack the two brothers. In the ensuing fight, the Saylors use the woman's paralyzing spasticizer to disable the three rivals and leave them scattered and stranded to die in space. When Bob awakens, he realizes he is running out of air, but soon Queazy retrieves him in their ship with the woman's dumbbell ship in tow; the woman had saved Queazy and together they tracked down Bob. The woman reveals her name is Starre Lowenthal, and she is Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter. She explains she had concocted a scheme to avoid having to marry her fiance, Mac, who was a protégé of her grandfather's: She said she would marry Mac if they could hold a wedding atop an asteroid with very unique specifications. Her grandfather then commissioned Bob's company as well as the Saylor's to ensure such an asteroid would be discovered. And Starre came to the asteroid to ensure that if someone did find it, they wouldn't be able to take it back with them. Although Bob is in love with Starre, he still needs the money for his business, so he decides to pursue the Saylor Brothers and retrieve the asteroid after all; he assures Starre that they will deal with her marriage issue later. Making use of his ship's ability to accelerate and decelerate extremely fast, Bob attaches Starre's ship to theirs and uses it as a kind of yo-yo to threaten and disable the Saylor Brothers' ship. They relinquish the asteroid, and Bob, Queazy, and Starre win the day.",
"Bob Parker and Quentin Zuyler (Queazy) are co-pilots of a ship that has been on a mission for three weeks to locate a valuable asteroid. One of the richest men in the world, Andrew S. Burnside, of Philadelphia, has requested that Bob specifically source an asteroid for his backyard of an exact dimension and composition for a wedding on June 2nd. Having weddings on asteroids in backyards had become a fad among the richest people on Earth.\nWhen they land on the asteroid, they put on spacesuits and begin exploring and testing its composition. They’re startled by a woman who is squatting on the asteroid and claiming she is protected by law to remain there. She is certain about not wanting the asteroid to move from its position, and even pulls a weapon (a spasticizer) on Bob to try to prove her point when he tries to plead with her that his livelihood depends on them taking the asteroid back to Earth. Just as Bob and Queazy were turning to leave the asteroid, the Saylor brothers landed on it.\nThe Saylor brothers were a rival operation to Bob and Queazy, and Bob says they are known for being rough to get their way. They landed on the asteroid with three other men, claimed they also had a direct order from Mr. Burnside for the asteroid, and began an attack on Bob and Queazy. Bob made a diversion with the woman’s paralyzing weapon, Queazy threw Billy Saylor off the asteroid into space, and Wally Saylor shot the weapon out of Bob’s hand. \nBob was unconscious after the fight and woke up spinning in outer space running out of oxygen. With his last breath he called for Queazy on the intercom and was swiftly rescued by both he and the woman and revived to life. The woman revealed herself to be Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter, Starre Lowenthal. She was squatting on the asteroid to try to stop its delivery to Earth. She told her grandfather that she would only marry the man he set her up with, Mac, if it was atop this exact asteroid - thinking that there was no way it was possible for it to be found, and if by small chance it was she would scare those people away.\n \nBob tells Starre they can still intercept the Saylor brothers’ ship since they have to take a long slow orbit back to Earth while his ship can go direct because it’s not towing an asteroid. Along the five day journey to Earth, Bob and Starre fall in love with each other, but Starre seems determined that she would have to keep her promise to marry Mac if the asteroid is delivered. They hook up Starre’s dumbbell shaped spaceship that they are towing like a yo-yo and use it to bludgeon the Saylor brothers’ ship, causing them to release the asteroid and jet away into outer space, leaving Bob, Queasy and Starre in possession.",
"Bob Parker and his partner Queazy are searching for an asteroid of exact proportions to meet a client’s demand. This job is very important because their company, Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., is in dire straits and likely to go under without the significant payday this asteroid will bring: $550,000. The client who requested an asteroid this size wants it for a wedding in his backyard by 11:30 am on June 2; otherwise, the order is void. Parker started the “asteroid in your backyard” promotion, but since then, other companies have been offering the same service. Most notably, competition from Saylor & Saylor is hurting his business. Parker and Queazy locate the perfect asteroid that meets the exact specifications of the request, only to find that someone else, a beautiful young woman, already has laid claim to it. She orders them to leave and threatens to report them to the Interplanetary Commission or to shoot them with her spasticizer. Parker explains why the asteroid is so important to them, and the girl explains that if they take it, she will meet a fate worse than death. Then suddenly, the Saylors’ ship comes into view and lands. Billy and Wally Saylor alight along with three other men, threatening Parker. So Parker tells them that he has an ethergram from Mr. Burnsides ordering this specific asteroid, but Wally announces that they also have the order. Bob grabs the girl’s spasticizer while Queazy grabs Billy Saylor and hurls him into space. But Wally shoots the spasticizer out of Bob’s hand, and someone hits Bob hard and knocks him out.\n\tWhen Bob regains consciousness, he is almost out of oxygen. He calls out for Queazy with his last breath, and Queazy responds and brings the ship to pick him up. The girl had rescued Queazy. She introduces herself as Starre Lowenthal, Mr. Burnside’s granddaughter. Her grandfather wants her to marry Mac andwouldn’tt take no for an answer, so finally Starre told him she would marry Mac if he could find an asteroid with specific dimensions and containing the minerals she specified. Bob knows the way the Saylors will have to take the asteroid into Earth’s orbit and knows they can catch up to them. He tells Starre they have to do that to say the business, but they will work out her problem, too. \n\tAfter five days, Bob is in love with Starre, and she knows it. He starts to tell her, but she stops him because of Mac and the bargain she has to live up to. Bob says he thinks her ship is the solution, and she says it’s just a big yo-yo. As Bob thinks about this, he devises a way to use her ship as a yo-yo to attack the Saylors’ ship. They catch up to the Saylors and attack them with Starre’s ship until the Saylors release the asteroid and fly away."
] | [1] COSMIC YO-YO By ROSS ROCKLYNNE "Want an asteroid in your backyard?
[2] We supply cheap.
[3] Trouble also handled without charge."
[4] Interplanetary Hauling Company.
[5] (ADVT.)
[6] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Summer 1945.
[7] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[8] Bob Parker, looking through the photo-amplifiers at the wedge-shaped asteroid, was plainly flabbergasted.
[9] Not in his wildest imaginings had he thought they would actually find what they were looking for.
[10] "Cut the drive!"
[11] he yelled at Queazy.
[12] "I've got it, right on the nose.
[13] Queazy, my boy, can you imagine it?
[14] We're in the dough.
[15] Not only that, we're rich!
[16] Come here!"
[17] Queazy discharged their tremendous inertia into the motive-tubes in such a manner that the big, powerful ship was moving at the same rate as the asteroid below—47.05 miles per second.
[18] He came slogging back excitedly, put his eyes to the eyepiece.
[19] He gasped, and his big body shook with joyful ejaculations.
[20] "She checks down to the last dimension," Bob chortled, working with slide-rule and logarithm tables.
[21] "Now all we have to do is find out if she's made of tungsten, iron, quartz crystals, and cinnabar!
[22] But there couldn't be two asteroids of that shape anywhere else in the Belt, so this has to be it!"
[23] He jerked a badly crumpled ethergram from his pocket, smoothed it out, and thumbed his nose at the signature.
[24] "Whee!
[25] Mr. Andrew S. Burnside, you owe us five hundred and fifty thousand dollars!"
[26] Queazy straightened.
[27] A slow, likeable smile wreathed his tanned face.
[28] "Better take it easy," he advised, "until I land the ship and we use the atomic whirl spectroscope to determine the composition of the asteroid."
[29] "Have it your way," Bob Parker sang, happily.
[30] He threw the ethergram to the winds and it fell gently to the deck-plates.
[31] While Queazy—so called because his full name was Quentin Zuyler—dropped the ship straight down to the smooth surface of the asteroid, and clamped it tight with magnetic grapples, Bob flung open the lazarette, brought out two space-suits.
[32] Moments later, they were outside the ship, with star-powdered infinity spread to all sides.
[33] In the ship, the ethergram from Andrew S. Burnside, of Philadelphia, one of the richest men in the world, still lay on the deck-plates.
[34] It was addressed to: Mr. Robert Parker, President Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., 777 Main Street, Satterfield City, Fontanaland, Mars.
[35] The ethergram read: Received your advertising literature a week ago.
[36] Would like to state that yes I would like an asteroid in my back yard.
[37] Must meet following specifications: 506 feet length, long enough for wedding procession; 98 feet at base, tapering to 10 feet at apex; 9-12 feet thick; topside smooth-plane, underside rough-plane; composed of iron ore, tungsten, quartz crystals, and cinnabar.
[38] Must be in my back yard before 11:30 A.M. my time, for important wedding June 2, else order is void.
[39] Will pay $5.00 per ton.
[40] Bob Parker had received that ethergram three weeks ago.
[41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
[42] It was, plainly, a hair-brained request.
[43] And yet, if by some chance there was such a rigidly specified asteroid, their financial worries would be over.
[44] That they had actually discovered the asteroid, using their mass-detectors in a weight-elimination process, seemed like an incredible stroke of luck.
[45] For there are literally millions of asteroids in the asteroid belt, and they had been out in space only three weeks.
[46] The "asteroid in your back yard" idea had been Bob Parker's originally.
[47] Now it was a fad that was sweeping Earth, and Burnside wasn't the first rich man who had decided to hold a wedding on top of an asteroid.
[48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day.
[49] And would have before this if he hadn't been lanky and tall while they were giants.
[50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
[51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
[52] Now they scuffed along the smooth-plane topside of the asteroid, the magnets in their shoes keeping them from stepping off into space.
[53] They came to the broad base of the asteroid-wedge, walked over the edge and "down" the twelve-foot thickness.
[54] Here they squatted, and Bob Parker happily clamped the atomic-whirl spectroscope to the rough surface.
[55] By the naked eye, they could see iron ore, quartz crystals, cinnabar, but he had the spectroscope and there was no reason why he shouldn't use it.
[56] He satisfied himself as to the exterior of the asteroid, and then sent the twin beams deep into its heart.
[57] The beams crossed, tore atoms from molecules, revolved them like an infinitely fine powder.
[58] The radiations from the sundered molecules traveled back up the beams to the atomic-whirl spectroscope.
[59] Bob watched a pointer which moved slowly up and up—past tungsten, past iridium, past gold— Bob Parker said, in astonishment, "Hell!
[60] There's something screwy about this business.
[61] Look at that point—" Neither he nor Queazy had the opportunity to observe the pointer any further.
[62] A cold, completely disagreeable feminine voice said, "May I ask what you interlopers are doing on my asteroid?"
[63] Bob started so badly that the spectroscope's settings were jarred and the lights in its interior died.
[64] Bob twisted his head around as far as he could inside the "aquarium"—the glass helmet, and found himself looking at a space-suited girl who was standing on the edge of the asteroid "below."
[65] "Ma'am," said Bob, blinking, "did you say something?"
[66] Queazy made a gulping sound and slowly straightened.
[67] He automatically reached up as if he would take off his hat and twist it in his hands.
[68] "I said," remarked the girl, "that you should scram off of my asteroid.
[69] And quit poking around at it with that spectroscope.
[70] I've already taken a reading.
[71] Cinnabar, iron ore, quartz crystals, tungsten.
[72] Goodbye."
[73] Bob's nose twitched as he adjusted his glasses, which he wore even inside his suit.
[74] He couldn't think of anything pertinent to say.
[75] He knew that he was slowly working up a blush.
[76] Mildly speaking, the girl was beautiful, and though only her carefully made-up face was visible—cool blue eyes, masterfully coiffed, upswept, glinting brown hair, wilful lips and chin—Bob suspected the rest of her compared nicely.
[77] Her expression darkened as she saw the completely instinctive way he was looking at her and her radioed-voice rapped out, "Now you two boys go and play somewhere else!
[78] Else I'll let the Interplanetary Commission know you've infringed the law.
[79] G'bye!"
[80] She turned and disappeared.
[81] Bob awoke from his trance, shouted desperately, "Hey!
[82] Wait!
[83] You! "
[84] He and Queazy caught up with her on the side of the asteroid they hadn't yet examined.
[85] It was a rough plane, completing the rigid qualifications Burnside had set down.
[86] "Wait a minute," Bob Parker begged nervously.
[87] "I want to make some conversation, lady.
[88] I'm sure you don't understand the conditions—" The girl turned and drew a gun from a holster.
[89] It was a spasticizer, and it was three times as big as her gloved hand.
[90] "I understand conditions better than you do," she said.
[91] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth.
[92] Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
[93] Come back in a month.
[94] I don't expect to be here then."
[95] "A month!"
[96] Parker burst the word out.
[97] He started to sweat, then his face became grim.
[98] He took two slow steps toward the girl.
[99] She blinked and lost her composure and unconsciously backed up two steps.
[100] About twenty steps away was her small dumbbell-shaped ship, so shiny and unscarred that it reflected starlight in highlights from its curved surface.
[101] A rich girl's ship, Bob Parker thought angrily.
[102] A month would be too late!
[103] He said grimly, "Don't worry.
[104] I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
[105] I just want you to listen to reason.
[106] You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another.
[107] But to us—to me and Queazy here—it means our business.
[108] We got an order for this asteroid.
[109] Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see?
[110] We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
[111] If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
[112] Don't we, Queazy?"
[113] Queazy said simply, "That's right, miss.
[114] We're in a spot.
[115] I assure you we didn't expect to find someone living here."
[116] The girl holstered her spasticizer, but her completely inhospitable expression did not change.
[117] She put her hands on the bulging hips of her space-suit.
[118] "Okay," she said.
[119] "Now I understand the conditions.
[120] Now we both understand each other.
[121] G'bye again.
[122] I'm staying here and—" she smiled sweetly "—it may interest you to know that if I let you have the asteroid you'll save your business, but I'll meet a fate worse than death!
[123] So that's that."
[124] Bob recognized finality when he saw it.
[125] "Come on, Queazy," he said fuming.
[126] "Let this brat have her way.
[127] But if I ever run across her without a space-suit on I'm going to give her the licking of her life, right where it'll do the most good!"
[128] He turned angrily, but Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
[129] He pointed off into space, beyond the girl.
[130] "What's that?"
[131] he whispered.
[132] "What's wha— Oh! "
[133] Bob Parker's stomach caved in.
[134] A few hundred feet away, floating gently toward the asteroid, came another ship—a ship a trifle bigger than their own.
[135] The girl turned, too.
[136] They heard her gasp.
[137] In another second, Bob was standing next to her.
[138] He turned the audio-switch to his headset off, and spoke to the girl by putting his helmet against hers.
[139] "Listen to me, miss," he snapped earnestly, when she tried to draw away.
[140] "Don't talk by radio.
[141] That ship belongs to the Saylor brothers!
[142] Oh, Lord, that this should happen!
[143] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
[144] Those boys are after this asteroid too, and they won't hesitate to pull any rough stuff.
[145] We're in this together, understand?
[146] We got to back each other up."
[147] The girl nodded dumbly.
[148] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
[149] "It's—it's very important that this—this asteroid stay right where it is," she said huskily.
[150] "What—what will they do?"
[151] Bob Parker didn't answer.
[152] The big ship had landed, and little blue sparks crackled between the hull and the asteroid as the magnetic clamps took hold.
[153] A few seconds later, the airlocks swung down, and five men let themselves down to the asteroid's surface and stood surveying the three who faced them.
[154] The two men in the lead stood with their hands on their hips; their darkish, twin faces were grinning broadly.
[155] "A pleasure," drawled Wally Saylor, looking at the girl.
[156] "What do you think of this situation Billy?"
[157] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us.
[158] We'll have to take steps."
[159] The three men behind the Saylor twins broke into rough, chuckling laughter.
[160] Bob Parker's gorge rose.
[161] "Scram," he said coldly.
[162] "We've got an ethergram direct from Andrew S. Burnside ordering this asteroid."
[163] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
[164] He started moving forward, and the three men in back came abreast, forming a semi-circle which slowly closed in.
[165] Bob Parker gave back a step, as he saw their intentions.
[166] "We got here first," he snapped harshly.
[167] "Try any funny stuff and we'll report you to the Interplanetary Commission!"
[168] It was Bob Parker's misfortune that he didn't carry a weapon.
[169] Each of these men carried one or more, plainly visible.
[170] But he was thinking of the girl's spasticizer—a paralyzing weapon.
[171] He took a hair-brained chance, jerked the spasticizer from the girl's holster and yelled at Queazy.
[172] Queazy got the idea, urged his immense body into motion.
[173] He hurled straight at Billy Saylor, lifted him straight off the asteroid and threw him away, into space.
[174] He yelled with triumph.
[175] At the same time, the spasticizer Bob held was shot cleanly out of his hand by Wally Saylor.
[176] Bob roared, started toward Wally Saylor, knocked the smoking gun from his hand with a sweeping arm.
[177] Then something crushing seemed to hit him in the stomach, grabbing at his solar plexus.
[178] He doubled up, gurgling with agony.
[179] He fell over on his back, and his boots were wrenched loose from their magnetic grip.
[180] Vaguely, before the flickering points of light in his brain subsided to complete darkness, he heard the girl's scream of rage—then a scream of pain.
[181] What had happened to Queazy he didn't know.
[182] He felt so horribly sick, he didn't care.
[183] Then—lights out.
[184] Bob Parker came to, the emptiness of remote starlight in his face.
[185] He opened his eyes.
[186] He was slowly revolving on an axis.
[187] Sometimes the Sun swept across his line of vision.
[188] A cold hammering began at the base of his skull, a sensation similar to that of being buried alive.
[189] There was no asteroid, no girl, no Queazy.
[190] He was alone in the vastness of space.
[191] Alone in a space-suit.
[192] "Queazy!"
[193] he whispered.
[194] "Queazy!
[195] I'm running out of air!"
[196] There was no answer from Queazy.
[197] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
[198] There was only five pounds pressure.
[199] Five pounds!
[200] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long?
[201] Days at least—maybe weeks!
[202] It was evident that somebody had given him a dose of spastic rays, enough to screw up every muscle in his body to the snapping point, putting him in such a condition of suspended animation that his oxygen needs were small.
[203] He closed his eyes, trying to fight against panic.
[204] He was glad he couldn't see any part of his body.
[205] He was probably scrawny.
[206] And he was hungry!
[207] "I'll starve," he thought.
[208] "Or suffocate to death first!"
[209] He couldn't keep himself from taking in great gulps of air.
[210] Minutes, then hours passed.
[211] He was breathing abnormally, and there wasn't enough air in the first place.
[212] He pleaded continually for Queazy, hoping that somehow Queazy could help, when probably Queazy was in the same condition.
[213] He ripped out wild curses directed at the Saylor brothers.
[214] Murderers, both of them!
[215] Up until this time, he had merely thought of them as business rivals.
[216] If he ever got out of this— He groaned.
[217] He never would get out of it!
[218] After another hour, he was gasping weakly, and yellow spots danced in his eyes.
[219] He called Queazy's name once more, knowing that was the last time he would have strength to call it.
[220] And this time the headset spoke back!
[221] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
[222] A voice came again, washed with static, far away, burbling, but excited.
[223] Bob made a rattling sound in his throat.
[224] Then his eyes started to close, but he imagined that he saw a ship, shiny and small, driving toward him, growing in size against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
[225] He relapsed, a terrific buzzing in his ears.
[226] He did not lose consciousness.
[227] He heard voices, Queazy's and the girl's, whoever she was.
[228] Somebody grabbed hold of his foot.
[229] His "aquarium" was unbuckled and good air washed over his streaming face.
[230] The sudden rush of oxygen to his brain dizzied him.
[231] Then he was lying on a bunk, and gradually the world beyond his sick body focussed in his clearing eyes and he knew he was alive—and going to stay that way, for awhile anyway.
[232] "Thanks, Queazy," he said huskily.
[233] Queazy was bending over him, his anxiety clearing away from his suddenly brightening face.
[234] "Don't thank me," he whispered.
[235] "We'd have both been goners if it hadn't been for her.
[236] The Saylor brothers left her paralyzed like us, and when she woke up she was on a slow orbit around her ship.
[237] She unstrapped her holster and threw it away from her and it gave her enough reaction to reach the ship.
[238] She got inside and used the direction-finder on the telaudio and located me first.
[239] The Saylors scattered us far and wide."
[240] Queazy's broad, normally good-humored face twisted blackly.
[241] "The so and so's didn't care if we lived or died."
[242] Bob saw the girl now, standing a little behind Queazy, looking down at him curiously, but unhappily.
[243] Her space-suit was off.
[244] She was wearing lightly striped blue slacks and blue silk blouse and she had a paper flower in her hair.
[245] Something in Bob's stomach caved in as his eyes widened on her.
[246] The girl said glumly, "I guess you men won't much care for me when you find out who I am and what I've done.
[247] I'm Starre Lowenthal—Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter!"
[248] Bob came slowly to his feet, and matched Queazy's slowly growing anger.
[249] "Say that again?"
[250] he snapped.
[251] "This is some kind of dirty trick you and your grandfather cooked up?"
[252] "No!"
[253] she exclaimed.
[254] "No.
[255] My grandfather didn't even know there was an asteroid like this.
[256] But I did, long before he ordered it from you—or from the Saylor brothers.
[257] You see—well, my granddad's about the stubbornest old hoot-owl in this universe!
[258] He's always had his way, and when people stand in his way, that's just a challenge to him.
[259] He's been badgering me for years to marry Mac, and so has Mac—" "Who's Mac?"
[260] Queazy demanded.
[261] "My fiancé, I guess," she said helplessly.
[262] "He's one of my granddad's protégés.
[263] Granddad's always financing some likely young man and giving him a start in life.
[264] Mac has become pretty famous for his Mercurian water-colors—he's an artist.
[265] Well, I couldn't hold out any longer.
[266] If you knew my grandfather, you'd know how absolutely impossible it is to go against him when he's got his mind set!
[267] I was just a mass of nerves.
[268] So I decided to trick him and I came out to the asteroid belt and picked out an asteroid that was shaped so a wedding could take place on it.
[269] I took the measurements and the composition, then I told my grandfather I'd marry Mac if the wedding was in the back yard on top of an asteroid with those measurements and made of iron ore, tungsten, and so forth.
[270] He agreed so fast he scared me, and just to make sure that if somebody did find the asteroid in time they wouldn't be able to get it back to Earth, I came out here and decided to live here.
[271] Asteroids up to a certain size belong to whoever happens to be on them, by common law....
[272] So I had everything figured out—except," she added bitterly, "the Saylor brothers!
[273] I guess Granddad wanted to make sure the asteroid was delivered, so he gave the order to several companies."
[274] Bob swore under his breath.
[275] He went reeling across to a port, and was gratified to see his and Queazy's big interplanetary hauler floating only a few hundred feet away.
[276] He swung around, looked at Queazy.
[277] "How long were we floating around out there?"
[278] "Three weeks, according to the chronometer.
[279] The Saylor boys gave us a stiff shot."
[280] " Ouch! "
[281] Bob groaned.
[282] Then he looked at Starre Lowenthal with determination.
[283] "Miss, pardon me if I say that this deal you and your granddad cooked up is plain screwy!
[284] With us on the butt end.
[285] But I'm going to put this to you plainly.
[286] We can catch up with the Saylor brothers even if they are three weeks ahead of us.
[287] The Saylor ship and ours both travel on the HH drive—inertia-less.
[288] But the asteroid has plenty of inertia, and so they'll have to haul it down to Earth by a long, spiraling orbit.
[289] We can go direct and probably catch up with them a few hundred thousand miles this side of Earth.
[290] And we can have a fling at getting the asteroid back!"
[291] Her eyes sparkled.
[292] "You mean—" she cried.
[293] Then her attractive face fell.
[294] "Oh," she said. "
[295] Oh!
[296] And when you get it back, you'll land it."
[297] "That's right," Bob said grimly.
[298] "We're in business.
[299] For us, it's a matter of survival.
[300] If the by-product of delivering the asteroid is your marriage—sorry!
[301] But until we do get the asteroid back, we three can work as a team if you're willing.
[302] We'll fight the other problem out later.
[303] Okay?"
[304] She smiled tremulously.
[305] "Okay, I guess."
[306] Queazy looked from one to another of them.
[307] He waved his hand scornfully at Bob.
[308] "You're plain nuts," he complained.
[309] "How do you propose to go about convincing the Saylor brothers they ought to let us have the asteroid back?
[310] Remember, commercial ships aren't allowed to carry long-range weapons.
[311] And we couldn't ram the Saylor brothers' ship—not without damaging our own ship just as much.
[312] Go ahead and answer that."
[313] Bob looked at Queazy dismally.
[314] "The old balance-wheel," he groaned at Starre.
[315] "He's always pulling me up short when I go off half-cocked.
[316] All I know is, that maybe we'll get a good idea as we go along.
[317] In the meantime, Starre—ahem—none of us has eaten in three weeks...?"
[318] Starre got the idea.
[319] She smiled dazzlingly and vanished toward the galley.
[320] Bob Parker was in love with Starre Lowenthal.
[321] He knew that after five days out, as the ship hurled itself at breakneck speed toward Earth; probably that distracting emotion was the real reason he couldn't attach any significance to Starre's dumbbell-shaped ship, which trailed astern, attached by a long cable.
[322] Starre apparently knew he was in love with her, too, for on the fifth day Bob was teaching her the mechanics of operating the hauler, and she gently lifted his hand from a finger-switch.
[323] "Even I know that isn't the control to the Holloway vacuum-feeder, Bob.
[324] That switch is for the—ah—the anathern tube, you told me.
[325] Right?"
[326] "Right," he said unsteadily.
[327] "Anyway, Starre, as I was saying, this ship operates according to the reverse Fitzgerald Contraction Formula.
[328] All moving bodies contract in the line of motion.
[329] What Holloway and Hammond did was to reverse that universal law.
[330] They caused the contraction first—motion had to follow!
[331] The gravitonic field affects every atom in the ship with the same speed at the same time.
[332] We could go from zero speed to our top speed of two thousand miles a second just like that!"
[333] He snapped his fingers.
[334] "No acceleration effects.
[335] This type of ship, necessary in our business, can stop flat, back up, ease up, move in any direction, and the passengers wouldn't have any feeling of motion at—Oh, hell!"
[336] Bob groaned, the serious glory of her eyes making him shake.
[337] He took her hand.
[338] "Starre," he said desperately, "I've got to tell you something—" She jerked her hand away.
[339] "No," she exclaimed in an almost frightened voice.
[340] "You can't tell me.
[341] There's—there's Mac," she finished, faltering.
[342] "The asteroid—" "You have to marry him?"
[343] Her eyes filled with tears.
[344] "I have to live up to the bargain."
[345] "And ruin your whole life," he ground out.
[346] Suddenly, he turned back to the control board, quartered the vision plate.
[347] He pointed savagely to the lower left quarter, which gave a rearward view of the dumbbell ship trailing astern.
[348] "There's your ship, Starre."
[349] He jabbed his finger at it.
[350] "I've got a feeling—and I can't put the thought into concrete words—that somehow the whole solution of the problem of grabbing the asteroid back lies there.
[351] But how?
[352] How? "
[353] Starre's blue eyes followed the long cable back to where it was attached around her ship's narrow midsection.
[354] She shook her head helplessly.
[355] "It just looks like a big yo-yo to me."
[356] "A yo-yo?"
[357] "Yes, a yo-yo.
[358] That's all."
[359] She was belligerent.
[360] "A yo-yo !"
[361] Bob Parker yelled the word and almost hit the ceiling, he got out of the chair so fast.
[362] "Can you imagine it!
[363] A yo-yo!"
[364] He disappeared from the room.
[365] "Queazy!"
[366] he shouted. "
[367] Queazy, I've got it! "
[368] It was Queazy who got into his space-suit and did the welding job, fastening two huge supra-steel "eyes" onto the dumbbell-shaped ship's narrow midsection.
[369] Into these eyes cables which trailed back to two winches in the big ship's nose were inserted, welded fast, and reinforced.
[370] The nose of the hauler was blunt, perfectly fitted for the job.
[371] Bob Parker practiced and experimented for three hours with this yo-yo of cosmic dimensions, while Starre and Queazy stood over him bursting into strange, delighted squeals of laughter whenever the yo-yo reached the end of its double cable and started rolling back up to the ship.
[372] Queazy snapped his fingers.
[373] "It'll work!"
[374] His gray eyes showed satisfaction.
[375] "Now, if only the Saylor brothers are where we calculated!"
[376] They weren't where Bob and Queazy had calculated, as they had discovered the next day.
[377] They had expected to pick up the asteroid on their mass-detectors a few hundred thousand miles outside of the Moon's orbit.
[378] But now they saw the giant ship attached like a leech to the still bigger asteroid—inside the Moon's orbit!
[379] A mere two hundred thousand miles from Earth!
[380] "We have to work fast," Bob stammered, sweating.
[381] He got within naked-eye distance of the Saylor brothers' ship.
[382] Below, Earth was spread out, a huge crescent shape, part of the Eastern hemisphere vaguely visible through impeding clouds and atmosphere.
[383] The enemy ship was two miles distant, a black shadow occulting part of the brilliant sky.
[384] It was moving along a down-spiraling path toward Earth.
[385] Queazy's big hand gripped his shoulder.
[386] "Go to it, Bob!"
[387] Bob nodded grimly.
[388] He backed the hauler up about thirty miles, then sent it forward again, directly toward the Saylor brothers' ship at ten miles per second.
[389] And resting on the blunt nose of the ship was the "yo-yo."
[390] There was little doubt the Saylors' saw their approach.
[391] But, scornfully, they made no attempt to evade.
[392] There was no possible harm the oncoming ship could wreak.
[393] Or at least that was what they thought, for Bob brought the hauler's speed down to zero—and Starre Lowenthal's little ship, possessing its own inertia, kept on moving!
[394] It spun away from the hauler's blunt nose, paying out two rigid lengths of cable behind it as it unwound, hurled itself forward like a fantastic spinning cannon ball.
[395] "It's going to hit!"
[396] The excited cry came from Starre.
[397] But Bob swore.
[398] The dumbbell ship reached the end of its cables, falling a bare twenty feet short of completing its mission.
[399] It didn't stop spinning, but came winding back up the cable, at the same terrific speed with which it had left.
[400] Bob sweated, having only fractions of seconds in which to maneuver for the "yo-yo" could strike a fatal blow at the hauler too.
[401] It was ticklish work completely to nullify the "yo-yo's" speed.
[402] Bob used exactly the same method of catching the "yo-yo" on the blunt nose of the ship as a baseball player uses to catch a hard-driven ball in his glove—namely, by matching the ball's speed and direction almost exactly at the moment of impact.
[403] And now Bob's hours of practice paid dividends, for the "yo-yo" came to rest snugly, ready to be released again.
[404] All this had happened in such a short space of time that the Saylor brothers must have had only a bare realization of what was going on.
[405] But by the time the "yo-yo" was flung at them again, this time with better calculations, they managed to put the firmly held asteroid between them and the deadly missile.
[406] But it was clumsy evasion, for the asteroid was several times as massive as the ship which was towing it, and its inertia was great.
[407] And as soon as the little ship came spinning back to rest, Bob flung the hauler to a new vantage point and again the "yo-yo" snapped out.
[408] And this time—collision!
[409] Bob yelled as he saw the stern section of the Saylor brothers' ship crumple like tissue paper crushed between the hand.
[410] The dumbbell-shaped ship, smaller, and therefore stauncher due to the principle of the arch, wound up again, wobbling a little.
[411] It had received a mere dent in its starboard half.
[412] Starre was chortling with glee.
[413] Queazy whispered, "Attaboy, Bob!
[414] This time we'll knock 'em out of the sky!"
[415] The "yo-yo" came to rest and at the same moment a gong rang excitedly.
[416] Bob knew what that meant.
[417] The Saylor brothers were trying to establish communication.
[418] Queazy was across the room in two running strides.
[419] He threw in the telaudio and almost immediately, Wally Saylor's big body built up in the plate.
[420] Wally Saylor's face was quivering with wrath.
[421] "What do you damned fools think you're trying to do?"
[422] he roared.
[423] "You've crushed in our stern section.
[424] You've sliced away half of our stern jets.
[425] Air is rushing out!
[426] You'll kill us!"
[427] "Now," Bob drawled, "you're getting the idea."
[428] "I'll inform the Interplanetary Commission!"
[429] screamed Saylor. "
[430] If you're alive," Bob snarled wrathfully.
[431] "And you won't be unless you release the asteroid."
[432] "I'll see you in Hades first!"
[433] "Hades," remarked Bob coldly, "here you come!"
[434] He snapped the hauler into its mile-a-second speed again, stopped it at zero.
[435] And the "yo-yo" went on its lone, destructive sortie.
[436] For a fraction of a second Wally Saylor exhibited the countenance of a doomed man.
[437] In the telaudio plate, he whirled, and diminished in size with a strangled yell.
[438] The "yo-yo" struck again, but Bob Parker maneuvered its speed in such a manner that it struck in the same place as before, but not as heavily, then rebounded and came spinning back with perfect, sparkling precision.
[439] And even before it snugged itself into its berth, it was apparent that the Saylor brothers had given up.
[440] Like a wounded terrier, their ship shook itself free of the asteroid, hung in black space for a second, then vanished with a flaming puff of released gravitons from its still-intact jets.
[441] The battle was won! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [109] We got an order for this asteroid. Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see? We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
2. [37] Must be in my back yard before 11:30 A.M. my time, for important wedding June 2, else order is void.
3. [91] You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth.
4. [271] Asteroids up to a certain size belong to whoever happens to be on them, by common law....
5. [270] I came out here and decided to live here.
6. [269] I decided to trick him and I came out to the asteroid belt and picked out an asteroid that was shaped so a wedding could take place on it.
7. [268] If you knew my grandfather, you'd know how absolutely impossible it is to go against him when he's got his mind set!
8. [267] I was just a mass of nerves.
9. [266] My fiancé, I guess," she said helplessly. "He's one of my granddad's protégés.
10. [265] Granddad's always financing some likely young man and giving him a start in life.
11. [264] Mac has become pretty famous for his Mercurian water-colors—he's an artist.
12. [263] Granddad's always been badgering me for years to marry Mac, and so has Mac—
13. [262] "Who's Mac?"
14. [261] "My fiancé, I guess," she said helplessly.
15. [260] Queazy demanded.
16. [259] He's been badgering me for years to marry Mac, and so has Mac—
17. [258] He's always had his way, and when people stand in his way, that's just a challenge to him.
18. [257] You see—well, my granddad's about the stubbornest old hoot-owl in this universe!
19. [256] My grandfather didn't even know there was an asteroid like this.
20. [255] But I did, long before he ordered it from you—or from the Saylor brothers.
21. [254] No.
22. [253] "No!"
23. [252] she exclaimed.
24. [251] "This is some kind of dirty trick you and your grandfather cooked up?"
25. [250] he snapped.
26. [249] "Say that again?"
27. [248] Bob came slowly to his feet, and matched Queazy's slowly growing anger.
28. [247] "I guess you men won't much care for me when you find out who I am and what I've done. I'm Starre Lowenthal—Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter!"
29. [246] Bob saw the girl now, standing a little behind Queazy, looking down at him curiously, but unhappily.
30. [245] She was wearing lightly striped blue slacks and blue silk blouse and she had a paper flower in her hair.
31. [244] Her space-suit was off.
32. [243] Bob saw the girl now, standing a little behind Queazy, looking down at him curiously, but unhappily.
33. [242] Queazy's broad, normally good-humored face twisted blackly.
34. [241] "The so and so's didn't care if we lived or died."
35. [240] Queazy's broad, normally good-humored face twisted blackly.
36. [239] The Saylors scattered us far and wide."
37. [238] She got inside and used the direction-finder on the telaudio and located me first.
38. [237] The Saylor brothers left her paralyzed like us, and when she woke up she was on a slow orbit around her ship.
39. [236] "The Saylor brothers left her paralyzed like us, and when she woke up she was on a slow orbit around her ship.
40. [235] "We'd have both been goners if it hadn't been for her.
41. [234] "Don't thank me," he whispered.
42. [233] Queazy was bending over him, his anxiety clearing away from his suddenly brightening face.
43. [232] "Thanks, Queazy," he said huskily.
44. [231] Then he was lying on a bunk, and gradually the world beyond his sick body focussed in his clearing eyes and he knew he was alive—and going to stay that way, for awhile anyway.
45. [230] The sudden rush of oxygen to his brain dizzied him.
46. [229] Somebody grabbed hold of his foot.
47. [228] His "aquarium" was unbuckled and good air washed over his streaming face.
48. [227] He did not lose consciousness.
49. [226] He heard voices, Queazy's and the girl's, whoever she was.
50. [225] He relapsed, a terrific buzzing in his ears.
51. [224] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
52. [223] Bob made a rattling sound in his throat.
53. [222] A voice came again, washed with static, far away, burbling, but excited.
54. [221] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
55. [220] And this time the headset spoke back!
56. [219] He called Queazy's name once more, knowing that was the last time he would have strength to call it.
57. [218] He groaned.
58. [217] He never would get out of it!
59. [216] Up until this time, he had merely thought of them as business rivals.
60. [215] Murderers, both of them!
61. [214] If he ever got out of this— He groaned.
62. [213] He pleaded continually for Queazy, hoping that somehow Queazy could help, when probably Queazy was in the same condition.
63. [212] He ripped out wild curses directed at the Saylor brothers.
64. [211] Minutes, then hours passed.
65. [210] He couldn't keep himself from taking in great gulps of air.
66. [209] "I'll starve," he thought. "Or suffocate to death first!"
67. [208] "And he was hungry!"
68. [207] "I'll starve," he thought.
69. [206] He was glad he couldn't see any part of his body.
70. [205] He was probably scrawny.
71. [204] It was evident that somebody had given him a dose of spastic rays, enough to screw up every muscle in his body to the snapping point, putting him in such a condition of suspended animation that his oxygen needs were small.
72. [203] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
73. [202] There was only five pounds pressure.
74. [201] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long? Days at least—maybe weeks!
75. [200] Five pounds!
76. [199] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long?
77. [198] There was only five pounds pressure.
78. [197] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
79. [196] There was no answer from Queazy.
80. [195] "I'm running out of air!"
81. [194] "Queazy!"
82. [193] "Queazy!"
83. [192] "Queazy!"
84. [191] Alone in a space-suit.
85. [190] He was alone in the vastness of space.
86. [189] There was no asteroid, no girl, no Queazy.
87. [188] A cold hammering began at the base of his skull, a sensation similar to that of being buried alive.
88. [187] Sometimes the Sun swept across his line of vision.
89. [186] He opened his eyes.
90. [185] He was slowly revolving on an axis.
91. [184] Bob Parker came to, the emptiness of remote starlight in his face.
92. [183] Then—lights out.
93. [182] What had happened to Queazy he didn't know.
94. [181] Vaguely, before the flickering points of light in his brain subsided to complete darkness, he heard the girl's scream of rage—then a scream of pain.
95. [180] Vaguely, before the flickering points of light in his brain subsided to complete darkness, he heard the girl's scream of rage—then a scream of pain.
96. [179] He doubled up, gurgling with agony.
97. [178] Then something crushing seemed to hit him in the stomach, grabbing at his solar plexus.
98. [177] Then something crushing seemed to hit him in the stomach, grabbing at his solar plexus.
99. [176] Bob roared, started toward Wally Saylor, knocked the smoking gun from his hand with a sweeping arm.
100. [175] At the same time, the spasticizer Bob held was shot cleanly out of his hand by Wally Saylor.
101. [174] At the same time, the spasticizer Bob held was shot cleanly out of his hand by Wally Saylor.
102. [173] He yelled with triumph.
103. [172] He hurled straight at Billy Saylor, lifted him straight off the asteroid and threw him away, into space.
104. [171] He took a hair-brained chance, jerked the spasticizer from the girl's holster and yelled at Queazy.
105. [170] But he was thinking of the girl's spasticizer—a paralyzing weapon.
106. [169] It was Bob Parker's misfortune that he didn't carry a weapon.
107. [168] "Try any funny stuff and we'll report you to the Interplanetary Commission!"
108. [167] "We got here first," he snapped harshly.
109. [166] Bob Parker gave back a step, as he saw their intentions.
110. [165] He started moving forward, and the three men in back came abreast, forming a semi-circle which slowly closed in.
111. [164] Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
112. [163] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
113. [162] "We've got an ethergram direct from Andrew S. Burnside ordering this asteroid."
114. [161] "Scram," he said coldly.
115. [160] Bob Parker's gorge rose.
116. [159] The three men behind the Saylor twins broke into rough, chuckling laughter.
117. [158] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us. We'll have to take steps."
118. [157] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us.
119. [156] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us.
120. [155] "A pleasure," drawled Wally Saylor, looking at the girl.
121. [154] The two men in the lead stood with their hands on their hips; their darkish, twin faces were grinning broadly.
122. [153] A few seconds later, the airlocks swung down, and five men let themselves down to the asteroid's surface and stood surveying the three who faced them.
123. [152] The big ship had landed, and little blue sparks crackled between the hull and the asteroid as the magnetic clamps took hold.
124. [151] "What—what will they do?"
125. [150] Bob Parker didn't answer.
126. [149] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
127. [148] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
128. [147] Bob didn't answer.
129. [146] "It's—it's very important that this—this asteroid stay right where it is," she said huskily.
130. [145] "We're in this together, understand?
131. [144] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
132. [143] Oh, Lord, that this should happen!
133. [142] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
134. [141] "Don't talk by radio.
135. [140] "Listen to me, miss," he snapped earnestly, when she tried to draw away.
136. [139] He turned the audio-switch to his headset off, and spoke to the girl by putting his helmet against hers.
137. [138] They heard her gasp.
138. [137] In another second, Bob was standing next to her.
139. [136] They heard her gasp.
140. [135] The girl turned, too.
141. [134] A few hundred feet away, floating gently toward the asteroid, came another ship—a ship a trifle bigger than their own.
142. [133] "Oh!"
143. [132] "What's wha— Oh!"
144. [131] "What's that?"
145. [130] Queazy pointed off into space, beyond the girl.
146. [129] Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
147. [128] He turned angrily, but Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
148. [127] "But if I ever run across her without a space-suit on I'm going to give her the licking of her life, right where it'll do the most good!"
149. [126] "Let this brat have her way.
150. [125] "Come on, Queazy," he said fuming.
151. [124] Bob recognized finality when he saw it.
152. [123] "So that's that."
153. [122] "I'm staying here and—" she smiled sweetly "—it may interest you to know that if I let you have the asteroid you'll save your business, but I'll meet a fate worse than death!
154. [121] "G'bye again.
155. [120] "Now we both understand each other.
156. [119] "Okay," she said.
157. [118] "Okay," she said.
158. [117] She put her hands on the bulging hips of her space-suit.
159. [116] The girl holstered her spasticizer, but her completely inhospitable expression did not change.
160. [115] "I assure you we didn't expect to find someone living here."
161. [114] "That's right, miss. We're in a spot.
162. [113] "That's right, miss. We're in a spot.
163. [112] "Don't we, Queazy?"
164. [111] "If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
165. [110] "We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
166. [108] "You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another. But to us—to me and Queazy here—it means our business.
167. [107] "You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another.
168. [106] "I just want you to listen to reason.
169. [105] "I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
170. [104] "Don't worry.
171. [103] "I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
172. [102] "Don't worry.
173. [101] A rich girl's ship, Bob Parker thought angrily.
174. [100] About twenty steps away was her small dumbbell-shaped ship, so shiny and unscarred that it reflected starlight in highlights from its curved surface.
175. [99] She blinked and lost her composure and unconsciously backed up two steps.
176. [98] He took two slow steps toward the girl.
177. [97] He started to sweat, then his face became grim.
178. [96] "A month!"
179. [95] "A month!"
180. [94] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth. Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
181. [93] "Come back in a month.
182. [92] "I don't expect to be here then."
183. [91] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth. Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
184. [90] "It was a spasticizer, and it was three times as big as her gloved hand.
185. [89] She drew a gun from a holster.
186. [88] "I want to make some conversation, lady.
187. [87] "I want to make some |
What role do the Saylor brothers play in the story? | [
"The Saylor brothers, Wally and Billy, are Bob Parker’s enemies. Bob was the first person with the unique idea to sell asteroids to wealthy people on earth, and his business would have been very successful if the Saylor brothers did not poach his idea and begin stealing his clients. Bob worries about the Saylor brothers from the beginning of the story, and he acknowledges that they do not always play by the rules. If Wally and Billy can make a buck by inconveniencing or cheating someone else, they will do it. The brothers are not only intimidating in terms of their business prowess; they are also described as giant when compared to Bob. \n\nQueasy and Bob have a legitimate order from Mr. Burnside for the asteroid, and they have no idea that the Saylor brothers have received the same order. Yet, they still worry that somehow, someway, their enemies will hear about the potential to make half a million dollars and try to steal their opportunity out from under them. Within moments of setting eyes on their spaceship, Bob tells Starre that they have to fight the Saylor brothers together. He doesn’t know her at all, and she actually just pulled a gun on him, but he so deeply mistrusts Wally and Billy that it’s worth it to take a chance on Starre.\n\nOf course, Bob turns out to be right. The second the Saylor brothers get a chance to potentially kill Bob, Queazy, and Starre, they take it. Bob floats in space, unconscious, for several weeks before Starre eventually finds Queazy and Bob, and they give him oxygen and food. Bob is truly close to death before his friends save him in the knick of time, and the Saylor brothers would be perfectly fine with that outcome. \n\nWally and Billy give Bob all the motivation in the world to try and steal the asteroid back, and Bob is determined to catch up with his rivals and make it work somehow. When he comes up with his yo-yo idea using Starre’s ship, he shows zero empathy for the Saylor brothers. During his attempts to retrieve the rock, he seriously damages the brothers’ ship, and they have the gall to call him and attempt to make him feel guilty about their desperate state. Bob, however, cannot be swayed. He knows that he found the asteroid first and that the brothers purposefully cast him out into space to die. His determination saves the day when the Saylor brothers are forced to dispatch Mr. Burnside’s asteroid.",
"Wally and Billy Saylor are boorish twin brothers who operate a company, Saylor & Saylor, that competes with The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Company operated by Bob and Queazy. The Saylors have cashed in on Bob's \"asteroid in your back yard\" idea like many other companies on Earth, only they have been more successful. Thanks to their lack of business scruples, the Saylors have nearly put Bob and Queazy out of business. Because of this, Bob worries about them taking the asteroid that will net his company $550,000 if they catch wind of his arrangement. Unfortunately, the Saylors have also been hired by the same wealthy client that hired Bob and Queazy because the asteroid request was so unusual and specific, the client wanted to make sure it could be found in time for his granddaughter's wedding. Soon after Bob and Queazy meet the granddaughter, who is making temporary camp on the asteroid to avoid getting married, the Saylors arrive and paralyze the three of them in order to take the asteroid back to Earth and cash in for themselves. After they awaken and reunite, Bob, Queazy, and the granddaughter Starre, race after the Saylors and use Starre's ship as a yo-yo projectile. They damage the Saylors' ship and threaten to kill them so that they will release the asteroid. The Saylors threaten to call the Interplanetary Commission, but Bob is persistent, and he slams their ship again, causing them to give up the asteroid.",
"The Saylor brothers are the antagonists of the story. They have an interplanetary moving company in competition with Bob and Queazy, and are known to be violent in getting their way. \nBecause Mr. Burnside was so desperate to have his granddaughter’s wedding go on, he put the order out to both companies for this exact asteroid, causing the Saylor brothers to come into conflict with Bob and Queazy (who were also trying to deliver it to Earth), and Starre (who was desperate for it to not be delivered to Earth since she didn’t want to get married). The Saylor brothers and three other men violently force all of them off the asteroid and into outer space to die and hurry off to Earth with the asteroid, which is the climax of the story.\nUltimately, Bob, Queasy, and Starre get justice by retrieving the asteroid after they intercept the Saylor brothers and attack their ship using a yo-yo method with Starre’s spaceship they are towing, forcing the Saylor brothers to retreat into outer space.",
"The Saylor brothers provide the conflict and competition that drives Bob Parker and Queazy to search the galaxy for an asteroid with the particular specifications Burnside requests. The Saylors are less-than-honest competitors with Bob’s Interplanetary and Hauling Company. While Bob Parker came up with the “asteroid in your backyard” concept, his competitors, especially the Saylors, soon offer the same service. Bob’s company is on the verge of collapse and must fill Mr. Burnside’s order if it is to survive. In desperation, they take on Burnsides’s almost impossible order. When they find the asteroid, it is occupied by a young girl who turns out to be Burnside’s granddaughter. As they talk with her to try to negotiate for the asteroid, the Saylor brothers arrive, trying to take the asteroid. In the fighting that ensues, the Saylors knock Queazy, Bob, and Starre unconscious, leaving them for dead, and take the asteroid. Bob is unconscious for three weeks, and when he comes to, he is down to five pounds of oxygen. Fortunately, Starre and Queazy find him and save him. Then they set sail for tracking down the Saylor brothers. When they find them, they attack the Saylors’ ship with Starre’s ship, using it like a yo-yo. The Saylors contact Bob to let him know they are losing air and that he is going to kill them; however, they refuse to turn over the asteroid. When Bob hits them again with the yo-yo, they finally give up, release the asteroid, and sail away."
] | [1] COSMIC YO-YO By ROSS ROCKLYNNE "Want an asteroid in your backyard?
[2] We supply cheap.
[3] Trouble also handled without charge."
[4] Interplanetary Hauling Company.
[5] (ADVT.)
[6] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Summer 1945.
[7] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[8] Bob Parker, looking through the photo-amplifiers at the wedge-shaped asteroid, was plainly flabbergasted.
[9] Not in his wildest imaginings had he thought they would actually find what they were looking for.
[10] "Cut the drive!"
[11] he yelled at Queazy.
[12] "I've got it, right on the nose.
[13] Queazy, my boy, can you imagine it?
[14] We're in the dough.
[15] Not only that, we're rich!
[16] Come here!"
[17] Queazy discharged their tremendous inertia into the motive-tubes in such a manner that the big, powerful ship was moving at the same rate as the asteroid below—47.05 miles per second.
[18] He came slogging back excitedly, put his eyes to the eyepiece.
[19] He gasped, and his big body shook with joyful ejaculations.
[20] "She checks down to the last dimension," Bob chortled, working with slide-rule and logarithm tables.
[21] "Now all we have to do is find out if she's made of tungsten, iron, quartz crystals, and cinnabar!
[22] But there couldn't be two asteroids of that shape anywhere else in the Belt, so this has to be it!"
[23] He jerked a badly crumpled ethergram from his pocket, smoothed it out, and thumbed his nose at the signature.
[24] "Whee!
[25] Mr. Andrew S. Burnside, you owe us five hundred and fifty thousand dollars!"
[26] Queazy straightened.
[27] A slow, likeable smile wreathed his tanned face.
[28] "Better take it easy," he advised, "until I land the ship and we use the atomic whirl spectroscope to determine the composition of the asteroid."
[29] "Have it your way," Bob Parker sang, happily.
[30] He threw the ethergram to the winds and it fell gently to the deck-plates.
[31] While Queazy—so called because his full name was Quentin Zuyler—dropped the ship straight down to the smooth surface of the asteroid, and clamped it tight with magnetic grapples, Bob flung open the lazarette, brought out two space-suits.
[32] Moments later, they were outside the ship, with star-powdered infinity spread to all sides.
[33] In the ship, the ethergram from Andrew S. Burnside, of Philadelphia, one of the richest men in the world, still lay on the deck-plates.
[34] It was addressed to: Mr. Robert Parker, President Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., 777 Main Street, Satterfield City, Fontanaland, Mars.
[35] The ethergram read: Received your advertising literature a week ago.
[36] Would like to state that yes I would like an asteroid in my back yard.
[37] Must meet following specifications: 506 feet length, long enough for wedding procession; 98 feet at base, tapering to 10 feet at apex; 9-12 feet thick; topside smooth-plane, underside rough-plane; composed of iron ore, tungsten, quartz crystals, and cinnabar.
[38] Must be in my back yard before 11:30 A.M. my time, for important wedding June 2, else order is void.
[39] Will pay $5.00 per ton.
[40] Bob Parker had received that ethergram three weeks ago.
[41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
[42] It was, plainly, a hair-brained request.
[43] And yet, if by some chance there was such a rigidly specified asteroid, their financial worries would be over.
[44] That they had actually discovered the asteroid, using their mass-detectors in a weight-elimination process, seemed like an incredible stroke of luck.
[45] For there are literally millions of asteroids in the asteroid belt, and they had been out in space only three weeks.
[46] The "asteroid in your back yard" idea had been Bob Parker's originally.
[47] Now it was a fad that was sweeping Earth, and Burnside wasn't the first rich man who had decided to hold a wedding on top of an asteroid.
[48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day.
[49] And would have before this if he hadn't been lanky and tall while they were giants.
[50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
[51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
[52] Now they scuffed along the smooth-plane topside of the asteroid, the magnets in their shoes keeping them from stepping off into space.
[53] They came to the broad base of the asteroid-wedge, walked over the edge and "down" the twelve-foot thickness.
[54] Here they squatted, and Bob Parker happily clamped the atomic-whirl spectroscope to the rough surface.
[55] By the naked eye, they could see iron ore, quartz crystals, cinnabar, but he had the spectroscope and there was no reason why he shouldn't use it.
[56] He satisfied himself as to the exterior of the asteroid, and then sent the twin beams deep into its heart.
[57] The beams crossed, tore atoms from molecules, revolved them like an infinitely fine powder.
[58] The radiations from the sundered molecules traveled back up the beams to the atomic-whirl spectroscope.
[59] Bob watched a pointer which moved slowly up and up—past tungsten, past iridium, past gold— Bob Parker said, in astonishment, "Hell!
[60] There's something screwy about this business.
[61] Look at that point—" Neither he nor Queazy had the opportunity to observe the pointer any further.
[62] A cold, completely disagreeable feminine voice said, "May I ask what you interlopers are doing on my asteroid?"
[63] Bob started so badly that the spectroscope's settings were jarred and the lights in its interior died.
[64] Bob twisted his head around as far as he could inside the "aquarium"—the glass helmet, and found himself looking at a space-suited girl who was standing on the edge of the asteroid "below."
[65] "Ma'am," said Bob, blinking, "did you say something?"
[66] Queazy made a gulping sound and slowly straightened.
[67] He automatically reached up as if he would take off his hat and twist it in his hands.
[68] "I said," remarked the girl, "that you should scram off of my asteroid.
[69] And quit poking around at it with that spectroscope.
[70] I've already taken a reading.
[71] Cinnabar, iron ore, quartz crystals, tungsten.
[72] Goodbye."
[73] Bob's nose twitched as he adjusted his glasses, which he wore even inside his suit.
[74] He couldn't think of anything pertinent to say.
[75] He knew that he was slowly working up a blush.
[76] Mildly speaking, the girl was beautiful, and though only her carefully made-up face was visible—cool blue eyes, masterfully coiffed, upswept, glinting brown hair, wilful lips and chin—Bob suspected the rest of her compared nicely.
[77] Her expression darkened as she saw the completely instinctive way he was looking at her and her radioed-voice rapped out, "Now you two boys go and play somewhere else!
[78] Else I'll let the Interplanetary Commission know you've infringed the law.
[79] G'bye!"
[80] She turned and disappeared.
[81] Bob awoke from his trance, shouted desperately, "Hey!
[82] Wait!
[83] You! "
[84] He and Queazy caught up with her on the side of the asteroid they hadn't yet examined.
[85] It was a rough plane, completing the rigid qualifications Burnside had set down.
[86] "Wait a minute," Bob Parker begged nervously.
[87] "I want to make some conversation, lady.
[88] I'm sure you don't understand the conditions—" The girl turned and drew a gun from a holster.
[89] It was a spasticizer, and it was three times as big as her gloved hand.
[90] "I understand conditions better than you do," she said.
[91] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth.
[92] Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
[93] Come back in a month.
[94] I don't expect to be here then."
[95] "A month!"
[96] Parker burst the word out.
[97] He started to sweat, then his face became grim.
[98] He took two slow steps toward the girl.
[99] She blinked and lost her composure and unconsciously backed up two steps.
[100] About twenty steps away was her small dumbbell-shaped ship, so shiny and unscarred that it reflected starlight in highlights from its curved surface.
[101] A rich girl's ship, Bob Parker thought angrily.
[102] A month would be too late!
[103] He said grimly, "Don't worry.
[104] I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
[105] I just want you to listen to reason.
[106] You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another.
[107] But to us—to me and Queazy here—it means our business.
[108] We got an order for this asteroid.
[109] Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see?
[110] We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
[111] If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
[112] Don't we, Queazy?"
[113] Queazy said simply, "That's right, miss.
[114] We're in a spot.
[115] I assure you we didn't expect to find someone living here."
[116] The girl holstered her spasticizer, but her completely inhospitable expression did not change.
[117] She put her hands on the bulging hips of her space-suit.
[118] "Okay," she said.
[119] "Now I understand the conditions.
[120] Now we both understand each other.
[121] G'bye again.
[122] I'm staying here and—" she smiled sweetly "—it may interest you to know that if I let you have the asteroid you'll save your business, but I'll meet a fate worse than death!
[123] So that's that."
[124] Bob recognized finality when he saw it.
[125] "Come on, Queazy," he said fuming.
[126] "Let this brat have her way.
[127] But if I ever run across her without a space-suit on I'm going to give her the licking of her life, right where it'll do the most good!"
[128] He turned angrily, but Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
[129] He pointed off into space, beyond the girl.
[130] "What's that?"
[131] he whispered.
[132] "What's wha— Oh! "
[133] Bob Parker's stomach caved in.
[134] A few hundred feet away, floating gently toward the asteroid, came another ship—a ship a trifle bigger than their own.
[135] The girl turned, too.
[136] They heard her gasp.
[137] In another second, Bob was standing next to her.
[138] He turned the audio-switch to his headset off, and spoke to the girl by putting his helmet against hers.
[139] "Listen to me, miss," he snapped earnestly, when she tried to draw away.
[140] "Don't talk by radio.
[141] That ship belongs to the Saylor brothers!
[142] Oh, Lord, that this should happen!
[143] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
[144] Those boys are after this asteroid too, and they won't hesitate to pull any rough stuff.
[145] We're in this together, understand?
[146] We got to back each other up."
[147] The girl nodded dumbly.
[148] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
[149] "It's—it's very important that this—this asteroid stay right where it is," she said huskily.
[150] "What—what will they do?"
[151] Bob Parker didn't answer.
[152] The big ship had landed, and little blue sparks crackled between the hull and the asteroid as the magnetic clamps took hold.
[153] A few seconds later, the airlocks swung down, and five men let themselves down to the asteroid's surface and stood surveying the three who faced them.
[154] The two men in the lead stood with their hands on their hips; their darkish, twin faces were grinning broadly.
[155] "A pleasure," drawled Wally Saylor, looking at the girl.
[156] "What do you think of this situation Billy?"
[157] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us.
[158] We'll have to take steps."
[159] The three men behind the Saylor twins broke into rough, chuckling laughter.
[160] Bob Parker's gorge rose.
[161] "Scram," he said coldly.
[162] "We've got an ethergram direct from Andrew S. Burnside ordering this asteroid."
[163] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
[164] He started moving forward, and the three men in back came abreast, forming a semi-circle which slowly closed in.
[165] Bob Parker gave back a step, as he saw their intentions.
[166] "We got here first," he snapped harshly.
[167] "Try any funny stuff and we'll report you to the Interplanetary Commission!"
[168] It was Bob Parker's misfortune that he didn't carry a weapon.
[169] Each of these men carried one or more, plainly visible.
[170] But he was thinking of the girl's spasticizer—a paralyzing weapon.
[171] He took a hair-brained chance, jerked the spasticizer from the girl's holster and yelled at Queazy.
[172] Queazy got the idea, urged his immense body into motion.
[173] He hurled straight at Billy Saylor, lifted him straight off the asteroid and threw him away, into space.
[174] He yelled with triumph.
[175] At the same time, the spasticizer Bob held was shot cleanly out of his hand by Wally Saylor.
[176] Bob roared, started toward Wally Saylor, knocked the smoking gun from his hand with a sweeping arm.
[177] Then something crushing seemed to hit him in the stomach, grabbing at his solar plexus.
[178] He doubled up, gurgling with agony.
[179] He fell over on his back, and his boots were wrenched loose from their magnetic grip.
[180] Vaguely, before the flickering points of light in his brain subsided to complete darkness, he heard the girl's scream of rage—then a scream of pain.
[181] What had happened to Queazy he didn't know.
[182] He felt so horribly sick, he didn't care.
[183] Then—lights out.
[184] Bob Parker came to, the emptiness of remote starlight in his face.
[185] He opened his eyes.
[186] He was slowly revolving on an axis.
[187] Sometimes the Sun swept across his line of vision.
[188] A cold hammering began at the base of his skull, a sensation similar to that of being buried alive.
[189] There was no asteroid, no girl, no Queazy.
[190] He was alone in the vastness of space.
[191] Alone in a space-suit.
[192] "Queazy!"
[193] he whispered.
[194] "Queazy!
[195] I'm running out of air!"
[196] There was no answer from Queazy.
[197] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
[198] There was only five pounds pressure.
[199] Five pounds!
[200] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long?
[201] Days at least—maybe weeks!
[202] It was evident that somebody had given him a dose of spastic rays, enough to screw up every muscle in his body to the snapping point, putting him in such a condition of suspended animation that his oxygen needs were small.
[203] He closed his eyes, trying to fight against panic.
[204] He was glad he couldn't see any part of his body.
[205] He was probably scrawny.
[206] And he was hungry!
[207] "I'll starve," he thought.
[208] "Or suffocate to death first!"
[209] He couldn't keep himself from taking in great gulps of air.
[210] Minutes, then hours passed.
[211] He was breathing abnormally, and there wasn't enough air in the first place.
[212] He pleaded continually for Queazy, hoping that somehow Queazy could help, when probably Queazy was in the same condition.
[213] He ripped out wild curses directed at the Saylor brothers.
[214] Murderers, both of them!
[215] Up until this time, he had merely thought of them as business rivals.
[216] If he ever got out of this— He groaned.
[217] He never would get out of it!
[218] After another hour, he was gasping weakly, and yellow spots danced in his eyes.
[219] He called Queazy's name once more, knowing that was the last time he would have strength to call it.
[220] And this time the headset spoke back!
[221] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
[222] A voice came again, washed with static, far away, burbling, but excited.
[223] Bob made a rattling sound in his throat.
[224] Then his eyes started to close, but he imagined that he saw a ship, shiny and small, driving toward him, growing in size against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
[225] He relapsed, a terrific buzzing in his ears.
[226] He did not lose consciousness.
[227] He heard voices, Queazy's and the girl's, whoever she was.
[228] Somebody grabbed hold of his foot.
[229] His "aquarium" was unbuckled and good air washed over his streaming face.
[230] The sudden rush of oxygen to his brain dizzied him.
[231] Then he was lying on a bunk, and gradually the world beyond his sick body focussed in his clearing eyes and he knew he was alive—and going to stay that way, for awhile anyway.
[232] "Thanks, Queazy," he said huskily.
[233] Queazy was bending over him, his anxiety clearing away from his suddenly brightening face.
[234] "Don't thank me," he whispered.
[235] "We'd have both been goners if it hadn't been for her.
[236] The Saylor brothers left her paralyzed like us, and when she woke up she was on a slow orbit around her ship.
[237] She unstrapped her holster and threw it away from her and it gave her enough reaction to reach the ship.
[238] She got inside and used the direction-finder on the telaudio and located me first.
[239] The Saylors scattered us far and wide."
[240] Queazy's broad, normally good-humored face twisted blackly.
[241] "The so and so's didn't care if we lived or died."
[242] Bob saw the girl now, standing a little behind Queazy, looking down at him curiously, but unhappily.
[243] Her space-suit was off.
[244] She was wearing lightly striped blue slacks and blue silk blouse and she had a paper flower in her hair.
[245] Something in Bob's stomach caved in as his eyes widened on her.
[246] The girl said glumly, "I guess you men won't much care for me when you find out who I am and what I've done.
[247] I'm Starre Lowenthal—Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter!"
[248] Bob came slowly to his feet, and matched Queazy's slowly growing anger.
[249] "Say that again?"
[250] he snapped.
[251] "This is some kind of dirty trick you and your grandfather cooked up?"
[252] "No!"
[253] she exclaimed.
[254] "No.
[255] My grandfather didn't even know there was an asteroid like this.
[256] But I did, long before he ordered it from you—or from the Saylor brothers.
[257] You see—well, my granddad's about the stubbornest old hoot-owl in this universe!
[258] He's always had his way, and when people stand in his way, that's just a challenge to him.
[259] He's been badgering me for years to marry Mac, and so has Mac—" "Who's Mac?"
[260] Queazy demanded.
[261] "My fiancé, I guess," she said helplessly.
[262] "He's one of my granddad's protégés.
[263] Granddad's always financing some likely young man and giving him a start in life.
[264] Mac has become pretty famous for his Mercurian water-colors—he's an artist.
[265] Well, I couldn't hold out any longer.
[266] If you knew my grandfather, you'd know how absolutely impossible it is to go against him when he's got his mind set!
[267] I was just a mass of nerves.
[268] So I decided to trick him and I came out to the asteroid belt and picked out an asteroid that was shaped so a wedding could take place on it.
[269] I took the measurements and the composition, then I told my grandfather I'd marry Mac if the wedding was in the back yard on top of an asteroid with those measurements and made of iron ore, tungsten, and so forth.
[270] He agreed so fast he scared me, and just to make sure that if somebody did find the asteroid in time they wouldn't be able to get it back to Earth, I came out here and decided to live here.
[271] Asteroids up to a certain size belong to whoever happens to be on them, by common law....
[272] So I had everything figured out—except," she added bitterly, "the Saylor brothers!
[273] I guess Granddad wanted to make sure the asteroid was delivered, so he gave the order to several companies."
[274] Bob swore under his breath.
[275] He went reeling across to a port, and was gratified to see his and Queazy's big interplanetary hauler floating only a few hundred feet away.
[276] He swung around, looked at Queazy.
[277] "How long were we floating around out there?"
[278] "Three weeks, according to the chronometer.
[279] The Saylor boys gave us a stiff shot."
[280] " Ouch! "
[281] Bob groaned.
[282] Then he looked at Starre Lowenthal with determination.
[283] "Miss, pardon me if I say that this deal you and your granddad cooked up is plain screwy!
[284] With us on the butt end.
[285] But I'm going to put this to you plainly.
[286] We can catch up with the Saylor brothers even if they are three weeks ahead of us.
[287] The Saylor ship and ours both travel on the HH drive—inertia-less.
[288] But the asteroid has plenty of inertia, and so they'll have to haul it down to Earth by a long, spiraling orbit.
[289] We can go direct and probably catch up with them a few hundred thousand miles this side of Earth.
[290] And we can have a fling at getting the asteroid back!"
[291] Her eyes sparkled.
[292] "You mean—" she cried.
[293] Then her attractive face fell.
[294] "Oh," she said. "
[295] Oh!
[296] And when you get it back, you'll land it."
[297] "That's right," Bob said grimly.
[298] "We're in business.
[299] For us, it's a matter of survival.
[300] If the by-product of delivering the asteroid is your marriage—sorry!
[301] But until we do get the asteroid back, we three can work as a team if you're willing.
[302] We'll fight the other problem out later.
[303] Okay?"
[304] She smiled tremulously.
[305] "Okay, I guess."
[306] Queazy looked from one to another of them.
[307] He waved his hand scornfully at Bob.
[308] "You're plain nuts," he complained.
[309] "How do you propose to go about convincing the Saylor brothers they ought to let us have the asteroid back?
[310] Remember, commercial ships aren't allowed to carry long-range weapons.
[311] And we couldn't ram the Saylor brothers' ship—not without damaging our own ship just as much.
[312] Go ahead and answer that."
[313] Bob looked at Queazy dismally.
[314] "The old balance-wheel," he groaned at Starre.
[315] "He's always pulling me up short when I go off half-cocked.
[316] All I know is, that maybe we'll get a good idea as we go along.
[317] In the meantime, Starre—ahem—none of us has eaten in three weeks...?"
[318] Starre got the idea.
[319] She smiled dazzlingly and vanished toward the galley.
[320] Bob Parker was in love with Starre Lowenthal.
[321] He knew that after five days out, as the ship hurled itself at breakneck speed toward Earth; probably that distracting emotion was the real reason he couldn't attach any significance to Starre's dumbbell-shaped ship, which trailed astern, attached by a long cable.
[322] Starre apparently knew he was in love with her, too, for on the fifth day Bob was teaching her the mechanics of operating the hauler, and she gently lifted his hand from a finger-switch.
[323] "Even I know that isn't the control to the Holloway vacuum-feeder, Bob.
[324] That switch is for the—ah—the anathern tube, you told me.
[325] Right?"
[326] "Right," he said unsteadily.
[327] "Anyway, Starre, as I was saying, this ship operates according to the reverse Fitzgerald Contraction Formula.
[328] All moving bodies contract in the line of motion.
[329] What Holloway and Hammond did was to reverse that universal law.
[330] They caused the contraction first—motion had to follow!
[331] The gravitonic field affects every atom in the ship with the same speed at the same time.
[332] We could go from zero speed to our top speed of two thousand miles a second just like that!"
[333] He snapped his fingers.
[334] "No acceleration effects.
[335] This type of ship, necessary in our business, can stop flat, back up, ease up, move in any direction, and the passengers wouldn't have any feeling of motion at—Oh, hell!"
[336] Bob groaned, the serious glory of her eyes making him shake.
[337] He took her hand.
[338] "Starre," he said desperately, "I've got to tell you something—" She jerked her hand away.
[339] "No," she exclaimed in an almost frightened voice.
[340] "You can't tell me.
[341] There's—there's Mac," she finished, faltering.
[342] "The asteroid—" "You have to marry him?"
[343] Her eyes filled with tears.
[344] "I have to live up to the bargain."
[345] "And ruin your whole life," he ground out.
[346] Suddenly, he turned back to the control board, quartered the vision plate.
[347] He pointed savagely to the lower left quarter, which gave a rearward view of the dumbbell ship trailing astern.
[348] "There's your ship, Starre."
[349] He jabbed his finger at it.
[350] "I've got a feeling—and I can't put the thought into concrete words—that somehow the whole solution of the problem of grabbing the asteroid back lies there.
[351] But how?
[352] How? "
[353] Starre's blue eyes followed the long cable back to where it was attached around her ship's narrow midsection.
[354] She shook her head helplessly.
[355] "It just looks like a big yo-yo to me."
[356] "A yo-yo?"
[357] "Yes, a yo-yo.
[358] That's all."
[359] She was belligerent.
[360] "A yo-yo !"
[361] Bob Parker yelled the word and almost hit the ceiling, he got out of the chair so fast.
[362] "Can you imagine it!
[363] A yo-yo!"
[364] He disappeared from the room.
[365] "Queazy!"
[366] he shouted. "
[367] Queazy, I've got it! "
[368] It was Queazy who got into his space-suit and did the welding job, fastening two huge supra-steel "eyes" onto the dumbbell-shaped ship's narrow midsection.
[369] Into these eyes cables which trailed back to two winches in the big ship's nose were inserted, welded fast, and reinforced.
[370] The nose of the hauler was blunt, perfectly fitted for the job.
[371] Bob Parker practiced and experimented for three hours with this yo-yo of cosmic dimensions, while Starre and Queazy stood over him bursting into strange, delighted squeals of laughter whenever the yo-yo reached the end of its double cable and started rolling back up to the ship.
[372] Queazy snapped his fingers.
[373] "It'll work!"
[374] His gray eyes showed satisfaction.
[375] "Now, if only the Saylor brothers are where we calculated!"
[376] They weren't where Bob and Queazy had calculated, as they had discovered the next day.
[377] They had expected to pick up the asteroid on their mass-detectors a few hundred thousand miles outside of the Moon's orbit.
[378] But now they saw the giant ship attached like a leech to the still bigger asteroid—inside the Moon's orbit!
[379] A mere two hundred thousand miles from Earth!
[380] "We have to work fast," Bob stammered, sweating.
[381] He got within naked-eye distance of the Saylor brothers' ship.
[382] Below, Earth was spread out, a huge crescent shape, part of the Eastern hemisphere vaguely visible through impeding clouds and atmosphere.
[383] The enemy ship was two miles distant, a black shadow occulting part of the brilliant sky.
[384] It was moving along a down-spiraling path toward Earth.
[385] Queazy's big hand gripped his shoulder.
[386] "Go to it, Bob!"
[387] Bob nodded grimly.
[388] He backed the hauler up about thirty miles, then sent it forward again, directly toward the Saylor brothers' ship at ten miles per second.
[389] And resting on the blunt nose of the ship was the "yo-yo."
[390] There was little doubt the Saylors' saw their approach.
[391] But, scornfully, they made no attempt to evade.
[392] There was no possible harm the oncoming ship could wreak.
[393] Or at least that was what they thought, for Bob brought the hauler's speed down to zero—and Starre Lowenthal's little ship, possessing its own inertia, kept on moving!
[394] It spun away from the hauler's blunt nose, paying out two rigid lengths of cable behind it as it unwound, hurled itself forward like a fantastic spinning cannon ball.
[395] "It's going to hit!"
[396] The excited cry came from Starre.
[397] But Bob swore.
[398] The dumbbell ship reached the end of its cables, falling a bare twenty feet short of completing its mission.
[399] It didn't stop spinning, but came winding back up the cable, at the same terrific speed with which it had left.
[400] Bob sweated, having only fractions of seconds in which to maneuver for the "yo-yo" could strike a fatal blow at the hauler too.
[401] It was ticklish work completely to nullify the "yo-yo's" speed.
[402] Bob used exactly the same method of catching the "yo-yo" on the blunt nose of the ship as a baseball player uses to catch a hard-driven ball in his glove—namely, by matching the ball's speed and direction almost exactly at the moment of impact.
[403] And now Bob's hours of practice paid dividends, for the "yo-yo" came to rest snugly, ready to be released again.
[404] All this had happened in such a short space of time that the Saylor brothers must have had only a bare realization of what was going on.
[405] But by the time the "yo-yo" was flung at them again, this time with better calculations, they managed to put the firmly held asteroid between them and the deadly missile.
[406] But it was clumsy evasion, for the asteroid was several times as massive as the ship which was towing it, and its inertia was great.
[407] And as soon as the little ship came spinning back to rest, Bob flung the hauler to a new vantage point and again the "yo-yo" snapped out.
[408] And this time—collision!
[409] Bob yelled as he saw the stern section of the Saylor brothers' ship crumple like tissue paper crushed between the hand.
[410] The dumbbell-shaped ship, smaller, and therefore stauncher due to the principle of the arch, wound up again, wobbling a little.
[411] It had received a mere dent in its starboard half.
[412] Starre was chortling with glee.
[413] Queazy whispered, "Attaboy, Bob!
[414] This time we'll knock 'em out of the sky!"
[415] The "yo-yo" came to rest and at the same moment a gong rang excitedly.
[416] Bob knew what that meant.
[417] The Saylor brothers were trying to establish communication.
[418] Queazy was across the room in two running strides.
[419] He threw in the telaudio and almost immediately, Wally Saylor's big body built up in the plate.
[420] Wally Saylor's face was quivering with wrath.
[421] "What do you damned fools think you're trying to do?"
[422] he roared.
[423] "You've crushed in our stern section.
[424] You've sliced away half of our stern jets.
[425] Air is rushing out!
[426] You'll kill us!"
[427] "Now," Bob drawled, "you're getting the idea."
[428] "I'll inform the Interplanetary Commission!"
[429] screamed Saylor. "
[430] If you're alive," Bob snarled wrathfully.
[431] "And you won't be unless you release the asteroid."
[432] "I'll see you in Hades first!"
[433] "Hades," remarked Bob coldly, "here you come!"
[434] He snapped the hauler into its mile-a-second speed again, stopped it at zero.
[435] And the "yo-yo" went on its lone, destructive sortie.
[436] For a fraction of a second Wally Saylor exhibited the countenance of a doomed man.
[437] In the telaudio plate, he whirled, and diminished in size with a strangled yell.
[438] The "yo-yo" struck again, but Bob Parker maneuvered its speed in such a manner that it struck in the same place as before, but not as heavily, then rebounded and came spinning back with perfect, sparkling precision.
[439] And even before it snugged itself into its berth, it was apparent that the Saylor brothers had given up.
[440] Like a wounded terrier, their ship shook itself free of the asteroid, hung in black space for a second, then vanished with a flaming puff of released gravitons from its still-intact jets.
[441] The battle was won! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What role do the Saylor brothers play in the story?":
1. [157] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us. We'll have to take steps."
2. [154] The two men in the lead stood with their hands on their hips; their darkish, twin faces were grinning broadly.
3. [155] "A pleasure," drawled Wally Saylor, looking at the girl.
4. [156] "What do you think of this situation Billy?"
5. [159] The three men behind the Saylor twins broke into rough, chuckling laughter.
6. [162] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
7. [163] He started moving forward, and the three men in back came abreast, forming a semi-circle which slowly closed in.
8. [48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day.
9. [49] And would have before this if he hadn't been lanky and tall while they were giants.
10. [50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
11. [51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
12. [41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
13. [46] The "asteroid in your back yard" idea had been Bob Parker's originally.
14. [47] Now it was a fad that was sweeping Earth, and Burnside wasn't the first rich man who had decided to hold a wedding on top of an asteroid.
15. [48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day. |
Describe Bob's relationship with Starre. | [
"Bob Parker is taken with Starre Lowenthal from the moment she appears in front of him. Starre wears a spacesuit when Bob and Queazy land on her asteroid and begin conducting tests to see if it’s a good fit for Mr. Burnside, and although Bob can’t get a look at her entire appearance, he is immediately attracted to her blue eyes, beautiful brown hair, and full lips. The fact that Starre is curt and demanding does not change his innate attraction to her. Bob does not get offended by Starre’s refusal to hold a real conversation with him; he just keeps trying. Even Starre’s decision to pull out her spasticizer and aim it at the men doesn’t truly deter Bob. He continues to try and convince her that his economic well-being depends on the asteroid. The only time he becomes annoyed with the beautiful girl is when he sets eyes on her perfect ship and assumes that she is already plenty wealthy. Still, he chooses not to attack nor namecall, he simply uses reason to convince her that the asteroid is more useful to him.\n\nMoments later, when the Saylor brothers show up at Starre’s asteroid, Starre already has a good feeling about Bob and Queazy. That’s why, when Wally and Billy attack the trio, it is Starre that uses her dumbbell-shaped ship to locate the men and save their lives. Bob and Queazy end up owing everything to the beautiful brunette. Without her, their corpses would be floating through space. \n\nThe first time that Bob sees Starre after she saves his life, he notices the paper flower in her hair and the pretty blue outfit she’s wearing. He can’t take his eyes off of her, and his feelings towards her do not change when she admits that she essentially set them up. She is Mr. Burnside’s granddaughter, and she never intended to let anyone find the perfect asteroid and haul it back to earth. She set up a deal with her grandfather that she knew he couldn’t follow through with. Starre does not want to marry Mac, the man that she’s engaged to, and that’s why she was living on the perfect asteroid that Mr. Burnside ordered from Bob and the Saylor brothers. \n\nAlthough Bob has every right to be angry with Starre, he completely falls in love with her on their mission to recollect the asteroid that the Saylor brothers stole from them. He tries to convince her not to marry Mac, but she acknowledges that she must hold up her end of the bargain with her grandfather. Unfortunately, Bob can’t have it both ways. If he wants to save his company from going under, he needs the asteroid, and if he fulfills Mr. Burnside’s order, Starre must marry Mac.",
"When Bob first meets Starre on the asteroid, he is struck by her physical beauty, but the two of them do not get along. Starre reveals that the asteroid's mineral composition is exactly what Bob had been looking for to fulfill his client's request. However, Starre orders Bob to leave and says he can come back in a month. Although Bob doesn't know this yet, Starre wants to stay there for a month in order to avoid having to get married to her grandfather's protégé Mac and send away anyone who might come and try to take the asteroid back to her grandfather. Starre and Bob mostly have a strained relationship until they are both attacked by the Saylor Brothers and left for dead; Starre proves she is more than the spoiled, rich girl Bob thinks she is when she uses her own ship to save Queazy and then Bob. As they track the Saylor Brothers, Bob slowly falls in love with Starre, who seems to have an interest in Bob, too; however, she feels compelled by her obligation to her grandfather to marry Mac. Although Bob is unhappy that she cannot reciprocate his feelings, he still devises a plan to take down the Saylors and promises Starre they will come up with a plan to help her avoid the marriage. Starre seems pleased by this and encourages Bob as he implements his plan of attack against the Saylor Brothers.",
"Starre Lowenthal is Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter. She is the cause of her and Bob meeting, since she was the one who ordered this exact asteroid to be delivered to Earth before her wedding - not thinking it would ever actually happen.\nShe rescues both Bob and Queazy after the Saylor brothers attempt to kill all of them by paralyzing them and tossing them into outer space. Starre is crestfallen that she now has to marry Mac, who her grandfather has been pestering her for years to wed. She thought she had the perfect plan to get out of it, but it had all fallen apart when the Saylor brothers were also given the order for the asteroid by her eager grandfather wanting to see the marriage go through. \nDuring the five day journey back to Earth together to intercept the Saylor brothers, Starre and Bob fall in love with each other. Starre provides the idea to make a yo-yo out of her spaceship, and they work happily together with Queazy to get the work done. Bob and Starre are equally elated when the Saylor brothers release the asteroid, though it is unclear what the future for them together holds.",
"When Bob first sees Starre, he is struck by her beauty, but despite her plight, he is determined to take the asteroid to Earth and collect her grandfather’s fee that he needs so badly. Initially, Starre is antagonistic to Bob and Queazy because she is staying on the asteroid to claim it and prevent anyone from taking it. If her grandfather gets hold of it, she will have to marry Mac, a fate she considers worse than death. After the Saylors’ attack on all three of them, Starre and Queazy rescue Bob just as his oxygen is running out. They save his life, and it isn’t long before Bob is in love with her. Starre realizes this, and just before Bob can profess his feelings, she stops him because she will have to keep her word and marry Mac if the asteroid is delivered on time. When Bob devises a way to use Starre’s ship like a yo-yo to attack the Saylors’ ship, he also tells Starre that they will work on a solution to her problem, too. It seems that Bob will try to collect Burnsides’ payment for delivery of the asteroid but somehow prevent Starre from having to marry Mac."
] | [1] COSMIC YO-YO By ROSS ROCKLYNNE "Want an asteroid in your backyard?
[2] We supply cheap.
[3] Trouble also handled without charge."
[4] Interplanetary Hauling Company.
[5] (ADVT.)
[6] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Summer 1945.
[7] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[8] Bob Parker, looking through the photo-amplifiers at the wedge-shaped asteroid, was plainly flabbergasted.
[9] Not in his wildest imaginings had he thought they would actually find what they were looking for.
[10] "Cut the drive!"
[11] he yelled at Queazy.
[12] "I've got it, right on the nose.
[13] Queazy, my boy, can you imagine it?
[14] We're in the dough.
[15] Not only that, we're rich!
[16] Come here!"
[17] Queazy discharged their tremendous inertia into the motive-tubes in such a manner that the big, powerful ship was moving at the same rate as the asteroid below—47.05 miles per second.
[18] He came slogging back excitedly, put his eyes to the eyepiece.
[19] He gasped, and his big body shook with joyful ejaculations.
[20] "She checks down to the last dimension," Bob chortled, working with slide-rule and logarithm tables.
[21] "Now all we have to do is find out if she's made of tungsten, iron, quartz crystals, and cinnabar!
[22] But there couldn't be two asteroids of that shape anywhere else in the Belt, so this has to be it!"
[23] He jerked a badly crumpled ethergram from his pocket, smoothed it out, and thumbed his nose at the signature.
[24] "Whee!
[25] Mr. Andrew S. Burnside, you owe us five hundred and fifty thousand dollars!"
[26] Queazy straightened.
[27] A slow, likeable smile wreathed his tanned face.
[28] "Better take it easy," he advised, "until I land the ship and we use the atomic whirl spectroscope to determine the composition of the asteroid."
[29] "Have it your way," Bob Parker sang, happily.
[30] He threw the ethergram to the winds and it fell gently to the deck-plates.
[31] While Queazy—so called because his full name was Quentin Zuyler—dropped the ship straight down to the smooth surface of the asteroid, and clamped it tight with magnetic grapples, Bob flung open the lazarette, brought out two space-suits.
[32] Moments later, they were outside the ship, with star-powdered infinity spread to all sides.
[33] In the ship, the ethergram from Andrew S. Burnside, of Philadelphia, one of the richest men in the world, still lay on the deck-plates.
[34] It was addressed to: Mr. Robert Parker, President Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., 777 Main Street, Satterfield City, Fontanaland, Mars.
[35] The ethergram read: Received your advertising literature a week ago.
[36] Would like to state that yes I would like an asteroid in my back yard.
[37] Must meet following specifications: 506 feet length, long enough for wedding procession; 98 feet at base, tapering to 10 feet at apex; 9-12 feet thick; topside smooth-plane, underside rough-plane; composed of iron ore, tungsten, quartz crystals, and cinnabar.
[38] Must be in my back yard before 11:30 A.M. my time, for important wedding June 2, else order is void.
[39] Will pay $5.00 per ton.
[40] Bob Parker had received that ethergram three weeks ago.
[41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
[42] It was, plainly, a hair-brained request.
[43] And yet, if by some chance there was such a rigidly specified asteroid, their financial worries would be over.
[44] That they had actually discovered the asteroid, using their mass-detectors in a weight-elimination process, seemed like an incredible stroke of luck.
[45] For there are literally millions of asteroids in the asteroid belt, and they had been out in space only three weeks.
[46] The "asteroid in your back yard" idea had been Bob Parker's originally.
[47] Now it was a fad that was sweeping Earth, and Burnside wasn't the first rich man who had decided to hold a wedding on top of an asteroid.
[48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day.
[49] And would have before this if he hadn't been lanky and tall while they were giants.
[50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
[51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
[52] Now they scuffed along the smooth-plane topside of the asteroid, the magnets in their shoes keeping them from stepping off into space.
[53] They came to the broad base of the asteroid-wedge, walked over the edge and "down" the twelve-foot thickness.
[54] Here they squatted, and Bob Parker happily clamped the atomic-whirl spectroscope to the rough surface.
[55] By the naked eye, they could see iron ore, quartz crystals, cinnabar, but he had the spectroscope and there was no reason why he shouldn't use it.
[56] He satisfied himself as to the exterior of the asteroid, and then sent the twin beams deep into its heart.
[57] The beams crossed, tore atoms from molecules, revolved them like an infinitely fine powder.
[58] The radiations from the sundered molecules traveled back up the beams to the atomic-whirl spectroscope.
[59] Bob watched a pointer which moved slowly up and up—past tungsten, past iridium, past gold— Bob Parker said, in astonishment, "Hell!
[60] There's something screwy about this business.
[61] Look at that point—" Neither he nor Queazy had the opportunity to observe the pointer any further.
[62] A cold, completely disagreeable feminine voice said, "May I ask what you interlopers are doing on my asteroid?"
[63] Bob started so badly that the spectroscope's settings were jarred and the lights in its interior died.
[64] Bob twisted his head around as far as he could inside the "aquarium"—the glass helmet, and found himself looking at a space-suited girl who was standing on the edge of the asteroid "below."
[65] "Ma'am," said Bob, blinking, "did you say something?"
[66] Queazy made a gulping sound and slowly straightened.
[67] He automatically reached up as if he would take off his hat and twist it in his hands.
[68] "I said," remarked the girl, "that you should scram off of my asteroid.
[69] And quit poking around at it with that spectroscope.
[70] I've already taken a reading.
[71] Cinnabar, iron ore, quartz crystals, tungsten.
[72] Goodbye."
[73] Bob's nose twitched as he adjusted his glasses, which he wore even inside his suit.
[74] He couldn't think of anything pertinent to say.
[75] He knew that he was slowly working up a blush.
[76] Mildly speaking, the girl was beautiful, and though only her carefully made-up face was visible—cool blue eyes, masterfully coiffed, upswept, glinting brown hair, wilful lips and chin—Bob suspected the rest of her compared nicely.
[77] Her expression darkened as she saw the completely instinctive way he was looking at her and her radioed-voice rapped out, "Now you two boys go and play somewhere else!
[78] Else I'll let the Interplanetary Commission know you've infringed the law.
[79] G'bye!"
[80] She turned and disappeared.
[81] Bob awoke from his trance, shouted desperately, "Hey!
[82] Wait!
[83] You! "
[84] He and Queazy caught up with her on the side of the asteroid they hadn't yet examined.
[85] It was a rough plane, completing the rigid qualifications Burnside had set down.
[86] "Wait a minute," Bob Parker begged nervously.
[87] "I want to make some conversation, lady.
[88] I'm sure you don't understand the conditions—" The girl turned and drew a gun from a holster.
[89] It was a spasticizer, and it was three times as big as her gloved hand.
[90] "I understand conditions better than you do," she said.
[91] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth.
[92] Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
[93] Come back in a month.
[94] I don't expect to be here then."
[95] "A month!"
[96] Parker burst the word out.
[97] He started to sweat, then his face became grim.
[98] He took two slow steps toward the girl.
[99] She blinked and lost her composure and unconsciously backed up two steps.
[100] About twenty steps away was her small dumbbell-shaped ship, so shiny and unscarred that it reflected starlight in highlights from its curved surface.
[101] A rich girl's ship, Bob Parker thought angrily.
[102] A month would be too late!
[103] He said grimly, "Don't worry.
[104] I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
[105] I just want you to listen to reason.
[106] You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another.
[107] But to us—to me and Queazy here—it means our business.
[108] We got an order for this asteroid.
[109] Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see?
[110] We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
[111] If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
[112] Don't we, Queazy?"
[113] Queazy said simply, "That's right, miss.
[114] We're in a spot.
[115] I assure you we didn't expect to find someone living here."
[116] The girl holstered her spasticizer, but her completely inhospitable expression did not change.
[117] She put her hands on the bulging hips of her space-suit.
[118] "Okay," she said.
[119] "Now I understand the conditions.
[120] Now we both understand each other.
[121] G'bye again.
[122] I'm staying here and—" she smiled sweetly "—it may interest you to know that if I let you have the asteroid you'll save your business, but I'll meet a fate worse than death!
[123] So that's that."
[124] Bob recognized finality when he saw it.
[125] "Come on, Queazy," he said fuming.
[126] "Let this brat have her way.
[127] But if I ever run across her without a space-suit on I'm going to give her the licking of her life, right where it'll do the most good!"
[128] He turned angrily, but Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
[129] He pointed off into space, beyond the girl.
[130] "What's that?"
[131] he whispered.
[132] "What's wha— Oh! "
[133] Bob Parker's stomach caved in.
[134] A few hundred feet away, floating gently toward the asteroid, came another ship—a ship a trifle bigger than their own.
[135] The girl turned, too.
[136] They heard her gasp.
[137] In another second, Bob was standing next to her.
[138] He turned the audio-switch to his headset off, and spoke to the girl by putting his helmet against hers.
[139] "Listen to me, miss," he snapped earnestly, when she tried to draw away.
[140] "Don't talk by radio.
[141] That ship belongs to the Saylor brothers!
[142] Oh, Lord, that this should happen!
[143] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
[144] Those boys are after this asteroid too, and they won't hesitate to pull any rough stuff.
[145] We're in this together, understand?
[146] We got to back each other up."
[147] The girl nodded dumbly.
[148] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
[149] "It's—it's very important that this—this asteroid stay right where it is," she said huskily.
[150] "What—what will they do?"
[151] Bob Parker didn't answer.
[152] The big ship had landed, and little blue sparks crackled between the hull and the asteroid as the magnetic clamps took hold.
[153] A few seconds later, the airlocks swung down, and five men let themselves down to the asteroid's surface and stood surveying the three who faced them.
[154] The two men in the lead stood with their hands on their hips; their darkish, twin faces were grinning broadly.
[155] "A pleasure," drawled Wally Saylor, looking at the girl.
[156] "What do you think of this situation Billy?"
[157] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us.
[158] We'll have to take steps."
[159] The three men behind the Saylor twins broke into rough, chuckling laughter.
[160] Bob Parker's gorge rose.
[161] "Scram," he said coldly.
[162] "We've got an ethergram direct from Andrew S. Burnside ordering this asteroid."
[163] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
[164] He started moving forward, and the three men in back came abreast, forming a semi-circle which slowly closed in.
[165] Bob Parker gave back a step, as he saw their intentions.
[166] "We got here first," he snapped harshly.
[167] "Try any funny stuff and we'll report you to the Interplanetary Commission!"
[168] It was Bob Parker's misfortune that he didn't carry a weapon.
[169] Each of these men carried one or more, plainly visible.
[170] But he was thinking of the girl's spasticizer—a paralyzing weapon.
[171] He took a hair-brained chance, jerked the spasticizer from the girl's holster and yelled at Queazy.
[172] Queazy got the idea, urged his immense body into motion.
[173] He hurled straight at Billy Saylor, lifted him straight off the asteroid and threw him away, into space.
[174] He yelled with triumph.
[175] At the same time, the spasticizer Bob held was shot cleanly out of his hand by Wally Saylor.
[176] Bob roared, started toward Wally Saylor, knocked the smoking gun from his hand with a sweeping arm.
[177] Then something crushing seemed to hit him in the stomach, grabbing at his solar plexus.
[178] He doubled up, gurgling with agony.
[179] He fell over on his back, and his boots were wrenched loose from their magnetic grip.
[180] Vaguely, before the flickering points of light in his brain subsided to complete darkness, he heard the girl's scream of rage—then a scream of pain.
[181] What had happened to Queazy he didn't know.
[182] He felt so horribly sick, he didn't care.
[183] Then—lights out.
[184] Bob Parker came to, the emptiness of remote starlight in his face.
[185] He opened his eyes.
[186] He was slowly revolving on an axis.
[187] Sometimes the Sun swept across his line of vision.
[188] A cold hammering began at the base of his skull, a sensation similar to that of being buried alive.
[189] There was no asteroid, no girl, no Queazy.
[190] He was alone in the vastness of space.
[191] Alone in a space-suit.
[192] "Queazy!"
[193] he whispered.
[194] "Queazy!
[195] I'm running out of air!"
[196] There was no answer from Queazy.
[197] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
[198] There was only five pounds pressure.
[199] Five pounds!
[200] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long?
[201] Days at least—maybe weeks!
[202] It was evident that somebody had given him a dose of spastic rays, enough to screw up every muscle in his body to the snapping point, putting him in such a condition of suspended animation that his oxygen needs were small.
[203] He closed his eyes, trying to fight against panic.
[204] He was glad he couldn't see any part of his body.
[205] He was probably scrawny.
[206] And he was hungry!
[207] "I'll starve," he thought.
[208] "Or suffocate to death first!"
[209] He couldn't keep himself from taking in great gulps of air.
[210] Minutes, then hours passed.
[211] He was breathing abnormally, and there wasn't enough air in the first place.
[212] He pleaded continually for Queazy, hoping that somehow Queazy could help, when probably Queazy was in the same condition.
[213] He ripped out wild curses directed at the Saylor brothers.
[214] Murderers, both of them!
[215] Up until this time, he had merely thought of them as business rivals.
[216] If he ever got out of this— He groaned.
[217] He never would get out of it!
[218] After another hour, he was gasping weakly, and yellow spots danced in his eyes.
[219] He called Queazy's name once more, knowing that was the last time he would have strength to call it.
[220] And this time the headset spoke back!
[221] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
[222] A voice came again, washed with static, far away, burbling, but excited.
[223] Bob made a rattling sound in his throat.
[224] Then his eyes started to close, but he imagined that he saw a ship, shiny and small, driving toward him, growing in size against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
[225] He relapsed, a terrific buzzing in his ears.
[226] He did not lose consciousness.
[227] He heard voices, Queazy's and the girl's, whoever she was.
[228] Somebody grabbed hold of his foot.
[229] His "aquarium" was unbuckled and good air washed over his streaming face.
[230] The sudden rush of oxygen to his brain dizzied him.
[231] Then he was lying on a bunk, and gradually the world beyond his sick body focussed in his clearing eyes and he knew he was alive—and going to stay that way, for awhile anyway.
[232] "Thanks, Queazy," he said huskily.
[233] Queazy was bending over him, his anxiety clearing away from his suddenly brightening face.
[234] "Don't thank me," he whispered.
[235] "We'd have both been goners if it hadn't been for her.
[236] The Saylor brothers left her paralyzed like us, and when she woke up she was on a slow orbit around her ship.
[237] She unstrapped her holster and threw it away from her and it gave her enough reaction to reach the ship.
[238] She got inside and used the direction-finder on the telaudio and located me first.
[239] The Saylors scattered us far and wide."
[240] Queazy's broad, normally good-humored face twisted blackly.
[241] "The so and so's didn't care if we lived or died."
[242] Bob saw the girl now, standing a little behind Queazy, looking down at him curiously, but unhappily.
[243] Her space-suit was off.
[244] She was wearing lightly striped blue slacks and blue silk blouse and she had a paper flower in her hair.
[245] Something in Bob's stomach caved in as his eyes widened on her.
[246] The girl said glumly, "I guess you men won't much care for me when you find out who I am and what I've done.
[247] I'm Starre Lowenthal—Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter!"
[248] Bob came slowly to his feet, and matched Queazy's slowly growing anger.
[249] "Say that again?"
[250] he snapped.
[251] "This is some kind of dirty trick you and your grandfather cooked up?"
[252] "No!"
[253] she exclaimed.
[254] "No.
[255] My grandfather didn't even know there was an asteroid like this.
[256] But I did, long before he ordered it from you—or from the Saylor brothers.
[257] You see—well, my granddad's about the stubbornest old hoot-owl in this universe!
[258] He's always had his way, and when people stand in his way, that's just a challenge to him.
[259] He's been badgering me for years to marry Mac, and so has Mac—" "Who's Mac?"
[260] Queazy demanded.
[261] "My fiancé, I guess," she said helplessly.
[262] "He's one of my granddad's protégés.
[263] Granddad's always financing some likely young man and giving him a start in life.
[264] Mac has become pretty famous for his Mercurian water-colors—he's an artist.
[265] Well, I couldn't hold out any longer.
[266] If you knew my grandfather, you'd know how absolutely impossible it is to go against him when he's got his mind set!
[267] I was just a mass of nerves.
[268] So I decided to trick him and I came out to the asteroid belt and picked out an asteroid that was shaped so a wedding could take place on it.
[269] I took the measurements and the composition, then I told my grandfather I'd marry Mac if the wedding was in the back yard on top of an asteroid with those measurements and made of iron ore, tungsten, and so forth.
[270] He agreed so fast he scared me, and just to make sure that if somebody did find the asteroid in time they wouldn't be able to get it back to Earth, I came out here and decided to live here.
[271] Asteroids up to a certain size belong to whoever happens to be on them, by common law....
[272] So I had everything figured out—except," she added bitterly, "the Saylor brothers!
[273] I guess Granddad wanted to make sure the asteroid was delivered, so he gave the order to several companies."
[274] Bob swore under his breath.
[275] He went reeling across to a port, and was gratified to see his and Queazy's big interplanetary hauler floating only a few hundred feet away.
[276] He swung around, looked at Queazy.
[277] "How long were we floating around out there?"
[278] "Three weeks, according to the chronometer.
[279] The Saylor boys gave us a stiff shot."
[280] " Ouch! "
[281] Bob groaned.
[282] Then he looked at Starre Lowenthal with determination.
[283] "Miss, pardon me if I say that this deal you and your granddad cooked up is plain screwy!
[284] With us on the butt end.
[285] But I'm going to put this to you plainly.
[286] We can catch up with the Saylor brothers even if they are three weeks ahead of us.
[287] The Saylor ship and ours both travel on the HH drive—inertia-less.
[288] But the asteroid has plenty of inertia, and so they'll have to haul it down to Earth by a long, spiraling orbit.
[289] We can go direct and probably catch up with them a few hundred thousand miles this side of Earth.
[290] And we can have a fling at getting the asteroid back!"
[291] Her eyes sparkled.
[292] "You mean—" she cried.
[293] Then her attractive face fell.
[294] "Oh," she said. "
[295] Oh!
[296] And when you get it back, you'll land it."
[297] "That's right," Bob said grimly.
[298] "We're in business.
[299] For us, it's a matter of survival.
[300] If the by-product of delivering the asteroid is your marriage—sorry!
[301] But until we do get the asteroid back, we three can work as a team if you're willing.
[302] We'll fight the other problem out later.
[303] Okay?"
[304] She smiled tremulously.
[305] "Okay, I guess."
[306] Queazy looked from one to another of them.
[307] He waved his hand scornfully at Bob.
[308] "You're plain nuts," he complained.
[309] "How do you propose to go about convincing the Saylor brothers they ought to let us have the asteroid back?
[310] Remember, commercial ships aren't allowed to carry long-range weapons.
[311] And we couldn't ram the Saylor brothers' ship—not without damaging our own ship just as much.
[312] Go ahead and answer that."
[313] Bob looked at Queazy dismally.
[314] "The old balance-wheel," he groaned at Starre.
[315] "He's always pulling me up short when I go off half-cocked.
[316] All I know is, that maybe we'll get a good idea as we go along.
[317] In the meantime, Starre—ahem—none of us has eaten in three weeks...?"
[318] Starre got the idea.
[319] She smiled dazzlingly and vanished toward the galley.
[320] Bob Parker was in love with Starre Lowenthal.
[321] He knew that after five days out, as the ship hurled itself at breakneck speed toward Earth; probably that distracting emotion was the real reason he couldn't attach any significance to Starre's dumbbell-shaped ship, which trailed astern, attached by a long cable.
[322] Starre apparently knew he was in love with her, too, for on the fifth day Bob was teaching her the mechanics of operating the hauler, and she gently lifted his hand from a finger-switch.
[323] "Even I know that isn't the control to the Holloway vacuum-feeder, Bob.
[324] That switch is for the—ah—the anathern tube, you told me.
[325] Right?"
[326] "Right," he said unsteadily.
[327] "Anyway, Starre, as I was saying, this ship operates according to the reverse Fitzgerald Contraction Formula.
[328] All moving bodies contract in the line of motion.
[329] What Holloway and Hammond did was to reverse that universal law.
[330] They caused the contraction first—motion had to follow!
[331] The gravitonic field affects every atom in the ship with the same speed at the same time.
[332] We could go from zero speed to our top speed of two thousand miles a second just like that!"
[333] He snapped his fingers.
[334] "No acceleration effects.
[335] This type of ship, necessary in our business, can stop flat, back up, ease up, move in any direction, and the passengers wouldn't have any feeling of motion at—Oh, hell!"
[336] Bob groaned, the serious glory of her eyes making him shake.
[337] He took her hand.
[338] "Starre," he said desperately, "I've got to tell you something—" She jerked her hand away.
[339] "No," she exclaimed in an almost frightened voice.
[340] "You can't tell me.
[341] There's—there's Mac," she finished, faltering.
[342] "The asteroid—" "You have to marry him?"
[343] Her eyes filled with tears.
[344] "I have to live up to the bargain."
[345] "And ruin your whole life," he ground out.
[346] Suddenly, he turned back to the control board, quartered the vision plate.
[347] He pointed savagely to the lower left quarter, which gave a rearward view of the dumbbell ship trailing astern.
[348] "There's your ship, Starre."
[349] He jabbed his finger at it.
[350] "I've got a feeling—and I can't put the thought into concrete words—that somehow the whole solution of the problem of grabbing the asteroid back lies there.
[351] But how?
[352] How? "
[353] Starre's blue eyes followed the long cable back to where it was attached around her ship's narrow midsection.
[354] She shook her head helplessly.
[355] "It just looks like a big yo-yo to me."
[356] "A yo-yo?"
[357] "Yes, a yo-yo.
[358] That's all."
[359] She was belligerent.
[360] "A yo-yo !"
[361] Bob Parker yelled the word and almost hit the ceiling, he got out of the chair so fast.
[362] "Can you imagine it!
[363] A yo-yo!"
[364] He disappeared from the room.
[365] "Queazy!"
[366] he shouted. "
[367] Queazy, I've got it! "
[368] It was Queazy who got into his space-suit and did the welding job, fastening two huge supra-steel "eyes" onto the dumbbell-shaped ship's narrow midsection.
[369] Into these eyes cables which trailed back to two winches in the big ship's nose were inserted, welded fast, and reinforced.
[370] The nose of the hauler was blunt, perfectly fitted for the job.
[371] Bob Parker practiced and experimented for three hours with this yo-yo of cosmic dimensions, while Starre and Queazy stood over him bursting into strange, delighted squeals of laughter whenever the yo-yo reached the end of its double cable and started rolling back up to the ship.
[372] Queazy snapped his fingers.
[373] "It'll work!"
[374] His gray eyes showed satisfaction.
[375] "Now, if only the Saylor brothers are where we calculated!"
[376] They weren't where Bob and Queazy had calculated, as they had discovered the next day.
[377] They had expected to pick up the asteroid on their mass-detectors a few hundred thousand miles outside of the Moon's orbit.
[378] But now they saw the giant ship attached like a leech to the still bigger asteroid—inside the Moon's orbit!
[379] A mere two hundred thousand miles from Earth!
[380] "We have to work fast," Bob stammered, sweating.
[381] He got within naked-eye distance of the Saylor brothers' ship.
[382] Below, Earth was spread out, a huge crescent shape, part of the Eastern hemisphere vaguely visible through impeding clouds and atmosphere.
[383] The enemy ship was two miles distant, a black shadow occulting part of the brilliant sky.
[384] It was moving along a down-spiraling path toward Earth.
[385] Queazy's big hand gripped his shoulder.
[386] "Go to it, Bob!"
[387] Bob nodded grimly.
[388] He backed the hauler up about thirty miles, then sent it forward again, directly toward the Saylor brothers' ship at ten miles per second.
[389] And resting on the blunt nose of the ship was the "yo-yo."
[390] There was little doubt the Saylors' saw their approach.
[391] But, scornfully, they made no attempt to evade.
[392] There was no possible harm the oncoming ship could wreak.
[393] Or at least that was what they thought, for Bob brought the hauler's speed down to zero—and Starre Lowenthal's little ship, possessing its own inertia, kept on moving!
[394] It spun away from the hauler's blunt nose, paying out two rigid lengths of cable behind it as it unwound, hurled itself forward like a fantastic spinning cannon ball.
[395] "It's going to hit!"
[396] The excited cry came from Starre.
[397] But Bob swore.
[398] The dumbbell ship reached the end of its cables, falling a bare twenty feet short of completing its mission.
[399] It didn't stop spinning, but came winding back up the cable, at the same terrific speed with which it had left.
[400] Bob sweated, having only fractions of seconds in which to maneuver for the "yo-yo" could strike a fatal blow at the hauler too.
[401] It was ticklish work completely to nullify the "yo-yo's" speed.
[402] Bob used exactly the same method of catching the "yo-yo" on the blunt nose of the ship as a baseball player uses to catch a hard-driven ball in his glove—namely, by matching the ball's speed and direction almost exactly at the moment of impact.
[403] And now Bob's hours of practice paid dividends, for the "yo-yo" came to rest snugly, ready to be released again.
[404] All this had happened in such a short space of time that the Saylor brothers must have had only a bare realization of what was going on.
[405] But by the time the "yo-yo" was flung at them again, this time with better calculations, they managed to put the firmly held asteroid between them and the deadly missile.
[406] But it was clumsy evasion, for the asteroid was several times as massive as the ship which was towing it, and its inertia was great.
[407] And as soon as the little ship came spinning back to rest, Bob flung the hauler to a new vantage point and again the "yo-yo" snapped out.
[408] And this time—collision!
[409] Bob yelled as he saw the stern section of the Saylor brothers' ship crumple like tissue paper crushed between the hand.
[410] The dumbbell-shaped ship, smaller, and therefore stauncher due to the principle of the arch, wound up again, wobbling a little.
[411] It had received a mere dent in its starboard half.
[412] Starre was chortling with glee.
[413] Queazy whispered, "Attaboy, Bob!
[414] This time we'll knock 'em out of the sky!"
[415] The "yo-yo" came to rest and at the same moment a gong rang excitedly.
[416] Bob knew what that meant.
[417] The Saylor brothers were trying to establish communication.
[418] Queazy was across the room in two running strides.
[419] He threw in the telaudio and almost immediately, Wally Saylor's big body built up in the plate.
[420] Wally Saylor's face was quivering with wrath.
[421] "What do you damned fools think you're trying to do?"
[422] he roared.
[423] "You've crushed in our stern section.
[424] You've sliced away half of our stern jets.
[425] Air is rushing out!
[426] You'll kill us!"
[427] "Now," Bob drawled, "you're getting the idea."
[428] "I'll inform the Interplanetary Commission!"
[429] screamed Saylor. "
[430] If you're alive," Bob snarled wrathfully.
[431] "And you won't be unless you release the asteroid."
[432] "I'll see you in Hades first!"
[433] "Hades," remarked Bob coldly, "here you come!"
[434] He snapped the hauler into its mile-a-second speed again, stopped it at zero.
[435] And the "yo-yo" went on its lone, destructive sortie.
[436] For a fraction of a second Wally Saylor exhibited the countenance of a doomed man.
[437] In the telaudio plate, he whirled, and diminished in size with a strangled yell.
[438] The "yo-yo" struck again, but Bob Parker maneuvered its speed in such a manner that it struck in the same place as before, but not as heavily, then rebounded and came spinning back with perfect, sparkling precision.
[439] And even before it snugged itself into its berth, it was apparent that the Saylor brothers had given up.
[440] Like a wounded terrier, their ship shook itself free of the asteroid, hung in black space for a second, then vanished with a flaming puff of released gravitons from its still-intact jets.
[441] The battle was won! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe Bob's relationship with Starre":
1. [320] Bob Parker was in love with Starre Lowenthal.
2. [338] She jerked her hand away. "No," she exclaimed in an almost frightened voice. "You can't tell me. There's—there's Mac," she finished, faltering.
3. [342] "You have to marry him?" Her eyes filled with tears. "I have to live up to the bargain."
4. [247] "I guess you men won't much care for me when you find out who I am and what I've done. I'm Starre Lowenthal—Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter!"
5. [353] Starre's blue eyes followed the long cable back to where it was attached around her ship's narrow midsection. She shook her head helplessly. "It just looks like a big yo-yo to me."
6. [362] "A yo-yo!" Bob Parker yelled the word and almost hit the ceiling, he got out of the chair so fast.
7. [371] Bob Parker practiced and experimented for three hours with this yo-yo of cosmic dimensions, while Starre and Queazy stood over him bursting into strange, delighted squeals of laughter whenever the yo-yo reached the end of its double cable and started rolling back up to the ship.
8. [396] "It's going to hit!" The excited cry came from Starre.
9. [420] Wally Saylor's big body built up in the plate. Wally Saylor's face was quivering with wrath. "What do you damned fools think you're trying to do?"
10. [1] COSMIC YO-YO By ROSS ROCKLYNNE "Want an asteroid in your backyard?
11. [2] We supply cheap.
12. [3] Trouble also handled without charge."
13. [4] Interplanetary Hauling Company.
14. [5] (ADVT.)
15. [6] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Summer 1945.
16. [7] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
17. [8] Bob Parker, looking through the photo-amplifiers at the wedge-shaped asteroid, was plainly flabbergasted.
18. [9] Not in his wildest imaginings had he thought they would actually find what they were looking for.
19. [10] "Cut the drive!"
20. [11] he yelled at Queazy.
21. [12] "I've got it, right on the nose.
22. [13] Queazy, my boy, can you imagine it?
23. [14] We're in the dough.
24. [15] Not only that, we're rich!
25. [16] Come here!"
26. [17] Queazy discharged their tremendous inertia into the motive-tubes in such a manner that the big, powerful ship was moving at the same rate as the asteroid below—47.05 miles per second.
27. [18] He came slogging back excitedly, put his eyes to the eyepiece.
28. [19] He gasped, and his big body shook with joyful ejaculations.
29. [20] "She checks down to the last dimension," Bob chortled, working with slide-rule and logarithm tables.
30. [21] "Now all we have to do is find out if she's made of tungsten, iron, quartz crystals, and cinnabar!
31. [22] But there couldn't be two asteroids of that shape anywhere else in the Belt, so this has to be it!"
32. [23] He jerked a badly crumpled ethergram from his pocket, smoothed it out, and thumbed his nose at the signature.
33. [24] "Whee!
34. [25] Mr. Andrew S. Burnside, you owe us five hundred and fifty thousand dollars!"
35. [26] Queazy straightened.
36. [27] A slow, likeable smile wreathed his tanned face.
37. [28] "Better take it easy," he advised, "until I land the ship and we use the atomic whirl spectroscope to determine the composition of the asteroid."
38. [29] "Have it your way," Bob Parker sang, happily.
39. [30] He threw the ethergram to the winds and it fell gently to the deck-plates.
40. [31] While Queazy—so called because his full name was Quentin Zuyler—dropped the ship straight down to the smooth surface of the asteroid, and clamped it tight with magnetic grapples, Bob flung open the lazarette, brought out two space-suits.
41. [32] Moments later, they were outside the ship, with star-powdered infinity spread to all sides.
42. [33] In the ship, the ethergram from Andrew S. Burnside, of Philadelphia, one of the richest men in the world, still lay on the deck-plates.
43. [34] It was addressed to: Mr. Robert Parker, President Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., 777 Main Street, Satterfield City, Fontanaland, Mars.
44. [35] The ethergram read: Received your advertising literature a week ago.
45. [36] Would like to state that yes I would like an asteroid in my back yard.
46. [37] Must meet following specifications: 506 feet length, long enough for wedding procession; 98 feet at base, tapering to 10 feet at apex; 9-12 feet thick; topside smooth-plane, underside rough-plane; composed of iron ore, tungsten, quartz crystals, and cinnabar.
47. [38] Must be in my back yard before 11:30 A.M. my time, for important wedding June 2, else order is void.
48. [39] Will pay $5.00 per ton.
49. [40] Bob Parker had received that ethergram three weeks ago.
50. [41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
51. [42] It was, plainly, a hair-brained request.
52. [43] And yet, if by some chance there was such a rigidly specified asteroid, their financial worries would be over.
53. [44] That they had actually discovered the asteroid, using their mass-detectors in a weight-elimination process, seemed like an incredible stroke of luck.
54. [45] For there are literally millions of asteroids in the asteroid belt, and they had been out in space only three weeks.
55. [46] The "asteroid in your back yard" idea had been Bob Parker's originally.
56. [47] Now it was a fad that was sweeping Earth, and Burnside wasn't the first rich man who had decided to hold a wedding on top of an asteroid.
57. [48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day.
58. [49] And would have before this if he hadn't been lanky and tall while they were giants.
59. [50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
60. [51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
61. [52] Now they scuffed along the smooth-plane topside of the asteroid, the magnets in their shoes keeping them from stepping off into space.
62. [53] They came to the broad base of the asteroid-wedge, walked over the edge and "down" the twelve-foot thickness.
63. [54] Here they squatted, and Bob Parker happily clamped the atomic-whirl spectroscope to the rough surface.
64. [55] By the naked eye, they could see iron ore, quartz crystals, cinnabar, but he had the spectroscope and there was no reason why he shouldn't use it.
65. [56] He satisfied himself as to the exterior of the asteroid, and then sent the twin beams deep into its heart.
66. [57] The beams crossed, tore atoms from molecules, revolved them like an infinitely fine powder.
67. [58] The radiations from the sundered molecules traveled back up the beams to the atomic-whirl spectroscope.
68. [59] Bob watched a pointer which moved slowly up and up—past tungsten, past iridium, past gold— Bob Parker said, in astonishment, "Hell!
69. [60] There's something screwy about this business.
70. [61] Look at that point—" Neither he nor Queazy had the opportunity to observe the pointer any further.
71. [62] A cold, completely disagreeable feminine voice said, "May I ask what you interlopers are doing on my asteroid?"
72. [63] Bob started so badly that the spectroscope's settings were jarred and the lights in its interior died.
73. [64] Bob twisted his head around as far as he could inside the "aquarium"—the glass helmet, and found himself looking at a space-suited girl who was standing on the edge of the asteroid "below."
74. [65] "Ma'am," said Bob, blinking, "did you say something?"
75. [66] Queazy made a gulping sound and slowly straightened.
76. [67] He automatically reached up as if he would take off his hat and twist it in his hands.
77. [68] "I said," remarked the girl, "that you should scram off of my asteroid.
78. [69] And quit poking around at it with that spectroscope.
79. [70] I've already taken a reading.
80. [71] Cinnabar, iron ore, quartz crystals, tungsten.
81. [72] Goodbye."
82. [73] Bob's nose twitched as he adjusted his glasses, which he wore even inside his suit.
83. [74] He couldn't think of anything pertinent to say.
84. [75] He knew that he was slowly working up a blush.
85. [76] Mildly speaking, the girl was beautiful, and though only her carefully made-up face was visible—cool blue eyes, masterfully coiffed, upswept, glinting brown hair, wilful lips and chin—Bob suspected the rest of her compared nicely.
86. [77] Her expression darkened as she saw the completely instinctive way he was looking at her and her radioed-voice rapped out, "Now you two boys go and play somewhere else!
87. [78] Else I'll let the Interplanetary Commission know you've infringed the law.
88. [79] G'bye!"
89. [80] She turned and disappeared.
90. [81] Bob awoke from his trance, shouted desperately, "Hey!
91. [82] Wait!
92. [83] You! "
93. [84] He and Queazy caught up with her on the side of the asteroid they hadn't yet examined.
94. [85] It was a rough plane, completing the rigid qualifications Burnside had set down.
95. [86] "Wait a minute," Bob Parker begged nervously.
96. [87] "I want to make some conversation, lady.
97. [88] I'm sure you don't understand the conditions—" The girl turned and drew a gun from a holster.
98. [89] It was a spasticizer, and it was three times as big as her gloved hand.
99. [90] "I understand conditions better than you do," she said.
100. [91] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth.
101. [92] Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
102. [93] Come back in a month.
103. [94] I don't expect to be here then."
104. [95] "A month!"
105. [96] Parker burst the word out.
106. [97] He started to sweat, then his face became grim.
107. [98] He took two slow steps toward the girl.
108. [99] She blinked and lost her composure and unconsciously backed up two steps.
109. [100] About twenty steps away was her small dumbbell-shaped ship, so shiny and unscarred that it reflected starlight in highlights from its curved surface.
110. [101] A rich girl's ship, Bob Parker thought angrily.
111. [102] A month would be too late!
112. [103] He said grimly, "Don't worry.
113. [104] I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
114. [105] I just want you to listen to reason.
115. [106] You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another.
116. [107] But to us—to me and Queazy here—it means our business.
117. [108] We got an order for this asteroid.
118. [109] Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see?
119. [110] We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
120. [111] If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
121. [112] Don't we, Queazy?"
122. [113] Queazy said simply, "That's right, miss.
123. [114] We're in a spot.
124. [115] I assure you we didn't expect to find someone living here."
125. [116] The girl holstered her spasticizer, but her completely inhospitable expression did not change.
126. [117] She put her hands on the bulging hips of her space-suit.
127. [118] "Okay," she said.
128. [119] "Now I understand the conditions.
129. [120] Now we both understand each other.
130. [121] G'bye again.
131. [122] I'm staying here and—" she smiled sweetly "—it may interest you to know that if I let you have the asteroid you'll save your business, but I'll meet a fate worse than death!
132. [123] So that's that."
133. [124] Bob recognized finality when he saw it.
134. [125] "Come on, Queazy," he said fuming.
135. [126] "Let this brat have her way.
136. [127] But if I ever run across her without a space-suit on I'm going to give her the licking of her life, right where it'll do the most good!"
137. [128] He turned angrily, but Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
138. [129] He pointed off into space, beyond the girl.
139. [130] "What's that?"
140. [131] he whispered.
141. [132] "What's wha— Oh! "
142. [133] Bob Parker's stomach caved in.
143. [134] A few hundred feet away, floating gently toward the asteroid, came another ship—a ship a trifle bigger than their own.
144. [135] The girl turned, too.
145. [136] They heard her gasp.
146. [137] In another second, Bob was standing next to her.
147. [138] He turned the audio-switch to his headset off, and spoke to the girl by putting his helmet against hers.
148. [139] "Listen to me, miss," he snapped earnestly, when she tried to draw away.
149. [140] "Don't talk by radio.
150. [141] That ship belongs to the Saylor brothers!
151. [142] Oh, Lord, that this should happen!
152. [143] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
153. [144] Those boys are after this asteroid too, and they won't hesitate to pull any rough stuff.
154. [145] We're in this together, understand?
155. [146] We got to back each other up."
156. [147] The girl nodded dumbly.
157. [148] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
158. [149] "It's—it's very important that this—this asteroid stay right where it is," she said huskily.
159. [150] "What—what will they do?"
160. [151] Bob Parker didn't answer.
161. [152] The big ship had landed, and little blue sparks crackled between the hull and the asteroid as the magnetic clamps took hold.
162. [153] A few seconds later, the airlocks swung down, and five men let themselves down to the asteroid's surface and stood surveying the three who faced them |
Why is the mission to secure Mr. Burnside’s asteroid so important to Bob and Queazy? | [
"Bob and Queazy are willing to risk their lives to try and get the asteroid back from Wally and Billy Saylor because their economic survival depends on it. Bob is the president of Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., and his rivals, the Saylor brothers, have put his business in serious jeopardy. Although his novel idea to sell asteroids to wealthy earthmen originally made him some cash, it wasn’t long before other companies got wind of his genius idea and started offering the same service. If the Saylor brothers keep beating Bob and Queazy to the punch, the men will no longer be in business.\n\nWhen Starre demands that Bob and Queazy leave her asteroid since she is the common law owner, both men try to explain to her why they desperately need the rock. The potential to make $550,000 means everything to Bob because his failure to secure that capital means that he and Queazy will lose their business and slave away for the rest of their lives as glass factory workers.",
"Bob Parker created the idea of the \"asteroid in your back yard\", and since then it has become a fad sweeping Earth. As a result, a number of moving companies have emerged as competitors to Bob's Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., primarily Saylor & Saylor. The Saylor brothers engage in unscrupulous business practices and have crippled Bob's business to the point of desperation. Therefore, Bob and his business partner Queazy need to fulfill Mr. Burnside's extremely specific wedding-asteroid request for his granddaughter; successful completion of the order would net their company $550,000 and save them from financial ruin.",
"This mission to secure Mr. Burnside’s asteroid is so important to Bob and Queazy because it will pay them $5.00 per ton, which they estimate will net them $550,000. They look for it for three weeks before finding it, demonstrating how valuable this job is to them.\nSecuring the asteroid is also a point of pride for them, as they feel their business is threatened by the rival Saylor brothers, and the success of this mission would demonstrate their claim in the business of interplanetary deliveries.",
"Securing Mr. Burnside’s asteroid is critical for Bob’s business to survive. He is having financial difficulty due to stiff competition, particularly from the Saylor brothers. The $550,000 from Mr. Burnside will help prevent his company from going bankrupt and going out of business. Burnside’s order for an asteroid in his back yard is quite specific: it must be 506 feet long, 98 feet at the base and tapering to 10 feet at the apex, 9-12 feet thick, a smooth plane on the top side and a rough plane underneath. It must also be composed of iron ore, tungsten, quartz crystals, and cinnabar. It has to be in Burnside’s back yard before 11:30 am on June 2. The order is so specific that normally Bob and Queazy would not have accepted it, but since the business is about to fold, they are desperate and willing to try to fill it. When they find the asteroid in just three weeks, it seems they have had an incredible stroke of good luck, until the Saylor brothers show up to claim it, too. Filling the Burnsides order is a matter of life or death for Bob and Queazy’s company, and they are prepared to do everything humanly possible to collect the asteroid and take to Earth."
] | [1] COSMIC YO-YO By ROSS ROCKLYNNE "Want an asteroid in your backyard?
[2] We supply cheap.
[3] Trouble also handled without charge."
[4] Interplanetary Hauling Company.
[5] (ADVT.)
[6] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Summer 1945.
[7] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[8] Bob Parker, looking through the photo-amplifiers at the wedge-shaped asteroid, was plainly flabbergasted.
[9] Not in his wildest imaginings had he thought they would actually find what they were looking for.
[10] "Cut the drive!"
[11] he yelled at Queazy.
[12] "I've got it, right on the nose.
[13] Queazy, my boy, can you imagine it?
[14] We're in the dough.
[15] Not only that, we're rich!
[16] Come here!"
[17] Queazy discharged their tremendous inertia into the motive-tubes in such a manner that the big, powerful ship was moving at the same rate as the asteroid below—47.05 miles per second.
[18] He came slogging back excitedly, put his eyes to the eyepiece.
[19] He gasped, and his big body shook with joyful ejaculations.
[20] "She checks down to the last dimension," Bob chortled, working with slide-rule and logarithm tables.
[21] "Now all we have to do is find out if she's made of tungsten, iron, quartz crystals, and cinnabar!
[22] But there couldn't be two asteroids of that shape anywhere else in the Belt, so this has to be it!"
[23] He jerked a badly crumpled ethergram from his pocket, smoothed it out, and thumbed his nose at the signature.
[24] "Whee!
[25] Mr. Andrew S. Burnside, you owe us five hundred and fifty thousand dollars!"
[26] Queazy straightened.
[27] A slow, likeable smile wreathed his tanned face.
[28] "Better take it easy," he advised, "until I land the ship and we use the atomic whirl spectroscope to determine the composition of the asteroid."
[29] "Have it your way," Bob Parker sang, happily.
[30] He threw the ethergram to the winds and it fell gently to the deck-plates.
[31] While Queazy—so called because his full name was Quentin Zuyler—dropped the ship straight down to the smooth surface of the asteroid, and clamped it tight with magnetic grapples, Bob flung open the lazarette, brought out two space-suits.
[32] Moments later, they were outside the ship, with star-powdered infinity spread to all sides.
[33] In the ship, the ethergram from Andrew S. Burnside, of Philadelphia, one of the richest men in the world, still lay on the deck-plates.
[34] It was addressed to: Mr. Robert Parker, President Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., 777 Main Street, Satterfield City, Fontanaland, Mars.
[35] The ethergram read: Received your advertising literature a week ago.
[36] Would like to state that yes I would like an asteroid in my back yard.
[37] Must meet following specifications: 506 feet length, long enough for wedding procession; 98 feet at base, tapering to 10 feet at apex; 9-12 feet thick; topside smooth-plane, underside rough-plane; composed of iron ore, tungsten, quartz crystals, and cinnabar.
[38] Must be in my back yard before 11:30 A.M. my time, for important wedding June 2, else order is void.
[39] Will pay $5.00 per ton.
[40] Bob Parker had received that ethergram three weeks ago.
[41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
[42] It was, plainly, a hair-brained request.
[43] And yet, if by some chance there was such a rigidly specified asteroid, their financial worries would be over.
[44] That they had actually discovered the asteroid, using their mass-detectors in a weight-elimination process, seemed like an incredible stroke of luck.
[45] For there are literally millions of asteroids in the asteroid belt, and they had been out in space only three weeks.
[46] The "asteroid in your back yard" idea had been Bob Parker's originally.
[47] Now it was a fad that was sweeping Earth, and Burnside wasn't the first rich man who had decided to hold a wedding on top of an asteroid.
[48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day.
[49] And would have before this if he hadn't been lanky and tall while they were giants.
[50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
[51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
[52] Now they scuffed along the smooth-plane topside of the asteroid, the magnets in their shoes keeping them from stepping off into space.
[53] They came to the broad base of the asteroid-wedge, walked over the edge and "down" the twelve-foot thickness.
[54] Here they squatted, and Bob Parker happily clamped the atomic-whirl spectroscope to the rough surface.
[55] By the naked eye, they could see iron ore, quartz crystals, cinnabar, but he had the spectroscope and there was no reason why he shouldn't use it.
[56] He satisfied himself as to the exterior of the asteroid, and then sent the twin beams deep into its heart.
[57] The beams crossed, tore atoms from molecules, revolved them like an infinitely fine powder.
[58] The radiations from the sundered molecules traveled back up the beams to the atomic-whirl spectroscope.
[59] Bob watched a pointer which moved slowly up and up—past tungsten, past iridium, past gold— Bob Parker said, in astonishment, "Hell!
[60] There's something screwy about this business.
[61] Look at that point—" Neither he nor Queazy had the opportunity to observe the pointer any further.
[62] A cold, completely disagreeable feminine voice said, "May I ask what you interlopers are doing on my asteroid?"
[63] Bob started so badly that the spectroscope's settings were jarred and the lights in its interior died.
[64] Bob twisted his head around as far as he could inside the "aquarium"—the glass helmet, and found himself looking at a space-suited girl who was standing on the edge of the asteroid "below."
[65] "Ma'am," said Bob, blinking, "did you say something?"
[66] Queazy made a gulping sound and slowly straightened.
[67] He automatically reached up as if he would take off his hat and twist it in his hands.
[68] "I said," remarked the girl, "that you should scram off of my asteroid.
[69] And quit poking around at it with that spectroscope.
[70] I've already taken a reading.
[71] Cinnabar, iron ore, quartz crystals, tungsten.
[72] Goodbye."
[73] Bob's nose twitched as he adjusted his glasses, which he wore even inside his suit.
[74] He couldn't think of anything pertinent to say.
[75] He knew that he was slowly working up a blush.
[76] Mildly speaking, the girl was beautiful, and though only her carefully made-up face was visible—cool blue eyes, masterfully coiffed, upswept, glinting brown hair, wilful lips and chin—Bob suspected the rest of her compared nicely.
[77] Her expression darkened as she saw the completely instinctive way he was looking at her and her radioed-voice rapped out, "Now you two boys go and play somewhere else!
[78] Else I'll let the Interplanetary Commission know you've infringed the law.
[79] G'bye!"
[80] She turned and disappeared.
[81] Bob awoke from his trance, shouted desperately, "Hey!
[82] Wait!
[83] You! "
[84] He and Queazy caught up with her on the side of the asteroid they hadn't yet examined.
[85] It was a rough plane, completing the rigid qualifications Burnside had set down.
[86] "Wait a minute," Bob Parker begged nervously.
[87] "I want to make some conversation, lady.
[88] I'm sure you don't understand the conditions—" The girl turned and drew a gun from a holster.
[89] It was a spasticizer, and it was three times as big as her gloved hand.
[90] "I understand conditions better than you do," she said.
[91] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth.
[92] Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
[93] Come back in a month.
[94] I don't expect to be here then."
[95] "A month!"
[96] Parker burst the word out.
[97] He started to sweat, then his face became grim.
[98] He took two slow steps toward the girl.
[99] She blinked and lost her composure and unconsciously backed up two steps.
[100] About twenty steps away was her small dumbbell-shaped ship, so shiny and unscarred that it reflected starlight in highlights from its curved surface.
[101] A rich girl's ship, Bob Parker thought angrily.
[102] A month would be too late!
[103] He said grimly, "Don't worry.
[104] I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
[105] I just want you to listen to reason.
[106] You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another.
[107] But to us—to me and Queazy here—it means our business.
[108] We got an order for this asteroid.
[109] Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see?
[110] We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
[111] If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
[112] Don't we, Queazy?"
[113] Queazy said simply, "That's right, miss.
[114] We're in a spot.
[115] I assure you we didn't expect to find someone living here."
[116] The girl holstered her spasticizer, but her completely inhospitable expression did not change.
[117] She put her hands on the bulging hips of her space-suit.
[118] "Okay," she said.
[119] "Now I understand the conditions.
[120] Now we both understand each other.
[121] G'bye again.
[122] I'm staying here and—" she smiled sweetly "—it may interest you to know that if I let you have the asteroid you'll save your business, but I'll meet a fate worse than death!
[123] So that's that."
[124] Bob recognized finality when he saw it.
[125] "Come on, Queazy," he said fuming.
[126] "Let this brat have her way.
[127] But if I ever run across her without a space-suit on I'm going to give her the licking of her life, right where it'll do the most good!"
[128] He turned angrily, but Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
[129] He pointed off into space, beyond the girl.
[130] "What's that?"
[131] he whispered.
[132] "What's wha— Oh! "
[133] Bob Parker's stomach caved in.
[134] A few hundred feet away, floating gently toward the asteroid, came another ship—a ship a trifle bigger than their own.
[135] The girl turned, too.
[136] They heard her gasp.
[137] In another second, Bob was standing next to her.
[138] He turned the audio-switch to his headset off, and spoke to the girl by putting his helmet against hers.
[139] "Listen to me, miss," he snapped earnestly, when she tried to draw away.
[140] "Don't talk by radio.
[141] That ship belongs to the Saylor brothers!
[142] Oh, Lord, that this should happen!
[143] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
[144] Those boys are after this asteroid too, and they won't hesitate to pull any rough stuff.
[145] We're in this together, understand?
[146] We got to back each other up."
[147] The girl nodded dumbly.
[148] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
[149] "It's—it's very important that this—this asteroid stay right where it is," she said huskily.
[150] "What—what will they do?"
[151] Bob Parker didn't answer.
[152] The big ship had landed, and little blue sparks crackled between the hull and the asteroid as the magnetic clamps took hold.
[153] A few seconds later, the airlocks swung down, and five men let themselves down to the asteroid's surface and stood surveying the three who faced them.
[154] The two men in the lead stood with their hands on their hips; their darkish, twin faces were grinning broadly.
[155] "A pleasure," drawled Wally Saylor, looking at the girl.
[156] "What do you think of this situation Billy?"
[157] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us.
[158] We'll have to take steps."
[159] The three men behind the Saylor twins broke into rough, chuckling laughter.
[160] Bob Parker's gorge rose.
[161] "Scram," he said coldly.
[162] "We've got an ethergram direct from Andrew S. Burnside ordering this asteroid."
[163] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
[164] He started moving forward, and the three men in back came abreast, forming a semi-circle which slowly closed in.
[165] Bob Parker gave back a step, as he saw their intentions.
[166] "We got here first," he snapped harshly.
[167] "Try any funny stuff and we'll report you to the Interplanetary Commission!"
[168] It was Bob Parker's misfortune that he didn't carry a weapon.
[169] Each of these men carried one or more, plainly visible.
[170] But he was thinking of the girl's spasticizer—a paralyzing weapon.
[171] He took a hair-brained chance, jerked the spasticizer from the girl's holster and yelled at Queazy.
[172] Queazy got the idea, urged his immense body into motion.
[173] He hurled straight at Billy Saylor, lifted him straight off the asteroid and threw him away, into space.
[174] He yelled with triumph.
[175] At the same time, the spasticizer Bob held was shot cleanly out of his hand by Wally Saylor.
[176] Bob roared, started toward Wally Saylor, knocked the smoking gun from his hand with a sweeping arm.
[177] Then something crushing seemed to hit him in the stomach, grabbing at his solar plexus.
[178] He doubled up, gurgling with agony.
[179] He fell over on his back, and his boots were wrenched loose from their magnetic grip.
[180] Vaguely, before the flickering points of light in his brain subsided to complete darkness, he heard the girl's scream of rage—then a scream of pain.
[181] What had happened to Queazy he didn't know.
[182] He felt so horribly sick, he didn't care.
[183] Then—lights out.
[184] Bob Parker came to, the emptiness of remote starlight in his face.
[185] He opened his eyes.
[186] He was slowly revolving on an axis.
[187] Sometimes the Sun swept across his line of vision.
[188] A cold hammering began at the base of his skull, a sensation similar to that of being buried alive.
[189] There was no asteroid, no girl, no Queazy.
[190] He was alone in the vastness of space.
[191] Alone in a space-suit.
[192] "Queazy!"
[193] he whispered.
[194] "Queazy!
[195] I'm running out of air!"
[196] There was no answer from Queazy.
[197] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
[198] There was only five pounds pressure.
[199] Five pounds!
[200] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long?
[201] Days at least—maybe weeks!
[202] It was evident that somebody had given him a dose of spastic rays, enough to screw up every muscle in his body to the snapping point, putting him in such a condition of suspended animation that his oxygen needs were small.
[203] He closed his eyes, trying to fight against panic.
[204] He was glad he couldn't see any part of his body.
[205] He was probably scrawny.
[206] And he was hungry!
[207] "I'll starve," he thought.
[208] "Or suffocate to death first!"
[209] He couldn't keep himself from taking in great gulps of air.
[210] Minutes, then hours passed.
[211] He was breathing abnormally, and there wasn't enough air in the first place.
[212] He pleaded continually for Queazy, hoping that somehow Queazy could help, when probably Queazy was in the same condition.
[213] He ripped out wild curses directed at the Saylor brothers.
[214] Murderers, both of them!
[215] Up until this time, he had merely thought of them as business rivals.
[216] If he ever got out of this— He groaned.
[217] He never would get out of it!
[218] After another hour, he was gasping weakly, and yellow spots danced in his eyes.
[219] He called Queazy's name once more, knowing that was the last time he would have strength to call it.
[220] And this time the headset spoke back!
[221] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
[222] A voice came again, washed with static, far away, burbling, but excited.
[223] Bob made a rattling sound in his throat.
[224] Then his eyes started to close, but he imagined that he saw a ship, shiny and small, driving toward him, growing in size against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
[225] He relapsed, a terrific buzzing in his ears.
[226] He did not lose consciousness.
[227] He heard voices, Queazy's and the girl's, whoever she was.
[228] Somebody grabbed hold of his foot.
[229] His "aquarium" was unbuckled and good air washed over his streaming face.
[230] The sudden rush of oxygen to his brain dizzied him.
[231] Then he was lying on a bunk, and gradually the world beyond his sick body focussed in his clearing eyes and he knew he was alive—and going to stay that way, for awhile anyway.
[232] "Thanks, Queazy," he said huskily.
[233] Queazy was bending over him, his anxiety clearing away from his suddenly brightening face.
[234] "Don't thank me," he whispered.
[235] "We'd have both been goners if it hadn't been for her.
[236] The Saylor brothers left her paralyzed like us, and when she woke up she was on a slow orbit around her ship.
[237] She unstrapped her holster and threw it away from her and it gave her enough reaction to reach the ship.
[238] She got inside and used the direction-finder on the telaudio and located me first.
[239] The Saylors scattered us far and wide."
[240] Queazy's broad, normally good-humored face twisted blackly.
[241] "The so and so's didn't care if we lived or died."
[242] Bob saw the girl now, standing a little behind Queazy, looking down at him curiously, but unhappily.
[243] Her space-suit was off.
[244] She was wearing lightly striped blue slacks and blue silk blouse and she had a paper flower in her hair.
[245] Something in Bob's stomach caved in as his eyes widened on her.
[246] The girl said glumly, "I guess you men won't much care for me when you find out who I am and what I've done.
[247] I'm Starre Lowenthal—Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter!"
[248] Bob came slowly to his feet, and matched Queazy's slowly growing anger.
[249] "Say that again?"
[250] he snapped.
[251] "This is some kind of dirty trick you and your grandfather cooked up?"
[252] "No!"
[253] she exclaimed.
[254] "No.
[255] My grandfather didn't even know there was an asteroid like this.
[256] But I did, long before he ordered it from you—or from the Saylor brothers.
[257] You see—well, my granddad's about the stubbornest old hoot-owl in this universe!
[258] He's always had his way, and when people stand in his way, that's just a challenge to him.
[259] He's been badgering me for years to marry Mac, and so has Mac—" "Who's Mac?"
[260] Queazy demanded.
[261] "My fiancé, I guess," she said helplessly.
[262] "He's one of my granddad's protégés.
[263] Granddad's always financing some likely young man and giving him a start in life.
[264] Mac has become pretty famous for his Mercurian water-colors—he's an artist.
[265] Well, I couldn't hold out any longer.
[266] If you knew my grandfather, you'd know how absolutely impossible it is to go against him when he's got his mind set!
[267] I was just a mass of nerves.
[268] So I decided to trick him and I came out to the asteroid belt and picked out an asteroid that was shaped so a wedding could take place on it.
[269] I took the measurements and the composition, then I told my grandfather I'd marry Mac if the wedding was in the back yard on top of an asteroid with those measurements and made of iron ore, tungsten, and so forth.
[270] He agreed so fast he scared me, and just to make sure that if somebody did find the asteroid in time they wouldn't be able to get it back to Earth, I came out here and decided to live here.
[271] Asteroids up to a certain size belong to whoever happens to be on them, by common law....
[272] So I had everything figured out—except," she added bitterly, "the Saylor brothers!
[273] I guess Granddad wanted to make sure the asteroid was delivered, so he gave the order to several companies."
[274] Bob swore under his breath.
[275] He went reeling across to a port, and was gratified to see his and Queazy's big interplanetary hauler floating only a few hundred feet away.
[276] He swung around, looked at Queazy.
[277] "How long were we floating around out there?"
[278] "Three weeks, according to the chronometer.
[279] The Saylor boys gave us a stiff shot."
[280] " Ouch! "
[281] Bob groaned.
[282] Then he looked at Starre Lowenthal with determination.
[283] "Miss, pardon me if I say that this deal you and your granddad cooked up is plain screwy!
[284] With us on the butt end.
[285] But I'm going to put this to you plainly.
[286] We can catch up with the Saylor brothers even if they are three weeks ahead of us.
[287] The Saylor ship and ours both travel on the HH drive—inertia-less.
[288] But the asteroid has plenty of inertia, and so they'll have to haul it down to Earth by a long, spiraling orbit.
[289] We can go direct and probably catch up with them a few hundred thousand miles this side of Earth.
[290] And we can have a fling at getting the asteroid back!"
[291] Her eyes sparkled.
[292] "You mean—" she cried.
[293] Then her attractive face fell.
[294] "Oh," she said. "
[295] Oh!
[296] And when you get it back, you'll land it."
[297] "That's right," Bob said grimly.
[298] "We're in business.
[299] For us, it's a matter of survival.
[300] If the by-product of delivering the asteroid is your marriage—sorry!
[301] But until we do get the asteroid back, we three can work as a team if you're willing.
[302] We'll fight the other problem out later.
[303] Okay?"
[304] She smiled tremulously.
[305] "Okay, I guess."
[306] Queazy looked from one to another of them.
[307] He waved his hand scornfully at Bob.
[308] "You're plain nuts," he complained.
[309] "How do you propose to go about convincing the Saylor brothers they ought to let us have the asteroid back?
[310] Remember, commercial ships aren't allowed to carry long-range weapons.
[311] And we couldn't ram the Saylor brothers' ship—not without damaging our own ship just as much.
[312] Go ahead and answer that."
[313] Bob looked at Queazy dismally.
[314] "The old balance-wheel," he groaned at Starre.
[315] "He's always pulling me up short when I go off half-cocked.
[316] All I know is, that maybe we'll get a good idea as we go along.
[317] In the meantime, Starre—ahem—none of us has eaten in three weeks...?"
[318] Starre got the idea.
[319] She smiled dazzlingly and vanished toward the galley.
[320] Bob Parker was in love with Starre Lowenthal.
[321] He knew that after five days out, as the ship hurled itself at breakneck speed toward Earth; probably that distracting emotion was the real reason he couldn't attach any significance to Starre's dumbbell-shaped ship, which trailed astern, attached by a long cable.
[322] Starre apparently knew he was in love with her, too, for on the fifth day Bob was teaching her the mechanics of operating the hauler, and she gently lifted his hand from a finger-switch.
[323] "Even I know that isn't the control to the Holloway vacuum-feeder, Bob.
[324] That switch is for the—ah—the anathern tube, you told me.
[325] Right?"
[326] "Right," he said unsteadily.
[327] "Anyway, Starre, as I was saying, this ship operates according to the reverse Fitzgerald Contraction Formula.
[328] All moving bodies contract in the line of motion.
[329] What Holloway and Hammond did was to reverse that universal law.
[330] They caused the contraction first—motion had to follow!
[331] The gravitonic field affects every atom in the ship with the same speed at the same time.
[332] We could go from zero speed to our top speed of two thousand miles a second just like that!"
[333] He snapped his fingers.
[334] "No acceleration effects.
[335] This type of ship, necessary in our business, can stop flat, back up, ease up, move in any direction, and the passengers wouldn't have any feeling of motion at—Oh, hell!"
[336] Bob groaned, the serious glory of her eyes making him shake.
[337] He took her hand.
[338] "Starre," he said desperately, "I've got to tell you something—" She jerked her hand away.
[339] "No," she exclaimed in an almost frightened voice.
[340] "You can't tell me.
[341] There's—there's Mac," she finished, faltering.
[342] "The asteroid—" "You have to marry him?"
[343] Her eyes filled with tears.
[344] "I have to live up to the bargain."
[345] "And ruin your whole life," he ground out.
[346] Suddenly, he turned back to the control board, quartered the vision plate.
[347] He pointed savagely to the lower left quarter, which gave a rearward view of the dumbbell ship trailing astern.
[348] "There's your ship, Starre."
[349] He jabbed his finger at it.
[350] "I've got a feeling—and I can't put the thought into concrete words—that somehow the whole solution of the problem of grabbing the asteroid back lies there.
[351] But how?
[352] How? "
[353] Starre's blue eyes followed the long cable back to where it was attached around her ship's narrow midsection.
[354] She shook her head helplessly.
[355] "It just looks like a big yo-yo to me."
[356] "A yo-yo?"
[357] "Yes, a yo-yo.
[358] That's all."
[359] She was belligerent.
[360] "A yo-yo !"
[361] Bob Parker yelled the word and almost hit the ceiling, he got out of the chair so fast.
[362] "Can you imagine it!
[363] A yo-yo!"
[364] He disappeared from the room.
[365] "Queazy!"
[366] he shouted. "
[367] Queazy, I've got it! "
[368] It was Queazy who got into his space-suit and did the welding job, fastening two huge supra-steel "eyes" onto the dumbbell-shaped ship's narrow midsection.
[369] Into these eyes cables which trailed back to two winches in the big ship's nose were inserted, welded fast, and reinforced.
[370] The nose of the hauler was blunt, perfectly fitted for the job.
[371] Bob Parker practiced and experimented for three hours with this yo-yo of cosmic dimensions, while Starre and Queazy stood over him bursting into strange, delighted squeals of laughter whenever the yo-yo reached the end of its double cable and started rolling back up to the ship.
[372] Queazy snapped his fingers.
[373] "It'll work!"
[374] His gray eyes showed satisfaction.
[375] "Now, if only the Saylor brothers are where we calculated!"
[376] They weren't where Bob and Queazy had calculated, as they had discovered the next day.
[377] They had expected to pick up the asteroid on their mass-detectors a few hundred thousand miles outside of the Moon's orbit.
[378] But now they saw the giant ship attached like a leech to the still bigger asteroid—inside the Moon's orbit!
[379] A mere two hundred thousand miles from Earth!
[380] "We have to work fast," Bob stammered, sweating.
[381] He got within naked-eye distance of the Saylor brothers' ship.
[382] Below, Earth was spread out, a huge crescent shape, part of the Eastern hemisphere vaguely visible through impeding clouds and atmosphere.
[383] The enemy ship was two miles distant, a black shadow occulting part of the brilliant sky.
[384] It was moving along a down-spiraling path toward Earth.
[385] Queazy's big hand gripped his shoulder.
[386] "Go to it, Bob!"
[387] Bob nodded grimly.
[388] He backed the hauler up about thirty miles, then sent it forward again, directly toward the Saylor brothers' ship at ten miles per second.
[389] And resting on the blunt nose of the ship was the "yo-yo."
[390] There was little doubt the Saylors' saw their approach.
[391] But, scornfully, they made no attempt to evade.
[392] There was no possible harm the oncoming ship could wreak.
[393] Or at least that was what they thought, for Bob brought the hauler's speed down to zero—and Starre Lowenthal's little ship, possessing its own inertia, kept on moving!
[394] It spun away from the hauler's blunt nose, paying out two rigid lengths of cable behind it as it unwound, hurled itself forward like a fantastic spinning cannon ball.
[395] "It's going to hit!"
[396] The excited cry came from Starre.
[397] But Bob swore.
[398] The dumbbell ship reached the end of its cables, falling a bare twenty feet short of completing its mission.
[399] It didn't stop spinning, but came winding back up the cable, at the same terrific speed with which it had left.
[400] Bob sweated, having only fractions of seconds in which to maneuver for the "yo-yo" could strike a fatal blow at the hauler too.
[401] It was ticklish work completely to nullify the "yo-yo's" speed.
[402] Bob used exactly the same method of catching the "yo-yo" on the blunt nose of the ship as a baseball player uses to catch a hard-driven ball in his glove—namely, by matching the ball's speed and direction almost exactly at the moment of impact.
[403] And now Bob's hours of practice paid dividends, for the "yo-yo" came to rest snugly, ready to be released again.
[404] All this had happened in such a short space of time that the Saylor brothers must have had only a bare realization of what was going on.
[405] But by the time the "yo-yo" was flung at them again, this time with better calculations, they managed to put the firmly held asteroid between them and the deadly missile.
[406] But it was clumsy evasion, for the asteroid was several times as massive as the ship which was towing it, and its inertia was great.
[407] And as soon as the little ship came spinning back to rest, Bob flung the hauler to a new vantage point and again the "yo-yo" snapped out.
[408] And this time—collision!
[409] Bob yelled as he saw the stern section of the Saylor brothers' ship crumple like tissue paper crushed between the hand.
[410] The dumbbell-shaped ship, smaller, and therefore stauncher due to the principle of the arch, wound up again, wobbling a little.
[411] It had received a mere dent in its starboard half.
[412] Starre was chortling with glee.
[413] Queazy whispered, "Attaboy, Bob!
[414] This time we'll knock 'em out of the sky!"
[415] The "yo-yo" came to rest and at the same moment a gong rang excitedly.
[416] Bob knew what that meant.
[417] The Saylor brothers were trying to establish communication.
[418] Queazy was across the room in two running strides.
[419] He threw in the telaudio and almost immediately, Wally Saylor's big body built up in the plate.
[420] Wally Saylor's face was quivering with wrath.
[421] "What do you damned fools think you're trying to do?"
[422] he roared.
[423] "You've crushed in our stern section.
[424] You've sliced away half of our stern jets.
[425] Air is rushing out!
[426] You'll kill us!"
[427] "Now," Bob drawled, "you're getting the idea."
[428] "I'll inform the Interplanetary Commission!"
[429] screamed Saylor. "
[430] If you're alive," Bob snarled wrathfully.
[431] "And you won't be unless you release the asteroid."
[432] "I'll see you in Hades first!"
[433] "Hades," remarked Bob coldly, "here you come!"
[434] He snapped the hauler into its mile-a-second speed again, stopped it at zero.
[435] And the "yo-yo" went on its lone, destructive sortie.
[436] For a fraction of a second Wally Saylor exhibited the countenance of a doomed man.
[437] In the telaudio plate, he whirled, and diminished in size with a strangled yell.
[438] The "yo-yo" struck again, but Bob Parker maneuvered its speed in such a manner that it struck in the same place as before, but not as heavily, then rebounded and came spinning back with perfect, sparkling precision.
[439] And even before it snugged itself into its berth, it was apparent that the Saylor brothers had given up.
[440] Like a wounded terrier, their ship shook itself free of the asteroid, hung in black space for a second, then vanished with a flaming puff of released gravitons from its still-intact jets.
[441] The battle was won! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question:
1. [41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
2. [107] We got an order for this asteroid. [108] Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see? [109] We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
3. [110] If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
4. [43] And yet, if by some chance there was such a rigidly specified asteroid, their financial worries would be over.
5. [50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
6. [51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
7. [160] Bob Parker's gorge rose.
8. [161] "Scram," he said coldly. [162] "We've got an ethergram direct from Andrew S. Burnside ordering this asteroid."
9. [163] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
10. All other context sentences are less relevant for answering the question. |
How does Bob Parker almost die? | [
"Bob Parker almost dies after the Saylor brothers find Starre’s asteroid and decide that although Bob and Queazy landed on it first, they want to be the ones to fulfill Mr. Burnside’s order. Bob tries to defend his turf with Starre’s spasticizer, but Wally is able to shoot the gun out of his hands. Bob is unable to defend himself from the ginormous Saylor brothers after he loses Starre’s weapon, and he is beaten in the stomach and thrown into space to float with little oxygen and zero sustenance. He remains isolated, drifting through space, for three weeks before his friend Queazy and Starre are able to locate him. He describes the sensation as “being buried alive.” At the time that he is found, he has only a few short days of oxygen left until he will choke to death.",
"Soon after Bob and Queazy meet Starre Lowenthal on the asteroid, Wally and Billy Saylor arrive to claim the asteroid for themselves and deliver it to Mr. Burnside. When Bob realizes both companies have received orders from Mr. Burnside, he threatens to report the brothers to the Interplanetary Commission since he arrived at the asteroid first and the law dictates ownership goes to whoever arrived first. Then, Bob grabs Starre's paralyzing spasticizer and signals to Queazy, who quickly throws Billy Saylor into space. Wally shoots the spasticizer from Bob's hand, and Bob knocks Wally's gun away. At the same time, Bob feels a sudden crushing pain and hears Starre screaming before he blacks out. When Bob awakens later, he discovers he is alone in the vastness of space and running out of air. The Saylor brothers have taken the asteroid and left him there to die, separated from Queazy and Starre. He realizes he has only five pounds of air pressure left, and he had been shot by spastic rays. However, his state of suspended animation likely kept him alive long enough to be saved by Queazy and Starre because his body didn't require as much oxygen.",
"Bob Parker almost dies while fighting with the Saylor brothers on the asteroid that he was ordered to deliver by Mr. Burnside. The Saylor brothers are known for using rough force to get their way, and after Bob wakes up unconscious and running out of air (only five pound of pressure left) spinning alone in outer space, he concludes that he must have been given a dose of spastic rays that effected his muscles in an extreme way that caused him to go into suspended animation with very low oxygen demand. \nHe had been floating like that for three weeks before he regained consciousness at the last possible moment before he was going to die alone, and was then rescued by Queazy and Starre after calling on the intercom one last time. His narrow rescue gives him added purpose in retaliating against the Saylor brothers to retrieve the asteroid, which may ultimately win him his love, Starre.",
"Bob Parker almost dies after the face-to-face encounter with the Saylor brothers on the asteroid. When he grabs Starre’s spasticizer to use against them, Wally shoots it out of his hand. Someone hits Bob so hard that he is knocked unconscious and off the asteroid so that he is floating in space. When he regains consciousness, he is down to 5 pounds of oxygen, and as this supply dwindles, he grows weaker, knowing that he is dying either of oxygen deprivation or starvation from being unconscious for so long. Just as his oxygen runs out, Bob curses the Saylor brothers and calls out to Queazy one last time--and Queazy responds. He and Starre locate Bob, and they provide him with oxygen. Queasy explains they would both be dead if not for Starre; she was knocked unconscious, too, but came to and made her way to her ship. She used the direction-finder on the telaudio to locate Queazy and pick him up. Then when they got Bob’s signal, they found him, too."
] | [1] COSMIC YO-YO By ROSS ROCKLYNNE "Want an asteroid in your backyard?
[2] We supply cheap.
[3] Trouble also handled without charge."
[4] Interplanetary Hauling Company.
[5] (ADVT.)
[6] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Summer 1945.
[7] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[8] Bob Parker, looking through the photo-amplifiers at the wedge-shaped asteroid, was plainly flabbergasted.
[9] Not in his wildest imaginings had he thought they would actually find what they were looking for.
[10] "Cut the drive!"
[11] he yelled at Queazy.
[12] "I've got it, right on the nose.
[13] Queazy, my boy, can you imagine it?
[14] We're in the dough.
[15] Not only that, we're rich!
[16] Come here!"
[17] Queazy discharged their tremendous inertia into the motive-tubes in such a manner that the big, powerful ship was moving at the same rate as the asteroid below—47.05 miles per second.
[18] He came slogging back excitedly, put his eyes to the eyepiece.
[19] He gasped, and his big body shook with joyful ejaculations.
[20] "She checks down to the last dimension," Bob chortled, working with slide-rule and logarithm tables.
[21] "Now all we have to do is find out if she's made of tungsten, iron, quartz crystals, and cinnabar!
[22] But there couldn't be two asteroids of that shape anywhere else in the Belt, so this has to be it!"
[23] He jerked a badly crumpled ethergram from his pocket, smoothed it out, and thumbed his nose at the signature.
[24] "Whee!
[25] Mr. Andrew S. Burnside, you owe us five hundred and fifty thousand dollars!"
[26] Queazy straightened.
[27] A slow, likeable smile wreathed his tanned face.
[28] "Better take it easy," he advised, "until I land the ship and we use the atomic whirl spectroscope to determine the composition of the asteroid."
[29] "Have it your way," Bob Parker sang, happily.
[30] He threw the ethergram to the winds and it fell gently to the deck-plates.
[31] While Queazy—so called because his full name was Quentin Zuyler—dropped the ship straight down to the smooth surface of the asteroid, and clamped it tight with magnetic grapples, Bob flung open the lazarette, brought out two space-suits.
[32] Moments later, they were outside the ship, with star-powdered infinity spread to all sides.
[33] In the ship, the ethergram from Andrew S. Burnside, of Philadelphia, one of the richest men in the world, still lay on the deck-plates.
[34] It was addressed to: Mr. Robert Parker, President Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., 777 Main Street, Satterfield City, Fontanaland, Mars.
[35] The ethergram read: Received your advertising literature a week ago.
[36] Would like to state that yes I would like an asteroid in my back yard.
[37] Must meet following specifications: 506 feet length, long enough for wedding procession; 98 feet at base, tapering to 10 feet at apex; 9-12 feet thick; topside smooth-plane, underside rough-plane; composed of iron ore, tungsten, quartz crystals, and cinnabar.
[38] Must be in my back yard before 11:30 A.M. my time, for important wedding June 2, else order is void.
[39] Will pay $5.00 per ton.
[40] Bob Parker had received that ethergram three weeks ago.
[41] And if The Interplanetary Hauling & Moving Co., hadn't been about to go on the rocks (chiefly due to the activities of Saylor & Saylor, a rival firm) neither Bob nor Queazy would have thought of sending an answering ethergram to Burnside stating that they would fill the order.
[42] It was, plainly, a hair-brained request.
[43] And yet, if by some chance there was such a rigidly specified asteroid, their financial worries would be over.
[44] That they had actually discovered the asteroid, using their mass-detectors in a weight-elimination process, seemed like an incredible stroke of luck.
[45] For there are literally millions of asteroids in the asteroid belt, and they had been out in space only three weeks.
[46] The "asteroid in your back yard" idea had been Bob Parker's originally.
[47] Now it was a fad that was sweeping Earth, and Burnside wasn't the first rich man who had decided to hold a wedding on top of an asteroid.
[48] Unfortunately, other interplanetary moving companies had cashed in on that brainstorm, chiefly the firm of the Saylor brothers—which persons Bob Parker intended to punch in the nose some day.
[49] And would have before this if he hadn't been lanky and tall while they were giants.
[50] Now that he and Queazy had found the asteroid, they were desperate to get it to its destination, for fear that the Saylor brothers might get wind of what was going on, and try to beat them out of their profits.
[51] Which was not so far-fetched, because the firm of Saylor & Saylor made no pretense of being scrupulous.
[52] Now they scuffed along the smooth-plane topside of the asteroid, the magnets in their shoes keeping them from stepping off into space.
[53] They came to the broad base of the asteroid-wedge, walked over the edge and "down" the twelve-foot thickness.
[54] Here they squatted, and Bob Parker happily clamped the atomic-whirl spectroscope to the rough surface.
[55] By the naked eye, they could see iron ore, quartz crystals, cinnabar, but he had the spectroscope and there was no reason why he shouldn't use it.
[56] He satisfied himself as to the exterior of the asteroid, and then sent the twin beams deep into its heart.
[57] The beams crossed, tore atoms from molecules, revolved them like an infinitely fine powder.
[58] The radiations from the sundered molecules traveled back up the beams to the atomic-whirl spectroscope.
[59] Bob watched a pointer which moved slowly up and up—past tungsten, past iridium, past gold— Bob Parker said, in astonishment, "Hell!
[60] There's something screwy about this business.
[61] Look at that point—" Neither he nor Queazy had the opportunity to observe the pointer any further.
[62] A cold, completely disagreeable feminine voice said, "May I ask what you interlopers are doing on my asteroid?"
[63] Bob started so badly that the spectroscope's settings were jarred and the lights in its interior died.
[64] Bob twisted his head around as far as he could inside the "aquarium"—the glass helmet, and found himself looking at a space-suited girl who was standing on the edge of the asteroid "below."
[65] "Ma'am," said Bob, blinking, "did you say something?"
[66] Queazy made a gulping sound and slowly straightened.
[67] He automatically reached up as if he would take off his hat and twist it in his hands.
[68] "I said," remarked the girl, "that you should scram off of my asteroid.
[69] And quit poking around at it with that spectroscope.
[70] I've already taken a reading.
[71] Cinnabar, iron ore, quartz crystals, tungsten.
[72] Goodbye."
[73] Bob's nose twitched as he adjusted his glasses, which he wore even inside his suit.
[74] He couldn't think of anything pertinent to say.
[75] He knew that he was slowly working up a blush.
[76] Mildly speaking, the girl was beautiful, and though only her carefully made-up face was visible—cool blue eyes, masterfully coiffed, upswept, glinting brown hair, wilful lips and chin—Bob suspected the rest of her compared nicely.
[77] Her expression darkened as she saw the completely instinctive way he was looking at her and her radioed-voice rapped out, "Now you two boys go and play somewhere else!
[78] Else I'll let the Interplanetary Commission know you've infringed the law.
[79] G'bye!"
[80] She turned and disappeared.
[81] Bob awoke from his trance, shouted desperately, "Hey!
[82] Wait!
[83] You! "
[84] He and Queazy caught up with her on the side of the asteroid they hadn't yet examined.
[85] It was a rough plane, completing the rigid qualifications Burnside had set down.
[86] "Wait a minute," Bob Parker begged nervously.
[87] "I want to make some conversation, lady.
[88] I'm sure you don't understand the conditions—" The girl turned and drew a gun from a holster.
[89] It was a spasticizer, and it was three times as big as her gloved hand.
[90] "I understand conditions better than you do," she said.
[91] "You want to move this asteroid from its orbit and haul it back to Earth.
[92] Unfortunately, this is my home, by common law.
[93] Come back in a month.
[94] I don't expect to be here then."
[95] "A month!"
[96] Parker burst the word out.
[97] He started to sweat, then his face became grim.
[98] He took two slow steps toward the girl.
[99] She blinked and lost her composure and unconsciously backed up two steps.
[100] About twenty steps away was her small dumbbell-shaped ship, so shiny and unscarred that it reflected starlight in highlights from its curved surface.
[101] A rich girl's ship, Bob Parker thought angrily.
[102] A month would be too late!
[103] He said grimly, "Don't worry.
[104] I don't intend to pull any rough stuff.
[105] I just want you to listen to reason.
[106] You've taken a whim to stay on an asteroid that doesn't mean anything to you one way or another.
[107] But to us—to me and Queazy here—it means our business.
[108] We got an order for this asteroid.
[109] Some screwball millionaire wants it for a backyard wedding see?
[110] We get five hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it!
[111] If we don't take this asteroid to Earth before June 2, we go back to Satterfield City and work the rest of our lives in the glass factories.
[112] Don't we, Queazy?"
[113] Queazy said simply, "That's right, miss.
[114] We're in a spot.
[115] I assure you we didn't expect to find someone living here."
[116] The girl holstered her spasticizer, but her completely inhospitable expression did not change.
[117] She put her hands on the bulging hips of her space-suit.
[118] "Okay," she said.
[119] "Now I understand the conditions.
[120] Now we both understand each other.
[121] G'bye again.
[122] I'm staying here and—" she smiled sweetly "—it may interest you to know that if I let you have the asteroid you'll save your business, but I'll meet a fate worse than death!
[123] So that's that."
[124] Bob recognized finality when he saw it.
[125] "Come on, Queazy," he said fuming.
[126] "Let this brat have her way.
[127] But if I ever run across her without a space-suit on I'm going to give her the licking of her life, right where it'll do the most good!"
[128] He turned angrily, but Queazy grabbed his arm, his mouth falling open.
[129] He pointed off into space, beyond the girl.
[130] "What's that?"
[131] he whispered.
[132] "What's wha— Oh! "
[133] Bob Parker's stomach caved in.
[134] A few hundred feet away, floating gently toward the asteroid, came another ship—a ship a trifle bigger than their own.
[135] The girl turned, too.
[136] They heard her gasp.
[137] In another second, Bob was standing next to her.
[138] He turned the audio-switch to his headset off, and spoke to the girl by putting his helmet against hers.
[139] "Listen to me, miss," he snapped earnestly, when she tried to draw away.
[140] "Don't talk by radio.
[141] That ship belongs to the Saylor brothers!
[142] Oh, Lord, that this should happen!
[143] Somewhere along the line, we've been double-crossed.
[144] Those boys are after this asteroid too, and they won't hesitate to pull any rough stuff.
[145] We're in this together, understand?
[146] We got to back each other up."
[147] The girl nodded dumbly.
[148] Suddenly she seemed to be frightened.
[149] "It's—it's very important that this—this asteroid stay right where it is," she said huskily.
[150] "What—what will they do?"
[151] Bob Parker didn't answer.
[152] The big ship had landed, and little blue sparks crackled between the hull and the asteroid as the magnetic clamps took hold.
[153] A few seconds later, the airlocks swung down, and five men let themselves down to the asteroid's surface and stood surveying the three who faced them.
[154] The two men in the lead stood with their hands on their hips; their darkish, twin faces were grinning broadly.
[155] "A pleasure," drawled Wally Saylor, looking at the girl.
[156] "What do you think of this situation Billy?"
[157] "It's obvious," drawled Billy Saylor, rocking back and forth on his heels, "that Bob Parker and company have double-crossed us.
[158] We'll have to take steps."
[159] The three men behind the Saylor twins broke into rough, chuckling laughter.
[160] Bob Parker's gorge rose.
[161] "Scram," he said coldly.
[162] "We've got an ethergram direct from Andrew S. Burnside ordering this asteroid."
[163] "So have we," Wally Saylor smiled—and his smile remained fixed, dangerous.
[164] He started moving forward, and the three men in back came abreast, forming a semi-circle which slowly closed in.
[165] Bob Parker gave back a step, as he saw their intentions.
[166] "We got here first," he snapped harshly.
[167] "Try any funny stuff and we'll report you to the Interplanetary Commission!"
[168] It was Bob Parker's misfortune that he didn't carry a weapon.
[169] Each of these men carried one or more, plainly visible.
[170] But he was thinking of the girl's spasticizer—a paralyzing weapon.
[171] He took a hair-brained chance, jerked the spasticizer from the girl's holster and yelled at Queazy.
[172] Queazy got the idea, urged his immense body into motion.
[173] He hurled straight at Billy Saylor, lifted him straight off the asteroid and threw him away, into space.
[174] He yelled with triumph.
[175] At the same time, the spasticizer Bob held was shot cleanly out of his hand by Wally Saylor.
[176] Bob roared, started toward Wally Saylor, knocked the smoking gun from his hand with a sweeping arm.
[177] Then something crushing seemed to hit him in the stomach, grabbing at his solar plexus.
[178] He doubled up, gurgling with agony.
[179] He fell over on his back, and his boots were wrenched loose from their magnetic grip.
[180] Vaguely, before the flickering points of light in his brain subsided to complete darkness, he heard the girl's scream of rage—then a scream of pain.
[181] What had happened to Queazy he didn't know.
[182] He felt so horribly sick, he didn't care.
[183] Then—lights out.
[184] Bob Parker came to, the emptiness of remote starlight in his face.
[185] He opened his eyes.
[186] He was slowly revolving on an axis.
[187] Sometimes the Sun swept across his line of vision.
[188] A cold hammering began at the base of his skull, a sensation similar to that of being buried alive.
[189] There was no asteroid, no girl, no Queazy.
[190] He was alone in the vastness of space.
[191] Alone in a space-suit.
[192] "Queazy!"
[193] he whispered.
[194] "Queazy!
[195] I'm running out of air!"
[196] There was no answer from Queazy.
[197] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
[198] There was only five pounds pressure.
[199] Five pounds!
[200] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long?
[201] Days at least—maybe weeks!
[202] It was evident that somebody had given him a dose of spastic rays, enough to screw up every muscle in his body to the snapping point, putting him in such a condition of suspended animation that his oxygen needs were small.
[203] He closed his eyes, trying to fight against panic.
[204] He was glad he couldn't see any part of his body.
[205] He was probably scrawny.
[206] And he was hungry!
[207] "I'll starve," he thought.
[208] "Or suffocate to death first!"
[209] He couldn't keep himself from taking in great gulps of air.
[210] Minutes, then hours passed.
[211] He was breathing abnormally, and there wasn't enough air in the first place.
[212] He pleaded continually for Queazy, hoping that somehow Queazy could help, when probably Queazy was in the same condition.
[213] He ripped out wild curses directed at the Saylor brothers.
[214] Murderers, both of them!
[215] Up until this time, he had merely thought of them as business rivals.
[216] If he ever got out of this— He groaned.
[217] He never would get out of it!
[218] After another hour, he was gasping weakly, and yellow spots danced in his eyes.
[219] He called Queazy's name once more, knowing that was the last time he would have strength to call it.
[220] And this time the headset spoke back!
[221] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
[222] A voice came again, washed with static, far away, burbling, but excited.
[223] Bob made a rattling sound in his throat.
[224] Then his eyes started to close, but he imagined that he saw a ship, shiny and small, driving toward him, growing in size against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
[225] He relapsed, a terrific buzzing in his ears.
[226] He did not lose consciousness.
[227] He heard voices, Queazy's and the girl's, whoever she was.
[228] Somebody grabbed hold of his foot.
[229] His "aquarium" was unbuckled and good air washed over his streaming face.
[230] The sudden rush of oxygen to his brain dizzied him.
[231] Then he was lying on a bunk, and gradually the world beyond his sick body focussed in his clearing eyes and he knew he was alive—and going to stay that way, for awhile anyway.
[232] "Thanks, Queazy," he said huskily.
[233] Queazy was bending over him, his anxiety clearing away from his suddenly brightening face.
[234] "Don't thank me," he whispered.
[235] "We'd have both been goners if it hadn't been for her.
[236] The Saylor brothers left her paralyzed like us, and when she woke up she was on a slow orbit around her ship.
[237] She unstrapped her holster and threw it away from her and it gave her enough reaction to reach the ship.
[238] She got inside and used the direction-finder on the telaudio and located me first.
[239] The Saylors scattered us far and wide."
[240] Queazy's broad, normally good-humored face twisted blackly.
[241] "The so and so's didn't care if we lived or died."
[242] Bob saw the girl now, standing a little behind Queazy, looking down at him curiously, but unhappily.
[243] Her space-suit was off.
[244] She was wearing lightly striped blue slacks and blue silk blouse and she had a paper flower in her hair.
[245] Something in Bob's stomach caved in as his eyes widened on her.
[246] The girl said glumly, "I guess you men won't much care for me when you find out who I am and what I've done.
[247] I'm Starre Lowenthal—Andrew S. Burnside's granddaughter!"
[248] Bob came slowly to his feet, and matched Queazy's slowly growing anger.
[249] "Say that again?"
[250] he snapped.
[251] "This is some kind of dirty trick you and your grandfather cooked up?"
[252] "No!"
[253] she exclaimed.
[254] "No.
[255] My grandfather didn't even know there was an asteroid like this.
[256] But I did, long before he ordered it from you—or from the Saylor brothers.
[257] You see—well, my granddad's about the stubbornest old hoot-owl in this universe!
[258] He's always had his way, and when people stand in his way, that's just a challenge to him.
[259] He's been badgering me for years to marry Mac, and so has Mac—" "Who's Mac?"
[260] Queazy demanded.
[261] "My fiancé, I guess," she said helplessly.
[262] "He's one of my granddad's protégés.
[263] Granddad's always financing some likely young man and giving him a start in life.
[264] Mac has become pretty famous for his Mercurian water-colors—he's an artist.
[265] Well, I couldn't hold out any longer.
[266] If you knew my grandfather, you'd know how absolutely impossible it is to go against him when he's got his mind set!
[267] I was just a mass of nerves.
[268] So I decided to trick him and I came out to the asteroid belt and picked out an asteroid that was shaped so a wedding could take place on it.
[269] I took the measurements and the composition, then I told my grandfather I'd marry Mac if the wedding was in the back yard on top of an asteroid with those measurements and made of iron ore, tungsten, and so forth.
[270] He agreed so fast he scared me, and just to make sure that if somebody did find the asteroid in time they wouldn't be able to get it back to Earth, I came out here and decided to live here.
[271] Asteroids up to a certain size belong to whoever happens to be on them, by common law....
[272] So I had everything figured out—except," she added bitterly, "the Saylor brothers!
[273] I guess Granddad wanted to make sure the asteroid was delivered, so he gave the order to several companies."
[274] Bob swore under his breath.
[275] He went reeling across to a port, and was gratified to see his and Queazy's big interplanetary hauler floating only a few hundred feet away.
[276] He swung around, looked at Queazy.
[277] "How long were we floating around out there?"
[278] "Three weeks, according to the chronometer.
[279] The Saylor boys gave us a stiff shot."
[280] " Ouch! "
[281] Bob groaned.
[282] Then he looked at Starre Lowenthal with determination.
[283] "Miss, pardon me if I say that this deal you and your granddad cooked up is plain screwy!
[284] With us on the butt end.
[285] But I'm going to put this to you plainly.
[286] We can catch up with the Saylor brothers even if they are three weeks ahead of us.
[287] The Saylor ship and ours both travel on the HH drive—inertia-less.
[288] But the asteroid has plenty of inertia, and so they'll have to haul it down to Earth by a long, spiraling orbit.
[289] We can go direct and probably catch up with them a few hundred thousand miles this side of Earth.
[290] And we can have a fling at getting the asteroid back!"
[291] Her eyes sparkled.
[292] "You mean—" she cried.
[293] Then her attractive face fell.
[294] "Oh," she said. "
[295] Oh!
[296] And when you get it back, you'll land it."
[297] "That's right," Bob said grimly.
[298] "We're in business.
[299] For us, it's a matter of survival.
[300] If the by-product of delivering the asteroid is your marriage—sorry!
[301] But until we do get the asteroid back, we three can work as a team if you're willing.
[302] We'll fight the other problem out later.
[303] Okay?"
[304] She smiled tremulously.
[305] "Okay, I guess."
[306] Queazy looked from one to another of them.
[307] He waved his hand scornfully at Bob.
[308] "You're plain nuts," he complained.
[309] "How do you propose to go about convincing the Saylor brothers they ought to let us have the asteroid back?
[310] Remember, commercial ships aren't allowed to carry long-range weapons.
[311] And we couldn't ram the Saylor brothers' ship—not without damaging our own ship just as much.
[312] Go ahead and answer that."
[313] Bob looked at Queazy dismally.
[314] "The old balance-wheel," he groaned at Starre.
[315] "He's always pulling me up short when I go off half-cocked.
[316] All I know is, that maybe we'll get a good idea as we go along.
[317] In the meantime, Starre—ahem—none of us has eaten in three weeks...?"
[318] Starre got the idea.
[319] She smiled dazzlingly and vanished toward the galley.
[320] Bob Parker was in love with Starre Lowenthal.
[321] He knew that after five days out, as the ship hurled itself at breakneck speed toward Earth; probably that distracting emotion was the real reason he couldn't attach any significance to Starre's dumbbell-shaped ship, which trailed astern, attached by a long cable.
[322] Starre apparently knew he was in love with her, too, for on the fifth day Bob was teaching her the mechanics of operating the hauler, and she gently lifted his hand from a finger-switch.
[323] "Even I know that isn't the control to the Holloway vacuum-feeder, Bob.
[324] That switch is for the—ah—the anathern tube, you told me.
[325] Right?"
[326] "Right," he said unsteadily.
[327] "Anyway, Starre, as I was saying, this ship operates according to the reverse Fitzgerald Contraction Formula.
[328] All moving bodies contract in the line of motion.
[329] What Holloway and Hammond did was to reverse that universal law.
[330] They caused the contraction first—motion had to follow!
[331] The gravitonic field affects every atom in the ship with the same speed at the same time.
[332] We could go from zero speed to our top speed of two thousand miles a second just like that!"
[333] He snapped his fingers.
[334] "No acceleration effects.
[335] This type of ship, necessary in our business, can stop flat, back up, ease up, move in any direction, and the passengers wouldn't have any feeling of motion at—Oh, hell!"
[336] Bob groaned, the serious glory of her eyes making him shake.
[337] He took her hand.
[338] "Starre," he said desperately, "I've got to tell you something—" She jerked her hand away.
[339] "No," she exclaimed in an almost frightened voice.
[340] "You can't tell me.
[341] There's—there's Mac," she finished, faltering.
[342] "The asteroid—" "You have to marry him?"
[343] Her eyes filled with tears.
[344] "I have to live up to the bargain."
[345] "And ruin your whole life," he ground out.
[346] Suddenly, he turned back to the control board, quartered the vision plate.
[347] He pointed savagely to the lower left quarter, which gave a rearward view of the dumbbell ship trailing astern.
[348] "There's your ship, Starre."
[349] He jabbed his finger at it.
[350] "I've got a feeling—and I can't put the thought into concrete words—that somehow the whole solution of the problem of grabbing the asteroid back lies there.
[351] But how?
[352] How? "
[353] Starre's blue eyes followed the long cable back to where it was attached around her ship's narrow midsection.
[354] She shook her head helplessly.
[355] "It just looks like a big yo-yo to me."
[356] "A yo-yo?"
[357] "Yes, a yo-yo.
[358] That's all."
[359] She was belligerent.
[360] "A yo-yo !"
[361] Bob Parker yelled the word and almost hit the ceiling, he got out of the chair so fast.
[362] "Can you imagine it!
[363] A yo-yo!"
[364] He disappeared from the room.
[365] "Queazy!"
[366] he shouted. "
[367] Queazy, I've got it! "
[368] It was Queazy who got into his space-suit and did the welding job, fastening two huge supra-steel "eyes" onto the dumbbell-shaped ship's narrow midsection.
[369] Into these eyes cables which trailed back to two winches in the big ship's nose were inserted, welded fast, and reinforced.
[370] The nose of the hauler was blunt, perfectly fitted for the job.
[371] Bob Parker practiced and experimented for three hours with this yo-yo of cosmic dimensions, while Starre and Queazy stood over him bursting into strange, delighted squeals of laughter whenever the yo-yo reached the end of its double cable and started rolling back up to the ship.
[372] Queazy snapped his fingers.
[373] "It'll work!"
[374] His gray eyes showed satisfaction.
[375] "Now, if only the Saylor brothers are where we calculated!"
[376] They weren't where Bob and Queazy had calculated, as they had discovered the next day.
[377] They had expected to pick up the asteroid on their mass-detectors a few hundred thousand miles outside of the Moon's orbit.
[378] But now they saw the giant ship attached like a leech to the still bigger asteroid—inside the Moon's orbit!
[379] A mere two hundred thousand miles from Earth!
[380] "We have to work fast," Bob stammered, sweating.
[381] He got within naked-eye distance of the Saylor brothers' ship.
[382] Below, Earth was spread out, a huge crescent shape, part of the Eastern hemisphere vaguely visible through impeding clouds and atmosphere.
[383] The enemy ship was two miles distant, a black shadow occulting part of the brilliant sky.
[384] It was moving along a down-spiraling path toward Earth.
[385] Queazy's big hand gripped his shoulder.
[386] "Go to it, Bob!"
[387] Bob nodded grimly.
[388] He backed the hauler up about thirty miles, then sent it forward again, directly toward the Saylor brothers' ship at ten miles per second.
[389] And resting on the blunt nose of the ship was the "yo-yo."
[390] There was little doubt the Saylors' saw their approach.
[391] But, scornfully, they made no attempt to evade.
[392] There was no possible harm the oncoming ship could wreak.
[393] Or at least that was what they thought, for Bob brought the hauler's speed down to zero—and Starre Lowenthal's little ship, possessing its own inertia, kept on moving!
[394] It spun away from the hauler's blunt nose, paying out two rigid lengths of cable behind it as it unwound, hurled itself forward like a fantastic spinning cannon ball.
[395] "It's going to hit!"
[396] The excited cry came from Starre.
[397] But Bob swore.
[398] The dumbbell ship reached the end of its cables, falling a bare twenty feet short of completing its mission.
[399] It didn't stop spinning, but came winding back up the cable, at the same terrific speed with which it had left.
[400] Bob sweated, having only fractions of seconds in which to maneuver for the "yo-yo" could strike a fatal blow at the hauler too.
[401] It was ticklish work completely to nullify the "yo-yo's" speed.
[402] Bob used exactly the same method of catching the "yo-yo" on the blunt nose of the ship as a baseball player uses to catch a hard-driven ball in his glove—namely, by matching the ball's speed and direction almost exactly at the moment of impact.
[403] And now Bob's hours of practice paid dividends, for the "yo-yo" came to rest snugly, ready to be released again.
[404] All this had happened in such a short space of time that the Saylor brothers must have had only a bare realization of what was going on.
[405] But by the time the "yo-yo" was flung at them again, this time with better calculations, they managed to put the firmly held asteroid between them and the deadly missile.
[406] But it was clumsy evasion, for the asteroid was several times as massive as the ship which was towing it, and its inertia was great.
[407] And as soon as the little ship came spinning back to rest, Bob flung the hauler to a new vantage point and again the "yo-yo" snapped out.
[408] And this time—collision!
[409] Bob yelled as he saw the stern section of the Saylor brothers' ship crumple like tissue paper crushed between the hand.
[410] The dumbbell-shaped ship, smaller, and therefore stauncher due to the principle of the arch, wound up again, wobbling a little.
[411] It had received a mere dent in its starboard half.
[412] Starre was chortling with glee.
[413] Queazy whispered, "Attaboy, Bob!
[414] This time we'll knock 'em out of the sky!"
[415] The "yo-yo" came to rest and at the same moment a gong rang excitedly.
[416] Bob knew what that meant.
[417] The Saylor brothers were trying to establish communication.
[418] Queazy was across the room in two running strides.
[419] He threw in the telaudio and almost immediately, Wally Saylor's big body built up in the plate.
[420] Wally Saylor's face was quivering with wrath.
[421] "What do you damned fools think you're trying to do?"
[422] he roared.
[423] "You've crushed in our stern section.
[424] You've sliced away half of our stern jets.
[425] Air is rushing out!
[426] You'll kill us!"
[427] "Now," Bob drawled, "you're getting the idea."
[428] "I'll inform the Interplanetary Commission!"
[429] screamed Saylor. "
[430] If you're alive," Bob snarled wrathfully.
[431] "And you won't be unless you release the asteroid."
[432] "I'll see you in Hades first!"
[433] "Hades," remarked Bob coldly, "here you come!"
[434] He snapped the hauler into its mile-a-second speed again, stopped it at zero.
[435] And the "yo-yo" went on its lone, destructive sortie.
[436] For a fraction of a second Wally Saylor exhibited the countenance of a doomed man.
[437] In the telaudio plate, he whirled, and diminished in size with a strangled yell.
[438] The "yo-yo" struck again, but Bob Parker maneuvered its speed in such a manner that it struck in the same place as before, but not as heavily, then rebounded and came spinning back with perfect, sparkling precision.
[439] And even before it snugged itself into its berth, it was apparent that the Saylor brothers had given up.
[440] Like a wounded terrier, their ship shook itself free of the asteroid, hung in black space for a second, then vanished with a flaming puff of released gravitons from its still-intact jets.
[441] The battle was won! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "How does Bob Parker almost die?":
1. [190] He was alone in the vastness of space.
2. [191] Alone in a space-suit.
3. [197] With sick eyes, Bob studied the oxygen indicator.
4. [198] There was only five pounds pressure.
5. [199] Five pounds!
6. [200] That meant he had been floating around out here—how long?
7. [201] Days at least—maybe weeks!
8. [202] It was evident that somebody had given him a dose of spastic rays, enough to screw up every muscle in his body to the snapping point, putting him in such a condition of suspended animation that his oxygen needs were small.
9. [203] He closed his eyes, trying to fight against panic.
10. [204] He was glad he couldn't see any part of his body.
11. [205] He was probably scrawny.
12. [206] And he was hungry!
13. [207] "I'll starve," he thought.
14. [208] "Or suffocate to death first!"
15. [209] He couldn't keep himself from taking in great gulps of air.
16. [210] Minutes, then hours passed.
17. [211] He was breathing abnormally, and there wasn't enough air in the first place.
18. [212] He pleaded continually for Queazy, hoping that somehow Queazy could help, when probably Queazy was in the same condition.
19. [213] He ripped out wild curses directed at the Saylor brothers.
20. [214] Murderers, both of them!
21. [215] Up until this time, he had merely thought of them as business rivals.
22. [216] If he ever got out of this— He groaned.
23. [217] He never would get out of it!
24. [218] After another hour, he was gasping weakly, and yellow spots danced in his eyes.
25. [219] He called Queazy's name once more, knowing that was the last time he would have strength to call it.
26. [220] And this time the headset spoke back!
27. [221] Bob Parker made a gurgling sound.
28. [222] A voice came again, washed with static, far away, burbling, but excited.
29. [223] Bob made a rattling sound in his throat.
30. [224] Then his eyes started to close, but he imagined that he saw a ship, shiny and small, driving toward him, growing in size against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
31. [225] He relapsed, a terrific buzzing in his ears.
32. [226] He did not lose consciousness.
33. [227] He heard voices, Queazy's and the girl's, whoever she was.
34. [228] Somebody grabbed hold of his foot.
35. [229] His "aquarium" was unbuckled and good air washed over his streaming face.
36. [230] The sudden rush of oxygen to his brain dizzied him.
37. [231] Then he was lying on a bunk, and gradually the world beyond his sick body focussed in his clearing eyes and he knew he was alive—and going to stay that way, for awhile anyway.
38. [194] "I'm running out of air!"
39. [193] "Queazy!"
40. [192] "Queazy!"
41. [195] "I'm running out of air!"
42. [196] There was no answer from Queazy. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"After studying for six years, Ben sits at his U.S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight graduation. Next to Ben is Mickey, his best friend who also plans to go into deep space. Ben is an orphan, and he wonders if the only person he invited, Charlie Taggart, is there. Ben met Charlie, an accomplished spaceman, when he was a boy, and Charlie took him under his wing. When Ben connects with Charlie after the ceremony, he worries about his gaunt face and terrible cough. \n\nBen then meets Laura, Mickey’s sister. There is an undeniable and instant connection between them. Charlie only has 24 hours to spend with Ben before he has to report back for duty, and although he wants to have some drinks with Ben alone, Laura invites them both over, and Ben can’t help but say yes.\n\nMoments later, Dean Dawson reminds Ben about an offer to teach at the Academy. Mickey takes this opportunity to admit to Ben that he will be working as a Supervisor at White Sands Port. Ben is disappointed to hear that Mickey has chosen to live a boring life, but Mickey insists that he does not want to die in his 30s. \n\nAfter dinner at Mickey’s house, Laura and Ben take a walk together. Laura asks about Charlie’s life before he was a spaceman, but Ben doesn’t have answers for her. He doesn’t know anything about Charlie’s past. Ben looks at Laura and realizes that she has feelings for him, too. When she suggests that a career in deep space may not be worth what Ben would be leaving behind, Ben finds himself at a crossroads. Should he live his dream or should he settle down with the woman he loves and live an ordinary life?\n\nThe next morning, Charlie gives Ben an old tin with souvenirs inside, and then tells him to meet him at the Space Rat, a little cafe on Mars, when he gets there. Ben still hasn’t chosen a career path and decides to stay with Mickey and Laura and their family until he does. He experiences forty days of happiness with his love, Laura, and forty nights of indecision about which career to choose. Ben asks Laura to marry him, but she says she can’t unless he decides to stay on earth. \n\nThe next day, Ben receives a message informing him that Charlie has died from lung-rot, a disease he got in space. When Ben looks in Charlie’s tin and finds useless trinkets, he decides to take the teaching job so that he does not live a similarly meaningless life. However, hours later, he looks in the tin again and finds a wedding ring. Ben surmises that Charlie wanted to tell him to take the chance on space, and he believes it’s the right decision to make. He can’t live his life without knowing what the stars look like, even if that means he can’t have Laura too.",
"Spacemen Die at Home is a story in the form of a letter written from Ben to Laura, explaining his decision to leave her behind on Earth. It all begins in June of 1965 in New Mexico when the first class of the U.S. Academy of Interplentary Flight is finally graduating after six years. These 25 students were trained to take on interplanetary flight and space exploration, so they can continue to discover the outer planets. Robert Chandler gave a speech detailing why these brave men were so important to modern society, as women were not allowed to become space explorers. Mickey and Ben, graduates and friends, sat next to each other during the ceremony. Mickey struggles to find his family in the crowd, and Ben reveals that he was orphaned after his parents died in a rocket crash. A spaceman named Charlie Taggart (Stardust Charlie) raised him instead. He was one of the oldest spacemen ever, having travelled for nearly 25 years, and was the Chief Jetman on the Lunar Lady. \nAfter the ceremony, Ben runs into Charlie and sees how much he’s aged in just a year. He looks ill and drugged, but he still asks Ben to celebrate with him. Before Ben can respond, Mickey and his sister Laura came up to him. He is instantly attracted to her and feels a connection. Ben was supposed to spend the weekend with Mickey and his family, but now that Charlie’s in town he feels conflicted. Both Ben and Charlie decide to join them, despite Charlie not being a family man. Dean Dawson, an academy professor, approaches Ben and reminds him of his job offer at the Academy. Ben turns him down laughing, until Mickey reveals that he is not going to space anymore. Instead, he’ll be the Cargo Supervisor of White Sands Sport. After an awkward dinner together, Laura and Ben went stargazing and spoke of Charlie and the draw of space. Laura hints at loving Ben, but doesn’t say it outright. Charlie left the next day, but left Ben some of his possessions. He knows he hasn’t got much time in this universe, but he goes back to Mars anyways. \nWith several job options to choose from, Ben decides to stay at Mickey’s house for the timebeing. He stays for 40 days and nights, spending much of his time with Laura. He asked Laura to marry him, but she says she’d only marry him if he were a teacher, not a spaceman. Ben was faced with a serious conundrum. The next day he received word that Charlges Taggart died of lung-rot, and Ben broke down. Ben sifted through Charlie’s possessions and decided to take on a the teaching gig for Dawson. However, after looking through the box again, he found a wedding ring. Seeing himself in Charlie, Ben decided to fly to the stone cafe on Mars called the Space Rat where Stardust Charlie said he’d be waiting for him.",
"Nearly the entire story is a recollection of the narrator, Ben, as he writes a letter to his love, Laura, who he is leaving behind for his dreams of becoming a spaceman.\nIn June of 1995, Ben and Mickey are sitting together during their graduation ceremony from the first class of the U. S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight, looking at out at the audience for their guests. Mickey is cheerful and generally accepts the world with a smile. Ben’s invited guest, Charlie Taggart, is a pioneering spaceman of 25 years who he thinks of as a parental figure since his parents died in a strato-jet crash when he was four. Ben and Mickey both spot their guests, and there is a contrasting moment between Ben’s orphaned upbringing and Mickey’s family.\nCharlie looks different from the other guests, with scars on his face, and a missing button on his suit - known for doing things his own way. Charlie is a veteran of the explorer Everson's first trip to the Moon, and he had spent his life in space. Mickey introduces Ben to his sister, Laura, after the ceremony. Since Mickey has invited Ben to spend the weekend with them, Laura goes a step further to also invite Charlie, which they both accept. Charlie leaves after one night, gifting Ben a tin box of “souvenirs” from his life, foreshadowing his imminent passing.\nAlthough Ben and Mickey both graduated from the school of interplanetary flight, they have both been offered terrestrial jobs. Ben was offered a job teaching Astrogation at the Academy by Dean Dawson. No doubt very prestigious, but Ben dreams of being the first to visit new planets with Mickey. Mickey awkwardly reveals he had a change of heart, citing that spacemen have short lives because of the demands and danger. Mickey was offered a Cargo Supervisor role at the White Sands Port that he accepted because he will “live a lot longer” there.\nBen is deeply uncertain about his future, accepting Mickey’s offer to stay until he figures it out. During the forty days and forty nights he spends with them he falls in love with Laura and contemplates a family life on Earth with her - even proposing marriage to her - but his desire to be a spaceman remains a barrier to them being together. After Ben learns of Charlie’s death (at “home” on Mars), he remembers the box Charlie gave him. At first he thinks it’s pitiful that there are trinkets in place of the family Charlie might have had on Earth, and makes a decision to take the teaching job and remain on Earth in a safe life with Laura. \nProcessing the contents of the box further, seeing a wedding ring Charlie left for the marriage he couldn’t have due to his life in space, Ben is inspired to again chase his dream in space. He leaves behind the wedding ring and a note (the story) for Laura to find in the morning when he is gone.",
"This story is a letter from Ben to Laura, and starts with Ben's retelling of his graduation day from the U.S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight, with inspiring quotes from the guest speaker about how important spacemen are to society. Ben and his friend Mickey looked around for the one person Ben had invited: Charlie Taggart, aka \"Spaceman Charlie\". They spotted him, and Ben was relieved; the three of them went out afterwards to celebrate along with Mickey's sister, Laura. Ben explained that he'd been offered a teaching job at The Academy but wanted to join an exploratory crew. After getting to the helicopter, Ben eventually met Laura and Charlie's parents--simple people who were happy to live on Earth and not be going anywhere any time soon. Charlie did his best to interact with these new people, even though he told some disturbing stories. Laura and Ben headed to the terrace to look for rockets and talked about Charlie; Laura had a lot of questions about his past. They shared a quiet moment, appreciating each other, before Laura made a comment about the desire to go to the stars might be a disappointment: if they weren't what they seemed, maybe they would never be enough. She asked Ben if he really wanted to give up everything he could have, making Ben sad. The next morning, Charlie returned to work and left a box of belongings with Ben; it was only then when Ben became worried about the coughing he'd noticed over the past day, and his glassy eyes and stiff movements. Before they could talk, Charlie was gone. Later, in Mickey's room, Ben reflected on how his childhood was different from that of other children, after his parents died in a rocket crash. It was after this that he realized he wasn't sure if he wanted to stay or to go, and agreed to stay with Mickey's family until he made a decision about what to do. He spent most of the time with Laura, and after forty days of this he proposed to her, prompting her to ask what he wanted to do for his job. She didn't want to marry someone who would be absent, or someone in such a dangerous profession, but would feel better if he stayed and worked as a teacher, because she loved him too. It was the next day that Ben got the news that Charlie had died from lung-rot. Shocked, he looked through the box of belongings that Charlie had left him, and after seeing what little Charlie had left behind in terms of meaningful connections, he called The Academy to accept the teaching job. In the end, though, Ben recognized that he would never be happy without trying to explore the stars, so he tells Laura he will not be around when she wakes up because he has to see what's out there, and takes Laura's wedding ring and that of Charlie's wife with him, as mementos."
] | [1] Spacemen Die at Home By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by THORNE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction October 1951.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] One man's retreat is another's prison ... and it takes a heap of flying to make a hulk a home!
[4] Forty days of heaven and forty nights of hell.
[5] That's the way it's been, Laura.
[6] But how can I make you understand?
[7] How can I tell you what it's like to be young and a man and to dream of reaching the stars?
[8] And yet, at the same time, to be filled with a terrible, gnawing fear—a fear locked in my mind during the day and bursting out like an evil jack-in-the-box at night.
[9] I must tell you, Laura.
[10] Perhaps if I start at the beginning, the very beginning....
[11] It was the Big Day.
[12] All the examinations, the physicals and psychos, were over.
[13] The Academy, with its great halls and classrooms and laboratories, lay hollow and silent, an exhausted thing at sleep after spawning its first-born.
[14] For it was June in this year of 1995, and we were the graduating class of the U. S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight.
[15] The first graduating class, Laura.
[16] That's why it was so important, because we were the first .
[17] We sat on a little platform, twenty-five of us.
[18] Below us was a beach of faces, most of them strange, shining like pebbles in the warm New Mexican sunlight.
[19] They were the faces of mothers and fathers and grandparents and kid brothers and sisters—the people who a short time ago had been only scrawled names on letters from home or words spoken wistfully at Christmas.
[20] They were the memory-people who, to me, had never really existed.
[21] But today they had become real, and they were here and looking at us with pride in their eyes.
[22] A voice was speaking, deep, sure, resonant.
[23] "... these boys have worked hard for six years, and now they're going to do a lot of big things.
[24] They're going to bring us the metals and minerals that we desperately need.
[25] They're going to find new land for our colonists, good rich land that will bear food and be a home for our children.
[26] And perhaps most important of all, they'll make other men think of the stars and look up at them and feel humility—for mankind needs humility."
[27] The speaker was Robert Chandler, who'd brought the first rocket down on Mars just five years ago, who'd established the first colony there, and who had just returned from his second hop to Venus.
[28] Instead of listening to his words, I was staring at his broad shoulders and his dark, crew-cut hair and his white uniform which was silk-smooth and skin-tight.
[29] I was worshiping him and hating him at the same time, for I was thinking: He's already reached Mars and Venus.
[30] Let him leave Jupiter and the others alone!
[31] Let us be the first to land somewhere!
[32] Let us be the first!
[33] Mickey Cameron, sitting next to me, dug an elbow into my ribs.
[34] "I don't see 'em, Ben," he whispered.
[35] "Where do you suppose they are?"
[36] I blinked.
[37] "Who?"
[38] "My folks."
[39] That was something I didn't have to worry about.
[40] My parents had died in a strato-jet crash when I was four, so I hadn't needed many of those "You are cordially invited" cards.
[41] Just one, which I'd sent to Charlie Taggart.
[42] Stardust Charlie, we called him, although I never knew why.
[43] He was a veteran of Everson's first trip to the Moon nearly twenty-five years ago, and he was still at it.
[44] He was Chief Jetman now on the Lunar Lady , a commercial ore ship on a shuttle between Luna City and White Sands.
[45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
[46] And I remembered, too, how his recommendation had finally made me a cadet.
[47] My gaze wandered over the faces, but I couldn't find Charlie's.
[48] It wasn't surprising.
[49] The Lunar Lady was in White Sands now, but liberties, as Charlie said, were as scarce as water on Mars.
[50] It doesn't matter , I told myself.
[51] Then Mickey stiffened.
[52] "I see 'em, Ben!
[53] There in the fifth row!"
[54] Usually Mickey was the same whether in a furnace-hot engine room or a garden party, smiling, accepting whatever the world offered.
[55] But now a tenseness and an excitement had gripped even him.
[56] I was grateful that he was beside me; we'd been a good team during those final months at the Academy and I knew we'd be a good team in space.
[57] The Universe was mighty big, but with two of us to face it together, it would be only half as big.
[58] And then it seemed that all the proud faces were looking at us as if we were gods.
[59] A shiver went through my body.
[60] Though it was daytime, I saw the stars in my mind's vision, the great shining balls of silver, each like a voice crying out and pleading to be explored, to be touched by the sons of Earth.
[61] They expect a lot from us.
[62] They expect us to make a new kind of civilization and a better place out of Earth.
[63] They expect all this and a hell of a lot more.
[64] They think there's nothing we can't do.
[65] I felt very small and very humble.
[66] I was scared.
[67] Damned scared.
[68] At last it was over, and the proud faces descended upon us in a huge, babbling wave.
[69] Then I saw him.
[70] Good old Stardust Charlie.
[71] His wizened little body was shuffling down an aisle, his eyes shining like a child's.
[72] He'd been sandwiched, evidently, in one of the rear rows.
[73] But he wasn't the Charlie I'd seen a year ago.
[74] He'd become gaunt and old, and he walked with an unnatural stiffness.
[75] He looked so old that it was hard to believe he'd once been young.
[76] He scratched his mop of steel-gray hair and grinned.
[77] "You made it, boy," he chortled, "and by Jupiter, we'll celebrate tonight.
[78] Yes, siree, I got twenty-four hours, and we'll celebrate as good spacemen should!"
[79] Then Mickey strode up to us.
[80] He was his normal, boyish self again, walking lightly, his blond, curly-haired skull swaying as if in rhythm with some silent melody.
[81] And you, Laura, were with him.
[82] "Meet the Brat," he said.
[83] "My sister Laura."
[84] I stared almost rudely.
[85] You were like a doll lost in the immensity of your fluffy pink dress.
[86] Your hair was long and transformed into a golden froth where sunlight touched it.
[87] But your eyes were the eyes of a woman, glowing like dark stars and reflecting a softness, a gentleness that I'd never seen in eyes before.
[88] "I'm happy to meet you, Ben," you said.
[89] "I've heard of no one else for the past year."
[90] A tide of heat crept up from my collar.
[91] I stuttered through an introduction of Charlie.
[92] You and Mickey looked strangely at Charlie, and I realized that old Stardust was not a cadet's notion of the ideal spaceman.
[93] Charlie scorned the skin-tight uniforms of the government service and wore a shiny black suit that was a relic of Everson's early-day Moon Patrol.
[94] His tie was clumsily knotted, and a button on his coat was missing.
[95] And the left side of his face was streaked with dark scar tissue, the result of an atomic blowup on one of the old Moon ships.
[96] I was so accustomed to the scars, I was seldom aware of them; but others, I knew, would find them ugly.
[97] You were kind.
[98] You shook hands and said, softly: "It's a privilege to meet you, Charlie.
[99] Just think—one of Everson's men, one of the first to reach the Moon!"
[100] Charlie gulped helplessly, and Mickey said: "Still going to spend the weekend with us, aren't you, Ben?"
[101] I shook my head.
[102] "Charlie has only twenty-four hours liberty.
[103] We're planning to see the town tonight."
[104] "Why don't you both come with us?"
[105] you asked.
[106] "Our folks have their own plane, so it would be no problem.
[107] And we've got a big guest room.
[108] Charlie, wouldn't you like a home-cooked meal before going back to the Moon?"
[109] Charlie's answer was obscured by a sudden burst of coughing.
[110] I knew that he'd infinitely prefer to spend his liberty sampling Martian fizzes and Plutonian zombies.
[111] But this night seemed too sacred for Charlie's kind of celebration.
[112] "We'd really like to come," I said.
[113] On our way to the 'copter parking field, Dean Dawson passed us.
[114] He was a tall, willowy man, spectacled, looking the way an academy professor should look.
[115] "Ben," he called, "don't forget that offer.
[116] Remember you've got two months to decide."
[117] "No, thanks," I answered.
[118] "Better not count on me."
[119] A moment later Mickey said, frowning, "What was he talking about, Ben?
[120] Did he make you an offer?"
[121] I laughed.
[122] "He offered me a job here at the Academy teaching astrogation.
[123] What a life that would be!
[124] Imagine standing in a classroom for forty years when I've got the chance to—" I hesitated, and you supplied the right words: "When you've got the chance to be the first to reach a new planet.
[125] That's what most of you want, isn't it?
[126] That's what Mickey used to want."
[127] I looked at you as if you were Everson himself, because you seemed to understand the hunger that could lie in a man's heart.
[128] Then your last words came back and jabbed me: "That's what Mickey used to want."
[129] " Used to want?"
[130] I asked.
[131] "What do you mean?"
[132] You bit your lip, not answering.
[133] "What did she mean, Mickey?"
[134] Mickey looked down at his feet.
[135] "I didn't want to tell you yet, Ben.
[136] We've been together a long time, planning to be on a rocket.
[137] But—" "Yes?"
[138] "Well, what does it add up to?
[139] You become a spaceman and wear a pretty uniform.
[140] You wade through the sands of Mars and the dust of Venus.
[141] If you're lucky, you're good for five, maybe ten years.
[142] Then one thing or another gets you.
[143] They don't insure rocketmen, you know."
[144] My stomach was full of churning, biting ice.
[145] "What are you trying to say, Mickey?"
[146] "I've thought about it a long time.
[147] They want me for Cargo Supervisor of White Sands Port."
[148] He raised his hand to stop me.
[149] "I know.
[150] It's not so exciting.
[151] I'll just live a lot longer.
[152] I'm sorry, Ben."
[153] I couldn't answer.
[154] It was as if someone had whacked the back of my knees with the blast of a jet.
[155] "It doesn't change anything, Ben—right now, I mean.
[156] We can still have a good weekend."
[157] Charlie was muttering under his breath, smoldering like a bomb about to reach critical mass.
[158] I shook my head dazedly at him as we got to the 'copter.
[159] "Sure," I said to Mickey, "we can still have a good weekend."
[160] I liked your folks, Laura.
[161] There was no star-hunger in them, of course.
[162] They were simple and solid and settled, like green growing things, deep-rooted, belonging to Earth.
[163] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
[164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
[165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
[166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
[167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
[168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
[169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
[170] That was when your father said he wasn't so hungry after all.
[171] Afterward, you and I walked onto the terrace, into the moonlit night, to watch for crimson-tailed continental rockets that occasionally streaked up from White Sands.
[172] We gazed for a few seconds up into the dark sky, and then you said: "Charlie is funny, isn't he?
[173] He's nice and I'm glad he's here, but he's sort of funny."
[174] "He's an old-time spaceman.
[175] You didn't need much education in those days, just a lot of brawn and a quick mind.
[176] It took guts to be a spaceman then."
[177] "But he wasn't always a spaceman.
[178] Didn't he ever have a family?"
[179] I smiled and shook my head.
[180] "If he had, he never mentioned it.
[181] Charlie doesn't like to be sentimental, at least not on the outside.
[182] As far as I know, his life began when he took off for the Moon with Everson."
[183] You stared at me strangely, almost in a sacred kind of way.
[184] I knew suddenly that you liked me, and my heart began to beat faster.
[185] There was silence.
[186] You were lovely, your soft hair like strands of gold, and there were flecks of silver in your dark eyes.
[187] Somehow I was afraid.
[188] I had the feeling that I shouldn't have come here.
[189] You kept looking at me until I had to ask: "What are you thinking, Laura?"
[190] You laughed, but it was a sad, fearful laugh.
[191] "No, I shouldn't be thinking it.
[192] You'd hate me if I told you, and I wouldn't want that."
[193] "I could never hate you."
[194] "It—it's about the stars," you said very softly.
[195] "I understand why you want to go to them.
[196] Mickey and I used to dream about them when we were kids.
[197] Of course I was a girl, so it was just a game to me.
[198] But once I dreamed of going to England.
[199] Oh, it was going to be so wonderful.
[200] I lived for months, just thinking about it.
[201] "One summer we went.
[202] I had fun.
[203] I saw the old buildings and castles, and the spaceports and the Channel Tube.
[204] But after it was over, I realized England wasn't so different from America.
[205] Places seem exciting before you get to them, and afterward they're not really."
[206] I frowned.
[207] "And you mean it might be the same with the stars?
[208] You think maybe I haven't grown up yet?"
[209] Anxiety darkened your features.
[210] "No, it'd be good to be a spaceman, to see the strange places and make history.
[211] But is it worth it?
[212] Is it worth the things you'd have to give up?"
[213] I didn't understand at first, and I wanted to ask, "Give up what ?"
[214] Then I looked at you and the promise in your eyes, and I knew.
[215] All through the years I'd been walking down a single, narrow path.
[216] Government boarding school, the Academy, my eyes always upward and on the stars.
[217] Now I'd stumbled into a cross-roads, beholding a strange new path that I'd never noticed before.
[218] You can go into space , I thought, and try to do as much living in ten years as normal men do in fifty.
[219] You can be like Everson, who died in a Moon crash at the age of 36, or like a thousand others who lie buried in Martian sand and Venusian dust.
[220] Or, if you're lucky, like Charlie—a kind of human meteor streaking through space, eternally alone, never finding a home.
[221] Or there's the other path.
[222] To stay on this little prison of an Earth in cool, comfortable houses.
[223] To be one of the solid, rooted people with a wife and kids.
[224] To be one of the people who live long enough to grow old, who awake to the song of birds instead of rocket grumblings, who fill their lungs with the clean rich air of Earth instead of poisonous dust.
[225] "I'm sorry," you said.
[226] "I didn't mean to make you sad, Ben."
[227] "It's all right," I said, clenching my fists.
[228] "You made sense—a lot of sense."
[229] The next morning Charlie said good-bye in our room.
[230] He rubbed his scarred face nervously as he cleared his throat with a series of thin, tight coughs.
[231] Then he pointed to a brown, faded tin box lying on the bed.
[232] "I'm leavin' that for you.
[233] It's full of old stuff, souvenirs mostly.
[234] Thought maybe you'd like to have 'em."
[235] I scowled, not understanding.
[236] "Why, Charlie?
[237] What for?"
[238] He shrugged as if afraid he might be accused of sentimentality.
[239] "Oh, it's just that I've been dodgin' meteors now for twenty-five years.
[240] That's a long time, boy.
[241] Ain't one spaceman in a thousand that lucky.
[242] Some of these days, I won't be so lucky."
[243] I tried to laugh.
[244] "You're good for another twenty-five years, Charlie."
[245] He shook his head stiffly, staring at nothing.
[246] "Maybe.
[247] Anyway, I'm gonna get off the Shuttle this time, make one more trip to Mars.
[248] Tell you what.
[249] There's a little stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[250] When you get to Mars, take a look inside.
[251] I'll probably be there."
[252] He coughed again, a deep, rasping cough that filled his eyes with tears.
[253] "Not used to this Earth air," he muttered.
[254] "What I need's some Martian climate."
[255] Suddenly that cough frightened me.
[256] It didn't seem normal.
[257] I wondered, too, about his stiff movements and glassy stare.
[258] It was as if he were drugged.
[259] I shook the thought away.
[260] If Charlie was sick, he wouldn't talk about going to Mars.
[261] The medics wouldn't let him go even as far as Luna.
[262] We watched him leave, you and Mickey and I.
[263] "When will you be back?"
[264] you asked.
[265] Charlie's hard face contorted itself into a gargoylish grin.
[266] "Maybe a couple of months, maybe a couple of years.
[267] You know spacemen."
[268] Then he waved and strode away, a strange, gray, withered gnome of a man.
[269] I wanted him to say something, to tell me the secret that would kill the doubt worming through my brain.
[270] But he rounded a corner, still grinning and waving, and then he was gone.
[271] That afternoon Mickey showed me his room.
[272] It was more like a boy's room than a spaceman's.
[273] In it were all the little things that kids treasure—pennants, models of Everson's two ships, a tennis trophy, books, a home-made video.
[274] I began to realize how important a room like this could be to a boy.
[275] I could imagine, too, the happiness that parents felt as they watched their children grow to adulthood.
[276] I'd missed something.
[277] My folks were shadow-people, my impressions of them drawn half from ancient photos, half from imagination.
[278] For me, it had been a cold, automatic kind of life, the life of dormitories and routines and rules.
[279] I'd been so blinded by the brilliancy of my dreams, I hadn't realized I was different.
[280] My folks were killed in a rocket crash.
[281] If it weren't for rockets, I'd have lived the kind of life a kid should live.
[282] Mickey noticed my frown.
[283] "What's the matter, Ben?
[284] Still sore?
[285] I feel like a heel, but I'm just not like you and Charlie, I guess.
[286] I—" "No, I understand, Mickey.
[287] I'm not sore, really."
[288] "Listen, then.
[289] You haven't accepted any offer yet, have you?"
[290] "No.
[291] I got a couple of possibilities.
[292] Could get a berth on the Odyssey , the new ship being finished at Los Angeles.
[293] They want me, too, for the Moon Patrol, but that's old stuff, not much better than teaching.
[294] I want to be in deep space."
[295] "Well, how about staying with us till you decide?
[296] Might as well enjoy Earth life while you can.
[297] Okay?"
[298] I felt like running from the house, to forget that it existed.
[299] I wanted someone to tell me one of the old stories about space, a tale of courage that would put fuel on dying dreams.
[300] But I wanted, also, to be with you, Laura, to see your smile and the flecks of silver in your eyes and the way your nose turned upward ever so slightly when you laughed.
[301] You see, I loved you already, almost as much as I loved the stars.
[302] And I said, slowly, my voice sounding unfamiliar and far away, "Sure, I'll stay, Mickey.
[303] Sure."
[304] Forty days of joy, forty nights of fear and indecision.
[305] We did all the little things, like watching the rockets land at White Sands and flying down to the Gulf to swim in cool waters.
[306] You tried, unsuccessfully, to teach me to dance, and we talked about Everson and Charlie and the Moon and the stars.
[307] You felt you had to give the stars all the beauty and promise of a child's dream, because you knew that was what I wanted.
[308] One morning I thought, Why must I make a choice?
[309] Why can't I have both you and the stars?
[310] Would that be asking too much?
[311] All day the thought lay in my mind like fire.
[312] That evening I asked you to marry me.
[313] I said it very simply: "Laura, I want you to be my wife."
[314] You looked up at Venus, and you were silent for a long while, your face flushed.
[315] Then you murmured, "I—I want to marry you, Ben, but are you asking me to marry a spaceman or a teacher?"
[316] "Can't a spaceman marry, too?"
[317] "Yes, a spaceman can marry, but what would it be like?
[318] Don't you see, Ben?
[319] You'd be like Charlie.
[320] Gone for maybe two months, maybe two years.
[321] Then you'd have a twenty-four hour liberty—and I'd have what?"
[322] Somehow I'd expected words like these, but still they hurt.
[323] "I wouldn't have to be a spaceman forever.
[324] I could try it for a couple of years, then teach."
[325] "Would you, Ben?
[326] Would you be satisfied with just seeing Mars?
[327] Wouldn't you want to go on to Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and on and on?"
[328] Your voice was choked, and even in the semi-darkness I saw tears glittering in your eyes.
[329] "Do you think I'd dare have children, Ben?
[330] Mickey told me what happened on the Cyclops .
[331] There was a leak in the atomic engines.
[332] The ship was flooded with radiation—just for a second.
[333] It didn't seem serious.
[334] The men had no burns.
[335] But a year later the captain had a child.
[336] And it was—" "I know, Laura.
[337] Don't say it."
[338] You had to finish.
[339] "It was a monster."
[340] That night I lay awake, the fears and doubts too frantic to let me sleep.
[341] You've got to decide now , I told myself.
[342] You can't stay here.
[343] You've got to make a choice.
[344] The teaching job was still open.
[345] The spot on the Odyssey was still open—and the big ship, it was rumored, was equipped to make it all the way to Pluto.
[346] You can take Dean Dawson's job and stay with Laura and have kids and a home and live to see what happens in this world sixty years from now.
[347] Or you can see what's on the other side of the mountain.
[348] You can be a line in a history book.
[349] I cursed.
[350] I knew what Charlie would say.
[351] He'd say, "Get the hell out of there, boy.
[352] Don't let a fool woman make a sucker out of you.
[353] Get out there on the Odyssey where you belong.
[354] We got a date on Mars, remember?
[355] At the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal."
[356] That's what he'd say.
[357] And yet I wanted you, Laura.
[358] I wanted to be with you, always.
[359] "Oh God," I moaned, "what shall I do?"
[360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
[361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
[362] I pressed the stud on the little gray cylinder, and a rasping, automatic voice droned: "Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
[363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman...." Then there was a Latin name which was more polite than the word "lung-rot" and the metallic phrase, "This message brought to you by courtesy of United Nations Earth-Luna Communication Corps."
[364] I stood staring at the cylinder.
[365] Charles Taggart was dead.
[366] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
[367] Stardust Charlie.
[368] My heart thudded crazily against my chest.
[369] It couldn't be!
[370] Not Charlie!
[371] The audiogram had lied!
[372] I pressed the stud again.
[373] "... regret to inform you of death of Charles ..." I hurled the cylinder at the wall.
[374] It thudded, fell, rolled.
[375] The broken voice droned on.
[376] You ran to it, shut it off.
[377] "I'm sorry, Ben, so terribly—" Without answering, I walked into my room.
[378] I knew it was true now.
[379] I remembered Charlie's coughing, his gaunt features, his drugged gaze.
[380] The metallic words had told the truth.
[381] I sat for a long time on my bed, crying inside, but staring dry-eyed at Charlie's faded tin box.
[382] Then, finally, I fingered his meager possessions—a few wrinkled photos, some letters, a small black statue of a forgotten Martian god, a gold service medal from the Moon Patrol.
[383] This was what remained of Charlie after twenty-five years in space.
[384] It was a bitter bargain.
[385] A statue instead of a wife, yellowed letters instead of children, a medal instead of a home.
[386] It'd be a great future , I thought.
[387] You'd dream of sitting in a dingy stone dive on the Grand Canal with sand-wasps buzzing around smoky, stinking candles.
[388] A bottle of luchu juice and a couple of Martian girls with dirty feet for company.
[389] And a sudden cough that would be the first sign of lung-rot.
[390] To hell with it!
[391] I walked into your living room and called Dean Dawson on the visiphone.
[392] I accepted that job teaching.
[393] And now, Laura, it's nearly midnight.
[394] You're in your room, sleeping, and the house is silent.
[395] It's hard to tell you, to make you understand, and that is why I am writing this.
[396] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
[397] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
[398] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
[399] A wedding ring.
[400] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
[401] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
[402] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
[403] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
[404] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
[405] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
[406] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
[407] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
[408] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
[409] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
[410] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
[411] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
[412] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
[413] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
[414] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
[415] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
[416] You say that the beauty of the other side of the mountain vanishes after you reach it.
[417] But how can one ever be sure until the journey is made?
[418] Could I or Charlie or the thousand before us bear to look upon a star and think, I might have gone there; I could have been the first ?
[419] We said, too, that the life of a spaceman is lonely.
[420] Yet how could one be lonely when men like Charlie roam the spaceways?
[421] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
[422] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
[423] It might have seemed an ugly kind of celebration to you, but he wanted it with all his heart, and we robbed him of it.
[424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
[425] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
[426] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach.
[428] And so will you, Laura.
[429] I have two wedding rings with me—his wife's ring and yours. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [425] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
2. [304] Forty days of joy, forty nights of fear and indecision.
3. [311] All day the thought lay in my mind like fire.
4. [312] That evening I asked you to marry me.
5. [340] That night I lay awake, the fears and doubts too frantic to let me sleep.
6. [341] You've got to decide now , I told myself.
7. [342] You can't stay here.
8. [343] You've got to make a choice.
9. [360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
10. [361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
11. [362] It was Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
12. [363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman....
13. [364] Charles Taggart was dead.
14. [365] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
15. [366] Stardust Charlie.
16. [390] To hell with it!
17. [391] I walked into your living room and called Dean Dawson on the visiphone.
18. [392] I accepted that job teaching.
19. [393] And now, Laura, it's nearly midnight.
20. [394] You're in your room, sleeping, and the house is silent.
21. [395] It's hard to tell you, to make you understand, and that is why I am writing this.
22. [396] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
23. [397] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
24. [398] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
25. [399] A wedding ring.
26. [400] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
27. [401] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
28. [402] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
29. [403] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
30. [404] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
31. [405] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
32. [406] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
33. [407] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
34. [408] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
35. [409] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
36. [410] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
37. [411] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
38. [412] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
39. [413] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
40. [414] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
41. [415] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
42. [416] You say that the beauty of the other side of the mountain vanishes after you reach it.
43. [417] But how can one ever be sure until the journey is made?
44. [418] Could I or Charlie or the thousand before us bear to look upon a star and think, I might have gone there; I could have been the first ?
45. [419] We said, too, that the life of a spaceman is lonely.
46. [420] Yet how could one be lonely when men like Charlie roam the spaceways?
47. [421] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
48. [422] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
49. [423] It might have seemed an ugly kind of celebration to you, but he wanted it with all his heart, and we robbed him of it.
50. [424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
51. [426] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
52. [427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach.
53. [428] And so will you, Laura.
54. [429] I have two wedding rings with me—his wife's ring and yours.
55. [1] Spacemen Die at Home By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by THORNE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction October 1951.]
56. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
57. [3] One man's retreat is another's prison ... and it takes a heap of flying to make a hulk a home!
58. [4] Forty days of heaven and forty nights of hell.
59. [5] That's the way it's been, Laura.
60. [6] But how can I make you understand?
61. [7] How can I tell you what it's like to be young and a man and to dream of reaching the stars?
62. [8] And yet, at the same time, to be filled with a terrible, gnawing fear—a fear locked in my mind during the day and bursting out like an evil jack-in-the-box at night.
63. [9] I must tell you, Laura.
64. [10] Perhaps if I start at the beginning, the very beginning....
65. [11] It was the Big Day.
66. [12] All the examinations, the physicals and psychos, were over.
67. [13] The Academy, with its great halls and classrooms and laboratories, lay hollow and silent, an exhausted thing at sleep after spawning its first-born.
68. [14] For it was June in this year of 1995, and we were the graduating class of the U. S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight.
69. [15] The first graduating class, Laura.
70. [16] That's why it was so important, because we were the first .
71. [17] We sat on a little platform, twenty-five of us.
72. [18] Below us was a beach of faces, most of them strange, shining like pebbles in the warm New Mexican sunlight.
73. [19] They were the faces of mothers and fathers and grandparents and kid brothers and sisters—the people who a short time ago had been only scrawled names on letters from home or words spoken wistfully at Christmas.
74. [20] They were the memory-people who, to me, had never really existed.
75. [21] But today they had become real, and they were here and looking at us with pride in their eyes.
76. [22] A voice was speaking, deep, sure, resonant.
77. [23] "... these boys have worked hard for six years, and now they're going to do a lot of big things.
78. [24] They're going to bring us the metals and minerals that we desperately need.
79. [25] They're going to find new land for our colonists, good rich land that will bear food and be a home for our children.
80. [26] And perhaps most important of all, they'll make other men think of the stars and look up at them and feel humility—for mankind needs humility."
81. [27] The speaker was Robert Chandler, who'd brought the first rocket down on Mars just five years ago, who'd established the first colony there, and who had just returned from his second hop to Venus.
82. [28] Instead of listening to his words, I was staring at his broad shoulders and his dark, crew-cut hair and his white uniform which was silk-smooth and skin-tight.
83. [29] I was worshiping him and hating him at the same time, for I was thinking: He's already reached Mars and Venus.
84. [30] Let him leave Jupiter and the others alone!
85. [31] Let us be the first to land somewhere!
86. [32] Let us be the first!
87. [33] Mickey Cameron, sitting next to me, dug an elbow into my ribs.
88. [34] "I don't see 'em, Ben," he whispered.
89. [35] "Where do you suppose they are?"
90. [36] I blinked.
91. [37] "Who?"
92. [38] "My folks."
93. [39] That was something I didn't have to worry about.
94. [40] My parents had died in a strato-jet crash when I was four, so I hadn't needed many of those "You are cordially invited" cards.
95. [41] Just one, which I'd sent to Charlie Taggart.
96. [42] Stardust Charlie, we called him, although I never knew why.
97. [43] He was a veteran of Everson's first trip to the Moon nearly twenty-five years ago, and he was still at it.
98. [44] He was Chief Jetman now on the Lunar Lady , a commercial ore ship on a shuttle between Luna City and White Sands.
99. [45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
100. [46] And I remembered, too, how his recommendation had finally made me a cadet.
101. [47] My gaze wandered over the faces, but I couldn't find Charlie's.
102. [48] It wasn't surprising.
103. [49] The Lunar Lady was in White Sands now, but liberties, as Charlie said, were as scarce as water on Mars.
104. [50] It doesn't matter , I told myself.
105. [51] Then Mickey stiffened.
106. [52] "I see 'em, Ben!
107. [53] There in the fifth row!"
108. [54] Usually Mickey was the same whether in a furnace-hot engine room or a garden party, smiling, accepting whatever the world offered.
109. [55] But now a tenseness and an excitement had gripped even him.
110. [56] I was grateful that he was beside me; we'd been a good team during those final months at the Academy and I knew we'd be a good team in space.
111. [57] The Universe was mighty big, but with two of us to face it together, it would be only half as big.
112. [58] And then it seemed that all the proud faces were looking at us as if we were gods.
113. [59] A shiver went through my body.
114. [60] Though it was daytime, I saw the stars in my mind's vision, the great shining balls of silver, each like a voice crying out and pleading to be explored, to be touched by the sons of Earth.
115. [61] They expect a lot from us.
116. [62] They expect us to make a new kind of civilization and a better place out of Earth.
117. [63] They expect all this and a hell of a lot more.
118. [64] They think there's nothing we can't do.
119. [65] I felt very small and very humble.
120. [66] I was scared.
121. [67] Damned scared.
122. [68] At last it was over, and the proud faces descended upon us in a huge, babbling wave.
123. [69] Then I saw him.
124. [70] Good old Stardust Charlie.
125. [71] His wizened little body was shuffling down an aisle, his eyes shining like a child's.
126. [72] He'd been sandwiched, evidently, in one of the rear rows.
127. [73] But he wasn't the Charlie I'd seen a year ago.
128. [74] He'd become gaunt and old, and he walked with an unnatural stiffness.
129. [75] He looked so old that it was hard to believe he'd once been young.
130. [76] He scratched his mop of steel-gray hair and grinned.
131. [77] "You made it, boy," he chortled, "and by Jupiter, we'll celebrate tonight.
132. [78] Yes, siree, I got twenty-four hours, and we'll celebrate as good spacemen should!"
133. [79] Then Mickey strode up to us.
134. [80] He was his normal, boyish self again, walking lightly, his blond, curly-haired skull swaying as if in rhythm with some silent melody.
135. [81] And you, Laura, were with him.
136. [82] "Meet the Brat," he said.
137. [83] "My sister Laura."
138. [84] I stared almost rudely.
139. [85] You were like a doll lost in the immensity of your fluffy pink dress.
140. [86] Your hair was long and transformed into a golden froth where sunlight touched it.
141. [87] But your eyes were the eyes of a woman, glowing like dark stars and reflecting a softness, a gentleness that I'd never seen in eyes before.
142. [88] "I'm happy to meet you, Ben," you said.
143. [89] "I've heard of no one else for the past year."
144. [90] A tide of heat crept up from my collar.
145. [91] I stuttered through an introduction of Charlie.
146. [92] You and Mickey looked strangely at Charlie, and I realized that old Stardust was not a cadet's notion of the ideal spaceman.
147. [93] Charlie scorned the skin-tight uniforms of the government service and wore a shiny black suit that was a relic of Everson's early-day Moon Patrol.
148. [94] His tie was clumsily knotted, and a button on his coat was missing.
149. [95] And the left side of his face was streaked with dark scar tissue, the result of an atomic blowup on one of the old Moon ships.
150. [96] I was so accustomed to the scars, I was seldom aware of them; but others, I knew, would find them ugly.
151. [97] You were kind.
152. [98] You shook hands and said, softly: "It's a privilege to meet you, Charlie.
153. [99] Just think—one of Everson's men, one of the first to reach the Moon!"
154. [100] Charlie gulped helplessly, and Mickey said: "Still going to spend the weekend with us, aren't you, Ben?"
155. [101] I shook my head.
156. [102] "Charlie has only twenty-four hours liberty.
157. [103] We're planning to see the town tonight."
158. [104] "Why don't you both come with us?"
159. [105] you asked.
160. [106] "Our folks have their own plane, so it would be no problem.
161. [107] And we've got a big guest room.
162. [108] Charlie, wouldn't you like a home-cooked meal before going back to the Moon?"
163. [109] Charlie's answer was obscured by a sudden burst of coughing.
164. [110] I knew that he'd infinitely prefer to spend his liberty sampling Martian fizzes and Plutonian zombies.
165. [111] But this night seemed too sacred for Charlie's kind of celebration.
166. [112] "We'd really like to come," I said.
167. [113] On our way to the 'copter parking field, Dean Dawson passed us.
168. [114] He was a tall, willowy man, spectacled, looking the way an academy professor should look.
169. [115] "Ben," he called, "don't forget that offer.
170. [116] Remember you've got two months to decide."
171. [117] "No, thanks," I answered.
172. [118] "Better not count on me."
173. [119] A moment later Mickey said, frowning, "What was he talking about, Ben?
174. [120] Did he make you an offer?"
175. [121] I laughed.
176. [122] "He offered me a job here at the Academy teaching astrogation.
177. [123] What a life that would be!
178. [124] Imagine standing in a classroom for forty years when I've got the chance to—" I hesitated, and you supplied the right words: "When you've got the chance |
What is peoples' perception of spacemen? | [
"Ben experiences a lot of anxiety at his graduation from the U.S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight because of the high expectations he perceives that the audience has of the 25 men who are graduating. The students have spent the last six years of their lives dedicating themselves to learning about minerals, metals, colonization, and space travel for the sake of helping the people on Earth. The class of 1995 is the first of its kind, and the family members and friends who attend the graduation understandably have very high hopes for the graduates. The graduation speaker is Robert Chandler, a spaceman who landed a rocket on Mars and created the first colony there. He has also traveled to Venus twice. For most laymen, accomplishing something as adventurous as landing on other planets is unthinkable, and the men graduating are the next in line to make such unthinkable journeys. \n\nBen looks out over the crowds of people and thinks to himself that these strangers are looking at him as if he’s some sort of god. He knows that they expect the world from him and his fellow graduates, and he worries that he won’t be able to deliver on such incredible promises.",
"Spacemen are highly valued and, in some ways, superior members of society. Only a very small group of people were selected to attend the U.S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight, which shows how selective and exclusive these members of society are. Although their work is valued and fawned over, those who work in space are often killed early on in their careers. The mortality rate is extremely high in this job and increases with every trip taken. With such a dangerous reputation, the family members of spacemen see the darker side of it: solitude, fear, and sadness.",
"Ben reflects on the pressures of being a spaceman during graduation, that there is a lot expected from them; such as making “a new kind of civilization and a better place out of Earth.” \nAs Ben and Mickey talk about their futures, Mickey reveals he is no longer going to become a spaceman because their lives are short. Mickey reveals for the first time in the story the dangers of the job, the exposure to uncertainty and hazards, and the demands it places on a human body.\nAlthough it is a high pressure, dangerous job, being a spaceman is romanticized through Ben’s childhood dream while he ultimately commits to see through at the end of the story. The allure of adventure in space and seeing the unknown for himself is a stronger draw than a safe life of certainty on Earth.",
"In the speech that Robert Chandler gave to the first graduating class of the U.S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight, he reminded the students that the six years of training would pay off for society, and that these spacemen would retrieve metals and minerals that the people of Earth needed, find new land, and inspire others, all of which were necessary things for the society. However, Ben and Mickey know it can be a dangerous profession: Mickey explains that on the more dangerous missions, where one is one of the first on a planet, you're lucky to live five to ten years. This is important because Laura has this knowledge when she talks to Ben about their possible future together. She knows that he could die, their children could be exposed to dangerous radiation, and he would likely always be looking for the next adventure instead of coming home to her. In general, the spacemen are appreciated for their services to the society but there is some understanding of the limitations on the types of meaningful personal connections they are able to make."
] | [1] Spacemen Die at Home By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by THORNE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction October 1951.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] One man's retreat is another's prison ... and it takes a heap of flying to make a hulk a home!
[4] Forty days of heaven and forty nights of hell.
[5] That's the way it's been, Laura.
[6] But how can I make you understand?
[7] How can I tell you what it's like to be young and a man and to dream of reaching the stars?
[8] And yet, at the same time, to be filled with a terrible, gnawing fear—a fear locked in my mind during the day and bursting out like an evil jack-in-the-box at night.
[9] I must tell you, Laura.
[10] Perhaps if I start at the beginning, the very beginning....
[11] It was the Big Day.
[12] All the examinations, the physicals and psychos, were over.
[13] The Academy, with its great halls and classrooms and laboratories, lay hollow and silent, an exhausted thing at sleep after spawning its first-born.
[14] For it was June in this year of 1995, and we were the graduating class of the U. S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight.
[15] The first graduating class, Laura.
[16] That's why it was so important, because we were the first .
[17] We sat on a little platform, twenty-five of us.
[18] Below us was a beach of faces, most of them strange, shining like pebbles in the warm New Mexican sunlight.
[19] They were the faces of mothers and fathers and grandparents and kid brothers and sisters—the people who a short time ago had been only scrawled names on letters from home or words spoken wistfully at Christmas.
[20] They were the memory-people who, to me, had never really existed.
[21] But today they had become real, and they were here and looking at us with pride in their eyes.
[22] A voice was speaking, deep, sure, resonant.
[23] "... these boys have worked hard for six years, and now they're going to do a lot of big things.
[24] They're going to bring us the metals and minerals that we desperately need.
[25] They're going to find new land for our colonists, good rich land that will bear food and be a home for our children.
[26] And perhaps most important of all, they'll make other men think of the stars and look up at them and feel humility—for mankind needs humility."
[27] The speaker was Robert Chandler, who'd brought the first rocket down on Mars just five years ago, who'd established the first colony there, and who had just returned from his second hop to Venus.
[28] Instead of listening to his words, I was staring at his broad shoulders and his dark, crew-cut hair and his white uniform which was silk-smooth and skin-tight.
[29] I was worshiping him and hating him at the same time, for I was thinking: He's already reached Mars and Venus.
[30] Let him leave Jupiter and the others alone!
[31] Let us be the first to land somewhere!
[32] Let us be the first!
[33] Mickey Cameron, sitting next to me, dug an elbow into my ribs.
[34] "I don't see 'em, Ben," he whispered.
[35] "Where do you suppose they are?"
[36] I blinked.
[37] "Who?"
[38] "My folks."
[39] That was something I didn't have to worry about.
[40] My parents had died in a strato-jet crash when I was four, so I hadn't needed many of those "You are cordially invited" cards.
[41] Just one, which I'd sent to Charlie Taggart.
[42] Stardust Charlie, we called him, although I never knew why.
[43] He was a veteran of Everson's first trip to the Moon nearly twenty-five years ago, and he was still at it.
[44] He was Chief Jetman now on the Lunar Lady , a commercial ore ship on a shuttle between Luna City and White Sands.
[45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
[46] And I remembered, too, how his recommendation had finally made me a cadet.
[47] My gaze wandered over the faces, but I couldn't find Charlie's.
[48] It wasn't surprising.
[49] The Lunar Lady was in White Sands now, but liberties, as Charlie said, were as scarce as water on Mars.
[50] It doesn't matter , I told myself.
[51] Then Mickey stiffened.
[52] "I see 'em, Ben!
[53] There in the fifth row!"
[54] Usually Mickey was the same whether in a furnace-hot engine room or a garden party, smiling, accepting whatever the world offered.
[55] But now a tenseness and an excitement had gripped even him.
[56] I was grateful that he was beside me; we'd been a good team during those final months at the Academy and I knew we'd be a good team in space.
[57] The Universe was mighty big, but with two of us to face it together, it would be only half as big.
[58] And then it seemed that all the proud faces were looking at us as if we were gods.
[59] A shiver went through my body.
[60] Though it was daytime, I saw the stars in my mind's vision, the great shining balls of silver, each like a voice crying out and pleading to be explored, to be touched by the sons of Earth.
[61] They expect a lot from us.
[62] They expect us to make a new kind of civilization and a better place out of Earth.
[63] They expect all this and a hell of a lot more.
[64] They think there's nothing we can't do.
[65] I felt very small and very humble.
[66] I was scared.
[67] Damned scared.
[68] At last it was over, and the proud faces descended upon us in a huge, babbling wave.
[69] Then I saw him.
[70] Good old Stardust Charlie.
[71] His wizened little body was shuffling down an aisle, his eyes shining like a child's.
[72] He'd been sandwiched, evidently, in one of the rear rows.
[73] But he wasn't the Charlie I'd seen a year ago.
[74] He'd become gaunt and old, and he walked with an unnatural stiffness.
[75] He looked so old that it was hard to believe he'd once been young.
[76] He scratched his mop of steel-gray hair and grinned.
[77] "You made it, boy," he chortled, "and by Jupiter, we'll celebrate tonight.
[78] Yes, siree, I got twenty-four hours, and we'll celebrate as good spacemen should!"
[79] Then Mickey strode up to us.
[80] He was his normal, boyish self again, walking lightly, his blond, curly-haired skull swaying as if in rhythm with some silent melody.
[81] And you, Laura, were with him.
[82] "Meet the Brat," he said.
[83] "My sister Laura."
[84] I stared almost rudely.
[85] You were like a doll lost in the immensity of your fluffy pink dress.
[86] Your hair was long and transformed into a golden froth where sunlight touched it.
[87] But your eyes were the eyes of a woman, glowing like dark stars and reflecting a softness, a gentleness that I'd never seen in eyes before.
[88] "I'm happy to meet you, Ben," you said.
[89] "I've heard of no one else for the past year."
[90] A tide of heat crept up from my collar.
[91] I stuttered through an introduction of Charlie.
[92] You and Mickey looked strangely at Charlie, and I realized that old Stardust was not a cadet's notion of the ideal spaceman.
[93] Charlie scorned the skin-tight uniforms of the government service and wore a shiny black suit that was a relic of Everson's early-day Moon Patrol.
[94] His tie was clumsily knotted, and a button on his coat was missing.
[95] And the left side of his face was streaked with dark scar tissue, the result of an atomic blowup on one of the old Moon ships.
[96] I was so accustomed to the scars, I was seldom aware of them; but others, I knew, would find them ugly.
[97] You were kind.
[98] You shook hands and said, softly: "It's a privilege to meet you, Charlie.
[99] Just think—one of Everson's men, one of the first to reach the Moon!"
[100] Charlie gulped helplessly, and Mickey said: "Still going to spend the weekend with us, aren't you, Ben?"
[101] I shook my head.
[102] "Charlie has only twenty-four hours liberty.
[103] We're planning to see the town tonight."
[104] "Why don't you both come with us?"
[105] you asked.
[106] "Our folks have their own plane, so it would be no problem.
[107] And we've got a big guest room.
[108] Charlie, wouldn't you like a home-cooked meal before going back to the Moon?"
[109] Charlie's answer was obscured by a sudden burst of coughing.
[110] I knew that he'd infinitely prefer to spend his liberty sampling Martian fizzes and Plutonian zombies.
[111] But this night seemed too sacred for Charlie's kind of celebration.
[112] "We'd really like to come," I said.
[113] On our way to the 'copter parking field, Dean Dawson passed us.
[114] He was a tall, willowy man, spectacled, looking the way an academy professor should look.
[115] "Ben," he called, "don't forget that offer.
[116] Remember you've got two months to decide."
[117] "No, thanks," I answered.
[118] "Better not count on me."
[119] A moment later Mickey said, frowning, "What was he talking about, Ben?
[120] Did he make you an offer?"
[121] I laughed.
[122] "He offered me a job here at the Academy teaching astrogation.
[123] What a life that would be!
[124] Imagine standing in a classroom for forty years when I've got the chance to—" I hesitated, and you supplied the right words: "When you've got the chance to be the first to reach a new planet.
[125] That's what most of you want, isn't it?
[126] That's what Mickey used to want."
[127] I looked at you as if you were Everson himself, because you seemed to understand the hunger that could lie in a man's heart.
[128] Then your last words came back and jabbed me: "That's what Mickey used to want."
[129] " Used to want?"
[130] I asked.
[131] "What do you mean?"
[132] You bit your lip, not answering.
[133] "What did she mean, Mickey?"
[134] Mickey looked down at his feet.
[135] "I didn't want to tell you yet, Ben.
[136] We've been together a long time, planning to be on a rocket.
[137] But—" "Yes?"
[138] "Well, what does it add up to?
[139] You become a spaceman and wear a pretty uniform.
[140] You wade through the sands of Mars and the dust of Venus.
[141] If you're lucky, you're good for five, maybe ten years.
[142] Then one thing or another gets you.
[143] They don't insure rocketmen, you know."
[144] My stomach was full of churning, biting ice.
[145] "What are you trying to say, Mickey?"
[146] "I've thought about it a long time.
[147] They want me for Cargo Supervisor of White Sands Port."
[148] He raised his hand to stop me.
[149] "I know.
[150] It's not so exciting.
[151] I'll just live a lot longer.
[152] I'm sorry, Ben."
[153] I couldn't answer.
[154] It was as if someone had whacked the back of my knees with the blast of a jet.
[155] "It doesn't change anything, Ben—right now, I mean.
[156] We can still have a good weekend."
[157] Charlie was muttering under his breath, smoldering like a bomb about to reach critical mass.
[158] I shook my head dazedly at him as we got to the 'copter.
[159] "Sure," I said to Mickey, "we can still have a good weekend."
[160] I liked your folks, Laura.
[161] There was no star-hunger in them, of course.
[162] They were simple and solid and settled, like green growing things, deep-rooted, belonging to Earth.
[163] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
[164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
[165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
[166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
[167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
[168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
[169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
[170] That was when your father said he wasn't so hungry after all.
[171] Afterward, you and I walked onto the terrace, into the moonlit night, to watch for crimson-tailed continental rockets that occasionally streaked up from White Sands.
[172] We gazed for a few seconds up into the dark sky, and then you said: "Charlie is funny, isn't he?
[173] He's nice and I'm glad he's here, but he's sort of funny."
[174] "He's an old-time spaceman.
[175] You didn't need much education in those days, just a lot of brawn and a quick mind.
[176] It took guts to be a spaceman then."
[177] "But he wasn't always a spaceman.
[178] Didn't he ever have a family?"
[179] I smiled and shook my head.
[180] "If he had, he never mentioned it.
[181] Charlie doesn't like to be sentimental, at least not on the outside.
[182] As far as I know, his life began when he took off for the Moon with Everson."
[183] You stared at me strangely, almost in a sacred kind of way.
[184] I knew suddenly that you liked me, and my heart began to beat faster.
[185] There was silence.
[186] You were lovely, your soft hair like strands of gold, and there were flecks of silver in your dark eyes.
[187] Somehow I was afraid.
[188] I had the feeling that I shouldn't have come here.
[189] You kept looking at me until I had to ask: "What are you thinking, Laura?"
[190] You laughed, but it was a sad, fearful laugh.
[191] "No, I shouldn't be thinking it.
[192] You'd hate me if I told you, and I wouldn't want that."
[193] "I could never hate you."
[194] "It—it's about the stars," you said very softly.
[195] "I understand why you want to go to them.
[196] Mickey and I used to dream about them when we were kids.
[197] Of course I was a girl, so it was just a game to me.
[198] But once I dreamed of going to England.
[199] Oh, it was going to be so wonderful.
[200] I lived for months, just thinking about it.
[201] "One summer we went.
[202] I had fun.
[203] I saw the old buildings and castles, and the spaceports and the Channel Tube.
[204] But after it was over, I realized England wasn't so different from America.
[205] Places seem exciting before you get to them, and afterward they're not really."
[206] I frowned.
[207] "And you mean it might be the same with the stars?
[208] You think maybe I haven't grown up yet?"
[209] Anxiety darkened your features.
[210] "No, it'd be good to be a spaceman, to see the strange places and make history.
[211] But is it worth it?
[212] Is it worth the things you'd have to give up?"
[213] I didn't understand at first, and I wanted to ask, "Give up what ?"
[214] Then I looked at you and the promise in your eyes, and I knew.
[215] All through the years I'd been walking down a single, narrow path.
[216] Government boarding school, the Academy, my eyes always upward and on the stars.
[217] Now I'd stumbled into a cross-roads, beholding a strange new path that I'd never noticed before.
[218] You can go into space , I thought, and try to do as much living in ten years as normal men do in fifty.
[219] You can be like Everson, who died in a Moon crash at the age of 36, or like a thousand others who lie buried in Martian sand and Venusian dust.
[220] Or, if you're lucky, like Charlie—a kind of human meteor streaking through space, eternally alone, never finding a home.
[221] Or there's the other path.
[222] To stay on this little prison of an Earth in cool, comfortable houses.
[223] To be one of the solid, rooted people with a wife and kids.
[224] To be one of the people who live long enough to grow old, who awake to the song of birds instead of rocket grumblings, who fill their lungs with the clean rich air of Earth instead of poisonous dust.
[225] "I'm sorry," you said.
[226] "I didn't mean to make you sad, Ben."
[227] "It's all right," I said, clenching my fists.
[228] "You made sense—a lot of sense."
[229] The next morning Charlie said good-bye in our room.
[230] He rubbed his scarred face nervously as he cleared his throat with a series of thin, tight coughs.
[231] Then he pointed to a brown, faded tin box lying on the bed.
[232] "I'm leavin' that for you.
[233] It's full of old stuff, souvenirs mostly.
[234] Thought maybe you'd like to have 'em."
[235] I scowled, not understanding.
[236] "Why, Charlie?
[237] What for?"
[238] He shrugged as if afraid he might be accused of sentimentality.
[239] "Oh, it's just that I've been dodgin' meteors now for twenty-five years.
[240] That's a long time, boy.
[241] Ain't one spaceman in a thousand that lucky.
[242] Some of these days, I won't be so lucky."
[243] I tried to laugh.
[244] "You're good for another twenty-five years, Charlie."
[245] He shook his head stiffly, staring at nothing.
[246] "Maybe.
[247] Anyway, I'm gonna get off the Shuttle this time, make one more trip to Mars.
[248] Tell you what.
[249] There's a little stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[250] When you get to Mars, take a look inside.
[251] I'll probably be there."
[252] He coughed again, a deep, rasping cough that filled his eyes with tears.
[253] "Not used to this Earth air," he muttered.
[254] "What I need's some Martian climate."
[255] Suddenly that cough frightened me.
[256] It didn't seem normal.
[257] I wondered, too, about his stiff movements and glassy stare.
[258] It was as if he were drugged.
[259] I shook the thought away.
[260] If Charlie was sick, he wouldn't talk about going to Mars.
[261] The medics wouldn't let him go even as far as Luna.
[262] We watched him leave, you and Mickey and I.
[263] "When will you be back?"
[264] you asked.
[265] Charlie's hard face contorted itself into a gargoylish grin.
[266] "Maybe a couple of months, maybe a couple of years.
[267] You know spacemen."
[268] Then he waved and strode away, a strange, gray, withered gnome of a man.
[269] I wanted him to say something, to tell me the secret that would kill the doubt worming through my brain.
[270] But he rounded a corner, still grinning and waving, and then he was gone.
[271] That afternoon Mickey showed me his room.
[272] It was more like a boy's room than a spaceman's.
[273] In it were all the little things that kids treasure—pennants, models of Everson's two ships, a tennis trophy, books, a home-made video.
[274] I began to realize how important a room like this could be to a boy.
[275] I could imagine, too, the happiness that parents felt as they watched their children grow to adulthood.
[276] I'd missed something.
[277] My folks were shadow-people, my impressions of them drawn half from ancient photos, half from imagination.
[278] For me, it had been a cold, automatic kind of life, the life of dormitories and routines and rules.
[279] I'd been so blinded by the brilliancy of my dreams, I hadn't realized I was different.
[280] My folks were killed in a rocket crash.
[281] If it weren't for rockets, I'd have lived the kind of life a kid should live.
[282] Mickey noticed my frown.
[283] "What's the matter, Ben?
[284] Still sore?
[285] I feel like a heel, but I'm just not like you and Charlie, I guess.
[286] I—" "No, I understand, Mickey.
[287] I'm not sore, really."
[288] "Listen, then.
[289] You haven't accepted any offer yet, have you?"
[290] "No.
[291] I got a couple of possibilities.
[292] Could get a berth on the Odyssey , the new ship being finished at Los Angeles.
[293] They want me, too, for the Moon Patrol, but that's old stuff, not much better than teaching.
[294] I want to be in deep space."
[295] "Well, how about staying with us till you decide?
[296] Might as well enjoy Earth life while you can.
[297] Okay?"
[298] I felt like running from the house, to forget that it existed.
[299] I wanted someone to tell me one of the old stories about space, a tale of courage that would put fuel on dying dreams.
[300] But I wanted, also, to be with you, Laura, to see your smile and the flecks of silver in your eyes and the way your nose turned upward ever so slightly when you laughed.
[301] You see, I loved you already, almost as much as I loved the stars.
[302] And I said, slowly, my voice sounding unfamiliar and far away, "Sure, I'll stay, Mickey.
[303] Sure."
[304] Forty days of joy, forty nights of fear and indecision.
[305] We did all the little things, like watching the rockets land at White Sands and flying down to the Gulf to swim in cool waters.
[306] You tried, unsuccessfully, to teach me to dance, and we talked about Everson and Charlie and the Moon and the stars.
[307] You felt you had to give the stars all the beauty and promise of a child's dream, because you knew that was what I wanted.
[308] One morning I thought, Why must I make a choice?
[309] Why can't I have both you and the stars?
[310] Would that be asking too much?
[311] All day the thought lay in my mind like fire.
[312] That evening I asked you to marry me.
[313] I said it very simply: "Laura, I want you to be my wife."
[314] You looked up at Venus, and you were silent for a long while, your face flushed.
[315] Then you murmured, "I—I want to marry you, Ben, but are you asking me to marry a spaceman or a teacher?"
[316] "Can't a spaceman marry, too?"
[317] "Yes, a spaceman can marry, but what would it be like?
[318] Don't you see, Ben?
[319] You'd be like Charlie.
[320] Gone for maybe two months, maybe two years.
[321] Then you'd have a twenty-four hour liberty—and I'd have what?"
[322] Somehow I'd expected words like these, but still they hurt.
[323] "I wouldn't have to be a spaceman forever.
[324] I could try it for a couple of years, then teach."
[325] "Would you, Ben?
[326] Would you be satisfied with just seeing Mars?
[327] Wouldn't you want to go on to Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and on and on?"
[328] Your voice was choked, and even in the semi-darkness I saw tears glittering in your eyes.
[329] "Do you think I'd dare have children, Ben?
[330] Mickey told me what happened on the Cyclops .
[331] There was a leak in the atomic engines.
[332] The ship was flooded with radiation—just for a second.
[333] It didn't seem serious.
[334] The men had no burns.
[335] But a year later the captain had a child.
[336] And it was—" "I know, Laura.
[337] Don't say it."
[338] You had to finish.
[339] "It was a monster."
[340] That night I lay awake, the fears and doubts too frantic to let me sleep.
[341] You've got to decide now , I told myself.
[342] You can't stay here.
[343] You've got to make a choice.
[344] The teaching job was still open.
[345] The spot on the Odyssey was still open—and the big ship, it was rumored, was equipped to make it all the way to Pluto.
[346] You can take Dean Dawson's job and stay with Laura and have kids and a home and live to see what happens in this world sixty years from now.
[347] Or you can see what's on the other side of the mountain.
[348] You can be a line in a history book.
[349] I cursed.
[350] I knew what Charlie would say.
[351] He'd say, "Get the hell out of there, boy.
[352] Don't let a fool woman make a sucker out of you.
[353] Get out there on the Odyssey where you belong.
[354] We got a date on Mars, remember?
[355] At the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal."
[356] That's what he'd say.
[357] And yet I wanted you, Laura.
[358] I wanted to be with you, always.
[359] "Oh God," I moaned, "what shall I do?"
[360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
[361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
[362] I pressed the stud on the little gray cylinder, and a rasping, automatic voice droned: "Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
[363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman...." Then there was a Latin name which was more polite than the word "lung-rot" and the metallic phrase, "This message brought to you by courtesy of United Nations Earth-Luna Communication Corps."
[364] I stood staring at the cylinder.
[365] Charles Taggart was dead.
[366] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
[367] Stardust Charlie.
[368] My heart thudded crazily against my chest.
[369] It couldn't be!
[370] Not Charlie!
[371] The audiogram had lied!
[372] I pressed the stud again.
[373] "... regret to inform you of death of Charles ..." I hurled the cylinder at the wall.
[374] It thudded, fell, rolled.
[375] The broken voice droned on.
[376] You ran to it, shut it off.
[377] "I'm sorry, Ben, so terribly—" Without answering, I walked into my room.
[378] I knew it was true now.
[379] I remembered Charlie's coughing, his gaunt features, his drugged gaze.
[380] The metallic words had told the truth.
[381] I sat for a long time on my bed, crying inside, but staring dry-eyed at Charlie's faded tin box.
[382] Then, finally, I fingered his meager possessions—a few wrinkled photos, some letters, a small black statue of a forgotten Martian god, a gold service medal from the Moon Patrol.
[383] This was what remained of Charlie after twenty-five years in space.
[384] It was a bitter bargain.
[385] A statue instead of a wife, yellowed letters instead of children, a medal instead of a home.
[386] It'd be a great future , I thought.
[387] You'd dream of sitting in a dingy stone dive on the Grand Canal with sand-wasps buzzing around smoky, stinking candles.
[388] A bottle of luchu juice and a couple of Martian girls with dirty feet for company.
[389] And a sudden cough that would be the first sign of lung-rot.
[390] To hell with it!
[391] I walked into your living room and called Dean Dawson on the visiphone.
[392] I accepted that job teaching.
[393] And now, Laura, it's nearly midnight.
[394] You're in your room, sleeping, and the house is silent.
[395] It's hard to tell you, to make you understand, and that is why I am writing this.
[396] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
[397] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
[398] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
[399] A wedding ring.
[400] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
[401] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
[402] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
[403] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
[404] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
[405] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
[406] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
[407] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
[408] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
[409] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
[410] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
[411] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
[412] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
[413] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
[414] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
[415] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
[416] You say that the beauty of the other side of the mountain vanishes after you reach it.
[417] But how can one ever be sure until the journey is made?
[418] Could I or Charlie or the thousand before us bear to look upon a star and think, I might have gone there; I could have been the first ?
[419] We said, too, that the life of a spaceman is lonely.
[420] Yet how could one be lonely when men like Charlie roam the spaceways?
[421] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
[422] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
[423] It might have seemed an ugly kind of celebration to you, but he wanted it with all his heart, and we robbed him of it.
[424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
[425] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
[426] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach.
[428] And so will you, Laura.
[429] I have two wedding rings with me—his wife's ring and yours. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is peoples' perception of spacemen?":
1. [163] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
2. [160] I liked your folks, Laura.
3. [161] There was no star-hunger in them, of course.
4. [162] They were simple and solid and settled, like green growing things, deep-rooted, belonging to Earth.
5. [164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
6. [165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
7. [166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
8. [167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
9. [168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
10. [169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
11. [170] That was when your father said he wasn't so hungry after all.
12. [172] "Charlie is funny, isn't he?
13. [173] He's nice and I'm glad he's here, but he's sort of funny."
14. [174] "He's an old-time spaceman.
15. [175] You didn't need much education in those days, just a lot of brawn and a quick mind.
16. [176] It took guts to be a spaceman then."
17. [177] "But he wasn't always a spaceman.
18. [178] Didn't he ever have a family?"
19. [179] I smiled and shook my head.
20. [180] "If he had, he never mentioned it.
21. [181] Charlie doesn't like to be sentimental, at least not on the outside.
22. [182] As far as I know, his life began when he took off for the Moon with Everson."
23. [183] You stared at me strangely, almost in a sacred kind of way.
24. [184] I knew suddenly that you liked me, and my heart began to beat faster.
25. [185] There was silence.
26. [186] You were lovely, your soft hair like strands of gold, and there were flecks of silver in your dark eyes.
27. [187] Somehow I was afraid.
28. [188] I had the feeling that I shouldn't have come here.
29. [189] You kept looking at me until I had to ask: "What are you thinking, Laura?"
30. [190] You laughed, but it was a sad, fearful laugh.
31. [191] "No, I shouldn't be thinking it.
32. [192] You'd hate me if I told you, and I wouldn't want that."
33. [193] "I could never hate you."
34. [194] "It—it's about the stars," you said very softly.
35. [195] "I understand why you want to go to them.
36. [196] Mickey and I used to dream about them when we were kids.
37. [197] Of course I was a girl, so it was just a game to me.
38. [198] But once I dreamed of going to England.
39. [199] Oh, it was going to be so wonderful.
40. [200] I lived for months, just thinking about it.
41. [201] "One summer we went.
42. [202] I had fun.
43. [203] I saw the old buildings and castles, and the spaceports and the Channel Tube.
44. [204] But after it was over, I realized England wasn't so different from America.
45. [205] Places seem exciting before you get to them, and afterward they're not really."
46. [206] I frowned.
47. [207] "And you mean it might be the same with the stars?
48. [208] You think maybe I haven't grown up yet?"
49. [209] Anxiety darkened your features.
50. [210] "No, it'd be good to be a spaceman, to see the strange places and make history.
51. [211] But is it worth it?
52. [212] Is it worth the things you'd have to give up?"
53. [213] I didn't understand at first, and I wanted to ask, "Give up what ?"
54. [214] Then I looked at you and the promise in your eyes, and I knew.
55. [215] All through the years I'd been walking down a single, narrow path.
56. [216] Government boarding school, the Academy, my eyes always upward and on the stars.
57. [217] Now I'd stumbled into a cross-roads, beholding a strange new path that I'd never noticed before.
58. [218] You can go into space , I thought, and try to do as much living in ten years as normal men do in fifty.
59. [219] You can be like Everson, who died in a Moon crash at the age of 36, or like a thousand others who lie buried in Martian sand and Venusian dust.
60. [220] Or, if you're lucky, like Charlie—a kind of human meteor streaking through space, eternally alone, never finding a home.
61. [221] Or there's the other path.
62. [222] To stay on this little prison of an Earth in cool, comfortable houses.
63. [223] To be one of the solid, rooted people with a wife and kids.
64. [224] To be one of the people who live long enough to grow old, who awake to the song of birds instead of rocket grumblings, who fill their lungs with the clean rich air of Earth instead of poisonous dust.
65. [225] "I'm sorry," you said.
66. [226] "I didn't mean to make you sad, Ben."
67. [227] "It's all right," I said, clenching my fists.
68. [228] "You made sense—a lot of sense." |
What role does Charlie Taggart play in the story? | [
"Charlie Taggart, also known as Stardust Charlie, is a very important character in the story. Ben is orphaned at the age of four when his parents perished in a strato-jet crash. Within a few years, he meets Charlie, a successful spaceman, at the Long Island Spaceport. He follows him around, eager to learn everything he can about space, and Charlie eventually becomes the closest thing Ben has to a family member. \n\nAlthough Ben doesn’t know if Charlie will show up at his graduation, he is happy to see he has taken 24 hours off of work to come and celebrate with him. He worries, however, that Charlie looks very ill. He becomes even more concerned when Charlie leaves a small tin for Ben to look through after he leaves. Charlie admits that he has cheated death many times, and he knows he won’t be able to escape it forever. Ben remains hopeful that they will see each other again when Charlie tells him to meet him at the Space Rat, a cafe on Mars. \n\nAfter Ben receives word that Charlie died from lung-rot, he takes it as a sign that he should stay on earth and live an ordinary life with Laura as his wife. The trinkets in Charlie’s tin do not impress Ben or symbolize a life well-lived. Yet, hours later, Ben finds Charlie’s wedding ring and changes his mind about his entire life’s path. He knows that Charlie wanted to talk to him alone before he died, and he never gave him the chance to tell him about the same difficult decisions he had to make. Ben realizes that Charlie’s life may not be one that’s suitable for everyone, but it was certainly a life worth living. Charlie returned to space knowing that he was about to die because the planets and moons and stars were his reason for living. To Charlie, the sacrifices he made to be a spaceman were worth it, and Ben sees that he wants that for himself as well.",
"Charlie Taggart or Charlie Stardust acts as a father figure and caregiver for Ben, one of the graduates of the U.S. Academy for Interplanetary Flight. Stardust Charlie has worked as a spaceman for nearly 25 years, one of the longest careers ever seen. His presence in Ben’s life furthered his love of space, and Charlie’s recommendation allowed Ben to attend the U.S. Academy for Interplanetary Flight. \nIn the end, Charlie dies of lung-rot right where he wanted to: in a stone cafe on Mars. Space was his home, not Earth. Charlie’s death causes a slight crisis for Ben when he has to decide if he should stay on Earth or take to the skies. At first, he decides to stay so he can marry Laura and live a long and happy life with her. He didn’t want to die alone like Charlie. However, after discovering a wedding ring hidden in Charlie’s possessions, he realizes that despite Charlie’s solitary lifestyle he was never truly alone. Space was his true home, and Ben decides that space truly can’t be that lonely if men like Charlie are out there flying around. He decides to leave Laura and all his domestic dreams behind on Earth and follow his mentor to Mars, so he can meet in the place where he took his last breath: the Space Rat on Mars. Ben realizes that no matter where he goes, he will always carry Charlie and Laura with him. Charlie’s presence and death acts as a catalyst in two of Ben’s major life decisions.",
"Charlie Taggart represents the childhood dream Ben has been working towards of becoming a spaceman and being the first to explore a new planet. Ben thinks of Charlie as the example of what future him would be like if he were to take the berth on the Odyssey. Charlie is also actively helping him to achieve that dream, as Ben remembers Charlie’s recommendation finally getting him in as a cadet to become a spaceman.\nCharlie acts as a guide in the story, made possible because Ben trusts him so deeply. Ben treats Charlie as family, even inviting him to his graduating ceremony as part of the first class of the US Academy of Interplanetary Flight. Ben thinks of him as a parent and a friend, since both of his parents are deceased.\nCharlie avoids being sentimental, and Ben doesn’t realize he is dying when he gives him a small metal box after his graduation. Ben doesn’t open it until after he learns of Charlie’s death - a shocking realization that immediately causes him to drop his dream of becoming a spaceman and choose a life on Earth with Laura. However, the sentimental items in Charlie’s box make Ben reconsider that decision. Thereby, guiding Ben’s life in a different direction.\nCharlie is an inspiration to Ben and he ultimately chooses to become a spaceman and leave the safe life with Laura on Earth (even though it pains him) because he has to see the moon and other planets for himself.",
"Charlie Taggart, aka \"Spaceman Charlie\", was a seasoned spaceman who had been to the moon and on a regular shuttle mission between the moon and New Mexico. Because Ben did not have family left alive, Charlie was the one person who Ben invited to his graduation; he had met him as a child, they got to know one another, and it was Charlie's recommendation that got Ben into the U.S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight. He had aged much in the year before Ben's graduation, but did show up to the ceremony, ready to celebrate with Ben. After a day of celebration, Charlie left a box of belongings with Ben as he went back to work. It was then that Ben started to worry about Charlie's health. After spending forty days with Mickey's family trying to decide what he wants, Ben got the news that Charlie had died from lung-rot. When Ben looked through Charlie's possessions, he realized that there was a lack of evidence of real human connection, and this pushed Ben to call The Academy and accept the teaching job so that he could be with Laura and not run away to the stars. At the same time, Ben reflected on the stories he had been told and the life Charlie had lived. Charlie had been married, but learned the hard way that he could not have both a family and the stars. Eventually, Ben decided to go into space instead of staying with Laura, but the only context he had for the decision was Charlie's stories."
] | [1] Spacemen Die at Home By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by THORNE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction October 1951.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] One man's retreat is another's prison ... and it takes a heap of flying to make a hulk a home!
[4] Forty days of heaven and forty nights of hell.
[5] That's the way it's been, Laura.
[6] But how can I make you understand?
[7] How can I tell you what it's like to be young and a man and to dream of reaching the stars?
[8] And yet, at the same time, to be filled with a terrible, gnawing fear—a fear locked in my mind during the day and bursting out like an evil jack-in-the-box at night.
[9] I must tell you, Laura.
[10] Perhaps if I start at the beginning, the very beginning....
[11] It was the Big Day.
[12] All the examinations, the physicals and psychos, were over.
[13] The Academy, with its great halls and classrooms and laboratories, lay hollow and silent, an exhausted thing at sleep after spawning its first-born.
[14] For it was June in this year of 1995, and we were the graduating class of the U. S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight.
[15] The first graduating class, Laura.
[16] That's why it was so important, because we were the first .
[17] We sat on a little platform, twenty-five of us.
[18] Below us was a beach of faces, most of them strange, shining like pebbles in the warm New Mexican sunlight.
[19] They were the faces of mothers and fathers and grandparents and kid brothers and sisters—the people who a short time ago had been only scrawled names on letters from home or words spoken wistfully at Christmas.
[20] They were the memory-people who, to me, had never really existed.
[21] But today they had become real, and they were here and looking at us with pride in their eyes.
[22] A voice was speaking, deep, sure, resonant.
[23] "... these boys have worked hard for six years, and now they're going to do a lot of big things.
[24] They're going to bring us the metals and minerals that we desperately need.
[25] They're going to find new land for our colonists, good rich land that will bear food and be a home for our children.
[26] And perhaps most important of all, they'll make other men think of the stars and look up at them and feel humility—for mankind needs humility."
[27] The speaker was Robert Chandler, who'd brought the first rocket down on Mars just five years ago, who'd established the first colony there, and who had just returned from his second hop to Venus.
[28] Instead of listening to his words, I was staring at his broad shoulders and his dark, crew-cut hair and his white uniform which was silk-smooth and skin-tight.
[29] I was worshiping him and hating him at the same time, for I was thinking: He's already reached Mars and Venus.
[30] Let him leave Jupiter and the others alone!
[31] Let us be the first to land somewhere!
[32] Let us be the first!
[33] Mickey Cameron, sitting next to me, dug an elbow into my ribs.
[34] "I don't see 'em, Ben," he whispered.
[35] "Where do you suppose they are?"
[36] I blinked.
[37] "Who?"
[38] "My folks."
[39] That was something I didn't have to worry about.
[40] My parents had died in a strato-jet crash when I was four, so I hadn't needed many of those "You are cordially invited" cards.
[41] Just one, which I'd sent to Charlie Taggart.
[42] Stardust Charlie, we called him, although I never knew why.
[43] He was a veteran of Everson's first trip to the Moon nearly twenty-five years ago, and he was still at it.
[44] He was Chief Jetman now on the Lunar Lady , a commercial ore ship on a shuttle between Luna City and White Sands.
[45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
[46] And I remembered, too, how his recommendation had finally made me a cadet.
[47] My gaze wandered over the faces, but I couldn't find Charlie's.
[48] It wasn't surprising.
[49] The Lunar Lady was in White Sands now, but liberties, as Charlie said, were as scarce as water on Mars.
[50] It doesn't matter , I told myself.
[51] Then Mickey stiffened.
[52] "I see 'em, Ben!
[53] There in the fifth row!"
[54] Usually Mickey was the same whether in a furnace-hot engine room or a garden party, smiling, accepting whatever the world offered.
[55] But now a tenseness and an excitement had gripped even him.
[56] I was grateful that he was beside me; we'd been a good team during those final months at the Academy and I knew we'd be a good team in space.
[57] The Universe was mighty big, but with two of us to face it together, it would be only half as big.
[58] And then it seemed that all the proud faces were looking at us as if we were gods.
[59] A shiver went through my body.
[60] Though it was daytime, I saw the stars in my mind's vision, the great shining balls of silver, each like a voice crying out and pleading to be explored, to be touched by the sons of Earth.
[61] They expect a lot from us.
[62] They expect us to make a new kind of civilization and a better place out of Earth.
[63] They expect all this and a hell of a lot more.
[64] They think there's nothing we can't do.
[65] I felt very small and very humble.
[66] I was scared.
[67] Damned scared.
[68] At last it was over, and the proud faces descended upon us in a huge, babbling wave.
[69] Then I saw him.
[70] Good old Stardust Charlie.
[71] His wizened little body was shuffling down an aisle, his eyes shining like a child's.
[72] He'd been sandwiched, evidently, in one of the rear rows.
[73] But he wasn't the Charlie I'd seen a year ago.
[74] He'd become gaunt and old, and he walked with an unnatural stiffness.
[75] He looked so old that it was hard to believe he'd once been young.
[76] He scratched his mop of steel-gray hair and grinned.
[77] "You made it, boy," he chortled, "and by Jupiter, we'll celebrate tonight.
[78] Yes, siree, I got twenty-four hours, and we'll celebrate as good spacemen should!"
[79] Then Mickey strode up to us.
[80] He was his normal, boyish self again, walking lightly, his blond, curly-haired skull swaying as if in rhythm with some silent melody.
[81] And you, Laura, were with him.
[82] "Meet the Brat," he said.
[83] "My sister Laura."
[84] I stared almost rudely.
[85] You were like a doll lost in the immensity of your fluffy pink dress.
[86] Your hair was long and transformed into a golden froth where sunlight touched it.
[87] But your eyes were the eyes of a woman, glowing like dark stars and reflecting a softness, a gentleness that I'd never seen in eyes before.
[88] "I'm happy to meet you, Ben," you said.
[89] "I've heard of no one else for the past year."
[90] A tide of heat crept up from my collar.
[91] I stuttered through an introduction of Charlie.
[92] You and Mickey looked strangely at Charlie, and I realized that old Stardust was not a cadet's notion of the ideal spaceman.
[93] Charlie scorned the skin-tight uniforms of the government service and wore a shiny black suit that was a relic of Everson's early-day Moon Patrol.
[94] His tie was clumsily knotted, and a button on his coat was missing.
[95] And the left side of his face was streaked with dark scar tissue, the result of an atomic blowup on one of the old Moon ships.
[96] I was so accustomed to the scars, I was seldom aware of them; but others, I knew, would find them ugly.
[97] You were kind.
[98] You shook hands and said, softly: "It's a privilege to meet you, Charlie.
[99] Just think—one of Everson's men, one of the first to reach the Moon!"
[100] Charlie gulped helplessly, and Mickey said: "Still going to spend the weekend with us, aren't you, Ben?"
[101] I shook my head.
[102] "Charlie has only twenty-four hours liberty.
[103] We're planning to see the town tonight."
[104] "Why don't you both come with us?"
[105] you asked.
[106] "Our folks have their own plane, so it would be no problem.
[107] And we've got a big guest room.
[108] Charlie, wouldn't you like a home-cooked meal before going back to the Moon?"
[109] Charlie's answer was obscured by a sudden burst of coughing.
[110] I knew that he'd infinitely prefer to spend his liberty sampling Martian fizzes and Plutonian zombies.
[111] But this night seemed too sacred for Charlie's kind of celebration.
[112] "We'd really like to come," I said.
[113] On our way to the 'copter parking field, Dean Dawson passed us.
[114] He was a tall, willowy man, spectacled, looking the way an academy professor should look.
[115] "Ben," he called, "don't forget that offer.
[116] Remember you've got two months to decide."
[117] "No, thanks," I answered.
[118] "Better not count on me."
[119] A moment later Mickey said, frowning, "What was he talking about, Ben?
[120] Did he make you an offer?"
[121] I laughed.
[122] "He offered me a job here at the Academy teaching astrogation.
[123] What a life that would be!
[124] Imagine standing in a classroom for forty years when I've got the chance to—" I hesitated, and you supplied the right words: "When you've got the chance to be the first to reach a new planet.
[125] That's what most of you want, isn't it?
[126] That's what Mickey used to want."
[127] I looked at you as if you were Everson himself, because you seemed to understand the hunger that could lie in a man's heart.
[128] Then your last words came back and jabbed me: "That's what Mickey used to want."
[129] " Used to want?"
[130] I asked.
[131] "What do you mean?"
[132] You bit your lip, not answering.
[133] "What did she mean, Mickey?"
[134] Mickey looked down at his feet.
[135] "I didn't want to tell you yet, Ben.
[136] We've been together a long time, planning to be on a rocket.
[137] But—" "Yes?"
[138] "Well, what does it add up to?
[139] You become a spaceman and wear a pretty uniform.
[140] You wade through the sands of Mars and the dust of Venus.
[141] If you're lucky, you're good for five, maybe ten years.
[142] Then one thing or another gets you.
[143] They don't insure rocketmen, you know."
[144] My stomach was full of churning, biting ice.
[145] "What are you trying to say, Mickey?"
[146] "I've thought about it a long time.
[147] They want me for Cargo Supervisor of White Sands Port."
[148] He raised his hand to stop me.
[149] "I know.
[150] It's not so exciting.
[151] I'll just live a lot longer.
[152] I'm sorry, Ben."
[153] I couldn't answer.
[154] It was as if someone had whacked the back of my knees with the blast of a jet.
[155] "It doesn't change anything, Ben—right now, I mean.
[156] We can still have a good weekend."
[157] Charlie was muttering under his breath, smoldering like a bomb about to reach critical mass.
[158] I shook my head dazedly at him as we got to the 'copter.
[159] "Sure," I said to Mickey, "we can still have a good weekend."
[160] I liked your folks, Laura.
[161] There was no star-hunger in them, of course.
[162] They were simple and solid and settled, like green growing things, deep-rooted, belonging to Earth.
[163] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
[164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
[165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
[166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
[167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
[168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
[169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
[170] That was when your father said he wasn't so hungry after all.
[171] Afterward, you and I walked onto the terrace, into the moonlit night, to watch for crimson-tailed continental rockets that occasionally streaked up from White Sands.
[172] We gazed for a few seconds up into the dark sky, and then you said: "Charlie is funny, isn't he?
[173] He's nice and I'm glad he's here, but he's sort of funny."
[174] "He's an old-time spaceman.
[175] You didn't need much education in those days, just a lot of brawn and a quick mind.
[176] It took guts to be a spaceman then."
[177] "But he wasn't always a spaceman.
[178] Didn't he ever have a family?"
[179] I smiled and shook my head.
[180] "If he had, he never mentioned it.
[181] Charlie doesn't like to be sentimental, at least not on the outside.
[182] As far as I know, his life began when he took off for the Moon with Everson."
[183] You stared at me strangely, almost in a sacred kind of way.
[184] I knew suddenly that you liked me, and my heart began to beat faster.
[185] There was silence.
[186] You were lovely, your soft hair like strands of gold, and there were flecks of silver in your dark eyes.
[187] Somehow I was afraid.
[188] I had the feeling that I shouldn't have come here.
[189] You kept looking at me until I had to ask: "What are you thinking, Laura?"
[190] You laughed, but it was a sad, fearful laugh.
[191] "No, I shouldn't be thinking it.
[192] You'd hate me if I told you, and I wouldn't want that."
[193] "I could never hate you."
[194] "It—it's about the stars," you said very softly.
[195] "I understand why you want to go to them.
[196] Mickey and I used to dream about them when we were kids.
[197] Of course I was a girl, so it was just a game to me.
[198] But once I dreamed of going to England.
[199] Oh, it was going to be so wonderful.
[200] I lived for months, just thinking about it.
[201] "One summer we went.
[202] I had fun.
[203] I saw the old buildings and castles, and the spaceports and the Channel Tube.
[204] But after it was over, I realized England wasn't so different from America.
[205] Places seem exciting before you get to them, and afterward they're not really."
[206] I frowned.
[207] "And you mean it might be the same with the stars?
[208] You think maybe I haven't grown up yet?"
[209] Anxiety darkened your features.
[210] "No, it'd be good to be a spaceman, to see the strange places and make history.
[211] But is it worth it?
[212] Is it worth the things you'd have to give up?"
[213] I didn't understand at first, and I wanted to ask, "Give up what ?"
[214] Then I looked at you and the promise in your eyes, and I knew.
[215] All through the years I'd been walking down a single, narrow path.
[216] Government boarding school, the Academy, my eyes always upward and on the stars.
[217] Now I'd stumbled into a cross-roads, beholding a strange new path that I'd never noticed before.
[218] You can go into space , I thought, and try to do as much living in ten years as normal men do in fifty.
[219] You can be like Everson, who died in a Moon crash at the age of 36, or like a thousand others who lie buried in Martian sand and Venusian dust.
[220] Or, if you're lucky, like Charlie—a kind of human meteor streaking through space, eternally alone, never finding a home.
[221] Or there's the other path.
[222] To stay on this little prison of an Earth in cool, comfortable houses.
[223] To be one of the solid, rooted people with a wife and kids.
[224] To be one of the people who live long enough to grow old, who awake to the song of birds instead of rocket grumblings, who fill their lungs with the clean rich air of Earth instead of poisonous dust.
[225] "I'm sorry," you said.
[226] "I didn't mean to make you sad, Ben."
[227] "It's all right," I said, clenching my fists.
[228] "You made sense—a lot of sense."
[229] The next morning Charlie said good-bye in our room.
[230] He rubbed his scarred face nervously as he cleared his throat with a series of thin, tight coughs.
[231] Then he pointed to a brown, faded tin box lying on the bed.
[232] "I'm leavin' that for you.
[233] It's full of old stuff, souvenirs mostly.
[234] Thought maybe you'd like to have 'em."
[235] I scowled, not understanding.
[236] "Why, Charlie?
[237] What for?"
[238] He shrugged as if afraid he might be accused of sentimentality.
[239] "Oh, it's just that I've been dodgin' meteors now for twenty-five years.
[240] That's a long time, boy.
[241] Ain't one spaceman in a thousand that lucky.
[242] Some of these days, I won't be so lucky."
[243] I tried to laugh.
[244] "You're good for another twenty-five years, Charlie."
[245] He shook his head stiffly, staring at nothing.
[246] "Maybe.
[247] Anyway, I'm gonna get off the Shuttle this time, make one more trip to Mars.
[248] Tell you what.
[249] There's a little stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[250] When you get to Mars, take a look inside.
[251] I'll probably be there."
[252] He coughed again, a deep, rasping cough that filled his eyes with tears.
[253] "Not used to this Earth air," he muttered.
[254] "What I need's some Martian climate."
[255] Suddenly that cough frightened me.
[256] It didn't seem normal.
[257] I wondered, too, about his stiff movements and glassy stare.
[258] It was as if he were drugged.
[259] I shook the thought away.
[260] If Charlie was sick, he wouldn't talk about going to Mars.
[261] The medics wouldn't let him go even as far as Luna.
[262] We watched him leave, you and Mickey and I.
[263] "When will you be back?"
[264] you asked.
[265] Charlie's hard face contorted itself into a gargoylish grin.
[266] "Maybe a couple of months, maybe a couple of years.
[267] You know spacemen."
[268] Then he waved and strode away, a strange, gray, withered gnome of a man.
[269] I wanted him to say something, to tell me the secret that would kill the doubt worming through my brain.
[270] But he rounded a corner, still grinning and waving, and then he was gone.
[271] That afternoon Mickey showed me his room.
[272] It was more like a boy's room than a spaceman's.
[273] In it were all the little things that kids treasure—pennants, models of Everson's two ships, a tennis trophy, books, a home-made video.
[274] I began to realize how important a room like this could be to a boy.
[275] I could imagine, too, the happiness that parents felt as they watched their children grow to adulthood.
[276] I'd missed something.
[277] My folks were shadow-people, my impressions of them drawn half from ancient photos, half from imagination.
[278] For me, it had been a cold, automatic kind of life, the life of dormitories and routines and rules.
[279] I'd been so blinded by the brilliancy of my dreams, I hadn't realized I was different.
[280] My folks were killed in a rocket crash.
[281] If it weren't for rockets, I'd have lived the kind of life a kid should live.
[282] Mickey noticed my frown.
[283] "What's the matter, Ben?
[284] Still sore?
[285] I feel like a heel, but I'm just not like you and Charlie, I guess.
[286] I—" "No, I understand, Mickey.
[287] I'm not sore, really."
[288] "Listen, then.
[289] You haven't accepted any offer yet, have you?"
[290] "No.
[291] I got a couple of possibilities.
[292] Could get a berth on the Odyssey , the new ship being finished at Los Angeles.
[293] They want me, too, for the Moon Patrol, but that's old stuff, not much better than teaching.
[294] I want to be in deep space."
[295] "Well, how about staying with us till you decide?
[296] Might as well enjoy Earth life while you can.
[297] Okay?"
[298] I felt like running from the house, to forget that it existed.
[299] I wanted someone to tell me one of the old stories about space, a tale of courage that would put fuel on dying dreams.
[300] But I wanted, also, to be with you, Laura, to see your smile and the flecks of silver in your eyes and the way your nose turned upward ever so slightly when you laughed.
[301] You see, I loved you already, almost as much as I loved the stars.
[302] And I said, slowly, my voice sounding unfamiliar and far away, "Sure, I'll stay, Mickey.
[303] Sure."
[304] Forty days of joy, forty nights of fear and indecision.
[305] We did all the little things, like watching the rockets land at White Sands and flying down to the Gulf to swim in cool waters.
[306] You tried, unsuccessfully, to teach me to dance, and we talked about Everson and Charlie and the Moon and the stars.
[307] You felt you had to give the stars all the beauty and promise of a child's dream, because you knew that was what I wanted.
[308] One morning I thought, Why must I make a choice?
[309] Why can't I have both you and the stars?
[310] Would that be asking too much?
[311] All day the thought lay in my mind like fire.
[312] That evening I asked you to marry me.
[313] I said it very simply: "Laura, I want you to be my wife."
[314] You looked up at Venus, and you were silent for a long while, your face flushed.
[315] Then you murmured, "I—I want to marry you, Ben, but are you asking me to marry a spaceman or a teacher?"
[316] "Can't a spaceman marry, too?"
[317] "Yes, a spaceman can marry, but what would it be like?
[318] Don't you see, Ben?
[319] You'd be like Charlie.
[320] Gone for maybe two months, maybe two years.
[321] Then you'd have a twenty-four hour liberty—and I'd have what?"
[322] Somehow I'd expected words like these, but still they hurt.
[323] "I wouldn't have to be a spaceman forever.
[324] I could try it for a couple of years, then teach."
[325] "Would you, Ben?
[326] Would you be satisfied with just seeing Mars?
[327] Wouldn't you want to go on to Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and on and on?"
[328] Your voice was choked, and even in the semi-darkness I saw tears glittering in your eyes.
[329] "Do you think I'd dare have children, Ben?
[330] Mickey told me what happened on the Cyclops .
[331] There was a leak in the atomic engines.
[332] The ship was flooded with radiation—just for a second.
[333] It didn't seem serious.
[334] The men had no burns.
[335] But a year later the captain had a child.
[336] And it was—" "I know, Laura.
[337] Don't say it."
[338] You had to finish.
[339] "It was a monster."
[340] That night I lay awake, the fears and doubts too frantic to let me sleep.
[341] You've got to decide now , I told myself.
[342] You can't stay here.
[343] You've got to make a choice.
[344] The teaching job was still open.
[345] The spot on the Odyssey was still open—and the big ship, it was rumored, was equipped to make it all the way to Pluto.
[346] You can take Dean Dawson's job and stay with Laura and have kids and a home and live to see what happens in this world sixty years from now.
[347] Or you can see what's on the other side of the mountain.
[348] You can be a line in a history book.
[349] I cursed.
[350] I knew what Charlie would say.
[351] He'd say, "Get the hell out of there, boy.
[352] Don't let a fool woman make a sucker out of you.
[353] Get out there on the Odyssey where you belong.
[354] We got a date on Mars, remember?
[355] At the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal."
[356] That's what he'd say.
[357] And yet I wanted you, Laura.
[358] I wanted to be with you, always.
[359] "Oh God," I moaned, "what shall I do?"
[360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
[361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
[362] I pressed the stud on the little gray cylinder, and a rasping, automatic voice droned: "Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
[363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman...." Then there was a Latin name which was more polite than the word "lung-rot" and the metallic phrase, "This message brought to you by courtesy of United Nations Earth-Luna Communication Corps."
[364] I stood staring at the cylinder.
[365] Charles Taggart was dead.
[366] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
[367] Stardust Charlie.
[368] My heart thudded crazily against my chest.
[369] It couldn't be!
[370] Not Charlie!
[371] The audiogram had lied!
[372] I pressed the stud again.
[373] "... regret to inform you of death of Charles ..." I hurled the cylinder at the wall.
[374] It thudded, fell, rolled.
[375] The broken voice droned on.
[376] You ran to it, shut it off.
[377] "I'm sorry, Ben, so terribly—" Without answering, I walked into my room.
[378] I knew it was true now.
[379] I remembered Charlie's coughing, his gaunt features, his drugged gaze.
[380] The metallic words had told the truth.
[381] I sat for a long time on my bed, crying inside, but staring dry-eyed at Charlie's faded tin box.
[382] Then, finally, I fingered his meager possessions—a few wrinkled photos, some letters, a small black statue of a forgotten Martian god, a gold service medal from the Moon Patrol.
[383] This was what remained of Charlie after twenty-five years in space.
[384] It was a bitter bargain.
[385] A statue instead of a wife, yellowed letters instead of children, a medal instead of a home.
[386] It'd be a great future , I thought.
[387] You'd dream of sitting in a dingy stone dive on the Grand Canal with sand-wasps buzzing around smoky, stinking candles.
[388] A bottle of luchu juice and a couple of Martian girls with dirty feet for company.
[389] And a sudden cough that would be the first sign of lung-rot.
[390] To hell with it!
[391] I walked into your living room and called Dean Dawson on the visiphone.
[392] I accepted that job teaching.
[393] And now, Laura, it's nearly midnight.
[394] You're in your room, sleeping, and the house is silent.
[395] It's hard to tell you, to make you understand, and that is why I am writing this.
[396] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
[397] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
[398] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
[399] A wedding ring.
[400] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
[401] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
[402] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
[403] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
[404] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
[405] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
[406] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
[407] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
[408] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
[409] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
[410] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
[411] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
[412] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
[413] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
[414] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
[415] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
[416] You say that the beauty of the other side of the mountain vanishes after you reach it.
[417] But how can one ever be sure until the journey is made?
[418] Could I or Charlie or the thousand before us bear to look upon a star and think, I might have gone there; I could have been the first ?
[419] We said, too, that the life of a spaceman is lonely.
[420] Yet how could one be lonely when men like Charlie roam the spaceways?
[421] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
[422] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
[423] It might have seemed an ugly kind of celebration to you, but he wanted it with all his heart, and we robbed him of it.
[424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
[425] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
[426] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach.
[428] And so will you, Laura.
[429] I have two wedding rings with me—his wife's ring and yours. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What role does Charlie Taggart play in the story?":
1. [41] Just one, which I'd sent to Charlie Taggart.
2. [42] Stardust Charlie, we called him, although I never knew why.
3. [43] He was a veteran of Everson's first trip to the Moon nearly twenty-five years ago, and he was still at it.
4. [44] He was Chief Jetman now on the Lunar Lady, a commercial ore ship on a shuttle between Luna City and White Sands.
5. [45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
6. [46] And I remembered, too, how his recommendation had finally made me a cadet.
7. [47] My gaze wandered over the faces, but I couldn't find Charlie's.
8. [69] Then I saw him.
9. [70] Good old Stardust Charlie.
10. [71] His wizened little body was shuffling down an aisle, his eyes shining like a child's.
11. [72] He'd been sandwiched, evidently, in one of the rear rows.
12. [73] But he wasn't the Charlie I'd seen a year ago.
13. [74] He'd become gaunt and old, and he walked with an unnatural stiffness.
14. [75] He looked so old that it was hard to believe he'd once been young.
15. [76] He scratched his mop of steel-gray hair and grinned.
16. [77] "You made it, boy," he chortled, "and by Jupiter, we'll celebrate tonight.
17. [78] Yes, siree, I got twenty-four hours, and we'll celebrate as good spacemen should!"
18. [92] You and Mickey looked strangely at Charlie, and I realized that old Stardust was not a cadet's notion of the ideal spaceman.
19. [93] Charlie scorned the skin-tight uniforms of the government service and wore a shiny black suit that was a relic of Everson's early-day Moon Patrol.
20. [94] His tie was clumsily knotted, and a button on his coat was missing.
21. [95] And the left side of his face was streaked with dark scar tissue, the result of an atomic blowup on one of the old Moon ships.
22. [98] "It's a privilege to meet you, Charlie.
23. [99] Just think—one of Everson's men, one of the first to reach the Moon!"
24. [110] I knew that he'd infinitely prefer to spend his liberty sampling Martian fizzes and Plutonian zombies.
25. [164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
26. [165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
27. [166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
28. [167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
29. [168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
30. [169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
31. [229] The next morning Charlie said good-bye in our room.
32. [230] He rubbed his scarred face nervously as he cleared his throat with a series of thin, tight coughs.
33. [231] Then he pointed to a brown, faded tin box lying on the bed.
34. [232] "I'm leavin' that for you.
35. [233] It's full of old stuff, souvenirs mostly.
36. [234] Thought maybe you'd like to have 'em."
37. [235] I scowled, not understanding.
38. [236] "Why, Charlie?
39. [237] What for?"
40. [238] He shrugged as if afraid he might be accused of sentimentality.
41. [239] "Oh, it's just that I've been dodgin' meteors now for twenty-five years.
42. [240] That's a long time, boy.
43. [241] Ain't one spaceman in a thousand that lucky.
44. [242] Some of these days, I won't be so lucky."
45. [243] I tried to laugh.
46. [244] "You're good for another twenty-five years, Charlie."
47. [245] He shook his head stiffly, staring at nothing.
48. [246] "Maybe.
49. [247] Anyway, I'm gonna get off the Shuttle this time, make one more trip to Mars.
50. [248] Tell you what.
51. [249] There's a little stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat, just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
52. [250] When you get to Mars, take a look inside.
53. [251] I'll probably be there."
54. [252] He coughed again, a deep, rasping cough that filled his eyes with tears.
55. [253] "Not used to this Earth air," he muttered.
56. [254] "What I need's some Martian climate."
57. [255] Suddenly that cough frightened me.
58. [256] It didn't seem normal.
59. [257] I wondered, too, about his stiff movements and glassy stare.
60. [258] It was as if he were drugged.
61. [259] I shook the thought away.
62. [260] If Charlie was sick, he wouldn't talk about going to Mars.
63. [261] The medics wouldn't let him go even as far as Luna.
64. [262] We watched him leave, you and Mickey and I.
65. [263] "When will you be back?"
66. [264] you asked.
67. [265] Charlie's hard face contorted itself into a gargoylish grin.
68. [266] "Maybe a couple of months, maybe a couple of years.
69. [267] You know spacemen."
70. [268] Then he waved and strode away, a strange, gray, withered gnome of a man.
71. [269] I wanted him to say something, to tell me the secret that would kill the doubt worming through my brain.
72. [270] But he rounded a corner, still grinning and waving, and then he was gone.
73. [360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
74. [361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
75. [362] I pressed the stud on the little gray cylinder, and a rasping, automatic voice droned: "Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
76. [363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman...."
77. [364] I stood staring at the cylinder.
78. [365] Charles Taggart was dead.
79. [366] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
80. [367] Stardust Charlie.
81. [380] This was what remained of Charlie after twenty-five years in space.
82. [381] It was a bitter bargain.
83. [382] A statue instead of a wife, yellowed letters instead of children, a medal instead of a home.
84. [383] It'd be a great future, I thought.
85. [384] You'd dream of sitting in a dingy stone dive on the Grand Canal with sand-wasps buzzing around smoky, stinking candles.
86. [385] A bottle of luchu juice and a couple of Martian girls with dirty feet for company.
87. [386] And a sudden cough that would be the first sign of lung-rot.
88. [387] To hell with it!
89. [392] I accepted that job teaching.
90. [395] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
91. [396] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
92. [397] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
93. [398] A wedding ring.
94. [399] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
95. [400] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
96. [401] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
97. [402] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
98. [403] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
99. [404] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
100. [405] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
101. [406] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
102. [407] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
103. [408] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
104. [409] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
105. [410] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
106. [411] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
107. [412] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
108. [413] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
109. [414] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
110. [421] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
111. [422] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
112. [423] It might have seemed an ugly kind of celebration to you, but he wanted it with all his heart, and we robbed him of it.
113. [424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
114. [425] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
115. [426] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat, just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
116. [427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach. |
How does Ben's childhood affect him later in life? | [
"Ben becomes an orphan when he is just 4 years old. The first person he finds that he can trust and look up to is Charlie Taggart, who also happens to be a spaceman. From this point forward, Ben’s life revolves around reaching his dream of going to the stars. When he sits in his best friend Mickey’s childhood bedroom, he realizes that he never got to experience a “normal” childhood, and this probably impacted his life’s goals. The bedroom contains trophies, books, videos, and other treasures from typical childhoods. Ben sees that his life, filled with dorms, rules, and routines, completely lacked a warmth that he would have experienced if he had grown up with parents who loved him. All he had to rely on were his dreams for his future. He never got to experience the little moments of pleasure and togetherness that families have. Ben put all of his energy into becoming a spaceman because it would make him special, and it was something supremely important to work towards. He has no idea who he would be if his parents hadn’t died.",
"When Ben was a child, his parents were tragically killed in a rocket crash, leaving him orphaned and alone. Although the story doesn’t reveal the exact circumstances or series of events, Ben eventually winds up in the hands of Charlie Taggert who looks after him as a father, mother, and brother. Charlie’s devotion to space inspires a love for it in Ben and sets him on the path to interplanetary flight. Without Ben’s parents dying, he may never have met Charlie or attended the U.S. Academy for Interplanetary Flight. \nAs well, his childhood prepared him for a life of solitude. He was not a family man by nature or by nurture, which made his ascent into space much easier.",
"Ben’s parents both died in a strato-jet crash when he was four, leaving him with no mother and father. He realizes while he is an invited guest staying with Mickey and Laura at their parent’s house after his graduation that they had a childhood different from his. Their childhood bedrooms and their upbringing was something that he all of a sudden felt he was lacking due to his experience growing up in dormitories with rules and regulations. He cites that his singular focus on his dream to be a spaceman didn’t allow him to stop and notice the things that he felt he missed in his childhood.\nThis childhood of separation from family, and attaching himself to a pioneering lone-wolf spaceman (Charlie) after pestering him while he was a child in a spaceport, led Ben to romanticize and want a life of opportunity to be the first to see new planets. That dream, and the independence he had known since childhood ultimately led him to choose a life in space instead of settle into a family on Earth with Laura.",
"One major event in Ben's childhood changed his life in a large number of ways. His parents died in a rocket crash when he was young, which caused two immediate effects: Ben's lack of parental figures in his life, which spurred his interest in Charlie and causes his childhood to be irregular in other ways, and Ben's general interest in rockets. In this way, rockets have affected him at various stages in life: he would have lived a very different life if they didn't exist, because his parents would not have died, but he would not have had them to attach his big dreams to either, which means that maybe he would have been perfectly happy staying on Earth with Laura in another version of events. He had to clutch onto his dreams as he was growing up because everything he saw was structure. As he put it, it was a \"cold, automatic kind of life, the life of dormitories and routines and rules\". His dreams of going to the stars, then, were his way of escaping this structure. He would never have applied to the U.S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight otherwise."
] | [1] Spacemen Die at Home By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by THORNE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction October 1951.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] One man's retreat is another's prison ... and it takes a heap of flying to make a hulk a home!
[4] Forty days of heaven and forty nights of hell.
[5] That's the way it's been, Laura.
[6] But how can I make you understand?
[7] How can I tell you what it's like to be young and a man and to dream of reaching the stars?
[8] And yet, at the same time, to be filled with a terrible, gnawing fear—a fear locked in my mind during the day and bursting out like an evil jack-in-the-box at night.
[9] I must tell you, Laura.
[10] Perhaps if I start at the beginning, the very beginning....
[11] It was the Big Day.
[12] All the examinations, the physicals and psychos, were over.
[13] The Academy, with its great halls and classrooms and laboratories, lay hollow and silent, an exhausted thing at sleep after spawning its first-born.
[14] For it was June in this year of 1995, and we were the graduating class of the U. S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight.
[15] The first graduating class, Laura.
[16] That's why it was so important, because we were the first .
[17] We sat on a little platform, twenty-five of us.
[18] Below us was a beach of faces, most of them strange, shining like pebbles in the warm New Mexican sunlight.
[19] They were the faces of mothers and fathers and grandparents and kid brothers and sisters—the people who a short time ago had been only scrawled names on letters from home or words spoken wistfully at Christmas.
[20] They were the memory-people who, to me, had never really existed.
[21] But today they had become real, and they were here and looking at us with pride in their eyes.
[22] A voice was speaking, deep, sure, resonant.
[23] "... these boys have worked hard for six years, and now they're going to do a lot of big things.
[24] They're going to bring us the metals and minerals that we desperately need.
[25] They're going to find new land for our colonists, good rich land that will bear food and be a home for our children.
[26] And perhaps most important of all, they'll make other men think of the stars and look up at them and feel humility—for mankind needs humility."
[27] The speaker was Robert Chandler, who'd brought the first rocket down on Mars just five years ago, who'd established the first colony there, and who had just returned from his second hop to Venus.
[28] Instead of listening to his words, I was staring at his broad shoulders and his dark, crew-cut hair and his white uniform which was silk-smooth and skin-tight.
[29] I was worshiping him and hating him at the same time, for I was thinking: He's already reached Mars and Venus.
[30] Let him leave Jupiter and the others alone!
[31] Let us be the first to land somewhere!
[32] Let us be the first!
[33] Mickey Cameron, sitting next to me, dug an elbow into my ribs.
[34] "I don't see 'em, Ben," he whispered.
[35] "Where do you suppose they are?"
[36] I blinked.
[37] "Who?"
[38] "My folks."
[39] That was something I didn't have to worry about.
[40] My parents had died in a strato-jet crash when I was four, so I hadn't needed many of those "You are cordially invited" cards.
[41] Just one, which I'd sent to Charlie Taggart.
[42] Stardust Charlie, we called him, although I never knew why.
[43] He was a veteran of Everson's first trip to the Moon nearly twenty-five years ago, and he was still at it.
[44] He was Chief Jetman now on the Lunar Lady , a commercial ore ship on a shuttle between Luna City and White Sands.
[45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
[46] And I remembered, too, how his recommendation had finally made me a cadet.
[47] My gaze wandered over the faces, but I couldn't find Charlie's.
[48] It wasn't surprising.
[49] The Lunar Lady was in White Sands now, but liberties, as Charlie said, were as scarce as water on Mars.
[50] It doesn't matter , I told myself.
[51] Then Mickey stiffened.
[52] "I see 'em, Ben!
[53] There in the fifth row!"
[54] Usually Mickey was the same whether in a furnace-hot engine room or a garden party, smiling, accepting whatever the world offered.
[55] But now a tenseness and an excitement had gripped even him.
[56] I was grateful that he was beside me; we'd been a good team during those final months at the Academy and I knew we'd be a good team in space.
[57] The Universe was mighty big, but with two of us to face it together, it would be only half as big.
[58] And then it seemed that all the proud faces were looking at us as if we were gods.
[59] A shiver went through my body.
[60] Though it was daytime, I saw the stars in my mind's vision, the great shining balls of silver, each like a voice crying out and pleading to be explored, to be touched by the sons of Earth.
[61] They expect a lot from us.
[62] They expect us to make a new kind of civilization and a better place out of Earth.
[63] They expect all this and a hell of a lot more.
[64] They think there's nothing we can't do.
[65] I felt very small and very humble.
[66] I was scared.
[67] Damned scared.
[68] At last it was over, and the proud faces descended upon us in a huge, babbling wave.
[69] Then I saw him.
[70] Good old Stardust Charlie.
[71] His wizened little body was shuffling down an aisle, his eyes shining like a child's.
[72] He'd been sandwiched, evidently, in one of the rear rows.
[73] But he wasn't the Charlie I'd seen a year ago.
[74] He'd become gaunt and old, and he walked with an unnatural stiffness.
[75] He looked so old that it was hard to believe he'd once been young.
[76] He scratched his mop of steel-gray hair and grinned.
[77] "You made it, boy," he chortled, "and by Jupiter, we'll celebrate tonight.
[78] Yes, siree, I got twenty-four hours, and we'll celebrate as good spacemen should!"
[79] Then Mickey strode up to us.
[80] He was his normal, boyish self again, walking lightly, his blond, curly-haired skull swaying as if in rhythm with some silent melody.
[81] And you, Laura, were with him.
[82] "Meet the Brat," he said.
[83] "My sister Laura."
[84] I stared almost rudely.
[85] You were like a doll lost in the immensity of your fluffy pink dress.
[86] Your hair was long and transformed into a golden froth where sunlight touched it.
[87] But your eyes were the eyes of a woman, glowing like dark stars and reflecting a softness, a gentleness that I'd never seen in eyes before.
[88] "I'm happy to meet you, Ben," you said.
[89] "I've heard of no one else for the past year."
[90] A tide of heat crept up from my collar.
[91] I stuttered through an introduction of Charlie.
[92] You and Mickey looked strangely at Charlie, and I realized that old Stardust was not a cadet's notion of the ideal spaceman.
[93] Charlie scorned the skin-tight uniforms of the government service and wore a shiny black suit that was a relic of Everson's early-day Moon Patrol.
[94] His tie was clumsily knotted, and a button on his coat was missing.
[95] And the left side of his face was streaked with dark scar tissue, the result of an atomic blowup on one of the old Moon ships.
[96] I was so accustomed to the scars, I was seldom aware of them; but others, I knew, would find them ugly.
[97] You were kind.
[98] You shook hands and said, softly: "It's a privilege to meet you, Charlie.
[99] Just think—one of Everson's men, one of the first to reach the Moon!"
[100] Charlie gulped helplessly, and Mickey said: "Still going to spend the weekend with us, aren't you, Ben?"
[101] I shook my head.
[102] "Charlie has only twenty-four hours liberty.
[103] We're planning to see the town tonight."
[104] "Why don't you both come with us?"
[105] you asked.
[106] "Our folks have their own plane, so it would be no problem.
[107] And we've got a big guest room.
[108] Charlie, wouldn't you like a home-cooked meal before going back to the Moon?"
[109] Charlie's answer was obscured by a sudden burst of coughing.
[110] I knew that he'd infinitely prefer to spend his liberty sampling Martian fizzes and Plutonian zombies.
[111] But this night seemed too sacred for Charlie's kind of celebration.
[112] "We'd really like to come," I said.
[113] On our way to the 'copter parking field, Dean Dawson passed us.
[114] He was a tall, willowy man, spectacled, looking the way an academy professor should look.
[115] "Ben," he called, "don't forget that offer.
[116] Remember you've got two months to decide."
[117] "No, thanks," I answered.
[118] "Better not count on me."
[119] A moment later Mickey said, frowning, "What was he talking about, Ben?
[120] Did he make you an offer?"
[121] I laughed.
[122] "He offered me a job here at the Academy teaching astrogation.
[123] What a life that would be!
[124] Imagine standing in a classroom for forty years when I've got the chance to—" I hesitated, and you supplied the right words: "When you've got the chance to be the first to reach a new planet.
[125] That's what most of you want, isn't it?
[126] That's what Mickey used to want."
[127] I looked at you as if you were Everson himself, because you seemed to understand the hunger that could lie in a man's heart.
[128] Then your last words came back and jabbed me: "That's what Mickey used to want."
[129] " Used to want?"
[130] I asked.
[131] "What do you mean?"
[132] You bit your lip, not answering.
[133] "What did she mean, Mickey?"
[134] Mickey looked down at his feet.
[135] "I didn't want to tell you yet, Ben.
[136] We've been together a long time, planning to be on a rocket.
[137] But—" "Yes?"
[138] "Well, what does it add up to?
[139] You become a spaceman and wear a pretty uniform.
[140] You wade through the sands of Mars and the dust of Venus.
[141] If you're lucky, you're good for five, maybe ten years.
[142] Then one thing or another gets you.
[143] They don't insure rocketmen, you know."
[144] My stomach was full of churning, biting ice.
[145] "What are you trying to say, Mickey?"
[146] "I've thought about it a long time.
[147] They want me for Cargo Supervisor of White Sands Port."
[148] He raised his hand to stop me.
[149] "I know.
[150] It's not so exciting.
[151] I'll just live a lot longer.
[152] I'm sorry, Ben."
[153] I couldn't answer.
[154] It was as if someone had whacked the back of my knees with the blast of a jet.
[155] "It doesn't change anything, Ben—right now, I mean.
[156] We can still have a good weekend."
[157] Charlie was muttering under his breath, smoldering like a bomb about to reach critical mass.
[158] I shook my head dazedly at him as we got to the 'copter.
[159] "Sure," I said to Mickey, "we can still have a good weekend."
[160] I liked your folks, Laura.
[161] There was no star-hunger in them, of course.
[162] They were simple and solid and settled, like green growing things, deep-rooted, belonging to Earth.
[163] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
[164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
[165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
[166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
[167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
[168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
[169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
[170] That was when your father said he wasn't so hungry after all.
[171] Afterward, you and I walked onto the terrace, into the moonlit night, to watch for crimson-tailed continental rockets that occasionally streaked up from White Sands.
[172] We gazed for a few seconds up into the dark sky, and then you said: "Charlie is funny, isn't he?
[173] He's nice and I'm glad he's here, but he's sort of funny."
[174] "He's an old-time spaceman.
[175] You didn't need much education in those days, just a lot of brawn and a quick mind.
[176] It took guts to be a spaceman then."
[177] "But he wasn't always a spaceman.
[178] Didn't he ever have a family?"
[179] I smiled and shook my head.
[180] "If he had, he never mentioned it.
[181] Charlie doesn't like to be sentimental, at least not on the outside.
[182] As far as I know, his life began when he took off for the Moon with Everson."
[183] You stared at me strangely, almost in a sacred kind of way.
[184] I knew suddenly that you liked me, and my heart began to beat faster.
[185] There was silence.
[186] You were lovely, your soft hair like strands of gold, and there were flecks of silver in your dark eyes.
[187] Somehow I was afraid.
[188] I had the feeling that I shouldn't have come here.
[189] You kept looking at me until I had to ask: "What are you thinking, Laura?"
[190] You laughed, but it was a sad, fearful laugh.
[191] "No, I shouldn't be thinking it.
[192] You'd hate me if I told you, and I wouldn't want that."
[193] "I could never hate you."
[194] "It—it's about the stars," you said very softly.
[195] "I understand why you want to go to them.
[196] Mickey and I used to dream about them when we were kids.
[197] Of course I was a girl, so it was just a game to me.
[198] But once I dreamed of going to England.
[199] Oh, it was going to be so wonderful.
[200] I lived for months, just thinking about it.
[201] "One summer we went.
[202] I had fun.
[203] I saw the old buildings and castles, and the spaceports and the Channel Tube.
[204] But after it was over, I realized England wasn't so different from America.
[205] Places seem exciting before you get to them, and afterward they're not really."
[206] I frowned.
[207] "And you mean it might be the same with the stars?
[208] You think maybe I haven't grown up yet?"
[209] Anxiety darkened your features.
[210] "No, it'd be good to be a spaceman, to see the strange places and make history.
[211] But is it worth it?
[212] Is it worth the things you'd have to give up?"
[213] I didn't understand at first, and I wanted to ask, "Give up what ?"
[214] Then I looked at you and the promise in your eyes, and I knew.
[215] All through the years I'd been walking down a single, narrow path.
[216] Government boarding school, the Academy, my eyes always upward and on the stars.
[217] Now I'd stumbled into a cross-roads, beholding a strange new path that I'd never noticed before.
[218] You can go into space , I thought, and try to do as much living in ten years as normal men do in fifty.
[219] You can be like Everson, who died in a Moon crash at the age of 36, or like a thousand others who lie buried in Martian sand and Venusian dust.
[220] Or, if you're lucky, like Charlie—a kind of human meteor streaking through space, eternally alone, never finding a home.
[221] Or there's the other path.
[222] To stay on this little prison of an Earth in cool, comfortable houses.
[223] To be one of the solid, rooted people with a wife and kids.
[224] To be one of the people who live long enough to grow old, who awake to the song of birds instead of rocket grumblings, who fill their lungs with the clean rich air of Earth instead of poisonous dust.
[225] "I'm sorry," you said.
[226] "I didn't mean to make you sad, Ben."
[227] "It's all right," I said, clenching my fists.
[228] "You made sense—a lot of sense."
[229] The next morning Charlie said good-bye in our room.
[230] He rubbed his scarred face nervously as he cleared his throat with a series of thin, tight coughs.
[231] Then he pointed to a brown, faded tin box lying on the bed.
[232] "I'm leavin' that for you.
[233] It's full of old stuff, souvenirs mostly.
[234] Thought maybe you'd like to have 'em."
[235] I scowled, not understanding.
[236] "Why, Charlie?
[237] What for?"
[238] He shrugged as if afraid he might be accused of sentimentality.
[239] "Oh, it's just that I've been dodgin' meteors now for twenty-five years.
[240] That's a long time, boy.
[241] Ain't one spaceman in a thousand that lucky.
[242] Some of these days, I won't be so lucky."
[243] I tried to laugh.
[244] "You're good for another twenty-five years, Charlie."
[245] He shook his head stiffly, staring at nothing.
[246] "Maybe.
[247] Anyway, I'm gonna get off the Shuttle this time, make one more trip to Mars.
[248] Tell you what.
[249] There's a little stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[250] When you get to Mars, take a look inside.
[251] I'll probably be there."
[252] He coughed again, a deep, rasping cough that filled his eyes with tears.
[253] "Not used to this Earth air," he muttered.
[254] "What I need's some Martian climate."
[255] Suddenly that cough frightened me.
[256] It didn't seem normal.
[257] I wondered, too, about his stiff movements and glassy stare.
[258] It was as if he were drugged.
[259] I shook the thought away.
[260] If Charlie was sick, he wouldn't talk about going to Mars.
[261] The medics wouldn't let him go even as far as Luna.
[262] We watched him leave, you and Mickey and I.
[263] "When will you be back?"
[264] you asked.
[265] Charlie's hard face contorted itself into a gargoylish grin.
[266] "Maybe a couple of months, maybe a couple of years.
[267] You know spacemen."
[268] Then he waved and strode away, a strange, gray, withered gnome of a man.
[269] I wanted him to say something, to tell me the secret that would kill the doubt worming through my brain.
[270] But he rounded a corner, still grinning and waving, and then he was gone.
[271] That afternoon Mickey showed me his room.
[272] It was more like a boy's room than a spaceman's.
[273] In it were all the little things that kids treasure—pennants, models of Everson's two ships, a tennis trophy, books, a home-made video.
[274] I began to realize how important a room like this could be to a boy.
[275] I could imagine, too, the happiness that parents felt as they watched their children grow to adulthood.
[276] I'd missed something.
[277] My folks were shadow-people, my impressions of them drawn half from ancient photos, half from imagination.
[278] For me, it had been a cold, automatic kind of life, the life of dormitories and routines and rules.
[279] I'd been so blinded by the brilliancy of my dreams, I hadn't realized I was different.
[280] My folks were killed in a rocket crash.
[281] If it weren't for rockets, I'd have lived the kind of life a kid should live.
[282] Mickey noticed my frown.
[283] "What's the matter, Ben?
[284] Still sore?
[285] I feel like a heel, but I'm just not like you and Charlie, I guess.
[286] I—" "No, I understand, Mickey.
[287] I'm not sore, really."
[288] "Listen, then.
[289] You haven't accepted any offer yet, have you?"
[290] "No.
[291] I got a couple of possibilities.
[292] Could get a berth on the Odyssey , the new ship being finished at Los Angeles.
[293] They want me, too, for the Moon Patrol, but that's old stuff, not much better than teaching.
[294] I want to be in deep space."
[295] "Well, how about staying with us till you decide?
[296] Might as well enjoy Earth life while you can.
[297] Okay?"
[298] I felt like running from the house, to forget that it existed.
[299] I wanted someone to tell me one of the old stories about space, a tale of courage that would put fuel on dying dreams.
[300] But I wanted, also, to be with you, Laura, to see your smile and the flecks of silver in your eyes and the way your nose turned upward ever so slightly when you laughed.
[301] You see, I loved you already, almost as much as I loved the stars.
[302] And I said, slowly, my voice sounding unfamiliar and far away, "Sure, I'll stay, Mickey.
[303] Sure."
[304] Forty days of joy, forty nights of fear and indecision.
[305] We did all the little things, like watching the rockets land at White Sands and flying down to the Gulf to swim in cool waters.
[306] You tried, unsuccessfully, to teach me to dance, and we talked about Everson and Charlie and the Moon and the stars.
[307] You felt you had to give the stars all the beauty and promise of a child's dream, because you knew that was what I wanted.
[308] One morning I thought, Why must I make a choice?
[309] Why can't I have both you and the stars?
[310] Would that be asking too much?
[311] All day the thought lay in my mind like fire.
[312] That evening I asked you to marry me.
[313] I said it very simply: "Laura, I want you to be my wife."
[314] You looked up at Venus, and you were silent for a long while, your face flushed.
[315] Then you murmured, "I—I want to marry you, Ben, but are you asking me to marry a spaceman or a teacher?"
[316] "Can't a spaceman marry, too?"
[317] "Yes, a spaceman can marry, but what would it be like?
[318] Don't you see, Ben?
[319] You'd be like Charlie.
[320] Gone for maybe two months, maybe two years.
[321] Then you'd have a twenty-four hour liberty—and I'd have what?"
[322] Somehow I'd expected words like these, but still they hurt.
[323] "I wouldn't have to be a spaceman forever.
[324] I could try it for a couple of years, then teach."
[325] "Would you, Ben?
[326] Would you be satisfied with just seeing Mars?
[327] Wouldn't you want to go on to Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and on and on?"
[328] Your voice was choked, and even in the semi-darkness I saw tears glittering in your eyes.
[329] "Do you think I'd dare have children, Ben?
[330] Mickey told me what happened on the Cyclops .
[331] There was a leak in the atomic engines.
[332] The ship was flooded with radiation—just for a second.
[333] It didn't seem serious.
[334] The men had no burns.
[335] But a year later the captain had a child.
[336] And it was—" "I know, Laura.
[337] Don't say it."
[338] You had to finish.
[339] "It was a monster."
[340] That night I lay awake, the fears and doubts too frantic to let me sleep.
[341] You've got to decide now , I told myself.
[342] You can't stay here.
[343] You've got to make a choice.
[344] The teaching job was still open.
[345] The spot on the Odyssey was still open—and the big ship, it was rumored, was equipped to make it all the way to Pluto.
[346] You can take Dean Dawson's job and stay with Laura and have kids and a home and live to see what happens in this world sixty years from now.
[347] Or you can see what's on the other side of the mountain.
[348] You can be a line in a history book.
[349] I cursed.
[350] I knew what Charlie would say.
[351] He'd say, "Get the hell out of there, boy.
[352] Don't let a fool woman make a sucker out of you.
[353] Get out there on the Odyssey where you belong.
[354] We got a date on Mars, remember?
[355] At the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal."
[356] That's what he'd say.
[357] And yet I wanted you, Laura.
[358] I wanted to be with you, always.
[359] "Oh God," I moaned, "what shall I do?"
[360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
[361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
[362] I pressed the stud on the little gray cylinder, and a rasping, automatic voice droned: "Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
[363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman...." Then there was a Latin name which was more polite than the word "lung-rot" and the metallic phrase, "This message brought to you by courtesy of United Nations Earth-Luna Communication Corps."
[364] I stood staring at the cylinder.
[365] Charles Taggart was dead.
[366] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
[367] Stardust Charlie.
[368] My heart thudded crazily against my chest.
[369] It couldn't be!
[370] Not Charlie!
[371] The audiogram had lied!
[372] I pressed the stud again.
[373] "... regret to inform you of death of Charles ..." I hurled the cylinder at the wall.
[374] It thudded, fell, rolled.
[375] The broken voice droned on.
[376] You ran to it, shut it off.
[377] "I'm sorry, Ben, so terribly—" Without answering, I walked into my room.
[378] I knew it was true now.
[379] I remembered Charlie's coughing, his gaunt features, his drugged gaze.
[380] The metallic words had told the truth.
[381] I sat for a long time on my bed, crying inside, but staring dry-eyed at Charlie's faded tin box.
[382] Then, finally, I fingered his meager possessions—a few wrinkled photos, some letters, a small black statue of a forgotten Martian god, a gold service medal from the Moon Patrol.
[383] This was what remained of Charlie after twenty-five years in space.
[384] It was a bitter bargain.
[385] A statue instead of a wife, yellowed letters instead of children, a medal instead of a home.
[386] It'd be a great future , I thought.
[387] You'd dream of sitting in a dingy stone dive on the Grand Canal with sand-wasps buzzing around smoky, stinking candles.
[388] A bottle of luchu juice and a couple of Martian girls with dirty feet for company.
[389] And a sudden cough that would be the first sign of lung-rot.
[390] To hell with it!
[391] I walked into your living room and called Dean Dawson on the visiphone.
[392] I accepted that job teaching.
[393] And now, Laura, it's nearly midnight.
[394] You're in your room, sleeping, and the house is silent.
[395] It's hard to tell you, to make you understand, and that is why I am writing this.
[396] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
[397] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
[398] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
[399] A wedding ring.
[400] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
[401] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
[402] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
[403] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
[404] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
[405] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
[406] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
[407] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
[408] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
[409] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
[410] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
[411] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
[412] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
[413] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
[414] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
[415] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
[416] You say that the beauty of the other side of the mountain vanishes after you reach it.
[417] But how can one ever be sure until the journey is made?
[418] Could I or Charlie or the thousand before us bear to look upon a star and think, I might have gone there; I could have been the first ?
[419] We said, too, that the life of a spaceman is lonely.
[420] Yet how could one be lonely when men like Charlie roam the spaceways?
[421] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
[422] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
[423] It might have seemed an ugly kind of celebration to you, but he wanted it with all his heart, and we robbed him of it.
[424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
[425] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
[426] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach.
[428] And so will you, Laura.
[429] I have two wedding rings with me—his wife's ring and yours. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "How does Ben's childhood affect him later in life?":
1. [39] My parents had died in a strato-jet crash when I was four, so I hadn't needed many of those "You are cordially invited" cards.
2. [45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
3. [275] I began to realize how important a room like this could be to a boy.
4. [276] I could imagine, too, the happiness that parents felt as they watched their children grow to adulthood.
5. [277] I'd missed something.
6. [278] My folks were shadow-people, my impressions of them drawn half from ancient photos, half from imagination.
7. [279] For me, it had been a cold, automatic kind of life, the life of dormitories and routines and rules.
8. [280] I'd been so blinded by the brilliancy of my dreams, I hadn't realized I was different.
9. [281] My folks were killed in a rocket crash. If it weren't for rockets, I'd have lived the kind of life a kid should live.
10. [163] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
11. [161] There was no star-hunger in them, of course. They were simple and solid and settled, like green growing things, deep-rooted, belonging to Earth.
12. [162] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
13. [160] I liked your folks, Laura.
14. [164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
15. [165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
16. [166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
17. [167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
18. [168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
19. [169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
20. [170] That was when your father said he wasn't so hungry after all.
21. [172] "Charlie is funny, isn't he? He's nice and I'm glad he's here, but he's sort of funny."
22. [173] "He's an old-time spaceman. You didn't need much education in those days, just a lot of brawn and a quick mind. It took guts to be a spaceman then."
23. [177] "If he had, he never mentioned it. Charlie doesn't like to be sentimental, at least not on the outside. As far as I know, his life began when he took off for the Moon with Everson."
24. [183] I knew suddenly that you liked me, and my heart began to beat faster.
25. [185] There was silence.
26. [186] You were lovely, your soft hair like strands of gold, and there were flecks of silver in your dark eyes.
27. [187] Somehow I was afraid.
28. [188] I had the feeling that I shouldn't have come here.
29. [189] You kept looking at me until I had to ask: "What are you thinking, Laura?"
30. [190] You laughed, but it was a sad, fearful laugh.
31. [191] "No, I shouldn't be thinking it. You'd hate me if I told you, and I wouldn't want that."
32. [192] "I could never hate you."
33. [193] "It—it's about the stars," you said very softly.
34. [194] "I understand why you want to go to them. Mickey and I used to dream about them when we were kids."
35. [195] "Of course I was a girl, so it was just a game to me."
36. [196] "But once I dreamed of going to England. Oh, it was going to be so wonderful. I lived for months, just thinking about it."
37. [197] "One summer we went. I had fun. I saw the old buildings and castles, and the spaceports and the Channel Tube."
38. [198] "But after it was over, I realized England wasn't so different from America. Places seem exciting before you get to them, and afterward they're not really."
39. [199] "And you mean it might be the same with the stars? You think maybe I haven't grown up yet?"
40. [200] Anxiety darkened your features.
41. [201] "No, it'd be good to be a spaceman, to see the strange places and make history. But is it worth it? Is it worth the things you'd have to give up?"
42. [202] "You can go into space, and try to do as much living in ten years as normal men do in fifty. You can be like Everson, who died in a Moon crash at the age of 36, or like a thousand others who lie buried in Martian sand and Venusian dust."
43. [203] "Or, if you're lucky, like Charlie—a kind of human meteor streaking through space, eternally alone, never finding a home."
44. [204] "Or there's the other path. To stay on this little prison of an Earth in cool, comfortable houses. To be one of the solid, rooted people with a wife and kids. To be one of the people who live long enough to grow old, who awake to the song of birds instead of rocket grumblings, who fill their lungs with the clean rich air of Earth instead of poisonous dust."
45. [205] "I'm sorry," you said. "I didn't mean to make you sad, Ben."
46. [206] "It's all right," I said, clenching my fists. "You made sense—a lot of sense."
47. [229] The next morning Charlie said good-bye in our room.
48. [230] He rubbed his scarred face nervously as he cleared his throat with a series of thin, tight coughs.
49. [231] Then he pointed to a brown, faded tin box lying on the bed.
50. [232] "I'm leavin' that for you. It's full of old stuff, souvenirs mostly. Thought maybe you'd like to have 'em."
51. [233] "Why, Charlie? What for?"
52. [234] He shrugged as if afraid he might be accused of sentimentality.
53. [235] "Oh, it's just that I've been dodgin' meteors now for twenty-five years. That's a long time, boy. Ain't one spaceman in a thousand that lucky."
54. [236] "Some of these days, I won't be so lucky."
55. [237] I tried to laugh. "You're good for another twenty-five years, Charlie."
56. [238] He shook his head stiffly, staring at nothing.
57. [239] "Maybe. Anyway, I'm gonna get off the Shuttle this time, make one more trip to Mars."
58. [240] "Tell you what. There's a little stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat, just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal. When you get to Mars, take a look inside. I'll probably be there."
59. [241] He coughed again, a deep, rasping cough that filled his eyes with tears.
60. [242] "Not used to this Earth air," he muttered. "What I need's some Martian climate."
61. [243] Suddenly that cough frightened me.
62. [244] It didn't seem normal.
63. [245] I wondered, too, about his stiff movements and glassy stare.
64. [246] It was as if he were drugged.
65. [247] I shook the thought away.
66. [248] If Charlie was sick, he wouldn't talk about going to Mars.
67. [249] The medics wouldn't let him go even as far as Luna.
68. [271] That afternoon Mickey showed me his room.
69. [272] It was more like a boy's room than a spaceman's.
70. [273] In it were all the little things that kids treasure—pennants, models of Everson's two ships, a tennis trophy, books, a home-made video.
71. [274] I began to realize how important a room like this could be to a boy. |
How does Ben's relationship with Laura change over time? | [
"When Ben meets Laura, Mickey’s sister, at his spaceman graduation, he feels an instant connection with her. He enjoys talking to her and wants to learn everything there is to know about her. Although he’s happy to see Charlie Taggart, the closest thing he has to a family member, he chooses spending time with Laura and her family over spending time with Charlie alone. He can’t help feeling drawn to her. \n\nAt first, Ben is completely oblivious to the feelings that Laura has for him, but after a walk under the stars together, he sees that she also sees a future with him. He has never before considered living on earth, getting married, owning a house, and settling for a “boring” life, but after she suggests that visiting the stars might just be like her trip to England, he wonders if she’s right. Maybe he has hyped up space travel so much and it will end up being a disappointment. Maybe Mickey is onto something, and sacrificing a normal life on earth where living to old age is expected is not a choice he should give up so easily. Ben desperately wants to be with Laura. He loves her just as much as he loves the stars. \n\nHe spends forty incredible days with the woman of his dreams, but in the end, it’s not enough to convince him to give up his lifelong dream of being a spaceman. Sure, he’s uncomfortable with the amount of pressure that’s put on him, and he recognizes that he will be risking his life every single day, but he can see that Charlie does not regret giving up the quiet homelife for the incredible adventures that await in space. Ben wants to be the first man to visit a planet or find a helpful mineral or create a useful colony, and his love for Laura cannot change his dreams.",
"At first, Ben is infatuated with Laura and the dark flecks in her eyes. They grow closer and closer together as Ben’s stay in their house continues on. Between stargazing, conversing, swimming, and dancing, Ben and Laura quickly fell in love. When he asks her to marry him, however, things start to change. She says that she will marry Ben the teacher, but not Ben the spaceman. She does not want to be resigned to a life of solitude, fear, and separation. Ben is forced to make a choice then: Laura or his dreams of being an explorer. Although at first he decides to stay with Laura and become a teacher, he quickly changes his mind. In some ways, he has already married space and is as devoted to it as he was to Laura. He says in the end that he will always carry Laura and Charlie with him wherever he goes, though they may not be there with him physically. Although there was the potential for marriage, it seems that it was not meant to be.",
"Ben and Laura’s relationship moves quickly from the time they meet at Ben’s graduation until he decides to become a spaceman (about forty days later).\nBen meets Laura at his graduation ceremony as part of the first class of the US Academy of Interplanetary Flight. Laura is the sister of his fellow spaceman, Mickey, whom he has become close with during training. Laura learns about Ben before she meets him from the stories told to her by her brother Mickey. When they have Ben and Charlie to their parents house for the weekend, Ben and Laura spend an evening after dinner watching for crimson-tailed continental rockets taking off from White Sands port. It was then that Ben knew Laura liked him.\nMickey invites Ben to stay with them until he decides what to take as his next opportunity - a berth on the Odyssey spaceship with the potential to go to Pluto or a safe job teaching astrogation at the academy. He stays forty days and forty nights. During this time, he falls in love with Laura and proposes to her.\nTheir relationship changes when Laura questions what a life would be like married to Ben as a spaceman. She has fears about bearing children with a spaceman since there was an example of one family having a “monster” child after the father was exposed to radiation in space. She is worried about not seeing her husband for months or years at a time. Ben is torn between the woman he loves and the life he has been dreaming of since childhood to become a spaceman.\nUltimately Ben decides to be a spaceman and leaves Laura the wedding ring in Charlie’s tin box (that was from Charlie’s broken marriage after choosing life in space) as a token of his affection, and of the bittersweetness of having to leave behind a potentially happy life for his love of space. Perhaps Ben one day hopes to return and have Laura still waiting to marry him.",
"Laura is the sister of Ben's friend Mickey, whom he met at their graduation from The Academy. She invited Ben and Charlie to celebrate with her and Mickey after the ceremony, and gives away the fact that Mickey is no longer planning on signing up to be on a rocket with Ben, and wants a safer job. Ben realizes later that night that he and Laura have feelings for each other, so this is motivation for him to stay with Mickey's family while he sorts out what he wants to do. The two spend forty days together before Ben proposes to Laura, who has been trying to figure out what Ben wants for the entirety of their relationship. This is the entirety of their relationship as of the time of the story, starting with their realization of an attraction and an interest in each other and ending in a proposal (that was presumably accepted) and then a breaking-off of the relationship. They both want to be with one another, and Ben wants to get married no matter what, but Laura knows that he cannot live as a spaceman and as a caring and attentive husband to her, so he must choose. In this sense, Laura's outlook is very steady for their entire relationship, as she asked Ben on the first night they met if he really wanted to become a spaceman if it meant giving up everything he could have. A lot changes in the last day or so of Ben's stay with the family, as he receives news that Charlie passed away. It looking through Charlie's belongings that he recognizes that he can't have the space life and the meaningful personal connections he might want (at least of the sort he had with Laura at the time), which makes him come to a snap realization that he should accept the teaching job and stay on Earth. However, his eventually falls to his gut which tells him he would never be happy if he never tried to see the stars, and that his relationship with Laura has to end. Without Charlie's stories and belongings, Ben may not have realized that he would not be able to have the best of both worlds at the same time."
] | [1] Spacemen Die at Home By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by THORNE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction October 1951.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] One man's retreat is another's prison ... and it takes a heap of flying to make a hulk a home!
[4] Forty days of heaven and forty nights of hell.
[5] That's the way it's been, Laura.
[6] But how can I make you understand?
[7] How can I tell you what it's like to be young and a man and to dream of reaching the stars?
[8] And yet, at the same time, to be filled with a terrible, gnawing fear—a fear locked in my mind during the day and bursting out like an evil jack-in-the-box at night.
[9] I must tell you, Laura.
[10] Perhaps if I start at the beginning, the very beginning....
[11] It was the Big Day.
[12] All the examinations, the physicals and psychos, were over.
[13] The Academy, with its great halls and classrooms and laboratories, lay hollow and silent, an exhausted thing at sleep after spawning its first-born.
[14] For it was June in this year of 1995, and we were the graduating class of the U. S. Academy of Interplanetary Flight.
[15] The first graduating class, Laura.
[16] That's why it was so important, because we were the first .
[17] We sat on a little platform, twenty-five of us.
[18] Below us was a beach of faces, most of them strange, shining like pebbles in the warm New Mexican sunlight.
[19] They were the faces of mothers and fathers and grandparents and kid brothers and sisters—the people who a short time ago had been only scrawled names on letters from home or words spoken wistfully at Christmas.
[20] They were the memory-people who, to me, had never really existed.
[21] But today they had become real, and they were here and looking at us with pride in their eyes.
[22] A voice was speaking, deep, sure, resonant.
[23] "... these boys have worked hard for six years, and now they're going to do a lot of big things.
[24] They're going to bring us the metals and minerals that we desperately need.
[25] They're going to find new land for our colonists, good rich land that will bear food and be a home for our children.
[26] And perhaps most important of all, they'll make other men think of the stars and look up at them and feel humility—for mankind needs humility."
[27] The speaker was Robert Chandler, who'd brought the first rocket down on Mars just five years ago, who'd established the first colony there, and who had just returned from his second hop to Venus.
[28] Instead of listening to his words, I was staring at his broad shoulders and his dark, crew-cut hair and his white uniform which was silk-smooth and skin-tight.
[29] I was worshiping him and hating him at the same time, for I was thinking: He's already reached Mars and Venus.
[30] Let him leave Jupiter and the others alone!
[31] Let us be the first to land somewhere!
[32] Let us be the first!
[33] Mickey Cameron, sitting next to me, dug an elbow into my ribs.
[34] "I don't see 'em, Ben," he whispered.
[35] "Where do you suppose they are?"
[36] I blinked.
[37] "Who?"
[38] "My folks."
[39] That was something I didn't have to worry about.
[40] My parents had died in a strato-jet crash when I was four, so I hadn't needed many of those "You are cordially invited" cards.
[41] Just one, which I'd sent to Charlie Taggart.
[42] Stardust Charlie, we called him, although I never knew why.
[43] He was a veteran of Everson's first trip to the Moon nearly twenty-five years ago, and he was still at it.
[44] He was Chief Jetman now on the Lunar Lady , a commercial ore ship on a shuttle between Luna City and White Sands.
[45] I remembered how, as a kid, I'd pestered him in the Long Island Spaceport, tagging after him like a puppy, and how he'd grown to like me until he became father, mother, and buddy all in one to me.
[46] And I remembered, too, how his recommendation had finally made me a cadet.
[47] My gaze wandered over the faces, but I couldn't find Charlie's.
[48] It wasn't surprising.
[49] The Lunar Lady was in White Sands now, but liberties, as Charlie said, were as scarce as water on Mars.
[50] It doesn't matter , I told myself.
[51] Then Mickey stiffened.
[52] "I see 'em, Ben!
[53] There in the fifth row!"
[54] Usually Mickey was the same whether in a furnace-hot engine room or a garden party, smiling, accepting whatever the world offered.
[55] But now a tenseness and an excitement had gripped even him.
[56] I was grateful that he was beside me; we'd been a good team during those final months at the Academy and I knew we'd be a good team in space.
[57] The Universe was mighty big, but with two of us to face it together, it would be only half as big.
[58] And then it seemed that all the proud faces were looking at us as if we were gods.
[59] A shiver went through my body.
[60] Though it was daytime, I saw the stars in my mind's vision, the great shining balls of silver, each like a voice crying out and pleading to be explored, to be touched by the sons of Earth.
[61] They expect a lot from us.
[62] They expect us to make a new kind of civilization and a better place out of Earth.
[63] They expect all this and a hell of a lot more.
[64] They think there's nothing we can't do.
[65] I felt very small and very humble.
[66] I was scared.
[67] Damned scared.
[68] At last it was over, and the proud faces descended upon us in a huge, babbling wave.
[69] Then I saw him.
[70] Good old Stardust Charlie.
[71] His wizened little body was shuffling down an aisle, his eyes shining like a child's.
[72] He'd been sandwiched, evidently, in one of the rear rows.
[73] But he wasn't the Charlie I'd seen a year ago.
[74] He'd become gaunt and old, and he walked with an unnatural stiffness.
[75] He looked so old that it was hard to believe he'd once been young.
[76] He scratched his mop of steel-gray hair and grinned.
[77] "You made it, boy," he chortled, "and by Jupiter, we'll celebrate tonight.
[78] Yes, siree, I got twenty-four hours, and we'll celebrate as good spacemen should!"
[79] Then Mickey strode up to us.
[80] He was his normal, boyish self again, walking lightly, his blond, curly-haired skull swaying as if in rhythm with some silent melody.
[81] And you, Laura, were with him.
[82] "Meet the Brat," he said.
[83] "My sister Laura."
[84] I stared almost rudely.
[85] You were like a doll lost in the immensity of your fluffy pink dress.
[86] Your hair was long and transformed into a golden froth where sunlight touched it.
[87] But your eyes were the eyes of a woman, glowing like dark stars and reflecting a softness, a gentleness that I'd never seen in eyes before.
[88] "I'm happy to meet you, Ben," you said.
[89] "I've heard of no one else for the past year."
[90] A tide of heat crept up from my collar.
[91] I stuttered through an introduction of Charlie.
[92] You and Mickey looked strangely at Charlie, and I realized that old Stardust was not a cadet's notion of the ideal spaceman.
[93] Charlie scorned the skin-tight uniforms of the government service and wore a shiny black suit that was a relic of Everson's early-day Moon Patrol.
[94] His tie was clumsily knotted, and a button on his coat was missing.
[95] And the left side of his face was streaked with dark scar tissue, the result of an atomic blowup on one of the old Moon ships.
[96] I was so accustomed to the scars, I was seldom aware of them; but others, I knew, would find them ugly.
[97] You were kind.
[98] You shook hands and said, softly: "It's a privilege to meet you, Charlie.
[99] Just think—one of Everson's men, one of the first to reach the Moon!"
[100] Charlie gulped helplessly, and Mickey said: "Still going to spend the weekend with us, aren't you, Ben?"
[101] I shook my head.
[102] "Charlie has only twenty-four hours liberty.
[103] We're planning to see the town tonight."
[104] "Why don't you both come with us?"
[105] you asked.
[106] "Our folks have their own plane, so it would be no problem.
[107] And we've got a big guest room.
[108] Charlie, wouldn't you like a home-cooked meal before going back to the Moon?"
[109] Charlie's answer was obscured by a sudden burst of coughing.
[110] I knew that he'd infinitely prefer to spend his liberty sampling Martian fizzes and Plutonian zombies.
[111] But this night seemed too sacred for Charlie's kind of celebration.
[112] "We'd really like to come," I said.
[113] On our way to the 'copter parking field, Dean Dawson passed us.
[114] He was a tall, willowy man, spectacled, looking the way an academy professor should look.
[115] "Ben," he called, "don't forget that offer.
[116] Remember you've got two months to decide."
[117] "No, thanks," I answered.
[118] "Better not count on me."
[119] A moment later Mickey said, frowning, "What was he talking about, Ben?
[120] Did he make you an offer?"
[121] I laughed.
[122] "He offered me a job here at the Academy teaching astrogation.
[123] What a life that would be!
[124] Imagine standing in a classroom for forty years when I've got the chance to—" I hesitated, and you supplied the right words: "When you've got the chance to be the first to reach a new planet.
[125] That's what most of you want, isn't it?
[126] That's what Mickey used to want."
[127] I looked at you as if you were Everson himself, because you seemed to understand the hunger that could lie in a man's heart.
[128] Then your last words came back and jabbed me: "That's what Mickey used to want."
[129] " Used to want?"
[130] I asked.
[131] "What do you mean?"
[132] You bit your lip, not answering.
[133] "What did she mean, Mickey?"
[134] Mickey looked down at his feet.
[135] "I didn't want to tell you yet, Ben.
[136] We've been together a long time, planning to be on a rocket.
[137] But—" "Yes?"
[138] "Well, what does it add up to?
[139] You become a spaceman and wear a pretty uniform.
[140] You wade through the sands of Mars and the dust of Venus.
[141] If you're lucky, you're good for five, maybe ten years.
[142] Then one thing or another gets you.
[143] They don't insure rocketmen, you know."
[144] My stomach was full of churning, biting ice.
[145] "What are you trying to say, Mickey?"
[146] "I've thought about it a long time.
[147] They want me for Cargo Supervisor of White Sands Port."
[148] He raised his hand to stop me.
[149] "I know.
[150] It's not so exciting.
[151] I'll just live a lot longer.
[152] I'm sorry, Ben."
[153] I couldn't answer.
[154] It was as if someone had whacked the back of my knees with the blast of a jet.
[155] "It doesn't change anything, Ben—right now, I mean.
[156] We can still have a good weekend."
[157] Charlie was muttering under his breath, smoldering like a bomb about to reach critical mass.
[158] I shook my head dazedly at him as we got to the 'copter.
[159] "Sure," I said to Mickey, "we can still have a good weekend."
[160] I liked your folks, Laura.
[161] There was no star-hunger in them, of course.
[162] They were simple and solid and settled, like green growing things, deep-rooted, belonging to Earth.
[163] They were content with a home that was cool on this warm summer night, with a 'copter and a tri-dimensional video, and a handsome automatic home that needed no servants or housework.
[164] Stardust Charlie was as comfortable as a Martian sand-monkey in a shower, but he tried courageously to be himself.
[165] At the dinner table he stared glassily at nothing and grated, "Only hit Mars once, but I'll never forget the kid who called himself a medic.
[166] Skipper started coughing, kept it up for three days.
[167] Whoopin' cough, the medic says, not knowin' the air had chemicals that turned to acid in your lungs.
[168] I'd never been to Mars before, but I knew better'n that.
[169] Hell, I says, that ain't whoopin' cough, that's lung-rot."
[170] That was when your father said he wasn't so hungry after all.
[171] Afterward, you and I walked onto the terrace, into the moonlit night, to watch for crimson-tailed continental rockets that occasionally streaked up from White Sands.
[172] We gazed for a few seconds up into the dark sky, and then you said: "Charlie is funny, isn't he?
[173] He's nice and I'm glad he's here, but he's sort of funny."
[174] "He's an old-time spaceman.
[175] You didn't need much education in those days, just a lot of brawn and a quick mind.
[176] It took guts to be a spaceman then."
[177] "But he wasn't always a spaceman.
[178] Didn't he ever have a family?"
[179] I smiled and shook my head.
[180] "If he had, he never mentioned it.
[181] Charlie doesn't like to be sentimental, at least not on the outside.
[182] As far as I know, his life began when he took off for the Moon with Everson."
[183] You stared at me strangely, almost in a sacred kind of way.
[184] I knew suddenly that you liked me, and my heart began to beat faster.
[185] There was silence.
[186] You were lovely, your soft hair like strands of gold, and there were flecks of silver in your dark eyes.
[187] Somehow I was afraid.
[188] I had the feeling that I shouldn't have come here.
[189] You kept looking at me until I had to ask: "What are you thinking, Laura?"
[190] You laughed, but it was a sad, fearful laugh.
[191] "No, I shouldn't be thinking it.
[192] You'd hate me if I told you, and I wouldn't want that."
[193] "I could never hate you."
[194] "It—it's about the stars," you said very softly.
[195] "I understand why you want to go to them.
[196] Mickey and I used to dream about them when we were kids.
[197] Of course I was a girl, so it was just a game to me.
[198] But once I dreamed of going to England.
[199] Oh, it was going to be so wonderful.
[200] I lived for months, just thinking about it.
[201] "One summer we went.
[202] I had fun.
[203] I saw the old buildings and castles, and the spaceports and the Channel Tube.
[204] But after it was over, I realized England wasn't so different from America.
[205] Places seem exciting before you get to them, and afterward they're not really."
[206] I frowned.
[207] "And you mean it might be the same with the stars?
[208] You think maybe I haven't grown up yet?"
[209] Anxiety darkened your features.
[210] "No, it'd be good to be a spaceman, to see the strange places and make history.
[211] But is it worth it?
[212] Is it worth the things you'd have to give up?"
[213] I didn't understand at first, and I wanted to ask, "Give up what ?"
[214] Then I looked at you and the promise in your eyes, and I knew.
[215] All through the years I'd been walking down a single, narrow path.
[216] Government boarding school, the Academy, my eyes always upward and on the stars.
[217] Now I'd stumbled into a cross-roads, beholding a strange new path that I'd never noticed before.
[218] You can go into space , I thought, and try to do as much living in ten years as normal men do in fifty.
[219] You can be like Everson, who died in a Moon crash at the age of 36, or like a thousand others who lie buried in Martian sand and Venusian dust.
[220] Or, if you're lucky, like Charlie—a kind of human meteor streaking through space, eternally alone, never finding a home.
[221] Or there's the other path.
[222] To stay on this little prison of an Earth in cool, comfortable houses.
[223] To be one of the solid, rooted people with a wife and kids.
[224] To be one of the people who live long enough to grow old, who awake to the song of birds instead of rocket grumblings, who fill their lungs with the clean rich air of Earth instead of poisonous dust.
[225] "I'm sorry," you said.
[226] "I didn't mean to make you sad, Ben."
[227] "It's all right," I said, clenching my fists.
[228] "You made sense—a lot of sense."
[229] The next morning Charlie said good-bye in our room.
[230] He rubbed his scarred face nervously as he cleared his throat with a series of thin, tight coughs.
[231] Then he pointed to a brown, faded tin box lying on the bed.
[232] "I'm leavin' that for you.
[233] It's full of old stuff, souvenirs mostly.
[234] Thought maybe you'd like to have 'em."
[235] I scowled, not understanding.
[236] "Why, Charlie?
[237] What for?"
[238] He shrugged as if afraid he might be accused of sentimentality.
[239] "Oh, it's just that I've been dodgin' meteors now for twenty-five years.
[240] That's a long time, boy.
[241] Ain't one spaceman in a thousand that lucky.
[242] Some of these days, I won't be so lucky."
[243] I tried to laugh.
[244] "You're good for another twenty-five years, Charlie."
[245] He shook his head stiffly, staring at nothing.
[246] "Maybe.
[247] Anyway, I'm gonna get off the Shuttle this time, make one more trip to Mars.
[248] Tell you what.
[249] There's a little stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[250] When you get to Mars, take a look inside.
[251] I'll probably be there."
[252] He coughed again, a deep, rasping cough that filled his eyes with tears.
[253] "Not used to this Earth air," he muttered.
[254] "What I need's some Martian climate."
[255] Suddenly that cough frightened me.
[256] It didn't seem normal.
[257] I wondered, too, about his stiff movements and glassy stare.
[258] It was as if he were drugged.
[259] I shook the thought away.
[260] If Charlie was sick, he wouldn't talk about going to Mars.
[261] The medics wouldn't let him go even as far as Luna.
[262] We watched him leave, you and Mickey and I.
[263] "When will you be back?"
[264] you asked.
[265] Charlie's hard face contorted itself into a gargoylish grin.
[266] "Maybe a couple of months, maybe a couple of years.
[267] You know spacemen."
[268] Then he waved and strode away, a strange, gray, withered gnome of a man.
[269] I wanted him to say something, to tell me the secret that would kill the doubt worming through my brain.
[270] But he rounded a corner, still grinning and waving, and then he was gone.
[271] That afternoon Mickey showed me his room.
[272] It was more like a boy's room than a spaceman's.
[273] In it were all the little things that kids treasure—pennants, models of Everson's two ships, a tennis trophy, books, a home-made video.
[274] I began to realize how important a room like this could be to a boy.
[275] I could imagine, too, the happiness that parents felt as they watched their children grow to adulthood.
[276] I'd missed something.
[277] My folks were shadow-people, my impressions of them drawn half from ancient photos, half from imagination.
[278] For me, it had been a cold, automatic kind of life, the life of dormitories and routines and rules.
[279] I'd been so blinded by the brilliancy of my dreams, I hadn't realized I was different.
[280] My folks were killed in a rocket crash.
[281] If it weren't for rockets, I'd have lived the kind of life a kid should live.
[282] Mickey noticed my frown.
[283] "What's the matter, Ben?
[284] Still sore?
[285] I feel like a heel, but I'm just not like you and Charlie, I guess.
[286] I—" "No, I understand, Mickey.
[287] I'm not sore, really."
[288] "Listen, then.
[289] You haven't accepted any offer yet, have you?"
[290] "No.
[291] I got a couple of possibilities.
[292] Could get a berth on the Odyssey , the new ship being finished at Los Angeles.
[293] They want me, too, for the Moon Patrol, but that's old stuff, not much better than teaching.
[294] I want to be in deep space."
[295] "Well, how about staying with us till you decide?
[296] Might as well enjoy Earth life while you can.
[297] Okay?"
[298] I felt like running from the house, to forget that it existed.
[299] I wanted someone to tell me one of the old stories about space, a tale of courage that would put fuel on dying dreams.
[300] But I wanted, also, to be with you, Laura, to see your smile and the flecks of silver in your eyes and the way your nose turned upward ever so slightly when you laughed.
[301] You see, I loved you already, almost as much as I loved the stars.
[302] And I said, slowly, my voice sounding unfamiliar and far away, "Sure, I'll stay, Mickey.
[303] Sure."
[304] Forty days of joy, forty nights of fear and indecision.
[305] We did all the little things, like watching the rockets land at White Sands and flying down to the Gulf to swim in cool waters.
[306] You tried, unsuccessfully, to teach me to dance, and we talked about Everson and Charlie and the Moon and the stars.
[307] You felt you had to give the stars all the beauty and promise of a child's dream, because you knew that was what I wanted.
[308] One morning I thought, Why must I make a choice?
[309] Why can't I have both you and the stars?
[310] Would that be asking too much?
[311] All day the thought lay in my mind like fire.
[312] That evening I asked you to marry me.
[313] I said it very simply: "Laura, I want you to be my wife."
[314] You looked up at Venus, and you were silent for a long while, your face flushed.
[315] Then you murmured, "I—I want to marry you, Ben, but are you asking me to marry a spaceman or a teacher?"
[316] "Can't a spaceman marry, too?"
[317] "Yes, a spaceman can marry, but what would it be like?
[318] Don't you see, Ben?
[319] You'd be like Charlie.
[320] Gone for maybe two months, maybe two years.
[321] Then you'd have a twenty-four hour liberty—and I'd have what?"
[322] Somehow I'd expected words like these, but still they hurt.
[323] "I wouldn't have to be a spaceman forever.
[324] I could try it for a couple of years, then teach."
[325] "Would you, Ben?
[326] Would you be satisfied with just seeing Mars?
[327] Wouldn't you want to go on to Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and on and on?"
[328] Your voice was choked, and even in the semi-darkness I saw tears glittering in your eyes.
[329] "Do you think I'd dare have children, Ben?
[330] Mickey told me what happened on the Cyclops .
[331] There was a leak in the atomic engines.
[332] The ship was flooded with radiation—just for a second.
[333] It didn't seem serious.
[334] The men had no burns.
[335] But a year later the captain had a child.
[336] And it was—" "I know, Laura.
[337] Don't say it."
[338] You had to finish.
[339] "It was a monster."
[340] That night I lay awake, the fears and doubts too frantic to let me sleep.
[341] You've got to decide now , I told myself.
[342] You can't stay here.
[343] You've got to make a choice.
[344] The teaching job was still open.
[345] The spot on the Odyssey was still open—and the big ship, it was rumored, was equipped to make it all the way to Pluto.
[346] You can take Dean Dawson's job and stay with Laura and have kids and a home and live to see what happens in this world sixty years from now.
[347] Or you can see what's on the other side of the mountain.
[348] You can be a line in a history book.
[349] I cursed.
[350] I knew what Charlie would say.
[351] He'd say, "Get the hell out of there, boy.
[352] Don't let a fool woman make a sucker out of you.
[353] Get out there on the Odyssey where you belong.
[354] We got a date on Mars, remember?
[355] At the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal."
[356] That's what he'd say.
[357] And yet I wanted you, Laura.
[358] I wanted to be with you, always.
[359] "Oh God," I moaned, "what shall I do?"
[360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
[361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
[362] I pressed the stud on the little gray cylinder, and a rasping, automatic voice droned: "Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
[363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman...." Then there was a Latin name which was more polite than the word "lung-rot" and the metallic phrase, "This message brought to you by courtesy of United Nations Earth-Luna Communication Corps."
[364] I stood staring at the cylinder.
[365] Charles Taggart was dead.
[366] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
[367] Stardust Charlie.
[368] My heart thudded crazily against my chest.
[369] It couldn't be!
[370] Not Charlie!
[371] The audiogram had lied!
[372] I pressed the stud again.
[373] "... regret to inform you of death of Charles ..." I hurled the cylinder at the wall.
[374] It thudded, fell, rolled.
[375] The broken voice droned on.
[376] You ran to it, shut it off.
[377] "I'm sorry, Ben, so terribly—" Without answering, I walked into my room.
[378] I knew it was true now.
[379] I remembered Charlie's coughing, his gaunt features, his drugged gaze.
[380] The metallic words had told the truth.
[381] I sat for a long time on my bed, crying inside, but staring dry-eyed at Charlie's faded tin box.
[382] Then, finally, I fingered his meager possessions—a few wrinkled photos, some letters, a small black statue of a forgotten Martian god, a gold service medal from the Moon Patrol.
[383] This was what remained of Charlie after twenty-five years in space.
[384] It was a bitter bargain.
[385] A statue instead of a wife, yellowed letters instead of children, a medal instead of a home.
[386] It'd be a great future , I thought.
[387] You'd dream of sitting in a dingy stone dive on the Grand Canal with sand-wasps buzzing around smoky, stinking candles.
[388] A bottle of luchu juice and a couple of Martian girls with dirty feet for company.
[389] And a sudden cough that would be the first sign of lung-rot.
[390] To hell with it!
[391] I walked into your living room and called Dean Dawson on the visiphone.
[392] I accepted that job teaching.
[393] And now, Laura, it's nearly midnight.
[394] You're in your room, sleeping, and the house is silent.
[395] It's hard to tell you, to make you understand, and that is why I am writing this.
[396] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
[397] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
[398] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
[399] A wedding ring.
[400] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
[401] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
[402] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
[403] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
[404] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
[405] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
[406] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
[407] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
[408] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
[409] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
[410] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
[411] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
[412] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
[413] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
[414] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
[415] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
[416] You say that the beauty of the other side of the mountain vanishes after you reach it.
[417] But how can one ever be sure until the journey is made?
[418] Could I or Charlie or the thousand before us bear to look upon a star and think, I might have gone there; I could have been the first ?
[419] We said, too, that the life of a spaceman is lonely.
[420] Yet how could one be lonely when men like Charlie roam the spaceways?
[421] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
[422] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
[423] It might have seemed an ugly kind of celebration to you, but he wanted it with all his heart, and we robbed him of it.
[424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
[425] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
[426] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
[427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach.
[428] And so will you, Laura.
[429] I have two wedding rings with me—his wife's ring and yours. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "How does Ben's relationship with Laura change over time?":
1. [301] You see, I loved you already, almost as much as I loved the stars.
2. [311] All day the thought lay in my mind like fire.
3. [312] That evening I asked you to marry me.
4. [314] You looked up at Venus, and you were silent for a long while, your face flushed.
5. [315] Then you murmured, "I—I want to marry you, Ben, but are you asking me to marry a spaceman or a teacher?"
6. [316] "Can't a spaceman marry, too?"
7. [317] "Yes, a spaceman can marry, but what would it be like?
8. [318] Don't you see, Ben?
9. [319] You'd be like Charlie.
10. [320] Gone for maybe two months, maybe two years.
11. [321] Then you'd have a twenty-four hour liberty—and I'd have what?"
12. [322] Somehow I'd expected words like these, but still they hurt.
13. [323] "I wouldn't have to be a spaceman forever.
14. [324] I could try it for a couple of years, then teach."
15. [325] "Would you, Ben?
16. [326] Would you be satisfied with just seeing Mars?
17. [327] Wouldn't you want to go on to Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and on and on?"
18. [328] Your voice was choked, and even in the semi-darkness I saw tears glittering in your eyes.
19. [329] "Do you think I'd dare have children, Ben?
20. [330] Mickey told me what happened on the Cyclops .
21. [331] There was a leak in the atomic engines.
22. [332] The ship was flooded with radiation—just for a second.
23. [333] It didn't seem serious.
24. [334] The men had no burns.
25. [335] But a year later the captain had a child.
26. [336] And it was—"
27. [337] "I know, Laura.
28. [338] Don't say it."
29. [339] You had to finish.
30. [340] That night I lay awake, the fears and doubts too frantic to let me sleep.
31. [360] Next morning the door chimes pealed, and you went to the door and brought back the audiogram.
32. [361] It was addressed to me; I wondered who could be sending me a message.
33. [362] It was Luna City, Luna, July 27, 1995.
34. [363] Regret to inform you of death of Charles Taggart, Chief Jetman....
35. [364] I stood staring at the cylinder.
36. [365] Charles Taggart was dead.
37. [366] Charles Taggart was Charlie.
38. [367] Stardust Charlie.
39. [368] My heart thudded crazily against my chest.
40. [369] It couldn't be!
41. [370] Not Charlie!
42. [371] The audiogram had lied!
43. [372] I pressed the stud again.
44. [373] "... regret to inform you of death of Charles ..."
45. [374] I hurled the cylinder at the wall.
46. [375] It thudded, fell, rolled.
47. [376] The broken voice droned on.
48. [377] You ran to it, shut it off.
49. [378] "I'm sorry, Ben, so terribly—"
50. [379] I knew it was true now.
51. [380] I remembered Charlie's coughing, his gaunt features, his drugged gaze.
52. [381] The metallic words had told the truth.
53. [382] I sat for a long time on my bed, crying inside, but staring dry-eyed at Charlie's faded tin box.
54. [383] Then, finally, I fingered his meager possessions—a few wrinkled photos, some letters, a small black statue of a forgotten Martian god, a gold service medal from the Moon Patrol.
55. [384] This was what remained of Charlie after twenty-five years in space.
56. [385] It was a bitter bargain.
57. [386] A statue instead of a wife, yellowed letters instead of children, a medal instead of a home.
58. [387] It'd be a great future , I thought.
59. [388] You'd dream of sitting in a dingy stone dive on the Grand Canal with sand-wasps buzzing around smoky, stinking candles.
60. [389] A bottle of luchu juice and a couple of Martian girls with dirty feet for company.
61. [390] And a sudden cough that would be the first sign of lung-rot.
62. [391] To hell with it!
63. [392] I walked into your living room and called Dean Dawson on the visiphone.
64. [393] I accepted that job teaching.
65. [394] And now, Laura, it's nearly midnight.
66. [395] You're in your room, sleeping, and the house is silent.
67. [396] It's hard to tell you, to make you understand, and that is why I am writing this.
68. [397] I looked through Charlie's box again, more carefully this time, reading the old letters and studying the photographs.
69. [398] I believe now that Charlie sensed my indecision, that he left these things so that they could tell me what he could not express in words.
70. [399] And among the things, Laura, I found a ring.
71. [400] A wedding ring.
72. [401] In that past he never talked about, there was a woman—his wife.
73. [402] Charlie was young once, his eyes full of dreams, and he faced the same decision that I am facing.
74. [403] Two paths were before him, but he tried to travel both.
75. [404] He later learned what we already know—that there can be no compromise.
76. [405] And you know, too, which path he finally chose.
77. [406] Do you know why he had to drug himself to watch me graduate?
78. [407] So he could look at me, knowing that I would see the worlds he could never live to see.
79. [408] Charlie didn't leave just a few trinkets behind him.
80. [409] He left himself, Laura, for he showed me that a boy's dream can also be a man's dream.
81. [410] He made his last trip to Luna when he knew he was going to die.
82. [411] Heaven knows how he escaped a checkup.
83. [412] Maybe the captain understood and was kind—but that doesn't matter now.
84. [413] Do you know why he wanted to reach Mars?
85. [414] Do you know why he didn't want to die in the clean, cool air of Earth?
86. [415] It was because he wanted to die nearer home.
87. [416] His home, Laura, was the Universe, where the ship was his house, the crew his father, mother, brothers, the planets his children.
88. [417] You say that the beauty of the other side of the mountain vanishes after you reach it.
89. [418] But how can one ever be sure until the journey is made?
90. [419] Could I or Charlie or the thousand before us bear to look upon a star and think, I might have gone there; I could have been the first ?
91. [420] We said, too, that the life of a spaceman is lonely.
92. [421] Yet how could one be lonely when men like Charlie roam the spaceways?
93. [422] Charlie wanted me to himself that night after graduation.
94. [423] He wanted us to celebrate as spacemen should, for he knew that this would be his last night on Earth.
95. [424] Because of these things, Laura, I will be gone in the morning.
96. [425] Explain the best you can to Mickey and to your parents and Dean Dawson.
97. [426] Right now I've got a date that I'm going to keep—at a dingy stone cafe on Mars, the Space Rat , just off Chandler Field on the Grand Canal.
98. [427] Stardust Charlie will be there; he'll go with me in memory to whatever part of the Galaxy I may live to reach.
99. [428] And so will you, Laura.
100. [429] I have two wedding rings with me—his wife's ring and yours. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Sometime after the year 2903, the narrator of the story, Mr. Corrigan, is having a recruiting day on the planet of Ghryne, which he privately calls MacTavish IV. Mr. Corrigan owns a popular zoo on Earth called the Corrigan Institute - the only place where humans can see other species of the universe. He recruits alien life forms to exhibit at the zoo, and relatively quickly signs eleven new specimens onto his current 690 that are under contract at the institute on earth. This is a viable business because the World Congress declared Earth off-bounds to aliens in 2903, and the only way aliens can now go to Earth is as exhibits in this zoo.\n\nAliens make great sacrifices to come interview with Mr. Corrigan, as it seems he offers them a good deal. Those under contract are required to remain on exhibit for less than one-third of each day and get paid $50 Galactic a week, with expenses and transportation included. \n\nHe interviews many different creatures through the day, with some being noteworthy and some not as much, being ushered away quickly by Mr. Corrigan’s assistant Stebbins. \n\nA Stortulian who claims his wife ran away to the Corrigan Institute, leaving him alone and unable to remarry due to his customs, pleads with Corrigan to let him go to Earth or at the very least to send her back. Mr. Corrigan is slightly frazzled by the story, but ultimately asks the Stortulian to leave, feeling sad and that he may commit suicide upon leaving and losing hope for his wife to return.\nVallo Heraal, Freeman of Kaller IV, was another notable interview. He stormed in and demanded to be signed to contract - and Mr. Corrigan preferred to make his own decisions. Herald felt insulted that the only four Kallerians at the institute were from the Clan Verdrokh, with no representation at all from his Clan Gursdrinn. Corrigan insisted he was unable to take another Kallerian, and apologized for insulting Clan Gursdrinn. This was enough to de-escalate physical violence, but Heraal was not pleased, and had to be escorted out of the room by Auchinleck and Ludlow who were summoned when Corrigan pushed a panic button under his desk.\nIn a surprise twist from what Corrigan had expected - the Stortulian to kill himself, and for Heraal to try to kill him - the opposite happens. Heraal storms in and stabs himself with his own sword, killing him instantly. The Stortulian returns and attempts to murder Mr. Corrigan, who is narrowly saved by being tackled by Gorb. The Ghrynian cops attempt to place a $100,000 fine on Corrigan for causing the death of a being (Heraal, who killed himself after being refused a contract). Gorb offers to get Corrigan out of the situation for $5000 and a contract to the institute, which is accepted.",
"Mr. Corrigan, of the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science, is visiting MacTavish IV (Ghryne) in the Caledonia Cluster for a few days to hold interviews for new specimens to be featured in his zoo. All life forms, aside from Terra, were banned from ever visiting Earth since 2903, so the only way to get in is to be viewed for science, hence the zoo. The Institute has 690 specimens currently, encompassing 298 life-forms. He brings his men with him, Auchinleck, Stebbins, and Ludlow, to help calm the masses. His first applicant of the day walks in: a round creature with five eyed-arms and two legs. He introduces himself as Lawrence R. Fitzgerald of Regulus II, showing himself to be a Terraphile. Corrigan signs him on for half the normal pay and sends him on his way. A urisinoid from Aldebaran IX is next, but Corrigan has no need for another one. He signs a creature from Donovan’s Planet, since they are such crowd-pleasers, and nine more. He also turns down at least 87 other life-forms, only of which, a Vegan, he feels remorse about. \nHis last specimen before lunch seems to be an Earthman pulling a con. He calls himself Ildwar Gorb and claims he’s from Wazzenaxx XIII. Corrigan doesn’t believe his tale and sends him out, though Gorb promises he’ll change his mind before long. \nAfter lunch, trouble starts to arise. A Kallerian comes in and demands a place in his zoo, even though they already have four. Vallo Heraal of Clan Gursdrinn feels Corrigan has insulted his clan by only hiring members of Clan Verdrokh. Corrigan tries to calm him, but nothing can assuage his anger. He presses his trouble button, and his men come in and take Heraal away. \nA small alien runs into the room, sneaking past Stebbins, and begs to be brought to Earth so he can reunite with his soulmate, a previously hired Stortulian. She ran away from him when she got the opportunity to live on Earth, and, per Stortulian customs, the Stortulian was not allowed to remarry. \nCorrigan turns him down and continues on with his day until Gorb arrives again. He snuck past his men and offers himself as staff. Corrigan says no, but just then the Kallerian comes crashing in and commits hara-kiri, killing himself in front of the crowd. The police enter and claim Corrigan was the cause of his death since he had just filed a complaint against him. He can either be arrested or fined $100K. Next, the Stortulian walks back in and claims there is no reason to keep living. Unlike the Kallerian, he attempts to murder Corrigan by shooting his gun. However, Corrigan is shoved out of the way by Gorb. The Stortulian is arrested, and his actions are explained by Gorb. \nCorrigan decides to call his lawyer, but Gorb offers him a deal he can’t refuse. Five thousand dollars as well as a contract, and he’ll get Corrigan out of trouble. Corrigan agrees.",
"J.F. Corrigan is the proprietor of the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science, a glorified Terran zoo that offers spectators a glimpse at several hundred species of non-terrestrial life forms from all over the galaxy. Corrigan prides himself on actually employing his exhibits rather than hunting them down. Because Earth had closed its borders in the 29th century to non-terrestrial visitors, getting a job at Corrigan's zoo is a popular way for non-terrestrials to visit the planet and make a decent living at the same time. Corrigan offers good pay, short hours, and cover transportation costs and other expenses. Although he is generous, he is also thrifty and not above conning the public in the name of advancing his business. Corrigan arrives at the planet Ghryne to interview potential new non-terrestrials for his exhibition assisted by his employees Stebbins, Auchinleck, and Ludlow. He interviews dozens of non-terrestrials from planets all over the galaxy, including Mr. Lawrence R. Fitzgerald, a self-described Terraphile from Regulus II who wants to go to Earth so badly he is willing to work for less pay. Next, Corrigan meets Ildwar Gorb, a non-terrestrial from Wazzenazz XIII who looks remarkably like a human and claims to communicate through telepathic projection. Because of this similarity, Corrigan suspects him of actually being an Earthman attempting to con him for a free ride back to Earth. He dismisses Gorb, who implores him to reconsider and promises to return. After Gorb leaves, a Kallerian named Vallo Heraal enters and demands Corrigan hire him immediately or he will cause trouble. Wary of the Kallerian's size and threats, Corrigan fingers the meshgun trigger hidden under his desk in case he needs to protect himself. After Auchinleck and Ludlow escort Heraal out of the room, a small Stortulian enters Corrigan's office and tells him he doesn't want to work for him necessarily, but he is seeking passage to Earth so he can be reunited with his wife, who is currently under Corrigan's employ at the Institute. When Corrigan refuses, the Stortulian leaves, and Corrigan process several dozen more applicants. When Gorb reenters and offers to replace Stebbins due to his incompetent handling of the non-terrestrials waiting in line, Corrigan threatens to have him thrown out. At that moment, Heraal returns, brandishing a large sword, which he uses to kill himself in front of everyone. As Corrigan processes this turn of events, the Ghrynian police enter and charge Corrigan with Heraal's death which includes a $100,000 Galactic fine. Next, the Stortulian reenters and attempts to shoot Corrigan, who is saved by Gorb. Gorb offers to solve Corrigan's legal liability for the death of Heraal in exchange for $5,000 Galactic and a contract with the Corrigan Institute. Corrigan agrees to the arrangement, so long as Gorb upholds his end of the bargain first.",
"J. F. Corrigan of Earth’s Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science is on the planet MacTavish IV (aka Ghryne by its natives) to recruit alien life forms as specimens for display in what is effectively a zoo. This is the only way aliens can visit Earth because in 2903 the World Congress declared Earth off-limits for non-terrestrials. Throughout the day, Corrigan interviews many colorful, interesting alien life forms, ultimately hiring about two dozen. His goal is to have a collection of at least one member of 500 different races and currently has 298. He rejects some applicants simply because he already has specimens of their type. One applicant, Gorb, looks and sounds like a human but claims to be from a plant named Wazzenazz XIII. Corrigan is convinced he is just a human and sends him on his way, but Gorb says he will be back to give Corrigan another chance. \nLater in the day, Corrigan has two troublesome interviews, the first with a distraught Kallerian named Vallo Heraal who wants to be hired because four other Kallerians have been hired from a different clan than his, and he feels his clan has been insulted. Corrigan apologizes for having unintentionally insulted Heraal’s clan but explains that he doesn’t need any more Kallerians now; he offers to give preference to Heraal’s clan when there is a vacancy. Unappeased, Heraal warns Corrigan that he will be sorry, and Corrigan sends for members of his team to escort him out. Next, a squirrely-looking Stortulian slips in, exclaiming that he must speak with Corrigan. The Stortulian explains that he is there because his wife is on Earth in Corrigan’s display. She left him because she wanted to go to Earth, and now he is lonely but forbidden by his customs to remarry. He doesn’t want to be hired but just wants passage to Earth to persuade his wife to return home. Corrigan patiently tells the Stortulian he can’t take him because it would be illegal. The Stortullian accepts defeat, saying he has no hope at all, and Corrigan has the distinct impression that the fellow is going to commit suicide. \nAt the end of the day, Gorb returns, asking Corrigan to hire him to work with his company. Heraal crashes in and tells Corrigan he has contacted the authorities and accused him of causing the death of a life-form before he kills himself. The police arrive to arrest Corrigan, but the Stortulian returns, again claiming his life isn’t worth living and fires a shot at Corrigan who is saved by the swift action of Gorb who pushes him out of the way."
] | [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
[4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
[5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
[6] My three staff men, Auchinleck, Stebbins and Ludlow, walked shieldwise in front of me.
[7] I peered between them to size the crop up.
[8] The aliens came in every shape and form, in all colors and textures—and all of them eager for a Corrigan contract.
[9] The Galaxy is full of bizarre beings, but there's barely a species anywhere that can resist the old exhibitionist urge.
[10] "Send them in one at a time," I told Stebbins.
[11] I ducked into the office, took my place back of the desk and waited for the procession to begin.
[12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
[13] I thought of it privately as MacTavish IV and referred to it publicly as Ghryne.
[14] I believe in keeping the locals happy wherever I go.
[15] Through the front window of the office, I could see our big gay tridim sign plastered to a facing wall: WANTED—EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
[16] We had saturated MacTavish IV with our promotional poop for a month preceding arrival.
[17] Stuff like this: Want to visit Earth—see the Galaxy's most glittering and exclusive world?
[18] Want to draw good pay, work short hours, experience the thrills of show business on romantic Terra?
[19] If you are a non-terrestrial, there may be a place for you in the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science.
[20] No freaks wanted—normal beings only.
[21] J. F. Corrigan will hold interviews in person on Ghryne from Thirdday to Fifthday of Tenmonth.
[22] His last visit to the Caledonia Cluster until 2937, so don't miss your chance!
[23] Hurry!
[24] A life of wonder and riches can be yours!
[25] Broadsides like that, distributed wholesale in half a thousand languages, always bring them running.
[26] And the Corrigan Institute really packs in the crowds back on Earth.
[27] Why not?
[28] It's the best of its kind, the only really decent place where Earthmen can get a gander at the other species of the universe.
[29] The office buzzer sounded.
[30] Auchinleck said unctuously, "The first applicant is ready to see you, sir."
[31] "Send him, her or it in."
[32] The door opened and a timid-looking life-form advanced toward me on nervous little legs.
[33] He was a globular creature about the size of a big basketball, yellowish-green, with two spindly double-kneed legs and five double-elbowed arms, the latter spaced regularly around his body.
[34] There was a lidless eye at the top of his head and five lidded ones, one above each arm.
[35] Plus a big, gaping, toothless mouth.
[36] His voice was a surprisingly resounding basso.
[37] "You are Mr.
[38] Corrigan?"
[39] "That's right."
[40] I reached for a data blank.
[41] "Before we begin, I'll need certain information about—" "I am a being of Regulus II," came the grave, booming reply, even before I had picked up the blank.
[42] "I need no special care and I am not a fugitive from the law of any world."
[43] "Your name?"
[44] "Lawrence R.
[45] Fitzgerald."
[46] I throttled my exclamation of surprise, concealing it behind a quick cough.
[47] "Let me have that again, please?"
[48] "Certainly.
[49] My name is Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[50] The 'R' stands for Raymond."
[51] "Of course, that's not the name you were born with."
[52] The being closed his eyes and toddled around in a 360-degree rotation, remaining in place.
[53] On his world, that gesture is the equivalent of an apologetic smile.
[54] "My Regulan name no longer matters.
[55] I am now and shall evermore be Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[56] I am a Terraphile, you see."
[57] The little Regulan was as good as hired.
[58] Only the formalities remained.
[59] "You understand our terms, Mr.
[60] Fitzgerald?"
[61] "I'll be placed on exhibition at your Institute on Earth.
[62] You'll pay for my services, transportation and expenses.
[63] I'll be required to remain on exhibit no more than one-third of each Terran sidereal day."
[64] "And the pay will be—ah—$50 Galactic a week, plus expenses and transportation."
[65] The spherical creature clapped his hands in joy, three hands clapping on one side, two on the other.
[66] "Wonderful!
[67] I will see Earth at last!
[68] I accept the terms!"
[69] I buzzed for Ludlow and gave him the fast signal that meant we were signing this alien up at half the usual pay, and Ludlow took him into the other office to sign him up.
[70] I grinned, pleased with myself.
[71] We needed a green Regulan in our show; the last one had quit four years ago.
[72] But just because we needed him didn't mean we had to be extravagant in hiring him.
[73] A Terraphile alien who goes to the extent of rechristening himself with a Terran monicker would work for nothing, or even pay us, just so long as we let him get to Earth.
[74] My conscience won't let me really exploit a being, but I don't believe in throwing money away, either.
[75] The next applicant was a beefy ursinoid from Aldebaran IX.
[76] Our outfit has all the ursinoids it needs or is likely to need in the next few decades, and so I got rid of him in a couple of minutes.
[77] He was followed by a roly-poly blue-skinned humanoid from Donovan's Planet, four feet high and five hundred pounds heavy.
[78] We already had a couple of his species in the show, but they made good crowd-pleasers, being so plump and cheerful.
[79] I passed him along to Auchinleck to sign at anything short of top rate.
[80] Next came a bedraggled Sirian spider who was more interested in a handout than a job.
[81] If there's any species we have a real over-supply of, it's those silver-colored spiders, but this seedy specimen gave it a try anyway.
[82] He got the gate in half a minute, and he didn't even get the handout he was angling for.
[83] I don't approve of begging.
[84] The flora of applicants was steady.
[85] Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet.
[86] We had figured to pick up plenty of new exhibits here and we were right.
[87] It was the isolationism of the late 29th century that turned me into the successful proprietor of Corrigan's Institute, after some years as an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system.
[88] Back in 2903, the World Congress declared Terra off-bounds for non-terrestrial beings, as an offshoot of the Terra for Terrans movement.
[89] Before then, anyone could visit Earth.
[90] After the gate clanged down, a non-terrestrial could only get onto Sol III as a specimen in a scientific collection—in short, as an exhibit in a zoo.
[91] That's what the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science really is, of course.
[92] A zoo.
[93] But we don't go out and hunt for our specimens; we advertise and they come flocking to us.
[94] Every alien wants to see Earth once in his lifetime, and there's only one way he can do it.
[95] We don't keep too big an inventory.
[96] At last count, we had 690 specimens before this trip, representing 298 different intelligent life-forms.
[97] My goal is at least one member of at least 500 different races.
[98] When I reach that, I'll sit back and let the competition catch up—if it can.
[99] After an hour of steady work that morning, we had signed eleven new specimens.
[100] At the same time, we had turned away a dozen ursinoids, fifty of the reptilian natives of Ghryne, seven Sirian spiders, and no less than nineteen chlorine-breathing Procyonites wearing gas masks.
[101] It was also my sad duty to nix a Vegan who was negotiating through a Ghrynian agent.
[102] A Vegan would be a top-flight attraction, being some 400 feet long and appropriately fearsome to the eye, but I didn't see how we could take one on.
[103] They're gentle and likable beings, but their upkeep runs into literally tons of fresh meat a day, and not just any old kind of meat either.
[104] So we had to do without the Vegan.
[105] "One more specimen before lunch," I told Stebbins, "to make it an even dozen."
[106] He looked at me queerly and nodded.
[107] A being entered.
[108] I took a long close look at the life-form when it came in, and after that I took another one.
[109] I wondered what kind of stunt was being pulled.
[110] So far as I could tell, the being was quite plainly nothing but an Earthman.
[111] He sat down facing me without being asked and crossed his legs.
[112] He was tall and extremely thin, with pale blue eyes and dirty-blond hair, and though he was clean and reasonably well dressed, he had a shabby look about him.
[113] He said, in level Terran accents, "I'm looking for a job with your outfit, Corrigan."
[114] "There's been a mistake.
[115] We're interested in non-terrestrials only."
[116] "I'm a non-terrestrial.
[117] My name is Ildwar Gorb, of the planet Wazzenazz XIII."
[118] I don't mind conning the public from time to time, but I draw the line at getting bilked myself.
[119] "Look, friend, I'm busy, and I'm not known for my sense of humor.
[120] Or my generosity."
[121] "I'm not panhandling.
[122] I'm looking for a job."
[123] "Then try elsewhere.
[124] Suppose you stop wasting my time, bud.
[125] You're as Earthborn as I am."
[126] "I've never been within a dozen parsecs of Earth," he said smoothly.
[127] "I happen to be a representative of the only Earthlike race that exists anywhere in the Galaxy but on Earth itself.
[128] Wazzenazz XIII is a small and little-known planet in the Crab Nebula.
[129] Through an evolutionary fluke, my race is identical with yours.
[130] Now, don't you want me in your circus?"
[131] "No.
[132] And it's not a circus.
[133] It's—" "A scientific institute.
[134] I stand corrected."
[135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
[136] I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
[137] Instead I played along.
[138] "If you're from such a distant place, how come you speak English so well?"
[139] "I'm not speaking.
[140] I'm a telepath—not the kind that reads minds, just the kind that projects.
[141] I communicate in symbols that you translate back to colloquial speech."
[142] "Very clever, Mr.
[143] Gorb."
[144] I grinned at him and shook my head.
[145] "You spin a good yarn—but for my money, you're really Sam Jones or Phil Smith from Earth, stranded here and out of cash.
[146] You want a free trip back to Earth.
[147] No deal.
[148] The demand for beings from Wazzenazz XIII is pretty low these days.
[149] Zero, in fact.
[150] Good-by, Mr.
[151] Gorb."
[152] He pointed a finger squarely at me and said, "You're making a big mistake.
[153] I'm just what your outfit needs.
[154] A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!
[155] Look here, examine my teeth.
[156] Absolutely like human teeth!
[157] And—" I pulled away from his yawning mouth.
[158] "Good-by, Mr. Gorb," I repeated.
[159] "All I ask is a contract, Corrigan.
[160] It isn't much.
[161] I'll be a big attraction.
[162] I'll—" " Good-by, Mr. Gorb! "
[163] He glowered at me reproachfully for a moment, stood up and sauntered to the door.
[164] "I thought you were a man of acumen, Corrigan.
[165] Well, think it over.
[166] Maybe you'll regret your hastiness.
[167] I'll be back to give you another chance."
[168] He slammed the door and I let my grim expression relax into a smile.
[169] This was the best con switch yet—an Earthman posing as an alien to get a job!
[170] But I wasn't buying it, even if I could appreciate his cleverness intellectually.
[171] There's no such place as Wazzenazz XIII and there's only one human race in the Galaxy—on Earth.
[172] I was going to need some real good reason before I gave a down-and-out grifter a free ticket home.
[173] I didn't know it then, but before the day was out, I would have that reason.
[174] And, with it, plenty of trouble on my hands.
[175] The first harbinger of woe turned up after lunch in the person of a Kallerian.
[176] The Kallerian was the sixth applicant that afternoon.
[177] I had turned away three more ursinoids, hired a vegetable from Miazan, and said no to a scaly pseudo-armadillo from one of the Delta Worlds.
[178] Hardly had the 'dillo scuttled dejectedly out of my office when the Kallerian came striding in, not even waiting for Stebbins to admit him officially.
[179] He was big even for his kind—in the neighborhood of nine feet high, and getting on toward a ton.
[180] He planted himself firmly on his three stocky feet, extended his massive arms in a Kallerian greeting-gesture, and growled, "I am Vallo Heraal, Freeman of Kaller IV.
[181] You will sign me immediately to a contract."
[182] "Sit down, Freeman Heraal.
[183] I like to make my own decisions, thanks."
[184] "You will grant me a contract!"
[185] "Will you please sit down?"
[186] He said sulkily, "I will remain standing."
[187] "As you prefer."
[188] My desk has a few concealed features which are sometimes useful in dealing with belligerent or disappointed life-forms.
[189] My fingers roamed to the meshgun trigger, just in case of trouble.
[190] The Kallerian stood motionless before me.
[191] They're hairy creatures, and this one had a coarse, thick mat of blue fur completely covering his body.
[192] Two fierce eyes glimmered out through the otherwise dense blanket of fur.
[193] He was wearing the kilt, girdle and ceremonial blaster of his warlike race.
[194] I said, "You'll have to understand, Freeman Heraal, that it's not our policy to maintain more than a few members of each species at our Institute.
[195] And we're not currently in need of any Kallerian males, because—" "You will hire me or trouble I will make!"
[196] I opened our inventory chart.
[197] I showed him that we were already carrying four Kallerians, and that was more than plenty.
[198] The beady little eyes flashed like beacons in the fur.
[199] "Yes, you have four representatives—of the Clan Verdrokh!
[200] None of the Clan Gursdrinn!
[201] For three years, I have waited for a chance to avenge this insult to the noble Clan Gursdrinn!"
[202] At the key-word avenge , I readied myself to ensnarl the Kallerian in a spume of tanglemesh the instant he went for his blaster, but he didn't move.
[203] He bellowed, "I have vowed a vow, Earthman.
[204] Take me to Earth, enroll a Gursdrinn, or the consequences will be terrible!"
[205] I'm a man of principles, like all straightforward double-dealers, and one of the most important of those principles is that I never let myself be bullied by anyone.
[206] "I deeply regret having unintentionally insulted your clan, Freeman Heraal.
[207] Will you accept my apologies?"
[208] He glared at me in silence.
[209] I went on, "Please be assured that I'll undo the insult at the earliest possible opportunity.
[210] It's not feasible for us to hire another Kallerian now, but I'll give preference to the Clan Gursdrinn as soon as a vacancy—" "No.
[211] You will hire me now."
[212] "It can't be done, Freeman Heraal.
[213] We have a budget, and we stick to it."
[214] "You will rue!
[215] I will take drastic measures!"
[216] "Threats will get you nowhere, Freeman Heraal.
[217] I give you my word I'll get in touch with you as soon as our organization has room for another Kallerian.
[218] And now, please, there are many applicants waiting—" You'd think it would be sort of humiliating to become a specimen in a zoo, but most of these races take it as an honor.
[219] And there's always the chance that, by picking a given member of a race, we're insulting all the others.
[220] I nudged the trouble-button on the side of my desk and Auchinleck and Ludlow appeared simultaneously from the two doors at right and left.
[221] They surrounded the towering Kallerian and sweet-talkingly led him away.
[222] He wasn't minded to quarrel physically, or he could have knocked them both into the next city with a backhand swipe of his shaggy paw, but he kept up a growling flow of invective and threats until he was out in the hall.
[223] I mopped sweat from my forehead and began to buzz Stebbins for the next applicant.
[224] But before my finger touched the button, the door popped open and a small being came scooting in, followed by an angry Stebbins.
[225] "Come here, you!"
[226] "Stebbins?"
[227] I said gently.
[228] "I'm sorry, Mr. Corrigan.
[229] I lost sight of this one for a moment, and he came running in—" "Please, please," squeaked the little alien pitifully.
[230] "I must see you, honored sir!"
[231] "It isn't his turn in line," Stebbins protested.
[232] "There are at least fifty ahead of him."
[233] "All right," I said tiredly.
[234] "As long as he's in here already, I might as well see him.
[235] Be more careful next time, Stebbins."
[236] Stebbins nodded dolefully and backed out.
[237] The alien was a pathetic sight: a Stortulian, a squirrely-looking creature about three feet high.
[238] His fur, which should have been a lustrous black, was a dull gray, and his eyes were wet and sad.
[239] His tail drooped.
[240] His voice was little more than a faint whimper, even at full volume.
[241] "Begging your most honored pardon most humbly, important sir.
[242] I am a being of Stortul XII, having sold my last few possessions to travel to Ghryne for the miserable purpose of obtaining an interview with yourself."
[243] I said, "I'd better tell you right at the outset that we're already carrying our full complement of Stortulians.
[244] We have both a male and a female now and—" "This is known to me.
[245] The female—is her name perchance Tiress?"
[246] I glanced down at the inventory chart until I found the Stortulian entry.
[247] "Yes, that's her name."
[248] The little being immediately emitted a soul-shaking gasp.
[249] "It is she!
[250] It is she!"
[251] "I'm afraid we don't have room for any more—" "You are not in full understanding of my plight.
[252] The female Tiress, she is—was—my own Fire-sent spouse, my comfort and my warmth, my life and my love."
[253] "Funny," I said.
[254] "When we signed her three years ago, she said she was single.
[255] It's right here on the chart."
[256] "She lied!
[257] She left my burrow because she longed to see the splendors of Earth.
[258] And I am alone, bound by our sacred customs never to remarry, languishing in sadness and pining for her return.
[259] You must take me to Earth!"
[260] "But—" "I must see her—her and this disgrace-bringing lover of hers.
[261] I must reason with her.
[262] Earthman, can't you see I must appeal to her inner flame?
[263] I must bring her back! "
[264] My face was expressionless.
[265] "You don't really intend to join our organization at all—you just want free passage to Earth?"
[266] "Yes, yes!"
[267] wailed the Stortulian.
[268] "Find some other member of my race, if you must!
[269] Let me have my wife again, Earthman!
[270] Is your heart a dead lump of stone?"
[271] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
[272] I felt sorry for this being's domestic troubles, but I wasn't going to break up a good act just to make an alien squirrel happy—not to mention footing the transportation.
[273] I said, "I don't see how we can manage it.
[274] The laws are very strict on the subject of bringing alien life to Earth.
[275] It has to be for scientific purposes only.
[276] And if I know in advance that your purpose in coming isn't scientific, I can't in all conscience lie for you, can I?"
[277] "Well—" "Of course not."
[278] I took advantage of his pathetic upset to steam right along.
[279] "Now if you had come in here and simply asked me to sign you up, I might conceivably have done it.
[280] But no—you had to go unburden your heart to me."
[281] "I thought the truth would move you."
[282] "It did.
[283] But in effect you're now asking me to conspire in a fraudulent criminal act.
[284] Friend, I can't do it.
[285] My reputation means too much to me," I said piously.
[286] "Then you will refuse me?"
[287] "My heart melts to nothingness for you.
[288] But I can't take you to Earth."
[289] "Perhaps you will send my wife to me here?"
[290] There's a clause in every contract that allows me to jettison an unwanted specimen.
[291] All I have to do is declare it no longer of scientific interest, and the World Government will deport the undesirable alien back to its home world.
[292] But I wouldn't pull a low trick like that on our female Stortulian.
[293] I said, "I'll ask her about coming home.
[294] But I won't ship her back against her will.
[295] And maybe she's happier where she is."
[296] The Stortulian seemed to shrivel.
[297] His eyelids closed half-way to mask his tears.
[298] He turned and shambled slowly to the door, walking like a living dishrag.
[299] In a bleak voice, he said, "There is no hope then.
[300] All is lost.
[301] I will never see my soulmate again.
[302] Good day, Earthman."
[303] He spoke in a drab monotone that almost, but not quite, had me weeping.
[304] I watched him shuffle out.
[305] I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
[306] About fifty more applicants were processed without a hitch.
[307] Then life started to get complicated again.
[308] Nine of the fifty were okay.
[309] The rest were unacceptable for one reason or another, and they took the bad news quietly enough.
[310] The haul for the day so far was close to two dozen new life-forms under contract.
[311] I had just about begun to forget about the incidents of the Kallerian's outraged pride and the Stortulian's flighty wife when the door opened and the Earthman who called himself Ildwar Gorb of Wazzenazz XIII stepped in.
[312] "How did you get in here?"
[313] I demanded.
[314] "Your man happened to be looking the wrong way," he said cheerily.
[315] "Change your mind about me yet?"
[316] "Get out before I have you thrown out."
[317] Gorb shrugged.
[318] "I figured you hadn't changed your mind, so I've changed my pitch a bit.
[319] If you won't believe I'm from Wazzenazz XIII, suppose I tell you that I am Earthborn, and that I'm looking for a job on your staff."
[320] "I don't care what your story is!
[321] Get out or—" "—you'll have me thrown out.
[322] Okay, okay.
[323] Just give me half a second.
[324] Corrigan, you're no fool, and neither am I—but that fellow of yours outside is .
[325] He doesn't know how to handle alien beings.
[326] How many times today has a life-form come in here unexpectedly?"
[327] I scowled at him.
[328] "Too damn many."
[329] "You see?
[330] He's incompetent.
[331] Suppose you fire him, take me on instead.
[332] I've been living in the outworlds half my life; I know all there is to know about alien life-forms.
[333] You can use me, Corrigan."
[334] I took a deep breath and glanced all around the paneled ceiling of the office before I spoke.
[335] "Listen, Gorb, or whatever your name is, I've had a hard day.
[336] There's been a Kallerian in here who just about threatened murder, and there's been a Stortulian in here who's about to commit suicide because of me.
[337] I have a conscience and it's troubling me.
[338] But get this: I just want to finish off my recruiting, pack up and go home to Earth.
[339] I don't want you hanging around here bothering me.
[340] I'm not looking to hire new staff members, and if you switch back to claiming you're an unknown life-form from Wazzenazz XIII, the answer is that I'm not looking for any of those either.
[341] Now will you scram or—" The office door crashed open at that point and Heraal, the Kallerian, came thundering in.
[342] He was dressed from head to toe in glittering metalfoil, and instead of his ceremonial blaster, he was wielding a sword the length of a human being.
[343] Stebbins and Auchinleck came dragging helplessly along in his wake, hanging desperately to his belt.
[344] "Sorry, Chief," Stebbins gasped.
[345] "I tried to keep him out, but—" Heraal, who had planted himself in front of my desk, drowned him out with a roar.
[346] "Earthman, you have mortally insulted the Clan Gursdrinn!"
[347] Sitting with my hands poised near the meshgun trigger, I was ready to let him have it at the first sight of actual violence.
[348] Heraal boomed, "You are responsible for what is to happen now.
[349] I have notified the authorities and you prosecuted will be for causing the death of a life-form!
[350] Suffer, Earthborn ape!
[351] Suffer!"
[352] "Watch it, Chief," Stebbins yelled.
[353] "He's going to—" An instant before my numb fingers could tighten on the meshgun trigger, Heraal swung that huge sword through the air and plunged it savagely through his body.
[354] He toppled forward onto the carpet with the sword projecting a couple of feet out of his back.
[355] A few driblets of bluish-purple blood spread from beneath him.
[356] Before I could react to the big life-form's hara-kiri, the office door flew open again and three sleek reptilian beings entered, garbed in the green sashes of the local police force.
[357] Their golden eyes goggled down at the figure on the floor, then came to rest on me.
[358] "You are J. F.
[359] Corrigan?"
[360] the leader asked.
[361] "Y-yes."
[362] "We have received word of a complaint against you.
[363] Said complaint being—" "—that your unethical actions have directly contributed to the untimely death of an intelligent life-form," filled in the second of the Ghrynian policemen.
[364] "The evidence lies before us," intoned the leader, "in the cadaver of the unfortunate Kallerian who filed the complaint with us several minutes ago."
[365] "And therefore," said the third lizard, "it is our duty to arrest you for this crime and declare you subject to a fine of no less than $100,000 Galactic or two years in prison."
[366] "Hold on!"
[367] I stormed.
[368] "You mean that any being from anywhere in the Universe can come in here and gut himself on my carpet, and I'm responsible?"
[369] "This is the law.
[370] Do you deny that your stubborn refusal to yield to this late life-form's request lies at the root of his sad demise?"
[371] "Well, no, but—" "Failure to deny is admission of guilt.
[372] You are guilty, Earthman."
[373] Closing my eyes wearily, I tried to wish the whole babbling lot of them away.
[374] If I had to, I could pony up the hundred-grand fine, but it was going to put an awful dent in this year's take.
[375] And I shuddered when I remembered that any minute that scrawny little Stortulian was likely to come bursting in here to kill himself too.
[376] Was it a fine of $100,000 per suicide?
[377] At that rate, I could be out of business by nightfall.
[378] I was spared further such morbid thoughts by yet another unannounced arrival.
[379] The small figure of the Stortulian trudged through the open doorway and stationed itself limply near the threshold.
[380] The three Ghrynian policemen and my three assistants forgot the dead Kallerian for a moment and turned to eye the newcomer.
[381] I had visions of unending troubles with the law here on Ghryne.
[382] I resolved never to come here on a recruiting trip again—or, if I did come, to figure out some more effective way of screening myself against crackpots.
[383] In heart-rending tones, the Stortulian declared, "Life is no longer worth living.
[384] My last hope is gone.
[385] There is only one thing left for me to do."
[386] I was quivering at the thought of another hundred thousand smackers going down the drain.
[387] "Stop him, somebody!
[388] He's going to kill himself!
[389] He's—" Then somebody sprinted toward me, hit me amidships, and knocked me flying out from behind my desk before I had a chance to fire the meshgun.
[390] My head walloped the floor, and for five or six seconds, I guess I wasn't fully aware of what was going on.
[391] Gradually the scene took shape around me.
[392] There was a monstrous hole in the wall behind my desk; a smoking blaster lay on the floor, and I saw the three Ghrynian policemen sitting on the raving Stortulian.
[393] The man who called himself Ildwar Gorb was getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
[394] He helped me up.
[395] "Sorry to have had to tackle you, Corrigan.
[396] But that Stortulian wasn't here to commit suicide, you see.
[397] He was out to get you."
[398] I weaved dizzily toward my desk and dropped into my chair.
[399] A flying fragment of wall had deflated my pneumatic cushion.
[400] The smell of ashed plaster was everywhere.
[401] The police were effectively cocooning the struggling little alien in an unbreakable tanglemesh.
[402] "Evidently you don't know as much as you think you do about Stortulian psychology, Corrigan," Gorb said lightly.
[403] "Suicide is completely abhorrent to them.
[404] When they're troubled, they kill the person who caused their trouble.
[405] In this case, you."
[406] I began to chuckle—more of a tension-relieving snicker than a full-bodied laugh.
[407] "Funny," I said.
[408] "What is?"
[409] asked the self-styled Wazzenazzian.
[410] "These aliens.
[411] Big blustery Heraal came in with murder in his eye and killed himself , and the pint-sized Stortulian who looked so meek and pathetic damn near blew my head off."
[412] I shuddered.
[413] "Thanks for the tackle job."
[414] "Don't mention it," Gorb said.
[415] I glared at the Ghrynian police.
[416] "Well?
[417] What are you waiting for?
[418] Take that murderous little beast out of here!
[419] Or isn't murder against the local laws?"
[420] "The Stortulian will be duly punished," replied the leader of the Ghrynian cops calmly.
[421] "But there is the matter of the dead Kallerian and the fine of—" "—one hundred thousand dollars.
[422] I know."
[423] I groaned and turned to Stebbins.
[424] "Get the Terran Consulate on the phone, Stebbins.
[425] Have them send down a legal adviser.
[426] Find out if there's any way we can get out of this mess with our skins intact."
[427] "Right, Chief."
[428] Stebbins moved toward the visiphone.
[429] Gorb stepped forward and put a hand on his chest.
[430] "Hold it," the Wazzenazzian said crisply.
[431] "The Consulate can't help you.
[432] I can."
[433] "You?"
[434] I said.
[435] "I can get you out of this cheap."
[436] " How cheap?"
[437] Gorb grinned rakishly.
[438] "Five thousand in cash plus a contract as a specimen with your outfit.
[439] In advance, of course.
[440] That's a heck of a lot better than forking over a hundred grand, isn't it?"
[441] I eyed Gorb uncertainly.
[442] The Terran Consulate people probably wouldn't be much help; they tried to keep out of local squabbles unless they were really serious, and I knew from past experiences that no officials ever worried much about the state of my pocketbook.
[443] On the other hand, giving this slyster a contract might be a risky proposition.
[444] "Tell you what," I said finally.
[445] "You've got yourself a deal—but on a contingency basis.
[446] Get me out of this and you'll have five grand and the contract.
[447] Otherwise, nothing."
[448] Gorb shrugged.
[449] "What have I to lose?" | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [174] And, with it, plenty of trouble on my hands.
2. [3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
3. [91] A zoo.
4. [93] But we don't go out and hunt for our specimens; we advertise and they come flocking to us.
5. [94] Every alien wants to see Earth once in his lifetime, and there's only one way he can do it.
6. [173] I didn't know it then, but before the day was out, I would have that reason.
7. [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
8. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
9. [4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
10. [5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
11. [12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
12. [85] Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet.
13. [87] It was the isolationism of the late 29th century that turned me into the successful proprietor of Corrigan's Institute, after some years as an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system.
14. [88] Back in 2903, the World Congress declared Terra off-bounds for non-terrestrial beings, as an offshoot of the Terra for Terrans movement.
15. [89] Before then, anyone could visit Earth.
16. [90] After the gate clanged down, a non-terrestrial could only get onto Sol III as a specimen in a scientific collection—in short, as an exhibit in a zoo.
17. [95] We don't keep too big an inventory.
18. [97] My goal is at least one member of at least 500 different races.
19. [99] After an hour of steady work that morning, we had signed eleven new specimens.
20. [100] At the same time, we had turned away a dozen ursinoids, fifty of the reptilian natives of Ghryne, seven Sirian spiders, and no less than nineteen chlorine-breathing Procyonites wearing gas masks.
21. [101] It was also my sad duty to nix a Vegan who was negotiating through a Ghrynian agent.
22. [102] A Vegan would be a top-flight attraction, being some 400 feet long and appropriately fearsome to the eye, but I didn't see how we could take one on.
23. [103] They're gentle and likable beings, but their upkeep runs into literally tons of fresh meat a day, and not just any old kind of meat either.
24. [105] "One more specimen before lunch," I told Stebbins, "to make it an even dozen."
25. [106] He looked at me queerly and nodded.
26. [107] A being entered.
27. [108] I took a long close look at the life-form when it came in, and after that I took another one.
28. [109] I wondered what kind of stunt was being pulled.
29. [110] So far as I could tell, the being was quite plainly nothing but an Earthman.
30. [116] "I'm a non-terrestrial. My name is Ildwar Gorb, of the planet Wazzenazz XIII."
31. [117] "I'm not panhandling. I'm looking for a job."
32. [127] "I happen to be a representative of the only Earthlike race that exists anywhere in the Galaxy but on Earth itself. Wazzenazz XIII is a small and little-known planet in the Crab Nebula."
33. [135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
34. [136] I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
35. [137] Instead I played along.
36. [139] "I'm not speaking. I'm a telepath—not the kind that reads minds, just the kind that projects."
37. [141] "I communicate in symbols that you translate back to colloquial speech."
38. [145] "You spin a good yarn—but for my money, you're really Sam Jones or Phil Smith from Earth, stranded here and out of cash. You want a free trip back to Earth."
39. [146] "No deal."
40. [152] "You're making a big mistake. I'm just what your outfit needs. A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!"
41. [159] "All I ask is a contract, Corrigan. It isn't much. I'll be a big attraction."
42. [164] "I thought you were a man of acumen, Corrigan. Well, think it over. Maybe you'll regret your hastiness."
43. [167] "I'll be back to give you another chance."
44. [169] This was the best con switch yet—an Earthman posing as an alien to get a job!
45. [170] But I wasn't buying it, even if I could appreciate his cleverness intellectually.
46. [171] There's no such place as Wazzenazz XIII and there's only one human race in the Galaxy—on Earth.
47. [172] I was going to need some real good reason before I gave a down-and-out grifter a free ticket home.
48. [175] The first harbinger of woe turned up after lunch in the person of a Kallerian.
49. [178] Hardly had the 'dillo scuttled dejectedly out of my office when the Kallerian came striding in, not even waiting for Stebbins to admit him officially.
50. [179] He was big even for his kind—in the neighborhood of nine feet high, and getting on toward a ton.
51. [180] He planted himself firmly on his three stocky feet, extended his massive arms in a Kallerian greeting-gesture, and growled, "I am Vallo Heraal, Freeman of Kaller IV. You will sign me immediately to a contract."
52. [188] My desk has a few concealed features which are sometimes useful in dealing with belligerent or disappointed life-forms.
53. [189] My fingers roamed to the meshgun trigger, just in case of trouble.
54. [192] They're hairy creatures, and this one had a coarse, thick mat of blue fur completely covering his body.
55. [193] Two fierce eyes glimmered out through the otherwise dense blanket of fur. He was wearing the kilt, girdle and ceremonial blaster of his warlike race.
56. [198] The beady little eyes flashed like beacons in the fur.
57. [199] "Yes, you have four representatives—of the Clan Verdrokh! None of the Clan Gursdrinn!"
58. [200] "For three years, I have waited for a chance to avenge this insult to the noble Clan Gursdrinn!"
59. [202] At the key-word avenge, I readied myself to ensnarl the Kallerian in a spume of tanglemesh the instant he went for his blaster, but he didn't move.
60. [203] He bellowed, "I have vowed a vow, Earthman. Take me to Earth, enroll a Gursdrinn, or the consequences will be terrible!"
61. [220] I nudged the trouble-button on the side of my desk and Auchinleck and Ludlow appeared simultaneously from the two doors at right and left.
62. [221] They surrounded the towering Kallerian and sweet-talkingly led him away.
63. [222] He wasn't minded to quarrel physically, or he could have knocked them both into the next city with a backhand swipe of his shaggy paw, but he kept up a growling flow of invective and threats until he was out in the hall.
64. [223] I mopped sweat from my forehead and began to buzz Stebbins for the next applicant.
65. [224] But before my finger touched the button, the door popped open and a small being came scooting in, followed by an angry Stebbins.
66. [225] "Come here, you!"
67. [226] "Stebbins?"
68. [227] I said gently.
69. [228] "I'm sorry, Mr. Corrigan. I lost sight of this one for a moment, and he came running in—"
70. [229] "Please, please," squeaked the little alien pitifully. "I must see you, honored sir!"
71. [230] "It isn't his turn in line," Stebbins protested. "There are at least fifty ahead of him."
72. [231] "All right," I said tiredly. "As long as he's in here already, I might as well see him. Be more careful next time, Stebbins."
73. [237] The alien was a pathetic sight: a Stortulian, a squirrely-looking creature about three feet high.
74. [238] His fur, which should have been a lustrous black, was a dull gray, and his eyes were wet and sad. His tail drooped.
75. [239] His voice was little more than a faint whimper, even at full volume.
76. [240] "Begging your most honored pardon most humbly, important sir. I am a being of Stortul XII, having sold my last few possessions to travel to Ghryne for the miserable purpose of obtaining an interview with yourself."
77. [241] I said, "I'd better tell you right at the outset that we're already carrying our full complement of Stortulians."
78. [242] "This is known to me. The female—is her name perchance Tiress?"
79. [243] I glanced down at the inventory chart until I found the Stortulian entry. "Yes, that's her name."
80. [248] The little being immediately emitted a soul-shaking gasp. "It is she! It is she!"
81. [249] "The female Tiress, she is—was—my own Fire-sent spouse, my comfort and my warmth, my life and my love."
82. [250] "Funny," I said. "When we signed her three years ago, she said she was single."
83. [251] "She lied! She left my burrow because she longed to see the splendors of Earth. And I am alone, bound by our sacred customs never to remarry, languishing in sadness and pining for her return. You must take me to Earth!"
84. [264] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
85. [265] I felt sorry for this being's domestic troubles, but I wasn't going to break up a good act just to make an alien squirrel happy—not to mention footing the transportation.
86. [290] There's a clause in every contract that allows me to jettison an unwanted specimen. All I have to do is declare it no longer of scientific interest, and the World Government will deport the undesirable alien back to its home world.
87. [291] But I wouldn't pull a low trick like that on our female Stortulian.
88. [292] I said, "I'll ask her about coming home. But I won't ship her back against her will. And maybe she's happier where she is."
89. [303] I watched him shuffle out. I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
90. [304] About fifty more applicants were processed without a hitch.
91. [305] Then life started to get complicated again.
92. [306] Nine of the fifty were okay. The rest were unacceptable for one reason or another, and they took the bad news quietly enough.
93. [307] The haul for the day so far was close to two dozen new life-forms under contract.
94. [308] I had just about begun to forget about the incidents of the Kallerian's outraged pride and the Stortulian's flighty wife when the door opened and the Earthman who called himself Ildwar Gorb of Wazzenazz XIII stepped in.
95. [311] I had visions of unending troubles with the law here on Ghryne.
96. [312] I resolved never to come here on a recruiting trip again—or, if I did come, to figure out some more effective way of screening myself against crackpots.
97. [340] The police were effectively cocooning the struggling little alien in an unbreakable tanglemesh.
98. [341] "Evidently you don't know as much as you think you do about Stortulian psychology, Corrigan," Gorb said lightly. "Suicide is completely abhorrent to them. When they're troubled, they kill the person who caused their trouble. In this case, you."
99. [352] An instant before my numb fingers could tighten on the meshgun trigger, Heraal swung that huge sword through the air and plunged it savagely through his body.
100. [353] He toppled forward onto the carpet with the sword projecting a couple of feet out of his back. |
Who is Mr. Fitzgerald and what happens to him in the story? | [
"Lawrence Raymond Fitzgerald is a being of Regulus II, who is a self-procclaimed Terrophile, who changed his name to a famous human’s which pleases Mr. Corrigan.\nMr. Fitzgerald had a very deep voice, and was a yellow-green spherical shape the size of a basketball, with two double-kneed legs and five double-elbowed arms. He had size eyes, one with no eyelid right at the top of his head, and a mouth with no teeth.\nHe was fortunate to be in-demand for the zoo - Mr. Corrigan saying that he needed a Regulan - and is signed extremely quickly onto contract with Mr. Corrigan during his interview. He’ll be paid $50 Galactic per week on Earth, which is very pleasing for him.",
"Mr. Fitzgerald is a Regulan, an alien with two legs, five arms covered with eyes and two elbows, and of a chartreuse-y color. His shape is similar to a basketball, and his face features one eyeball and a large toothless mouth. He introduces himself as Lawrence R. Fitzgerald, the R standing for Raymond, and says he came from Regulus II. He chose a Terra name to show how dedicated he is to Earth. He calls himself a Terraphile. \nMr. Fitzgerald wants to be a member of Corrigan’s Institute so he can live on Earth, and Mr. Corrigan can see that clear as day. He offers him half the pay that everyone else normally receives, and Mr. Fitzgerald accepts it happily. He will be able to see Earth after all, but he was scammed.",
"Lawrence R. Fitzgerald is a Regulan from the planet Regulus II in the Caledonia Cluster. He is a round, yellowish-green creature about the size of a big basketball. He stands on two spindly double-kneed legs and has five double-elbowed arms spaced around his body. Fitzgerald has a large, toothless mouth and five eyes above each arm. At the top of his head is an eye without an eyelid. He is a little bit shy and nervous and speaks in a deep, respectful voice when Mr. Corrigan interviews him for an exhibition position with his zoo. Fitzgerald demonstrates his knowledge of the requirements and benefits of the position and accepts the lower pay of $50 Galactic per week purely because he considers himself a Terraphile and wants nothing more than to see Earth. In fact, he loves Earth so much that he shed his Regulan name and took on the name of Lawrence Raymond Fitzgerald. The Regulan gesture for an apologetic smile involves closing the eyes and turning around 360-degrees, which Fitzgerald does when he reveals the truth about his name to Mr. Corrigan. Corrigan is so pleased with Mr. Fitzgerald that he hires him immediately for the show, and Fitzgerald claps his many hands in celebration.",
"Lawrence Raymond Fitzgerald is the first alien that Corrigan interviews. He is a creature from Regulus II, a basketball-sized, yellow-green globular being with five double-elbowed arms, two double-kneed legs, five eyes, and a gaping, toothless mouth. Fitzgerald boldly declares that he is a Terraphile and has changed his name for that reason. He also states that he needs no special care and is not a fugitive from any world law, showing that he would not be a burden if he is hired. He says he understands the terms, which involve being placed on exhibition for a maximum of one-third of each sidereal Terran day in exchange for transportation and expenses, terms that he is happy to accept. Corrigan hires him on the spot for $50 Galactic per week, which is half their usual rate. Fitz, of course, doesn’t know this, but is thrilled to be hired and accepts the offer immediately."
] | [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
[4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
[5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
[6] My three staff men, Auchinleck, Stebbins and Ludlow, walked shieldwise in front of me.
[7] I peered between them to size the crop up.
[8] The aliens came in every shape and form, in all colors and textures—and all of them eager for a Corrigan contract.
[9] The Galaxy is full of bizarre beings, but there's barely a species anywhere that can resist the old exhibitionist urge.
[10] "Send them in one at a time," I told Stebbins.
[11] I ducked into the office, took my place back of the desk and waited for the procession to begin.
[12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
[13] I thought of it privately as MacTavish IV and referred to it publicly as Ghryne.
[14] I believe in keeping the locals happy wherever I go.
[15] Through the front window of the office, I could see our big gay tridim sign plastered to a facing wall: WANTED—EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
[16] We had saturated MacTavish IV with our promotional poop for a month preceding arrival.
[17] Stuff like this: Want to visit Earth—see the Galaxy's most glittering and exclusive world?
[18] Want to draw good pay, work short hours, experience the thrills of show business on romantic Terra?
[19] If you are a non-terrestrial, there may be a place for you in the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science.
[20] No freaks wanted—normal beings only.
[21] J. F. Corrigan will hold interviews in person on Ghryne from Thirdday to Fifthday of Tenmonth.
[22] His last visit to the Caledonia Cluster until 2937, so don't miss your chance!
[23] Hurry!
[24] A life of wonder and riches can be yours!
[25] Broadsides like that, distributed wholesale in half a thousand languages, always bring them running.
[26] And the Corrigan Institute really packs in the crowds back on Earth.
[27] Why not?
[28] It's the best of its kind, the only really decent place where Earthmen can get a gander at the other species of the universe.
[29] The office buzzer sounded.
[30] Auchinleck said unctuously, "The first applicant is ready to see you, sir."
[31] "Send him, her or it in."
[32] The door opened and a timid-looking life-form advanced toward me on nervous little legs.
[33] He was a globular creature about the size of a big basketball, yellowish-green, with two spindly double-kneed legs and five double-elbowed arms, the latter spaced regularly around his body.
[34] There was a lidless eye at the top of his head and five lidded ones, one above each arm.
[35] Plus a big, gaping, toothless mouth.
[36] His voice was a surprisingly resounding basso.
[37] "You are Mr.
[38] Corrigan?"
[39] "That's right."
[40] I reached for a data blank.
[41] "Before we begin, I'll need certain information about—" "I am a being of Regulus II," came the grave, booming reply, even before I had picked up the blank.
[42] "I need no special care and I am not a fugitive from the law of any world."
[43] "Your name?"
[44] "Lawrence R.
[45] Fitzgerald."
[46] I throttled my exclamation of surprise, concealing it behind a quick cough.
[47] "Let me have that again, please?"
[48] "Certainly.
[49] My name is Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[50] The 'R' stands for Raymond."
[51] "Of course, that's not the name you were born with."
[52] The being closed his eyes and toddled around in a 360-degree rotation, remaining in place.
[53] On his world, that gesture is the equivalent of an apologetic smile.
[54] "My Regulan name no longer matters.
[55] I am now and shall evermore be Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[56] I am a Terraphile, you see."
[57] The little Regulan was as good as hired.
[58] Only the formalities remained.
[59] "You understand our terms, Mr.
[60] Fitzgerald?"
[61] "I'll be placed on exhibition at your Institute on Earth.
[62] You'll pay for my services, transportation and expenses.
[63] I'll be required to remain on exhibit no more than one-third of each Terran sidereal day."
[64] "And the pay will be—ah—$50 Galactic a week, plus expenses and transportation."
[65] The spherical creature clapped his hands in joy, three hands clapping on one side, two on the other.
[66] "Wonderful!
[67] I will see Earth at last!
[68] I accept the terms!"
[69] I buzzed for Ludlow and gave him the fast signal that meant we were signing this alien up at half the usual pay, and Ludlow took him into the other office to sign him up.
[70] I grinned, pleased with myself.
[71] We needed a green Regulan in our show; the last one had quit four years ago.
[72] But just because we needed him didn't mean we had to be extravagant in hiring him.
[73] A Terraphile alien who goes to the extent of rechristening himself with a Terran monicker would work for nothing, or even pay us, just so long as we let him get to Earth.
[74] My conscience won't let me really exploit a being, but I don't believe in throwing money away, either.
[75] The next applicant was a beefy ursinoid from Aldebaran IX.
[76] Our outfit has all the ursinoids it needs or is likely to need in the next few decades, and so I got rid of him in a couple of minutes.
[77] He was followed by a roly-poly blue-skinned humanoid from Donovan's Planet, four feet high and five hundred pounds heavy.
[78] We already had a couple of his species in the show, but they made good crowd-pleasers, being so plump and cheerful.
[79] I passed him along to Auchinleck to sign at anything short of top rate.
[80] Next came a bedraggled Sirian spider who was more interested in a handout than a job.
[81] If there's any species we have a real over-supply of, it's those silver-colored spiders, but this seedy specimen gave it a try anyway.
[82] He got the gate in half a minute, and he didn't even get the handout he was angling for.
[83] I don't approve of begging.
[84] The flora of applicants was steady.
[85] Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet.
[86] We had figured to pick up plenty of new exhibits here and we were right.
[87] It was the isolationism of the late 29th century that turned me into the successful proprietor of Corrigan's Institute, after some years as an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system.
[88] Back in 2903, the World Congress declared Terra off-bounds for non-terrestrial beings, as an offshoot of the Terra for Terrans movement.
[89] Before then, anyone could visit Earth.
[90] After the gate clanged down, a non-terrestrial could only get onto Sol III as a specimen in a scientific collection—in short, as an exhibit in a zoo.
[91] That's what the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science really is, of course.
[92] A zoo.
[93] But we don't go out and hunt for our specimens; we advertise and they come flocking to us.
[94] Every alien wants to see Earth once in his lifetime, and there's only one way he can do it.
[95] We don't keep too big an inventory.
[96] At last count, we had 690 specimens before this trip, representing 298 different intelligent life-forms.
[97] My goal is at least one member of at least 500 different races.
[98] When I reach that, I'll sit back and let the competition catch up—if it can.
[99] After an hour of steady work that morning, we had signed eleven new specimens.
[100] At the same time, we had turned away a dozen ursinoids, fifty of the reptilian natives of Ghryne, seven Sirian spiders, and no less than nineteen chlorine-breathing Procyonites wearing gas masks.
[101] It was also my sad duty to nix a Vegan who was negotiating through a Ghrynian agent.
[102] A Vegan would be a top-flight attraction, being some 400 feet long and appropriately fearsome to the eye, but I didn't see how we could take one on.
[103] They're gentle and likable beings, but their upkeep runs into literally tons of fresh meat a day, and not just any old kind of meat either.
[104] So we had to do without the Vegan.
[105] "One more specimen before lunch," I told Stebbins, "to make it an even dozen."
[106] He looked at me queerly and nodded.
[107] A being entered.
[108] I took a long close look at the life-form when it came in, and after that I took another one.
[109] I wondered what kind of stunt was being pulled.
[110] So far as I could tell, the being was quite plainly nothing but an Earthman.
[111] He sat down facing me without being asked and crossed his legs.
[112] He was tall and extremely thin, with pale blue eyes and dirty-blond hair, and though he was clean and reasonably well dressed, he had a shabby look about him.
[113] He said, in level Terran accents, "I'm looking for a job with your outfit, Corrigan."
[114] "There's been a mistake.
[115] We're interested in non-terrestrials only."
[116] "I'm a non-terrestrial.
[117] My name is Ildwar Gorb, of the planet Wazzenazz XIII."
[118] I don't mind conning the public from time to time, but I draw the line at getting bilked myself.
[119] "Look, friend, I'm busy, and I'm not known for my sense of humor.
[120] Or my generosity."
[121] "I'm not panhandling.
[122] I'm looking for a job."
[123] "Then try elsewhere.
[124] Suppose you stop wasting my time, bud.
[125] You're as Earthborn as I am."
[126] "I've never been within a dozen parsecs of Earth," he said smoothly.
[127] "I happen to be a representative of the only Earthlike race that exists anywhere in the Galaxy but on Earth itself.
[128] Wazzenazz XIII is a small and little-known planet in the Crab Nebula.
[129] Through an evolutionary fluke, my race is identical with yours.
[130] Now, don't you want me in your circus?"
[131] "No.
[132] And it's not a circus.
[133] It's—" "A scientific institute.
[134] I stand corrected."
[135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
[136] I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
[137] Instead I played along.
[138] "If you're from such a distant place, how come you speak English so well?"
[139] "I'm not speaking.
[140] I'm a telepath—not the kind that reads minds, just the kind that projects.
[141] I communicate in symbols that you translate back to colloquial speech."
[142] "Very clever, Mr.
[143] Gorb."
[144] I grinned at him and shook my head.
[145] "You spin a good yarn—but for my money, you're really Sam Jones or Phil Smith from Earth, stranded here and out of cash.
[146] You want a free trip back to Earth.
[147] No deal.
[148] The demand for beings from Wazzenazz XIII is pretty low these days.
[149] Zero, in fact.
[150] Good-by, Mr.
[151] Gorb."
[152] He pointed a finger squarely at me and said, "You're making a big mistake.
[153] I'm just what your outfit needs.
[154] A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!
[155] Look here, examine my teeth.
[156] Absolutely like human teeth!
[157] And—" I pulled away from his yawning mouth.
[158] "Good-by, Mr. Gorb," I repeated.
[159] "All I ask is a contract, Corrigan.
[160] It isn't much.
[161] I'll be a big attraction.
[162] I'll—" " Good-by, Mr. Gorb! "
[163] He glowered at me reproachfully for a moment, stood up and sauntered to the door.
[164] "I thought you were a man of acumen, Corrigan.
[165] Well, think it over.
[166] Maybe you'll regret your hastiness.
[167] I'll be back to give you another chance."
[168] He slammed the door and I let my grim expression relax into a smile.
[169] This was the best con switch yet—an Earthman posing as an alien to get a job!
[170] But I wasn't buying it, even if I could appreciate his cleverness intellectually.
[171] There's no such place as Wazzenazz XIII and there's only one human race in the Galaxy—on Earth.
[172] I was going to need some real good reason before I gave a down-and-out grifter a free ticket home.
[173] I didn't know it then, but before the day was out, I would have that reason.
[174] And, with it, plenty of trouble on my hands.
[175] The first harbinger of woe turned up after lunch in the person of a Kallerian.
[176] The Kallerian was the sixth applicant that afternoon.
[177] I had turned away three more ursinoids, hired a vegetable from Miazan, and said no to a scaly pseudo-armadillo from one of the Delta Worlds.
[178] Hardly had the 'dillo scuttled dejectedly out of my office when the Kallerian came striding in, not even waiting for Stebbins to admit him officially.
[179] He was big even for his kind—in the neighborhood of nine feet high, and getting on toward a ton.
[180] He planted himself firmly on his three stocky feet, extended his massive arms in a Kallerian greeting-gesture, and growled, "I am Vallo Heraal, Freeman of Kaller IV.
[181] You will sign me immediately to a contract."
[182] "Sit down, Freeman Heraal.
[183] I like to make my own decisions, thanks."
[184] "You will grant me a contract!"
[185] "Will you please sit down?"
[186] He said sulkily, "I will remain standing."
[187] "As you prefer."
[188] My desk has a few concealed features which are sometimes useful in dealing with belligerent or disappointed life-forms.
[189] My fingers roamed to the meshgun trigger, just in case of trouble.
[190] The Kallerian stood motionless before me.
[191] They're hairy creatures, and this one had a coarse, thick mat of blue fur completely covering his body.
[192] Two fierce eyes glimmered out through the otherwise dense blanket of fur.
[193] He was wearing the kilt, girdle and ceremonial blaster of his warlike race.
[194] I said, "You'll have to understand, Freeman Heraal, that it's not our policy to maintain more than a few members of each species at our Institute.
[195] And we're not currently in need of any Kallerian males, because—" "You will hire me or trouble I will make!"
[196] I opened our inventory chart.
[197] I showed him that we were already carrying four Kallerians, and that was more than plenty.
[198] The beady little eyes flashed like beacons in the fur.
[199] "Yes, you have four representatives—of the Clan Verdrokh!
[200] None of the Clan Gursdrinn!
[201] For three years, I have waited for a chance to avenge this insult to the noble Clan Gursdrinn!"
[202] At the key-word avenge , I readied myself to ensnarl the Kallerian in a spume of tanglemesh the instant he went for his blaster, but he didn't move.
[203] He bellowed, "I have vowed a vow, Earthman.
[204] Take me to Earth, enroll a Gursdrinn, or the consequences will be terrible!"
[205] I'm a man of principles, like all straightforward double-dealers, and one of the most important of those principles is that I never let myself be bullied by anyone.
[206] "I deeply regret having unintentionally insulted your clan, Freeman Heraal.
[207] Will you accept my apologies?"
[208] He glared at me in silence.
[209] I went on, "Please be assured that I'll undo the insult at the earliest possible opportunity.
[210] It's not feasible for us to hire another Kallerian now, but I'll give preference to the Clan Gursdrinn as soon as a vacancy—" "No.
[211] You will hire me now."
[212] "It can't be done, Freeman Heraal.
[213] We have a budget, and we stick to it."
[214] "You will rue!
[215] I will take drastic measures!"
[216] "Threats will get you nowhere, Freeman Heraal.
[217] I give you my word I'll get in touch with you as soon as our organization has room for another Kallerian.
[218] And now, please, there are many applicants waiting—" You'd think it would be sort of humiliating to become a specimen in a zoo, but most of these races take it as an honor.
[219] And there's always the chance that, by picking a given member of a race, we're insulting all the others.
[220] I nudged the trouble-button on the side of my desk and Auchinleck and Ludlow appeared simultaneously from the two doors at right and left.
[221] They surrounded the towering Kallerian and sweet-talkingly led him away.
[222] He wasn't minded to quarrel physically, or he could have knocked them both into the next city with a backhand swipe of his shaggy paw, but he kept up a growling flow of invective and threats until he was out in the hall.
[223] I mopped sweat from my forehead and began to buzz Stebbins for the next applicant.
[224] But before my finger touched the button, the door popped open and a small being came scooting in, followed by an angry Stebbins.
[225] "Come here, you!"
[226] "Stebbins?"
[227] I said gently.
[228] "I'm sorry, Mr. Corrigan.
[229] I lost sight of this one for a moment, and he came running in—" "Please, please," squeaked the little alien pitifully.
[230] "I must see you, honored sir!"
[231] "It isn't his turn in line," Stebbins protested.
[232] "There are at least fifty ahead of him."
[233] "All right," I said tiredly.
[234] "As long as he's in here already, I might as well see him.
[235] Be more careful next time, Stebbins."
[236] Stebbins nodded dolefully and backed out.
[237] The alien was a pathetic sight: a Stortulian, a squirrely-looking creature about three feet high.
[238] His fur, which should have been a lustrous black, was a dull gray, and his eyes were wet and sad.
[239] His tail drooped.
[240] His voice was little more than a faint whimper, even at full volume.
[241] "Begging your most honored pardon most humbly, important sir.
[242] I am a being of Stortul XII, having sold my last few possessions to travel to Ghryne for the miserable purpose of obtaining an interview with yourself."
[243] I said, "I'd better tell you right at the outset that we're already carrying our full complement of Stortulians.
[244] We have both a male and a female now and—" "This is known to me.
[245] The female—is her name perchance Tiress?"
[246] I glanced down at the inventory chart until I found the Stortulian entry.
[247] "Yes, that's her name."
[248] The little being immediately emitted a soul-shaking gasp.
[249] "It is she!
[250] It is she!"
[251] "I'm afraid we don't have room for any more—" "You are not in full understanding of my plight.
[252] The female Tiress, she is—was—my own Fire-sent spouse, my comfort and my warmth, my life and my love."
[253] "Funny," I said.
[254] "When we signed her three years ago, she said she was single.
[255] It's right here on the chart."
[256] "She lied!
[257] She left my burrow because she longed to see the splendors of Earth.
[258] And I am alone, bound by our sacred customs never to remarry, languishing in sadness and pining for her return.
[259] You must take me to Earth!"
[260] "But—" "I must see her—her and this disgrace-bringing lover of hers.
[261] I must reason with her.
[262] Earthman, can't you see I must appeal to her inner flame?
[263] I must bring her back! "
[264] My face was expressionless.
[265] "You don't really intend to join our organization at all—you just want free passage to Earth?"
[266] "Yes, yes!"
[267] wailed the Stortulian.
[268] "Find some other member of my race, if you must!
[269] Let me have my wife again, Earthman!
[270] Is your heart a dead lump of stone?"
[271] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
[272] I felt sorry for this being's domestic troubles, but I wasn't going to break up a good act just to make an alien squirrel happy—not to mention footing the transportation.
[273] I said, "I don't see how we can manage it.
[274] The laws are very strict on the subject of bringing alien life to Earth.
[275] It has to be for scientific purposes only.
[276] And if I know in advance that your purpose in coming isn't scientific, I can't in all conscience lie for you, can I?"
[277] "Well—" "Of course not."
[278] I took advantage of his pathetic upset to steam right along.
[279] "Now if you had come in here and simply asked me to sign you up, I might conceivably have done it.
[280] But no—you had to go unburden your heart to me."
[281] "I thought the truth would move you."
[282] "It did.
[283] But in effect you're now asking me to conspire in a fraudulent criminal act.
[284] Friend, I can't do it.
[285] My reputation means too much to me," I said piously.
[286] "Then you will refuse me?"
[287] "My heart melts to nothingness for you.
[288] But I can't take you to Earth."
[289] "Perhaps you will send my wife to me here?"
[290] There's a clause in every contract that allows me to jettison an unwanted specimen.
[291] All I have to do is declare it no longer of scientific interest, and the World Government will deport the undesirable alien back to its home world.
[292] But I wouldn't pull a low trick like that on our female Stortulian.
[293] I said, "I'll ask her about coming home.
[294] But I won't ship her back against her will.
[295] And maybe she's happier where she is."
[296] The Stortulian seemed to shrivel.
[297] His eyelids closed half-way to mask his tears.
[298] He turned and shambled slowly to the door, walking like a living dishrag.
[299] In a bleak voice, he said, "There is no hope then.
[300] All is lost.
[301] I will never see my soulmate again.
[302] Good day, Earthman."
[303] He spoke in a drab monotone that almost, but not quite, had me weeping.
[304] I watched him shuffle out.
[305] I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
[306] About fifty more applicants were processed without a hitch.
[307] Then life started to get complicated again.
[308] Nine of the fifty were okay.
[309] The rest were unacceptable for one reason or another, and they took the bad news quietly enough.
[310] The haul for the day so far was close to two dozen new life-forms under contract.
[311] I had just about begun to forget about the incidents of the Kallerian's outraged pride and the Stortulian's flighty wife when the door opened and the Earthman who called himself Ildwar Gorb of Wazzenazz XIII stepped in.
[312] "How did you get in here?"
[313] I demanded.
[314] "Your man happened to be looking the wrong way," he said cheerily.
[315] "Change your mind about me yet?"
[316] "Get out before I have you thrown out."
[317] Gorb shrugged.
[318] "I figured you hadn't changed your mind, so I've changed my pitch a bit.
[319] If you won't believe I'm from Wazzenazz XIII, suppose I tell you that I am Earthborn, and that I'm looking for a job on your staff."
[320] "I don't care what your story is!
[321] Get out or—" "—you'll have me thrown out.
[322] Okay, okay.
[323] Just give me half a second.
[324] Corrigan, you're no fool, and neither am I—but that fellow of yours outside is .
[325] He doesn't know how to handle alien beings.
[326] How many times today has a life-form come in here unexpectedly?"
[327] I scowled at him.
[328] "Too damn many."
[329] "You see?
[330] He's incompetent.
[331] Suppose you fire him, take me on instead.
[332] I've been living in the outworlds half my life; I know all there is to know about alien life-forms.
[333] You can use me, Corrigan."
[334] I took a deep breath and glanced all around the paneled ceiling of the office before I spoke.
[335] "Listen, Gorb, or whatever your name is, I've had a hard day.
[336] There's been a Kallerian in here who just about threatened murder, and there's been a Stortulian in here who's about to commit suicide because of me.
[337] I have a conscience and it's troubling me.
[338] But get this: I just want to finish off my recruiting, pack up and go home to Earth.
[339] I don't want you hanging around here bothering me.
[340] I'm not looking to hire new staff members, and if you switch back to claiming you're an unknown life-form from Wazzenazz XIII, the answer is that I'm not looking for any of those either.
[341] Now will you scram or—" The office door crashed open at that point and Heraal, the Kallerian, came thundering in.
[342] He was dressed from head to toe in glittering metalfoil, and instead of his ceremonial blaster, he was wielding a sword the length of a human being.
[343] Stebbins and Auchinleck came dragging helplessly along in his wake, hanging desperately to his belt.
[344] "Sorry, Chief," Stebbins gasped.
[345] "I tried to keep him out, but—" Heraal, who had planted himself in front of my desk, drowned him out with a roar.
[346] "Earthman, you have mortally insulted the Clan Gursdrinn!"
[347] Sitting with my hands poised near the meshgun trigger, I was ready to let him have it at the first sight of actual violence.
[348] Heraal boomed, "You are responsible for what is to happen now.
[349] I have notified the authorities and you prosecuted will be for causing the death of a life-form!
[350] Suffer, Earthborn ape!
[351] Suffer!"
[352] "Watch it, Chief," Stebbins yelled.
[353] "He's going to—" An instant before my numb fingers could tighten on the meshgun trigger, Heraal swung that huge sword through the air and plunged it savagely through his body.
[354] He toppled forward onto the carpet with the sword projecting a couple of feet out of his back.
[355] A few driblets of bluish-purple blood spread from beneath him.
[356] Before I could react to the big life-form's hara-kiri, the office door flew open again and three sleek reptilian beings entered, garbed in the green sashes of the local police force.
[357] Their golden eyes goggled down at the figure on the floor, then came to rest on me.
[358] "You are J. F.
[359] Corrigan?"
[360] the leader asked.
[361] "Y-yes."
[362] "We have received word of a complaint against you.
[363] Said complaint being—" "—that your unethical actions have directly contributed to the untimely death of an intelligent life-form," filled in the second of the Ghrynian policemen.
[364] "The evidence lies before us," intoned the leader, "in the cadaver of the unfortunate Kallerian who filed the complaint with us several minutes ago."
[365] "And therefore," said the third lizard, "it is our duty to arrest you for this crime and declare you subject to a fine of no less than $100,000 Galactic or two years in prison."
[366] "Hold on!"
[367] I stormed.
[368] "You mean that any being from anywhere in the Universe can come in here and gut himself on my carpet, and I'm responsible?"
[369] "This is the law.
[370] Do you deny that your stubborn refusal to yield to this late life-form's request lies at the root of his sad demise?"
[371] "Well, no, but—" "Failure to deny is admission of guilt.
[372] You are guilty, Earthman."
[373] Closing my eyes wearily, I tried to wish the whole babbling lot of them away.
[374] If I had to, I could pony up the hundred-grand fine, but it was going to put an awful dent in this year's take.
[375] And I shuddered when I remembered that any minute that scrawny little Stortulian was likely to come bursting in here to kill himself too.
[376] Was it a fine of $100,000 per suicide?
[377] At that rate, I could be out of business by nightfall.
[378] I was spared further such morbid thoughts by yet another unannounced arrival.
[379] The small figure of the Stortulian trudged through the open doorway and stationed itself limply near the threshold.
[380] The three Ghrynian policemen and my three assistants forgot the dead Kallerian for a moment and turned to eye the newcomer.
[381] I had visions of unending troubles with the law here on Ghryne.
[382] I resolved never to come here on a recruiting trip again—or, if I did come, to figure out some more effective way of screening myself against crackpots.
[383] In heart-rending tones, the Stortulian declared, "Life is no longer worth living.
[384] My last hope is gone.
[385] There is only one thing left for me to do."
[386] I was quivering at the thought of another hundred thousand smackers going down the drain.
[387] "Stop him, somebody!
[388] He's going to kill himself!
[389] He's—" Then somebody sprinted toward me, hit me amidships, and knocked me flying out from behind my desk before I had a chance to fire the meshgun.
[390] My head walloped the floor, and for five or six seconds, I guess I wasn't fully aware of what was going on.
[391] Gradually the scene took shape around me.
[392] There was a monstrous hole in the wall behind my desk; a smoking blaster lay on the floor, and I saw the three Ghrynian policemen sitting on the raving Stortulian.
[393] The man who called himself Ildwar Gorb was getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
[394] He helped me up.
[395] "Sorry to have had to tackle you, Corrigan.
[396] But that Stortulian wasn't here to commit suicide, you see.
[397] He was out to get you."
[398] I weaved dizzily toward my desk and dropped into my chair.
[399] A flying fragment of wall had deflated my pneumatic cushion.
[400] The smell of ashed plaster was everywhere.
[401] The police were effectively cocooning the struggling little alien in an unbreakable tanglemesh.
[402] "Evidently you don't know as much as you think you do about Stortulian psychology, Corrigan," Gorb said lightly.
[403] "Suicide is completely abhorrent to them.
[404] When they're troubled, they kill the person who caused their trouble.
[405] In this case, you."
[406] I began to chuckle—more of a tension-relieving snicker than a full-bodied laugh.
[407] "Funny," I said.
[408] "What is?"
[409] asked the self-styled Wazzenazzian.
[410] "These aliens.
[411] Big blustery Heraal came in with murder in his eye and killed himself , and the pint-sized Stortulian who looked so meek and pathetic damn near blew my head off."
[412] I shuddered.
[413] "Thanks for the tackle job."
[414] "Don't mention it," Gorb said.
[415] I glared at the Ghrynian police.
[416] "Well?
[417] What are you waiting for?
[418] Take that murderous little beast out of here!
[419] Or isn't murder against the local laws?"
[420] "The Stortulian will be duly punished," replied the leader of the Ghrynian cops calmly.
[421] "But there is the matter of the dead Kallerian and the fine of—" "—one hundred thousand dollars.
[422] I know."
[423] I groaned and turned to Stebbins.
[424] "Get the Terran Consulate on the phone, Stebbins.
[425] Have them send down a legal adviser.
[426] Find out if there's any way we can get out of this mess with our skins intact."
[427] "Right, Chief."
[428] Stebbins moved toward the visiphone.
[429] Gorb stepped forward and put a hand on his chest.
[430] "Hold it," the Wazzenazzian said crisply.
[431] "The Consulate can't help you.
[432] I can."
[433] "You?"
[434] I said.
[435] "I can get you out of this cheap."
[436] " How cheap?"
[437] Gorb grinned rakishly.
[438] "Five thousand in cash plus a contract as a specimen with your outfit.
[439] In advance, of course.
[440] That's a heck of a lot better than forking over a hundred grand, isn't it?"
[441] I eyed Gorb uncertainly.
[442] The Terran Consulate people probably wouldn't be much help; they tried to keep out of local squabbles unless they were really serious, and I knew from past experiences that no officials ever worried much about the state of my pocketbook.
[443] On the other hand, giving this slyster a contract might be a risky proposition.
[444] "Tell you what," I said finally.
[445] "You've got yourself a deal—but on a contingency basis.
[446] Get me out of this and you'll have five grand and the contract.
[447] Otherwise, nothing."
[448] Gorb shrugged.
[449] "What have I to lose?" | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Mr. Fitzgerald and what happens to him in the story?":
1. [44] "My name is Lawrence R. Fitzgerald."
2. [45] "The 'R' stands for Raymond."
3. [46] I throttled my exclamation of surprise, concealing it behind a quick cough.
4. [47] "Let me have that again, please?"
5. [48] "Certainly. My name is Lawrence R. Fitzgerald."
6. [49] "The 'R' stands for Raymond."
7. [50] "Of course, that's not the name you were born with."
8. [51] The being closed his eyes and toddled around in a 360-degree rotation, remaining in place.
9. [52] On his world, that gesture is the equivalent of an apologetic smile.
10. [53] "My Regulan name no longer matters. I am now and shall evermore be Lawrence R. Fitzgerald. I am a Terraphile, you see."
11. [54] "My Regulan name no longer matters."
12. [55] "I am now and shall evermore be Lawrence R. Fitzgerald."
13. [56] "I am a Terraphile, you see."
14. [57] The little Regulan was as good as hired.
15. [58] Only the formalities remained.
16. [59] "You understand our terms, Mr. Fitzgerald?"
17. [60] "I'll be placed on exhibition at your Institute on Earth. You'll pay for my services, transportation and expenses."
18. [61] "I'll be required to remain on exhibit no more than one-third of each Terran sidereal day."
19. [62] "You'll pay for my services, transportation and expenses."
20. [63] "I'll be required to remain on exhibit no more than one-third of each Terran sidereal day."
21. [64] "And the pay will be—ah—$50 Galactic a week, plus expenses and transportation."
22. [65] The spherical creature clapped his hands in joy, three hands clapping on one side, two on the other.
23. [66] "Wonderful! I will see Earth at last!"
24. [67] "I accept the terms!"
25. [68] "I accept the terms!"
26. [69] I buzzed for Ludlow and gave him the fast signal that meant we were signing this alien up at half the usual pay, and Ludlow took him into the other office to sign him up.
27. [70] I grinned, pleased with myself.
28. [71] We needed a green Regulan in our show; the last one had quit four years ago.
29. [72] But just because we needed him didn't mean we had to be extravagant in hiring him.
30. [73] A Terraphile alien who goes to the extent of rechristening himself with a Terran monicker would work for nothing, or even pay us, just so long as we let him get to Earth. |
Who is Gorb and what happens to him in the story? | [
"Ildwar Gorb is a human-looking alien of the planet Wazzenazz XIII in the Crab Nebula. He claims to have never been within “a dozen parsecs of Earth,” but to look so human-like due to an evolutionary fluke. As he is interviewing with Mr. Corrigan, he says he is not actually speaking, but is a telepathic that communicates in symbols that are translated into the colloquial speech of the person he is interacting with.\nHe appeals to Mr. Corrigan to be exhibited as a specimen, but when Corrigan in unconvinced Gorb isn’t just a regular human trying to fool him, he also tries to appeal to him to hire him as a member of his human staff. This is also a no, since Mr. Corrigan would be breaking the law to do so if he was an alien.\nGorb throws himself at Mr. Corrigan to tackle him and save his life from a murder attempt by the Stortulian. This gesture buys him enough goodwill for Corrigan to accept his offer to get him out of the trouble with the Ghrynian cops. He will do the job for $5000 and a contract to the Corrigan Institute - ultimately getting him what he wanted in the first place.",
"Gorb is a tall, thin humanoid or man with blue eyes and sandy hair. Despite being well-dressed and clean, Mr. Corrigan still claims he was shabby-looking. He introduces himself as Ildwar Gorb and claims he’s from the planet Wazzenazz XIII. Mr. Corrigan immediately believes he is simply an Earthman who ran out of money and is trying to find passage home. However, Gorb continues on, claiming Wazzenazz XIII is home to a race of people similar to that of Earth, and that he doesn’t speak English, he’s in fact telepathic. He asks to be a specimen in Corrigan’s zoo, but he refuses and sends him away. \nLater in the story, Gorb arrives again, having sneaked back his guard, and asks to join his staff if he can’t be a specimen. Corrigan admits Stebbins is lack-luster, but still turns him down. After the Kallerian kills himself and Mr. Corrigan is charged guilty, Gorb bides his time and waits for his moment to step in. When the Stortulian arrives and attempts to murder Mr. Corrigan, Gorb saves his life by pushing him out of the way of the blast. Gorb explains the difference between Kallerian and Stortulian cultures to a wide-eyed Mr. Corrigan and once again offers his services. He claims he can get Mr. Corrigan out of the legal mess for only a $5,000 fee and a contract to be a specimen in his zoo. Mr. Corrigan hesitantly agrees.",
"Ildwar Gorb is a non-terrestrial from the planet Wazzenazz XIII, a small planet in the Crab Nebula. He is tall and thin with pale blue eyes, dirty-blond hair, and he strongly resembles an Earthman; he even speaks in Terran accents and has human-like teeth. When he first meets Corrigan, he is clean and well-dressed, but Corrigan notes he looks a bit shabby. Although he has never been anywhere close to Earth, he tells Corrigan his race is identical to the human race and speaks through telepathic projection, and he is looking for a job with Corrigan's zoo, which he calls a \"circus.\" Corrigan is attracted to his glib personality, but he denies him a job because he believes he is an Earthman attempting to con him for a free trip back to Earth. When Gorb leaves, he implores Corrigan to reconsider and tells him he will be back. After several dozen interviews pass, Gorb returns and asks if Corrigan will give him Stebbins' job considering his incompetence in handling bothersome aliens throughout the day. When Corrigan again refuses, Gorb stays in his office as Heraal kills himself in front of them, the Ghrynian policemen enter and charge Corrigan with his death, and the Stortulian comes back and tries to shoot Corrigan. However, Gorb tackles Corrigan to the floor to prevent him from being shot. He predicted the Stortulian's action as he is familiar with their species, and he offers to help Corrigan out of his liability for the death of Heraal in exchange for $5,000 Galactic and a contract with the Institute.",
"Gorb is a human who wants to return to Earth but seemingly can’t afford to do so. He knows how to take advantage of situations, so he tries three approaches to get Corrigan to hire him and take him to Earth. First, he poses as an alien species from a planet called Wazzenazz XIII in the Crab Nebula. Gord is tall and slender with blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He is neat and clean, but his appearance is somewhat shabby, suggesting he might be down on his luck. He claims his name is Ildwar Gorb and that he represents the only humanlike race in the galaxy beyond Earth. He tries to con Corrigan, explaining his humanlike appearance as an evolutionary fluke and his English as telepathic symbols that Corrigan translates into English. Corrigan sees through the ruse, though, and refuses to hire Gorb. Gorb leaves Corrigan’s office saying he’ll give Corrigan another chance.\n\tThat afternoon, Gorb returns to Corrigan’s office, this time setting aside his alien story and presenting himself as a human applying for a place on Corrigan’s staff. He points out that he is familiar with alien life-forms, having lived in the outworlds for half of his life. Gorb says that he would have been able to stop the aliens who unexpectedly entered Corrigan’s office and suggests Corrigan fire Stebbins and hire him in his place. \n\tGorb is present when Heraal returns and commits suicide in Corrigan’s office, and when the police arrive telling Corrigan that they are arresting him for contributing to the untimely death of an intelligent life-form, he hears the police pronounce Corrigan’s penalty of either two years in prison or a fine of $100,000 Galactic. When the Stortulian arrives and tries to shoot Corrigan, Gorb anticipates his action and tackles Corrigan, knocking him to the floor, so that the Stortulian’s shot misses. Afterward, Gorb demonstrates his knowledge of alien life when he explains that Stortulians despise suicide, and when a Stortulian believes someone has caused him trouble, he kills the person who caused the trouble. Gorb also tells Corrigan that he can help him get out of his situation for only $5,000 Galactic and a specimen contract. Corrigan decides that Gorb might be able to help him better than the Terran Consulate, so he accepts Gorb’s offer contingent on Gorb’s success of getting him out of his arrest and fine."
] | [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
[4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
[5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
[6] My three staff men, Auchinleck, Stebbins and Ludlow, walked shieldwise in front of me.
[7] I peered between them to size the crop up.
[8] The aliens came in every shape and form, in all colors and textures—and all of them eager for a Corrigan contract.
[9] The Galaxy is full of bizarre beings, but there's barely a species anywhere that can resist the old exhibitionist urge.
[10] "Send them in one at a time," I told Stebbins.
[11] I ducked into the office, took my place back of the desk and waited for the procession to begin.
[12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
[13] I thought of it privately as MacTavish IV and referred to it publicly as Ghryne.
[14] I believe in keeping the locals happy wherever I go.
[15] Through the front window of the office, I could see our big gay tridim sign plastered to a facing wall: WANTED—EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
[16] We had saturated MacTavish IV with our promotional poop for a month preceding arrival.
[17] Stuff like this: Want to visit Earth—see the Galaxy's most glittering and exclusive world?
[18] Want to draw good pay, work short hours, experience the thrills of show business on romantic Terra?
[19] If you are a non-terrestrial, there may be a place for you in the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science.
[20] No freaks wanted—normal beings only.
[21] J. F. Corrigan will hold interviews in person on Ghryne from Thirdday to Fifthday of Tenmonth.
[22] His last visit to the Caledonia Cluster until 2937, so don't miss your chance!
[23] Hurry!
[24] A life of wonder and riches can be yours!
[25] Broadsides like that, distributed wholesale in half a thousand languages, always bring them running.
[26] And the Corrigan Institute really packs in the crowds back on Earth.
[27] Why not?
[28] It's the best of its kind, the only really decent place where Earthmen can get a gander at the other species of the universe.
[29] The office buzzer sounded.
[30] Auchinleck said unctuously, "The first applicant is ready to see you, sir."
[31] "Send him, her or it in."
[32] The door opened and a timid-looking life-form advanced toward me on nervous little legs.
[33] He was a globular creature about the size of a big basketball, yellowish-green, with two spindly double-kneed legs and five double-elbowed arms, the latter spaced regularly around his body.
[34] There was a lidless eye at the top of his head and five lidded ones, one above each arm.
[35] Plus a big, gaping, toothless mouth.
[36] His voice was a surprisingly resounding basso.
[37] "You are Mr.
[38] Corrigan?"
[39] "That's right."
[40] I reached for a data blank.
[41] "Before we begin, I'll need certain information about—" "I am a being of Regulus II," came the grave, booming reply, even before I had picked up the blank.
[42] "I need no special care and I am not a fugitive from the law of any world."
[43] "Your name?"
[44] "Lawrence R.
[45] Fitzgerald."
[46] I throttled my exclamation of surprise, concealing it behind a quick cough.
[47] "Let me have that again, please?"
[48] "Certainly.
[49] My name is Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[50] The 'R' stands for Raymond."
[51] "Of course, that's not the name you were born with."
[52] The being closed his eyes and toddled around in a 360-degree rotation, remaining in place.
[53] On his world, that gesture is the equivalent of an apologetic smile.
[54] "My Regulan name no longer matters.
[55] I am now and shall evermore be Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[56] I am a Terraphile, you see."
[57] The little Regulan was as good as hired.
[58] Only the formalities remained.
[59] "You understand our terms, Mr.
[60] Fitzgerald?"
[61] "I'll be placed on exhibition at your Institute on Earth.
[62] You'll pay for my services, transportation and expenses.
[63] I'll be required to remain on exhibit no more than one-third of each Terran sidereal day."
[64] "And the pay will be—ah—$50 Galactic a week, plus expenses and transportation."
[65] The spherical creature clapped his hands in joy, three hands clapping on one side, two on the other.
[66] "Wonderful!
[67] I will see Earth at last!
[68] I accept the terms!"
[69] I buzzed for Ludlow and gave him the fast signal that meant we were signing this alien up at half the usual pay, and Ludlow took him into the other office to sign him up.
[70] I grinned, pleased with myself.
[71] We needed a green Regulan in our show; the last one had quit four years ago.
[72] But just because we needed him didn't mean we had to be extravagant in hiring him.
[73] A Terraphile alien who goes to the extent of rechristening himself with a Terran monicker would work for nothing, or even pay us, just so long as we let him get to Earth.
[74] My conscience won't let me really exploit a being, but I don't believe in throwing money away, either.
[75] The next applicant was a beefy ursinoid from Aldebaran IX.
[76] Our outfit has all the ursinoids it needs or is likely to need in the next few decades, and so I got rid of him in a couple of minutes.
[77] He was followed by a roly-poly blue-skinned humanoid from Donovan's Planet, four feet high and five hundred pounds heavy.
[78] We already had a couple of his species in the show, but they made good crowd-pleasers, being so plump and cheerful.
[79] I passed him along to Auchinleck to sign at anything short of top rate.
[80] Next came a bedraggled Sirian spider who was more interested in a handout than a job.
[81] If there's any species we have a real over-supply of, it's those silver-colored spiders, but this seedy specimen gave it a try anyway.
[82] He got the gate in half a minute, and he didn't even get the handout he was angling for.
[83] I don't approve of begging.
[84] The flora of applicants was steady.
[85] Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet.
[86] We had figured to pick up plenty of new exhibits here and we were right.
[87] It was the isolationism of the late 29th century that turned me into the successful proprietor of Corrigan's Institute, after some years as an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system.
[88] Back in 2903, the World Congress declared Terra off-bounds for non-terrestrial beings, as an offshoot of the Terra for Terrans movement.
[89] Before then, anyone could visit Earth.
[90] After the gate clanged down, a non-terrestrial could only get onto Sol III as a specimen in a scientific collection—in short, as an exhibit in a zoo.
[91] That's what the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science really is, of course.
[92] A zoo.
[93] But we don't go out and hunt for our specimens; we advertise and they come flocking to us.
[94] Every alien wants to see Earth once in his lifetime, and there's only one way he can do it.
[95] We don't keep too big an inventory.
[96] At last count, we had 690 specimens before this trip, representing 298 different intelligent life-forms.
[97] My goal is at least one member of at least 500 different races.
[98] When I reach that, I'll sit back and let the competition catch up—if it can.
[99] After an hour of steady work that morning, we had signed eleven new specimens.
[100] At the same time, we had turned away a dozen ursinoids, fifty of the reptilian natives of Ghryne, seven Sirian spiders, and no less than nineteen chlorine-breathing Procyonites wearing gas masks.
[101] It was also my sad duty to nix a Vegan who was negotiating through a Ghrynian agent.
[102] A Vegan would be a top-flight attraction, being some 400 feet long and appropriately fearsome to the eye, but I didn't see how we could take one on.
[103] They're gentle and likable beings, but their upkeep runs into literally tons of fresh meat a day, and not just any old kind of meat either.
[104] So we had to do without the Vegan.
[105] "One more specimen before lunch," I told Stebbins, "to make it an even dozen."
[106] He looked at me queerly and nodded.
[107] A being entered.
[108] I took a long close look at the life-form when it came in, and after that I took another one.
[109] I wondered what kind of stunt was being pulled.
[110] So far as I could tell, the being was quite plainly nothing but an Earthman.
[111] He sat down facing me without being asked and crossed his legs.
[112] He was tall and extremely thin, with pale blue eyes and dirty-blond hair, and though he was clean and reasonably well dressed, he had a shabby look about him.
[113] He said, in level Terran accents, "I'm looking for a job with your outfit, Corrigan."
[114] "There's been a mistake.
[115] We're interested in non-terrestrials only."
[116] "I'm a non-terrestrial.
[117] My name is Ildwar Gorb, of the planet Wazzenazz XIII."
[118] I don't mind conning the public from time to time, but I draw the line at getting bilked myself.
[119] "Look, friend, I'm busy, and I'm not known for my sense of humor.
[120] Or my generosity."
[121] "I'm not panhandling.
[122] I'm looking for a job."
[123] "Then try elsewhere.
[124] Suppose you stop wasting my time, bud.
[125] You're as Earthborn as I am."
[126] "I've never been within a dozen parsecs of Earth," he said smoothly.
[127] "I happen to be a representative of the only Earthlike race that exists anywhere in the Galaxy but on Earth itself.
[128] Wazzenazz XIII is a small and little-known planet in the Crab Nebula.
[129] Through an evolutionary fluke, my race is identical with yours.
[130] Now, don't you want me in your circus?"
[131] "No.
[132] And it's not a circus.
[133] It's—" "A scientific institute.
[134] I stand corrected."
[135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
[136] I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
[137] Instead I played along.
[138] "If you're from such a distant place, how come you speak English so well?"
[139] "I'm not speaking.
[140] I'm a telepath—not the kind that reads minds, just the kind that projects.
[141] I communicate in symbols that you translate back to colloquial speech."
[142] "Very clever, Mr.
[143] Gorb."
[144] I grinned at him and shook my head.
[145] "You spin a good yarn—but for my money, you're really Sam Jones or Phil Smith from Earth, stranded here and out of cash.
[146] You want a free trip back to Earth.
[147] No deal.
[148] The demand for beings from Wazzenazz XIII is pretty low these days.
[149] Zero, in fact.
[150] Good-by, Mr.
[151] Gorb."
[152] He pointed a finger squarely at me and said, "You're making a big mistake.
[153] I'm just what your outfit needs.
[154] A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!
[155] Look here, examine my teeth.
[156] Absolutely like human teeth!
[157] And—" I pulled away from his yawning mouth.
[158] "Good-by, Mr. Gorb," I repeated.
[159] "All I ask is a contract, Corrigan.
[160] It isn't much.
[161] I'll be a big attraction.
[162] I'll—" " Good-by, Mr. Gorb! "
[163] He glowered at me reproachfully for a moment, stood up and sauntered to the door.
[164] "I thought you were a man of acumen, Corrigan.
[165] Well, think it over.
[166] Maybe you'll regret your hastiness.
[167] I'll be back to give you another chance."
[168] He slammed the door and I let my grim expression relax into a smile.
[169] This was the best con switch yet—an Earthman posing as an alien to get a job!
[170] But I wasn't buying it, even if I could appreciate his cleverness intellectually.
[171] There's no such place as Wazzenazz XIII and there's only one human race in the Galaxy—on Earth.
[172] I was going to need some real good reason before I gave a down-and-out grifter a free ticket home.
[173] I didn't know it then, but before the day was out, I would have that reason.
[174] And, with it, plenty of trouble on my hands.
[175] The first harbinger of woe turned up after lunch in the person of a Kallerian.
[176] The Kallerian was the sixth applicant that afternoon.
[177] I had turned away three more ursinoids, hired a vegetable from Miazan, and said no to a scaly pseudo-armadillo from one of the Delta Worlds.
[178] Hardly had the 'dillo scuttled dejectedly out of my office when the Kallerian came striding in, not even waiting for Stebbins to admit him officially.
[179] He was big even for his kind—in the neighborhood of nine feet high, and getting on toward a ton.
[180] He planted himself firmly on his three stocky feet, extended his massive arms in a Kallerian greeting-gesture, and growled, "I am Vallo Heraal, Freeman of Kaller IV.
[181] You will sign me immediately to a contract."
[182] "Sit down, Freeman Heraal.
[183] I like to make my own decisions, thanks."
[184] "You will grant me a contract!"
[185] "Will you please sit down?"
[186] He said sulkily, "I will remain standing."
[187] "As you prefer."
[188] My desk has a few concealed features which are sometimes useful in dealing with belligerent or disappointed life-forms.
[189] My fingers roamed to the meshgun trigger, just in case of trouble.
[190] The Kallerian stood motionless before me.
[191] They're hairy creatures, and this one had a coarse, thick mat of blue fur completely covering his body.
[192] Two fierce eyes glimmered out through the otherwise dense blanket of fur.
[193] He was wearing the kilt, girdle and ceremonial blaster of his warlike race.
[194] I said, "You'll have to understand, Freeman Heraal, that it's not our policy to maintain more than a few members of each species at our Institute.
[195] And we're not currently in need of any Kallerian males, because—" "You will hire me or trouble I will make!"
[196] I opened our inventory chart.
[197] I showed him that we were already carrying four Kallerians, and that was more than plenty.
[198] The beady little eyes flashed like beacons in the fur.
[199] "Yes, you have four representatives—of the Clan Verdrokh!
[200] None of the Clan Gursdrinn!
[201] For three years, I have waited for a chance to avenge this insult to the noble Clan Gursdrinn!"
[202] At the key-word avenge , I readied myself to ensnarl the Kallerian in a spume of tanglemesh the instant he went for his blaster, but he didn't move.
[203] He bellowed, "I have vowed a vow, Earthman.
[204] Take me to Earth, enroll a Gursdrinn, or the consequences will be terrible!"
[205] I'm a man of principles, like all straightforward double-dealers, and one of the most important of those principles is that I never let myself be bullied by anyone.
[206] "I deeply regret having unintentionally insulted your clan, Freeman Heraal.
[207] Will you accept my apologies?"
[208] He glared at me in silence.
[209] I went on, "Please be assured that I'll undo the insult at the earliest possible opportunity.
[210] It's not feasible for us to hire another Kallerian now, but I'll give preference to the Clan Gursdrinn as soon as a vacancy—" "No.
[211] You will hire me now."
[212] "It can't be done, Freeman Heraal.
[213] We have a budget, and we stick to it."
[214] "You will rue!
[215] I will take drastic measures!"
[216] "Threats will get you nowhere, Freeman Heraal.
[217] I give you my word I'll get in touch with you as soon as our organization has room for another Kallerian.
[218] And now, please, there are many applicants waiting—" You'd think it would be sort of humiliating to become a specimen in a zoo, but most of these races take it as an honor.
[219] And there's always the chance that, by picking a given member of a race, we're insulting all the others.
[220] I nudged the trouble-button on the side of my desk and Auchinleck and Ludlow appeared simultaneously from the two doors at right and left.
[221] They surrounded the towering Kallerian and sweet-talkingly led him away.
[222] He wasn't minded to quarrel physically, or he could have knocked them both into the next city with a backhand swipe of his shaggy paw, but he kept up a growling flow of invective and threats until he was out in the hall.
[223] I mopped sweat from my forehead and began to buzz Stebbins for the next applicant.
[224] But before my finger touched the button, the door popped open and a small being came scooting in, followed by an angry Stebbins.
[225] "Come here, you!"
[226] "Stebbins?"
[227] I said gently.
[228] "I'm sorry, Mr. Corrigan.
[229] I lost sight of this one for a moment, and he came running in—" "Please, please," squeaked the little alien pitifully.
[230] "I must see you, honored sir!"
[231] "It isn't his turn in line," Stebbins protested.
[232] "There are at least fifty ahead of him."
[233] "All right," I said tiredly.
[234] "As long as he's in here already, I might as well see him.
[235] Be more careful next time, Stebbins."
[236] Stebbins nodded dolefully and backed out.
[237] The alien was a pathetic sight: a Stortulian, a squirrely-looking creature about three feet high.
[238] His fur, which should have been a lustrous black, was a dull gray, and his eyes were wet and sad.
[239] His tail drooped.
[240] His voice was little more than a faint whimper, even at full volume.
[241] "Begging your most honored pardon most humbly, important sir.
[242] I am a being of Stortul XII, having sold my last few possessions to travel to Ghryne for the miserable purpose of obtaining an interview with yourself."
[243] I said, "I'd better tell you right at the outset that we're already carrying our full complement of Stortulians.
[244] We have both a male and a female now and—" "This is known to me.
[245] The female—is her name perchance Tiress?"
[246] I glanced down at the inventory chart until I found the Stortulian entry.
[247] "Yes, that's her name."
[248] The little being immediately emitted a soul-shaking gasp.
[249] "It is she!
[250] It is she!"
[251] "I'm afraid we don't have room for any more—" "You are not in full understanding of my plight.
[252] The female Tiress, she is—was—my own Fire-sent spouse, my comfort and my warmth, my life and my love."
[253] "Funny," I said.
[254] "When we signed her three years ago, she said she was single.
[255] It's right here on the chart."
[256] "She lied!
[257] She left my burrow because she longed to see the splendors of Earth.
[258] And I am alone, bound by our sacred customs never to remarry, languishing in sadness and pining for her return.
[259] You must take me to Earth!"
[260] "But—" "I must see her—her and this disgrace-bringing lover of hers.
[261] I must reason with her.
[262] Earthman, can't you see I must appeal to her inner flame?
[263] I must bring her back! "
[264] My face was expressionless.
[265] "You don't really intend to join our organization at all—you just want free passage to Earth?"
[266] "Yes, yes!"
[267] wailed the Stortulian.
[268] "Find some other member of my race, if you must!
[269] Let me have my wife again, Earthman!
[270] Is your heart a dead lump of stone?"
[271] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
[272] I felt sorry for this being's domestic troubles, but I wasn't going to break up a good act just to make an alien squirrel happy—not to mention footing the transportation.
[273] I said, "I don't see how we can manage it.
[274] The laws are very strict on the subject of bringing alien life to Earth.
[275] It has to be for scientific purposes only.
[276] And if I know in advance that your purpose in coming isn't scientific, I can't in all conscience lie for you, can I?"
[277] "Well—" "Of course not."
[278] I took advantage of his pathetic upset to steam right along.
[279] "Now if you had come in here and simply asked me to sign you up, I might conceivably have done it.
[280] But no—you had to go unburden your heart to me."
[281] "I thought the truth would move you."
[282] "It did.
[283] But in effect you're now asking me to conspire in a fraudulent criminal act.
[284] Friend, I can't do it.
[285] My reputation means too much to me," I said piously.
[286] "Then you will refuse me?"
[287] "My heart melts to nothingness for you.
[288] But I can't take you to Earth."
[289] "Perhaps you will send my wife to me here?"
[290] There's a clause in every contract that allows me to jettison an unwanted specimen.
[291] All I have to do is declare it no longer of scientific interest, and the World Government will deport the undesirable alien back to its home world.
[292] But I wouldn't pull a low trick like that on our female Stortulian.
[293] I said, "I'll ask her about coming home.
[294] But I won't ship her back against her will.
[295] And maybe she's happier where she is."
[296] The Stortulian seemed to shrivel.
[297] His eyelids closed half-way to mask his tears.
[298] He turned and shambled slowly to the door, walking like a living dishrag.
[299] In a bleak voice, he said, "There is no hope then.
[300] All is lost.
[301] I will never see my soulmate again.
[302] Good day, Earthman."
[303] He spoke in a drab monotone that almost, but not quite, had me weeping.
[304] I watched him shuffle out.
[305] I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
[306] About fifty more applicants were processed without a hitch.
[307] Then life started to get complicated again.
[308] Nine of the fifty were okay.
[309] The rest were unacceptable for one reason or another, and they took the bad news quietly enough.
[310] The haul for the day so far was close to two dozen new life-forms under contract.
[311] I had just about begun to forget about the incidents of the Kallerian's outraged pride and the Stortulian's flighty wife when the door opened and the Earthman who called himself Ildwar Gorb of Wazzenazz XIII stepped in.
[312] "How did you get in here?"
[313] I demanded.
[314] "Your man happened to be looking the wrong way," he said cheerily.
[315] "Change your mind about me yet?"
[316] "Get out before I have you thrown out."
[317] Gorb shrugged.
[318] "I figured you hadn't changed your mind, so I've changed my pitch a bit.
[319] If you won't believe I'm from Wazzenazz XIII, suppose I tell you that I am Earthborn, and that I'm looking for a job on your staff."
[320] "I don't care what your story is!
[321] Get out or—" "—you'll have me thrown out.
[322] Okay, okay.
[323] Just give me half a second.
[324] Corrigan, you're no fool, and neither am I—but that fellow of yours outside is .
[325] He doesn't know how to handle alien beings.
[326] How many times today has a life-form come in here unexpectedly?"
[327] I scowled at him.
[328] "Too damn many."
[329] "You see?
[330] He's incompetent.
[331] Suppose you fire him, take me on instead.
[332] I've been living in the outworlds half my life; I know all there is to know about alien life-forms.
[333] You can use me, Corrigan."
[334] I took a deep breath and glanced all around the paneled ceiling of the office before I spoke.
[335] "Listen, Gorb, or whatever your name is, I've had a hard day.
[336] There's been a Kallerian in here who just about threatened murder, and there's been a Stortulian in here who's about to commit suicide because of me.
[337] I have a conscience and it's troubling me.
[338] But get this: I just want to finish off my recruiting, pack up and go home to Earth.
[339] I don't want you hanging around here bothering me.
[340] I'm not looking to hire new staff members, and if you switch back to claiming you're an unknown life-form from Wazzenazz XIII, the answer is that I'm not looking for any of those either.
[341] Now will you scram or—" The office door crashed open at that point and Heraal, the Kallerian, came thundering in.
[342] He was dressed from head to toe in glittering metalfoil, and instead of his ceremonial blaster, he was wielding a sword the length of a human being.
[343] Stebbins and Auchinleck came dragging helplessly along in his wake, hanging desperately to his belt.
[344] "Sorry, Chief," Stebbins gasped.
[345] "I tried to keep him out, but—" Heraal, who had planted himself in front of my desk, drowned him out with a roar.
[346] "Earthman, you have mortally insulted the Clan Gursdrinn!"
[347] Sitting with my hands poised near the meshgun trigger, I was ready to let him have it at the first sight of actual violence.
[348] Heraal boomed, "You are responsible for what is to happen now.
[349] I have notified the authorities and you prosecuted will be for causing the death of a life-form!
[350] Suffer, Earthborn ape!
[351] Suffer!"
[352] "Watch it, Chief," Stebbins yelled.
[353] "He's going to—" An instant before my numb fingers could tighten on the meshgun trigger, Heraal swung that huge sword through the air and plunged it savagely through his body.
[354] He toppled forward onto the carpet with the sword projecting a couple of feet out of his back.
[355] A few driblets of bluish-purple blood spread from beneath him.
[356] Before I could react to the big life-form's hara-kiri, the office door flew open again and three sleek reptilian beings entered, garbed in the green sashes of the local police force.
[357] Their golden eyes goggled down at the figure on the floor, then came to rest on me.
[358] "You are J. F.
[359] Corrigan?"
[360] the leader asked.
[361] "Y-yes."
[362] "We have received word of a complaint against you.
[363] Said complaint being—" "—that your unethical actions have directly contributed to the untimely death of an intelligent life-form," filled in the second of the Ghrynian policemen.
[364] "The evidence lies before us," intoned the leader, "in the cadaver of the unfortunate Kallerian who filed the complaint with us several minutes ago."
[365] "And therefore," said the third lizard, "it is our duty to arrest you for this crime and declare you subject to a fine of no less than $100,000 Galactic or two years in prison."
[366] "Hold on!"
[367] I stormed.
[368] "You mean that any being from anywhere in the Universe can come in here and gut himself on my carpet, and I'm responsible?"
[369] "This is the law.
[370] Do you deny that your stubborn refusal to yield to this late life-form's request lies at the root of his sad demise?"
[371] "Well, no, but—" "Failure to deny is admission of guilt.
[372] You are guilty, Earthman."
[373] Closing my eyes wearily, I tried to wish the whole babbling lot of them away.
[374] If I had to, I could pony up the hundred-grand fine, but it was going to put an awful dent in this year's take.
[375] And I shuddered when I remembered that any minute that scrawny little Stortulian was likely to come bursting in here to kill himself too.
[376] Was it a fine of $100,000 per suicide?
[377] At that rate, I could be out of business by nightfall.
[378] I was spared further such morbid thoughts by yet another unannounced arrival.
[379] The small figure of the Stortulian trudged through the open doorway and stationed itself limply near the threshold.
[380] The three Ghrynian policemen and my three assistants forgot the dead Kallerian for a moment and turned to eye the newcomer.
[381] I had visions of unending troubles with the law here on Ghryne.
[382] I resolved never to come here on a recruiting trip again—or, if I did come, to figure out some more effective way of screening myself against crackpots.
[383] In heart-rending tones, the Stortulian declared, "Life is no longer worth living.
[384] My last hope is gone.
[385] There is only one thing left for me to do."
[386] I was quivering at the thought of another hundred thousand smackers going down the drain.
[387] "Stop him, somebody!
[388] He's going to kill himself!
[389] He's—" Then somebody sprinted toward me, hit me amidships, and knocked me flying out from behind my desk before I had a chance to fire the meshgun.
[390] My head walloped the floor, and for five or six seconds, I guess I wasn't fully aware of what was going on.
[391] Gradually the scene took shape around me.
[392] There was a monstrous hole in the wall behind my desk; a smoking blaster lay on the floor, and I saw the three Ghrynian policemen sitting on the raving Stortulian.
[393] The man who called himself Ildwar Gorb was getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
[394] He helped me up.
[395] "Sorry to have had to tackle you, Corrigan.
[396] But that Stortulian wasn't here to commit suicide, you see.
[397] He was out to get you."
[398] I weaved dizzily toward my desk and dropped into my chair.
[399] A flying fragment of wall had deflated my pneumatic cushion.
[400] The smell of ashed plaster was everywhere.
[401] The police were effectively cocooning the struggling little alien in an unbreakable tanglemesh.
[402] "Evidently you don't know as much as you think you do about Stortulian psychology, Corrigan," Gorb said lightly.
[403] "Suicide is completely abhorrent to them.
[404] When they're troubled, they kill the person who caused their trouble.
[405] In this case, you."
[406] I began to chuckle—more of a tension-relieving snicker than a full-bodied laugh.
[407] "Funny," I said.
[408] "What is?"
[409] asked the self-styled Wazzenazzian.
[410] "These aliens.
[411] Big blustery Heraal came in with murder in his eye and killed himself , and the pint-sized Stortulian who looked so meek and pathetic damn near blew my head off."
[412] I shuddered.
[413] "Thanks for the tackle job."
[414] "Don't mention it," Gorb said.
[415] I glared at the Ghrynian police.
[416] "Well?
[417] What are you waiting for?
[418] Take that murderous little beast out of here!
[419] Or isn't murder against the local laws?"
[420] "The Stortulian will be duly punished," replied the leader of the Ghrynian cops calmly.
[421] "But there is the matter of the dead Kallerian and the fine of—" "—one hundred thousand dollars.
[422] I know."
[423] I groaned and turned to Stebbins.
[424] "Get the Terran Consulate on the phone, Stebbins.
[425] Have them send down a legal adviser.
[426] Find out if there's any way we can get out of this mess with our skins intact."
[427] "Right, Chief."
[428] Stebbins moved toward the visiphone.
[429] Gorb stepped forward and put a hand on his chest.
[430] "Hold it," the Wazzenazzian said crisply.
[431] "The Consulate can't help you.
[432] I can."
[433] "You?"
[434] I said.
[435] "I can get you out of this cheap."
[436] " How cheap?"
[437] Gorb grinned rakishly.
[438] "Five thousand in cash plus a contract as a specimen with your outfit.
[439] In advance, of course.
[440] That's a heck of a lot better than forking over a hundred grand, isn't it?"
[441] I eyed Gorb uncertainly.
[442] The Terran Consulate people probably wouldn't be much help; they tried to keep out of local squabbles unless they were really serious, and I knew from past experiences that no officials ever worried much about the state of my pocketbook.
[443] On the other hand, giving this slyster a contract might be a risky proposition.
[444] "Tell you what," I said finally.
[445] "You've got yourself a deal—but on a contingency basis.
[446] Get me out of this and you'll have five grand and the contract.
[447] Otherwise, nothing."
[448] Gorb shrugged.
[449] "What have I to lose?" | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Gorb and what happens to him in the story?":
1. [117] "My name is Ildwar Gorb, of the planet Wazzenazz XIII."
2. [126] "I've never been within a dozen parsecs of Earth," he said smoothly.
3. [127] "I happen to be a representative of the only Earthlike race that exists anywhere in the Galaxy but on Earth itself. Wazzenazz XIII is a small and little-known planet in the Crab Nebula."
4. [135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
5. [139] "I'm not speaking. I'm a telepath—not the kind that reads minds, just the kind that projects. I communicate in symbols that you translate back to colloquial speech."
6. [144] "You're making a big mistake. I'm just what your outfit needs. A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!"
7. [152] He pointed a finger squarely at me and said, "You're making a big mistake. I'm just what your outfit needs. A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!"
8. [164] "I thought you were a man of acumen, Corrigan. Well, think it over. Maybe you'll regret your hastiness. I'll be back to give you another chance."
9. [311] Then the door opened and the Earthman who called himself Ildwar Gorb of Wazzenazz XIII stepped in.
10. [318] "If you won't believe I'm from Wazzenazz XIII, suppose I tell you that I am Earthborn, and that I'm looking for a job on your staff."
11. [326] "Corrigan, you're no fool, and neither am I—but that fellow of yours outside is. He doesn't know how to handle alien beings."
12. [332] "I've been living in the outworlds half my life; I know all there is to know about alien life-forms. You can use me, Corrigan."
13. [393] The man who called himself Ildwar Gorb was getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
14. [398] "Sorry to have had to tackle you, Corrigan. But that Stortulian wasn't here to commit suicide, you see. He was out to get you."
15. [437] "I can get you out of this cheap."
16. [438] "Five thousand in cash plus a contract as a specimen with your outfit. In advance, of course. That's a heck of a lot better than forking over a hundred grand, isn't it?" |
Who is Mr. Corrigan and what is his personality like? | [
"Mr. Corrigan was an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system prior to the year 2903, when the World Congress made it illegal for aliens to travel to the planet Earth. He seized a business opportunity to open Corrigan’s Institute and collect aliens as scientific specimens, charging humans money to see them on Earth. This turned out to be a very lucrative business, and the zoo was very popular.\n\nMr. Corrigan tries to be fair to those he is interviewing, but is having an exceptionally hard day that is straining his patience. He does not allow himself to be swayed or pushed around by the sad stories (the Stortulian) or the demands (Heraal) of those in the interviews. He is resolved in his assumptions, and is truly shocked when the outcome of who would commit suicide and who would attempt to kill him is revealed.",
"Mr. Corrigan is an Earthman and the presumed founder of the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science. He travels between planets in order to find rare specimens and bring them back to Earth to showcase in his zoo. He is a businessman at heart and does not feel much or any remorse when turning desperate aliens down. He is also a conman and easily scams Mr. Fitzgerald out of half of his pay after seeing how eager he was to experience Earth. Mr. Corrigan is always looking for the easy way out, but he’s still aware of the dangers he faces. He keeps an array of weapons hidden beneath his desk in case of a violent specimen as well as a distress button if things were to go south.",
"Mr. J.F. Corrigan is the proprietor of Corrigan's Institute of Morphological Science, a Terran zoo exhibiting non-terrestrial beings from around the universe. Starting out as an impoverished carnival man working in the Betelgeuse system, Corrigan had taken advantage of the isolationism of the late 29th century to establish his zoo and become a successful businessman. Corrigan claims to not want to exploit the non-terrestrials he employs as displays in his zoo, but he also doesn't want to pay them top dollar for their services. He prides himself on not hunting non-terrestrial and instead prefers to attract them by offering good pay, short hours, expenses, and transportation costs; in addition, he calls himself a \"man of principles\" and advertises about the thrill of show business and romance of life on Earth. Because Corrigan is willing to con the public--he calls himself \"a straightforward double-dealer\"--he believes he understands a con when he sees one, which is why he initially rejects Gorb's interview for a job. Corrigan is used to dealing with species from all over the galaxy, and he is prepared for trouble, so he has a meshgun trigger concealed below his desk and never allows himself to be bullied. In case he needs back up, he also employs Stebbins, who manages the line of non-terrestrials for Corrigan to interview, as well as Auchinleck and Ludlow. One of Corrigan's driving principles in dealing with non-terrestrials is to never make a business decision based upon sentiment as demonstrated by his dealings with the Stortulian. However, this interaction shows that he does feel empathy for those affected by his decisions.",
"J.F. Corrigan is a businessman and owner of the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science. An astute businessman who also manipulates and uses others, he has built a lucrative “institute” that is really just a zoo that exhibits odd-looking aliens. Before his current position, Corrigan was a lowly carnival man in the Betelgeuse system. After the World Congress ruled Terra off-limits for aliens in 2903, Corrigan concocted his business plan. His goal is to display representatives of 500 extraterrestrial species. Corrigan can “read” his interviewees and take advantage of them for his own benefit. For example, when he realizes how eager Mr. Fitzgerald is to see Earth, he hires him for half of what he usually pays, knowing that Fitzgerald’s eagerness will prevent him from realizing the offer takes advantage of him. \n\tThroughout the day of interviews, Corrigan assesses the applicants in terms of their value to him. While he doesn’t mind taking advantage of them, he doesn’t go so far as to cheat them. He is a bit of a con-man himself, hiring Mr. Fitz for half his going rate and placating Heraal with a less-than-heartfelt apology and promise to give members of his clan preference the next time they need to hire a Kallerian. Yet he won’t do anything that blatantly breaks the law such as transporting a Stortulian to Earth when the alien isn’t one of his hirees. He has a limited conscience; when he fears that the Stortulian will commit suicide, he feels bad about it, but he also doesn’t do anything to prevent it. His pragmatism and business acumen override his emotions, preventing him from caving to the creature’s requests, even if it means the creature will commit suicide. Corrigan is also sharp enough to spot a con; he recognizes Gorb for what he is: an Earthman using any means possible to obtain a paid trip to Earth. When Gorb comes across as glib and appealing despite his preposterous story, Corrigan recognizes the man’s similarity to himself. Corrigan acknowledges that he is a double-dealer yets describes himself as a man of principles. Because he is a con man, he is cynical of others. Corrigan is also a manipulator who says what others want to hear (such as calling the planet Ghryne by its native name) because he knows this is a way to win their trust.\n\tCorrigan likes to think of himself as a man who has principles, but some of those principles are the ones that ensure good business decisions rather than the values regarding what is right or wrong. He also thinks of himself as a man with a conscience who doesn’t exploit beings, but that is exactly what he does. He believes that because he pays his employees and they are volunteering to be placed on exhibit, he isn’t exploiting them."
] | [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
[4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
[5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
[6] My three staff men, Auchinleck, Stebbins and Ludlow, walked shieldwise in front of me.
[7] I peered between them to size the crop up.
[8] The aliens came in every shape and form, in all colors and textures—and all of them eager for a Corrigan contract.
[9] The Galaxy is full of bizarre beings, but there's barely a species anywhere that can resist the old exhibitionist urge.
[10] "Send them in one at a time," I told Stebbins.
[11] I ducked into the office, took my place back of the desk and waited for the procession to begin.
[12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
[13] I thought of it privately as MacTavish IV and referred to it publicly as Ghryne.
[14] I believe in keeping the locals happy wherever I go.
[15] Through the front window of the office, I could see our big gay tridim sign plastered to a facing wall: WANTED—EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
[16] We had saturated MacTavish IV with our promotional poop for a month preceding arrival.
[17] Stuff like this: Want to visit Earth—see the Galaxy's most glittering and exclusive world?
[18] Want to draw good pay, work short hours, experience the thrills of show business on romantic Terra?
[19] If you are a non-terrestrial, there may be a place for you in the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science.
[20] No freaks wanted—normal beings only.
[21] J. F. Corrigan will hold interviews in person on Ghryne from Thirdday to Fifthday of Tenmonth.
[22] His last visit to the Caledonia Cluster until 2937, so don't miss your chance!
[23] Hurry!
[24] A life of wonder and riches can be yours!
[25] Broadsides like that, distributed wholesale in half a thousand languages, always bring them running.
[26] And the Corrigan Institute really packs in the crowds back on Earth.
[27] Why not?
[28] It's the best of its kind, the only really decent place where Earthmen can get a gander at the other species of the universe.
[29] The office buzzer sounded.
[30] Auchinleck said unctuously, "The first applicant is ready to see you, sir."
[31] "Send him, her or it in."
[32] The door opened and a timid-looking life-form advanced toward me on nervous little legs.
[33] He was a globular creature about the size of a big basketball, yellowish-green, with two spindly double-kneed legs and five double-elbowed arms, the latter spaced regularly around his body.
[34] There was a lidless eye at the top of his head and five lidded ones, one above each arm.
[35] Plus a big, gaping, toothless mouth.
[36] His voice was a surprisingly resounding basso.
[37] "You are Mr.
[38] Corrigan?"
[39] "That's right."
[40] I reached for a data blank.
[41] "Before we begin, I'll need certain information about—" "I am a being of Regulus II," came the grave, booming reply, even before I had picked up the blank.
[42] "I need no special care and I am not a fugitive from the law of any world."
[43] "Your name?"
[44] "Lawrence R.
[45] Fitzgerald."
[46] I throttled my exclamation of surprise, concealing it behind a quick cough.
[47] "Let me have that again, please?"
[48] "Certainly.
[49] My name is Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[50] The 'R' stands for Raymond."
[51] "Of course, that's not the name you were born with."
[52] The being closed his eyes and toddled around in a 360-degree rotation, remaining in place.
[53] On his world, that gesture is the equivalent of an apologetic smile.
[54] "My Regulan name no longer matters.
[55] I am now and shall evermore be Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[56] I am a Terraphile, you see."
[57] The little Regulan was as good as hired.
[58] Only the formalities remained.
[59] "You understand our terms, Mr.
[60] Fitzgerald?"
[61] "I'll be placed on exhibition at your Institute on Earth.
[62] You'll pay for my services, transportation and expenses.
[63] I'll be required to remain on exhibit no more than one-third of each Terran sidereal day."
[64] "And the pay will be—ah—$50 Galactic a week, plus expenses and transportation."
[65] The spherical creature clapped his hands in joy, three hands clapping on one side, two on the other.
[66] "Wonderful!
[67] I will see Earth at last!
[68] I accept the terms!"
[69] I buzzed for Ludlow and gave him the fast signal that meant we were signing this alien up at half the usual pay, and Ludlow took him into the other office to sign him up.
[70] I grinned, pleased with myself.
[71] We needed a green Regulan in our show; the last one had quit four years ago.
[72] But just because we needed him didn't mean we had to be extravagant in hiring him.
[73] A Terraphile alien who goes to the extent of rechristening himself with a Terran monicker would work for nothing, or even pay us, just so long as we let him get to Earth.
[74] My conscience won't let me really exploit a being, but I don't believe in throwing money away, either.
[75] The next applicant was a beefy ursinoid from Aldebaran IX.
[76] Our outfit has all the ursinoids it needs or is likely to need in the next few decades, and so I got rid of him in a couple of minutes.
[77] He was followed by a roly-poly blue-skinned humanoid from Donovan's Planet, four feet high and five hundred pounds heavy.
[78] We already had a couple of his species in the show, but they made good crowd-pleasers, being so plump and cheerful.
[79] I passed him along to Auchinleck to sign at anything short of top rate.
[80] Next came a bedraggled Sirian spider who was more interested in a handout than a job.
[81] If there's any species we have a real over-supply of, it's those silver-colored spiders, but this seedy specimen gave it a try anyway.
[82] He got the gate in half a minute, and he didn't even get the handout he was angling for.
[83] I don't approve of begging.
[84] The flora of applicants was steady.
[85] Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet.
[86] We had figured to pick up plenty of new exhibits here and we were right.
[87] It was the isolationism of the late 29th century that turned me into the successful proprietor of Corrigan's Institute, after some years as an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system.
[88] Back in 2903, the World Congress declared Terra off-bounds for non-terrestrial beings, as an offshoot of the Terra for Terrans movement.
[89] Before then, anyone could visit Earth.
[90] After the gate clanged down, a non-terrestrial could only get onto Sol III as a specimen in a scientific collection—in short, as an exhibit in a zoo.
[91] That's what the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science really is, of course.
[92] A zoo.
[93] But we don't go out and hunt for our specimens; we advertise and they come flocking to us.
[94] Every alien wants to see Earth once in his lifetime, and there's only one way he can do it.
[95] We don't keep too big an inventory.
[96] At last count, we had 690 specimens before this trip, representing 298 different intelligent life-forms.
[97] My goal is at least one member of at least 500 different races.
[98] When I reach that, I'll sit back and let the competition catch up—if it can.
[99] After an hour of steady work that morning, we had signed eleven new specimens.
[100] At the same time, we had turned away a dozen ursinoids, fifty of the reptilian natives of Ghryne, seven Sirian spiders, and no less than nineteen chlorine-breathing Procyonites wearing gas masks.
[101] It was also my sad duty to nix a Vegan who was negotiating through a Ghrynian agent.
[102] A Vegan would be a top-flight attraction, being some 400 feet long and appropriately fearsome to the eye, but I didn't see how we could take one on.
[103] They're gentle and likable beings, but their upkeep runs into literally tons of fresh meat a day, and not just any old kind of meat either.
[104] So we had to do without the Vegan.
[105] "One more specimen before lunch," I told Stebbins, "to make it an even dozen."
[106] He looked at me queerly and nodded.
[107] A being entered.
[108] I took a long close look at the life-form when it came in, and after that I took another one.
[109] I wondered what kind of stunt was being pulled.
[110] So far as I could tell, the being was quite plainly nothing but an Earthman.
[111] He sat down facing me without being asked and crossed his legs.
[112] He was tall and extremely thin, with pale blue eyes and dirty-blond hair, and though he was clean and reasonably well dressed, he had a shabby look about him.
[113] He said, in level Terran accents, "I'm looking for a job with your outfit, Corrigan."
[114] "There's been a mistake.
[115] We're interested in non-terrestrials only."
[116] "I'm a non-terrestrial.
[117] My name is Ildwar Gorb, of the planet Wazzenazz XIII."
[118] I don't mind conning the public from time to time, but I draw the line at getting bilked myself.
[119] "Look, friend, I'm busy, and I'm not known for my sense of humor.
[120] Or my generosity."
[121] "I'm not panhandling.
[122] I'm looking for a job."
[123] "Then try elsewhere.
[124] Suppose you stop wasting my time, bud.
[125] You're as Earthborn as I am."
[126] "I've never been within a dozen parsecs of Earth," he said smoothly.
[127] "I happen to be a representative of the only Earthlike race that exists anywhere in the Galaxy but on Earth itself.
[128] Wazzenazz XIII is a small and little-known planet in the Crab Nebula.
[129] Through an evolutionary fluke, my race is identical with yours.
[130] Now, don't you want me in your circus?"
[131] "No.
[132] And it's not a circus.
[133] It's—" "A scientific institute.
[134] I stand corrected."
[135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
[136] I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
[137] Instead I played along.
[138] "If you're from such a distant place, how come you speak English so well?"
[139] "I'm not speaking.
[140] I'm a telepath—not the kind that reads minds, just the kind that projects.
[141] I communicate in symbols that you translate back to colloquial speech."
[142] "Very clever, Mr.
[143] Gorb."
[144] I grinned at him and shook my head.
[145] "You spin a good yarn—but for my money, you're really Sam Jones or Phil Smith from Earth, stranded here and out of cash.
[146] You want a free trip back to Earth.
[147] No deal.
[148] The demand for beings from Wazzenazz XIII is pretty low these days.
[149] Zero, in fact.
[150] Good-by, Mr.
[151] Gorb."
[152] He pointed a finger squarely at me and said, "You're making a big mistake.
[153] I'm just what your outfit needs.
[154] A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!
[155] Look here, examine my teeth.
[156] Absolutely like human teeth!
[157] And—" I pulled away from his yawning mouth.
[158] "Good-by, Mr. Gorb," I repeated.
[159] "All I ask is a contract, Corrigan.
[160] It isn't much.
[161] I'll be a big attraction.
[162] I'll—" " Good-by, Mr. Gorb! "
[163] He glowered at me reproachfully for a moment, stood up and sauntered to the door.
[164] "I thought you were a man of acumen, Corrigan.
[165] Well, think it over.
[166] Maybe you'll regret your hastiness.
[167] I'll be back to give you another chance."
[168] He slammed the door and I let my grim expression relax into a smile.
[169] This was the best con switch yet—an Earthman posing as an alien to get a job!
[170] But I wasn't buying it, even if I could appreciate his cleverness intellectually.
[171] There's no such place as Wazzenazz XIII and there's only one human race in the Galaxy—on Earth.
[172] I was going to need some real good reason before I gave a down-and-out grifter a free ticket home.
[173] I didn't know it then, but before the day was out, I would have that reason.
[174] And, with it, plenty of trouble on my hands.
[175] The first harbinger of woe turned up after lunch in the person of a Kallerian.
[176] The Kallerian was the sixth applicant that afternoon.
[177] I had turned away three more ursinoids, hired a vegetable from Miazan, and said no to a scaly pseudo-armadillo from one of the Delta Worlds.
[178] Hardly had the 'dillo scuttled dejectedly out of my office when the Kallerian came striding in, not even waiting for Stebbins to admit him officially.
[179] He was big even for his kind—in the neighborhood of nine feet high, and getting on toward a ton.
[180] He planted himself firmly on his three stocky feet, extended his massive arms in a Kallerian greeting-gesture, and growled, "I am Vallo Heraal, Freeman of Kaller IV.
[181] You will sign me immediately to a contract."
[182] "Sit down, Freeman Heraal.
[183] I like to make my own decisions, thanks."
[184] "You will grant me a contract!"
[185] "Will you please sit down?"
[186] He said sulkily, "I will remain standing."
[187] "As you prefer."
[188] My desk has a few concealed features which are sometimes useful in dealing with belligerent or disappointed life-forms.
[189] My fingers roamed to the meshgun trigger, just in case of trouble.
[190] The Kallerian stood motionless before me.
[191] They're hairy creatures, and this one had a coarse, thick mat of blue fur completely covering his body.
[192] Two fierce eyes glimmered out through the otherwise dense blanket of fur.
[193] He was wearing the kilt, girdle and ceremonial blaster of his warlike race.
[194] I said, "You'll have to understand, Freeman Heraal, that it's not our policy to maintain more than a few members of each species at our Institute.
[195] And we're not currently in need of any Kallerian males, because—" "You will hire me or trouble I will make!"
[196] I opened our inventory chart.
[197] I showed him that we were already carrying four Kallerians, and that was more than plenty.
[198] The beady little eyes flashed like beacons in the fur.
[199] "Yes, you have four representatives—of the Clan Verdrokh!
[200] None of the Clan Gursdrinn!
[201] For three years, I have waited for a chance to avenge this insult to the noble Clan Gursdrinn!"
[202] At the key-word avenge , I readied myself to ensnarl the Kallerian in a spume of tanglemesh the instant he went for his blaster, but he didn't move.
[203] He bellowed, "I have vowed a vow, Earthman.
[204] Take me to Earth, enroll a Gursdrinn, or the consequences will be terrible!"
[205] I'm a man of principles, like all straightforward double-dealers, and one of the most important of those principles is that I never let myself be bullied by anyone.
[206] "I deeply regret having unintentionally insulted your clan, Freeman Heraal.
[207] Will you accept my apologies?"
[208] He glared at me in silence.
[209] I went on, "Please be assured that I'll undo the insult at the earliest possible opportunity.
[210] It's not feasible for us to hire another Kallerian now, but I'll give preference to the Clan Gursdrinn as soon as a vacancy—" "No.
[211] You will hire me now."
[212] "It can't be done, Freeman Heraal.
[213] We have a budget, and we stick to it."
[214] "You will rue!
[215] I will take drastic measures!"
[216] "Threats will get you nowhere, Freeman Heraal.
[217] I give you my word I'll get in touch with you as soon as our organization has room for another Kallerian.
[218] And now, please, there are many applicants waiting—" You'd think it would be sort of humiliating to become a specimen in a zoo, but most of these races take it as an honor.
[219] And there's always the chance that, by picking a given member of a race, we're insulting all the others.
[220] I nudged the trouble-button on the side of my desk and Auchinleck and Ludlow appeared simultaneously from the two doors at right and left.
[221] They surrounded the towering Kallerian and sweet-talkingly led him away.
[222] He wasn't minded to quarrel physically, or he could have knocked them both into the next city with a backhand swipe of his shaggy paw, but he kept up a growling flow of invective and threats until he was out in the hall.
[223] I mopped sweat from my forehead and began to buzz Stebbins for the next applicant.
[224] But before my finger touched the button, the door popped open and a small being came scooting in, followed by an angry Stebbins.
[225] "Come here, you!"
[226] "Stebbins?"
[227] I said gently.
[228] "I'm sorry, Mr. Corrigan.
[229] I lost sight of this one for a moment, and he came running in—" "Please, please," squeaked the little alien pitifully.
[230] "I must see you, honored sir!"
[231] "It isn't his turn in line," Stebbins protested.
[232] "There are at least fifty ahead of him."
[233] "All right," I said tiredly.
[234] "As long as he's in here already, I might as well see him.
[235] Be more careful next time, Stebbins."
[236] Stebbins nodded dolefully and backed out.
[237] The alien was a pathetic sight: a Stortulian, a squirrely-looking creature about three feet high.
[238] His fur, which should have been a lustrous black, was a dull gray, and his eyes were wet and sad.
[239] His tail drooped.
[240] His voice was little more than a faint whimper, even at full volume.
[241] "Begging your most honored pardon most humbly, important sir.
[242] I am a being of Stortul XII, having sold my last few possessions to travel to Ghryne for the miserable purpose of obtaining an interview with yourself."
[243] I said, "I'd better tell you right at the outset that we're already carrying our full complement of Stortulians.
[244] We have both a male and a female now and—" "This is known to me.
[245] The female—is her name perchance Tiress?"
[246] I glanced down at the inventory chart until I found the Stortulian entry.
[247] "Yes, that's her name."
[248] The little being immediately emitted a soul-shaking gasp.
[249] "It is she!
[250] It is she!"
[251] "I'm afraid we don't have room for any more—" "You are not in full understanding of my plight.
[252] The female Tiress, she is—was—my own Fire-sent spouse, my comfort and my warmth, my life and my love."
[253] "Funny," I said.
[254] "When we signed her three years ago, she said she was single.
[255] It's right here on the chart."
[256] "She lied!
[257] She left my burrow because she longed to see the splendors of Earth.
[258] And I am alone, bound by our sacred customs never to remarry, languishing in sadness and pining for her return.
[259] You must take me to Earth!"
[260] "But—" "I must see her—her and this disgrace-bringing lover of hers.
[261] I must reason with her.
[262] Earthman, can't you see I must appeal to her inner flame?
[263] I must bring her back! "
[264] My face was expressionless.
[265] "You don't really intend to join our organization at all—you just want free passage to Earth?"
[266] "Yes, yes!"
[267] wailed the Stortulian.
[268] "Find some other member of my race, if you must!
[269] Let me have my wife again, Earthman!
[270] Is your heart a dead lump of stone?"
[271] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
[272] I felt sorry for this being's domestic troubles, but I wasn't going to break up a good act just to make an alien squirrel happy—not to mention footing the transportation.
[273] I said, "I don't see how we can manage it.
[274] The laws are very strict on the subject of bringing alien life to Earth.
[275] It has to be for scientific purposes only.
[276] And if I know in advance that your purpose in coming isn't scientific, I can't in all conscience lie for you, can I?"
[277] "Well—" "Of course not."
[278] I took advantage of his pathetic upset to steam right along.
[279] "Now if you had come in here and simply asked me to sign you up, I might conceivably have done it.
[280] But no—you had to go unburden your heart to me."
[281] "I thought the truth would move you."
[282] "It did.
[283] But in effect you're now asking me to conspire in a fraudulent criminal act.
[284] Friend, I can't do it.
[285] My reputation means too much to me," I said piously.
[286] "Then you will refuse me?"
[287] "My heart melts to nothingness for you.
[288] But I can't take you to Earth."
[289] "Perhaps you will send my wife to me here?"
[290] There's a clause in every contract that allows me to jettison an unwanted specimen.
[291] All I have to do is declare it no longer of scientific interest, and the World Government will deport the undesirable alien back to its home world.
[292] But I wouldn't pull a low trick like that on our female Stortulian.
[293] I said, "I'll ask her about coming home.
[294] But I won't ship her back against her will.
[295] And maybe she's happier where she is."
[296] The Stortulian seemed to shrivel.
[297] His eyelids closed half-way to mask his tears.
[298] He turned and shambled slowly to the door, walking like a living dishrag.
[299] In a bleak voice, he said, "There is no hope then.
[300] All is lost.
[301] I will never see my soulmate again.
[302] Good day, Earthman."
[303] He spoke in a drab monotone that almost, but not quite, had me weeping.
[304] I watched him shuffle out.
[305] I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
[306] About fifty more applicants were processed without a hitch.
[307] Then life started to get complicated again.
[308] Nine of the fifty were okay.
[309] The rest were unacceptable for one reason or another, and they took the bad news quietly enough.
[310] The haul for the day so far was close to two dozen new life-forms under contract.
[311] I had just about begun to forget about the incidents of the Kallerian's outraged pride and the Stortulian's flighty wife when the door opened and the Earthman who called himself Ildwar Gorb of Wazzenazz XIII stepped in.
[312] "How did you get in here?"
[313] I demanded.
[314] "Your man happened to be looking the wrong way," he said cheerily.
[315] "Change your mind about me yet?"
[316] "Get out before I have you thrown out."
[317] Gorb shrugged.
[318] "I figured you hadn't changed your mind, so I've changed my pitch a bit.
[319] If you won't believe I'm from Wazzenazz XIII, suppose I tell you that I am Earthborn, and that I'm looking for a job on your staff."
[320] "I don't care what your story is!
[321] Get out or—" "—you'll have me thrown out.
[322] Okay, okay.
[323] Just give me half a second.
[324] Corrigan, you're no fool, and neither am I—but that fellow of yours outside is .
[325] He doesn't know how to handle alien beings.
[326] How many times today has a life-form come in here unexpectedly?"
[327] I scowled at him.
[328] "Too damn many."
[329] "You see?
[330] He's incompetent.
[331] Suppose you fire him, take me on instead.
[332] I've been living in the outworlds half my life; I know all there is to know about alien life-forms.
[333] You can use me, Corrigan."
[334] I took a deep breath and glanced all around the paneled ceiling of the office before I spoke.
[335] "Listen, Gorb, or whatever your name is, I've had a hard day.
[336] There's been a Kallerian in here who just about threatened murder, and there's been a Stortulian in here who's about to commit suicide because of me.
[337] I have a conscience and it's troubling me.
[338] But get this: I just want to finish off my recruiting, pack up and go home to Earth.
[339] I don't want you hanging around here bothering me.
[340] I'm not looking to hire new staff members, and if you switch back to claiming you're an unknown life-form from Wazzenazz XIII, the answer is that I'm not looking for any of those either.
[341] Now will you scram or—" The office door crashed open at that point and Heraal, the Kallerian, came thundering in.
[342] He was dressed from head to toe in glittering metalfoil, and instead of his ceremonial blaster, he was wielding a sword the length of a human being.
[343] Stebbins and Auchinleck came dragging helplessly along in his wake, hanging desperately to his belt.
[344] "Sorry, Chief," Stebbins gasped.
[345] "I tried to keep him out, but—" Heraal, who had planted himself in front of my desk, drowned him out with a roar.
[346] "Earthman, you have mortally insulted the Clan Gursdrinn!"
[347] Sitting with my hands poised near the meshgun trigger, I was ready to let him have it at the first sight of actual violence.
[348] Heraal boomed, "You are responsible for what is to happen now.
[349] I have notified the authorities and you prosecuted will be for causing the death of a life-form!
[350] Suffer, Earthborn ape!
[351] Suffer!"
[352] "Watch it, Chief," Stebbins yelled.
[353] "He's going to—" An instant before my numb fingers could tighten on the meshgun trigger, Heraal swung that huge sword through the air and plunged it savagely through his body.
[354] He toppled forward onto the carpet with the sword projecting a couple of feet out of his back.
[355] A few driblets of bluish-purple blood spread from beneath him.
[356] Before I could react to the big life-form's hara-kiri, the office door flew open again and three sleek reptilian beings entered, garbed in the green sashes of the local police force.
[357] Their golden eyes goggled down at the figure on the floor, then came to rest on me.
[358] "You are J. F.
[359] Corrigan?"
[360] the leader asked.
[361] "Y-yes."
[362] "We have received word of a complaint against you.
[363] Said complaint being—" "—that your unethical actions have directly contributed to the untimely death of an intelligent life-form," filled in the second of the Ghrynian policemen.
[364] "The evidence lies before us," intoned the leader, "in the cadaver of the unfortunate Kallerian who filed the complaint with us several minutes ago."
[365] "And therefore," said the third lizard, "it is our duty to arrest you for this crime and declare you subject to a fine of no less than $100,000 Galactic or two years in prison."
[366] "Hold on!"
[367] I stormed.
[368] "You mean that any being from anywhere in the Universe can come in here and gut himself on my carpet, and I'm responsible?"
[369] "This is the law.
[370] Do you deny that your stubborn refusal to yield to this late life-form's request lies at the root of his sad demise?"
[371] "Well, no, but—" "Failure to deny is admission of guilt.
[372] You are guilty, Earthman."
[373] Closing my eyes wearily, I tried to wish the whole babbling lot of them away.
[374] If I had to, I could pony up the hundred-grand fine, but it was going to put an awful dent in this year's take.
[375] And I shuddered when I remembered that any minute that scrawny little Stortulian was likely to come bursting in here to kill himself too.
[376] Was it a fine of $100,000 per suicide?
[377] At that rate, I could be out of business by nightfall.
[378] I was spared further such morbid thoughts by yet another unannounced arrival.
[379] The small figure of the Stortulian trudged through the open doorway and stationed itself limply near the threshold.
[380] The three Ghrynian policemen and my three assistants forgot the dead Kallerian for a moment and turned to eye the newcomer.
[381] I had visions of unending troubles with the law here on Ghryne.
[382] I resolved never to come here on a recruiting trip again—or, if I did come, to figure out some more effective way of screening myself against crackpots.
[383] In heart-rending tones, the Stortulian declared, "Life is no longer worth living.
[384] My last hope is gone.
[385] There is only one thing left for me to do."
[386] I was quivering at the thought of another hundred thousand smackers going down the drain.
[387] "Stop him, somebody!
[388] He's going to kill himself!
[389] He's—" Then somebody sprinted toward me, hit me amidships, and knocked me flying out from behind my desk before I had a chance to fire the meshgun.
[390] My head walloped the floor, and for five or six seconds, I guess I wasn't fully aware of what was going on.
[391] Gradually the scene took shape around me.
[392] There was a monstrous hole in the wall behind my desk; a smoking blaster lay on the floor, and I saw the three Ghrynian policemen sitting on the raving Stortulian.
[393] The man who called himself Ildwar Gorb was getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
[394] He helped me up.
[395] "Sorry to have had to tackle you, Corrigan.
[396] But that Stortulian wasn't here to commit suicide, you see.
[397] He was out to get you."
[398] I weaved dizzily toward my desk and dropped into my chair.
[399] A flying fragment of wall had deflated my pneumatic cushion.
[400] The smell of ashed plaster was everywhere.
[401] The police were effectively cocooning the struggling little alien in an unbreakable tanglemesh.
[402] "Evidently you don't know as much as you think you do about Stortulian psychology, Corrigan," Gorb said lightly.
[403] "Suicide is completely abhorrent to them.
[404] When they're troubled, they kill the person who caused their trouble.
[405] In this case, you."
[406] I began to chuckle—more of a tension-relieving snicker than a full-bodied laugh.
[407] "Funny," I said.
[408] "What is?"
[409] asked the self-styled Wazzenazzian.
[410] "These aliens.
[411] Big blustery Heraal came in with murder in his eye and killed himself , and the pint-sized Stortulian who looked so meek and pathetic damn near blew my head off."
[412] I shuddered.
[413] "Thanks for the tackle job."
[414] "Don't mention it," Gorb said.
[415] I glared at the Ghrynian police.
[416] "Well?
[417] What are you waiting for?
[418] Take that murderous little beast out of here!
[419] Or isn't murder against the local laws?"
[420] "The Stortulian will be duly punished," replied the leader of the Ghrynian cops calmly.
[421] "But there is the matter of the dead Kallerian and the fine of—" "—one hundred thousand dollars.
[422] I know."
[423] I groaned and turned to Stebbins.
[424] "Get the Terran Consulate on the phone, Stebbins.
[425] Have them send down a legal adviser.
[426] Find out if there's any way we can get out of this mess with our skins intact."
[427] "Right, Chief."
[428] Stebbins moved toward the visiphone.
[429] Gorb stepped forward and put a hand on his chest.
[430] "Hold it," the Wazzenazzian said crisply.
[431] "The Consulate can't help you.
[432] I can."
[433] "You?"
[434] I said.
[435] "I can get you out of this cheap."
[436] " How cheap?"
[437] Gorb grinned rakishly.
[438] "Five thousand in cash plus a contract as a specimen with your outfit.
[439] In advance, of course.
[440] That's a heck of a lot better than forking over a hundred grand, isn't it?"
[441] I eyed Gorb uncertainly.
[442] The Terran Consulate people probably wouldn't be much help; they tried to keep out of local squabbles unless they were really serious, and I knew from past experiences that no officials ever worried much about the state of my pocketbook.
[443] On the other hand, giving this slyster a contract might be a risky proposition.
[444] "Tell you what," I said finally.
[445] "You've got yourself a deal—but on a contingency basis.
[446] Get me out of this and you'll have five grand and the contract.
[447] Otherwise, nothing."
[448] Gorb shrugged.
[449] "What have I to lose?" | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Mr. Corrigan and what is his personality like?":
1. [135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony. I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
2. [205] I'm a man of principles, like all straightforward double-dealers, and one of the most important of those principles is that I never let myself be bullied by anyone.
3. [271] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
4. [305] I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
5. [334] I took a deep breath and glanced all around the paneled ceiling of the office before I spoke.
6. [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
7. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
8. [3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
9. [4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
10. [5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
11. [6] My three staff men, Auchinleck, Stebbins and Ludlow, walked shieldwise in front of me.
12. [7] I peered between them to size the crop up.
13. [8] The aliens came in every shape and form, in all colors and textures—and all of them eager for a Corrigan contract.
14. [9] The Galaxy is full of bizarre beings, but there's barely a species anywhere that can resist the old exhibitionist urge.
15. [10] "Send them in one at a time," I told Stebbins.
16. [11] I ducked into the office, took my place back of the desk and waited for the procession to begin.
17. [12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
18. [13] I thought of it privately as MacTavish IV and referred to it publicly as Ghryne.
19. [14] I believe in keeping the locals happy wherever I go.
20. [15] Through the front window of the office, I could see our big gay tridim sign plastered to a facing wall: WANTED—EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
21. [16] We had saturated MacTavish IV with our promotional poop for a month preceding arrival.
22. [17] Stuff like this: Want to visit Earth—see the Galaxy's most glittering and exclusive world?
23. [18] Want to draw good pay, work short hours, experience the thrills of show business on romantic Terra?
24. [19] If you are a non-terrestrial, there may be a place for you in the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science.
25. [20] No freaks wanted—normal beings only.
26. [21] J. F. Corrigan will hold interviews in person on Ghryne from Thirdday to Fifthday of Tenmonth.
27. [22] His last visit to the Caledonia Cluster until 2937, so don't miss your chance!
28. [23] Hurry!
29. [24] A life of wonder and riches can be yours!
30. [25] Broadsides like that, distributed wholesale in half a thousand languages, always bring them running.
31. [26] And the Corrigan Institute really packs in the crowds back on Earth.
32. [27] Why not?
33. [28] It's the best of its kind, the only really decent place where Earthmen can get a gander at the other species of the universe.
34. [70] I grinned, pleased with myself.
35. [71] We needed a green Regulan in our show; the last one had quit four years ago.
36. [72] But just because we needed him didn't mean we had to be extravagant in hiring him.
37. [73] A Terraphile alien who goes to the extent of rechristening himself with a Terran monicker would work for nothing, or even pay us, just so long as we let him get to Earth.
38. [74] My conscience won't let me really exploit a being, but I don't believe in throwing money away, either.
39. [87] It was the isolationism of the late 29th century that turned me into the successful proprietor of Corrigan's Institute, after some years as an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system.
40. [88] Back in 2903, the World Congress declared Terra off-bounds for non-terrestrial beings, as an offshoot of the Terra for Terrans movement.
41. [89] Before then, anyone could visit Earth.
42. [90] After the gate clanged down, a non-terrestrial could only get onto Sol III as a specimen in a scientific collection—in short, as an exhibit in a zoo.
43. [91] That's what the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science really is, of course.
44. [92] A zoo.
45. [93] But we don't go out and hunt for our specimens; we advertise and they come flocking to us.
46. [94] Every alien wants to see Earth once in his lifetime, and there's only one way he can do it.
47. [95] We don't keep too big an inventory.
48. [96] At last count, we had 690 specimens before this trip, representing 298 different intelligent life-forms.
49. [97] My goal is at least one member of at least 500 different races.
50. [98] When I reach that, I'll sit back and let the competition catch up—if it can.
51. [118] I don't mind conning the public from time to time, but I draw the line at getting bilked myself.
52. [119] "Look, friend, I'm busy, and I'm not known for my sense of humor.
53. [120] Or my generosity."
54. [135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
55. [136] I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
56. [137] Instead I played along.
57. [205] I'm a man of principles, like all straightforward double-dealers, and one of the most important of those principles is that I never let myself be bullied by anyone.
58. [271] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
59. [305] I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
60. [334] I took a deep breath and glanced all around the paneled ceiling of the office before I spoke. |
Describe the settings the story takes place in. | [
"The story takes place during a single day in Mr. Corrigan’s rented office on the planet Ghryne some time after the year 2903. His office has a desk, chairs for his interviewees to sit in, and a sign advertising that extraterrestrials are wanted. There is a waiting room outside the office, and applicants are buzzed in by Corrigan’s assistant.\n\nOn this planet, there is a strong desire for aliens to want to go on exhibit on Earth. Mr. Corrigan profits from having them on display, and is willing to go through long and stressful interview days to hand select his specimens. His desire is to have at least 500 different alien races in his collection.\n\nThere is frequent reference to the location of the Corrigan Institute on Earth, though it is never visited in the story. The Institute is very popular with humans, and has 690 specimens, representing 298 different types of aliens.",
"Birds of a Feather by Robert Silverberg takes place on what is commonly called Ghryne, or it’s more formal name MacTavish IV. This planet is in the Caledonia cluster and currently the home of Mr. Corrigan’s interviews. The Caledonia cluster is one of the many crossroads of interstellar travel, so it features many specimens from a variety of planets. The story mostly takes place in Mr. Corrigan’s office, featuring a desk and a few chairs for his specimens to sit in. He hides weapons beneath his desk in case of a scary situation, as well as a distress button.",
"The story takes place in the 30th century primarily on Ghryne, whose official Terran name is MacTavish IV, a planet in the Caledonia Cluster, which includes other planets such as Aldebaran IX, Regulus II, Donovan's Planet, Stortul XII, and more. Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet, and Mr. Corrigan holds his interviews here for his Corrigan Institute from Thirdday to Fifthday of Tenthmonth. Having been declared off-limits for non-terrestrial beings by the World Congress in 2903, Earth is now an exclusive place to be, which heightens the appeal and romance of working and visiting there. The Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science is a Terran zoo that exhibits non-terrestrial beings from all over the universe. With 690 specimens representing 298 different intelligent life-forms, the ultimate goal of the zoo is to present at least one member of at least 500 different races. Corrigan has a desk equipped with a meshgun trigger that keeps him safe in the event a non-terrestrial becomes hostile towards him.",
"The story takes place sometime in the early 30th century as Corrigan’s ad announces this recruiting trip is his last in the Caledonia Cluster until 2937. Days and months are named by their sequence in the week or year, hence, Thirdday, Fifthday, and Tenmonth. In 2903, the World Congress ruled that aliens were forbidden on Earth unless they were there as a specimen of a scientific collection. This exception is what allows Corrigan to conduct his lucrative business. Most of the story is set In the rented Corrigan office on the planet MacTavis (IV), or Ghryne according to its residents. All of the action takes place on this planet, although there are a few references to Earth. MacTavis (IV) is an ideal planet for Corrgan’s interviews since this planet is at the interstellar crossroads, making it easily accessible for aliens from across the Caledonia Cluster to respond to Corrigan’s ad for alien species to be transported to Earth for display. The planet has the features of a civilization, including city districts organized into blocks, office buildings, and hotels. There is a police department that quickly responds to emergencies and has set penalties for infractions against the law. Ghryne uses the Galactic monetary system. Corrigan’s office has a modern executive set-up where he works in an inner office while his assistants manage his appointments. He has a button he can push to alert his team that they need to escort someone away from his office. Corrigan also has a meshgun mounted under his desk that he can fire in the event of an emergency."
] | [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
[4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
[5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
[6] My three staff men, Auchinleck, Stebbins and Ludlow, walked shieldwise in front of me.
[7] I peered between them to size the crop up.
[8] The aliens came in every shape and form, in all colors and textures—and all of them eager for a Corrigan contract.
[9] The Galaxy is full of bizarre beings, but there's barely a species anywhere that can resist the old exhibitionist urge.
[10] "Send them in one at a time," I told Stebbins.
[11] I ducked into the office, took my place back of the desk and waited for the procession to begin.
[12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
[13] I thought of it privately as MacTavish IV and referred to it publicly as Ghryne.
[14] I believe in keeping the locals happy wherever I go.
[15] Through the front window of the office, I could see our big gay tridim sign plastered to a facing wall: WANTED—EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
[16] We had saturated MacTavish IV with our promotional poop for a month preceding arrival.
[17] Stuff like this: Want to visit Earth—see the Galaxy's most glittering and exclusive world?
[18] Want to draw good pay, work short hours, experience the thrills of show business on romantic Terra?
[19] If you are a non-terrestrial, there may be a place for you in the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science.
[20] No freaks wanted—normal beings only.
[21] J. F. Corrigan will hold interviews in person on Ghryne from Thirdday to Fifthday of Tenmonth.
[22] His last visit to the Caledonia Cluster until 2937, so don't miss your chance!
[23] Hurry!
[24] A life of wonder and riches can be yours!
[25] Broadsides like that, distributed wholesale in half a thousand languages, always bring them running.
[26] And the Corrigan Institute really packs in the crowds back on Earth.
[27] Why not?
[28] It's the best of its kind, the only really decent place where Earthmen can get a gander at the other species of the universe.
[29] The office buzzer sounded.
[30] Auchinleck said unctuously, "The first applicant is ready to see you, sir."
[31] "Send him, her or it in."
[32] The door opened and a timid-looking life-form advanced toward me on nervous little legs.
[33] He was a globular creature about the size of a big basketball, yellowish-green, with two spindly double-kneed legs and five double-elbowed arms, the latter spaced regularly around his body.
[34] There was a lidless eye at the top of his head and five lidded ones, one above each arm.
[35] Plus a big, gaping, toothless mouth.
[36] His voice was a surprisingly resounding basso.
[37] "You are Mr.
[38] Corrigan?"
[39] "That's right."
[40] I reached for a data blank.
[41] "Before we begin, I'll need certain information about—" "I am a being of Regulus II," came the grave, booming reply, even before I had picked up the blank.
[42] "I need no special care and I am not a fugitive from the law of any world."
[43] "Your name?"
[44] "Lawrence R.
[45] Fitzgerald."
[46] I throttled my exclamation of surprise, concealing it behind a quick cough.
[47] "Let me have that again, please?"
[48] "Certainly.
[49] My name is Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[50] The 'R' stands for Raymond."
[51] "Of course, that's not the name you were born with."
[52] The being closed his eyes and toddled around in a 360-degree rotation, remaining in place.
[53] On his world, that gesture is the equivalent of an apologetic smile.
[54] "My Regulan name no longer matters.
[55] I am now and shall evermore be Lawrence R. Fitzgerald.
[56] I am a Terraphile, you see."
[57] The little Regulan was as good as hired.
[58] Only the formalities remained.
[59] "You understand our terms, Mr.
[60] Fitzgerald?"
[61] "I'll be placed on exhibition at your Institute on Earth.
[62] You'll pay for my services, transportation and expenses.
[63] I'll be required to remain on exhibit no more than one-third of each Terran sidereal day."
[64] "And the pay will be—ah—$50 Galactic a week, plus expenses and transportation."
[65] The spherical creature clapped his hands in joy, three hands clapping on one side, two on the other.
[66] "Wonderful!
[67] I will see Earth at last!
[68] I accept the terms!"
[69] I buzzed for Ludlow and gave him the fast signal that meant we were signing this alien up at half the usual pay, and Ludlow took him into the other office to sign him up.
[70] I grinned, pleased with myself.
[71] We needed a green Regulan in our show; the last one had quit four years ago.
[72] But just because we needed him didn't mean we had to be extravagant in hiring him.
[73] A Terraphile alien who goes to the extent of rechristening himself with a Terran monicker would work for nothing, or even pay us, just so long as we let him get to Earth.
[74] My conscience won't let me really exploit a being, but I don't believe in throwing money away, either.
[75] The next applicant was a beefy ursinoid from Aldebaran IX.
[76] Our outfit has all the ursinoids it needs or is likely to need in the next few decades, and so I got rid of him in a couple of minutes.
[77] He was followed by a roly-poly blue-skinned humanoid from Donovan's Planet, four feet high and five hundred pounds heavy.
[78] We already had a couple of his species in the show, but they made good crowd-pleasers, being so plump and cheerful.
[79] I passed him along to Auchinleck to sign at anything short of top rate.
[80] Next came a bedraggled Sirian spider who was more interested in a handout than a job.
[81] If there's any species we have a real over-supply of, it's those silver-colored spiders, but this seedy specimen gave it a try anyway.
[82] He got the gate in half a minute, and he didn't even get the handout he was angling for.
[83] I don't approve of begging.
[84] The flora of applicants was steady.
[85] Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet.
[86] We had figured to pick up plenty of new exhibits here and we were right.
[87] It was the isolationism of the late 29th century that turned me into the successful proprietor of Corrigan's Institute, after some years as an impoverished carnival man in the Betelgeuse system.
[88] Back in 2903, the World Congress declared Terra off-bounds for non-terrestrial beings, as an offshoot of the Terra for Terrans movement.
[89] Before then, anyone could visit Earth.
[90] After the gate clanged down, a non-terrestrial could only get onto Sol III as a specimen in a scientific collection—in short, as an exhibit in a zoo.
[91] That's what the Corrigan Institute of Morphological Science really is, of course.
[92] A zoo.
[93] But we don't go out and hunt for our specimens; we advertise and they come flocking to us.
[94] Every alien wants to see Earth once in his lifetime, and there's only one way he can do it.
[95] We don't keep too big an inventory.
[96] At last count, we had 690 specimens before this trip, representing 298 different intelligent life-forms.
[97] My goal is at least one member of at least 500 different races.
[98] When I reach that, I'll sit back and let the competition catch up—if it can.
[99] After an hour of steady work that morning, we had signed eleven new specimens.
[100] At the same time, we had turned away a dozen ursinoids, fifty of the reptilian natives of Ghryne, seven Sirian spiders, and no less than nineteen chlorine-breathing Procyonites wearing gas masks.
[101] It was also my sad duty to nix a Vegan who was negotiating through a Ghrynian agent.
[102] A Vegan would be a top-flight attraction, being some 400 feet long and appropriately fearsome to the eye, but I didn't see how we could take one on.
[103] They're gentle and likable beings, but their upkeep runs into literally tons of fresh meat a day, and not just any old kind of meat either.
[104] So we had to do without the Vegan.
[105] "One more specimen before lunch," I told Stebbins, "to make it an even dozen."
[106] He looked at me queerly and nodded.
[107] A being entered.
[108] I took a long close look at the life-form when it came in, and after that I took another one.
[109] I wondered what kind of stunt was being pulled.
[110] So far as I could tell, the being was quite plainly nothing but an Earthman.
[111] He sat down facing me without being asked and crossed his legs.
[112] He was tall and extremely thin, with pale blue eyes and dirty-blond hair, and though he was clean and reasonably well dressed, he had a shabby look about him.
[113] He said, in level Terran accents, "I'm looking for a job with your outfit, Corrigan."
[114] "There's been a mistake.
[115] We're interested in non-terrestrials only."
[116] "I'm a non-terrestrial.
[117] My name is Ildwar Gorb, of the planet Wazzenazz XIII."
[118] I don't mind conning the public from time to time, but I draw the line at getting bilked myself.
[119] "Look, friend, I'm busy, and I'm not known for my sense of humor.
[120] Or my generosity."
[121] "I'm not panhandling.
[122] I'm looking for a job."
[123] "Then try elsewhere.
[124] Suppose you stop wasting my time, bud.
[125] You're as Earthborn as I am."
[126] "I've never been within a dozen parsecs of Earth," he said smoothly.
[127] "I happen to be a representative of the only Earthlike race that exists anywhere in the Galaxy but on Earth itself.
[128] Wazzenazz XIII is a small and little-known planet in the Crab Nebula.
[129] Through an evolutionary fluke, my race is identical with yours.
[130] Now, don't you want me in your circus?"
[131] "No.
[132] And it's not a circus.
[133] It's—" "A scientific institute.
[134] I stand corrected."
[135] There was something glib and appealing about this preposterous phony.
[136] I guess I recognized a kindred spirit or I would have tossed him out on his ear without another word.
[137] Instead I played along.
[138] "If you're from such a distant place, how come you speak English so well?"
[139] "I'm not speaking.
[140] I'm a telepath—not the kind that reads minds, just the kind that projects.
[141] I communicate in symbols that you translate back to colloquial speech."
[142] "Very clever, Mr.
[143] Gorb."
[144] I grinned at him and shook my head.
[145] "You spin a good yarn—but for my money, you're really Sam Jones or Phil Smith from Earth, stranded here and out of cash.
[146] You want a free trip back to Earth.
[147] No deal.
[148] The demand for beings from Wazzenazz XIII is pretty low these days.
[149] Zero, in fact.
[150] Good-by, Mr.
[151] Gorb."
[152] He pointed a finger squarely at me and said, "You're making a big mistake.
[153] I'm just what your outfit needs.
[154] A representative of a hitherto utterly unknown race identical to humanity in every respect!
[155] Look here, examine my teeth.
[156] Absolutely like human teeth!
[157] And—" I pulled away from his yawning mouth.
[158] "Good-by, Mr. Gorb," I repeated.
[159] "All I ask is a contract, Corrigan.
[160] It isn't much.
[161] I'll be a big attraction.
[162] I'll—" " Good-by, Mr. Gorb! "
[163] He glowered at me reproachfully for a moment, stood up and sauntered to the door.
[164] "I thought you were a man of acumen, Corrigan.
[165] Well, think it over.
[166] Maybe you'll regret your hastiness.
[167] I'll be back to give you another chance."
[168] He slammed the door and I let my grim expression relax into a smile.
[169] This was the best con switch yet—an Earthman posing as an alien to get a job!
[170] But I wasn't buying it, even if I could appreciate his cleverness intellectually.
[171] There's no such place as Wazzenazz XIII and there's only one human race in the Galaxy—on Earth.
[172] I was going to need some real good reason before I gave a down-and-out grifter a free ticket home.
[173] I didn't know it then, but before the day was out, I would have that reason.
[174] And, with it, plenty of trouble on my hands.
[175] The first harbinger of woe turned up after lunch in the person of a Kallerian.
[176] The Kallerian was the sixth applicant that afternoon.
[177] I had turned away three more ursinoids, hired a vegetable from Miazan, and said no to a scaly pseudo-armadillo from one of the Delta Worlds.
[178] Hardly had the 'dillo scuttled dejectedly out of my office when the Kallerian came striding in, not even waiting for Stebbins to admit him officially.
[179] He was big even for his kind—in the neighborhood of nine feet high, and getting on toward a ton.
[180] He planted himself firmly on his three stocky feet, extended his massive arms in a Kallerian greeting-gesture, and growled, "I am Vallo Heraal, Freeman of Kaller IV.
[181] You will sign me immediately to a contract."
[182] "Sit down, Freeman Heraal.
[183] I like to make my own decisions, thanks."
[184] "You will grant me a contract!"
[185] "Will you please sit down?"
[186] He said sulkily, "I will remain standing."
[187] "As you prefer."
[188] My desk has a few concealed features which are sometimes useful in dealing with belligerent or disappointed life-forms.
[189] My fingers roamed to the meshgun trigger, just in case of trouble.
[190] The Kallerian stood motionless before me.
[191] They're hairy creatures, and this one had a coarse, thick mat of blue fur completely covering his body.
[192] Two fierce eyes glimmered out through the otherwise dense blanket of fur.
[193] He was wearing the kilt, girdle and ceremonial blaster of his warlike race.
[194] I said, "You'll have to understand, Freeman Heraal, that it's not our policy to maintain more than a few members of each species at our Institute.
[195] And we're not currently in need of any Kallerian males, because—" "You will hire me or trouble I will make!"
[196] I opened our inventory chart.
[197] I showed him that we were already carrying four Kallerians, and that was more than plenty.
[198] The beady little eyes flashed like beacons in the fur.
[199] "Yes, you have four representatives—of the Clan Verdrokh!
[200] None of the Clan Gursdrinn!
[201] For three years, I have waited for a chance to avenge this insult to the noble Clan Gursdrinn!"
[202] At the key-word avenge , I readied myself to ensnarl the Kallerian in a spume of tanglemesh the instant he went for his blaster, but he didn't move.
[203] He bellowed, "I have vowed a vow, Earthman.
[204] Take me to Earth, enroll a Gursdrinn, or the consequences will be terrible!"
[205] I'm a man of principles, like all straightforward double-dealers, and one of the most important of those principles is that I never let myself be bullied by anyone.
[206] "I deeply regret having unintentionally insulted your clan, Freeman Heraal.
[207] Will you accept my apologies?"
[208] He glared at me in silence.
[209] I went on, "Please be assured that I'll undo the insult at the earliest possible opportunity.
[210] It's not feasible for us to hire another Kallerian now, but I'll give preference to the Clan Gursdrinn as soon as a vacancy—" "No.
[211] You will hire me now."
[212] "It can't be done, Freeman Heraal.
[213] We have a budget, and we stick to it."
[214] "You will rue!
[215] I will take drastic measures!"
[216] "Threats will get you nowhere, Freeman Heraal.
[217] I give you my word I'll get in touch with you as soon as our organization has room for another Kallerian.
[218] And now, please, there are many applicants waiting—" You'd think it would be sort of humiliating to become a specimen in a zoo, but most of these races take it as an honor.
[219] And there's always the chance that, by picking a given member of a race, we're insulting all the others.
[220] I nudged the trouble-button on the side of my desk and Auchinleck and Ludlow appeared simultaneously from the two doors at right and left.
[221] They surrounded the towering Kallerian and sweet-talkingly led him away.
[222] He wasn't minded to quarrel physically, or he could have knocked them both into the next city with a backhand swipe of his shaggy paw, but he kept up a growling flow of invective and threats until he was out in the hall.
[223] I mopped sweat from my forehead and began to buzz Stebbins for the next applicant.
[224] But before my finger touched the button, the door popped open and a small being came scooting in, followed by an angry Stebbins.
[225] "Come here, you!"
[226] "Stebbins?"
[227] I said gently.
[228] "I'm sorry, Mr. Corrigan.
[229] I lost sight of this one for a moment, and he came running in—" "Please, please," squeaked the little alien pitifully.
[230] "I must see you, honored sir!"
[231] "It isn't his turn in line," Stebbins protested.
[232] "There are at least fifty ahead of him."
[233] "All right," I said tiredly.
[234] "As long as he's in here already, I might as well see him.
[235] Be more careful next time, Stebbins."
[236] Stebbins nodded dolefully and backed out.
[237] The alien was a pathetic sight: a Stortulian, a squirrely-looking creature about three feet high.
[238] His fur, which should have been a lustrous black, was a dull gray, and his eyes were wet and sad.
[239] His tail drooped.
[240] His voice was little more than a faint whimper, even at full volume.
[241] "Begging your most honored pardon most humbly, important sir.
[242] I am a being of Stortul XII, having sold my last few possessions to travel to Ghryne for the miserable purpose of obtaining an interview with yourself."
[243] I said, "I'd better tell you right at the outset that we're already carrying our full complement of Stortulians.
[244] We have both a male and a female now and—" "This is known to me.
[245] The female—is her name perchance Tiress?"
[246] I glanced down at the inventory chart until I found the Stortulian entry.
[247] "Yes, that's her name."
[248] The little being immediately emitted a soul-shaking gasp.
[249] "It is she!
[250] It is she!"
[251] "I'm afraid we don't have room for any more—" "You are not in full understanding of my plight.
[252] The female Tiress, she is—was—my own Fire-sent spouse, my comfort and my warmth, my life and my love."
[253] "Funny," I said.
[254] "When we signed her three years ago, she said she was single.
[255] It's right here on the chart."
[256] "She lied!
[257] She left my burrow because she longed to see the splendors of Earth.
[258] And I am alone, bound by our sacred customs never to remarry, languishing in sadness and pining for her return.
[259] You must take me to Earth!"
[260] "But—" "I must see her—her and this disgrace-bringing lover of hers.
[261] I must reason with her.
[262] Earthman, can't you see I must appeal to her inner flame?
[263] I must bring her back! "
[264] My face was expressionless.
[265] "You don't really intend to join our organization at all—you just want free passage to Earth?"
[266] "Yes, yes!"
[267] wailed the Stortulian.
[268] "Find some other member of my race, if you must!
[269] Let me have my wife again, Earthman!
[270] Is your heart a dead lump of stone?"
[271] It isn't, but another of my principles is to refuse to be swayed by sentiment.
[272] I felt sorry for this being's domestic troubles, but I wasn't going to break up a good act just to make an alien squirrel happy—not to mention footing the transportation.
[273] I said, "I don't see how we can manage it.
[274] The laws are very strict on the subject of bringing alien life to Earth.
[275] It has to be for scientific purposes only.
[276] And if I know in advance that your purpose in coming isn't scientific, I can't in all conscience lie for you, can I?"
[277] "Well—" "Of course not."
[278] I took advantage of his pathetic upset to steam right along.
[279] "Now if you had come in here and simply asked me to sign you up, I might conceivably have done it.
[280] But no—you had to go unburden your heart to me."
[281] "I thought the truth would move you."
[282] "It did.
[283] But in effect you're now asking me to conspire in a fraudulent criminal act.
[284] Friend, I can't do it.
[285] My reputation means too much to me," I said piously.
[286] "Then you will refuse me?"
[287] "My heart melts to nothingness for you.
[288] But I can't take you to Earth."
[289] "Perhaps you will send my wife to me here?"
[290] There's a clause in every contract that allows me to jettison an unwanted specimen.
[291] All I have to do is declare it no longer of scientific interest, and the World Government will deport the undesirable alien back to its home world.
[292] But I wouldn't pull a low trick like that on our female Stortulian.
[293] I said, "I'll ask her about coming home.
[294] But I won't ship her back against her will.
[295] And maybe she's happier where she is."
[296] The Stortulian seemed to shrivel.
[297] His eyelids closed half-way to mask his tears.
[298] He turned and shambled slowly to the door, walking like a living dishrag.
[299] In a bleak voice, he said, "There is no hope then.
[300] All is lost.
[301] I will never see my soulmate again.
[302] Good day, Earthman."
[303] He spoke in a drab monotone that almost, but not quite, had me weeping.
[304] I watched him shuffle out.
[305] I do have some conscience, and I had the uneasy feeling I had just been talking to a being who was about to commit suicide on my account.
[306] About fifty more applicants were processed without a hitch.
[307] Then life started to get complicated again.
[308] Nine of the fifty were okay.
[309] The rest were unacceptable for one reason or another, and they took the bad news quietly enough.
[310] The haul for the day so far was close to two dozen new life-forms under contract.
[311] I had just about begun to forget about the incidents of the Kallerian's outraged pride and the Stortulian's flighty wife when the door opened and the Earthman who called himself Ildwar Gorb of Wazzenazz XIII stepped in.
[312] "How did you get in here?"
[313] I demanded.
[314] "Your man happened to be looking the wrong way," he said cheerily.
[315] "Change your mind about me yet?"
[316] "Get out before I have you thrown out."
[317] Gorb shrugged.
[318] "I figured you hadn't changed your mind, so I've changed my pitch a bit.
[319] If you won't believe I'm from Wazzenazz XIII, suppose I tell you that I am Earthborn, and that I'm looking for a job on your staff."
[320] "I don't care what your story is!
[321] Get out or—" "—you'll have me thrown out.
[322] Okay, okay.
[323] Just give me half a second.
[324] Corrigan, you're no fool, and neither am I—but that fellow of yours outside is .
[325] He doesn't know how to handle alien beings.
[326] How many times today has a life-form come in here unexpectedly?"
[327] I scowled at him.
[328] "Too damn many."
[329] "You see?
[330] He's incompetent.
[331] Suppose you fire him, take me on instead.
[332] I've been living in the outworlds half my life; I know all there is to know about alien life-forms.
[333] You can use me, Corrigan."
[334] I took a deep breath and glanced all around the paneled ceiling of the office before I spoke.
[335] "Listen, Gorb, or whatever your name is, I've had a hard day.
[336] There's been a Kallerian in here who just about threatened murder, and there's been a Stortulian in here who's about to commit suicide because of me.
[337] I have a conscience and it's troubling me.
[338] But get this: I just want to finish off my recruiting, pack up and go home to Earth.
[339] I don't want you hanging around here bothering me.
[340] I'm not looking to hire new staff members, and if you switch back to claiming you're an unknown life-form from Wazzenazz XIII, the answer is that I'm not looking for any of those either.
[341] Now will you scram or—" The office door crashed open at that point and Heraal, the Kallerian, came thundering in.
[342] He was dressed from head to toe in glittering metalfoil, and instead of his ceremonial blaster, he was wielding a sword the length of a human being.
[343] Stebbins and Auchinleck came dragging helplessly along in his wake, hanging desperately to his belt.
[344] "Sorry, Chief," Stebbins gasped.
[345] "I tried to keep him out, but—" Heraal, who had planted himself in front of my desk, drowned him out with a roar.
[346] "Earthman, you have mortally insulted the Clan Gursdrinn!"
[347] Sitting with my hands poised near the meshgun trigger, I was ready to let him have it at the first sight of actual violence.
[348] Heraal boomed, "You are responsible for what is to happen now.
[349] I have notified the authorities and you prosecuted will be for causing the death of a life-form!
[350] Suffer, Earthborn ape!
[351] Suffer!"
[352] "Watch it, Chief," Stebbins yelled.
[353] "He's going to—" An instant before my numb fingers could tighten on the meshgun trigger, Heraal swung that huge sword through the air and plunged it savagely through his body.
[354] He toppled forward onto the carpet with the sword projecting a couple of feet out of his back.
[355] A few driblets of bluish-purple blood spread from beneath him.
[356] Before I could react to the big life-form's hara-kiri, the office door flew open again and three sleek reptilian beings entered, garbed in the green sashes of the local police force.
[357] Their golden eyes goggled down at the figure on the floor, then came to rest on me.
[358] "You are J. F.
[359] Corrigan?"
[360] the leader asked.
[361] "Y-yes."
[362] "We have received word of a complaint against you.
[363] Said complaint being—" "—that your unethical actions have directly contributed to the untimely death of an intelligent life-form," filled in the second of the Ghrynian policemen.
[364] "The evidence lies before us," intoned the leader, "in the cadaver of the unfortunate Kallerian who filed the complaint with us several minutes ago."
[365] "And therefore," said the third lizard, "it is our duty to arrest you for this crime and declare you subject to a fine of no less than $100,000 Galactic or two years in prison."
[366] "Hold on!"
[367] I stormed.
[368] "You mean that any being from anywhere in the Universe can come in here and gut himself on my carpet, and I'm responsible?"
[369] "This is the law.
[370] Do you deny that your stubborn refusal to yield to this late life-form's request lies at the root of his sad demise?"
[371] "Well, no, but—" "Failure to deny is admission of guilt.
[372] You are guilty, Earthman."
[373] Closing my eyes wearily, I tried to wish the whole babbling lot of them away.
[374] If I had to, I could pony up the hundred-grand fine, but it was going to put an awful dent in this year's take.
[375] And I shuddered when I remembered that any minute that scrawny little Stortulian was likely to come bursting in here to kill himself too.
[376] Was it a fine of $100,000 per suicide?
[377] At that rate, I could be out of business by nightfall.
[378] I was spared further such morbid thoughts by yet another unannounced arrival.
[379] The small figure of the Stortulian trudged through the open doorway and stationed itself limply near the threshold.
[380] The three Ghrynian policemen and my three assistants forgot the dead Kallerian for a moment and turned to eye the newcomer.
[381] I had visions of unending troubles with the law here on Ghryne.
[382] I resolved never to come here on a recruiting trip again—or, if I did come, to figure out some more effective way of screening myself against crackpots.
[383] In heart-rending tones, the Stortulian declared, "Life is no longer worth living.
[384] My last hope is gone.
[385] There is only one thing left for me to do."
[386] I was quivering at the thought of another hundred thousand smackers going down the drain.
[387] "Stop him, somebody!
[388] He's going to kill himself!
[389] He's—" Then somebody sprinted toward me, hit me amidships, and knocked me flying out from behind my desk before I had a chance to fire the meshgun.
[390] My head walloped the floor, and for five or six seconds, I guess I wasn't fully aware of what was going on.
[391] Gradually the scene took shape around me.
[392] There was a monstrous hole in the wall behind my desk; a smoking blaster lay on the floor, and I saw the three Ghrynian policemen sitting on the raving Stortulian.
[393] The man who called himself Ildwar Gorb was getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
[394] He helped me up.
[395] "Sorry to have had to tackle you, Corrigan.
[396] But that Stortulian wasn't here to commit suicide, you see.
[397] He was out to get you."
[398] I weaved dizzily toward my desk and dropped into my chair.
[399] A flying fragment of wall had deflated my pneumatic cushion.
[400] The smell of ashed plaster was everywhere.
[401] The police were effectively cocooning the struggling little alien in an unbreakable tanglemesh.
[402] "Evidently you don't know as much as you think you do about Stortulian psychology, Corrigan," Gorb said lightly.
[403] "Suicide is completely abhorrent to them.
[404] When they're troubled, they kill the person who caused their trouble.
[405] In this case, you."
[406] I began to chuckle—more of a tension-relieving snicker than a full-bodied laugh.
[407] "Funny," I said.
[408] "What is?"
[409] asked the self-styled Wazzenazzian.
[410] "These aliens.
[411] Big blustery Heraal came in with murder in his eye and killed himself , and the pint-sized Stortulian who looked so meek and pathetic damn near blew my head off."
[412] I shuddered.
[413] "Thanks for the tackle job."
[414] "Don't mention it," Gorb said.
[415] I glared at the Ghrynian police.
[416] "Well?
[417] What are you waiting for?
[418] Take that murderous little beast out of here!
[419] Or isn't murder against the local laws?"
[420] "The Stortulian will be duly punished," replied the leader of the Ghrynian cops calmly.
[421] "But there is the matter of the dead Kallerian and the fine of—" "—one hundred thousand dollars.
[422] I know."
[423] I groaned and turned to Stebbins.
[424] "Get the Terran Consulate on the phone, Stebbins.
[425] Have them send down a legal adviser.
[426] Find out if there's any way we can get out of this mess with our skins intact."
[427] "Right, Chief."
[428] Stebbins moved toward the visiphone.
[429] Gorb stepped forward and put a hand on his chest.
[430] "Hold it," the Wazzenazzian said crisply.
[431] "The Consulate can't help you.
[432] I can."
[433] "You?"
[434] I said.
[435] "I can get you out of this cheap."
[436] " How cheap?"
[437] Gorb grinned rakishly.
[438] "Five thousand in cash plus a contract as a specimen with your outfit.
[439] In advance, of course.
[440] That's a heck of a lot better than forking over a hundred grand, isn't it?"
[441] I eyed Gorb uncertainly.
[442] The Terran Consulate people probably wouldn't be much help; they tried to keep out of local squabbles unless they were really serious, and I knew from past experiences that no officials ever worried much about the state of my pocketbook.
[443] On the other hand, giving this slyster a contract might be a risky proposition.
[444] "Tell you what," I said finally.
[445] "You've got yourself a deal—but on a contingency basis.
[446] Get me out of this and you'll have five grand and the contract.
[447] Otherwise, nothing."
[448] Gorb shrugged.
[449] "What have I to lose?" | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the settings the story takes place in":
1. [85] Ghryne is in the heart of the Caledonia Cluster, where the interstellar crossroads meet.
2. [12] The name of the planet was MacTavish IV (if you went by the official Terran listing) or Ghryne (if you called it by what its people were accustomed to calling it).
3. [13] I thought of it privately as MacTavish IV and referred to it publicly as Ghryne.
4. [14] I believe in keeping the locals happy wherever I go.
5. [15] Through the front window of the office, I could see our big gay tridim sign plastered to a facing wall: WANTED—EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
6. [16] We had saturated MacTavish IV with our promotional poop for a month preceding arrival.
7. [1] Birds of a Feather By ROBERT SILVERBERG Illustrated by WOOD [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Magazine November 1958.
8. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
9. [3] Getting specimens for the interstellar zoo was no problem—they battled for the honor—but now I had to fight like a wildcat to keep a display from making a monkey of me!
10. [4] It was our first day of recruiting on the planet, and the alien life-forms had lined up for hundreds of feet back from my rented office.
11. [5] As I came down the block from the hotel, I could hear and see and smell them with ease.
12. [6] My three staff men, Auchinleck, Stebbins and Ludlow, walked shieldwise in front of me.
13. [7] I peered between them to size the crop up.
14. [8] The aliens came in every shape and form, in all colors and textures—and all of them eager for a Corrigan contract.
15. [9] The Galaxy is full of bizarre beings, but there's barely a species anywhere that can resist the old exhibitionist urge.
16. [10] "Send them in one at a time," I told Stebbins.
17. [11] I ducked into the office, took my place back of the desk and waited for the procession to begin. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Ben Curtis enters a dark gin mill followed by the dead man and a boy offers him a wench. Ben denies and follows to a table past drinking men from different planets and a policeman, whose presence makes Ben anxious. He is followed by the dead man everywhere and has to find some red-bearded man to escape the dead man. A week ago Ben met a drunk man Cobb in a bar and they had a fight which led to Cobb's death by accident. Ben ran and didn't give in not to end his space career. He starts searching for the red-bearded man on Venus who led a group of renegade spacemen. In the gin mill Ben gets hopeless and is surrounded by the police, he runs again. He is paralyzed by the police but a woman who doesn't have an antidote helps him escape. He wakes up and can't talk, the woman massages him and looks after. When Ben gains consciousness he asks questions, he is not in Hoover city any longer but still on Venus. Turns out the woman knows a lot about her patient and saved him with a use of money. She doesn't know if he is to walk again but he will live. Ben learns the dead man had a family and they haunt him in nightmares. He also sees a photo of a red-bearded man, and it turns out the woman is his wife and they need an astrogator. She tells about her husband, his team and goal. Ben understands he won't be let go if he denies the job.",
"The story begins with Ben Curtis entering Blast Inn. A boy catches him and brings him to a table that is close in the shadows after passing through a narrow aisle and a white-uniformed officer. Sitting at the table, Ben tells himself that he needs to find the man with red beard. He wants to escape from the images of a dead man. Later we learn that Ben murdered this man. Ben was celebrating in a bar when Cobb, a man in the bar insulted him. While Ben tries to reason with him, he expressed his dissatisfaction about spacemen. Ben has always wanted to be spacemen. He moved down three stools but the drunk man won’t stop. Thus he tried to leave. But he continued and called him a sucker. Getting furious, Ben hits the man. The man’s head hits the edge of the bar and he dies. Ben ran away, trying to find the group of renegade spacemen made up of misfits and rejectees. Back in Blast Inn, he suddenly sees the Security Policeman. They are coming for him. As he tries to run, the police try to hit him with neuro-pistols. As he is about to go unconscious, a female holds onto his hand. After he regains conscious, he realizes that the girl who grabbed him has been taking care of him for the past nine days that he was unconscious. At first, she refuses to answer his questions, but she knows everything about him. Later he learns that she is the red bearded man’s wife. She saves him because he is an astrogator and a good man.",
"Spaceman Ben Curtis walks into the Blast Inn, a dive bar in the Venusian Hoover City. He is approached by a young Martian boy, who brings him to a table where a Martian orchestra plays aside them. In the bar, Ben is anxious and paranoid, particularly upon noticing a few Hoover City police officers. While he sits, Ben is unable to shake the image of a dead man next to him, who is a man named Cobb. Prior to Ben's arrival to Venus, he had stepped into a bar in Luna City, where an intoxicated Cobb was rambling about spacemen and how he despises them. Out of rage and personal offense, Ben punched Cobb in the chin, who died on impact after falling. Ben immediately fled to Venus in search of a red-bearded giant, the leader of a renegade space crew, who was his only hope in survival and job security after the murder. Still seated at the table, the Martian boy continues prodding Ben, who gives him a coin to shoo him off. He soon notices the space policemen from before closing in on him, raising weapons, and he attempts to escape the bar but is shot. Becoming unconscious, Ben hears the voice of a woman, who leads him out of the exit and helps him escape. He then awakes, unable to see clearly, but being cared for and fed. After nine days, he is able to see the woman clearly, who introduces herself as Maggie, and she tells him that they are no longer in Hoover City. She then discloses all the information she has on Ben, including his desire to find the red-bearded man. Ben asks her if Cobb had a wife and kids, which she confirms. As Ben scans the room, he notices a photo of the red-bearded man, and he slips into sleep, where he is again haunted by visions of Cobb. Ben asks Maggie how she knows the man, and she reveals that he is her husband, and that they saved Ben because they were in need of an astrogator. Maggie tells him about the renegade crew, and how they plan on relocating to an asteroid to avoid the authorities. Ben is overwhelmed and fearful of the prospect, but Maggie encourages him to get rest, and he reflects on his future and his duty.",
"The story begins with Ben Curtis, an officer of the Space Corps and astrogator, leaving the Blast Inn on Venus. When he gets to the Venusian gin mill, a Martian kid tries to sell him various things to pique his interest. Ben indicates that he is not interested in any of the offers and the kid eventually leads him to a table that is partially hidden. The location of his table is intentional because he does not want to be seen. Ben becomes deep in thought at the table, intent on finding a man described as having a red beard. \n\nWhile at the table, he also thinks about the events that transpired over the last week when he arrived in Luna City from White Sands. Ben had gone to a bar to celebrate his arrival to Luna City when Cobb drunkenly accosted him. Cobb purposefully tried to anger Ben and eventually was successful in doing so after a particularly poignant threat. In a quick and anger-filled response, Ben struck Cobb causing Cobb to crack his head against the edge of the bar and die. Ben flew to Venus in response to the incident, which explains how he currently arrived in a Venusian bar. \n\nHis thoughts are interrupted when he notices policemen entering the bar. The police quickly find Ben and begin to use deadly neuro-pistols. He begins to run and is eventually hit by one of the blasts from the neuro-pistols. As he realizes he is losing consciousness, an unknown pair of hands guided him towards a different exit. Ben passes out from the blast and wakes up in a room. For 9+ days, he goes in and out of sleep in this room while he recovers from his injuries. Maggie, the woman who helped him escape, is the one helping him recover from his injuries. She knows a lot of information about him and his background. \n\nWhile still recovering, Ben notices that on one side of the bed, there is a picture on a bureau in the far corner of the room that shows a portrait of a red-bearded man. He gets really excited at this new revelation. He asks Maggie about the red-bearded man and she confesses that he is her husband and then explains what he does and why she brought Ben with her. Jacob’s group needs an astrogator and want Ben to join them. While Maggie shows that she would be confused if Ben chose not to join the group, she seems to truly be concerned with his recovery. \n\nWhen Maggie leaves the room, Ben reflects on words found in a book from his childhood that talk about the morals of a Space Officer. He acknowledges how very few are able to get the job in the SpaceCorps. The story ends with implications that Ben will choose his moral values and choose not to join Jacob’s group."
] | [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1956.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
[4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
[5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
[6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
[7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
[8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
[9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
[10] Someone tugged at his greasy coat.
[11] He jumped, thinking absurdly that it was the dead man's hand. "
[12] Coma esta, senor? "
[13] a small voice piped. "
[14] Speken die Deutsch?
[15] Desirez-vous d'amour?
[16] Da?
[17] Nyet? "
[18] Ben looked down.
[19] The speaker was an eager-eyed Martian boy of about ten.
[20] He was like a red-skinned marionette with pipestem arms and legs, clad in a torn skivvy shirt and faded blue dungarees.
[21] "I'm American," Ben muttered.
[22] "Ah, buena !
[23] I speak English tres fine, senor .
[24] I have Martian friend, she tres pretty and tres fat.
[25] She weigh almost eighty pounds, monsieur .
[26] I take you to her, si ?"
[27] Ben shook his head.
[28] He thought, I don't want your Martian wench.
[29] I don't want your opium or your Devil's Egg or your Venusian kali.
[30] But if you had a drug that'd bring a dead man to life, I'd buy and pay with my soul.
[31] "It is deal, monsieur ?
[32] Five dollars or twenty keelis for visit Martian friend.
[33] Maybe you like House of Dreams.
[34] For House of Dreams—" "I'm not buying."
[35] The dirty-faced kid shrugged.
[36] "Then I show you to good table,— tres bien .
[37] I do not charge you, senor ."
[38] The boy grabbed his hand.
[39] Because Ben could think of no reason for resisting, he followed.
[40] They plunged into shifting layers of smoke and through the drone of alcohol-cracked voices.
[41] They passed the bar with its line of lean-featured, slit-eyed Earthmen—merchant spacemen.
[42] They wormed down a narrow aisle flanked by booths carved from Venusian marble that jutted up into the semi-darkness like fog-blanketed tombstones.
[43] Several times, Ben glimpsed the bulky figures of CO 2 -breathing Venusians, the first he'd ever seen.
[44] They were smoky gray, scaly, naked giants, toads in human shape.
[45] They stood solitary and motionless, aloof, their green-lidded eyes unblinking.
[46] They certainly didn't look like telepaths, as Ben had heard they were, but the thought sent a fresh rivulet of fear down his spine.
[47] Once he spied a white-uniformed officer of Hoover City's Security Police.
[48] The man was striding down an aisle, idly tapping his neuro-club against the stone booths.
[49] Keep walking , Ben told himself.
[50] You look the same as anyone else here.
[51] Keep walking.
[52] Look straight ahead.
[53] The officer passed.
[54] Ben breathed easier.
[55] "Here we are, monsieur ," piped the Martian boy.
[56] "A tres fine table.
[57] Close in the shadows."
[58] Ben winced.
[59] How did this kid know he wanted to sit in the shadows?
[60] Frowning, he sat down—he and the dead man.
[61] He listened to the lonely rhythms of the four-piece Martian orchestra.
[62] The Martians were fragile, doll-like creatures with heads too large for their spindly bodies.
[63] Their long fingers played upon the strings of their cirillas or crawled over the holes of their flutes like spider legs.
[64] Their tune was sad.
[65] Even when they played an Earth tune, it still seemed a song of old Mars, charged with echoes of lost voices and forgotten grandeur.
[66] For an instant, Ben's mind rose above the haunting vision of the dead man.
[67] He thought, What are they doing here, these Martians?
[68] Here, in a smoke-filled room under a metalite dome on a dust-covered world?
[69] Couldn't they have played their music on Mars?
[70] Or had they, like me, felt the challenge of new worlds?
[71] He sobered.
[72] It didn't matter.
[73] He ordered a whiskey from a Chinese waiter.
[74] He wet his lips but did not drink.
[75] His gaze wandered over the faces of the Inn's other occupants.
[76] You've got to find him , he thought.
[77] You've got to find the man with the red beard.
[78] It's the only way you can escape the dead man.
[79] The dead man was real.
[80] His name was Cobb.
[81] He was stout and flabby and about forty and he hated spacemen.
[82] His body was buried now—probably in the silent gray wastes outside Luna City.
[83] But he'd become a kind of invisible Siamese twin, as much a part of Ben as sight in his eyes.
[84] Sometimes the image would be shuffling drunkenly beside him, its lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses.
[85] Again, its face would be a pop-eyed mask of surprise as Ben's fist thudded into its jaw.
[86] More often, the face would be frozen in the whiteness of death.
[87] The large eyes would stare.
[88] Blood would trickle from a corner of the gaping mouth.
[89] You can forget a living man.
[90] You can defeat him or submit to him or ignore him, and the matter is over and done.
[91] You can't escape from a memory that has burned into your mind.
[92] It had begun a week ago in Luna City.
[93] The flight from White Sands had been successful.
[94] Ben, quietly and moderately, wanted to celebrate.
[95] He stopped alone in a rocketfront bar for a beer.
[96] The man named Cobb plopped his portly and unsteady posterior on the stool next to him.
[97] "Spacemen," he muttered, "are getting like flies.
[98] Everywhere, all you see's spacemen."
[99] He was a neatly dressed civilian.
[100] Ben smiled.
[101] "If it weren't for spacemen, you wouldn't be here."
[102] "The name's Cobb."
[103] The man hiccoughed.
[104] "Spacemen in their white monkey suits.
[105] They think they're little tin gods.
[106] Betcha you think you're a little tin god."
[107] He downed a shot of whiskey.
[108] Ben stiffened.
[109] He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer.
[110] He was three months out of the Academy at White Sands and the shining uniform was like a key to all the mysteries of the Universe.
[111] He'd sought long for that key.
[112] At the age of five—perhaps in order to dull the memory of his parents' death in a recent strato-jet crash—he'd spent hours watching the night sky for streaking flame-tails of Moon rockets.
[113] At ten, he'd ground his first telescope.
[114] At fourteen, he'd converted an abandoned shed on the government boarding-school grounds to a retreat which housed his collection of astronomy and rocketry books.
[115] At sixteen, he'd spent every weekend holiday hitchhiking from Boys Town No.
[116] 5 in the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport.
[117] There, among the grizzled veterans of the old Moon Patrol, he'd found friends who understood his dream and who later recommended his appointment to the U. S. Academy for the Conquest of Space.
[118] And a month ago, he'd signed aboard the Odyssey —the first ship, it was rumored, equipped to venture as far as the asteroids and perhaps beyond.
[119] Cobb was persistent: "Damn fools shoulda known enough to stay on Earth.
[120] What the hell good is it, jumpin' from planet to planet?"
[121] The guy's drunk , Ben thought.
[122] He took his drink and moved three stools down the bar.
[123] Cobb followed.
[124] "You don't like the truth, eh, kid?
[125] You don't like people to call you a sucker."
[126] Ben rose and started to leave the bar, but Cobb grabbed his arm and held him there.
[127] "Thas what you are—a sucker.
[128] You're young now.
[129] Wait ten years.
[130] You'll be dyin' of radiation rot or a meteor'll get you.
[131] Wait and see, sucker!"
[132] Until this instant, Ben had suppressed his anger.
[133] Now, suddenly and without warning, it welled up into savage fury.
[134] His fist struck the man on the chin.
[135] Cobb's eyes gaped in shocked horror.
[136] He spun backward.
[137] His head cracked sickeningly on the edge of the bar.
[138] The sound was like a punctuation mark signaling the end of life.
[139] He sank to the floor, eyes glassy, blood tricking down his jaw.
[140] Ben knew that he was dead.
[141] Then, for a single absurd second, Ben was seized with terror—just as, a moment before, he'd been overwhelmed with anger.
[142] He ran.
[143] For some twenty minutes, he raced through a dizzying, nightmare world of dark rocketfront alleys and shouting voices and pursuing feet.
[144] At last, abruptly, he realized that he was alone and in silence.
[145] He saw that he was still on the rocketfront, but in the Tycho-ward side of the city.
[146] He huddled in a dark corner of a loading platform and lit a cigarette.
[147] A thousand stars—a thousand motionless balls of silver fire—shone above him through Luna City's transparent dome.
[148] He was sorry he'd hit Cobb, of course.
[149] He was not sorry he'd run.
[150] Escaping at least gave him a power of choice, of decision.
[151] You can do two things , he thought.
[152] You can give yourself up, and that's what a good officer would do.
[153] That would eliminate the escape charge.
[154] You'd get off with voluntary manslaughter.
[155] Under interplanetary law, that would mean ten years in prison and a dishonorable discharge.
[156] And then you'd be free.
[157] But you'd be through with rockets and space.
[158] They don't want new men over thirty-four for officers on rockets or even for third-class jet-men on beat-up freighters—they don't want convicted killers.
[159] You'd get the rest of the thrill of conquering space through video and by peeking through electric fences of spaceports.
[160] Or— There were old wives' tales of a group of renegade spacemen who operated from the Solar System's frontiers.
[161] The spacemen weren't outlaws.
[162] They were misfits, rejectees from the clearing houses on Earth.
[163] And whereas no legally recognized ship had ventured past Mars, the souped-up renegade rigs had supposedly hit the asteroids.
[164] Their headquarters was Venus.
[165] Their leader—a subject of popular and fantastic conjecture in the men's audiozines—was rumored to be a red-bearded giant.
[166] So , Ben reflected, you can take a beer-and-pretzels tale seriously.
[167] You can hide for a couple of days, get rid of your uniform, change your name.
[168] You can wait for a chance to get to Venus.
[169] To hell with your duty.
[170] You can try to stay in space, even if you exile yourself from Earth.
[171] After all, was it right for a single second, a single insignificant second, to destroy a man's life and his dream?
[172] He was lucky.
[173] He found a tramp freighter whose skipper was on his last flight before retirement.
[174] Discipline was lax, investigation of new personnel even more so.
[175] Ben Curtis made it to Venus.
[176] There was just one flaw in his decision.
[177] He hadn't realized that the memory of the dead man's face would haunt him, torment him, follow him as constantly as breath flowed into his lungs.
[178] But might not the rumble of atomic engines drown the murmuring dead voice?
[179] Might not the vision of alien worlds and infinite spaceways obscure the dead face?
[180] So now he sat searching for a perhaps nonexistent red-bearded giant, and hoping and doubting and fearing, all at once.
[181] "You look for someone, senor ?"
[182] He jumped.
[183] "Oh.
[184] You still here?"
[185] " Oui. "
[186] The Martian kid grinned, his mouth full of purple teeth.
[187] "I keep you company on your first night in Hoover City, n'est-ce-pas ?"
[188] "This isn't my first night here," Ben lied.
[189] "I've been around a while."
[190] "You are spacemen?"
[191] Ben threw a fifty-cent credit piece on the table.
[192] "Here.
[193] Take off, will you?"
[194] Spiderlike fingers swept down upon the coin. "
[195] Ich danke, senor.
[196] You know why city is called Hoover City?"
[197] Ben didn't answer.
[198] "They say it is because after women come, they want first thing a thousand vacuum cleaners for dust.
[199] What is vacuum cleaner, monsieur ?"
[200] Ben raised his hand as if to strike the boy. "
[201] Ai-yee , I go.
[202] You keep listen to good Martian music."
[203] The toothpick of a body melted into the semi-darkness.
[204] Minutes passed.
[205] There were two more whiskeys.
[206] A ceaseless parade of faces broke through the smoky veil that enclosed him—reddish balloon faces, scaly reptilian faces, white-skinned, slit-eyed faces, and occasionally a white, rouged, powdered face.
[207] But nowhere was there a face with a red beard.
[208] A sense of hopelessness gripped Ben Curtis.
[209] Hoover City was but one of a dozen cities of Venus.
[210] Each had twenty dives such as this.
[211] He needed help.
[212] But his picture must have been 'scoped to Venusian visiscreens.
[213] A reward must have been offered for his capture.
[214] Whom could he trust?
[215] The Martian kid, perhaps?
[216] Far down the darkened aisle nearest him, his eyes caught a flash of white.
[217] He tensed.
[218] Like the uniform of a Security Policeman, he thought.
[219] His gaze shifted to another aisle and another hint of whiteness.
[220] And then he saw another and another and another.
[221] Each whiteness became brighter and closer, like shrinking spokes of a wheel with Ben as their focal point.
[222] You idiot!
[223] The damned Martian kid!
[224] You should have known!
[225] Light showered the room in a dazzling explosion.
[226] Ben, half blinded, realized that a broad circle of unshaded globes in the ceiling had been turned on.
[227] The light washed away the room's strangeness and its air of brooding wickedness, revealing drab concrete walls and a debris-strewn floor.
[228] Eyes blinked and squinted.
[229] There were swift, frightened movements and a chorus of angry murmurs.
[230] The patrons of the Blast Inn were like tatter-clad occupants of a house whose walls have been ripped away.
[231] Ben Curtis twisted his lean body erect.
[232] His chair tumbled backward, falling.
[233] The white-clad men charged, neuro-clubs upraised.
[234] A woman screamed.
[235] The music ceased.
[236] The Martian orchestra slunk with feline stealth to a rear exit.
[237] Only the giant Venusians remained undisturbed.
[238] They stood unmoving, their staring eyes shifting lazily in Ben's direction.
[239] "Curtis!"
[240] one of the policemen yelled.
[241] "You're covered!
[242] Hold it!"
[243] Ben whirled away from the advancing police, made for the exit into which the musicians had disappeared.
[244] A hissing sound traveled past his left ear, a sound like compressed air escaping from a container.
[245] A dime-sized section of the concrete wall ahead of him crumbled.
[246] He stumbled forward.
[247] They were using deadly neuro-pistols now, not the mildly stunning neuro-clubs.
[248] Another hiss passed his cheek.
[249] He was about twelve feet from the exit.
[250] Another second , his brain screamed.
[251] Just another second— Or would the exits be guarded?
[252] He heard the hiss.
[253] It hit directly in the small of his back.
[254] There was no pain, just a slight pricking sensation, like the shallow jab of a needle.
[255] He froze as if yanked to a stop by a noose.
[256] His body seemed to be growing, swelling into balloon proportions.
[257] He knew that the tiny needle had imbedded itself deep in his flesh, knew that the paralyzing mortocain was spreading like icy fire into every fiber and muscle of his body.
[258] He staggered like a man of stone moving in slow motion.
[259] He'd have fifteen—maybe twenty—seconds before complete lethargy of mind and body overpowered him.
[260] In the dark world beyond his fading consciousness, he heard a voice yell, "Turn on the damn lights!"
[261] Then a pressure and a coldness were on his left hand.
[262] He realized that someone had seized it.
[263] A soft feminine voice spoke to him.
[264] "You're wounded?
[265] They hit you?"
[266] "Yes."
[267] His thick lips wouldn't let go of the word.
[268] "You want to escape—even now?"
[269] "Yes."
[270] "You may die if you don't give yourself up."
[271] "No, no."
[272] He tried to stumble toward the exit.
[273] "All right then.
[274] Not that way.
[275] Here, this way."
[276] Heavy footsteps thudded toward them.
[277] A few yards away, a flashlight flicked on.
[278] Hands were guiding him.
[279] He was aware of being pushed and pulled.
[280] A door closed behind him.
[281] The glare of the flashlight faded from his vision—if he still had vision.
[282] "You're sure?"
[283] the voice persisted.
[284] "I'm sure," Ben managed to say.
[285] "I have no antidote.
[286] You may die."
[287] His mind fought to comprehend.
[288] With the anti-paralysis injection, massage and rest, a man could recover from the effects of mortocain within half a day.
[289] Without treatment, the paralysis could spread to heart and lungs.
[290] It could become a paralysis of death.
[291] An effective weapon: the slightest wound compelled the average criminal to surrender at once.
[292] "Anti ... anti ..." The words were as heavy as blobs of mercury forced from his throat.
[293] "No ...
[294] I'm sure ...
[295] sure."
[296] He didn't hear the answer or anything else.
[297] Ben Curtis had no precise sensation of awakening.
[298] Return to consciousness was an intangible evolution from a world of black nothingness to a dream-like state of awareness.
[299] He felt the pressure of hands on his naked arms and shoulders, hands that massaged, manipulated, fought to restore circulation and sensitivity.
[300] He knew they were strong hands.
[301] Their strength seemed to transfer itself to his own body.
[302] For a long time, he tried to open his eyes.
[303] His lids felt welded shut.
[304] But after a while, they opened.
[305] His world of darkness gave way to a translucent cloak of mist.
[306] A round, featureless shape hovered constantly above him—a face, he supposed.
[307] He tried to talk.
[308] Although his lips moved slightly, the only sound was a deep, staccato grunting.
[309] But he heard someone say, "Don't try to talk."
[310] It was the same gentle voice he'd heard in the Blast Inn.
[311] "Don't talk.
[312] Just lie still and rest.
[313] Everything'll be all right."
[314] Everything all right , he thought dimly.
[315] There were long periods of lethargy when he was aware of nothing.
[316] There were periods of light and of darkness.
[317] Gradually he grew aware of things.
[318] He realized that the soft rubber mouth of a spaceman's oxygen mask was clamped over his nose.
[319] He felt the heat of electric blankets swathed about his body.
[320] Occasionally a tube would be in his mouth and he would taste liquid food and feel a pleasant warmth in his stomach.
[321] Always, it seemed, the face was above him, floating in the obscuring mist.
[322] Always, it seemed, the soft voice was echoing in his ears: "Swallow this now.
[323] That's it.
[324] You must have food."
[325] Or, "Close your eyes.
[326] Don't strain.
[327] It won't be long.
[328] You're getting better."
[329] Better , he'd think.
[330] Getting better.... At last, after one of the periods of lethargy, his eyes opened.
[331] The mist brightened, then dissolved.
[332] He beheld the cracked, unpainted ceiling of a small room, its colorless walls broken with a single, round window.
[333] He saw the footboard of his aluminite bed and the outlines of his feet beneath a faded blanket.
[334] Finally he saw the face and figure that stood at his side.
[335] "You are better?"
[336] the kind voice asked.
[337] The face was that of a girl probably somewhere between twenty-five and thirty.
[338] Her features, devoid of makeup, had an unhealthy-looking pallor, as if she hadn't used a sunlamp for many weeks.
[339] Yet, at the same time, her firm slim body suggested a solidity and a strength.
[340] Her straight brown hair was combed backward, tight upon her scalp, and drawn together in a knot at the nape of her neck.
[341] "I—I am better," he murmured.
[342] His words were still slow and thick.
[343] "I am going to live?"
[344] "You will live."
[345] He thought for a moment.
[346] "How long have I been here?"
[347] "Nine days."
[348] "You took care of me?"
[349] He noted the deep, dark circles beneath her sleep-robbed eyes.
[350] She nodded.
[351] "You're the one who carried me when I was shot?"
[352] "Yes."
[353] "Why?"
[354] Suddenly he began to cough.
[355] Breath came hard.
[356] She held the oxygen mask in readiness.
[357] He shook his head, not wanting it.
[358] "Why?"
[359] he asked again.
[360] "It would be a long story.
[361] Perhaps I'll tell you tomorrow."
[362] A new thought, cloaked in sudden fear, entered his murky consciousness.
[363] "Tell me, will—will I be well again?
[364] Will I be able to walk?"
[365] He lay back then, panting, exhausted.
[366] "You have nothing to worry about," the girl said softly.
[367] Her cool hand touched his hot forehead.
[368] "Rest.
[369] We'll talk later."
[370] His eyes closed and breath came easier.
[371] He slept.
[372] When he next awoke, his gaze turned first to the window.
[373] There was light outside, but he had no way of knowing if this was morning, noon or afternoon—or on what planet.
[374] He saw no white-domed buildings of Hoover City, no formal lines of green-treed parks, no streams of buzzing gyro-cars.
[375] There was only a translucent and infinite whiteness.
[376] It was as if the window were set on the edge of the Universe overlooking a solemn, silent and matterless void.
[377] The girl entered the room.
[378] "Hi," she said, smiling.
[379] The dark half-moons under her eyes were less prominent.
[380] Her face was relaxed.
[381] She increased the pressure in his rubberex pillows and helped him rise to a sitting position.
[382] "Where are we?"
[383] he asked.
[384] "Venus."
[385] "We're not in Hoover City?"
[386] "No."
[387] He looked at her, wondering.
[388] "You won't tell me?"
[389] "Not yet.
[390] Later, perhaps."
[391] "Then how did you get me here?
[392] How did we escape from the Inn?"
[393] She shrugged.
[394] "We have friends who can be bribed.
[395] A hiding place in the city, the use of a small desert-taxi, a pass to leave the city—these can be had for a price."
[396] "You'll tell me your name?"
[397] "Maggie."
[398] "Why did you save me?"
[399] Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
[400] "Because you're a good astrogator."
[401] His own eyes widened.
[402] "How did you know that?"
[403] She sat on a plain chair beside his bed.
[404] "I know everything about you, Lieutenant Curtis."
[405] "How did you learn my name?
[406] I destroyed all my papers—" "I know that you're twenty-four.
[407] Born July 10, 1971.
[408] Orphaned at four, you attended Boys Town in the Catskills till you were 19.
[409] You graduated from the Academy at White Sands last June with a major in Astrogation.
[410] Your rating for the five-year period was 3.8—the second highest in a class of fifty-seven.
[411] Your only low mark in the five years was a 3.2 in History of Martian Civilization.
[412] Want me to go on?"
[413] Fascinated, Ben nodded.
[414] "You were accepted as junior astrogation officer aboard the Odyssey .
[415] You did well on your flight from Roswell to Luna City.
[416] In a barroom fight in Luna City, you struck and killed a man named Arthur Cobb, a pre-fab salesman.
[417] You've been charged with second degree murder and escape.
[418] A reward of 5,000 credits has been offered for your capture.
[419] You came to Hoover City in the hope of finding a renegade group of spacemen who operate beyond Mars.
[420] You were looking for them in the Blast Inn."
[421] He gaped incredulously, struggling to rise from his pillows.
[422] "I—don't get it."
[423] "There are ways of finding out what we want to know.
[424] As I told you, we have many friends."
[425] He fell back into his pillows, breathing hard.
[426] She rose quickly.
[427] "I'm sorry," she said.
[428] "I shouldn't have told you yet.
[429] I felt so happy because you're alive.
[430] Rest now.
[431] We'll talk again soon."
[432] "Maggie, you—you said I'd live.
[433] You didn't say I'd be able to walk again."
[434] She lowered her gaze.
[435] "I hope you'll be able to."
[436] "But you don't think I will, do you?"
[437] "I don't know.
[438] We'll try walking tomorrow.
[439] Don't think about it now.
[440] Rest."
[441] He tried to relax, but his mind was a vortex of conjecture.
[442] "Just one more question," he almost whispered.
[443] "Yes?"
[444] "The man I killed—did he have a wife?"
[445] She hesitated.
[446] He thought, Damn it, of all the questions, why did I ask that?
[447] Finally she said, "He had a wife."
[448] "Children?"
[449] "Two.
[450] I don't know their ages."
[451] She left the room.
[452] He sank into the softness of his bed.
[453] As he turned over on his side, his gaze fell upon an object on a bureau in a far corner of the room.
[454] He sat straight up, his chest heaving.
[455] The object was a tri-dimensional photo of a rock-faced man in a merchant spaceman's uniform.
[456] He was a giant of a man with a neatly trimmed red beard !
[457] Ben stared at the photo for a long time.
[458] At length, he slipped into restless sleep.
[459] Images of faces and echoes of words spun through his brain.
[460] The dead man returned to him.
[461] Bloodied lips cursed at him.
[462] Glassy eyes accused him.
[463] Somewhere were two lost children crying in the night.
[464] And towering above him was a red-bearded man whose great hands reached down and beckoned to him.
[465] Ben crawled through the night on hands and knees, his legs numb and useless.
[466] The crying of the children was a chilling wail in his ears.
[467] His head rose and turned to the red-bearded man.
[468] His pleading voice screamed out to him in a thick, harsh cackle.
[469] Yet even as he screamed, the giant disappeared, to be replaced by white-booted feet stomping relentlessly toward him.
[470] He awoke still screaming.... A night without darkness passed.
[471] Ben lay waiting for Maggie's return, a question already formed in his mind.
[472] She came and at once he asked, "Who is the man with the red beard?"
[473] She smiled.
[474] "I was right then when I gave you that thumbnail biog.
[475] You were looking for him, weren't you?"
[476] "Who is he?"
[477] She sat on the chair beside him.
[478] "My husband," she said softly.
[479] He began to understand.
[480] "And your husband needs an astrogator?
[481] That's why you saved me?"
[482] "We need all the good men we can get."
[483] "Where is he?"
[484] She cocked her head in mock suspicion.
[485] "Somewhere between Mercury and Pluto.
[486] He's building a new base for us—and a home for me.
[487] When his ship returns, I'll be going to him."
[488] "Why aren't you with him now?"
[489] "He said unexplored space is no place for a woman.
[490] So I've been studying criminal reports and photos from the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation and trying to find recruits like yourself.
[491] You know how we operate?"
[492] He told her the tales he'd heard.
[493] She nodded.
[494] "There are quite a few of us now—about a thousand—and a dozen ships.
[495] Our base used to be here on Venus, down toward the Pole.
[496] The dome we're in now was designed and built by us a few years ago after we got pushed off Mars.
[497] We lost a few men in the construction, but with almost every advance in space, someone dies."
[498] "Venus is getting too civilized.
[499] We're moving out and this dome is only a temporary base when we have cases like yours.
[500] The new base—I might as well tell you it's going to be an asteroid.
[501] I won't say which one."
[502] "Don't get the idea that we're outlaws.
[503] Sure, about half our group is wanted by the Bureau, but we make honest livings.
[504] We're just people like yourself and Jacob."
[505] "Jacob?
[506] Your husband?"
[507] She laughed.
[508] "Makes you think of a Biblical character, doesn't it?
[509] Jacob's anything but that.
[510] And just plain 'Jake' reminds one of a grizzled old uranium prospector and he isn't like that, either."
[511] She lit a cigarette.
[512] "Anyway, the wanted ones stay out beyond the frontiers.
[513] Jacob and those like him can never return to Earth—not even to Hoover City—except dead.
[514] The others are physical or psycho rejects who couldn't get clearance if they went back to Earth.
[515] They know nothing but rocketing and won't give up.
[516] They bring in our ships to frontier ports like Hoover City to unload cargo and take on supplies."
[517] "Don't the authorities object?"
[518] "Not very strongly.
[519] The I.
[520] B. I. has too many problems right here to search the whole System for a few two-bit crooks.
[521] Besides, we carry cargoes of almost pure uranium and tungsten and all the stuff that's scarce on Earth and Mars and Venus.
[522] Nobody really cares whether it comes from the asteroids or Hades.
[523] If we want to risk our lives mining it, that's our business."
[524] She pursed her lips.
[525] "But if they guessed how strong we are or that we have friends planted in the I.
[526] B. I.—well, things might be different.
[527] There probably would be a crackdown."
[528] Ben scowled.
[529] "What happens if there is a crackdown?
[530] And what will you do when Space Corps ships officially reach the asteroids?
[531] They can't ignore you then."
[532] "Then we move on.
[533] We dream up new gimmicks for our crates and take them to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
[534] In time, maybe, we'll be pushed out of the System itself.
[535] Maybe it won't be the white-suited boys who'll make that first hop to the stars.
[536] It could be us, you know—if we live long enough.
[537] But that Asteroid Belt is murder.
[538] You can't follow the text-book rules of astrogation out there.
[539] You make up your own."
[540] Ben stiffened.
[541] "And that's why you want me for an astrogator."
[542] Maggie rose, her eyes wistful.
[543] "If you want to come—and if you get well."
[544] She looked at him strangely.
[545] "Suppose—" He fought to find the right words.
[546] "Suppose I got well and decided not to join Jacob.
[547] What would happen to me?
[548] Would you let me go?"
[549] Her thin face was criss-crossed by emotion—alarm, then bewilderment, then fear.
[550] "I don't know.
[551] That would be up to Jacob."
[552] He lay biting his lip, staring at the photo of Jacob.
[553] She touched his hand and it seemed that sadness now dominated the flurry of emotion that had coursed through her.
[554] "The only thing that matters, really," she murmured, "is your walking again.
[555] We'll try this afternoon.
[556] Okay?"
[557] "Okay," he said.
[558] When she left, his eyes were still turned toward Jacob's photo.
[559] He was like two people, he thought.
[560] Half of him was an officer of the Space Corps.
[561] Perhaps one single starry-eyed boy out of ten thousand was lucky enough to reach that goal.
[562] He remembered a little picture book his mother had given him when she was alive.
[563] Under the bright pictures of spacemen were the captions: "A Space Officer Is Honest" "A Space Officer Is Loyal."
[564] "A Space Officer Is Dutiful."
[565] Honesty, loyalty, duty.
[566] Trite words, but without those concepts, mankind would never have broken away from the planet that held it prisoner for half a million years.
[567] Without them, Everson, after three failures and a hundred men dead, would never have landed on the Moon twenty-seven years ago. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [457] Ben stared at the photo for a long time.
2. [478] "My husband," she said softly.
3. [487] "When his ship returns, I'll be going to him."
4. [492] She nodded.
5. [493] "There are quite a few of us now—about a thousand—and a dozen ships."
6. [494] "Our base used to be here on Venus, down toward the Pole."
7. [495] "The dome we're in now was designed and built by us a few years ago after we got pushed off Mars."
8. [502] "Don't get the idea that we're outlaws."
9. [503] "Sure, about half our group is wanted by the Bureau, but we make honest livings."
10. [504] "We're just people like yourself and Jacob."
11. [505] "Jacob? Your husband?"
12. [508] "Jacob's anything but that."
13. [509] "And just plain 'Jake' reminds one of a grizzled old uranium prospector and he isn't like that, either."
14. [512] "The others are physical or psycho rejects who couldn't get clearance if they went back to Earth."
15. [513] "They know nothing but rocketing and won't give up."
16. [514] "They bring in our ships to frontier ports like Hoover City to unload cargo and take on supplies."
17. [518] "The I. B. I. has too many problems right here to search the whole System for a few two-bit crooks."
18. [519] "Besides, we carry cargoes of almost pure uranium and tungsten and all the stuff that's scarce on Earth and Mars and Venus."
19. [520] "Nobody really cares whether it comes from the asteroids or Hades."
20. [521] "If we want to risk our lives mining it, that's our business."
21. [522] "But if they guessed how strong we are or that we have friends planted in the I. B. I.—well, things might be different."
22. [523] "There probably would be a crackdown."
23. [532] "Then we move on."
24. [533] "We dream up new gimmicks for our crates and take them to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto."
25. [534] "In time, maybe, we'll be pushed out of the System itself."
26. [535] "Maybe it won't be the white-suited boys who'll make that first hop to the stars."
27. [536] "It could be us, you know—if we live long enough."
28. [537] "But that Asteroid Belt is murder."
29. [538] "You can't follow the text-book rules of astrogation out there."
30. [539] "You make up your own."
31. [540] Ben stiffened.
32. [541] "And that's why you want me for an astrogator."
33. [542] Maggie rose, her eyes wistful.
34. [543] "If you want to come—and if you get well."
35. [544] She looked at him strangely.
36. [545] "Suppose—"
37. [546] "Suppose I got well and decided not to join Jacob."
38. [547] "What would happen to me?"
39. [548] "Would you let me go?"
40. [549] Her thin face was criss-crossed by emotion—alarm, then bewilderment, then fear.
41. [550] "I don't know."
42. [551] "That would be up to Jacob."
43. [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH
44. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
45. [3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
46. [4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
47. [5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
48. [6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
49. [7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
50. [8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
51. [9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
52. [10] Someone tugged at his greasy coat.
53. [11] He jumped, thinking absurdly that it was the dead man's hand.
54. [12] "Coma esta, senor?"
55. [13] a small voice piped.
56. [14] "Speken die Deutsch?"
57. [15] "Desirez-vous d'amour?"
58. [16] "Da?"
59. [17] "Nyet?"
60. [18] Ben looked down.
61. [19] The speaker was an eager-eyed Martian boy of about ten.
62. [20] He was like a red-skinned marionette with pipestem arms and legs, clad in a torn skivvy shirt and faded blue dungarees.
63. [21] "I'm American," Ben muttered.
64. [22] "Ah, buena!"
65. [23] "I speak English tres fine, senor."
66. [24] "I have Martian friend, she tres pretty and tres fat."
67. [25] "She weigh almost eighty pounds, monsieur."
68. [26] "I take you to her, si?"
69. [27] Ben shook his head.
70. [28] "I don't want your Martian wench."
71. [29] "I don't want your opium or your Devil's Egg or your Venusian kali."
72. [30] "But if you had a drug that'd bring a dead man to life, I'd buy and pay with my soul."
73. [31] "It is deal, monsieur?"
74. [32] "Five dollars or twenty keelis for visit Martian friend."
75. [33] "Maybe you like House of Dreams."
76. [34] "For House of Dreams—"
77. [35] "I'm not buying."
78. [36] "Then I show you to good table,— tres bien."
79. [37] "I do not charge you, senor."
80. [38] The boy grabbed his hand.
81. [39] Because Ben could think of no reason for resisting, he followed.
82. [40] They plunged into shifting layers of smoke and through the drone of alcohol-cracked voices.
83. [41] They passed the bar with its line of lean-featured, slit-eyed Earthmen—merchant spacemen.
84. [42] They wormed down a narrow aisle flanked by booths carved from Venusian marble that jutted up into the semi-darkness like fog-blanketed tombstones.
85. [43] Several times, Ben glimpsed the bulky figures of CO 2 -breathing Venusians, the first he'd ever seen.
86. [44] They were smoky gray, scaly, naked giants, toads in human shape.
87. [45] They stood solitary and motionless, aloof, their green-lidded eyes unblinking.
88. [46] They certainly didn't look like telepaths, as Ben had heard they were, but the thought sent a fresh rivulet of fear down his spine.
89. [47] Once he spied a white-uniformed officer of Hoover City's Security Police.
90. [48] The man was striding down an aisle, idly tapping his neuro-club against the stone booths.
91. [49] "Keep walking," Ben told himself.
92. [50] "You look the same as anyone else here."
93. [51] "Keep walking."
94. [52] "Look straight ahead."
95. [53] The officer passed.
96. [54] Ben breathed easier.
97. [55] "Here we are, monsieur," piped the Martian boy.
98. [56] "A tres fine table."
99. [57] "Close in the shadows."
100. [58] Ben winced.
101. [59] "How did this kid know he wanted to sit in the shadows?"
102. [60] Frowning, he sat down—he and the dead man.
103. [61] He listened to the lonely rhythms of the four-piece Martian orchestra.
104. [62] The Martians were fragile, doll-like creatures with heads too large for their spindly bodies.
105. [63] Their long fingers played upon the strings of their cirillas or crawled over the holes of their flutes like spider legs.
106. [64] Their tune was sad.
107. [65] Even when they played an Earth tune, it still seemed a song of old Mars, charged with echoes of lost voices and forgotten grandeur.
108. [66] For an instant, Ben's mind rose above the haunting vision of the dead man.
109. [67] "What are they doing here, these Martians?"
110. [68] "Here, in a smoke-filled room under a metalite dome on a dust-covered world?"
111. [69] "Couldn't they have played their music on Mars?"
112. [70] "Or had they, like me, felt the challenge of new worlds?"
113. [71] He sobered.
114. [72] "It didn't matter."
115. [73] He ordered a whiskey from a Chinese waiter.
116. [74] He wet his lips but did not drink.
117. [75] His gaze wandered over the faces of the Inn's other occupants.
118. [76] "You've got to find him," he thought.
119. [77] "You've got to find the man with the red beard."
120. [78] "It's the only way you can escape the dead man."
121. [79] "The dead man was real."
122. [80] "His name was Cobb."
123. [81] "He was stout and flabby and about forty and he hated spacemen."
124. [82] "His body was buried now—probably in the silent gray wastes outside Luna City."
125. [83] "But he'd become a kind of invisible Siamese twin, as much a part of Ben as sight in his eyes."
126. [84] "Sometimes the image would be shuffling drunkenly beside him, its lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses."
127. [85] "Again, its face would be a pop-eyed mask of surprise as Ben's fist thudded into its jaw."
128. [86] "More often, the face would be frozen in the whiteness of death."
129. [87] "The large eyes would stare."
130. [88] "Blood would trickle from a corner of the gaping mouth."
131. [89] "You can forget a living man."
132. [90] "You can defeat him or submit to him or ignore him, and the matter is over and done."
133. [91] "You can't escape from a memory that has burned into your mind."
134. [92] "It had begun a week ago in Luna City."
135. [93] "The flight from White Sands had been successful."
136. [94] "Ben, quietly and moderately, wanted to celebrate."
137. [95] "He stopped alone in a rocketfront bar for a beer."
138. [96] "The man named Cobb plopped his portly and unsteady posterior on the stool next to him."
139. [97] ""Spacemen," he muttered, "are getting like flies."
140. [98] "Everywhere, all you see's spacemen.""
141. [99] "He was a neatly dressed civilian."
142. [100] Ben smiled.
143. [101] ""If it weren't for spacemen, you wouldn't be here.""
144. [102] ""The name's Cobb.""
145. [103] "The man hiccoughed."
146. [104] ""Spacemen in their white monkey suits."
147. [105] "They think they're little tin gods."
148. [106] "Betcha you think you're a little tin god.""
149. [107] "He downed a shot of whiskey."
150. [108] Ben stiffened.
151. [109] "He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer."
152. [110] "He was three months out of the Academy at White Sands and the shining uniform was like a key to all the mysteries of the Universe."
153. [111] "He'd sought long for that key."
154. [112] "At the age of five—perhaps in order to dull the memory of his parents' death in a recent strato-jet crash—he'd spent hours watching the night sky for streaking flame-tails of Moon rockets."
155. [113] "At ten, he'd ground his first telescope."
156. [114] "At fourteen, he'd converted an abandoned shed on the government boarding-school grounds to a retreat which housed his collection of astronomy and rocketry books."
157. [115] "At sixteen, he'd spent every weekend holiday hitchhiking from Boys Town No. 5 in the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport."
158. [116] "There, among the grizzled veterans of the old Moon Patrol, he'd found friends who understood his dream and who later recommended his appointment to the U. S. Academy for the Conquest of Space."
159. [117] "And a month ago, he'd signed aboard the Odyssey—the first ship, it was rumored, equipped to venture as far as the asteroids and perhaps beyond."
160. [118] "Cobb was persistent: "Damn fools shoulda known enough to stay on Earth."
161. [119] ""What the hell good is it, jumpin' from planet to planet?""
162. [120] "The guy's drunk," Ben thought.
163. [121] "He took his drink and moved three stools down the bar."
164. [122] "Cobb followed."
165. [123] ""You don't like the truth, eh, kid?"
166. [124] "You don't like people to call you a sucker.""
167. [125] Ben rose and started to leave the bar, but Cobb grabbed his arm and held him there.
168. [126] ""Thas what you are—a sucker."
169. [127] "You're young now."
170. [128] "Wait ten years."
171. [129] "You'll be dyin' of radiation rot or a meteor'll get you."
172. [130] "Wait and see, sucker!""
173. [131] "Until this instant, Ben had suppressed his anger."
174. [132] "Now, suddenly and without warning, it welled up into savage fury."
175. [133] "His fist struck the man on the chin."
176. [134] "Cobb's eyes gaped in shocked horror."
177. [135] "He spun backward."
178. [136] "His head cracked sickeningly on the edge of the bar."
179. [137] "The sound was like a punctuation mark signaling the end of life."
180. [138] "He sank to the floor, eyes glassy, blood tricking down his jaw."
181. [139] "Ben knew that he was dead."
182. [140] "Then, for a single absurd second, Ben was seized with terror—just as, a moment before, he'd been overwhelmed with anger."
183. [141] "He ran."
184. [142] "For some twenty minutes, he raced through a dizzying, nightmare world of dark rocketfront alleys and shouting voices and pursuing feet."
185. [143] "At last, abruptly, he realized that he was alone and in silence."
186. [144] "He saw that he was still on the rocketfront, but in the Tycho-ward side of the city."
187. [145] "He huddled in a dark corner of a loading platform and lit a cigarette."
188. [146] "A thousand stars—a thousand motionless balls of silver fire—shone above him through Luna City's transparent dome."
189. [147] "He was sorry he'd hit Cobb, of course."
190. [148] "He was not sorry he'd run."
191. [149] "Escaping at least gave him a power of choice, of decision."
192. [150] "You can |
Describe the setting of the story. | [
"The story begins in the Blast Inn, a dim gin mill with a sense of evil. The huge room is obscure with smoke and full of people from different planets drinking and smoking. Ben's table is in the shadows far away, a lonely Martian orchestra is playing. Then the story goes to one week ago, a bar on Earth and a fight. There was a chase then through the rocket front alleys with a thousand stars above. Ben fled to Venus. In the gin mill's shadow, the light is suddenly on, the orchestra leaves and Ben is surrendered to the police. He runs and wakes up in a place he can't see. He is with a woman who looks after him, the room is small with a small window with infinite whiteness outside. He was moved to a different city on Venus. Soon, there turns out to be a photo of a red-bearded man in the room. Nightmares and memories haunt Ben in this room.",
"The story first takes place at the Blast Inn. There are big rooms, a bar and some tables. There is also music playing in the background. Blast Inn has drab concrete walls and debris-strewn floor. There is a rear exit. Later, on Venus, inside the small room in the dome building, there is an unpainted ceiling. The walls are broken and there is a single, round window. There is also a blanket. Outside the window, there is only a translucent and infinite whiteness. The room has a plain chair. On the corner of the room, there is a tri-dimensional photo of the red-bearded man.",
"The first part of the story takes place in the Blast Inn, a bar located in Hoover City on Venus. The bar is described as dark and smoky, with an ominous and mysterious aura. In the bar, a Martian orchestra plays music, and the room is occupied with Venusians, Earthmen, and Martians. When Ben is wounded by the space officials, he is taken to a room by Maggie, still on Venus but outside of Hoover City. The room is comfortable and small, but colorless. It contains a bureau with a photo of Jacob on it.",
"The story begins with Ben Curtis standing in the doorway of the Blast Inn on Venus. He walks towards a Venusian gin mill where a Martian kid seats him at a table in a secluded area. The story details that Ben ended up on Venus after accidentally killing a man on Earth. He begins to run from the bar once policemen began to come after him to arrest him. As he’s making his exit, an unfamiliar person guides him towards a hidden exit. After losing consciousness, from the policeman’s blast hitting him during his escape, he wakes up in a room. The room does not give him any indication of the time of day it is nor the name of the planet. In the room, Maggie really comes to aid his recovery. On a bureau in a far corner of the room is a rock portrait of Jacob, the red-bearded man and Maggie’s husband."
] | [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1956.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
[4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
[5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
[6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
[7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
[8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
[9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
[10] Someone tugged at his greasy coat.
[11] He jumped, thinking absurdly that it was the dead man's hand. "
[12] Coma esta, senor? "
[13] a small voice piped. "
[14] Speken die Deutsch?
[15] Desirez-vous d'amour?
[16] Da?
[17] Nyet? "
[18] Ben looked down.
[19] The speaker was an eager-eyed Martian boy of about ten.
[20] He was like a red-skinned marionette with pipestem arms and legs, clad in a torn skivvy shirt and faded blue dungarees.
[21] "I'm American," Ben muttered.
[22] "Ah, buena !
[23] I speak English tres fine, senor .
[24] I have Martian friend, she tres pretty and tres fat.
[25] She weigh almost eighty pounds, monsieur .
[26] I take you to her, si ?"
[27] Ben shook his head.
[28] He thought, I don't want your Martian wench.
[29] I don't want your opium or your Devil's Egg or your Venusian kali.
[30] But if you had a drug that'd bring a dead man to life, I'd buy and pay with my soul.
[31] "It is deal, monsieur ?
[32] Five dollars or twenty keelis for visit Martian friend.
[33] Maybe you like House of Dreams.
[34] For House of Dreams—" "I'm not buying."
[35] The dirty-faced kid shrugged.
[36] "Then I show you to good table,— tres bien .
[37] I do not charge you, senor ."
[38] The boy grabbed his hand.
[39] Because Ben could think of no reason for resisting, he followed.
[40] They plunged into shifting layers of smoke and through the drone of alcohol-cracked voices.
[41] They passed the bar with its line of lean-featured, slit-eyed Earthmen—merchant spacemen.
[42] They wormed down a narrow aisle flanked by booths carved from Venusian marble that jutted up into the semi-darkness like fog-blanketed tombstones.
[43] Several times, Ben glimpsed the bulky figures of CO 2 -breathing Venusians, the first he'd ever seen.
[44] They were smoky gray, scaly, naked giants, toads in human shape.
[45] They stood solitary and motionless, aloof, their green-lidded eyes unblinking.
[46] They certainly didn't look like telepaths, as Ben had heard they were, but the thought sent a fresh rivulet of fear down his spine.
[47] Once he spied a white-uniformed officer of Hoover City's Security Police.
[48] The man was striding down an aisle, idly tapping his neuro-club against the stone booths.
[49] Keep walking , Ben told himself.
[50] You look the same as anyone else here.
[51] Keep walking.
[52] Look straight ahead.
[53] The officer passed.
[54] Ben breathed easier.
[55] "Here we are, monsieur ," piped the Martian boy.
[56] "A tres fine table.
[57] Close in the shadows."
[58] Ben winced.
[59] How did this kid know he wanted to sit in the shadows?
[60] Frowning, he sat down—he and the dead man.
[61] He listened to the lonely rhythms of the four-piece Martian orchestra.
[62] The Martians were fragile, doll-like creatures with heads too large for their spindly bodies.
[63] Their long fingers played upon the strings of their cirillas or crawled over the holes of their flutes like spider legs.
[64] Their tune was sad.
[65] Even when they played an Earth tune, it still seemed a song of old Mars, charged with echoes of lost voices and forgotten grandeur.
[66] For an instant, Ben's mind rose above the haunting vision of the dead man.
[67] He thought, What are they doing here, these Martians?
[68] Here, in a smoke-filled room under a metalite dome on a dust-covered world?
[69] Couldn't they have played their music on Mars?
[70] Or had they, like me, felt the challenge of new worlds?
[71] He sobered.
[72] It didn't matter.
[73] He ordered a whiskey from a Chinese waiter.
[74] He wet his lips but did not drink.
[75] His gaze wandered over the faces of the Inn's other occupants.
[76] You've got to find him , he thought.
[77] You've got to find the man with the red beard.
[78] It's the only way you can escape the dead man.
[79] The dead man was real.
[80] His name was Cobb.
[81] He was stout and flabby and about forty and he hated spacemen.
[82] His body was buried now—probably in the silent gray wastes outside Luna City.
[83] But he'd become a kind of invisible Siamese twin, as much a part of Ben as sight in his eyes.
[84] Sometimes the image would be shuffling drunkenly beside him, its lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses.
[85] Again, its face would be a pop-eyed mask of surprise as Ben's fist thudded into its jaw.
[86] More often, the face would be frozen in the whiteness of death.
[87] The large eyes would stare.
[88] Blood would trickle from a corner of the gaping mouth.
[89] You can forget a living man.
[90] You can defeat him or submit to him or ignore him, and the matter is over and done.
[91] You can't escape from a memory that has burned into your mind.
[92] It had begun a week ago in Luna City.
[93] The flight from White Sands had been successful.
[94] Ben, quietly and moderately, wanted to celebrate.
[95] He stopped alone in a rocketfront bar for a beer.
[96] The man named Cobb plopped his portly and unsteady posterior on the stool next to him.
[97] "Spacemen," he muttered, "are getting like flies.
[98] Everywhere, all you see's spacemen."
[99] He was a neatly dressed civilian.
[100] Ben smiled.
[101] "If it weren't for spacemen, you wouldn't be here."
[102] "The name's Cobb."
[103] The man hiccoughed.
[104] "Spacemen in their white monkey suits.
[105] They think they're little tin gods.
[106] Betcha you think you're a little tin god."
[107] He downed a shot of whiskey.
[108] Ben stiffened.
[109] He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer.
[110] He was three months out of the Academy at White Sands and the shining uniform was like a key to all the mysteries of the Universe.
[111] He'd sought long for that key.
[112] At the age of five—perhaps in order to dull the memory of his parents' death in a recent strato-jet crash—he'd spent hours watching the night sky for streaking flame-tails of Moon rockets.
[113] At ten, he'd ground his first telescope.
[114] At fourteen, he'd converted an abandoned shed on the government boarding-school grounds to a retreat which housed his collection of astronomy and rocketry books.
[115] At sixteen, he'd spent every weekend holiday hitchhiking from Boys Town No.
[116] 5 in the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport.
[117] There, among the grizzled veterans of the old Moon Patrol, he'd found friends who understood his dream and who later recommended his appointment to the U. S. Academy for the Conquest of Space.
[118] And a month ago, he'd signed aboard the Odyssey —the first ship, it was rumored, equipped to venture as far as the asteroids and perhaps beyond.
[119] Cobb was persistent: "Damn fools shoulda known enough to stay on Earth.
[120] What the hell good is it, jumpin' from planet to planet?"
[121] The guy's drunk , Ben thought.
[122] He took his drink and moved three stools down the bar.
[123] Cobb followed.
[124] "You don't like the truth, eh, kid?
[125] You don't like people to call you a sucker."
[126] Ben rose and started to leave the bar, but Cobb grabbed his arm and held him there.
[127] "Thas what you are—a sucker.
[128] You're young now.
[129] Wait ten years.
[130] You'll be dyin' of radiation rot or a meteor'll get you.
[131] Wait and see, sucker!"
[132] Until this instant, Ben had suppressed his anger.
[133] Now, suddenly and without warning, it welled up into savage fury.
[134] His fist struck the man on the chin.
[135] Cobb's eyes gaped in shocked horror.
[136] He spun backward.
[137] His head cracked sickeningly on the edge of the bar.
[138] The sound was like a punctuation mark signaling the end of life.
[139] He sank to the floor, eyes glassy, blood tricking down his jaw.
[140] Ben knew that he was dead.
[141] Then, for a single absurd second, Ben was seized with terror—just as, a moment before, he'd been overwhelmed with anger.
[142] He ran.
[143] For some twenty minutes, he raced through a dizzying, nightmare world of dark rocketfront alleys and shouting voices and pursuing feet.
[144] At last, abruptly, he realized that he was alone and in silence.
[145] He saw that he was still on the rocketfront, but in the Tycho-ward side of the city.
[146] He huddled in a dark corner of a loading platform and lit a cigarette.
[147] A thousand stars—a thousand motionless balls of silver fire—shone above him through Luna City's transparent dome.
[148] He was sorry he'd hit Cobb, of course.
[149] He was not sorry he'd run.
[150] Escaping at least gave him a power of choice, of decision.
[151] You can do two things , he thought.
[152] You can give yourself up, and that's what a good officer would do.
[153] That would eliminate the escape charge.
[154] You'd get off with voluntary manslaughter.
[155] Under interplanetary law, that would mean ten years in prison and a dishonorable discharge.
[156] And then you'd be free.
[157] But you'd be through with rockets and space.
[158] They don't want new men over thirty-four for officers on rockets or even for third-class jet-men on beat-up freighters—they don't want convicted killers.
[159] You'd get the rest of the thrill of conquering space through video and by peeking through electric fences of spaceports.
[160] Or— There were old wives' tales of a group of renegade spacemen who operated from the Solar System's frontiers.
[161] The spacemen weren't outlaws.
[162] They were misfits, rejectees from the clearing houses on Earth.
[163] And whereas no legally recognized ship had ventured past Mars, the souped-up renegade rigs had supposedly hit the asteroids.
[164] Their headquarters was Venus.
[165] Their leader—a subject of popular and fantastic conjecture in the men's audiozines—was rumored to be a red-bearded giant.
[166] So , Ben reflected, you can take a beer-and-pretzels tale seriously.
[167] You can hide for a couple of days, get rid of your uniform, change your name.
[168] You can wait for a chance to get to Venus.
[169] To hell with your duty.
[170] You can try to stay in space, even if you exile yourself from Earth.
[171] After all, was it right for a single second, a single insignificant second, to destroy a man's life and his dream?
[172] He was lucky.
[173] He found a tramp freighter whose skipper was on his last flight before retirement.
[174] Discipline was lax, investigation of new personnel even more so.
[175] Ben Curtis made it to Venus.
[176] There was just one flaw in his decision.
[177] He hadn't realized that the memory of the dead man's face would haunt him, torment him, follow him as constantly as breath flowed into his lungs.
[178] But might not the rumble of atomic engines drown the murmuring dead voice?
[179] Might not the vision of alien worlds and infinite spaceways obscure the dead face?
[180] So now he sat searching for a perhaps nonexistent red-bearded giant, and hoping and doubting and fearing, all at once.
[181] "You look for someone, senor ?"
[182] He jumped.
[183] "Oh.
[184] You still here?"
[185] " Oui. "
[186] The Martian kid grinned, his mouth full of purple teeth.
[187] "I keep you company on your first night in Hoover City, n'est-ce-pas ?"
[188] "This isn't my first night here," Ben lied.
[189] "I've been around a while."
[190] "You are spacemen?"
[191] Ben threw a fifty-cent credit piece on the table.
[192] "Here.
[193] Take off, will you?"
[194] Spiderlike fingers swept down upon the coin. "
[195] Ich danke, senor.
[196] You know why city is called Hoover City?"
[197] Ben didn't answer.
[198] "They say it is because after women come, they want first thing a thousand vacuum cleaners for dust.
[199] What is vacuum cleaner, monsieur ?"
[200] Ben raised his hand as if to strike the boy. "
[201] Ai-yee , I go.
[202] You keep listen to good Martian music."
[203] The toothpick of a body melted into the semi-darkness.
[204] Minutes passed.
[205] There were two more whiskeys.
[206] A ceaseless parade of faces broke through the smoky veil that enclosed him—reddish balloon faces, scaly reptilian faces, white-skinned, slit-eyed faces, and occasionally a white, rouged, powdered face.
[207] But nowhere was there a face with a red beard.
[208] A sense of hopelessness gripped Ben Curtis.
[209] Hoover City was but one of a dozen cities of Venus.
[210] Each had twenty dives such as this.
[211] He needed help.
[212] But his picture must have been 'scoped to Venusian visiscreens.
[213] A reward must have been offered for his capture.
[214] Whom could he trust?
[215] The Martian kid, perhaps?
[216] Far down the darkened aisle nearest him, his eyes caught a flash of white.
[217] He tensed.
[218] Like the uniform of a Security Policeman, he thought.
[219] His gaze shifted to another aisle and another hint of whiteness.
[220] And then he saw another and another and another.
[221] Each whiteness became brighter and closer, like shrinking spokes of a wheel with Ben as their focal point.
[222] You idiot!
[223] The damned Martian kid!
[224] You should have known!
[225] Light showered the room in a dazzling explosion.
[226] Ben, half blinded, realized that a broad circle of unshaded globes in the ceiling had been turned on.
[227] The light washed away the room's strangeness and its air of brooding wickedness, revealing drab concrete walls and a debris-strewn floor.
[228] Eyes blinked and squinted.
[229] There were swift, frightened movements and a chorus of angry murmurs.
[230] The patrons of the Blast Inn were like tatter-clad occupants of a house whose walls have been ripped away.
[231] Ben Curtis twisted his lean body erect.
[232] His chair tumbled backward, falling.
[233] The white-clad men charged, neuro-clubs upraised.
[234] A woman screamed.
[235] The music ceased.
[236] The Martian orchestra slunk with feline stealth to a rear exit.
[237] Only the giant Venusians remained undisturbed.
[238] They stood unmoving, their staring eyes shifting lazily in Ben's direction.
[239] "Curtis!"
[240] one of the policemen yelled.
[241] "You're covered!
[242] Hold it!"
[243] Ben whirled away from the advancing police, made for the exit into which the musicians had disappeared.
[244] A hissing sound traveled past his left ear, a sound like compressed air escaping from a container.
[245] A dime-sized section of the concrete wall ahead of him crumbled.
[246] He stumbled forward.
[247] They were using deadly neuro-pistols now, not the mildly stunning neuro-clubs.
[248] Another hiss passed his cheek.
[249] He was about twelve feet from the exit.
[250] Another second , his brain screamed.
[251] Just another second— Or would the exits be guarded?
[252] He heard the hiss.
[253] It hit directly in the small of his back.
[254] There was no pain, just a slight pricking sensation, like the shallow jab of a needle.
[255] He froze as if yanked to a stop by a noose.
[256] His body seemed to be growing, swelling into balloon proportions.
[257] He knew that the tiny needle had imbedded itself deep in his flesh, knew that the paralyzing mortocain was spreading like icy fire into every fiber and muscle of his body.
[258] He staggered like a man of stone moving in slow motion.
[259] He'd have fifteen—maybe twenty—seconds before complete lethargy of mind and body overpowered him.
[260] In the dark world beyond his fading consciousness, he heard a voice yell, "Turn on the damn lights!"
[261] Then a pressure and a coldness were on his left hand.
[262] He realized that someone had seized it.
[263] A soft feminine voice spoke to him.
[264] "You're wounded?
[265] They hit you?"
[266] "Yes."
[267] His thick lips wouldn't let go of the word.
[268] "You want to escape—even now?"
[269] "Yes."
[270] "You may die if you don't give yourself up."
[271] "No, no."
[272] He tried to stumble toward the exit.
[273] "All right then.
[274] Not that way.
[275] Here, this way."
[276] Heavy footsteps thudded toward them.
[277] A few yards away, a flashlight flicked on.
[278] Hands were guiding him.
[279] He was aware of being pushed and pulled.
[280] A door closed behind him.
[281] The glare of the flashlight faded from his vision—if he still had vision.
[282] "You're sure?"
[283] the voice persisted.
[284] "I'm sure," Ben managed to say.
[285] "I have no antidote.
[286] You may die."
[287] His mind fought to comprehend.
[288] With the anti-paralysis injection, massage and rest, a man could recover from the effects of mortocain within half a day.
[289] Without treatment, the paralysis could spread to heart and lungs.
[290] It could become a paralysis of death.
[291] An effective weapon: the slightest wound compelled the average criminal to surrender at once.
[292] "Anti ... anti ..." The words were as heavy as blobs of mercury forced from his throat.
[293] "No ...
[294] I'm sure ...
[295] sure."
[296] He didn't hear the answer or anything else.
[297] Ben Curtis had no precise sensation of awakening.
[298] Return to consciousness was an intangible evolution from a world of black nothingness to a dream-like state of awareness.
[299] He felt the pressure of hands on his naked arms and shoulders, hands that massaged, manipulated, fought to restore circulation and sensitivity.
[300] He knew they were strong hands.
[301] Their strength seemed to transfer itself to his own body.
[302] For a long time, he tried to open his eyes.
[303] His lids felt welded shut.
[304] But after a while, they opened.
[305] His world of darkness gave way to a translucent cloak of mist.
[306] A round, featureless shape hovered constantly above him—a face, he supposed.
[307] He tried to talk.
[308] Although his lips moved slightly, the only sound was a deep, staccato grunting.
[309] But he heard someone say, "Don't try to talk."
[310] It was the same gentle voice he'd heard in the Blast Inn.
[311] "Don't talk.
[312] Just lie still and rest.
[313] Everything'll be all right."
[314] Everything all right , he thought dimly.
[315] There were long periods of lethargy when he was aware of nothing.
[316] There were periods of light and of darkness.
[317] Gradually he grew aware of things.
[318] He realized that the soft rubber mouth of a spaceman's oxygen mask was clamped over his nose.
[319] He felt the heat of electric blankets swathed about his body.
[320] Occasionally a tube would be in his mouth and he would taste liquid food and feel a pleasant warmth in his stomach.
[321] Always, it seemed, the face was above him, floating in the obscuring mist.
[322] Always, it seemed, the soft voice was echoing in his ears: "Swallow this now.
[323] That's it.
[324] You must have food."
[325] Or, "Close your eyes.
[326] Don't strain.
[327] It won't be long.
[328] You're getting better."
[329] Better , he'd think.
[330] Getting better.... At last, after one of the periods of lethargy, his eyes opened.
[331] The mist brightened, then dissolved.
[332] He beheld the cracked, unpainted ceiling of a small room, its colorless walls broken with a single, round window.
[333] He saw the footboard of his aluminite bed and the outlines of his feet beneath a faded blanket.
[334] Finally he saw the face and figure that stood at his side.
[335] "You are better?"
[336] the kind voice asked.
[337] The face was that of a girl probably somewhere between twenty-five and thirty.
[338] Her features, devoid of makeup, had an unhealthy-looking pallor, as if she hadn't used a sunlamp for many weeks.
[339] Yet, at the same time, her firm slim body suggested a solidity and a strength.
[340] Her straight brown hair was combed backward, tight upon her scalp, and drawn together in a knot at the nape of her neck.
[341] "I—I am better," he murmured.
[342] His words were still slow and thick.
[343] "I am going to live?"
[344] "You will live."
[345] He thought for a moment.
[346] "How long have I been here?"
[347] "Nine days."
[348] "You took care of me?"
[349] He noted the deep, dark circles beneath her sleep-robbed eyes.
[350] She nodded.
[351] "You're the one who carried me when I was shot?"
[352] "Yes."
[353] "Why?"
[354] Suddenly he began to cough.
[355] Breath came hard.
[356] She held the oxygen mask in readiness.
[357] He shook his head, not wanting it.
[358] "Why?"
[359] he asked again.
[360] "It would be a long story.
[361] Perhaps I'll tell you tomorrow."
[362] A new thought, cloaked in sudden fear, entered his murky consciousness.
[363] "Tell me, will—will I be well again?
[364] Will I be able to walk?"
[365] He lay back then, panting, exhausted.
[366] "You have nothing to worry about," the girl said softly.
[367] Her cool hand touched his hot forehead.
[368] "Rest.
[369] We'll talk later."
[370] His eyes closed and breath came easier.
[371] He slept.
[372] When he next awoke, his gaze turned first to the window.
[373] There was light outside, but he had no way of knowing if this was morning, noon or afternoon—or on what planet.
[374] He saw no white-domed buildings of Hoover City, no formal lines of green-treed parks, no streams of buzzing gyro-cars.
[375] There was only a translucent and infinite whiteness.
[376] It was as if the window were set on the edge of the Universe overlooking a solemn, silent and matterless void.
[377] The girl entered the room.
[378] "Hi," she said, smiling.
[379] The dark half-moons under her eyes were less prominent.
[380] Her face was relaxed.
[381] She increased the pressure in his rubberex pillows and helped him rise to a sitting position.
[382] "Where are we?"
[383] he asked.
[384] "Venus."
[385] "We're not in Hoover City?"
[386] "No."
[387] He looked at her, wondering.
[388] "You won't tell me?"
[389] "Not yet.
[390] Later, perhaps."
[391] "Then how did you get me here?
[392] How did we escape from the Inn?"
[393] She shrugged.
[394] "We have friends who can be bribed.
[395] A hiding place in the city, the use of a small desert-taxi, a pass to leave the city—these can be had for a price."
[396] "You'll tell me your name?"
[397] "Maggie."
[398] "Why did you save me?"
[399] Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
[400] "Because you're a good astrogator."
[401] His own eyes widened.
[402] "How did you know that?"
[403] She sat on a plain chair beside his bed.
[404] "I know everything about you, Lieutenant Curtis."
[405] "How did you learn my name?
[406] I destroyed all my papers—" "I know that you're twenty-four.
[407] Born July 10, 1971.
[408] Orphaned at four, you attended Boys Town in the Catskills till you were 19.
[409] You graduated from the Academy at White Sands last June with a major in Astrogation.
[410] Your rating for the five-year period was 3.8—the second highest in a class of fifty-seven.
[411] Your only low mark in the five years was a 3.2 in History of Martian Civilization.
[412] Want me to go on?"
[413] Fascinated, Ben nodded.
[414] "You were accepted as junior astrogation officer aboard the Odyssey .
[415] You did well on your flight from Roswell to Luna City.
[416] In a barroom fight in Luna City, you struck and killed a man named Arthur Cobb, a pre-fab salesman.
[417] You've been charged with second degree murder and escape.
[418] A reward of 5,000 credits has been offered for your capture.
[419] You came to Hoover City in the hope of finding a renegade group of spacemen who operate beyond Mars.
[420] You were looking for them in the Blast Inn."
[421] He gaped incredulously, struggling to rise from his pillows.
[422] "I—don't get it."
[423] "There are ways of finding out what we want to know.
[424] As I told you, we have many friends."
[425] He fell back into his pillows, breathing hard.
[426] She rose quickly.
[427] "I'm sorry," she said.
[428] "I shouldn't have told you yet.
[429] I felt so happy because you're alive.
[430] Rest now.
[431] We'll talk again soon."
[432] "Maggie, you—you said I'd live.
[433] You didn't say I'd be able to walk again."
[434] She lowered her gaze.
[435] "I hope you'll be able to."
[436] "But you don't think I will, do you?"
[437] "I don't know.
[438] We'll try walking tomorrow.
[439] Don't think about it now.
[440] Rest."
[441] He tried to relax, but his mind was a vortex of conjecture.
[442] "Just one more question," he almost whispered.
[443] "Yes?"
[444] "The man I killed—did he have a wife?"
[445] She hesitated.
[446] He thought, Damn it, of all the questions, why did I ask that?
[447] Finally she said, "He had a wife."
[448] "Children?"
[449] "Two.
[450] I don't know their ages."
[451] She left the room.
[452] He sank into the softness of his bed.
[453] As he turned over on his side, his gaze fell upon an object on a bureau in a far corner of the room.
[454] He sat straight up, his chest heaving.
[455] The object was a tri-dimensional photo of a rock-faced man in a merchant spaceman's uniform.
[456] He was a giant of a man with a neatly trimmed red beard !
[457] Ben stared at the photo for a long time.
[458] At length, he slipped into restless sleep.
[459] Images of faces and echoes of words spun through his brain.
[460] The dead man returned to him.
[461] Bloodied lips cursed at him.
[462] Glassy eyes accused him.
[463] Somewhere were two lost children crying in the night.
[464] And towering above him was a red-bearded man whose great hands reached down and beckoned to him.
[465] Ben crawled through the night on hands and knees, his legs numb and useless.
[466] The crying of the children was a chilling wail in his ears.
[467] His head rose and turned to the red-bearded man.
[468] His pleading voice screamed out to him in a thick, harsh cackle.
[469] Yet even as he screamed, the giant disappeared, to be replaced by white-booted feet stomping relentlessly toward him.
[470] He awoke still screaming.... A night without darkness passed.
[471] Ben lay waiting for Maggie's return, a question already formed in his mind.
[472] She came and at once he asked, "Who is the man with the red beard?"
[473] She smiled.
[474] "I was right then when I gave you that thumbnail biog.
[475] You were looking for him, weren't you?"
[476] "Who is he?"
[477] She sat on the chair beside him.
[478] "My husband," she said softly.
[479] He began to understand.
[480] "And your husband needs an astrogator?
[481] That's why you saved me?"
[482] "We need all the good men we can get."
[483] "Where is he?"
[484] She cocked her head in mock suspicion.
[485] "Somewhere between Mercury and Pluto.
[486] He's building a new base for us—and a home for me.
[487] When his ship returns, I'll be going to him."
[488] "Why aren't you with him now?"
[489] "He said unexplored space is no place for a woman.
[490] So I've been studying criminal reports and photos from the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation and trying to find recruits like yourself.
[491] You know how we operate?"
[492] He told her the tales he'd heard.
[493] She nodded.
[494] "There are quite a few of us now—about a thousand—and a dozen ships.
[495] Our base used to be here on Venus, down toward the Pole.
[496] The dome we're in now was designed and built by us a few years ago after we got pushed off Mars.
[497] We lost a few men in the construction, but with almost every advance in space, someone dies."
[498] "Venus is getting too civilized.
[499] We're moving out and this dome is only a temporary base when we have cases like yours.
[500] The new base—I might as well tell you it's going to be an asteroid.
[501] I won't say which one."
[502] "Don't get the idea that we're outlaws.
[503] Sure, about half our group is wanted by the Bureau, but we make honest livings.
[504] We're just people like yourself and Jacob."
[505] "Jacob?
[506] Your husband?"
[507] She laughed.
[508] "Makes you think of a Biblical character, doesn't it?
[509] Jacob's anything but that.
[510] And just plain 'Jake' reminds one of a grizzled old uranium prospector and he isn't like that, either."
[511] She lit a cigarette.
[512] "Anyway, the wanted ones stay out beyond the frontiers.
[513] Jacob and those like him can never return to Earth—not even to Hoover City—except dead.
[514] The others are physical or psycho rejects who couldn't get clearance if they went back to Earth.
[515] They know nothing but rocketing and won't give up.
[516] They bring in our ships to frontier ports like Hoover City to unload cargo and take on supplies."
[517] "Don't the authorities object?"
[518] "Not very strongly.
[519] The I.
[520] B. I. has too many problems right here to search the whole System for a few two-bit crooks.
[521] Besides, we carry cargoes of almost pure uranium and tungsten and all the stuff that's scarce on Earth and Mars and Venus.
[522] Nobody really cares whether it comes from the asteroids or Hades.
[523] If we want to risk our lives mining it, that's our business."
[524] She pursed her lips.
[525] "But if they guessed how strong we are or that we have friends planted in the I.
[526] B. I.—well, things might be different.
[527] There probably would be a crackdown."
[528] Ben scowled.
[529] "What happens if there is a crackdown?
[530] And what will you do when Space Corps ships officially reach the asteroids?
[531] They can't ignore you then."
[532] "Then we move on.
[533] We dream up new gimmicks for our crates and take them to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
[534] In time, maybe, we'll be pushed out of the System itself.
[535] Maybe it won't be the white-suited boys who'll make that first hop to the stars.
[536] It could be us, you know—if we live long enough.
[537] But that Asteroid Belt is murder.
[538] You can't follow the text-book rules of astrogation out there.
[539] You make up your own."
[540] Ben stiffened.
[541] "And that's why you want me for an astrogator."
[542] Maggie rose, her eyes wistful.
[543] "If you want to come—and if you get well."
[544] She looked at him strangely.
[545] "Suppose—" He fought to find the right words.
[546] "Suppose I got well and decided not to join Jacob.
[547] What would happen to me?
[548] Would you let me go?"
[549] Her thin face was criss-crossed by emotion—alarm, then bewilderment, then fear.
[550] "I don't know.
[551] That would be up to Jacob."
[552] He lay biting his lip, staring at the photo of Jacob.
[553] She touched his hand and it seemed that sadness now dominated the flurry of emotion that had coursed through her.
[554] "The only thing that matters, really," she murmured, "is your walking again.
[555] We'll try this afternoon.
[556] Okay?"
[557] "Okay," he said.
[558] When she left, his eyes were still turned toward Jacob's photo.
[559] He was like two people, he thought.
[560] Half of him was an officer of the Space Corps.
[561] Perhaps one single starry-eyed boy out of ten thousand was lucky enough to reach that goal.
[562] He remembered a little picture book his mother had given him when she was alive.
[563] Under the bright pictures of spacemen were the captions: "A Space Officer Is Honest" "A Space Officer Is Loyal."
[564] "A Space Officer Is Dutiful."
[565] Honesty, loyalty, duty.
[566] Trite words, but without those concepts, mankind would never have broken away from the planet that held it prisoner for half a million years.
[567] Without them, Everson, after three failures and a hundred men dead, would never have landed on the Moon twenty-seven years ago. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
2. [6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
3. [7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
4. [8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
5. [9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
6. [41] They passed the bar with its line of lean-featured, slit-eyed Earthmen—merchant spacemen.
7. [42] They wormed down a narrow aisle flanked by booths carved from Venusian marble that jutted up into the semi-darkness like fog-blanketed tombstones.
8. [43] Several times, Ben glimpsed the bulky figures of CO 2 -breathing Venusians, the first he'd ever seen.
9. [44] They were smoky gray, scaly, naked giants, toads in human shape.
10. [45] They stood solitary and motionless, aloof, their green-lidded eyes unblinking.
11. [47] Once he spied a white-uniformed officer of Hoover City's Security Police.
12. [48] The man was striding down an aisle, idly tapping his neuro-club against the stone booths.
13. [55] "Here we are, monsieur," piped the Martian boy.
14. [56] "A tres fine table.
15. [57] Close in the shadows."
16. [61] He listened to the lonely rhythms of the four-piece Martian orchestra.
17. [62] The Martians were fragile, doll-like creatures with heads too large for their spindly bodies.
18. [63] Their long fingers played upon the strings of their cirillas or crawled over the holes of their flutes like spider legs.
19. [64] Their tune was sad.
20. [65] Even when they played an Earth tune, it still seemed a song of old Mars, charged with echoes of lost voices and forgotten grandeur.
21. [372] When he next awoke, his gaze turned first to the window.
22. [373] There was light outside, but he had no way of knowing if this was morning, noon or afternoon—or on what planet.
23. [374] He saw no white-domed buildings of Hoover City, no formal lines of green-treed parks, no streams of buzzing gyro-cars.
24. [375] There was only a translucent and infinite whiteness.
25. [376] It was as if the window were set on the edge of the Universe overlooking a solemn, silent and matterless void.
26. [383] "We're not in Hoover City?"
27. [384] "No." |
What do we know about the red-bearded man and his operations? | [
"The man is the leader of renegade spacemen who operate from the Solar System's frontiers and are not outlaws. The man is almost a myth. Right now the man is exploring new parts of space and is building a new base. The team is huge and the base has moved from Venus towards the Pole for a while, planning to move to an asteroid later. Half the team are wanted but their livings are still honest. The man is banned from Earth and brings cargo to the frontiers and the authorities close their eyes. They want to go further than the System itself and need a good astrogator like Ben out there.",
"The red-bearded man is named Jacob. He is said to run an operation of renegade spacemen. They have supposedly hit the asteroids while no legal ships has made pass Mars. He is currently exploring between Mercury and Pluto because he wants to build a new base for them. His operation was based on Venus, but because the place is getting to civilized, they need to move to a new home on an asteroid. While the group is filled with people wanted by the IBI, but they are people that makes honest livings. They unload cargo to ports like Hoover City and take on supplies.",
"We know that the red-bearded man is named Jacob, and he is the leader of a renegade space crew, made up of misfits and rejects. The space crew transports cargoes of minerals to and from planets, and they advance to another location time after time to avoid authorities catching up with them. After Venus, the next planned location is on the Asteroid belt, which requires advanced navigation and astrogation, which is why Jacob seeks Ben Curtis for help.",
"We know that Maggie is the wife of the red-bearded man Jacob. Jacob is the leader of a group of about a thousand. They own about a dozen ships. They have changed their bases many times depending on threatening circumstances. If they see trouble, they move on to the next place. The previous base was near the Pole on Venus. Venus was the base after the group was exiled from Mars. Venus is now no longer able to be the group’s home because it is becoming more and more civilized. So, the group has decided that the new base is going to be on an asteroid. The operation of Jacob and his group is mining. They mine almost pure uranium and tungsten, materials that are scarce on both Earth and Mars. They then sell the materials."
] | [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1956.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
[4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
[5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
[6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
[7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
[8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
[9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
[10] Someone tugged at his greasy coat.
[11] He jumped, thinking absurdly that it was the dead man's hand. "
[12] Coma esta, senor? "
[13] a small voice piped. "
[14] Speken die Deutsch?
[15] Desirez-vous d'amour?
[16] Da?
[17] Nyet? "
[18] Ben looked down.
[19] The speaker was an eager-eyed Martian boy of about ten.
[20] He was like a red-skinned marionette with pipestem arms and legs, clad in a torn skivvy shirt and faded blue dungarees.
[21] "I'm American," Ben muttered.
[22] "Ah, buena !
[23] I speak English tres fine, senor .
[24] I have Martian friend, she tres pretty and tres fat.
[25] She weigh almost eighty pounds, monsieur .
[26] I take you to her, si ?"
[27] Ben shook his head.
[28] He thought, I don't want your Martian wench.
[29] I don't want your opium or your Devil's Egg or your Venusian kali.
[30] But if you had a drug that'd bring a dead man to life, I'd buy and pay with my soul.
[31] "It is deal, monsieur ?
[32] Five dollars or twenty keelis for visit Martian friend.
[33] Maybe you like House of Dreams.
[34] For House of Dreams—" "I'm not buying."
[35] The dirty-faced kid shrugged.
[36] "Then I show you to good table,— tres bien .
[37] I do not charge you, senor ."
[38] The boy grabbed his hand.
[39] Because Ben could think of no reason for resisting, he followed.
[40] They plunged into shifting layers of smoke and through the drone of alcohol-cracked voices.
[41] They passed the bar with its line of lean-featured, slit-eyed Earthmen—merchant spacemen.
[42] They wormed down a narrow aisle flanked by booths carved from Venusian marble that jutted up into the semi-darkness like fog-blanketed tombstones.
[43] Several times, Ben glimpsed the bulky figures of CO 2 -breathing Venusians, the first he'd ever seen.
[44] They were smoky gray, scaly, naked giants, toads in human shape.
[45] They stood solitary and motionless, aloof, their green-lidded eyes unblinking.
[46] They certainly didn't look like telepaths, as Ben had heard they were, but the thought sent a fresh rivulet of fear down his spine.
[47] Once he spied a white-uniformed officer of Hoover City's Security Police.
[48] The man was striding down an aisle, idly tapping his neuro-club against the stone booths.
[49] Keep walking , Ben told himself.
[50] You look the same as anyone else here.
[51] Keep walking.
[52] Look straight ahead.
[53] The officer passed.
[54] Ben breathed easier.
[55] "Here we are, monsieur ," piped the Martian boy.
[56] "A tres fine table.
[57] Close in the shadows."
[58] Ben winced.
[59] How did this kid know he wanted to sit in the shadows?
[60] Frowning, he sat down—he and the dead man.
[61] He listened to the lonely rhythms of the four-piece Martian orchestra.
[62] The Martians were fragile, doll-like creatures with heads too large for their spindly bodies.
[63] Their long fingers played upon the strings of their cirillas or crawled over the holes of their flutes like spider legs.
[64] Their tune was sad.
[65] Even when they played an Earth tune, it still seemed a song of old Mars, charged with echoes of lost voices and forgotten grandeur.
[66] For an instant, Ben's mind rose above the haunting vision of the dead man.
[67] He thought, What are they doing here, these Martians?
[68] Here, in a smoke-filled room under a metalite dome on a dust-covered world?
[69] Couldn't they have played their music on Mars?
[70] Or had they, like me, felt the challenge of new worlds?
[71] He sobered.
[72] It didn't matter.
[73] He ordered a whiskey from a Chinese waiter.
[74] He wet his lips but did not drink.
[75] His gaze wandered over the faces of the Inn's other occupants.
[76] You've got to find him , he thought.
[77] You've got to find the man with the red beard.
[78] It's the only way you can escape the dead man.
[79] The dead man was real.
[80] His name was Cobb.
[81] He was stout and flabby and about forty and he hated spacemen.
[82] His body was buried now—probably in the silent gray wastes outside Luna City.
[83] But he'd become a kind of invisible Siamese twin, as much a part of Ben as sight in his eyes.
[84] Sometimes the image would be shuffling drunkenly beside him, its lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses.
[85] Again, its face would be a pop-eyed mask of surprise as Ben's fist thudded into its jaw.
[86] More often, the face would be frozen in the whiteness of death.
[87] The large eyes would stare.
[88] Blood would trickle from a corner of the gaping mouth.
[89] You can forget a living man.
[90] You can defeat him or submit to him or ignore him, and the matter is over and done.
[91] You can't escape from a memory that has burned into your mind.
[92] It had begun a week ago in Luna City.
[93] The flight from White Sands had been successful.
[94] Ben, quietly and moderately, wanted to celebrate.
[95] He stopped alone in a rocketfront bar for a beer.
[96] The man named Cobb plopped his portly and unsteady posterior on the stool next to him.
[97] "Spacemen," he muttered, "are getting like flies.
[98] Everywhere, all you see's spacemen."
[99] He was a neatly dressed civilian.
[100] Ben smiled.
[101] "If it weren't for spacemen, you wouldn't be here."
[102] "The name's Cobb."
[103] The man hiccoughed.
[104] "Spacemen in their white monkey suits.
[105] They think they're little tin gods.
[106] Betcha you think you're a little tin god."
[107] He downed a shot of whiskey.
[108] Ben stiffened.
[109] He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer.
[110] He was three months out of the Academy at White Sands and the shining uniform was like a key to all the mysteries of the Universe.
[111] He'd sought long for that key.
[112] At the age of five—perhaps in order to dull the memory of his parents' death in a recent strato-jet crash—he'd spent hours watching the night sky for streaking flame-tails of Moon rockets.
[113] At ten, he'd ground his first telescope.
[114] At fourteen, he'd converted an abandoned shed on the government boarding-school grounds to a retreat which housed his collection of astronomy and rocketry books.
[115] At sixteen, he'd spent every weekend holiday hitchhiking from Boys Town No.
[116] 5 in the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport.
[117] There, among the grizzled veterans of the old Moon Patrol, he'd found friends who understood his dream and who later recommended his appointment to the U. S. Academy for the Conquest of Space.
[118] And a month ago, he'd signed aboard the Odyssey —the first ship, it was rumored, equipped to venture as far as the asteroids and perhaps beyond.
[119] Cobb was persistent: "Damn fools shoulda known enough to stay on Earth.
[120] What the hell good is it, jumpin' from planet to planet?"
[121] The guy's drunk , Ben thought.
[122] He took his drink and moved three stools down the bar.
[123] Cobb followed.
[124] "You don't like the truth, eh, kid?
[125] You don't like people to call you a sucker."
[126] Ben rose and started to leave the bar, but Cobb grabbed his arm and held him there.
[127] "Thas what you are—a sucker.
[128] You're young now.
[129] Wait ten years.
[130] You'll be dyin' of radiation rot or a meteor'll get you.
[131] Wait and see, sucker!"
[132] Until this instant, Ben had suppressed his anger.
[133] Now, suddenly and without warning, it welled up into savage fury.
[134] His fist struck the man on the chin.
[135] Cobb's eyes gaped in shocked horror.
[136] He spun backward.
[137] His head cracked sickeningly on the edge of the bar.
[138] The sound was like a punctuation mark signaling the end of life.
[139] He sank to the floor, eyes glassy, blood tricking down his jaw.
[140] Ben knew that he was dead.
[141] Then, for a single absurd second, Ben was seized with terror—just as, a moment before, he'd been overwhelmed with anger.
[142] He ran.
[143] For some twenty minutes, he raced through a dizzying, nightmare world of dark rocketfront alleys and shouting voices and pursuing feet.
[144] At last, abruptly, he realized that he was alone and in silence.
[145] He saw that he was still on the rocketfront, but in the Tycho-ward side of the city.
[146] He huddled in a dark corner of a loading platform and lit a cigarette.
[147] A thousand stars—a thousand motionless balls of silver fire—shone above him through Luna City's transparent dome.
[148] He was sorry he'd hit Cobb, of course.
[149] He was not sorry he'd run.
[150] Escaping at least gave him a power of choice, of decision.
[151] You can do two things , he thought.
[152] You can give yourself up, and that's what a good officer would do.
[153] That would eliminate the escape charge.
[154] You'd get off with voluntary manslaughter.
[155] Under interplanetary law, that would mean ten years in prison and a dishonorable discharge.
[156] And then you'd be free.
[157] But you'd be through with rockets and space.
[158] They don't want new men over thirty-four for officers on rockets or even for third-class jet-men on beat-up freighters—they don't want convicted killers.
[159] You'd get the rest of the thrill of conquering space through video and by peeking through electric fences of spaceports.
[160] Or— There were old wives' tales of a group of renegade spacemen who operated from the Solar System's frontiers.
[161] The spacemen weren't outlaws.
[162] They were misfits, rejectees from the clearing houses on Earth.
[163] And whereas no legally recognized ship had ventured past Mars, the souped-up renegade rigs had supposedly hit the asteroids.
[164] Their headquarters was Venus.
[165] Their leader—a subject of popular and fantastic conjecture in the men's audiozines—was rumored to be a red-bearded giant.
[166] So , Ben reflected, you can take a beer-and-pretzels tale seriously.
[167] You can hide for a couple of days, get rid of your uniform, change your name.
[168] You can wait for a chance to get to Venus.
[169] To hell with your duty.
[170] You can try to stay in space, even if you exile yourself from Earth.
[171] After all, was it right for a single second, a single insignificant second, to destroy a man's life and his dream?
[172] He was lucky.
[173] He found a tramp freighter whose skipper was on his last flight before retirement.
[174] Discipline was lax, investigation of new personnel even more so.
[175] Ben Curtis made it to Venus.
[176] There was just one flaw in his decision.
[177] He hadn't realized that the memory of the dead man's face would haunt him, torment him, follow him as constantly as breath flowed into his lungs.
[178] But might not the rumble of atomic engines drown the murmuring dead voice?
[179] Might not the vision of alien worlds and infinite spaceways obscure the dead face?
[180] So now he sat searching for a perhaps nonexistent red-bearded giant, and hoping and doubting and fearing, all at once.
[181] "You look for someone, senor ?"
[182] He jumped.
[183] "Oh.
[184] You still here?"
[185] " Oui. "
[186] The Martian kid grinned, his mouth full of purple teeth.
[187] "I keep you company on your first night in Hoover City, n'est-ce-pas ?"
[188] "This isn't my first night here," Ben lied.
[189] "I've been around a while."
[190] "You are spacemen?"
[191] Ben threw a fifty-cent credit piece on the table.
[192] "Here.
[193] Take off, will you?"
[194] Spiderlike fingers swept down upon the coin. "
[195] Ich danke, senor.
[196] You know why city is called Hoover City?"
[197] Ben didn't answer.
[198] "They say it is because after women come, they want first thing a thousand vacuum cleaners for dust.
[199] What is vacuum cleaner, monsieur ?"
[200] Ben raised his hand as if to strike the boy. "
[201] Ai-yee , I go.
[202] You keep listen to good Martian music."
[203] The toothpick of a body melted into the semi-darkness.
[204] Minutes passed.
[205] There were two more whiskeys.
[206] A ceaseless parade of faces broke through the smoky veil that enclosed him—reddish balloon faces, scaly reptilian faces, white-skinned, slit-eyed faces, and occasionally a white, rouged, powdered face.
[207] But nowhere was there a face with a red beard.
[208] A sense of hopelessness gripped Ben Curtis.
[209] Hoover City was but one of a dozen cities of Venus.
[210] Each had twenty dives such as this.
[211] He needed help.
[212] But his picture must have been 'scoped to Venusian visiscreens.
[213] A reward must have been offered for his capture.
[214] Whom could he trust?
[215] The Martian kid, perhaps?
[216] Far down the darkened aisle nearest him, his eyes caught a flash of white.
[217] He tensed.
[218] Like the uniform of a Security Policeman, he thought.
[219] His gaze shifted to another aisle and another hint of whiteness.
[220] And then he saw another and another and another.
[221] Each whiteness became brighter and closer, like shrinking spokes of a wheel with Ben as their focal point.
[222] You idiot!
[223] The damned Martian kid!
[224] You should have known!
[225] Light showered the room in a dazzling explosion.
[226] Ben, half blinded, realized that a broad circle of unshaded globes in the ceiling had been turned on.
[227] The light washed away the room's strangeness and its air of brooding wickedness, revealing drab concrete walls and a debris-strewn floor.
[228] Eyes blinked and squinted.
[229] There were swift, frightened movements and a chorus of angry murmurs.
[230] The patrons of the Blast Inn were like tatter-clad occupants of a house whose walls have been ripped away.
[231] Ben Curtis twisted his lean body erect.
[232] His chair tumbled backward, falling.
[233] The white-clad men charged, neuro-clubs upraised.
[234] A woman screamed.
[235] The music ceased.
[236] The Martian orchestra slunk with feline stealth to a rear exit.
[237] Only the giant Venusians remained undisturbed.
[238] They stood unmoving, their staring eyes shifting lazily in Ben's direction.
[239] "Curtis!"
[240] one of the policemen yelled.
[241] "You're covered!
[242] Hold it!"
[243] Ben whirled away from the advancing police, made for the exit into which the musicians had disappeared.
[244] A hissing sound traveled past his left ear, a sound like compressed air escaping from a container.
[245] A dime-sized section of the concrete wall ahead of him crumbled.
[246] He stumbled forward.
[247] They were using deadly neuro-pistols now, not the mildly stunning neuro-clubs.
[248] Another hiss passed his cheek.
[249] He was about twelve feet from the exit.
[250] Another second , his brain screamed.
[251] Just another second— Or would the exits be guarded?
[252] He heard the hiss.
[253] It hit directly in the small of his back.
[254] There was no pain, just a slight pricking sensation, like the shallow jab of a needle.
[255] He froze as if yanked to a stop by a noose.
[256] His body seemed to be growing, swelling into balloon proportions.
[257] He knew that the tiny needle had imbedded itself deep in his flesh, knew that the paralyzing mortocain was spreading like icy fire into every fiber and muscle of his body.
[258] He staggered like a man of stone moving in slow motion.
[259] He'd have fifteen—maybe twenty—seconds before complete lethargy of mind and body overpowered him.
[260] In the dark world beyond his fading consciousness, he heard a voice yell, "Turn on the damn lights!"
[261] Then a pressure and a coldness were on his left hand.
[262] He realized that someone had seized it.
[263] A soft feminine voice spoke to him.
[264] "You're wounded?
[265] They hit you?"
[266] "Yes."
[267] His thick lips wouldn't let go of the word.
[268] "You want to escape—even now?"
[269] "Yes."
[270] "You may die if you don't give yourself up."
[271] "No, no."
[272] He tried to stumble toward the exit.
[273] "All right then.
[274] Not that way.
[275] Here, this way."
[276] Heavy footsteps thudded toward them.
[277] A few yards away, a flashlight flicked on.
[278] Hands were guiding him.
[279] He was aware of being pushed and pulled.
[280] A door closed behind him.
[281] The glare of the flashlight faded from his vision—if he still had vision.
[282] "You're sure?"
[283] the voice persisted.
[284] "I'm sure," Ben managed to say.
[285] "I have no antidote.
[286] You may die."
[287] His mind fought to comprehend.
[288] With the anti-paralysis injection, massage and rest, a man could recover from the effects of mortocain within half a day.
[289] Without treatment, the paralysis could spread to heart and lungs.
[290] It could become a paralysis of death.
[291] An effective weapon: the slightest wound compelled the average criminal to surrender at once.
[292] "Anti ... anti ..." The words were as heavy as blobs of mercury forced from his throat.
[293] "No ...
[294] I'm sure ...
[295] sure."
[296] He didn't hear the answer or anything else.
[297] Ben Curtis had no precise sensation of awakening.
[298] Return to consciousness was an intangible evolution from a world of black nothingness to a dream-like state of awareness.
[299] He felt the pressure of hands on his naked arms and shoulders, hands that massaged, manipulated, fought to restore circulation and sensitivity.
[300] He knew they were strong hands.
[301] Their strength seemed to transfer itself to his own body.
[302] For a long time, he tried to open his eyes.
[303] His lids felt welded shut.
[304] But after a while, they opened.
[305] His world of darkness gave way to a translucent cloak of mist.
[306] A round, featureless shape hovered constantly above him—a face, he supposed.
[307] He tried to talk.
[308] Although his lips moved slightly, the only sound was a deep, staccato grunting.
[309] But he heard someone say, "Don't try to talk."
[310] It was the same gentle voice he'd heard in the Blast Inn.
[311] "Don't talk.
[312] Just lie still and rest.
[313] Everything'll be all right."
[314] Everything all right , he thought dimly.
[315] There were long periods of lethargy when he was aware of nothing.
[316] There were periods of light and of darkness.
[317] Gradually he grew aware of things.
[318] He realized that the soft rubber mouth of a spaceman's oxygen mask was clamped over his nose.
[319] He felt the heat of electric blankets swathed about his body.
[320] Occasionally a tube would be in his mouth and he would taste liquid food and feel a pleasant warmth in his stomach.
[321] Always, it seemed, the face was above him, floating in the obscuring mist.
[322] Always, it seemed, the soft voice was echoing in his ears: "Swallow this now.
[323] That's it.
[324] You must have food."
[325] Or, "Close your eyes.
[326] Don't strain.
[327] It won't be long.
[328] You're getting better."
[329] Better , he'd think.
[330] Getting better.... At last, after one of the periods of lethargy, his eyes opened.
[331] The mist brightened, then dissolved.
[332] He beheld the cracked, unpainted ceiling of a small room, its colorless walls broken with a single, round window.
[333] He saw the footboard of his aluminite bed and the outlines of his feet beneath a faded blanket.
[334] Finally he saw the face and figure that stood at his side.
[335] "You are better?"
[336] the kind voice asked.
[337] The face was that of a girl probably somewhere between twenty-five and thirty.
[338] Her features, devoid of makeup, had an unhealthy-looking pallor, as if she hadn't used a sunlamp for many weeks.
[339] Yet, at the same time, her firm slim body suggested a solidity and a strength.
[340] Her straight brown hair was combed backward, tight upon her scalp, and drawn together in a knot at the nape of her neck.
[341] "I—I am better," he murmured.
[342] His words were still slow and thick.
[343] "I am going to live?"
[344] "You will live."
[345] He thought for a moment.
[346] "How long have I been here?"
[347] "Nine days."
[348] "You took care of me?"
[349] He noted the deep, dark circles beneath her sleep-robbed eyes.
[350] She nodded.
[351] "You're the one who carried me when I was shot?"
[352] "Yes."
[353] "Why?"
[354] Suddenly he began to cough.
[355] Breath came hard.
[356] She held the oxygen mask in readiness.
[357] He shook his head, not wanting it.
[358] "Why?"
[359] he asked again.
[360] "It would be a long story.
[361] Perhaps I'll tell you tomorrow."
[362] A new thought, cloaked in sudden fear, entered his murky consciousness.
[363] "Tell me, will—will I be well again?
[364] Will I be able to walk?"
[365] He lay back then, panting, exhausted.
[366] "You have nothing to worry about," the girl said softly.
[367] Her cool hand touched his hot forehead.
[368] "Rest.
[369] We'll talk later."
[370] His eyes closed and breath came easier.
[371] He slept.
[372] When he next awoke, his gaze turned first to the window.
[373] There was light outside, but he had no way of knowing if this was morning, noon or afternoon—or on what planet.
[374] He saw no white-domed buildings of Hoover City, no formal lines of green-treed parks, no streams of buzzing gyro-cars.
[375] There was only a translucent and infinite whiteness.
[376] It was as if the window were set on the edge of the Universe overlooking a solemn, silent and matterless void.
[377] The girl entered the room.
[378] "Hi," she said, smiling.
[379] The dark half-moons under her eyes were less prominent.
[380] Her face was relaxed.
[381] She increased the pressure in his rubberex pillows and helped him rise to a sitting position.
[382] "Where are we?"
[383] he asked.
[384] "Venus."
[385] "We're not in Hoover City?"
[386] "No."
[387] He looked at her, wondering.
[388] "You won't tell me?"
[389] "Not yet.
[390] Later, perhaps."
[391] "Then how did you get me here?
[392] How did we escape from the Inn?"
[393] She shrugged.
[394] "We have friends who can be bribed.
[395] A hiding place in the city, the use of a small desert-taxi, a pass to leave the city—these can be had for a price."
[396] "You'll tell me your name?"
[397] "Maggie."
[398] "Why did you save me?"
[399] Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
[400] "Because you're a good astrogator."
[401] His own eyes widened.
[402] "How did you know that?"
[403] She sat on a plain chair beside his bed.
[404] "I know everything about you, Lieutenant Curtis."
[405] "How did you learn my name?
[406] I destroyed all my papers—" "I know that you're twenty-four.
[407] Born July 10, 1971.
[408] Orphaned at four, you attended Boys Town in the Catskills till you were 19.
[409] You graduated from the Academy at White Sands last June with a major in Astrogation.
[410] Your rating for the five-year period was 3.8—the second highest in a class of fifty-seven.
[411] Your only low mark in the five years was a 3.2 in History of Martian Civilization.
[412] Want me to go on?"
[413] Fascinated, Ben nodded.
[414] "You were accepted as junior astrogation officer aboard the Odyssey .
[415] You did well on your flight from Roswell to Luna City.
[416] In a barroom fight in Luna City, you struck and killed a man named Arthur Cobb, a pre-fab salesman.
[417] You've been charged with second degree murder and escape.
[418] A reward of 5,000 credits has been offered for your capture.
[419] You came to Hoover City in the hope of finding a renegade group of spacemen who operate beyond Mars.
[420] You were looking for them in the Blast Inn."
[421] He gaped incredulously, struggling to rise from his pillows.
[422] "I—don't get it."
[423] "There are ways of finding out what we want to know.
[424] As I told you, we have many friends."
[425] He fell back into his pillows, breathing hard.
[426] She rose quickly.
[427] "I'm sorry," she said.
[428] "I shouldn't have told you yet.
[429] I felt so happy because you're alive.
[430] Rest now.
[431] We'll talk again soon."
[432] "Maggie, you—you said I'd live.
[433] You didn't say I'd be able to walk again."
[434] She lowered her gaze.
[435] "I hope you'll be able to."
[436] "But you don't think I will, do you?"
[437] "I don't know.
[438] We'll try walking tomorrow.
[439] Don't think about it now.
[440] Rest."
[441] He tried to relax, but his mind was a vortex of conjecture.
[442] "Just one more question," he almost whispered.
[443] "Yes?"
[444] "The man I killed—did he have a wife?"
[445] She hesitated.
[446] He thought, Damn it, of all the questions, why did I ask that?
[447] Finally she said, "He had a wife."
[448] "Children?"
[449] "Two.
[450] I don't know their ages."
[451] She left the room.
[452] He sank into the softness of his bed.
[453] As he turned over on his side, his gaze fell upon an object on a bureau in a far corner of the room.
[454] He sat straight up, his chest heaving.
[455] The object was a tri-dimensional photo of a rock-faced man in a merchant spaceman's uniform.
[456] He was a giant of a man with a neatly trimmed red beard !
[457] Ben stared at the photo for a long time.
[458] At length, he slipped into restless sleep.
[459] Images of faces and echoes of words spun through his brain.
[460] The dead man returned to him.
[461] Bloodied lips cursed at him.
[462] Glassy eyes accused him.
[463] Somewhere were two lost children crying in the night.
[464] And towering above him was a red-bearded man whose great hands reached down and beckoned to him.
[465] Ben crawled through the night on hands and knees, his legs numb and useless.
[466] The crying of the children was a chilling wail in his ears.
[467] His head rose and turned to the red-bearded man.
[468] His pleading voice screamed out to him in a thick, harsh cackle.
[469] Yet even as he screamed, the giant disappeared, to be replaced by white-booted feet stomping relentlessly toward him.
[470] He awoke still screaming.... A night without darkness passed.
[471] Ben lay waiting for Maggie's return, a question already formed in his mind.
[472] She came and at once he asked, "Who is the man with the red beard?"
[473] She smiled.
[474] "I was right then when I gave you that thumbnail biog.
[475] You were looking for him, weren't you?"
[476] "Who is he?"
[477] She sat on the chair beside him.
[478] "My husband," she said softly.
[479] He began to understand.
[480] "And your husband needs an astrogator?
[481] That's why you saved me?"
[482] "We need all the good men we can get."
[483] "Where is he?"
[484] She cocked her head in mock suspicion.
[485] "Somewhere between Mercury and Pluto.
[486] He's building a new base for us—and a home for me.
[487] When his ship returns, I'll be going to him."
[488] "Why aren't you with him now?"
[489] "He said unexplored space is no place for a woman.
[490] So I've been studying criminal reports and photos from the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation and trying to find recruits like yourself.
[491] You know how we operate?"
[492] He told her the tales he'd heard.
[493] She nodded.
[494] "There are quite a few of us now—about a thousand—and a dozen ships.
[495] Our base used to be here on Venus, down toward the Pole.
[496] The dome we're in now was designed and built by us a few years ago after we got pushed off Mars.
[497] We lost a few men in the construction, but with almost every advance in space, someone dies."
[498] "Venus is getting too civilized.
[499] We're moving out and this dome is only a temporary base when we have cases like yours.
[500] The new base—I might as well tell you it's going to be an asteroid.
[501] I won't say which one."
[502] "Don't get the idea that we're outlaws.
[503] Sure, about half our group is wanted by the Bureau, but we make honest livings.
[504] We're just people like yourself and Jacob."
[505] "Jacob?
[506] Your husband?"
[507] She laughed.
[508] "Makes you think of a Biblical character, doesn't it?
[509] Jacob's anything but that.
[510] And just plain 'Jake' reminds one of a grizzled old uranium prospector and he isn't like that, either."
[511] She lit a cigarette.
[512] "Anyway, the wanted ones stay out beyond the frontiers.
[513] Jacob and those like him can never return to Earth—not even to Hoover City—except dead.
[514] The others are physical or psycho rejects who couldn't get clearance if they went back to Earth.
[515] They know nothing but rocketing and won't give up.
[516] They bring in our ships to frontier ports like Hoover City to unload cargo and take on supplies."
[517] "Don't the authorities object?"
[518] "Not very strongly.
[519] The I.
[520] B. I. has too many problems right here to search the whole System for a few two-bit crooks.
[521] Besides, we carry cargoes of almost pure uranium and tungsten and all the stuff that's scarce on Earth and Mars and Venus.
[522] Nobody really cares whether it comes from the asteroids or Hades.
[523] If we want to risk our lives mining it, that's our business."
[524] She pursed her lips.
[525] "But if they guessed how strong we are or that we have friends planted in the I.
[526] B. I.—well, things might be different.
[527] There probably would be a crackdown."
[528] Ben scowled.
[529] "What happens if there is a crackdown?
[530] And what will you do when Space Corps ships officially reach the asteroids?
[531] They can't ignore you then."
[532] "Then we move on.
[533] We dream up new gimmicks for our crates and take them to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
[534] In time, maybe, we'll be pushed out of the System itself.
[535] Maybe it won't be the white-suited boys who'll make that first hop to the stars.
[536] It could be us, you know—if we live long enough.
[537] But that Asteroid Belt is murder.
[538] You can't follow the text-book rules of astrogation out there.
[539] You make up your own."
[540] Ben stiffened.
[541] "And that's why you want me for an astrogator."
[542] Maggie rose, her eyes wistful.
[543] "If you want to come—and if you get well."
[544] She looked at him strangely.
[545] "Suppose—" He fought to find the right words.
[546] "Suppose I got well and decided not to join Jacob.
[547] What would happen to me?
[548] Would you let me go?"
[549] Her thin face was criss-crossed by emotion—alarm, then bewilderment, then fear.
[550] "I don't know.
[551] That would be up to Jacob."
[552] He lay biting his lip, staring at the photo of Jacob.
[553] She touched his hand and it seemed that sadness now dominated the flurry of emotion that had coursed through her.
[554] "The only thing that matters, really," she murmured, "is your walking again.
[555] We'll try this afternoon.
[556] Okay?"
[557] "Okay," he said.
[558] When she left, his eyes were still turned toward Jacob's photo.
[559] He was like two people, he thought.
[560] Half of him was an officer of the Space Corps.
[561] Perhaps one single starry-eyed boy out of ten thousand was lucky enough to reach that goal.
[562] He remembered a little picture book his mother had given him when she was alive.
[563] Under the bright pictures of spacemen were the captions: "A Space Officer Is Honest" "A Space Officer Is Loyal."
[564] "A Space Officer Is Dutiful."
[565] Honesty, loyalty, duty.
[566] Trite words, but without those concepts, mankind would never have broken away from the planet that held it prisoner for half a million years.
[567] Without them, Everson, after three failures and a hundred men dead, would never have landed on the Moon twenty-seven years ago. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What do we know about the red-bearded man and his operations?":
1. [477] "My husband," she said softly.
2. [488] "Somewhere between Mercury and Pluto. He's building a new base for us—and a home for me. When his ship returns, I'll be going to him."
3. [492] She nodded. "There are quite a few of us now—about a thousand—and a dozen ships. Our base used to be here on Venus, down toward the Pole. The dome we're in now was designed and built by us a few years ago after we got pushed off Mars. We lost a few men in the construction, but with almost every advance in space, someone dies."
4. [498] "Venus is getting too civilized. We're moving out and this dome is only a temporary base when we have cases like yours. The new base—I might as well tell you it's going to be an asteroid. I won't say which one."
5. [502] "Don't get the idea that we're outlaws. Sure, about half our group is wanted by the Bureau, but we make honest livings. We're just people like yourself and Jacob."
6. [508] "'Jacob's anything but that. And just plain 'Jake' reminds one of a grizzled old uranium prospector and he isn't like that, either.'"
7. [512] "The others are physical or psycho rejects who couldn't get clearance if they went back to Earth. They know nothing but rocketing and won't give up. They bring in our ships to frontier ports like Hoover City to unload cargo and take on supplies."
8. [522] "Besides, we carry cargoes of almost pure uranium and tungsten and all the stuff that's scarce on Earth and Mars and Venus. Nobody really cares whether it comes from the asteroids or Hades. If we want to risk our lives mining it, that's our business."
9. [532] "Then we move on. We dream up new gimmicks for our crates and take them to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. In time, maybe, we'll be pushed out of the System itself. Maybe it won't be the white-suited boys who'll make that first hop to the stars. It could be us, you know—if we live long enough."
10. [538] "But that Asteroid Belt is murder. You can't follow the text-book rules of astrogation out there. You make up your own."
11. [540] "And that's why you want me for an astrogator."
12. [453] The object was a tri-dimensional photo of a rock-faced man in a merchant spaceman's uniform. He was a giant of a man with a neatly trimmed red beard! |
What do we know about Ben's life before the murder in the bar? | [
"Ben lost his parents at four in a a crash in space and has wanted to be a spaceman ever since. All his life he has been passionate about space. He graduated from an academy as an astrogation major and was a great student. After one month he signed aboard the ship called Odyssey. The bar fight occurred when he was celebrating his successful flight and he was proud of his uniform yet considering it a key for everything - the idea he had for a long time before.",
"Ben is orphaned at four because his parents are killed in a strato-jet crash. At the age of five, he watched the night sky for the Moon rockets. He obtaind his first telescope at the age of 10. He had many astronomy and rocketry books. At the age of 16, he spent every weekend at the Long Island Spaceport. He attended the Boys Town until 19 years old. Then he graduated from the Academy at White Sands in June. He majors in Astrogation and was the second highest in his class. Then he was accepted as junior astrogation officer for the Odyssey. He was celebrating for his flight from Roswell to Luna City when he murdered Cobb in the bar.",
"Ben became an orphan at the age of four after his parents died in a strato-jet accident. He then became interested in space and the sky, buying a telescope and converting a shed at his boarding school into an astronomy hideout. Ben majored in astrogation at the Academy of White Sands with the second highest position in his class, where he became an astrogation officer on the Odyssey and had since been an acclaimed spaceman.",
"Both of Ben’s parents died in a strato-jet cash when he was very young. After their death when he was about five years old, he would regularly watch the night sky hoping to see Moon rockets. He acquired his first telescope at the age of ten. By fourteen, Ben had a large collection of astronomy and rocketry books that could fill a shed. When he was 16, he would often hike from the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport. The trips to Long Island Spaceport would inspire him to apply to the U.S. Academy for the Conquest of Space. It is clear from his early life that from a young age Ben was fascinated and interested in space and rocketry."
] | [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1956.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
[4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
[5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
[6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
[7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
[8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
[9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
[10] Someone tugged at his greasy coat.
[11] He jumped, thinking absurdly that it was the dead man's hand. "
[12] Coma esta, senor? "
[13] a small voice piped. "
[14] Speken die Deutsch?
[15] Desirez-vous d'amour?
[16] Da?
[17] Nyet? "
[18] Ben looked down.
[19] The speaker was an eager-eyed Martian boy of about ten.
[20] He was like a red-skinned marionette with pipestem arms and legs, clad in a torn skivvy shirt and faded blue dungarees.
[21] "I'm American," Ben muttered.
[22] "Ah, buena !
[23] I speak English tres fine, senor .
[24] I have Martian friend, she tres pretty and tres fat.
[25] She weigh almost eighty pounds, monsieur .
[26] I take you to her, si ?"
[27] Ben shook his head.
[28] He thought, I don't want your Martian wench.
[29] I don't want your opium or your Devil's Egg or your Venusian kali.
[30] But if you had a drug that'd bring a dead man to life, I'd buy and pay with my soul.
[31] "It is deal, monsieur ?
[32] Five dollars or twenty keelis for visit Martian friend.
[33] Maybe you like House of Dreams.
[34] For House of Dreams—" "I'm not buying."
[35] The dirty-faced kid shrugged.
[36] "Then I show you to good table,— tres bien .
[37] I do not charge you, senor ."
[38] The boy grabbed his hand.
[39] Because Ben could think of no reason for resisting, he followed.
[40] They plunged into shifting layers of smoke and through the drone of alcohol-cracked voices.
[41] They passed the bar with its line of lean-featured, slit-eyed Earthmen—merchant spacemen.
[42] They wormed down a narrow aisle flanked by booths carved from Venusian marble that jutted up into the semi-darkness like fog-blanketed tombstones.
[43] Several times, Ben glimpsed the bulky figures of CO 2 -breathing Venusians, the first he'd ever seen.
[44] They were smoky gray, scaly, naked giants, toads in human shape.
[45] They stood solitary and motionless, aloof, their green-lidded eyes unblinking.
[46] They certainly didn't look like telepaths, as Ben had heard they were, but the thought sent a fresh rivulet of fear down his spine.
[47] Once he spied a white-uniformed officer of Hoover City's Security Police.
[48] The man was striding down an aisle, idly tapping his neuro-club against the stone booths.
[49] Keep walking , Ben told himself.
[50] You look the same as anyone else here.
[51] Keep walking.
[52] Look straight ahead.
[53] The officer passed.
[54] Ben breathed easier.
[55] "Here we are, monsieur ," piped the Martian boy.
[56] "A tres fine table.
[57] Close in the shadows."
[58] Ben winced.
[59] How did this kid know he wanted to sit in the shadows?
[60] Frowning, he sat down—he and the dead man.
[61] He listened to the lonely rhythms of the four-piece Martian orchestra.
[62] The Martians were fragile, doll-like creatures with heads too large for their spindly bodies.
[63] Their long fingers played upon the strings of their cirillas or crawled over the holes of their flutes like spider legs.
[64] Their tune was sad.
[65] Even when they played an Earth tune, it still seemed a song of old Mars, charged with echoes of lost voices and forgotten grandeur.
[66] For an instant, Ben's mind rose above the haunting vision of the dead man.
[67] He thought, What are they doing here, these Martians?
[68] Here, in a smoke-filled room under a metalite dome on a dust-covered world?
[69] Couldn't they have played their music on Mars?
[70] Or had they, like me, felt the challenge of new worlds?
[71] He sobered.
[72] It didn't matter.
[73] He ordered a whiskey from a Chinese waiter.
[74] He wet his lips but did not drink.
[75] His gaze wandered over the faces of the Inn's other occupants.
[76] You've got to find him , he thought.
[77] You've got to find the man with the red beard.
[78] It's the only way you can escape the dead man.
[79] The dead man was real.
[80] His name was Cobb.
[81] He was stout and flabby and about forty and he hated spacemen.
[82] His body was buried now—probably in the silent gray wastes outside Luna City.
[83] But he'd become a kind of invisible Siamese twin, as much a part of Ben as sight in his eyes.
[84] Sometimes the image would be shuffling drunkenly beside him, its lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses.
[85] Again, its face would be a pop-eyed mask of surprise as Ben's fist thudded into its jaw.
[86] More often, the face would be frozen in the whiteness of death.
[87] The large eyes would stare.
[88] Blood would trickle from a corner of the gaping mouth.
[89] You can forget a living man.
[90] You can defeat him or submit to him or ignore him, and the matter is over and done.
[91] You can't escape from a memory that has burned into your mind.
[92] It had begun a week ago in Luna City.
[93] The flight from White Sands had been successful.
[94] Ben, quietly and moderately, wanted to celebrate.
[95] He stopped alone in a rocketfront bar for a beer.
[96] The man named Cobb plopped his portly and unsteady posterior on the stool next to him.
[97] "Spacemen," he muttered, "are getting like flies.
[98] Everywhere, all you see's spacemen."
[99] He was a neatly dressed civilian.
[100] Ben smiled.
[101] "If it weren't for spacemen, you wouldn't be here."
[102] "The name's Cobb."
[103] The man hiccoughed.
[104] "Spacemen in their white monkey suits.
[105] They think they're little tin gods.
[106] Betcha you think you're a little tin god."
[107] He downed a shot of whiskey.
[108] Ben stiffened.
[109] He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer.
[110] He was three months out of the Academy at White Sands and the shining uniform was like a key to all the mysteries of the Universe.
[111] He'd sought long for that key.
[112] At the age of five—perhaps in order to dull the memory of his parents' death in a recent strato-jet crash—he'd spent hours watching the night sky for streaking flame-tails of Moon rockets.
[113] At ten, he'd ground his first telescope.
[114] At fourteen, he'd converted an abandoned shed on the government boarding-school grounds to a retreat which housed his collection of astronomy and rocketry books.
[115] At sixteen, he'd spent every weekend holiday hitchhiking from Boys Town No.
[116] 5 in the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport.
[117] There, among the grizzled veterans of the old Moon Patrol, he'd found friends who understood his dream and who later recommended his appointment to the U. S. Academy for the Conquest of Space.
[118] And a month ago, he'd signed aboard the Odyssey —the first ship, it was rumored, equipped to venture as far as the asteroids and perhaps beyond.
[119] Cobb was persistent: "Damn fools shoulda known enough to stay on Earth.
[120] What the hell good is it, jumpin' from planet to planet?"
[121] The guy's drunk , Ben thought.
[122] He took his drink and moved three stools down the bar.
[123] Cobb followed.
[124] "You don't like the truth, eh, kid?
[125] You don't like people to call you a sucker."
[126] Ben rose and started to leave the bar, but Cobb grabbed his arm and held him there.
[127] "Thas what you are—a sucker.
[128] You're young now.
[129] Wait ten years.
[130] You'll be dyin' of radiation rot or a meteor'll get you.
[131] Wait and see, sucker!"
[132] Until this instant, Ben had suppressed his anger.
[133] Now, suddenly and without warning, it welled up into savage fury.
[134] His fist struck the man on the chin.
[135] Cobb's eyes gaped in shocked horror.
[136] He spun backward.
[137] His head cracked sickeningly on the edge of the bar.
[138] The sound was like a punctuation mark signaling the end of life.
[139] He sank to the floor, eyes glassy, blood tricking down his jaw.
[140] Ben knew that he was dead.
[141] Then, for a single absurd second, Ben was seized with terror—just as, a moment before, he'd been overwhelmed with anger.
[142] He ran.
[143] For some twenty minutes, he raced through a dizzying, nightmare world of dark rocketfront alleys and shouting voices and pursuing feet.
[144] At last, abruptly, he realized that he was alone and in silence.
[145] He saw that he was still on the rocketfront, but in the Tycho-ward side of the city.
[146] He huddled in a dark corner of a loading platform and lit a cigarette.
[147] A thousand stars—a thousand motionless balls of silver fire—shone above him through Luna City's transparent dome.
[148] He was sorry he'd hit Cobb, of course.
[149] He was not sorry he'd run.
[150] Escaping at least gave him a power of choice, of decision.
[151] You can do two things , he thought.
[152] You can give yourself up, and that's what a good officer would do.
[153] That would eliminate the escape charge.
[154] You'd get off with voluntary manslaughter.
[155] Under interplanetary law, that would mean ten years in prison and a dishonorable discharge.
[156] And then you'd be free.
[157] But you'd be through with rockets and space.
[158] They don't want new men over thirty-four for officers on rockets or even for third-class jet-men on beat-up freighters—they don't want convicted killers.
[159] You'd get the rest of the thrill of conquering space through video and by peeking through electric fences of spaceports.
[160] Or— There were old wives' tales of a group of renegade spacemen who operated from the Solar System's frontiers.
[161] The spacemen weren't outlaws.
[162] They were misfits, rejectees from the clearing houses on Earth.
[163] And whereas no legally recognized ship had ventured past Mars, the souped-up renegade rigs had supposedly hit the asteroids.
[164] Their headquarters was Venus.
[165] Their leader—a subject of popular and fantastic conjecture in the men's audiozines—was rumored to be a red-bearded giant.
[166] So , Ben reflected, you can take a beer-and-pretzels tale seriously.
[167] You can hide for a couple of days, get rid of your uniform, change your name.
[168] You can wait for a chance to get to Venus.
[169] To hell with your duty.
[170] You can try to stay in space, even if you exile yourself from Earth.
[171] After all, was it right for a single second, a single insignificant second, to destroy a man's life and his dream?
[172] He was lucky.
[173] He found a tramp freighter whose skipper was on his last flight before retirement.
[174] Discipline was lax, investigation of new personnel even more so.
[175] Ben Curtis made it to Venus.
[176] There was just one flaw in his decision.
[177] He hadn't realized that the memory of the dead man's face would haunt him, torment him, follow him as constantly as breath flowed into his lungs.
[178] But might not the rumble of atomic engines drown the murmuring dead voice?
[179] Might not the vision of alien worlds and infinite spaceways obscure the dead face?
[180] So now he sat searching for a perhaps nonexistent red-bearded giant, and hoping and doubting and fearing, all at once.
[181] "You look for someone, senor ?"
[182] He jumped.
[183] "Oh.
[184] You still here?"
[185] " Oui. "
[186] The Martian kid grinned, his mouth full of purple teeth.
[187] "I keep you company on your first night in Hoover City, n'est-ce-pas ?"
[188] "This isn't my first night here," Ben lied.
[189] "I've been around a while."
[190] "You are spacemen?"
[191] Ben threw a fifty-cent credit piece on the table.
[192] "Here.
[193] Take off, will you?"
[194] Spiderlike fingers swept down upon the coin. "
[195] Ich danke, senor.
[196] You know why city is called Hoover City?"
[197] Ben didn't answer.
[198] "They say it is because after women come, they want first thing a thousand vacuum cleaners for dust.
[199] What is vacuum cleaner, monsieur ?"
[200] Ben raised his hand as if to strike the boy. "
[201] Ai-yee , I go.
[202] You keep listen to good Martian music."
[203] The toothpick of a body melted into the semi-darkness.
[204] Minutes passed.
[205] There were two more whiskeys.
[206] A ceaseless parade of faces broke through the smoky veil that enclosed him—reddish balloon faces, scaly reptilian faces, white-skinned, slit-eyed faces, and occasionally a white, rouged, powdered face.
[207] But nowhere was there a face with a red beard.
[208] A sense of hopelessness gripped Ben Curtis.
[209] Hoover City was but one of a dozen cities of Venus.
[210] Each had twenty dives such as this.
[211] He needed help.
[212] But his picture must have been 'scoped to Venusian visiscreens.
[213] A reward must have been offered for his capture.
[214] Whom could he trust?
[215] The Martian kid, perhaps?
[216] Far down the darkened aisle nearest him, his eyes caught a flash of white.
[217] He tensed.
[218] Like the uniform of a Security Policeman, he thought.
[219] His gaze shifted to another aisle and another hint of whiteness.
[220] And then he saw another and another and another.
[221] Each whiteness became brighter and closer, like shrinking spokes of a wheel with Ben as their focal point.
[222] You idiot!
[223] The damned Martian kid!
[224] You should have known!
[225] Light showered the room in a dazzling explosion.
[226] Ben, half blinded, realized that a broad circle of unshaded globes in the ceiling had been turned on.
[227] The light washed away the room's strangeness and its air of brooding wickedness, revealing drab concrete walls and a debris-strewn floor.
[228] Eyes blinked and squinted.
[229] There were swift, frightened movements and a chorus of angry murmurs.
[230] The patrons of the Blast Inn were like tatter-clad occupants of a house whose walls have been ripped away.
[231] Ben Curtis twisted his lean body erect.
[232] His chair tumbled backward, falling.
[233] The white-clad men charged, neuro-clubs upraised.
[234] A woman screamed.
[235] The music ceased.
[236] The Martian orchestra slunk with feline stealth to a rear exit.
[237] Only the giant Venusians remained undisturbed.
[238] They stood unmoving, their staring eyes shifting lazily in Ben's direction.
[239] "Curtis!"
[240] one of the policemen yelled.
[241] "You're covered!
[242] Hold it!"
[243] Ben whirled away from the advancing police, made for the exit into which the musicians had disappeared.
[244] A hissing sound traveled past his left ear, a sound like compressed air escaping from a container.
[245] A dime-sized section of the concrete wall ahead of him crumbled.
[246] He stumbled forward.
[247] They were using deadly neuro-pistols now, not the mildly stunning neuro-clubs.
[248] Another hiss passed his cheek.
[249] He was about twelve feet from the exit.
[250] Another second , his brain screamed.
[251] Just another second— Or would the exits be guarded?
[252] He heard the hiss.
[253] It hit directly in the small of his back.
[254] There was no pain, just a slight pricking sensation, like the shallow jab of a needle.
[255] He froze as if yanked to a stop by a noose.
[256] His body seemed to be growing, swelling into balloon proportions.
[257] He knew that the tiny needle had imbedded itself deep in his flesh, knew that the paralyzing mortocain was spreading like icy fire into every fiber and muscle of his body.
[258] He staggered like a man of stone moving in slow motion.
[259] He'd have fifteen—maybe twenty—seconds before complete lethargy of mind and body overpowered him.
[260] In the dark world beyond his fading consciousness, he heard a voice yell, "Turn on the damn lights!"
[261] Then a pressure and a coldness were on his left hand.
[262] He realized that someone had seized it.
[263] A soft feminine voice spoke to him.
[264] "You're wounded?
[265] They hit you?"
[266] "Yes."
[267] His thick lips wouldn't let go of the word.
[268] "You want to escape—even now?"
[269] "Yes."
[270] "You may die if you don't give yourself up."
[271] "No, no."
[272] He tried to stumble toward the exit.
[273] "All right then.
[274] Not that way.
[275] Here, this way."
[276] Heavy footsteps thudded toward them.
[277] A few yards away, a flashlight flicked on.
[278] Hands were guiding him.
[279] He was aware of being pushed and pulled.
[280] A door closed behind him.
[281] The glare of the flashlight faded from his vision—if he still had vision.
[282] "You're sure?"
[283] the voice persisted.
[284] "I'm sure," Ben managed to say.
[285] "I have no antidote.
[286] You may die."
[287] His mind fought to comprehend.
[288] With the anti-paralysis injection, massage and rest, a man could recover from the effects of mortocain within half a day.
[289] Without treatment, the paralysis could spread to heart and lungs.
[290] It could become a paralysis of death.
[291] An effective weapon: the slightest wound compelled the average criminal to surrender at once.
[292] "Anti ... anti ..." The words were as heavy as blobs of mercury forced from his throat.
[293] "No ...
[294] I'm sure ...
[295] sure."
[296] He didn't hear the answer or anything else.
[297] Ben Curtis had no precise sensation of awakening.
[298] Return to consciousness was an intangible evolution from a world of black nothingness to a dream-like state of awareness.
[299] He felt the pressure of hands on his naked arms and shoulders, hands that massaged, manipulated, fought to restore circulation and sensitivity.
[300] He knew they were strong hands.
[301] Their strength seemed to transfer itself to his own body.
[302] For a long time, he tried to open his eyes.
[303] His lids felt welded shut.
[304] But after a while, they opened.
[305] His world of darkness gave way to a translucent cloak of mist.
[306] A round, featureless shape hovered constantly above him—a face, he supposed.
[307] He tried to talk.
[308] Although his lips moved slightly, the only sound was a deep, staccato grunting.
[309] But he heard someone say, "Don't try to talk."
[310] It was the same gentle voice he'd heard in the Blast Inn.
[311] "Don't talk.
[312] Just lie still and rest.
[313] Everything'll be all right."
[314] Everything all right , he thought dimly.
[315] There were long periods of lethargy when he was aware of nothing.
[316] There were periods of light and of darkness.
[317] Gradually he grew aware of things.
[318] He realized that the soft rubber mouth of a spaceman's oxygen mask was clamped over his nose.
[319] He felt the heat of electric blankets swathed about his body.
[320] Occasionally a tube would be in his mouth and he would taste liquid food and feel a pleasant warmth in his stomach.
[321] Always, it seemed, the face was above him, floating in the obscuring mist.
[322] Always, it seemed, the soft voice was echoing in his ears: "Swallow this now.
[323] That's it.
[324] You must have food."
[325] Or, "Close your eyes.
[326] Don't strain.
[327] It won't be long.
[328] You're getting better."
[329] Better , he'd think.
[330] Getting better.... At last, after one of the periods of lethargy, his eyes opened.
[331] The mist brightened, then dissolved.
[332] He beheld the cracked, unpainted ceiling of a small room, its colorless walls broken with a single, round window.
[333] He saw the footboard of his aluminite bed and the outlines of his feet beneath a faded blanket.
[334] Finally he saw the face and figure that stood at his side.
[335] "You are better?"
[336] the kind voice asked.
[337] The face was that of a girl probably somewhere between twenty-five and thirty.
[338] Her features, devoid of makeup, had an unhealthy-looking pallor, as if she hadn't used a sunlamp for many weeks.
[339] Yet, at the same time, her firm slim body suggested a solidity and a strength.
[340] Her straight brown hair was combed backward, tight upon her scalp, and drawn together in a knot at the nape of her neck.
[341] "I—I am better," he murmured.
[342] His words were still slow and thick.
[343] "I am going to live?"
[344] "You will live."
[345] He thought for a moment.
[346] "How long have I been here?"
[347] "Nine days."
[348] "You took care of me?"
[349] He noted the deep, dark circles beneath her sleep-robbed eyes.
[350] She nodded.
[351] "You're the one who carried me when I was shot?"
[352] "Yes."
[353] "Why?"
[354] Suddenly he began to cough.
[355] Breath came hard.
[356] She held the oxygen mask in readiness.
[357] He shook his head, not wanting it.
[358] "Why?"
[359] he asked again.
[360] "It would be a long story.
[361] Perhaps I'll tell you tomorrow."
[362] A new thought, cloaked in sudden fear, entered his murky consciousness.
[363] "Tell me, will—will I be well again?
[364] Will I be able to walk?"
[365] He lay back then, panting, exhausted.
[366] "You have nothing to worry about," the girl said softly.
[367] Her cool hand touched his hot forehead.
[368] "Rest.
[369] We'll talk later."
[370] His eyes closed and breath came easier.
[371] He slept.
[372] When he next awoke, his gaze turned first to the window.
[373] There was light outside, but he had no way of knowing if this was morning, noon or afternoon—or on what planet.
[374] He saw no white-domed buildings of Hoover City, no formal lines of green-treed parks, no streams of buzzing gyro-cars.
[375] There was only a translucent and infinite whiteness.
[376] It was as if the window were set on the edge of the Universe overlooking a solemn, silent and matterless void.
[377] The girl entered the room.
[378] "Hi," she said, smiling.
[379] The dark half-moons under her eyes were less prominent.
[380] Her face was relaxed.
[381] She increased the pressure in his rubberex pillows and helped him rise to a sitting position.
[382] "Where are we?"
[383] he asked.
[384] "Venus."
[385] "We're not in Hoover City?"
[386] "No."
[387] He looked at her, wondering.
[388] "You won't tell me?"
[389] "Not yet.
[390] Later, perhaps."
[391] "Then how did you get me here?
[392] How did we escape from the Inn?"
[393] She shrugged.
[394] "We have friends who can be bribed.
[395] A hiding place in the city, the use of a small desert-taxi, a pass to leave the city—these can be had for a price."
[396] "You'll tell me your name?"
[397] "Maggie."
[398] "Why did you save me?"
[399] Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
[400] "Because you're a good astrogator."
[401] His own eyes widened.
[402] "How did you know that?"
[403] She sat on a plain chair beside his bed.
[404] "I know everything about you, Lieutenant Curtis."
[405] "How did you learn my name?
[406] I destroyed all my papers—" "I know that you're twenty-four.
[407] Born July 10, 1971.
[408] Orphaned at four, you attended Boys Town in the Catskills till you were 19.
[409] You graduated from the Academy at White Sands last June with a major in Astrogation.
[410] Your rating for the five-year period was 3.8—the second highest in a class of fifty-seven.
[411] Your only low mark in the five years was a 3.2 in History of Martian Civilization.
[412] Want me to go on?"
[413] Fascinated, Ben nodded.
[414] "You were accepted as junior astrogation officer aboard the Odyssey .
[415] You did well on your flight from Roswell to Luna City.
[416] In a barroom fight in Luna City, you struck and killed a man named Arthur Cobb, a pre-fab salesman.
[417] You've been charged with second degree murder and escape.
[418] A reward of 5,000 credits has been offered for your capture.
[419] You came to Hoover City in the hope of finding a renegade group of spacemen who operate beyond Mars.
[420] You were looking for them in the Blast Inn."
[421] He gaped incredulously, struggling to rise from his pillows.
[422] "I—don't get it."
[423] "There are ways of finding out what we want to know.
[424] As I told you, we have many friends."
[425] He fell back into his pillows, breathing hard.
[426] She rose quickly.
[427] "I'm sorry," she said.
[428] "I shouldn't have told you yet.
[429] I felt so happy because you're alive.
[430] Rest now.
[431] We'll talk again soon."
[432] "Maggie, you—you said I'd live.
[433] You didn't say I'd be able to walk again."
[434] She lowered her gaze.
[435] "I hope you'll be able to."
[436] "But you don't think I will, do you?"
[437] "I don't know.
[438] We'll try walking tomorrow.
[439] Don't think about it now.
[440] Rest."
[441] He tried to relax, but his mind was a vortex of conjecture.
[442] "Just one more question," he almost whispered.
[443] "Yes?"
[444] "The man I killed—did he have a wife?"
[445] She hesitated.
[446] He thought, Damn it, of all the questions, why did I ask that?
[447] Finally she said, "He had a wife."
[448] "Children?"
[449] "Two.
[450] I don't know their ages."
[451] She left the room.
[452] He sank into the softness of his bed.
[453] As he turned over on his side, his gaze fell upon an object on a bureau in a far corner of the room.
[454] He sat straight up, his chest heaving.
[455] The object was a tri-dimensional photo of a rock-faced man in a merchant spaceman's uniform.
[456] He was a giant of a man with a neatly trimmed red beard !
[457] Ben stared at the photo for a long time.
[458] At length, he slipped into restless sleep.
[459] Images of faces and echoes of words spun through his brain.
[460] The dead man returned to him.
[461] Bloodied lips cursed at him.
[462] Glassy eyes accused him.
[463] Somewhere were two lost children crying in the night.
[464] And towering above him was a red-bearded man whose great hands reached down and beckoned to him.
[465] Ben crawled through the night on hands and knees, his legs numb and useless.
[466] The crying of the children was a chilling wail in his ears.
[467] His head rose and turned to the red-bearded man.
[468] His pleading voice screamed out to him in a thick, harsh cackle.
[469] Yet even as he screamed, the giant disappeared, to be replaced by white-booted feet stomping relentlessly toward him.
[470] He awoke still screaming.... A night without darkness passed.
[471] Ben lay waiting for Maggie's return, a question already formed in his mind.
[472] She came and at once he asked, "Who is the man with the red beard?"
[473] She smiled.
[474] "I was right then when I gave you that thumbnail biog.
[475] You were looking for him, weren't you?"
[476] "Who is he?"
[477] She sat on the chair beside him.
[478] "My husband," she said softly.
[479] He began to understand.
[480] "And your husband needs an astrogator?
[481] That's why you saved me?"
[482] "We need all the good men we can get."
[483] "Where is he?"
[484] She cocked her head in mock suspicion.
[485] "Somewhere between Mercury and Pluto.
[486] He's building a new base for us—and a home for me.
[487] When his ship returns, I'll be going to him."
[488] "Why aren't you with him now?"
[489] "He said unexplored space is no place for a woman.
[490] So I've been studying criminal reports and photos from the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation and trying to find recruits like yourself.
[491] You know how we operate?"
[492] He told her the tales he'd heard.
[493] She nodded.
[494] "There are quite a few of us now—about a thousand—and a dozen ships.
[495] Our base used to be here on Venus, down toward the Pole.
[496] The dome we're in now was designed and built by us a few years ago after we got pushed off Mars.
[497] We lost a few men in the construction, but with almost every advance in space, someone dies."
[498] "Venus is getting too civilized.
[499] We're moving out and this dome is only a temporary base when we have cases like yours.
[500] The new base—I might as well tell you it's going to be an asteroid.
[501] I won't say which one."
[502] "Don't get the idea that we're outlaws.
[503] Sure, about half our group is wanted by the Bureau, but we make honest livings.
[504] We're just people like yourself and Jacob."
[505] "Jacob?
[506] Your husband?"
[507] She laughed.
[508] "Makes you think of a Biblical character, doesn't it?
[509] Jacob's anything but that.
[510] And just plain 'Jake' reminds one of a grizzled old uranium prospector and he isn't like that, either."
[511] She lit a cigarette.
[512] "Anyway, the wanted ones stay out beyond the frontiers.
[513] Jacob and those like him can never return to Earth—not even to Hoover City—except dead.
[514] The others are physical or psycho rejects who couldn't get clearance if they went back to Earth.
[515] They know nothing but rocketing and won't give up.
[516] They bring in our ships to frontier ports like Hoover City to unload cargo and take on supplies."
[517] "Don't the authorities object?"
[518] "Not very strongly.
[519] The I.
[520] B. I. has too many problems right here to search the whole System for a few two-bit crooks.
[521] Besides, we carry cargoes of almost pure uranium and tungsten and all the stuff that's scarce on Earth and Mars and Venus.
[522] Nobody really cares whether it comes from the asteroids or Hades.
[523] If we want to risk our lives mining it, that's our business."
[524] She pursed her lips.
[525] "But if they guessed how strong we are or that we have friends planted in the I.
[526] B. I.—well, things might be different.
[527] There probably would be a crackdown."
[528] Ben scowled.
[529] "What happens if there is a crackdown?
[530] And what will you do when Space Corps ships officially reach the asteroids?
[531] They can't ignore you then."
[532] "Then we move on.
[533] We dream up new gimmicks for our crates and take them to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
[534] In time, maybe, we'll be pushed out of the System itself.
[535] Maybe it won't be the white-suited boys who'll make that first hop to the stars.
[536] It could be us, you know—if we live long enough.
[537] But that Asteroid Belt is murder.
[538] You can't follow the text-book rules of astrogation out there.
[539] You make up your own."
[540] Ben stiffened.
[541] "And that's why you want me for an astrogator."
[542] Maggie rose, her eyes wistful.
[543] "If you want to come—and if you get well."
[544] She looked at him strangely.
[545] "Suppose—" He fought to find the right words.
[546] "Suppose I got well and decided not to join Jacob.
[547] What would happen to me?
[548] Would you let me go?"
[549] Her thin face was criss-crossed by emotion—alarm, then bewilderment, then fear.
[550] "I don't know.
[551] That would be up to Jacob."
[552] He lay biting his lip, staring at the photo of Jacob.
[553] She touched his hand and it seemed that sadness now dominated the flurry of emotion that had coursed through her.
[554] "The only thing that matters, really," she murmured, "is your walking again.
[555] We'll try this afternoon.
[556] Okay?"
[557] "Okay," he said.
[558] When she left, his eyes were still turned toward Jacob's photo.
[559] He was like two people, he thought.
[560] Half of him was an officer of the Space Corps.
[561] Perhaps one single starry-eyed boy out of ten thousand was lucky enough to reach that goal.
[562] He remembered a little picture book his mother had given him when she was alive.
[563] Under the bright pictures of spacemen were the captions: "A Space Officer Is Honest" "A Space Officer Is Loyal."
[564] "A Space Officer Is Dutiful."
[565] Honesty, loyalty, duty.
[566] Trite words, but without those concepts, mankind would never have broken away from the planet that held it prisoner for half a million years.
[567] Without them, Everson, after three failures and a hundred men dead, would never have landed on the Moon twenty-seven years ago. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What do we know about Ben's life before the murder in the bar?":
1. [109] He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer.
2. [110] He was three months out of the Academy at White Sands and the shining uniform was like a key to all the mysteries of the Universe.
3. [111] He'd sought long for that key.
4. [112] At the age of five—perhaps in order to dull the memory of his parents' death in a recent strato-jet crash—he'd spent hours watching the night sky for streaking flame-tails of Moon rockets.
5. [113] At ten, he'd ground his first telescope.
6. [114] At fourteen, he'd converted an abandoned shed on the government boarding-school grounds to a retreat which housed his collection of astronomy and rocketry books.
7. [115] At sixteen, he'd spent every weekend holiday hitchhiking from Boys Town No. 5 in the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport.
8. [116] There, among the grizzled veterans of the old Moon Patrol, he'd found friends who understood his dream and who later recommended his appointment to the U. S. Academy for the Conquest of Space.
9. [117] And a month ago, he'd signed aboard the Odyssey—the first ship, it was rumored, equipped to venture as far as the asteroids and perhaps beyond.
10. [92] It had begun a week ago in Luna City.
11. [93] The flight from White Sands had been successful.
12. [94] Ben, quietly and moderately, wanted to celebrate.
13. [95] He stopped alone in a rocketfront bar for a beer.
14. [96] The man named Cobb plopped his portly and unsteady posterior on the stool next to him.
15. [97] "Spacemen," he muttered, "are getting like flies. Everywhere, all you see's spacemen."
16. [98] He was a neatly dressed civilian.
17. [99] Ben smiled.
18. [100] "If it weren't for spacemen, you wouldn't be here."
19. [101] "The name's Cobb."
20. [102] The man hiccoughed.
21. [103] "Spacemen in their white monkey suits.
22. [104] They think they're little tin gods.
23. [105] Betcha you think you're a little tin god."
24. [106] He downed a shot of whiskey.
25. [107] Ben stiffened.
26. [108] He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer.
27. [3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
28. [4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
29. [5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
30. [6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
31. [7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
32. [8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
33. [9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
34. [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1956.]
35. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. |
What images keep haunting Ben? | [
"Ben is haunted with the image of a dead man. In a bar a man, Cobb, picked a fight with Ben claiming that spacemen suck. Ben soon surrendered to his anger and hit the man, who died by accident. Now Ben is followed everywhere by the scary rage of the dead man with blood in his mouth. Ben is even more upset when he learns that Cobb had a wife and two kids. The whole family haunts Ben in nightmares. He is constantly scared of being found as well and deprived of being a spaceman.",
"The dead man that Ben killed keeps haunting him. Ben would see the drunk man with his lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses. His face has a pop-eyed masked of surprise. His face is white and frozen because of the sudden death; his eyes staring and blood dripping from the corner of the mouth of the dead man. After he learns that the man has a wife and two kids, he sees the man again. He is cursing, accusing him. Ben hears the children crying in the night.",
"The image of Cobb haunts Ben after the murder. Ben cannot escape visions of his face, as it appeared when he punched him. He sees his bloody jaw, shocked face, and glassy-eyed stare as he sits in the bar, and he describes Cobb's image as having a dead Siamese twin. When Ben is rescued by Maggie, he still sees Cobb's image as he sleeps, this time with the cries of his two children haunting him.",
"The dead man that haunts Ben is named Cobb. Cobb is described as being short and heavier set. He is no longer alive, as his body is for sure buried outside of Luna City. He haunts Ben because Ben is the one that killed him. When Ben sees him, the image of Cobb is one with large eyes with a piercing stare and trickles of blood leaving his open mouth. As the story develops and Ben learns that Cobb had two children and a wife, he starts to hear children crying at night."
] | [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1956.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
[4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
[5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
[6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
[7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
[8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
[9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians.
[10] Someone tugged at his greasy coat.
[11] He jumped, thinking absurdly that it was the dead man's hand. "
[12] Coma esta, senor? "
[13] a small voice piped. "
[14] Speken die Deutsch?
[15] Desirez-vous d'amour?
[16] Da?
[17] Nyet? "
[18] Ben looked down.
[19] The speaker was an eager-eyed Martian boy of about ten.
[20] He was like a red-skinned marionette with pipestem arms and legs, clad in a torn skivvy shirt and faded blue dungarees.
[21] "I'm American," Ben muttered.
[22] "Ah, buena !
[23] I speak English tres fine, senor .
[24] I have Martian friend, she tres pretty and tres fat.
[25] She weigh almost eighty pounds, monsieur .
[26] I take you to her, si ?"
[27] Ben shook his head.
[28] He thought, I don't want your Martian wench.
[29] I don't want your opium or your Devil's Egg or your Venusian kali.
[30] But if you had a drug that'd bring a dead man to life, I'd buy and pay with my soul.
[31] "It is deal, monsieur ?
[32] Five dollars or twenty keelis for visit Martian friend.
[33] Maybe you like House of Dreams.
[34] For House of Dreams—" "I'm not buying."
[35] The dirty-faced kid shrugged.
[36] "Then I show you to good table,— tres bien .
[37] I do not charge you, senor ."
[38] The boy grabbed his hand.
[39] Because Ben could think of no reason for resisting, he followed.
[40] They plunged into shifting layers of smoke and through the drone of alcohol-cracked voices.
[41] They passed the bar with its line of lean-featured, slit-eyed Earthmen—merchant spacemen.
[42] They wormed down a narrow aisle flanked by booths carved from Venusian marble that jutted up into the semi-darkness like fog-blanketed tombstones.
[43] Several times, Ben glimpsed the bulky figures of CO 2 -breathing Venusians, the first he'd ever seen.
[44] They were smoky gray, scaly, naked giants, toads in human shape.
[45] They stood solitary and motionless, aloof, their green-lidded eyes unblinking.
[46] They certainly didn't look like telepaths, as Ben had heard they were, but the thought sent a fresh rivulet of fear down his spine.
[47] Once he spied a white-uniformed officer of Hoover City's Security Police.
[48] The man was striding down an aisle, idly tapping his neuro-club against the stone booths.
[49] Keep walking , Ben told himself.
[50] You look the same as anyone else here.
[51] Keep walking.
[52] Look straight ahead.
[53] The officer passed.
[54] Ben breathed easier.
[55] "Here we are, monsieur ," piped the Martian boy.
[56] "A tres fine table.
[57] Close in the shadows."
[58] Ben winced.
[59] How did this kid know he wanted to sit in the shadows?
[60] Frowning, he sat down—he and the dead man.
[61] He listened to the lonely rhythms of the four-piece Martian orchestra.
[62] The Martians were fragile, doll-like creatures with heads too large for their spindly bodies.
[63] Their long fingers played upon the strings of their cirillas or crawled over the holes of their flutes like spider legs.
[64] Their tune was sad.
[65] Even when they played an Earth tune, it still seemed a song of old Mars, charged with echoes of lost voices and forgotten grandeur.
[66] For an instant, Ben's mind rose above the haunting vision of the dead man.
[67] He thought, What are they doing here, these Martians?
[68] Here, in a smoke-filled room under a metalite dome on a dust-covered world?
[69] Couldn't they have played their music on Mars?
[70] Or had they, like me, felt the challenge of new worlds?
[71] He sobered.
[72] It didn't matter.
[73] He ordered a whiskey from a Chinese waiter.
[74] He wet his lips but did not drink.
[75] His gaze wandered over the faces of the Inn's other occupants.
[76] You've got to find him , he thought.
[77] You've got to find the man with the red beard.
[78] It's the only way you can escape the dead man.
[79] The dead man was real.
[80] His name was Cobb.
[81] He was stout and flabby and about forty and he hated spacemen.
[82] His body was buried now—probably in the silent gray wastes outside Luna City.
[83] But he'd become a kind of invisible Siamese twin, as much a part of Ben as sight in his eyes.
[84] Sometimes the image would be shuffling drunkenly beside him, its lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses.
[85] Again, its face would be a pop-eyed mask of surprise as Ben's fist thudded into its jaw.
[86] More often, the face would be frozen in the whiteness of death.
[87] The large eyes would stare.
[88] Blood would trickle from a corner of the gaping mouth.
[89] You can forget a living man.
[90] You can defeat him or submit to him or ignore him, and the matter is over and done.
[91] You can't escape from a memory that has burned into your mind.
[92] It had begun a week ago in Luna City.
[93] The flight from White Sands had been successful.
[94] Ben, quietly and moderately, wanted to celebrate.
[95] He stopped alone in a rocketfront bar for a beer.
[96] The man named Cobb plopped his portly and unsteady posterior on the stool next to him.
[97] "Spacemen," he muttered, "are getting like flies.
[98] Everywhere, all you see's spacemen."
[99] He was a neatly dressed civilian.
[100] Ben smiled.
[101] "If it weren't for spacemen, you wouldn't be here."
[102] "The name's Cobb."
[103] The man hiccoughed.
[104] "Spacemen in their white monkey suits.
[105] They think they're little tin gods.
[106] Betcha you think you're a little tin god."
[107] He downed a shot of whiskey.
[108] Ben stiffened.
[109] He was twenty-four and dressed in the white, crimson-braided uniform of the Odyssey's junior astrogation officer.
[110] He was three months out of the Academy at White Sands and the shining uniform was like a key to all the mysteries of the Universe.
[111] He'd sought long for that key.
[112] At the age of five—perhaps in order to dull the memory of his parents' death in a recent strato-jet crash—he'd spent hours watching the night sky for streaking flame-tails of Moon rockets.
[113] At ten, he'd ground his first telescope.
[114] At fourteen, he'd converted an abandoned shed on the government boarding-school grounds to a retreat which housed his collection of astronomy and rocketry books.
[115] At sixteen, he'd spent every weekend holiday hitchhiking from Boys Town No.
[116] 5 in the Catskills to Long Island Spaceport.
[117] There, among the grizzled veterans of the old Moon Patrol, he'd found friends who understood his dream and who later recommended his appointment to the U. S. Academy for the Conquest of Space.
[118] And a month ago, he'd signed aboard the Odyssey —the first ship, it was rumored, equipped to venture as far as the asteroids and perhaps beyond.
[119] Cobb was persistent: "Damn fools shoulda known enough to stay on Earth.
[120] What the hell good is it, jumpin' from planet to planet?"
[121] The guy's drunk , Ben thought.
[122] He took his drink and moved three stools down the bar.
[123] Cobb followed.
[124] "You don't like the truth, eh, kid?
[125] You don't like people to call you a sucker."
[126] Ben rose and started to leave the bar, but Cobb grabbed his arm and held him there.
[127] "Thas what you are—a sucker.
[128] You're young now.
[129] Wait ten years.
[130] You'll be dyin' of radiation rot or a meteor'll get you.
[131] Wait and see, sucker!"
[132] Until this instant, Ben had suppressed his anger.
[133] Now, suddenly and without warning, it welled up into savage fury.
[134] His fist struck the man on the chin.
[135] Cobb's eyes gaped in shocked horror.
[136] He spun backward.
[137] His head cracked sickeningly on the edge of the bar.
[138] The sound was like a punctuation mark signaling the end of life.
[139] He sank to the floor, eyes glassy, blood tricking down his jaw.
[140] Ben knew that he was dead.
[141] Then, for a single absurd second, Ben was seized with terror—just as, a moment before, he'd been overwhelmed with anger.
[142] He ran.
[143] For some twenty minutes, he raced through a dizzying, nightmare world of dark rocketfront alleys and shouting voices and pursuing feet.
[144] At last, abruptly, he realized that he was alone and in silence.
[145] He saw that he was still on the rocketfront, but in the Tycho-ward side of the city.
[146] He huddled in a dark corner of a loading platform and lit a cigarette.
[147] A thousand stars—a thousand motionless balls of silver fire—shone above him through Luna City's transparent dome.
[148] He was sorry he'd hit Cobb, of course.
[149] He was not sorry he'd run.
[150] Escaping at least gave him a power of choice, of decision.
[151] You can do two things , he thought.
[152] You can give yourself up, and that's what a good officer would do.
[153] That would eliminate the escape charge.
[154] You'd get off with voluntary manslaughter.
[155] Under interplanetary law, that would mean ten years in prison and a dishonorable discharge.
[156] And then you'd be free.
[157] But you'd be through with rockets and space.
[158] They don't want new men over thirty-four for officers on rockets or even for third-class jet-men on beat-up freighters—they don't want convicted killers.
[159] You'd get the rest of the thrill of conquering space through video and by peeking through electric fences of spaceports.
[160] Or— There were old wives' tales of a group of renegade spacemen who operated from the Solar System's frontiers.
[161] The spacemen weren't outlaws.
[162] They were misfits, rejectees from the clearing houses on Earth.
[163] And whereas no legally recognized ship had ventured past Mars, the souped-up renegade rigs had supposedly hit the asteroids.
[164] Their headquarters was Venus.
[165] Their leader—a subject of popular and fantastic conjecture in the men's audiozines—was rumored to be a red-bearded giant.
[166] So , Ben reflected, you can take a beer-and-pretzels tale seriously.
[167] You can hide for a couple of days, get rid of your uniform, change your name.
[168] You can wait for a chance to get to Venus.
[169] To hell with your duty.
[170] You can try to stay in space, even if you exile yourself from Earth.
[171] After all, was it right for a single second, a single insignificant second, to destroy a man's life and his dream?
[172] He was lucky.
[173] He found a tramp freighter whose skipper was on his last flight before retirement.
[174] Discipline was lax, investigation of new personnel even more so.
[175] Ben Curtis made it to Venus.
[176] There was just one flaw in his decision.
[177] He hadn't realized that the memory of the dead man's face would haunt him, torment him, follow him as constantly as breath flowed into his lungs.
[178] But might not the rumble of atomic engines drown the murmuring dead voice?
[179] Might not the vision of alien worlds and infinite spaceways obscure the dead face?
[180] So now he sat searching for a perhaps nonexistent red-bearded giant, and hoping and doubting and fearing, all at once.
[181] "You look for someone, senor ?"
[182] He jumped.
[183] "Oh.
[184] You still here?"
[185] " Oui. "
[186] The Martian kid grinned, his mouth full of purple teeth.
[187] "I keep you company on your first night in Hoover City, n'est-ce-pas ?"
[188] "This isn't my first night here," Ben lied.
[189] "I've been around a while."
[190] "You are spacemen?"
[191] Ben threw a fifty-cent credit piece on the table.
[192] "Here.
[193] Take off, will you?"
[194] Spiderlike fingers swept down upon the coin. "
[195] Ich danke, senor.
[196] You know why city is called Hoover City?"
[197] Ben didn't answer.
[198] "They say it is because after women come, they want first thing a thousand vacuum cleaners for dust.
[199] What is vacuum cleaner, monsieur ?"
[200] Ben raised his hand as if to strike the boy. "
[201] Ai-yee , I go.
[202] You keep listen to good Martian music."
[203] The toothpick of a body melted into the semi-darkness.
[204] Minutes passed.
[205] There were two more whiskeys.
[206] A ceaseless parade of faces broke through the smoky veil that enclosed him—reddish balloon faces, scaly reptilian faces, white-skinned, slit-eyed faces, and occasionally a white, rouged, powdered face.
[207] But nowhere was there a face with a red beard.
[208] A sense of hopelessness gripped Ben Curtis.
[209] Hoover City was but one of a dozen cities of Venus.
[210] Each had twenty dives such as this.
[211] He needed help.
[212] But his picture must have been 'scoped to Venusian visiscreens.
[213] A reward must have been offered for his capture.
[214] Whom could he trust?
[215] The Martian kid, perhaps?
[216] Far down the darkened aisle nearest him, his eyes caught a flash of white.
[217] He tensed.
[218] Like the uniform of a Security Policeman, he thought.
[219] His gaze shifted to another aisle and another hint of whiteness.
[220] And then he saw another and another and another.
[221] Each whiteness became brighter and closer, like shrinking spokes of a wheel with Ben as their focal point.
[222] You idiot!
[223] The damned Martian kid!
[224] You should have known!
[225] Light showered the room in a dazzling explosion.
[226] Ben, half blinded, realized that a broad circle of unshaded globes in the ceiling had been turned on.
[227] The light washed away the room's strangeness and its air of brooding wickedness, revealing drab concrete walls and a debris-strewn floor.
[228] Eyes blinked and squinted.
[229] There were swift, frightened movements and a chorus of angry murmurs.
[230] The patrons of the Blast Inn were like tatter-clad occupants of a house whose walls have been ripped away.
[231] Ben Curtis twisted his lean body erect.
[232] His chair tumbled backward, falling.
[233] The white-clad men charged, neuro-clubs upraised.
[234] A woman screamed.
[235] The music ceased.
[236] The Martian orchestra slunk with feline stealth to a rear exit.
[237] Only the giant Venusians remained undisturbed.
[238] They stood unmoving, their staring eyes shifting lazily in Ben's direction.
[239] "Curtis!"
[240] one of the policemen yelled.
[241] "You're covered!
[242] Hold it!"
[243] Ben whirled away from the advancing police, made for the exit into which the musicians had disappeared.
[244] A hissing sound traveled past his left ear, a sound like compressed air escaping from a container.
[245] A dime-sized section of the concrete wall ahead of him crumbled.
[246] He stumbled forward.
[247] They were using deadly neuro-pistols now, not the mildly stunning neuro-clubs.
[248] Another hiss passed his cheek.
[249] He was about twelve feet from the exit.
[250] Another second , his brain screamed.
[251] Just another second— Or would the exits be guarded?
[252] He heard the hiss.
[253] It hit directly in the small of his back.
[254] There was no pain, just a slight pricking sensation, like the shallow jab of a needle.
[255] He froze as if yanked to a stop by a noose.
[256] His body seemed to be growing, swelling into balloon proportions.
[257] He knew that the tiny needle had imbedded itself deep in his flesh, knew that the paralyzing mortocain was spreading like icy fire into every fiber and muscle of his body.
[258] He staggered like a man of stone moving in slow motion.
[259] He'd have fifteen—maybe twenty—seconds before complete lethargy of mind and body overpowered him.
[260] In the dark world beyond his fading consciousness, he heard a voice yell, "Turn on the damn lights!"
[261] Then a pressure and a coldness were on his left hand.
[262] He realized that someone had seized it.
[263] A soft feminine voice spoke to him.
[264] "You're wounded?
[265] They hit you?"
[266] "Yes."
[267] His thick lips wouldn't let go of the word.
[268] "You want to escape—even now?"
[269] "Yes."
[270] "You may die if you don't give yourself up."
[271] "No, no."
[272] He tried to stumble toward the exit.
[273] "All right then.
[274] Not that way.
[275] Here, this way."
[276] Heavy footsteps thudded toward them.
[277] A few yards away, a flashlight flicked on.
[278] Hands were guiding him.
[279] He was aware of being pushed and pulled.
[280] A door closed behind him.
[281] The glare of the flashlight faded from his vision—if he still had vision.
[282] "You're sure?"
[283] the voice persisted.
[284] "I'm sure," Ben managed to say.
[285] "I have no antidote.
[286] You may die."
[287] His mind fought to comprehend.
[288] With the anti-paralysis injection, massage and rest, a man could recover from the effects of mortocain within half a day.
[289] Without treatment, the paralysis could spread to heart and lungs.
[290] It could become a paralysis of death.
[291] An effective weapon: the slightest wound compelled the average criminal to surrender at once.
[292] "Anti ... anti ..." The words were as heavy as blobs of mercury forced from his throat.
[293] "No ...
[294] I'm sure ...
[295] sure."
[296] He didn't hear the answer or anything else.
[297] Ben Curtis had no precise sensation of awakening.
[298] Return to consciousness was an intangible evolution from a world of black nothingness to a dream-like state of awareness.
[299] He felt the pressure of hands on his naked arms and shoulders, hands that massaged, manipulated, fought to restore circulation and sensitivity.
[300] He knew they were strong hands.
[301] Their strength seemed to transfer itself to his own body.
[302] For a long time, he tried to open his eyes.
[303] His lids felt welded shut.
[304] But after a while, they opened.
[305] His world of darkness gave way to a translucent cloak of mist.
[306] A round, featureless shape hovered constantly above him—a face, he supposed.
[307] He tried to talk.
[308] Although his lips moved slightly, the only sound was a deep, staccato grunting.
[309] But he heard someone say, "Don't try to talk."
[310] It was the same gentle voice he'd heard in the Blast Inn.
[311] "Don't talk.
[312] Just lie still and rest.
[313] Everything'll be all right."
[314] Everything all right , he thought dimly.
[315] There were long periods of lethargy when he was aware of nothing.
[316] There were periods of light and of darkness.
[317] Gradually he grew aware of things.
[318] He realized that the soft rubber mouth of a spaceman's oxygen mask was clamped over his nose.
[319] He felt the heat of electric blankets swathed about his body.
[320] Occasionally a tube would be in his mouth and he would taste liquid food and feel a pleasant warmth in his stomach.
[321] Always, it seemed, the face was above him, floating in the obscuring mist.
[322] Always, it seemed, the soft voice was echoing in his ears: "Swallow this now.
[323] That's it.
[324] You must have food."
[325] Or, "Close your eyes.
[326] Don't strain.
[327] It won't be long.
[328] You're getting better."
[329] Better , he'd think.
[330] Getting better.... At last, after one of the periods of lethargy, his eyes opened.
[331] The mist brightened, then dissolved.
[332] He beheld the cracked, unpainted ceiling of a small room, its colorless walls broken with a single, round window.
[333] He saw the footboard of his aluminite bed and the outlines of his feet beneath a faded blanket.
[334] Finally he saw the face and figure that stood at his side.
[335] "You are better?"
[336] the kind voice asked.
[337] The face was that of a girl probably somewhere between twenty-five and thirty.
[338] Her features, devoid of makeup, had an unhealthy-looking pallor, as if she hadn't used a sunlamp for many weeks.
[339] Yet, at the same time, her firm slim body suggested a solidity and a strength.
[340] Her straight brown hair was combed backward, tight upon her scalp, and drawn together in a knot at the nape of her neck.
[341] "I—I am better," he murmured.
[342] His words were still slow and thick.
[343] "I am going to live?"
[344] "You will live."
[345] He thought for a moment.
[346] "How long have I been here?"
[347] "Nine days."
[348] "You took care of me?"
[349] He noted the deep, dark circles beneath her sleep-robbed eyes.
[350] She nodded.
[351] "You're the one who carried me when I was shot?"
[352] "Yes."
[353] "Why?"
[354] Suddenly he began to cough.
[355] Breath came hard.
[356] She held the oxygen mask in readiness.
[357] He shook his head, not wanting it.
[358] "Why?"
[359] he asked again.
[360] "It would be a long story.
[361] Perhaps I'll tell you tomorrow."
[362] A new thought, cloaked in sudden fear, entered his murky consciousness.
[363] "Tell me, will—will I be well again?
[364] Will I be able to walk?"
[365] He lay back then, panting, exhausted.
[366] "You have nothing to worry about," the girl said softly.
[367] Her cool hand touched his hot forehead.
[368] "Rest.
[369] We'll talk later."
[370] His eyes closed and breath came easier.
[371] He slept.
[372] When he next awoke, his gaze turned first to the window.
[373] There was light outside, but he had no way of knowing if this was morning, noon or afternoon—or on what planet.
[374] He saw no white-domed buildings of Hoover City, no formal lines of green-treed parks, no streams of buzzing gyro-cars.
[375] There was only a translucent and infinite whiteness.
[376] It was as if the window were set on the edge of the Universe overlooking a solemn, silent and matterless void.
[377] The girl entered the room.
[378] "Hi," she said, smiling.
[379] The dark half-moons under her eyes were less prominent.
[380] Her face was relaxed.
[381] She increased the pressure in his rubberex pillows and helped him rise to a sitting position.
[382] "Where are we?"
[383] he asked.
[384] "Venus."
[385] "We're not in Hoover City?"
[386] "No."
[387] He looked at her, wondering.
[388] "You won't tell me?"
[389] "Not yet.
[390] Later, perhaps."
[391] "Then how did you get me here?
[392] How did we escape from the Inn?"
[393] She shrugged.
[394] "We have friends who can be bribed.
[395] A hiding place in the city, the use of a small desert-taxi, a pass to leave the city—these can be had for a price."
[396] "You'll tell me your name?"
[397] "Maggie."
[398] "Why did you save me?"
[399] Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
[400] "Because you're a good astrogator."
[401] His own eyes widened.
[402] "How did you know that?"
[403] She sat on a plain chair beside his bed.
[404] "I know everything about you, Lieutenant Curtis."
[405] "How did you learn my name?
[406] I destroyed all my papers—" "I know that you're twenty-four.
[407] Born July 10, 1971.
[408] Orphaned at four, you attended Boys Town in the Catskills till you were 19.
[409] You graduated from the Academy at White Sands last June with a major in Astrogation.
[410] Your rating for the five-year period was 3.8—the second highest in a class of fifty-seven.
[411] Your only low mark in the five years was a 3.2 in History of Martian Civilization.
[412] Want me to go on?"
[413] Fascinated, Ben nodded.
[414] "You were accepted as junior astrogation officer aboard the Odyssey .
[415] You did well on your flight from Roswell to Luna City.
[416] In a barroom fight in Luna City, you struck and killed a man named Arthur Cobb, a pre-fab salesman.
[417] You've been charged with second degree murder and escape.
[418] A reward of 5,000 credits has been offered for your capture.
[419] You came to Hoover City in the hope of finding a renegade group of spacemen who operate beyond Mars.
[420] You were looking for them in the Blast Inn."
[421] He gaped incredulously, struggling to rise from his pillows.
[422] "I—don't get it."
[423] "There are ways of finding out what we want to know.
[424] As I told you, we have many friends."
[425] He fell back into his pillows, breathing hard.
[426] She rose quickly.
[427] "I'm sorry," she said.
[428] "I shouldn't have told you yet.
[429] I felt so happy because you're alive.
[430] Rest now.
[431] We'll talk again soon."
[432] "Maggie, you—you said I'd live.
[433] You didn't say I'd be able to walk again."
[434] She lowered her gaze.
[435] "I hope you'll be able to."
[436] "But you don't think I will, do you?"
[437] "I don't know.
[438] We'll try walking tomorrow.
[439] Don't think about it now.
[440] Rest."
[441] He tried to relax, but his mind was a vortex of conjecture.
[442] "Just one more question," he almost whispered.
[443] "Yes?"
[444] "The man I killed—did he have a wife?"
[445] She hesitated.
[446] He thought, Damn it, of all the questions, why did I ask that?
[447] Finally she said, "He had a wife."
[448] "Children?"
[449] "Two.
[450] I don't know their ages."
[451] She left the room.
[452] He sank into the softness of his bed.
[453] As he turned over on his side, his gaze fell upon an object on a bureau in a far corner of the room.
[454] He sat straight up, his chest heaving.
[455] The object was a tri-dimensional photo of a rock-faced man in a merchant spaceman's uniform.
[456] He was a giant of a man with a neatly trimmed red beard !
[457] Ben stared at the photo for a long time.
[458] At length, he slipped into restless sleep.
[459] Images of faces and echoes of words spun through his brain.
[460] The dead man returned to him.
[461] Bloodied lips cursed at him.
[462] Glassy eyes accused him.
[463] Somewhere were two lost children crying in the night.
[464] And towering above him was a red-bearded man whose great hands reached down and beckoned to him.
[465] Ben crawled through the night on hands and knees, his legs numb and useless.
[466] The crying of the children was a chilling wail in his ears.
[467] His head rose and turned to the red-bearded man.
[468] His pleading voice screamed out to him in a thick, harsh cackle.
[469] Yet even as he screamed, the giant disappeared, to be replaced by white-booted feet stomping relentlessly toward him.
[470] He awoke still screaming.... A night without darkness passed.
[471] Ben lay waiting for Maggie's return, a question already formed in his mind.
[472] She came and at once he asked, "Who is the man with the red beard?"
[473] She smiled.
[474] "I was right then when I gave you that thumbnail biog.
[475] You were looking for him, weren't you?"
[476] "Who is he?"
[477] She sat on the chair beside him.
[478] "My husband," she said softly.
[479] He began to understand.
[480] "And your husband needs an astrogator?
[481] That's why you saved me?"
[482] "We need all the good men we can get."
[483] "Where is he?"
[484] She cocked her head in mock suspicion.
[485] "Somewhere between Mercury and Pluto.
[486] He's building a new base for us—and a home for me.
[487] When his ship returns, I'll be going to him."
[488] "Why aren't you with him now?"
[489] "He said unexplored space is no place for a woman.
[490] So I've been studying criminal reports and photos from the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation and trying to find recruits like yourself.
[491] You know how we operate?"
[492] He told her the tales he'd heard.
[493] She nodded.
[494] "There are quite a few of us now—about a thousand—and a dozen ships.
[495] Our base used to be here on Venus, down toward the Pole.
[496] The dome we're in now was designed and built by us a few years ago after we got pushed off Mars.
[497] We lost a few men in the construction, but with almost every advance in space, someone dies."
[498] "Venus is getting too civilized.
[499] We're moving out and this dome is only a temporary base when we have cases like yours.
[500] The new base—I might as well tell you it's going to be an asteroid.
[501] I won't say which one."
[502] "Don't get the idea that we're outlaws.
[503] Sure, about half our group is wanted by the Bureau, but we make honest livings.
[504] We're just people like yourself and Jacob."
[505] "Jacob?
[506] Your husband?"
[507] She laughed.
[508] "Makes you think of a Biblical character, doesn't it?
[509] Jacob's anything but that.
[510] And just plain 'Jake' reminds one of a grizzled old uranium prospector and he isn't like that, either."
[511] She lit a cigarette.
[512] "Anyway, the wanted ones stay out beyond the frontiers.
[513] Jacob and those like him can never return to Earth—not even to Hoover City—except dead.
[514] The others are physical or psycho rejects who couldn't get clearance if they went back to Earth.
[515] They know nothing but rocketing and won't give up.
[516] They bring in our ships to frontier ports like Hoover City to unload cargo and take on supplies."
[517] "Don't the authorities object?"
[518] "Not very strongly.
[519] The I.
[520] B. I. has too many problems right here to search the whole System for a few two-bit crooks.
[521] Besides, we carry cargoes of almost pure uranium and tungsten and all the stuff that's scarce on Earth and Mars and Venus.
[522] Nobody really cares whether it comes from the asteroids or Hades.
[523] If we want to risk our lives mining it, that's our business."
[524] She pursed her lips.
[525] "But if they guessed how strong we are or that we have friends planted in the I.
[526] B. I.—well, things might be different.
[527] There probably would be a crackdown."
[528] Ben scowled.
[529] "What happens if there is a crackdown?
[530] And what will you do when Space Corps ships officially reach the asteroids?
[531] They can't ignore you then."
[532] "Then we move on.
[533] We dream up new gimmicks for our crates and take them to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
[534] In time, maybe, we'll be pushed out of the System itself.
[535] Maybe it won't be the white-suited boys who'll make that first hop to the stars.
[536] It could be us, you know—if we live long enough.
[537] But that Asteroid Belt is murder.
[538] You can't follow the text-book rules of astrogation out there.
[539] You make up your own."
[540] Ben stiffened.
[541] "And that's why you want me for an astrogator."
[542] Maggie rose, her eyes wistful.
[543] "If you want to come—and if you get well."
[544] She looked at him strangely.
[545] "Suppose—" He fought to find the right words.
[546] "Suppose I got well and decided not to join Jacob.
[547] What would happen to me?
[548] Would you let me go?"
[549] Her thin face was criss-crossed by emotion—alarm, then bewilderment, then fear.
[550] "I don't know.
[551] That would be up to Jacob."
[552] He lay biting his lip, staring at the photo of Jacob.
[553] She touched his hand and it seemed that sadness now dominated the flurry of emotion that had coursed through her.
[554] "The only thing that matters, really," she murmured, "is your walking again.
[555] We'll try this afternoon.
[556] Okay?"
[557] "Okay," he said.
[558] When she left, his eyes were still turned toward Jacob's photo.
[559] He was like two people, he thought.
[560] Half of him was an officer of the Space Corps.
[561] Perhaps one single starry-eyed boy out of ten thousand was lucky enough to reach that goal.
[562] He remembered a little picture book his mother had given him when she was alive.
[563] Under the bright pictures of spacemen were the captions: "A Space Officer Is Honest" "A Space Officer Is Loyal."
[564] "A Space Officer Is Dutiful."
[565] Honesty, loyalty, duty.
[566] Trite words, but without those concepts, mankind would never have broken away from the planet that held it prisoner for half a million years.
[567] Without them, Everson, after three failures and a hundred men dead, would never have landed on the Moon twenty-seven years ago. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What images keep haunting Ben?":
1. [79] The dead man was real. His name was Cobb. He was stout and flabby and about forty and he hated spacemen. His body was buried now—probably in the silent gray wastes outside Luna City. But he'd become a kind of invisible Siamese twin, as much a part of Ben as sight in his eyes.
2. [80] Sometimes the image would be shuffling drunkenly beside him, its lips spitting whiskey-slurred curses.
3. [81] Again, its face would be a pop-eyed mask of surprise as Ben's fist thudded into its jaw.
4. [82] More often, the face would be frozen in the whiteness of death. The large eyes would stare. Blood would trickle from a corner of the gaping mouth.
5. [459] Images of faces and echoes of words spun through his brain.
6. [460] The dead man returned to him. Bloodied lips cursed at him. Glassy eyes accused him.
7. [461] Somewhere were two lost children crying in the night.
8. [462] And towering above him was a red-bearded man whose great hands reached down and beckoned to him.
9. [463] Ben crawled through the night on hands and knees, his legs numb and useless.
10. [464] The crying of the children was a chilling wail in his ears.
11. [465] His head rose and turned to the red-bearded man. His pleading voice screamed out to him in a thick, harsh cackle.
12. [466] Yet even as he screamed, the giant disappeared, to be replaced by white-booted feet stomping relentlessly toward him.
13. [1] A Coffin for Jacob By EDWARD W. LUDWIG Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1956.]
14. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
15. [3] With never a moment to rest, the pursuit through space felt like a game of hounds and hares ... or was it follow the leader?
16. [4] Ben Curtis eased his pale, gaunt body through the open doorway of the Blast Inn, the dead man following silently behind him.
17. [5] His fear-borne gaze traveled into the dimly illumined Venusian gin mill.
18. [6] The place was like an evil caldron steaming with a brew whose ingredients had been culled from the back corners of three planets.
19. [7] Most of the big room lay obscured behind a shimmering veil of tobacco smoke and the sweet, heavy fumes of Martian Devil's Egg.
20. [8] Here and there, Ben saw moving figures.
21. [9] He could not tell if they were Earthmen, Martians or Venusians. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"The story begins as Johnny Tolliver argues with Jeffers, the manager of Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, about how he doesn’t want to be involved with whatever he is doing. This makes Jeffers angry, knowing that he cannot fire Tolliver, he decides to make Tolliver’s job extremely boring. Thus, for the next few days, he simply hang around the garage, with nothing to do. Then on Friday, he gets assigned to take the creeper outside. He picks Betty up, where he told her about the dangers of Ganymede such as the volcanic puffballs and the mountain slides, he explains his high pay for driving unarmored tractor by mentioning that if he survives the six month, he will retire. However, Tolliver understand that this is completely a lie. After they go to see Jeffers, Betty states that she will not work with them, and them fires Jeffers. Jeffers order his men to lock Betty and Tolliver up. After Tolliver wakes up, they decided to escape. Betty told Tolliver about how she was able to figure out that there’s something wrong – his extremely high paycheck. After crawling through the hole by bending plastic, they finds spacesuits in the storeroom. Finally, they are able to escape by taking off on an economy orbit for Earth. After contacting with Space Patrol, Tolliver finds it odd when he says “Miss Koslow.” Questioning Betty, she admits that she works for a private investigating firm. Then, in the end, Tolliver is going to cut the fuel flow to see if Betty will suspect anything, since they are just orbiting Ganymede.",
"Johnny Tolliver meets with his superior, Jeffers. Jeffers is the manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways. Tolliver is very unhappy with Jeffers and is roughly expressing his frustration to him. Their conversation does not end well and Jeffers is clear that he will retaliate against Tolliver’s demands. Tolliver leaves the room grunting about how Jeffers and his men can steal the Great Red Spot off of Jupiter at their own risk. \n\nOver the next few days, Tolliver grows frustrated that he is not being assigned anything. One day, he does get an assignment. He is meant to pick up a home office relative coming in from the Javelin. Tolliver picks up a woman named Betty and transports her. Very early on he appears not to like her and decides to scare her and make it seem that there is danger at every corner. They arrive at their destination and Tolliver leads Betty to Jeffers office. Tolliver barges into Jeffers office, with Betty in tow, to purposefully upset Jeffers. Jeffers is angered at Tolliver’s arrival, but excitedly greets Betty. However, his warm greeting is not returned by Betty. Betty quickly accuses him of wrongdoings and wants him to leave his position. At first he is too stunned to speak. He quickly recovers and orders some men to lock both Tolliver and Betty in a room. Tolliver tries to fight against one of the guards meant to imprison him. His success does not last long and he finds himself in an empty office next to the warehouse building. Tolliver quickly begins to plot their escape. Betty decides to join him in escaping the room. \n\nThey are able to leave the room and go through the warehouse where they find spacesuits to wear. Making their way outside of the warehouse, Tolliver uses the knife that came with the spacesuit to slash a section out of the dome. They step through the section and walk normally to not attract attention to themselves. Tolliver suggests they go find her ship to make a call to the emergency number that Betty was given. In their process, they escape the dome and into the almost vacuum air of Ganymede’s surface and run to Betty’s ship. As they get closer to Betty’s ship, Tolliver notices a tractor headed towards them. They hurry onto the ship. Tolliver quickly readies the ship for takeoff to Betty’s surprise. Betty grabs a memo from her pocket inside the spacesuit to give Tolliver the number to call. Once the call is connected, Betty requests assistance to arrest Jeffers and co-conspirators. Tolliver becomes suspicious during her call with Space Patrol and she eventually tells him that she is not actually Koslow’s daughter. Eventually, the ship takes off. \n\nTolliver tells Betty that he is taking them back to Earth but the journey will take 6 months. However, thinking to himself, Tolliver wonders when Betty will catch on that they will just be orbiting Ganymede and not the path she thinks.",
"Johnny Tolliver is a space pilot from Earth to Jupiter and all the way round who works to get enough money for an engineering degree. His superior, Jeffers, tries to get him involved in the sneaky deals of stealing some cargo meant to be transported to Earth. Tolliver refuses as he wants to return clean and as fast as possible to Earth. Jeffers can't fire him and Tolliver feels safe. For the next few days Johnny has nothing to do as he is made to drive a tractor and doesn't have any assignments. Then he gets word he will be assigned to drive a tractor with some home-office relative, who has a lot of bags as a cargo, which is a simple waste of fuel. The relative is a young girl named Betty who tries to behave like a spacer, like all those relatives do, though they only spend a couple months in space doing nothing. Betty wants to learn traffic routing and she doesn't see Johnny's drive from the city to the spaceport on Ganymede as a mission. That scorn makes the man mad and he tells that the trips are dangerous and many men had died on those drives. Tolliver makes up those lies to scare the girl and diminish her arrogance and scorn, and to impress her in some way, he also shows his significant payment. Then, Tolliver leads subdued Betty to Jeffers, who treats her with utmost respect and sweetness remembering who her father is. The girl though takes a threatening tone claiming she will be in charge of her father's company one day and that she has learned what's going wrong on Ganymede, so Jeffers is as good as fired. Jeffers then calls three men in to lock Betty and Tolliver up. Jeffers believes Tolliver has told everything to Betty and she learns from Johnny that he was asked to join the smuggling gang. Tolliver manages to heat and open the door, Betty follows and they approach a storeroom for spacesuits. The two put them on and pretend to be inspecting domes, they get into a low gravity field to reach the ship she arrived in. Tolliver confesses in exaggerating the dangers on the way, then they get into the ship and to the control room, and Johnny plans to take off while Betty was simply going to use her connection on radio or TV. Tolliver and Betty take off and the phone number she has turns out to be Space Patrol. Johnny realizes throughout the dialogue that the person on the other end was waiting for the girl's report to know who to arrest. Betty turns out to be Koslow's daughter but a private investigator. The ship Tolliver and Betty are on is orbiting Ganymede, but the former convinces the girl they are on a long way to Earth.",
"Johnny Tolliver is a space pilot, working for the Ganymedan branch at Koslow Spaceways. He sits in the office of his supervisor, Jeffers, who has invited him to take part in a scheme where he steals parts of ships' cargoes in order to make profit. Tolliver is skeptical and uncomfortable with this operation, and he refuses. Though Jeffers cannot fire him, because he is on contract, he takes Tolliver off his assigned orbit. The next day, Tolliver finds that instead of being assigned a ship, he has the mundane job of driving a tractor from domes to the spaceport. The job drags on for the next three days when Tolliver is informed that he has the job of escorting a home-office relative to the city. The relative is a young girl named Betty, whom Tolliver immediately perceives as naive and arrogant. To entertain himself on the drive, Tolliver makes up stories about the dangers of Ganymede and his job as a daredevil tractor driver, showing Betty his paycheck. They arrive into the city, and Tolliver leads Betty to Jeffers' office at her request. Jeffers greets Betty, addressing her as Miss Koslow, indicating that she is the daughter of the boss of Koslow Spaceways, to which Tolliver is surprised and secretly regrets the embellished stories he told her. Betty immediately orders Jeffers to be fired out of suspicions of mismanagement. Jeffers, sure that Betty had found out about his side scheme, locks up Tolliver and Betty in an empty office room. Tolliver manages to escape by using fire to bend the plastic door, and Betty insists on joining him. The two find spare spacesuits and get into disguise while they make their way to a spaceship. Tolliver cuts a slit into the dome over the establishment and they squeeze through, running to the spaceport. As they reach the ship, Tolliver notices a tractor headed their way, and he rushes Betty inside. Tolliver quickly launches the ship into orbit despite Betty's protests. Betty then phones Space Patrol, given access by her father, and informs the officer to arrest Jeffers and that the ship they are on has been sent on a six-month orbit. When Betty signs off, it is revealed to Tolliver that she is not actually Koslow's daughter, but a private investigator impersonating her in order to get information on who was stealing from the company. Tolliver informs Betty that they will be on the ship for a while, not telling her that they would be orbiting Ganymede the entire time."
] | [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
[2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
[3] By H. B. FYFE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
[6] His black thatch was ruffled, as if he had been rubbed the wrong way.
[7] "I didn't ask you to cut out your own graft, did I?"
[8] he demanded.
[9] "Just don't try to sucker me in on the deal.
[10] I know you're operating something sneaky all through the colony, but it's not for me."
[11] The big moon-face of Jeffers, manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, glowered back at him.
[12] Its reddish tinge brightened the office noticeably, for such of Ganymede's surface as could be seen through the transparent dome outside the office window was cold, dim and rugged.
[13] The glowing semi-disk of Jupiter was more than half a million miles distant.
[14] "Try not to be simple—for once!"
[15] growled Jeffers.
[16] "A little percentage here and there on the cargoes never shows by the time figures get back to Earth.
[17] The big jets in the home office don't care.
[18] They count it on the estimates."
[19] "You asked any of them lately?"
[20] Tolliver prodded.
[21] "Now, listen !
[22] Maybe they live soft back on Earth since the mines and the Jovian satellite colonies grew; but they were out here in the beginning, most of them.
[23] They know what it's like.
[24] D'ya think they don't expect us to make what we can on the side?"
[25] Tolliver rammed his fists into the side pockets of his loose blue uniform jacket.
[26] He shook his head, grinning resignedly.
[27] "You just don't listen to me ," he complained.
[28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
[29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
[30] Jeffers fidgeted in his chair, causing it to creak under the bulk of his body.
[31] It had been built for Ganymede, but not for Jeffers.
[32] "Aw, it's not like that," the manager muttered.
[33] "You can ease out whenever your contract's up.
[34] Think we'd bend a good orbit on your account?"
[35] Tolliver stared at him silently, but the other had difficulty meeting his eye.
[36] "All right, then!"
[37] Jeffers snapped after a long moment.
[38] "If you want it that way, either you get in line with us or you're through right now!"
[39] "You can't fire me," retorted the pilot pityingly.
[40] "I came out here on a contract.
[41] Five hundred credits a week base pay, five hundred for hazardous duty.
[42] How else can you get pilots out to Jupiter?"
[43] "Okay I can't fire you legally—as long as you report for work," grumbled Jeffers, by now a shade more ruddy.
[44] "We'll see how long you keep reporting.
[45] Because you're off the Callisto run as of now!
[46] Sit in your quarters and see if the company calls that hazardous duty!"
[47] "Doesn't matter," answered Tolliver, grinning amiably.
[48] "The hazardous part is just being on the same moon as you for the next six months."
[49] He winked and walked out, deliberately leaving the door open behind him so as to enjoy the incoherent bellowing that followed him.
[50] Looks like a little vacation , he thought, unperturbed.
[51] He'll come around.
[52] I just want to get back to Earth with a clean rep. Let Jeffers and his gang steal the Great Red Spot off Jupiter if they like!
[53] It's their risk.
[54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
[55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
[56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
[57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
[58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
[59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
[60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
[61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
[62] "Hey, Johnny!"
[63] said a voice at his shoulder.
[64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
[65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
[66] "What do you mean?"
[67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
[68] "What's wrong with that?"
[69] asked Tolliver.
[70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
[71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
[72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
[73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
[74] Later in the day-period, Tolliver recalled this warning.
[75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
[76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
[77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
[78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
[79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
[80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
[81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
[82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
[83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
[84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
[85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
[86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
[87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
[88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
[89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
[90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
[91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
[92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
[93] "How is it here?"
[94] asked the girl.
[95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
[96] "What did you expect?"
[97] asked Tolliver.
[98] "Square dances with champagne?"
[99] "Don't be silly.
[100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
[101] They probably won't let me see much else."
[102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
[103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
[104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
[105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
[106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
[107] "Missions!
[108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
[109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
[110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
[111] he warned portentously.
[112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
[113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
[114] "You can call me Betty.
[115] What happened to him?"
[116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
[117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
[118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
[119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
[120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
[121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
[122] "You use armored vehicles?"
[123] gasped the girl.
[124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
[125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
[126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
[127] "Those slides," he continued.
[128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
[129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
[130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
[131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
[132] Say, that's pretty good!
[133] he told himself.
[134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
[135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
[136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
[137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
[138] Betty looked thoughtful.
[139] "I'm retiring in six months if I'm still alive," he said bravely, edging the tractor into the airlock at their destination.
[140] "Made my pile.
[141] No use pushing your luck too far."
[142] His charge seemed noticeably subdued, but cleared her throat to request that Tolliver guide her to the office of the manager.
[143] She trailed along as if with a burden of worry upon her mind, and the pilot's conscience prickled.
[144] I'll get hold of her after Jeffers is through and set her straight , he resolved.
[145] It isn't really funny if the sucker is too ignorant to know better.
[146] Remembering his grudge against the manager, he took pleasure in walking in without knocking.
[147] "Jeffers," he announced, "this is ... just call her Betty."
[148] The manager's jowled features twisted into an expression of welcome as jovial as that of a hungry crocodile.
[149] "Miss Koslow!"
[150] he beamed, like a politician the day before the voting.
[151] "It certainly is an honor to have you on Ganymede with us!
[152] That's all, Tolliver, you can go.
[153] Yes, indeed!
[154] Mr. Koslow—the president, that is: your father—sent a message about you.
[155] I repeat, it will be an honor to show you the ropes.
[156] Did you want something else, Tolliver?"
[157] "Never mind him, Mr. Jeffers," snapped the girl, in a tone new to Tolliver.
[158] "We won't be working together, I'm afraid.
[159] You've already had enough rope."
[160] Jeffers seemed to stagger standing still behind his desk.
[161] His loose lips twitched uncertainly, and he looked questioningly to Tolliver.
[162] The pilot stared at Betty, trying to recall pictures he had seen of the elder Koslow.
[163] He was also trying to remember some of the lies he had told en route from the spaceport.
[164] "Wh-wh-what do you mean, Miss Koslow?"
[165] Jeffers stammered.
[166] He darted a suspicious glare at Tolliver.
[167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday.
[168] I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
[169] Tolliver blinked.
[170] He had taken her for three or four years older.
[171] Jeffers now ignored him, intent upon the girl.
[172] "Daddy gave me the title of tenth vice-president mostly as a joke, when he told me to find out what was wrong with operations on Ganymede.
[173] I have some authority, though.
[174] And you look like the source of the trouble to me."
[175] "You can't prove anything," declared Jeffers hoarsely.
[176] "Oh, can't I?
[177] I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find.
[178] Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers?
[179] You're as good as fired!"
[180] The manager dropped heavily to his chair.
[181] He stared unbelievingly at Betty, and Tolliver thought he muttered something about "just landed."
[182] After a moment, the big man came out of his daze enough to stab an intercom button with his finger.
[183] He growled at someone on the other end to come in without a countdown.
[184] Tolliver, hardly thinking about it, expected the someone to be a secretary, but it turned out to be three members of Jeffers' headquarters staff.
[185] He recognized one as Rawlins, a warehouse chief, and guessed that the other two might be his assistants.
[186] They were large enough.
[187] "No stupid questions!"
[188] Jeffers ordered.
[189] "Lock these two up while I think!"
[190] Tolliver started for the door immediately, but was blocked off.
[191] "Where should we lock—?"
[192] the fellow paused to ask.
[193] Tolliver brought up a snappy uppercut to the man's chin, feeling that it was a poor time to engage Jeffers in fruitless debate.
[194] In the gravity of Ganymede, the man was knocked off balance as much as he was hurt, and sprawled on the floor.
[195] "I told you no questions!"
[196] bawled Jeffers.
[197] The fallen hero, upon arising, had to content himself with grabbing Betty.
[198] The others were swarming over Tolliver.
[199] Jeffers came around his desk to assist.
[200] Tolliver found himself dumped on the floor of an empty office in the adjoining warehouse building.
[201] It seemed to him that a long time had been spent in carrying him there.
[202] He heard an indignant yelp, and realized that the girl had been pitched in with him.
[203] The snapping of a lock was followed by the tramp of departing footsteps and then by silence.
[204] After considering the idea a few minutes, Tolliver managed to sit up.
[205] He had his wind back.
[206] But when he fingered the swelling lump behind his left ear, a sensation befuddled him momentarily.
[207] "I'm sorry about that," murmured Betty.
[208] Tolliver grunted.
[209] Sorrow would not reduce the throbbing, nor was he in a mood to undertake an explanation of why Jeffers did not like him anyway.
[210] "I think perhaps you're going to have a shiner," remarked the girl.
[211] "Thanks for letting me know in time," said Tolliver.
[212] The skin under his right eye did feel a trifle tight, but he could see well enough.
[213] The abandoned and empty look of the office worried him.
[214] "What can we use to get out of here?"
[215] he mused.
[216] "Why should we try?"
[217] asked the girl.
[218] "What can he do?"
[219] "You'd be surprised.
[220] How did you catch on to him so soon?"
[221] "Your paycheck," said Betty.
[222] "As soon as I saw that ridiculous amount, it was obvious that there was gross mismanagement here.
[223] It had to be Jeffers."
[224] Tolliver groaned.
[225] "Then, on the way over here, he as good as admitted everything.
[226] You didn't hear him, I guess.
[227] Well, he seemed to be caught all unaware, and seemed to blame you for it."
[228] "Sure!"
[229] grumbled the pilot.
[230] "He thinks I told you he was grafting or smuggling, or whatever he has going for him here.
[231] That's why I want to get out of here—before I find myself involved in some kind of fatal accident!"
[232] "What do you know about the crooked goings-on here?"
[233] asked Betty after a startled pause.
[234] "Nothing," retorted Tolliver.
[235] "Except that there are some.
[236] There are rumors, and I had a halfway invitation to join in.
[237] I think he sells things to the mining colonies and makes a double profit for himself by claiming the stuff lost in transit.
[238] You didn't think you scared him that bad over a little slack managing?"
[239] The picture of Jeffers huddled with his partners in the headquarters building, plotting the next move, brought Tolliver to his feet.
[240] There was nothing in the unused office but an old table and half a dozen plastic crates.
[241] He saw that the latter contained a mess of discarded records.
[242] "Better than nothing at all," he muttered.
[243] He ripped out a double handful of the forms, crumpled them into a pile at the doorway, and pulled out his cigarette lighter.
[244] "What do you think you're up to?"
[245] asked Betty with some concern.
[246] "This plastic is tough," said Tolliver, "but it will bend with enough heat.
[247] If I can kick loose a hinge, maybe we can fool them yet!"
[248] He got a little fire going, and fed it judiciously with more papers.
[249] "You know," he reflected, "it might be better for you to stay here.
[250] He can't do much about you, and you don't have any real proof just by yourself."
[251] "I'll come along with you, Tolliver," said the girl.
[252] "No, I don't think you'd better."
[253] "Why not?"
[254] "Well ... after all, what would he dare do?
[255] Arranging an accident to the daughter of the boss isn't something that he can pull off without a lot of investigation.
[256] He'd be better off just running for it."
[257] "Let's not argue about it," said Betty, a trifle pale but looking determined.
[258] "I'm coming with you.
[259] Is that stuff getting soft yet?"
[260] Tolliver kicked at the edge of the door experimentally.
[261] It seemed to give slightly, so he knocked the burning papers aside and drove his heel hard at the corner below the hinge.
[262] The plastic yielded.
[263] "That's enough already, Tolliver," whispered the girl.
[264] "We can crawl through!"
[265] Hardly sixty seconds later, he led her into a maze of stacked crates in the warehouse proper.
[266] The building was not much longer than wide, for each of the structures in the colony had its own hemispherical emergency dome of transparent plastic.
[267] They soon reached the other end.
[268] "I think there's a storeroom for spacesuits around here," muttered Tolliver.
[269] "Why do you want them?"
[270] "Honey, I just don't think it will be so easy to lay hands on a tractor.
[271] I bet Jeffers already phoned the garage and all the airlocks with some good lie that will keep me from getting through."
[272] After a brief search, he located the spacesuits.
[273] Many, evidently intended for replacements, had never been unpacked, but there were a dozen or so serviced and standing ready for emergencies.
[274] He showed Betty how to climb into one, and checked her seals and valves after donning a suit himself.
[275] "That switch under your chin," he said, touching helmets so she could hear him.
[276] "Leave it turned off.
[277] Anybody might be listening!"
[278] He led the way out a rear door of the warehouse.
[279] With the heavy knife that was standard suit equipment, he deliberately slashed a four-foot square section out of the dome.
[280] He motioned to Betty to step through, then trailed along with the plastic under his arm.
[281] He caught up and touched helmets again.
[282] "Just act as if you're on business," he told her.
[283] "For all anyone can see, we might be inspecting the dome."
[284] "Where are you going?"
[285] asked Betty.
[286] "Right through the wall, and then head for the nearest mine.
[287] Jeffers can't be running everything !"
[288] "Is there any way to get to a TV?"
[289] asked the girl.
[290] "I ... uh ... Daddy gave me a good number to call if I needed help."
[291] "How good?"
[292] "Pretty official, as a matter of fact."
[293] "All right," Tolliver decided.
[294] "We'll try the ship you just came in on.
[295] They might have finished refueling and left her empty."
[296] They had to cross one open lane between buildings, and Tolliver was very conscious of moving figures in the distance; but no one seemed to look their way.
[297] Reaching the foot of the main dome over the establishment, he glanced furtively about, then plunged his knife into the transparent material.
[298] From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Betty make a startled gesture, but he had his work cut out for him.
[299] This was tougher than the interior dome.
[300] Finally, he managed to saw a ragged slit through which they could squeeze.
[301] There was room to walk between the inner and outer layer, so he moved along a few yards.
[302] A little dust began to blow about where they had gone through.
[303] He touched helmets once more.
[304] "This time," he said, "the air will really start to blow, so get through as fast as you can.
[305] If I can slap this piece of plastic over the rip, it may stow down the loss of pressure enough to give us quite a lead before the alarms go off."
[306] Through the faceplates, he saw the girl nod, wide-eyed.
[307] As soon as he plunged the knife into the outer layer, he could see dusty, moist air puffing out into the near-vacuum of Ganymede's surface.
[308] Fumbling, he cut as fast as he could and shoved Betty through the small opening.
[309] Squeezing through in his turn, he left one arm inside to spread the plastic sheet as best he could.
[310] The internal air pressure slapped it against the inside of the dome as if glued, although it immediately showed an alarming tendency to balloon through the ruptured spot.
[311] They'll find it, all right , Tolliver reminded himself.
[312] Don't be here when they do!
[313] He grabbed Betty by the wrist of her spacesuit and headed for the nearest outcropping of rock.
[314] It promptly developed that she had something to learn about running on ice in such low gravity.
[315] Until they were out of direct line of sight from the settlement, Tolliver simply dragged her.
[316] Then, when he decided that it was safe enough to pause and tell her how to manage better, the sight of her outraged scowl through the face-plate made him think better of it.
[317] By the time we reach the ship, she'll have learned , he consoled himself.
[318] It was a long mile, even at the pace human muscles could achieve on Ganymede.
[319] They took one short rest, during which Tolliver was forced to explain away the dangers of slides and volcanic puffballs.
[320] He admitted to having exaggerated slightly.
[321] In the end, they reached the spaceship.
[322] There seemed to be no one about.
[323] The landing dome had been collapsed and stored, and the ship's airlock port was closed.
[324] "That's all right," Tolliver told the girl.
[325] "We can get in with no trouble."
[326] It was when he looked about to make sure that they were unobserved that he caught a glimpse of motion back toward the city.
[327] He peered at the spot through the dim light.
[328] After a moment, he definitely recognized the outline of a tractor breasting a rise in the ground and tilting downward again.
[329] "In fact, we have to get in to stay out of trouble," he said to Betty.
[330] He located the switch-cover in the hull, opened it and activated the mechanism that swung open the airlock and extended the ladder.
[331] It took him considerable scrambling to boost the girl up the ladder and inside, but he managed.
[332] They passed through the airlock, fretting at the time required to seal, pump air and open the inner hatch; and then Tolliver led the way up another ladder to the control room.
[333] It was a clumsy trip in their spacesuits, but he wanted to save time.
[334] In the control room, he shoved the girl into an acceleration seat, glanced at the gauges and showed her how to open her helmet.
[335] "Leave the suit on," he ordered, getting in the first word while she was still shaking her head.
[336] "It will help a little on the takeoff."
[337] "Takeoff!"
[338] shrilled Betty.
[339] "What do you think you're going to do?
[340] I just want to use the radio or TV!"
[341] "That tractor will get here in a minute or two.
[342] They might cut your conversation kind of short.
[343] Now shut up and let me look over these dials!"
[344] He ran a practiced eye over the board, reading the condition of the ship.
[345] It pleased him.
[346] Everything was ready for a takeoff into an economy orbit for Earth.
[347] He busied himself making a few adjustments, doing his best to ignore the protests from his partner in crime.
[348] He warned her the trip might be long.
[349] "I told you not to come," he said at last.
[350] "Now sit back!"
[351] He sat down and pushed a button to start the igniting process.
[352] In a moment, he could feel the rumble of the rockets through the deck, and then it was out of his hands for several minutes.
[353] "That wasn't so bad," Betty admitted some time later.
[354] "Did you go in the right direction?"
[355] "Who knows?"
[356] retorted Tolliver.
[357] "There wasn't time to check everything .
[358] We'll worry about that after we make your call."
[359] "Oh!"
[360] Betty looked helpless.
[361] "It's in my pocket."
[362] Tolliver sighed.
[363] In their weightless state, it was no easy task to pry her out of the spacesuit.
[364] He thought of inquiring if she needed any further help, but reminded himself that this was the boss's daughter.
[365] When Betty produced a memo giving frequency and call sign, he set about making contact.
[366] It took only a few minutes, as if the channel had been monitored expectantly, and the man who flickered into life on the screen wore a uniform.
[367] "Space Patrol?"
[368] whispered Tolliver incredulously.
[369] "That's right," said Betty.
[370] "Uh ... Daddy made arrangements for me."
[371] Tolliver held her in front of the screen so she would not float out of range of the scanner and microphone.
[372] As she spoke, he stared exasperatedly at a bulkhead, marveling at the influence of a man who could arrange for a cruiser to escort his daughter to Ganymede and wondering what was behind it all.
[373] When he heard Betty requesting assistance in arresting Jeffers and reporting the manager as the head of a ring of crooks, he began to suspect.
[374] He also noticed certain peculiarities about the remarks of the Patrolman.
[375] For one thing, though the officer seemed well acquainted with Betty, he never addressed her by the name of Koslow.
[376] For another, he accepted the request as if he had been hanging in orbit merely until learning who to go down after.
[377] They really sent her out to nail someone , Tolliver realized.
[378] Of course, she stumbled onto Jeffers by plain dumb luck.
[379] But she had an idea of what to look for.
[380] How do I get into these things?
[381] She might have got me killed!
[382] "We do have one trouble," he heard Betty saying.
[383] "This tractor driver, Tolliver, saved my neck by making the ship take off somehow, but he says it's set for a six-month orbit, or economy flight.
[384] Whatever they call it.
[385] I don't think he has any idea where we're headed."
[386] Tolliver pulled her back, holding her in mid-air by the slack of her sweater.
[387] "Actually, I have a fine idea," he informed the officer coldly.
[388] "I happen to be a qualified space pilot.
[389] Everything here is under control.
[390] If Miss Koslow thinks you should arrest Jeffers, you can call us later on this channel."
[391] "Miss Koslow?"
[392] repeated the spacer.
[393] "Did she tell you—well, no matter!
[394] If you'll be okay, we'll attend to the other affair immediately."
[395] He signed off promptly.
[396] The pilot faced Betty, who looked more offended than reassured at discovering his status.
[397] "This 'Miss Koslow' business," he said suspiciously.
[398] "He sounded funny about that."
[399] The girl grinned.
[400] "Relax, Tolliver," she told him.
[401] "Did you really believe Daddy would send his own little girl way out here to Ganymede to look for whoever was gypping him?"
[402] "You ...
[403] you...?"
[404] "Sure.
[405] The name's Betty Hanlon.
[406] I work for a private investigating firm.
[407] If old Koslow had a son to impersonate—" "I'd be stuck for six months in this orbit with some brash young man," Tolliver finished for her.
[408] "I guess it's better this way," he said meditatively a moment later.
[409] "Oh, come on !
[410] Can't they get us back?
[411] How can you tell where we're going?"
[412] "I know enough to check takeoff time.
[413] It was practically due anyhow, so we'll float into the vicinity of Earth at about the right time to be picked up."
[414] He went on to explain something of the tremendous cost in fuel necessary to make more than minor corrections to their course.
[415] Even though the Patrol ship could easily catch the slow freighter, bringing along enough fuel to head back would be something else again.
[416] "We'll just have to ride it out," he said sympathetically.
[417] "The ship is provisioned according to law, and you were probably going back anyhow."
[418] "I didn't expect to so soon."
[419] "Yeah, you were pretty lucky.
[420] They'll think you're a marvel to crack the case in about three hours on Ganymede."
[421] "Great!"
[422] muttered Betty.
[423] "What a lucky girl I am!"
[424] "Yes," admitted Tolliver, "there are problems.
[425] If you like, we might get the captain of that Patrol ship to legalize the situation by TV."
[426] "I can see you're used to sweeping girls off their feet," she commented sourly.
[427] "The main problem is whether you can cook."
[428] Betty frowned at him.
[429] "I'm pretty good with a pistol," she offered, "or going over crooked books.
[430] But cook?
[431] Sorry."
[432] "Well, one of us had better learn, and I'll have other things to do."
[433] "I'll think about it," promised the girl, staring thoughtfully at the deck.
[434] Tolliver anchored himself in a seat and grinned as he thought about it too.
[435] After a while , he promised himself, I'll explain how I cut the fuel flow and see if she's detective enough to suspect that we're just orbiting Ganymede! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
2. [2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
3. [5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
4. [28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
5. [29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
6. [54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
7. [55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
8. [56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
9. [57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
10. [58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
11. [59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
12. [60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
13. [61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
14. [64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
15. [65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
16. [67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
17. [68] "What's wrong with that?"
18. [69] asked Tolliver.
19. [70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
20. [71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
21. [72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
22. [73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
23. [75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
24. [76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
25. [77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
26. [78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
27. [79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
28. [80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
29. [81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
30. [82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
31. [83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
32. [84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
33. [85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
34. [86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
35. [87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
36. [88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
37. [89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
38. [90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
39. [91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
40. [92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
41. [93] "How is it here?"
42. [94] asked the girl.
43. [95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
44. [96] "What did you expect?"
45. [97] asked Tolliver.
46. [98] "Square dances with champagne?"
47. [99] "Don't be silly.
48. [100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
49. [101] They probably won't let me see much else."
50. [102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
51. [103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
52. [104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
53. [105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
54. [106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
55. [107] "Missions!
56. [108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
57. [109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
58. [110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
59. [111] he warned portentously.
60. [112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
61. [113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
62. [114] "You can call me Betty.
63. [115] What happened to him?"
64. [116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
65. [117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
66. [118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
67. [119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
68. [120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
69. [121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
70. [122] "You use armored vehicles?"
71. [123] gasped the girl.
72. [124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
73. [125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
74. [126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
75. [127] "Those slides," he continued.
76. [128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
77. [129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
78. [130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
79. [131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
80. [132] Say, that's pretty good!
81. [133] he told himself.
82. [134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
83. [135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
84. [136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
85. [137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
86. [138] Betty looked thoughtful.
87. [139] "I'm retiring in six months if I'm still alive," he said bravely, edging the tractor into the airlock at their destination.
88. [140] "Made my pile.
89. [141] No use pushing your luck too far."
90. [142] His charge seemed noticeably subdued, but cleared her throat to request that Tolliver guide her to the office of the manager.
91. [143] She trailed along as if with a burden of worry upon her mind, and the pilot's conscience prickled.
92. [144] I'll get hold of her after Jeffers is through and set her straight , he resolved.
93. [145] It isn't really funny if the sucker is too ignorant to know better.
94. [146] Remembering his grudge against the manager, he took pleasure in walking in without knocking.
95. [147] "Jeffers," he announced, "this is ... just call her Betty."
96. [148] The manager's jowled features twisted into an expression of welcome as jovial as that of a hungry crocodile.
97. [149] "Miss Koslow!"
98. [150] he beamed, like a politician the day before the voting.
99. [151] "It certainly is an honor to have you on Ganymede with us!
100. [152] That's all, Tolliver, you can go.
101. [153] Yes, indeed!
102. [154] Mr. Koslow—the president, that is: your father—sent a message about you.
103. [155] I repeat, it will be an honor to show you the ropes.
104. [156] Did you want something else, Tolliver?"
105. [157] "Never mind him, Mr. Jeffers," snapped the girl, in a tone new to Tolliver.
106. [158] "We won't be working together, I'm afraid.
107. [159] You've already had enough rope."
108. [160] Jeffers seemed to stagger standing still behind his desk.
109. [161] His loose lips twitched uncertainly, and he looked questioningly to Tolliver.
110. [162] The pilot stared at Betty, trying to recall pictures he had seen of the elder Koslow.
111. [163] He was also trying to remember some of the lies he had told en route from the spaceport.
112. [164] "Wh-wh-what do you mean, Miss Koslow?"
113. [165] Jeffers stammered.
114. [166] He darted a suspicious glare at Tolliver.
115. [167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday.
116. [168] I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
117. [169] Tolliver blinked.
118. [170] He had taken her for three or four years older.
119. [171] Jeffers now ignored him, intent upon the girl.
120. [172] "Daddy gave me the title of tenth vice-president mostly as a joke, when he told me to find out what was wrong with operations on Ganymede.
121. [173] I have some authority, though.
122. [174] And you look like the source of the trouble to me."
123. [175] "You can't prove anything," declared Jeffers hoarsely.
124. [176] "Oh, can't I?
125. [177] I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find.
126. [178] Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers?
127. [179] You're as good as fired!"
128. [180] The manager dropped heavily to his chair.
129. [181] He stared unbelievingly at Betty, and Tolliver thought he muttered something about "just landed."
130. [182] After a moment, the big man came out of his daze enough to stab an intercom button with his finger.
131. [183] He growled at someone on the other end to come in without a countdown.
132. [184] Tolliver, hardly thinking about it, expected the someone to be a secretary, but it turned out to be three members of Jeffers' headquarters staff.
133. [185] He recognized one as Rawlins, a warehouse chief, and guessed that the other two might be his assistants.
134. [186] They were large enough.
135. [187] "No stupid questions!"
136. [188] Jeffers ordered.
137. [189] "Lock these two up while I think!"
138. [190] Tolliver started for the door immediately, but was blocked off.
139. [191] "Where should we lock—?"
140. [192] the fellow paused to ask.
141. [193] Tolliver brought up a snappy uppercut to the man's chin, feeling that it was a poor time to engage Jeffers in fruitless debate.
142. [194] In the gravity of Ganymede, the man was knocked off balance as much as he was hurt, and sprawled on the floor.
143. [195] "I told you no questions!"
144. [196] bawled Jeffers.
145. [197] The fallen hero, upon arising, had to content himself with grabbing Betty.
146. [198] The others were swarming over Tolliver.
147. [199] Jeffers came around his desk to assist.
148. [200] Tolliver found himself dumped on the floor of an empty office in the adjoining warehouse building.
149. [201] It seemed to him that a long time had been spent in carrying him there.
150. [202] He heard an indignant yelp, and realized that the girl had been pitched in with him.
151. [203] The snapping of a lock was followed by the tramp of departing footsteps and then by silence.
152. [204] After considering the idea a few minutes, Tolliver managed to sit up.
153. [205] He had his wind back.
154. [206] But when he fingered the swelling lump behind his left ear, a sensation befuddled him momentarily.
155. [207] "I'm sorry about that," murmured Betty.
156. [208] Tolliver grunted.
157. [209] Sorrow would not reduce the throbbing, nor was he in a mood to undertake an explanation of why Jeffers did not like him anyway.
158. [210] "I think perhaps you're going to have a shiner," remarked the girl.
159. [211] "Thanks for letting me know in time," said Tolliver.
160. [212] The skin under his right eye did feel a trifle tight, but he could see well enough.
161. [213] The abandoned and empty look of the office worried him.
162. [214] "What can we use to get out of here?"
163. [215] he mused.
164. [216] "Why should we try?"
165. [217] asked the girl.
166. [218] "What can he do?"
167. [219] "You'd be surprised.
168. [220] How did you catch on to him so soon?"
169. [221] "Your paycheck," said Betty.
170. [222] "As soon as I saw that ridiculous amount, it was obvious that there was gross mismanagement here.
171. [223] It had to be Jeffers."
172. [224] Tolliver groaned.
173. [225] "Then, on the way over here, he as good as admitted everything.
174. [226] You didn't hear him, I guess.
175. [227] Well, he seemed to be caught all unaware, and seemed to blame you for it."
176. [228] "Sure!"
177. [229] grumbled the pilot.
178. [230] "He thinks I told you he was grafting or smuggling, or whatever he has going for him here.
179. [231] That's why I want to get out of here—before I find myself involved in some kind of fatal accident!"
180. [232] "What do you know about the crooked goings-on here?"
181. [233] asked Betty after a startled pause.
182. [234] "Nothing," retorted Tolliver.
183. [235] "Except that there are some.
184. [236] There are rumors, and I had a halfway invitation to join in.
185. [237] I think he sells things to the mining colonies and makes a double profit for himself by claiming the stuff lost in transit.
186. [238] You didn't think you scared him that bad over a little slack managing?"
187. [239] The picture of Jeffers huddled with his partners in the headquarters building, plotting the next move, brought Tolliver to his feet |
What happens to Betty throughout the story | [
"Betty first disguises as the president’s daughter. She is five feet four, and her hair was a shade too blonde; she has blue eyes and is wearing gray slacks with a heavy sweater. She comes to Ganymedan to learn about traffic routing as well as business management of local branches. Betty is shocked by the exaggerated description that Tolliver gives on the tractor about how dangerous Ganymedan is. Once she arrives in the office, she fires Jeffers stating that she knows that he has been doing. Making Jeffers very angry, he locks her along with Tolliver into the empty office. There, Betty follows Tolliver to escape to the control room. Once she is told that they will take off, she refuses. But, in order to escape, Tolliver takes off the ship into an economy orbit for Earth anyway. Betty finally makes the microphone call to Space Patrol, telling them to capture Jeffers. From the way that the other side of the phone reacted to Tolliver calling Betty Miss Koslow, Tolliver realizes that something’s off. Then Betty tells him that she actually works for a private investigating firm, and her name is Betty Hanlon. Betty",
"Betty arrives to the dome area and is picked up by Tolliver. During the tractor ride back to the dome from her ship, Tolliver attempts to scare her and makes the area sound incredibly dangerous. During their ride, Betty tells Tolliver why she has been sent to this branch. Betty states that her dad wants her to learn the traffic routing and the business management within a local branch of Koslow Spaceways. When they arrive at the air lock, scared from Tolliver’s stories, she asks Tolliver to guide her to manager’s office. Once she reaches Jeffers office, she immediately accuses him of being crooked and wants him gone from his position. One of her first hints came from when she saw Tolliver’s paycheck and its value. She explains to Jeffers that she may look innocent but she is smart and details how she has evidence that he is doing his job improperly. \n\nJeffers responds and orders both Tolliver and Betty to be locked up. They end up in an empty office near a warehouse building. When Tolliver begins to plan his escape from the room, Betty insists on joining Tolliver much to his dismay. They exit on Ganymede’s surface where Betty proves to have trouble running on the ice in a low gravity environment. After successfully grabbing spacesuits to wear and escaping the warehouse, Betty tells Tolliver that she can get significant help from an emergency number she was given by her father. She just needs to find a TV to make the call. They exit the dome and run across the ice to make it towards Betty’s ship. On the ship, Tolliver learns that the woman’s name is actually Betty Hanlon and not the daughter of Koslow. \n\nEventually, Tolliver guides the ship through take off and explains to Betty that they will be on a long orbit path of 6 months. Betty is upset about the return to Earth and the length of the journey. She admits to Tolliver that she is better handling a pistol than being able to cook.",
"Betty meets Tolliver on Ganymede in the beginning of the story. He drives her from the city to the spaceport in a tractor. Betty behaves like a typical daughter of a home-office: she tries to speak and behave like a spacer, wears a spacesuit and wants to understand how everything around works to be useful. She scorns Tolliver's job and doesn't consider it serious until he scares her with exaggerated stories and shows his significant paycheck. Then he takes the girl to Jeffers, who treats her with utmost sweetness. There Betty directly accuses Jeffers of his manipulations and says he'll be fired. For this statement she gets locked up together with Tolliver, who manages to escape, and Betty follows him. The two put on the spacesuits and get into a spaceship which takes off due ton Tolliver. From there the girl calls Space Patrol and asks them to help arrest Jeffers, it turns out she is an investigator, not a daughter of the high-standing man. The story ends with her being on the ship with Tolliver for unknown amount of time.",
"Betty arrives at Ganymede, where she is escorted by Johnny Tolliver into the city. On the way there, Tolliver tells her stories of his job as a driver and of the dangerous nature of Ganymede, and shows her his paycheck, making Betty suspicious of mismanagement. Betty requests to meet Jeffers, and she threatens to fire him upon her suspicions. She is then taken and locked up by Jeffers into an empty office, and Tolliver is able to escape. Betty decides to join Tolliver, and the two run to the spaceship. On the ship, Betty calls Space Patrol and orders Jeffers to be arrested. Betty, now stuck in orbit with Tolliver, informs him that she is not actually the daughter of Koslow, but a private investigator."
] | [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
[2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
[3] By H. B. FYFE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
[6] His black thatch was ruffled, as if he had been rubbed the wrong way.
[7] "I didn't ask you to cut out your own graft, did I?"
[8] he demanded.
[9] "Just don't try to sucker me in on the deal.
[10] I know you're operating something sneaky all through the colony, but it's not for me."
[11] The big moon-face of Jeffers, manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, glowered back at him.
[12] Its reddish tinge brightened the office noticeably, for such of Ganymede's surface as could be seen through the transparent dome outside the office window was cold, dim and rugged.
[13] The glowing semi-disk of Jupiter was more than half a million miles distant.
[14] "Try not to be simple—for once!"
[15] growled Jeffers.
[16] "A little percentage here and there on the cargoes never shows by the time figures get back to Earth.
[17] The big jets in the home office don't care.
[18] They count it on the estimates."
[19] "You asked any of them lately?"
[20] Tolliver prodded.
[21] "Now, listen !
[22] Maybe they live soft back on Earth since the mines and the Jovian satellite colonies grew; but they were out here in the beginning, most of them.
[23] They know what it's like.
[24] D'ya think they don't expect us to make what we can on the side?"
[25] Tolliver rammed his fists into the side pockets of his loose blue uniform jacket.
[26] He shook his head, grinning resignedly.
[27] "You just don't listen to me ," he complained.
[28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
[29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
[30] Jeffers fidgeted in his chair, causing it to creak under the bulk of his body.
[31] It had been built for Ganymede, but not for Jeffers.
[32] "Aw, it's not like that," the manager muttered.
[33] "You can ease out whenever your contract's up.
[34] Think we'd bend a good orbit on your account?"
[35] Tolliver stared at him silently, but the other had difficulty meeting his eye.
[36] "All right, then!"
[37] Jeffers snapped after a long moment.
[38] "If you want it that way, either you get in line with us or you're through right now!"
[39] "You can't fire me," retorted the pilot pityingly.
[40] "I came out here on a contract.
[41] Five hundred credits a week base pay, five hundred for hazardous duty.
[42] How else can you get pilots out to Jupiter?"
[43] "Okay I can't fire you legally—as long as you report for work," grumbled Jeffers, by now a shade more ruddy.
[44] "We'll see how long you keep reporting.
[45] Because you're off the Callisto run as of now!
[46] Sit in your quarters and see if the company calls that hazardous duty!"
[47] "Doesn't matter," answered Tolliver, grinning amiably.
[48] "The hazardous part is just being on the same moon as you for the next six months."
[49] He winked and walked out, deliberately leaving the door open behind him so as to enjoy the incoherent bellowing that followed him.
[50] Looks like a little vacation , he thought, unperturbed.
[51] He'll come around.
[52] I just want to get back to Earth with a clean rep. Let Jeffers and his gang steal the Great Red Spot off Jupiter if they like!
[53] It's their risk.
[54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
[55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
[56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
[57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
[58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
[59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
[60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
[61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
[62] "Hey, Johnny!"
[63] said a voice at his shoulder.
[64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
[65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
[66] "What do you mean?"
[67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
[68] "What's wrong with that?"
[69] asked Tolliver.
[70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
[71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
[72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
[73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
[74] Later in the day-period, Tolliver recalled this warning.
[75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
[76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
[77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
[78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
[79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
[80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
[81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
[82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
[83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
[84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
[85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
[86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
[87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
[88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
[89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
[90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
[91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
[92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
[93] "How is it here?"
[94] asked the girl.
[95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
[96] "What did you expect?"
[97] asked Tolliver.
[98] "Square dances with champagne?"
[99] "Don't be silly.
[100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
[101] They probably won't let me see much else."
[102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
[103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
[104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
[105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
[106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
[107] "Missions!
[108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
[109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
[110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
[111] he warned portentously.
[112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
[113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
[114] "You can call me Betty.
[115] What happened to him?"
[116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
[117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
[118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
[119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
[120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
[121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
[122] "You use armored vehicles?"
[123] gasped the girl.
[124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
[125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
[126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
[127] "Those slides," he continued.
[128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
[129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
[130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
[131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
[132] Say, that's pretty good!
[133] he told himself.
[134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
[135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
[136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
[137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
[138] Betty looked thoughtful.
[139] "I'm retiring in six months if I'm still alive," he said bravely, edging the tractor into the airlock at their destination.
[140] "Made my pile.
[141] No use pushing your luck too far."
[142] His charge seemed noticeably subdued, but cleared her throat to request that Tolliver guide her to the office of the manager.
[143] She trailed along as if with a burden of worry upon her mind, and the pilot's conscience prickled.
[144] I'll get hold of her after Jeffers is through and set her straight , he resolved.
[145] It isn't really funny if the sucker is too ignorant to know better.
[146] Remembering his grudge against the manager, he took pleasure in walking in without knocking.
[147] "Jeffers," he announced, "this is ... just call her Betty."
[148] The manager's jowled features twisted into an expression of welcome as jovial as that of a hungry crocodile.
[149] "Miss Koslow!"
[150] he beamed, like a politician the day before the voting.
[151] "It certainly is an honor to have you on Ganymede with us!
[152] That's all, Tolliver, you can go.
[153] Yes, indeed!
[154] Mr. Koslow—the president, that is: your father—sent a message about you.
[155] I repeat, it will be an honor to show you the ropes.
[156] Did you want something else, Tolliver?"
[157] "Never mind him, Mr. Jeffers," snapped the girl, in a tone new to Tolliver.
[158] "We won't be working together, I'm afraid.
[159] You've already had enough rope."
[160] Jeffers seemed to stagger standing still behind his desk.
[161] His loose lips twitched uncertainly, and he looked questioningly to Tolliver.
[162] The pilot stared at Betty, trying to recall pictures he had seen of the elder Koslow.
[163] He was also trying to remember some of the lies he had told en route from the spaceport.
[164] "Wh-wh-what do you mean, Miss Koslow?"
[165] Jeffers stammered.
[166] He darted a suspicious glare at Tolliver.
[167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday.
[168] I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
[169] Tolliver blinked.
[170] He had taken her for three or four years older.
[171] Jeffers now ignored him, intent upon the girl.
[172] "Daddy gave me the title of tenth vice-president mostly as a joke, when he told me to find out what was wrong with operations on Ganymede.
[173] I have some authority, though.
[174] And you look like the source of the trouble to me."
[175] "You can't prove anything," declared Jeffers hoarsely.
[176] "Oh, can't I?
[177] I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find.
[178] Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers?
[179] You're as good as fired!"
[180] The manager dropped heavily to his chair.
[181] He stared unbelievingly at Betty, and Tolliver thought he muttered something about "just landed."
[182] After a moment, the big man came out of his daze enough to stab an intercom button with his finger.
[183] He growled at someone on the other end to come in without a countdown.
[184] Tolliver, hardly thinking about it, expected the someone to be a secretary, but it turned out to be three members of Jeffers' headquarters staff.
[185] He recognized one as Rawlins, a warehouse chief, and guessed that the other two might be his assistants.
[186] They were large enough.
[187] "No stupid questions!"
[188] Jeffers ordered.
[189] "Lock these two up while I think!"
[190] Tolliver started for the door immediately, but was blocked off.
[191] "Where should we lock—?"
[192] the fellow paused to ask.
[193] Tolliver brought up a snappy uppercut to the man's chin, feeling that it was a poor time to engage Jeffers in fruitless debate.
[194] In the gravity of Ganymede, the man was knocked off balance as much as he was hurt, and sprawled on the floor.
[195] "I told you no questions!"
[196] bawled Jeffers.
[197] The fallen hero, upon arising, had to content himself with grabbing Betty.
[198] The others were swarming over Tolliver.
[199] Jeffers came around his desk to assist.
[200] Tolliver found himself dumped on the floor of an empty office in the adjoining warehouse building.
[201] It seemed to him that a long time had been spent in carrying him there.
[202] He heard an indignant yelp, and realized that the girl had been pitched in with him.
[203] The snapping of a lock was followed by the tramp of departing footsteps and then by silence.
[204] After considering the idea a few minutes, Tolliver managed to sit up.
[205] He had his wind back.
[206] But when he fingered the swelling lump behind his left ear, a sensation befuddled him momentarily.
[207] "I'm sorry about that," murmured Betty.
[208] Tolliver grunted.
[209] Sorrow would not reduce the throbbing, nor was he in a mood to undertake an explanation of why Jeffers did not like him anyway.
[210] "I think perhaps you're going to have a shiner," remarked the girl.
[211] "Thanks for letting me know in time," said Tolliver.
[212] The skin under his right eye did feel a trifle tight, but he could see well enough.
[213] The abandoned and empty look of the office worried him.
[214] "What can we use to get out of here?"
[215] he mused.
[216] "Why should we try?"
[217] asked the girl.
[218] "What can he do?"
[219] "You'd be surprised.
[220] How did you catch on to him so soon?"
[221] "Your paycheck," said Betty.
[222] "As soon as I saw that ridiculous amount, it was obvious that there was gross mismanagement here.
[223] It had to be Jeffers."
[224] Tolliver groaned.
[225] "Then, on the way over here, he as good as admitted everything.
[226] You didn't hear him, I guess.
[227] Well, he seemed to be caught all unaware, and seemed to blame you for it."
[228] "Sure!"
[229] grumbled the pilot.
[230] "He thinks I told you he was grafting or smuggling, or whatever he has going for him here.
[231] That's why I want to get out of here—before I find myself involved in some kind of fatal accident!"
[232] "What do you know about the crooked goings-on here?"
[233] asked Betty after a startled pause.
[234] "Nothing," retorted Tolliver.
[235] "Except that there are some.
[236] There are rumors, and I had a halfway invitation to join in.
[237] I think he sells things to the mining colonies and makes a double profit for himself by claiming the stuff lost in transit.
[238] You didn't think you scared him that bad over a little slack managing?"
[239] The picture of Jeffers huddled with his partners in the headquarters building, plotting the next move, brought Tolliver to his feet.
[240] There was nothing in the unused office but an old table and half a dozen plastic crates.
[241] He saw that the latter contained a mess of discarded records.
[242] "Better than nothing at all," he muttered.
[243] He ripped out a double handful of the forms, crumpled them into a pile at the doorway, and pulled out his cigarette lighter.
[244] "What do you think you're up to?"
[245] asked Betty with some concern.
[246] "This plastic is tough," said Tolliver, "but it will bend with enough heat.
[247] If I can kick loose a hinge, maybe we can fool them yet!"
[248] He got a little fire going, and fed it judiciously with more papers.
[249] "You know," he reflected, "it might be better for you to stay here.
[250] He can't do much about you, and you don't have any real proof just by yourself."
[251] "I'll come along with you, Tolliver," said the girl.
[252] "No, I don't think you'd better."
[253] "Why not?"
[254] "Well ... after all, what would he dare do?
[255] Arranging an accident to the daughter of the boss isn't something that he can pull off without a lot of investigation.
[256] He'd be better off just running for it."
[257] "Let's not argue about it," said Betty, a trifle pale but looking determined.
[258] "I'm coming with you.
[259] Is that stuff getting soft yet?"
[260] Tolliver kicked at the edge of the door experimentally.
[261] It seemed to give slightly, so he knocked the burning papers aside and drove his heel hard at the corner below the hinge.
[262] The plastic yielded.
[263] "That's enough already, Tolliver," whispered the girl.
[264] "We can crawl through!"
[265] Hardly sixty seconds later, he led her into a maze of stacked crates in the warehouse proper.
[266] The building was not much longer than wide, for each of the structures in the colony had its own hemispherical emergency dome of transparent plastic.
[267] They soon reached the other end.
[268] "I think there's a storeroom for spacesuits around here," muttered Tolliver.
[269] "Why do you want them?"
[270] "Honey, I just don't think it will be so easy to lay hands on a tractor.
[271] I bet Jeffers already phoned the garage and all the airlocks with some good lie that will keep me from getting through."
[272] After a brief search, he located the spacesuits.
[273] Many, evidently intended for replacements, had never been unpacked, but there were a dozen or so serviced and standing ready for emergencies.
[274] He showed Betty how to climb into one, and checked her seals and valves after donning a suit himself.
[275] "That switch under your chin," he said, touching helmets so she could hear him.
[276] "Leave it turned off.
[277] Anybody might be listening!"
[278] He led the way out a rear door of the warehouse.
[279] With the heavy knife that was standard suit equipment, he deliberately slashed a four-foot square section out of the dome.
[280] He motioned to Betty to step through, then trailed along with the plastic under his arm.
[281] He caught up and touched helmets again.
[282] "Just act as if you're on business," he told her.
[283] "For all anyone can see, we might be inspecting the dome."
[284] "Where are you going?"
[285] asked Betty.
[286] "Right through the wall, and then head for the nearest mine.
[287] Jeffers can't be running everything !"
[288] "Is there any way to get to a TV?"
[289] asked the girl.
[290] "I ... uh ... Daddy gave me a good number to call if I needed help."
[291] "How good?"
[292] "Pretty official, as a matter of fact."
[293] "All right," Tolliver decided.
[294] "We'll try the ship you just came in on.
[295] They might have finished refueling and left her empty."
[296] They had to cross one open lane between buildings, and Tolliver was very conscious of moving figures in the distance; but no one seemed to look their way.
[297] Reaching the foot of the main dome over the establishment, he glanced furtively about, then plunged his knife into the transparent material.
[298] From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Betty make a startled gesture, but he had his work cut out for him.
[299] This was tougher than the interior dome.
[300] Finally, he managed to saw a ragged slit through which they could squeeze.
[301] There was room to walk between the inner and outer layer, so he moved along a few yards.
[302] A little dust began to blow about where they had gone through.
[303] He touched helmets once more.
[304] "This time," he said, "the air will really start to blow, so get through as fast as you can.
[305] If I can slap this piece of plastic over the rip, it may stow down the loss of pressure enough to give us quite a lead before the alarms go off."
[306] Through the faceplates, he saw the girl nod, wide-eyed.
[307] As soon as he plunged the knife into the outer layer, he could see dusty, moist air puffing out into the near-vacuum of Ganymede's surface.
[308] Fumbling, he cut as fast as he could and shoved Betty through the small opening.
[309] Squeezing through in his turn, he left one arm inside to spread the plastic sheet as best he could.
[310] The internal air pressure slapped it against the inside of the dome as if glued, although it immediately showed an alarming tendency to balloon through the ruptured spot.
[311] They'll find it, all right , Tolliver reminded himself.
[312] Don't be here when they do!
[313] He grabbed Betty by the wrist of her spacesuit and headed for the nearest outcropping of rock.
[314] It promptly developed that she had something to learn about running on ice in such low gravity.
[315] Until they were out of direct line of sight from the settlement, Tolliver simply dragged her.
[316] Then, when he decided that it was safe enough to pause and tell her how to manage better, the sight of her outraged scowl through the face-plate made him think better of it.
[317] By the time we reach the ship, she'll have learned , he consoled himself.
[318] It was a long mile, even at the pace human muscles could achieve on Ganymede.
[319] They took one short rest, during which Tolliver was forced to explain away the dangers of slides and volcanic puffballs.
[320] He admitted to having exaggerated slightly.
[321] In the end, they reached the spaceship.
[322] There seemed to be no one about.
[323] The landing dome had been collapsed and stored, and the ship's airlock port was closed.
[324] "That's all right," Tolliver told the girl.
[325] "We can get in with no trouble."
[326] It was when he looked about to make sure that they were unobserved that he caught a glimpse of motion back toward the city.
[327] He peered at the spot through the dim light.
[328] After a moment, he definitely recognized the outline of a tractor breasting a rise in the ground and tilting downward again.
[329] "In fact, we have to get in to stay out of trouble," he said to Betty.
[330] He located the switch-cover in the hull, opened it and activated the mechanism that swung open the airlock and extended the ladder.
[331] It took him considerable scrambling to boost the girl up the ladder and inside, but he managed.
[332] They passed through the airlock, fretting at the time required to seal, pump air and open the inner hatch; and then Tolliver led the way up another ladder to the control room.
[333] It was a clumsy trip in their spacesuits, but he wanted to save time.
[334] In the control room, he shoved the girl into an acceleration seat, glanced at the gauges and showed her how to open her helmet.
[335] "Leave the suit on," he ordered, getting in the first word while she was still shaking her head.
[336] "It will help a little on the takeoff."
[337] "Takeoff!"
[338] shrilled Betty.
[339] "What do you think you're going to do?
[340] I just want to use the radio or TV!"
[341] "That tractor will get here in a minute or two.
[342] They might cut your conversation kind of short.
[343] Now shut up and let me look over these dials!"
[344] He ran a practiced eye over the board, reading the condition of the ship.
[345] It pleased him.
[346] Everything was ready for a takeoff into an economy orbit for Earth.
[347] He busied himself making a few adjustments, doing his best to ignore the protests from his partner in crime.
[348] He warned her the trip might be long.
[349] "I told you not to come," he said at last.
[350] "Now sit back!"
[351] He sat down and pushed a button to start the igniting process.
[352] In a moment, he could feel the rumble of the rockets through the deck, and then it was out of his hands for several minutes.
[353] "That wasn't so bad," Betty admitted some time later.
[354] "Did you go in the right direction?"
[355] "Who knows?"
[356] retorted Tolliver.
[357] "There wasn't time to check everything .
[358] We'll worry about that after we make your call."
[359] "Oh!"
[360] Betty looked helpless.
[361] "It's in my pocket."
[362] Tolliver sighed.
[363] In their weightless state, it was no easy task to pry her out of the spacesuit.
[364] He thought of inquiring if she needed any further help, but reminded himself that this was the boss's daughter.
[365] When Betty produced a memo giving frequency and call sign, he set about making contact.
[366] It took only a few minutes, as if the channel had been monitored expectantly, and the man who flickered into life on the screen wore a uniform.
[367] "Space Patrol?"
[368] whispered Tolliver incredulously.
[369] "That's right," said Betty.
[370] "Uh ... Daddy made arrangements for me."
[371] Tolliver held her in front of the screen so she would not float out of range of the scanner and microphone.
[372] As she spoke, he stared exasperatedly at a bulkhead, marveling at the influence of a man who could arrange for a cruiser to escort his daughter to Ganymede and wondering what was behind it all.
[373] When he heard Betty requesting assistance in arresting Jeffers and reporting the manager as the head of a ring of crooks, he began to suspect.
[374] He also noticed certain peculiarities about the remarks of the Patrolman.
[375] For one thing, though the officer seemed well acquainted with Betty, he never addressed her by the name of Koslow.
[376] For another, he accepted the request as if he had been hanging in orbit merely until learning who to go down after.
[377] They really sent her out to nail someone , Tolliver realized.
[378] Of course, she stumbled onto Jeffers by plain dumb luck.
[379] But she had an idea of what to look for.
[380] How do I get into these things?
[381] She might have got me killed!
[382] "We do have one trouble," he heard Betty saying.
[383] "This tractor driver, Tolliver, saved my neck by making the ship take off somehow, but he says it's set for a six-month orbit, or economy flight.
[384] Whatever they call it.
[385] I don't think he has any idea where we're headed."
[386] Tolliver pulled her back, holding her in mid-air by the slack of her sweater.
[387] "Actually, I have a fine idea," he informed the officer coldly.
[388] "I happen to be a qualified space pilot.
[389] Everything here is under control.
[390] If Miss Koslow thinks you should arrest Jeffers, you can call us later on this channel."
[391] "Miss Koslow?"
[392] repeated the spacer.
[393] "Did she tell you—well, no matter!
[394] If you'll be okay, we'll attend to the other affair immediately."
[395] He signed off promptly.
[396] The pilot faced Betty, who looked more offended than reassured at discovering his status.
[397] "This 'Miss Koslow' business," he said suspiciously.
[398] "He sounded funny about that."
[399] The girl grinned.
[400] "Relax, Tolliver," she told him.
[401] "Did you really believe Daddy would send his own little girl way out here to Ganymede to look for whoever was gypping him?"
[402] "You ...
[403] you...?"
[404] "Sure.
[405] The name's Betty Hanlon.
[406] I work for a private investigating firm.
[407] If old Koslow had a son to impersonate—" "I'd be stuck for six months in this orbit with some brash young man," Tolliver finished for her.
[408] "I guess it's better this way," he said meditatively a moment later.
[409] "Oh, come on !
[410] Can't they get us back?
[411] How can you tell where we're going?"
[412] "I know enough to check takeoff time.
[413] It was practically due anyhow, so we'll float into the vicinity of Earth at about the right time to be picked up."
[414] He went on to explain something of the tremendous cost in fuel necessary to make more than minor corrections to their course.
[415] Even though the Patrol ship could easily catch the slow freighter, bringing along enough fuel to head back would be something else again.
[416] "We'll just have to ride it out," he said sympathetically.
[417] "The ship is provisioned according to law, and you were probably going back anyhow."
[418] "I didn't expect to so soon."
[419] "Yeah, you were pretty lucky.
[420] They'll think you're a marvel to crack the case in about three hours on Ganymede."
[421] "Great!"
[422] muttered Betty.
[423] "What a lucky girl I am!"
[424] "Yes," admitted Tolliver, "there are problems.
[425] If you like, we might get the captain of that Patrol ship to legalize the situation by TV."
[426] "I can see you're used to sweeping girls off their feet," she commented sourly.
[427] "The main problem is whether you can cook."
[428] Betty frowned at him.
[429] "I'm pretty good with a pistol," she offered, "or going over crooked books.
[430] But cook?
[431] Sorry."
[432] "Well, one of us had better learn, and I'll have other things to do."
[433] "I'll think about it," promised the girl, staring thoughtfully at the deck.
[434] Tolliver anchored himself in a seat and grinned as he thought about it too.
[435] After a while , he promised himself, I'll explain how I cut the fuel flow and see if she's detective enough to suspect that we're just orbiting Ganymede! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What happens to Betty throughout the story":
1. [167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday. I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
2. [172] "Daddy gave me the title of tenth vice-president mostly as a joke, when he told me to find out what was wrong with operations on Ganymede. I have some authority, though."
3. [177] "I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find. Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers? You're as good as fired!"
4. [251] "I'll come along with you, Tolliver," said the girl.
5. [257] "Let's not argue about it," said Betty, a trifle pale but looking determined. "I'm coming with you."
6. [288] "Is there any way to get to a TV?" asked the girl.
7. [289] "I ... uh ... Daddy gave me a good number to call if I needed help."
8. [290] "How good?"
9. [291] "Pretty official, as a matter of fact."
10. [392] "Miss Koslow?" repeated the spacer. "Did she tell you—well, no matter!"
11. [400] "Relax, Tolliver," she told him. "Did you really believe Daddy would send his own little girl way out here to Ganymede to look for whoever was gypping him?"
12. [404] "Sure. The name's Betty Hanlon. I work for a private investigating firm."
13. [406] "If old Koslow had a son to impersonate—"
14. [418] "I didn't expect to so soon."
15. [422] "Great!" muttered Betty. "What a lucky girl I am!"
16. [428] "I'm pretty good with a pistol," she offered, "or going over crooked books. But cook? Sorry." |
What happens to Jeffers throughout the story | [
"Jeffers is the manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways. He is operating something sneaky all through the colony. When he tries to make Tolliver join him, he refuses. But Jeffers cannot legally fire him, thus he decides to make him do some very boring works as a driver of airtight tractor, which is used between the dome city and the spaceport. Then after learning that Betty knows about what he is doing and wants to fire him, he is very shocked. He orders three men to lock Betty and Tolliver up. Later, Jeffers and his partners goes to the headquarters building, plotting their next moves. Tolliver assumes that Jeffers has already warned the garage and airlocks about the two, so that they cannot escape. Finally, when Betty reaches Space Patrol through the microphone, she told them to arrest Jeffers.",
"The story begins with Tolliver expressing his discontent in a meeting with Jeffers. Jeffers at first tries to appease Tolliver and then changes his attitude. He threatens Tolliver multiple times in an attempt to subdue his anger. \n\nLater on, Tolliver barges into Jeffers office in an attempt to annoy Jeffers. He is successful in doing so. Once Jeffers notices Betty, his attitude changes and he greets her warmly and with excitement. However, very quickly Betty shows her disdain towards Jeffers. He is uncertain as to why she is upset with him and appears to blame Tolliver. After Betty details her accusations, Jeffers is quick to defend himself and even quicker to anger and go into action. He orders people to lock both Tolliver and Betty up. \n\nIt is implied that Betty called a group that will come in and arrest Jeffers for his actions and remove him from his post.",
"The story starts with Jeffers trying to persuade Johnny to join his gang in stealing and reselling a part of the valuable cargo. He threatens Johnny as the least refuses to. The further refusal makes Jeffers put Johnny to some boring job such as driving tractors with relative of home-office. Later, Jeffers meets Betty, a daughter of a very influential man. He treats her sweetly until she accuses him of his crimes. Then he calls for his men to lock up the girl and Tolliver in order to give him time to think. Jeffers plots the next moves and orders to watch out for the prisoners. After a while, Betty calls Space Patrol to request arresting Jeffers.",
"The story begins in Jeffers' office, where he meets with his employee, Johnny Tolliver, and offers him a part in his scheme where he steals from his cargo ships for profit. Tolliver refuses to join, and Jeffers then lays Tolliver off his space pilot assignment, and instead places him to drive tractors. A few days later, Jeffers is met by Tolliver and Betty in his office. Jeffers happily greets Betty as Miss Koslow, but Betty instead threatens to have Jeffers fired. Afraid of being found out, Jeffers captures the two and keeps them in an office. However, they soon escape and Jeffers is ordered to be arrested."
] | [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
[2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
[3] By H. B. FYFE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
[6] His black thatch was ruffled, as if he had been rubbed the wrong way.
[7] "I didn't ask you to cut out your own graft, did I?"
[8] he demanded.
[9] "Just don't try to sucker me in on the deal.
[10] I know you're operating something sneaky all through the colony, but it's not for me."
[11] The big moon-face of Jeffers, manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, glowered back at him.
[12] Its reddish tinge brightened the office noticeably, for such of Ganymede's surface as could be seen through the transparent dome outside the office window was cold, dim and rugged.
[13] The glowing semi-disk of Jupiter was more than half a million miles distant.
[14] "Try not to be simple—for once!"
[15] growled Jeffers.
[16] "A little percentage here and there on the cargoes never shows by the time figures get back to Earth.
[17] The big jets in the home office don't care.
[18] They count it on the estimates."
[19] "You asked any of them lately?"
[20] Tolliver prodded.
[21] "Now, listen !
[22] Maybe they live soft back on Earth since the mines and the Jovian satellite colonies grew; but they were out here in the beginning, most of them.
[23] They know what it's like.
[24] D'ya think they don't expect us to make what we can on the side?"
[25] Tolliver rammed his fists into the side pockets of his loose blue uniform jacket.
[26] He shook his head, grinning resignedly.
[27] "You just don't listen to me ," he complained.
[28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
[29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
[30] Jeffers fidgeted in his chair, causing it to creak under the bulk of his body.
[31] It had been built for Ganymede, but not for Jeffers.
[32] "Aw, it's not like that," the manager muttered.
[33] "You can ease out whenever your contract's up.
[34] Think we'd bend a good orbit on your account?"
[35] Tolliver stared at him silently, but the other had difficulty meeting his eye.
[36] "All right, then!"
[37] Jeffers snapped after a long moment.
[38] "If you want it that way, either you get in line with us or you're through right now!"
[39] "You can't fire me," retorted the pilot pityingly.
[40] "I came out here on a contract.
[41] Five hundred credits a week base pay, five hundred for hazardous duty.
[42] How else can you get pilots out to Jupiter?"
[43] "Okay I can't fire you legally—as long as you report for work," grumbled Jeffers, by now a shade more ruddy.
[44] "We'll see how long you keep reporting.
[45] Because you're off the Callisto run as of now!
[46] Sit in your quarters and see if the company calls that hazardous duty!"
[47] "Doesn't matter," answered Tolliver, grinning amiably.
[48] "The hazardous part is just being on the same moon as you for the next six months."
[49] He winked and walked out, deliberately leaving the door open behind him so as to enjoy the incoherent bellowing that followed him.
[50] Looks like a little vacation , he thought, unperturbed.
[51] He'll come around.
[52] I just want to get back to Earth with a clean rep. Let Jeffers and his gang steal the Great Red Spot off Jupiter if they like!
[53] It's their risk.
[54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
[55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
[56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
[57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
[58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
[59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
[60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
[61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
[62] "Hey, Johnny!"
[63] said a voice at his shoulder.
[64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
[65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
[66] "What do you mean?"
[67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
[68] "What's wrong with that?"
[69] asked Tolliver.
[70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
[71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
[72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
[73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
[74] Later in the day-period, Tolliver recalled this warning.
[75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
[76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
[77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
[78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
[79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
[80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
[81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
[82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
[83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
[84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
[85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
[86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
[87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
[88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
[89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
[90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
[91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
[92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
[93] "How is it here?"
[94] asked the girl.
[95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
[96] "What did you expect?"
[97] asked Tolliver.
[98] "Square dances with champagne?"
[99] "Don't be silly.
[100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
[101] They probably won't let me see much else."
[102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
[103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
[104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
[105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
[106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
[107] "Missions!
[108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
[109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
[110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
[111] he warned portentously.
[112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
[113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
[114] "You can call me Betty.
[115] What happened to him?"
[116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
[117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
[118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
[119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
[120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
[121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
[122] "You use armored vehicles?"
[123] gasped the girl.
[124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
[125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
[126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
[127] "Those slides," he continued.
[128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
[129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
[130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
[131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
[132] Say, that's pretty good!
[133] he told himself.
[134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
[135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
[136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
[137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
[138] Betty looked thoughtful.
[139] "I'm retiring in six months if I'm still alive," he said bravely, edging the tractor into the airlock at their destination.
[140] "Made my pile.
[141] No use pushing your luck too far."
[142] His charge seemed noticeably subdued, but cleared her throat to request that Tolliver guide her to the office of the manager.
[143] She trailed along as if with a burden of worry upon her mind, and the pilot's conscience prickled.
[144] I'll get hold of her after Jeffers is through and set her straight , he resolved.
[145] It isn't really funny if the sucker is too ignorant to know better.
[146] Remembering his grudge against the manager, he took pleasure in walking in without knocking.
[147] "Jeffers," he announced, "this is ... just call her Betty."
[148] The manager's jowled features twisted into an expression of welcome as jovial as that of a hungry crocodile.
[149] "Miss Koslow!"
[150] he beamed, like a politician the day before the voting.
[151] "It certainly is an honor to have you on Ganymede with us!
[152] That's all, Tolliver, you can go.
[153] Yes, indeed!
[154] Mr. Koslow—the president, that is: your father—sent a message about you.
[155] I repeat, it will be an honor to show you the ropes.
[156] Did you want something else, Tolliver?"
[157] "Never mind him, Mr. Jeffers," snapped the girl, in a tone new to Tolliver.
[158] "We won't be working together, I'm afraid.
[159] You've already had enough rope."
[160] Jeffers seemed to stagger standing still behind his desk.
[161] His loose lips twitched uncertainly, and he looked questioningly to Tolliver.
[162] The pilot stared at Betty, trying to recall pictures he had seen of the elder Koslow.
[163] He was also trying to remember some of the lies he had told en route from the spaceport.
[164] "Wh-wh-what do you mean, Miss Koslow?"
[165] Jeffers stammered.
[166] He darted a suspicious glare at Tolliver.
[167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday.
[168] I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
[169] Tolliver blinked.
[170] He had taken her for three or four years older.
[171] Jeffers now ignored him, intent upon the girl.
[172] "Daddy gave me the title of tenth vice-president mostly as a joke, when he told me to find out what was wrong with operations on Ganymede.
[173] I have some authority, though.
[174] And you look like the source of the trouble to me."
[175] "You can't prove anything," declared Jeffers hoarsely.
[176] "Oh, can't I?
[177] I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find.
[178] Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers?
[179] You're as good as fired!"
[180] The manager dropped heavily to his chair.
[181] He stared unbelievingly at Betty, and Tolliver thought he muttered something about "just landed."
[182] After a moment, the big man came out of his daze enough to stab an intercom button with his finger.
[183] He growled at someone on the other end to come in without a countdown.
[184] Tolliver, hardly thinking about it, expected the someone to be a secretary, but it turned out to be three members of Jeffers' headquarters staff.
[185] He recognized one as Rawlins, a warehouse chief, and guessed that the other two might be his assistants.
[186] They were large enough.
[187] "No stupid questions!"
[188] Jeffers ordered.
[189] "Lock these two up while I think!"
[190] Tolliver started for the door immediately, but was blocked off.
[191] "Where should we lock—?"
[192] the fellow paused to ask.
[193] Tolliver brought up a snappy uppercut to the man's chin, feeling that it was a poor time to engage Jeffers in fruitless debate.
[194] In the gravity of Ganymede, the man was knocked off balance as much as he was hurt, and sprawled on the floor.
[195] "I told you no questions!"
[196] bawled Jeffers.
[197] The fallen hero, upon arising, had to content himself with grabbing Betty.
[198] The others were swarming over Tolliver.
[199] Jeffers came around his desk to assist.
[200] Tolliver found himself dumped on the floor of an empty office in the adjoining warehouse building.
[201] It seemed to him that a long time had been spent in carrying him there.
[202] He heard an indignant yelp, and realized that the girl had been pitched in with him.
[203] The snapping of a lock was followed by the tramp of departing footsteps and then by silence.
[204] After considering the idea a few minutes, Tolliver managed to sit up.
[205] He had his wind back.
[206] But when he fingered the swelling lump behind his left ear, a sensation befuddled him momentarily.
[207] "I'm sorry about that," murmured Betty.
[208] Tolliver grunted.
[209] Sorrow would not reduce the throbbing, nor was he in a mood to undertake an explanation of why Jeffers did not like him anyway.
[210] "I think perhaps you're going to have a shiner," remarked the girl.
[211] "Thanks for letting me know in time," said Tolliver.
[212] The skin under his right eye did feel a trifle tight, but he could see well enough.
[213] The abandoned and empty look of the office worried him.
[214] "What can we use to get out of here?"
[215] he mused.
[216] "Why should we try?"
[217] asked the girl.
[218] "What can he do?"
[219] "You'd be surprised.
[220] How did you catch on to him so soon?"
[221] "Your paycheck," said Betty.
[222] "As soon as I saw that ridiculous amount, it was obvious that there was gross mismanagement here.
[223] It had to be Jeffers."
[224] Tolliver groaned.
[225] "Then, on the way over here, he as good as admitted everything.
[226] You didn't hear him, I guess.
[227] Well, he seemed to be caught all unaware, and seemed to blame you for it."
[228] "Sure!"
[229] grumbled the pilot.
[230] "He thinks I told you he was grafting or smuggling, or whatever he has going for him here.
[231] That's why I want to get out of here—before I find myself involved in some kind of fatal accident!"
[232] "What do you know about the crooked goings-on here?"
[233] asked Betty after a startled pause.
[234] "Nothing," retorted Tolliver.
[235] "Except that there are some.
[236] There are rumors, and I had a halfway invitation to join in.
[237] I think he sells things to the mining colonies and makes a double profit for himself by claiming the stuff lost in transit.
[238] You didn't think you scared him that bad over a little slack managing?"
[239] The picture of Jeffers huddled with his partners in the headquarters building, plotting the next move, brought Tolliver to his feet.
[240] There was nothing in the unused office but an old table and half a dozen plastic crates.
[241] He saw that the latter contained a mess of discarded records.
[242] "Better than nothing at all," he muttered.
[243] He ripped out a double handful of the forms, crumpled them into a pile at the doorway, and pulled out his cigarette lighter.
[244] "What do you think you're up to?"
[245] asked Betty with some concern.
[246] "This plastic is tough," said Tolliver, "but it will bend with enough heat.
[247] If I can kick loose a hinge, maybe we can fool them yet!"
[248] He got a little fire going, and fed it judiciously with more papers.
[249] "You know," he reflected, "it might be better for you to stay here.
[250] He can't do much about you, and you don't have any real proof just by yourself."
[251] "I'll come along with you, Tolliver," said the girl.
[252] "No, I don't think you'd better."
[253] "Why not?"
[254] "Well ... after all, what would he dare do?
[255] Arranging an accident to the daughter of the boss isn't something that he can pull off without a lot of investigation.
[256] He'd be better off just running for it."
[257] "Let's not argue about it," said Betty, a trifle pale but looking determined.
[258] "I'm coming with you.
[259] Is that stuff getting soft yet?"
[260] Tolliver kicked at the edge of the door experimentally.
[261] It seemed to give slightly, so he knocked the burning papers aside and drove his heel hard at the corner below the hinge.
[262] The plastic yielded.
[263] "That's enough already, Tolliver," whispered the girl.
[264] "We can crawl through!"
[265] Hardly sixty seconds later, he led her into a maze of stacked crates in the warehouse proper.
[266] The building was not much longer than wide, for each of the structures in the colony had its own hemispherical emergency dome of transparent plastic.
[267] They soon reached the other end.
[268] "I think there's a storeroom for spacesuits around here," muttered Tolliver.
[269] "Why do you want them?"
[270] "Honey, I just don't think it will be so easy to lay hands on a tractor.
[271] I bet Jeffers already phoned the garage and all the airlocks with some good lie that will keep me from getting through."
[272] After a brief search, he located the spacesuits.
[273] Many, evidently intended for replacements, had never been unpacked, but there were a dozen or so serviced and standing ready for emergencies.
[274] He showed Betty how to climb into one, and checked her seals and valves after donning a suit himself.
[275] "That switch under your chin," he said, touching helmets so she could hear him.
[276] "Leave it turned off.
[277] Anybody might be listening!"
[278] He led the way out a rear door of the warehouse.
[279] With the heavy knife that was standard suit equipment, he deliberately slashed a four-foot square section out of the dome.
[280] He motioned to Betty to step through, then trailed along with the plastic under his arm.
[281] He caught up and touched helmets again.
[282] "Just act as if you're on business," he told her.
[283] "For all anyone can see, we might be inspecting the dome."
[284] "Where are you going?"
[285] asked Betty.
[286] "Right through the wall, and then head for the nearest mine.
[287] Jeffers can't be running everything !"
[288] "Is there any way to get to a TV?"
[289] asked the girl.
[290] "I ... uh ... Daddy gave me a good number to call if I needed help."
[291] "How good?"
[292] "Pretty official, as a matter of fact."
[293] "All right," Tolliver decided.
[294] "We'll try the ship you just came in on.
[295] They might have finished refueling and left her empty."
[296] They had to cross one open lane between buildings, and Tolliver was very conscious of moving figures in the distance; but no one seemed to look their way.
[297] Reaching the foot of the main dome over the establishment, he glanced furtively about, then plunged his knife into the transparent material.
[298] From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Betty make a startled gesture, but he had his work cut out for him.
[299] This was tougher than the interior dome.
[300] Finally, he managed to saw a ragged slit through which they could squeeze.
[301] There was room to walk between the inner and outer layer, so he moved along a few yards.
[302] A little dust began to blow about where they had gone through.
[303] He touched helmets once more.
[304] "This time," he said, "the air will really start to blow, so get through as fast as you can.
[305] If I can slap this piece of plastic over the rip, it may stow down the loss of pressure enough to give us quite a lead before the alarms go off."
[306] Through the faceplates, he saw the girl nod, wide-eyed.
[307] As soon as he plunged the knife into the outer layer, he could see dusty, moist air puffing out into the near-vacuum of Ganymede's surface.
[308] Fumbling, he cut as fast as he could and shoved Betty through the small opening.
[309] Squeezing through in his turn, he left one arm inside to spread the plastic sheet as best he could.
[310] The internal air pressure slapped it against the inside of the dome as if glued, although it immediately showed an alarming tendency to balloon through the ruptured spot.
[311] They'll find it, all right , Tolliver reminded himself.
[312] Don't be here when they do!
[313] He grabbed Betty by the wrist of her spacesuit and headed for the nearest outcropping of rock.
[314] It promptly developed that she had something to learn about running on ice in such low gravity.
[315] Until they were out of direct line of sight from the settlement, Tolliver simply dragged her.
[316] Then, when he decided that it was safe enough to pause and tell her how to manage better, the sight of her outraged scowl through the face-plate made him think better of it.
[317] By the time we reach the ship, she'll have learned , he consoled himself.
[318] It was a long mile, even at the pace human muscles could achieve on Ganymede.
[319] They took one short rest, during which Tolliver was forced to explain away the dangers of slides and volcanic puffballs.
[320] He admitted to having exaggerated slightly.
[321] In the end, they reached the spaceship.
[322] There seemed to be no one about.
[323] The landing dome had been collapsed and stored, and the ship's airlock port was closed.
[324] "That's all right," Tolliver told the girl.
[325] "We can get in with no trouble."
[326] It was when he looked about to make sure that they were unobserved that he caught a glimpse of motion back toward the city.
[327] He peered at the spot through the dim light.
[328] After a moment, he definitely recognized the outline of a tractor breasting a rise in the ground and tilting downward again.
[329] "In fact, we have to get in to stay out of trouble," he said to Betty.
[330] He located the switch-cover in the hull, opened it and activated the mechanism that swung open the airlock and extended the ladder.
[331] It took him considerable scrambling to boost the girl up the ladder and inside, but he managed.
[332] They passed through the airlock, fretting at the time required to seal, pump air and open the inner hatch; and then Tolliver led the way up another ladder to the control room.
[333] It was a clumsy trip in their spacesuits, but he wanted to save time.
[334] In the control room, he shoved the girl into an acceleration seat, glanced at the gauges and showed her how to open her helmet.
[335] "Leave the suit on," he ordered, getting in the first word while she was still shaking her head.
[336] "It will help a little on the takeoff."
[337] "Takeoff!"
[338] shrilled Betty.
[339] "What do you think you're going to do?
[340] I just want to use the radio or TV!"
[341] "That tractor will get here in a minute or two.
[342] They might cut your conversation kind of short.
[343] Now shut up and let me look over these dials!"
[344] He ran a practiced eye over the board, reading the condition of the ship.
[345] It pleased him.
[346] Everything was ready for a takeoff into an economy orbit for Earth.
[347] He busied himself making a few adjustments, doing his best to ignore the protests from his partner in crime.
[348] He warned her the trip might be long.
[349] "I told you not to come," he said at last.
[350] "Now sit back!"
[351] He sat down and pushed a button to start the igniting process.
[352] In a moment, he could feel the rumble of the rockets through the deck, and then it was out of his hands for several minutes.
[353] "That wasn't so bad," Betty admitted some time later.
[354] "Did you go in the right direction?"
[355] "Who knows?"
[356] retorted Tolliver.
[357] "There wasn't time to check everything .
[358] We'll worry about that after we make your call."
[359] "Oh!"
[360] Betty looked helpless.
[361] "It's in my pocket."
[362] Tolliver sighed.
[363] In their weightless state, it was no easy task to pry her out of the spacesuit.
[364] He thought of inquiring if she needed any further help, but reminded himself that this was the boss's daughter.
[365] When Betty produced a memo giving frequency and call sign, he set about making contact.
[366] It took only a few minutes, as if the channel had been monitored expectantly, and the man who flickered into life on the screen wore a uniform.
[367] "Space Patrol?"
[368] whispered Tolliver incredulously.
[369] "That's right," said Betty.
[370] "Uh ... Daddy made arrangements for me."
[371] Tolliver held her in front of the screen so she would not float out of range of the scanner and microphone.
[372] As she spoke, he stared exasperatedly at a bulkhead, marveling at the influence of a man who could arrange for a cruiser to escort his daughter to Ganymede and wondering what was behind it all.
[373] When he heard Betty requesting assistance in arresting Jeffers and reporting the manager as the head of a ring of crooks, he began to suspect.
[374] He also noticed certain peculiarities about the remarks of the Patrolman.
[375] For one thing, though the officer seemed well acquainted with Betty, he never addressed her by the name of Koslow.
[376] For another, he accepted the request as if he had been hanging in orbit merely until learning who to go down after.
[377] They really sent her out to nail someone , Tolliver realized.
[378] Of course, she stumbled onto Jeffers by plain dumb luck.
[379] But she had an idea of what to look for.
[380] How do I get into these things?
[381] She might have got me killed!
[382] "We do have one trouble," he heard Betty saying.
[383] "This tractor driver, Tolliver, saved my neck by making the ship take off somehow, but he says it's set for a six-month orbit, or economy flight.
[384] Whatever they call it.
[385] I don't think he has any idea where we're headed."
[386] Tolliver pulled her back, holding her in mid-air by the slack of her sweater.
[387] "Actually, I have a fine idea," he informed the officer coldly.
[388] "I happen to be a qualified space pilot.
[389] Everything here is under control.
[390] If Miss Koslow thinks you should arrest Jeffers, you can call us later on this channel."
[391] "Miss Koslow?"
[392] repeated the spacer.
[393] "Did she tell you—well, no matter!
[394] If you'll be okay, we'll attend to the other affair immediately."
[395] He signed off promptly.
[396] The pilot faced Betty, who looked more offended than reassured at discovering his status.
[397] "This 'Miss Koslow' business," he said suspiciously.
[398] "He sounded funny about that."
[399] The girl grinned.
[400] "Relax, Tolliver," she told him.
[401] "Did you really believe Daddy would send his own little girl way out here to Ganymede to look for whoever was gypping him?"
[402] "You ...
[403] you...?"
[404] "Sure.
[405] The name's Betty Hanlon.
[406] I work for a private investigating firm.
[407] If old Koslow had a son to impersonate—" "I'd be stuck for six months in this orbit with some brash young man," Tolliver finished for her.
[408] "I guess it's better this way," he said meditatively a moment later.
[409] "Oh, come on !
[410] Can't they get us back?
[411] How can you tell where we're going?"
[412] "I know enough to check takeoff time.
[413] It was practically due anyhow, so we'll float into the vicinity of Earth at about the right time to be picked up."
[414] He went on to explain something of the tremendous cost in fuel necessary to make more than minor corrections to their course.
[415] Even though the Patrol ship could easily catch the slow freighter, bringing along enough fuel to head back would be something else again.
[416] "We'll just have to ride it out," he said sympathetically.
[417] "The ship is provisioned according to law, and you were probably going back anyhow."
[418] "I didn't expect to so soon."
[419] "Yeah, you were pretty lucky.
[420] They'll think you're a marvel to crack the case in about three hours on Ganymede."
[421] "Great!"
[422] muttered Betty.
[423] "What a lucky girl I am!"
[424] "Yes," admitted Tolliver, "there are problems.
[425] If you like, we might get the captain of that Patrol ship to legalize the situation by TV."
[426] "I can see you're used to sweeping girls off their feet," she commented sourly.
[427] "The main problem is whether you can cook."
[428] Betty frowned at him.
[429] "I'm pretty good with a pistol," she offered, "or going over crooked books.
[430] But cook?
[431] Sorry."
[432] "Well, one of us had better learn, and I'll have other things to do."
[433] "I'll think about it," promised the girl, staring thoughtfully at the deck.
[434] Tolliver anchored himself in a seat and grinned as he thought about it too.
[435] After a while , he promised himself, I'll explain how I cut the fuel flow and see if she's detective enough to suspect that we're just orbiting Ganymede! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What happens to Jeffers throughout the story":
1. [167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday. I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
2. [176] "Oh, can't I? I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find. Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers? You're as good as fired!"
3. [189] "Lock these two up while I think!"
4. [194] "I told you no questions!" bawled Jeffers.
5. [160] Jeffers seemed to stagger standing still behind his desk. His loose lips twitched uncertainly, and he looked questioningly to Tolliver.
6. [165] "Wh-wh-what do you mean, Miss Koslow?" Jeffers stammered.
7. [175] "You can't prove anything," declared Jeffers hoarsely.
8. [181] He stared unbelievingly at Betty, and Tolliver thought he muttered something about "just landed."
9. [196] "I told you no questions!" bawled Jeffers.
10. [200] Tolliver found himself dumped on the floor of an empty office in the adjoining warehouse building.
11. [239] The picture of Jeffers huddled with his partners in the headquarters building, plotting the next move, brought Tolliver to his feet.
12. [268] "I think there's a storeroom for spacesuits around here," muttered Tolliver.
13. [325] "That's all right," Tolliver told the girl. "We can get in with no trouble."
14. [334] In the control room, he shoved the girl into an acceleration seat, glanced at the gauges and showed her how to open her helmet.
15. [351] He sat down and pushed a button to start the igniting process. |
Describe the equipments used throughout the story | [
"Firstly, Tolliver takes Betty towards Jeffers’ office on a tractor since it can go through the frozen surface of Ganymede. Then later, when Betty and Tolliver were put in the empty office, Tolliver uses a lighter to light up the mess of discarded records so that the plastic can be bent. Later, inside the storage room, Tolliver finds some spacesuits for the two to wear. Then finally, when they gets to the control room, they gets onto the acceleration seat. Using the ship, the two fly into the economy orbit for Earth in order to escape. In the end, Betty uses the scanner and microphone to make a call to the Space Patrol so that they will arrest Jeffers.",
"Tolliver is a pilot, but while at the Ganymede branch he drives a tractor. One of the equipment used during the story is the automatic flight. An automatic flight allows loaded ships to take a slow and economical orbit using automatic signaling equipment towards Earth. As the loaded ship gets closer to Earth, it is boarded by pilots that land the ship. Another piece of equipment mentioned are spacesuits. The spacesuits involve valves and seals and microphones for people to communicate with each other in the spacesuits. The communication is activated by a switch under the chin on the helmet of the spacesuit. They also come with a heavy knife.",
"Various types of transportation are used throughout the story - tractors to travel on Ganymede between the city and the spaceport, spaceships requiring a lot of fuel and economy orbits which require less fuel but take much longer to get to the place. In a storeroom there are plenty spacesuits, some of which need replacement. Knives are standard suit equipment. Spaceships are equipped with airlocks, ladders and switch-cover. In the control room there is an acceleration seat, a button to set off, a radio and TV, with a screen to see the other side of the call.",
"Tolliver is first assigned to use an airtight tractor to transport to and from the spaceport. This tractor is like a regular one, but built specifically to trek across Ganymede with its gravity. When Tolliver and Betty are locked into Jeffers' office, he uses a lighter and paper to bend the plastic of the door. Then, he uses a knife to cut through the plastic of the dome. Finally, Tolliver and Betty board a ship, where the orbit is automatically preset in order to preserve fuel. The ship, which Tolliver knows how to operate, is airlocked. Betty uses a transmitter to contact Space Patrol."
] | [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
[2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
[3] By H. B. FYFE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
[6] His black thatch was ruffled, as if he had been rubbed the wrong way.
[7] "I didn't ask you to cut out your own graft, did I?"
[8] he demanded.
[9] "Just don't try to sucker me in on the deal.
[10] I know you're operating something sneaky all through the colony, but it's not for me."
[11] The big moon-face of Jeffers, manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, glowered back at him.
[12] Its reddish tinge brightened the office noticeably, for such of Ganymede's surface as could be seen through the transparent dome outside the office window was cold, dim and rugged.
[13] The glowing semi-disk of Jupiter was more than half a million miles distant.
[14] "Try not to be simple—for once!"
[15] growled Jeffers.
[16] "A little percentage here and there on the cargoes never shows by the time figures get back to Earth.
[17] The big jets in the home office don't care.
[18] They count it on the estimates."
[19] "You asked any of them lately?"
[20] Tolliver prodded.
[21] "Now, listen !
[22] Maybe they live soft back on Earth since the mines and the Jovian satellite colonies grew; but they were out here in the beginning, most of them.
[23] They know what it's like.
[24] D'ya think they don't expect us to make what we can on the side?"
[25] Tolliver rammed his fists into the side pockets of his loose blue uniform jacket.
[26] He shook his head, grinning resignedly.
[27] "You just don't listen to me ," he complained.
[28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
[29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
[30] Jeffers fidgeted in his chair, causing it to creak under the bulk of his body.
[31] It had been built for Ganymede, but not for Jeffers.
[32] "Aw, it's not like that," the manager muttered.
[33] "You can ease out whenever your contract's up.
[34] Think we'd bend a good orbit on your account?"
[35] Tolliver stared at him silently, but the other had difficulty meeting his eye.
[36] "All right, then!"
[37] Jeffers snapped after a long moment.
[38] "If you want it that way, either you get in line with us or you're through right now!"
[39] "You can't fire me," retorted the pilot pityingly.
[40] "I came out here on a contract.
[41] Five hundred credits a week base pay, five hundred for hazardous duty.
[42] How else can you get pilots out to Jupiter?"
[43] "Okay I can't fire you legally—as long as you report for work," grumbled Jeffers, by now a shade more ruddy.
[44] "We'll see how long you keep reporting.
[45] Because you're off the Callisto run as of now!
[46] Sit in your quarters and see if the company calls that hazardous duty!"
[47] "Doesn't matter," answered Tolliver, grinning amiably.
[48] "The hazardous part is just being on the same moon as you for the next six months."
[49] He winked and walked out, deliberately leaving the door open behind him so as to enjoy the incoherent bellowing that followed him.
[50] Looks like a little vacation , he thought, unperturbed.
[51] He'll come around.
[52] I just want to get back to Earth with a clean rep. Let Jeffers and his gang steal the Great Red Spot off Jupiter if they like!
[53] It's their risk.
[54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
[55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
[56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
[57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
[58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
[59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
[60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
[61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
[62] "Hey, Johnny!"
[63] said a voice at his shoulder.
[64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
[65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
[66] "What do you mean?"
[67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
[68] "What's wrong with that?"
[69] asked Tolliver.
[70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
[71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
[72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
[73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
[74] Later in the day-period, Tolliver recalled this warning.
[75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
[76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
[77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
[78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
[79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
[80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
[81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
[82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
[83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
[84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
[85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
[86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
[87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
[88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
[89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
[90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
[91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
[92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
[93] "How is it here?"
[94] asked the girl.
[95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
[96] "What did you expect?"
[97] asked Tolliver.
[98] "Square dances with champagne?"
[99] "Don't be silly.
[100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
[101] They probably won't let me see much else."
[102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
[103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
[104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
[105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
[106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
[107] "Missions!
[108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
[109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
[110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
[111] he warned portentously.
[112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
[113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
[114] "You can call me Betty.
[115] What happened to him?"
[116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
[117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
[118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
[119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
[120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
[121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
[122] "You use armored vehicles?"
[123] gasped the girl.
[124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
[125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
[126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
[127] "Those slides," he continued.
[128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
[129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
[130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
[131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
[132] Say, that's pretty good!
[133] he told himself.
[134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
[135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
[136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
[137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
[138] Betty looked thoughtful.
[139] "I'm retiring in six months if I'm still alive," he said bravely, edging the tractor into the airlock at their destination.
[140] "Made my pile.
[141] No use pushing your luck too far."
[142] His charge seemed noticeably subdued, but cleared her throat to request that Tolliver guide her to the office of the manager.
[143] She trailed along as if with a burden of worry upon her mind, and the pilot's conscience prickled.
[144] I'll get hold of her after Jeffers is through and set her straight , he resolved.
[145] It isn't really funny if the sucker is too ignorant to know better.
[146] Remembering his grudge against the manager, he took pleasure in walking in without knocking.
[147] "Jeffers," he announced, "this is ... just call her Betty."
[148] The manager's jowled features twisted into an expression of welcome as jovial as that of a hungry crocodile.
[149] "Miss Koslow!"
[150] he beamed, like a politician the day before the voting.
[151] "It certainly is an honor to have you on Ganymede with us!
[152] That's all, Tolliver, you can go.
[153] Yes, indeed!
[154] Mr. Koslow—the president, that is: your father—sent a message about you.
[155] I repeat, it will be an honor to show you the ropes.
[156] Did you want something else, Tolliver?"
[157] "Never mind him, Mr. Jeffers," snapped the girl, in a tone new to Tolliver.
[158] "We won't be working together, I'm afraid.
[159] You've already had enough rope."
[160] Jeffers seemed to stagger standing still behind his desk.
[161] His loose lips twitched uncertainly, and he looked questioningly to Tolliver.
[162] The pilot stared at Betty, trying to recall pictures he had seen of the elder Koslow.
[163] He was also trying to remember some of the lies he had told en route from the spaceport.
[164] "Wh-wh-what do you mean, Miss Koslow?"
[165] Jeffers stammered.
[166] He darted a suspicious glare at Tolliver.
[167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday.
[168] I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
[169] Tolliver blinked.
[170] He had taken her for three or four years older.
[171] Jeffers now ignored him, intent upon the girl.
[172] "Daddy gave me the title of tenth vice-president mostly as a joke, when he told me to find out what was wrong with operations on Ganymede.
[173] I have some authority, though.
[174] And you look like the source of the trouble to me."
[175] "You can't prove anything," declared Jeffers hoarsely.
[176] "Oh, can't I?
[177] I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find.
[178] Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers?
[179] You're as good as fired!"
[180] The manager dropped heavily to his chair.
[181] He stared unbelievingly at Betty, and Tolliver thought he muttered something about "just landed."
[182] After a moment, the big man came out of his daze enough to stab an intercom button with his finger.
[183] He growled at someone on the other end to come in without a countdown.
[184] Tolliver, hardly thinking about it, expected the someone to be a secretary, but it turned out to be three members of Jeffers' headquarters staff.
[185] He recognized one as Rawlins, a warehouse chief, and guessed that the other two might be his assistants.
[186] They were large enough.
[187] "No stupid questions!"
[188] Jeffers ordered.
[189] "Lock these two up while I think!"
[190] Tolliver started for the door immediately, but was blocked off.
[191] "Where should we lock—?"
[192] the fellow paused to ask.
[193] Tolliver brought up a snappy uppercut to the man's chin, feeling that it was a poor time to engage Jeffers in fruitless debate.
[194] In the gravity of Ganymede, the man was knocked off balance as much as he was hurt, and sprawled on the floor.
[195] "I told you no questions!"
[196] bawled Jeffers.
[197] The fallen hero, upon arising, had to content himself with grabbing Betty.
[198] The others were swarming over Tolliver.
[199] Jeffers came around his desk to assist.
[200] Tolliver found himself dumped on the floor of an empty office in the adjoining warehouse building.
[201] It seemed to him that a long time had been spent in carrying him there.
[202] He heard an indignant yelp, and realized that the girl had been pitched in with him.
[203] The snapping of a lock was followed by the tramp of departing footsteps and then by silence.
[204] After considering the idea a few minutes, Tolliver managed to sit up.
[205] He had his wind back.
[206] But when he fingered the swelling lump behind his left ear, a sensation befuddled him momentarily.
[207] "I'm sorry about that," murmured Betty.
[208] Tolliver grunted.
[209] Sorrow would not reduce the throbbing, nor was he in a mood to undertake an explanation of why Jeffers did not like him anyway.
[210] "I think perhaps you're going to have a shiner," remarked the girl.
[211] "Thanks for letting me know in time," said Tolliver.
[212] The skin under his right eye did feel a trifle tight, but he could see well enough.
[213] The abandoned and empty look of the office worried him.
[214] "What can we use to get out of here?"
[215] he mused.
[216] "Why should we try?"
[217] asked the girl.
[218] "What can he do?"
[219] "You'd be surprised.
[220] How did you catch on to him so soon?"
[221] "Your paycheck," said Betty.
[222] "As soon as I saw that ridiculous amount, it was obvious that there was gross mismanagement here.
[223] It had to be Jeffers."
[224] Tolliver groaned.
[225] "Then, on the way over here, he as good as admitted everything.
[226] You didn't hear him, I guess.
[227] Well, he seemed to be caught all unaware, and seemed to blame you for it."
[228] "Sure!"
[229] grumbled the pilot.
[230] "He thinks I told you he was grafting or smuggling, or whatever he has going for him here.
[231] That's why I want to get out of here—before I find myself involved in some kind of fatal accident!"
[232] "What do you know about the crooked goings-on here?"
[233] asked Betty after a startled pause.
[234] "Nothing," retorted Tolliver.
[235] "Except that there are some.
[236] There are rumors, and I had a halfway invitation to join in.
[237] I think he sells things to the mining colonies and makes a double profit for himself by claiming the stuff lost in transit.
[238] You didn't think you scared him that bad over a little slack managing?"
[239] The picture of Jeffers huddled with his partners in the headquarters building, plotting the next move, brought Tolliver to his feet.
[240] There was nothing in the unused office but an old table and half a dozen plastic crates.
[241] He saw that the latter contained a mess of discarded records.
[242] "Better than nothing at all," he muttered.
[243] He ripped out a double handful of the forms, crumpled them into a pile at the doorway, and pulled out his cigarette lighter.
[244] "What do you think you're up to?"
[245] asked Betty with some concern.
[246] "This plastic is tough," said Tolliver, "but it will bend with enough heat.
[247] If I can kick loose a hinge, maybe we can fool them yet!"
[248] He got a little fire going, and fed it judiciously with more papers.
[249] "You know," he reflected, "it might be better for you to stay here.
[250] He can't do much about you, and you don't have any real proof just by yourself."
[251] "I'll come along with you, Tolliver," said the girl.
[252] "No, I don't think you'd better."
[253] "Why not?"
[254] "Well ... after all, what would he dare do?
[255] Arranging an accident to the daughter of the boss isn't something that he can pull off without a lot of investigation.
[256] He'd be better off just running for it."
[257] "Let's not argue about it," said Betty, a trifle pale but looking determined.
[258] "I'm coming with you.
[259] Is that stuff getting soft yet?"
[260] Tolliver kicked at the edge of the door experimentally.
[261] It seemed to give slightly, so he knocked the burning papers aside and drove his heel hard at the corner below the hinge.
[262] The plastic yielded.
[263] "That's enough already, Tolliver," whispered the girl.
[264] "We can crawl through!"
[265] Hardly sixty seconds later, he led her into a maze of stacked crates in the warehouse proper.
[266] The building was not much longer than wide, for each of the structures in the colony had its own hemispherical emergency dome of transparent plastic.
[267] They soon reached the other end.
[268] "I think there's a storeroom for spacesuits around here," muttered Tolliver.
[269] "Why do you want them?"
[270] "Honey, I just don't think it will be so easy to lay hands on a tractor.
[271] I bet Jeffers already phoned the garage and all the airlocks with some good lie that will keep me from getting through."
[272] After a brief search, he located the spacesuits.
[273] Many, evidently intended for replacements, had never been unpacked, but there were a dozen or so serviced and standing ready for emergencies.
[274] He showed Betty how to climb into one, and checked her seals and valves after donning a suit himself.
[275] "That switch under your chin," he said, touching helmets so she could hear him.
[276] "Leave it turned off.
[277] Anybody might be listening!"
[278] He led the way out a rear door of the warehouse.
[279] With the heavy knife that was standard suit equipment, he deliberately slashed a four-foot square section out of the dome.
[280] He motioned to Betty to step through, then trailed along with the plastic under his arm.
[281] He caught up and touched helmets again.
[282] "Just act as if you're on business," he told her.
[283] "For all anyone can see, we might be inspecting the dome."
[284] "Where are you going?"
[285] asked Betty.
[286] "Right through the wall, and then head for the nearest mine.
[287] Jeffers can't be running everything !"
[288] "Is there any way to get to a TV?"
[289] asked the girl.
[290] "I ... uh ... Daddy gave me a good number to call if I needed help."
[291] "How good?"
[292] "Pretty official, as a matter of fact."
[293] "All right," Tolliver decided.
[294] "We'll try the ship you just came in on.
[295] They might have finished refueling and left her empty."
[296] They had to cross one open lane between buildings, and Tolliver was very conscious of moving figures in the distance; but no one seemed to look their way.
[297] Reaching the foot of the main dome over the establishment, he glanced furtively about, then plunged his knife into the transparent material.
[298] From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Betty make a startled gesture, but he had his work cut out for him.
[299] This was tougher than the interior dome.
[300] Finally, he managed to saw a ragged slit through which they could squeeze.
[301] There was room to walk between the inner and outer layer, so he moved along a few yards.
[302] A little dust began to blow about where they had gone through.
[303] He touched helmets once more.
[304] "This time," he said, "the air will really start to blow, so get through as fast as you can.
[305] If I can slap this piece of plastic over the rip, it may stow down the loss of pressure enough to give us quite a lead before the alarms go off."
[306] Through the faceplates, he saw the girl nod, wide-eyed.
[307] As soon as he plunged the knife into the outer layer, he could see dusty, moist air puffing out into the near-vacuum of Ganymede's surface.
[308] Fumbling, he cut as fast as he could and shoved Betty through the small opening.
[309] Squeezing through in his turn, he left one arm inside to spread the plastic sheet as best he could.
[310] The internal air pressure slapped it against the inside of the dome as if glued, although it immediately showed an alarming tendency to balloon through the ruptured spot.
[311] They'll find it, all right , Tolliver reminded himself.
[312] Don't be here when they do!
[313] He grabbed Betty by the wrist of her spacesuit and headed for the nearest outcropping of rock.
[314] It promptly developed that she had something to learn about running on ice in such low gravity.
[315] Until they were out of direct line of sight from the settlement, Tolliver simply dragged her.
[316] Then, when he decided that it was safe enough to pause and tell her how to manage better, the sight of her outraged scowl through the face-plate made him think better of it.
[317] By the time we reach the ship, she'll have learned , he consoled himself.
[318] It was a long mile, even at the pace human muscles could achieve on Ganymede.
[319] They took one short rest, during which Tolliver was forced to explain away the dangers of slides and volcanic puffballs.
[320] He admitted to having exaggerated slightly.
[321] In the end, they reached the spaceship.
[322] There seemed to be no one about.
[323] The landing dome had been collapsed and stored, and the ship's airlock port was closed.
[324] "That's all right," Tolliver told the girl.
[325] "We can get in with no trouble."
[326] It was when he looked about to make sure that they were unobserved that he caught a glimpse of motion back toward the city.
[327] He peered at the spot through the dim light.
[328] After a moment, he definitely recognized the outline of a tractor breasting a rise in the ground and tilting downward again.
[329] "In fact, we have to get in to stay out of trouble," he said to Betty.
[330] He located the switch-cover in the hull, opened it and activated the mechanism that swung open the airlock and extended the ladder.
[331] It took him considerable scrambling to boost the girl up the ladder and inside, but he managed.
[332] They passed through the airlock, fretting at the time required to seal, pump air and open the inner hatch; and then Tolliver led the way up another ladder to the control room.
[333] It was a clumsy trip in their spacesuits, but he wanted to save time.
[334] In the control room, he shoved the girl into an acceleration seat, glanced at the gauges and showed her how to open her helmet.
[335] "Leave the suit on," he ordered, getting in the first word while she was still shaking her head.
[336] "It will help a little on the takeoff."
[337] "Takeoff!"
[338] shrilled Betty.
[339] "What do you think you're going to do?
[340] I just want to use the radio or TV!"
[341] "That tractor will get here in a minute or two.
[342] They might cut your conversation kind of short.
[343] Now shut up and let me look over these dials!"
[344] He ran a practiced eye over the board, reading the condition of the ship.
[345] It pleased him.
[346] Everything was ready for a takeoff into an economy orbit for Earth.
[347] He busied himself making a few adjustments, doing his best to ignore the protests from his partner in crime.
[348] He warned her the trip might be long.
[349] "I told you not to come," he said at last.
[350] "Now sit back!"
[351] He sat down and pushed a button to start the igniting process.
[352] In a moment, he could feel the rumble of the rockets through the deck, and then it was out of his hands for several minutes.
[353] "That wasn't so bad," Betty admitted some time later.
[354] "Did you go in the right direction?"
[355] "Who knows?"
[356] retorted Tolliver.
[357] "There wasn't time to check everything .
[358] We'll worry about that after we make your call."
[359] "Oh!"
[360] Betty looked helpless.
[361] "It's in my pocket."
[362] Tolliver sighed.
[363] In their weightless state, it was no easy task to pry her out of the spacesuit.
[364] He thought of inquiring if she needed any further help, but reminded himself that this was the boss's daughter.
[365] When Betty produced a memo giving frequency and call sign, he set about making contact.
[366] It took only a few minutes, as if the channel had been monitored expectantly, and the man who flickered into life on the screen wore a uniform.
[367] "Space Patrol?"
[368] whispered Tolliver incredulously.
[369] "That's right," said Betty.
[370] "Uh ... Daddy made arrangements for me."
[371] Tolliver held her in front of the screen so she would not float out of range of the scanner and microphone.
[372] As she spoke, he stared exasperatedly at a bulkhead, marveling at the influence of a man who could arrange for a cruiser to escort his daughter to Ganymede and wondering what was behind it all.
[373] When he heard Betty requesting assistance in arresting Jeffers and reporting the manager as the head of a ring of crooks, he began to suspect.
[374] He also noticed certain peculiarities about the remarks of the Patrolman.
[375] For one thing, though the officer seemed well acquainted with Betty, he never addressed her by the name of Koslow.
[376] For another, he accepted the request as if he had been hanging in orbit merely until learning who to go down after.
[377] They really sent her out to nail someone , Tolliver realized.
[378] Of course, she stumbled onto Jeffers by plain dumb luck.
[379] But she had an idea of what to look for.
[380] How do I get into these things?
[381] She might have got me killed!
[382] "We do have one trouble," he heard Betty saying.
[383] "This tractor driver, Tolliver, saved my neck by making the ship take off somehow, but he says it's set for a six-month orbit, or economy flight.
[384] Whatever they call it.
[385] I don't think he has any idea where we're headed."
[386] Tolliver pulled her back, holding her in mid-air by the slack of her sweater.
[387] "Actually, I have a fine idea," he informed the officer coldly.
[388] "I happen to be a qualified space pilot.
[389] Everything here is under control.
[390] If Miss Koslow thinks you should arrest Jeffers, you can call us later on this channel."
[391] "Miss Koslow?"
[392] repeated the spacer.
[393] "Did she tell you—well, no matter!
[394] If you'll be okay, we'll attend to the other affair immediately."
[395] He signed off promptly.
[396] The pilot faced Betty, who looked more offended than reassured at discovering his status.
[397] "This 'Miss Koslow' business," he said suspiciously.
[398] "He sounded funny about that."
[399] The girl grinned.
[400] "Relax, Tolliver," she told him.
[401] "Did you really believe Daddy would send his own little girl way out here to Ganymede to look for whoever was gypping him?"
[402] "You ...
[403] you...?"
[404] "Sure.
[405] The name's Betty Hanlon.
[406] I work for a private investigating firm.
[407] If old Koslow had a son to impersonate—" "I'd be stuck for six months in this orbit with some brash young man," Tolliver finished for her.
[408] "I guess it's better this way," he said meditatively a moment later.
[409] "Oh, come on !
[410] Can't they get us back?
[411] How can you tell where we're going?"
[412] "I know enough to check takeoff time.
[413] It was practically due anyhow, so we'll float into the vicinity of Earth at about the right time to be picked up."
[414] He went on to explain something of the tremendous cost in fuel necessary to make more than minor corrections to their course.
[415] Even though the Patrol ship could easily catch the slow freighter, bringing along enough fuel to head back would be something else again.
[416] "We'll just have to ride it out," he said sympathetically.
[417] "The ship is provisioned according to law, and you were probably going back anyhow."
[418] "I didn't expect to so soon."
[419] "Yeah, you were pretty lucky.
[420] They'll think you're a marvel to crack the case in about three hours on Ganymede."
[421] "Great!"
[422] muttered Betty.
[423] "What a lucky girl I am!"
[424] "Yes," admitted Tolliver, "there are problems.
[425] If you like, we might get the captain of that Patrol ship to legalize the situation by TV."
[426] "I can see you're used to sweeping girls off their feet," she commented sourly.
[427] "The main problem is whether you can cook."
[428] Betty frowned at him.
[429] "I'm pretty good with a pistol," she offered, "or going over crooked books.
[430] But cook?
[431] Sorry."
[432] "Well, one of us had better learn, and I'll have other things to do."
[433] "I'll think about it," promised the girl, staring thoughtfully at the deck.
[434] Tolliver anchored himself in a seat and grinned as he thought about it too.
[435] After a while , he promised himself, I'll explain how I cut the fuel flow and see if she's detective enough to suspect that we're just orbiting Ganymede! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the equipments used throughout the story":
1. [3] By H. B. FYFE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.]
2. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
3. [91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
4. [92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
5. [122] "You use armored vehicles?"
6. [123] gasped the girl.
7. [270] "Honey, I just don't think it will be so easy to lay hands on a tractor.
8. [271] I bet Jeffers already phoned the garage and all the airlocks with some good lie that will keep me from getting through."
9. [272] After a brief search, he located the spacesuits.
10. [273] Many, evidently intended for replacements, had never been unpacked, but there were a dozen or so serviced and standing ready for emergencies.
11. [274] He showed Betty how to climb into one, and checked her seals and valves after donning a suit himself.
12. [275] "That switch under your chin," he said, touching helmets so she could hear him.
13. [276] "Leave it turned off.
14. [277] Anybody might be listening!"
15. [278] He led the way out a rear door of the warehouse.
16. [279] With the heavy knife that was standard suit equipment, he deliberately slashed a four-foot square section out of the dome.
17. [280] He motioned to Betty to step through, then trailed along with the plastic under his arm.
18. [281] He caught up and touched helmets again.
19. [282] "Just act as if you're on business," he told her.
20. [283] "For all anyone can see, we might be inspecting the dome."
21. [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
22. [2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
23. [5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
24. [6] His black thatch was ruffled, as if he had been rubbed the wrong way.
25. [7] "I didn't ask you to cut out your own graft, did I?"
26. [8] he demanded.
27. [9] "Just don't try to sucker me in on the deal.
28. [10] I know you're operating something sneaky all through the colony, but it's not for me."
29. [11] The big moon-face of Jeffers, manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, glowered back at him.
30. [12] Its reddish tinge brightened the office noticeably, for such of Ganymede's surface as could be seen through the transparent dome outside the office window was cold, dim and rugged.
31. [13] The glowing semi-disk of Jupiter was more than half a million miles distant.
32. [14] "Try not to be simple—for once!"
33. [15] growled Jeffers.
34. [16] "A little percentage here and there on the cargoes never shows by the time figures get back to Earth.
35. [17] The big jets in the home office don't care.
36. [18] They count it on the estimates."
37. [19] "You asked any of them lately?"
38. [20] Tolliver prodded.
39. [21] "Now, listen !
40. [22] Maybe they live soft back on Earth since the mines and the Jovian satellite colonies grew; but they were out here in the beginning, most of them.
41. [23] They know what it's like.
42. [24] D'ya think they don't expect us to make what we can on the side?"
43. [25] Tolliver rammed his fists into the side pockets of his loose blue uniform jacket.
44. [26] He shook his head, grinning resignedly.
45. [27] "You just don't listen to me ," he complained.
46. [28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
47. [29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
48. [30] Jeffers fidgeted in his chair, causing it to creak under the bulk of his body.
49. [31] It had been built for Ganymede, but not for Jeffers.
50. [32] "Aw, it's not like that," the manager muttered.
51. [33] "You can ease out whenever your contract's up.
52. [34] Think we'd bend a good orbit on your account?"
53. [35] Tolliver stared at him silently, but the other had difficulty meeting his eye.
54. [36] "All right, then!"
55. [37] Jeffers snapped after a long moment.
56. [38] "If you want it that way, either you get in line with us or you're through right now!"
57. [39] "You can't fire me," retorted the pilot pityingly.
58. [40] "I came out here on a contract.
59. [41] Five hundred credits a week base pay, five hundred for hazardous duty.
60. [42] How else can you get pilots out to Jupiter?"
61. [43] "Okay I can't fire you legally—as long as you report for work," grumbled Jeffers, by now a shade more ruddy.
62. [44] "We'll see how long you keep reporting.
63. [45] Because you're off the Callisto run as of now!
64. [46] Sit in your quarters and see if the company calls that hazardous duty!"
65. [47] "Doesn't matter," answered Tolliver, grinning amiably.
66. [48] "The hazardous part is just being on the same moon as you for the next six months."
67. [49] He winked and walked out, deliberately leaving the door open behind him so as to enjoy the incoherent bellowing that followed him.
68. [50] Looks like a little vacation , he thought, unperturbed.
69. [51] He'll come around.
70. [52] I just want to get back to Earth with a clean rep. Let Jeffers and his gang steal the Great Red Spot off Jupiter if they like!
71. [53] It's their risk.
72. [54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
73. [55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
74. [56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
75. [57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
76. [58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
77. [59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
78. [60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
79. [61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
80. [62] "Hey, Johnny!"
81. [63] said a voice at his shoulder.
82. [64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
83. [65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
84. [66] "What do you mean?"
85. [67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
86. [68] "What's wrong with that?"
87. [69] asked Tolliver.
88. [70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
89. [71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
90. [72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
91. [73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
92. [74] Later in the day-period, Tolliver recalled this warning.
93. [75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
94. [76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
95. [77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
96. [78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
97. [79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
98. [80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
99. [81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
100. [82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
101. [83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
102. [84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
103. [85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
104. [86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
105. [87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
106. [88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
107. [89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
108. [90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
109. [91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
110. [92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
111. [93] "How is it here?"
112. [94] asked the girl.
113. [95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
114. [96] "What did you expect?"
115. [97] asked Tolliver.
116. [98] "Square dances with champagne?"
117. [99] "Don't be silly.
118. [100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
119. [101] They probably won't let me see much else."
120. [102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
121. [103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
122. [104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
123. [105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
124. [106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
125. [107] "Missions!
126. [108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
127. [109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
128. [110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
129. [111] he warned portentously.
130. [112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
131. [113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
132. [114] "You can call me Betty.
133. [115] What happened to him?"
134. [116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
135. [117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
136. [118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
137. [119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
138. [120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
139. [121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
140. [122] "You use armored vehicles?"
141. [123] gasped the girl.
142. [124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
143. [125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
144. [126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
145. [127] "Those slides," he continued.
146. [128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
147. [129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
148. [130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
149. [131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
150. [132] Say, that's pretty good!
151. [133] he told himself.
152. [134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
153. [135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
154. [136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
155. [137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
156. [270] "Honey, I just don't think it will be so easy to lay hands on a tractor.
157. [271] I bet Jeffers already phoned the garage and all the airlocks with some good lie that will keep me from getting through."
158. [272] After a brief search, he located the spacesuits.
159. [273] Many, evidently intended for replacements, had never been unpacked, but there were a dozen or so serviced and standing ready for emergencies.
160. [274] He showed Betty how to climb into one, and checked her seals and valves after donning a suit himself.
161. [275] "That switch under your chin," he said, touching helmets so she could hear him.
162. [276] "Leave it turned off.
163. [277] Anybody might be listening!"
164. [278] He led the way out a rear door of the warehouse.
165. [279] With the heavy knife that was standard suit equipment, he deliberately slashed a four-foot square section out of the dome.
166. [280] He motioned to Betty to step through, then trailed along with the plastic under his arm.
167. [281] He caught up and touched helmets again.
168. [282] "Just act as if you're on business," he told her.
169. [283] "For all anyone can see, we might be inspecting the dome." |
Describe the setting of the story | [
"First, the story starts inside Jeffers’ office where the two argues. From the office window, the transparent domes of Ganymede’s can be seen. There is also a chair and a door which is the exit from the room. Then at the empty office next to the warehouse building, Tolliver wakes up. There is an old table and half a dozen plastic crates in the empty office. The plastic crates contain a mess of discarded records. There is also a doorway. The doorway is plastic and can be bended when applied heat. Outside of the room, there’s a storeroom, which has spacesuits inside them. Many of the spacesuits are unpacked while some are standing ready for emergencies. The control room has an acceleration seat. There is a board that has the condition of the ship.",
"The story begins with Johnny Tolliver and Jeffers in Jeffers office at the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways. The office was encapsulated in a transparent dome. Jupiter was more than half a million miles away from the surface of Ganymede. The story begins on a Monday, according to the calendar to match the week long journey it took to go around Jupiter. When Tolliver does get an assignment, it is to take the tractor to bring a home office relative to the airlock at their destination. He does so and brings Betty, the home office relative, to Jeffers office. \n\nAfter Jeffers orders them locked up, they find themselves in an office next to the warehouse building. Tolliver begins to plan their escape and is successfully in getting the door open. Tolliver and Betty walk through to the end of the adjoining warehouse building and find spacesuits in a storeroom for them to wear. After putting on their spacesuits, they leave the warehouse. Tolliver and Betty cut through different layers of the dome and make their way on to the Ganymedan surface. As they get onto the Ganymedan surface, they run across the ice towards Betty’s ship. They climb a ladder and go through an airlock to board the ship and then head to the control room. Tolliver guides the ship to take off and tells Betty that they will be spending 6 months there.",
"The story opens with Johnny sitting at the desk with his superior on Ganymede. Then Johnny walks out living the door open. Next day he comes to the bulletin board to see his tasks. In a couple of days he is ordered to drive a home-office relative. He loads trunks and bags into his tractor and drives a girl from her dome. He maneuvers out of it and heads toward the city domes. The gravity is light all around. The two walk again into Jeffers' office. Then they find themselves on the floor of an empty locked office in a warehouse building. There is only a table and some plastic crates. When they escape, the two head to a storeroom for spacesuits. Through a rear door they go out, cross an open lane between buildings and reach the main dome. They squeeze inside where there is air pressure and low gravity, so it's extremely hard to run there. They open a spaceship airlock and get in through a ladder. In the control room there is an acceleration seat, a button to set off, a radio and TV, with a screen to see the other side of the call. The ship sets off to the orbit of Ganymede.",
"The story takes place on Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. The climate of the moon is cold and vast, with very low gravity. The beginning of the story takes place in Jeffers' office. Tolliver gets the job of driving a tractor to and from Ganymede's spaceport, where different parts of the moon are covered by transparent domes. Later in the story, Tolliver and Betty are trapped in an empty office room with only a table, crates, and papers. They escape and run on the surface of Ganymede into a spaceship."
] | [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
[2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
[3] By H. B. FYFE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
[6] His black thatch was ruffled, as if he had been rubbed the wrong way.
[7] "I didn't ask you to cut out your own graft, did I?"
[8] he demanded.
[9] "Just don't try to sucker me in on the deal.
[10] I know you're operating something sneaky all through the colony, but it's not for me."
[11] The big moon-face of Jeffers, manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, glowered back at him.
[12] Its reddish tinge brightened the office noticeably, for such of Ganymede's surface as could be seen through the transparent dome outside the office window was cold, dim and rugged.
[13] The glowing semi-disk of Jupiter was more than half a million miles distant.
[14] "Try not to be simple—for once!"
[15] growled Jeffers.
[16] "A little percentage here and there on the cargoes never shows by the time figures get back to Earth.
[17] The big jets in the home office don't care.
[18] They count it on the estimates."
[19] "You asked any of them lately?"
[20] Tolliver prodded.
[21] "Now, listen !
[22] Maybe they live soft back on Earth since the mines and the Jovian satellite colonies grew; but they were out here in the beginning, most of them.
[23] They know what it's like.
[24] D'ya think they don't expect us to make what we can on the side?"
[25] Tolliver rammed his fists into the side pockets of his loose blue uniform jacket.
[26] He shook his head, grinning resignedly.
[27] "You just don't listen to me ," he complained.
[28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
[29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
[30] Jeffers fidgeted in his chair, causing it to creak under the bulk of his body.
[31] It had been built for Ganymede, but not for Jeffers.
[32] "Aw, it's not like that," the manager muttered.
[33] "You can ease out whenever your contract's up.
[34] Think we'd bend a good orbit on your account?"
[35] Tolliver stared at him silently, but the other had difficulty meeting his eye.
[36] "All right, then!"
[37] Jeffers snapped after a long moment.
[38] "If you want it that way, either you get in line with us or you're through right now!"
[39] "You can't fire me," retorted the pilot pityingly.
[40] "I came out here on a contract.
[41] Five hundred credits a week base pay, five hundred for hazardous duty.
[42] How else can you get pilots out to Jupiter?"
[43] "Okay I can't fire you legally—as long as you report for work," grumbled Jeffers, by now a shade more ruddy.
[44] "We'll see how long you keep reporting.
[45] Because you're off the Callisto run as of now!
[46] Sit in your quarters and see if the company calls that hazardous duty!"
[47] "Doesn't matter," answered Tolliver, grinning amiably.
[48] "The hazardous part is just being on the same moon as you for the next six months."
[49] He winked and walked out, deliberately leaving the door open behind him so as to enjoy the incoherent bellowing that followed him.
[50] Looks like a little vacation , he thought, unperturbed.
[51] He'll come around.
[52] I just want to get back to Earth with a clean rep. Let Jeffers and his gang steal the Great Red Spot off Jupiter if they like!
[53] It's their risk.
[54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
[55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
[56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
[57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
[58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
[59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
[60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
[61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
[62] "Hey, Johnny!"
[63] said a voice at his shoulder.
[64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
[65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
[66] "What do you mean?"
[67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
[68] "What's wrong with that?"
[69] asked Tolliver.
[70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
[71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
[72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
[73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
[74] Later in the day-period, Tolliver recalled this warning.
[75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
[76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
[77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
[78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
[79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
[80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
[81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
[82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
[83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
[84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
[85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
[86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
[87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
[88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
[89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
[90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
[91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
[92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
[93] "How is it here?"
[94] asked the girl.
[95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
[96] "What did you expect?"
[97] asked Tolliver.
[98] "Square dances with champagne?"
[99] "Don't be silly.
[100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
[101] They probably won't let me see much else."
[102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
[103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
[104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
[105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
[106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
[107] "Missions!
[108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
[109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
[110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
[111] he warned portentously.
[112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
[113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
[114] "You can call me Betty.
[115] What happened to him?"
[116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
[117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
[118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
[119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
[120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
[121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
[122] "You use armored vehicles?"
[123] gasped the girl.
[124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
[125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
[126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
[127] "Those slides," he continued.
[128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
[129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
[130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
[131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
[132] Say, that's pretty good!
[133] he told himself.
[134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
[135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
[136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
[137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
[138] Betty looked thoughtful.
[139] "I'm retiring in six months if I'm still alive," he said bravely, edging the tractor into the airlock at their destination.
[140] "Made my pile.
[141] No use pushing your luck too far."
[142] His charge seemed noticeably subdued, but cleared her throat to request that Tolliver guide her to the office of the manager.
[143] She trailed along as if with a burden of worry upon her mind, and the pilot's conscience prickled.
[144] I'll get hold of her after Jeffers is through and set her straight , he resolved.
[145] It isn't really funny if the sucker is too ignorant to know better.
[146] Remembering his grudge against the manager, he took pleasure in walking in without knocking.
[147] "Jeffers," he announced, "this is ... just call her Betty."
[148] The manager's jowled features twisted into an expression of welcome as jovial as that of a hungry crocodile.
[149] "Miss Koslow!"
[150] he beamed, like a politician the day before the voting.
[151] "It certainly is an honor to have you on Ganymede with us!
[152] That's all, Tolliver, you can go.
[153] Yes, indeed!
[154] Mr. Koslow—the president, that is: your father—sent a message about you.
[155] I repeat, it will be an honor to show you the ropes.
[156] Did you want something else, Tolliver?"
[157] "Never mind him, Mr. Jeffers," snapped the girl, in a tone new to Tolliver.
[158] "We won't be working together, I'm afraid.
[159] You've already had enough rope."
[160] Jeffers seemed to stagger standing still behind his desk.
[161] His loose lips twitched uncertainly, and he looked questioningly to Tolliver.
[162] The pilot stared at Betty, trying to recall pictures he had seen of the elder Koslow.
[163] He was also trying to remember some of the lies he had told en route from the spaceport.
[164] "Wh-wh-what do you mean, Miss Koslow?"
[165] Jeffers stammered.
[166] He darted a suspicious glare at Tolliver.
[167] "Mr. Jeffers," said the girl, "I may look like just another spoiled little blonde, but the best part of this company will be mine someday.
[168] I was not allowed to reach twenty-two without learning something about holding on to it."
[169] Tolliver blinked.
[170] He had taken her for three or four years older.
[171] Jeffers now ignored him, intent upon the girl.
[172] "Daddy gave me the title of tenth vice-president mostly as a joke, when he told me to find out what was wrong with operations on Ganymede.
[173] I have some authority, though.
[174] And you look like the source of the trouble to me."
[175] "You can't prove anything," declared Jeffers hoarsely.
[176] "Oh, can't I?
[177] I've already seen certain evidence, and the rest won't be hard to find.
[178] Where are your books, Mr. Jeffers?
[179] You're as good as fired!"
[180] The manager dropped heavily to his chair.
[181] He stared unbelievingly at Betty, and Tolliver thought he muttered something about "just landed."
[182] After a moment, the big man came out of his daze enough to stab an intercom button with his finger.
[183] He growled at someone on the other end to come in without a countdown.
[184] Tolliver, hardly thinking about it, expected the someone to be a secretary, but it turned out to be three members of Jeffers' headquarters staff.
[185] He recognized one as Rawlins, a warehouse chief, and guessed that the other two might be his assistants.
[186] They were large enough.
[187] "No stupid questions!"
[188] Jeffers ordered.
[189] "Lock these two up while I think!"
[190] Tolliver started for the door immediately, but was blocked off.
[191] "Where should we lock—?"
[192] the fellow paused to ask.
[193] Tolliver brought up a snappy uppercut to the man's chin, feeling that it was a poor time to engage Jeffers in fruitless debate.
[194] In the gravity of Ganymede, the man was knocked off balance as much as he was hurt, and sprawled on the floor.
[195] "I told you no questions!"
[196] bawled Jeffers.
[197] The fallen hero, upon arising, had to content himself with grabbing Betty.
[198] The others were swarming over Tolliver.
[199] Jeffers came around his desk to assist.
[200] Tolliver found himself dumped on the floor of an empty office in the adjoining warehouse building.
[201] It seemed to him that a long time had been spent in carrying him there.
[202] He heard an indignant yelp, and realized that the girl had been pitched in with him.
[203] The snapping of a lock was followed by the tramp of departing footsteps and then by silence.
[204] After considering the idea a few minutes, Tolliver managed to sit up.
[205] He had his wind back.
[206] But when he fingered the swelling lump behind his left ear, a sensation befuddled him momentarily.
[207] "I'm sorry about that," murmured Betty.
[208] Tolliver grunted.
[209] Sorrow would not reduce the throbbing, nor was he in a mood to undertake an explanation of why Jeffers did not like him anyway.
[210] "I think perhaps you're going to have a shiner," remarked the girl.
[211] "Thanks for letting me know in time," said Tolliver.
[212] The skin under his right eye did feel a trifle tight, but he could see well enough.
[213] The abandoned and empty look of the office worried him.
[214] "What can we use to get out of here?"
[215] he mused.
[216] "Why should we try?"
[217] asked the girl.
[218] "What can he do?"
[219] "You'd be surprised.
[220] How did you catch on to him so soon?"
[221] "Your paycheck," said Betty.
[222] "As soon as I saw that ridiculous amount, it was obvious that there was gross mismanagement here.
[223] It had to be Jeffers."
[224] Tolliver groaned.
[225] "Then, on the way over here, he as good as admitted everything.
[226] You didn't hear him, I guess.
[227] Well, he seemed to be caught all unaware, and seemed to blame you for it."
[228] "Sure!"
[229] grumbled the pilot.
[230] "He thinks I told you he was grafting or smuggling, or whatever he has going for him here.
[231] That's why I want to get out of here—before I find myself involved in some kind of fatal accident!"
[232] "What do you know about the crooked goings-on here?"
[233] asked Betty after a startled pause.
[234] "Nothing," retorted Tolliver.
[235] "Except that there are some.
[236] There are rumors, and I had a halfway invitation to join in.
[237] I think he sells things to the mining colonies and makes a double profit for himself by claiming the stuff lost in transit.
[238] You didn't think you scared him that bad over a little slack managing?"
[239] The picture of Jeffers huddled with his partners in the headquarters building, plotting the next move, brought Tolliver to his feet.
[240] There was nothing in the unused office but an old table and half a dozen plastic crates.
[241] He saw that the latter contained a mess of discarded records.
[242] "Better than nothing at all," he muttered.
[243] He ripped out a double handful of the forms, crumpled them into a pile at the doorway, and pulled out his cigarette lighter.
[244] "What do you think you're up to?"
[245] asked Betty with some concern.
[246] "This plastic is tough," said Tolliver, "but it will bend with enough heat.
[247] If I can kick loose a hinge, maybe we can fool them yet!"
[248] He got a little fire going, and fed it judiciously with more papers.
[249] "You know," he reflected, "it might be better for you to stay here.
[250] He can't do much about you, and you don't have any real proof just by yourself."
[251] "I'll come along with you, Tolliver," said the girl.
[252] "No, I don't think you'd better."
[253] "Why not?"
[254] "Well ... after all, what would he dare do?
[255] Arranging an accident to the daughter of the boss isn't something that he can pull off without a lot of investigation.
[256] He'd be better off just running for it."
[257] "Let's not argue about it," said Betty, a trifle pale but looking determined.
[258] "I'm coming with you.
[259] Is that stuff getting soft yet?"
[260] Tolliver kicked at the edge of the door experimentally.
[261] It seemed to give slightly, so he knocked the burning papers aside and drove his heel hard at the corner below the hinge.
[262] The plastic yielded.
[263] "That's enough already, Tolliver," whispered the girl.
[264] "We can crawl through!"
[265] Hardly sixty seconds later, he led her into a maze of stacked crates in the warehouse proper.
[266] The building was not much longer than wide, for each of the structures in the colony had its own hemispherical emergency dome of transparent plastic.
[267] They soon reached the other end.
[268] "I think there's a storeroom for spacesuits around here," muttered Tolliver.
[269] "Why do you want them?"
[270] "Honey, I just don't think it will be so easy to lay hands on a tractor.
[271] I bet Jeffers already phoned the garage and all the airlocks with some good lie that will keep me from getting through."
[272] After a brief search, he located the spacesuits.
[273] Many, evidently intended for replacements, had never been unpacked, but there were a dozen or so serviced and standing ready for emergencies.
[274] He showed Betty how to climb into one, and checked her seals and valves after donning a suit himself.
[275] "That switch under your chin," he said, touching helmets so she could hear him.
[276] "Leave it turned off.
[277] Anybody might be listening!"
[278] He led the way out a rear door of the warehouse.
[279] With the heavy knife that was standard suit equipment, he deliberately slashed a four-foot square section out of the dome.
[280] He motioned to Betty to step through, then trailed along with the plastic under his arm.
[281] He caught up and touched helmets again.
[282] "Just act as if you're on business," he told her.
[283] "For all anyone can see, we might be inspecting the dome."
[284] "Where are you going?"
[285] asked Betty.
[286] "Right through the wall, and then head for the nearest mine.
[287] Jeffers can't be running everything !"
[288] "Is there any way to get to a TV?"
[289] asked the girl.
[290] "I ... uh ... Daddy gave me a good number to call if I needed help."
[291] "How good?"
[292] "Pretty official, as a matter of fact."
[293] "All right," Tolliver decided.
[294] "We'll try the ship you just came in on.
[295] They might have finished refueling and left her empty."
[296] They had to cross one open lane between buildings, and Tolliver was very conscious of moving figures in the distance; but no one seemed to look their way.
[297] Reaching the foot of the main dome over the establishment, he glanced furtively about, then plunged his knife into the transparent material.
[298] From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Betty make a startled gesture, but he had his work cut out for him.
[299] This was tougher than the interior dome.
[300] Finally, he managed to saw a ragged slit through which they could squeeze.
[301] There was room to walk between the inner and outer layer, so he moved along a few yards.
[302] A little dust began to blow about where they had gone through.
[303] He touched helmets once more.
[304] "This time," he said, "the air will really start to blow, so get through as fast as you can.
[305] If I can slap this piece of plastic over the rip, it may stow down the loss of pressure enough to give us quite a lead before the alarms go off."
[306] Through the faceplates, he saw the girl nod, wide-eyed.
[307] As soon as he plunged the knife into the outer layer, he could see dusty, moist air puffing out into the near-vacuum of Ganymede's surface.
[308] Fumbling, he cut as fast as he could and shoved Betty through the small opening.
[309] Squeezing through in his turn, he left one arm inside to spread the plastic sheet as best he could.
[310] The internal air pressure slapped it against the inside of the dome as if glued, although it immediately showed an alarming tendency to balloon through the ruptured spot.
[311] They'll find it, all right , Tolliver reminded himself.
[312] Don't be here when they do!
[313] He grabbed Betty by the wrist of her spacesuit and headed for the nearest outcropping of rock.
[314] It promptly developed that she had something to learn about running on ice in such low gravity.
[315] Until they were out of direct line of sight from the settlement, Tolliver simply dragged her.
[316] Then, when he decided that it was safe enough to pause and tell her how to manage better, the sight of her outraged scowl through the face-plate made him think better of it.
[317] By the time we reach the ship, she'll have learned , he consoled himself.
[318] It was a long mile, even at the pace human muscles could achieve on Ganymede.
[319] They took one short rest, during which Tolliver was forced to explain away the dangers of slides and volcanic puffballs.
[320] He admitted to having exaggerated slightly.
[321] In the end, they reached the spaceship.
[322] There seemed to be no one about.
[323] The landing dome had been collapsed and stored, and the ship's airlock port was closed.
[324] "That's all right," Tolliver told the girl.
[325] "We can get in with no trouble."
[326] It was when he looked about to make sure that they were unobserved that he caught a glimpse of motion back toward the city.
[327] He peered at the spot through the dim light.
[328] After a moment, he definitely recognized the outline of a tractor breasting a rise in the ground and tilting downward again.
[329] "In fact, we have to get in to stay out of trouble," he said to Betty.
[330] He located the switch-cover in the hull, opened it and activated the mechanism that swung open the airlock and extended the ladder.
[331] It took him considerable scrambling to boost the girl up the ladder and inside, but he managed.
[332] They passed through the airlock, fretting at the time required to seal, pump air and open the inner hatch; and then Tolliver led the way up another ladder to the control room.
[333] It was a clumsy trip in their spacesuits, but he wanted to save time.
[334] In the control room, he shoved the girl into an acceleration seat, glanced at the gauges and showed her how to open her helmet.
[335] "Leave the suit on," he ordered, getting in the first word while she was still shaking her head.
[336] "It will help a little on the takeoff."
[337] "Takeoff!"
[338] shrilled Betty.
[339] "What do you think you're going to do?
[340] I just want to use the radio or TV!"
[341] "That tractor will get here in a minute or two.
[342] They might cut your conversation kind of short.
[343] Now shut up and let me look over these dials!"
[344] He ran a practiced eye over the board, reading the condition of the ship.
[345] It pleased him.
[346] Everything was ready for a takeoff into an economy orbit for Earth.
[347] He busied himself making a few adjustments, doing his best to ignore the protests from his partner in crime.
[348] He warned her the trip might be long.
[349] "I told you not to come," he said at last.
[350] "Now sit back!"
[351] He sat down and pushed a button to start the igniting process.
[352] In a moment, he could feel the rumble of the rockets through the deck, and then it was out of his hands for several minutes.
[353] "That wasn't so bad," Betty admitted some time later.
[354] "Did you go in the right direction?"
[355] "Who knows?"
[356] retorted Tolliver.
[357] "There wasn't time to check everything .
[358] We'll worry about that after we make your call."
[359] "Oh!"
[360] Betty looked helpless.
[361] "It's in my pocket."
[362] Tolliver sighed.
[363] In their weightless state, it was no easy task to pry her out of the spacesuit.
[364] He thought of inquiring if she needed any further help, but reminded himself that this was the boss's daughter.
[365] When Betty produced a memo giving frequency and call sign, he set about making contact.
[366] It took only a few minutes, as if the channel had been monitored expectantly, and the man who flickered into life on the screen wore a uniform.
[367] "Space Patrol?"
[368] whispered Tolliver incredulously.
[369] "That's right," said Betty.
[370] "Uh ... Daddy made arrangements for me."
[371] Tolliver held her in front of the screen so she would not float out of range of the scanner and microphone.
[372] As she spoke, he stared exasperatedly at a bulkhead, marveling at the influence of a man who could arrange for a cruiser to escort his daughter to Ganymede and wondering what was behind it all.
[373] When he heard Betty requesting assistance in arresting Jeffers and reporting the manager as the head of a ring of crooks, he began to suspect.
[374] He also noticed certain peculiarities about the remarks of the Patrolman.
[375] For one thing, though the officer seemed well acquainted with Betty, he never addressed her by the name of Koslow.
[376] For another, he accepted the request as if he had been hanging in orbit merely until learning who to go down after.
[377] They really sent her out to nail someone , Tolliver realized.
[378] Of course, she stumbled onto Jeffers by plain dumb luck.
[379] But she had an idea of what to look for.
[380] How do I get into these things?
[381] She might have got me killed!
[382] "We do have one trouble," he heard Betty saying.
[383] "This tractor driver, Tolliver, saved my neck by making the ship take off somehow, but he says it's set for a six-month orbit, or economy flight.
[384] Whatever they call it.
[385] I don't think he has any idea where we're headed."
[386] Tolliver pulled her back, holding her in mid-air by the slack of her sweater.
[387] "Actually, I have a fine idea," he informed the officer coldly.
[388] "I happen to be a qualified space pilot.
[389] Everything here is under control.
[390] If Miss Koslow thinks you should arrest Jeffers, you can call us later on this channel."
[391] "Miss Koslow?"
[392] repeated the spacer.
[393] "Did she tell you—well, no matter!
[394] If you'll be okay, we'll attend to the other affair immediately."
[395] He signed off promptly.
[396] The pilot faced Betty, who looked more offended than reassured at discovering his status.
[397] "This 'Miss Koslow' business," he said suspiciously.
[398] "He sounded funny about that."
[399] The girl grinned.
[400] "Relax, Tolliver," she told him.
[401] "Did you really believe Daddy would send his own little girl way out here to Ganymede to look for whoever was gypping him?"
[402] "You ...
[403] you...?"
[404] "Sure.
[405] The name's Betty Hanlon.
[406] I work for a private investigating firm.
[407] If old Koslow had a son to impersonate—" "I'd be stuck for six months in this orbit with some brash young man," Tolliver finished for her.
[408] "I guess it's better this way," he said meditatively a moment later.
[409] "Oh, come on !
[410] Can't they get us back?
[411] How can you tell where we're going?"
[412] "I know enough to check takeoff time.
[413] It was practically due anyhow, so we'll float into the vicinity of Earth at about the right time to be picked up."
[414] He went on to explain something of the tremendous cost in fuel necessary to make more than minor corrections to their course.
[415] Even though the Patrol ship could easily catch the slow freighter, bringing along enough fuel to head back would be something else again.
[416] "We'll just have to ride it out," he said sympathetically.
[417] "The ship is provisioned according to law, and you were probably going back anyhow."
[418] "I didn't expect to so soon."
[419] "Yeah, you were pretty lucky.
[420] They'll think you're a marvel to crack the case in about three hours on Ganymede."
[421] "Great!"
[422] muttered Betty.
[423] "What a lucky girl I am!"
[424] "Yes," admitted Tolliver, "there are problems.
[425] If you like, we might get the captain of that Patrol ship to legalize the situation by TV."
[426] "I can see you're used to sweeping girls off their feet," she commented sourly.
[427] "The main problem is whether you can cook."
[428] Betty frowned at him.
[429] "I'm pretty good with a pistol," she offered, "or going over crooked books.
[430] But cook?
[431] Sorry."
[432] "Well, one of us had better learn, and I'll have other things to do."
[433] "I'll think about it," promised the girl, staring thoughtfully at the deck.
[434] Tolliver anchored himself in a seat and grinned as he thought about it too.
[435] After a while , he promised himself, I'll explain how I cut the fuel flow and see if she's detective enough to suspect that we're just orbiting Ganymede! | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [12] Its reddish tinge brightened the office noticeably, for such of Ganymede's surface as could be seen through the transparent dome outside the office window was cold, dim and rugged.
2. [13] The glowing semi-disk of Jupiter was more than half a million miles distant.
3. [127] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles."
4. [128] "When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally."
5. [129] "It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it."
6. [130] "If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
7. [266] "The building was not much longer than wide, for each of the structures in the colony had its own hemispherical emergency dome of transparent plastic."
8. [1] TOLLIVER'S ORBIT was slow—but it wasn't boring.
9. [2] And it would get you there—as long as you weren't going anywhere anyhow!
10. [3] By H. B. FYFE [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
11. [4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
12. [5] Johnny Tolliver scowled across the desk at his superior.
13. [6] His black thatch was ruffled, as if he had been rubbed the wrong way.
14. [7] "I didn't ask you to cut out your own graft, did I?"
15. [8] he demanded.
16. [9] "Just don't try to sucker me in on the deal.
17. [10] I know you're operating something sneaky all through the colony, but it's not for me."
18. [11] The big moon-face of Jeffers, manager of the Ganymedan branch of Koslow Spaceways, glowered back at him.
19. [14] "Try not to be simple—for once!"
20. [15] growled Jeffers.
21. [16] "A little percentage here and there on the cargoes never shows by the time figures get back to Earth.
22. [17] The big jets in the home office don't care.
23. [18] They count it on the estimates."
24. [19] "You asked any of them lately?"
25. [20] Tolliver prodded.
26. [21] "Now, listen !
27. [22] Maybe they live soft back on Earth since the mines and the Jovian satellite colonies grew; but they were out here in the beginning, most of them.
28. [23] They know what it's like.
29. [24] D'ya think they don't expect us to make what we can on the side?"
30. [25] Tolliver rammed his fists into the side pockets of his loose blue uniform jacket.
31. [26] He shook his head, grinning resignedly.
32. [27] "You just don't listen to me ," he complained.
33. [28] "You know I took this piloting job just to scrape up money for an advanced engineering degree back on Earth.
34. [29] I only want to finish my year—not get into something I can't quit."
35. [30] Jeffers fidgeted in his chair, causing it to creak under the bulk of his body.
36. [31] It had been built for Ganymede, but not for Jeffers.
37. [32] "Aw, it's not like that," the manager muttered.
38. [33] "You can ease out whenever your contract's up.
39. [34] Think we'd bend a good orbit on your account?"
40. [35] Tolliver stared at him silently, but the other had difficulty meeting his eye.
41. [36] "All right, then!"
42. [37] Jeffers snapped after a long moment.
43. [38] "If you want it that way, either you get in line with us or you're through right now!"
44. [39] "You can't fire me," retorted the pilot pityingly.
45. [40] "I came out here on a contract.
46. [41] Five hundred credits a week base pay, five hundred for hazardous duty.
47. [42] How else can you get pilots out to Jupiter?"
48. [43] "Okay I can't fire you legally—as long as you report for work," grumbled Jeffers, by now a shade more ruddy.
49. [44] "We'll see how long you keep reporting.
50. [45] Because you're off the Callisto run as of now!
51. [46] Sit in your quarters and see if the company calls that hazardous duty!"
52. [47] "Doesn't matter," answered Tolliver, grinning amiably.
53. [48] "The hazardous part is just being on the same moon as you for the next six months."
54. [49] He winked and walked out, deliberately leaving the door open behind him so as to enjoy the incoherent bellowing that followed him.
55. [50] Looks like a little vacation , he thought, unperturbed.
56. [51] He'll come around.
57. [52] I just want to get back to Earth with a clean rep. Let Jeffers and his gang steal the Great Red Spot off Jupiter if they like!
58. [53] It's their risk.
59. [54] Tolliver began to have his doubts the next day; which was "Tuesday" by the arbitrary calender constructed to match Ganymede's week-long journey around Jupiter.
60. [55] His contract guaranteed a pilot's rating, but someone had neglected to specify the type of craft to be piloted.
61. [56] On the bulletin board, Tolliver's name stood out beside the number of one of the airtight tractors used between the dome city and the spaceport, or for hauling cross-country to one of the mining domes.
62. [57] He soon found that there was nothing for him to do but hang around the garage in case a spaceship should land.
63. [58] The few runs to other domes seemed to be assigned to drivers with larger vehicles.
64. [59] The following day was just as boring, and the next more so.
65. [60] He swore when he found the assignment unchanged by "Friday."
66. [61] Even the reflection that it was payday was small consolation.
67. [62] "Hey, Johnny!"
68. [63] said a voice at his shoulder.
69. [64] "The word is that they're finally gonna trust you to take that creeper outside."
70. [65] Tolliver turned to see Red Higgins, a regular driver.
71. [66] "What do you mean?"
72. [67] "They say some home-office relative is coming in on the Javelin ."
73. [68] "What's wrong with that?"
74. [69] asked Tolliver.
75. [70] "Outside of the way they keep handing out soft jobs to nephews, I mean."
76. [71] "Aah, these young punks just come out for a few months so they can go back to Earth making noises like spacemen.
77. [72] Sometimes there's no reason but them for sending a ship back with a crew instead of in an economy orbit.
78. [73] Wait till you see the baggage you'll have to load!"
79. [74] Later in the day-period, Tolliver recalled this warning.
80. [75] Under a portable, double-chambered plastic dome blown up outside the ship's airlock, a crewman helped him load two trunks and a collection of bags into the tractor.
81. [76] He was struggling to suppress a feeling of outrage at the waste of fuel involved when the home-office relative emerged.
82. [77] She was about five feet four and moved as if she walked lightly even in stronger gravity than Ganymede's.
83. [78] Her trim coiffure was a shade too blonde which served to set off both the blue of her eyes and the cap apparently won from one of the pilots.
84. [79] She wore gray slacks and a heavy sweater, like a spacer.
85. [80] "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, sliding into the seat beside Tolliver.
86. [81] "By the way, just call me Betty."
87. [82] "Sure," agreed Tolliver thinking, Ohmigod!
88. [83] Trying already to be just one of the gang, instead of Lady Betty!
89. [84] Is her old man the treasurer, or does he just know where bodies are buried?
90. [85] "They were making dates," said the girl.
91. [86] "Were they ribbing me, or is it true that none of the four of them goes back with the ship?"
92. [87] "It's true enough," Tolliver assured her.
93. [88] "We need people out here, and it costs a lot to make the trip.
94. [89] They found they could send back loaded ships by 'automatic' flight—that is, a long, slow, economical orbit and automatic signalling equipment.
95. [90] Then they're boarded approaching Earth's orbit and landed by pilots who don't have to waste their time making the entire trip."
96. [91] He followed the signals of a spacesuited member of the port staff and maneuvered out of the dome.
97. [92] Then he headed the tractor across the frozen surface of Ganymede toward the permanent domes of the city.
98. [93] "How is it here?"
99. [94] asked the girl.
100. [95] "They told me it's pretty rough."
101. [96] "What did you expect?"
102. [97] asked Tolliver.
103. [98] "Square dances with champagne?"
104. [99] "Don't be silly.
105. [100] Daddy says I'm supposed to learn traffic routing and the business management of a local branch.
106. [101] They probably won't let me see much else."
107. [102] "You never can tell," said the pilot, yielding to temptation.
108. [103] "Any square inch of Ganymede is likely to be dangerous."
109. [104] I'll be sorry later , he reflected, but if Jeffers keeps me jockeying this creeper, I'm entitled to some amusement.
110. [105] And Daddy's little girl is trying too hard to sound like one of the gang.
111. [106] "Yeah," he went on, "right now, I don't do a thing but drive missions from the city to the spaceport."
112. [107] "Missions!
113. [108] You call driving a mile or so a mission ?"
114. [109] Tolliver pursed his lips and put on a shrewd expression.
115. [110] "Don't sneer at Ganymede, honey!"
116. [111] he warned portentously.
117. [112] "Many a man who did isn't here today.
118. [113] Take the fellow who used to drive this mission!"
119. [114] "You can call me Betty.
120. [115] What happened to him?"
121. [116] "I'll tell you some day," Tolliver promised darkly.
122. [117] "This moon can strike like a vicious animal."
123. [118] "Oh, they told me there was nothing alive on Ganymede!"
124. [119] "I was thinking of the mountain slides," said the pilot.
125. [120] "Not to mention volcanic puffballs that pop out through the frozen crust where you'd least expect.
126. [121] That's why I draw such high pay for driving an unarmored tractor."
127. [122] "You use armored vehicles?"
128. [123] gasped the girl.
129. [124] She was now sitting bolt upright in the swaying seat.
130. [125] Tolliver deliberately dipped one track into an icy hollow.
131. [126] In the light gravity, the tractor responded with a weird, floating lurch.
132. [127] "Those slides," he continued.
133. [128] "Ganymede's only about the size of Mercury, something like 3200 miles in diameter, so things get heaped up at steep angles.
134. [129] When the rock and ice are set to sliding, they come at you practically horizontally.
135. [130] It doesn't need much start, and it barrels on for a long way before there's enough friction to stop it.
136. [131] If you're in the way—well, it's just too bad!"
137. [132] Say, that's pretty good!
138. [133] he told himself.
139. [134] What a liar you are, Tolliver!
140. [135] He enlarged upon other dangers to be encountered on the satellite, taking care to impress the newcomer with the daredeviltry of John Tolliver, driver of "missions" across the menacing wastes between dome and port.
141. [136] In the end, he displayed conclusive evidence in the form of the weekly paycheck he had received that morning.
142. [137] It did not, naturally, indicate he was drawing the salary of a space pilot.
143. [138] Betty looked thoughtful.
144. [139] "I'm retiring in six months if I'm still alive," he said bravely, edging the tractor into the airlock at their destination.
145. [140] "Made my pile.
146. [141] No use pushing your luck too far."
147. [142] His charge seemed noticeably subdued, but cleared her throat to request that Tolliver guide her to the office of the manager.
148. [143] She trailed along as if with a burden of worry upon her mind, and the pilot's conscience prickled.
149. [144] I'll get hold of her after Jeffers is through and set her straight , he resolved.
150. [145] It isn't really funny if the sucker is too ignorant to know better. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Joe is at a bar and hands a girl $50 to complete a task for him without telling her what it is yet. He makes small talk to the girl telling her that he is trying to get drunk but he can’t because his drinks are watered down by the CPA robot bartenders. Joe informs the girl that he is assigned a DCT (Dangerous Criminal Tendencies) designation on his CPA ID card. Joe leads the girl to an alley to move his plan into motion. His plan is for her to say that he attempted to rape her because attempted rape is a crime under CPA rules. The girl states that she does not want to go along with that plan because she will lose her rank in the Women’s Self-Defense Association, which is a branch of the CPA. Joe still persists and tries to make her scream. The girl in turn successfully defends herself against him and causes his head to strike the hard concrete floor. He loses consciousness of her actions. \n\nJoe wakes up in the police commissioner’s office. Joe’s plan does not work because the CPA had microphones monitoring the alley so they already know that the plan was not real. Joe then proceeds to confess to a conspiracy when presented with the evidence the CPA has gathered. As a result of these actions, Joe’s new designation on his CPA ID card has the words ‘Dangerous Criminal Tendencies’ in all caps and in a large, red font printed on his card. It also added that he was a DCT First Class owner. Hendricks lectures Joe about his new designation, but Joe does not care to hear him. The commissioner tries to convince Joe to leave New York or to use the free psychology service. \n\nHendricks explains that he cannot think of a way to help Joe without committing a crime himself. In an unexpected move, Hendricks offers Joe a seemingly available victim and their address. Joe memorizes the available information and goes to the address to commit a crime. Joe enters the apartment and takes a watch. He then shouts outside a window that there is a thief. Joe proceeds to run down to the street and is caught by a police helicopter and handcuffed. \n\nJoe eventually wakes up after months of treatment in a hospital and is picked up by Hendricks. He goes through the large crowd waiting to meet him upon exiting the hospital and has an uneasy feeling about the interactions. He is confused by the reaction of the crowd. Hendrick says that it was a fake apartment that Joe went to and is one that the police use for special cases like his when a person refuses to find a solution. Joe becomes upset because he realizes that he has become a prisoner in his own body because of the treatment from the CPA and he has great contempt for the results.",
"A girl goes up to Joe Harper's table in a tavern and says that Hank said that Joe wanted to see her. He gives her fifty dollars and tells her that he wants her to do a quick job for him. Joe has been trying to get drunk all afternoon because he will get free room and board for a month from the AAA. The girl wonders why he doesn't just get a job but hands her his CPA ID card. She sees that he has Dangerous Criminal Tendencies, which she then realizes why. The CPA does not punish criminals and focuses more on preventing crime. Therefore, criminals who get convicted are sent to hospitals where all criminal tendencies are removed from the mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, and many other devices. However, these criminals are also hailed as heroes once they have left the treatment program. The girl agrees to his plan, and they go to the alley. He rips her clothes off and tells her to accuse him of rape. However, she cannot agree to the plan because she is a sergeant of the Women's Self-Defense Association (WSDA). He doesn't want to hear it but, she sends him flying through the air. Commissioner Hendricks speaks to him when he wakes up at the police commissioner's office, and Joe confesses to conspiracy. The crime has been prevented, but his new ID card now has DCT written in even larger red font. This signifies him as a DCT First Class, which means that many other amateur cops will begin to watch him in hopes that he will commit a crime. He further taunts Joe and says that all sorts of people on the street will ask about him and that his life is over because he is a freak. When Joe says that he is broke, Hendricks offers to loan him some money. Although both want to see Joe convicted, Hendricks cannot directly help him because it is either a Violation of Civil Rights or will cause him to commit a crime. However, as soon as Hendricks leaves to get water, Jon flips through Hendricks' book and finds somebody to rob. He goes to John Gralewski's apartment to steal a watch and is arrested promptly by the police. The story then goes to Hendricks telling Jon to wake up and that his treatment is now over. Jon says that he does not feel like a hero, while Hendricks tells him that they only admire him because he will never commit another crime again. When they get inside the car, Hendricks tells Jon that he will have the job he has always wanted now, but the treatment has written a set of laws in his mind that prevents him from committing crimes. Joe now realizes how lousy this system is and wants out of it, but it is too late. He demands to get out of the car and realizes he has become a prisoner with himself.",
"A relatively beautiful girl sits down at Joe's table in the bar and gets paid for some future job. Joe tells her he is trying to get drunk, but the robot-bartender keeps watering his drink as being drunk is illegal. The plan is to join AAA and to live there for free for a month, but there are clever robots in every bar in New York. The girl suggests finding a job and learns that Joe had Dangerous Criminal Tendencies (DCT), which is visible in his ID card. Joe wants the girl to help him commit a crime which is almost impossible as CPA prevents every crime by various means. Those few who succeed are not punished but given treatment in hospitals after which they become perfect employees wanted by every company. Joe and the girl go out into the alley and the man asks her to scream to make everything look like an attempted rape. Nevertheless, the girl refuses as she was taught self-defense and is a sergeant, a rank she doesn't want to lose. When Joe tries anyway, the girl beats him down and police comes soon. They had a hidden microphone nearby and don't believe in the attempted rape story. Conspiracy is not considered a crime and Joe's ID has a larger DCT inscription now - a first class one. This means more cops will watch him as a hobby, as well as neighbors and other people. Hendricks, the police officer, suggests Joe gets the free treatment and then shows a small book with the contacts of nor properly protected people, listed in order to fix that blind spots. After leaving the book on the table, the officer goest to the nest room to get some water, and leaves Joe with the opportunity. Soon, Joe visits one of the listed apartments, an old building with an unreported new room. Joe steals a watch from there and screams for help, then runs and gets caught. After a while, Joe wakes up from a nightmare and sees Hendricks, who announces the end of treatment. The treatment lasted for months and made Joe feel more relaxed but nothing more. A huge crowd is waiting outside to cheer the ex-criminal for his newly gained honesty and inability to commit crime. A woman in the crowd blesses Joe for not committing a murder, which confuses him, as ex-murderers are even more cheered. Then Hendricks explains that he didn't do Joe a favor but such help in crimes is to prevent huger damages from those who refuse free treatment and want to be Exes, as they see those as heroes. Turns out an Ex has to work harder than other people and they still want to commit crime but the laws sound in their heads and prevent it causing pain. CPA is everywhere.",
"The story begins with Joe paying a girl fifty dollars, asking her to do a job for him. He does not describe what the job is, but mentions that it will only takes a few minutes. Joe tries to get drunk, but is unsuccessful because the CPA robots prevent anyone from getting too drunk. Then we learn that the CPA is a system that prevents crimes from occurring. It has been very successful. Only a few hundred of crimes has occurred in the past year. Those that did commit a crime are considered heroes, and they are not punished because they outsmarted the system. Instead, they will be put in a CPA hospital for treatments. Afterward, they will be provided with some of the most paid jobs. Joe and the girl goes into the alleyway where he attempts to rape her. She tells him that he cannot do this. But he continues because he wants to get the treatment for a nice job. But because the girl refuses to corporate, she hits him and he drops to the ground. He wakes up in the police commissioner’s office where his conspiracy is revealed through a hidden speaker in the alley. His CPA card is changed to a First Class DCT. After Commissioner Hendricks explains the troubles he will have as a First Class, Hendricks reveals the address to an unprotected property. Then Joe decides to rob the place. After stealing a watch, he purposely let himself get caught. When he wakes up again, his treatment at the CPA hospital is over. As he gets ready to go home, Hendricks tells him about the truth of the treatment: he simply cannot break any rules because his brain does not let him."
] | [1] Going straight meant crooked planning.
[2] He'd never make it unless he somehow managed to PICK A CRIME By RICHARD R. SMITH Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] The girl was tall, wide-eyed and brunette.
[5] She had the right curves in the right places and would have been beautiful if her nose had been smaller, if her mouth had been larger and if her hair had been wavy instead of straight.
[6] "Hank said you wanted to see me," she said when she stopped beside Joe's table.
[7] "Yeah."
[8] Joe nodded at the other chair.
[9] "Have a seat."
[10] He reached into a pocket, withdrew five ten-dollar bills and handed them to her.
[11] "I want you to do a job for me.
[12] It'll only take a few minutes."
[13] The girl counted the money, then placed it in her purse.
[14] Joe noticed a small counterfeit-detector inside the purse before she closed it.
[15] "What's the job?"
[16] "Tell you later."
[17] He gulped the remainder of his drink, almost pouring it down his throat.
[18] "Hey.
[19] You trying to make yourself sick?"
[20] "Not sick.
[21] Drunk.
[22] Been trying to get drunk all afternoon."
[23] As the liquor settled in his stomach, he waited for the warm glow.
[24] But the glow didn't come ... the bartender had watered his drink again.
[25] "Trying to get drunk?"
[26] the girl inquired.
[27] "Are you crazy?"
[28] "No.
[29] It's simple.
[30] If I get drunk, I can join the AAA and get free room and board for a month while they give me a treatment."
[31] It was easy enough to understand, he reflected, but a lot harder to do.
[32] The CPA robot bartenders saw to it that anyone got high if they wanted, but comparatively few got drunk.
[33] Each bartender could not only mix drinks but could also judge by a man's actions and speech when he was on the verge of drunkenness.
[34] At the proper time—since drunkenness was illegal—a bartender always watered the drinks.
[35] Joe had tried dozens of times in dozens of bars to outsmart them, but had always failed.
[36] And in all of New York's millions, there had been only a hundred cases of intoxication during the previous year.
[37] The girl laughed.
[38] "If you're that hard up, I don't know if I should take this fifty or not.
[39] Why don't you go out and get a job like everyone else?"
[40] As an answer, Joe handed her his CPA ID card.
[41] She grunted when she saw the large letters that indicated the owner had Dangerous Criminal Tendencies.
[42] When she handed the card back, Joe fought an impulse to tear it to pieces.
[43] He'd done that once and gone through a mountain of red tape to get another—everyone was required by law to carry a CPA ID card and show it upon request.
[44] "I'm sorry," the girl said.
[45] "I didn't know you were a DCT."
[46] "And who'll hire a guy with criminal tendencies?
[47] You know the score.
[48] When you try to get a job, they ask to see your ID before they even tell you if there's an opening or not.
[49] If your CPA ID says you're a DCT, you're SOL and they tell you there's no openings.
[50] Oh, I've had several jobs ... jobs like all DCTs get.
[51] I've been a garbage man, street-cleaner, ditch-digger—" On the other side of the room, the jukebox came to life with a roar and a group of teen-agers scrambled to the dance floor.
[52] Feeling safe from hidden microphones because of the uproar, he leaned across the table and whispered in the girl's ear, "That's what I want to hire you for.
[53] I want you to help me commit a crime.
[54] If I get convicted of a crime, I'll be able to get a good job!"
[55] The girl's lips formed a bright red circle.
[56] "Say!
[57] You really got big plans, don't you?"
[58] He smiled at her admiration.
[59] It was something big to plan a crime.
[60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
[61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
[62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
[63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
[64] No crime was ever punished.
[65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
[66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
[67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
[68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
[69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
[70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
[71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
[72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
[73] "Well," the girl said.
[74] "I'm honored.
[75] Really.
[76] But I got a date at ten.
[77] Let's get it over with.
[78] You said it'd only take a few minutes."
[79] "Okay.
[80] Let's go."
[81] The girl followed him across the room, around tables, through a door, down a hall, through a back door and into the alley.
[82] She followed him up the dark alley until he turned suddenly and ripped her blouse and skirt.
[83] He surprised her completely, but when she recovered, she backed away, her body poised like a wrestler's.
[84] "What's the big idea?"
[85] "Scream," Joe said.
[86] "Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
[87] The plan was perfect, he told himself.
[88] Attempted rape was one of the few things that was a crime merely because a man attempted it.
[89] A crime because it theoretically inflicted psychological injury upon the intended victim—and because millions of women voters had voted it a crime.
[90] On the other hand, attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping, etc., were not crimes.
[91] They weren't crimes because the DCT didn't complete the act, and if he didn't complete the act, that meant simply that the CPA had once again functioned properly.
[92] The girl shook her head vigorously.
[93] "Sorry, buddy.
[94] Can't help you that way.
[95] Why didn't you tell me what you wanted?"
[96] "What's the matter?"
[97] Joe complained.
[98] "I'm not asking you to do anything wrong."
[99] "You stupid jerk.
[100] What do you think this is—the Middle Ages?
[101] Don't you know almost every woman knows how to defend herself?
[102] I'm a sergeant in the WSDA!"
[103] Joe groaned.
[104] The WSDA—Women's Self-Defense Association—a branch of the CPA.
[105] The WSDA gave free instruction in judo and jujitsu, even developed new techniques of wrestling and instructed only women in those new techniques.
[106] The girl was still shaking her head.
[107] "Can't do it, buddy.
[108] I'd lose my rank if you were convicted of—" "Do I have to make you scream?"
[109] Joe inquired tiredly and advanced toward the girl.
[110] "—and that rank carries a lot of weight.
[111] Hey!
[112] Stop it! "
[113] Joe discovered to his dismay that the girl was telling the truth when she said she was a sergeant in the WSDA.
[114] He felt her hands on his body, and in the time it takes to blink twice, he was flying through the air.
[115] The alley's concrete floor was hard—it had always been hard, but he became acutely aware of its lack of resiliency when his head struck it.
[116] There was a wonderful moment while the world was filled with beautiful stars and streaks of lightning through which he heard distant police sirens.
[117] But the wonderful moment didn't last long and darkness closed in on him.
[118] When he awoke, a rough voice was saying, "Okay.
[119] Snap out of it."
[120] He opened his eyes and recognized the police commissioner's office.
[121] It would be hard not to recognize: the room was large, devoid of furniture except for a desk and chairs, but the walls were lined with the controls of television screens, electronic calculators and a hundred other machines that formed New York's mechanical police force.
[122] Commissioner Hendricks was a remarkable character.
[123] There was something wrong with his glands, and he was a huge, greasy bulk of a man with bushy eyebrows and a double chin.
[124] His steel-gray eyes showed something of his intelligence and he would have gone far in politics if fate hadn't made him so ugly, for more than half the voters who elected men to high political positions were women.
[125] Anyone who knew Hendricks well liked him, for he was a friendly, likable person.
[126] But the millions of women voters who saw his face on posters and on their TV screens saw only the ugly face and heard only the harsh voice.
[127] The President of the United States was a capable man, but also a very handsome one, and the fact that a man who looked something like a bulldog had been elected as New York's police commissioner was a credit to Hendricks and millions of women voters.
[128] "Where's the girl?"
[129] Joe asked.
[130] "I processed her while you were out cold.
[131] She left.
[132] Joe, you—" "Okay," Joe said.
[133] "I'll save you the trouble.
[134] I admit it.
[135] Attempted rape.
[136] I confess."
[137] Hendricks smiled.
[138] "Sorry, Joe.
[139] You missed the boat again."
[140] He reached out and turned a dial on his desk top.
[141] "We had a microphone hidden in that alley.
[142] We have a lot of microphones hidden in a lot of alleys.
[143] You'd be surprised at the number of conspiracies that take place in alleys!"
[144] Joe listened numbly to his voice as it came from one of the hundreds of machines on the walls, " Scream.
[145] Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you. "
[146] And then the girl's voice, " Sorry, buddy.
[147] Can't help— " He waved his hand.
[148] "Okay.
[149] Shut it off.
[150] I confess to conspiracy."
[151] Hendricks rose from behind the desk, walked leisurely to where Joe was slouched in a chair.
[152] "Give me your CPA ID."
[153] Joe handed him the card with trembling fingers.
[154] He felt as if the world had collapsed beneath him.
[155] Conspiracy to commit a crime wasn't a crime.
[156] Anyone could conspire.
[157] And if the conspirators were prevented from committing a crime, then that meant the CPA had functioned properly once again.
[158] That meant the CPA had once again prevented crime, and the CPA didn't punish crimes or attempted crimes, and it didn't attempt to prevent crimes by punishment.
[159] If it did, that would be a violation of the New Civil Rights.
[160] Hendricks crossed the room, deposited the card in a slot and punched a button.
[161] The machine hummed and a new card appeared.
[162] When Hendricks handed him the new card, Joe saw that the words DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES were now in red and larger than before.
[163] And, in slightly smaller print, the ID card stated that the owner was a DCT First Class.
[164] "You've graduated," Hendricks said coldly.
[165] "You guys never learn, do you?
[166] Now you're a DCT First Class instead of a Second Class.
[167] You know what that means?"
[168] Hendricks leaned closer until Joe could feel his breath on his face.
[169] "That means your case history will be turned over to the newspapers.
[170] You'll be the hobby of thousands of amateur cops.
[171] You know how it works?
[172] It's like this.
[173] The Joneses are sitting around tomorrow night and they're bored.
[174] Then Mr. Jones says, 'Let's go watch this Joe Harper.'
[175] So they look up your record—amateur cops always keep records of First Classes in scrapbooks—and they see that you stop frequently at Walt's Tavern.
[176] "So they go there and they sit and drink and watch you, trying not to let you know they're watching you.
[177] They watch you all night, just hoping you'll do something exciting, like trying to kill someone, so they can be the first ones to yell ' Police! '
[178] They'll watch you because it's exciting to be an amateur cop, and if they ever did prevent you from committing a crime, they'd get a nice reward and they'd be famous."
[179] "Lay off," Joe said.
[180] "I got a headache.
[181] That girl—" Hendricks leaned even closer and glared.
[182] "You listen, Joe.
[183] This is interesting.
[184] You see, it doesn't stop with Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
[185] There's thousands of people like them.
[186] Years ago, they got their kicks from reading about guys like you, but these days things are dull because it's rare when anyone commits a crime.
[187] So every time you walk down the street, there'll be at least a dozen of 'em following you, and no matter where you go, you can bet there'll be some of 'em sitting next to you, standing next to you.
[188] "During the day, they'll take your picture with their spy cameras that look like buttons on their coats.
[189] At night, they'll peep at you through your keyhole.
[190] Your neighbors across the street will watch you through binoculars and—" "Lay off!"
[191] Joe squirmed in the chair.
[192] He'd been lectured by Hendricks before and it was always an unpleasant experience.
[193] The huge man was like a talking machine once he got started, a machine that couldn't be stopped.
[194] "And the kids are the worst," Hendricks continued.
[195] "They have Junior CPA clubs.
[196] They keep records of hoodlums like you in little cardboard boxes.
[197] They'll stare at you on the street and stare at you through restaurant windows while you're eating meals.
[198] They'll follow you in public rest rooms and watch you out of the corners of their eyes while they wash their little hands, and almost every day when you look back, you'll see a dozen freckle-faced little boys following you half a block behind, giggling and gaping at you.
[199] They'll follow you until the day you die, because you're a freak!"
[200] Joe couldn't stand the breath in his face any longer.
[201] He rose and paced the floor.
[202] "And it doesn't end there , Joe.
[203] It goes on and on.
[204] You'll be the object of every do-gooder and parlor psychologist.
[205] Strangers will stop you on the street and say, 'I'd like to help you, friend.'
[206] Then they'll ask you queer questions like, 'Did your father reject you when you were a child?'
[207] 'Do you like girls?'
[208] 'How does it feel to be a DCT First Class?'
[209] And then there'll be the strangers who hate DCTs.
[210] They'll stop you on the street and insult you, call you names, spit on you and—" "Okay, goddam it!
[211] Stop it! "
[212] Hendricks stopped, wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief and lit a cigarette.
[213] "I'm doing you a favor, Joe.
[214] I'm trying to explain something you're too dumb to realize by yourself.
[215] We've taught everyone to hate crime and criminals ... to hate them as nothing has ever been hated before.
[216] Today a criminal is a freak, an alien.
[217] Your life will be a living hell if you don't leave New York.
[218] You should go to some small town where there aren't many people, or be a hermit, or go to Iceland or—" Joe eyed the huge man suspiciously. "
[219] Favor , did you say?
[220] The day you do me a favor—" Hendricks shrugged his shoulders negligently.
[221] "Not entirely a favor.
[222] I want to get rid of you.
[223] Usually I come up here and sit around and read books.
[224] But guys like you are a nuisance and take up my time."
[225] "I couldn't leave if I wanted to," Joe said.
[226] "I'm flat broke.
[227] Thanks to your CPA system, a DCT can't get a decent job."
[228] Hendricks reached into a pocket, withdrew several bills and extended them.
[229] "I'll loan you some money.
[230] You can sign an IOU and pay me back a little at a time."
[231] Joe waved the money away.
[232] "Listen, why don't you do me a favor?
[233] Why don't you frame me?
[234] If I'm such a nuisance, pin a crime on me—any crime."
[235] "Can't do it.
[236] Convicting a man of a crime he didn't commit is a violation of Civil Rights and a crime in itself."
[237] "Umm."
[238] "Why don't you take the free psycho treatment?
[239] A man doesn't have to be a DCT.
[240] With the free treatment, psychologists can remove all your criminal tendencies and—" "Go to those head-shrinkers ?"
[241] Hendricks shrugged again.
[242] "Have it your way."
[243] Joe laughed.
[244] "If your damned CPA is so all-powerful, why can't you make me go?"
[245] "Violation of Civil Rights."
[246] "Damn it, there must be some way you can help me!
[247] We both want the same thing.
[248] We both want to see me convicted of a crime."
[249] "How can I help you without committing a crime myself?"
[250] Hendricks walked to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small black book.
[251] "See this?
[252] It contains names and addresses of all the people in New York who aren't properly protected.
[253] Every week we find people who aren't protected properly—blind spots in our protection devices.
[254] As soon as we find them, we take steps to install anti-robbery devices, but this is a big city and sometimes it takes days to get the work done.
[255] "In the meantime, any one of these people could be robbed.
[256] But what can I do?
[257] I can't hold this book in front of your nose and say, 'Here, Joe, pick a name and go out and rob him.'"
[258] He laughed nervously.
[259] "If I did that, I'd be committing a crime myself!"
[260] He placed the book on the desk top, took a handkerchief from a pocket again and wiped sweat from his face.
[261] "Excuse me a minute.
[262] I'm dying of thirst.
[263] There's a water cooler in the next room."
[264] Joe stared at the door to the adjoining office as it closed behind the big man.
[265] Hendricks was—unbelievably—offering him a victim, offering him a crime!
[266] Almost running to the desk, Joe opened the book, selected a name and address and memorized it: John Gralewski, Apt.
[267] 204, 2141 Orange St.
[268] When Hendricks came back, Joe said, "Thanks."
[269] "Huh?
[270] Thanks for what?
[271] I didn't do anything."
[272] When Joe reached the street, he hurried toward the nearest subway.
[273] As a child, he had been frightened of the dark.
[274] As a man, he wasn't afraid of the dark itself, but the darkened city always made him feel ill at ease.
[275] The uneasiness was, more than anything else, caused by his own imagination.
[276] He hated the CPA and at night he couldn't shrug the feeling that the CPA lurked in every shadow, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.
[277] Imagination or not, the CPA was almost everywhere a person went.
[278] Twenty-four hours a day, millions of microphones hidden in taverns, alleys, restaurants, subways and every other place imaginable waited for someone to say the wrong thing.
[279] Everything the microphones picked up was routed to the CPA Brain, a monster electronic calculator.
[280] If the words "Let's see a movie" were received in the Brain, they were discarded.
[281] But if the words "Let's roll this guy" were received, the message was traced and a police helicopter would be at the scene in two minutes.
[282] And scattered all over the city were not only hidden microphones, but hidden television cameras that relayed visual messages to the Brain, and hidden machines that could detect a knife or a gun in someone's pocket at forty yards.
[283] Every place of business from the largest bank to the smallest grocery store was absolutely impenetrable.
[284] No one had even tried to rob a place of business for years.
[285] Arson was next to impossible because of the heat-detectors—devices placed in every building that could detect, radarlike, any intensity of heat above that caused by a cigarette lighter.
[286] Chemical research had made poisoning someone an impossibility.
[287] There were no drugs containing poison, and while an ant-poison might kill ants, no concentrated amount of it would kill a human.
[288] The FBI had always been a powerful organization, but under the supervision of the CPA, it was a scientific colossus and to think of kidnapping someone or to contemplate the use of narcotics was pointless.
[289] A counterfeiter's career was always short-lived: every place of business and millions of individuals had small counterfeit-detectors that could spot a fake and report it directly to the Brain.
[290] And the percentage of crimes had dwindled even more with the appearance of the robot police officers.
[291] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman.
[292] But the robots were different: they weren't flesh and blood.
[293] Bullets bounced off them and their aim was infallible.
[294] It was like a fantastic dream come true.
[295] Only the dream wasn't fantastic any more.
[296] With the huge atomic power plants scattered across the country and supplying endless electrical power at ridiculously low prices, no endeavor that required power was fantastic.
[297] The power required to operate the CPA devices cost each taxpayer an average of four dollars a year, and the invention, development and manufacture of the devices had cost even less.
[298] And the CPA had attacked crime through society itself, striking at the individual.
[299] In every city there were neon signs that blinked subliminally with the statement, CRIME IS FILTH.
[300] Listening to a radio or watching television, if a person heard station identification, he invariably heard or saw just below perception the words CRIME IS FILTH.
[301] If he went for a walk or a ride, he saw the endless subliminal posters declaring CRIME IS FILTH, and if he read a magazine or newspaper he always found, in those little dead spaces where an editor couldn't fit anything else, the below-perception words CRIME IS FILTH.
[302] It was monotonous and, after a while, a person looked at the words and heard them without thinking about them.
[303] And they were imprinted on his subconscious over and over, year after year, until he knew that crime was the same as filth and that criminals were filthy things.
[304] Except men like Joe Harper.
[305] No system is perfect.
[306] Along with thousands of other DCTs, Joe refused to believe it, and when he reached apartment 204 at 2141 Orange Street, he felt as if he'd inherited a gold mine.
[307] The hall was dimly lit, but when he stood before the door numbered 204, he could see that the wall on either side of it was new .
[308] That is, instead of being covered with dust, dirt and stains as the other walls were, it was clean.
[309] The building was an old one, the hall was wide, and the owner had obviously constructed a wall across the hall, creating another room.
[310] If the owner had reported the new room as required by law, it would have been wired with CPA burglarproof devices, but evidently he didn't want to pay for installation.
[311] When Joe entered the cubbyhole, he had to stand to one side in order to close the door behind him.
[312] The place was barely large enough for the bed, chair and bureau; it was a place where a man could fall down at night and sleep, but where no normal man could live day after day.
[313] Fearing that someone might detect him before he actually committed the crime, Joe hurried to the bureau and searched it.
[314] He broke out in a sweat when he found nothing but underwear and old magazines.
[315] If he stole underwear and magazines, it would still be a crime, but the newspapers would splash satirical headlines.
[316] Instead of being respected as a successful criminal, he would be ridiculed.
[317] He stopped sweating when he found a watch under a pile of underwear.
[318] The crystal was broken, one hand was missing and it wouldn't run, but—perfection itself—engraved on the back was the inscription, To John with Love .
[319] His trial would be a clean-cut one: it would be easy for the CPA to prove ownership and that a crime had been committed.
[320] Chuckling with joy, he opened the window and shouted, " Thief!
[321] Police!
[322] Help! "
[323] He waited a few seconds and then ran.
[324] When he reached the street, a police helicopter landed next to him.
[325] Strong metal arms seized him; cameras clicked and recorded the damning evidence.
[326] When Joe was securely handcuffed to a seat inside the helicopter, the metal police officers rang doorbells.
[327] There was a reward for anyone who reported a crime, but no one admitted shouting the warning.
[328] He was having a nightmare when he heard the voice, "Hey.
[329] Wake up.
[330] Hey!"
[331] He opened his eyes, saw Hendricks' ugly face and thought for a minute he was still having the nightmare.
[332] "I just saw your doctor," Hendricks said.
[333] "He says your treatment is over.
[334] You can go home now.
[335] I thought I'd give you a lift."
[336] As Joe dressed, he searched his mind and tried to find some difference.
[337] During the treatment, he had been unconscious or drugged, unable to think.
[338] Now he could think clearly, but he could find no difference in himself.
[339] He felt more relaxed than he'd ever felt before, but that could be an after-effect of all the sedatives he'd been given.
[340] And, he noticed when he looked in the mirror, he was paler.
[341] The treatment had taken months and he had, between operations, been locked in his room.
[342] Hendricks was standing by the window.
[343] Joe stared at the massive back.
[344] Deliberately goading his mind, he discovered the biggest change: Before, the mere sight of the man had aroused an intense hatred.
[345] Now, even when he tried, he succeeded in arousing only a mild hatred.
[346] They had toned down his capacity to hate, but not done away with it altogether.
[347] "Come here and take a look at your public," said Hendricks.
[348] Joe went to the window.
[349] Three stories below, a large crowd had gathered on the hospital steps: a band, photographers, television trucks, cameramen and autograph hunters.
[350] He'd waited a long time for this day.
[351] But now—another change in him— He put the emotion into words: "I don't feel like a hero.
[352] Funny, but I don't."
[353] "Hero!"
[354] Hendricks laughed and, with his powerful lungs, it sounded like a bull snorting.
[355] "You think a successful criminal is a hero?
[356] You stupid—" He laughed again and waved a hand at the crowd below them.
[357] "You think those people are down there because they admire what you did?
[358] They're down there waiting for you because they're curious, because they're glad the CPA caught you, and because they're glad you're an Ex.
[359] You're an ex -criminal now, and because of your treatment, you'll never be able to commit another crime as long as you live.
[360] And that's the kind of guy they admire, so they want to see you, shake your hand and get your autograph."
[361] Joe didn't understand Hendricks completely, but the part he did understand he didn't believe.
[362] A crowd was waiting for him.
[363] He could see the people with his own eyes.
[364] When he left the hospital, they'd cheer and shout and ask for his autograph.
[365] If he wasn't a hero, what was he ?
[366] It took half an hour to get through the crowd.
[367] Cameras clicked all around him, a hundred kids asked for his autograph, everyone talked at once and cheered, smiled, laughed, patted him on the back and cheered some more.
[368] Only one thing confused him during all the excitement: a white-haired old lady with tears in her eyes said, "Thank heaven it was only a watch.
[369] Thank heaven you didn't kill someone!
[370] God bless you, son."
[371] And then the old lady had handed him a box of fudge and left him in total confusion.
[372] What she said didn't make sense.
[373] If he had killed someone rather than stealing a watch, he would be even more of a hero and the crowd would have cheered even louder.
[374] He knew: he had stood outside the CPA hospitals many times and the crowds always cheered louder when an ex-murderer came out.
[375] In Hendricks' robot-chauffeured car, he ate the fudge and consoled himself with the thought, People are funny.
[376] Who can understand 'em?
[377] Feeling happy for one of the few times in his life, he turned toward Hendricks and said, "Thanks for what you did.
[378] It turned out great.
[379] I'll be able to get a good job now."
[380] "That's why I met you at the hospital," Hendricks said.
[381] "I want to explain some things.
[382] I've known you for a long time and I know you're spectacularly dumb.
[383] You can't figure out some things for yourself and I don't want you walking around the rest of your life thinking I did you a favor."
[384] Joe frowned.
[385] Few men had ever done him a favor and he had rarely thanked anyone for anything.
[386] And now ... after thanking the man who'd done him the biggest favor of all, the man was denying it!
[387] "You robbed Gralewski's apartment," Hendricks said.
[388] "Gralewski is a CPA employee and he doesn't live in the apartment you robbed.
[389] The CPA pays the rent for that one and he lives in another.
[390] We have a lot of places like that.
[391] You see, it gives us a way to get rid of saps like you before they do real damage.
[392] We use it as a last resort when a DCT First Class won't take the free psycho treatment or—" "Well, it's still a favor."
[393] Hendricks' face hardened.
[394] "Favor?
[395] You wouldn't know a favor if you stumbled over one.
[396] I did it because it's standard procedure for your type of case.
[397] Anyone can—free of charge—have treatment by the best psychologists.
[398] Any DCT can stop being a DCT by simply asking for the treatment and taking it.
[399] But you wouldn't do that.
[400] You wanted to commit a crime, get caught and be a hero ... an Ex ."
[401] The car passed one of the CPA playgrounds.
[402] Boys and girls of all ages were laughing, squealing with joy as they played games designed by CPA psychologists to relieve tension.
[403] And—despite the treatment, Joe shuddered when he saw the psychologists standing to one side, quietly watching the children.
[404] The whole world was filled with CPA employees and volunteer workers.
[405] Everywhere you went, it was there, quietly watching you and analyzing you, and if you showed criminal tendencies, it watched you even more closely and analyzed you even more deeply until it took you apart and put you back together again the way it wanted you to be.
[406] "Being an Ex, you'll get the kind of job you always wanted," Hendricks continued.
[407] "You'll get a good-paying job, but you'll work for it.
[408] You'll work eight hours a day, work harder than you've ever worked before in your life, because every time you start to loaf, a voice in your head is going to say, Work!
[409] Work!
[410] Exes always get good jobs because employers know they're good workers.
[411] "But during these next few days, you'll discover what being an Ex is like.
[412] You see, Joe, the treatment can't possibly take all the criminal tendencies out of a man.
[413] So the treatment does the next best thing—you'll find a set of laws written in your mind.
[414] You might want to break one now and then, but you won't be able.
[415] I'll give you an illustration...." Joe's face reddened as Hendricks proceeded to call him a series of names.
[416] He wanted to smash the fat, grinning face, but the muscles in his arm froze before it moved it an inch.
[417] And worse than that, a brief pain ripped through his skull.
[418] A pain so intense that, had it lasted a second longer, he would have screamed in agony.
[419] And above the pain, a voice whispered in his head, Unlawful to strike someone except in self-defense .
[420] He opened his mouth to tell Hendricks exactly what he thought of him, the CPA, the whole world.
[421] But the words stayed in his throat, the pain returned, and the mental voice whispered, Unlawful to curse .
[422] He had never heard how the treatment prevented an Ex from committing a crime.
[423] And now that he knew, it didn't seem fair.
[424] He decided to tell the whole story to the newspapers as soon as he could.
[425] And as soon as that decision formed in his mind, his body froze, the pain returned and the voice, Unlawful to divulge CPA procedure .
[426] "See what I mean?"
[427] Hendricks asked.
[428] "A century ago, you would have been locked in a prison and taxpayers' money would have supported you until the day you died.
[429] With the CPA system, you're returned to society, a useful citizen, unable to commit the smallest crime.
[430] And you've got a big hand in your dirty little mind that's going to slap it every time you get the wrong kind of thought.
[431] It'll keep slapping you until you learn.
[432] It might take weeks, months or years, but you'll learn sooner or later to not even think about doing anything wrong."
[433] He lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring at the car's plush ceiling.
[434] "It's a great system, isn't it, Joe?
[435] A true democracy.
[436] Even a jerk like you is free to do what he wants, as long as it's legal."
[437] "I think it's a lousy, filthy system."
[438] Joe's head was still tingling with pain and he felt suffocated.
[439] The CPA was everywhere, only now it was also inside his head, telling him he couldn't do this, couldn't do that.
[440] All his life it had been telling him he couldn't do things he wanted to do and now .... Hendricks laughed.
[441] "You'll change your opinion.
[442] We live in a clean, wonderful world, Joe.
[443] A world of happy, healthy people.
[444] Except for freaks like yourself, criminals are—" "Let me out!"
[445] Joe grabbed at the door and was on the sidewalk, slamming the door behind him before the car stopped completely.
[446] He stared at the car as it pulled away from the curb and glided into the stream of traffic again.
[447] He realized he was a prisoner ... a prisoner inside his own body ... made a prisoner by a world that hated him back.
[448] He wanted to spit his contempt, but the increasingly familiar pain and voice prevented him.
[449] It was unlawful to spit on a sidewalk. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [2] He'd never make it unless he somehow managed to PICK A CRIME By RICHARD R. SMITH Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS
2. [52] I want you to help me commit a crime.
3. [87] "Scream," Joe said. "Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
4. [265] Hendricks was—unbelievably—offering him a victim, offering him a crime!
5. [304] Except men like Joe Harper. No system is perfect.
6. [305] Along with thousands of other DCTs, Joe refused to believe it, and when he reached apartment 204 at 2141 Orange Street, he felt as if he'd inherited a gold mine.
7. [319] His trial would be a clean-cut one: it would be easy for the CPA to prove ownership and that a crime had been committed.
8. [320] Chuckling with joy, he opened the window and shouted, "Thief! Police! Help!"
9. [1] Going straight meant crooked planning.
10. [3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
11. [4] The girl was tall, wide-eyed and brunette.
12. [5] She had the right curves in the right places and would have been beautiful if her nose had been smaller, if her mouth had been larger and if her hair had been wavy instead of straight.
13. [6] "Hank said you wanted to see me," she said when she stopped beside Joe's table.
14. [7] "Yeah."
15. [8] Joe nodded at the other chair.
16. [9] "Have a seat."
17. [10] He reached into a pocket, withdrew five ten-dollar bills and handed them to her.
18. [11] "I want you to do a job for me.
19. [12] It'll only take a few minutes."
20. [13] The girl counted the money, then placed it in her purse.
21. [14] Joe noticed a small counterfeit-detector inside the purse before she closed it.
22. [15] "What's the job?"
23. [16] "Tell you later."
24. [17] He gulped the remainder of his drink, almost pouring it down his throat.
25. [18] "Hey.
26. [19] You trying to make yourself sick?"
27. [20] "Not sick.
28. [21] Drunk.
29. [22] Been trying to get drunk all afternoon."
30. [23] As the liquor settled in his stomach, he waited for the warm glow.
31. [24] But the glow didn't come ... the bartender had watered his drink again.
32. [25] "Trying to get drunk?"
33. [26] the girl inquired.
34. [27] "Are you crazy?"
35. [28] "No.
36. [29] It's simple.
37. [30] If I get drunk, I can join the AAA and get free room and board for a month while they give me a treatment."
38. [31] It was easy enough to understand, he reflected, but a lot harder to do.
39. [32] The CPA robot bartenders saw to it that anyone got high if they wanted, but comparatively few got drunk.
40. [33] Each bartender could not only mix drinks but could also judge by a man's actions and speech when he was on the verge of drunkenness.
41. [34] At the proper time—since drunkenness was illegal—a bartender always watered the drinks.
42. [35] Joe had tried dozens of times in dozens of bars to outsmart them, but had always failed.
43. [36] And in all of New York's millions, there had been only a hundred cases of intoxication during the previous year.
44. [37] The girl laughed.
45. [38] "If you're that hard up, I don't know if I should take this fifty or not.
46. [39] Why don't you go out and get a job like everyone else?"
47. [40] As an answer, Joe handed her his CPA ID card.
48. [41] She grunted when she saw the large letters that indicated the owner had Dangerous Criminal Tendencies.
49. [42] When she handed the card back, Joe fought an impulse to tear it to pieces.
50. [43] He'd done that once and gone through a mountain of red tape to get another—everyone was required by law to carry a CPA ID card and show it upon request.
51. [44] "I'm sorry," the girl said.
52. [45] "I didn't know you were a DCT."
53. [46] "And who'll hire a guy with criminal tendencies?
54. [47] You know the score.
55. [48] When you try to get a job, they ask to see your ID before they even tell you if there's an opening or not.
56. [49] If your CPA ID says you're a DCT, you're SOL and they tell you there's no openings.
57. [50] Oh, I've had several jobs ... jobs like all DCTs get.
58. [51] I've been a garbage man, street-cleaner, ditch-digger—"
59. [53] I want you to help me commit a crime.
60. [54] If I get convicted of a crime, I'll be able to get a good job!"
61. [55] The girl's lips formed a bright red circle.
62. [56] "Say!
63. [57] You really got big plans, don't you?"
64. [58] He smiled at her admiration.
65. [59] It was something big to plan a crime.
66. [60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
67. [61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
68. [62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
69. [63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
70. [64] No crime was ever punished.
71. [65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
72. [66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
73. [67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
74. [68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
75. [69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
76. [70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
77. [71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
78. [72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
79. [73] "Well," the girl said.
80. [74] "I'm honored.
81. [75] Really.
82. [76] But I got a date at ten.
83. [77] Let's get it over with.
84. [78] You said it'd only take a few minutes."
85. [79] "Okay.
86. [80] Let's go."
87. [81] The girl followed him across the room, around tables, through a door, down a hall, through a back door and into the alley.
88. [82] She followed him up the dark alley until he turned suddenly and ripped her blouse and skirt.
89. [83] He surprised her completely, but when she recovered, she backed away, her body poised like a wrestler's.
90. [84] "What's the big idea?"
91. [85] "Scream," Joe said.
92. [86] "Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
93. [87] The plan was perfect, he told himself.
94. [88] Attempted rape was one of the few things that was a crime merely because a man attempted it.
95. [89] A crime because it theoretically inflicted psychological injury upon the intended victim—and because millions of women voters had voted it a crime.
96. [90] On the other hand, attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping, etc., were not crimes.
97. [91] They weren't crimes because the DCT didn't complete the act, and if he didn't complete the act, that meant simply that the CPA had once again functioned properly.
98. [92] The girl shook her head vigorously.
99. [93] "Sorry, buddy.
100. [94] Can't help you that way.
101. [95] Why didn't you tell me what you wanted?"
102. [96] "What's the matter?"
103. [97] Joe complained.
104. [98] "I'm not asking you to do anything wrong."
105. [99] "You stupid jerk.
106. [100] What do you think this is—the Middle Ages?
107. [101] Don't you know almost every woman knows how to defend herself?
108. [102] I'm a sergeant in the WSDA!"
109. [103] Joe groaned.
110. [104] The WSDA—Women's Self-Defense Association—a branch of the CPA.
111. [105] The WSDA gave free instruction in judo and jujitsu, even developed new techniques of wrestling and instructed only women in those new techniques.
112. [106] The girl was still shaking her head.
113. [107] "Can't do it, buddy.
114. [108] I'd lose my rank if you were convicted of—"
115. [109] "Do I have to make you scream?"
116. [110] Joe inquired tiredly and advanced toward the girl.
117. [111] "—and that rank carries a lot of weight.
118. [112] Hey! Stop it!"
119. [113] Joe discovered to his dismay that the girl was telling the truth when she said she was a sergeant in the WSDA.
120. [114] He felt her hands on his body, and in the time it takes to blink twice, he was flying through the air.
121. [115] The alley's concrete floor was hard—it had always been hard, but he became acutely aware of its lack of resiliency when his head struck it.
122. [116] There was a wonderful moment while the world was filled with beautiful stars and streaks of lightning through which he heard distant police sirens.
123. [117] But the wonderful moment didn't last long and darkness closed in on him.
124. [118] When he awoke, a rough voice was saying, "Okay. Snap out of it."
125. [119] He opened his eyes and recognized the police commissioner's office.
126. [120] It would be hard not to recognize: the room was large, devoid of furniture except for a desk and chairs, but the walls were lined with the controls of television screens, electronic calculators and a hundred other machines that formed New York's mechanical police force.
127. [121] Commissioner Hendricks was a remarkable character.
128. [122] There was something wrong with his glands, and he was a huge, greasy bulk of a man with bushy eyebrows and a double chin.
129. [123] His steel-gray eyes showed something of his intelligence and he would have gone far in politics if fate hadn't made him so ugly, for more than half the voters who elected men to high political positions were women.
130. [124] Anyone who knew Hendricks well liked him, for he was a friendly, likable person.
131. [125] But the millions of women voters who saw his face on posters and on their TV screens saw only the ugly face and heard only the harsh voice.
132. [126] The President of the United States was a capable man, but also a very handsome one, and the fact that a man who looked something like a bulldog had been elected as New York's police commissioner was a credit to Hendricks and millions of women voters.
133. [127] "Where's the girl?"
134. [128] Joe asked.
135. [129] "I processed her while you were out cold.
136. [130] She left.
137. [131] Joe, you—"
138. [132] "Okay," Joe said.
139. [133] "I'll save you the trouble.
140. [134] I admit it.
141. [135] Attempted rape.
142. [136] I confess."
143. [137] Hendricks smiled.
144. [138] "Sorry, Joe.
145. [139] You missed the boat again."
146. [140] He reached out and turned a dial on his desk top.
147. [141] "We had a microphone hidden in that alley.
148. [142] We have a lot of microphones hidden in a lot of alleys.
149. [143] You'd be surprised at the number of conspiracies that take place in alleys!"
150. [144] Joe listened numbly to his voice as it came from one of the hundreds of machines on the walls, "Scream. Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
151. [145] And then the girl's voice, "Sorry, buddy. Can't help—"
152. [146] He waved his hand.
153. [147] "Okay. Shut it off.
154. [148] I confess to conspiracy."
155. [149] Hendricks rose from behind the desk, walked leisurely to where Joe was slouched in a chair.
156. [150] "Give me your CPA ID."
157. [151] Joe handed him the card with trembling fingers.
158. [152] He felt as if the world had collapsed beneath him.
159. [153] Conspiracy to commit a crime wasn't a crime.
160. [154] Anyone could conspire.
161. [155] And if the conspirators were prevented from committing a crime, then that meant the CPA had functioned properly once again.
162. [156] That meant the CPA had once again prevented crime, and the CPA didn't punish crimes or attempted crimes, and it didn't attempt to prevent crimes by punishment.
163. [157] If it did, that would be a violation of the New Civil Rights.
164. [158] Hendricks crossed the room, deposited the card in a slot and punched a button.
165. [159] The machine hummed and a new card appeared.
166. [160] When Hendricks handed him the new card, Joe saw that the words DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES were now in red and larger than before.
167. [161] And, in slightly smaller print, the ID card stated that the owner was a DCT First Class.
168. [162] "You've graduated," Hendricks said coldly.
169. [163] "You guys never learn, do you?
170. [164] Now you're a DCT First Class instead of a Second Class.
171. [165] You know what that means?"
172. [166] Hendricks leaned closer until Joe could feel his breath on his face.
173. [167] "That means your case history will be turned over to the newspapers.
174. [168] You'll be the hobby of thousands of amateur cops.
175. [169] You know how it works?
176. [170] It's like this.
177. [171] The Joneses are sitting around tomorrow night and they're bored.
178. [172] Then Mr. Jones says, 'Let's go watch this Joe Harper.'
179. [173] So they look up your record—amateur cops always keep records of First Classes in scrapbooks—and they see that you stop frequently at Walt's Tavern.
180. [174] "So they go there and they sit and drink and watch you, trying not to let you know they're watching you.
181. [175] They watch you all night, just hoping you'll do something exciting, like trying to kill someone, so they can be the first ones to yell 'Police!'
182. [176] They'll watch you because it's exciting to be an amateur cop, and if they ever did prevent |
What is the CPA and what does it do? | [
"The CPA is meant to prevent crime and not punish crime. It stands for Crime Prevention Association. The CPA organization has made crime nearly impossible through various methods of surveillance and intelligence gathering. The crime was not punished by the CPA but addressed by sending the person to a hospital for expensive treatment to correct and remove the deviance from the person’s mind. A CPA ID card is required to be carried by everyone and when asked, a person has to present the ID card. Being drunk is illegal according to the rules of the CPA.",
"The Crime Prevention Association is an organization that stops crime. Instead of capturing criminals, the goal of the Association is to prevent the crime from ever happening. They implement thousands of crime-prevention methods and devices. There are many amateur cops who constantly follow criminals around in hopes of catching them in the act so that they may be hailed a hero and given a promotion. Hendricks even explains that the kids have junior CPA clubs, where they record the criminals in little cardboard boxes. They will also follow the criminals around until they die. There are millions of microphones hidden by the CPA everywhere, and any threatening messages are sent to the CPA Brain. The CPA Brain is a monster electronic calculator that can alert police helicopters of any threatening messages, and there are also many hidden TVs and metal detectors. For Arson, heat detectors exist too, and chemical poisoning has made it impossible for people to get poisoned. There are shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy, and a dozen other treatments to reform criminals.",
"The CPA is Crime Prevention Organization. It fights crime by all means and reduces its rates to a very small level. They put microphones and detectors everywhere to hear the conspiracies. They place robots as bartenders to control the level of alcohol in visitors to prevent them being drunk. They make all the women learn self-defense. The organization's made crime almost impossible and they do not punish for it, but prevent. All who tried to commit a crime are given free treatment. The CPA hospitals treat those few criminals for free and make them unable to commit any further crime. CPA seems to be everywhere, those who tell about the crime are highly rewarded. Neon signs, TV, radio and other means constantly remind people that crime is filth.",
"The CPA, Crime Prevention Association, is a system that detects different kinds of crimes and prevents them from happening. Thousands of robots and devices make crimes impossible. The association will not punish any crime, instead, the criminal will be send to a CPA hospital for some treatments that will result in getting the best jobs. The CPA also hands out ID cards that states one’s tendency to commit crimes. The CPA has robot bartenders that can detect the drunkenness of a person and prevent anyone from actually getting drunk. There is WSDA teaching judo and jujitsu to women. There are spy cameras and speakers in each alley and street watching every person all the time to prevent all kinds of crimes. The CPA Brain will catch sentences that indicate crimes and watch them more carefully. There are heat-detectors, gun and knife detector, chemical detectors, etc. The CPA brainwashes people, making them believe that crimes are filthy. The treatment will make the criminal’s brain catch every attempt that he or she tries to commit a crime and prevents it from happening."
] | [1] Going straight meant crooked planning.
[2] He'd never make it unless he somehow managed to PICK A CRIME By RICHARD R. SMITH Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] The girl was tall, wide-eyed and brunette.
[5] She had the right curves in the right places and would have been beautiful if her nose had been smaller, if her mouth had been larger and if her hair had been wavy instead of straight.
[6] "Hank said you wanted to see me," she said when she stopped beside Joe's table.
[7] "Yeah."
[8] Joe nodded at the other chair.
[9] "Have a seat."
[10] He reached into a pocket, withdrew five ten-dollar bills and handed them to her.
[11] "I want you to do a job for me.
[12] It'll only take a few minutes."
[13] The girl counted the money, then placed it in her purse.
[14] Joe noticed a small counterfeit-detector inside the purse before she closed it.
[15] "What's the job?"
[16] "Tell you later."
[17] He gulped the remainder of his drink, almost pouring it down his throat.
[18] "Hey.
[19] You trying to make yourself sick?"
[20] "Not sick.
[21] Drunk.
[22] Been trying to get drunk all afternoon."
[23] As the liquor settled in his stomach, he waited for the warm glow.
[24] But the glow didn't come ... the bartender had watered his drink again.
[25] "Trying to get drunk?"
[26] the girl inquired.
[27] "Are you crazy?"
[28] "No.
[29] It's simple.
[30] If I get drunk, I can join the AAA and get free room and board for a month while they give me a treatment."
[31] It was easy enough to understand, he reflected, but a lot harder to do.
[32] The CPA robot bartenders saw to it that anyone got high if they wanted, but comparatively few got drunk.
[33] Each bartender could not only mix drinks but could also judge by a man's actions and speech when he was on the verge of drunkenness.
[34] At the proper time—since drunkenness was illegal—a bartender always watered the drinks.
[35] Joe had tried dozens of times in dozens of bars to outsmart them, but had always failed.
[36] And in all of New York's millions, there had been only a hundred cases of intoxication during the previous year.
[37] The girl laughed.
[38] "If you're that hard up, I don't know if I should take this fifty or not.
[39] Why don't you go out and get a job like everyone else?"
[40] As an answer, Joe handed her his CPA ID card.
[41] She grunted when she saw the large letters that indicated the owner had Dangerous Criminal Tendencies.
[42] When she handed the card back, Joe fought an impulse to tear it to pieces.
[43] He'd done that once and gone through a mountain of red tape to get another—everyone was required by law to carry a CPA ID card and show it upon request.
[44] "I'm sorry," the girl said.
[45] "I didn't know you were a DCT."
[46] "And who'll hire a guy with criminal tendencies?
[47] You know the score.
[48] When you try to get a job, they ask to see your ID before they even tell you if there's an opening or not.
[49] If your CPA ID says you're a DCT, you're SOL and they tell you there's no openings.
[50] Oh, I've had several jobs ... jobs like all DCTs get.
[51] I've been a garbage man, street-cleaner, ditch-digger—" On the other side of the room, the jukebox came to life with a roar and a group of teen-agers scrambled to the dance floor.
[52] Feeling safe from hidden microphones because of the uproar, he leaned across the table and whispered in the girl's ear, "That's what I want to hire you for.
[53] I want you to help me commit a crime.
[54] If I get convicted of a crime, I'll be able to get a good job!"
[55] The girl's lips formed a bright red circle.
[56] "Say!
[57] You really got big plans, don't you?"
[58] He smiled at her admiration.
[59] It was something big to plan a crime.
[60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
[61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
[62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
[63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
[64] No crime was ever punished.
[65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
[66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
[67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
[68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
[69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
[70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
[71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
[72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
[73] "Well," the girl said.
[74] "I'm honored.
[75] Really.
[76] But I got a date at ten.
[77] Let's get it over with.
[78] You said it'd only take a few minutes."
[79] "Okay.
[80] Let's go."
[81] The girl followed him across the room, around tables, through a door, down a hall, through a back door and into the alley.
[82] She followed him up the dark alley until he turned suddenly and ripped her blouse and skirt.
[83] He surprised her completely, but when she recovered, she backed away, her body poised like a wrestler's.
[84] "What's the big idea?"
[85] "Scream," Joe said.
[86] "Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
[87] The plan was perfect, he told himself.
[88] Attempted rape was one of the few things that was a crime merely because a man attempted it.
[89] A crime because it theoretically inflicted psychological injury upon the intended victim—and because millions of women voters had voted it a crime.
[90] On the other hand, attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping, etc., were not crimes.
[91] They weren't crimes because the DCT didn't complete the act, and if he didn't complete the act, that meant simply that the CPA had once again functioned properly.
[92] The girl shook her head vigorously.
[93] "Sorry, buddy.
[94] Can't help you that way.
[95] Why didn't you tell me what you wanted?"
[96] "What's the matter?"
[97] Joe complained.
[98] "I'm not asking you to do anything wrong."
[99] "You stupid jerk.
[100] What do you think this is—the Middle Ages?
[101] Don't you know almost every woman knows how to defend herself?
[102] I'm a sergeant in the WSDA!"
[103] Joe groaned.
[104] The WSDA—Women's Self-Defense Association—a branch of the CPA.
[105] The WSDA gave free instruction in judo and jujitsu, even developed new techniques of wrestling and instructed only women in those new techniques.
[106] The girl was still shaking her head.
[107] "Can't do it, buddy.
[108] I'd lose my rank if you were convicted of—" "Do I have to make you scream?"
[109] Joe inquired tiredly and advanced toward the girl.
[110] "—and that rank carries a lot of weight.
[111] Hey!
[112] Stop it! "
[113] Joe discovered to his dismay that the girl was telling the truth when she said she was a sergeant in the WSDA.
[114] He felt her hands on his body, and in the time it takes to blink twice, he was flying through the air.
[115] The alley's concrete floor was hard—it had always been hard, but he became acutely aware of its lack of resiliency when his head struck it.
[116] There was a wonderful moment while the world was filled with beautiful stars and streaks of lightning through which he heard distant police sirens.
[117] But the wonderful moment didn't last long and darkness closed in on him.
[118] When he awoke, a rough voice was saying, "Okay.
[119] Snap out of it."
[120] He opened his eyes and recognized the police commissioner's office.
[121] It would be hard not to recognize: the room was large, devoid of furniture except for a desk and chairs, but the walls were lined with the controls of television screens, electronic calculators and a hundred other machines that formed New York's mechanical police force.
[122] Commissioner Hendricks was a remarkable character.
[123] There was something wrong with his glands, and he was a huge, greasy bulk of a man with bushy eyebrows and a double chin.
[124] His steel-gray eyes showed something of his intelligence and he would have gone far in politics if fate hadn't made him so ugly, for more than half the voters who elected men to high political positions were women.
[125] Anyone who knew Hendricks well liked him, for he was a friendly, likable person.
[126] But the millions of women voters who saw his face on posters and on their TV screens saw only the ugly face and heard only the harsh voice.
[127] The President of the United States was a capable man, but also a very handsome one, and the fact that a man who looked something like a bulldog had been elected as New York's police commissioner was a credit to Hendricks and millions of women voters.
[128] "Where's the girl?"
[129] Joe asked.
[130] "I processed her while you were out cold.
[131] She left.
[132] Joe, you—" "Okay," Joe said.
[133] "I'll save you the trouble.
[134] I admit it.
[135] Attempted rape.
[136] I confess."
[137] Hendricks smiled.
[138] "Sorry, Joe.
[139] You missed the boat again."
[140] He reached out and turned a dial on his desk top.
[141] "We had a microphone hidden in that alley.
[142] We have a lot of microphones hidden in a lot of alleys.
[143] You'd be surprised at the number of conspiracies that take place in alleys!"
[144] Joe listened numbly to his voice as it came from one of the hundreds of machines on the walls, " Scream.
[145] Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you. "
[146] And then the girl's voice, " Sorry, buddy.
[147] Can't help— " He waved his hand.
[148] "Okay.
[149] Shut it off.
[150] I confess to conspiracy."
[151] Hendricks rose from behind the desk, walked leisurely to where Joe was slouched in a chair.
[152] "Give me your CPA ID."
[153] Joe handed him the card with trembling fingers.
[154] He felt as if the world had collapsed beneath him.
[155] Conspiracy to commit a crime wasn't a crime.
[156] Anyone could conspire.
[157] And if the conspirators were prevented from committing a crime, then that meant the CPA had functioned properly once again.
[158] That meant the CPA had once again prevented crime, and the CPA didn't punish crimes or attempted crimes, and it didn't attempt to prevent crimes by punishment.
[159] If it did, that would be a violation of the New Civil Rights.
[160] Hendricks crossed the room, deposited the card in a slot and punched a button.
[161] The machine hummed and a new card appeared.
[162] When Hendricks handed him the new card, Joe saw that the words DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES were now in red and larger than before.
[163] And, in slightly smaller print, the ID card stated that the owner was a DCT First Class.
[164] "You've graduated," Hendricks said coldly.
[165] "You guys never learn, do you?
[166] Now you're a DCT First Class instead of a Second Class.
[167] You know what that means?"
[168] Hendricks leaned closer until Joe could feel his breath on his face.
[169] "That means your case history will be turned over to the newspapers.
[170] You'll be the hobby of thousands of amateur cops.
[171] You know how it works?
[172] It's like this.
[173] The Joneses are sitting around tomorrow night and they're bored.
[174] Then Mr. Jones says, 'Let's go watch this Joe Harper.'
[175] So they look up your record—amateur cops always keep records of First Classes in scrapbooks—and they see that you stop frequently at Walt's Tavern.
[176] "So they go there and they sit and drink and watch you, trying not to let you know they're watching you.
[177] They watch you all night, just hoping you'll do something exciting, like trying to kill someone, so they can be the first ones to yell ' Police! '
[178] They'll watch you because it's exciting to be an amateur cop, and if they ever did prevent you from committing a crime, they'd get a nice reward and they'd be famous."
[179] "Lay off," Joe said.
[180] "I got a headache.
[181] That girl—" Hendricks leaned even closer and glared.
[182] "You listen, Joe.
[183] This is interesting.
[184] You see, it doesn't stop with Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
[185] There's thousands of people like them.
[186] Years ago, they got their kicks from reading about guys like you, but these days things are dull because it's rare when anyone commits a crime.
[187] So every time you walk down the street, there'll be at least a dozen of 'em following you, and no matter where you go, you can bet there'll be some of 'em sitting next to you, standing next to you.
[188] "During the day, they'll take your picture with their spy cameras that look like buttons on their coats.
[189] At night, they'll peep at you through your keyhole.
[190] Your neighbors across the street will watch you through binoculars and—" "Lay off!"
[191] Joe squirmed in the chair.
[192] He'd been lectured by Hendricks before and it was always an unpleasant experience.
[193] The huge man was like a talking machine once he got started, a machine that couldn't be stopped.
[194] "And the kids are the worst," Hendricks continued.
[195] "They have Junior CPA clubs.
[196] They keep records of hoodlums like you in little cardboard boxes.
[197] They'll stare at you on the street and stare at you through restaurant windows while you're eating meals.
[198] They'll follow you in public rest rooms and watch you out of the corners of their eyes while they wash their little hands, and almost every day when you look back, you'll see a dozen freckle-faced little boys following you half a block behind, giggling and gaping at you.
[199] They'll follow you until the day you die, because you're a freak!"
[200] Joe couldn't stand the breath in his face any longer.
[201] He rose and paced the floor.
[202] "And it doesn't end there , Joe.
[203] It goes on and on.
[204] You'll be the object of every do-gooder and parlor psychologist.
[205] Strangers will stop you on the street and say, 'I'd like to help you, friend.'
[206] Then they'll ask you queer questions like, 'Did your father reject you when you were a child?'
[207] 'Do you like girls?'
[208] 'How does it feel to be a DCT First Class?'
[209] And then there'll be the strangers who hate DCTs.
[210] They'll stop you on the street and insult you, call you names, spit on you and—" "Okay, goddam it!
[211] Stop it! "
[212] Hendricks stopped, wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief and lit a cigarette.
[213] "I'm doing you a favor, Joe.
[214] I'm trying to explain something you're too dumb to realize by yourself.
[215] We've taught everyone to hate crime and criminals ... to hate them as nothing has ever been hated before.
[216] Today a criminal is a freak, an alien.
[217] Your life will be a living hell if you don't leave New York.
[218] You should go to some small town where there aren't many people, or be a hermit, or go to Iceland or—" Joe eyed the huge man suspiciously. "
[219] Favor , did you say?
[220] The day you do me a favor—" Hendricks shrugged his shoulders negligently.
[221] "Not entirely a favor.
[222] I want to get rid of you.
[223] Usually I come up here and sit around and read books.
[224] But guys like you are a nuisance and take up my time."
[225] "I couldn't leave if I wanted to," Joe said.
[226] "I'm flat broke.
[227] Thanks to your CPA system, a DCT can't get a decent job."
[228] Hendricks reached into a pocket, withdrew several bills and extended them.
[229] "I'll loan you some money.
[230] You can sign an IOU and pay me back a little at a time."
[231] Joe waved the money away.
[232] "Listen, why don't you do me a favor?
[233] Why don't you frame me?
[234] If I'm such a nuisance, pin a crime on me—any crime."
[235] "Can't do it.
[236] Convicting a man of a crime he didn't commit is a violation of Civil Rights and a crime in itself."
[237] "Umm."
[238] "Why don't you take the free psycho treatment?
[239] A man doesn't have to be a DCT.
[240] With the free treatment, psychologists can remove all your criminal tendencies and—" "Go to those head-shrinkers ?"
[241] Hendricks shrugged again.
[242] "Have it your way."
[243] Joe laughed.
[244] "If your damned CPA is so all-powerful, why can't you make me go?"
[245] "Violation of Civil Rights."
[246] "Damn it, there must be some way you can help me!
[247] We both want the same thing.
[248] We both want to see me convicted of a crime."
[249] "How can I help you without committing a crime myself?"
[250] Hendricks walked to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small black book.
[251] "See this?
[252] It contains names and addresses of all the people in New York who aren't properly protected.
[253] Every week we find people who aren't protected properly—blind spots in our protection devices.
[254] As soon as we find them, we take steps to install anti-robbery devices, but this is a big city and sometimes it takes days to get the work done.
[255] "In the meantime, any one of these people could be robbed.
[256] But what can I do?
[257] I can't hold this book in front of your nose and say, 'Here, Joe, pick a name and go out and rob him.'"
[258] He laughed nervously.
[259] "If I did that, I'd be committing a crime myself!"
[260] He placed the book on the desk top, took a handkerchief from a pocket again and wiped sweat from his face.
[261] "Excuse me a minute.
[262] I'm dying of thirst.
[263] There's a water cooler in the next room."
[264] Joe stared at the door to the adjoining office as it closed behind the big man.
[265] Hendricks was—unbelievably—offering him a victim, offering him a crime!
[266] Almost running to the desk, Joe opened the book, selected a name and address and memorized it: John Gralewski, Apt.
[267] 204, 2141 Orange St.
[268] When Hendricks came back, Joe said, "Thanks."
[269] "Huh?
[270] Thanks for what?
[271] I didn't do anything."
[272] When Joe reached the street, he hurried toward the nearest subway.
[273] As a child, he had been frightened of the dark.
[274] As a man, he wasn't afraid of the dark itself, but the darkened city always made him feel ill at ease.
[275] The uneasiness was, more than anything else, caused by his own imagination.
[276] He hated the CPA and at night he couldn't shrug the feeling that the CPA lurked in every shadow, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.
[277] Imagination or not, the CPA was almost everywhere a person went.
[278] Twenty-four hours a day, millions of microphones hidden in taverns, alleys, restaurants, subways and every other place imaginable waited for someone to say the wrong thing.
[279] Everything the microphones picked up was routed to the CPA Brain, a monster electronic calculator.
[280] If the words "Let's see a movie" were received in the Brain, they were discarded.
[281] But if the words "Let's roll this guy" were received, the message was traced and a police helicopter would be at the scene in two minutes.
[282] And scattered all over the city were not only hidden microphones, but hidden television cameras that relayed visual messages to the Brain, and hidden machines that could detect a knife or a gun in someone's pocket at forty yards.
[283] Every place of business from the largest bank to the smallest grocery store was absolutely impenetrable.
[284] No one had even tried to rob a place of business for years.
[285] Arson was next to impossible because of the heat-detectors—devices placed in every building that could detect, radarlike, any intensity of heat above that caused by a cigarette lighter.
[286] Chemical research had made poisoning someone an impossibility.
[287] There were no drugs containing poison, and while an ant-poison might kill ants, no concentrated amount of it would kill a human.
[288] The FBI had always been a powerful organization, but under the supervision of the CPA, it was a scientific colossus and to think of kidnapping someone or to contemplate the use of narcotics was pointless.
[289] A counterfeiter's career was always short-lived: every place of business and millions of individuals had small counterfeit-detectors that could spot a fake and report it directly to the Brain.
[290] And the percentage of crimes had dwindled even more with the appearance of the robot police officers.
[291] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman.
[292] But the robots were different: they weren't flesh and blood.
[293] Bullets bounced off them and their aim was infallible.
[294] It was like a fantastic dream come true.
[295] Only the dream wasn't fantastic any more.
[296] With the huge atomic power plants scattered across the country and supplying endless electrical power at ridiculously low prices, no endeavor that required power was fantastic.
[297] The power required to operate the CPA devices cost each taxpayer an average of four dollars a year, and the invention, development and manufacture of the devices had cost even less.
[298] And the CPA had attacked crime through society itself, striking at the individual.
[299] In every city there were neon signs that blinked subliminally with the statement, CRIME IS FILTH.
[300] Listening to a radio or watching television, if a person heard station identification, he invariably heard or saw just below perception the words CRIME IS FILTH.
[301] If he went for a walk or a ride, he saw the endless subliminal posters declaring CRIME IS FILTH, and if he read a magazine or newspaper he always found, in those little dead spaces where an editor couldn't fit anything else, the below-perception words CRIME IS FILTH.
[302] It was monotonous and, after a while, a person looked at the words and heard them without thinking about them.
[303] And they were imprinted on his subconscious over and over, year after year, until he knew that crime was the same as filth and that criminals were filthy things.
[304] Except men like Joe Harper.
[305] No system is perfect.
[306] Along with thousands of other DCTs, Joe refused to believe it, and when he reached apartment 204 at 2141 Orange Street, he felt as if he'd inherited a gold mine.
[307] The hall was dimly lit, but when he stood before the door numbered 204, he could see that the wall on either side of it was new .
[308] That is, instead of being covered with dust, dirt and stains as the other walls were, it was clean.
[309] The building was an old one, the hall was wide, and the owner had obviously constructed a wall across the hall, creating another room.
[310] If the owner had reported the new room as required by law, it would have been wired with CPA burglarproof devices, but evidently he didn't want to pay for installation.
[311] When Joe entered the cubbyhole, he had to stand to one side in order to close the door behind him.
[312] The place was barely large enough for the bed, chair and bureau; it was a place where a man could fall down at night and sleep, but where no normal man could live day after day.
[313] Fearing that someone might detect him before he actually committed the crime, Joe hurried to the bureau and searched it.
[314] He broke out in a sweat when he found nothing but underwear and old magazines.
[315] If he stole underwear and magazines, it would still be a crime, but the newspapers would splash satirical headlines.
[316] Instead of being respected as a successful criminal, he would be ridiculed.
[317] He stopped sweating when he found a watch under a pile of underwear.
[318] The crystal was broken, one hand was missing and it wouldn't run, but—perfection itself—engraved on the back was the inscription, To John with Love .
[319] His trial would be a clean-cut one: it would be easy for the CPA to prove ownership and that a crime had been committed.
[320] Chuckling with joy, he opened the window and shouted, " Thief!
[321] Police!
[322] Help! "
[323] He waited a few seconds and then ran.
[324] When he reached the street, a police helicopter landed next to him.
[325] Strong metal arms seized him; cameras clicked and recorded the damning evidence.
[326] When Joe was securely handcuffed to a seat inside the helicopter, the metal police officers rang doorbells.
[327] There was a reward for anyone who reported a crime, but no one admitted shouting the warning.
[328] He was having a nightmare when he heard the voice, "Hey.
[329] Wake up.
[330] Hey!"
[331] He opened his eyes, saw Hendricks' ugly face and thought for a minute he was still having the nightmare.
[332] "I just saw your doctor," Hendricks said.
[333] "He says your treatment is over.
[334] You can go home now.
[335] I thought I'd give you a lift."
[336] As Joe dressed, he searched his mind and tried to find some difference.
[337] During the treatment, he had been unconscious or drugged, unable to think.
[338] Now he could think clearly, but he could find no difference in himself.
[339] He felt more relaxed than he'd ever felt before, but that could be an after-effect of all the sedatives he'd been given.
[340] And, he noticed when he looked in the mirror, he was paler.
[341] The treatment had taken months and he had, between operations, been locked in his room.
[342] Hendricks was standing by the window.
[343] Joe stared at the massive back.
[344] Deliberately goading his mind, he discovered the biggest change: Before, the mere sight of the man had aroused an intense hatred.
[345] Now, even when he tried, he succeeded in arousing only a mild hatred.
[346] They had toned down his capacity to hate, but not done away with it altogether.
[347] "Come here and take a look at your public," said Hendricks.
[348] Joe went to the window.
[349] Three stories below, a large crowd had gathered on the hospital steps: a band, photographers, television trucks, cameramen and autograph hunters.
[350] He'd waited a long time for this day.
[351] But now—another change in him— He put the emotion into words: "I don't feel like a hero.
[352] Funny, but I don't."
[353] "Hero!"
[354] Hendricks laughed and, with his powerful lungs, it sounded like a bull snorting.
[355] "You think a successful criminal is a hero?
[356] You stupid—" He laughed again and waved a hand at the crowd below them.
[357] "You think those people are down there because they admire what you did?
[358] They're down there waiting for you because they're curious, because they're glad the CPA caught you, and because they're glad you're an Ex.
[359] You're an ex -criminal now, and because of your treatment, you'll never be able to commit another crime as long as you live.
[360] And that's the kind of guy they admire, so they want to see you, shake your hand and get your autograph."
[361] Joe didn't understand Hendricks completely, but the part he did understand he didn't believe.
[362] A crowd was waiting for him.
[363] He could see the people with his own eyes.
[364] When he left the hospital, they'd cheer and shout and ask for his autograph.
[365] If he wasn't a hero, what was he ?
[366] It took half an hour to get through the crowd.
[367] Cameras clicked all around him, a hundred kids asked for his autograph, everyone talked at once and cheered, smiled, laughed, patted him on the back and cheered some more.
[368] Only one thing confused him during all the excitement: a white-haired old lady with tears in her eyes said, "Thank heaven it was only a watch.
[369] Thank heaven you didn't kill someone!
[370] God bless you, son."
[371] And then the old lady had handed him a box of fudge and left him in total confusion.
[372] What she said didn't make sense.
[373] If he had killed someone rather than stealing a watch, he would be even more of a hero and the crowd would have cheered even louder.
[374] He knew: he had stood outside the CPA hospitals many times and the crowds always cheered louder when an ex-murderer came out.
[375] In Hendricks' robot-chauffeured car, he ate the fudge and consoled himself with the thought, People are funny.
[376] Who can understand 'em?
[377] Feeling happy for one of the few times in his life, he turned toward Hendricks and said, "Thanks for what you did.
[378] It turned out great.
[379] I'll be able to get a good job now."
[380] "That's why I met you at the hospital," Hendricks said.
[381] "I want to explain some things.
[382] I've known you for a long time and I know you're spectacularly dumb.
[383] You can't figure out some things for yourself and I don't want you walking around the rest of your life thinking I did you a favor."
[384] Joe frowned.
[385] Few men had ever done him a favor and he had rarely thanked anyone for anything.
[386] And now ... after thanking the man who'd done him the biggest favor of all, the man was denying it!
[387] "You robbed Gralewski's apartment," Hendricks said.
[388] "Gralewski is a CPA employee and he doesn't live in the apartment you robbed.
[389] The CPA pays the rent for that one and he lives in another.
[390] We have a lot of places like that.
[391] You see, it gives us a way to get rid of saps like you before they do real damage.
[392] We use it as a last resort when a DCT First Class won't take the free psycho treatment or—" "Well, it's still a favor."
[393] Hendricks' face hardened.
[394] "Favor?
[395] You wouldn't know a favor if you stumbled over one.
[396] I did it because it's standard procedure for your type of case.
[397] Anyone can—free of charge—have treatment by the best psychologists.
[398] Any DCT can stop being a DCT by simply asking for the treatment and taking it.
[399] But you wouldn't do that.
[400] You wanted to commit a crime, get caught and be a hero ... an Ex ."
[401] The car passed one of the CPA playgrounds.
[402] Boys and girls of all ages were laughing, squealing with joy as they played games designed by CPA psychologists to relieve tension.
[403] And—despite the treatment, Joe shuddered when he saw the psychologists standing to one side, quietly watching the children.
[404] The whole world was filled with CPA employees and volunteer workers.
[405] Everywhere you went, it was there, quietly watching you and analyzing you, and if you showed criminal tendencies, it watched you even more closely and analyzed you even more deeply until it took you apart and put you back together again the way it wanted you to be.
[406] "Being an Ex, you'll get the kind of job you always wanted," Hendricks continued.
[407] "You'll get a good-paying job, but you'll work for it.
[408] You'll work eight hours a day, work harder than you've ever worked before in your life, because every time you start to loaf, a voice in your head is going to say, Work!
[409] Work!
[410] Exes always get good jobs because employers know they're good workers.
[411] "But during these next few days, you'll discover what being an Ex is like.
[412] You see, Joe, the treatment can't possibly take all the criminal tendencies out of a man.
[413] So the treatment does the next best thing—you'll find a set of laws written in your mind.
[414] You might want to break one now and then, but you won't be able.
[415] I'll give you an illustration...." Joe's face reddened as Hendricks proceeded to call him a series of names.
[416] He wanted to smash the fat, grinning face, but the muscles in his arm froze before it moved it an inch.
[417] And worse than that, a brief pain ripped through his skull.
[418] A pain so intense that, had it lasted a second longer, he would have screamed in agony.
[419] And above the pain, a voice whispered in his head, Unlawful to strike someone except in self-defense .
[420] He opened his mouth to tell Hendricks exactly what he thought of him, the CPA, the whole world.
[421] But the words stayed in his throat, the pain returned, and the mental voice whispered, Unlawful to curse .
[422] He had never heard how the treatment prevented an Ex from committing a crime.
[423] And now that he knew, it didn't seem fair.
[424] He decided to tell the whole story to the newspapers as soon as he could.
[425] And as soon as that decision formed in his mind, his body froze, the pain returned and the voice, Unlawful to divulge CPA procedure .
[426] "See what I mean?"
[427] Hendricks asked.
[428] "A century ago, you would have been locked in a prison and taxpayers' money would have supported you until the day you died.
[429] With the CPA system, you're returned to society, a useful citizen, unable to commit the smallest crime.
[430] And you've got a big hand in your dirty little mind that's going to slap it every time you get the wrong kind of thought.
[431] It'll keep slapping you until you learn.
[432] It might take weeks, months or years, but you'll learn sooner or later to not even think about doing anything wrong."
[433] He lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring at the car's plush ceiling.
[434] "It's a great system, isn't it, Joe?
[435] A true democracy.
[436] Even a jerk like you is free to do what he wants, as long as it's legal."
[437] "I think it's a lousy, filthy system."
[438] Joe's head was still tingling with pain and he felt suffocated.
[439] The CPA was everywhere, only now it was also inside his head, telling him he couldn't do this, couldn't do that.
[440] All his life it had been telling him he couldn't do things he wanted to do and now .... Hendricks laughed.
[441] "You'll change your opinion.
[442] We live in a clean, wonderful world, Joe.
[443] A world of happy, healthy people.
[444] Except for freaks like yourself, criminals are—" "Let me out!"
[445] Joe grabbed at the door and was on the sidewalk, slamming the door behind him before the car stopped completely.
[446] He stared at the car as it pulled away from the curb and glided into the stream of traffic again.
[447] He realized he was a prisoner ... a prisoner inside his own body ... made a prisoner by a world that hated him back.
[448] He wanted to spit his contempt, but the increasingly familiar pain and voice prevented him.
[449] It was unlawful to spit on a sidewalk. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the CPA and what does it do?":
1. [60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
2. [61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
3. [62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
4. [63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
5. [64] No crime was ever punished.
6. [65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
7. [66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
8. [67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
9. [68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
10. [69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
11. [70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
12. [71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
13. [72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
14. [291] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman.
15. [292] But the robots were different: they weren't flesh and blood.
16. [293] Bullets bounced off them and their aim was infallible.
17. [294] It was like a fantastic dream come true.
18. [295] Only the dream wasn't fantastic any more.
19. [296] With the huge atomic power plants scattered across the country and supplying endless electrical power at ridiculously low prices, no endeavor that required power was fantastic.
20. [297] The power required to operate the CPA devices cost each taxpayer an average of four dollars a year, and the invention, development and manufacture of the devices had cost even less.
21. [298] And the CPA had attacked crime through society itself, striking at the individual.
22. [299] In every city there were neon signs that blinked subliminally with the statement, CRIME IS FILTH.
23. [300] Listening to a radio or watching television, if a person heard station identification, he invariably heard or saw just below perception the words CRIME IS FILTH.
24. [301] If he went for a walk or a ride, he saw the endless subliminal posters declaring CRIME IS FILTH, and if he read a magazine or newspaper he always found, in those little dead spaces where an editor couldn't fit anything else, the below-perception words CRIME IS FILTH.
25. [302] It was monotonous and, after a while, a person looked at the words and heard them without thinking about them.
26. [303] And they were imprinted on his subconscious over and over, year after year, until he knew that crime was the same as filth and that criminals were filthy things.
27. [277] Twenty-four hours a day, millions of microphones hidden in taverns, alleys, restaurants, subways and every other place imaginable waited for someone to say the wrong thing.
28. [278] Everything the microphones picked up was routed to the CPA Brain, a monster electronic calculator.
29. [279] If the words "Let's see a movie" were received in the Brain, they were discarded.
30. [280] But if the words "Let's roll this guy" were received, the message was traced and a police helicopter would be at the scene in two minutes.
31. [281] And scattered all over the city were not only hidden microphones, but hidden television cameras that relayed visual messages to the Brain, and hidden machines that could detect a knife or a gun in someone's pocket at forty yards.
32. [282] Every place of business from the largest bank to the smallest grocery store was absolutely impenetrable.
33. [283] No one had even tried to rob a place of business for years.
34. [284] Arson was next to impossible because of the heat-detectors—devices placed in every building that could detect, radarlike, any intensity of heat above that caused by a cigarette lighter.
35. [285] Chemical research had made poisoning someone an impossibility.
36. [286] There were no drugs containing poison, and while an ant-poison might kill ants, no concentrated amount of it would kill a human.
37. [287] The FBI had always been a powerful organization, but under the supervision of the CPA, it was a scientific colossus and to think of kidnapping someone or to contemplate the use of narcotics was pointless.
38. [288] A counterfeiter's career was always short-lived: every place of business and millions of individuals had small counterfeit-detectors that could spot a fake and report it directly to the Brain.
39. [289] And the percentage of crimes had dwindled even more with the appearance of the robot police officers.
40. [290] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman. |
Why does Joe hire the girl? | [
"Joe hires the girl because he wants to commit a crime and be caught by the CPA. He reasons that if he commits a crime and is caught he will be treated and then labelled as an “Ex” criminal. This designation would allow him to get whatever job he desired, an actual good job. An “Ex” criminal is treated as a type of hero because they are viewed as cured and incapable of ever committing a crime again, thus they are the most trustworthy person in society. Joe hires the girl to use her to pretend that he tried to rape her.",
"Joe hires the girl because he wants her to help him commit a crime. He believes that by falsely accusing him of rape, he will be convicted as a criminal sooner and be hailed as a hero. He desperately does not want the DCT title on his ID card anymore because it will not give him any sort of career advancement. He believes that committing a crime and having himself reformed will lead to others seeing him as a hero. This will also open more pathways career-wise as reformed criminals are generally seen as more responsible and trustworthy.",
"Joe has Dangerous Criminal Tendencies which is stated in his ID card. Because of that he can not get any normal job except a garbage man or something like that. He plans to commit a real crime to receive treatment and become an ex-criminal. Being an Ex means being honest and clean, which provides multiple job opportunities and people consider Exes heroes as not many can succeed in committing crimes. The least is because the CPA, Crime Prevention Association, has managed to control almost everything and prevent almost every crime. Joe pays the girl to play a rape victim and to scream for help, so that he gets arrested. The girl though is a sergeant who is capable of self-defense, so she can't be possibly raped. The police hear his plan through a microphone and make him a first-class DCT instead.",
"Joe wants to be caught with a crime so that he can have the treatment at the CPA hospital. He hires the girl because he wants to commit the crime of attempting to rape her. He desires the treatment because he is currently a DCT Second Level. With this identity, he cannot find any good jobs due to the high level of criminal tendency. Instead, only jobs such as street-cleaning, ditch-digger are open to him. But he wants a satisfying job with a great salary. Thus, he has to receive the treatment because everyone who has received the treatment does not commit crimes. They get the good jobs."
] | [1] Going straight meant crooked planning.
[2] He'd never make it unless he somehow managed to PICK A CRIME By RICHARD R. SMITH Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] The girl was tall, wide-eyed and brunette.
[5] She had the right curves in the right places and would have been beautiful if her nose had been smaller, if her mouth had been larger and if her hair had been wavy instead of straight.
[6] "Hank said you wanted to see me," she said when she stopped beside Joe's table.
[7] "Yeah."
[8] Joe nodded at the other chair.
[9] "Have a seat."
[10] He reached into a pocket, withdrew five ten-dollar bills and handed them to her.
[11] "I want you to do a job for me.
[12] It'll only take a few minutes."
[13] The girl counted the money, then placed it in her purse.
[14] Joe noticed a small counterfeit-detector inside the purse before she closed it.
[15] "What's the job?"
[16] "Tell you later."
[17] He gulped the remainder of his drink, almost pouring it down his throat.
[18] "Hey.
[19] You trying to make yourself sick?"
[20] "Not sick.
[21] Drunk.
[22] Been trying to get drunk all afternoon."
[23] As the liquor settled in his stomach, he waited for the warm glow.
[24] But the glow didn't come ... the bartender had watered his drink again.
[25] "Trying to get drunk?"
[26] the girl inquired.
[27] "Are you crazy?"
[28] "No.
[29] It's simple.
[30] If I get drunk, I can join the AAA and get free room and board for a month while they give me a treatment."
[31] It was easy enough to understand, he reflected, but a lot harder to do.
[32] The CPA robot bartenders saw to it that anyone got high if they wanted, but comparatively few got drunk.
[33] Each bartender could not only mix drinks but could also judge by a man's actions and speech when he was on the verge of drunkenness.
[34] At the proper time—since drunkenness was illegal—a bartender always watered the drinks.
[35] Joe had tried dozens of times in dozens of bars to outsmart them, but had always failed.
[36] And in all of New York's millions, there had been only a hundred cases of intoxication during the previous year.
[37] The girl laughed.
[38] "If you're that hard up, I don't know if I should take this fifty or not.
[39] Why don't you go out and get a job like everyone else?"
[40] As an answer, Joe handed her his CPA ID card.
[41] She grunted when she saw the large letters that indicated the owner had Dangerous Criminal Tendencies.
[42] When she handed the card back, Joe fought an impulse to tear it to pieces.
[43] He'd done that once and gone through a mountain of red tape to get another—everyone was required by law to carry a CPA ID card and show it upon request.
[44] "I'm sorry," the girl said.
[45] "I didn't know you were a DCT."
[46] "And who'll hire a guy with criminal tendencies?
[47] You know the score.
[48] When you try to get a job, they ask to see your ID before they even tell you if there's an opening or not.
[49] If your CPA ID says you're a DCT, you're SOL and they tell you there's no openings.
[50] Oh, I've had several jobs ... jobs like all DCTs get.
[51] I've been a garbage man, street-cleaner, ditch-digger—" On the other side of the room, the jukebox came to life with a roar and a group of teen-agers scrambled to the dance floor.
[52] Feeling safe from hidden microphones because of the uproar, he leaned across the table and whispered in the girl's ear, "That's what I want to hire you for.
[53] I want you to help me commit a crime.
[54] If I get convicted of a crime, I'll be able to get a good job!"
[55] The girl's lips formed a bright red circle.
[56] "Say!
[57] You really got big plans, don't you?"
[58] He smiled at her admiration.
[59] It was something big to plan a crime.
[60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
[61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
[62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
[63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
[64] No crime was ever punished.
[65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
[66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
[67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
[68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
[69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
[70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
[71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
[72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
[73] "Well," the girl said.
[74] "I'm honored.
[75] Really.
[76] But I got a date at ten.
[77] Let's get it over with.
[78] You said it'd only take a few minutes."
[79] "Okay.
[80] Let's go."
[81] The girl followed him across the room, around tables, through a door, down a hall, through a back door and into the alley.
[82] She followed him up the dark alley until he turned suddenly and ripped her blouse and skirt.
[83] He surprised her completely, but when she recovered, she backed away, her body poised like a wrestler's.
[84] "What's the big idea?"
[85] "Scream," Joe said.
[86] "Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
[87] The plan was perfect, he told himself.
[88] Attempted rape was one of the few things that was a crime merely because a man attempted it.
[89] A crime because it theoretically inflicted psychological injury upon the intended victim—and because millions of women voters had voted it a crime.
[90] On the other hand, attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping, etc., were not crimes.
[91] They weren't crimes because the DCT didn't complete the act, and if he didn't complete the act, that meant simply that the CPA had once again functioned properly.
[92] The girl shook her head vigorously.
[93] "Sorry, buddy.
[94] Can't help you that way.
[95] Why didn't you tell me what you wanted?"
[96] "What's the matter?"
[97] Joe complained.
[98] "I'm not asking you to do anything wrong."
[99] "You stupid jerk.
[100] What do you think this is—the Middle Ages?
[101] Don't you know almost every woman knows how to defend herself?
[102] I'm a sergeant in the WSDA!"
[103] Joe groaned.
[104] The WSDA—Women's Self-Defense Association—a branch of the CPA.
[105] The WSDA gave free instruction in judo and jujitsu, even developed new techniques of wrestling and instructed only women in those new techniques.
[106] The girl was still shaking her head.
[107] "Can't do it, buddy.
[108] I'd lose my rank if you were convicted of—" "Do I have to make you scream?"
[109] Joe inquired tiredly and advanced toward the girl.
[110] "—and that rank carries a lot of weight.
[111] Hey!
[112] Stop it! "
[113] Joe discovered to his dismay that the girl was telling the truth when she said she was a sergeant in the WSDA.
[114] He felt her hands on his body, and in the time it takes to blink twice, he was flying through the air.
[115] The alley's concrete floor was hard—it had always been hard, but he became acutely aware of its lack of resiliency when his head struck it.
[116] There was a wonderful moment while the world was filled with beautiful stars and streaks of lightning through which he heard distant police sirens.
[117] But the wonderful moment didn't last long and darkness closed in on him.
[118] When he awoke, a rough voice was saying, "Okay.
[119] Snap out of it."
[120] He opened his eyes and recognized the police commissioner's office.
[121] It would be hard not to recognize: the room was large, devoid of furniture except for a desk and chairs, but the walls were lined with the controls of television screens, electronic calculators and a hundred other machines that formed New York's mechanical police force.
[122] Commissioner Hendricks was a remarkable character.
[123] There was something wrong with his glands, and he was a huge, greasy bulk of a man with bushy eyebrows and a double chin.
[124] His steel-gray eyes showed something of his intelligence and he would have gone far in politics if fate hadn't made him so ugly, for more than half the voters who elected men to high political positions were women.
[125] Anyone who knew Hendricks well liked him, for he was a friendly, likable person.
[126] But the millions of women voters who saw his face on posters and on their TV screens saw only the ugly face and heard only the harsh voice.
[127] The President of the United States was a capable man, but also a very handsome one, and the fact that a man who looked something like a bulldog had been elected as New York's police commissioner was a credit to Hendricks and millions of women voters.
[128] "Where's the girl?"
[129] Joe asked.
[130] "I processed her while you were out cold.
[131] She left.
[132] Joe, you—" "Okay," Joe said.
[133] "I'll save you the trouble.
[134] I admit it.
[135] Attempted rape.
[136] I confess."
[137] Hendricks smiled.
[138] "Sorry, Joe.
[139] You missed the boat again."
[140] He reached out and turned a dial on his desk top.
[141] "We had a microphone hidden in that alley.
[142] We have a lot of microphones hidden in a lot of alleys.
[143] You'd be surprised at the number of conspiracies that take place in alleys!"
[144] Joe listened numbly to his voice as it came from one of the hundreds of machines on the walls, " Scream.
[145] Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you. "
[146] And then the girl's voice, " Sorry, buddy.
[147] Can't help— " He waved his hand.
[148] "Okay.
[149] Shut it off.
[150] I confess to conspiracy."
[151] Hendricks rose from behind the desk, walked leisurely to where Joe was slouched in a chair.
[152] "Give me your CPA ID."
[153] Joe handed him the card with trembling fingers.
[154] He felt as if the world had collapsed beneath him.
[155] Conspiracy to commit a crime wasn't a crime.
[156] Anyone could conspire.
[157] And if the conspirators were prevented from committing a crime, then that meant the CPA had functioned properly once again.
[158] That meant the CPA had once again prevented crime, and the CPA didn't punish crimes or attempted crimes, and it didn't attempt to prevent crimes by punishment.
[159] If it did, that would be a violation of the New Civil Rights.
[160] Hendricks crossed the room, deposited the card in a slot and punched a button.
[161] The machine hummed and a new card appeared.
[162] When Hendricks handed him the new card, Joe saw that the words DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES were now in red and larger than before.
[163] And, in slightly smaller print, the ID card stated that the owner was a DCT First Class.
[164] "You've graduated," Hendricks said coldly.
[165] "You guys never learn, do you?
[166] Now you're a DCT First Class instead of a Second Class.
[167] You know what that means?"
[168] Hendricks leaned closer until Joe could feel his breath on his face.
[169] "That means your case history will be turned over to the newspapers.
[170] You'll be the hobby of thousands of amateur cops.
[171] You know how it works?
[172] It's like this.
[173] The Joneses are sitting around tomorrow night and they're bored.
[174] Then Mr. Jones says, 'Let's go watch this Joe Harper.'
[175] So they look up your record—amateur cops always keep records of First Classes in scrapbooks—and they see that you stop frequently at Walt's Tavern.
[176] "So they go there and they sit and drink and watch you, trying not to let you know they're watching you.
[177] They watch you all night, just hoping you'll do something exciting, like trying to kill someone, so they can be the first ones to yell ' Police! '
[178] They'll watch you because it's exciting to be an amateur cop, and if they ever did prevent you from committing a crime, they'd get a nice reward and they'd be famous."
[179] "Lay off," Joe said.
[180] "I got a headache.
[181] That girl—" Hendricks leaned even closer and glared.
[182] "You listen, Joe.
[183] This is interesting.
[184] You see, it doesn't stop with Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
[185] There's thousands of people like them.
[186] Years ago, they got their kicks from reading about guys like you, but these days things are dull because it's rare when anyone commits a crime.
[187] So every time you walk down the street, there'll be at least a dozen of 'em following you, and no matter where you go, you can bet there'll be some of 'em sitting next to you, standing next to you.
[188] "During the day, they'll take your picture with their spy cameras that look like buttons on their coats.
[189] At night, they'll peep at you through your keyhole.
[190] Your neighbors across the street will watch you through binoculars and—" "Lay off!"
[191] Joe squirmed in the chair.
[192] He'd been lectured by Hendricks before and it was always an unpleasant experience.
[193] The huge man was like a talking machine once he got started, a machine that couldn't be stopped.
[194] "And the kids are the worst," Hendricks continued.
[195] "They have Junior CPA clubs.
[196] They keep records of hoodlums like you in little cardboard boxes.
[197] They'll stare at you on the street and stare at you through restaurant windows while you're eating meals.
[198] They'll follow you in public rest rooms and watch you out of the corners of their eyes while they wash their little hands, and almost every day when you look back, you'll see a dozen freckle-faced little boys following you half a block behind, giggling and gaping at you.
[199] They'll follow you until the day you die, because you're a freak!"
[200] Joe couldn't stand the breath in his face any longer.
[201] He rose and paced the floor.
[202] "And it doesn't end there , Joe.
[203] It goes on and on.
[204] You'll be the object of every do-gooder and parlor psychologist.
[205] Strangers will stop you on the street and say, 'I'd like to help you, friend.'
[206] Then they'll ask you queer questions like, 'Did your father reject you when you were a child?'
[207] 'Do you like girls?'
[208] 'How does it feel to be a DCT First Class?'
[209] And then there'll be the strangers who hate DCTs.
[210] They'll stop you on the street and insult you, call you names, spit on you and—" "Okay, goddam it!
[211] Stop it! "
[212] Hendricks stopped, wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief and lit a cigarette.
[213] "I'm doing you a favor, Joe.
[214] I'm trying to explain something you're too dumb to realize by yourself.
[215] We've taught everyone to hate crime and criminals ... to hate them as nothing has ever been hated before.
[216] Today a criminal is a freak, an alien.
[217] Your life will be a living hell if you don't leave New York.
[218] You should go to some small town where there aren't many people, or be a hermit, or go to Iceland or—" Joe eyed the huge man suspiciously. "
[219] Favor , did you say?
[220] The day you do me a favor—" Hendricks shrugged his shoulders negligently.
[221] "Not entirely a favor.
[222] I want to get rid of you.
[223] Usually I come up here and sit around and read books.
[224] But guys like you are a nuisance and take up my time."
[225] "I couldn't leave if I wanted to," Joe said.
[226] "I'm flat broke.
[227] Thanks to your CPA system, a DCT can't get a decent job."
[228] Hendricks reached into a pocket, withdrew several bills and extended them.
[229] "I'll loan you some money.
[230] You can sign an IOU and pay me back a little at a time."
[231] Joe waved the money away.
[232] "Listen, why don't you do me a favor?
[233] Why don't you frame me?
[234] If I'm such a nuisance, pin a crime on me—any crime."
[235] "Can't do it.
[236] Convicting a man of a crime he didn't commit is a violation of Civil Rights and a crime in itself."
[237] "Umm."
[238] "Why don't you take the free psycho treatment?
[239] A man doesn't have to be a DCT.
[240] With the free treatment, psychologists can remove all your criminal tendencies and—" "Go to those head-shrinkers ?"
[241] Hendricks shrugged again.
[242] "Have it your way."
[243] Joe laughed.
[244] "If your damned CPA is so all-powerful, why can't you make me go?"
[245] "Violation of Civil Rights."
[246] "Damn it, there must be some way you can help me!
[247] We both want the same thing.
[248] We both want to see me convicted of a crime."
[249] "How can I help you without committing a crime myself?"
[250] Hendricks walked to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small black book.
[251] "See this?
[252] It contains names and addresses of all the people in New York who aren't properly protected.
[253] Every week we find people who aren't protected properly—blind spots in our protection devices.
[254] As soon as we find them, we take steps to install anti-robbery devices, but this is a big city and sometimes it takes days to get the work done.
[255] "In the meantime, any one of these people could be robbed.
[256] But what can I do?
[257] I can't hold this book in front of your nose and say, 'Here, Joe, pick a name and go out and rob him.'"
[258] He laughed nervously.
[259] "If I did that, I'd be committing a crime myself!"
[260] He placed the book on the desk top, took a handkerchief from a pocket again and wiped sweat from his face.
[261] "Excuse me a minute.
[262] I'm dying of thirst.
[263] There's a water cooler in the next room."
[264] Joe stared at the door to the adjoining office as it closed behind the big man.
[265] Hendricks was—unbelievably—offering him a victim, offering him a crime!
[266] Almost running to the desk, Joe opened the book, selected a name and address and memorized it: John Gralewski, Apt.
[267] 204, 2141 Orange St.
[268] When Hendricks came back, Joe said, "Thanks."
[269] "Huh?
[270] Thanks for what?
[271] I didn't do anything."
[272] When Joe reached the street, he hurried toward the nearest subway.
[273] As a child, he had been frightened of the dark.
[274] As a man, he wasn't afraid of the dark itself, but the darkened city always made him feel ill at ease.
[275] The uneasiness was, more than anything else, caused by his own imagination.
[276] He hated the CPA and at night he couldn't shrug the feeling that the CPA lurked in every shadow, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.
[277] Imagination or not, the CPA was almost everywhere a person went.
[278] Twenty-four hours a day, millions of microphones hidden in taverns, alleys, restaurants, subways and every other place imaginable waited for someone to say the wrong thing.
[279] Everything the microphones picked up was routed to the CPA Brain, a monster electronic calculator.
[280] If the words "Let's see a movie" were received in the Brain, they were discarded.
[281] But if the words "Let's roll this guy" were received, the message was traced and a police helicopter would be at the scene in two minutes.
[282] And scattered all over the city were not only hidden microphones, but hidden television cameras that relayed visual messages to the Brain, and hidden machines that could detect a knife or a gun in someone's pocket at forty yards.
[283] Every place of business from the largest bank to the smallest grocery store was absolutely impenetrable.
[284] No one had even tried to rob a place of business for years.
[285] Arson was next to impossible because of the heat-detectors—devices placed in every building that could detect, radarlike, any intensity of heat above that caused by a cigarette lighter.
[286] Chemical research had made poisoning someone an impossibility.
[287] There were no drugs containing poison, and while an ant-poison might kill ants, no concentrated amount of it would kill a human.
[288] The FBI had always been a powerful organization, but under the supervision of the CPA, it was a scientific colossus and to think of kidnapping someone or to contemplate the use of narcotics was pointless.
[289] A counterfeiter's career was always short-lived: every place of business and millions of individuals had small counterfeit-detectors that could spot a fake and report it directly to the Brain.
[290] And the percentage of crimes had dwindled even more with the appearance of the robot police officers.
[291] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman.
[292] But the robots were different: they weren't flesh and blood.
[293] Bullets bounced off them and their aim was infallible.
[294] It was like a fantastic dream come true.
[295] Only the dream wasn't fantastic any more.
[296] With the huge atomic power plants scattered across the country and supplying endless electrical power at ridiculously low prices, no endeavor that required power was fantastic.
[297] The power required to operate the CPA devices cost each taxpayer an average of four dollars a year, and the invention, development and manufacture of the devices had cost even less.
[298] And the CPA had attacked crime through society itself, striking at the individual.
[299] In every city there were neon signs that blinked subliminally with the statement, CRIME IS FILTH.
[300] Listening to a radio or watching television, if a person heard station identification, he invariably heard or saw just below perception the words CRIME IS FILTH.
[301] If he went for a walk or a ride, he saw the endless subliminal posters declaring CRIME IS FILTH, and if he read a magazine or newspaper he always found, in those little dead spaces where an editor couldn't fit anything else, the below-perception words CRIME IS FILTH.
[302] It was monotonous and, after a while, a person looked at the words and heard them without thinking about them.
[303] And they were imprinted on his subconscious over and over, year after year, until he knew that crime was the same as filth and that criminals were filthy things.
[304] Except men like Joe Harper.
[305] No system is perfect.
[306] Along with thousands of other DCTs, Joe refused to believe it, and when he reached apartment 204 at 2141 Orange Street, he felt as if he'd inherited a gold mine.
[307] The hall was dimly lit, but when he stood before the door numbered 204, he could see that the wall on either side of it was new .
[308] That is, instead of being covered with dust, dirt and stains as the other walls were, it was clean.
[309] The building was an old one, the hall was wide, and the owner had obviously constructed a wall across the hall, creating another room.
[310] If the owner had reported the new room as required by law, it would have been wired with CPA burglarproof devices, but evidently he didn't want to pay for installation.
[311] When Joe entered the cubbyhole, he had to stand to one side in order to close the door behind him.
[312] The place was barely large enough for the bed, chair and bureau; it was a place where a man could fall down at night and sleep, but where no normal man could live day after day.
[313] Fearing that someone might detect him before he actually committed the crime, Joe hurried to the bureau and searched it.
[314] He broke out in a sweat when he found nothing but underwear and old magazines.
[315] If he stole underwear and magazines, it would still be a crime, but the newspapers would splash satirical headlines.
[316] Instead of being respected as a successful criminal, he would be ridiculed.
[317] He stopped sweating when he found a watch under a pile of underwear.
[318] The crystal was broken, one hand was missing and it wouldn't run, but—perfection itself—engraved on the back was the inscription, To John with Love .
[319] His trial would be a clean-cut one: it would be easy for the CPA to prove ownership and that a crime had been committed.
[320] Chuckling with joy, he opened the window and shouted, " Thief!
[321] Police!
[322] Help! "
[323] He waited a few seconds and then ran.
[324] When he reached the street, a police helicopter landed next to him.
[325] Strong metal arms seized him; cameras clicked and recorded the damning evidence.
[326] When Joe was securely handcuffed to a seat inside the helicopter, the metal police officers rang doorbells.
[327] There was a reward for anyone who reported a crime, but no one admitted shouting the warning.
[328] He was having a nightmare when he heard the voice, "Hey.
[329] Wake up.
[330] Hey!"
[331] He opened his eyes, saw Hendricks' ugly face and thought for a minute he was still having the nightmare.
[332] "I just saw your doctor," Hendricks said.
[333] "He says your treatment is over.
[334] You can go home now.
[335] I thought I'd give you a lift."
[336] As Joe dressed, he searched his mind and tried to find some difference.
[337] During the treatment, he had been unconscious or drugged, unable to think.
[338] Now he could think clearly, but he could find no difference in himself.
[339] He felt more relaxed than he'd ever felt before, but that could be an after-effect of all the sedatives he'd been given.
[340] And, he noticed when he looked in the mirror, he was paler.
[341] The treatment had taken months and he had, between operations, been locked in his room.
[342] Hendricks was standing by the window.
[343] Joe stared at the massive back.
[344] Deliberately goading his mind, he discovered the biggest change: Before, the mere sight of the man had aroused an intense hatred.
[345] Now, even when he tried, he succeeded in arousing only a mild hatred.
[346] They had toned down his capacity to hate, but not done away with it altogether.
[347] "Come here and take a look at your public," said Hendricks.
[348] Joe went to the window.
[349] Three stories below, a large crowd had gathered on the hospital steps: a band, photographers, television trucks, cameramen and autograph hunters.
[350] He'd waited a long time for this day.
[351] But now—another change in him— He put the emotion into words: "I don't feel like a hero.
[352] Funny, but I don't."
[353] "Hero!"
[354] Hendricks laughed and, with his powerful lungs, it sounded like a bull snorting.
[355] "You think a successful criminal is a hero?
[356] You stupid—" He laughed again and waved a hand at the crowd below them.
[357] "You think those people are down there because they admire what you did?
[358] They're down there waiting for you because they're curious, because they're glad the CPA caught you, and because they're glad you're an Ex.
[359] You're an ex -criminal now, and because of your treatment, you'll never be able to commit another crime as long as you live.
[360] And that's the kind of guy they admire, so they want to see you, shake your hand and get your autograph."
[361] Joe didn't understand Hendricks completely, but the part he did understand he didn't believe.
[362] A crowd was waiting for him.
[363] He could see the people with his own eyes.
[364] When he left the hospital, they'd cheer and shout and ask for his autograph.
[365] If he wasn't a hero, what was he ?
[366] It took half an hour to get through the crowd.
[367] Cameras clicked all around him, a hundred kids asked for his autograph, everyone talked at once and cheered, smiled, laughed, patted him on the back and cheered some more.
[368] Only one thing confused him during all the excitement: a white-haired old lady with tears in her eyes said, "Thank heaven it was only a watch.
[369] Thank heaven you didn't kill someone!
[370] God bless you, son."
[371] And then the old lady had handed him a box of fudge and left him in total confusion.
[372] What she said didn't make sense.
[373] If he had killed someone rather than stealing a watch, he would be even more of a hero and the crowd would have cheered even louder.
[374] He knew: he had stood outside the CPA hospitals many times and the crowds always cheered louder when an ex-murderer came out.
[375] In Hendricks' robot-chauffeured car, he ate the fudge and consoled himself with the thought, People are funny.
[376] Who can understand 'em?
[377] Feeling happy for one of the few times in his life, he turned toward Hendricks and said, "Thanks for what you did.
[378] It turned out great.
[379] I'll be able to get a good job now."
[380] "That's why I met you at the hospital," Hendricks said.
[381] "I want to explain some things.
[382] I've known you for a long time and I know you're spectacularly dumb.
[383] You can't figure out some things for yourself and I don't want you walking around the rest of your life thinking I did you a favor."
[384] Joe frowned.
[385] Few men had ever done him a favor and he had rarely thanked anyone for anything.
[386] And now ... after thanking the man who'd done him the biggest favor of all, the man was denying it!
[387] "You robbed Gralewski's apartment," Hendricks said.
[388] "Gralewski is a CPA employee and he doesn't live in the apartment you robbed.
[389] The CPA pays the rent for that one and he lives in another.
[390] We have a lot of places like that.
[391] You see, it gives us a way to get rid of saps like you before they do real damage.
[392] We use it as a last resort when a DCT First Class won't take the free psycho treatment or—" "Well, it's still a favor."
[393] Hendricks' face hardened.
[394] "Favor?
[395] You wouldn't know a favor if you stumbled over one.
[396] I did it because it's standard procedure for your type of case.
[397] Anyone can—free of charge—have treatment by the best psychologists.
[398] Any DCT can stop being a DCT by simply asking for the treatment and taking it.
[399] But you wouldn't do that.
[400] You wanted to commit a crime, get caught and be a hero ... an Ex ."
[401] The car passed one of the CPA playgrounds.
[402] Boys and girls of all ages were laughing, squealing with joy as they played games designed by CPA psychologists to relieve tension.
[403] And—despite the treatment, Joe shuddered when he saw the psychologists standing to one side, quietly watching the children.
[404] The whole world was filled with CPA employees and volunteer workers.
[405] Everywhere you went, it was there, quietly watching you and analyzing you, and if you showed criminal tendencies, it watched you even more closely and analyzed you even more deeply until it took you apart and put you back together again the way it wanted you to be.
[406] "Being an Ex, you'll get the kind of job you always wanted," Hendricks continued.
[407] "You'll get a good-paying job, but you'll work for it.
[408] You'll work eight hours a day, work harder than you've ever worked before in your life, because every time you start to loaf, a voice in your head is going to say, Work!
[409] Work!
[410] Exes always get good jobs because employers know they're good workers.
[411] "But during these next few days, you'll discover what being an Ex is like.
[412] You see, Joe, the treatment can't possibly take all the criminal tendencies out of a man.
[413] So the treatment does the next best thing—you'll find a set of laws written in your mind.
[414] You might want to break one now and then, but you won't be able.
[415] I'll give you an illustration...." Joe's face reddened as Hendricks proceeded to call him a series of names.
[416] He wanted to smash the fat, grinning face, but the muscles in his arm froze before it moved it an inch.
[417] And worse than that, a brief pain ripped through his skull.
[418] A pain so intense that, had it lasted a second longer, he would have screamed in agony.
[419] And above the pain, a voice whispered in his head, Unlawful to strike someone except in self-defense .
[420] He opened his mouth to tell Hendricks exactly what he thought of him, the CPA, the whole world.
[421] But the words stayed in his throat, the pain returned, and the mental voice whispered, Unlawful to curse .
[422] He had never heard how the treatment prevented an Ex from committing a crime.
[423] And now that he knew, it didn't seem fair.
[424] He decided to tell the whole story to the newspapers as soon as he could.
[425] And as soon as that decision formed in his mind, his body froze, the pain returned and the voice, Unlawful to divulge CPA procedure .
[426] "See what I mean?"
[427] Hendricks asked.
[428] "A century ago, you would have been locked in a prison and taxpayers' money would have supported you until the day you died.
[429] With the CPA system, you're returned to society, a useful citizen, unable to commit the smallest crime.
[430] And you've got a big hand in your dirty little mind that's going to slap it every time you get the wrong kind of thought.
[431] It'll keep slapping you until you learn.
[432] It might take weeks, months or years, but you'll learn sooner or later to not even think about doing anything wrong."
[433] He lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring at the car's plush ceiling.
[434] "It's a great system, isn't it, Joe?
[435] A true democracy.
[436] Even a jerk like you is free to do what he wants, as long as it's legal."
[437] "I think it's a lousy, filthy system."
[438] Joe's head was still tingling with pain and he felt suffocated.
[439] The CPA was everywhere, only now it was also inside his head, telling him he couldn't do this, couldn't do that.
[440] All his life it had been telling him he couldn't do things he wanted to do and now .... Hendricks laughed.
[441] "You'll change your opinion.
[442] We live in a clean, wonderful world, Joe.
[443] A world of happy, healthy people.
[444] Except for freaks like yourself, criminals are—" "Let me out!"
[445] Joe grabbed at the door and was on the sidewalk, slamming the door behind him before the car stopped completely.
[446] He stared at the car as it pulled away from the curb and glided into the stream of traffic again.
[447] He realized he was a prisoner ... a prisoner inside his own body ... made a prisoner by a world that hated him back.
[448] He wanted to spit his contempt, but the increasingly familiar pain and voice prevented him.
[449] It was unlawful to spit on a sidewalk. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Why does Joe hire the girl?":
1. [52] "That's what I want to hire you for. I want you to help me commit a crime."
2. [54] "If I get convicted of a crime, I'll be able to get a good job!"
3. [46] "And who'll hire a guy with criminal tendencies?"
4. [47] "You know the score. When you try to get a job, they ask to see your ID before they even tell you if there's an opening or not."
5. [48] "If your CPA ID says you're a DCT, you're SOL and they tell you there's no openings."
6. [50] "Oh, I've had several jobs ... jobs like all DCTs get. I've been a garbage man, street-cleaner, ditch-digger—"
7. [51] On the other side of the room, the jukebox came to life with a roar and a group of teen-agers scrambled to the dance floor.
8. [53] "I want you to help me commit a crime."
9. [55] The girl's lips formed a bright red circle.
10. [56] "Say! You really got big plans, don't you?"
11. [57] "It was something big to plan a crime."
12. [58] He smiled at her admiration.
13. [59] It was something big to plan a crime.
14. [60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
15. [61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
16. [62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
17. [63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
18. [64] No crime was ever punished.
19. [65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
20. [66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
21. [67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
22. [68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
23. [69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
24. [70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
25. [71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
26. [72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
27. [73] "Well," the girl said.
28. [74] "I'm honored.
29. [75] Really.
30. [76] But I got a date at ten.
31. [77] Let's get it over with.
32. [78] You said it'd only take a few minutes."
33. [79] "Okay.
34. [80] Let's go." |
Describe the different levels of DCT and what effects they have on a person. | [
"DCT affects a lot of a person’s social life and work abilities. To inquire about a job opening, a person has to show their ID. Establishments are not likely to hire a person with a DCT designation unless it is for a garbage truck job, a street-cleaner positioner, or other less desirable work options. They do not leave a person in a socially favorable view as people judge those with DCT designation poorly. \n\nA DCT First Class designation means that the person’s case will be made public. People are interested in crime because it is a complete rarity in current society. The commissioner says that people will follow him wherever he goes and just watches him because they want to be the first one to call for the police when he commits a crime. A person with a first class designation will not have any privacy when out and about.",
"In the story, the levels of DCT are First Class and Second Class. Second Class DCT ID holders have DCT written on their ID cards. It also affects how they can find a job too. Jon is unable to find any sort of employment beyond being a garbage man, street-cleaner, and ditch digger. He is also broke too and cannot find any sort of stability. The First Class DCT holders have “DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES” written on their ID cards in red and even larger text. Being a First Class DCT means that their case histories will be turned over to newspapers, other amateur cops, and even children. Everybody will keep a constant eye on the person, and many of the cops want the DCT in question to commit a crime, so they will become famous for stopping it. The rest of society will also continue to hate these First Class members.",
"There are different levels of DCT which depend on the number of conspiracies. A DCT First Class is the highest level, the people who have it are under constant attention. Amateur cops spend their free time following such DCTs to be the first to prevent their crimes and get rewards. Common people watch. DCTs out of curiosity and spy on them as committing a crime is rare. DCTs, especially first class ones, are therefore never alone. They can't get any normal job, the higher the class is, the smaller are the chances. The kids follow DCT everywhere as they are in CPA junior clubs, the kids have no shame and they follow DCTs for their whole life.",
"The DCT Second Class cannot find any good jobs since there is a criminal tendency. Instead, only jobs such as street-cleaning, ditch-digger are opened to him. But he wantss a satisfying job with a great salary. The First Class will have their case history printed on newspapers. Anyone can look up their record and hopes that the First Class person will commit some crime. They are always followed and watched and spied. Strangers will spit on them, insult them. They are considered freaks and aliens. Once they commit crimes again, they will be brought into the CPA hospital for some treatments that will forever prevent them from committing crimes."
] | [1] Going straight meant crooked planning.
[2] He'd never make it unless he somehow managed to PICK A CRIME By RICHARD R. SMITH Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] The girl was tall, wide-eyed and brunette.
[5] She had the right curves in the right places and would have been beautiful if her nose had been smaller, if her mouth had been larger and if her hair had been wavy instead of straight.
[6] "Hank said you wanted to see me," she said when she stopped beside Joe's table.
[7] "Yeah."
[8] Joe nodded at the other chair.
[9] "Have a seat."
[10] He reached into a pocket, withdrew five ten-dollar bills and handed them to her.
[11] "I want you to do a job for me.
[12] It'll only take a few minutes."
[13] The girl counted the money, then placed it in her purse.
[14] Joe noticed a small counterfeit-detector inside the purse before she closed it.
[15] "What's the job?"
[16] "Tell you later."
[17] He gulped the remainder of his drink, almost pouring it down his throat.
[18] "Hey.
[19] You trying to make yourself sick?"
[20] "Not sick.
[21] Drunk.
[22] Been trying to get drunk all afternoon."
[23] As the liquor settled in his stomach, he waited for the warm glow.
[24] But the glow didn't come ... the bartender had watered his drink again.
[25] "Trying to get drunk?"
[26] the girl inquired.
[27] "Are you crazy?"
[28] "No.
[29] It's simple.
[30] If I get drunk, I can join the AAA and get free room and board for a month while they give me a treatment."
[31] It was easy enough to understand, he reflected, but a lot harder to do.
[32] The CPA robot bartenders saw to it that anyone got high if they wanted, but comparatively few got drunk.
[33] Each bartender could not only mix drinks but could also judge by a man's actions and speech when he was on the verge of drunkenness.
[34] At the proper time—since drunkenness was illegal—a bartender always watered the drinks.
[35] Joe had tried dozens of times in dozens of bars to outsmart them, but had always failed.
[36] And in all of New York's millions, there had been only a hundred cases of intoxication during the previous year.
[37] The girl laughed.
[38] "If you're that hard up, I don't know if I should take this fifty or not.
[39] Why don't you go out and get a job like everyone else?"
[40] As an answer, Joe handed her his CPA ID card.
[41] She grunted when she saw the large letters that indicated the owner had Dangerous Criminal Tendencies.
[42] When she handed the card back, Joe fought an impulse to tear it to pieces.
[43] He'd done that once and gone through a mountain of red tape to get another—everyone was required by law to carry a CPA ID card and show it upon request.
[44] "I'm sorry," the girl said.
[45] "I didn't know you were a DCT."
[46] "And who'll hire a guy with criminal tendencies?
[47] You know the score.
[48] When you try to get a job, they ask to see your ID before they even tell you if there's an opening or not.
[49] If your CPA ID says you're a DCT, you're SOL and they tell you there's no openings.
[50] Oh, I've had several jobs ... jobs like all DCTs get.
[51] I've been a garbage man, street-cleaner, ditch-digger—" On the other side of the room, the jukebox came to life with a roar and a group of teen-agers scrambled to the dance floor.
[52] Feeling safe from hidden microphones because of the uproar, he leaned across the table and whispered in the girl's ear, "That's what I want to hire you for.
[53] I want you to help me commit a crime.
[54] If I get convicted of a crime, I'll be able to get a good job!"
[55] The girl's lips formed a bright red circle.
[56] "Say!
[57] You really got big plans, don't you?"
[58] He smiled at her admiration.
[59] It was something big to plan a crime.
[60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
[61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
[62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
[63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
[64] No crime was ever punished.
[65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
[66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
[67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
[68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
[69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
[70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
[71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
[72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
[73] "Well," the girl said.
[74] "I'm honored.
[75] Really.
[76] But I got a date at ten.
[77] Let's get it over with.
[78] You said it'd only take a few minutes."
[79] "Okay.
[80] Let's go."
[81] The girl followed him across the room, around tables, through a door, down a hall, through a back door and into the alley.
[82] She followed him up the dark alley until he turned suddenly and ripped her blouse and skirt.
[83] He surprised her completely, but when she recovered, she backed away, her body poised like a wrestler's.
[84] "What's the big idea?"
[85] "Scream," Joe said.
[86] "Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
[87] The plan was perfect, he told himself.
[88] Attempted rape was one of the few things that was a crime merely because a man attempted it.
[89] A crime because it theoretically inflicted psychological injury upon the intended victim—and because millions of women voters had voted it a crime.
[90] On the other hand, attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping, etc., were not crimes.
[91] They weren't crimes because the DCT didn't complete the act, and if he didn't complete the act, that meant simply that the CPA had once again functioned properly.
[92] The girl shook her head vigorously.
[93] "Sorry, buddy.
[94] Can't help you that way.
[95] Why didn't you tell me what you wanted?"
[96] "What's the matter?"
[97] Joe complained.
[98] "I'm not asking you to do anything wrong."
[99] "You stupid jerk.
[100] What do you think this is—the Middle Ages?
[101] Don't you know almost every woman knows how to defend herself?
[102] I'm a sergeant in the WSDA!"
[103] Joe groaned.
[104] The WSDA—Women's Self-Defense Association—a branch of the CPA.
[105] The WSDA gave free instruction in judo and jujitsu, even developed new techniques of wrestling and instructed only women in those new techniques.
[106] The girl was still shaking her head.
[107] "Can't do it, buddy.
[108] I'd lose my rank if you were convicted of—" "Do I have to make you scream?"
[109] Joe inquired tiredly and advanced toward the girl.
[110] "—and that rank carries a lot of weight.
[111] Hey!
[112] Stop it! "
[113] Joe discovered to his dismay that the girl was telling the truth when she said she was a sergeant in the WSDA.
[114] He felt her hands on his body, and in the time it takes to blink twice, he was flying through the air.
[115] The alley's concrete floor was hard—it had always been hard, but he became acutely aware of its lack of resiliency when his head struck it.
[116] There was a wonderful moment while the world was filled with beautiful stars and streaks of lightning through which he heard distant police sirens.
[117] But the wonderful moment didn't last long and darkness closed in on him.
[118] When he awoke, a rough voice was saying, "Okay.
[119] Snap out of it."
[120] He opened his eyes and recognized the police commissioner's office.
[121] It would be hard not to recognize: the room was large, devoid of furniture except for a desk and chairs, but the walls were lined with the controls of television screens, electronic calculators and a hundred other machines that formed New York's mechanical police force.
[122] Commissioner Hendricks was a remarkable character.
[123] There was something wrong with his glands, and he was a huge, greasy bulk of a man with bushy eyebrows and a double chin.
[124] His steel-gray eyes showed something of his intelligence and he would have gone far in politics if fate hadn't made him so ugly, for more than half the voters who elected men to high political positions were women.
[125] Anyone who knew Hendricks well liked him, for he was a friendly, likable person.
[126] But the millions of women voters who saw his face on posters and on their TV screens saw only the ugly face and heard only the harsh voice.
[127] The President of the United States was a capable man, but also a very handsome one, and the fact that a man who looked something like a bulldog had been elected as New York's police commissioner was a credit to Hendricks and millions of women voters.
[128] "Where's the girl?"
[129] Joe asked.
[130] "I processed her while you were out cold.
[131] She left.
[132] Joe, you—" "Okay," Joe said.
[133] "I'll save you the trouble.
[134] I admit it.
[135] Attempted rape.
[136] I confess."
[137] Hendricks smiled.
[138] "Sorry, Joe.
[139] You missed the boat again."
[140] He reached out and turned a dial on his desk top.
[141] "We had a microphone hidden in that alley.
[142] We have a lot of microphones hidden in a lot of alleys.
[143] You'd be surprised at the number of conspiracies that take place in alleys!"
[144] Joe listened numbly to his voice as it came from one of the hundreds of machines on the walls, " Scream.
[145] Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you. "
[146] And then the girl's voice, " Sorry, buddy.
[147] Can't help— " He waved his hand.
[148] "Okay.
[149] Shut it off.
[150] I confess to conspiracy."
[151] Hendricks rose from behind the desk, walked leisurely to where Joe was slouched in a chair.
[152] "Give me your CPA ID."
[153] Joe handed him the card with trembling fingers.
[154] He felt as if the world had collapsed beneath him.
[155] Conspiracy to commit a crime wasn't a crime.
[156] Anyone could conspire.
[157] And if the conspirators were prevented from committing a crime, then that meant the CPA had functioned properly once again.
[158] That meant the CPA had once again prevented crime, and the CPA didn't punish crimes or attempted crimes, and it didn't attempt to prevent crimes by punishment.
[159] If it did, that would be a violation of the New Civil Rights.
[160] Hendricks crossed the room, deposited the card in a slot and punched a button.
[161] The machine hummed and a new card appeared.
[162] When Hendricks handed him the new card, Joe saw that the words DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES were now in red and larger than before.
[163] And, in slightly smaller print, the ID card stated that the owner was a DCT First Class.
[164] "You've graduated," Hendricks said coldly.
[165] "You guys never learn, do you?
[166] Now you're a DCT First Class instead of a Second Class.
[167] You know what that means?"
[168] Hendricks leaned closer until Joe could feel his breath on his face.
[169] "That means your case history will be turned over to the newspapers.
[170] You'll be the hobby of thousands of amateur cops.
[171] You know how it works?
[172] It's like this.
[173] The Joneses are sitting around tomorrow night and they're bored.
[174] Then Mr. Jones says, 'Let's go watch this Joe Harper.'
[175] So they look up your record—amateur cops always keep records of First Classes in scrapbooks—and they see that you stop frequently at Walt's Tavern.
[176] "So they go there and they sit and drink and watch you, trying not to let you know they're watching you.
[177] They watch you all night, just hoping you'll do something exciting, like trying to kill someone, so they can be the first ones to yell ' Police! '
[178] They'll watch you because it's exciting to be an amateur cop, and if they ever did prevent you from committing a crime, they'd get a nice reward and they'd be famous."
[179] "Lay off," Joe said.
[180] "I got a headache.
[181] That girl—" Hendricks leaned even closer and glared.
[182] "You listen, Joe.
[183] This is interesting.
[184] You see, it doesn't stop with Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
[185] There's thousands of people like them.
[186] Years ago, they got their kicks from reading about guys like you, but these days things are dull because it's rare when anyone commits a crime.
[187] So every time you walk down the street, there'll be at least a dozen of 'em following you, and no matter where you go, you can bet there'll be some of 'em sitting next to you, standing next to you.
[188] "During the day, they'll take your picture with their spy cameras that look like buttons on their coats.
[189] At night, they'll peep at you through your keyhole.
[190] Your neighbors across the street will watch you through binoculars and—" "Lay off!"
[191] Joe squirmed in the chair.
[192] He'd been lectured by Hendricks before and it was always an unpleasant experience.
[193] The huge man was like a talking machine once he got started, a machine that couldn't be stopped.
[194] "And the kids are the worst," Hendricks continued.
[195] "They have Junior CPA clubs.
[196] They keep records of hoodlums like you in little cardboard boxes.
[197] They'll stare at you on the street and stare at you through restaurant windows while you're eating meals.
[198] They'll follow you in public rest rooms and watch you out of the corners of their eyes while they wash their little hands, and almost every day when you look back, you'll see a dozen freckle-faced little boys following you half a block behind, giggling and gaping at you.
[199] They'll follow you until the day you die, because you're a freak!"
[200] Joe couldn't stand the breath in his face any longer.
[201] He rose and paced the floor.
[202] "And it doesn't end there , Joe.
[203] It goes on and on.
[204] You'll be the object of every do-gooder and parlor psychologist.
[205] Strangers will stop you on the street and say, 'I'd like to help you, friend.'
[206] Then they'll ask you queer questions like, 'Did your father reject you when you were a child?'
[207] 'Do you like girls?'
[208] 'How does it feel to be a DCT First Class?'
[209] And then there'll be the strangers who hate DCTs.
[210] They'll stop you on the street and insult you, call you names, spit on you and—" "Okay, goddam it!
[211] Stop it! "
[212] Hendricks stopped, wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief and lit a cigarette.
[213] "I'm doing you a favor, Joe.
[214] I'm trying to explain something you're too dumb to realize by yourself.
[215] We've taught everyone to hate crime and criminals ... to hate them as nothing has ever been hated before.
[216] Today a criminal is a freak, an alien.
[217] Your life will be a living hell if you don't leave New York.
[218] You should go to some small town where there aren't many people, or be a hermit, or go to Iceland or—" Joe eyed the huge man suspiciously. "
[219] Favor , did you say?
[220] The day you do me a favor—" Hendricks shrugged his shoulders negligently.
[221] "Not entirely a favor.
[222] I want to get rid of you.
[223] Usually I come up here and sit around and read books.
[224] But guys like you are a nuisance and take up my time."
[225] "I couldn't leave if I wanted to," Joe said.
[226] "I'm flat broke.
[227] Thanks to your CPA system, a DCT can't get a decent job."
[228] Hendricks reached into a pocket, withdrew several bills and extended them.
[229] "I'll loan you some money.
[230] You can sign an IOU and pay me back a little at a time."
[231] Joe waved the money away.
[232] "Listen, why don't you do me a favor?
[233] Why don't you frame me?
[234] If I'm such a nuisance, pin a crime on me—any crime."
[235] "Can't do it.
[236] Convicting a man of a crime he didn't commit is a violation of Civil Rights and a crime in itself."
[237] "Umm."
[238] "Why don't you take the free psycho treatment?
[239] A man doesn't have to be a DCT.
[240] With the free treatment, psychologists can remove all your criminal tendencies and—" "Go to those head-shrinkers ?"
[241] Hendricks shrugged again.
[242] "Have it your way."
[243] Joe laughed.
[244] "If your damned CPA is so all-powerful, why can't you make me go?"
[245] "Violation of Civil Rights."
[246] "Damn it, there must be some way you can help me!
[247] We both want the same thing.
[248] We both want to see me convicted of a crime."
[249] "How can I help you without committing a crime myself?"
[250] Hendricks walked to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small black book.
[251] "See this?
[252] It contains names and addresses of all the people in New York who aren't properly protected.
[253] Every week we find people who aren't protected properly—blind spots in our protection devices.
[254] As soon as we find them, we take steps to install anti-robbery devices, but this is a big city and sometimes it takes days to get the work done.
[255] "In the meantime, any one of these people could be robbed.
[256] But what can I do?
[257] I can't hold this book in front of your nose and say, 'Here, Joe, pick a name and go out and rob him.'"
[258] He laughed nervously.
[259] "If I did that, I'd be committing a crime myself!"
[260] He placed the book on the desk top, took a handkerchief from a pocket again and wiped sweat from his face.
[261] "Excuse me a minute.
[262] I'm dying of thirst.
[263] There's a water cooler in the next room."
[264] Joe stared at the door to the adjoining office as it closed behind the big man.
[265] Hendricks was—unbelievably—offering him a victim, offering him a crime!
[266] Almost running to the desk, Joe opened the book, selected a name and address and memorized it: John Gralewski, Apt.
[267] 204, 2141 Orange St.
[268] When Hendricks came back, Joe said, "Thanks."
[269] "Huh?
[270] Thanks for what?
[271] I didn't do anything."
[272] When Joe reached the street, he hurried toward the nearest subway.
[273] As a child, he had been frightened of the dark.
[274] As a man, he wasn't afraid of the dark itself, but the darkened city always made him feel ill at ease.
[275] The uneasiness was, more than anything else, caused by his own imagination.
[276] He hated the CPA and at night he couldn't shrug the feeling that the CPA lurked in every shadow, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.
[277] Imagination or not, the CPA was almost everywhere a person went.
[278] Twenty-four hours a day, millions of microphones hidden in taverns, alleys, restaurants, subways and every other place imaginable waited for someone to say the wrong thing.
[279] Everything the microphones picked up was routed to the CPA Brain, a monster electronic calculator.
[280] If the words "Let's see a movie" were received in the Brain, they were discarded.
[281] But if the words "Let's roll this guy" were received, the message was traced and a police helicopter would be at the scene in two minutes.
[282] And scattered all over the city were not only hidden microphones, but hidden television cameras that relayed visual messages to the Brain, and hidden machines that could detect a knife or a gun in someone's pocket at forty yards.
[283] Every place of business from the largest bank to the smallest grocery store was absolutely impenetrable.
[284] No one had even tried to rob a place of business for years.
[285] Arson was next to impossible because of the heat-detectors—devices placed in every building that could detect, radarlike, any intensity of heat above that caused by a cigarette lighter.
[286] Chemical research had made poisoning someone an impossibility.
[287] There were no drugs containing poison, and while an ant-poison might kill ants, no concentrated amount of it would kill a human.
[288] The FBI had always been a powerful organization, but under the supervision of the CPA, it was a scientific colossus and to think of kidnapping someone or to contemplate the use of narcotics was pointless.
[289] A counterfeiter's career was always short-lived: every place of business and millions of individuals had small counterfeit-detectors that could spot a fake and report it directly to the Brain.
[290] And the percentage of crimes had dwindled even more with the appearance of the robot police officers.
[291] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman.
[292] But the robots were different: they weren't flesh and blood.
[293] Bullets bounced off them and their aim was infallible.
[294] It was like a fantastic dream come true.
[295] Only the dream wasn't fantastic any more.
[296] With the huge atomic power plants scattered across the country and supplying endless electrical power at ridiculously low prices, no endeavor that required power was fantastic.
[297] The power required to operate the CPA devices cost each taxpayer an average of four dollars a year, and the invention, development and manufacture of the devices had cost even less.
[298] And the CPA had attacked crime through society itself, striking at the individual.
[299] In every city there were neon signs that blinked subliminally with the statement, CRIME IS FILTH.
[300] Listening to a radio or watching television, if a person heard station identification, he invariably heard or saw just below perception the words CRIME IS FILTH.
[301] If he went for a walk or a ride, he saw the endless subliminal posters declaring CRIME IS FILTH, and if he read a magazine or newspaper he always found, in those little dead spaces where an editor couldn't fit anything else, the below-perception words CRIME IS FILTH.
[302] It was monotonous and, after a while, a person looked at the words and heard them without thinking about them.
[303] And they were imprinted on his subconscious over and over, year after year, until he knew that crime was the same as filth and that criminals were filthy things.
[304] Except men like Joe Harper.
[305] No system is perfect.
[306] Along with thousands of other DCTs, Joe refused to believe it, and when he reached apartment 204 at 2141 Orange Street, he felt as if he'd inherited a gold mine.
[307] The hall was dimly lit, but when he stood before the door numbered 204, he could see that the wall on either side of it was new .
[308] That is, instead of being covered with dust, dirt and stains as the other walls were, it was clean.
[309] The building was an old one, the hall was wide, and the owner had obviously constructed a wall across the hall, creating another room.
[310] If the owner had reported the new room as required by law, it would have been wired with CPA burglarproof devices, but evidently he didn't want to pay for installation.
[311] When Joe entered the cubbyhole, he had to stand to one side in order to close the door behind him.
[312] The place was barely large enough for the bed, chair and bureau; it was a place where a man could fall down at night and sleep, but where no normal man could live day after day.
[313] Fearing that someone might detect him before he actually committed the crime, Joe hurried to the bureau and searched it.
[314] He broke out in a sweat when he found nothing but underwear and old magazines.
[315] If he stole underwear and magazines, it would still be a crime, but the newspapers would splash satirical headlines.
[316] Instead of being respected as a successful criminal, he would be ridiculed.
[317] He stopped sweating when he found a watch under a pile of underwear.
[318] The crystal was broken, one hand was missing and it wouldn't run, but—perfection itself—engraved on the back was the inscription, To John with Love .
[319] His trial would be a clean-cut one: it would be easy for the CPA to prove ownership and that a crime had been committed.
[320] Chuckling with joy, he opened the window and shouted, " Thief!
[321] Police!
[322] Help! "
[323] He waited a few seconds and then ran.
[324] When he reached the street, a police helicopter landed next to him.
[325] Strong metal arms seized him; cameras clicked and recorded the damning evidence.
[326] When Joe was securely handcuffed to a seat inside the helicopter, the metal police officers rang doorbells.
[327] There was a reward for anyone who reported a crime, but no one admitted shouting the warning.
[328] He was having a nightmare when he heard the voice, "Hey.
[329] Wake up.
[330] Hey!"
[331] He opened his eyes, saw Hendricks' ugly face and thought for a minute he was still having the nightmare.
[332] "I just saw your doctor," Hendricks said.
[333] "He says your treatment is over.
[334] You can go home now.
[335] I thought I'd give you a lift."
[336] As Joe dressed, he searched his mind and tried to find some difference.
[337] During the treatment, he had been unconscious or drugged, unable to think.
[338] Now he could think clearly, but he could find no difference in himself.
[339] He felt more relaxed than he'd ever felt before, but that could be an after-effect of all the sedatives he'd been given.
[340] And, he noticed when he looked in the mirror, he was paler.
[341] The treatment had taken months and he had, between operations, been locked in his room.
[342] Hendricks was standing by the window.
[343] Joe stared at the massive back.
[344] Deliberately goading his mind, he discovered the biggest change: Before, the mere sight of the man had aroused an intense hatred.
[345] Now, even when he tried, he succeeded in arousing only a mild hatred.
[346] They had toned down his capacity to hate, but not done away with it altogether.
[347] "Come here and take a look at your public," said Hendricks.
[348] Joe went to the window.
[349] Three stories below, a large crowd had gathered on the hospital steps: a band, photographers, television trucks, cameramen and autograph hunters.
[350] He'd waited a long time for this day.
[351] But now—another change in him— He put the emotion into words: "I don't feel like a hero.
[352] Funny, but I don't."
[353] "Hero!"
[354] Hendricks laughed and, with his powerful lungs, it sounded like a bull snorting.
[355] "You think a successful criminal is a hero?
[356] You stupid—" He laughed again and waved a hand at the crowd below them.
[357] "You think those people are down there because they admire what you did?
[358] They're down there waiting for you because they're curious, because they're glad the CPA caught you, and because they're glad you're an Ex.
[359] You're an ex -criminal now, and because of your treatment, you'll never be able to commit another crime as long as you live.
[360] And that's the kind of guy they admire, so they want to see you, shake your hand and get your autograph."
[361] Joe didn't understand Hendricks completely, but the part he did understand he didn't believe.
[362] A crowd was waiting for him.
[363] He could see the people with his own eyes.
[364] When he left the hospital, they'd cheer and shout and ask for his autograph.
[365] If he wasn't a hero, what was he ?
[366] It took half an hour to get through the crowd.
[367] Cameras clicked all around him, a hundred kids asked for his autograph, everyone talked at once and cheered, smiled, laughed, patted him on the back and cheered some more.
[368] Only one thing confused him during all the excitement: a white-haired old lady with tears in her eyes said, "Thank heaven it was only a watch.
[369] Thank heaven you didn't kill someone!
[370] God bless you, son."
[371] And then the old lady had handed him a box of fudge and left him in total confusion.
[372] What she said didn't make sense.
[373] If he had killed someone rather than stealing a watch, he would be even more of a hero and the crowd would have cheered even louder.
[374] He knew: he had stood outside the CPA hospitals many times and the crowds always cheered louder when an ex-murderer came out.
[375] In Hendricks' robot-chauffeured car, he ate the fudge and consoled himself with the thought, People are funny.
[376] Who can understand 'em?
[377] Feeling happy for one of the few times in his life, he turned toward Hendricks and said, "Thanks for what you did.
[378] It turned out great.
[379] I'll be able to get a good job now."
[380] "That's why I met you at the hospital," Hendricks said.
[381] "I want to explain some things.
[382] I've known you for a long time and I know you're spectacularly dumb.
[383] You can't figure out some things for yourself and I don't want you walking around the rest of your life thinking I did you a favor."
[384] Joe frowned.
[385] Few men had ever done him a favor and he had rarely thanked anyone for anything.
[386] And now ... after thanking the man who'd done him the biggest favor of all, the man was denying it!
[387] "You robbed Gralewski's apartment," Hendricks said.
[388] "Gralewski is a CPA employee and he doesn't live in the apartment you robbed.
[389] The CPA pays the rent for that one and he lives in another.
[390] We have a lot of places like that.
[391] You see, it gives us a way to get rid of saps like you before they do real damage.
[392] We use it as a last resort when a DCT First Class won't take the free psycho treatment or—" "Well, it's still a favor."
[393] Hendricks' face hardened.
[394] "Favor?
[395] You wouldn't know a favor if you stumbled over one.
[396] I did it because it's standard procedure for your type of case.
[397] Anyone can—free of charge—have treatment by the best psychologists.
[398] Any DCT can stop being a DCT by simply asking for the treatment and taking it.
[399] But you wouldn't do that.
[400] You wanted to commit a crime, get caught and be a hero ... an Ex ."
[401] The car passed one of the CPA playgrounds.
[402] Boys and girls of all ages were laughing, squealing with joy as they played games designed by CPA psychologists to relieve tension.
[403] And—despite the treatment, Joe shuddered when he saw the psychologists standing to one side, quietly watching the children.
[404] The whole world was filled with CPA employees and volunteer workers.
[405] Everywhere you went, it was there, quietly watching you and analyzing you, and if you showed criminal tendencies, it watched you even more closely and analyzed you even more deeply until it took you apart and put you back together again the way it wanted you to be.
[406] "Being an Ex, you'll get the kind of job you always wanted," Hendricks continued.
[407] "You'll get a good-paying job, but you'll work for it.
[408] You'll work eight hours a day, work harder than you've ever worked before in your life, because every time you start to loaf, a voice in your head is going to say, Work!
[409] Work!
[410] Exes always get good jobs because employers know they're good workers.
[411] "But during these next few days, you'll discover what being an Ex is like.
[412] You see, Joe, the treatment can't possibly take all the criminal tendencies out of a man.
[413] So the treatment does the next best thing—you'll find a set of laws written in your mind.
[414] You might want to break one now and then, but you won't be able.
[415] I'll give you an illustration...." Joe's face reddened as Hendricks proceeded to call him a series of names.
[416] He wanted to smash the fat, grinning face, but the muscles in his arm froze before it moved it an inch.
[417] And worse than that, a brief pain ripped through his skull.
[418] A pain so intense that, had it lasted a second longer, he would have screamed in agony.
[419] And above the pain, a voice whispered in his head, Unlawful to strike someone except in self-defense .
[420] He opened his mouth to tell Hendricks exactly what he thought of him, the CPA, the whole world.
[421] But the words stayed in his throat, the pain returned, and the mental voice whispered, Unlawful to curse .
[422] He had never heard how the treatment prevented an Ex from committing a crime.
[423] And now that he knew, it didn't seem fair.
[424] He decided to tell the whole story to the newspapers as soon as he could.
[425] And as soon as that decision formed in his mind, his body froze, the pain returned and the voice, Unlawful to divulge CPA procedure .
[426] "See what I mean?"
[427] Hendricks asked.
[428] "A century ago, you would have been locked in a prison and taxpayers' money would have supported you until the day you died.
[429] With the CPA system, you're returned to society, a useful citizen, unable to commit the smallest crime.
[430] And you've got a big hand in your dirty little mind that's going to slap it every time you get the wrong kind of thought.
[431] It'll keep slapping you until you learn.
[432] It might take weeks, months or years, but you'll learn sooner or later to not even think about doing anything wrong."
[433] He lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring at the car's plush ceiling.
[434] "It's a great system, isn't it, Joe?
[435] A true democracy.
[436] Even a jerk like you is free to do what he wants, as long as it's legal."
[437] "I think it's a lousy, filthy system."
[438] Joe's head was still tingling with pain and he felt suffocated.
[439] The CPA was everywhere, only now it was also inside his head, telling him he couldn't do this, couldn't do that.
[440] All his life it had been telling him he couldn't do things he wanted to do and now .... Hendricks laughed.
[441] "You'll change your opinion.
[442] We live in a clean, wonderful world, Joe.
[443] A world of happy, healthy people.
[444] Except for freaks like yourself, criminals are—" "Let me out!"
[445] Joe grabbed at the door and was on the sidewalk, slamming the door behind him before the car stopped completely.
[446] He stared at the car as it pulled away from the curb and glided into the stream of traffic again.
[447] He realized he was a prisoner ... a prisoner inside his own body ... made a prisoner by a world that hated him back.
[448] He wanted to spit his contempt, but the increasingly familiar pain and voice prevented him.
[449] It was unlawful to spit on a sidewalk. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question:
1. [62] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
2. [66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
3. [67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
4. [70] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
5. [105] The WSDA gave free instruction in judo and jujitsu, even developed new techniques of wrestling and instructed only women in those new techniques.
6. [160] The machine hummed and a new card appeared.
7. [161] When Hendricks handed him the new card, Joe saw that the words DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES were now in red and larger than before.
8. [162] And, in slightly smaller print, the ID card stated that the owner was a DCT First Class.
9. [163] "You've graduated," Hendricks said coldly.
10. [164] "You guys never learn, do you?
11. [165] Now you're a DCT First Class instead of a Second Class.
12. [166] You know what that means?"
13. [167] Hendricks leaned closer until Joe could feel his breath on his face.
14. [168] "That means your case history will be turned over to the newspapers.
15. [169] You'll be the hobby of thousands of amateur cops.
16. [170] You know how it works?
17. [171] It's like this.
18. [172] The Joneses are sitting around tomorrow night and they're bored.
19. [173] Then Mr. Jones says, 'Let's go watch this Joe Harper.'
20. [174] So they look up your record—amateur cops always keep records of First Classes in scrapbooks—and they see that you stop frequently at Walt's Tavern.
21. [175] "So they go there and they sit and drink and watch you, trying not to let you know they're watching you.
22. [176] They watch you all night, just hoping you'll do something exciting, like trying to kill someone, so they can be the first ones to yell ' Police! '
23. [177] They'll watch you because it's exciting to be an amateur cop, and if they ever did prevent you from committing a crime, they'd get a nice reward and they'd be famous."
24. [178] "Lay off," Joe said.
25. [179] "I got a headache.
26. [180] That girl—"
27. [181] Hendricks leaned even closer and glared.
28. [182] "You listen, Joe.
29. [183] This is interesting.
30. [184] You see, it doesn't stop with Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
31. [185] There's thousands of people like them.
32. [186] Years ago, they got their kicks from reading about guys like you, but these days things are dull because it's rare when anyone commits a crime.
33. [187] So every time you walk down the street, there'll be at least a dozen of 'em following you, and no matter where you go, you can bet there'll be some of 'em sitting next to you, standing next to you.
34. [188] "During the day, they'll take your picture with their spy cameras that look like buttons on their coats.
35. [189] At night, they'll peep at you through your keyhole.
36. [190] Your neighbors across the street will watch you through binoculars and—"
37. [191] "Lay off!"
38. [192] Joe squirmed in the chair.
39. [193] He'd been lectured by Hendricks before and it was always an unpleasant experience.
40. [194] The huge man was like a talking machine once he got started, a machine that couldn't be stopped.
41. [195] "And the kids are the worst," Hendricks continued.
42. [196] "They have Junior CPA clubs.
43. [197] They keep records of hoodlums like you in little cardboard boxes.
44. [198] They'll stare at you on the street and stare at you through restaurant windows while you're eating meals.
45. [199] They'll follow you in public rest rooms and watch you out of the corners of their eyes while they wash their little hands, and almost every day when you look back, you'll see a dozen freckle-faced little boys following you half a block behind, giggling and gaping at you.
46. [200] They'll follow you until the day you die, because you're a freak!"
47. [201] Joe couldn't stand the breath in his face any longer.
48. [202] He rose and paced the floor.
49. [203] "And it doesn't end there , Joe.
50. [204] It goes on and on.
51. [205] You'll be the object of every do-gooder and parlor psychologist.
52. [206] Strangers will stop you on the street and say, 'I'd like to help you, friend.'
53. [207] Then they'll ask you queer questions like, 'Did your father reject you when you were a child?'
54. [208] 'Do you like girls?'
55. [209] 'How does it feel to be a DCT First Class?'
56. [210] And then there'll be the strangers who hate DCTs.
57. [211] They'll stop you on the street and insult you, call you names, spit on you and—"
58. [212] "Okay, goddam it!
59. [213] Stop it!"
60. [214] Hendricks stopped, wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief and lit a cigarette.
61. [215] "I'm doing you a favor, Joe.
62. [216] I'm trying to explain something you're too dumb to realize by yourself.
63. [217] We've taught everyone to hate crime and criminals ... to hate them as nothing has ever been hated before.
64. [218] Today a criminal is a freak, an alien.
65. [219] Your life will be a living hell if you don't leave New York.
66. [220] You should go to some small town where there aren't many people, or be a hermit, or go to Iceland or—" |
What is the setting of the story? | [
"This story takes place in New York City. It begins in a bar with Joe drinking and attempting to get drunk on watered-down alcohol. A girl comes up to him to talk about what he is hiring her to do. The two leave the bar and go down a hall into an alleyway where Joe tries to enact his plan of fake committing a crime. When Joe wakes up after losing consciousness, he is in the police commissioner’s office. When Joe leaves the commissioner’s office, he goes to the subway and heads to John Gralewski’s apartment on Orange St. The apartment has a new wall that is clean compared to other walls caked with dirt and stains. He notices that the building is old with wide hallways. After Joe is caught by the police, he is taken to the hospital for his treatment that lasts months. When Joe wakes up, he sees that there is a crowd of people outside of the hospital waiting to meet him. Joe leaves the hospital in a car with Hendricks but becomes so upset that he eventually exits the car and stands on the sidewalk where he comes to his realization of his imprisonment in his own body.",
"The story is set in New York in the United States. The girl and Jon initially meet in a tavern with tables, and there are robot CPA bartenders serving drinks. Then, Jon and her go to a dark alleyway, where he attempts to get her to frame him for rape. When he wakes up in the police commissioner’s office, the place is devoid of any furniture except for a desk and chairs. The walls are lined with television screens, electronic calculators, and many other machines that are a part of New York’s mechanical police force. There is also a slot for old ID cards to be accepted and print new ones. In the next room, there is also a water cooler. Jon goes through the subway briefly, and the darkened city makes him feel ill because it means that the CPA could be hiding anywhere. There are huge atomic power plants scattered around the country to control the advanced system and supply endless electricity for only four dollars a year. When he reaches apartment 204 at 2141 Orange Street, there is a dimly-lit hallway and new walls. The building is old, and the owner had constructed a wall across the hall. Although it is supposed to be wired with CPA burglarproof devices, the owner has not paid for it. There is also a cubbyhole, but the room itself is barely large enough for a bed, chair, and bureau. The place has old underwear and magazines in the bureau; however, there is a watch buried underneath the pile. At the hospital, there is a large window to look out of. There is a large crowd below the hospital steps; many ask for Joe’s autograph, give him gifts, or take photos. The car that rides is robot-chauffeured, and they later pass by a CPA playground. There are girls and boys playing while CPA psychologists stand on the side. Later, the car drops him off at a sidewalk and goes back into the sea of traffic.",
"The story starts at a table in the bar with a robot bartender. Then Joe takes the girl outside into an alley through a hall and a back door. There are hidden microphones and police come soon. Joe is taken to the police commissioner's office - a large room almost unfurnished with a huge amount of machines along the walls. Wen the officer leaves to the next room, Joe takes a look at the small book with names and addresses and goes out. He goes to the subway through the dark city which makes him uneasy. Then he reaches apartment 204 at 2141 Orange street in New York. The building is old and dim but the apartment room is new. The place is small, just enough for a bed, chair and bureau. There is nothing to steal except underwear and old magazines, but Joe finds a watch soon. He runs out and is caught by police, who handcuff him in a helicopter. A couple months later Joe wakes up in a hospital after the end of his treatment. A huge crowd is waiting outside, and it takes a long while to get through it. Joe and Hendricks get into the least's robot-chauffeured car and pass various CPA sites until Joe exits on the street, unable to handle all that has happened.",
"The story starts in a bar which has robot bartenders that prevent people from getting drunk. There is a jukebox on the side of the room and there is a dance floor. There are tables and chairs in the bar. A door from the bar leads into a hall. And leaving the hall, there is an alley. The alley has hidden speakers. The floor in the alley is very hard. The police commissioner’s office is large; it does not have any furniture but a desk and chairs. The wall is attached with controls of television screens, calculators, and machines. There is also a desk top. Across the room there is slot for the ID cards. There is also a book. There are subways on the street. The building that has the unprotected room is old and the hall is wide. The room is small and has a bed, chair, the bureau and a window. The bureau has underwear, old magazines, and a watch."
] | [1] Going straight meant crooked planning.
[2] He'd never make it unless he somehow managed to PICK A CRIME By RICHARD R. SMITH Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] The girl was tall, wide-eyed and brunette.
[5] She had the right curves in the right places and would have been beautiful if her nose had been smaller, if her mouth had been larger and if her hair had been wavy instead of straight.
[6] "Hank said you wanted to see me," she said when she stopped beside Joe's table.
[7] "Yeah."
[8] Joe nodded at the other chair.
[9] "Have a seat."
[10] He reached into a pocket, withdrew five ten-dollar bills and handed them to her.
[11] "I want you to do a job for me.
[12] It'll only take a few minutes."
[13] The girl counted the money, then placed it in her purse.
[14] Joe noticed a small counterfeit-detector inside the purse before she closed it.
[15] "What's the job?"
[16] "Tell you later."
[17] He gulped the remainder of his drink, almost pouring it down his throat.
[18] "Hey.
[19] You trying to make yourself sick?"
[20] "Not sick.
[21] Drunk.
[22] Been trying to get drunk all afternoon."
[23] As the liquor settled in his stomach, he waited for the warm glow.
[24] But the glow didn't come ... the bartender had watered his drink again.
[25] "Trying to get drunk?"
[26] the girl inquired.
[27] "Are you crazy?"
[28] "No.
[29] It's simple.
[30] If I get drunk, I can join the AAA and get free room and board for a month while they give me a treatment."
[31] It was easy enough to understand, he reflected, but a lot harder to do.
[32] The CPA robot bartenders saw to it that anyone got high if they wanted, but comparatively few got drunk.
[33] Each bartender could not only mix drinks but could also judge by a man's actions and speech when he was on the verge of drunkenness.
[34] At the proper time—since drunkenness was illegal—a bartender always watered the drinks.
[35] Joe had tried dozens of times in dozens of bars to outsmart them, but had always failed.
[36] And in all of New York's millions, there had been only a hundred cases of intoxication during the previous year.
[37] The girl laughed.
[38] "If you're that hard up, I don't know if I should take this fifty or not.
[39] Why don't you go out and get a job like everyone else?"
[40] As an answer, Joe handed her his CPA ID card.
[41] She grunted when she saw the large letters that indicated the owner had Dangerous Criminal Tendencies.
[42] When she handed the card back, Joe fought an impulse to tear it to pieces.
[43] He'd done that once and gone through a mountain of red tape to get another—everyone was required by law to carry a CPA ID card and show it upon request.
[44] "I'm sorry," the girl said.
[45] "I didn't know you were a DCT."
[46] "And who'll hire a guy with criminal tendencies?
[47] You know the score.
[48] When you try to get a job, they ask to see your ID before they even tell you if there's an opening or not.
[49] If your CPA ID says you're a DCT, you're SOL and they tell you there's no openings.
[50] Oh, I've had several jobs ... jobs like all DCTs get.
[51] I've been a garbage man, street-cleaner, ditch-digger—" On the other side of the room, the jukebox came to life with a roar and a group of teen-agers scrambled to the dance floor.
[52] Feeling safe from hidden microphones because of the uproar, he leaned across the table and whispered in the girl's ear, "That's what I want to hire you for.
[53] I want you to help me commit a crime.
[54] If I get convicted of a crime, I'll be able to get a good job!"
[55] The girl's lips formed a bright red circle.
[56] "Say!
[57] You really got big plans, don't you?"
[58] He smiled at her admiration.
[59] It was something big to plan a crime.
[60] A civilization weary of murder, robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, blackmail, rape, arson, and drunkenness had originated the CPA—Crime Prevention Association.
[61] There were no longer any prisons—CPA officials had declared loudly and emphatically that their job was to prevent crime, not punish it.
[62] And prevent it they did, with thousands of ingenious crime-prevention devices and methods.
[63] They had made crime almost impossible, and during the previous year, only a few hundred men in the whole country had been convicted of criminal acts.
[64] No crime was ever punished.
[65] If a man was smart enough to kill someone, for instance, he wasn't sent to prison to be punished; he wasn't punished at all.
[66] Instead, he was sent to a hospital where all criminal tendencies were removed from his mind by psychologists, shock treatments, encephalographic devices, a form of prefrontal lobotomy and a dozen other methods.
[67] An expensive operation, but since there were few criminals—only ten in New York during the past year—any city could afford the CPA hospitals.
[68] The CPA system was, actually, cheaper than previous methods because it did away with the damage caused by countless crimes; did away with prisons and their guards, large police forces, squad cars and weapons.
[69] And, ironically, a man who did commit a crime was a sort of hero.
[70] He was a hero to the millions of men and women who had suppressed impulses to kill someone, beat their mates, get drunk, or kick a dog.
[71] Not only a hero, but because of the CPA Treatment, he was—when he left one of the CPA hospitals—a thoroughly honest and hard-working individual ... a man who could be trusted with any responsibility, any amount of money.
[72] And therefore, an EX (a convicted criminal who received the treatment was commonly called an Ex because he was in the strictest sense of the word an Ex-criminal) ... an Ex was always offered the best jobs.
[73] "Well," the girl said.
[74] "I'm honored.
[75] Really.
[76] But I got a date at ten.
[77] Let's get it over with.
[78] You said it'd only take a few minutes."
[79] "Okay.
[80] Let's go."
[81] The girl followed him across the room, around tables, through a door, down a hall, through a back door and into the alley.
[82] She followed him up the dark alley until he turned suddenly and ripped her blouse and skirt.
[83] He surprised her completely, but when she recovered, she backed away, her body poised like a wrestler's.
[84] "What's the big idea?"
[85] "Scream," Joe said.
[86] "Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you."
[87] The plan was perfect, he told himself.
[88] Attempted rape was one of the few things that was a crime merely because a man attempted it.
[89] A crime because it theoretically inflicted psychological injury upon the intended victim—and because millions of women voters had voted it a crime.
[90] On the other hand, attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping, etc., were not crimes.
[91] They weren't crimes because the DCT didn't complete the act, and if he didn't complete the act, that meant simply that the CPA had once again functioned properly.
[92] The girl shook her head vigorously.
[93] "Sorry, buddy.
[94] Can't help you that way.
[95] Why didn't you tell me what you wanted?"
[96] "What's the matter?"
[97] Joe complained.
[98] "I'm not asking you to do anything wrong."
[99] "You stupid jerk.
[100] What do you think this is—the Middle Ages?
[101] Don't you know almost every woman knows how to defend herself?
[102] I'm a sergeant in the WSDA!"
[103] Joe groaned.
[104] The WSDA—Women's Self-Defense Association—a branch of the CPA.
[105] The WSDA gave free instruction in judo and jujitsu, even developed new techniques of wrestling and instructed only women in those new techniques.
[106] The girl was still shaking her head.
[107] "Can't do it, buddy.
[108] I'd lose my rank if you were convicted of—" "Do I have to make you scream?"
[109] Joe inquired tiredly and advanced toward the girl.
[110] "—and that rank carries a lot of weight.
[111] Hey!
[112] Stop it! "
[113] Joe discovered to his dismay that the girl was telling the truth when she said she was a sergeant in the WSDA.
[114] He felt her hands on his body, and in the time it takes to blink twice, he was flying through the air.
[115] The alley's concrete floor was hard—it had always been hard, but he became acutely aware of its lack of resiliency when his head struck it.
[116] There was a wonderful moment while the world was filled with beautiful stars and streaks of lightning through which he heard distant police sirens.
[117] But the wonderful moment didn't last long and darkness closed in on him.
[118] When he awoke, a rough voice was saying, "Okay.
[119] Snap out of it."
[120] He opened his eyes and recognized the police commissioner's office.
[121] It would be hard not to recognize: the room was large, devoid of furniture except for a desk and chairs, but the walls were lined with the controls of television screens, electronic calculators and a hundred other machines that formed New York's mechanical police force.
[122] Commissioner Hendricks was a remarkable character.
[123] There was something wrong with his glands, and he was a huge, greasy bulk of a man with bushy eyebrows and a double chin.
[124] His steel-gray eyes showed something of his intelligence and he would have gone far in politics if fate hadn't made him so ugly, for more than half the voters who elected men to high political positions were women.
[125] Anyone who knew Hendricks well liked him, for he was a friendly, likable person.
[126] But the millions of women voters who saw his face on posters and on their TV screens saw only the ugly face and heard only the harsh voice.
[127] The President of the United States was a capable man, but also a very handsome one, and the fact that a man who looked something like a bulldog had been elected as New York's police commissioner was a credit to Hendricks and millions of women voters.
[128] "Where's the girl?"
[129] Joe asked.
[130] "I processed her while you were out cold.
[131] She left.
[132] Joe, you—" "Okay," Joe said.
[133] "I'll save you the trouble.
[134] I admit it.
[135] Attempted rape.
[136] I confess."
[137] Hendricks smiled.
[138] "Sorry, Joe.
[139] You missed the boat again."
[140] He reached out and turned a dial on his desk top.
[141] "We had a microphone hidden in that alley.
[142] We have a lot of microphones hidden in a lot of alleys.
[143] You'd be surprised at the number of conspiracies that take place in alleys!"
[144] Joe listened numbly to his voice as it came from one of the hundreds of machines on the walls, " Scream.
[145] Scream as loud as you can, and when the cops get here, tell 'em I tried to rape you. "
[146] And then the girl's voice, " Sorry, buddy.
[147] Can't help— " He waved his hand.
[148] "Okay.
[149] Shut it off.
[150] I confess to conspiracy."
[151] Hendricks rose from behind the desk, walked leisurely to where Joe was slouched in a chair.
[152] "Give me your CPA ID."
[153] Joe handed him the card with trembling fingers.
[154] He felt as if the world had collapsed beneath him.
[155] Conspiracy to commit a crime wasn't a crime.
[156] Anyone could conspire.
[157] And if the conspirators were prevented from committing a crime, then that meant the CPA had functioned properly once again.
[158] That meant the CPA had once again prevented crime, and the CPA didn't punish crimes or attempted crimes, and it didn't attempt to prevent crimes by punishment.
[159] If it did, that would be a violation of the New Civil Rights.
[160] Hendricks crossed the room, deposited the card in a slot and punched a button.
[161] The machine hummed and a new card appeared.
[162] When Hendricks handed him the new card, Joe saw that the words DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES were now in red and larger than before.
[163] And, in slightly smaller print, the ID card stated that the owner was a DCT First Class.
[164] "You've graduated," Hendricks said coldly.
[165] "You guys never learn, do you?
[166] Now you're a DCT First Class instead of a Second Class.
[167] You know what that means?"
[168] Hendricks leaned closer until Joe could feel his breath on his face.
[169] "That means your case history will be turned over to the newspapers.
[170] You'll be the hobby of thousands of amateur cops.
[171] You know how it works?
[172] It's like this.
[173] The Joneses are sitting around tomorrow night and they're bored.
[174] Then Mr. Jones says, 'Let's go watch this Joe Harper.'
[175] So they look up your record—amateur cops always keep records of First Classes in scrapbooks—and they see that you stop frequently at Walt's Tavern.
[176] "So they go there and they sit and drink and watch you, trying not to let you know they're watching you.
[177] They watch you all night, just hoping you'll do something exciting, like trying to kill someone, so they can be the first ones to yell ' Police! '
[178] They'll watch you because it's exciting to be an amateur cop, and if they ever did prevent you from committing a crime, they'd get a nice reward and they'd be famous."
[179] "Lay off," Joe said.
[180] "I got a headache.
[181] That girl—" Hendricks leaned even closer and glared.
[182] "You listen, Joe.
[183] This is interesting.
[184] You see, it doesn't stop with Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
[185] There's thousands of people like them.
[186] Years ago, they got their kicks from reading about guys like you, but these days things are dull because it's rare when anyone commits a crime.
[187] So every time you walk down the street, there'll be at least a dozen of 'em following you, and no matter where you go, you can bet there'll be some of 'em sitting next to you, standing next to you.
[188] "During the day, they'll take your picture with their spy cameras that look like buttons on their coats.
[189] At night, they'll peep at you through your keyhole.
[190] Your neighbors across the street will watch you through binoculars and—" "Lay off!"
[191] Joe squirmed in the chair.
[192] He'd been lectured by Hendricks before and it was always an unpleasant experience.
[193] The huge man was like a talking machine once he got started, a machine that couldn't be stopped.
[194] "And the kids are the worst," Hendricks continued.
[195] "They have Junior CPA clubs.
[196] They keep records of hoodlums like you in little cardboard boxes.
[197] They'll stare at you on the street and stare at you through restaurant windows while you're eating meals.
[198] They'll follow you in public rest rooms and watch you out of the corners of their eyes while they wash their little hands, and almost every day when you look back, you'll see a dozen freckle-faced little boys following you half a block behind, giggling and gaping at you.
[199] They'll follow you until the day you die, because you're a freak!"
[200] Joe couldn't stand the breath in his face any longer.
[201] He rose and paced the floor.
[202] "And it doesn't end there , Joe.
[203] It goes on and on.
[204] You'll be the object of every do-gooder and parlor psychologist.
[205] Strangers will stop you on the street and say, 'I'd like to help you, friend.'
[206] Then they'll ask you queer questions like, 'Did your father reject you when you were a child?'
[207] 'Do you like girls?'
[208] 'How does it feel to be a DCT First Class?'
[209] And then there'll be the strangers who hate DCTs.
[210] They'll stop you on the street and insult you, call you names, spit on you and—" "Okay, goddam it!
[211] Stop it! "
[212] Hendricks stopped, wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief and lit a cigarette.
[213] "I'm doing you a favor, Joe.
[214] I'm trying to explain something you're too dumb to realize by yourself.
[215] We've taught everyone to hate crime and criminals ... to hate them as nothing has ever been hated before.
[216] Today a criminal is a freak, an alien.
[217] Your life will be a living hell if you don't leave New York.
[218] You should go to some small town where there aren't many people, or be a hermit, or go to Iceland or—" Joe eyed the huge man suspiciously. "
[219] Favor , did you say?
[220] The day you do me a favor—" Hendricks shrugged his shoulders negligently.
[221] "Not entirely a favor.
[222] I want to get rid of you.
[223] Usually I come up here and sit around and read books.
[224] But guys like you are a nuisance and take up my time."
[225] "I couldn't leave if I wanted to," Joe said.
[226] "I'm flat broke.
[227] Thanks to your CPA system, a DCT can't get a decent job."
[228] Hendricks reached into a pocket, withdrew several bills and extended them.
[229] "I'll loan you some money.
[230] You can sign an IOU and pay me back a little at a time."
[231] Joe waved the money away.
[232] "Listen, why don't you do me a favor?
[233] Why don't you frame me?
[234] If I'm such a nuisance, pin a crime on me—any crime."
[235] "Can't do it.
[236] Convicting a man of a crime he didn't commit is a violation of Civil Rights and a crime in itself."
[237] "Umm."
[238] "Why don't you take the free psycho treatment?
[239] A man doesn't have to be a DCT.
[240] With the free treatment, psychologists can remove all your criminal tendencies and—" "Go to those head-shrinkers ?"
[241] Hendricks shrugged again.
[242] "Have it your way."
[243] Joe laughed.
[244] "If your damned CPA is so all-powerful, why can't you make me go?"
[245] "Violation of Civil Rights."
[246] "Damn it, there must be some way you can help me!
[247] We both want the same thing.
[248] We both want to see me convicted of a crime."
[249] "How can I help you without committing a crime myself?"
[250] Hendricks walked to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small black book.
[251] "See this?
[252] It contains names and addresses of all the people in New York who aren't properly protected.
[253] Every week we find people who aren't protected properly—blind spots in our protection devices.
[254] As soon as we find them, we take steps to install anti-robbery devices, but this is a big city and sometimes it takes days to get the work done.
[255] "In the meantime, any one of these people could be robbed.
[256] But what can I do?
[257] I can't hold this book in front of your nose and say, 'Here, Joe, pick a name and go out and rob him.'"
[258] He laughed nervously.
[259] "If I did that, I'd be committing a crime myself!"
[260] He placed the book on the desk top, took a handkerchief from a pocket again and wiped sweat from his face.
[261] "Excuse me a minute.
[262] I'm dying of thirst.
[263] There's a water cooler in the next room."
[264] Joe stared at the door to the adjoining office as it closed behind the big man.
[265] Hendricks was—unbelievably—offering him a victim, offering him a crime!
[266] Almost running to the desk, Joe opened the book, selected a name and address and memorized it: John Gralewski, Apt.
[267] 204, 2141 Orange St.
[268] When Hendricks came back, Joe said, "Thanks."
[269] "Huh?
[270] Thanks for what?
[271] I didn't do anything."
[272] When Joe reached the street, he hurried toward the nearest subway.
[273] As a child, he had been frightened of the dark.
[274] As a man, he wasn't afraid of the dark itself, but the darkened city always made him feel ill at ease.
[275] The uneasiness was, more than anything else, caused by his own imagination.
[276] He hated the CPA and at night he couldn't shrug the feeling that the CPA lurked in every shadow, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.
[277] Imagination or not, the CPA was almost everywhere a person went.
[278] Twenty-four hours a day, millions of microphones hidden in taverns, alleys, restaurants, subways and every other place imaginable waited for someone to say the wrong thing.
[279] Everything the microphones picked up was routed to the CPA Brain, a monster electronic calculator.
[280] If the words "Let's see a movie" were received in the Brain, they were discarded.
[281] But if the words "Let's roll this guy" were received, the message was traced and a police helicopter would be at the scene in two minutes.
[282] And scattered all over the city were not only hidden microphones, but hidden television cameras that relayed visual messages to the Brain, and hidden machines that could detect a knife or a gun in someone's pocket at forty yards.
[283] Every place of business from the largest bank to the smallest grocery store was absolutely impenetrable.
[284] No one had even tried to rob a place of business for years.
[285] Arson was next to impossible because of the heat-detectors—devices placed in every building that could detect, radarlike, any intensity of heat above that caused by a cigarette lighter.
[286] Chemical research had made poisoning someone an impossibility.
[287] There were no drugs containing poison, and while an ant-poison might kill ants, no concentrated amount of it would kill a human.
[288] The FBI had always been a powerful organization, but under the supervision of the CPA, it was a scientific colossus and to think of kidnapping someone or to contemplate the use of narcotics was pointless.
[289] A counterfeiter's career was always short-lived: every place of business and millions of individuals had small counterfeit-detectors that could spot a fake and report it directly to the Brain.
[290] And the percentage of crimes had dwindled even more with the appearance of the robot police officers.
[291] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman.
[292] But the robots were different: they weren't flesh and blood.
[293] Bullets bounced off them and their aim was infallible.
[294] It was like a fantastic dream come true.
[295] Only the dream wasn't fantastic any more.
[296] With the huge atomic power plants scattered across the country and supplying endless electrical power at ridiculously low prices, no endeavor that required power was fantastic.
[297] The power required to operate the CPA devices cost each taxpayer an average of four dollars a year, and the invention, development and manufacture of the devices had cost even less.
[298] And the CPA had attacked crime through society itself, striking at the individual.
[299] In every city there were neon signs that blinked subliminally with the statement, CRIME IS FILTH.
[300] Listening to a radio or watching television, if a person heard station identification, he invariably heard or saw just below perception the words CRIME IS FILTH.
[301] If he went for a walk or a ride, he saw the endless subliminal posters declaring CRIME IS FILTH, and if he read a magazine or newspaper he always found, in those little dead spaces where an editor couldn't fit anything else, the below-perception words CRIME IS FILTH.
[302] It was monotonous and, after a while, a person looked at the words and heard them without thinking about them.
[303] And they were imprinted on his subconscious over and over, year after year, until he knew that crime was the same as filth and that criminals were filthy things.
[304] Except men like Joe Harper.
[305] No system is perfect.
[306] Along with thousands of other DCTs, Joe refused to believe it, and when he reached apartment 204 at 2141 Orange Street, he felt as if he'd inherited a gold mine.
[307] The hall was dimly lit, but when he stood before the door numbered 204, he could see that the wall on either side of it was new .
[308] That is, instead of being covered with dust, dirt and stains as the other walls were, it was clean.
[309] The building was an old one, the hall was wide, and the owner had obviously constructed a wall across the hall, creating another room.
[310] If the owner had reported the new room as required by law, it would have been wired with CPA burglarproof devices, but evidently he didn't want to pay for installation.
[311] When Joe entered the cubbyhole, he had to stand to one side in order to close the door behind him.
[312] The place was barely large enough for the bed, chair and bureau; it was a place where a man could fall down at night and sleep, but where no normal man could live day after day.
[313] Fearing that someone might detect him before he actually committed the crime, Joe hurried to the bureau and searched it.
[314] He broke out in a sweat when he found nothing but underwear and old magazines.
[315] If he stole underwear and magazines, it would still be a crime, but the newspapers would splash satirical headlines.
[316] Instead of being respected as a successful criminal, he would be ridiculed.
[317] He stopped sweating when he found a watch under a pile of underwear.
[318] The crystal was broken, one hand was missing and it wouldn't run, but—perfection itself—engraved on the back was the inscription, To John with Love .
[319] His trial would be a clean-cut one: it would be easy for the CPA to prove ownership and that a crime had been committed.
[320] Chuckling with joy, he opened the window and shouted, " Thief!
[321] Police!
[322] Help! "
[323] He waited a few seconds and then ran.
[324] When he reached the street, a police helicopter landed next to him.
[325] Strong metal arms seized him; cameras clicked and recorded the damning evidence.
[326] When Joe was securely handcuffed to a seat inside the helicopter, the metal police officers rang doorbells.
[327] There was a reward for anyone who reported a crime, but no one admitted shouting the warning.
[328] He was having a nightmare when he heard the voice, "Hey.
[329] Wake up.
[330] Hey!"
[331] He opened his eyes, saw Hendricks' ugly face and thought for a minute he was still having the nightmare.
[332] "I just saw your doctor," Hendricks said.
[333] "He says your treatment is over.
[334] You can go home now.
[335] I thought I'd give you a lift."
[336] As Joe dressed, he searched his mind and tried to find some difference.
[337] During the treatment, he had been unconscious or drugged, unable to think.
[338] Now he could think clearly, but he could find no difference in himself.
[339] He felt more relaxed than he'd ever felt before, but that could be an after-effect of all the sedatives he'd been given.
[340] And, he noticed when he looked in the mirror, he was paler.
[341] The treatment had taken months and he had, between operations, been locked in his room.
[342] Hendricks was standing by the window.
[343] Joe stared at the massive back.
[344] Deliberately goading his mind, he discovered the biggest change: Before, the mere sight of the man had aroused an intense hatred.
[345] Now, even when he tried, he succeeded in arousing only a mild hatred.
[346] They had toned down his capacity to hate, but not done away with it altogether.
[347] "Come here and take a look at your public," said Hendricks.
[348] Joe went to the window.
[349] Three stories below, a large crowd had gathered on the hospital steps: a band, photographers, television trucks, cameramen and autograph hunters.
[350] He'd waited a long time for this day.
[351] But now—another change in him— He put the emotion into words: "I don't feel like a hero.
[352] Funny, but I don't."
[353] "Hero!"
[354] Hendricks laughed and, with his powerful lungs, it sounded like a bull snorting.
[355] "You think a successful criminal is a hero?
[356] You stupid—" He laughed again and waved a hand at the crowd below them.
[357] "You think those people are down there because they admire what you did?
[358] They're down there waiting for you because they're curious, because they're glad the CPA caught you, and because they're glad you're an Ex.
[359] You're an ex -criminal now, and because of your treatment, you'll never be able to commit another crime as long as you live.
[360] And that's the kind of guy they admire, so they want to see you, shake your hand and get your autograph."
[361] Joe didn't understand Hendricks completely, but the part he did understand he didn't believe.
[362] A crowd was waiting for him.
[363] He could see the people with his own eyes.
[364] When he left the hospital, they'd cheer and shout and ask for his autograph.
[365] If he wasn't a hero, what was he ?
[366] It took half an hour to get through the crowd.
[367] Cameras clicked all around him, a hundred kids asked for his autograph, everyone talked at once and cheered, smiled, laughed, patted him on the back and cheered some more.
[368] Only one thing confused him during all the excitement: a white-haired old lady with tears in her eyes said, "Thank heaven it was only a watch.
[369] Thank heaven you didn't kill someone!
[370] God bless you, son."
[371] And then the old lady had handed him a box of fudge and left him in total confusion.
[372] What she said didn't make sense.
[373] If he had killed someone rather than stealing a watch, he would be even more of a hero and the crowd would have cheered even louder.
[374] He knew: he had stood outside the CPA hospitals many times and the crowds always cheered louder when an ex-murderer came out.
[375] In Hendricks' robot-chauffeured car, he ate the fudge and consoled himself with the thought, People are funny.
[376] Who can understand 'em?
[377] Feeling happy for one of the few times in his life, he turned toward Hendricks and said, "Thanks for what you did.
[378] It turned out great.
[379] I'll be able to get a good job now."
[380] "That's why I met you at the hospital," Hendricks said.
[381] "I want to explain some things.
[382] I've known you for a long time and I know you're spectacularly dumb.
[383] You can't figure out some things for yourself and I don't want you walking around the rest of your life thinking I did you a favor."
[384] Joe frowned.
[385] Few men had ever done him a favor and he had rarely thanked anyone for anything.
[386] And now ... after thanking the man who'd done him the biggest favor of all, the man was denying it!
[387] "You robbed Gralewski's apartment," Hendricks said.
[388] "Gralewski is a CPA employee and he doesn't live in the apartment you robbed.
[389] The CPA pays the rent for that one and he lives in another.
[390] We have a lot of places like that.
[391] You see, it gives us a way to get rid of saps like you before they do real damage.
[392] We use it as a last resort when a DCT First Class won't take the free psycho treatment or—" "Well, it's still a favor."
[393] Hendricks' face hardened.
[394] "Favor?
[395] You wouldn't know a favor if you stumbled over one.
[396] I did it because it's standard procedure for your type of case.
[397] Anyone can—free of charge—have treatment by the best psychologists.
[398] Any DCT can stop being a DCT by simply asking for the treatment and taking it.
[399] But you wouldn't do that.
[400] You wanted to commit a crime, get caught and be a hero ... an Ex ."
[401] The car passed one of the CPA playgrounds.
[402] Boys and girls of all ages were laughing, squealing with joy as they played games designed by CPA psychologists to relieve tension.
[403] And—despite the treatment, Joe shuddered when he saw the psychologists standing to one side, quietly watching the children.
[404] The whole world was filled with CPA employees and volunteer workers.
[405] Everywhere you went, it was there, quietly watching you and analyzing you, and if you showed criminal tendencies, it watched you even more closely and analyzed you even more deeply until it took you apart and put you back together again the way it wanted you to be.
[406] "Being an Ex, you'll get the kind of job you always wanted," Hendricks continued.
[407] "You'll get a good-paying job, but you'll work for it.
[408] You'll work eight hours a day, work harder than you've ever worked before in your life, because every time you start to loaf, a voice in your head is going to say, Work!
[409] Work!
[410] Exes always get good jobs because employers know they're good workers.
[411] "But during these next few days, you'll discover what being an Ex is like.
[412] You see, Joe, the treatment can't possibly take all the criminal tendencies out of a man.
[413] So the treatment does the next best thing—you'll find a set of laws written in your mind.
[414] You might want to break one now and then, but you won't be able.
[415] I'll give you an illustration...." Joe's face reddened as Hendricks proceeded to call him a series of names.
[416] He wanted to smash the fat, grinning face, but the muscles in his arm froze before it moved it an inch.
[417] And worse than that, a brief pain ripped through his skull.
[418] A pain so intense that, had it lasted a second longer, he would have screamed in agony.
[419] And above the pain, a voice whispered in his head, Unlawful to strike someone except in self-defense .
[420] He opened his mouth to tell Hendricks exactly what he thought of him, the CPA, the whole world.
[421] But the words stayed in his throat, the pain returned, and the mental voice whispered, Unlawful to curse .
[422] He had never heard how the treatment prevented an Ex from committing a crime.
[423] And now that he knew, it didn't seem fair.
[424] He decided to tell the whole story to the newspapers as soon as he could.
[425] And as soon as that decision formed in his mind, his body froze, the pain returned and the voice, Unlawful to divulge CPA procedure .
[426] "See what I mean?"
[427] Hendricks asked.
[428] "A century ago, you would have been locked in a prison and taxpayers' money would have supported you until the day you died.
[429] With the CPA system, you're returned to society, a useful citizen, unable to commit the smallest crime.
[430] And you've got a big hand in your dirty little mind that's going to slap it every time you get the wrong kind of thought.
[431] It'll keep slapping you until you learn.
[432] It might take weeks, months or years, but you'll learn sooner or later to not even think about doing anything wrong."
[433] He lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring at the car's plush ceiling.
[434] "It's a great system, isn't it, Joe?
[435] A true democracy.
[436] Even a jerk like you is free to do what he wants, as long as it's legal."
[437] "I think it's a lousy, filthy system."
[438] Joe's head was still tingling with pain and he felt suffocated.
[439] The CPA was everywhere, only now it was also inside his head, telling him he couldn't do this, couldn't do that.
[440] All his life it had been telling him he couldn't do things he wanted to do and now .... Hendricks laughed.
[441] "You'll change your opinion.
[442] We live in a clean, wonderful world, Joe.
[443] A world of happy, healthy people.
[444] Except for freaks like yourself, criminals are—" "Let me out!"
[445] Joe grabbed at the door and was on the sidewalk, slamming the door behind him before the car stopped completely.
[446] He stared at the car as it pulled away from the curb and glided into the stream of traffic again.
[447] He realized he was a prisoner ... a prisoner inside his own body ... made a prisoner by a world that hated him back.
[448] He wanted to spit his contempt, but the increasingly familiar pain and voice prevented him.
[449] It was unlawful to spit on a sidewalk. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the setting of the story?":
1. [291] Many a criminal in the past had gambled that he could outshoot a pursuing policeman.
[292] But the robots were different: they weren't flesh and blood.
[293] Bullets bounced off them and their aim was infallible.
[294] It was like a fantastic dream come true.
[295] Only the dream wasn't fantastic any more.
[296] With the huge atomic power plants scattered across the country and supplying endless electrical power at ridiculously low prices, no endeavor that required power was fantastic.
[297] The power required to operate the CPA devices cost each taxpayer an average of four dollars a year, and the invention, development and manufacture of the devices had cost even less.
[298] And the CPA had attacked crime through society itself, striking at the individual.
[299] In every city there were neon signs that blinked subliminally with the statement, CRIME IS FILTH.
[300] Listening to a radio or watching television, if a person heard station identification, he invariably heard or saw just below perception the words CRIME IS FILTH.
[301] If he went for a walk or a ride, he saw the endless subliminal posters declaring CRIME IS FILTH, and if he read a magazine or newspaper he always found, in those little dead spaces where an editor couldn't fit anything else, the below-perception words CRIME IS FILTH.
[302] It was monotonous and, after a while, a person looked at the words and heard them without thinking about them.
[303] And they were imprinted on his subconscious over and over, year after year, until he knew that crime was the same as filth and that criminals were filthy things.
2. [273] As a child, he had been frightened of the dark.
[274] As a man, he wasn't afraid of the dark itself, but the darkened city always made him feel ill at ease.
[275] The uneasiness was, more than anything else, caused by his own imagination.
[276] He hated the CPA and at night he couldn't shrug the feeling that the CPA lurked in every shadow, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.
[277] Imagination or not, the CPA was almost everywhere a person went.
[278] Twenty-four hours a day, millions of microphones hidden in taverns, alleys, restaurants, subways and every other place imaginable waited for someone to say the wrong thing.
[279] Everything the microphones picked up was routed to the CPA Brain, a monster electronic calculator.
[280] If the words "Let's see a movie" were received in the Brain, they were discarded.
[281] But if the words "Let's roll this guy" were received, the message was traced and a police helicopter would be at the scene in two minutes.
[282] And scattered all over the city were not only hidden microphones, but hidden television cameras that relayed visual messages to the Brain, and hidden machines that could detect a knife or a gun in someone's pocket at forty yards.
[283] Every place of business from the largest bank to the smallest grocery store was absolutely impenetrable.
[284] No one had even tried to rob a place of business for years.
[285] Arson was next to impossible because of the heat-detectors—devices placed in every building that could detect, radarlike, any intensity of heat above that caused by a cigarette lighter.
[286] Chemical research had made poisoning someone an impossibility.
[287] There were no drugs containing poison, and while an ant-poison might kill ants, no concentrated amount of it would kill a human.
[288] The FBI had always been a powerful organization, but under the supervision of the CPA, it was a scientific colossus and to think of kidnapping someone or to contemplate the use of narcotics was pointless.
[289] A counterfeiter's career was always short-lived: every place of business and millions of individuals had small counterfeit-detectors that could spot a fake and report it directly to the Brain.
[290] And the percentage of crimes had dwindled even more with the appearance of the robot police officers.
3. [121] It would be hard not to recognize: the room was large, devoid of furniture except for a desk and chairs, but the walls were lined with the controls of television screens, electronic calculators and a hundred other machines that formed New York's mechanical police force.
[122] Commissioner Hendricks was a remarkable character.
[123] There was something wrong with his glands, and he was a huge, greasy bulk of a man with bushy eyebrows and a double chin.
[124] His steel-gray eyes showed something of his intelligence and he would have gone far in politics if fate hadn't made him so ugly, for more than half the voters who elected men to high political positions were women.
[125] Anyone who knew Hendricks well liked him, for he was a friendly, likable person.
[126] But the millions of women voters who saw his face on posters and on their TV screens saw only the ugly face and heard only the harsh voice.
[127] The President of the United States was a capable man, but also a very handsome one, and the fact that a man who looked something like a bulldog had been elected as New York's police commissioner was a credit to Hendricks and millions of women voters.
4. [308] The hall was dimly lit, but when he stood before the door numbered 204, he could see that the wall on either side of it was new.
[309] That is, instead of being covered with dust, dirt and stains as the other walls were, it was clean.
[310] The building was an old one, the hall was wide, and the owner had obviously constructed a wall across the hall, creating another room.
[311] When Joe entered the cubbyhole, he had to stand to one side in order to close the door behind him.
[312] The place was barely large enough for the bed, chair and bureau; it was a place where a man could fall down at night and sleep, but where no normal man could live day after day. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Councillor Magnan dispatches Retief on a mission to deliver information to Jorgensen’s Worlds, notifying them that the aliens, the Soettis, are planning to attack them and to deliver a battle plan and the instructions for converting their anti-acceleration field into a powerful weapon to defend themselves. As a precaution, Retief checks out a needler to take with him. At the airport, he is told that the flight to Jorgensen’s World is fully booked and that he should try again in a couple of weeks; by then, the alien invasion will be over. Under pressure, the clerk tells Retief that the ship is booked for a VIP, and all tourist reservations are canceled. Retief goes to the gate for the flight and punches the ticket taker, forcing his way onto the airship. \n\tRetief makes his way to a room full of expensive luggage and is discovered by Mr. Tony, the man who has claimed the room. When Mr. Tony’s henchmen try to force Retief out of the room, he hefts a large trunk at them and then tosses all the luggage into the hallway. Next, the Captain appears and tries to throw Retief off the ship, but Retief claims the right of the passage under Section Three, Paragraph One of the Uniform Code. The henchmen and the Captain give up for now.\n\tAt dinner, the wait staff ignore Retief, but the chef, Chip, provides him with an excellent meal. Chip dislikes the Captain and Mr. Tony, but he knows they won’t replace him because of his excellent culinary skills. Chip befriends Retief and explains the situation to him. He doesn’t know exactly what the Captain and Mr. Tony are up to, but they make frequent trips to Jorgensen’s Worlds and cut off all tourist travel to the planet. They travel to Jorgensen’s Worlds every few weeks but never pick up any cargo. They allow the Soettis, the aliens who are planning an attack on the Worlds, to board the ships and inspect them because the Soettis are in control of the travel lanes to the planet.\n\tWhen Skaw, a Soetti, demands Retief’s travel papers, Retief attacks him and kills him. The Captain is terrified that the Soettis will kill all of them, and Retief urges him to show some backbone. Retief knows the Soettis won’t make a big deal of the death because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves on the eve of their launch against the Worlds. \n\tLater, Chip informs Retief that the Captain has ordered a change of course to skip Jorgensen’s Worlds and travel on to Alabaster. Retief must reach the Jorgensen’s population ASAP with news of the impending alien attack, so he goes to the Captain’s cabin, catching him off guard, and makes him change the orders for the crew, keeping the ship on track to the Worlds. To prevent the Captain from changing the order, Retief stays with him in his cabin and uses the threat of his needler as a deterrent.",
"Councillor Magnan assigns Retief on a mission to Jorgensen's Worlds to warn and prepare them for an attack by the Soetti, an alien species characterized by their long legs, turnip-shaped torsos, snapper arms, and aggressive infiltration of Terrestrial space. Since Jorgensen's Worlds are underdeveloped technologically, Magnan wants Retief to help the Jorgies convert their anti-acceleration field into a powerful weapon for their defense. Retief has four weeks to complete his mission. Magnan has booked him a space flight as far as Aldo Cerise, and he warns Retief prior to departure to look out for the Soetti, who are patrolling the customs areas into Jorgensen's Worlds. Retief brings a gun with him in case he encounters trouble. When he arrives to check in to his flight, the clerk informs him that his flight is full, and he has no chance of boarding. Retief finds out the gate number and goes there, knocking out a guard in order to make his way onto the ship. When Retief locates his cabin, he discovers a tall man named Mr. Tony and his henchman, a short, thick-necked man named Marbles are already there. Mr. Tony orders his henchman to remove Retief, but Retief throws his luggage out into the corridor and closes the door. A few minutes later, Marbles returns with the ship's captain and orders Retief to leave the ship. Again, Retief refuses, and the captain's henchmen avoid escalation having seen Retief's previous aggression with Mr. Tony's luggage. At dinner later, the waiters refuse to serve Retief, and he sees the Captain dining with Mr. Tony and his henchmen. Retief meets the ship's chef Chip, who serves him food. Meanwhile, four of Mr. Tony's henchmen come to Retief's table to find out why he wants to go to Jorgensen's Worlds. When Marbles pulls a knife, Chef Chip offers Retief a knife of his own, but he simply punches Marbles in the face, knocking him out. Another thug pulls a gun on Retief, but the Captain defuses the situation, thinking about his career. After everyone leaves, Chip informs Retief that the Captain has a shady business arrangement with Mr. Tony wherein he ferries unknown cargo instead of tourists to Jorgensen's World with frequent visits from the Soetti. Before the conversation has ended, the Captain arrives with a Soetti named Skaw, who wants to question Retief. When Retief refuses to show Skaw his papers, Skaw moves in for the attack, and Retief breaks his slender leg. Skaw flops about the floor until he dies. Horrified, the Captain worries the other Soetti will react violently, but Retief orders him to show them the body of Skaw and some guns, predicting they will retreat. Later, Chip informs Retief that Mr. Tony is deeply upset about Skaw's death, considering they were close business partners; he also tells him the captain has ordered a course-change to bypass Jorgensen's Worlds and head straight to Alabaster. Retief finds the captain and strong-arms him into maintaining his course to Jorgensen's Worlds.",
"Magnan, a Councillor of the Corps, assigns an officer of high rank, Retief, on a dangerous courier mission to stop the forceful takeover of the Terrestrial occupied space of Jorgensen's Worlds (a cluster of four planets around a star) by the Soetti. Magan suggests a show of force against the Soetti is necessary, and details that he has acquired their war plan and weapon schematics. The Soetti will attack the Jorgensen’s Worlds in less than four weeks and are already patrolling the trade lanes into them, making Retief’s entry sketchy even while hiding his Corps credentials. Magnan gives him a ticket departing in four hours to the Aldo Cerise to start Retief’s trip. However, Retief has to punch out an attendant to actually get on this ship because his ticket has been voided by “VIPs” booking the train up to capacity and bumping him off. Retief goes to his originally assigned cabin, but it is already full of expensive luggage. Two men tell him it’s Mr.Tony’s room and that he needs to leave. The Captain shows up and tries to tell Retief to leave as well, but Retief cites the Uniform Code law that protects confirmed space on interplanetary vessels. \nRetief meets the chef, Chip, in the dining car as he watches the red-haired Captain eat with a table of men, including Mr. Tony. One of the “thugs” dining with the Captain dips a cigar into Retief’s coffee while walking past, and Retief throws the coffee on him and punches him in the chin. Mr. Tony calls on one of his men, Marbles, to take out Retief and he attacks. Chip offers Retief a knife, but he doesn’t take it. The Captain urges them to stop fighting saying he has his “charter to consider”.\nChip brings Retief a meal in his cabin, and tells him that the Captain and Mr. Tony are in a crooked business arrangement and haven’t let any tourists into Jorgensen's World in 6-8 months. They only make quick stops and never pick up any cargo. The passengers currently aboard are headed to Alabaster. The Soetti board the vessel, and one of them, Skaw, appears at Retief’s cabin with the Captain and demands his papers. Skaw threatens Retief with snapping claws, but Retief refuses and breaks his leg, which leaks green fluid and kills Skaw. \nThe Soetti don’t retaliate when Skaw’s body is returned to them, but the thugs and Mr. Tony are very angry with the Captain, and force him to pass by Jorgensen’s Worlds and go straight to Alabaster. Retief goes to the Captain’s quarters and tries to get him to return to the original course. The Captain initially refuses, but Retief slams his fingers in a drawer and the Captain obliges. It will be 18 hours to Jorgensen’s Worlds and Retief asks Chip to bring him pots of coffee to keep him awake as he stays with the Captain to ensure he stays on course under threat of shooting him with his 2mm needler weapon.",
"The story opens with Magnan debriefing Retief about the Soetti, who are planning to seize Jorgensen's Worlds. Retief is to be tasked with getting to Jorgensen's Worlds before the arrival of the Soetti to equip the people of Jorgensen's Worlds with advanced weaponry and a battle plan to defend themselves. Retief boards a ship on Aldo Cerise without a boarding pass and claims a room that is meant for a man named Mr. Tony. Mr. Tony calls his associates and they attempt to remove Retief from his room but are unsuccessful. As they travel towards Jorgensen's Worlds, it becomes clear that the ship is under the control of Mr. Tony, who has some sort of shady dealings with the Soetti. Retief learns this with the aid of the ship's cook, Chip. A Soetti named Skaw appears and attempts to find out more about Retief and his purpose for being on the ship, but Retief kills Skaw. The captain then attempts to change the course of the ship, but Retief forces him to stay the course towards Jorgensen's Worlds."
] | [1] THE FROZEN PLANET By Keith Laumer [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] "It is rather unusual," Magnan said, "to assign an officer of your rank to courier duty, but this is an unusual mission."
[4] Retief sat relaxed and said nothing.
[5] Just before the silence grew awkward, Magnan went on.
[6] "There are four planets in the group," he said.
[7] "Two double planets, all rather close to an unimportant star listed as DRI-G 33987.
[8] They're called Jorgensen's Worlds, and in themselves are of no importance whatever.
[9] However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating.
[10] "Now—" Magnan leaned forward and lowered his voice—"we have learned that the Soetti plan a bold step forward.
[11] Since they've met no opposition so far in their infiltration of Terrestrial space, they intend to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force."
[12] Magnan leaned back, waiting for Retief's reaction.
[13] Retief drew carefully on his cigar and looked at Magnan.
[14] Magnan frowned.
[15] "This is open aggression, Retief," he said, "in case I haven't made myself clear.
[16] Aggression on Terrestrial-occupied territory by an alien species.
[17] Obviously, we can't allow it."
[18] Magnan drew a large folder from his desk.
[19] "A show of resistance at this point is necessary.
[20] Unfortunately, Jorgensen's Worlds are technologically undeveloped areas.
[21] They're farmers or traders.
[22] Their industry is limited to a minor role in their economy—enough to support the merchant fleet, no more.
[23] The war potential, by conventional standards, is nil."
[24] Magnan tapped the folder before him.
[25] "I have here," he said solemnly, "information which will change that picture completely."
[26] He leaned back and blinked at Retief.
[27] "All right, Mr. Councillor," Retief said.
[28] "I'll play along; what's in the folder?"
[29] Magnan spread his fingers, folded one down.
[30] "First," he said.
[31] "The Soetti War Plan—in detail.
[32] We were fortunate enough to make contact with a defector from a party of renegade Terrestrials who've been advising the Soetti."
[33] He folded another finger.
[34] "Next, a battle plan for the Jorgensen's people, worked out by the Theory group."
[35] He wrestled a third finger down.
[36] "Lastly; an Utter Top Secret schematic for conversion of a standard anti-acceleration field into a potent weapon—a development our systems people have been holding in reserve for just such a situation."
[37] "Is that all?"
[38] Retief said.
[39] "You've still got two fingers sticking up."
[40] Magnan looked at the fingers and put them away.
[41] "This is no occasion for flippancy, Retief.
[42] In the wrong hands, this information could be catastrophic.
[43] You'll memorize it before you leave this building."
[44] "I'll carry it, sealed," Retief said.
[45] "That way nobody can sweat it out of me."
[46] Magnan started to shake his head.
[47] "Well," he said.
[48] "If it's trapped for destruction, I suppose—" "I've heard of these Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[49] "I remember an agent, a big blond fellow, very quick on the uptake.
[50] A wizard with cards and dice.
[51] Never played for money, though."
[52] "Umm," Magnan said.
[53] "Don't make the error of personalizing this situation, Retief.
[54] Overall policy calls for a defense of these backwater worlds.
[55] Otherwise the Corps would allow history to follow its natural course, as always."
[56] "When does this attack happen?"
[57] "Less than four weeks."
[58] "That doesn't leave me much time."
[59] "I have your itinerary here.
[60] Your accommodations are clear as far as Aldo Cerise.
[61] You'll have to rely on your ingenuity to get you the rest of the way."
[62] "That's a pretty rough trip, Mr. Councillor.
[63] Suppose I don't make it?"
[64] Magnan looked sour.
[65] "Someone at a policy-making level has chosen to put all our eggs in one basket, Retief.
[66] I hope their confidence in you is not misplaced."
[67] "This antiac conversion; how long does it take?"
[68] "A skilled electronics crew can do the job in a matter of minutes.
[69] The Jorgensens can handle it very nicely; every other man is a mechanic of some sort."
[70] Retief opened the envelope Magnan handed him and looked at the tickets inside.
[71] "Less than four hours to departure time," he said.
[72] "I'd better not start any long books."
[73] "You'd better waste no time getting over to Indoctrination," Magnan said.
[74] Retief stood up.
[75] "If I hurry, maybe I can catch the cartoon."
[76] "The allusion escapes me," Magnan said coldly.
[77] "And one last word.
[78] The Soetti are patrolling the trade lanes into Jorgensen's Worlds; don't get yourself interned."
[79] "I'll tell you what," Retief said soberly.
[80] "In a pinch, I'll mention your name."
[81] "You'll be traveling with Class X credentials," Magnan snapped.
[82] "There must be nothing to connect you with the Corps."
[83] "They'll never guess," Retief said.
[84] "I'll pose as a gentleman."
[85] "You'd better be getting started," Magnan said, shuffling papers.
[86] "You're right," Retief said.
[87] "If I work at it, I might manage a snootful by takeoff."
[88] He went to the door.
[89] "No objection to my checking out a needler, is there?"
[90] Magnan looked up.
[91] "I suppose not.
[92] What do you want with it?"
[93] "Just a feeling I've got."
[94] "Please yourself."
[95] "Some day," Retief said, "I may take you up on that."
[96] II Retief put down the heavy travel-battered suitcase and leaned on the counter, studying the schedules chalked on the board under the legend "ALDO CERISE—INTERPLANETARY."
[97] A thin clerk in a faded sequined blouse and a plastic snakeskin cummerbund groomed his fingernails, watching Retief from the corner of his eye.
[98] Retief glanced at him.
[99] The clerk nipped off a ragged corner with rabbitlike front teeth and spat it on the floor.
[100] "Was there something?"
[101] he said.
[102] "Two twenty-eight, due out today for the Jorgensen group," Retief said.
[103] "Is it on schedule?"
[104] The clerk sampled the inside of his right cheek, eyed Retief.
[105] "Filled up.
[106] Try again in a couple of weeks."
[107] "What time does it leave?"
[108] "I don't think—" "Let's stick to facts," Retief said.
[109] "Don't try to think.
[110] What time is it due out?"
[111] The clerk smiled pityingly.
[112] "It's my lunch hour," he said.
[113] "I'll be open in an hour."
[114] He held up a thumb nail, frowned at it.
[115] "If I have to come around this counter," Retief said, "I'll feed that thumb to you the hard way."
[116] The clerk looked up and opened his mouth.
[117] Then he caught Retief's eye, closed his mouth and swallowed.
[118] "Like it says there," he said, jerking a thumb at the board.
[119] "Lifts in an hour.
[120] But you won't be on it," he added.
[121] Retief looked at him.
[122] "Some ... ah ... VIP's required accommodation," he said.
[123] He hooked a finger inside the sequined collar.
[124] "All tourist reservations were canceled.
[125] You'll have to try to get space on the Four-Planet Line ship next—" "Which gate?"
[126] Retief said.
[127] "For ...
[128] ah...?"
[129] "For the two twenty-eight for Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[130] "Well," the clerk said.
[131] "Gate 19," he added quickly.
[132] "But—" Retief picked up his suitcase and walked away toward the glare sign reading To Gates 16-30 .
[133] "Another smart alec," the clerk said behind him.
[134] Retief followed the signs, threaded his way through crowds, found a covered ramp with the number 228 posted over it.
[135] A heavy-shouldered man with a scarred jawline and small eyes was slouching there in a rumpled gray uniform.
[136] He put out a hand as Retief started past him.
[137] "Lessee your boarding pass," he muttered.
[138] Retief pulled a paper from an inside pocket, handed it over.
[139] The guard blinked at it.
[140] "Whassat?"
[141] "A gram confirming my space," Retief said.
[142] "Your boy on the counter says he's out to lunch."
[143] The guard crumpled the gram, dropped it on the floor and lounged back against the handrail.
[144] "On your way, bub," he said.
[145] Retief put his suitcase carefully on the floor, took a step and drove a right into the guard's midriff.
[146] He stepped aside as the man doubled and went to his knees.
[147] "You were wide open, ugly.
[148] I couldn't resist.
[149] Tell your boss I sneaked past while you were resting your eyes."
[150] He picked up his bag, stepped over the man and went up the gangway into the ship.
[151] A cabin boy in stained whites came along the corridor.
[152] "Which way to cabin fifty-seven, son?"
[153] Retief asked.
[154] "Up there."
[155] The boy jerked his head and hurried on.
[156] Retief made his way along the narrow hall, found signs, followed them to cabin fifty-seven.
[157] The door was open.
[158] Inside, baggage was piled in the center of the floor.
[159] It was expensive looking baggage.
[160] Retief put his bag down.
[161] He turned at a sound behind him.
[162] A tall, florid man with an expensive coat belted over a massive paunch stood in the open door, looking at Retief.
[163] Retief looked back.
[164] The florid man clamped his jaws together, turned to speak over his shoulder.
[165] "Somebody in the cabin.
[166] Get 'em out."
[167] He rolled a cold eye at Retief as he backed out of the room.
[168] A short, thick-necked man appeared.
[169] "What are you doing in Mr. Tony's room?"
[170] he barked.
[171] "Never mind!
[172] Clear out of here, fellow!
[173] You're keeping Mr. Tony waiting."
[174] "Too bad," Retief said.
[175] "Finders keepers."
[176] "You nuts?"
[177] The thick-necked man stared at Retief.
[178] "I said it's Mr. Tony's room."
[179] "I don't know Mr. Tony.
[180] He'll have to bull his way into other quarters."
[181] "We'll see about you, mister."
[182] The man turned and went out.
[183] Retief sat on the bunk and lit a cigar.
[184] There was a sound of voices in the corridor.
[185] Two burly baggage-smashers appeared, straining at an oversized trunk.
[186] They maneuvered it through the door, lowered it, glanced at Retief and went out.
[187] The thick-necked man returned.
[188] "All right, you.
[189] Out," he growled.
[190] "Or have I got to have you thrown out?"
[191] Retief rose and clamped the cigar between his teeth.
[192] He gripped a handle of the brass-bound trunk in each hand, bent his knees and heaved the trunk up to chest level, then raised it overhead.
[193] He turned to the door.
[194] "Catch," he said between clenched teeth.
[195] The trunk slammed against the far wall of the corridor and burst.
[196] Retief turned to the baggage on the floor, tossed it into the hall.
[197] The face of the thick-necked man appeared cautiously around the door jamb.
[198] "Mister, you must be—" "If you'll excuse me," Retief said, "I want to catch a nap."
[199] He flipped the door shut, pulled off his shoes and stretched out on the bed.
[200] Five minutes passed before the door rattled and burst open.
[201] Retief looked up.
[202] A gaunt leathery-skinned man wearing white ducks, a blue turtleneck sweater and a peaked cap tilted raffishly over one eye stared at Retief.
[203] "Is this the joker?"
[204] he grated.
[205] The thick-necked man edged past him, looked at Retief and snorted, "That's him, sure."
[206] "I'm captain of this vessel," the first man said.
[207] "You've got two minutes to haul your freight out of here, buster."
[208] "When you can spare the time from your other duties," Retief said, "take a look at Section Three, Paragraph One, of the Uniform Code.
[209] That spells out the law on confirmed space on vessels engaged in interplanetary commerce."
[210] "A space lawyer."
[211] The captain turned.
[212] "Throw him out, boys."
[213] Two big men edged into the cabin, looking at Retief.
[214] "Go on, pitch him out," the captain snapped.
[215] Retief put his cigar in an ashtray, and swung his feet off the bunk.
[216] "Don't try it," he said softly.
[217] One of the two wiped his nose on a sleeve, spat on his right palm, and stepped forward, then hesitated.
[218] "Hey," he said.
[219] "This the guy tossed the trunk off the wall?"
[220] "That's him," the thick-necked man called.
[221] "Spilled Mr. Tony's possessions right on the deck."
[222] "Deal me out," the bouncer said.
[223] "He can stay put as long as he wants to.
[224] I signed on to move cargo.
[225] Let's go, Moe."
[226] "You'd better be getting back to the bridge, Captain," Retief said.
[227] "We're due to lift in twenty minutes."
[228] The thick-necked man and the Captain both shouted at once.
[229] The Captain's voice prevailed.
[230] "—twenty minutes ... uniform Code ... gonna do?"
[231] "Close the door as you leave," Retief said.
[232] The thick-necked man paused at the door.
[233] "We'll see you when you come out."
[234] III Four waiters passed Retief's table without stopping.
[235] A fifth leaned against the wall nearby, a menu under his arm.
[236] At a table across the room, the Captain, now wearing a dress uniform and with his thin red hair neatly parted, sat with a table of male passengers.
[237] He talked loudly and laughed frequently, casting occasional glances Retief's way.
[238] A panel opened in the wall behind Retief's chair.
[239] Bright blue eyes peered out from under a white chef's cap.
[240] "Givin' you the cold shoulder, heh, Mister?"
[241] "Looks like it, old-timer," Retief said.
[242] "Maybe I'd better go join the skipper.
[243] His party seems to be having all the fun."
[244] "Feller has to be mighty careless who he eats with to set over there."
[245] "I see your point."
[246] "You set right where you're at, Mister.
[247] I'll rustle you up a plate."
[248] Five minutes later, Retief cut into a thirty-two ounce Delmonico backed up with mushrooms and garlic butter.
[249] "I'm Chip," the chef said.
[250] "I don't like the Cap'n.
[251] You can tell him I said so.
[252] Don't like his friends, either.
[253] Don't like them dern Sweaties, look at a man like he was a worm."
[254] "You've got the right idea on frying a steak, Chip.
[255] And you've got the right idea on the Soetti, too," Retief said.
[256] He poured red wine into a glass.
[257] "Here's to you."
[258] "Dern right," Chip said.
[259] "Dunno who ever thought up broiling 'em.
[260] Steaks, that is.
[261] I got a Baked Alaska coming up in here for dessert.
[262] You like brandy in yer coffee?"
[263] "Chip, you're a genius."
[264] "Like to see a feller eat," Chip said.
[265] "I gotta go now.
[266] If you need anything, holler."
[267] Retief ate slowly.
[268] Time always dragged on shipboard.
[269] Four days to Jorgensen's Worlds.
[270] Then, if Magnan's information was correct, there would be four days to prepare for the Soetti attack.
[271] It was a temptation to scan the tapes built into the handle of his suitcase.
[272] It would be good to know what Jorgensen's Worlds would be up against.
[273] Retief finished the steak, and the chef passed out the baked Alaska and coffee.
[274] Most of the other passengers had left the dining room.
[275] Mr. Tony and his retainers still sat at the Captain's table.
[276] As Retief watched, four men arose from the table and sauntered across the room.
[277] The first in line, a stony-faced thug with a broken ear, took a cigar from his mouth as he reached the table.
[278] He dipped the lighted end in Retief's coffee, looked at it, and dropped it on the tablecloth.
[279] The others came up, Mr. Tony trailing.
[280] "You must want to get to Jorgensen's pretty bad," the thug said in a grating voice.
[281] "What's your game, hick?"
[282] Retief looked at the coffee cup, picked it up.
[283] "I don't think I want my coffee," he said.
[284] He looked at the thug.
[285] "You drink it."
[286] The thug squinted at Retief.
[287] "A wise hick," he began.
[288] With a flick of the wrist, Retief tossed the coffee into the thug's face, then stood and slammed a straight right to the chin.
[289] The thug went down.
[290] Retief looked at Mr. Tony, still standing open-mouthed.
[291] "You can take your playmates away now, Tony," he said.
[292] "And don't bother to come around yourself.
[293] You're not funny enough."
[294] Mr. Tony found his voice.
[295] "Take him, Marbles!"
[296] he growled.
[297] The thick-necked man slipped a hand inside his tunic and brought out a long-bladed knife.
[298] He licked his lips and moved in.
[299] Retief heard the panel open beside him.
[300] "Here you go, Mister," Chip said.
[301] Retief darted a glance; a well-honed french knife lay on the sill.
[302] "Thanks, Chip," Retief said.
[303] "I won't need it for these punks."
[304] Thick-neck lunged and Retief hit him square in the face, knocking him under the table.
[305] The other man stepped back, fumbling a power pistol from his shoulder holster.
[306] "Aim that at me, and I'll kill you," Retief said.
[307] "Go on, burn him!"
[308] Mr. Tony shouted.
[309] Behind him, the captain appeared, white-faced.
[310] "Put that away, you!"
[311] he yelled.
[312] "What kind of—" "Shut up," Mr. Tony said.
[313] "Put it away, Hoany.
[314] We'll fix this bum later."
[315] "Not on this vessel, you won't," the captain said shakily.
[316] "I got my charter to consider."
[317] "Ram your charter," Hoany said harshly.
[318] "You won't be needing it long."
[319] "Button your floppy mouth, damn you!"
[320] Mr. Tony snapped.
[321] He looked at the man on the floor.
[322] "Get Marbles out of here.
[323] I ought to dump the slob."
[324] He turned and walked away.
[325] The captain signaled and two waiters came up.
[326] Retief watched as they carted the casualty from the dining room.
[327] The panel opened.
[328] "I usta be about your size, when I was your age," Chip said.
[329] "You handled them pansies right.
[330] I wouldn't give 'em the time o' day."
[331] "How about a fresh cup of coffee, Chip?"
[332] Retief said.
[333] "Sure, Mister.
[334] Anything else?"
[335] "I'll think of something," Retief said.
[336] "This is shaping up into one of those long days."
[337] "They don't like me bringing yer meals to you in yer cabin," Chip said.
[338] "But the cap'n knows I'm the best cook in the Merchant Service.
[339] They won't mess with me."
[340] "What has Mr. Tony got on the captain, Chip?"
[341] Retief asked.
[342] "They're in some kind o' crooked business together.
[343] You want some more smoked turkey?"
[344] "Sure.
[345] What have they got against my going to Jorgensen's Worlds?"
[346] "Dunno.
[347] Hasn't been no tourists got in there fer six or eight months.
[348] I sure like a feller that can put it away.
[349] I was a big eater when I was yer age."
[350] "I'll bet you can still handle it, Old Timer.
[351] What are Jorgensen's Worlds like?"
[352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder.
[353] Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up.
[354] Man don't enjoy eatin' his own cookin' like he does somebody else's."
[355] "That's where I'm lucky, Chip.
[356] What kind of cargo's the captain got aboard for Jorgensen's?"
[357] "Derned if I know.
[358] In and out o' there like a grasshopper, ever few weeks.
[359] Don't never pick up no cargo.
[360] No tourists any more, like I says.
[361] Don't know what we even run in there for."
[362] "Where are the passengers we have aboard headed?"
[363] "To Alabaster.
[364] That's nine days' run in-sector from Jorgensen's.
[365] You ain't got another one of them cigars, have you?"
[366] "Have one, Chip.
[367] I guess I was lucky to get space on this ship."
[368] "Plenty o' space, Mister.
[369] We got a dozen empty cabins."
[370] Chip puffed the cigar alight, then cleared away the dishes, poured out coffee and brandy.
[371] "Them Sweaties is what I don't like," he said.
[372] Retief looked at him questioningly.
[373] "You never seen a Sweaty?
[374] Ugly lookin' devils.
[375] Skinny legs, like a lobster; big chest, shaped like the top of a turnip; rubbery lookin' head.
[376] You can see the pulse beatin' when they get riled."
[377] "I've never had the pleasure," Retief said.
[378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon.
[379] Them devils board us nigh ever trip out.
[380] Act like they was the Customs Patrol or somethin'."
[381] There was a distant clang, and a faint tremor ran through the floor.
[382] "I ain't superstitious ner nothin'," Chip said.
[383] "But I'll be triple-damned if that ain't them boarding us now."
[384] Ten minutes passed before bootsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by a clicking patter.
[385] The doorknob rattled, then a heavy knock shook the door.
[386] "They got to look you over," Chip whispered.
[387] "Nosy damn Sweaties."
[388] "Unlock it, Chip."
[389] The chef opened the door.
[390] "Come in, damn you," he said.
[391] A tall and grotesque creature minced into the room, tiny hoof-like feet tapping on the floor.
[392] A flaring metal helmet shaded the deep-set compound eyes, and a loose mantle flapped around the knobbed knees.
[393] Behind the alien, the captain hovered nervously.
[394] "Yo' papiss," the alien rasped.
[395] "Who's your friend, Captain?"
[396] Retief said.
[397] "Never mind; just do like he tells you."
[398] "Yo' papiss," the alien said again.
[399] "Okay," Retief said.
[400] "I've seen it.
[401] You can take it away now."
[402] "Don't horse around," the captain said.
[403] "This fellow can get mean."
[404] The alien brought two tiny arms out from the concealment of the mantle, clicked toothed pincers under Retief's nose.
[405] "Quick, soft one."
[406] "Captain, tell your friend to keep its distance.
[407] It looks brittle, and I'm tempted to test it."
[408] "Don't start anything with Skaw; he can clip through steel with those snappers."
[409] "Last chance," Retief said.
[410] Skaw stood poised, open pincers an inch from Retief's eyes.
[411] "Show him your papers, you damned fool," the captain said hoarsely.
[412] "I got no control over Skaw."
[413] The alien clicked both pincers with a sharp report, and in the same instant Retief half-turned to the left, leaned away from the alien and drove his right foot against the slender leg above the bulbous knee-joint.
[414] Skaw screeched and floundered, greenish fluid spattering from the burst joint.
[415] "I told you he was brittle," Retief said.
[416] "Next time you invite pirates aboard, don't bother to call."
[417] "Jesus, what did you do!
[418] They'll kill us!"
[419] the captain gasped, staring at the figure flopping on the floor.
[420] "Cart poor old Skaw back to his boat," Retief said.
[421] "Tell him to pass the word.
[422] No more illegal entry and search of Terrestrial vessels in Terrestrial space."
[423] "Hey," Chip said.
[424] "He's quit kicking."
[425] The captain bent over Skaw, gingerly rolled him over.
[426] He leaned close and sniffed.
[427] "He's dead."
[428] The captain stared at Retief.
[429] "We're all dead men," he said.
[430] "These Soetti got no mercy."
[431] "They won't need it.
[432] Tell 'em to sheer off; their fun is over."
[433] "They got no more emotions than a blue crab—" "You bluff easily, Captain.
[434] Show a few guns as you hand the body back.
[435] We know their secret now."
[436] "What secret?
[437] I—" "Don't be no dumber than you got to, Cap'n," Chip said.
[438] "Sweaties die easy; that's the secret."
[439] "Maybe you got a point," the captain said, looking at Retief.
[440] "All they got's a three-man scout.
[441] It could work."
[442] He went out, came back with two crewmen.
[443] They hauled the dead alien gingerly into the hall.
[444] "Maybe I can run a bluff on the Soetti," the captain said, looking back from the door.
[445] "But I'll be back to see you later."
[446] "You don't scare us, Cap'n," Chip said.
[447] "Him and Mr. Tony and all his goons.
[448] You hit 'em where they live, that time.
[449] They're pals o' these Sweaties.
[450] Runnin' some kind o' crooked racket."
[451] "You'd better take the captain's advice, Chip.
[452] There's no point in your getting involved in my problems."
[453] "They'd of killed you before now, Mister, if they had any guts.
[454] That's where we got it over these monkeys.
[455] They got no guts."
[456] "They act scared, Chip.
[457] Scared men are killers."
[458] "They don't scare me none."
[459] Chip picked up the tray.
[460] "I'll scout around a little and see what's goin' on.
[461] If the Sweaties figure to do anything about that Skaw feller they'll have to move fast; they won't try nothin' close to port."
[462] "Don't worry, Chip.
[463] I have reason to be pretty sure they won't do anything to attract a lot of attention in this sector just now."
[464] Chip looked at Retief.
[465] "You ain't no tourist, Mister.
[466] I know that much.
[467] You didn't come out here for fun, did you?"
[468] "That," Retief said, "would be a hard one to answer."
[469] IV Retief awoke at a tap on his door.
[470] "It's me, Mister.
[471] Chip."
[472] "Come on in."
[473] The chef entered the room, locking the door.
[474] "You shoulda had that door locked."
[475] He stood by the door, listening, then turned to Retief.
[476] "You want to get to Jorgensen's perty bad, don't you, Mister?"
[477] "That's right, Chip."
[478] "Mr. Tony give the captain a real hard time about old Skaw.
[479] The Sweaties didn't say nothin'.
[480] Didn't even act surprised, just took the remains and pushed off.
[481] But Mr. Tony and that other crook they call Marbles, they was fit to be tied.
[482] Took the cap'n in his cabin and talked loud at him fer half a hour.
[483] Then the cap'n come out and give some orders to the Mate."
[484] Retief sat up and reached for a cigar.
[485] "Mr. Tony and Skaw were pals, eh?"
[486] "He hated Skaw's guts.
[487] But with him it was business.
[488] Mister, you got a gun?"
[489] "A 2mm needler.
[490] Why?"
[491] "The orders cap'n give was to change course fer Alabaster.
[492] We're by-passin' Jorgensen's Worlds.
[493] We'll feel the course change any minute."
[494] Retief lit the cigar, reached under the mattress and took out a short-barreled pistol.
[495] He dropped it in his pocket, looked at Chip.
[496] "Maybe it was a good thought, at that.
[497] Which way to the Captain's cabin?"
[498] "This is it," Chip said softly.
[499] "You want me to keep an eye on who comes down the passage?"
[500] Retief nodded, opened the door and stepped into the cabin.
[501] The captain looked up from his desk, then jumped up.
[502] "What do you think you're doing, busting in here?"
[503] "I hear you're planning a course change, Captain."
[504] "You've got damn big ears."
[505] "I think we'd better call in at Jorgensen's."
[506] "You do, huh?"
[507] the captain sat down.
[508] "I'm in command of this vessel," he said.
[509] "I'm changing course for Alabaster."
[510] "I wouldn't find it convenient to go to Alabaster," Retief said.
[511] "So just hold your course for Jorgensen's."
[512] "Not bloody likely."
[513] "Your use of the word 'bloody' is interesting, Captain.
[514] Don't try to change course."
[515] The captain reached for the mike on his desk, pressed the key.
[516] "Power Section, this is the captain," he said.
[517] Retief reached across the desk, gripped the captain's wrist.
[518] "Tell the mate to hold his present course," he said softly.
[519] "Let go my hand, buster," the captain snarled.
[520] Eyes on Retief's, he eased a drawer open with his left hand, reached in.
[521] Retief kneed the drawer.
[522] The captain yelped and dropped the mike.
[523] "You busted it, you—" "And one to go," Retief said.
[524] "Tell him."
[525] "I'm an officer of the Merchant Service!"
[526] "You're a cheapjack who's sold his bridge to a pack of back-alley hoods."
[527] "You can't put it over, hick."
[528] "Tell him."
[529] The captain groaned and picked up the mike.
[530] "Captain to Power Section," he said.
[531] "Hold your present course until you hear from me."
[532] He dropped the mike and looked up at Retief.
[533] "It's eighteen hours yet before we pick up Jorgensen Control.
[534] You going to sit here and bend my arm the whole time?"
[535] Retief released the captain's wrist and turned to the door.
[536] "Chip, I'm locking the door.
[537] You circulate around, let me know what's going on.
[538] Bring me a pot of coffee every so often.
[539] I'm sitting up with a sick friend."
[540] "Right, Mister.
[541] Keep an eye on that jasper; he's slippery."
[542] "What are you going to do?"
[543] the captain demanded.
[544] Retief settled himself in a chair.
[545] "Instead of strangling you, as you deserve," he said, "I'm going to stay here and help you hold your course for Jorgensen's Worlds."
[546] The captain looked at Retief.
[547] He laughed, a short bark.
[548] "Then I'll just stretch out and have a little nap, farmer.
[549] If you feel like dozing off sometime during the next eighteen hours, don't mind me."
[550] Retief took out the needler and put it on the desk before him.
[551] "If anything happens that I don't like," he said, "I'll wake you up.
[552] With this." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [11] "Since they've met no opposition so far in their infiltration of Terrestrial space, they intend to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force."
2. [25] "I have here," he said solemnly, "information which will change that picture completely."
3. [57] "Less than four weeks."
4. [270] "Then, if Magnan's information was correct, there would be four days to prepare for the Soetti attack."
5. [9] "However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating."
6. [19] "A show of resistance at this point is necessary."
7. [31] "First, the Soetti War Plan—in detail."
8. [34] "Next, a battle plan for the Jorgensen's people, worked out by the Theory group."
9. [36] "Lastly; an Utter Top Secret schematic for conversion of a standard anti-acceleration field into a potent weapon—a development our systems people have been holding in reserve for just such a situation."
10. [352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder. Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up."
11. [378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon. Them devils board us nigh ever trip out."
12. [430] "These Soetti got no mercy."
13. [438] "Sweaties die easy; that's the secret."
14. [448] "You hit 'em where they live, that time. They're pals o' these Sweaties. Runnin' some kind o' crooked racket."
15. [463] "I have reason to be pretty sure they won't do anything to attract a lot of attention in this sector just now." |
Who are the Soettis, and what is their significance? | [
"The Soettis are involved in some kind of illegal activity with the Captain and Mr. Tony. The Soettis, nicknamed Sweaties, by humans who dislike them, are an alien species who have been moving deep into the sector where the Jorgensen’s Worlds are located. The Soettis are unattractive creatures with skinny legs like a lobster’s and a big chest shaped somewhat like a turnip. They have rubbery heads, and you can see their pulse beating when they get upset. They have tiny arms with toothed pincers at the ends and threaten humans with them. These pincers are incredibly strong and can cut through steel. \nIt has been learned that they are planning to seize Jorgensen’s Worlds by force, a move of open aggression against Terrestrial territory that cannot be overlooked. The headquarters where Retief works has obtained the Soetti War Plan from a defector of Terrestrials who have actually been providing advice to the Soettis, so the plan is for Retief to travel personally to Jorgensen’s Worlds to provide them with this information and also with the schematics that will enable them to convert their anti-acceleration field into a powerful weapon to protect the planets. Reaching the Jorgensen’s Worlds will be challenging because the Soettis are on patrol in the trade lanes where the airships travel to the Worlds. The Soettis look down on Terrestrials and try to assert themselves over them. The Soettis can speak English, so they can communicate with the Terrestrials.\nThe Captain is afraid of the Soettis and worries that when Retief harms Skaw, the Soetties will kill all of the humans. Retief intends for Skaw to go back and tell the other Soettis that they can no longer enter the Terrestrials’ airships and search them. When Skaw dies, the Captain is certain they are done for, but Retief tells him to bluff and show guns when they return the body, and the Soettis will back down. Surprisingly, the Soettis don’t say anything about Skaw’s death, but Mr. Tony is furious. Retief thinks it is good to know that the Soettis are easy to kill.",
"The Soetti are a hostile alien species that have been infiltrating Terrestrial space. Councillor Magnan and his associates have uncovered their plot to seize Jorgensen's Worlds and assign Retief to travel to the underdeveloped planets to help prepare a defense. The Soetti are tall creatures with skinny legs, big chests, and round, bulbous torsos. Their heads look rubbery and pulse when they are angry. Soettis have two small arms with pincers for hands that are sharp enough to cut through steel. Magnan warns Retief to be on the lookout for Soettis when he boards his flight for Jorgensen's Worlds, since they tend to patrol the customs areas. They also seem to have some kind of business arrangement with the Captain of the ship that ferries to Jorgensen's World and Mr. Tony, a space thug who employs a number of strong men like Marbles to rough up passengers to Jorgensen's Worlds who might get too curious. Chip informs Retief that the Soetti frequently board the ship, although he is not clear as to their purpose. A Soetti named Skaw confronts Retief and asks to see his papers. When Retief refuses the request, Skaw moves in to attack him. Retief discovers a Soetti weakness when he breaks Skaw's slender leg, spilling greenish blood, and ultimately killing Skaw. Retief demonstrates to the Captain how this can be used as leverage against the hostile aliens.",
"Soettis are an alien race of lobster-like crustaceans with skinny legs, big chests and rubbery heads that show their beating pulse. They patrol the trade lanes into the Jorgensen’s Worlds and one of them, Skaw, boards the merchant vessel that Retief is riding on, acting as if he is a Customs Patrol officer. Skaw is tall with tiny hoof-like feet, and a loose mantle that flaps around knobby knees. He wears a metal helmet. Retief easily breaks the joint of one of Skaw’s legs which then leaks green fluid and kills Skaw.\nThey are significant to the story because they are the enemies that Retief is being sent on a Corps mission to clear from the Jorgensen’s Worlds where they are mounting a hostile takeover of Terrestrial space. After Retief discovers how easy they are to kill, he knows he can exploit this weakness to succeed on his mission to reclaim Jorgensen's Worlds for Terrestrials.",
"The Soettis are an aggressive species that is attempting to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force. They are much more technologically advanced than the Jorgensen's Worlds, especially when it comes to weaponry. The Soetti look different than the other characters in the story, with skinny legs like lobsters, and big chests that look like turnips. They have hoof-like feet as well. In Retief's quest to defend Jorgensen's Worlds, he finds that they have some kind of shady dealings with Mr. Tony aboard the transport ship from Aldo Cerise."
] | [1] THE FROZEN PLANET By Keith Laumer [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] "It is rather unusual," Magnan said, "to assign an officer of your rank to courier duty, but this is an unusual mission."
[4] Retief sat relaxed and said nothing.
[5] Just before the silence grew awkward, Magnan went on.
[6] "There are four planets in the group," he said.
[7] "Two double planets, all rather close to an unimportant star listed as DRI-G 33987.
[8] They're called Jorgensen's Worlds, and in themselves are of no importance whatever.
[9] However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating.
[10] "Now—" Magnan leaned forward and lowered his voice—"we have learned that the Soetti plan a bold step forward.
[11] Since they've met no opposition so far in their infiltration of Terrestrial space, they intend to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force."
[12] Magnan leaned back, waiting for Retief's reaction.
[13] Retief drew carefully on his cigar and looked at Magnan.
[14] Magnan frowned.
[15] "This is open aggression, Retief," he said, "in case I haven't made myself clear.
[16] Aggression on Terrestrial-occupied territory by an alien species.
[17] Obviously, we can't allow it."
[18] Magnan drew a large folder from his desk.
[19] "A show of resistance at this point is necessary.
[20] Unfortunately, Jorgensen's Worlds are technologically undeveloped areas.
[21] They're farmers or traders.
[22] Their industry is limited to a minor role in their economy—enough to support the merchant fleet, no more.
[23] The war potential, by conventional standards, is nil."
[24] Magnan tapped the folder before him.
[25] "I have here," he said solemnly, "information which will change that picture completely."
[26] He leaned back and blinked at Retief.
[27] "All right, Mr. Councillor," Retief said.
[28] "I'll play along; what's in the folder?"
[29] Magnan spread his fingers, folded one down.
[30] "First," he said.
[31] "The Soetti War Plan—in detail.
[32] We were fortunate enough to make contact with a defector from a party of renegade Terrestrials who've been advising the Soetti."
[33] He folded another finger.
[34] "Next, a battle plan for the Jorgensen's people, worked out by the Theory group."
[35] He wrestled a third finger down.
[36] "Lastly; an Utter Top Secret schematic for conversion of a standard anti-acceleration field into a potent weapon—a development our systems people have been holding in reserve for just such a situation."
[37] "Is that all?"
[38] Retief said.
[39] "You've still got two fingers sticking up."
[40] Magnan looked at the fingers and put them away.
[41] "This is no occasion for flippancy, Retief.
[42] In the wrong hands, this information could be catastrophic.
[43] You'll memorize it before you leave this building."
[44] "I'll carry it, sealed," Retief said.
[45] "That way nobody can sweat it out of me."
[46] Magnan started to shake his head.
[47] "Well," he said.
[48] "If it's trapped for destruction, I suppose—" "I've heard of these Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[49] "I remember an agent, a big blond fellow, very quick on the uptake.
[50] A wizard with cards and dice.
[51] Never played for money, though."
[52] "Umm," Magnan said.
[53] "Don't make the error of personalizing this situation, Retief.
[54] Overall policy calls for a defense of these backwater worlds.
[55] Otherwise the Corps would allow history to follow its natural course, as always."
[56] "When does this attack happen?"
[57] "Less than four weeks."
[58] "That doesn't leave me much time."
[59] "I have your itinerary here.
[60] Your accommodations are clear as far as Aldo Cerise.
[61] You'll have to rely on your ingenuity to get you the rest of the way."
[62] "That's a pretty rough trip, Mr. Councillor.
[63] Suppose I don't make it?"
[64] Magnan looked sour.
[65] "Someone at a policy-making level has chosen to put all our eggs in one basket, Retief.
[66] I hope their confidence in you is not misplaced."
[67] "This antiac conversion; how long does it take?"
[68] "A skilled electronics crew can do the job in a matter of minutes.
[69] The Jorgensens can handle it very nicely; every other man is a mechanic of some sort."
[70] Retief opened the envelope Magnan handed him and looked at the tickets inside.
[71] "Less than four hours to departure time," he said.
[72] "I'd better not start any long books."
[73] "You'd better waste no time getting over to Indoctrination," Magnan said.
[74] Retief stood up.
[75] "If I hurry, maybe I can catch the cartoon."
[76] "The allusion escapes me," Magnan said coldly.
[77] "And one last word.
[78] The Soetti are patrolling the trade lanes into Jorgensen's Worlds; don't get yourself interned."
[79] "I'll tell you what," Retief said soberly.
[80] "In a pinch, I'll mention your name."
[81] "You'll be traveling with Class X credentials," Magnan snapped.
[82] "There must be nothing to connect you with the Corps."
[83] "They'll never guess," Retief said.
[84] "I'll pose as a gentleman."
[85] "You'd better be getting started," Magnan said, shuffling papers.
[86] "You're right," Retief said.
[87] "If I work at it, I might manage a snootful by takeoff."
[88] He went to the door.
[89] "No objection to my checking out a needler, is there?"
[90] Magnan looked up.
[91] "I suppose not.
[92] What do you want with it?"
[93] "Just a feeling I've got."
[94] "Please yourself."
[95] "Some day," Retief said, "I may take you up on that."
[96] II Retief put down the heavy travel-battered suitcase and leaned on the counter, studying the schedules chalked on the board under the legend "ALDO CERISE—INTERPLANETARY."
[97] A thin clerk in a faded sequined blouse and a plastic snakeskin cummerbund groomed his fingernails, watching Retief from the corner of his eye.
[98] Retief glanced at him.
[99] The clerk nipped off a ragged corner with rabbitlike front teeth and spat it on the floor.
[100] "Was there something?"
[101] he said.
[102] "Two twenty-eight, due out today for the Jorgensen group," Retief said.
[103] "Is it on schedule?"
[104] The clerk sampled the inside of his right cheek, eyed Retief.
[105] "Filled up.
[106] Try again in a couple of weeks."
[107] "What time does it leave?"
[108] "I don't think—" "Let's stick to facts," Retief said.
[109] "Don't try to think.
[110] What time is it due out?"
[111] The clerk smiled pityingly.
[112] "It's my lunch hour," he said.
[113] "I'll be open in an hour."
[114] He held up a thumb nail, frowned at it.
[115] "If I have to come around this counter," Retief said, "I'll feed that thumb to you the hard way."
[116] The clerk looked up and opened his mouth.
[117] Then he caught Retief's eye, closed his mouth and swallowed.
[118] "Like it says there," he said, jerking a thumb at the board.
[119] "Lifts in an hour.
[120] But you won't be on it," he added.
[121] Retief looked at him.
[122] "Some ... ah ... VIP's required accommodation," he said.
[123] He hooked a finger inside the sequined collar.
[124] "All tourist reservations were canceled.
[125] You'll have to try to get space on the Four-Planet Line ship next—" "Which gate?"
[126] Retief said.
[127] "For ...
[128] ah...?"
[129] "For the two twenty-eight for Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[130] "Well," the clerk said.
[131] "Gate 19," he added quickly.
[132] "But—" Retief picked up his suitcase and walked away toward the glare sign reading To Gates 16-30 .
[133] "Another smart alec," the clerk said behind him.
[134] Retief followed the signs, threaded his way through crowds, found a covered ramp with the number 228 posted over it.
[135] A heavy-shouldered man with a scarred jawline and small eyes was slouching there in a rumpled gray uniform.
[136] He put out a hand as Retief started past him.
[137] "Lessee your boarding pass," he muttered.
[138] Retief pulled a paper from an inside pocket, handed it over.
[139] The guard blinked at it.
[140] "Whassat?"
[141] "A gram confirming my space," Retief said.
[142] "Your boy on the counter says he's out to lunch."
[143] The guard crumpled the gram, dropped it on the floor and lounged back against the handrail.
[144] "On your way, bub," he said.
[145] Retief put his suitcase carefully on the floor, took a step and drove a right into the guard's midriff.
[146] He stepped aside as the man doubled and went to his knees.
[147] "You were wide open, ugly.
[148] I couldn't resist.
[149] Tell your boss I sneaked past while you were resting your eyes."
[150] He picked up his bag, stepped over the man and went up the gangway into the ship.
[151] A cabin boy in stained whites came along the corridor.
[152] "Which way to cabin fifty-seven, son?"
[153] Retief asked.
[154] "Up there."
[155] The boy jerked his head and hurried on.
[156] Retief made his way along the narrow hall, found signs, followed them to cabin fifty-seven.
[157] The door was open.
[158] Inside, baggage was piled in the center of the floor.
[159] It was expensive looking baggage.
[160] Retief put his bag down.
[161] He turned at a sound behind him.
[162] A tall, florid man with an expensive coat belted over a massive paunch stood in the open door, looking at Retief.
[163] Retief looked back.
[164] The florid man clamped his jaws together, turned to speak over his shoulder.
[165] "Somebody in the cabin.
[166] Get 'em out."
[167] He rolled a cold eye at Retief as he backed out of the room.
[168] A short, thick-necked man appeared.
[169] "What are you doing in Mr. Tony's room?"
[170] he barked.
[171] "Never mind!
[172] Clear out of here, fellow!
[173] You're keeping Mr. Tony waiting."
[174] "Too bad," Retief said.
[175] "Finders keepers."
[176] "You nuts?"
[177] The thick-necked man stared at Retief.
[178] "I said it's Mr. Tony's room."
[179] "I don't know Mr. Tony.
[180] He'll have to bull his way into other quarters."
[181] "We'll see about you, mister."
[182] The man turned and went out.
[183] Retief sat on the bunk and lit a cigar.
[184] There was a sound of voices in the corridor.
[185] Two burly baggage-smashers appeared, straining at an oversized trunk.
[186] They maneuvered it through the door, lowered it, glanced at Retief and went out.
[187] The thick-necked man returned.
[188] "All right, you.
[189] Out," he growled.
[190] "Or have I got to have you thrown out?"
[191] Retief rose and clamped the cigar between his teeth.
[192] He gripped a handle of the brass-bound trunk in each hand, bent his knees and heaved the trunk up to chest level, then raised it overhead.
[193] He turned to the door.
[194] "Catch," he said between clenched teeth.
[195] The trunk slammed against the far wall of the corridor and burst.
[196] Retief turned to the baggage on the floor, tossed it into the hall.
[197] The face of the thick-necked man appeared cautiously around the door jamb.
[198] "Mister, you must be—" "If you'll excuse me," Retief said, "I want to catch a nap."
[199] He flipped the door shut, pulled off his shoes and stretched out on the bed.
[200] Five minutes passed before the door rattled and burst open.
[201] Retief looked up.
[202] A gaunt leathery-skinned man wearing white ducks, a blue turtleneck sweater and a peaked cap tilted raffishly over one eye stared at Retief.
[203] "Is this the joker?"
[204] he grated.
[205] The thick-necked man edged past him, looked at Retief and snorted, "That's him, sure."
[206] "I'm captain of this vessel," the first man said.
[207] "You've got two minutes to haul your freight out of here, buster."
[208] "When you can spare the time from your other duties," Retief said, "take a look at Section Three, Paragraph One, of the Uniform Code.
[209] That spells out the law on confirmed space on vessels engaged in interplanetary commerce."
[210] "A space lawyer."
[211] The captain turned.
[212] "Throw him out, boys."
[213] Two big men edged into the cabin, looking at Retief.
[214] "Go on, pitch him out," the captain snapped.
[215] Retief put his cigar in an ashtray, and swung his feet off the bunk.
[216] "Don't try it," he said softly.
[217] One of the two wiped his nose on a sleeve, spat on his right palm, and stepped forward, then hesitated.
[218] "Hey," he said.
[219] "This the guy tossed the trunk off the wall?"
[220] "That's him," the thick-necked man called.
[221] "Spilled Mr. Tony's possessions right on the deck."
[222] "Deal me out," the bouncer said.
[223] "He can stay put as long as he wants to.
[224] I signed on to move cargo.
[225] Let's go, Moe."
[226] "You'd better be getting back to the bridge, Captain," Retief said.
[227] "We're due to lift in twenty minutes."
[228] The thick-necked man and the Captain both shouted at once.
[229] The Captain's voice prevailed.
[230] "—twenty minutes ... uniform Code ... gonna do?"
[231] "Close the door as you leave," Retief said.
[232] The thick-necked man paused at the door.
[233] "We'll see you when you come out."
[234] III Four waiters passed Retief's table without stopping.
[235] A fifth leaned against the wall nearby, a menu under his arm.
[236] At a table across the room, the Captain, now wearing a dress uniform and with his thin red hair neatly parted, sat with a table of male passengers.
[237] He talked loudly and laughed frequently, casting occasional glances Retief's way.
[238] A panel opened in the wall behind Retief's chair.
[239] Bright blue eyes peered out from under a white chef's cap.
[240] "Givin' you the cold shoulder, heh, Mister?"
[241] "Looks like it, old-timer," Retief said.
[242] "Maybe I'd better go join the skipper.
[243] His party seems to be having all the fun."
[244] "Feller has to be mighty careless who he eats with to set over there."
[245] "I see your point."
[246] "You set right where you're at, Mister.
[247] I'll rustle you up a plate."
[248] Five minutes later, Retief cut into a thirty-two ounce Delmonico backed up with mushrooms and garlic butter.
[249] "I'm Chip," the chef said.
[250] "I don't like the Cap'n.
[251] You can tell him I said so.
[252] Don't like his friends, either.
[253] Don't like them dern Sweaties, look at a man like he was a worm."
[254] "You've got the right idea on frying a steak, Chip.
[255] And you've got the right idea on the Soetti, too," Retief said.
[256] He poured red wine into a glass.
[257] "Here's to you."
[258] "Dern right," Chip said.
[259] "Dunno who ever thought up broiling 'em.
[260] Steaks, that is.
[261] I got a Baked Alaska coming up in here for dessert.
[262] You like brandy in yer coffee?"
[263] "Chip, you're a genius."
[264] "Like to see a feller eat," Chip said.
[265] "I gotta go now.
[266] If you need anything, holler."
[267] Retief ate slowly.
[268] Time always dragged on shipboard.
[269] Four days to Jorgensen's Worlds.
[270] Then, if Magnan's information was correct, there would be four days to prepare for the Soetti attack.
[271] It was a temptation to scan the tapes built into the handle of his suitcase.
[272] It would be good to know what Jorgensen's Worlds would be up against.
[273] Retief finished the steak, and the chef passed out the baked Alaska and coffee.
[274] Most of the other passengers had left the dining room.
[275] Mr. Tony and his retainers still sat at the Captain's table.
[276] As Retief watched, four men arose from the table and sauntered across the room.
[277] The first in line, a stony-faced thug with a broken ear, took a cigar from his mouth as he reached the table.
[278] He dipped the lighted end in Retief's coffee, looked at it, and dropped it on the tablecloth.
[279] The others came up, Mr. Tony trailing.
[280] "You must want to get to Jorgensen's pretty bad," the thug said in a grating voice.
[281] "What's your game, hick?"
[282] Retief looked at the coffee cup, picked it up.
[283] "I don't think I want my coffee," he said.
[284] He looked at the thug.
[285] "You drink it."
[286] The thug squinted at Retief.
[287] "A wise hick," he began.
[288] With a flick of the wrist, Retief tossed the coffee into the thug's face, then stood and slammed a straight right to the chin.
[289] The thug went down.
[290] Retief looked at Mr. Tony, still standing open-mouthed.
[291] "You can take your playmates away now, Tony," he said.
[292] "And don't bother to come around yourself.
[293] You're not funny enough."
[294] Mr. Tony found his voice.
[295] "Take him, Marbles!"
[296] he growled.
[297] The thick-necked man slipped a hand inside his tunic and brought out a long-bladed knife.
[298] He licked his lips and moved in.
[299] Retief heard the panel open beside him.
[300] "Here you go, Mister," Chip said.
[301] Retief darted a glance; a well-honed french knife lay on the sill.
[302] "Thanks, Chip," Retief said.
[303] "I won't need it for these punks."
[304] Thick-neck lunged and Retief hit him square in the face, knocking him under the table.
[305] The other man stepped back, fumbling a power pistol from his shoulder holster.
[306] "Aim that at me, and I'll kill you," Retief said.
[307] "Go on, burn him!"
[308] Mr. Tony shouted.
[309] Behind him, the captain appeared, white-faced.
[310] "Put that away, you!"
[311] he yelled.
[312] "What kind of—" "Shut up," Mr. Tony said.
[313] "Put it away, Hoany.
[314] We'll fix this bum later."
[315] "Not on this vessel, you won't," the captain said shakily.
[316] "I got my charter to consider."
[317] "Ram your charter," Hoany said harshly.
[318] "You won't be needing it long."
[319] "Button your floppy mouth, damn you!"
[320] Mr. Tony snapped.
[321] He looked at the man on the floor.
[322] "Get Marbles out of here.
[323] I ought to dump the slob."
[324] He turned and walked away.
[325] The captain signaled and two waiters came up.
[326] Retief watched as they carted the casualty from the dining room.
[327] The panel opened.
[328] "I usta be about your size, when I was your age," Chip said.
[329] "You handled them pansies right.
[330] I wouldn't give 'em the time o' day."
[331] "How about a fresh cup of coffee, Chip?"
[332] Retief said.
[333] "Sure, Mister.
[334] Anything else?"
[335] "I'll think of something," Retief said.
[336] "This is shaping up into one of those long days."
[337] "They don't like me bringing yer meals to you in yer cabin," Chip said.
[338] "But the cap'n knows I'm the best cook in the Merchant Service.
[339] They won't mess with me."
[340] "What has Mr. Tony got on the captain, Chip?"
[341] Retief asked.
[342] "They're in some kind o' crooked business together.
[343] You want some more smoked turkey?"
[344] "Sure.
[345] What have they got against my going to Jorgensen's Worlds?"
[346] "Dunno.
[347] Hasn't been no tourists got in there fer six or eight months.
[348] I sure like a feller that can put it away.
[349] I was a big eater when I was yer age."
[350] "I'll bet you can still handle it, Old Timer.
[351] What are Jorgensen's Worlds like?"
[352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder.
[353] Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up.
[354] Man don't enjoy eatin' his own cookin' like he does somebody else's."
[355] "That's where I'm lucky, Chip.
[356] What kind of cargo's the captain got aboard for Jorgensen's?"
[357] "Derned if I know.
[358] In and out o' there like a grasshopper, ever few weeks.
[359] Don't never pick up no cargo.
[360] No tourists any more, like I says.
[361] Don't know what we even run in there for."
[362] "Where are the passengers we have aboard headed?"
[363] "To Alabaster.
[364] That's nine days' run in-sector from Jorgensen's.
[365] You ain't got another one of them cigars, have you?"
[366] "Have one, Chip.
[367] I guess I was lucky to get space on this ship."
[368] "Plenty o' space, Mister.
[369] We got a dozen empty cabins."
[370] Chip puffed the cigar alight, then cleared away the dishes, poured out coffee and brandy.
[371] "Them Sweaties is what I don't like," he said.
[372] Retief looked at him questioningly.
[373] "You never seen a Sweaty?
[374] Ugly lookin' devils.
[375] Skinny legs, like a lobster; big chest, shaped like the top of a turnip; rubbery lookin' head.
[376] You can see the pulse beatin' when they get riled."
[377] "I've never had the pleasure," Retief said.
[378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon.
[379] Them devils board us nigh ever trip out.
[380] Act like they was the Customs Patrol or somethin'."
[381] There was a distant clang, and a faint tremor ran through the floor.
[382] "I ain't superstitious ner nothin'," Chip said.
[383] "But I'll be triple-damned if that ain't them boarding us now."
[384] Ten minutes passed before bootsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by a clicking patter.
[385] The doorknob rattled, then a heavy knock shook the door.
[386] "They got to look you over," Chip whispered.
[387] "Nosy damn Sweaties."
[388] "Unlock it, Chip."
[389] The chef opened the door.
[390] "Come in, damn you," he said.
[391] A tall and grotesque creature minced into the room, tiny hoof-like feet tapping on the floor.
[392] A flaring metal helmet shaded the deep-set compound eyes, and a loose mantle flapped around the knobbed knees.
[393] Behind the alien, the captain hovered nervously.
[394] "Yo' papiss," the alien rasped.
[395] "Who's your friend, Captain?"
[396] Retief said.
[397] "Never mind; just do like he tells you."
[398] "Yo' papiss," the alien said again.
[399] "Okay," Retief said.
[400] "I've seen it.
[401] You can take it away now."
[402] "Don't horse around," the captain said.
[403] "This fellow can get mean."
[404] The alien brought two tiny arms out from the concealment of the mantle, clicked toothed pincers under Retief's nose.
[405] "Quick, soft one."
[406] "Captain, tell your friend to keep its distance.
[407] It looks brittle, and I'm tempted to test it."
[408] "Don't start anything with Skaw; he can clip through steel with those snappers."
[409] "Last chance," Retief said.
[410] Skaw stood poised, open pincers an inch from Retief's eyes.
[411] "Show him your papers, you damned fool," the captain said hoarsely.
[412] "I got no control over Skaw."
[413] The alien clicked both pincers with a sharp report, and in the same instant Retief half-turned to the left, leaned away from the alien and drove his right foot against the slender leg above the bulbous knee-joint.
[414] Skaw screeched and floundered, greenish fluid spattering from the burst joint.
[415] "I told you he was brittle," Retief said.
[416] "Next time you invite pirates aboard, don't bother to call."
[417] "Jesus, what did you do!
[418] They'll kill us!"
[419] the captain gasped, staring at the figure flopping on the floor.
[420] "Cart poor old Skaw back to his boat," Retief said.
[421] "Tell him to pass the word.
[422] No more illegal entry and search of Terrestrial vessels in Terrestrial space."
[423] "Hey," Chip said.
[424] "He's quit kicking."
[425] The captain bent over Skaw, gingerly rolled him over.
[426] He leaned close and sniffed.
[427] "He's dead."
[428] The captain stared at Retief.
[429] "We're all dead men," he said.
[430] "These Soetti got no mercy."
[431] "They won't need it.
[432] Tell 'em to sheer off; their fun is over."
[433] "They got no more emotions than a blue crab—" "You bluff easily, Captain.
[434] Show a few guns as you hand the body back.
[435] We know their secret now."
[436] "What secret?
[437] I—" "Don't be no dumber than you got to, Cap'n," Chip said.
[438] "Sweaties die easy; that's the secret."
[439] "Maybe you got a point," the captain said, looking at Retief.
[440] "All they got's a three-man scout.
[441] It could work."
[442] He went out, came back with two crewmen.
[443] They hauled the dead alien gingerly into the hall.
[444] "Maybe I can run a bluff on the Soetti," the captain said, looking back from the door.
[445] "But I'll be back to see you later."
[446] "You don't scare us, Cap'n," Chip said.
[447] "Him and Mr. Tony and all his goons.
[448] You hit 'em where they live, that time.
[449] They're pals o' these Sweaties.
[450] Runnin' some kind o' crooked racket."
[451] "You'd better take the captain's advice, Chip.
[452] There's no point in your getting involved in my problems."
[453] "They'd of killed you before now, Mister, if they had any guts.
[454] That's where we got it over these monkeys.
[455] They got no guts."
[456] "They act scared, Chip.
[457] Scared men are killers."
[458] "They don't scare me none."
[459] Chip picked up the tray.
[460] "I'll scout around a little and see what's goin' on.
[461] If the Sweaties figure to do anything about that Skaw feller they'll have to move fast; they won't try nothin' close to port."
[462] "Don't worry, Chip.
[463] I have reason to be pretty sure they won't do anything to attract a lot of attention in this sector just now."
[464] Chip looked at Retief.
[465] "You ain't no tourist, Mister.
[466] I know that much.
[467] You didn't come out here for fun, did you?"
[468] "That," Retief said, "would be a hard one to answer."
[469] IV Retief awoke at a tap on his door.
[470] "It's me, Mister.
[471] Chip."
[472] "Come on in."
[473] The chef entered the room, locking the door.
[474] "You shoulda had that door locked."
[475] He stood by the door, listening, then turned to Retief.
[476] "You want to get to Jorgensen's perty bad, don't you, Mister?"
[477] "That's right, Chip."
[478] "Mr. Tony give the captain a real hard time about old Skaw.
[479] The Sweaties didn't say nothin'.
[480] Didn't even act surprised, just took the remains and pushed off.
[481] But Mr. Tony and that other crook they call Marbles, they was fit to be tied.
[482] Took the cap'n in his cabin and talked loud at him fer half a hour.
[483] Then the cap'n come out and give some orders to the Mate."
[484] Retief sat up and reached for a cigar.
[485] "Mr. Tony and Skaw were pals, eh?"
[486] "He hated Skaw's guts.
[487] But with him it was business.
[488] Mister, you got a gun?"
[489] "A 2mm needler.
[490] Why?"
[491] "The orders cap'n give was to change course fer Alabaster.
[492] We're by-passin' Jorgensen's Worlds.
[493] We'll feel the course change any minute."
[494] Retief lit the cigar, reached under the mattress and took out a short-barreled pistol.
[495] He dropped it in his pocket, looked at Chip.
[496] "Maybe it was a good thought, at that.
[497] Which way to the Captain's cabin?"
[498] "This is it," Chip said softly.
[499] "You want me to keep an eye on who comes down the passage?"
[500] Retief nodded, opened the door and stepped into the cabin.
[501] The captain looked up from his desk, then jumped up.
[502] "What do you think you're doing, busting in here?"
[503] "I hear you're planning a course change, Captain."
[504] "You've got damn big ears."
[505] "I think we'd better call in at Jorgensen's."
[506] "You do, huh?"
[507] the captain sat down.
[508] "I'm in command of this vessel," he said.
[509] "I'm changing course for Alabaster."
[510] "I wouldn't find it convenient to go to Alabaster," Retief said.
[511] "So just hold your course for Jorgensen's."
[512] "Not bloody likely."
[513] "Your use of the word 'bloody' is interesting, Captain.
[514] Don't try to change course."
[515] The captain reached for the mike on his desk, pressed the key.
[516] "Power Section, this is the captain," he said.
[517] Retief reached across the desk, gripped the captain's wrist.
[518] "Tell the mate to hold his present course," he said softly.
[519] "Let go my hand, buster," the captain snarled.
[520] Eyes on Retief's, he eased a drawer open with his left hand, reached in.
[521] Retief kneed the drawer.
[522] The captain yelped and dropped the mike.
[523] "You busted it, you—" "And one to go," Retief said.
[524] "Tell him."
[525] "I'm an officer of the Merchant Service!"
[526] "You're a cheapjack who's sold his bridge to a pack of back-alley hoods."
[527] "You can't put it over, hick."
[528] "Tell him."
[529] The captain groaned and picked up the mike.
[530] "Captain to Power Section," he said.
[531] "Hold your present course until you hear from me."
[532] He dropped the mike and looked up at Retief.
[533] "It's eighteen hours yet before we pick up Jorgensen Control.
[534] You going to sit here and bend my arm the whole time?"
[535] Retief released the captain's wrist and turned to the door.
[536] "Chip, I'm locking the door.
[537] You circulate around, let me know what's going on.
[538] Bring me a pot of coffee every so often.
[539] I'm sitting up with a sick friend."
[540] "Right, Mister.
[541] Keep an eye on that jasper; he's slippery."
[542] "What are you going to do?"
[543] the captain demanded.
[544] Retief settled himself in a chair.
[545] "Instead of strangling you, as you deserve," he said, "I'm going to stay here and help you hold your course for Jorgensen's Worlds."
[546] The captain looked at Retief.
[547] He laughed, a short bark.
[548] "Then I'll just stretch out and have a little nap, farmer.
[549] If you feel like dozing off sometime during the next eighteen hours, don't mind me."
[550] Retief took out the needler and put it on the desk before him.
[551] "If anything happens that I don't like," he said, "I'll wake you up.
[552] With this." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who are the Soettis, and what is their significance?":
1. [9] However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating.
2. [10] "Now—" Magnan leaned forward and lowered his voice—"we have learned that the Soetti plan a bold step forward.
3. [11] Since they've met no opposition so far in their infiltration of Terrestrial space, they intend to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force."
4. [31] "First," he said. "The Soetti War Plan—in detail.
5. [32] We were fortunate enough to make contact with a defector from a party of renegade Terrestrials who've been advising the Soetti."
6. [373] "You never seen a Sweaty? Ugly lookin' devils. Skinny legs, like a lobster; big chest, shaped like the top of a turnip; rubbery lookin' head."
7. [374] "You can see the pulse beatin' when they get riled."
8. [377] "I've never had the pleasure," Retief said.
9. [378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon."
10. [379] "Them devils board us nigh ever trip out. Act like they was the Customs Patrol or somethin'."
11. [390] A tall and grotesque creature minced into the room, tiny hoof-like feet tapping on the floor.
12. [391] A flaring metal helmet shaded the deep-set compound eyes, and a loose mantle flapped around the knobbed knees.
13. [392] "Yo' papiss," the alien rasped.
14. [393] Behind the alien, the captain hovered nervously.
15. [394] "Never mind; just do like he tells you."
16. [398] "Yo' papiss," the alien said again.
17. [404] The alien brought two tiny arms out from the concealment of the mantle, clicked toothed pincers under Retief's nose.
18. [405] "Quick, soft one."
19. [408] "Don't start anything with Skaw; he can clip through steel with those snappers."
20. [410] Skaw stood poised, open pincers an inch from Retief's eyes.
21. [411] "Show him your papers, you damned fool," the captain said hoarsely.
22. [412] "I got no control over Skaw."
23. [413] The alien clicked both pincers with a sharp report, and in the same instant Retief half-turned to the left, leaned away from the alien and drove his right foot against the slender leg above the bulbous knee-joint.
24. [414] Skaw screeched and floundered, greenish fluid spattering from the burst joint.
25. [415] "I told you he was brittle," Retief said.
26. [416] "Next time you invite pirates aboard, don't bother to call."
27. [417] "Jesus, what did you do! They'll kill us!" the captain gasped, staring at the figure flopping on the floor.
28. [418] "Cart poor old Skaw back to his boat," Retief said.
29. [419] "Tell him to pass the word. No more illegal entry and search of Terrestrial vessels in Terrestrial space."
30. [420] "Hey," Chip said. "He's quit kicking."
31. [421] The captain bent over Skaw, gingerly rolled him over.
32. [422] He leaned close and sniffed.
33. [423] "He's dead."
34. [424] The captain stared at Retief.
35. [425] "We're all dead men," he said. "These Soetti got no mercy."
36. [426] "They won't need it. Tell 'em to sheer off; their fun is over."
37. [427] "They got no more emotions than a blue crab—"
38. [428] "You bluff easily, Captain. Show a few guns as you hand the body back. We know their secret now."
39. [429] "What secret? I—"
40. [430] "Don't be no dumber than you got to, Cap'n," Chip said. "Sweaties die easy; that's the secret." |
Describe Jorgensen’s Worlds and their significance. | [
"Jorgensen’s Worlds are a group of four planets, or actually two double planets, and are located close to an unimportant star known as DRI-G 33987. These planets are freezing cold and are undeveloped and mostly populated with farmers and traders. They have a small amount of industry, just enough to support their merchant fleet. However, the governing body in this sector of space has received word that an alien race, the Soetti, has plans to seize Jorgensen’s Worlds. The governing body isn’t going to sit by and let the aliens take over Terrestrial-occupied territory. Retief is on a mission to deliver information to Jorgensen’s Worlds that will enable them to defend themselves from the alien attack, providing them with the Soettis War Plan, a battle plan for the planets, and the schematics that will enable them, in a matter of minutes, to convert their anti-acceleration fields into a powerful weapon. Reaching Jorgensen’s Worlds will be challenging because the Soetti are patroling the trade lanes to the planet. Their successful defense against the Soetti hinges on Retief’s reaching the planets in time for them to make the conversions before the aliens' attack.",
"Jorgensen's Worlds consist of four cold planets: Two double planets that hover near a star called DRI-G 33987. The people who live on Jorgensen's Worlds are called \"Jorgies\" and most of them live on Svea because it is the least-frozen among the four planetes. Technologically underdeveloped, Jorgensen's Worlds make their industries in farming and trading and have nothing in the way of defense against hostile attack. The Soetti plan to seize Jorgensen's Worlds as part of their efforts to continue infiltrating Terrestrial space; this plan was revealed to Councillor Magnan and his associates by a defector from a group of Terrestrials who had been working with the Soetti. Councillor Magnan sends Retief on the four-day trip to help them convert their anti-acceleration field into a powerful weapon that may be used to defend themselves against the Soetti. Tourism to Jorgensen's Wolrds has recently come to a stand-still, but a ship piloted by the Captain and occupied by Mr. Tony, his henchmen, and the attendant Soetti ferries frequently to the planets carrying a mystery cargoload. The Captain wants to avoid stopping at Jorgensen's Worlds when he realizes Retief is slowly uncovering the plot, so he orders a course-change to Alabaster. But Retief stops him.",
"There are four planets in Jorgensen’s Worlds. Two sets of double planets that are close to star DRI-G 33987. Chip, the chef on the merchant vessel that Retief is riding, describes that one of them is as cold as hell and the other three are colder. Most of the population lives on the warmest of the planets, Svea. Jorgensen's Worlds are technologically undeveloped, populated by mostly farmers or traders, with industry playing only a minor economic role that barely supports the Merchant Fleet to make runs to them. They are significant because they are within Terrestrial space and an alien race, the Soetti, are trying to claim them by hostile takeover which Retief is sent by the Corps to stop. The Jorgensen's Worlds have essentially no ability to defend themselves since they don't have an armed force, so they can only be saved by the Corps.",
"Jorgensen's Worlds is the name used for four planets grouped around a star named DRI-G 33987. These worlds are colder than most other planets, with Svea being the least cold. Jorgensen's Worlds are inhabited by farmers and traders. They are technologically underdeveloped, especially when it comes to weapons and defense. Many of the inhabitants of Jorgensen's Worlds are mechanics. Jorgensen's Worlds are significant because they are the target of the Soetti, who hope to take the worlds by force. This is in open opposition to the organization for which Retief works, and he is given the mission of delivering advanced weaponry and knowledge to the people of Jorgensen's Worlds in order to protect it."
] | [1] THE FROZEN PLANET By Keith Laumer [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] "It is rather unusual," Magnan said, "to assign an officer of your rank to courier duty, but this is an unusual mission."
[4] Retief sat relaxed and said nothing.
[5] Just before the silence grew awkward, Magnan went on.
[6] "There are four planets in the group," he said.
[7] "Two double planets, all rather close to an unimportant star listed as DRI-G 33987.
[8] They're called Jorgensen's Worlds, and in themselves are of no importance whatever.
[9] However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating.
[10] "Now—" Magnan leaned forward and lowered his voice—"we have learned that the Soetti plan a bold step forward.
[11] Since they've met no opposition so far in their infiltration of Terrestrial space, they intend to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force."
[12] Magnan leaned back, waiting for Retief's reaction.
[13] Retief drew carefully on his cigar and looked at Magnan.
[14] Magnan frowned.
[15] "This is open aggression, Retief," he said, "in case I haven't made myself clear.
[16] Aggression on Terrestrial-occupied territory by an alien species.
[17] Obviously, we can't allow it."
[18] Magnan drew a large folder from his desk.
[19] "A show of resistance at this point is necessary.
[20] Unfortunately, Jorgensen's Worlds are technologically undeveloped areas.
[21] They're farmers or traders.
[22] Their industry is limited to a minor role in their economy—enough to support the merchant fleet, no more.
[23] The war potential, by conventional standards, is nil."
[24] Magnan tapped the folder before him.
[25] "I have here," he said solemnly, "information which will change that picture completely."
[26] He leaned back and blinked at Retief.
[27] "All right, Mr. Councillor," Retief said.
[28] "I'll play along; what's in the folder?"
[29] Magnan spread his fingers, folded one down.
[30] "First," he said.
[31] "The Soetti War Plan—in detail.
[32] We were fortunate enough to make contact with a defector from a party of renegade Terrestrials who've been advising the Soetti."
[33] He folded another finger.
[34] "Next, a battle plan for the Jorgensen's people, worked out by the Theory group."
[35] He wrestled a third finger down.
[36] "Lastly; an Utter Top Secret schematic for conversion of a standard anti-acceleration field into a potent weapon—a development our systems people have been holding in reserve for just such a situation."
[37] "Is that all?"
[38] Retief said.
[39] "You've still got two fingers sticking up."
[40] Magnan looked at the fingers and put them away.
[41] "This is no occasion for flippancy, Retief.
[42] In the wrong hands, this information could be catastrophic.
[43] You'll memorize it before you leave this building."
[44] "I'll carry it, sealed," Retief said.
[45] "That way nobody can sweat it out of me."
[46] Magnan started to shake his head.
[47] "Well," he said.
[48] "If it's trapped for destruction, I suppose—" "I've heard of these Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[49] "I remember an agent, a big blond fellow, very quick on the uptake.
[50] A wizard with cards and dice.
[51] Never played for money, though."
[52] "Umm," Magnan said.
[53] "Don't make the error of personalizing this situation, Retief.
[54] Overall policy calls for a defense of these backwater worlds.
[55] Otherwise the Corps would allow history to follow its natural course, as always."
[56] "When does this attack happen?"
[57] "Less than four weeks."
[58] "That doesn't leave me much time."
[59] "I have your itinerary here.
[60] Your accommodations are clear as far as Aldo Cerise.
[61] You'll have to rely on your ingenuity to get you the rest of the way."
[62] "That's a pretty rough trip, Mr. Councillor.
[63] Suppose I don't make it?"
[64] Magnan looked sour.
[65] "Someone at a policy-making level has chosen to put all our eggs in one basket, Retief.
[66] I hope their confidence in you is not misplaced."
[67] "This antiac conversion; how long does it take?"
[68] "A skilled electronics crew can do the job in a matter of minutes.
[69] The Jorgensens can handle it very nicely; every other man is a mechanic of some sort."
[70] Retief opened the envelope Magnan handed him and looked at the tickets inside.
[71] "Less than four hours to departure time," he said.
[72] "I'd better not start any long books."
[73] "You'd better waste no time getting over to Indoctrination," Magnan said.
[74] Retief stood up.
[75] "If I hurry, maybe I can catch the cartoon."
[76] "The allusion escapes me," Magnan said coldly.
[77] "And one last word.
[78] The Soetti are patrolling the trade lanes into Jorgensen's Worlds; don't get yourself interned."
[79] "I'll tell you what," Retief said soberly.
[80] "In a pinch, I'll mention your name."
[81] "You'll be traveling with Class X credentials," Magnan snapped.
[82] "There must be nothing to connect you with the Corps."
[83] "They'll never guess," Retief said.
[84] "I'll pose as a gentleman."
[85] "You'd better be getting started," Magnan said, shuffling papers.
[86] "You're right," Retief said.
[87] "If I work at it, I might manage a snootful by takeoff."
[88] He went to the door.
[89] "No objection to my checking out a needler, is there?"
[90] Magnan looked up.
[91] "I suppose not.
[92] What do you want with it?"
[93] "Just a feeling I've got."
[94] "Please yourself."
[95] "Some day," Retief said, "I may take you up on that."
[96] II Retief put down the heavy travel-battered suitcase and leaned on the counter, studying the schedules chalked on the board under the legend "ALDO CERISE—INTERPLANETARY."
[97] A thin clerk in a faded sequined blouse and a plastic snakeskin cummerbund groomed his fingernails, watching Retief from the corner of his eye.
[98] Retief glanced at him.
[99] The clerk nipped off a ragged corner with rabbitlike front teeth and spat it on the floor.
[100] "Was there something?"
[101] he said.
[102] "Two twenty-eight, due out today for the Jorgensen group," Retief said.
[103] "Is it on schedule?"
[104] The clerk sampled the inside of his right cheek, eyed Retief.
[105] "Filled up.
[106] Try again in a couple of weeks."
[107] "What time does it leave?"
[108] "I don't think—" "Let's stick to facts," Retief said.
[109] "Don't try to think.
[110] What time is it due out?"
[111] The clerk smiled pityingly.
[112] "It's my lunch hour," he said.
[113] "I'll be open in an hour."
[114] He held up a thumb nail, frowned at it.
[115] "If I have to come around this counter," Retief said, "I'll feed that thumb to you the hard way."
[116] The clerk looked up and opened his mouth.
[117] Then he caught Retief's eye, closed his mouth and swallowed.
[118] "Like it says there," he said, jerking a thumb at the board.
[119] "Lifts in an hour.
[120] But you won't be on it," he added.
[121] Retief looked at him.
[122] "Some ... ah ... VIP's required accommodation," he said.
[123] He hooked a finger inside the sequined collar.
[124] "All tourist reservations were canceled.
[125] You'll have to try to get space on the Four-Planet Line ship next—" "Which gate?"
[126] Retief said.
[127] "For ...
[128] ah...?"
[129] "For the two twenty-eight for Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[130] "Well," the clerk said.
[131] "Gate 19," he added quickly.
[132] "But—" Retief picked up his suitcase and walked away toward the glare sign reading To Gates 16-30 .
[133] "Another smart alec," the clerk said behind him.
[134] Retief followed the signs, threaded his way through crowds, found a covered ramp with the number 228 posted over it.
[135] A heavy-shouldered man with a scarred jawline and small eyes was slouching there in a rumpled gray uniform.
[136] He put out a hand as Retief started past him.
[137] "Lessee your boarding pass," he muttered.
[138] Retief pulled a paper from an inside pocket, handed it over.
[139] The guard blinked at it.
[140] "Whassat?"
[141] "A gram confirming my space," Retief said.
[142] "Your boy on the counter says he's out to lunch."
[143] The guard crumpled the gram, dropped it on the floor and lounged back against the handrail.
[144] "On your way, bub," he said.
[145] Retief put his suitcase carefully on the floor, took a step and drove a right into the guard's midriff.
[146] He stepped aside as the man doubled and went to his knees.
[147] "You were wide open, ugly.
[148] I couldn't resist.
[149] Tell your boss I sneaked past while you were resting your eyes."
[150] He picked up his bag, stepped over the man and went up the gangway into the ship.
[151] A cabin boy in stained whites came along the corridor.
[152] "Which way to cabin fifty-seven, son?"
[153] Retief asked.
[154] "Up there."
[155] The boy jerked his head and hurried on.
[156] Retief made his way along the narrow hall, found signs, followed them to cabin fifty-seven.
[157] The door was open.
[158] Inside, baggage was piled in the center of the floor.
[159] It was expensive looking baggage.
[160] Retief put his bag down.
[161] He turned at a sound behind him.
[162] A tall, florid man with an expensive coat belted over a massive paunch stood in the open door, looking at Retief.
[163] Retief looked back.
[164] The florid man clamped his jaws together, turned to speak over his shoulder.
[165] "Somebody in the cabin.
[166] Get 'em out."
[167] He rolled a cold eye at Retief as he backed out of the room.
[168] A short, thick-necked man appeared.
[169] "What are you doing in Mr. Tony's room?"
[170] he barked.
[171] "Never mind!
[172] Clear out of here, fellow!
[173] You're keeping Mr. Tony waiting."
[174] "Too bad," Retief said.
[175] "Finders keepers."
[176] "You nuts?"
[177] The thick-necked man stared at Retief.
[178] "I said it's Mr. Tony's room."
[179] "I don't know Mr. Tony.
[180] He'll have to bull his way into other quarters."
[181] "We'll see about you, mister."
[182] The man turned and went out.
[183] Retief sat on the bunk and lit a cigar.
[184] There was a sound of voices in the corridor.
[185] Two burly baggage-smashers appeared, straining at an oversized trunk.
[186] They maneuvered it through the door, lowered it, glanced at Retief and went out.
[187] The thick-necked man returned.
[188] "All right, you.
[189] Out," he growled.
[190] "Or have I got to have you thrown out?"
[191] Retief rose and clamped the cigar between his teeth.
[192] He gripped a handle of the brass-bound trunk in each hand, bent his knees and heaved the trunk up to chest level, then raised it overhead.
[193] He turned to the door.
[194] "Catch," he said between clenched teeth.
[195] The trunk slammed against the far wall of the corridor and burst.
[196] Retief turned to the baggage on the floor, tossed it into the hall.
[197] The face of the thick-necked man appeared cautiously around the door jamb.
[198] "Mister, you must be—" "If you'll excuse me," Retief said, "I want to catch a nap."
[199] He flipped the door shut, pulled off his shoes and stretched out on the bed.
[200] Five minutes passed before the door rattled and burst open.
[201] Retief looked up.
[202] A gaunt leathery-skinned man wearing white ducks, a blue turtleneck sweater and a peaked cap tilted raffishly over one eye stared at Retief.
[203] "Is this the joker?"
[204] he grated.
[205] The thick-necked man edged past him, looked at Retief and snorted, "That's him, sure."
[206] "I'm captain of this vessel," the first man said.
[207] "You've got two minutes to haul your freight out of here, buster."
[208] "When you can spare the time from your other duties," Retief said, "take a look at Section Three, Paragraph One, of the Uniform Code.
[209] That spells out the law on confirmed space on vessels engaged in interplanetary commerce."
[210] "A space lawyer."
[211] The captain turned.
[212] "Throw him out, boys."
[213] Two big men edged into the cabin, looking at Retief.
[214] "Go on, pitch him out," the captain snapped.
[215] Retief put his cigar in an ashtray, and swung his feet off the bunk.
[216] "Don't try it," he said softly.
[217] One of the two wiped his nose on a sleeve, spat on his right palm, and stepped forward, then hesitated.
[218] "Hey," he said.
[219] "This the guy tossed the trunk off the wall?"
[220] "That's him," the thick-necked man called.
[221] "Spilled Mr. Tony's possessions right on the deck."
[222] "Deal me out," the bouncer said.
[223] "He can stay put as long as he wants to.
[224] I signed on to move cargo.
[225] Let's go, Moe."
[226] "You'd better be getting back to the bridge, Captain," Retief said.
[227] "We're due to lift in twenty minutes."
[228] The thick-necked man and the Captain both shouted at once.
[229] The Captain's voice prevailed.
[230] "—twenty minutes ... uniform Code ... gonna do?"
[231] "Close the door as you leave," Retief said.
[232] The thick-necked man paused at the door.
[233] "We'll see you when you come out."
[234] III Four waiters passed Retief's table without stopping.
[235] A fifth leaned against the wall nearby, a menu under his arm.
[236] At a table across the room, the Captain, now wearing a dress uniform and with his thin red hair neatly parted, sat with a table of male passengers.
[237] He talked loudly and laughed frequently, casting occasional glances Retief's way.
[238] A panel opened in the wall behind Retief's chair.
[239] Bright blue eyes peered out from under a white chef's cap.
[240] "Givin' you the cold shoulder, heh, Mister?"
[241] "Looks like it, old-timer," Retief said.
[242] "Maybe I'd better go join the skipper.
[243] His party seems to be having all the fun."
[244] "Feller has to be mighty careless who he eats with to set over there."
[245] "I see your point."
[246] "You set right where you're at, Mister.
[247] I'll rustle you up a plate."
[248] Five minutes later, Retief cut into a thirty-two ounce Delmonico backed up with mushrooms and garlic butter.
[249] "I'm Chip," the chef said.
[250] "I don't like the Cap'n.
[251] You can tell him I said so.
[252] Don't like his friends, either.
[253] Don't like them dern Sweaties, look at a man like he was a worm."
[254] "You've got the right idea on frying a steak, Chip.
[255] And you've got the right idea on the Soetti, too," Retief said.
[256] He poured red wine into a glass.
[257] "Here's to you."
[258] "Dern right," Chip said.
[259] "Dunno who ever thought up broiling 'em.
[260] Steaks, that is.
[261] I got a Baked Alaska coming up in here for dessert.
[262] You like brandy in yer coffee?"
[263] "Chip, you're a genius."
[264] "Like to see a feller eat," Chip said.
[265] "I gotta go now.
[266] If you need anything, holler."
[267] Retief ate slowly.
[268] Time always dragged on shipboard.
[269] Four days to Jorgensen's Worlds.
[270] Then, if Magnan's information was correct, there would be four days to prepare for the Soetti attack.
[271] It was a temptation to scan the tapes built into the handle of his suitcase.
[272] It would be good to know what Jorgensen's Worlds would be up against.
[273] Retief finished the steak, and the chef passed out the baked Alaska and coffee.
[274] Most of the other passengers had left the dining room.
[275] Mr. Tony and his retainers still sat at the Captain's table.
[276] As Retief watched, four men arose from the table and sauntered across the room.
[277] The first in line, a stony-faced thug with a broken ear, took a cigar from his mouth as he reached the table.
[278] He dipped the lighted end in Retief's coffee, looked at it, and dropped it on the tablecloth.
[279] The others came up, Mr. Tony trailing.
[280] "You must want to get to Jorgensen's pretty bad," the thug said in a grating voice.
[281] "What's your game, hick?"
[282] Retief looked at the coffee cup, picked it up.
[283] "I don't think I want my coffee," he said.
[284] He looked at the thug.
[285] "You drink it."
[286] The thug squinted at Retief.
[287] "A wise hick," he began.
[288] With a flick of the wrist, Retief tossed the coffee into the thug's face, then stood and slammed a straight right to the chin.
[289] The thug went down.
[290] Retief looked at Mr. Tony, still standing open-mouthed.
[291] "You can take your playmates away now, Tony," he said.
[292] "And don't bother to come around yourself.
[293] You're not funny enough."
[294] Mr. Tony found his voice.
[295] "Take him, Marbles!"
[296] he growled.
[297] The thick-necked man slipped a hand inside his tunic and brought out a long-bladed knife.
[298] He licked his lips and moved in.
[299] Retief heard the panel open beside him.
[300] "Here you go, Mister," Chip said.
[301] Retief darted a glance; a well-honed french knife lay on the sill.
[302] "Thanks, Chip," Retief said.
[303] "I won't need it for these punks."
[304] Thick-neck lunged and Retief hit him square in the face, knocking him under the table.
[305] The other man stepped back, fumbling a power pistol from his shoulder holster.
[306] "Aim that at me, and I'll kill you," Retief said.
[307] "Go on, burn him!"
[308] Mr. Tony shouted.
[309] Behind him, the captain appeared, white-faced.
[310] "Put that away, you!"
[311] he yelled.
[312] "What kind of—" "Shut up," Mr. Tony said.
[313] "Put it away, Hoany.
[314] We'll fix this bum later."
[315] "Not on this vessel, you won't," the captain said shakily.
[316] "I got my charter to consider."
[317] "Ram your charter," Hoany said harshly.
[318] "You won't be needing it long."
[319] "Button your floppy mouth, damn you!"
[320] Mr. Tony snapped.
[321] He looked at the man on the floor.
[322] "Get Marbles out of here.
[323] I ought to dump the slob."
[324] He turned and walked away.
[325] The captain signaled and two waiters came up.
[326] Retief watched as they carted the casualty from the dining room.
[327] The panel opened.
[328] "I usta be about your size, when I was your age," Chip said.
[329] "You handled them pansies right.
[330] I wouldn't give 'em the time o' day."
[331] "How about a fresh cup of coffee, Chip?"
[332] Retief said.
[333] "Sure, Mister.
[334] Anything else?"
[335] "I'll think of something," Retief said.
[336] "This is shaping up into one of those long days."
[337] "They don't like me bringing yer meals to you in yer cabin," Chip said.
[338] "But the cap'n knows I'm the best cook in the Merchant Service.
[339] They won't mess with me."
[340] "What has Mr. Tony got on the captain, Chip?"
[341] Retief asked.
[342] "They're in some kind o' crooked business together.
[343] You want some more smoked turkey?"
[344] "Sure.
[345] What have they got against my going to Jorgensen's Worlds?"
[346] "Dunno.
[347] Hasn't been no tourists got in there fer six or eight months.
[348] I sure like a feller that can put it away.
[349] I was a big eater when I was yer age."
[350] "I'll bet you can still handle it, Old Timer.
[351] What are Jorgensen's Worlds like?"
[352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder.
[353] Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up.
[354] Man don't enjoy eatin' his own cookin' like he does somebody else's."
[355] "That's where I'm lucky, Chip.
[356] What kind of cargo's the captain got aboard for Jorgensen's?"
[357] "Derned if I know.
[358] In and out o' there like a grasshopper, ever few weeks.
[359] Don't never pick up no cargo.
[360] No tourists any more, like I says.
[361] Don't know what we even run in there for."
[362] "Where are the passengers we have aboard headed?"
[363] "To Alabaster.
[364] That's nine days' run in-sector from Jorgensen's.
[365] You ain't got another one of them cigars, have you?"
[366] "Have one, Chip.
[367] I guess I was lucky to get space on this ship."
[368] "Plenty o' space, Mister.
[369] We got a dozen empty cabins."
[370] Chip puffed the cigar alight, then cleared away the dishes, poured out coffee and brandy.
[371] "Them Sweaties is what I don't like," he said.
[372] Retief looked at him questioningly.
[373] "You never seen a Sweaty?
[374] Ugly lookin' devils.
[375] Skinny legs, like a lobster; big chest, shaped like the top of a turnip; rubbery lookin' head.
[376] You can see the pulse beatin' when they get riled."
[377] "I've never had the pleasure," Retief said.
[378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon.
[379] Them devils board us nigh ever trip out.
[380] Act like they was the Customs Patrol or somethin'."
[381] There was a distant clang, and a faint tremor ran through the floor.
[382] "I ain't superstitious ner nothin'," Chip said.
[383] "But I'll be triple-damned if that ain't them boarding us now."
[384] Ten minutes passed before bootsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by a clicking patter.
[385] The doorknob rattled, then a heavy knock shook the door.
[386] "They got to look you over," Chip whispered.
[387] "Nosy damn Sweaties."
[388] "Unlock it, Chip."
[389] The chef opened the door.
[390] "Come in, damn you," he said.
[391] A tall and grotesque creature minced into the room, tiny hoof-like feet tapping on the floor.
[392] A flaring metal helmet shaded the deep-set compound eyes, and a loose mantle flapped around the knobbed knees.
[393] Behind the alien, the captain hovered nervously.
[394] "Yo' papiss," the alien rasped.
[395] "Who's your friend, Captain?"
[396] Retief said.
[397] "Never mind; just do like he tells you."
[398] "Yo' papiss," the alien said again.
[399] "Okay," Retief said.
[400] "I've seen it.
[401] You can take it away now."
[402] "Don't horse around," the captain said.
[403] "This fellow can get mean."
[404] The alien brought two tiny arms out from the concealment of the mantle, clicked toothed pincers under Retief's nose.
[405] "Quick, soft one."
[406] "Captain, tell your friend to keep its distance.
[407] It looks brittle, and I'm tempted to test it."
[408] "Don't start anything with Skaw; he can clip through steel with those snappers."
[409] "Last chance," Retief said.
[410] Skaw stood poised, open pincers an inch from Retief's eyes.
[411] "Show him your papers, you damned fool," the captain said hoarsely.
[412] "I got no control over Skaw."
[413] The alien clicked both pincers with a sharp report, and in the same instant Retief half-turned to the left, leaned away from the alien and drove his right foot against the slender leg above the bulbous knee-joint.
[414] Skaw screeched and floundered, greenish fluid spattering from the burst joint.
[415] "I told you he was brittle," Retief said.
[416] "Next time you invite pirates aboard, don't bother to call."
[417] "Jesus, what did you do!
[418] They'll kill us!"
[419] the captain gasped, staring at the figure flopping on the floor.
[420] "Cart poor old Skaw back to his boat," Retief said.
[421] "Tell him to pass the word.
[422] No more illegal entry and search of Terrestrial vessels in Terrestrial space."
[423] "Hey," Chip said.
[424] "He's quit kicking."
[425] The captain bent over Skaw, gingerly rolled him over.
[426] He leaned close and sniffed.
[427] "He's dead."
[428] The captain stared at Retief.
[429] "We're all dead men," he said.
[430] "These Soetti got no mercy."
[431] "They won't need it.
[432] Tell 'em to sheer off; their fun is over."
[433] "They got no more emotions than a blue crab—" "You bluff easily, Captain.
[434] Show a few guns as you hand the body back.
[435] We know their secret now."
[436] "What secret?
[437] I—" "Don't be no dumber than you got to, Cap'n," Chip said.
[438] "Sweaties die easy; that's the secret."
[439] "Maybe you got a point," the captain said, looking at Retief.
[440] "All they got's a three-man scout.
[441] It could work."
[442] He went out, came back with two crewmen.
[443] They hauled the dead alien gingerly into the hall.
[444] "Maybe I can run a bluff on the Soetti," the captain said, looking back from the door.
[445] "But I'll be back to see you later."
[446] "You don't scare us, Cap'n," Chip said.
[447] "Him and Mr. Tony and all his goons.
[448] You hit 'em where they live, that time.
[449] They're pals o' these Sweaties.
[450] Runnin' some kind o' crooked racket."
[451] "You'd better take the captain's advice, Chip.
[452] There's no point in your getting involved in my problems."
[453] "They'd of killed you before now, Mister, if they had any guts.
[454] That's where we got it over these monkeys.
[455] They got no guts."
[456] "They act scared, Chip.
[457] Scared men are killers."
[458] "They don't scare me none."
[459] Chip picked up the tray.
[460] "I'll scout around a little and see what's goin' on.
[461] If the Sweaties figure to do anything about that Skaw feller they'll have to move fast; they won't try nothin' close to port."
[462] "Don't worry, Chip.
[463] I have reason to be pretty sure they won't do anything to attract a lot of attention in this sector just now."
[464] Chip looked at Retief.
[465] "You ain't no tourist, Mister.
[466] I know that much.
[467] You didn't come out here for fun, did you?"
[468] "That," Retief said, "would be a hard one to answer."
[469] IV Retief awoke at a tap on his door.
[470] "It's me, Mister.
[471] Chip."
[472] "Come on in."
[473] The chef entered the room, locking the door.
[474] "You shoulda had that door locked."
[475] He stood by the door, listening, then turned to Retief.
[476] "You want to get to Jorgensen's perty bad, don't you, Mister?"
[477] "That's right, Chip."
[478] "Mr. Tony give the captain a real hard time about old Skaw.
[479] The Sweaties didn't say nothin'.
[480] Didn't even act surprised, just took the remains and pushed off.
[481] But Mr. Tony and that other crook they call Marbles, they was fit to be tied.
[482] Took the cap'n in his cabin and talked loud at him fer half a hour.
[483] Then the cap'n come out and give some orders to the Mate."
[484] Retief sat up and reached for a cigar.
[485] "Mr. Tony and Skaw were pals, eh?"
[486] "He hated Skaw's guts.
[487] But with him it was business.
[488] Mister, you got a gun?"
[489] "A 2mm needler.
[490] Why?"
[491] "The orders cap'n give was to change course fer Alabaster.
[492] We're by-passin' Jorgensen's Worlds.
[493] We'll feel the course change any minute."
[494] Retief lit the cigar, reached under the mattress and took out a short-barreled pistol.
[495] He dropped it in his pocket, looked at Chip.
[496] "Maybe it was a good thought, at that.
[497] Which way to the Captain's cabin?"
[498] "This is it," Chip said softly.
[499] "You want me to keep an eye on who comes down the passage?"
[500] Retief nodded, opened the door and stepped into the cabin.
[501] The captain looked up from his desk, then jumped up.
[502] "What do you think you're doing, busting in here?"
[503] "I hear you're planning a course change, Captain."
[504] "You've got damn big ears."
[505] "I think we'd better call in at Jorgensen's."
[506] "You do, huh?"
[507] the captain sat down.
[508] "I'm in command of this vessel," he said.
[509] "I'm changing course for Alabaster."
[510] "I wouldn't find it convenient to go to Alabaster," Retief said.
[511] "So just hold your course for Jorgensen's."
[512] "Not bloody likely."
[513] "Your use of the word 'bloody' is interesting, Captain.
[514] Don't try to change course."
[515] The captain reached for the mike on his desk, pressed the key.
[516] "Power Section, this is the captain," he said.
[517] Retief reached across the desk, gripped the captain's wrist.
[518] "Tell the mate to hold his present course," he said softly.
[519] "Let go my hand, buster," the captain snarled.
[520] Eyes on Retief's, he eased a drawer open with his left hand, reached in.
[521] Retief kneed the drawer.
[522] The captain yelped and dropped the mike.
[523] "You busted it, you—" "And one to go," Retief said.
[524] "Tell him."
[525] "I'm an officer of the Merchant Service!"
[526] "You're a cheapjack who's sold his bridge to a pack of back-alley hoods."
[527] "You can't put it over, hick."
[528] "Tell him."
[529] The captain groaned and picked up the mike.
[530] "Captain to Power Section," he said.
[531] "Hold your present course until you hear from me."
[532] He dropped the mike and looked up at Retief.
[533] "It's eighteen hours yet before we pick up Jorgensen Control.
[534] You going to sit here and bend my arm the whole time?"
[535] Retief released the captain's wrist and turned to the door.
[536] "Chip, I'm locking the door.
[537] You circulate around, let me know what's going on.
[538] Bring me a pot of coffee every so often.
[539] I'm sitting up with a sick friend."
[540] "Right, Mister.
[541] Keep an eye on that jasper; he's slippery."
[542] "What are you going to do?"
[543] the captain demanded.
[544] Retief settled himself in a chair.
[545] "Instead of strangling you, as you deserve," he said, "I'm going to stay here and help you hold your course for Jorgensen's Worlds."
[546] The captain looked at Retief.
[547] He laughed, a short bark.
[548] "Then I'll just stretch out and have a little nap, farmer.
[549] If you feel like dozing off sometime during the next eighteen hours, don't mind me."
[550] Retief took out the needler and put it on the desk before him.
[551] "If anything happens that I don't like," he said, "I'll wake you up.
[552] With this." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe Jorgensen's Worlds and their significance":
1. [6] "There are four planets in the group," he said.
2. [7] "Two double planets, all rather close to an unimportant star listed as DRI-G 33987.
3. [8] They're called Jorgensen's Worlds, and in themselves are of no importance whatever.
4. [9] However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating.
5. [20] "Unfortunately, Jorgensen's Worlds are technologically undeveloped areas.
6. [21] They're farmers or traders.
7. [22] Their industry is limited to a minor role in their economy—enough to support the merchant fleet, no more.
8. [23] The war potential, by conventional standards, is nil."
9. [352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder.
10. [353] Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up." |
Who is Chip, and what is his significance? | [
"Chip is the chef on the airship that is traveling to Jorgensen’s Worlds. His role as chef enables him to have contact with the Captain, crew, and passengers, which makes him extremely valuable to Retief. In addition, he likes Retief since he stands up to Mr. Tony and the Captain, neither of whom Chip can stand. When the serving staff ignore Retief, Chip serves Retief and later continues serving him meals in his room. When Retief is threatened by one of Mr. Tony’s goons wielding a knife, Chip passes a knife from the kitchen to Retief to defend himself. Most importantly, Chip shares his wealth of knowledge with Retief and assists him. Chip informs Retief that Mr. Tony and the Captain are involved in some kind of crooked business deal with each other, adding that there haven’t been any tourist to Jorgensen’s Worlds for the last six to eight months. He also tells Retief about the Soettis boarding the ship and searching it. At the end of the story when Retief is holding the Captain in his cabin to prevent him from changing the orders and bypassing Jorgensen’s Worlds, Chip keeps an eye on what is going on with the rest of the passengers to report back to Retief. Without Chip’s help, Retief might not have been as successful in thwarting the Captain and Mr. Tony’s plan to bypass Jorgensen’s Worlds.",
"Chip is the chef on the ship that ferries passengers and cargo to planet clusters like Jorgensen's Worlds and even further into Terrestrial space to planets like Alabaster. Friendly and helpful to Retief, Chip speaks to him through a panel in the wall that he slides open and closed whenever he is ready to serve food or dish out some useful information. Chip cannot stand the Soetti, whom he calls \"Sweaties\", because of their condescension and harassment. He also doesn't like the Captain of the ship, Mr. Tony, or any of his henchmen. When the waiters in the dining area ignore Retief, Chip whips him up a thirty-two-ounce Delmonico with mushrooms and garlic butter as well as some coffee with brandy and baked Alaska. When Marbles threatens retief with a knife, Chip offers Retief a french knife through his sliding panel in order to defend himself. Later, Chip helps Retief again by providing him information about Mr. Tony's business relationship with Skaw and the Captain's order to change course for Alabaster. While Retief holds the Captain at gunpoint to prevent him from following through on that order, Chip keeps watch in the corridor.",
"Chip is the chef on the Merchant Vessel that Retief has boarded to travel to Jorgensen’s Worlds to prepare them for the Soetti attack. Chip is significant because he is the guide of the story, giving Retief key information to make decisions, such as that the Captain is engaged in crooked business with Mr. Tony and the thugs, and that vessel is changing course unexpectedly to pass by the Jorgensen’s Worlds which would jeopardize Retief’s mission entirely. Chip is friendly to Retief from their first meeting and supportive of his mission since he does not trust the Soetti and he thinks they look at men like worms. Chip takes liberties to deliver food to Retief in his room, which allows them to have private conversations about the Captain and Mr.Tony, and will support Retief with coffee during the 18 hours he has to stay awake to watch the Captain and ensure he stays on course to Jorgensen's Worlds.",
"Chip is the ship's cook and happens to be the best cook in the Merchant Service. Chip doesn't care for the captain of the ship or the Soetti, who he derisively calls the \"Sweaties.\" Chip is considerably older than Retief but he sympathizes with the younger man when the waiters of the ship refuse to wait on him and he feeds Retief. Chip feeds Retief then goes so far as to assist him in fighting the Soetti that comes on board named Skaw. It is through Chip that Retief finds out the situation on the ship and uncovers that Mr. Tony is working with the Soetti."
] | [1] THE FROZEN PLANET By Keith Laumer [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] "It is rather unusual," Magnan said, "to assign an officer of your rank to courier duty, but this is an unusual mission."
[4] Retief sat relaxed and said nothing.
[5] Just before the silence grew awkward, Magnan went on.
[6] "There are four planets in the group," he said.
[7] "Two double planets, all rather close to an unimportant star listed as DRI-G 33987.
[8] They're called Jorgensen's Worlds, and in themselves are of no importance whatever.
[9] However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating.
[10] "Now—" Magnan leaned forward and lowered his voice—"we have learned that the Soetti plan a bold step forward.
[11] Since they've met no opposition so far in their infiltration of Terrestrial space, they intend to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force."
[12] Magnan leaned back, waiting for Retief's reaction.
[13] Retief drew carefully on his cigar and looked at Magnan.
[14] Magnan frowned.
[15] "This is open aggression, Retief," he said, "in case I haven't made myself clear.
[16] Aggression on Terrestrial-occupied territory by an alien species.
[17] Obviously, we can't allow it."
[18] Magnan drew a large folder from his desk.
[19] "A show of resistance at this point is necessary.
[20] Unfortunately, Jorgensen's Worlds are technologically undeveloped areas.
[21] They're farmers or traders.
[22] Their industry is limited to a minor role in their economy—enough to support the merchant fleet, no more.
[23] The war potential, by conventional standards, is nil."
[24] Magnan tapped the folder before him.
[25] "I have here," he said solemnly, "information which will change that picture completely."
[26] He leaned back and blinked at Retief.
[27] "All right, Mr. Councillor," Retief said.
[28] "I'll play along; what's in the folder?"
[29] Magnan spread his fingers, folded one down.
[30] "First," he said.
[31] "The Soetti War Plan—in detail.
[32] We were fortunate enough to make contact with a defector from a party of renegade Terrestrials who've been advising the Soetti."
[33] He folded another finger.
[34] "Next, a battle plan for the Jorgensen's people, worked out by the Theory group."
[35] He wrestled a third finger down.
[36] "Lastly; an Utter Top Secret schematic for conversion of a standard anti-acceleration field into a potent weapon—a development our systems people have been holding in reserve for just such a situation."
[37] "Is that all?"
[38] Retief said.
[39] "You've still got two fingers sticking up."
[40] Magnan looked at the fingers and put them away.
[41] "This is no occasion for flippancy, Retief.
[42] In the wrong hands, this information could be catastrophic.
[43] You'll memorize it before you leave this building."
[44] "I'll carry it, sealed," Retief said.
[45] "That way nobody can sweat it out of me."
[46] Magnan started to shake his head.
[47] "Well," he said.
[48] "If it's trapped for destruction, I suppose—" "I've heard of these Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[49] "I remember an agent, a big blond fellow, very quick on the uptake.
[50] A wizard with cards and dice.
[51] Never played for money, though."
[52] "Umm," Magnan said.
[53] "Don't make the error of personalizing this situation, Retief.
[54] Overall policy calls for a defense of these backwater worlds.
[55] Otherwise the Corps would allow history to follow its natural course, as always."
[56] "When does this attack happen?"
[57] "Less than four weeks."
[58] "That doesn't leave me much time."
[59] "I have your itinerary here.
[60] Your accommodations are clear as far as Aldo Cerise.
[61] You'll have to rely on your ingenuity to get you the rest of the way."
[62] "That's a pretty rough trip, Mr. Councillor.
[63] Suppose I don't make it?"
[64] Magnan looked sour.
[65] "Someone at a policy-making level has chosen to put all our eggs in one basket, Retief.
[66] I hope their confidence in you is not misplaced."
[67] "This antiac conversion; how long does it take?"
[68] "A skilled electronics crew can do the job in a matter of minutes.
[69] The Jorgensens can handle it very nicely; every other man is a mechanic of some sort."
[70] Retief opened the envelope Magnan handed him and looked at the tickets inside.
[71] "Less than four hours to departure time," he said.
[72] "I'd better not start any long books."
[73] "You'd better waste no time getting over to Indoctrination," Magnan said.
[74] Retief stood up.
[75] "If I hurry, maybe I can catch the cartoon."
[76] "The allusion escapes me," Magnan said coldly.
[77] "And one last word.
[78] The Soetti are patrolling the trade lanes into Jorgensen's Worlds; don't get yourself interned."
[79] "I'll tell you what," Retief said soberly.
[80] "In a pinch, I'll mention your name."
[81] "You'll be traveling with Class X credentials," Magnan snapped.
[82] "There must be nothing to connect you with the Corps."
[83] "They'll never guess," Retief said.
[84] "I'll pose as a gentleman."
[85] "You'd better be getting started," Magnan said, shuffling papers.
[86] "You're right," Retief said.
[87] "If I work at it, I might manage a snootful by takeoff."
[88] He went to the door.
[89] "No objection to my checking out a needler, is there?"
[90] Magnan looked up.
[91] "I suppose not.
[92] What do you want with it?"
[93] "Just a feeling I've got."
[94] "Please yourself."
[95] "Some day," Retief said, "I may take you up on that."
[96] II Retief put down the heavy travel-battered suitcase and leaned on the counter, studying the schedules chalked on the board under the legend "ALDO CERISE—INTERPLANETARY."
[97] A thin clerk in a faded sequined blouse and a plastic snakeskin cummerbund groomed his fingernails, watching Retief from the corner of his eye.
[98] Retief glanced at him.
[99] The clerk nipped off a ragged corner with rabbitlike front teeth and spat it on the floor.
[100] "Was there something?"
[101] he said.
[102] "Two twenty-eight, due out today for the Jorgensen group," Retief said.
[103] "Is it on schedule?"
[104] The clerk sampled the inside of his right cheek, eyed Retief.
[105] "Filled up.
[106] Try again in a couple of weeks."
[107] "What time does it leave?"
[108] "I don't think—" "Let's stick to facts," Retief said.
[109] "Don't try to think.
[110] What time is it due out?"
[111] The clerk smiled pityingly.
[112] "It's my lunch hour," he said.
[113] "I'll be open in an hour."
[114] He held up a thumb nail, frowned at it.
[115] "If I have to come around this counter," Retief said, "I'll feed that thumb to you the hard way."
[116] The clerk looked up and opened his mouth.
[117] Then he caught Retief's eye, closed his mouth and swallowed.
[118] "Like it says there," he said, jerking a thumb at the board.
[119] "Lifts in an hour.
[120] But you won't be on it," he added.
[121] Retief looked at him.
[122] "Some ... ah ... VIP's required accommodation," he said.
[123] He hooked a finger inside the sequined collar.
[124] "All tourist reservations were canceled.
[125] You'll have to try to get space on the Four-Planet Line ship next—" "Which gate?"
[126] Retief said.
[127] "For ...
[128] ah...?"
[129] "For the two twenty-eight for Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[130] "Well," the clerk said.
[131] "Gate 19," he added quickly.
[132] "But—" Retief picked up his suitcase and walked away toward the glare sign reading To Gates 16-30 .
[133] "Another smart alec," the clerk said behind him.
[134] Retief followed the signs, threaded his way through crowds, found a covered ramp with the number 228 posted over it.
[135] A heavy-shouldered man with a scarred jawline and small eyes was slouching there in a rumpled gray uniform.
[136] He put out a hand as Retief started past him.
[137] "Lessee your boarding pass," he muttered.
[138] Retief pulled a paper from an inside pocket, handed it over.
[139] The guard blinked at it.
[140] "Whassat?"
[141] "A gram confirming my space," Retief said.
[142] "Your boy on the counter says he's out to lunch."
[143] The guard crumpled the gram, dropped it on the floor and lounged back against the handrail.
[144] "On your way, bub," he said.
[145] Retief put his suitcase carefully on the floor, took a step and drove a right into the guard's midriff.
[146] He stepped aside as the man doubled and went to his knees.
[147] "You were wide open, ugly.
[148] I couldn't resist.
[149] Tell your boss I sneaked past while you were resting your eyes."
[150] He picked up his bag, stepped over the man and went up the gangway into the ship.
[151] A cabin boy in stained whites came along the corridor.
[152] "Which way to cabin fifty-seven, son?"
[153] Retief asked.
[154] "Up there."
[155] The boy jerked his head and hurried on.
[156] Retief made his way along the narrow hall, found signs, followed them to cabin fifty-seven.
[157] The door was open.
[158] Inside, baggage was piled in the center of the floor.
[159] It was expensive looking baggage.
[160] Retief put his bag down.
[161] He turned at a sound behind him.
[162] A tall, florid man with an expensive coat belted over a massive paunch stood in the open door, looking at Retief.
[163] Retief looked back.
[164] The florid man clamped his jaws together, turned to speak over his shoulder.
[165] "Somebody in the cabin.
[166] Get 'em out."
[167] He rolled a cold eye at Retief as he backed out of the room.
[168] A short, thick-necked man appeared.
[169] "What are you doing in Mr. Tony's room?"
[170] he barked.
[171] "Never mind!
[172] Clear out of here, fellow!
[173] You're keeping Mr. Tony waiting."
[174] "Too bad," Retief said.
[175] "Finders keepers."
[176] "You nuts?"
[177] The thick-necked man stared at Retief.
[178] "I said it's Mr. Tony's room."
[179] "I don't know Mr. Tony.
[180] He'll have to bull his way into other quarters."
[181] "We'll see about you, mister."
[182] The man turned and went out.
[183] Retief sat on the bunk and lit a cigar.
[184] There was a sound of voices in the corridor.
[185] Two burly baggage-smashers appeared, straining at an oversized trunk.
[186] They maneuvered it through the door, lowered it, glanced at Retief and went out.
[187] The thick-necked man returned.
[188] "All right, you.
[189] Out," he growled.
[190] "Or have I got to have you thrown out?"
[191] Retief rose and clamped the cigar between his teeth.
[192] He gripped a handle of the brass-bound trunk in each hand, bent his knees and heaved the trunk up to chest level, then raised it overhead.
[193] He turned to the door.
[194] "Catch," he said between clenched teeth.
[195] The trunk slammed against the far wall of the corridor and burst.
[196] Retief turned to the baggage on the floor, tossed it into the hall.
[197] The face of the thick-necked man appeared cautiously around the door jamb.
[198] "Mister, you must be—" "If you'll excuse me," Retief said, "I want to catch a nap."
[199] He flipped the door shut, pulled off his shoes and stretched out on the bed.
[200] Five minutes passed before the door rattled and burst open.
[201] Retief looked up.
[202] A gaunt leathery-skinned man wearing white ducks, a blue turtleneck sweater and a peaked cap tilted raffishly over one eye stared at Retief.
[203] "Is this the joker?"
[204] he grated.
[205] The thick-necked man edged past him, looked at Retief and snorted, "That's him, sure."
[206] "I'm captain of this vessel," the first man said.
[207] "You've got two minutes to haul your freight out of here, buster."
[208] "When you can spare the time from your other duties," Retief said, "take a look at Section Three, Paragraph One, of the Uniform Code.
[209] That spells out the law on confirmed space on vessels engaged in interplanetary commerce."
[210] "A space lawyer."
[211] The captain turned.
[212] "Throw him out, boys."
[213] Two big men edged into the cabin, looking at Retief.
[214] "Go on, pitch him out," the captain snapped.
[215] Retief put his cigar in an ashtray, and swung his feet off the bunk.
[216] "Don't try it," he said softly.
[217] One of the two wiped his nose on a sleeve, spat on his right palm, and stepped forward, then hesitated.
[218] "Hey," he said.
[219] "This the guy tossed the trunk off the wall?"
[220] "That's him," the thick-necked man called.
[221] "Spilled Mr. Tony's possessions right on the deck."
[222] "Deal me out," the bouncer said.
[223] "He can stay put as long as he wants to.
[224] I signed on to move cargo.
[225] Let's go, Moe."
[226] "You'd better be getting back to the bridge, Captain," Retief said.
[227] "We're due to lift in twenty minutes."
[228] The thick-necked man and the Captain both shouted at once.
[229] The Captain's voice prevailed.
[230] "—twenty minutes ... uniform Code ... gonna do?"
[231] "Close the door as you leave," Retief said.
[232] The thick-necked man paused at the door.
[233] "We'll see you when you come out."
[234] III Four waiters passed Retief's table without stopping.
[235] A fifth leaned against the wall nearby, a menu under his arm.
[236] At a table across the room, the Captain, now wearing a dress uniform and with his thin red hair neatly parted, sat with a table of male passengers.
[237] He talked loudly and laughed frequently, casting occasional glances Retief's way.
[238] A panel opened in the wall behind Retief's chair.
[239] Bright blue eyes peered out from under a white chef's cap.
[240] "Givin' you the cold shoulder, heh, Mister?"
[241] "Looks like it, old-timer," Retief said.
[242] "Maybe I'd better go join the skipper.
[243] His party seems to be having all the fun."
[244] "Feller has to be mighty careless who he eats with to set over there."
[245] "I see your point."
[246] "You set right where you're at, Mister.
[247] I'll rustle you up a plate."
[248] Five minutes later, Retief cut into a thirty-two ounce Delmonico backed up with mushrooms and garlic butter.
[249] "I'm Chip," the chef said.
[250] "I don't like the Cap'n.
[251] You can tell him I said so.
[252] Don't like his friends, either.
[253] Don't like them dern Sweaties, look at a man like he was a worm."
[254] "You've got the right idea on frying a steak, Chip.
[255] And you've got the right idea on the Soetti, too," Retief said.
[256] He poured red wine into a glass.
[257] "Here's to you."
[258] "Dern right," Chip said.
[259] "Dunno who ever thought up broiling 'em.
[260] Steaks, that is.
[261] I got a Baked Alaska coming up in here for dessert.
[262] You like brandy in yer coffee?"
[263] "Chip, you're a genius."
[264] "Like to see a feller eat," Chip said.
[265] "I gotta go now.
[266] If you need anything, holler."
[267] Retief ate slowly.
[268] Time always dragged on shipboard.
[269] Four days to Jorgensen's Worlds.
[270] Then, if Magnan's information was correct, there would be four days to prepare for the Soetti attack.
[271] It was a temptation to scan the tapes built into the handle of his suitcase.
[272] It would be good to know what Jorgensen's Worlds would be up against.
[273] Retief finished the steak, and the chef passed out the baked Alaska and coffee.
[274] Most of the other passengers had left the dining room.
[275] Mr. Tony and his retainers still sat at the Captain's table.
[276] As Retief watched, four men arose from the table and sauntered across the room.
[277] The first in line, a stony-faced thug with a broken ear, took a cigar from his mouth as he reached the table.
[278] He dipped the lighted end in Retief's coffee, looked at it, and dropped it on the tablecloth.
[279] The others came up, Mr. Tony trailing.
[280] "You must want to get to Jorgensen's pretty bad," the thug said in a grating voice.
[281] "What's your game, hick?"
[282] Retief looked at the coffee cup, picked it up.
[283] "I don't think I want my coffee," he said.
[284] He looked at the thug.
[285] "You drink it."
[286] The thug squinted at Retief.
[287] "A wise hick," he began.
[288] With a flick of the wrist, Retief tossed the coffee into the thug's face, then stood and slammed a straight right to the chin.
[289] The thug went down.
[290] Retief looked at Mr. Tony, still standing open-mouthed.
[291] "You can take your playmates away now, Tony," he said.
[292] "And don't bother to come around yourself.
[293] You're not funny enough."
[294] Mr. Tony found his voice.
[295] "Take him, Marbles!"
[296] he growled.
[297] The thick-necked man slipped a hand inside his tunic and brought out a long-bladed knife.
[298] He licked his lips and moved in.
[299] Retief heard the panel open beside him.
[300] "Here you go, Mister," Chip said.
[301] Retief darted a glance; a well-honed french knife lay on the sill.
[302] "Thanks, Chip," Retief said.
[303] "I won't need it for these punks."
[304] Thick-neck lunged and Retief hit him square in the face, knocking him under the table.
[305] The other man stepped back, fumbling a power pistol from his shoulder holster.
[306] "Aim that at me, and I'll kill you," Retief said.
[307] "Go on, burn him!"
[308] Mr. Tony shouted.
[309] Behind him, the captain appeared, white-faced.
[310] "Put that away, you!"
[311] he yelled.
[312] "What kind of—" "Shut up," Mr. Tony said.
[313] "Put it away, Hoany.
[314] We'll fix this bum later."
[315] "Not on this vessel, you won't," the captain said shakily.
[316] "I got my charter to consider."
[317] "Ram your charter," Hoany said harshly.
[318] "You won't be needing it long."
[319] "Button your floppy mouth, damn you!"
[320] Mr. Tony snapped.
[321] He looked at the man on the floor.
[322] "Get Marbles out of here.
[323] I ought to dump the slob."
[324] He turned and walked away.
[325] The captain signaled and two waiters came up.
[326] Retief watched as they carted the casualty from the dining room.
[327] The panel opened.
[328] "I usta be about your size, when I was your age," Chip said.
[329] "You handled them pansies right.
[330] I wouldn't give 'em the time o' day."
[331] "How about a fresh cup of coffee, Chip?"
[332] Retief said.
[333] "Sure, Mister.
[334] Anything else?"
[335] "I'll think of something," Retief said.
[336] "This is shaping up into one of those long days."
[337] "They don't like me bringing yer meals to you in yer cabin," Chip said.
[338] "But the cap'n knows I'm the best cook in the Merchant Service.
[339] They won't mess with me."
[340] "What has Mr. Tony got on the captain, Chip?"
[341] Retief asked.
[342] "They're in some kind o' crooked business together.
[343] You want some more smoked turkey?"
[344] "Sure.
[345] What have they got against my going to Jorgensen's Worlds?"
[346] "Dunno.
[347] Hasn't been no tourists got in there fer six or eight months.
[348] I sure like a feller that can put it away.
[349] I was a big eater when I was yer age."
[350] "I'll bet you can still handle it, Old Timer.
[351] What are Jorgensen's Worlds like?"
[352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder.
[353] Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up.
[354] Man don't enjoy eatin' his own cookin' like he does somebody else's."
[355] "That's where I'm lucky, Chip.
[356] What kind of cargo's the captain got aboard for Jorgensen's?"
[357] "Derned if I know.
[358] In and out o' there like a grasshopper, ever few weeks.
[359] Don't never pick up no cargo.
[360] No tourists any more, like I says.
[361] Don't know what we even run in there for."
[362] "Where are the passengers we have aboard headed?"
[363] "To Alabaster.
[364] That's nine days' run in-sector from Jorgensen's.
[365] You ain't got another one of them cigars, have you?"
[366] "Have one, Chip.
[367] I guess I was lucky to get space on this ship."
[368] "Plenty o' space, Mister.
[369] We got a dozen empty cabins."
[370] Chip puffed the cigar alight, then cleared away the dishes, poured out coffee and brandy.
[371] "Them Sweaties is what I don't like," he said.
[372] Retief looked at him questioningly.
[373] "You never seen a Sweaty?
[374] Ugly lookin' devils.
[375] Skinny legs, like a lobster; big chest, shaped like the top of a turnip; rubbery lookin' head.
[376] You can see the pulse beatin' when they get riled."
[377] "I've never had the pleasure," Retief said.
[378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon.
[379] Them devils board us nigh ever trip out.
[380] Act like they was the Customs Patrol or somethin'."
[381] There was a distant clang, and a faint tremor ran through the floor.
[382] "I ain't superstitious ner nothin'," Chip said.
[383] "But I'll be triple-damned if that ain't them boarding us now."
[384] Ten minutes passed before bootsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by a clicking patter.
[385] The doorknob rattled, then a heavy knock shook the door.
[386] "They got to look you over," Chip whispered.
[387] "Nosy damn Sweaties."
[388] "Unlock it, Chip."
[389] The chef opened the door.
[390] "Come in, damn you," he said.
[391] A tall and grotesque creature minced into the room, tiny hoof-like feet tapping on the floor.
[392] A flaring metal helmet shaded the deep-set compound eyes, and a loose mantle flapped around the knobbed knees.
[393] Behind the alien, the captain hovered nervously.
[394] "Yo' papiss," the alien rasped.
[395] "Who's your friend, Captain?"
[396] Retief said.
[397] "Never mind; just do like he tells you."
[398] "Yo' papiss," the alien said again.
[399] "Okay," Retief said.
[400] "I've seen it.
[401] You can take it away now."
[402] "Don't horse around," the captain said.
[403] "This fellow can get mean."
[404] The alien brought two tiny arms out from the concealment of the mantle, clicked toothed pincers under Retief's nose.
[405] "Quick, soft one."
[406] "Captain, tell your friend to keep its distance.
[407] It looks brittle, and I'm tempted to test it."
[408] "Don't start anything with Skaw; he can clip through steel with those snappers."
[409] "Last chance," Retief said.
[410] Skaw stood poised, open pincers an inch from Retief's eyes.
[411] "Show him your papers, you damned fool," the captain said hoarsely.
[412] "I got no control over Skaw."
[413] The alien clicked both pincers with a sharp report, and in the same instant Retief half-turned to the left, leaned away from the alien and drove his right foot against the slender leg above the bulbous knee-joint.
[414] Skaw screeched and floundered, greenish fluid spattering from the burst joint.
[415] "I told you he was brittle," Retief said.
[416] "Next time you invite pirates aboard, don't bother to call."
[417] "Jesus, what did you do!
[418] They'll kill us!"
[419] the captain gasped, staring at the figure flopping on the floor.
[420] "Cart poor old Skaw back to his boat," Retief said.
[421] "Tell him to pass the word.
[422] No more illegal entry and search of Terrestrial vessels in Terrestrial space."
[423] "Hey," Chip said.
[424] "He's quit kicking."
[425] The captain bent over Skaw, gingerly rolled him over.
[426] He leaned close and sniffed.
[427] "He's dead."
[428] The captain stared at Retief.
[429] "We're all dead men," he said.
[430] "These Soetti got no mercy."
[431] "They won't need it.
[432] Tell 'em to sheer off; their fun is over."
[433] "They got no more emotions than a blue crab—" "You bluff easily, Captain.
[434] Show a few guns as you hand the body back.
[435] We know their secret now."
[436] "What secret?
[437] I—" "Don't be no dumber than you got to, Cap'n," Chip said.
[438] "Sweaties die easy; that's the secret."
[439] "Maybe you got a point," the captain said, looking at Retief.
[440] "All they got's a three-man scout.
[441] It could work."
[442] He went out, came back with two crewmen.
[443] They hauled the dead alien gingerly into the hall.
[444] "Maybe I can run a bluff on the Soetti," the captain said, looking back from the door.
[445] "But I'll be back to see you later."
[446] "You don't scare us, Cap'n," Chip said.
[447] "Him and Mr. Tony and all his goons.
[448] You hit 'em where they live, that time.
[449] They're pals o' these Sweaties.
[450] Runnin' some kind o' crooked racket."
[451] "You'd better take the captain's advice, Chip.
[452] There's no point in your getting involved in my problems."
[453] "They'd of killed you before now, Mister, if they had any guts.
[454] That's where we got it over these monkeys.
[455] They got no guts."
[456] "They act scared, Chip.
[457] Scared men are killers."
[458] "They don't scare me none."
[459] Chip picked up the tray.
[460] "I'll scout around a little and see what's goin' on.
[461] If the Sweaties figure to do anything about that Skaw feller they'll have to move fast; they won't try nothin' close to port."
[462] "Don't worry, Chip.
[463] I have reason to be pretty sure they won't do anything to attract a lot of attention in this sector just now."
[464] Chip looked at Retief.
[465] "You ain't no tourist, Mister.
[466] I know that much.
[467] You didn't come out here for fun, did you?"
[468] "That," Retief said, "would be a hard one to answer."
[469] IV Retief awoke at a tap on his door.
[470] "It's me, Mister.
[471] Chip."
[472] "Come on in."
[473] The chef entered the room, locking the door.
[474] "You shoulda had that door locked."
[475] He stood by the door, listening, then turned to Retief.
[476] "You want to get to Jorgensen's perty bad, don't you, Mister?"
[477] "That's right, Chip."
[478] "Mr. Tony give the captain a real hard time about old Skaw.
[479] The Sweaties didn't say nothin'.
[480] Didn't even act surprised, just took the remains and pushed off.
[481] But Mr. Tony and that other crook they call Marbles, they was fit to be tied.
[482] Took the cap'n in his cabin and talked loud at him fer half a hour.
[483] Then the cap'n come out and give some orders to the Mate."
[484] Retief sat up and reached for a cigar.
[485] "Mr. Tony and Skaw were pals, eh?"
[486] "He hated Skaw's guts.
[487] But with him it was business.
[488] Mister, you got a gun?"
[489] "A 2mm needler.
[490] Why?"
[491] "The orders cap'n give was to change course fer Alabaster.
[492] We're by-passin' Jorgensen's Worlds.
[493] We'll feel the course change any minute."
[494] Retief lit the cigar, reached under the mattress and took out a short-barreled pistol.
[495] He dropped it in his pocket, looked at Chip.
[496] "Maybe it was a good thought, at that.
[497] Which way to the Captain's cabin?"
[498] "This is it," Chip said softly.
[499] "You want me to keep an eye on who comes down the passage?"
[500] Retief nodded, opened the door and stepped into the cabin.
[501] The captain looked up from his desk, then jumped up.
[502] "What do you think you're doing, busting in here?"
[503] "I hear you're planning a course change, Captain."
[504] "You've got damn big ears."
[505] "I think we'd better call in at Jorgensen's."
[506] "You do, huh?"
[507] the captain sat down.
[508] "I'm in command of this vessel," he said.
[509] "I'm changing course for Alabaster."
[510] "I wouldn't find it convenient to go to Alabaster," Retief said.
[511] "So just hold your course for Jorgensen's."
[512] "Not bloody likely."
[513] "Your use of the word 'bloody' is interesting, Captain.
[514] Don't try to change course."
[515] The captain reached for the mike on his desk, pressed the key.
[516] "Power Section, this is the captain," he said.
[517] Retief reached across the desk, gripped the captain's wrist.
[518] "Tell the mate to hold his present course," he said softly.
[519] "Let go my hand, buster," the captain snarled.
[520] Eyes on Retief's, he eased a drawer open with his left hand, reached in.
[521] Retief kneed the drawer.
[522] The captain yelped and dropped the mike.
[523] "You busted it, you—" "And one to go," Retief said.
[524] "Tell him."
[525] "I'm an officer of the Merchant Service!"
[526] "You're a cheapjack who's sold his bridge to a pack of back-alley hoods."
[527] "You can't put it over, hick."
[528] "Tell him."
[529] The captain groaned and picked up the mike.
[530] "Captain to Power Section," he said.
[531] "Hold your present course until you hear from me."
[532] He dropped the mike and looked up at Retief.
[533] "It's eighteen hours yet before we pick up Jorgensen Control.
[534] You going to sit here and bend my arm the whole time?"
[535] Retief released the captain's wrist and turned to the door.
[536] "Chip, I'm locking the door.
[537] You circulate around, let me know what's going on.
[538] Bring me a pot of coffee every so often.
[539] I'm sitting up with a sick friend."
[540] "Right, Mister.
[541] Keep an eye on that jasper; he's slippery."
[542] "What are you going to do?"
[543] the captain demanded.
[544] Retief settled himself in a chair.
[545] "Instead of strangling you, as you deserve," he said, "I'm going to stay here and help you hold your course for Jorgensen's Worlds."
[546] The captain looked at Retief.
[547] He laughed, a short bark.
[548] "Then I'll just stretch out and have a little nap, farmer.
[549] If you feel like dozing off sometime during the next eighteen hours, don't mind me."
[550] Retief took out the needler and put it on the desk before him.
[551] "If anything happens that I don't like," he said, "I'll wake you up.
[552] With this." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Chip, and what is his significance?":
1. [249] "I'm Chip," the chef said.
2. [250] "I don't like the Cap'n.
3. [251] You can tell him I said so.
4. [252] Don't like his friends, either.
5. [253] Don't like them dern Sweaties, look at a man like he was a worm."
6. [254] "You've got the right idea on frying a steak, Chip.
7. [255] And you've got the right idea on the Soetti, too," Retief said.
8. [256] He poured red wine into a glass.
9. [257] "Here's to you."
10. [258] "Dern right," Chip said.
11. [259] "Dunno who ever thought up broiling 'em.
12. [260] Steaks, that is.
13. [261] I got a Baked Alaska coming up in here for dessert.
14. [262] You like brandy in yer coffee?"
15. [263] "Chip, you're a genius."
16. [264] "Like to see a feller eat," Chip said.
17. [265] "I gotta go now.
18. [266] If you need anything, holler."
19. [337] "They don't like me bringing yer meals to you in yer cabin," Chip said.
20. [338] "But the cap'n knows I'm the best cook in the Merchant Service.
21. [339] They won't mess with me."
22. [340] "What has Mr. Tony got on the captain, Chip?"
23. [341] Retief asked.
24. [342] "They're in some kind o' crooked business together.
25. [343] You want some more smoked turkey?"
26. [346] "Dunno.
27. [347] Hasn't been no tourists got in there fer six or eight months.
28. [348] I sure like a feller that can put it away.
29. [349] I was a big eater when I was yer age."
30. [352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder.
31. [353] Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up.
32. [354] Man don't enjoy eatin' his own cookin' like he does somebody else's."
33. [356] "Derned if I know.
34. [357] In and out o' there like a grasshopper, ever few weeks.
35. [358] Don't never pick up no cargo.
36. [359] No tourists any more, like I says.
37. [360] Don't know what we even run in there for."
38. [364] "To Alabaster.
39. [365] That's nine days' run in-sector from Jorgensen's.
40. [366] You ain't got another one of them cigars, have you?"
41. [371] "Them Sweaties is what I don't like," he said.
42. [372] Retief looked at him questioningly.
43. [373] "You never seen a Sweaty?
44. [374] Ugly lookin' devils.
45. [375] Skinny legs, like a lobster; big chest, shaped like the top of a turnip; rubbery lookin' head.
46. [376] You can see the pulse beatin' when they get riled."
47. [377] "I've never had the pleasure," Retief said.
48. [378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon.
49. [379] Them devils board us nigh ever trip out.
50. [380] Act like they was the Customs Patrol or somethin'."
51. [381] There was a distant clang, and a faint tremor ran through the floor.
52. [382] "I ain't superstitious ner nothin'," Chip said.
53. [383] "But I'll be triple-damned if that ain't them boarding us now."
54. [386] "They got to look you over," Chip whispered.
55. [387] "Nosy damn Sweaties."
56. [446] "Maybe I can run a bluff on the Soetti," the captain said, looking back from the door.
57. [447] "But I'll be back to see you later."
58. [448] "You don't scare us, Cap'n," Chip said.
59. [449] "Him and Mr. Tony and all his goons.
60. [450] You hit 'em where they live, that time.
61. [451] They're pals o' these Sweaties.
62. [452] Runnin' some kind o' crooked racket."
63. [453] "You'd better take the captain's advice, Chip.
64. [454] There's no point in your getting involved in my problems."
65. [455] "They'd of killed you before now, Mister, if they had any guts.
66. [456] That's where we got it over these monkeys.
67. [457] They got no guts."
68. [458] "They act scared, Chip.
69. [459] Scared men are killers."
70. [460] "They don't scare me none."
71. [461] Chip picked up the tray.
72. [462] "I'll scout around a little and see what's goin' on.
73. [463] If the Sweaties figure to do anything about that Skaw feller they'll have to move fast; they won't try nothin' close to port."
74. [464] "Don't worry, Chip.
75. [465] I have reason to be pretty sure they won't do anything to attract a lot of attention in this sector just now."
76. [466] Chip looked at Retief.
77. [467] "You ain't no tourist, Mister.
78. [468] I know that much.
79. [469] You didn't come out here for fun, did you?"
80. [470] "That," Retief said, "would be a hard one to answer." |
What is the relationship between the Captain and Mr. Tony? | [
"Mr. Tony is a tall, florid man with expensive clothes and a massive paunch. He is also used to getting his way. The Captain and Mr. Tony are involved in an illegal deal with the Soettis, so the two men are business associates, although they don’t much like each other. Together, they have cut off all tourism to Jorgensen’s Worlds for the past six to eight months; the airlines won’t provide any bookings for passengers; however, the Captain’s airship has at least a dozen empty rooms. Mr. Tony has several henchmen working for him who do his “dirty business” of roughhandling anyone who interferes with Mr. Tony’s business. Whatever their business is, it involves frequent trips to Jorgensen’s Worlds without taking any cargo there. Mr. Tony seems to hold power over the Captain.\n\tThe Captain is a thin, leathery-skinned man who wears white ducks, a blue turtleneck, and a peaked cap that he tilts rakishly over one eye. He isn’t a very strong person or leader. He tries to get Mr. Tony’s men to throw Retief off the ship, but they refuse to do so when Retief warns them not to try and when they realize he is the person who picked up Mr. Tony’s trunk and threw it. The Captain has ordered Retief to get off the ship but backs down when the men refuse to touch Retief. He apparently tells the wait staff in the restaurant to refuse service to Retief because they all ignore him. And when the Captain warns Mr. Tony’s henchmen not to shoot Retief on his airship because it could threaten his charter, one of them talks back and tells him he won’t need it for long. Retief has the distinct impression that Mr. Tony has something on the Captain that forces the Captain to cooperate with him and places him at a lower level than Mr. Tony.",
"The Captain and Mr. Tony are friends, which Retief discovers when he sees them dining together and occasionally glancing over at his table as the waiters ignore him. Chip fills him in on their close business association, which includes an arrangement to ferry some unknown cargo to Jorgensen's Worlds. Mr. Tony is a VIP guest on the Captain's ship and takes Retief's room, but Retief kicks him out, which draws the ire of Mr. Tony and his henchmen. It appears that Mr. Tony is a thug whose men work as guards of whatever cargo is being transported to Jorgensen's Worlds. The Captain and Mr. Tony are also working with the Soetti, who visit the ship during each flight, according to Chip. Although the exact details of their plot are never revealed, Retief assumes it has something to do with the Soetti's overall plan to seize Jorgensen's Worlds in their overall infiltration of Terrestrial space. Although the Captain and Mr. Tony are friendly, the Captain is concerned about his charter, and he draws the line when Mr. Tony's men come for Retief with a gun. He calls off his henchman and leaves.",
"The Captain is operating a Merchant Vessel transiting between Earth and distant worlds to deliver and retrieve passengers and cargo. However, he has fallen into crooked business with Mr. Tony, who is a violent ring leader closely connected with the Soettis who are trying to violently take control of the Terrestrial space of Jorgensen’s Worlds. For the last 6-8 months they have not delivered any tourists to Jorgensen's Worlds, and never pick up any cargo, which is highly suspicious. \nMr. Tony deals closely with the Soettis, and is very upset when the Soetti Skaw is killed and the body has to be returned to them. Skaw boards the Merchant Vessel to check Retief’s papers even though he has no authority, and Retief kills him by breaking his leg joint which leaks green fluid. Mr. Tony and one of his “thugs”, Marbles, yell at the Captain for half an hour in his cabin after this incident and force him to change course to not stop at Jorgensen’s Worlds, demonstrating that Mr. Tony has control over the Captain in their relationship.",
"The captain has given up control of the ship to Mr. Tony and has basically become one of his underlings. This is most evident when the captain attempts to throw Retief out of Mr. Tony's room and when he attempts to reroute the ship to Alabaster when Retief beats up Mr. Tony's goons. Chip says that the captain has a crooked business agreement with Mr. Tony, but it becomes clear later in the story that the business agreement is really controlled by the Soetti. The captain says he has no control over Skaw, the Soetti that comes aboard the ship, and becomes very nervous when Retief kills Skaw."
] | [1] THE FROZEN PLANET By Keith Laumer [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] "It is rather unusual," Magnan said, "to assign an officer of your rank to courier duty, but this is an unusual mission."
[4] Retief sat relaxed and said nothing.
[5] Just before the silence grew awkward, Magnan went on.
[6] "There are four planets in the group," he said.
[7] "Two double planets, all rather close to an unimportant star listed as DRI-G 33987.
[8] They're called Jorgensen's Worlds, and in themselves are of no importance whatever.
[9] However, they lie deep in the sector into which the Soetti have been penetrating.
[10] "Now—" Magnan leaned forward and lowered his voice—"we have learned that the Soetti plan a bold step forward.
[11] Since they've met no opposition so far in their infiltration of Terrestrial space, they intend to seize Jorgensen's Worlds by force."
[12] Magnan leaned back, waiting for Retief's reaction.
[13] Retief drew carefully on his cigar and looked at Magnan.
[14] Magnan frowned.
[15] "This is open aggression, Retief," he said, "in case I haven't made myself clear.
[16] Aggression on Terrestrial-occupied territory by an alien species.
[17] Obviously, we can't allow it."
[18] Magnan drew a large folder from his desk.
[19] "A show of resistance at this point is necessary.
[20] Unfortunately, Jorgensen's Worlds are technologically undeveloped areas.
[21] They're farmers or traders.
[22] Their industry is limited to a minor role in their economy—enough to support the merchant fleet, no more.
[23] The war potential, by conventional standards, is nil."
[24] Magnan tapped the folder before him.
[25] "I have here," he said solemnly, "information which will change that picture completely."
[26] He leaned back and blinked at Retief.
[27] "All right, Mr. Councillor," Retief said.
[28] "I'll play along; what's in the folder?"
[29] Magnan spread his fingers, folded one down.
[30] "First," he said.
[31] "The Soetti War Plan—in detail.
[32] We were fortunate enough to make contact with a defector from a party of renegade Terrestrials who've been advising the Soetti."
[33] He folded another finger.
[34] "Next, a battle plan for the Jorgensen's people, worked out by the Theory group."
[35] He wrestled a third finger down.
[36] "Lastly; an Utter Top Secret schematic for conversion of a standard anti-acceleration field into a potent weapon—a development our systems people have been holding in reserve for just such a situation."
[37] "Is that all?"
[38] Retief said.
[39] "You've still got two fingers sticking up."
[40] Magnan looked at the fingers and put them away.
[41] "This is no occasion for flippancy, Retief.
[42] In the wrong hands, this information could be catastrophic.
[43] You'll memorize it before you leave this building."
[44] "I'll carry it, sealed," Retief said.
[45] "That way nobody can sweat it out of me."
[46] Magnan started to shake his head.
[47] "Well," he said.
[48] "If it's trapped for destruction, I suppose—" "I've heard of these Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[49] "I remember an agent, a big blond fellow, very quick on the uptake.
[50] A wizard with cards and dice.
[51] Never played for money, though."
[52] "Umm," Magnan said.
[53] "Don't make the error of personalizing this situation, Retief.
[54] Overall policy calls for a defense of these backwater worlds.
[55] Otherwise the Corps would allow history to follow its natural course, as always."
[56] "When does this attack happen?"
[57] "Less than four weeks."
[58] "That doesn't leave me much time."
[59] "I have your itinerary here.
[60] Your accommodations are clear as far as Aldo Cerise.
[61] You'll have to rely on your ingenuity to get you the rest of the way."
[62] "That's a pretty rough trip, Mr. Councillor.
[63] Suppose I don't make it?"
[64] Magnan looked sour.
[65] "Someone at a policy-making level has chosen to put all our eggs in one basket, Retief.
[66] I hope their confidence in you is not misplaced."
[67] "This antiac conversion; how long does it take?"
[68] "A skilled electronics crew can do the job in a matter of minutes.
[69] The Jorgensens can handle it very nicely; every other man is a mechanic of some sort."
[70] Retief opened the envelope Magnan handed him and looked at the tickets inside.
[71] "Less than four hours to departure time," he said.
[72] "I'd better not start any long books."
[73] "You'd better waste no time getting over to Indoctrination," Magnan said.
[74] Retief stood up.
[75] "If I hurry, maybe I can catch the cartoon."
[76] "The allusion escapes me," Magnan said coldly.
[77] "And one last word.
[78] The Soetti are patrolling the trade lanes into Jorgensen's Worlds; don't get yourself interned."
[79] "I'll tell you what," Retief said soberly.
[80] "In a pinch, I'll mention your name."
[81] "You'll be traveling with Class X credentials," Magnan snapped.
[82] "There must be nothing to connect you with the Corps."
[83] "They'll never guess," Retief said.
[84] "I'll pose as a gentleman."
[85] "You'd better be getting started," Magnan said, shuffling papers.
[86] "You're right," Retief said.
[87] "If I work at it, I might manage a snootful by takeoff."
[88] He went to the door.
[89] "No objection to my checking out a needler, is there?"
[90] Magnan looked up.
[91] "I suppose not.
[92] What do you want with it?"
[93] "Just a feeling I've got."
[94] "Please yourself."
[95] "Some day," Retief said, "I may take you up on that."
[96] II Retief put down the heavy travel-battered suitcase and leaned on the counter, studying the schedules chalked on the board under the legend "ALDO CERISE—INTERPLANETARY."
[97] A thin clerk in a faded sequined blouse and a plastic snakeskin cummerbund groomed his fingernails, watching Retief from the corner of his eye.
[98] Retief glanced at him.
[99] The clerk nipped off a ragged corner with rabbitlike front teeth and spat it on the floor.
[100] "Was there something?"
[101] he said.
[102] "Two twenty-eight, due out today for the Jorgensen group," Retief said.
[103] "Is it on schedule?"
[104] The clerk sampled the inside of his right cheek, eyed Retief.
[105] "Filled up.
[106] Try again in a couple of weeks."
[107] "What time does it leave?"
[108] "I don't think—" "Let's stick to facts," Retief said.
[109] "Don't try to think.
[110] What time is it due out?"
[111] The clerk smiled pityingly.
[112] "It's my lunch hour," he said.
[113] "I'll be open in an hour."
[114] He held up a thumb nail, frowned at it.
[115] "If I have to come around this counter," Retief said, "I'll feed that thumb to you the hard way."
[116] The clerk looked up and opened his mouth.
[117] Then he caught Retief's eye, closed his mouth and swallowed.
[118] "Like it says there," he said, jerking a thumb at the board.
[119] "Lifts in an hour.
[120] But you won't be on it," he added.
[121] Retief looked at him.
[122] "Some ... ah ... VIP's required accommodation," he said.
[123] He hooked a finger inside the sequined collar.
[124] "All tourist reservations were canceled.
[125] You'll have to try to get space on the Four-Planet Line ship next—" "Which gate?"
[126] Retief said.
[127] "For ...
[128] ah...?"
[129] "For the two twenty-eight for Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said.
[130] "Well," the clerk said.
[131] "Gate 19," he added quickly.
[132] "But—" Retief picked up his suitcase and walked away toward the glare sign reading To Gates 16-30 .
[133] "Another smart alec," the clerk said behind him.
[134] Retief followed the signs, threaded his way through crowds, found a covered ramp with the number 228 posted over it.
[135] A heavy-shouldered man with a scarred jawline and small eyes was slouching there in a rumpled gray uniform.
[136] He put out a hand as Retief started past him.
[137] "Lessee your boarding pass," he muttered.
[138] Retief pulled a paper from an inside pocket, handed it over.
[139] The guard blinked at it.
[140] "Whassat?"
[141] "A gram confirming my space," Retief said.
[142] "Your boy on the counter says he's out to lunch."
[143] The guard crumpled the gram, dropped it on the floor and lounged back against the handrail.
[144] "On your way, bub," he said.
[145] Retief put his suitcase carefully on the floor, took a step and drove a right into the guard's midriff.
[146] He stepped aside as the man doubled and went to his knees.
[147] "You were wide open, ugly.
[148] I couldn't resist.
[149] Tell your boss I sneaked past while you were resting your eyes."
[150] He picked up his bag, stepped over the man and went up the gangway into the ship.
[151] A cabin boy in stained whites came along the corridor.
[152] "Which way to cabin fifty-seven, son?"
[153] Retief asked.
[154] "Up there."
[155] The boy jerked his head and hurried on.
[156] Retief made his way along the narrow hall, found signs, followed them to cabin fifty-seven.
[157] The door was open.
[158] Inside, baggage was piled in the center of the floor.
[159] It was expensive looking baggage.
[160] Retief put his bag down.
[161] He turned at a sound behind him.
[162] A tall, florid man with an expensive coat belted over a massive paunch stood in the open door, looking at Retief.
[163] Retief looked back.
[164] The florid man clamped his jaws together, turned to speak over his shoulder.
[165] "Somebody in the cabin.
[166] Get 'em out."
[167] He rolled a cold eye at Retief as he backed out of the room.
[168] A short, thick-necked man appeared.
[169] "What are you doing in Mr. Tony's room?"
[170] he barked.
[171] "Never mind!
[172] Clear out of here, fellow!
[173] You're keeping Mr. Tony waiting."
[174] "Too bad," Retief said.
[175] "Finders keepers."
[176] "You nuts?"
[177] The thick-necked man stared at Retief.
[178] "I said it's Mr. Tony's room."
[179] "I don't know Mr. Tony.
[180] He'll have to bull his way into other quarters."
[181] "We'll see about you, mister."
[182] The man turned and went out.
[183] Retief sat on the bunk and lit a cigar.
[184] There was a sound of voices in the corridor.
[185] Two burly baggage-smashers appeared, straining at an oversized trunk.
[186] They maneuvered it through the door, lowered it, glanced at Retief and went out.
[187] The thick-necked man returned.
[188] "All right, you.
[189] Out," he growled.
[190] "Or have I got to have you thrown out?"
[191] Retief rose and clamped the cigar between his teeth.
[192] He gripped a handle of the brass-bound trunk in each hand, bent his knees and heaved the trunk up to chest level, then raised it overhead.
[193] He turned to the door.
[194] "Catch," he said between clenched teeth.
[195] The trunk slammed against the far wall of the corridor and burst.
[196] Retief turned to the baggage on the floor, tossed it into the hall.
[197] The face of the thick-necked man appeared cautiously around the door jamb.
[198] "Mister, you must be—" "If you'll excuse me," Retief said, "I want to catch a nap."
[199] He flipped the door shut, pulled off his shoes and stretched out on the bed.
[200] Five minutes passed before the door rattled and burst open.
[201] Retief looked up.
[202] A gaunt leathery-skinned man wearing white ducks, a blue turtleneck sweater and a peaked cap tilted raffishly over one eye stared at Retief.
[203] "Is this the joker?"
[204] he grated.
[205] The thick-necked man edged past him, looked at Retief and snorted, "That's him, sure."
[206] "I'm captain of this vessel," the first man said.
[207] "You've got two minutes to haul your freight out of here, buster."
[208] "When you can spare the time from your other duties," Retief said, "take a look at Section Three, Paragraph One, of the Uniform Code.
[209] That spells out the law on confirmed space on vessels engaged in interplanetary commerce."
[210] "A space lawyer."
[211] The captain turned.
[212] "Throw him out, boys."
[213] Two big men edged into the cabin, looking at Retief.
[214] "Go on, pitch him out," the captain snapped.
[215] Retief put his cigar in an ashtray, and swung his feet off the bunk.
[216] "Don't try it," he said softly.
[217] One of the two wiped his nose on a sleeve, spat on his right palm, and stepped forward, then hesitated.
[218] "Hey," he said.
[219] "This the guy tossed the trunk off the wall?"
[220] "That's him," the thick-necked man called.
[221] "Spilled Mr. Tony's possessions right on the deck."
[222] "Deal me out," the bouncer said.
[223] "He can stay put as long as he wants to.
[224] I signed on to move cargo.
[225] Let's go, Moe."
[226] "You'd better be getting back to the bridge, Captain," Retief said.
[227] "We're due to lift in twenty minutes."
[228] The thick-necked man and the Captain both shouted at once.
[229] The Captain's voice prevailed.
[230] "—twenty minutes ... uniform Code ... gonna do?"
[231] "Close the door as you leave," Retief said.
[232] The thick-necked man paused at the door.
[233] "We'll see you when you come out."
[234] III Four waiters passed Retief's table without stopping.
[235] A fifth leaned against the wall nearby, a menu under his arm.
[236] At a table across the room, the Captain, now wearing a dress uniform and with his thin red hair neatly parted, sat with a table of male passengers.
[237] He talked loudly and laughed frequently, casting occasional glances Retief's way.
[238] A panel opened in the wall behind Retief's chair.
[239] Bright blue eyes peered out from under a white chef's cap.
[240] "Givin' you the cold shoulder, heh, Mister?"
[241] "Looks like it, old-timer," Retief said.
[242] "Maybe I'd better go join the skipper.
[243] His party seems to be having all the fun."
[244] "Feller has to be mighty careless who he eats with to set over there."
[245] "I see your point."
[246] "You set right where you're at, Mister.
[247] I'll rustle you up a plate."
[248] Five minutes later, Retief cut into a thirty-two ounce Delmonico backed up with mushrooms and garlic butter.
[249] "I'm Chip," the chef said.
[250] "I don't like the Cap'n.
[251] You can tell him I said so.
[252] Don't like his friends, either.
[253] Don't like them dern Sweaties, look at a man like he was a worm."
[254] "You've got the right idea on frying a steak, Chip.
[255] And you've got the right idea on the Soetti, too," Retief said.
[256] He poured red wine into a glass.
[257] "Here's to you."
[258] "Dern right," Chip said.
[259] "Dunno who ever thought up broiling 'em.
[260] Steaks, that is.
[261] I got a Baked Alaska coming up in here for dessert.
[262] You like brandy in yer coffee?"
[263] "Chip, you're a genius."
[264] "Like to see a feller eat," Chip said.
[265] "I gotta go now.
[266] If you need anything, holler."
[267] Retief ate slowly.
[268] Time always dragged on shipboard.
[269] Four days to Jorgensen's Worlds.
[270] Then, if Magnan's information was correct, there would be four days to prepare for the Soetti attack.
[271] It was a temptation to scan the tapes built into the handle of his suitcase.
[272] It would be good to know what Jorgensen's Worlds would be up against.
[273] Retief finished the steak, and the chef passed out the baked Alaska and coffee.
[274] Most of the other passengers had left the dining room.
[275] Mr. Tony and his retainers still sat at the Captain's table.
[276] As Retief watched, four men arose from the table and sauntered across the room.
[277] The first in line, a stony-faced thug with a broken ear, took a cigar from his mouth as he reached the table.
[278] He dipped the lighted end in Retief's coffee, looked at it, and dropped it on the tablecloth.
[279] The others came up, Mr. Tony trailing.
[280] "You must want to get to Jorgensen's pretty bad," the thug said in a grating voice.
[281] "What's your game, hick?"
[282] Retief looked at the coffee cup, picked it up.
[283] "I don't think I want my coffee," he said.
[284] He looked at the thug.
[285] "You drink it."
[286] The thug squinted at Retief.
[287] "A wise hick," he began.
[288] With a flick of the wrist, Retief tossed the coffee into the thug's face, then stood and slammed a straight right to the chin.
[289] The thug went down.
[290] Retief looked at Mr. Tony, still standing open-mouthed.
[291] "You can take your playmates away now, Tony," he said.
[292] "And don't bother to come around yourself.
[293] You're not funny enough."
[294] Mr. Tony found his voice.
[295] "Take him, Marbles!"
[296] he growled.
[297] The thick-necked man slipped a hand inside his tunic and brought out a long-bladed knife.
[298] He licked his lips and moved in.
[299] Retief heard the panel open beside him.
[300] "Here you go, Mister," Chip said.
[301] Retief darted a glance; a well-honed french knife lay on the sill.
[302] "Thanks, Chip," Retief said.
[303] "I won't need it for these punks."
[304] Thick-neck lunged and Retief hit him square in the face, knocking him under the table.
[305] The other man stepped back, fumbling a power pistol from his shoulder holster.
[306] "Aim that at me, and I'll kill you," Retief said.
[307] "Go on, burn him!"
[308] Mr. Tony shouted.
[309] Behind him, the captain appeared, white-faced.
[310] "Put that away, you!"
[311] he yelled.
[312] "What kind of—" "Shut up," Mr. Tony said.
[313] "Put it away, Hoany.
[314] We'll fix this bum later."
[315] "Not on this vessel, you won't," the captain said shakily.
[316] "I got my charter to consider."
[317] "Ram your charter," Hoany said harshly.
[318] "You won't be needing it long."
[319] "Button your floppy mouth, damn you!"
[320] Mr. Tony snapped.
[321] He looked at the man on the floor.
[322] "Get Marbles out of here.
[323] I ought to dump the slob."
[324] He turned and walked away.
[325] The captain signaled and two waiters came up.
[326] Retief watched as they carted the casualty from the dining room.
[327] The panel opened.
[328] "I usta be about your size, when I was your age," Chip said.
[329] "You handled them pansies right.
[330] I wouldn't give 'em the time o' day."
[331] "How about a fresh cup of coffee, Chip?"
[332] Retief said.
[333] "Sure, Mister.
[334] Anything else?"
[335] "I'll think of something," Retief said.
[336] "This is shaping up into one of those long days."
[337] "They don't like me bringing yer meals to you in yer cabin," Chip said.
[338] "But the cap'n knows I'm the best cook in the Merchant Service.
[339] They won't mess with me."
[340] "What has Mr. Tony got on the captain, Chip?"
[341] Retief asked.
[342] "They're in some kind o' crooked business together.
[343] You want some more smoked turkey?"
[344] "Sure.
[345] What have they got against my going to Jorgensen's Worlds?"
[346] "Dunno.
[347] Hasn't been no tourists got in there fer six or eight months.
[348] I sure like a feller that can put it away.
[349] I was a big eater when I was yer age."
[350] "I'll bet you can still handle it, Old Timer.
[351] What are Jorgensen's Worlds like?"
[352] "One of 'em's cold as hell and three of 'em's colder.
[353] Most o' the Jorgies live on Svea; that's the least froze up.
[354] Man don't enjoy eatin' his own cookin' like he does somebody else's."
[355] "That's where I'm lucky, Chip.
[356] What kind of cargo's the captain got aboard for Jorgensen's?"
[357] "Derned if I know.
[358] In and out o' there like a grasshopper, ever few weeks.
[359] Don't never pick up no cargo.
[360] No tourists any more, like I says.
[361] Don't know what we even run in there for."
[362] "Where are the passengers we have aboard headed?"
[363] "To Alabaster.
[364] That's nine days' run in-sector from Jorgensen's.
[365] You ain't got another one of them cigars, have you?"
[366] "Have one, Chip.
[367] I guess I was lucky to get space on this ship."
[368] "Plenty o' space, Mister.
[369] We got a dozen empty cabins."
[370] Chip puffed the cigar alight, then cleared away the dishes, poured out coffee and brandy.
[371] "Them Sweaties is what I don't like," he said.
[372] Retief looked at him questioningly.
[373] "You never seen a Sweaty?
[374] Ugly lookin' devils.
[375] Skinny legs, like a lobster; big chest, shaped like the top of a turnip; rubbery lookin' head.
[376] You can see the pulse beatin' when they get riled."
[377] "I've never had the pleasure," Retief said.
[378] "You prob'ly have it perty soon.
[379] Them devils board us nigh ever trip out.
[380] Act like they was the Customs Patrol or somethin'."
[381] There was a distant clang, and a faint tremor ran through the floor.
[382] "I ain't superstitious ner nothin'," Chip said.
[383] "But I'll be triple-damned if that ain't them boarding us now."
[384] Ten minutes passed before bootsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by a clicking patter.
[385] The doorknob rattled, then a heavy knock shook the door.
[386] "They got to look you over," Chip whispered.
[387] "Nosy damn Sweaties."
[388] "Unlock it, Chip."
[389] The chef opened the door.
[390] "Come in, damn you," he said.
[391] A tall and grotesque creature minced into the room, tiny hoof-like feet tapping on the floor.
[392] A flaring metal helmet shaded the deep-set compound eyes, and a loose mantle flapped around the knobbed knees.
[393] Behind the alien, the captain hovered nervously.
[394] "Yo' papiss," the alien rasped.
[395] "Who's your friend, Captain?"
[396] Retief said.
[397] "Never mind; just do like he tells you."
[398] "Yo' papiss," the alien said again.
[399] "Okay," Retief said.
[400] "I've seen it.
[401] You can take it away now."
[402] "Don't horse around," the captain said.
[403] "This fellow can get mean."
[404] The alien brought two tiny arms out from the concealment of the mantle, clicked toothed pincers under Retief's nose.
[405] "Quick, soft one."
[406] "Captain, tell your friend to keep its distance.
[407] It looks brittle, and I'm tempted to test it."
[408] "Don't start anything with Skaw; he can clip through steel with those snappers."
[409] "Last chance," Retief said.
[410] Skaw stood poised, open pincers an inch from Retief's eyes.
[411] "Show him your papers, you damned fool," the captain said hoarsely.
[412] "I got no control over Skaw."
[413] The alien clicked both pincers with a sharp report, and in the same instant Retief half-turned to the left, leaned away from the alien and drove his right foot against the slender leg above the bulbous knee-joint.
[414] Skaw screeched and floundered, greenish fluid spattering from the burst joint.
[415] "I told you he was brittle," Retief said.
[416] "Next time you invite pirates aboard, don't bother to call."
[417] "Jesus, what did you do!
[418] They'll kill us!"
[419] the captain gasped, staring at the figure flopping on the floor.
[420] "Cart poor old Skaw back to his boat," Retief said.
[421] "Tell him to pass the word.
[422] No more illegal entry and search of Terrestrial vessels in Terrestrial space."
[423] "Hey," Chip said.
[424] "He's quit kicking."
[425] The captain bent over Skaw, gingerly rolled him over.
[426] He leaned close and sniffed.
[427] "He's dead."
[428] The captain stared at Retief.
[429] "We're all dead men," he said.
[430] "These Soetti got no mercy."
[431] "They won't need it.
[432] Tell 'em to sheer off; their fun is over."
[433] "They got no more emotions than a blue crab—" "You bluff easily, Captain.
[434] Show a few guns as you hand the body back.
[435] We know their secret now."
[436] "What secret?
[437] I—" "Don't be no dumber than you got to, Cap'n," Chip said.
[438] "Sweaties die easy; that's the secret."
[439] "Maybe you got a point," the captain said, looking at Retief.
[440] "All they got's a three-man scout.
[441] It could work."
[442] He went out, came back with two crewmen.
[443] They hauled the dead alien gingerly into the hall.
[444] "Maybe I can run a bluff on the Soetti," the captain said, looking back from the door.
[445] "But I'll be back to see you later."
[446] "You don't scare us, Cap'n," Chip said.
[447] "Him and Mr. Tony and all his goons.
[448] You hit 'em where they live, that time.
[449] They're pals o' these Sweaties.
[450] Runnin' some kind o' crooked racket."
[451] "You'd better take the captain's advice, Chip.
[452] There's no point in your getting involved in my problems."
[453] "They'd of killed you before now, Mister, if they had any guts.
[454] That's where we got it over these monkeys.
[455] They got no guts."
[456] "They act scared, Chip.
[457] Scared men are killers."
[458] "They don't scare me none."
[459] Chip picked up the tray.
[460] "I'll scout around a little and see what's goin' on.
[461] If the Sweaties figure to do anything about that Skaw feller they'll have to move fast; they won't try nothin' close to port."
[462] "Don't worry, Chip.
[463] I have reason to be pretty sure they won't do anything to attract a lot of attention in this sector just now."
[464] Chip looked at Retief.
[465] "You ain't no tourist, Mister.
[466] I know that much.
[467] You didn't come out here for fun, did you?"
[468] "That," Retief said, "would be a hard one to answer."
[469] IV Retief awoke at a tap on his door.
[470] "It's me, Mister.
[471] Chip."
[472] "Come on in."
[473] The chef entered the room, locking the door.
[474] "You shoulda had that door locked."
[475] He stood by the door, listening, then turned to Retief.
[476] "You want to get to Jorgensen's perty bad, don't you, Mister?"
[477] "That's right, Chip."
[478] "Mr. Tony give the captain a real hard time about old Skaw.
[479] The Sweaties didn't say nothin'.
[480] Didn't even act surprised, just took the remains and pushed off.
[481] But Mr. Tony and that other crook they call Marbles, they was fit to be tied.
[482] Took the cap'n in his cabin and talked loud at him fer half a hour.
[483] Then the cap'n come out and give some orders to the Mate."
[484] Retief sat up and reached for a cigar.
[485] "Mr. Tony and Skaw were pals, eh?"
[486] "He hated Skaw's guts.
[487] But with him it was business.
[488] Mister, you got a gun?"
[489] "A 2mm needler.
[490] Why?"
[491] "The orders cap'n give was to change course fer Alabaster.
[492] We're by-passin' Jorgensen's Worlds.
[493] We'll feel the course change any minute."
[494] Retief lit the cigar, reached under the mattress and took out a short-barreled pistol.
[495] He dropped it in his pocket, looked at Chip.
[496] "Maybe it was a good thought, at that.
[497] Which way to the Captain's cabin?"
[498] "This is it," Chip said softly.
[499] "You want me to keep an eye on who comes down the passage?"
[500] Retief nodded, opened the door and stepped into the cabin.
[501] The captain looked up from his desk, then jumped up.
[502] "What do you think you're doing, busting in here?"
[503] "I hear you're planning a course change, Captain."
[504] "You've got damn big ears."
[505] "I think we'd better call in at Jorgensen's."
[506] "You do, huh?"
[507] the captain sat down.
[508] "I'm in command of this vessel," he said.
[509] "I'm changing course for Alabaster."
[510] "I wouldn't find it convenient to go to Alabaster," Retief said.
[511] "So just hold your course for Jorgensen's."
[512] "Not bloody likely."
[513] "Your use of the word 'bloody' is interesting, Captain.
[514] Don't try to change course."
[515] The captain reached for the mike on his desk, pressed the key.
[516] "Power Section, this is the captain," he said.
[517] Retief reached across the desk, gripped the captain's wrist.
[518] "Tell the mate to hold his present course," he said softly.
[519] "Let go my hand, buster," the captain snarled.
[520] Eyes on Retief's, he eased a drawer open with his left hand, reached in.
[521] Retief kneed the drawer.
[522] The captain yelped and dropped the mike.
[523] "You busted it, you—" "And one to go," Retief said.
[524] "Tell him."
[525] "I'm an officer of the Merchant Service!"
[526] "You're a cheapjack who's sold his bridge to a pack of back-alley hoods."
[527] "You can't put it over, hick."
[528] "Tell him."
[529] The captain groaned and picked up the mike.
[530] "Captain to Power Section," he said.
[531] "Hold your present course until you hear from me."
[532] He dropped the mike and looked up at Retief.
[533] "It's eighteen hours yet before we pick up Jorgensen Control.
[534] You going to sit here and bend my arm the whole time?"
[535] Retief released the captain's wrist and turned to the door.
[536] "Chip, I'm locking the door.
[537] You circulate around, let me know what's going on.
[538] Bring me a pot of coffee every so often.
[539] I'm sitting up with a sick friend."
[540] "Right, Mister.
[541] Keep an eye on that jasper; he's slippery."
[542] "What are you going to do?"
[543] the captain demanded.
[544] Retief settled himself in a chair.
[545] "Instead of strangling you, as you deserve," he said, "I'm going to stay here and help you hold your course for Jorgensen's Worlds."
[546] The captain looked at Retief.
[547] He laughed, a short bark.
[548] "Then I'll just stretch out and have a little nap, farmer.
[549] If you feel like dozing off sometime during the next eighteen hours, don't mind me."
[550] Retief took out the needler and put it on the desk before him.
[551] "If anything happens that I don't like," he said, "I'll wake you up.
[552] With this." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship between the Captain and Mr. Tony?":
1. [311] "Put that away, you!" he yelled.
2. [312] "Shut up," Mr. Tony said.
3. [313] "Put it away, Hoany. We'll fix this bum later."
4. [314] "Not on this vessel, you won't," the captain said shakily.
5. [315] "I got my charter to consider."
6. [316] "Ram your charter," Hoany said harshly.
7. [317] "You won't be needing it long."
8. [318] "Button your floppy mouth, damn you!" Mr. Tony snapped.
9. [319] He looked at the man on the floor.
10. [320] "Get Marbles out of here. I ought to dump the slob."
11. [321] He turned and walked away.
12. [322] The captain signaled and two waiters came up.
13. [438] "They got no more emotions than a blue crab—"
14. [439] "Maybe you got a point," the captain said, looking at Retief.
15. [440] "All they got's a three-man scout. It could work."
16. [441] He went out, came back with two crewmen.
17. [442] They hauled the dead alien gingerly into the hall.
18. [443] "Maybe I can run a bluff on the Soetti," the captain said, looking back from the door.
19. [444] "But I'll be back to see you later."
20. [477] "You want to get to Jorgensen's perty bad, don't you, Mister?"
21. [478] "Mr. Tony give the captain a real hard time about old Skaw."
22. [479] "The Sweaties didn't say nothin'. Didn't even act surprised, just took the remains and pushed off."
23. [480] "But Mr. Tony and that other crook they call Marbles, they was fit to be tied."
24. [481] "Took the cap'n in his cabin and talked loud at him fer half a hour."
25. [482] "Then the cap'n come out and give some orders to the Mate."
26. [507] "I'm in command of this vessel," he said.
27. [508] "I'm changing course for Alabaster."
28. [509] "I wouldn't find it convenient to go to Alabaster," Retief said.
The most helpful sentences are those that directly describe the relationship and interactions between the Captain and Mr. Tony, such as Mr. Tony telling the Captain to "shut up" and the Captain being reluctant to go against Mr. Tony's wishes. The less helpful sentences provide more general context about the situation, but do not directly address the relationship between the two characters. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Following the departure of Consul Whaffle, Retief has taken over as Consul for the Terrestrial States with the Terrestrial Consulate General on the planet Groac. His administrative assistant, Miss Yolanda Meuhl, wants him to attend Groacian cultural events, but Retief is more interested in addressing the nine-year-old mystery of the disappearance of a Terrestrial cruiser, the ISV Terrific--an event which was followed by a coup d'etat enacted by the current Groacian government. Much to Miss Meuhl's dismay, Retief shirks his cultural duties and makes his way to the Foreign Office Archives, whereupon he is promptly barred from entering by a pale-featured Archivist speaking in the throat-bladder vibrations of the native Groacians. Because of the Archivist's insistence that \"outworlders\" cannot access the archives, Retief begins walking back to the Consulate and stops at a bar for a drink. At the, a drunken Groacian approaches Retief and threatens to cage him and put him on display as a freak. The bartender orders the drunken Groacian out of the bar, and Retief follows him, ultimately beating him up for information. When Retief returns to the Consulate, Miss Meuhl informs him that two angry Groaci await him in his office. One is Fith, an employee of the Terrestrial Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the other is Shluh, a representative of the Internal Police. They are there to investigate reports that Retief has assaulted a Groacian national--an accusation Retief ignores in order to launch into his own accusations that the Groaci were engaged in a cover-up of the whereabouts of the ISV Terrific. Miss Meuhl continually interjects, expresses horror at Retief's claims, and apologizes to the Groacians on behalf of the Terrestrial Consulate. Despite the persistent denials of the Groacians, Retief continues his accusations, suggesting the coup d'etat was an effort to silence government officials with knowledge of the truth of what happened to the cruiser and its crew. Then he reveals what he discovered from the drunken Groacian: The crew of the ISV Terrific had been caged and paraded through the streets of Groac and then neglected until they died. Fith and Shluh finally admit the truth and offer to show Retief the hidden cruiser in order to show their contrition. When Retief sees the ship, he once again accuses the Groacians of attempting to mislead him, saying that this is a lifeboat, and he demands to see the actual ship. Fith has had enough and threatens to arrest Retief, who yields and goes back to the Consulate. There, Miss Meuhl is at her wits end. Retief orders her to barricade herself inside the office while he goes to the Foreign Ministry to gather more evidence. When he returns, Miss Meuhl informs him she has reported him to Regional Headquarters, and Retief learns he has been relieved of his post. Soon after, the Groacians appoint Miss Meuhl to his position, and Fith and Shluh enter to arrest him.",
"Consul Whaffle left the Terrestrial Consul three months prior, leaving Retief in charge. Retief is sick of the constant cultural events and lack of real progress, so he’s beginning to suspect the Groaci are hiding something. He turns down the latest invitation, offending his Administrative Assistant Miss Meuhl. She is horrified at his choices and at his questioning the Groaci’s motives. Retief wants to learn more about the Terrestrial cruiser, Terrific ISV, that crashed on Groac nine years ago. Miss Meuhl disapproves and believes the Groacian side of the story, but Retief is not convinced. He is turned down at the Archies, as he is an outsider. He leaves and decides to visit a bar and try the local drink. There, Retief is refused by the bartender as well, claiming his stomach can’t handle their drink. A drunk Groacian in the background whispers about putting Retief in a cage where he belongs. He follows the drunk after he gets thrown out and violently interrogates him.\nWhen Retief returns to his office, Miss Meuhl announces that there are two Groaci waiting for him. Fith and Shluh, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Internal Police respectively, have heard about the assaults on a Groacian. Retief asks Miss Meuhl to record their conversation. Retief admits to his questioning, but not before doing some of his own. He prods the two Groaci about the Terrific ISV cruiser and soon reveals that the drunk told him about the zoo-like parade of Terrestrials. Fith admits to the parade and tells them that the Terrestrials died afterward due to insufficient nutrition. The Groaci hid their blunder and lied to the Terrestrials about what truly happened. Retief asks them to take him to the cruiser, which they do. After they explore a little, Fith and Shluh ask him to keep his mouth shut. Retief refuses and says that this ship was the lifeboat, not the cruiser itself. Four armed Groaci surround Retief, but he talks his way out of the situation. \nHe returns to the Consulate and tells Miss Meuhl everything, warning her to prepare for the present crisis. She is still upset and defends the Groaci. He tells her to lock herself in the Consulate and wait for his return. If something were to happen, she is to send the recording and all his evidence to Regional Headquarters. He leaves to break into the Foreign Ministry. When he returns, he asks Miss Meuhl to fire up the sender, which she’d already done. She had reported him to the Regional Headquarters and all his misactions. Counsellor Pardy pops up on the screen and attempts to relieve Retief of his duties, but he quickly shuts it off. Retief says he found the missing cruiser but is interrupted by the local communicator. A Groacian promotes Miss Meuhl to Consul, and she lets in the so-called peace squad. They surround Retief, armed, and Miss Meuhl waives Retief’s diplomatic immunity. Shluh orders his men to take Retief.",
"At the Terrestrial Consulate General on the planet Groac, Retief has taken over for Consul Whaffle who left three months prior. Administrative Assistant Miss Yolanda Meuhl used to serve Consul Whaffle, and is not pleased with how Retief is handling things. Retief dictates a response declining a prestigious invitation to a Groacian event to Miss Meuhl, and she warns he will offend them. This is not Retief’s only controversy. He also questions the coup d'etat of the present government and the disappearance of the Terrestrial cruiser, ISV Terrific, nine years ago, which are considered topics to be avoided by Miss Meuhl. Retief is denied entry into the Foreign Office Archives to investigate, and steps into a local bar. A drunkard Groacian calls Retief a freak and then is escorted out by two other customers. Retief follows the drunk out to the street and pins him down to the ground to have a “long talk”.\nBack in Retief’s consulate office, two angry Groacian officials, Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shluh, of the Internal Police, accuse Retief of beating the drunkard. Retief has Miss Meuhl officially record the conversation and pivots to ask what happened to the Terrestrial cruiser, ISV Terrific, that disappeared nine years ago. Fith is offended and calls for Retief to be fired. Retief presses on to ask why the government fell after the visit of a Terrestrial investigation task force after the incident. He notices the Groacians are covering something up - not letting Terrestrials have social contacts outside the diplomatic circle and never speaking of a parade of six Terrestrials hauled through the streets after the vessel disappeared. Fith admits that six Terrans were captured and they fell ill and died because the Groacians didn’t know what to feed them. Fith admits the ship descended intact East of the city, and that they didn’t realize they had done something terrible until the Terran warships came. So they covered their mistake, purging their guilty leaders, concealing what happened, and offering Terrans diplomatic relations. Fith and Shluh take Retief to see the ship in a cavern, however, it is not the real ISV Terrific. The Terrific was a twenty thousand ton ship, and this one is only a small lifeboat. Fith becomes furious. Shluh and four constables escort Retief back to the city and ban him from leaving or questioning Groacian government matters. \nRetief decides to find what happened to the real Terrific before they destroy all the Archives’ paperwork. He instructs Miss Meuhl to lock herself in the consulate office. She reports Retief to Regional Headquarters. When Retief returns, he wants to send his findings to Regional Headquarters, but when they reconnect, Counsellor Pardy, DSO-1, Deputy Under-secretary for the region fires Retief. Miss Meuhl answers a call from the Groacians who accredit her as the new Terrestrial Consul to Groac (Retief’s role). She lets armed Groacian’s into the consulate and waives diplomatic immunity for Retief. A total betrayal that shocks Retief.",
"Consul Retief for the Terrestrial States is serving on the Groac planet, having replaced the previous consul, Mr. Whaffle, three months ago. His Administrative Assistant, Miss Meuhl, tries to tell him how to do his job, indicating what he can and cannot do. She is defensive of the Groacians, calling them sensitive, cultured, innocent, and gentle yet unsophisticated. She professes deep shame at the way they were treated by the investigators. She has been working in the consulate for four years and considers herself much more knowledgeable than Retief. There was a Terrestrial ship, the ISV Terrific, that went missing in their sector nine years ago, and while the Terrestrials held an investigation and questioned the Groacians, they did not get satisfactory answers. Retief is trying to get those answers.\nTo determine what happened, Retief first tries the Archives and local museum, but Terrestrials are denied entry here. From there, he makes his way to a bar. While the bartender refuses him service, a drunken Groacian calls out for a cage to put Retief in, referring to him as a zoo animal or a freak. When the bartender has the drunk taken out of the bar, Retief follows and beats him to get more information. Later, two government men, Fith from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shluh from the Internal Police, show up at the consulate to question Retief about the beating. He turns their questioning into his own interrogation about the missing ship from nine years ago and the reason for the change in their government right after the investigators left Groac. Retief confronts them with his knowledge that the Terrestrials were put in cages and paraded through the streets and demands to know what happened to them. Fith admits this happened and claims the humans grew ill and died since the Groacians didn’t really know how to keep them alive.\nFith also relates that the government was changed after the inquiry to get rid of the leaders who were involved. To try to cover and make up for their mistakes, they then reached out to the Terrestrials to establish a diplomatic relationship. When Retief asks to see the ship, Fith and Shluh show him a ship hidden in a cavern, but Retief realizes it isn’t the ISV. He confronts the men about this, and they end their cooperation with him. Fith warns Retief to stay close to the consulate.\nKnowing that he has little time left, that night Retief breaks into the Foreign Ministry to find evidence and answers to his questions; he is sure they will destroy this information soon. When he returns to the consulate, Miss Meuhl has filed a report against him with the Regional Headquarters, having him relieved of duty and making her acting Consul. Fith and Shluh show up to question Retief about the break-in, and he claims diplomatic immunity, but Miss Meuhl waives his immunity."
] | [1] THE MADMAN FROM EARTH BY KEITH LAUMER You don't have to be crazy to be an earth diplomat—but on Groac it sure helps!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1962.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] I "The Consul for the Terrestrial States," Retief said, "presents his compliments, et cetera, to the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, and with reference to the Ministry's invitation to attend a recital of interpretive grimacing, has the honor to express regret that he will be unable—" "You can't turn this invitation down," Administrative Assistant Meuhl said flatly.
[5] "I'll make that 'accepts with pleasure'."
[6] Retief exhaled a plume of cigar smoke.
[7] "Miss Meuhl," he said, "in the past couple of weeks I've sat through six light-concerts, four attempts at chamber music, and god knows how many assorted folk-art festivals.
[8] I've been tied up every off-duty hour since I got here—" "You can't offend the Groaci," Miss Meuhl said sharply.
[9] "Consul Whaffle would never have been so rude."
[10] "Whaffle left here three months ago," Retief said, "leaving me in charge."
[11] "Well," Miss Meuhl said, snapping off the dictyper.
[12] "I'm sure I don't know what excuse I can give the Minister."
[13] "Never mind the excuses," Retief said.
[14] "Just tell him I won't be there."
[15] He stood up.
[16] "Are you leaving the office?"
[17] Miss Meuhl adjusted her glasses.
[18] "I have some important letters here for your signature."
[19] "I don't recall dictating any letters today, Miss Meuhl," Retief said, pulling on a light cape.
[20] "I wrote them for you.
[21] They're just as Consul Whaffle would have wanted them."
[22] "Did you write all Whaffle's letters for him, Miss Meuhl?"
[23] "Consul Whaffle was an extremely busy man," Miss Meuhl said stiffly.
[24] "He had complete confidence in me."
[25] "Since I'm cutting out the culture from now on," Retief said, "I won't be so busy."
[26] "Well!"
[27] Miss Meuhl said.
[28] "May I ask where you'll be if something comes up?"
[29] "I'm going over to the Foreign Office Archives."
[30] Miss Meuhl blinked behind thick lenses.
[31] "Whatever for?"
[32] Retief looked thoughtfully at Miss Meuhl.
[33] "You've been here on Groac for four years, Miss Meuhl.
[34] What was behind the coup d'etat that put the present government in power?"
[35] "I'm sure I haven't pried into—" "What about that Terrestrial cruiser?
[36] The one that disappeared out this way about ten years back?"
[37] "Mr. Retief, those are just the sort of questions we avoid with the Groaci.
[38] I certainly hope you're not thinking of openly intruding—" "Why?"
[39] "The Groaci are a very sensitive race.
[40] They don't welcome outworlders raking up things.
[41] They've been gracious enough to let us live down the fact that Terrestrials subjected them to deep humiliation on one occasion."
[42] "You mean when they came looking for the cruiser?"
[43] "I, for one, am ashamed of the high-handed tactics that were employed, grilling these innocent people as though they were criminals.
[44] We try never to reopen that wound, Mr.
[45] Retief."
[46] "They never found the cruiser, did they?"
[47] "Certainly not on Groac."
[48] Retief nodded.
[49] "Thanks, Miss Meuhl," he said.
[50] "I'll be back before you close the office."
[51] Miss Meuhl's face was set in lines of grim disapproval as he closed the door.
[52] The pale-featured Groacian vibrated his throat-bladder in a distressed bleat.
[53] "Not to enter the Archives," he said in his faint voice.
[54] "The denial of permission.
[55] The deep regret of the Archivist."
[56] "The importance of my task here," Retief said, enunciating the glottal dialect with difficulty.
[57] "My interest in local history."
[58] "The impossibility of access to outworlders.
[59] To depart quietly."
[60] "The necessity that I enter."
[61] "The specific instructions of the Archivist."
[62] The Groacian's voice rose to a whisper.
[63] "To insist no longer.
[64] To give up this idea!"
[65] "OK, Skinny, I know when I'm licked," Retief said in Terran.
[66] "To keep your nose clean."
[67] Outside, Retief stood for a moment looking across at the deeply carved windowless stucco facades lining the street, then started off in the direction of the Terrestrial Consulate General.
[68] The few Groacians on the street eyed him furtively, veered to avoid him as he passed.
[69] Flimsy high-wheeled ground cars puffed silently along the resilient pavement.
[70] The air was clean and cool.
[71] At the office, Miss Meuhl would be waiting with another list of complaints.
[72] Retief studied the carving over the open doorways along the street.
[73] An elaborate one picked out in pinkish paint seemed to indicate the Groacian equivalent of a bar.
[74] Retief went in.
[75] A Groacian bartender was dispensing clay pots of alcoholic drink from the bar-pit at the center of the room.
[76] He looked at Retief and froze in mid-motion, a metal tube poised over a waiting pot.
[77] "To enjoy a cooling drink," Retief said in Groacian, squatting down at the edge of the pit.
[78] "To sample a true Groacian beverage."
[79] "To not enjoy my poor offerings," the Groacian mumbled.
[80] "A pain in the digestive sacs; to express regret."
[81] "To not worry," Retief said, irritated.
[82] "To pour it out and let me decide whether I like it."
[83] "To be grappled in by peace-keepers for poisoning of—foreigners."
[84] The barkeep looked around for support, found none.
[85] The Groaci customers, eyes elsewhere, were drifting away.
[86] "To get the lead out," Retief said, placing a thick gold-piece in the dish provided.
[87] "To shake a tentacle."
[88] "The procuring of a cage," a thin voice called from the sidelines.
[89] "The displaying of a freak."
[90] Retief turned.
[91] A tall Groacian vibrated his mandibles in a gesture of contempt.
[92] From his bluish throat coloration, it was apparent the creature was drunk.
[93] "To choke in your upper sac," the bartender hissed, extending his eyes toward the drunk.
[94] "To keep silent, litter-mate of drones."
[95] "To swallow your own poison, dispenser of vileness," the drunk whispered.
[96] "To find a proper cage for this zoo-piece."
[97] He wavered toward Retief.
[98] "To show this one in the streets, like all freaks."
[99] "Seen a lot of freaks like me, have you?"
[100] Retief asked, interestedly.
[101] "To speak intelligibly, malodorous outworlder," the drunk said.
[102] The barkeep whispered something, and two customers came up to the drunk, took his arms and helped him to the door.
[103] "To get a cage!"
[104] the drunk shrilled.
[105] "To keep the animals in their own stinking place."
[106] "I've changed my mind," Retief said to the bartender.
[107] "To be grateful as hell, but to have to hurry off now."
[108] He followed the drunk out the door.
[109] The other Groaci released him, hurried back inside.
[110] Retief looked at the weaving alien.
[111] "To begone, freak," the Groacian whispered.
[112] "To be pals," Retief said.
[113] "To be kind to dumb animals."
[114] "To have you hauled away to a stockyard, ill-odored foreign livestock."
[115] "To not be angry, fragrant native," Retief said.
[116] "To permit me to chum with you."
[117] "To flee before I take a cane to you!"
[118] "To have a drink together—" "To not endure such insolence!"
[119] The Groacian advanced toward Retief.
[120] Retief backed away.
[121] "To hold hands," Retief said.
[122] "To be palsy-walsy—" The Groacian reached for him, missed.
[123] A passer-by stepped around him, head down, scuttled away.
[124] Retief backed into the opening to a narrow crossway and offered further verbal familiarities to the drunken local, who followed, furious.
[125] Retief backed, rounded a corner into a narrow alley-like passage, deserted, silent ... except for the following Groacian.
[126] Retief stepped around him, seized his collar and yanked.
[127] The Groacian fell on his back.
[128] Retief stood over him.
[129] The downed native half-rose; Retief put a foot against his chest and pushed.
[130] "To not be going anywhere for a few minutes," Retief said.
[131] "To stay right here and have a nice long talk."
[132] II "There you are!"
[133] Miss Meuhl said, eyeing Retief over her lenses.
[134] "There are two gentlemen waiting to see you.
[135] Groacian gentlemen."
[136] "Government men, I imagine.
[137] Word travels fast."
[138] Retief pulled off his cape.
[139] "This saves me the trouble of paying another call at the Foreign Ministry."
[140] "What have you been doing?
[141] They seem very upset, I don't mind telling you."
[142] "I'm sure you don't.
[143] Come along.
[144] And bring an official recorder."
[145] Two Groaci wearing heavy eye-shields and elaborate crest ornaments indicative of rank rose as Retief entered the room.
[146] Neither offered a courteous snap of the mandibles, Retief noted.
[147] They were mad, all right.
[148] "I am Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Consul," the taller Groacian said, in lisping Terran.
[149] "May I present Shluh, of the Internal Police?"
[150] "Sit down, gentlemen," Retief said.
[151] They resumed their seats.
[152] Miss Meuhl hovered nervously, then sat on the edge of a comfortless chair.
[153] "Oh, it's such a pleasure—" she began.
[154] "Never mind that," Retief said.
[155] "These gentlemen didn't come here to sip tea today."
[156] "So true," Fith said.
[157] "Frankly, I have had a most disturbing report, Mr. Consul.
[158] I shall ask Shluh to recount it."
[159] He nodded to the police chief.
[160] "One hour ago," The Groacian said, "a Groacian national was brought to hospital suffering from serious contusions.
[161] Questioning of this individual revealed that he had been set upon and beaten by a foreigner.
[162] A Terrestrial, to be precise.
[163] Investigation by my department indicates that the description of the culprit closely matches that of the Terrestrial Consul."
[164] Miss Meuhl gasped audibly.
[165] "Have you ever heard," Retief said, looking steadily at Fith, "of a Terrestrial cruiser, the ISV Terrific , which dropped from sight in this sector nine years ago?"
[166] "Really!"
[167] Miss Meuhl exclaimed, rising.
[168] "I wash my hands—" "Just keep that recorder going," Retief snapped.
[169] "I'll not be a party—" "You'll do as you're told, Miss Meuhl," Retief said quietly.
[170] "I'm telling you to make an official sealed record of this conversation."
[171] Miss Meuhl sat down.
[172] Fith puffed out his throat indignantly.
[173] "You reopen an old wound, Mr. Consul.
[174] It reminds us of certain illegal treatment at Terrestrial hands—" "Hogwash," Retief said.
[175] "That tune went over with my predecessors, but it hits a sour note with me."
[176] "All our efforts," Miss Meuhl said, "to live down that terrible episode!
[177] And you—" "Terrible?
[178] I understand that a Terrestrial task force stood off Groac and sent a delegation down to ask questions.
[179] They got some funny answers, and stayed on to dig around a little.
[180] After a week they left.
[181] Somewhat annoying to the Groaci, maybe—at the most.
[182] If they were innocent."
[183] "IF!"
[184] Miss Meuhl burst out.
[185] "If, indeed!"
[186] Fith said, his weak voice trembling.
[187] "I must protest your—" "Save the protests, Fith.
[188] You have some explaining to do.
[189] And I don't think your story will be good enough."
[190] "It is for you to explain!
[191] This person who was beaten—" "Not beaten.
[192] Just rapped a few times to loosen his memory."
[193] "Then you admit—" "It worked, too.
[194] He remembered lots of things, once he put his mind to it."
[195] Fith rose; Shluh followed suit.
[196] "I shall ask for your immediate recall, Mr. Consul.
[197] Were it not for your diplomatic immunity, I should do more—" "Why did the government fall, Fith?
[198] It was just after the task force paid its visit, and before the arrival of the first Terrestrial diplomatic mission."
[199] "This is an internal matter!"
[200] Fith cried, in his faint Groacian voice.
[201] "The new regime has shown itself most amiable to you Terrestrials.
[202] It has outdone itself—" "—to keep the Terrestrial consul and his staff in the dark," Retief said.
[203] "And the same goes for the few terrestrial businessmen you've visaed.
[204] This continual round of culture; no social contacts outside the diplomatic circle; no travel permits to visit out-lying districts, or your satellite—" "Enough!"
[205] Fith's mandibles quivered in distress.
[206] "I can talk no more of this matter—" "You'll talk to me, or there'll be a task force here in five days to do the talking," Retief said.
[207] "You can't!"
[208] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[209] Retief turned a steady look on Miss Meuhl.
[210] She closed her mouth.
[211] The Groaci sat down.
[212] "Answer me this one," Retief said, looking at Shluh.
[213] "A few years back—about nine, I think—there was a little parade held here.
[214] Some curious looking creatures were captured.
[215] After being securely caged, they were exhibited to the gentle Groaci public.
[216] Hauled through the streets.
[217] Very educational, no doubt.
[218] A highly cultural show.
[219] "Funny thing about these animals.
[220] They wore clothes.
[221] They seemed to communicate with each other.
[222] Altogether it was a very amusing exhibit.
[223] "Tell me, Shluh, what happened to those six Terrestrials after the parade was over?"
[224] Fith made a choked noise and spoke rapidly to Shluh in Groacian.
[225] Shluh retracted his eyes, shrank down in his chair.
[226] Miss Meuhl opened her mouth, closed it and blinked rapidly.
[227] "How did they die?"
[228] Retief snapped.
[229] "Did you murder them, cut their throats, shoot them or bury them alive?
[230] What amusing end did you figure out for them?
[231] Research, maybe?
[232] Cut them open to see what made them yell...." "No!"
[233] Fith gasped.
[234] "I must correct this terrible false impression at once."
[235] "False impression, hell," Retief said.
[236] "They were Terrans!
[237] A simple narco-interrogation would get that out of any Groacian who saw the parade."
[238] "Yes," Fith said weakly.
[239] "It is true, they were Terrestrials.
[240] But there was no killing."
[241] "They're alive?"
[242] "Alas, no.
[243] They ...
[244] died."
[245] Miss Meuhl yelped faintly.
[246] "I see," Retief said.
[247] "They died."
[248] "We tried to keep them alive, of course.
[249] But we did not know what foods—" "Didn't take the trouble to find out, either, did you?"
[250] "They fell ill," Fith said.
[251] "One by one...." "We'll deal with that question later," Retief said.
[252] "Right now, I want more information.
[253] Where did you get them?
[254] Where did you hide the ship?
[255] What happened to the rest of the crew?
[256] Did they 'fall ill' before the big parade?"
[257] "There were no more!
[258] Absolutely, I assure you!"
[259] "Killed in the crash landing?"
[260] "No crash landing.
[261] The ship descended intact, east of the city.
[262] The ... Terrestrials ... were unharmed.
[263] Naturally, we feared them.
[264] They were strange to us.
[265] We had never before seen such beings."
[266] "Stepped off the ship with guns blazing, did they?"
[267] "Guns?
[268] No, no guns—" "They raised their hands, didn't they?
[269] Asked for help.
[270] You helped them; helped them to death."
[271] "How could we know?"
[272] Fith moaned.
[273] "How could you know a flotilla would show up in a few months looking for them, you mean?
[274] That was a shock, wasn't it?
[275] I'll bet you had a brisk time of it hiding the ship, and shutting everybody up.
[276] A close call, eh?"
[277] "We were afraid," Shluh said.
[278] "We are a simple people.
[279] We feared the strange creatures from the alien craft.
[280] We did not kill them, but we felt it was as well they ... did not survive.
[281] Then, when the warships came, we realized our error.
[282] But we feared to speak.
[283] We purged our guilty leaders, concealed what had happened, and ... offered our friendship.
[284] We invited the opening of diplomatic relations.
[285] We made a blunder, it is true, a great blunder.
[286] But we have tried to make amends...." "Where is the ship?"
[287] "The ship?"
[288] "What did you do with it?
[289] It was too big to just walk off and forget.
[290] Where is it?"
[291] The two Groacians exchanged looks.
[292] "We wish to show our contrition," Fith said.
[293] "We will show you the ship."
[294] "Miss Meuhl," Retief said.
[295] "If I don't come back in a reasonable length of time, transmit that recording to Regional Headquarters, sealed."
[296] He stood, looked at the Groaci.
[297] "Let's go," he said.
[298] Retief stooped under the heavy timbers shoring the entry to the cavern.
[299] He peered into the gloom at the curving flank of the space-burned hull.
[300] "Any lights in here?"
[301] he asked.
[302] A Groacian threw a switch.
[303] A weak bluish glow sprang up.
[304] Retief walked along the raised wooden catwalk, studying the ship.
[305] Empty emplacements gaped below lensless scanner eyes.
[306] Littered decking was visible within the half-open entry port.
[307] Near the bow the words 'IVS Terrific B7 New Terra' were lettered in bright chrome duralloy.
[308] "How did you get it in here?"
[309] Retief asked.
[310] "It was hauled here from the landing point, some nine miles distant," Fith said, his voice thinner than ever.
[311] "This is a natural crevasse.
[312] The vessel was lowered into it and roofed over."
[313] "How did you shield it so the detectors didn't pick it up?"
[314] "All here is high-grade iron ore," Fith said, waving a member.
[315] "Great veins of almost pure metal."
[316] Retief grunted.
[317] "Let's go inside."
[318] Shluh came forward with a hand-lamp.
[319] The party entered the ship.
[320] Retief clambered up a narrow companionway, glanced around the interior of the control compartment.
[321] Dust was thick on the deck, the stanchions where acceleration couches had been mounted, the empty instrument panels, the litter of sheared bolts, scraps of wire and paper.
[322] A thin frosting of rust dulled the exposed metal where cutting torches had sliced away heavy shielding.
[323] There was a faint odor of stale bedding.
[324] "The cargo compartment—" Shluh began.
[325] "I've seen enough," Retief said.
[326] Silently, the Groacians led the way back out through the tunnel and into the late afternoon sunshine.
[327] As they climbed the slope to the steam car, Fith came to Retief's side.
[328] "Indeed, I hope that this will be the end of this unfortunate affair," he said.
[329] "Now that all has been fully and honestly shown—" "You can skip all that," Retief said.
[330] "You're nine years late.
[331] The crew was still alive when the task force called, I imagine.
[332] You killed them—or let them die—rather than take the chance of admitting what you'd done."
[333] "We were at fault," Fith said abjectly.
[334] "Now we wish only friendship."
[335] "The Terrific was a heavy cruiser, about twenty thousand tons."
[336] Retief looked grimly at the slender Foreign Office official.
[337] "Where is she, Fith?
[338] I won't settle for a hundred-ton lifeboat."
[339] Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.
[340] "I know nothing of ... of...." He stopped.
[341] His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.
[342] "My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul," he said at last.
[343] "I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility.
[344] My patience is at an end."
[345] "Where is that ship?"
[346] Retief rapped out.
[347] "You never learn, do you?
[348] You're still convinced you can hide the whole thing and forget it.
[349] I'm telling you you can't."
[350] "We return to the city now," Fith said.
[351] "I can do no more."
[352] "You can and you will, Fith," Retief said.
[353] "I intend to get to the truth of this matter."
[354] Fith spoke to Shluh in rapid Groacian.
[355] The police chief gestured to his four armed constables.
[356] They moved to ring Retief in.
[357] Retief eyed Fith.
[358] "Don't try it," he said.
[359] "You'll just get yourself in deeper."
[360] Fith clacked his mandibles angrily, eye stalks canted aggressively toward the Terrestrial.
[361] "Out of deference to your diplomatic status, Terrestrial, I shall ignore your insulting remarks," Fith said in his reedy voice.
[362] "Let us now return to the city."
[363] Retief looked at the four policemen.
[364] "I see your point," he said.
[365] Fith followed him into the car, sat rigidly at the far end of the seat.
[366] "I advise you to remain very close to your consulate," Fith said.
[367] "I advise you to dismiss these fancies from your mind, and to enjoy the cultural aspects of life at Groac.
[368] Especially, I should not venture out of the city, or appear overly curious about matters of concern only to the Groacian government."
[369] In the front seat, Shluh looked straight ahead.
[370] The loosely-sprung vehicle bobbed and swayed along the narrow highway.
[371] Retief listened to the rhythmic puffing of the motor and said nothing.
[372] III "Miss Meuhl," Retief said, "I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you.
[373] I have to move rapidly now, to catch the Groaci off guard."
[374] "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy lenses.
[375] "If you'll listen, you may find out," Retief said.
[376] "I have no time to waste, Miss Meuhl.
[377] They won't be expecting an immediate move—I hope—and that may give me the latitude I need."
[378] "You're still determined to make an issue of that incident!"
[379] Miss Meuhl snorted.
[380] "I really can hardly blame the Groaci.
[381] They are not a sophisticated race; they had never before met aliens."
[382] "You're ready to forgive a great deal, Miss Meuhl.
[383] But it's not what happened nine years ago I'm concerned with.
[384] It's what's happening now.
[385] I've told you that it was only a lifeboat the Groaci have hidden out.
[386] Don't you understand the implication?
[387] That vessel couldn't have come far.
[388] The cruiser itself must be somewhere near by.
[389] I want to know where!"
[390] "The Groaci don't know.
[391] They're a very cultured, gentle people.
[392] You can do irreparable harm to the reputation of Terrestrials if you insist—" "That's my decision," Retief said.
[393] "I have a job to do and we're wasting time."
[394] He crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer and took out a slim-barreled needler.
[395] "This office is being watched.
[396] Not very efficiently, if I know the Groaci.
[397] I think I can get past them all right."
[398] "Where are you going with ...
[399] that?"
[400] Miss Meuhl stared at the needler.
[401] "What in the world—" "The Groaci won't waste any time destroying every piece of paper in their files relating to this thing.
[402] I have to get what I need before it's too late.
[403] If I wait for an official Inquiry Commission, they'll find nothing but blank smiles."
[404] "You're out of your mind!"
[405] Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation.
[406] "You're like a ... a...." "You and I are in a tight spot, Miss Meuhl.
[407] The logical next move for the Groaci is to dispose of both of us.
[408] We're the only ones who know what happened.
[409] Fith almost did the job this afternoon, but I bluffed him out—for the moment."
[410] Miss Meuhl emitted a shrill laugh.
[411] "Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped.
[412] "In danger, indeed!
[413] Disposing of me!
[414] I've never heard anything so ridiculous."
[415] "Stay in this office.
[416] Close and safe-lock the door.
[417] You've got food and water in the dispenser.
[418] I suggest you stock up, before they shut the supply down.
[419] Don't let anyone in, on any pretext whatever.
[420] I'll keep in touch with you via hand-phone."
[421] "What are you planning to do?"
[422] "If I don't make it back here, transmit the sealed record of this afternoon's conversation, along with the information I've given you.
[423] Beam it through on a mayday priority.
[424] Then tell the Groaci what you've done and sit tight.
[425] I think you'll be all right.
[426] It won't be easy to blast in here and anyway, they won't make things worse by killing you.
[427] A force can be here in a week."
[428] "I'll do nothing of the sort!
[429] The Groaci are very fond of me!
[430] You ... Johnny-come-lately!
[431] Roughneck!
[432] Setting out to destroy—" "Blame it on me if it will make you feel any better," Retief said, "but don't be fool enough to trust them."
[433] He pulled on a cape, opened the door.
[434] "I'll be back in a couple of hours," he said.
[435] Miss Meuhl stared after him silently as he closed the door.
[436] It was an hour before dawn when Retief keyed the combination to the safe-lock and stepped into the darkened consular office.
[437] He looked tired.
[438] Miss Meuhl, dozing in a chair, awoke with a start.
[439] She looked at Retief, rose and snapped on a light, turned to stare.
[440] "What in the world—Where have you been?
[441] What's happened to your clothing?"
[442] "I got a little dirty.
[443] Don't worry about it."
[444] Retief went to his desk, opened a drawer and replaced the needler.
[445] "Where have you been?"
[446] Miss Meuhl demanded.
[447] "I stayed here—" "I'm glad you did," Retief said.
[448] "I hope you piled up a supply of food and water from the dispenser, too.
[449] We'll be holed up here for a week, at least."
[450] He jotted figures on a pad.
[451] "Warm up the official sender.
[452] I have a long transmission for Regional Headquarters."
[453] "Are you going to tell me where you've been?"
[454] "I have a message to get off first, Miss Meuhl," Retief said sharply.
[455] "I've been to the Foreign Ministry," he added.
[456] "I'll tell you all about it later."
[457] "At this hour?
[458] There's no one there...." "Exactly."
[459] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[460] "You mean you broke in?
[461] You burgled the Foreign Office?"
[462] "That's right," Retief said calmly.
[463] "Now—" "This is absolutely the end!"
[464] Miss Meuhl said.
[465] "Thank heaven I've already—" "Get that sender going, woman!"
[466] Retief snapped.
[467] "This is important."
[468] "I've already done so, Mr.
[469] Retief!"
[470] Miss Meuhl said harshly.
[471] "I've been waiting for you to come back here...." She turned to the communicator, flipped levers.
[472] The screen snapped aglow, and a wavering long-distance image appeared.
[473] "He's here now," Miss Meuhl said to the screen.
[474] She looked at Retief triumphantly.
[475] "That's good," Retief said.
[476] "I don't think the Groaci can knock us off the air, but—" "I have done my duty, Mr. Retief," Miss Meuhl said.
[477] "I made a full report to Regional Headquarters last night, as soon as you left this office.
[478] Any doubts I may have had as to the rightness of that decision have been completely dispelled by what you've just told me."
[479] Retief looked at her levelly.
[480] "You've been a busy girl, Miss Meuhl.
[481] Did you mention the six Terrestrials who were killed here?"
[482] "That had no bearing on the matter of your wild behavior!
[483] I must say, in all my years in the Corps, I've never encountered a personality less suited to diplomatic work."
[484] The screen crackled, the ten-second transmission lag having elapsed.
[485] "Mr. Retief," the face on the screen said, "I am Counsellor Pardy, DSO-1, Deputy Under-secretary for the region.
[486] I have received a report on your conduct which makes it mandatory for me to relieve you administratively, vice Miss Yolanda Meuhl, DAO-9.
[487] Pending the findings of a Board of Inquiry, you will—" Retief reached out and snapped off the communicator.
[488] The triumphant look faded from Miss Meuhl's face.
[489] "Why, what is the meaning—" "If I'd listened any longer, I might have heard something I couldn't ignore.
[490] I can't afford that, at this moment.
[491] Listen, Miss Meuhl," Retief went on earnestly, "I've found the missing cruiser."
[492] "You heard him relieve you!"
[493] "I heard him say he was going to, Miss Meuhl.
[494] But until I've heard and acknowledged a verbal order, it has no force.
[495] If I'm wrong, he'll get my resignation.
[496] If I'm right, that suspension would be embarrassing all around."
[497] "You're defying lawful authority!
[498] I'm in charge here now."
[499] Miss Meuhl stepped to the local communicator.
[500] "I'm going to report this terrible thing to the Groaci at once, and offer my profound—" "Don't touch that screen," Retief said.
[501] "You go sit in that corner where I can keep an eye on you.
[502] I'm going to make a sealed tape for transmission to Headquarters, along with a call for an armed task force.
[503] Then we'll settle down to wait."
[504] Retief ignored Miss Meuhl's fury as he spoke into the recorder.
[505] The local communicator chimed.
[506] Miss Meuhl jumped up, staring at it.
[507] "Go ahead," Retief said.
[508] "Answer it."
[509] A Groacian official appeared on the screen.
[510] "Yolanda Meuhl," he said without preamble, "for the Foreign Minister of the Groacian Autonomy, I herewith accredit you as Terrestrial Consul to Groac, in accordance with the advices transmitted to my government direct from the Terrestrial Headquarters.
[511] As consul, you are requested to make available for questioning Mr. J. Retief, former consul, in connection with the assault on two peace keepers and illegal entry into the offices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs."
[512] "Why, why," Miss Meuhl stammered.
[513] "Yes, of course.
[514] And I do want to express my deepest regrets—" Retief rose, went to the communicator, assisted Miss Meuhl aside.
[515] "Listen carefully, Fith," he said.
[516] "Your bluff has been called.
[517] You don't come in and we don't come out.
[518] Your camouflage worked for nine years, but it's all over now.
[519] I suggest you keep your heads and resist the temptation to make matters worse than they are."
[520] "Miss Meuhl," Fith said, "a peace squad waits outside your consulate.
[521] It is clear you are in the hands of a dangerous lunatic.
[522] As always, the Groaci wish only friendship with the Terrestrials, but—" "Don't bother," Retief said.
[523] "You know what was in those files I looked over this morning."
[524] Retief turned at a sound behind him.
[525] Miss Meuhl was at the door, reaching for the safe-lock release....
[526] "Don't!"
[527] Retief jumped—too late.
[528] The door burst inward.
[529] A crowd of crested Groaci pressed into the room, pushed Miss Meuhl back, aimed scatter guns at Retief.
[530] Police Chief Shluh pushed forward.
[531] "Attempt no violence, Terrestrial," he said.
[532] "I cannot promise to restrain my men."
[533] "You're violating Terrestrial territory, Shluh," Retief said steadily.
[534] "I suggest you move back out the same way you came in."
[535] "I invited them here," Miss Meuhl spoke up.
[536] "They are here at my express wish."
[537] "Are they?
[538] Are you sure you meant to go this far, Miss Meuhl?
[539] A squad of armed Groaci in the consulate?"
[540] "You are the consul, Miss Yolanda Meuhl," Shluh said.
[541] "Would it not be best if we removed this deranged person to a place of safety?"
[542] "You're making a serious mistake, Shluh," Retief said.
[543] "Yes," Miss Meuhl said.
[544] "You're quite right, Mr. Shluh.
[545] Please escort Mr. Retief to his quarters in this building—" "I don't advise you to violate my diplomatic immunity, Fith," Retief said.
[546] "As chief of mission," Miss Meuhl said quickly, "I hereby waive immunity in the case of Mr.
[547] Retief."
[548] Shluh produced a hand recorder.
[549] "Kindly repeat your statement, Madam, officially," he said.
[550] "I wish no question to arise later."
[551] "Don't be a fool, woman," Retief said.
[552] "Don't you see what you're letting yourself in for?
[553] This would be a hell of a good time for you to figure out whose side you're on."
[554] "I'm on the side of common decency!"
[555] "You've been taken in.
[556] These people are concealing—" "You think all women are fools, don't you, Mr.
[557] Retief?"
[558] She turned to the police chief and spoke into the microphone he held up.
[559] "That's an illegal waiver," Retief said.
[560] "I'm consul here, whatever rumors you've heard.
[561] This thing's coming out into the open, whatever you do.
[562] Don't add violation of the Consulate to the list of Groacian atrocities."
[563] "Take the man," Shluh said. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [1] THE MADMAN FROM EARTH BY KEITH LAUMER You don't have to be crazy to be an earth diplomat—but on Groac it sure helps!
2. [4] I "The Consul for the Terrestrial States," Retief said, "presents his compliments, et cetera, to the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, and with reference to the Ministry's invitation to attend a recital of interpretive grimacing, has the honor to express regret that he will be unable—" "You can't turn this invitation down," Administrative Assistant Meuhl said flatly.
3. [165] Miss Meuhl gasped audibly.
4. [207] "You can't!" Miss Meuhl gasped.
5. [244] "They died."
6. [245] Miss Meuhl yelped faintly.
7. [372] "Miss Meuhl," Retief said, "I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you. I have to move rapidly now, to catch the Groaci off guard."
8. [373] "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy lenses.
9. [374] "If you'll listen, you may find out," Retief said.
10. [375] "I have no time to waste, Miss Meuhl. They won't be expecting an immediate move—I hope—and that may give me the latitude I need."
11. [376] "You're still determined to make an issue of that incident!" Miss Meuhl snorted.
12. [377] "I really can hardly blame the Groaci. They are not a sophisticated race; they had never before met aliens."
13. [378] "You're ready to forgive a great deal, Miss Meuhl. But it's not what happened nine years ago I'm concerned with. It's what's happening now."
14. [379] "I've told you that it was only a lifeboat the Groaci have hidden out. Don't you understand the implication? That vessel couldn't have come far. The cruiser itself must be somewhere near by. I want to know where!"
15. [380] "The Groaci don't know. They're a very cultured, gentle people. You can do irreparable harm to the reputation of Terrestrials if you insist—"
16. [381] "That's my decision," Retief said. "I have a job to do and we're wasting time."
17. [382] He crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer and took out a slim-barreled needler.
18. [383] "This office is being watched. Not very efficiently, if I know the Groaci. I think I can get past them all right."
19. [384] "Where are you going with ... that?" Miss Meuhl stared at the needler.
20. [385] "What in the world—"
21. [386] "The Groaci won't waste any time destroying every piece of paper in their files relating to this thing. I have to get what I need before it's too late. If I wait for an official Inquiry Commission, they'll find nothing but blank smiles."
22. [387] "You're out of your mind!" Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation.
23. [388] "You're like a ... a...."
24. [389] "You and I are in a tight spot, Miss Meuhl. The logical next move for the Groaci is to dispose of both of us. We're the only ones who know what happened. Fith almost did the job this afternoon, but I bluffed him out—for the moment."
25. [390] "Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped. "In danger, indeed! Disposing of me! I've never heard anything so ridiculous."
26. [391] "Stay in this office. Close and safe-lock the door. You've got food and water in the dispenser. I suggest you stock up, before they shut the supply down. Don't let anyone in, on any pretext whatever. I'll keep in touch with you via hand-phone."
27. [392] "What are you planning to do?"
28. [393] "If I don't make it back here, transmit the sealed record of this afternoon's conversation, along with the information I've given you. Beam it through on a mayday priority. Then tell the Groaci what you've done and sit tight. I think you'll be all right. It won't be easy to blast in here and anyway, they won't make things worse by killing you. A force can be here in a week."
29. [394] "I'll do nothing of the sort! The Groaci are very fond of me! You ... Johnny-come-lately! Roughneck! Setting out to destroy—"
30. [395] "Blame it on me if it will make you feel any better," Retief said, "but don't be fool enough to trust them." |
What is the setting of the story? | [
"The story takes place on the planet Groac, which is populated by the native Groaci. The Groaci is a skinny, pale species with a throat-bladder that vibrates when speaking with a glottal dialect in an unusual syntax. They are a sensitive race, according to Miss Meuhl, and they hide their heads and hurry along at any sign of trouble. Consul Retief has an office in the Terrestrial Consulate General and attends cultural events such as light-concerts, chamber music, and folk-art festivals. Retief suggests that these events are mere distractions from more underhanded business happening on the planet, which explains why visas are handed out for only a few terrestrial businessmen, traveling to outlying districts is forbidden, and social contacts must be limited to the diplomatic circle. Groac also has a moon that foreigners cannot visit. In addition to the Consulate General, other important government agencies exist including the Foreign Office Archives, the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Internal Police (called \"peace-keepers\"). Close to the Consulate General is the bar where Retief goes, seeking a cold drink and information. The bartender stands in the bar-pit and dispenses a Groacian beverage he insists is poisonous to foreigners due to its lead content. Retief brandishes a thick gold piece to act as a filter. Later, Fith and Shluh lead Retief to a crevasse nine miles from the supposed landing point of the ISV Terrific. Due to the large veins of high-grade iron ore, Terrestrial investigators had been unable to detect the cruiser's presence, which had been disguised by a roof of heavy timbers. Retief enters the cruiser via a narrow companionway and sees dust all over the deck, stanchions, instrument panels, sheared bolts, and scraps of wire and paper strewn about the control compartment.",
"The story takes place on the planet Groac inhabited by the Groaci. Previously undiscovered by humans, the Groaci had their first contact with an alien species just nine years prior to the story beginning. The Groaci use ground cars to travel, though they may be considered flimsy. With a cool temperature and clean air, Groac isn’t a terrible place to live. There are mountainous caverns in the terrain as well, and one serves as the hiding spot for the lost Terrific ISV. Retief visits several places and buildings on Groac, including the Consul, their Ministry of Affairs, and a bar, showing their culture does not differ entirely from Terrestrials. The Groaci are often called simple people, however. They have several cultural events, such as folk festivals, chamber choirs, and light concerts.",
"The Madman From Earth is set on the planet of Groac, where the Terrans have had a Terrestrial Consulate General for less than nine years. The consulate contains offices for the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy staff like Retief and Miss Meuhl as well as their living quarters. Relations between the Terrans and the Groacians have been peaceful, but there are some subjects that are off limits to discuss with the Groacians, such as the disappearance of a Terran ship, ISV Terrific, nine years ago. Retief is the new Consul, and is planning on digging into this controversial topic directly with the Groacians, creating a very tense atmosphere.\nIn the city, there are windowless stucco facades on the buildings lining the street, and the Groacians avoid the Terrans as they pass. There are high-wheeled ground cars and the environment has clean and cool air. Retief enters a Groacian bar that serves clay pots of an alcoholic drink that could harm humans from a pit in the center of the room. When Retief is escorted out of the city by Fith and Shluh, they take him to a natural crevasse with thick veins of high-grade iron ore in the rock that they claim the vessel, ISV Terrific, was lowered into and then it was covered with a roof to avoid detection. The land around the city is dusty like a desert, and Terrans are generally forbidden from traveling through these areas or visiting Groac’s satellite, which is part of their cover-up of what happened to the ISV Terrific.",
"The story takes place on the planet inhabited by the Groacians, specifically in the Terrestrial Consulate, a bar, and a cavern. The Consul for the Terrestrial States has been open on the planet for almost nine years, opening not long after the ISV Terrific B7 New Terra Terrestrial cruiser went missing in the sector. The Consul is in a building protected by a safelock and communicates with the Regional Headquarters via a video communication system. The Consul has a needle gun for protection and keeps food and water on hand; it has quarters in the building for the staff as well.\n\tGroac is civilized and orderly. The Groacians have an Archives and museum for their local history, but it is off-limits to Terrestrials. Buildings have deeply carved, windowless stucco facades lining the streets, and Groacs travel by flimsy, high-wheeled ground cars. The air on the planet is clean and cool. Carvings over the doorways of buildings indicate the businesses housed within; one such business is a bar. The bar features a bar pit at the center of the room, and drinks are served in clay pots. They have culture, too, with light concerts, chamber music, and folk-art festivals. There is a Foreign Office that handles foreign matters and maintains files regarding its dealings.\n\tThe Groaci, however, have a deep dislike of Terrestrials. They avoid them on the streets, refuse service, and drunkenly slur insults at them. The Groaci government was overhauled after an investigation of a missing cruiser; after this, the Terrestrial consul was established. \n\tRetief is taken to a cavern to see the ISV Terrific, but it turns out not to be the real ISV Terrific. The Groaci authorities claim they hauled it there, nine miles from where it landed, placing it in a natural crevasse and roofing it over with high-grade iron ore. The ship has curving flanks and a space-burned hull. The instrument panels are empty, bolts have been sheared, scraps of paper and wire are lying around. Cutting torches have been used to remove the heavy shielding."
] | [1] THE MADMAN FROM EARTH BY KEITH LAUMER You don't have to be crazy to be an earth diplomat—but on Groac it sure helps!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1962.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] I "The Consul for the Terrestrial States," Retief said, "presents his compliments, et cetera, to the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, and with reference to the Ministry's invitation to attend a recital of interpretive grimacing, has the honor to express regret that he will be unable—" "You can't turn this invitation down," Administrative Assistant Meuhl said flatly.
[5] "I'll make that 'accepts with pleasure'."
[6] Retief exhaled a plume of cigar smoke.
[7] "Miss Meuhl," he said, "in the past couple of weeks I've sat through six light-concerts, four attempts at chamber music, and god knows how many assorted folk-art festivals.
[8] I've been tied up every off-duty hour since I got here—" "You can't offend the Groaci," Miss Meuhl said sharply.
[9] "Consul Whaffle would never have been so rude."
[10] "Whaffle left here three months ago," Retief said, "leaving me in charge."
[11] "Well," Miss Meuhl said, snapping off the dictyper.
[12] "I'm sure I don't know what excuse I can give the Minister."
[13] "Never mind the excuses," Retief said.
[14] "Just tell him I won't be there."
[15] He stood up.
[16] "Are you leaving the office?"
[17] Miss Meuhl adjusted her glasses.
[18] "I have some important letters here for your signature."
[19] "I don't recall dictating any letters today, Miss Meuhl," Retief said, pulling on a light cape.
[20] "I wrote them for you.
[21] They're just as Consul Whaffle would have wanted them."
[22] "Did you write all Whaffle's letters for him, Miss Meuhl?"
[23] "Consul Whaffle was an extremely busy man," Miss Meuhl said stiffly.
[24] "He had complete confidence in me."
[25] "Since I'm cutting out the culture from now on," Retief said, "I won't be so busy."
[26] "Well!"
[27] Miss Meuhl said.
[28] "May I ask where you'll be if something comes up?"
[29] "I'm going over to the Foreign Office Archives."
[30] Miss Meuhl blinked behind thick lenses.
[31] "Whatever for?"
[32] Retief looked thoughtfully at Miss Meuhl.
[33] "You've been here on Groac for four years, Miss Meuhl.
[34] What was behind the coup d'etat that put the present government in power?"
[35] "I'm sure I haven't pried into—" "What about that Terrestrial cruiser?
[36] The one that disappeared out this way about ten years back?"
[37] "Mr. Retief, those are just the sort of questions we avoid with the Groaci.
[38] I certainly hope you're not thinking of openly intruding—" "Why?"
[39] "The Groaci are a very sensitive race.
[40] They don't welcome outworlders raking up things.
[41] They've been gracious enough to let us live down the fact that Terrestrials subjected them to deep humiliation on one occasion."
[42] "You mean when they came looking for the cruiser?"
[43] "I, for one, am ashamed of the high-handed tactics that were employed, grilling these innocent people as though they were criminals.
[44] We try never to reopen that wound, Mr.
[45] Retief."
[46] "They never found the cruiser, did they?"
[47] "Certainly not on Groac."
[48] Retief nodded.
[49] "Thanks, Miss Meuhl," he said.
[50] "I'll be back before you close the office."
[51] Miss Meuhl's face was set in lines of grim disapproval as he closed the door.
[52] The pale-featured Groacian vibrated his throat-bladder in a distressed bleat.
[53] "Not to enter the Archives," he said in his faint voice.
[54] "The denial of permission.
[55] The deep regret of the Archivist."
[56] "The importance of my task here," Retief said, enunciating the glottal dialect with difficulty.
[57] "My interest in local history."
[58] "The impossibility of access to outworlders.
[59] To depart quietly."
[60] "The necessity that I enter."
[61] "The specific instructions of the Archivist."
[62] The Groacian's voice rose to a whisper.
[63] "To insist no longer.
[64] To give up this idea!"
[65] "OK, Skinny, I know when I'm licked," Retief said in Terran.
[66] "To keep your nose clean."
[67] Outside, Retief stood for a moment looking across at the deeply carved windowless stucco facades lining the street, then started off in the direction of the Terrestrial Consulate General.
[68] The few Groacians on the street eyed him furtively, veered to avoid him as he passed.
[69] Flimsy high-wheeled ground cars puffed silently along the resilient pavement.
[70] The air was clean and cool.
[71] At the office, Miss Meuhl would be waiting with another list of complaints.
[72] Retief studied the carving over the open doorways along the street.
[73] An elaborate one picked out in pinkish paint seemed to indicate the Groacian equivalent of a bar.
[74] Retief went in.
[75] A Groacian bartender was dispensing clay pots of alcoholic drink from the bar-pit at the center of the room.
[76] He looked at Retief and froze in mid-motion, a metal tube poised over a waiting pot.
[77] "To enjoy a cooling drink," Retief said in Groacian, squatting down at the edge of the pit.
[78] "To sample a true Groacian beverage."
[79] "To not enjoy my poor offerings," the Groacian mumbled.
[80] "A pain in the digestive sacs; to express regret."
[81] "To not worry," Retief said, irritated.
[82] "To pour it out and let me decide whether I like it."
[83] "To be grappled in by peace-keepers for poisoning of—foreigners."
[84] The barkeep looked around for support, found none.
[85] The Groaci customers, eyes elsewhere, were drifting away.
[86] "To get the lead out," Retief said, placing a thick gold-piece in the dish provided.
[87] "To shake a tentacle."
[88] "The procuring of a cage," a thin voice called from the sidelines.
[89] "The displaying of a freak."
[90] Retief turned.
[91] A tall Groacian vibrated his mandibles in a gesture of contempt.
[92] From his bluish throat coloration, it was apparent the creature was drunk.
[93] "To choke in your upper sac," the bartender hissed, extending his eyes toward the drunk.
[94] "To keep silent, litter-mate of drones."
[95] "To swallow your own poison, dispenser of vileness," the drunk whispered.
[96] "To find a proper cage for this zoo-piece."
[97] He wavered toward Retief.
[98] "To show this one in the streets, like all freaks."
[99] "Seen a lot of freaks like me, have you?"
[100] Retief asked, interestedly.
[101] "To speak intelligibly, malodorous outworlder," the drunk said.
[102] The barkeep whispered something, and two customers came up to the drunk, took his arms and helped him to the door.
[103] "To get a cage!"
[104] the drunk shrilled.
[105] "To keep the animals in their own stinking place."
[106] "I've changed my mind," Retief said to the bartender.
[107] "To be grateful as hell, but to have to hurry off now."
[108] He followed the drunk out the door.
[109] The other Groaci released him, hurried back inside.
[110] Retief looked at the weaving alien.
[111] "To begone, freak," the Groacian whispered.
[112] "To be pals," Retief said.
[113] "To be kind to dumb animals."
[114] "To have you hauled away to a stockyard, ill-odored foreign livestock."
[115] "To not be angry, fragrant native," Retief said.
[116] "To permit me to chum with you."
[117] "To flee before I take a cane to you!"
[118] "To have a drink together—" "To not endure such insolence!"
[119] The Groacian advanced toward Retief.
[120] Retief backed away.
[121] "To hold hands," Retief said.
[122] "To be palsy-walsy—" The Groacian reached for him, missed.
[123] A passer-by stepped around him, head down, scuttled away.
[124] Retief backed into the opening to a narrow crossway and offered further verbal familiarities to the drunken local, who followed, furious.
[125] Retief backed, rounded a corner into a narrow alley-like passage, deserted, silent ... except for the following Groacian.
[126] Retief stepped around him, seized his collar and yanked.
[127] The Groacian fell on his back.
[128] Retief stood over him.
[129] The downed native half-rose; Retief put a foot against his chest and pushed.
[130] "To not be going anywhere for a few minutes," Retief said.
[131] "To stay right here and have a nice long talk."
[132] II "There you are!"
[133] Miss Meuhl said, eyeing Retief over her lenses.
[134] "There are two gentlemen waiting to see you.
[135] Groacian gentlemen."
[136] "Government men, I imagine.
[137] Word travels fast."
[138] Retief pulled off his cape.
[139] "This saves me the trouble of paying another call at the Foreign Ministry."
[140] "What have you been doing?
[141] They seem very upset, I don't mind telling you."
[142] "I'm sure you don't.
[143] Come along.
[144] And bring an official recorder."
[145] Two Groaci wearing heavy eye-shields and elaborate crest ornaments indicative of rank rose as Retief entered the room.
[146] Neither offered a courteous snap of the mandibles, Retief noted.
[147] They were mad, all right.
[148] "I am Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Consul," the taller Groacian said, in lisping Terran.
[149] "May I present Shluh, of the Internal Police?"
[150] "Sit down, gentlemen," Retief said.
[151] They resumed their seats.
[152] Miss Meuhl hovered nervously, then sat on the edge of a comfortless chair.
[153] "Oh, it's such a pleasure—" she began.
[154] "Never mind that," Retief said.
[155] "These gentlemen didn't come here to sip tea today."
[156] "So true," Fith said.
[157] "Frankly, I have had a most disturbing report, Mr. Consul.
[158] I shall ask Shluh to recount it."
[159] He nodded to the police chief.
[160] "One hour ago," The Groacian said, "a Groacian national was brought to hospital suffering from serious contusions.
[161] Questioning of this individual revealed that he had been set upon and beaten by a foreigner.
[162] A Terrestrial, to be precise.
[163] Investigation by my department indicates that the description of the culprit closely matches that of the Terrestrial Consul."
[164] Miss Meuhl gasped audibly.
[165] "Have you ever heard," Retief said, looking steadily at Fith, "of a Terrestrial cruiser, the ISV Terrific , which dropped from sight in this sector nine years ago?"
[166] "Really!"
[167] Miss Meuhl exclaimed, rising.
[168] "I wash my hands—" "Just keep that recorder going," Retief snapped.
[169] "I'll not be a party—" "You'll do as you're told, Miss Meuhl," Retief said quietly.
[170] "I'm telling you to make an official sealed record of this conversation."
[171] Miss Meuhl sat down.
[172] Fith puffed out his throat indignantly.
[173] "You reopen an old wound, Mr. Consul.
[174] It reminds us of certain illegal treatment at Terrestrial hands—" "Hogwash," Retief said.
[175] "That tune went over with my predecessors, but it hits a sour note with me."
[176] "All our efforts," Miss Meuhl said, "to live down that terrible episode!
[177] And you—" "Terrible?
[178] I understand that a Terrestrial task force stood off Groac and sent a delegation down to ask questions.
[179] They got some funny answers, and stayed on to dig around a little.
[180] After a week they left.
[181] Somewhat annoying to the Groaci, maybe—at the most.
[182] If they were innocent."
[183] "IF!"
[184] Miss Meuhl burst out.
[185] "If, indeed!"
[186] Fith said, his weak voice trembling.
[187] "I must protest your—" "Save the protests, Fith.
[188] You have some explaining to do.
[189] And I don't think your story will be good enough."
[190] "It is for you to explain!
[191] This person who was beaten—" "Not beaten.
[192] Just rapped a few times to loosen his memory."
[193] "Then you admit—" "It worked, too.
[194] He remembered lots of things, once he put his mind to it."
[195] Fith rose; Shluh followed suit.
[196] "I shall ask for your immediate recall, Mr. Consul.
[197] Were it not for your diplomatic immunity, I should do more—" "Why did the government fall, Fith?
[198] It was just after the task force paid its visit, and before the arrival of the first Terrestrial diplomatic mission."
[199] "This is an internal matter!"
[200] Fith cried, in his faint Groacian voice.
[201] "The new regime has shown itself most amiable to you Terrestrials.
[202] It has outdone itself—" "—to keep the Terrestrial consul and his staff in the dark," Retief said.
[203] "And the same goes for the few terrestrial businessmen you've visaed.
[204] This continual round of culture; no social contacts outside the diplomatic circle; no travel permits to visit out-lying districts, or your satellite—" "Enough!"
[205] Fith's mandibles quivered in distress.
[206] "I can talk no more of this matter—" "You'll talk to me, or there'll be a task force here in five days to do the talking," Retief said.
[207] "You can't!"
[208] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[209] Retief turned a steady look on Miss Meuhl.
[210] She closed her mouth.
[211] The Groaci sat down.
[212] "Answer me this one," Retief said, looking at Shluh.
[213] "A few years back—about nine, I think—there was a little parade held here.
[214] Some curious looking creatures were captured.
[215] After being securely caged, they were exhibited to the gentle Groaci public.
[216] Hauled through the streets.
[217] Very educational, no doubt.
[218] A highly cultural show.
[219] "Funny thing about these animals.
[220] They wore clothes.
[221] They seemed to communicate with each other.
[222] Altogether it was a very amusing exhibit.
[223] "Tell me, Shluh, what happened to those six Terrestrials after the parade was over?"
[224] Fith made a choked noise and spoke rapidly to Shluh in Groacian.
[225] Shluh retracted his eyes, shrank down in his chair.
[226] Miss Meuhl opened her mouth, closed it and blinked rapidly.
[227] "How did they die?"
[228] Retief snapped.
[229] "Did you murder them, cut their throats, shoot them or bury them alive?
[230] What amusing end did you figure out for them?
[231] Research, maybe?
[232] Cut them open to see what made them yell...." "No!"
[233] Fith gasped.
[234] "I must correct this terrible false impression at once."
[235] "False impression, hell," Retief said.
[236] "They were Terrans!
[237] A simple narco-interrogation would get that out of any Groacian who saw the parade."
[238] "Yes," Fith said weakly.
[239] "It is true, they were Terrestrials.
[240] But there was no killing."
[241] "They're alive?"
[242] "Alas, no.
[243] They ...
[244] died."
[245] Miss Meuhl yelped faintly.
[246] "I see," Retief said.
[247] "They died."
[248] "We tried to keep them alive, of course.
[249] But we did not know what foods—" "Didn't take the trouble to find out, either, did you?"
[250] "They fell ill," Fith said.
[251] "One by one...." "We'll deal with that question later," Retief said.
[252] "Right now, I want more information.
[253] Where did you get them?
[254] Where did you hide the ship?
[255] What happened to the rest of the crew?
[256] Did they 'fall ill' before the big parade?"
[257] "There were no more!
[258] Absolutely, I assure you!"
[259] "Killed in the crash landing?"
[260] "No crash landing.
[261] The ship descended intact, east of the city.
[262] The ... Terrestrials ... were unharmed.
[263] Naturally, we feared them.
[264] They were strange to us.
[265] We had never before seen such beings."
[266] "Stepped off the ship with guns blazing, did they?"
[267] "Guns?
[268] No, no guns—" "They raised their hands, didn't they?
[269] Asked for help.
[270] You helped them; helped them to death."
[271] "How could we know?"
[272] Fith moaned.
[273] "How could you know a flotilla would show up in a few months looking for them, you mean?
[274] That was a shock, wasn't it?
[275] I'll bet you had a brisk time of it hiding the ship, and shutting everybody up.
[276] A close call, eh?"
[277] "We were afraid," Shluh said.
[278] "We are a simple people.
[279] We feared the strange creatures from the alien craft.
[280] We did not kill them, but we felt it was as well they ... did not survive.
[281] Then, when the warships came, we realized our error.
[282] But we feared to speak.
[283] We purged our guilty leaders, concealed what had happened, and ... offered our friendship.
[284] We invited the opening of diplomatic relations.
[285] We made a blunder, it is true, a great blunder.
[286] But we have tried to make amends...." "Where is the ship?"
[287] "The ship?"
[288] "What did you do with it?
[289] It was too big to just walk off and forget.
[290] Where is it?"
[291] The two Groacians exchanged looks.
[292] "We wish to show our contrition," Fith said.
[293] "We will show you the ship."
[294] "Miss Meuhl," Retief said.
[295] "If I don't come back in a reasonable length of time, transmit that recording to Regional Headquarters, sealed."
[296] He stood, looked at the Groaci.
[297] "Let's go," he said.
[298] Retief stooped under the heavy timbers shoring the entry to the cavern.
[299] He peered into the gloom at the curving flank of the space-burned hull.
[300] "Any lights in here?"
[301] he asked.
[302] A Groacian threw a switch.
[303] A weak bluish glow sprang up.
[304] Retief walked along the raised wooden catwalk, studying the ship.
[305] Empty emplacements gaped below lensless scanner eyes.
[306] Littered decking was visible within the half-open entry port.
[307] Near the bow the words 'IVS Terrific B7 New Terra' were lettered in bright chrome duralloy.
[308] "How did you get it in here?"
[309] Retief asked.
[310] "It was hauled here from the landing point, some nine miles distant," Fith said, his voice thinner than ever.
[311] "This is a natural crevasse.
[312] The vessel was lowered into it and roofed over."
[313] "How did you shield it so the detectors didn't pick it up?"
[314] "All here is high-grade iron ore," Fith said, waving a member.
[315] "Great veins of almost pure metal."
[316] Retief grunted.
[317] "Let's go inside."
[318] Shluh came forward with a hand-lamp.
[319] The party entered the ship.
[320] Retief clambered up a narrow companionway, glanced around the interior of the control compartment.
[321] Dust was thick on the deck, the stanchions where acceleration couches had been mounted, the empty instrument panels, the litter of sheared bolts, scraps of wire and paper.
[322] A thin frosting of rust dulled the exposed metal where cutting torches had sliced away heavy shielding.
[323] There was a faint odor of stale bedding.
[324] "The cargo compartment—" Shluh began.
[325] "I've seen enough," Retief said.
[326] Silently, the Groacians led the way back out through the tunnel and into the late afternoon sunshine.
[327] As they climbed the slope to the steam car, Fith came to Retief's side.
[328] "Indeed, I hope that this will be the end of this unfortunate affair," he said.
[329] "Now that all has been fully and honestly shown—" "You can skip all that," Retief said.
[330] "You're nine years late.
[331] The crew was still alive when the task force called, I imagine.
[332] You killed them—or let them die—rather than take the chance of admitting what you'd done."
[333] "We were at fault," Fith said abjectly.
[334] "Now we wish only friendship."
[335] "The Terrific was a heavy cruiser, about twenty thousand tons."
[336] Retief looked grimly at the slender Foreign Office official.
[337] "Where is she, Fith?
[338] I won't settle for a hundred-ton lifeboat."
[339] Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.
[340] "I know nothing of ... of...." He stopped.
[341] His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.
[342] "My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul," he said at last.
[343] "I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility.
[344] My patience is at an end."
[345] "Where is that ship?"
[346] Retief rapped out.
[347] "You never learn, do you?
[348] You're still convinced you can hide the whole thing and forget it.
[349] I'm telling you you can't."
[350] "We return to the city now," Fith said.
[351] "I can do no more."
[352] "You can and you will, Fith," Retief said.
[353] "I intend to get to the truth of this matter."
[354] Fith spoke to Shluh in rapid Groacian.
[355] The police chief gestured to his four armed constables.
[356] They moved to ring Retief in.
[357] Retief eyed Fith.
[358] "Don't try it," he said.
[359] "You'll just get yourself in deeper."
[360] Fith clacked his mandibles angrily, eye stalks canted aggressively toward the Terrestrial.
[361] "Out of deference to your diplomatic status, Terrestrial, I shall ignore your insulting remarks," Fith said in his reedy voice.
[362] "Let us now return to the city."
[363] Retief looked at the four policemen.
[364] "I see your point," he said.
[365] Fith followed him into the car, sat rigidly at the far end of the seat.
[366] "I advise you to remain very close to your consulate," Fith said.
[367] "I advise you to dismiss these fancies from your mind, and to enjoy the cultural aspects of life at Groac.
[368] Especially, I should not venture out of the city, or appear overly curious about matters of concern only to the Groacian government."
[369] In the front seat, Shluh looked straight ahead.
[370] The loosely-sprung vehicle bobbed and swayed along the narrow highway.
[371] Retief listened to the rhythmic puffing of the motor and said nothing.
[372] III "Miss Meuhl," Retief said, "I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you.
[373] I have to move rapidly now, to catch the Groaci off guard."
[374] "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy lenses.
[375] "If you'll listen, you may find out," Retief said.
[376] "I have no time to waste, Miss Meuhl.
[377] They won't be expecting an immediate move—I hope—and that may give me the latitude I need."
[378] "You're still determined to make an issue of that incident!"
[379] Miss Meuhl snorted.
[380] "I really can hardly blame the Groaci.
[381] They are not a sophisticated race; they had never before met aliens."
[382] "You're ready to forgive a great deal, Miss Meuhl.
[383] But it's not what happened nine years ago I'm concerned with.
[384] It's what's happening now.
[385] I've told you that it was only a lifeboat the Groaci have hidden out.
[386] Don't you understand the implication?
[387] That vessel couldn't have come far.
[388] The cruiser itself must be somewhere near by.
[389] I want to know where!"
[390] "The Groaci don't know.
[391] They're a very cultured, gentle people.
[392] You can do irreparable harm to the reputation of Terrestrials if you insist—" "That's my decision," Retief said.
[393] "I have a job to do and we're wasting time."
[394] He crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer and took out a slim-barreled needler.
[395] "This office is being watched.
[396] Not very efficiently, if I know the Groaci.
[397] I think I can get past them all right."
[398] "Where are you going with ...
[399] that?"
[400] Miss Meuhl stared at the needler.
[401] "What in the world—" "The Groaci won't waste any time destroying every piece of paper in their files relating to this thing.
[402] I have to get what I need before it's too late.
[403] If I wait for an official Inquiry Commission, they'll find nothing but blank smiles."
[404] "You're out of your mind!"
[405] Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation.
[406] "You're like a ... a...." "You and I are in a tight spot, Miss Meuhl.
[407] The logical next move for the Groaci is to dispose of both of us.
[408] We're the only ones who know what happened.
[409] Fith almost did the job this afternoon, but I bluffed him out—for the moment."
[410] Miss Meuhl emitted a shrill laugh.
[411] "Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped.
[412] "In danger, indeed!
[413] Disposing of me!
[414] I've never heard anything so ridiculous."
[415] "Stay in this office.
[416] Close and safe-lock the door.
[417] You've got food and water in the dispenser.
[418] I suggest you stock up, before they shut the supply down.
[419] Don't let anyone in, on any pretext whatever.
[420] I'll keep in touch with you via hand-phone."
[421] "What are you planning to do?"
[422] "If I don't make it back here, transmit the sealed record of this afternoon's conversation, along with the information I've given you.
[423] Beam it through on a mayday priority.
[424] Then tell the Groaci what you've done and sit tight.
[425] I think you'll be all right.
[426] It won't be easy to blast in here and anyway, they won't make things worse by killing you.
[427] A force can be here in a week."
[428] "I'll do nothing of the sort!
[429] The Groaci are very fond of me!
[430] You ... Johnny-come-lately!
[431] Roughneck!
[432] Setting out to destroy—" "Blame it on me if it will make you feel any better," Retief said, "but don't be fool enough to trust them."
[433] He pulled on a cape, opened the door.
[434] "I'll be back in a couple of hours," he said.
[435] Miss Meuhl stared after him silently as he closed the door.
[436] It was an hour before dawn when Retief keyed the combination to the safe-lock and stepped into the darkened consular office.
[437] He looked tired.
[438] Miss Meuhl, dozing in a chair, awoke with a start.
[439] She looked at Retief, rose and snapped on a light, turned to stare.
[440] "What in the world—Where have you been?
[441] What's happened to your clothing?"
[442] "I got a little dirty.
[443] Don't worry about it."
[444] Retief went to his desk, opened a drawer and replaced the needler.
[445] "Where have you been?"
[446] Miss Meuhl demanded.
[447] "I stayed here—" "I'm glad you did," Retief said.
[448] "I hope you piled up a supply of food and water from the dispenser, too.
[449] We'll be holed up here for a week, at least."
[450] He jotted figures on a pad.
[451] "Warm up the official sender.
[452] I have a long transmission for Regional Headquarters."
[453] "Are you going to tell me where you've been?"
[454] "I have a message to get off first, Miss Meuhl," Retief said sharply.
[455] "I've been to the Foreign Ministry," he added.
[456] "I'll tell you all about it later."
[457] "At this hour?
[458] There's no one there...." "Exactly."
[459] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[460] "You mean you broke in?
[461] You burgled the Foreign Office?"
[462] "That's right," Retief said calmly.
[463] "Now—" "This is absolutely the end!"
[464] Miss Meuhl said.
[465] "Thank heaven I've already—" "Get that sender going, woman!"
[466] Retief snapped.
[467] "This is important."
[468] "I've already done so, Mr.
[469] Retief!"
[470] Miss Meuhl said harshly.
[471] "I've been waiting for you to come back here...." She turned to the communicator, flipped levers.
[472] The screen snapped aglow, and a wavering long-distance image appeared.
[473] "He's here now," Miss Meuhl said to the screen.
[474] She looked at Retief triumphantly.
[475] "That's good," Retief said.
[476] "I don't think the Groaci can knock us off the air, but—" "I have done my duty, Mr. Retief," Miss Meuhl said.
[477] "I made a full report to Regional Headquarters last night, as soon as you left this office.
[478] Any doubts I may have had as to the rightness of that decision have been completely dispelled by what you've just told me."
[479] Retief looked at her levelly.
[480] "You've been a busy girl, Miss Meuhl.
[481] Did you mention the six Terrestrials who were killed here?"
[482] "That had no bearing on the matter of your wild behavior!
[483] I must say, in all my years in the Corps, I've never encountered a personality less suited to diplomatic work."
[484] The screen crackled, the ten-second transmission lag having elapsed.
[485] "Mr. Retief," the face on the screen said, "I am Counsellor Pardy, DSO-1, Deputy Under-secretary for the region.
[486] I have received a report on your conduct which makes it mandatory for me to relieve you administratively, vice Miss Yolanda Meuhl, DAO-9.
[487] Pending the findings of a Board of Inquiry, you will—" Retief reached out and snapped off the communicator.
[488] The triumphant look faded from Miss Meuhl's face.
[489] "Why, what is the meaning—" "If I'd listened any longer, I might have heard something I couldn't ignore.
[490] I can't afford that, at this moment.
[491] Listen, Miss Meuhl," Retief went on earnestly, "I've found the missing cruiser."
[492] "You heard him relieve you!"
[493] "I heard him say he was going to, Miss Meuhl.
[494] But until I've heard and acknowledged a verbal order, it has no force.
[495] If I'm wrong, he'll get my resignation.
[496] If I'm right, that suspension would be embarrassing all around."
[497] "You're defying lawful authority!
[498] I'm in charge here now."
[499] Miss Meuhl stepped to the local communicator.
[500] "I'm going to report this terrible thing to the Groaci at once, and offer my profound—" "Don't touch that screen," Retief said.
[501] "You go sit in that corner where I can keep an eye on you.
[502] I'm going to make a sealed tape for transmission to Headquarters, along with a call for an armed task force.
[503] Then we'll settle down to wait."
[504] Retief ignored Miss Meuhl's fury as he spoke into the recorder.
[505] The local communicator chimed.
[506] Miss Meuhl jumped up, staring at it.
[507] "Go ahead," Retief said.
[508] "Answer it."
[509] A Groacian official appeared on the screen.
[510] "Yolanda Meuhl," he said without preamble, "for the Foreign Minister of the Groacian Autonomy, I herewith accredit you as Terrestrial Consul to Groac, in accordance with the advices transmitted to my government direct from the Terrestrial Headquarters.
[511] As consul, you are requested to make available for questioning Mr. J. Retief, former consul, in connection with the assault on two peace keepers and illegal entry into the offices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs."
[512] "Why, why," Miss Meuhl stammered.
[513] "Yes, of course.
[514] And I do want to express my deepest regrets—" Retief rose, went to the communicator, assisted Miss Meuhl aside.
[515] "Listen carefully, Fith," he said.
[516] "Your bluff has been called.
[517] You don't come in and we don't come out.
[518] Your camouflage worked for nine years, but it's all over now.
[519] I suggest you keep your heads and resist the temptation to make matters worse than they are."
[520] "Miss Meuhl," Fith said, "a peace squad waits outside your consulate.
[521] It is clear you are in the hands of a dangerous lunatic.
[522] As always, the Groaci wish only friendship with the Terrestrials, but—" "Don't bother," Retief said.
[523] "You know what was in those files I looked over this morning."
[524] Retief turned at a sound behind him.
[525] Miss Meuhl was at the door, reaching for the safe-lock release....
[526] "Don't!"
[527] Retief jumped—too late.
[528] The door burst inward.
[529] A crowd of crested Groaci pressed into the room, pushed Miss Meuhl back, aimed scatter guns at Retief.
[530] Police Chief Shluh pushed forward.
[531] "Attempt no violence, Terrestrial," he said.
[532] "I cannot promise to restrain my men."
[533] "You're violating Terrestrial territory, Shluh," Retief said steadily.
[534] "I suggest you move back out the same way you came in."
[535] "I invited them here," Miss Meuhl spoke up.
[536] "They are here at my express wish."
[537] "Are they?
[538] Are you sure you meant to go this far, Miss Meuhl?
[539] A squad of armed Groaci in the consulate?"
[540] "You are the consul, Miss Yolanda Meuhl," Shluh said.
[541] "Would it not be best if we removed this deranged person to a place of safety?"
[542] "You're making a serious mistake, Shluh," Retief said.
[543] "Yes," Miss Meuhl said.
[544] "You're quite right, Mr. Shluh.
[545] Please escort Mr. Retief to his quarters in this building—" "I don't advise you to violate my diplomatic immunity, Fith," Retief said.
[546] "As chief of mission," Miss Meuhl said quickly, "I hereby waive immunity in the case of Mr.
[547] Retief."
[548] Shluh produced a hand recorder.
[549] "Kindly repeat your statement, Madam, officially," he said.
[550] "I wish no question to arise later."
[551] "Don't be a fool, woman," Retief said.
[552] "Don't you see what you're letting yourself in for?
[553] This would be a hell of a good time for you to figure out whose side you're on."
[554] "I'm on the side of common decency!"
[555] "You've been taken in.
[556] These people are concealing—" "You think all women are fools, don't you, Mr.
[557] Retief?"
[558] She turned to the police chief and spoke into the microphone he held up.
[559] "That's an illegal waiver," Retief said.
[560] "I'm consul here, whatever rumors you've heard.
[561] This thing's coming out into the open, whatever you do.
[562] Don't add violation of the Consulate to the list of Groacian atrocities."
[563] "Take the man," Shluh said. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the setting of the story?":
1. [67] Outside, Retief stood for a moment looking across at the deeply carved windowless stucco facades lining the street, then started off in the direction of the Terrestrial Consulate General.
2. [68] The few Groacians on the street eyed him furtively, veered to avoid him as he passed.
3. [69] Flimsy high-wheeled ground cars puffed silently along the resilient pavement.
4. [70] The air was clean and cool.
5. [72] Retief studied the carving over the open doorways along the street.
6. [73] An elaborate one picked out in pinkish paint seemed to indicate the Groacian equivalent of a bar.
7. [74] Retief went in.
8. [125] Retief backed, rounded a corner into a narrow alley-like passage, deserted, silent ... except for the following Groacian.
9. [67] Outside, Retief stood for a moment looking across at the deeply carved windowless stucco facades lining the street, then started off in the direction of the Terrestrial Consulate General.
10. [68] The few Groacians on the street eyed him furtively, veered to avoid him as he passed.
11. [69] Flimsy high-wheeled ground cars puffed silently along the resilient pavement.
12. [70] The air was clean and cool.
13. [72] Retief studied the carving over the open doorways along the street.
14. [73] An elaborate one picked out in pinkish paint seemed to indicate the Groacian equivalent of a bar.
15. [74] Retief went in.
16. [125] Retief backed, rounded a corner into a narrow alley-like passage, deserted, silent ... except for the following Groacian.
17. [1] THE MADMAN FROM EARTH BY KEITH LAUMER You don't have to be crazy to be an earth diplomat—but on Groac it sure helps!
18. [2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1962.
19. [3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
20. [4] I "The Consul for the Terrestrial States," Retief said, "presents his compliments, et cetera, to the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, and with reference to the Ministry's invitation to attend a recital of interpretive grimacing, has the honor to express regret that he will be unable—" |
Who are Fith and Shluh and what are their roles in the story? | [
"Fith is a Groacian who works with the Terrestrial Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His associate, Shluh, is the police chief of the Internal Police. While both are Groacians, they speak to Retief in a lisping Terran and wear heavy eye-shields and elaborately-decorated crest ornaments indicating their rank. Fith does most of the talking as he attempts to convince Retief to cease his inquiries into the ISV Terrific, and Shluh is there primarily as a tool with which to threaten Retief. When the two Groacians first meet Retief, they accuse him of attacking a Groacian national, which Retief admits to, but he quickly reveals what the national confessed to him about the fate of ISV Terrific's crew. Although Miss Meuhl is sympathetic to the supposed sensitive nature of the Groaci, Retief distrusts them wholly, and when Fith and Shluh eventually confess to hiding the ISV Terrific, he further distrusts their sincerity of contrition and accuses them of showing him a lifeboat instead of the missing cruiser. This accusation infuriates Fith, who threatens to have Shluh's attending officers arrest Retief on the spot. Later, following Retief's break-in at the Foreign Ministry, Fith appoints Miss Meuh as Consul for the Terrestrial States and orders Shluh to arrest Retief.",
"Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Shluh, Internal Police, show their rank through their ornamental uniforms and sturdy eye-shields. Fith and Shluh meet Retief after he has been accused of assaulting a Groacian civilian, which he readily admits to. Fith and Shluh accompany Retief on his journey of discovering the mystery of the ISV Terrific crash and human discovery on Groac. Although at first they try and hide what happened, Retief soon learns the truth about those Terrestrials. Fith reveals that all six of the Terrestrials used in the parade died due to malnourishment and the Groaci’s unfamiliarity with the needs of humans. Although Fith and Shluh help Retief in some ways, they also greatly hinder the process by attempting to keep this all under wraps. The story ends with Fith and Shluh along with many other Groaci police officers barging into the Consul’s office armed and ready to arrest Retief.",
"Fith is from the Terrestrial Desk of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the planet Groac, and Shluh is an official of their Internal Police. They are first introduced when they show up to Retief's Terrestrial Consulate office on Groac to question him about a report of a drunkard who was beaten on the street. Fith’s role is largely to protect the interests of the planet Groac, who Retief is threatening with his offensive investigations into the disappearance of the ISV Terrific, which Groacians claim the Terrans falsely accuse them of capturing nine years ago. Although Fith admits to the cover up of the vessel, it appears he is concealing a much larger secret that Retief uncovers when he notices they are showing him only a small lifeboat from ISV Terrific and claiming that they know nothing further. Then, Fith and Shuhl become forceful and violent with Retief when he presses about the heavy cruising ship - the real ISV Terrific - that the small lifeboat came from. \nShluh commands the Internal Police, and enforces the wishes of Fith faithfully throughout the story. This is seen when Shluh and four of his constables apprehend Retief at the cavern and forcefully escort him back to the city, and again when they enter the Terran consulate armed to take Retief into custody.",
"Fith works at the Terrestrial Desk of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Shluh is the chief of the Internal Police. These authorities first deny Retief’s claims, then give him some information hoping to satisfy him, but ultimately turn against him and try to block his further investigation into the events nine years ago. When we first see them, the two men question Retief about his beating of the drunk Groacian from the bar, but Retief counters by asking them questions about the ISV Terrific. Retief reveals that the drunken man told him certain information, and Fith indicates he will ask for Retief’s recall and claims he would do more if Retief didn’t have diplomatic immunity. While Retief tells them what he knows and then inquires how the people from the ISV Terrific died, proffering several suggestions, Fith becomes so worked up that he begins answering the questions. He admits the humans died from illness but claims the Groacians tried to keep them alive but didn’t know how. He also asserts that the Groacians were unaware of the severity of their actions until the investigation was held. They were afraid to tell what had happened and hid the ship. When the investigators left, they replaced their government and opened diplomatic relations with the Terrestrials. To persuade Retief of their sincerity, Fith offers to show Retief the ship and takes him to a ship hidden in a cavern. However, Retief recognizes that the ship they show him is not the ISV Terrific and confronts Fith with this fact, leading Shluh to have his four armed constables surround Retief. Fith then warns Retief not to go far from the consulate and to drop his inquiries about the government. At the end of the story, the two men come to the consulate to remove Retief for questioning and respond to Miss Meuhl as Consul now."
] | [1] THE MADMAN FROM EARTH BY KEITH LAUMER You don't have to be crazy to be an earth diplomat—but on Groac it sure helps!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1962.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] I "The Consul for the Terrestrial States," Retief said, "presents his compliments, et cetera, to the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, and with reference to the Ministry's invitation to attend a recital of interpretive grimacing, has the honor to express regret that he will be unable—" "You can't turn this invitation down," Administrative Assistant Meuhl said flatly.
[5] "I'll make that 'accepts with pleasure'."
[6] Retief exhaled a plume of cigar smoke.
[7] "Miss Meuhl," he said, "in the past couple of weeks I've sat through six light-concerts, four attempts at chamber music, and god knows how many assorted folk-art festivals.
[8] I've been tied up every off-duty hour since I got here—" "You can't offend the Groaci," Miss Meuhl said sharply.
[9] "Consul Whaffle would never have been so rude."
[10] "Whaffle left here three months ago," Retief said, "leaving me in charge."
[11] "Well," Miss Meuhl said, snapping off the dictyper.
[12] "I'm sure I don't know what excuse I can give the Minister."
[13] "Never mind the excuses," Retief said.
[14] "Just tell him I won't be there."
[15] He stood up.
[16] "Are you leaving the office?"
[17] Miss Meuhl adjusted her glasses.
[18] "I have some important letters here for your signature."
[19] "I don't recall dictating any letters today, Miss Meuhl," Retief said, pulling on a light cape.
[20] "I wrote them for you.
[21] They're just as Consul Whaffle would have wanted them."
[22] "Did you write all Whaffle's letters for him, Miss Meuhl?"
[23] "Consul Whaffle was an extremely busy man," Miss Meuhl said stiffly.
[24] "He had complete confidence in me."
[25] "Since I'm cutting out the culture from now on," Retief said, "I won't be so busy."
[26] "Well!"
[27] Miss Meuhl said.
[28] "May I ask where you'll be if something comes up?"
[29] "I'm going over to the Foreign Office Archives."
[30] Miss Meuhl blinked behind thick lenses.
[31] "Whatever for?"
[32] Retief looked thoughtfully at Miss Meuhl.
[33] "You've been here on Groac for four years, Miss Meuhl.
[34] What was behind the coup d'etat that put the present government in power?"
[35] "I'm sure I haven't pried into—" "What about that Terrestrial cruiser?
[36] The one that disappeared out this way about ten years back?"
[37] "Mr. Retief, those are just the sort of questions we avoid with the Groaci.
[38] I certainly hope you're not thinking of openly intruding—" "Why?"
[39] "The Groaci are a very sensitive race.
[40] They don't welcome outworlders raking up things.
[41] They've been gracious enough to let us live down the fact that Terrestrials subjected them to deep humiliation on one occasion."
[42] "You mean when they came looking for the cruiser?"
[43] "I, for one, am ashamed of the high-handed tactics that were employed, grilling these innocent people as though they were criminals.
[44] We try never to reopen that wound, Mr.
[45] Retief."
[46] "They never found the cruiser, did they?"
[47] "Certainly not on Groac."
[48] Retief nodded.
[49] "Thanks, Miss Meuhl," he said.
[50] "I'll be back before you close the office."
[51] Miss Meuhl's face was set in lines of grim disapproval as he closed the door.
[52] The pale-featured Groacian vibrated his throat-bladder in a distressed bleat.
[53] "Not to enter the Archives," he said in his faint voice.
[54] "The denial of permission.
[55] The deep regret of the Archivist."
[56] "The importance of my task here," Retief said, enunciating the glottal dialect with difficulty.
[57] "My interest in local history."
[58] "The impossibility of access to outworlders.
[59] To depart quietly."
[60] "The necessity that I enter."
[61] "The specific instructions of the Archivist."
[62] The Groacian's voice rose to a whisper.
[63] "To insist no longer.
[64] To give up this idea!"
[65] "OK, Skinny, I know when I'm licked," Retief said in Terran.
[66] "To keep your nose clean."
[67] Outside, Retief stood for a moment looking across at the deeply carved windowless stucco facades lining the street, then started off in the direction of the Terrestrial Consulate General.
[68] The few Groacians on the street eyed him furtively, veered to avoid him as he passed.
[69] Flimsy high-wheeled ground cars puffed silently along the resilient pavement.
[70] The air was clean and cool.
[71] At the office, Miss Meuhl would be waiting with another list of complaints.
[72] Retief studied the carving over the open doorways along the street.
[73] An elaborate one picked out in pinkish paint seemed to indicate the Groacian equivalent of a bar.
[74] Retief went in.
[75] A Groacian bartender was dispensing clay pots of alcoholic drink from the bar-pit at the center of the room.
[76] He looked at Retief and froze in mid-motion, a metal tube poised over a waiting pot.
[77] "To enjoy a cooling drink," Retief said in Groacian, squatting down at the edge of the pit.
[78] "To sample a true Groacian beverage."
[79] "To not enjoy my poor offerings," the Groacian mumbled.
[80] "A pain in the digestive sacs; to express regret."
[81] "To not worry," Retief said, irritated.
[82] "To pour it out and let me decide whether I like it."
[83] "To be grappled in by peace-keepers for poisoning of—foreigners."
[84] The barkeep looked around for support, found none.
[85] The Groaci customers, eyes elsewhere, were drifting away.
[86] "To get the lead out," Retief said, placing a thick gold-piece in the dish provided.
[87] "To shake a tentacle."
[88] "The procuring of a cage," a thin voice called from the sidelines.
[89] "The displaying of a freak."
[90] Retief turned.
[91] A tall Groacian vibrated his mandibles in a gesture of contempt.
[92] From his bluish throat coloration, it was apparent the creature was drunk.
[93] "To choke in your upper sac," the bartender hissed, extending his eyes toward the drunk.
[94] "To keep silent, litter-mate of drones."
[95] "To swallow your own poison, dispenser of vileness," the drunk whispered.
[96] "To find a proper cage for this zoo-piece."
[97] He wavered toward Retief.
[98] "To show this one in the streets, like all freaks."
[99] "Seen a lot of freaks like me, have you?"
[100] Retief asked, interestedly.
[101] "To speak intelligibly, malodorous outworlder," the drunk said.
[102] The barkeep whispered something, and two customers came up to the drunk, took his arms and helped him to the door.
[103] "To get a cage!"
[104] the drunk shrilled.
[105] "To keep the animals in their own stinking place."
[106] "I've changed my mind," Retief said to the bartender.
[107] "To be grateful as hell, but to have to hurry off now."
[108] He followed the drunk out the door.
[109] The other Groaci released him, hurried back inside.
[110] Retief looked at the weaving alien.
[111] "To begone, freak," the Groacian whispered.
[112] "To be pals," Retief said.
[113] "To be kind to dumb animals."
[114] "To have you hauled away to a stockyard, ill-odored foreign livestock."
[115] "To not be angry, fragrant native," Retief said.
[116] "To permit me to chum with you."
[117] "To flee before I take a cane to you!"
[118] "To have a drink together—" "To not endure such insolence!"
[119] The Groacian advanced toward Retief.
[120] Retief backed away.
[121] "To hold hands," Retief said.
[122] "To be palsy-walsy—" The Groacian reached for him, missed.
[123] A passer-by stepped around him, head down, scuttled away.
[124] Retief backed into the opening to a narrow crossway and offered further verbal familiarities to the drunken local, who followed, furious.
[125] Retief backed, rounded a corner into a narrow alley-like passage, deserted, silent ... except for the following Groacian.
[126] Retief stepped around him, seized his collar and yanked.
[127] The Groacian fell on his back.
[128] Retief stood over him.
[129] The downed native half-rose; Retief put a foot against his chest and pushed.
[130] "To not be going anywhere for a few minutes," Retief said.
[131] "To stay right here and have a nice long talk."
[132] II "There you are!"
[133] Miss Meuhl said, eyeing Retief over her lenses.
[134] "There are two gentlemen waiting to see you.
[135] Groacian gentlemen."
[136] "Government men, I imagine.
[137] Word travels fast."
[138] Retief pulled off his cape.
[139] "This saves me the trouble of paying another call at the Foreign Ministry."
[140] "What have you been doing?
[141] They seem very upset, I don't mind telling you."
[142] "I'm sure you don't.
[143] Come along.
[144] And bring an official recorder."
[145] Two Groaci wearing heavy eye-shields and elaborate crest ornaments indicative of rank rose as Retief entered the room.
[146] Neither offered a courteous snap of the mandibles, Retief noted.
[147] They were mad, all right.
[148] "I am Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Consul," the taller Groacian said, in lisping Terran.
[149] "May I present Shluh, of the Internal Police?"
[150] "Sit down, gentlemen," Retief said.
[151] They resumed their seats.
[152] Miss Meuhl hovered nervously, then sat on the edge of a comfortless chair.
[153] "Oh, it's such a pleasure—" she began.
[154] "Never mind that," Retief said.
[155] "These gentlemen didn't come here to sip tea today."
[156] "So true," Fith said.
[157] "Frankly, I have had a most disturbing report, Mr. Consul.
[158] I shall ask Shluh to recount it."
[159] He nodded to the police chief.
[160] "One hour ago," The Groacian said, "a Groacian national was brought to hospital suffering from serious contusions.
[161] Questioning of this individual revealed that he had been set upon and beaten by a foreigner.
[162] A Terrestrial, to be precise.
[163] Investigation by my department indicates that the description of the culprit closely matches that of the Terrestrial Consul."
[164] Miss Meuhl gasped audibly.
[165] "Have you ever heard," Retief said, looking steadily at Fith, "of a Terrestrial cruiser, the ISV Terrific , which dropped from sight in this sector nine years ago?"
[166] "Really!"
[167] Miss Meuhl exclaimed, rising.
[168] "I wash my hands—" "Just keep that recorder going," Retief snapped.
[169] "I'll not be a party—" "You'll do as you're told, Miss Meuhl," Retief said quietly.
[170] "I'm telling you to make an official sealed record of this conversation."
[171] Miss Meuhl sat down.
[172] Fith puffed out his throat indignantly.
[173] "You reopen an old wound, Mr. Consul.
[174] It reminds us of certain illegal treatment at Terrestrial hands—" "Hogwash," Retief said.
[175] "That tune went over with my predecessors, but it hits a sour note with me."
[176] "All our efforts," Miss Meuhl said, "to live down that terrible episode!
[177] And you—" "Terrible?
[178] I understand that a Terrestrial task force stood off Groac and sent a delegation down to ask questions.
[179] They got some funny answers, and stayed on to dig around a little.
[180] After a week they left.
[181] Somewhat annoying to the Groaci, maybe—at the most.
[182] If they were innocent."
[183] "IF!"
[184] Miss Meuhl burst out.
[185] "If, indeed!"
[186] Fith said, his weak voice trembling.
[187] "I must protest your—" "Save the protests, Fith.
[188] You have some explaining to do.
[189] And I don't think your story will be good enough."
[190] "It is for you to explain!
[191] This person who was beaten—" "Not beaten.
[192] Just rapped a few times to loosen his memory."
[193] "Then you admit—" "It worked, too.
[194] He remembered lots of things, once he put his mind to it."
[195] Fith rose; Shluh followed suit.
[196] "I shall ask for your immediate recall, Mr. Consul.
[197] Were it not for your diplomatic immunity, I should do more—" "Why did the government fall, Fith?
[198] It was just after the task force paid its visit, and before the arrival of the first Terrestrial diplomatic mission."
[199] "This is an internal matter!"
[200] Fith cried, in his faint Groacian voice.
[201] "The new regime has shown itself most amiable to you Terrestrials.
[202] It has outdone itself—" "—to keep the Terrestrial consul and his staff in the dark," Retief said.
[203] "And the same goes for the few terrestrial businessmen you've visaed.
[204] This continual round of culture; no social contacts outside the diplomatic circle; no travel permits to visit out-lying districts, or your satellite—" "Enough!"
[205] Fith's mandibles quivered in distress.
[206] "I can talk no more of this matter—" "You'll talk to me, or there'll be a task force here in five days to do the talking," Retief said.
[207] "You can't!"
[208] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[209] Retief turned a steady look on Miss Meuhl.
[210] She closed her mouth.
[211] The Groaci sat down.
[212] "Answer me this one," Retief said, looking at Shluh.
[213] "A few years back—about nine, I think—there was a little parade held here.
[214] Some curious looking creatures were captured.
[215] After being securely caged, they were exhibited to the gentle Groaci public.
[216] Hauled through the streets.
[217] Very educational, no doubt.
[218] A highly cultural show.
[219] "Funny thing about these animals.
[220] They wore clothes.
[221] They seemed to communicate with each other.
[222] Altogether it was a very amusing exhibit.
[223] "Tell me, Shluh, what happened to those six Terrestrials after the parade was over?"
[224] Fith made a choked noise and spoke rapidly to Shluh in Groacian.
[225] Shluh retracted his eyes, shrank down in his chair.
[226] Miss Meuhl opened her mouth, closed it and blinked rapidly.
[227] "How did they die?"
[228] Retief snapped.
[229] "Did you murder them, cut their throats, shoot them or bury them alive?
[230] What amusing end did you figure out for them?
[231] Research, maybe?
[232] Cut them open to see what made them yell...." "No!"
[233] Fith gasped.
[234] "I must correct this terrible false impression at once."
[235] "False impression, hell," Retief said.
[236] "They were Terrans!
[237] A simple narco-interrogation would get that out of any Groacian who saw the parade."
[238] "Yes," Fith said weakly.
[239] "It is true, they were Terrestrials.
[240] But there was no killing."
[241] "They're alive?"
[242] "Alas, no.
[243] They ...
[244] died."
[245] Miss Meuhl yelped faintly.
[246] "I see," Retief said.
[247] "They died."
[248] "We tried to keep them alive, of course.
[249] But we did not know what foods—" "Didn't take the trouble to find out, either, did you?"
[250] "They fell ill," Fith said.
[251] "One by one...." "We'll deal with that question later," Retief said.
[252] "Right now, I want more information.
[253] Where did you get them?
[254] Where did you hide the ship?
[255] What happened to the rest of the crew?
[256] Did they 'fall ill' before the big parade?"
[257] "There were no more!
[258] Absolutely, I assure you!"
[259] "Killed in the crash landing?"
[260] "No crash landing.
[261] The ship descended intact, east of the city.
[262] The ... Terrestrials ... were unharmed.
[263] Naturally, we feared them.
[264] They were strange to us.
[265] We had never before seen such beings."
[266] "Stepped off the ship with guns blazing, did they?"
[267] "Guns?
[268] No, no guns—" "They raised their hands, didn't they?
[269] Asked for help.
[270] You helped them; helped them to death."
[271] "How could we know?"
[272] Fith moaned.
[273] "How could you know a flotilla would show up in a few months looking for them, you mean?
[274] That was a shock, wasn't it?
[275] I'll bet you had a brisk time of it hiding the ship, and shutting everybody up.
[276] A close call, eh?"
[277] "We were afraid," Shluh said.
[278] "We are a simple people.
[279] We feared the strange creatures from the alien craft.
[280] We did not kill them, but we felt it was as well they ... did not survive.
[281] Then, when the warships came, we realized our error.
[282] But we feared to speak.
[283] We purged our guilty leaders, concealed what had happened, and ... offered our friendship.
[284] We invited the opening of diplomatic relations.
[285] We made a blunder, it is true, a great blunder.
[286] But we have tried to make amends...." "Where is the ship?"
[287] "The ship?"
[288] "What did you do with it?
[289] It was too big to just walk off and forget.
[290] Where is it?"
[291] The two Groacians exchanged looks.
[292] "We wish to show our contrition," Fith said.
[293] "We will show you the ship."
[294] "Miss Meuhl," Retief said.
[295] "If I don't come back in a reasonable length of time, transmit that recording to Regional Headquarters, sealed."
[296] He stood, looked at the Groaci.
[297] "Let's go," he said.
[298] Retief stooped under the heavy timbers shoring the entry to the cavern.
[299] He peered into the gloom at the curving flank of the space-burned hull.
[300] "Any lights in here?"
[301] he asked.
[302] A Groacian threw a switch.
[303] A weak bluish glow sprang up.
[304] Retief walked along the raised wooden catwalk, studying the ship.
[305] Empty emplacements gaped below lensless scanner eyes.
[306] Littered decking was visible within the half-open entry port.
[307] Near the bow the words 'IVS Terrific B7 New Terra' were lettered in bright chrome duralloy.
[308] "How did you get it in here?"
[309] Retief asked.
[310] "It was hauled here from the landing point, some nine miles distant," Fith said, his voice thinner than ever.
[311] "This is a natural crevasse.
[312] The vessel was lowered into it and roofed over."
[313] "How did you shield it so the detectors didn't pick it up?"
[314] "All here is high-grade iron ore," Fith said, waving a member.
[315] "Great veins of almost pure metal."
[316] Retief grunted.
[317] "Let's go inside."
[318] Shluh came forward with a hand-lamp.
[319] The party entered the ship.
[320] Retief clambered up a narrow companionway, glanced around the interior of the control compartment.
[321] Dust was thick on the deck, the stanchions where acceleration couches had been mounted, the empty instrument panels, the litter of sheared bolts, scraps of wire and paper.
[322] A thin frosting of rust dulled the exposed metal where cutting torches had sliced away heavy shielding.
[323] There was a faint odor of stale bedding.
[324] "The cargo compartment—" Shluh began.
[325] "I've seen enough," Retief said.
[326] Silently, the Groacians led the way back out through the tunnel and into the late afternoon sunshine.
[327] As they climbed the slope to the steam car, Fith came to Retief's side.
[328] "Indeed, I hope that this will be the end of this unfortunate affair," he said.
[329] "Now that all has been fully and honestly shown—" "You can skip all that," Retief said.
[330] "You're nine years late.
[331] The crew was still alive when the task force called, I imagine.
[332] You killed them—or let them die—rather than take the chance of admitting what you'd done."
[333] "We were at fault," Fith said abjectly.
[334] "Now we wish only friendship."
[335] "The Terrific was a heavy cruiser, about twenty thousand tons."
[336] Retief looked grimly at the slender Foreign Office official.
[337] "Where is she, Fith?
[338] I won't settle for a hundred-ton lifeboat."
[339] Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.
[340] "I know nothing of ... of...." He stopped.
[341] His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.
[342] "My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul," he said at last.
[343] "I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility.
[344] My patience is at an end."
[345] "Where is that ship?"
[346] Retief rapped out.
[347] "You never learn, do you?
[348] You're still convinced you can hide the whole thing and forget it.
[349] I'm telling you you can't."
[350] "We return to the city now," Fith said.
[351] "I can do no more."
[352] "You can and you will, Fith," Retief said.
[353] "I intend to get to the truth of this matter."
[354] Fith spoke to Shluh in rapid Groacian.
[355] The police chief gestured to his four armed constables.
[356] They moved to ring Retief in.
[357] Retief eyed Fith.
[358] "Don't try it," he said.
[359] "You'll just get yourself in deeper."
[360] Fith clacked his mandibles angrily, eye stalks canted aggressively toward the Terrestrial.
[361] "Out of deference to your diplomatic status, Terrestrial, I shall ignore your insulting remarks," Fith said in his reedy voice.
[362] "Let us now return to the city."
[363] Retief looked at the four policemen.
[364] "I see your point," he said.
[365] Fith followed him into the car, sat rigidly at the far end of the seat.
[366] "I advise you to remain very close to your consulate," Fith said.
[367] "I advise you to dismiss these fancies from your mind, and to enjoy the cultural aspects of life at Groac.
[368] Especially, I should not venture out of the city, or appear overly curious about matters of concern only to the Groacian government."
[369] In the front seat, Shluh looked straight ahead.
[370] The loosely-sprung vehicle bobbed and swayed along the narrow highway.
[371] Retief listened to the rhythmic puffing of the motor and said nothing.
[372] III "Miss Meuhl," Retief said, "I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you.
[373] I have to move rapidly now, to catch the Groaci off guard."
[374] "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy lenses.
[375] "If you'll listen, you may find out," Retief said.
[376] "I have no time to waste, Miss Meuhl.
[377] They won't be expecting an immediate move—I hope—and that may give me the latitude I need."
[378] "You're still determined to make an issue of that incident!"
[379] Miss Meuhl snorted.
[380] "I really can hardly blame the Groaci.
[381] They are not a sophisticated race; they had never before met aliens."
[382] "You're ready to forgive a great deal, Miss Meuhl.
[383] But it's not what happened nine years ago I'm concerned with.
[384] It's what's happening now.
[385] I've told you that it was only a lifeboat the Groaci have hidden out.
[386] Don't you understand the implication?
[387] That vessel couldn't have come far.
[388] The cruiser itself must be somewhere near by.
[389] I want to know where!"
[390] "The Groaci don't know.
[391] They're a very cultured, gentle people.
[392] You can do irreparable harm to the reputation of Terrestrials if you insist—" "That's my decision," Retief said.
[393] "I have a job to do and we're wasting time."
[394] He crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer and took out a slim-barreled needler.
[395] "This office is being watched.
[396] Not very efficiently, if I know the Groaci.
[397] I think I can get past them all right."
[398] "Where are you going with ...
[399] that?"
[400] Miss Meuhl stared at the needler.
[401] "What in the world—" "The Groaci won't waste any time destroying every piece of paper in their files relating to this thing.
[402] I have to get what I need before it's too late.
[403] If I wait for an official Inquiry Commission, they'll find nothing but blank smiles."
[404] "You're out of your mind!"
[405] Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation.
[406] "You're like a ... a...." "You and I are in a tight spot, Miss Meuhl.
[407] The logical next move for the Groaci is to dispose of both of us.
[408] We're the only ones who know what happened.
[409] Fith almost did the job this afternoon, but I bluffed him out—for the moment."
[410] Miss Meuhl emitted a shrill laugh.
[411] "Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped.
[412] "In danger, indeed!
[413] Disposing of me!
[414] I've never heard anything so ridiculous."
[415] "Stay in this office.
[416] Close and safe-lock the door.
[417] You've got food and water in the dispenser.
[418] I suggest you stock up, before they shut the supply down.
[419] Don't let anyone in, on any pretext whatever.
[420] I'll keep in touch with you via hand-phone."
[421] "What are you planning to do?"
[422] "If I don't make it back here, transmit the sealed record of this afternoon's conversation, along with the information I've given you.
[423] Beam it through on a mayday priority.
[424] Then tell the Groaci what you've done and sit tight.
[425] I think you'll be all right.
[426] It won't be easy to blast in here and anyway, they won't make things worse by killing you.
[427] A force can be here in a week."
[428] "I'll do nothing of the sort!
[429] The Groaci are very fond of me!
[430] You ... Johnny-come-lately!
[431] Roughneck!
[432] Setting out to destroy—" "Blame it on me if it will make you feel any better," Retief said, "but don't be fool enough to trust them."
[433] He pulled on a cape, opened the door.
[434] "I'll be back in a couple of hours," he said.
[435] Miss Meuhl stared after him silently as he closed the door.
[436] It was an hour before dawn when Retief keyed the combination to the safe-lock and stepped into the darkened consular office.
[437] He looked tired.
[438] Miss Meuhl, dozing in a chair, awoke with a start.
[439] She looked at Retief, rose and snapped on a light, turned to stare.
[440] "What in the world—Where have you been?
[441] What's happened to your clothing?"
[442] "I got a little dirty.
[443] Don't worry about it."
[444] Retief went to his desk, opened a drawer and replaced the needler.
[445] "Where have you been?"
[446] Miss Meuhl demanded.
[447] "I stayed here—" "I'm glad you did," Retief said.
[448] "I hope you piled up a supply of food and water from the dispenser, too.
[449] We'll be holed up here for a week, at least."
[450] He jotted figures on a pad.
[451] "Warm up the official sender.
[452] I have a long transmission for Regional Headquarters."
[453] "Are you going to tell me where you've been?"
[454] "I have a message to get off first, Miss Meuhl," Retief said sharply.
[455] "I've been to the Foreign Ministry," he added.
[456] "I'll tell you all about it later."
[457] "At this hour?
[458] There's no one there...." "Exactly."
[459] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[460] "You mean you broke in?
[461] You burgled the Foreign Office?"
[462] "That's right," Retief said calmly.
[463] "Now—" "This is absolutely the end!"
[464] Miss Meuhl said.
[465] "Thank heaven I've already—" "Get that sender going, woman!"
[466] Retief snapped.
[467] "This is important."
[468] "I've already done so, Mr.
[469] Retief!"
[470] Miss Meuhl said harshly.
[471] "I've been waiting for you to come back here...." She turned to the communicator, flipped levers.
[472] The screen snapped aglow, and a wavering long-distance image appeared.
[473] "He's here now," Miss Meuhl said to the screen.
[474] She looked at Retief triumphantly.
[475] "That's good," Retief said.
[476] "I don't think the Groaci can knock us off the air, but—" "I have done my duty, Mr. Retief," Miss Meuhl said.
[477] "I made a full report to Regional Headquarters last night, as soon as you left this office.
[478] Any doubts I may have had as to the rightness of that decision have been completely dispelled by what you've just told me."
[479] Retief looked at her levelly.
[480] "You've been a busy girl, Miss Meuhl.
[481] Did you mention the six Terrestrials who were killed here?"
[482] "That had no bearing on the matter of your wild behavior!
[483] I must say, in all my years in the Corps, I've never encountered a personality less suited to diplomatic work."
[484] The screen crackled, the ten-second transmission lag having elapsed.
[485] "Mr. Retief," the face on the screen said, "I am Counsellor Pardy, DSO-1, Deputy Under-secretary for the region.
[486] I have received a report on your conduct which makes it mandatory for me to relieve you administratively, vice Miss Yolanda Meuhl, DAO-9.
[487] Pending the findings of a Board of Inquiry, you will—" Retief reached out and snapped off the communicator.
[488] The triumphant look faded from Miss Meuhl's face.
[489] "Why, what is the meaning—" "If I'd listened any longer, I might have heard something I couldn't ignore.
[490] I can't afford that, at this moment.
[491] Listen, Miss Meuhl," Retief went on earnestly, "I've found the missing cruiser."
[492] "You heard him relieve you!"
[493] "I heard him say he was going to, Miss Meuhl.
[494] But until I've heard and acknowledged a verbal order, it has no force.
[495] If I'm wrong, he'll get my resignation.
[496] If I'm right, that suspension would be embarrassing all around."
[497] "You're defying lawful authority!
[498] I'm in charge here now."
[499] Miss Meuhl stepped to the local communicator.
[500] "I'm going to report this terrible thing to the Groaci at once, and offer my profound—" "Don't touch that screen," Retief said.
[501] "You go sit in that corner where I can keep an eye on you.
[502] I'm going to make a sealed tape for transmission to Headquarters, along with a call for an armed task force.
[503] Then we'll settle down to wait."
[504] Retief ignored Miss Meuhl's fury as he spoke into the recorder.
[505] The local communicator chimed.
[506] Miss Meuhl jumped up, staring at it.
[507] "Go ahead," Retief said.
[508] "Answer it."
[509] A Groacian official appeared on the screen.
[510] "Yolanda Meuhl," he said without preamble, "for the Foreign Minister of the Groacian Autonomy, I herewith accredit you as Terrestrial Consul to Groac, in accordance with the advices transmitted to my government direct from the Terrestrial Headquarters.
[511] As consul, you are requested to make available for questioning Mr. J. Retief, former consul, in connection with the assault on two peace keepers and illegal entry into the offices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs."
[512] "Why, why," Miss Meuhl stammered.
[513] "Yes, of course.
[514] And I do want to express my deepest regrets—" Retief rose, went to the communicator, assisted Miss Meuhl aside.
[515] "Listen carefully, Fith," he said.
[516] "Your bluff has been called.
[517] You don't come in and we don't come out.
[518] Your camouflage worked for nine years, but it's all over now.
[519] I suggest you keep your heads and resist the temptation to make matters worse than they are."
[520] "Miss Meuhl," Fith said, "a peace squad waits outside your consulate.
[521] It is clear you are in the hands of a dangerous lunatic.
[522] As always, the Groaci wish only friendship with the Terrestrials, but—" "Don't bother," Retief said.
[523] "You know what was in those files I looked over this morning."
[524] Retief turned at a sound behind him.
[525] Miss Meuhl was at the door, reaching for the safe-lock release....
[526] "Don't!"
[527] Retief jumped—too late.
[528] The door burst inward.
[529] A crowd of crested Groaci pressed into the room, pushed Miss Meuhl back, aimed scatter guns at Retief.
[530] Police Chief Shluh pushed forward.
[531] "Attempt no violence, Terrestrial," he said.
[532] "I cannot promise to restrain my men."
[533] "You're violating Terrestrial territory, Shluh," Retief said steadily.
[534] "I suggest you move back out the same way you came in."
[535] "I invited them here," Miss Meuhl spoke up.
[536] "They are here at my express wish."
[537] "Are they?
[538] Are you sure you meant to go this far, Miss Meuhl?
[539] A squad of armed Groaci in the consulate?"
[540] "You are the consul, Miss Yolanda Meuhl," Shluh said.
[541] "Would it not be best if we removed this deranged person to a place of safety?"
[542] "You're making a serious mistake, Shluh," Retief said.
[543] "Yes," Miss Meuhl said.
[544] "You're quite right, Mr. Shluh.
[545] Please escort Mr. Retief to his quarters in this building—" "I don't advise you to violate my diplomatic immunity, Fith," Retief said.
[546] "As chief of mission," Miss Meuhl said quickly, "I hereby waive immunity in the case of Mr.
[547] Retief."
[548] Shluh produced a hand recorder.
[549] "Kindly repeat your statement, Madam, officially," he said.
[550] "I wish no question to arise later."
[551] "Don't be a fool, woman," Retief said.
[552] "Don't you see what you're letting yourself in for?
[553] This would be a hell of a good time for you to figure out whose side you're on."
[554] "I'm on the side of common decency!"
[555] "You've been taken in.
[556] These people are concealing—" "You think all women are fools, don't you, Mr.
[557] Retief?"
[558] She turned to the police chief and spoke into the microphone he held up.
[559] "That's an illegal waiver," Retief said.
[560] "I'm consul here, whatever rumors you've heard.
[561] This thing's coming out into the open, whatever you do.
[562] Don't add violation of the Consulate to the list of Groacian atrocities."
[563] "Take the man," Shluh said. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who are Fith and Shluh and what are their roles in the story?":
1. [148] "I am Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Consul," the taller Groacian said, in lisping Terran.
[149] "May I present Shluh, of the Internal Police?"
2. [160] "One hour ago," The Groacian said, "a Groacian national was brought to hospital suffering from serious contusions.
[161] Questioning of this individual revealed that he had been set upon and beaten by a foreigner.
[162] A Terrestrial, to be precise.
[163] Investigation by my department indicates that the description of the culprit closely matches that of the Terrestrial Consul."
3. [233] "No!"
[234] Fith gasped.
[235] "I must correct this terrible false impression at once."
4. [277] "We were afraid," Shluh said.
[278] "We are a simple people.
[279] We feared the strange creatures from the alien craft.
[280] We did not kill them, but we felt it was as well they ... did not survive.
[281] Then, when the warships came, we realized our error.
[282] But we feared to speak.
[283] We purged our guilty leaders, concealed what had happened, and ... offered our friendship.
[284] We invited the opening of diplomatic relations.
[285] We made a blunder, it is true, a great blunder.
[286] But we have tried to make amends...."
5. [340] Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.
[341] His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.
[342] "My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul," he said at last.
[343] "I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility.
[344] My patience is at an end."
6. [355] Fith spoke to Shluh in rapid Groacian.
[356] The police chief gestured to his four armed constables.
[357] They moved to ring Retief in.
7. [360] Fith clacked his mandibles angrily, eye stalks canted aggressively toward the Terrestrial.
[361] "Out of deference to your diplomatic status, Terrestrial, I shall ignore your insulting remarks," Fith said in his reedy voice.
[362] "Let us now return to the city."
8. [366] "I advise you to remain very close to your consulate," Fith said.
[367] "I advise you to dismiss these fancies from your mind, and to enjoy the cultural aspects of life at Groac.
[368] Especially, I should not venture out of the city, or appear overly curious about matters of concern only to the Groacian government."
9. [509] "Yolanda Meuhl," he said without preamble, "for the Foreign Minister of the Groacian Autonomy, I herewith accredit you as Terrestrial Consul to Groac, in accordance with the advices transmitted to my government direct from the Terrestrial Headquarters.
[510] As consul, you are requested to make available for questioning Mr. J. Retief, former consul, in connection with the assault on two peace keepers and illegal entry into the offices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs."
10. [530] Police Chief Shluh pushed forward.
[531] "Attempt no violence, Terrestrial," he said.
[532] "I cannot promise to restrain my men." |
What is the significance of the ISV Terrific in the story? | [
"The ISV Terrific, full name ISV Terrific B7 New Terra, was a Terrestrial cruiser gone missing nine years prior to the events of the story. The vessel landed on Groac and its crew was captured and paraded through the streets by the Groaci. The crew died of mysterious causes and the vessel was hidden in a cavern and undetectable by investigators thanks to large veins of high-grade iron ore under the planet's surface. After a Terrestrial investigation failed to uncover the cruiser, a Groacian coup d'etat replaced the government in the time before the establishment of the Terrestrial Consulate General. Fith and Shluh deny any wrongdoing related to the deaths of the crewmembers when Retief confronts them about the situation, insisting that the crew died because the Groaci were ignorant about the Terran diet. They do, however, admit that they hid the cruiser. When they lead Retief to the ship, he observes its state of disrepair: A thick layer of dust covers the deck, stanchions, acceleration couches, instrument panels, sheared bolts, and scraps of wire and paper strewn about the control compartment. Then, Retief accuses them of attempting to continue their deception by showing him a lifeboat instead of the actual cruiser. This enrages Fith. The disappearance of the ISV Terrific, the coup d'etat that followed, and the subsequent incompetent Terrestrial investigation had led Retief to conduct the investigation in the first place and ultimately reveal that the Groacians are trying to hide something more sinister.",
"The ISV Terrific is a Terrestrial spaceship that crashed on Groac nine years before the story begins. It is significant because it marks the first Terrestrial contact with the Groaci, in fact, the first alien contact at all. The crew of the ISV Terrific were captured and paraded through the streets like animals in a zoo. They all later died due to malnourishment and dehydration, or so the Groaci claim. The ISV Terrific is significant because it acts as the catalyst for much of the conflict in this story, as Retief sets down a path to discover the truth and reveal what was long ago covered up.",
"The ISV Terrific was a heavy, interplanetary cruising vessel, weighing about twenty thousand tons, that was mysteriously lost on the planet Groac nine years ago. When the Terrans questioned the Grocians about their vessel, the Groacians covered up the fact that the ship did land on their planet to the east of the city and there were humans that all died after falling ill because the Groacians did not understand what to feed them. \nThe ISV Terrific is significant in the story because it is Retief’s singular focus to solve its disappearance. Retief is highly suspicious of why his fellow colleagues at the consulate are afraid to investigate the incident any further. The Groacians treat the incident as an embarrassment, as if the Terrans had wrongly accused them. But Retief is intent on getting to the bottom of it. At first, he is able to get some information from Fith, who admits to covering up the ship and the death of the humans that fell ill. When Retief arrives at the cavern that the Groacians have hidden the ship in, he uncovers a further mystery. The ship they show him is only a hundred-ton lifeboat of the ISV Terrific, marked 'IVS Terrific B7 New Terra’ on the bow. The real ISV Terrific is somewhere else.\nRetief does not give up on his quest, despite the threats of the Groacian officials, and pushes on into the night by breaking into the Archives to obtain the records from nine years ago to find out where the ISV Terrific is.",
"The ISV Terrific is the reason for Retief’s appointment as Consul on Groac. The ship was a Terrestrial cruiser that went missing nine years ago in the Groaci sector of the galaxy. Consul Retief is trying to track down the ship and discover what happened to the passengers. He suspects that the ship crashed on the Groaci’s planet and that the Groaci killed the people on it. He is on a mission to answer these questions. He first asks Miss Meuhl what she knows about it. She refuses to discuss it, siding with the Groacis and defending them as a very sensitive race and stating she is ashamed of how they were treated when the investigation was conducted. Retief tries to enter the Archives and local museum to search for information but is denied entry. \nBut he stumbles on a clue in a bar when a drunken Groaci points at him and says they need to find a proper cage for him; Retief follows the drunk out of the bar and learns that the Groaci captured the passengers and caged, paraded, and exhibited them. Fith and Shluh admit that these Terrestrials died but that the Groaci tried to keep them alive but didn’t know what foods they ate. They fell ill one by one and died. The Groaci claim that they didn’t realize the significance of the humans until the warships came to investigate, and then the Groaci were afraid to say anything. Afterward, they got rid of their government, replaced it with a new one, hid the ship, and invited diplomatic relations with the Terrestrials. Fith and Shluh also reveal that the ship didn’t crash but landed intact and claim that the ship is hidden in a cavern now and offer to show it to Retief. However, Retief recognizes that the ship they show him is not the ISV Terrific but is, instead, a lifeboat. To get to the bottom of the mystery, Retief breaks into the Foreign Ministry during the night and finds answers to his questions, but before he can transmit the information that he has learned, Miss Meuhl notifies the Regional Headquarters of his actions, having him removed as consul, and allows the Groaci into the consulate to take Retief into custody.\nThus, the ISV Terrific is the basis for interplanetary hostilities, the opening of a diplomatic channel between the Groacians and the Terrestrials, the overthrow of the Groaci government, and an unsolved mystery that could reopen hostilities when the truth of the matter is revealed."
] | [1] THE MADMAN FROM EARTH BY KEITH LAUMER You don't have to be crazy to be an earth diplomat—but on Groac it sure helps!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1962.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] I "The Consul for the Terrestrial States," Retief said, "presents his compliments, et cetera, to the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, and with reference to the Ministry's invitation to attend a recital of interpretive grimacing, has the honor to express regret that he will be unable—" "You can't turn this invitation down," Administrative Assistant Meuhl said flatly.
[5] "I'll make that 'accepts with pleasure'."
[6] Retief exhaled a plume of cigar smoke.
[7] "Miss Meuhl," he said, "in the past couple of weeks I've sat through six light-concerts, four attempts at chamber music, and god knows how many assorted folk-art festivals.
[8] I've been tied up every off-duty hour since I got here—" "You can't offend the Groaci," Miss Meuhl said sharply.
[9] "Consul Whaffle would never have been so rude."
[10] "Whaffle left here three months ago," Retief said, "leaving me in charge."
[11] "Well," Miss Meuhl said, snapping off the dictyper.
[12] "I'm sure I don't know what excuse I can give the Minister."
[13] "Never mind the excuses," Retief said.
[14] "Just tell him I won't be there."
[15] He stood up.
[16] "Are you leaving the office?"
[17] Miss Meuhl adjusted her glasses.
[18] "I have some important letters here for your signature."
[19] "I don't recall dictating any letters today, Miss Meuhl," Retief said, pulling on a light cape.
[20] "I wrote them for you.
[21] They're just as Consul Whaffle would have wanted them."
[22] "Did you write all Whaffle's letters for him, Miss Meuhl?"
[23] "Consul Whaffle was an extremely busy man," Miss Meuhl said stiffly.
[24] "He had complete confidence in me."
[25] "Since I'm cutting out the culture from now on," Retief said, "I won't be so busy."
[26] "Well!"
[27] Miss Meuhl said.
[28] "May I ask where you'll be if something comes up?"
[29] "I'm going over to the Foreign Office Archives."
[30] Miss Meuhl blinked behind thick lenses.
[31] "Whatever for?"
[32] Retief looked thoughtfully at Miss Meuhl.
[33] "You've been here on Groac for four years, Miss Meuhl.
[34] What was behind the coup d'etat that put the present government in power?"
[35] "I'm sure I haven't pried into—" "What about that Terrestrial cruiser?
[36] The one that disappeared out this way about ten years back?"
[37] "Mr. Retief, those are just the sort of questions we avoid with the Groaci.
[38] I certainly hope you're not thinking of openly intruding—" "Why?"
[39] "The Groaci are a very sensitive race.
[40] They don't welcome outworlders raking up things.
[41] They've been gracious enough to let us live down the fact that Terrestrials subjected them to deep humiliation on one occasion."
[42] "You mean when they came looking for the cruiser?"
[43] "I, for one, am ashamed of the high-handed tactics that were employed, grilling these innocent people as though they were criminals.
[44] We try never to reopen that wound, Mr.
[45] Retief."
[46] "They never found the cruiser, did they?"
[47] "Certainly not on Groac."
[48] Retief nodded.
[49] "Thanks, Miss Meuhl," he said.
[50] "I'll be back before you close the office."
[51] Miss Meuhl's face was set in lines of grim disapproval as he closed the door.
[52] The pale-featured Groacian vibrated his throat-bladder in a distressed bleat.
[53] "Not to enter the Archives," he said in his faint voice.
[54] "The denial of permission.
[55] The deep regret of the Archivist."
[56] "The importance of my task here," Retief said, enunciating the glottal dialect with difficulty.
[57] "My interest in local history."
[58] "The impossibility of access to outworlders.
[59] To depart quietly."
[60] "The necessity that I enter."
[61] "The specific instructions of the Archivist."
[62] The Groacian's voice rose to a whisper.
[63] "To insist no longer.
[64] To give up this idea!"
[65] "OK, Skinny, I know when I'm licked," Retief said in Terran.
[66] "To keep your nose clean."
[67] Outside, Retief stood for a moment looking across at the deeply carved windowless stucco facades lining the street, then started off in the direction of the Terrestrial Consulate General.
[68] The few Groacians on the street eyed him furtively, veered to avoid him as he passed.
[69] Flimsy high-wheeled ground cars puffed silently along the resilient pavement.
[70] The air was clean and cool.
[71] At the office, Miss Meuhl would be waiting with another list of complaints.
[72] Retief studied the carving over the open doorways along the street.
[73] An elaborate one picked out in pinkish paint seemed to indicate the Groacian equivalent of a bar.
[74] Retief went in.
[75] A Groacian bartender was dispensing clay pots of alcoholic drink from the bar-pit at the center of the room.
[76] He looked at Retief and froze in mid-motion, a metal tube poised over a waiting pot.
[77] "To enjoy a cooling drink," Retief said in Groacian, squatting down at the edge of the pit.
[78] "To sample a true Groacian beverage."
[79] "To not enjoy my poor offerings," the Groacian mumbled.
[80] "A pain in the digestive sacs; to express regret."
[81] "To not worry," Retief said, irritated.
[82] "To pour it out and let me decide whether I like it."
[83] "To be grappled in by peace-keepers for poisoning of—foreigners."
[84] The barkeep looked around for support, found none.
[85] The Groaci customers, eyes elsewhere, were drifting away.
[86] "To get the lead out," Retief said, placing a thick gold-piece in the dish provided.
[87] "To shake a tentacle."
[88] "The procuring of a cage," a thin voice called from the sidelines.
[89] "The displaying of a freak."
[90] Retief turned.
[91] A tall Groacian vibrated his mandibles in a gesture of contempt.
[92] From his bluish throat coloration, it was apparent the creature was drunk.
[93] "To choke in your upper sac," the bartender hissed, extending his eyes toward the drunk.
[94] "To keep silent, litter-mate of drones."
[95] "To swallow your own poison, dispenser of vileness," the drunk whispered.
[96] "To find a proper cage for this zoo-piece."
[97] He wavered toward Retief.
[98] "To show this one in the streets, like all freaks."
[99] "Seen a lot of freaks like me, have you?"
[100] Retief asked, interestedly.
[101] "To speak intelligibly, malodorous outworlder," the drunk said.
[102] The barkeep whispered something, and two customers came up to the drunk, took his arms and helped him to the door.
[103] "To get a cage!"
[104] the drunk shrilled.
[105] "To keep the animals in their own stinking place."
[106] "I've changed my mind," Retief said to the bartender.
[107] "To be grateful as hell, but to have to hurry off now."
[108] He followed the drunk out the door.
[109] The other Groaci released him, hurried back inside.
[110] Retief looked at the weaving alien.
[111] "To begone, freak," the Groacian whispered.
[112] "To be pals," Retief said.
[113] "To be kind to dumb animals."
[114] "To have you hauled away to a stockyard, ill-odored foreign livestock."
[115] "To not be angry, fragrant native," Retief said.
[116] "To permit me to chum with you."
[117] "To flee before I take a cane to you!"
[118] "To have a drink together—" "To not endure such insolence!"
[119] The Groacian advanced toward Retief.
[120] Retief backed away.
[121] "To hold hands," Retief said.
[122] "To be palsy-walsy—" The Groacian reached for him, missed.
[123] A passer-by stepped around him, head down, scuttled away.
[124] Retief backed into the opening to a narrow crossway and offered further verbal familiarities to the drunken local, who followed, furious.
[125] Retief backed, rounded a corner into a narrow alley-like passage, deserted, silent ... except for the following Groacian.
[126] Retief stepped around him, seized his collar and yanked.
[127] The Groacian fell on his back.
[128] Retief stood over him.
[129] The downed native half-rose; Retief put a foot against his chest and pushed.
[130] "To not be going anywhere for a few minutes," Retief said.
[131] "To stay right here and have a nice long talk."
[132] II "There you are!"
[133] Miss Meuhl said, eyeing Retief over her lenses.
[134] "There are two gentlemen waiting to see you.
[135] Groacian gentlemen."
[136] "Government men, I imagine.
[137] Word travels fast."
[138] Retief pulled off his cape.
[139] "This saves me the trouble of paying another call at the Foreign Ministry."
[140] "What have you been doing?
[141] They seem very upset, I don't mind telling you."
[142] "I'm sure you don't.
[143] Come along.
[144] And bring an official recorder."
[145] Two Groaci wearing heavy eye-shields and elaborate crest ornaments indicative of rank rose as Retief entered the room.
[146] Neither offered a courteous snap of the mandibles, Retief noted.
[147] They were mad, all right.
[148] "I am Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Consul," the taller Groacian said, in lisping Terran.
[149] "May I present Shluh, of the Internal Police?"
[150] "Sit down, gentlemen," Retief said.
[151] They resumed their seats.
[152] Miss Meuhl hovered nervously, then sat on the edge of a comfortless chair.
[153] "Oh, it's such a pleasure—" she began.
[154] "Never mind that," Retief said.
[155] "These gentlemen didn't come here to sip tea today."
[156] "So true," Fith said.
[157] "Frankly, I have had a most disturbing report, Mr. Consul.
[158] I shall ask Shluh to recount it."
[159] He nodded to the police chief.
[160] "One hour ago," The Groacian said, "a Groacian national was brought to hospital suffering from serious contusions.
[161] Questioning of this individual revealed that he had been set upon and beaten by a foreigner.
[162] A Terrestrial, to be precise.
[163] Investigation by my department indicates that the description of the culprit closely matches that of the Terrestrial Consul."
[164] Miss Meuhl gasped audibly.
[165] "Have you ever heard," Retief said, looking steadily at Fith, "of a Terrestrial cruiser, the ISV Terrific , which dropped from sight in this sector nine years ago?"
[166] "Really!"
[167] Miss Meuhl exclaimed, rising.
[168] "I wash my hands—" "Just keep that recorder going," Retief snapped.
[169] "I'll not be a party—" "You'll do as you're told, Miss Meuhl," Retief said quietly.
[170] "I'm telling you to make an official sealed record of this conversation."
[171] Miss Meuhl sat down.
[172] Fith puffed out his throat indignantly.
[173] "You reopen an old wound, Mr. Consul.
[174] It reminds us of certain illegal treatment at Terrestrial hands—" "Hogwash," Retief said.
[175] "That tune went over with my predecessors, but it hits a sour note with me."
[176] "All our efforts," Miss Meuhl said, "to live down that terrible episode!
[177] And you—" "Terrible?
[178] I understand that a Terrestrial task force stood off Groac and sent a delegation down to ask questions.
[179] They got some funny answers, and stayed on to dig around a little.
[180] After a week they left.
[181] Somewhat annoying to the Groaci, maybe—at the most.
[182] If they were innocent."
[183] "IF!"
[184] Miss Meuhl burst out.
[185] "If, indeed!"
[186] Fith said, his weak voice trembling.
[187] "I must protest your—" "Save the protests, Fith.
[188] You have some explaining to do.
[189] And I don't think your story will be good enough."
[190] "It is for you to explain!
[191] This person who was beaten—" "Not beaten.
[192] Just rapped a few times to loosen his memory."
[193] "Then you admit—" "It worked, too.
[194] He remembered lots of things, once he put his mind to it."
[195] Fith rose; Shluh followed suit.
[196] "I shall ask for your immediate recall, Mr. Consul.
[197] Were it not for your diplomatic immunity, I should do more—" "Why did the government fall, Fith?
[198] It was just after the task force paid its visit, and before the arrival of the first Terrestrial diplomatic mission."
[199] "This is an internal matter!"
[200] Fith cried, in his faint Groacian voice.
[201] "The new regime has shown itself most amiable to you Terrestrials.
[202] It has outdone itself—" "—to keep the Terrestrial consul and his staff in the dark," Retief said.
[203] "And the same goes for the few terrestrial businessmen you've visaed.
[204] This continual round of culture; no social contacts outside the diplomatic circle; no travel permits to visit out-lying districts, or your satellite—" "Enough!"
[205] Fith's mandibles quivered in distress.
[206] "I can talk no more of this matter—" "You'll talk to me, or there'll be a task force here in five days to do the talking," Retief said.
[207] "You can't!"
[208] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[209] Retief turned a steady look on Miss Meuhl.
[210] She closed her mouth.
[211] The Groaci sat down.
[212] "Answer me this one," Retief said, looking at Shluh.
[213] "A few years back—about nine, I think—there was a little parade held here.
[214] Some curious looking creatures were captured.
[215] After being securely caged, they were exhibited to the gentle Groaci public.
[216] Hauled through the streets.
[217] Very educational, no doubt.
[218] A highly cultural show.
[219] "Funny thing about these animals.
[220] They wore clothes.
[221] They seemed to communicate with each other.
[222] Altogether it was a very amusing exhibit.
[223] "Tell me, Shluh, what happened to those six Terrestrials after the parade was over?"
[224] Fith made a choked noise and spoke rapidly to Shluh in Groacian.
[225] Shluh retracted his eyes, shrank down in his chair.
[226] Miss Meuhl opened her mouth, closed it and blinked rapidly.
[227] "How did they die?"
[228] Retief snapped.
[229] "Did you murder them, cut their throats, shoot them or bury them alive?
[230] What amusing end did you figure out for them?
[231] Research, maybe?
[232] Cut them open to see what made them yell...." "No!"
[233] Fith gasped.
[234] "I must correct this terrible false impression at once."
[235] "False impression, hell," Retief said.
[236] "They were Terrans!
[237] A simple narco-interrogation would get that out of any Groacian who saw the parade."
[238] "Yes," Fith said weakly.
[239] "It is true, they were Terrestrials.
[240] But there was no killing."
[241] "They're alive?"
[242] "Alas, no.
[243] They ...
[244] died."
[245] Miss Meuhl yelped faintly.
[246] "I see," Retief said.
[247] "They died."
[248] "We tried to keep them alive, of course.
[249] But we did not know what foods—" "Didn't take the trouble to find out, either, did you?"
[250] "They fell ill," Fith said.
[251] "One by one...." "We'll deal with that question later," Retief said.
[252] "Right now, I want more information.
[253] Where did you get them?
[254] Where did you hide the ship?
[255] What happened to the rest of the crew?
[256] Did they 'fall ill' before the big parade?"
[257] "There were no more!
[258] Absolutely, I assure you!"
[259] "Killed in the crash landing?"
[260] "No crash landing.
[261] The ship descended intact, east of the city.
[262] The ... Terrestrials ... were unharmed.
[263] Naturally, we feared them.
[264] They were strange to us.
[265] We had never before seen such beings."
[266] "Stepped off the ship with guns blazing, did they?"
[267] "Guns?
[268] No, no guns—" "They raised their hands, didn't they?
[269] Asked for help.
[270] You helped them; helped them to death."
[271] "How could we know?"
[272] Fith moaned.
[273] "How could you know a flotilla would show up in a few months looking for them, you mean?
[274] That was a shock, wasn't it?
[275] I'll bet you had a brisk time of it hiding the ship, and shutting everybody up.
[276] A close call, eh?"
[277] "We were afraid," Shluh said.
[278] "We are a simple people.
[279] We feared the strange creatures from the alien craft.
[280] We did not kill them, but we felt it was as well they ... did not survive.
[281] Then, when the warships came, we realized our error.
[282] But we feared to speak.
[283] We purged our guilty leaders, concealed what had happened, and ... offered our friendship.
[284] We invited the opening of diplomatic relations.
[285] We made a blunder, it is true, a great blunder.
[286] But we have tried to make amends...." "Where is the ship?"
[287] "The ship?"
[288] "What did you do with it?
[289] It was too big to just walk off and forget.
[290] Where is it?"
[291] The two Groacians exchanged looks.
[292] "We wish to show our contrition," Fith said.
[293] "We will show you the ship."
[294] "Miss Meuhl," Retief said.
[295] "If I don't come back in a reasonable length of time, transmit that recording to Regional Headquarters, sealed."
[296] He stood, looked at the Groaci.
[297] "Let's go," he said.
[298] Retief stooped under the heavy timbers shoring the entry to the cavern.
[299] He peered into the gloom at the curving flank of the space-burned hull.
[300] "Any lights in here?"
[301] he asked.
[302] A Groacian threw a switch.
[303] A weak bluish glow sprang up.
[304] Retief walked along the raised wooden catwalk, studying the ship.
[305] Empty emplacements gaped below lensless scanner eyes.
[306] Littered decking was visible within the half-open entry port.
[307] Near the bow the words 'IVS Terrific B7 New Terra' were lettered in bright chrome duralloy.
[308] "How did you get it in here?"
[309] Retief asked.
[310] "It was hauled here from the landing point, some nine miles distant," Fith said, his voice thinner than ever.
[311] "This is a natural crevasse.
[312] The vessel was lowered into it and roofed over."
[313] "How did you shield it so the detectors didn't pick it up?"
[314] "All here is high-grade iron ore," Fith said, waving a member.
[315] "Great veins of almost pure metal."
[316] Retief grunted.
[317] "Let's go inside."
[318] Shluh came forward with a hand-lamp.
[319] The party entered the ship.
[320] Retief clambered up a narrow companionway, glanced around the interior of the control compartment.
[321] Dust was thick on the deck, the stanchions where acceleration couches had been mounted, the empty instrument panels, the litter of sheared bolts, scraps of wire and paper.
[322] A thin frosting of rust dulled the exposed metal where cutting torches had sliced away heavy shielding.
[323] There was a faint odor of stale bedding.
[324] "The cargo compartment—" Shluh began.
[325] "I've seen enough," Retief said.
[326] Silently, the Groacians led the way back out through the tunnel and into the late afternoon sunshine.
[327] As they climbed the slope to the steam car, Fith came to Retief's side.
[328] "Indeed, I hope that this will be the end of this unfortunate affair," he said.
[329] "Now that all has been fully and honestly shown—" "You can skip all that," Retief said.
[330] "You're nine years late.
[331] The crew was still alive when the task force called, I imagine.
[332] You killed them—or let them die—rather than take the chance of admitting what you'd done."
[333] "We were at fault," Fith said abjectly.
[334] "Now we wish only friendship."
[335] "The Terrific was a heavy cruiser, about twenty thousand tons."
[336] Retief looked grimly at the slender Foreign Office official.
[337] "Where is she, Fith?
[338] I won't settle for a hundred-ton lifeboat."
[339] Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.
[340] "I know nothing of ... of...." He stopped.
[341] His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.
[342] "My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul," he said at last.
[343] "I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility.
[344] My patience is at an end."
[345] "Where is that ship?"
[346] Retief rapped out.
[347] "You never learn, do you?
[348] You're still convinced you can hide the whole thing and forget it.
[349] I'm telling you you can't."
[350] "We return to the city now," Fith said.
[351] "I can do no more."
[352] "You can and you will, Fith," Retief said.
[353] "I intend to get to the truth of this matter."
[354] Fith spoke to Shluh in rapid Groacian.
[355] The police chief gestured to his four armed constables.
[356] They moved to ring Retief in.
[357] Retief eyed Fith.
[358] "Don't try it," he said.
[359] "You'll just get yourself in deeper."
[360] Fith clacked his mandibles angrily, eye stalks canted aggressively toward the Terrestrial.
[361] "Out of deference to your diplomatic status, Terrestrial, I shall ignore your insulting remarks," Fith said in his reedy voice.
[362] "Let us now return to the city."
[363] Retief looked at the four policemen.
[364] "I see your point," he said.
[365] Fith followed him into the car, sat rigidly at the far end of the seat.
[366] "I advise you to remain very close to your consulate," Fith said.
[367] "I advise you to dismiss these fancies from your mind, and to enjoy the cultural aspects of life at Groac.
[368] Especially, I should not venture out of the city, or appear overly curious about matters of concern only to the Groacian government."
[369] In the front seat, Shluh looked straight ahead.
[370] The loosely-sprung vehicle bobbed and swayed along the narrow highway.
[371] Retief listened to the rhythmic puffing of the motor and said nothing.
[372] III "Miss Meuhl," Retief said, "I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you.
[373] I have to move rapidly now, to catch the Groaci off guard."
[374] "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy lenses.
[375] "If you'll listen, you may find out," Retief said.
[376] "I have no time to waste, Miss Meuhl.
[377] They won't be expecting an immediate move—I hope—and that may give me the latitude I need."
[378] "You're still determined to make an issue of that incident!"
[379] Miss Meuhl snorted.
[380] "I really can hardly blame the Groaci.
[381] They are not a sophisticated race; they had never before met aliens."
[382] "You're ready to forgive a great deal, Miss Meuhl.
[383] But it's not what happened nine years ago I'm concerned with.
[384] It's what's happening now.
[385] I've told you that it was only a lifeboat the Groaci have hidden out.
[386] Don't you understand the implication?
[387] That vessel couldn't have come far.
[388] The cruiser itself must be somewhere near by.
[389] I want to know where!"
[390] "The Groaci don't know.
[391] They're a very cultured, gentle people.
[392] You can do irreparable harm to the reputation of Terrestrials if you insist—" "That's my decision," Retief said.
[393] "I have a job to do and we're wasting time."
[394] He crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer and took out a slim-barreled needler.
[395] "This office is being watched.
[396] Not very efficiently, if I know the Groaci.
[397] I think I can get past them all right."
[398] "Where are you going with ...
[399] that?"
[400] Miss Meuhl stared at the needler.
[401] "What in the world—" "The Groaci won't waste any time destroying every piece of paper in their files relating to this thing.
[402] I have to get what I need before it's too late.
[403] If I wait for an official Inquiry Commission, they'll find nothing but blank smiles."
[404] "You're out of your mind!"
[405] Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation.
[406] "You're like a ... a...." "You and I are in a tight spot, Miss Meuhl.
[407] The logical next move for the Groaci is to dispose of both of us.
[408] We're the only ones who know what happened.
[409] Fith almost did the job this afternoon, but I bluffed him out—for the moment."
[410] Miss Meuhl emitted a shrill laugh.
[411] "Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped.
[412] "In danger, indeed!
[413] Disposing of me!
[414] I've never heard anything so ridiculous."
[415] "Stay in this office.
[416] Close and safe-lock the door.
[417] You've got food and water in the dispenser.
[418] I suggest you stock up, before they shut the supply down.
[419] Don't let anyone in, on any pretext whatever.
[420] I'll keep in touch with you via hand-phone."
[421] "What are you planning to do?"
[422] "If I don't make it back here, transmit the sealed record of this afternoon's conversation, along with the information I've given you.
[423] Beam it through on a mayday priority.
[424] Then tell the Groaci what you've done and sit tight.
[425] I think you'll be all right.
[426] It won't be easy to blast in here and anyway, they won't make things worse by killing you.
[427] A force can be here in a week."
[428] "I'll do nothing of the sort!
[429] The Groaci are very fond of me!
[430] You ... Johnny-come-lately!
[431] Roughneck!
[432] Setting out to destroy—" "Blame it on me if it will make you feel any better," Retief said, "but don't be fool enough to trust them."
[433] He pulled on a cape, opened the door.
[434] "I'll be back in a couple of hours," he said.
[435] Miss Meuhl stared after him silently as he closed the door.
[436] It was an hour before dawn when Retief keyed the combination to the safe-lock and stepped into the darkened consular office.
[437] He looked tired.
[438] Miss Meuhl, dozing in a chair, awoke with a start.
[439] She looked at Retief, rose and snapped on a light, turned to stare.
[440] "What in the world—Where have you been?
[441] What's happened to your clothing?"
[442] "I got a little dirty.
[443] Don't worry about it."
[444] Retief went to his desk, opened a drawer and replaced the needler.
[445] "Where have you been?"
[446] Miss Meuhl demanded.
[447] "I stayed here—" "I'm glad you did," Retief said.
[448] "I hope you piled up a supply of food and water from the dispenser, too.
[449] We'll be holed up here for a week, at least."
[450] He jotted figures on a pad.
[451] "Warm up the official sender.
[452] I have a long transmission for Regional Headquarters."
[453] "Are you going to tell me where you've been?"
[454] "I have a message to get off first, Miss Meuhl," Retief said sharply.
[455] "I've been to the Foreign Ministry," he added.
[456] "I'll tell you all about it later."
[457] "At this hour?
[458] There's no one there...." "Exactly."
[459] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[460] "You mean you broke in?
[461] You burgled the Foreign Office?"
[462] "That's right," Retief said calmly.
[463] "Now—" "This is absolutely the end!"
[464] Miss Meuhl said.
[465] "Thank heaven I've already—" "Get that sender going, woman!"
[466] Retief snapped.
[467] "This is important."
[468] "I've already done so, Mr.
[469] Retief!"
[470] Miss Meuhl said harshly.
[471] "I've been waiting for you to come back here...." She turned to the communicator, flipped levers.
[472] The screen snapped aglow, and a wavering long-distance image appeared.
[473] "He's here now," Miss Meuhl said to the screen.
[474] She looked at Retief triumphantly.
[475] "That's good," Retief said.
[476] "I don't think the Groaci can knock us off the air, but—" "I have done my duty, Mr. Retief," Miss Meuhl said.
[477] "I made a full report to Regional Headquarters last night, as soon as you left this office.
[478] Any doubts I may have had as to the rightness of that decision have been completely dispelled by what you've just told me."
[479] Retief looked at her levelly.
[480] "You've been a busy girl, Miss Meuhl.
[481] Did you mention the six Terrestrials who were killed here?"
[482] "That had no bearing on the matter of your wild behavior!
[483] I must say, in all my years in the Corps, I've never encountered a personality less suited to diplomatic work."
[484] The screen crackled, the ten-second transmission lag having elapsed.
[485] "Mr. Retief," the face on the screen said, "I am Counsellor Pardy, DSO-1, Deputy Under-secretary for the region.
[486] I have received a report on your conduct which makes it mandatory for me to relieve you administratively, vice Miss Yolanda Meuhl, DAO-9.
[487] Pending the findings of a Board of Inquiry, you will—" Retief reached out and snapped off the communicator.
[488] The triumphant look faded from Miss Meuhl's face.
[489] "Why, what is the meaning—" "If I'd listened any longer, I might have heard something I couldn't ignore.
[490] I can't afford that, at this moment.
[491] Listen, Miss Meuhl," Retief went on earnestly, "I've found the missing cruiser."
[492] "You heard him relieve you!"
[493] "I heard him say he was going to, Miss Meuhl.
[494] But until I've heard and acknowledged a verbal order, it has no force.
[495] If I'm wrong, he'll get my resignation.
[496] If I'm right, that suspension would be embarrassing all around."
[497] "You're defying lawful authority!
[498] I'm in charge here now."
[499] Miss Meuhl stepped to the local communicator.
[500] "I'm going to report this terrible thing to the Groaci at once, and offer my profound—" "Don't touch that screen," Retief said.
[501] "You go sit in that corner where I can keep an eye on you.
[502] I'm going to make a sealed tape for transmission to Headquarters, along with a call for an armed task force.
[503] Then we'll settle down to wait."
[504] Retief ignored Miss Meuhl's fury as he spoke into the recorder.
[505] The local communicator chimed.
[506] Miss Meuhl jumped up, staring at it.
[507] "Go ahead," Retief said.
[508] "Answer it."
[509] A Groacian official appeared on the screen.
[510] "Yolanda Meuhl," he said without preamble, "for the Foreign Minister of the Groacian Autonomy, I herewith accredit you as Terrestrial Consul to Groac, in accordance with the advices transmitted to my government direct from the Terrestrial Headquarters.
[511] As consul, you are requested to make available for questioning Mr. J. Retief, former consul, in connection with the assault on two peace keepers and illegal entry into the offices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs."
[512] "Why, why," Miss Meuhl stammered.
[513] "Yes, of course.
[514] And I do want to express my deepest regrets—" Retief rose, went to the communicator, assisted Miss Meuhl aside.
[515] "Listen carefully, Fith," he said.
[516] "Your bluff has been called.
[517] You don't come in and we don't come out.
[518] Your camouflage worked for nine years, but it's all over now.
[519] I suggest you keep your heads and resist the temptation to make matters worse than they are."
[520] "Miss Meuhl," Fith said, "a peace squad waits outside your consulate.
[521] It is clear you are in the hands of a dangerous lunatic.
[522] As always, the Groaci wish only friendship with the Terrestrials, but—" "Don't bother," Retief said.
[523] "You know what was in those files I looked over this morning."
[524] Retief turned at a sound behind him.
[525] Miss Meuhl was at the door, reaching for the safe-lock release....
[526] "Don't!"
[527] Retief jumped—too late.
[528] The door burst inward.
[529] A crowd of crested Groaci pressed into the room, pushed Miss Meuhl back, aimed scatter guns at Retief.
[530] Police Chief Shluh pushed forward.
[531] "Attempt no violence, Terrestrial," he said.
[532] "I cannot promise to restrain my men."
[533] "You're violating Terrestrial territory, Shluh," Retief said steadily.
[534] "I suggest you move back out the same way you came in."
[535] "I invited them here," Miss Meuhl spoke up.
[536] "They are here at my express wish."
[537] "Are they?
[538] Are you sure you meant to go this far, Miss Meuhl?
[539] A squad of armed Groaci in the consulate?"
[540] "You are the consul, Miss Yolanda Meuhl," Shluh said.
[541] "Would it not be best if we removed this deranged person to a place of safety?"
[542] "You're making a serious mistake, Shluh," Retief said.
[543] "Yes," Miss Meuhl said.
[544] "You're quite right, Mr. Shluh.
[545] Please escort Mr. Retief to his quarters in this building—" "I don't advise you to violate my diplomatic immunity, Fith," Retief said.
[546] "As chief of mission," Miss Meuhl said quickly, "I hereby waive immunity in the case of Mr.
[547] Retief."
[548] Shluh produced a hand recorder.
[549] "Kindly repeat your statement, Madam, officially," he said.
[550] "I wish no question to arise later."
[551] "Don't be a fool, woman," Retief said.
[552] "Don't you see what you're letting yourself in for?
[553] This would be a hell of a good time for you to figure out whose side you're on."
[554] "I'm on the side of common decency!"
[555] "You've been taken in.
[556] These people are concealing—" "You think all women are fools, don't you, Mr.
[557] Retief?"
[558] She turned to the police chief and spoke into the microphone he held up.
[559] "That's an illegal waiver," Retief said.
[560] "I'm consul here, whatever rumors you've heard.
[561] This thing's coming out into the open, whatever you do.
[562] Don't add violation of the Consulate to the list of Groacian atrocities."
[563] "Take the man," Shluh said. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the significance of the ISV Terrific in the story?":
1. [305] Empty emplacements gaped below lensless scanner eyes.
2. [306] Littered decking was visible within the half-open entry port.
3. [307] Near the bow the words 'IVS Terrific B7 New Terra' were lettered in bright chrome duralloy.
4. [308] "How did you get it in here?"
5. [309] "It was hauled here from the landing point, some nine miles distant," Fith said, his voice thinner than ever.
6. [310] "This is a natural crevasse.
7. [311] The vessel was lowered into it and roofed over."
8. [312] "How did you shield it so the detectors didn't pick it up?"
9. [313] "All here is high-grade iron ore," Fith said, waving a member.
10. [314] "Great veins of almost pure metal."
11. [315] Retief grunted.
12. [316] "Let's go inside."
13. [317] Shluh came forward with a hand-lamp.
14. [318] The party entered the ship.
15. [319] Retief clambered up a narrow companionway, glanced around the interior of the control compartment.
16. [320] Dust was thick on the deck, the stanchions where acceleration couches had been mounted, the empty instrument panels, the litter of sheared bolts, scraps of wire and paper.
17. [321] A thin frosting of rust dulled the exposed metal where cutting torches had sliced away heavy shielding.
18. [322] There was a faint odor of stale bedding.
19. [323] "The cargo compartment—" Shluh began.
20. [324] "I've seen enough," Retief said.
21. [325] Silently, the Groacians led the way back out through the tunnel and into the late afternoon sunshine.
22. [326] As they climbed the slope to the steam car, Fith came to Retief's side.
23. [327] "Indeed, I hope that this will be the end of this unfortunate affair," he said.
24. [328] "Now that all has been fully and honestly shown—"
25. [329] "You can skip all that," Retief said.
26. [330] "You're nine years late.
27. [331] The crew was still alive when the task force called, I imagine.
28. [332] You killed them—or let them die—rather than take the chance of admitting what you'd done."
29. [333] "We were at fault," Fith said abjectly.
30. [334] "Now we wish only friendship."
31. [335] "The Terrific was a heavy cruiser, about twenty thousand tons."
32. [336] Retief looked grimly at the slender Foreign Office official.
33. [337] "Where is she, Fith?
34. [338] I won't settle for a hundred-ton lifeboat."
35. [339] Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.
36. [340] "I know nothing of ... of...." He stopped.
37. [341] His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.
38. [342] "My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul," he said at last.
39. [343] "I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility.
40. [344] My patience is at an end."
41. [345] "Where is that ship?"
42. [346] Retief rapped out.
43. [347] "You never learn, do you?
44. [348] You're still convinced you can hide the whole thing and forget it.
45. [349] I'm telling you you can't."
46. [350] "We return to the city now," Fith said.
47. [351] "I can do no more."
48. [352] "You can and you will, Fith," Retief said.
49. [353] "I intend to get to the truth of this matter." |
Who is Miss Meuhl and what is her role in the story? | [
"Miss Yolanda Meuhl is the Administrative Assistant of The Consul for the Terrestrial States Retief, the replacement for Consul Whaffle who left the post three months prior. Miss Meuhl wears glasses, uses a dictyper, and takes her position at the Consulate extremely seriously. She faithfully executes her duties as an administrative assistant without question, which leads her to develop a blind trust in authority as well as the Groaci race, according to Retief. Miss Meuhl considers the Groaci to be a sensitive race and defends them against Retief's constant accusations of misconduct. She threatens to report Retief to the Regional Headquarters when he continues to act against the guidelines set forth by the Corps. Her commitment to diplomatic relations ensures that she takes the side of the Groaci in nearly every matter; she even excuses when Fith and Shluh admit to hiding the Terrestrial cruiser. When Retief orders Miss Meuhl to lock herself inside the office while he goes to break into the Foreign Ministry, Miss Meuhl calls the Regional Headquarters and makes a full report of his actions. When he returns, Counsellor Pardy calls and relieves Retief of his post. Then, a Groacian official calls and appoints Miss Meuhl to the post vacated by Retief, which she accepts. She then allows the Groacian officials to enter the office in order to arrest Retief.",
"Miss Meuhl is Retief’s secretary and administrative assistant at the Groac Embassy for Terrestrials. She is used to serving the former consul, Whaffle, who was happy to go along with all the cultural ploys and let her do much of the writing. Retief, however, takes things into his own hands and immediately starts investigating a covered-up crime. Miss Meuhl does not approve of his actions and argues with Retief throughout the entire story. In the end, Miss Meuhl essentially betrays his trust and allows the Groaci to take Retief away, making her the new Consul. She would rather side with them to keep the peace than discover the truth, a trait that Retief abhorred.",
"Miss Yolanda Meuhl, DAO-9 is the Administrative Assistant to the Terran diplomat within the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, stationed at the Terrestrial Consulate General of the planet Groac. She used to serve Consul Whaffle, who was replaced with Consul Retief three months ago. She is not happy about assisting Retief, who she feels is deeply unfit to be a diplomat. She objects to nearly everything that Retief does during the course of the story, and only obliges when the task might gain her some information she can use against Retief in the future. Such as when she obliges to record the conversation Retief has with Fith and Shuhl when they question him about the drunkard he beat up. Or when she accepts locking herself in their consulate office when Retief goes to investigate the whereabouts of the vessel Terrific against the will of the Groacian officials, so that she can transmit a report to get Retief dismissed to their Regional Headquarters. After she turns against Retief, she is assigned his position as Consul by the Regional Headquarters and plays the role of a villain when she immediately betrays Retief by waiving his diplomatic protections before the Groacian authorities.",
"Miss Meuhl is the Administrative Assistant to the Consul for the Terrestrial States on Groac. She has held that position for over four years and believes she knows better than Consul Retief, who has only been there three months, what he should do and say. She frequently references the previous Consul as an example of what Retief should do and how he should act. When Retief brings up questions about the replacement of the government and the Groacis’ role in the missing ISV Terrific, Miss Meuhl sides with the Groaci, stating that they are a very sensitive, cultured, gentle race and were treated very poorly during the inquiry that followed the disappearance of the ship. When Fith and Shluh arrive to question Retief about his role in beating a Groaci, she is appalled. She refuses to be a party to his conversation with the authorities until Retief forces her because he needs her to record the discussion. When Retief leaves with the authorities to see the ship, he trusts Miss Meuhl to transmit the recording to the Regional Headquarters if he doesn’t return in a reasonable amount of time. When Retief later continues his investigation under cover of night, he warns Miss Meuhl she is in danger and not to leave the consulate; he also warns her not to trust the Groaci. While he is gone, Miss Meuhl reports his activities to the Regional Headquarters, having him dismissed from his post and replaced by Miss Meuhl. When Groaci authorities arrive to question Retief, they already know that Miss Meuhl is in charge. She unlocks the safelock so that they can enter, and she revokes Retief’s diplomatic immunity and has them remove Retief from the office area. Miss Meuhl thwarts Retief every step of the way as he tries to learn the truth about the people who were on the ISV Terrific and ultimately gains his consulate post for herself."
] | [1] THE MADMAN FROM EARTH BY KEITH LAUMER You don't have to be crazy to be an earth diplomat—but on Groac it sure helps!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, March 1962.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] I "The Consul for the Terrestrial States," Retief said, "presents his compliments, et cetera, to the Ministry of Culture of the Groacian Autonomy, and with reference to the Ministry's invitation to attend a recital of interpretive grimacing, has the honor to express regret that he will be unable—" "You can't turn this invitation down," Administrative Assistant Meuhl said flatly.
[5] "I'll make that 'accepts with pleasure'."
[6] Retief exhaled a plume of cigar smoke.
[7] "Miss Meuhl," he said, "in the past couple of weeks I've sat through six light-concerts, four attempts at chamber music, and god knows how many assorted folk-art festivals.
[8] I've been tied up every off-duty hour since I got here—" "You can't offend the Groaci," Miss Meuhl said sharply.
[9] "Consul Whaffle would never have been so rude."
[10] "Whaffle left here three months ago," Retief said, "leaving me in charge."
[11] "Well," Miss Meuhl said, snapping off the dictyper.
[12] "I'm sure I don't know what excuse I can give the Minister."
[13] "Never mind the excuses," Retief said.
[14] "Just tell him I won't be there."
[15] He stood up.
[16] "Are you leaving the office?"
[17] Miss Meuhl adjusted her glasses.
[18] "I have some important letters here for your signature."
[19] "I don't recall dictating any letters today, Miss Meuhl," Retief said, pulling on a light cape.
[20] "I wrote them for you.
[21] They're just as Consul Whaffle would have wanted them."
[22] "Did you write all Whaffle's letters for him, Miss Meuhl?"
[23] "Consul Whaffle was an extremely busy man," Miss Meuhl said stiffly.
[24] "He had complete confidence in me."
[25] "Since I'm cutting out the culture from now on," Retief said, "I won't be so busy."
[26] "Well!"
[27] Miss Meuhl said.
[28] "May I ask where you'll be if something comes up?"
[29] "I'm going over to the Foreign Office Archives."
[30] Miss Meuhl blinked behind thick lenses.
[31] "Whatever for?"
[32] Retief looked thoughtfully at Miss Meuhl.
[33] "You've been here on Groac for four years, Miss Meuhl.
[34] What was behind the coup d'etat that put the present government in power?"
[35] "I'm sure I haven't pried into—" "What about that Terrestrial cruiser?
[36] The one that disappeared out this way about ten years back?"
[37] "Mr. Retief, those are just the sort of questions we avoid with the Groaci.
[38] I certainly hope you're not thinking of openly intruding—" "Why?"
[39] "The Groaci are a very sensitive race.
[40] They don't welcome outworlders raking up things.
[41] They've been gracious enough to let us live down the fact that Terrestrials subjected them to deep humiliation on one occasion."
[42] "You mean when they came looking for the cruiser?"
[43] "I, for one, am ashamed of the high-handed tactics that were employed, grilling these innocent people as though they were criminals.
[44] We try never to reopen that wound, Mr.
[45] Retief."
[46] "They never found the cruiser, did they?"
[47] "Certainly not on Groac."
[48] Retief nodded.
[49] "Thanks, Miss Meuhl," he said.
[50] "I'll be back before you close the office."
[51] Miss Meuhl's face was set in lines of grim disapproval as he closed the door.
[52] The pale-featured Groacian vibrated his throat-bladder in a distressed bleat.
[53] "Not to enter the Archives," he said in his faint voice.
[54] "The denial of permission.
[55] The deep regret of the Archivist."
[56] "The importance of my task here," Retief said, enunciating the glottal dialect with difficulty.
[57] "My interest in local history."
[58] "The impossibility of access to outworlders.
[59] To depart quietly."
[60] "The necessity that I enter."
[61] "The specific instructions of the Archivist."
[62] The Groacian's voice rose to a whisper.
[63] "To insist no longer.
[64] To give up this idea!"
[65] "OK, Skinny, I know when I'm licked," Retief said in Terran.
[66] "To keep your nose clean."
[67] Outside, Retief stood for a moment looking across at the deeply carved windowless stucco facades lining the street, then started off in the direction of the Terrestrial Consulate General.
[68] The few Groacians on the street eyed him furtively, veered to avoid him as he passed.
[69] Flimsy high-wheeled ground cars puffed silently along the resilient pavement.
[70] The air was clean and cool.
[71] At the office, Miss Meuhl would be waiting with another list of complaints.
[72] Retief studied the carving over the open doorways along the street.
[73] An elaborate one picked out in pinkish paint seemed to indicate the Groacian equivalent of a bar.
[74] Retief went in.
[75] A Groacian bartender was dispensing clay pots of alcoholic drink from the bar-pit at the center of the room.
[76] He looked at Retief and froze in mid-motion, a metal tube poised over a waiting pot.
[77] "To enjoy a cooling drink," Retief said in Groacian, squatting down at the edge of the pit.
[78] "To sample a true Groacian beverage."
[79] "To not enjoy my poor offerings," the Groacian mumbled.
[80] "A pain in the digestive sacs; to express regret."
[81] "To not worry," Retief said, irritated.
[82] "To pour it out and let me decide whether I like it."
[83] "To be grappled in by peace-keepers for poisoning of—foreigners."
[84] The barkeep looked around for support, found none.
[85] The Groaci customers, eyes elsewhere, were drifting away.
[86] "To get the lead out," Retief said, placing a thick gold-piece in the dish provided.
[87] "To shake a tentacle."
[88] "The procuring of a cage," a thin voice called from the sidelines.
[89] "The displaying of a freak."
[90] Retief turned.
[91] A tall Groacian vibrated his mandibles in a gesture of contempt.
[92] From his bluish throat coloration, it was apparent the creature was drunk.
[93] "To choke in your upper sac," the bartender hissed, extending his eyes toward the drunk.
[94] "To keep silent, litter-mate of drones."
[95] "To swallow your own poison, dispenser of vileness," the drunk whispered.
[96] "To find a proper cage for this zoo-piece."
[97] He wavered toward Retief.
[98] "To show this one in the streets, like all freaks."
[99] "Seen a lot of freaks like me, have you?"
[100] Retief asked, interestedly.
[101] "To speak intelligibly, malodorous outworlder," the drunk said.
[102] The barkeep whispered something, and two customers came up to the drunk, took his arms and helped him to the door.
[103] "To get a cage!"
[104] the drunk shrilled.
[105] "To keep the animals in their own stinking place."
[106] "I've changed my mind," Retief said to the bartender.
[107] "To be grateful as hell, but to have to hurry off now."
[108] He followed the drunk out the door.
[109] The other Groaci released him, hurried back inside.
[110] Retief looked at the weaving alien.
[111] "To begone, freak," the Groacian whispered.
[112] "To be pals," Retief said.
[113] "To be kind to dumb animals."
[114] "To have you hauled away to a stockyard, ill-odored foreign livestock."
[115] "To not be angry, fragrant native," Retief said.
[116] "To permit me to chum with you."
[117] "To flee before I take a cane to you!"
[118] "To have a drink together—" "To not endure such insolence!"
[119] The Groacian advanced toward Retief.
[120] Retief backed away.
[121] "To hold hands," Retief said.
[122] "To be palsy-walsy—" The Groacian reached for him, missed.
[123] A passer-by stepped around him, head down, scuttled away.
[124] Retief backed into the opening to a narrow crossway and offered further verbal familiarities to the drunken local, who followed, furious.
[125] Retief backed, rounded a corner into a narrow alley-like passage, deserted, silent ... except for the following Groacian.
[126] Retief stepped around him, seized his collar and yanked.
[127] The Groacian fell on his back.
[128] Retief stood over him.
[129] The downed native half-rose; Retief put a foot against his chest and pushed.
[130] "To not be going anywhere for a few minutes," Retief said.
[131] "To stay right here and have a nice long talk."
[132] II "There you are!"
[133] Miss Meuhl said, eyeing Retief over her lenses.
[134] "There are two gentlemen waiting to see you.
[135] Groacian gentlemen."
[136] "Government men, I imagine.
[137] Word travels fast."
[138] Retief pulled off his cape.
[139] "This saves me the trouble of paying another call at the Foreign Ministry."
[140] "What have you been doing?
[141] They seem very upset, I don't mind telling you."
[142] "I'm sure you don't.
[143] Come along.
[144] And bring an official recorder."
[145] Two Groaci wearing heavy eye-shields and elaborate crest ornaments indicative of rank rose as Retief entered the room.
[146] Neither offered a courteous snap of the mandibles, Retief noted.
[147] They were mad, all right.
[148] "I am Fith, of the Terrestrial Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Consul," the taller Groacian said, in lisping Terran.
[149] "May I present Shluh, of the Internal Police?"
[150] "Sit down, gentlemen," Retief said.
[151] They resumed their seats.
[152] Miss Meuhl hovered nervously, then sat on the edge of a comfortless chair.
[153] "Oh, it's such a pleasure—" she began.
[154] "Never mind that," Retief said.
[155] "These gentlemen didn't come here to sip tea today."
[156] "So true," Fith said.
[157] "Frankly, I have had a most disturbing report, Mr. Consul.
[158] I shall ask Shluh to recount it."
[159] He nodded to the police chief.
[160] "One hour ago," The Groacian said, "a Groacian national was brought to hospital suffering from serious contusions.
[161] Questioning of this individual revealed that he had been set upon and beaten by a foreigner.
[162] A Terrestrial, to be precise.
[163] Investigation by my department indicates that the description of the culprit closely matches that of the Terrestrial Consul."
[164] Miss Meuhl gasped audibly.
[165] "Have you ever heard," Retief said, looking steadily at Fith, "of a Terrestrial cruiser, the ISV Terrific , which dropped from sight in this sector nine years ago?"
[166] "Really!"
[167] Miss Meuhl exclaimed, rising.
[168] "I wash my hands—" "Just keep that recorder going," Retief snapped.
[169] "I'll not be a party—" "You'll do as you're told, Miss Meuhl," Retief said quietly.
[170] "I'm telling you to make an official sealed record of this conversation."
[171] Miss Meuhl sat down.
[172] Fith puffed out his throat indignantly.
[173] "You reopen an old wound, Mr. Consul.
[174] It reminds us of certain illegal treatment at Terrestrial hands—" "Hogwash," Retief said.
[175] "That tune went over with my predecessors, but it hits a sour note with me."
[176] "All our efforts," Miss Meuhl said, "to live down that terrible episode!
[177] And you—" "Terrible?
[178] I understand that a Terrestrial task force stood off Groac and sent a delegation down to ask questions.
[179] They got some funny answers, and stayed on to dig around a little.
[180] After a week they left.
[181] Somewhat annoying to the Groaci, maybe—at the most.
[182] If they were innocent."
[183] "IF!"
[184] Miss Meuhl burst out.
[185] "If, indeed!"
[186] Fith said, his weak voice trembling.
[187] "I must protest your—" "Save the protests, Fith.
[188] You have some explaining to do.
[189] And I don't think your story will be good enough."
[190] "It is for you to explain!
[191] This person who was beaten—" "Not beaten.
[192] Just rapped a few times to loosen his memory."
[193] "Then you admit—" "It worked, too.
[194] He remembered lots of things, once he put his mind to it."
[195] Fith rose; Shluh followed suit.
[196] "I shall ask for your immediate recall, Mr. Consul.
[197] Were it not for your diplomatic immunity, I should do more—" "Why did the government fall, Fith?
[198] It was just after the task force paid its visit, and before the arrival of the first Terrestrial diplomatic mission."
[199] "This is an internal matter!"
[200] Fith cried, in his faint Groacian voice.
[201] "The new regime has shown itself most amiable to you Terrestrials.
[202] It has outdone itself—" "—to keep the Terrestrial consul and his staff in the dark," Retief said.
[203] "And the same goes for the few terrestrial businessmen you've visaed.
[204] This continual round of culture; no social contacts outside the diplomatic circle; no travel permits to visit out-lying districts, or your satellite—" "Enough!"
[205] Fith's mandibles quivered in distress.
[206] "I can talk no more of this matter—" "You'll talk to me, or there'll be a task force here in five days to do the talking," Retief said.
[207] "You can't!"
[208] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[209] Retief turned a steady look on Miss Meuhl.
[210] She closed her mouth.
[211] The Groaci sat down.
[212] "Answer me this one," Retief said, looking at Shluh.
[213] "A few years back—about nine, I think—there was a little parade held here.
[214] Some curious looking creatures were captured.
[215] After being securely caged, they were exhibited to the gentle Groaci public.
[216] Hauled through the streets.
[217] Very educational, no doubt.
[218] A highly cultural show.
[219] "Funny thing about these animals.
[220] They wore clothes.
[221] They seemed to communicate with each other.
[222] Altogether it was a very amusing exhibit.
[223] "Tell me, Shluh, what happened to those six Terrestrials after the parade was over?"
[224] Fith made a choked noise and spoke rapidly to Shluh in Groacian.
[225] Shluh retracted his eyes, shrank down in his chair.
[226] Miss Meuhl opened her mouth, closed it and blinked rapidly.
[227] "How did they die?"
[228] Retief snapped.
[229] "Did you murder them, cut their throats, shoot them or bury them alive?
[230] What amusing end did you figure out for them?
[231] Research, maybe?
[232] Cut them open to see what made them yell...." "No!"
[233] Fith gasped.
[234] "I must correct this terrible false impression at once."
[235] "False impression, hell," Retief said.
[236] "They were Terrans!
[237] A simple narco-interrogation would get that out of any Groacian who saw the parade."
[238] "Yes," Fith said weakly.
[239] "It is true, they were Terrestrials.
[240] But there was no killing."
[241] "They're alive?"
[242] "Alas, no.
[243] They ...
[244] died."
[245] Miss Meuhl yelped faintly.
[246] "I see," Retief said.
[247] "They died."
[248] "We tried to keep them alive, of course.
[249] But we did not know what foods—" "Didn't take the trouble to find out, either, did you?"
[250] "They fell ill," Fith said.
[251] "One by one...." "We'll deal with that question later," Retief said.
[252] "Right now, I want more information.
[253] Where did you get them?
[254] Where did you hide the ship?
[255] What happened to the rest of the crew?
[256] Did they 'fall ill' before the big parade?"
[257] "There were no more!
[258] Absolutely, I assure you!"
[259] "Killed in the crash landing?"
[260] "No crash landing.
[261] The ship descended intact, east of the city.
[262] The ... Terrestrials ... were unharmed.
[263] Naturally, we feared them.
[264] They were strange to us.
[265] We had never before seen such beings."
[266] "Stepped off the ship with guns blazing, did they?"
[267] "Guns?
[268] No, no guns—" "They raised their hands, didn't they?
[269] Asked for help.
[270] You helped them; helped them to death."
[271] "How could we know?"
[272] Fith moaned.
[273] "How could you know a flotilla would show up in a few months looking for them, you mean?
[274] That was a shock, wasn't it?
[275] I'll bet you had a brisk time of it hiding the ship, and shutting everybody up.
[276] A close call, eh?"
[277] "We were afraid," Shluh said.
[278] "We are a simple people.
[279] We feared the strange creatures from the alien craft.
[280] We did not kill them, but we felt it was as well they ... did not survive.
[281] Then, when the warships came, we realized our error.
[282] But we feared to speak.
[283] We purged our guilty leaders, concealed what had happened, and ... offered our friendship.
[284] We invited the opening of diplomatic relations.
[285] We made a blunder, it is true, a great blunder.
[286] But we have tried to make amends...." "Where is the ship?"
[287] "The ship?"
[288] "What did you do with it?
[289] It was too big to just walk off and forget.
[290] Where is it?"
[291] The two Groacians exchanged looks.
[292] "We wish to show our contrition," Fith said.
[293] "We will show you the ship."
[294] "Miss Meuhl," Retief said.
[295] "If I don't come back in a reasonable length of time, transmit that recording to Regional Headquarters, sealed."
[296] He stood, looked at the Groaci.
[297] "Let's go," he said.
[298] Retief stooped under the heavy timbers shoring the entry to the cavern.
[299] He peered into the gloom at the curving flank of the space-burned hull.
[300] "Any lights in here?"
[301] he asked.
[302] A Groacian threw a switch.
[303] A weak bluish glow sprang up.
[304] Retief walked along the raised wooden catwalk, studying the ship.
[305] Empty emplacements gaped below lensless scanner eyes.
[306] Littered decking was visible within the half-open entry port.
[307] Near the bow the words 'IVS Terrific B7 New Terra' were lettered in bright chrome duralloy.
[308] "How did you get it in here?"
[309] Retief asked.
[310] "It was hauled here from the landing point, some nine miles distant," Fith said, his voice thinner than ever.
[311] "This is a natural crevasse.
[312] The vessel was lowered into it and roofed over."
[313] "How did you shield it so the detectors didn't pick it up?"
[314] "All here is high-grade iron ore," Fith said, waving a member.
[315] "Great veins of almost pure metal."
[316] Retief grunted.
[317] "Let's go inside."
[318] Shluh came forward with a hand-lamp.
[319] The party entered the ship.
[320] Retief clambered up a narrow companionway, glanced around the interior of the control compartment.
[321] Dust was thick on the deck, the stanchions where acceleration couches had been mounted, the empty instrument panels, the litter of sheared bolts, scraps of wire and paper.
[322] A thin frosting of rust dulled the exposed metal where cutting torches had sliced away heavy shielding.
[323] There was a faint odor of stale bedding.
[324] "The cargo compartment—" Shluh began.
[325] "I've seen enough," Retief said.
[326] Silently, the Groacians led the way back out through the tunnel and into the late afternoon sunshine.
[327] As they climbed the slope to the steam car, Fith came to Retief's side.
[328] "Indeed, I hope that this will be the end of this unfortunate affair," he said.
[329] "Now that all has been fully and honestly shown—" "You can skip all that," Retief said.
[330] "You're nine years late.
[331] The crew was still alive when the task force called, I imagine.
[332] You killed them—or let them die—rather than take the chance of admitting what you'd done."
[333] "We were at fault," Fith said abjectly.
[334] "Now we wish only friendship."
[335] "The Terrific was a heavy cruiser, about twenty thousand tons."
[336] Retief looked grimly at the slender Foreign Office official.
[337] "Where is she, Fith?
[338] I won't settle for a hundred-ton lifeboat."
[339] Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.
[340] "I know nothing of ... of...." He stopped.
[341] His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.
[342] "My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul," he said at last.
[343] "I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility.
[344] My patience is at an end."
[345] "Where is that ship?"
[346] Retief rapped out.
[347] "You never learn, do you?
[348] You're still convinced you can hide the whole thing and forget it.
[349] I'm telling you you can't."
[350] "We return to the city now," Fith said.
[351] "I can do no more."
[352] "You can and you will, Fith," Retief said.
[353] "I intend to get to the truth of this matter."
[354] Fith spoke to Shluh in rapid Groacian.
[355] The police chief gestured to his four armed constables.
[356] They moved to ring Retief in.
[357] Retief eyed Fith.
[358] "Don't try it," he said.
[359] "You'll just get yourself in deeper."
[360] Fith clacked his mandibles angrily, eye stalks canted aggressively toward the Terrestrial.
[361] "Out of deference to your diplomatic status, Terrestrial, I shall ignore your insulting remarks," Fith said in his reedy voice.
[362] "Let us now return to the city."
[363] Retief looked at the four policemen.
[364] "I see your point," he said.
[365] Fith followed him into the car, sat rigidly at the far end of the seat.
[366] "I advise you to remain very close to your consulate," Fith said.
[367] "I advise you to dismiss these fancies from your mind, and to enjoy the cultural aspects of life at Groac.
[368] Especially, I should not venture out of the city, or appear overly curious about matters of concern only to the Groacian government."
[369] In the front seat, Shluh looked straight ahead.
[370] The loosely-sprung vehicle bobbed and swayed along the narrow highway.
[371] Retief listened to the rhythmic puffing of the motor and said nothing.
[372] III "Miss Meuhl," Retief said, "I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you.
[373] I have to move rapidly now, to catch the Groaci off guard."
[374] "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy lenses.
[375] "If you'll listen, you may find out," Retief said.
[376] "I have no time to waste, Miss Meuhl.
[377] They won't be expecting an immediate move—I hope—and that may give me the latitude I need."
[378] "You're still determined to make an issue of that incident!"
[379] Miss Meuhl snorted.
[380] "I really can hardly blame the Groaci.
[381] They are not a sophisticated race; they had never before met aliens."
[382] "You're ready to forgive a great deal, Miss Meuhl.
[383] But it's not what happened nine years ago I'm concerned with.
[384] It's what's happening now.
[385] I've told you that it was only a lifeboat the Groaci have hidden out.
[386] Don't you understand the implication?
[387] That vessel couldn't have come far.
[388] The cruiser itself must be somewhere near by.
[389] I want to know where!"
[390] "The Groaci don't know.
[391] They're a very cultured, gentle people.
[392] You can do irreparable harm to the reputation of Terrestrials if you insist—" "That's my decision," Retief said.
[393] "I have a job to do and we're wasting time."
[394] He crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer and took out a slim-barreled needler.
[395] "This office is being watched.
[396] Not very efficiently, if I know the Groaci.
[397] I think I can get past them all right."
[398] "Where are you going with ...
[399] that?"
[400] Miss Meuhl stared at the needler.
[401] "What in the world—" "The Groaci won't waste any time destroying every piece of paper in their files relating to this thing.
[402] I have to get what I need before it's too late.
[403] If I wait for an official Inquiry Commission, they'll find nothing but blank smiles."
[404] "You're out of your mind!"
[405] Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation.
[406] "You're like a ... a...." "You and I are in a tight spot, Miss Meuhl.
[407] The logical next move for the Groaci is to dispose of both of us.
[408] We're the only ones who know what happened.
[409] Fith almost did the job this afternoon, but I bluffed him out—for the moment."
[410] Miss Meuhl emitted a shrill laugh.
[411] "Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped.
[412] "In danger, indeed!
[413] Disposing of me!
[414] I've never heard anything so ridiculous."
[415] "Stay in this office.
[416] Close and safe-lock the door.
[417] You've got food and water in the dispenser.
[418] I suggest you stock up, before they shut the supply down.
[419] Don't let anyone in, on any pretext whatever.
[420] I'll keep in touch with you via hand-phone."
[421] "What are you planning to do?"
[422] "If I don't make it back here, transmit the sealed record of this afternoon's conversation, along with the information I've given you.
[423] Beam it through on a mayday priority.
[424] Then tell the Groaci what you've done and sit tight.
[425] I think you'll be all right.
[426] It won't be easy to blast in here and anyway, they won't make things worse by killing you.
[427] A force can be here in a week."
[428] "I'll do nothing of the sort!
[429] The Groaci are very fond of me!
[430] You ... Johnny-come-lately!
[431] Roughneck!
[432] Setting out to destroy—" "Blame it on me if it will make you feel any better," Retief said, "but don't be fool enough to trust them."
[433] He pulled on a cape, opened the door.
[434] "I'll be back in a couple of hours," he said.
[435] Miss Meuhl stared after him silently as he closed the door.
[436] It was an hour before dawn when Retief keyed the combination to the safe-lock and stepped into the darkened consular office.
[437] He looked tired.
[438] Miss Meuhl, dozing in a chair, awoke with a start.
[439] She looked at Retief, rose and snapped on a light, turned to stare.
[440] "What in the world—Where have you been?
[441] What's happened to your clothing?"
[442] "I got a little dirty.
[443] Don't worry about it."
[444] Retief went to his desk, opened a drawer and replaced the needler.
[445] "Where have you been?"
[446] Miss Meuhl demanded.
[447] "I stayed here—" "I'm glad you did," Retief said.
[448] "I hope you piled up a supply of food and water from the dispenser, too.
[449] We'll be holed up here for a week, at least."
[450] He jotted figures on a pad.
[451] "Warm up the official sender.
[452] I have a long transmission for Regional Headquarters."
[453] "Are you going to tell me where you've been?"
[454] "I have a message to get off first, Miss Meuhl," Retief said sharply.
[455] "I've been to the Foreign Ministry," he added.
[456] "I'll tell you all about it later."
[457] "At this hour?
[458] There's no one there...." "Exactly."
[459] Miss Meuhl gasped.
[460] "You mean you broke in?
[461] You burgled the Foreign Office?"
[462] "That's right," Retief said calmly.
[463] "Now—" "This is absolutely the end!"
[464] Miss Meuhl said.
[465] "Thank heaven I've already—" "Get that sender going, woman!"
[466] Retief snapped.
[467] "This is important."
[468] "I've already done so, Mr.
[469] Retief!"
[470] Miss Meuhl said harshly.
[471] "I've been waiting for you to come back here...." She turned to the communicator, flipped levers.
[472] The screen snapped aglow, and a wavering long-distance image appeared.
[473] "He's here now," Miss Meuhl said to the screen.
[474] She looked at Retief triumphantly.
[475] "That's good," Retief said.
[476] "I don't think the Groaci can knock us off the air, but—" "I have done my duty, Mr. Retief," Miss Meuhl said.
[477] "I made a full report to Regional Headquarters last night, as soon as you left this office.
[478] Any doubts I may have had as to the rightness of that decision have been completely dispelled by what you've just told me."
[479] Retief looked at her levelly.
[480] "You've been a busy girl, Miss Meuhl.
[481] Did you mention the six Terrestrials who were killed here?"
[482] "That had no bearing on the matter of your wild behavior!
[483] I must say, in all my years in the Corps, I've never encountered a personality less suited to diplomatic work."
[484] The screen crackled, the ten-second transmission lag having elapsed.
[485] "Mr. Retief," the face on the screen said, "I am Counsellor Pardy, DSO-1, Deputy Under-secretary for the region.
[486] I have received a report on your conduct which makes it mandatory for me to relieve you administratively, vice Miss Yolanda Meuhl, DAO-9.
[487] Pending the findings of a Board of Inquiry, you will—" Retief reached out and snapped off the communicator.
[488] The triumphant look faded from Miss Meuhl's face.
[489] "Why, what is the meaning—" "If I'd listened any longer, I might have heard something I couldn't ignore.
[490] I can't afford that, at this moment.
[491] Listen, Miss Meuhl," Retief went on earnestly, "I've found the missing cruiser."
[492] "You heard him relieve you!"
[493] "I heard him say he was going to, Miss Meuhl.
[494] But until I've heard and acknowledged a verbal order, it has no force.
[495] If I'm wrong, he'll get my resignation.
[496] If I'm right, that suspension would be embarrassing all around."
[497] "You're defying lawful authority!
[498] I'm in charge here now."
[499] Miss Meuhl stepped to the local communicator.
[500] "I'm going to report this terrible thing to the Groaci at once, and offer my profound—" "Don't touch that screen," Retief said.
[501] "You go sit in that corner where I can keep an eye on you.
[502] I'm going to make a sealed tape for transmission to Headquarters, along with a call for an armed task force.
[503] Then we'll settle down to wait."
[504] Retief ignored Miss Meuhl's fury as he spoke into the recorder.
[505] The local communicator chimed.
[506] Miss Meuhl jumped up, staring at it.
[507] "Go ahead," Retief said.
[508] "Answer it."
[509] A Groacian official appeared on the screen.
[510] "Yolanda Meuhl," he said without preamble, "for the Foreign Minister of the Groacian Autonomy, I herewith accredit you as Terrestrial Consul to Groac, in accordance with the advices transmitted to my government direct from the Terrestrial Headquarters.
[511] As consul, you are requested to make available for questioning Mr. J. Retief, former consul, in connection with the assault on two peace keepers and illegal entry into the offices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs."
[512] "Why, why," Miss Meuhl stammered.
[513] "Yes, of course.
[514] And I do want to express my deepest regrets—" Retief rose, went to the communicator, assisted Miss Meuhl aside.
[515] "Listen carefully, Fith," he said.
[516] "Your bluff has been called.
[517] You don't come in and we don't come out.
[518] Your camouflage worked for nine years, but it's all over now.
[519] I suggest you keep your heads and resist the temptation to make matters worse than they are."
[520] "Miss Meuhl," Fith said, "a peace squad waits outside your consulate.
[521] It is clear you are in the hands of a dangerous lunatic.
[522] As always, the Groaci wish only friendship with the Terrestrials, but—" "Don't bother," Retief said.
[523] "You know what was in those files I looked over this morning."
[524] Retief turned at a sound behind him.
[525] Miss Meuhl was at the door, reaching for the safe-lock release....
[526] "Don't!"
[527] Retief jumped—too late.
[528] The door burst inward.
[529] A crowd of crested Groaci pressed into the room, pushed Miss Meuhl back, aimed scatter guns at Retief.
[530] Police Chief Shluh pushed forward.
[531] "Attempt no violence, Terrestrial," he said.
[532] "I cannot promise to restrain my men."
[533] "You're violating Terrestrial territory, Shluh," Retief said steadily.
[534] "I suggest you move back out the same way you came in."
[535] "I invited them here," Miss Meuhl spoke up.
[536] "They are here at my express wish."
[537] "Are they?
[538] Are you sure you meant to go this far, Miss Meuhl?
[539] A squad of armed Groaci in the consulate?"
[540] "You are the consul, Miss Yolanda Meuhl," Shluh said.
[541] "Would it not be best if we removed this deranged person to a place of safety?"
[542] "You're making a serious mistake, Shluh," Retief said.
[543] "Yes," Miss Meuhl said.
[544] "You're quite right, Mr. Shluh.
[545] Please escort Mr. Retief to his quarters in this building—" "I don't advise you to violate my diplomatic immunity, Fith," Retief said.
[546] "As chief of mission," Miss Meuhl said quickly, "I hereby waive immunity in the case of Mr.
[547] Retief."
[548] Shluh produced a hand recorder.
[549] "Kindly repeat your statement, Madam, officially," he said.
[550] "I wish no question to arise later."
[551] "Don't be a fool, woman," Retief said.
[552] "Don't you see what you're letting yourself in for?
[553] This would be a hell of a good time for you to figure out whose side you're on."
[554] "I'm on the side of common decency!"
[555] "You've been taken in.
[556] These people are concealing—" "You think all women are fools, don't you, Mr.
[557] Retief?"
[558] She turned to the police chief and spoke into the microphone he held up.
[559] "That's an illegal waiver," Retief said.
[560] "I'm consul here, whatever rumors you've heard.
[561] This thing's coming out into the open, whatever you do.
[562] Don't add violation of the Consulate to the list of Groacian atrocities."
[563] "Take the man," Shluh said. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Miss Meuhl and what is her role in the story?":
1. [4] "You can't turn this invitation down," Administrative Assistant Meuhl said flatly.
2. [7] "Miss Meuhl," he said, "in the past couple of weeks I've sat through six light-concerts, four attempts at chamber music, and god knows how many assorted folk-art festivals.
3. [8] "You can't offend the Groaci," Miss Meuhl said sharply.
4. [9] "Consul Whaffle would never have been so rude."
5. [18] "I have some important letters here for your signature."
6. [19] "I don't recall dictating any letters today, Miss Meuhl," Retief said, pulling on a light cape.
7. [20] "I wrote them for you.
8. [21] They're just as Consul Whaffle would have wanted them."
9. [22] "Did you write all Whaffle's letters for him, Miss Meuhl?"
10. [23] "Consul Whaffle was an extremely busy man," Miss Meuhl said stiffly.
11. [24] "He had complete confidence in me."
12. [28] "Well! May I ask where you'll be if something comes up?"
13. [30] Miss Meuhl blinked behind thick lenses.
14. [31] "Whatever for?"
15. [51] Miss Meuhl's face was set in lines of grim disapproval as he closed the door.
16. [132] "There you are!" Miss Meuhl said, eyeing Retief over her lenses.
17. [133] "There are two gentlemen waiting to see you.
18. [134] Groacian gentlemen."
19. [140] "What have you been doing?
20. [141] They seem very upset, I don't mind telling you."
21. [142] "I'm sure you don't.
22. [143] Come along.
23. [144] And bring an official recorder."
24. [152] Miss Meuhl hovered nervously, then sat on the edge of a comfortless chair.
25. [153] "Oh, it's such a pleasure—"
26. [154] "Never mind that," Retief said.
27. [166] "Really!" Miss Meuhl exclaimed, rising.
28. [167] "I wash my hands—"
29. [168] "Just keep that recorder going," Retief snapped.
30. [169] "I'll not be a party—"
31. [170] "You'll do as you're told, Miss Meuhl," Retief said quietly.
32. [171] Miss Meuhl sat down.
33. [176] "And you—"
34. [184] "If, indeed!" Miss Meuhl burst out.
35. [207] "You can't!" Miss Meuhl gasped.
36. [372] "Miss Meuhl," Retief said, "I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you.
37. [373] I have to move rapidly now, to catch the Groaci off guard."
38. [374] "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy lenses.
39. [378] "You're still determined to make an issue of that incident!"
40. [379] Miss Meuhl snorted.
41. [380] "I really can hardly blame the Groaci.
42. [381] They are not a sophisticated race; they had never before met aliens."
43. [400] "You're out of your mind!"
44. [401] Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation.
45. [402] "You're like a ... a...."
46. [410] Miss Meuhl emitted a shrill laugh.
47. [411] "Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped.
48. [412] "In danger, indeed!
49. [413] Disposing of me!
50. [414] I've never heard anything so ridiculous."
51. [428] "I'll do nothing of the sort!
52. [429] The Groaci are very fond of me!
53. [430] You ... Johnny-come-lately!
54. [431] Roughneck!
55. [432] Setting out to destroy—"
56. [438] Miss Meuhl, dozing in a chair, awoke with a start.
57. [439] She looked at Retief, rose and snapped on a light, turned to stare.
58. [440] "What in the world—Where have you been?
59. [441] What's happened to your clothing?"
60. [446] "Where have you been?"
61. [447] Miss Meuhl demanded.
62. [448] "I stayed here—"
63. [455] "I'll tell you all about it later."
64. [456] "At this hour?
65. [457] There's no one there...."
66. [460] "You mean you broke in?
67. [461] You burgled the Foreign Office?"
68. [464] "This is absolutely the end!"
69. [465] Miss Meuhl said.
70. [466] "Thank heaven I've already—"
71. [467] "Get that sender going, woman!"
72. [468] Retief snapped.
73. [469] "This is important."
74. [470] "I've already done so, Mr.
75. [471] Retief!"
76. [472] Miss Meuhl said harshly.
77. [473] "I've been waiting for you to come back here...."
78. [474] She looked at Retief triumphantly.
79. [475] "That's good," Retief said.
80. [476] "I don't think the Groaci can knock us off the air, but—"
81. [477] "I have done my duty, Mr. Retief," Miss Meuhl said.
82. [478] "I made a full report to Regional Headquarters last night, as soon as you left this office.
83. [479] Any doubts I may have had as to the rightness of that decision have been completely dispelled by what you've just told me."
84. [482] "I must say, in all my years in the Corps, I've never encountered a personality less suited to diplomatic work."
85. [492] "You heard him relieve you!"
86. [493] "I heard him say he was going to, Miss Meuhl.
87. [494] But until I've heard and acknowledged a verbal order, it has no force.
88. [495] If I'm wrong, he'll get my resignation.
89. [496] If I'm right, that suspension would be embarrassing all around."
90. [498] "You're defying lawful authority!
91. [499] I'm in charge here now."
92. [500] "Don't touch that screen," Retief said.
93. [501] "You go sit in that corner where I can keep an eye on you.
94. [502] I'm going to make a sealed tape for transmission to Headquarters, along with a call for an armed task force.
95. [503] Then we'll settle down to wait."
96. [506] Miss Meuhl jumped up, staring at it.
97. [507] "Go ahead," Retief said.
98. [508] "Answer it."
99. [511] "Yes, of course.
100. [512] And I do want to express my deepest regrets—"
101. [523] "You know what was in those files I looked over this morning."
102. [525] Miss Meuhl was at the door, reaching for the safe-lock release....
103. [527] Retief jumped—too late.
104. [528] The door burst inward.
105. [529] A crowd of crested Groaci pressed into the room, pushed Miss Meuhl back, aimed scatter guns at Retief.
106. [534] "You're violating Terrestrial territory, Shluh," Retief said steadily.
107. [535] "I suggest you move back out the same way you came in."
108. [536] "I invited them here," Miss Meuhl spoke up.
109. [537] "They are here at my express wish."
110. [538] "Are they?
111. [539] Are you sure you meant to go this far, Miss Meuhl?
112. [540] A squad of armed Groaci in the consulate?"
113. [544] "Yes," Miss Meuhl said.
114. [545] "You're quite right, Mr. Shluh.
115. [546] Please escort Mr. Retief to his quarters in this building—"
116. [554] "You've been taken in.
117. [555] These people are concealing—"
118. [556] "You think all women are fools, don't you, Mr.
119. [557] Retief?"
120. [558] She turned to the police chief and spoke into the microphone he held up. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Herrell McCray is a navigator on the Starship Jodrell Bank heading for the colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine when he is inexplicably abducted from his ship. He finds himself staring around a dark, silent room full of indeterminate objects. He believes he hears a faint voice in the distance, and suddenly a pinkish light illuminates his path of vision. He sees many familiar objects including a spacesuit, a child's rocking chair, a girl's bathing suit, and more; he wonders how he got there and why such objects are there with him. Three of the room's walls are made of a hard, organic compound, and from grates comprising the fourth wall pours a pungent air. As McCray's confidence returns, he wonders what happened to the Starship Jodrell Bank and begins to wonder if he is dead. When he remembers spacesuits come with radios, he tries contacting the ship to no avail and realizes he must be many lightyears away. Then, with sudden horror, he realizes that he cannot see his own body, and the room goes dark again. Outside the room, an alien named \"Hatcher\" runs a probe team tasked with observing McCray and running experiments on him in order to develop an understanding of the human species. Their \"probes\" are mandibles that can attach and detach from their round, jelly-like bodies and run errands and conduct scientific research. Hatcher makes his way to the supervising council of all probes to report the team's findings that McCray displayed \"paranormal powers\" when using his radio to establish contact with his ship. The council urges Hatcher to continue his studies with haste because a member of The Central Masses probe team has been captured by the Old Ones, an ancient species hostile to Hatcher's people. His team must put McCray through a series of tests in order to help them potentially discover a way to defend themselves against the Old Ones. As Hatcher considers the best way to establish communication with McCray without causing him harm, his assistant alerts him to the presence of a female human on the viewing console. Hatcher orders the assistant to bring her in as they may need another human in case McCray dies. Hours after his initial transmission was sent to the ship, McCray receives a response from the ship. He dispatches another transmission and begins to notice the room getting hotter as the air grows more toxic. Hatcher has started the survival portion of the test. McCray uses an ax to break his way out of the room and enters another dark room full of desks he assumes are some kind of workspaces for his captors. Suddenly, he hears a woman's voice crying out for the Jodrell Bank and makes his way toward her. Hatcher and his assistant discuss whether to abandon McCray and focus on the female since she appears to be more susceptible to communication, but they ultimately decide against it. McCray eventually finds the woman through a series of doors and hallways.",
"Herrell McCray is the navigator on Starship Jodrell Bank on a long haul flight from Earth to the colonies of Betelgeuse Nine. During a routine course check, he suddenly teleports into a dark and scary room filled with a strange melange of objects - from a spacesuit to a woman’s bathing suit. Some he recognizes from his early life, like a childhood rocking chair. He calls for help on the ultrawave radio of the spacesuit, but there is no answer, telling him he is a long way from anything since the range of the radio is hundreds of light-years. McCray is being observed from another room by an alien Probe Team led by Hatcher. They are watching McCray’s every action with fascination. They think he has paranormal powers when he operates the radio and they detect electromagnetic vibrations that are modified by his voice. Hatcher rushes to tell a councillor from the supervising council of all the alien probes about the discovery and he is ordered to establish contact with McCray immediately because they need allies in the race of Old Ones (their word for humans). Hatcher defends going at a slow pace since they have frightened McCray so deeply already, but the concillor does not budge since there has been an incident of one of their staff on the Central Masses probe team getting captured by their human subject. Hatcher’s people are capturing humans from Jodrell Bank because they detected it near their territory and were almost completely destroyed when they last encountered humans. They are now desperate to find ways to fight or escape them.\nBack in McCray’s observation room, he hears a faint voice responding from his ship via the spacesuit radio. This gives him hope, but also panic because he calculates that he must be more than five hundred light-years away from his ship for such a long lag. He radios back, but knows there will be no response for several more hours. The room suddenly gets very hot and a chlorine-like gas is being pumped in that burns his lungs. He quickly puts on the spacesuit which will keep him cool and filter the air, then picks up an axe and breaks out of the room into a hallway. He finds the parts of an antique bullet gun on a bench outside, and then hears a woman scream out to Jodrell Bank for help on his radio.\nThe heat and chlorine gas are a survival test, and McCray passes. McCray uses his radio to locate the woman. He notices that there is a new door where there was not one before. Hatcher has engineered this so that McCray will find the woman and they can study them communicating with each other. Hatcher thinks this is a step toward successful contact with humans. McCray finds the woman face down on the floor. She wears coveralls and he believes she may be Chinese. McCray wonders if she has asphyxiated by breathing the air in the room.",
"An unnamed alien race has abducted the navigator, Herrell McCray, from a ship to use him to help save their race. They plan to test his intelligence and then communicate with him, making him an ally to perhaps work as an intermediary between their race and the Old Ones. They call the human race the Old Ones, and many years ago, they had an encounter with them that left the aliens fleeing for their survival and ending up having to abandon their populated planet. The problem now is that the humans are sending out mapping parties that are getting dangerously close to where the aliens live now. The probe team observing McCray is led by Hatcher; his team observes everything McCray does and reports significant findings to the supervising council overall probe teams.\n\tAnother one of their probe teams has lost a member of their team to the Old Ones, and now the aliens are worried about what the Old Ones will learn and what they will do. For this reason, they are having to step up the pace of their work with McCray, even though Hatcher is worried about somehow harming him. They have tried working with other humans in the past, but they have all died during the stages of their tests.\n\tThe probe team acquires another test subject, a female, who begins calling out for help. McCray hears her and begins making his way to her. She is unconscious when he finds her, and he suspects that it is from breathing the air in the building. The aliens have not communicated with her either, yet, but believe they are beginning to establish the start of communication. They believe McCray and the female will communicate with each other, which might help them establish communication with McCray.",
"Herrel McCray, the navigator on the Jodrell Bank, wakes up to find himself in a dark room. He stumbles around for a bit before a pink glow lights up parts of the room. He sifts through the items on the floor, objects from Earth mostly, and looks at the metal walls. One of the three walls is made up of an organic plastic compound, but the rest are impenetrable. He sees a spacesuit and uses its microphone to emit a distress signal to Jodrell Bank. He hears nothing in response, meaning he must be hundreds of light-years away from them. Suddenly, the light goes out, but not before he realized he couldn’t see his reflection in the spacesuit. As he freaks out, the reader is introduced to Hatcher, the lead alien probe of the team observing Herrel. He and his probe team believe that Hatcher has paranormal powers because he differs so greatly from their blob-like race. Hatcher reports back to the supervising council and informs them of the Earthman’s doings, specifically his ability to speak through his throat. They order him to establish communication quickly, since the Central Masses Team just sent out the message that one of their probes is missing, presumably killed by their test subject. Hatcher thinks they’re moving too fast since their previous subjects didn’t survive. He goes to the eating room, removes his previous day’s digested food from his slit, and puts in new vegetation. His assistant sends him an image telepathically of another human, this time a woman, that they had just captured. Hatcher informs his team they must move into Stage Two. Herrell hears a click, feels the room get warmer, and smells something unpleasant. He turns on the light in the spacesuit and is relieved to see his body. Jodrell Bank calls him back, so he sends in a long message explaining his situation. He hears nothing back. He climbs into the spacesuit, realizing the air is toxic, and lets the spacesuit provide fresh air. He grabs an ax off the floor and uses it to break out of the poisonous room. Once out, he tries to open a cupboard in the new area but is unable to. He sees a pistol that had been taken apart before. Jodrell Bank calls back in, but this time a woman responds, calling for help. McCray communicates with her and tracks her using her descriptions. He runs around the compound, trying to find her, and eventually goes through a door that was previously unopened. He finally finds her, unconscious on the floor."
] | [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1963.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] His name was Herrell McCray and he was scared.
[5] As best he could tell, he was in a sort of room no bigger than a prison cell.
[6] Perhaps it was a prison cell.
[7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
[8] McCray was ship's navigator, plotting course corrections—not that there were any, ever; but the reason there were none was that the check-sightings were made every hour of the long flight.
[9] He had read off the azimuth angles from the computer sights, automatically locked on their beacon stars, and found them correct; then out of long habit confirmed the locking mechanism visually.
[10] It was only a personal quaintness; he had done it a thousand times.
[11] And while he was looking at Betelgeuse, Rigel and Saiph ... it happened.
[12] The room was totally dark, and it seemed to be furnished with a collection of hard, sharp, sticky and knobby objects of various shapes and a number of inconvenient sizes.
[13] McCray tripped over something that rocked under his feet and fell against something that clattered hollowly.
[14] He picked himself up, braced against something that smelled dangerously of halogen compounds, and scratched his shoulder, right through his space-tunic, against something that vibrated as he touched it.
[15] McCray had no idea where he was, and no way to find out.
[16] Not only was he in darkness, but in utter silence as well.
[17] No.
[18] Not quite utter silence.
[19] Somewhere, just at the threshold of his senses, there was something like a voice.
[20] He could not quite hear it, but it was there.
[21] He sat as still as he could, listening; it remained elusive.
[22] Probably it was only an illusion.
[23] But the room itself was hard fact.
[24] McCray swore violently and out loud.
[25] It was crazy and impossible.
[26] There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on.
[27] He cried aloud in exasperation: "If I could only see !"
[28] He tripped and fell against something that was soft, slimy and, like baker's dough, not at all resilient.
[29] A flickering halo of pinkish light appeared.
[30] He sat up, startled.
[31] He was looking at something that resembled a suit of medieval armor.
[32] It was, he saw in a moment, not armor but a spacesuit.
[33] But what was the light?
[34] And what were these other things in the room?
[35] Wherever he looked, the light danced along with his eyes.
[36] It was like having tunnel vision or wearing blinders.
[37] He could see what he was looking at, but he could see nothing else.
[38] And the things he could see made no sense.
[39] A spacesuit, yes; he knew that he could construct a logical explanation for that with no trouble—maybe a subspace meteorite striking the Jodrell Bank , an explosion, himself knocked out, brought here in a suit ... well, it was an explanation with more holes than fabric, like a fisherman's net, but at least it was rational.
[40] How to explain a set of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
[41] A space-ax?
[42] Or the old-fashioned child's rocking-chair, the chemistry set—or, most of all, the scrap of gaily printed fabric that, when he picked it up, turned out to be a girl's scanty bathing suit?
[43] It was slightly reassuring, McCray thought, to find that most of the objects were more or less familiar.
[44] Even the child's chair—why, he'd had one more or less like that himself, long before he was old enough to go to school.
[45] But what were they doing here?
[46] Not everything he saw was familiar.
[47] The walls of the room itself were strange.
[48] They were not metal or plaster or knotty pine; they were not papered, painted or overlaid with stucco.
[49] They seemed to be made of some sort of hard organic compound, perhaps a sort of plastic or processed cellulose.
[50] It was hard to tell colors in the pinkish light.
[51] But they seemed to have none.
[52] They were "neutral"—the color of aged driftwood or unbleached cloth.
[53] Three of the walls were that way, and the floor and ceiling.
[54] The fourth wall was something else.
[55] Areas in it had the appearance of gratings; from them issued the pungent, distasteful halogen odor.
[56] They might be ventilators, he thought; but if so the air they brought in was worse than what he already had.
[57] McCray was beginning to feel more confident.
[58] It was astonishing how a little light made an impossible situation bearable, how quickly his courage flowed back when he could see again.
[59] He stood still, thinking.
[60] Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee.
[61] Item, apart from being shaken up and—he admitted it—scared damn near witless, he did not seem to be hurt.
[62] Item, wherever he was now, it became, not so much what had happened to him, but what had happened to the ship?
[63] He allowed that thought to seep into his mind.
[64] Suppose there had been an accident to the Jodrell Bank .
[65] He could, of course, be dead.
[66] All this could be the fantasies of a cooling brain.
[67] McCray grinned into the pink-lit darkness.
[68] The thought had somehow refreshed him, like icewater between rounds, and with a clearing head he remembered what a spacesuit was good for.
[69] It held a radio.
[70] He pressed the unsealing tabs, slipped his hand into the vacant chest of the suit and pulled out the hand mike.
[71] "This is Herrell McCray," he said, "calling the Jodrell Bank ."
[72] No response.
[73] He frowned.
[74] "This is Herrell McCray, calling Jodrell Bank .
[75] "Herrell McCray, calling anybody, come in, please."
[76] But there was no answer.
[77] Thoughtfully he replaced the microphone.
[78] This was ultrawave radio, something more than a million times faster than light, with a range measured, at least, in hundreds of light-years.
[79] If there was no answer, he was a good long way from anywhere.
[80] Of course, the thing might not be operating.
[81] He reached for the microphone again— He cried aloud.
[82] The pinkish lights went out.
[83] He was in the dark again, worse dark than before.
[84] For before the light had gone, McCray had seen what had escaped his eyes before.
[85] The suit and the microphone were clear enough in the pinkish glimmer; but the hand—his own hand, cupped to hold the microphone—he had not seen at all.
[86] Nor his arm.
[87] Nor, in one fleeting moment of study, his chest.
[88] McCray could not see any part of his own body at all.
[89] II Someone else could.
[90] Someone was watching Herrell McCray, with the clinical fascination of a biochemist observing the wigglings of paramecia in a new antibiotic—and with the prayerful emotions of a starving, shipwrecked, sailor, watching the inward bobbing drift of a wave-born cask that may contain food.
[91] Suppose you call him "Hatcher" (and suppose you call it a "him.")
[92] Hatcher was not exactly male, because his race had no true males; but it did have females and he was certainly not that.
[93] Hatcher did not in any way look like a human being, but they had features in common.
[94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
[95] Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture.
[96] Both enjoyed games—McCray baseball, poker and three-dimensional chess; Hatcher a number of sports which defy human description.
[97] Both held positions of some importance—considering their ages—in the affairs of their respective worlds.
[98] Physically they were nothing alike.
[99] Hatcher was a three-foot, hard-shelled sphere of jelly.
[100] He had "arms" and "legs," but they were not organically attached to "himself."
[101] They were snakelike things which obeyed the orders of his brain as well as your mind can make your toes curl; but they did not touch him directly.
[102] Indeed, they worked as well a yard or a quarter-mile away as they did when, rarely, they rested in the crevices they had been formed from in his "skin."
[103] At greater distances they worked less well, for reasons irrelevant to the Law of Inverse Squares.
[104] Hatcher's principal task at this moment was to run the "probe team" which had McCray under observation, and he was more than a little excited.
[105] His members, disposed about the room where he had sent them on various errands, quivered and shook a little; yet they were the calmest limbs in the room; the members of the other team workers were in a state of violent commotion.
[106] The probe team had had a shock.
[107] "Paranormal powers," muttered Hatcher's second in command, and the others mumbled agreement.
[108] Hatcher ordered silence, studying the specimen from Earth.
[109] After a long moment he turned his senses from the Earthman.
[110] "Incredible—but it's true enough," he said.
[111] "I'd better report.
[112] Watch him," he added, but that was surely unnecessary.
[113] Their job was to watch McCray, and they would do their job; and even more, not one of them could have looked away to save his life from the spectacle of a creature as odd and, from their point of view, hideously alien as Herrell McCray.
[114] Hatcher hurried through the halls of the great buried structure in which he worked, toward the place where the supervising council of all probes would be in permanent session.
[115] They admitted him at once.
[116] Hatcher identified himself and gave a quick, concise report: "The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
[117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
[118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
[119] "This appeared to work well for a time.
[120] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
[121] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
[122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
[123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
[124] The supervising council rocked with excitement.
[125] "You're sure?"
[126] demanded one of the councilmen.
[127] "Yes, sir.
[128] The staff is preparing a technical description of the forces now, but I can say that they are electromagnetic vibrations modulating a carrier wave of very high speed, and in turn modulated by the vibrations of the atmosphere caused by the subject's own breathing."
[129] "Fantastic," breathed the councillor, in a tone of dawning hope.
[130] "How about communicating with him, Hatcher?
[131] Any progress?"
[132] "Well ... not much, sir.
[133] He suddenly panicked.
[134] We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
[135] The council conferred among itself for a moment, Hatcher waiting.
[136] It was not really a waste of time for him; with the organs he had left in the probe-team room, he was in fairly close touch with what was going on—knew that McCray was once again fumbling among the objects in the dark, knew that the team-members had tried illuminating the room for him briefly and again produced the rising panic.
[137] Still, Hatcher fretted.
[138] He wanted to get back.
[139] "Stop fidgeting," commanded the council leader abruptly.
[140] "Hatcher, you are to establish communication at once."
[141] "But, sir...." Hatcher swung closer, his thick skin quivering slightly; he would have gestured if he had brought members with him to gesture with.
[142] "We've done everything we dare.
[143] We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
[144] We can't go faster.
[145] This creature is in no way similar to us, you know.
[146] He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
[147] His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
[148] "Understood, Hatcher.
[149] In your first report you stated these creatures were intelligent."
[150] "Yes, sir.
[151] But not in our way."
[152] "But in a way, and you must learn that way.
[153] I know."
[154] One lobster-claw shaped member drifted close to the councillor's body and raised itself in an admonitory gesture.
[155] "You want time.
[156] But we don't have time, Hatcher.
[157] Yours is not the only probe team working.
[158] The Central Masses team has just turned in a most alarming report."
[159] "Have they secured a subject?"
[160] Hatcher demanded jealously.
[161] The councillor paused.
[162] "Worse than that, Hatcher.
[163] I am afraid their subjects have secured one of them.
[164] One of them is missing."
[165] There was a moment's silence.
[166] Frozen, Hatcher could only wait.
[167] The council room was like a tableau in a museum until the councillor spoke again, each council member poised over his locus-point, his members drifting about him.
[168] Finally the councillor said, "I speak for all of us, I think.
[169] If the Old Ones have seized one of our probers our time margin is considerably narrowed.
[170] Indeed, we may not have any time at all.
[171] You must do everything you can to establish communication with your subject."
[172] "But the danger to the specimen—" Hatcher protested automatically.
[173] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now ."
[174] Hatcher returned to his laboratory gloomily.
[175] It was just like the council to put the screws on; they had a reputation for demanding results at any cost—even at the cost of destroying the only thing you had that would make results possible.
[176] Hatcher did not like the idea of endangering the Earthman.
[177] It cannot be said that he was emotionally involved; it was not pity or sympathy that caused him to regret the dangers in moving too fast toward communication.
[178] Not even Hatcher had quite got over the revolting physical differences between the Earthman and his own people.
[179] But Hatcher did not want him destroyed.
[180] It had been difficult enough getting him here.
[181] Hatcher checked through the members that he had left with the rest of his team and discovered that there were no immediate emergencies, so he took time to eat.
[182] In Hatcher's race this was accomplished in ways not entirely pleasant to Earthmen.
[183] A slit in the lower hemisphere of his body opened, like a purse, emitting a thin, pussy, fetid fluid which Hatcher caught and poured into a disposal trough at the side of the eating room.
[184] He then stuffed the slit with pulpy vegetation the texture of kelp; it closed, and his body was supplied with nourishment for another day.
[185] He returned quickly to the room.
[186] His second in command was busy, but one of the other team workers reported—nothing new—and asked about Hatcher's appearance before the council.
[187] Hatcher passed the question off.
[188] He considered telling his staff about the disappearance of the Central Masses team member, but decided against it.
[189] He had not been told it was secret.
[190] On the other hand, he had not been told it was not.
[191] Something of this importance was not lightly to be gossiped about.
[192] For endless generations the threat of the Old Ones had hung over his race, those queer, almost mythical beings from the Central Masses of the galaxy.
[193] One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
[194] Only by running and hiding, bearing one of their planets with them and abandoning it—with its population—as a decoy, had they arrived at all.
[195] Now they had detected mapping parties of the Old Ones dangerously near the spiral arm of the galaxy in which their planet was located, they had begun the Probe Teams to find some way of combating them, or of fleeing again.
[196] But it seemed that the Probe Teams themselves might be betraying their existence to their enemies— "Hatcher!"
[197] The call was urgent; he hurried to see what it was about.
[198] It was his second in command, very excited.
[199] "What is it?"
[200] Hatcher demanded.
[201] "Wait...." Hatcher was patient; he knew his assistant well.
[202] Obviously something was about to happen.
[203] He took the moment to call his members back to him for feeding; they dodged back to their niches on his skin, fitted themselves into their vestigial slots, poured back their wastes into his own circulation and ingested what they needed from the meal he had just taken....
[204] "Now!"
[205] cried the assistant.
[206] "Look!"
[207] At what passed among Hatcher's people for a viewing console an image was forming.
[208] Actually it was the assistant himself who formed it, not a cathode trace or projected shadow; but it showed what it was meant to show.
[209] Hatcher was startled.
[210] "Another one!
[211] And—is it a different species?
[212] Or merely a different sex?"
[213] "Study the probe for yourself," the assistant invited.
[214] Hatcher studied him frostily; his patience was not, after all, endless.
[215] "No matter," he said at last.
[216] "Bring the other one in."
[217] And then, in a completely different mood, "We may need him badly.
[218] We may be in the process of killing our first one now."
[219] "Killing him, Hatcher?"
[220] Hatcher rose and shook himself, his mindless members floating away like puppies dislodged from suck.
[221] "Council's orders," he said.
[222] "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once."
[223] III Before Stage Two began, or before Herrell McCray realized it had begun, he had an inspiration.
[224] The dark was absolute, but he remembered where the spacesuit had been and groped his way to it and, yes, it had what all spacesuits had to have.
[225] It had a light.
[226] He found the toggle that turned it on and pressed it.
[227] Light.
[228] White, flaring, Earthly light, that showed everything—even himself.
[229] "God bless," he said, almost beside himself with joy.
[230] Whatever that pinkish, dancing halo had been, it had thrown him into a panic; now that he could see his own hand again, he could blame the weird effects on some strange property of the light.
[231] At the moment he heard the click that was the beginning of Stage Two.
[232] He switched off the light and stood for a moment, listening.
[233] For a second he thought he heard the far-off voice, quiet, calm and almost hopeless, that he had sensed hours before; but then that was gone.
[234] Something else was gone.
[235] Some faint mechanical sound that had hardly registered at the time, but was not missing.
[236] And there was, perhaps, a nice new sound that had not been there before; a very faint, an almost inaudible elfin hiss.
[237] McCray switched the light on and looked around.
[238] There seemed to be no change.
[239] And yet, surely, it was warmer in here.
[240] He could see no difference; but perhaps, he thought, he could smell one.
[241] The unpleasant halogen odor from the grating was surely stronger now.
[242] He stood there, perplexed.
[243] A tinny little voice from the helmet of the space suit said sharply, amazement in its tone, "McCray, is that you?
[244] Where the devil are you calling from?"
[245] He forgot smell, sound and temperature and leaped for the suit.
[246] "This is Herrell McCray," he cried.
[247] "I'm in a room of some sort, apparently on a planet of approximate Earth mass.
[248] I don't know—" "McCray!"
[249] cried the tiny voice in his ear.
[250] "Where are you?
[251] This is Jodrell Bank calling.
[252] Answer, please!"
[253] "I am answering, damn it," he roared.
[254] "What took you so long?"
[255] "Herrell McCray," droned the tiny voice in his ear, "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank responding to your message, acknowledge please.
[256] Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray...." It kept on, and on.
[257] McCray took a deep breath and thought.
[258] Something was wrong.
[259] Either they didn't hear him, which meant the radio wasn't transmitting, or—no.
[260] That was not it; they had heard him, because they were responding.
[261] But it seemed to take them so long....
[262] Abruptly his face went white.
[263] Took them so long!
[264] He cast back in his mind, questing for a fact, unable to face its implications.
[265] When was it he called them?
[266] Two hours ago?
[267] Three?
[268] Did that mean—did it possibly mean—that there was a lag of an hour or two each way?
[269] Did it, for example, mean that at the speed of his suit's pararadio, millions of times faster than light, it took hours to get a message to the ship and back?
[270] And if so ... where in the name of heaven was he?
[271] Herrell McCray was a navigator, which is to say, a man who has learned to trust the evidence of mathematics and instrument readings beyond the guesses of his "common sense."
[272] When Jodrell Bank , hurtling faster than light in its voyage between stars, made its regular position check, common sense was a liar.
[273] Light bore false witness.
[274] The line of sight was trustworthy directly forward and directly after—sometimes not even then—and it took computers, sensing their data through instruments, to comprehend a star bearing and convert three fixes into a position.
[275] If the evidence of his radio contradicted common sense, common sense was wrong.
[276] Perhaps it was impossible to believe what the radio's message implied; but it was not necessary to "believe," only to act.
[277] McCray thumbed down the transmitter button and gave a concise report of his situation and his guesses.
[278] "I don't know how I got here.
[279] I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time.
[280] However, if the transmission lag is a reliable indication—" he swallowed and went on—"I'd estimate I am something more than five hundred light-years away from you at this moment.
[281] That's all I have to say, except for one more word: Help."
[282] He grinned sourly and released the button.
[283] The message was on its way, and it would be hours before he could have a reply.
[284] Therefore he had to consider what to do next.
[285] He mopped his brow.
[286] With the droning, repetitious call from the ship finally quiet, the room was quiet again.
[287] And warm.
[288] Very warm, he thought tardily; and more than that.
[289] The halogen stench was strong in his nostrils again.
[290] Hurriedly McCray scrambled into the suit.
[291] By the time he was sealed down he was coughing from the bottom of his lungs, deep, tearing rasps that pained him, uncontrollable.
[292] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
[293] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
[294] He flushed the interior of the suit out with a reckless disregard for the wastage of his air reserve, holding his breath as much as he could, daring only shallow gasps that made him retch and gag.
[295] After a long time he could breathe, though his eyes were spilling tears.
[296] He could see the fumes in the room now.
[297] The heat was building up.
[298] Automatically—now that he had put it on and so started its servo-circuits operating—the suit was cooling him.
[299] This was a deep-space suit, regulation garb when going outside the pressure hull of an FTL ship.
[300] It was good up to at least five hundred degrees in thin air, perhaps three or four hundred in dense.
[301] In thin air or in space it was the elastic joints and couplings that depolymerized when the heat grew too great; in dense air, with conduction pouring energy in faster than the cooling coils could suck it out and hurl it away, it was the refrigerating equipment that broke down.
[302] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
[303] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
[304] All in all it was time for him to do something.
[305] Among the debris on the floor, he remembered, was a five-foot space-ax, tungsten-steel blade and springy aluminum shaft.
[306] McCray caught it up and headed for the door.
[307] It felt good in his gauntlets, a rewarding weight; any weapon straightens the back of the man who holds it, and McCray was grateful for this one.
[308] With something concrete to do he could postpone questioning.
[309] Never mind why he had been brought here; never mind how.
[310] Never mind what he would, or could, do next; all those questions could recede into the background of his mind while he swung the ax and battered his way out of this poisoned oven.
[311] Crash-clang!
[312] The double jolt ran up the shaft of the ax, through his gauntlets and into his arm; but he was making progress, he could see the plastic—or whatever it was—of the door.
[313] It was chipping out.
[314] Not easily, very reluctantly; but flaking out in chips that left a white powdery residue.
[315] At this rate, he thought grimly, he would be an hour getting through it.
[316] Did he have an hour?
[317] But it did not take an hour.
[318] One blow was luckier than the rest; it must have snapped the lock mechanism.
[319] The door shook and slid ajar.
[320] McCray got the thin of the blade into the crack and pried it wide.
[321] He was in another room, maybe a hall, large and bare.
[322] McCray put the broad of his back against the broken door and pressed it as nearly closed as he could; it might not keep the gas and heat out, but it would retard them.
[323] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
[324] There was not even that pink pseudo-light that had baffled him; here was nothing but the beam of his suit lamp.
[325] What it showed was cryptic.
[326] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
[327] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
[328] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
[329] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
[330] He tapped half-heartedly at one of the closed cupboards, and was not surprised when it proved as refractory as the door.
[331] Undoubtedly he could batter it open, but it was not likely that much would be left of its contents when he was through; and there was the question of time.
[332] But his attention was diverted by a gleam from one of the benches.
[333] Metallic parts lay heaped in a pile.
[334] He poked at them with a stiff-fingered gauntlet; they were oddly familiar.
[335] They were, he thought, very much like the parts of a bullet-gun.
[336] In fact, they were.
[337] He could recognize barrel, chamber, trigger, even a couple of cartridges, neatly opened and the grains of powder stacked beside them.
[338] It was an older, clumsier model than the kind he had seen in survival locker, on the Jodrell Bank —and abruptly wished he were carrying now—but it was a pistol.
[339] Another trophy, like the strange assortment in the other room?
[340] He could not guess.
[341] But the others had been more familiar; they all have come from his own ship.
[342] He was prepared to swear that nothing like this antique had been aboard.
[343] The drone began again in his ear, as it had at five-minute intervals all along: "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank calling Herrell McCray...." And louder, blaring, then fading to normal volume as the AVC circuits toned the signal down, another voice.
[344] A woman's voice, crying out in panic and fear: " Jodrell Bank!
[345] Where are you?
[346] Help!"
[347] IV Hatcher's second in command said: "He has got through the first survival test.
[348] In fact, he broke his way out!
[349] What next?"
[350] "Wait!"
[351] Hatcher ordered sharply.
[352] He was watching the new specimen and a troublesome thought had occurred to him.
[353] The new one was female and seemed to be in pain; but it was not the pain that disturbed Hatcher, it was something far more immediate to his interests.
[354] "I think," he said slowly, "that they are in contact."
[355] His assistant vibrated startlement.
[356] "I know," Hatcher said, "but watch.
[357] Do you see?
[358] He is going straight toward her."
[359] Hatcher, who was not human, did not possess truly human emotions; but he did feel amazement when he was amazed, and fear when there was cause to be afraid.
[360] These specimens, obtained with so much difficulty, needed so badly, were his responsibility.
[361] He knew the issues involved much better than any of his helpers.
[362] They could only be surprised at the queer antics of the aliens with attached limbs and strange powers.
[363] Hatcher knew that this was not a freak show, but a matter of life and death.
[364] He said, musing: "This new one, I cannot communicate with her, but I get—almost—a whisper, now and then.
[365] The first one, the male, nothing.
[366] But this female is perhaps not quite mute."
[367] "Then shall we abandon him and work with her, forgetting the first one?"
[368] Hatcher hesitated.
[369] "No," he said at last.
[370] "The male is responding well.
[371] Remember that when last this experiment was done every subject died; he is alive at least.
[372] But I am wondering.
[373] We can't quite communicate with the female—" "But?"
[374] "But I'm not sure that others can't."
[375] The woman's voice was at such close range that McCray's suit radio made a useful RDF set.
[376] He located her direction easily enough, shielding the tiny built-in antenna with the tungsten-steel blade of the ax, while she begged him to hurry.
[377] Her voice was heavily accented, with some words in a language he did not recognize.
[378] She seemed to be in shock.
[379] McCray was hardly surprised at that; he had been close enough to shock himself.
[380] He tried to reassure her as he searched for a way out of the hall, but in the middle of a word her voice stopped.
[381] He hesitated, hefting the ax, glancing back at the way he had come.
[382] There had to be a way out, even if it meant chopping through a wall.
[383] When he turned around again there was a door.
[384] It was oddly shaped and unlike the door he had hewn through, but clearly a door all the same, and it was open.
[385] McCray regarded it grimly.
[386] He went back in his memory with meticulous care.
[387] Had he not looked at, this very spot a matter of moments before?
[388] He had.
[389] And had there been an open door then?
[390] There had not.
[391] There hadn't been even a shadowy outline of the three-sided, uneven opening that stood there now.
[392] Still, it led in the proper direction.
[393] McCray added one more inexplicable fact to his file and walked through.
[394] He was in another hall—or tunnel—rising quite steeply to the right.
[395] By his reckoning it was the proper direction.
[396] He labored up it, sweating under the weight of the suit, and found another open door, this one round, and behind it— Yes, there was the woman whose voice he had heard.
[397] It was a woman, all right.
[398] The voice had been so strained that he hadn't been positive.
[399] Even now, short black hair might not have proved it, and she was lying face down but the waist and hips were a woman's, even though she wore a bulky, quilted suit of coveralls.
[400] He knelt beside her and gently turned her face.
[401] She was unconscious.
[402] Broad, dark face, with no make-up; she was apparently in her late thirties.
[403] She appeared to be Chinese.
[404] She breathed, a little raggedly but without visible discomfort; her face was relaxed as though she were sleeping.
[405] She did not rouse as he moved her.
[406] He realized she was breathing the air of the room they were in.
[407] His instant first thought was that she was in danger of asphyxiation; | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
2. [4] His name was Herrell McCray and he was scared.
3. [7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
4. [26] There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on.
5. [60] Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee.
6. [62] Item, apart from being shaken up and—he admitted it—scared damn near witless, he did not seem to be hurt.
7. [63] Item, wherever he was now, it became, not so much what had happened to him, but what had happened to the ship?
8. [90] Someone was watching Herrell McCray, with the clinical fascination of a biochemist observing the wigglings of paramecia in a new antibiotic—and with the prayerful emotions of a starving, shipwrecked, sailor, watching the inward bobbing drift of a wave-born cask that may contain food.
9. [94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
10. [116] The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
11. [118] This appeared to work well for a time.
12. [119] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
13. [120] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
14. [121] He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
15. [122] Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces.
16. [223] Before Stage Two began, or before Herrell McCray realized it had begun, he had an inspiration.
17. [224] The dark was absolute, but he remembered where the spacesuit had been and groped his way to it and, yes, it had what all spacesuits had to have.
18. [225] It had a light.
19. [226] He found the toggle that turned it on and pressed it.
20. [227] Light.
21. [228] White, flaring, Earthly light, that showed everything—even himself.
22. [231] At the moment he heard the click that was the beginning of Stage Two.
23. [232] He switched off the light and stood for a moment, listening.
24. [233] For a second he thought he heard the far-off voice, quiet, calm and almost hopeless, that he had sensed hours before; but then that was gone.
25. [234] Something else was gone.
26. [235] Some faint mechanical sound that had hardly registered at the time, but was not missing.
27. [236] And there was, perhaps, a nice new sound that had not been there before; a very faint, an almost inaudible elfin hiss.
28. [237] McCray switched the light on and looked around.
29. [238] There seemed to be no change.
30. [239] And yet, surely, it was warmer in here.
31. [240] He could see no difference; but perhaps, he thought, he could smell one.
32. [241] The unpleasant halogen odor from the grating was surely stronger now.
33. [243] "McCray, is that you? Where the devil are you calling from?"
34. [244] He forgot smell, sound and temperature and leaped for the suit.
35. [245] "This is Herrell McCray," he cried.
36. [246] "I'm in a room of some sort, apparently on a planet of approximate Earth mass. I don't know—"
37. [247] "McCray!" cried the tiny voice in his ear. "Where are you? This is Jodrell Bank calling. Answer, please!"
38. [248] "I am answering, damn it," he roared. "What took you so long?"
39. [255] "Herrell McCray," droned the tiny voice in his ear, "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank responding to your message, acknowledge please. Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray...." It kept on, and on.
40. [257] McCray took a deep breath and thought.
41. [258] Something was wrong.
42. [259] Either they didn't hear him, which meant the radio wasn't transmitting, or—no.
43. [260] That was not it; they had heard him, because they were responding.
44. [261] But it seemed to take them so long....
45. [262] Abruptly his face went white.
46. [263] Took them so long!
47. [264] He cast back in his mind, questing for a fact, unable to face its implications.
48. [265] When was it he called them?
49. [266] Two hours ago?
50. [267] Three?
51. [268] Did that mean—did it possibly mean—that there was a lag of an hour or two each way?
52. [269] Did it, for example, mean that at the speed of his suit's pararadio, millions of times faster than light, it took hours to get a message to the ship and back?
53. [270] And if so ... where in the name of heaven was he?
54. [271] Herrell McCray was a navigator, which is to say, a man who has learned to trust the evidence of mathematics and instrument readings beyond the guesses of his "common sense."
55. [272] When Jodrell Bank , hurtling faster than light in its voyage between stars, made its regular position check, common sense was a liar.
56. [273] Light bore false witness.
57. [274] The line of sight was trustworthy directly forward and directly after—sometimes not even then—and it took computers, sensing their data through instruments, to comprehend a star bearing and convert three fixes into a position.
58. [275] If the evidence of his radio contradicted common sense, common sense was wrong.
59. [276] Perhaps it was impossible to believe what the radio's message implied; but it was not necessary to "believe," only to act.
60. [277] McCray thumbed down the transmitter button and gave a concise report of his situation and his guesses.
61. [278] "I don't know how I got here.
62. [279] I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time.
63. [280] However, if the transmission lag is a reliable indication—" he swallowed and went on—"I'd estimate I am something more than five hundred light-years away from you at this moment.
64. [281] That's all I have to say, except for one more word: Help."
65. [282] He grinned sourly and released the button.
66. [283] The message was on its way, and it would be hours before he could have a reply.
67. [284] Therefore he had to consider what to do next.
68. [285] He mopped his brow.
69. [286] With the droning, repetitious call from the ship finally quiet, the room was quiet again.
70. [287] And warm.
71. [288] Very warm, he thought tardily; and more than that.
72. [289] The halogen stench was strong in his nostrils again.
73. [290] Hurriedly McCray scrambled into the suit.
74. [291] By the time he was sealed down he was coughing from the bottom of his lungs, deep, tearing rasps that pained him, uncontrollable.
75. [292] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
76. [293] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
77. [294] He flushed the interior of the suit out with a reckless disregard for the wastage of his air reserve, holding his breath as much as he could, daring only shallow gasps that made him retch and gag.
78. [295] After a long time he could breathe, though his eyes were spilling tears.
79. [296] He could see the fumes in the room now.
80. [297] The heat was building up.
81. [298] Automatically—now that he had put it on and so started its servo-circuits operating—the suit was cooling him.
82. [299] This was a deep-space suit, regulation garb when going outside the pressure hull of an FTL ship.
83. [300] It was good up to at least five hundred degrees in thin air, perhaps three or four hundred in dense.
84. [301] In thin air or in space it was the elastic joints and couplings that depolymerized when the heat grew too great; in dense air, with conduction pouring energy in faster than the cooling coils could suck it out and hurl it away, it was the refrigerating equipment that broke down.
85. [302] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
86. [303] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
87. [304] All in all it was time for him to do something.
88. [305] Among the debris on the floor, he remembered, was a five-foot space-ax, tungsten-steel blade and springy aluminum shaft.
89. [306] McCray caught it up and headed for the door.
90. [307] It felt good in his gauntlets, a rewarding weight; any weapon straightens the back of the man who holds it, and McCray was grateful for this one.
91. [308] With something concrete to do he could postpone questioning.
92. [309] Never mind why he had been brought here; never mind how.
93. [310] Never mind what he would, or could, do next; all those questions could recede into the background of his mind while he swung the ax and battered his way out of this poisoned oven.
94. [311] Crash-clang!
95. [312] The double jolt ran up the shaft of the ax, through his gauntlets and into his arm; but he was making progress, he could see the plastic—or whatever it was—of the door.
96. [313] It was chipping out.
97. [314] Not easily, very reluctantly; but flaking out in chips that left a white powdery residue.
98. [315] At this rate, he thought grimly, he would be an hour getting through it.
99. [316] Did he have an hour?
100. [317] But it did not take an hour.
101. [318] One blow was luckier than the rest; it must have snapped the lock mechanism.
102. [319] The door shook and slid ajar.
103. [320] McCray got the thin of the blade into the crack and pried it wide.
104. [321] He was in another room, maybe a hall, large and bare.
105. [322] McCray put the broad of his back against the broken door and pressed it as nearly closed as he could; it might not keep the gas and heat out, but it would retard them.
106. [323] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
107. [324] There was not even that pink pseudo-light that had baffled him; here was nothing but the beam of his suit lamp.
108. [325] What it showed was cryptic.
109. [326] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
110. [327] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
111. [328] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
112. [329] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
113. [330] He tapped half-heartedly at one of the closed cupboards, and was not surprised when it proved as refractory as the door.
114. [331] Undoubtedly he could batter it open, but it was not likely that much would be left of its contents when he was through; and there was the question of time.
115. [332] But his attention was diverted by a gleam from one of the benches.
116. [333] Metallic parts lay heaped in a pile.
117. [334] He poked at them with a stiff-fingered gauntlet; they were oddly familiar.
118. [335] They were, he thought, very much like the parts of a bullet-gun.
119. [336] In fact, they were.
120. [337] He could recognize barrel, chamber, trigger, even a couple of cartridges, neatly opened and the grains of powder stacked beside them.
121. [338] It was an older, clumsier model than the kind he had seen in survival locker, on the Jodrell Bank —and abruptly wished he were carrying now—but it was a pistol.
122. [339] Another trophy, like the strange assortment in the other room?
123. [340] He could not guess.
124. [341] But the others had been more familiar; they all have come from his own ship.
125. [342] He was prepared to swear that nothing like this antique had been aboard.
126. [343] The drone began again in his ear, as it had at five-minute intervals all along: "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank calling Herrell McCray...." And louder, blaring, then fading to normal volume as the AVC circuits toned the signal down, another voice.
127. [344] A woman's voice, crying out in panic and fear: " Jodrell Bank! Where are you? Help!" |
What is the setting of the story? | [
"The story begins sometime during the Starship Jodrell Bank's Long Jump from Earth to the colonies surrounding Betegeuses Nine as it passes by Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Saiph. The rest of the action takes place in an unknown area of space within a \"great buried structure\" that is a massive labyrinth of dark rooms and hallways with unusual doors that seem to shift and change after passing through them. This is where Hatcher and his probe team observe McCray in his enclosure, which is no bigger than a prison cell, dark, and full of vaguely familiar objects: a spacesuit, a child's rocking chair, a chemistry set, a girl's bathing suit, an ax. Three of the walls are made of a hard, organic compound and the fourth is covered in grates from which a halogen-smelling air pours out into the room. Although everything is dark, Hatcher occasionally triggers a pinkish, halo-like light that allows McCray to examine his surroundings. Elsewhere in the structure is a place where the supervising council of all probes stays in permanent session, monitoring the work of all probe teams including the team at The Central Masses. When McCray breaks out of his initial enclosure, he finds himself in another dark room, large and bare. Using the beam from his suit lamp, he sees shelves, cupboard-like contraptions, and level surfaces that appeared to be waist-high workbenches attached to the walls and ceiling. He finds a gun on one of the benches. After finding the gun, he realizes the door he came through is gone; instead, there is an uneven, three-sided door he enters to find the unconscious woman on the other side.",
"The story is set in a time when humans have interstellar travel and are mapping new galaxies. They are feared by at least some of the aliens they have encountered, such as Hatcher’s people who were almost completely wiped out after their last human contact. The aliens are so fearful now that they have abandoned a planet as a decoy for the humans and are capturing humans off the Starship Jodrell Bank that they’ve detected in their galaxy to probe them and find out ways to fight or escape humans for good.\nWhen McCray is captured, he awakes in a strange room with three walls made of a hard organic compound, and one wall made of grates that a pungent halogen smell came out of. There is a dim pink light in the room, and it is filled with meaningful objects from McCray’s past and present that he thinks of like a creepy trophy room of his life. Importantly there is a modern spacesuit that saves his life when the aliens administer a survival test that heats the room and pumps in chlorine gas through the grates. Directly outside of this room is a sterile hallway and the rest of the testing facilities of the aliens. There are other rooms similar to his where other humans are being probed by the aliens, such as the woman he hears screaming through the radio of his space suit who is in a nearby room.\nHatcher, the alien in charge of conducting the Probe Team to make contact with the humans, observes them with his team of scientists and they take detailed notes on their actions that are reported to the supervisory council of probes in another nearby room.",
"The story is set in the spiral arm of the galaxy where the aliens who abduct McCray are living. McCray is abducted from the Starship Jodrell Bank where he is navigator as the ship is on a trip from Earth to the colonies in Betelgeuse Nine. McCray is on the ship one minute, and the next, he is in a completely dark room full of unidentifiable objects. Unknown to him, the objects have been selected by the aliens as ones that are on McCray’s ship to give him a homey setting. McCray has been trying to feel the objects and his surroundings to determine where he is. When he calls out in frustration because he can’t see, they light up a spacesuit that gives him enough illumination to see the objects that include a set of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a space-ax, an old fashioned children’s rocking chair, a chemistry set, and a girl’s bathing suit. Three of the walls, the floor, and the room's ceiling are an unusual substance, possibly cellulose. The fourth wall is grated like a ventilation system, and there is a faint smell of halogen gases lingering in the room. The spacesuit has a radio which McCray uses to contact his ship, but it doesn’t respond immediately. \n\tFrom another room, McCray is being observed by Hatcher and his probe team. Hatcher isn’t exactly male; his race doesn’t have them, but he isn’t female either. He is a three-foot sphere-shaped glob of jelly covered with a hard shell. His arms and legs are not attached but rather are snakelike structures that obey his brain. They work best close to the body but can work up to a fourth of a mile from it. Hatcher’s appendages are the calmest ones in the room.\n\tThe building where all this takes place is located underground. The supervising council is located in the same building, and Hatcher can move from his observation room to the council’s room in a matter of minutes. Due to the lag in transmission time and message reception, McCray believes he is somewhere around five hundred light-years away from his ship.",
"The Five Hells of Orion by Frederick Pohl takes place on an unknown planet light-years away from the realm of human discovery. The probes, a blob-like alien race, have captured two humans and brought them back to their home to study and observe them. Herrel McCray wakes up to a dark prison cell filled with Earthly items, such as a book or a bathing suit. This tiny cell has three impenetrable walls, and then the fourth is made of something similar to plastic. He cuts into the fourth wall with an ax and escapes the room only to arrive in a new one. This one features cupboards with the same impenetrable surfaces and an antique pistol that had been previously taken apart. As Herrel makes his way through the story, the reader sees very little of the compound they’re keeping him in, as there is presumably not a lot of light. However, we do know the probes eat in an eating room that features a trough where they can dispose of their bodily fluids."
] | [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1963.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] His name was Herrell McCray and he was scared.
[5] As best he could tell, he was in a sort of room no bigger than a prison cell.
[6] Perhaps it was a prison cell.
[7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
[8] McCray was ship's navigator, plotting course corrections—not that there were any, ever; but the reason there were none was that the check-sightings were made every hour of the long flight.
[9] He had read off the azimuth angles from the computer sights, automatically locked on their beacon stars, and found them correct; then out of long habit confirmed the locking mechanism visually.
[10] It was only a personal quaintness; he had done it a thousand times.
[11] And while he was looking at Betelgeuse, Rigel and Saiph ... it happened.
[12] The room was totally dark, and it seemed to be furnished with a collection of hard, sharp, sticky and knobby objects of various shapes and a number of inconvenient sizes.
[13] McCray tripped over something that rocked under his feet and fell against something that clattered hollowly.
[14] He picked himself up, braced against something that smelled dangerously of halogen compounds, and scratched his shoulder, right through his space-tunic, against something that vibrated as he touched it.
[15] McCray had no idea where he was, and no way to find out.
[16] Not only was he in darkness, but in utter silence as well.
[17] No.
[18] Not quite utter silence.
[19] Somewhere, just at the threshold of his senses, there was something like a voice.
[20] He could not quite hear it, but it was there.
[21] He sat as still as he could, listening; it remained elusive.
[22] Probably it was only an illusion.
[23] But the room itself was hard fact.
[24] McCray swore violently and out loud.
[25] It was crazy and impossible.
[26] There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on.
[27] He cried aloud in exasperation: "If I could only see !"
[28] He tripped and fell against something that was soft, slimy and, like baker's dough, not at all resilient.
[29] A flickering halo of pinkish light appeared.
[30] He sat up, startled.
[31] He was looking at something that resembled a suit of medieval armor.
[32] It was, he saw in a moment, not armor but a spacesuit.
[33] But what was the light?
[34] And what were these other things in the room?
[35] Wherever he looked, the light danced along with his eyes.
[36] It was like having tunnel vision or wearing blinders.
[37] He could see what he was looking at, but he could see nothing else.
[38] And the things he could see made no sense.
[39] A spacesuit, yes; he knew that he could construct a logical explanation for that with no trouble—maybe a subspace meteorite striking the Jodrell Bank , an explosion, himself knocked out, brought here in a suit ... well, it was an explanation with more holes than fabric, like a fisherman's net, but at least it was rational.
[40] How to explain a set of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
[41] A space-ax?
[42] Or the old-fashioned child's rocking-chair, the chemistry set—or, most of all, the scrap of gaily printed fabric that, when he picked it up, turned out to be a girl's scanty bathing suit?
[43] It was slightly reassuring, McCray thought, to find that most of the objects were more or less familiar.
[44] Even the child's chair—why, he'd had one more or less like that himself, long before he was old enough to go to school.
[45] But what were they doing here?
[46] Not everything he saw was familiar.
[47] The walls of the room itself were strange.
[48] They were not metal or plaster or knotty pine; they were not papered, painted or overlaid with stucco.
[49] They seemed to be made of some sort of hard organic compound, perhaps a sort of plastic or processed cellulose.
[50] It was hard to tell colors in the pinkish light.
[51] But they seemed to have none.
[52] They were "neutral"—the color of aged driftwood or unbleached cloth.
[53] Three of the walls were that way, and the floor and ceiling.
[54] The fourth wall was something else.
[55] Areas in it had the appearance of gratings; from them issued the pungent, distasteful halogen odor.
[56] They might be ventilators, he thought; but if so the air they brought in was worse than what he already had.
[57] McCray was beginning to feel more confident.
[58] It was astonishing how a little light made an impossible situation bearable, how quickly his courage flowed back when he could see again.
[59] He stood still, thinking.
[60] Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee.
[61] Item, apart from being shaken up and—he admitted it—scared damn near witless, he did not seem to be hurt.
[62] Item, wherever he was now, it became, not so much what had happened to him, but what had happened to the ship?
[63] He allowed that thought to seep into his mind.
[64] Suppose there had been an accident to the Jodrell Bank .
[65] He could, of course, be dead.
[66] All this could be the fantasies of a cooling brain.
[67] McCray grinned into the pink-lit darkness.
[68] The thought had somehow refreshed him, like icewater between rounds, and with a clearing head he remembered what a spacesuit was good for.
[69] It held a radio.
[70] He pressed the unsealing tabs, slipped his hand into the vacant chest of the suit and pulled out the hand mike.
[71] "This is Herrell McCray," he said, "calling the Jodrell Bank ."
[72] No response.
[73] He frowned.
[74] "This is Herrell McCray, calling Jodrell Bank .
[75] "Herrell McCray, calling anybody, come in, please."
[76] But there was no answer.
[77] Thoughtfully he replaced the microphone.
[78] This was ultrawave radio, something more than a million times faster than light, with a range measured, at least, in hundreds of light-years.
[79] If there was no answer, he was a good long way from anywhere.
[80] Of course, the thing might not be operating.
[81] He reached for the microphone again— He cried aloud.
[82] The pinkish lights went out.
[83] He was in the dark again, worse dark than before.
[84] For before the light had gone, McCray had seen what had escaped his eyes before.
[85] The suit and the microphone were clear enough in the pinkish glimmer; but the hand—his own hand, cupped to hold the microphone—he had not seen at all.
[86] Nor his arm.
[87] Nor, in one fleeting moment of study, his chest.
[88] McCray could not see any part of his own body at all.
[89] II Someone else could.
[90] Someone was watching Herrell McCray, with the clinical fascination of a biochemist observing the wigglings of paramecia in a new antibiotic—and with the prayerful emotions of a starving, shipwrecked, sailor, watching the inward bobbing drift of a wave-born cask that may contain food.
[91] Suppose you call him "Hatcher" (and suppose you call it a "him.")
[92] Hatcher was not exactly male, because his race had no true males; but it did have females and he was certainly not that.
[93] Hatcher did not in any way look like a human being, but they had features in common.
[94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
[95] Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture.
[96] Both enjoyed games—McCray baseball, poker and three-dimensional chess; Hatcher a number of sports which defy human description.
[97] Both held positions of some importance—considering their ages—in the affairs of their respective worlds.
[98] Physically they were nothing alike.
[99] Hatcher was a three-foot, hard-shelled sphere of jelly.
[100] He had "arms" and "legs," but they were not organically attached to "himself."
[101] They were snakelike things which obeyed the orders of his brain as well as your mind can make your toes curl; but they did not touch him directly.
[102] Indeed, they worked as well a yard or a quarter-mile away as they did when, rarely, they rested in the crevices they had been formed from in his "skin."
[103] At greater distances they worked less well, for reasons irrelevant to the Law of Inverse Squares.
[104] Hatcher's principal task at this moment was to run the "probe team" which had McCray under observation, and he was more than a little excited.
[105] His members, disposed about the room where he had sent them on various errands, quivered and shook a little; yet they were the calmest limbs in the room; the members of the other team workers were in a state of violent commotion.
[106] The probe team had had a shock.
[107] "Paranormal powers," muttered Hatcher's second in command, and the others mumbled agreement.
[108] Hatcher ordered silence, studying the specimen from Earth.
[109] After a long moment he turned his senses from the Earthman.
[110] "Incredible—but it's true enough," he said.
[111] "I'd better report.
[112] Watch him," he added, but that was surely unnecessary.
[113] Their job was to watch McCray, and they would do their job; and even more, not one of them could have looked away to save his life from the spectacle of a creature as odd and, from their point of view, hideously alien as Herrell McCray.
[114] Hatcher hurried through the halls of the great buried structure in which he worked, toward the place where the supervising council of all probes would be in permanent session.
[115] They admitted him at once.
[116] Hatcher identified himself and gave a quick, concise report: "The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
[117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
[118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
[119] "This appeared to work well for a time.
[120] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
[121] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
[122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
[123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
[124] The supervising council rocked with excitement.
[125] "You're sure?"
[126] demanded one of the councilmen.
[127] "Yes, sir.
[128] The staff is preparing a technical description of the forces now, but I can say that they are electromagnetic vibrations modulating a carrier wave of very high speed, and in turn modulated by the vibrations of the atmosphere caused by the subject's own breathing."
[129] "Fantastic," breathed the councillor, in a tone of dawning hope.
[130] "How about communicating with him, Hatcher?
[131] Any progress?"
[132] "Well ... not much, sir.
[133] He suddenly panicked.
[134] We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
[135] The council conferred among itself for a moment, Hatcher waiting.
[136] It was not really a waste of time for him; with the organs he had left in the probe-team room, he was in fairly close touch with what was going on—knew that McCray was once again fumbling among the objects in the dark, knew that the team-members had tried illuminating the room for him briefly and again produced the rising panic.
[137] Still, Hatcher fretted.
[138] He wanted to get back.
[139] "Stop fidgeting," commanded the council leader abruptly.
[140] "Hatcher, you are to establish communication at once."
[141] "But, sir...." Hatcher swung closer, his thick skin quivering slightly; he would have gestured if he had brought members with him to gesture with.
[142] "We've done everything we dare.
[143] We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
[144] We can't go faster.
[145] This creature is in no way similar to us, you know.
[146] He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
[147] His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
[148] "Understood, Hatcher.
[149] In your first report you stated these creatures were intelligent."
[150] "Yes, sir.
[151] But not in our way."
[152] "But in a way, and you must learn that way.
[153] I know."
[154] One lobster-claw shaped member drifted close to the councillor's body and raised itself in an admonitory gesture.
[155] "You want time.
[156] But we don't have time, Hatcher.
[157] Yours is not the only probe team working.
[158] The Central Masses team has just turned in a most alarming report."
[159] "Have they secured a subject?"
[160] Hatcher demanded jealously.
[161] The councillor paused.
[162] "Worse than that, Hatcher.
[163] I am afraid their subjects have secured one of them.
[164] One of them is missing."
[165] There was a moment's silence.
[166] Frozen, Hatcher could only wait.
[167] The council room was like a tableau in a museum until the councillor spoke again, each council member poised over his locus-point, his members drifting about him.
[168] Finally the councillor said, "I speak for all of us, I think.
[169] If the Old Ones have seized one of our probers our time margin is considerably narrowed.
[170] Indeed, we may not have any time at all.
[171] You must do everything you can to establish communication with your subject."
[172] "But the danger to the specimen—" Hatcher protested automatically.
[173] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now ."
[174] Hatcher returned to his laboratory gloomily.
[175] It was just like the council to put the screws on; they had a reputation for demanding results at any cost—even at the cost of destroying the only thing you had that would make results possible.
[176] Hatcher did not like the idea of endangering the Earthman.
[177] It cannot be said that he was emotionally involved; it was not pity or sympathy that caused him to regret the dangers in moving too fast toward communication.
[178] Not even Hatcher had quite got over the revolting physical differences between the Earthman and his own people.
[179] But Hatcher did not want him destroyed.
[180] It had been difficult enough getting him here.
[181] Hatcher checked through the members that he had left with the rest of his team and discovered that there were no immediate emergencies, so he took time to eat.
[182] In Hatcher's race this was accomplished in ways not entirely pleasant to Earthmen.
[183] A slit in the lower hemisphere of his body opened, like a purse, emitting a thin, pussy, fetid fluid which Hatcher caught and poured into a disposal trough at the side of the eating room.
[184] He then stuffed the slit with pulpy vegetation the texture of kelp; it closed, and his body was supplied with nourishment for another day.
[185] He returned quickly to the room.
[186] His second in command was busy, but one of the other team workers reported—nothing new—and asked about Hatcher's appearance before the council.
[187] Hatcher passed the question off.
[188] He considered telling his staff about the disappearance of the Central Masses team member, but decided against it.
[189] He had not been told it was secret.
[190] On the other hand, he had not been told it was not.
[191] Something of this importance was not lightly to be gossiped about.
[192] For endless generations the threat of the Old Ones had hung over his race, those queer, almost mythical beings from the Central Masses of the galaxy.
[193] One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
[194] Only by running and hiding, bearing one of their planets with them and abandoning it—with its population—as a decoy, had they arrived at all.
[195] Now they had detected mapping parties of the Old Ones dangerously near the spiral arm of the galaxy in which their planet was located, they had begun the Probe Teams to find some way of combating them, or of fleeing again.
[196] But it seemed that the Probe Teams themselves might be betraying their existence to their enemies— "Hatcher!"
[197] The call was urgent; he hurried to see what it was about.
[198] It was his second in command, very excited.
[199] "What is it?"
[200] Hatcher demanded.
[201] "Wait...." Hatcher was patient; he knew his assistant well.
[202] Obviously something was about to happen.
[203] He took the moment to call his members back to him for feeding; they dodged back to their niches on his skin, fitted themselves into their vestigial slots, poured back their wastes into his own circulation and ingested what they needed from the meal he had just taken....
[204] "Now!"
[205] cried the assistant.
[206] "Look!"
[207] At what passed among Hatcher's people for a viewing console an image was forming.
[208] Actually it was the assistant himself who formed it, not a cathode trace or projected shadow; but it showed what it was meant to show.
[209] Hatcher was startled.
[210] "Another one!
[211] And—is it a different species?
[212] Or merely a different sex?"
[213] "Study the probe for yourself," the assistant invited.
[214] Hatcher studied him frostily; his patience was not, after all, endless.
[215] "No matter," he said at last.
[216] "Bring the other one in."
[217] And then, in a completely different mood, "We may need him badly.
[218] We may be in the process of killing our first one now."
[219] "Killing him, Hatcher?"
[220] Hatcher rose and shook himself, his mindless members floating away like puppies dislodged from suck.
[221] "Council's orders," he said.
[222] "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once."
[223] III Before Stage Two began, or before Herrell McCray realized it had begun, he had an inspiration.
[224] The dark was absolute, but he remembered where the spacesuit had been and groped his way to it and, yes, it had what all spacesuits had to have.
[225] It had a light.
[226] He found the toggle that turned it on and pressed it.
[227] Light.
[228] White, flaring, Earthly light, that showed everything—even himself.
[229] "God bless," he said, almost beside himself with joy.
[230] Whatever that pinkish, dancing halo had been, it had thrown him into a panic; now that he could see his own hand again, he could blame the weird effects on some strange property of the light.
[231] At the moment he heard the click that was the beginning of Stage Two.
[232] He switched off the light and stood for a moment, listening.
[233] For a second he thought he heard the far-off voice, quiet, calm and almost hopeless, that he had sensed hours before; but then that was gone.
[234] Something else was gone.
[235] Some faint mechanical sound that had hardly registered at the time, but was not missing.
[236] And there was, perhaps, a nice new sound that had not been there before; a very faint, an almost inaudible elfin hiss.
[237] McCray switched the light on and looked around.
[238] There seemed to be no change.
[239] And yet, surely, it was warmer in here.
[240] He could see no difference; but perhaps, he thought, he could smell one.
[241] The unpleasant halogen odor from the grating was surely stronger now.
[242] He stood there, perplexed.
[243] A tinny little voice from the helmet of the space suit said sharply, amazement in its tone, "McCray, is that you?
[244] Where the devil are you calling from?"
[245] He forgot smell, sound and temperature and leaped for the suit.
[246] "This is Herrell McCray," he cried.
[247] "I'm in a room of some sort, apparently on a planet of approximate Earth mass.
[248] I don't know—" "McCray!"
[249] cried the tiny voice in his ear.
[250] "Where are you?
[251] This is Jodrell Bank calling.
[252] Answer, please!"
[253] "I am answering, damn it," he roared.
[254] "What took you so long?"
[255] "Herrell McCray," droned the tiny voice in his ear, "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank responding to your message, acknowledge please.
[256] Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray...." It kept on, and on.
[257] McCray took a deep breath and thought.
[258] Something was wrong.
[259] Either they didn't hear him, which meant the radio wasn't transmitting, or—no.
[260] That was not it; they had heard him, because they were responding.
[261] But it seemed to take them so long....
[262] Abruptly his face went white.
[263] Took them so long!
[264] He cast back in his mind, questing for a fact, unable to face its implications.
[265] When was it he called them?
[266] Two hours ago?
[267] Three?
[268] Did that mean—did it possibly mean—that there was a lag of an hour or two each way?
[269] Did it, for example, mean that at the speed of his suit's pararadio, millions of times faster than light, it took hours to get a message to the ship and back?
[270] And if so ... where in the name of heaven was he?
[271] Herrell McCray was a navigator, which is to say, a man who has learned to trust the evidence of mathematics and instrument readings beyond the guesses of his "common sense."
[272] When Jodrell Bank , hurtling faster than light in its voyage between stars, made its regular position check, common sense was a liar.
[273] Light bore false witness.
[274] The line of sight was trustworthy directly forward and directly after—sometimes not even then—and it took computers, sensing their data through instruments, to comprehend a star bearing and convert three fixes into a position.
[275] If the evidence of his radio contradicted common sense, common sense was wrong.
[276] Perhaps it was impossible to believe what the radio's message implied; but it was not necessary to "believe," only to act.
[277] McCray thumbed down the transmitter button and gave a concise report of his situation and his guesses.
[278] "I don't know how I got here.
[279] I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time.
[280] However, if the transmission lag is a reliable indication—" he swallowed and went on—"I'd estimate I am something more than five hundred light-years away from you at this moment.
[281] That's all I have to say, except for one more word: Help."
[282] He grinned sourly and released the button.
[283] The message was on its way, and it would be hours before he could have a reply.
[284] Therefore he had to consider what to do next.
[285] He mopped his brow.
[286] With the droning, repetitious call from the ship finally quiet, the room was quiet again.
[287] And warm.
[288] Very warm, he thought tardily; and more than that.
[289] The halogen stench was strong in his nostrils again.
[290] Hurriedly McCray scrambled into the suit.
[291] By the time he was sealed down he was coughing from the bottom of his lungs, deep, tearing rasps that pained him, uncontrollable.
[292] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
[293] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
[294] He flushed the interior of the suit out with a reckless disregard for the wastage of his air reserve, holding his breath as much as he could, daring only shallow gasps that made him retch and gag.
[295] After a long time he could breathe, though his eyes were spilling tears.
[296] He could see the fumes in the room now.
[297] The heat was building up.
[298] Automatically—now that he had put it on and so started its servo-circuits operating—the suit was cooling him.
[299] This was a deep-space suit, regulation garb when going outside the pressure hull of an FTL ship.
[300] It was good up to at least five hundred degrees in thin air, perhaps three or four hundred in dense.
[301] In thin air or in space it was the elastic joints and couplings that depolymerized when the heat grew too great; in dense air, with conduction pouring energy in faster than the cooling coils could suck it out and hurl it away, it was the refrigerating equipment that broke down.
[302] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
[303] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
[304] All in all it was time for him to do something.
[305] Among the debris on the floor, he remembered, was a five-foot space-ax, tungsten-steel blade and springy aluminum shaft.
[306] McCray caught it up and headed for the door.
[307] It felt good in his gauntlets, a rewarding weight; any weapon straightens the back of the man who holds it, and McCray was grateful for this one.
[308] With something concrete to do he could postpone questioning.
[309] Never mind why he had been brought here; never mind how.
[310] Never mind what he would, or could, do next; all those questions could recede into the background of his mind while he swung the ax and battered his way out of this poisoned oven.
[311] Crash-clang!
[312] The double jolt ran up the shaft of the ax, through his gauntlets and into his arm; but he was making progress, he could see the plastic—or whatever it was—of the door.
[313] It was chipping out.
[314] Not easily, very reluctantly; but flaking out in chips that left a white powdery residue.
[315] At this rate, he thought grimly, he would be an hour getting through it.
[316] Did he have an hour?
[317] But it did not take an hour.
[318] One blow was luckier than the rest; it must have snapped the lock mechanism.
[319] The door shook and slid ajar.
[320] McCray got the thin of the blade into the crack and pried it wide.
[321] He was in another room, maybe a hall, large and bare.
[322] McCray put the broad of his back against the broken door and pressed it as nearly closed as he could; it might not keep the gas and heat out, but it would retard them.
[323] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
[324] There was not even that pink pseudo-light that had baffled him; here was nothing but the beam of his suit lamp.
[325] What it showed was cryptic.
[326] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
[327] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
[328] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
[329] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
[330] He tapped half-heartedly at one of the closed cupboards, and was not surprised when it proved as refractory as the door.
[331] Undoubtedly he could batter it open, but it was not likely that much would be left of its contents when he was through; and there was the question of time.
[332] But his attention was diverted by a gleam from one of the benches.
[333] Metallic parts lay heaped in a pile.
[334] He poked at them with a stiff-fingered gauntlet; they were oddly familiar.
[335] They were, he thought, very much like the parts of a bullet-gun.
[336] In fact, they were.
[337] He could recognize barrel, chamber, trigger, even a couple of cartridges, neatly opened and the grains of powder stacked beside them.
[338] It was an older, clumsier model than the kind he had seen in survival locker, on the Jodrell Bank —and abruptly wished he were carrying now—but it was a pistol.
[339] Another trophy, like the strange assortment in the other room?
[340] He could not guess.
[341] But the others had been more familiar; they all have come from his own ship.
[342] He was prepared to swear that nothing like this antique had been aboard.
[343] The drone began again in his ear, as it had at five-minute intervals all along: "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank calling Herrell McCray...." And louder, blaring, then fading to normal volume as the AVC circuits toned the signal down, another voice.
[344] A woman's voice, crying out in panic and fear: " Jodrell Bank!
[345] Where are you?
[346] Help!"
[347] IV Hatcher's second in command said: "He has got through the first survival test.
[348] In fact, he broke his way out!
[349] What next?"
[350] "Wait!"
[351] Hatcher ordered sharply.
[352] He was watching the new specimen and a troublesome thought had occurred to him.
[353] The new one was female and seemed to be in pain; but it was not the pain that disturbed Hatcher, it was something far more immediate to his interests.
[354] "I think," he said slowly, "that they are in contact."
[355] His assistant vibrated startlement.
[356] "I know," Hatcher said, "but watch.
[357] Do you see?
[358] He is going straight toward her."
[359] Hatcher, who was not human, did not possess truly human emotions; but he did feel amazement when he was amazed, and fear when there was cause to be afraid.
[360] These specimens, obtained with so much difficulty, needed so badly, were his responsibility.
[361] He knew the issues involved much better than any of his helpers.
[362] They could only be surprised at the queer antics of the aliens with attached limbs and strange powers.
[363] Hatcher knew that this was not a freak show, but a matter of life and death.
[364] He said, musing: "This new one, I cannot communicate with her, but I get—almost—a whisper, now and then.
[365] The first one, the male, nothing.
[366] But this female is perhaps not quite mute."
[367] "Then shall we abandon him and work with her, forgetting the first one?"
[368] Hatcher hesitated.
[369] "No," he said at last.
[370] "The male is responding well.
[371] Remember that when last this experiment was done every subject died; he is alive at least.
[372] But I am wondering.
[373] We can't quite communicate with the female—" "But?"
[374] "But I'm not sure that others can't."
[375] The woman's voice was at such close range that McCray's suit radio made a useful RDF set.
[376] He located her direction easily enough, shielding the tiny built-in antenna with the tungsten-steel blade of the ax, while she begged him to hurry.
[377] Her voice was heavily accented, with some words in a language he did not recognize.
[378] She seemed to be in shock.
[379] McCray was hardly surprised at that; he had been close enough to shock himself.
[380] He tried to reassure her as he searched for a way out of the hall, but in the middle of a word her voice stopped.
[381] He hesitated, hefting the ax, glancing back at the way he had come.
[382] There had to be a way out, even if it meant chopping through a wall.
[383] When he turned around again there was a door.
[384] It was oddly shaped and unlike the door he had hewn through, but clearly a door all the same, and it was open.
[385] McCray regarded it grimly.
[386] He went back in his memory with meticulous care.
[387] Had he not looked at, this very spot a matter of moments before?
[388] He had.
[389] And had there been an open door then?
[390] There had not.
[391] There hadn't been even a shadowy outline of the three-sided, uneven opening that stood there now.
[392] Still, it led in the proper direction.
[393] McCray added one more inexplicable fact to his file and walked through.
[394] He was in another hall—or tunnel—rising quite steeply to the right.
[395] By his reckoning it was the proper direction.
[396] He labored up it, sweating under the weight of the suit, and found another open door, this one round, and behind it— Yes, there was the woman whose voice he had heard.
[397] It was a woman, all right.
[398] The voice had been so strained that he hadn't been positive.
[399] Even now, short black hair might not have proved it, and she was lying face down but the waist and hips were a woman's, even though she wore a bulky, quilted suit of coveralls.
[400] He knelt beside her and gently turned her face.
[401] She was unconscious.
[402] Broad, dark face, with no make-up; she was apparently in her late thirties.
[403] She appeared to be Chinese.
[404] She breathed, a little raggedly but without visible discomfort; her face was relaxed as though she were sleeping.
[405] She did not rouse as he moved her.
[406] He realized she was breathing the air of the room they were in.
[407] His instant first thought was that she was in danger of asphyxiation; | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the setting of the story?":
1. [47] The walls of the room itself were strange.
2. [48] They were not metal or plaster or knotty pine; they were not papered, painted or overlaid with stucco.
3. [49] They seemed to be made of some sort of hard organic compound, perhaps a sort of plastic or processed cellulose.
4. [50] It was hard to tell colors in the pinkish light.
5. [51] But they seemed to have none.
6. [52] They were "neutral"—the color of aged driftwood or unbleached cloth.
7. [53] Three of the walls were that way, and the floor and ceiling.
8. [54] The fourth wall was something else.
9. [55] Areas in it had the appearance of gratings; from them issued the pungent, distasteful halogen odor.
10. [56] They might be ventilators, he thought; but if so the air they brought in was worse than what he already had.
11. [5] As best he could tell, he was in a sort of room no bigger than a prison cell.
12. [6] Perhaps it was a prison cell.
13. [7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
14. [12] The room was totally dark, and it seemed to be furnished with a collection of hard, sharp, sticky and knobby objects of various shapes and a number of inconvenient sizes.
15. [46] Not everything he saw was familiar.
16. [294] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
17. [295] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
18. [296] He could see the fumes in the room now.
19. [297] The heat was building up.
20. [302] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
21. [303] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
22. [324] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
23. [325] What it showed was cryptic.
24. [326] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
25. [327] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
26. [328] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
27. [329] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
28. [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
29. [2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1963.]
30. [3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] |
Who is Hatcher and what is his role in the story? | [
"Hatcher is an alien of an unnamed race. He cannot be described as male because his race \"had no true males.\" He is three feet tall with a hard-shelled, circular body of jelly. His arms and legs are snakelike mandibles that can detach from his body, and he can control them with his brain from vast distances, although their effectiveness diminishes the further they travel from Hatcher's body. When they return to Hatcher's body, they rest in crevices in his skin. When he feeds, a slit appears at the bottom of his body and emits a thin, fetid fluid Hatcher throws away; he then places a nutrient-filled, kelp-like vegetable in the slit for sustenance. Hatcher is young, adventurous, scientifically gifted, knowledgeable, and enjoys playing sports. Although he does not feel the equivalent of human empathy, he also doesn't want harm to befall McCray and feels responsible for his proper care. Hatcher manages the probe team that observes McCray throughout the story, and he reports on McCray's behavior and his use of \"paranormal powers\" to the supervising council. Hatcher worries about hurrying to establish communication with McCray because he believes it will harm and perhaps even kill him, and later he wonders if communication is even possible at all with humans (later, he notes he is able to establish a minor level of communication with the female but wonders if others might be able to communicate with her). When Hatcher makes his report to the supervising council, they inform him of the return of the Old Ones, who have captured a member of The Central Masses Probe Team. He questions whether or not to tell his crew considering he was never explicitly told not to by the council. In many ways, Hatcher and McCray are similar although Hatcher is generally disgusted by the human body.",
"Hatcher is an alien from a race that was once nearly completely destroyed by humans (they call Old Ones) before. They are now probing humans from McCray’s ship, Starship Jodrell Bank, because they have detected the human mapping mission in the spiral arm of their galaxy and are afraid of another encounter. They are looking for ways to fight or to escape humans for good, and have abandoned one of their planets as a precautionary decoy to avoid an encounter.\nHatcher runs one of the alien Probe Teams, and McCray is one of his human subjects. Hatcher is an adventurous, young scientist who enjoys games and sports, and he is in a position of importance - reporting only to a Councillor of the supervising council of all probes. Hatcher is a three foot diameter sphere with a hard shell and jelly interior. He possesses arms and legs but they are not attached to the sphere of his body. He controls those appendages with his brain telepathically, such that they can be operating in one room when he is in another. He doesn’t want to harm his subjects, including McCray, because they are difficult to acquire. Hatcher doesn’t necessarily have emotions, but he can comprehend human feelings and knows when McCray is in distress during the experiments. Hatcher’s role is essential to his people making contact with humans and finding ways to deal with them so that they don’t have to continue living through generations of fear about being wiped out by them.",
"Hatcher leads the probe team observing Herrell McCray and testing him when he discovers that McCray has paranormal powers (which are actually his voice and the radio microphone). Once he realizes this, he immediately takes the news to the supervising council. After discussing the new information, the council orders Hatcher to establish communication with McCray immediately. They explain that the Central Masses team has just lost one of their probe team to the Old Ones, so the danger is even greater than before, and time is running out. Hatcher is reluctant to push McCray for fear of causing harm to him, but the council lets him know they are facing an emergency. Hatcher informs his team the council is ordering them to move to Stage Two. They increase the heat and pour a halogen gas into the room and watch as McCray uses the spacesuit for protection and breaks out of the room using the space-ax. This means that McCray has passed the first survival test. When the female subject cries out in pain, Hatcher watches with interest as McCray makes his way to her. He thinks that the female and McCray are communicating with each other. Hatcher’s team adds a door to the room McCray is in so that he can find the female, and Hatcher is pleased that McCray has made it this far in their test.",
"Hatcher is one of the probes and the leader of his particular study group. He is a three-foot-tall blob with detachable limbs. He eats through a slit lower on his body, which processes vegetation and then essentially pees it out. He is fairly young, but also very intelligent and capable. Hatcher acts as the commander over the team of probes that are testing and observing Herrel McCray. He, of course, reports to the Council who oversee several different probe operations. Hatcher does not want to kill the Earthmen and believes they are moving too fast with their tests."
] | [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1963.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] His name was Herrell McCray and he was scared.
[5] As best he could tell, he was in a sort of room no bigger than a prison cell.
[6] Perhaps it was a prison cell.
[7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
[8] McCray was ship's navigator, plotting course corrections—not that there were any, ever; but the reason there were none was that the check-sightings were made every hour of the long flight.
[9] He had read off the azimuth angles from the computer sights, automatically locked on their beacon stars, and found them correct; then out of long habit confirmed the locking mechanism visually.
[10] It was only a personal quaintness; he had done it a thousand times.
[11] And while he was looking at Betelgeuse, Rigel and Saiph ... it happened.
[12] The room was totally dark, and it seemed to be furnished with a collection of hard, sharp, sticky and knobby objects of various shapes and a number of inconvenient sizes.
[13] McCray tripped over something that rocked under his feet and fell against something that clattered hollowly.
[14] He picked himself up, braced against something that smelled dangerously of halogen compounds, and scratched his shoulder, right through his space-tunic, against something that vibrated as he touched it.
[15] McCray had no idea where he was, and no way to find out.
[16] Not only was he in darkness, but in utter silence as well.
[17] No.
[18] Not quite utter silence.
[19] Somewhere, just at the threshold of his senses, there was something like a voice.
[20] He could not quite hear it, but it was there.
[21] He sat as still as he could, listening; it remained elusive.
[22] Probably it was only an illusion.
[23] But the room itself was hard fact.
[24] McCray swore violently and out loud.
[25] It was crazy and impossible.
[26] There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on.
[27] He cried aloud in exasperation: "If I could only see !"
[28] He tripped and fell against something that was soft, slimy and, like baker's dough, not at all resilient.
[29] A flickering halo of pinkish light appeared.
[30] He sat up, startled.
[31] He was looking at something that resembled a suit of medieval armor.
[32] It was, he saw in a moment, not armor but a spacesuit.
[33] But what was the light?
[34] And what were these other things in the room?
[35] Wherever he looked, the light danced along with his eyes.
[36] It was like having tunnel vision or wearing blinders.
[37] He could see what he was looking at, but he could see nothing else.
[38] And the things he could see made no sense.
[39] A spacesuit, yes; he knew that he could construct a logical explanation for that with no trouble—maybe a subspace meteorite striking the Jodrell Bank , an explosion, himself knocked out, brought here in a suit ... well, it was an explanation with more holes than fabric, like a fisherman's net, but at least it was rational.
[40] How to explain a set of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
[41] A space-ax?
[42] Or the old-fashioned child's rocking-chair, the chemistry set—or, most of all, the scrap of gaily printed fabric that, when he picked it up, turned out to be a girl's scanty bathing suit?
[43] It was slightly reassuring, McCray thought, to find that most of the objects were more or less familiar.
[44] Even the child's chair—why, he'd had one more or less like that himself, long before he was old enough to go to school.
[45] But what were they doing here?
[46] Not everything he saw was familiar.
[47] The walls of the room itself were strange.
[48] They were not metal or plaster or knotty pine; they were not papered, painted or overlaid with stucco.
[49] They seemed to be made of some sort of hard organic compound, perhaps a sort of plastic or processed cellulose.
[50] It was hard to tell colors in the pinkish light.
[51] But they seemed to have none.
[52] They were "neutral"—the color of aged driftwood or unbleached cloth.
[53] Three of the walls were that way, and the floor and ceiling.
[54] The fourth wall was something else.
[55] Areas in it had the appearance of gratings; from them issued the pungent, distasteful halogen odor.
[56] They might be ventilators, he thought; but if so the air they brought in was worse than what he already had.
[57] McCray was beginning to feel more confident.
[58] It was astonishing how a little light made an impossible situation bearable, how quickly his courage flowed back when he could see again.
[59] He stood still, thinking.
[60] Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee.
[61] Item, apart from being shaken up and—he admitted it—scared damn near witless, he did not seem to be hurt.
[62] Item, wherever he was now, it became, not so much what had happened to him, but what had happened to the ship?
[63] He allowed that thought to seep into his mind.
[64] Suppose there had been an accident to the Jodrell Bank .
[65] He could, of course, be dead.
[66] All this could be the fantasies of a cooling brain.
[67] McCray grinned into the pink-lit darkness.
[68] The thought had somehow refreshed him, like icewater between rounds, and with a clearing head he remembered what a spacesuit was good for.
[69] It held a radio.
[70] He pressed the unsealing tabs, slipped his hand into the vacant chest of the suit and pulled out the hand mike.
[71] "This is Herrell McCray," he said, "calling the Jodrell Bank ."
[72] No response.
[73] He frowned.
[74] "This is Herrell McCray, calling Jodrell Bank .
[75] "Herrell McCray, calling anybody, come in, please."
[76] But there was no answer.
[77] Thoughtfully he replaced the microphone.
[78] This was ultrawave radio, something more than a million times faster than light, with a range measured, at least, in hundreds of light-years.
[79] If there was no answer, he was a good long way from anywhere.
[80] Of course, the thing might not be operating.
[81] He reached for the microphone again— He cried aloud.
[82] The pinkish lights went out.
[83] He was in the dark again, worse dark than before.
[84] For before the light had gone, McCray had seen what had escaped his eyes before.
[85] The suit and the microphone were clear enough in the pinkish glimmer; but the hand—his own hand, cupped to hold the microphone—he had not seen at all.
[86] Nor his arm.
[87] Nor, in one fleeting moment of study, his chest.
[88] McCray could not see any part of his own body at all.
[89] II Someone else could.
[90] Someone was watching Herrell McCray, with the clinical fascination of a biochemist observing the wigglings of paramecia in a new antibiotic—and with the prayerful emotions of a starving, shipwrecked, sailor, watching the inward bobbing drift of a wave-born cask that may contain food.
[91] Suppose you call him "Hatcher" (and suppose you call it a "him.")
[92] Hatcher was not exactly male, because his race had no true males; but it did have females and he was certainly not that.
[93] Hatcher did not in any way look like a human being, but they had features in common.
[94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
[95] Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture.
[96] Both enjoyed games—McCray baseball, poker and three-dimensional chess; Hatcher a number of sports which defy human description.
[97] Both held positions of some importance—considering their ages—in the affairs of their respective worlds.
[98] Physically they were nothing alike.
[99] Hatcher was a three-foot, hard-shelled sphere of jelly.
[100] He had "arms" and "legs," but they were not organically attached to "himself."
[101] They were snakelike things which obeyed the orders of his brain as well as your mind can make your toes curl; but they did not touch him directly.
[102] Indeed, they worked as well a yard or a quarter-mile away as they did when, rarely, they rested in the crevices they had been formed from in his "skin."
[103] At greater distances they worked less well, for reasons irrelevant to the Law of Inverse Squares.
[104] Hatcher's principal task at this moment was to run the "probe team" which had McCray under observation, and he was more than a little excited.
[105] His members, disposed about the room where he had sent them on various errands, quivered and shook a little; yet they were the calmest limbs in the room; the members of the other team workers were in a state of violent commotion.
[106] The probe team had had a shock.
[107] "Paranormal powers," muttered Hatcher's second in command, and the others mumbled agreement.
[108] Hatcher ordered silence, studying the specimen from Earth.
[109] After a long moment he turned his senses from the Earthman.
[110] "Incredible—but it's true enough," he said.
[111] "I'd better report.
[112] Watch him," he added, but that was surely unnecessary.
[113] Their job was to watch McCray, and they would do their job; and even more, not one of them could have looked away to save his life from the spectacle of a creature as odd and, from their point of view, hideously alien as Herrell McCray.
[114] Hatcher hurried through the halls of the great buried structure in which he worked, toward the place where the supervising council of all probes would be in permanent session.
[115] They admitted him at once.
[116] Hatcher identified himself and gave a quick, concise report: "The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
[117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
[118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
[119] "This appeared to work well for a time.
[120] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
[121] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
[122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
[123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
[124] The supervising council rocked with excitement.
[125] "You're sure?"
[126] demanded one of the councilmen.
[127] "Yes, sir.
[128] The staff is preparing a technical description of the forces now, but I can say that they are electromagnetic vibrations modulating a carrier wave of very high speed, and in turn modulated by the vibrations of the atmosphere caused by the subject's own breathing."
[129] "Fantastic," breathed the councillor, in a tone of dawning hope.
[130] "How about communicating with him, Hatcher?
[131] Any progress?"
[132] "Well ... not much, sir.
[133] He suddenly panicked.
[134] We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
[135] The council conferred among itself for a moment, Hatcher waiting.
[136] It was not really a waste of time for him; with the organs he had left in the probe-team room, he was in fairly close touch with what was going on—knew that McCray was once again fumbling among the objects in the dark, knew that the team-members had tried illuminating the room for him briefly and again produced the rising panic.
[137] Still, Hatcher fretted.
[138] He wanted to get back.
[139] "Stop fidgeting," commanded the council leader abruptly.
[140] "Hatcher, you are to establish communication at once."
[141] "But, sir...." Hatcher swung closer, his thick skin quivering slightly; he would have gestured if he had brought members with him to gesture with.
[142] "We've done everything we dare.
[143] We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
[144] We can't go faster.
[145] This creature is in no way similar to us, you know.
[146] He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
[147] His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
[148] "Understood, Hatcher.
[149] In your first report you stated these creatures were intelligent."
[150] "Yes, sir.
[151] But not in our way."
[152] "But in a way, and you must learn that way.
[153] I know."
[154] One lobster-claw shaped member drifted close to the councillor's body and raised itself in an admonitory gesture.
[155] "You want time.
[156] But we don't have time, Hatcher.
[157] Yours is not the only probe team working.
[158] The Central Masses team has just turned in a most alarming report."
[159] "Have they secured a subject?"
[160] Hatcher demanded jealously.
[161] The councillor paused.
[162] "Worse than that, Hatcher.
[163] I am afraid their subjects have secured one of them.
[164] One of them is missing."
[165] There was a moment's silence.
[166] Frozen, Hatcher could only wait.
[167] The council room was like a tableau in a museum until the councillor spoke again, each council member poised over his locus-point, his members drifting about him.
[168] Finally the councillor said, "I speak for all of us, I think.
[169] If the Old Ones have seized one of our probers our time margin is considerably narrowed.
[170] Indeed, we may not have any time at all.
[171] You must do everything you can to establish communication with your subject."
[172] "But the danger to the specimen—" Hatcher protested automatically.
[173] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now ."
[174] Hatcher returned to his laboratory gloomily.
[175] It was just like the council to put the screws on; they had a reputation for demanding results at any cost—even at the cost of destroying the only thing you had that would make results possible.
[176] Hatcher did not like the idea of endangering the Earthman.
[177] It cannot be said that he was emotionally involved; it was not pity or sympathy that caused him to regret the dangers in moving too fast toward communication.
[178] Not even Hatcher had quite got over the revolting physical differences between the Earthman and his own people.
[179] But Hatcher did not want him destroyed.
[180] It had been difficult enough getting him here.
[181] Hatcher checked through the members that he had left with the rest of his team and discovered that there were no immediate emergencies, so he took time to eat.
[182] In Hatcher's race this was accomplished in ways not entirely pleasant to Earthmen.
[183] A slit in the lower hemisphere of his body opened, like a purse, emitting a thin, pussy, fetid fluid which Hatcher caught and poured into a disposal trough at the side of the eating room.
[184] He then stuffed the slit with pulpy vegetation the texture of kelp; it closed, and his body was supplied with nourishment for another day.
[185] He returned quickly to the room.
[186] His second in command was busy, but one of the other team workers reported—nothing new—and asked about Hatcher's appearance before the council.
[187] Hatcher passed the question off.
[188] He considered telling his staff about the disappearance of the Central Masses team member, but decided against it.
[189] He had not been told it was secret.
[190] On the other hand, he had not been told it was not.
[191] Something of this importance was not lightly to be gossiped about.
[192] For endless generations the threat of the Old Ones had hung over his race, those queer, almost mythical beings from the Central Masses of the galaxy.
[193] One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
[194] Only by running and hiding, bearing one of their planets with them and abandoning it—with its population—as a decoy, had they arrived at all.
[195] Now they had detected mapping parties of the Old Ones dangerously near the spiral arm of the galaxy in which their planet was located, they had begun the Probe Teams to find some way of combating them, or of fleeing again.
[196] But it seemed that the Probe Teams themselves might be betraying their existence to their enemies— "Hatcher!"
[197] The call was urgent; he hurried to see what it was about.
[198] It was his second in command, very excited.
[199] "What is it?"
[200] Hatcher demanded.
[201] "Wait...." Hatcher was patient; he knew his assistant well.
[202] Obviously something was about to happen.
[203] He took the moment to call his members back to him for feeding; they dodged back to their niches on his skin, fitted themselves into their vestigial slots, poured back their wastes into his own circulation and ingested what they needed from the meal he had just taken....
[204] "Now!"
[205] cried the assistant.
[206] "Look!"
[207] At what passed among Hatcher's people for a viewing console an image was forming.
[208] Actually it was the assistant himself who formed it, not a cathode trace or projected shadow; but it showed what it was meant to show.
[209] Hatcher was startled.
[210] "Another one!
[211] And—is it a different species?
[212] Or merely a different sex?"
[213] "Study the probe for yourself," the assistant invited.
[214] Hatcher studied him frostily; his patience was not, after all, endless.
[215] "No matter," he said at last.
[216] "Bring the other one in."
[217] And then, in a completely different mood, "We may need him badly.
[218] We may be in the process of killing our first one now."
[219] "Killing him, Hatcher?"
[220] Hatcher rose and shook himself, his mindless members floating away like puppies dislodged from suck.
[221] "Council's orders," he said.
[222] "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once."
[223] III Before Stage Two began, or before Herrell McCray realized it had begun, he had an inspiration.
[224] The dark was absolute, but he remembered where the spacesuit had been and groped his way to it and, yes, it had what all spacesuits had to have.
[225] It had a light.
[226] He found the toggle that turned it on and pressed it.
[227] Light.
[228] White, flaring, Earthly light, that showed everything—even himself.
[229] "God bless," he said, almost beside himself with joy.
[230] Whatever that pinkish, dancing halo had been, it had thrown him into a panic; now that he could see his own hand again, he could blame the weird effects on some strange property of the light.
[231] At the moment he heard the click that was the beginning of Stage Two.
[232] He switched off the light and stood for a moment, listening.
[233] For a second he thought he heard the far-off voice, quiet, calm and almost hopeless, that he had sensed hours before; but then that was gone.
[234] Something else was gone.
[235] Some faint mechanical sound that had hardly registered at the time, but was not missing.
[236] And there was, perhaps, a nice new sound that had not been there before; a very faint, an almost inaudible elfin hiss.
[237] McCray switched the light on and looked around.
[238] There seemed to be no change.
[239] And yet, surely, it was warmer in here.
[240] He could see no difference; but perhaps, he thought, he could smell one.
[241] The unpleasant halogen odor from the grating was surely stronger now.
[242] He stood there, perplexed.
[243] A tinny little voice from the helmet of the space suit said sharply, amazement in its tone, "McCray, is that you?
[244] Where the devil are you calling from?"
[245] He forgot smell, sound and temperature and leaped for the suit.
[246] "This is Herrell McCray," he cried.
[247] "I'm in a room of some sort, apparently on a planet of approximate Earth mass.
[248] I don't know—" "McCray!"
[249] cried the tiny voice in his ear.
[250] "Where are you?
[251] This is Jodrell Bank calling.
[252] Answer, please!"
[253] "I am answering, damn it," he roared.
[254] "What took you so long?"
[255] "Herrell McCray," droned the tiny voice in his ear, "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank responding to your message, acknowledge please.
[256] Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray...." It kept on, and on.
[257] McCray took a deep breath and thought.
[258] Something was wrong.
[259] Either they didn't hear him, which meant the radio wasn't transmitting, or—no.
[260] That was not it; they had heard him, because they were responding.
[261] But it seemed to take them so long....
[262] Abruptly his face went white.
[263] Took them so long!
[264] He cast back in his mind, questing for a fact, unable to face its implications.
[265] When was it he called them?
[266] Two hours ago?
[267] Three?
[268] Did that mean—did it possibly mean—that there was a lag of an hour or two each way?
[269] Did it, for example, mean that at the speed of his suit's pararadio, millions of times faster than light, it took hours to get a message to the ship and back?
[270] And if so ... where in the name of heaven was he?
[271] Herrell McCray was a navigator, which is to say, a man who has learned to trust the evidence of mathematics and instrument readings beyond the guesses of his "common sense."
[272] When Jodrell Bank , hurtling faster than light in its voyage between stars, made its regular position check, common sense was a liar.
[273] Light bore false witness.
[274] The line of sight was trustworthy directly forward and directly after—sometimes not even then—and it took computers, sensing their data through instruments, to comprehend a star bearing and convert three fixes into a position.
[275] If the evidence of his radio contradicted common sense, common sense was wrong.
[276] Perhaps it was impossible to believe what the radio's message implied; but it was not necessary to "believe," only to act.
[277] McCray thumbed down the transmitter button and gave a concise report of his situation and his guesses.
[278] "I don't know how I got here.
[279] I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time.
[280] However, if the transmission lag is a reliable indication—" he swallowed and went on—"I'd estimate I am something more than five hundred light-years away from you at this moment.
[281] That's all I have to say, except for one more word: Help."
[282] He grinned sourly and released the button.
[283] The message was on its way, and it would be hours before he could have a reply.
[284] Therefore he had to consider what to do next.
[285] He mopped his brow.
[286] With the droning, repetitious call from the ship finally quiet, the room was quiet again.
[287] And warm.
[288] Very warm, he thought tardily; and more than that.
[289] The halogen stench was strong in his nostrils again.
[290] Hurriedly McCray scrambled into the suit.
[291] By the time he was sealed down he was coughing from the bottom of his lungs, deep, tearing rasps that pained him, uncontrollable.
[292] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
[293] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
[294] He flushed the interior of the suit out with a reckless disregard for the wastage of his air reserve, holding his breath as much as he could, daring only shallow gasps that made him retch and gag.
[295] After a long time he could breathe, though his eyes were spilling tears.
[296] He could see the fumes in the room now.
[297] The heat was building up.
[298] Automatically—now that he had put it on and so started its servo-circuits operating—the suit was cooling him.
[299] This was a deep-space suit, regulation garb when going outside the pressure hull of an FTL ship.
[300] It was good up to at least five hundred degrees in thin air, perhaps three or four hundred in dense.
[301] In thin air or in space it was the elastic joints and couplings that depolymerized when the heat grew too great; in dense air, with conduction pouring energy in faster than the cooling coils could suck it out and hurl it away, it was the refrigerating equipment that broke down.
[302] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
[303] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
[304] All in all it was time for him to do something.
[305] Among the debris on the floor, he remembered, was a five-foot space-ax, tungsten-steel blade and springy aluminum shaft.
[306] McCray caught it up and headed for the door.
[307] It felt good in his gauntlets, a rewarding weight; any weapon straightens the back of the man who holds it, and McCray was grateful for this one.
[308] With something concrete to do he could postpone questioning.
[309] Never mind why he had been brought here; never mind how.
[310] Never mind what he would, or could, do next; all those questions could recede into the background of his mind while he swung the ax and battered his way out of this poisoned oven.
[311] Crash-clang!
[312] The double jolt ran up the shaft of the ax, through his gauntlets and into his arm; but he was making progress, he could see the plastic—or whatever it was—of the door.
[313] It was chipping out.
[314] Not easily, very reluctantly; but flaking out in chips that left a white powdery residue.
[315] At this rate, he thought grimly, he would be an hour getting through it.
[316] Did he have an hour?
[317] But it did not take an hour.
[318] One blow was luckier than the rest; it must have snapped the lock mechanism.
[319] The door shook and slid ajar.
[320] McCray got the thin of the blade into the crack and pried it wide.
[321] He was in another room, maybe a hall, large and bare.
[322] McCray put the broad of his back against the broken door and pressed it as nearly closed as he could; it might not keep the gas and heat out, but it would retard them.
[323] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
[324] There was not even that pink pseudo-light that had baffled him; here was nothing but the beam of his suit lamp.
[325] What it showed was cryptic.
[326] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
[327] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
[328] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
[329] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
[330] He tapped half-heartedly at one of the closed cupboards, and was not surprised when it proved as refractory as the door.
[331] Undoubtedly he could batter it open, but it was not likely that much would be left of its contents when he was through; and there was the question of time.
[332] But his attention was diverted by a gleam from one of the benches.
[333] Metallic parts lay heaped in a pile.
[334] He poked at them with a stiff-fingered gauntlet; they were oddly familiar.
[335] They were, he thought, very much like the parts of a bullet-gun.
[336] In fact, they were.
[337] He could recognize barrel, chamber, trigger, even a couple of cartridges, neatly opened and the grains of powder stacked beside them.
[338] It was an older, clumsier model than the kind he had seen in survival locker, on the Jodrell Bank —and abruptly wished he were carrying now—but it was a pistol.
[339] Another trophy, like the strange assortment in the other room?
[340] He could not guess.
[341] But the others had been more familiar; they all have come from his own ship.
[342] He was prepared to swear that nothing like this antique had been aboard.
[343] The drone began again in his ear, as it had at five-minute intervals all along: "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank calling Herrell McCray...." And louder, blaring, then fading to normal volume as the AVC circuits toned the signal down, another voice.
[344] A woman's voice, crying out in panic and fear: " Jodrell Bank!
[345] Where are you?
[346] Help!"
[347] IV Hatcher's second in command said: "He has got through the first survival test.
[348] In fact, he broke his way out!
[349] What next?"
[350] "Wait!"
[351] Hatcher ordered sharply.
[352] He was watching the new specimen and a troublesome thought had occurred to him.
[353] The new one was female and seemed to be in pain; but it was not the pain that disturbed Hatcher, it was something far more immediate to his interests.
[354] "I think," he said slowly, "that they are in contact."
[355] His assistant vibrated startlement.
[356] "I know," Hatcher said, "but watch.
[357] Do you see?
[358] He is going straight toward her."
[359] Hatcher, who was not human, did not possess truly human emotions; but he did feel amazement when he was amazed, and fear when there was cause to be afraid.
[360] These specimens, obtained with so much difficulty, needed so badly, were his responsibility.
[361] He knew the issues involved much better than any of his helpers.
[362] They could only be surprised at the queer antics of the aliens with attached limbs and strange powers.
[363] Hatcher knew that this was not a freak show, but a matter of life and death.
[364] He said, musing: "This new one, I cannot communicate with her, but I get—almost—a whisper, now and then.
[365] The first one, the male, nothing.
[366] But this female is perhaps not quite mute."
[367] "Then shall we abandon him and work with her, forgetting the first one?"
[368] Hatcher hesitated.
[369] "No," he said at last.
[370] "The male is responding well.
[371] Remember that when last this experiment was done every subject died; he is alive at least.
[372] But I am wondering.
[373] We can't quite communicate with the female—" "But?"
[374] "But I'm not sure that others can't."
[375] The woman's voice was at such close range that McCray's suit radio made a useful RDF set.
[376] He located her direction easily enough, shielding the tiny built-in antenna with the tungsten-steel blade of the ax, while she begged him to hurry.
[377] Her voice was heavily accented, with some words in a language he did not recognize.
[378] She seemed to be in shock.
[379] McCray was hardly surprised at that; he had been close enough to shock himself.
[380] He tried to reassure her as he searched for a way out of the hall, but in the middle of a word her voice stopped.
[381] He hesitated, hefting the ax, glancing back at the way he had come.
[382] There had to be a way out, even if it meant chopping through a wall.
[383] When he turned around again there was a door.
[384] It was oddly shaped and unlike the door he had hewn through, but clearly a door all the same, and it was open.
[385] McCray regarded it grimly.
[386] He went back in his memory with meticulous care.
[387] Had he not looked at, this very spot a matter of moments before?
[388] He had.
[389] And had there been an open door then?
[390] There had not.
[391] There hadn't been even a shadowy outline of the three-sided, uneven opening that stood there now.
[392] Still, it led in the proper direction.
[393] McCray added one more inexplicable fact to his file and walked through.
[394] He was in another hall—or tunnel—rising quite steeply to the right.
[395] By his reckoning it was the proper direction.
[396] He labored up it, sweating under the weight of the suit, and found another open door, this one round, and behind it— Yes, there was the woman whose voice he had heard.
[397] It was a woman, all right.
[398] The voice had been so strained that he hadn't been positive.
[399] Even now, short black hair might not have proved it, and she was lying face down but the waist and hips were a woman's, even though she wore a bulky, quilted suit of coveralls.
[400] He knelt beside her and gently turned her face.
[401] She was unconscious.
[402] Broad, dark face, with no make-up; she was apparently in her late thirties.
[403] She appeared to be Chinese.
[404] She breathed, a little raggedly but without visible discomfort; her face was relaxed as though she were sleeping.
[405] She did not rouse as he moved her.
[406] He realized she was breathing the air of the room they were in.
[407] His instant first thought was that she was in danger of asphyxiation; | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Hatcher and what is his role in the story?":
1. [91] Suppose you call him "Hatcher" (and suppose you call it a "him.")
2. [92] Hatcher was not exactly male, because his race had no true males; but it did have females and he was certainly not that.
3. [93] Hatcher did not in any way look like a human being, but they had features in common.
4. [94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
5. [95] Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture.
6. [99] Hatcher was a three-foot, hard-shelled sphere of jelly.
7. [100] He had "arms" and "legs," but they were not organically attached to "himself."
8. [101] They were snakelike things which obeyed the orders of his brain as well as your mind can make your toes curl; but they did not touch him directly.
9. [102] Indeed, they worked as well a yard or a quarter-mile away as they did when, rarely, they rested in the crevices they had been formed from in his "skin."
10. [103] At greater distances they worked less well, for reasons irrelevant to the Law of Inverse Squares.
11. [104] Hatcher's principal task at this moment was to run the "probe team" which had McCray under observation, and he was more than a little excited.
12. [105] His members, disposed about the room where he had sent them on various errands, quivered and shook a little; yet they were the calmest limbs in the room; the members of the other team workers were in a state of violent commotion.
13. [106] The probe team had had a shock.
14. [107] "Paranormal powers," muttered Hatcher's second in command, and the others mumbled agreement.
15. [108] Hatcher ordered silence, studying the specimen from Earth.
16. [111] "I'd better report.
17. [112] Watch him," he added, but that was surely unnecessary.
18. [113] Their job was to watch McCray, and they would do their job; and even more, not one of them could have looked away to save his life from the spectacle of a creature as odd and, from their point of view, hideously alien as Herrell McCray.
19. [114] Hatcher hurried through the halls of the great buried structure in which he worked, toward the place where the supervising council of all probes would be in permanent session.
20. [116] Hatcher identified himself and gave a quick, concise report: "The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
21. [117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
22. [118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
23. [119] "This appeared to work well for a time.
24. [120] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
25. [121] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
26. [122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
27. [123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
28. [127] "Yes, sir.
29. [128] The staff is preparing a technical description of the forces now, but I can say that they are electromagnetic vibrations modulating a carrier wave of very high speed, and in turn modulated by the vibrations of the atmosphere caused by the subject's own breathing."
30. [129] "Fantastic," breathed the councillor, in a tone of dawning hope.
31. [130] "How about communicating with him, Hatcher?
32. [131] Any progress?"
33. [132] "Well ... not much, sir.
34. [133] He suddenly panicked.
35. [134] We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
36. [135] The council conferred among itself for a moment, Hatcher waiting.
37. [139] "Stop fidgeting," commanded the council leader abruptly.
38. [140] "Hatcher, you are to establish communication at once."
39. [141] "But, sir...." Hatcher swung closer, his thick skin quivering slightly; he would have gestured if he had brought members with him to gesture with.
40. [142] "We've done everything we dare.
41. [143] We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
42. [144] We can't go faster.
43. [145] This creature is in no way similar to us, you know.
44. [146] He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
45. [147] His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
46. [148] "Understood, Hatcher.
47. [149] In your first report you stated these creatures were intelligent."
48. [150] "Yes, sir.
49. [151] But not in our way."
50. [152] "But in a way, and you must learn that way.
51. [153] I know."
52. [154] One lobster-claw shaped member drifted close to the councillor's body and raised itself in an admonitory gesture.
53. [155] "You want time.
54. [156] But we don't have time, Hatcher.
55. [157] Yours is not the only probe team working.
56. [158] The Central Masses team has just turned in a most alarming report."
57. [159] "Have they secured a subject?"
58. [160] Hatcher demanded jealously.
59. [161] The councillor paused.
60. [162] "Worse than that, Hatcher.
61. [163] I am afraid their subjects have secured one of them.
62. [164] One of them is missing."
63. [165] There was a moment's silence.
64. [166] Frozen, Hatcher could only wait.
65. [167] The council room was like a tableau in a museum until the councillor spoke again, each council member poised over his locus-point, his members drifting about him.
66. [168] Finally the councillor said, "I speak for all of us, I think.
67. [169] If the Old Ones have seized one of our probers our time margin is considerably narrowed.
68. [170] Indeed, we may not have any time at all.
69. [171] You must do everything you can to establish communication with your subject."
70. [172] "But the danger to the specimen—" Hatcher protested automatically.
71. [173] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now ."
72. [174] Hatcher returned to his laboratory gloomily.
73. [175] It was just like the council to put the screws on; they had a reputation for demanding results at any cost—even at the cost of destroying the only thing you had that would make results possible.
74. [176] Hatcher did not like the idea of endangering the Earthman.
75. [177] It cannot be said that he was emotionally involved; it was not pity or sympathy that caused him to regret the dangers in moving too fast toward communication.
76. [178] Not even Hatcher had quite got over the revolting physical differences between the Earthman and his own people.
77. [179] But Hatcher did not want him destroyed.
78. [180] It had been difficult enough getting him here.
79. [187] He passed the question off.
80. [188] He considered telling his staff about the disappearance of the Central Masses team member, but decided against it.
81. [189] He had not been told it was secret.
82. [190] On the other hand, he had not been told it was not.
83. [191] Something of this importance was not lightly to be gossiped about.
84. [192] For endless generations the threat of the Old Ones had hung over his race, those queer, almost mythical beings from the Central Masses of the galaxy.
85. [193] One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
86. [194] Only by running and hiding, bearing one of their planets with them and abandoning it—with its population—as a decoy, had they arrived at all.
87. [195] Now they had detected mapping parties of the Old Ones dangerously near the spiral arm of the galaxy in which their planet was located, they had begun the Probe Teams to find some way of combating them, or of fleeing again.
88. [196] But it seemed that the Probe Teams themselves might be betraying their existence to their enemies—
89. [197] "Hatcher!"
90. [198] The call was urgent; he hurried to see what it was about.
91. [199] "What is it?"
92. [200] Hatcher demanded.
93. [201] "Wait...." Hatcher was patient; he knew his assistant well.
94. [202] Obviously something was about to happen.
95. [203] He took the moment to call his members back to him for feeding; they dodged back to their niches on his skin, fitted themselves into their vestigial slots, poured back their wastes into his own circulation and ingested what they needed from the meal he had just taken....
96. [204] "Now!"
97. [205] cried the assistant.
98. [206] "Look!"
99. [207] At what passed among Hatcher's people for a viewing console an image was forming.
100. [208] Actually it was the assistant himself who formed it, not a cathode trace or projected shadow; but it showed what it was meant to show.
101. [209] Hatcher was startled.
102. [210] "Another one!
103. [211] And—is it a different species?
104. [212] Or merely a different sex?"
105. [213] "Study the probe for yourself," the assistant invited.
106. [214] Hatcher studied him frostily; his patience was not, after all, endless.
107. [215] "No matter," he said at last.
108. [216] "Bring the other one in."
109. [217] And then, in a completely different mood, "We may need him badly.
110. [218] We may be in the process of killing our first one now."
111. [219] "Killing him, Hatcher?"
112. [220] Hatcher rose and shook himself, his mindless members floating away like puppies dislodged from suck.
113. [221] "Council's orders," he said.
114. [222] "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once." |
What is the significance of the probes in the story? | [
"Physically speaking, the probes refer to the snakelike mandibles that form the arms and legs of the alien race to which Hatcher belongs. These mandibles are able to detach themselves and travel vast distances away from the body, conducting experiments and running errands controlled remotely by the brain. When they return to the body, they settle into little grooves formed in the skin at the base of the globular host body. Hatcher manages the probe team responsible for observing McCray and running him through a series of tests. The supervising council oversees operations of all the various Probe Teams throughout the universe; the ultimate goal of all Probe Teams is to discover a way in which to defend their race against the hostile Old Ones who have recently resurfaced and captured a team member from The Central Masses Probe Team.",
"The probes are significant because they are being conducted by an alien race in order to find a way to fight humans or to escape them. The threat of the humans (called Old Ones by the aliens) has loomed over the aliens for generations, and Hatcher describes that one encounter with them in the past had nearly completely destroyed their people. The only way they were able to escape was by abandoning one of their planets as a decoy and running away. When Hatcher’s people once again detected that there were humans on a mapping mission in their spiral arm of the galaxy, they formed Probe Teams to capture and study the humans. The success of the probes in establishing contact with the humans is essential to them understanding how to protect their people from the fear they live under.",
"The probes are being carried out in an effort to find an ally among the Old Ones (humans) in order to save the beings of Orion. They had an encounter with the Old Ones years ago, and their race had almost been destroyed. They had to run and hide, take a populated planet with them, and then abandon it. Now the Old Ones are sending out mapping teams near their planet, and they are running out of time. The Probe Teams are trying to find a way to combat the Old Ones or else run from them again. Time is growing shorter because now the Central Masses have taken someone from one of their probe teams, so they might be getting the information to destroy them.",
"The probes cause the main conflict in this story: the kidnapping and testing of two humans. The probes are worried that human domination will occur again and their species will be murdered or forced out of their homes. They plan to learn more about these humans, so they can destroy them, know their plans, or know when to run. The probes kidnap Herrel McCray from the Jodrell Bank and put him through a series of tests to better understand his race. Evidently, they have done this before, for Hatcher speaks of previous test subjects who all died during the first test."
] | [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1963.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] His name was Herrell McCray and he was scared.
[5] As best he could tell, he was in a sort of room no bigger than a prison cell.
[6] Perhaps it was a prison cell.
[7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
[8] McCray was ship's navigator, plotting course corrections—not that there were any, ever; but the reason there were none was that the check-sightings were made every hour of the long flight.
[9] He had read off the azimuth angles from the computer sights, automatically locked on their beacon stars, and found them correct; then out of long habit confirmed the locking mechanism visually.
[10] It was only a personal quaintness; he had done it a thousand times.
[11] And while he was looking at Betelgeuse, Rigel and Saiph ... it happened.
[12] The room was totally dark, and it seemed to be furnished with a collection of hard, sharp, sticky and knobby objects of various shapes and a number of inconvenient sizes.
[13] McCray tripped over something that rocked under his feet and fell against something that clattered hollowly.
[14] He picked himself up, braced against something that smelled dangerously of halogen compounds, and scratched his shoulder, right through his space-tunic, against something that vibrated as he touched it.
[15] McCray had no idea where he was, and no way to find out.
[16] Not only was he in darkness, but in utter silence as well.
[17] No.
[18] Not quite utter silence.
[19] Somewhere, just at the threshold of his senses, there was something like a voice.
[20] He could not quite hear it, but it was there.
[21] He sat as still as he could, listening; it remained elusive.
[22] Probably it was only an illusion.
[23] But the room itself was hard fact.
[24] McCray swore violently and out loud.
[25] It was crazy and impossible.
[26] There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on.
[27] He cried aloud in exasperation: "If I could only see !"
[28] He tripped and fell against something that was soft, slimy and, like baker's dough, not at all resilient.
[29] A flickering halo of pinkish light appeared.
[30] He sat up, startled.
[31] He was looking at something that resembled a suit of medieval armor.
[32] It was, he saw in a moment, not armor but a spacesuit.
[33] But what was the light?
[34] And what were these other things in the room?
[35] Wherever he looked, the light danced along with his eyes.
[36] It was like having tunnel vision or wearing blinders.
[37] He could see what he was looking at, but he could see nothing else.
[38] And the things he could see made no sense.
[39] A spacesuit, yes; he knew that he could construct a logical explanation for that with no trouble—maybe a subspace meteorite striking the Jodrell Bank , an explosion, himself knocked out, brought here in a suit ... well, it was an explanation with more holes than fabric, like a fisherman's net, but at least it was rational.
[40] How to explain a set of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
[41] A space-ax?
[42] Or the old-fashioned child's rocking-chair, the chemistry set—or, most of all, the scrap of gaily printed fabric that, when he picked it up, turned out to be a girl's scanty bathing suit?
[43] It was slightly reassuring, McCray thought, to find that most of the objects were more or less familiar.
[44] Even the child's chair—why, he'd had one more or less like that himself, long before he was old enough to go to school.
[45] But what were they doing here?
[46] Not everything he saw was familiar.
[47] The walls of the room itself were strange.
[48] They were not metal or plaster or knotty pine; they were not papered, painted or overlaid with stucco.
[49] They seemed to be made of some sort of hard organic compound, perhaps a sort of plastic or processed cellulose.
[50] It was hard to tell colors in the pinkish light.
[51] But they seemed to have none.
[52] They were "neutral"—the color of aged driftwood or unbleached cloth.
[53] Three of the walls were that way, and the floor and ceiling.
[54] The fourth wall was something else.
[55] Areas in it had the appearance of gratings; from them issued the pungent, distasteful halogen odor.
[56] They might be ventilators, he thought; but if so the air they brought in was worse than what he already had.
[57] McCray was beginning to feel more confident.
[58] It was astonishing how a little light made an impossible situation bearable, how quickly his courage flowed back when he could see again.
[59] He stood still, thinking.
[60] Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee.
[61] Item, apart from being shaken up and—he admitted it—scared damn near witless, he did not seem to be hurt.
[62] Item, wherever he was now, it became, not so much what had happened to him, but what had happened to the ship?
[63] He allowed that thought to seep into his mind.
[64] Suppose there had been an accident to the Jodrell Bank .
[65] He could, of course, be dead.
[66] All this could be the fantasies of a cooling brain.
[67] McCray grinned into the pink-lit darkness.
[68] The thought had somehow refreshed him, like icewater between rounds, and with a clearing head he remembered what a spacesuit was good for.
[69] It held a radio.
[70] He pressed the unsealing tabs, slipped his hand into the vacant chest of the suit and pulled out the hand mike.
[71] "This is Herrell McCray," he said, "calling the Jodrell Bank ."
[72] No response.
[73] He frowned.
[74] "This is Herrell McCray, calling Jodrell Bank .
[75] "Herrell McCray, calling anybody, come in, please."
[76] But there was no answer.
[77] Thoughtfully he replaced the microphone.
[78] This was ultrawave radio, something more than a million times faster than light, with a range measured, at least, in hundreds of light-years.
[79] If there was no answer, he was a good long way from anywhere.
[80] Of course, the thing might not be operating.
[81] He reached for the microphone again— He cried aloud.
[82] The pinkish lights went out.
[83] He was in the dark again, worse dark than before.
[84] For before the light had gone, McCray had seen what had escaped his eyes before.
[85] The suit and the microphone were clear enough in the pinkish glimmer; but the hand—his own hand, cupped to hold the microphone—he had not seen at all.
[86] Nor his arm.
[87] Nor, in one fleeting moment of study, his chest.
[88] McCray could not see any part of his own body at all.
[89] II Someone else could.
[90] Someone was watching Herrell McCray, with the clinical fascination of a biochemist observing the wigglings of paramecia in a new antibiotic—and with the prayerful emotions of a starving, shipwrecked, sailor, watching the inward bobbing drift of a wave-born cask that may contain food.
[91] Suppose you call him "Hatcher" (and suppose you call it a "him.")
[92] Hatcher was not exactly male, because his race had no true males; but it did have females and he was certainly not that.
[93] Hatcher did not in any way look like a human being, but they had features in common.
[94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
[95] Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture.
[96] Both enjoyed games—McCray baseball, poker and three-dimensional chess; Hatcher a number of sports which defy human description.
[97] Both held positions of some importance—considering their ages—in the affairs of their respective worlds.
[98] Physically they were nothing alike.
[99] Hatcher was a three-foot, hard-shelled sphere of jelly.
[100] He had "arms" and "legs," but they were not organically attached to "himself."
[101] They were snakelike things which obeyed the orders of his brain as well as your mind can make your toes curl; but they did not touch him directly.
[102] Indeed, they worked as well a yard or a quarter-mile away as they did when, rarely, they rested in the crevices they had been formed from in his "skin."
[103] At greater distances they worked less well, for reasons irrelevant to the Law of Inverse Squares.
[104] Hatcher's principal task at this moment was to run the "probe team" which had McCray under observation, and he was more than a little excited.
[105] His members, disposed about the room where he had sent them on various errands, quivered and shook a little; yet they were the calmest limbs in the room; the members of the other team workers were in a state of violent commotion.
[106] The probe team had had a shock.
[107] "Paranormal powers," muttered Hatcher's second in command, and the others mumbled agreement.
[108] Hatcher ordered silence, studying the specimen from Earth.
[109] After a long moment he turned his senses from the Earthman.
[110] "Incredible—but it's true enough," he said.
[111] "I'd better report.
[112] Watch him," he added, but that was surely unnecessary.
[113] Their job was to watch McCray, and they would do their job; and even more, not one of them could have looked away to save his life from the spectacle of a creature as odd and, from their point of view, hideously alien as Herrell McCray.
[114] Hatcher hurried through the halls of the great buried structure in which he worked, toward the place where the supervising council of all probes would be in permanent session.
[115] They admitted him at once.
[116] Hatcher identified himself and gave a quick, concise report: "The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
[117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
[118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
[119] "This appeared to work well for a time.
[120] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
[121] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
[122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
[123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
[124] The supervising council rocked with excitement.
[125] "You're sure?"
[126] demanded one of the councilmen.
[127] "Yes, sir.
[128] The staff is preparing a technical description of the forces now, but I can say that they are electromagnetic vibrations modulating a carrier wave of very high speed, and in turn modulated by the vibrations of the atmosphere caused by the subject's own breathing."
[129] "Fantastic," breathed the councillor, in a tone of dawning hope.
[130] "How about communicating with him, Hatcher?
[131] Any progress?"
[132] "Well ... not much, sir.
[133] He suddenly panicked.
[134] We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
[135] The council conferred among itself for a moment, Hatcher waiting.
[136] It was not really a waste of time for him; with the organs he had left in the probe-team room, he was in fairly close touch with what was going on—knew that McCray was once again fumbling among the objects in the dark, knew that the team-members had tried illuminating the room for him briefly and again produced the rising panic.
[137] Still, Hatcher fretted.
[138] He wanted to get back.
[139] "Stop fidgeting," commanded the council leader abruptly.
[140] "Hatcher, you are to establish communication at once."
[141] "But, sir...." Hatcher swung closer, his thick skin quivering slightly; he would have gestured if he had brought members with him to gesture with.
[142] "We've done everything we dare.
[143] We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
[144] We can't go faster.
[145] This creature is in no way similar to us, you know.
[146] He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
[147] His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
[148] "Understood, Hatcher.
[149] In your first report you stated these creatures were intelligent."
[150] "Yes, sir.
[151] But not in our way."
[152] "But in a way, and you must learn that way.
[153] I know."
[154] One lobster-claw shaped member drifted close to the councillor's body and raised itself in an admonitory gesture.
[155] "You want time.
[156] But we don't have time, Hatcher.
[157] Yours is not the only probe team working.
[158] The Central Masses team has just turned in a most alarming report."
[159] "Have they secured a subject?"
[160] Hatcher demanded jealously.
[161] The councillor paused.
[162] "Worse than that, Hatcher.
[163] I am afraid their subjects have secured one of them.
[164] One of them is missing."
[165] There was a moment's silence.
[166] Frozen, Hatcher could only wait.
[167] The council room was like a tableau in a museum until the councillor spoke again, each council member poised over his locus-point, his members drifting about him.
[168] Finally the councillor said, "I speak for all of us, I think.
[169] If the Old Ones have seized one of our probers our time margin is considerably narrowed.
[170] Indeed, we may not have any time at all.
[171] You must do everything you can to establish communication with your subject."
[172] "But the danger to the specimen—" Hatcher protested automatically.
[173] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now ."
[174] Hatcher returned to his laboratory gloomily.
[175] It was just like the council to put the screws on; they had a reputation for demanding results at any cost—even at the cost of destroying the only thing you had that would make results possible.
[176] Hatcher did not like the idea of endangering the Earthman.
[177] It cannot be said that he was emotionally involved; it was not pity or sympathy that caused him to regret the dangers in moving too fast toward communication.
[178] Not even Hatcher had quite got over the revolting physical differences between the Earthman and his own people.
[179] But Hatcher did not want him destroyed.
[180] It had been difficult enough getting him here.
[181] Hatcher checked through the members that he had left with the rest of his team and discovered that there were no immediate emergencies, so he took time to eat.
[182] In Hatcher's race this was accomplished in ways not entirely pleasant to Earthmen.
[183] A slit in the lower hemisphere of his body opened, like a purse, emitting a thin, pussy, fetid fluid which Hatcher caught and poured into a disposal trough at the side of the eating room.
[184] He then stuffed the slit with pulpy vegetation the texture of kelp; it closed, and his body was supplied with nourishment for another day.
[185] He returned quickly to the room.
[186] His second in command was busy, but one of the other team workers reported—nothing new—and asked about Hatcher's appearance before the council.
[187] Hatcher passed the question off.
[188] He considered telling his staff about the disappearance of the Central Masses team member, but decided against it.
[189] He had not been told it was secret.
[190] On the other hand, he had not been told it was not.
[191] Something of this importance was not lightly to be gossiped about.
[192] For endless generations the threat of the Old Ones had hung over his race, those queer, almost mythical beings from the Central Masses of the galaxy.
[193] One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
[194] Only by running and hiding, bearing one of their planets with them and abandoning it—with its population—as a decoy, had they arrived at all.
[195] Now they had detected mapping parties of the Old Ones dangerously near the spiral arm of the galaxy in which their planet was located, they had begun the Probe Teams to find some way of combating them, or of fleeing again.
[196] But it seemed that the Probe Teams themselves might be betraying their existence to their enemies— "Hatcher!"
[197] The call was urgent; he hurried to see what it was about.
[198] It was his second in command, very excited.
[199] "What is it?"
[200] Hatcher demanded.
[201] "Wait...." Hatcher was patient; he knew his assistant well.
[202] Obviously something was about to happen.
[203] He took the moment to call his members back to him for feeding; they dodged back to their niches on his skin, fitted themselves into their vestigial slots, poured back their wastes into his own circulation and ingested what they needed from the meal he had just taken....
[204] "Now!"
[205] cried the assistant.
[206] "Look!"
[207] At what passed among Hatcher's people for a viewing console an image was forming.
[208] Actually it was the assistant himself who formed it, not a cathode trace or projected shadow; but it showed what it was meant to show.
[209] Hatcher was startled.
[210] "Another one!
[211] And—is it a different species?
[212] Or merely a different sex?"
[213] "Study the probe for yourself," the assistant invited.
[214] Hatcher studied him frostily; his patience was not, after all, endless.
[215] "No matter," he said at last.
[216] "Bring the other one in."
[217] And then, in a completely different mood, "We may need him badly.
[218] We may be in the process of killing our first one now."
[219] "Killing him, Hatcher?"
[220] Hatcher rose and shook himself, his mindless members floating away like puppies dislodged from suck.
[221] "Council's orders," he said.
[222] "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once."
[223] III Before Stage Two began, or before Herrell McCray realized it had begun, he had an inspiration.
[224] The dark was absolute, but he remembered where the spacesuit had been and groped his way to it and, yes, it had what all spacesuits had to have.
[225] It had a light.
[226] He found the toggle that turned it on and pressed it.
[227] Light.
[228] White, flaring, Earthly light, that showed everything—even himself.
[229] "God bless," he said, almost beside himself with joy.
[230] Whatever that pinkish, dancing halo had been, it had thrown him into a panic; now that he could see his own hand again, he could blame the weird effects on some strange property of the light.
[231] At the moment he heard the click that was the beginning of Stage Two.
[232] He switched off the light and stood for a moment, listening.
[233] For a second he thought he heard the far-off voice, quiet, calm and almost hopeless, that he had sensed hours before; but then that was gone.
[234] Something else was gone.
[235] Some faint mechanical sound that had hardly registered at the time, but was not missing.
[236] And there was, perhaps, a nice new sound that had not been there before; a very faint, an almost inaudible elfin hiss.
[237] McCray switched the light on and looked around.
[238] There seemed to be no change.
[239] And yet, surely, it was warmer in here.
[240] He could see no difference; but perhaps, he thought, he could smell one.
[241] The unpleasant halogen odor from the grating was surely stronger now.
[242] He stood there, perplexed.
[243] A tinny little voice from the helmet of the space suit said sharply, amazement in its tone, "McCray, is that you?
[244] Where the devil are you calling from?"
[245] He forgot smell, sound and temperature and leaped for the suit.
[246] "This is Herrell McCray," he cried.
[247] "I'm in a room of some sort, apparently on a planet of approximate Earth mass.
[248] I don't know—" "McCray!"
[249] cried the tiny voice in his ear.
[250] "Where are you?
[251] This is Jodrell Bank calling.
[252] Answer, please!"
[253] "I am answering, damn it," he roared.
[254] "What took you so long?"
[255] "Herrell McCray," droned the tiny voice in his ear, "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank responding to your message, acknowledge please.
[256] Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray...." It kept on, and on.
[257] McCray took a deep breath and thought.
[258] Something was wrong.
[259] Either they didn't hear him, which meant the radio wasn't transmitting, or—no.
[260] That was not it; they had heard him, because they were responding.
[261] But it seemed to take them so long....
[262] Abruptly his face went white.
[263] Took them so long!
[264] He cast back in his mind, questing for a fact, unable to face its implications.
[265] When was it he called them?
[266] Two hours ago?
[267] Three?
[268] Did that mean—did it possibly mean—that there was a lag of an hour or two each way?
[269] Did it, for example, mean that at the speed of his suit's pararadio, millions of times faster than light, it took hours to get a message to the ship and back?
[270] And if so ... where in the name of heaven was he?
[271] Herrell McCray was a navigator, which is to say, a man who has learned to trust the evidence of mathematics and instrument readings beyond the guesses of his "common sense."
[272] When Jodrell Bank , hurtling faster than light in its voyage between stars, made its regular position check, common sense was a liar.
[273] Light bore false witness.
[274] The line of sight was trustworthy directly forward and directly after—sometimes not even then—and it took computers, sensing their data through instruments, to comprehend a star bearing and convert three fixes into a position.
[275] If the evidence of his radio contradicted common sense, common sense was wrong.
[276] Perhaps it was impossible to believe what the radio's message implied; but it was not necessary to "believe," only to act.
[277] McCray thumbed down the transmitter button and gave a concise report of his situation and his guesses.
[278] "I don't know how I got here.
[279] I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time.
[280] However, if the transmission lag is a reliable indication—" he swallowed and went on—"I'd estimate I am something more than five hundred light-years away from you at this moment.
[281] That's all I have to say, except for one more word: Help."
[282] He grinned sourly and released the button.
[283] The message was on its way, and it would be hours before he could have a reply.
[284] Therefore he had to consider what to do next.
[285] He mopped his brow.
[286] With the droning, repetitious call from the ship finally quiet, the room was quiet again.
[287] And warm.
[288] Very warm, he thought tardily; and more than that.
[289] The halogen stench was strong in his nostrils again.
[290] Hurriedly McCray scrambled into the suit.
[291] By the time he was sealed down he was coughing from the bottom of his lungs, deep, tearing rasps that pained him, uncontrollable.
[292] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
[293] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
[294] He flushed the interior of the suit out with a reckless disregard for the wastage of his air reserve, holding his breath as much as he could, daring only shallow gasps that made him retch and gag.
[295] After a long time he could breathe, though his eyes were spilling tears.
[296] He could see the fumes in the room now.
[297] The heat was building up.
[298] Automatically—now that he had put it on and so started its servo-circuits operating—the suit was cooling him.
[299] This was a deep-space suit, regulation garb when going outside the pressure hull of an FTL ship.
[300] It was good up to at least five hundred degrees in thin air, perhaps three or four hundred in dense.
[301] In thin air or in space it was the elastic joints and couplings that depolymerized when the heat grew too great; in dense air, with conduction pouring energy in faster than the cooling coils could suck it out and hurl it away, it was the refrigerating equipment that broke down.
[302] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
[303] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
[304] All in all it was time for him to do something.
[305] Among the debris on the floor, he remembered, was a five-foot space-ax, tungsten-steel blade and springy aluminum shaft.
[306] McCray caught it up and headed for the door.
[307] It felt good in his gauntlets, a rewarding weight; any weapon straightens the back of the man who holds it, and McCray was grateful for this one.
[308] With something concrete to do he could postpone questioning.
[309] Never mind why he had been brought here; never mind how.
[310] Never mind what he would, or could, do next; all those questions could recede into the background of his mind while he swung the ax and battered his way out of this poisoned oven.
[311] Crash-clang!
[312] The double jolt ran up the shaft of the ax, through his gauntlets and into his arm; but he was making progress, he could see the plastic—or whatever it was—of the door.
[313] It was chipping out.
[314] Not easily, very reluctantly; but flaking out in chips that left a white powdery residue.
[315] At this rate, he thought grimly, he would be an hour getting through it.
[316] Did he have an hour?
[317] But it did not take an hour.
[318] One blow was luckier than the rest; it must have snapped the lock mechanism.
[319] The door shook and slid ajar.
[320] McCray got the thin of the blade into the crack and pried it wide.
[321] He was in another room, maybe a hall, large and bare.
[322] McCray put the broad of his back against the broken door and pressed it as nearly closed as he could; it might not keep the gas and heat out, but it would retard them.
[323] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
[324] There was not even that pink pseudo-light that had baffled him; here was nothing but the beam of his suit lamp.
[325] What it showed was cryptic.
[326] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
[327] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
[328] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
[329] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
[330] He tapped half-heartedly at one of the closed cupboards, and was not surprised when it proved as refractory as the door.
[331] Undoubtedly he could batter it open, but it was not likely that much would be left of its contents when he was through; and there was the question of time.
[332] But his attention was diverted by a gleam from one of the benches.
[333] Metallic parts lay heaped in a pile.
[334] He poked at them with a stiff-fingered gauntlet; they were oddly familiar.
[335] They were, he thought, very much like the parts of a bullet-gun.
[336] In fact, they were.
[337] He could recognize barrel, chamber, trigger, even a couple of cartridges, neatly opened and the grains of powder stacked beside them.
[338] It was an older, clumsier model than the kind he had seen in survival locker, on the Jodrell Bank —and abruptly wished he were carrying now—but it was a pistol.
[339] Another trophy, like the strange assortment in the other room?
[340] He could not guess.
[341] But the others had been more familiar; they all have come from his own ship.
[342] He was prepared to swear that nothing like this antique had been aboard.
[343] The drone began again in his ear, as it had at five-minute intervals all along: "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank calling Herrell McCray...." And louder, blaring, then fading to normal volume as the AVC circuits toned the signal down, another voice.
[344] A woman's voice, crying out in panic and fear: " Jodrell Bank!
[345] Where are you?
[346] Help!"
[347] IV Hatcher's second in command said: "He has got through the first survival test.
[348] In fact, he broke his way out!
[349] What next?"
[350] "Wait!"
[351] Hatcher ordered sharply.
[352] He was watching the new specimen and a troublesome thought had occurred to him.
[353] The new one was female and seemed to be in pain; but it was not the pain that disturbed Hatcher, it was something far more immediate to his interests.
[354] "I think," he said slowly, "that they are in contact."
[355] His assistant vibrated startlement.
[356] "I know," Hatcher said, "but watch.
[357] Do you see?
[358] He is going straight toward her."
[359] Hatcher, who was not human, did not possess truly human emotions; but he did feel amazement when he was amazed, and fear when there was cause to be afraid.
[360] These specimens, obtained with so much difficulty, needed so badly, were his responsibility.
[361] He knew the issues involved much better than any of his helpers.
[362] They could only be surprised at the queer antics of the aliens with attached limbs and strange powers.
[363] Hatcher knew that this was not a freak show, but a matter of life and death.
[364] He said, musing: "This new one, I cannot communicate with her, but I get—almost—a whisper, now and then.
[365] The first one, the male, nothing.
[366] But this female is perhaps not quite mute."
[367] "Then shall we abandon him and work with her, forgetting the first one?"
[368] Hatcher hesitated.
[369] "No," he said at last.
[370] "The male is responding well.
[371] Remember that when last this experiment was done every subject died; he is alive at least.
[372] But I am wondering.
[373] We can't quite communicate with the female—" "But?"
[374] "But I'm not sure that others can't."
[375] The woman's voice was at such close range that McCray's suit radio made a useful RDF set.
[376] He located her direction easily enough, shielding the tiny built-in antenna with the tungsten-steel blade of the ax, while she begged him to hurry.
[377] Her voice was heavily accented, with some words in a language he did not recognize.
[378] She seemed to be in shock.
[379] McCray was hardly surprised at that; he had been close enough to shock himself.
[380] He tried to reassure her as he searched for a way out of the hall, but in the middle of a word her voice stopped.
[381] He hesitated, hefting the ax, glancing back at the way he had come.
[382] There had to be a way out, even if it meant chopping through a wall.
[383] When he turned around again there was a door.
[384] It was oddly shaped and unlike the door he had hewn through, but clearly a door all the same, and it was open.
[385] McCray regarded it grimly.
[386] He went back in his memory with meticulous care.
[387] Had he not looked at, this very spot a matter of moments before?
[388] He had.
[389] And had there been an open door then?
[390] There had not.
[391] There hadn't been even a shadowy outline of the three-sided, uneven opening that stood there now.
[392] Still, it led in the proper direction.
[393] McCray added one more inexplicable fact to his file and walked through.
[394] He was in another hall—or tunnel—rising quite steeply to the right.
[395] By his reckoning it was the proper direction.
[396] He labored up it, sweating under the weight of the suit, and found another open door, this one round, and behind it— Yes, there was the woman whose voice he had heard.
[397] It was a woman, all right.
[398] The voice had been so strained that he hadn't been positive.
[399] Even now, short black hair might not have proved it, and she was lying face down but the waist and hips were a woman's, even though she wore a bulky, quilted suit of coveralls.
[400] He knelt beside her and gently turned her face.
[401] She was unconscious.
[402] Broad, dark face, with no make-up; she was apparently in her late thirties.
[403] She appeared to be Chinese.
[404] She breathed, a little raggedly but without visible discomfort; her face was relaxed as though she were sleeping.
[405] She did not rouse as he moved her.
[406] He realized she was breathing the air of the room they were in.
[407] His instant first thought was that she was in danger of asphyxiation; | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the significance of the probes in the story?":
1. [104] Hatcher's principal task at this moment was to run the "probe team" which had McCray under observation, and he was more than a little excited.
2. [106] The probe team had had a shock.
3. [116] Hatcher identified himself and gave a quick, concise report: "The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
4. [117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
5. [118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
6. [122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
7. [123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin we had provided for him, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
8. [130] "How about communicating with him, Hatcher? Any progress?"
9. [133] "Well ... not much, sir. He suddenly panicked. We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
10. [142] "We've done everything we dare. We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
11. [143] We can't go faster.
12. [144] This creature is in no way similar to us, you know.
13. [145] He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
14. [146] His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
15. [154] "The Central Masses team has just turned in a most alarming report."
16. [159] "Have they secured a subject?"
17. [160] Hatcher demanded jealously.
18. [161] The councillor paused.
19. [162] "Worse than that, Hatcher. I am afraid their subjects have secured one of them. One of them is missing."
20. [172] "But the danger to the specimen—" Hatcher protested automatically.
21. [173] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now."
22. [188] He had not been told it was secret.
23. [189] On the other hand, he had not been told it was not.
24. [190] Something of this importance was not lightly to be gossiped about.
25. [191] For endless generations the threat of the Old Ones had hung over his race, those queer, almost mythical beings from the Central Masses of the galaxy.
26. [192] One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
27. [193] Only by running and hiding, bearing one of their planets with them and abandoning it—with its population—as a decoy, had they arrived at all.
28. [194] Now they had detected mapping parties of the Old Ones dangerously near the spiral arm of the galaxy in which their planet was located, they had begun the Probe Teams to find some way of combating them, or of fleeing again.
29. [195] But it seemed that the Probe Teams themselves might be betraying their existence to their enemies—
30. [214] "No matter," he said at last.
31. [215] "Bring the other one in."
32. [216] And then, in a completely different mood, "We may need him badly. We may be in the process of killing our first one now."
33. [219] "Killing him, Hatcher?"
34. [220] Hatcher rose and shook himself, his mindless members floating away like puppies dislodged from suck.
35. [221] "Council's orders," he said.
36. [222] "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once." |
Who is Herrell McCray and what happens to him in the story? | [
"Herrell McCray is the navigator for the Starship Jodrell Bank whose mission is to reach the colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine. He is young, adventurous, gifted in science and technology, and enjoys playing baseball, poker, and 3D chess. When McCray finds himself inexplicably abducted and transported to a dark room in an unknown location, he is confused about how he ended up in that location and why he is surrounded by items that vaguely remind him of his childhood. He is grateful when a pinkish light offers some illumination, and he attempts to contact his ship using the radio on a spacesuit he finds in the room. Before the light goes out, he panics when he is not able to see any part of his body; he later realizes this was a trick of the light. McCray continues to attempt to make contact with the ship and hours go by before he receives a reply, which makes him realize he is possibly millions of lightyears away from it. As McCray realizes his room is slowly filling with toxic fumes, he uses an ax he finds to break free and tries to find a way to escape his unknown prison. As he navigates the unusual building, he finds a gun and eventually hears a transmission from an unknown woman who is also calling out for the ship. He makes his way through bizarre doors until he finds her face down on the ground.",
"Herrell McCray is a navigator on the interstellar mapping vessel Jodrell Bank. He is a logical, mathematical thinker. During a routine course check on his way from Earth to the colonies of Betelgeuse Nine, he suddenly is no longer at his navigation station, but instead in a dark room that stinks of halogen compounds. The room is like a dark, scary, trophy room full of meaningful objects from McCray’s past and present. He has been captured by an alien race that is studying humans to try to make contact with them to determine how to fight or escape them, and they’ve put him in this room with artificial objects to try to make McCray calm so they can run tests. He tries the radio on a spacesuit in the room several times. He receives a message from his ship several hours later that gives him a glimmer of hope for rescue, but he calculates that he must be five hundred light years away from them to account for the hours-long lag between messages. When the room begins heating up and chlorine gas begins burning his lungs as the aliens administer a survival test, he quickly gets into the spacesuit and breaks out of the room with a large space axe. He passes the survival test without knowing it. He hears a woman scream for help on his radio and he realizes she is also in the facility and goes to her. He finds her unconscious, face down on the floor from possible asphyxiation.",
"Herrell McCray is the ship’s navigator on the Starship Jodrell Bank. On a routine mission from Earth to the colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine, he visually confirms the navigation's locking mechanism when he suddenly finds himself in a completely dark room filled with various objects. He tries to explore the objects with his hands but in frustration, calls out that he wishes he could see, and there is a flicker of pinkish light from a spacesuit. With the light available to him, he looks at the other objects in the room: a set of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a space-ax, an old-fashioned child’s rocking chair, a chemistry set….The objects are somewhat familiar, many of which he had owned himself. Three walls are solid, but the fourth seems to be a grating, perhaps a ventilator. McCray recalls that spacesuits have radios, so he tries to contact his ship but receives no answer. He thinks about the speed of radio transmissions and realizes he must be far away from his ship not to receive an immediate reply. \n\tUnknown to McCray, he has been selected for observation and an experiment by a probe team. They are testing his intelligence and need to communicate with McCray to find an ally; otherwise, their species is in great danger. McCray decides to put the spacesuit on just as the room begins warming up and a gas starts coming into the room. Then he hears a transmission from his ship, but he realizes they can’t hear him when he responds to it. It dawns on him that the distance between him and his ship is so great that it takes two or three hours to transmit messages. After sending another message, he uses the space-ax to break through the door of the room because the gas is hurting his lungs. He finds himself in another room or hallway with what appear to be workbenches mounted at various heights. On one he sees the parts of a bullet-gun.\n\tNext, McCray hears a woman calling for help. He tries to determine the direction of her voice, and when he turns around, there is an open door where there wasn’t one earlier. McCray goes down a hall, finds another open door, and the woman is in there. She is unconscious, and McCray thinks it’s because she is breathing the air in the room.",
"Herrel McCray is the navigator on the Jodrell Bank, heading to Betelgeuse Nine from Earth. McCray is an avid sportsman, enjoying games like poker, 3-D chess, and baseball. Herrel McCray suddenly wakes up in an unfamiliar, dark room. He does not remember how he got there, in fact, his last memories were of being aboard the Jodrell Bank. After stumbling around in the dark, a faint pink glow partially illuminates his surroundings. He sees a bunch of random items, like books, a bathing suit, and a rocking chair. There’s also a spacesuit, which he uses to attempt to communicate with his ship by accessing the microphone. No one responds to his cries though, and he notices that he is unable to see his hands in the reflection of the spacesuit. He screams and darkness falls again. Later, remembering another aspect of the handy-dandy spacesuit, Herrel flicks on the light inside of it and is now able to see the entire room. He is also able to see his own body again, which calms him down. He feels the temperature increase, smells a weird, halogenic-like scent, and hears a buzzing, but he ignores it as his spacesuit starts speaking. Someone aboard the Jodrell Bank is calling for him, so he responds, but there’s no answer. He realizes that he must be hundreds of light-years away for communication to be taking this long. Realizing there’s poison in the air, he steps inside the spacesuit to avoid suffocation. The suit cooled him and provided fresh air. He picks up an ax off the floor and uses it to chop down the door. He escapes his cell and explores the next room. Jodrell Bank calls in again, but this time a woman answers it, also calling for help. He tracked her voice and went through a previously-unopened door to find her. She’s unconscious, and he worries that she has breathed in the poisonous air."
] | [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
[2] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1963.
[3] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[4] His name was Herrell McCray and he was scared.
[5] As best he could tell, he was in a sort of room no bigger than a prison cell.
[6] Perhaps it was a prison cell.
[7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
[8] McCray was ship's navigator, plotting course corrections—not that there were any, ever; but the reason there were none was that the check-sightings were made every hour of the long flight.
[9] He had read off the azimuth angles from the computer sights, automatically locked on their beacon stars, and found them correct; then out of long habit confirmed the locking mechanism visually.
[10] It was only a personal quaintness; he had done it a thousand times.
[11] And while he was looking at Betelgeuse, Rigel and Saiph ... it happened.
[12] The room was totally dark, and it seemed to be furnished with a collection of hard, sharp, sticky and knobby objects of various shapes and a number of inconvenient sizes.
[13] McCray tripped over something that rocked under his feet and fell against something that clattered hollowly.
[14] He picked himself up, braced against something that smelled dangerously of halogen compounds, and scratched his shoulder, right through his space-tunic, against something that vibrated as he touched it.
[15] McCray had no idea where he was, and no way to find out.
[16] Not only was he in darkness, but in utter silence as well.
[17] No.
[18] Not quite utter silence.
[19] Somewhere, just at the threshold of his senses, there was something like a voice.
[20] He could not quite hear it, but it was there.
[21] He sat as still as he could, listening; it remained elusive.
[22] Probably it was only an illusion.
[23] But the room itself was hard fact.
[24] McCray swore violently and out loud.
[25] It was crazy and impossible.
[26] There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on.
[27] He cried aloud in exasperation: "If I could only see !"
[28] He tripped and fell against something that was soft, slimy and, like baker's dough, not at all resilient.
[29] A flickering halo of pinkish light appeared.
[30] He sat up, startled.
[31] He was looking at something that resembled a suit of medieval armor.
[32] It was, he saw in a moment, not armor but a spacesuit.
[33] But what was the light?
[34] And what were these other things in the room?
[35] Wherever he looked, the light danced along with his eyes.
[36] It was like having tunnel vision or wearing blinders.
[37] He could see what he was looking at, but he could see nothing else.
[38] And the things he could see made no sense.
[39] A spacesuit, yes; he knew that he could construct a logical explanation for that with no trouble—maybe a subspace meteorite striking the Jodrell Bank , an explosion, himself knocked out, brought here in a suit ... well, it was an explanation with more holes than fabric, like a fisherman's net, but at least it was rational.
[40] How to explain a set of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
[41] A space-ax?
[42] Or the old-fashioned child's rocking-chair, the chemistry set—or, most of all, the scrap of gaily printed fabric that, when he picked it up, turned out to be a girl's scanty bathing suit?
[43] It was slightly reassuring, McCray thought, to find that most of the objects were more or less familiar.
[44] Even the child's chair—why, he'd had one more or less like that himself, long before he was old enough to go to school.
[45] But what were they doing here?
[46] Not everything he saw was familiar.
[47] The walls of the room itself were strange.
[48] They were not metal or plaster or knotty pine; they were not papered, painted or overlaid with stucco.
[49] They seemed to be made of some sort of hard organic compound, perhaps a sort of plastic or processed cellulose.
[50] It was hard to tell colors in the pinkish light.
[51] But they seemed to have none.
[52] They were "neutral"—the color of aged driftwood or unbleached cloth.
[53] Three of the walls were that way, and the floor and ceiling.
[54] The fourth wall was something else.
[55] Areas in it had the appearance of gratings; from them issued the pungent, distasteful halogen odor.
[56] They might be ventilators, he thought; but if so the air they brought in was worse than what he already had.
[57] McCray was beginning to feel more confident.
[58] It was astonishing how a little light made an impossible situation bearable, how quickly his courage flowed back when he could see again.
[59] He stood still, thinking.
[60] Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee.
[61] Item, apart from being shaken up and—he admitted it—scared damn near witless, he did not seem to be hurt.
[62] Item, wherever he was now, it became, not so much what had happened to him, but what had happened to the ship?
[63] He allowed that thought to seep into his mind.
[64] Suppose there had been an accident to the Jodrell Bank .
[65] He could, of course, be dead.
[66] All this could be the fantasies of a cooling brain.
[67] McCray grinned into the pink-lit darkness.
[68] The thought had somehow refreshed him, like icewater between rounds, and with a clearing head he remembered what a spacesuit was good for.
[69] It held a radio.
[70] He pressed the unsealing tabs, slipped his hand into the vacant chest of the suit and pulled out the hand mike.
[71] "This is Herrell McCray," he said, "calling the Jodrell Bank ."
[72] No response.
[73] He frowned.
[74] "This is Herrell McCray, calling Jodrell Bank .
[75] "Herrell McCray, calling anybody, come in, please."
[76] But there was no answer.
[77] Thoughtfully he replaced the microphone.
[78] This was ultrawave radio, something more than a million times faster than light, with a range measured, at least, in hundreds of light-years.
[79] If there was no answer, he was a good long way from anywhere.
[80] Of course, the thing might not be operating.
[81] He reached for the microphone again— He cried aloud.
[82] The pinkish lights went out.
[83] He was in the dark again, worse dark than before.
[84] For before the light had gone, McCray had seen what had escaped his eyes before.
[85] The suit and the microphone were clear enough in the pinkish glimmer; but the hand—his own hand, cupped to hold the microphone—he had not seen at all.
[86] Nor his arm.
[87] Nor, in one fleeting moment of study, his chest.
[88] McCray could not see any part of his own body at all.
[89] II Someone else could.
[90] Someone was watching Herrell McCray, with the clinical fascination of a biochemist observing the wigglings of paramecia in a new antibiotic—and with the prayerful emotions of a starving, shipwrecked, sailor, watching the inward bobbing drift of a wave-born cask that may contain food.
[91] Suppose you call him "Hatcher" (and suppose you call it a "him.")
[92] Hatcher was not exactly male, because his race had no true males; but it did have females and he was certainly not that.
[93] Hatcher did not in any way look like a human being, but they had features in common.
[94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
[95] Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture.
[96] Both enjoyed games—McCray baseball, poker and three-dimensional chess; Hatcher a number of sports which defy human description.
[97] Both held positions of some importance—considering their ages—in the affairs of their respective worlds.
[98] Physically they were nothing alike.
[99] Hatcher was a three-foot, hard-shelled sphere of jelly.
[100] He had "arms" and "legs," but they were not organically attached to "himself."
[101] They were snakelike things which obeyed the orders of his brain as well as your mind can make your toes curl; but they did not touch him directly.
[102] Indeed, they worked as well a yard or a quarter-mile away as they did when, rarely, they rested in the crevices they had been formed from in his "skin."
[103] At greater distances they worked less well, for reasons irrelevant to the Law of Inverse Squares.
[104] Hatcher's principal task at this moment was to run the "probe team" which had McCray under observation, and he was more than a little excited.
[105] His members, disposed about the room where he had sent them on various errands, quivered and shook a little; yet they were the calmest limbs in the room; the members of the other team workers were in a state of violent commotion.
[106] The probe team had had a shock.
[107] "Paranormal powers," muttered Hatcher's second in command, and the others mumbled agreement.
[108] Hatcher ordered silence, studying the specimen from Earth.
[109] After a long moment he turned his senses from the Earthman.
[110] "Incredible—but it's true enough," he said.
[111] "I'd better report.
[112] Watch him," he added, but that was surely unnecessary.
[113] Their job was to watch McCray, and they would do their job; and even more, not one of them could have looked away to save his life from the spectacle of a creature as odd and, from their point of view, hideously alien as Herrell McCray.
[114] Hatcher hurried through the halls of the great buried structure in which he worked, toward the place where the supervising council of all probes would be in permanent session.
[115] They admitted him at once.
[116] Hatcher identified himself and gave a quick, concise report: "The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
[117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
[118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
[119] "This appeared to work well for a time.
[120] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
[121] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
[122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
[123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
[124] The supervising council rocked with excitement.
[125] "You're sure?"
[126] demanded one of the councilmen.
[127] "Yes, sir.
[128] The staff is preparing a technical description of the forces now, but I can say that they are electromagnetic vibrations modulating a carrier wave of very high speed, and in turn modulated by the vibrations of the atmosphere caused by the subject's own breathing."
[129] "Fantastic," breathed the councillor, in a tone of dawning hope.
[130] "How about communicating with him, Hatcher?
[131] Any progress?"
[132] "Well ... not much, sir.
[133] He suddenly panicked.
[134] We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
[135] The council conferred among itself for a moment, Hatcher waiting.
[136] It was not really a waste of time for him; with the organs he had left in the probe-team room, he was in fairly close touch with what was going on—knew that McCray was once again fumbling among the objects in the dark, knew that the team-members had tried illuminating the room for him briefly and again produced the rising panic.
[137] Still, Hatcher fretted.
[138] He wanted to get back.
[139] "Stop fidgeting," commanded the council leader abruptly.
[140] "Hatcher, you are to establish communication at once."
[141] "But, sir...." Hatcher swung closer, his thick skin quivering slightly; he would have gestured if he had brought members with him to gesture with.
[142] "We've done everything we dare.
[143] We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
[144] We can't go faster.
[145] This creature is in no way similar to us, you know.
[146] He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
[147] His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
[148] "Understood, Hatcher.
[149] In your first report you stated these creatures were intelligent."
[150] "Yes, sir.
[151] But not in our way."
[152] "But in a way, and you must learn that way.
[153] I know."
[154] One lobster-claw shaped member drifted close to the councillor's body and raised itself in an admonitory gesture.
[155] "You want time.
[156] But we don't have time, Hatcher.
[157] Yours is not the only probe team working.
[158] The Central Masses team has just turned in a most alarming report."
[159] "Have they secured a subject?"
[160] Hatcher demanded jealously.
[161] The councillor paused.
[162] "Worse than that, Hatcher.
[163] I am afraid their subjects have secured one of them.
[164] One of them is missing."
[165] There was a moment's silence.
[166] Frozen, Hatcher could only wait.
[167] The council room was like a tableau in a museum until the councillor spoke again, each council member poised over his locus-point, his members drifting about him.
[168] Finally the councillor said, "I speak for all of us, I think.
[169] If the Old Ones have seized one of our probers our time margin is considerably narrowed.
[170] Indeed, we may not have any time at all.
[171] You must do everything you can to establish communication with your subject."
[172] "But the danger to the specimen—" Hatcher protested automatically.
[173] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now ."
[174] Hatcher returned to his laboratory gloomily.
[175] It was just like the council to put the screws on; they had a reputation for demanding results at any cost—even at the cost of destroying the only thing you had that would make results possible.
[176] Hatcher did not like the idea of endangering the Earthman.
[177] It cannot be said that he was emotionally involved; it was not pity or sympathy that caused him to regret the dangers in moving too fast toward communication.
[178] Not even Hatcher had quite got over the revolting physical differences between the Earthman and his own people.
[179] But Hatcher did not want him destroyed.
[180] It had been difficult enough getting him here.
[181] Hatcher checked through the members that he had left with the rest of his team and discovered that there were no immediate emergencies, so he took time to eat.
[182] In Hatcher's race this was accomplished in ways not entirely pleasant to Earthmen.
[183] A slit in the lower hemisphere of his body opened, like a purse, emitting a thin, pussy, fetid fluid which Hatcher caught and poured into a disposal trough at the side of the eating room.
[184] He then stuffed the slit with pulpy vegetation the texture of kelp; it closed, and his body was supplied with nourishment for another day.
[185] He returned quickly to the room.
[186] His second in command was busy, but one of the other team workers reported—nothing new—and asked about Hatcher's appearance before the council.
[187] Hatcher passed the question off.
[188] He considered telling his staff about the disappearance of the Central Masses team member, but decided against it.
[189] He had not been told it was secret.
[190] On the other hand, he had not been told it was not.
[191] Something of this importance was not lightly to be gossiped about.
[192] For endless generations the threat of the Old Ones had hung over his race, those queer, almost mythical beings from the Central Masses of the galaxy.
[193] One brush with them, in ages past, had almost destroyed Hatcher's people.
[194] Only by running and hiding, bearing one of their planets with them and abandoning it—with its population—as a decoy, had they arrived at all.
[195] Now they had detected mapping parties of the Old Ones dangerously near the spiral arm of the galaxy in which their planet was located, they had begun the Probe Teams to find some way of combating them, or of fleeing again.
[196] But it seemed that the Probe Teams themselves might be betraying their existence to their enemies— "Hatcher!"
[197] The call was urgent; he hurried to see what it was about.
[198] It was his second in command, very excited.
[199] "What is it?"
[200] Hatcher demanded.
[201] "Wait...." Hatcher was patient; he knew his assistant well.
[202] Obviously something was about to happen.
[203] He took the moment to call his members back to him for feeding; they dodged back to their niches on his skin, fitted themselves into their vestigial slots, poured back their wastes into his own circulation and ingested what they needed from the meal he had just taken....
[204] "Now!"
[205] cried the assistant.
[206] "Look!"
[207] At what passed among Hatcher's people for a viewing console an image was forming.
[208] Actually it was the assistant himself who formed it, not a cathode trace or projected shadow; but it showed what it was meant to show.
[209] Hatcher was startled.
[210] "Another one!
[211] And—is it a different species?
[212] Or merely a different sex?"
[213] "Study the probe for yourself," the assistant invited.
[214] Hatcher studied him frostily; his patience was not, after all, endless.
[215] "No matter," he said at last.
[216] "Bring the other one in."
[217] And then, in a completely different mood, "We may need him badly.
[218] We may be in the process of killing our first one now."
[219] "Killing him, Hatcher?"
[220] Hatcher rose and shook himself, his mindless members floating away like puppies dislodged from suck.
[221] "Council's orders," he said.
[222] "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once."
[223] III Before Stage Two began, or before Herrell McCray realized it had begun, he had an inspiration.
[224] The dark was absolute, but he remembered where the spacesuit had been and groped his way to it and, yes, it had what all spacesuits had to have.
[225] It had a light.
[226] He found the toggle that turned it on and pressed it.
[227] Light.
[228] White, flaring, Earthly light, that showed everything—even himself.
[229] "God bless," he said, almost beside himself with joy.
[230] Whatever that pinkish, dancing halo had been, it had thrown him into a panic; now that he could see his own hand again, he could blame the weird effects on some strange property of the light.
[231] At the moment he heard the click that was the beginning of Stage Two.
[232] He switched off the light and stood for a moment, listening.
[233] For a second he thought he heard the far-off voice, quiet, calm and almost hopeless, that he had sensed hours before; but then that was gone.
[234] Something else was gone.
[235] Some faint mechanical sound that had hardly registered at the time, but was not missing.
[236] And there was, perhaps, a nice new sound that had not been there before; a very faint, an almost inaudible elfin hiss.
[237] McCray switched the light on and looked around.
[238] There seemed to be no change.
[239] And yet, surely, it was warmer in here.
[240] He could see no difference; but perhaps, he thought, he could smell one.
[241] The unpleasant halogen odor from the grating was surely stronger now.
[242] He stood there, perplexed.
[243] A tinny little voice from the helmet of the space suit said sharply, amazement in its tone, "McCray, is that you?
[244] Where the devil are you calling from?"
[245] He forgot smell, sound and temperature and leaped for the suit.
[246] "This is Herrell McCray," he cried.
[247] "I'm in a room of some sort, apparently on a planet of approximate Earth mass.
[248] I don't know—" "McCray!"
[249] cried the tiny voice in his ear.
[250] "Where are you?
[251] This is Jodrell Bank calling.
[252] Answer, please!"
[253] "I am answering, damn it," he roared.
[254] "What took you so long?"
[255] "Herrell McCray," droned the tiny voice in his ear, "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank responding to your message, acknowledge please.
[256] Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray...." It kept on, and on.
[257] McCray took a deep breath and thought.
[258] Something was wrong.
[259] Either they didn't hear him, which meant the radio wasn't transmitting, or—no.
[260] That was not it; they had heard him, because they were responding.
[261] But it seemed to take them so long....
[262] Abruptly his face went white.
[263] Took them so long!
[264] He cast back in his mind, questing for a fact, unable to face its implications.
[265] When was it he called them?
[266] Two hours ago?
[267] Three?
[268] Did that mean—did it possibly mean—that there was a lag of an hour or two each way?
[269] Did it, for example, mean that at the speed of his suit's pararadio, millions of times faster than light, it took hours to get a message to the ship and back?
[270] And if so ... where in the name of heaven was he?
[271] Herrell McCray was a navigator, which is to say, a man who has learned to trust the evidence of mathematics and instrument readings beyond the guesses of his "common sense."
[272] When Jodrell Bank , hurtling faster than light in its voyage between stars, made its regular position check, common sense was a liar.
[273] Light bore false witness.
[274] The line of sight was trustworthy directly forward and directly after—sometimes not even then—and it took computers, sensing their data through instruments, to comprehend a star bearing and convert three fixes into a position.
[275] If the evidence of his radio contradicted common sense, common sense was wrong.
[276] Perhaps it was impossible to believe what the radio's message implied; but it was not necessary to "believe," only to act.
[277] McCray thumbed down the transmitter button and gave a concise report of his situation and his guesses.
[278] "I don't know how I got here.
[279] I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time.
[280] However, if the transmission lag is a reliable indication—" he swallowed and went on—"I'd estimate I am something more than five hundred light-years away from you at this moment.
[281] That's all I have to say, except for one more word: Help."
[282] He grinned sourly and released the button.
[283] The message was on its way, and it would be hours before he could have a reply.
[284] Therefore he had to consider what to do next.
[285] He mopped his brow.
[286] With the droning, repetitious call from the ship finally quiet, the room was quiet again.
[287] And warm.
[288] Very warm, he thought tardily; and more than that.
[289] The halogen stench was strong in his nostrils again.
[290] Hurriedly McCray scrambled into the suit.
[291] By the time he was sealed down he was coughing from the bottom of his lungs, deep, tearing rasps that pained him, uncontrollable.
[292] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
[293] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
[294] He flushed the interior of the suit out with a reckless disregard for the wastage of his air reserve, holding his breath as much as he could, daring only shallow gasps that made him retch and gag.
[295] After a long time he could breathe, though his eyes were spilling tears.
[296] He could see the fumes in the room now.
[297] The heat was building up.
[298] Automatically—now that he had put it on and so started its servo-circuits operating—the suit was cooling him.
[299] This was a deep-space suit, regulation garb when going outside the pressure hull of an FTL ship.
[300] It was good up to at least five hundred degrees in thin air, perhaps three or four hundred in dense.
[301] In thin air or in space it was the elastic joints and couplings that depolymerized when the heat grew too great; in dense air, with conduction pouring energy in faster than the cooling coils could suck it out and hurl it away, it was the refrigerating equipment that broke down.
[302] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
[303] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
[304] All in all it was time for him to do something.
[305] Among the debris on the floor, he remembered, was a five-foot space-ax, tungsten-steel blade and springy aluminum shaft.
[306] McCray caught it up and headed for the door.
[307] It felt good in his gauntlets, a rewarding weight; any weapon straightens the back of the man who holds it, and McCray was grateful for this one.
[308] With something concrete to do he could postpone questioning.
[309] Never mind why he had been brought here; never mind how.
[310] Never mind what he would, or could, do next; all those questions could recede into the background of his mind while he swung the ax and battered his way out of this poisoned oven.
[311] Crash-clang!
[312] The double jolt ran up the shaft of the ax, through his gauntlets and into his arm; but he was making progress, he could see the plastic—or whatever it was—of the door.
[313] It was chipping out.
[314] Not easily, very reluctantly; but flaking out in chips that left a white powdery residue.
[315] At this rate, he thought grimly, he would be an hour getting through it.
[316] Did he have an hour?
[317] But it did not take an hour.
[318] One blow was luckier than the rest; it must have snapped the lock mechanism.
[319] The door shook and slid ajar.
[320] McCray got the thin of the blade into the crack and pried it wide.
[321] He was in another room, maybe a hall, large and bare.
[322] McCray put the broad of his back against the broken door and pressed it as nearly closed as he could; it might not keep the gas and heat out, but it would retard them.
[323] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
[324] There was not even that pink pseudo-light that had baffled him; here was nothing but the beam of his suit lamp.
[325] What it showed was cryptic.
[326] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
[327] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
[328] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
[329] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
[330] He tapped half-heartedly at one of the closed cupboards, and was not surprised when it proved as refractory as the door.
[331] Undoubtedly he could batter it open, but it was not likely that much would be left of its contents when he was through; and there was the question of time.
[332] But his attention was diverted by a gleam from one of the benches.
[333] Metallic parts lay heaped in a pile.
[334] He poked at them with a stiff-fingered gauntlet; they were oddly familiar.
[335] They were, he thought, very much like the parts of a bullet-gun.
[336] In fact, they were.
[337] He could recognize barrel, chamber, trigger, even a couple of cartridges, neatly opened and the grains of powder stacked beside them.
[338] It was an older, clumsier model than the kind he had seen in survival locker, on the Jodrell Bank —and abruptly wished he were carrying now—but it was a pistol.
[339] Another trophy, like the strange assortment in the other room?
[340] He could not guess.
[341] But the others had been more familiar; they all have come from his own ship.
[342] He was prepared to swear that nothing like this antique had been aboard.
[343] The drone began again in his ear, as it had at five-minute intervals all along: "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank calling Herrell McCray...." And louder, blaring, then fading to normal volume as the AVC circuits toned the signal down, another voice.
[344] A woman's voice, crying out in panic and fear: " Jodrell Bank!
[345] Where are you?
[346] Help!"
[347] IV Hatcher's second in command said: "He has got through the first survival test.
[348] In fact, he broke his way out!
[349] What next?"
[350] "Wait!"
[351] Hatcher ordered sharply.
[352] He was watching the new specimen and a troublesome thought had occurred to him.
[353] The new one was female and seemed to be in pain; but it was not the pain that disturbed Hatcher, it was something far more immediate to his interests.
[354] "I think," he said slowly, "that they are in contact."
[355] His assistant vibrated startlement.
[356] "I know," Hatcher said, "but watch.
[357] Do you see?
[358] He is going straight toward her."
[359] Hatcher, who was not human, did not possess truly human emotions; but he did feel amazement when he was amazed, and fear when there was cause to be afraid.
[360] These specimens, obtained with so much difficulty, needed so badly, were his responsibility.
[361] He knew the issues involved much better than any of his helpers.
[362] They could only be surprised at the queer antics of the aliens with attached limbs and strange powers.
[363] Hatcher knew that this was not a freak show, but a matter of life and death.
[364] He said, musing: "This new one, I cannot communicate with her, but I get—almost—a whisper, now and then.
[365] The first one, the male, nothing.
[366] But this female is perhaps not quite mute."
[367] "Then shall we abandon him and work with her, forgetting the first one?"
[368] Hatcher hesitated.
[369] "No," he said at last.
[370] "The male is responding well.
[371] Remember that when last this experiment was done every subject died; he is alive at least.
[372] But I am wondering.
[373] We can't quite communicate with the female—" "But?"
[374] "But I'm not sure that others can't."
[375] The woman's voice was at such close range that McCray's suit radio made a useful RDF set.
[376] He located her direction easily enough, shielding the tiny built-in antenna with the tungsten-steel blade of the ax, while she begged him to hurry.
[377] Her voice was heavily accented, with some words in a language he did not recognize.
[378] She seemed to be in shock.
[379] McCray was hardly surprised at that; he had been close enough to shock himself.
[380] He tried to reassure her as he searched for a way out of the hall, but in the middle of a word her voice stopped.
[381] He hesitated, hefting the ax, glancing back at the way he had come.
[382] There had to be a way out, even if it meant chopping through a wall.
[383] When he turned around again there was a door.
[384] It was oddly shaped and unlike the door he had hewn through, but clearly a door all the same, and it was open.
[385] McCray regarded it grimly.
[386] He went back in his memory with meticulous care.
[387] Had he not looked at, this very spot a matter of moments before?
[388] He had.
[389] And had there been an open door then?
[390] There had not.
[391] There hadn't been even a shadowy outline of the three-sided, uneven opening that stood there now.
[392] Still, it led in the proper direction.
[393] McCray added one more inexplicable fact to his file and walked through.
[394] He was in another hall—or tunnel—rising quite steeply to the right.
[395] By his reckoning it was the proper direction.
[396] He labored up it, sweating under the weight of the suit, and found another open door, this one round, and behind it— Yes, there was the woman whose voice he had heard.
[397] It was a woman, all right.
[398] The voice had been so strained that he hadn't been positive.
[399] Even now, short black hair might not have proved it, and she was lying face down but the waist and hips were a woman's, even though she wore a bulky, quilted suit of coveralls.
[400] He knelt beside her and gently turned her face.
[401] She was unconscious.
[402] Broad, dark face, with no make-up; she was apparently in her late thirties.
[403] She appeared to be Chinese.
[404] She breathed, a little raggedly but without visible discomfort; her face was relaxed as though she were sleeping.
[405] She did not rouse as he moved her.
[406] He realized she was breathing the air of the room they were in.
[407] His instant first thought was that she was in danger of asphyxiation; | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Herrell McCray and what happens to him in the story?":
1. [4] His name was Herrell McCray and he was scared.
2. [116] The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
3. [277] "I don't know how I got here. I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time."
4. [223] "Council's orders," he said. "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once."
5. [1] THE FIVE HELLS OF ORION BY FREDERICK POHL Out in the great gas cloud of the Orion Nebula McCray found an ally—and a foe!
6. [7] Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine.
7. [8] McCray was ship's navigator, plotting course corrections—not that there were any, ever; but the reason there were none was that the check-sightings were made every hour of the long flight.
8. [26] There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on.
9. [39] A spacesuit, yes; he knew that he could construct a logical explanation for that with no trouble—maybe a subspace meteorite striking the Jodrell Bank , an explosion, himself knocked out, brought here in a suit ... well, it was an explanation with more holes than fabric, like a fisherman's net, but at least it was rational.
10. [60] Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee.
11. [61] Item, apart from being shaken up and—he admitted it—scared damn near witless, he did not seem to be hurt.
12. [62] Item, wherever he was now, it became, not so much what had happened to him, but what had happened to the ship?
13. [70] He pressed the unsealing tabs, slipped his hand into the vacant chest of the suit and pulled out the hand mike.
14. [71] "This is Herrell McCray," he said, "calling the Jodrell Bank."
15. [84] The suit and the microphone were clear enough in the pinkish glimmer; but the hand—his own hand, cupped to hold the microphone—he had not seen at all.
16. [85] Nor his arm.
17. [86] Nor, in one fleeting moment of study, his chest.
18. [87] McCray could not see any part of his own body at all.
19. [90] Someone was watching Herrell McCray, with the clinical fascination of a biochemist observing the wigglings of paramecia in a new antibiotic—and with the prayerful emotions of a starving, shipwrecked, sailor, watching the inward bobbing drift of a wave-born cask that may contain food.
20. [91] Suppose you call him "Hatcher" (and suppose you call it a "him.")
21. [94] If Hatcher and McCray had somehow managed to strike up an acquaintance, they might have got along very well.
22. [95] Hatcher, like McCray, was an adventurous soul, young, able, well-learned in the technical sciences of his culture.
23. [116] The subject recovered consciousness a short time ago and began to inspect his enclosure.
24. [117] His method of doing so was to put his own members in physical contact with the various objects in the enclosure.
25. [118] After observing him do this for a time we concluded he might be unable to see and so we illuminated his field of vision for him.
26. [119] This appeared to work well for a time.
27. [120] He seemed relatively undisturbed.
28. [121] However, he then reverted to physical-contact, manipulating certain appurtenances of an artificial skin we had provided for him.
29. [122] "He then began to vibrate the atmosphere by means of resonating organs in his breathing passage.
30. [123] "Simultaneously, the object he was holding, attached to the artificial skin, was discovered to be generating paranormal forces."
31. [133] "Well ... not much, sir. He suddenly panicked. We don't know why; but we thought we'd better pull back and let him recover for a while."
32. [142] "We've done everything we dare. We've made the place homey for him—" actually, what he said was more like, we've warmed the biophysical nuances of his enclosure —"and tried to guess his needs; and we're frightening him half to death.
33. [143] "We can't go faster. This creature is in no way similar to us, you know. He relies on paranormal forces—heat, light, kinetic energy—for his life.
34. [144] "His chemistry is not ours, his processes of thought are not ours, his entire organism is closer to the inanimate rocks of a sea-bottom than to ourselves."
35. [172] "—is no greater," said the councillor, "than the danger to every one of us if we do not find allies now."
36. [176] Hatcher did not like the idea of endangering the Earthman.
37. [177] It cannot be said that he was emotionally involved; it was not pity or sympathy that caused him to regret the dangers in moving too fast toward communication.
38. [178] Not even Hatcher had quite got over the revolting physical differences between the Earthman and his own people.
39. [179] But Hatcher did not want him destroyed.
40. [180] It had been difficult enough getting him here.
41. [223] "Council's orders," he said. "We've got to go into Stage Two of the project at once."
42. [224] Before Stage Two began, or before Herrell McCray realized it had begun, he had an inspiration.
43. [231] He switched off the light and stood for a moment, listening.
44. [232] For a second he thought he heard the far-off voice, quiet, calm and almost hopeless, that he had sensed hours before; but then that was gone.
45. [233] Something else was gone.
46. [234] Some faint mechanical sound that had hardly registered at the time, but was not missing.
47. [235] And there was, perhaps, a nice new sound that had not been there before; a very faint, an almost inaudible elfin hiss.
48. [236] McCray switched the light on and looked around.
49. [237] There seemed to be no change.
50. [238] And yet, surely, it was warmer in here.
51. [239] He could see no difference; but perhaps, he thought, he could smell one.
52. [240] The unpleasant halogen odor from the grating was surely stronger now.
53. [243] "McCray, is that you? Where the devil are you calling from?"
54. [244] He forgot smell, sound and temperature and leaped for the suit.
55. [245] "This is Herrell McCray," he cried.
56. [246] "I'm in a room of some sort, apparently on a planet of approximate Earth mass. I don't know—"
57. [247] "McCray!" cried the tiny voice in his ear. "Where are you? This is Jodrell Bank calling. Answer, please!"
58. [248] "I am answering, damn it," he roared. "What took you so long?"
59. [255] "Herrell McCray," droned the tiny voice in his ear, "Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray, this is Jodrell Bank responding to your message, acknowledge please. Herrell McCray, Herrell McCray...." It kept on, and on.
60. [256] McCray took a deep breath and thought.
61. [257] Something was wrong.
62. [258] Either they didn't hear him, which meant the radio wasn't transmitting, or—no.
63. [259] That was not it; they had heard him, because they were responding.
64. [260] But it seemed to take them so long....
65. [261] Abruptly his face went white.
66. [262] Took them so long!
67. [263] He cast back in his mind, questing for a fact, unable to face its implications.
68. [264] When was it he called them?
69. [265] Two hours ago?
70. [266] Three?
71. [267] Did that mean—did it possibly mean—that there was a lag of an hour or two each way?
72. [268] Did it, for example, mean that at the speed of his suit's pararadio, millions of times faster than light, it took hours to get a message to the ship and back?
73. [269] And if so ... where in the name of heaven was he?
74. [270] Herrell McCray was a navigator, which is to say, a man who has learned to trust the evidence of mathematics and instrument readings beyond the guesses of his "common sense."
75. [271] When Jodrell Bank , hurtling faster than light in its voyage between stars, made its regular position check, common sense was a liar.
76. [272] Light bore false witness.
77. [273] The line of sight was trustworthy directly forward and directly after—sometimes not even then—and it took computers, sensing their data through instruments, to comprehend a star bearing and convert three fixes into a position.
78. [274] If the evidence of his radio contradicted common sense, common sense was wrong.
79. [275] Perhaps it was impossible to believe what the radio's message implied; but it was not necessary to "believe," only to act.
80. [276] McCray thumbed down the transmitter button and gave a concise report of his situation and his guesses.
81. [277] "I don't know how I got here. I don't know how long I've been gone, since I was unconscious for a time. However, if the transmission lag is a reliable indication—" he swallowed and went on—"I'd estimate I am something more than five hundred light-years away from you at this moment. That's all I have to say, except for one more word: Help."
82. [278] He grinned sourly and released the button.
83. [279] The message was on its way, and it would be hours before he could have a reply.
84. [280] Therefore he had to consider what to do next.
85. [281] He mopped his brow.
86. [282] With the droning, repetitious call from the ship finally quiet, the room was quiet again.
87. [283] And warm.
88. [284] Very warm, he thought tardily; and more than that.
89. [285] The halogen stench was strong in his nostrils again.
90. [286] Hurriedly McCray scrambled into the suit.
91. [287] By the time he was sealed down he was coughing from the bottom of his lungs, deep, tearing rasps that pained him, uncontrollable.
92. [288] Chlorine or fluorine, one of them was in the air he had been breathing.
93. [289] He could not guess where it had come from; but it was ripping his lungs out.
94. [290] He flushed the interior of the suit out with a reckless disregard for the wastage of his air reserve, holding his breath as much as he could, daring only shallow gasps that made him retch and gag.
95. [291] After a long time he could breathe, though his eyes were spilling tears.
96. [292] He could see the fumes in the room now.
97. [293] The heat was building up.
98. [294] Automatically—now that he had put it on and so started its servo-circuits operating—the suit was cooling him.
99. [295] This was a deep-space suit, regulation garb when going outside the pressure hull of an FTL ship.
100. [296] It was good up to at least five hundred degrees in thin air, perhaps three or four hundred in dense.
101. [297] In thin air or in space it was the elastic joints and couplings that depolymerized when the heat grew too great; in dense air, with conduction pouring energy in faster than the cooling coils could suck it out and hurl it away, it was the refrigerating equipment that broke down.
102. [298] McCray had no way of knowing just how hot it was going to get.
103. [299] Nor, for that matter, had the suit been designed to operate in a corrosive medium.
104. [300] All in all it was time for him to do something.
105. [301] Among the debris on the floor, he remembered, was a five-foot space-ax, tungsten-steel blade and springy aluminum shaft.
106. [302] McCray caught it up and headed for the door.
107. [303] It felt good in his gauntlets, a rewarding weight; any weapon straightens the back of the man who holds it, and McCray was grateful for this one.
108. [304] With something concrete to do he could postpone questioning.
109. [305] Never mind why he had been brought here; never mind how.
110. [306] Never mind what he would, or could, do next; all those questions could recede into the background of his mind while he swung the ax and battered his way out of this poisoned oven.
111. [307] Crash-clang!
112. [308] The double jolt ran up the shaft of the ax, through his gauntlets and into his arm; but he was making progress, he could see the plastic—or whatever it was—of the door.
113. [309] It was chipping out.
114. [310] Not easily, very reluctantly; but flaking out in chips that left a white powdery residue.
115. [311] At this rate, he thought grimly, he would be an hour getting through it.
116. [312] Did he have an hour?
117. [313] But it did not take an hour.
118. [314] One blow was luckier than the rest; it must have snapped the lock mechanism.
119. [315] The door shook and slid ajar.
120. [316] McCray got the thin of the blade into the crack and pried it wide.
121. [317] He was in another room, maybe a hall, large and bare.
122. [318] McCray put the broad of his back against the broken door and pressed it as nearly closed as he could; it might not keep the gas and heat out, but it would retard them.
123. [319] The room was again unlighted—at least to McCray's eyes.
124. [320] There was not even that pink pseudo-light that had baffled him; here was nothing but the beam of his suit lamp.
125. [321] What it showed was cryptic.
126. [322] There were evidences of use: shelves, boxy contraptions that might have been cupboards, crude level surfaces attached to the walls that might have been workbenches.
127. [323] Yet they were queerly contrived, for it was not possible to guess from them much about the creatures who used them.
128. [324] Some were near the floor, some at waist height, some even suspended from the ceiling itself.
129. [325] A man would need a ladder to work at these benches and McCray, staring, thought briefly of many-armed blind giants or shapeless huge intelligent amoebae, and felt the skin prickle at the back of his neck.
130. [326] He tapped half-heartedly at one of the closed cupboards, and was not surprised when it proved as refractory as the door.
131. [327] Undoubtedly he could batter it open, but it was not likely that much would be left of its contents when he was through; and there was the question of time.
132. [328] But his attention was diverted by a gleam from one of the benches.
133. [329] Metallic parts lay heaped in a pile.
134. [330] He poked at them with a stiff-fingered gauntlet; they were oddly familiar.
135. [331] They were, he thought, very much like the parts of a bullet-gun.
136. [332] In fact, they were.
137. [333] He could recognize barrel, chamber, trigger, even a couple of cartridges, neatly opened and the grains of powder stacked beside them.
138. [334] It was an older, clumsier model than the kind he had seen in survival locker, on the Jodrell Bank —and abruptly wished he were carrying now—but it was a pistol.
139. [335] Another trophy, like the strange assortment in |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"A Gleeb for Earth is a collection of letters, signed by two characters - Ivan Smernda (a human on Earth who owns the Plaza Ritz Arms hotel in New York City) and Glmpauszn (an alien from a world that is entwined with Earth through a spiritual fringe). \nIvan dictates the first letter through his son Ronnie (14 years old) and sends it to the Editor of a print publication, feeling responsible for publicizing what he witnessed to save humanity. Ivan recounts an occurrence in the Plaza Ritz Arms where two alcoholic guests that he calls “stew bums”, Joe Binkle and Ed Smith (an alias for Glmpauszn), mysteriously disappeared, leaving their suits behind as if they had melted out of them. Ed had checked in with a mirror with a heavy bronze frame. After their disappearance, Ivan found only their clothes, the frame of the mirror in Ed’s room, and a stack of letters in the bureau in Joe’s room, which are the letters that tell the remaining story.\nThe vibrational plane of an alien world extends into Earth’s (which they call the not-world), allowing intrusive vibrations from Earth to semi-terrorize sentient alien vibrations. Human spiritual mediums can force psychic reproductions of themselves into the alien world, and conversely pull alien vibrations over the “fringe”. The aliens can’t tolerate it, and send Glmpauszn and Joe to take on human form and develop a chemical weapon to kill all humans.\nGlmpauszn crosses the fringe through a vibrational gateway that allows his consciousness to move into a newborn baby. Joe has already arrived in human form. Glmpauszn quickly grows the baby into an adult man. At three days old, he is 36 inches tall and talking, and a couple of days later is an adult man. Glmpauszn writes to Joe by controlling the minds of sleeping people around the world to pen the letters and then mail them to Joe at the Plaza Ritz Arms in New York City. He wonders why Joe won’t write to him, and can’t contact him spiritually, like normal, since Joe has fallen into alcoholism. Glmpauszn forgets to wear clothes and is nearly arrested, but escapes by becoming invisible. When Joe finally writes, it is to ask for money, enraging Glmpauszn who reports Joe’s actions to their boss, Blgftury. Glmpauszn becomes distracted by exploring human emotions like intimacy with women and love of money, which causes him to rob a bank and fill 18 rooms of a hotel with money. He also falls into alcoholism. Blgftury is accidentally summoned into a seance by a human medium who pulls Blgftury’s vibrations through the fringe (the very thing they are trying to stop from happening), and Glmpauszn is caught with a red-haired woman by his boss not doing his job. Glmpauszn finally develops a mold that can kill humans, and meets with Joe at the Plaza Ritz Arms with lots of gin that they consume before successfully returning to the vibrational frequency of their world, releasing the mold in the room.",
"The story begins with a letter to the editor of a magazine describing two unusual incidents in a hotel in New York. In both cases, two men checked into the hotel and then mysteriously disappeared, leaving all of their belongings behind, including the clothes they were wearing. The man who owns the hotel doesn’t want to involve the police for fear of reprisals against him; therefore, he sends the letters to the magazine, hoping they will print them. \n\tThe rest of the story is a series of letters, all addressed to Joe Binkle but written in different handwritings and from other parts of the US and the world. They trace the progress of a being named Glmpauszn who, in the first letter, is preparing to be born so that he can enter human society. Once he is born, he grows quickly, and within days, he escapes the hospital and hides in a cave until he has grown into a man. At that point, he makes his way to a chemist to procure the chemicals he needs for his mission: to destroy humanity for encroaching on his world. He walks down the street trying to act normal, but a young lady sees him and begins screaming: he has forgotten to wear clothes. Glmpauszn blames part of his failure on Joe, who apparently is supposed to provide him with the background information he needs to succeed.\n\tGlmpauszn often comments that he has yet to receive a return letter from Joe, but when he does, he complains that Joe has asked him for a $5.00 loan. Glmpauszn refuses the loan initially, making much of the fact that Joe didn’t greet him or express pleasure at his arrival. Glmpauszn alludes to the fact that humans have encroached on their world through the use of mediums or spiritualists. \n\tGlmpauszn takes time to experience various aspects of humanity, including emotions and impressions, such as love of money, love, beauty, pain, etc. He thinks he is on the verge of love until he suggests a biological exploration of it and the women say yes, leading him to conclude it isn’t love. In the meantime, Glmpauszn drinks more and more and accidentally sets off an explosion in his hotel rooms. \n\tGlmpauszn keeps Joe up to date on what he is doing but complains about Blgrtury’s criticism and demands for reports. Finally, Glmpauszn tells Joe that he has successfully created a mold that will destroy humans by dissolving their brains and then their bodies. He also tells Joe to meet him at his original place of birth, and he will bring the gateway, a large mirror. The plan is to drink all the gin they have and then plant the mold in the hotel.\n\tThe hotel owner has read all the letters and wants to know if anyone can tell him how long a gleeb is, as several times in his letters, Glmpauszn refers to this length of time.",
"The story begins with a hotel owner, Ivan Smernda, writing to the editor of a magazine about two strange guests at his hotel. Ivan has found only their suits, some letters, and the frame of a mirror left over after their stay. Ivan has forwarded these letters he has found to the editors of the magazine. These letters tell a story of two alien visitors to Ivan's world that intend to destroy all of humanity because the vibrations from Ivan's world sometimes cross over into their world. The alien visitors become addicted to alcohol and human feelings, but ultimately they succeed in developing a mold that will spread across humanity and kill everyone.",
"This epistolary narrative begins with a letter to the editor of a paranormal-themed magazine. The letter's author, Ivan Smernda, owns a hotel called Plaza Ritz Arms, and recently two of his guests mysteriously vanished leaving behind several letters, a mirror frame without the mirror, and each of their suit of clothes, perfectly intact. The men are named Ed Smith and Joe Binkle, although Ivan guesses these are aliases. Ivan shares the men's letters with the editor in the hopes that they will be printed and serve as a warning for humanity. The first letter reveals Ed Smith's true name, which is Glmpauszn. Glmpauszn and Joe are Frequencies, ghost-like entities that exist in a spirit dimension adjacent to human reality. Due to the rise of humans using the services of mediums and fortune tellers to make contact with loved ones in the spirit world, the Frequencies feel terrorized. Glmpauszn has been sent to inhabit the human dimension, what he calls the \"not-world\", in order to find a way to destroy humanity and end its assault upon the vibrations of the Frequencies. Joe has already spent several \"gleebs\" (an unspecified amount of time) on Earth studying human ways in order to prepare Glmpauszn for his mission. They write to each other by possessing the minds and bodies of sleeping humans who can translate the language and write the letters. Glmpauszn details how he attuned himself to a human fetus and then sped up the growing process upon his birth, believing that the speed of his growth would impress his not-mother and not-father. Instead, he only frightens them both, and he runs away to a cave whereupon he accelerates his growth until he becomes an adult. As he begins to seek out a chemist to help him begin to plan the destruction of humanity, he runs into a woman who screams when she sees he is totally naked. Embarrassed, Glmpauszn lashes out at Joe, complaining that he has not prepared him sufficiently for his mission, and he must better learn human customs and emotions. He slowly adapts the forms and impressions of the human dimension. Not only does he love drinking hard liquor, but he also uses his invisibility power to rob a bank and fill his eighteen-room suite at the hotel with money. As Glmpauszn grows increasingly enamored with the human experience, he begins to neglect his mission, including reporting to his boss, Blgftury. Glmpauszn drinks excessively and starts to court women, seeking out the elusive feeling of love. One night he even attends a seance, and the medium summons Blgftury, who glares at him in anger. As Glmpauszn falls deeper into alcoholism, his neglect of the mission becomes so bad that he accidentally blows up his suite of rooms at the hotel. Eventually, he devises a kind of mold that can cause a fatal disease to spread throughout the planet. Mission accomplished, Glmpauszn suggests he and Joe rendezvous at Joe's hotel and return to their home dimension through the mirror gateway."
] | [1] A Gleeb for Earth By CHARLES SHAFHAUSER Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1953.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Not to be or not to not be ... that was the not-question for the invader of the not-world.
[4] Dear Editor: My 14 year old boy, Ronnie, is typing this letter for me because he can do it neater and use better grammar.
[5] I had to get in touch with somebody about this because if there is something to it, then somebody, everybody, is going to point finger at me, Ivan Smernda, and say, "Why didn't you warn us?"
[6] I could not go to the police because they are not too friendly to me because of some of my guests who frankly are stew bums.
[7] Also they might think I was on booze, too, or maybe the hops, and get my license revoked.
[8] I run a strictly legit hotel even though some of my guests might be down on their luck now and then.
[9] What really got me mixed up in this was the mysterious disappearance of two of my guests.
[10] They both took a powder last Wednesday morning.
[11] Now get this.
[12] In one room, that of Joe Binkle, which maybe is an alias, I find nothing but a suit of clothes, some butts and the letters I include here in same package.
[13] Binkle had only one suit.
[14] That I know.
[15] And this was it laying right in the middle of the room.
[16] Inside the coat was the vest, inside the vest the shirt, inside the shirt the underwear.
[17] The pants were up in the coat and inside of them was also the underwear.
[18] All this was buttoned up like Binkle had melted out of it and dripped through a crack in the floor.
[19] In a bureau drawer were the letters I told you about.
[20] Now.
[21] In the room right under Binkle's lived another stew bum that checked in Thursday ... name Ed Smith, alias maybe, too.
[22] This guy was a real case.
[23] He brought with him a big mirror with a heavy bronze frame.
[24] Airloom, he says.
[25] He pays a week in advance, staggers up the stairs to his room with the mirror and that's the last I see of him.
[26] In Smith's room on Wednesday I find only a suit of clothes, the same suit he wore when he came in.
[27] In the coat the vest, in the vest the shirt, in the shirt the underwear.
[28] Also in the pants.
[29] Also all in the middle of the floor.
[30] Against the far wall stands the frame of the mirror.
[31] Only the frame!
[32] What a spot to be in!
[33] Now it might have been a gag.
[34] Sometimes these guys get funny ideas when they are on the stuff.
[35] But then I read the letters.
[36] This knocks me for a loop.
[37] They are all in different handwritings.
[38] All from different places.
[39] Stamps all legit, my kid says.
[40] India, China, England, everywhere.
[41] My kid, he reads.
[42] He says it's no joke.
[43] He wants to call the cops or maybe some doctor.
[44] But I say no.
[45] He reads your magazine so he says write to you, send you the letters.
[46] You know what to do.
[47] Now you have them.
[48] Maybe you print.
[49] Whatever you do, Mr. Editor, remember my place, the Plaza Ritz Arms, is straight establishment.
[50] I don't drink.
[51] I never touch junk, not even aspirin.
[52] Yours very truly, Ivan Smernda Bombay, India June 8 Mr. Joe Binkle Plaza Ritz Arms New York City Dear Joe: Greetings, greetings, greetings.
[53] Hold firm in your wretched projection, for tomorrow you will not be alone in the not-world.
[54] In two days I, Glmpauszn, will be born.
[55] Today I hang in our newly developed not-pod just within the mirror gateway, torn with the agony that we calculated must go with such tremendous wavelength fluctuations.
[56] I have attuned myself to a fetus within the body of a not-woman in the not-world.
[57] Already I am static and for hours have looked into this weird extension of the Universe with fear and trepidation.
[58] As soon as my stasis was achieved, I tried to contact you, but got no response.
[59] What could have diminished your powers of articulate wave interaction to make you incapable of receiving my messages and returning them?
[60] My wave went out to yours and found it, barely pulsing and surrounded with an impregnable chimera.
[61] Quickly, from the not-world vibrations about you, I learned the not-knowledge of your location.
[62] So I must communicate with you by what the not-world calls "mail" till we meet.
[63] For this purpose I must utilize the feeble vibrations of various not-people through whose inadequate articulation I will attempt to make my moves known to you.
[64] Each time I will pick a city other than the one I am in at the time.
[65] I, Glmpauszn, come equipped with powers evolved from your fragmentary reports before you ceased to vibrate to us and with a vast treasury of facts from indirect sources.
[66] Soon our tortured people will be free of the fearsome not-folk and I will be their liberator.
[67] You failed in your task, but I will try to get you off with light punishment when we return again.
[68] The hand that writes this letter is that of a boy in the not-city of Bombay in the not-country of India.
[69] He does not know he writes it.
[70] Tomorrow it will be someone else.
[71] You must never know of my exact location, for the not-people might have access to the information.
[72] I must leave off now because the not-child is about to be born.
[73] When it is alone in the room, it will be spirited away and I will spring from the pod on the gateway into its crib and will be its exact vibrational likeness.
[74] I have tremendous powers.
[75] But the not-people must never know I am among them.
[76] This is the only way I could arrive in the room where the gateway lies without arousing suspicion.
[77] I will grow up as the not-child in order that I might destroy the not-people completely.
[78] All is well, only they shot this information file into my matrix too fast.
[79] I'm having a hard time sorting facts and make the right decision.
[80] Gezsltrysk, what a task!
[81] Farewell till later.
[82] Glmpauszn Wichita, Kansas June 13 Dear Joe: Mnghjkl, fhfjgfhjklop phelnoprausynks.
[83] No.
[84] When I communicate with you, I see I must avoid those complexities of procedure for which there are no terms in this language.
[85] There is no way of describing to you in not-language what I had to go through during the first moments of my birth.
[86] Now I know what difficulties you must have had with your limited equipment.
[87] These not-people are unpredictable and strange.
[88] Their doctor came in and weighed me again the day after my birth.
[89] Consternation reigned when it was discovered I was ten pounds heavier.
[90] What difference could it possibly make?
[91] Many doctors then came in to see me.
[92] As they arrived hourly, they found me heavier and heavier.
[93] Naturally, since I am growing.
[94] This is part of my instructions.
[95] My not-mother (Gezsltrysk!)
[96] then burst into tears.
[97] The doctors conferred, threw up their hands and left.
[98] I learned the following day that the opposite component of my not-mother, my not-father, had been away riding on some conveyance during my birth.
[99] He was out on ... what did they call it?
[100] Oh, yes, a bender.
[101] He did not arrive till three days after I was born.
[102] When I heard them say that he was straightening up to come see me, I made a special effort and grew marvelously in one afternoon.
[103] I was 36 not-world inches tall by evening.
[104] My not-father entered while I was standing by the crib examining a syringe the doctor had left behind.
[105] He stopped in his tracks on entering the room and seemed incapable of speech.
[106] Dredging into the treasury of knowledge I had come equipped with, I produced the proper phrase for occasions of this kind in the not-world.
[107] "Poppa," I said.
[108] This was the first use I had made of the so-called vocal cords that are now part of my extended matrix.
[109] The sound I emitted sounded low-pitched, guttural and penetrating even to myself.
[110] It must have jarred on my not-father's ears, for he turned and ran shouting from the room.
[111] They apprehended him on the stairs and I heard him babble something about my being a monster and no child of his.
[112] My not-mother appeared at the doorway and instead of being pleased at the progress of my growth, she fell down heavily.
[113] She made a distinct thump on the floor.
[114] This brought the rest of them on the run, so I climbed out the window and retreated across a nearby field.
[115] A prolonged search was launched, but I eluded them.
[116] What unpredictable beings!
[117] I reported my tremendous progress back to our world, including the cleverness by which I managed to escape my pursuers.
[118] I received a reply from Blgftury which, on careful analysis, seems to be small praise indeed.
[119] In fact, some of his phrases apparently contain veiled threats.
[120] But you know old Blgftury.
[121] He wanted to go on this expedition himself and it's his nature never to flatter anyone.
[122] From now on I will refer to not-people simply as people, dropping the qualifying preface except where comparisons must be made between this alleged world and our own.
[123] It is merely an offshoot of our primitive mythology when this was considered a spirit world, just as these people refer to our world as never-never land and other anomalies.
[124] But we learned otherwise, while they never have.
[125] New sensations crowd into my consciousness and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[126] Anyway, I shall carry on swiftly now to the inevitable climax in which I singlehanded will obliterate the terror of the not-world and return to our world a hero.
[127] I cannot understand your not replying to my letters.
[128] I have given you a box number.
[129] What could have happened to your vibrations?
[130] Glmpauszn Albuquerque, New Mexico June 15 Dear Joe: I had tremendous difficulty getting a letter off to you this time.
[131] My process—original with myself, by the way—is to send out feeler vibrations for what these people call the psychic individual.
[132] Then I establish contact with him while he sleeps and compel him without his knowledge to translate my ideas into written language.
[133] He writes my letter and mails it to you.
[134] Of course, he has no awareness of what he has done.
[135] My first five tries were unfortunate.
[136] Each time I took control of an individual who could not read or write!
[137] Finally I found my man, but I fear his words are limited.
[138] Ah, well.
[139] I had great things to tell you about my progress, but I cannot convey even a hint of how I have accomplished these miracles through the thick skull of this incompetent.
[140] In simple terms then: I crept into a cave and slipped into a kind of sleep, directing my squhjkl ulytz & uhrytzg ... no, it won't come out.
[141] Anyway, I grew overnight to the size of an average person here.
[142] As I said before, floods of impressions are driving into my xzbyl ... my brain ... from various nerve and sense areas and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[143] My one idea was to get to a chemist and acquire the stuff needed for the destruction of these people.
[144] Sunrise came as I expected.
[145] According to my catalog of information, the impressions aroused by it are of beauty.
[146] It took little conditioning for me finally to react in this manner.
[147] This is truly an efficient mechanism I inhabit.
[148] I gazed about me at the mixture of lights, forms and impressions.
[149] It was strange and ... now I know ... beautiful.
[150] However, I hurried immediately toward the nearest chemist.
[151] At the same time I looked up and all about me at the beauty.
[152] Soon an individual approached.
[153] I knew what to do from my information.
[154] I simply acted natural.
[155] You know, one of your earliest instructions was to realize that these people see nothing unusual in you if you do not let yourself believe they do.
[156] This individual I classified as a female of a singular variety here.
[157] Her hair was short, her upper torso clad in a woolen garment.
[158] She wore ... what are they?
[159] ... oh, yes, sneakers.
[160] My attention was diverted by a scream as I passed her.
[161] I stopped.
[162] The woman gesticulated and continued to scream.
[163] People hurried from nearby houses.
[164] I linked my hands behind me and watched the scene with an attitude of mild interest.
[165] They weren't interested in me, I told myself.
[166] But they were.
[167] I became alarmed, dived into a bush and used a mechanism that you unfortunately do not have—invisibility.
[168] I lay there and listened.
[169] "He was stark naked," the girl with the sneakers said.
[170] A figure I recognized as a police officer spoke to her.
[171] "Lizzy, you'll just have to keep these crackpot friends of yours out of this area."
[172] "But—" "No more buck-bathing, Lizzy," the officer ordered.
[173] "No more speeches in the Square.
[174] Not when it results in riots at five in the morning.
[175] Now where is your naked friend?
[176] I'm going to make an example of him."
[177] That was it—I had forgotten clothes.
[178] There is only one answer to this oversight on my part.
[179] My mind is confused by the barrage of impressions that assault it.
[180] I must retire now and get them all classified.
[181] Beauty, pain, fear, hate, love, laughter.
[182] I don't know one from the other.
[183] I must feel each, become accustomed to it.
[184] The more I think about it, the more I realize that the information I have been given is very unrealistic.
[185] You have been inefficient, Joe.
[186] What will Blgftury and the others say of this?
[187] My great mission is impaired.
[188] Farewell, till I find a more intelligent mind so I can write you with more enlightenment.
[189] Glmpauszn Moscow, Idaho June 17 Dear Joe: I received your first communication today.
[190] It baffles me.
[191] Do you greet me in the proper fringe-zone manner?
[192] No.
[193] Do you express joy, hope, pride, helpfulness at my arrival?
[194] No.
[195] You ask me for a loan of five bucks!
[196] It took me some time, culling my information catalog to come up with the correct variant of the slang term "buck."
[197] Is it possible that you are powerless even to provide yourself with the wherewithal to live in this inferior world?
[198] A reminder, please.
[199] You and I—I in particular—are now engaged in a struggle to free our world from the terrible, maiming intrusions of this not-world.
[200] Through many long gleebs, our people have lived a semi-terrorized existence while errant vibrations from this world ripped across the closely joined vibration flux, whose individual fluctuations make up our sentient population.
[201] Even our eminent, all-high Frequency himself has often been jeopardized by these people.
[202] The not-world and our world are like two baskets as you and I see them in our present forms.
[203] Baskets woven with the greatest intricacy, design and color; but baskets whose convex sides are joined by a thin fringe of filaments.
[204] Our world, on the vibrational plane, extends just a bit into this, the not-world.
[205] But being a world of higher vibration, it is ultimately tenuous to these gross peoples.
[206] While we vibrate only within a restricted plane because of our purer, more stable existence, these people radiate widely into our world.
[207] They even send what they call psychic reproductions of their own selves into ours.
[208] And most infamous of all, they sometimes are able to force some of our individuals over the fringe into their world temporarily, causing them much agony and fright.
[209] The latter atrocity is perpetrated through what these people call mediums, spiritualists and other fatuous names.
[210] I intend to visit one of them at the first opportunity to see for myself.
[211] Meanwhile, as to you, I would offer a few words of advice.
[212] I picked them up while examining the "slang" portion of my information catalog which you unfortunately caused me to use.
[213] So, for the ultimate cause—in this, the penultimate adventure, and for the glory and peace of our world—shake a leg, bub.
[214] Straighten up and fly right.
[215] In short, get hep.
[216] As far as the five bucks is concerned, no dice.
[217] Glmpauszn Des Moines, Iowa June 19 Dear Joe: Your letter was imponderable till I had thrashed through long passages in my information catalog that I had never imagined I would need.
[218] Biological functions and bodily processes which are labeled here "revolting" are used freely in your missive.
[219] You can be sure they are all being forwarded to Blgftury.
[220] If I were not involved in the most important part of my journey—completion of the weapon against the not-worlders—I would come to New York immediately.
[221] You would rue that day, I assure you.
[222] Glmpauszn Boise, Idaho July 15 Dear Joe: A great deal has happened to me since I wrote to you last.
[223] Systematically, I have tested each emotion and sensation listed in our catalog.
[224] I have been, as has been said in this world, like a reed bending before the winds of passion.
[225] In fact, I'm rather badly bent indeed.
[226] Ah!
[227] You'll pardon me, but I just took time for what is known quaintly in this tongue as a "hooker of red-eye."
[228] Ha!
[229] I've mastered even the vagaries of slang in the not-language.... Ahhh!
[230] Pardon me again.
[231] I feel much better now.
[232] You see, Joe, as I attuned myself to the various impressions that constantly assaulted my mind through this body, I conditioned myself to react exactly as our information catalog instructed me to.
[233] Now it is all automatic, pure reflex.
[234] A sensation comes to me when I am burned; then I experience a burning pain.
[235] If the sensation is a tickle, I experience a tickle.
[236] This morning I have what is known medically as a syndrome ... a group of symptoms popularly referred to as a hangover ... Ahhh!
[237] Pardon me again.
[238] Strangely ... now what was I saying?
[239] Oh, yes.
[240] Ha, ha.
[241] Strangely enough, the reactions that come easiest to the people in this world came most difficult to me.
[242] Money-love, for example.
[243] It is a great thing here, both among those who haven't got it and those who have.
[244] I went out and got plenty of money.
[245] I walked invisible into a bank and carried away piles of it.
[246] Then I sat and looked at it.
[247] I took the money to a remote room of the twenty room suite I have rented in the best hotel here in—no, sorry—and stared at it for hours.
[248] Nothing happened.
[249] I didn't love the stuff or feel one way or the other about it.
[250] Yet all around me people are actually killing one another for the love of it.
[251] Anyway.... Ahhh.
[252] Pardon me.
[253] I got myself enough money to fill ten or fifteen rooms.
[254] By the end of the week I should have all eighteen spare rooms filled with money.
[255] If I don't love it then, I'll feel I have failed.
[256] This alcohol is taking effect now.
[257] Blgftury has been goading me for reports.
[258] To hell with his reports!
[259] I've got a lot more emotions to try, such as romantic love.
[260] I've been studying this phenomenon, along with other racial characteristics of these people, in the movies.
[261] This is the best place to see these people as they really are.
[262] They all go into the movie houses and there do homage to their own images.
[263] Very quaint type of idolatry.
[264] Love.
[265] Ha!
[266] What an adventure this is becoming.
[267] By the way, Joe, I'm forwarding that five dollars.
[268] You see, it won't cost me anything.
[269] It'll come out of the pocket of the idiot who's writing this letter.
[270] Pretty shrewd of me, eh?
[271] I'm going out and look at that money again.
[272] I think I'm at last learning to love it, though not as much as I admire liquor.
[273] Well, one simply must persevere, I always say.
[274] Glmpauszn Penobscot, Maine July 20 Dear Joe: Now you tell me not to drink alcohol.
[275] Why not?
[276] You never mentioned it in any of your vibrations to us, gleebs ago, when you first came across to this world.
[277] It will stint my powers?
[278] Nonsense!
[279] Already I have had a quart of the liquid today.
[280] I feel wonderful.
[281] Get that?
[282] I actually feel wonderful, in spite of this miserable imitation of a body.
[283] There are long hours during which I am so well-integrated into this body and this world that I almost consider myself a member of it.
[284] Now I can function efficiently.
[285] I sent Blgftury some long reports today outlining my experiments in the realm of chemistry where we must finally defeat these people.
[286] Of course, I haven't made the experiments yet, but I will.
[287] This is not deceit, merely realistic anticipation of the inevitable.
[288] Anyway, what the old xbyzrt doesn't know won't muss his vibrations.
[289] I went to what they call a nightclub here and picked out a blonde-haired woman, the kind that the books say men prefer.
[290] She was attracted to me instantly.
[291] After all, the body I have devised is perfect in every detail ... actually a not-world ideal.
[292] I didn't lose any time overwhelming her susceptibilities.
[293] I remember distinctly that just as I stooped to pick up a large roll of money I had dropped, her eyes met mine and in them I could see her admiration.
[294] We went to my suite and I showed her one of the money rooms.
[295] Would you believe it?
[296] She actually took off her shoes and ran around through the money in her bare feet!
[297] Then we kissed.
[298] Concealed in the dermis of the lips are tiny, highly sensitized nerve ends which send sensations to the brain.
[299] The brain interprets these impulses in a certain manner.
[300] As a result, the fate of secretion in the adrenals on the ends of the kidneys increases and an enlivening of the entire endocrine system follows.
[301] Thus I felt the beginnings of love.
[302] I sat her down on a pile of money and kissed her again.
[303] Again the tingling, again the secretion and activation.
[304] I integrated myself quickly.
[305] Now in all the motion pictures—true representations of life and love in this world—the man with a lot of money or virtue kisses the girl and tries to induce her to do something biological.
[306] She then refuses.
[307] This pleases both of them, for he wanted her to refuse.
[308] She, in turn, wanted him to want her, but also wanted to prevent him so that he would have a high opinion of her.
[309] Do I make myself clear?
[310] I kissed the blonde girl and gave her to understand what I then wanted.
[311] Well, you can imagine my surprise when she said yes!
[312] So I had failed.
[313] I had not found love.
[314] I became so abstracted by this problem that the blonde girl fell asleep.
[315] I thoughtfully drank quantities of excellent alcohol called gin and didn't even notice when the blonde girl left.
[316] I am now beginning to feel the effects of this alcohol again.
[317] Ha.
[318] Don't I wish old Blgftury were here in the vibrational pattern of an olive?
[319] I'd get the blonde in and have her eat him out of a Martini.
[320] That is a gin mixture.
[321] I think I'll get a hot report off to the old so-and-so right now.
[322] It'll take him a gleeb to figure this one out.
[323] I'll tell him I'm setting up an atomic reactor in the sewage systems here and that all we have to do is activate it and all the not-people will die of chain asphyxiation.
[324] Boy, what an easy job this turned out to be.
[325] It's just a vacation.
[326] Joe, you old gold-bricker, imagine you here all these gleebs living off the fat of the land.
[327] Yak, yak.
[328] Affectionately.
[329] Glmpauszn Sacramento, Calif. July 25 Dear Joe: All is lost unless we work swiftly.
[330] I received your revealing letter the morning after having a terrible experience of my own.
[331] I drank a lot of gin for two days and then decided to go to one of these seance things.
[332] Somewhere along the way I picked up a red-headed girl.
[333] When we got to the darkened seance room, I took the redhead into a corner and continued my investigations into the realm of love.
[334] I failed again because she said yes immediately.
[335] The nerves of my dermis were working overtime when suddenly I had the most frightening experience of my life.
[336] Now I know what a horror these people really are to our world.
[337] The medium had turned out all the lights.
[338] He said there was a strong psychic influence in the room somewhere.
[339] That was me, of course, but I was too busy with the redhead to notice.
[340] Anyway, Mrs. Somebody wanted to make contact with her paternal grandmother, Lucy, from the beyond.
[341] The medium went into his act.
[342] He concentrated and sweated and suddenly something began to take form in the room.
[343] The best way to describe it in not-world language is a white, shapeless cascade of light.
[344] Mrs. Somebody reared to her feet and screeched, "Grandma Lucy!"
[345] Then I really took notice.
[346] Grandma Lucy, nothing!
[347] This medium had actually brought Blgftury partially across the vibration barrier.
[348] He must have been vibrating in the fringe area and got caught in the works.
[349] Did he look mad!
[350] His zyhku was open and his btgrimms were down.
[351] Worst of all, he saw me.
[352] Looked right at me with an unbelievable pattern of pain, anger, fear and amazement in his matrix.
[353] Me and the redhead.
[354] Then comes your letter today telling of the fate that befell you as a result of drinking alcohol.
[355] Our wrenchingly attuned faculties in these not-world bodies need the loathsome drug to escape from the reality of not-reality.
[356] It's true.
[357] I cannot do without it now.
[358] The day is only half over and I have consumed a quart and a half.
[359] And it is dulling all my powers as it has practically obliterated yours.
[360] I can't even become invisible any more.
[361] I must find the formula that will wipe out the not-world men quickly.
[362] Quickly!
[363] Glmpauszn Florence, Italy September 10 Dear Joe: This telepathic control becomes more difficult every time.
[364] I must pick closer points of communication soon.
[365] I have nothing to report but failure.
[366] I bought a ton of equipment and went to work on the formula that is half complete in my instructions.
[367] Six of my hotel rooms were filled with tubes, pipes and apparatus of all kinds.
[368] I had got my mechanism as close to perfect as possible when I realized that, in my befuddled condition, I had set off a reaction that inevitably would result in an explosion.
[369] I had to leave there immediately, but I could not create suspicion.
[370] The management was not aware of the nature of my activities.
[371] I moved swiftly.
[372] I could not afford time to bring my baggage.
[373] I stuffed as much money into my pockets as I could and then sauntered into the hotel lobby.
[374] Assuming my most casual air, I told the manager I was checking out.
[375] Naturally he was stunned since I was his best customer.
[376] "But why, sir?"
[377] he asked plaintively.
[378] I was baffled.
[379] What could I tell him?
[380] "Don't you like the rooms?"
[381] he persisted.
[382] "Isn't the service good?"
[383] "It's the rooms," I told him.
[384] "They're—they're—" "They're what?"
[385] he wanted to know.
[386] "They're not safe."
[387] "Not safe?
[388] But that is ridiculous.
[389] This hotel is...." At this point the blast came.
[390] My nerves were a wreck from the alcohol.
[391] "See?"
[392] I screamed.
[393] "Not safe.
[394] I knew they were going to blow up!"
[395] He stood paralyzed as I ran from the lobby.
[396] Oh, well, never say die.
[397] Another day, another hotel.
[398] I swear I'm even beginning to think like the not-men, curse them.
[399] Glmpauszn Rochester, New York September 25 Dear Joe: I have it!
[400] It is done!
[401] In spite of the alcohol, in spite of Blgftury's niggling criticism, I have succeeded.
[402] I now have developed a form of mold, somewhat similar to the antibiotics of this world, that, transmitted to the human organism, will cause a disease whose end will be swift and fatal.
[403] First the brain will dissolve and then the body will fall apart.
[404] Nothing in this world can stop the spread of it once it is loose.
[405] Absolutely nothing.
[406] We must use care.
[407] Stock in as much gin as you are able.
[408] I will bring with me all that I can.
[409] Meanwhile I must return to my original place of birth into this world of horrors.
[410] There I will secure the gateway, a large mirror, the vibrational point at which we shall meet and slowly climb the frequency scale to emerge into our own beautiful, now secure world.
[411] You and I together, Joe, conquerors, liberators.
[412] You say you eat little and drink as much as you can.
[413] The same with me.
[414] Even in this revolting world I am a sad sight.
[415] My not-world senses falter.
[416] This is the last letter.
[417] Tomorrow I come with the gateway.
[418] When the gin is gone, we will plant the mold in the hotel where you live.
[419] In only a single gleeb it will begin to work.
[420] The men of this queer world will be no more.
[421] But we can't say we didn't have some fun, can we, Joe?
[422] And just let Blgftury make one crack.
[423] Just one xyzprlt.
[424] I'll have hgutry before the ghjdksla!
[425] Glmpauszn Dear Editor: These guys might be queer drunk hopheads.
[426] But if not?
[427] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
[428] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb? | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [1] A Gleeb for Earth By CHARLES SHAFHAUSER Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1953.]
2. [425] Dear Editor: These guys might be queer drunk hopheads. But if not?
3. [426] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
4. [427] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb?
5. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
6. [3] Not to be or not to not be ... that was the not-question for the invader of the not-world.
7. [4] Dear Editor: My 14 year old boy, Ronnie, is typing this letter for me because he can do it neater and use better grammar.
8. [5] I had to get in touch with somebody about this because if there is something to it, then somebody, everybody, is going to point finger at me, Ivan Smernda, and say, "Why didn't you warn us?"
9. [6] I could not go to the police because they are not too friendly to me because of some of my guests who frankly are stew bums.
10. [7] Also they might think I was on booze, too, or maybe the hops, and get my license revoked.
11. [8] I run a strictly legit hotel even though some of my guests might be down on their luck now and then.
12. [9] What really got me mixed up in this was the mysterious disappearance of two of my guests.
13. [10] They both took a powder last Wednesday morning.
14. [11] Now get this.
15. [12] In one room, that of Joe Binkle, which maybe is an alias, I find nothing but a suit of clothes, some butts and the letters I include here in same package.
16. [13] Binkle had only one suit.
17. [14] That I know.
18. [15] And this was it laying right in the middle of the room.
19. [16] Inside the coat was the vest, inside the vest the shirt, inside the shirt the underwear.
20. [17] The pants were up in the coat and inside of them was also the underwear.
21. [18] All this was buttoned up like Binkle had melted out of it and dripped through a crack in the floor.
22. [19] In a bureau drawer were the letters I told you about.
23. [20] Now.
24. [21] In the room right under Binkle's lived another stew bum that checked in Thursday ... name Ed Smith, alias maybe, too.
25. [22] This guy was a real case.
26. [23] He brought with him a big mirror with a heavy bronze frame.
27. [24] Airloom, he says.
28. [25] He pays a week in advance, staggers up the stairs to his room with the mirror and that's the last I see of him.
29. [26] In Smith's room on Wednesday I find only a suit of clothes, the same suit he wore when he came in.
30. [27] In the coat the vest, in the vest the shirt, in the shirt the underwear.
31. [28] Also in the pants.
32. [29] Also all in the middle of the floor.
33. [30] Against the far wall stands the frame of the mirror.
34. [31] Only the frame!
35. [32] What a spot to be in!
36. [33] Now it might have been a gag.
37. [34] Sometimes these guys get funny ideas when they are on the stuff.
38. [35] But then I read the letters.
39. [36] This knocks me for a loop.
40. [37] They are all in different handwritings.
41. [38] All from different places.
42. [39] Stamps all legit, my kid says.
43. [40] India, China, England, everywhere.
44. [41] My kid, he reads.
45. [42] He says it's no joke.
46. [43] He wants to call the cops or maybe some doctor.
47. [44] But I say no.
48. [45] He reads your magazine so he says write to you, send you the letters.
49. [46] You know what to do.
50. [47] Now you have them.
51. [48] Maybe you print.
52. [49] Whatever you do, Mr. Editor, remember my place, the Plaza Ritz Arms, is straight establishment.
53. [50] I don't drink.
54. [51] I never touch junk, not even aspirin.
55. [52] Yours very truly, Ivan Smernda
56. [425] Dear Editor: These guys might be queer drunk hopheads. But if not?
57. [426] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
58. [427] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb? |
Describe the setting of the story. | [
"A Gleeb for Earth takes place on Earth, where the spiritual vibrations of human mediums and psychics are intruding upon and semi-terrorizing another world populated by sentient vibrational beings. The vibrational plane of the alien world extends just a tiny bit into Earth (referred to as the not-world by the aliens), and the fringe between the two allows for human psychics to intrude into the alien’s realm, or for human seance practises to summon alien vibrations on Earth in ways that are terrifying for the aliens. The aliens can’t tolerate these vibrational intrusions any longer and have embarked on a mission to destroy all life on Earth by having two of their own take the form of humans and develop a chemical weapon (a mold) to wipe them out.\nThe mission of Glmpauszn and Joe takes place on Earth between June 8th and September 25th of an unknown year. Glmpauszn mails letters from various international locations to Joe at the Plaza Ritz Arms in New York City by controlling the minds of unknown sleeping humans to pen what he spiritually dictates, and mail the letters without ever knowing they have done it. Glmpauszn’s physical location is not explicitly discussed, but it is possibly nearby to New York City since he does not mention the need for any long-distance or international travel in his letters. Both Glmpauszn and Joe become distracted from their mission at times by drugs, alcohol, stealing money using their invisibility, and the sensations of experiencing human emotions like love.\nThe Plaza Ritz Arms hotel in New York City is an especially important location in the story, because it is the final meeting place where Glmpauszn and Joe return to their vibrational realm through a mirror with a heavy bronze frame, leaving their clothes in heaps as if they had melted out of them, only the frame of the mirror, and the pile of letters from Glmpauszn to Joe that detail their entire mission on Earth.",
"The story is set in various locations on Earth. It begins and ends in the Plaza Ritz Arms Hotel in Rochester, New York, where two residents mysteriously disappear, leaving all of their belongings behind, including their one suit of clothes that appears to have just dropped off their bodies as they wore them. In between, the setting moves from place to place as Glmpauszn moves around, beginning in Bombay, India and moving to Wichita, Kansas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Moscow, Idaho; Des Moines, Iowa; Boise, Idaho; Penobscot, Maine; Sacramento, California; and Florence, Italy.",
"The story takes place at Ivan Smernda's hotel. The hotel is home to an alien that goes by the name \"Joe Binkle.\" Joe is an alcoholic and this consumption of alcohol has dulled his alien powers. The story also involves letters from an alien named Glmpauszn who went by the alias \"Ed Smith\" in this world. Glmpauszn has traveled to many different areas of the world in his quest to find something to destroy humanity once and for all.",
"Glmpauszn and Joe come from a dimension that can be described as a kind of spirit world. The population of this dimension are referred to as Frequencies and are individual fluctuations within a larger vibration flux. They are able to enter the human dimension, which they refer to as \"not-world\", by attuning their vibrations to the human frequency because the dimensions are loosely joined together through the vibrational plane. They return to their dimension by using a \"gateway\" hidden in a normal-looking mirror. When Glmpauszn is sent to figure out a way to destroy humanity, he rents a suite of eighteen rooms at a hotel and fills it with stolen money as well as tubes, pipes, and other kinds of apparatus intended to be used to build a weapon of some kind. Joe lives at the Plaza Ritz Arms in New York City, which is where Ivan Smernda discovers his clothes as well as Glmpauszn’s. Throughout the story, Glmpauszn writes to Joe from a number of locations including Florence, Italy, Rochester, New York, Sacramento, California, Penobscot, Maine, Moscow and Boise, Idaho, Des Moines, Iowa, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Wichita, Kansas, and Bombay, India. However, he is never physically in any of these locations. Instead, he possesses people sleeping in these cities to write the letters for him in order to avoid detection. During his time in the human dimension, Glmpauszn visits a darkened seance room, a movie theater, a nightclub, a bank, a cave, and a hospital."
] | [1] A Gleeb for Earth By CHARLES SHAFHAUSER Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1953.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Not to be or not to not be ... that was the not-question for the invader of the not-world.
[4] Dear Editor: My 14 year old boy, Ronnie, is typing this letter for me because he can do it neater and use better grammar.
[5] I had to get in touch with somebody about this because if there is something to it, then somebody, everybody, is going to point finger at me, Ivan Smernda, and say, "Why didn't you warn us?"
[6] I could not go to the police because they are not too friendly to me because of some of my guests who frankly are stew bums.
[7] Also they might think I was on booze, too, or maybe the hops, and get my license revoked.
[8] I run a strictly legit hotel even though some of my guests might be down on their luck now and then.
[9] What really got me mixed up in this was the mysterious disappearance of two of my guests.
[10] They both took a powder last Wednesday morning.
[11] Now get this.
[12] In one room, that of Joe Binkle, which maybe is an alias, I find nothing but a suit of clothes, some butts and the letters I include here in same package.
[13] Binkle had only one suit.
[14] That I know.
[15] And this was it laying right in the middle of the room.
[16] Inside the coat was the vest, inside the vest the shirt, inside the shirt the underwear.
[17] The pants were up in the coat and inside of them was also the underwear.
[18] All this was buttoned up like Binkle had melted out of it and dripped through a crack in the floor.
[19] In a bureau drawer were the letters I told you about.
[20] Now.
[21] In the room right under Binkle's lived another stew bum that checked in Thursday ... name Ed Smith, alias maybe, too.
[22] This guy was a real case.
[23] He brought with him a big mirror with a heavy bronze frame.
[24] Airloom, he says.
[25] He pays a week in advance, staggers up the stairs to his room with the mirror and that's the last I see of him.
[26] In Smith's room on Wednesday I find only a suit of clothes, the same suit he wore when he came in.
[27] In the coat the vest, in the vest the shirt, in the shirt the underwear.
[28] Also in the pants.
[29] Also all in the middle of the floor.
[30] Against the far wall stands the frame of the mirror.
[31] Only the frame!
[32] What a spot to be in!
[33] Now it might have been a gag.
[34] Sometimes these guys get funny ideas when they are on the stuff.
[35] But then I read the letters.
[36] This knocks me for a loop.
[37] They are all in different handwritings.
[38] All from different places.
[39] Stamps all legit, my kid says.
[40] India, China, England, everywhere.
[41] My kid, he reads.
[42] He says it's no joke.
[43] He wants to call the cops or maybe some doctor.
[44] But I say no.
[45] He reads your magazine so he says write to you, send you the letters.
[46] You know what to do.
[47] Now you have them.
[48] Maybe you print.
[49] Whatever you do, Mr. Editor, remember my place, the Plaza Ritz Arms, is straight establishment.
[50] I don't drink.
[51] I never touch junk, not even aspirin.
[52] Yours very truly, Ivan Smernda Bombay, India June 8 Mr. Joe Binkle Plaza Ritz Arms New York City Dear Joe: Greetings, greetings, greetings.
[53] Hold firm in your wretched projection, for tomorrow you will not be alone in the not-world.
[54] In two days I, Glmpauszn, will be born.
[55] Today I hang in our newly developed not-pod just within the mirror gateway, torn with the agony that we calculated must go with such tremendous wavelength fluctuations.
[56] I have attuned myself to a fetus within the body of a not-woman in the not-world.
[57] Already I am static and for hours have looked into this weird extension of the Universe with fear and trepidation.
[58] As soon as my stasis was achieved, I tried to contact you, but got no response.
[59] What could have diminished your powers of articulate wave interaction to make you incapable of receiving my messages and returning them?
[60] My wave went out to yours and found it, barely pulsing and surrounded with an impregnable chimera.
[61] Quickly, from the not-world vibrations about you, I learned the not-knowledge of your location.
[62] So I must communicate with you by what the not-world calls "mail" till we meet.
[63] For this purpose I must utilize the feeble vibrations of various not-people through whose inadequate articulation I will attempt to make my moves known to you.
[64] Each time I will pick a city other than the one I am in at the time.
[65] I, Glmpauszn, come equipped with powers evolved from your fragmentary reports before you ceased to vibrate to us and with a vast treasury of facts from indirect sources.
[66] Soon our tortured people will be free of the fearsome not-folk and I will be their liberator.
[67] You failed in your task, but I will try to get you off with light punishment when we return again.
[68] The hand that writes this letter is that of a boy in the not-city of Bombay in the not-country of India.
[69] He does not know he writes it.
[70] Tomorrow it will be someone else.
[71] You must never know of my exact location, for the not-people might have access to the information.
[72] I must leave off now because the not-child is about to be born.
[73] When it is alone in the room, it will be spirited away and I will spring from the pod on the gateway into its crib and will be its exact vibrational likeness.
[74] I have tremendous powers.
[75] But the not-people must never know I am among them.
[76] This is the only way I could arrive in the room where the gateway lies without arousing suspicion.
[77] I will grow up as the not-child in order that I might destroy the not-people completely.
[78] All is well, only they shot this information file into my matrix too fast.
[79] I'm having a hard time sorting facts and make the right decision.
[80] Gezsltrysk, what a task!
[81] Farewell till later.
[82] Glmpauszn Wichita, Kansas June 13 Dear Joe: Mnghjkl, fhfjgfhjklop phelnoprausynks.
[83] No.
[84] When I communicate with you, I see I must avoid those complexities of procedure for which there are no terms in this language.
[85] There is no way of describing to you in not-language what I had to go through during the first moments of my birth.
[86] Now I know what difficulties you must have had with your limited equipment.
[87] These not-people are unpredictable and strange.
[88] Their doctor came in and weighed me again the day after my birth.
[89] Consternation reigned when it was discovered I was ten pounds heavier.
[90] What difference could it possibly make?
[91] Many doctors then came in to see me.
[92] As they arrived hourly, they found me heavier and heavier.
[93] Naturally, since I am growing.
[94] This is part of my instructions.
[95] My not-mother (Gezsltrysk!)
[96] then burst into tears.
[97] The doctors conferred, threw up their hands and left.
[98] I learned the following day that the opposite component of my not-mother, my not-father, had been away riding on some conveyance during my birth.
[99] He was out on ... what did they call it?
[100] Oh, yes, a bender.
[101] He did not arrive till three days after I was born.
[102] When I heard them say that he was straightening up to come see me, I made a special effort and grew marvelously in one afternoon.
[103] I was 36 not-world inches tall by evening.
[104] My not-father entered while I was standing by the crib examining a syringe the doctor had left behind.
[105] He stopped in his tracks on entering the room and seemed incapable of speech.
[106] Dredging into the treasury of knowledge I had come equipped with, I produced the proper phrase for occasions of this kind in the not-world.
[107] "Poppa," I said.
[108] This was the first use I had made of the so-called vocal cords that are now part of my extended matrix.
[109] The sound I emitted sounded low-pitched, guttural and penetrating even to myself.
[110] It must have jarred on my not-father's ears, for he turned and ran shouting from the room.
[111] They apprehended him on the stairs and I heard him babble something about my being a monster and no child of his.
[112] My not-mother appeared at the doorway and instead of being pleased at the progress of my growth, she fell down heavily.
[113] She made a distinct thump on the floor.
[114] This brought the rest of them on the run, so I climbed out the window and retreated across a nearby field.
[115] A prolonged search was launched, but I eluded them.
[116] What unpredictable beings!
[117] I reported my tremendous progress back to our world, including the cleverness by which I managed to escape my pursuers.
[118] I received a reply from Blgftury which, on careful analysis, seems to be small praise indeed.
[119] In fact, some of his phrases apparently contain veiled threats.
[120] But you know old Blgftury.
[121] He wanted to go on this expedition himself and it's his nature never to flatter anyone.
[122] From now on I will refer to not-people simply as people, dropping the qualifying preface except where comparisons must be made between this alleged world and our own.
[123] It is merely an offshoot of our primitive mythology when this was considered a spirit world, just as these people refer to our world as never-never land and other anomalies.
[124] But we learned otherwise, while they never have.
[125] New sensations crowd into my consciousness and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[126] Anyway, I shall carry on swiftly now to the inevitable climax in which I singlehanded will obliterate the terror of the not-world and return to our world a hero.
[127] I cannot understand your not replying to my letters.
[128] I have given you a box number.
[129] What could have happened to your vibrations?
[130] Glmpauszn Albuquerque, New Mexico June 15 Dear Joe: I had tremendous difficulty getting a letter off to you this time.
[131] My process—original with myself, by the way—is to send out feeler vibrations for what these people call the psychic individual.
[132] Then I establish contact with him while he sleeps and compel him without his knowledge to translate my ideas into written language.
[133] He writes my letter and mails it to you.
[134] Of course, he has no awareness of what he has done.
[135] My first five tries were unfortunate.
[136] Each time I took control of an individual who could not read or write!
[137] Finally I found my man, but I fear his words are limited.
[138] Ah, well.
[139] I had great things to tell you about my progress, but I cannot convey even a hint of how I have accomplished these miracles through the thick skull of this incompetent.
[140] In simple terms then: I crept into a cave and slipped into a kind of sleep, directing my squhjkl ulytz & uhrytzg ... no, it won't come out.
[141] Anyway, I grew overnight to the size of an average person here.
[142] As I said before, floods of impressions are driving into my xzbyl ... my brain ... from various nerve and sense areas and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[143] My one idea was to get to a chemist and acquire the stuff needed for the destruction of these people.
[144] Sunrise came as I expected.
[145] According to my catalog of information, the impressions aroused by it are of beauty.
[146] It took little conditioning for me finally to react in this manner.
[147] This is truly an efficient mechanism I inhabit.
[148] I gazed about me at the mixture of lights, forms and impressions.
[149] It was strange and ... now I know ... beautiful.
[150] However, I hurried immediately toward the nearest chemist.
[151] At the same time I looked up and all about me at the beauty.
[152] Soon an individual approached.
[153] I knew what to do from my information.
[154] I simply acted natural.
[155] You know, one of your earliest instructions was to realize that these people see nothing unusual in you if you do not let yourself believe they do.
[156] This individual I classified as a female of a singular variety here.
[157] Her hair was short, her upper torso clad in a woolen garment.
[158] She wore ... what are they?
[159] ... oh, yes, sneakers.
[160] My attention was diverted by a scream as I passed her.
[161] I stopped.
[162] The woman gesticulated and continued to scream.
[163] People hurried from nearby houses.
[164] I linked my hands behind me and watched the scene with an attitude of mild interest.
[165] They weren't interested in me, I told myself.
[166] But they were.
[167] I became alarmed, dived into a bush and used a mechanism that you unfortunately do not have—invisibility.
[168] I lay there and listened.
[169] "He was stark naked," the girl with the sneakers said.
[170] A figure I recognized as a police officer spoke to her.
[171] "Lizzy, you'll just have to keep these crackpot friends of yours out of this area."
[172] "But—" "No more buck-bathing, Lizzy," the officer ordered.
[173] "No more speeches in the Square.
[174] Not when it results in riots at five in the morning.
[175] Now where is your naked friend?
[176] I'm going to make an example of him."
[177] That was it—I had forgotten clothes.
[178] There is only one answer to this oversight on my part.
[179] My mind is confused by the barrage of impressions that assault it.
[180] I must retire now and get them all classified.
[181] Beauty, pain, fear, hate, love, laughter.
[182] I don't know one from the other.
[183] I must feel each, become accustomed to it.
[184] The more I think about it, the more I realize that the information I have been given is very unrealistic.
[185] You have been inefficient, Joe.
[186] What will Blgftury and the others say of this?
[187] My great mission is impaired.
[188] Farewell, till I find a more intelligent mind so I can write you with more enlightenment.
[189] Glmpauszn Moscow, Idaho June 17 Dear Joe: I received your first communication today.
[190] It baffles me.
[191] Do you greet me in the proper fringe-zone manner?
[192] No.
[193] Do you express joy, hope, pride, helpfulness at my arrival?
[194] No.
[195] You ask me for a loan of five bucks!
[196] It took me some time, culling my information catalog to come up with the correct variant of the slang term "buck."
[197] Is it possible that you are powerless even to provide yourself with the wherewithal to live in this inferior world?
[198] A reminder, please.
[199] You and I—I in particular—are now engaged in a struggle to free our world from the terrible, maiming intrusions of this not-world.
[200] Through many long gleebs, our people have lived a semi-terrorized existence while errant vibrations from this world ripped across the closely joined vibration flux, whose individual fluctuations make up our sentient population.
[201] Even our eminent, all-high Frequency himself has often been jeopardized by these people.
[202] The not-world and our world are like two baskets as you and I see them in our present forms.
[203] Baskets woven with the greatest intricacy, design and color; but baskets whose convex sides are joined by a thin fringe of filaments.
[204] Our world, on the vibrational plane, extends just a bit into this, the not-world.
[205] But being a world of higher vibration, it is ultimately tenuous to these gross peoples.
[206] While we vibrate only within a restricted plane because of our purer, more stable existence, these people radiate widely into our world.
[207] They even send what they call psychic reproductions of their own selves into ours.
[208] And most infamous of all, they sometimes are able to force some of our individuals over the fringe into their world temporarily, causing them much agony and fright.
[209] The latter atrocity is perpetrated through what these people call mediums, spiritualists and other fatuous names.
[210] I intend to visit one of them at the first opportunity to see for myself.
[211] Meanwhile, as to you, I would offer a few words of advice.
[212] I picked them up while examining the "slang" portion of my information catalog which you unfortunately caused me to use.
[213] So, for the ultimate cause—in this, the penultimate adventure, and for the glory and peace of our world—shake a leg, bub.
[214] Straighten up and fly right.
[215] In short, get hep.
[216] As far as the five bucks is concerned, no dice.
[217] Glmpauszn Des Moines, Iowa June 19 Dear Joe: Your letter was imponderable till I had thrashed through long passages in my information catalog that I had never imagined I would need.
[218] Biological functions and bodily processes which are labeled here "revolting" are used freely in your missive.
[219] You can be sure they are all being forwarded to Blgftury.
[220] If I were not involved in the most important part of my journey—completion of the weapon against the not-worlders—I would come to New York immediately.
[221] You would rue that day, I assure you.
[222] Glmpauszn Boise, Idaho July 15 Dear Joe: A great deal has happened to me since I wrote to you last.
[223] Systematically, I have tested each emotion and sensation listed in our catalog.
[224] I have been, as has been said in this world, like a reed bending before the winds of passion.
[225] In fact, I'm rather badly bent indeed.
[226] Ah!
[227] You'll pardon me, but I just took time for what is known quaintly in this tongue as a "hooker of red-eye."
[228] Ha!
[229] I've mastered even the vagaries of slang in the not-language.... Ahhh!
[230] Pardon me again.
[231] I feel much better now.
[232] You see, Joe, as I attuned myself to the various impressions that constantly assaulted my mind through this body, I conditioned myself to react exactly as our information catalog instructed me to.
[233] Now it is all automatic, pure reflex.
[234] A sensation comes to me when I am burned; then I experience a burning pain.
[235] If the sensation is a tickle, I experience a tickle.
[236] This morning I have what is known medically as a syndrome ... a group of symptoms popularly referred to as a hangover ... Ahhh!
[237] Pardon me again.
[238] Strangely ... now what was I saying?
[239] Oh, yes.
[240] Ha, ha.
[241] Strangely enough, the reactions that come easiest to the people in this world came most difficult to me.
[242] Money-love, for example.
[243] It is a great thing here, both among those who haven't got it and those who have.
[244] I went out and got plenty of money.
[245] I walked invisible into a bank and carried away piles of it.
[246] Then I sat and looked at it.
[247] I took the money to a remote room of the twenty room suite I have rented in the best hotel here in—no, sorry—and stared at it for hours.
[248] Nothing happened.
[249] I didn't love the stuff or feel one way or the other about it.
[250] Yet all around me people are actually killing one another for the love of it.
[251] Anyway.... Ahhh.
[252] Pardon me.
[253] I got myself enough money to fill ten or fifteen rooms.
[254] By the end of the week I should have all eighteen spare rooms filled with money.
[255] If I don't love it then, I'll feel I have failed.
[256] This alcohol is taking effect now.
[257] Blgftury has been goading me for reports.
[258] To hell with his reports!
[259] I've got a lot more emotions to try, such as romantic love.
[260] I've been studying this phenomenon, along with other racial characteristics of these people, in the movies.
[261] This is the best place to see these people as they really are.
[262] They all go into the movie houses and there do homage to their own images.
[263] Very quaint type of idolatry.
[264] Love.
[265] Ha!
[266] What an adventure this is becoming.
[267] By the way, Joe, I'm forwarding that five dollars.
[268] You see, it won't cost me anything.
[269] It'll come out of the pocket of the idiot who's writing this letter.
[270] Pretty shrewd of me, eh?
[271] I'm going out and look at that money again.
[272] I think I'm at last learning to love it, though not as much as I admire liquor.
[273] Well, one simply must persevere, I always say.
[274] Glmpauszn Penobscot, Maine July 20 Dear Joe: Now you tell me not to drink alcohol.
[275] Why not?
[276] You never mentioned it in any of your vibrations to us, gleebs ago, when you first came across to this world.
[277] It will stint my powers?
[278] Nonsense!
[279] Already I have had a quart of the liquid today.
[280] I feel wonderful.
[281] Get that?
[282] I actually feel wonderful, in spite of this miserable imitation of a body.
[283] There are long hours during which I am so well-integrated into this body and this world that I almost consider myself a member of it.
[284] Now I can function efficiently.
[285] I sent Blgftury some long reports today outlining my experiments in the realm of chemistry where we must finally defeat these people.
[286] Of course, I haven't made the experiments yet, but I will.
[287] This is not deceit, merely realistic anticipation of the inevitable.
[288] Anyway, what the old xbyzrt doesn't know won't muss his vibrations.
[289] I went to what they call a nightclub here and picked out a blonde-haired woman, the kind that the books say men prefer.
[290] She was attracted to me instantly.
[291] After all, the body I have devised is perfect in every detail ... actually a not-world ideal.
[292] I didn't lose any time overwhelming her susceptibilities.
[293] I remember distinctly that just as I stooped to pick up a large roll of money I had dropped, her eyes met mine and in them I could see her admiration.
[294] We went to my suite and I showed her one of the money rooms.
[295] Would you believe it?
[296] She actually took off her shoes and ran around through the money in her bare feet!
[297] Then we kissed.
[298] Concealed in the dermis of the lips are tiny, highly sensitized nerve ends which send sensations to the brain.
[299] The brain interprets these impulses in a certain manner.
[300] As a result, the fate of secretion in the adrenals on the ends of the kidneys increases and an enlivening of the entire endocrine system follows.
[301] Thus I felt the beginnings of love.
[302] I sat her down on a pile of money and kissed her again.
[303] Again the tingling, again the secretion and activation.
[304] I integrated myself quickly.
[305] Now in all the motion pictures—true representations of life and love in this world—the man with a lot of money or virtue kisses the girl and tries to induce her to do something biological.
[306] She then refuses.
[307] This pleases both of them, for he wanted her to refuse.
[308] She, in turn, wanted him to want her, but also wanted to prevent him so that he would have a high opinion of her.
[309] Do I make myself clear?
[310] I kissed the blonde girl and gave her to understand what I then wanted.
[311] Well, you can imagine my surprise when she said yes!
[312] So I had failed.
[313] I had not found love.
[314] I became so abstracted by this problem that the blonde girl fell asleep.
[315] I thoughtfully drank quantities of excellent alcohol called gin and didn't even notice when the blonde girl left.
[316] I am now beginning to feel the effects of this alcohol again.
[317] Ha.
[318] Don't I wish old Blgftury were here in the vibrational pattern of an olive?
[319] I'd get the blonde in and have her eat him out of a Martini.
[320] That is a gin mixture.
[321] I think I'll get a hot report off to the old so-and-so right now.
[322] It'll take him a gleeb to figure this one out.
[323] I'll tell him I'm setting up an atomic reactor in the sewage systems here and that all we have to do is activate it and all the not-people will die of chain asphyxiation.
[324] Boy, what an easy job this turned out to be.
[325] It's just a vacation.
[326] Joe, you old gold-bricker, imagine you here all these gleebs living off the fat of the land.
[327] Yak, yak.
[328] Affectionately.
[329] Glmpauszn Sacramento, Calif. July 25 Dear Joe: All is lost unless we work swiftly.
[330] I received your revealing letter the morning after having a terrible experience of my own.
[331] I drank a lot of gin for two days and then decided to go to one of these seance things.
[332] Somewhere along the way I picked up a red-headed girl.
[333] When we got to the darkened seance room, I took the redhead into a corner and continued my investigations into the realm of love.
[334] I failed again because she said yes immediately.
[335] The nerves of my dermis were working overtime when suddenly I had the most frightening experience of my life.
[336] Now I know what a horror these people really are to our world.
[337] The medium had turned out all the lights.
[338] He said there was a strong psychic influence in the room somewhere.
[339] That was me, of course, but I was too busy with the redhead to notice.
[340] Anyway, Mrs. Somebody wanted to make contact with her paternal grandmother, Lucy, from the beyond.
[341] The medium went into his act.
[342] He concentrated and sweated and suddenly something began to take form in the room.
[343] The best way to describe it in not-world language is a white, shapeless cascade of light.
[344] Mrs. Somebody reared to her feet and screeched, "Grandma Lucy!"
[345] Then I really took notice.
[346] Grandma Lucy, nothing!
[347] This medium had actually brought Blgftury partially across the vibration barrier.
[348] He must have been vibrating in the fringe area and got caught in the works.
[349] Did he look mad!
[350] His zyhku was open and his btgrimms were down.
[351] Worst of all, he saw me.
[352] Looked right at me with an unbelievable pattern of pain, anger, fear and amazement in his matrix.
[353] Me and the redhead.
[354] Then comes your letter today telling of the fate that befell you as a result of drinking alcohol.
[355] Our wrenchingly attuned faculties in these not-world bodies need the loathsome drug to escape from the reality of not-reality.
[356] It's true.
[357] I cannot do without it now.
[358] The day is only half over and I have consumed a quart and a half.
[359] And it is dulling all my powers as it has practically obliterated yours.
[360] I can't even become invisible any more.
[361] I must find the formula that will wipe out the not-world men quickly.
[362] Quickly!
[363] Glmpauszn Florence, Italy September 10 Dear Joe: This telepathic control becomes more difficult every time.
[364] I must pick closer points of communication soon.
[365] I have nothing to report but failure.
[366] I bought a ton of equipment and went to work on the formula that is half complete in my instructions.
[367] Six of my hotel rooms were filled with tubes, pipes and apparatus of all kinds.
[368] I had got my mechanism as close to perfect as possible when I realized that, in my befuddled condition, I had set off a reaction that inevitably would result in an explosion.
[369] I had to leave there immediately, but I could not create suspicion.
[370] The management was not aware of the nature of my activities.
[371] I moved swiftly.
[372] I could not afford time to bring my baggage.
[373] I stuffed as much money into my pockets as I could and then sauntered into the hotel lobby.
[374] Assuming my most casual air, I told the manager I was checking out.
[375] Naturally he was stunned since I was his best customer.
[376] "But why, sir?"
[377] he asked plaintively.
[378] I was baffled.
[379] What could I tell him?
[380] "Don't you like the rooms?"
[381] he persisted.
[382] "Isn't the service good?"
[383] "It's the rooms," I told him.
[384] "They're—they're—" "They're what?"
[385] he wanted to know.
[386] "They're not safe."
[387] "Not safe?
[388] But that is ridiculous.
[389] This hotel is...." At this point the blast came.
[390] My nerves were a wreck from the alcohol.
[391] "See?"
[392] I screamed.
[393] "Not safe.
[394] I knew they were going to blow up!"
[395] He stood paralyzed as I ran from the lobby.
[396] Oh, well, never say die.
[397] Another day, another hotel.
[398] I swear I'm even beginning to think like the not-men, curse them.
[399] Glmpauszn Rochester, New York September 25 Dear Joe: I have it!
[400] It is done!
[401] In spite of the alcohol, in spite of Blgftury's niggling criticism, I have succeeded.
[402] I now have developed a form of mold, somewhat similar to the antibiotics of this world, that, transmitted to the human organism, will cause a disease whose end will be swift and fatal.
[403] First the brain will dissolve and then the body will fall apart.
[404] Nothing in this world can stop the spread of it once it is loose.
[405] Absolutely nothing.
[406] We must use care.
[407] Stock in as much gin as you are able.
[408] I will bring with me all that I can.
[409] Meanwhile I must return to my original place of birth into this world of horrors.
[410] There I will secure the gateway, a large mirror, the vibrational point at which we shall meet and slowly climb the frequency scale to emerge into our own beautiful, now secure world.
[411] You and I together, Joe, conquerors, liberators.
[412] You say you eat little and drink as much as you can.
[413] The same with me.
[414] Even in this revolting world I am a sad sight.
[415] My not-world senses falter.
[416] This is the last letter.
[417] Tomorrow I come with the gateway.
[418] When the gin is gone, we will plant the mold in the hotel where you live.
[419] In only a single gleeb it will begin to work.
[420] The men of this queer world will be no more.
[421] But we can't say we didn't have some fun, can we, Joe?
[422] And just let Blgftury make one crack.
[423] Just one xyzprlt.
[424] I'll have hgutry before the ghjdksla!
[425] Glmpauszn Dear Editor: These guys might be queer drunk hopheads.
[426] But if not?
[427] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
[428] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb? | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [1] A Gleeb for Earth By CHARLES SHAFHAUSER Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1953.
2. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
3. [9] What really got me mixed up in this was the mysterious disappearance of two of my guests.
4. [12] In one room, that of Joe Binkle, which maybe is an alias, I find nothing but a suit of clothes, some butts and the letters I include here in same package.
5. [21] In the room right under Binkle's lived another stew bum that checked in Thursday ... name Ed Smith, alias maybe, too.
6. [23] He brought with him a big mirror with a heavy bronze frame.
7. [30] Against the far wall stands the frame of the mirror.
8. [31] Only the frame!
9. [32] What a spot to be in!
10. [425] These guys might be queer drunk hopheads.
11. [426] But if not?
12. [427] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
13. [428] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb?
14. [3] Not to be or not to not be ... that was the not-question for the invader of the not-world.
15. [4] Dear Editor: My 14 year old boy, Ronnie, is typing this letter for me because he can do it neater and use better grammar.
16. [5] I had to get in touch with somebody about this because if there is something to it, then somebody, everybody, is going to point finger at me, Ivan Smernda, and say, "Why didn't you warn us?"
17. [6] I could not go to the police because they are not too friendly to me because of some of my guests who frankly are stew bums.
18. [7] Also they might think I was on booze, too, or maybe the hops, and get my license revoked.
19. [8] I run a strictly legit hotel even though some of my guests might be down on their luck now and then.
20. [10] They both took a powder last Wednesday morning.
21. [11] Now get this.
22. [13] Binkle had only one suit.
23. [14] That I know.
24. [15] And this was it laying right in the middle of the room.
25. [16] Inside the coat was the vest, inside the vest the shirt, inside the shirt the underwear.
26. [17] The pants were up in the coat and inside of them was also the underwear.
27. [18] All this was buttoned up like Binkle had melted out of it and dripped through a crack in the floor.
28. [19] In a bureau drawer were the letters I told you about.
29. [20] Now.
30. [22] This guy was a real case.
31. [24] Airloom, he says.
32. [25] He pays a week in advance, staggers up the stairs to his room with the mirror and that's the last I see of him.
33. [26] In Smith's room on Wednesday I find only a suit of clothes, the same suit he wore when he came in.
34. [27] In the coat the vest, in the vest the shirt, in the shirt the underwear.
35. [28] Also in the pants.
36. [29] Also all in the middle of the floor.
37. [33] Now it might have been a gag.
38. [34] Sometimes these guys get funny ideas when they are on the stuff.
39. [35] But then I read the letters.
40. [36] This knocks me for a loop.
41. [37] They are all in different handwritings.
42. [38] All from different places.
43. [39] Stamps all legit, my kid says.
44. [40] India, China, England, everywhere.
45. [41] My kid, he reads.
46. [42] He says it's no joke.
47. [43] He wants to call the cops or maybe some doctor.
48. [44] But I say no.
49. [45] He reads your magazine so he says write to you, send you the letters.
50. [46] You know what to do.
51. [47] Now you have them.
52. [48] Maybe you print.
53. [49] Whatever you do, Mr. Editor, remember my place, the Plaza Ritz Arms, is straight establishment.
54. [50] I don't drink.
55. [51] I never touch junk, not even aspirin. |
Why does Glmpauszn want to take the form of a person on Earth? | [
"Glmpauszn’s consciousness takes the form of spiritual vibrations that can cross from his world into Earth’s, allowing him to take control of humans on Earth and even insert his consciousness into a human fetus. He describes Earth as a “weird extension of the Universe”, because from his perspective the vibrational plane of his world extends just a tiny bit into Earth (which he calls the not-world). This is unacceptable to his people since human spiritual mediums on Earth have been able to force psychic reproductions of themselves into his world, and conversely temporarily kidnap some individuals from his planet over the “fringe” between the two worlds, frightening them. The intrusive vibrations from Earth have semi-terrorized the sentient vibrations that make up the population of Glmpauszn’s world. Thus, Glmpauszn will now take on the form of a human on Earth and destroy the entirety of human existence to stop their intrusions.",
"Glmpauszn wants to take the form of a person on Earth to find a way to destroy the human race because humans are torturing his people, and he wants to be their liberator. The only way he can take the form of a person without arousing suspicion is to arrive as a newborn baby, which he does. The human world is intruding upon his world, which is terrorizing his people. While his world is on a higher plane with higher vibrations than the human world, sometimes the humans encroach on their world. At times, humans even send psychic reproductions of themselves into their world, causing agony and fright. This is accomplished through mediums and spiritualists. And to understand humans, Glmpauszn wants to experience their emotions. At the same time, Glmpauszn falls prey to the lure of alcohol and finds himself needing it to escape from the reality of the human world. In the end, he has created a mold that will destroy humans by dissolving the brain and then ruining the body. The mold will be planted in the hotel where Joe lives, and together, they will exit the human world through the mirror gateway.",
"Glmpauszn wishes to take the form of a human from Earth in order to avoid detection. Glmpauszn has been tasked with ending the human race so that they can no longer pull beings from their homeworld anymore and cause them great pain. Glmpauszn needs to travel to do this, and taking the form of a person on Earth means he can move freely, despite the fact that there is quite a learning curve in becoming disguised as a human.",
"Thanks to an increase in the number of humans using the services of mediums, fortune tellers, and séances, there has been substantial interference in the vibrational plane that connects the human dimension with the real of the Frequencies. The humans see this as a meaningful way to interact with deceased loved ones, while the Frequencies view this as an invasive practice that terrorizes their way of life. Glmpauszn has been sent from the Frequency realm to the human dimension in order to find a way to destroy humanity and restore peace to their society. By attuning himself to a human fetus, Glmpauszn believes he will be able to better disguise himself and avoid detection. He experiences growing pains as he works to assimilate to human customs and emotions. He struggles with alcoholism and begins dating women in order to find love. Glmpauszn grows to enjoy being human, but it also distracts him from his ultimate mission."
] | [1] A Gleeb for Earth By CHARLES SHAFHAUSER Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1953.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Not to be or not to not be ... that was the not-question for the invader of the not-world.
[4] Dear Editor: My 14 year old boy, Ronnie, is typing this letter for me because he can do it neater and use better grammar.
[5] I had to get in touch with somebody about this because if there is something to it, then somebody, everybody, is going to point finger at me, Ivan Smernda, and say, "Why didn't you warn us?"
[6] I could not go to the police because they are not too friendly to me because of some of my guests who frankly are stew bums.
[7] Also they might think I was on booze, too, or maybe the hops, and get my license revoked.
[8] I run a strictly legit hotel even though some of my guests might be down on their luck now and then.
[9] What really got me mixed up in this was the mysterious disappearance of two of my guests.
[10] They both took a powder last Wednesday morning.
[11] Now get this.
[12] In one room, that of Joe Binkle, which maybe is an alias, I find nothing but a suit of clothes, some butts and the letters I include here in same package.
[13] Binkle had only one suit.
[14] That I know.
[15] And this was it laying right in the middle of the room.
[16] Inside the coat was the vest, inside the vest the shirt, inside the shirt the underwear.
[17] The pants were up in the coat and inside of them was also the underwear.
[18] All this was buttoned up like Binkle had melted out of it and dripped through a crack in the floor.
[19] In a bureau drawer were the letters I told you about.
[20] Now.
[21] In the room right under Binkle's lived another stew bum that checked in Thursday ... name Ed Smith, alias maybe, too.
[22] This guy was a real case.
[23] He brought with him a big mirror with a heavy bronze frame.
[24] Airloom, he says.
[25] He pays a week in advance, staggers up the stairs to his room with the mirror and that's the last I see of him.
[26] In Smith's room on Wednesday I find only a suit of clothes, the same suit he wore when he came in.
[27] In the coat the vest, in the vest the shirt, in the shirt the underwear.
[28] Also in the pants.
[29] Also all in the middle of the floor.
[30] Against the far wall stands the frame of the mirror.
[31] Only the frame!
[32] What a spot to be in!
[33] Now it might have been a gag.
[34] Sometimes these guys get funny ideas when they are on the stuff.
[35] But then I read the letters.
[36] This knocks me for a loop.
[37] They are all in different handwritings.
[38] All from different places.
[39] Stamps all legit, my kid says.
[40] India, China, England, everywhere.
[41] My kid, he reads.
[42] He says it's no joke.
[43] He wants to call the cops or maybe some doctor.
[44] But I say no.
[45] He reads your magazine so he says write to you, send you the letters.
[46] You know what to do.
[47] Now you have them.
[48] Maybe you print.
[49] Whatever you do, Mr. Editor, remember my place, the Plaza Ritz Arms, is straight establishment.
[50] I don't drink.
[51] I never touch junk, not even aspirin.
[52] Yours very truly, Ivan Smernda Bombay, India June 8 Mr. Joe Binkle Plaza Ritz Arms New York City Dear Joe: Greetings, greetings, greetings.
[53] Hold firm in your wretched projection, for tomorrow you will not be alone in the not-world.
[54] In two days I, Glmpauszn, will be born.
[55] Today I hang in our newly developed not-pod just within the mirror gateway, torn with the agony that we calculated must go with such tremendous wavelength fluctuations.
[56] I have attuned myself to a fetus within the body of a not-woman in the not-world.
[57] Already I am static and for hours have looked into this weird extension of the Universe with fear and trepidation.
[58] As soon as my stasis was achieved, I tried to contact you, but got no response.
[59] What could have diminished your powers of articulate wave interaction to make you incapable of receiving my messages and returning them?
[60] My wave went out to yours and found it, barely pulsing and surrounded with an impregnable chimera.
[61] Quickly, from the not-world vibrations about you, I learned the not-knowledge of your location.
[62] So I must communicate with you by what the not-world calls "mail" till we meet.
[63] For this purpose I must utilize the feeble vibrations of various not-people through whose inadequate articulation I will attempt to make my moves known to you.
[64] Each time I will pick a city other than the one I am in at the time.
[65] I, Glmpauszn, come equipped with powers evolved from your fragmentary reports before you ceased to vibrate to us and with a vast treasury of facts from indirect sources.
[66] Soon our tortured people will be free of the fearsome not-folk and I will be their liberator.
[67] You failed in your task, but I will try to get you off with light punishment when we return again.
[68] The hand that writes this letter is that of a boy in the not-city of Bombay in the not-country of India.
[69] He does not know he writes it.
[70] Tomorrow it will be someone else.
[71] You must never know of my exact location, for the not-people might have access to the information.
[72] I must leave off now because the not-child is about to be born.
[73] When it is alone in the room, it will be spirited away and I will spring from the pod on the gateway into its crib and will be its exact vibrational likeness.
[74] I have tremendous powers.
[75] But the not-people must never know I am among them.
[76] This is the only way I could arrive in the room where the gateway lies without arousing suspicion.
[77] I will grow up as the not-child in order that I might destroy the not-people completely.
[78] All is well, only they shot this information file into my matrix too fast.
[79] I'm having a hard time sorting facts and make the right decision.
[80] Gezsltrysk, what a task!
[81] Farewell till later.
[82] Glmpauszn Wichita, Kansas June 13 Dear Joe: Mnghjkl, fhfjgfhjklop phelnoprausynks.
[83] No.
[84] When I communicate with you, I see I must avoid those complexities of procedure for which there are no terms in this language.
[85] There is no way of describing to you in not-language what I had to go through during the first moments of my birth.
[86] Now I know what difficulties you must have had with your limited equipment.
[87] These not-people are unpredictable and strange.
[88] Their doctor came in and weighed me again the day after my birth.
[89] Consternation reigned when it was discovered I was ten pounds heavier.
[90] What difference could it possibly make?
[91] Many doctors then came in to see me.
[92] As they arrived hourly, they found me heavier and heavier.
[93] Naturally, since I am growing.
[94] This is part of my instructions.
[95] My not-mother (Gezsltrysk!)
[96] then burst into tears.
[97] The doctors conferred, threw up their hands and left.
[98] I learned the following day that the opposite component of my not-mother, my not-father, had been away riding on some conveyance during my birth.
[99] He was out on ... what did they call it?
[100] Oh, yes, a bender.
[101] He did not arrive till three days after I was born.
[102] When I heard them say that he was straightening up to come see me, I made a special effort and grew marvelously in one afternoon.
[103] I was 36 not-world inches tall by evening.
[104] My not-father entered while I was standing by the crib examining a syringe the doctor had left behind.
[105] He stopped in his tracks on entering the room and seemed incapable of speech.
[106] Dredging into the treasury of knowledge I had come equipped with, I produced the proper phrase for occasions of this kind in the not-world.
[107] "Poppa," I said.
[108] This was the first use I had made of the so-called vocal cords that are now part of my extended matrix.
[109] The sound I emitted sounded low-pitched, guttural and penetrating even to myself.
[110] It must have jarred on my not-father's ears, for he turned and ran shouting from the room.
[111] They apprehended him on the stairs and I heard him babble something about my being a monster and no child of his.
[112] My not-mother appeared at the doorway and instead of being pleased at the progress of my growth, she fell down heavily.
[113] She made a distinct thump on the floor.
[114] This brought the rest of them on the run, so I climbed out the window and retreated across a nearby field.
[115] A prolonged search was launched, but I eluded them.
[116] What unpredictable beings!
[117] I reported my tremendous progress back to our world, including the cleverness by which I managed to escape my pursuers.
[118] I received a reply from Blgftury which, on careful analysis, seems to be small praise indeed.
[119] In fact, some of his phrases apparently contain veiled threats.
[120] But you know old Blgftury.
[121] He wanted to go on this expedition himself and it's his nature never to flatter anyone.
[122] From now on I will refer to not-people simply as people, dropping the qualifying preface except where comparisons must be made between this alleged world and our own.
[123] It is merely an offshoot of our primitive mythology when this was considered a spirit world, just as these people refer to our world as never-never land and other anomalies.
[124] But we learned otherwise, while they never have.
[125] New sensations crowd into my consciousness and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[126] Anyway, I shall carry on swiftly now to the inevitable climax in which I singlehanded will obliterate the terror of the not-world and return to our world a hero.
[127] I cannot understand your not replying to my letters.
[128] I have given you a box number.
[129] What could have happened to your vibrations?
[130] Glmpauszn Albuquerque, New Mexico June 15 Dear Joe: I had tremendous difficulty getting a letter off to you this time.
[131] My process—original with myself, by the way—is to send out feeler vibrations for what these people call the psychic individual.
[132] Then I establish contact with him while he sleeps and compel him without his knowledge to translate my ideas into written language.
[133] He writes my letter and mails it to you.
[134] Of course, he has no awareness of what he has done.
[135] My first five tries were unfortunate.
[136] Each time I took control of an individual who could not read or write!
[137] Finally I found my man, but I fear his words are limited.
[138] Ah, well.
[139] I had great things to tell you about my progress, but I cannot convey even a hint of how I have accomplished these miracles through the thick skull of this incompetent.
[140] In simple terms then: I crept into a cave and slipped into a kind of sleep, directing my squhjkl ulytz & uhrytzg ... no, it won't come out.
[141] Anyway, I grew overnight to the size of an average person here.
[142] As I said before, floods of impressions are driving into my xzbyl ... my brain ... from various nerve and sense areas and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[143] My one idea was to get to a chemist and acquire the stuff needed for the destruction of these people.
[144] Sunrise came as I expected.
[145] According to my catalog of information, the impressions aroused by it are of beauty.
[146] It took little conditioning for me finally to react in this manner.
[147] This is truly an efficient mechanism I inhabit.
[148] I gazed about me at the mixture of lights, forms and impressions.
[149] It was strange and ... now I know ... beautiful.
[150] However, I hurried immediately toward the nearest chemist.
[151] At the same time I looked up and all about me at the beauty.
[152] Soon an individual approached.
[153] I knew what to do from my information.
[154] I simply acted natural.
[155] You know, one of your earliest instructions was to realize that these people see nothing unusual in you if you do not let yourself believe they do.
[156] This individual I classified as a female of a singular variety here.
[157] Her hair was short, her upper torso clad in a woolen garment.
[158] She wore ... what are they?
[159] ... oh, yes, sneakers.
[160] My attention was diverted by a scream as I passed her.
[161] I stopped.
[162] The woman gesticulated and continued to scream.
[163] People hurried from nearby houses.
[164] I linked my hands behind me and watched the scene with an attitude of mild interest.
[165] They weren't interested in me, I told myself.
[166] But they were.
[167] I became alarmed, dived into a bush and used a mechanism that you unfortunately do not have—invisibility.
[168] I lay there and listened.
[169] "He was stark naked," the girl with the sneakers said.
[170] A figure I recognized as a police officer spoke to her.
[171] "Lizzy, you'll just have to keep these crackpot friends of yours out of this area."
[172] "But—" "No more buck-bathing, Lizzy," the officer ordered.
[173] "No more speeches in the Square.
[174] Not when it results in riots at five in the morning.
[175] Now where is your naked friend?
[176] I'm going to make an example of him."
[177] That was it—I had forgotten clothes.
[178] There is only one answer to this oversight on my part.
[179] My mind is confused by the barrage of impressions that assault it.
[180] I must retire now and get them all classified.
[181] Beauty, pain, fear, hate, love, laughter.
[182] I don't know one from the other.
[183] I must feel each, become accustomed to it.
[184] The more I think about it, the more I realize that the information I have been given is very unrealistic.
[185] You have been inefficient, Joe.
[186] What will Blgftury and the others say of this?
[187] My great mission is impaired.
[188] Farewell, till I find a more intelligent mind so I can write you with more enlightenment.
[189] Glmpauszn Moscow, Idaho June 17 Dear Joe: I received your first communication today.
[190] It baffles me.
[191] Do you greet me in the proper fringe-zone manner?
[192] No.
[193] Do you express joy, hope, pride, helpfulness at my arrival?
[194] No.
[195] You ask me for a loan of five bucks!
[196] It took me some time, culling my information catalog to come up with the correct variant of the slang term "buck."
[197] Is it possible that you are powerless even to provide yourself with the wherewithal to live in this inferior world?
[198] A reminder, please.
[199] You and I—I in particular—are now engaged in a struggle to free our world from the terrible, maiming intrusions of this not-world.
[200] Through many long gleebs, our people have lived a semi-terrorized existence while errant vibrations from this world ripped across the closely joined vibration flux, whose individual fluctuations make up our sentient population.
[201] Even our eminent, all-high Frequency himself has often been jeopardized by these people.
[202] The not-world and our world are like two baskets as you and I see them in our present forms.
[203] Baskets woven with the greatest intricacy, design and color; but baskets whose convex sides are joined by a thin fringe of filaments.
[204] Our world, on the vibrational plane, extends just a bit into this, the not-world.
[205] But being a world of higher vibration, it is ultimately tenuous to these gross peoples.
[206] While we vibrate only within a restricted plane because of our purer, more stable existence, these people radiate widely into our world.
[207] They even send what they call psychic reproductions of their own selves into ours.
[208] And most infamous of all, they sometimes are able to force some of our individuals over the fringe into their world temporarily, causing them much agony and fright.
[209] The latter atrocity is perpetrated through what these people call mediums, spiritualists and other fatuous names.
[210] I intend to visit one of them at the first opportunity to see for myself.
[211] Meanwhile, as to you, I would offer a few words of advice.
[212] I picked them up while examining the "slang" portion of my information catalog which you unfortunately caused me to use.
[213] So, for the ultimate cause—in this, the penultimate adventure, and for the glory and peace of our world—shake a leg, bub.
[214] Straighten up and fly right.
[215] In short, get hep.
[216] As far as the five bucks is concerned, no dice.
[217] Glmpauszn Des Moines, Iowa June 19 Dear Joe: Your letter was imponderable till I had thrashed through long passages in my information catalog that I had never imagined I would need.
[218] Biological functions and bodily processes which are labeled here "revolting" are used freely in your missive.
[219] You can be sure they are all being forwarded to Blgftury.
[220] If I were not involved in the most important part of my journey—completion of the weapon against the not-worlders—I would come to New York immediately.
[221] You would rue that day, I assure you.
[222] Glmpauszn Boise, Idaho July 15 Dear Joe: A great deal has happened to me since I wrote to you last.
[223] Systematically, I have tested each emotion and sensation listed in our catalog.
[224] I have been, as has been said in this world, like a reed bending before the winds of passion.
[225] In fact, I'm rather badly bent indeed.
[226] Ah!
[227] You'll pardon me, but I just took time for what is known quaintly in this tongue as a "hooker of red-eye."
[228] Ha!
[229] I've mastered even the vagaries of slang in the not-language.... Ahhh!
[230] Pardon me again.
[231] I feel much better now.
[232] You see, Joe, as I attuned myself to the various impressions that constantly assaulted my mind through this body, I conditioned myself to react exactly as our information catalog instructed me to.
[233] Now it is all automatic, pure reflex.
[234] A sensation comes to me when I am burned; then I experience a burning pain.
[235] If the sensation is a tickle, I experience a tickle.
[236] This morning I have what is known medically as a syndrome ... a group of symptoms popularly referred to as a hangover ... Ahhh!
[237] Pardon me again.
[238] Strangely ... now what was I saying?
[239] Oh, yes.
[240] Ha, ha.
[241] Strangely enough, the reactions that come easiest to the people in this world came most difficult to me.
[242] Money-love, for example.
[243] It is a great thing here, both among those who haven't got it and those who have.
[244] I went out and got plenty of money.
[245] I walked invisible into a bank and carried away piles of it.
[246] Then I sat and looked at it.
[247] I took the money to a remote room of the twenty room suite I have rented in the best hotel here in—no, sorry—and stared at it for hours.
[248] Nothing happened.
[249] I didn't love the stuff or feel one way or the other about it.
[250] Yet all around me people are actually killing one another for the love of it.
[251] Anyway.... Ahhh.
[252] Pardon me.
[253] I got myself enough money to fill ten or fifteen rooms.
[254] By the end of the week I should have all eighteen spare rooms filled with money.
[255] If I don't love it then, I'll feel I have failed.
[256] This alcohol is taking effect now.
[257] Blgftury has been goading me for reports.
[258] To hell with his reports!
[259] I've got a lot more emotions to try, such as romantic love.
[260] I've been studying this phenomenon, along with other racial characteristics of these people, in the movies.
[261] This is the best place to see these people as they really are.
[262] They all go into the movie houses and there do homage to their own images.
[263] Very quaint type of idolatry.
[264] Love.
[265] Ha!
[266] What an adventure this is becoming.
[267] By the way, Joe, I'm forwarding that five dollars.
[268] You see, it won't cost me anything.
[269] It'll come out of the pocket of the idiot who's writing this letter.
[270] Pretty shrewd of me, eh?
[271] I'm going out and look at that money again.
[272] I think I'm at last learning to love it, though not as much as I admire liquor.
[273] Well, one simply must persevere, I always say.
[274] Glmpauszn Penobscot, Maine July 20 Dear Joe: Now you tell me not to drink alcohol.
[275] Why not?
[276] You never mentioned it in any of your vibrations to us, gleebs ago, when you first came across to this world.
[277] It will stint my powers?
[278] Nonsense!
[279] Already I have had a quart of the liquid today.
[280] I feel wonderful.
[281] Get that?
[282] I actually feel wonderful, in spite of this miserable imitation of a body.
[283] There are long hours during which I am so well-integrated into this body and this world that I almost consider myself a member of it.
[284] Now I can function efficiently.
[285] I sent Blgftury some long reports today outlining my experiments in the realm of chemistry where we must finally defeat these people.
[286] Of course, I haven't made the experiments yet, but I will.
[287] This is not deceit, merely realistic anticipation of the inevitable.
[288] Anyway, what the old xbyzrt doesn't know won't muss his vibrations.
[289] I went to what they call a nightclub here and picked out a blonde-haired woman, the kind that the books say men prefer.
[290] She was attracted to me instantly.
[291] After all, the body I have devised is perfect in every detail ... actually a not-world ideal.
[292] I didn't lose any time overwhelming her susceptibilities.
[293] I remember distinctly that just as I stooped to pick up a large roll of money I had dropped, her eyes met mine and in them I could see her admiration.
[294] We went to my suite and I showed her one of the money rooms.
[295] Would you believe it?
[296] She actually took off her shoes and ran around through the money in her bare feet!
[297] Then we kissed.
[298] Concealed in the dermis of the lips are tiny, highly sensitized nerve ends which send sensations to the brain.
[299] The brain interprets these impulses in a certain manner.
[300] As a result, the fate of secretion in the adrenals on the ends of the kidneys increases and an enlivening of the entire endocrine system follows.
[301] Thus I felt the beginnings of love.
[302] I sat her down on a pile of money and kissed her again.
[303] Again the tingling, again the secretion and activation.
[304] I integrated myself quickly.
[305] Now in all the motion pictures—true representations of life and love in this world—the man with a lot of money or virtue kisses the girl and tries to induce her to do something biological.
[306] She then refuses.
[307] This pleases both of them, for he wanted her to refuse.
[308] She, in turn, wanted him to want her, but also wanted to prevent him so that he would have a high opinion of her.
[309] Do I make myself clear?
[310] I kissed the blonde girl and gave her to understand what I then wanted.
[311] Well, you can imagine my surprise when she said yes!
[312] So I had failed.
[313] I had not found love.
[314] I became so abstracted by this problem that the blonde girl fell asleep.
[315] I thoughtfully drank quantities of excellent alcohol called gin and didn't even notice when the blonde girl left.
[316] I am now beginning to feel the effects of this alcohol again.
[317] Ha.
[318] Don't I wish old Blgftury were here in the vibrational pattern of an olive?
[319] I'd get the blonde in and have her eat him out of a Martini.
[320] That is a gin mixture.
[321] I think I'll get a hot report off to the old so-and-so right now.
[322] It'll take him a gleeb to figure this one out.
[323] I'll tell him I'm setting up an atomic reactor in the sewage systems here and that all we have to do is activate it and all the not-people will die of chain asphyxiation.
[324] Boy, what an easy job this turned out to be.
[325] It's just a vacation.
[326] Joe, you old gold-bricker, imagine you here all these gleebs living off the fat of the land.
[327] Yak, yak.
[328] Affectionately.
[329] Glmpauszn Sacramento, Calif. July 25 Dear Joe: All is lost unless we work swiftly.
[330] I received your revealing letter the morning after having a terrible experience of my own.
[331] I drank a lot of gin for two days and then decided to go to one of these seance things.
[332] Somewhere along the way I picked up a red-headed girl.
[333] When we got to the darkened seance room, I took the redhead into a corner and continued my investigations into the realm of love.
[334] I failed again because she said yes immediately.
[335] The nerves of my dermis were working overtime when suddenly I had the most frightening experience of my life.
[336] Now I know what a horror these people really are to our world.
[337] The medium had turned out all the lights.
[338] He said there was a strong psychic influence in the room somewhere.
[339] That was me, of course, but I was too busy with the redhead to notice.
[340] Anyway, Mrs. Somebody wanted to make contact with her paternal grandmother, Lucy, from the beyond.
[341] The medium went into his act.
[342] He concentrated and sweated and suddenly something began to take form in the room.
[343] The best way to describe it in not-world language is a white, shapeless cascade of light.
[344] Mrs. Somebody reared to her feet and screeched, "Grandma Lucy!"
[345] Then I really took notice.
[346] Grandma Lucy, nothing!
[347] This medium had actually brought Blgftury partially across the vibration barrier.
[348] He must have been vibrating in the fringe area and got caught in the works.
[349] Did he look mad!
[350] His zyhku was open and his btgrimms were down.
[351] Worst of all, he saw me.
[352] Looked right at me with an unbelievable pattern of pain, anger, fear and amazement in his matrix.
[353] Me and the redhead.
[354] Then comes your letter today telling of the fate that befell you as a result of drinking alcohol.
[355] Our wrenchingly attuned faculties in these not-world bodies need the loathsome drug to escape from the reality of not-reality.
[356] It's true.
[357] I cannot do without it now.
[358] The day is only half over and I have consumed a quart and a half.
[359] And it is dulling all my powers as it has practically obliterated yours.
[360] I can't even become invisible any more.
[361] I must find the formula that will wipe out the not-world men quickly.
[362] Quickly!
[363] Glmpauszn Florence, Italy September 10 Dear Joe: This telepathic control becomes more difficult every time.
[364] I must pick closer points of communication soon.
[365] I have nothing to report but failure.
[366] I bought a ton of equipment and went to work on the formula that is half complete in my instructions.
[367] Six of my hotel rooms were filled with tubes, pipes and apparatus of all kinds.
[368] I had got my mechanism as close to perfect as possible when I realized that, in my befuddled condition, I had set off a reaction that inevitably would result in an explosion.
[369] I had to leave there immediately, but I could not create suspicion.
[370] The management was not aware of the nature of my activities.
[371] I moved swiftly.
[372] I could not afford time to bring my baggage.
[373] I stuffed as much money into my pockets as I could and then sauntered into the hotel lobby.
[374] Assuming my most casual air, I told the manager I was checking out.
[375] Naturally he was stunned since I was his best customer.
[376] "But why, sir?"
[377] he asked plaintively.
[378] I was baffled.
[379] What could I tell him?
[380] "Don't you like the rooms?"
[381] he persisted.
[382] "Isn't the service good?"
[383] "It's the rooms," I told him.
[384] "They're—they're—" "They're what?"
[385] he wanted to know.
[386] "They're not safe."
[387] "Not safe?
[388] But that is ridiculous.
[389] This hotel is...." At this point the blast came.
[390] My nerves were a wreck from the alcohol.
[391] "See?"
[392] I screamed.
[393] "Not safe.
[394] I knew they were going to blow up!"
[395] He stood paralyzed as I ran from the lobby.
[396] Oh, well, never say die.
[397] Another day, another hotel.
[398] I swear I'm even beginning to think like the not-men, curse them.
[399] Glmpauszn Rochester, New York September 25 Dear Joe: I have it!
[400] It is done!
[401] In spite of the alcohol, in spite of Blgftury's niggling criticism, I have succeeded.
[402] I now have developed a form of mold, somewhat similar to the antibiotics of this world, that, transmitted to the human organism, will cause a disease whose end will be swift and fatal.
[403] First the brain will dissolve and then the body will fall apart.
[404] Nothing in this world can stop the spread of it once it is loose.
[405] Absolutely nothing.
[406] We must use care.
[407] Stock in as much gin as you are able.
[408] I will bring with me all that I can.
[409] Meanwhile I must return to my original place of birth into this world of horrors.
[410] There I will secure the gateway, a large mirror, the vibrational point at which we shall meet and slowly climb the frequency scale to emerge into our own beautiful, now secure world.
[411] You and I together, Joe, conquerors, liberators.
[412] You say you eat little and drink as much as you can.
[413] The same with me.
[414] Even in this revolting world I am a sad sight.
[415] My not-world senses falter.
[416] This is the last letter.
[417] Tomorrow I come with the gateway.
[418] When the gin is gone, we will plant the mold in the hotel where you live.
[419] In only a single gleeb it will begin to work.
[420] The men of this queer world will be no more.
[421] But we can't say we didn't have some fun, can we, Joe?
[422] And just let Blgftury make one crack.
[423] Just one xyzprlt.
[424] I'll have hgutry before the ghjdksla!
[425] Glmpauszn Dear Editor: These guys might be queer drunk hopheads.
[426] But if not?
[427] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
[428] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb? | Here is the ranking of the context sentences in order of importance for answering the question "Why does Glmpauszn want to take the form of a person on Earth?":
1. [73] When it is alone in the room, it will be spirited away and I will spring from the pod on the gateway into its crib and will be its exact vibrational likeness.
2. [76] This is the only way I could arrive in the room where the gateway lies without arousing suspicion.
3. [77] I will grow up as the not-child in order that I might destroy the not-people completely.
4. [52] Hold firm in your wretched projection, for tomorrow you will not be alone in the not-world.
5. [53] In two days I, Glmpauszn, will be born.
6. [54] Today I hang in our newly developed not-pod just within the mirror gateway, torn with the agony that we calculated must go with such tremendous wavelength fluctuations.
7. [55] I have attuned myself to a fetus within the body of a not-woman in the not-world.
8. [72] I must leave off now because the not-child is about to be born.
9. [74] I have tremendous powers.
10. [75] But the not-people must never know I am among them. |
What is the relationship like between Glmpauszn and Joe? | [
"Glmpauszn is a sentient being from an alien world that takes the form of spiritual vibrations that are capable of controlling humans on Earth (which he refers to as the non-world), or entering the body of a human to take their form. He travels through a gateway (a vibrational point that alters the frequency of those who enter in the form of a mirror with a heavy bronze frame), allowing Glmpauszn to take on the frequency of a human and move his consciousness into a newborn baby. Once on Earth in newborn form, Glmpauszn quickly grows the body of the newborn baby into that of an adult man over a matter of days, and begins using the alias Ed Smith. He writes to Joe by vibrationaly controlling the minds of a variety of literate people around the world to pen the letters and then mail them to Joe at the Plaza Ritz Arms in New York City. The people he uses the mind of never become aware that they have written or mailed the letters.\nJoe (an alias name) is of the same world as Glmpauszn, and they are on a mission together to destroy all human life on Earth in order to stop the intrusive vibrations of Earth polluting their spiritually sentient world. There is a rocky start to their mission as Glmpauszn is not receiving any contact back from Joe who has become distracted by drugs and alcohol in his human form on Earth. Normally, Glmpauszn would be able to reach Joe through spiritual vibrations instead of letters, but Joe’s vibrations are very weak due to the substances he takes. Joe eventually does write to Glmpauszn, but only to ask for money, which greatly offends Glmpauszn who becomes furious with him for abandoning their mission. However, their relationship changes as Glmpauszn begins to experiment with the feelings of being human, and tries to feel love and consume alcohol. Glmpauszn starts to relate to Joe’s experience with alcohol, and they even decide to bring lots of gin to consume when they finally meet at the Plaza Ritz Arms to re-enter the gateway to their own world together after releasing the deadly mold that will kill all humans on Earth and complete their mission. They finish the mission triumphantly together, with Glmpauszn referring to them together in one of his final letters as conquerors and liberators for their world.",
"The relationship between Glmpauszn and Joe is much like that of brothers. Joe is like an older brother who gives Glmpauszn advice, but when Glmpauszn doesn’t like what Joe writes in his letters, he makes sure to send them on to Blgftury to “tell on him.” Glmpauszn relies on Joe’s information, based on his experience in the human world. In his first letter to Joe, though, Glmpauszn blames him for not responding to his vibrations, forcing Glmpauszn to communicate with Joe by mail. By his second letter, however, Glmpauszn is more sympathetic to complications that Joe must have encountered due to humans, although he still doesn’t understand why he hasn’t received letters in response to his own. \n Interestingly, Glmpauszn tells Joe all about what he is doing but is less forthcoming with Blgftury. Yet Glmpauszn blames Joe for being inefficient in providing the information he needs to succeed in his mission. Interestingly, at one point, Glmpauszn complains that Joe has asked for a loan of $5.00, which Glmpauszn refuses until later. Glmpauszn confesses that he is trying to learn to love money as humans do and has been amassing large amounts of it; he agrees to loan Joe the $5.00 he requested earlier but only by sending it through the person writing the letter for him.\n\tLike a big brother, Joe gives Glmpauszn advice. He specifically advises him not to drink alcohol. By the time Glmpauszn receives this letter, he is already heavily imbibing and learning the impact of hangovers. Glmpauszn confesses that he needs the alcohol to escape from the reality of human life. He also acknowledges that it is dulling his abilities, including the ability to become invisible. For their final encounter, which will be when Glmpauszn launches his attack on humanity, he wants Joe to bring as much gin as he can, and he will do the same. Together, after all the gin is gone, Glmpauszn and Joe will return to their world through the gateway of the mirror.",
"Glmpauszn writes Joe as a companion on this quest to destroy humanity, but his written communications only go one way as far as the reader can tell. Joe never writes back, but can communicate with Glmpauszn via psychic ability, or \"vibrations.\" Glmpauszn quickly sours on Joe as he realizes that Joe has lost most of his alien abilities due to being addicted to alcohol and obsessed with money. However, Glmpauszn comes around on his fellow alien as he falls victim to alcoholism and \"money-love\" himself.",
"Glmpauszn and Joe are both Frequencies who have attuned themselves to different humans in order to disguise themselves and gather information that will assist them in a plot to destroy humanity. Joe has spent a significant amount of time longer on Earth than Glmpauszn, and therefore he has had more time to adapt to human customs and emotions. Joe lives in New York at Plaza Ritz Arms, a hotel where the two eventually rendezvous in order to return to their home dimension when they accomplish their mission. Glmpauszn sends Joe a number of letters describing his slow adjustment to human form. Although Joe's communications are never explicitly shared, his replies to Glmpauszn are minimal and often unrelated to the letter to which he's responding. For example, Joe asks Glmpauszn for five dollars in response to a letter about Glmpauszn's rocky entry into the human dimension. This anger Glmpauszn, and he is further incensed when he receives a nonsensical, insulting communication later. However, after Glmpauszn discovers alcohol, he begins to relate to Joe, who has also succumbed to the struggles of alcoholism. Eventually, Glmpauszn develops a mold that can eliminate humanity, and they rendezvous at Joe's hotel to make their re-entrance to the vibrational plane via the mirror gateway."
] | [1] A Gleeb for Earth By CHARLES SHAFHAUSER Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1953.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Not to be or not to not be ... that was the not-question for the invader of the not-world.
[4] Dear Editor: My 14 year old boy, Ronnie, is typing this letter for me because he can do it neater and use better grammar.
[5] I had to get in touch with somebody about this because if there is something to it, then somebody, everybody, is going to point finger at me, Ivan Smernda, and say, "Why didn't you warn us?"
[6] I could not go to the police because they are not too friendly to me because of some of my guests who frankly are stew bums.
[7] Also they might think I was on booze, too, or maybe the hops, and get my license revoked.
[8] I run a strictly legit hotel even though some of my guests might be down on their luck now and then.
[9] What really got me mixed up in this was the mysterious disappearance of two of my guests.
[10] They both took a powder last Wednesday morning.
[11] Now get this.
[12] In one room, that of Joe Binkle, which maybe is an alias, I find nothing but a suit of clothes, some butts and the letters I include here in same package.
[13] Binkle had only one suit.
[14] That I know.
[15] And this was it laying right in the middle of the room.
[16] Inside the coat was the vest, inside the vest the shirt, inside the shirt the underwear.
[17] The pants were up in the coat and inside of them was also the underwear.
[18] All this was buttoned up like Binkle had melted out of it and dripped through a crack in the floor.
[19] In a bureau drawer were the letters I told you about.
[20] Now.
[21] In the room right under Binkle's lived another stew bum that checked in Thursday ... name Ed Smith, alias maybe, too.
[22] This guy was a real case.
[23] He brought with him a big mirror with a heavy bronze frame.
[24] Airloom, he says.
[25] He pays a week in advance, staggers up the stairs to his room with the mirror and that's the last I see of him.
[26] In Smith's room on Wednesday I find only a suit of clothes, the same suit he wore when he came in.
[27] In the coat the vest, in the vest the shirt, in the shirt the underwear.
[28] Also in the pants.
[29] Also all in the middle of the floor.
[30] Against the far wall stands the frame of the mirror.
[31] Only the frame!
[32] What a spot to be in!
[33] Now it might have been a gag.
[34] Sometimes these guys get funny ideas when they are on the stuff.
[35] But then I read the letters.
[36] This knocks me for a loop.
[37] They are all in different handwritings.
[38] All from different places.
[39] Stamps all legit, my kid says.
[40] India, China, England, everywhere.
[41] My kid, he reads.
[42] He says it's no joke.
[43] He wants to call the cops or maybe some doctor.
[44] But I say no.
[45] He reads your magazine so he says write to you, send you the letters.
[46] You know what to do.
[47] Now you have them.
[48] Maybe you print.
[49] Whatever you do, Mr. Editor, remember my place, the Plaza Ritz Arms, is straight establishment.
[50] I don't drink.
[51] I never touch junk, not even aspirin.
[52] Yours very truly, Ivan Smernda Bombay, India June 8 Mr. Joe Binkle Plaza Ritz Arms New York City Dear Joe: Greetings, greetings, greetings.
[53] Hold firm in your wretched projection, for tomorrow you will not be alone in the not-world.
[54] In two days I, Glmpauszn, will be born.
[55] Today I hang in our newly developed not-pod just within the mirror gateway, torn with the agony that we calculated must go with such tremendous wavelength fluctuations.
[56] I have attuned myself to a fetus within the body of a not-woman in the not-world.
[57] Already I am static and for hours have looked into this weird extension of the Universe with fear and trepidation.
[58] As soon as my stasis was achieved, I tried to contact you, but got no response.
[59] What could have diminished your powers of articulate wave interaction to make you incapable of receiving my messages and returning them?
[60] My wave went out to yours and found it, barely pulsing and surrounded with an impregnable chimera.
[61] Quickly, from the not-world vibrations about you, I learned the not-knowledge of your location.
[62] So I must communicate with you by what the not-world calls "mail" till we meet.
[63] For this purpose I must utilize the feeble vibrations of various not-people through whose inadequate articulation I will attempt to make my moves known to you.
[64] Each time I will pick a city other than the one I am in at the time.
[65] I, Glmpauszn, come equipped with powers evolved from your fragmentary reports before you ceased to vibrate to us and with a vast treasury of facts from indirect sources.
[66] Soon our tortured people will be free of the fearsome not-folk and I will be their liberator.
[67] You failed in your task, but I will try to get you off with light punishment when we return again.
[68] The hand that writes this letter is that of a boy in the not-city of Bombay in the not-country of India.
[69] He does not know he writes it.
[70] Tomorrow it will be someone else.
[71] You must never know of my exact location, for the not-people might have access to the information.
[72] I must leave off now because the not-child is about to be born.
[73] When it is alone in the room, it will be spirited away and I will spring from the pod on the gateway into its crib and will be its exact vibrational likeness.
[74] I have tremendous powers.
[75] But the not-people must never know I am among them.
[76] This is the only way I could arrive in the room where the gateway lies without arousing suspicion.
[77] I will grow up as the not-child in order that I might destroy the not-people completely.
[78] All is well, only they shot this information file into my matrix too fast.
[79] I'm having a hard time sorting facts and make the right decision.
[80] Gezsltrysk, what a task!
[81] Farewell till later.
[82] Glmpauszn Wichita, Kansas June 13 Dear Joe: Mnghjkl, fhfjgfhjklop phelnoprausynks.
[83] No.
[84] When I communicate with you, I see I must avoid those complexities of procedure for which there are no terms in this language.
[85] There is no way of describing to you in not-language what I had to go through during the first moments of my birth.
[86] Now I know what difficulties you must have had with your limited equipment.
[87] These not-people are unpredictable and strange.
[88] Their doctor came in and weighed me again the day after my birth.
[89] Consternation reigned when it was discovered I was ten pounds heavier.
[90] What difference could it possibly make?
[91] Many doctors then came in to see me.
[92] As they arrived hourly, they found me heavier and heavier.
[93] Naturally, since I am growing.
[94] This is part of my instructions.
[95] My not-mother (Gezsltrysk!)
[96] then burst into tears.
[97] The doctors conferred, threw up their hands and left.
[98] I learned the following day that the opposite component of my not-mother, my not-father, had been away riding on some conveyance during my birth.
[99] He was out on ... what did they call it?
[100] Oh, yes, a bender.
[101] He did not arrive till three days after I was born.
[102] When I heard them say that he was straightening up to come see me, I made a special effort and grew marvelously in one afternoon.
[103] I was 36 not-world inches tall by evening.
[104] My not-father entered while I was standing by the crib examining a syringe the doctor had left behind.
[105] He stopped in his tracks on entering the room and seemed incapable of speech.
[106] Dredging into the treasury of knowledge I had come equipped with, I produced the proper phrase for occasions of this kind in the not-world.
[107] "Poppa," I said.
[108] This was the first use I had made of the so-called vocal cords that are now part of my extended matrix.
[109] The sound I emitted sounded low-pitched, guttural and penetrating even to myself.
[110] It must have jarred on my not-father's ears, for he turned and ran shouting from the room.
[111] They apprehended him on the stairs and I heard him babble something about my being a monster and no child of his.
[112] My not-mother appeared at the doorway and instead of being pleased at the progress of my growth, she fell down heavily.
[113] She made a distinct thump on the floor.
[114] This brought the rest of them on the run, so I climbed out the window and retreated across a nearby field.
[115] A prolonged search was launched, but I eluded them.
[116] What unpredictable beings!
[117] I reported my tremendous progress back to our world, including the cleverness by which I managed to escape my pursuers.
[118] I received a reply from Blgftury which, on careful analysis, seems to be small praise indeed.
[119] In fact, some of his phrases apparently contain veiled threats.
[120] But you know old Blgftury.
[121] He wanted to go on this expedition himself and it's his nature never to flatter anyone.
[122] From now on I will refer to not-people simply as people, dropping the qualifying preface except where comparisons must be made between this alleged world and our own.
[123] It is merely an offshoot of our primitive mythology when this was considered a spirit world, just as these people refer to our world as never-never land and other anomalies.
[124] But we learned otherwise, while they never have.
[125] New sensations crowd into my consciousness and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[126] Anyway, I shall carry on swiftly now to the inevitable climax in which I singlehanded will obliterate the terror of the not-world and return to our world a hero.
[127] I cannot understand your not replying to my letters.
[128] I have given you a box number.
[129] What could have happened to your vibrations?
[130] Glmpauszn Albuquerque, New Mexico June 15 Dear Joe: I had tremendous difficulty getting a letter off to you this time.
[131] My process—original with myself, by the way—is to send out feeler vibrations for what these people call the psychic individual.
[132] Then I establish contact with him while he sleeps and compel him without his knowledge to translate my ideas into written language.
[133] He writes my letter and mails it to you.
[134] Of course, he has no awareness of what he has done.
[135] My first five tries were unfortunate.
[136] Each time I took control of an individual who could not read or write!
[137] Finally I found my man, but I fear his words are limited.
[138] Ah, well.
[139] I had great things to tell you about my progress, but I cannot convey even a hint of how I have accomplished these miracles through the thick skull of this incompetent.
[140] In simple terms then: I crept into a cave and slipped into a kind of sleep, directing my squhjkl ulytz & uhrytzg ... no, it won't come out.
[141] Anyway, I grew overnight to the size of an average person here.
[142] As I said before, floods of impressions are driving into my xzbyl ... my brain ... from various nerve and sense areas and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[143] My one idea was to get to a chemist and acquire the stuff needed for the destruction of these people.
[144] Sunrise came as I expected.
[145] According to my catalog of information, the impressions aroused by it are of beauty.
[146] It took little conditioning for me finally to react in this manner.
[147] This is truly an efficient mechanism I inhabit.
[148] I gazed about me at the mixture of lights, forms and impressions.
[149] It was strange and ... now I know ... beautiful.
[150] However, I hurried immediately toward the nearest chemist.
[151] At the same time I looked up and all about me at the beauty.
[152] Soon an individual approached.
[153] I knew what to do from my information.
[154] I simply acted natural.
[155] You know, one of your earliest instructions was to realize that these people see nothing unusual in you if you do not let yourself believe they do.
[156] This individual I classified as a female of a singular variety here.
[157] Her hair was short, her upper torso clad in a woolen garment.
[158] She wore ... what are they?
[159] ... oh, yes, sneakers.
[160] My attention was diverted by a scream as I passed her.
[161] I stopped.
[162] The woman gesticulated and continued to scream.
[163] People hurried from nearby houses.
[164] I linked my hands behind me and watched the scene with an attitude of mild interest.
[165] They weren't interested in me, I told myself.
[166] But they were.
[167] I became alarmed, dived into a bush and used a mechanism that you unfortunately do not have—invisibility.
[168] I lay there and listened.
[169] "He was stark naked," the girl with the sneakers said.
[170] A figure I recognized as a police officer spoke to her.
[171] "Lizzy, you'll just have to keep these crackpot friends of yours out of this area."
[172] "But—" "No more buck-bathing, Lizzy," the officer ordered.
[173] "No more speeches in the Square.
[174] Not when it results in riots at five in the morning.
[175] Now where is your naked friend?
[176] I'm going to make an example of him."
[177] That was it—I had forgotten clothes.
[178] There is only one answer to this oversight on my part.
[179] My mind is confused by the barrage of impressions that assault it.
[180] I must retire now and get them all classified.
[181] Beauty, pain, fear, hate, love, laughter.
[182] I don't know one from the other.
[183] I must feel each, become accustomed to it.
[184] The more I think about it, the more I realize that the information I have been given is very unrealistic.
[185] You have been inefficient, Joe.
[186] What will Blgftury and the others say of this?
[187] My great mission is impaired.
[188] Farewell, till I find a more intelligent mind so I can write you with more enlightenment.
[189] Glmpauszn Moscow, Idaho June 17 Dear Joe: I received your first communication today.
[190] It baffles me.
[191] Do you greet me in the proper fringe-zone manner?
[192] No.
[193] Do you express joy, hope, pride, helpfulness at my arrival?
[194] No.
[195] You ask me for a loan of five bucks!
[196] It took me some time, culling my information catalog to come up with the correct variant of the slang term "buck."
[197] Is it possible that you are powerless even to provide yourself with the wherewithal to live in this inferior world?
[198] A reminder, please.
[199] You and I—I in particular—are now engaged in a struggle to free our world from the terrible, maiming intrusions of this not-world.
[200] Through many long gleebs, our people have lived a semi-terrorized existence while errant vibrations from this world ripped across the closely joined vibration flux, whose individual fluctuations make up our sentient population.
[201] Even our eminent, all-high Frequency himself has often been jeopardized by these people.
[202] The not-world and our world are like two baskets as you and I see them in our present forms.
[203] Baskets woven with the greatest intricacy, design and color; but baskets whose convex sides are joined by a thin fringe of filaments.
[204] Our world, on the vibrational plane, extends just a bit into this, the not-world.
[205] But being a world of higher vibration, it is ultimately tenuous to these gross peoples.
[206] While we vibrate only within a restricted plane because of our purer, more stable existence, these people radiate widely into our world.
[207] They even send what they call psychic reproductions of their own selves into ours.
[208] And most infamous of all, they sometimes are able to force some of our individuals over the fringe into their world temporarily, causing them much agony and fright.
[209] The latter atrocity is perpetrated through what these people call mediums, spiritualists and other fatuous names.
[210] I intend to visit one of them at the first opportunity to see for myself.
[211] Meanwhile, as to you, I would offer a few words of advice.
[212] I picked them up while examining the "slang" portion of my information catalog which you unfortunately caused me to use.
[213] So, for the ultimate cause—in this, the penultimate adventure, and for the glory and peace of our world—shake a leg, bub.
[214] Straighten up and fly right.
[215] In short, get hep.
[216] As far as the five bucks is concerned, no dice.
[217] Glmpauszn Des Moines, Iowa June 19 Dear Joe: Your letter was imponderable till I had thrashed through long passages in my information catalog that I had never imagined I would need.
[218] Biological functions and bodily processes which are labeled here "revolting" are used freely in your missive.
[219] You can be sure they are all being forwarded to Blgftury.
[220] If I were not involved in the most important part of my journey—completion of the weapon against the not-worlders—I would come to New York immediately.
[221] You would rue that day, I assure you.
[222] Glmpauszn Boise, Idaho July 15 Dear Joe: A great deal has happened to me since I wrote to you last.
[223] Systematically, I have tested each emotion and sensation listed in our catalog.
[224] I have been, as has been said in this world, like a reed bending before the winds of passion.
[225] In fact, I'm rather badly bent indeed.
[226] Ah!
[227] You'll pardon me, but I just took time for what is known quaintly in this tongue as a "hooker of red-eye."
[228] Ha!
[229] I've mastered even the vagaries of slang in the not-language.... Ahhh!
[230] Pardon me again.
[231] I feel much better now.
[232] You see, Joe, as I attuned myself to the various impressions that constantly assaulted my mind through this body, I conditioned myself to react exactly as our information catalog instructed me to.
[233] Now it is all automatic, pure reflex.
[234] A sensation comes to me when I am burned; then I experience a burning pain.
[235] If the sensation is a tickle, I experience a tickle.
[236] This morning I have what is known medically as a syndrome ... a group of symptoms popularly referred to as a hangover ... Ahhh!
[237] Pardon me again.
[238] Strangely ... now what was I saying?
[239] Oh, yes.
[240] Ha, ha.
[241] Strangely enough, the reactions that come easiest to the people in this world came most difficult to me.
[242] Money-love, for example.
[243] It is a great thing here, both among those who haven't got it and those who have.
[244] I went out and got plenty of money.
[245] I walked invisible into a bank and carried away piles of it.
[246] Then I sat and looked at it.
[247] I took the money to a remote room of the twenty room suite I have rented in the best hotel here in—no, sorry—and stared at it for hours.
[248] Nothing happened.
[249] I didn't love the stuff or feel one way or the other about it.
[250] Yet all around me people are actually killing one another for the love of it.
[251] Anyway.... Ahhh.
[252] Pardon me.
[253] I got myself enough money to fill ten or fifteen rooms.
[254] By the end of the week I should have all eighteen spare rooms filled with money.
[255] If I don't love it then, I'll feel I have failed.
[256] This alcohol is taking effect now.
[257] Blgftury has been goading me for reports.
[258] To hell with his reports!
[259] I've got a lot more emotions to try, such as romantic love.
[260] I've been studying this phenomenon, along with other racial characteristics of these people, in the movies.
[261] This is the best place to see these people as they really are.
[262] They all go into the movie houses and there do homage to their own images.
[263] Very quaint type of idolatry.
[264] Love.
[265] Ha!
[266] What an adventure this is becoming.
[267] By the way, Joe, I'm forwarding that five dollars.
[268] You see, it won't cost me anything.
[269] It'll come out of the pocket of the idiot who's writing this letter.
[270] Pretty shrewd of me, eh?
[271] I'm going out and look at that money again.
[272] I think I'm at last learning to love it, though not as much as I admire liquor.
[273] Well, one simply must persevere, I always say.
[274] Glmpauszn Penobscot, Maine July 20 Dear Joe: Now you tell me not to drink alcohol.
[275] Why not?
[276] You never mentioned it in any of your vibrations to us, gleebs ago, when you first came across to this world.
[277] It will stint my powers?
[278] Nonsense!
[279] Already I have had a quart of the liquid today.
[280] I feel wonderful.
[281] Get that?
[282] I actually feel wonderful, in spite of this miserable imitation of a body.
[283] There are long hours during which I am so well-integrated into this body and this world that I almost consider myself a member of it.
[284] Now I can function efficiently.
[285] I sent Blgftury some long reports today outlining my experiments in the realm of chemistry where we must finally defeat these people.
[286] Of course, I haven't made the experiments yet, but I will.
[287] This is not deceit, merely realistic anticipation of the inevitable.
[288] Anyway, what the old xbyzrt doesn't know won't muss his vibrations.
[289] I went to what they call a nightclub here and picked out a blonde-haired woman, the kind that the books say men prefer.
[290] She was attracted to me instantly.
[291] After all, the body I have devised is perfect in every detail ... actually a not-world ideal.
[292] I didn't lose any time overwhelming her susceptibilities.
[293] I remember distinctly that just as I stooped to pick up a large roll of money I had dropped, her eyes met mine and in them I could see her admiration.
[294] We went to my suite and I showed her one of the money rooms.
[295] Would you believe it?
[296] She actually took off her shoes and ran around through the money in her bare feet!
[297] Then we kissed.
[298] Concealed in the dermis of the lips are tiny, highly sensitized nerve ends which send sensations to the brain.
[299] The brain interprets these impulses in a certain manner.
[300] As a result, the fate of secretion in the adrenals on the ends of the kidneys increases and an enlivening of the entire endocrine system follows.
[301] Thus I felt the beginnings of love.
[302] I sat her down on a pile of money and kissed her again.
[303] Again the tingling, again the secretion and activation.
[304] I integrated myself quickly.
[305] Now in all the motion pictures—true representations of life and love in this world—the man with a lot of money or virtue kisses the girl and tries to induce her to do something biological.
[306] She then refuses.
[307] This pleases both of them, for he wanted her to refuse.
[308] She, in turn, wanted him to want her, but also wanted to prevent him so that he would have a high opinion of her.
[309] Do I make myself clear?
[310] I kissed the blonde girl and gave her to understand what I then wanted.
[311] Well, you can imagine my surprise when she said yes!
[312] So I had failed.
[313] I had not found love.
[314] I became so abstracted by this problem that the blonde girl fell asleep.
[315] I thoughtfully drank quantities of excellent alcohol called gin and didn't even notice when the blonde girl left.
[316] I am now beginning to feel the effects of this alcohol again.
[317] Ha.
[318] Don't I wish old Blgftury were here in the vibrational pattern of an olive?
[319] I'd get the blonde in and have her eat him out of a Martini.
[320] That is a gin mixture.
[321] I think I'll get a hot report off to the old so-and-so right now.
[322] It'll take him a gleeb to figure this one out.
[323] I'll tell him I'm setting up an atomic reactor in the sewage systems here and that all we have to do is activate it and all the not-people will die of chain asphyxiation.
[324] Boy, what an easy job this turned out to be.
[325] It's just a vacation.
[326] Joe, you old gold-bricker, imagine you here all these gleebs living off the fat of the land.
[327] Yak, yak.
[328] Affectionately.
[329] Glmpauszn Sacramento, Calif. July 25 Dear Joe: All is lost unless we work swiftly.
[330] I received your revealing letter the morning after having a terrible experience of my own.
[331] I drank a lot of gin for two days and then decided to go to one of these seance things.
[332] Somewhere along the way I picked up a red-headed girl.
[333] When we got to the darkened seance room, I took the redhead into a corner and continued my investigations into the realm of love.
[334] I failed again because she said yes immediately.
[335] The nerves of my dermis were working overtime when suddenly I had the most frightening experience of my life.
[336] Now I know what a horror these people really are to our world.
[337] The medium had turned out all the lights.
[338] He said there was a strong psychic influence in the room somewhere.
[339] That was me, of course, but I was too busy with the redhead to notice.
[340] Anyway, Mrs. Somebody wanted to make contact with her paternal grandmother, Lucy, from the beyond.
[341] The medium went into his act.
[342] He concentrated and sweated and suddenly something began to take form in the room.
[343] The best way to describe it in not-world language is a white, shapeless cascade of light.
[344] Mrs. Somebody reared to her feet and screeched, "Grandma Lucy!"
[345] Then I really took notice.
[346] Grandma Lucy, nothing!
[347] This medium had actually brought Blgftury partially across the vibration barrier.
[348] He must have been vibrating in the fringe area and got caught in the works.
[349] Did he look mad!
[350] His zyhku was open and his btgrimms were down.
[351] Worst of all, he saw me.
[352] Looked right at me with an unbelievable pattern of pain, anger, fear and amazement in his matrix.
[353] Me and the redhead.
[354] Then comes your letter today telling of the fate that befell you as a result of drinking alcohol.
[355] Our wrenchingly attuned faculties in these not-world bodies need the loathsome drug to escape from the reality of not-reality.
[356] It's true.
[357] I cannot do without it now.
[358] The day is only half over and I have consumed a quart and a half.
[359] And it is dulling all my powers as it has practically obliterated yours.
[360] I can't even become invisible any more.
[361] I must find the formula that will wipe out the not-world men quickly.
[362] Quickly!
[363] Glmpauszn Florence, Italy September 10 Dear Joe: This telepathic control becomes more difficult every time.
[364] I must pick closer points of communication soon.
[365] I have nothing to report but failure.
[366] I bought a ton of equipment and went to work on the formula that is half complete in my instructions.
[367] Six of my hotel rooms were filled with tubes, pipes and apparatus of all kinds.
[368] I had got my mechanism as close to perfect as possible when I realized that, in my befuddled condition, I had set off a reaction that inevitably would result in an explosion.
[369] I had to leave there immediately, but I could not create suspicion.
[370] The management was not aware of the nature of my activities.
[371] I moved swiftly.
[372] I could not afford time to bring my baggage.
[373] I stuffed as much money into my pockets as I could and then sauntered into the hotel lobby.
[374] Assuming my most casual air, I told the manager I was checking out.
[375] Naturally he was stunned since I was his best customer.
[376] "But why, sir?"
[377] he asked plaintively.
[378] I was baffled.
[379] What could I tell him?
[380] "Don't you like the rooms?"
[381] he persisted.
[382] "Isn't the service good?"
[383] "It's the rooms," I told him.
[384] "They're—they're—" "They're what?"
[385] he wanted to know.
[386] "They're not safe."
[387] "Not safe?
[388] But that is ridiculous.
[389] This hotel is...." At this point the blast came.
[390] My nerves were a wreck from the alcohol.
[391] "See?"
[392] I screamed.
[393] "Not safe.
[394] I knew they were going to blow up!"
[395] He stood paralyzed as I ran from the lobby.
[396] Oh, well, never say die.
[397] Another day, another hotel.
[398] I swear I'm even beginning to think like the not-men, curse them.
[399] Glmpauszn Rochester, New York September 25 Dear Joe: I have it!
[400] It is done!
[401] In spite of the alcohol, in spite of Blgftury's niggling criticism, I have succeeded.
[402] I now have developed a form of mold, somewhat similar to the antibiotics of this world, that, transmitted to the human organism, will cause a disease whose end will be swift and fatal.
[403] First the brain will dissolve and then the body will fall apart.
[404] Nothing in this world can stop the spread of it once it is loose.
[405] Absolutely nothing.
[406] We must use care.
[407] Stock in as much gin as you are able.
[408] I will bring with me all that I can.
[409] Meanwhile I must return to my original place of birth into this world of horrors.
[410] There I will secure the gateway, a large mirror, the vibrational point at which we shall meet and slowly climb the frequency scale to emerge into our own beautiful, now secure world.
[411] You and I together, Joe, conquerors, liberators.
[412] You say you eat little and drink as much as you can.
[413] The same with me.
[414] Even in this revolting world I am a sad sight.
[415] My not-world senses falter.
[416] This is the last letter.
[417] Tomorrow I come with the gateway.
[418] When the gin is gone, we will plant the mold in the hotel where you live.
[419] In only a single gleeb it will begin to work.
[420] The men of this queer world will be no more.
[421] But we can't say we didn't have some fun, can we, Joe?
[422] And just let Blgftury make one crack.
[423] Just one xyzprlt.
[424] I'll have hgutry before the ghjdksla!
[425] Glmpauszn Dear Editor: These guys might be queer drunk hopheads.
[426] But if not?
[427] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
[428] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb? | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship like between Glmpauszn and Joe?":
1. [52] Dear Joe: Greetings, greetings, greetings.
2. [53] Hold firm in your wretched projection, for tomorrow you will not be alone in the not-world.
3. [54] In two days I, Glmpauszn, will be born.
4. [57] Already I am static and for hours have looked into this weird extension of the Universe with fear and trepidation.
5. [58] As soon as my stasis was achieved, I tried to contact you, but got no response.
6. [59] What could have diminished your powers of articulate wave interaction to make you incapable of receiving my messages and returning them?
7. [60] My wave went out to yours and found it, barely pulsing and surrounded with an impregnable chimera.
8. [61] Quickly, from the not-world vibrations about you, I learned the not-knowledge of your location.
9. [62] So I must communicate with you by what the not-world calls "mail" till we meet.
10. [127] I cannot understand your not replying to my letters.
11. [128] I have given you a box number.
12. [189] I received your first communication today.
13. [190] It baffles me.
14. [191] Do you greet me in the proper fringe-zone manner?
15. [192] No.
16. [193] Do you express joy, hope, pride, helpfulness at my arrival?
17. [194] No.
18. [195] You ask me for a loan of five bucks!
19. [196] It took me some time, culling my information catalog to come up with the correct variant of the slang term "buck."
20. [197] Is it possible that you are powerless even to provide yourself with the wherewithal to live in this inferior world?
21. [198] A reminder, please.
22. [199] You and I—I in particular—are now engaged in a struggle to free our world from the terrible, maiming intrusions of this not-world.
23. [267] By the way, Joe, I'm forwarding that five dollars.
24. [268] You see, it won't cost me anything.
25. [269] It'll come out of the pocket of the idiot who's writing this letter.
26. [270] Pretty shrewd of me, eh?
27. [325] Joe, you old gold-bricker, imagine you here all these gleebs living off the fat of the land.
28. [326] Yak, yak. |
Who is Blgftury and what happens to them in the story? | [
"Blgftury is an alien of the same world as Glmpauszn and Joe, which is being semi-terrorized by intrusive vibrations from Earth (which they refer to as non-world) that pollute their world’s sentient frequency. Their world wishes to destroy all human life on Earth to become free from these intrusions. Blgftury is the boss of the other two, and Glmpauszn often refers to having to write reports for him begrudgingly to update on the status of the mission.\nBlgftury is not a supportive boss, because he wished to go on this mission himself. Glmpauszn describes that Blgftury gave him little praise, and even wrote thinly-veiled threats, in his response to Glmpauszn’s report on how he escaped the pursuit of the police when he was caught naked in public after forgetting humans need to put on clothes. Blgftury has the authority to take corrective action related to the mission, evidenced by how Glmpauszn doesn’t hesitate to forward him the letters from Joe that he finds offensive about asking for money and discussing “revolting bodily processes.” \nBlgftury has to pester Glmpauszn for reports when he begins to go off the plan and experiment with human feelings like falling in love and alcohol. Glmpauszn does finally successfully develop a mold that will kill all humans on Earth and sends detailed chemistry reports back to Blgftury on the subject. \nBlgftury spends a lot of time sending vibrations in the fringe area between Earth and their world, and by accident his vibrations are summoned by a spiritual medium into a white, shapeless cascade of light at a human seance gathering that Glmpauszn happens to be attending on Earth where he is fooling around with a red-headed woman in the corner of the room (flagrantly not doing the work of the mission) in full visibility to Blgftury. Blgftury responded with a pattern in his matrix that showed pain, anger, fear and amazement. Glmpauszn goes on to complete the mission and return with Joe to their home world without further interaction with Blgftury.",
"Blgftury is the being who supervises Glmpauszn and whom Glmpauszn seems to dislike and want to impress at the same time. Glmpauszn thinks that Blgftury’s criticism and threats are actually praise; he also thinks that Blgftury wanted to be the one to go on the expedition that Glmpauszn is on and is jealous that he didn’t get to. At the same time, Glmpauszn wants to impress Blgftury. And when Glmpauszn has a complaint against Joe, he forwards it to Blgftury so that he is aware of what Joe is doing, most likely to make himself look better. Glmpauszn grows annoyed with Blgftury’s requests for reports because he thinks he has other, more important things to do, such as exploring human emotions. To pacify Blgftury, Glmpauszn sends him reports about his experiments with chemistry that he plans to use to defeat humans, although he has not actually carried out these experiments. Glmpauszn doesn’t have much respect for Blgftury and envisions an incident where Blgftury is present as an olive and is eaten by the blonde girl. \nAt a seance that Glmpauszn attends, the medium actually brings Blgftury across when she is trying to bring over a woman’s grandmother. Blgftury looks angry and sees Glmpauszn, peering at him with an expression of pain, anger, fear, and amazement. At the end of the story, Glmpauszn has succeeded in his mission of creating a way to destroy the human race in the form of a mold. This mold will dissolve the brain and then cause the body to fall apart. Glmpauszn is pleased to have succeeded, and he dares Blgftury to make any criticism against what he has accomplished.",
"Blgftury is the alien in charge of this operation to destroy the \"not-world,\" which the reader would know better as Earth. Blgftury is concerned with the success of this mission and constantly badgers Glmpauszn for status reports. Blgftury appears briefly on Earth during a human seance, and this causes him great pain. Glmpauszn becomes quite annoyed with Blgftury, describing Blgftury's attempts to get updates about the mission as an annoyance. This is likely due to Glmpauszn becoming an alcoholic and being more interested in learning about human emotions like love instead of the mission at hand.",
"Blgftury is a fellow Frequency to whom Glmpauszn is supposed to send consistent status updates on his mission to develop a way to destroy humanity. Blgftury had wanted to complete the mission himself, and he is rarely complimentary, so his communications with Glmpauszn are often curt. At first, Glmpauszn warns Joe he has forwarded his inappropriate, insulting letters to Blgftury. As time goes on, however, Glmpauszn reveals a growing distaste and impatience for Blgftury's grumpiness, criticisms, and bureaucratic oversight. At one point, he even expresses a desire for Blgftury to enter the human dimension in the vibrational pattern of an olive so that his blonde date could eat him. When Glmpauszn attends a séance conducted by Mrs. Somebody, he is horrified to see an angry Blgftury summoned instead of Grandma Lucy."
] | [1] A Gleeb for Earth By CHARLES SHAFHAUSER Illustrated by EMSH [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1953.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Not to be or not to not be ... that was the not-question for the invader of the not-world.
[4] Dear Editor: My 14 year old boy, Ronnie, is typing this letter for me because he can do it neater and use better grammar.
[5] I had to get in touch with somebody about this because if there is something to it, then somebody, everybody, is going to point finger at me, Ivan Smernda, and say, "Why didn't you warn us?"
[6] I could not go to the police because they are not too friendly to me because of some of my guests who frankly are stew bums.
[7] Also they might think I was on booze, too, or maybe the hops, and get my license revoked.
[8] I run a strictly legit hotel even though some of my guests might be down on their luck now and then.
[9] What really got me mixed up in this was the mysterious disappearance of two of my guests.
[10] They both took a powder last Wednesday morning.
[11] Now get this.
[12] In one room, that of Joe Binkle, which maybe is an alias, I find nothing but a suit of clothes, some butts and the letters I include here in same package.
[13] Binkle had only one suit.
[14] That I know.
[15] And this was it laying right in the middle of the room.
[16] Inside the coat was the vest, inside the vest the shirt, inside the shirt the underwear.
[17] The pants were up in the coat and inside of them was also the underwear.
[18] All this was buttoned up like Binkle had melted out of it and dripped through a crack in the floor.
[19] In a bureau drawer were the letters I told you about.
[20] Now.
[21] In the room right under Binkle's lived another stew bum that checked in Thursday ... name Ed Smith, alias maybe, too.
[22] This guy was a real case.
[23] He brought with him a big mirror with a heavy bronze frame.
[24] Airloom, he says.
[25] He pays a week in advance, staggers up the stairs to his room with the mirror and that's the last I see of him.
[26] In Smith's room on Wednesday I find only a suit of clothes, the same suit he wore when he came in.
[27] In the coat the vest, in the vest the shirt, in the shirt the underwear.
[28] Also in the pants.
[29] Also all in the middle of the floor.
[30] Against the far wall stands the frame of the mirror.
[31] Only the frame!
[32] What a spot to be in!
[33] Now it might have been a gag.
[34] Sometimes these guys get funny ideas when they are on the stuff.
[35] But then I read the letters.
[36] This knocks me for a loop.
[37] They are all in different handwritings.
[38] All from different places.
[39] Stamps all legit, my kid says.
[40] India, China, England, everywhere.
[41] My kid, he reads.
[42] He says it's no joke.
[43] He wants to call the cops or maybe some doctor.
[44] But I say no.
[45] He reads your magazine so he says write to you, send you the letters.
[46] You know what to do.
[47] Now you have them.
[48] Maybe you print.
[49] Whatever you do, Mr. Editor, remember my place, the Plaza Ritz Arms, is straight establishment.
[50] I don't drink.
[51] I never touch junk, not even aspirin.
[52] Yours very truly, Ivan Smernda Bombay, India June 8 Mr. Joe Binkle Plaza Ritz Arms New York City Dear Joe: Greetings, greetings, greetings.
[53] Hold firm in your wretched projection, for tomorrow you will not be alone in the not-world.
[54] In two days I, Glmpauszn, will be born.
[55] Today I hang in our newly developed not-pod just within the mirror gateway, torn with the agony that we calculated must go with such tremendous wavelength fluctuations.
[56] I have attuned myself to a fetus within the body of a not-woman in the not-world.
[57] Already I am static and for hours have looked into this weird extension of the Universe with fear and trepidation.
[58] As soon as my stasis was achieved, I tried to contact you, but got no response.
[59] What could have diminished your powers of articulate wave interaction to make you incapable of receiving my messages and returning them?
[60] My wave went out to yours and found it, barely pulsing and surrounded with an impregnable chimera.
[61] Quickly, from the not-world vibrations about you, I learned the not-knowledge of your location.
[62] So I must communicate with you by what the not-world calls "mail" till we meet.
[63] For this purpose I must utilize the feeble vibrations of various not-people through whose inadequate articulation I will attempt to make my moves known to you.
[64] Each time I will pick a city other than the one I am in at the time.
[65] I, Glmpauszn, come equipped with powers evolved from your fragmentary reports before you ceased to vibrate to us and with a vast treasury of facts from indirect sources.
[66] Soon our tortured people will be free of the fearsome not-folk and I will be their liberator.
[67] You failed in your task, but I will try to get you off with light punishment when we return again.
[68] The hand that writes this letter is that of a boy in the not-city of Bombay in the not-country of India.
[69] He does not know he writes it.
[70] Tomorrow it will be someone else.
[71] You must never know of my exact location, for the not-people might have access to the information.
[72] I must leave off now because the not-child is about to be born.
[73] When it is alone in the room, it will be spirited away and I will spring from the pod on the gateway into its crib and will be its exact vibrational likeness.
[74] I have tremendous powers.
[75] But the not-people must never know I am among them.
[76] This is the only way I could arrive in the room where the gateway lies without arousing suspicion.
[77] I will grow up as the not-child in order that I might destroy the not-people completely.
[78] All is well, only they shot this information file into my matrix too fast.
[79] I'm having a hard time sorting facts and make the right decision.
[80] Gezsltrysk, what a task!
[81] Farewell till later.
[82] Glmpauszn Wichita, Kansas June 13 Dear Joe: Mnghjkl, fhfjgfhjklop phelnoprausynks.
[83] No.
[84] When I communicate with you, I see I must avoid those complexities of procedure for which there are no terms in this language.
[85] There is no way of describing to you in not-language what I had to go through during the first moments of my birth.
[86] Now I know what difficulties you must have had with your limited equipment.
[87] These not-people are unpredictable and strange.
[88] Their doctor came in and weighed me again the day after my birth.
[89] Consternation reigned when it was discovered I was ten pounds heavier.
[90] What difference could it possibly make?
[91] Many doctors then came in to see me.
[92] As they arrived hourly, they found me heavier and heavier.
[93] Naturally, since I am growing.
[94] This is part of my instructions.
[95] My not-mother (Gezsltrysk!)
[96] then burst into tears.
[97] The doctors conferred, threw up their hands and left.
[98] I learned the following day that the opposite component of my not-mother, my not-father, had been away riding on some conveyance during my birth.
[99] He was out on ... what did they call it?
[100] Oh, yes, a bender.
[101] He did not arrive till three days after I was born.
[102] When I heard them say that he was straightening up to come see me, I made a special effort and grew marvelously in one afternoon.
[103] I was 36 not-world inches tall by evening.
[104] My not-father entered while I was standing by the crib examining a syringe the doctor had left behind.
[105] He stopped in his tracks on entering the room and seemed incapable of speech.
[106] Dredging into the treasury of knowledge I had come equipped with, I produced the proper phrase for occasions of this kind in the not-world.
[107] "Poppa," I said.
[108] This was the first use I had made of the so-called vocal cords that are now part of my extended matrix.
[109] The sound I emitted sounded low-pitched, guttural and penetrating even to myself.
[110] It must have jarred on my not-father's ears, for he turned and ran shouting from the room.
[111] They apprehended him on the stairs and I heard him babble something about my being a monster and no child of his.
[112] My not-mother appeared at the doorway and instead of being pleased at the progress of my growth, she fell down heavily.
[113] She made a distinct thump on the floor.
[114] This brought the rest of them on the run, so I climbed out the window and retreated across a nearby field.
[115] A prolonged search was launched, but I eluded them.
[116] What unpredictable beings!
[117] I reported my tremendous progress back to our world, including the cleverness by which I managed to escape my pursuers.
[118] I received a reply from Blgftury which, on careful analysis, seems to be small praise indeed.
[119] In fact, some of his phrases apparently contain veiled threats.
[120] But you know old Blgftury.
[121] He wanted to go on this expedition himself and it's his nature never to flatter anyone.
[122] From now on I will refer to not-people simply as people, dropping the qualifying preface except where comparisons must be made between this alleged world and our own.
[123] It is merely an offshoot of our primitive mythology when this was considered a spirit world, just as these people refer to our world as never-never land and other anomalies.
[124] But we learned otherwise, while they never have.
[125] New sensations crowd into my consciousness and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[126] Anyway, I shall carry on swiftly now to the inevitable climax in which I singlehanded will obliterate the terror of the not-world and return to our world a hero.
[127] I cannot understand your not replying to my letters.
[128] I have given you a box number.
[129] What could have happened to your vibrations?
[130] Glmpauszn Albuquerque, New Mexico June 15 Dear Joe: I had tremendous difficulty getting a letter off to you this time.
[131] My process—original with myself, by the way—is to send out feeler vibrations for what these people call the psychic individual.
[132] Then I establish contact with him while he sleeps and compel him without his knowledge to translate my ideas into written language.
[133] He writes my letter and mails it to you.
[134] Of course, he has no awareness of what he has done.
[135] My first five tries were unfortunate.
[136] Each time I took control of an individual who could not read or write!
[137] Finally I found my man, but I fear his words are limited.
[138] Ah, well.
[139] I had great things to tell you about my progress, but I cannot convey even a hint of how I have accomplished these miracles through the thick skull of this incompetent.
[140] In simple terms then: I crept into a cave and slipped into a kind of sleep, directing my squhjkl ulytz & uhrytzg ... no, it won't come out.
[141] Anyway, I grew overnight to the size of an average person here.
[142] As I said before, floods of impressions are driving into my xzbyl ... my brain ... from various nerve and sense areas and I am having a hard time classifying them.
[143] My one idea was to get to a chemist and acquire the stuff needed for the destruction of these people.
[144] Sunrise came as I expected.
[145] According to my catalog of information, the impressions aroused by it are of beauty.
[146] It took little conditioning for me finally to react in this manner.
[147] This is truly an efficient mechanism I inhabit.
[148] I gazed about me at the mixture of lights, forms and impressions.
[149] It was strange and ... now I know ... beautiful.
[150] However, I hurried immediately toward the nearest chemist.
[151] At the same time I looked up and all about me at the beauty.
[152] Soon an individual approached.
[153] I knew what to do from my information.
[154] I simply acted natural.
[155] You know, one of your earliest instructions was to realize that these people see nothing unusual in you if you do not let yourself believe they do.
[156] This individual I classified as a female of a singular variety here.
[157] Her hair was short, her upper torso clad in a woolen garment.
[158] She wore ... what are they?
[159] ... oh, yes, sneakers.
[160] My attention was diverted by a scream as I passed her.
[161] I stopped.
[162] The woman gesticulated and continued to scream.
[163] People hurried from nearby houses.
[164] I linked my hands behind me and watched the scene with an attitude of mild interest.
[165] They weren't interested in me, I told myself.
[166] But they were.
[167] I became alarmed, dived into a bush and used a mechanism that you unfortunately do not have—invisibility.
[168] I lay there and listened.
[169] "He was stark naked," the girl with the sneakers said.
[170] A figure I recognized as a police officer spoke to her.
[171] "Lizzy, you'll just have to keep these crackpot friends of yours out of this area."
[172] "But—" "No more buck-bathing, Lizzy," the officer ordered.
[173] "No more speeches in the Square.
[174] Not when it results in riots at five in the morning.
[175] Now where is your naked friend?
[176] I'm going to make an example of him."
[177] That was it—I had forgotten clothes.
[178] There is only one answer to this oversight on my part.
[179] My mind is confused by the barrage of impressions that assault it.
[180] I must retire now and get them all classified.
[181] Beauty, pain, fear, hate, love, laughter.
[182] I don't know one from the other.
[183] I must feel each, become accustomed to it.
[184] The more I think about it, the more I realize that the information I have been given is very unrealistic.
[185] You have been inefficient, Joe.
[186] What will Blgftury and the others say of this?
[187] My great mission is impaired.
[188] Farewell, till I find a more intelligent mind so I can write you with more enlightenment.
[189] Glmpauszn Moscow, Idaho June 17 Dear Joe: I received your first communication today.
[190] It baffles me.
[191] Do you greet me in the proper fringe-zone manner?
[192] No.
[193] Do you express joy, hope, pride, helpfulness at my arrival?
[194] No.
[195] You ask me for a loan of five bucks!
[196] It took me some time, culling my information catalog to come up with the correct variant of the slang term "buck."
[197] Is it possible that you are powerless even to provide yourself with the wherewithal to live in this inferior world?
[198] A reminder, please.
[199] You and I—I in particular—are now engaged in a struggle to free our world from the terrible, maiming intrusions of this not-world.
[200] Through many long gleebs, our people have lived a semi-terrorized existence while errant vibrations from this world ripped across the closely joined vibration flux, whose individual fluctuations make up our sentient population.
[201] Even our eminent, all-high Frequency himself has often been jeopardized by these people.
[202] The not-world and our world are like two baskets as you and I see them in our present forms.
[203] Baskets woven with the greatest intricacy, design and color; but baskets whose convex sides are joined by a thin fringe of filaments.
[204] Our world, on the vibrational plane, extends just a bit into this, the not-world.
[205] But being a world of higher vibration, it is ultimately tenuous to these gross peoples.
[206] While we vibrate only within a restricted plane because of our purer, more stable existence, these people radiate widely into our world.
[207] They even send what they call psychic reproductions of their own selves into ours.
[208] And most infamous of all, they sometimes are able to force some of our individuals over the fringe into their world temporarily, causing them much agony and fright.
[209] The latter atrocity is perpetrated through what these people call mediums, spiritualists and other fatuous names.
[210] I intend to visit one of them at the first opportunity to see for myself.
[211] Meanwhile, as to you, I would offer a few words of advice.
[212] I picked them up while examining the "slang" portion of my information catalog which you unfortunately caused me to use.
[213] So, for the ultimate cause—in this, the penultimate adventure, and for the glory and peace of our world—shake a leg, bub.
[214] Straighten up and fly right.
[215] In short, get hep.
[216] As far as the five bucks is concerned, no dice.
[217] Glmpauszn Des Moines, Iowa June 19 Dear Joe: Your letter was imponderable till I had thrashed through long passages in my information catalog that I had never imagined I would need.
[218] Biological functions and bodily processes which are labeled here "revolting" are used freely in your missive.
[219] You can be sure they are all being forwarded to Blgftury.
[220] If I were not involved in the most important part of my journey—completion of the weapon against the not-worlders—I would come to New York immediately.
[221] You would rue that day, I assure you.
[222] Glmpauszn Boise, Idaho July 15 Dear Joe: A great deal has happened to me since I wrote to you last.
[223] Systematically, I have tested each emotion and sensation listed in our catalog.
[224] I have been, as has been said in this world, like a reed bending before the winds of passion.
[225] In fact, I'm rather badly bent indeed.
[226] Ah!
[227] You'll pardon me, but I just took time for what is known quaintly in this tongue as a "hooker of red-eye."
[228] Ha!
[229] I've mastered even the vagaries of slang in the not-language.... Ahhh!
[230] Pardon me again.
[231] I feel much better now.
[232] You see, Joe, as I attuned myself to the various impressions that constantly assaulted my mind through this body, I conditioned myself to react exactly as our information catalog instructed me to.
[233] Now it is all automatic, pure reflex.
[234] A sensation comes to me when I am burned; then I experience a burning pain.
[235] If the sensation is a tickle, I experience a tickle.
[236] This morning I have what is known medically as a syndrome ... a group of symptoms popularly referred to as a hangover ... Ahhh!
[237] Pardon me again.
[238] Strangely ... now what was I saying?
[239] Oh, yes.
[240] Ha, ha.
[241] Strangely enough, the reactions that come easiest to the people in this world came most difficult to me.
[242] Money-love, for example.
[243] It is a great thing here, both among those who haven't got it and those who have.
[244] I went out and got plenty of money.
[245] I walked invisible into a bank and carried away piles of it.
[246] Then I sat and looked at it.
[247] I took the money to a remote room of the twenty room suite I have rented in the best hotel here in—no, sorry—and stared at it for hours.
[248] Nothing happened.
[249] I didn't love the stuff or feel one way or the other about it.
[250] Yet all around me people are actually killing one another for the love of it.
[251] Anyway.... Ahhh.
[252] Pardon me.
[253] I got myself enough money to fill ten or fifteen rooms.
[254] By the end of the week I should have all eighteen spare rooms filled with money.
[255] If I don't love it then, I'll feel I have failed.
[256] This alcohol is taking effect now.
[257] Blgftury has been goading me for reports.
[258] To hell with his reports!
[259] I've got a lot more emotions to try, such as romantic love.
[260] I've been studying this phenomenon, along with other racial characteristics of these people, in the movies.
[261] This is the best place to see these people as they really are.
[262] They all go into the movie houses and there do homage to their own images.
[263] Very quaint type of idolatry.
[264] Love.
[265] Ha!
[266] What an adventure this is becoming.
[267] By the way, Joe, I'm forwarding that five dollars.
[268] You see, it won't cost me anything.
[269] It'll come out of the pocket of the idiot who's writing this letter.
[270] Pretty shrewd of me, eh?
[271] I'm going out and look at that money again.
[272] I think I'm at last learning to love it, though not as much as I admire liquor.
[273] Well, one simply must persevere, I always say.
[274] Glmpauszn Penobscot, Maine July 20 Dear Joe: Now you tell me not to drink alcohol.
[275] Why not?
[276] You never mentioned it in any of your vibrations to us, gleebs ago, when you first came across to this world.
[277] It will stint my powers?
[278] Nonsense!
[279] Already I have had a quart of the liquid today.
[280] I feel wonderful.
[281] Get that?
[282] I actually feel wonderful, in spite of this miserable imitation of a body.
[283] There are long hours during which I am so well-integrated into this body and this world that I almost consider myself a member of it.
[284] Now I can function efficiently.
[285] I sent Blgftury some long reports today outlining my experiments in the realm of chemistry where we must finally defeat these people.
[286] Of course, I haven't made the experiments yet, but I will.
[287] This is not deceit, merely realistic anticipation of the inevitable.
[288] Anyway, what the old xbyzrt doesn't know won't muss his vibrations.
[289] I went to what they call a nightclub here and picked out a blonde-haired woman, the kind that the books say men prefer.
[290] She was attracted to me instantly.
[291] After all, the body I have devised is perfect in every detail ... actually a not-world ideal.
[292] I didn't lose any time overwhelming her susceptibilities.
[293] I remember distinctly that just as I stooped to pick up a large roll of money I had dropped, her eyes met mine and in them I could see her admiration.
[294] We went to my suite and I showed her one of the money rooms.
[295] Would you believe it?
[296] She actually took off her shoes and ran around through the money in her bare feet!
[297] Then we kissed.
[298] Concealed in the dermis of the lips are tiny, highly sensitized nerve ends which send sensations to the brain.
[299] The brain interprets these impulses in a certain manner.
[300] As a result, the fate of secretion in the adrenals on the ends of the kidneys increases and an enlivening of the entire endocrine system follows.
[301] Thus I felt the beginnings of love.
[302] I sat her down on a pile of money and kissed her again.
[303] Again the tingling, again the secretion and activation.
[304] I integrated myself quickly.
[305] Now in all the motion pictures—true representations of life and love in this world—the man with a lot of money or virtue kisses the girl and tries to induce her to do something biological.
[306] She then refuses.
[307] This pleases both of them, for he wanted her to refuse.
[308] She, in turn, wanted him to want her, but also wanted to prevent him so that he would have a high opinion of her.
[309] Do I make myself clear?
[310] I kissed the blonde girl and gave her to understand what I then wanted.
[311] Well, you can imagine my surprise when she said yes!
[312] So I had failed.
[313] I had not found love.
[314] I became so abstracted by this problem that the blonde girl fell asleep.
[315] I thoughtfully drank quantities of excellent alcohol called gin and didn't even notice when the blonde girl left.
[316] I am now beginning to feel the effects of this alcohol again.
[317] Ha.
[318] Don't I wish old Blgftury were here in the vibrational pattern of an olive?
[319] I'd get the blonde in and have her eat him out of a Martini.
[320] That is a gin mixture.
[321] I think I'll get a hot report off to the old so-and-so right now.
[322] It'll take him a gleeb to figure this one out.
[323] I'll tell him I'm setting up an atomic reactor in the sewage systems here and that all we have to do is activate it and all the not-people will die of chain asphyxiation.
[324] Boy, what an easy job this turned out to be.
[325] It's just a vacation.
[326] Joe, you old gold-bricker, imagine you here all these gleebs living off the fat of the land.
[327] Yak, yak.
[328] Affectionately.
[329] Glmpauszn Sacramento, Calif. July 25 Dear Joe: All is lost unless we work swiftly.
[330] I received your revealing letter the morning after having a terrible experience of my own.
[331] I drank a lot of gin for two days and then decided to go to one of these seance things.
[332] Somewhere along the way I picked up a red-headed girl.
[333] When we got to the darkened seance room, I took the redhead into a corner and continued my investigations into the realm of love.
[334] I failed again because she said yes immediately.
[335] The nerves of my dermis were working overtime when suddenly I had the most frightening experience of my life.
[336] Now I know what a horror these people really are to our world.
[337] The medium had turned out all the lights.
[338] He said there was a strong psychic influence in the room somewhere.
[339] That was me, of course, but I was too busy with the redhead to notice.
[340] Anyway, Mrs. Somebody wanted to make contact with her paternal grandmother, Lucy, from the beyond.
[341] The medium went into his act.
[342] He concentrated and sweated and suddenly something began to take form in the room.
[343] The best way to describe it in not-world language is a white, shapeless cascade of light.
[344] Mrs. Somebody reared to her feet and screeched, "Grandma Lucy!"
[345] Then I really took notice.
[346] Grandma Lucy, nothing!
[347] This medium had actually brought Blgftury partially across the vibration barrier.
[348] He must have been vibrating in the fringe area and got caught in the works.
[349] Did he look mad!
[350] His zyhku was open and his btgrimms were down.
[351] Worst of all, he saw me.
[352] Looked right at me with an unbelievable pattern of pain, anger, fear and amazement in his matrix.
[353] Me and the redhead.
[354] Then comes your letter today telling of the fate that befell you as a result of drinking alcohol.
[355] Our wrenchingly attuned faculties in these not-world bodies need the loathsome drug to escape from the reality of not-reality.
[356] It's true.
[357] I cannot do without it now.
[358] The day is only half over and I have consumed a quart and a half.
[359] And it is dulling all my powers as it has practically obliterated yours.
[360] I can't even become invisible any more.
[361] I must find the formula that will wipe out the not-world men quickly.
[362] Quickly!
[363] Glmpauszn Florence, Italy September 10 Dear Joe: This telepathic control becomes more difficult every time.
[364] I must pick closer points of communication soon.
[365] I have nothing to report but failure.
[366] I bought a ton of equipment and went to work on the formula that is half complete in my instructions.
[367] Six of my hotel rooms were filled with tubes, pipes and apparatus of all kinds.
[368] I had got my mechanism as close to perfect as possible when I realized that, in my befuddled condition, I had set off a reaction that inevitably would result in an explosion.
[369] I had to leave there immediately, but I could not create suspicion.
[370] The management was not aware of the nature of my activities.
[371] I moved swiftly.
[372] I could not afford time to bring my baggage.
[373] I stuffed as much money into my pockets as I could and then sauntered into the hotel lobby.
[374] Assuming my most casual air, I told the manager I was checking out.
[375] Naturally he was stunned since I was his best customer.
[376] "But why, sir?"
[377] he asked plaintively.
[378] I was baffled.
[379] What could I tell him?
[380] "Don't you like the rooms?"
[381] he persisted.
[382] "Isn't the service good?"
[383] "It's the rooms," I told him.
[384] "They're—they're—" "They're what?"
[385] he wanted to know.
[386] "They're not safe."
[387] "Not safe?
[388] But that is ridiculous.
[389] This hotel is...." At this point the blast came.
[390] My nerves were a wreck from the alcohol.
[391] "See?"
[392] I screamed.
[393] "Not safe.
[394] I knew they were going to blow up!"
[395] He stood paralyzed as I ran from the lobby.
[396] Oh, well, never say die.
[397] Another day, another hotel.
[398] I swear I'm even beginning to think like the not-men, curse them.
[399] Glmpauszn Rochester, New York September 25 Dear Joe: I have it!
[400] It is done!
[401] In spite of the alcohol, in spite of Blgftury's niggling criticism, I have succeeded.
[402] I now have developed a form of mold, somewhat similar to the antibiotics of this world, that, transmitted to the human organism, will cause a disease whose end will be swift and fatal.
[403] First the brain will dissolve and then the body will fall apart.
[404] Nothing in this world can stop the spread of it once it is loose.
[405] Absolutely nothing.
[406] We must use care.
[407] Stock in as much gin as you are able.
[408] I will bring with me all that I can.
[409] Meanwhile I must return to my original place of birth into this world of horrors.
[410] There I will secure the gateway, a large mirror, the vibrational point at which we shall meet and slowly climb the frequency scale to emerge into our own beautiful, now secure world.
[411] You and I together, Joe, conquerors, liberators.
[412] You say you eat little and drink as much as you can.
[413] The same with me.
[414] Even in this revolting world I am a sad sight.
[415] My not-world senses falter.
[416] This is the last letter.
[417] Tomorrow I come with the gateway.
[418] When the gin is gone, we will plant the mold in the hotel where you live.
[419] In only a single gleeb it will begin to work.
[420] The men of this queer world will be no more.
[421] But we can't say we didn't have some fun, can we, Joe?
[422] And just let Blgftury make one crack.
[423] Just one xyzprlt.
[424] I'll have hgutry before the ghjdksla!
[425] Glmpauszn Dear Editor: These guys might be queer drunk hopheads.
[426] But if not?
[427] If soon brain dissolve, body fall apart, how long have we got?
[428] Please, anybody who knows answer, write to me—Ivan Smernda, Plaza Ritz Arms—how long is a gleeb? | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Blgftury and what happens to them in the story?":
1. [120] But you know old Blgftury.
2. [199] Through many long gleebs, our people have lived a semi-terrorized existence while errant vibrations from this world ripped across the closely joined vibration flux, whose individual fluctuations make up our sentient population.
3. [200] Even our eminent, all-high Frequency himself has often been jeopardized by these people.
4. [211] I would offer a few words of advice.
5. [212] I picked them up while examining the "slang" portion of my information catalog which you unfortunately caused me to use.
6. [213] So, for the ultimate cause—in this, the penultimate adventure, and for the glory and peace of our world—shake a leg, bub.
7. [214] Straighten up and fly right.
8. [215] In short, get hep.
9. [218] Biological functions and bodily processes which are labeled here "revolting" are used freely in your missive.
10. [219] You can be sure they are all being forwarded to Blgftury.
11. [220] If I were not involved in the most important part of my journey—completion of the weapon against the not-worlders—I would come to New York immediately.
12. [221] You would rue that day, I assure you.
13. [257] Blgftury has been goading me for reports.
14. [258] To hell with his reports!
15. [287] Of course, I haven't made the experiments yet, but I will.
16. [288] This is not deceit, merely realistic anticipation of the inevitable.
17. [289] Anyway, what the old xbyzrt doesn't know won't muss his vibrations.
18. [317] I think I'll get a hot report off to the old so-and-so right now.
19. [318] It'll take him a gleeb to figure this one out.
20. [329] Affectionately.
21. [348] He must have been vibrating in the fringe area and got caught in the works.
22. [349] Did he look mad!
23. [350] His zyhku was open and his btgrimms were down.
24. [351] Worst of all, he saw me.
25. [352] Looked right at me with an unbelievable pattern of pain, anger, fear and amazement in his matrix.
26. [422] Just let Blgftury make one crack.
27. [423] Just one xyzprlt.
28. [424] I'll have hgutry before the ghjdksla! |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Lois and Lorraine are having lunch at Judy’s house, speaking about how Judy nearly spoiled their double-wedding where they both became sisters under the name Farringdon-Petts by solving a mystery. \nJudy starts telling the story of the haunted fountain. She discovered a photo of a spectacular fountain in her grandmother’s hot attic one summer as she was stuck there for two weeks while her parents went on vacation. She shed a tear onto the photo while recalling her sadness about not having friends or a sister, and imagined the fountain was a place for lonely girls to fill with their tears. Her grandmother overhears her speaking aloud her wishes and calls that she shouldn’t keep her wishes to herself, because “most of them aren’t so impossible.”\nJudy’s grandparents take her to the fountain in the photo and it speaks to Judy, directing her to shed a tear into it and make wishes. Judy sheds a tear thinking about how her only friend just moved out of town and then hurries through her wishes before the ripples disappear - to have lots of friends, a sister, to marry a G-man and to solve a lot of mysteries. All things that have come true in her life.\nAbruptly returning to Judy’s modern timeline, she takes Lois and Lorraine to the attic. They are spooked by Judy’s black cat, Blackberry, who makes sudden noises. Judy finds the photo and Lorraine recognizes the fountain is identical to one on her estate - yet it is in a different location. They surmise that it is in the woods on the edge of town that are part of the Brandt estate, and drive to it immediately.\nDuring their adventure, Judy recalls more of her fountain memory. Her grandparents didn’t know the Brandt’s well enough to pay them a visit, but instead stopped by the fountain on their way to drop off her grandmother’s hooked rugs at the estate further up the path. Judy was left behind napping in a hammock - told by her grandparents they were getting her a surprise, but they didn’t return. She followed a path to an old windowless tower, but got distracted by the sound of her grandfather's cart leaving. This is all she recalls, but there is evidently more to discover that will solve the mystery.\nThe trip to the fountain shakes the confidence of Lorraine in the back seat, who knows information about the new owners of the estate - Roger Banning - that she is withholding. Lois and Judy probe her about what she knows and why she ducked down to hide her face from a stranger passing in a car. Although Lorraine tells them about Roger, she does not reveal why she is afraid. Judy mentions knowing Roger’s pal Dick Hartwell, who is apparently in the Federal Penitentiary for forgery now. As they park and exit the car to walk to the fountain, two dark-coated strangers approach them. This is where the story ends.",
"Judy, a woman known for solving mysteries and chasing ghosts, had her friends Lois and Lorraine over for lunch in the haunted house she had inherited from her family. When Judy was growing up, her parents would spend summers on vacation without her, so she did a lot of reading at her Grandmother Smeed's house. These were sad summers for her, but she would soon start to solve mysteries and find her own adventures. She mentioned her tears falling on a magazine with a picture of a fountain; she imagined it was full of tears of many girls and pondered the idea of an enchanted fountain. Her grandparents took her to see a fountain the next day, where she heard a voice that told her to make a wish and to cry into the fountain--the same fountain that was in the picture in the magazine. Judy's friends got more excited about the story, and it continued: she had to think of a wise wish, but reacted too quickly to think carefully. Her wishes did come true; she wanted lots of friends, a sister, to solve mysteries, and to marry a G-man. All of these things came true, and the fountain kept Judy captivated. She patiently explained to her friends that she hadn't tried to learn the secret of the fountain, and it didn't speak to her after the initial encounter. Judy had lost her appetite for her dessert but wanted to retrieve the photo of the fountain to see if Lois recognized it; they all went to the attic, bringing Blackberry the cat with them. Lorraine recognized the photo of the fountain, but it seemed to make her nervous. Lois didn't want to leave yet even though Lorraine was clearly uncomfortable and wanted to go, and thought she might recognize the fountain from the Brandt estate, so Lois and Judy decide it's worth checking out to see if it's the same one. Lorraine only agreed to join after they promised not to drive all the way up to the house, and to walk the last part of the way. After a twenty-minute drive, Judy talked more about what she remembered about the day she visited the garden; she'd fallen asleep in a hammock, and woke up to an empty garden. She headed towards a tower but found her grandfather's car before she encountered anyone. Through all of this, Lorraine hints that she knows more than she's letting on, and doesn't think things will be as Judy expected. This is when Judy picks up on Lorraine's reticence. Judy and Lois want to explore the old tower and look for the fountain, when Lois admits she knows Roger Banning has been around the area. Lucy and Lois push Lorraine to say more about why she isn't talking, and they want to know why she doesn't want to be recognized. The story ends in suspense as two people in dark coats are walking towards the three women.",
"Judy has invited her friends, Lois and Lorraine (who are sisters-in-law), to lunch at her home. She and her husband, Peter, live in a house she inherited from her grandmother. While Judy is out of the room, Lois asks Lorraine to tell Judy about something that is upsetting Lorraine, but Lorraine accuses Lois of always siding with Judy. On top of that, she claims that Judy almost ruined their double wedding. Judy enters at the end of the conversation, admitting that she has problems, too, and hasn’t been able to solve all the mysteries she has attempted. When Judy mentions a promise she made not to discuss the dam and that she should have told Arthur, Lorraine has a pained expression and asks them not to talk about him.\nLois changes the subject, praising Judy’s mystery-solving and ghost tracking abilities that she then explains sensibly; she asks Judy to tell them a story about one of her mysteries. Judy tells them about the haunted fountain that she saw when she was fifteen years old and spending part of the summer with her grandparents while her parents were on vacation. In the attic to look at some of her grandmother’s old magazines, Judy began feeling sorry for being left behind and started crying. Her tear fell onto a picture of a fountain, and she pretended it was filled with the tears of lonely girls. Aloud, she comments that would make the fountain enchanted and starts to say a wish when her grandmother interrupts to tell her that if she let people know her wishes, most of them wouldn’t be impossible to fulfill.\nThe next day, Judy’s grandparents took her to a fountain that looked just like the one in the magazine. Judy walked into it and heard a voice telling her that if she sheds a tear in the fountain and makes a wish, her wish will come true. But the voice admonishes her to wish wisely. So Judy thought about how lonely she had been since her best friend had moved away and wished for lots of friends and a sister, to marry a G-man, and to solve lots of mysteries, all of which have come true. \nJudy shows her friends magazine with the fountain, and Lois realizes it looks like the fountain on the nearby Brandt estate. On a whim, the three women decide to drive there to look at it. Although Lorraine is less than enthusiastic about the venture, she goes along but insists they not drive all the way to the house. After they turn into the long drive, a car approaches with a memorable-looking man at the wheel. As they near the path to the fountain, Judy recalls that her grandfather started to drive off without her, and she assumed he was teasing her. Lorraine admits she knows the Brandts no longer own the estate and has seen a classmate, Roger Banning, nearby. Suddenly, two dark-coated figures approach them.",
"Judy is enjoying dessert with her two friends Lorraine and Lois as she recounts a tale from her childhood in which she came across a magical fountain that granted her all of her wishes. This fountain has given Judy her husband, friends, and renown as a paranormal mystery solver. As they are in the home in which she discovered a picture of the magical fountain, the three ladies decide to go into the attic to dig up that picture. Upon seeing the picture of the fountain, Lorraine and Lois seem to know its location. The three ladies head there but it seems that Lorraine is hiding some secret connection with the fountain, and there are people there that don't seem to want them around the fountain."
] | [1] The Haunted Fountain CHAPTER I An Unsolved Mystery “Tell Judy about it,” begged Lois.
[2] “Please, Lorraine, it can’t be as bad as it appears.
[3] There isn’t anything that Judy can’t solve.” Lorraine tilted her head disdainfully.
[4] “We’re sisters now.
[5] We’re both Farringdon-Petts and should be loyal to each other.
[6] But you always did take Judy’s part.
[7] She was the one who nearly spoiled our double wedding trying to solve a mystery.
[8] I don’t believe she’d understand—understand any better than I do.
[9] Everyone has problems, and I’m sure Judy is no exception.” “You’re right, Lorraine,” announced Judy, coming in to serve dessert to the two friends she had invited for lunch at Peter’s suggestion.
[10] “I do have problems, and there are plenty of mysteries I can’t solve.” “Name one,” charged Lois.
[11] “Just mention one single spooky thing you couldn’t explain, and I’ll believe you.
[12] I’ve seen you in action, Judy Bolton—” “Judy Dobbs, remember?” “Well, you were Judy Bolton when you solved all those mysteries.
[13] I met you when the whole valley below the big Roulsville dam was threatened by flood and you solved that—” “That,” declared Judy, “was my brother Horace, not me.
[14] He was the hero without even meaning to be.
[15] He was the one who rode through town and warned people that the flood was coming.
[16] I was off chasing a shadow.” “A vanishing shadow,” Lois said with a sigh.
[17] “What you did wasn’t easy, Judy.” “It didn’t need to be as hard as it was,” Judy confessed.
[18] “I know now that keeping that promise not to talk about the dam was a great big mistake and could have cost lives.
[19] I should have told Arthur.” “Please,” Lorraine said, a pained expression clouding her pretty face, “let’s not talk about him now.” “Very well,” Judy agreed.
[20] “What shall we talk about?” “You,” Lois said, “and all the mysteries you’ve solved.
[21] Maybe you were mistaken about a thing or two before the flood, but what about the haunted house you moved into?
[22] You were the one who tracked down the ghosts in the attic and the cellar and goodness knows where all.
[23] You’ve been chasing ghosts ever since I met you, and not one of them did you fail to explain in some sensible, logical fashion.” “Before I met you,” Judy said, thinking back, “there were plenty of them I couldn’t explain.
[24] There was one I used to call the spirit of the fountain, but what she was or how she spoke to me is more than I know.
[25] If my grandparents knew, they weren’t telling.
[26] And now they’re both dead and I can’t ask them.
[27] They left me a lot of unsolved mysteries along with this house.
[28] Maybe I’ll find the answers to some of them when I finish sorting Grandma’s things.
[29] They’re stored in one end of the attic.” “Another haunted attic?
[30] How thrilling!” exclaimed Lois.
[31] “Why don’t you have another ghost party and show up the spooks?” “I didn’t say the attic was haunted.” Judy was almost sorry she had mentioned it.
[32] She wasn’t in the mood for digging up old mysteries, but Lois and Lorraine insisted.
[33] It all began, she finally told them, the summer before they met.
[34] Horace had just started working on the paper.
[35] Judy remembered that it was Lorraine’s father, Richard Thornton Lee, who gave him his job with the Farringdon Daily Herald .
[36] He had turned in some interesting church news, convincing Mr. Lee that he had in him the makings of a good reporter.
[37] And so it was that he spent the summer Judy was remembering in Farringdon where the Farringdon-Petts had their turreted mansion, while she had to suffer the heat and loneliness of Dry Brook Hollow.
[38] Her thoughts were what had made it so hard, she confessed now as she reviewed everything that had happened.
[39] She just couldn’t help resenting the fact that her parents left her every summer while they went off on a vacation by themselves.
[40] What did they think she would do?
[41] “You’ll have plenty to read,” her father had told her.
[42] “I bought you six new books in that mystery series you like.
[43] When they’re finished there are plenty of short stories around.
[44] Your grandmother never throws anything away.
[45] She has magazines she’s saved since your mother was a girl.
[46] If you ask for them she’ll let you have the whole stack.
[47] I know how you love to read.” “I do, Dad, but if the magazines are that old—” Judy had stopped.
[48] She had seen her father’s tired eyes and had realized that a busy doctor needed a vacation much more than a schoolgirl who had too little to do.
[49] He and Judy’s mother usually went to the beach hotel where they had honeymooned.
[50] It was a precious memory.
[51] Every summer Dr. Bolton and his wife relived it.
[52] And every summer Judy went to stay with her grandmother Smeed, who scolded and fussed and tried to pretend she wasn’t glad to have her.
[53] “You here again?” she had greeted her that summer, and Judy hadn’t noticed her old eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
[54] “What do you propose to do with yourself this time?” “Read,” Judy had told her.
[55] “Mom and Dad say you have a whole stack of old magazines—” “In the attic.
[56] Go up and look them over if you can stand the heat.” Judy went, not to look over the old magazines so much as to escape to a place where she could have a good cry.
[57] It was the summer before her fifteenth birthday.
[58] In another year she would have outgrown her childish resentment of her parents’ vacation or be grown up enough to ask them to let her have a vacation of her own.
[59] In another year she would be summering among the beautiful Thousand Islands and solving a mystery to be known as the Ghost Parade .
[60] “A whole parade of ghosts,” Lois would be telling her, “and you solved everything.” But then she didn’t even know Lois.
[61] She had no idea so many thrilling adventures awaited her.
[62] There seemed to be nothing—nothing—and so the tears came and spilled over on one of the magazines.
[63] As Judy wiped it away she noticed that it had fallen on a picture of a fountain.
[64] “A fountain with tears for water.
[65] How strange!” she remembered saying aloud.
[66] Judy had never seen a real fountain.
[67] The thrill of walking up to the door of the palatial Farringdon-Pett mansion was still ahead of her.
[68] On the lawn a fountain still caught and held rainbows like those she was to see on her honeymoon at Niagara Falls.
[69] But all that was in the future.
[70] If anyone had told the freckled-faced, pigtailed girl that she would one day marry Peter Dobbs, she would have laughed in their faces.
[71] “That tease!” For then she knew Peter only as an older boy who used to tease her and call her carrot-top until one day she yelled back at him, “Carrot-tops are green and so are you!” Peter was to win Judy’s heart when he gave her a kitten and suggested the name Blackberry for him.
[72] The kitten was now a dignified family cat.
[73] But the summer Judy found the picture of a fountain and spilled tears on it she had no kitten.
[74] She had nothing, she confessed, not even a friend.
[75] It had helped to pretend the fountain in the picture was filled with all the tears lonely girls like herself had ever cried.
[76] “But that would make it enchanted!” she had suddenly exclaimed.
[77] “If I could find it I’d wish—” A step had sounded on the stairs.
[78] Judy remembered it distinctly.
[79] She had turned to see her grandmother and to hear her say in her usual abrupt fashion, “Enchanted fountain, indeed!
[80] If you let people know your wishes instead of muttering them to yourself, most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Were they?” asked Lois.
[81] She and Lorraine had listened to this much of what Judy was telling them without interruption.
[82] “That’s the unsolved mystery,” Judy replied.
[83] “There weren’t any of them impossible.” And she went on to tell them how, the very next day, her grandparents had taken her to a fountain exactly like the one in the picture.
[84] It was in the center of a deep, circular pool with steps leading up to it.
[85] Beside the steps were smaller fountains with the water spurting from the mouths of stone lions.
[86] Judy had stared at them a moment and then climbed the steps to the pool.
[87] “Am I dreaming?” she remembered saying aloud.
[88] “Is this beautiful fountain real?” A voice had answered, although she could see no one.
[89] “Make your wishes, Judy.
[90] Wish wisely.
[91] If you shed a tear in the fountain your wishes will surely come true.” “A tear?” Judy had asked.
[92] “How can I shed a tear when I’m happy?
[93] This is a wonderful place.” “Shed a tear in the fountain and your wishes will surely come true,” the voice had repeated.
[94] “But what is there to cry about?” “You found plenty to cry about back at your grandmother’s house,” the mysterious voice had reminded her.
[95] “Weren’t you crying on my picture up there in the attic?” “Then you—you are the fountain!” Judy remembered exclaiming.
[96] “But a fountain doesn’t speak.
[97] It doesn’t have a voice.” “Wish wisely,” the voice from the fountain had said in a mysterious whisper.
[98] CHAPTER II If Wishes Came True “Did you?” Lois interrupted the story to ask excitedly.
[99] “Oh, Judy!
[100] Don’t keep us in suspense any longer.
[101] What did you wish?” “Patience,” Judy said with a smile.
[102] “I’m coming to that.” First, she told her friends, she had to think of a wise wish.
[103] There had been so much she wanted in those early days before the flood.
[104] Dora Scott had been her best friend in Roulsville, but she had moved away.
[105] “You see,” she explained, “I made the mistake of having just one best friend.
[106] There wasn’t anybody in Dry Brook Hollow.
[107] I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water.
[108] It made little ripples.
[109] I thought I had to wish quickly before they vanished, and so I began naming the things I wanted as fast as I could.
[110] I’m not sure they were wise wishes.
[111] They seem rather selfish to me, now.
[112] I wasn’t thinking of anybody but me, Judy Bolton, and what I wanted.
[113] It wasn’t until after I began to think of others that my wishes started to come true.” “But what were they?” Lois insisted.
[114] Lorraine seemed unusually quiet and thoughtful.
[115] Judy did not notice the fear in her eyes as she replied airily, “Oh, didn’t I tell you?
[116] I wished for lots of friends and a sister, and I wished I could marry a G-man and solve a lot of mysteries and that’s as far as I got when the ripples vanished.
[117] I thought the spell was broken and so I didn’t wish for anything more.” “Wasn’t there anything more you wanted?” Lois asked.
[118] “Of course,” replied Judy.
[119] “There were lots more things.
[120] I wanted to go places, of course, and keep pets, and have a nice home, and—” “And your wishes all came true!” “Every one of them,” Judy agreed, “even the one about the sister.
[121] You see, it wasn’t a baby sister I wanted.
[122] It was a sister near my own age.
[123] That seemed impossible at the time, but the future did hold a sister for me.” “It held one for me, too,” Lois said, squeezing Lorraine’s hand under the table.
[124] “Don’t you think sisters should tell each other their problems, Judy?” “Honey and I always do,” she replied “but then it was different.
[125] I didn’t know I would marry Peter or that he would become a G-man, and he didn’t know he had a sister.
[126] It is strange, isn’t it?
[127] But the strangest thing of all was the fountain itself.” “Why?” asked Lorraine.
[128] “Do you still think it was enchanted?” Lois laughed at this, but Judy was serious as she answered, “I was still little girl enough to think so at the time.
[129] I wandered around, growing very drowsy.
[130] Then I found a hammock and climbed into it.
[131] I must have gone to sleep, because I remember waking up and wondering if the voice in the fountain had been a dream.” “A hammock?” Lois questioned.
[132] “Are you sure it wasn’t a flying carpet?” “No, it was a hammock all right,” Judy assured her, laughing.
[133] “It was hung between two trees in a beautiful garden all enclosed in rose trellises thick with roses.
[134] Did I tell you it was June?” “All the year around?” Again Lois laughed.
[135] But Lorraine said abruptly, “Let’s not talk about rose gardens in June.
[136] It’s a long way from June to December.” “Do you mean a garden changes?
[137] I know,” Judy said, “but I think this one would be beautiful at any time of the year.
[138] There were rhododendrons, too, and I don’t know how many different kinds of evergreens.
[139] I explored the garden all around the fountain.” “And then what happened?” Lorraine urged her.
[140] “Yes, yes.
[141] Go on,” entreated Lois.
[142] “I didn’t dream you’d kept anything that exciting a secret.
[143] Why didn’t you try to solve the mystery?” “I think I would have tried,” Judy admitted, “if I had been older or more experienced.
[144] I really should have investigated it more thoroughly and learned the secret of the fountain.
[145] But after the ripples went away it didn’t speak to me any more, and I didn’t really think it had heard my wishes.
[146] I was still wishing for a friend when I met you, Lois.
[147] It did seem impossible for us to be friends at first, didn’t it?
[148] Lorraine was your friend.” “I did make trouble for you,” Lorraine remembered.
[149] “It was all because of my foolish jealousy.” “It was nothing compared to the trouble caused by the Roulsville flood,” declared Judy.
[150] “After that things started happening so fast that I completely forgot about the fountain.
[151] Honestly, Lois, I don’t believe I thought about it again until after we moved to Farringdon and I walked up to your door and saw the fountain on your lawn.” “The Farringdon-Pett puddle, I always called it,” Lois said with a giggle.
[152] “I’ve seen lots nicer fountains.” “You have?” asked Judy.
[153] “Then maybe you’ve seen the one I’ve been telling you about.
[154] I think the picture of it is still in the attic.
[155] Come on up and I’ll show you.” Lois and Lorraine had finished their dessert while Judy was telling them the story of the fountain.
[156] Somehow, she wasn’t hungry for hers.
[157] She had tasted it too often while she was making it.
[158] “I’ll leave it for Blackberry,” she decided.
[159] Lois watched in amusement as the cat lapped up the chocolate pudding after Judy had mixed it generously with cream.
[160] “Sometimes,” Judy said fondly, “Blackberry thinks he’s a person.
[161] He eats everything we eat, including lettuce.
[162] Do you mind if he comes with us, Lorraine?
[163] He wants to explore the attic, too.” “He’ll remember he’s a cat fast enough if there are any mice up there,” Lois said with a giggle.
[164] Leaving the table, they all started upstairs with the cat bounding ahead of them.
[165] In modernizing her grandparents’ house to suit her own and Peter’s tastes, Judy had seen to it that the old stair door was removed.
[166] But there was still a door closing off the narrower stairs that led to the attic.
[167] Blackberry reached it first and yowled for Judy to open it.
[168] “He can read my mind.
[169] He always knows where I’m going,” Judy said as the door creaked open and the cat shot through it.
[170] A moment later a weird rolling noise came from the floor above.
[171] “Come on.
[172] There’s nothing up here to be afraid of,” Judy urged her friends.
[173] “Maybe not, but I’m beginning to get the shivers,” confessed Lois as she followed Judy to the sewing room at the top of the last flight of stairs.
[174] “So am I,” Lorraine admitted.
[175] “I’m not superstitious about black cats, but they are creepy.
[176] Does Blackberry have to roll spools across the floor?” “Now he thinks he’s a kitten,” laughed Judy.
[177] Pausing at still another door that led to the darker part of the attic, she turned and said mysteriously, “Up here we can all turn back the clock.
[178] Does anybody care to explore the past?” The exploration began enthusiastically with Judy relating still more of what she remembered about the fountain.
[179] “When I told Grandma about it she laughed and said I must have dreamed it.
[180] She said if wishes came true that easily she’d be living in a castle.
[181] But would she?” Judy wondered.
[182] “When I first remember this house she was still burning kerosene lamps like those you see on that high shelf by the window.
[183] I think she and Grandpa like the way they lived without any modern conveniences or anything.” “I think so, too,” Lois agreed, looking around the old attic with a shiver.
[184] “It is strange they both died the same winter, isn’t it?” “Maybe they wanted it that way.
[185] Maybe they wished neither of them would outlive the other.
[186] If they did wish in the fountain,” Judy went on more thoughtfully, “I’m sure that was one of their wishes.
[187] Another could have been to keep the good old days, as Grandma used to call them.
[188] That one came true in a way.
[189] They did manage to keep a little of the past when they kept all these old things.
[190] That’s what I meant about turning back the clock.” “If wishes came true I’d like to turn it back a little myself,” Lorraine began.
[191] “It would be nice if things were the way they used to be when I trusted Arthur—” “Don’t you trust him now?” Judy asked.
[192] Afterwards she was sorry for the interruption.
[193] Lois and Judy both questioned Lorraine, but that was all she would say.
[194] Judy wondered, as they searched through the old magazines, what was wrong.
[195] Lorraine was of a jealous disposition.
[196] Was the green-eyed monster coming between her and her handsome husband, Arthur Farringdon-Pett?
[197] Until now they had seemed blissfully happy.
[198] But there was no happiness in Lorraine’s face as she gazed at a picture of one of the fountains and then said in a tight little voice, “It is.
[199] It’s the very same one.” “But that’s the picture I’ve been searching for!” Judy said eagerly.
[200] “Do you know where it is?” “I can’t be sure.
[201] But if it ever was enchanted, I’m sure it isn’t now.
[202] Let’s go,” Lorraine said suddenly to Lois.
[203] Judy knew she was suggesting a fast trip home.
[204] But, apparently, Lois did not understand it that way.
[205] If she did, she pretended not to.
[206] “Where?” she asked.
[207] “To the fountain?
[208] I’d love to, wouldn’t you, Judy?” “I certainly would,” Judy replied enthusiastically.
[209] “Do you recognize it, too?” “I think so,” Lois answered after studying a little more closely the picture they had found.
[210] “It looks like the fountain on the Brandt estate.” “The department store Brandts?” Judy questioned.
[211] “Then my grandparents must have driven old Fanny all the way to Farringdon.” “Not quite all the way,” Lorraine objected.
[212] “The Brandts own that stretch of woods just before you come into the city.
[213] You’ve passed it lots of times.” “Of course,” agreed Judy.
[214] She put the magazine back in its place under the eaves and turned eagerly to her friends.
[215] “I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill,” she told them.
[216] “I never thought it led to a house, though.
[217] There isn’t even a gate.
[218] Could that be the road my grandparents took?” “Why don’t we take it ourselves and find out?” Lois suggested.
[219] CHAPTER III A Strange Encounter Lorraine was not too enthusiastic about the proposed trip to the Brandt estate.
[220] Finally she agreed to it under one condition.
[221] They were not to drive all the way to the house which, she said, was just over the hilltop.
[222] They were to park the car where no one would see it and follow the path to the fountain.
[223] “But suppose we can’t find the path?” asked Judy.
[224] “You’ll remember it, won’t you?” Judy thought she would, but she wasn’t too sure.
[225] She and Lois both argued that it would be better to inquire at the house.
[226] Lois knew Helen Brandt slightly.
[227] “She’d be glad to show us around.
[228] This way it looks as if we’re planning a crime,” Lois said as they started off in the blue car she was driving.
[229] It was a neat little car, not too conspicuous, and easy to park in out-of-the-way places.
[230] Judy laughed and said if they did find the fountain she thought she’d wish for one exactly like it.
[231] “Well, you know what your grandmother said about wishes, don’t you?” Lorraine asked.
[232] “If you let people know about them instead of muttering them to yourself most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Quite true,” Judy agreed.
[233] “I’ll let Peter know about this one.
[234] He’s my Santa Claus, and it will soon be Christmas.
[235] Maybe I should have worn the fur coat he gave me last year.” “Your reversible’s better in case it rains.
[236] It’s too warm for snow.
[237] We picked a perfect day for this trip,” Lois continued, guiding the car around curves as it climbed the steep hill beyond Dry Brook Hollow.
[238] The trip was a short one.
[239] In twenty minutes they had covered the distance that had seemed such a long way to Judy when she was riding in her grandfather’s wagon.
[240] “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said, “and I’ve just about figured out how it happened.
[241] I didn’t think my grandparents knew the Brandts well enough to pay them a visit, though.
[242] We must have looked queer driving up to a beautiful estate in Grandpa’s old farm wagon.
[243] I do remember that Grandma had some hooked rugs to deliver.
[244] But that still doesn’t explain what happened afterwards.
[245] When I woke up in the hammock I was alone in the garden.
[246] Horse, wagon, grandparents—all had disappeared.” “How could they?” asked Lois.
[247] “Anyway,” Lorraine began, “you had a chance to see how beautiful everything was before—” Again she broke off as if there were something she wanted to tell but didn’t quite dare.
[248] “Before what?” questioned Judy.
[249] “Oh, nothing.
[250] Forget I said anything about it.
[251] You were telling us how you woke up in the hammock, but you never did explain how you got back home,” Lorraine reminded her.
[252] “Didn’t I?” asked Judy.
[253] “I’d forgotten a lot of it, but it’s beginning to come back now.
[254] I do remember driving home along this road.
[255] You see, I thought my grandparents had left me in the garden for a surprise and would return for me.
[256] I told you I was all alone.
[257] There wasn’t a house in sight.” “The Brandt house is just over the top of this next hill,” Lois put in.
[258] “I know.
[259] You told me that.
[260] Now I know why I couldn’t see it.
[261] All I could see was a windowless old tower and a path leading in that direction.
[262] Naturally, I followed it.
[263] There’s something about a path in the woods that always tempts me.” “We know that, Judy.
[264] Honey told us all about your latest mystery.
[265] You followed a trail or something.” “Well, this trail led out of the rose garden where the hammock was and then through an archway,” Judy continued.
[266] “All sorts of little cupids and gnomes peered out at me from unexpected places.
[267] I was actually scared by the time I reached the old tower.
[268] There wasn’t time to explore it.
[269] Just then I heard the rumble of my grandfather’s wagon and knew he was driving off without me.” “He was!” Judy’s friends both chorused in surprise, and Lois asked, “Why would he do a thing like that?” “I think now it was just to tease me.
[270] He did stop and wait for me after a while,” Judy remembered.
[271] “The rugs were gone.
[272] Grandma must have delivered them, but I didn’t ask where.
[273] If she made them for Mrs. Brandt they may still be there.” “I wouldn’t depend on it,” Lorraine said as they turned up the narrow road to the Brandt estate.
[274] “Watch out!” Judy suddenly exclaimed.
[275] “There’s another car coming.” As Lois swerved to avoid the oncoming car, Lorraine ducked her head.
[276] She kept herself hidden behind Judy until the car had passed.
[277] The man driving it was a stranger to Judy, but she would remember his hypnotic, dark eyes and swarthy complexion for a long time.
[278] The soft brown hat he was wearing covered most of his hair.
[279] “What’s the matter with you two?” asked Lois when the car had passed.
[280] “Aren’t you a little old for playing hide and seek?” “I wasn’t—playing.
[281] Let’s not go up there,” Lorraine begged.
[282] “I don’t think the Brandts live there any more.” “Maybe not, but we can pretend we think they do, can’t we?” Judy replied a little uncertainly.
[283] She was beginning to suspect that Lorraine knew more about the Brandt estate than she was telling.
[284] Lois kept on driving along the narrow, gravelly road.
[285] Soon there were more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendrons to be seen.
[286] They looked very green next to the leafless trees in the woods beyond.
[287] The sky was gray with white clouds being driven across it by the wind.
[288] “There’s the tower!” Lorraine exclaimed.
[289] “I can see it over to the left.
[290] It looks like something out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, doesn’t it?” “It looks grim all right,” agreed Judy.
[291] “I wonder what it is.” “I suppose it’s nothing but an old water tower.
[292] It would be fun to explore it, though,” Lois said.
[293] “But if there are new people living here they’ll never give us permission.” “We might explore it without permission,” Judy suggested daringly.
[294] “Come on!” she urged her friends as Lois parked the car in a cleared place beside the road.
[295] “Who’s going to stop us?
[296] And who wants to explore a gloomy old tower, anyway?
[297] Let’s look for the fountain.” “Do you think we should?” Lorraine asked.
[298] “It won’t be enchanted.
[299] I told you—” “You told us very little,” Lois reminded her.
[300] “If you know anything about the people who live here now, I think you ought to let us know.
[301] Otherwise, I’m afraid we won’t be very welcome.” “I don’t think they’ll welcome us, anyway.
[302] I do know who they are,” Lorraine admitted.
[303] “You remember Roger Banning from school, don’t you?
[304] I’ve seen him around here.
[305] His family must have acquired sudden wealth, or else he’s just working on the estate.” “Then you’ve been here lately?
[306] Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Lois.
[307] “We always used to go places together.” “It wasn’t important,” Lorraine replied evasively.
[308] “I was just out for a drive.” “You plutocrats!” laughed Judy.
[309] “Each with a car of your own.
[310] You’re not interested in Roger Banning, are you, Lois?
[311] I’m sure you can do better than that.
[312] I did know him slightly, but not from school.
[313] The boys and girls were separated and went to different high schools by the time we moved to Farringdon.
[314] I remember his pal, Dick Hartwell, a lot better.
[315] He was in our young people’s group at church.” “Sh!” Lois cautioned her.
[316] “Nice people no longer mention Dick Hartwell’s name.
[317] He’s doing time.” “For what?” asked Judy.
[318] Like Peter, her FBI husband, she preferred facts to gossip.
[319] “Forgery, I guess.
[320] He stole some checkbooks from his father’s desk and forged the names of a lot of important business people.
[321] I think he forged some legal documents, too.
[322] Anyway, he went to the Federal Penitentiary.
[323] It was all in the papers,” Lorraine told her.
[324] Now Judy did remember.
[325] It was something she would have preferred to forget.
[326] She liked to think she was a good judge of character, and she had taken Dick Hartwell for a quiet, refined boy who would never stoop to crime.
[327] “I don’t see what all this has to do with the fountain,” Lois said impatiently.
[328] “Are we going to look for it, or aren’t we?” “Of course we are.
[329] That’s what we came for.
[330] I just like to know what a tiger looks like before he springs at me,” Judy explained.
[331] “You seem to think there’s danger in this expedition of ours, don’t you?” asked Lorraine.
[332] “I don’t know what to think.
[333] You’re the one who seems to know the answers, but you’re not telling.
[334] Hiding your face back there gave you away.
[335] You’ve seen that character who drove down this road and, for some reason, you were afraid he would see you.
[336] Why, Lorraine?
[337] Why didn’t you want to be recognized?” Lorraine hesitated a moment and then replied evasively, “People don’t generally enter private estates without an invitation.
[338] That’s all.” “I’d better turn the car around,” Lois decided, “in case we have to leave in a hurry.
[339] I don’t expect we’ll encounter any tigers, but we may be accused of trespassing.” “I’m sure we will be,” announced Judy as two dark-coated figures strode down the road toward them.
[340] “You drove right by a NO TRESPASSING sign, and this isn’t a welcoming committee coming to meet us!” | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [83] "There weren't any of them impossible." And she went on to tell them how, the very next day, her grandparents had taken her to a fountain exactly like the one in the picture.
2. [94] "You found plenty to cry about back at your grandmother's house," the mysterious voice had reminded her.
3. [107] "I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water."
4. [116] "I wished for lots of friends and a sister, and I wished I could marry a G-man and solve a lot of mysteries and that's as far as I got when the ripples vanished."
5. [120] "I wanted to go places, of course, and keep pets, and have a nice home, and—"
6. [121] "You see, it wasn't a baby sister I wanted. It was a sister near my own age."
7. [179] "When I told Grandma about it she laughed and said I must have dreamed it."
8. [186] "If they did wish in the fountain, I'm sure that was one of their wishes."
9. [190] "That's what I meant about turning back the clock."
10. [197] "Until now they had seemed blissfully happy."
11. [198] "It is. It's the very same one."
12. [200] "Do you know where it is?"
13. [202] "Let's go," Lorraine said suddenly to Lois.
14. [209] "Do you recognize it, too?"
15. [214] "I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill," she told them.
16. [223] "But suppose we can't find the path?"
17. [230] "Well, you know what your grandmother said about wishes, don't you?"
18. [240] "I didn't think my grandparents knew the Brandts well enough to pay them a visit, though."
19. [254] "I do remember driving home along this road."
20. [269] "There wasn't time to explore it. Just then I heard the rumble of my grandfather's wagon and knew he was driving off without me."
21. [282] "I'm beginning to suspect that Lorraine knows more about the Brandt estate than she is telling."
22. [302] "I do know who they are," Lorraine admitted.
23. [303] "You remember Roger Banning from school, don't you?"
24. [316] "Nice people no longer mention Dick Hartwell's name."
25. [337] "You've seen that character who drove down this road and, for some reason, you were afraid he would see you." |
Describe the setting for the story. | [
"The story opens at Judy’s house as she has Lois and Lorraine over for lunch. Judy’s lives in her grandparents' old house that she modernized with her husband, Peter. The house has an attic that is up a narrow set of stairs with a door at the top. They have a black cat named Blackberry that spooks her friends because it is creepy when it makes unexpected noises in the attic.\nWhen Judy is recalling the story of the fountain, the narrative bounces back and forth into their present reality as Lois and Lorraine ask questions.\nIn Judy’s recalled story, she is a young red-haired girl with no friends who spends two weeks in the summer with her grandparents at their home. They have a hot attic filled with keepsakes and old reading materials, most notably a picture of a fountain that Judy’s grandmother later brings her to. The fountain was centered in a deep, circular pool, and had steps leading up to it that were bordered with smaller fountains of lions with water spurting out of the mouths. Judy thinks it could be a beautiful location at any time of the year, surrounded by lush vegetation like rhododendrons and evergreens. From the fountain there was a path leading to a windowless old tower that was populated by cupids and gnomes that peered out at Judy.\nBack in modern day, when Judy, Lois and Lorraine go looking for the fountain, the tower is still visible, and Lorraine describes it as something out of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” The friends visit it on a day where the trees are leafless in the woods, making the rhododendrons appear vibrantly green, under a gray sky. They do not actually reach the fountain in the story, but they do pass several posted signs for “NO TRESPASSING” along the wooded road.",
"The house that Judy lives in was inherited from her grandparents, and she now lives there with her husband Peter and their cat Blackberry. She has made some changes to the house, including in the staircases to the attic, but she has not yet gone through all of her grandmother's belongings so they take up a lot of the attic. Judy's friends consider the house haunted, but Judy insists that at least the attic is not. After the three leave the house to investigate where the fountain might be, they head into the woods where there is an uphill road leading to the Brandt estate. In this estate, there was an old water tower that was visible from the path the women were on, but the story ended before the women were able to confirm if the fountain was on this estate or not.",
"The story takes place around the early 20th century in a town called Farringdon in the USA as Judy’s grandparents still drove a horse-led wagon, but Lois now drives a car, and Judy’s husband is employed by the FBI. The story begins at Judy’s house, which she inherited from her grandparents. While she is in the process of renovating the house, she still has her grandmother’s things in the attic, including the magazine with the picture of the fountain. Lois alludes to the fact that Judy has tracked down the ghosts in the attic and cellar of the house. The attic is where Judy found the magazine with the picture of the fountain on it that she is telling her friends about. When Judy saw the picture, she had never seen a fountain in person, although there is a fountain at the nearby turreted Farringdon-Petts mansion. After Judy shows the picture of the fountain to Lois and Lorraine, the two women recognize it as the fountain on the Brandt estate.\n The fountain is part of the setting in the flashback in the story. Judy remembers visiting the fountain during June; it was centered in a deep, circular pool with steps leading to the fountain. Smaller fountains in the shapes of lions were beside the steps, and water spurted from their mouths. After leaving the fountain, Judy found a hammock in a beautiful garden encircled by rose trellises. There were also rhododendrons and evergreens in the garden. After waking from her nap in the hammock, Judy saw an old windowless tower and a path leading to it. She followed the trail, and all along it were cupid and gnome figures that seemed to be looking out at her, tucked into surprising places. Just as she reached the tower, she heard her grandfather leaving with the wagon. \n\tThe rest of the story occurs in the present’s second setting, the Brandt estate. The drive off the main road is a narrow, gravel road uphill through the woods. An oncoming car driven by a swarthy man with hypnotic eyes startles them. Traveling on, they pass more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendron and can see the tower from the car. As Lois turns the car around, two figures in dark coats approach them.",
"Most of the story takes place in Judy's grandparents' house, which Judy currently owns and has modernized. The main focus of the first half of the story is on the house's attic, where Judy's grandmother's things are kept. The story also takes place in a car on the way to the Brandt estate, which is the location of the fountain. The characters wind up on the estate, but it is a private estate and there are people there who do not want them there. The story takes place in a time period that seems older, with a lot of pomp and propriety."
] | [1] The Haunted Fountain CHAPTER I An Unsolved Mystery “Tell Judy about it,” begged Lois.
[2] “Please, Lorraine, it can’t be as bad as it appears.
[3] There isn’t anything that Judy can’t solve.” Lorraine tilted her head disdainfully.
[4] “We’re sisters now.
[5] We’re both Farringdon-Petts and should be loyal to each other.
[6] But you always did take Judy’s part.
[7] She was the one who nearly spoiled our double wedding trying to solve a mystery.
[8] I don’t believe she’d understand—understand any better than I do.
[9] Everyone has problems, and I’m sure Judy is no exception.” “You’re right, Lorraine,” announced Judy, coming in to serve dessert to the two friends she had invited for lunch at Peter’s suggestion.
[10] “I do have problems, and there are plenty of mysteries I can’t solve.” “Name one,” charged Lois.
[11] “Just mention one single spooky thing you couldn’t explain, and I’ll believe you.
[12] I’ve seen you in action, Judy Bolton—” “Judy Dobbs, remember?” “Well, you were Judy Bolton when you solved all those mysteries.
[13] I met you when the whole valley below the big Roulsville dam was threatened by flood and you solved that—” “That,” declared Judy, “was my brother Horace, not me.
[14] He was the hero without even meaning to be.
[15] He was the one who rode through town and warned people that the flood was coming.
[16] I was off chasing a shadow.” “A vanishing shadow,” Lois said with a sigh.
[17] “What you did wasn’t easy, Judy.” “It didn’t need to be as hard as it was,” Judy confessed.
[18] “I know now that keeping that promise not to talk about the dam was a great big mistake and could have cost lives.
[19] I should have told Arthur.” “Please,” Lorraine said, a pained expression clouding her pretty face, “let’s not talk about him now.” “Very well,” Judy agreed.
[20] “What shall we talk about?” “You,” Lois said, “and all the mysteries you’ve solved.
[21] Maybe you were mistaken about a thing or two before the flood, but what about the haunted house you moved into?
[22] You were the one who tracked down the ghosts in the attic and the cellar and goodness knows where all.
[23] You’ve been chasing ghosts ever since I met you, and not one of them did you fail to explain in some sensible, logical fashion.” “Before I met you,” Judy said, thinking back, “there were plenty of them I couldn’t explain.
[24] There was one I used to call the spirit of the fountain, but what she was or how she spoke to me is more than I know.
[25] If my grandparents knew, they weren’t telling.
[26] And now they’re both dead and I can’t ask them.
[27] They left me a lot of unsolved mysteries along with this house.
[28] Maybe I’ll find the answers to some of them when I finish sorting Grandma’s things.
[29] They’re stored in one end of the attic.” “Another haunted attic?
[30] How thrilling!” exclaimed Lois.
[31] “Why don’t you have another ghost party and show up the spooks?” “I didn’t say the attic was haunted.” Judy was almost sorry she had mentioned it.
[32] She wasn’t in the mood for digging up old mysteries, but Lois and Lorraine insisted.
[33] It all began, she finally told them, the summer before they met.
[34] Horace had just started working on the paper.
[35] Judy remembered that it was Lorraine’s father, Richard Thornton Lee, who gave him his job with the Farringdon Daily Herald .
[36] He had turned in some interesting church news, convincing Mr. Lee that he had in him the makings of a good reporter.
[37] And so it was that he spent the summer Judy was remembering in Farringdon where the Farringdon-Petts had their turreted mansion, while she had to suffer the heat and loneliness of Dry Brook Hollow.
[38] Her thoughts were what had made it so hard, she confessed now as she reviewed everything that had happened.
[39] She just couldn’t help resenting the fact that her parents left her every summer while they went off on a vacation by themselves.
[40] What did they think she would do?
[41] “You’ll have plenty to read,” her father had told her.
[42] “I bought you six new books in that mystery series you like.
[43] When they’re finished there are plenty of short stories around.
[44] Your grandmother never throws anything away.
[45] She has magazines she’s saved since your mother was a girl.
[46] If you ask for them she’ll let you have the whole stack.
[47] I know how you love to read.” “I do, Dad, but if the magazines are that old—” Judy had stopped.
[48] She had seen her father’s tired eyes and had realized that a busy doctor needed a vacation much more than a schoolgirl who had too little to do.
[49] He and Judy’s mother usually went to the beach hotel where they had honeymooned.
[50] It was a precious memory.
[51] Every summer Dr. Bolton and his wife relived it.
[52] And every summer Judy went to stay with her grandmother Smeed, who scolded and fussed and tried to pretend she wasn’t glad to have her.
[53] “You here again?” she had greeted her that summer, and Judy hadn’t noticed her old eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
[54] “What do you propose to do with yourself this time?” “Read,” Judy had told her.
[55] “Mom and Dad say you have a whole stack of old magazines—” “In the attic.
[56] Go up and look them over if you can stand the heat.” Judy went, not to look over the old magazines so much as to escape to a place where she could have a good cry.
[57] It was the summer before her fifteenth birthday.
[58] In another year she would have outgrown her childish resentment of her parents’ vacation or be grown up enough to ask them to let her have a vacation of her own.
[59] In another year she would be summering among the beautiful Thousand Islands and solving a mystery to be known as the Ghost Parade .
[60] “A whole parade of ghosts,” Lois would be telling her, “and you solved everything.” But then she didn’t even know Lois.
[61] She had no idea so many thrilling adventures awaited her.
[62] There seemed to be nothing—nothing—and so the tears came and spilled over on one of the magazines.
[63] As Judy wiped it away she noticed that it had fallen on a picture of a fountain.
[64] “A fountain with tears for water.
[65] How strange!” she remembered saying aloud.
[66] Judy had never seen a real fountain.
[67] The thrill of walking up to the door of the palatial Farringdon-Pett mansion was still ahead of her.
[68] On the lawn a fountain still caught and held rainbows like those she was to see on her honeymoon at Niagara Falls.
[69] But all that was in the future.
[70] If anyone had told the freckled-faced, pigtailed girl that she would one day marry Peter Dobbs, she would have laughed in their faces.
[71] “That tease!” For then she knew Peter only as an older boy who used to tease her and call her carrot-top until one day she yelled back at him, “Carrot-tops are green and so are you!” Peter was to win Judy’s heart when he gave her a kitten and suggested the name Blackberry for him.
[72] The kitten was now a dignified family cat.
[73] But the summer Judy found the picture of a fountain and spilled tears on it she had no kitten.
[74] She had nothing, she confessed, not even a friend.
[75] It had helped to pretend the fountain in the picture was filled with all the tears lonely girls like herself had ever cried.
[76] “But that would make it enchanted!” she had suddenly exclaimed.
[77] “If I could find it I’d wish—” A step had sounded on the stairs.
[78] Judy remembered it distinctly.
[79] She had turned to see her grandmother and to hear her say in her usual abrupt fashion, “Enchanted fountain, indeed!
[80] If you let people know your wishes instead of muttering them to yourself, most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Were they?” asked Lois.
[81] She and Lorraine had listened to this much of what Judy was telling them without interruption.
[82] “That’s the unsolved mystery,” Judy replied.
[83] “There weren’t any of them impossible.” And she went on to tell them how, the very next day, her grandparents had taken her to a fountain exactly like the one in the picture.
[84] It was in the center of a deep, circular pool with steps leading up to it.
[85] Beside the steps were smaller fountains with the water spurting from the mouths of stone lions.
[86] Judy had stared at them a moment and then climbed the steps to the pool.
[87] “Am I dreaming?” she remembered saying aloud.
[88] “Is this beautiful fountain real?” A voice had answered, although she could see no one.
[89] “Make your wishes, Judy.
[90] Wish wisely.
[91] If you shed a tear in the fountain your wishes will surely come true.” “A tear?” Judy had asked.
[92] “How can I shed a tear when I’m happy?
[93] This is a wonderful place.” “Shed a tear in the fountain and your wishes will surely come true,” the voice had repeated.
[94] “But what is there to cry about?” “You found plenty to cry about back at your grandmother’s house,” the mysterious voice had reminded her.
[95] “Weren’t you crying on my picture up there in the attic?” “Then you—you are the fountain!” Judy remembered exclaiming.
[96] “But a fountain doesn’t speak.
[97] It doesn’t have a voice.” “Wish wisely,” the voice from the fountain had said in a mysterious whisper.
[98] CHAPTER II If Wishes Came True “Did you?” Lois interrupted the story to ask excitedly.
[99] “Oh, Judy!
[100] Don’t keep us in suspense any longer.
[101] What did you wish?” “Patience,” Judy said with a smile.
[102] “I’m coming to that.” First, she told her friends, she had to think of a wise wish.
[103] There had been so much she wanted in those early days before the flood.
[104] Dora Scott had been her best friend in Roulsville, but she had moved away.
[105] “You see,” she explained, “I made the mistake of having just one best friend.
[106] There wasn’t anybody in Dry Brook Hollow.
[107] I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water.
[108] It made little ripples.
[109] I thought I had to wish quickly before they vanished, and so I began naming the things I wanted as fast as I could.
[110] I’m not sure they were wise wishes.
[111] They seem rather selfish to me, now.
[112] I wasn’t thinking of anybody but me, Judy Bolton, and what I wanted.
[113] It wasn’t until after I began to think of others that my wishes started to come true.” “But what were they?” Lois insisted.
[114] Lorraine seemed unusually quiet and thoughtful.
[115] Judy did not notice the fear in her eyes as she replied airily, “Oh, didn’t I tell you?
[116] I wished for lots of friends and a sister, and I wished I could marry a G-man and solve a lot of mysteries and that’s as far as I got when the ripples vanished.
[117] I thought the spell was broken and so I didn’t wish for anything more.” “Wasn’t there anything more you wanted?” Lois asked.
[118] “Of course,” replied Judy.
[119] “There were lots more things.
[120] I wanted to go places, of course, and keep pets, and have a nice home, and—” “And your wishes all came true!” “Every one of them,” Judy agreed, “even the one about the sister.
[121] You see, it wasn’t a baby sister I wanted.
[122] It was a sister near my own age.
[123] That seemed impossible at the time, but the future did hold a sister for me.” “It held one for me, too,” Lois said, squeezing Lorraine’s hand under the table.
[124] “Don’t you think sisters should tell each other their problems, Judy?” “Honey and I always do,” she replied “but then it was different.
[125] I didn’t know I would marry Peter or that he would become a G-man, and he didn’t know he had a sister.
[126] It is strange, isn’t it?
[127] But the strangest thing of all was the fountain itself.” “Why?” asked Lorraine.
[128] “Do you still think it was enchanted?” Lois laughed at this, but Judy was serious as she answered, “I was still little girl enough to think so at the time.
[129] I wandered around, growing very drowsy.
[130] Then I found a hammock and climbed into it.
[131] I must have gone to sleep, because I remember waking up and wondering if the voice in the fountain had been a dream.” “A hammock?” Lois questioned.
[132] “Are you sure it wasn’t a flying carpet?” “No, it was a hammock all right,” Judy assured her, laughing.
[133] “It was hung between two trees in a beautiful garden all enclosed in rose trellises thick with roses.
[134] Did I tell you it was June?” “All the year around?” Again Lois laughed.
[135] But Lorraine said abruptly, “Let’s not talk about rose gardens in June.
[136] It’s a long way from June to December.” “Do you mean a garden changes?
[137] I know,” Judy said, “but I think this one would be beautiful at any time of the year.
[138] There were rhododendrons, too, and I don’t know how many different kinds of evergreens.
[139] I explored the garden all around the fountain.” “And then what happened?” Lorraine urged her.
[140] “Yes, yes.
[141] Go on,” entreated Lois.
[142] “I didn’t dream you’d kept anything that exciting a secret.
[143] Why didn’t you try to solve the mystery?” “I think I would have tried,” Judy admitted, “if I had been older or more experienced.
[144] I really should have investigated it more thoroughly and learned the secret of the fountain.
[145] But after the ripples went away it didn’t speak to me any more, and I didn’t really think it had heard my wishes.
[146] I was still wishing for a friend when I met you, Lois.
[147] It did seem impossible for us to be friends at first, didn’t it?
[148] Lorraine was your friend.” “I did make trouble for you,” Lorraine remembered.
[149] “It was all because of my foolish jealousy.” “It was nothing compared to the trouble caused by the Roulsville flood,” declared Judy.
[150] “After that things started happening so fast that I completely forgot about the fountain.
[151] Honestly, Lois, I don’t believe I thought about it again until after we moved to Farringdon and I walked up to your door and saw the fountain on your lawn.” “The Farringdon-Pett puddle, I always called it,” Lois said with a giggle.
[152] “I’ve seen lots nicer fountains.” “You have?” asked Judy.
[153] “Then maybe you’ve seen the one I’ve been telling you about.
[154] I think the picture of it is still in the attic.
[155] Come on up and I’ll show you.” Lois and Lorraine had finished their dessert while Judy was telling them the story of the fountain.
[156] Somehow, she wasn’t hungry for hers.
[157] She had tasted it too often while she was making it.
[158] “I’ll leave it for Blackberry,” she decided.
[159] Lois watched in amusement as the cat lapped up the chocolate pudding after Judy had mixed it generously with cream.
[160] “Sometimes,” Judy said fondly, “Blackberry thinks he’s a person.
[161] He eats everything we eat, including lettuce.
[162] Do you mind if he comes with us, Lorraine?
[163] He wants to explore the attic, too.” “He’ll remember he’s a cat fast enough if there are any mice up there,” Lois said with a giggle.
[164] Leaving the table, they all started upstairs with the cat bounding ahead of them.
[165] In modernizing her grandparents’ house to suit her own and Peter’s tastes, Judy had seen to it that the old stair door was removed.
[166] But there was still a door closing off the narrower stairs that led to the attic.
[167] Blackberry reached it first and yowled for Judy to open it.
[168] “He can read my mind.
[169] He always knows where I’m going,” Judy said as the door creaked open and the cat shot through it.
[170] A moment later a weird rolling noise came from the floor above.
[171] “Come on.
[172] There’s nothing up here to be afraid of,” Judy urged her friends.
[173] “Maybe not, but I’m beginning to get the shivers,” confessed Lois as she followed Judy to the sewing room at the top of the last flight of stairs.
[174] “So am I,” Lorraine admitted.
[175] “I’m not superstitious about black cats, but they are creepy.
[176] Does Blackberry have to roll spools across the floor?” “Now he thinks he’s a kitten,” laughed Judy.
[177] Pausing at still another door that led to the darker part of the attic, she turned and said mysteriously, “Up here we can all turn back the clock.
[178] Does anybody care to explore the past?” The exploration began enthusiastically with Judy relating still more of what she remembered about the fountain.
[179] “When I told Grandma about it she laughed and said I must have dreamed it.
[180] She said if wishes came true that easily she’d be living in a castle.
[181] But would she?” Judy wondered.
[182] “When I first remember this house she was still burning kerosene lamps like those you see on that high shelf by the window.
[183] I think she and Grandpa like the way they lived without any modern conveniences or anything.” “I think so, too,” Lois agreed, looking around the old attic with a shiver.
[184] “It is strange they both died the same winter, isn’t it?” “Maybe they wanted it that way.
[185] Maybe they wished neither of them would outlive the other.
[186] If they did wish in the fountain,” Judy went on more thoughtfully, “I’m sure that was one of their wishes.
[187] Another could have been to keep the good old days, as Grandma used to call them.
[188] That one came true in a way.
[189] They did manage to keep a little of the past when they kept all these old things.
[190] That’s what I meant about turning back the clock.” “If wishes came true I’d like to turn it back a little myself,” Lorraine began.
[191] “It would be nice if things were the way they used to be when I trusted Arthur—” “Don’t you trust him now?” Judy asked.
[192] Afterwards she was sorry for the interruption.
[193] Lois and Judy both questioned Lorraine, but that was all she would say.
[194] Judy wondered, as they searched through the old magazines, what was wrong.
[195] Lorraine was of a jealous disposition.
[196] Was the green-eyed monster coming between her and her handsome husband, Arthur Farringdon-Pett?
[197] Until now they had seemed blissfully happy.
[198] But there was no happiness in Lorraine’s face as she gazed at a picture of one of the fountains and then said in a tight little voice, “It is.
[199] It’s the very same one.” “But that’s the picture I’ve been searching for!” Judy said eagerly.
[200] “Do you know where it is?” “I can’t be sure.
[201] But if it ever was enchanted, I’m sure it isn’t now.
[202] Let’s go,” Lorraine said suddenly to Lois.
[203] Judy knew she was suggesting a fast trip home.
[204] But, apparently, Lois did not understand it that way.
[205] If she did, she pretended not to.
[206] “Where?” she asked.
[207] “To the fountain?
[208] I’d love to, wouldn’t you, Judy?” “I certainly would,” Judy replied enthusiastically.
[209] “Do you recognize it, too?” “I think so,” Lois answered after studying a little more closely the picture they had found.
[210] “It looks like the fountain on the Brandt estate.” “The department store Brandts?” Judy questioned.
[211] “Then my grandparents must have driven old Fanny all the way to Farringdon.” “Not quite all the way,” Lorraine objected.
[212] “The Brandts own that stretch of woods just before you come into the city.
[213] You’ve passed it lots of times.” “Of course,” agreed Judy.
[214] She put the magazine back in its place under the eaves and turned eagerly to her friends.
[215] “I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill,” she told them.
[216] “I never thought it led to a house, though.
[217] There isn’t even a gate.
[218] Could that be the road my grandparents took?” “Why don’t we take it ourselves and find out?” Lois suggested.
[219] CHAPTER III A Strange Encounter Lorraine was not too enthusiastic about the proposed trip to the Brandt estate.
[220] Finally she agreed to it under one condition.
[221] They were not to drive all the way to the house which, she said, was just over the hilltop.
[222] They were to park the car where no one would see it and follow the path to the fountain.
[223] “But suppose we can’t find the path?” asked Judy.
[224] “You’ll remember it, won’t you?” Judy thought she would, but she wasn’t too sure.
[225] She and Lois both argued that it would be better to inquire at the house.
[226] Lois knew Helen Brandt slightly.
[227] “She’d be glad to show us around.
[228] This way it looks as if we’re planning a crime,” Lois said as they started off in the blue car she was driving.
[229] It was a neat little car, not too conspicuous, and easy to park in out-of-the-way places.
[230] Judy laughed and said if they did find the fountain she thought she’d wish for one exactly like it.
[231] “Well, you know what your grandmother said about wishes, don’t you?” Lorraine asked.
[232] “If you let people know about them instead of muttering them to yourself most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Quite true,” Judy agreed.
[233] “I’ll let Peter know about this one.
[234] He’s my Santa Claus, and it will soon be Christmas.
[235] Maybe I should have worn the fur coat he gave me last year.” “Your reversible’s better in case it rains.
[236] It’s too warm for snow.
[237] We picked a perfect day for this trip,” Lois continued, guiding the car around curves as it climbed the steep hill beyond Dry Brook Hollow.
[238] The trip was a short one.
[239] In twenty minutes they had covered the distance that had seemed such a long way to Judy when she was riding in her grandfather’s wagon.
[240] “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said, “and I’ve just about figured out how it happened.
[241] I didn’t think my grandparents knew the Brandts well enough to pay them a visit, though.
[242] We must have looked queer driving up to a beautiful estate in Grandpa’s old farm wagon.
[243] I do remember that Grandma had some hooked rugs to deliver.
[244] But that still doesn’t explain what happened afterwards.
[245] When I woke up in the hammock I was alone in the garden.
[246] Horse, wagon, grandparents—all had disappeared.” “How could they?” asked Lois.
[247] “Anyway,” Lorraine began, “you had a chance to see how beautiful everything was before—” Again she broke off as if there were something she wanted to tell but didn’t quite dare.
[248] “Before what?” questioned Judy.
[249] “Oh, nothing.
[250] Forget I said anything about it.
[251] You were telling us how you woke up in the hammock, but you never did explain how you got back home,” Lorraine reminded her.
[252] “Didn’t I?” asked Judy.
[253] “I’d forgotten a lot of it, but it’s beginning to come back now.
[254] I do remember driving home along this road.
[255] You see, I thought my grandparents had left me in the garden for a surprise and would return for me.
[256] I told you I was all alone.
[257] There wasn’t a house in sight.” “The Brandt house is just over the top of this next hill,” Lois put in.
[258] “I know.
[259] You told me that.
[260] Now I know why I couldn’t see it.
[261] All I could see was a windowless old tower and a path leading in that direction.
[262] Naturally, I followed it.
[263] There’s something about a path in the woods that always tempts me.” “We know that, Judy.
[264] Honey told us all about your latest mystery.
[265] You followed a trail or something.” “Well, this trail led out of the rose garden where the hammock was and then through an archway,” Judy continued.
[266] “All sorts of little cupids and gnomes peered out at me from unexpected places.
[267] I was actually scared by the time I reached the old tower.
[268] There wasn’t time to explore it.
[269] Just then I heard the rumble of my grandfather’s wagon and knew he was driving off without me.” “He was!” Judy’s friends both chorused in surprise, and Lois asked, “Why would he do a thing like that?” “I think now it was just to tease me.
[270] He did stop and wait for me after a while,” Judy remembered.
[271] “The rugs were gone.
[272] Grandma must have delivered them, but I didn’t ask where.
[273] If she made them for Mrs. Brandt they may still be there.” “I wouldn’t depend on it,” Lorraine said as they turned up the narrow road to the Brandt estate.
[274] “Watch out!” Judy suddenly exclaimed.
[275] “There’s another car coming.” As Lois swerved to avoid the oncoming car, Lorraine ducked her head.
[276] She kept herself hidden behind Judy until the car had passed.
[277] The man driving it was a stranger to Judy, but she would remember his hypnotic, dark eyes and swarthy complexion for a long time.
[278] The soft brown hat he was wearing covered most of his hair.
[279] “What’s the matter with you two?” asked Lois when the car had passed.
[280] “Aren’t you a little old for playing hide and seek?” “I wasn’t—playing.
[281] Let’s not go up there,” Lorraine begged.
[282] “I don’t think the Brandts live there any more.” “Maybe not, but we can pretend we think they do, can’t we?” Judy replied a little uncertainly.
[283] She was beginning to suspect that Lorraine knew more about the Brandt estate than she was telling.
[284] Lois kept on driving along the narrow, gravelly road.
[285] Soon there were more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendrons to be seen.
[286] They looked very green next to the leafless trees in the woods beyond.
[287] The sky was gray with white clouds being driven across it by the wind.
[288] “There’s the tower!” Lorraine exclaimed.
[289] “I can see it over to the left.
[290] It looks like something out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, doesn’t it?” “It looks grim all right,” agreed Judy.
[291] “I wonder what it is.” “I suppose it’s nothing but an old water tower.
[292] It would be fun to explore it, though,” Lois said.
[293] “But if there are new people living here they’ll never give us permission.” “We might explore it without permission,” Judy suggested daringly.
[294] “Come on!” she urged her friends as Lois parked the car in a cleared place beside the road.
[295] “Who’s going to stop us?
[296] And who wants to explore a gloomy old tower, anyway?
[297] Let’s look for the fountain.” “Do you think we should?” Lorraine asked.
[298] “It won’t be enchanted.
[299] I told you—” “You told us very little,” Lois reminded her.
[300] “If you know anything about the people who live here now, I think you ought to let us know.
[301] Otherwise, I’m afraid we won’t be very welcome.” “I don’t think they’ll welcome us, anyway.
[302] I do know who they are,” Lorraine admitted.
[303] “You remember Roger Banning from school, don’t you?
[304] I’ve seen him around here.
[305] His family must have acquired sudden wealth, or else he’s just working on the estate.” “Then you’ve been here lately?
[306] Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Lois.
[307] “We always used to go places together.” “It wasn’t important,” Lorraine replied evasively.
[308] “I was just out for a drive.” “You plutocrats!” laughed Judy.
[309] “Each with a car of your own.
[310] You’re not interested in Roger Banning, are you, Lois?
[311] I’m sure you can do better than that.
[312] I did know him slightly, but not from school.
[313] The boys and girls were separated and went to different high schools by the time we moved to Farringdon.
[314] I remember his pal, Dick Hartwell, a lot better.
[315] He was in our young people’s group at church.” “Sh!” Lois cautioned her.
[316] “Nice people no longer mention Dick Hartwell’s name.
[317] He’s doing time.” “For what?” asked Judy.
[318] Like Peter, her FBI husband, she preferred facts to gossip.
[319] “Forgery, I guess.
[320] He stole some checkbooks from his father’s desk and forged the names of a lot of important business people.
[321] I think he forged some legal documents, too.
[322] Anyway, he went to the Federal Penitentiary.
[323] It was all in the papers,” Lorraine told her.
[324] Now Judy did remember.
[325] It was something she would have preferred to forget.
[326] She liked to think she was a good judge of character, and she had taken Dick Hartwell for a quiet, refined boy who would never stoop to crime.
[327] “I don’t see what all this has to do with the fountain,” Lois said impatiently.
[328] “Are we going to look for it, or aren’t we?” “Of course we are.
[329] That’s what we came for.
[330] I just like to know what a tiger looks like before he springs at me,” Judy explained.
[331] “You seem to think there’s danger in this expedition of ours, don’t you?” asked Lorraine.
[332] “I don’t know what to think.
[333] You’re the one who seems to know the answers, but you’re not telling.
[334] Hiding your face back there gave you away.
[335] You’ve seen that character who drove down this road and, for some reason, you were afraid he would see you.
[336] Why, Lorraine?
[337] Why didn’t you want to be recognized?” Lorraine hesitated a moment and then replied evasively, “People don’t generally enter private estates without an invitation.
[338] That’s all.” “I’d better turn the car around,” Lois decided, “in case we have to leave in a hurry.
[339] I don’t expect we’ll encounter any tigers, but we may be accused of trespassing.” “I’m sure we will be,” announced Judy as two dark-coated figures strode down the road toward them.
[340] “You drove right by a NO TRESPASSING sign, and this isn’t a welcoming committee coming to meet us!” | Here is the ranking of the context sentences in order of importance for answering the question "Describe the setting for the story":
1. [83] It was in the center of a deep, circular pool with steps leading up to it.
2. [84] Beside the steps were smaller fountains with the water spurting from the mouths of stone lions.
3. [133] It was hung between two trees in a beautiful garden all enclosed in rose trellises thick with roses.
4. [138] There were rhododendrons, too, and I don't know how many different kinds of evergreens.
5. [182] When I first remember this house she was still burning kerosene lamps like those you see on that high shelf by the window.
6. [183] I think she and Grandpa like the way they lived without any modern conveniences or anything.
7. [187] Another could have been to keep the good old days, as Grandma used to call them.
8. [188] That one came true in a way.
9. [189] They did manage to keep a little of the past when they kept all these old things.
10. [190] That's what I meant about turning back the clock.
11. [212] The Brandts own that stretch of woods just before you come into the city.
12. [213] You've passed it lots of times.
13. [214] She put the magazine back in its place under the eaves and turned eagerly to her friends.
14. [215] "I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill," she told them.
15. [216] "I never thought it led to a house, though.
16. [217] There isn't even a gate.
17. [286] Soon there were more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendrons to be seen.
18. [287] The sky was gray with white clouds being driven across it by the wind.
19. [288] "There's the tower!" Lorraine exclaimed.
20. [289] "I can see it over to the left.
21. [290] It looks like something out of Grimm's Fairy Tales, doesn't it?"
22. [291] "It looks grim all right," agreed Judy.
23. [292] "I wonder what it is." |
Who is Judy and what is her personality like? | [
"Judy was a freckled-faced, pigtailed girl that spent two weeks every summer with her grandmother, Smeed, and grandfather while her parents went on vacation to a beach hotel they honeymooned at many years ago. Judy resented being left behind by her parents. However, during one summer with her grandparents, they took her to an enchanted fountain that Judy found a photo of in their attic. The fountain spoke to Judy and asked her to shed a tear into the fountain and make wishes. All of the things that Judy wished for in her life came true - to have a lot of friends, a sister, to marry a G-man and to solve a lot of mysteries. \nIn the telling of the story, Judy is older, married, and has a sister Lois (by way of Judy’s marriage to her brother), and another close friend like a sister, Lorraine (by way of her marrying into the same family as Lois - the Farringdon-Petts). Judy shows modesty by bringing up the mysteries she never solved when Lois and Lorraine shower her with compliments. Judy’s grandparents have since passed, but she lives in their home and keeps their belongings in the attic, showing her connection with family. \nJudy (maiden name Bolten) is married to Peter Dobbs, an FBI agent, and she prefers to discuss facts instead of gossiping about hear-say with Lois and Lorraine. Judy is diligent in asking questions about Lorraine’s behavior when she ducks down in the car to hide her face from a passing stranger, and probes her to tell the truth about knowing who the new owner of the Brandt estate is - Roger Banning. Her wit is sharp, and she comes across as determined and willing to take risks to solve her mysteries (like passing no trespassing signs in broad daylight after they have already been spotted by a stranger).",
"Judy is a woman known for her sharp detective abilities. She is married to Peter Dobbs, and took his last name when they married instead of keeping her maiden name, Bolton. She grew up rather lonely, not having many friends--the one friend she did have moved away. After she made a wish in an enchanted fountain, however, her life changed--she found friends, a sister, a dream husband, and a new ability to solve mysteries which brought her notoriety in the area. She is a very curious person who loves to read, which is why she was with the magazines in the attic at her grandmother's in the first place. She grew up interested in mystery books also, as evidenced by the books her father bought her, which likely led to her interest in solving mysteries of her own.",
"Judy Dobbs, née Bolton, is friends with Lois and Lorraine and their friend and her sister-in-law Honey. She is married to Peter Dobbs, an employee of the FBI. Growing up an only child, Judy had only one best friend and was very lonely when her friend moved away. She also never got to go on family vacations; her parents would leave her with her grandparents while they went to the beach hotel where they had spent their honeymoon. Judy is a forthright, somewhat self-centered woman. She is very curious and has a habit of pursuing mysterious occurrences to discover what is behind them. When the voice in the fountain urged her to make wise wishes, Judy wished for just the things that have happened in her life, but Judy points out that her wishes didn’t come true until she started thinking of others. She also believes that as she goes through her grandmother’s belongings, she might be able to solve some of the mysteries about her grandparents’ lives. Judy is also analytical; she notices Lorraine’s tendency toward jealousy and Lorraine’s reaction to mentions of Arthur and suspects that Lorraine might be jealous about him. She also notices Lorraine’s reaction to the oncoming car, hiding herself behind Lois, and her reluctance to tell them what she knows about the Brandt estate and confronts her, asking for her reasons.",
"Judy is the main character of the story and she has become famous for solving paranormal mysteries. Judy's drive to see the fountain that brought her all her good fortune is what drives the story forward and gets the characters into trouble. Judy seems like a privileged character who is thankful for that privilege. She's highly inquisitive, never wanting to let a mystery go unsolved. She is a content character, but much of the story's beginning is dedicated to describing how she was before she became content as a lonely, depressed younger girl in need of friends."
] | [1] The Haunted Fountain CHAPTER I An Unsolved Mystery “Tell Judy about it,” begged Lois.
[2] “Please, Lorraine, it can’t be as bad as it appears.
[3] There isn’t anything that Judy can’t solve.” Lorraine tilted her head disdainfully.
[4] “We’re sisters now.
[5] We’re both Farringdon-Petts and should be loyal to each other.
[6] But you always did take Judy’s part.
[7] She was the one who nearly spoiled our double wedding trying to solve a mystery.
[8] I don’t believe she’d understand—understand any better than I do.
[9] Everyone has problems, and I’m sure Judy is no exception.” “You’re right, Lorraine,” announced Judy, coming in to serve dessert to the two friends she had invited for lunch at Peter’s suggestion.
[10] “I do have problems, and there are plenty of mysteries I can’t solve.” “Name one,” charged Lois.
[11] “Just mention one single spooky thing you couldn’t explain, and I’ll believe you.
[12] I’ve seen you in action, Judy Bolton—” “Judy Dobbs, remember?” “Well, you were Judy Bolton when you solved all those mysteries.
[13] I met you when the whole valley below the big Roulsville dam was threatened by flood and you solved that—” “That,” declared Judy, “was my brother Horace, not me.
[14] He was the hero without even meaning to be.
[15] He was the one who rode through town and warned people that the flood was coming.
[16] I was off chasing a shadow.” “A vanishing shadow,” Lois said with a sigh.
[17] “What you did wasn’t easy, Judy.” “It didn’t need to be as hard as it was,” Judy confessed.
[18] “I know now that keeping that promise not to talk about the dam was a great big mistake and could have cost lives.
[19] I should have told Arthur.” “Please,” Lorraine said, a pained expression clouding her pretty face, “let’s not talk about him now.” “Very well,” Judy agreed.
[20] “What shall we talk about?” “You,” Lois said, “and all the mysteries you’ve solved.
[21] Maybe you were mistaken about a thing or two before the flood, but what about the haunted house you moved into?
[22] You were the one who tracked down the ghosts in the attic and the cellar and goodness knows where all.
[23] You’ve been chasing ghosts ever since I met you, and not one of them did you fail to explain in some sensible, logical fashion.” “Before I met you,” Judy said, thinking back, “there were plenty of them I couldn’t explain.
[24] There was one I used to call the spirit of the fountain, but what she was or how she spoke to me is more than I know.
[25] If my grandparents knew, they weren’t telling.
[26] And now they’re both dead and I can’t ask them.
[27] They left me a lot of unsolved mysteries along with this house.
[28] Maybe I’ll find the answers to some of them when I finish sorting Grandma’s things.
[29] They’re stored in one end of the attic.” “Another haunted attic?
[30] How thrilling!” exclaimed Lois.
[31] “Why don’t you have another ghost party and show up the spooks?” “I didn’t say the attic was haunted.” Judy was almost sorry she had mentioned it.
[32] She wasn’t in the mood for digging up old mysteries, but Lois and Lorraine insisted.
[33] It all began, she finally told them, the summer before they met.
[34] Horace had just started working on the paper.
[35] Judy remembered that it was Lorraine’s father, Richard Thornton Lee, who gave him his job with the Farringdon Daily Herald .
[36] He had turned in some interesting church news, convincing Mr. Lee that he had in him the makings of a good reporter.
[37] And so it was that he spent the summer Judy was remembering in Farringdon where the Farringdon-Petts had their turreted mansion, while she had to suffer the heat and loneliness of Dry Brook Hollow.
[38] Her thoughts were what had made it so hard, she confessed now as she reviewed everything that had happened.
[39] She just couldn’t help resenting the fact that her parents left her every summer while they went off on a vacation by themselves.
[40] What did they think she would do?
[41] “You’ll have plenty to read,” her father had told her.
[42] “I bought you six new books in that mystery series you like.
[43] When they’re finished there are plenty of short stories around.
[44] Your grandmother never throws anything away.
[45] She has magazines she’s saved since your mother was a girl.
[46] If you ask for them she’ll let you have the whole stack.
[47] I know how you love to read.” “I do, Dad, but if the magazines are that old—” Judy had stopped.
[48] She had seen her father’s tired eyes and had realized that a busy doctor needed a vacation much more than a schoolgirl who had too little to do.
[49] He and Judy’s mother usually went to the beach hotel where they had honeymooned.
[50] It was a precious memory.
[51] Every summer Dr. Bolton and his wife relived it.
[52] And every summer Judy went to stay with her grandmother Smeed, who scolded and fussed and tried to pretend she wasn’t glad to have her.
[53] “You here again?” she had greeted her that summer, and Judy hadn’t noticed her old eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
[54] “What do you propose to do with yourself this time?” “Read,” Judy had told her.
[55] “Mom and Dad say you have a whole stack of old magazines—” “In the attic.
[56] Go up and look them over if you can stand the heat.” Judy went, not to look over the old magazines so much as to escape to a place where she could have a good cry.
[57] It was the summer before her fifteenth birthday.
[58] In another year she would have outgrown her childish resentment of her parents’ vacation or be grown up enough to ask them to let her have a vacation of her own.
[59] In another year she would be summering among the beautiful Thousand Islands and solving a mystery to be known as the Ghost Parade .
[60] “A whole parade of ghosts,” Lois would be telling her, “and you solved everything.” But then she didn’t even know Lois.
[61] She had no idea so many thrilling adventures awaited her.
[62] There seemed to be nothing—nothing—and so the tears came and spilled over on one of the magazines.
[63] As Judy wiped it away she noticed that it had fallen on a picture of a fountain.
[64] “A fountain with tears for water.
[65] How strange!” she remembered saying aloud.
[66] Judy had never seen a real fountain.
[67] The thrill of walking up to the door of the palatial Farringdon-Pett mansion was still ahead of her.
[68] On the lawn a fountain still caught and held rainbows like those she was to see on her honeymoon at Niagara Falls.
[69] But all that was in the future.
[70] If anyone had told the freckled-faced, pigtailed girl that she would one day marry Peter Dobbs, she would have laughed in their faces.
[71] “That tease!” For then she knew Peter only as an older boy who used to tease her and call her carrot-top until one day she yelled back at him, “Carrot-tops are green and so are you!” Peter was to win Judy’s heart when he gave her a kitten and suggested the name Blackberry for him.
[72] The kitten was now a dignified family cat.
[73] But the summer Judy found the picture of a fountain and spilled tears on it she had no kitten.
[74] She had nothing, she confessed, not even a friend.
[75] It had helped to pretend the fountain in the picture was filled with all the tears lonely girls like herself had ever cried.
[76] “But that would make it enchanted!” she had suddenly exclaimed.
[77] “If I could find it I’d wish—” A step had sounded on the stairs.
[78] Judy remembered it distinctly.
[79] She had turned to see her grandmother and to hear her say in her usual abrupt fashion, “Enchanted fountain, indeed!
[80] If you let people know your wishes instead of muttering them to yourself, most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Were they?” asked Lois.
[81] She and Lorraine had listened to this much of what Judy was telling them without interruption.
[82] “That’s the unsolved mystery,” Judy replied.
[83] “There weren’t any of them impossible.” And she went on to tell them how, the very next day, her grandparents had taken her to a fountain exactly like the one in the picture.
[84] It was in the center of a deep, circular pool with steps leading up to it.
[85] Beside the steps were smaller fountains with the water spurting from the mouths of stone lions.
[86] Judy had stared at them a moment and then climbed the steps to the pool.
[87] “Am I dreaming?” she remembered saying aloud.
[88] “Is this beautiful fountain real?” A voice had answered, although she could see no one.
[89] “Make your wishes, Judy.
[90] Wish wisely.
[91] If you shed a tear in the fountain your wishes will surely come true.” “A tear?” Judy had asked.
[92] “How can I shed a tear when I’m happy?
[93] This is a wonderful place.” “Shed a tear in the fountain and your wishes will surely come true,” the voice had repeated.
[94] “But what is there to cry about?” “You found plenty to cry about back at your grandmother’s house,” the mysterious voice had reminded her.
[95] “Weren’t you crying on my picture up there in the attic?” “Then you—you are the fountain!” Judy remembered exclaiming.
[96] “But a fountain doesn’t speak.
[97] It doesn’t have a voice.” “Wish wisely,” the voice from the fountain had said in a mysterious whisper.
[98] CHAPTER II If Wishes Came True “Did you?” Lois interrupted the story to ask excitedly.
[99] “Oh, Judy!
[100] Don’t keep us in suspense any longer.
[101] What did you wish?” “Patience,” Judy said with a smile.
[102] “I’m coming to that.” First, she told her friends, she had to think of a wise wish.
[103] There had been so much she wanted in those early days before the flood.
[104] Dora Scott had been her best friend in Roulsville, but she had moved away.
[105] “You see,” she explained, “I made the mistake of having just one best friend.
[106] There wasn’t anybody in Dry Brook Hollow.
[107] I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water.
[108] It made little ripples.
[109] I thought I had to wish quickly before they vanished, and so I began naming the things I wanted as fast as I could.
[110] I’m not sure they were wise wishes.
[111] They seem rather selfish to me, now.
[112] I wasn’t thinking of anybody but me, Judy Bolton, and what I wanted.
[113] It wasn’t until after I began to think of others that my wishes started to come true.” “But what were they?” Lois insisted.
[114] Lorraine seemed unusually quiet and thoughtful.
[115] Judy did not notice the fear in her eyes as she replied airily, “Oh, didn’t I tell you?
[116] I wished for lots of friends and a sister, and I wished I could marry a G-man and solve a lot of mysteries and that’s as far as I got when the ripples vanished.
[117] I thought the spell was broken and so I didn’t wish for anything more.” “Wasn’t there anything more you wanted?” Lois asked.
[118] “Of course,” replied Judy.
[119] “There were lots more things.
[120] I wanted to go places, of course, and keep pets, and have a nice home, and—” “And your wishes all came true!” “Every one of them,” Judy agreed, “even the one about the sister.
[121] You see, it wasn’t a baby sister I wanted.
[122] It was a sister near my own age.
[123] That seemed impossible at the time, but the future did hold a sister for me.” “It held one for me, too,” Lois said, squeezing Lorraine’s hand under the table.
[124] “Don’t you think sisters should tell each other their problems, Judy?” “Honey and I always do,” she replied “but then it was different.
[125] I didn’t know I would marry Peter or that he would become a G-man, and he didn’t know he had a sister.
[126] It is strange, isn’t it?
[127] But the strangest thing of all was the fountain itself.” “Why?” asked Lorraine.
[128] “Do you still think it was enchanted?” Lois laughed at this, but Judy was serious as she answered, “I was still little girl enough to think so at the time.
[129] I wandered around, growing very drowsy.
[130] Then I found a hammock and climbed into it.
[131] I must have gone to sleep, because I remember waking up and wondering if the voice in the fountain had been a dream.” “A hammock?” Lois questioned.
[132] “Are you sure it wasn’t a flying carpet?” “No, it was a hammock all right,” Judy assured her, laughing.
[133] “It was hung between two trees in a beautiful garden all enclosed in rose trellises thick with roses.
[134] Did I tell you it was June?” “All the year around?” Again Lois laughed.
[135] But Lorraine said abruptly, “Let’s not talk about rose gardens in June.
[136] It’s a long way from June to December.” “Do you mean a garden changes?
[137] I know,” Judy said, “but I think this one would be beautiful at any time of the year.
[138] There were rhododendrons, too, and I don’t know how many different kinds of evergreens.
[139] I explored the garden all around the fountain.” “And then what happened?” Lorraine urged her.
[140] “Yes, yes.
[141] Go on,” entreated Lois.
[142] “I didn’t dream you’d kept anything that exciting a secret.
[143] Why didn’t you try to solve the mystery?” “I think I would have tried,” Judy admitted, “if I had been older or more experienced.
[144] I really should have investigated it more thoroughly and learned the secret of the fountain.
[145] But after the ripples went away it didn’t speak to me any more, and I didn’t really think it had heard my wishes.
[146] I was still wishing for a friend when I met you, Lois.
[147] It did seem impossible for us to be friends at first, didn’t it?
[148] Lorraine was your friend.” “I did make trouble for you,” Lorraine remembered.
[149] “It was all because of my foolish jealousy.” “It was nothing compared to the trouble caused by the Roulsville flood,” declared Judy.
[150] “After that things started happening so fast that I completely forgot about the fountain.
[151] Honestly, Lois, I don’t believe I thought about it again until after we moved to Farringdon and I walked up to your door and saw the fountain on your lawn.” “The Farringdon-Pett puddle, I always called it,” Lois said with a giggle.
[152] “I’ve seen lots nicer fountains.” “You have?” asked Judy.
[153] “Then maybe you’ve seen the one I’ve been telling you about.
[154] I think the picture of it is still in the attic.
[155] Come on up and I’ll show you.” Lois and Lorraine had finished their dessert while Judy was telling them the story of the fountain.
[156] Somehow, she wasn’t hungry for hers.
[157] She had tasted it too often while she was making it.
[158] “I’ll leave it for Blackberry,” she decided.
[159] Lois watched in amusement as the cat lapped up the chocolate pudding after Judy had mixed it generously with cream.
[160] “Sometimes,” Judy said fondly, “Blackberry thinks he’s a person.
[161] He eats everything we eat, including lettuce.
[162] Do you mind if he comes with us, Lorraine?
[163] He wants to explore the attic, too.” “He’ll remember he’s a cat fast enough if there are any mice up there,” Lois said with a giggle.
[164] Leaving the table, they all started upstairs with the cat bounding ahead of them.
[165] In modernizing her grandparents’ house to suit her own and Peter’s tastes, Judy had seen to it that the old stair door was removed.
[166] But there was still a door closing off the narrower stairs that led to the attic.
[167] Blackberry reached it first and yowled for Judy to open it.
[168] “He can read my mind.
[169] He always knows where I’m going,” Judy said as the door creaked open and the cat shot through it.
[170] A moment later a weird rolling noise came from the floor above.
[171] “Come on.
[172] There’s nothing up here to be afraid of,” Judy urged her friends.
[173] “Maybe not, but I’m beginning to get the shivers,” confessed Lois as she followed Judy to the sewing room at the top of the last flight of stairs.
[174] “So am I,” Lorraine admitted.
[175] “I’m not superstitious about black cats, but they are creepy.
[176] Does Blackberry have to roll spools across the floor?” “Now he thinks he’s a kitten,” laughed Judy.
[177] Pausing at still another door that led to the darker part of the attic, she turned and said mysteriously, “Up here we can all turn back the clock.
[178] Does anybody care to explore the past?” The exploration began enthusiastically with Judy relating still more of what she remembered about the fountain.
[179] “When I told Grandma about it she laughed and said I must have dreamed it.
[180] She said if wishes came true that easily she’d be living in a castle.
[181] But would she?” Judy wondered.
[182] “When I first remember this house she was still burning kerosene lamps like those you see on that high shelf by the window.
[183] I think she and Grandpa like the way they lived without any modern conveniences or anything.” “I think so, too,” Lois agreed, looking around the old attic with a shiver.
[184] “It is strange they both died the same winter, isn’t it?” “Maybe they wanted it that way.
[185] Maybe they wished neither of them would outlive the other.
[186] If they did wish in the fountain,” Judy went on more thoughtfully, “I’m sure that was one of their wishes.
[187] Another could have been to keep the good old days, as Grandma used to call them.
[188] That one came true in a way.
[189] They did manage to keep a little of the past when they kept all these old things.
[190] That’s what I meant about turning back the clock.” “If wishes came true I’d like to turn it back a little myself,” Lorraine began.
[191] “It would be nice if things were the way they used to be when I trusted Arthur—” “Don’t you trust him now?” Judy asked.
[192] Afterwards she was sorry for the interruption.
[193] Lois and Judy both questioned Lorraine, but that was all she would say.
[194] Judy wondered, as they searched through the old magazines, what was wrong.
[195] Lorraine was of a jealous disposition.
[196] Was the green-eyed monster coming between her and her handsome husband, Arthur Farringdon-Pett?
[197] Until now they had seemed blissfully happy.
[198] But there was no happiness in Lorraine’s face as she gazed at a picture of one of the fountains and then said in a tight little voice, “It is.
[199] It’s the very same one.” “But that’s the picture I’ve been searching for!” Judy said eagerly.
[200] “Do you know where it is?” “I can’t be sure.
[201] But if it ever was enchanted, I’m sure it isn’t now.
[202] Let’s go,” Lorraine said suddenly to Lois.
[203] Judy knew she was suggesting a fast trip home.
[204] But, apparently, Lois did not understand it that way.
[205] If she did, she pretended not to.
[206] “Where?” she asked.
[207] “To the fountain?
[208] I’d love to, wouldn’t you, Judy?” “I certainly would,” Judy replied enthusiastically.
[209] “Do you recognize it, too?” “I think so,” Lois answered after studying a little more closely the picture they had found.
[210] “It looks like the fountain on the Brandt estate.” “The department store Brandts?” Judy questioned.
[211] “Then my grandparents must have driven old Fanny all the way to Farringdon.” “Not quite all the way,” Lorraine objected.
[212] “The Brandts own that stretch of woods just before you come into the city.
[213] You’ve passed it lots of times.” “Of course,” agreed Judy.
[214] She put the magazine back in its place under the eaves and turned eagerly to her friends.
[215] “I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill,” she told them.
[216] “I never thought it led to a house, though.
[217] There isn’t even a gate.
[218] Could that be the road my grandparents took?” “Why don’t we take it ourselves and find out?” Lois suggested.
[219] CHAPTER III A Strange Encounter Lorraine was not too enthusiastic about the proposed trip to the Brandt estate.
[220] Finally she agreed to it under one condition.
[221] They were not to drive all the way to the house which, she said, was just over the hilltop.
[222] They were to park the car where no one would see it and follow the path to the fountain.
[223] “But suppose we can’t find the path?” asked Judy.
[224] “You’ll remember it, won’t you?” Judy thought she would, but she wasn’t too sure.
[225] She and Lois both argued that it would be better to inquire at the house.
[226] Lois knew Helen Brandt slightly.
[227] “She’d be glad to show us around.
[228] This way it looks as if we’re planning a crime,” Lois said as they started off in the blue car she was driving.
[229] It was a neat little car, not too conspicuous, and easy to park in out-of-the-way places.
[230] Judy laughed and said if they did find the fountain she thought she’d wish for one exactly like it.
[231] “Well, you know what your grandmother said about wishes, don’t you?” Lorraine asked.
[232] “If you let people know about them instead of muttering them to yourself most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Quite true,” Judy agreed.
[233] “I’ll let Peter know about this one.
[234] He’s my Santa Claus, and it will soon be Christmas.
[235] Maybe I should have worn the fur coat he gave me last year.” “Your reversible’s better in case it rains.
[236] It’s too warm for snow.
[237] We picked a perfect day for this trip,” Lois continued, guiding the car around curves as it climbed the steep hill beyond Dry Brook Hollow.
[238] The trip was a short one.
[239] In twenty minutes they had covered the distance that had seemed such a long way to Judy when she was riding in her grandfather’s wagon.
[240] “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said, “and I’ve just about figured out how it happened.
[241] I didn’t think my grandparents knew the Brandts well enough to pay them a visit, though.
[242] We must have looked queer driving up to a beautiful estate in Grandpa’s old farm wagon.
[243] I do remember that Grandma had some hooked rugs to deliver.
[244] But that still doesn’t explain what happened afterwards.
[245] When I woke up in the hammock I was alone in the garden.
[246] Horse, wagon, grandparents—all had disappeared.” “How could they?” asked Lois.
[247] “Anyway,” Lorraine began, “you had a chance to see how beautiful everything was before—” Again she broke off as if there were something she wanted to tell but didn’t quite dare.
[248] “Before what?” questioned Judy.
[249] “Oh, nothing.
[250] Forget I said anything about it.
[251] You were telling us how you woke up in the hammock, but you never did explain how you got back home,” Lorraine reminded her.
[252] “Didn’t I?” asked Judy.
[253] “I’d forgotten a lot of it, but it’s beginning to come back now.
[254] I do remember driving home along this road.
[255] You see, I thought my grandparents had left me in the garden for a surprise and would return for me.
[256] I told you I was all alone.
[257] There wasn’t a house in sight.” “The Brandt house is just over the top of this next hill,” Lois put in.
[258] “I know.
[259] You told me that.
[260] Now I know why I couldn’t see it.
[261] All I could see was a windowless old tower and a path leading in that direction.
[262] Naturally, I followed it.
[263] There’s something about a path in the woods that always tempts me.” “We know that, Judy.
[264] Honey told us all about your latest mystery.
[265] You followed a trail or something.” “Well, this trail led out of the rose garden where the hammock was and then through an archway,” Judy continued.
[266] “All sorts of little cupids and gnomes peered out at me from unexpected places.
[267] I was actually scared by the time I reached the old tower.
[268] There wasn’t time to explore it.
[269] Just then I heard the rumble of my grandfather’s wagon and knew he was driving off without me.” “He was!” Judy’s friends both chorused in surprise, and Lois asked, “Why would he do a thing like that?” “I think now it was just to tease me.
[270] He did stop and wait for me after a while,” Judy remembered.
[271] “The rugs were gone.
[272] Grandma must have delivered them, but I didn’t ask where.
[273] If she made them for Mrs. Brandt they may still be there.” “I wouldn’t depend on it,” Lorraine said as they turned up the narrow road to the Brandt estate.
[274] “Watch out!” Judy suddenly exclaimed.
[275] “There’s another car coming.” As Lois swerved to avoid the oncoming car, Lorraine ducked her head.
[276] She kept herself hidden behind Judy until the car had passed.
[277] The man driving it was a stranger to Judy, but she would remember his hypnotic, dark eyes and swarthy complexion for a long time.
[278] The soft brown hat he was wearing covered most of his hair.
[279] “What’s the matter with you two?” asked Lois when the car had passed.
[280] “Aren’t you a little old for playing hide and seek?” “I wasn’t—playing.
[281] Let’s not go up there,” Lorraine begged.
[282] “I don’t think the Brandts live there any more.” “Maybe not, but we can pretend we think they do, can’t we?” Judy replied a little uncertainly.
[283] She was beginning to suspect that Lorraine knew more about the Brandt estate than she was telling.
[284] Lois kept on driving along the narrow, gravelly road.
[285] Soon there were more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendrons to be seen.
[286] They looked very green next to the leafless trees in the woods beyond.
[287] The sky was gray with white clouds being driven across it by the wind.
[288] “There’s the tower!” Lorraine exclaimed.
[289] “I can see it over to the left.
[290] It looks like something out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, doesn’t it?” “It looks grim all right,” agreed Judy.
[291] “I wonder what it is.” “I suppose it’s nothing but an old water tower.
[292] It would be fun to explore it, though,” Lois said.
[293] “But if there are new people living here they’ll never give us permission.” “We might explore it without permission,” Judy suggested daringly.
[294] “Come on!” she urged her friends as Lois parked the car in a cleared place beside the road.
[295] “Who’s going to stop us?
[296] And who wants to explore a gloomy old tower, anyway?
[297] Let’s look for the fountain.” “Do you think we should?” Lorraine asked.
[298] “It won’t be enchanted.
[299] I told you—” “You told us very little,” Lois reminded her.
[300] “If you know anything about the people who live here now, I think you ought to let us know.
[301] Otherwise, I’m afraid we won’t be very welcome.” “I don’t think they’ll welcome us, anyway.
[302] I do know who they are,” Lorraine admitted.
[303] “You remember Roger Banning from school, don’t you?
[304] I’ve seen him around here.
[305] His family must have acquired sudden wealth, or else he’s just working on the estate.” “Then you’ve been here lately?
[306] Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Lois.
[307] “We always used to go places together.” “It wasn’t important,” Lorraine replied evasively.
[308] “I was just out for a drive.” “You plutocrats!” laughed Judy.
[309] “Each with a car of your own.
[310] You’re not interested in Roger Banning, are you, Lois?
[311] I’m sure you can do better than that.
[312] I did know him slightly, but not from school.
[313] The boys and girls were separated and went to different high schools by the time we moved to Farringdon.
[314] I remember his pal, Dick Hartwell, a lot better.
[315] He was in our young people’s group at church.” “Sh!” Lois cautioned her.
[316] “Nice people no longer mention Dick Hartwell’s name.
[317] He’s doing time.” “For what?” asked Judy.
[318] Like Peter, her FBI husband, she preferred facts to gossip.
[319] “Forgery, I guess.
[320] He stole some checkbooks from his father’s desk and forged the names of a lot of important business people.
[321] I think he forged some legal documents, too.
[322] Anyway, he went to the Federal Penitentiary.
[323] It was all in the papers,” Lorraine told her.
[324] Now Judy did remember.
[325] It was something she would have preferred to forget.
[326] She liked to think she was a good judge of character, and she had taken Dick Hartwell for a quiet, refined boy who would never stoop to crime.
[327] “I don’t see what all this has to do with the fountain,” Lois said impatiently.
[328] “Are we going to look for it, or aren’t we?” “Of course we are.
[329] That’s what we came for.
[330] I just like to know what a tiger looks like before he springs at me,” Judy explained.
[331] “You seem to think there’s danger in this expedition of ours, don’t you?” asked Lorraine.
[332] “I don’t know what to think.
[333] You’re the one who seems to know the answers, but you’re not telling.
[334] Hiding your face back there gave you away.
[335] You’ve seen that character who drove down this road and, for some reason, you were afraid he would see you.
[336] Why, Lorraine?
[337] Why didn’t you want to be recognized?” Lorraine hesitated a moment and then replied evasively, “People don’t generally enter private estates without an invitation.
[338] That’s all.” “I’d better turn the car around,” Lois decided, “in case we have to leave in a hurry.
[339] I don’t expect we’ll encounter any tigers, but we may be accused of trespassing.” “I’m sure we will be,” announced Judy as two dark-coated figures strode down the road toward them.
[340] “You drove right by a NO TRESPASSING sign, and this isn’t a welcoming committee coming to meet us!” | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Judy and what is her personality like?":
1. [71] "That tease!" For then she knew Peter only as an older boy who used to tease her and call her carrot-top until one day she yelled back at him, "Carrot-tops are green and so are you!"
2. [105] "You see," she explained, "I made the mistake of having just one best friend. There wasn't anybody in Dry Brook Hollow."
3. [107] "I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water."
4. [112] "They seem rather selfish to me, now. I wasn't thinking of anybody but me, Judy Bolton, and what I wanted."
5. [128] "I was still little girl enough to think so at the time."
6. [143] "I really should have investigated it more thoroughly and learned the secret of the fountain."
7. [145] "But after the ripples went away it didn't speak to me any more, and I didn't really think it had heard my wishes."
8. [147] "It did seem impossible for us to be friends at first, didn't it?"
9. [160] "Sometimes," Judy said fondly, "Blackberry thinks he's a person. He eats everything we eat, including lettuce."
10. [176] "Now he thinks he's a kitten," laughed Judy.
11. [195] "Judy wondered, as they searched through the old magazines, what was wrong. Lorraine was of a jealous disposition."
12. [231] "'If you let people know about them instead of muttering them to yourself most of them aren't so impossible.'"
13. [262] "Naturally, I followed it. There's something about a path in the woods that always tempts me."
14. [269] "There wasn't time to explore it. Just then I heard the rumble of my grandfather's wagon and knew he was driving off without me."
15. [283] "She was beginning to suspect that Lorraine knew more about the Brandt estate than she was telling."
16. [308] "'You plutocrats!' laughed Judy. 'Each with a car of your own.'"
17. [324] "Now Judy did remember. It was something she would have preferred to forget."
18. [333] "'You're the one who seems to know the answers, but you're not telling.'" |
What is the significance of tears in the story? | [
"Tears are the inciting event that connect Judy with the photo of the fountain as a tear rolls off her cheek and onto the photo as she thinks of her loneliness in her grandparents attic. Expressing her longing for friendship and a sister aloud sparks her grandmother to take her along to the fountain itself. When visiting the fountain, tears again become important because the fountain asks for a tear to be shed into it before wishes can be made.\nThe physical description of tears rolling onto a photograph or causing small ripples in the fountain that travel and dissipate are important visualizations that draw the reader into Judy’s story, and make her character feel real.",
"Tears are first brought up when Judy is thinking about her summers that she spent in the attic at her grandmother's house, where she said she was reading but really needed some space to herself to cry. Her tears fell on a magazine that had a picture of a fountain, and she found it amusing that the fountain had tears as its source of water. She pretended that it was full of tears of many young girls, and her grandmother overheard her pondering this possible enchanted fountain, so they went to see a similar fountain the next day. She cried into the fountain and her dreams eventually came true, changing the course of her life in many ways.",
"Judy’s tears over her loneliness of losing her best friend and not going on vacation with her parents provide the catalyst for significant changes in her life. When her tears fall on the picture of the fountain, and her grandmother overhears her comment about the enchanted fountain and her wishes, it marks the beginning of life-changing events. Her grandparents take her to see the fountain on the Brandt estate, and there, she hears the voice telling her if she sheds a tear in the fountain, her wishes will come true. As she watches the ripples in the water caused by her tear, Judy quickly comes up with several wishes that ultimately come true; even the wish for a sister that seemingly would be impossible to fill comes true when she gains a sister-in-law. Her story about the fountain and her tears are the impetus for Lois’s push to visit the Brandt estate to see the fountain and for the women being caught trespassing on the property.",
"Judy spills tears while she is first looking at the photograph of the fountain in a magazine. Judy is crying because her parents have left her with her grandmother Smeed, whom she finds a complete bore. The tears spill onto the magazine and seem to bring the fountain to life with the tears of all the lonely girls like Judy. Seeing the fountain in this way helps Judy make a connection with the fountain and draws her toward finding it the first time."
] | [1] The Haunted Fountain CHAPTER I An Unsolved Mystery “Tell Judy about it,” begged Lois.
[2] “Please, Lorraine, it can’t be as bad as it appears.
[3] There isn’t anything that Judy can’t solve.” Lorraine tilted her head disdainfully.
[4] “We’re sisters now.
[5] We’re both Farringdon-Petts and should be loyal to each other.
[6] But you always did take Judy’s part.
[7] She was the one who nearly spoiled our double wedding trying to solve a mystery.
[8] I don’t believe she’d understand—understand any better than I do.
[9] Everyone has problems, and I’m sure Judy is no exception.” “You’re right, Lorraine,” announced Judy, coming in to serve dessert to the two friends she had invited for lunch at Peter’s suggestion.
[10] “I do have problems, and there are plenty of mysteries I can’t solve.” “Name one,” charged Lois.
[11] “Just mention one single spooky thing you couldn’t explain, and I’ll believe you.
[12] I’ve seen you in action, Judy Bolton—” “Judy Dobbs, remember?” “Well, you were Judy Bolton when you solved all those mysteries.
[13] I met you when the whole valley below the big Roulsville dam was threatened by flood and you solved that—” “That,” declared Judy, “was my brother Horace, not me.
[14] He was the hero without even meaning to be.
[15] He was the one who rode through town and warned people that the flood was coming.
[16] I was off chasing a shadow.” “A vanishing shadow,” Lois said with a sigh.
[17] “What you did wasn’t easy, Judy.” “It didn’t need to be as hard as it was,” Judy confessed.
[18] “I know now that keeping that promise not to talk about the dam was a great big mistake and could have cost lives.
[19] I should have told Arthur.” “Please,” Lorraine said, a pained expression clouding her pretty face, “let’s not talk about him now.” “Very well,” Judy agreed.
[20] “What shall we talk about?” “You,” Lois said, “and all the mysteries you’ve solved.
[21] Maybe you were mistaken about a thing or two before the flood, but what about the haunted house you moved into?
[22] You were the one who tracked down the ghosts in the attic and the cellar and goodness knows where all.
[23] You’ve been chasing ghosts ever since I met you, and not one of them did you fail to explain in some sensible, logical fashion.” “Before I met you,” Judy said, thinking back, “there were plenty of them I couldn’t explain.
[24] There was one I used to call the spirit of the fountain, but what she was or how she spoke to me is more than I know.
[25] If my grandparents knew, they weren’t telling.
[26] And now they’re both dead and I can’t ask them.
[27] They left me a lot of unsolved mysteries along with this house.
[28] Maybe I’ll find the answers to some of them when I finish sorting Grandma’s things.
[29] They’re stored in one end of the attic.” “Another haunted attic?
[30] How thrilling!” exclaimed Lois.
[31] “Why don’t you have another ghost party and show up the spooks?” “I didn’t say the attic was haunted.” Judy was almost sorry she had mentioned it.
[32] She wasn’t in the mood for digging up old mysteries, but Lois and Lorraine insisted.
[33] It all began, she finally told them, the summer before they met.
[34] Horace had just started working on the paper.
[35] Judy remembered that it was Lorraine’s father, Richard Thornton Lee, who gave him his job with the Farringdon Daily Herald .
[36] He had turned in some interesting church news, convincing Mr. Lee that he had in him the makings of a good reporter.
[37] And so it was that he spent the summer Judy was remembering in Farringdon where the Farringdon-Petts had their turreted mansion, while she had to suffer the heat and loneliness of Dry Brook Hollow.
[38] Her thoughts were what had made it so hard, she confessed now as she reviewed everything that had happened.
[39] She just couldn’t help resenting the fact that her parents left her every summer while they went off on a vacation by themselves.
[40] What did they think she would do?
[41] “You’ll have plenty to read,” her father had told her.
[42] “I bought you six new books in that mystery series you like.
[43] When they’re finished there are plenty of short stories around.
[44] Your grandmother never throws anything away.
[45] She has magazines she’s saved since your mother was a girl.
[46] If you ask for them she’ll let you have the whole stack.
[47] I know how you love to read.” “I do, Dad, but if the magazines are that old—” Judy had stopped.
[48] She had seen her father’s tired eyes and had realized that a busy doctor needed a vacation much more than a schoolgirl who had too little to do.
[49] He and Judy’s mother usually went to the beach hotel where they had honeymooned.
[50] It was a precious memory.
[51] Every summer Dr. Bolton and his wife relived it.
[52] And every summer Judy went to stay with her grandmother Smeed, who scolded and fussed and tried to pretend she wasn’t glad to have her.
[53] “You here again?” she had greeted her that summer, and Judy hadn’t noticed her old eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
[54] “What do you propose to do with yourself this time?” “Read,” Judy had told her.
[55] “Mom and Dad say you have a whole stack of old magazines—” “In the attic.
[56] Go up and look them over if you can stand the heat.” Judy went, not to look over the old magazines so much as to escape to a place where she could have a good cry.
[57] It was the summer before her fifteenth birthday.
[58] In another year she would have outgrown her childish resentment of her parents’ vacation or be grown up enough to ask them to let her have a vacation of her own.
[59] In another year she would be summering among the beautiful Thousand Islands and solving a mystery to be known as the Ghost Parade .
[60] “A whole parade of ghosts,” Lois would be telling her, “and you solved everything.” But then she didn’t even know Lois.
[61] She had no idea so many thrilling adventures awaited her.
[62] There seemed to be nothing—nothing—and so the tears came and spilled over on one of the magazines.
[63] As Judy wiped it away she noticed that it had fallen on a picture of a fountain.
[64] “A fountain with tears for water.
[65] How strange!” she remembered saying aloud.
[66] Judy had never seen a real fountain.
[67] The thrill of walking up to the door of the palatial Farringdon-Pett mansion was still ahead of her.
[68] On the lawn a fountain still caught and held rainbows like those she was to see on her honeymoon at Niagara Falls.
[69] But all that was in the future.
[70] If anyone had told the freckled-faced, pigtailed girl that she would one day marry Peter Dobbs, she would have laughed in their faces.
[71] “That tease!” For then she knew Peter only as an older boy who used to tease her and call her carrot-top until one day she yelled back at him, “Carrot-tops are green and so are you!” Peter was to win Judy’s heart when he gave her a kitten and suggested the name Blackberry for him.
[72] The kitten was now a dignified family cat.
[73] But the summer Judy found the picture of a fountain and spilled tears on it she had no kitten.
[74] She had nothing, she confessed, not even a friend.
[75] It had helped to pretend the fountain in the picture was filled with all the tears lonely girls like herself had ever cried.
[76] “But that would make it enchanted!” she had suddenly exclaimed.
[77] “If I could find it I’d wish—” A step had sounded on the stairs.
[78] Judy remembered it distinctly.
[79] She had turned to see her grandmother and to hear her say in her usual abrupt fashion, “Enchanted fountain, indeed!
[80] If you let people know your wishes instead of muttering them to yourself, most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Were they?” asked Lois.
[81] She and Lorraine had listened to this much of what Judy was telling them without interruption.
[82] “That’s the unsolved mystery,” Judy replied.
[83] “There weren’t any of them impossible.” And she went on to tell them how, the very next day, her grandparents had taken her to a fountain exactly like the one in the picture.
[84] It was in the center of a deep, circular pool with steps leading up to it.
[85] Beside the steps were smaller fountains with the water spurting from the mouths of stone lions.
[86] Judy had stared at them a moment and then climbed the steps to the pool.
[87] “Am I dreaming?” she remembered saying aloud.
[88] “Is this beautiful fountain real?” A voice had answered, although she could see no one.
[89] “Make your wishes, Judy.
[90] Wish wisely.
[91] If you shed a tear in the fountain your wishes will surely come true.” “A tear?” Judy had asked.
[92] “How can I shed a tear when I’m happy?
[93] This is a wonderful place.” “Shed a tear in the fountain and your wishes will surely come true,” the voice had repeated.
[94] “But what is there to cry about?” “You found plenty to cry about back at your grandmother’s house,” the mysterious voice had reminded her.
[95] “Weren’t you crying on my picture up there in the attic?” “Then you—you are the fountain!” Judy remembered exclaiming.
[96] “But a fountain doesn’t speak.
[97] It doesn’t have a voice.” “Wish wisely,” the voice from the fountain had said in a mysterious whisper.
[98] CHAPTER II If Wishes Came True “Did you?” Lois interrupted the story to ask excitedly.
[99] “Oh, Judy!
[100] Don’t keep us in suspense any longer.
[101] What did you wish?” “Patience,” Judy said with a smile.
[102] “I’m coming to that.” First, she told her friends, she had to think of a wise wish.
[103] There had been so much she wanted in those early days before the flood.
[104] Dora Scott had been her best friend in Roulsville, but she had moved away.
[105] “You see,” she explained, “I made the mistake of having just one best friend.
[106] There wasn’t anybody in Dry Brook Hollow.
[107] I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water.
[108] It made little ripples.
[109] I thought I had to wish quickly before they vanished, and so I began naming the things I wanted as fast as I could.
[110] I’m not sure they were wise wishes.
[111] They seem rather selfish to me, now.
[112] I wasn’t thinking of anybody but me, Judy Bolton, and what I wanted.
[113] It wasn’t until after I began to think of others that my wishes started to come true.” “But what were they?” Lois insisted.
[114] Lorraine seemed unusually quiet and thoughtful.
[115] Judy did not notice the fear in her eyes as she replied airily, “Oh, didn’t I tell you?
[116] I wished for lots of friends and a sister, and I wished I could marry a G-man and solve a lot of mysteries and that’s as far as I got when the ripples vanished.
[117] I thought the spell was broken and so I didn’t wish for anything more.” “Wasn’t there anything more you wanted?” Lois asked.
[118] “Of course,” replied Judy.
[119] “There were lots more things.
[120] I wanted to go places, of course, and keep pets, and have a nice home, and—” “And your wishes all came true!” “Every one of them,” Judy agreed, “even the one about the sister.
[121] You see, it wasn’t a baby sister I wanted.
[122] It was a sister near my own age.
[123] That seemed impossible at the time, but the future did hold a sister for me.” “It held one for me, too,” Lois said, squeezing Lorraine’s hand under the table.
[124] “Don’t you think sisters should tell each other their problems, Judy?” “Honey and I always do,” she replied “but then it was different.
[125] I didn’t know I would marry Peter or that he would become a G-man, and he didn’t know he had a sister.
[126] It is strange, isn’t it?
[127] But the strangest thing of all was the fountain itself.” “Why?” asked Lorraine.
[128] “Do you still think it was enchanted?” Lois laughed at this, but Judy was serious as she answered, “I was still little girl enough to think so at the time.
[129] I wandered around, growing very drowsy.
[130] Then I found a hammock and climbed into it.
[131] I must have gone to sleep, because I remember waking up and wondering if the voice in the fountain had been a dream.” “A hammock?” Lois questioned.
[132] “Are you sure it wasn’t a flying carpet?” “No, it was a hammock all right,” Judy assured her, laughing.
[133] “It was hung between two trees in a beautiful garden all enclosed in rose trellises thick with roses.
[134] Did I tell you it was June?” “All the year around?” Again Lois laughed.
[135] But Lorraine said abruptly, “Let’s not talk about rose gardens in June.
[136] It’s a long way from June to December.” “Do you mean a garden changes?
[137] I know,” Judy said, “but I think this one would be beautiful at any time of the year.
[138] There were rhododendrons, too, and I don’t know how many different kinds of evergreens.
[139] I explored the garden all around the fountain.” “And then what happened?” Lorraine urged her.
[140] “Yes, yes.
[141] Go on,” entreated Lois.
[142] “I didn’t dream you’d kept anything that exciting a secret.
[143] Why didn’t you try to solve the mystery?” “I think I would have tried,” Judy admitted, “if I had been older or more experienced.
[144] I really should have investigated it more thoroughly and learned the secret of the fountain.
[145] But after the ripples went away it didn’t speak to me any more, and I didn’t really think it had heard my wishes.
[146] I was still wishing for a friend when I met you, Lois.
[147] It did seem impossible for us to be friends at first, didn’t it?
[148] Lorraine was your friend.” “I did make trouble for you,” Lorraine remembered.
[149] “It was all because of my foolish jealousy.” “It was nothing compared to the trouble caused by the Roulsville flood,” declared Judy.
[150] “After that things started happening so fast that I completely forgot about the fountain.
[151] Honestly, Lois, I don’t believe I thought about it again until after we moved to Farringdon and I walked up to your door and saw the fountain on your lawn.” “The Farringdon-Pett puddle, I always called it,” Lois said with a giggle.
[152] “I’ve seen lots nicer fountains.” “You have?” asked Judy.
[153] “Then maybe you’ve seen the one I’ve been telling you about.
[154] I think the picture of it is still in the attic.
[155] Come on up and I’ll show you.” Lois and Lorraine had finished their dessert while Judy was telling them the story of the fountain.
[156] Somehow, she wasn’t hungry for hers.
[157] She had tasted it too often while she was making it.
[158] “I’ll leave it for Blackberry,” she decided.
[159] Lois watched in amusement as the cat lapped up the chocolate pudding after Judy had mixed it generously with cream.
[160] “Sometimes,” Judy said fondly, “Blackberry thinks he’s a person.
[161] He eats everything we eat, including lettuce.
[162] Do you mind if he comes with us, Lorraine?
[163] He wants to explore the attic, too.” “He’ll remember he’s a cat fast enough if there are any mice up there,” Lois said with a giggle.
[164] Leaving the table, they all started upstairs with the cat bounding ahead of them.
[165] In modernizing her grandparents’ house to suit her own and Peter’s tastes, Judy had seen to it that the old stair door was removed.
[166] But there was still a door closing off the narrower stairs that led to the attic.
[167] Blackberry reached it first and yowled for Judy to open it.
[168] “He can read my mind.
[169] He always knows where I’m going,” Judy said as the door creaked open and the cat shot through it.
[170] A moment later a weird rolling noise came from the floor above.
[171] “Come on.
[172] There’s nothing up here to be afraid of,” Judy urged her friends.
[173] “Maybe not, but I’m beginning to get the shivers,” confessed Lois as she followed Judy to the sewing room at the top of the last flight of stairs.
[174] “So am I,” Lorraine admitted.
[175] “I’m not superstitious about black cats, but they are creepy.
[176] Does Blackberry have to roll spools across the floor?” “Now he thinks he’s a kitten,” laughed Judy.
[177] Pausing at still another door that led to the darker part of the attic, she turned and said mysteriously, “Up here we can all turn back the clock.
[178] Does anybody care to explore the past?” The exploration began enthusiastically with Judy relating still more of what she remembered about the fountain.
[179] “When I told Grandma about it she laughed and said I must have dreamed it.
[180] She said if wishes came true that easily she’d be living in a castle.
[181] But would she?” Judy wondered.
[182] “When I first remember this house she was still burning kerosene lamps like those you see on that high shelf by the window.
[183] I think she and Grandpa like the way they lived without any modern conveniences or anything.” “I think so, too,” Lois agreed, looking around the old attic with a shiver.
[184] “It is strange they both died the same winter, isn’t it?” “Maybe they wanted it that way.
[185] Maybe they wished neither of them would outlive the other.
[186] If they did wish in the fountain,” Judy went on more thoughtfully, “I’m sure that was one of their wishes.
[187] Another could have been to keep the good old days, as Grandma used to call them.
[188] That one came true in a way.
[189] They did manage to keep a little of the past when they kept all these old things.
[190] That’s what I meant about turning back the clock.” “If wishes came true I’d like to turn it back a little myself,” Lorraine began.
[191] “It would be nice if things were the way they used to be when I trusted Arthur—” “Don’t you trust him now?” Judy asked.
[192] Afterwards she was sorry for the interruption.
[193] Lois and Judy both questioned Lorraine, but that was all she would say.
[194] Judy wondered, as they searched through the old magazines, what was wrong.
[195] Lorraine was of a jealous disposition.
[196] Was the green-eyed monster coming between her and her handsome husband, Arthur Farringdon-Pett?
[197] Until now they had seemed blissfully happy.
[198] But there was no happiness in Lorraine’s face as she gazed at a picture of one of the fountains and then said in a tight little voice, “It is.
[199] It’s the very same one.” “But that’s the picture I’ve been searching for!” Judy said eagerly.
[200] “Do you know where it is?” “I can’t be sure.
[201] But if it ever was enchanted, I’m sure it isn’t now.
[202] Let’s go,” Lorraine said suddenly to Lois.
[203] Judy knew she was suggesting a fast trip home.
[204] But, apparently, Lois did not understand it that way.
[205] If she did, she pretended not to.
[206] “Where?” she asked.
[207] “To the fountain?
[208] I’d love to, wouldn’t you, Judy?” “I certainly would,” Judy replied enthusiastically.
[209] “Do you recognize it, too?” “I think so,” Lois answered after studying a little more closely the picture they had found.
[210] “It looks like the fountain on the Brandt estate.” “The department store Brandts?” Judy questioned.
[211] “Then my grandparents must have driven old Fanny all the way to Farringdon.” “Not quite all the way,” Lorraine objected.
[212] “The Brandts own that stretch of woods just before you come into the city.
[213] You’ve passed it lots of times.” “Of course,” agreed Judy.
[214] She put the magazine back in its place under the eaves and turned eagerly to her friends.
[215] “I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill,” she told them.
[216] “I never thought it led to a house, though.
[217] There isn’t even a gate.
[218] Could that be the road my grandparents took?” “Why don’t we take it ourselves and find out?” Lois suggested.
[219] CHAPTER III A Strange Encounter Lorraine was not too enthusiastic about the proposed trip to the Brandt estate.
[220] Finally she agreed to it under one condition.
[221] They were not to drive all the way to the house which, she said, was just over the hilltop.
[222] They were to park the car where no one would see it and follow the path to the fountain.
[223] “But suppose we can’t find the path?” asked Judy.
[224] “You’ll remember it, won’t you?” Judy thought she would, but she wasn’t too sure.
[225] She and Lois both argued that it would be better to inquire at the house.
[226] Lois knew Helen Brandt slightly.
[227] “She’d be glad to show us around.
[228] This way it looks as if we’re planning a crime,” Lois said as they started off in the blue car she was driving.
[229] It was a neat little car, not too conspicuous, and easy to park in out-of-the-way places.
[230] Judy laughed and said if they did find the fountain she thought she’d wish for one exactly like it.
[231] “Well, you know what your grandmother said about wishes, don’t you?” Lorraine asked.
[232] “If you let people know about them instead of muttering them to yourself most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Quite true,” Judy agreed.
[233] “I’ll let Peter know about this one.
[234] He’s my Santa Claus, and it will soon be Christmas.
[235] Maybe I should have worn the fur coat he gave me last year.” “Your reversible’s better in case it rains.
[236] It’s too warm for snow.
[237] We picked a perfect day for this trip,” Lois continued, guiding the car around curves as it climbed the steep hill beyond Dry Brook Hollow.
[238] The trip was a short one.
[239] In twenty minutes they had covered the distance that had seemed such a long way to Judy when she was riding in her grandfather’s wagon.
[240] “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said, “and I’ve just about figured out how it happened.
[241] I didn’t think my grandparents knew the Brandts well enough to pay them a visit, though.
[242] We must have looked queer driving up to a beautiful estate in Grandpa’s old farm wagon.
[243] I do remember that Grandma had some hooked rugs to deliver.
[244] But that still doesn’t explain what happened afterwards.
[245] When I woke up in the hammock I was alone in the garden.
[246] Horse, wagon, grandparents—all had disappeared.” “How could they?” asked Lois.
[247] “Anyway,” Lorraine began, “you had a chance to see how beautiful everything was before—” Again she broke off as if there were something she wanted to tell but didn’t quite dare.
[248] “Before what?” questioned Judy.
[249] “Oh, nothing.
[250] Forget I said anything about it.
[251] You were telling us how you woke up in the hammock, but you never did explain how you got back home,” Lorraine reminded her.
[252] “Didn’t I?” asked Judy.
[253] “I’d forgotten a lot of it, but it’s beginning to come back now.
[254] I do remember driving home along this road.
[255] You see, I thought my grandparents had left me in the garden for a surprise and would return for me.
[256] I told you I was all alone.
[257] There wasn’t a house in sight.” “The Brandt house is just over the top of this next hill,” Lois put in.
[258] “I know.
[259] You told me that.
[260] Now I know why I couldn’t see it.
[261] All I could see was a windowless old tower and a path leading in that direction.
[262] Naturally, I followed it.
[263] There’s something about a path in the woods that always tempts me.” “We know that, Judy.
[264] Honey told us all about your latest mystery.
[265] You followed a trail or something.” “Well, this trail led out of the rose garden where the hammock was and then through an archway,” Judy continued.
[266] “All sorts of little cupids and gnomes peered out at me from unexpected places.
[267] I was actually scared by the time I reached the old tower.
[268] There wasn’t time to explore it.
[269] Just then I heard the rumble of my grandfather’s wagon and knew he was driving off without me.” “He was!” Judy’s friends both chorused in surprise, and Lois asked, “Why would he do a thing like that?” “I think now it was just to tease me.
[270] He did stop and wait for me after a while,” Judy remembered.
[271] “The rugs were gone.
[272] Grandma must have delivered them, but I didn’t ask where.
[273] If she made them for Mrs. Brandt they may still be there.” “I wouldn’t depend on it,” Lorraine said as they turned up the narrow road to the Brandt estate.
[274] “Watch out!” Judy suddenly exclaimed.
[275] “There’s another car coming.” As Lois swerved to avoid the oncoming car, Lorraine ducked her head.
[276] She kept herself hidden behind Judy until the car had passed.
[277] The man driving it was a stranger to Judy, but she would remember his hypnotic, dark eyes and swarthy complexion for a long time.
[278] The soft brown hat he was wearing covered most of his hair.
[279] “What’s the matter with you two?” asked Lois when the car had passed.
[280] “Aren’t you a little old for playing hide and seek?” “I wasn’t—playing.
[281] Let’s not go up there,” Lorraine begged.
[282] “I don’t think the Brandts live there any more.” “Maybe not, but we can pretend we think they do, can’t we?” Judy replied a little uncertainly.
[283] She was beginning to suspect that Lorraine knew more about the Brandt estate than she was telling.
[284] Lois kept on driving along the narrow, gravelly road.
[285] Soon there were more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendrons to be seen.
[286] They looked very green next to the leafless trees in the woods beyond.
[287] The sky was gray with white clouds being driven across it by the wind.
[288] “There’s the tower!” Lorraine exclaimed.
[289] “I can see it over to the left.
[290] It looks like something out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, doesn’t it?” “It looks grim all right,” agreed Judy.
[291] “I wonder what it is.” “I suppose it’s nothing but an old water tower.
[292] It would be fun to explore it, though,” Lois said.
[293] “But if there are new people living here they’ll never give us permission.” “We might explore it without permission,” Judy suggested daringly.
[294] “Come on!” she urged her friends as Lois parked the car in a cleared place beside the road.
[295] “Who’s going to stop us?
[296] And who wants to explore a gloomy old tower, anyway?
[297] Let’s look for the fountain.” “Do you think we should?” Lorraine asked.
[298] “It won’t be enchanted.
[299] I told you—” “You told us very little,” Lois reminded her.
[300] “If you know anything about the people who live here now, I think you ought to let us know.
[301] Otherwise, I’m afraid we won’t be very welcome.” “I don’t think they’ll welcome us, anyway.
[302] I do know who they are,” Lorraine admitted.
[303] “You remember Roger Banning from school, don’t you?
[304] I’ve seen him around here.
[305] His family must have acquired sudden wealth, or else he’s just working on the estate.” “Then you’ve been here lately?
[306] Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Lois.
[307] “We always used to go places together.” “It wasn’t important,” Lorraine replied evasively.
[308] “I was just out for a drive.” “You plutocrats!” laughed Judy.
[309] “Each with a car of your own.
[310] You’re not interested in Roger Banning, are you, Lois?
[311] I’m sure you can do better than that.
[312] I did know him slightly, but not from school.
[313] The boys and girls were separated and went to different high schools by the time we moved to Farringdon.
[314] I remember his pal, Dick Hartwell, a lot better.
[315] He was in our young people’s group at church.” “Sh!” Lois cautioned her.
[316] “Nice people no longer mention Dick Hartwell’s name.
[317] He’s doing time.” “For what?” asked Judy.
[318] Like Peter, her FBI husband, she preferred facts to gossip.
[319] “Forgery, I guess.
[320] He stole some checkbooks from his father’s desk and forged the names of a lot of important business people.
[321] I think he forged some legal documents, too.
[322] Anyway, he went to the Federal Penitentiary.
[323] It was all in the papers,” Lorraine told her.
[324] Now Judy did remember.
[325] It was something she would have preferred to forget.
[326] She liked to think she was a good judge of character, and she had taken Dick Hartwell for a quiet, refined boy who would never stoop to crime.
[327] “I don’t see what all this has to do with the fountain,” Lois said impatiently.
[328] “Are we going to look for it, or aren’t we?” “Of course we are.
[329] That’s what we came for.
[330] I just like to know what a tiger looks like before he springs at me,” Judy explained.
[331] “You seem to think there’s danger in this expedition of ours, don’t you?” asked Lorraine.
[332] “I don’t know what to think.
[333] You’re the one who seems to know the answers, but you’re not telling.
[334] Hiding your face back there gave you away.
[335] You’ve seen that character who drove down this road and, for some reason, you were afraid he would see you.
[336] Why, Lorraine?
[337] Why didn’t you want to be recognized?” Lorraine hesitated a moment and then replied evasively, “People don’t generally enter private estates without an invitation.
[338] That’s all.” “I’d better turn the car around,” Lois decided, “in case we have to leave in a hurry.
[339] I don’t expect we’ll encounter any tigers, but we may be accused of trespassing.” “I’m sure we will be,” announced Judy as two dark-coated figures strode down the road toward them.
[340] “You drove right by a NO TRESPASSING sign, and this isn’t a welcoming committee coming to meet us!” | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the significance of tears in the story?":
1. [62] There seemed to be nothing—nothing—and so the tears came and spilled over on one of the magazines.
2. [63] As Judy wiped it away she noticed that it had fallen on a picture of a fountain.
3. [64] "A fountain with tears for water. How strange!" she remembered saying aloud.
4. [107] I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water.
5. [108] It made little ripples.
6. [109] I thought I had to wish quickly before they vanished, and so I began naming the things I wanted as fast as I could.
7. [110] I'm not sure they were wise wishes.
8. [111] They seem rather selfish to me, now.
9. [112] I wasn't thinking of anybody but me, Judy Bolton, and what I wanted.
10. [113] It wasn't until after I began to think of others that my wishes started to come true.
11. [128] I was still little girl enough to think so at the time.
12. [129] I wandered around, growing very drowsy.
13. [130] Then I found a hammock and climbed into it.
14. [131] I must have gone to sleep, because I remember waking up and wondering if the voice in the fountain had been a dream.
15. [179] "When I told Grandma about it she laughed and said I must have dreamed it.
16. [180] She said if wishes came true that easily she'd be living in a castle.
17. [181] But would she?" Judy wondered.
18. [182] "When I first remember this house she was still burning kerosene lamps like those you see on that high shelf by the window.
19. [183] I think she and Grandpa like the way they lived without any modern conveniences or anything."
20. [184] "Maybe they wanted it that way.
21. [185] Maybe they wished neither of them would outlive the other.
22. [186] If they did wish in the fountain," Judy went on more thoughtfully, "I'm sure that was one of their wishes.
23. [187] Another could have been to keep the good old days, as Grandma used to call them.
24. [188] That one came true in a way.
25. [189] They did manage to keep a little of the past when they kept all these old things.
26. [190] That's what I meant about turning back the clock." |
What is the relationship like between Lois and Lorraine? | [
"Lois and Lorraine became sisters by marriage as they both married into the Farringdon-Petts family in a double-wedding event. Judy (a sister to Lois by way of her marrying Lois’ brother, Peter Dobbs), nearly ruined the double-wedding trying to solve a mystery.\nLois is perhaps more forgiving to Judy, and Lorraine goes as far as to describe that Lois has always taken Judy’s side. Both Lois and Lorraine acknowledge that Judy is great at solving mysteries and try to lift her up when she is down on herself about the few that she couldn’t solve when they come over for lunch. \nLorraine becomes evasive and hides from view when the three of them go to the fountain together, concealing information about the new owners of the Brandt estate that Lois and Judy eventually get out of her by probing questions. This event shows Lois’ willingness to challenge Lorraine, and perhaps also supporting “Judy’s side” as Lois calls her out on earlier in the story.",
"Lois and Lorraine are sisters-in-law who want to look out for one another. Lois is excitable and very giggly, whereas Lorraine is a bit more mild-tempered and careful, less sure about having Blackberry the cat around. Lorraine is going through an emotional time when this story takes place, only admitting small bits of information at a time about how she doesn't trust Arthur anymore, but won't give up more detail when pushed. Judy found Lorraine to seem somewhat jealous, but both Judy and Lois seem to know that Lorraine is keeping something from them. On the other hand, Lois is very open and encourages the others to speak their minds to work through anything that might be bothering them.",
"Lois and Lorraine are sisters-in-law who care for each other, although Lorraine can sometimes be difficult to get along with. Lois is the friendlier, perkier of the two, while Lorraine is brooding and distrusting. Lorraine has a jealous streak that interfered with the budding friendship between Lois and Judy, and even now, Lorraine complains that Lois always sides with Judy. She also holds grudges, as she brings up the point that Judy almost ruined their double wedding. Lorraine has a problem that appears to be related to her husband, and Lois thinks Lorraine should tell Judy about it because Judy is so good at solving problems and mysteries. When Judy mentions Arthur, Lorraine looks as though she is in pain and asks the others not to talk about him now. Later, she comments that she wishes she could go back in the past to the time when she trusted Arthur, and when they meet the oncoming car on the way to the Brandt estate, she hides herself from the driver. Lois encourages Lorraine to tell her what her problem is, but Lorraine won’t. All day, Lois engages in eager conversation, asking Judy questions as she tells her story, while Lorraine appears lost, glum, and hurt; Lorraine starts comments that she doesn’t finish and mysteriously seems to know more about the Brandt estate than she will tell the other two women.",
"Lois and Lorraine appear to be sisters. At one point, Judy is recounting how she wished for a sister her age, and Lois squeezes Lorraine's hand, proclaiming that her future held a sister just like Judy's future held a sister. It isn't clear, however, if they are biological sisters or symbolic sisters. Judy is describing more of a symbolic relationship with a woman of her age, but Lois does not clarify if her relationship with Lorraine is by blood or simply by love like how Judy is describing. Either way, the two characters seem very close and care for one another deeply."
] | [1] The Haunted Fountain CHAPTER I An Unsolved Mystery “Tell Judy about it,” begged Lois.
[2] “Please, Lorraine, it can’t be as bad as it appears.
[3] There isn’t anything that Judy can’t solve.” Lorraine tilted her head disdainfully.
[4] “We’re sisters now.
[5] We’re both Farringdon-Petts and should be loyal to each other.
[6] But you always did take Judy’s part.
[7] She was the one who nearly spoiled our double wedding trying to solve a mystery.
[8] I don’t believe she’d understand—understand any better than I do.
[9] Everyone has problems, and I’m sure Judy is no exception.” “You’re right, Lorraine,” announced Judy, coming in to serve dessert to the two friends she had invited for lunch at Peter’s suggestion.
[10] “I do have problems, and there are plenty of mysteries I can’t solve.” “Name one,” charged Lois.
[11] “Just mention one single spooky thing you couldn’t explain, and I’ll believe you.
[12] I’ve seen you in action, Judy Bolton—” “Judy Dobbs, remember?” “Well, you were Judy Bolton when you solved all those mysteries.
[13] I met you when the whole valley below the big Roulsville dam was threatened by flood and you solved that—” “That,” declared Judy, “was my brother Horace, not me.
[14] He was the hero without even meaning to be.
[15] He was the one who rode through town and warned people that the flood was coming.
[16] I was off chasing a shadow.” “A vanishing shadow,” Lois said with a sigh.
[17] “What you did wasn’t easy, Judy.” “It didn’t need to be as hard as it was,” Judy confessed.
[18] “I know now that keeping that promise not to talk about the dam was a great big mistake and could have cost lives.
[19] I should have told Arthur.” “Please,” Lorraine said, a pained expression clouding her pretty face, “let’s not talk about him now.” “Very well,” Judy agreed.
[20] “What shall we talk about?” “You,” Lois said, “and all the mysteries you’ve solved.
[21] Maybe you were mistaken about a thing or two before the flood, but what about the haunted house you moved into?
[22] You were the one who tracked down the ghosts in the attic and the cellar and goodness knows where all.
[23] You’ve been chasing ghosts ever since I met you, and not one of them did you fail to explain in some sensible, logical fashion.” “Before I met you,” Judy said, thinking back, “there were plenty of them I couldn’t explain.
[24] There was one I used to call the spirit of the fountain, but what she was or how she spoke to me is more than I know.
[25] If my grandparents knew, they weren’t telling.
[26] And now they’re both dead and I can’t ask them.
[27] They left me a lot of unsolved mysteries along with this house.
[28] Maybe I’ll find the answers to some of them when I finish sorting Grandma’s things.
[29] They’re stored in one end of the attic.” “Another haunted attic?
[30] How thrilling!” exclaimed Lois.
[31] “Why don’t you have another ghost party and show up the spooks?” “I didn’t say the attic was haunted.” Judy was almost sorry she had mentioned it.
[32] She wasn’t in the mood for digging up old mysteries, but Lois and Lorraine insisted.
[33] It all began, she finally told them, the summer before they met.
[34] Horace had just started working on the paper.
[35] Judy remembered that it was Lorraine’s father, Richard Thornton Lee, who gave him his job with the Farringdon Daily Herald .
[36] He had turned in some interesting church news, convincing Mr. Lee that he had in him the makings of a good reporter.
[37] And so it was that he spent the summer Judy was remembering in Farringdon where the Farringdon-Petts had their turreted mansion, while she had to suffer the heat and loneliness of Dry Brook Hollow.
[38] Her thoughts were what had made it so hard, she confessed now as she reviewed everything that had happened.
[39] She just couldn’t help resenting the fact that her parents left her every summer while they went off on a vacation by themselves.
[40] What did they think she would do?
[41] “You’ll have plenty to read,” her father had told her.
[42] “I bought you six new books in that mystery series you like.
[43] When they’re finished there are plenty of short stories around.
[44] Your grandmother never throws anything away.
[45] She has magazines she’s saved since your mother was a girl.
[46] If you ask for them she’ll let you have the whole stack.
[47] I know how you love to read.” “I do, Dad, but if the magazines are that old—” Judy had stopped.
[48] She had seen her father’s tired eyes and had realized that a busy doctor needed a vacation much more than a schoolgirl who had too little to do.
[49] He and Judy’s mother usually went to the beach hotel where they had honeymooned.
[50] It was a precious memory.
[51] Every summer Dr. Bolton and his wife relived it.
[52] And every summer Judy went to stay with her grandmother Smeed, who scolded and fussed and tried to pretend she wasn’t glad to have her.
[53] “You here again?” she had greeted her that summer, and Judy hadn’t noticed her old eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
[54] “What do you propose to do with yourself this time?” “Read,” Judy had told her.
[55] “Mom and Dad say you have a whole stack of old magazines—” “In the attic.
[56] Go up and look them over if you can stand the heat.” Judy went, not to look over the old magazines so much as to escape to a place where she could have a good cry.
[57] It was the summer before her fifteenth birthday.
[58] In another year she would have outgrown her childish resentment of her parents’ vacation or be grown up enough to ask them to let her have a vacation of her own.
[59] In another year she would be summering among the beautiful Thousand Islands and solving a mystery to be known as the Ghost Parade .
[60] “A whole parade of ghosts,” Lois would be telling her, “and you solved everything.” But then she didn’t even know Lois.
[61] She had no idea so many thrilling adventures awaited her.
[62] There seemed to be nothing—nothing—and so the tears came and spilled over on one of the magazines.
[63] As Judy wiped it away she noticed that it had fallen on a picture of a fountain.
[64] “A fountain with tears for water.
[65] How strange!” she remembered saying aloud.
[66] Judy had never seen a real fountain.
[67] The thrill of walking up to the door of the palatial Farringdon-Pett mansion was still ahead of her.
[68] On the lawn a fountain still caught and held rainbows like those she was to see on her honeymoon at Niagara Falls.
[69] But all that was in the future.
[70] If anyone had told the freckled-faced, pigtailed girl that she would one day marry Peter Dobbs, she would have laughed in their faces.
[71] “That tease!” For then she knew Peter only as an older boy who used to tease her and call her carrot-top until one day she yelled back at him, “Carrot-tops are green and so are you!” Peter was to win Judy’s heart when he gave her a kitten and suggested the name Blackberry for him.
[72] The kitten was now a dignified family cat.
[73] But the summer Judy found the picture of a fountain and spilled tears on it she had no kitten.
[74] She had nothing, she confessed, not even a friend.
[75] It had helped to pretend the fountain in the picture was filled with all the tears lonely girls like herself had ever cried.
[76] “But that would make it enchanted!” she had suddenly exclaimed.
[77] “If I could find it I’d wish—” A step had sounded on the stairs.
[78] Judy remembered it distinctly.
[79] She had turned to see her grandmother and to hear her say in her usual abrupt fashion, “Enchanted fountain, indeed!
[80] If you let people know your wishes instead of muttering them to yourself, most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Were they?” asked Lois.
[81] She and Lorraine had listened to this much of what Judy was telling them without interruption.
[82] “That’s the unsolved mystery,” Judy replied.
[83] “There weren’t any of them impossible.” And she went on to tell them how, the very next day, her grandparents had taken her to a fountain exactly like the one in the picture.
[84] It was in the center of a deep, circular pool with steps leading up to it.
[85] Beside the steps were smaller fountains with the water spurting from the mouths of stone lions.
[86] Judy had stared at them a moment and then climbed the steps to the pool.
[87] “Am I dreaming?” she remembered saying aloud.
[88] “Is this beautiful fountain real?” A voice had answered, although she could see no one.
[89] “Make your wishes, Judy.
[90] Wish wisely.
[91] If you shed a tear in the fountain your wishes will surely come true.” “A tear?” Judy had asked.
[92] “How can I shed a tear when I’m happy?
[93] This is a wonderful place.” “Shed a tear in the fountain and your wishes will surely come true,” the voice had repeated.
[94] “But what is there to cry about?” “You found plenty to cry about back at your grandmother’s house,” the mysterious voice had reminded her.
[95] “Weren’t you crying on my picture up there in the attic?” “Then you—you are the fountain!” Judy remembered exclaiming.
[96] “But a fountain doesn’t speak.
[97] It doesn’t have a voice.” “Wish wisely,” the voice from the fountain had said in a mysterious whisper.
[98] CHAPTER II If Wishes Came True “Did you?” Lois interrupted the story to ask excitedly.
[99] “Oh, Judy!
[100] Don’t keep us in suspense any longer.
[101] What did you wish?” “Patience,” Judy said with a smile.
[102] “I’m coming to that.” First, she told her friends, she had to think of a wise wish.
[103] There had been so much she wanted in those early days before the flood.
[104] Dora Scott had been her best friend in Roulsville, but she had moved away.
[105] “You see,” she explained, “I made the mistake of having just one best friend.
[106] There wasn’t anybody in Dry Brook Hollow.
[107] I remember thinking of how lonely I was and how I wished for a friend or a sister, and suddenly a tear splashed in the water.
[108] It made little ripples.
[109] I thought I had to wish quickly before they vanished, and so I began naming the things I wanted as fast as I could.
[110] I’m not sure they were wise wishes.
[111] They seem rather selfish to me, now.
[112] I wasn’t thinking of anybody but me, Judy Bolton, and what I wanted.
[113] It wasn’t until after I began to think of others that my wishes started to come true.” “But what were they?” Lois insisted.
[114] Lorraine seemed unusually quiet and thoughtful.
[115] Judy did not notice the fear in her eyes as she replied airily, “Oh, didn’t I tell you?
[116] I wished for lots of friends and a sister, and I wished I could marry a G-man and solve a lot of mysteries and that’s as far as I got when the ripples vanished.
[117] I thought the spell was broken and so I didn’t wish for anything more.” “Wasn’t there anything more you wanted?” Lois asked.
[118] “Of course,” replied Judy.
[119] “There were lots more things.
[120] I wanted to go places, of course, and keep pets, and have a nice home, and—” “And your wishes all came true!” “Every one of them,” Judy agreed, “even the one about the sister.
[121] You see, it wasn’t a baby sister I wanted.
[122] It was a sister near my own age.
[123] That seemed impossible at the time, but the future did hold a sister for me.” “It held one for me, too,” Lois said, squeezing Lorraine’s hand under the table.
[124] “Don’t you think sisters should tell each other their problems, Judy?” “Honey and I always do,” she replied “but then it was different.
[125] I didn’t know I would marry Peter or that he would become a G-man, and he didn’t know he had a sister.
[126] It is strange, isn’t it?
[127] But the strangest thing of all was the fountain itself.” “Why?” asked Lorraine.
[128] “Do you still think it was enchanted?” Lois laughed at this, but Judy was serious as she answered, “I was still little girl enough to think so at the time.
[129] I wandered around, growing very drowsy.
[130] Then I found a hammock and climbed into it.
[131] I must have gone to sleep, because I remember waking up and wondering if the voice in the fountain had been a dream.” “A hammock?” Lois questioned.
[132] “Are you sure it wasn’t a flying carpet?” “No, it was a hammock all right,” Judy assured her, laughing.
[133] “It was hung between two trees in a beautiful garden all enclosed in rose trellises thick with roses.
[134] Did I tell you it was June?” “All the year around?” Again Lois laughed.
[135] But Lorraine said abruptly, “Let’s not talk about rose gardens in June.
[136] It’s a long way from June to December.” “Do you mean a garden changes?
[137] I know,” Judy said, “but I think this one would be beautiful at any time of the year.
[138] There were rhododendrons, too, and I don’t know how many different kinds of evergreens.
[139] I explored the garden all around the fountain.” “And then what happened?” Lorraine urged her.
[140] “Yes, yes.
[141] Go on,” entreated Lois.
[142] “I didn’t dream you’d kept anything that exciting a secret.
[143] Why didn’t you try to solve the mystery?” “I think I would have tried,” Judy admitted, “if I had been older or more experienced.
[144] I really should have investigated it more thoroughly and learned the secret of the fountain.
[145] But after the ripples went away it didn’t speak to me any more, and I didn’t really think it had heard my wishes.
[146] I was still wishing for a friend when I met you, Lois.
[147] It did seem impossible for us to be friends at first, didn’t it?
[148] Lorraine was your friend.” “I did make trouble for you,” Lorraine remembered.
[149] “It was all because of my foolish jealousy.” “It was nothing compared to the trouble caused by the Roulsville flood,” declared Judy.
[150] “After that things started happening so fast that I completely forgot about the fountain.
[151] Honestly, Lois, I don’t believe I thought about it again until after we moved to Farringdon and I walked up to your door and saw the fountain on your lawn.” “The Farringdon-Pett puddle, I always called it,” Lois said with a giggle.
[152] “I’ve seen lots nicer fountains.” “You have?” asked Judy.
[153] “Then maybe you’ve seen the one I’ve been telling you about.
[154] I think the picture of it is still in the attic.
[155] Come on up and I’ll show you.” Lois and Lorraine had finished their dessert while Judy was telling them the story of the fountain.
[156] Somehow, she wasn’t hungry for hers.
[157] She had tasted it too often while she was making it.
[158] “I’ll leave it for Blackberry,” she decided.
[159] Lois watched in amusement as the cat lapped up the chocolate pudding after Judy had mixed it generously with cream.
[160] “Sometimes,” Judy said fondly, “Blackberry thinks he’s a person.
[161] He eats everything we eat, including lettuce.
[162] Do you mind if he comes with us, Lorraine?
[163] He wants to explore the attic, too.” “He’ll remember he’s a cat fast enough if there are any mice up there,” Lois said with a giggle.
[164] Leaving the table, they all started upstairs with the cat bounding ahead of them.
[165] In modernizing her grandparents’ house to suit her own and Peter’s tastes, Judy had seen to it that the old stair door was removed.
[166] But there was still a door closing off the narrower stairs that led to the attic.
[167] Blackberry reached it first and yowled for Judy to open it.
[168] “He can read my mind.
[169] He always knows where I’m going,” Judy said as the door creaked open and the cat shot through it.
[170] A moment later a weird rolling noise came from the floor above.
[171] “Come on.
[172] There’s nothing up here to be afraid of,” Judy urged her friends.
[173] “Maybe not, but I’m beginning to get the shivers,” confessed Lois as she followed Judy to the sewing room at the top of the last flight of stairs.
[174] “So am I,” Lorraine admitted.
[175] “I’m not superstitious about black cats, but they are creepy.
[176] Does Blackberry have to roll spools across the floor?” “Now he thinks he’s a kitten,” laughed Judy.
[177] Pausing at still another door that led to the darker part of the attic, she turned and said mysteriously, “Up here we can all turn back the clock.
[178] Does anybody care to explore the past?” The exploration began enthusiastically with Judy relating still more of what she remembered about the fountain.
[179] “When I told Grandma about it she laughed and said I must have dreamed it.
[180] She said if wishes came true that easily she’d be living in a castle.
[181] But would she?” Judy wondered.
[182] “When I first remember this house she was still burning kerosene lamps like those you see on that high shelf by the window.
[183] I think she and Grandpa like the way they lived without any modern conveniences or anything.” “I think so, too,” Lois agreed, looking around the old attic with a shiver.
[184] “It is strange they both died the same winter, isn’t it?” “Maybe they wanted it that way.
[185] Maybe they wished neither of them would outlive the other.
[186] If they did wish in the fountain,” Judy went on more thoughtfully, “I’m sure that was one of their wishes.
[187] Another could have been to keep the good old days, as Grandma used to call them.
[188] That one came true in a way.
[189] They did manage to keep a little of the past when they kept all these old things.
[190] That’s what I meant about turning back the clock.” “If wishes came true I’d like to turn it back a little myself,” Lorraine began.
[191] “It would be nice if things were the way they used to be when I trusted Arthur—” “Don’t you trust him now?” Judy asked.
[192] Afterwards she was sorry for the interruption.
[193] Lois and Judy both questioned Lorraine, but that was all she would say.
[194] Judy wondered, as they searched through the old magazines, what was wrong.
[195] Lorraine was of a jealous disposition.
[196] Was the green-eyed monster coming between her and her handsome husband, Arthur Farringdon-Pett?
[197] Until now they had seemed blissfully happy.
[198] But there was no happiness in Lorraine’s face as she gazed at a picture of one of the fountains and then said in a tight little voice, “It is.
[199] It’s the very same one.” “But that’s the picture I’ve been searching for!” Judy said eagerly.
[200] “Do you know where it is?” “I can’t be sure.
[201] But if it ever was enchanted, I’m sure it isn’t now.
[202] Let’s go,” Lorraine said suddenly to Lois.
[203] Judy knew she was suggesting a fast trip home.
[204] But, apparently, Lois did not understand it that way.
[205] If she did, she pretended not to.
[206] “Where?” she asked.
[207] “To the fountain?
[208] I’d love to, wouldn’t you, Judy?” “I certainly would,” Judy replied enthusiastically.
[209] “Do you recognize it, too?” “I think so,” Lois answered after studying a little more closely the picture they had found.
[210] “It looks like the fountain on the Brandt estate.” “The department store Brandts?” Judy questioned.
[211] “Then my grandparents must have driven old Fanny all the way to Farringdon.” “Not quite all the way,” Lorraine objected.
[212] “The Brandts own that stretch of woods just before you come into the city.
[213] You’ve passed it lots of times.” “Of course,” agreed Judy.
[214] She put the magazine back in its place under the eaves and turned eagerly to her friends.
[215] “I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill,” she told them.
[216] “I never thought it led to a house, though.
[217] There isn’t even a gate.
[218] Could that be the road my grandparents took?” “Why don’t we take it ourselves and find out?” Lois suggested.
[219] CHAPTER III A Strange Encounter Lorraine was not too enthusiastic about the proposed trip to the Brandt estate.
[220] Finally she agreed to it under one condition.
[221] They were not to drive all the way to the house which, she said, was just over the hilltop.
[222] They were to park the car where no one would see it and follow the path to the fountain.
[223] “But suppose we can’t find the path?” asked Judy.
[224] “You’ll remember it, won’t you?” Judy thought she would, but she wasn’t too sure.
[225] She and Lois both argued that it would be better to inquire at the house.
[226] Lois knew Helen Brandt slightly.
[227] “She’d be glad to show us around.
[228] This way it looks as if we’re planning a crime,” Lois said as they started off in the blue car she was driving.
[229] It was a neat little car, not too conspicuous, and easy to park in out-of-the-way places.
[230] Judy laughed and said if they did find the fountain she thought she’d wish for one exactly like it.
[231] “Well, you know what your grandmother said about wishes, don’t you?” Lorraine asked.
[232] “If you let people know about them instead of muttering them to yourself most of them aren’t so impossible.” “Quite true,” Judy agreed.
[233] “I’ll let Peter know about this one.
[234] He’s my Santa Claus, and it will soon be Christmas.
[235] Maybe I should have worn the fur coat he gave me last year.” “Your reversible’s better in case it rains.
[236] It’s too warm for snow.
[237] We picked a perfect day for this trip,” Lois continued, guiding the car around curves as it climbed the steep hill beyond Dry Brook Hollow.
[238] The trip was a short one.
[239] In twenty minutes they had covered the distance that had seemed such a long way to Judy when she was riding in her grandfather’s wagon.
[240] “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said, “and I’ve just about figured out how it happened.
[241] I didn’t think my grandparents knew the Brandts well enough to pay them a visit, though.
[242] We must have looked queer driving up to a beautiful estate in Grandpa’s old farm wagon.
[243] I do remember that Grandma had some hooked rugs to deliver.
[244] But that still doesn’t explain what happened afterwards.
[245] When I woke up in the hammock I was alone in the garden.
[246] Horse, wagon, grandparents—all had disappeared.” “How could they?” asked Lois.
[247] “Anyway,” Lorraine began, “you had a chance to see how beautiful everything was before—” Again she broke off as if there were something she wanted to tell but didn’t quite dare.
[248] “Before what?” questioned Judy.
[249] “Oh, nothing.
[250] Forget I said anything about it.
[251] You were telling us how you woke up in the hammock, but you never did explain how you got back home,” Lorraine reminded her.
[252] “Didn’t I?” asked Judy.
[253] “I’d forgotten a lot of it, but it’s beginning to come back now.
[254] I do remember driving home along this road.
[255] You see, I thought my grandparents had left me in the garden for a surprise and would return for me.
[256] I told you I was all alone.
[257] There wasn’t a house in sight.” “The Brandt house is just over the top of this next hill,” Lois put in.
[258] “I know.
[259] You told me that.
[260] Now I know why I couldn’t see it.
[261] All I could see was a windowless old tower and a path leading in that direction.
[262] Naturally, I followed it.
[263] There’s something about a path in the woods that always tempts me.” “We know that, Judy.
[264] Honey told us all about your latest mystery.
[265] You followed a trail or something.” “Well, this trail led out of the rose garden where the hammock was and then through an archway,” Judy continued.
[266] “All sorts of little cupids and gnomes peered out at me from unexpected places.
[267] I was actually scared by the time I reached the old tower.
[268] There wasn’t time to explore it.
[269] Just then I heard the rumble of my grandfather’s wagon and knew he was driving off without me.” “He was!” Judy’s friends both chorused in surprise, and Lois asked, “Why would he do a thing like that?” “I think now it was just to tease me.
[270] He did stop and wait for me after a while,” Judy remembered.
[271] “The rugs were gone.
[272] Grandma must have delivered them, but I didn’t ask where.
[273] If she made them for Mrs. Brandt they may still be there.” “I wouldn’t depend on it,” Lorraine said as they turned up the narrow road to the Brandt estate.
[274] “Watch out!” Judy suddenly exclaimed.
[275] “There’s another car coming.” As Lois swerved to avoid the oncoming car, Lorraine ducked her head.
[276] She kept herself hidden behind Judy until the car had passed.
[277] The man driving it was a stranger to Judy, but she would remember his hypnotic, dark eyes and swarthy complexion for a long time.
[278] The soft brown hat he was wearing covered most of his hair.
[279] “What’s the matter with you two?” asked Lois when the car had passed.
[280] “Aren’t you a little old for playing hide and seek?” “I wasn’t—playing.
[281] Let’s not go up there,” Lorraine begged.
[282] “I don’t think the Brandts live there any more.” “Maybe not, but we can pretend we think they do, can’t we?” Judy replied a little uncertainly.
[283] She was beginning to suspect that Lorraine knew more about the Brandt estate than she was telling.
[284] Lois kept on driving along the narrow, gravelly road.
[285] Soon there were more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendrons to be seen.
[286] They looked very green next to the leafless trees in the woods beyond.
[287] The sky was gray with white clouds being driven across it by the wind.
[288] “There’s the tower!” Lorraine exclaimed.
[289] “I can see it over to the left.
[290] It looks like something out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, doesn’t it?” “It looks grim all right,” agreed Judy.
[291] “I wonder what it is.” “I suppose it’s nothing but an old water tower.
[292] It would be fun to explore it, though,” Lois said.
[293] “But if there are new people living here they’ll never give us permission.” “We might explore it without permission,” Judy suggested daringly.
[294] “Come on!” she urged her friends as Lois parked the car in a cleared place beside the road.
[295] “Who’s going to stop us?
[296] And who wants to explore a gloomy old tower, anyway?
[297] Let’s look for the fountain.” “Do you think we should?” Lorraine asked.
[298] “It won’t be enchanted.
[299] I told you—” “You told us very little,” Lois reminded her.
[300] “If you know anything about the people who live here now, I think you ought to let us know.
[301] Otherwise, I’m afraid we won’t be very welcome.” “I don’t think they’ll welcome us, anyway.
[302] I do know who they are,” Lorraine admitted.
[303] “You remember Roger Banning from school, don’t you?
[304] I’ve seen him around here.
[305] His family must have acquired sudden wealth, or else he’s just working on the estate.” “Then you’ve been here lately?
[306] Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Lois.
[307] “We always used to go places together.” “It wasn’t important,” Lorraine replied evasively.
[308] “I was just out for a drive.” “You plutocrats!” laughed Judy.
[309] “Each with a car of your own.
[310] You’re not interested in Roger Banning, are you, Lois?
[311] I’m sure you can do better than that.
[312] I did know him slightly, but not from school.
[313] The boys and girls were separated and went to different high schools by the time we moved to Farringdon.
[314] I remember his pal, Dick Hartwell, a lot better.
[315] He was in our young people’s group at church.” “Sh!” Lois cautioned her.
[316] “Nice people no longer mention Dick Hartwell’s name.
[317] He’s doing time.” “For what?” asked Judy.
[318] Like Peter, her FBI husband, she preferred facts to gossip.
[319] “Forgery, I guess.
[320] He stole some checkbooks from his father’s desk and forged the names of a lot of important business people.
[321] I think he forged some legal documents, too.
[322] Anyway, he went to the Federal Penitentiary.
[323] It was all in the papers,” Lorraine told her.
[324] Now Judy did remember.
[325] It was something she would have preferred to forget.
[326] She liked to think she was a good judge of character, and she had taken Dick Hartwell for a quiet, refined boy who would never stoop to crime.
[327] “I don’t see what all this has to do with the fountain,” Lois said impatiently.
[328] “Are we going to look for it, or aren’t we?” “Of course we are.
[329] That’s what we came for.
[330] I just like to know what a tiger looks like before he springs at me,” Judy explained.
[331] “You seem to think there’s danger in this expedition of ours, don’t you?” asked Lorraine.
[332] “I don’t know what to think.
[333] You’re the one who seems to know the answers, but you’re not telling.
[334] Hiding your face back there gave you away.
[335] You’ve seen that character who drove down this road and, for some reason, you were afraid he would see you.
[336] Why, Lorraine?
[337] Why didn’t you want to be recognized?” Lorraine hesitated a moment and then replied evasively, “People don’t generally enter private estates without an invitation.
[338] That’s all.” “I’d better turn the car around,” Lois decided, “in case we have to leave in a hurry.
[339] I don’t expect we’ll encounter any tigers, but we may be accused of trespassing.” “I’m sure we will be,” announced Judy as two dark-coated figures strode down the road toward them.
[340] “You drove right by a NO TRESPASSING sign, and this isn’t a welcoming committee coming to meet us!” | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship like between Lois and Lorraine?":
1. [123] "Don't you think sisters should tell each other their problems, Judy?" "Honey and I always do," she replied
2. [147] "Lorraine was your friend."
3. [148] "I did make trouble for you," Lorraine remembered. "It was all because of my foolish jealousy."
4. [190] "If wishes came true I'd like to turn it back a little myself," Lorraine began. "It would be nice if things were the way they used to be when I trusted Arthur—"
5. [191] "Don't you trust him now?" Judy asked.
6. [192] Afterwards she was sorry for the interruption.
7. [193] Lois and Judy both questioned Lorraine, but that was all she would say.
8. [194] Judy wondered, as they searched through the old magazines, what was wrong.
9. [195] Lorraine was of a jealous disposition. Was the green-eyed monster coming between her and her handsome husband, Arthur Farringdon-Pett?
10. [196] Until now they had seemed blissfully happy.
11. [197] But there was no happiness in Lorraine's face as she gazed at a picture of one of the fountains and then said in a tight little voice, "It is. It's the very same one."
12. [198] "But that's the picture I've been searching for!" Judy said eagerly.
13. [199] "Do you know where it is?"
14. [200] "I can't be sure. But if it ever was enchanted, I'm sure it isn't now. Let's go," Lorraine said suddenly to Lois.
15. [201] Judy knew she was suggesting a fast trip home.
16. [202] But, apparently, Lois did not understand it that way.
17. [203] If she did, she pretended not to.
18. [204] "Where?" she asked.
19. [205] "To the fountain? I'd love to, wouldn't you, Judy?"
20. [206] "I certainly would," Judy replied enthusiastically.
21. [207] "Do you recognize it, too?"
22. [208] "I think so," Lois answered after studying a little more closely the picture they had found.
23. [209] "It looks like the fountain on the Brandt estate."
24. [210] "The department store Brandts?" Judy questioned.
25. [211] "Then my grandparents must have driven old Fanny all the way to Farringdon."
26. [212] "Not quite all the way," Lorraine objected. "The Brandts own that stretch of woods just before you come into the city. You've passed it lots of times."
27. [213] "Of course," agreed Judy.
28. [214] She put the magazine back in its place under the eaves and turned eagerly to her friends.
29. [215] "I do remember a road turning off into the woods and going on uphill," she told them.
30. [216] "I never thought it led to a house, though. There isn't even a gate. Could that be the road my grandparents took?"
31. [217] "Why don't we take it ourselves and find out?" Lois suggested.
32. [218] Lorraine was not too enthusiastic about the proposed trip to the Brandt estate.
33. [219] Finally she agreed to it under one condition.
34. [220] They were not to drive all the way to the house which, she said, was just over the hilltop.
35. [221] They were to park the car where no one would see it and follow the path to the fountain.
36. [222] "But suppose we can't find the path?" asked Judy.
37. [223] "You'll remember it, won't you?" Judy thought she would, but she wasn't too sure.
38. [224] She and Lois both argued that it would be better to inquire at the house.
39. [225] Lois knew Helen Brandt slightly.
40. [226] "She'd be glad to show us around. This way it looks as if we're planning a crime," Lois said as they started off in the blue car she was driving.
41. [227] It was a neat little car, not too conspicuous, and easy to park in out-of-the-way places.
42. [228] Judy laughed and said if they did find the fountain she thought she'd wish for one exactly like it.
43. [229] "Well, you know what your grandmother said about wishes, don't you?" Lorraine asked.
44. [230] "If you let people know about them instead of muttering them to yourself most of them aren't so impossible."
45. [231] "Quite true," Judy agreed. |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Alec Graham returns to his home from the office after a long day. His wife Molly has left, and he still feels that it looks wife-deserted even after doing many chores to clean it up. He recounts his bad day, having forgotten to set his alarm and rushing to the TV Studio that he writes for. The taxi driver refuses to take him to Madison and Fifty-fourth, and the rain has gotten worse. His hand continuously bleeds after passing by a big excavation site, and he misses his story conference. After hearing the same phrases numerous times and all six elevators being jammed, he is convinced that he is coincidence prone. Molly leaves him instructions on how to take care of himself, and he works on his novel. More of these events happen with pigeons colliding and somebody getting five straight-flushes in a row. Nat tells Alec about the strange occurrence as they get soda. The three bottles do not break after falling at least five feet, and Danny, the cop, is shocked. Outside, more strange events occur when Nat almost gets caught up with a swerving taxi. Once they return home, he immediately calls McGill, an assistant mathematics professor for some expert advice. Once McGill arrives, he says that all of the events are very improbable, which makes him inclined to believe that Alec is stringing him on or subject to delusion. They do an experiment involving coin-throwing, and all of the coins are arranged in a neat pile when Alec throws them. McGill asks him some more questions about any recent occurrences, but Alec suggests that they go outside to eat. Outside, the cars are being towed away, while two pedestrians are having trouble letting each other pass. Danny is confused by all that is happening. Alec also runs into Molly, stuck in a confused wrangle of umbrellas with two other women. She explains that somebody from their home had kept calling her mother’s number, so she came back to investigate. Back at the apartment, all of this is traced back to Alec as the center. McGill tries to explain what is possibly happening to Alec, but they are interrupted by the telephone repairman. Molly suggests they go out to a restaurant to eat, and Nat comes along. They pass by the car jam again, and the police lieutenant looks at Alec with interest. Even at the restaurant, Alec realizes that his Tom Collins drink is made with salt instead of sugar. When the bartender tries to remake the drink for them, the shaker has frozen solid. It happens again with a new shaker, and the waiter is extremely confused. When Alec’s hand collides with Molly’s cigarette, it goes into the neighboring lady’s vichyssoise. The two of them are displeased, and when Alec stands up, he ends up pulling all of the contents on their entire table onto the floor. The lady and the man are furious at Alec; even the owner has come to fix the situation.",
"Alec returns to his apartment after a day at the office, feeling worn out and defeated. He recalls the events from earlier that day; he had forgotten to set his alarm clock, making him late for a conference at the advertising studio he works at. He had forgotten an umbrella and found himself in the pouring rain, where he caught a taxi only for it to not start. The subways had suffered delays as well. On his walk to the office, Alec passed by a construction site, where he was nicked by a piece of glass from an explosion. He ended up missing his conference, and on his way home, a cop tells him that the elevators in his office building had all broken down as soon as he left. Alec reflects on these events, perplexed by the accident-prone coincidences. He decides to write at his typewriter when he drops his pencil, finding that it has landed standing on its end. As he continues to be stunned by the events, he fixes a drink for himself, taking note of the several notes that his wife, Molly, had left him while she visits her mother. Alec then witnesses a card game between his neighbor, Nat, and a group of men, in which Nat draws five straight flushes. Alec invites Nat in after the heated game, and after breaking a soda, they go to the corner store to buy more, where the bottles fall through the bottom of the bag. As the two walk back to their apartment, Nat is nearly bumped into and he steps onto the curb, causing a severe accident between multiple cars. Nat later leaves to his office to write an article about the strange events, and Alec calls up McGill, a mathematics professor and friend. McGill comes to Alec's apartment, and he is suspicious that he may be delusional or lying, due to the impossible probability of the events occurring. McGill then tosses some change onto the floor, testing to see if they all land on heads; instead, the coins stack up on top of each other. McGill is also confused, trying to imagine an explanation, and Alec suggests that some form of life is controlling the events. The two go out for food and pass by three women who have their umbrellas tangled up together. One of the women turns out to be Molly, who says she returned after her mother had been receiving constant calls from Alec's phone with no one on the other end. They go back to the apartment and discuss the matter, as the telephone repairman arrives. After, the three go to a restaurant, and face more inconveniences, such as having salt in their drink instead of sugar. Alec then accidentally drops a cigarette onto a neighboring party, and the woman gets angry, as Alec somehow pulls their tablecloth and dinner onto the floor, angering many.",
"The story begins with Alec missing his wife’s presence as he feels lost without her aid in his life. He details how his commute to work was heavily hindered by unlucky transportation happenings and awful weather. When Alec leaves work and gets back to his apartment, he attempts to write a bit. In addition, he thinks over the strange coincidences that have happened during the day thus far. Upon hearing a loud commotion in his apartment building hallway, he goes to investigate. He finds his neighbor Nat in an argument with a group of men accusing Nat of cheating. In a fit of rage, one of the men hits the deck of cards that Nat is holding, causing them to be tossed to the floor. In another strange coincidence, half of the cards land face down but all the face-up cards are red. The group of men leave in confusion and Alec invites Nat into his apartment for a drink to cool down. \n\nAfter consuming most of the club soda, the two men leave to grab more club soda in a nearby deli. At the deli, another strange incident occurs. The 3 glasses of club soda fall through a thin plastic bag, 5 feet towards the ground and do not break when they should have broken due to the fall. The storekeeper is shocked but Alec shrugs off the weird incident. Nat and Alec return to his apartment where he notices more strange coincidences. Alec grows frustrated and decides to call his friend McGill to help him make sense of everything. McGill promptly comes over to Alec’s apartment to help. McGill gets to the apartment and Alec tries to explain all of the coincidences. McGill is understandably very skeptical and wants Alec to prove it for his own eyes. \n\nAlec is able to prove that something strange his happening with a demonstration that involves throwing coins to the floor. The coins are thrown and somehow clustered together into a perfectly stacked pile. McGill then begins to believe Alec. He is uncertain about the probability of the coincidences but refuses to attribute it to superstitious happenings and states that it is an unknown force. When the two leave to go get food, they see and meet up with Molly on the street and quickly return to the apartment to catch Molly up on the strange occurrences. After much discussion over what could be causing the day’s incidents, they decide to all go to get food. They order drinks at the restaurant, but mysteriously the shaker is causing the liquids to freeze. Molly notes how the restaurant is continuously becoming warmer, and later Alec mentally notes that he can no longer hear the sound of the air conditioner. While preparing to discuss the issue of the AC, Alec accidentally flips his cigarette onto another occupied table. This causes a heated argument with the other guests and the unapproving look from the owner of the restaurant towards Alec.",
"Alec, the narrator, had a very weird and exhausting day. In the morning he overslept work and hurried out. A rain storm started the subway was delayed and there was a huge excavation on his way. The drill working with clay hit something glittering inside and a little explosion happened. The narrator's face was slightly scratched and bleeding. His absence at the conference wasn't noticed. Back home Alec saw his wife's nots with directions all around as she left to attend to her mother. Then he tried to write his novel and came to a dead end, so he poured himself a drink and watched some pigeons being trained outside, when some traffic occurred and a couple birds fell. There were loud voices outside: four men confronted the narrator's neighbor, a shy guy named Nat. Then the man came in for a drink, and told Alec that he had miraculously won in cards a couple times in a row, and his partners believed he had cheated. The narrator and Nat went out for sodas in glass bottles, which fell and miraculously did not break. On the street, a pedestrian, who suddenly stopped in front of Nat, caused a series of accidents leading to a huge traffic jam. Back at Alec's place, the curtain was weirdly tied in three knots and he called his knowledgeable friend McGill to get a consultation. The man came and considered all of the day's weird events very improbable but not impossible. McGill offered to make a demonstration, so Alec threw a handful of coins which bounced together, stacking into a neat pile. McGill's coins created an exactly straight line. McGill stated that Alec was the center of the weird events and there must be some design in that. They went out to eat and the cars were wrecking all along their way, overwhelming the cops. Two people were unable to go past each other, they fought making the same motions and saying identical words. Many similar situations were happening all around. One of the women with intertwined umbrellas was Molly, the wife. Her mother's number was constantly dialed with no one on the line, and Alec's number was always busy, so Molly got worried. At that point Danny, the local policeman, started suspecting Alec. The three went out for dinner eventually and took Nat with them, who wanted to hear the story. Alec dropped his cigarettes out of the pack under the suspicious gaze of Danny and a lieutenant. In the restaurant the whole company got salty drinks which puzzled the bartender. When he tried to do the new ones, nothing came out of the shaker - everything inside turned into ice. The place suddenly started getting warmer and quieter. Alec's hand collided with Molly's and her cigarette fell into the dish of a perturbed lady at the nearby table. While standing up, Alec accidentally pulled everything from that table to the floor and the angry lady slapped him."
] | [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
[4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
[5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
[6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
[7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
[8] What do they do, I asked myself, that I have left undone?
[9] I've vacuumed the carpet, I've dusted and I've straightened the cushions.... Ah!
[10] The ashtrays.
[11] I emptied them, washed them and put them back, but still the place looked wife-deserted.
[12] It had been a bad day; I had forgotten to wind the alarm clock, so I'd had to hurry to make a story conference at one of the TV studios I write for.
[13] I didn't notice the impending rain storm and had no umbrella when I reached the sidewalk, to find myself confronted with an almost tropical downpour.
[14] I would have turned back, but a taxi came up and a woman got out, so I dashed through the rain and got in.
[15] "Madison and Fifty-fourth," I said.
[16] "Right," said the driver, and I heard the starter grind, and then go on grinding.
[17] After some futile efforts, he turned to me.
[18] "Sorry, Mac.
[19] You'll have to find another cab.
[20] Good hunting."
[21] If possible, it was raining still harder.
[22] I opened my newspaper over my hat and ran for the subway: three blocks.
[23] Whizzing traffic held me up at each crossing and I was soaked when I reached the platform, just in time to miss the local.
[24] After an abnormal delay, I got one which exactly missed the express at Fourteenth Street.
[25] The same thing happened at both ends of the crosstown shuttle, but I found the rain had stopped when I got out at Fifty-first and Lexington.
[26] As I walked across to Madison Avenue, I passed a big excavation where they were getting ready to put up a new office building.
[27] There was the usual crowd of buffs watching the digging machines and, in particular, a man with a pneumatic drill who was breaking up some hard-packed clay.
[28] While I looked, a big lump of it fell away, and for an instant I was able to see something that looked like a chunk of dirty glass, the size of an old-fashioned hatbox.
[29] It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, and then his chattering drill hit it.
[30] There was a faint bang and the thing disintegrated.
[31] It knocked him on his back, but he got right up and I realized he was not hurt.
[32] At the moment of the explosion—if so feeble a thing can be called one—I felt something sting my face and, on touching it, found blood on my hand.
[33] I mopped at it with my handkerchief but, though slight, the bleeding would not stop, so I went into a drugstore and bought some pink adhesive which I put on the tiny cut.
[34] When I got to the studio, I found that I had missed the story conference.
[35] During the day, by actual count, I heard the phrase "I'm just spitballing" eight times, and another Madison Avenue favorite, "The whole ball of wax," twelve times.
[36] However, my story had been accepted without change because nobody had noticed my absence from the conference room.
[37] There you have what is known as the Advertising World, the Advertising game or the advertising racket, depending upon which rung of the ladder you have achieved.
[38] The subway gave a repeat performance going home, and as I got to the apartment house we live in, the cop on the afternoon beat was standing there talking to the doorman.
[39] He said, "Hello, Mr. Graham.
[40] I guess you must have just have missed it at your office building."
[41] I looked blank and he explained, "We just heard it a little while ago: all six elevators in your building jammed at the same time.
[42] Sounds crazy.
[43] I guess you just missed it."
[44] Anything can happen in advertising, I thought.
[45] "That's right, Danny, I just missed it," I said, and went on in.
[46] Psychiatry tells us that some people are accident-prone; I, on the other hand, seemed recently to be coincidence-prone, fluke-happy, and except for the alarm clock, I'd had no control over what had been going on.
[47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
[48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
[49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
[50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
[51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back.
[52] And Close the Door, too."
[53] Intimidated, I took my drink into the living room and sat down in front of the typewriter.
[54] As I stared at the novel that was to liberate me from Madison Avenue, I noticed a mistake and picked up a pencil.
[55] When I put it down, it rolled off the desk, and with my eyes on the manuscript, I groped under the chair for it.
[56] Then I looked down.
[57] The pencil was standing on its end.
[58] There, I thought to myself, is that one chance in a million we hear about, and picked up the pencil.
[59] I turned back to my novel and drank some of the highball in hopes of inspiration and surcease from the muggy heat, but nothing came.
[60] I went back and read the whole chapter to try to get a forward momentum, but came to a dead stop at the last sentence.
[61] Damn the heat, damn the pencil, damn Madison Avenue and advertising.
[62] My drink was gone and I went back to the kitchen and read Molly's notes again to see if they would be like a letter from her.
[63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before.
[64] I love you."
[65] What can you do when the girl loves you?
[66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
[67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
[68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
[69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
[70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
[71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
[72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
[73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
[74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
[75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
[76] "You can't say a thing like that to me!"
[77] I heard him shout.
[78] "I tell you I got that deck this afternoon and they weren't opened till we started to play!"
[79] Several other loud voices started at the same time.
[80] "Nobody gets five straight-flushes in a row!"
[81] "Yeah, and only when you were dealer!"
[82] The tone of the argument was beginning to get ugly, and I opened the door to offer Nat help if he needed it.
[83] There were four men confronting him, evidently torn between the desire to make an angry exit and the impulse to stay and beat him up.
[84] His face was furiously red and he looked stunned.
[85] "Here!"
[86] he said, holding out a deck of cards, "For Pete's sake, look at 'em yourselves if you think they're marked!"
[87] The nearest man struck them up from his hand.
[88] "Okay, Houdini!
[89] So they're not marked!
[90] All I know is five straight...." His voice trailed away.
[91] He and the others stared at the scattered cards on the floor.
[92] About half were face down, as might be expected, and the rest face up—all red.
[93] Someone must have rung, because at that moment the elevator arrived and the four men, with half frightened, incredulous looks, and in silence, got in and were taken down.
[94] My friend stood looking at the neatly arranged cards.
[95] "Judas!"
[96] he said, and started to pick them up.
[97] "Will you look at that!
[98] My God, what a session...." I helped him and said to come in for a drink and tell me all about it, but I had an idea what I would hear.
[99] After a while, he calmed down, but he still seemed dazed.
[100] "Never seen anything to equal it," he said.
[101] "Wouldn't have believed it.
[102] Those guys didn't believe it.
[103] Every round normal, nothing unusual about the hands—three of a kind, a low straight, that sort of thing and one guy got queens over tens, until it gets to be my deal.
[104] Brother!
[105] Straight flush to the king—every time!
[106] And each time, somebody else has four aces...." He started to sweat again, so I got up to fix him another drink.
[107] There was one quart of club soda left, but when I tried to open it, the top broke and glass chips got into the bottle.
[108] "I'll have to go down for more soda," I said.
[109] "I'll come, too.
[110] I need air."
[111] At the delicatessen on the corner, the man gave me three bottles in what must have been a wet bag, because as he handed them to me over the top of the cold-meat display, the bottom gave and they fell onto the tile floor.
[112] None of them broke, although the fall must have been from at least five feet.
[113] Nat was too wound up in his thoughts to notice and I was getting used to miracles.
[114] We left the proprietor with his mouth open and met Danny, the cop, looking in at the door, also with his mouth open.
[115] On the sidewalk, a man walking in front of Nat stooped suddenly to tie his shoe and Nat, to avoid bumping him, stepped off the curb and a taxi swerved to avoid Nat.
[116] The street was still wet and the taxi skidded, its rear end lightly flipping the front of one of those small foreign cars, which was going rather fast.
[117] It turned sideways and, without any side-slip, went right up the stoop of a brownstone opposite, coming to rest with its nose inside the front door, which a man opened at that moment.
[118] The sight of this threw another driver into a skid, and when he and the taxi had stopped sliding around, they were face to face, arranged crosswise to the street.
[119] This gave them exactly no room to move either forward or backward, for the car had its back to a hydrant and the taxi to a lamp.
[120] Although rather narrow, this is a two-way street, and in no time at all, traffic was stacked up from both directions as far as the avenues.
[121] Everyone was honking his horn.
[122] Danny was furious—more so when he tried to put through a call to his station house from the box opposite.
[123] It was out of order.
[124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
[125] Nat had brightened up considerably.
[126] "I'll stay for one more drink and then I'm due at the office," he said.
[127] "You know, I think this would make an item for the paper."
[128] He grinned and nodded toward the pandemonium.
[129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
[130] Then I saw the curtains.
[131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
[132] That was tied in three knots.
[133] All right , I told myself, it was the wind.
[134] But I felt the time had come for me to get expert advice, so I went to the phone to call McGill.
[135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
[136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
[137] When I picked up the receiver, the line sounded dead and I thought, more trouble.
[138] Then I heard a man cough and I said hello.
[139] McGill's voice said, "Alec?
[140] You must have picked up the receiver just as we were connected.
[141] That's a damn funny coincidence."
[142] "Not in the least," I said.
[143] "Come on over here.
[144] I've got something for you to work on."
[145] "Well, as a matter of fact, I was calling up to ask you and Molly—" "Molly's away for the week.
[146] Can you get over here quick?
[147] It's urgent."
[148] "At once," he said, and hung up.
[149] While I waited, I thought I might try getting down a few paragraphs of my novel—perhaps something would come now.
[150] It did, but as I came to a point where I was about to put down the word "agurgling," I decided it was too reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan, and stopped at the letter "R." Then I saw that I had unaccountably hit all four keys one step to the side of the correct ones, and tore out the page, with my face red.
[151] This was absolutely not my day.
[152] "Well," McGill said, "nothing you've told me is impossible or supernatural.
[153] Just very, very improbable.
[154] In fact, the odds against that poker game alone would lead me to suspect Nat, well as I know him.
[155] It's all those other things...." He got up and walked over to the window and looked at the hot twilight while I waited.
[156] Then he turned around; he had a look of concern.
[157] "Alec, you're a reasonable guy, so I don't think you'll take offense at what I'm going to say.
[158] What you have told me is so impossibly unlikely, and the odds against it so astronomical, that I must take the view that you're either stringing me or you're subject to a delusion."
[159] I started to get up and expostulate, but he motioned me back.
[160] "I know, but don't you see that that is far more likely than...." He stopped and shook his head.
[161] Then he brightened.
[162] "I have an idea.
[163] Maybe we can have a demonstration."
[164] He thought for a tense minute and snapped his fingers.
[165] "Have you any change on you?"
[166] "Why, yes," I said.
[167] "Quite a bit."
[168] I reached into my pocket.
[169] There must have been nearly two dollars in silver and pennies.
[170] "Do you think they'll each have the same date, perhaps?"
[171] "Did you accumulate all that change today?"
[172] "No.
[173] During the week."
[174] He shook his head.
[175] "In that case, no.
[176] Discounting the fact that you could have prearranged it, if my dim provisional theory is right, that would be actually impossible.
[177] It would involve time-reversal.
[178] I'll tell you about it later.
[179] No, just throw down the change.
[180] Let's see if they all come up heads."
[181] I moved away from the carpet and tossed the handful of coins onto the floor.
[182] They clattered and bounced—and bounced together—and stacked themselves into a neat pile.
[183] I looked at McGill.
[184] His eyes were narrowed.
[185] Without a word, he took a handful of coins from his own pocket and threw them.
[186] These coins didn't stack.
[187] They just fell into an exactly straight line, the adjacent ones touching.
[188] "Well," I said, "what more do you want?"
[189] "Great Scott," he said, and sat down.
[190] "I suppose you know that there are two great apparently opposite principles governing the Universe—random and design.
[191] The sands on the beach are an example of random distribution and life is an example of design.
[192] The motions of the particles of a gas are what we call random, but there are so many of them, we treat them statistically and derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics—quite reliable.
[193] It isn't theoretically hard-and-fast; it's just a matter of extreme probability.
[194] Now life, on the other hand, seems not to depend on probability at all; actually, it goes against it.
[195] Or you might say it is certainly not an accidental manifestation."
[196] "Do you mean," I asked in some confusion, "that some form of life is controlling the coins and—the other things?"
[197] He shook his head.
[198] "No.
[199] All I mean is that improbable things usually have improbable explanations.
[200] When I see a natural law being broken, I don't say to myself, 'Here's a miracle.'
[201] I revise my version of the book of rules.
[202] Something—I don't know what—is going on, and it seems to involve probability, and it seems to center around you.
[203] Were you still in that building when the elevators stuck?
[204] Or near it?"
[205] "I guess I must have been.
[206] It happened just after I left."
[207] "Hm.
[208] You're the center, all right.
[209] But why?"
[210] "Center of what?"
[211] I asked.
[212] "I feel as though I were the center of an electrical storm.
[213] Something has it in for me!"
[214] McGill grinned.
[215] "Don't be superstitious.
[216] And especially don't be anthropomorphic."
[217] "Well, if it's the opposite of random, it's got to be a form of life."
[218] "On what basis?
[219] All we know for certain is that random motions are being rearranged.
[220] A crystal, for example, is not life, but it's a non-random arrangement of particles....
[221] I wonder."
[222] He had a faraway, frowning look.
[223] I was beginning to feel hungry and the drinks had worn off.
[224] "Let's go out and eat," I said, "There's not a damn thing in the kitchen and I'm not allowed to cook.
[225] Only eggs and coffee."
[226] We put on our hats and went down to the street.
[227] From either end, we could hear wrecking trucks towing away the stalled cars.
[228] There were, by this time, a number of harassed cops directing the maneuver and we heard one of them say to Danny, "I don't know what the hell's going on around here.
[229] Every goddam car's got something the matter with it.
[230] They can't none of them back out for one reason or another.
[231] Never seen anything like it."
[232] Near us, two pedestrians were doing a curious little two-step as they tried to pass one another; as soon as one of them moved aside to let the other pass, the other would move to the same side.
[233] They both had embarrassed grins on their faces, but before long their grins were replaced by looks of suspicion and then determination.
[234] "All right, smart guy!"
[235] they shouted in unison, and barged ahead, only to collide.
[236] They backed off and threw simultaneous punches which met in mid-air.
[237] Then began one of the most remarkable bouts ever witnessed—a fight in which fist hit fist but never anything else, until both champions backed away undefeated, muttering identical excuses and threats.
[238] Danny appeared at that moment.
[239] His face was dripping.
[240] "You all right, Mr.
[241] Graham?"
[242] he asked.
[243] "I don't know what's going on around here, but ever since I came on this afternoon, things are going crazy.
[244] Bartley!"
[245] he shouted—he could succeed as a hog-caller.
[246] "Bring those dames over here!"
[247] Three women in a confused wrangle, with their half-open umbrellas intertwined, were brought across the street, which meant climbing over fenders.
[248] Bartley, a fine young patrolman, seemed self-conscious; the ladies seemed not to be.
[249] "All right, now, Mrs.
[250] Mac-Philip!"
[251] one of them said.
[252] "Leave go of my umbrella and we'll say no more about it!"
[253] "And so now it's Missus Mac-Philip, is it?"
[254] said her adversary.
[255] The third, a younger one with her back turned to us, her umbrella also caught in the tangle, pulled at it in a tentative way, at which the other two glared at her.
[256] She turned her head away and tried to let go, but the handle was caught in her glove.
[257] She looked up and I saw it was Molly.
[258] My nurse-wife.
[259] "Oh, Alec!"
[260] she said, and managed to detach herself.
[261] "Are you all right?"
[262] Was I all right!
[263] "Molly!
[264] What are you doing here?"
[265] "I was so worried, and when I saw all this, I didn't know what to think."
[266] She pointed to the stalled cars.
[267] "Are you really all right?"
[268] "Of course I'm all right.
[269] But why...." "The Oyster Bay operator said someone kept dialing and dialing Mother's number and there wasn't anyone on the line, so then she had it traced and it came from our phone here.
[270] I kept calling up, but I only got a busy signal.
[271] Oh, dear, are you sure you're all right?"
[272] I put my arm around her and glanced at McGill.
[273] He had an inward look.
[274] Then I caught Danny's eye.
[275] It had a thoughtful, almost suspicious cast to it.
[276] "Trouble does seem to follow you, Mr. Graham," was all he said.
[277] When we got upstairs, I turned to McGill.
[278] "Explain to Molly," I said.
[279] "And incidentally to me.
[280] I'm not properly briefed yet."
[281] He did so, and when he got to the summing up, I had the feeling she was a jump ahead of him.
[282] "In other words, you think it's something organic?"
[283] "Well," McGill said, "I'm trying to think of anything else it might be.
[284] I'm not doing so well," he confessed.
[285] "But so far as I can see," Molly answered, "it's mere probability, and without any over-all pattern."
[286] "Not quite.
[287] It has a center.
[288] Alec is the center."
[289] Molly looked at me with a curious expression for a moment.
[290] "Do you feel all right, darling?"
[291] she asked me.
[292] I nodded brightly.
[293] "You'll think this silly of me," she went on to McGill, "but why isn't it something like an overactive poltergeist?"
[294] "Pure concept," he said.
[295] "No genuine evidence."
[296] "Magnetism?"
[297] "Absolutely not.
[298] For one thing, most of the objects affected weren't magnetic—and don't forget magnetism is a force, not a form of energy, and a great deal of energy has been involved.
[299] I admit the energy has mainly been supplied by the things themselves, but in a magnetic field, all you'd get would be stored kinetic energy, such as when a piece of iron moves to a magnet or a line of force.
[300] Then it would just stay there, like a rundown clock weight.
[301] These things do a lot more than that—they go on moving."
[302] "Why did you mention a crystal before?
[303] Why not a life-form?"
[304] "Only an analogy," said McGill.
[305] "A crystal resembles life in that it has a definite shape and exhibits growth, but that's all.
[306] I'll agree this—thing—has no discernible shape and motion is involved, but plants don't move and amebas have no shape.
[307] Then a crystal feeds, but it does not convert what it feeds on; it merely rearranges it into a non-random pattern.
[308] In this case, it's rearranging random motions and it has a nucleus and it seems to be growing—at least in what you might call improbability."
[309] Molly frowned.
[310] "Then what is it?
[311] What's it made of?"
[312] "I should say it was made of the motions.
[313] There's a similar idea about the atom.
[314] Another thing that's like a crystal is that it appears to be forming around a nucleus not of its own material—the way a speck of sand thrown into a supersaturated solution becomes the nucleus of crystallization."
[315] "Sounds like the pearl in an oyster," Molly said, and gave me an impertinent look.
[316] "Why," I asked McGill, "did you say the coins couldn't have the same date?
[317] I mean apart from the off chance I got them that way."
[318] "Because I don't think this thing got going before today and everything that's happened can all be described as improbable motions here and now.
[319] The dates were already there, and to change them would require retroactive action, reversing time.
[320] That's out, in my book.
[321] That telephone now—" The doorbell rang.
[322] We were not surprised to find it was the telephone repairman.
[323] He took the set apart and clucked like a hen.
[324] "I guess you dropped it on the floor, mister," he said with strong disapproval.
[325] "Certainly not," I said.
[326] "Is it broken?"
[327] "Not exactly broken , but—" He shook his head and took it apart some more.
[328] McGill went over and they discussed the problem in undertones.
[329] Finally the man left and Molly called her mother to reassure her.
[330] McGill tried to explain to me what had happened with the phone.
[331] "You must have joggled something loose.
[332] And then you replaced the receiver in such a way that the contact wasn't quite open."
[333] "But for Pete's sake, Molly says the calls were going on for a long time!
[334] I phoned you only a short time ago and it must have taken her nearly two hours to get here from Oyster Bay."
[335] "Then you must have done it twice and the vibrations in the floor—something like that—just happened to cause the right induction impulses.
[336] Yes, I know how you feel," he said, seeing my expression.
[337] "It's beginning to bear down."
[338] Molly was through telephoning and suggested going out for dinner.
[339] I was so pleased to see her that I'd forgotten all about being hungry.
[340] "I'm in no mood to cook," she said.
[341] "Let's get away from all this."
[342] McGill raised an eyebrow.
[343] "If all this, as you call it, will let us."
[344] In the lobby, we ran into Nat, looking smug in a journalistic way.
[345] "I've been put on the story—who could be better?—I live here.
[346] So far, I don't quite get what's been happening.
[347] I've been talking to Danny, but he didn't say much.
[348] I got the feeling he thinks you're involved in some mystical, Hibernian way.
[349] Hello, McGill, what's with you?"
[350] "He's got a theory," said Molly.
[351] "Come and eat with us and he'll tell you all about it."
[352] Since we decided on an air-conditioned restaurant nearby on Sixth Avenue, we walked.
[353] The jam of cars didn't seem to be any less than before and we saw Danny again.
[354] He was talking to a police lieutenant, and when he caught sight of us, he said something that made the lieutenant look at us with interest.
[355] Particularly at me.
[356] "If you want your umbrella, Mrs. Graham," Danny said, "it's at the station house.
[357] What there's left of it, that is."
[358] Molly thanked him and there was a short pause, during which I felt the speculative regard of the lieutenant.
[359] I pulled out a packet of cigarettes, which I had opened, as always, by tearing off the top.
[360] I happened to have it upside down and all the cigarettes fell out.
[361] Before I could move my foot to obliterate what they had spelled out on the sidewalk, the two cops saw it.
[362] The lieutenant gave me a hard look, but said nothing.
[363] I quickly kicked the insulting cigarettes into the gutter.
[364] When we got to the restaurant, it was crowded but cool—although it didn't stay cool for long.
[365] We sat down at a side table near the door and ordered Tom Collinses as we looked at the menu.
[366] Sitting at the next table were a fat lady, wearing a very long, brilliant green evening gown, and a dried-up sour-looking man in a tux.
[367] When the waiter returned, they preempted him and began ordering dinner fussily: cold cuts for the man, and vichyssoise, lobster salad and strawberry parfait for the fat lady.
[368] I tasted my drink.
[369] It was most peculiar; salt seemed to have been used instead of sugar.
[370] I mentioned this and my companions tried theirs, and made faces.
[371] The waiter was concerned and apologetic, and took the drinks back to the bar across the room.
[372] The bartender looked over at us and tasted one of the drinks.
[373] Then he dumped them in his sink with a puzzled expression and made a new batch.
[374] After shaking this up, he set out a row of glasses, put ice in them and began to pour.
[375] That is to say he tilted the shaker over the first one, but nothing came out.
[376] He bumped it against the side of the bar and tried again.
[377] Still nothing.
[378] Then he took off the top and pried into it with his pick, his face pink with exasperation.
[379] I had the impression that the shaker had frozen solid.
[380] Well, ice is a crystal, I thought to myself.
[381] The other bartender gave him a fresh shaker, but the same thing happened, and I saw no more because the customers sitting at the bar crowded around in front of him, offering advice.
[382] Our waiter came back, baffled, saying he'd have the drinks in a moment, and went to the kitchen.
[383] When he returned, he had madame's vichyssoise and some rolls, which he put down, and then went to the bar, where the audience had grown larger.
[384] Molly lit a cigarette and said, "I suppose this is all part of it, Alec.
[385] Incidentally, it seems to be getting warmer in here."
[386] It was, and I had the feeling the place was quieter—a background noise had stopped.
[387] It dawned on me that I no longer heard the faint hum of the air-conditioner over the door, and as I started to say so, I made a gesture toward it.
[388] My hand collided with Molly's when she tapped her cigarette over the ashtray, and the cigarette landed in the neighboring vichyssoise.
[389] "Hey!
[390] What's the idea?"
[391] snarled the sour-looking man.
[392] "I'm terribly sorry," I said.
[393] "It was an accident.
[394] I—" "Throwing cigarettes at people!"
[395] the fat lady said.
[396] "I really didn't mean to," I began again, getting up.
[397] There must have been a hole in the edge of their tablecloth which one of my cuff buttons caught in, because as I stepped out from between the closely set tables, I pulled everything—tablecloth, silver, water glasses, ashtrays and the vichyssoise-à-la-nicotine—onto the floor.
[398] The fat lady surged from the banquette and slapped me meatily.
[399] The man licked his thumb and danced as boxers are popularly supposed to do.
[400] The owner of the place, a man with thick black eyebrows, hustled toward us with a determined manner.
[401] I tried to explain what had happened, but I was outshouted, and the owner frowned darkly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1957.
2. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
3. [305] "A crystal resembles life in that it has a definite shape and exhibits growth, but that's all.
4. [306] I'll agree this—thing—has no discernible shape and motion is involved, but plants don't move and amebas have no shape.
5. [307] Then a crystal feeds, but it does not convert what it feeds on; it merely rearranges it into a non-random pattern.
6. [308] In this case, it's rearranging random motions and it has a nucleus and it seems to be growing—at least in what you might call improbability."
7. [309] Molly frowned.
8. [310] "Then what is it?
9. [311] What's it made of?"
10. [312] "I should say it was made of the motions.
11. [313] There's a similar idea about the atom.
12. [314] Another thing that's like a crystal is that it appears to be forming around a nucleus not of its own material—the way a speck of sand thrown into a supersaturated solution becomes the nucleus of crystallization."
13. [315] "Sounds like the pearl in an oyster," Molly said, and gave me an impertinent look.
14. [3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
15. [4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
16. [5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
17. [6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
18. [7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
19. [8] What do they do, I asked myself, that I have left undone?
20. [9] I've vacuumed the carpet, I've dusted and I've straightened the cushions.... Ah!
21. [10] The ashtrays.
22. [11] I emptied them, washed them and put them back, but still the place looked wife-deserted.
23. [12] It had been a bad day; I had forgotten to wind the alarm clock, so I'd had to hurry to make a story conference at one of the TV studios I write for.
24. [13] I didn't notice the impending rain storm and had no umbrella when I reached the sidewalk, to find myself confronted with an almost tropical downpour.
25. [14] I would have turned back, but a taxi came up and a woman got out, so I dashed through the rain and got in.
26. [15] "Madison and Fifty-fourth," I said.
27. [16] "Right," said the driver, and I heard the starter grind, and then go on grinding.
28. [17] After some futile efforts, he turned to me.
29. [18] "Sorry, Mac.
30. [19] You'll have to find another cab.
31. [20] Good hunting."
32. [21] If possible, it was raining still harder.
33. [22] I opened my newspaper over my hat and ran for the subway: three blocks.
34. [23] Whizzing traffic held me up at each crossing and I was soaked when I reached the platform, just in time to miss the local.
35. [24] After an abnormal delay, I got one which exactly missed the express at Fourteenth Street.
36. [25] The same thing happened at both ends of the crosstown shuttle, but I found the rain had stopped when I got out at Fifty-first and Lexington.
37. [26] As I walked across to Madison Avenue, I passed a big excavation where they were getting ready to put up a new office building.
38. [27] There was the usual crowd of buffs watching the digging machines and, in particular, a man with a pneumatic drill who was breaking up some hard-packed clay.
39. [28] While I looked, a big lump of it fell away, and for an instant I was able to see something that looked like a chunk of dirty glass, the size of an old-fashioned hatbox.
40. [29] It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, and then his chattering drill hit it.
41. [30] There was a faint bang and the thing disintegrated.
42. [31] It knocked him on his back, but he got right up and I realized he was not hurt.
43. [32] At the moment of the explosion—if so feeble a thing can be called one—I felt something sting my face and, on touching it, found blood on my hand.
44. [33] I mopped at it with my handkerchief but, though slight, the bleeding would not stop, so I went into a drugstore and bought some pink adhesive which I put on the tiny cut.
45. [34] When I got to the studio, I found that I had missed the story conference.
46. [35] During the day, by actual count, I heard the phrase "I'm just spitballing" eight times, and another Madison Avenue favorite, "The whole ball of wax," twelve times.
47. [36] However, my story had been accepted without change because nobody had noticed my absence from the conference room.
48. [37] There you have what is known as the Advertising World, the Advertising game or the advertising racket, depending upon which rung of the ladder you have achieved.
49. [38] The subway gave a repeat performance going home, and as I got to the apartment house we live in, the cop on the afternoon beat was standing there talking to the doorman.
50. [39] He said, "Hello, Mr. Graham.
51. [40] I guess you must have just have missed it at your office building."
52. [41] I looked blank and he explained, "We just heard it a little while ago: all six elevators in your building jammed at the same time.
53. [42] Sounds crazy.
54. [43] I guess you just missed it."
55. [44] Anything can happen in advertising, I thought.
56. [45] "That's right, Danny, I just missed it," I said, and went on in.
57. [46] Psychiatry tells us that some people are accident-prone; I, on the other hand, seemed recently to be coincidence-prone, fluke-happy, and except for the alarm clock, I'd had no control over what had been going on.
58. [47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
59. [48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
60. [49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
61. [50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
62. [51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back.
63. [52] And Close the Door, too."
64. [53] Intimidated, I took my drink into the living room and sat down in front of the typewriter.
65. [54] As I stared at the novel that was to liberate me from Madison Avenue, I noticed a mistake and picked up a pencil.
66. [55] When I put it down, it rolled off the desk, and with my eyes on the manuscript, I groped under the chair for it.
67. [56] Then I looked down.
68. [57] The pencil was standing on its end.
69. [58] There, I thought to myself, is that one chance in a million we hear about, and picked up the pencil.
70. [59] I turned back to my novel and drank some of the highball in hopes of inspiration and surcease from the muggy heat, but nothing came.
71. [60] I went back and read the whole chapter to try to get a forward momentum, but came to a dead stop at the last sentence.
72. [61] Damn the heat, damn the pencil, damn Madison Avenue and advertising.
73. [62] My drink was gone and I went back to the kitchen and read Molly's notes again to see if they would be like a letter from her.
74. [63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before.
75. [64] I love you."
76. [65] What can you do when the girl loves you?
77. [66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
78. [67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
79. [68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
80. [69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
81. [70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
82. [71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
83. [72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
84. [73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
85. [74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
86. [75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
87. [76] "You can't say a thing like that to me!"
88. [77] I heard him shout.
89. [78] "I tell you I got that deck this afternoon and they weren't opened till we started to play!"
90. [79] Several other loud voices started at the same time.
91. [80] "Nobody gets five straight-flushes in a row!"
92. [81] "Yeah, and only when you were dealer!"
93. [82] The tone of the argument was beginning to get ugly, and I opened the door to offer Nat help if he needed it.
94. [83] There were four men confronting him, evidently torn between the desire to make an angry exit and the impulse to stay and beat him up.
95. [84] His face was furiously red and he looked stunned.
96. [85] "Here!"
97. [86] he said, holding out a deck of cards, "For Pete's sake, look at 'em yourselves if you think they're marked!"
98. [87] The nearest man struck them up from his hand.
99. [88] "Okay, Houdini!
100. [89] So they're not marked!
101. [90] All I know is five straight...." His voice trailed away.
102. [91] He and the others stared at the scattered cards on the floor.
103. [92] About half were face down, as might be expected, and the rest face up—all red.
104. [93] Someone must have rung, because at that moment the elevator arrived and the four men, with half frightened, incredulous looks, and in silence, got in and were taken down.
105. [94] My friend stood looking at the neatly arranged cards.
106. [95] "Judas!"
107. [96] he said, and started to pick them up.
108. [97] "Will you look at that!
109. [98] My God, what a session...." I helped him and said to come in for a drink and tell me all about it, but I had an idea what I would hear.
110. [99] After a while, he calmed down, but he still seemed dazed.
111. [100] "Never seen anything to equal it," he said.
112. [101] "Wouldn't have believed it.
113. [102] Those guys didn't believe it.
114. [103] Every round normal, nothing unusual about the hands—three of a kind, a low straight, that sort of thing and one guy got queens over tens, until it gets to be my deal.
115. [104] Brother!
116. [105] Straight flush to the king—every time!
117. [106] And each time, somebody else has four aces...." He started to sweat again, so I got up to fix him another drink.
118. [107] There was one quart of club soda left, but when I tried to open it, the top broke and glass chips got into the bottle.
119. [108] "I'll have to go down for more soda," I said.
120. [109] "I'll come, too.
121. [110] I need air."
122. [111] At the delicatessen on the corner, the man gave me three bottles in what must have been a wet bag, because as he handed them to me over the top of the cold-meat display, the bottom gave and they fell onto the tile floor.
123. [112] None of them broke, although the fall must have been from at least five feet.
124. [113] Nat was too wound up in his thoughts to notice and I was getting used to miracles.
125. [114] We left the proprietor with his mouth open and met Danny, the cop, looking in at the door, also with his mouth open.
126. [115] On the sidewalk, a man walking in front of Nat stooped suddenly to tie his shoe and Nat, to avoid bumping him, stepped off the curb and a taxi swerved to avoid Nat.
127. [116] The street was still wet and the taxi skidded, its rear end lightly flipping the front of one of those small foreign cars, which was going rather fast.
128. [117] It turned sideways and, without any side-slip, went right up the stoop of a brownstone opposite, coming to rest with its nose inside the front door, which a man opened at that moment.
129. [118] The sight of this threw another driver into a skid, and when he and the taxi had stopped sliding around, they were face to face, arranged crosswise to the street.
130. [119] This gave them exactly no room to move either forward or backward, for the car had its back to a hydrant and the taxi to a lamp.
131. [120] Although rather narrow, this is a two-way street, and in no time at all, traffic was stacked up from both directions as far as the avenues.
132. [121] Everyone was honking his horn.
133. [122] Danny was furious—more so when he tried to put through a call to his station house from the box opposite.
134. [123] It was out of order.
135. [124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
136. [125] Nat had brightened up considerably.
137. [126] "I'll stay for one more drink and then I'm due at the office," he said.
138. [127] "You know, I think this would make an item for the paper."
139. [128] He grinned and nodded toward the pandemonium.
140. [129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
141. [130] Then I saw the curtains.
142. [131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
143. [132] That was tied in three knots.
144. [133] All right , I told myself, it was the wind.
145. [134] But I felt the time had come for me to get expert advice, so I went to the phone to call McGill.
146. [135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
147. [136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
148. [137] When I picked up the receiver, the line sounded dead and I thought, more trouble.
149. [138] Then I heard a man cough and I said hello.
150. [139] McGill's voice said, "Alec?
151. [140] |
Describe the setting of the story. | [
"The story is initially set in Alec’s home. There is a radio, Greenwich Village thermometer, and a living room. In the home, there is also carpet, cushions, and ashtrays for cigarettes. Alec also owns an alarm clock to help him wake up. In the living room, there is also a typewriter and a telephone. Alec tries to go to his conference in New York, but it is raining heavily, and the cab refuses to take him to his destination. However, the story also mentions the subway, which he takes. Alec’s stop is Fifty-first and Lexington. There is also mention of a big excavation site for a new building. On his way to the studio, he also stops at the drugstore. There are also at least six elevators in his building. Around the corner of the apartment, there is a delicatessen that sells soda. On the streets outside, cars are jamming into each other and have to be towed away. Later, the story is set in a restaurant near Sixth Avenue. The restaurant is crowded but cool, and there is a bar too. There is also background music and the faint hum of the air-conditioner, both that stop shortly after.",
"The story takes place in New York City. Alec lives in Greenwich Village and works at an office on the Upper East Side, on Madison Avenue. Alec lives in an apartment complex in a comfortable home, containing a living room where he keeps his typewriter, a small kitchen, and a bedroom. Alec's living room window offers a view of the roof across from him. Throughout the story, Alec visits many different places. In addition to his office, he goes to a small corner store to purchase soda, as well as a restaurant near Sixth Avenue.",
"The main setting of the story is presumed to be in Manhattan in New York City. Alec goes to different parts of the city due to work, where he lives, and for food. His commute on the subway was fraught with troubles and he ends up missing a meeting at work, though his absence goes unnoticed. His wife, Molly, who was visiting her mother, finds him on the street surrounded by a bunch of commotion. Alec, his wife, and McGill return to Alec’s apartment to discuss what has been happening. After much discussion, they go out to eat. As more strange coincidences happen at the restaurant, Molly notes how it keeps getting warmer.",
"The story starts in Alec's apartment which looks wife-deserted as Molly, his wife, is visiting her mother. All around the apartment there are what-to-do notes from Molly. Alec rushes out for his job and it starts raining really bad outside. The cab doesn't move and he gets into the subway. Then he exits near his job, there is a huge excavation nearby, with men drilling clay and some spectators. Inside one piece of clay there is something shiny, like glass. Alec gets to his TV studio and soon takes the subway back home. At home he makes a drink in the kitchen and sits down in the living room with some papers which are supposedly his future novel and a typewriter. Weird events like a pencil standing straight and a tied in three knots curtain keep happening. From the window Alec sees a man exercising a flock of pigeons on the rooftop and a weird traffic occurs among the birds. Alec hears loud voices and opens the door to see his neighbor, Nat, being confronted by four men in the hallway. The two get into Alec's apartment and soon go out for sodas. At the delicatessen on the corner, Alec drops three bottles of water but they don't break. A series of accidents happen on the road outside and create an enormous traffic jam. Soon, Alec is alone in his apartment and invites his friend McGill to figure out the weird happenings. After a couple more very unprovable events they go out for food. The traffic outside is incredible, every car wrecks and pedestrians can't get past one another and fight. Molly appears among the women fighting over umbrellas and the three go back home. After a couple more weird events including the broken phone, they take Nat and go to a restaurant after all. The traffic on the street is still crazy. The restaurant is air-conditioned and noisy. The drinks are salty, and when the bartender tries to redo them, the liquid freezes, gathering many spectators. The air gets warmer and another accident creates a fight between Alec and a lady at the next table."
] | [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
[4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
[5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
[6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
[7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
[8] What do they do, I asked myself, that I have left undone?
[9] I've vacuumed the carpet, I've dusted and I've straightened the cushions.... Ah!
[10] The ashtrays.
[11] I emptied them, washed them and put them back, but still the place looked wife-deserted.
[12] It had been a bad day; I had forgotten to wind the alarm clock, so I'd had to hurry to make a story conference at one of the TV studios I write for.
[13] I didn't notice the impending rain storm and had no umbrella when I reached the sidewalk, to find myself confronted with an almost tropical downpour.
[14] I would have turned back, but a taxi came up and a woman got out, so I dashed through the rain and got in.
[15] "Madison and Fifty-fourth," I said.
[16] "Right," said the driver, and I heard the starter grind, and then go on grinding.
[17] After some futile efforts, he turned to me.
[18] "Sorry, Mac.
[19] You'll have to find another cab.
[20] Good hunting."
[21] If possible, it was raining still harder.
[22] I opened my newspaper over my hat and ran for the subway: three blocks.
[23] Whizzing traffic held me up at each crossing and I was soaked when I reached the platform, just in time to miss the local.
[24] After an abnormal delay, I got one which exactly missed the express at Fourteenth Street.
[25] The same thing happened at both ends of the crosstown shuttle, but I found the rain had stopped when I got out at Fifty-first and Lexington.
[26] As I walked across to Madison Avenue, I passed a big excavation where they were getting ready to put up a new office building.
[27] There was the usual crowd of buffs watching the digging machines and, in particular, a man with a pneumatic drill who was breaking up some hard-packed clay.
[28] While I looked, a big lump of it fell away, and for an instant I was able to see something that looked like a chunk of dirty glass, the size of an old-fashioned hatbox.
[29] It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, and then his chattering drill hit it.
[30] There was a faint bang and the thing disintegrated.
[31] It knocked him on his back, but he got right up and I realized he was not hurt.
[32] At the moment of the explosion—if so feeble a thing can be called one—I felt something sting my face and, on touching it, found blood on my hand.
[33] I mopped at it with my handkerchief but, though slight, the bleeding would not stop, so I went into a drugstore and bought some pink adhesive which I put on the tiny cut.
[34] When I got to the studio, I found that I had missed the story conference.
[35] During the day, by actual count, I heard the phrase "I'm just spitballing" eight times, and another Madison Avenue favorite, "The whole ball of wax," twelve times.
[36] However, my story had been accepted without change because nobody had noticed my absence from the conference room.
[37] There you have what is known as the Advertising World, the Advertising game or the advertising racket, depending upon which rung of the ladder you have achieved.
[38] The subway gave a repeat performance going home, and as I got to the apartment house we live in, the cop on the afternoon beat was standing there talking to the doorman.
[39] He said, "Hello, Mr. Graham.
[40] I guess you must have just have missed it at your office building."
[41] I looked blank and he explained, "We just heard it a little while ago: all six elevators in your building jammed at the same time.
[42] Sounds crazy.
[43] I guess you just missed it."
[44] Anything can happen in advertising, I thought.
[45] "That's right, Danny, I just missed it," I said, and went on in.
[46] Psychiatry tells us that some people are accident-prone; I, on the other hand, seemed recently to be coincidence-prone, fluke-happy, and except for the alarm clock, I'd had no control over what had been going on.
[47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
[48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
[49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
[50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
[51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back.
[52] And Close the Door, too."
[53] Intimidated, I took my drink into the living room and sat down in front of the typewriter.
[54] As I stared at the novel that was to liberate me from Madison Avenue, I noticed a mistake and picked up a pencil.
[55] When I put it down, it rolled off the desk, and with my eyes on the manuscript, I groped under the chair for it.
[56] Then I looked down.
[57] The pencil was standing on its end.
[58] There, I thought to myself, is that one chance in a million we hear about, and picked up the pencil.
[59] I turned back to my novel and drank some of the highball in hopes of inspiration and surcease from the muggy heat, but nothing came.
[60] I went back and read the whole chapter to try to get a forward momentum, but came to a dead stop at the last sentence.
[61] Damn the heat, damn the pencil, damn Madison Avenue and advertising.
[62] My drink was gone and I went back to the kitchen and read Molly's notes again to see if they would be like a letter from her.
[63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before.
[64] I love you."
[65] What can you do when the girl loves you?
[66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
[67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
[68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
[69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
[70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
[71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
[72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
[73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
[74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
[75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
[76] "You can't say a thing like that to me!"
[77] I heard him shout.
[78] "I tell you I got that deck this afternoon and they weren't opened till we started to play!"
[79] Several other loud voices started at the same time.
[80] "Nobody gets five straight-flushes in a row!"
[81] "Yeah, and only when you were dealer!"
[82] The tone of the argument was beginning to get ugly, and I opened the door to offer Nat help if he needed it.
[83] There were four men confronting him, evidently torn between the desire to make an angry exit and the impulse to stay and beat him up.
[84] His face was furiously red and he looked stunned.
[85] "Here!"
[86] he said, holding out a deck of cards, "For Pete's sake, look at 'em yourselves if you think they're marked!"
[87] The nearest man struck them up from his hand.
[88] "Okay, Houdini!
[89] So they're not marked!
[90] All I know is five straight...." His voice trailed away.
[91] He and the others stared at the scattered cards on the floor.
[92] About half were face down, as might be expected, and the rest face up—all red.
[93] Someone must have rung, because at that moment the elevator arrived and the four men, with half frightened, incredulous looks, and in silence, got in and were taken down.
[94] My friend stood looking at the neatly arranged cards.
[95] "Judas!"
[96] he said, and started to pick them up.
[97] "Will you look at that!
[98] My God, what a session...." I helped him and said to come in for a drink and tell me all about it, but I had an idea what I would hear.
[99] After a while, he calmed down, but he still seemed dazed.
[100] "Never seen anything to equal it," he said.
[101] "Wouldn't have believed it.
[102] Those guys didn't believe it.
[103] Every round normal, nothing unusual about the hands—three of a kind, a low straight, that sort of thing and one guy got queens over tens, until it gets to be my deal.
[104] Brother!
[105] Straight flush to the king—every time!
[106] And each time, somebody else has four aces...." He started to sweat again, so I got up to fix him another drink.
[107] There was one quart of club soda left, but when I tried to open it, the top broke and glass chips got into the bottle.
[108] "I'll have to go down for more soda," I said.
[109] "I'll come, too.
[110] I need air."
[111] At the delicatessen on the corner, the man gave me three bottles in what must have been a wet bag, because as he handed them to me over the top of the cold-meat display, the bottom gave and they fell onto the tile floor.
[112] None of them broke, although the fall must have been from at least five feet.
[113] Nat was too wound up in his thoughts to notice and I was getting used to miracles.
[114] We left the proprietor with his mouth open and met Danny, the cop, looking in at the door, also with his mouth open.
[115] On the sidewalk, a man walking in front of Nat stooped suddenly to tie his shoe and Nat, to avoid bumping him, stepped off the curb and a taxi swerved to avoid Nat.
[116] The street was still wet and the taxi skidded, its rear end lightly flipping the front of one of those small foreign cars, which was going rather fast.
[117] It turned sideways and, without any side-slip, went right up the stoop of a brownstone opposite, coming to rest with its nose inside the front door, which a man opened at that moment.
[118] The sight of this threw another driver into a skid, and when he and the taxi had stopped sliding around, they were face to face, arranged crosswise to the street.
[119] This gave them exactly no room to move either forward or backward, for the car had its back to a hydrant and the taxi to a lamp.
[120] Although rather narrow, this is a two-way street, and in no time at all, traffic was stacked up from both directions as far as the avenues.
[121] Everyone was honking his horn.
[122] Danny was furious—more so when he tried to put through a call to his station house from the box opposite.
[123] It was out of order.
[124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
[125] Nat had brightened up considerably.
[126] "I'll stay for one more drink and then I'm due at the office," he said.
[127] "You know, I think this would make an item for the paper."
[128] He grinned and nodded toward the pandemonium.
[129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
[130] Then I saw the curtains.
[131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
[132] That was tied in three knots.
[133] All right , I told myself, it was the wind.
[134] But I felt the time had come for me to get expert advice, so I went to the phone to call McGill.
[135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
[136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
[137] When I picked up the receiver, the line sounded dead and I thought, more trouble.
[138] Then I heard a man cough and I said hello.
[139] McGill's voice said, "Alec?
[140] You must have picked up the receiver just as we were connected.
[141] That's a damn funny coincidence."
[142] "Not in the least," I said.
[143] "Come on over here.
[144] I've got something for you to work on."
[145] "Well, as a matter of fact, I was calling up to ask you and Molly—" "Molly's away for the week.
[146] Can you get over here quick?
[147] It's urgent."
[148] "At once," he said, and hung up.
[149] While I waited, I thought I might try getting down a few paragraphs of my novel—perhaps something would come now.
[150] It did, but as I came to a point where I was about to put down the word "agurgling," I decided it was too reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan, and stopped at the letter "R." Then I saw that I had unaccountably hit all four keys one step to the side of the correct ones, and tore out the page, with my face red.
[151] This was absolutely not my day.
[152] "Well," McGill said, "nothing you've told me is impossible or supernatural.
[153] Just very, very improbable.
[154] In fact, the odds against that poker game alone would lead me to suspect Nat, well as I know him.
[155] It's all those other things...." He got up and walked over to the window and looked at the hot twilight while I waited.
[156] Then he turned around; he had a look of concern.
[157] "Alec, you're a reasonable guy, so I don't think you'll take offense at what I'm going to say.
[158] What you have told me is so impossibly unlikely, and the odds against it so astronomical, that I must take the view that you're either stringing me or you're subject to a delusion."
[159] I started to get up and expostulate, but he motioned me back.
[160] "I know, but don't you see that that is far more likely than...." He stopped and shook his head.
[161] Then he brightened.
[162] "I have an idea.
[163] Maybe we can have a demonstration."
[164] He thought for a tense minute and snapped his fingers.
[165] "Have you any change on you?"
[166] "Why, yes," I said.
[167] "Quite a bit."
[168] I reached into my pocket.
[169] There must have been nearly two dollars in silver and pennies.
[170] "Do you think they'll each have the same date, perhaps?"
[171] "Did you accumulate all that change today?"
[172] "No.
[173] During the week."
[174] He shook his head.
[175] "In that case, no.
[176] Discounting the fact that you could have prearranged it, if my dim provisional theory is right, that would be actually impossible.
[177] It would involve time-reversal.
[178] I'll tell you about it later.
[179] No, just throw down the change.
[180] Let's see if they all come up heads."
[181] I moved away from the carpet and tossed the handful of coins onto the floor.
[182] They clattered and bounced—and bounced together—and stacked themselves into a neat pile.
[183] I looked at McGill.
[184] His eyes were narrowed.
[185] Without a word, he took a handful of coins from his own pocket and threw them.
[186] These coins didn't stack.
[187] They just fell into an exactly straight line, the adjacent ones touching.
[188] "Well," I said, "what more do you want?"
[189] "Great Scott," he said, and sat down.
[190] "I suppose you know that there are two great apparently opposite principles governing the Universe—random and design.
[191] The sands on the beach are an example of random distribution and life is an example of design.
[192] The motions of the particles of a gas are what we call random, but there are so many of them, we treat them statistically and derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics—quite reliable.
[193] It isn't theoretically hard-and-fast; it's just a matter of extreme probability.
[194] Now life, on the other hand, seems not to depend on probability at all; actually, it goes against it.
[195] Or you might say it is certainly not an accidental manifestation."
[196] "Do you mean," I asked in some confusion, "that some form of life is controlling the coins and—the other things?"
[197] He shook his head.
[198] "No.
[199] All I mean is that improbable things usually have improbable explanations.
[200] When I see a natural law being broken, I don't say to myself, 'Here's a miracle.'
[201] I revise my version of the book of rules.
[202] Something—I don't know what—is going on, and it seems to involve probability, and it seems to center around you.
[203] Were you still in that building when the elevators stuck?
[204] Or near it?"
[205] "I guess I must have been.
[206] It happened just after I left."
[207] "Hm.
[208] You're the center, all right.
[209] But why?"
[210] "Center of what?"
[211] I asked.
[212] "I feel as though I were the center of an electrical storm.
[213] Something has it in for me!"
[214] McGill grinned.
[215] "Don't be superstitious.
[216] And especially don't be anthropomorphic."
[217] "Well, if it's the opposite of random, it's got to be a form of life."
[218] "On what basis?
[219] All we know for certain is that random motions are being rearranged.
[220] A crystal, for example, is not life, but it's a non-random arrangement of particles....
[221] I wonder."
[222] He had a faraway, frowning look.
[223] I was beginning to feel hungry and the drinks had worn off.
[224] "Let's go out and eat," I said, "There's not a damn thing in the kitchen and I'm not allowed to cook.
[225] Only eggs and coffee."
[226] We put on our hats and went down to the street.
[227] From either end, we could hear wrecking trucks towing away the stalled cars.
[228] There were, by this time, a number of harassed cops directing the maneuver and we heard one of them say to Danny, "I don't know what the hell's going on around here.
[229] Every goddam car's got something the matter with it.
[230] They can't none of them back out for one reason or another.
[231] Never seen anything like it."
[232] Near us, two pedestrians were doing a curious little two-step as they tried to pass one another; as soon as one of them moved aside to let the other pass, the other would move to the same side.
[233] They both had embarrassed grins on their faces, but before long their grins were replaced by looks of suspicion and then determination.
[234] "All right, smart guy!"
[235] they shouted in unison, and barged ahead, only to collide.
[236] They backed off and threw simultaneous punches which met in mid-air.
[237] Then began one of the most remarkable bouts ever witnessed—a fight in which fist hit fist but never anything else, until both champions backed away undefeated, muttering identical excuses and threats.
[238] Danny appeared at that moment.
[239] His face was dripping.
[240] "You all right, Mr.
[241] Graham?"
[242] he asked.
[243] "I don't know what's going on around here, but ever since I came on this afternoon, things are going crazy.
[244] Bartley!"
[245] he shouted—he could succeed as a hog-caller.
[246] "Bring those dames over here!"
[247] Three women in a confused wrangle, with their half-open umbrellas intertwined, were brought across the street, which meant climbing over fenders.
[248] Bartley, a fine young patrolman, seemed self-conscious; the ladies seemed not to be.
[249] "All right, now, Mrs.
[250] Mac-Philip!"
[251] one of them said.
[252] "Leave go of my umbrella and we'll say no more about it!"
[253] "And so now it's Missus Mac-Philip, is it?"
[254] said her adversary.
[255] The third, a younger one with her back turned to us, her umbrella also caught in the tangle, pulled at it in a tentative way, at which the other two glared at her.
[256] She turned her head away and tried to let go, but the handle was caught in her glove.
[257] She looked up and I saw it was Molly.
[258] My nurse-wife.
[259] "Oh, Alec!"
[260] she said, and managed to detach herself.
[261] "Are you all right?"
[262] Was I all right!
[263] "Molly!
[264] What are you doing here?"
[265] "I was so worried, and when I saw all this, I didn't know what to think."
[266] She pointed to the stalled cars.
[267] "Are you really all right?"
[268] "Of course I'm all right.
[269] But why...." "The Oyster Bay operator said someone kept dialing and dialing Mother's number and there wasn't anyone on the line, so then she had it traced and it came from our phone here.
[270] I kept calling up, but I only got a busy signal.
[271] Oh, dear, are you sure you're all right?"
[272] I put my arm around her and glanced at McGill.
[273] He had an inward look.
[274] Then I caught Danny's eye.
[275] It had a thoughtful, almost suspicious cast to it.
[276] "Trouble does seem to follow you, Mr. Graham," was all he said.
[277] When we got upstairs, I turned to McGill.
[278] "Explain to Molly," I said.
[279] "And incidentally to me.
[280] I'm not properly briefed yet."
[281] He did so, and when he got to the summing up, I had the feeling she was a jump ahead of him.
[282] "In other words, you think it's something organic?"
[283] "Well," McGill said, "I'm trying to think of anything else it might be.
[284] I'm not doing so well," he confessed.
[285] "But so far as I can see," Molly answered, "it's mere probability, and without any over-all pattern."
[286] "Not quite.
[287] It has a center.
[288] Alec is the center."
[289] Molly looked at me with a curious expression for a moment.
[290] "Do you feel all right, darling?"
[291] she asked me.
[292] I nodded brightly.
[293] "You'll think this silly of me," she went on to McGill, "but why isn't it something like an overactive poltergeist?"
[294] "Pure concept," he said.
[295] "No genuine evidence."
[296] "Magnetism?"
[297] "Absolutely not.
[298] For one thing, most of the objects affected weren't magnetic—and don't forget magnetism is a force, not a form of energy, and a great deal of energy has been involved.
[299] I admit the energy has mainly been supplied by the things themselves, but in a magnetic field, all you'd get would be stored kinetic energy, such as when a piece of iron moves to a magnet or a line of force.
[300] Then it would just stay there, like a rundown clock weight.
[301] These things do a lot more than that—they go on moving."
[302] "Why did you mention a crystal before?
[303] Why not a life-form?"
[304] "Only an analogy," said McGill.
[305] "A crystal resembles life in that it has a definite shape and exhibits growth, but that's all.
[306] I'll agree this—thing—has no discernible shape and motion is involved, but plants don't move and amebas have no shape.
[307] Then a crystal feeds, but it does not convert what it feeds on; it merely rearranges it into a non-random pattern.
[308] In this case, it's rearranging random motions and it has a nucleus and it seems to be growing—at least in what you might call improbability."
[309] Molly frowned.
[310] "Then what is it?
[311] What's it made of?"
[312] "I should say it was made of the motions.
[313] There's a similar idea about the atom.
[314] Another thing that's like a crystal is that it appears to be forming around a nucleus not of its own material—the way a speck of sand thrown into a supersaturated solution becomes the nucleus of crystallization."
[315] "Sounds like the pearl in an oyster," Molly said, and gave me an impertinent look.
[316] "Why," I asked McGill, "did you say the coins couldn't have the same date?
[317] I mean apart from the off chance I got them that way."
[318] "Because I don't think this thing got going before today and everything that's happened can all be described as improbable motions here and now.
[319] The dates were already there, and to change them would require retroactive action, reversing time.
[320] That's out, in my book.
[321] That telephone now—" The doorbell rang.
[322] We were not surprised to find it was the telephone repairman.
[323] He took the set apart and clucked like a hen.
[324] "I guess you dropped it on the floor, mister," he said with strong disapproval.
[325] "Certainly not," I said.
[326] "Is it broken?"
[327] "Not exactly broken , but—" He shook his head and took it apart some more.
[328] McGill went over and they discussed the problem in undertones.
[329] Finally the man left and Molly called her mother to reassure her.
[330] McGill tried to explain to me what had happened with the phone.
[331] "You must have joggled something loose.
[332] And then you replaced the receiver in such a way that the contact wasn't quite open."
[333] "But for Pete's sake, Molly says the calls were going on for a long time!
[334] I phoned you only a short time ago and it must have taken her nearly two hours to get here from Oyster Bay."
[335] "Then you must have done it twice and the vibrations in the floor—something like that—just happened to cause the right induction impulses.
[336] Yes, I know how you feel," he said, seeing my expression.
[337] "It's beginning to bear down."
[338] Molly was through telephoning and suggested going out for dinner.
[339] I was so pleased to see her that I'd forgotten all about being hungry.
[340] "I'm in no mood to cook," she said.
[341] "Let's get away from all this."
[342] McGill raised an eyebrow.
[343] "If all this, as you call it, will let us."
[344] In the lobby, we ran into Nat, looking smug in a journalistic way.
[345] "I've been put on the story—who could be better?—I live here.
[346] So far, I don't quite get what's been happening.
[347] I've been talking to Danny, but he didn't say much.
[348] I got the feeling he thinks you're involved in some mystical, Hibernian way.
[349] Hello, McGill, what's with you?"
[350] "He's got a theory," said Molly.
[351] "Come and eat with us and he'll tell you all about it."
[352] Since we decided on an air-conditioned restaurant nearby on Sixth Avenue, we walked.
[353] The jam of cars didn't seem to be any less than before and we saw Danny again.
[354] He was talking to a police lieutenant, and when he caught sight of us, he said something that made the lieutenant look at us with interest.
[355] Particularly at me.
[356] "If you want your umbrella, Mrs. Graham," Danny said, "it's at the station house.
[357] What there's left of it, that is."
[358] Molly thanked him and there was a short pause, during which I felt the speculative regard of the lieutenant.
[359] I pulled out a packet of cigarettes, which I had opened, as always, by tearing off the top.
[360] I happened to have it upside down and all the cigarettes fell out.
[361] Before I could move my foot to obliterate what they had spelled out on the sidewalk, the two cops saw it.
[362] The lieutenant gave me a hard look, but said nothing.
[363] I quickly kicked the insulting cigarettes into the gutter.
[364] When we got to the restaurant, it was crowded but cool—although it didn't stay cool for long.
[365] We sat down at a side table near the door and ordered Tom Collinses as we looked at the menu.
[366] Sitting at the next table were a fat lady, wearing a very long, brilliant green evening gown, and a dried-up sour-looking man in a tux.
[367] When the waiter returned, they preempted him and began ordering dinner fussily: cold cuts for the man, and vichyssoise, lobster salad and strawberry parfait for the fat lady.
[368] I tasted my drink.
[369] It was most peculiar; salt seemed to have been used instead of sugar.
[370] I mentioned this and my companions tried theirs, and made faces.
[371] The waiter was concerned and apologetic, and took the drinks back to the bar across the room.
[372] The bartender looked over at us and tasted one of the drinks.
[373] Then he dumped them in his sink with a puzzled expression and made a new batch.
[374] After shaking this up, he set out a row of glasses, put ice in them and began to pour.
[375] That is to say he tilted the shaker over the first one, but nothing came out.
[376] He bumped it against the side of the bar and tried again.
[377] Still nothing.
[378] Then he took off the top and pried into it with his pick, his face pink with exasperation.
[379] I had the impression that the shaker had frozen solid.
[380] Well, ice is a crystal, I thought to myself.
[381] The other bartender gave him a fresh shaker, but the same thing happened, and I saw no more because the customers sitting at the bar crowded around in front of him, offering advice.
[382] Our waiter came back, baffled, saying he'd have the drinks in a moment, and went to the kitchen.
[383] When he returned, he had madame's vichyssoise and some rolls, which he put down, and then went to the bar, where the audience had grown larger.
[384] Molly lit a cigarette and said, "I suppose this is all part of it, Alec.
[385] Incidentally, it seems to be getting warmer in here."
[386] It was, and I had the feeling the place was quieter—a background noise had stopped.
[387] It dawned on me that I no longer heard the faint hum of the air-conditioner over the door, and as I started to say so, I made a gesture toward it.
[388] My hand collided with Molly's when she tapped her cigarette over the ashtray, and the cigarette landed in the neighboring vichyssoise.
[389] "Hey!
[390] What's the idea?"
[391] snarled the sour-looking man.
[392] "I'm terribly sorry," I said.
[393] "It was an accident.
[394] I—" "Throwing cigarettes at people!"
[395] the fat lady said.
[396] "I really didn't mean to," I began again, getting up.
[397] There must have been a hole in the edge of their tablecloth which one of my cuff buttons caught in, because as I stepped out from between the closely set tables, I pulled everything—tablecloth, silver, water glasses, ashtrays and the vichyssoise-à-la-nicotine—onto the floor.
[398] The fat lady surged from the banquette and slapped me meatily.
[399] The man licked his thumb and danced as boxers are popularly supposed to do.
[400] The owner of the place, a man with thick black eyebrows, hustled toward us with a determined manner.
[401] I tried to explain what had happened, but I was outshouted, and the owner frowned darkly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1957.
2. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
3. [3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
4. [4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
5. [5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
6. [6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
7. [7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
8. [66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
9. [67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
10. [68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
11. [69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
12. [70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
13. [71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
14. [72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
15. [73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
16. [74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
17. [75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
18. [124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
19. [129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
20. [130] Then I saw the curtains.
21. [131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
22. [132] That was tied in three knots.
23. [223] I was beginning to feel hungry and the drinks had worn off.
24. [224] "Let's go out and eat," I said, "There's not a damn thing in the kitchen and I'm not allowed to cook.
25. [225] Only eggs and coffee."
26. [226] We put on our hats and went down to the street.
27. [227] From either end, we could hear wrecking trucks towing away the stalled cars.
28. [228] There were, by this time, a number of harassed cops directing the maneuver and we heard one of them say to Danny, "I don't know what the hell's going on around here.
29. [229] Every goddam car's got something the matter with it.
30. [230] They can't none of them back out for one reason or another.
31. [231] Never seen anything like it."
32. [232] Near us, two pedestrians were doing a curious little two-step as they tried to pass one another; as soon as one of them moved aside to let the other pass, the other would move to the same side.
33. [233] They both had embarrassed grins on their faces, but before long their grins were replaced by looks of suspicion and then determination.
34. [234] "All right, smart guy!"
35. [235] they shouted in unison, and barged ahead, only to collide.
36. [236] They backed off and threw simultaneous punches which met in mid-air.
37. [237] Then began one of the most remarkable bouts ever witnessed—a fight in which fist hit fist but never anything else, until both champions backed away undefeated, muttering identical excuses and threats.
38. [238] Danny appeared at that moment.
39. [239] His face was dripping.
40. [240] "You all right, Mr.
41. [241] Graham?"
42. [242] he asked.
43. [243] "I don't know what's going on around here, but ever since I came on this afternoon, things are going crazy.
44. [244] Bartley!"
45. [245] he shouted—he could succeed as a hog-caller.
46. [246] "Bring those dames over here!"
47. [247] Three women in a confused wrangle, with their half-open umbrellas intertwined, were brought across the street, which meant climbing over fenders.
48. [248] Bartley, a fine young patrolman, seemed self-conscious; the ladies seemed not to be.
49. [249] "All right, now, Mrs.
50. [250] Mac-Philip!"
51. [251] one of them said.
52. [252] "Leave go of my umbrella and we'll say no more about it!"
53. [253] "And so now it's Missus Mac-Philip, is it?"
54. [254] said her adversary.
55. [255] The third, a younger one with her back turned to us, her umbrella also caught in the tangle, pulled at it in a tentative way, at which the other two glared at her.
56. [256] She turned her head away and tried to let go, but the handle was caught in her glove.
57. [257] She looked up and I saw it was Molly.
58. [258] My nurse-wife.
59. [259] "Oh, Alec!"
60. [260] she said, and managed to detach herself.
61. [261] "Are you all right?"
62. [262] Was I all right!
63. [263] "Molly!
64. [264] What are you doing here?"
65. [265] "I was so worried, and when I saw all this, I didn't know what to think."
66. [266] She pointed to the stalled cars.
67. [267] "Are you really all right?"
68. [268] "Of course I'm all right.
69. [269] But why...."
70. [270] "The Oyster Bay operator said someone kept dialing and dialing Mother's number and there wasn't anyone on the line, so then she had it traced and it came from our phone here.
71. [271] I kept calling up, but I only got a busy signal.
72. [272] Oh, dear, are you sure you're all right?"
73. [353] The jam of cars didn't seem to be any less than before and we saw Danny again.
74. [354] He was talking to a police lieutenant, and when he caught sight of us, he said something that made the lieutenant look at us with interest.
75. [355] Particularly at me.
76. [356] "If you want your umbrella, Mrs. Graham," Danny said, "it's at the station house.
77. [357] What there's left of it, that is."
78. [358] Molly thanked him and there was a short pause, during which I felt the speculative regard of the lieutenant.
79. [359] I pulled out a packet of cigarettes, which I had opened, as always, by tearing off the top.
80. [360] I happened to have it upside down and all the cigarettes fell out.
81. [361] Before I could move my foot to obliterate what they had spelled out on the sidewalk, the two cops saw it.
82. [362] The lieutenant gave me a hard look, but said nothing.
83. [363] I quickly kicked the insulting cigarettes into the gutter.
84. [364] When we got to the restaurant, it was crowded but cool—although it didn't stay cool for long.
85. [365] We sat down at a side table near the door and ordered Tom Collinses as we looked at the menu.
86. [366] Sitting at the next table were a fat lady, wearing a very long, brilliant green evening gown, and a dried-up sour-looking man in a tux.
87. [367] When the waiter returned, they preempted him and began ordering dinner fussily: cold cuts for the man, and vichyssoise, lobster salad and strawberry parfait for the fat lady. |
Who is McGill, and what are his traits? | [
"McGill is an assistant mathematics professor at a nearby university. He is friends with both Alec and Molly, even calling to ask about the both of them. He is considered to be highly imaginative, but they believe that he knows everything. Personality-wise, McGill is a very logical person. He believes that what Alec has told him is normally impossible, and the odds against it are very astronomical as well. Even when Alec shows him what has happened to him, he continues to pursue a logical explanation. However, despite these theories, he tries to approach these findings logically and tells Alec not to be superstitious when they initially discuss why this is happening to him.",
"McGill works at a university as an assistant professor of mathematics. He is known to be extremely intelligent, as well as imaginative, as Alec describes him. McGill is eager to help Alec explain his improbable luck, both out of friendship and excitement by his passion for science. Though McGill is imaginative, he is also skeptical and not easily gullible, as shown when he is wary of Alec's legitimacy behind his claims. However, he can easily think outside of the box, and uses his knowledge of science to propose unheard possibilities.",
"McGill is a professor of mathematics at a nearby university. He lives near Alec and is appreciated for his intellectual advice. He is described as being very imaginative, but his advice is held in high regard. He is quick to help Alec after a simple phone call with no explanation of Alec’s need. When Alec explains the strange occurrences throughout the day, McGill is skeptical but willing to give Alec the benefit of the doubt. He routinely measures the likelihood of occurrences in an analytical manner that relies on probability.",
"McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university, who lives near Alec. They have friendly relationship and casually meet. They are close enough for Alec to call and ask McGill to come straight away, who comes immediately. Alec and some other people from his company consider McGill very knowledgeable about all sort of things. He is open to anything and considers every possibility, even the impossible and supernatural as long as he doesn't have any other explanation. However, he believes this case to be very weird and improbable but not impossible - he has scientific approach to everything. He is interested in weird happenings and willing to find the answer. He believes only what he sees, and doesn't believe in miracles."
] | [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
[4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
[5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
[6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
[7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
[8] What do they do, I asked myself, that I have left undone?
[9] I've vacuumed the carpet, I've dusted and I've straightened the cushions.... Ah!
[10] The ashtrays.
[11] I emptied them, washed them and put them back, but still the place looked wife-deserted.
[12] It had been a bad day; I had forgotten to wind the alarm clock, so I'd had to hurry to make a story conference at one of the TV studios I write for.
[13] I didn't notice the impending rain storm and had no umbrella when I reached the sidewalk, to find myself confronted with an almost tropical downpour.
[14] I would have turned back, but a taxi came up and a woman got out, so I dashed through the rain and got in.
[15] "Madison and Fifty-fourth," I said.
[16] "Right," said the driver, and I heard the starter grind, and then go on grinding.
[17] After some futile efforts, he turned to me.
[18] "Sorry, Mac.
[19] You'll have to find another cab.
[20] Good hunting."
[21] If possible, it was raining still harder.
[22] I opened my newspaper over my hat and ran for the subway: three blocks.
[23] Whizzing traffic held me up at each crossing and I was soaked when I reached the platform, just in time to miss the local.
[24] After an abnormal delay, I got one which exactly missed the express at Fourteenth Street.
[25] The same thing happened at both ends of the crosstown shuttle, but I found the rain had stopped when I got out at Fifty-first and Lexington.
[26] As I walked across to Madison Avenue, I passed a big excavation where they were getting ready to put up a new office building.
[27] There was the usual crowd of buffs watching the digging machines and, in particular, a man with a pneumatic drill who was breaking up some hard-packed clay.
[28] While I looked, a big lump of it fell away, and for an instant I was able to see something that looked like a chunk of dirty glass, the size of an old-fashioned hatbox.
[29] It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, and then his chattering drill hit it.
[30] There was a faint bang and the thing disintegrated.
[31] It knocked him on his back, but he got right up and I realized he was not hurt.
[32] At the moment of the explosion—if so feeble a thing can be called one—I felt something sting my face and, on touching it, found blood on my hand.
[33] I mopped at it with my handkerchief but, though slight, the bleeding would not stop, so I went into a drugstore and bought some pink adhesive which I put on the tiny cut.
[34] When I got to the studio, I found that I had missed the story conference.
[35] During the day, by actual count, I heard the phrase "I'm just spitballing" eight times, and another Madison Avenue favorite, "The whole ball of wax," twelve times.
[36] However, my story had been accepted without change because nobody had noticed my absence from the conference room.
[37] There you have what is known as the Advertising World, the Advertising game or the advertising racket, depending upon which rung of the ladder you have achieved.
[38] The subway gave a repeat performance going home, and as I got to the apartment house we live in, the cop on the afternoon beat was standing there talking to the doorman.
[39] He said, "Hello, Mr. Graham.
[40] I guess you must have just have missed it at your office building."
[41] I looked blank and he explained, "We just heard it a little while ago: all six elevators in your building jammed at the same time.
[42] Sounds crazy.
[43] I guess you just missed it."
[44] Anything can happen in advertising, I thought.
[45] "That's right, Danny, I just missed it," I said, and went on in.
[46] Psychiatry tells us that some people are accident-prone; I, on the other hand, seemed recently to be coincidence-prone, fluke-happy, and except for the alarm clock, I'd had no control over what had been going on.
[47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
[48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
[49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
[50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
[51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back.
[52] And Close the Door, too."
[53] Intimidated, I took my drink into the living room and sat down in front of the typewriter.
[54] As I stared at the novel that was to liberate me from Madison Avenue, I noticed a mistake and picked up a pencil.
[55] When I put it down, it rolled off the desk, and with my eyes on the manuscript, I groped under the chair for it.
[56] Then I looked down.
[57] The pencil was standing on its end.
[58] There, I thought to myself, is that one chance in a million we hear about, and picked up the pencil.
[59] I turned back to my novel and drank some of the highball in hopes of inspiration and surcease from the muggy heat, but nothing came.
[60] I went back and read the whole chapter to try to get a forward momentum, but came to a dead stop at the last sentence.
[61] Damn the heat, damn the pencil, damn Madison Avenue and advertising.
[62] My drink was gone and I went back to the kitchen and read Molly's notes again to see if they would be like a letter from her.
[63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before.
[64] I love you."
[65] What can you do when the girl loves you?
[66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
[67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
[68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
[69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
[70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
[71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
[72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
[73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
[74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
[75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
[76] "You can't say a thing like that to me!"
[77] I heard him shout.
[78] "I tell you I got that deck this afternoon and they weren't opened till we started to play!"
[79] Several other loud voices started at the same time.
[80] "Nobody gets five straight-flushes in a row!"
[81] "Yeah, and only when you were dealer!"
[82] The tone of the argument was beginning to get ugly, and I opened the door to offer Nat help if he needed it.
[83] There were four men confronting him, evidently torn between the desire to make an angry exit and the impulse to stay and beat him up.
[84] His face was furiously red and he looked stunned.
[85] "Here!"
[86] he said, holding out a deck of cards, "For Pete's sake, look at 'em yourselves if you think they're marked!"
[87] The nearest man struck them up from his hand.
[88] "Okay, Houdini!
[89] So they're not marked!
[90] All I know is five straight...." His voice trailed away.
[91] He and the others stared at the scattered cards on the floor.
[92] About half were face down, as might be expected, and the rest face up—all red.
[93] Someone must have rung, because at that moment the elevator arrived and the four men, with half frightened, incredulous looks, and in silence, got in and were taken down.
[94] My friend stood looking at the neatly arranged cards.
[95] "Judas!"
[96] he said, and started to pick them up.
[97] "Will you look at that!
[98] My God, what a session...." I helped him and said to come in for a drink and tell me all about it, but I had an idea what I would hear.
[99] After a while, he calmed down, but he still seemed dazed.
[100] "Never seen anything to equal it," he said.
[101] "Wouldn't have believed it.
[102] Those guys didn't believe it.
[103] Every round normal, nothing unusual about the hands—three of a kind, a low straight, that sort of thing and one guy got queens over tens, until it gets to be my deal.
[104] Brother!
[105] Straight flush to the king—every time!
[106] And each time, somebody else has four aces...." He started to sweat again, so I got up to fix him another drink.
[107] There was one quart of club soda left, but when I tried to open it, the top broke and glass chips got into the bottle.
[108] "I'll have to go down for more soda," I said.
[109] "I'll come, too.
[110] I need air."
[111] At the delicatessen on the corner, the man gave me three bottles in what must have been a wet bag, because as he handed them to me over the top of the cold-meat display, the bottom gave and they fell onto the tile floor.
[112] None of them broke, although the fall must have been from at least five feet.
[113] Nat was too wound up in his thoughts to notice and I was getting used to miracles.
[114] We left the proprietor with his mouth open and met Danny, the cop, looking in at the door, also with his mouth open.
[115] On the sidewalk, a man walking in front of Nat stooped suddenly to tie his shoe and Nat, to avoid bumping him, stepped off the curb and a taxi swerved to avoid Nat.
[116] The street was still wet and the taxi skidded, its rear end lightly flipping the front of one of those small foreign cars, which was going rather fast.
[117] It turned sideways and, without any side-slip, went right up the stoop of a brownstone opposite, coming to rest with its nose inside the front door, which a man opened at that moment.
[118] The sight of this threw another driver into a skid, and when he and the taxi had stopped sliding around, they were face to face, arranged crosswise to the street.
[119] This gave them exactly no room to move either forward or backward, for the car had its back to a hydrant and the taxi to a lamp.
[120] Although rather narrow, this is a two-way street, and in no time at all, traffic was stacked up from both directions as far as the avenues.
[121] Everyone was honking his horn.
[122] Danny was furious—more so when he tried to put through a call to his station house from the box opposite.
[123] It was out of order.
[124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
[125] Nat had brightened up considerably.
[126] "I'll stay for one more drink and then I'm due at the office," he said.
[127] "You know, I think this would make an item for the paper."
[128] He grinned and nodded toward the pandemonium.
[129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
[130] Then I saw the curtains.
[131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
[132] That was tied in three knots.
[133] All right , I told myself, it was the wind.
[134] But I felt the time had come for me to get expert advice, so I went to the phone to call McGill.
[135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
[136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
[137] When I picked up the receiver, the line sounded dead and I thought, more trouble.
[138] Then I heard a man cough and I said hello.
[139] McGill's voice said, "Alec?
[140] You must have picked up the receiver just as we were connected.
[141] That's a damn funny coincidence."
[142] "Not in the least," I said.
[143] "Come on over here.
[144] I've got something for you to work on."
[145] "Well, as a matter of fact, I was calling up to ask you and Molly—" "Molly's away for the week.
[146] Can you get over here quick?
[147] It's urgent."
[148] "At once," he said, and hung up.
[149] While I waited, I thought I might try getting down a few paragraphs of my novel—perhaps something would come now.
[150] It did, but as I came to a point where I was about to put down the word "agurgling," I decided it was too reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan, and stopped at the letter "R." Then I saw that I had unaccountably hit all four keys one step to the side of the correct ones, and tore out the page, with my face red.
[151] This was absolutely not my day.
[152] "Well," McGill said, "nothing you've told me is impossible or supernatural.
[153] Just very, very improbable.
[154] In fact, the odds against that poker game alone would lead me to suspect Nat, well as I know him.
[155] It's all those other things...." He got up and walked over to the window and looked at the hot twilight while I waited.
[156] Then he turned around; he had a look of concern.
[157] "Alec, you're a reasonable guy, so I don't think you'll take offense at what I'm going to say.
[158] What you have told me is so impossibly unlikely, and the odds against it so astronomical, that I must take the view that you're either stringing me or you're subject to a delusion."
[159] I started to get up and expostulate, but he motioned me back.
[160] "I know, but don't you see that that is far more likely than...." He stopped and shook his head.
[161] Then he brightened.
[162] "I have an idea.
[163] Maybe we can have a demonstration."
[164] He thought for a tense minute and snapped his fingers.
[165] "Have you any change on you?"
[166] "Why, yes," I said.
[167] "Quite a bit."
[168] I reached into my pocket.
[169] There must have been nearly two dollars in silver and pennies.
[170] "Do you think they'll each have the same date, perhaps?"
[171] "Did you accumulate all that change today?"
[172] "No.
[173] During the week."
[174] He shook his head.
[175] "In that case, no.
[176] Discounting the fact that you could have prearranged it, if my dim provisional theory is right, that would be actually impossible.
[177] It would involve time-reversal.
[178] I'll tell you about it later.
[179] No, just throw down the change.
[180] Let's see if they all come up heads."
[181] I moved away from the carpet and tossed the handful of coins onto the floor.
[182] They clattered and bounced—and bounced together—and stacked themselves into a neat pile.
[183] I looked at McGill.
[184] His eyes were narrowed.
[185] Without a word, he took a handful of coins from his own pocket and threw them.
[186] These coins didn't stack.
[187] They just fell into an exactly straight line, the adjacent ones touching.
[188] "Well," I said, "what more do you want?"
[189] "Great Scott," he said, and sat down.
[190] "I suppose you know that there are two great apparently opposite principles governing the Universe—random and design.
[191] The sands on the beach are an example of random distribution and life is an example of design.
[192] The motions of the particles of a gas are what we call random, but there are so many of them, we treat them statistically and derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics—quite reliable.
[193] It isn't theoretically hard-and-fast; it's just a matter of extreme probability.
[194] Now life, on the other hand, seems not to depend on probability at all; actually, it goes against it.
[195] Or you might say it is certainly not an accidental manifestation."
[196] "Do you mean," I asked in some confusion, "that some form of life is controlling the coins and—the other things?"
[197] He shook his head.
[198] "No.
[199] All I mean is that improbable things usually have improbable explanations.
[200] When I see a natural law being broken, I don't say to myself, 'Here's a miracle.'
[201] I revise my version of the book of rules.
[202] Something—I don't know what—is going on, and it seems to involve probability, and it seems to center around you.
[203] Were you still in that building when the elevators stuck?
[204] Or near it?"
[205] "I guess I must have been.
[206] It happened just after I left."
[207] "Hm.
[208] You're the center, all right.
[209] But why?"
[210] "Center of what?"
[211] I asked.
[212] "I feel as though I were the center of an electrical storm.
[213] Something has it in for me!"
[214] McGill grinned.
[215] "Don't be superstitious.
[216] And especially don't be anthropomorphic."
[217] "Well, if it's the opposite of random, it's got to be a form of life."
[218] "On what basis?
[219] All we know for certain is that random motions are being rearranged.
[220] A crystal, for example, is not life, but it's a non-random arrangement of particles....
[221] I wonder."
[222] He had a faraway, frowning look.
[223] I was beginning to feel hungry and the drinks had worn off.
[224] "Let's go out and eat," I said, "There's not a damn thing in the kitchen and I'm not allowed to cook.
[225] Only eggs and coffee."
[226] We put on our hats and went down to the street.
[227] From either end, we could hear wrecking trucks towing away the stalled cars.
[228] There were, by this time, a number of harassed cops directing the maneuver and we heard one of them say to Danny, "I don't know what the hell's going on around here.
[229] Every goddam car's got something the matter with it.
[230] They can't none of them back out for one reason or another.
[231] Never seen anything like it."
[232] Near us, two pedestrians were doing a curious little two-step as they tried to pass one another; as soon as one of them moved aside to let the other pass, the other would move to the same side.
[233] They both had embarrassed grins on their faces, but before long their grins were replaced by looks of suspicion and then determination.
[234] "All right, smart guy!"
[235] they shouted in unison, and barged ahead, only to collide.
[236] They backed off and threw simultaneous punches which met in mid-air.
[237] Then began one of the most remarkable bouts ever witnessed—a fight in which fist hit fist but never anything else, until both champions backed away undefeated, muttering identical excuses and threats.
[238] Danny appeared at that moment.
[239] His face was dripping.
[240] "You all right, Mr.
[241] Graham?"
[242] he asked.
[243] "I don't know what's going on around here, but ever since I came on this afternoon, things are going crazy.
[244] Bartley!"
[245] he shouted—he could succeed as a hog-caller.
[246] "Bring those dames over here!"
[247] Three women in a confused wrangle, with their half-open umbrellas intertwined, were brought across the street, which meant climbing over fenders.
[248] Bartley, a fine young patrolman, seemed self-conscious; the ladies seemed not to be.
[249] "All right, now, Mrs.
[250] Mac-Philip!"
[251] one of them said.
[252] "Leave go of my umbrella and we'll say no more about it!"
[253] "And so now it's Missus Mac-Philip, is it?"
[254] said her adversary.
[255] The third, a younger one with her back turned to us, her umbrella also caught in the tangle, pulled at it in a tentative way, at which the other two glared at her.
[256] She turned her head away and tried to let go, but the handle was caught in her glove.
[257] She looked up and I saw it was Molly.
[258] My nurse-wife.
[259] "Oh, Alec!"
[260] she said, and managed to detach herself.
[261] "Are you all right?"
[262] Was I all right!
[263] "Molly!
[264] What are you doing here?"
[265] "I was so worried, and when I saw all this, I didn't know what to think."
[266] She pointed to the stalled cars.
[267] "Are you really all right?"
[268] "Of course I'm all right.
[269] But why...." "The Oyster Bay operator said someone kept dialing and dialing Mother's number and there wasn't anyone on the line, so then she had it traced and it came from our phone here.
[270] I kept calling up, but I only got a busy signal.
[271] Oh, dear, are you sure you're all right?"
[272] I put my arm around her and glanced at McGill.
[273] He had an inward look.
[274] Then I caught Danny's eye.
[275] It had a thoughtful, almost suspicious cast to it.
[276] "Trouble does seem to follow you, Mr. Graham," was all he said.
[277] When we got upstairs, I turned to McGill.
[278] "Explain to Molly," I said.
[279] "And incidentally to me.
[280] I'm not properly briefed yet."
[281] He did so, and when he got to the summing up, I had the feeling she was a jump ahead of him.
[282] "In other words, you think it's something organic?"
[283] "Well," McGill said, "I'm trying to think of anything else it might be.
[284] I'm not doing so well," he confessed.
[285] "But so far as I can see," Molly answered, "it's mere probability, and without any over-all pattern."
[286] "Not quite.
[287] It has a center.
[288] Alec is the center."
[289] Molly looked at me with a curious expression for a moment.
[290] "Do you feel all right, darling?"
[291] she asked me.
[292] I nodded brightly.
[293] "You'll think this silly of me," she went on to McGill, "but why isn't it something like an overactive poltergeist?"
[294] "Pure concept," he said.
[295] "No genuine evidence."
[296] "Magnetism?"
[297] "Absolutely not.
[298] For one thing, most of the objects affected weren't magnetic—and don't forget magnetism is a force, not a form of energy, and a great deal of energy has been involved.
[299] I admit the energy has mainly been supplied by the things themselves, but in a magnetic field, all you'd get would be stored kinetic energy, such as when a piece of iron moves to a magnet or a line of force.
[300] Then it would just stay there, like a rundown clock weight.
[301] These things do a lot more than that—they go on moving."
[302] "Why did you mention a crystal before?
[303] Why not a life-form?"
[304] "Only an analogy," said McGill.
[305] "A crystal resembles life in that it has a definite shape and exhibits growth, but that's all.
[306] I'll agree this—thing—has no discernible shape and motion is involved, but plants don't move and amebas have no shape.
[307] Then a crystal feeds, but it does not convert what it feeds on; it merely rearranges it into a non-random pattern.
[308] In this case, it's rearranging random motions and it has a nucleus and it seems to be growing—at least in what you might call improbability."
[309] Molly frowned.
[310] "Then what is it?
[311] What's it made of?"
[312] "I should say it was made of the motions.
[313] There's a similar idea about the atom.
[314] Another thing that's like a crystal is that it appears to be forming around a nucleus not of its own material—the way a speck of sand thrown into a supersaturated solution becomes the nucleus of crystallization."
[315] "Sounds like the pearl in an oyster," Molly said, and gave me an impertinent look.
[316] "Why," I asked McGill, "did you say the coins couldn't have the same date?
[317] I mean apart from the off chance I got them that way."
[318] "Because I don't think this thing got going before today and everything that's happened can all be described as improbable motions here and now.
[319] The dates were already there, and to change them would require retroactive action, reversing time.
[320] That's out, in my book.
[321] That telephone now—" The doorbell rang.
[322] We were not surprised to find it was the telephone repairman.
[323] He took the set apart and clucked like a hen.
[324] "I guess you dropped it on the floor, mister," he said with strong disapproval.
[325] "Certainly not," I said.
[326] "Is it broken?"
[327] "Not exactly broken , but—" He shook his head and took it apart some more.
[328] McGill went over and they discussed the problem in undertones.
[329] Finally the man left and Molly called her mother to reassure her.
[330] McGill tried to explain to me what had happened with the phone.
[331] "You must have joggled something loose.
[332] And then you replaced the receiver in such a way that the contact wasn't quite open."
[333] "But for Pete's sake, Molly says the calls were going on for a long time!
[334] I phoned you only a short time ago and it must have taken her nearly two hours to get here from Oyster Bay."
[335] "Then you must have done it twice and the vibrations in the floor—something like that—just happened to cause the right induction impulses.
[336] Yes, I know how you feel," he said, seeing my expression.
[337] "It's beginning to bear down."
[338] Molly was through telephoning and suggested going out for dinner.
[339] I was so pleased to see her that I'd forgotten all about being hungry.
[340] "I'm in no mood to cook," she said.
[341] "Let's get away from all this."
[342] McGill raised an eyebrow.
[343] "If all this, as you call it, will let us."
[344] In the lobby, we ran into Nat, looking smug in a journalistic way.
[345] "I've been put on the story—who could be better?—I live here.
[346] So far, I don't quite get what's been happening.
[347] I've been talking to Danny, but he didn't say much.
[348] I got the feeling he thinks you're involved in some mystical, Hibernian way.
[349] Hello, McGill, what's with you?"
[350] "He's got a theory," said Molly.
[351] "Come and eat with us and he'll tell you all about it."
[352] Since we decided on an air-conditioned restaurant nearby on Sixth Avenue, we walked.
[353] The jam of cars didn't seem to be any less than before and we saw Danny again.
[354] He was talking to a police lieutenant, and when he caught sight of us, he said something that made the lieutenant look at us with interest.
[355] Particularly at me.
[356] "If you want your umbrella, Mrs. Graham," Danny said, "it's at the station house.
[357] What there's left of it, that is."
[358] Molly thanked him and there was a short pause, during which I felt the speculative regard of the lieutenant.
[359] I pulled out a packet of cigarettes, which I had opened, as always, by tearing off the top.
[360] I happened to have it upside down and all the cigarettes fell out.
[361] Before I could move my foot to obliterate what they had spelled out on the sidewalk, the two cops saw it.
[362] The lieutenant gave me a hard look, but said nothing.
[363] I quickly kicked the insulting cigarettes into the gutter.
[364] When we got to the restaurant, it was crowded but cool—although it didn't stay cool for long.
[365] We sat down at a side table near the door and ordered Tom Collinses as we looked at the menu.
[366] Sitting at the next table were a fat lady, wearing a very long, brilliant green evening gown, and a dried-up sour-looking man in a tux.
[367] When the waiter returned, they preempted him and began ordering dinner fussily: cold cuts for the man, and vichyssoise, lobster salad and strawberry parfait for the fat lady.
[368] I tasted my drink.
[369] It was most peculiar; salt seemed to have been used instead of sugar.
[370] I mentioned this and my companions tried theirs, and made faces.
[371] The waiter was concerned and apologetic, and took the drinks back to the bar across the room.
[372] The bartender looked over at us and tasted one of the drinks.
[373] Then he dumped them in his sink with a puzzled expression and made a new batch.
[374] After shaking this up, he set out a row of glasses, put ice in them and began to pour.
[375] That is to say he tilted the shaker over the first one, but nothing came out.
[376] He bumped it against the side of the bar and tried again.
[377] Still nothing.
[378] Then he took off the top and pried into it with his pick, his face pink with exasperation.
[379] I had the impression that the shaker had frozen solid.
[380] Well, ice is a crystal, I thought to myself.
[381] The other bartender gave him a fresh shaker, but the same thing happened, and I saw no more because the customers sitting at the bar crowded around in front of him, offering advice.
[382] Our waiter came back, baffled, saying he'd have the drinks in a moment, and went to the kitchen.
[383] When he returned, he had madame's vichyssoise and some rolls, which he put down, and then went to the bar, where the audience had grown larger.
[384] Molly lit a cigarette and said, "I suppose this is all part of it, Alec.
[385] Incidentally, it seems to be getting warmer in here."
[386] It was, and I had the feeling the place was quieter—a background noise had stopped.
[387] It dawned on me that I no longer heard the faint hum of the air-conditioner over the door, and as I started to say so, I made a gesture toward it.
[388] My hand collided with Molly's when she tapped her cigarette over the ashtray, and the cigarette landed in the neighboring vichyssoise.
[389] "Hey!
[390] What's the idea?"
[391] snarled the sour-looking man.
[392] "I'm terribly sorry," I said.
[393] "It was an accident.
[394] I—" "Throwing cigarettes at people!"
[395] the fat lady said.
[396] "I really didn't mean to," I began again, getting up.
[397] There must have been a hole in the edge of their tablecloth which one of my cuff buttons caught in, because as I stepped out from between the closely set tables, I pulled everything—tablecloth, silver, water glasses, ashtrays and the vichyssoise-à-la-nicotine—onto the floor.
[398] The fat lady surged from the banquette and slapped me meatily.
[399] The man licked his thumb and danced as boxers are popularly supposed to do.
[400] The owner of the place, a man with thick black eyebrows, hustled toward us with a determined manner.
[401] I tried to explain what had happened, but I was outshouted, and the owner frowned darkly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is McGill, and what are his traits?":
1. [135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
2. [136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
3. [153] "Well," McGill said, "nothing you've told me is impossible or supernatural. Just very, very improbable."
4. [156] Then he turned around; he had a look of concern.
5. [157] "Alec, you're a reasonable guy, so I don't think you'll take offense at what I'm going to say."
6. [160] "I know, but don't you see that that is far more likely than...." He stopped and shook his head.
7. [161] Then he brightened.
8. [162] "I have an idea."
9. [190] "Great Scott," he said, and sat down.
10. [191] "I suppose you know that there are two great apparently opposite principles governing the Universe—random and design."
11. [200] "When I see a natural law being broken, I don't say to myself, 'Here's a miracle.'"
12. [201] "I revise my version of the book of rules."
13. [202] "Something—I don't know what—is going on, and it seems to involve probability, and it seems to center around you."
14. [214] McGill grinned.
15. [215] "Don't be superstitious."
16. [216] "And especially don't be anthropomorphic."
17. [221] "I wonder."
18. [330] McGill went over and they discussed the problem in undertones.
19. [331] "You must have joggled something loose. And then you replaced the receiver in such a way that the contact wasn't quite open."
20. [337] "It's beginning to bear down."
21. [342] McGill raised an eyebrow.
22. [343] "If all this, as you call it, will let us."
23. [350] "He's got a theory," said Molly. |
Who is Molly, and what are her traits? | [
"Molly Graham is Alec’s wife. She cares a lot about her husband, leaving him notes with instructions on what to do when she is gone. She is also a former nurse and loves Alec greatly to do all of this for him. Molly also has a habit of smoking, which she began doing when they went to the restaurant. When she notices something is wrong at home, she comes back immediately even though her previous plan was to visit her mother at Oyster Bay. Personality-wise, Molly is also a logical thinker. When Alec explains the situation to her, she also tries to find reasoning for it and catches on pretty quickly. Molly is very observant as well, watching the events that involve Alec play out.",
"Molly is Alec's wife, away in the first half of the story on a trip to her mother's. Molly is depicted as a caring and nurturing wife, shown particularly through the notes that she leaves Alec as he stays home alone. The notes, instructing Alec on housekeeping, also imply that Molly takes on a more dominant role in the household, knowing how to tend to a home and sustain the both of them. Molly is mainly concerned for Alec's well being regarding the unlucky events he is experiencing, asking if he feels alright and supporting him in searching for an explanation.",
"Molly is Alec’s wife. From the detailed instruction she leaves for him while she is visiting her mother, it is clear that Molly handles much of Alec’s life. She cooks for him, organizes his schedule, cleans for him, etc. Alec seems lost without Molly’s presence. It can be discerned that Molly has a caregiver type of relationship with Alec. She cares for him deeply and is easily concerned about his well-being. She boards a 2-hour train back to the train when she cannot reach him under unusual circumstances.",
"Molly is Alec's wife and a nurse. She treats Alec as her helpless patient, when she leaves, she places notes with directions for every simple action. So, she is even more attentive and thoughtful than she should be with a grown up man. She is very caring as she comes immediately as Alec's phone is busy. She is very anxious for him. She is clever and organized, she immediately evaluates the situation and shares her thoughts. She is friendly to everyone and they have very good relationship with Alec - he is very happy to see her and he missed her badly even during the ten days."
] | [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
[4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
[5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
[6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
[7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
[8] What do they do, I asked myself, that I have left undone?
[9] I've vacuumed the carpet, I've dusted and I've straightened the cushions.... Ah!
[10] The ashtrays.
[11] I emptied them, washed them and put them back, but still the place looked wife-deserted.
[12] It had been a bad day; I had forgotten to wind the alarm clock, so I'd had to hurry to make a story conference at one of the TV studios I write for.
[13] I didn't notice the impending rain storm and had no umbrella when I reached the sidewalk, to find myself confronted with an almost tropical downpour.
[14] I would have turned back, but a taxi came up and a woman got out, so I dashed through the rain and got in.
[15] "Madison and Fifty-fourth," I said.
[16] "Right," said the driver, and I heard the starter grind, and then go on grinding.
[17] After some futile efforts, he turned to me.
[18] "Sorry, Mac.
[19] You'll have to find another cab.
[20] Good hunting."
[21] If possible, it was raining still harder.
[22] I opened my newspaper over my hat and ran for the subway: three blocks.
[23] Whizzing traffic held me up at each crossing and I was soaked when I reached the platform, just in time to miss the local.
[24] After an abnormal delay, I got one which exactly missed the express at Fourteenth Street.
[25] The same thing happened at both ends of the crosstown shuttle, but I found the rain had stopped when I got out at Fifty-first and Lexington.
[26] As I walked across to Madison Avenue, I passed a big excavation where they were getting ready to put up a new office building.
[27] There was the usual crowd of buffs watching the digging machines and, in particular, a man with a pneumatic drill who was breaking up some hard-packed clay.
[28] While I looked, a big lump of it fell away, and for an instant I was able to see something that looked like a chunk of dirty glass, the size of an old-fashioned hatbox.
[29] It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, and then his chattering drill hit it.
[30] There was a faint bang and the thing disintegrated.
[31] It knocked him on his back, but he got right up and I realized he was not hurt.
[32] At the moment of the explosion—if so feeble a thing can be called one—I felt something sting my face and, on touching it, found blood on my hand.
[33] I mopped at it with my handkerchief but, though slight, the bleeding would not stop, so I went into a drugstore and bought some pink adhesive which I put on the tiny cut.
[34] When I got to the studio, I found that I had missed the story conference.
[35] During the day, by actual count, I heard the phrase "I'm just spitballing" eight times, and another Madison Avenue favorite, "The whole ball of wax," twelve times.
[36] However, my story had been accepted without change because nobody had noticed my absence from the conference room.
[37] There you have what is known as the Advertising World, the Advertising game or the advertising racket, depending upon which rung of the ladder you have achieved.
[38] The subway gave a repeat performance going home, and as I got to the apartment house we live in, the cop on the afternoon beat was standing there talking to the doorman.
[39] He said, "Hello, Mr. Graham.
[40] I guess you must have just have missed it at your office building."
[41] I looked blank and he explained, "We just heard it a little while ago: all six elevators in your building jammed at the same time.
[42] Sounds crazy.
[43] I guess you just missed it."
[44] Anything can happen in advertising, I thought.
[45] "That's right, Danny, I just missed it," I said, and went on in.
[46] Psychiatry tells us that some people are accident-prone; I, on the other hand, seemed recently to be coincidence-prone, fluke-happy, and except for the alarm clock, I'd had no control over what had been going on.
[47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
[48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
[49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
[50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
[51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back.
[52] And Close the Door, too."
[53] Intimidated, I took my drink into the living room and sat down in front of the typewriter.
[54] As I stared at the novel that was to liberate me from Madison Avenue, I noticed a mistake and picked up a pencil.
[55] When I put it down, it rolled off the desk, and with my eyes on the manuscript, I groped under the chair for it.
[56] Then I looked down.
[57] The pencil was standing on its end.
[58] There, I thought to myself, is that one chance in a million we hear about, and picked up the pencil.
[59] I turned back to my novel and drank some of the highball in hopes of inspiration and surcease from the muggy heat, but nothing came.
[60] I went back and read the whole chapter to try to get a forward momentum, but came to a dead stop at the last sentence.
[61] Damn the heat, damn the pencil, damn Madison Avenue and advertising.
[62] My drink was gone and I went back to the kitchen and read Molly's notes again to see if they would be like a letter from her.
[63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before.
[64] I love you."
[65] What can you do when the girl loves you?
[66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
[67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
[68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
[69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
[70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
[71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
[72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
[73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
[74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
[75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
[76] "You can't say a thing like that to me!"
[77] I heard him shout.
[78] "I tell you I got that deck this afternoon and they weren't opened till we started to play!"
[79] Several other loud voices started at the same time.
[80] "Nobody gets five straight-flushes in a row!"
[81] "Yeah, and only when you were dealer!"
[82] The tone of the argument was beginning to get ugly, and I opened the door to offer Nat help if he needed it.
[83] There were four men confronting him, evidently torn between the desire to make an angry exit and the impulse to stay and beat him up.
[84] His face was furiously red and he looked stunned.
[85] "Here!"
[86] he said, holding out a deck of cards, "For Pete's sake, look at 'em yourselves if you think they're marked!"
[87] The nearest man struck them up from his hand.
[88] "Okay, Houdini!
[89] So they're not marked!
[90] All I know is five straight...." His voice trailed away.
[91] He and the others stared at the scattered cards on the floor.
[92] About half were face down, as might be expected, and the rest face up—all red.
[93] Someone must have rung, because at that moment the elevator arrived and the four men, with half frightened, incredulous looks, and in silence, got in and were taken down.
[94] My friend stood looking at the neatly arranged cards.
[95] "Judas!"
[96] he said, and started to pick them up.
[97] "Will you look at that!
[98] My God, what a session...." I helped him and said to come in for a drink and tell me all about it, but I had an idea what I would hear.
[99] After a while, he calmed down, but he still seemed dazed.
[100] "Never seen anything to equal it," he said.
[101] "Wouldn't have believed it.
[102] Those guys didn't believe it.
[103] Every round normal, nothing unusual about the hands—three of a kind, a low straight, that sort of thing and one guy got queens over tens, until it gets to be my deal.
[104] Brother!
[105] Straight flush to the king—every time!
[106] And each time, somebody else has four aces...." He started to sweat again, so I got up to fix him another drink.
[107] There was one quart of club soda left, but when I tried to open it, the top broke and glass chips got into the bottle.
[108] "I'll have to go down for more soda," I said.
[109] "I'll come, too.
[110] I need air."
[111] At the delicatessen on the corner, the man gave me three bottles in what must have been a wet bag, because as he handed them to me over the top of the cold-meat display, the bottom gave and they fell onto the tile floor.
[112] None of them broke, although the fall must have been from at least five feet.
[113] Nat was too wound up in his thoughts to notice and I was getting used to miracles.
[114] We left the proprietor with his mouth open and met Danny, the cop, looking in at the door, also with his mouth open.
[115] On the sidewalk, a man walking in front of Nat stooped suddenly to tie his shoe and Nat, to avoid bumping him, stepped off the curb and a taxi swerved to avoid Nat.
[116] The street was still wet and the taxi skidded, its rear end lightly flipping the front of one of those small foreign cars, which was going rather fast.
[117] It turned sideways and, without any side-slip, went right up the stoop of a brownstone opposite, coming to rest with its nose inside the front door, which a man opened at that moment.
[118] The sight of this threw another driver into a skid, and when he and the taxi had stopped sliding around, they were face to face, arranged crosswise to the street.
[119] This gave them exactly no room to move either forward or backward, for the car had its back to a hydrant and the taxi to a lamp.
[120] Although rather narrow, this is a two-way street, and in no time at all, traffic was stacked up from both directions as far as the avenues.
[121] Everyone was honking his horn.
[122] Danny was furious—more so when he tried to put through a call to his station house from the box opposite.
[123] It was out of order.
[124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
[125] Nat had brightened up considerably.
[126] "I'll stay for one more drink and then I'm due at the office," he said.
[127] "You know, I think this would make an item for the paper."
[128] He grinned and nodded toward the pandemonium.
[129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
[130] Then I saw the curtains.
[131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
[132] That was tied in three knots.
[133] All right , I told myself, it was the wind.
[134] But I felt the time had come for me to get expert advice, so I went to the phone to call McGill.
[135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
[136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
[137] When I picked up the receiver, the line sounded dead and I thought, more trouble.
[138] Then I heard a man cough and I said hello.
[139] McGill's voice said, "Alec?
[140] You must have picked up the receiver just as we were connected.
[141] That's a damn funny coincidence."
[142] "Not in the least," I said.
[143] "Come on over here.
[144] I've got something for you to work on."
[145] "Well, as a matter of fact, I was calling up to ask you and Molly—" "Molly's away for the week.
[146] Can you get over here quick?
[147] It's urgent."
[148] "At once," he said, and hung up.
[149] While I waited, I thought I might try getting down a few paragraphs of my novel—perhaps something would come now.
[150] It did, but as I came to a point where I was about to put down the word "agurgling," I decided it was too reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan, and stopped at the letter "R." Then I saw that I had unaccountably hit all four keys one step to the side of the correct ones, and tore out the page, with my face red.
[151] This was absolutely not my day.
[152] "Well," McGill said, "nothing you've told me is impossible or supernatural.
[153] Just very, very improbable.
[154] In fact, the odds against that poker game alone would lead me to suspect Nat, well as I know him.
[155] It's all those other things...." He got up and walked over to the window and looked at the hot twilight while I waited.
[156] Then he turned around; he had a look of concern.
[157] "Alec, you're a reasonable guy, so I don't think you'll take offense at what I'm going to say.
[158] What you have told me is so impossibly unlikely, and the odds against it so astronomical, that I must take the view that you're either stringing me or you're subject to a delusion."
[159] I started to get up and expostulate, but he motioned me back.
[160] "I know, but don't you see that that is far more likely than...." He stopped and shook his head.
[161] Then he brightened.
[162] "I have an idea.
[163] Maybe we can have a demonstration."
[164] He thought for a tense minute and snapped his fingers.
[165] "Have you any change on you?"
[166] "Why, yes," I said.
[167] "Quite a bit."
[168] I reached into my pocket.
[169] There must have been nearly two dollars in silver and pennies.
[170] "Do you think they'll each have the same date, perhaps?"
[171] "Did you accumulate all that change today?"
[172] "No.
[173] During the week."
[174] He shook his head.
[175] "In that case, no.
[176] Discounting the fact that you could have prearranged it, if my dim provisional theory is right, that would be actually impossible.
[177] It would involve time-reversal.
[178] I'll tell you about it later.
[179] No, just throw down the change.
[180] Let's see if they all come up heads."
[181] I moved away from the carpet and tossed the handful of coins onto the floor.
[182] They clattered and bounced—and bounced together—and stacked themselves into a neat pile.
[183] I looked at McGill.
[184] His eyes were narrowed.
[185] Without a word, he took a handful of coins from his own pocket and threw them.
[186] These coins didn't stack.
[187] They just fell into an exactly straight line, the adjacent ones touching.
[188] "Well," I said, "what more do you want?"
[189] "Great Scott," he said, and sat down.
[190] "I suppose you know that there are two great apparently opposite principles governing the Universe—random and design.
[191] The sands on the beach are an example of random distribution and life is an example of design.
[192] The motions of the particles of a gas are what we call random, but there are so many of them, we treat them statistically and derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics—quite reliable.
[193] It isn't theoretically hard-and-fast; it's just a matter of extreme probability.
[194] Now life, on the other hand, seems not to depend on probability at all; actually, it goes against it.
[195] Or you might say it is certainly not an accidental manifestation."
[196] "Do you mean," I asked in some confusion, "that some form of life is controlling the coins and—the other things?"
[197] He shook his head.
[198] "No.
[199] All I mean is that improbable things usually have improbable explanations.
[200] When I see a natural law being broken, I don't say to myself, 'Here's a miracle.'
[201] I revise my version of the book of rules.
[202] Something—I don't know what—is going on, and it seems to involve probability, and it seems to center around you.
[203] Were you still in that building when the elevators stuck?
[204] Or near it?"
[205] "I guess I must have been.
[206] It happened just after I left."
[207] "Hm.
[208] You're the center, all right.
[209] But why?"
[210] "Center of what?"
[211] I asked.
[212] "I feel as though I were the center of an electrical storm.
[213] Something has it in for me!"
[214] McGill grinned.
[215] "Don't be superstitious.
[216] And especially don't be anthropomorphic."
[217] "Well, if it's the opposite of random, it's got to be a form of life."
[218] "On what basis?
[219] All we know for certain is that random motions are being rearranged.
[220] A crystal, for example, is not life, but it's a non-random arrangement of particles....
[221] I wonder."
[222] He had a faraway, frowning look.
[223] I was beginning to feel hungry and the drinks had worn off.
[224] "Let's go out and eat," I said, "There's not a damn thing in the kitchen and I'm not allowed to cook.
[225] Only eggs and coffee."
[226] We put on our hats and went down to the street.
[227] From either end, we could hear wrecking trucks towing away the stalled cars.
[228] There were, by this time, a number of harassed cops directing the maneuver and we heard one of them say to Danny, "I don't know what the hell's going on around here.
[229] Every goddam car's got something the matter with it.
[230] They can't none of them back out for one reason or another.
[231] Never seen anything like it."
[232] Near us, two pedestrians were doing a curious little two-step as they tried to pass one another; as soon as one of them moved aside to let the other pass, the other would move to the same side.
[233] They both had embarrassed grins on their faces, but before long their grins were replaced by looks of suspicion and then determination.
[234] "All right, smart guy!"
[235] they shouted in unison, and barged ahead, only to collide.
[236] They backed off and threw simultaneous punches which met in mid-air.
[237] Then began one of the most remarkable bouts ever witnessed—a fight in which fist hit fist but never anything else, until both champions backed away undefeated, muttering identical excuses and threats.
[238] Danny appeared at that moment.
[239] His face was dripping.
[240] "You all right, Mr.
[241] Graham?"
[242] he asked.
[243] "I don't know what's going on around here, but ever since I came on this afternoon, things are going crazy.
[244] Bartley!"
[245] he shouted—he could succeed as a hog-caller.
[246] "Bring those dames over here!"
[247] Three women in a confused wrangle, with their half-open umbrellas intertwined, were brought across the street, which meant climbing over fenders.
[248] Bartley, a fine young patrolman, seemed self-conscious; the ladies seemed not to be.
[249] "All right, now, Mrs.
[250] Mac-Philip!"
[251] one of them said.
[252] "Leave go of my umbrella and we'll say no more about it!"
[253] "And so now it's Missus Mac-Philip, is it?"
[254] said her adversary.
[255] The third, a younger one with her back turned to us, her umbrella also caught in the tangle, pulled at it in a tentative way, at which the other two glared at her.
[256] She turned her head away and tried to let go, but the handle was caught in her glove.
[257] She looked up and I saw it was Molly.
[258] My nurse-wife.
[259] "Oh, Alec!"
[260] she said, and managed to detach herself.
[261] "Are you all right?"
[262] Was I all right!
[263] "Molly!
[264] What are you doing here?"
[265] "I was so worried, and when I saw all this, I didn't know what to think."
[266] She pointed to the stalled cars.
[267] "Are you really all right?"
[268] "Of course I'm all right.
[269] But why...." "The Oyster Bay operator said someone kept dialing and dialing Mother's number and there wasn't anyone on the line, so then she had it traced and it came from our phone here.
[270] I kept calling up, but I only got a busy signal.
[271] Oh, dear, are you sure you're all right?"
[272] I put my arm around her and glanced at McGill.
[273] He had an inward look.
[274] Then I caught Danny's eye.
[275] It had a thoughtful, almost suspicious cast to it.
[276] "Trouble does seem to follow you, Mr. Graham," was all he said.
[277] When we got upstairs, I turned to McGill.
[278] "Explain to Molly," I said.
[279] "And incidentally to me.
[280] I'm not properly briefed yet."
[281] He did so, and when he got to the summing up, I had the feeling she was a jump ahead of him.
[282] "In other words, you think it's something organic?"
[283] "Well," McGill said, "I'm trying to think of anything else it might be.
[284] I'm not doing so well," he confessed.
[285] "But so far as I can see," Molly answered, "it's mere probability, and without any over-all pattern."
[286] "Not quite.
[287] It has a center.
[288] Alec is the center."
[289] Molly looked at me with a curious expression for a moment.
[290] "Do you feel all right, darling?"
[291] she asked me.
[292] I nodded brightly.
[293] "You'll think this silly of me," she went on to McGill, "but why isn't it something like an overactive poltergeist?"
[294] "Pure concept," he said.
[295] "No genuine evidence."
[296] "Magnetism?"
[297] "Absolutely not.
[298] For one thing, most of the objects affected weren't magnetic—and don't forget magnetism is a force, not a form of energy, and a great deal of energy has been involved.
[299] I admit the energy has mainly been supplied by the things themselves, but in a magnetic field, all you'd get would be stored kinetic energy, such as when a piece of iron moves to a magnet or a line of force.
[300] Then it would just stay there, like a rundown clock weight.
[301] These things do a lot more than that—they go on moving."
[302] "Why did you mention a crystal before?
[303] Why not a life-form?"
[304] "Only an analogy," said McGill.
[305] "A crystal resembles life in that it has a definite shape and exhibits growth, but that's all.
[306] I'll agree this—thing—has no discernible shape and motion is involved, but plants don't move and amebas have no shape.
[307] Then a crystal feeds, but it does not convert what it feeds on; it merely rearranges it into a non-random pattern.
[308] In this case, it's rearranging random motions and it has a nucleus and it seems to be growing—at least in what you might call improbability."
[309] Molly frowned.
[310] "Then what is it?
[311] What's it made of?"
[312] "I should say it was made of the motions.
[313] There's a similar idea about the atom.
[314] Another thing that's like a crystal is that it appears to be forming around a nucleus not of its own material—the way a speck of sand thrown into a supersaturated solution becomes the nucleus of crystallization."
[315] "Sounds like the pearl in an oyster," Molly said, and gave me an impertinent look.
[316] "Why," I asked McGill, "did you say the coins couldn't have the same date?
[317] I mean apart from the off chance I got them that way."
[318] "Because I don't think this thing got going before today and everything that's happened can all be described as improbable motions here and now.
[319] The dates were already there, and to change them would require retroactive action, reversing time.
[320] That's out, in my book.
[321] That telephone now—" The doorbell rang.
[322] We were not surprised to find it was the telephone repairman.
[323] He took the set apart and clucked like a hen.
[324] "I guess you dropped it on the floor, mister," he said with strong disapproval.
[325] "Certainly not," I said.
[326] "Is it broken?"
[327] "Not exactly broken , but—" He shook his head and took it apart some more.
[328] McGill went over and they discussed the problem in undertones.
[329] Finally the man left and Molly called her mother to reassure her.
[330] McGill tried to explain to me what had happened with the phone.
[331] "You must have joggled something loose.
[332] And then you replaced the receiver in such a way that the contact wasn't quite open."
[333] "But for Pete's sake, Molly says the calls were going on for a long time!
[334] I phoned you only a short time ago and it must have taken her nearly two hours to get here from Oyster Bay."
[335] "Then you must have done it twice and the vibrations in the floor—something like that—just happened to cause the right induction impulses.
[336] Yes, I know how you feel," he said, seeing my expression.
[337] "It's beginning to bear down."
[338] Molly was through telephoning and suggested going out for dinner.
[339] I was so pleased to see her that I'd forgotten all about being hungry.
[340] "I'm in no mood to cook," she said.
[341] "Let's get away from all this."
[342] McGill raised an eyebrow.
[343] "If all this, as you call it, will let us."
[344] In the lobby, we ran into Nat, looking smug in a journalistic way.
[345] "I've been put on the story—who could be better?—I live here.
[346] So far, I don't quite get what's been happening.
[347] I've been talking to Danny, but he didn't say much.
[348] I got the feeling he thinks you're involved in some mystical, Hibernian way.
[349] Hello, McGill, what's with you?"
[350] "He's got a theory," said Molly.
[351] "Come and eat with us and he'll tell you all about it."
[352] Since we decided on an air-conditioned restaurant nearby on Sixth Avenue, we walked.
[353] The jam of cars didn't seem to be any less than before and we saw Danny again.
[354] He was talking to a police lieutenant, and when he caught sight of us, he said something that made the lieutenant look at us with interest.
[355] Particularly at me.
[356] "If you want your umbrella, Mrs. Graham," Danny said, "it's at the station house.
[357] What there's left of it, that is."
[358] Molly thanked him and there was a short pause, during which I felt the speculative regard of the lieutenant.
[359] I pulled out a packet of cigarettes, which I had opened, as always, by tearing off the top.
[360] I happened to have it upside down and all the cigarettes fell out.
[361] Before I could move my foot to obliterate what they had spelled out on the sidewalk, the two cops saw it.
[362] The lieutenant gave me a hard look, but said nothing.
[363] I quickly kicked the insulting cigarettes into the gutter.
[364] When we got to the restaurant, it was crowded but cool—although it didn't stay cool for long.
[365] We sat down at a side table near the door and ordered Tom Collinses as we looked at the menu.
[366] Sitting at the next table were a fat lady, wearing a very long, brilliant green evening gown, and a dried-up sour-looking man in a tux.
[367] When the waiter returned, they preempted him and began ordering dinner fussily: cold cuts for the man, and vichyssoise, lobster salad and strawberry parfait for the fat lady.
[368] I tasted my drink.
[369] It was most peculiar; salt seemed to have been used instead of sugar.
[370] I mentioned this and my companions tried theirs, and made faces.
[371] The waiter was concerned and apologetic, and took the drinks back to the bar across the room.
[372] The bartender looked over at us and tasted one of the drinks.
[373] Then he dumped them in his sink with a puzzled expression and made a new batch.
[374] After shaking this up, he set out a row of glasses, put ice in them and began to pour.
[375] That is to say he tilted the shaker over the first one, but nothing came out.
[376] He bumped it against the side of the bar and tried again.
[377] Still nothing.
[378] Then he took off the top and pried into it with his pick, his face pink with exasperation.
[379] I had the impression that the shaker had frozen solid.
[380] Well, ice is a crystal, I thought to myself.
[381] The other bartender gave him a fresh shaker, but the same thing happened, and I saw no more because the customers sitting at the bar crowded around in front of him, offering advice.
[382] Our waiter came back, baffled, saying he'd have the drinks in a moment, and went to the kitchen.
[383] When he returned, he had madame's vichyssoise and some rolls, which he put down, and then went to the bar, where the audience had grown larger.
[384] Molly lit a cigarette and said, "I suppose this is all part of it, Alec.
[385] Incidentally, it seems to be getting warmer in here."
[386] It was, and I had the feeling the place was quieter—a background noise had stopped.
[387] It dawned on me that I no longer heard the faint hum of the air-conditioner over the door, and as I started to say so, I made a gesture toward it.
[388] My hand collided with Molly's when she tapped her cigarette over the ashtray, and the cigarette landed in the neighboring vichyssoise.
[389] "Hey!
[390] What's the idea?"
[391] snarled the sour-looking man.
[392] "I'm terribly sorry," I said.
[393] "It was an accident.
[394] I—" "Throwing cigarettes at people!"
[395] the fat lady said.
[396] "I really didn't mean to," I began again, getting up.
[397] There must have been a hole in the edge of their tablecloth which one of my cuff buttons caught in, because as I stepped out from between the closely set tables, I pulled everything—tablecloth, silver, water glasses, ashtrays and the vichyssoise-à-la-nicotine—onto the floor.
[398] The fat lady surged from the banquette and slapped me meatily.
[399] The man licked his thumb and danced as boxers are popularly supposed to do.
[400] The owner of the place, a man with thick black eyebrows, hustled toward us with a determined manner.
[401] I tried to explain what had happened, but I was outshouted, and the owner frowned darkly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Molly, and what are her traits?":
1. [47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
2. [48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
3. [49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
4. [50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
5. [51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back. And Close the Door, too."
6. [63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before. I love you."
7. [145] "Molly's away for the week. Can you get over here quick? It's urgent."
8. [257] "Oh, Alec! What are you doing here?"
9. [259] "Molly! What are you doing here?"
10. [260] "I was so worried, and when I saw all this, I didn't know what to think."
11. [265] "The Oyster Bay operator said someone kept dialing and dialing Mother's number and there wasn't anyone on the line, so then she had it traced and it came from our phone here."
12. [269] "Oh, dear, are you sure you're all right?"
13. [272] I put my arm around her and glanced at McGill.
14. [288] "Alec is the center."
15. [289] Molly looked at me with a curious expression for a moment.
16. [290] "Do you feel all right, darling?"
17. [292] I nodded brightly.
18. [293] "You'll think this silly of me," she went on to McGill, "but why isn't it something like an overactive poltergeist?"
19. [314] "Molly said, and gave me an impertinent look."
20. [338] Molly was through telephoning and suggested going out for dinner.
21. [339] "I'm in no mood to cook," she said. "Let's get away from all this."
22. [340] "I'm so pleased to see her that I'd forgotten all about being hungry."
23. [383] Molly lit a cigarette and said, "I suppose this is all part of it, Alec. Incidentally, it seems to be getting warmer in here." |
How do the strange coincidences that happen to Alec affect his mood throughout the story? | [
"Alec is tired, upset, and confused about the strange coincidences relating to him. When he first goes home, he is extremely tired and compares his day to be the same as being beaten down. Judging from the events throughout his workday, he does not understand how they all relate to him and thinks of them as extremely weird coincidences. He even thinks of himself as being coincidence-prone. After the soda incident, however, he no longer finds it surprising after all that has happened to him. As the events build up, Alec slowly realizes that he is the center of it all, and he knows that he cannot get out of it. No matter how hard he tries, he directly interacts with or is nearby becomes strange coincidences.",
"As the strange coincidences occur in the story, Alec becomes increasingly frustrated. However, instead of driving him to the point of rage, the frustration drives him to exhaustion. At the beginning of the story, Alec already describes himself as feeling beaten down due to the morning's events. He feels more and more defeated as the day goes on, but also becomes more and more perplexed and fascinated. By the end of the story, Alec feels both helpless due to his uncontrollable bad luck and eager to find an explanation for this rare scenario, seeking other people for help and validation.",
"For a large portion of the story, Alec is very casual about the strange coincidences that occur. He acknowledges them but does not fuss over them as much as those who also see them. When he is told that he just missed being stuck in his office building’s elevators, he brushes it off as another coincidence. He does the same when his pencil lands on the floor standing on its end. Towards the end of the story, he grows more aware of the coincidences and becomes frustrated with them. The story ends with him getting into a heated argument at a restaurant when it is assumed that he purposefully flew his cigarette at an occupied table.",
"The first coincidences are just some bad luck as Alec thinks. When one oversleeps something important and is in a hurry, series of delaying events can happen as some bad luck. He is simply nervous about missing the conference, and tired of constant failures. It'[s also hard for him to live without his wife, his place looks wife-deserted which upsets him and this is the part of the reasons for his tardiness. When his absence isn't noticed, he returns home in a better mood and tries to write. Nothing helps though and Alec is stuck. Unnatural events start happening which distract him, at first, they simply surprise Alec. Later, they become more strong, often highly improbable - not breaking bottles, traffic, especially the three knots on the curtain. These ones look impossible to Alec and therefore scare him, so he calls McGill for a consultation. Further evidence convinces Alec in him being the center of a huge mess. He is confused and tries to hide his failures from the overseers."
] | [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
[4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
[5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
[6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
[7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
[8] What do they do, I asked myself, that I have left undone?
[9] I've vacuumed the carpet, I've dusted and I've straightened the cushions.... Ah!
[10] The ashtrays.
[11] I emptied them, washed them and put them back, but still the place looked wife-deserted.
[12] It had been a bad day; I had forgotten to wind the alarm clock, so I'd had to hurry to make a story conference at one of the TV studios I write for.
[13] I didn't notice the impending rain storm and had no umbrella when I reached the sidewalk, to find myself confronted with an almost tropical downpour.
[14] I would have turned back, but a taxi came up and a woman got out, so I dashed through the rain and got in.
[15] "Madison and Fifty-fourth," I said.
[16] "Right," said the driver, and I heard the starter grind, and then go on grinding.
[17] After some futile efforts, he turned to me.
[18] "Sorry, Mac.
[19] You'll have to find another cab.
[20] Good hunting."
[21] If possible, it was raining still harder.
[22] I opened my newspaper over my hat and ran for the subway: three blocks.
[23] Whizzing traffic held me up at each crossing and I was soaked when I reached the platform, just in time to miss the local.
[24] After an abnormal delay, I got one which exactly missed the express at Fourteenth Street.
[25] The same thing happened at both ends of the crosstown shuttle, but I found the rain had stopped when I got out at Fifty-first and Lexington.
[26] As I walked across to Madison Avenue, I passed a big excavation where they were getting ready to put up a new office building.
[27] There was the usual crowd of buffs watching the digging machines and, in particular, a man with a pneumatic drill who was breaking up some hard-packed clay.
[28] While I looked, a big lump of it fell away, and for an instant I was able to see something that looked like a chunk of dirty glass, the size of an old-fashioned hatbox.
[29] It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, and then his chattering drill hit it.
[30] There was a faint bang and the thing disintegrated.
[31] It knocked him on his back, but he got right up and I realized he was not hurt.
[32] At the moment of the explosion—if so feeble a thing can be called one—I felt something sting my face and, on touching it, found blood on my hand.
[33] I mopped at it with my handkerchief but, though slight, the bleeding would not stop, so I went into a drugstore and bought some pink adhesive which I put on the tiny cut.
[34] When I got to the studio, I found that I had missed the story conference.
[35] During the day, by actual count, I heard the phrase "I'm just spitballing" eight times, and another Madison Avenue favorite, "The whole ball of wax," twelve times.
[36] However, my story had been accepted without change because nobody had noticed my absence from the conference room.
[37] There you have what is known as the Advertising World, the Advertising game or the advertising racket, depending upon which rung of the ladder you have achieved.
[38] The subway gave a repeat performance going home, and as I got to the apartment house we live in, the cop on the afternoon beat was standing there talking to the doorman.
[39] He said, "Hello, Mr. Graham.
[40] I guess you must have just have missed it at your office building."
[41] I looked blank and he explained, "We just heard it a little while ago: all six elevators in your building jammed at the same time.
[42] Sounds crazy.
[43] I guess you just missed it."
[44] Anything can happen in advertising, I thought.
[45] "That's right, Danny, I just missed it," I said, and went on in.
[46] Psychiatry tells us that some people are accident-prone; I, on the other hand, seemed recently to be coincidence-prone, fluke-happy, and except for the alarm clock, I'd had no control over what had been going on.
[47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
[48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
[49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
[50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
[51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back.
[52] And Close the Door, too."
[53] Intimidated, I took my drink into the living room and sat down in front of the typewriter.
[54] As I stared at the novel that was to liberate me from Madison Avenue, I noticed a mistake and picked up a pencil.
[55] When I put it down, it rolled off the desk, and with my eyes on the manuscript, I groped under the chair for it.
[56] Then I looked down.
[57] The pencil was standing on its end.
[58] There, I thought to myself, is that one chance in a million we hear about, and picked up the pencil.
[59] I turned back to my novel and drank some of the highball in hopes of inspiration and surcease from the muggy heat, but nothing came.
[60] I went back and read the whole chapter to try to get a forward momentum, but came to a dead stop at the last sentence.
[61] Damn the heat, damn the pencil, damn Madison Avenue and advertising.
[62] My drink was gone and I went back to the kitchen and read Molly's notes again to see if they would be like a letter from her.
[63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before.
[64] I love you."
[65] What can you do when the girl loves you?
[66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
[67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
[68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
[69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
[70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
[71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
[72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
[73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
[74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
[75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
[76] "You can't say a thing like that to me!"
[77] I heard him shout.
[78] "I tell you I got that deck this afternoon and they weren't opened till we started to play!"
[79] Several other loud voices started at the same time.
[80] "Nobody gets five straight-flushes in a row!"
[81] "Yeah, and only when you were dealer!"
[82] The tone of the argument was beginning to get ugly, and I opened the door to offer Nat help if he needed it.
[83] There were four men confronting him, evidently torn between the desire to make an angry exit and the impulse to stay and beat him up.
[84] His face was furiously red and he looked stunned.
[85] "Here!"
[86] he said, holding out a deck of cards, "For Pete's sake, look at 'em yourselves if you think they're marked!"
[87] The nearest man struck them up from his hand.
[88] "Okay, Houdini!
[89] So they're not marked!
[90] All I know is five straight...." His voice trailed away.
[91] He and the others stared at the scattered cards on the floor.
[92] About half were face down, as might be expected, and the rest face up—all red.
[93] Someone must have rung, because at that moment the elevator arrived and the four men, with half frightened, incredulous looks, and in silence, got in and were taken down.
[94] My friend stood looking at the neatly arranged cards.
[95] "Judas!"
[96] he said, and started to pick them up.
[97] "Will you look at that!
[98] My God, what a session...." I helped him and said to come in for a drink and tell me all about it, but I had an idea what I would hear.
[99] After a while, he calmed down, but he still seemed dazed.
[100] "Never seen anything to equal it," he said.
[101] "Wouldn't have believed it.
[102] Those guys didn't believe it.
[103] Every round normal, nothing unusual about the hands—three of a kind, a low straight, that sort of thing and one guy got queens over tens, until it gets to be my deal.
[104] Brother!
[105] Straight flush to the king—every time!
[106] And each time, somebody else has four aces...." He started to sweat again, so I got up to fix him another drink.
[107] There was one quart of club soda left, but when I tried to open it, the top broke and glass chips got into the bottle.
[108] "I'll have to go down for more soda," I said.
[109] "I'll come, too.
[110] I need air."
[111] At the delicatessen on the corner, the man gave me three bottles in what must have been a wet bag, because as he handed them to me over the top of the cold-meat display, the bottom gave and they fell onto the tile floor.
[112] None of them broke, although the fall must have been from at least five feet.
[113] Nat was too wound up in his thoughts to notice and I was getting used to miracles.
[114] We left the proprietor with his mouth open and met Danny, the cop, looking in at the door, also with his mouth open.
[115] On the sidewalk, a man walking in front of Nat stooped suddenly to tie his shoe and Nat, to avoid bumping him, stepped off the curb and a taxi swerved to avoid Nat.
[116] The street was still wet and the taxi skidded, its rear end lightly flipping the front of one of those small foreign cars, which was going rather fast.
[117] It turned sideways and, without any side-slip, went right up the stoop of a brownstone opposite, coming to rest with its nose inside the front door, which a man opened at that moment.
[118] The sight of this threw another driver into a skid, and when he and the taxi had stopped sliding around, they were face to face, arranged crosswise to the street.
[119] This gave them exactly no room to move either forward or backward, for the car had its back to a hydrant and the taxi to a lamp.
[120] Although rather narrow, this is a two-way street, and in no time at all, traffic was stacked up from both directions as far as the avenues.
[121] Everyone was honking his horn.
[122] Danny was furious—more so when he tried to put through a call to his station house from the box opposite.
[123] It was out of order.
[124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
[125] Nat had brightened up considerably.
[126] "I'll stay for one more drink and then I'm due at the office," he said.
[127] "You know, I think this would make an item for the paper."
[128] He grinned and nodded toward the pandemonium.
[129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
[130] Then I saw the curtains.
[131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
[132] That was tied in three knots.
[133] All right , I told myself, it was the wind.
[134] But I felt the time had come for me to get expert advice, so I went to the phone to call McGill.
[135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
[136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
[137] When I picked up the receiver, the line sounded dead and I thought, more trouble.
[138] Then I heard a man cough and I said hello.
[139] McGill's voice said, "Alec?
[140] You must have picked up the receiver just as we were connected.
[141] That's a damn funny coincidence."
[142] "Not in the least," I said.
[143] "Come on over here.
[144] I've got something for you to work on."
[145] "Well, as a matter of fact, I was calling up to ask you and Molly—" "Molly's away for the week.
[146] Can you get over here quick?
[147] It's urgent."
[148] "At once," he said, and hung up.
[149] While I waited, I thought I might try getting down a few paragraphs of my novel—perhaps something would come now.
[150] It did, but as I came to a point where I was about to put down the word "agurgling," I decided it was too reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan, and stopped at the letter "R." Then I saw that I had unaccountably hit all four keys one step to the side of the correct ones, and tore out the page, with my face red.
[151] This was absolutely not my day.
[152] "Well," McGill said, "nothing you've told me is impossible or supernatural.
[153] Just very, very improbable.
[154] In fact, the odds against that poker game alone would lead me to suspect Nat, well as I know him.
[155] It's all those other things...." He got up and walked over to the window and looked at the hot twilight while I waited.
[156] Then he turned around; he had a look of concern.
[157] "Alec, you're a reasonable guy, so I don't think you'll take offense at what I'm going to say.
[158] What you have told me is so impossibly unlikely, and the odds against it so astronomical, that I must take the view that you're either stringing me or you're subject to a delusion."
[159] I started to get up and expostulate, but he motioned me back.
[160] "I know, but don't you see that that is far more likely than...." He stopped and shook his head.
[161] Then he brightened.
[162] "I have an idea.
[163] Maybe we can have a demonstration."
[164] He thought for a tense minute and snapped his fingers.
[165] "Have you any change on you?"
[166] "Why, yes," I said.
[167] "Quite a bit."
[168] I reached into my pocket.
[169] There must have been nearly two dollars in silver and pennies.
[170] "Do you think they'll each have the same date, perhaps?"
[171] "Did you accumulate all that change today?"
[172] "No.
[173] During the week."
[174] He shook his head.
[175] "In that case, no.
[176] Discounting the fact that you could have prearranged it, if my dim provisional theory is right, that would be actually impossible.
[177] It would involve time-reversal.
[178] I'll tell you about it later.
[179] No, just throw down the change.
[180] Let's see if they all come up heads."
[181] I moved away from the carpet and tossed the handful of coins onto the floor.
[182] They clattered and bounced—and bounced together—and stacked themselves into a neat pile.
[183] I looked at McGill.
[184] His eyes were narrowed.
[185] Without a word, he took a handful of coins from his own pocket and threw them.
[186] These coins didn't stack.
[187] They just fell into an exactly straight line, the adjacent ones touching.
[188] "Well," I said, "what more do you want?"
[189] "Great Scott," he said, and sat down.
[190] "I suppose you know that there are two great apparently opposite principles governing the Universe—random and design.
[191] The sands on the beach are an example of random distribution and life is an example of design.
[192] The motions of the particles of a gas are what we call random, but there are so many of them, we treat them statistically and derive the Second Law of Thermodynamics—quite reliable.
[193] It isn't theoretically hard-and-fast; it's just a matter of extreme probability.
[194] Now life, on the other hand, seems not to depend on probability at all; actually, it goes against it.
[195] Or you might say it is certainly not an accidental manifestation."
[196] "Do you mean," I asked in some confusion, "that some form of life is controlling the coins and—the other things?"
[197] He shook his head.
[198] "No.
[199] All I mean is that improbable things usually have improbable explanations.
[200] When I see a natural law being broken, I don't say to myself, 'Here's a miracle.'
[201] I revise my version of the book of rules.
[202] Something—I don't know what—is going on, and it seems to involve probability, and it seems to center around you.
[203] Were you still in that building when the elevators stuck?
[204] Or near it?"
[205] "I guess I must have been.
[206] It happened just after I left."
[207] "Hm.
[208] You're the center, all right.
[209] But why?"
[210] "Center of what?"
[211] I asked.
[212] "I feel as though I were the center of an electrical storm.
[213] Something has it in for me!"
[214] McGill grinned.
[215] "Don't be superstitious.
[216] And especially don't be anthropomorphic."
[217] "Well, if it's the opposite of random, it's got to be a form of life."
[218] "On what basis?
[219] All we know for certain is that random motions are being rearranged.
[220] A crystal, for example, is not life, but it's a non-random arrangement of particles....
[221] I wonder."
[222] He had a faraway, frowning look.
[223] I was beginning to feel hungry and the drinks had worn off.
[224] "Let's go out and eat," I said, "There's not a damn thing in the kitchen and I'm not allowed to cook.
[225] Only eggs and coffee."
[226] We put on our hats and went down to the street.
[227] From either end, we could hear wrecking trucks towing away the stalled cars.
[228] There were, by this time, a number of harassed cops directing the maneuver and we heard one of them say to Danny, "I don't know what the hell's going on around here.
[229] Every goddam car's got something the matter with it.
[230] They can't none of them back out for one reason or another.
[231] Never seen anything like it."
[232] Near us, two pedestrians were doing a curious little two-step as they tried to pass one another; as soon as one of them moved aside to let the other pass, the other would move to the same side.
[233] They both had embarrassed grins on their faces, but before long their grins were replaced by looks of suspicion and then determination.
[234] "All right, smart guy!"
[235] they shouted in unison, and barged ahead, only to collide.
[236] They backed off and threw simultaneous punches which met in mid-air.
[237] Then began one of the most remarkable bouts ever witnessed—a fight in which fist hit fist but never anything else, until both champions backed away undefeated, muttering identical excuses and threats.
[238] Danny appeared at that moment.
[239] His face was dripping.
[240] "You all right, Mr.
[241] Graham?"
[242] he asked.
[243] "I don't know what's going on around here, but ever since I came on this afternoon, things are going crazy.
[244] Bartley!"
[245] he shouted—he could succeed as a hog-caller.
[246] "Bring those dames over here!"
[247] Three women in a confused wrangle, with their half-open umbrellas intertwined, were brought across the street, which meant climbing over fenders.
[248] Bartley, a fine young patrolman, seemed self-conscious; the ladies seemed not to be.
[249] "All right, now, Mrs.
[250] Mac-Philip!"
[251] one of them said.
[252] "Leave go of my umbrella and we'll say no more about it!"
[253] "And so now it's Missus Mac-Philip, is it?"
[254] said her adversary.
[255] The third, a younger one with her back turned to us, her umbrella also caught in the tangle, pulled at it in a tentative way, at which the other two glared at her.
[256] She turned her head away and tried to let go, but the handle was caught in her glove.
[257] She looked up and I saw it was Molly.
[258] My nurse-wife.
[259] "Oh, Alec!"
[260] she said, and managed to detach herself.
[261] "Are you all right?"
[262] Was I all right!
[263] "Molly!
[264] What are you doing here?"
[265] "I was so worried, and when I saw all this, I didn't know what to think."
[266] She pointed to the stalled cars.
[267] "Are you really all right?"
[268] "Of course I'm all right.
[269] But why...." "The Oyster Bay operator said someone kept dialing and dialing Mother's number and there wasn't anyone on the line, so then she had it traced and it came from our phone here.
[270] I kept calling up, but I only got a busy signal.
[271] Oh, dear, are you sure you're all right?"
[272] I put my arm around her and glanced at McGill.
[273] He had an inward look.
[274] Then I caught Danny's eye.
[275] It had a thoughtful, almost suspicious cast to it.
[276] "Trouble does seem to follow you, Mr. Graham," was all he said.
[277] When we got upstairs, I turned to McGill.
[278] "Explain to Molly," I said.
[279] "And incidentally to me.
[280] I'm not properly briefed yet."
[281] He did so, and when he got to the summing up, I had the feeling she was a jump ahead of him.
[282] "In other words, you think it's something organic?"
[283] "Well," McGill said, "I'm trying to think of anything else it might be.
[284] I'm not doing so well," he confessed.
[285] "But so far as I can see," Molly answered, "it's mere probability, and without any over-all pattern."
[286] "Not quite.
[287] It has a center.
[288] Alec is the center."
[289] Molly looked at me with a curious expression for a moment.
[290] "Do you feel all right, darling?"
[291] she asked me.
[292] I nodded brightly.
[293] "You'll think this silly of me," she went on to McGill, "but why isn't it something like an overactive poltergeist?"
[294] "Pure concept," he said.
[295] "No genuine evidence."
[296] "Magnetism?"
[297] "Absolutely not.
[298] For one thing, most of the objects affected weren't magnetic—and don't forget magnetism is a force, not a form of energy, and a great deal of energy has been involved.
[299] I admit the energy has mainly been supplied by the things themselves, but in a magnetic field, all you'd get would be stored kinetic energy, such as when a piece of iron moves to a magnet or a line of force.
[300] Then it would just stay there, like a rundown clock weight.
[301] These things do a lot more than that—they go on moving."
[302] "Why did you mention a crystal before?
[303] Why not a life-form?"
[304] "Only an analogy," said McGill.
[305] "A crystal resembles life in that it has a definite shape and exhibits growth, but that's all.
[306] I'll agree this—thing—has no discernible shape and motion is involved, but plants don't move and amebas have no shape.
[307] Then a crystal feeds, but it does not convert what it feeds on; it merely rearranges it into a non-random pattern.
[308] In this case, it's rearranging random motions and it has a nucleus and it seems to be growing—at least in what you might call improbability."
[309] Molly frowned.
[310] "Then what is it?
[311] What's it made of?"
[312] "I should say it was made of the motions.
[313] There's a similar idea about the atom.
[314] Another thing that's like a crystal is that it appears to be forming around a nucleus not of its own material—the way a speck of sand thrown into a supersaturated solution becomes the nucleus of crystallization."
[315] "Sounds like the pearl in an oyster," Molly said, and gave me an impertinent look.
[316] "Why," I asked McGill, "did you say the coins couldn't have the same date?
[317] I mean apart from the off chance I got them that way."
[318] "Because I don't think this thing got going before today and everything that's happened can all be described as improbable motions here and now.
[319] The dates were already there, and to change them would require retroactive action, reversing time.
[320] That's out, in my book.
[321] That telephone now—" The doorbell rang.
[322] We were not surprised to find it was the telephone repairman.
[323] He took the set apart and clucked like a hen.
[324] "I guess you dropped it on the floor, mister," he said with strong disapproval.
[325] "Certainly not," I said.
[326] "Is it broken?"
[327] "Not exactly broken , but—" He shook his head and took it apart some more.
[328] McGill went over and they discussed the problem in undertones.
[329] Finally the man left and Molly called her mother to reassure her.
[330] McGill tried to explain to me what had happened with the phone.
[331] "You must have joggled something loose.
[332] And then you replaced the receiver in such a way that the contact wasn't quite open."
[333] "But for Pete's sake, Molly says the calls were going on for a long time!
[334] I phoned you only a short time ago and it must have taken her nearly two hours to get here from Oyster Bay."
[335] "Then you must have done it twice and the vibrations in the floor—something like that—just happened to cause the right induction impulses.
[336] Yes, I know how you feel," he said, seeing my expression.
[337] "It's beginning to bear down."
[338] Molly was through telephoning and suggested going out for dinner.
[339] I was so pleased to see her that I'd forgotten all about being hungry.
[340] "I'm in no mood to cook," she said.
[341] "Let's get away from all this."
[342] McGill raised an eyebrow.
[343] "If all this, as you call it, will let us."
[344] In the lobby, we ran into Nat, looking smug in a journalistic way.
[345] "I've been put on the story—who could be better?—I live here.
[346] So far, I don't quite get what's been happening.
[347] I've been talking to Danny, but he didn't say much.
[348] I got the feeling he thinks you're involved in some mystical, Hibernian way.
[349] Hello, McGill, what's with you?"
[350] "He's got a theory," said Molly.
[351] "Come and eat with us and he'll tell you all about it."
[352] Since we decided on an air-conditioned restaurant nearby on Sixth Avenue, we walked.
[353] The jam of cars didn't seem to be any less than before and we saw Danny again.
[354] He was talking to a police lieutenant, and when he caught sight of us, he said something that made the lieutenant look at us with interest.
[355] Particularly at me.
[356] "If you want your umbrella, Mrs. Graham," Danny said, "it's at the station house.
[357] What there's left of it, that is."
[358] Molly thanked him and there was a short pause, during which I felt the speculative regard of the lieutenant.
[359] I pulled out a packet of cigarettes, which I had opened, as always, by tearing off the top.
[360] I happened to have it upside down and all the cigarettes fell out.
[361] Before I could move my foot to obliterate what they had spelled out on the sidewalk, the two cops saw it.
[362] The lieutenant gave me a hard look, but said nothing.
[363] I quickly kicked the insulting cigarettes into the gutter.
[364] When we got to the restaurant, it was crowded but cool—although it didn't stay cool for long.
[365] We sat down at a side table near the door and ordered Tom Collinses as we looked at the menu.
[366] Sitting at the next table were a fat lady, wearing a very long, brilliant green evening gown, and a dried-up sour-looking man in a tux.
[367] When the waiter returned, they preempted him and began ordering dinner fussily: cold cuts for the man, and vichyssoise, lobster salad and strawberry parfait for the fat lady.
[368] I tasted my drink.
[369] It was most peculiar; salt seemed to have been used instead of sugar.
[370] I mentioned this and my companions tried theirs, and made faces.
[371] The waiter was concerned and apologetic, and took the drinks back to the bar across the room.
[372] The bartender looked over at us and tasted one of the drinks.
[373] Then he dumped them in his sink with a puzzled expression and made a new batch.
[374] After shaking this up, he set out a row of glasses, put ice in them and began to pour.
[375] That is to say he tilted the shaker over the first one, but nothing came out.
[376] He bumped it against the side of the bar and tried again.
[377] Still nothing.
[378] Then he took off the top and pried into it with his pick, his face pink with exasperation.
[379] I had the impression that the shaker had frozen solid.
[380] Well, ice is a crystal, I thought to myself.
[381] The other bartender gave him a fresh shaker, but the same thing happened, and I saw no more because the customers sitting at the bar crowded around in front of him, offering advice.
[382] Our waiter came back, baffled, saying he'd have the drinks in a moment, and went to the kitchen.
[383] When he returned, he had madame's vichyssoise and some rolls, which he put down, and then went to the bar, where the audience had grown larger.
[384] Molly lit a cigarette and said, "I suppose this is all part of it, Alec.
[385] Incidentally, it seems to be getting warmer in here."
[386] It was, and I had the feeling the place was quieter—a background noise had stopped.
[387] It dawned on me that I no longer heard the faint hum of the air-conditioner over the door, and as I started to say so, I made a gesture toward it.
[388] My hand collided with Molly's when she tapped her cigarette over the ashtray, and the cigarette landed in the neighboring vichyssoise.
[389] "Hey!
[390] What's the idea?"
[391] snarled the sour-looking man.
[392] "I'm terribly sorry," I said.
[393] "It was an accident.
[394] I—" "Throwing cigarettes at people!"
[395] the fat lady said.
[396] "I really didn't mean to," I began again, getting up.
[397] There must have been a hole in the edge of their tablecloth which one of my cuff buttons caught in, because as I stepped out from between the closely set tables, I pulled everything—tablecloth, silver, water glasses, ashtrays and the vichyssoise-à-la-nicotine—onto the floor.
[398] The fat lady surged from the banquette and slapped me meatily.
[399] The man licked his thumb and danced as boxers are popularly supposed to do.
[400] The owner of the place, a man with thick black eyebrows, hustled toward us with a determined manner.
[401] I tried to explain what had happened, but I was outshouted, and the owner frowned darkly. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question:
1. [46] Psychiatry tells us that some people are accident-prone; I, on the other hand, seemed recently to be coincidence-prone, fluke-happy, and except for the alarm clock, I'd had no control over what had been going on.
2. [211] "I feel as though I were the center of an electrical storm. Something has it in for me!"
3. [275] "Trouble does seem to follow you, Mr. Graham," was all he said.
4. [290] "Do you feel all right, darling?" she asked me.
5. [383] "I suppose this is all part of it, Alec. Incidentally, it seems to be getting warmer in here."
6. [1] I am a Nucleus By STEPHEN BARR Illustrated by GAUGHAN
7. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
8. [3] No doubt whatever about it, I had the Indian sign on me ... my comfortably untidy world had suddenly turned into a monstrosity of order!
9. [4] When I got home from the office, I was not so much tired as beaten down, but the effect is similar.
10. [5] I let myself into the apartment, which had an absentee-wife look, and took a cold shower.
11. [6] The present downtown temperature, according to the radio, was eighty-seven degrees, but according to my Greenwich Village thermometer, it was ninety-six.
12. [7] I got dressed and went into the living room, and wished ardently that my wife Molly were here to tell me why the whole place looked so woebegone.
13. [8] What do they do, I asked myself, that I have left undone?
14. [9] I've vacuumed the carpet, I've dusted and I've straightened the cushions.... Ah!
15. [10] The ashtrays.
16. [11] I emptied them, washed them and put them back, but still the place looked wife-deserted.
17. [12] It had been a bad day; I had forgotten to wind the alarm clock, so I'd had to hurry to make a story conference at one of the TV studios I write for.
18. [13] I didn't notice the impending rain storm and had no umbrella when I reached the sidewalk, to find myself confronted with an almost tropical downpour.
19. [14] I would have turned back, but a taxi came up and a woman got out, so I dashed through the rain and got in.
20. [15] "Madison and Fifty-fourth," I said.
21. [16] "Right," said the driver, and I heard the starter grind, and then go on grinding.
22. [17] After some futile efforts, he turned to me.
23. [18] "Sorry, Mac.
24. [19] You'll have to find another cab.
25. [20] Good hunting."
26. [21] If possible, it was raining still harder.
27. [22] I opened my newspaper over my hat and ran for the subway: three blocks.
28. [23] Whizzing traffic held me up at each crossing and I was soaked when I reached the platform, just in time to miss the local.
29. [24] After an abnormal delay, I got one which exactly missed the express at Fourteenth Street.
30. [25] The same thing happened at both ends of the crosstown shuttle, but I found the rain had stopped when I got out at Fifty-first and Lexington.
31. [26] As I walked across to Madison Avenue, I passed a big excavation where they were getting ready to put up a new office building.
32. [27] There was the usual crowd of buffs watching the digging machines and, in particular, a man with a pneumatic drill who was breaking up some hard-packed clay.
33. [28] While I looked, a big lump of it fell away, and for an instant I was able to see something that looked like a chunk of dirty glass, the size of an old-fashioned hatbox.
34. [29] It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, and then his chattering drill hit it.
35. [30] There was a faint bang and the thing disintegrated.
36. [31] It knocked him on his back, but he got right up and I realized he was not hurt.
37. [32] At the moment of the explosion—if so feeble a thing can be called one—I felt something sting my face and, on touching it, found blood on my hand.
38. [33] I mopped at it with my handkerchief but, though slight, the bleeding would not stop, so I went into a drugstore and bought some pink adhesive which I put on the tiny cut.
39. [34] When I got to the studio, I found that I had missed the story conference.
40. [35] During the day, by actual count, I heard the phrase "I'm just spitballing" eight times, and another Madison Avenue favorite, "The whole ball of wax," twelve times.
41. [36] However, my story had been accepted without change because nobody had noticed my absence from the conference room.
42. [37] There you have what is known as the Advertising World, the Advertising game or the advertising racket, depending upon which rung of the ladder you have achieved.
43. [38] The subway gave a repeat performance going home, and as I got to the apartment house we live in, the cop on the afternoon beat was standing there talking to the doorman.
44. [39] He said, "Hello, Mr. Graham.
45. [40] I guess you must have just have missed it at your office building."
46. [41] I looked blank and he explained, "We just heard it a little while ago: all six elevators in your building jammed at the same time.
47. [42] Sounds crazy.
48. [43] I guess you just missed it."
49. [44] Anything can happen in advertising, I thought.
50. [45] "That's right, Danny, I just missed it," I said, and went on in.
51. [47] I went into our little kitchen to make a drink and reread the directions Molly had left, telling me how to get along by myself until she got back from her mother's in Oyster Bay, a matter of ten days.
52. [48] How to make coffee, how to open a can, whom to call if I took sick and such.
53. [49] My wife used to be a trained nurse and she is quite convinced that I cannot take a breath without her.
54. [50] She is right, but not for the reasons she supposes.
55. [51] I opened the refrigerator to get some ice and saw another notice: "When you take out the Milk or Butter, Put it Right Back.
56. [52] And Close the Door, too."
57. [53] Intimidated, I took my drink into the living room and sat down in front of the typewriter.
58. [54] As I stared at the novel that was to liberate me from Madison Avenue, I noticed a mistake and picked up a pencil.
59. [55] When I put it down, it rolled off the desk, and with my eyes on the manuscript, I groped under the chair for it.
60. [56] Then I looked down.
61. [57] The pencil was standing on its end.
62. [58] There, I thought to myself, is that one chance in a million we hear about, and picked up the pencil.
63. [59] I turned back to my novel and drank some of the highball in hopes of inspiration and surcease from the muggy heat, but nothing came.
64. [60] I went back and read the whole chapter to try to get a forward momentum, but came to a dead stop at the last sentence.
65. [61] Damn the heat, damn the pencil, damn Madison Avenue and advertising.
66. [62] My drink was gone and I went back to the kitchen and read Molly's notes again to see if they would be like a letter from her.
67. [63] I noticed one that I had missed, pinned to the door of the dumbwaiter: "Garbage picked up at 6:30 AM so the idea is to Put it Here the Night Before.
68. [64] I love you."
69. [65] What can you do when the girl loves you?
70. [66] I made another drink and went and stared out of the living room window at the roof opposite.
71. [67] The Sun was out again and a man with a stick was exercising his flock of pigeons.
72. [68] They wheeled in a circle, hoping to be allowed to perch, but were not allowed to.
73. [69] Pigeons fly as a rule in formation and turn simultaneously, so that their wings all catch the sunlight at the same time.
74. [70] I was thinking about this decorative fact when I saw that as they were making a turn, they seemed to bunch up together.
75. [71] By some curious chance, they all wanted the same place in the sky to turn in, and several collided and fell.
76. [72] The man was as surprised as I and went to one of the dazed birds and picked it up.
77. [73] He stood there shaking his head from side to side, stroking its feathers.
78. [74] My speculations about this peculiar aerial traffic accident were interrupted by loud voices in the hallway.
79. [75] Since our building is usually very well behaved, I was astonished to hear what sounded like an incipient free-for-all, and among the angry voices I recognized that of my neighbor, Nat, a very quiet guy who works on a newspaper and has never, to my knowledge, given wild parties, particularly in the late afternoon.
80. [76] "You can't say a thing like that to me!"
81. [77] I heard him shout.
82. [78] "I tell you I got that deck this afternoon and they weren't opened till we started to play!"
83. [79] Several other loud voices started at the same time.
84. [80] "Nobody gets five straight-flushes in a row!"
85. [81] "Yeah, and only when you were dealer!"
86. [82] The tone of the argument was beginning to get ugly, and I opened the door to offer Nat help if he needed it.
87. [83] There were four men confronting him, evidently torn between the desire to make an angry exit and the impulse to stay and beat him up.
88. [84] His face was furiously red and he looked stunned.
89. [85] "Here!"
90. [86] he said, holding out a deck of cards, "For Pete's sake, look at 'em yourselves if you think they're marked!"
91. [87] The nearest man struck them up from his hand.
92. [88] "Okay, Houdini!
93. [89] So they're not marked!
94. [90] All I know is five straight...." His voice trailed away.
95. [91] He and the others stared at the scattered cards on the floor.
96. [92] About half were face down, as might be expected, and the rest face up—all red.
97. [93] Someone must have rung, because at that moment the elevator arrived and the four men, with half frightened, incredulous looks, and in silence, got in and were taken down.
98. [94] My friend stood looking at the neatly arranged cards.
99. [95] "Judas!"
100. [96] he said, and started to pick them up.
101. [97] "Will you look at that!
102. [98] My God, what a session...." I helped him and said to come in for a drink and tell me all about it, but I had an idea what I would hear.
103. [99] After a while, he calmed down, but he still seemed dazed.
104. [100] "Never seen anything to equal it," he said.
105. [101] "Wouldn't have believed it.
106. [102] Those guys didn't believe it.
107. [103] Every round normal, nothing unusual about the hands—three of a kind, a low straight, that sort of thing and one guy got queens over tens, until it gets to be my deal.
108. [104] Brother!
109. [105] Straight flush to the king—every time!
110. [106] And each time, somebody else has four aces...." He started to sweat again, so I got up to fix him another drink.
111. [107] There was one quart of club soda left, but when I tried to open it, the top broke and glass chips got into the bottle.
112. [108] "I'll have to go down for more soda," I said.
113. [109] "I'll come, too.
114. [110] I need air."
115. [111] At the delicatessen on the corner, the man gave me three bottles in what must have been a wet bag, because as he handed them to me over the top of the cold-meat display, the bottom gave and they fell onto the tile floor.
116. [112] None of them broke, although the fall must have been from at least five feet.
117. [113] Nat was too wound up in his thoughts to notice and I was getting used to miracles.
118. [114] We left the proprietor with his mouth open and met Danny, the cop, looking in at the door, also with his mouth open.
119. [115] On the sidewalk, a man walking in front of Nat stooped suddenly to tie his shoe and Nat, to avoid bumping him, stepped off the curb and a taxi swerved to avoid Nat.
120. [116] The street was still wet and the taxi skidded, its rear end lightly flipping the front of one of those small foreign cars, which was going rather fast.
121. [117] It turned sideways and, without any side-slip, went right up the stoop of a brownstone opposite, coming to rest with its nose inside the front door, which a man opened at that moment.
122. [118] The sight of this threw another driver into a skid, and when he and the taxi had stopped sliding around, they were face to face, arranged crosswise to the street.
123. [119] This gave them exactly no room to move either forward or backward, for the car had its back to a hydrant and the taxi to a lamp.
124. [120] Although rather narrow, this is a two-way street, and in no time at all, traffic was stacked up from both directions as far as the avenues.
125. [121] Everyone was honking his horn.
126. [122] Danny was furious—more so when he tried to put through a call to his station house from the box opposite.
127. [123] It was out of order.
128. [124] Upstairs, the wind was blowing into the apartment and I closed the windows, mainly to shut out the tumult and the shouting.
129. [125] Nat had brightened up considerably.
130. [126] "I'll stay for one more drink and then I'm due at the office," he said.
131. [127] "You know, I think this would make an item for the paper."
132. [128] He grinned and nodded toward the pandemonium.
133. [129] When he was gone, I noticed it was getting dark and turned on the desk lamp.
134. [130] Then I saw the curtains.
135. [131] They were all tied in knots, except one.
136. [132] That was tied in three knots.
137. [133] All right , I told myself, it was the wind.
138. [134] But I felt the time had come for me to get expert advice, so I went to the phone to call McGill.
139. [135] McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university uptown and lives near us.
140. [136] He is highly imaginative, but we believe he knows everything.
141. [137] When I picked up the receiver, the line sounded dead and I thought, more trouble.
142. [138] Then I heard a man cough and I said hello.
143. [139] McGill's voice said, "Alec?
144. [140] You must have picked up the receiver just as we were connected.
145. [141] That's a damn funny coincidence."
146. [142] "Not in the least," I said.
147. [143] "Come on over here.
148. [144] I've got something for you to work on."
149. [145] "Well, as a matter of fact, I was calling up to ask you and Molly—" "Molly's away for the week.
150. [146] Can you get over here quick?
151. [147] It's urgent."
152. [148] "At once," he said, and hung up.
153. [149] While I waited, I thought I might try getting down a few paragraphs of my novel—perhaps something would come now.
154. [150] It did, but as I came to a point where I was about to put down the word "agurgling," I decided it was too reminiscent |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"Peter Karson has finished planning out the blueprint for the Citadel. He is excited to see it be built and go off into space to collect new information. Something suddenly snaps him out of his fantasy. Fifty stories above the window, there is a blood-red and subtly inhuman face staring back at him. The face slowly disappears, but he is stunned by the image. He then shakingly lights a cigarette and turns on the newsbox to see that an invader has appeared in Boston. More disasters are listed below, and the World Police announces that the Invaders have already begun terrorizing the world since they appeared twenty-four hours ago. Peter is doubtful that they can take down the Invaders and goes to Lorelei Cooper’s laboratory. Lorelei does not know what is happening because Harry and she have been working for thirty-six hours straight. She does not have a newsbox, but he tells her to turn on her scanner to see the news. The panel shows the Science City of Manhattan, but the Invaders have come and snatched up men and women. Slowly, two Invaders make their way to the Atlas building, where Peter and Lorelei are. He goes into the inner room, even though she yells at him not to go. The Invaders have reduced Harry to nothing but a puddle of flesh, and Peter begins to ask why they are doing this desperately. They whisper to him in a strange language; he suddenly realizes that Lorelei has followed him. She drops to the floor after looking at the Invaders, which makes Peter scream. When he awakes again, a doctor named Arnold tells him to lie back down and that he is in a hospital. Although Dr. Arnold initially tells him that he has been in the hospital for three months, he eventually finds out that it has already been nine and a half months since he went into his coma. All of the survivors are underground because nobody knew how to kill the Invaders. Peter is considered their last hope because he is a scientist, and he thinks back to his plan of the Citadel. The ship is built, and it is called The Avenger instead. Lorelei tries to plead with Peter, but he refuses and says that it must be him who finds a superman that can destroy the Invaders. He goes into space until the ship curves into orbit. Peter kills many of the changeling children, but he allows one to live. The child is named Robert and is considered to be a super-intelligent being. Peter is hopeful that the changeling can kill the Invaders, but Robert says he will not return to Earth. He explains that they are like kin to him, and he logically has no reason to kill him. Peter is shocked and tries to plead with Robert, but the superman does not understand emotions. Robert does not feel good about the expression on Peter’s face, and he hastens to an inevitable end.",
"Blood is dripping from a dead body in the room, Peter Karson. The story moves to the past, when young Peter finished the project of 'Citadel' - a spaceship to set off to an orbit. 'Citadel' was supposed to be a huge well-equipped laboratory, the first of its kind. While imagining the greatness of the creation, Peter felt dread and saw a face staring at him outside the window, fifty stories up. The face was scary and inhuman, the body hung without support for a while and then disappeared. Everything around was normal and Peter was worried he had gone mad. Then he saw the red headlines in the newspapers about appearing invaders and disappearing people. Cities worldwide were attacked and the World Police were mobilizing. The news proclaimed that the greatest enemy was to be faced and defeated. Peter rushed downstairs to Lorelei's laboratory, who had been working without breaks and hadn't seen the news. After Peter's agonized pleas, Lorelei turned on the news and saw a video of people becoming an unrecognizable joined mass, helpless and suffering. Then the two saw their own building in the news and halted. Peter went towards the inner room despite Lorelei's protests. He saw two aliens staring at Harry, Lorelei's assistant, and turning him into a boneless mess. Peter was so shocked that he screamed \"why?\" and heard some incomprehensible whisper in his head in response. Suddenly, Peter saw that Lorelei had followed him and her body dropped to the floor. Peter screamed inhumanely loudly and faded. He woke up in a hospital, the doctor said he had been very sick for three months and that Lorelei was fine. When Peter kept asking, he finally learned that he had been in a coma for more than nine months because of the rather long contact he had had with the invaders. Lorelei was simply shocked and recovered much faster. Arnold, the doctor, finally decided that Peter was strong enough to learn the truth and told about the part of humanity hiding underground as killing the aliens turned out to be impossible. Peter was needed as a scientist. His 'Citadel' project contained everything necessary to live a lifetime, it was a new independent world to save the rest of humanity. So, it was renamed 'The Avenger' and finished, as life underground was not a solution but a delay. Lorelei was in despair because of Peter boarding the ship and wanted to follow, but the rays were strong and even Peter had low chances of staying alive. When 'The Avenger' reached orbit, Peter felt the rays burning his flesh and smashed the mirrors to allow the embryos to mature. After a long time Peter told the story to Robert, the mutation-child with a superior brain who could destroy the invaders. Robert refused to go to Earth as his brain was logical and saw no reasons to destroy the Invaders. Peter didn't understand and the inevitable end approached.",
"The story opens with the character Peter Karson dead, as the narrator, identity unknown, contemplates their emptiness after killing him. The narrator says that they do not regret doing so, but they are unable to explain their emotions as they feel a tear rolling down their cheek. The story then goes back to a younger Peter as he finishes his project, the development of the Citadel spaceship. He suddenly hears a strange whisper within his brain, and he turns around to see a face with a shriveled body staring at him through the window. The creature slowly dissolves and disappears, and Peter is left stunned. He finds breaking news of invasions all over the world, murdering hundreds of civilians. The invaders, according to Secretary of the Council, are from outer space, and the World Police is attempting to destroy them. Peter rushes downstairs to find Lorelei, his lover, in the laboratory. She is unaware of the news, and upon seeing footage of the gruesome attacks, she is shocked, and they soon see the invaders approaching their building from the television. Peter steps into another room, seeing the two creatures with their focus on Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant. To Peter's horror, Harry quickly becomes a limp pile of flesh. Peter confronts the creatures but only hears foreign whispers, as Lorelei drops to the floor behind him. Peter lets out a scream, and wakes up in a hospital. The doctor tells him that he has been there in a coma for over nine months, and that Lorelei had recovered from shock. The doctor then tells Peter that society has moved to living underground in order to avoid the invaders; Peter, as a scientist, is their last hope. Later, Peter approaches the newly crafted spaceship, titled The Avenger, which lacks the typical shield to protect one from cosmic rays. Lorelei begs Peter not to go, but he believes it is necessary, and too much of a risk for Lorelei to join him. He boards the ship with the mission to create a \"superman\" to ultimately defeat the invaders; the plan is to allow the cosmic rays to mutate several embryos on board, hopefully creating a strong enough being. As The Avenger leaves and goes into orbit, Peter begins feeling the effects of the rays as his skin and hair mutates. As time passes, he allows the embryos to develop, destroying all but one. He raises the embryo as it develops into a person, and the story jumps many years later, as the child becomes a man named Robert. Peter had raised Robert, with a superior brain and logical ability, to be the defeater of the invaders. Informing Robert of the plan to return back to Earth, Robert surprisingly refuses. Peter is taken aback, and Robert explains that he is not able to comprehend the emotions that would lead him to kill the invaders and save Earthmen. Peter begs helplessly, and Robert ultimately feels it inevitable to kill him.",
"The story begins with a young Peter Karson, a scientist, working on a ship. He finishes his work for the moment and turns on the news to discover horrifying imagery and chaos being reported. He runs to Lorelei Cooper’s laboratory to go share the disturbing news with her. Lorelei and Peter have a romantic relationship. He asks Lorelei to turn on the news and she is shocked by the imagery that is being detailed. Both Peter and Lorelei become stunned when they realize that the invaders to Earth are headed towards their building. They hold each other in stunned silence until they hear a scream from Lorelei’s assistant, Harry Kanin. Peter goes out to investigate and discovers the Invaders turning Harry’s body into nothing but flesh. Unbeknownst to Peter, Lorelei followed him and when the Invaders are done with Harry they begin to focus on her to Peter’s terror.\n\nPeter then wakes up in a hospital bed. After much prodding, he is eventually informed that he has been in a coma for a little over nine months. He is told that humans are losing the fight against the Invaders and have retreated to living underground. He is soon informed that he must gain back his strength because as a scientist he is much needed in the fight against the Invaders.\n\nThe story then goes into detail about how Peter has been chosen to go to space on the Avenger ship and raise a viable embryo that has successfully mutated due to cosmic rays. The resulting person will then be used to fight against the Invaders. He does this while orbiting space on the ship. He destroys the inappropriate creations and keeps one embryo that sees as potential. That would grow up to be Robert. Many years have passed as he raises Robert. Eventually, he tells Robert the story of how he was created and details the mission that he is meant to carry out. Robert has great brain prowess due to his mutations and Peter is hopeful that he will be able to successfully fight against the invaders.\n\nHowever, Robert soon informs Peter that he will not go through with the plan. He reasons that he does not experience emotion and has no reason to care for the humans on Earth. Peter is greatly upset as he realizes his life’s work failed and Earth will not be able to save."
] | [1] THE AVENGER By STUART FLEMING Karson was creating a superman to fight the weird super-monsters who had invaded Earth.
[2] But he was forgetting one tiny thing—like calls to like.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Spring 1944.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Peter Karson was dead.
[6] He had been dead for some time now, but the dark blood was still oozing from the crushed ruin of his face, trickling down into his sodden sleeve, and falling, drop by slow drop, from his fingertips.
[7] His head was tilted over the back of the chair at a queer, unnatural angle, so that the light made deep pools of shadow where his eyes had been.
[8] There was no sound in the room except for the small splashing the blood made as it dropped into the sticky pool on the floor.
[9] The great banks of machinery around the walls were silent.
[10] I knew that they would never come to life again.
[11] I rose and walked over to the window.
[12] Outside, the stars were as before: tiny, myriad points of light, infinitely far away.
[13] They had not changed, and yet they were suddenly no longer friendly.
[14] They were cold and alien.
[15] It was I who had changed: something inside me was dead, like the machinery, and like Peter.
[16] It was a kind of indefinable emptiness.
[17] I do not think it was what Peter called an emotion; and yet it had nothing to do with logic, either.
[18] It was just an emptiness—a void that could not be filled by eating or drinking.
[19] It was not a longing.
[20] I had no desire that things should be otherwise than they were.
[21] I did not even wish that Peter were not dead, for reason had told me that he had to die.
[22] That was the end of it.
[23] But the void was still there, unexplainable and impossible to ignore.
[24] For the first time in all my life I had found a problem that I could not solve.
[25] Strange, disturbing sensations stirred and whispered within me, nagging, gnawing.
[26] And suddenly—something moved on the skin of my cheek.
[27] I raised a hand to it, slowly.
[28] A tear was trickling down my cheek.
[29] Young Peter Karson put the last black-print down and sighed with satisfaction.
[30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
[31] In two weeks they would be laying the core, and then the metal giant itself would begin to grow, glittering, pulsing with each increment of power, until at last it lay finished, a living thing.
[32] Then there would remain only the task of blasting the great, shining ship out into the carefully-calculated orbit that would be its home.
[33] In his mind's eye he could see it, slowly wheeling, like a second satellite, about the Earth; endlessly gathering knowledge into its insatiable mechanisms.
[34] He could see, too, the level on level of laboratories and storerooms that filled its interlocking segments; the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system, the mighty engines at the stern—all the children of his brain.
[35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
[36] The ship would be filled with the sounds of busy men and women, wresting secrets from the reluctant ether.
[37] A new chemistry, a new physics; perhaps even a new biochemistry.
[38] A discordant note suddenly entered his fantasy.
[39] He looked up, conscious of the walls of his office again, but could see nothing unusual.
[40] Still, that thin, dark whisper of dread was at the back of his mind.
[41] Slowly, as if reluctantly compelled, he turned around to face the window at his back.
[42] There, outside the window, fifty stories up, a face was staring impassively in at him.
[43] That was the first impression he got; just a face, staring.
[44] Then he saw, with a queer, icy chill, that the face was blood-red and subtly inhuman.
[45] It tapered off into a formless, shriveled body.
[46] For a moment or an eternity it hung there, unsupported, the bulging eyes staring at him.
[47] Then it grew misty at the edges.
[48] It dissolved slowly away and was gone.
[49] "Lord!"
[50] he said.
[51] He stared after it, stunned into immobility.
[52] Down in the street somewhere, a portable video was shrilling a popular song; after a moment he heard the faint swish of a tube car going past.
[53] Everything was normal.
[54] Nothing, on examination, seemed to have changed.
[55] But the world had grown suddenly unreal.
[56] One part of his brain had been shocked into its shell.
[57] It was hiding from the thing that had hurt it, and it refused to respond.
[58] But the other part was going calmly, lucidly on, quite without his volition.
[59] It considered the possibility that he had gone temporarily insane, and decided that this was probable.
[60] Hardly knowing what he did, he found a cigarette and lit it.
[61] His hands were shaking.
[62] He stared at them dully, and then he reached over to the newsbox on his desk, and switched it on.
[63] There were flaring red headlines.
[64] Relief washed over him, leaving him breathless.
[65] He was horrified, of course, but only abstractedly.
[66] For the moment he could only be glad that what he had seen was terrible reality rather than even more terrible illusion.
[67] INVADERS APPEAR IN BOSTON.
[68] 200 DEAD Then lines of type, and farther down: 50 CHILDREN DISAPPEAR FROM PARIS MATERNITY CENTER He pressed the stud.
[69] The roll was full of them.
[70] MOON SHIP DESTROYED IN TRANSIT NO COMMUNICATION FROM ANTARCTICA IN 6 HOURS STRANGE FORCE DEFLECTS PLANES FROM SAHARA AREA WORLD POLICE MOBILIZING The item below the last one said: Pacifica, June 7—The World Police are mobilizing, for the first time in fifty years.
[71] The order was made public early this morning by R. Stein, Secretary of the Council, who said in part: "The reason for this ... order must be apparent to all civilized peoples.
[72] For the Invaders have spared no part of this planet in their depredations: they have laid Hong Kong waste; they have terrorized London; they have destroyed the lives of citizens in every member state and in every inhabited area.
[73] There can be few within reach of printed reports or my words who have not seen the Invaders, or whose friends have not seen them.
[74] "The peoples of the world, then, know what they are, and know that we face the most momentous struggle in our history.
[75] We face an enemy superior to ourselves in every way .
[76] "Since the Invaders first appeared in Wood River, Oregon, 24 hours ago, they have not once acknowledged our attempts to communicate, or in any way taken notice of our existence as reasoning beings.
[77] They have treated us precisely as we, in less enlightened days, might have treated a newly-discovered race of lower animals.
[78] They have not attacked our centers of government, nor immobilized our communications, nor laid siege to our defenses.
[79] But in instance after instance, they have done as they would with us.
[80] They have examined us, dissected us, driven us mad, killed us with no discernable provocation; and this is more intolerable than any normal invasion.
[81] "I have no fear that the people of Earth will fail to meet this challenge, for there is no alternative.
[82] Not only our individual lives are threatened, but our existence as a race.
[83] We must, and will, destroy the Invaders!"
[84] Peter sank back in his chair, the full shock of it striking him for the first time. "
[85] Will we?"
[86] he asked himself softly.
[87] It was only two stories down the moving ramp to Lorelei Cooper's laboratory.
[88] Peter took it in fifteen seconds, running, and stumbled to a halt in front of the door marked "Radiation."
[89] She had set her door mechanism to "Etaoin Shrdlu," principally because he hated double-talk.
[90] He mouthed the syllables, had to repeat them because he put an accent in the wrong place, and squeezed through the door as soon as it opened far enough to admit him.
[91] Lorelei, beautiful in spite of dark-circled eyes and a smear of grease on her chin, looked up from a huge ledger at the end of the room.
[92] One blonde eyebrow arched in the quizzical expression he knew so well.
[93] "What makes, Peter my love?"
[94] she asked, and bent back to the ledger.
[95] Then she did a double-take, looked at his face intently, and said, "Darling, what's wrong?"
[96] He said, "Have you seen the news recently?"
[97] She frowned.
[98] "Why, no—Harry and I have been working for thirty-six hours straight.
[99] Haven't seen anybody, haven't heard anything.
[100] Why?"
[101] "You wouldn't believe me.
[102] Where's your newsbox?"
[103] She came around the desk and put her hands on his shoulders.
[104] "Pete, you know I haven't one—it bores me or upsets me, depending on whether there's trouble or not.
[105] What—" "I'm sorry, I forgot," he said.
[106] "But you have a scanner?"
[107] "Yes, of course.
[108] But really, Pete—" "You'll understand in a minute.
[109] Turn it on, Lorelei."
[110] She gazed at him levelly for a moment, kissed him impulsively, and then walked over to the video panel on the wall and swept a mountain of papers away from in front of it.
[111] She turned the selector dial to "News" and pressed the stud.
[112] A faint wash of color appeared on the panel, strengthened slowly, and suddenly leapt into full brilliance.
[113] Lorelei caught her breath.
[114] It was a street scene in the Science City of Manhattan, flooded by the warm spring sunshine.
[115] Down on the lowest level, visible past the transport and passenger tubes, the parks and moving ways should have been dotted with colorful, holiday crowds.
[116] The people were there, yes but they were flowing away in a swiftly-widening circle.
[117] They disappeared into buildings, and the ways snatched them up, and in a heartbeat they were gone.
[118] There were left only two blood-red, malignant monstrosities somehow defiling the air they floated in; and below them, a pitiful huddle of flesh no longer recognizable as human beings.
[119] They were not dead, those men and women, but they wanted to be.
[120] Their bodies had been impossibly joined, fused together into a single obscene, floundering mass of helpless protoplasm.
[121] The thin moaning that went up from them was more horrible than any cry of agony.
[122] "The Invaders are here, citizens," the commentator was saying in a strangled voice.
[123] "Stay off the streets.
[124] Hide yourselves.
[125] Stay off the streets...." His voice droned on, but neither of them heard it.
[126] Lorelei buried her head on his chest, clutching at him desperately.
[127] "Peter!"
[128] she said faintly.
[129] "Why do they broadcast such things?"
[130] "They have to," he told her grimly.
[131] "There will be panics and suicides, and they know it; but they have to do it.
[132] This isn't like a war, where the noncombatants' morale has to be kept up.
[133] There aren't going to be any noncombatants, this time.
[134] Everybody in the world has to know about them, so that he can fight them—and then it may not be enough."
[135] The viewpoint of the teleo sender changed as the two red beings soared away from their victims and angled slowly up the street.
[136] Peter reached out to switch off the scanner, and froze.
[137] The girl felt his muscles tense abruptly, looked back at the scene.
[138] The Invaders were floating up the sloping side of a tall, pure white structure that dominated the rest.
[139] "That's the Atlas building," she said unbelievingly.
[140] "Us!"
[141] "Yes."
[142] Silently, they counted stories as the two beings rose.
[143] Forty-five ... forty-six ... forty-seven ... forty-eight.
[144] Inevitably, they halted.
[145] Then they faded slowly.
[146] It was impossible to say whether they had gone through the solid wall, or simply melted away.
[147] The man and woman clung together, waiting.
[148] There was a thick, oppressive silence, full of small rustlings and other faint sounds that were no longer normal.
[149] Then, very near, a man screamed in a high, inhuman voice.
[150] The screamed dwindled into a throaty gurgle and died, leaving silence again.
[151] Peter's lips were cold with sweat.
[152] Tiny nerves in his face and arms were jumping convulsively.
[153] His stomach crawled.
[154] He thrust the girl away from him and started toward the inner room.
[155] "Wait here," he mouthed.
[156] She was after him, clinging to his arms.
[157] "No, Peter!
[158] Don't go in there!
[159] Peter! "
[160] But he pushed her away again, woodenly, and stalked forward.
[161] There was a space in the middle of the room where machinery had been cleared away to make room for an incompleted setup.
[162] Peter walked down the narrow aisle, past bakelite-sheathed mechanisms and rows of animal cages, and paused just short of it.
[163] The two red beings were there, formless bodies hazy in midair, the distorted, hairless skulls in profile, staring at something outside his range of vision.
[164] Peter forced himself forward another step.
[165] Little Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant, was crumpled in a corner, half supported by the broad base of an X-ray chamber.
[166] His face was flaccid and bloated.
[167] His glazed eyes, impassive yet somehow pleading, stared at nothingness straight ahead of him.
[168] The Invaders ignored Peter, staring expressionlessly down at Kanin.
[169] In a moment Peter realized what they were doing to him.
[170] He stood, paralyzed with horror, and watched it happen.
[171] The little man's body was sagging, ever so slowly, as if he were relaxing tiredly.
[172] His torso was telescoping, bit by bit; his spread legs grew wider and more shapeless, his cheeks caved in and his skull grew gradually flatter.
[173] When it was over, the thing that had been Kanin was a limp, boneless puddle of flesh.
[174] Peter could not look at it.
[175] There was a scream in his throat that would not come out.
[176] He was beyond fear, beyond agony.
[177] He turned to the still-hovering monsters and said in a terrible voice, "Why?
[178] Why?"
[179] The nearest being turned slowly to regard him.
[180] Its lips did not move, but there was a tiny sound in Peter's brain, a thin, dry whispering.
[181] The scream was welling up.
[182] He fought it down and listened. "
[183] Wurnkomellilonasendiktolsasangkanmiamiamimami.... " The face was staring directly into his, the bulging eyes hypnotic.
[184] The ears were small, no more than excresences of skin.
[185] The narrow lips seemed sealed together; a thin, slimy ichor drooled from them.
[186] There were lines in the face, but they were lines of age, not emotion.
[187] Only the eyes were alive. "
[188] ... raswilopreatadvuonistuwurncchtusanlgkelglawwalinom.... " "I can't understand," he cried wildly.
[189] "What do you want?"
[190] " ... morofelcovisyanmamiwurlectaunntous. "
[191] He heard a faint sound behind him, and whirled.
[192] It was the first time he had realized that Lorelei had followed him.
[193] She stood there, swaying, very pale, looking at the red Invaders.
[194] Her eyes swiveled slowly.... " Opreniktoulestritifenrelngetnaktwiltoctpre. "
[195] His voice was hoarse.
[196] "Don't look!
[197] Don't—Go back!"
[198] The horrible, mindless noise in his throat was almost beyond his power to repress.
[199] His insides writhed to thrust it out.
[200] She didn't see him.
[201] Her eyes glazed, and she dropped limply to the floor.
[202] The scream came out then.
[203] Before he knew, even, that he could hold it back no longer, his mouth was wide open, his muscles tensed, his fingernails slicing his palms.
[204] It echoed with unbelievable volume in the room.
[205] It was a scream to split eardrums; a scream to wake the dead.
[206] Somebody said, "Doctor!"
[207] He wanted to say, "Yes, get a doctor.
[208] Lorelei—" but his mouth only twitched feebly.
[209] He couldn't seem to get it to work properly.
[210] He tried again.
[211] "Doctor."
[212] "Yes?"
[213] A gentle, masculine voice.
[214] He opened his eyes with an effort.
[215] There was a blurred face before him; in a moment it grew clearer.
[216] The strong, clean-shaven chin contrasted oddly with the haggard circles under the eyes.
[217] There was a clean, starched odor.
[218] "Where am I?"
[219] he said.
[220] He tried to turn his head, but a firm hand pressed him back into the sheets.
[221] "You're in a hospital.
[222] Just lie quietly, please."
[223] He tried to get up again.
[224] "Where's Lorelei?"
[225] "She's well, and you'll see her soon.
[226] Now lie quietly.
[227] You've been a very sick man."
[228] Peter sank back in the bed.
[229] The room was coming into focus.
[230] He looked around him slowly.
[231] He felt very weak, but perfectly lucid.
[232] "Yes...." he said.
[233] "How long have I been here, Doctor?"
[234] The man hesitated, looked at him intently.
[235] "Three months," he said.
[236] He turned and gave low-voiced instructions to a nurse, and then went away.
[237] Peter's head began spinning just a little.
[238] Glass clinked from a metal stand near his head; the nurse bent over him with a glass half full of milky fluid.
[239] It tasted awful, but she made him drink it all.
[240] In a moment he began to relax, and the room got fuzzy again.
[241] Just before he drifted off, he said sleepily, "You can't—fool me.
[242] It's been more —than three—months."
[243] He was right.
[244] All the nurses, and even Dr. Arnold, were evasive, but he kept asking them why he couldn't see Lorelei, and finally he wormed it out of them.
[245] It had been nine and a half months, not three, and he'd been in a coma all that time.
[246] Lorelei, it seemed, had recovered much sooner.
[247] "She was only suffering from ordinary shock," Arnold explained.
[248] "Seeing that assistant of hers—it was enough to knock anybody out, especially a woman.
[249] But you stood actual mental contact with them for approximately five minutes.
[250] Yes, we know—you talked a lot.
[251] It's a miracle you're alive, and rational."
[252] "But where is she?"
[253] Peter complained.
[254] "You still haven't explained why I haven't been able to see her."
[255] Arnold frowned.
[256] "All right," he said.
[257] "I guess you're strong enough to take it.
[258] She's underground, with the rest of the women and children, and a good two-thirds of the male population.
[259] That's where you'll go, as soon as you're well enough to be moved.
[260] We started digging in six months ago."
[261] "But why?"
[262] Peter whispered.
[263] Arnold's strong jaw knotted.
[264] "We're hiding," he said.
[265] "Everything else has failed."
[266] Peter couldn't think of anything to say.
[267] Dr. Arnold's voice went on after a moment, musingly.
[268] "We're burrowing into the earth, like worms.
[269] It didn't take us long to find out we couldn't kill them.
[270] They didn't even take any notice of our attempts to do so, except once.
[271] That was when a squadron of the Police caught about fifty of them together at one time, and attacked with flame guns and a new secret weapon.
[272] It didn't hurt them, but it annoyed them.
[273] It was the first time they'd been annoyed, I think.
[274] They blew up half a state, and it's still smoldering."
[275] "And since then?"
[276] Peter asked huskily.
[277] "Since then, we've been burrowing.
[278] All the big cities....
[279] It would be an impossible task if we tried to include all the thinly-populated areas, of course, but it doesn't matter.
[280] By the time we excavate enough to take care of a quarter of the earth's population, the other three-quarters will be dead, or worse."
[281] "I wonder," Peter said shakily, "if I am strong enough to take it."
[282] Arnold laughed harshly.
[283] "You are.
[284] You've got to be.
[285] You're part of our last hope, you see."
[286] "Our last hope?"
[287] "Yes.
[288] You're a scientist."
[289] "I see," said Peter.
[290] And for the first time, he thought of the Citadel .
[291] No plan leaped full-born into his mind, but, maybe , he thought, there's a chance ....
[292] It wasn't very big, the thing that had been his shining dream.
[293] It lay there in its rough cradle, a globe of raw dura-steel not more than five hundred meters in diameter, where the Citadel was to have been a thousand.
[294] It wouldn't house a hundred scientists, eagerly delving into the hinterland of research.
[295] The huge compartments weren't filled with the latest equipment for chemical and physical experiment; instead, there was compressed oxygen there, and concentrated food, enough to last a lifetime.
[296] It was a new world, all by itself; or else it was a tomb.
[297] And there was one other change, one that you couldn't see from the outside.
[298] The solid meters of lead in its outer skin, the shielding to keep out cosmic rays, were gone.
[299] A man had just finished engraving the final stroke on its nameplate, to the left of the airlock— The Avenger .
[300] He stepped away now, and joined the group a little distance away, silently waiting.
[301] Lorelei said, "You can't do it.
[302] I won't let you!
[303] Peter—" "Darling," he began wearily.
[304] "Don't throw your life away!
[305] Give us time—there must be another way."
[306] "There's no other way," Peter said.
[307] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
[308] "Darling, listen to me.
[309] We've tried everything.
[310] We've gone underground, but that's only delaying the end.
[311] They still come down here, only not as many.
[312] The mortality rate is up, the suicide rate is up, the birth rate is down, in spite of anything we can do.
[313] You've seen the figures: we're riding a curve that ends in extinction fifty years from now.
[314] "They'll live, and we'll die, because they're a superior race.
[315] We're a million years too far back even to understand what they are or where they came from.
[316] Besides them, we're apes.
[317] There's only one answer."
[318] She was crying now, silently, with great racking sobs that shook her slender body.
[319] But he went remorselessly on.
[320] "Out there, in space, the cosmics change unshielded life.
[321] They make tentacles out of arms; or scales out of hair; or twelve toes, or a dozen ears—or a better brain.
[322] Out of those millions of possible mutations, there's one that will save the human race.
[323] We can't fight them , but a superman could.
[324] That's our only chance.
[325] Lorelei—darling—don't you see that?"
[326] She choked, "But why can't you take me along?"
[327] He stared unseeingly past her wet, upturned face.
[328] "You know why," he said bitterly.
[329] "Those rays are strong.
[330] They don't only work on embryos; they change adult life forms, too.
[331] I have one chance in seven of staying alive.
[332] You'd have one chance in a million of staying beautiful.
[333] I couldn't stand that.
[334] I'd kill myself, and then humanity would die, too.
[335] You'd be their murderer."
[336] Her sobs gradually died away.
[337] She straightened slowly until he no longer had to support her, but all the vitality and resilience was gone out of her body.
[338] "All right," she said in a lifeless voice.
[339] "You'll come back, Peter."
[340] He turned away suddenly, not trusting himself to kiss her goodbye.
[341] A line from an old film kept echoing through his head. "
[342] They'll come back—but not as boys !"
[343] We'll come back, but not as men.
[344] We'll come back, but not as elephants.
[345] We'll come back, but not as octopi.
[346] He was trembling violently.
[347] He ran the last few steps, stumbled into the airlock, and pressed the stud that would seal the door behind him.
[348] We'll come back....
[349] He heard the massive disk sink home, closing him off.
[350] Then he sank down on the floor of the airlock and put his head in shaking hands.
[351] After a while he roused himself, closed the inner door of the lock behind him, and walked down the long corridor into the control chamber.
[352] The shining banks of keys were there, waiting for his touch; he slumped down before them and listlessly closed the contact of the visiplate.
[353] He swung its field slowly, scanning for the last time the bare walls of the underground chamber, making sure that all the spectators had retired out of the way of the blast.
[354] Then his clawed fingers poised over the keys, hovered a moment, and thrust down.
[355] Acceleration pressed him deep into his chair.
[356] In the visiplate, the heavy doors that closed the tunnel above him flashed back, one by one.
[357] The energy-charged screen flickered off to let him pass, and closed smoothly behind him.
[358] The last doors, cleverly camouflaged, slipped back into place and then dwindled in the distance.
[359] It was done.
[360] He flashed on out, past the moon, past Mars, over the asteroid belt.
[361] The days merged into weeks, then months, and finally, far out, The Avenger curved into an orbit and held it.
[362] The great motors died, and the silence pressed in about him.
[363] Already he could feel the invisible rays burning resistlessly through his flesh as if it were water, shifting the cells of his body, working its slow, monstrous alchemy upon him.
[364] Peter waited until the changes were unmistakably evident in his skin and hair, and then he smashed all the mirrors in the ship.
[365] The embryos were pulsing with unnatural life, even in the suspended animation of their crystal cells.
[366] One by one he allowed them to mature, and after weeks or years destroyed the monstrosities that came from the incubators.
[367] Time went by, meaninglessly.
[368] He ate when he was hungry, slept when his driving purpose let him, and worked unceasingly, searching for the million-to-one chance.
[369] He stared sometimes through changed eyes at the tiny blue star that was Earth, wondering if the race he had left behind still burrowed in its worm-tunnels, digging deeper and deeper away from the sunlight.
[370] But after a time he ceased even to wonder.
[371] And one changeling-child he did not destroy.
[372] He fed knowledge to its eager brain, and watched it through the swift years, with a dawning hope.... Peter closed the diary.
[373] "The rest you know, Robert," he said.
[374] "Yes," I told him.
[375] "I was that child.
[376] I am the millionth mutation you were searching for."
[377] His eyes glowed suddenly in their misshapen sockets.
[378] "You are.
[379] Your brain is as superior to mine as mine is to an anthropoid's.
[380] You solve instinctively problems that would take our mechanical computers hours of work.
[381] You are a superman."
[382] "I am without your imperfections," I said, flexing my arms.
[383] He rose and strode nervously over to the window.
[384] I watched him as he stood there, outlined against the blazing galaxies.
[385] He had changed but little in the years that I had known him.
[386] His lank gray hair straggled over his sunken eyes; his cheeks were blobbed with excresences of flesh; one corner of his mouth was drawn up in a perpetual grin.
[387] He had a tiny sixth finger on his left hand.
[388] He turned again, and I saw the old scar on his cheek where I had once accidentally drawn one of my talons across his face.
[389] "And now," he said softly, "we will go home.
[390] I've waited so long—keeping the control chamber and the engine room locked away from you, not telling you, even, about Earth until now—because I had to be sure.
[391] But now, the waiting is over.
[392] "They're still there, I'm sure of it—the people, and the Invaders.
[393] You can kill the Invaders, Robert."
[394] He looked at me, a little oddly, almost as if he had some instinctive knowledge of what was to come.
[395] But he went on swiftly, "On Earth we had a saying: 'Fight fire with fire.'
[396] That is the way it will be with you.
[397] You are completely, coldly logical, just as they are.
[398] You can understand them, and so you can conquer them."
[399] I said, "That is the reason why we will not go back to Earth."
[400] He stared at me, his jaw slack, his hands trembling.
[401] "What—what did you say?"
[402] I repeated it patiently.
[403] "But why?"
[404] he cried, sinking down into the chair before me.
[405] In an instant all the joy had gone out of him.
[406] I could not understand his suffering, but I could recognize it.
[407] "You yourself have said it," I told him.
[408] "I am a being of logic, just as the beings who have invaded your planet are.
[409] I do not comprehend the things which you call hate, fear, joy and love, as they do not.
[410] If I went to Earth, I would use your people to further my knowledge, just as the invaders do.
[411] I would have no reason to kill the invaders.
[412] They are more nearly kin to me than your people."
[413] Peter's eyes were dull, his limbs slumped.
[414] For a moment I thought that the shock had deranged his mind.
[415] His voice trembled when he said, "But if I ask you to kill them, and not my people?"
[416] "To do so would be illogical."
[417] He waved his hands helplessly.
[418] "Gratitude?"
[419] he muttered.
[420] "No, you don't understand that, either."
[421] Then he cried suddenly, "But I am your friend, Robert!"
[422] "I do not understand 'friend,'" I said.
[423] I did understand "gratitude," a little.
[424] It was a reciprocal arrangement: I did what Peter wished, so long as I did not actively want to do otherwise, because he had done things for me.
[425] Very well, then we must not go back.
[426] It was very simple, but I knew that he could not comprehend it.
[427] I tried to explain it to him, however.
[428] But he only stared at me, with an expression on his face that I had never seen there before, and that, somehow, I did not like to see.
[429] It was disquieting, and so I hastened to the end that I knew was inevitable. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences in order of importance for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [1] THE AVENGER By STUART FLEMING Karson was creating a superman to fight the weird super-monsters who had invaded Earth.
2. [30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
3. [31] In two weeks they would be laying the core, and then the metal giant itself would begin to grow, glittering, pulsing with each increment of power, until at last it lay finished, a living thing.
4. [32] Then there would remain only the task of blasting the great, shining ship out into the carefully-calculated orbit that would be its home.
5. [33] In his mind's eye he could see it, slowly wheeling, like a second satellite, about the Earth; endlessly gathering knowledge into its insatiable mechanisms.
6. [34] He could see, too, the level on level of laboratories and storerooms that filled its interlocking segments; the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system, the mighty engines at the stern—all the children of his brain.
7. [35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
8. [36] The ship would be filled with the sounds of busy men and women, wresting secrets from the reluctant ether.
9. [37] A new chemistry, a new physics; perhaps even a new biochemistry.
10. [292] It wasn't very big, the thing that had been his shining dream.
11. [293] It lay there in its rough cradle, a globe of raw dura-steel not more than five hundred meters in diameter, where the Citadel was to have been a thousand.
12. [294] It wouldn't house a hundred scientists, eagerly delving into the hinterland of research.
13. [295] The huge compartments weren't filled with the latest equipment for chemical and physical experiment; instead, there was compressed oxygen there, and concentrated food, enough to last a lifetime.
14. [296] It was a new world, all by itself; or else it was a tomb.
15. [297] And there was one other change, one that you couldn't see from the outside.
16. [298] The solid meters of lead in its outer skin, the shielding to keep out cosmic rays, were gone.
17. [299] A man had just finished engraving the final stroke on its nameplate, to the left of the airlock— The Avenger .
18. [300] He stepped away now, and joined the group a little distance away, silently waiting.
19. [301] Lorelei said, "You can't do it. I won't let you! Peter—"
20. [302] "Darling," he began wearily.
21. [303] "Don't throw your life away! Give us time—there must be another way."
22. [304] "There's no other way," Peter said.
23. [305] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
24. [306] "Darling, listen to me."
25. [307] "We've tried everything."
26. [308] "We've gone underground, but that's only delaying the end."
27. [309] "They still come down here, only not as many."
28. [310] "The mortality rate is up, the suicide rate is up, the birth rate is down, in spite of anything we can do."
29. [311] "You've seen the figures: we're riding a curve that ends in extinction fifty years from now."
30. [312] "They'll live, and we'll die, because they're a superior race."
31. [313] "We're a million years too far back even to understand what they are or where they came from."
32. [314] "Besides them, we're apes."
33. [315] "There's only one answer."
34. [316] "Out there, in space, the cosmics change unshielded life."
35. [317] "They make tentacles out of arms; or scales out of hair; or twelve toes, or a dozen ears—or a better brain."
36. [318] "Out of those millions of possible mutations, there's one that will save the human race."
37. [319] "We can't fight them , but a superman could."
38. [320] "That's our only chance."
39. [321] "Lorelei—darling—don't you see that?"
40. [322] "You know why," he said bitterly.
41. [323] "Those rays are strong."
42. [324] "They don't only work on embryos; they change adult life forms, too."
43. [325] "I have one chance in seven of staying alive."
44. [326] "You'd have one chance in a million of staying beautiful."
45. [327] "I couldn't stand that."
46. [328] "I'd kill myself, and then humanity would die, too."
47. [329] "You'd be their murderer."
48. [330] "All right," she said in a lifeless voice.
49. [331] "You'll come back, Peter."
50. [332] He turned away suddenly, not trusting himself to kiss her goodbye.
51. [333] A line from an old film kept echoing through his head. "They'll come back—but not as boys !"
52. [334] "We'll come back, but not as men."
53. [335] "We'll come back, but not as elephants."
54. [336] "We'll come back, but not as octopi."
55. [337] He was trembling violently.
56. [338] He ran the last few steps, stumbled into the airlock, and pressed the stud that would seal the door behind him.
57. [339] "We'll come back...."
58. [340] He heard the massive disk sink home, closing him off.
59. [341] Then he sank down on the floor of the airlock and put his head in shaking hands.
60. [342] After a while he roused himself, closed the inner door of the lock behind him, and walked down the long corridor into the control chamber.
61. [343] The shining banks of keys were there, waiting for his touch; he slumped down before them and listlessly closed the contact of the visiplate.
62. [344] He swung its field slowly, scanning for the last time the bare walls of the underground chamber, making sure that all the spectators had retired out of the way of the blast.
63. [345] Then his clawed fingers poised over the keys, hovered a moment, and thrust down.
64. [346] Acceleration pressed him deep into his chair.
65. [347] In the visiplate, the heavy doors that closed the tunnel above him flashed back, one by one.
66. [348] The energy-charged screen flickered off to let him pass, and closed smoothly behind him.
67. [349] The last doors, cleverly camouflaged, slipped back into place and then dwindled in the distance.
68. [350] It was done.
69. [351] He flashed on out, past the moon, past Mars, over the asteroid belt.
70. [352] The days merged into weeks, then months, and finally, far out, The Avenger curved into an orbit and held it.
71. [353] The great motors died, and the silence pressed in about him.
72. [354] Already he could feel the invisible rays burning resistlessly through his flesh as if it were water, shifting the cells of his body, working its slow, monstrous alchemy upon him.
73. [355] Peter waited until the changes were unmistakably evident in his skin and hair, and then he smashed all the mirrors in the ship.
74. [356] The embryos were pulsing with unnatural life, even in the suspended animation of their crystal cells.
75. [357] One by one he allowed them to mature, and after weeks or years destroyed the monstrosities that came from the incubators.
76. [358] Time went by, meaninglessly.
77. [359] He ate when he was hungry, slept when his driving purpose let him, and worked unceasingly, searching for the million-to-one chance.
78. [360] He stared sometimes through changed eyes at the tiny blue star that was Earth, wondering if the race he had left behind still burrowed in its worm-tunnels, digging deeper and deeper away from the sunlight.
79. [361] But after a time he ceased even to wonder.
80. [362] And one changeling-child he did not destroy.
81. [363] He fed knowledge to its eager brain, and watched it through the swift years, with a dawning hope.... |
Describe the setting of the story. | [
"The story is first set inside Peter’s office. There is a window that he initially sees the Invader through. The window can see up to fifty stories high. There is also a desk with a newsbox on it, where he lights his cigarette. His office also has a chair. Many places worldwide are mentioned too, such as London, Hong Kong, Paris, and Boston. Lorelei’s laboratory is two stories down the moving ramp. It is behind a door marked “Radiation”, and there is also a door mechanism with a password set to “Etaoin Shrdlu”. Lorelei owns a scanner, a video panel on the wall that is initially covered in papers. There is also an inner room with an X-ray chamber. The building they are in is called the Atlas building. After Peter wakes from his coma, the story is set in a hospital underground. There is a metal stand and a bed for Peter to lie on. When he goes off with the mission to bring back a superman, the ship exits from the underground launch chamber and goes into space. Peter goes past the Moon, past Mars, and over the asteroid belt. From his distance, Earth is a tiny blue star.",
"The story begins in a silent room with only blood dripping from Peter Karson's dead body. The stars are visible from the window. Then the story goes back in time, to when Peter was a young scientist. He was completing the project of 'Citadel' on paper and imagining his creation. It was supposed to be a huge metal laboratory-spaceship. The ship was to have many levels of laboratories and storerooms, the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system and the mighty engines. Suddenly, Peter felt some kind of dread around, he looked out from the window of his office and saw a horrible creature fifty stories up. Then he took the newspapers from his newsboy and saw the headlines about the invaders. He rushed two floors down through the staircase to the radioactive laboratory, where Lorelei, his girlfriend, was working. She was in the forest corner with a huge ledger. The two went to the scanner to watch the news and suddenly saw their own building, a tall, pure white structure. The silence was oppressive. Peter moved towards the inner room and confronted the aliens. Then he woke up in a sort of hospital after a long coma, he couldn't understand where he was and for how long. All the major cities were destroyed. People were digging to hide underground, but it was a delay rather than a solution. A new ship 'The Avenger' was built following the model of 'Citadel'. 'The Avenger' wasn't that big as 'Citadel' was supposed to be, it was a steel globe with compressed oxygen and concentrated food enough for a lifetime. Peter boarded the ship and sealed the door, then he sank down on the floor, knowing his low chances of staying alive. He closed the inner door and walked to the control room. He turned the keys and was pressed into the chair. He passed the moon and Mars and reached orbit. He felt the rays burning him there and broke the windows. For years he watched the embryos grow until Robert, the needed mutation, appeared. Peter fed him with knowledge for years. Earth was a tiny blue star far away, where many more years passed. When Robert refused to save the Earth, everything came to an end.",
"The beginning of the story takes place on Earth, in the Atlas building in the science city Manhattan. The building is a tall, white structure, with about fifty floors. The building contains both Peter's office, where he works on the Citadel, and Lorelei's laboratory, located two stories below. The laboratory contains several rooms, scattered with machinery and papers, with a video panel on the wall. After Peter's encounter with the invaders, he wakes up in a hospital, and he is then taken to the relocated city underground. The final part of the story takes place aboard The Avenger, a ship like others, except supplied with sufficient food and without cosmic ray shields.",
"The story begins in a laboratory in New York City where Peter is working on a ship in his part of the building. Upon seeing disturbing news on the TV, he runs to Lorelei’s lab which is further down into the building. The building they both work in is the Atlas building. After the Invaders attack their building and seemingly kill Lorelei, Peter wakes up in a hospital room. He is able to leave and meet up with Lorelei – who is actually alive- in an underground city once he recovers. Peter then goes on a mission to orbit space on the Avenger ship in hopes of finding an embryo that has mutated in a manner that could help save Earth. This process takes years and he reaches an old age completing this mission on the ship."
] | [1] THE AVENGER By STUART FLEMING Karson was creating a superman to fight the weird super-monsters who had invaded Earth.
[2] But he was forgetting one tiny thing—like calls to like.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Spring 1944.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Peter Karson was dead.
[6] He had been dead for some time now, but the dark blood was still oozing from the crushed ruin of his face, trickling down into his sodden sleeve, and falling, drop by slow drop, from his fingertips.
[7] His head was tilted over the back of the chair at a queer, unnatural angle, so that the light made deep pools of shadow where his eyes had been.
[8] There was no sound in the room except for the small splashing the blood made as it dropped into the sticky pool on the floor.
[9] The great banks of machinery around the walls were silent.
[10] I knew that they would never come to life again.
[11] I rose and walked over to the window.
[12] Outside, the stars were as before: tiny, myriad points of light, infinitely far away.
[13] They had not changed, and yet they were suddenly no longer friendly.
[14] They were cold and alien.
[15] It was I who had changed: something inside me was dead, like the machinery, and like Peter.
[16] It was a kind of indefinable emptiness.
[17] I do not think it was what Peter called an emotion; and yet it had nothing to do with logic, either.
[18] It was just an emptiness—a void that could not be filled by eating or drinking.
[19] It was not a longing.
[20] I had no desire that things should be otherwise than they were.
[21] I did not even wish that Peter were not dead, for reason had told me that he had to die.
[22] That was the end of it.
[23] But the void was still there, unexplainable and impossible to ignore.
[24] For the first time in all my life I had found a problem that I could not solve.
[25] Strange, disturbing sensations stirred and whispered within me, nagging, gnawing.
[26] And suddenly—something moved on the skin of my cheek.
[27] I raised a hand to it, slowly.
[28] A tear was trickling down my cheek.
[29] Young Peter Karson put the last black-print down and sighed with satisfaction.
[30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
[31] In two weeks they would be laying the core, and then the metal giant itself would begin to grow, glittering, pulsing with each increment of power, until at last it lay finished, a living thing.
[32] Then there would remain only the task of blasting the great, shining ship out into the carefully-calculated orbit that would be its home.
[33] In his mind's eye he could see it, slowly wheeling, like a second satellite, about the Earth; endlessly gathering knowledge into its insatiable mechanisms.
[34] He could see, too, the level on level of laboratories and storerooms that filled its interlocking segments; the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system, the mighty engines at the stern—all the children of his brain.
[35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
[36] The ship would be filled with the sounds of busy men and women, wresting secrets from the reluctant ether.
[37] A new chemistry, a new physics; perhaps even a new biochemistry.
[38] A discordant note suddenly entered his fantasy.
[39] He looked up, conscious of the walls of his office again, but could see nothing unusual.
[40] Still, that thin, dark whisper of dread was at the back of his mind.
[41] Slowly, as if reluctantly compelled, he turned around to face the window at his back.
[42] There, outside the window, fifty stories up, a face was staring impassively in at him.
[43] That was the first impression he got; just a face, staring.
[44] Then he saw, with a queer, icy chill, that the face was blood-red and subtly inhuman.
[45] It tapered off into a formless, shriveled body.
[46] For a moment or an eternity it hung there, unsupported, the bulging eyes staring at him.
[47] Then it grew misty at the edges.
[48] It dissolved slowly away and was gone.
[49] "Lord!"
[50] he said.
[51] He stared after it, stunned into immobility.
[52] Down in the street somewhere, a portable video was shrilling a popular song; after a moment he heard the faint swish of a tube car going past.
[53] Everything was normal.
[54] Nothing, on examination, seemed to have changed.
[55] But the world had grown suddenly unreal.
[56] One part of his brain had been shocked into its shell.
[57] It was hiding from the thing that had hurt it, and it refused to respond.
[58] But the other part was going calmly, lucidly on, quite without his volition.
[59] It considered the possibility that he had gone temporarily insane, and decided that this was probable.
[60] Hardly knowing what he did, he found a cigarette and lit it.
[61] His hands were shaking.
[62] He stared at them dully, and then he reached over to the newsbox on his desk, and switched it on.
[63] There were flaring red headlines.
[64] Relief washed over him, leaving him breathless.
[65] He was horrified, of course, but only abstractedly.
[66] For the moment he could only be glad that what he had seen was terrible reality rather than even more terrible illusion.
[67] INVADERS APPEAR IN BOSTON.
[68] 200 DEAD Then lines of type, and farther down: 50 CHILDREN DISAPPEAR FROM PARIS MATERNITY CENTER He pressed the stud.
[69] The roll was full of them.
[70] MOON SHIP DESTROYED IN TRANSIT NO COMMUNICATION FROM ANTARCTICA IN 6 HOURS STRANGE FORCE DEFLECTS PLANES FROM SAHARA AREA WORLD POLICE MOBILIZING The item below the last one said: Pacifica, June 7—The World Police are mobilizing, for the first time in fifty years.
[71] The order was made public early this morning by R. Stein, Secretary of the Council, who said in part: "The reason for this ... order must be apparent to all civilized peoples.
[72] For the Invaders have spared no part of this planet in their depredations: they have laid Hong Kong waste; they have terrorized London; they have destroyed the lives of citizens in every member state and in every inhabited area.
[73] There can be few within reach of printed reports or my words who have not seen the Invaders, or whose friends have not seen them.
[74] "The peoples of the world, then, know what they are, and know that we face the most momentous struggle in our history.
[75] We face an enemy superior to ourselves in every way .
[76] "Since the Invaders first appeared in Wood River, Oregon, 24 hours ago, they have not once acknowledged our attempts to communicate, or in any way taken notice of our existence as reasoning beings.
[77] They have treated us precisely as we, in less enlightened days, might have treated a newly-discovered race of lower animals.
[78] They have not attacked our centers of government, nor immobilized our communications, nor laid siege to our defenses.
[79] But in instance after instance, they have done as they would with us.
[80] They have examined us, dissected us, driven us mad, killed us with no discernable provocation; and this is more intolerable than any normal invasion.
[81] "I have no fear that the people of Earth will fail to meet this challenge, for there is no alternative.
[82] Not only our individual lives are threatened, but our existence as a race.
[83] We must, and will, destroy the Invaders!"
[84] Peter sank back in his chair, the full shock of it striking him for the first time. "
[85] Will we?"
[86] he asked himself softly.
[87] It was only two stories down the moving ramp to Lorelei Cooper's laboratory.
[88] Peter took it in fifteen seconds, running, and stumbled to a halt in front of the door marked "Radiation."
[89] She had set her door mechanism to "Etaoin Shrdlu," principally because he hated double-talk.
[90] He mouthed the syllables, had to repeat them because he put an accent in the wrong place, and squeezed through the door as soon as it opened far enough to admit him.
[91] Lorelei, beautiful in spite of dark-circled eyes and a smear of grease on her chin, looked up from a huge ledger at the end of the room.
[92] One blonde eyebrow arched in the quizzical expression he knew so well.
[93] "What makes, Peter my love?"
[94] she asked, and bent back to the ledger.
[95] Then she did a double-take, looked at his face intently, and said, "Darling, what's wrong?"
[96] He said, "Have you seen the news recently?"
[97] She frowned.
[98] "Why, no—Harry and I have been working for thirty-six hours straight.
[99] Haven't seen anybody, haven't heard anything.
[100] Why?"
[101] "You wouldn't believe me.
[102] Where's your newsbox?"
[103] She came around the desk and put her hands on his shoulders.
[104] "Pete, you know I haven't one—it bores me or upsets me, depending on whether there's trouble or not.
[105] What—" "I'm sorry, I forgot," he said.
[106] "But you have a scanner?"
[107] "Yes, of course.
[108] But really, Pete—" "You'll understand in a minute.
[109] Turn it on, Lorelei."
[110] She gazed at him levelly for a moment, kissed him impulsively, and then walked over to the video panel on the wall and swept a mountain of papers away from in front of it.
[111] She turned the selector dial to "News" and pressed the stud.
[112] A faint wash of color appeared on the panel, strengthened slowly, and suddenly leapt into full brilliance.
[113] Lorelei caught her breath.
[114] It was a street scene in the Science City of Manhattan, flooded by the warm spring sunshine.
[115] Down on the lowest level, visible past the transport and passenger tubes, the parks and moving ways should have been dotted with colorful, holiday crowds.
[116] The people were there, yes but they were flowing away in a swiftly-widening circle.
[117] They disappeared into buildings, and the ways snatched them up, and in a heartbeat they were gone.
[118] There were left only two blood-red, malignant monstrosities somehow defiling the air they floated in; and below them, a pitiful huddle of flesh no longer recognizable as human beings.
[119] They were not dead, those men and women, but they wanted to be.
[120] Their bodies had been impossibly joined, fused together into a single obscene, floundering mass of helpless protoplasm.
[121] The thin moaning that went up from them was more horrible than any cry of agony.
[122] "The Invaders are here, citizens," the commentator was saying in a strangled voice.
[123] "Stay off the streets.
[124] Hide yourselves.
[125] Stay off the streets...." His voice droned on, but neither of them heard it.
[126] Lorelei buried her head on his chest, clutching at him desperately.
[127] "Peter!"
[128] she said faintly.
[129] "Why do they broadcast such things?"
[130] "They have to," he told her grimly.
[131] "There will be panics and suicides, and they know it; but they have to do it.
[132] This isn't like a war, where the noncombatants' morale has to be kept up.
[133] There aren't going to be any noncombatants, this time.
[134] Everybody in the world has to know about them, so that he can fight them—and then it may not be enough."
[135] The viewpoint of the teleo sender changed as the two red beings soared away from their victims and angled slowly up the street.
[136] Peter reached out to switch off the scanner, and froze.
[137] The girl felt his muscles tense abruptly, looked back at the scene.
[138] The Invaders were floating up the sloping side of a tall, pure white structure that dominated the rest.
[139] "That's the Atlas building," she said unbelievingly.
[140] "Us!"
[141] "Yes."
[142] Silently, they counted stories as the two beings rose.
[143] Forty-five ... forty-six ... forty-seven ... forty-eight.
[144] Inevitably, they halted.
[145] Then they faded slowly.
[146] It was impossible to say whether they had gone through the solid wall, or simply melted away.
[147] The man and woman clung together, waiting.
[148] There was a thick, oppressive silence, full of small rustlings and other faint sounds that were no longer normal.
[149] Then, very near, a man screamed in a high, inhuman voice.
[150] The screamed dwindled into a throaty gurgle and died, leaving silence again.
[151] Peter's lips were cold with sweat.
[152] Tiny nerves in his face and arms were jumping convulsively.
[153] His stomach crawled.
[154] He thrust the girl away from him and started toward the inner room.
[155] "Wait here," he mouthed.
[156] She was after him, clinging to his arms.
[157] "No, Peter!
[158] Don't go in there!
[159] Peter! "
[160] But he pushed her away again, woodenly, and stalked forward.
[161] There was a space in the middle of the room where machinery had been cleared away to make room for an incompleted setup.
[162] Peter walked down the narrow aisle, past bakelite-sheathed mechanisms and rows of animal cages, and paused just short of it.
[163] The two red beings were there, formless bodies hazy in midair, the distorted, hairless skulls in profile, staring at something outside his range of vision.
[164] Peter forced himself forward another step.
[165] Little Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant, was crumpled in a corner, half supported by the broad base of an X-ray chamber.
[166] His face was flaccid and bloated.
[167] His glazed eyes, impassive yet somehow pleading, stared at nothingness straight ahead of him.
[168] The Invaders ignored Peter, staring expressionlessly down at Kanin.
[169] In a moment Peter realized what they were doing to him.
[170] He stood, paralyzed with horror, and watched it happen.
[171] The little man's body was sagging, ever so slowly, as if he were relaxing tiredly.
[172] His torso was telescoping, bit by bit; his spread legs grew wider and more shapeless, his cheeks caved in and his skull grew gradually flatter.
[173] When it was over, the thing that had been Kanin was a limp, boneless puddle of flesh.
[174] Peter could not look at it.
[175] There was a scream in his throat that would not come out.
[176] He was beyond fear, beyond agony.
[177] He turned to the still-hovering monsters and said in a terrible voice, "Why?
[178] Why?"
[179] The nearest being turned slowly to regard him.
[180] Its lips did not move, but there was a tiny sound in Peter's brain, a thin, dry whispering.
[181] The scream was welling up.
[182] He fought it down and listened. "
[183] Wurnkomellilonasendiktolsasangkanmiamiamimami.... " The face was staring directly into his, the bulging eyes hypnotic.
[184] The ears were small, no more than excresences of skin.
[185] The narrow lips seemed sealed together; a thin, slimy ichor drooled from them.
[186] There were lines in the face, but they were lines of age, not emotion.
[187] Only the eyes were alive. "
[188] ... raswilopreatadvuonistuwurncchtusanlgkelglawwalinom.... " "I can't understand," he cried wildly.
[189] "What do you want?"
[190] " ... morofelcovisyanmamiwurlectaunntous. "
[191] He heard a faint sound behind him, and whirled.
[192] It was the first time he had realized that Lorelei had followed him.
[193] She stood there, swaying, very pale, looking at the red Invaders.
[194] Her eyes swiveled slowly.... " Opreniktoulestritifenrelngetnaktwiltoctpre. "
[195] His voice was hoarse.
[196] "Don't look!
[197] Don't—Go back!"
[198] The horrible, mindless noise in his throat was almost beyond his power to repress.
[199] His insides writhed to thrust it out.
[200] She didn't see him.
[201] Her eyes glazed, and she dropped limply to the floor.
[202] The scream came out then.
[203] Before he knew, even, that he could hold it back no longer, his mouth was wide open, his muscles tensed, his fingernails slicing his palms.
[204] It echoed with unbelievable volume in the room.
[205] It was a scream to split eardrums; a scream to wake the dead.
[206] Somebody said, "Doctor!"
[207] He wanted to say, "Yes, get a doctor.
[208] Lorelei—" but his mouth only twitched feebly.
[209] He couldn't seem to get it to work properly.
[210] He tried again.
[211] "Doctor."
[212] "Yes?"
[213] A gentle, masculine voice.
[214] He opened his eyes with an effort.
[215] There was a blurred face before him; in a moment it grew clearer.
[216] The strong, clean-shaven chin contrasted oddly with the haggard circles under the eyes.
[217] There was a clean, starched odor.
[218] "Where am I?"
[219] he said.
[220] He tried to turn his head, but a firm hand pressed him back into the sheets.
[221] "You're in a hospital.
[222] Just lie quietly, please."
[223] He tried to get up again.
[224] "Where's Lorelei?"
[225] "She's well, and you'll see her soon.
[226] Now lie quietly.
[227] You've been a very sick man."
[228] Peter sank back in the bed.
[229] The room was coming into focus.
[230] He looked around him slowly.
[231] He felt very weak, but perfectly lucid.
[232] "Yes...." he said.
[233] "How long have I been here, Doctor?"
[234] The man hesitated, looked at him intently.
[235] "Three months," he said.
[236] He turned and gave low-voiced instructions to a nurse, and then went away.
[237] Peter's head began spinning just a little.
[238] Glass clinked from a metal stand near his head; the nurse bent over him with a glass half full of milky fluid.
[239] It tasted awful, but she made him drink it all.
[240] In a moment he began to relax, and the room got fuzzy again.
[241] Just before he drifted off, he said sleepily, "You can't—fool me.
[242] It's been more —than three—months."
[243] He was right.
[244] All the nurses, and even Dr. Arnold, were evasive, but he kept asking them why he couldn't see Lorelei, and finally he wormed it out of them.
[245] It had been nine and a half months, not three, and he'd been in a coma all that time.
[246] Lorelei, it seemed, had recovered much sooner.
[247] "She was only suffering from ordinary shock," Arnold explained.
[248] "Seeing that assistant of hers—it was enough to knock anybody out, especially a woman.
[249] But you stood actual mental contact with them for approximately five minutes.
[250] Yes, we know—you talked a lot.
[251] It's a miracle you're alive, and rational."
[252] "But where is she?"
[253] Peter complained.
[254] "You still haven't explained why I haven't been able to see her."
[255] Arnold frowned.
[256] "All right," he said.
[257] "I guess you're strong enough to take it.
[258] She's underground, with the rest of the women and children, and a good two-thirds of the male population.
[259] That's where you'll go, as soon as you're well enough to be moved.
[260] We started digging in six months ago."
[261] "But why?"
[262] Peter whispered.
[263] Arnold's strong jaw knotted.
[264] "We're hiding," he said.
[265] "Everything else has failed."
[266] Peter couldn't think of anything to say.
[267] Dr. Arnold's voice went on after a moment, musingly.
[268] "We're burrowing into the earth, like worms.
[269] It didn't take us long to find out we couldn't kill them.
[270] They didn't even take any notice of our attempts to do so, except once.
[271] That was when a squadron of the Police caught about fifty of them together at one time, and attacked with flame guns and a new secret weapon.
[272] It didn't hurt them, but it annoyed them.
[273] It was the first time they'd been annoyed, I think.
[274] They blew up half a state, and it's still smoldering."
[275] "And since then?"
[276] Peter asked huskily.
[277] "Since then, we've been burrowing.
[278] All the big cities....
[279] It would be an impossible task if we tried to include all the thinly-populated areas, of course, but it doesn't matter.
[280] By the time we excavate enough to take care of a quarter of the earth's population, the other three-quarters will be dead, or worse."
[281] "I wonder," Peter said shakily, "if I am strong enough to take it."
[282] Arnold laughed harshly.
[283] "You are.
[284] You've got to be.
[285] You're part of our last hope, you see."
[286] "Our last hope?"
[287] "Yes.
[288] You're a scientist."
[289] "I see," said Peter.
[290] And for the first time, he thought of the Citadel .
[291] No plan leaped full-born into his mind, but, maybe , he thought, there's a chance ....
[292] It wasn't very big, the thing that had been his shining dream.
[293] It lay there in its rough cradle, a globe of raw dura-steel not more than five hundred meters in diameter, where the Citadel was to have been a thousand.
[294] It wouldn't house a hundred scientists, eagerly delving into the hinterland of research.
[295] The huge compartments weren't filled with the latest equipment for chemical and physical experiment; instead, there was compressed oxygen there, and concentrated food, enough to last a lifetime.
[296] It was a new world, all by itself; or else it was a tomb.
[297] And there was one other change, one that you couldn't see from the outside.
[298] The solid meters of lead in its outer skin, the shielding to keep out cosmic rays, were gone.
[299] A man had just finished engraving the final stroke on its nameplate, to the left of the airlock— The Avenger .
[300] He stepped away now, and joined the group a little distance away, silently waiting.
[301] Lorelei said, "You can't do it.
[302] I won't let you!
[303] Peter—" "Darling," he began wearily.
[304] "Don't throw your life away!
[305] Give us time—there must be another way."
[306] "There's no other way," Peter said.
[307] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
[308] "Darling, listen to me.
[309] We've tried everything.
[310] We've gone underground, but that's only delaying the end.
[311] They still come down here, only not as many.
[312] The mortality rate is up, the suicide rate is up, the birth rate is down, in spite of anything we can do.
[313] You've seen the figures: we're riding a curve that ends in extinction fifty years from now.
[314] "They'll live, and we'll die, because they're a superior race.
[315] We're a million years too far back even to understand what they are or where they came from.
[316] Besides them, we're apes.
[317] There's only one answer."
[318] She was crying now, silently, with great racking sobs that shook her slender body.
[319] But he went remorselessly on.
[320] "Out there, in space, the cosmics change unshielded life.
[321] They make tentacles out of arms; or scales out of hair; or twelve toes, or a dozen ears—or a better brain.
[322] Out of those millions of possible mutations, there's one that will save the human race.
[323] We can't fight them , but a superman could.
[324] That's our only chance.
[325] Lorelei—darling—don't you see that?"
[326] She choked, "But why can't you take me along?"
[327] He stared unseeingly past her wet, upturned face.
[328] "You know why," he said bitterly.
[329] "Those rays are strong.
[330] They don't only work on embryos; they change adult life forms, too.
[331] I have one chance in seven of staying alive.
[332] You'd have one chance in a million of staying beautiful.
[333] I couldn't stand that.
[334] I'd kill myself, and then humanity would die, too.
[335] You'd be their murderer."
[336] Her sobs gradually died away.
[337] She straightened slowly until he no longer had to support her, but all the vitality and resilience was gone out of her body.
[338] "All right," she said in a lifeless voice.
[339] "You'll come back, Peter."
[340] He turned away suddenly, not trusting himself to kiss her goodbye.
[341] A line from an old film kept echoing through his head. "
[342] They'll come back—but not as boys !"
[343] We'll come back, but not as men.
[344] We'll come back, but not as elephants.
[345] We'll come back, but not as octopi.
[346] He was trembling violently.
[347] He ran the last few steps, stumbled into the airlock, and pressed the stud that would seal the door behind him.
[348] We'll come back....
[349] He heard the massive disk sink home, closing him off.
[350] Then he sank down on the floor of the airlock and put his head in shaking hands.
[351] After a while he roused himself, closed the inner door of the lock behind him, and walked down the long corridor into the control chamber.
[352] The shining banks of keys were there, waiting for his touch; he slumped down before them and listlessly closed the contact of the visiplate.
[353] He swung its field slowly, scanning for the last time the bare walls of the underground chamber, making sure that all the spectators had retired out of the way of the blast.
[354] Then his clawed fingers poised over the keys, hovered a moment, and thrust down.
[355] Acceleration pressed him deep into his chair.
[356] In the visiplate, the heavy doors that closed the tunnel above him flashed back, one by one.
[357] The energy-charged screen flickered off to let him pass, and closed smoothly behind him.
[358] The last doors, cleverly camouflaged, slipped back into place and then dwindled in the distance.
[359] It was done.
[360] He flashed on out, past the moon, past Mars, over the asteroid belt.
[361] The days merged into weeks, then months, and finally, far out, The Avenger curved into an orbit and held it.
[362] The great motors died, and the silence pressed in about him.
[363] Already he could feel the invisible rays burning resistlessly through his flesh as if it were water, shifting the cells of his body, working its slow, monstrous alchemy upon him.
[364] Peter waited until the changes were unmistakably evident in his skin and hair, and then he smashed all the mirrors in the ship.
[365] The embryos were pulsing with unnatural life, even in the suspended animation of their crystal cells.
[366] One by one he allowed them to mature, and after weeks or years destroyed the monstrosities that came from the incubators.
[367] Time went by, meaninglessly.
[368] He ate when he was hungry, slept when his driving purpose let him, and worked unceasingly, searching for the million-to-one chance.
[369] He stared sometimes through changed eyes at the tiny blue star that was Earth, wondering if the race he had left behind still burrowed in its worm-tunnels, digging deeper and deeper away from the sunlight.
[370] But after a time he ceased even to wonder.
[371] And one changeling-child he did not destroy.
[372] He fed knowledge to its eager brain, and watched it through the swift years, with a dawning hope.... Peter closed the diary.
[373] "The rest you know, Robert," he said.
[374] "Yes," I told him.
[375] "I was that child.
[376] I am the millionth mutation you were searching for."
[377] His eyes glowed suddenly in their misshapen sockets.
[378] "You are.
[379] Your brain is as superior to mine as mine is to an anthropoid's.
[380] You solve instinctively problems that would take our mechanical computers hours of work.
[381] You are a superman."
[382] "I am without your imperfections," I said, flexing my arms.
[383] He rose and strode nervously over to the window.
[384] I watched him as he stood there, outlined against the blazing galaxies.
[385] He had changed but little in the years that I had known him.
[386] His lank gray hair straggled over his sunken eyes; his cheeks were blobbed with excresences of flesh; one corner of his mouth was drawn up in a perpetual grin.
[387] He had a tiny sixth finger on his left hand.
[388] He turned again, and I saw the old scar on his cheek where I had once accidentally drawn one of my talons across his face.
[389] "And now," he said softly, "we will go home.
[390] I've waited so long—keeping the control chamber and the engine room locked away from you, not telling you, even, about Earth until now—because I had to be sure.
[391] But now, the waiting is over.
[392] "They're still there, I'm sure of it—the people, and the Invaders.
[393] You can kill the Invaders, Robert."
[394] He looked at me, a little oddly, almost as if he had some instinctive knowledge of what was to come.
[395] But he went on swiftly, "On Earth we had a saying: 'Fight fire with fire.'
[396] That is the way it will be with you.
[397] You are completely, coldly logical, just as they are.
[398] You can understand them, and so you can conquer them."
[399] I said, "That is the reason why we will not go back to Earth."
[400] He stared at me, his jaw slack, his hands trembling.
[401] "What—what did you say?"
[402] I repeated it patiently.
[403] "But why?"
[404] he cried, sinking down into the chair before me.
[405] In an instant all the joy had gone out of him.
[406] I could not understand his suffering, but I could recognize it.
[407] "You yourself have said it," I told him.
[408] "I am a being of logic, just as the beings who have invaded your planet are.
[409] I do not comprehend the things which you call hate, fear, joy and love, as they do not.
[410] If I went to Earth, I would use your people to further my knowledge, just as the invaders do.
[411] I would have no reason to kill the invaders.
[412] They are more nearly kin to me than your people."
[413] Peter's eyes were dull, his limbs slumped.
[414] For a moment I thought that the shock had deranged his mind.
[415] His voice trembled when he said, "But if I ask you to kill them, and not my people?"
[416] "To do so would be illogical."
[417] He waved his hands helplessly.
[418] "Gratitude?"
[419] he muttered.
[420] "No, you don't understand that, either."
[421] Then he cried suddenly, "But I am your friend, Robert!"
[422] "I do not understand 'friend,'" I said.
[423] I did understand "gratitude," a little.
[424] It was a reciprocal arrangement: I did what Peter wished, so long as I did not actively want to do otherwise, because he had done things for me.
[425] Very well, then we must not go back.
[426] It was very simple, but I knew that he could not comprehend it.
[427] I tried to explain it to him, however.
[428] But he only stared at me, with an expression on his face that I had never seen there before, and that, somehow, I did not like to see.
[429] It was disquieting, and so I hastened to the end that I knew was inevitable. | 1. [30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
2. [31] In two weeks they would be laying the core, and then the metal giant itself would begin to grow, glittering, pulsing with each increment of power, until at last it lay finished, a living thing.
3. [35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
4. [67] INVADERS APPEAR IN BOSTON. 200 DEAD
5. [72] "The reason for this ... order must be apparent to all civilized peoples. For the Invaders have spared no part of this planet in their depredations: they have laid Hong Kong waste; they have terrorized London; they have destroyed the lives of citizens in every member state and in every inhabited area.
6. [75] "We face an enemy superior to ourselves in every way .
7. [77] They have treated us precisely as we, in less enlightened days, might have treated a newly-discovered race of lower animals.
8. [78] They have not attacked our centers of government, nor immobilized our communications, nor laid siege to our defenses.
9. [79] But in instance after instance, they have done as they would with us. They have examined us, dissected us, driven us mad, killed us with no discernable provocation; and this is more intolerable than any normal invasion.
10. [114] Down on the lowest level, visible past the transport and passenger tubes, the parks and moving ways should have been dotted with colorful, holiday crowds. The people were there, yes but they were flowing away in a swiftly-widening circle.
11. [118] There were left only two blood-red, malignant monstrosities somehow defiling the air they floated in; and below them, a pitiful huddle of flesh no longer recognizable as human beings.
12. [119] They were not dead, those men and women, but they wanted to be. Their bodies had been impossibly joined, fused together into a single obscene, floundering mass of helpless protoplasm.
13. [138] The Invaders were floating up the sloping side of a tall, pure white structure that dominated the rest.
14. [139] "That's the Atlas building," she said unbelievingly.
15. [140] "Us!"
16. [165] Little Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant, was crumpled in a corner, half supported by the broad base of an X-ray chamber. His face was flaccid and bloated.
17. [170] He stood, paralyzed with horror, and watched it happen. The little man's body was sagging, ever so slowly, as if he were relaxing tiredly. His torso was telescoping, bit by bit; his spread legs grew wider and more shapeless, his cheeks caved in and his skull grew gradually flatter.
18. [177] He turned to the still-hovering monsters and said in a terrible voice, "Why? Why?"
19. [183] The nearest being turned slowly to regard him. Its lips did not move, but there was a tiny sound in Peter's brain, a thin, dry whispering.
20. [190] " ... morofelcovisyanmamiwurlectaunntous. "
21. [192] It was the first time he had realized that Lorelei had followed him. She stood there, swaying, very pale, looking at the red Invaders.
22. [194] Her eyes swiveled slowly.... " Opreniktoulestritifenrelngetnaktwiltoctpre. "
23. [198] The horrible, mindless noise in his throat was almost beyond his power to repress.
24. [202] The scream came out then. Before he knew, even, that he could hold it back no longer, his mouth was wide open, his muscles tensed, his fingernails slicing his palms.
25. [233] "How long have I been here, Doctor?"
26. [244] All the nurses, and even Dr. Arnold, were evasive, but he kept asking them why he couldn't see Lorelei, and finally he wormed it out of them. It had been nine and a half months, not three, and he'd been in a coma all that time.
27. [257] "All right," he said. "I guess you're strong enough to take it. She's underground, with the rest of the women and children, and a good two-thirds of the male population. That's where you'll go, as soon as you're well enough to be moved. We started digging in six months ago."
28. [264] "We're hiding," he said. "Everything else has failed."
29. [269] "We're burrowing into the earth, like worms. It didn't take us long to find out we couldn't kill them."
30. [290] And for the first time, he thought of the Citadel. |
What is the relationship between Peter and Lorelei? | [
"Peter and Lorelei are romantically involved with each other. When Lorelei sees Peter, she calls him “my love” and “darling.” She puts her hands on his shoulders too and kisses him impulsively as a sign of affection. Peter cares greatly about Lorelei, too, as she was the first person he went to find after seeing the news about the Invaders. When he tries to investigate, she clings to him and pleads for him not to go. However, she follows along too, and he is horrified at what might happen to her. After Lorelei passes out, Peter cannot help but let out a scream. Even when he wakes up from his coma, the first thing he thinks about is Lorelei and repeatedly asks where she is. Lorelei continues to beg Peter not to leave on The Avenger and asks him to reconsider. He does not want to go, but he tells her that it is the only solution. She cries, and he goes on remorselessly even though it hurts him. Lorelei wants to come along too; Peter cares too much and tells her that he could not stand seeing her change from somebody beautiful because of the rays. Although they say farewell to each other and Lorelei affirms that he will come back, Peter does not trust himself to kiss her goodbye.",
"Peter and Lorelei are in love. They care for each other a lot - Lorelei begs Peter not to go towards any danger, and he doesn't want her to follow. They are also very tender and find tranquility in each other. In face of danger they embrace each other or kiss. The two also work together in the same building within a two floors distance. They know each other's habits - the lock on the laboratory, the lack of newsboy at Lorelei's. Peter worries for her more than for himself, and losing his girlfriend means his own death to him, that's the reason he gives for her not to follow him to the orbit. He also considers Lorelei very beautiful even when tired, and her beauty matters a lot for him - he says he won't handle its loss on the spaceship.",
"Peter and Lorelei are romantically involved. Their relationship is loving and serious, which is apparent from their first interaction in the story as Peter meets her in the laboratory. Peter feels protective over Lorelei, especially given the recent invasions and dangers. When Lorelei appears to be hurt by the invaders, Peter lets out a shrilling scream and blacks out. The two are very close and cannot stand to be without each other, shown when Lorelei begs Peter to stay and not board The Avenger. However, out of love for Lorelei and concern for her safety, Peter leaves anyway.",
"Peter Karson and Lorelei are both scientists that work in the same building. They have a romantic relationship with each other. Lorelei is very keen on not being separated from Peter and is frightened every time he risks his life. Peter is a strong figure in their relationship and does his best to calm Lorelei, but also prepare her for the dangerous reality they face. He constantly tries to protect her as best as he can and prevent her from coming into harm’s way."
] | [1] THE AVENGER By STUART FLEMING Karson was creating a superman to fight the weird super-monsters who had invaded Earth.
[2] But he was forgetting one tiny thing—like calls to like.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Spring 1944.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Peter Karson was dead.
[6] He had been dead for some time now, but the dark blood was still oozing from the crushed ruin of his face, trickling down into his sodden sleeve, and falling, drop by slow drop, from his fingertips.
[7] His head was tilted over the back of the chair at a queer, unnatural angle, so that the light made deep pools of shadow where his eyes had been.
[8] There was no sound in the room except for the small splashing the blood made as it dropped into the sticky pool on the floor.
[9] The great banks of machinery around the walls were silent.
[10] I knew that they would never come to life again.
[11] I rose and walked over to the window.
[12] Outside, the stars were as before: tiny, myriad points of light, infinitely far away.
[13] They had not changed, and yet they were suddenly no longer friendly.
[14] They were cold and alien.
[15] It was I who had changed: something inside me was dead, like the machinery, and like Peter.
[16] It was a kind of indefinable emptiness.
[17] I do not think it was what Peter called an emotion; and yet it had nothing to do with logic, either.
[18] It was just an emptiness—a void that could not be filled by eating or drinking.
[19] It was not a longing.
[20] I had no desire that things should be otherwise than they were.
[21] I did not even wish that Peter were not dead, for reason had told me that he had to die.
[22] That was the end of it.
[23] But the void was still there, unexplainable and impossible to ignore.
[24] For the first time in all my life I had found a problem that I could not solve.
[25] Strange, disturbing sensations stirred and whispered within me, nagging, gnawing.
[26] And suddenly—something moved on the skin of my cheek.
[27] I raised a hand to it, slowly.
[28] A tear was trickling down my cheek.
[29] Young Peter Karson put the last black-print down and sighed with satisfaction.
[30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
[31] In two weeks they would be laying the core, and then the metal giant itself would begin to grow, glittering, pulsing with each increment of power, until at last it lay finished, a living thing.
[32] Then there would remain only the task of blasting the great, shining ship out into the carefully-calculated orbit that would be its home.
[33] In his mind's eye he could see it, slowly wheeling, like a second satellite, about the Earth; endlessly gathering knowledge into its insatiable mechanisms.
[34] He could see, too, the level on level of laboratories and storerooms that filled its interlocking segments; the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system, the mighty engines at the stern—all the children of his brain.
[35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
[36] The ship would be filled with the sounds of busy men and women, wresting secrets from the reluctant ether.
[37] A new chemistry, a new physics; perhaps even a new biochemistry.
[38] A discordant note suddenly entered his fantasy.
[39] He looked up, conscious of the walls of his office again, but could see nothing unusual.
[40] Still, that thin, dark whisper of dread was at the back of his mind.
[41] Slowly, as if reluctantly compelled, he turned around to face the window at his back.
[42] There, outside the window, fifty stories up, a face was staring impassively in at him.
[43] That was the first impression he got; just a face, staring.
[44] Then he saw, with a queer, icy chill, that the face was blood-red and subtly inhuman.
[45] It tapered off into a formless, shriveled body.
[46] For a moment or an eternity it hung there, unsupported, the bulging eyes staring at him.
[47] Then it grew misty at the edges.
[48] It dissolved slowly away and was gone.
[49] "Lord!"
[50] he said.
[51] He stared after it, stunned into immobility.
[52] Down in the street somewhere, a portable video was shrilling a popular song; after a moment he heard the faint swish of a tube car going past.
[53] Everything was normal.
[54] Nothing, on examination, seemed to have changed.
[55] But the world had grown suddenly unreal.
[56] One part of his brain had been shocked into its shell.
[57] It was hiding from the thing that had hurt it, and it refused to respond.
[58] But the other part was going calmly, lucidly on, quite without his volition.
[59] It considered the possibility that he had gone temporarily insane, and decided that this was probable.
[60] Hardly knowing what he did, he found a cigarette and lit it.
[61] His hands were shaking.
[62] He stared at them dully, and then he reached over to the newsbox on his desk, and switched it on.
[63] There were flaring red headlines.
[64] Relief washed over him, leaving him breathless.
[65] He was horrified, of course, but only abstractedly.
[66] For the moment he could only be glad that what he had seen was terrible reality rather than even more terrible illusion.
[67] INVADERS APPEAR IN BOSTON.
[68] 200 DEAD Then lines of type, and farther down: 50 CHILDREN DISAPPEAR FROM PARIS MATERNITY CENTER He pressed the stud.
[69] The roll was full of them.
[70] MOON SHIP DESTROYED IN TRANSIT NO COMMUNICATION FROM ANTARCTICA IN 6 HOURS STRANGE FORCE DEFLECTS PLANES FROM SAHARA AREA WORLD POLICE MOBILIZING The item below the last one said: Pacifica, June 7—The World Police are mobilizing, for the first time in fifty years.
[71] The order was made public early this morning by R. Stein, Secretary of the Council, who said in part: "The reason for this ... order must be apparent to all civilized peoples.
[72] For the Invaders have spared no part of this planet in their depredations: they have laid Hong Kong waste; they have terrorized London; they have destroyed the lives of citizens in every member state and in every inhabited area.
[73] There can be few within reach of printed reports or my words who have not seen the Invaders, or whose friends have not seen them.
[74] "The peoples of the world, then, know what they are, and know that we face the most momentous struggle in our history.
[75] We face an enemy superior to ourselves in every way .
[76] "Since the Invaders first appeared in Wood River, Oregon, 24 hours ago, they have not once acknowledged our attempts to communicate, or in any way taken notice of our existence as reasoning beings.
[77] They have treated us precisely as we, in less enlightened days, might have treated a newly-discovered race of lower animals.
[78] They have not attacked our centers of government, nor immobilized our communications, nor laid siege to our defenses.
[79] But in instance after instance, they have done as they would with us.
[80] They have examined us, dissected us, driven us mad, killed us with no discernable provocation; and this is more intolerable than any normal invasion.
[81] "I have no fear that the people of Earth will fail to meet this challenge, for there is no alternative.
[82] Not only our individual lives are threatened, but our existence as a race.
[83] We must, and will, destroy the Invaders!"
[84] Peter sank back in his chair, the full shock of it striking him for the first time. "
[85] Will we?"
[86] he asked himself softly.
[87] It was only two stories down the moving ramp to Lorelei Cooper's laboratory.
[88] Peter took it in fifteen seconds, running, and stumbled to a halt in front of the door marked "Radiation."
[89] She had set her door mechanism to "Etaoin Shrdlu," principally because he hated double-talk.
[90] He mouthed the syllables, had to repeat them because he put an accent in the wrong place, and squeezed through the door as soon as it opened far enough to admit him.
[91] Lorelei, beautiful in spite of dark-circled eyes and a smear of grease on her chin, looked up from a huge ledger at the end of the room.
[92] One blonde eyebrow arched in the quizzical expression he knew so well.
[93] "What makes, Peter my love?"
[94] she asked, and bent back to the ledger.
[95] Then she did a double-take, looked at his face intently, and said, "Darling, what's wrong?"
[96] He said, "Have you seen the news recently?"
[97] She frowned.
[98] "Why, no—Harry and I have been working for thirty-six hours straight.
[99] Haven't seen anybody, haven't heard anything.
[100] Why?"
[101] "You wouldn't believe me.
[102] Where's your newsbox?"
[103] She came around the desk and put her hands on his shoulders.
[104] "Pete, you know I haven't one—it bores me or upsets me, depending on whether there's trouble or not.
[105] What—" "I'm sorry, I forgot," he said.
[106] "But you have a scanner?"
[107] "Yes, of course.
[108] But really, Pete—" "You'll understand in a minute.
[109] Turn it on, Lorelei."
[110] She gazed at him levelly for a moment, kissed him impulsively, and then walked over to the video panel on the wall and swept a mountain of papers away from in front of it.
[111] She turned the selector dial to "News" and pressed the stud.
[112] A faint wash of color appeared on the panel, strengthened slowly, and suddenly leapt into full brilliance.
[113] Lorelei caught her breath.
[114] It was a street scene in the Science City of Manhattan, flooded by the warm spring sunshine.
[115] Down on the lowest level, visible past the transport and passenger tubes, the parks and moving ways should have been dotted with colorful, holiday crowds.
[116] The people were there, yes but they were flowing away in a swiftly-widening circle.
[117] They disappeared into buildings, and the ways snatched them up, and in a heartbeat they were gone.
[118] There were left only two blood-red, malignant monstrosities somehow defiling the air they floated in; and below them, a pitiful huddle of flesh no longer recognizable as human beings.
[119] They were not dead, those men and women, but they wanted to be.
[120] Their bodies had been impossibly joined, fused together into a single obscene, floundering mass of helpless protoplasm.
[121] The thin moaning that went up from them was more horrible than any cry of agony.
[122] "The Invaders are here, citizens," the commentator was saying in a strangled voice.
[123] "Stay off the streets.
[124] Hide yourselves.
[125] Stay off the streets...." His voice droned on, but neither of them heard it.
[126] Lorelei buried her head on his chest, clutching at him desperately.
[127] "Peter!"
[128] she said faintly.
[129] "Why do they broadcast such things?"
[130] "They have to," he told her grimly.
[131] "There will be panics and suicides, and they know it; but they have to do it.
[132] This isn't like a war, where the noncombatants' morale has to be kept up.
[133] There aren't going to be any noncombatants, this time.
[134] Everybody in the world has to know about them, so that he can fight them—and then it may not be enough."
[135] The viewpoint of the teleo sender changed as the two red beings soared away from their victims and angled slowly up the street.
[136] Peter reached out to switch off the scanner, and froze.
[137] The girl felt his muscles tense abruptly, looked back at the scene.
[138] The Invaders were floating up the sloping side of a tall, pure white structure that dominated the rest.
[139] "That's the Atlas building," she said unbelievingly.
[140] "Us!"
[141] "Yes."
[142] Silently, they counted stories as the two beings rose.
[143] Forty-five ... forty-six ... forty-seven ... forty-eight.
[144] Inevitably, they halted.
[145] Then they faded slowly.
[146] It was impossible to say whether they had gone through the solid wall, or simply melted away.
[147] The man and woman clung together, waiting.
[148] There was a thick, oppressive silence, full of small rustlings and other faint sounds that were no longer normal.
[149] Then, very near, a man screamed in a high, inhuman voice.
[150] The screamed dwindled into a throaty gurgle and died, leaving silence again.
[151] Peter's lips were cold with sweat.
[152] Tiny nerves in his face and arms were jumping convulsively.
[153] His stomach crawled.
[154] He thrust the girl away from him and started toward the inner room.
[155] "Wait here," he mouthed.
[156] She was after him, clinging to his arms.
[157] "No, Peter!
[158] Don't go in there!
[159] Peter! "
[160] But he pushed her away again, woodenly, and stalked forward.
[161] There was a space in the middle of the room where machinery had been cleared away to make room for an incompleted setup.
[162] Peter walked down the narrow aisle, past bakelite-sheathed mechanisms and rows of animal cages, and paused just short of it.
[163] The two red beings were there, formless bodies hazy in midair, the distorted, hairless skulls in profile, staring at something outside his range of vision.
[164] Peter forced himself forward another step.
[165] Little Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant, was crumpled in a corner, half supported by the broad base of an X-ray chamber.
[166] His face was flaccid and bloated.
[167] His glazed eyes, impassive yet somehow pleading, stared at nothingness straight ahead of him.
[168] The Invaders ignored Peter, staring expressionlessly down at Kanin.
[169] In a moment Peter realized what they were doing to him.
[170] He stood, paralyzed with horror, and watched it happen.
[171] The little man's body was sagging, ever so slowly, as if he were relaxing tiredly.
[172] His torso was telescoping, bit by bit; his spread legs grew wider and more shapeless, his cheeks caved in and his skull grew gradually flatter.
[173] When it was over, the thing that had been Kanin was a limp, boneless puddle of flesh.
[174] Peter could not look at it.
[175] There was a scream in his throat that would not come out.
[176] He was beyond fear, beyond agony.
[177] He turned to the still-hovering monsters and said in a terrible voice, "Why?
[178] Why?"
[179] The nearest being turned slowly to regard him.
[180] Its lips did not move, but there was a tiny sound in Peter's brain, a thin, dry whispering.
[181] The scream was welling up.
[182] He fought it down and listened. "
[183] Wurnkomellilonasendiktolsasangkanmiamiamimami.... " The face was staring directly into his, the bulging eyes hypnotic.
[184] The ears were small, no more than excresences of skin.
[185] The narrow lips seemed sealed together; a thin, slimy ichor drooled from them.
[186] There were lines in the face, but they were lines of age, not emotion.
[187] Only the eyes were alive. "
[188] ... raswilopreatadvuonistuwurncchtusanlgkelglawwalinom.... " "I can't understand," he cried wildly.
[189] "What do you want?"
[190] " ... morofelcovisyanmamiwurlectaunntous. "
[191] He heard a faint sound behind him, and whirled.
[192] It was the first time he had realized that Lorelei had followed him.
[193] She stood there, swaying, very pale, looking at the red Invaders.
[194] Her eyes swiveled slowly.... " Opreniktoulestritifenrelngetnaktwiltoctpre. "
[195] His voice was hoarse.
[196] "Don't look!
[197] Don't—Go back!"
[198] The horrible, mindless noise in his throat was almost beyond his power to repress.
[199] His insides writhed to thrust it out.
[200] She didn't see him.
[201] Her eyes glazed, and she dropped limply to the floor.
[202] The scream came out then.
[203] Before he knew, even, that he could hold it back no longer, his mouth was wide open, his muscles tensed, his fingernails slicing his palms.
[204] It echoed with unbelievable volume in the room.
[205] It was a scream to split eardrums; a scream to wake the dead.
[206] Somebody said, "Doctor!"
[207] He wanted to say, "Yes, get a doctor.
[208] Lorelei—" but his mouth only twitched feebly.
[209] He couldn't seem to get it to work properly.
[210] He tried again.
[211] "Doctor."
[212] "Yes?"
[213] A gentle, masculine voice.
[214] He opened his eyes with an effort.
[215] There was a blurred face before him; in a moment it grew clearer.
[216] The strong, clean-shaven chin contrasted oddly with the haggard circles under the eyes.
[217] There was a clean, starched odor.
[218] "Where am I?"
[219] he said.
[220] He tried to turn his head, but a firm hand pressed him back into the sheets.
[221] "You're in a hospital.
[222] Just lie quietly, please."
[223] He tried to get up again.
[224] "Where's Lorelei?"
[225] "She's well, and you'll see her soon.
[226] Now lie quietly.
[227] You've been a very sick man."
[228] Peter sank back in the bed.
[229] The room was coming into focus.
[230] He looked around him slowly.
[231] He felt very weak, but perfectly lucid.
[232] "Yes...." he said.
[233] "How long have I been here, Doctor?"
[234] The man hesitated, looked at him intently.
[235] "Three months," he said.
[236] He turned and gave low-voiced instructions to a nurse, and then went away.
[237] Peter's head began spinning just a little.
[238] Glass clinked from a metal stand near his head; the nurse bent over him with a glass half full of milky fluid.
[239] It tasted awful, but she made him drink it all.
[240] In a moment he began to relax, and the room got fuzzy again.
[241] Just before he drifted off, he said sleepily, "You can't—fool me.
[242] It's been more —than three—months."
[243] He was right.
[244] All the nurses, and even Dr. Arnold, were evasive, but he kept asking them why he couldn't see Lorelei, and finally he wormed it out of them.
[245] It had been nine and a half months, not three, and he'd been in a coma all that time.
[246] Lorelei, it seemed, had recovered much sooner.
[247] "She was only suffering from ordinary shock," Arnold explained.
[248] "Seeing that assistant of hers—it was enough to knock anybody out, especially a woman.
[249] But you stood actual mental contact with them for approximately five minutes.
[250] Yes, we know—you talked a lot.
[251] It's a miracle you're alive, and rational."
[252] "But where is she?"
[253] Peter complained.
[254] "You still haven't explained why I haven't been able to see her."
[255] Arnold frowned.
[256] "All right," he said.
[257] "I guess you're strong enough to take it.
[258] She's underground, with the rest of the women and children, and a good two-thirds of the male population.
[259] That's where you'll go, as soon as you're well enough to be moved.
[260] We started digging in six months ago."
[261] "But why?"
[262] Peter whispered.
[263] Arnold's strong jaw knotted.
[264] "We're hiding," he said.
[265] "Everything else has failed."
[266] Peter couldn't think of anything to say.
[267] Dr. Arnold's voice went on after a moment, musingly.
[268] "We're burrowing into the earth, like worms.
[269] It didn't take us long to find out we couldn't kill them.
[270] They didn't even take any notice of our attempts to do so, except once.
[271] That was when a squadron of the Police caught about fifty of them together at one time, and attacked with flame guns and a new secret weapon.
[272] It didn't hurt them, but it annoyed them.
[273] It was the first time they'd been annoyed, I think.
[274] They blew up half a state, and it's still smoldering."
[275] "And since then?"
[276] Peter asked huskily.
[277] "Since then, we've been burrowing.
[278] All the big cities....
[279] It would be an impossible task if we tried to include all the thinly-populated areas, of course, but it doesn't matter.
[280] By the time we excavate enough to take care of a quarter of the earth's population, the other three-quarters will be dead, or worse."
[281] "I wonder," Peter said shakily, "if I am strong enough to take it."
[282] Arnold laughed harshly.
[283] "You are.
[284] You've got to be.
[285] You're part of our last hope, you see."
[286] "Our last hope?"
[287] "Yes.
[288] You're a scientist."
[289] "I see," said Peter.
[290] And for the first time, he thought of the Citadel .
[291] No plan leaped full-born into his mind, but, maybe , he thought, there's a chance ....
[292] It wasn't very big, the thing that had been his shining dream.
[293] It lay there in its rough cradle, a globe of raw dura-steel not more than five hundred meters in diameter, where the Citadel was to have been a thousand.
[294] It wouldn't house a hundred scientists, eagerly delving into the hinterland of research.
[295] The huge compartments weren't filled with the latest equipment for chemical and physical experiment; instead, there was compressed oxygen there, and concentrated food, enough to last a lifetime.
[296] It was a new world, all by itself; or else it was a tomb.
[297] And there was one other change, one that you couldn't see from the outside.
[298] The solid meters of lead in its outer skin, the shielding to keep out cosmic rays, were gone.
[299] A man had just finished engraving the final stroke on its nameplate, to the left of the airlock— The Avenger .
[300] He stepped away now, and joined the group a little distance away, silently waiting.
[301] Lorelei said, "You can't do it.
[302] I won't let you!
[303] Peter—" "Darling," he began wearily.
[304] "Don't throw your life away!
[305] Give us time—there must be another way."
[306] "There's no other way," Peter said.
[307] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
[308] "Darling, listen to me.
[309] We've tried everything.
[310] We've gone underground, but that's only delaying the end.
[311] They still come down here, only not as many.
[312] The mortality rate is up, the suicide rate is up, the birth rate is down, in spite of anything we can do.
[313] You've seen the figures: we're riding a curve that ends in extinction fifty years from now.
[314] "They'll live, and we'll die, because they're a superior race.
[315] We're a million years too far back even to understand what they are or where they came from.
[316] Besides them, we're apes.
[317] There's only one answer."
[318] She was crying now, silently, with great racking sobs that shook her slender body.
[319] But he went remorselessly on.
[320] "Out there, in space, the cosmics change unshielded life.
[321] They make tentacles out of arms; or scales out of hair; or twelve toes, or a dozen ears—or a better brain.
[322] Out of those millions of possible mutations, there's one that will save the human race.
[323] We can't fight them , but a superman could.
[324] That's our only chance.
[325] Lorelei—darling—don't you see that?"
[326] She choked, "But why can't you take me along?"
[327] He stared unseeingly past her wet, upturned face.
[328] "You know why," he said bitterly.
[329] "Those rays are strong.
[330] They don't only work on embryos; they change adult life forms, too.
[331] I have one chance in seven of staying alive.
[332] You'd have one chance in a million of staying beautiful.
[333] I couldn't stand that.
[334] I'd kill myself, and then humanity would die, too.
[335] You'd be their murderer."
[336] Her sobs gradually died away.
[337] She straightened slowly until he no longer had to support her, but all the vitality and resilience was gone out of her body.
[338] "All right," she said in a lifeless voice.
[339] "You'll come back, Peter."
[340] He turned away suddenly, not trusting himself to kiss her goodbye.
[341] A line from an old film kept echoing through his head. "
[342] They'll come back—but not as boys !"
[343] We'll come back, but not as men.
[344] We'll come back, but not as elephants.
[345] We'll come back, but not as octopi.
[346] He was trembling violently.
[347] He ran the last few steps, stumbled into the airlock, and pressed the stud that would seal the door behind him.
[348] We'll come back....
[349] He heard the massive disk sink home, closing him off.
[350] Then he sank down on the floor of the airlock and put his head in shaking hands.
[351] After a while he roused himself, closed the inner door of the lock behind him, and walked down the long corridor into the control chamber.
[352] The shining banks of keys were there, waiting for his touch; he slumped down before them and listlessly closed the contact of the visiplate.
[353] He swung its field slowly, scanning for the last time the bare walls of the underground chamber, making sure that all the spectators had retired out of the way of the blast.
[354] Then his clawed fingers poised over the keys, hovered a moment, and thrust down.
[355] Acceleration pressed him deep into his chair.
[356] In the visiplate, the heavy doors that closed the tunnel above him flashed back, one by one.
[357] The energy-charged screen flickered off to let him pass, and closed smoothly behind him.
[358] The last doors, cleverly camouflaged, slipped back into place and then dwindled in the distance.
[359] It was done.
[360] He flashed on out, past the moon, past Mars, over the asteroid belt.
[361] The days merged into weeks, then months, and finally, far out, The Avenger curved into an orbit and held it.
[362] The great motors died, and the silence pressed in about him.
[363] Already he could feel the invisible rays burning resistlessly through his flesh as if it were water, shifting the cells of his body, working its slow, monstrous alchemy upon him.
[364] Peter waited until the changes were unmistakably evident in his skin and hair, and then he smashed all the mirrors in the ship.
[365] The embryos were pulsing with unnatural life, even in the suspended animation of their crystal cells.
[366] One by one he allowed them to mature, and after weeks or years destroyed the monstrosities that came from the incubators.
[367] Time went by, meaninglessly.
[368] He ate when he was hungry, slept when his driving purpose let him, and worked unceasingly, searching for the million-to-one chance.
[369] He stared sometimes through changed eyes at the tiny blue star that was Earth, wondering if the race he had left behind still burrowed in its worm-tunnels, digging deeper and deeper away from the sunlight.
[370] But after a time he ceased even to wonder.
[371] And one changeling-child he did not destroy.
[372] He fed knowledge to its eager brain, and watched it through the swift years, with a dawning hope.... Peter closed the diary.
[373] "The rest you know, Robert," he said.
[374] "Yes," I told him.
[375] "I was that child.
[376] I am the millionth mutation you were searching for."
[377] His eyes glowed suddenly in their misshapen sockets.
[378] "You are.
[379] Your brain is as superior to mine as mine is to an anthropoid's.
[380] You solve instinctively problems that would take our mechanical computers hours of work.
[381] You are a superman."
[382] "I am without your imperfections," I said, flexing my arms.
[383] He rose and strode nervously over to the window.
[384] I watched him as he stood there, outlined against the blazing galaxies.
[385] He had changed but little in the years that I had known him.
[386] His lank gray hair straggled over his sunken eyes; his cheeks were blobbed with excresences of flesh; one corner of his mouth was drawn up in a perpetual grin.
[387] He had a tiny sixth finger on his left hand.
[388] He turned again, and I saw the old scar on his cheek where I had once accidentally drawn one of my talons across his face.
[389] "And now," he said softly, "we will go home.
[390] I've waited so long—keeping the control chamber and the engine room locked away from you, not telling you, even, about Earth until now—because I had to be sure.
[391] But now, the waiting is over.
[392] "They're still there, I'm sure of it—the people, and the Invaders.
[393] You can kill the Invaders, Robert."
[394] He looked at me, a little oddly, almost as if he had some instinctive knowledge of what was to come.
[395] But he went on swiftly, "On Earth we had a saying: 'Fight fire with fire.'
[396] That is the way it will be with you.
[397] You are completely, coldly logical, just as they are.
[398] You can understand them, and so you can conquer them."
[399] I said, "That is the reason why we will not go back to Earth."
[400] He stared at me, his jaw slack, his hands trembling.
[401] "What—what did you say?"
[402] I repeated it patiently.
[403] "But why?"
[404] he cried, sinking down into the chair before me.
[405] In an instant all the joy had gone out of him.
[406] I could not understand his suffering, but I could recognize it.
[407] "You yourself have said it," I told him.
[408] "I am a being of logic, just as the beings who have invaded your planet are.
[409] I do not comprehend the things which you call hate, fear, joy and love, as they do not.
[410] If I went to Earth, I would use your people to further my knowledge, just as the invaders do.
[411] I would have no reason to kill the invaders.
[412] They are more nearly kin to me than your people."
[413] Peter's eyes were dull, his limbs slumped.
[414] For a moment I thought that the shock had deranged his mind.
[415] His voice trembled when he said, "But if I ask you to kill them, and not my people?"
[416] "To do so would be illogical."
[417] He waved his hands helplessly.
[418] "Gratitude?"
[419] he muttered.
[420] "No, you don't understand that, either."
[421] Then he cried suddenly, "But I am your friend, Robert!"
[422] "I do not understand 'friend,'" I said.
[423] I did understand "gratitude," a little.
[424] It was a reciprocal arrangement: I did what Peter wished, so long as I did not actively want to do otherwise, because he had done things for me.
[425] Very well, then we must not go back.
[426] It was very simple, but I knew that he could not comprehend it.
[427] I tried to explain it to him, however.
[428] But he only stared at me, with an expression on his face that I had never seen there before, and that, somehow, I did not like to see.
[429] It was disquieting, and so I hastened to the end that I knew was inevitable. | 1. [87] It was only two stories down the moving ramp to Lorelei Cooper's laboratory.
2. [91] Lorelei, beautiful in spite of dark-circled eyes and a smear of grease on her chin, looked up from a huge ledger at the end of the room.
3. [93] "What makes, Peter my love?" she asked, and bent back to the ledger.
4. [95] "Darling, what's wrong?" she asked.
5. [110] She gazed at him levelly for a moment, kissed him impulsively, and then walked over to the video panel on the wall and swept a mountain of papers away from in front of it.
6. [126] Lorelei buried her head on his chest, clutching at him desperately.
7. [127] "Peter!" she said faintly.
8. [156] She was after him, clinging to his arms.
9. [157] "No, Peter! Don't go in there! Peter!"
10. [192] It was the first time he had realized that Lorelei had followed him.
11. [193] She stood there, swaying, very pale, looking at the red Invaders.
12. [198] The horrible, mindless noise in his throat was almost beyond his power to repress.
13. [199] His insides writhed to thrust it out.
14. [200] She didn't see him.
15. [201] Her eyes glazed, and she dropped limply to the floor.
16. [225] "She's well, and you'll see her soon."
17. [244] It had been nine and a half months, not three, and he'd been in a coma all that time.
18. [245] Lorelei, it seemed, had recovered much sooner.
19. [246] "She was only suffering from ordinary shock," Arnold explained.
20. [247] "Seeing that assistant of hers—it was enough to knock anybody out, especially a woman."
21. [248] "But you stood actual mental contact with them for approximately five minutes."
22. [249] "Yes, we know—you talked a lot."
23. [250] "It's a miracle you're alive, and rational."
24. [252] "But where is she?"
25. [257] "All right," he said. "I guess you're strong enough to take it."
26. [258] "She's underground, with the rest of the women and children, and a good two-thirds of the male population."
27. [301] "You can't do it. I won't let you! Peter—"
28. [302] "Darling," he began wearily.
29. [303] "Don't throw your life away! Give us time—there must be another way."
30. [306] "There's no other way," Peter said.
31. [307] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
32. [308] "Darling, listen to me."
33. [326] "But why can't you take me along?"
34. [327] He stared unseeingly past her wet, upturned face.
35. [328] "You know why," he said bitterly.
36. [329] "Those rays are strong. They don't only work on embryos; they change adult life forms, too."
37. [330] "I have one chance in seven of staying alive."
38. [331] "You'd have one chance in a million of staying beautiful."
39. [332] "I couldn't stand that."
40. [333] "I'd kill myself, and then humanity would die, too."
41. [334] "You'd be their murderer."
42. [338] "All right," she said in a lifeless voice.
43. [339] "You'll come back, Peter."
44. [340] He turned away suddenly, not trusting himself to kiss her goodbye. |
Describe The Avenger ship and its importance to the future of civilization. | [
"The Avenger ship is what is built from Peter’s shining dream. It is much smaller than his initial blueprint, a globe of raw-dura steel no more than five hundred meters in diameter. It cannot house a thousand scientists, and the huge compartments are not filled with the latest equipment for experiments. Instead, it is filled with compressed oxygen and concentrated food to last a lifetime. There is also a control room, engine room, airlock, and inner lock. The Avenger ship is essential because it is the key to finding a superman who can save human civilization. Since the Invaders have caused the remaining population to burrow underground, this ship carries all hopes for the future. Peter believes that there is a chance that one embryo will be genetically modified enough to become a changeling who can save humanity. That is why he is willing to take the chance on the ship and realize his dream, even if it is not the dream he initially had in mind.",
"'The Avenger' is built in accordance with the model of 'Citadel' but for other purposes. 'The Avenger' is not that huge, it's a steel globe with oxygen and food enough for a lifetime. It is also supposed tot ravel to that well-calculated orbit. There, the strong rays will help the embryos grow into mutations, one of which will defeat the invaders. The ship stays on the orbit for years with all the embryos and Peter, who broke the mirrors to raise the embryos under the rays. That one embryo, Robert, is like a superman, he follows only logic and has a superior brain, same as the Invaders. The idea is that this superman is similar to Aliens but raised by humans, so he will help fight the Invaders. The plan goes wrong, when Robert refuses.",
"The Avenger ship is the last hope for civilization in light of the fatal invasions; though society has moved underground, it does not keep them completely safe, and they will inevitably lose. However, the goal of The Avenger is to create a superhuman that can return to Earth and defeat the invaders. The ship will do so through mutation via cosmic rays, which are purposely allowed to beam through the ship. Aboard The Avenger are multiple embryos, all which will undergo different mutations, and Peter is responsible for monitoring their development and ultimately finding one fit enough to destroy the invaders on Earth.",
"The Avenger ship is built to feed and house someone for an extremely long time. It has great importance to the future of the human race on Earth because of the mission that Peter has been tasked with caring out while on the ship. Peter is meant to find an embryo that has been appropriately mutated by cosmic rays in space and then to raise that life to adulthood. The goal is to produce a person that has advantages over a normal human being. The thinking is that this new human would be able to successfully fight against the Invaders and save Earth."
] | [1] THE AVENGER By STUART FLEMING Karson was creating a superman to fight the weird super-monsters who had invaded Earth.
[2] But he was forgetting one tiny thing—like calls to like.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Spring 1944.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Peter Karson was dead.
[6] He had been dead for some time now, but the dark blood was still oozing from the crushed ruin of his face, trickling down into his sodden sleeve, and falling, drop by slow drop, from his fingertips.
[7] His head was tilted over the back of the chair at a queer, unnatural angle, so that the light made deep pools of shadow where his eyes had been.
[8] There was no sound in the room except for the small splashing the blood made as it dropped into the sticky pool on the floor.
[9] The great banks of machinery around the walls were silent.
[10] I knew that they would never come to life again.
[11] I rose and walked over to the window.
[12] Outside, the stars were as before: tiny, myriad points of light, infinitely far away.
[13] They had not changed, and yet they were suddenly no longer friendly.
[14] They were cold and alien.
[15] It was I who had changed: something inside me was dead, like the machinery, and like Peter.
[16] It was a kind of indefinable emptiness.
[17] I do not think it was what Peter called an emotion; and yet it had nothing to do with logic, either.
[18] It was just an emptiness—a void that could not be filled by eating or drinking.
[19] It was not a longing.
[20] I had no desire that things should be otherwise than they were.
[21] I did not even wish that Peter were not dead, for reason had told me that he had to die.
[22] That was the end of it.
[23] But the void was still there, unexplainable and impossible to ignore.
[24] For the first time in all my life I had found a problem that I could not solve.
[25] Strange, disturbing sensations stirred and whispered within me, nagging, gnawing.
[26] And suddenly—something moved on the skin of my cheek.
[27] I raised a hand to it, slowly.
[28] A tear was trickling down my cheek.
[29] Young Peter Karson put the last black-print down and sighed with satisfaction.
[30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
[31] In two weeks they would be laying the core, and then the metal giant itself would begin to grow, glittering, pulsing with each increment of power, until at last it lay finished, a living thing.
[32] Then there would remain only the task of blasting the great, shining ship out into the carefully-calculated orbit that would be its home.
[33] In his mind's eye he could see it, slowly wheeling, like a second satellite, about the Earth; endlessly gathering knowledge into its insatiable mechanisms.
[34] He could see, too, the level on level of laboratories and storerooms that filled its interlocking segments; the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system, the mighty engines at the stern—all the children of his brain.
[35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
[36] The ship would be filled with the sounds of busy men and women, wresting secrets from the reluctant ether.
[37] A new chemistry, a new physics; perhaps even a new biochemistry.
[38] A discordant note suddenly entered his fantasy.
[39] He looked up, conscious of the walls of his office again, but could see nothing unusual.
[40] Still, that thin, dark whisper of dread was at the back of his mind.
[41] Slowly, as if reluctantly compelled, he turned around to face the window at his back.
[42] There, outside the window, fifty stories up, a face was staring impassively in at him.
[43] That was the first impression he got; just a face, staring.
[44] Then he saw, with a queer, icy chill, that the face was blood-red and subtly inhuman.
[45] It tapered off into a formless, shriveled body.
[46] For a moment or an eternity it hung there, unsupported, the bulging eyes staring at him.
[47] Then it grew misty at the edges.
[48] It dissolved slowly away and was gone.
[49] "Lord!"
[50] he said.
[51] He stared after it, stunned into immobility.
[52] Down in the street somewhere, a portable video was shrilling a popular song; after a moment he heard the faint swish of a tube car going past.
[53] Everything was normal.
[54] Nothing, on examination, seemed to have changed.
[55] But the world had grown suddenly unreal.
[56] One part of his brain had been shocked into its shell.
[57] It was hiding from the thing that had hurt it, and it refused to respond.
[58] But the other part was going calmly, lucidly on, quite without his volition.
[59] It considered the possibility that he had gone temporarily insane, and decided that this was probable.
[60] Hardly knowing what he did, he found a cigarette and lit it.
[61] His hands were shaking.
[62] He stared at them dully, and then he reached over to the newsbox on his desk, and switched it on.
[63] There were flaring red headlines.
[64] Relief washed over him, leaving him breathless.
[65] He was horrified, of course, but only abstractedly.
[66] For the moment he could only be glad that what he had seen was terrible reality rather than even more terrible illusion.
[67] INVADERS APPEAR IN BOSTON.
[68] 200 DEAD Then lines of type, and farther down: 50 CHILDREN DISAPPEAR FROM PARIS MATERNITY CENTER He pressed the stud.
[69] The roll was full of them.
[70] MOON SHIP DESTROYED IN TRANSIT NO COMMUNICATION FROM ANTARCTICA IN 6 HOURS STRANGE FORCE DEFLECTS PLANES FROM SAHARA AREA WORLD POLICE MOBILIZING The item below the last one said: Pacifica, June 7—The World Police are mobilizing, for the first time in fifty years.
[71] The order was made public early this morning by R. Stein, Secretary of the Council, who said in part: "The reason for this ... order must be apparent to all civilized peoples.
[72] For the Invaders have spared no part of this planet in their depredations: they have laid Hong Kong waste; they have terrorized London; they have destroyed the lives of citizens in every member state and in every inhabited area.
[73] There can be few within reach of printed reports or my words who have not seen the Invaders, or whose friends have not seen them.
[74] "The peoples of the world, then, know what they are, and know that we face the most momentous struggle in our history.
[75] We face an enemy superior to ourselves in every way .
[76] "Since the Invaders first appeared in Wood River, Oregon, 24 hours ago, they have not once acknowledged our attempts to communicate, or in any way taken notice of our existence as reasoning beings.
[77] They have treated us precisely as we, in less enlightened days, might have treated a newly-discovered race of lower animals.
[78] They have not attacked our centers of government, nor immobilized our communications, nor laid siege to our defenses.
[79] But in instance after instance, they have done as they would with us.
[80] They have examined us, dissected us, driven us mad, killed us with no discernable provocation; and this is more intolerable than any normal invasion.
[81] "I have no fear that the people of Earth will fail to meet this challenge, for there is no alternative.
[82] Not only our individual lives are threatened, but our existence as a race.
[83] We must, and will, destroy the Invaders!"
[84] Peter sank back in his chair, the full shock of it striking him for the first time. "
[85] Will we?"
[86] he asked himself softly.
[87] It was only two stories down the moving ramp to Lorelei Cooper's laboratory.
[88] Peter took it in fifteen seconds, running, and stumbled to a halt in front of the door marked "Radiation."
[89] She had set her door mechanism to "Etaoin Shrdlu," principally because he hated double-talk.
[90] He mouthed the syllables, had to repeat them because he put an accent in the wrong place, and squeezed through the door as soon as it opened far enough to admit him.
[91] Lorelei, beautiful in spite of dark-circled eyes and a smear of grease on her chin, looked up from a huge ledger at the end of the room.
[92] One blonde eyebrow arched in the quizzical expression he knew so well.
[93] "What makes, Peter my love?"
[94] she asked, and bent back to the ledger.
[95] Then she did a double-take, looked at his face intently, and said, "Darling, what's wrong?"
[96] He said, "Have you seen the news recently?"
[97] She frowned.
[98] "Why, no—Harry and I have been working for thirty-six hours straight.
[99] Haven't seen anybody, haven't heard anything.
[100] Why?"
[101] "You wouldn't believe me.
[102] Where's your newsbox?"
[103] She came around the desk and put her hands on his shoulders.
[104] "Pete, you know I haven't one—it bores me or upsets me, depending on whether there's trouble or not.
[105] What—" "I'm sorry, I forgot," he said.
[106] "But you have a scanner?"
[107] "Yes, of course.
[108] But really, Pete—" "You'll understand in a minute.
[109] Turn it on, Lorelei."
[110] She gazed at him levelly for a moment, kissed him impulsively, and then walked over to the video panel on the wall and swept a mountain of papers away from in front of it.
[111] She turned the selector dial to "News" and pressed the stud.
[112] A faint wash of color appeared on the panel, strengthened slowly, and suddenly leapt into full brilliance.
[113] Lorelei caught her breath.
[114] It was a street scene in the Science City of Manhattan, flooded by the warm spring sunshine.
[115] Down on the lowest level, visible past the transport and passenger tubes, the parks and moving ways should have been dotted with colorful, holiday crowds.
[116] The people were there, yes but they were flowing away in a swiftly-widening circle.
[117] They disappeared into buildings, and the ways snatched them up, and in a heartbeat they were gone.
[118] There were left only two blood-red, malignant monstrosities somehow defiling the air they floated in; and below them, a pitiful huddle of flesh no longer recognizable as human beings.
[119] They were not dead, those men and women, but they wanted to be.
[120] Their bodies had been impossibly joined, fused together into a single obscene, floundering mass of helpless protoplasm.
[121] The thin moaning that went up from them was more horrible than any cry of agony.
[122] "The Invaders are here, citizens," the commentator was saying in a strangled voice.
[123] "Stay off the streets.
[124] Hide yourselves.
[125] Stay off the streets...." His voice droned on, but neither of them heard it.
[126] Lorelei buried her head on his chest, clutching at him desperately.
[127] "Peter!"
[128] she said faintly.
[129] "Why do they broadcast such things?"
[130] "They have to," he told her grimly.
[131] "There will be panics and suicides, and they know it; but they have to do it.
[132] This isn't like a war, where the noncombatants' morale has to be kept up.
[133] There aren't going to be any noncombatants, this time.
[134] Everybody in the world has to know about them, so that he can fight them—and then it may not be enough."
[135] The viewpoint of the teleo sender changed as the two red beings soared away from their victims and angled slowly up the street.
[136] Peter reached out to switch off the scanner, and froze.
[137] The girl felt his muscles tense abruptly, looked back at the scene.
[138] The Invaders were floating up the sloping side of a tall, pure white structure that dominated the rest.
[139] "That's the Atlas building," she said unbelievingly.
[140] "Us!"
[141] "Yes."
[142] Silently, they counted stories as the two beings rose.
[143] Forty-five ... forty-six ... forty-seven ... forty-eight.
[144] Inevitably, they halted.
[145] Then they faded slowly.
[146] It was impossible to say whether they had gone through the solid wall, or simply melted away.
[147] The man and woman clung together, waiting.
[148] There was a thick, oppressive silence, full of small rustlings and other faint sounds that were no longer normal.
[149] Then, very near, a man screamed in a high, inhuman voice.
[150] The screamed dwindled into a throaty gurgle and died, leaving silence again.
[151] Peter's lips were cold with sweat.
[152] Tiny nerves in his face and arms were jumping convulsively.
[153] His stomach crawled.
[154] He thrust the girl away from him and started toward the inner room.
[155] "Wait here," he mouthed.
[156] She was after him, clinging to his arms.
[157] "No, Peter!
[158] Don't go in there!
[159] Peter! "
[160] But he pushed her away again, woodenly, and stalked forward.
[161] There was a space in the middle of the room where machinery had been cleared away to make room for an incompleted setup.
[162] Peter walked down the narrow aisle, past bakelite-sheathed mechanisms and rows of animal cages, and paused just short of it.
[163] The two red beings were there, formless bodies hazy in midair, the distorted, hairless skulls in profile, staring at something outside his range of vision.
[164] Peter forced himself forward another step.
[165] Little Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant, was crumpled in a corner, half supported by the broad base of an X-ray chamber.
[166] His face was flaccid and bloated.
[167] His glazed eyes, impassive yet somehow pleading, stared at nothingness straight ahead of him.
[168] The Invaders ignored Peter, staring expressionlessly down at Kanin.
[169] In a moment Peter realized what they were doing to him.
[170] He stood, paralyzed with horror, and watched it happen.
[171] The little man's body was sagging, ever so slowly, as if he were relaxing tiredly.
[172] His torso was telescoping, bit by bit; his spread legs grew wider and more shapeless, his cheeks caved in and his skull grew gradually flatter.
[173] When it was over, the thing that had been Kanin was a limp, boneless puddle of flesh.
[174] Peter could not look at it.
[175] There was a scream in his throat that would not come out.
[176] He was beyond fear, beyond agony.
[177] He turned to the still-hovering monsters and said in a terrible voice, "Why?
[178] Why?"
[179] The nearest being turned slowly to regard him.
[180] Its lips did not move, but there was a tiny sound in Peter's brain, a thin, dry whispering.
[181] The scream was welling up.
[182] He fought it down and listened. "
[183] Wurnkomellilonasendiktolsasangkanmiamiamimami.... " The face was staring directly into his, the bulging eyes hypnotic.
[184] The ears were small, no more than excresences of skin.
[185] The narrow lips seemed sealed together; a thin, slimy ichor drooled from them.
[186] There were lines in the face, but they were lines of age, not emotion.
[187] Only the eyes were alive. "
[188] ... raswilopreatadvuonistuwurncchtusanlgkelglawwalinom.... " "I can't understand," he cried wildly.
[189] "What do you want?"
[190] " ... morofelcovisyanmamiwurlectaunntous. "
[191] He heard a faint sound behind him, and whirled.
[192] It was the first time he had realized that Lorelei had followed him.
[193] She stood there, swaying, very pale, looking at the red Invaders.
[194] Her eyes swiveled slowly.... " Opreniktoulestritifenrelngetnaktwiltoctpre. "
[195] His voice was hoarse.
[196] "Don't look!
[197] Don't—Go back!"
[198] The horrible, mindless noise in his throat was almost beyond his power to repress.
[199] His insides writhed to thrust it out.
[200] She didn't see him.
[201] Her eyes glazed, and she dropped limply to the floor.
[202] The scream came out then.
[203] Before he knew, even, that he could hold it back no longer, his mouth was wide open, his muscles tensed, his fingernails slicing his palms.
[204] It echoed with unbelievable volume in the room.
[205] It was a scream to split eardrums; a scream to wake the dead.
[206] Somebody said, "Doctor!"
[207] He wanted to say, "Yes, get a doctor.
[208] Lorelei—" but his mouth only twitched feebly.
[209] He couldn't seem to get it to work properly.
[210] He tried again.
[211] "Doctor."
[212] "Yes?"
[213] A gentle, masculine voice.
[214] He opened his eyes with an effort.
[215] There was a blurred face before him; in a moment it grew clearer.
[216] The strong, clean-shaven chin contrasted oddly with the haggard circles under the eyes.
[217] There was a clean, starched odor.
[218] "Where am I?"
[219] he said.
[220] He tried to turn his head, but a firm hand pressed him back into the sheets.
[221] "You're in a hospital.
[222] Just lie quietly, please."
[223] He tried to get up again.
[224] "Where's Lorelei?"
[225] "She's well, and you'll see her soon.
[226] Now lie quietly.
[227] You've been a very sick man."
[228] Peter sank back in the bed.
[229] The room was coming into focus.
[230] He looked around him slowly.
[231] He felt very weak, but perfectly lucid.
[232] "Yes...." he said.
[233] "How long have I been here, Doctor?"
[234] The man hesitated, looked at him intently.
[235] "Three months," he said.
[236] He turned and gave low-voiced instructions to a nurse, and then went away.
[237] Peter's head began spinning just a little.
[238] Glass clinked from a metal stand near his head; the nurse bent over him with a glass half full of milky fluid.
[239] It tasted awful, but she made him drink it all.
[240] In a moment he began to relax, and the room got fuzzy again.
[241] Just before he drifted off, he said sleepily, "You can't—fool me.
[242] It's been more —than three—months."
[243] He was right.
[244] All the nurses, and even Dr. Arnold, were evasive, but he kept asking them why he couldn't see Lorelei, and finally he wormed it out of them.
[245] It had been nine and a half months, not three, and he'd been in a coma all that time.
[246] Lorelei, it seemed, had recovered much sooner.
[247] "She was only suffering from ordinary shock," Arnold explained.
[248] "Seeing that assistant of hers—it was enough to knock anybody out, especially a woman.
[249] But you stood actual mental contact with them for approximately five minutes.
[250] Yes, we know—you talked a lot.
[251] It's a miracle you're alive, and rational."
[252] "But where is she?"
[253] Peter complained.
[254] "You still haven't explained why I haven't been able to see her."
[255] Arnold frowned.
[256] "All right," he said.
[257] "I guess you're strong enough to take it.
[258] She's underground, with the rest of the women and children, and a good two-thirds of the male population.
[259] That's where you'll go, as soon as you're well enough to be moved.
[260] We started digging in six months ago."
[261] "But why?"
[262] Peter whispered.
[263] Arnold's strong jaw knotted.
[264] "We're hiding," he said.
[265] "Everything else has failed."
[266] Peter couldn't think of anything to say.
[267] Dr. Arnold's voice went on after a moment, musingly.
[268] "We're burrowing into the earth, like worms.
[269] It didn't take us long to find out we couldn't kill them.
[270] They didn't even take any notice of our attempts to do so, except once.
[271] That was when a squadron of the Police caught about fifty of them together at one time, and attacked with flame guns and a new secret weapon.
[272] It didn't hurt them, but it annoyed them.
[273] It was the first time they'd been annoyed, I think.
[274] They blew up half a state, and it's still smoldering."
[275] "And since then?"
[276] Peter asked huskily.
[277] "Since then, we've been burrowing.
[278] All the big cities....
[279] It would be an impossible task if we tried to include all the thinly-populated areas, of course, but it doesn't matter.
[280] By the time we excavate enough to take care of a quarter of the earth's population, the other three-quarters will be dead, or worse."
[281] "I wonder," Peter said shakily, "if I am strong enough to take it."
[282] Arnold laughed harshly.
[283] "You are.
[284] You've got to be.
[285] You're part of our last hope, you see."
[286] "Our last hope?"
[287] "Yes.
[288] You're a scientist."
[289] "I see," said Peter.
[290] And for the first time, he thought of the Citadel .
[291] No plan leaped full-born into his mind, but, maybe , he thought, there's a chance ....
[292] It wasn't very big, the thing that had been his shining dream.
[293] It lay there in its rough cradle, a globe of raw dura-steel not more than five hundred meters in diameter, where the Citadel was to have been a thousand.
[294] It wouldn't house a hundred scientists, eagerly delving into the hinterland of research.
[295] The huge compartments weren't filled with the latest equipment for chemical and physical experiment; instead, there was compressed oxygen there, and concentrated food, enough to last a lifetime.
[296] It was a new world, all by itself; or else it was a tomb.
[297] And there was one other change, one that you couldn't see from the outside.
[298] The solid meters of lead in its outer skin, the shielding to keep out cosmic rays, were gone.
[299] A man had just finished engraving the final stroke on its nameplate, to the left of the airlock— The Avenger .
[300] He stepped away now, and joined the group a little distance away, silently waiting.
[301] Lorelei said, "You can't do it.
[302] I won't let you!
[303] Peter—" "Darling," he began wearily.
[304] "Don't throw your life away!
[305] Give us time—there must be another way."
[306] "There's no other way," Peter said.
[307] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
[308] "Darling, listen to me.
[309] We've tried everything.
[310] We've gone underground, but that's only delaying the end.
[311] They still come down here, only not as many.
[312] The mortality rate is up, the suicide rate is up, the birth rate is down, in spite of anything we can do.
[313] You've seen the figures: we're riding a curve that ends in extinction fifty years from now.
[314] "They'll live, and we'll die, because they're a superior race.
[315] We're a million years too far back even to understand what they are or where they came from.
[316] Besides them, we're apes.
[317] There's only one answer."
[318] She was crying now, silently, with great racking sobs that shook her slender body.
[319] But he went remorselessly on.
[320] "Out there, in space, the cosmics change unshielded life.
[321] They make tentacles out of arms; or scales out of hair; or twelve toes, or a dozen ears—or a better brain.
[322] Out of those millions of possible mutations, there's one that will save the human race.
[323] We can't fight them , but a superman could.
[324] That's our only chance.
[325] Lorelei—darling—don't you see that?"
[326] She choked, "But why can't you take me along?"
[327] He stared unseeingly past her wet, upturned face.
[328] "You know why," he said bitterly.
[329] "Those rays are strong.
[330] They don't only work on embryos; they change adult life forms, too.
[331] I have one chance in seven of staying alive.
[332] You'd have one chance in a million of staying beautiful.
[333] I couldn't stand that.
[334] I'd kill myself, and then humanity would die, too.
[335] You'd be their murderer."
[336] Her sobs gradually died away.
[337] She straightened slowly until he no longer had to support her, but all the vitality and resilience was gone out of her body.
[338] "All right," she said in a lifeless voice.
[339] "You'll come back, Peter."
[340] He turned away suddenly, not trusting himself to kiss her goodbye.
[341] A line from an old film kept echoing through his head. "
[342] They'll come back—but not as boys !"
[343] We'll come back, but not as men.
[344] We'll come back, but not as elephants.
[345] We'll come back, but not as octopi.
[346] He was trembling violently.
[347] He ran the last few steps, stumbled into the airlock, and pressed the stud that would seal the door behind him.
[348] We'll come back....
[349] He heard the massive disk sink home, closing him off.
[350] Then he sank down on the floor of the airlock and put his head in shaking hands.
[351] After a while he roused himself, closed the inner door of the lock behind him, and walked down the long corridor into the control chamber.
[352] The shining banks of keys were there, waiting for his touch; he slumped down before them and listlessly closed the contact of the visiplate.
[353] He swung its field slowly, scanning for the last time the bare walls of the underground chamber, making sure that all the spectators had retired out of the way of the blast.
[354] Then his clawed fingers poised over the keys, hovered a moment, and thrust down.
[355] Acceleration pressed him deep into his chair.
[356] In the visiplate, the heavy doors that closed the tunnel above him flashed back, one by one.
[357] The energy-charged screen flickered off to let him pass, and closed smoothly behind him.
[358] The last doors, cleverly camouflaged, slipped back into place and then dwindled in the distance.
[359] It was done.
[360] He flashed on out, past the moon, past Mars, over the asteroid belt.
[361] The days merged into weeks, then months, and finally, far out, The Avenger curved into an orbit and held it.
[362] The great motors died, and the silence pressed in about him.
[363] Already he could feel the invisible rays burning resistlessly through his flesh as if it were water, shifting the cells of his body, working its slow, monstrous alchemy upon him.
[364] Peter waited until the changes were unmistakably evident in his skin and hair, and then he smashed all the mirrors in the ship.
[365] The embryos were pulsing with unnatural life, even in the suspended animation of their crystal cells.
[366] One by one he allowed them to mature, and after weeks or years destroyed the monstrosities that came from the incubators.
[367] Time went by, meaninglessly.
[368] He ate when he was hungry, slept when his driving purpose let him, and worked unceasingly, searching for the million-to-one chance.
[369] He stared sometimes through changed eyes at the tiny blue star that was Earth, wondering if the race he had left behind still burrowed in its worm-tunnels, digging deeper and deeper away from the sunlight.
[370] But after a time he ceased even to wonder.
[371] And one changeling-child he did not destroy.
[372] He fed knowledge to its eager brain, and watched it through the swift years, with a dawning hope.... Peter closed the diary.
[373] "The rest you know, Robert," he said.
[374] "Yes," I told him.
[375] "I was that child.
[376] I am the millionth mutation you were searching for."
[377] His eyes glowed suddenly in their misshapen sockets.
[378] "You are.
[379] Your brain is as superior to mine as mine is to an anthropoid's.
[380] You solve instinctively problems that would take our mechanical computers hours of work.
[381] You are a superman."
[382] "I am without your imperfections," I said, flexing my arms.
[383] He rose and strode nervously over to the window.
[384] I watched him as he stood there, outlined against the blazing galaxies.
[385] He had changed but little in the years that I had known him.
[386] His lank gray hair straggled over his sunken eyes; his cheeks were blobbed with excresences of flesh; one corner of his mouth was drawn up in a perpetual grin.
[387] He had a tiny sixth finger on his left hand.
[388] He turned again, and I saw the old scar on his cheek where I had once accidentally drawn one of my talons across his face.
[389] "And now," he said softly, "we will go home.
[390] I've waited so long—keeping the control chamber and the engine room locked away from you, not telling you, even, about Earth until now—because I had to be sure.
[391] But now, the waiting is over.
[392] "They're still there, I'm sure of it—the people, and the Invaders.
[393] You can kill the Invaders, Robert."
[394] He looked at me, a little oddly, almost as if he had some instinctive knowledge of what was to come.
[395] But he went on swiftly, "On Earth we had a saying: 'Fight fire with fire.'
[396] That is the way it will be with you.
[397] You are completely, coldly logical, just as they are.
[398] You can understand them, and so you can conquer them."
[399] I said, "That is the reason why we will not go back to Earth."
[400] He stared at me, his jaw slack, his hands trembling.
[401] "What—what did you say?"
[402] I repeated it patiently.
[403] "But why?"
[404] he cried, sinking down into the chair before me.
[405] In an instant all the joy had gone out of him.
[406] I could not understand his suffering, but I could recognize it.
[407] "You yourself have said it," I told him.
[408] "I am a being of logic, just as the beings who have invaded your planet are.
[409] I do not comprehend the things which you call hate, fear, joy and love, as they do not.
[410] If I went to Earth, I would use your people to further my knowledge, just as the invaders do.
[411] I would have no reason to kill the invaders.
[412] They are more nearly kin to me than your people."
[413] Peter's eyes were dull, his limbs slumped.
[414] For a moment I thought that the shock had deranged his mind.
[415] His voice trembled when he said, "But if I ask you to kill them, and not my people?"
[416] "To do so would be illogical."
[417] He waved his hands helplessly.
[418] "Gratitude?"
[419] he muttered.
[420] "No, you don't understand that, either."
[421] Then he cried suddenly, "But I am your friend, Robert!"
[422] "I do not understand 'friend,'" I said.
[423] I did understand "gratitude," a little.
[424] It was a reciprocal arrangement: I did what Peter wished, so long as I did not actively want to do otherwise, because he had done things for me.
[425] Very well, then we must not go back.
[426] It was very simple, but I knew that he could not comprehend it.
[427] I tried to explain it to him, however.
[428] But he only stared at me, with an expression on his face that I had never seen there before, and that, somehow, I did not like to see.
[429] It was disquieting, and so I hastened to the end that I knew was inevitable. | 1. [30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
2. [34] He could see, too, the level on level of laboratories and storerooms that filled its interlocking segments; the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system, the mighty engines at the stern—all the children of his brain.
3. [35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
4. [292] It wasn't very big, the thing that had been his shining dream.
5. [293] It lay there in its rough cradle, a globe of raw dura-steel not more than five hundred meters in diameter, where the Citadel was to have been a thousand.
6. [294] It wouldn't house a hundred scientists, eagerly delving into the hinterland of research.
7. [295] The huge compartments weren't filled with the latest equipment for chemical and physical experiment; instead, there was compressed oxygen there, and concentrated food, enough to last a lifetime.
8. [296] It was a new world, all by itself; or else it was a tomb.
9. [297] And there was one other change, one that you couldn't see from the outside.
10. [298] The solid meters of lead in its outer skin, the shielding to keep out cosmic rays, were gone.
11. [299] A man had just finished engraving the final stroke on its nameplate, to the left of the airlock— The Avenger .
12. [300] He stepped away now, and joined the group a little distance away, silently waiting.
13. [301] Lorelei said, "You can't do it.
14. [302] I won't let you!
15. [303] Peter—"
16. [304] "Darling," he began wearily.
17. [305] "Don't throw your life away!
18. [306] Give us time—there must be another way."
19. [307] "There's no other way," Peter said.
20. [308] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
21. [309] "Darling, listen to me.
22. [310] We've tried everything.
23. [311] We've gone underground, but that's only delaying the end.
24. [312] They still come down here, only not as many.
25. [313] The mortality rate is up, the suicide rate is up, the birth rate is down, in spite of anything we can do.
26. [314] You've seen the figures: we're riding a curve that ends in extinction fifty years from now.
27. [315] "They'll live, and we'll die, because they're a superior race.
28. [316] We're a million years too far back even to understand what they are or where they came from.
29. [317] Besides them, we're apes.
30. [318] There's only one answer." |
Who is Robert, and what are his traits in the story? | [
"Robert is the one changeling child that Peter did not destroy. He is described to have an eager brain, and Peter keeps feeding knowledge to it. Robert also has a superior brain, capable of instinctively solving problems that would take mechanical computers hours of work. Physically, Robert also has talons. However, despite being a successful superman, Robert does not understand anything emotional. He refuses to go back to Earth to destroy the Invaders, citing that he is a being of logic. Robert says that he will use the people on Earth for his own gain, which the Invaders are already doing. Therefore, he finds it illogical when Peter asks him to kill the Invaders and not his people. Even when Peter says that he is his friend, Robert says he does not understand and believes that gratitude is a reciprocal arrangement.",
"Robert was raised on 'The Avenger'. He was one of many embryos brought by the ship into space to be raised under the strong rays. Such an upbringing causes mutations, and people planned to create a mutant similar to the Invaders - a superior logical brain, who can understand and conquer the Invaders. This was the only hope for the humanity to be saved as they couldn't defeat the Aliens with their own forces. Robert is that one right mutation, a superman. There was a flaw in the calculations though, as a coldly logical being Robert has no reasons for destroying the Aliens. He doesn't have feeling, so he doesn't have compassion towards the humans to help them. Moreover, as the Invaders are easy for him to understand, he is rather on their side. He cares for Peter as much as he can, but his gratitude can't overcome his lack of desire to do something. After Peter's death, he can't feel emotions either but he feels some emptiness inside, which shows he has developed some warmth towards Peter. This emptiness has no reasons and no solutions, which puzzles Robert for the first time in his life.",
"Robert is the final embryo that Peter allows to develop on The Avenger. He has spent his entire life on the ship with Peter, and has absorbed knowledge through him for years. Consequently, and in tandem with the cosmic ray mutations, Robert's brain is superior and advanced, with the ability to solve any problem and think with perfect logic. Because of his advanced knowledge, Robert is unable to feel emotions, including love, hate, and fear. This leads Robert to not understand the mission that Peter has set out for him, and he refuses despite his intelligence.",
"Robert is the embryo that Peter selected to raise on the Avenger ship. He was deemed as having the best likelihood of successfully fighting against the Invaders due to his mutations. Unfortunately, he does not agree to complete the mission he was destined to complete. Peter describes him. as being a superman as he is able to solve complex problems faster than even computers. Physically he is described as having talons. Mentally, he is coldly logical. He does experience emotions the same way as humans and does show loyalty to the human race. He does not understand nor like Peter’s reaction to the news that he will not be carrying out the mission to save Earth."
] | [1] THE AVENGER By STUART FLEMING Karson was creating a superman to fight the weird super-monsters who had invaded Earth.
[2] But he was forgetting one tiny thing—like calls to like.
[3] [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Spring 1944.
[4] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[5] Peter Karson was dead.
[6] He had been dead for some time now, but the dark blood was still oozing from the crushed ruin of his face, trickling down into his sodden sleeve, and falling, drop by slow drop, from his fingertips.
[7] His head was tilted over the back of the chair at a queer, unnatural angle, so that the light made deep pools of shadow where his eyes had been.
[8] There was no sound in the room except for the small splashing the blood made as it dropped into the sticky pool on the floor.
[9] The great banks of machinery around the walls were silent.
[10] I knew that they would never come to life again.
[11] I rose and walked over to the window.
[12] Outside, the stars were as before: tiny, myriad points of light, infinitely far away.
[13] They had not changed, and yet they were suddenly no longer friendly.
[14] They were cold and alien.
[15] It was I who had changed: something inside me was dead, like the machinery, and like Peter.
[16] It was a kind of indefinable emptiness.
[17] I do not think it was what Peter called an emotion; and yet it had nothing to do with logic, either.
[18] It was just an emptiness—a void that could not be filled by eating or drinking.
[19] It was not a longing.
[20] I had no desire that things should be otherwise than they were.
[21] I did not even wish that Peter were not dead, for reason had told me that he had to die.
[22] That was the end of it.
[23] But the void was still there, unexplainable and impossible to ignore.
[24] For the first time in all my life I had found a problem that I could not solve.
[25] Strange, disturbing sensations stirred and whispered within me, nagging, gnawing.
[26] And suddenly—something moved on the skin of my cheek.
[27] I raised a hand to it, slowly.
[28] A tear was trickling down my cheek.
[29] Young Peter Karson put the last black-print down and sighed with satisfaction.
[30] His dream was perfect; the Citadel was complete, every minutest detail provided for—on paper.
[31] In two weeks they would be laying the core, and then the metal giant itself would begin to grow, glittering, pulsing with each increment of power, until at last it lay finished, a living thing.
[32] Then there would remain only the task of blasting the great, shining ship out into the carefully-calculated orbit that would be its home.
[33] In his mind's eye he could see it, slowly wheeling, like a second satellite, about the Earth; endlessly gathering knowledge into its insatiable mechanisms.
[34] He could see, too, the level on level of laboratories and storerooms that filled its interlocking segments; the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system, the mighty engines at the stern—all the children of his brain.
[35] Out there, away from the muffling, distorting, damnable blanket of atmosphere, away from Earth's inexorable gravitational pull, would be a laboratory such as man had never seen.
[36] The ship would be filled with the sounds of busy men and women, wresting secrets from the reluctant ether.
[37] A new chemistry, a new physics; perhaps even a new biochemistry.
[38] A discordant note suddenly entered his fantasy.
[39] He looked up, conscious of the walls of his office again, but could see nothing unusual.
[40] Still, that thin, dark whisper of dread was at the back of his mind.
[41] Slowly, as if reluctantly compelled, he turned around to face the window at his back.
[42] There, outside the window, fifty stories up, a face was staring impassively in at him.
[43] That was the first impression he got; just a face, staring.
[44] Then he saw, with a queer, icy chill, that the face was blood-red and subtly inhuman.
[45] It tapered off into a formless, shriveled body.
[46] For a moment or an eternity it hung there, unsupported, the bulging eyes staring at him.
[47] Then it grew misty at the edges.
[48] It dissolved slowly away and was gone.
[49] "Lord!"
[50] he said.
[51] He stared after it, stunned into immobility.
[52] Down in the street somewhere, a portable video was shrilling a popular song; after a moment he heard the faint swish of a tube car going past.
[53] Everything was normal.
[54] Nothing, on examination, seemed to have changed.
[55] But the world had grown suddenly unreal.
[56] One part of his brain had been shocked into its shell.
[57] It was hiding from the thing that had hurt it, and it refused to respond.
[58] But the other part was going calmly, lucidly on, quite without his volition.
[59] It considered the possibility that he had gone temporarily insane, and decided that this was probable.
[60] Hardly knowing what he did, he found a cigarette and lit it.
[61] His hands were shaking.
[62] He stared at them dully, and then he reached over to the newsbox on his desk, and switched it on.
[63] There were flaring red headlines.
[64] Relief washed over him, leaving him breathless.
[65] He was horrified, of course, but only abstractedly.
[66] For the moment he could only be glad that what he had seen was terrible reality rather than even more terrible illusion.
[67] INVADERS APPEAR IN BOSTON.
[68] 200 DEAD Then lines of type, and farther down: 50 CHILDREN DISAPPEAR FROM PARIS MATERNITY CENTER He pressed the stud.
[69] The roll was full of them.
[70] MOON SHIP DESTROYED IN TRANSIT NO COMMUNICATION FROM ANTARCTICA IN 6 HOURS STRANGE FORCE DEFLECTS PLANES FROM SAHARA AREA WORLD POLICE MOBILIZING The item below the last one said: Pacifica, June 7—The World Police are mobilizing, for the first time in fifty years.
[71] The order was made public early this morning by R. Stein, Secretary of the Council, who said in part: "The reason for this ... order must be apparent to all civilized peoples.
[72] For the Invaders have spared no part of this planet in their depredations: they have laid Hong Kong waste; they have terrorized London; they have destroyed the lives of citizens in every member state and in every inhabited area.
[73] There can be few within reach of printed reports or my words who have not seen the Invaders, or whose friends have not seen them.
[74] "The peoples of the world, then, know what they are, and know that we face the most momentous struggle in our history.
[75] We face an enemy superior to ourselves in every way .
[76] "Since the Invaders first appeared in Wood River, Oregon, 24 hours ago, they have not once acknowledged our attempts to communicate, or in any way taken notice of our existence as reasoning beings.
[77] They have treated us precisely as we, in less enlightened days, might have treated a newly-discovered race of lower animals.
[78] They have not attacked our centers of government, nor immobilized our communications, nor laid siege to our defenses.
[79] But in instance after instance, they have done as they would with us.
[80] They have examined us, dissected us, driven us mad, killed us with no discernable provocation; and this is more intolerable than any normal invasion.
[81] "I have no fear that the people of Earth will fail to meet this challenge, for there is no alternative.
[82] Not only our individual lives are threatened, but our existence as a race.
[83] We must, and will, destroy the Invaders!"
[84] Peter sank back in his chair, the full shock of it striking him for the first time. "
[85] Will we?"
[86] he asked himself softly.
[87] It was only two stories down the moving ramp to Lorelei Cooper's laboratory.
[88] Peter took it in fifteen seconds, running, and stumbled to a halt in front of the door marked "Radiation."
[89] She had set her door mechanism to "Etaoin Shrdlu," principally because he hated double-talk.
[90] He mouthed the syllables, had to repeat them because he put an accent in the wrong place, and squeezed through the door as soon as it opened far enough to admit him.
[91] Lorelei, beautiful in spite of dark-circled eyes and a smear of grease on her chin, looked up from a huge ledger at the end of the room.
[92] One blonde eyebrow arched in the quizzical expression he knew so well.
[93] "What makes, Peter my love?"
[94] she asked, and bent back to the ledger.
[95] Then she did a double-take, looked at his face intently, and said, "Darling, what's wrong?"
[96] He said, "Have you seen the news recently?"
[97] She frowned.
[98] "Why, no—Harry and I have been working for thirty-six hours straight.
[99] Haven't seen anybody, haven't heard anything.
[100] Why?"
[101] "You wouldn't believe me.
[102] Where's your newsbox?"
[103] She came around the desk and put her hands on his shoulders.
[104] "Pete, you know I haven't one—it bores me or upsets me, depending on whether there's trouble or not.
[105] What—" "I'm sorry, I forgot," he said.
[106] "But you have a scanner?"
[107] "Yes, of course.
[108] But really, Pete—" "You'll understand in a minute.
[109] Turn it on, Lorelei."
[110] She gazed at him levelly for a moment, kissed him impulsively, and then walked over to the video panel on the wall and swept a mountain of papers away from in front of it.
[111] She turned the selector dial to "News" and pressed the stud.
[112] A faint wash of color appeared on the panel, strengthened slowly, and suddenly leapt into full brilliance.
[113] Lorelei caught her breath.
[114] It was a street scene in the Science City of Manhattan, flooded by the warm spring sunshine.
[115] Down on the lowest level, visible past the transport and passenger tubes, the parks and moving ways should have been dotted with colorful, holiday crowds.
[116] The people were there, yes but they were flowing away in a swiftly-widening circle.
[117] They disappeared into buildings, and the ways snatched them up, and in a heartbeat they were gone.
[118] There were left only two blood-red, malignant monstrosities somehow defiling the air they floated in; and below them, a pitiful huddle of flesh no longer recognizable as human beings.
[119] They were not dead, those men and women, but they wanted to be.
[120] Their bodies had been impossibly joined, fused together into a single obscene, floundering mass of helpless protoplasm.
[121] The thin moaning that went up from them was more horrible than any cry of agony.
[122] "The Invaders are here, citizens," the commentator was saying in a strangled voice.
[123] "Stay off the streets.
[124] Hide yourselves.
[125] Stay off the streets...." His voice droned on, but neither of them heard it.
[126] Lorelei buried her head on his chest, clutching at him desperately.
[127] "Peter!"
[128] she said faintly.
[129] "Why do they broadcast such things?"
[130] "They have to," he told her grimly.
[131] "There will be panics and suicides, and they know it; but they have to do it.
[132] This isn't like a war, where the noncombatants' morale has to be kept up.
[133] There aren't going to be any noncombatants, this time.
[134] Everybody in the world has to know about them, so that he can fight them—and then it may not be enough."
[135] The viewpoint of the teleo sender changed as the two red beings soared away from their victims and angled slowly up the street.
[136] Peter reached out to switch off the scanner, and froze.
[137] The girl felt his muscles tense abruptly, looked back at the scene.
[138] The Invaders were floating up the sloping side of a tall, pure white structure that dominated the rest.
[139] "That's the Atlas building," she said unbelievingly.
[140] "Us!"
[141] "Yes."
[142] Silently, they counted stories as the two beings rose.
[143] Forty-five ... forty-six ... forty-seven ... forty-eight.
[144] Inevitably, they halted.
[145] Then they faded slowly.
[146] It was impossible to say whether they had gone through the solid wall, or simply melted away.
[147] The man and woman clung together, waiting.
[148] There was a thick, oppressive silence, full of small rustlings and other faint sounds that were no longer normal.
[149] Then, very near, a man screamed in a high, inhuman voice.
[150] The screamed dwindled into a throaty gurgle and died, leaving silence again.
[151] Peter's lips were cold with sweat.
[152] Tiny nerves in his face and arms were jumping convulsively.
[153] His stomach crawled.
[154] He thrust the girl away from him and started toward the inner room.
[155] "Wait here," he mouthed.
[156] She was after him, clinging to his arms.
[157] "No, Peter!
[158] Don't go in there!
[159] Peter! "
[160] But he pushed her away again, woodenly, and stalked forward.
[161] There was a space in the middle of the room where machinery had been cleared away to make room for an incompleted setup.
[162] Peter walked down the narrow aisle, past bakelite-sheathed mechanisms and rows of animal cages, and paused just short of it.
[163] The two red beings were there, formless bodies hazy in midair, the distorted, hairless skulls in profile, staring at something outside his range of vision.
[164] Peter forced himself forward another step.
[165] Little Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant, was crumpled in a corner, half supported by the broad base of an X-ray chamber.
[166] His face was flaccid and bloated.
[167] His glazed eyes, impassive yet somehow pleading, stared at nothingness straight ahead of him.
[168] The Invaders ignored Peter, staring expressionlessly down at Kanin.
[169] In a moment Peter realized what they were doing to him.
[170] He stood, paralyzed with horror, and watched it happen.
[171] The little man's body was sagging, ever so slowly, as if he were relaxing tiredly.
[172] His torso was telescoping, bit by bit; his spread legs grew wider and more shapeless, his cheeks caved in and his skull grew gradually flatter.
[173] When it was over, the thing that had been Kanin was a limp, boneless puddle of flesh.
[174] Peter could not look at it.
[175] There was a scream in his throat that would not come out.
[176] He was beyond fear, beyond agony.
[177] He turned to the still-hovering monsters and said in a terrible voice, "Why?
[178] Why?"
[179] The nearest being turned slowly to regard him.
[180] Its lips did not move, but there was a tiny sound in Peter's brain, a thin, dry whispering.
[181] The scream was welling up.
[182] He fought it down and listened. "
[183] Wurnkomellilonasendiktolsasangkanmiamiamimami.... " The face was staring directly into his, the bulging eyes hypnotic.
[184] The ears were small, no more than excresences of skin.
[185] The narrow lips seemed sealed together; a thin, slimy ichor drooled from them.
[186] There were lines in the face, but they were lines of age, not emotion.
[187] Only the eyes were alive. "
[188] ... raswilopreatadvuonistuwurncchtusanlgkelglawwalinom.... " "I can't understand," he cried wildly.
[189] "What do you want?"
[190] " ... morofelcovisyanmamiwurlectaunntous. "
[191] He heard a faint sound behind him, and whirled.
[192] It was the first time he had realized that Lorelei had followed him.
[193] She stood there, swaying, very pale, looking at the red Invaders.
[194] Her eyes swiveled slowly.... " Opreniktoulestritifenrelngetnaktwiltoctpre. "
[195] His voice was hoarse.
[196] "Don't look!
[197] Don't—Go back!"
[198] The horrible, mindless noise in his throat was almost beyond his power to repress.
[199] His insides writhed to thrust it out.
[200] She didn't see him.
[201] Her eyes glazed, and she dropped limply to the floor.
[202] The scream came out then.
[203] Before he knew, even, that he could hold it back no longer, his mouth was wide open, his muscles tensed, his fingernails slicing his palms.
[204] It echoed with unbelievable volume in the room.
[205] It was a scream to split eardrums; a scream to wake the dead.
[206] Somebody said, "Doctor!"
[207] He wanted to say, "Yes, get a doctor.
[208] Lorelei—" but his mouth only twitched feebly.
[209] He couldn't seem to get it to work properly.
[210] He tried again.
[211] "Doctor."
[212] "Yes?"
[213] A gentle, masculine voice.
[214] He opened his eyes with an effort.
[215] There was a blurred face before him; in a moment it grew clearer.
[216] The strong, clean-shaven chin contrasted oddly with the haggard circles under the eyes.
[217] There was a clean, starched odor.
[218] "Where am I?"
[219] he said.
[220] He tried to turn his head, but a firm hand pressed him back into the sheets.
[221] "You're in a hospital.
[222] Just lie quietly, please."
[223] He tried to get up again.
[224] "Where's Lorelei?"
[225] "She's well, and you'll see her soon.
[226] Now lie quietly.
[227] You've been a very sick man."
[228] Peter sank back in the bed.
[229] The room was coming into focus.
[230] He looked around him slowly.
[231] He felt very weak, but perfectly lucid.
[232] "Yes...." he said.
[233] "How long have I been here, Doctor?"
[234] The man hesitated, looked at him intently.
[235] "Three months," he said.
[236] He turned and gave low-voiced instructions to a nurse, and then went away.
[237] Peter's head began spinning just a little.
[238] Glass clinked from a metal stand near his head; the nurse bent over him with a glass half full of milky fluid.
[239] It tasted awful, but she made him drink it all.
[240] In a moment he began to relax, and the room got fuzzy again.
[241] Just before he drifted off, he said sleepily, "You can't—fool me.
[242] It's been more —than three—months."
[243] He was right.
[244] All the nurses, and even Dr. Arnold, were evasive, but he kept asking them why he couldn't see Lorelei, and finally he wormed it out of them.
[245] It had been nine and a half months, not three, and he'd been in a coma all that time.
[246] Lorelei, it seemed, had recovered much sooner.
[247] "She was only suffering from ordinary shock," Arnold explained.
[248] "Seeing that assistant of hers—it was enough to knock anybody out, especially a woman.
[249] But you stood actual mental contact with them for approximately five minutes.
[250] Yes, we know—you talked a lot.
[251] It's a miracle you're alive, and rational."
[252] "But where is she?"
[253] Peter complained.
[254] "You still haven't explained why I haven't been able to see her."
[255] Arnold frowned.
[256] "All right," he said.
[257] "I guess you're strong enough to take it.
[258] She's underground, with the rest of the women and children, and a good two-thirds of the male population.
[259] That's where you'll go, as soon as you're well enough to be moved.
[260] We started digging in six months ago."
[261] "But why?"
[262] Peter whispered.
[263] Arnold's strong jaw knotted.
[264] "We're hiding," he said.
[265] "Everything else has failed."
[266] Peter couldn't think of anything to say.
[267] Dr. Arnold's voice went on after a moment, musingly.
[268] "We're burrowing into the earth, like worms.
[269] It didn't take us long to find out we couldn't kill them.
[270] They didn't even take any notice of our attempts to do so, except once.
[271] That was when a squadron of the Police caught about fifty of them together at one time, and attacked with flame guns and a new secret weapon.
[272] It didn't hurt them, but it annoyed them.
[273] It was the first time they'd been annoyed, I think.
[274] They blew up half a state, and it's still smoldering."
[275] "And since then?"
[276] Peter asked huskily.
[277] "Since then, we've been burrowing.
[278] All the big cities....
[279] It would be an impossible task if we tried to include all the thinly-populated areas, of course, but it doesn't matter.
[280] By the time we excavate enough to take care of a quarter of the earth's population, the other three-quarters will be dead, or worse."
[281] "I wonder," Peter said shakily, "if I am strong enough to take it."
[282] Arnold laughed harshly.
[283] "You are.
[284] You've got to be.
[285] You're part of our last hope, you see."
[286] "Our last hope?"
[287] "Yes.
[288] You're a scientist."
[289] "I see," said Peter.
[290] And for the first time, he thought of the Citadel .
[291] No plan leaped full-born into his mind, but, maybe , he thought, there's a chance ....
[292] It wasn't very big, the thing that had been his shining dream.
[293] It lay there in its rough cradle, a globe of raw dura-steel not more than five hundred meters in diameter, where the Citadel was to have been a thousand.
[294] It wouldn't house a hundred scientists, eagerly delving into the hinterland of research.
[295] The huge compartments weren't filled with the latest equipment for chemical and physical experiment; instead, there was compressed oxygen there, and concentrated food, enough to last a lifetime.
[296] It was a new world, all by itself; or else it was a tomb.
[297] And there was one other change, one that you couldn't see from the outside.
[298] The solid meters of lead in its outer skin, the shielding to keep out cosmic rays, were gone.
[299] A man had just finished engraving the final stroke on its nameplate, to the left of the airlock— The Avenger .
[300] He stepped away now, and joined the group a little distance away, silently waiting.
[301] Lorelei said, "You can't do it.
[302] I won't let you!
[303] Peter—" "Darling," he began wearily.
[304] "Don't throw your life away!
[305] Give us time—there must be another way."
[306] "There's no other way," Peter said.
[307] He gripped her arms tightly, as if he could compel her to understand by the sheer pressure of his fingers.
[308] "Darling, listen to me.
[309] We've tried everything.
[310] We've gone underground, but that's only delaying the end.
[311] They still come down here, only not as many.
[312] The mortality rate is up, the suicide rate is up, the birth rate is down, in spite of anything we can do.
[313] You've seen the figures: we're riding a curve that ends in extinction fifty years from now.
[314] "They'll live, and we'll die, because they're a superior race.
[315] We're a million years too far back even to understand what they are or where they came from.
[316] Besides them, we're apes.
[317] There's only one answer."
[318] She was crying now, silently, with great racking sobs that shook her slender body.
[319] But he went remorselessly on.
[320] "Out there, in space, the cosmics change unshielded life.
[321] They make tentacles out of arms; or scales out of hair; or twelve toes, or a dozen ears—or a better brain.
[322] Out of those millions of possible mutations, there's one that will save the human race.
[323] We can't fight them , but a superman could.
[324] That's our only chance.
[325] Lorelei—darling—don't you see that?"
[326] She choked, "But why can't you take me along?"
[327] He stared unseeingly past her wet, upturned face.
[328] "You know why," he said bitterly.
[329] "Those rays are strong.
[330] They don't only work on embryos; they change adult life forms, too.
[331] I have one chance in seven of staying alive.
[332] You'd have one chance in a million of staying beautiful.
[333] I couldn't stand that.
[334] I'd kill myself, and then humanity would die, too.
[335] You'd be their murderer."
[336] Her sobs gradually died away.
[337] She straightened slowly until he no longer had to support her, but all the vitality and resilience was gone out of her body.
[338] "All right," she said in a lifeless voice.
[339] "You'll come back, Peter."
[340] He turned away suddenly, not trusting himself to kiss her goodbye.
[341] A line from an old film kept echoing through his head. "
[342] They'll come back—but not as boys !"
[343] We'll come back, but not as men.
[344] We'll come back, but not as elephants.
[345] We'll come back, but not as octopi.
[346] He was trembling violently.
[347] He ran the last few steps, stumbled into the airlock, and pressed the stud that would seal the door behind him.
[348] We'll come back....
[349] He heard the massive disk sink home, closing him off.
[350] Then he sank down on the floor of the airlock and put his head in shaking hands.
[351] After a while he roused himself, closed the inner door of the lock behind him, and walked down the long corridor into the control chamber.
[352] The shining banks of keys were there, waiting for his touch; he slumped down before them and listlessly closed the contact of the visiplate.
[353] He swung its field slowly, scanning for the last time the bare walls of the underground chamber, making sure that all the spectators had retired out of the way of the blast.
[354] Then his clawed fingers poised over the keys, hovered a moment, and thrust down.
[355] Acceleration pressed him deep into his chair.
[356] In the visiplate, the heavy doors that closed the tunnel above him flashed back, one by one.
[357] The energy-charged screen flickered off to let him pass, and closed smoothly behind him.
[358] The last doors, cleverly camouflaged, slipped back into place and then dwindled in the distance.
[359] It was done.
[360] He flashed on out, past the moon, past Mars, over the asteroid belt.
[361] The days merged into weeks, then months, and finally, far out, The Avenger curved into an orbit and held it.
[362] The great motors died, and the silence pressed in about him.
[363] Already he could feel the invisible rays burning resistlessly through his flesh as if it were water, shifting the cells of his body, working its slow, monstrous alchemy upon him.
[364] Peter waited until the changes were unmistakably evident in his skin and hair, and then he smashed all the mirrors in the ship.
[365] The embryos were pulsing with unnatural life, even in the suspended animation of their crystal cells.
[366] One by one he allowed them to mature, and after weeks or years destroyed the monstrosities that came from the incubators.
[367] Time went by, meaninglessly.
[368] He ate when he was hungry, slept when his driving purpose let him, and worked unceasingly, searching for the million-to-one chance.
[369] He stared sometimes through changed eyes at the tiny blue star that was Earth, wondering if the race he had left behind still burrowed in its worm-tunnels, digging deeper and deeper away from the sunlight.
[370] But after a time he ceased even to wonder.
[371] And one changeling-child he did not destroy.
[372] He fed knowledge to its eager brain, and watched it through the swift years, with a dawning hope.... Peter closed the diary.
[373] "The rest you know, Robert," he said.
[374] "Yes," I told him.
[375] "I was that child.
[376] I am the millionth mutation you were searching for."
[377] His eyes glowed suddenly in their misshapen sockets.
[378] "You are.
[379] Your brain is as superior to mine as mine is to an anthropoid's.
[380] You solve instinctively problems that would take our mechanical computers hours of work.
[381] You are a superman."
[382] "I am without your imperfections," I said, flexing my arms.
[383] He rose and strode nervously over to the window.
[384] I watched him as he stood there, outlined against the blazing galaxies.
[385] He had changed but little in the years that I had known him.
[386] His lank gray hair straggled over his sunken eyes; his cheeks were blobbed with excresences of flesh; one corner of his mouth was drawn up in a perpetual grin.
[387] He had a tiny sixth finger on his left hand.
[388] He turned again, and I saw the old scar on his cheek where I had once accidentally drawn one of my talons across his face.
[389] "And now," he said softly, "we will go home.
[390] I've waited so long—keeping the control chamber and the engine room locked away from you, not telling you, even, about Earth until now—because I had to be sure.
[391] But now, the waiting is over.
[392] "They're still there, I'm sure of it—the people, and the Invaders.
[393] You can kill the Invaders, Robert."
[394] He looked at me, a little oddly, almost as if he had some instinctive knowledge of what was to come.
[395] But he went on swiftly, "On Earth we had a saying: 'Fight fire with fire.'
[396] That is the way it will be with you.
[397] You are completely, coldly logical, just as they are.
[398] You can understand them, and so you can conquer them."
[399] I said, "That is the reason why we will not go back to Earth."
[400] He stared at me, his jaw slack, his hands trembling.
[401] "What—what did you say?"
[402] I repeated it patiently.
[403] "But why?"
[404] he cried, sinking down into the chair before me.
[405] In an instant all the joy had gone out of him.
[406] I could not understand his suffering, but I could recognize it.
[407] "You yourself have said it," I told him.
[408] "I am a being of logic, just as the beings who have invaded your planet are.
[409] I do not comprehend the things which you call hate, fear, joy and love, as they do not.
[410] If I went to Earth, I would use your people to further my knowledge, just as the invaders do.
[411] I would have no reason to kill the invaders.
[412] They are more nearly kin to me than your people."
[413] Peter's eyes were dull, his limbs slumped.
[414] For a moment I thought that the shock had deranged his mind.
[415] His voice trembled when he said, "But if I ask you to kill them, and not my people?"
[416] "To do so would be illogical."
[417] He waved his hands helplessly.
[418] "Gratitude?"
[419] he muttered.
[420] "No, you don't understand that, either."
[421] Then he cried suddenly, "But I am your friend, Robert!"
[422] "I do not understand 'friend,'" I said.
[423] I did understand "gratitude," a little.
[424] It was a reciprocal arrangement: I did what Peter wished, so long as I did not actively want to do otherwise, because he had done things for me.
[425] Very well, then we must not go back.
[426] It was very simple, but I knew that he could not comprehend it.
[427] I tried to explain it to him, however.
[428] But he only stared at me, with an expression on his face that I had never seen there before, and that, somehow, I did not like to see.
[429] It was disquieting, and so I hastened to the end that I knew was inevitable. | 1. [29] Young Peter Karson put the last black-print down and sighed with satisfaction.
2. [84] Peter sank back in his chair, the full shock of it striking him for the first time.
3. [96] "You wouldn't believe me. Where's your newsbox?"
4. [110] She gazed at him levelly for a moment, kissed him impulsively, and then walked over to the video panel on the wall and swept a mountain of papers away from in front of it.
5. [119] They were not dead, those men and women, but they wanted to be.
6. [127] "Peter!" she said faintly.
7. [152] Tiny nerves in his face and arms were jumping convulsively.
8. [165] Little Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant, was crumpled in a corner, half supported by the broad base of an X-ray chamber.
9. [177] "Why? Why?"
10. [188] "... morofelcovisyanmamiwurlectaunntous." |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"The House of Masur is a family business in Zur, run by Koltan and his six sons. The business specializes in pottery and clay manufacturing for Zur. The family gathers as they deliberate the upcoming arrival of Earthmen. Some of the brothers express frustration that the Earthmen will be landing among the Thorabians rather than in Zur, disrupting their plan to steal the precious, scarce metals off their ship. Zotul, the youngest of the brothers, discourages the plan, saying that the Earthmen's ship is their only way of transport. After the meeting, Zotul ponders what other benefits the Earthmen could serve. The Earthmen eventually arrive at Zur, parading the streets and making speeches, and leaving shortly after. They return with multiple ships and establish corporations all over Zur. One day, Zotul's wife brings home a metal pot, which she had bought from Earthmen; she tells him that they are high in demand and that a new type of stove is essential to use them. Zotul protests, but later designs a ceramic stove, which becomes a successful development in their business. Earthmen continue introducing more technology to Zur, including a printing press and telegraphs. Zotul notes internally that though the business has made profit, it is dependent upon the pots from Earth. The business quickly begins declining, with sales dropping. They attempt to advertise their business, but advertisement has become fully occupied by Earth. After ten years, during which Koltan has passed on, the Masur business has dwindled. The brothers decide to go to the governor of Lor, who tells them that the developments are all beneficial, informing them of a new production of highways. The brothers are optimistic that they would be able to use their clay for the roads, but Earthmen begin using cement. The governor then refers the brothers to Earth's Merchandising Council, where Zotul meets Kent Broderick, where he expresses sympathy about the status of the Masur business and offers them the luxuries brought by Earthmen, completely free except for the cost of freight. The cost, however, is more than the brothers could ever afford, and so Broderick sets them up with a credit system, as well as a contract for the family to supply Earthmen with ceramic parts. The brothers enjoy their luxury, but it is short lived, as their contract expires and they find themselves in debt. Zotul then revisits the governor, who ends up being Broderick. Broderick informs Zotul that Earth has bought them, and every business in Zur, out, and that they own everything. Broderick tells Zotul that the family will work for Earth now, and that Earth will fully conquer Zur.",
"The story is about a group of people on a planet called Zur. One day, they are visited by Earthmen who arrive in a ship made of valuable material. The Earthmen come with announcements that they only intend to provide the world of Zur with great things and that all will be well if the Zurian people cooperate. Soon, more Earthmen arrive on the planet. They land a ship in every city on Zur and begin trading basic items. When they trade, they take the Zurian version of their goods and destroy them. Zotul is forced to design new stoves for the new cookware. Zotul and his brothers are initially able to make a great profit selling their new ceramic stoves. \n\nThe Earthmen continue to bring new inventions that the Zurian population do not possess. They bring new communication devices like the printing press, then radios, and eventually television sets. Eventually, Zotul and his brother’s operations are unable to compete with the Earthmen’s goods. Their profits drop to abysmal levels in all of their industries. Zotul is told by his brothers to go make a formal complaint. He goes to the headquarters of the Merchandising Council where he meets Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council. Broderick acts very nice to Zotul and appears to only have good intentions. Broderick promises to help Zotul and offers to give him many luxurious gifts that Zotul states he cannot afford. Broderick explains to Zotul that is of no issue and he can offer him credit. After only explaining the good parts of credit to Zotul, Zotul goes and convinces his brothers to sign up for the credit system. In addition, Broderick gives them a contract to manufacture some goods for the Earthmen. However, the contract does not last long and the Earthmen build their own plant. As a result, the House of Masur is unable to keep up with its debts. Zotul’s brothers express their anger and accuse Zotul of getting them into incredible poverty. In an effort to remedy the situation, Zotul goes to the Council House where he does not find Mr. Broderick but a man named Mr. Siwicki. Mr. Siwicki informs him that the Earthmen will repossess everything him and his brothers own if they do not pay their debts. Zotul’s brothers are so stunned by the news that they do not even beat him. In a last-ditch effort, Zotul goes to the governor’s palace for help. There he finds Broderick is now the governor. Broderick then informs Zotul that the Earthmen were slowly taking ownership of Zur away from the Zurian to then move in an attempt to peacefully take over the planet. The ultimate goal is to mix with the native population and then form a cohesive one. However, the Zurian caste system had to be first broken down. The story ends with Broderick asking if Zotul and his brothers are ready to willfully oblige to their assignments and Zotul replies yes.",
"Koltan of the House of Masur is furious that the Earthmen are coming to live amongst the Thorabians in the world of Zur while his brother, Zotul, is in favor of it. Kalrab Masur says that there is nothing to worry about because the Earthmen will eventually leave, but clay will go on forever. Morvan thinks that the Earthmen could have come to Lor, and Singula implies that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen. Zotul tries to explain that they cannot take the Earthmen’s method of transport away from them, but the other brothers tell him to be quiet. The Earthmen arrive at Lor and are impressed with the city, and they communicate through interpreters. Some agreements between the Lorian government and the Earthmen are made. Although the anti-Earthmen Faction is happy that the Earthmen are gone, the visitors come back and establish corporations to engage in trade. When Zotul comes home, his wife Lania shows him an aluminum pot. She tells him that the Earthmen are selling these items cheap. She tells him that he will need to design a new ceramic stove for a dozen pots. He beats his wife but goes off to design the stove anyways; the Masurs begin to profit more than ever from the porcelain stoves. The Earthmen also bring other items such as the printing press, copper wire for telegraph lines, and plastic cutlery. The Masur family ceramics are slowly being replaced. Kalrab concludes that the items from Earth are the main reason. The Earthmen begin to lay pipelines after the discovery of crude oil and natural gas. The Masur stove business is also gone after ten years; the brothers plan to protest to the governor of Lor. They see the Earthmen are building more structures, such as an assembly plant for radio receiving sets. The brothers want to rely on their tile business, but the Earthmen have begun manufacturing Portland cement. The governor is in support of the Earthmen, and they go to speak to Kent Broderick, who is in charge of the Merchandising Council. Broderick tells him that he will give the expensive Earth items to Zotul for the payment of freight charges on items. Broderick offers credit to him and his brothers as part of the Easy Payment Plan. All of the brothers sign. The brothers slowly go into debt, and the Earthmen build plants that cost lower to manufacture materials. They tell Zotul to speak with Broderick again, but Mr. Siwicki speaks to him instead and says that the brothers will need to assign the remaining three-quarters of their pottery. Koltan tells Zotul to see the governor, but the person is revealed to be Broderick. He says that they have taken over everything on Zur because Earth is too overcrowded. The future population will be a mixture of Zurians and Earthmen; he tells Zotul that he will have his job back but work for the Earthmen. Broderick then hands assignment papers for him and his brothers to sign.",
"The House of Masur owns a prosperous family business of pottery and consists of six brothers, each having their position in business according to their rank of age. The Earthmen come to the world of Zur, which enrages some members of the family. The younger brother, Zotul, is sympathetic to the Eartmen, but the youngest can’t speak up and he gets beaten. The Earthmen parade through Zur, proclaiming the intention to do great things and asking for cooperation. After a while, many more ships come from Earth to every Zurian city to establish \"corporations\" for trade. Zotul's wife buys a set of cheap aluminum pots at the market, which are being bought by all the housewives as they are better than those from clay. New pots require completely different stoves and Zotul has to design such. Koltan, the elder brother, puts the model into production as the demand is high. The Masurs flourish with the new business and depend on the metal pots from Earth, as the production of their own falls. The Earthmen keep introducing new things like telegraph lines and printing presses. The Earthmen find a great deal of metals, crude oil and natural gas, and sell it to the Zurians themselves. Further introduction of plastic utensils undermines the Masur's business completely. They head to the governor, who talks about the benefits of new culture and upcoming autos and highways. The Earthmen introduce cement and the hopes for tile business go down as well. The complaints are redirected to the Merchandising Council set by the Earthmen, where Zotul is met by Broderick. The man is sympathetic to the brothers’ poverty, but he can only grant Zotul a gas range, a gas-fired furnace and a car, a luxury only a few can afford and everyone envies. The goal of the Earthmen is to spread technology through the galaxy, so Broderick only asks Zotul to pay for the freight, which is a huge sum, and, therefore, can only be in credit for the family. Enchanted Zotul takes the credit papers for all his brothers to sign to get the same goods. Broderick also gives a contract for making ceramic parts for the cars, which will help the brothers pay off the credit. After signing the papers, the brothers enjoy the luxuries and receive one fourth of the ceramic profits. In three years the Earthmen cancel the contract, the family is poor and Zotul is forced to visit the council again as the Masurs can't pay. A new man threatens him with the court and asks to assign the rest of the business to the Earthmen. Zotul heads to the governor for support, but finds Broderick on his place, who tells the Masur's business is the last to be bought off. Earth is overcrowded, so the new planets are required to take over. Instead of painful wars, the Earthmen buy off other nations to work for them until both nations are equal and mixed."
] | [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
[4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
[5] Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
[6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
[7] At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
[8] Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design.
[9] "Behold, my sons," said Kalrab, stroking his scanty beard.
[10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
[11] Remember the clay.
[12] It is our strength and our fortune.
[13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
[14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
[15] "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude.
[16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
[17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
[18] By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not.
[19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
[20] Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel.
[21] His people were active in the matter and that was enough for him.
[22] He would report when the time was ripe.
[23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship.
[24] We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
[25] Such frank expression of motive was unheard of, even in the secret conclave of conference.
[26] Only the speaker's youth could account for it.
[27] The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan.
[28] "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it.
[29] Meantime, remember your position in the family."
[30] Zotul bowed his head meekly, but he burned with resentment.
[31] "Listen to the boy," said the aged father.
[32] "There is more wisdom in his head than in all the rest of you.
[33] Forget the Earthmen and think only of the clay."
[34] Zotul did not appreciate his father's approval, for it only earned him a beating as soon as the old man went to bed.
[35] It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires.
[36] However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did.
[37] Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen.
[38] If it was impossible to hope for much in the way of metal from the Earthmen, what could one get from them?
[39] If he could figure this problem out, he might rise somewhat in the estimation of his brothers.
[40] That wouldn't take him out of the rank of scapegoat, of course, but the beatings might become fewer and less severe.
[41] By and by, the Earthmen came to Lor, flying through the air in strange metal contraptions.
[42] They paraded through the tile-paved streets of the city, marveled here, as they had in Thorabia, at the buildings all of tile inside and out, and made a great show of themselves for all the people to see.
[43] Speeches were made through interpreters, who had much too quickly learned the tongue of the aliens; hence these left much to be desired in the way of clarity, though their sincerity was evident.
[44] The Earthmen were going to do great things for the whole world of Zur.
[45] It required but the cooperation—an excellent word, that—of all Zurians, and many blessings would rain down from the skies.
[46] This, in effect, was what the Earthmen had to say.
[47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
[48] There was also some talk going around about agreements made between the Earthmen and officials of the Lorian government, but you heard one thing one day and another the next.
[49] Accurate reporting, much less a newspaper, was unknown on Zur.
[50] Finally, the Earthmen took off in their great, shining ship.
[51] Obviously, none had succeeded in chiseling them out of it, if, indeed, any had tried.
[52] The anti-Earthmen Faction—in any culture complex, there is always an "anti" faction to protest any movement of endeavor—crowed happily that the Earthmen were gone for good, and a good thing, too.
[53] Such jubilation proved premature, however.
[54] One day, a fleet of ships arrived and after they had landed all over the planet, Zur was practically acrawl with Earthmen.
[55] Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control.
[56] The object of the visit was trade.
[57] In spite of the fact that a terrestrial ship had landed at every Zurian city of major and minor importance, and all in a single day, it took some time for the news to spread.
[58] The first awareness Zotul had was that, upon coming home from the pottery one evening, he found his wife Lania proudly brandishing an aluminum pot at him.
[59] "What is that thing?"
[60] he asked curiously.
[61] "A pot.
[62] I bought it at the market."
[63] "Did you now?
[64] Well, take it back.
[65] Am I made of money that you spend my substance for some fool's product of precious metal?
[66] Take it back, I say!"
[67] The pretty young wife laughed at him.
[68] "Up to your ears in clay, no wonder you hear nothing of news!
[69] The pot is very cheap.
[70] The Earthmen are selling them everywhere.
[71] They're much better than our old clay pots; they're light and easy to handle and they don't break when dropped."
[72] "What good is it?"
[73] asked Zotul, interested.
[74] "How will it hold heat, being so light?"
[75] "The Earthmen don't cook as we do," she explained patiently.
[76] "There is a paper with each pot that explains how it is used.
[77] And you will have to design a new ceramic stove for me to use the pots on."
[78] "Don't be idiotic!
[79] Do you suppose Koltan would agree to produce a new type of stove when the old has sold well for centuries?
[80] Besides, why do you need a whole new stove for one little pot?"
[81] "A dozen pots.
[82] They come in sets and are cheaper that way.
[83] And Koltan will have to produce the new stove because all the housewives are buying these pots and there will be a big demand for it.
[84] The Earthman said so."
[85] "He did, did he?
[86] These pots are only a fad.
[87] You will soon enough go back to cooking with your old ones."
[88] "The Earthman took them in trade—one reason why the new ones are so cheap.
[89] There isn't a pot in the house but these metal ones, and you will have to design and produce a new stove if you expect me to use them."
[90] After he had beaten his wife thoroughly for her foolishness, Zotul stamped off in a rage and designed a new ceramic stove, one that would accommodate the terrestrial pots very well.
[91] And Koltan put the model into production.
[92] "Orders already are pouring in like mad," he said the next day.
[93] "It was wise of you to foresee it and have the design ready.
[94] Already, I am sorry for thinking as I did about the Earthmen.
[95] They really intend to do well by us."
[96] The kilns of the Pottery of Masur fired day and night to keep up with the demand for the new porcelain stoves.
[97] In three years, more than a million had been made and sold by the Masurs alone, not counting the hundreds of thousands of copies turned out by competitors in every land.
[98] In the meantime, however, more things than pots came from Earth.
[99] One was a printing press, the like of which none on Zur had ever dreamed.
[100] This, for some unknown reason and much to the disgust of the Lorians, was set up in Thorabia.
[101] Books and magazines poured from it in a fantastic stream.
[102] The populace fervidly brushed up on its scanty reading ability and bought everything available, overcome by the novelty of it.
[103] Even Zotul bought a book—a primer in the Lorian language—and learned how to read and write.
[104] The remainder of the brothers Masur, on the other hand, preferred to remain in ignorance.
[105] Moreover, the Earthmen brought miles of copper wire—more than enough in value to buy out the governorship of any country on Zur—and set up telegraph lines from country to country and continent to continent.
[106] Within five years of the first landing of the Earthmen, every major city on the globe had a printing press, a daily newspaper, and enjoyed the instantaneous transmission of news via telegraph.
[107] And the business of the House of Masur continued to look up.
[108] "As I have always said from the beginning," chortled Director Koltan, "this coming of the Earthmen had been a great thing for us, and especially for the House of Masur."
[109] "You didn't think so at first," Zotul pointed out, and was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
[110] It would do no good, Zotul realized, to bring up the fact that their production of ceramic cooking pots had dropped off to about two per cent of its former volume.
[111] Of course, profits on the line of new stoves greatly overbalanced the loss, so that actually they were ahead; but their business was now dependent upon the supply of the metal pots from Earth.
[112] About this time, plastic utensils—dishes, cups, knives, forks—made their appearance on Zur.
[113] It became very stylish to eat with the newfangled paraphernalia ... and very cheap, too, because for everything they sold, the Earthmen always took the old ware in trade.
[114] What they did with the stuff had been hard to believe at first.
[115] They destroyed it, which proved how valueless it really was.
[116] The result of the new flood was that in the following year, the sale of Masur ceramic table service dropped to less than a tenth.
[117] Trembling with excitement at this news from their book-keeper, Koltan called an emergency meeting.
[118] He even routed old Kalrab out of his senile stupor for the occasion, on the off chance that the old man might still have a little wit left that could be helpful.
[119] "Note," Koltan announced in a shaky voice, "that the Earthmen undermine our business," and he read off the figures.
[120] "Perhaps," said Zotul, "it is a good thing also, as you said before, and will result in something even better for us."
[121] Koltan frowned, and Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
[122] "They are replacing our high-quality ceramic ware with inferior terrestrial junk," Koltan went on bitterly.
[123] "It is only the glamor that sells it, of course, but before the people get the shine out of their eyes, we can be ruined."
[124] The brothers discussed the situation for an hour, and all the while Father Kalrab sat and pulled his scanty whiskers.
[125] Seeing that they got nowhere with their wrangle, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
[126] "My sons, you forget it is not the Earthmen themselves at the bottom of your trouble, but the things of Earth.
[127] Think of the telegraph and the newspaper, how these spread news of every shipment from Earth.
[128] The merchandise of the Earthmen is put up for sale by means of these newspapers, which also are the property of the Earthmen.
[129] The people are intrigued by these advertisements, as they are called, and flock to buy.
[130] Now, if you would pull a tooth from the kwi that bites you, you might also have advertisements of your own."
[131] Alas for that suggestion, no newspaper would accept advertising from the House of Masur; all available space was occupied by the advertisements of the Earthmen.
[132] In their dozenth conference since that first and fateful one, the brothers Masur decided upon drastic steps.
[133] In the meantime, several things had happened.
[134] For one, old Kalrab had passed on to his immortal rest, but this made no real difference.
[135] For another, the Earthmen had procured legal authority to prospect the planet for metals, of which they found a good deal, but they told no one on Zur of this.
[136] What they did mention was the crude oil and natural gas they discovered in the underlayers of the planet's crust.
[137] Crews of Zurians, working under supervision of the Earthmen, laid pipelines from the gas and oil regions to every major and minor city on Zur.
[138] By the time ten years had passed since the landing of the first terrestrial ship, the Earthmen were conducting a brisk business in gas-fired ranges, furnaces and heaters ... and the Masur stove business was gone.
[139] Moreover, the Earthmen sold the Zurians their own natural gas at a nice profit and everybody was happy with the situation except the brothers Masur.
[140] The drastic steps of the brothers applied, therefore, to making an energetic protest to the governor of Lor.
[141] At one edge of the city, an area had been turned over to the Earthmen for a spaceport, and the great terrestrial spaceships came to it and departed from it at regular intervals.
[142] As the heirs of the House of Masur walked by on their way to see the governor, Zotul observed that much new building was taking place and wondered what it was.
[143] "Some new devilment of the Earthmen, you can be sure," said Koltan blackly.
[144] In fact, the Earthmen were building an assembly plant for radio receiving sets.
[145] The ship now standing on its fins upon the apron was loaded with printed circuits, resistors, variable condensers and other radio parts.
[146] This was Earth's first step toward flooding Zur with the natural follow-up in its campaign of advertising—radio programs—with commercials.
[147] Happily for the brothers, they did not understand this at the time or they would surely have gone back to be buried in their own clay.
[148] "I think," the governor told them, "that you gentlemen have not paused to consider the affair from all angles.
[149] You must learn to be modern—keep up with the times!
[150] We heads of government on Zur are doing all in our power to aid the Earthmen and facilitate their bringing a great, new culture that can only benefit us.
[151] See how Zur has changed in ten short years!
[152] Imagine the world of tomorrow!
[153] Why, do you know they are even bringing autos to Zur!"
[154] The brothers were fascinated with the governor's description of these hitherto unheard-of vehicles.
[155] "It only remains," concluded the governor, "to build highways, and the Earthmen are taking care of that."
[156] At any rate, the brothers Masur were still able to console themselves that they had their tile business.
[157] Tile served well enough for houses and street surfacing; what better material could be devised for the new highways the governor spoke of?
[158] There was a lot of money to be made yet.
[159] Radio stations went up all over Zur and began broadcasting.
[160] The people bought receiving sets like mad.
[161] The automobiles arrived and highways were constructed.
[162] The last hope of the brothers was dashed.
[163] The Earthmen set up plants and began to manufacture Portland cement.
[164] You could build a house of concrete much cheaper than with tile.
[165] Of course, since wood was scarce on Zur, it was no competition for either tile or concrete.
[166] Concrete floors were smoother, too, and the stuff made far better road surfacing.
[167] The demand for Masur tile hit rock bottom.
[168] The next time the brothers went to see the governor, he said, "I cannot handle such complaints as yours.
[169] I must refer you to the Merchandising Council."
[170] "What is that?"
[171] asked Koltan.
[172] "It is an Earthman association that deals with complaints such as yours.
[173] In the matter of material progress, we must expect some strain in the fabric of our culture.
[174] Machinery has been set up to deal with it.
[175] Here is their address; go air your troubles to them."
[176] The business of a formal complaint was turned over by the brothers to Zotul.
[177] It took three weeks for the Earthmen to get around to calling him in, as a representative of the Pottery of Masur, for an interview.
[178] All the brothers could no longer be spared from the plant, even for the purpose of pressing a complaint.
[179] Their days of idle wealth over, they had to get in and work with the clay with the rest of the help.
[180] Zotul found the headquarters of the Merchandising Council as indicated on their message.
[181] He had not been this way in some time, but was not surprised to find that a number of old buildings had been torn down to make room for the concrete Council House and a roomy parking lot, paved with something called "blacktop" and jammed with an array of glittering new automobiles.
[182] An automobile was an expense none of the brothers could afford, now that they barely eked a living from the pottery.
[183] Still, Zotul ached with desire at sight of so many shiny cars.
[184] Only a few had them and they were the envied ones of Zur.
[185] Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council, shook hands jovially with Zotul.
[186] That alien custom conformed with, Zotul took a better look at his host.
[187] Broderick was an affable, smiling individual with genial laugh wrinkles at his eyes.
[188] A man of middle age, dressed in the baggy costume of Zur, he looked almost like a Zurian, except for an indefinite sense of alienness about him.
[189] "Glad to have you call on us, Mr. Masur," boomed the Earthman, clapping Zotul on the back.
[190] "Just tell us your troubles and we'll have you straightened out in no time."
[191] All the chill recriminations and arguments Zotul had stored for this occasion were dissipated in the warmth of the Earthman's manner.
[192] Almost apologetically, Zotul told of the encroachment that had been made upon the business of the Pottery of Masur.
[193] "Once," he said formally, "the Masur fortune was the greatest in the world of Zur.
[194] That was before my father, the famous Kalrab Masur—Divinity protect him—departed this life to collect his greater reward.
[195] He often told us, my father did, that the clay is the flesh and bones of our culture and our fortune.
[196] Now it has been shown how prone is the flesh to corruption and how feeble the bones.
[197] We are ruined, and all because of new things coming from Earth."
[198] Broderick stroked his shaven chin and looked sad.
[199] "Why didn't you come to me sooner?
[200] This would never have happened.
[201] But now that it has, we're going to do right by you.
[202] That is the policy of Earth—always to do right by the customer."
[203] "Divinity witness," Zorin said, "that we ask only compensation for damages."
[204] Broderick shook his head.
[205] "It is not possible to replace an immense fortune at this late date.
[206] As I said, you should have reported your trouble sooner.
[207] However, we can give you an opportunity to rebuild.
[208] Do you own an automobile?"
[209] "No."
[210] "A gas range?
[211] A gas-fired furnace?
[212] A radio?"
[213] Zotul had to answer no to all except the radio.
[214] "My wife Lania likes the music," he explained.
[215] "I cannot afford the other things."
[216] Broderick clucked sympathetically.
[217] One who could not afford the bargain-priced merchandise of Earth must be poor indeed.
[218] "To begin with," he said, "I am going to make you a gift of all these luxuries you do not have."
[219] As Zotul made to protest, he cut him off with a wave of his hand.
[220] "It is the least we can do for you.
[221] Pick a car from the lot outside.
[222] I will arrange to have the other things delivered and installed in your home."
[223] "To receive gifts," said Zotul, "incurs an obligation."
[224] "None at all," beamed the Earthman cheerily.
[225] "Every item is given to you absolutely free—a gift from the people of Earth.
[226] All we ask is that you pay the freight charges on the items.
[227] Our purpose is not to make profit, but to spread technology and prosperity throughout the Galaxy.
[228] We have already done well on numerous worlds, but working out the full program takes time."
[229] He chuckled deeply.
[230] "We of Earth have a saying about one of our extremely slow-moving native animals.
[231] We say, 'Slow is the tortoise, but sure.'
[232] And so with us.
[233] Our goal is a long-range one, with the motto, 'Better times with better merchandise.'"
[234] The engaging manner of the man won Zotul's confidence.
[235] After all, it was no more than fair to pay transportation.
[236] He said, "How much does the freight cost?"
[237] Broderick told him.
[238] "It may seem high," said the Earthman, "but remember that Earth is sixty-odd light-years away.
[239] After all, we are absorbing the cost of the merchandise.
[240] All you pay is the freight, which is cheap, considering the cost of operating an interstellar spaceship."
[241] "Impossible," said Zotul drably.
[242] "Not I and all my brothers together have so much money any more."
[243] "You don't know us of Earth very well yet, but you will.
[244] I offer you credit!"
[245] "What is that?"
[246] asked Zotul skeptically.
[247] "It is how the poor are enabled to enjoy all the luxuries of the rich," said Broderick, and went on to give a thumbnail sketch of the involutions and devolutions of credit, leaving out some angles that might have had a discouraging effect.
[248] On a world where credit was a totally new concept, it was enchanting.
[249] Zotul grasped at the glittering promise with avidity.
[250] "What must I do to get credit?"
[251] "Just sign this paper," said Broderick, "and you become part of our Easy Payment Plan."
[252] Zotul drew back.
[253] "I have five brothers.
[254] If I took all these things for myself and nothing for them, they would beat me black and blue."
[255] "Here."
[256] Broderick handed him a sheaf of chattel mortgages.
[257] "Have each of your brothers sign one of these, then bring them back to me.
[258] That is all there is to it."
[259] It sounded wonderful.
[260] But how would the brothers take it?
[261] Zotul wrestled with his misgivings and the misgivings won.
[262] "I will talk it over with them," he said.
[263] "Give me the total so I will have the figures."
[264] The total was more than it ought to be by simple addition.
[265] Zotul pointed this out politely.
[266] "Interest," Broderick explained.
[267] "A mere fifteen per cent.
[268] After all, you get the merchandise free.
[269] The transportation company has to be paid, so another company loans you the money to pay for the freight.
[270] This small extra sum pays the lending company for its trouble."
[271] "I see."
[272] Zotul puzzled over it sadly.
[273] "It is too much," he said.
[274] "Our plant doesn't make enough money for us to meet the payments."
[275] "I have a surprise for you," smiled Broderick.
[276] "Here is a contract.
[277] You will start making ceramic parts for automobile spark plugs and certain parts for radios and gas ranges.
[278] It is our policy to encourage local manufacture to help bring prices down."
[279] "We haven't the equipment."
[280] "We will equip your plant," beamed Broderick.
[281] "It will require only a quarter interest in your plant itself, assigned to our terrestrial company."
[282] Zotul, anxious to possess the treasures promised by the Earthman, won over his brothers.
[283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
[284] They rolled in the luxuries of Earth.
[285] These, who had never known debt before, were in it up to their ears.
[286] The retooled plant forged ahead and profits began to look up, but the Earthmen took a fourth of them as their share in the industry.
[287] For a year, the brothers drove their shiny new cars about on the new concrete highways the Earthmen had built.
[288] From pumps owned by a terrestrial company, they bought gas and oil that had been drawn from the crust of Zur and was sold to the Zurians at a magnificent profit.
[289] The food they ate was cooked in Earthly pots on Earth-type gas ranges, served up on metal plates that had been stamped out on Earth.
[290] In the winter, they toasted their shins before handsome gas grates, though they had gas-fired central heating.
[291] About this time, the ships from Earth brought steam-powered electric generators.
[292] Lines went up, power was generated, and a flood of electrical gadgets and appliances hit the market.
[293] For some reason, batteries for the radios were no longer available and everybody had to buy the new radios.
[294] And who could do without a radio in this modern age?
[295] The homes of the brothers Masur blossomed on the Easy Payment Plan.
[296] They had refrigerators, washers, driers, toasters, grills, electric fans, air-conditioning equipment and everything else Earth could possibly sell them.
[297] "We will be forty years paying it all off," exulted Zotul, "but meantime we have the things and aren't they worth it?"
[298] But at the end of three years, the Earthmen dropped their option.
[299] The Pottery of Masur had no more contracts.
[300] Business languished.
[301] The Earthmen, explained Broderick, had built a plant of their own because it was so much more efficient—and to lower prices, which was Earth's unswerving policy, greater and greater efficiency was demanded.
[302] Broderick was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do.
[303] The introduction of television provided a further calamity.
[304] The sets were delicate and needed frequent repairs, hence were costly to own and maintain.
[305] But all Zurians who had to keep up with the latest from Earth had them.
[306] Now it was possible not only to hear about things of Earth, but to see them as they were broadcast from the video tapes.
[307] The printing plants that turned out mortgage contracts did a lush business.
[308] For the common people of Zur, times were good everywhere.
[309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
[310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
[311] The brothers Masur got along in spite of dropped options.
[312] They had less money and felt the pinch of their debts more keenly, but television kept their wives and children amused and furnished an anodyne for the pangs of impoverishment.
[313] The pottery income dropped to an impossible low, no matter how Zotul designed and the brothers produced.
[314] Their figurines and religious ikons were a drug on the market.
[315] The Earthmen made them of plastic and sold them for less.
[316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
[317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
[318] "Go see Broderick.
[319] Tell him we are undone and must have some contracts to continue operating."
[320] Nursing bruises, Zotul unhappily went to the Council House again.
[321] Mr. Broderick was no longer with them, a suave assistant informed him.
[322] Would he like to see Mr. Siwicki instead?
[323] Zotul would.
[324] Siwicki was tall, thin, dark and somber-looking.
[325] There was even a hint of toughness about the set of his jaw and the hardness of his glance.
[326] "So you can't pay," he said, tapping his teeth with a pencil.
[327] He looked at Zotul coldly.
[328] "It is well you have come to us instead of making it necessary for us to approach you through the courts."
[329] "I don't know what you mean," said Zotul.
[330] "If we have to sue, we take back the merchandise and everything attached to them.
[331] That means you would lose your houses, for they are attached to the furnaces.
[332] However, it is not as bad as that—yet.
[333] We will only require you to assign the remaining three-quarters of your pottery to us."
[334] The brothers, when they heard of this, were too stunned to think of beating Zotul, by which he assumed he had progressed a little and was somewhat comforted.
[335] "To fail," said Koltan soberly, "is not a Masur attribute.
[336] Go to the governor and tell him what we think of this business.
[337] The House of Masur has long supported the government with heavy taxes.
[338] Now it is time for the government to do something for us."
[339] The governor's palace was jammed with hurrying people, a scene of confusion that upset Zotul.
[340] The clerk who took his application for an interview was, he noticed only vaguely, a young Earthwoman.
[341] It was remarkable that he paid so little attention, for the female terrestrials were picked for physical assets that made Zurian men covetous and Zurian women envious.
[342] "The governor will see you," she said sweetly.
[343] "He has been expecting you."
[344] "Me?"
[345] marveled Zotul.
[346] She ushered him into the magnificent private office of the governor of Lor.
[347] The man behind the desk stood up, extended his hand with a friendly smile.
[348] "Come in, come in!
[349] I'm glad to see you again."
[350] Zotul stared blankly.
[351] This was not the governor.
[352] This was Broderick, the Earthman.
[353] "I—I came to see the governor," he said in confusion.
[354] Broderick nodded agreeably.
[355] "I am the governor and I am well acquainted with your case, Mr. Masur.
[356] Shall we talk it over?
[357] Please sit down."
[358] "I don't understand.
[359] The Earthmen...." Zotul paused, coloring.
[360] "We are about to lose our plant."
[361] "You were about to say that the Earthmen are taking your plant away from you.
[362] That is true.
[363] Since the House of Masur was the largest and richest on Zur, it has taken a long time—the longest of all, in fact."
[364] "What do you mean?"
[365] "Yours is the last business on Zur to be taken over by us.
[366] We have bought you out."
[367] "Our government...." "Your governments belong to us, too," said Broderick.
[368] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
[369] "You mean," exclaimed Zotul, aghast, "that you Earthmen own everything on Zur?"
[370] "Even your armies."
[371] "But why ?"
[372] Broderick clasped his hands behind back, went to the window and stared down moodily into the street.
[373] "You don't know what an overcrowded world is like," he said.
[374] "A street like this, with so few people and vehicles on it, would be impossible on Earth."
[375] "But it's mobbed," protested Zotul.
[376] "It gave me a headache."
[377] "And to us it's almost empty.
[378] The pressure of population on Earth has made us range the Galaxy for places to put our extra people.
[379] The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones.
[380] We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
[381] "And after that?"
[382] Broderick smiled gently.
[383] "Zur will grow.
[384] Our people will intermarry with yours.
[385] The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
[386] Zotul sat in silent thought.
[387] "But you did not have to buy us out.
[388] You had the power to conquer us, even to destroy us.
[389] The whole planet could have been yours alone."
[390] He stopped in alarm.
[391] "Or am I suggesting an idea that didn't occur to you?"
[392] "No," said Broderick, his usually smiling face almost pained with memory.
[393] "We know the history of conquest all too well.
[394] Our method causes more distress than we like to inflict, but it's better—and more sure—than war and invasion by force.
[395] Now that the unpleasant job is finished, we can repair the dislocations."
[396] "At last I understand what you said about the tortoise."
[397] "Slow but sure."
[398] Broderick beamed again and clapped Zotul on the shoulder.
[399] "Don't worry.
[400] You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners.
[401] That's why we had to break down your caste system."
[402] Zotul's eyes widened.
[403] "And that is why my brothers did not beat me when I failed!"
[404] "Of course.
[405] Are you ready now to take the assignment papers for you and your brothers to sign?"
[406] "Yes," said Zotul.
[407] "I am ready." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
2. [397] "Slow but sure."
3. [398] Broderick beamed again and clapped Zotul on the shoulder.
4. [399] "Don't worry. You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners. That's why we had to break down your caste system."
5. [400] "Are you ready now to take the assignment papers for you and your brothers to sign?"
6. [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.]
7. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
8. [3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
9. [4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
10. [5] Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
11. [6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
12. [7] At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
13. [8] Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design.
14. [9] "Behold, my sons," said Kalrab, stroking his scanty beard.
15. [10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
16. [11] Remember the clay.
17. [12] It is our strength and our fortune.
18. [13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
19. [14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
20. [15] "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude.
21. [16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
22. [17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
23. [18] By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not.
24. [19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
25. [20] Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel.
26. [21] His people were active in the matter and that was enough for him.
27. [22] He would report when the time was ripe.
28. [23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship.
29. [24] We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
30. [25] Such frank expression of motive was unheard of, even in the secret conclave of conference.
31. [26] Only the speaker's youth could account for it.
32. [27] The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan.
33. [28] "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it.
34. [29] Meantime, remember your position in the family."
35. [30] Zotul bowed his head meekly, but he burned with resentment.
36. [31] "Listen to the boy," said the aged father.
37. [32] "There is more wisdom in his head than in all the rest of you.
38. [33] Forget the Earthmen and think only of the clay."
39. [34] Zotul did not appreciate his father's approval, for it only earned him a beating as soon as the old man went to bed.
40. [35] It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires.
41. [36] However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did.
42. [37] Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen.
43. [38] If it was impossible to hope for much in the way of metal from the Earthmen, what could one get from them?
44. [39] If he could figure this problem out, he might rise somewhat in the estimation of his brothers.
45. [40] That wouldn't take him out of the rank of scapegoat, of course, but the beatings might become fewer and less severe.
46. [41] By and by, the Earthmen came to Lor, flying through the air in strange metal contraptions.
47. [42] They paraded through the tile-paved streets of the city, marveled here, as they had in Thorabia, at the buildings all of tile inside and out, and made a great show of themselves for all the people to see.
48. [43] Speeches were made through interpreters, who had much too quickly learned the tongue of the aliens; hence these left much to be desired in the way of clarity, though their sincerity was evident.
49. [44] The Earthmen were going to do great things for the whole world of Zur.
50. [45] It required but the cooperation—an excellent word, that—of all Zurians, and many blessings would rain down from the skies.
51. [46] This, in effect, was what the Earthmen had to say.
52. [47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
53. [48] There was also some talk going around about agreements made between the Earthmen and officials of the Lorian government, but you heard one thing one day and another the next.
54. [49] Accurate reporting, much less a newspaper, was unknown on Zur.
55. [50] Finally, the Earthmen took off in their great, shining ship.
56. [51] Obviously, none had succeeded in chiseling them out of it, if, indeed, any had tried.
57. [52] The anti-Earthmen Faction—in any culture complex, there is always an "anti" faction to protest any movement of endeavor—crowed happily that the Earthmen were gone for good, and a good thing, too.
58. [53] Such jubilation proved premature, however.
59. [54] One day, a fleet of ships arrived and after they had landed all over the planet, Zur was practically acrawl with Earthmen.
60. [55] Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control.
61. [56] The object of the visit was trade.
62. [57] In spite of the fact that a terrestrial ship had landed at every Zurian city of major and minor importance, and all in a single day, it took some time for the news to spread.
63. [58] The first awareness Zotul had was that, upon coming home from the pottery one evening, he found his wife Lania proudly brandishing an aluminum pot at him.
64. [59] "What is that thing?"
65. [60] he asked curiously.
66. [61] "A pot.
67. [62] I bought it at the market."
68. [63] "Did you now?
69. [64] Well, take it back.
70. [65] Am I made of money that you spend my substance for some fool's product of precious metal?
71. [66] Take it back, I say!"
72. [67] The pretty young wife laughed at him.
73. [68] "Up to your ears in clay, no wonder you hear nothing of news!
74. [69] The pot is very cheap.
75. [70] The Earthmen are selling them everywhere.
76. [71] They're much better than our old clay pots; they're light and easy to handle and they don't break when dropped."
77. [72] "What good is it?"
78. [73] asked Zotul, interested.
79. [74] "How will it hold heat, being so light?"
80. [75] "The Earthmen don't cook as we do," she explained patiently.
81. [76] "There is a paper with each pot that explains how it is used.
82. [77] And you will have to design a new ceramic stove for me to use the pots on."
83. [78] "Don't be idiotic!
84. [79] Do you suppose Koltan would agree to produce a new type of stove when the old has sold well for centuries?
85. [80] Besides, why do you need a whole new stove for one little pot?"
86. [81] "A dozen pots.
87. [82] They come in sets and are cheaper that way.
88. [83] And Koltan will have to produce the new stove because all the housewives are buying these pots and there will be a big demand for it.
89. [84] The Earthman said so."
90. [85] "He did, did he?
91. [86] These pots are only a fad.
92. [87] You will soon enough go back to cooking with your old ones."
93. [88] "The Earthman took them in trade—one reason why the new ones are so cheap.
94. [89] There isn't a pot in the house but these metal ones, and you will have to design and produce a new stove if you expect me to use them."
95. [90] After he had beaten his wife thoroughly for her foolishness, Zotul stamped off in a rage and designed a new ceramic stove, one that would accommodate the terrestrial pots very well.
96. [91] And Koltan put the model into production.
97. [92] "Orders already are pouring in like mad," he said the next day.
98. [93] "It was wise of you to foresee it and have the design ready.
99. [94] Already, I am sorry for thinking as I did about the Earthmen.
100. [95] They really intend to do well by us."
101. [96] The kilns of the Pottery of Masur fired day and night to keep up with the demand for the new porcelain stoves.
102. [97] In three years, more than a million had been made and sold by the Masurs alone, not counting the hundreds of thousands of copies turned out by competitors in every land.
103. [98] In the meantime, however, more things than pots came from Earth.
104. [99] One was a printing press, the like of which none on Zur had ever dreamed.
105. [100] This, for some unknown reason and much to the disgust of the Lorians, was set up in Thorabia.
106. [101] Books and magazines poured from it in a fantastic stream.
107. [102] The populace fervidly brushed up on its scanty reading ability and bought everything available, overcome by the novelty of it.
108. [103] Even Zotul bought a book—a primer in the Lorian language—and learned how to read and write.
109. [104] The remainder of the brothers Masur, on the other hand, preferred to remain in ignorance.
110. [105] Moreover, the Earthmen brought miles of copper wire—more than enough in value to buy out the governorship of any country on Zur—and set up telegraph lines from country to country and continent to continent.
111. [106] Within five years of the first landing of the Earthmen, every major city on the globe had a printing press, a daily newspaper, and enjoyed the instantaneous transmission of news via telegraph.
112. [107] And the business of the House of Masur continued to look up.
113. [108] "As I have always said from the beginning," chortled Director Koltan, "this coming of the Earthmen had been a great thing for us, and especially for the House of Masur."
114. [109] "You didn't think so at first," Zotul pointed out, and was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
115. [110] It would do no good, Zotul realized, to bring up the fact that their production of ceramic cooking pots had dropped off to about two per cent of its former volume.
116. [111] Of course, profits on the line of new stoves greatly overbalanced the loss, so that actually they were ahead; but their business was now dependent upon the supply of the metal pots from Earth.
117. [112] About this time, plastic utensils—dishes, cups, knives, forks—made their appearance on Zur.
118. [113] It became very stylish to eat with the newfangled paraphernalia ... and very cheap, too, because for everything they sold, the Earthmen always took the old ware in trade.
119. [114] What they did with the stuff had been hard to believe at first.
120. [115] They destroyed it, which proved how valueless it really was.
121. [116] The result of the new flood was that in the following year, the sale of Masur ceramic table service dropped to less than a tenth.
122. [117] Trembling with excitement at this news from their book-keeper, Koltan called an emergency meeting.
123. [118] He even routed old Kalrab out of his senile stupor for the occasion, on the off chance that the old man might still have a little wit left that could be helpful.
124. [119] "Note," Koltan announced in a shaky voice, "that the Earthmen undermine our business," and he read off the figures.
125. [120] "Perhaps," said Zotul, "it is a good thing also, as you said before, and will result in something even better for us."
126. [121] Koltan frowned, and Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
127. [122] "They are replacing our high-quality ceramic ware with inferior terrestrial junk," Koltan went on bitterly.
128. [123] "It is only the glamor that sells it, of course, but before the people get the shine out of their eyes, we can be ruined."
129. [124] The brothers discussed the situation for an hour, and all the while Father Kalrab sat and pulled his scanty whiskers.
130. [125] Seeing that they got nowhere with their wrangle, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
131. [126] "My sons, you forget it is not the Earthmen themselves at the bottom of your trouble, but the things of Earth.
132. [127] Think of the telegraph and the newspaper, how these spread news of every shipment from Earth.
133. [128] The merchandise of the Earthmen is put up for sale by means of these newspapers, which also are the property of the Earthmen.
134. [129] The people are intrigued by these advertisements, as they are called, and flock to buy.
135. [130] Now, if you would pull a tooth from the kwi that bites you, you might also have advertisements of your own."
136. [131] Alas for that suggestion, no newspaper would accept advertising from the House of Masur; all available space was occupied by the advertisements of the Earthmen.
137. [132] In their dozenth conference since that first and fateful one, the brothers Masur decided upon drastic steps.
138. [133] In the meantime, several things had happened.
139. [134] For one, old Kalrab had passed on to his immortal rest, but this made no real difference.
140. [135] For another, the Earthmen had procured legal authority to prospect the planet for metals, of which they found a good deal, but they told no one on Zur of this.
141. [136] What they did mention was the crude oil and natural gas they discovered in the underlayers of the planet's crust.
142. [137] Crews of Zurians, working under supervision of the Earthmen, laid pipelines from the gas and oil regions to every major and minor city on Zur.
|
What is the relationship between Zotul and the rest of the brothers? | [
"Each of the six brothers of the Masur business has their own specialty; a director, treasurer, vice-chief, sales manager, export chief, and Zotul, their designer. Despite their equal roles in the business, Zotul is the youngest brother, and for this reason is mistreated. In meetings and conferences, he is rarely allowed to speak without being scolded, and his input is never taken seriously. Zotul also experiences beatings by his brothers regularly. Even though Zotul experiences this treatment, the brothers still expect him to carry the weight of responsibilities for them, such as meeting with Broderick.",
"Zotul and his 5 brothers have a hierarchal type of relationship. It does appear to be a loving nor welcoming familial relationship. Zotul is the youngest of his brothers and as tradition is expected to not talk unless spoken to and to enthusiastically agree with the decisions of his elders. Whenever Zotul does break these social traditions, he is physically beaten by his brothers. Zotul does not like the beatings but accepts them as another reality of his life.",
"Zotul and his brothers have a rocky relationship. Whenever the brothers are frustrated or upset, they beat him. They also tell him to stop speaking when his opinion is not needed. When it comes to business, however, the brothers get along. Koltan and Zotul work together to put the new ceramic stove into production. The brothers are also happy when Zotul brings them the papers to sign from Broderick, and they all enjoy the luxuries of the Easy Payment Plan. Whenever there is a problem, such as being unable to meet Payments, they will blame it all on Zotul and tell him to go deal with the problem.",
"The family is organized in a way of hierarchy, where age gives power. All of the brothers have positions and shares in business, also according to the age. As Zotul is the youngest, he has the least rank and importance. During the meetings he is supposed to listen with admiration to the eldest. He can't share his thoughts when he is not asked to. Otherwise, he is beaten badly, which scares him. He is also given all the orders and is used as a negotiator. He does all the time-consuming tasks like to complain."
] | [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
[4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
[5] Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
[6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
[7] At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
[8] Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design.
[9] "Behold, my sons," said Kalrab, stroking his scanty beard.
[10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
[11] Remember the clay.
[12] It is our strength and our fortune.
[13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
[14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
[15] "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude.
[16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
[17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
[18] By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not.
[19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
[20] Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel.
[21] His people were active in the matter and that was enough for him.
[22] He would report when the time was ripe.
[23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship.
[24] We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
[25] Such frank expression of motive was unheard of, even in the secret conclave of conference.
[26] Only the speaker's youth could account for it.
[27] The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan.
[28] "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it.
[29] Meantime, remember your position in the family."
[30] Zotul bowed his head meekly, but he burned with resentment.
[31] "Listen to the boy," said the aged father.
[32] "There is more wisdom in his head than in all the rest of you.
[33] Forget the Earthmen and think only of the clay."
[34] Zotul did not appreciate his father's approval, for it only earned him a beating as soon as the old man went to bed.
[35] It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires.
[36] However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did.
[37] Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen.
[38] If it was impossible to hope for much in the way of metal from the Earthmen, what could one get from them?
[39] If he could figure this problem out, he might rise somewhat in the estimation of his brothers.
[40] That wouldn't take him out of the rank of scapegoat, of course, but the beatings might become fewer and less severe.
[41] By and by, the Earthmen came to Lor, flying through the air in strange metal contraptions.
[42] They paraded through the tile-paved streets of the city, marveled here, as they had in Thorabia, at the buildings all of tile inside and out, and made a great show of themselves for all the people to see.
[43] Speeches were made through interpreters, who had much too quickly learned the tongue of the aliens; hence these left much to be desired in the way of clarity, though their sincerity was evident.
[44] The Earthmen were going to do great things for the whole world of Zur.
[45] It required but the cooperation—an excellent word, that—of all Zurians, and many blessings would rain down from the skies.
[46] This, in effect, was what the Earthmen had to say.
[47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
[48] There was also some talk going around about agreements made between the Earthmen and officials of the Lorian government, but you heard one thing one day and another the next.
[49] Accurate reporting, much less a newspaper, was unknown on Zur.
[50] Finally, the Earthmen took off in their great, shining ship.
[51] Obviously, none had succeeded in chiseling them out of it, if, indeed, any had tried.
[52] The anti-Earthmen Faction—in any culture complex, there is always an "anti" faction to protest any movement of endeavor—crowed happily that the Earthmen were gone for good, and a good thing, too.
[53] Such jubilation proved premature, however.
[54] One day, a fleet of ships arrived and after they had landed all over the planet, Zur was practically acrawl with Earthmen.
[55] Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control.
[56] The object of the visit was trade.
[57] In spite of the fact that a terrestrial ship had landed at every Zurian city of major and minor importance, and all in a single day, it took some time for the news to spread.
[58] The first awareness Zotul had was that, upon coming home from the pottery one evening, he found his wife Lania proudly brandishing an aluminum pot at him.
[59] "What is that thing?"
[60] he asked curiously.
[61] "A pot.
[62] I bought it at the market."
[63] "Did you now?
[64] Well, take it back.
[65] Am I made of money that you spend my substance for some fool's product of precious metal?
[66] Take it back, I say!"
[67] The pretty young wife laughed at him.
[68] "Up to your ears in clay, no wonder you hear nothing of news!
[69] The pot is very cheap.
[70] The Earthmen are selling them everywhere.
[71] They're much better than our old clay pots; they're light and easy to handle and they don't break when dropped."
[72] "What good is it?"
[73] asked Zotul, interested.
[74] "How will it hold heat, being so light?"
[75] "The Earthmen don't cook as we do," she explained patiently.
[76] "There is a paper with each pot that explains how it is used.
[77] And you will have to design a new ceramic stove for me to use the pots on."
[78] "Don't be idiotic!
[79] Do you suppose Koltan would agree to produce a new type of stove when the old has sold well for centuries?
[80] Besides, why do you need a whole new stove for one little pot?"
[81] "A dozen pots.
[82] They come in sets and are cheaper that way.
[83] And Koltan will have to produce the new stove because all the housewives are buying these pots and there will be a big demand for it.
[84] The Earthman said so."
[85] "He did, did he?
[86] These pots are only a fad.
[87] You will soon enough go back to cooking with your old ones."
[88] "The Earthman took them in trade—one reason why the new ones are so cheap.
[89] There isn't a pot in the house but these metal ones, and you will have to design and produce a new stove if you expect me to use them."
[90] After he had beaten his wife thoroughly for her foolishness, Zotul stamped off in a rage and designed a new ceramic stove, one that would accommodate the terrestrial pots very well.
[91] And Koltan put the model into production.
[92] "Orders already are pouring in like mad," he said the next day.
[93] "It was wise of you to foresee it and have the design ready.
[94] Already, I am sorry for thinking as I did about the Earthmen.
[95] They really intend to do well by us."
[96] The kilns of the Pottery of Masur fired day and night to keep up with the demand for the new porcelain stoves.
[97] In three years, more than a million had been made and sold by the Masurs alone, not counting the hundreds of thousands of copies turned out by competitors in every land.
[98] In the meantime, however, more things than pots came from Earth.
[99] One was a printing press, the like of which none on Zur had ever dreamed.
[100] This, for some unknown reason and much to the disgust of the Lorians, was set up in Thorabia.
[101] Books and magazines poured from it in a fantastic stream.
[102] The populace fervidly brushed up on its scanty reading ability and bought everything available, overcome by the novelty of it.
[103] Even Zotul bought a book—a primer in the Lorian language—and learned how to read and write.
[104] The remainder of the brothers Masur, on the other hand, preferred to remain in ignorance.
[105] Moreover, the Earthmen brought miles of copper wire—more than enough in value to buy out the governorship of any country on Zur—and set up telegraph lines from country to country and continent to continent.
[106] Within five years of the first landing of the Earthmen, every major city on the globe had a printing press, a daily newspaper, and enjoyed the instantaneous transmission of news via telegraph.
[107] And the business of the House of Masur continued to look up.
[108] "As I have always said from the beginning," chortled Director Koltan, "this coming of the Earthmen had been a great thing for us, and especially for the House of Masur."
[109] "You didn't think so at first," Zotul pointed out, and was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
[110] It would do no good, Zotul realized, to bring up the fact that their production of ceramic cooking pots had dropped off to about two per cent of its former volume.
[111] Of course, profits on the line of new stoves greatly overbalanced the loss, so that actually they were ahead; but their business was now dependent upon the supply of the metal pots from Earth.
[112] About this time, plastic utensils—dishes, cups, knives, forks—made their appearance on Zur.
[113] It became very stylish to eat with the newfangled paraphernalia ... and very cheap, too, because for everything they sold, the Earthmen always took the old ware in trade.
[114] What they did with the stuff had been hard to believe at first.
[115] They destroyed it, which proved how valueless it really was.
[116] The result of the new flood was that in the following year, the sale of Masur ceramic table service dropped to less than a tenth.
[117] Trembling with excitement at this news from their book-keeper, Koltan called an emergency meeting.
[118] He even routed old Kalrab out of his senile stupor for the occasion, on the off chance that the old man might still have a little wit left that could be helpful.
[119] "Note," Koltan announced in a shaky voice, "that the Earthmen undermine our business," and he read off the figures.
[120] "Perhaps," said Zotul, "it is a good thing also, as you said before, and will result in something even better for us."
[121] Koltan frowned, and Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
[122] "They are replacing our high-quality ceramic ware with inferior terrestrial junk," Koltan went on bitterly.
[123] "It is only the glamor that sells it, of course, but before the people get the shine out of their eyes, we can be ruined."
[124] The brothers discussed the situation for an hour, and all the while Father Kalrab sat and pulled his scanty whiskers.
[125] Seeing that they got nowhere with their wrangle, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
[126] "My sons, you forget it is not the Earthmen themselves at the bottom of your trouble, but the things of Earth.
[127] Think of the telegraph and the newspaper, how these spread news of every shipment from Earth.
[128] The merchandise of the Earthmen is put up for sale by means of these newspapers, which also are the property of the Earthmen.
[129] The people are intrigued by these advertisements, as they are called, and flock to buy.
[130] Now, if you would pull a tooth from the kwi that bites you, you might also have advertisements of your own."
[131] Alas for that suggestion, no newspaper would accept advertising from the House of Masur; all available space was occupied by the advertisements of the Earthmen.
[132] In their dozenth conference since that first and fateful one, the brothers Masur decided upon drastic steps.
[133] In the meantime, several things had happened.
[134] For one, old Kalrab had passed on to his immortal rest, but this made no real difference.
[135] For another, the Earthmen had procured legal authority to prospect the planet for metals, of which they found a good deal, but they told no one on Zur of this.
[136] What they did mention was the crude oil and natural gas they discovered in the underlayers of the planet's crust.
[137] Crews of Zurians, working under supervision of the Earthmen, laid pipelines from the gas and oil regions to every major and minor city on Zur.
[138] By the time ten years had passed since the landing of the first terrestrial ship, the Earthmen were conducting a brisk business in gas-fired ranges, furnaces and heaters ... and the Masur stove business was gone.
[139] Moreover, the Earthmen sold the Zurians their own natural gas at a nice profit and everybody was happy with the situation except the brothers Masur.
[140] The drastic steps of the brothers applied, therefore, to making an energetic protest to the governor of Lor.
[141] At one edge of the city, an area had been turned over to the Earthmen for a spaceport, and the great terrestrial spaceships came to it and departed from it at regular intervals.
[142] As the heirs of the House of Masur walked by on their way to see the governor, Zotul observed that much new building was taking place and wondered what it was.
[143] "Some new devilment of the Earthmen, you can be sure," said Koltan blackly.
[144] In fact, the Earthmen were building an assembly plant for radio receiving sets.
[145] The ship now standing on its fins upon the apron was loaded with printed circuits, resistors, variable condensers and other radio parts.
[146] This was Earth's first step toward flooding Zur with the natural follow-up in its campaign of advertising—radio programs—with commercials.
[147] Happily for the brothers, they did not understand this at the time or they would surely have gone back to be buried in their own clay.
[148] "I think," the governor told them, "that you gentlemen have not paused to consider the affair from all angles.
[149] You must learn to be modern—keep up with the times!
[150] We heads of government on Zur are doing all in our power to aid the Earthmen and facilitate their bringing a great, new culture that can only benefit us.
[151] See how Zur has changed in ten short years!
[152] Imagine the world of tomorrow!
[153] Why, do you know they are even bringing autos to Zur!"
[154] The brothers were fascinated with the governor's description of these hitherto unheard-of vehicles.
[155] "It only remains," concluded the governor, "to build highways, and the Earthmen are taking care of that."
[156] At any rate, the brothers Masur were still able to console themselves that they had their tile business.
[157] Tile served well enough for houses and street surfacing; what better material could be devised for the new highways the governor spoke of?
[158] There was a lot of money to be made yet.
[159] Radio stations went up all over Zur and began broadcasting.
[160] The people bought receiving sets like mad.
[161] The automobiles arrived and highways were constructed.
[162] The last hope of the brothers was dashed.
[163] The Earthmen set up plants and began to manufacture Portland cement.
[164] You could build a house of concrete much cheaper than with tile.
[165] Of course, since wood was scarce on Zur, it was no competition for either tile or concrete.
[166] Concrete floors were smoother, too, and the stuff made far better road surfacing.
[167] The demand for Masur tile hit rock bottom.
[168] The next time the brothers went to see the governor, he said, "I cannot handle such complaints as yours.
[169] I must refer you to the Merchandising Council."
[170] "What is that?"
[171] asked Koltan.
[172] "It is an Earthman association that deals with complaints such as yours.
[173] In the matter of material progress, we must expect some strain in the fabric of our culture.
[174] Machinery has been set up to deal with it.
[175] Here is their address; go air your troubles to them."
[176] The business of a formal complaint was turned over by the brothers to Zotul.
[177] It took three weeks for the Earthmen to get around to calling him in, as a representative of the Pottery of Masur, for an interview.
[178] All the brothers could no longer be spared from the plant, even for the purpose of pressing a complaint.
[179] Their days of idle wealth over, they had to get in and work with the clay with the rest of the help.
[180] Zotul found the headquarters of the Merchandising Council as indicated on their message.
[181] He had not been this way in some time, but was not surprised to find that a number of old buildings had been torn down to make room for the concrete Council House and a roomy parking lot, paved with something called "blacktop" and jammed with an array of glittering new automobiles.
[182] An automobile was an expense none of the brothers could afford, now that they barely eked a living from the pottery.
[183] Still, Zotul ached with desire at sight of so many shiny cars.
[184] Only a few had them and they were the envied ones of Zur.
[185] Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council, shook hands jovially with Zotul.
[186] That alien custom conformed with, Zotul took a better look at his host.
[187] Broderick was an affable, smiling individual with genial laugh wrinkles at his eyes.
[188] A man of middle age, dressed in the baggy costume of Zur, he looked almost like a Zurian, except for an indefinite sense of alienness about him.
[189] "Glad to have you call on us, Mr. Masur," boomed the Earthman, clapping Zotul on the back.
[190] "Just tell us your troubles and we'll have you straightened out in no time."
[191] All the chill recriminations and arguments Zotul had stored for this occasion were dissipated in the warmth of the Earthman's manner.
[192] Almost apologetically, Zotul told of the encroachment that had been made upon the business of the Pottery of Masur.
[193] "Once," he said formally, "the Masur fortune was the greatest in the world of Zur.
[194] That was before my father, the famous Kalrab Masur—Divinity protect him—departed this life to collect his greater reward.
[195] He often told us, my father did, that the clay is the flesh and bones of our culture and our fortune.
[196] Now it has been shown how prone is the flesh to corruption and how feeble the bones.
[197] We are ruined, and all because of new things coming from Earth."
[198] Broderick stroked his shaven chin and looked sad.
[199] "Why didn't you come to me sooner?
[200] This would never have happened.
[201] But now that it has, we're going to do right by you.
[202] That is the policy of Earth—always to do right by the customer."
[203] "Divinity witness," Zorin said, "that we ask only compensation for damages."
[204] Broderick shook his head.
[205] "It is not possible to replace an immense fortune at this late date.
[206] As I said, you should have reported your trouble sooner.
[207] However, we can give you an opportunity to rebuild.
[208] Do you own an automobile?"
[209] "No."
[210] "A gas range?
[211] A gas-fired furnace?
[212] A radio?"
[213] Zotul had to answer no to all except the radio.
[214] "My wife Lania likes the music," he explained.
[215] "I cannot afford the other things."
[216] Broderick clucked sympathetically.
[217] One who could not afford the bargain-priced merchandise of Earth must be poor indeed.
[218] "To begin with," he said, "I am going to make you a gift of all these luxuries you do not have."
[219] As Zotul made to protest, he cut him off with a wave of his hand.
[220] "It is the least we can do for you.
[221] Pick a car from the lot outside.
[222] I will arrange to have the other things delivered and installed in your home."
[223] "To receive gifts," said Zotul, "incurs an obligation."
[224] "None at all," beamed the Earthman cheerily.
[225] "Every item is given to you absolutely free—a gift from the people of Earth.
[226] All we ask is that you pay the freight charges on the items.
[227] Our purpose is not to make profit, but to spread technology and prosperity throughout the Galaxy.
[228] We have already done well on numerous worlds, but working out the full program takes time."
[229] He chuckled deeply.
[230] "We of Earth have a saying about one of our extremely slow-moving native animals.
[231] We say, 'Slow is the tortoise, but sure.'
[232] And so with us.
[233] Our goal is a long-range one, with the motto, 'Better times with better merchandise.'"
[234] The engaging manner of the man won Zotul's confidence.
[235] After all, it was no more than fair to pay transportation.
[236] He said, "How much does the freight cost?"
[237] Broderick told him.
[238] "It may seem high," said the Earthman, "but remember that Earth is sixty-odd light-years away.
[239] After all, we are absorbing the cost of the merchandise.
[240] All you pay is the freight, which is cheap, considering the cost of operating an interstellar spaceship."
[241] "Impossible," said Zotul drably.
[242] "Not I and all my brothers together have so much money any more."
[243] "You don't know us of Earth very well yet, but you will.
[244] I offer you credit!"
[245] "What is that?"
[246] asked Zotul skeptically.
[247] "It is how the poor are enabled to enjoy all the luxuries of the rich," said Broderick, and went on to give a thumbnail sketch of the involutions and devolutions of credit, leaving out some angles that might have had a discouraging effect.
[248] On a world where credit was a totally new concept, it was enchanting.
[249] Zotul grasped at the glittering promise with avidity.
[250] "What must I do to get credit?"
[251] "Just sign this paper," said Broderick, "and you become part of our Easy Payment Plan."
[252] Zotul drew back.
[253] "I have five brothers.
[254] If I took all these things for myself and nothing for them, they would beat me black and blue."
[255] "Here."
[256] Broderick handed him a sheaf of chattel mortgages.
[257] "Have each of your brothers sign one of these, then bring them back to me.
[258] That is all there is to it."
[259] It sounded wonderful.
[260] But how would the brothers take it?
[261] Zotul wrestled with his misgivings and the misgivings won.
[262] "I will talk it over with them," he said.
[263] "Give me the total so I will have the figures."
[264] The total was more than it ought to be by simple addition.
[265] Zotul pointed this out politely.
[266] "Interest," Broderick explained.
[267] "A mere fifteen per cent.
[268] After all, you get the merchandise free.
[269] The transportation company has to be paid, so another company loans you the money to pay for the freight.
[270] This small extra sum pays the lending company for its trouble."
[271] "I see."
[272] Zotul puzzled over it sadly.
[273] "It is too much," he said.
[274] "Our plant doesn't make enough money for us to meet the payments."
[275] "I have a surprise for you," smiled Broderick.
[276] "Here is a contract.
[277] You will start making ceramic parts for automobile spark plugs and certain parts for radios and gas ranges.
[278] It is our policy to encourage local manufacture to help bring prices down."
[279] "We haven't the equipment."
[280] "We will equip your plant," beamed Broderick.
[281] "It will require only a quarter interest in your plant itself, assigned to our terrestrial company."
[282] Zotul, anxious to possess the treasures promised by the Earthman, won over his brothers.
[283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
[284] They rolled in the luxuries of Earth.
[285] These, who had never known debt before, were in it up to their ears.
[286] The retooled plant forged ahead and profits began to look up, but the Earthmen took a fourth of them as their share in the industry.
[287] For a year, the brothers drove their shiny new cars about on the new concrete highways the Earthmen had built.
[288] From pumps owned by a terrestrial company, they bought gas and oil that had been drawn from the crust of Zur and was sold to the Zurians at a magnificent profit.
[289] The food they ate was cooked in Earthly pots on Earth-type gas ranges, served up on metal plates that had been stamped out on Earth.
[290] In the winter, they toasted their shins before handsome gas grates, though they had gas-fired central heating.
[291] About this time, the ships from Earth brought steam-powered electric generators.
[292] Lines went up, power was generated, and a flood of electrical gadgets and appliances hit the market.
[293] For some reason, batteries for the radios were no longer available and everybody had to buy the new radios.
[294] And who could do without a radio in this modern age?
[295] The homes of the brothers Masur blossomed on the Easy Payment Plan.
[296] They had refrigerators, washers, driers, toasters, grills, electric fans, air-conditioning equipment and everything else Earth could possibly sell them.
[297] "We will be forty years paying it all off," exulted Zotul, "but meantime we have the things and aren't they worth it?"
[298] But at the end of three years, the Earthmen dropped their option.
[299] The Pottery of Masur had no more contracts.
[300] Business languished.
[301] The Earthmen, explained Broderick, had built a plant of their own because it was so much more efficient—and to lower prices, which was Earth's unswerving policy, greater and greater efficiency was demanded.
[302] Broderick was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do.
[303] The introduction of television provided a further calamity.
[304] The sets were delicate and needed frequent repairs, hence were costly to own and maintain.
[305] But all Zurians who had to keep up with the latest from Earth had them.
[306] Now it was possible not only to hear about things of Earth, but to see them as they were broadcast from the video tapes.
[307] The printing plants that turned out mortgage contracts did a lush business.
[308] For the common people of Zur, times were good everywhere.
[309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
[310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
[311] The brothers Masur got along in spite of dropped options.
[312] They had less money and felt the pinch of their debts more keenly, but television kept their wives and children amused and furnished an anodyne for the pangs of impoverishment.
[313] The pottery income dropped to an impossible low, no matter how Zotul designed and the brothers produced.
[314] Their figurines and religious ikons were a drug on the market.
[315] The Earthmen made them of plastic and sold them for less.
[316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
[317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
[318] "Go see Broderick.
[319] Tell him we are undone and must have some contracts to continue operating."
[320] Nursing bruises, Zotul unhappily went to the Council House again.
[321] Mr. Broderick was no longer with them, a suave assistant informed him.
[322] Would he like to see Mr. Siwicki instead?
[323] Zotul would.
[324] Siwicki was tall, thin, dark and somber-looking.
[325] There was even a hint of toughness about the set of his jaw and the hardness of his glance.
[326] "So you can't pay," he said, tapping his teeth with a pencil.
[327] He looked at Zotul coldly.
[328] "It is well you have come to us instead of making it necessary for us to approach you through the courts."
[329] "I don't know what you mean," said Zotul.
[330] "If we have to sue, we take back the merchandise and everything attached to them.
[331] That means you would lose your houses, for they are attached to the furnaces.
[332] However, it is not as bad as that—yet.
[333] We will only require you to assign the remaining three-quarters of your pottery to us."
[334] The brothers, when they heard of this, were too stunned to think of beating Zotul, by which he assumed he had progressed a little and was somewhat comforted.
[335] "To fail," said Koltan soberly, "is not a Masur attribute.
[336] Go to the governor and tell him what we think of this business.
[337] The House of Masur has long supported the government with heavy taxes.
[338] Now it is time for the government to do something for us."
[339] The governor's palace was jammed with hurrying people, a scene of confusion that upset Zotul.
[340] The clerk who took his application for an interview was, he noticed only vaguely, a young Earthwoman.
[341] It was remarkable that he paid so little attention, for the female terrestrials were picked for physical assets that made Zurian men covetous and Zurian women envious.
[342] "The governor will see you," she said sweetly.
[343] "He has been expecting you."
[344] "Me?"
[345] marveled Zotul.
[346] She ushered him into the magnificent private office of the governor of Lor.
[347] The man behind the desk stood up, extended his hand with a friendly smile.
[348] "Come in, come in!
[349] I'm glad to see you again."
[350] Zotul stared blankly.
[351] This was not the governor.
[352] This was Broderick, the Earthman.
[353] "I—I came to see the governor," he said in confusion.
[354] Broderick nodded agreeably.
[355] "I am the governor and I am well acquainted with your case, Mr. Masur.
[356] Shall we talk it over?
[357] Please sit down."
[358] "I don't understand.
[359] The Earthmen...." Zotul paused, coloring.
[360] "We are about to lose our plant."
[361] "You were about to say that the Earthmen are taking your plant away from you.
[362] That is true.
[363] Since the House of Masur was the largest and richest on Zur, it has taken a long time—the longest of all, in fact."
[364] "What do you mean?"
[365] "Yours is the last business on Zur to be taken over by us.
[366] We have bought you out."
[367] "Our government...." "Your governments belong to us, too," said Broderick.
[368] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
[369] "You mean," exclaimed Zotul, aghast, "that you Earthmen own everything on Zur?"
[370] "Even your armies."
[371] "But why ?"
[372] Broderick clasped his hands behind back, went to the window and stared down moodily into the street.
[373] "You don't know what an overcrowded world is like," he said.
[374] "A street like this, with so few people and vehicles on it, would be impossible on Earth."
[375] "But it's mobbed," protested Zotul.
[376] "It gave me a headache."
[377] "And to us it's almost empty.
[378] The pressure of population on Earth has made us range the Galaxy for places to put our extra people.
[379] The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones.
[380] We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
[381] "And after that?"
[382] Broderick smiled gently.
[383] "Zur will grow.
[384] Our people will intermarry with yours.
[385] The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
[386] Zotul sat in silent thought.
[387] "But you did not have to buy us out.
[388] You had the power to conquer us, even to destroy us.
[389] The whole planet could have been yours alone."
[390] He stopped in alarm.
[391] "Or am I suggesting an idea that didn't occur to you?"
[392] "No," said Broderick, his usually smiling face almost pained with memory.
[393] "We know the history of conquest all too well.
[394] Our method causes more distress than we like to inflict, but it's better—and more sure—than war and invasion by force.
[395] Now that the unpleasant job is finished, we can repair the dislocations."
[396] "At last I understand what you said about the tortoise."
[397] "Slow but sure."
[398] Broderick beamed again and clapped Zotul on the shoulder.
[399] "Don't worry.
[400] You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners.
[401] That's why we had to break down your caste system."
[402] Zotul's eyes widened.
[403] "And that is why my brothers did not beat me when I failed!"
[404] "Of course.
[405] Are you ready now to take the assignment papers for you and your brothers to sign?"
[406] "Yes," said Zotul.
[407] "I am ready." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the relationship between Zotul and the rest of the brothers?":
1. [34] Zotul did not appreciate his father's approval, for it only earned him a beating as soon as the old man went to bed.
2. [35] It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires.
3. [36] However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did.
4. [109] Zotul was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
5. [120] Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
6. [283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
7. [316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
8. [317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
9. [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.
10. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
11. [3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
12. [4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
13. [5] Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
14. [6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
15. [7] At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
16. [8] Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design.
17. [9] "Behold, my sons," said Kalrab, stroking his scanty beard.
18. [10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
19. [11] Remember the clay.
20. [12] It is our strength and our fortune.
21. [13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
22. [14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
23. [15] "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude.
24. [16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
25. [17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
26. [18] By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not.
27. [19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
28. [20] Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel.
29. [21] His people were active in the matter and that was enough for him.
30. [22] He would report when the time was ripe.
31. [23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship.
32. [24] We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
33. [25] Such frank expression of motive was unheard of, even in the secret conclave of conference.
34. [26] Only the speaker's youth could account for it.
35. [27] The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan.
36. [28] "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it.
37. [29] Meantime, remember your position in the family."
38. [30] Zotul bowed his head meekly, but he burned with resentment.
39. [31] "Listen to the boy," said the aged father.
40. [32] "There is more wisdom in his head than in all the rest of you.
41. [33] Forget the Earthmen and think only of the clay."
42. [37] Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen.
43. [47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
44. [90] After he had beaten his wife thoroughly for her foolishness, Zotul stamped off in a rage and designed a new ceramic stove, one that would accommodate the terrestrial pots very well.
45. [91] And Koltan put the model into production.
46. [92] "Orders already are pouring in like mad," he said the next day.
47. [93] "It was wise of you to foresee it and have the design ready.
48. [94] Already, I am sorry for thinking as I did about the Earthmen.
49. [95] They really intend to do well by us."
50. [103] Even Zotul bought a book—a primer in the Lorian language—and learned how to read and write.
51. [104] The remainder of the brothers Masur, on the other hand, preferred to remain in ignorance.
52. [109] "You didn't think so at first," Zotul pointed out, and was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
53. [120] "Perhaps," said Zotul, "it is a good thing also, as you said before, and will result in something even better for us."
54. [121] Koltan frowned, and Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
55. [283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
56. [316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
57. [317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists. |
Where does the story take place? | [
"The story takes place in Zur, a region within Lor, on a foreign planet. There is a neighboring region, Thorabia, often seen as a rival. Zur is initially a mellow city, made of clay and tile. However, once Earth begins overtaking Zur, the city becomes more crowded and filled with large, corporate buildings, made of cement and metal. Much of the story occurs within the office of the Masur family business, as well as the governor's building, and the office of the Merchandising Council.",
"The story takes place on the world of Zur. On Zur, there are many different cities. At the beginning of the story, the House of Masur brothers and their father are sitting around a table discussing the Earthmen and their valuable ship. The city that the House of Masur resides in is known as Lor. The primary setting of the story is different locations or cities on the world of Zur. The Earthmen that visit take trips from Earth on their ships through space and reach Zur after multiple light-years of travel. The story happens over the course of ten place years.",
"The story takes place on the planet of Zur. The brothers live in the city of Lor, while one of their rival cities is Thorabia. The buildings in the city are all made of tile, and the ground is paved with tile too. Many of the appliances used by the citizens are made out of ceramic. When the Earthmen come, they fly in strange metal contraptions. Ten years later, one area of the city has been turned into a spaceport for Earthmen. There are also new plants opening up for radio receiving sets and cement. Pipelines are also added, connecting every major and minor area on the planet. The governor’s palace is located in the city as well. Eventually, all of the tiles are replaced with concrete because it is cheaper. Old buildings are torn down to make room for the concrete Council House and a roomy parking lot.",
"The story takes place on the planet of Zur, especially a city called Lor. It begins at the long, shining table of the Masur family. The family is wealthy and their pottery business is prosperous. The whole planet is uncivilized and lives in a hierarchical system. Soon a large metal ship comes from Earth and parades through the city, which stuns the local people. Many more ships come soon and step by step introduce the new technologies. At first, the markets are overflowed by aluminum pots, bought by every housewife. One of those appears in Zotul's house, and he designs a new stove for it, which is soon produced by the family business. Newspapers appear in every house, then telegraphs, radio, autos and ,any other things. The city gets urbanized and the people become poor as they try to obtain all the new technologies. Concrete houses are built, gas and metals are found. Soon the Earthmen buy off all the businesses and the planet starts reminding Earth."
] | [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
[4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
[5] Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
[6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
[7] At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
[8] Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design.
[9] "Behold, my sons," said Kalrab, stroking his scanty beard.
[10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
[11] Remember the clay.
[12] It is our strength and our fortune.
[13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
[14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
[15] "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude.
[16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
[17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
[18] By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not.
[19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
[20] Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel.
[21] His people were active in the matter and that was enough for him.
[22] He would report when the time was ripe.
[23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship.
[24] We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
[25] Such frank expression of motive was unheard of, even in the secret conclave of conference.
[26] Only the speaker's youth could account for it.
[27] The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan.
[28] "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it.
[29] Meantime, remember your position in the family."
[30] Zotul bowed his head meekly, but he burned with resentment.
[31] "Listen to the boy," said the aged father.
[32] "There is more wisdom in his head than in all the rest of you.
[33] Forget the Earthmen and think only of the clay."
[34] Zotul did not appreciate his father's approval, for it only earned him a beating as soon as the old man went to bed.
[35] It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires.
[36] However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did.
[37] Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen.
[38] If it was impossible to hope for much in the way of metal from the Earthmen, what could one get from them?
[39] If he could figure this problem out, he might rise somewhat in the estimation of his brothers.
[40] That wouldn't take him out of the rank of scapegoat, of course, but the beatings might become fewer and less severe.
[41] By and by, the Earthmen came to Lor, flying through the air in strange metal contraptions.
[42] They paraded through the tile-paved streets of the city, marveled here, as they had in Thorabia, at the buildings all of tile inside and out, and made a great show of themselves for all the people to see.
[43] Speeches were made through interpreters, who had much too quickly learned the tongue of the aliens; hence these left much to be desired in the way of clarity, though their sincerity was evident.
[44] The Earthmen were going to do great things for the whole world of Zur.
[45] It required but the cooperation—an excellent word, that—of all Zurians, and many blessings would rain down from the skies.
[46] This, in effect, was what the Earthmen had to say.
[47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
[48] There was also some talk going around about agreements made between the Earthmen and officials of the Lorian government, but you heard one thing one day and another the next.
[49] Accurate reporting, much less a newspaper, was unknown on Zur.
[50] Finally, the Earthmen took off in their great, shining ship.
[51] Obviously, none had succeeded in chiseling them out of it, if, indeed, any had tried.
[52] The anti-Earthmen Faction—in any culture complex, there is always an "anti" faction to protest any movement of endeavor—crowed happily that the Earthmen were gone for good, and a good thing, too.
[53] Such jubilation proved premature, however.
[54] One day, a fleet of ships arrived and after they had landed all over the planet, Zur was practically acrawl with Earthmen.
[55] Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control.
[56] The object of the visit was trade.
[57] In spite of the fact that a terrestrial ship had landed at every Zurian city of major and minor importance, and all in a single day, it took some time for the news to spread.
[58] The first awareness Zotul had was that, upon coming home from the pottery one evening, he found his wife Lania proudly brandishing an aluminum pot at him.
[59] "What is that thing?"
[60] he asked curiously.
[61] "A pot.
[62] I bought it at the market."
[63] "Did you now?
[64] Well, take it back.
[65] Am I made of money that you spend my substance for some fool's product of precious metal?
[66] Take it back, I say!"
[67] The pretty young wife laughed at him.
[68] "Up to your ears in clay, no wonder you hear nothing of news!
[69] The pot is very cheap.
[70] The Earthmen are selling them everywhere.
[71] They're much better than our old clay pots; they're light and easy to handle and they don't break when dropped."
[72] "What good is it?"
[73] asked Zotul, interested.
[74] "How will it hold heat, being so light?"
[75] "The Earthmen don't cook as we do," she explained patiently.
[76] "There is a paper with each pot that explains how it is used.
[77] And you will have to design a new ceramic stove for me to use the pots on."
[78] "Don't be idiotic!
[79] Do you suppose Koltan would agree to produce a new type of stove when the old has sold well for centuries?
[80] Besides, why do you need a whole new stove for one little pot?"
[81] "A dozen pots.
[82] They come in sets and are cheaper that way.
[83] And Koltan will have to produce the new stove because all the housewives are buying these pots and there will be a big demand for it.
[84] The Earthman said so."
[85] "He did, did he?
[86] These pots are only a fad.
[87] You will soon enough go back to cooking with your old ones."
[88] "The Earthman took them in trade—one reason why the new ones are so cheap.
[89] There isn't a pot in the house but these metal ones, and you will have to design and produce a new stove if you expect me to use them."
[90] After he had beaten his wife thoroughly for her foolishness, Zotul stamped off in a rage and designed a new ceramic stove, one that would accommodate the terrestrial pots very well.
[91] And Koltan put the model into production.
[92] "Orders already are pouring in like mad," he said the next day.
[93] "It was wise of you to foresee it and have the design ready.
[94] Already, I am sorry for thinking as I did about the Earthmen.
[95] They really intend to do well by us."
[96] The kilns of the Pottery of Masur fired day and night to keep up with the demand for the new porcelain stoves.
[97] In three years, more than a million had been made and sold by the Masurs alone, not counting the hundreds of thousands of copies turned out by competitors in every land.
[98] In the meantime, however, more things than pots came from Earth.
[99] One was a printing press, the like of which none on Zur had ever dreamed.
[100] This, for some unknown reason and much to the disgust of the Lorians, was set up in Thorabia.
[101] Books and magazines poured from it in a fantastic stream.
[102] The populace fervidly brushed up on its scanty reading ability and bought everything available, overcome by the novelty of it.
[103] Even Zotul bought a book—a primer in the Lorian language—and learned how to read and write.
[104] The remainder of the brothers Masur, on the other hand, preferred to remain in ignorance.
[105] Moreover, the Earthmen brought miles of copper wire—more than enough in value to buy out the governorship of any country on Zur—and set up telegraph lines from country to country and continent to continent.
[106] Within five years of the first landing of the Earthmen, every major city on the globe had a printing press, a daily newspaper, and enjoyed the instantaneous transmission of news via telegraph.
[107] And the business of the House of Masur continued to look up.
[108] "As I have always said from the beginning," chortled Director Koltan, "this coming of the Earthmen had been a great thing for us, and especially for the House of Masur."
[109] "You didn't think so at first," Zotul pointed out, and was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
[110] It would do no good, Zotul realized, to bring up the fact that their production of ceramic cooking pots had dropped off to about two per cent of its former volume.
[111] Of course, profits on the line of new stoves greatly overbalanced the loss, so that actually they were ahead; but their business was now dependent upon the supply of the metal pots from Earth.
[112] About this time, plastic utensils—dishes, cups, knives, forks—made their appearance on Zur.
[113] It became very stylish to eat with the newfangled paraphernalia ... and very cheap, too, because for everything they sold, the Earthmen always took the old ware in trade.
[114] What they did with the stuff had been hard to believe at first.
[115] They destroyed it, which proved how valueless it really was.
[116] The result of the new flood was that in the following year, the sale of Masur ceramic table service dropped to less than a tenth.
[117] Trembling with excitement at this news from their book-keeper, Koltan called an emergency meeting.
[118] He even routed old Kalrab out of his senile stupor for the occasion, on the off chance that the old man might still have a little wit left that could be helpful.
[119] "Note," Koltan announced in a shaky voice, "that the Earthmen undermine our business," and he read off the figures.
[120] "Perhaps," said Zotul, "it is a good thing also, as you said before, and will result in something even better for us."
[121] Koltan frowned, and Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
[122] "They are replacing our high-quality ceramic ware with inferior terrestrial junk," Koltan went on bitterly.
[123] "It is only the glamor that sells it, of course, but before the people get the shine out of their eyes, we can be ruined."
[124] The brothers discussed the situation for an hour, and all the while Father Kalrab sat and pulled his scanty whiskers.
[125] Seeing that they got nowhere with their wrangle, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
[126] "My sons, you forget it is not the Earthmen themselves at the bottom of your trouble, but the things of Earth.
[127] Think of the telegraph and the newspaper, how these spread news of every shipment from Earth.
[128] The merchandise of the Earthmen is put up for sale by means of these newspapers, which also are the property of the Earthmen.
[129] The people are intrigued by these advertisements, as they are called, and flock to buy.
[130] Now, if you would pull a tooth from the kwi that bites you, you might also have advertisements of your own."
[131] Alas for that suggestion, no newspaper would accept advertising from the House of Masur; all available space was occupied by the advertisements of the Earthmen.
[132] In their dozenth conference since that first and fateful one, the brothers Masur decided upon drastic steps.
[133] In the meantime, several things had happened.
[134] For one, old Kalrab had passed on to his immortal rest, but this made no real difference.
[135] For another, the Earthmen had procured legal authority to prospect the planet for metals, of which they found a good deal, but they told no one on Zur of this.
[136] What they did mention was the crude oil and natural gas they discovered in the underlayers of the planet's crust.
[137] Crews of Zurians, working under supervision of the Earthmen, laid pipelines from the gas and oil regions to every major and minor city on Zur.
[138] By the time ten years had passed since the landing of the first terrestrial ship, the Earthmen were conducting a brisk business in gas-fired ranges, furnaces and heaters ... and the Masur stove business was gone.
[139] Moreover, the Earthmen sold the Zurians their own natural gas at a nice profit and everybody was happy with the situation except the brothers Masur.
[140] The drastic steps of the brothers applied, therefore, to making an energetic protest to the governor of Lor.
[141] At one edge of the city, an area had been turned over to the Earthmen for a spaceport, and the great terrestrial spaceships came to it and departed from it at regular intervals.
[142] As the heirs of the House of Masur walked by on their way to see the governor, Zotul observed that much new building was taking place and wondered what it was.
[143] "Some new devilment of the Earthmen, you can be sure," said Koltan blackly.
[144] In fact, the Earthmen were building an assembly plant for radio receiving sets.
[145] The ship now standing on its fins upon the apron was loaded with printed circuits, resistors, variable condensers and other radio parts.
[146] This was Earth's first step toward flooding Zur with the natural follow-up in its campaign of advertising—radio programs—with commercials.
[147] Happily for the brothers, they did not understand this at the time or they would surely have gone back to be buried in their own clay.
[148] "I think," the governor told them, "that you gentlemen have not paused to consider the affair from all angles.
[149] You must learn to be modern—keep up with the times!
[150] We heads of government on Zur are doing all in our power to aid the Earthmen and facilitate their bringing a great, new culture that can only benefit us.
[151] See how Zur has changed in ten short years!
[152] Imagine the world of tomorrow!
[153] Why, do you know they are even bringing autos to Zur!"
[154] The brothers were fascinated with the governor's description of these hitherto unheard-of vehicles.
[155] "It only remains," concluded the governor, "to build highways, and the Earthmen are taking care of that."
[156] At any rate, the brothers Masur were still able to console themselves that they had their tile business.
[157] Tile served well enough for houses and street surfacing; what better material could be devised for the new highways the governor spoke of?
[158] There was a lot of money to be made yet.
[159] Radio stations went up all over Zur and began broadcasting.
[160] The people bought receiving sets like mad.
[161] The automobiles arrived and highways were constructed.
[162] The last hope of the brothers was dashed.
[163] The Earthmen set up plants and began to manufacture Portland cement.
[164] You could build a house of concrete much cheaper than with tile.
[165] Of course, since wood was scarce on Zur, it was no competition for either tile or concrete.
[166] Concrete floors were smoother, too, and the stuff made far better road surfacing.
[167] The demand for Masur tile hit rock bottom.
[168] The next time the brothers went to see the governor, he said, "I cannot handle such complaints as yours.
[169] I must refer you to the Merchandising Council."
[170] "What is that?"
[171] asked Koltan.
[172] "It is an Earthman association that deals with complaints such as yours.
[173] In the matter of material progress, we must expect some strain in the fabric of our culture.
[174] Machinery has been set up to deal with it.
[175] Here is their address; go air your troubles to them."
[176] The business of a formal complaint was turned over by the brothers to Zotul.
[177] It took three weeks for the Earthmen to get around to calling him in, as a representative of the Pottery of Masur, for an interview.
[178] All the brothers could no longer be spared from the plant, even for the purpose of pressing a complaint.
[179] Their days of idle wealth over, they had to get in and work with the clay with the rest of the help.
[180] Zotul found the headquarters of the Merchandising Council as indicated on their message.
[181] He had not been this way in some time, but was not surprised to find that a number of old buildings had been torn down to make room for the concrete Council House and a roomy parking lot, paved with something called "blacktop" and jammed with an array of glittering new automobiles.
[182] An automobile was an expense none of the brothers could afford, now that they barely eked a living from the pottery.
[183] Still, Zotul ached with desire at sight of so many shiny cars.
[184] Only a few had them and they were the envied ones of Zur.
[185] Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council, shook hands jovially with Zotul.
[186] That alien custom conformed with, Zotul took a better look at his host.
[187] Broderick was an affable, smiling individual with genial laugh wrinkles at his eyes.
[188] A man of middle age, dressed in the baggy costume of Zur, he looked almost like a Zurian, except for an indefinite sense of alienness about him.
[189] "Glad to have you call on us, Mr. Masur," boomed the Earthman, clapping Zotul on the back.
[190] "Just tell us your troubles and we'll have you straightened out in no time."
[191] All the chill recriminations and arguments Zotul had stored for this occasion were dissipated in the warmth of the Earthman's manner.
[192] Almost apologetically, Zotul told of the encroachment that had been made upon the business of the Pottery of Masur.
[193] "Once," he said formally, "the Masur fortune was the greatest in the world of Zur.
[194] That was before my father, the famous Kalrab Masur—Divinity protect him—departed this life to collect his greater reward.
[195] He often told us, my father did, that the clay is the flesh and bones of our culture and our fortune.
[196] Now it has been shown how prone is the flesh to corruption and how feeble the bones.
[197] We are ruined, and all because of new things coming from Earth."
[198] Broderick stroked his shaven chin and looked sad.
[199] "Why didn't you come to me sooner?
[200] This would never have happened.
[201] But now that it has, we're going to do right by you.
[202] That is the policy of Earth—always to do right by the customer."
[203] "Divinity witness," Zorin said, "that we ask only compensation for damages."
[204] Broderick shook his head.
[205] "It is not possible to replace an immense fortune at this late date.
[206] As I said, you should have reported your trouble sooner.
[207] However, we can give you an opportunity to rebuild.
[208] Do you own an automobile?"
[209] "No."
[210] "A gas range?
[211] A gas-fired furnace?
[212] A radio?"
[213] Zotul had to answer no to all except the radio.
[214] "My wife Lania likes the music," he explained.
[215] "I cannot afford the other things."
[216] Broderick clucked sympathetically.
[217] One who could not afford the bargain-priced merchandise of Earth must be poor indeed.
[218] "To begin with," he said, "I am going to make you a gift of all these luxuries you do not have."
[219] As Zotul made to protest, he cut him off with a wave of his hand.
[220] "It is the least we can do for you.
[221] Pick a car from the lot outside.
[222] I will arrange to have the other things delivered and installed in your home."
[223] "To receive gifts," said Zotul, "incurs an obligation."
[224] "None at all," beamed the Earthman cheerily.
[225] "Every item is given to you absolutely free—a gift from the people of Earth.
[226] All we ask is that you pay the freight charges on the items.
[227] Our purpose is not to make profit, but to spread technology and prosperity throughout the Galaxy.
[228] We have already done well on numerous worlds, but working out the full program takes time."
[229] He chuckled deeply.
[230] "We of Earth have a saying about one of our extremely slow-moving native animals.
[231] We say, 'Slow is the tortoise, but sure.'
[232] And so with us.
[233] Our goal is a long-range one, with the motto, 'Better times with better merchandise.'"
[234] The engaging manner of the man won Zotul's confidence.
[235] After all, it was no more than fair to pay transportation.
[236] He said, "How much does the freight cost?"
[237] Broderick told him.
[238] "It may seem high," said the Earthman, "but remember that Earth is sixty-odd light-years away.
[239] After all, we are absorbing the cost of the merchandise.
[240] All you pay is the freight, which is cheap, considering the cost of operating an interstellar spaceship."
[241] "Impossible," said Zotul drably.
[242] "Not I and all my brothers together have so much money any more."
[243] "You don't know us of Earth very well yet, but you will.
[244] I offer you credit!"
[245] "What is that?"
[246] asked Zotul skeptically.
[247] "It is how the poor are enabled to enjoy all the luxuries of the rich," said Broderick, and went on to give a thumbnail sketch of the involutions and devolutions of credit, leaving out some angles that might have had a discouraging effect.
[248] On a world where credit was a totally new concept, it was enchanting.
[249] Zotul grasped at the glittering promise with avidity.
[250] "What must I do to get credit?"
[251] "Just sign this paper," said Broderick, "and you become part of our Easy Payment Plan."
[252] Zotul drew back.
[253] "I have five brothers.
[254] If I took all these things for myself and nothing for them, they would beat me black and blue."
[255] "Here."
[256] Broderick handed him a sheaf of chattel mortgages.
[257] "Have each of your brothers sign one of these, then bring them back to me.
[258] That is all there is to it."
[259] It sounded wonderful.
[260] But how would the brothers take it?
[261] Zotul wrestled with his misgivings and the misgivings won.
[262] "I will talk it over with them," he said.
[263] "Give me the total so I will have the figures."
[264] The total was more than it ought to be by simple addition.
[265] Zotul pointed this out politely.
[266] "Interest," Broderick explained.
[267] "A mere fifteen per cent.
[268] After all, you get the merchandise free.
[269] The transportation company has to be paid, so another company loans you the money to pay for the freight.
[270] This small extra sum pays the lending company for its trouble."
[271] "I see."
[272] Zotul puzzled over it sadly.
[273] "It is too much," he said.
[274] "Our plant doesn't make enough money for us to meet the payments."
[275] "I have a surprise for you," smiled Broderick.
[276] "Here is a contract.
[277] You will start making ceramic parts for automobile spark plugs and certain parts for radios and gas ranges.
[278] It is our policy to encourage local manufacture to help bring prices down."
[279] "We haven't the equipment."
[280] "We will equip your plant," beamed Broderick.
[281] "It will require only a quarter interest in your plant itself, assigned to our terrestrial company."
[282] Zotul, anxious to possess the treasures promised by the Earthman, won over his brothers.
[283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
[284] They rolled in the luxuries of Earth.
[285] These, who had never known debt before, were in it up to their ears.
[286] The retooled plant forged ahead and profits began to look up, but the Earthmen took a fourth of them as their share in the industry.
[287] For a year, the brothers drove their shiny new cars about on the new concrete highways the Earthmen had built.
[288] From pumps owned by a terrestrial company, they bought gas and oil that had been drawn from the crust of Zur and was sold to the Zurians at a magnificent profit.
[289] The food they ate was cooked in Earthly pots on Earth-type gas ranges, served up on metal plates that had been stamped out on Earth.
[290] In the winter, they toasted their shins before handsome gas grates, though they had gas-fired central heating.
[291] About this time, the ships from Earth brought steam-powered electric generators.
[292] Lines went up, power was generated, and a flood of electrical gadgets and appliances hit the market.
[293] For some reason, batteries for the radios were no longer available and everybody had to buy the new radios.
[294] And who could do without a radio in this modern age?
[295] The homes of the brothers Masur blossomed on the Easy Payment Plan.
[296] They had refrigerators, washers, driers, toasters, grills, electric fans, air-conditioning equipment and everything else Earth could possibly sell them.
[297] "We will be forty years paying it all off," exulted Zotul, "but meantime we have the things and aren't they worth it?"
[298] But at the end of three years, the Earthmen dropped their option.
[299] The Pottery of Masur had no more contracts.
[300] Business languished.
[301] The Earthmen, explained Broderick, had built a plant of their own because it was so much more efficient—and to lower prices, which was Earth's unswerving policy, greater and greater efficiency was demanded.
[302] Broderick was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do.
[303] The introduction of television provided a further calamity.
[304] The sets were delicate and needed frequent repairs, hence were costly to own and maintain.
[305] But all Zurians who had to keep up with the latest from Earth had them.
[306] Now it was possible not only to hear about things of Earth, but to see them as they were broadcast from the video tapes.
[307] The printing plants that turned out mortgage contracts did a lush business.
[308] For the common people of Zur, times were good everywhere.
[309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
[310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
[311] The brothers Masur got along in spite of dropped options.
[312] They had less money and felt the pinch of their debts more keenly, but television kept their wives and children amused and furnished an anodyne for the pangs of impoverishment.
[313] The pottery income dropped to an impossible low, no matter how Zotul designed and the brothers produced.
[314] Their figurines and religious ikons were a drug on the market.
[315] The Earthmen made them of plastic and sold them for less.
[316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
[317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
[318] "Go see Broderick.
[319] Tell him we are undone and must have some contracts to continue operating."
[320] Nursing bruises, Zotul unhappily went to the Council House again.
[321] Mr. Broderick was no longer with them, a suave assistant informed him.
[322] Would he like to see Mr. Siwicki instead?
[323] Zotul would.
[324] Siwicki was tall, thin, dark and somber-looking.
[325] There was even a hint of toughness about the set of his jaw and the hardness of his glance.
[326] "So you can't pay," he said, tapping his teeth with a pencil.
[327] He looked at Zotul coldly.
[328] "It is well you have come to us instead of making it necessary for us to approach you through the courts."
[329] "I don't know what you mean," said Zotul.
[330] "If we have to sue, we take back the merchandise and everything attached to them.
[331] That means you would lose your houses, for they are attached to the furnaces.
[332] However, it is not as bad as that—yet.
[333] We will only require you to assign the remaining three-quarters of your pottery to us."
[334] The brothers, when they heard of this, were too stunned to think of beating Zotul, by which he assumed he had progressed a little and was somewhat comforted.
[335] "To fail," said Koltan soberly, "is not a Masur attribute.
[336] Go to the governor and tell him what we think of this business.
[337] The House of Masur has long supported the government with heavy taxes.
[338] Now it is time for the government to do something for us."
[339] The governor's palace was jammed with hurrying people, a scene of confusion that upset Zotul.
[340] The clerk who took his application for an interview was, he noticed only vaguely, a young Earthwoman.
[341] It was remarkable that he paid so little attention, for the female terrestrials were picked for physical assets that made Zurian men covetous and Zurian women envious.
[342] "The governor will see you," she said sweetly.
[343] "He has been expecting you."
[344] "Me?"
[345] marveled Zotul.
[346] She ushered him into the magnificent private office of the governor of Lor.
[347] The man behind the desk stood up, extended his hand with a friendly smile.
[348] "Come in, come in!
[349] I'm glad to see you again."
[350] Zotul stared blankly.
[351] This was not the governor.
[352] This was Broderick, the Earthman.
[353] "I—I came to see the governor," he said in confusion.
[354] Broderick nodded agreeably.
[355] "I am the governor and I am well acquainted with your case, Mr. Masur.
[356] Shall we talk it over?
[357] Please sit down."
[358] "I don't understand.
[359] The Earthmen...." Zotul paused, coloring.
[360] "We are about to lose our plant."
[361] "You were about to say that the Earthmen are taking your plant away from you.
[362] That is true.
[363] Since the House of Masur was the largest and richest on Zur, it has taken a long time—the longest of all, in fact."
[364] "What do you mean?"
[365] "Yours is the last business on Zur to be taken over by us.
[366] We have bought you out."
[367] "Our government...." "Your governments belong to us, too," said Broderick.
[368] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
[369] "You mean," exclaimed Zotul, aghast, "that you Earthmen own everything on Zur?"
[370] "Even your armies."
[371] "But why ?"
[372] Broderick clasped his hands behind back, went to the window and stared down moodily into the street.
[373] "You don't know what an overcrowded world is like," he said.
[374] "A street like this, with so few people and vehicles on it, would be impossible on Earth."
[375] "But it's mobbed," protested Zotul.
[376] "It gave me a headache."
[377] "And to us it's almost empty.
[378] The pressure of population on Earth has made us range the Galaxy for places to put our extra people.
[379] The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones.
[380] We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
[381] "And after that?"
[382] Broderick smiled gently.
[383] "Zur will grow.
[384] Our people will intermarry with yours.
[385] The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
[386] Zotul sat in silent thought.
[387] "But you did not have to buy us out.
[388] You had the power to conquer us, even to destroy us.
[389] The whole planet could have been yours alone."
[390] He stopped in alarm.
[391] "Or am I suggesting an idea that didn't occur to you?"
[392] "No," said Broderick, his usually smiling face almost pained with memory.
[393] "We know the history of conquest all too well.
[394] Our method causes more distress than we like to inflict, but it's better—and more sure—than war and invasion by force.
[395] Now that the unpleasant job is finished, we can repair the dislocations."
[396] "At last I understand what you said about the tortoise."
[397] "Slow but sure."
[398] Broderick beamed again and clapped Zotul on the shoulder.
[399] "Don't worry.
[400] You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners.
[401] That's why we had to break down your caste system."
[402] Zotul's eyes widened.
[403] "And that is why my brothers did not beat me when I failed!"
[404] "Of course.
[405] Are you ready now to take the assignment papers for you and your brothers to sign?"
[406] "Yes," said Zotul.
[407] "I am ready." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences in order of importance for answering the question "Where does the story take place?":
1. [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.
2. [2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
3. [309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
4. [310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
5. [311] The brothers Masur got along in spite of dropped options.
6. [312] They had less money and felt the pinch of their debts more keenly, but television kept their wives and children amused and furnished an anodyne for the pangs of impoverishment.
7. [313] The pottery income dropped to an impossible low, no matter how Zotul designed and the brothers produced.
8. [314] Their figurines and religious ikons were a drug on the market.
9. [315] The Earthmen made them of plastic and sold them for less.
10. [316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
11. [317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
12. [318] "Go see Broderick.
13. [319] Tell him we are undone and must have some contracts to continue operating."
14. [320] Nursing bruises, Zotul unhappily went to the Council House again.
15. [321] Mr. Broderick was no longer with them, a suave assistant informed him.
16. [322] Would he like to see Mr. Siwicki instead?
17. [323] Zotul would.
18. [324] Siwicki was tall, thin, dark and somber-looking.
19. [325] There was even a hint of toughness about the set of his jaw and the hardness of his glance.
20. [326] "So you can't pay," he said, tapping his teeth with a pencil.
21. [327] He looked at Zotul coldly.
22. [328] "It is well you have come to us instead of making it necessary for us to approach you through the courts."
23. [329] "I don't know what you mean," said Zotul.
24. [330] "If we have to sue, we take back the merchandise and everything attached to them.
25. [331] That means you would lose your houses, for they are attached to the furnaces.
26. [332] However, it is not as bad as that—yet.
27. [333] We will only require you to assign the remaining three-quarters of your pottery to us."
28. [334] The brothers, when they heard of this, were too stunned to think of beating Zotul, by which he assumed he had progressed a little and was somewhat comforted.
29. [335] "To fail," said Koltan soberly, "is not a Masur attribute.
30. [336] Go to the governor and tell him what we think of this business.
31. [337] The House of Masur has long supported the government with heavy taxes.
32. [338] Now it is time for the government to do something for us."
33. [339] The governor's palace was jammed with hurrying people, a scene of confusion that upset Zotul.
34. [340] The clerk who took his application for an interview was, he noticed only vaguely, a young Earthwoman.
35. [341] It was remarkable that he paid so little attention, for the female terrestrials were picked for physical assets that made Zurian men covetous and Zurian women envious.
36. [342] "The governor will see you," she said sweetly.
37. [343] "He has been expecting you."
38. [344] "Me?"
39. [345] marveled Zotul.
40. [346] She ushered him into the magnificent private office of the governor of Lor.
41. [347] The man behind the desk stood up, extended his hand with a friendly smile.
42. [348] "Come in, come in!
43. [349] I'm glad to see you again."
44. [350] Zotul stared blankly.
45. [351] This was not the governor.
46. [352] This was Broderick, the Earthman.
47. [353] "I—I came to see the governor," he said in confusion.
48. [354] Broderick nodded agreeably.
49. [355] "I am the governor and I am well acquainted with your case, Mr. Masur.
50. [356] Shall we talk it over?
51. [357] Please sit down."
52. [358] "I don't understand.
53. [359] The Earthmen...." Zotul paused, coloring.
54. [360] "We are about to lose our plant."
55. [361] "You were about to say that the Earthmen are taking your plant away from you.
56. [362] That is true.
57. [363] Since the House of Masur was the largest and richest on Zur, it has taken a long time—the longest of all, in fact."
58. [364] "What do you mean?"
59. [365] "Yours is the last business on Zur to be taken over by us.
60. [366] We have bought you out."
61. [367] "Our government...." "Your governments belong to us, too," said Broderick.
62. [368] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
63. [369] "You mean," exclaimed Zotul, aghast, "that you Earthmen own everything on Zur?"
64. [370] "Even your armies."
65. [371] "But why ?"
66. [372] Broderick clasped his hands behind back, went to the window and stared down moodily into the street.
67. [373] "You don't know what an overcrowded world is like," he said.
68. [374] "A street like this, with so few people and vehicles on it, would be impossible on Earth."
69. [375] "But it's mobbed," protested Zotul.
70. [376] "It gave me a headache."
71. [377] "And to us it's almost empty.
72. [378] The pressure of population on Earth has made us range the Galaxy for places to put our extra people.
73. [379] The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones.
74. [380] We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
75. [381] "And after that?"
76. [382] Broderick smiled gently.
77. [383] "Zur will grow.
78. [384] Our people will intermarry with yours.
79. [385] The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
80. [386] Zotul sat in silent thought.
81. [387] "But you did not have to buy us out.
82. [388] You had the power to conquer us, even to destroy us.
83. [389] The whole planet could have been yours alone."
84. [390] He stopped in alarm.
85. [391] "Or am I suggesting an idea that didn't occur to you?"
86. [392] "No," said Broderick, his usually smiling face almost pained with memory.
87. [393] "We know the history of conquest all too well.
88. [394] Our method causes more distress than we like to inflict, but it's better—and more sure—than war and invasion by force.
89. [395] Now that the unpleasant job is finished, we can repair the dislocations."
90. [396] "At last I understand what you said about the tortoise."
91. [397] "Slow but sure."
92. [398] Broderick beamed again and clapped Zotul on the shoulder.
93. [399] "Don't worry.
94. [400] You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners.
95. [401] That's why we had to break down your caste system."
96. [402] Zotul's eyes widened.
97. [403] "And that is why my brothers did not beat me when I failed!"
98. [404] "Of course.
99. [405] Are you ready now to take the assignment papers for you and your brothers to sign?"
100. [406] "Yes," said Zotul.
101. [407] "I am ready."
The story takes place on the planet Zur, which is being colonized by the Earthmen. This is evident from the context sentences that describe the Earthmen's activities on Zur, such as building infrastructure, introducing new technologies, and eventually taking over the government and businesses on the planet. |
How are the Earthmen able to expand on Zur? | [
"The Earthmen first visit Zur as a small group, exploring the city and giving speeches declaring future prosperity for Zur. They return shortly after with more people, and establish corporations and a trade business. The Earthmen begin with small products, metal pots, but other businesses soon have to accommodate to Earth's goods. Earth quickly earns profit, with many Zurian businesses dependent on their production. They begin establishing more advanced forms of technology, such as printing, radio, and automobiles. The people of Zur are fascinated, and business booms even more. Eventually, Zur is completely remodeled with Earth products and services, driving other businesses to failure and resulting in the overtaking of the city.",
"The Earthmen start by establishing small trading visits with the Zurian people. Once they have gained their trust in trade, they heavily accelerate the number of goods they trade. They establish themselves in every city on Zur to increase their visibility. They bring new communication methods such as the printing press, newspapers, radios, and television sets – all of which they control the supply. They build projects on the planet of Zur, like highways. They start their own manufacturing operations, successfully competing against and outpricing the native Zurian manufacturing operations. In addition, they lure the populace to be tempted by the new shiny luxury goods they bring and convince the Zurians to sign contracts that put them in debt that they can never realistically pay. They slowly but assuredly took over all of the industries on Zur so that they would have full economic control of the populace. Then they take over the leadership positions on the planet in another angle to obtain full control. The methods of the Earthmen is to ensure that the Zurians are either in debt to them, under their control, or how to work for them to survive.",
"The Earthmen are able to expand to Zur through advertising and selling their products. After signing some agreements, the Earthmen begin importing their materials to Zur. The Earthmen begin bringing products such as aluminum pots, but they eventually move onto even grander things such as the printing press. The purpose of this is to not only spread knowledge but also provide more means of advertising for their products. Eventually, they begin to set up radio stations to broadcast their products even more. Gas-fired ranges, furnaces, heaters, and later cars all drive many of the old ways of Zurian life to the ground. Broderick even tells Zotul that their goal is to buy out all of the companies and eventually become the ruling government on Zur.",
"From the beginning, the Earthmen put themselves as friendly mentors, willing to share their knowledge. The newly introduced goods are cheap and much better than the old ones. It disposes the Zurians towards the kind newcomers. The newspapers and telegraphs are free and gain popularity, while they advertise Earth goods all through the planet. As the time goes by, the Earthmen bring in more expensive and advanced technologies like autos, TVs, radios. People become dependent on those technologies, and as they break, they need to buy the new ones, everyone dreams of luxury cars, etc. At the same time the local businesses fail and poverty approaches. To be able to buy the new technologies, the Zurians get credits and work for the Earthmen to pay them off. Then the contracts are cancelled and the people have to sell their businesses. Therefore, the Earthmen gain control over the whole planet."
] | [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
[4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
[5] Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
[6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
[7] At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
[8] Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design.
[9] "Behold, my sons," said Kalrab, stroking his scanty beard.
[10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
[11] Remember the clay.
[12] It is our strength and our fortune.
[13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
[14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
[15] "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude.
[16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
[17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
[18] By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not.
[19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
[20] Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel.
[21] His people were active in the matter and that was enough for him.
[22] He would report when the time was ripe.
[23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship.
[24] We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
[25] Such frank expression of motive was unheard of, even in the secret conclave of conference.
[26] Only the speaker's youth could account for it.
[27] The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan.
[28] "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it.
[29] Meantime, remember your position in the family."
[30] Zotul bowed his head meekly, but he burned with resentment.
[31] "Listen to the boy," said the aged father.
[32] "There is more wisdom in his head than in all the rest of you.
[33] Forget the Earthmen and think only of the clay."
[34] Zotul did not appreciate his father's approval, for it only earned him a beating as soon as the old man went to bed.
[35] It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires.
[36] However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did.
[37] Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen.
[38] If it was impossible to hope for much in the way of metal from the Earthmen, what could one get from them?
[39] If he could figure this problem out, he might rise somewhat in the estimation of his brothers.
[40] That wouldn't take him out of the rank of scapegoat, of course, but the beatings might become fewer and less severe.
[41] By and by, the Earthmen came to Lor, flying through the air in strange metal contraptions.
[42] They paraded through the tile-paved streets of the city, marveled here, as they had in Thorabia, at the buildings all of tile inside and out, and made a great show of themselves for all the people to see.
[43] Speeches were made through interpreters, who had much too quickly learned the tongue of the aliens; hence these left much to be desired in the way of clarity, though their sincerity was evident.
[44] The Earthmen were going to do great things for the whole world of Zur.
[45] It required but the cooperation—an excellent word, that—of all Zurians, and many blessings would rain down from the skies.
[46] This, in effect, was what the Earthmen had to say.
[47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
[48] There was also some talk going around about agreements made between the Earthmen and officials of the Lorian government, but you heard one thing one day and another the next.
[49] Accurate reporting, much less a newspaper, was unknown on Zur.
[50] Finally, the Earthmen took off in their great, shining ship.
[51] Obviously, none had succeeded in chiseling them out of it, if, indeed, any had tried.
[52] The anti-Earthmen Faction—in any culture complex, there is always an "anti" faction to protest any movement of endeavor—crowed happily that the Earthmen were gone for good, and a good thing, too.
[53] Such jubilation proved premature, however.
[54] One day, a fleet of ships arrived and after they had landed all over the planet, Zur was practically acrawl with Earthmen.
[55] Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control.
[56] The object of the visit was trade.
[57] In spite of the fact that a terrestrial ship had landed at every Zurian city of major and minor importance, and all in a single day, it took some time for the news to spread.
[58] The first awareness Zotul had was that, upon coming home from the pottery one evening, he found his wife Lania proudly brandishing an aluminum pot at him.
[59] "What is that thing?"
[60] he asked curiously.
[61] "A pot.
[62] I bought it at the market."
[63] "Did you now?
[64] Well, take it back.
[65] Am I made of money that you spend my substance for some fool's product of precious metal?
[66] Take it back, I say!"
[67] The pretty young wife laughed at him.
[68] "Up to your ears in clay, no wonder you hear nothing of news!
[69] The pot is very cheap.
[70] The Earthmen are selling them everywhere.
[71] They're much better than our old clay pots; they're light and easy to handle and they don't break when dropped."
[72] "What good is it?"
[73] asked Zotul, interested.
[74] "How will it hold heat, being so light?"
[75] "The Earthmen don't cook as we do," she explained patiently.
[76] "There is a paper with each pot that explains how it is used.
[77] And you will have to design a new ceramic stove for me to use the pots on."
[78] "Don't be idiotic!
[79] Do you suppose Koltan would agree to produce a new type of stove when the old has sold well for centuries?
[80] Besides, why do you need a whole new stove for one little pot?"
[81] "A dozen pots.
[82] They come in sets and are cheaper that way.
[83] And Koltan will have to produce the new stove because all the housewives are buying these pots and there will be a big demand for it.
[84] The Earthman said so."
[85] "He did, did he?
[86] These pots are only a fad.
[87] You will soon enough go back to cooking with your old ones."
[88] "The Earthman took them in trade—one reason why the new ones are so cheap.
[89] There isn't a pot in the house but these metal ones, and you will have to design and produce a new stove if you expect me to use them."
[90] After he had beaten his wife thoroughly for her foolishness, Zotul stamped off in a rage and designed a new ceramic stove, one that would accommodate the terrestrial pots very well.
[91] And Koltan put the model into production.
[92] "Orders already are pouring in like mad," he said the next day.
[93] "It was wise of you to foresee it and have the design ready.
[94] Already, I am sorry for thinking as I did about the Earthmen.
[95] They really intend to do well by us."
[96] The kilns of the Pottery of Masur fired day and night to keep up with the demand for the new porcelain stoves.
[97] In three years, more than a million had been made and sold by the Masurs alone, not counting the hundreds of thousands of copies turned out by competitors in every land.
[98] In the meantime, however, more things than pots came from Earth.
[99] One was a printing press, the like of which none on Zur had ever dreamed.
[100] This, for some unknown reason and much to the disgust of the Lorians, was set up in Thorabia.
[101] Books and magazines poured from it in a fantastic stream.
[102] The populace fervidly brushed up on its scanty reading ability and bought everything available, overcome by the novelty of it.
[103] Even Zotul bought a book—a primer in the Lorian language—and learned how to read and write.
[104] The remainder of the brothers Masur, on the other hand, preferred to remain in ignorance.
[105] Moreover, the Earthmen brought miles of copper wire—more than enough in value to buy out the governorship of any country on Zur—and set up telegraph lines from country to country and continent to continent.
[106] Within five years of the first landing of the Earthmen, every major city on the globe had a printing press, a daily newspaper, and enjoyed the instantaneous transmission of news via telegraph.
[107] And the business of the House of Masur continued to look up.
[108] "As I have always said from the beginning," chortled Director Koltan, "this coming of the Earthmen had been a great thing for us, and especially for the House of Masur."
[109] "You didn't think so at first," Zotul pointed out, and was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
[110] It would do no good, Zotul realized, to bring up the fact that their production of ceramic cooking pots had dropped off to about two per cent of its former volume.
[111] Of course, profits on the line of new stoves greatly overbalanced the loss, so that actually they were ahead; but their business was now dependent upon the supply of the metal pots from Earth.
[112] About this time, plastic utensils—dishes, cups, knives, forks—made their appearance on Zur.
[113] It became very stylish to eat with the newfangled paraphernalia ... and very cheap, too, because for everything they sold, the Earthmen always took the old ware in trade.
[114] What they did with the stuff had been hard to believe at first.
[115] They destroyed it, which proved how valueless it really was.
[116] The result of the new flood was that in the following year, the sale of Masur ceramic table service dropped to less than a tenth.
[117] Trembling with excitement at this news from their book-keeper, Koltan called an emergency meeting.
[118] He even routed old Kalrab out of his senile stupor for the occasion, on the off chance that the old man might still have a little wit left that could be helpful.
[119] "Note," Koltan announced in a shaky voice, "that the Earthmen undermine our business," and he read off the figures.
[120] "Perhaps," said Zotul, "it is a good thing also, as you said before, and will result in something even better for us."
[121] Koltan frowned, and Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
[122] "They are replacing our high-quality ceramic ware with inferior terrestrial junk," Koltan went on bitterly.
[123] "It is only the glamor that sells it, of course, but before the people get the shine out of their eyes, we can be ruined."
[124] The brothers discussed the situation for an hour, and all the while Father Kalrab sat and pulled his scanty whiskers.
[125] Seeing that they got nowhere with their wrangle, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
[126] "My sons, you forget it is not the Earthmen themselves at the bottom of your trouble, but the things of Earth.
[127] Think of the telegraph and the newspaper, how these spread news of every shipment from Earth.
[128] The merchandise of the Earthmen is put up for sale by means of these newspapers, which also are the property of the Earthmen.
[129] The people are intrigued by these advertisements, as they are called, and flock to buy.
[130] Now, if you would pull a tooth from the kwi that bites you, you might also have advertisements of your own."
[131] Alas for that suggestion, no newspaper would accept advertising from the House of Masur; all available space was occupied by the advertisements of the Earthmen.
[132] In their dozenth conference since that first and fateful one, the brothers Masur decided upon drastic steps.
[133] In the meantime, several things had happened.
[134] For one, old Kalrab had passed on to his immortal rest, but this made no real difference.
[135] For another, the Earthmen had procured legal authority to prospect the planet for metals, of which they found a good deal, but they told no one on Zur of this.
[136] What they did mention was the crude oil and natural gas they discovered in the underlayers of the planet's crust.
[137] Crews of Zurians, working under supervision of the Earthmen, laid pipelines from the gas and oil regions to every major and minor city on Zur.
[138] By the time ten years had passed since the landing of the first terrestrial ship, the Earthmen were conducting a brisk business in gas-fired ranges, furnaces and heaters ... and the Masur stove business was gone.
[139] Moreover, the Earthmen sold the Zurians their own natural gas at a nice profit and everybody was happy with the situation except the brothers Masur.
[140] The drastic steps of the brothers applied, therefore, to making an energetic protest to the governor of Lor.
[141] At one edge of the city, an area had been turned over to the Earthmen for a spaceport, and the great terrestrial spaceships came to it and departed from it at regular intervals.
[142] As the heirs of the House of Masur walked by on their way to see the governor, Zotul observed that much new building was taking place and wondered what it was.
[143] "Some new devilment of the Earthmen, you can be sure," said Koltan blackly.
[144] In fact, the Earthmen were building an assembly plant for radio receiving sets.
[145] The ship now standing on its fins upon the apron was loaded with printed circuits, resistors, variable condensers and other radio parts.
[146] This was Earth's first step toward flooding Zur with the natural follow-up in its campaign of advertising—radio programs—with commercials.
[147] Happily for the brothers, they did not understand this at the time or they would surely have gone back to be buried in their own clay.
[148] "I think," the governor told them, "that you gentlemen have not paused to consider the affair from all angles.
[149] You must learn to be modern—keep up with the times!
[150] We heads of government on Zur are doing all in our power to aid the Earthmen and facilitate their bringing a great, new culture that can only benefit us.
[151] See how Zur has changed in ten short years!
[152] Imagine the world of tomorrow!
[153] Why, do you know they are even bringing autos to Zur!"
[154] The brothers were fascinated with the governor's description of these hitherto unheard-of vehicles.
[155] "It only remains," concluded the governor, "to build highways, and the Earthmen are taking care of that."
[156] At any rate, the brothers Masur were still able to console themselves that they had their tile business.
[157] Tile served well enough for houses and street surfacing; what better material could be devised for the new highways the governor spoke of?
[158] There was a lot of money to be made yet.
[159] Radio stations went up all over Zur and began broadcasting.
[160] The people bought receiving sets like mad.
[161] The automobiles arrived and highways were constructed.
[162] The last hope of the brothers was dashed.
[163] The Earthmen set up plants and began to manufacture Portland cement.
[164] You could build a house of concrete much cheaper than with tile.
[165] Of course, since wood was scarce on Zur, it was no competition for either tile or concrete.
[166] Concrete floors were smoother, too, and the stuff made far better road surfacing.
[167] The demand for Masur tile hit rock bottom.
[168] The next time the brothers went to see the governor, he said, "I cannot handle such complaints as yours.
[169] I must refer you to the Merchandising Council."
[170] "What is that?"
[171] asked Koltan.
[172] "It is an Earthman association that deals with complaints such as yours.
[173] In the matter of material progress, we must expect some strain in the fabric of our culture.
[174] Machinery has been set up to deal with it.
[175] Here is their address; go air your troubles to them."
[176] The business of a formal complaint was turned over by the brothers to Zotul.
[177] It took three weeks for the Earthmen to get around to calling him in, as a representative of the Pottery of Masur, for an interview.
[178] All the brothers could no longer be spared from the plant, even for the purpose of pressing a complaint.
[179] Their days of idle wealth over, they had to get in and work with the clay with the rest of the help.
[180] Zotul found the headquarters of the Merchandising Council as indicated on their message.
[181] He had not been this way in some time, but was not surprised to find that a number of old buildings had been torn down to make room for the concrete Council House and a roomy parking lot, paved with something called "blacktop" and jammed with an array of glittering new automobiles.
[182] An automobile was an expense none of the brothers could afford, now that they barely eked a living from the pottery.
[183] Still, Zotul ached with desire at sight of so many shiny cars.
[184] Only a few had them and they were the envied ones of Zur.
[185] Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council, shook hands jovially with Zotul.
[186] That alien custom conformed with, Zotul took a better look at his host.
[187] Broderick was an affable, smiling individual with genial laugh wrinkles at his eyes.
[188] A man of middle age, dressed in the baggy costume of Zur, he looked almost like a Zurian, except for an indefinite sense of alienness about him.
[189] "Glad to have you call on us, Mr. Masur," boomed the Earthman, clapping Zotul on the back.
[190] "Just tell us your troubles and we'll have you straightened out in no time."
[191] All the chill recriminations and arguments Zotul had stored for this occasion were dissipated in the warmth of the Earthman's manner.
[192] Almost apologetically, Zotul told of the encroachment that had been made upon the business of the Pottery of Masur.
[193] "Once," he said formally, "the Masur fortune was the greatest in the world of Zur.
[194] That was before my father, the famous Kalrab Masur—Divinity protect him—departed this life to collect his greater reward.
[195] He often told us, my father did, that the clay is the flesh and bones of our culture and our fortune.
[196] Now it has been shown how prone is the flesh to corruption and how feeble the bones.
[197] We are ruined, and all because of new things coming from Earth."
[198] Broderick stroked his shaven chin and looked sad.
[199] "Why didn't you come to me sooner?
[200] This would never have happened.
[201] But now that it has, we're going to do right by you.
[202] That is the policy of Earth—always to do right by the customer."
[203] "Divinity witness," Zorin said, "that we ask only compensation for damages."
[204] Broderick shook his head.
[205] "It is not possible to replace an immense fortune at this late date.
[206] As I said, you should have reported your trouble sooner.
[207] However, we can give you an opportunity to rebuild.
[208] Do you own an automobile?"
[209] "No."
[210] "A gas range?
[211] A gas-fired furnace?
[212] A radio?"
[213] Zotul had to answer no to all except the radio.
[214] "My wife Lania likes the music," he explained.
[215] "I cannot afford the other things."
[216] Broderick clucked sympathetically.
[217] One who could not afford the bargain-priced merchandise of Earth must be poor indeed.
[218] "To begin with," he said, "I am going to make you a gift of all these luxuries you do not have."
[219] As Zotul made to protest, he cut him off with a wave of his hand.
[220] "It is the least we can do for you.
[221] Pick a car from the lot outside.
[222] I will arrange to have the other things delivered and installed in your home."
[223] "To receive gifts," said Zotul, "incurs an obligation."
[224] "None at all," beamed the Earthman cheerily.
[225] "Every item is given to you absolutely free—a gift from the people of Earth.
[226] All we ask is that you pay the freight charges on the items.
[227] Our purpose is not to make profit, but to spread technology and prosperity throughout the Galaxy.
[228] We have already done well on numerous worlds, but working out the full program takes time."
[229] He chuckled deeply.
[230] "We of Earth have a saying about one of our extremely slow-moving native animals.
[231] We say, 'Slow is the tortoise, but sure.'
[232] And so with us.
[233] Our goal is a long-range one, with the motto, 'Better times with better merchandise.'"
[234] The engaging manner of the man won Zotul's confidence.
[235] After all, it was no more than fair to pay transportation.
[236] He said, "How much does the freight cost?"
[237] Broderick told him.
[238] "It may seem high," said the Earthman, "but remember that Earth is sixty-odd light-years away.
[239] After all, we are absorbing the cost of the merchandise.
[240] All you pay is the freight, which is cheap, considering the cost of operating an interstellar spaceship."
[241] "Impossible," said Zotul drably.
[242] "Not I and all my brothers together have so much money any more."
[243] "You don't know us of Earth very well yet, but you will.
[244] I offer you credit!"
[245] "What is that?"
[246] asked Zotul skeptically.
[247] "It is how the poor are enabled to enjoy all the luxuries of the rich," said Broderick, and went on to give a thumbnail sketch of the involutions and devolutions of credit, leaving out some angles that might have had a discouraging effect.
[248] On a world where credit was a totally new concept, it was enchanting.
[249] Zotul grasped at the glittering promise with avidity.
[250] "What must I do to get credit?"
[251] "Just sign this paper," said Broderick, "and you become part of our Easy Payment Plan."
[252] Zotul drew back.
[253] "I have five brothers.
[254] If I took all these things for myself and nothing for them, they would beat me black and blue."
[255] "Here."
[256] Broderick handed him a sheaf of chattel mortgages.
[257] "Have each of your brothers sign one of these, then bring them back to me.
[258] That is all there is to it."
[259] It sounded wonderful.
[260] But how would the brothers take it?
[261] Zotul wrestled with his misgivings and the misgivings won.
[262] "I will talk it over with them," he said.
[263] "Give me the total so I will have the figures."
[264] The total was more than it ought to be by simple addition.
[265] Zotul pointed this out politely.
[266] "Interest," Broderick explained.
[267] "A mere fifteen per cent.
[268] After all, you get the merchandise free.
[269] The transportation company has to be paid, so another company loans you the money to pay for the freight.
[270] This small extra sum pays the lending company for its trouble."
[271] "I see."
[272] Zotul puzzled over it sadly.
[273] "It is too much," he said.
[274] "Our plant doesn't make enough money for us to meet the payments."
[275] "I have a surprise for you," smiled Broderick.
[276] "Here is a contract.
[277] You will start making ceramic parts for automobile spark plugs and certain parts for radios and gas ranges.
[278] It is our policy to encourage local manufacture to help bring prices down."
[279] "We haven't the equipment."
[280] "We will equip your plant," beamed Broderick.
[281] "It will require only a quarter interest in your plant itself, assigned to our terrestrial company."
[282] Zotul, anxious to possess the treasures promised by the Earthman, won over his brothers.
[283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
[284] They rolled in the luxuries of Earth.
[285] These, who had never known debt before, were in it up to their ears.
[286] The retooled plant forged ahead and profits began to look up, but the Earthmen took a fourth of them as their share in the industry.
[287] For a year, the brothers drove their shiny new cars about on the new concrete highways the Earthmen had built.
[288] From pumps owned by a terrestrial company, they bought gas and oil that had been drawn from the crust of Zur and was sold to the Zurians at a magnificent profit.
[289] The food they ate was cooked in Earthly pots on Earth-type gas ranges, served up on metal plates that had been stamped out on Earth.
[290] In the winter, they toasted their shins before handsome gas grates, though they had gas-fired central heating.
[291] About this time, the ships from Earth brought steam-powered electric generators.
[292] Lines went up, power was generated, and a flood of electrical gadgets and appliances hit the market.
[293] For some reason, batteries for the radios were no longer available and everybody had to buy the new radios.
[294] And who could do without a radio in this modern age?
[295] The homes of the brothers Masur blossomed on the Easy Payment Plan.
[296] They had refrigerators, washers, driers, toasters, grills, electric fans, air-conditioning equipment and everything else Earth could possibly sell them.
[297] "We will be forty years paying it all off," exulted Zotul, "but meantime we have the things and aren't they worth it?"
[298] But at the end of three years, the Earthmen dropped their option.
[299] The Pottery of Masur had no more contracts.
[300] Business languished.
[301] The Earthmen, explained Broderick, had built a plant of their own because it was so much more efficient—and to lower prices, which was Earth's unswerving policy, greater and greater efficiency was demanded.
[302] Broderick was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do.
[303] The introduction of television provided a further calamity.
[304] The sets were delicate and needed frequent repairs, hence were costly to own and maintain.
[305] But all Zurians who had to keep up with the latest from Earth had them.
[306] Now it was possible not only to hear about things of Earth, but to see them as they were broadcast from the video tapes.
[307] The printing plants that turned out mortgage contracts did a lush business.
[308] For the common people of Zur, times were good everywhere.
[309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
[310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
[311] The brothers Masur got along in spite of dropped options.
[312] They had less money and felt the pinch of their debts more keenly, but television kept their wives and children amused and furnished an anodyne for the pangs of impoverishment.
[313] The pottery income dropped to an impossible low, no matter how Zotul designed and the brothers produced.
[314] Their figurines and religious ikons were a drug on the market.
[315] The Earthmen made them of plastic and sold them for less.
[316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
[317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
[318] "Go see Broderick.
[319] Tell him we are undone and must have some contracts to continue operating."
[320] Nursing bruises, Zotul unhappily went to the Council House again.
[321] Mr. Broderick was no longer with them, a suave assistant informed him.
[322] Would he like to see Mr. Siwicki instead?
[323] Zotul would.
[324] Siwicki was tall, thin, dark and somber-looking.
[325] There was even a hint of toughness about the set of his jaw and the hardness of his glance.
[326] "So you can't pay," he said, tapping his teeth with a pencil.
[327] He looked at Zotul coldly.
[328] "It is well you have come to us instead of making it necessary for us to approach you through the courts."
[329] "I don't know what you mean," said Zotul.
[330] "If we have to sue, we take back the merchandise and everything attached to them.
[331] That means you would lose your houses, for they are attached to the furnaces.
[332] However, it is not as bad as that—yet.
[333] We will only require you to assign the remaining three-quarters of your pottery to us."
[334] The brothers, when they heard of this, were too stunned to think of beating Zotul, by which he assumed he had progressed a little and was somewhat comforted.
[335] "To fail," said Koltan soberly, "is not a Masur attribute.
[336] Go to the governor and tell him what we think of this business.
[337] The House of Masur has long supported the government with heavy taxes.
[338] Now it is time for the government to do something for us."
[339] The governor's palace was jammed with hurrying people, a scene of confusion that upset Zotul.
[340] The clerk who took his application for an interview was, he noticed only vaguely, a young Earthwoman.
[341] It was remarkable that he paid so little attention, for the female terrestrials were picked for physical assets that made Zurian men covetous and Zurian women envious.
[342] "The governor will see you," she said sweetly.
[343] "He has been expecting you."
[344] "Me?"
[345] marveled Zotul.
[346] She ushered him into the magnificent private office of the governor of Lor.
[347] The man behind the desk stood up, extended his hand with a friendly smile.
[348] "Come in, come in!
[349] I'm glad to see you again."
[350] Zotul stared blankly.
[351] This was not the governor.
[352] This was Broderick, the Earthman.
[353] "I—I came to see the governor," he said in confusion.
[354] Broderick nodded agreeably.
[355] "I am the governor and I am well acquainted with your case, Mr. Masur.
[356] Shall we talk it over?
[357] Please sit down."
[358] "I don't understand.
[359] The Earthmen...." Zotul paused, coloring.
[360] "We are about to lose our plant."
[361] "You were about to say that the Earthmen are taking your plant away from you.
[362] That is true.
[363] Since the House of Masur was the largest and richest on Zur, it has taken a long time—the longest of all, in fact."
[364] "What do you mean?"
[365] "Yours is the last business on Zur to be taken over by us.
[366] We have bought you out."
[367] "Our government...." "Your governments belong to us, too," said Broderick.
[368] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
[369] "You mean," exclaimed Zotul, aghast, "that you Earthmen own everything on Zur?"
[370] "Even your armies."
[371] "But why ?"
[372] Broderick clasped his hands behind back, went to the window and stared down moodily into the street.
[373] "You don't know what an overcrowded world is like," he said.
[374] "A street like this, with so few people and vehicles on it, would be impossible on Earth."
[375] "But it's mobbed," protested Zotul.
[376] "It gave me a headache."
[377] "And to us it's almost empty.
[378] The pressure of population on Earth has made us range the Galaxy for places to put our extra people.
[379] The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones.
[380] We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
[381] "And after that?"
[382] Broderick smiled gently.
[383] "Zur will grow.
[384] Our people will intermarry with yours.
[385] The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
[386] Zotul sat in silent thought.
[387] "But you did not have to buy us out.
[388] You had the power to conquer us, even to destroy us.
[389] The whole planet could have been yours alone."
[390] He stopped in alarm.
[391] "Or am I suggesting an idea that didn't occur to you?"
[392] "No," said Broderick, his usually smiling face almost pained with memory.
[393] "We know the history of conquest all too well.
[394] Our method causes more distress than we like to inflict, but it's better—and more sure—than war and invasion by force.
[395] Now that the unpleasant job is finished, we can repair the dislocations."
[396] "At last I understand what you said about the tortoise."
[397] "Slow but sure."
[398] Broderick beamed again and clapped Zotul on the shoulder.
[399] "Don't worry.
[400] You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners.
[401] That's why we had to break down your caste system."
[402] Zotul's eyes widened.
[403] "And that is why my brothers did not beat me when I failed!"
[404] "Of course.
[405] Are you ready now to take the assignment papers for you and your brothers to sign?"
[406] "Yes," said Zotul.
[407] "I am ready." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "How are the Earthmen able to expand on Zur?":
1. [309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
2. [310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
3. [367] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
4. [378] "The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones. We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
5. [379] "Zur will grow. Our people will intermarry with yours. The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
6. [394] "Our method causes more distress than we like to inflict, but it's better—and more sure—than war and invasion by force."
7. [400] "You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners."
8. [401] "That's why we had to break down your caste system."
9. [3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
10. [4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
11. [6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
12. [10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
13. [11] Remember the clay.
14. [12] It is our strength and our fortune.
15. [13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
16. [14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
17. [16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
18. [17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
19. [19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
20. [23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship. We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
21. [44] "The Earthmen are going to do great things for the whole world of Zur. It required but the cooperation—an excellent word, that—of all Zurians, and many blessings would rain down from the skies."
22. [47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
23. [55] Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control.
24. [56] The object of the visit was trade.
25. [105] Moreover, the Earthmen brought miles of copper wire—more than enough in value to buy out the governorship of any country on Zur—and set up telegraph lines from country to country and continent to continent.
26. [106] Within five years of the first landing of the Earthmen, every major city on the globe had a printing press, a daily newspaper, and enjoyed the instantaneous transmission of news via telegraph.
27. [137] Crews of Zurians, working under supervision of the Earthmen, laid pipelines from the gas and oil regions to every major and minor city on Zur.
28. [138] By the time ten years had passed since the landing of the first terrestrial ship, the Earthmen were conducting a brisk business in gas-fired ranges, furnaces and heaters ... and the Masur stove business was gone.
29. [144] In fact, the Earthmen were building an assembly plant for radio receiving sets.
30. [159] Radio stations went up all over Zur and began broadcasting.
31. [160] The people bought receiving sets like mad.
32. [161] The automobiles arrived and highways were constructed.
33. [163] The Earthmen set up plants and began to manufacture Portland cement.
34. [164] You could build a house of concrete much cheaper than with tile.
35. [225] "Every item is given to you absolutely free—a gift from the people of Earth. All we ask is that you pay the freight charges on the items."
36. [227] "Our purpose is not to make profit, but to spread technology and prosperity throughout the Galaxy."
37. [229] "We of Earth have a saying about one of our extremely slow-moving native animals. We say, 'Slow is the tortoise, but sure.'"
38. [247] "It is how the poor are enabled to enjoy all the luxuries of the rich," said Broderick, and went on to give a thumbnail sketch of the involutions and devolutions of credit, leaving out some angles that might have had a discouraging effect.
39. [276] "Here is a contract. You will start making ceramic parts for automobile spark plugs and certain parts for radios and gas ranges. It is our policy to encourage local manufacture to help bring prices down."
40. [281] "It will require only a quarter interest in your plant itself, assigned to our terrestrial company."
41. [292] For some reason, batteries for the radios were no longer available and everybody had to buy the new radios.
42. [293] And who could do without a radio in this modern age?
43. [300] Business languished.
44. [301] The Earthmen, explained Broderick, had built a plant of their own because it was so much more efficient—and to lower prices, which was Earth's unswerving policy, greater and greater efficiency was demanded.
45. [302] Broderick was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do.
46. [303] The introduction of television provided a further calamity.
47. [304] The sets were delicate and needed frequent repairs, hence were costly to own and maintain.
48. [305] But all Zurians who had to keep up with the latest from Earth had them.
49. [306] Now it was possible not only to hear about things of Earth, but to see them as they were broadcast from the video tapes.
50. [307] The printing plants that turned out mortgage contracts did a lush business. |
What happens to Broderick in the story? | [
"Broderick is an Earthman in charge of the Merchandising Council. He first meets with Zotul and hears his complaints about the failure of the Masur business due to Earth's expansion. Broderick, putting on a guise of sympathy, offers Zotul luxuries to enjoy with his family, in return for credit and their production of ceramics for automobiles. Broderick later moves up in hierarchy and becomes the governor of Zur, achieving power over all affairs. He meets Zotul again and gets the Masur family to work completely for him.",
"Kent Broderick, an Earthman that was the head of the Council, meets Zotul at the headquarters of the Merchandising Council. He is very cordial and enthusiastic when he meets Zotul who has come to complain about the lost profits his family has experienced. Broderick communicates to Zotul that he sincerely wants to help him and Zotul would have brought the issue to his attention sooner. He gives Zotul and his brother contracts stating they the Earthmen will use their facility for some of their manufacturing purposes. This works out really well for the House of Masur until the Earthmen eventually build their own facility and manufacture the same product but in a cheaper manner, undercutting all profits the House of Masur could make. Even further, Broderick gets Zotul and his brothers to voluntarily go into debt so that they could own the luxurious items that the Earthmen were bringing to Zur. Eventually, Broderick becomes governor of Zur. When Zotul visits the governor’s palace and he sees Broderick, Broderick explains to him the purpose of the Earthmen’s actions.",
"Kent Broderick starts off as an Earthman in charge of the Merchandising Council. He offers Zotul and his brothers the Easy Payment Plan after expressing false sympathy for the situation that their business is in. He asks Zotul why the brothers did not come to him sooner for a solution and begins to offer the Earth goods that they do not own in return for them to pay for the freight shipping. He is able to successfully manipulate Zotul into falling for the scheme. Later, it is revealed that Broderick has become the new governor. He tells Zotul that everything belongs to the Earthmen now and the future Zurians will intermarry with the people from Earth. He also convinces Zotul that everything will go back to normal again, except they will be working for Earth.",
"At first, Broderick appears as the Earthmen in charge of the Merchandising council. He is friendly and warmly cheerful, he listens attentively to Zotul's complaints and is sympathetic. He seems to do all he can to help the family, and carefully explain the possibilities, illustrating them in the most enchanting details. He is a great seller and he convinces Zotul very soon to take the credit. When Zotul comes a couple years later, Broderick can do nothing to help and pretends to be sympathetic and sorry again. In the end, he becomes the governor of Lor. He is happy to explain the plan to Zotul and appears sincere in the end. Broderick directly tells that all those actions were parts of a plan to own Zur. Then he patiently explains the reasons against war and the future plan. Mentioning the war makes him look painful from some experience. In the end, he is smiling again and cheers up Zotul as the plan is huge but good."
] | [1] A Gift From Earth By MANLY BANISTER Illustrated by KOSSIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1955.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] Except for transportation, it was absolutely free ... but how much would the freight cost?
[4] "It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!"
[5] Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily.
[6] Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur.
[7] At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it.
[8] Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design.
[9] "Behold, my sons," said Kalrab, stroking his scanty beard.
[10] "What are these Earthmen to worry about?
[11] Remember the clay.
[12] It is our strength and our fortune.
[13] It is the muscle and bone of our trade.
[14] Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur."
[15] "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude.
[16] "They could have landed just as easily here in Lor."
[17] "The Thorabians will lick up the gravy," said Singula, whose mind ran rather to matters of financial aspect, "and leave us the grease."
[18] By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not.
[19] The truth was that all on Zur were panting to get their hands on that marvelous ship, which was all of metal, a very scarce commodity on Zur, worth billions of ken.
[20] Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel.
[21] His people were active in the matter and that was enough for him.
[22] He would report when the time was ripe.
[23] "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship.
[24] We cannot possibly bilk them of it; it is their only means of transport."
[25] Such frank expression of motive was unheard of, even in the secret conclave of conference.
[26] Only the speaker's youth could account for it.
[27] The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan.
[28] "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it.
[29] Meantime, remember your position in the family."
[30] Zotul bowed his head meekly, but he burned with resentment.
[31] "Listen to the boy," said the aged father.
[32] "There is more wisdom in his head than in all the rest of you.
[33] Forget the Earthmen and think only of the clay."
[34] Zotul did not appreciate his father's approval, for it only earned him a beating as soon as the old man went to bed.
[35] It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires.
[36] However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did.
[37] Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen.
[38] If it was impossible to hope for much in the way of metal from the Earthmen, what could one get from them?
[39] If he could figure this problem out, he might rise somewhat in the estimation of his brothers.
[40] That wouldn't take him out of the rank of scapegoat, of course, but the beatings might become fewer and less severe.
[41] By and by, the Earthmen came to Lor, flying through the air in strange metal contraptions.
[42] They paraded through the tile-paved streets of the city, marveled here, as they had in Thorabia, at the buildings all of tile inside and out, and made a great show of themselves for all the people to see.
[43] Speeches were made through interpreters, who had much too quickly learned the tongue of the aliens; hence these left much to be desired in the way of clarity, though their sincerity was evident.
[44] The Earthmen were going to do great things for the whole world of Zur.
[45] It required but the cooperation—an excellent word, that—of all Zurians, and many blessings would rain down from the skies.
[46] This, in effect, was what the Earthmen had to say.
[47] Zotul felt greatly cheered, for it refuted the attitude of his brothers without earning him a whaling for it.
[48] There was also some talk going around about agreements made between the Earthmen and officials of the Lorian government, but you heard one thing one day and another the next.
[49] Accurate reporting, much less a newspaper, was unknown on Zur.
[50] Finally, the Earthmen took off in their great, shining ship.
[51] Obviously, none had succeeded in chiseling them out of it, if, indeed, any had tried.
[52] The anti-Earthmen Faction—in any culture complex, there is always an "anti" faction to protest any movement of endeavor—crowed happily that the Earthmen were gone for good, and a good thing, too.
[53] Such jubilation proved premature, however.
[54] One day, a fleet of ships arrived and after they had landed all over the planet, Zur was practically acrawl with Earthmen.
[55] Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control.
[56] The object of the visit was trade.
[57] In spite of the fact that a terrestrial ship had landed at every Zurian city of major and minor importance, and all in a single day, it took some time for the news to spread.
[58] The first awareness Zotul had was that, upon coming home from the pottery one evening, he found his wife Lania proudly brandishing an aluminum pot at him.
[59] "What is that thing?"
[60] he asked curiously.
[61] "A pot.
[62] I bought it at the market."
[63] "Did you now?
[64] Well, take it back.
[65] Am I made of money that you spend my substance for some fool's product of precious metal?
[66] Take it back, I say!"
[67] The pretty young wife laughed at him.
[68] "Up to your ears in clay, no wonder you hear nothing of news!
[69] The pot is very cheap.
[70] The Earthmen are selling them everywhere.
[71] They're much better than our old clay pots; they're light and easy to handle and they don't break when dropped."
[72] "What good is it?"
[73] asked Zotul, interested.
[74] "How will it hold heat, being so light?"
[75] "The Earthmen don't cook as we do," she explained patiently.
[76] "There is a paper with each pot that explains how it is used.
[77] And you will have to design a new ceramic stove for me to use the pots on."
[78] "Don't be idiotic!
[79] Do you suppose Koltan would agree to produce a new type of stove when the old has sold well for centuries?
[80] Besides, why do you need a whole new stove for one little pot?"
[81] "A dozen pots.
[82] They come in sets and are cheaper that way.
[83] And Koltan will have to produce the new stove because all the housewives are buying these pots and there will be a big demand for it.
[84] The Earthman said so."
[85] "He did, did he?
[86] These pots are only a fad.
[87] You will soon enough go back to cooking with your old ones."
[88] "The Earthman took them in trade—one reason why the new ones are so cheap.
[89] There isn't a pot in the house but these metal ones, and you will have to design and produce a new stove if you expect me to use them."
[90] After he had beaten his wife thoroughly for her foolishness, Zotul stamped off in a rage and designed a new ceramic stove, one that would accommodate the terrestrial pots very well.
[91] And Koltan put the model into production.
[92] "Orders already are pouring in like mad," he said the next day.
[93] "It was wise of you to foresee it and have the design ready.
[94] Already, I am sorry for thinking as I did about the Earthmen.
[95] They really intend to do well by us."
[96] The kilns of the Pottery of Masur fired day and night to keep up with the demand for the new porcelain stoves.
[97] In three years, more than a million had been made and sold by the Masurs alone, not counting the hundreds of thousands of copies turned out by competitors in every land.
[98] In the meantime, however, more things than pots came from Earth.
[99] One was a printing press, the like of which none on Zur had ever dreamed.
[100] This, for some unknown reason and much to the disgust of the Lorians, was set up in Thorabia.
[101] Books and magazines poured from it in a fantastic stream.
[102] The populace fervidly brushed up on its scanty reading ability and bought everything available, overcome by the novelty of it.
[103] Even Zotul bought a book—a primer in the Lorian language—and learned how to read and write.
[104] The remainder of the brothers Masur, on the other hand, preferred to remain in ignorance.
[105] Moreover, the Earthmen brought miles of copper wire—more than enough in value to buy out the governorship of any country on Zur—and set up telegraph lines from country to country and continent to continent.
[106] Within five years of the first landing of the Earthmen, every major city on the globe had a printing press, a daily newspaper, and enjoyed the instantaneous transmission of news via telegraph.
[107] And the business of the House of Masur continued to look up.
[108] "As I have always said from the beginning," chortled Director Koltan, "this coming of the Earthmen had been a great thing for us, and especially for the House of Masur."
[109] "You didn't think so at first," Zotul pointed out, and was immediately sorry, for Koltan turned and gave him a hiding, single-handed, for his unthinkable impertinence.
[110] It would do no good, Zotul realized, to bring up the fact that their production of ceramic cooking pots had dropped off to about two per cent of its former volume.
[111] Of course, profits on the line of new stoves greatly overbalanced the loss, so that actually they were ahead; but their business was now dependent upon the supply of the metal pots from Earth.
[112] About this time, plastic utensils—dishes, cups, knives, forks—made their appearance on Zur.
[113] It became very stylish to eat with the newfangled paraphernalia ... and very cheap, too, because for everything they sold, the Earthmen always took the old ware in trade.
[114] What they did with the stuff had been hard to believe at first.
[115] They destroyed it, which proved how valueless it really was.
[116] The result of the new flood was that in the following year, the sale of Masur ceramic table service dropped to less than a tenth.
[117] Trembling with excitement at this news from their book-keeper, Koltan called an emergency meeting.
[118] He even routed old Kalrab out of his senile stupor for the occasion, on the off chance that the old man might still have a little wit left that could be helpful.
[119] "Note," Koltan announced in a shaky voice, "that the Earthmen undermine our business," and he read off the figures.
[120] "Perhaps," said Zotul, "it is a good thing also, as you said before, and will result in something even better for us."
[121] Koltan frowned, and Zotul, in fear of another beating, instantly subsided.
[122] "They are replacing our high-quality ceramic ware with inferior terrestrial junk," Koltan went on bitterly.
[123] "It is only the glamor that sells it, of course, but before the people get the shine out of their eyes, we can be ruined."
[124] The brothers discussed the situation for an hour, and all the while Father Kalrab sat and pulled his scanty whiskers.
[125] Seeing that they got nowhere with their wrangle, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
[126] "My sons, you forget it is not the Earthmen themselves at the bottom of your trouble, but the things of Earth.
[127] Think of the telegraph and the newspaper, how these spread news of every shipment from Earth.
[128] The merchandise of the Earthmen is put up for sale by means of these newspapers, which also are the property of the Earthmen.
[129] The people are intrigued by these advertisements, as they are called, and flock to buy.
[130] Now, if you would pull a tooth from the kwi that bites you, you might also have advertisements of your own."
[131] Alas for that suggestion, no newspaper would accept advertising from the House of Masur; all available space was occupied by the advertisements of the Earthmen.
[132] In their dozenth conference since that first and fateful one, the brothers Masur decided upon drastic steps.
[133] In the meantime, several things had happened.
[134] For one, old Kalrab had passed on to his immortal rest, but this made no real difference.
[135] For another, the Earthmen had procured legal authority to prospect the planet for metals, of which they found a good deal, but they told no one on Zur of this.
[136] What they did mention was the crude oil and natural gas they discovered in the underlayers of the planet's crust.
[137] Crews of Zurians, working under supervision of the Earthmen, laid pipelines from the gas and oil regions to every major and minor city on Zur.
[138] By the time ten years had passed since the landing of the first terrestrial ship, the Earthmen were conducting a brisk business in gas-fired ranges, furnaces and heaters ... and the Masur stove business was gone.
[139] Moreover, the Earthmen sold the Zurians their own natural gas at a nice profit and everybody was happy with the situation except the brothers Masur.
[140] The drastic steps of the brothers applied, therefore, to making an energetic protest to the governor of Lor.
[141] At one edge of the city, an area had been turned over to the Earthmen for a spaceport, and the great terrestrial spaceships came to it and departed from it at regular intervals.
[142] As the heirs of the House of Masur walked by on their way to see the governor, Zotul observed that much new building was taking place and wondered what it was.
[143] "Some new devilment of the Earthmen, you can be sure," said Koltan blackly.
[144] In fact, the Earthmen were building an assembly plant for radio receiving sets.
[145] The ship now standing on its fins upon the apron was loaded with printed circuits, resistors, variable condensers and other radio parts.
[146] This was Earth's first step toward flooding Zur with the natural follow-up in its campaign of advertising—radio programs—with commercials.
[147] Happily for the brothers, they did not understand this at the time or they would surely have gone back to be buried in their own clay.
[148] "I think," the governor told them, "that you gentlemen have not paused to consider the affair from all angles.
[149] You must learn to be modern—keep up with the times!
[150] We heads of government on Zur are doing all in our power to aid the Earthmen and facilitate their bringing a great, new culture that can only benefit us.
[151] See how Zur has changed in ten short years!
[152] Imagine the world of tomorrow!
[153] Why, do you know they are even bringing autos to Zur!"
[154] The brothers were fascinated with the governor's description of these hitherto unheard-of vehicles.
[155] "It only remains," concluded the governor, "to build highways, and the Earthmen are taking care of that."
[156] At any rate, the brothers Masur were still able to console themselves that they had their tile business.
[157] Tile served well enough for houses and street surfacing; what better material could be devised for the new highways the governor spoke of?
[158] There was a lot of money to be made yet.
[159] Radio stations went up all over Zur and began broadcasting.
[160] The people bought receiving sets like mad.
[161] The automobiles arrived and highways were constructed.
[162] The last hope of the brothers was dashed.
[163] The Earthmen set up plants and began to manufacture Portland cement.
[164] You could build a house of concrete much cheaper than with tile.
[165] Of course, since wood was scarce on Zur, it was no competition for either tile or concrete.
[166] Concrete floors were smoother, too, and the stuff made far better road surfacing.
[167] The demand for Masur tile hit rock bottom.
[168] The next time the brothers went to see the governor, he said, "I cannot handle such complaints as yours.
[169] I must refer you to the Merchandising Council."
[170] "What is that?"
[171] asked Koltan.
[172] "It is an Earthman association that deals with complaints such as yours.
[173] In the matter of material progress, we must expect some strain in the fabric of our culture.
[174] Machinery has been set up to deal with it.
[175] Here is their address; go air your troubles to them."
[176] The business of a formal complaint was turned over by the brothers to Zotul.
[177] It took three weeks for the Earthmen to get around to calling him in, as a representative of the Pottery of Masur, for an interview.
[178] All the brothers could no longer be spared from the plant, even for the purpose of pressing a complaint.
[179] Their days of idle wealth over, they had to get in and work with the clay with the rest of the help.
[180] Zotul found the headquarters of the Merchandising Council as indicated on their message.
[181] He had not been this way in some time, but was not surprised to find that a number of old buildings had been torn down to make room for the concrete Council House and a roomy parking lot, paved with something called "blacktop" and jammed with an array of glittering new automobiles.
[182] An automobile was an expense none of the brothers could afford, now that they barely eked a living from the pottery.
[183] Still, Zotul ached with desire at sight of so many shiny cars.
[184] Only a few had them and they were the envied ones of Zur.
[185] Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council, shook hands jovially with Zotul.
[186] That alien custom conformed with, Zotul took a better look at his host.
[187] Broderick was an affable, smiling individual with genial laugh wrinkles at his eyes.
[188] A man of middle age, dressed in the baggy costume of Zur, he looked almost like a Zurian, except for an indefinite sense of alienness about him.
[189] "Glad to have you call on us, Mr. Masur," boomed the Earthman, clapping Zotul on the back.
[190] "Just tell us your troubles and we'll have you straightened out in no time."
[191] All the chill recriminations and arguments Zotul had stored for this occasion were dissipated in the warmth of the Earthman's manner.
[192] Almost apologetically, Zotul told of the encroachment that had been made upon the business of the Pottery of Masur.
[193] "Once," he said formally, "the Masur fortune was the greatest in the world of Zur.
[194] That was before my father, the famous Kalrab Masur—Divinity protect him—departed this life to collect his greater reward.
[195] He often told us, my father did, that the clay is the flesh and bones of our culture and our fortune.
[196] Now it has been shown how prone is the flesh to corruption and how feeble the bones.
[197] We are ruined, and all because of new things coming from Earth."
[198] Broderick stroked his shaven chin and looked sad.
[199] "Why didn't you come to me sooner?
[200] This would never have happened.
[201] But now that it has, we're going to do right by you.
[202] That is the policy of Earth—always to do right by the customer."
[203] "Divinity witness," Zorin said, "that we ask only compensation for damages."
[204] Broderick shook his head.
[205] "It is not possible to replace an immense fortune at this late date.
[206] As I said, you should have reported your trouble sooner.
[207] However, we can give you an opportunity to rebuild.
[208] Do you own an automobile?"
[209] "No."
[210] "A gas range?
[211] A gas-fired furnace?
[212] A radio?"
[213] Zotul had to answer no to all except the radio.
[214] "My wife Lania likes the music," he explained.
[215] "I cannot afford the other things."
[216] Broderick clucked sympathetically.
[217] One who could not afford the bargain-priced merchandise of Earth must be poor indeed.
[218] "To begin with," he said, "I am going to make you a gift of all these luxuries you do not have."
[219] As Zotul made to protest, he cut him off with a wave of his hand.
[220] "It is the least we can do for you.
[221] Pick a car from the lot outside.
[222] I will arrange to have the other things delivered and installed in your home."
[223] "To receive gifts," said Zotul, "incurs an obligation."
[224] "None at all," beamed the Earthman cheerily.
[225] "Every item is given to you absolutely free—a gift from the people of Earth.
[226] All we ask is that you pay the freight charges on the items.
[227] Our purpose is not to make profit, but to spread technology and prosperity throughout the Galaxy.
[228] We have already done well on numerous worlds, but working out the full program takes time."
[229] He chuckled deeply.
[230] "We of Earth have a saying about one of our extremely slow-moving native animals.
[231] We say, 'Slow is the tortoise, but sure.'
[232] And so with us.
[233] Our goal is a long-range one, with the motto, 'Better times with better merchandise.'"
[234] The engaging manner of the man won Zotul's confidence.
[235] After all, it was no more than fair to pay transportation.
[236] He said, "How much does the freight cost?"
[237] Broderick told him.
[238] "It may seem high," said the Earthman, "but remember that Earth is sixty-odd light-years away.
[239] After all, we are absorbing the cost of the merchandise.
[240] All you pay is the freight, which is cheap, considering the cost of operating an interstellar spaceship."
[241] "Impossible," said Zotul drably.
[242] "Not I and all my brothers together have so much money any more."
[243] "You don't know us of Earth very well yet, but you will.
[244] I offer you credit!"
[245] "What is that?"
[246] asked Zotul skeptically.
[247] "It is how the poor are enabled to enjoy all the luxuries of the rich," said Broderick, and went on to give a thumbnail sketch of the involutions and devolutions of credit, leaving out some angles that might have had a discouraging effect.
[248] On a world where credit was a totally new concept, it was enchanting.
[249] Zotul grasped at the glittering promise with avidity.
[250] "What must I do to get credit?"
[251] "Just sign this paper," said Broderick, "and you become part of our Easy Payment Plan."
[252] Zotul drew back.
[253] "I have five brothers.
[254] If I took all these things for myself and nothing for them, they would beat me black and blue."
[255] "Here."
[256] Broderick handed him a sheaf of chattel mortgages.
[257] "Have each of your brothers sign one of these, then bring them back to me.
[258] That is all there is to it."
[259] It sounded wonderful.
[260] But how would the brothers take it?
[261] Zotul wrestled with his misgivings and the misgivings won.
[262] "I will talk it over with them," he said.
[263] "Give me the total so I will have the figures."
[264] The total was more than it ought to be by simple addition.
[265] Zotul pointed this out politely.
[266] "Interest," Broderick explained.
[267] "A mere fifteen per cent.
[268] After all, you get the merchandise free.
[269] The transportation company has to be paid, so another company loans you the money to pay for the freight.
[270] This small extra sum pays the lending company for its trouble."
[271] "I see."
[272] Zotul puzzled over it sadly.
[273] "It is too much," he said.
[274] "Our plant doesn't make enough money for us to meet the payments."
[275] "I have a surprise for you," smiled Broderick.
[276] "Here is a contract.
[277] You will start making ceramic parts for automobile spark plugs and certain parts for radios and gas ranges.
[278] It is our policy to encourage local manufacture to help bring prices down."
[279] "We haven't the equipment."
[280] "We will equip your plant," beamed Broderick.
[281] "It will require only a quarter interest in your plant itself, assigned to our terrestrial company."
[282] Zotul, anxious to possess the treasures promised by the Earthman, won over his brothers.
[283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
[284] They rolled in the luxuries of Earth.
[285] These, who had never known debt before, were in it up to their ears.
[286] The retooled plant forged ahead and profits began to look up, but the Earthmen took a fourth of them as their share in the industry.
[287] For a year, the brothers drove their shiny new cars about on the new concrete highways the Earthmen had built.
[288] From pumps owned by a terrestrial company, they bought gas and oil that had been drawn from the crust of Zur and was sold to the Zurians at a magnificent profit.
[289] The food they ate was cooked in Earthly pots on Earth-type gas ranges, served up on metal plates that had been stamped out on Earth.
[290] In the winter, they toasted their shins before handsome gas grates, though they had gas-fired central heating.
[291] About this time, the ships from Earth brought steam-powered electric generators.
[292] Lines went up, power was generated, and a flood of electrical gadgets and appliances hit the market.
[293] For some reason, batteries for the radios were no longer available and everybody had to buy the new radios.
[294] And who could do without a radio in this modern age?
[295] The homes of the brothers Masur blossomed on the Easy Payment Plan.
[296] They had refrigerators, washers, driers, toasters, grills, electric fans, air-conditioning equipment and everything else Earth could possibly sell them.
[297] "We will be forty years paying it all off," exulted Zotul, "but meantime we have the things and aren't they worth it?"
[298] But at the end of three years, the Earthmen dropped their option.
[299] The Pottery of Masur had no more contracts.
[300] Business languished.
[301] The Earthmen, explained Broderick, had built a plant of their own because it was so much more efficient—and to lower prices, which was Earth's unswerving policy, greater and greater efficiency was demanded.
[302] Broderick was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do.
[303] The introduction of television provided a further calamity.
[304] The sets were delicate and needed frequent repairs, hence were costly to own and maintain.
[305] But all Zurians who had to keep up with the latest from Earth had them.
[306] Now it was possible not only to hear about things of Earth, but to see them as they were broadcast from the video tapes.
[307] The printing plants that turned out mortgage contracts did a lush business.
[308] For the common people of Zur, times were good everywhere.
[309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
[310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
[311] The brothers Masur got along in spite of dropped options.
[312] They had less money and felt the pinch of their debts more keenly, but television kept their wives and children amused and furnished an anodyne for the pangs of impoverishment.
[313] The pottery income dropped to an impossible low, no matter how Zotul designed and the brothers produced.
[314] Their figurines and religious ikons were a drug on the market.
[315] The Earthmen made them of plastic and sold them for less.
[316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
[317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
[318] "Go see Broderick.
[319] Tell him we are undone and must have some contracts to continue operating."
[320] Nursing bruises, Zotul unhappily went to the Council House again.
[321] Mr. Broderick was no longer with them, a suave assistant informed him.
[322] Would he like to see Mr. Siwicki instead?
[323] Zotul would.
[324] Siwicki was tall, thin, dark and somber-looking.
[325] There was even a hint of toughness about the set of his jaw and the hardness of his glance.
[326] "So you can't pay," he said, tapping his teeth with a pencil.
[327] He looked at Zotul coldly.
[328] "It is well you have come to us instead of making it necessary for us to approach you through the courts."
[329] "I don't know what you mean," said Zotul.
[330] "If we have to sue, we take back the merchandise and everything attached to them.
[331] That means you would lose your houses, for they are attached to the furnaces.
[332] However, it is not as bad as that—yet.
[333] We will only require you to assign the remaining three-quarters of your pottery to us."
[334] The brothers, when they heard of this, were too stunned to think of beating Zotul, by which he assumed he had progressed a little and was somewhat comforted.
[335] "To fail," said Koltan soberly, "is not a Masur attribute.
[336] Go to the governor and tell him what we think of this business.
[337] The House of Masur has long supported the government with heavy taxes.
[338] Now it is time for the government to do something for us."
[339] The governor's palace was jammed with hurrying people, a scene of confusion that upset Zotul.
[340] The clerk who took his application for an interview was, he noticed only vaguely, a young Earthwoman.
[341] It was remarkable that he paid so little attention, for the female terrestrials were picked for physical assets that made Zurian men covetous and Zurian women envious.
[342] "The governor will see you," she said sweetly.
[343] "He has been expecting you."
[344] "Me?"
[345] marveled Zotul.
[346] She ushered him into the magnificent private office of the governor of Lor.
[347] The man behind the desk stood up, extended his hand with a friendly smile.
[348] "Come in, come in!
[349] I'm glad to see you again."
[350] Zotul stared blankly.
[351] This was not the governor.
[352] This was Broderick, the Earthman.
[353] "I—I came to see the governor," he said in confusion.
[354] Broderick nodded agreeably.
[355] "I am the governor and I am well acquainted with your case, Mr. Masur.
[356] Shall we talk it over?
[357] Please sit down."
[358] "I don't understand.
[359] The Earthmen...." Zotul paused, coloring.
[360] "We are about to lose our plant."
[361] "You were about to say that the Earthmen are taking your plant away from you.
[362] That is true.
[363] Since the House of Masur was the largest and richest on Zur, it has taken a long time—the longest of all, in fact."
[364] "What do you mean?"
[365] "Yours is the last business on Zur to be taken over by us.
[366] We have bought you out."
[367] "Our government...." "Your governments belong to us, too," said Broderick.
[368] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
[369] "You mean," exclaimed Zotul, aghast, "that you Earthmen own everything on Zur?"
[370] "Even your armies."
[371] "But why ?"
[372] Broderick clasped his hands behind back, went to the window and stared down moodily into the street.
[373] "You don't know what an overcrowded world is like," he said.
[374] "A street like this, with so few people and vehicles on it, would be impossible on Earth."
[375] "But it's mobbed," protested Zotul.
[376] "It gave me a headache."
[377] "And to us it's almost empty.
[378] The pressure of population on Earth has made us range the Galaxy for places to put our extra people.
[379] The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones.
[380] We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
[381] "And after that?"
[382] Broderick smiled gently.
[383] "Zur will grow.
[384] Our people will intermarry with yours.
[385] The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
[386] Zotul sat in silent thought.
[387] "But you did not have to buy us out.
[388] You had the power to conquer us, even to destroy us.
[389] The whole planet could have been yours alone."
[390] He stopped in alarm.
[391] "Or am I suggesting an idea that didn't occur to you?"
[392] "No," said Broderick, his usually smiling face almost pained with memory.
[393] "We know the history of conquest all too well.
[394] Our method causes more distress than we like to inflict, but it's better—and more sure—than war and invasion by force.
[395] Now that the unpleasant job is finished, we can repair the dislocations."
[396] "At last I understand what you said about the tortoise."
[397] "Slow but sure."
[398] Broderick beamed again and clapped Zotul on the shoulder.
[399] "Don't worry.
[400] You'll have your job back, the same as always, but you'll be working for us ... until the children of Earth and Zur are equal in knowledge and therefore equal partners.
[401] That's why we had to break down your caste system."
[402] Zotul's eyes widened.
[403] "And that is why my brothers did not beat me when I failed!"
[404] "Of course.
[405] Are you ready now to take the assignment papers for you and your brothers to sign?"
[406] "Yes," said Zotul.
[407] "I am ready." | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What happens to Broderick in the story?":
1. [367] "When they could not pay for the roads, the telegraphs, the civic improvements, we took them over, just as we are taking you over."
2. [368] "You mean," exclaimed Zotul, aghast, "that you Earthmen own everything on Zur?"
3. [369] "Even your armies."
4. [370] "But why ?"
5. [371] Broderick clasped his hands behind back, went to the window and stared down moodily into the street.
6. [372] "You don't know what an overcrowded world is like," he said.
7. [373] "A street like this, with so few people and vehicles on it, would be impossible on Earth."
8. [374] "But it's mobbed," protested Zotul.
9. [375] "It gave me a headache."
10. [376] "And to us it's almost empty."
11. [377] "The pressure of population on Earth has made us range the Galaxy for places to put our extra people."
12. [378] "The only habitable planets, unfortunately, are populated ones."
13. [379] "We take the least populous worlds and—well, buy them out and move in."
14. [380] "And after that?"
15. [381] Broderick smiled gently.
16. [382] "Zur will grow."
17. [383] "Our people will intermarry with yours."
18. [384] "The future population of Zur will be neither true Zurians nor true Earthmen, but a mixture of both."
19. [185] Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council, shook hands jovially with Zotul.
20. [186] That alien custom conformed with, Zotul took a better look at his host.
21. [187] Broderick was an affable, smiling individual with genial laugh wrinkles at his eyes.
22. [188] A man of middle age, dressed in the baggy costume of Zur, he looked almost like a Zurian, except for an indefinite sense of alienness about him.
23. [189] "Glad to have you call on us, Mr. Masur," boomed the Earthman, clapping Zotul on the back.
24. [190] "Just tell us your troubles and we'll have you straightened out in no time."
25. [191] All the chill recriminations and arguments Zotul had stored for this occasion were dissipated in the warmth of the Earthman's manner.
26. [192] Almost apologetically, Zotul told of the encroachment that had been made upon the business of the Pottery of Masur.
27. [193] "Once," he said formally, "the Masur fortune was the greatest in the world of Zur."
28. [194] "That was before my father, the famous Kalrab Masur—Divinity protect him—departed this life to collect his greater reward."
29. [195] "He often told us, my father did, that the clay is the flesh and bones of our culture and our fortune."
30. [196] "Now it has been shown how prone is the flesh to corruption and how feeble the bones."
31. [197] "We are ruined, and all because of new things coming from Earth."
32. [198] Broderick stroked his shaven chin and looked sad.
33. [199] "Why didn't you come to me sooner?"
34. [200] "This would never have happened."
35. [201] "But now that it has, we're going to do right by you."
36. [202] "That is the policy of Earth—always to do right by the customer."
37. [203] "Divinity witness," Zorin said, "that we ask only compensation for damages."
38. [204] Broderick shook his head.
39. [205] "It is not possible to replace an immense fortune at this late date."
40. [206] "As I said, you should have reported your trouble sooner."
41. [207] "However, we can give you an opportunity to rebuild."
42. [208] "Do you own an automobile?"
43. [209] "No."
44. [210] "A gas range?"
45. [211] "A gas-fired furnace?"
46. [212] "A radio?"
47. [213] Zotul had to answer no to all except the radio.
48. [214] "My wife Lania likes the music," he explained.
49. [215] "I cannot afford the other things."
50. [216] Broderick clucked sympathetically.
51. [217] "One who could not afford the bargain-priced merchandise of Earth must be poor indeed."
52. [218] "To begin with," he said, "I am going to make you a gift of all these luxuries you do not have."
53. [219] As Zotul made to protest, he cut him off with a wave of his hand.
54. [220] "It is the least we can do for you."
55. [221] "Pick a car from the lot outside."
56. [222] "I will arrange to have the other things delivered and installed in your home."
57. [223] "To receive gifts," said Zotul, "incurs an obligation."
58. [224] "None at all," beamed the Earthman cheerily.
59. [225] "Every item is given to you absolutely free—a gift from the people of Earth."
60. [226] "All we ask is that you pay the freight charges on the items."
61. [227] "Our purpose is not to make profit, but to spread technology and prosperity throughout the Galaxy."
62. [228] "We have already done well on numerous worlds, but working out the full program takes time."
63. [229] He chuckled deeply.
64. [230] "We of Earth have a saying about one of our extremely slow-moving native animals."
65. [231] "We say, 'Slow is the tortoise, but sure.'"
66. [232] "And so with us."
67. [233] "Our goal is a long-range one, with the motto, 'Better times with better merchandise.'"
68. [234] The engaging manner of the man won Zotul's confidence.
69. [235] After all, it was no more than fair to pay transportation.
70. [236] He said, "How much does the freight cost?"
71. [237] Broderick told him.
72. [238] "It may seem high," said the Earthman, "but remember that Earth is sixty-odd light-years away."
73. [239] "After all, we are absorbing the cost of the merchandise."
74. [240] "All you pay is the freight, which is cheap, considering the cost of operating an interstellar spaceship."
75. [241] "Impossible," said Zotul drably.
76. [242] "Not I and all my brothers together have so much money any more."
77. [243] "You don't know us of Earth very well yet, but you will."
78. [244] "I offer you credit!"
79. [245] "What is that?"
80. [246] asked Zotul skeptically.
81. [247] "It is how the poor are enabled to enjoy all the luxuries of the rich," said Broderick, and went on to give a thumbnail sketch of the involutions and devolutions of credit, leaving out some angles that might have had a discouraging effect.
82. [248] On a world where credit was a totally new concept, it was enchanting.
83. [249] Zotul grasped at the glittering promise with avidity.
84. [250] "What must I do to get credit?"
85. [251] "Just sign this paper," said Broderick, "and you become part of our Easy Payment Plan."
86. [252] Zotul drew back.
87. [253] "I have five brothers."
88. [254] "If I took all these things for myself and nothing for them, they would beat me black and blue."
89. [255] "Here."
90. [256] Broderick handed him a sheaf of chattel mortgages.
91. [257] "Have each of your brothers sign one of these, then bring them back to me."
92. [258] "That is all there is to it."
93. [259] It sounded wonderful.
94. [260] But how would the brothers take it?
95. [261] Zotul wrestled with his misgivings and the misgivings won.
96. [262] "I will talk it over with them," he said.
97. [263] "Give me the total so I will have the figures."
98. [264] The total was more than it ought to be by simple addition.
99. [265] Zotul pointed this out politely.
100. [266] "Interest," Broderick explained.
101. [267] "A mere fifteen per cent."
102. [268] "After all, you get the merchandise free."
103. [269] "The transportation company has to be paid, so another company loans you the money to pay for the freight."
104. [270] "This small extra sum pays the lending company for its trouble."
105. [271] "I see."
106. [272] Zotul puzzled over it sadly.
107. [273] "It is too much," he said.
108. [274] "Our plant doesn't make enough money for us to meet the payments."
109. [275] "I have a surprise for you," smiled Broderick.
110. [276] "Here is a contract."
111. [277] "You will start making ceramic parts for automobile spark plugs and certain parts for radios and gas ranges."
112. [278] "It is our policy to encourage local manufacture to help bring prices down."
113. [279] "We haven't the equipment."
114. [280] "We will equip your plant," beamed Broderick.
115. [281] "It will require only a quarter interest in your plant itself, assigned to our terrestrial company."
116. [282] Zotul, anxious to possess the treasures promised by the Earthman, won over his brothers.
117. [283] They signed with marks and gave up a quarter interest in the Pottery of Masur.
118. [284] They rolled in the luxuries of Earth.
119. [285] These, who had never known debt before, were in it up to their ears.
120. [286] The retooled plant forged ahead and profits began to look up, but the Earthmen took a fourth of them as their share in the industry.
121. [287] For a year, the brothers drove their shiny new cars about on the new concrete highways the Earthmen had built.
122. [288] From pumps owned by a terrestrial company, they bought gas and oil that had been drawn from the crust of Zur and was sold to the Zurians at a magnificent profit.
123. [289] The food they ate was cooked in Earthly pots on Earth-type gas ranges, served up on metal plates that had been stamped out on Earth.
124. [290] In the winter, they toasted their shins before handsome gas grates, though they had gas-fired central heating.
125. [291] About this time, the ships from Earth brought steam-powered electric generators.
126. [292] Lines went up, power was generated, and a flood of electrical gadgets and appliances hit the market.
127. [293] For some reason, batteries for the radios were no longer available and everybody had to buy the new radios.
128. [294] And who could do without a radio in this modern age?
129. [295] The homes of the brothers Masur blossomed on the Easy Payment Plan.
130. [296] They had refrigerators, washers, driers, toasters, grills, electric fans, air-conditioning equipment and everything else Earth could possibly sell them.
131. [297] "We will be forty years paying it all off," exulted Zotul, "but meantime we have the things and aren't they worth it?"
132. [298] But at the end of three years, the Earthmen dropped their option.
133. [299] The Pottery of Masur had no more contracts.
134. [300] Business languished.
135. [301] The Earthmen, explained Broderick, had built a plant of their own because it was so much more efficient—and to lower prices, which was Earth's unswerving policy, greater and greater efficiency was demanded.
136. [302] Broderick was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do.
137. [303] The introduction of television provided a further calamity.
138. [304] The sets were delicate and needed frequent repairs, hence were costly to own and maintain.
139. [305] But all Zurians who had to keep up with the latest from Earth had them.
140. [306] Now it was possible not only to hear about things of Earth, but to see them as they were broadcast from the video tapes.
141. [307] The printing plants that turned out mortgage contracts did a lush business.
142. [308] For the common people of Zur, times were good everywhere.
143. [309] In a decade and a half, the Earthmen had wrought magnificent changes on this backward world.
144. [310] As Broderick had said, the progress of the tortoise was slow, but it was extremely sure.
145. [311] The brothers Masur got along in spite of dropped options.
146. [312] They had less money and felt the pinch of their debts more keenly, but television kept their wives and children amused and furnished an anodyne for the pangs of impoverishment.
147. [313] The pottery income dropped to an impossible low, no matter how Zotul designed and the brothers produced.
148. [314] Their figurines and religious ikons were a drug on the market.
149. [315] The Earthmen made them of plastic and sold them for less.
150. [316] The brothers, unable to meet the Payments that were not so Easy any more, looked up Zotul and cuffed him around reproachfully.
151. [317] "You got us into this," they said, emphasizing their bitterness with fists.
152. [318] "Go see Broderick."
153. [319] "Tell him we are undone and must have some contracts to continue operating."
154. [320] Nursing bruises, Zotul unhappily went to the Council House again.
155. [321] Mr. Broderick was no longer with them, a suave assistant informed him.
156. [322] "Would he like to see Mr. Siwicki instead?"
157. [323] Zotul would.
158. [324] Siwicki was tall, thin, dark and somber-looking.
159. [325] There was even a hint of toughness about the set of his jaw and the hardness of his glance.
160. [326] "So you can't pay," he said, tapping his teeth with a pencil.
161. [327] He looked at Zotul coldly.
162. [328] "It is well you have come to us instead of making it necessary for us to approach you through the courts."
163. [329] "I don't know what you mean," said Zotul.
164. [330] "If we have to sue, we take back the merchandise and everything attached to them."
165. [331] "That means you would lose your houses, for they are attached to the furnaces."
166. [332] "However, it is not as bad as that—yet."
167. [333] "We will only require you to assign the remaining three-quarters of your pottery to us."
168. [334] The brothers, when they heard of this, were too stunned to think of beating Zotul, by which he assumed he had progressed a little and was somewhat comforted.
169. [335] "To fail," said Koltan soberly, "is not a Masur attribute."
170. [336] "Go to the governor and tell him what we think of this business."
171. [337] "The House of Masur has long supported the government with heavy taxes."
172. [338] "Now it is time for the government to do something for us."
173. [339] The governor's palace was jammed with hurrying people, a scene of confusion that upset Zotul.
174. [340] The clerk who took his application for an interview was, he noticed only vaguely, a young Earthwoman.
175. [341] It was remarkable that he paid so little attention, for the female terrestrials were picked for physical assets that made Zurian men covetous and Zurian women envious.
176. [342] "The governor will see you," she said sweetly.
177. [343] "He has been expecting you."
178. [344] "Me?"
179. [345] marveled Zotul.
180. [346] She ushered him into the magnificent private office |
What is the plot of the story? | [
"John Kevin catches up with Doc, who has grabbed a human by the throat. He tells the human that man will reach the moon tonight, and the man agrees, so Doc will let him go. Kevin apologizes to the human and says that his father has trouble differentiating old events. They see Martian tourists approaching the corner, and Kevin recalls how he hates Martian tourists because they are aliens. The two go to a flophouse, where Kevin bargains with the clerk over the price of a room. He threatens the human but stops when he hears Doc mumbling. They go to the room, and he lays Doc out on the cot. Doc begins to mumble more, while Kevin begins to copy down the words in his notebook again. Kevin knows that what Doc is mumbling will make him the most powerful man in the Solar Federation, especially because Doc was once somebody extremely important. Doc then begins to cry, and Kevin decides to comfort him slightly. Kevin then meets a woman by the bus stop and asks her for a dime for coffee. He realizes that she is a human tourist and recalls how he hates tourists. She offers to buy him dinner too, and they go to get a coffee. Kevin is revealed to be a caffeine addict, and he tells the woman that he wants a hamburger. One hamburger becomes several, and he drinks a glass of milk. Kevin asks the woman for a few to take home, and she introduces herself as Miss Vivian Casey. Kevin tells her his name too, and she hands him a coupon from a magazine. When he comes back to his senses, the counterman is pulling a five-dollar bill from under his hand. When he goes back, Doc has made something. It is revealed that Kevin has been trying to get time travel from Doc for the past few months and sees a condemned snowbird. The two thin and heavy men talk to him, asking him to tell them where he came from. The doctor explains his condition and hands him a manuscript, and Kevin steps into the range of Miss Casey’s gun in real life. He asks her for coffee again, and she re-introduces herself as a North American Mounted Police member. She explains that Doc wanted to profit off of his time travel, but he did not have money. He wrestles the gun from her; suddenly, a Martian by the name of Andre appears. Andre makes Kevin realize that he is not a Centurian humanoid because he is the son of Doc. Kevin destroys the thing that Doc creates because he knows nobody is ready for time travel to be rediscovered. Miss Casey and Andre are relieved, while Kevin ponders why he destroyed the machine. He thinks it may be because of emotions or roast coffee.",
"The story is set in the world of intergalactic life and tells us about Kevin, a poor Centurian humanoid, and Doc, a person whose real name and significance Kevin forgot, but still remembers him as someone somewhat important to him in the past and roams with him around North America. Kevin pulls Doc away from an unfamiliar man whose collar he grabbed and carefully walks him to a flophouse. He pays for the room after a small conflict with the clerk. Once inside, Kevin falls down from muscle pain and Doc starts mumbling something that Kevin subconsciously remembers to be of utter importance. After writing down everything he heard from the old man, Kevin leaves in a search for coffee. A woman on the street agrees to pay for his drink and food despite Kevin’s impoverished appearance - we learn that he has a caffeine addiction that presents in a way more profound and serious way in Centurian men than in earthmen. She introduces herself as Vivian Casey and asks for a favor in return, handing him what seems to be a magazine coupon with some strange content. Suddenly Kevin becomes disoriented, Vivian disappears, leaving the money for the food in his fist. He pays for the bill, ordering some more to take with him, and comes back to Doc who has managed to create some strangely looking device from a bulb, a pen, and the bed carcass while Kevin was away. After kneeling beside Doc while the old man is murmuring something Kevin soon realizes that he is in a Victorian living room. He finally remembers that time travel was the reason why he considered Doc important. He meets two men that seem to be Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson. They briefly talk about time travel and after the doctor gives him his manuscript Kevin finally goes back to his time only to find Miss Casey’s gun pointed at him. She turns out to be a constable and tells Kevin that Doc found a way to travel in time and decided to make money by getting rare books in the past, but apparently started bringing works that had never existed. Kevin throws coffee at Casey, disarming her, but instantly sees a Martian at his door. Andre, as he introduced himself, continues the story Casey started and claims that hundreds of people disappeared after receiving Doc’s books, but what’s even more important, these books, which never existed, can help humans reach a state of pure logic. During their conversation, Andre also helps Kevin remember that Doc is his father and Kevin himself is actually an earthman not a Centurian. Overwhelmed, Kevin quickly decides to break the time travel device and, thus, lose this knowledge for many years because he’s certain that neither Martians nor earthmen are truly ready for time travel.",
"The story introduces an initially unnamed protagonist, who accompanies a fellow named “Doc”, both of whom are men but not Earthmen, hence Centurians. Doc is first introduced as choking a human man, seemingly in a trance and talking about a man reaching the moon. The protagonist carefully removes the human from Doc’s hold and asks for forgiveness, claiming memory issues, and the pair move on to a cheap motel. While arguing for the cost of their stay, the clerk finds out that the protagonist had cheapened him despite having a quarter, and keeps the remaining nickel. \n\nThere, the protagonist lays Doc on the bed in the dirty room and as he begins to mumble, the protagonist begins to take notes amidst his own cramps and feelings of dirtiness. He soon remembers that the Doc holds the information to become a powerful man. However, his own pain wins out and the protagonist stumbles out of the room and encounters a clean, young woman, hoping to beg for a cup of coffee and she does, but only as she accompanies him in drinking coffee and eating several hamburgers. Introducing herself as Miss Vivian Casey and himself as John Kevin - the protagonist finally realizing his name - Casey presents Kevin with a coupon clipping from a magazine detailing a request for “The Scarlet Book”. As he reads it however, Kevin finds himself disoriented and the young woman gone. Kevin heads back to the room and finds that Doc has created an unnamed thing, which he finds trouble understanding its meaning. \n\nKevin suddenly finds himself in a Victorian living room with a man he labels as a snowbird, the latter who probes Kevin to reveal what time and place he has come from. Surprised, Kevin realizes that the information he was trying to get from Doc was time travel, and this Victorian snowbird had come to this conclusion as well. Through a length of discourse, Kevin describes what he knows about various Earth theories like yoga and relativity. Afterwards, he asks the doctor a question about his first manuscript and accepts the papers before finding himself back in the original timeline of this story, looking straight into Casey’s gun. \n\nMiss Casey turns out to be a policewoman, who after being handed the manuscript papers, reveals to Kevin that Doc has indeed figured out a method for time travel by obtaining rare editions of literature and books that did not exist for his clients. Aided by a Martian named Andre, it is revealed that hundreds of people have disappeared after receiving a book from the Doc and that Kevin was actually Doc’s son - and human. A dispute soon occurs between the three ending with Kevin destroying the time machine, hoping that the future rediscovery of time travel will be accompanied by the world’s readiness for it. In his ending thoughts - Kevin debates why he did that - for the human race’s purpose, or for the production of coffee.",
"When John Kevin caught up with Doc, a man was grabbing the collar of Doc. He took Doc from the man and walked him to a flophouse. When he got them a room to stay in, he tried to save some money from the only quarter. He needed that money to get something caffeinated after taking care of Doc. However, he failed, and the clerk took the money in the flophouse. After he recorded some notes for Doc’s mumbling, he went out to get food. He begged for a woman on the street for money, but the woman would only buy him food after watching him eat. He gulped some hamburgers and coffee when the woman watched him eat, bought some food after the women had left, and left for the flophouse to feed the Doc. John Kevin has trouble finding the memory of himself because of the side effects of time travel. He mistook himself as Kevin O’Malley, which is Doc’s name. He also mistakenly considered himself a Centurian, who regarded drinking coffee as a vice, when he was an Earthman. When the woman asked for his name, he introduced himself as Kevin because he thought Kevin O’Malley was his name. When John Kevin went back to the room, he saw Doc had made a thing by using the materials in the room.\n\nHe time-traveled to the Victorian era, where he saw two men sitting on chairs and chatting. During his stay in that era, he realized what he had been trying to know from Doc was time travel. He also realized that the man he talked to within the room, who he mistook as a snowbird, is Doc. After talking to the men, he received the first manuscript from them and returned to his own time, where he reencountered the woman, whose gun pointed at him. She revealed herself as a constable from the police, trying to tell Kevin the truth. But he rivaled against her. Then a Martian came, trying to do the same thing as the woman. From their saying, John Kevin realized his true identity as Doc’s son and knew the consequences of Doc’s use of time travel. Once he understood the situation, he destroyed the time machine because he didn’t want to live in a pure logical state, which is the outcome of using time travel to make fantasy reality."
] | [1] Confidence Game By JIM HARMON Illustrated by EPSTEIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction June 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] I admit it: I didn't know if I was coming or going—but I know that if I stuck to the old man, I was a comer ... even if he was a goner!
[4] Doc had this solemn human by the throat when I caught up with him.
[5] "Tonight," Doc was saying in his old voice that was as crackled and important as parchment, "tonight Man will reach the Moon.
[6] The golden Moon and the silver ship, symbols of greed.
[7] Tonight is the night when this is to happen."
[8] "Sure," the man agreed severely, prying a little worriedly at Doc's arthritic fingers that were clamped on his collar.
[9] "No argument.
[10] Sure, up we go.
[11] But leave me go or, so help me, I'll fetch you one in the teeth!"
[12] I came alongside and carefully started to lever the old man loose, one finger at a time.
[13] It had to be done this way.
[14] I had learned that during all these weeks and months.
[15] His hands looked old and crippled, but I felt they were the strongest in the world.
[16] If a half dozen winos in Seattle hadn't helped me get them loose, Doc and I would have been wanted for the murder of a North American Mountie.
[17] It was easier this night and that made me afraid.
[18] Doc's thin frame, layered with lumpy fat, was beginning to muscle-dance against my side.
[19] One of his times was coming on him.
[20] Then at last he was free of the greasy collar of the human.
[21] "I hope you'll forgive him, sir," I said, not meeting the man's eyes.
[22] "He's my father and very old, as you can see."
[23] I laughed inside at the absurd, easy lie.
[24] "Old events seem recent to him."
[25] The human nodded, Adam's apple jerking in the angry neon twilight.
[26] "'Memory Jump,' you mean.
[27] All my great-grandfathers have it.
[28] But Great-great-grandmother Lupos, funny thing, is like a schoolgirl.
[29] Sharp, you know.
[30] I.... Say, the poor old guy looks sick.
[31] Want any help?"
[32] I told the human no, thanks, and walked Doc toward the flophouse three doors down.
[33] I hoped we would make it.
[34] I didn't know what would happen if we didn't.
[35] Doc was liable to say something that might nova Sol, for all I knew.
[36] Martians approaching the corner were sensing at Doc and me.
[37] They were just cheap tourists slumming down on Skid Row.
[38] I hated tourists and especially I hated Martian tourists because I especially hated Martians.
[39] They were aliens .
[40] They weren't men like Doc and me.
[41] Then I realized what was about to happen.
[42] It was foolish and awful and true.
[43] I was going to have one of mine at the same time Doc was having his.
[44] That was bad.
[45] It had happened a few times right after I first found him, but now it was worse.
[46] For some undefinable reason, I felt we kept getting closer each of the times.
[47] I tried not to think about it and helped Doc through the fly-specked flophouse doors.
[48] The tubercular clerk looked up from the gaudy comics sections of one of those little tabloids that have the funnies a week in advance.
[49] "Fifteen cents a bed," he said mechanically.
[50] "We'll use one bed," I told him.
[51] "I'll give you twenty cents."
[52] I felt the round hard quarter in my pocket, sweaty hand against sticky lining.
[53] "Fifteen cents a bed," he played it back for me.
[54] Doc was quivering against me, his legs boneless.
[55] "We can always make it over to the mission," I lied.
[56] The clerk turned his upper lip as if he were going to spit.
[57] "Awright, since we ain't full up.
[58] In ad vance."
[59] I placed the quarter on the desk.
[60] "Give me a nickel."
[61] The clerk's hand fell on the coin and slid it off into the unknown before I could move, what with holding up Doc.
[62] "You've got your nerve," he said at me with a fine mist of dew.
[63] "Had a quarter all along and yet you Martian me down to twenty cents."
[64] He saw the look on my face.
[65] "I'll give you a room for the two bits.
[66] That's better'n a bed for twenty."
[67] I knew I was going to need that nickel.
[68] Desperately.
[69] I reached across the desk with my free hand and hauled the scrawny human up against the register hard.
[70] I'm not as strong in my hands as Doc, but I managed.
[71] "Give me a nickel," I said.
[72] "What nickel?"
[73] His eyes were big, but they kept looking right at me.
[74] "You don't have any nickel.
[75] You don't have any quarter, not if I say so.
[76] Want I should call a cop and tell him you were flexing a muscle?"
[77] I let go of him.
[78] He didn't scare me, but Doc was beginning to mumble and that did scare me.
[79] I had to get him alone.
[80] "Where's the room?"
[81] I asked.
[82] The room was six feet in all directions and the walls were five feet high.
[83] The other foot was finished in chicken wire.
[84] There was a wino singing on the left, a wino praying on the right, and the door didn't have any lock on it.
[85] At last, Doc and I were alone.
[86] I laid Doc out on the gray-brown cot and put his forearm over his face to shield it some from the glare of the light bulb.
[87] I swept off all the bedbugs in sight and stepped on them heavily.
[88] Then I dropped down into the painted stool chair and let my burning eyes rest on the obscene wall drawings just to focus them.
[89] I was so dirty, I could feel the grime grinding together all over me.
[90] My shaggy scalp still smarted from the alcohol I had stolen from a convertible's gas tank to get rid of Doc's and my cooties.
[91] Lucky that I never needed to shave and that my face was so dirty, no one would even notice that I didn't need to.
[92] The cramp hit me and I folded out of the chair onto the littered, uncovered floor.
[93] It stopped hurting, but I knew it would begin if I moved.
[94] I stared at a jagged cut-out nude curled against a lump of dust and lint, giving it an unreal distortion.
[95] Doc began to mumble louder.
[96] I knew I had to move.
[97] I waited just a moment, savoring the painless peace.
[98] Then, finally, I moved.
[99] I was bent double, but I got from the floor to the chair and found my notebook and orb-point in my hands.
[100] I found I couldn't focus both my mind and my eyes through the electric flashes of agony, so I concentrated on Doc's voice and trusted my hands would follow their habit pattern and construct the symbols for his words.
[101] They were suddenly distinguishable. "
[102] Outsider ... Thoth ... Dyzan ...
[103] Seven ... Hsan ...
[104] Beyond Six, Seven, Eight ... Two boxes ... Ralston ... Richard Wentworth ... Jimmy Christopher ... Kent Allard ... Ayem ... Oh, are ... see ...." His voice rose to a meaningless wail that stretched into non-existence.
[105] The pen slid across the scribbled face of the notebook and both dropped from my numb hands.
[106] But I knew.
[107] Somehow, inside me, I knew that these words were what I had been waiting for.
[108] They told everything I needed to know to become the most powerful man in the Solar Federation.
[109] That wasn't just an addict's dream.
[110] I knew who Doc was.
[111] When I got to thinking it was just a dream and that I was dragging this old man around North America for nothing, I remembered who he was.
[112] I remembered that he was somebody very important whose name and work I had once known, even if now I knew him only as Doc.
[113] Pain was a pendulum within me, swinging from low throbbing bass to high screaming tenor.
[114] I had to get out and get some.
[115] But I didn't have a nickel.
[116] Still, I had to get some.
[117] I crawled to the door and raised myself by the knob, slick with greasy dirt.
[118] The door opened and shut—there was no lock.
[119] I shouldn't leave Doc alone, but I had to.
[120] He was starting to cry.
[121] He didn't always do that.
[122] I listened to him for a moment, then tested and tasted the craving that crawled through my veins.
[123] I got back inside somehow.
[124] Doc was twisting on the cot, tears washing white streaks across his face.
[125] I shoved Doc's face up against my chest.
[126] I held onto him and let him bellow.
[127] I soothed the lanks of soiled white hair back over his lumpy skull.
[128] He shut up at last and I laid him down again and put his arm back across his face.
[129] (You can't turn the light off and on in places like that.
[130] The old wiring will blow the bulb half the time.)
[131] I don't remember how I got out onto the street.
[132] She was pink and clean and her platinum hair was pulled straight back, drawing her cheek-bones tighter, straightening her wide, appealing mouth, drawing her lean, athletic, feminine body erect.
[133] She was wearing a powder-blue dress that covered all of her breasts and hips and the upper half of her legs.
[134] The most wonderful thing about her was her perfume.
[135] Then I realized it wasn't perfume, only the scent of soap.
[136] Finally, I knew it wasn't that.
[137] It was just healthy, fresh-scrubbed skin.
[138] I went to her at the bus stop, forcing my legs not to stagger.
[139] Nobody would help a drunk.
[140] I don't know why, but nobody will help you if they think you are blotto.
[141] "Ma'am, could you help a man who's not had work?"
[142] I kept my eyes down.
[143] I couldn't look a human in the eye and ask for help.
[144] "Just a dime for a cup of coffee."
[145] I knew where I could get it for three cents, maybe two and a half.
[146] I felt her looking at me.
[147] She spoke in an educated voice, one she used, perhaps, as a teacher or supervising telephone operator.
[148] "Do you want it for coffee, or to apply, or a glass or hypo of something else?"
[149] I cringed and whined.
[150] She would expect it of me.
[151] I suddenly realized that anybody as clean as she was had to be a tourist here.
[152] I hate tourists.
[153] "Just coffee, ma'am."
[154] She was younger than I was, so I didn't have to call her that.
[155] "A little more for food, if you could spare it."
[156] I hadn't eaten in a day and a half, but I didn't care much.
[157] "I'll buy you a dinner," she said carefully, "provided I can go with you and see for myself that you actually eat it."
[158] I felt my face flushing red.
[159] "You wouldn't want to be seen with a bum like me, ma'am."
[160] "I'll be seen with you if you really want to eat."
[161] It was certainly unfair and probably immoral.
[162] But I had no choice whatever.
[163] "Okay," I said, tasting bitterness over the craving.
[164] The coffee was in a thick white cup before me on the counter.
[165] It was pale, grayish brown and steaming faintly.
[166] I picked it up in both hands to feel its warmth.
[167] Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the woman sitting on the stool beside me.
[168] She had no right to intrude.
[169] This moment should be mine, but there she sat, marring it for me, a contemptible tourist .
[170] I gulped down the thick, dark liquid brutally.
[171] It was all I could do.
[172] The cramp flowed out of my diaphragm.
[173] I took another swallow and was able to think straight again.
[174] A third swallow and I felt—good.
[175] Not abnormally stimulated, but strong, alert, poised on the brink of exhilaration.
[176] That was what coffee did for me.
[177] I was a caffeine addict.
[178] Earth-norm humans sometimes have the addiction to a slight extent, but I knew that as a Centurian I had it infinitely worse.
[179] Caffeine affected my metabolism like a pure alkaloid.
[180] The immediate effects weren't the same, but the need ran as deep.
[181] I finished the cup.
[182] I didn't order another because I wasn't a pure sensualist.
[183] I just needed release.
[184] Sometimes, when I didn't have the price of a cup, I would look around in alleys and find cola bottles with a few drops left in them.
[185] They have a little caffeine in them—not enough, never enough, but better than nothing.
[186] "Now what do you want to eat?"
[187] the woman asked.
[188] I didn't look at her.
[189] She didn't know.
[190] She thought I was a human—an Earth human.
[191] I was a man , of course, not an alien like a Martian.
[192] Earthmen ran the whole Solar Federation, but I was just as good as an Earthman.
[193] With my suntan and short mane, I could pass, couldn't I?
[194] That proved it, didn't it?
[195] "Hamburger," I said.
[196] "Well done."
[197] I knew that would probably be all they had fit to eat at a place like this.
[198] It might be horse meat, but then I didn't have the local prejudices.
[199] I didn't look at the woman.
[200] I couldn't.
[201] But I kept remembering how clean she looked and I was aware of how clean she smelled.
[202] I was so dirty, so very dirty that I could never get clean if I bathed every hour for the rest of my life.
[203] The hamburger was engulfed by five black-crowned, broken fingernails and raised to two rows of yellow ivory.
[204] I surrounded it like an ameba, almost in a single movement of my jaws.
[205] Several other hamburgers followed the first.
[206] I lost count.
[207] I drank a glass of milk.
[208] I didn't want to black out on coffee with Doc waiting for me.
[209] "Could I have a few to take with me, miss?"
[210] I pleaded.
[211] She smiled.
[212] I caught that out of the edge of my vision, but mostly I just felt it.
[213] "That's the first time you've called me anything but 'ma'am'," she said.
[214] "I'm not an old-maid schoolteacher, you know."
[215] That probably meant she was a schoolteacher, though.
[216] "No, miss," I said.
[217] "It's Miss Casey—Vivian Casey," she corrected.
[218] She was a schoolteacher, all right.
[219] No other girl would introduce herself as Miss Last Name.
[220] Then there was something in her voice.... "What's your name?"
[221] she said to me.
[222] I choked a little on a bite of stale bun.
[223] I had a name, of course .
[224] Everybody has a name, and I knew if I went off somewhere quiet and thought about it, mine would come to me.
[225] Meanwhile, I would tell the girl that my name was ... Kevin O'Malley.
[226] Abruptly I realized that that was my name.
[227] "Kevin," I told her.
[228] "John Kevin."
[229] "Mister Kevin," she said, her words dancing with bright absurdity like waterhose mist on a summer afternoon, "I wonder if you could help me ."
[230] "Happy to, miss," I mumbled.
[231] She pushed a white rectangle in front of me on the painted maroon bar.
[232] "What do you think of this?"
[233] I looked at the piece of paper.
[234] It was a coupon from a magazine.
[235] Dear Acolyte R. I. S. : Please send me FREE of obligation, in sealed wrapper, "The Scarlet Book" revealing to me how I may gain Secret Mastery of the Universe.
[236] Name : ........................
[237] Address : .....................
[238] The world disoriented itself and I was on the floor of the somber diner and Miss Vivian Casey was out of sight and scent.
[239] There was a five dollar bill tight in my fist.
[240] The counterman was trying to pull it out.
[241] I looked up at his stubbled face.
[242] "I had half a dozen hamburgers, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk.
[243] I want four more 'burgers to go and a pint of coffee.
[244] By your prices, that will be one sixty-five—if the lady didn't pay you."
[245] "She didn't," he stammered.
[246] "Why do you think I was trying to get that bill out of your hand?"
[247] I didn't say anything, just got up off the floor.
[248] After the counterman put down my change, I spread out the five dollar bill on the vacant bar, smoothing it.
[249] I scooped up my change and walked out the door.
[250] There was no one on the sidewalk, only in the doorways.
[251] First I opened the door on an amber world, then an azure one.
[252] Neon light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond.
[253] The wino on one side of the room was singing and the one on the other side was praying, same as before.
[254] Only they had changed around—prayer came from the left, song from the right.
[255] Doc sat on the floor in the half-darkness and he had made a thing .
[256] My heart hammered at my lungs.
[257] I knew this last time had been different.
[258] Whatever it was was getting closer.
[259] This was the first time Doc had ever made anything.
[260] It didn't look like much, but it was a start.
[261] He had broken the light bulb and used the filament and screw bottom.
[262] His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"—metal webbing—and fashioned them to his needs.
[263] My orb-point pen had dissolved under his touch.
[264] All of them, useless parts, were made into a meaningful whole.
[265] I knew the thing had meaning, but when I tried to follow its design, I became lost.
[266] I put the paper container of warm coffee and the greasy bag of hamburgers on the wooden chair, hoping the odor wouldn't bring any hungry rats out of the walls.
[267] I knelt beside Doc.
[268] "An order, my boy, an order," he whispered.
[269] I didn't know what he meant.
[270] Was he suddenly trying to give me orders?
[271] He held something out to me.
[272] It was my notebook.
[273] He had used my pen, before dismantling it, to write something.
[274] I tilted the notebook against the neon light, now red wine, now fresh grape.
[275] I read it.
[276] "Concentrate," Doc said hoarsely.
[277] "Concentrate...." I wondered what the words meant.
[278] Wondering takes a kind of concentration.
[279] The words "First Edition" were what I was thinking about most.
[280] The heavy-set man in the ornate armchair was saying, "The bullet struck me as I was pulling on my boot...." I was kneeling on the floor of a Victorian living room.
[281] I'm quite familiar with Earth history and I recognized the period immediately.
[282] Then I realized what I had been trying to get from Doc all these months—time travel.
[283] A thin, sickly man was sprawled in the other chair in a rumpled dressing gown.
[284] My eyes held to his face, his pinpoint pupils and whitened nose.
[285] He was a condemned snowbird!
[286] If there was anything I hated or held in more contempt than tourists or Martians, it was a snowbird.
[287] "My clients have occasioned singular methods of entry into these rooms," the thin man remarked, "but never before have they used instantaneous materialization."
[288] The heavier man was half choking, half laughing.
[289] "I say—I say, I would like to see you explain this, my dear fellow."
[290] "I have no data," the thin man answered coolly.
[291] "In such instance, one begins to twist theories into fact, or facts into theories.
[292] I must ask this unemployed, former professional man who has gone through a serious illness and is suffering a more serious addiction to tell me the place and time from which he comes."
[293] The surprise stung.
[294] "How did you know?"
[295] I asked.
[296] He gestured with a pale hand.
[297] "To maintain a logical approach, I must reject the supernatural.
[298] Your arrival, unless hallucinatory—and despite my voluntary use of one drug and my involuntary experiences recently with another, I must accept the evidence of my senses or retire from my profession—your arrival was then super-normal.
[299] I might say super-scientific, of a science not of my or the good doctor's time, clearly.
[300] Time travel is a familiar folk legend and I have been reading an article by the entertaining Mr. Wells.
[301] Perhaps he will expand it into one of his novels of scientific romance."
[302] I knew who these two men were, with a tormenting doubt.
[303] "But the other—" "Your hands, though unclean, have never seen physical labor.
[304] Your cranial construction is of a superior type, or even if you reject my theories, concentration does set the facial features.
[305] I judge you have suffered an illness because of the inhibition of your beard growth.
[306] Your over-fondness for rum or opium, perhaps, is self-evident.
[307] You are at too resilient an age to be so sunk by even an amour.
[308] Why else then would you let yourself fall into such an underfed and unsanitary state?"
[309] He was so smug and so sure, this snowbird.
[310] I hated him.
[311] Because I couldn't trust to my own senses as he did.
[312] "You don't exist," I said slowly, painfully.
[313] "You are fictional creations."
[314] The doctor flushed darkly.
[315] "You give my literary agent too much credit for the addition of professional polish to my works."
[316] The other man was filling a large, curved pipe from something that looked vaguely like an ice-skate.
[317] "Interesting.
[318] Perhaps if our visitor would tell us something of his age with special reference to the theory and practice of temporal transference, Doctor, we would be better equipped to judge whether we exist."
[319] There was no theory or practice of time travel.
[320] I told them all I had ever heard theorized from Hindu yoga through Extra-sensory Perception to Relativity and the positron and negatron.
[321] "Interesting."
[322] He breathed out suffocating black clouds of smoke.
[323] "Presume that the people of your time by their 'Extra-sensory Perception' have altered the past to make it as they suppose it to be.
[324] The great historical figures are made the larger than life-size that we know them.
[325] The great literary creations assume reality."
[326] I thought of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy and wondered if they would be the goddesses of love that people imagined or the scrawny, big-nosed redhead and fading old woman of scholarship.
[327] Then I noticed the detective's hand that had been resting idly on a round brass weight of unknown sort to me.
[328] His tapered fingertips had indented the metal.
[329] His bright eyes followed mine and he smiled faintly.
[330] "Withdrawal symptoms."
[331] The admiration and affection for this man that had been slowly building up behind my hatred unbrinked.
[332] I remembered now that he had stopped.
[333] He was not really a snowbird.
[334] After a time, I asked the doctor a question.
[335] "Why, yes.
[336] I'm flattered.
[337] This is the first manuscript.
[338] Considering my professional handwriting, I recopied it more laboriously."
[339] Accepting the sheaf of papers and not looking back at these two great and good men, I concentrated on my own time and Doc.
[340] Nothing happened.
[341] My heart raced, but I saw something dancing before me like a dust mote in sunlight and stepped toward it.... ... into the effective range of Miss Casey's tiny gun.
[342] She inclined the lethal silver toy.
[343] "Let me see those papers, Kevin."
[344] I handed her the doctor's manuscript.
[345] Her breath escaped slowly and loudly.
[346] "It's all right.
[347] It's all right.
[348] It exists.
[349] It's real.
[350] Not even one of the unwritten ones.
[351] I've read this myself."
[352] Doc was lying on the cot, half his face twisted into horror.
[353] "Don't move, Kevin," she said.
[354] "I'll have to shoot you—maybe not to kill, but painfully."
[355] I watched her face flash blue, red, blue and knew she meant it.
[356] But I had known too much in too short a time.
[357] I had to help Doc, but there was something else.
[358] "I just want a drink of coffee from that container on the chair," I told her.
[359] She shook her head.
[360] "I don't know what you think it does to you."
[361] It was getting hard for me to think.
[362] "Who are you?"
[363] She showed me a card from her wrist purse.
[364] Vivian Casey, Constable, North American Mounted Police.
[365] I had to help Doc.
[366] I had to have some coffee.
[367] "What do you want?"
[368] "Listen, Kevin.
[369] Listen carefully to what I am saying.
[370] Doc found a method of time travel.
[371] It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences.
[372] He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it.
[373] He was an idealist—he had his crusades.
[374] How can you make money with time travel?"
[375] I didn't know whether she was asking me, but I didn't know.
[376] All I knew was that I had to help Doc and get some coffee.
[377] "It takes money—money Doc didn't have—to make money," Miss Casey said, "even if you know what horse will come in and what stock will prosper.
[378] Besides, horse-racing and the stock market weren't a part of Doc's character.
[379] He was a scholar."
[380] Why did she keep using the past tense in reference to Doc?
[381] It scared me.
[382] He was lying so still with the left side of his face so twisted.
[383] I needed some coffee.
[384] "He became a book finder.
[385] He got rare editions of books and magazines for his clients in absolutely mint condition.
[386] That was all right—until he started obtaining books that did not exist ."
[387] I didn't know what all that was supposed to mean.
[388] I got to the chair, snatched up the coffee container, tore it open and gulped down the soothing liquid.
[389] I turned toward her and threw the rest of the coffee into her face.
[390] The coffee splashed out over her platinum hair and powder-blue dress that looked white when the neon was azure, purple when it was amber.
[391] The coffee stained and soiled and ruined, and I was fiercely glad, unreasonably happy.
[392] I tore the gun away from her by the short barrel, not letting my filthy hands touch her scrubbed pink ones.
[393] I pointed the gun generally at her and backed around the thing on the floor to the cot.
[394] Doc had a pulse, but it was irregular.
[395] I checked for a fever and there wasn't one.
[396] After that, I didn't know what to do.
[397] I looked up finally and saw a Martian in or about the doorway.
[398] "Call me Andre," the Martian said.
[399] "A common name but foreign.
[400] It should serve as a point of reference."
[401] I had always wondered how a thing like a Martian could talk.
[402] Sometimes I wondered if they really could.
[403] "You won't need the gun," Andre said conversationally.
[404] "I'll keep it, thanks.
[405] What do you want?"
[406] "I'll begin as Miss Casey did—by telling you things.
[407] Hundreds of people disappeared from North America a few months ago."
[408] "They always do," I told him.
[409] "They ceased to exist—as human beings—shortly after they received a book from Doc," the Martian said.
[410] Something seemed to strike me in the back of the neck.
[411] I staggered, but managed to hold onto the gun and stand up.
[412] "Use one of those sneaky Martian weapons again," I warned him, "and I'll kill the girl."
[413] Martians were supposed to be against the destruction of any life-form, I had read someplace.
[414] I doubted it, but it was worth a try.
[415] "Kevin," Andre said, "why don't you take a bath?"
[416] The Martian weapon staggered me again.
[417] I tried to say something.
[418] I tried to explain that I was so dirty that I could never get clean no matter how often I bathed.
[419] No words formed.
[420] "But, Kevin," Andre said, "you aren't that dirty."
[421] The blow shook the gun from my fingers.
[422] It almost fell into the thing on the floor, but at the last moment seemed to change direction and miss it.
[423] I knew something.
[424] "I don't wash because I drink coffee."
[425] "It's all right to drink coffee, isn't it?"
[426] he asked.
[427] "Of course," I said, and added absurdly, "That's why I don't wash." "You mean," Andre said slowly, ploddingly, "that if you bathed, you would be admitting that drinking coffee was in the same class as any other solitary vice that makes people wash frequently."
[428] I was knocked to my knees.
[429] "Kevin," the Martian said, "drinking coffee represents a major vice only in Centurian humanoids, not Earth-norm human beings.
[430] Which are you? "
[431] Nothing came out of my gabbling mouth. "
[432] What is Doc's full name? "
[433] I almost fell in, but at the last instant I caught myself and said, "Doctor Kevin O'Malley, Senior."
[434] From the bed, Doc said a word.
[435] "Son."
[436] Then he disappeared.
[437] I looked at that which he had made.
[438] I wondered where he had gone, in search of what.
[439] "He didn't use that," Andre said.
[440] So I was an Earthman, Doc's son.
[441] So my addiction to coffee was all in my mind.
[442] That didn't change anything.
[443] They say sex is all in your mind.
[444] I didn't want to be cured.
[445] I wouldn't be.
[446] Doc was gone.
[447] That was all I had now.
[448] That and the thing he left.
[449] "The rest is simple," Andre said.
[450] "Doc O'Malley bought up all the stock in a certain ancient metaphysical order and started supplying members with certain books.
[451] Can you imagine the effect of the Book of Dyzan or the Book of Thoth or the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan or the Necronomican itself on human beings?"
[452] "But they don't exist," I said wearily.
[453] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly.
[454] They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend.
[455] But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them.
[456] And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition.
[457] Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true.
[458] He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed.
[459] He had reached a state of pure thought."
[460] "The North American government has to have this secret, Kevin," the girl said.
[461] "You can't let it fall into the hands of the Martians."
[462] Andre did not deny that he wanted it to fall into his hands.
[463] I knew I could not let Doc's—Dad's—time travel thing fall into anyone's hands.
[464] I remembered that all the copies of the books had disappeared with their readers now.
[465] There must not be any more, I knew.
[466] Miss Casey did her duty and tried to stop me with a judo hold, but I don't think her heart was in it, because I reversed and broke it.
[467] I kicked the thing to pieces and stomped on the pieces.
[468] Maybe you can't stop the progress of science, but I knew it might be millenniums before Doc's genes and creative environment were recreated and time travel was rediscovered.
[469] Maybe we would be ready for it then.
[470] I knew we weren't now.
[471] Miss Casey leaned against my dirty chest and cried into it.
[472] I didn't mind her touching me.
[473] "I'm glad," she said.
[474] Andre flowed out of the doorway with a sigh.
[475] Of relief?
[476] I would never know.
[477] I supposed I had destroyed it because I didn't want the human race to become a thing of pure reason without purpose, direction or love, but I would never know for sure.
[478] I thought I could kick the habit—perhaps with Miss Casey's help—but I wasn't really confident.
[479] Maybe I had destroyed the time machine because a world without material needs would not grow and roast coffee. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What is the plot of the story?":
1. [450] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly. They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend. But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them. And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition. Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true. He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed. He had reached a state of pure thought."
2. [449] "Doc O'Malley bought up all the stock in a certain ancient metaphysical order and started supplying members with certain books. Can you imagine the effect of the Book of Dyzan or the Book of Thoth or the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan or the Necronomican itself on human beings?"
3. [368] "Listen carefully to what I am saying. Doc found a method of time travel. It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences. He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it. He was an idealist—he had his crusades."
4. [377] "It takes money—money Doc didn't have—to make money, even if you know what horse will come in and what stock will prosper. Besides, horse-racing and the stock market weren't a part of Doc's character. He was a scholar."
5. [384] "He became a book finder. He got rare editions of books and magazines for his clients in absolutely mint condition. That was all right—until he started obtaining books that did not exist."
6. [406] "Hundreds of people disappeared from North America a few months ago."
7. [407] "They ceased to exist—as human beings—shortly after they received a book from Doc," the Martian said.
8. [450] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly. They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend."
9. [451] "But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them."
10. [452] "And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition."
11. [453] "Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true."
12. [454] "He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed."
13. [455] "He had reached a state of pure thought."
14. [460] "The North American government has to have this secret, Kevin," the girl said. "You can't let it fall into the hands of the Martians."
15. [461] "Andre did not deny that he wanted it to fall into his hands."
16. [462] "I knew I could not let Doc's—Dad's—time travel thing fall into anyone's hands."
17. [463] "I remembered that all the copies of the books had disappeared with their readers now. There must not be any more, I knew."
18. [464] "Maybe you can't stop the progress of science, but I knew it might be millenniums before Doc's genes and creative environment were recreated and time travel was rediscovered."
19. [465] "Maybe we would be ready for it then. I knew we weren't now."
20. [477] "I supposed I had destroyed it because I didn't want the human race to become a thing of pure reason without purpose, direction or love, but I would never know for sure." |
Who is Vivian Casey, and what are her characteristics? | [
"Vivian Casey is described as a pink and clean woman who smells of clean soap. Her hair is platinum, pulled straight back to draw her cheek-bones tighter. She has an appealing mouth; Kevin also notes that her body is lean, athletic, and feminine. She also wears a powder-blue dress that goes down to the lower-half of her legs. She speaks in an educated voice and is kind enough to take Kevin to get some food. Although he is annoyed she decided to tag along, she lets him order multiple hamburgers to satisfy his hunger. When she introduces herself, he assumes that she is a schoolteacher. Kevin later realizes that she did not pay for his dinner at all. Miss Casey then comes back with a tiny gun. She is shown to be proficient with the firearm, introducing her true identity as a Constable of the North American Mounted Police. She is also very intelligent, being fully aware of what Doc has tried to do in the past. Although she uses force to judo hold Kevin, she doesn’t put her heart into it. Finally, she is shown to be proud of Kevin when he does the right thing and destroys the time machine.",
"Vivian Casey is a decently looking woman who agrees to pay for the drink and food of Kevin, a poor Centurian man who has been wandering around North America with Doc, someone who Kevin believes to be important to him. After Kevin uses the time travel device, that Doc has made while Kevin was away, and finally comes back from the Victorian era, Vivian waits for him with a gun and introduces herself as a constable of North American mounted Police. Apparently, she has been following Kevin and Doc, his father who found a method of time travel, for a while and even got closer to him by pretending to be an innocent bystander when he was hungry and suffering withdrawal effects in the beginning of the story. When Kevin destroys the device she cries and admits that she’s glad he did that. Vivian seems to be a good constable who can understand people well, but she’s also sincere enough to accept her view on things.",
"Vivian Casey is first introduced to us as a clean young woman waiting at a bus stop, assumed by Kevin to be a schoolteacher and a tourist. She is approached by Kevin as he begs for a small amount of change to use to buy coffee. His request will only be fulfilled if she accompanies him, so Kevin reluctantly follows her as she buys him coffee and hamburgers. She is heavily emphasized as being clean and introduces herself to Kevin as Miss Vivian Casey with a bright smile. After providing him with food and drink, Casey requests a small favor from Kevin and presents him with a coupon clipping from a magazine that details a request for “The Scarlet Book”. \n\nWe see Miss Casey again as the protagonist reappears in front of her tiny gun, where it is revealed that she is not a schoolteacher nor a tourist but rather a North American Mounted Police. Her interaction with Kevin was intentional, as she had been tracking him and the Doc in order to stop the latter’s method of time travel. She plays a key role in helping Kevin unravel the truth about his identity and what the Doc was doing. In the scuffle to keep the time machine out of the hands of the Martians, she grabs Kevin in a judo hold which he quickly breaks and then destroys the machine. She is seen at the end of the story crying into Kevin’s chest, relieved at its destruction.",
"Vivan Casey is a woman who offers food to Kevin when he begs for money to buy some food on the street. She is a constable from Northern American Mounted Police. She has a clean scent and pink, clean skin, with long, straight platinum hair. Her body is lean and healthy. She stands straight. She wore a powder-blue dress and a wrist purse when she met Kevin, who begged for food on the street. Her voice sounds educated. Her smile looks good. When she revealed her identity to Kevin, Kevin threw the coffee to her face, which splashed and dirtied her dress."
] | [1] Confidence Game By JIM HARMON Illustrated by EPSTEIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction June 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] I admit it: I didn't know if I was coming or going—but I know that if I stuck to the old man, I was a comer ... even if he was a goner!
[4] Doc had this solemn human by the throat when I caught up with him.
[5] "Tonight," Doc was saying in his old voice that was as crackled and important as parchment, "tonight Man will reach the Moon.
[6] The golden Moon and the silver ship, symbols of greed.
[7] Tonight is the night when this is to happen."
[8] "Sure," the man agreed severely, prying a little worriedly at Doc's arthritic fingers that were clamped on his collar.
[9] "No argument.
[10] Sure, up we go.
[11] But leave me go or, so help me, I'll fetch you one in the teeth!"
[12] I came alongside and carefully started to lever the old man loose, one finger at a time.
[13] It had to be done this way.
[14] I had learned that during all these weeks and months.
[15] His hands looked old and crippled, but I felt they were the strongest in the world.
[16] If a half dozen winos in Seattle hadn't helped me get them loose, Doc and I would have been wanted for the murder of a North American Mountie.
[17] It was easier this night and that made me afraid.
[18] Doc's thin frame, layered with lumpy fat, was beginning to muscle-dance against my side.
[19] One of his times was coming on him.
[20] Then at last he was free of the greasy collar of the human.
[21] "I hope you'll forgive him, sir," I said, not meeting the man's eyes.
[22] "He's my father and very old, as you can see."
[23] I laughed inside at the absurd, easy lie.
[24] "Old events seem recent to him."
[25] The human nodded, Adam's apple jerking in the angry neon twilight.
[26] "'Memory Jump,' you mean.
[27] All my great-grandfathers have it.
[28] But Great-great-grandmother Lupos, funny thing, is like a schoolgirl.
[29] Sharp, you know.
[30] I.... Say, the poor old guy looks sick.
[31] Want any help?"
[32] I told the human no, thanks, and walked Doc toward the flophouse three doors down.
[33] I hoped we would make it.
[34] I didn't know what would happen if we didn't.
[35] Doc was liable to say something that might nova Sol, for all I knew.
[36] Martians approaching the corner were sensing at Doc and me.
[37] They were just cheap tourists slumming down on Skid Row.
[38] I hated tourists and especially I hated Martian tourists because I especially hated Martians.
[39] They were aliens .
[40] They weren't men like Doc and me.
[41] Then I realized what was about to happen.
[42] It was foolish and awful and true.
[43] I was going to have one of mine at the same time Doc was having his.
[44] That was bad.
[45] It had happened a few times right after I first found him, but now it was worse.
[46] For some undefinable reason, I felt we kept getting closer each of the times.
[47] I tried not to think about it and helped Doc through the fly-specked flophouse doors.
[48] The tubercular clerk looked up from the gaudy comics sections of one of those little tabloids that have the funnies a week in advance.
[49] "Fifteen cents a bed," he said mechanically.
[50] "We'll use one bed," I told him.
[51] "I'll give you twenty cents."
[52] I felt the round hard quarter in my pocket, sweaty hand against sticky lining.
[53] "Fifteen cents a bed," he played it back for me.
[54] Doc was quivering against me, his legs boneless.
[55] "We can always make it over to the mission," I lied.
[56] The clerk turned his upper lip as if he were going to spit.
[57] "Awright, since we ain't full up.
[58] In ad vance."
[59] I placed the quarter on the desk.
[60] "Give me a nickel."
[61] The clerk's hand fell on the coin and slid it off into the unknown before I could move, what with holding up Doc.
[62] "You've got your nerve," he said at me with a fine mist of dew.
[63] "Had a quarter all along and yet you Martian me down to twenty cents."
[64] He saw the look on my face.
[65] "I'll give you a room for the two bits.
[66] That's better'n a bed for twenty."
[67] I knew I was going to need that nickel.
[68] Desperately.
[69] I reached across the desk with my free hand and hauled the scrawny human up against the register hard.
[70] I'm not as strong in my hands as Doc, but I managed.
[71] "Give me a nickel," I said.
[72] "What nickel?"
[73] His eyes were big, but they kept looking right at me.
[74] "You don't have any nickel.
[75] You don't have any quarter, not if I say so.
[76] Want I should call a cop and tell him you were flexing a muscle?"
[77] I let go of him.
[78] He didn't scare me, but Doc was beginning to mumble and that did scare me.
[79] I had to get him alone.
[80] "Where's the room?"
[81] I asked.
[82] The room was six feet in all directions and the walls were five feet high.
[83] The other foot was finished in chicken wire.
[84] There was a wino singing on the left, a wino praying on the right, and the door didn't have any lock on it.
[85] At last, Doc and I were alone.
[86] I laid Doc out on the gray-brown cot and put his forearm over his face to shield it some from the glare of the light bulb.
[87] I swept off all the bedbugs in sight and stepped on them heavily.
[88] Then I dropped down into the painted stool chair and let my burning eyes rest on the obscene wall drawings just to focus them.
[89] I was so dirty, I could feel the grime grinding together all over me.
[90] My shaggy scalp still smarted from the alcohol I had stolen from a convertible's gas tank to get rid of Doc's and my cooties.
[91] Lucky that I never needed to shave and that my face was so dirty, no one would even notice that I didn't need to.
[92] The cramp hit me and I folded out of the chair onto the littered, uncovered floor.
[93] It stopped hurting, but I knew it would begin if I moved.
[94] I stared at a jagged cut-out nude curled against a lump of dust and lint, giving it an unreal distortion.
[95] Doc began to mumble louder.
[96] I knew I had to move.
[97] I waited just a moment, savoring the painless peace.
[98] Then, finally, I moved.
[99] I was bent double, but I got from the floor to the chair and found my notebook and orb-point in my hands.
[100] I found I couldn't focus both my mind and my eyes through the electric flashes of agony, so I concentrated on Doc's voice and trusted my hands would follow their habit pattern and construct the symbols for his words.
[101] They were suddenly distinguishable. "
[102] Outsider ... Thoth ... Dyzan ...
[103] Seven ... Hsan ...
[104] Beyond Six, Seven, Eight ... Two boxes ... Ralston ... Richard Wentworth ... Jimmy Christopher ... Kent Allard ... Ayem ... Oh, are ... see ...." His voice rose to a meaningless wail that stretched into non-existence.
[105] The pen slid across the scribbled face of the notebook and both dropped from my numb hands.
[106] But I knew.
[107] Somehow, inside me, I knew that these words were what I had been waiting for.
[108] They told everything I needed to know to become the most powerful man in the Solar Federation.
[109] That wasn't just an addict's dream.
[110] I knew who Doc was.
[111] When I got to thinking it was just a dream and that I was dragging this old man around North America for nothing, I remembered who he was.
[112] I remembered that he was somebody very important whose name and work I had once known, even if now I knew him only as Doc.
[113] Pain was a pendulum within me, swinging from low throbbing bass to high screaming tenor.
[114] I had to get out and get some.
[115] But I didn't have a nickel.
[116] Still, I had to get some.
[117] I crawled to the door and raised myself by the knob, slick with greasy dirt.
[118] The door opened and shut—there was no lock.
[119] I shouldn't leave Doc alone, but I had to.
[120] He was starting to cry.
[121] He didn't always do that.
[122] I listened to him for a moment, then tested and tasted the craving that crawled through my veins.
[123] I got back inside somehow.
[124] Doc was twisting on the cot, tears washing white streaks across his face.
[125] I shoved Doc's face up against my chest.
[126] I held onto him and let him bellow.
[127] I soothed the lanks of soiled white hair back over his lumpy skull.
[128] He shut up at last and I laid him down again and put his arm back across his face.
[129] (You can't turn the light off and on in places like that.
[130] The old wiring will blow the bulb half the time.)
[131] I don't remember how I got out onto the street.
[132] She was pink and clean and her platinum hair was pulled straight back, drawing her cheek-bones tighter, straightening her wide, appealing mouth, drawing her lean, athletic, feminine body erect.
[133] She was wearing a powder-blue dress that covered all of her breasts and hips and the upper half of her legs.
[134] The most wonderful thing about her was her perfume.
[135] Then I realized it wasn't perfume, only the scent of soap.
[136] Finally, I knew it wasn't that.
[137] It was just healthy, fresh-scrubbed skin.
[138] I went to her at the bus stop, forcing my legs not to stagger.
[139] Nobody would help a drunk.
[140] I don't know why, but nobody will help you if they think you are blotto.
[141] "Ma'am, could you help a man who's not had work?"
[142] I kept my eyes down.
[143] I couldn't look a human in the eye and ask for help.
[144] "Just a dime for a cup of coffee."
[145] I knew where I could get it for three cents, maybe two and a half.
[146] I felt her looking at me.
[147] She spoke in an educated voice, one she used, perhaps, as a teacher or supervising telephone operator.
[148] "Do you want it for coffee, or to apply, or a glass or hypo of something else?"
[149] I cringed and whined.
[150] She would expect it of me.
[151] I suddenly realized that anybody as clean as she was had to be a tourist here.
[152] I hate tourists.
[153] "Just coffee, ma'am."
[154] She was younger than I was, so I didn't have to call her that.
[155] "A little more for food, if you could spare it."
[156] I hadn't eaten in a day and a half, but I didn't care much.
[157] "I'll buy you a dinner," she said carefully, "provided I can go with you and see for myself that you actually eat it."
[158] I felt my face flushing red.
[159] "You wouldn't want to be seen with a bum like me, ma'am."
[160] "I'll be seen with you if you really want to eat."
[161] It was certainly unfair and probably immoral.
[162] But I had no choice whatever.
[163] "Okay," I said, tasting bitterness over the craving.
[164] The coffee was in a thick white cup before me on the counter.
[165] It was pale, grayish brown and steaming faintly.
[166] I picked it up in both hands to feel its warmth.
[167] Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the woman sitting on the stool beside me.
[168] She had no right to intrude.
[169] This moment should be mine, but there she sat, marring it for me, a contemptible tourist .
[170] I gulped down the thick, dark liquid brutally.
[171] It was all I could do.
[172] The cramp flowed out of my diaphragm.
[173] I took another swallow and was able to think straight again.
[174] A third swallow and I felt—good.
[175] Not abnormally stimulated, but strong, alert, poised on the brink of exhilaration.
[176] That was what coffee did for me.
[177] I was a caffeine addict.
[178] Earth-norm humans sometimes have the addiction to a slight extent, but I knew that as a Centurian I had it infinitely worse.
[179] Caffeine affected my metabolism like a pure alkaloid.
[180] The immediate effects weren't the same, but the need ran as deep.
[181] I finished the cup.
[182] I didn't order another because I wasn't a pure sensualist.
[183] I just needed release.
[184] Sometimes, when I didn't have the price of a cup, I would look around in alleys and find cola bottles with a few drops left in them.
[185] They have a little caffeine in them—not enough, never enough, but better than nothing.
[186] "Now what do you want to eat?"
[187] the woman asked.
[188] I didn't look at her.
[189] She didn't know.
[190] She thought I was a human—an Earth human.
[191] I was a man , of course, not an alien like a Martian.
[192] Earthmen ran the whole Solar Federation, but I was just as good as an Earthman.
[193] With my suntan and short mane, I could pass, couldn't I?
[194] That proved it, didn't it?
[195] "Hamburger," I said.
[196] "Well done."
[197] I knew that would probably be all they had fit to eat at a place like this.
[198] It might be horse meat, but then I didn't have the local prejudices.
[199] I didn't look at the woman.
[200] I couldn't.
[201] But I kept remembering how clean she looked and I was aware of how clean she smelled.
[202] I was so dirty, so very dirty that I could never get clean if I bathed every hour for the rest of my life.
[203] The hamburger was engulfed by five black-crowned, broken fingernails and raised to two rows of yellow ivory.
[204] I surrounded it like an ameba, almost in a single movement of my jaws.
[205] Several other hamburgers followed the first.
[206] I lost count.
[207] I drank a glass of milk.
[208] I didn't want to black out on coffee with Doc waiting for me.
[209] "Could I have a few to take with me, miss?"
[210] I pleaded.
[211] She smiled.
[212] I caught that out of the edge of my vision, but mostly I just felt it.
[213] "That's the first time you've called me anything but 'ma'am'," she said.
[214] "I'm not an old-maid schoolteacher, you know."
[215] That probably meant she was a schoolteacher, though.
[216] "No, miss," I said.
[217] "It's Miss Casey—Vivian Casey," she corrected.
[218] She was a schoolteacher, all right.
[219] No other girl would introduce herself as Miss Last Name.
[220] Then there was something in her voice.... "What's your name?"
[221] she said to me.
[222] I choked a little on a bite of stale bun.
[223] I had a name, of course .
[224] Everybody has a name, and I knew if I went off somewhere quiet and thought about it, mine would come to me.
[225] Meanwhile, I would tell the girl that my name was ... Kevin O'Malley.
[226] Abruptly I realized that that was my name.
[227] "Kevin," I told her.
[228] "John Kevin."
[229] "Mister Kevin," she said, her words dancing with bright absurdity like waterhose mist on a summer afternoon, "I wonder if you could help me ."
[230] "Happy to, miss," I mumbled.
[231] She pushed a white rectangle in front of me on the painted maroon bar.
[232] "What do you think of this?"
[233] I looked at the piece of paper.
[234] It was a coupon from a magazine.
[235] Dear Acolyte R. I. S. : Please send me FREE of obligation, in sealed wrapper, "The Scarlet Book" revealing to me how I may gain Secret Mastery of the Universe.
[236] Name : ........................
[237] Address : .....................
[238] The world disoriented itself and I was on the floor of the somber diner and Miss Vivian Casey was out of sight and scent.
[239] There was a five dollar bill tight in my fist.
[240] The counterman was trying to pull it out.
[241] I looked up at his stubbled face.
[242] "I had half a dozen hamburgers, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk.
[243] I want four more 'burgers to go and a pint of coffee.
[244] By your prices, that will be one sixty-five—if the lady didn't pay you."
[245] "She didn't," he stammered.
[246] "Why do you think I was trying to get that bill out of your hand?"
[247] I didn't say anything, just got up off the floor.
[248] After the counterman put down my change, I spread out the five dollar bill on the vacant bar, smoothing it.
[249] I scooped up my change and walked out the door.
[250] There was no one on the sidewalk, only in the doorways.
[251] First I opened the door on an amber world, then an azure one.
[252] Neon light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond.
[253] The wino on one side of the room was singing and the one on the other side was praying, same as before.
[254] Only they had changed around—prayer came from the left, song from the right.
[255] Doc sat on the floor in the half-darkness and he had made a thing .
[256] My heart hammered at my lungs.
[257] I knew this last time had been different.
[258] Whatever it was was getting closer.
[259] This was the first time Doc had ever made anything.
[260] It didn't look like much, but it was a start.
[261] He had broken the light bulb and used the filament and screw bottom.
[262] His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"—metal webbing—and fashioned them to his needs.
[263] My orb-point pen had dissolved under his touch.
[264] All of them, useless parts, were made into a meaningful whole.
[265] I knew the thing had meaning, but when I tried to follow its design, I became lost.
[266] I put the paper container of warm coffee and the greasy bag of hamburgers on the wooden chair, hoping the odor wouldn't bring any hungry rats out of the walls.
[267] I knelt beside Doc.
[268] "An order, my boy, an order," he whispered.
[269] I didn't know what he meant.
[270] Was he suddenly trying to give me orders?
[271] He held something out to me.
[272] It was my notebook.
[273] He had used my pen, before dismantling it, to write something.
[274] I tilted the notebook against the neon light, now red wine, now fresh grape.
[275] I read it.
[276] "Concentrate," Doc said hoarsely.
[277] "Concentrate...." I wondered what the words meant.
[278] Wondering takes a kind of concentration.
[279] The words "First Edition" were what I was thinking about most.
[280] The heavy-set man in the ornate armchair was saying, "The bullet struck me as I was pulling on my boot...." I was kneeling on the floor of a Victorian living room.
[281] I'm quite familiar with Earth history and I recognized the period immediately.
[282] Then I realized what I had been trying to get from Doc all these months—time travel.
[283] A thin, sickly man was sprawled in the other chair in a rumpled dressing gown.
[284] My eyes held to his face, his pinpoint pupils and whitened nose.
[285] He was a condemned snowbird!
[286] If there was anything I hated or held in more contempt than tourists or Martians, it was a snowbird.
[287] "My clients have occasioned singular methods of entry into these rooms," the thin man remarked, "but never before have they used instantaneous materialization."
[288] The heavier man was half choking, half laughing.
[289] "I say—I say, I would like to see you explain this, my dear fellow."
[290] "I have no data," the thin man answered coolly.
[291] "In such instance, one begins to twist theories into fact, or facts into theories.
[292] I must ask this unemployed, former professional man who has gone through a serious illness and is suffering a more serious addiction to tell me the place and time from which he comes."
[293] The surprise stung.
[294] "How did you know?"
[295] I asked.
[296] He gestured with a pale hand.
[297] "To maintain a logical approach, I must reject the supernatural.
[298] Your arrival, unless hallucinatory—and despite my voluntary use of one drug and my involuntary experiences recently with another, I must accept the evidence of my senses or retire from my profession—your arrival was then super-normal.
[299] I might say super-scientific, of a science not of my or the good doctor's time, clearly.
[300] Time travel is a familiar folk legend and I have been reading an article by the entertaining Mr. Wells.
[301] Perhaps he will expand it into one of his novels of scientific romance."
[302] I knew who these two men were, with a tormenting doubt.
[303] "But the other—" "Your hands, though unclean, have never seen physical labor.
[304] Your cranial construction is of a superior type, or even if you reject my theories, concentration does set the facial features.
[305] I judge you have suffered an illness because of the inhibition of your beard growth.
[306] Your over-fondness for rum or opium, perhaps, is self-evident.
[307] You are at too resilient an age to be so sunk by even an amour.
[308] Why else then would you let yourself fall into such an underfed and unsanitary state?"
[309] He was so smug and so sure, this snowbird.
[310] I hated him.
[311] Because I couldn't trust to my own senses as he did.
[312] "You don't exist," I said slowly, painfully.
[313] "You are fictional creations."
[314] The doctor flushed darkly.
[315] "You give my literary agent too much credit for the addition of professional polish to my works."
[316] The other man was filling a large, curved pipe from something that looked vaguely like an ice-skate.
[317] "Interesting.
[318] Perhaps if our visitor would tell us something of his age with special reference to the theory and practice of temporal transference, Doctor, we would be better equipped to judge whether we exist."
[319] There was no theory or practice of time travel.
[320] I told them all I had ever heard theorized from Hindu yoga through Extra-sensory Perception to Relativity and the positron and negatron.
[321] "Interesting."
[322] He breathed out suffocating black clouds of smoke.
[323] "Presume that the people of your time by their 'Extra-sensory Perception' have altered the past to make it as they suppose it to be.
[324] The great historical figures are made the larger than life-size that we know them.
[325] The great literary creations assume reality."
[326] I thought of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy and wondered if they would be the goddesses of love that people imagined or the scrawny, big-nosed redhead and fading old woman of scholarship.
[327] Then I noticed the detective's hand that had been resting idly on a round brass weight of unknown sort to me.
[328] His tapered fingertips had indented the metal.
[329] His bright eyes followed mine and he smiled faintly.
[330] "Withdrawal symptoms."
[331] The admiration and affection for this man that had been slowly building up behind my hatred unbrinked.
[332] I remembered now that he had stopped.
[333] He was not really a snowbird.
[334] After a time, I asked the doctor a question.
[335] "Why, yes.
[336] I'm flattered.
[337] This is the first manuscript.
[338] Considering my professional handwriting, I recopied it more laboriously."
[339] Accepting the sheaf of papers and not looking back at these two great and good men, I concentrated on my own time and Doc.
[340] Nothing happened.
[341] My heart raced, but I saw something dancing before me like a dust mote in sunlight and stepped toward it.... ... into the effective range of Miss Casey's tiny gun.
[342] She inclined the lethal silver toy.
[343] "Let me see those papers, Kevin."
[344] I handed her the doctor's manuscript.
[345] Her breath escaped slowly and loudly.
[346] "It's all right.
[347] It's all right.
[348] It exists.
[349] It's real.
[350] Not even one of the unwritten ones.
[351] I've read this myself."
[352] Doc was lying on the cot, half his face twisted into horror.
[353] "Don't move, Kevin," she said.
[354] "I'll have to shoot you—maybe not to kill, but painfully."
[355] I watched her face flash blue, red, blue and knew she meant it.
[356] But I had known too much in too short a time.
[357] I had to help Doc, but there was something else.
[358] "I just want a drink of coffee from that container on the chair," I told her.
[359] She shook her head.
[360] "I don't know what you think it does to you."
[361] It was getting hard for me to think.
[362] "Who are you?"
[363] She showed me a card from her wrist purse.
[364] Vivian Casey, Constable, North American Mounted Police.
[365] I had to help Doc.
[366] I had to have some coffee.
[367] "What do you want?"
[368] "Listen, Kevin.
[369] Listen carefully to what I am saying.
[370] Doc found a method of time travel.
[371] It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences.
[372] He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it.
[373] He was an idealist—he had his crusades.
[374] How can you make money with time travel?"
[375] I didn't know whether she was asking me, but I didn't know.
[376] All I knew was that I had to help Doc and get some coffee.
[377] "It takes money—money Doc didn't have—to make money," Miss Casey said, "even if you know what horse will come in and what stock will prosper.
[378] Besides, horse-racing and the stock market weren't a part of Doc's character.
[379] He was a scholar."
[380] Why did she keep using the past tense in reference to Doc?
[381] It scared me.
[382] He was lying so still with the left side of his face so twisted.
[383] I needed some coffee.
[384] "He became a book finder.
[385] He got rare editions of books and magazines for his clients in absolutely mint condition.
[386] That was all right—until he started obtaining books that did not exist ."
[387] I didn't know what all that was supposed to mean.
[388] I got to the chair, snatched up the coffee container, tore it open and gulped down the soothing liquid.
[389] I turned toward her and threw the rest of the coffee into her face.
[390] The coffee splashed out over her platinum hair and powder-blue dress that looked white when the neon was azure, purple when it was amber.
[391] The coffee stained and soiled and ruined, and I was fiercely glad, unreasonably happy.
[392] I tore the gun away from her by the short barrel, not letting my filthy hands touch her scrubbed pink ones.
[393] I pointed the gun generally at her and backed around the thing on the floor to the cot.
[394] Doc had a pulse, but it was irregular.
[395] I checked for a fever and there wasn't one.
[396] After that, I didn't know what to do.
[397] I looked up finally and saw a Martian in or about the doorway.
[398] "Call me Andre," the Martian said.
[399] "A common name but foreign.
[400] It should serve as a point of reference."
[401] I had always wondered how a thing like a Martian could talk.
[402] Sometimes I wondered if they really could.
[403] "You won't need the gun," Andre said conversationally.
[404] "I'll keep it, thanks.
[405] What do you want?"
[406] "I'll begin as Miss Casey did—by telling you things.
[407] Hundreds of people disappeared from North America a few months ago."
[408] "They always do," I told him.
[409] "They ceased to exist—as human beings—shortly after they received a book from Doc," the Martian said.
[410] Something seemed to strike me in the back of the neck.
[411] I staggered, but managed to hold onto the gun and stand up.
[412] "Use one of those sneaky Martian weapons again," I warned him, "and I'll kill the girl."
[413] Martians were supposed to be against the destruction of any life-form, I had read someplace.
[414] I doubted it, but it was worth a try.
[415] "Kevin," Andre said, "why don't you take a bath?"
[416] The Martian weapon staggered me again.
[417] I tried to say something.
[418] I tried to explain that I was so dirty that I could never get clean no matter how often I bathed.
[419] No words formed.
[420] "But, Kevin," Andre said, "you aren't that dirty."
[421] The blow shook the gun from my fingers.
[422] It almost fell into the thing on the floor, but at the last moment seemed to change direction and miss it.
[423] I knew something.
[424] "I don't wash because I drink coffee."
[425] "It's all right to drink coffee, isn't it?"
[426] he asked.
[427] "Of course," I said, and added absurdly, "That's why I don't wash." "You mean," Andre said slowly, ploddingly, "that if you bathed, you would be admitting that drinking coffee was in the same class as any other solitary vice that makes people wash frequently."
[428] I was knocked to my knees.
[429] "Kevin," the Martian said, "drinking coffee represents a major vice only in Centurian humanoids, not Earth-norm human beings.
[430] Which are you? "
[431] Nothing came out of my gabbling mouth. "
[432] What is Doc's full name? "
[433] I almost fell in, but at the last instant I caught myself and said, "Doctor Kevin O'Malley, Senior."
[434] From the bed, Doc said a word.
[435] "Son."
[436] Then he disappeared.
[437] I looked at that which he had made.
[438] I wondered where he had gone, in search of what.
[439] "He didn't use that," Andre said.
[440] So I was an Earthman, Doc's son.
[441] So my addiction to coffee was all in my mind.
[442] That didn't change anything.
[443] They say sex is all in your mind.
[444] I didn't want to be cured.
[445] I wouldn't be.
[446] Doc was gone.
[447] That was all I had now.
[448] That and the thing he left.
[449] "The rest is simple," Andre said.
[450] "Doc O'Malley bought up all the stock in a certain ancient metaphysical order and started supplying members with certain books.
[451] Can you imagine the effect of the Book of Dyzan or the Book of Thoth or the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan or the Necronomican itself on human beings?"
[452] "But they don't exist," I said wearily.
[453] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly.
[454] They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend.
[455] But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them.
[456] And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition.
[457] Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true.
[458] He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed.
[459] He had reached a state of pure thought."
[460] "The North American government has to have this secret, Kevin," the girl said.
[461] "You can't let it fall into the hands of the Martians."
[462] Andre did not deny that he wanted it to fall into his hands.
[463] I knew I could not let Doc's—Dad's—time travel thing fall into anyone's hands.
[464] I remembered that all the copies of the books had disappeared with their readers now.
[465] There must not be any more, I knew.
[466] Miss Casey did her duty and tried to stop me with a judo hold, but I don't think her heart was in it, because I reversed and broke it.
[467] I kicked the thing to pieces and stomped on the pieces.
[468] Maybe you can't stop the progress of science, but I knew it might be millenniums before Doc's genes and creative environment were recreated and time travel was rediscovered.
[469] Maybe we would be ready for it then.
[470] I knew we weren't now.
[471] Miss Casey leaned against my dirty chest and cried into it.
[472] I didn't mind her touching me.
[473] "I'm glad," she said.
[474] Andre flowed out of the doorway with a sigh.
[475] Of relief?
[476] I would never know.
[477] I supposed I had destroyed it because I didn't want the human race to become a thing of pure reason without purpose, direction or love, but I would never know for sure.
[478] I thought I could kick the habit—perhaps with Miss Casey's help—but I wasn't really confident.
[479] Maybe I had destroyed the time machine because a world without material needs would not grow and roast coffee. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Vivian Casey, and what are her characteristics?":
1. [132] She was pink and clean and her platinum hair was pulled straight back, drawing her cheek-bones tighter, straightening her wide, appealing mouth, drawing her lean, athletic, feminine body erect.
2. [133] She was wearing a powder-blue dress that covered all of her breasts and hips and the upper half of her legs.
3. [134] The most wonderful thing about her was her perfume.
4. [135] Then I realized it wasn't perfume, only the scent of soap.
5. [136] Finally, I knew it wasn't that.
6. [137] It was just healthy, fresh-scrubbed skin.
7. [147] She spoke in an educated voice, one she used, perhaps, as a teacher or supervising telephone operator.
8. [213] "That's the first time you've called me anything but 'ma'am'," she said.
9. [217] "It's Miss Casey—Vivian Casey," she corrected.
10. [218] She was a schoolteacher, all right.
11. [219] No other girl would introduce herself as Miss Last Name.
12. [220] "What's your name?" she said to me.
13. [229] "Mister Kevin," she said, her words dancing with bright absurdity like waterhose mist on a summer afternoon, "I wonder if you could help me."
14. [342] She inclined the lethal silver toy.
15. [343] "Let me see those papers, Kevin."
16. [345] Her breath escaped slowly and loudly.
17. [346] "It's all right.
18. [347] It's all right.
19. [348] It exists.
20. [349] It's real.
21. [350] Not even one of the unwritten ones.
22. [351] I've read this myself."
23. [352] "Don't move, Kevin," she said.
24. [353] "I'll have to shoot you—maybe not to kill, but painfully."
25. [360] "I don't know what you think it does to you."
26. [363] She showed me a card from her wrist purse.
27. [364] Vivian Casey, Constable, North American Mounted Police.
28. [367] "What do you want?"
29. [368] "Listen, Kevin.
30. [369] Listen carefully to what I am saying.
31. [370] Doc found a method of time travel.
32. [371] It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences.
33. [372] He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it.
34. [373] He was an idealist—he had his crusades.
35. [374] How can you make money with time travel?"
36. [377] "It takes money—money Doc didn't have—to make money," Miss Casey said, "even if you know what horse will come in and what stock will prosper.
37. [378] Besides, horse-racing and the stock market weren't a part of Doc's character.
38. [379] He was a scholar."
39. [384] "He became a book finder.
40. [385] He got rare editions of books and magazines for his clients in absolutely mint condition.
41. [386] That was all right—until he started obtaining books that did not exist." |
What are some of the harmful consequences caused by Doc’s use of time travel? | [
"Doc’s use of time travel has caused hundreds of people to disappear from North America a few months ago. He initially starts off using time travel to get rare editions of books and magazines in mint condition. However, he derails and starts getting books that do not exist. For many of his clients, they shortly ceased to exist after obtaining a book from Doc. Doc also had bought the entire stock of an ancient metaphysical order, which he then supplied to his clients. Books such as the Book of Dyzan, Book of Thoth, Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, and the Necromican were given away even if they do not exist in the present-day. These books are extremely harmful because they essentially instruct the human race on how to achieve a state of pure logic without requiring food, sex, or conflict.",
"After finding a method to travel in time Doc, an earthly scholar, decided to make money by bringing rare book editions from different times to his clients. But once he started bringing books that have never existed his clients disappeared soon after receiving them - at least several hundred people in North America ceased to exist after getting their order from Doc. Furthermore, time traveling allowed the “unconscious racial mind” to construct new worlds and realities by creating new books that were able to teach humans how to reach the state of pure logic and therefore deprive them of all humanly characteristics.",
"Doc’s use of time travel has caused hundreds of people to disappear from North America - as if they ceased to exist. This occurred shortly after Doc gave them a book - books that were collected in metaphysical order and distributed to his liking. As a result, the interplay of time travel and bringing books and their knowledge in and out of existence has caused them to ultimately not exist, but still influence the unconscious mind into creating them. As such, it is revealed that the human mind has been able to understand and access the powers of ESP, telekinesis, etc as well as achieve states of pure logic and thought. Both immediate consequences, like the erasure of people’s existence, as well as existential consequences like the potential for the power of human minds to be accessed occurred because of his time travel.",
"Time travel allows the unconscious racial mind, a mind that knows the power of extrasensory perception, to go back in time and create books that do not exist before. These books allow the human race to teach itself how to turn the material body with desires into a pure logic state without the body, where they don’t need sex, food, or any material supply. Therefore, when Doc uses time travel to create those books and distribute them to people, people who received the books from Doc disappear. Their material existence vanishes. And Doc himself also reaches the state of pure logic, where his material existence disappears."
] | [1] Confidence Game By JIM HARMON Illustrated by EPSTEIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction June 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] I admit it: I didn't know if I was coming or going—but I know that if I stuck to the old man, I was a comer ... even if he was a goner!
[4] Doc had this solemn human by the throat when I caught up with him.
[5] "Tonight," Doc was saying in his old voice that was as crackled and important as parchment, "tonight Man will reach the Moon.
[6] The golden Moon and the silver ship, symbols of greed.
[7] Tonight is the night when this is to happen."
[8] "Sure," the man agreed severely, prying a little worriedly at Doc's arthritic fingers that were clamped on his collar.
[9] "No argument.
[10] Sure, up we go.
[11] But leave me go or, so help me, I'll fetch you one in the teeth!"
[12] I came alongside and carefully started to lever the old man loose, one finger at a time.
[13] It had to be done this way.
[14] I had learned that during all these weeks and months.
[15] His hands looked old and crippled, but I felt they were the strongest in the world.
[16] If a half dozen winos in Seattle hadn't helped me get them loose, Doc and I would have been wanted for the murder of a North American Mountie.
[17] It was easier this night and that made me afraid.
[18] Doc's thin frame, layered with lumpy fat, was beginning to muscle-dance against my side.
[19] One of his times was coming on him.
[20] Then at last he was free of the greasy collar of the human.
[21] "I hope you'll forgive him, sir," I said, not meeting the man's eyes.
[22] "He's my father and very old, as you can see."
[23] I laughed inside at the absurd, easy lie.
[24] "Old events seem recent to him."
[25] The human nodded, Adam's apple jerking in the angry neon twilight.
[26] "'Memory Jump,' you mean.
[27] All my great-grandfathers have it.
[28] But Great-great-grandmother Lupos, funny thing, is like a schoolgirl.
[29] Sharp, you know.
[30] I.... Say, the poor old guy looks sick.
[31] Want any help?"
[32] I told the human no, thanks, and walked Doc toward the flophouse three doors down.
[33] I hoped we would make it.
[34] I didn't know what would happen if we didn't.
[35] Doc was liable to say something that might nova Sol, for all I knew.
[36] Martians approaching the corner were sensing at Doc and me.
[37] They were just cheap tourists slumming down on Skid Row.
[38] I hated tourists and especially I hated Martian tourists because I especially hated Martians.
[39] They were aliens .
[40] They weren't men like Doc and me.
[41] Then I realized what was about to happen.
[42] It was foolish and awful and true.
[43] I was going to have one of mine at the same time Doc was having his.
[44] That was bad.
[45] It had happened a few times right after I first found him, but now it was worse.
[46] For some undefinable reason, I felt we kept getting closer each of the times.
[47] I tried not to think about it and helped Doc through the fly-specked flophouse doors.
[48] The tubercular clerk looked up from the gaudy comics sections of one of those little tabloids that have the funnies a week in advance.
[49] "Fifteen cents a bed," he said mechanically.
[50] "We'll use one bed," I told him.
[51] "I'll give you twenty cents."
[52] I felt the round hard quarter in my pocket, sweaty hand against sticky lining.
[53] "Fifteen cents a bed," he played it back for me.
[54] Doc was quivering against me, his legs boneless.
[55] "We can always make it over to the mission," I lied.
[56] The clerk turned his upper lip as if he were going to spit.
[57] "Awright, since we ain't full up.
[58] In ad vance."
[59] I placed the quarter on the desk.
[60] "Give me a nickel."
[61] The clerk's hand fell on the coin and slid it off into the unknown before I could move, what with holding up Doc.
[62] "You've got your nerve," he said at me with a fine mist of dew.
[63] "Had a quarter all along and yet you Martian me down to twenty cents."
[64] He saw the look on my face.
[65] "I'll give you a room for the two bits.
[66] That's better'n a bed for twenty."
[67] I knew I was going to need that nickel.
[68] Desperately.
[69] I reached across the desk with my free hand and hauled the scrawny human up against the register hard.
[70] I'm not as strong in my hands as Doc, but I managed.
[71] "Give me a nickel," I said.
[72] "What nickel?"
[73] His eyes were big, but they kept looking right at me.
[74] "You don't have any nickel.
[75] You don't have any quarter, not if I say so.
[76] Want I should call a cop and tell him you were flexing a muscle?"
[77] I let go of him.
[78] He didn't scare me, but Doc was beginning to mumble and that did scare me.
[79] I had to get him alone.
[80] "Where's the room?"
[81] I asked.
[82] The room was six feet in all directions and the walls were five feet high.
[83] The other foot was finished in chicken wire.
[84] There was a wino singing on the left, a wino praying on the right, and the door didn't have any lock on it.
[85] At last, Doc and I were alone.
[86] I laid Doc out on the gray-brown cot and put his forearm over his face to shield it some from the glare of the light bulb.
[87] I swept off all the bedbugs in sight and stepped on them heavily.
[88] Then I dropped down into the painted stool chair and let my burning eyes rest on the obscene wall drawings just to focus them.
[89] I was so dirty, I could feel the grime grinding together all over me.
[90] My shaggy scalp still smarted from the alcohol I had stolen from a convertible's gas tank to get rid of Doc's and my cooties.
[91] Lucky that I never needed to shave and that my face was so dirty, no one would even notice that I didn't need to.
[92] The cramp hit me and I folded out of the chair onto the littered, uncovered floor.
[93] It stopped hurting, but I knew it would begin if I moved.
[94] I stared at a jagged cut-out nude curled against a lump of dust and lint, giving it an unreal distortion.
[95] Doc began to mumble louder.
[96] I knew I had to move.
[97] I waited just a moment, savoring the painless peace.
[98] Then, finally, I moved.
[99] I was bent double, but I got from the floor to the chair and found my notebook and orb-point in my hands.
[100] I found I couldn't focus both my mind and my eyes through the electric flashes of agony, so I concentrated on Doc's voice and trusted my hands would follow their habit pattern and construct the symbols for his words.
[101] They were suddenly distinguishable. "
[102] Outsider ... Thoth ... Dyzan ...
[103] Seven ... Hsan ...
[104] Beyond Six, Seven, Eight ... Two boxes ... Ralston ... Richard Wentworth ... Jimmy Christopher ... Kent Allard ... Ayem ... Oh, are ... see ...." His voice rose to a meaningless wail that stretched into non-existence.
[105] The pen slid across the scribbled face of the notebook and both dropped from my numb hands.
[106] But I knew.
[107] Somehow, inside me, I knew that these words were what I had been waiting for.
[108] They told everything I needed to know to become the most powerful man in the Solar Federation.
[109] That wasn't just an addict's dream.
[110] I knew who Doc was.
[111] When I got to thinking it was just a dream and that I was dragging this old man around North America for nothing, I remembered who he was.
[112] I remembered that he was somebody very important whose name and work I had once known, even if now I knew him only as Doc.
[113] Pain was a pendulum within me, swinging from low throbbing bass to high screaming tenor.
[114] I had to get out and get some.
[115] But I didn't have a nickel.
[116] Still, I had to get some.
[117] I crawled to the door and raised myself by the knob, slick with greasy dirt.
[118] The door opened and shut—there was no lock.
[119] I shouldn't leave Doc alone, but I had to.
[120] He was starting to cry.
[121] He didn't always do that.
[122] I listened to him for a moment, then tested and tasted the craving that crawled through my veins.
[123] I got back inside somehow.
[124] Doc was twisting on the cot, tears washing white streaks across his face.
[125] I shoved Doc's face up against my chest.
[126] I held onto him and let him bellow.
[127] I soothed the lanks of soiled white hair back over his lumpy skull.
[128] He shut up at last and I laid him down again and put his arm back across his face.
[129] (You can't turn the light off and on in places like that.
[130] The old wiring will blow the bulb half the time.)
[131] I don't remember how I got out onto the street.
[132] She was pink and clean and her platinum hair was pulled straight back, drawing her cheek-bones tighter, straightening her wide, appealing mouth, drawing her lean, athletic, feminine body erect.
[133] She was wearing a powder-blue dress that covered all of her breasts and hips and the upper half of her legs.
[134] The most wonderful thing about her was her perfume.
[135] Then I realized it wasn't perfume, only the scent of soap.
[136] Finally, I knew it wasn't that.
[137] It was just healthy, fresh-scrubbed skin.
[138] I went to her at the bus stop, forcing my legs not to stagger.
[139] Nobody would help a drunk.
[140] I don't know why, but nobody will help you if they think you are blotto.
[141] "Ma'am, could you help a man who's not had work?"
[142] I kept my eyes down.
[143] I couldn't look a human in the eye and ask for help.
[144] "Just a dime for a cup of coffee."
[145] I knew where I could get it for three cents, maybe two and a half.
[146] I felt her looking at me.
[147] She spoke in an educated voice, one she used, perhaps, as a teacher or supervising telephone operator.
[148] "Do you want it for coffee, or to apply, or a glass or hypo of something else?"
[149] I cringed and whined.
[150] She would expect it of me.
[151] I suddenly realized that anybody as clean as she was had to be a tourist here.
[152] I hate tourists.
[153] "Just coffee, ma'am."
[154] She was younger than I was, so I didn't have to call her that.
[155] "A little more for food, if you could spare it."
[156] I hadn't eaten in a day and a half, but I didn't care much.
[157] "I'll buy you a dinner," she said carefully, "provided I can go with you and see for myself that you actually eat it."
[158] I felt my face flushing red.
[159] "You wouldn't want to be seen with a bum like me, ma'am."
[160] "I'll be seen with you if you really want to eat."
[161] It was certainly unfair and probably immoral.
[162] But I had no choice whatever.
[163] "Okay," I said, tasting bitterness over the craving.
[164] The coffee was in a thick white cup before me on the counter.
[165] It was pale, grayish brown and steaming faintly.
[166] I picked it up in both hands to feel its warmth.
[167] Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the woman sitting on the stool beside me.
[168] She had no right to intrude.
[169] This moment should be mine, but there she sat, marring it for me, a contemptible tourist .
[170] I gulped down the thick, dark liquid brutally.
[171] It was all I could do.
[172] The cramp flowed out of my diaphragm.
[173] I took another swallow and was able to think straight again.
[174] A third swallow and I felt—good.
[175] Not abnormally stimulated, but strong, alert, poised on the brink of exhilaration.
[176] That was what coffee did for me.
[177] I was a caffeine addict.
[178] Earth-norm humans sometimes have the addiction to a slight extent, but I knew that as a Centurian I had it infinitely worse.
[179] Caffeine affected my metabolism like a pure alkaloid.
[180] The immediate effects weren't the same, but the need ran as deep.
[181] I finished the cup.
[182] I didn't order another because I wasn't a pure sensualist.
[183] I just needed release.
[184] Sometimes, when I didn't have the price of a cup, I would look around in alleys and find cola bottles with a few drops left in them.
[185] They have a little caffeine in them—not enough, never enough, but better than nothing.
[186] "Now what do you want to eat?"
[187] the woman asked.
[188] I didn't look at her.
[189] She didn't know.
[190] She thought I was a human—an Earth human.
[191] I was a man , of course, not an alien like a Martian.
[192] Earthmen ran the whole Solar Federation, but I was just as good as an Earthman.
[193] With my suntan and short mane, I could pass, couldn't I?
[194] That proved it, didn't it?
[195] "Hamburger," I said.
[196] "Well done."
[197] I knew that would probably be all they had fit to eat at a place like this.
[198] It might be horse meat, but then I didn't have the local prejudices.
[199] I didn't look at the woman.
[200] I couldn't.
[201] But I kept remembering how clean she looked and I was aware of how clean she smelled.
[202] I was so dirty, so very dirty that I could never get clean if I bathed every hour for the rest of my life.
[203] The hamburger was engulfed by five black-crowned, broken fingernails and raised to two rows of yellow ivory.
[204] I surrounded it like an ameba, almost in a single movement of my jaws.
[205] Several other hamburgers followed the first.
[206] I lost count.
[207] I drank a glass of milk.
[208] I didn't want to black out on coffee with Doc waiting for me.
[209] "Could I have a few to take with me, miss?"
[210] I pleaded.
[211] She smiled.
[212] I caught that out of the edge of my vision, but mostly I just felt it.
[213] "That's the first time you've called me anything but 'ma'am'," she said.
[214] "I'm not an old-maid schoolteacher, you know."
[215] That probably meant she was a schoolteacher, though.
[216] "No, miss," I said.
[217] "It's Miss Casey—Vivian Casey," she corrected.
[218] She was a schoolteacher, all right.
[219] No other girl would introduce herself as Miss Last Name.
[220] Then there was something in her voice.... "What's your name?"
[221] she said to me.
[222] I choked a little on a bite of stale bun.
[223] I had a name, of course .
[224] Everybody has a name, and I knew if I went off somewhere quiet and thought about it, mine would come to me.
[225] Meanwhile, I would tell the girl that my name was ... Kevin O'Malley.
[226] Abruptly I realized that that was my name.
[227] "Kevin," I told her.
[228] "John Kevin."
[229] "Mister Kevin," she said, her words dancing with bright absurdity like waterhose mist on a summer afternoon, "I wonder if you could help me ."
[230] "Happy to, miss," I mumbled.
[231] She pushed a white rectangle in front of me on the painted maroon bar.
[232] "What do you think of this?"
[233] I looked at the piece of paper.
[234] It was a coupon from a magazine.
[235] Dear Acolyte R. I. S. : Please send me FREE of obligation, in sealed wrapper, "The Scarlet Book" revealing to me how I may gain Secret Mastery of the Universe.
[236] Name : ........................
[237] Address : .....................
[238] The world disoriented itself and I was on the floor of the somber diner and Miss Vivian Casey was out of sight and scent.
[239] There was a five dollar bill tight in my fist.
[240] The counterman was trying to pull it out.
[241] I looked up at his stubbled face.
[242] "I had half a dozen hamburgers, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk.
[243] I want four more 'burgers to go and a pint of coffee.
[244] By your prices, that will be one sixty-five—if the lady didn't pay you."
[245] "She didn't," he stammered.
[246] "Why do you think I was trying to get that bill out of your hand?"
[247] I didn't say anything, just got up off the floor.
[248] After the counterman put down my change, I spread out the five dollar bill on the vacant bar, smoothing it.
[249] I scooped up my change and walked out the door.
[250] There was no one on the sidewalk, only in the doorways.
[251] First I opened the door on an amber world, then an azure one.
[252] Neon light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond.
[253] The wino on one side of the room was singing and the one on the other side was praying, same as before.
[254] Only they had changed around—prayer came from the left, song from the right.
[255] Doc sat on the floor in the half-darkness and he had made a thing .
[256] My heart hammered at my lungs.
[257] I knew this last time had been different.
[258] Whatever it was was getting closer.
[259] This was the first time Doc had ever made anything.
[260] It didn't look like much, but it was a start.
[261] He had broken the light bulb and used the filament and screw bottom.
[262] His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"—metal webbing—and fashioned them to his needs.
[263] My orb-point pen had dissolved under his touch.
[264] All of them, useless parts, were made into a meaningful whole.
[265] I knew the thing had meaning, but when I tried to follow its design, I became lost.
[266] I put the paper container of warm coffee and the greasy bag of hamburgers on the wooden chair, hoping the odor wouldn't bring any hungry rats out of the walls.
[267] I knelt beside Doc.
[268] "An order, my boy, an order," he whispered.
[269] I didn't know what he meant.
[270] Was he suddenly trying to give me orders?
[271] He held something out to me.
[272] It was my notebook.
[273] He had used my pen, before dismantling it, to write something.
[274] I tilted the notebook against the neon light, now red wine, now fresh grape.
[275] I read it.
[276] "Concentrate," Doc said hoarsely.
[277] "Concentrate...." I wondered what the words meant.
[278] Wondering takes a kind of concentration.
[279] The words "First Edition" were what I was thinking about most.
[280] The heavy-set man in the ornate armchair was saying, "The bullet struck me as I was pulling on my boot...." I was kneeling on the floor of a Victorian living room.
[281] I'm quite familiar with Earth history and I recognized the period immediately.
[282] Then I realized what I had been trying to get from Doc all these months—time travel.
[283] A thin, sickly man was sprawled in the other chair in a rumpled dressing gown.
[284] My eyes held to his face, his pinpoint pupils and whitened nose.
[285] He was a condemned snowbird!
[286] If there was anything I hated or held in more contempt than tourists or Martians, it was a snowbird.
[287] "My clients have occasioned singular methods of entry into these rooms," the thin man remarked, "but never before have they used instantaneous materialization."
[288] The heavier man was half choking, half laughing.
[289] "I say—I say, I would like to see you explain this, my dear fellow."
[290] "I have no data," the thin man answered coolly.
[291] "In such instance, one begins to twist theories into fact, or facts into theories.
[292] I must ask this unemployed, former professional man who has gone through a serious illness and is suffering a more serious addiction to tell me the place and time from which he comes."
[293] The surprise stung.
[294] "How did you know?"
[295] I asked.
[296] He gestured with a pale hand.
[297] "To maintain a logical approach, I must reject the supernatural.
[298] Your arrival, unless hallucinatory—and despite my voluntary use of one drug and my involuntary experiences recently with another, I must accept the evidence of my senses or retire from my profession—your arrival was then super-normal.
[299] I might say super-scientific, of a science not of my or the good doctor's time, clearly.
[300] Time travel is a familiar folk legend and I have been reading an article by the entertaining Mr. Wells.
[301] Perhaps he will expand it into one of his novels of scientific romance."
[302] I knew who these two men were, with a tormenting doubt.
[303] "But the other—" "Your hands, though unclean, have never seen physical labor.
[304] Your cranial construction is of a superior type, or even if you reject my theories, concentration does set the facial features.
[305] I judge you have suffered an illness because of the inhibition of your beard growth.
[306] Your over-fondness for rum or opium, perhaps, is self-evident.
[307] You are at too resilient an age to be so sunk by even an amour.
[308] Why else then would you let yourself fall into such an underfed and unsanitary state?"
[309] He was so smug and so sure, this snowbird.
[310] I hated him.
[311] Because I couldn't trust to my own senses as he did.
[312] "You don't exist," I said slowly, painfully.
[313] "You are fictional creations."
[314] The doctor flushed darkly.
[315] "You give my literary agent too much credit for the addition of professional polish to my works."
[316] The other man was filling a large, curved pipe from something that looked vaguely like an ice-skate.
[317] "Interesting.
[318] Perhaps if our visitor would tell us something of his age with special reference to the theory and practice of temporal transference, Doctor, we would be better equipped to judge whether we exist."
[319] There was no theory or practice of time travel.
[320] I told them all I had ever heard theorized from Hindu yoga through Extra-sensory Perception to Relativity and the positron and negatron.
[321] "Interesting."
[322] He breathed out suffocating black clouds of smoke.
[323] "Presume that the people of your time by their 'Extra-sensory Perception' have altered the past to make it as they suppose it to be.
[324] The great historical figures are made the larger than life-size that we know them.
[325] The great literary creations assume reality."
[326] I thought of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy and wondered if they would be the goddesses of love that people imagined or the scrawny, big-nosed redhead and fading old woman of scholarship.
[327] Then I noticed the detective's hand that had been resting idly on a round brass weight of unknown sort to me.
[328] His tapered fingertips had indented the metal.
[329] His bright eyes followed mine and he smiled faintly.
[330] "Withdrawal symptoms."
[331] The admiration and affection for this man that had been slowly building up behind my hatred unbrinked.
[332] I remembered now that he had stopped.
[333] He was not really a snowbird.
[334] After a time, I asked the doctor a question.
[335] "Why, yes.
[336] I'm flattered.
[337] This is the first manuscript.
[338] Considering my professional handwriting, I recopied it more laboriously."
[339] Accepting the sheaf of papers and not looking back at these two great and good men, I concentrated on my own time and Doc.
[340] Nothing happened.
[341] My heart raced, but I saw something dancing before me like a dust mote in sunlight and stepped toward it.... ... into the effective range of Miss Casey's tiny gun.
[342] She inclined the lethal silver toy.
[343] "Let me see those papers, Kevin."
[344] I handed her the doctor's manuscript.
[345] Her breath escaped slowly and loudly.
[346] "It's all right.
[347] It's all right.
[348] It exists.
[349] It's real.
[350] Not even one of the unwritten ones.
[351] I've read this myself."
[352] Doc was lying on the cot, half his face twisted into horror.
[353] "Don't move, Kevin," she said.
[354] "I'll have to shoot you—maybe not to kill, but painfully."
[355] I watched her face flash blue, red, blue and knew she meant it.
[356] But I had known too much in too short a time.
[357] I had to help Doc, but there was something else.
[358] "I just want a drink of coffee from that container on the chair," I told her.
[359] She shook her head.
[360] "I don't know what you think it does to you."
[361] It was getting hard for me to think.
[362] "Who are you?"
[363] She showed me a card from her wrist purse.
[364] Vivian Casey, Constable, North American Mounted Police.
[365] I had to help Doc.
[366] I had to have some coffee.
[367] "What do you want?"
[368] "Listen, Kevin.
[369] Listen carefully to what I am saying.
[370] Doc found a method of time travel.
[371] It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences.
[372] He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it.
[373] He was an idealist—he had his crusades.
[374] How can you make money with time travel?"
[375] I didn't know whether she was asking me, but I didn't know.
[376] All I knew was that I had to help Doc and get some coffee.
[377] "It takes money—money Doc didn't have—to make money," Miss Casey said, "even if you know what horse will come in and what stock will prosper.
[378] Besides, horse-racing and the stock market weren't a part of Doc's character.
[379] He was a scholar."
[380] Why did she keep using the past tense in reference to Doc?
[381] It scared me.
[382] He was lying so still with the left side of his face so twisted.
[383] I needed some coffee.
[384] "He became a book finder.
[385] He got rare editions of books and magazines for his clients in absolutely mint condition.
[386] That was all right—until he started obtaining books that did not exist ."
[387] I didn't know what all that was supposed to mean.
[388] I got to the chair, snatched up the coffee container, tore it open and gulped down the soothing liquid.
[389] I turned toward her and threw the rest of the coffee into her face.
[390] The coffee splashed out over her platinum hair and powder-blue dress that looked white when the neon was azure, purple when it was amber.
[391] The coffee stained and soiled and ruined, and I was fiercely glad, unreasonably happy.
[392] I tore the gun away from her by the short barrel, not letting my filthy hands touch her scrubbed pink ones.
[393] I pointed the gun generally at her and backed around the thing on the floor to the cot.
[394] Doc had a pulse, but it was irregular.
[395] I checked for a fever and there wasn't one.
[396] After that, I didn't know what to do.
[397] I looked up finally and saw a Martian in or about the doorway.
[398] "Call me Andre," the Martian said.
[399] "A common name but foreign.
[400] It should serve as a point of reference."
[401] I had always wondered how a thing like a Martian could talk.
[402] Sometimes I wondered if they really could.
[403] "You won't need the gun," Andre said conversationally.
[404] "I'll keep it, thanks.
[405] What do you want?"
[406] "I'll begin as Miss Casey did—by telling you things.
[407] Hundreds of people disappeared from North America a few months ago."
[408] "They always do," I told him.
[409] "They ceased to exist—as human beings—shortly after they received a book from Doc," the Martian said.
[410] Something seemed to strike me in the back of the neck.
[411] I staggered, but managed to hold onto the gun and stand up.
[412] "Use one of those sneaky Martian weapons again," I warned him, "and I'll kill the girl."
[413] Martians were supposed to be against the destruction of any life-form, I had read someplace.
[414] I doubted it, but it was worth a try.
[415] "Kevin," Andre said, "why don't you take a bath?"
[416] The Martian weapon staggered me again.
[417] I tried to say something.
[418] I tried to explain that I was so dirty that I could never get clean no matter how often I bathed.
[419] No words formed.
[420] "But, Kevin," Andre said, "you aren't that dirty."
[421] The blow shook the gun from my fingers.
[422] It almost fell into the thing on the floor, but at the last moment seemed to change direction and miss it.
[423] I knew something.
[424] "I don't wash because I drink coffee."
[425] "It's all right to drink coffee, isn't it?"
[426] he asked.
[427] "Of course," I said, and added absurdly, "That's why I don't wash." "You mean," Andre said slowly, ploddingly, "that if you bathed, you would be admitting that drinking coffee was in the same class as any other solitary vice that makes people wash frequently."
[428] I was knocked to my knees.
[429] "Kevin," the Martian said, "drinking coffee represents a major vice only in Centurian humanoids, not Earth-norm human beings.
[430] Which are you? "
[431] Nothing came out of my gabbling mouth. "
[432] What is Doc's full name? "
[433] I almost fell in, but at the last instant I caught myself and said, "Doctor Kevin O'Malley, Senior."
[434] From the bed, Doc said a word.
[435] "Son."
[436] Then he disappeared.
[437] I looked at that which he had made.
[438] I wondered where he had gone, in search of what.
[439] "He didn't use that," Andre said.
[440] So I was an Earthman, Doc's son.
[441] So my addiction to coffee was all in my mind.
[442] That didn't change anything.
[443] They say sex is all in your mind.
[444] I didn't want to be cured.
[445] I wouldn't be.
[446] Doc was gone.
[447] That was all I had now.
[448] That and the thing he left.
[449] "The rest is simple," Andre said.
[450] "Doc O'Malley bought up all the stock in a certain ancient metaphysical order and started supplying members with certain books.
[451] Can you imagine the effect of the Book of Dyzan or the Book of Thoth or the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan or the Necronomican itself on human beings?"
[452] "But they don't exist," I said wearily.
[453] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly.
[454] They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend.
[455] But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them.
[456] And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition.
[457] Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true.
[458] He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed.
[459] He had reached a state of pure thought."
[460] "The North American government has to have this secret, Kevin," the girl said.
[461] "You can't let it fall into the hands of the Martians."
[462] Andre did not deny that he wanted it to fall into his hands.
[463] I knew I could not let Doc's—Dad's—time travel thing fall into anyone's hands.
[464] I remembered that all the copies of the books had disappeared with their readers now.
[465] There must not be any more, I knew.
[466] Miss Casey did her duty and tried to stop me with a judo hold, but I don't think her heart was in it, because I reversed and broke it.
[467] I kicked the thing to pieces and stomped on the pieces.
[468] Maybe you can't stop the progress of science, but I knew it might be millenniums before Doc's genes and creative environment were recreated and time travel was rediscovered.
[469] Maybe we would be ready for it then.
[470] I knew we weren't now.
[471] Miss Casey leaned against my dirty chest and cried into it.
[472] I didn't mind her touching me.
[473] "I'm glad," she said.
[474] Andre flowed out of the doorway with a sigh.
[475] Of relief?
[476] I would never know.
[477] I supposed I had destroyed it because I didn't want the human race to become a thing of pure reason without purpose, direction or love, but I would never know for sure.
[478] I thought I could kick the habit—perhaps with Miss Casey's help—but I wasn't really confident.
[479] Maybe I had destroyed the time machine because a world without material needs would not grow and roast coffee. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "What are some of the harmful consequences caused by Doc's use of time travel?":
1. [450] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly. They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend. But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them. And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition. Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true. He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed. He had reached a state of pure thought."
2. [451] "Doc O'Malley bought up all the stock in a certain ancient metaphysical order and started supplying members with certain books. Can you imagine the effect of the Book of Dyzan or the Book of Thoth or the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan or the Necronomican itself on human beings?"
3. [452] "But they don't exist," I said wearily.
4. [453] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly. They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend."
5. [454] "But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them."
6. [455] "And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition."
7. [456] "Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true."
8. [457] "He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed."
9. [458] "He had reached a state of pure thought."
10. [459] "The North American government has to have this secret, Kevin," the girl said. "You can't let it fall into the hands of the Martians."
11. [460] "Andre did not deny that he wanted it to fall into his hands."
12. [461] "I knew I could not let Doc's—Dad's—time travel thing fall into anyone's hands."
13. [462] "I remembered that all the copies of the books had disappeared with their readers now. There must not be any more, I knew."
14. [463] "Maybe you can't stop the progress of science, but I knew it might be millenniums before Doc's genes and creative environment were recreated and time travel was rediscovered. Maybe we would be ready for it then. I knew we weren't now."
15. [464] "I thought I could kick the habit—perhaps with Miss Casey's help—but I wasn't really confident."
16. [465] "Maybe I had destroyed the time machine because a world without material needs would not grow and roast coffee." |
Who is Kevin, and what are his characteristics? | [
"Kevin initially believes that he is a Centurian who must carry Doc around in order to achieve something powerful from the man. He firmly believes him and Doc to be superior to the Earthmen and Martian tourists. Kevin is filthy, but he refuses to take a bath. He also has an addiction to caffeine, mistakenly believing that it is the side effect of being a Centurian. Although he looks down on humans, he is desperate enough to ask one for help and for some food. His fingernails are black-crowned and broken, while his teeth are of yellow ivory. He is also suntan and sprouts a short mane. Although he lies to Miss Casey and says his name is John Kevin, he realizes that his name is actually Kevin O’Malley. While Kevin does admit that he wants something from Doc, he also is clearly shown to care for the old man. It is later revealed that Doc is his father, Kevin O’Malley Sr. Even after Miss Casey reveals she is a member of the police, Kevin is still brave enough to throw the rest of the coffee in her face. Later, he realizes that he is actually an Earth human and not a Centurian. His caffeine addiction comes from the mind. Even though he cares for his father, Kevin does choose to make the right decision to destroy the time machine because he does not want humanity to become purely logical.",
"Kevin is a Centurian humanoid who roams around North America with Doc, a man whom Kevin finds utterly important though he doesn’t exactly remember why. He has a strong caffeine addiction and doesn’t know a lot of facts about his life. Kevin cares about Doc even before he remembers that the man is his father. He aspires to get the knowledge of time travel from Doc, but later understands that his time is not ready for this yet and he cannot let two powerful empires fight for it and destroys the device. Kevin is lost and confused throughout the entire story, he’s sometimes judgmental and condescending but also kind and gentle.",
"Kevin is the protagonist in this story, who is first introduced as accompanying the Doc as to gain some important information from him to become the most powerful person in the Solar Federation. He is described to be incessantly dirty - no matter how many baths he may take he can never be clean, and hence chooses not to be anymore. He is a self-proclaimed Centuarian, and like his kind, has a vice for caffeine which he fulfills with coffee or if desperate, with leftover droplets of soda. If he does not get enough caffeine, he becomes withdrawn with pain and behaves similar to an addict. Kevin has a disliking for Martians, tourists and Earth-humans, and is always sure to emphasize the distinction between him as a Man but not as a Earth-man. \n\nThroughout Kevin’s own time travel adventures and later interactions with Miss Casey, the policewoman, and the Martian Andre, he finds out that he is the Doctor, Kevin O’Malley Senior’s son, and is in fact human. As the story comes to a close, he plays an integral role in destroying the Doc’s time machine and hence halting science’s momentary progression on time travel. In some of his ending thoughts, he debates requesting Miss Casey’s help in stopping his addiction to caffeine while also wanting to ensure the continued production of coffee.",
"Kevin is the son of Doc, the son of a scholar who found the method of time travel and caused the disappearance of hundreds of people in Northern America. Kevin is dirty and addicted to caffeine. Kevin also introduced himself as John Kevin when he misremembered Doc’s name as his own. He is unsanitary and underfed. He is also addicted to rum or opium. His teeth are yellow, and his fingernails are filled with black dirt and broken. He never grows a beard. He staggers like a wino. He considered himself a Centurian, a humanoid species that sees drinking coffee as a vice. However, contrary to his memory, he was an Earthman, but he didn’t want to admit this fact. He didn’t want to be cured or told who he was."
] | [1] Confidence Game By JIM HARMON Illustrated by EPSTEIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction June 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] I admit it: I didn't know if I was coming or going—but I know that if I stuck to the old man, I was a comer ... even if he was a goner!
[4] Doc had this solemn human by the throat when I caught up with him.
[5] "Tonight," Doc was saying in his old voice that was as crackled and important as parchment, "tonight Man will reach the Moon.
[6] The golden Moon and the silver ship, symbols of greed.
[7] Tonight is the night when this is to happen."
[8] "Sure," the man agreed severely, prying a little worriedly at Doc's arthritic fingers that were clamped on his collar.
[9] "No argument.
[10] Sure, up we go.
[11] But leave me go or, so help me, I'll fetch you one in the teeth!"
[12] I came alongside and carefully started to lever the old man loose, one finger at a time.
[13] It had to be done this way.
[14] I had learned that during all these weeks and months.
[15] His hands looked old and crippled, but I felt they were the strongest in the world.
[16] If a half dozen winos in Seattle hadn't helped me get them loose, Doc and I would have been wanted for the murder of a North American Mountie.
[17] It was easier this night and that made me afraid.
[18] Doc's thin frame, layered with lumpy fat, was beginning to muscle-dance against my side.
[19] One of his times was coming on him.
[20] Then at last he was free of the greasy collar of the human.
[21] "I hope you'll forgive him, sir," I said, not meeting the man's eyes.
[22] "He's my father and very old, as you can see."
[23] I laughed inside at the absurd, easy lie.
[24] "Old events seem recent to him."
[25] The human nodded, Adam's apple jerking in the angry neon twilight.
[26] "'Memory Jump,' you mean.
[27] All my great-grandfathers have it.
[28] But Great-great-grandmother Lupos, funny thing, is like a schoolgirl.
[29] Sharp, you know.
[30] I.... Say, the poor old guy looks sick.
[31] Want any help?"
[32] I told the human no, thanks, and walked Doc toward the flophouse three doors down.
[33] I hoped we would make it.
[34] I didn't know what would happen if we didn't.
[35] Doc was liable to say something that might nova Sol, for all I knew.
[36] Martians approaching the corner were sensing at Doc and me.
[37] They were just cheap tourists slumming down on Skid Row.
[38] I hated tourists and especially I hated Martian tourists because I especially hated Martians.
[39] They were aliens .
[40] They weren't men like Doc and me.
[41] Then I realized what was about to happen.
[42] It was foolish and awful and true.
[43] I was going to have one of mine at the same time Doc was having his.
[44] That was bad.
[45] It had happened a few times right after I first found him, but now it was worse.
[46] For some undefinable reason, I felt we kept getting closer each of the times.
[47] I tried not to think about it and helped Doc through the fly-specked flophouse doors.
[48] The tubercular clerk looked up from the gaudy comics sections of one of those little tabloids that have the funnies a week in advance.
[49] "Fifteen cents a bed," he said mechanically.
[50] "We'll use one bed," I told him.
[51] "I'll give you twenty cents."
[52] I felt the round hard quarter in my pocket, sweaty hand against sticky lining.
[53] "Fifteen cents a bed," he played it back for me.
[54] Doc was quivering against me, his legs boneless.
[55] "We can always make it over to the mission," I lied.
[56] The clerk turned his upper lip as if he were going to spit.
[57] "Awright, since we ain't full up.
[58] In ad vance."
[59] I placed the quarter on the desk.
[60] "Give me a nickel."
[61] The clerk's hand fell on the coin and slid it off into the unknown before I could move, what with holding up Doc.
[62] "You've got your nerve," he said at me with a fine mist of dew.
[63] "Had a quarter all along and yet you Martian me down to twenty cents."
[64] He saw the look on my face.
[65] "I'll give you a room for the two bits.
[66] That's better'n a bed for twenty."
[67] I knew I was going to need that nickel.
[68] Desperately.
[69] I reached across the desk with my free hand and hauled the scrawny human up against the register hard.
[70] I'm not as strong in my hands as Doc, but I managed.
[71] "Give me a nickel," I said.
[72] "What nickel?"
[73] His eyes were big, but they kept looking right at me.
[74] "You don't have any nickel.
[75] You don't have any quarter, not if I say so.
[76] Want I should call a cop and tell him you were flexing a muscle?"
[77] I let go of him.
[78] He didn't scare me, but Doc was beginning to mumble and that did scare me.
[79] I had to get him alone.
[80] "Where's the room?"
[81] I asked.
[82] The room was six feet in all directions and the walls were five feet high.
[83] The other foot was finished in chicken wire.
[84] There was a wino singing on the left, a wino praying on the right, and the door didn't have any lock on it.
[85] At last, Doc and I were alone.
[86] I laid Doc out on the gray-brown cot and put his forearm over his face to shield it some from the glare of the light bulb.
[87] I swept off all the bedbugs in sight and stepped on them heavily.
[88] Then I dropped down into the painted stool chair and let my burning eyes rest on the obscene wall drawings just to focus them.
[89] I was so dirty, I could feel the grime grinding together all over me.
[90] My shaggy scalp still smarted from the alcohol I had stolen from a convertible's gas tank to get rid of Doc's and my cooties.
[91] Lucky that I never needed to shave and that my face was so dirty, no one would even notice that I didn't need to.
[92] The cramp hit me and I folded out of the chair onto the littered, uncovered floor.
[93] It stopped hurting, but I knew it would begin if I moved.
[94] I stared at a jagged cut-out nude curled against a lump of dust and lint, giving it an unreal distortion.
[95] Doc began to mumble louder.
[96] I knew I had to move.
[97] I waited just a moment, savoring the painless peace.
[98] Then, finally, I moved.
[99] I was bent double, but I got from the floor to the chair and found my notebook and orb-point in my hands.
[100] I found I couldn't focus both my mind and my eyes through the electric flashes of agony, so I concentrated on Doc's voice and trusted my hands would follow their habit pattern and construct the symbols for his words.
[101] They were suddenly distinguishable. "
[102] Outsider ... Thoth ... Dyzan ...
[103] Seven ... Hsan ...
[104] Beyond Six, Seven, Eight ... Two boxes ... Ralston ... Richard Wentworth ... Jimmy Christopher ... Kent Allard ... Ayem ... Oh, are ... see ...." His voice rose to a meaningless wail that stretched into non-existence.
[105] The pen slid across the scribbled face of the notebook and both dropped from my numb hands.
[106] But I knew.
[107] Somehow, inside me, I knew that these words were what I had been waiting for.
[108] They told everything I needed to know to become the most powerful man in the Solar Federation.
[109] That wasn't just an addict's dream.
[110] I knew who Doc was.
[111] When I got to thinking it was just a dream and that I was dragging this old man around North America for nothing, I remembered who he was.
[112] I remembered that he was somebody very important whose name and work I had once known, even if now I knew him only as Doc.
[113] Pain was a pendulum within me, swinging from low throbbing bass to high screaming tenor.
[114] I had to get out and get some.
[115] But I didn't have a nickel.
[116] Still, I had to get some.
[117] I crawled to the door and raised myself by the knob, slick with greasy dirt.
[118] The door opened and shut—there was no lock.
[119] I shouldn't leave Doc alone, but I had to.
[120] He was starting to cry.
[121] He didn't always do that.
[122] I listened to him for a moment, then tested and tasted the craving that crawled through my veins.
[123] I got back inside somehow.
[124] Doc was twisting on the cot, tears washing white streaks across his face.
[125] I shoved Doc's face up against my chest.
[126] I held onto him and let him bellow.
[127] I soothed the lanks of soiled white hair back over his lumpy skull.
[128] He shut up at last and I laid him down again and put his arm back across his face.
[129] (You can't turn the light off and on in places like that.
[130] The old wiring will blow the bulb half the time.)
[131] I don't remember how I got out onto the street.
[132] She was pink and clean and her platinum hair was pulled straight back, drawing her cheek-bones tighter, straightening her wide, appealing mouth, drawing her lean, athletic, feminine body erect.
[133] She was wearing a powder-blue dress that covered all of her breasts and hips and the upper half of her legs.
[134] The most wonderful thing about her was her perfume.
[135] Then I realized it wasn't perfume, only the scent of soap.
[136] Finally, I knew it wasn't that.
[137] It was just healthy, fresh-scrubbed skin.
[138] I went to her at the bus stop, forcing my legs not to stagger.
[139] Nobody would help a drunk.
[140] I don't know why, but nobody will help you if they think you are blotto.
[141] "Ma'am, could you help a man who's not had work?"
[142] I kept my eyes down.
[143] I couldn't look a human in the eye and ask for help.
[144] "Just a dime for a cup of coffee."
[145] I knew where I could get it for three cents, maybe two and a half.
[146] I felt her looking at me.
[147] She spoke in an educated voice, one she used, perhaps, as a teacher or supervising telephone operator.
[148] "Do you want it for coffee, or to apply, or a glass or hypo of something else?"
[149] I cringed and whined.
[150] She would expect it of me.
[151] I suddenly realized that anybody as clean as she was had to be a tourist here.
[152] I hate tourists.
[153] "Just coffee, ma'am."
[154] She was younger than I was, so I didn't have to call her that.
[155] "A little more for food, if you could spare it."
[156] I hadn't eaten in a day and a half, but I didn't care much.
[157] "I'll buy you a dinner," she said carefully, "provided I can go with you and see for myself that you actually eat it."
[158] I felt my face flushing red.
[159] "You wouldn't want to be seen with a bum like me, ma'am."
[160] "I'll be seen with you if you really want to eat."
[161] It was certainly unfair and probably immoral.
[162] But I had no choice whatever.
[163] "Okay," I said, tasting bitterness over the craving.
[164] The coffee was in a thick white cup before me on the counter.
[165] It was pale, grayish brown and steaming faintly.
[166] I picked it up in both hands to feel its warmth.
[167] Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the woman sitting on the stool beside me.
[168] She had no right to intrude.
[169] This moment should be mine, but there she sat, marring it for me, a contemptible tourist .
[170] I gulped down the thick, dark liquid brutally.
[171] It was all I could do.
[172] The cramp flowed out of my diaphragm.
[173] I took another swallow and was able to think straight again.
[174] A third swallow and I felt—good.
[175] Not abnormally stimulated, but strong, alert, poised on the brink of exhilaration.
[176] That was what coffee did for me.
[177] I was a caffeine addict.
[178] Earth-norm humans sometimes have the addiction to a slight extent, but I knew that as a Centurian I had it infinitely worse.
[179] Caffeine affected my metabolism like a pure alkaloid.
[180] The immediate effects weren't the same, but the need ran as deep.
[181] I finished the cup.
[182] I didn't order another because I wasn't a pure sensualist.
[183] I just needed release.
[184] Sometimes, when I didn't have the price of a cup, I would look around in alleys and find cola bottles with a few drops left in them.
[185] They have a little caffeine in them—not enough, never enough, but better than nothing.
[186] "Now what do you want to eat?"
[187] the woman asked.
[188] I didn't look at her.
[189] She didn't know.
[190] She thought I was a human—an Earth human.
[191] I was a man , of course, not an alien like a Martian.
[192] Earthmen ran the whole Solar Federation, but I was just as good as an Earthman.
[193] With my suntan and short mane, I could pass, couldn't I?
[194] That proved it, didn't it?
[195] "Hamburger," I said.
[196] "Well done."
[197] I knew that would probably be all they had fit to eat at a place like this.
[198] It might be horse meat, but then I didn't have the local prejudices.
[199] I didn't look at the woman.
[200] I couldn't.
[201] But I kept remembering how clean she looked and I was aware of how clean she smelled.
[202] I was so dirty, so very dirty that I could never get clean if I bathed every hour for the rest of my life.
[203] The hamburger was engulfed by five black-crowned, broken fingernails and raised to two rows of yellow ivory.
[204] I surrounded it like an ameba, almost in a single movement of my jaws.
[205] Several other hamburgers followed the first.
[206] I lost count.
[207] I drank a glass of milk.
[208] I didn't want to black out on coffee with Doc waiting for me.
[209] "Could I have a few to take with me, miss?"
[210] I pleaded.
[211] She smiled.
[212] I caught that out of the edge of my vision, but mostly I just felt it.
[213] "That's the first time you've called me anything but 'ma'am'," she said.
[214] "I'm not an old-maid schoolteacher, you know."
[215] That probably meant she was a schoolteacher, though.
[216] "No, miss," I said.
[217] "It's Miss Casey—Vivian Casey," she corrected.
[218] She was a schoolteacher, all right.
[219] No other girl would introduce herself as Miss Last Name.
[220] Then there was something in her voice.... "What's your name?"
[221] she said to me.
[222] I choked a little on a bite of stale bun.
[223] I had a name, of course .
[224] Everybody has a name, and I knew if I went off somewhere quiet and thought about it, mine would come to me.
[225] Meanwhile, I would tell the girl that my name was ... Kevin O'Malley.
[226] Abruptly I realized that that was my name.
[227] "Kevin," I told her.
[228] "John Kevin."
[229] "Mister Kevin," she said, her words dancing with bright absurdity like waterhose mist on a summer afternoon, "I wonder if you could help me ."
[230] "Happy to, miss," I mumbled.
[231] She pushed a white rectangle in front of me on the painted maroon bar.
[232] "What do you think of this?"
[233] I looked at the piece of paper.
[234] It was a coupon from a magazine.
[235] Dear Acolyte R. I. S. : Please send me FREE of obligation, in sealed wrapper, "The Scarlet Book" revealing to me how I may gain Secret Mastery of the Universe.
[236] Name : ........................
[237] Address : .....................
[238] The world disoriented itself and I was on the floor of the somber diner and Miss Vivian Casey was out of sight and scent.
[239] There was a five dollar bill tight in my fist.
[240] The counterman was trying to pull it out.
[241] I looked up at his stubbled face.
[242] "I had half a dozen hamburgers, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk.
[243] I want four more 'burgers to go and a pint of coffee.
[244] By your prices, that will be one sixty-five—if the lady didn't pay you."
[245] "She didn't," he stammered.
[246] "Why do you think I was trying to get that bill out of your hand?"
[247] I didn't say anything, just got up off the floor.
[248] After the counterman put down my change, I spread out the five dollar bill on the vacant bar, smoothing it.
[249] I scooped up my change and walked out the door.
[250] There was no one on the sidewalk, only in the doorways.
[251] First I opened the door on an amber world, then an azure one.
[252] Neon light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond.
[253] The wino on one side of the room was singing and the one on the other side was praying, same as before.
[254] Only they had changed around—prayer came from the left, song from the right.
[255] Doc sat on the floor in the half-darkness and he had made a thing .
[256] My heart hammered at my lungs.
[257] I knew this last time had been different.
[258] Whatever it was was getting closer.
[259] This was the first time Doc had ever made anything.
[260] It didn't look like much, but it was a start.
[261] He had broken the light bulb and used the filament and screw bottom.
[262] His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"—metal webbing—and fashioned them to his needs.
[263] My orb-point pen had dissolved under his touch.
[264] All of them, useless parts, were made into a meaningful whole.
[265] I knew the thing had meaning, but when I tried to follow its design, I became lost.
[266] I put the paper container of warm coffee and the greasy bag of hamburgers on the wooden chair, hoping the odor wouldn't bring any hungry rats out of the walls.
[267] I knelt beside Doc.
[268] "An order, my boy, an order," he whispered.
[269] I didn't know what he meant.
[270] Was he suddenly trying to give me orders?
[271] He held something out to me.
[272] It was my notebook.
[273] He had used my pen, before dismantling it, to write something.
[274] I tilted the notebook against the neon light, now red wine, now fresh grape.
[275] I read it.
[276] "Concentrate," Doc said hoarsely.
[277] "Concentrate...." I wondered what the words meant.
[278] Wondering takes a kind of concentration.
[279] The words "First Edition" were what I was thinking about most.
[280] The heavy-set man in the ornate armchair was saying, "The bullet struck me as I was pulling on my boot...." I was kneeling on the floor of a Victorian living room.
[281] I'm quite familiar with Earth history and I recognized the period immediately.
[282] Then I realized what I had been trying to get from Doc all these months—time travel.
[283] A thin, sickly man was sprawled in the other chair in a rumpled dressing gown.
[284] My eyes held to his face, his pinpoint pupils and whitened nose.
[285] He was a condemned snowbird!
[286] If there was anything I hated or held in more contempt than tourists or Martians, it was a snowbird.
[287] "My clients have occasioned singular methods of entry into these rooms," the thin man remarked, "but never before have they used instantaneous materialization."
[288] The heavier man was half choking, half laughing.
[289] "I say—I say, I would like to see you explain this, my dear fellow."
[290] "I have no data," the thin man answered coolly.
[291] "In such instance, one begins to twist theories into fact, or facts into theories.
[292] I must ask this unemployed, former professional man who has gone through a serious illness and is suffering a more serious addiction to tell me the place and time from which he comes."
[293] The surprise stung.
[294] "How did you know?"
[295] I asked.
[296] He gestured with a pale hand.
[297] "To maintain a logical approach, I must reject the supernatural.
[298] Your arrival, unless hallucinatory—and despite my voluntary use of one drug and my involuntary experiences recently with another, I must accept the evidence of my senses or retire from my profession—your arrival was then super-normal.
[299] I might say super-scientific, of a science not of my or the good doctor's time, clearly.
[300] Time travel is a familiar folk legend and I have been reading an article by the entertaining Mr. Wells.
[301] Perhaps he will expand it into one of his novels of scientific romance."
[302] I knew who these two men were, with a tormenting doubt.
[303] "But the other—" "Your hands, though unclean, have never seen physical labor.
[304] Your cranial construction is of a superior type, or even if you reject my theories, concentration does set the facial features.
[305] I judge you have suffered an illness because of the inhibition of your beard growth.
[306] Your over-fondness for rum or opium, perhaps, is self-evident.
[307] You are at too resilient an age to be so sunk by even an amour.
[308] Why else then would you let yourself fall into such an underfed and unsanitary state?"
[309] He was so smug and so sure, this snowbird.
[310] I hated him.
[311] Because I couldn't trust to my own senses as he did.
[312] "You don't exist," I said slowly, painfully.
[313] "You are fictional creations."
[314] The doctor flushed darkly.
[315] "You give my literary agent too much credit for the addition of professional polish to my works."
[316] The other man was filling a large, curved pipe from something that looked vaguely like an ice-skate.
[317] "Interesting.
[318] Perhaps if our visitor would tell us something of his age with special reference to the theory and practice of temporal transference, Doctor, we would be better equipped to judge whether we exist."
[319] There was no theory or practice of time travel.
[320] I told them all I had ever heard theorized from Hindu yoga through Extra-sensory Perception to Relativity and the positron and negatron.
[321] "Interesting."
[322] He breathed out suffocating black clouds of smoke.
[323] "Presume that the people of your time by their 'Extra-sensory Perception' have altered the past to make it as they suppose it to be.
[324] The great historical figures are made the larger than life-size that we know them.
[325] The great literary creations assume reality."
[326] I thought of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy and wondered if they would be the goddesses of love that people imagined or the scrawny, big-nosed redhead and fading old woman of scholarship.
[327] Then I noticed the detective's hand that had been resting idly on a round brass weight of unknown sort to me.
[328] His tapered fingertips had indented the metal.
[329] His bright eyes followed mine and he smiled faintly.
[330] "Withdrawal symptoms."
[331] The admiration and affection for this man that had been slowly building up behind my hatred unbrinked.
[332] I remembered now that he had stopped.
[333] He was not really a snowbird.
[334] After a time, I asked the doctor a question.
[335] "Why, yes.
[336] I'm flattered.
[337] This is the first manuscript.
[338] Considering my professional handwriting, I recopied it more laboriously."
[339] Accepting the sheaf of papers and not looking back at these two great and good men, I concentrated on my own time and Doc.
[340] Nothing happened.
[341] My heart raced, but I saw something dancing before me like a dust mote in sunlight and stepped toward it.... ... into the effective range of Miss Casey's tiny gun.
[342] She inclined the lethal silver toy.
[343] "Let me see those papers, Kevin."
[344] I handed her the doctor's manuscript.
[345] Her breath escaped slowly and loudly.
[346] "It's all right.
[347] It's all right.
[348] It exists.
[349] It's real.
[350] Not even one of the unwritten ones.
[351] I've read this myself."
[352] Doc was lying on the cot, half his face twisted into horror.
[353] "Don't move, Kevin," she said.
[354] "I'll have to shoot you—maybe not to kill, but painfully."
[355] I watched her face flash blue, red, blue and knew she meant it.
[356] But I had known too much in too short a time.
[357] I had to help Doc, but there was something else.
[358] "I just want a drink of coffee from that container on the chair," I told her.
[359] She shook her head.
[360] "I don't know what you think it does to you."
[361] It was getting hard for me to think.
[362] "Who are you?"
[363] She showed me a card from her wrist purse.
[364] Vivian Casey, Constable, North American Mounted Police.
[365] I had to help Doc.
[366] I had to have some coffee.
[367] "What do you want?"
[368] "Listen, Kevin.
[369] Listen carefully to what I am saying.
[370] Doc found a method of time travel.
[371] It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences.
[372] He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it.
[373] He was an idealist—he had his crusades.
[374] How can you make money with time travel?"
[375] I didn't know whether she was asking me, but I didn't know.
[376] All I knew was that I had to help Doc and get some coffee.
[377] "It takes money—money Doc didn't have—to make money," Miss Casey said, "even if you know what horse will come in and what stock will prosper.
[378] Besides, horse-racing and the stock market weren't a part of Doc's character.
[379] He was a scholar."
[380] Why did she keep using the past tense in reference to Doc?
[381] It scared me.
[382] He was lying so still with the left side of his face so twisted.
[383] I needed some coffee.
[384] "He became a book finder.
[385] He got rare editions of books and magazines for his clients in absolutely mint condition.
[386] That was all right—until he started obtaining books that did not exist ."
[387] I didn't know what all that was supposed to mean.
[388] I got to the chair, snatched up the coffee container, tore it open and gulped down the soothing liquid.
[389] I turned toward her and threw the rest of the coffee into her face.
[390] The coffee splashed out over her platinum hair and powder-blue dress that looked white when the neon was azure, purple when it was amber.
[391] The coffee stained and soiled and ruined, and I was fiercely glad, unreasonably happy.
[392] I tore the gun away from her by the short barrel, not letting my filthy hands touch her scrubbed pink ones.
[393] I pointed the gun generally at her and backed around the thing on the floor to the cot.
[394] Doc had a pulse, but it was irregular.
[395] I checked for a fever and there wasn't one.
[396] After that, I didn't know what to do.
[397] I looked up finally and saw a Martian in or about the doorway.
[398] "Call me Andre," the Martian said.
[399] "A common name but foreign.
[400] It should serve as a point of reference."
[401] I had always wondered how a thing like a Martian could talk.
[402] Sometimes I wondered if they really could.
[403] "You won't need the gun," Andre said conversationally.
[404] "I'll keep it, thanks.
[405] What do you want?"
[406] "I'll begin as Miss Casey did—by telling you things.
[407] Hundreds of people disappeared from North America a few months ago."
[408] "They always do," I told him.
[409] "They ceased to exist—as human beings—shortly after they received a book from Doc," the Martian said.
[410] Something seemed to strike me in the back of the neck.
[411] I staggered, but managed to hold onto the gun and stand up.
[412] "Use one of those sneaky Martian weapons again," I warned him, "and I'll kill the girl."
[413] Martians were supposed to be against the destruction of any life-form, I had read someplace.
[414] I doubted it, but it was worth a try.
[415] "Kevin," Andre said, "why don't you take a bath?"
[416] The Martian weapon staggered me again.
[417] I tried to say something.
[418] I tried to explain that I was so dirty that I could never get clean no matter how often I bathed.
[419] No words formed.
[420] "But, Kevin," Andre said, "you aren't that dirty."
[421] The blow shook the gun from my fingers.
[422] It almost fell into the thing on the floor, but at the last moment seemed to change direction and miss it.
[423] I knew something.
[424] "I don't wash because I drink coffee."
[425] "It's all right to drink coffee, isn't it?"
[426] he asked.
[427] "Of course," I said, and added absurdly, "That's why I don't wash." "You mean," Andre said slowly, ploddingly, "that if you bathed, you would be admitting that drinking coffee was in the same class as any other solitary vice that makes people wash frequently."
[428] I was knocked to my knees.
[429] "Kevin," the Martian said, "drinking coffee represents a major vice only in Centurian humanoids, not Earth-norm human beings.
[430] Which are you? "
[431] Nothing came out of my gabbling mouth. "
[432] What is Doc's full name? "
[433] I almost fell in, but at the last instant I caught myself and said, "Doctor Kevin O'Malley, Senior."
[434] From the bed, Doc said a word.
[435] "Son."
[436] Then he disappeared.
[437] I looked at that which he had made.
[438] I wondered where he had gone, in search of what.
[439] "He didn't use that," Andre said.
[440] So I was an Earthman, Doc's son.
[441] So my addiction to coffee was all in my mind.
[442] That didn't change anything.
[443] They say sex is all in your mind.
[444] I didn't want to be cured.
[445] I wouldn't be.
[446] Doc was gone.
[447] That was all I had now.
[448] That and the thing he left.
[449] "The rest is simple," Andre said.
[450] "Doc O'Malley bought up all the stock in a certain ancient metaphysical order and started supplying members with certain books.
[451] Can you imagine the effect of the Book of Dyzan or the Book of Thoth or the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan or the Necronomican itself on human beings?"
[452] "But they don't exist," I said wearily.
[453] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly.
[454] They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend.
[455] But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them.
[456] And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition.
[457] Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true.
[458] He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed.
[459] He had reached a state of pure thought."
[460] "The North American government has to have this secret, Kevin," the girl said.
[461] "You can't let it fall into the hands of the Martians."
[462] Andre did not deny that he wanted it to fall into his hands.
[463] I knew I could not let Doc's—Dad's—time travel thing fall into anyone's hands.
[464] I remembered that all the copies of the books had disappeared with their readers now.
[465] There must not be any more, I knew.
[466] Miss Casey did her duty and tried to stop me with a judo hold, but I don't think her heart was in it, because I reversed and broke it.
[467] I kicked the thing to pieces and stomped on the pieces.
[468] Maybe you can't stop the progress of science, but I knew it might be millenniums before Doc's genes and creative environment were recreated and time travel was rediscovered.
[469] Maybe we would be ready for it then.
[470] I knew we weren't now.
[471] Miss Casey leaned against my dirty chest and cried into it.
[472] I didn't mind her touching me.
[473] "I'm glad," she said.
[474] Andre flowed out of the doorway with a sigh.
[475] Of relief?
[476] I would never know.
[477] I supposed I had destroyed it because I didn't want the human race to become a thing of pure reason without purpose, direction or love, but I would never know for sure.
[478] I thought I could kick the habit—perhaps with Miss Casey's help—but I wasn't really confident.
[479] Maybe I had destroyed the time machine because a world without material needs would not grow and roast coffee. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Who is Kevin, and what are his characteristics?":
1. [225] Meanwhile, I would tell the girl that my name was ... Kevin O'Malley.
2. [226] Abruptly I realized that that was my name.
3. [227] "Kevin," I told her. "John Kevin."
4. [228] "Mister Kevin," she said, her words dancing with bright absurdity like waterhose mist on a summer afternoon, "I wonder if you could help me."
5. [229] "Happy to, miss," I mumbled.
6. [190] She thought I was a human—an Earth human.
7. [191] I was a man, of course, not an alien like a Martian.
8. [192] Earthmen ran the whole Solar Federation, but I was just as good as an Earthman.
9. [193] With my suntan and short mane, I could pass, couldn't I?
10. [194] That proved it, didn't it?
11. [201] But I kept remembering how clean she looked and I was aware of how clean she smelled.
12. [202] I was so dirty, so very dirty that I could never get clean if I bathed every hour for the rest of my life.
13. [223] I had a name, of course.
14. [224] Everybody has a name, and I knew if I went off somewhere quiet and thought about it, mine would come to me.
15. [230] "Happy to, miss," I mumbled.
16. [231] She pushed a white rectangle in front of me on the painted maroon bar.
17. [232] "What do you think of this?"
18. [233] I looked at the piece of paper.
19. [234] It was a coupon from a magazine.
20. [235] Dear Acolyte R. I. S. : Please send me FREE of obligation, in sealed wrapper, "The Scarlet Book" revealing to me how I may gain Secret Mastery of the Universe.
21. [236] Name : ........................
22. [237] Address : .....................
23. [240] The counterman was trying to pull it out.
24. [241] I looked up at his stubbled face.
25. [242] "I had half a dozen hamburgers, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk.
26. [243] I want four more 'burgers to go and a pint of coffee.
27. [244] By your prices, that will be one sixty-five—if the lady didn't pay you."
28. [245] "She didn't," he stammered.
29. [246] "Why do you think I was trying to get that bill out of your hand?"
30. [247] I didn't say anything, just got up off the floor.
31. [248] After the counterman put down my change, I spread out the five dollar bill on the vacant bar, smoothing it.
32. [249] I scooped up my change and walked out the door.
33. [357] I had to help Doc, but there was something else.
34. [358] "I just want a drink of coffee from that container on the chair," I told her.
35. [359] She shook her head.
36. [360] "I don't know what you think it does to you."
37. [361] It was getting hard for me to think.
38. [362] "Who are you?"
39. [363] She showed me a card from her wrist purse.
40. [364] Vivian Casey, Constable, North American Mounted Police.
41. [365] I had to help Doc.
42. [366] I had to have some coffee.
43. [367] "What do you want?"
44. [368] "Listen, Kevin.
45. [369] Listen carefully to what I am saying.
46. [370] Doc found a method of time travel.
47. [371] It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences.
48. [372] He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it.
49. [373] He was an idealist—he had his crusades.
50. [374] How can you make money with time travel?" |
Describe the setting of the story. | [
"The story first begins with Doc and Kevin going to a flophouse three doors down from where Doc has his confrontation. As they turn around the corner, many Martian tourists walk by. The flophouse door is fly-specked, and a tubercular clerk is sitting in a gaudy comics section. The room they later go to is six feet in all directions with five feet high walls. The other foot is finished in chickenwire; there is also a wino singing on the left, wino praying on the right, and a door with no lock. There is also a gray-brown cot that Kevin lays Doc on, and a light bulb for light. Kevin also sits in a chair; the floor is littered and uncovered. The knob of the door is slick with greasy dirt. Later, Kevin goes out to the streets. They go to a restaurant, where he sits at the counter with a cup of coffee. There is also a stool for Miss Casey to sit in next to his stool. As he leaves, he notices that there is nobody on the sidewalks. Kevin describes himself opening the door to an amber world and then an azure one. Neon light also comes from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond. When Kevin brings back food to the flophouse, he mentions that there are rats in the walls. Inside his mind, one man sits on an ornate armchair. Another man is sprawled in the other chair. Later, as Kevin goes back to reality, the confrontation between Miss Casey, Andre, and him happens in the same room with Doc still on the cot.",
"The story is set in the world where earthmen run a Solar Federation - it incorporates several different planets and population groups, including humans, Martians, Centurian humanoids, etc. Kevin, a Centurian man, and Doc, a nameless old earthman that Kevin remembers to be very important for something, walk to a flophouse. They get a small room which Kevin leaves shortly after on a search for food and coffee - he has a caffeine addiction. He meets a woman called Vivian at the bus stop and she agrees to pay for his food, leading him to a cafe. Later, he comes back to Doc who has managed to construct a device which is used for time travel as Kevin understands after he unexpectedly finds himself in an old Victorian room. Coming back to his time and his room, Kevin meets Vivian, a North American constable, holding a gun and later, Andre, the representative of the Martians. After they tell him the truth about the consequences of time traveling and help him remember his identity, Kevin breaks the device, destroying the time travel knowledge for many years, as it seems to be the most prudent decision to him.",
"This story takes place in the Solar Federation in an unnamed town or city where Earth humans, Centuarians and Martians alike all interact with each other. Tourists seem to be prevalent as well as the protagonist moves around from various locations within the setting like the bus stop, the diner or restaurant, and the motel room. The story primarily takes place in the dirty motel room where it is first inhabited by the Doc on the single bed and the protagonist, Kevin, slipping in out and then later by the stand-off between the Doc, Kevin, Vivian Casey and Andre. \nDue to the existence of time travel in this story, the setting also changes momentarily for Kevin. In the middle of the story, he finds himself in a Victorian living room, which he is able to identify due to his familiarity with Earth’s history. In this temporary setting, he finds himself in the company of a thin, sickly man who sits in an ornate chair and another man filling a curved pipe with what looked like ice-skate.",
"The story occurs in Northern America. It is an era where three species exist together: Earth-norm humans, Centurian humanoids, and Martians. The earth government and the Martian government are rivals. The story begins with an Earthman, suffering from memory loss due to time travel, considered himself a Centurian. Throughout the whole story, he finally found out his dad, an Earthman known as Doc, had caused many people to disappear from Northern America due to the use of time travel. Time travel allows people to make things that do not exist come into existence by extrasensory perception. And the incident is caused by such an ability to create nonexistent things that would enable humans to achieve a pure immaterial logical state."
] | [1] Confidence Game By JIM HARMON Illustrated by EPSTEIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction June 1957.
[2] Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[3] I admit it: I didn't know if I was coming or going—but I know that if I stuck to the old man, I was a comer ... even if he was a goner!
[4] Doc had this solemn human by the throat when I caught up with him.
[5] "Tonight," Doc was saying in his old voice that was as crackled and important as parchment, "tonight Man will reach the Moon.
[6] The golden Moon and the silver ship, symbols of greed.
[7] Tonight is the night when this is to happen."
[8] "Sure," the man agreed severely, prying a little worriedly at Doc's arthritic fingers that were clamped on his collar.
[9] "No argument.
[10] Sure, up we go.
[11] But leave me go or, so help me, I'll fetch you one in the teeth!"
[12] I came alongside and carefully started to lever the old man loose, one finger at a time.
[13] It had to be done this way.
[14] I had learned that during all these weeks and months.
[15] His hands looked old and crippled, but I felt they were the strongest in the world.
[16] If a half dozen winos in Seattle hadn't helped me get them loose, Doc and I would have been wanted for the murder of a North American Mountie.
[17] It was easier this night and that made me afraid.
[18] Doc's thin frame, layered with lumpy fat, was beginning to muscle-dance against my side.
[19] One of his times was coming on him.
[20] Then at last he was free of the greasy collar of the human.
[21] "I hope you'll forgive him, sir," I said, not meeting the man's eyes.
[22] "He's my father and very old, as you can see."
[23] I laughed inside at the absurd, easy lie.
[24] "Old events seem recent to him."
[25] The human nodded, Adam's apple jerking in the angry neon twilight.
[26] "'Memory Jump,' you mean.
[27] All my great-grandfathers have it.
[28] But Great-great-grandmother Lupos, funny thing, is like a schoolgirl.
[29] Sharp, you know.
[30] I.... Say, the poor old guy looks sick.
[31] Want any help?"
[32] I told the human no, thanks, and walked Doc toward the flophouse three doors down.
[33] I hoped we would make it.
[34] I didn't know what would happen if we didn't.
[35] Doc was liable to say something that might nova Sol, for all I knew.
[36] Martians approaching the corner were sensing at Doc and me.
[37] They were just cheap tourists slumming down on Skid Row.
[38] I hated tourists and especially I hated Martian tourists because I especially hated Martians.
[39] They were aliens .
[40] They weren't men like Doc and me.
[41] Then I realized what was about to happen.
[42] It was foolish and awful and true.
[43] I was going to have one of mine at the same time Doc was having his.
[44] That was bad.
[45] It had happened a few times right after I first found him, but now it was worse.
[46] For some undefinable reason, I felt we kept getting closer each of the times.
[47] I tried not to think about it and helped Doc through the fly-specked flophouse doors.
[48] The tubercular clerk looked up from the gaudy comics sections of one of those little tabloids that have the funnies a week in advance.
[49] "Fifteen cents a bed," he said mechanically.
[50] "We'll use one bed," I told him.
[51] "I'll give you twenty cents."
[52] I felt the round hard quarter in my pocket, sweaty hand against sticky lining.
[53] "Fifteen cents a bed," he played it back for me.
[54] Doc was quivering against me, his legs boneless.
[55] "We can always make it over to the mission," I lied.
[56] The clerk turned his upper lip as if he were going to spit.
[57] "Awright, since we ain't full up.
[58] In ad vance."
[59] I placed the quarter on the desk.
[60] "Give me a nickel."
[61] The clerk's hand fell on the coin and slid it off into the unknown before I could move, what with holding up Doc.
[62] "You've got your nerve," he said at me with a fine mist of dew.
[63] "Had a quarter all along and yet you Martian me down to twenty cents."
[64] He saw the look on my face.
[65] "I'll give you a room for the two bits.
[66] That's better'n a bed for twenty."
[67] I knew I was going to need that nickel.
[68] Desperately.
[69] I reached across the desk with my free hand and hauled the scrawny human up against the register hard.
[70] I'm not as strong in my hands as Doc, but I managed.
[71] "Give me a nickel," I said.
[72] "What nickel?"
[73] His eyes were big, but they kept looking right at me.
[74] "You don't have any nickel.
[75] You don't have any quarter, not if I say so.
[76] Want I should call a cop and tell him you were flexing a muscle?"
[77] I let go of him.
[78] He didn't scare me, but Doc was beginning to mumble and that did scare me.
[79] I had to get him alone.
[80] "Where's the room?"
[81] I asked.
[82] The room was six feet in all directions and the walls were five feet high.
[83] The other foot was finished in chicken wire.
[84] There was a wino singing on the left, a wino praying on the right, and the door didn't have any lock on it.
[85] At last, Doc and I were alone.
[86] I laid Doc out on the gray-brown cot and put his forearm over his face to shield it some from the glare of the light bulb.
[87] I swept off all the bedbugs in sight and stepped on them heavily.
[88] Then I dropped down into the painted stool chair and let my burning eyes rest on the obscene wall drawings just to focus them.
[89] I was so dirty, I could feel the grime grinding together all over me.
[90] My shaggy scalp still smarted from the alcohol I had stolen from a convertible's gas tank to get rid of Doc's and my cooties.
[91] Lucky that I never needed to shave and that my face was so dirty, no one would even notice that I didn't need to.
[92] The cramp hit me and I folded out of the chair onto the littered, uncovered floor.
[93] It stopped hurting, but I knew it would begin if I moved.
[94] I stared at a jagged cut-out nude curled against a lump of dust and lint, giving it an unreal distortion.
[95] Doc began to mumble louder.
[96] I knew I had to move.
[97] I waited just a moment, savoring the painless peace.
[98] Then, finally, I moved.
[99] I was bent double, but I got from the floor to the chair and found my notebook and orb-point in my hands.
[100] I found I couldn't focus both my mind and my eyes through the electric flashes of agony, so I concentrated on Doc's voice and trusted my hands would follow their habit pattern and construct the symbols for his words.
[101] They were suddenly distinguishable. "
[102] Outsider ... Thoth ... Dyzan ...
[103] Seven ... Hsan ...
[104] Beyond Six, Seven, Eight ... Two boxes ... Ralston ... Richard Wentworth ... Jimmy Christopher ... Kent Allard ... Ayem ... Oh, are ... see ...." His voice rose to a meaningless wail that stretched into non-existence.
[105] The pen slid across the scribbled face of the notebook and both dropped from my numb hands.
[106] But I knew.
[107] Somehow, inside me, I knew that these words were what I had been waiting for.
[108] They told everything I needed to know to become the most powerful man in the Solar Federation.
[109] That wasn't just an addict's dream.
[110] I knew who Doc was.
[111] When I got to thinking it was just a dream and that I was dragging this old man around North America for nothing, I remembered who he was.
[112] I remembered that he was somebody very important whose name and work I had once known, even if now I knew him only as Doc.
[113] Pain was a pendulum within me, swinging from low throbbing bass to high screaming tenor.
[114] I had to get out and get some.
[115] But I didn't have a nickel.
[116] Still, I had to get some.
[117] I crawled to the door and raised myself by the knob, slick with greasy dirt.
[118] The door opened and shut—there was no lock.
[119] I shouldn't leave Doc alone, but I had to.
[120] He was starting to cry.
[121] He didn't always do that.
[122] I listened to him for a moment, then tested and tasted the craving that crawled through my veins.
[123] I got back inside somehow.
[124] Doc was twisting on the cot, tears washing white streaks across his face.
[125] I shoved Doc's face up against my chest.
[126] I held onto him and let him bellow.
[127] I soothed the lanks of soiled white hair back over his lumpy skull.
[128] He shut up at last and I laid him down again and put his arm back across his face.
[129] (You can't turn the light off and on in places like that.
[130] The old wiring will blow the bulb half the time.)
[131] I don't remember how I got out onto the street.
[132] She was pink and clean and her platinum hair was pulled straight back, drawing her cheek-bones tighter, straightening her wide, appealing mouth, drawing her lean, athletic, feminine body erect.
[133] She was wearing a powder-blue dress that covered all of her breasts and hips and the upper half of her legs.
[134] The most wonderful thing about her was her perfume.
[135] Then I realized it wasn't perfume, only the scent of soap.
[136] Finally, I knew it wasn't that.
[137] It was just healthy, fresh-scrubbed skin.
[138] I went to her at the bus stop, forcing my legs not to stagger.
[139] Nobody would help a drunk.
[140] I don't know why, but nobody will help you if they think you are blotto.
[141] "Ma'am, could you help a man who's not had work?"
[142] I kept my eyes down.
[143] I couldn't look a human in the eye and ask for help.
[144] "Just a dime for a cup of coffee."
[145] I knew where I could get it for three cents, maybe two and a half.
[146] I felt her looking at me.
[147] She spoke in an educated voice, one she used, perhaps, as a teacher or supervising telephone operator.
[148] "Do you want it for coffee, or to apply, or a glass or hypo of something else?"
[149] I cringed and whined.
[150] She would expect it of me.
[151] I suddenly realized that anybody as clean as she was had to be a tourist here.
[152] I hate tourists.
[153] "Just coffee, ma'am."
[154] She was younger than I was, so I didn't have to call her that.
[155] "A little more for food, if you could spare it."
[156] I hadn't eaten in a day and a half, but I didn't care much.
[157] "I'll buy you a dinner," she said carefully, "provided I can go with you and see for myself that you actually eat it."
[158] I felt my face flushing red.
[159] "You wouldn't want to be seen with a bum like me, ma'am."
[160] "I'll be seen with you if you really want to eat."
[161] It was certainly unfair and probably immoral.
[162] But I had no choice whatever.
[163] "Okay," I said, tasting bitterness over the craving.
[164] The coffee was in a thick white cup before me on the counter.
[165] It was pale, grayish brown and steaming faintly.
[166] I picked it up in both hands to feel its warmth.
[167] Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the woman sitting on the stool beside me.
[168] She had no right to intrude.
[169] This moment should be mine, but there she sat, marring it for me, a contemptible tourist .
[170] I gulped down the thick, dark liquid brutally.
[171] It was all I could do.
[172] The cramp flowed out of my diaphragm.
[173] I took another swallow and was able to think straight again.
[174] A third swallow and I felt—good.
[175] Not abnormally stimulated, but strong, alert, poised on the brink of exhilaration.
[176] That was what coffee did for me.
[177] I was a caffeine addict.
[178] Earth-norm humans sometimes have the addiction to a slight extent, but I knew that as a Centurian I had it infinitely worse.
[179] Caffeine affected my metabolism like a pure alkaloid.
[180] The immediate effects weren't the same, but the need ran as deep.
[181] I finished the cup.
[182] I didn't order another because I wasn't a pure sensualist.
[183] I just needed release.
[184] Sometimes, when I didn't have the price of a cup, I would look around in alleys and find cola bottles with a few drops left in them.
[185] They have a little caffeine in them—not enough, never enough, but better than nothing.
[186] "Now what do you want to eat?"
[187] the woman asked.
[188] I didn't look at her.
[189] She didn't know.
[190] She thought I was a human—an Earth human.
[191] I was a man , of course, not an alien like a Martian.
[192] Earthmen ran the whole Solar Federation, but I was just as good as an Earthman.
[193] With my suntan and short mane, I could pass, couldn't I?
[194] That proved it, didn't it?
[195] "Hamburger," I said.
[196] "Well done."
[197] I knew that would probably be all they had fit to eat at a place like this.
[198] It might be horse meat, but then I didn't have the local prejudices.
[199] I didn't look at the woman.
[200] I couldn't.
[201] But I kept remembering how clean she looked and I was aware of how clean she smelled.
[202] I was so dirty, so very dirty that I could never get clean if I bathed every hour for the rest of my life.
[203] The hamburger was engulfed by five black-crowned, broken fingernails and raised to two rows of yellow ivory.
[204] I surrounded it like an ameba, almost in a single movement of my jaws.
[205] Several other hamburgers followed the first.
[206] I lost count.
[207] I drank a glass of milk.
[208] I didn't want to black out on coffee with Doc waiting for me.
[209] "Could I have a few to take with me, miss?"
[210] I pleaded.
[211] She smiled.
[212] I caught that out of the edge of my vision, but mostly I just felt it.
[213] "That's the first time you've called me anything but 'ma'am'," she said.
[214] "I'm not an old-maid schoolteacher, you know."
[215] That probably meant she was a schoolteacher, though.
[216] "No, miss," I said.
[217] "It's Miss Casey—Vivian Casey," she corrected.
[218] She was a schoolteacher, all right.
[219] No other girl would introduce herself as Miss Last Name.
[220] Then there was something in her voice.... "What's your name?"
[221] she said to me.
[222] I choked a little on a bite of stale bun.
[223] I had a name, of course .
[224] Everybody has a name, and I knew if I went off somewhere quiet and thought about it, mine would come to me.
[225] Meanwhile, I would tell the girl that my name was ... Kevin O'Malley.
[226] Abruptly I realized that that was my name.
[227] "Kevin," I told her.
[228] "John Kevin."
[229] "Mister Kevin," she said, her words dancing with bright absurdity like waterhose mist on a summer afternoon, "I wonder if you could help me ."
[230] "Happy to, miss," I mumbled.
[231] She pushed a white rectangle in front of me on the painted maroon bar.
[232] "What do you think of this?"
[233] I looked at the piece of paper.
[234] It was a coupon from a magazine.
[235] Dear Acolyte R. I. S. : Please send me FREE of obligation, in sealed wrapper, "The Scarlet Book" revealing to me how I may gain Secret Mastery of the Universe.
[236] Name : ........................
[237] Address : .....................
[238] The world disoriented itself and I was on the floor of the somber diner and Miss Vivian Casey was out of sight and scent.
[239] There was a five dollar bill tight in my fist.
[240] The counterman was trying to pull it out.
[241] I looked up at his stubbled face.
[242] "I had half a dozen hamburgers, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk.
[243] I want four more 'burgers to go and a pint of coffee.
[244] By your prices, that will be one sixty-five—if the lady didn't pay you."
[245] "She didn't," he stammered.
[246] "Why do you think I was trying to get that bill out of your hand?"
[247] I didn't say anything, just got up off the floor.
[248] After the counterman put down my change, I spread out the five dollar bill on the vacant bar, smoothing it.
[249] I scooped up my change and walked out the door.
[250] There was no one on the sidewalk, only in the doorways.
[251] First I opened the door on an amber world, then an azure one.
[252] Neon light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond.
[253] The wino on one side of the room was singing and the one on the other side was praying, same as before.
[254] Only they had changed around—prayer came from the left, song from the right.
[255] Doc sat on the floor in the half-darkness and he had made a thing .
[256] My heart hammered at my lungs.
[257] I knew this last time had been different.
[258] Whatever it was was getting closer.
[259] This was the first time Doc had ever made anything.
[260] It didn't look like much, but it was a start.
[261] He had broken the light bulb and used the filament and screw bottom.
[262] His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"—metal webbing—and fashioned them to his needs.
[263] My orb-point pen had dissolved under his touch.
[264] All of them, useless parts, were made into a meaningful whole.
[265] I knew the thing had meaning, but when I tried to follow its design, I became lost.
[266] I put the paper container of warm coffee and the greasy bag of hamburgers on the wooden chair, hoping the odor wouldn't bring any hungry rats out of the walls.
[267] I knelt beside Doc.
[268] "An order, my boy, an order," he whispered.
[269] I didn't know what he meant.
[270] Was he suddenly trying to give me orders?
[271] He held something out to me.
[272] It was my notebook.
[273] He had used my pen, before dismantling it, to write something.
[274] I tilted the notebook against the neon light, now red wine, now fresh grape.
[275] I read it.
[276] "Concentrate," Doc said hoarsely.
[277] "Concentrate...." I wondered what the words meant.
[278] Wondering takes a kind of concentration.
[279] The words "First Edition" were what I was thinking about most.
[280] The heavy-set man in the ornate armchair was saying, "The bullet struck me as I was pulling on my boot...." I was kneeling on the floor of a Victorian living room.
[281] I'm quite familiar with Earth history and I recognized the period immediately.
[282] Then I realized what I had been trying to get from Doc all these months—time travel.
[283] A thin, sickly man was sprawled in the other chair in a rumpled dressing gown.
[284] My eyes held to his face, his pinpoint pupils and whitened nose.
[285] He was a condemned snowbird!
[286] If there was anything I hated or held in more contempt than tourists or Martians, it was a snowbird.
[287] "My clients have occasioned singular methods of entry into these rooms," the thin man remarked, "but never before have they used instantaneous materialization."
[288] The heavier man was half choking, half laughing.
[289] "I say—I say, I would like to see you explain this, my dear fellow."
[290] "I have no data," the thin man answered coolly.
[291] "In such instance, one begins to twist theories into fact, or facts into theories.
[292] I must ask this unemployed, former professional man who has gone through a serious illness and is suffering a more serious addiction to tell me the place and time from which he comes."
[293] The surprise stung.
[294] "How did you know?"
[295] I asked.
[296] He gestured with a pale hand.
[297] "To maintain a logical approach, I must reject the supernatural.
[298] Your arrival, unless hallucinatory—and despite my voluntary use of one drug and my involuntary experiences recently with another, I must accept the evidence of my senses or retire from my profession—your arrival was then super-normal.
[299] I might say super-scientific, of a science not of my or the good doctor's time, clearly.
[300] Time travel is a familiar folk legend and I have been reading an article by the entertaining Mr. Wells.
[301] Perhaps he will expand it into one of his novels of scientific romance."
[302] I knew who these two men were, with a tormenting doubt.
[303] "But the other—" "Your hands, though unclean, have never seen physical labor.
[304] Your cranial construction is of a superior type, or even if you reject my theories, concentration does set the facial features.
[305] I judge you have suffered an illness because of the inhibition of your beard growth.
[306] Your over-fondness for rum or opium, perhaps, is self-evident.
[307] You are at too resilient an age to be so sunk by even an amour.
[308] Why else then would you let yourself fall into such an underfed and unsanitary state?"
[309] He was so smug and so sure, this snowbird.
[310] I hated him.
[311] Because I couldn't trust to my own senses as he did.
[312] "You don't exist," I said slowly, painfully.
[313] "You are fictional creations."
[314] The doctor flushed darkly.
[315] "You give my literary agent too much credit for the addition of professional polish to my works."
[316] The other man was filling a large, curved pipe from something that looked vaguely like an ice-skate.
[317] "Interesting.
[318] Perhaps if our visitor would tell us something of his age with special reference to the theory and practice of temporal transference, Doctor, we would be better equipped to judge whether we exist."
[319] There was no theory or practice of time travel.
[320] I told them all I had ever heard theorized from Hindu yoga through Extra-sensory Perception to Relativity and the positron and negatron.
[321] "Interesting."
[322] He breathed out suffocating black clouds of smoke.
[323] "Presume that the people of your time by their 'Extra-sensory Perception' have altered the past to make it as they suppose it to be.
[324] The great historical figures are made the larger than life-size that we know them.
[325] The great literary creations assume reality."
[326] I thought of Cleopatra and Helen of Troy and wondered if they would be the goddesses of love that people imagined or the scrawny, big-nosed redhead and fading old woman of scholarship.
[327] Then I noticed the detective's hand that had been resting idly on a round brass weight of unknown sort to me.
[328] His tapered fingertips had indented the metal.
[329] His bright eyes followed mine and he smiled faintly.
[330] "Withdrawal symptoms."
[331] The admiration and affection for this man that had been slowly building up behind my hatred unbrinked.
[332] I remembered now that he had stopped.
[333] He was not really a snowbird.
[334] After a time, I asked the doctor a question.
[335] "Why, yes.
[336] I'm flattered.
[337] This is the first manuscript.
[338] Considering my professional handwriting, I recopied it more laboriously."
[339] Accepting the sheaf of papers and not looking back at these two great and good men, I concentrated on my own time and Doc.
[340] Nothing happened.
[341] My heart raced, but I saw something dancing before me like a dust mote in sunlight and stepped toward it.... ... into the effective range of Miss Casey's tiny gun.
[342] She inclined the lethal silver toy.
[343] "Let me see those papers, Kevin."
[344] I handed her the doctor's manuscript.
[345] Her breath escaped slowly and loudly.
[346] "It's all right.
[347] It's all right.
[348] It exists.
[349] It's real.
[350] Not even one of the unwritten ones.
[351] I've read this myself."
[352] Doc was lying on the cot, half his face twisted into horror.
[353] "Don't move, Kevin," she said.
[354] "I'll have to shoot you—maybe not to kill, but painfully."
[355] I watched her face flash blue, red, blue and knew she meant it.
[356] But I had known too much in too short a time.
[357] I had to help Doc, but there was something else.
[358] "I just want a drink of coffee from that container on the chair," I told her.
[359] She shook her head.
[360] "I don't know what you think it does to you."
[361] It was getting hard for me to think.
[362] "Who are you?"
[363] She showed me a card from her wrist purse.
[364] Vivian Casey, Constable, North American Mounted Police.
[365] I had to help Doc.
[366] I had to have some coffee.
[367] "What do you want?"
[368] "Listen, Kevin.
[369] Listen carefully to what I am saying.
[370] Doc found a method of time travel.
[371] It was almost a purely mathematical, topographical way divorced from modern physical sciences.
[372] He kept it secret and he wanted to make money with it.
[373] He was an idealist—he had his crusades.
[374] How can you make money with time travel?"
[375] I didn't know whether she was asking me, but I didn't know.
[376] All I knew was that I had to help Doc and get some coffee.
[377] "It takes money—money Doc didn't have—to make money," Miss Casey said, "even if you know what horse will come in and what stock will prosper.
[378] Besides, horse-racing and the stock market weren't a part of Doc's character.
[379] He was a scholar."
[380] Why did she keep using the past tense in reference to Doc?
[381] It scared me.
[382] He was lying so still with the left side of his face so twisted.
[383] I needed some coffee.
[384] "He became a book finder.
[385] He got rare editions of books and magazines for his clients in absolutely mint condition.
[386] That was all right—until he started obtaining books that did not exist ."
[387] I didn't know what all that was supposed to mean.
[388] I got to the chair, snatched up the coffee container, tore it open and gulped down the soothing liquid.
[389] I turned toward her and threw the rest of the coffee into her face.
[390] The coffee splashed out over her platinum hair and powder-blue dress that looked white when the neon was azure, purple when it was amber.
[391] The coffee stained and soiled and ruined, and I was fiercely glad, unreasonably happy.
[392] I tore the gun away from her by the short barrel, not letting my filthy hands touch her scrubbed pink ones.
[393] I pointed the gun generally at her and backed around the thing on the floor to the cot.
[394] Doc had a pulse, but it was irregular.
[395] I checked for a fever and there wasn't one.
[396] After that, I didn't know what to do.
[397] I looked up finally and saw a Martian in or about the doorway.
[398] "Call me Andre," the Martian said.
[399] "A common name but foreign.
[400] It should serve as a point of reference."
[401] I had always wondered how a thing like a Martian could talk.
[402] Sometimes I wondered if they really could.
[403] "You won't need the gun," Andre said conversationally.
[404] "I'll keep it, thanks.
[405] What do you want?"
[406] "I'll begin as Miss Casey did—by telling you things.
[407] Hundreds of people disappeared from North America a few months ago."
[408] "They always do," I told him.
[409] "They ceased to exist—as human beings—shortly after they received a book from Doc," the Martian said.
[410] Something seemed to strike me in the back of the neck.
[411] I staggered, but managed to hold onto the gun and stand up.
[412] "Use one of those sneaky Martian weapons again," I warned him, "and I'll kill the girl."
[413] Martians were supposed to be against the destruction of any life-form, I had read someplace.
[414] I doubted it, but it was worth a try.
[415] "Kevin," Andre said, "why don't you take a bath?"
[416] The Martian weapon staggered me again.
[417] I tried to say something.
[418] I tried to explain that I was so dirty that I could never get clean no matter how often I bathed.
[419] No words formed.
[420] "But, Kevin," Andre said, "you aren't that dirty."
[421] The blow shook the gun from my fingers.
[422] It almost fell into the thing on the floor, but at the last moment seemed to change direction and miss it.
[423] I knew something.
[424] "I don't wash because I drink coffee."
[425] "It's all right to drink coffee, isn't it?"
[426] he asked.
[427] "Of course," I said, and added absurdly, "That's why I don't wash." "You mean," Andre said slowly, ploddingly, "that if you bathed, you would be admitting that drinking coffee was in the same class as any other solitary vice that makes people wash frequently."
[428] I was knocked to my knees.
[429] "Kevin," the Martian said, "drinking coffee represents a major vice only in Centurian humanoids, not Earth-norm human beings.
[430] Which are you? "
[431] Nothing came out of my gabbling mouth. "
[432] What is Doc's full name? "
[433] I almost fell in, but at the last instant I caught myself and said, "Doctor Kevin O'Malley, Senior."
[434] From the bed, Doc said a word.
[435] "Son."
[436] Then he disappeared.
[437] I looked at that which he had made.
[438] I wondered where he had gone, in search of what.
[439] "He didn't use that," Andre said.
[440] So I was an Earthman, Doc's son.
[441] So my addiction to coffee was all in my mind.
[442] That didn't change anything.
[443] They say sex is all in your mind.
[444] I didn't want to be cured.
[445] I wouldn't be.
[446] Doc was gone.
[447] That was all I had now.
[448] That and the thing he left.
[449] "The rest is simple," Andre said.
[450] "Doc O'Malley bought up all the stock in a certain ancient metaphysical order and started supplying members with certain books.
[451] Can you imagine the effect of the Book of Dyzan or the Book of Thoth or the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan or the Necronomican itself on human beings?"
[452] "But they don't exist," I said wearily.
[453] "Exactly, Kevin, exactly.
[454] They have never existed any more than your Victorian detective friend.
[455] But the unconscious racial mind has reached back into time and created them.
[456] And that unconscious mind, deeper than psychology terms the subconscious, has always known about the powers of ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition.
[457] Through these books, the human race can tell itself how to achieve a state of pure logic, without food, without sex, without conflict—just as Doc has achieved such a state—a little late, true.
[458] He had a powerful guilt complex, even stronger than your withdrawal, over releasing this blessing on the inhabited universe, but reason finally prevailed.
[459] He had reached a state of pure thought."
[460] "The North American government has to have this secret, Kevin," the girl said.
[461] "You can't let it fall into the hands of the Martians."
[462] Andre did not deny that he wanted it to fall into his hands.
[463] I knew I could not let Doc's—Dad's—time travel thing fall into anyone's hands.
[464] I remembered that all the copies of the books had disappeared with their readers now.
[465] There must not be any more, I knew.
[466] Miss Casey did her duty and tried to stop me with a judo hold, but I don't think her heart was in it, because I reversed and broke it.
[467] I kicked the thing to pieces and stomped on the pieces.
[468] Maybe you can't stop the progress of science, but I knew it might be millenniums before Doc's genes and creative environment were recreated and time travel was rediscovered.
[469] Maybe we would be ready for it then.
[470] I knew we weren't now.
[471] Miss Casey leaned against my dirty chest and cried into it.
[472] I didn't mind her touching me.
[473] "I'm glad," she said.
[474] Andre flowed out of the doorway with a sigh.
[475] Of relief?
[476] I would never know.
[477] I supposed I had destroyed it because I didn't want the human race to become a thing of pure reason without purpose, direction or love, but I would never know for sure.
[478] I thought I could kick the habit—perhaps with Miss Casey's help—but I wasn't really confident.
[479] Maybe I had destroyed the time machine because a world without material needs would not grow and roast coffee. | Here is the ranking of the context sentences from most to least helpful for answering the question "Describe the setting of the story":
1. [82] The room was six feet in all directions and the walls were five feet high. The other foot was finished in chicken wire. There was a wino singing on the left, a wino praying on the right, and the door didn't have any lock on it.
2. [251] First I opened the door on an amber world, then an azure one. Neon light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond.
3. [252] The wino on one side of the room was singing and the one on the other side was praying, same as before. Only they had changed around—prayer came from the left, song from the right.
4. [255] Doc sat on the floor in the half-darkness and he had made a thing.
5. [261] He had broken the light bulb and used the filament and screw bottom. His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"—metal webbing—and fashioned them to his needs.
6. [262] My orb-point pen had dissolved under his touch. All of them, useless parts, were made into a meaningful whole.
7. [129] (You can't turn the light off and on in places like that. The old wiring will blow the bulb half the time.)
8. [83] The room was six feet in all directions and the walls were five feet high.
9. [84] There was a wino singing on the left, a wino praying on the right, and the door didn't have any lock on it.
10. [254] The wino on one side of the room was singing and the one on the other side was praying, same as before.
11. [253] Neon light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window somewhere beyond.
12. [256] My heart hammered at my lungs.
13. [257] I knew this last time had been different.
14. [258] Whatever it was was getting closer.
15. [259] This was the first time Doc had ever made anything.
16. [260] It didn't look like much, but it was a start.
17. [263] His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"—metal webbing—and fashioned them to his needs.
18. [264] My orb-point pen had dissolved under his touch.
19. [265] All of them, useless parts, were made into a meaningful whole.
20. [266] I put the paper container of warm coffee and the greasy bag of hamburgers on the wooden chair, hoping the odor wouldn't bring any hungry rats out of the walls. |