VOLUME Tf- \E NUMBER ONE S150 PM451

AGAZIIME OF SCIJEIMC

There's An Interstellar

SURPRISE PARTY
Starting on page 4

Vertex Interviews
JUDY-LYNN DEL REY
S-F Editor Of
Ballantine Books £ 0^

New Mo^te
EARTHQUAKE
Guaranteed To
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Deep Space War Is The

Responsibility of
NORTHSHIELD’S TRIUMVERATE
VOLUME THREE/NUMBER ONE APRIL 1975

SHORT STORIES

Northshield’s Triumverate 16
Surprise Party 4 (14,000 words) The Spurious President
(13,500 words) Joseph F. Patrouch, Jr. (5,500 words)
William Rotsler His problems were not only the Larry Eisenberg
They were the losers of their war he was going to have to The games he played had
society, so their society found fight, but the men he was results reaching to every
a place where maybe, just going to have to fight it with. corner of the country, effecting
maybe, they might win. Illustrations by Rodger every citizen.
Illustrations by George Barr McGowan Illustrations by Monte Rogers
The Eyes Of The Blind 72
(5,000 words)
Rachel Cosgrove Payes
Misconception
(4,000 words)
4 VERTEX DEPARTMENTS
They went to the shrine looking F. M. Busby
for a miracle, but what mere When you are dealing with totally Book Reviews 8
mortal could comprehend all alien life forms, it's never a good
the forms a miracle might take, idea to let preconceived ideas get
or the pain it might bring. in your way.
Illustrations by Alicia Austin Illustrations by T. Yamada COVER BY TONY YAMADA
Mission of Honor £.1
(4,000 words) VERTEX INTERVIEWS
Donald J. Pfeil
Vertex Interviews 32 EDITORIAL STAFF
He enlisted in search of glory Judy-Lynn del Rey Editor: Donald J. Pfeil
to uphold the family name, Associate Editors: Richard Ashby
hoping against hope he would William Rotsler Steve Ross
never find it. The science fiction editor of
Assistant Editor: Elaine Stanton
Illustrations by Stevan Arnold Ballantine Books,- one of the
Art Director: Andrew Furr
largest S-F publishers in the Associate Art Directors: Monte Rogers
Final Bomb 24 world, tells us what she thinks Eugene B. Caleb
(3,600 words) science fiction is all about. Advertising Director: Nancy Klingensmith
Robert Payes
The Warlock had shown the MOVIE REVIEW ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Trantula the true path— if he New York:
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VERTEX MAGAZINE, Volume 3, Number 1, April

1975 Issue. Published bimonthly by Mankind
Publishing Company. Business offices: 8060 Melrose
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® 1974 by Mankind Publishing Company. Nothing may
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 He was an ark rat, one of societies
losers, going nowhere in one hell
of a big hurry.

^ujMrige
fiction/ William Rotsler
artist/ George Ba/r

5
 Jarl was an expert at getting
along in his world, but even
experts sometimes goof,and when
arl ran down the curving passage- Jarl goofed him to a
it took
way, his feet slapping the metal
floor. He ducked through a buck-
prison much worse— or maybe
led wall plate, sprinted across a better?— than any he had
J
into a
storage room, dodged around
stack of Algeecracks boxes, leapt
service passage, then slithered
a
been in before.

through an open access port into a

plumbing duct. The dark duct was wet
and smelled of mold and rats as he
crawled quickly along the familiar path
towards safety.
The lean young man heard the scam-
pering of rats ahead of him, and their
alarmed squeaks were shrill in the metal
chute, but Jarl knew they would proba-
bly not attack him unless he was dead
or dying. Jarl felt for the duct joining,
accidently banging his knuckles on the
rim. He wiggled quickly into the branch
passage and then stopped, listening
alertly, and feeling his heart pound in
his chest.
Goddamn blackshirts, he cursed si-
lently. The booklets of stolen food ration
tickets were hard lumps in his dirty
jumper, but they felt good to him. A feast
in my pocket, he thought with a grin.
Hearing no sounds of pursuit Jarl
continued to crawl down the duct until
he found the ladder. Still in total dark-
ness he went down carefully, counting
as he went. When he was down two full
levels he crawled into another branch
duct, made two left turns, and saw the
crack of light ahead. The access panel
opened into Haserjian territory, but he
wasn’t too worried. They weren’t like the
District Demons or the Sharks, who
monitored all “unauthorized” visitors
and extracted heavy tribute.
He brushed himself off as he looked
around. The south support column of
the arcolog was a few feet away, a huge
ferroconcrete post almost eighty meters
wide going all the way to Main Deck,
almost a quarter kilometer above the
earth. Above that were the superstruc-
ture of shops, hotels, landing discs, the
condominiums of the rich and nuevo
riche and famous. He was below the
Administration level, a deck or two No use being shaken down by them if In the rear ranks of Carniland people
above the heliports of the south service I can help it, he thought. He watched kept to themselves.
bays, and not far from the beehive of the Haserjian brave amble into the rear Jarl stopped to let a lumbering elec-
activity that marked the amusement of a sensory recording salon, then Jarl troscow maneuver around a flat of Al-
level of Carniland, where cheap fun and walked quickly on. He ignored the looks proteina. An unwashed window nearby
cheap sex were available. of the old men who were loading the drew his attention. The shadow of the
Jarl walked quickly to the service pas- food machines and stacking worthless arcolog building lay across the slums of
sages that fed the Carniland booths and trinkets into the game Younger
racks. South Washington like a huge triangular
shops. He ducked behind a mobile rack men, steering garbage scows, gave him mountain, darkening the fifty-story
of soyaburgers in their glistening infra- sidelong glances, but no one paid him apartment houses and automated fac-
red packages and watched a swaggering too much attention. Not even the volup- tories. Jarl could see the shiny new Lin-
Haserjian in a green and blue jumper tuous brunette standing in the rear port coln Tower to the north, and the deca-
as he plucked tasty items from passing of a balancing parlor did much more dent slum of the mountainous JFK to
carts and hotboxes. than give him a short stare of appraisal. the east. He had been to the Kennedy
ark once, before the '23 hunger riots, to heroes out on Callisto, for god’s sake, dump, you heal up. What’s this balancing
visit the monument on a school trip. But all frozen and radiated. Big adventure, shit?”
that had been when he was still theoret- watching your skin shed. No, thanks, 1 “It’s a disease of the powerful.” Norris
ically a child. Jarl had rarely ever been prefer the Erosphere.” said, his eyes on the wall screen where
out of Columbia since. “Why go?” he Mogen had gone away saddened, four orthorobots were fighting with ar-
had argued with his teacher, a dried up mumbling about the blindness of youth. chaic swords. “All day long they tell

scrap of pulp named Mogen. “Every- Stupid ass, Jarl thought, his gyros are other people what to do. play god,
thing we need is here, in Columbia." tumbled. change fates, you know. So they get
“But culturally speaking.” the teacher The garbage scow moved past and feeling guilty, and they want to be bal-
had said, “the arcological structure con- Jarl slippedby and into the nearby back anced out by having someone scramble
cept just working. They’re super-
isn’t door of Claudine’s Five Red Doors. He their program a little.” He gestured to-
slums for people like you. You need to closed the door behind him and cut off wards the Number Five door where the
broaden your horizons.” the bustling sounds of the service area, executive was being soundly pleasured
“Chute slop, teacher. Why? I’d go to and now he could hear the moans of by the voluptuous Serena. “That one
the Circus, sure, if I had the money. But. ecstasy from Five and the swish and needs to have momma pat his head and
hell, I can see it on the screen for free.” sharp slap of the whip in One. say everything is going to be all right,
Mogen had waved his hand in frustra- Jarl went through the side passage of and pop his seedpod to boot.”
tion. “The whole world isn’t a series of the balancing salon into the front recep- Jarl shook his head. “I can understand
buildings with a hundred thousand or tion area. Norris was there, chewing on wanting to get serviced by Serena, but
a half-million inhabitants in them. It a mint-vege, a slim, dark man in a shim- Filcher and his electrowhip . . . Jesus.”
isn’t the Circus, either, that cretinous mercloth and skintight blues. He
shirt “Say, that Ford robbie isn’t bad. Look

display of reactionary bloodshed. There was staring at the Circus on the wall at thatfootwork. Uh-oh, there goes the
are mountains. Jarl, and seas, people, screen but acknowledged Jarl’s entrance froggie.” One of the robots had been
things to do, adventures . .
.” with a lazy wave of his hand. mortally wounded and its chestplate
“Oh. drop it down the slot, teach. “How’s business?” Jarl asked. crushed. The robot fell, and its right leg
Everyone knows there isn’t a thing out- Norris looked away from the metal- was jerking uncontrollably. “Those
side worth seeing. It’s all the same. Not clad gladiators enthusiastically humping French guys can’t build a good fighting
a damn thing actually worth going per- some languid cleopatras working off a robot anymore. Their Napoleon models
sonally to see. And people, well, fuck, prison term. “Okay,” he said with little used to be pretty good, though.”
we aren’t an ethnic ark here. There are expression. “I got some topside exec in Jarl nodded agreement and settled
all sorts of citizens here. Those Italians with Serena. His company just dropped down an empty chair to watch the
in
up on Monroe level, the blacks down a packet on some cargo sub whistle down day’s circus.The door to Number One
in the Thirties, the micks on the north- in Pacifica or somewhere. So she’s giving opened and an ashen-faced woman came
face, that bunch of baby-burning Indians him the full linking scene to make him out. awkwardly closing her expensive
over in the Wilson zone . . feel good.” diMarco dress. Jarl heard her thank
“No, Jarl,I meant people that were “Serena is pretty good at suck and Filcher and she staggered past and went
not all born and raised in these disgust- But why doesn’t he go to
link, all right. out into the street. Jarl looked appreci-
ing arcologs, or arks, as you call them. one of those posh boxes up in Monroe, atively after her.“Got her address?” he
You should meet some people born in like the Psychoadjusters or Headtalk? asked Norris.
the forests, or farm people, folks who They numbers like that.”
cater to big “Forget it. You know I don’t like
feel the ground under their feet, not a Norris shrugged. “Slumming, what followups. Hey, look, it’s the Valkyries
deck.” else?” against the Ibo Emperors! Look, them
Jarl shook head. “I walked on dirt
his Jarl jerked a thumb at the red door blondies have a new slot on end. God-
once, teach, and all I got was dirty feet. with the big One painted on it. Norris damn, look at those domes on her!”
You don’t need dirt, anyway, not with gave him a crooked grin. “Pilcher has On the screen the big blonde women
the ’ponies. I don’t see any reason to go a slot in there, some telly producer who in their black and crimson armor were
out. Hell, you get blown at and rained scored big on the ratings this week. Got saluting the circus audience with their
on. and the allergies— Christ!” to feeling too big for her nameplate and swords. Then the camera cut to the en-
Mogen had sighed. “But there’s noth- came down to good old Claudine’s for trance of the black Ibo warriors. They
ing for you to you to do here, nothing a little balancing off,” were muscular men of middle-height
for any young person.” Jarl grinned. “Joe knows how to han- clad in synthatiger loin cloths, aluminum
“There’s nothing anywhere for any dle those zongos, okay.” He sat on the alloy armor painted in traditional de-
young stud. Who wants to work four edge of Norris’s desk and tossed down signs, and huge feathered headdresses.
hours a day at some readout panel or the food ration books. “It was a nip of They leapt high into the air, uttering
monitor some robbies? So 1 draw my sugar. Norris. They were just as you said, bloodthirsty screams and waving their
dole and 1 mouse around. I get my and all I had to do was twist a little and long spears.
kicks.” he told me right where they were.” “Who do ya pick?” Norris asked as
Mogen shook his head again. “Stim. Norris picked up the books and the two teams saluted the Circus Com-
Eroticene. The sensory tapes. Headpop- dropped them into a drawer. “Good. I’ll mander in his box.
pers. Substitute experiences, Jarl, not pass them on to Mac and you’ll get yours Jarl didn’t answer, his eyes on the
real ones.” tonight.” richly gowned and heavily jeweled com-
“What’s so great about real experi- Jarl nodded, then crooked a thumb panions to the fat Commander. “Isn’t
ences, teach? You get hurt with those at the red doors. “What brings those that Glenna, the one in pink? Wasn’t
things,and the rewardsjust ain’t so great, citizens in here? I could never figure that she one of Bigger’s slots over in Ero-
not that 1 can see. Look at those big out. If you score, you celebrate, if you turn to page 36
7
 1HRE4DS
OF TIME
1 nree Original Novellas
of Science Fiction by
Gregory Ben ford
Simak
ClitTord D.
Nonnan Spinrad ^

Fdited und with an IntroduciKW b/v

Robert Siiverberg

Vertex looks at

the latest
STAR SMASHERS THREADS OF TIME
offerings from Robert Silverberg, Editor
OF THE GALAXY Thomas Nelson, $6.50
the science RANGERS
Harry Harrison Most science fiction books are of two
fiction book Berkley, $.95 types; the full-length novel, and the col-
lection of short stories. And while both
publishers, both The funniest science fiction satire in are legitimate forms, both occasionally
a long time is Harry Harrison’s STAR suffer from one connected problem.
hardcover and SMASHERS OF THE GALAXY Both are usually written to a required
RANGERS (Berkley Medallion Books, length. The novel is ordered from the
paperback editions. $.95). Ifyou can imagine Buck Rogers, publisher “between 70,000 and 80,000
the Hardy boys. Flash Gordon, Nancy words.” The short story is ordered by
Drew, Superman, Captain America, and the anthologist “between 5,000 and 8,000
Cherry Ames, student nurse all rolled words.” Or something like that. So you
into one, you have a pretty good idea end up with the novelist stretching a
of the level of insanity in this book. story which has a legitimate length of
Star Smashers concerns the adventures 25,000 to 30,000 words out to full novel
of Chuck, Jerry, Sally, and John, four length, and the short story writer chop-
enthusiastic, enterprising, and ridicu- ping his idea up and leaving a lot of
young Americans as they
lously patriotic essential plot and/or character develop-
attempt to rid the galaxy of its most ment out to fit a given format. Not that
dangerous threat, the evil Lortonoi, who this happens a lot— but it does happen.
seek to destroy it with their telepathic And one cure for it is the novella format.
powers. But good old American genius Longer than a short story, giving the
is more than a match for the villains. writer room for idea development, but
While experimenting with a piece of shorter than a novel, meaning there
Cheddar cheese in their garage. Chuck aren’t a lot of unnecessary words, the
and Jerry accidentally discover the ul- novella has been a sort of unwanted
timate weapon, the “cheddite projector.” stepchild to the more normal lengths,
This mysterious invention enables them since there were few places they could
to travel through hyperspace in their 747 be sold. Robert Silverberg has changed
(converted into a space ship) and with that with this volume, though, commis-
the help of other freedom-loving alien sioning three novellas on a single theme.
races, they move from peril to peril The theme of time— time as in duration,
fighting for freedom, justice, and the time as in travel, and time as a cure.
American way. The three novellas are “Riding The
The book is cleverly written and the Torch” by Norman Spinrad, one of the
action is fast-moving. Be there, as Chuck, doom and destruction but with a ray of
Jerry, Sally and John save the universe light stories Spinrad is so adept at pro-
and solve the ultimate enigma, “What ducing; “The Marathon Photograph” by
is black and deadly, and sits in a tree?” old-master Clifford D. Simak, one of the
Sharman Demman best time-travel stories we’ve read in
8
Choose any 4 books, even these science fiction greats: THE HUGO
—
WINNERS, Volume & II 23 gripping short stories. A giant, handsome
I

864-page record of greatness. DUNE by Frank Herbert. Perhaps one of

the most important views of tomorrow ever written. Winner of both the
famous Hugo and Nebula awards. THE GODS THEMSELVES Isaac —
Asimov’s first novel in 15 years, an event well worth waiting for.
What a way to get acquainted. Browse through the list of books on this
page and choose any 4 for just 100.
It’s the most extraordinary sample of science fiction ever offered in
one package.

Here’s how the Club works:

When your application for membership is accepted, you’ll
receive your choice of 4 books for just 100 (plus shipping and
handling). If not absolutely fascinated, return them within ten
—
days membership will be cancelled and you’ll owe nothing.
About every 4 weeks (14 times a year), we’ll send you the
Club’s bulletin describing the 2 coming Selections and
Alternate choices. If you want both Selections, you need do
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Selection, or prefer an Alternate, or no book at all, just fill out
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decision. If you don’t get the form in time to respond within
10 days, and receive an unwanted selection, you may return it
at our expense.

0026. The Best of

As a member you need take only 4 Selectio
6221. The Foundation 0067. The Dispossessed.
Trilogy.By Isaac By Ursula K. LeGuin. Frftz Lieber. Shoot or Alternates during the coming year. You may
Asimov. The ends of A lonescientist, craps with the devil, resign any time thereafter, or remain a member
the galaxy revert to caught in a coldwar visit a planetwide as long as you wish. Most books are only $1.98
between two planets, madhouse,
barbarism. An SF fall in
love with an alien — plus shipping and handling. Some extra value
classic. Comb. tries desperately to
Price $16.85 unite them. Pub. 22 tales by the selections are slightly higher but always much
ed. $7.95 sorcerer of SF. less than Publisher’s Editions. Send no
8037. Again, Special Edition. money. But do send the coupon today.
Dangerous Visions. 8532. The Hugo
Harlan Ellison, ed. Winners, Vol. & II. I 1297. Before the
Short stories and Giant 2-in-l volume Golden Age. Isaac
novels, 46 in all. of 23 award- Asimov, ed. 26 Science Fiction Book Club 45 -S 119
classic stories of
Explicit scenes and winning stories,
the 1930s, from
Dept. GR-029, Garden City, New York 11530
language may be 1955 to 1970.
vintage SF pulps,
offensive to some. Asimov introduces
now in one huge
I have read your ad. Please accept me as a
Pub. ed. $12.95 each. Pub. ed. $15.45
volume. Pub. ed. member in the Science Fiction Book Club.
3616. Fire Time. By 6023. The Gods $16.95
Poul Anderson. Ter- Themselves. By Isaac
Send me, as a beginning, the 4 books whose
1032. Rendezvous have indicated below, and bill me
rific suspense — as Asimov. The master's numbers I

with Rama. By
a young spaceman first novel in 15 just 100 (plus shipping and handling). agree to I
Arthur C. Clarke.
must decide who years . and worth
. .
take 4 additional books during the coming year
Hugo and Nebula
will live, who will the wait for a
die on a tiny planet fabulous trip to the
Award Winner. and may resign anytime thereafter.
Dazzling visionary
on the verge of year 3000. Pub. novel of a self-
cosmic disaster. ed. $5.95
contained world in
Pub. ed. $5.95
3624. Approaching space. Pub. ed. $6.95
2782. The 1974 Bblivion. By Harlan
3632. The Deathworld
Mr.
Annual World's Best Ellison. Eleven mind- Mrs.
Trilogy. By Harry
S.F. Donald A. Woll- spinning stories in
the multi-award
Harrison. On 3 Miss
heim, ed. Ten amazing planets
novellas, short winner's new Please print
interplanetary
stories: Ellison's anthology — explicit
adventurer Jason Address
Hugo Award-winning scenes, language Apt.
dinAlt gambles his
The Deathbird, plus exploring new and
life against different
top Simak, Sheckley, unfathomed areas of State Zip.
lethal environments.
Pohl. Special Edition the future. Pub.
ed. $7.95
Special Edition. J
The Science Fiction Book Club offers its own complete hardbound editions sometimes altered
in size to fit special presses and save members even more. Members accepted in U.S.A. and
Canada only. Canadian members will be serviced from Toronto. Offer slightly different in Canada.
 In VERTEX will interview the King of the Space
our next issue
Opera, HARRY HARRISON: Take another trip to the far-future
city of CINNEBAR with Edward Bryant: Dream a little nightmare
with Neii Shapiro’s DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF RHODA;
Follow F. M. Busby’s examination of ape education in

THE SIGNING OF TULIP: Plus major novelettes by

KATHLEEN SKY and Canada’s FLETCHER STEWART.

Jupiter from nearly two million miles away is still one

of the most impressive sights in the solar system, as shown
by this Pioneer photo. The dark rimmed white circles
on the right side of the photo are cloud cells, and each of those
clouds is approximately half the size of Earth!
 years; and the title story, “Threads of
Time” by Gregory Benford, a solidly
written story with a lot of Arthur Clarke
vision in but also an individual touch
it,

that makes it purely the property of

Benford.
Long ignored as a format, the novella
shines to perfection in this original an-
SCIENCE FiaiON STORIES
thology, and it is hoped it is the forerun-
BY WOMEN ABOUT WOMEN ner of a whole new format in science
EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND
fiction anthologies.
NOTES, BY (AMELA SARGENT
Don Pfeil

ICE AND IRON

WILSON TIXKER

VOYAGE TO
A FORGOTTEN SUN
$1.95 paperbound.now at your bookstore. Donald J. Pfeil
Ballantine Books, $1.25
VINTAGE BOOKS.
A division of Random House
When you are to review a book and
the author is not only a good friend but
an editor you sell to, it is a time of some
nervousness. What if the book is terrible?
How can you honestly give it a good

Perform a ICE AND IRON

Wilson Tucker
review? What if the book
your friends think your praiseworthy
review a bit much? And since many of
is great? Won’t

death- Doubleday, $4.95

Tucker has written a book that must

the reviewers of books are authors as
well, and often known personally to the
writers, this is a common enough prob-

defying be considered for the Hugo and Nebula

Awards next year. Set in the near future,
but at a time when the ice age has come
lem.
Luckily, Don Pfeil’s
roaring, fast-moving novel of the “old
book is a rip-

act. again, obliterating much of Canada and

the northern United States. Fisher
school” of science-fiction— the space
opera. Unabashedly in the style of the
Highsmith is at the leading edge of the pulps it has action, suspense, sex, and
continent-wide glacier on government all that good stuff. It is one long hunt-

Have your business. He begins finding objects that

just shouldn’t be there, floating down
and-chase through multi-dimensional
space back to Sol, the “forgotten sun,”

Mood from above, everything from bodies to

mud bricks and alien weapons.
Wilson Tucker goes from far, far dis-
which had isolated itself after commit-
ting a number of what you might call
“astracides” with a Nova Bomb, wiping

pressure tant future to the near future of High-

smith’s investigations, weaving back and
out whole planetsful of people. All this
was 1,200 years before and now the

checked. forth with a skillful blend of suspense,

Charles Fort, anthropological and geo-
president of Earth has come to the one-
time colonies, which had all but forgot-
logical speculation, action,and that good ten Earth, to try and get help.
ol’ Tucker writing that we have known I love space opera, if it is well-done.
and loved for years. His concepts are Pfeil’s style is fast and rough. The bark
different and I’ll not outline them here is still on his hero, fresh from prison,

so as not to give anything away. I wasn’t and the bad guy is a Real Baddie. But
crazy about the ending, mainly because Pfeil’s science is excellent, a far cry from
I wanted to find out more. the “pseudo-science” of the “old” space
Give It’s and I urge
a fresh idea, this book, opera, and that is all a plus.
Heart ( T )
you to read it. You
won’t be sorry and
you’ll learn something, too. How often
The book just cries
already in the writing— and let us hope
for a sequel—

Fund \|/ can you say that? that space opera never dies. That genre
American Heart Association
William Rotsler had dash and scope, flavor and zip. It
10
moved, things happened, the people were Haggard and Merritt. She just stands
a little larger than life, the events mo- well above them, as we’re sure you’ll see
mentous. Planets were sundered, stars when you read Ms. Brackett’s new book.
were exploded, galaxies were endan- Don Pfeil
gered. universii were plundered. Pfeil is
not quite that galactic in scope (yet) but
he's warrtiing up to it. Stay tuned.
William Rotsler

THE HOUNDS OF SKAITH

Leigh Brackett
Ballantine, $1.25
DEEP SPACE
Leigh Brackett created her super-hero, Robert Silverberg. Editor
EricJohn Stark, many years ago. Times Dell, $.95
have changed, writing styles have
changed, and the old bigger-than-life Robert Silverberg,in addition to his
hero in a science fantasy adventure of own books, edits quite a few anthologies
epic proportions just doesn’t exist any each year. Many of them, especially his
more. It won’t sell, they say, other than New Dimensions anthologies, are excel-
in reprint and in small numbers for nos- lent. This one. though, seems rather
UNIVERSE 5 talgia buffs. pointless.
Terry Carr, Editor Well, someone at Ballantine obviously Of the
eight stories presented, one was
Random House, $6.95 disagrees, because this is a new Eric John written in 1944 (Van Vogt’s Far Cen-
Stark adventure. Inside the cover is a taurus). five were written in the early
Over the past several years Terry little promo blurb quoting Ray Brad- 1950s, and only two. one by Silverberg
Carr’s Universe series of original anthol- bury, a writer who once collaborated and one by Terry Carr, are from the
ogies has become the in place for both with Ms. Brackett on a story. He says, 1960s. Granted, all of them are excellent
the young turks of science fiction and “There’s only one Leigh Bracken and stories, and top examples of the “deep
the old masters looking for a new way there’s only one Eric John Slark—bolh space” genre, but all have seen print in
to express themselves. Carr, with a hand stand alone in their field!’’ We can’t ex- other anthologies, and when it comes
which never rests heavily on consistency actly agree with Mr, Bradbury on her right down to it, there just doesn’t seem
of theme, manages to put together an- standing alone in the field. After all, to be much reason for this book.
thologies which leave the reader happy at she’s in the same field with Burroughs, Linda Pons O
the end of each story— and anxious to
go on to the next just to see what new
area of science fiction Carr has picked
a story to explore. And that’s something
which can be said of very few antholo-
gies these days, original or reprint.
Very few books are capable of carry-
ing off the Juxtaposition of stories by
Ursula K. LeGuin and Edgar Pangborn,
Stephen Goldin and Fritz Leiber, F. M.
Busby and Geo. Alex EflSnger. Add to
them authors the stature of Mildred
Downey Broxon, J. J. Russ. Kris Neville.
J. Michael Reaves, Gene Wolfe and
Hilary Bailey, and you’ve got a mixture
any literary bartender in the world
would be proud to call his own. The
strongest emotion you’ll feel following
Universe 5 is anticipation for Universe 6.

L. G. Blackburn
11
 were those of elation, victorious delight.
A Victorian gentleman of some means,
he had dared hope for some measure
of success in his amateur efforts. The
fates had denied him ere now.
He communicated none of this to the
Count, except perhaps in the lightness
of his manner. Sir Edmund dared not
work, but he had pursued, with scant
chance of catching, a number of gentle-
manly hobbies, most recently botony. He
had sought to contribute to man’s
knowledge a paper on a plant he had
discovered and named Edmundus, only
to have more experienced men point out
that the plant was a common variety of
gramineae.
“Even if what you think is true,” the
Count said at last, a grimace sufficing
for a smile, “what can you hope to do
about it?”
Sir Edmund did not hesitate; he could
make up for his gross if human error
in the field of botony by using his newly
found expertise in the area of vam-
pirism— a field which had no experts. “I
propose to find your coffin tomorrow
morning and put a wooden stake
through your evil heart, and thus put an
end to your wickedness.” He rose con-
fidently and placed the full glass of
sherry on a nearby table.
“Ah,” the old Count said, with no
more feeling than a greengrocer greeting
an indifferent customer. “Then, if what
you say of me is true, I had best act
against you tonight.”
“I am prepared for that eventuality.”
“Good, good,” the Count said. The
grimace became a full smile which re-
vealed long, sharp, fang-like teeth; the
Count’s eyes were as red and bright as
refrained because of that; he already Hellfire as he slowly began moving to-
NO MORE THE looked considerably less than his 38 ward Sir
Edmund
Edmund.
DILETANTE years.
The Count Edmund with his
fixed Sir
Sir
side his vest waiting.
simply put his hand in-

eyes. Before Sir Edmund looked down The vampire hesitated, but then con-
by Richard W. Brown (to avoid being hypnotized), he noted tinued walking toward him.
that the light from the fireplace behind “I suggest you accept your fate,” the

W hat
a
do you mean, you ‘think I’m
Vampire’?” the old Count
asked. His achromatic face showed no
him caught
catch some
the eyes much
beast’s, so that they seemed
almost hollow and ruby red.
as they might vampire
“Then
tion,” Sir
said.
I offer
Edmund
you the same sugges-
shot back, looking
feeling. His accent was as thick as a “And how,” the old Count continued down to draw renewed attention to the
mausoleum door so that the “W” in smoothly, “did you come by this conclu- hand which remained inside his vest.
“what” became a “V” but the “V” in sion?” The vampire, now only a short dis-
“Vampire” became a “W”: “Vot do you “Oh,” Sir Edmund said airily, “the tance away and still moving forward,
mean, you Wampire’?”
‘think I’m a little You’re never seen in Lon-
things. rose up to its full height and laughed.
“Precisely what I said,” Sir Edmund don— except You have no mir-
at night. “A gun?”
Frothingfoam replied, holding but re- rors in your home. And a trail of blood- Sir Edmund shook his head no. He
fraining from drinking the sherry the less corpses 200 years and half a conti- grasped the metal chain and pulled the
Count had given him. The drink could nent long that leads directly to your object from his pocket, thrusting it be-
be drugged, and he was taking no door.” His tone, on this last note, fore the vampire’s eyes as he shouted
chances. Sir Edmund smiled, an action dropped to a sarcasm he did not really triumphantly, “A crucifix!”
which always brought the color of roses feel. “You silly, superstitious fool,” the
to his cheeks and from which he usually If anything, Sir Edmund’s feelings vampire said.

12
 That these aliens could have denied an unanimous, for the expense of bringing
MESSAGE explanation, or even a hint, of how to
transform their planet into the utopia it
the man to Beal would be prohibitive,
poor planet. There
especially for such a
had once been was almost too much to were those who insisted that the colony
by Fred Gottfried bear. Many times a disgusted farmer should forget entirely about panaceas
would smash in rage and jealousy an and work harder on their own. They
artifact dug up by his plow. were a minority. The sentiment that
t had been ten years since the colonists And then archeologists opening a new carried the day was that, if the expert
I firstarrived on Beal. Ten hard, frus- section of one of the alien cities stumbled from Earth succeeded, the skills learned
trating years of trying to make a life on across an inscription, a series of tiny from the others would be so great that
a planet that seemed to combine all the scratchings upon a crumbling wall. Beal could buy the rest of the galaxy.
more miserable aspects of their home The discovery had been seized upon It took more than three months for
world.The land was rugged, the soil as if it were the Holy Grail itself, as the starship to arrive from Earth. The
poor, the water sparse, the climate harsh. indeed it might well be. For was it not council members, many of whom had
Existance meant backbreaking work, a the very key to the ancient civilization? Just pledged all their personal fortunes
constant struggle— things those who had If this was in fact the only trace of their to its captain, gathered closely around
fled Earth in search of a new paradise language left in this entire world, its the master paleographer from Earth as
were loathe to have to do. survival was all the more significant. The he took his first look at the coveted
It was all the more frustrating because others had not been so selfish and in- inscription soon after landing. He
of the others. considerate after all. They had left a glanced at their anxious faces and said
The aliens. The old ones. Call them message for those that would come after simply, “I will need time, gentlemen.”
what you will, for they had left no names them, and men’s thoughts soared with Alone the expert commenced his task
for themselves. Millenia ago an ancient dreams of reactivating the ancient and alone he spent the succeeding weeks
civilizationhad flourished on Beal, a mechanisms that would recreate para- until all despaired that he too would fail.
magnificent and proud culture that left dise. And then came the word that the coun-
its mark everywhere. Now it was long Still the cornucopia evaded them. cilmen and scientists were to. come to
vanished. Only the mysterious artifacts Their best scientists, intensely laboring his quarters. “It is ready,” was all that
and machinery remained, silent and in- for months on the inscription, could not he would say.
scrutable. unlock its secrets. The leadership of the When the leaders of Beal arrived, the
They had left no trace of a language, planetary council, many
had of whom man for whom they had paid so dearly
these beings who had so completely encouraged migration to Beal with gave no clue to the momentousness of
mastered a world that humans could promises of riches and a bright future, what they hoped he would tell them. “I
barely survive upon. And many of their became desperate. The hopes of the have not completed all the translation.”
machines might still work— if way
a populace had been raised so high by the he intoned, “but 1 have done enough of
could be found to activate them. As men discovery. Now came constant mutter- it to decipher the sense of the inscription.

scratching theirmeager existence looked ings of incompetance and talk even of But first, I must ask you a question.”
upon wonders about them they grew
the revolution. “Of course, of course,” someone said
more and resentful. The alien
sullen In secret executive session, it was de- impatiently.
technology, they were certain, would cided to apply to Earth for the services “Are you absolutely certain that you
eliminate entirely the need for all the of the foremost linguistic expert in the wish to proceed?”
detested work they were forced to do. space service. The decision was far from The others collectively felt their hearts
“What do you mean?” one of them
stop.
asked.
“What 1 am about to read may not
be what you wish to hear.”
In the silence that followed, no one
seemed to know what to say. The man’s
words brought forth a thousand possi-
bilities. It was the leader of the council,

the man with the most invested in the

enterprise, who finally screwed up the
courage to state, “You must tell us.
Whatever it is, we must know.”
“You will not blame me? You brought
me here only to decipher and to trans-
late, and this is all that I have done.”
“Tell us, ” the leader demanded.
“Very well.”
From a sheet of paper covered with
complicated symbols and his own pains-
taking notations, the man read to them;
“
‘If you want a good’— the next word,
gentlemen, is totally indecipherable—
‘call Weena at’— and this is followed by

"Maybe — but not so crazy as you think, mister.” a series of numerals.”

13
 as he lumbered to a halt. “No lookie, Kristin, and he’s called her little Krissie.
and no nookie.” “—off limits,” the librarian angrily
QUICKIE Milton smiled uneasily. “I merely bow concluded, the grip of his fingers on
to their willful fantasies, and you should Milton’s arm more painful than the pre-

by Mai Warwick be thanking me”— <3curious sensation of vious time. “The moment you’re rein-
dizziness— “for my unflagging contribu- stated on the faculty, Fll lift the no-
tions to the spiritual health of the student trespassing sign. Now, I’m throwing the
body.” wolf back to the wolves like any other
ome on the range again, Dr. “These students’ bodies. Dr. Ober- skunk.”
H Oberdorfer?” dorfer, are—” “Must you mix metaphors, and so
The large economy-sized assistant li- Vertigo: awash in a tide of psychic ineptly?” Milton asked offended, think-
brarian was charging toward him from energy of unprecedented ferocity, Milton ing Come with me. Little Krissie—come
Sociology, bicepts bulging under his blinked with confusion and pain, falling, and we will explore each other, and all
jacket in a most unlibrarianly manner. falling, into her mind. She was not yet at once she came into view, struggling
Why give the dirty-minded S.O.B. the in sight, but she was there, a slim young with an armload of books: a lush halo
satisfaction of another scene when the woman with hurt in her eyes and a stag- of auburn about a tiny face, a whiff of
evening was clearly a bust for everyone’s gering depth of perception, reaching, fresh-scrubbed skin, a subtle swell of
favorite telepath? Over in the corner reaching out for him, seeing signs of the unbound breasts beneath a loose-hung
carrel, the redhead with the spectacular brother she’d lost in flames on the free- workshirt. Come, he urged, come home
boobs was salivating nostalgically over way. Four times before he’d encountered with me to my little place by the stadium,
a night of abandoned trial-and-error others with the power, but she somehow and in the dim wavering light of candles,
with her mechanical engineering in- was young and vulnerable still despite with the Grateful Dead in our ears, we’ll
structor, whose own engineering she re- it, warily reaching out, astonished to slowly sip on tawny port, and see and smell
garded with far too much fondness. And discover that someone other than she and touch.Our minds will mellow and
that virginal-looking little honey of a and her brother could reach out too and merge, and our every experience impas-
blonde wanted only her roommate. touch. For the first time in his thirty- sion the other, and as the darkness dark-
Cherry, who was due tonight for a three years, total involvement seemed ens about us, the moment will come to
shower and other, surprisingly sophis- possible, and the dizziness swiftly turned be One. You’ll smile your wan sad smile,
ticated treats. Of course, there was the to warmth as she glided nearer through and I’ll rise slowly from the couch and
dumpy red-eyed freshman down by Ab- the stacks, gingerly unfolding her mind. kiss your eager lips, and my fingers will
normal Psychology, craving to be rav- On that cluttered tapestry of pain and fly toyour buttons; I’ll slip off your shirt
ished while in a yogic trance, but Mil- betrayal— memories of the brother who’d and your pants, and then mine, and stroke
ton Oberdorfer had his standards, and somehow never quite understood her, of your thighs and suckle greedily, and then
rape could be left to less sensitive souls lovers who’d never loved her as he— there in the heat and the thrill of the music,
who were forced to use force alone. emerged a poignant pattern of grim you’ll open wide and wider still— And she
“I thought we’d made the game laws self-containment warring with hope. She was thinking, Ohhhhhhhh, moaning or
clear the last time,” the librarian insisted was barely nineteen, and her name was groaning weakly, and the librarian’s fin-
gers were unwittingly urging him closer
to her as she stepped pensively toward
the carrels.Oh yes, she was thinking, and
then your arms encircle me, and our bod-
ies join harmoniously, inflaming one an-
other?
“Now, look, Oberdorfer, I mean it— if
you don’t haul your ass out of here in
ten seconds. I’ll—”
Yes, Kristin, yes, he thought quickly,
and we rock and sigh and gasp together,
luxuriating in completion, and join our
bodies again, and then again and again,
and have our fill of port and cheese and
apples, and you ’ll feel what you felt with
your brother, and I’llfeel what I’ve never—
And when your strength is on the ebb,
you take my head in your hands and press
me to your groin?
Oh yes. Little Krissie, YES! I feel it

now)
Yes, she thought, / feel it too! and her
soul laughed a laugh of long ago, and
her tiny face was drenched with joyful
pain. Then we drift off to dreams of rolling
waves, minds and bodies totally entangled,

"It’s weird. I just felt the overwhelming urge to belt and our -communion is complete?
a monkey ivith a thighbone!’’ turn to page 78
14
Illustration by-
Monte Rogers for
We Ate The \’^ole Thing,
fiction by Harry Harrison —
with the human race
drowning in its own pollution,
do the polluters care
or would they just keep
right on polluting?

PouL Anderson
Ray Bradbury
Ed Bryant
Terry Carr
Philip K. Dick
Harlan Ellison
Harry Harrison
Robert Heinlein
Frank Herbert
Larry Niven
William Rotsler
Robert Silverberg

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 fiction/Joseph F. Patrouch, Jr.

artist Rodger McGowan

4s Captain of the research ship Ulysses Northshield had certain respon-

sibilities. certain duties. And one of those responsibilities required he consult
the other two officers of ... °
 An Oriental, a White
and a Black were the
three men responsible
for the success or
failure of the mission.
But ultimately, the
responsibility rested
on the Shoulders of
just one of them.
Northshield!

bunk wondering what

e lay in his
had awakened him. He searched
into the vague memory of his
sleep, but found nothing. Had

H there been a noise? he verbalized

carefully to himself. Some sound
there should not have been? Then he
missed the steady thrum-thrum-thrum of
the generators and knew that it had not
been a noise but the lack of one which
had awakened him. They were out of
hyperdrive. Why?
He swung his feet over the side of his
cot and went sailing up a foot or two
until he banged his head painfully on
the corner of his storage locker. Weight-
less, too! he thought, edging himself
‘Hf.
slowly downto his boots and rubbing
the ache on his forehead. That meant
that they had not only popped back into
reg-space, but they were neither acceler-
ating nor decelerating, and change of'
speed to set up some artificial gravity
was mandatory emergency procedure.
What was the crewman on watch think-
ing of?
As he tugged his boots on, the alarm

m began screeching through the corridors.

“About time,” he muttered aloud. On
a military ship that alarm would have
sounded as soon as the trouble had de-
im veloped in the overdrive, not long after
the drive had shut down. This was his
first trip on one of these civilian research tub like the Ulysses. sidered becalmed. But his amusement
and many of the practices struck
vessels, The last of the Triumvirate to slide disappeared when he heard the trouble
him as being ineflficient. He realized, in was the Chinese Second Officer, Or- was with component nine. Its location
though, that this particular bit of inef- lando. This was Orlando’s first tour of made it the most difficult component to
ficiency was due to the way the war duty with Northshield. The original sec- replace. They would probably lose more
etforthad gobbled up all the computers. ond exec, Johnson, had died of radiation than half a day, and time was precious.
Still,a bit more discipline and snap burns suffered in a skirmish off Delta He had to make a conscious effort to
getting things done certainly couldn’t Pavonis VI. Orlando has maintained a recall that this was a civilian research
hurt any. He began to see a bit of sense more than discreet distance between mission and that therefore time was not
in the brass’s putting a military Trium- himself and everyone else from the mo- so important as on a military mission.
virate in command of this particular trip. ment he joined the mission. He wasn’t Once again his background had impeded
If the mission were really as important overtly hostile, like Cromwell, simply clear thinking. Irritated with himself he
as it had been made out to be, a little disinterested. An observer rather than a asked Sandusky the question that had
military crispness might be just the dif- participant. Northshield assumed that bothered him since he had first noticed
ference between success and failure. Orlando didn’t like this assignment any the lack of gravity.
Using the handholds in the walls of better than Cromwell did, but he suc- “Are you familiar with the standard
the corridors, he propelled himself along ceeded better in hiding his emotions operating procedures to be followed
like a torpedo. Another thing that both- about it. upon re-entering reg-space from hyper-
ered him was the distance between his The Triumvirate assembled. North- drive under emergency conditions?”
quarters and the Communications shield turned with some irritation to the Sandusky blinked, then recited:
“
Center. He couldn’t keep track of the civilian watch. “Well?” On a military ‘Upon re-entering reg-space from hy-
damage and get repair crews to work ship he would not have had to ask. perdrive, accelerate towards the nearest
if he weren’t in the CC immediately in “Oh!” the startled youngster blurted. planetary system or decelerate towards
time of crisis. He was intimidated both by the effi- the nearest planet. This creates an ar-
“Oh. nuts,” he said abruptly. His mili- ciency of the three officers and by their tificial gravity aboard the ship to facili-

tary background was influencing his being all together in one place, his place. tate repairs,' and it directs the ship to-
thinking again. On military ships the A military Triumvirate commanding a wards a place of rescue should the planet
computers ran practically everything, civilian research vessel was an un- or system be inhabited, or a place of
”
while the captain was basically a main- heard-of event, and the curious and refuge should it be uninhabited.’
tenance foreman, before, during and awed crew had discussed every move “Well?” asked Northshield.
after a battle. On research vessels like each of them made and every word they Sandusky realized he was being
the Ulysses everything had to be done spoke. The tensions among them were askedwhy this procedure had not been
manually, like the sounding of the alarm well known. followed.
which had just ceased its clamor. “Well!” the captain demanded, and “Sir,” he replied with an excitement
He slid into the CC with the practised this time the tone of his voice was un- that was almost jubilation. Northshield
movements of a military man used to mistakable. suddenly felt apprehensive, as if he were
operating in zero gravity. As he pivoted “Crewman Sandusky reporting. Sir!” about to be handed a bomb set to go
into his harness, he was pleased to notice the watch barked in his best military off in thirty seconds. To Northshield
that he was the first to arrive. manner, snapping to attention and for- Sandusky’s excitement combined with
“Captain Northshield!” the white ci- getting the lack of gravity. He drifted the zero gravity in reg-space after a warp
vilian watch exclaimed, surprised that he up off the deck, tilted over backwards out of hyperdrive began to look too
had arrived almost before the alarm had and to his left, stiffly and doggedly at much like . . .

quieted. attention, yet trying wildly to catch hold “. .the Emergency Clause,” San-
.

At that moment Northshield’s First of something with his eyes. dusky finished. In recorded history the
Executive Officer, Cromwell, one of the Northshield sighed, feeling some Emergency Clause had never been in-
very few white members of a United sympathy for Sandusky, yet thinking voked.
Stellar Triumverate, show weightlessly again that military drills were necessary. Northshield grimaced. “Why me?” he
into the spherical control room. His nor- Cromwell sneered openly, conveying the thought, as he ran his thumbs back and
mally disdainful expression betrayed impression that the crewman’s awk- forth across his fingertips. It was a re-
only a trace of the irritation he surely wardness was due to Northshield’s in- sponsibility he didn’t want. Not one little

felt at Northshield’s having beaten him eptness. The CC was small, and San- bit.

to his post. Northshield was well aware dusky’s drift brought him almost at once “Are you sure?” interrupted a femi-
that Cromwell didn’t like him. For one to the Chief Scientist’s harness. He nine voice from the hatchway. Shocked
thing, few whites had yet gotten over the snapped himself in without thinking by Sandusky’s announcement, the
Racial Wars of the last century, the about whose it was, and then with Triumvirate didn’t even feel the usual
twenty-first, in which Anglo-Saxon con- sheepish excitement he finally delivered military scorn that it had taken the Chief
trol of civilization had finally been bro- his report. Scientist so long to get to her post. Nor
ken. For another, Cromwell couldn’t see “The Ulysses has been becalmed as did Chief Scientist Sharon McCormick
the wry humor in a black man’s changing a result of the failure of hyperdrive bother to notice that Crewman Sandusky
his name to one with all the Anglo- component nine. Sir.” was strapped into the wrong harness, her
Saxon connotations of “Northshield.” Northshield was slightly amused at his harness, a serious lapse of on-board dis-
But Cromwell had been assigned to this use of the old nautical word “becalmed.” cipline.
Triumvirate, and he had to go wherever Ships came out of hyperdrive at half a “Are you sure?” she repeated. “You
Northshield led. He had never reckoned million miles an hour, yet compared to haven’t simply misread the data?” And
on being taken onto a civilian research the speeds of hyperdrive that was con- she gave Orlando a glance Northshield
The ship was in treefaii, and there
couid be oniy one reason. The
Emergency Ciause was in effect!

couldn’t interpret. tion would face enormous respon- planets would probably be initiated by
“No mistake,” Sandusky said de- sibilities, and he was relieved that he was the aliens. Since first contact would be
fiantly. He knew
he was right. not to be that captain. of such great significance, only the cap-
Northshield, however, was chagrined. Sandusky looked bewildered. “Instru- tain should decide what to do. "Therefore,
Once again his experience and training ment malfunction?” he mused. “All of the Emergency Clause: Tn case of first
had prejudiced his behavior in this to- them?” contact the ship will neither accelerate
tally different environment. On a mili- McCormick looked up from her nor decelerate, but will stand ready for
”
tary ship computers supplied all the in- slump. “What?” she said vaguely, as its captain’s orders.’
formation, and a captain did not have from a distance. Orlando looked disappointed. “I
to learn to distinguish carefully between Northshield knew that McCormick meant.Sir, do you think we’ve got an
fact and interpretation. And so North- wanted so desperately to be a part of Emergency Clause situation here?”
shield had not distinguished between the first contact between the human race Northshield got the distinct impression
them when Sandusky reported to him. and alien beings that she had spent the that Orlando wanted him to reply in a
He had made a mistake. Had it not been better part of her life preparing for it. certain way, with a certain line of action.
for McCormick’s arrival and evaluation, She had specialized in alien artifacts and His question had not seemed open-
it could have developed into a serious had visited the sites of all seven so far ended. Again, though, he had too much
mistake. He could have over-reacted to discovered. It had been as a direct result to do to probe that impression. Decisions
the situation and endangered the mis- of her urging that a United Stellar gov- had to be made.
sion, the ship and the crew. ernment, already overburdened with the He replied forthrightly to Orlando’s
His irritation rose. An alarm system two-generations-long war, had finally question. “I don’t know. I don’t see how
that didn’t sound until anyone with half outfitted the Ulysses and supplied it with it could be. We’re in the middle of no-

a mind would already know a serious a military Triumverate badly needed where. You can only get here by hyper-
problem had developed. A hyperdrive elsewhere. Pure research and war go drive, and we came out of hyperdrive
not joined to a maintenance computer together easily only when there is a purely by accident. No one, human or
so that a component had to go com- chance that the research will help alien, would ever have any reason to
pletely bad before anyone could know achieve victory. First contact might ac- warp out of hyperspace here intention-
that was faulty. An External Environ-
it complish that, or so McCormick had ally. And the chances of an alien ship
ment Survey System that fed data to a succeeded in convincing United Stellar and the Ulysses being disabled in the
'display panel for human evaluation after the eighth alien find had turned same place at the same time are so slim
rather than to a computer for accurate up on Beta Hydri IV. as to be virtually impossible. No, I don’t
identification. He began to regret very Her disappointment had not allowed believe this is an Emergency Clause sit-
much his accepting this mission without her to hear Sandusky’s “All of them?” uation. But I don’t know for sure.”
a fight. For a moment he saw himself with any real understanding. She mut- He was rather proud of having distin-
through Cromwell’s eyes, and he didn’t tered distractedly in his general direc- guished between a fact and an interpre-
like what he saw: a man stupid enough tion, “No, not all. The metal detector.” tation this time.
to get involved in a futile mission on “But it wasn’t only the metal detec- “Was an Emergency Clause situation,”
a computerless ship. tor,” Sandusky persisted. “There was Sandusky interjected. “We are continu-
McCormick had strapped herself into and its gen-
definitely a physical object, ing to slide past the contact point.” It
a padded chair in front of the EESS eral shape indicated it was artificial. was a polite way to remind the captain
console. She was checking data and cir- Symmetrical. Dart-shaped.” thathe had a decision to make. On to
and carefully. Her attitude
cuits intensely The others finally began to realize that Beta Hydri IV or back to the area of
reminded Northshield that he should get Sandusky was insisting that he had seen possible contact.
control of himself. After all, some data other data than that displayed by the “Orlando?” Northshield asked, un-
must have been displayed which caused faulty metal detector. The lack of contact consciously slighting his First Exec by
Sandusky to make his initial judgment, at the present moment had to be due not turning to him first. But Orlando was
and Sandusky wouldn’t have been given to their having lost EESS data from the beginning to disturb him in a subtle way,
the responsibility of standing watch if object. After all, they were drifting at and the name had come unbidden.
he were the complete dolt his zero grav- a half a million miles an hour. They had “As we all know, first contact will be
ity salute had made him out to be. passed it in the emptiness between the of paramount significance, scientifically
McCormick released a small catch and stars. and militarily, certainly also socially.
swung open a portion of the console. “What do you think?” Orlando asked What we learn from any aliens we may
With obvious disappointment she rein- Northshield. one day encounter and learn to com-
serted a slipped fuse and snapped the Northshield was surprised, not at the municate with, what help they may be
panel shut. She slumped noticeably question but at Orlando’s having been willing to give us in any way, may well
when she said, “Instrument malfunc- the one to ask it. But he didn’t have time be the difference in our present war with
tion.” to wonder about it now. the Renegade Confederation. I advise
For the moment no one said anything. “The Emergency Clause was inserted that we do all in our power to make
Northshield knew that he should give into our standard operating procedures,” sure this a false alarm before we dismiss
the order to start the reg-space drive and he replied, “because everyone assumes it.”
accelerate towards Beta Hydri. He knew that if contact ever is made with an alien “So,” Northshield thought, “that’s the
that the few maintenance men on the ship it will almost certainly be by ac- line he’s after.” He noticed McCormick
Ulysses should get to work repairing the cident immediately after an outward- nod her agreement. After all, Orlando’s
hyperdrive. Still, it had been such a close bound hyperdrive trip. Contact between argument was the same one she had used
thing. The captain of the first starship physical objects in hyperspace is impos- when she was trying to convince United
involved in an Emergency Clause situa- sible, and contact made near one of our turn to page 48
 For the glory of his family
and thehonor of his father, Chan knew
he must face the test of combat.

MISSION OF HONOR fiction /DONALD J. PFEIL

artist/STEVAN ARNOLD

m.
 he old man sat in the room alone, everything about them, both men could heap.”
the severe impressiveness of his make out clearly the shattered land, the “It’s a good thing they didn’t know
plain black uniform, the colorful still-bubbling two-hundred foot crater they were part of the Federation before
medals
slash of a chest-full of hero where a kill-torp had hit, the scattered we arrived. Maybe they would have been

T
was
awing no subordinates so early in
the morning. One end of the room
with a large desk of polished
filled
bodies, few whole and none identifiable
in the twisted junk of their combat suits.
Somewhere back there, on that road they
a bit better prepared to greet us.”
Chan looked closely at Westflag,
looking for sarcasm or sedition in his
stone, covered with paper-filled baskets had fought for inch by inch, was Com- words, but Westflag ignored him, turn-
and folders marked Ultra-Secret. At the bined Federation Landing Force Delta. ingaway from the doorway and moving
front of the desk was a plain black And somewhere in front of them, run- back into the room. Chan followed,
nameplate: Grand General Chan. ning but still dangerous, was what was looking first right, then left at the men
Against one wall, twenty feet from the left of this planet’s army. leaning against the walls. “How do they
desk and almost lost in the large room, Shifting the disperser to balance it in feel about it?”
was a small antique table, holding an one armored hand, Westflag reached up “Who?”
intricately carved ivory chess set. It was with a metal claw and released the posi- “The men. Are they as distrustful of
there that the old man sat, staring at the tive-pressure seal on his helmet. There the Federation’s motives as you seem to
set, staring at the problem the pieces was a slight puff of dust from the edges be?”
posed. His hand moved towards a white as the pressure in the suit, half-a-pound “The men simply don’t give a damn,”
Knight near the center of the board, then over local, escaped. “You believe in liv- Westflag said in a flat voice. He stopped
paused, then began to withdraw. Half ing dangerously,” Chan said to his sub- and waited for Chan to speak, and hear-
way back to his lap the hand again ordinate, disinterest in his voice. “The ing nothing, Westflag continued: “We’ve
paused, then darted to the table next to air’s got too much chlorine in it, but the been down for twenty days. Twenty days
the board. A small red ant, following radiation will probably kill you before of mud and dust and radiation and blood
a million years of evolutionary impera- your lungs rot.” and the stink of fried soldier. We’ve been
tive in its search for food, died under Westflag looked at his group leader shot and bombed and mined and lasered
a broad thumb. The old man didn’t even for a minute, then returned his gaze to until anyone who feel anything is a can-
shift his gaze from the ivory pieces. the wasteland outside. “Does it really didate for mindwipe. None of the men
Minutes passed, then once again the matter how I get it? How any of us get feelanything except a desire to live long
old man reached for the Knight. Again it? If they don’t cancel us here, it’ll be enough to take another breath. And that
he changed his mind, and this time, with someplace else where we aren’t wanted. includes me.” Intentionally denying
a shake of his head, he slid the chair But we’ll be just as dead. It’s almost over Chan the opportunity to argue, Westflag
back from the table and got up. He here, but you’re a fool if you think any turned away from his leader and started
walked over to the desk, sat down, and of us will ever see Earth again.” towards a ramp leading downwards into
picked up the first folder in the tray Six months earlier, when Chan had the bowels of the building.
immediately to his right. The folder taken command of the group back on Chan started to follow, then spun and
marked Pacification Plan—Illyi. the transport, he would have shot a man dropped to the floor, trying to get his
for talking like that.Now he just looked bubbler out and get behind a chair at
en still forms, inhuman-appearing over to see if the air was having any the same time. The door had swung
in full combat suits, sat quietly in obvious deleterious elfect on Westflag, suddenly open after Chan had been
room— the quiet of exhaustion,
the and when he .saw it wasn’t he released careful to close and latch it, and only
though, rather than stealth. Leader the neck ring on his suit, taking his whole fractions of seconds behind Chan the

T Five Chan checked his men, then

slouched down himself, staring at
but not seeing the waving patterns of
helmet off. “We’ll get back,” Chan said
in a dull monotone, “but what a waste
it’s been. We must have lost close to a
men were scrambling for cover, expect-
ing enemy soldiers to come pouring
through the door at any second.
the Illyi psychomold on the wall opposite million men taking this ball of mud away Instead of enemy soldiers, a human
him. A few minutes later, unable to relax from the slugs, and now we’ll just give in a combat suit walked through the
and forget what was going on outside, it back to them. Along with a governor door, then dropped immediately to the
Chan climbed to his feet, the feedback who’ll spend the next twenty years giving floor as a laser beam began to chew up
controlled motors of his suit doing the them billions of gilts to rebuild.” wall inches to his right. “Hold itl” he
work he probably could not have done “They didn’t ask for us to come in screamed, but not in time to keep an-
on his own. and tear their planet apart,” Westflag other beam from slicing across his hel-
His suit, long past due for mainte- said. met, leaving a bubbling path of melted
nance, whined slightly as he crossed the “They were in rebellion,” Chan said, Plasticine and a nasty burn on the sol-
room to the doorway through which he a showing in his voice for the
little fire dier’s forehead.
and his men had come only minutes first time since the conversation had For long seconds no one in the room
before. Leader Nine Westflag, cradling started. moved, then Chan climbed slowly to his
a three-centimeter disperser in his arms, “Not according to them,” Westflag feet and circled to his right, towards the
joined Chan at the door. Although noth- still in the same disinterested voice.
said, door. Keeping an eye on the wounded
ing was visible in the pale ochre sky, “They had never heard of us before a soldier, he darted a quick look around
a sonic boom, followed long seconds year ago.” the edge of the door, then stepped
laterby a ground wave concussion, “But they refused to submit to the through when he saw the floater outside
on the broken road
raised a fog of dust Federation when we did make contact. with four men in it. Four men in clean,
they had followed to- this apparently And that put them in a state of rebellion. undented and unscratched combat suits.
deserted estate. After all, this entire arm is part of the Four replacements. He looked at them
Although the haze of dust softened Federation. Including this forsaken junk for a minute, then waved them inside.

22
past the fallen man who was being line of explosions reached towards the but they want to make sure.”
treated by the team medic. house, quickly crawling over to where “Which means the Illyi probably have
“Westflag,” Chan ordered, “I want a his helmet was laying. Pulling the a death squad in there just waiting for
couple of men on the roof as lookouts. commset out of the internal clips he us to stick our noses in.”
And another outside the door here.” frantically punched the command post “Westflag, I insist you remember your
‘‘Yes. sir.” combination. Long seconds later the responsibilities as a Leader Nine. You
Chan righted the table he had been scramjet pulled up with a scream of torn know why we have to take that center.
using as a shield minutes before, pulled air and in a flash of silver vanished over The same reason we have to fight this
a chair over, and sat down. For several the horizon, headed towards the retreat- war.”
minutes he squirmed around, trying to ing Illyi army. Chan collapsed against Westflag looked at Chan with an ex-
get comfortable on a chair which wasn’t a wall, total exhaustion drugging his pression of total disbelief on his face.
designed to fit the human anatomy, then features, pulling his eyes closed. “No, I don’t know why we have to take
pulled out a set of photomaps which had Half-an-hour later the commset, that center, sir.Nor do I know why we’re
been made from orbit before their land- which Chan had left out of his helmet, fighting this damn
war. I guess they told
ing. buzzed for attention. Chan groggily me when I was picked up in that draft-
“There’s some booze in the other
Illyi reached for it, acknowledged the call, sweep, but I’ve forgotten. Suppose you
room, sir,” Westflag said. “I’ve heard it then listened, his face turning grey as remind me.” There was a strong note
tastes terrible, but humans can drink it.” he received new orders from the com- of sarcasm in Westflag’s voice, but Chan
The men in the room, for the first time mand post somewhere behind them. He didn’t seem to notice it.

since the replacement had come in the spoke so softly no one in the room could “We’re fighting it to insure that all
door to a fusillade of shots, showed some hear his acquiescence to the orders, then members of the Federation, even the
signs of animation. turned to look at Westflag, sitting on the rebellious Illyi, receive the full benefits
“You have your rations. Leader floor to his left a few feet away. “There’s of Federation membership. We’re fight-
Nine.”Chan said with ice in his voice. an Illyi maintenance center two kilome- ing for the good of every being in this
“And you know the regulations regard- ters from here, and we’ve been ordered arm, human or otherwise.”
ing native foodstuffs. Especially native to take it.” “But we’re especially fighting for the
beverages, alcoholic or otherwise.” “Why?” Westflag asked, although the good of the industrial barons back on
Chan was interrupted by a sudden tone of his question indicated that he earth who need the raw materials Illyi

chain of explosions outside. He jumped wasn’t really interested in the answer. will provide,” Westflag said.
over to a small window and looked out “How the hell do I know?” Chan said, “That’s enough of that, Westflag,”
at an already desolate landscape being anger in his voice. “Evidently we’ve just Chan shouted. “Another word of such
torn into smaller pieces by supervel about got the planet secured, and they sedition and I’ll have you shot, here and
rockets from a Federation scramjet. want to make sure there aren’t any now.”
“What the hell are they doing?” he pockets of Illyi forces around we don’t “Yes, sir!” Westflag said tonelessly.
screamed. “Don’t they know we’re down know about. They said that orbital ob- “Permission to feed the men before we
here?” Chan dropped to the floor as the servation indicates the place is deserted, assault the center, sir? Also, under the
circumstances, permission to sample the
Illyi liquor?”

Chan stared at Westflag for long mo-

ments, anger almost ready to explode in
his eyes, then he relaxed, turning away.
Westflag noticed how Chan’s hand was
trembling as he picked up his helmet
from the floor. “Permission granted. But
be damned careful none of the bottles
are booby-trapped before you pick them
up.” Dark grey-blue clouds drifted over
the reddish face of the sun, darkening
the landscape as Chan stood and began
to stare out the window. Westflag spoke
briefly to the men, then walked into the
other room. He was back in seconds with
several oddly-shaped bottles, passing
them out to the men, keeping one for
himself He took a deep drink from the
bottle, then held it out towards Chan.
“A toast to our glorious mission, sir?”
“You seem to think this is some kind

of game,”Chan said, puzzlement in his

voice.
“It’s whatever you want it to be,”
Westflag answered, “except over. That
it never is.”

Chan suddenly turned from the win-

turn to page 86
23
 They were living in
a totally different
world than the people
around them, with the . . .

fiction /ROBERT PA YES

artist/MONTE ROGERS
 welve noon; traditionally known switched pockets long enough to come cars, both trying to avoid people being
in America as the time to drop up with a dollar bill and some loose knocked into the streets, collided head-
everything and feed your face. change. With his thumb, he maneuvered on, causing an equally groovy explosion
Diners, hamburger and pizza the coins around until there was a and the basis of a multi-car pile-up.

T places, even those scrunges with

the push-carts in Central
were sending out signals,
Park— all
saying, “come
quarter and two pennies sitting on the
bill. He laid this on the counter just as

the gal was returning with his burger.

Downtown,
allthey were worth, and in
the area was filled with
the sirens were howling for
mere minutes
fire engines,
and fill your stomach— cheap.” The “Thanks,” she said, still smiling, as she fuzzmobiles, and meat wagons.
MacDonald’s at 7th Avenue and 125th deposited the bread in the cash register. An elderly woman poked her head
Street was no exception. Girls at the “Yeah,” the Tarantula replied. “I wuz from a ground floor window in the
counter were scurrying between cash gettin’ hungry!” He picked up the bag brownstone where the Tarantula was
register and grill, valiantly trying to keep and trotted off toward the dining area, resting his can. “What’s going on?” she
the lines before them at a minimum. paused to say hi to a tableful of soul demanded in a sandpaper-on-ground-
The Tarantula was in one of these brothers, neatly swung between two stu- glass voice.
lines; a nondescript, “long-haired- dent-types that were in his way, and beat “Dunno,” he replied, trying to keep
hippie-freak” type, mustached, slightly a burly greaser and his youthful female a straight face. “Some kind of explosion
evil looking. His immediate expression companion to a The couple
corner table. at MacDonald’s. Mebbe they
the
was one of boredom, an outward sign stalked off, he muttering under his slopped grease on the fire or somethin’.”
of a “what the hell am I doing here?” breath (“blankety-blank little snot!”), The woman gave him a dirty look and
attitude; but there was a slight but no- she attempting to calm him down (“it’s- shut the window.
ticeable aura of impending doom? . . . all right. Fang, we’ll eat on the bike.”) He sniggered and looked at his watch.
excitement? both? issuing from his
. . . Five minutes later, the Tarantula’s Whoops! Time to move out, he thought,
loose, lanky frame (the unenlightened lunch was digesting in his stomach, and hoisting himself up from the stoop. After
would call it b.o. and leave it -at that). only after he burped loudly arid content- making sure that nobody was looking
With his left hand, he kept fiddling with edly, then looked around to make sure hisway, he took off at a dead run down-
the wooden cross hanging- from his no one was watching him, did he reach town to his meeting with the Warlock.
shaggy neck by a rawhide thong, while into his jacket pocket and pull onto his
his right hand darted in and out of the lap the lump which he had been futzing he Tarantula was gasping for air as
frayed pocket of his faded Army jacket, with all this time— a homemade bomb T he chugged up the stairs towards the
fondling the small lump that would ul- with a timer on it. Warlock’s pad on the 13th floor. It was
timately lengthen his life span— and ter- He glanced almost lovingly at the bad enough that the elevator was out
minate that of about three dozen others. fist-sized bomb, then his dark eyes of order; but the condition of the stairs
“Next.” darted about the dining room, seeking and the Warlock’s room number-
The Tarantula snapped out of his out a place where he could plant it. 13 13— seemed like a multiple hex.
boredom mask and realized that he was Under a seat? In a flower box? A garbage Someday, the Tarantula thought between
at the counter, and that a girl with an can? gasps, someday I’m gonna say something
order pad and a permanent smile glued Yes! A garbage can! There was one to him that I didn’t mean, and when I
on was waiting for a reaction from him. right near him— a big round one with leave, he’ll put a whammy on me so I
“Uhh— yeah,” he mumbled, squinting at a dome top and a little hole for your fall down th stairs and break my stupid
’

the food list hanging above and behind trash. With infinite care, he wound up neck . That’s probably why he lives
. .

her. “Ummm right. Okay. Lessee

. . . the timer part, set it for fifteen minutes, so high up.
. .I’ll have a. Quarter Pounder plain,
. then dropped the bomb in the bag with He stopped for many breaths on the
an’ a small bag of fries, and uhh . . . the rest of his trash and shoved this in landing and glanced at the level sign.
... a Coke, I guess.” He checked his turn into the can. Pretty cool, he thought 6th Floor.He spat weakly at the sign
Jacket pocket and heaved a small sigh as he ambled toward the exit. When that and resumed climbing.
of relief— the all-important lump was still bomb goes ojf in there, metal’s gonna be Many steps later, he stood, limp,
there. flying like Timothy Leary! soggy, and panting, outside 1313. He
“Large or small Coke?” At the door, he paused and held it didn’t bother to knock; through the bat-
“Wha?” open for a couple of little old ladies, who tered door, he heard the electric pound-
“Large or small Coke?” both thanked him profusely for his ing of a Led Zeppelin album, cranked
“Oh. Small, I guess. I, uhh, hafta eat courtesy. “Unreal,” he murmured. up loud enough to arouse the dead— and
and split.” He smiled at the private joke “Those biddies are thankin’ me for kill- that included the building’s stout land-
he had just made. The girl behind the ing them!” He sniggered at the thought. lord, a 24-hour dozer. The Tarantula
counter scribbled something on her pad, After a quick glimpse left and right, summoned all the energy left over from
tore off the check with professional he loped across the street, scurried about the climb, decided it was enough to kick
verve, slapped it down in front of him a block downrange of the MacDonald’s, the door in, then did just that— kicked
with said verve, then grabbed a lunchbag and plunked his rear down on the stoop the door open— then staggered in after
and started to fill it with the makings of a brownstone tenement. A glance at it.

of his meal. his watch told him he had about eleven His tired eyes took in the familiar sight
With his free hand, the Tarantula minutes to go. of the flat— battered furniture decorated
picked up the check and looked at the Eleven and a half minutes later, an in Early Pot Party and Late Penthouse,
total. A dollar twenty-seven. A sigh of explosion rocked the eatery, blasting the a kitchen even the rats avoided, the
relief whistled through his teeth; he’d windows from their frames and carrying inevitable Zeppelin album on a (yechh)
brought just enough. His right hand people and furniture right behind it. Two Woolworth’s hi-fi, a pan on a hot plate
26
 When he placed a bomb, he knew that
his skill and luck would insure
the maximum amount of damage from
the explosion.

fullof bubbling brown guck.

From the general direction of the
bedroom, there came a series of
sounds— gasps, whispers, and slams.
Moments later, the Warlock— bearded,
in a toga, appropriately mysterious
looking— emerged from the bedroom,
yanking his garb into a less indecent
position on his body. “What in God’s
name is .oh, it’s you, Tranch. Whatsa
. .

matter, is knocking illegal now?” He

switched the cheap record player off.
“No,” the Tarantula replied as he
collapsed on an overstuffed fuschia-
with-avocado-trim sofa, “but what you
were just doing in there with who-
ever-she-was is. ”
The Warlock winced and slid the rec-
ord back into its cover. “Hey man, that
one was below the belt, like.” He flicked
his wrist and sent the disc frisbeeing over
onto an uneven pile of records.
“Besides,” his guest continued, “what
good would knocking have done? You
play those albums so damned loud .” . .

“We all have our our hang-ups,” the

Warlock sighed. “But I’m not worth
talking about right now— how about
you?”
“Oh yeah,” the Tarantula murmured
dreamily, “Wow that was really cool.
. . ,

The place went up like .” He paused, . .

then his eyes kind of glittered and he

whispered, “like a bomb went off!”
His host snorted with glee. “Vedy
goot, schtudent!” he barked in a pseu-
do-Germanic accent. “Now, your re-
ward!” With mock ceremony, he
whipped the pan off the hot plate,
poured the contents into a cup and
shoved it at the Tarantula, who in turn
picked it up, took a deep breath, then
downed the contents in one swig.
The effects were immediate. His eyes
bugged out, his face went white, and his
cheeks bulged as his stomach analyzed
the mixture, rejected it, and attempted
to dispose of it through his mouth. With
his right hand clamped firmly over his
mouth, he dived headlong into the
kitchen, clawed frantically at the faucet
until it gave, then thrust his head under
the rust-tinted stream. Only after his
mouth was cleansed of the foul-tasting
stuff did he slowly raise his head.
The first thing that came from his lips

after he turned off the water was, “My

God, that stuff was awful!”
“Well, you know what they say— the
medicine that tastes the worst works the
Warlock facetiously.
best,” replied the
“By the way what did it taste like?”
. . .

“How does lemon-flavored mud

turn to page 80
 a popular
president, but he was an
efficient one, and
considering the times,
that was just what
the country had need of.

fiction/LARRY EISENBERG
artist/MONTE ROGERS

1HE
SPURIOUS
MSIDENT
 he extraordinary touchiness of the into his ken, he never let go of it.
Incredible as it seemed,
President was legendary. The tin- He had come to office through a three
iest sign of disrespect, verbal or way race in which he had garnered only the President had just
facial, was enough to trigger off thirty five percent of the popular vote, disappeared, and now
T
set
a tirade of gargantuan propor-
tions. Even fancied slights could
him off.
with a bare plurality of the electoral vote.
Using astute bargaining methods with
computer backup, he had directed the
that he was back, there
were a lot of questions,
He was not a popular President but unprecedented horse trading that won
but no one with the
he was considered an efficient one. His him the election in the House, by a slim
office ran smoothly, his assistants were majority. And fron that time on, his courage to ask them.
always in motion, and panelled lights Administration was off on a single track So his friends and
glowed into the small hours of the approach to running the country.
He was openly business oriented and advisors worked out a
morning, seven days a week. It was on
the hustings that he showed to poor supported massive grants and tax rebates testwhich they were sure
advantage, particularly when he had to to initiate new computer directed en-
no imposter could pass.
shake hands or kiss babies. His smile was terprises. He slashed all social welfare
forced, his handshake clammy, and his programs to the bone. He set in motion Or at least reasonably
glance was furtive and shifty. a cold blooded Games Strategy ap- sure. Or at least. . .

The President had risen out of the proach toward solving the Third Cold
ranks of the new bright young men, the War, a cocked cobalt bomb on the table,
computer programmers and metapro- freezing the marrow of the Slavic So-
grammers. Early in his career he had cialist Powers.
earned a reputation as a computer de- He also took a keen interest in the
tective, uncovering ingenious program- security measures that surrounded the
ming tricks devised to rip off the giant New White House. After the kidnapping
corporations. He had, 'everyone said, a and assassination of the martyred Presi-
mind like a steel trap. Once a fact came dent Fabrikant some forty years earlier
30
by an intrepid trio of revolutionary by algorithm, but
witchcraft, a divination Most troubled of all was General Hod
South American patriots posing as the he paid no attention to what they said. Bradshaw, Chief of the Joint Military
Nazir of Waddam and two of his con- Normally only his two Secret Service Staffs. Bradshaw was known as the Pres-
cubines, it had been decided that the bodyguards were allowed to come along ident’s man, committed, believing, loyal.
President must be guarded with an ab- and certainly nobody from Press or T ele- He had once taught computer science
solutely foolproof system. projection. But on this occasion, if he at West Point and even written an in-
The historic White House was regret- had gone to Camp Smokie, even his wife genious algorithm for countering the
fully razed. A new one wasconstructed was left behind. Giuoco Piano chess opening, which first
with little emphasis on external beauty. At first nobody said anything. The brought him to the President’s attention.
It had an enormous number of inter- kidnapping and murder of old President His swift rise to the top was unimpeded.
locking passages and corridors with ver- Fabrikant was still a fresh horror in In all that time the President had tended
tical sliding panels that were electroni- everyone’s mind, even after forty years. to treat him coldly but correctly. Yet
cally controlled. The ingenious architect At first people toyed with the idea of now, after the absence and return, Brad-
had executed a brilliant conception, an assignation, but it was impossible to shaw detected an occasional gleam of
fashioning a programmable maze with picture the President in a circular bed. warmth in his Commander-in-Chief.
over five thousand possible patterns, all He was thought to be passionately de- For a while he kept his peace about
leading to the President’s Oval Room voted to his wife although he was austere this strange matter but at last, because
office. Each day. the head of the Secret and puritannical. of his loyalty to the Country, he felt
Service chose a number out of a pickle It was possible that he had stolen off compelled to say what was on his mind.
jar which he then used to designate the to a secret meeting with a representative He was extraordinarily discreet in
maze that would be in effect for that of the Slavic Socialist Powers. Hints that broaching his hypothesis that a) either
day. such a meeting was in the cards had the President had been kidnapped and
If by some mischance, potential mis- flooded the Capitol for weeks. But nei- substituted for, or b) returned after a
creants could actually get a foot inside ther the Secretary of Diplomacy nor carefully contrived brainwashing. In ei-
the White House entrance, it was vir- anyone on the National Security Council ther event, the President was spurious.
tually impossible to reach the President knew a thing about such a meeting. Both of these schemes would have
without full prior knowledge of the cho- After ten days of uncertainty, it be- required the active connivance of the
sen maze pattern of the day. The Presi- came frighteningly clear that the Presi- Head of the Secret Service who con-
dent was not convinced of the security dent had really vanished. The only up the daily maze pattern
trolled setting
of the maze approach. He had called in question that remained to be resolved and General Bradshaw quietly assigned
the Head of the Secret Service and was, had he left voluntarily or had he his top military intelligence operatives
handed him a mathematical analysis been kidnapped? Just as the first rumors to observe this top level suspect. But he
which was highly critical of the system. began to flit through the media, the still didn’t dare to tell his misgivings to
In rebuttal, a test program was ini- President returned. N obody actually saw the National Security Council. He wasn’t
tiated for a six month Each week,
period. him return, it was simply that his wife certain of his ground and knew that if
an unknown operative of the Secret Ser- woke one morning and found him in he was wrong, the President himself
vicewas chosen to try to run the maze. the adjoining twin bed, sound asleep in would cut him into little pieces. So he
To simplify his task, he was always given neosilk pajamas. There didn’t even seem casually let his thoughts slide into a
the first half of the maze pattern. And to be a hair out of place on his neatly private conversation with Admiral
in that entire six month period, not a groomed scalp. Throckton Renick and to his amaze-
single man had been able to get close At breakfast, he seemed and
as distant ment, after looking about cautiously, the
to the Oval Room. as devoted as ever. His wife wanted to Admiral agreed with him.
If the President was satisfied with this ask him where he had been but she was They agreed to approach another po-
refutation of his analysis, he kept it to afraid to do it. His legendary temper was tentially trustworthy member of the
himself, putting most of his efforts into just as likely to flare up at her as it was Council and when they did so, found
an automated weapons building pro- at the Cabinet. But he did seem slightly another pair of willing ears and a nod-
gram, and setting up additional secret more accessible. He smiled occasionally ding head. Within three weeks, every-
organizations under his personal direc- and once, even poured out a glass of body in the Security Council except for
tion. And then suddenly, one day he water for her before pouring his own. the President had individually listened
disappeared. In short, she felt that he was a bit more to and been shaken by General Brad-
Nobody could say for sure how long considerate than he’d ever been before. shaw’s dual hypothesis. And then, at a
he had been gone. He was always an Even White House aides noticed
his secretly convened meeting, the Secretary
intensely private man and a passionately the slight change and gossiped about it of Diplomacy, Reinhart Krantz, asked
secret one. was not unusual for him
It among themselves. But not a single one in his deep basso. “What do we do now?”
Camp Smokie,
to take off abruptly for of them dared to ask the President where Nobody answered. General Bradshaw
his palatialhideaway atop the fabled he’d been or what he’d been doing. And bit his lip. Admiral Renick drew tiny
mist covered mountains. There, it was yet, because he was not quite as irascible sailboats on the yellow lined pad that
rumored, he had an elaborate computer as of yore, they were tempted to try it. lay before him.
complex, financed In part out of his own One morning, out of the blue, the Presi- “Why don’t we put it directly to the
pocket. With it he could test strategies dent asked a press aide how his sick President?” asked Secretary Krantz.
and counter strategies based on eco- mother was doing. This unwonted solic- “That seems the logical and direct way
nomic and political models of the three itude so unnerved the aide that he acci- of handling this problem. I’m sure the
major power blocs. He even utilized dentally fed the morning’s press sum- President would understand our fears
psychological profiles of the great world mary into the recycler. The President and the patriotic motivation behind
leaders. His enemies called it modern frowned and said it didn’t matter. turn to page 64
“The person who plunks down a dollar and
change is entitled to something, and /
feel I have to give him a certain level
”
of quality every time.

sui^"/'^kL
 Vertex: What criteria do you use to
arrive at that?
Judy-Lynn: As a reader, if the story
entertains me and amuses me, I find it

something I think other people will

have to like it. If I
like. Basically, I
like it. I other people will like it.
feel
Vertex: So you publish just what you
like?
Judy-Lynn: There are books I know
should be published because they are
well done, even though they might not
be something I’d take with me if I
were going to a desert island with
only twenty-eight books. I publish lots
of things that would not be among the
twenty-eight. But I look for basic
qualities of writing and basic
resolution of plots. I am the reader’s
representative. The person who plunks
interviewer William Rotsler down a dollar and change is entitled
to something, and I feel I have to give
him a certain level of quality ^very
time. Otherwise, he will not look for
our books anymore.
Vertex: I know from my personal
experience with you, and from your
request to writers when you were
getting material for Stellar, and from
what you put in the foreword to
Stellar, that you like what you call
“old-fashioned” science fiction.
Judy-Lynn: “Old-fashioned” is not
udy-Lynn del Rey has been the necessarily a pejorative. Much of
J science-fiction editor of Ballantine what was written in the Thirties,
Books since the Spring of 1973, Forties, and Fifties— when it was well
shortly after Random House bought written— was good. It’s the same today.
Ballantine, but she has already made So what I’m looking for is basically a
her mark upon the field in her choice high quality of writing and
of books, her work with writers, and story-telling. In the Stellar collection I

with Stellar, the first in a series of asked writers to resolve their plots. I

original anthologies of new don’t think that is either old-fashioned

“old-fashioned” science fiction. or unfair. When
a writer sets up a
The interview was held in her suite problem he ought to find a resolution
at the elegant Hotel Bel-Air, where for it and not leave that job up to the
she was conducting business with a reader. Many stories— whether written
wide variety of people including Gene in the Thirties, the Forties, the Fifties,
Roddenberry, Alan Dean Foster, this the Sixties, or the Seventies— were bad
interviewer, Ray Bradbury, C.L. because many writers were careless
Moore, and Mel Brooks, creator of and were more interested in their
Young Frankenstein. word rates than in their readers. So a
story would come to a grinding halt
Vertex: What do you think is good because that is what the writer got
science fiction? paid for.
Judy-Lynn del Rey: As an editor, good Vertex: They stop, they don’t end.
science fiction is basically what sells Judy-Lynn: They stop. “Terrific, I
books. As a reader, good science have come to the end of my
fictionis a story that tells you requirement or my contract.” It makes
something about the future and no difference when a story was
something about man’s condition in written, that is, in what time frame.
the world today. If you put the two Honest story telling is a value that I
together, good science fiction is what found in the stories of the past, and of
sells books and pleases the editor and the present that were good. It is a
publisher and eventually pleases the requirement, I think, of a writer to do
public with a well-told story. his job. And if that is old-fashioned.
 “/ think the function of an editor
is to put out the best book
possible for the writer, and
”
ultimately, for the consumer.

tiny circulations. But that’s not what

really sells in the mass market— and
that’s not what I’m looking for at
Ballantine.
Vertex: How involved do you get in
the writing, or re-writing, of a book?
Do you have perfect manuscripts that
require no editing or other work?
Judy-Lynn: How involved I get
depends on the individual manuscript.
When I read a manuscript and get to
page forty and haven’t a clue as to
what is going on, I feel that most
readers won’t either. At that point I
really don’t care and back it goes,
with a suggestion either to be coherent
or try something else. If it’s a book
that I care a great deal about, and I
think the writer has not done what he
really wants to do— not necessarily
what / want him to do— I will make
suggestions and say “I think you went
astray on Page 78 and here’s why,
what do you think?” I don’t want to
do the re-writing. I don’t believe I
should do the re-writing. It is then up
to the writer either to say, “Yes, I
agree with you and I will try to do it

the way you suggest because that

really makes a better book,” or “No, I
don’t agree with you and why.”
here’s
Then it is up to me to decide whether
I want to publish the book, because I
think it is a valid book and it should

be published. Many times a writer

doesn’t want to do what I’ve
suggested. Okay. It’s his book. If he
says that’s the way he wants to do it,

and I feel that he has done his job as

a writer and that there are enough
people oiit there who are going to like
it and buy and want to read it and
it

enjoy it,I’ll go along. But if I

fine.
don’t want to do it, I might say,
“Well, that’s terrific, but you still
haven’t solved your problems or the
book is still incoherent or it’s very
arty and it doesn’t do what it should
do.” Then I don’t publish it. There
well, then I’m all for it. music, the experience, and what you are lots of other publishers. Because I
Vertex: Getting an ending, a good bring to it. But when you are telling a don’t like something it doesn’t mean
ending, is always a difficult thing. story, when you set up a problem of there isn’t a good home for the book
Judy-Lynn: But that’s the writer’s job, the future and put a hero or a people elsewhere. Obviously, Ballantine can’t
after all; that’s not the reader’s job, or into it and then you come to the end publish everything. I have twenty-four
the editor’s job. Putting a roof on a and you say, “Well, maybe they’ll get slots ayear for originals and I have to
house is difficult, too, but it’s not up out of it and maybe they won’t, it’s up fill them
as best I can with a balanced
to the carpenter or architect to say, to you to figure it out.”— that’s like There are not twenty-four great
list.

“Well, I’ve put up the structure, you looking at a cloud and saying, “I see a novels written in any one year, so I
figure out a way to put the roof on.” hippopotamus, or I see an elephant.” have to find a balance of what I think
Vertex: A lot of rock records don’t So what? And if you don have a ’t are good first novels, fine novels by
end, they just come to a place, repeat story to tell, then maybe you should house authors, new novels by people
it, and fade out. do something else— but not write. we are trying to attract to the house,
Judy-Lynn: But you are not basically There is a market for vignettes and good adventure stories and a few
telling a story with a reeord, you have character sketches and things like collections. I try to strike the best
something else going for you— the that— mostly in little magazines with balance for our readers. I think the
34
function of an editor is to put out the Vertex: What do you do about the novel is Minus Fifteen. Maybe.

best book possible for the writer and delicate ego of writers? For instance, A
young writer, whose first novel
ultimately, then, for the consumer. do you do as much work on the we had published, recently came in to
Often we will get a first novel, which manuscript of a “Big Name” writer, the office. He said, “Well, I want you
has a fine story, is well-conceived, but such as Clarke, as you do on a middle to know, Judy, that when I hand in a
in many cases is awkwardly written. range writer? manuscript it is pretty well the way I

At that point editorial judgment Judy-Lynn: I find that the bigger the want (You know, he'd written his
it.”

dictates that it is not a service to the writer, the more professional the first and now he ivaj a
novel
writer to publish something that in writer, especially ifhe has been professional writer!) “I feel,” he went
three or four years— when he has around for a long time. He’s been on. “you really don’t need to do much
learned more about his craft— may around for a reason. One, he writes or make suggestions. I’ve gone over
embarrass him. At that point we quality fiction, and therefore his books the novel several times and it’s the
might sit down and do a light copy need much less work. Also, a writer way I want it.” I said, “That’s terrific,

editing or even a little heavier copy who is a professional knows what goes and here’s the name of a vanity press.
editing. Then we go ahead and show into the editing process, what is the They’ll do the book exactly as you
the corrected version to him. We ultimate goal. In publishing someone want it. They won’t change a word,
never change the basics of a book like Clarke, we don’t usually deal with they won’t even make suggestions. It
without the writer’s permission. If a his original manuscripts, but rather will cost you. You may not get much
writer does not want to make with his hardcover house. But I’ve distribution. But they'll publish it.”
suggested changes, that’s his privilege. found that people like Arthur are very That ended that discussion.
It’s also my privilege not to publish amenable to discussion. The writers Vertex: What advice do you have for
the book. Somewhere in the middle who are being published for the first the young or unpublished novelist
we. usually strike a happy balance. time are the ones who believe that about approaching a publisher, or
Vertex; You hear so many horror every word is precious and who are approaching Ballantine Books?
stories about copy editors re-writing constantly tripping over their egos. On Judy-Lynn: Someone who is
books, changing things, deleting a cosmic scale of One to Ten— with all completely unknown should send in a
important parts . . . that is going on in the Universe— the few chapters and an outline of
Judy-Lynn: This is not a perfect fact that a few words are changed in a whatever is in the works. He should
world. be writing the kind of fiction that
Vertex: Aw . . . made him want to read science
Judy-Lynn: We have pretty good copy fiction, not what he thinks he ought to
Some “creative” copy editors
editors. be writing. If he sets out to impress
have come through the house— once! the editor with his great wisdom— we
There was a copy editor at the house get these eighteen-year-olds writing
for a while who kept saying, “I don’t about the wisdom of the centuries
I will change
like the editor’s style, so handed down to them by I don’t
it.” I “No, no, I pay you, you
said, know whom— it doesn’t wash. Very
don’t pay me. My marks you leave. If profound, not very interesting. He or
I say this will be upper case she should write what he most enjoys
throughout, you leave it, because I say reading. If he likes the story when he
so and I am paying you. I don’t care finishes it, there’s a good chance that
what your creative writing teacher told others will.
you.” I usually give first novels to Vertex: I love writing what I like to
somebody house who is very good
in read.
at straightening out awkwardness. I Judy-Lynn: Since we have your books
then see all manuscripts when they under contract, I hope other people
come back from the copy editor. The like reading what you like to write,
author sees galleys and at that point aside from me. We shall see.
can make changes, scream and yell. Vertex: You are married to Lester del
But we try, in our science fiction, to Rey, one of the Greats of science
do a minimum copy edit, because fiction
“As a publisher ... it is
. . .

me.
these are books to be read and Judy-Lynn: Indeed. So he tells

enjoyed. It is not desirable to make our responsibility to Vertex: How Involved do you get In
every book sound like every other his writing?
draw in new readers all
Judy-Lynn: Not don’t want
book, by editing all the flavor out at all. I to
of it. the time so that we see anything he’s written until he’s
I know one editor, who shall be finished, then we talk about it. Of
nameless, who thought the ultimate
continually prepare a new course, Lester has been a Ballantine
was fine sentence structure. It got to audience for the next ten author for some twenty years, and I
the point where everything he touched ” have been a Ballantine editor for
or twenty years.
sounded like everything else. He took something over a year and a half— so
all the life, all the spirit, all the he really has seniority in the house.
emotion out of the work. Writers Even so, whenever I bring up a Lester
screamed and I think they were within del Rey project at an editorial
their rights. turn to page 59
SURPRISE PARTY
from page 7

scene?” arl walked along the upper deck Good luck. I’m zipping to Alta Urbeto
Norris peered closer. ‘‘Naw. Glenna J of the Monroe sector, looking down with Uncle Jack. If you move leave a
tab with Central Pop, ok? Love and
wasn’t that good. I think she went off into the bowl below. The fanciful pattern
with some pimpo who was going to bring of lights that jeweled the mall came from kisses. Mom.”
big ark know-how to the domes up in the colored dome overhead. Around the They’d only had the license for one
the Arctic.” upper deck were many expensive res- child, so Jarl had no sisters or brothers.
"Looks like her. though. 1 remember taurants with superb views of the Po- That night was the last time he’d cried,
one night she and I climbed out on top tomoc Valley, the Old and New Capitols, or planned to. He’d gone right out and
of the Gem and were linking up like the old and new landscape of Washing- over the arc to Cherryblossom Lane and
crazy w'hen w'e damn near fell off! That’s ton. D.C. Along with the restaurants picked a fight with Big Dutch, who had
a half-kilometer drop right there, you w'ere exclusive shops, travel services, always been able to flatten him before.
know. That Glenna. she was really a airline and travelsub bureaus, banks, He broke Dutch’s nose and bit off his
fanatic for—” fancy sensory tape salons, and specialty left earlobe.
“Come on. who are you betting on?” stores. Jarl paused by a window with a The next day he started serious rip-
"Don’t have nothing to bet, man. my scale model of the undersea pleasure ping, but it took only two months before

credit card has been punched.” dome window. Within he

Triton in the he was caught. Down in Foundation he’d
“You got shares in these,” he said, could see bright posters for King Nep- met up with Stick and Gangrerie, and
slapping the top of his desk. tune’s, Atlantis, Lemuria, and other un- they’d showed him the right ways. He
“Okay. I’ll take ten percent on the dersea palaces of pleasure. didn’t get caught for two years, and only
blacks. They demolished the Demons Fat chance I have of ever getting there, then because he’d picked on some esper
last month.” Jarl thought angrily. I’m lucky if I don’t trainee.
"Yeah, but them blondies cut the get put away for a third time. Two trips “Down here is school, citizen slave,”
Aztecs to chute slop in the circus over to the Foundation, cleaning muck and Stick had told him. “Up there is living.

to Allegheny.” steaming slop chutes under the hard eyes Learn and live. Jarlie.”

“Yeah? Well. I’m still with the Ibos. of a prison guard was enough for him. “You Shut up!” the guard had
there!
Deal?” Third timers have a rough stick, he snarled. “Get those garbage chutes
“Deal.” thought. steamed out, you brass-brickers!” But
Jarl and Norris watched the two teams wandered along, not lingering too
Jarl Jarl hadn’t forgotten. He’d learned every
of e.xperienced warriors circle for posi- long any one spot, his eyes searching
at trick, sneak, whistle, toot, con, swipe,
tion. A sudden cut to a closeup on the for a score. There were suckers every- double overlay, computer twist, or fast

new Valkyrie brought a surprised shout where. he knew, and he had only to rewiring that Stick or anyone would
from Norris. “That’s Greta! She used to detect and isolate. teach him.
be with the Huns! Goddamn it, Jarl, I His father had worked this sector, looked at a middle-aged man in
Jarl
all but own ten percent of you! The Huns before he skipped off with a biostat a puce jumper, carrying an IRI repair
beat the Sultans, the Urbos. that bunch operator. He’d been a good rip, when kit. Maybe follow, get him to program
of stickers from Berlin, the ones with he worked, but that wasn’t often. “Why the robot he is going to fix to take orders
the deathmasks. they beat ’em all!” work?” he had often said to his son. “The only from me. Use the robot to smash and
“Not the Angels, they didn’t smash the state will keep you from starving, won’t grab at that Cartier’s back there. Jarl
Angels,” Jarl said. “They lost that blonde it? You can always plead special circum- rejected the half-formed plan the mo-
with the big domes to them, and they
sold her to some meat packer putting
together teams for South America. 1 ain’t
lost the ten percent yet. you old tank
thief.”
Every crevice and crack in society holds its
The fight began and there was a swift
share of rats, and Jarl was hapfy to be one
clashing of metal on metal and the
screams of the wounded. Jarl and Norris of the more successful rodents in his ark.
swung their shoulders and clenched fists
with each blow of their favorites.
Serena walked out. swinging her hips,
her ripe body gleaming with sweat.
“Where’s the client?” Norris asked. stancesif they want to ship you off to ment he saw the plump, bewigged ma-
“Sleeping. Didn’t have another one some hydroponics plant or algae skim- tron carrying the golden permakitten.
lined up so 1 let him stay. Maybe I can mer. Tell ’em you’re allergic to water Link her and get her so madly in love

wiggle myself a second score when he or something.” He’d slap his son on the with me that’ll she’ll do anything. But Jarl
wakes up.” She moved up next to Jarl back. “Better you spend the day bending wasn’t all that confident of his sexual
and put a full, ripe breast against his over a hot smiler from a balancing whis- powers and he watched her go into a
shoulder. “Put ’em up, Jarl, I’ve got you tle than any tank with green crap in it.” bank. Then a young man, obviously a
surrounded.” Jarl’s mother had worked the shill homosexual, emerged from the bank,
“Later, Serena. I’ve got some loot game for an astrology computer whistle and go quickly towards the escalator. Jarl
riding on the blondies.” down in Washington Plaza, but she dis- saw him pat his pocket and he smiled.
Serena made a face and sauntered appeared the night of his thirteenth Loaded. Then Jarl stopped, knowing the
slowly back into her room. “I’ll be in birthday. The note, in an envelope with young man was the type that never car-
conference.” she said, but no one heard a Unicard with only 180 francs left on ried anything but a Unicard and a
her. it, had said, “Today you are a man. Changecard, for the small purchases
from vending machines.
Annoyed and frustrated. Jarl wan-
dered on down a level. More shops lined
the arc from escalator to the small and
elegant balancing salon by the elevators.
Jarl turned the other way. and for a few
meters followed a female with the
Daughters of Bilitis pendant, but she was
met by three more of her kind and Jarl
was discouraged.
He sat on a bench, and slumped with
his eyes moodily scanning the crowd. He
knew he was more conspicuous that way,
but he didn’t care.
/ can '! even find a blimp to punch, he
thought gloomily. This goddamn world
has nothing to offer! Oh, I wish I were
back in the 20th or even the 1 8th Century.
Pirates! Buccanneers! Loot! Adventure!
Briefly. Jarl remembered his snarls at
Mogen and his belittling of Mogen’s
ideas about adventuring. There are no
real Adventures out on some Michigan
dirt farm! Up in the Artie or down in
the Antartic you just freeze your ass.
There are no dragons, no frontiers, no real
dangers anymore.
“Who can fight a computer?” he said
aloud.
“I beg your pardon?”
Jarl looked around. A man had sat
down on the other end of the bench.
“Were you speaking to me?” he asked.
Jarl started to say something snarly,
but changed his mind. Why bother? Why
draw attention? “No, I was just thinking
out loud,” he said.
The man grinned. “Nothing to do.
huh?” Jarl nodded, giving him a fast
once-over. Mid-twenties, confident, prob-
ably one of the travel agents or an invest-
ment counseler on his lunch break. Didn’t
look like anyone’s sucker, so Jarl didn’t
pursue the conversation. He decided to
move to another bench, then changed
his mind. Talking to such a respectable
looking citizen might be good cover
while he filtered themob for a mark.
“Yeah.” Jarl said, “you know how it
is.”

The man moved a little closer. “You

could Join the circus.”
Jarl looked at him with disgust. “I’m
not that desperate.”
“The circus stars live pretty high. A
young man like you, all those women,
.”
all those prizes, some big adventures . .

“Yeah, and in a few weeks 1 go down

the slop chutes to the fusion torch be-
cause i’ll be too chopped up for the
organ banks. No, thanks. I’ll get some-
thing else.”
“There’s the moon colonies, all the
colonies on Mars, or you could be a
miner out in the Jovian moons.”
37
 Jarl made a face. “Uh. Please, citizen, “Like a trip down to Foundation, for all the confidence of some gamey old stud
that’s not for this son. That’s not adven- stealing your card?” con.
ture, that’s work.” The young man shook his head. “No. They went down to the Forties, and
“What’s wrong with work?” your attention.
that’s just a device to get across to the Ramona Nelson section,
Jarl just shot him a nasty look then I’ve been watching you filter the mob, which was with accountants,
filled
returned to appraising an over-weight setting up the dip angles.” He smiled small-time circus promoters, cargosub
exec with a bulging snapcase showing as Jarl reacted to his easy use of crime- transhippers, solar power machinery rep
the Potomoc Hydroponics logo. Probably world slang. “You’ve been babying it offices, ark rental agents, beauty shops,
just papers. along the deck, leaving eyetracks on all middle-class balancing salons, and
“What are you going to do. then?” the loot-carriers, and being so bright I bookers for acts going to the India Ocean
“What do you mean?” Jarl was be- thought you’d blind me.” floating islands. There were store-front
coming annoyed. Jarl looked at him with new respect. temples of such religions as the Aesthetic
“What are you going to do with your An ex-booster, a ripper from one of the Hedonists, the Church of the Holy
life? What are you qualified to do? What gangs in JFK maybe. Maybe he just wants Heretic, the Vishnu Supreme Temple of
are your degrees?” to compare notes, or— who knows— recruit Faith and Healing, the Evangelistic
around and glared at
Jarl turned half me for some big-time whistle that needs Kings of the Holy Empire, and the
the young man, who didn’t seem at all good, sharp muscle. He began to relax, Sacred Angels of God the Glorious.
disturbed by his best frown. “Degrees? ready to sit out. His eyes went back
it Between the offices of a company that
Are you zongo? Me? Citizen, I grew up to their automatic scanning and ap- sold wrist computers and electrohelmets
in the Cherryblossom section, right here praisal of the passing throng. and the Federal Scrambleball League
in Columbia. You know what that “Okay.” Jarl said, “what’s the giggle?” was a plain door set in a plain wall. It
means, man? Degree? Qualifications? “You look like a good ripper. A little looked like the additional office space
Shit . .
.” He
turned away, more angry seasoning, a steer in the right direction, of one or the other of the stores on either
with himself than the stranger. He could and you could go far.” The man’s smile side. Larson put his SecurKey to the
have gone to Johnson Trade, or even was of suppressed amusement, but Jarl lock, thumbed the plate and the door
William Harrison Skills and Crafts, but didn’t see it. opened.
he had grown up where everyone “I’ll get there anyway, with or without The room within was small, furnished
thought you were a sucker to work. your help.” Jarl said. in cheap copies of Lifestyle chairs and
“What do you do?” the man asked. “I’m certain you will,” the .stranger paneled in a common type of stone ve-
“I Never mind what I do,” Jarl
. . . said smoothly. “But my way is faster and neer plastic. Larson asked Jarl to wait a
snapped. more certain. You willing to take a moment, and disappeared into an inner
“You’re a ripper, aren’t you?” the chance?” office. Jarl slumped into a chair with a
stranger asked pleasantly. Jarl looked “I’ve been taking my chances from knife cut in the seat.
around at him sharply. “You’re up here Foundation all the way to TipTop, all Suddenly he was not so sure. He
looking for a mark. Probably some petty my life.” looked around the grubby office, saw the
little smash and grab. Some two franc “This is . . . um . . . the big time, old copies of TIME and Interplanetary
whistle.” The young man shook his head and your best chance.” Sports,saw the stains on the brown car-
wearily. “How many times have they Muscle for a rip in Monroe, or maybe pet. saw the tired old two-dee on the
sent you down? Once? Twice?” He a strike force to hit other arks. Someone wall of an idealized and retouched Co-
smiled serenely at Jarl’s discomfort.
“Oh. don’t worry,” the stranger said
with a smile. “I’m not going to holler
for a blackshirt. You interest me.”
Jarl glared at him and started to rise. The stranger had a whistle the likes of
“Goodbye, citizen.” he said.
The man raised a hand. “Go now and which Jarl had never imagined, and the kid
I’ll say you lifted my card. I'll say you
fell for it like a ton of uranium!
dumped chute over there when
it in that
1 It will be my word
started yelling.
against yours ... a convicted baddie.
And there’s a blackshirt over there by
the Zeropop booth.” to head up a ration book counterfeiting lumbia. Jarl shook his head. They hadn’t
Jarl didn’t move, only swiveled his ring. Or some slicker whistle, some con- built the C cargo deck then, or the whole
eyes towards the policeman. Then he sat game with beautiful slots and great Atlantica facet. The old ark had a cleaner
back down. Better to humor him, he clothes . . . look then, Jarl thought, before they kept
thought. “I’m listening.” Jarl said toughly. No adding to it. Probably before we went up
“That’s right,” the stranger said use thinking he was too easy, Jarl thought. to 800,000 people from the half-million
quietly. “I won’t keep you long, only “Not here,” the man said, getting up. it had been designed for.

long enough to listen to my whistle.” He stuck out his hand and Jarl rose to But the office did not inspire con-
Jarl’s lips twisted in a sneer. “Just as take it. “Pm Larson.” fidence. A small-time whistle, he thought.
I thought. Well, I’ve got my own whis- “Jarl.” with few scores, but few big ones. Jarl
tles, citizen. 1 don’t need your schemes.” “Comewith me.” Jarl walked around started to get up and simply walk away,
The stranger just smiled blandly and the bench and fell in step next to the but Larson came out. smiling, and ex-
said, “I’d like to offer you something well-dressed man. He’s only a few years tending his hand.
called adventure.” older than me, Jarl thought, but he has “Come on, Mr. Jarl,” Larson said, and

38
turned to leave the room, not looking refocused and Jarl realized he was look-
back to see if Jarl followed. Jarl looked ing at the ceiling through the plastic top
around. Oh, I might as well, he thought. of some sort of cover. He felt the enclos-
/ might be able to out-whistle them. ing warmth of something around him.
Jarl followed Larson down a short moved his head from one side to the
passage and turned into an office that other and found he was inside a coffin,
surprised him. A Worldscan Sony wall- A coffin I Jarl panicked and bucked
screen, one of the best. A desk with his whole body, pushing up against the
Realwood veneer, a nice little colorizer, clear plastic lid over him. There was a
real Lifestyle chairs,an authentic 20th clickand the lid swung smoothly away
Century set of Coke glasses on the small and Jarl sat up. He gasped as his head
bar. Suddenly Jarl didn’t feel he was in seemed to be stuck through with knives.
with such zongo crazies. He closed his eyes and held on awk-
There was another man behind the wardly to the coffin edge until the pain
bar. He only two or three years older passed, then he squinted through the
than Jarl, and dressed in a conservative pain at the rest of the room.
blue Softjacket. “Drink?” he asked Jarl Row upon row of coffin-like contain-
pleasantly. ers were arranged in rows all down a
Jarl nodded and Larson said, “This large metal-walled room. There must
is Steve Ashby.” Ashby smiled and they have been hundreds and all of those in
shook hands. He handed him a Jetstar Jarl’s row were open. Several coffins
and Jarl took a sip. The two men had down another young man sat up, looking
Moonstones and all three settled down. dizzy and confused. Far down the line
“What’s your real name?” Larson Jarl saw another coffin lid pop open and
asked. a feeble hand claw at the edge.
Jarl was surprised, but covered it. The two men looked at each other
“What’s yours?” questioningly and Jarl tried to speak, but
“Don Larson. And he’s really Steve it was as though he hadn’t spoken in

Ashby.” They looked at Jarl and waited years. He heard voices and what sounded
his answer. like rough commands, coming from a
“Jarl Striker.” The two men smiled hatch at the end of the room. Jarl half-
and covered their smiles with their crawled, half-fell out of the coffin and
glasses.“What’s wrong with that?” held on to it until the nausea and head-
Larson said, “Wouldn’t Jerrold Vse- pains passed. Then he went down the
volod be more appropriate?” Jarl’s face aisle and helped the other young man
and Larson continued, with a look
fell, get out of his coffin.
of amusement at Ashby, “I remember Dimly Jarl realized the coffins were
two young men named Killman Argos large affairs, and at first he thought they
and Jupiter Blade.” stood on pedestals, but he quickly real-
“What kind of twist is this?” Jarl ized that it was all one big machine, with
asked. a readout panel in the side. He and the
“No twist. No whistle. Just a little other young man both realized at the
social readjustment. To adventure!” same moment that they were naked.
Larson raised his glass and Ashby fol- They weakly went down the space be-
lowed. They drank deeply and Jarl fol- tween the rows and Jarl looked into the
lowed automatically, his mind seeking still-closed coffins of the other side of
answers to questions he could not frame. the aisle. There was a man, or a woman,
“Now what are you two—” Jarl started in each coffin, and all were naked. They
to speak, but suddenly his vision blurred. seemed to be asleep, or dead and per-
Druggedl He started to come up out of fectly preserved.
the chair, but it seemed too difficult, and Jarl and the other man stopped at the
he fell back. “Goddamn you,” he said, coffin they had seen open. A young
but the words took forever to get out woman struggled to sit up, and Jarl
of his mouth and the blackness grew helped her. At another time he might
from the edges, closing in, collapsing have thought she was attractive, but in
tunnel of black, until that was all there his present state he couldn’t care less,
was. The sound died and he was alone She croaked at them as they helped her
and then he was not even aware of self. down, all three of them swaying with
weakness.
e awoke slowly and the first thing The other man started towards the
H he was a faint thrumming. Then
felt hatch, while Jarl helped the weaving
figure of the woman to stand erect. In
and rough
the distant clanging of a hatch
voices. Jarlopened his eyes and stared a moment they followed, stepping over
blearilyup at a white ceiling lined with the edge of the hatch and finding them-
pipes and sensor boxes. Then his eyes turn to page 68

39
40
 Only by identifying
their taboos could
he discover the
basic terran
motivating forces,
and from them the
Ultimate human
need. The need he
could answer.

fiction/
_Jj5>uaTilS3.'J-3
Mildred Downey Broxon
artist/Alicia Austin

41
 pelted Thorkilander out of the automatic
door. He winced as they passed through
the electric-eye beam; then they were
out in the parking lot. She shoved him
into the front seat of her tiny grey
groundcar and leapt in on the driver’s
side. The crowd surged closer; the un-
derpowered engine hesitated a moment,
coughed, and they puttered away.
“Did 1 or did I not advise you against
going to Bargainvilla?” Halley said. She
kept her eyes on the road; her hands,
white-knuckled, grasped the wheel.
“Yes,” Thorkilander said, still puzzled.
“But what was the problem? I wanted
to investigate merchandising/purchasing
habits. What better place to do so?”
Halley sighed. “I told you before, no
public appearances. You’ll be mobbed.”
Thorkilander shut his eyes. Traffic
made him queasy. “Why? Tm only a
salesman.”
Halley pushed her horn-rimmed
glasses up on her nose. “Listen, they
even mob TV stars, for pity’s sake, and
that’s about as low as you can get. You’re
one of the few aliens they’ve ever seen;
you’re a curiosity.”
“Oh,” he said. He wondered what
their reactionwould be if they could see
him as he originally looked. He tried to
remember how that was; it had been so
long. He was always changing, moving
from one territory to another, trying to
please his customers.
He thought his choice of a basically
Terran physique, differentiated by
ne by one, every shopper in Bar- light-blue skin, orange eyes, and a leafy
gainvilla turned to stare at Thor- headcovering struck the correct famil-
kilander; he thought briefly, irrel- iar-yet-alien note. Imitating a species to
The more he learned
evantly, of wave phenomena. perfection was a sure way to be ignored,
about Earth, the more
O “See,” Halley McNeill said, “I
told come here.” She
you not to
grasped Thorkilander’s arm in a no-
confused he became.
Not only did nothing
but one disastrous First Contact after
another had shown the Eriando that no
one liked the way they really looked.
nonsense grip and steered him toward “Like I said,” Halley continued,
the door. on the planet make any “You’d better not go out in public unless
A tall woman
wearing curlers, shorts, sense to him, but not you’re going to some official function.”
and varicose veins glanced up from her “Why—” he began. ‘.‘They never stare
appraisal of rhinestone-studded plastic even the natives seemed when I’m at receptions.”
jewelry. A fat girl in a tight purple mini- to know what was going “Different types of people,” said Hal-
dress pointed and snickered. From ley. “To be sophisticated is to be blase.
on around them, or
where they stood among glass grape The general public . Well, here we
. .

swag lamps and gold-sprayed statues, a even what they wanted are. Try to keep out of trouble. Read
middle-aged couple stared. to go on! magazines or something.” She pulled
They all looked at Thorkilander; then, into the curb lane in front of the great
from acres of knicknacks and formica, grey Walden Hotel and looked at her
they converged. watch while Thorkilander struggled with
“It’s that weird alien— the Eriando his seat belt. “Damn.”
fellow!” “What’s the matter?” Thorkilander hit
“Hey, mister, got a minute? I’ve got the quick-release lever; on the third try
a business deal you might like!” it opened.

“Can I have your autograph?” “Oh, I had something to do this after-

“What do you think of Earth?” noon. It’s too late now. I’ll be in at nine
“Why are you really here?” tomorrow morning.”
As the mob approached, Halley pro- The costumed doorman came forward;
42
and bent to open the door. Thorkilander and looked around his suite. Halley was lications, were considered obscene; was
stepped onto the curb, looked at the right; he shouldn’t go out. What to do? GOURMET DINING, HUNTERS’
it

crowded street, and hurried into the Television gave him hallucinations— the MAGAZINE FOR TRUE MEN, or
hotel. He paused a moment on the rub- patterns resonated with his brain-waves. SWINGERS’ QUARTERLY? Taboos
ber doormat, looking at the expanse of He decided he was hungry and went into were hard to determine, and somehow
blue carpet between him and the eleva- the bedroom to dial Room Service. he always asked the wrong questions. He
tor. He fixed his face in an impassive “Thorkilander. in 2050. Would you was getting afraid to ask any questions
expression and started across the lobby. send up a shaker of salt, a litre of iced at all. He began to page through maga-
“Evening, Mr. Thorkilander,” the desk tea. and three cups of firm Jello?” zines.
clerk said. Thorkilander slowed a bit and “Right away, sir,” said the voice on At first he’d decided the Terrans must
nodded, but did not stop. the line. “What flavor of Jello?” have an eating taboo. He’d formed this
Safe on the fiecked-marble rectangle “It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s firm.” hypothesis after observing weight-loss
in front of the elevator, he relaxed. He He hung up. ads and the beauty-correlation of slen-
hated carpets. They reminded him of the At least he had his privacy. Ever since derness. Halley McNeill, for instance,
mat-snarls on Algeia, three jobs back. Ms. McNeill told the security guards to looked more like an x-ray than a three-
He still carried the phobia. admit no visitors, no matter how per- dimensional being. But then there were
The elevator ride was little better, suasive. he no longer had to deal with the food ads and the cooking schools,
what with the varying G-forces and the favor-seekers, curiosity-collectors, and and he could detect no hint of prurience
car’s slight wobble. He reached the xenophilic groupies. there.
twentieth floor and braced himself for But he’d been here four days, and he He had then decided they must have
the foray down the carpeted hall to his still had no firm idea on how to win a sex taboo. The connotations of most
suite. the Terrans’ gratitude. He had to, to advertising reminded him of Parnia, a
Home again, such as it was. This was maintain leadership of his Clan. Benril- The Parnians, who consid-
classic case.
a low-budget trip. He had four rooms: ston was pushing, always pushing. He ered any mention of water obscene, in-
a sitting room where he did most of his took an armload of magazines and variably posed advertising models with
daytime reading and research, a small curled up in the safety of the shower dewdrops on their scales.
room off to one side where Ms. McNeill stall to wait for dinner. Still, neither taboo really fit. Failing
fielded his telephone calls and refused to identify the taboos, how could he
invitations on his behalf, a bedroom fter taking nourishment— the cuisine uncover the basic Terran motivating
where he was expected to sleep at night, A wasn’t bad; they had an interesting force, the ultimate Terran need?
If he
and a tiled room the Terrans used for touch with the amino acids— he read could not identify that need, how could
cleansing and elimination. He liked that himself to sleep. He dreamed the Terran he satisfy it and bring home the grats
room best, and would have spent all his moon was a gigantic mat-snarl, ready to he needed to maintain leadership of the
time there, but he did not wish to appear devour him. As the first tendrils touched Clan? But find the need he must. He
eccentric. It was just that the carpets in him he woke. was ethically opposed to the artificial
all the other rooms reminded him— oh, He was glad when morning brought creation and satisfaction of needs. Those
it made
his feet hurt even to think about Ms McNeill and a fresh load of maga- tactics were for charlatans like Benril-
it. Quickly he crossed to the bathroom zines; in the daylight he could tolerate ston.
and sat on the floor trying to relax. The the “sittingroom.” Thinking about Benrilston reminded
yellow sun set, and the room grew dark. He paged through a copy of DOG him it was time to report. He rose from
Tonight there was a full moon, the WORLD— he could find nothing of use his desk and walked cautiously across
first since he’d landed. With forced there— shook his head at a copy of IN- the carpet to the bathroom. He opened
bravery he went to the sitting room win- CREDIBLE TALES— much too far- the mirror-fronted medicine cabinet,
dow. He leaned out and looked up, over out— and rang for Halley again. She took out what looked like an electric
the neighboring buildings, to where a came in, pushing the door open with her razor, and opened the case.
huge pale globe hung impossibly sus- foot. Only the curly top of her head was Instead of an electric motor there was
pended overhead. It was the largest sat- visible over the stack of magazines she a small purple cube with a gold knob
ellite he’d ever seen; he wondered if carried. on one surface. He took this out, twisted
living in a double planet system affected Thorkilander looked in surprise as the knob, and tinged the frangellator.
Terran psychology. That moon was too Halley dropped them on his desk. “You The face that appeared on another sur-
big. too close; something deep inside said you wanted everything,” she said. face of the cube was unfamiliar; wrong
him knew that, against all the laws of “I had to get the bellboy to buy some code. He waved a thumb in exasperation
physics, it was going to crash directly onto of these; I couldn’t have gone into those and un-tinged. This time he got through.
his head. He pulled back into the room stores.” “S-2 Thorkilander reporting. Super-
and tried not to think about it. Thorkilander looked at the bright visor.”He looked at the visual projection
He latched the window— maybe that covers. “Why?” and wondered briefly what the Super-
would keep the moon out— and thought She arranged the magazines neatly, visor was disguised as this time; he did
of his afternoon visit to Bargainvilla. aligning corners. “It’s a cultural rule of not recognize the species at all. The cube
From what he had studied of Terran propriety. Women are not welcome at vibrated with the Supervisor’s voice.
aesthetics, he knew the clothing, jewelry, stores that sellobscene literature.” She “Oh, yes. Thorkilander. How are you
and artwork offered for sale were of looked up; her face was pink. “Will there doing? Any prospects yet?” The tone was
uncompromising ugliness. And yet they by anything else?” patronizing, a bit ominous. Thorkilander
sold; dozens of identically-vulgar items “No, thank you.” She left, closing the kept his features still.
sold. door firmly. “No, Supervisor. I mean, yes. I

He twitched an ear in bemusement He had wanted to ask her which pub- turn to page 88
/

Looking at things from a human

point o^f view cah be quit^
 Kernan learned quickly ward his assigned hut, he saw the slim
girl— walking fast, the ends of her bright
that with a woman, even tawny hair swinging below her waist. At
one he was in love the welcoming party that evening, they
met; her expressive features, more vital
with, honesty is
than pretty, intrigued him further. They
sometimes the worst spent most of the evening together, talk-
ing, and became lovers that night. Next
possible policy. But
morning they moved into a hut together.
sometimes he forgot When Captain Bourg’s team left to
to think before explore the hills while Doctor Pridoun’s
was still scouting the marshes, Jois and
he spoke— much to
Lyssine— and Charleyhorse, the big red
his regret. dog— had the base camp to themselves.
At first Jois thought the situation ideal.
But as the days passed, Lyssine became
less amorous and more irritable.
For part of it he blamed the
“gophers,” scaly little creatures that stole
anything they could carry. When Lys-
sine’s hairbrush vanished, and then her
last comb, she tried for some days to
manage the mass of hair with only fin-
gers. Then one afternoon he entered
their hut and found her before a mirror,
wielding scissors. Most of her hair lay
on the floor; her head, except at the back
where she was working now, bore only
ragged, inch-long stubble.
She snipped, and squealed in pain.
“Damn! I cut myself. Probably made a
bald patch, too.” She held the scissors
out to him. “Help me, will you, Kern?
I can’t see what I’m doing.” His expres-

sion must have startled her. “Oh, I know

it looks like hell, and I’m sorry. But I

can’t cope."
“But why? Why so drastic?”
“So I won’t need a comb— since I can’t
keep one.” He nodded, and took the
shears.
The cut was minute; only a few drops
of blood showed, and the notch through
hair to scalp was not much worse than
a few others he noticed. Working slowly,
he finished the job for her, first at the
back and then snipping here and there
to reduce the raggedness. When he was
done he stepped back and looked. She
said, “Is it that bad?”
rom seven kilometers away, Ker- He shook his head, but not in answer.
nan Jois watched the ship land at The trouble was that the proportions
base camp. Outbound, he won- looked wrong; without the heavy frame
dered, dropping off supplies? Or of hair to soften them, her strong fea-

F inbound, stopping to pick up sam-

ples? Neither matter was urgent—
he voted for outbound, with word from
tures seemed almost coarse. And before
he thought, he said, “I didn’t know your
ears were so big.”
home and perhaps new people for the Maybe that moment, ten days ago, was
exploration teams. Suddenly curious, he when it had gone wrong. Quickly he told
walked faster. At least, he thought, visi- her it was all right, really— it didn’t mat-
tors might help ease the growing tension ter, he loved her anyway— he was only

between himself and Lyssine. joking— certainly, under the circum-

Lyssine Druvich had attracted him stances, her decision made sense . . .

within his first five minutes on Boyne’s And he knew she did not believe him.
First Bounce. Carrying his luggage to- He tried to heal the breach, being as
46
attentive and considerate as possible— “Maybe the women travel and the and all. Now I’ve had a chance to get

especially in bed. But the harder he tried, men stay home.” used to it, I think your ears are just
the less she responded. Last night, for She shook her head. “Not unless they great— I mean, just the way they ought
instance . . . use artificial insemination— or have a to be.”
Sweating above her he strove to en- really long gestation period. Two of “That’s not it.” She laughed briefly.
dure until she could climax. He knew them at Sector came up pregnant, after “My brothers called me ‘Jug-ears’ from
what to do— in the post-pubertal training they’d been there more than two years. the time I was eight years old; that’s
programs he had learned those skills No, it must be some kind of social pro- nothing new. You hurt me for— oh, ten
well. So he was gentle, patient, carefully tocol— the males don’t meet with other seconds, maybe— then I said the hell with
noting her reactions and responding to species, or something.” it. you could take them or leave them.
them. And he was sure he would succeed She turned toward their hut. “Come And you took them, certainly. No, that’s
as he always did, until— on. I’ve got our afternoon drinks set up no problem, Kern.”
Her eyes opened; she frowned. and cooling.” The dog leaped up and “Then why—?”
“Damn it, Kern! Just do it!” Startled, frisked, jumping against her and being She frowned. “I’m tired; I’ve worked
he failed— not only her. but his own pushed away. allday. And we have to meet the Ilyachi
culmination. He knew such mishaps “Fine,” he said, and followed her. in about an hour. I simply don’t have
were not uncommon but had never had Whatever was wrong between them, he enough energy to work myself up for
one before, himself. He felt, somehow, thought, it was getting better— or she’d the big production; that’s all.” The frown
lessened. have left him to fix his own drink. At relaxed. “A quickie, maybe?” She shook
And morning, except to answer
this the door he caught the dog by the collar her head. “No, I forgot— you don’t like
direct questions, she had not spoken. and shut him outside. “Sorry, Charley- quickies.”
Nowhe walked, rapidly in Bounce’s horse— you’re just too rambunctious for She held her glass up. “So— nothing,
light gravity, toward the camp. The air a quiet cocktail hour.” then. Fresh this up for me? And show
was thin but high in oxygen; at midaf- Lyssine set out the frosted pitcher and me your samples?”
ternoon the small, orange sun gave glasses; Jois poured. He raised his, glass. If there were an answer for her, Jois
pleasant warmth, and the mossy turf was “Cheers.” She tapped hers against it and did not have it. He poured again for both
springy underfoot. His sample-pack set smiled. They sat, their chairs facing. of them, then carefully took the day’s
lightly on his shoulders, containing only “Have you talked with the Ilyachi? booty from his pack. The lone animal
a few unfamiliar plant-species and one Did they say what they’re here for?” specimen, as he set its cage on a table,
new animal. He heard it move in its “I spoke with the one in charge; her was quiet. “This one’s new, Lyssine.
cage; occasionally it made a weak, pip- name’s Reznit. She’s the shortest of Reminds me of a six-legged lizard with
ing sound. He hoped it was not hungry. them— and you can recognize her by a fur.”
When he neared the camp, the hap- patch of white fur on her chin. 1 didn’t “Yes.” It made a squeaking sound.
hazard group of huts and domes and understand much; she has a little En- “Poor little thing. What does it eat— do
tents, he saw the landed ship more close- glish— verv little— and insisted on using you know?”
ly. Its ramp was up, closed, and the it. But they’re not here for anything “Insects. It dips them out of the purple
ship carried no familiar markings. He official; it’s an impromptu stop. They cup-flowers, with a long tongue like a
passed it and went on to the camp itself need help of some sort, but I couldn’t toad’s.Keeping it fed should be easy.”
As he approached their hut its door figure out what it is.” Before and during the evening meal
opened and Lyssine, followed by Char- “Well— what did she say?” they discussed the fauna of Bounce.
leyhorse, came out. The dog ran ahead, “Only that Tagole and Bineft, the Then, dressed for the quick cooling that
jumped up against Jois, then dropped other two. are— how did she put it?— at sundown brought, they went out to meet
and rolled over for a belly-rub. necessity. And pain grows worse. That’s the Ilyachi.
Lyssine followed more slowly. Damn verbatim, Kern. She got really frustrated Charleyhorse, waiting outside, wanted
it, he thought, I still can’t get used to when 1 couldn’t understand. Finally she to go along. Jois decided against him,
the M’flj' her ears stick out. She came to said she’d meet with me again at sun- and shut him into the storage shed that
him. almost, but stopped a pace away. down, and they all went into the ship housed the dog’s bed and feeding-dish.
He straightened to stand, and said, “Did and closed it.” Then, in silence, the two walked toward
the ship bring news? Or is there anyone “Sundown.” He looked at his watch, the ship.
we know, on it?” designed for Bounce’s short days, and To their left. Bounce’s sun neared the
She looked up him. “It’s not one
at swallowed the last of his drink. He rose horizon. Jois could see the waiting aliens
of ours, at all. It’s an llyachi ship.” and went to her; she was looking at her clearly— broad, squat, each wearing a
“Ilyachi? Are they the heavy-set, furry half-filled glass, held on her lap between coverall-like suit that bulged to show
ones?” She nodded. He said, “Yes. Two the fingers of both hands. He reached three pairs of breasts.
of them, females, visited the installation and tipped her chin up; after amoment Short fur, as on a cat’s muzzle, covered
on Freehearth while I was training there. she looked at him. their blunt, wide-mouthed faces. Above,
I tried to pick up a little of their lan- He blinked, and a trick of perspective it grew longer, nearly hiding the trian-
guage, but never got more than a few changed his view of her— suddenly head gular ears. The humanlike hands were
words.” and face, ears and all, looked right. He bare-palmed but furred on the backs. All
“I speak it, some,” said Lyssine. “At laughed and kissed her. First she re- visible fur was predominantly grey and
B-sector headquarters there were five on sponded; then as his kiss became de- brown, randomly stippled with small
the trade commission. Clannish lot— they manding she shook free of it. “No.” white streaks.
lived on their ship, and commuted. Now He gripped her shoulders. “Lyssine— Two paces short of the Ilyachi Lyssine
that I think of it, they were all females, I’m sorry about what I said the other stopped, and Jois also. In the sun’s side-
too. And so are the three on this ship.” day. It was just the surprise— the haircut. turn to page 82
47
NORTHSHIELD'S TRIUMVERATE
from page 20

Stellar to outfit the Ulysses in the first back into reg-space. Immediately after We should slow down so that we would
place. Was there some connection be- warp we had a possible Emergency be in the area longer and thus be able
tween the two? he wondered. Clause situation.” He paused. He knew to do a more thorough analysis of any
But Cromwell was speaking. the sensation such a possibility would data we might discover.”
“Nonsense.” he snorted, clearly irri- cause. “I repeat. It was merely a possible “I disagree,” Cromwell interjected.
tated that Northshield had asked for his first contact. We lost it before it could “Captain, you yourself said there was
oriental Second Exec’s opinion before be verified, and we have since drifted no alien ship there. [Northshield was
that of his white First Exec. “We have out of the area. We have no alternative secretly pleased that Cromwell had
accepted a mission. [The way he said it but to try to re-establish that contact, failed to distinguish between a fact and
seemed to add the word “foolishly.”] if it was one. You have ten minutes to an interpretation.] But even if there
Let’s get over with so that we can get
it secure any equipment that still needs it were, we do not know its velocity or
back to the fleet as soon as possible. I and to get to your tubs. That’s all.” trajectory. Assuming the impossible—
say let’s proceed towards Beta Hydri IV McCormick and Sandusky left imme- that such an object exists— the essential
at the maximum reg-space speed conso- diately for their tubs, the containers in thing is back to the area of contact
to get
nant with effecting repairs on the hyper- which the crew and scientists would be quickly, before it moves away.”

drive. Then we should finish the trip and protected from the strains of deceler- Northshield knew that Cromwell was
forget Sandusky’s ghost.” ation. Northshield, Cromwell and Or- once again merely trying to speed things
“Mr. Cromwell.” Captain Northshield lando were able to stay in their harnesses up so that this absurd mission might be
said formally. “1 would remind you that aboard the CC because, as members of gotten out of the way, but he had been
this vessel is on a civilian research mis- a military Triumverate, they had been clever enough to conceal his real motive
sion and not a military one. Although put through special conditioning which behind a good argument. Here was an-
we might eventually learn something increased their abilities to withstand the other decision for Northshield to make.
war effort on Beta Hydri
useful for the physical stresses of battle maneuvers. “We are talking in terms of only a
IV.more immediate and more important While they were waiting to begin de- half hour or so. Two hours fifteen min-
knowledge would come from first con- celeration, Northshield made some quick utes, if we rush back as Mr. Cromwell
tact. Since the .timing of our mission is calculations. Hyperspace drives were advises; two hours forty-five minutes if
not crucial, and since first contact would designed to drop a ship back into reg- we take it a little slower as Mr. Orlando
be. I agree with Messrs. Orlando, Mc- space at half a million miles an hour prefers. [He remembered to get his First
Cormick and Sandusky that we should and in a straight line towards the target Exec firstand his Second second that
return to the initial contact area, even star. Once out of hyperdrive the ship time.] Ithink the chances of any alien
though personally I don’t think we’ll find could have its velocity and trajectory ship’s being lost due to a half hour longer
anything.” changed only by forces acting either trip are less than its being lost by going
Having decided that, Northshield had internally or externally. Externally, the through the area too fast. Therefore, 1
next to decide exactly how to get back gravitational and/or magnetic field of will accept Mr. Orlando’s suggestion. We
to the contact area. Because the almost a nearby star or planet could affect the will d-a to our present location and ve-
unlimited power of their drives had ren- ship’s speed and course, as could mag- locity, then decelerate at half maximum
dered navigational computers super- netic fields associated with ionized the rest of the way.”
fluous, he had no computers to help in clouds in space. None of these forces had Again he flicked the intercom on.
an unusual situation like this one. And yet acted upon the Ulysses in any signif- “Gentlemen. Captain Northshield. One
he had two options to choose between. icant degree. minute.” And off.
He could either decelerate to zero and Internally, the ship’s magnetic drive Slung in their harnesses Northshield’s
accelerate back along the same trajectory was used for accelerating, decelerating Triumvirate began their two-hour ordeal
(the d-a approach) or he could loop or swerving the ship. Deceleration from to get back to where they then were, and
around. Either approach meant the their present velocity to zero— even with to return to the area where they may
“tubs” for the crew, because both the the weakest components on board, the have made the first contact between a
deceleration-acceleration and the cen- men, protected by their tubs— would human ship and representatives of an
trifugal forces of the loop .would be take, say, an hour. The contact area was alien race. The magnetic drive took hold,
brutal. The d-a approach was time con- twenty minutes or so behind them al- dug into the magnetic lines of force
suming, though the loop, since it in- ready. and they still had another five which criss-cross the universe, and the
volved a longer flight, might be just as minutes till deceleration began. Ulysses began to slow. Their harnesses
bad. “Two and a half hours,” he an- creaked.The men groaned momentarily,
The thing that decided him was the nounced, even though the others had then relaxed into their silent cocoons.
navigational problem with the loop. probably arrived at the same estimate Nothing was left but to wait.
Without computers he wasn’t at all sure themselves.
that he could circle around and find the “That is assuming that on our return orthshield recalled his last tour of
exact contact area again. At least, with we cease to accelerate when we reach duty, on the United Stellar Star-
the d-a approach they would be sliding our present speed again,” Orlando re- ship Thopas. The U.S.S. strategy
forward and back along a straight line minded him. “However, I would not computers had decided that the
and would necessarily pass through the
contact area.
He turned to the ship’s intercom and
advise greater speed. Whatever we might
gain by getting back to the contact area
faster, we would lose by going through
N Confederation had an outpost
somewhere in the uncharted sys-
tem of Delta Pavonis. Confederation
switched it on. “Gentlemen, this is Cap- that area too quickly. In fact, I would computers picked uncharted systems—
tain Northshield. A breakdown of hy- recommend that we not go through the that is, stars known to have planets which
perdrive component nine has forced us contact area even at our present speed. had not yet been visited and mapped
 Northshield was on a research
ship, not a military vessel.
So he had to be very, very
careful in distinguishing
water from the rocks of oceanless worlds,
between fact and creating arable land on desert worlds,
interpretation— between bringing the right balance of oxygen and
nitrogen to the atmospheres of deadly
belief and reality, without worlds, bending the natural ecological
development of a planet so that it grew
his military computers to
into a place where men could live.
help his decisions. The colonists followed the planetary
engineers. Escaping from overcrowded,
congested, regimented inner worlds
these men organized governments and
social institutions which could grow and
absorb their populations. These worlds
were located and given a preliminary
survey by the third group, the explorers,
the loners who took the scientists’ analy-
ses of the light from the stars and the
computers’ analyses of the probability
of planets around any given star and
went out to see for themselves.
Northshield could understand the at-
traction of planetary engineering, the
challenge of remaking a useless world.
But planetary engineers spent their
whole lifetimes on just one world, barely
beginning the long process of making
one planet habitable. The colonists were
even worse off, from Northshield’s point
of view. Even before the war, being a
colonist meant one world, one sunset,
one distribution of continents and oceans
and plants and animals. Since the begin-
ning of the war, the colonists had be-
come sitting ducks for Confederation
raids. Living year after year dreading the
day when the enemy starship would
come and destroy everything they had
built out of so much time and hard work.
No, Northshield knew he could never
love one world enough to risk everything
on it. He loved space. The thrum of the
generators during a hyperspace run. The
excitement of blinking back into reg-
space with a whole new planetary system
out there to be experienced. Different
worlds, different sunsets, different skies.
To be the first to see a new planet, to
map it from high orbit, to test its atmo-
sphere and sample its soil and roughly
in detail— and then outlined a seemingly “Chess in the sky,” Northshield classify any life forms it might have. To
random but actually quite efficient series thought, “with ships as pieces, planetary gather the data for the planetary engi-
of raids on United Stellar planets using systems as spaces on the board, and neers or the colonists who would follow.
that uncharted system as a supply post. computers playing against computers.” Northshield could not understand how
United Stellar’s computers were some- And men? What about the men who anyone could choose to moulder on one
times able to spot the pattern early human race out from the
carried the planet with all this to be done.
enough to get a ship sent out before the central worlds, out among the stars? But of course, he had not been able
entire series of raids could be performed. In the old days, before the war, the to become an explorer. The war drained
The Confederation ship operating out starshipshad carried three kinds of men men away from what they might have
of Delta Pavonis had hit three of what serving three different functions. Plane- liked to accomplish and forced them to
was probably a series of six targets. An- tary engineers worked on the barely do what had to be done. Northshield had
other planet would be hit before the habitable and the actually uninhabitable become a Captain, the leader of a mili-
Thopas got to Delta Pavonis. That meant planets, changing their ecologies so that tary Triumvirate. In some ways it was
that on the Thopas’ mission hung the human beings could eventually live the closest thing available to what he
fates of the settlers of two worlds. there. Planetary engineers; releasing really wanted. Besides, explorers weren’t
going out any more, and planetary engi- in hyperdrive before and after engage- behind the dappled moon of Delta Pa-
neers were dying in the engine rooms ments were lonely periods of work, pre- vonis VI. The T/io/tuj ’computer instantly
of United Stellar warships. paring for battle, repairing after battle. sent all thehumans aboard scurrying to
And the colonists were coming back Men could do nothing during those rag- their harnesses. Northshield fastened
to the inner worlds. Leaving their hard- ing minutes, but men did maintain the himself in and waited to see what the
won homes and coming back to a way ship and its military capabilities. All initial tactics of the computer would be.
of life they despised, coming back simply things being equal, as they usually were, After the first few moments no mere
because it was life, and the outer worlds the best maintenanced ship had the best human being would be able to keep up
held only death from the Confederation, chance for survival. with the decisions being made and im-
The Confederation, that closely-knit The captain of an interstellar warship plemented.
group of white terrorists driven out at did not fight. The computers did that. Interstellar warships could be any
the end of the Racial Wars, bent on He did not decide the course or the shape their designers w'ished, but the
destroying human civilization as it had targets or the weapons. The computers needs of interstellar war made them
come to be constituted and in its place did all those things. The captain was a almost always cigarshaped. In this way
supremacy of the
re-establishing the old chief maintenance engineer in charge of they presented only the smallest of tar-
white race. Northshield’s goal was not the human components on board his gets when two of them were approaching
merely to defeat that enemy. It was to ship. During a battle he remained in the each other. Such a shape also made
defeat that enemy so that the explorers Communications Center, desperately possible the fragmenting or compart-
and the planetary engineers and the col- trying to keep track of the damage situa- mentalizing of the defensive shields
onists— black. red. yellow, white— could tion so that he could send crews wher- along the sides of the ships. Most war-
go out again. Humanity could not much ever they might be needed. The First. ships were about three hundred feet
longer remain in the constricted sphere Exec was stationed with the hyperdrive long, divided into some fifteen sections,
allowed it by Confederation tactics. unit and did what he could to handle each section with its own shield.
Overpopulation, hunger, the depletion any immediate damage there, while the The Thopas and the Oliphant slowed
of natural resources, violence— all Second Exec was with the computers, rapidly as they neared one another.
threatened to destroy the inner worlds. trying to maintain the purity of the pro- Gradually, the Oliphant began to pivot.
Northshield had dedicated himself to gramming inserted by United Stellar in Its circular front elongated as its weap-
helping man break out again into his the face of heat, radiation and excessive oned sides swung around to bear on
natural environment, unconstricted gravity strains caused by battle ma- the Thopas. The Thopas matched the
space. neuvers. This arrangement also distrib- pivot, so that the ships stayed parallel
Northshield wrestled for a moment uted the members of the Triumvirate as the distance between them shrank.
with the problems faced by the leaders throughout the ship and made the sur- The two ships floated to w'ithin ten miles
of United Stellar. How could United vival of at least one of them more likely. of one another, then paused.
Stellar, not even knowing the home base Northshield slowly turned his head, Northshield knew that sensing devices
of the Confederation, break out of the weighted by ten gee’s, towards Orlando. along both ships w'ere receiving data
stalement and begin expanding again? It had occurred to him that some con- from each other’s shields and transmit-
How could it win a defensive war against nection existed between United Stellar, ting that information directly to their
encirclement and containment without Orlando and the mission of the Ulvsses computers. The computers instantly
ever knowing exactly where the hit- to Beta Hydri IV, a connection which sifted through that data seeking a clue
and-run enemy was? A war of attrition had not been revealed to him. He had to any deficiencies in shield strengths.
would eventually destroy United Stellar, no evidence for this feeling other than The computer display panel in front of
and yet the war had degenerated into a few uncharacteristic hints he had no- Northshield showed him that the Oli-
exactly that. How to win?win?How to ticed in Orlando since this episode phant was the first to send its lasers
The waiting game, the stalement, had began. lancing through the blackness to the
developed because of the restrictions “Orlando,” he began to be suspicious, Thopas, concentrating on section eleven.
hyperspace drives put on the size of “knows more than I do and wants me Eleven was a decoy section, purposely
ships; too small a ship couldn't carry the to act in certain ways. Why? What sort sending out faulty shield data, and the
hyperdrive unit plus the weapons and of information should be kept from a Thopas’ computer corrected the shield
computers necessary for modern war- Triumvirate Captain that an exec could an instant before the lasers struck. A
fare, while too large a ship required too know?” He could not imagine what it precious few moments had been gained
large a hyperdrive unit to leave room could be or how it could be connected while the Thopas evaluated more data
for anything else. So all the interstellar with their present situation, which was before going offensive. Then it sent a
warships were approximately the same entirely accidental. It had to have some- warhead towards the number one section
size with the same armament and capa- thing to do with the ruins on Beta Hydri of the Oliphant. Simultaneously it swept
bilities. IV, he decided, but no obvious connec- its lasers randomly—so far as any human

Only one thing really differentiated tion occurred to him. being could tell— along the Oliphant’s
the ships; the quality of the men inside So he let his thoughts drift back to shields.
them. The men who fought in this inter- Delta Pavonis and the Thopas. United No ship was large enough and well
stellarwarfare did so out of pride and Stellar’s strategy computer had been enough equipped to pour full power into
confidence in themselves and in their right. The Confederation outpost was on both offense and defense at the same
ships. If the battles were short, violently the second moon of the sixth planet, a time, especially when both ships had to
swerving periods when whirring com- giant desert of a world that hung huge keep enough power in reserve to enable
puters directed laser beams and nu- and orange in the sky. The radiation and it to get back home. All things being

clear-armed missiles to the enemy’s heat detectors picked up the Confed- equal, two ships engaged in broadside
weakest points, then the days and weeks eration ship Oliphant as it slid from conflict would fight to a stalemate; half
 Northshield’s aim was not just to defeat
the Confederacy— but to make sure it
never threatened mankind again!

power for offense, half for defense, until to vibrate and even to rock slightly. Sud- tion all along the surface facing the Oli-
one ship was down to minimum power denly the Oliphant went to full defensive phant. The defensive shield protecting
reserves for the return trip, at which time shields and rotated ninety degrees to section four must have deteriorated be-
itwould break off the engagement sim- bring a fresh set of warheads and lasers cause the radiation got through to the
ply by warping into hyperspace and to bear. The Thopas started to follow men and computers working there. The
heading home. No decision. This sort of suit, but after strengthening its shields men, including Second Exec Johnson,
stalemate was avoided by segmenting the and beginning its rotation, it abruptly received fatal dosages, and the com-
ships and using different amounts of halted at seventy-six degrees. puters were rendered useless.
power to attack and defend from each “Maintenance crew to gyros!” North- Automatically, but too late, the Thopas
segment. Only computers could direct shield ordered urgently. Every second on lurched into hyperspace. Computerless
and respond quickly enough through full defense meant that much power and with a fifth of its crew dying of
such complex offensive and_ defensive expended non-offensively and that much radiation poisoning, the Thopas had to
maneuvers. And only well-maintenanced less chance of destroying the Oliphant. be brought back to a central world. It

computers, weapons and shields had any With the Thopas presenting no offensive had not been an easy flight. Even now,
hope of continuing to operate through threat, the Oliphant cut its shields com- in his harness on board the Ulysses,
such crazy manipulations and fluctua- pletely so that it could pour forth its Northshield felt the disappointment and
tions. power offensively. Northshield noticed guilt of what had happened. The Oli-
The Thopas’ warhead shifted course then that the Thopas was drifting around phant had been an unmanned decoy
and came in at the Oliphant on an angle ever so slightly, to eighty, then to ship, sent up to engage in battle, then
cutting across shield areas. Suddenly it eighty-one degrees. detonate. The Thopas, his command, had
speeded up and darted in at section “Cancel that last order.” He had fi- failed in its mission of destroying the
three. The three shield doubled its power nally realized what the computer was up Confederation outpost. In fact it had
todetonate the warhead before the nu- to. The Oliphant’s computer probably barely succeeded in escaping a trap. The
could shed radiation close
clear. blast had the Thopas' old laser angles of other two planets which the United Stel-
enough to be dangerous to the com- eighty-five to ninety-five degrees, and so lar computers had predicted would be

puters’ delicate synapses. The Thopas it wouldn’t step up its shields again until destroyed were in fact destroyed. The
then sent concentrated laser beams
its the Thopas came around to eighty-four Confederation plan had succeeded, and
seven and five in rapid
to sections four, plus degrees. But new laser mounts had Northshield had failed. No matter that
succession. Section five flared, every increased their angle one degree at each even the computers on the Thopas had
useable item in it, men and machines, limit. At eighty-four degrees— been fooled. As Triumvirate Captain,
destroyed. At eighty-four degrees the Thopas Northshield had been held directly re-
“Score one for us,” Northshield said drained enough of its energy away from sponsible for the failure of the mission
aloud. Then the Thopas lost section elev- its defensive shields to blast the Oliphant and the loss of two planets.
en. “Lucky for us eleven was a decoy,” out of the sky. The lasers detonated first As a direct result of that failure, he
he thought. Then, frustrated, he recalled the defensive shields’ power supplies and had been “asked” to switch temporarily
that five may have been a decoy section then the hyperdrive unit. from a military command to the com-
for them. Suddenly, unexpectedly, incredibly, mand of the civilian research vessel
The fluctuating shield strengths, the the atomic warheads went, all of them, Ulysses.
laser strikes, the warhead deployments simultaneously. In one gigantic globular Northshield shifted his ten-times
and detonations allcaused the Thopas flash the Thopas was washed with radia- overweight head towards Cromwell. “No
51
wonder he despises me,” he thought, in sion had prevented him from coming out eager.
his wave of self-pity forgetting that inside the nova itselfAs it was, he was And on the Ulysses drove.
Cromwell had disliked him for racial instantly blinded and fatally radiation
reasons even before the OUphant inci- poisoned. Frantically and all-but- andusky stared incredulously at
dent. hopelessly he had pointed his ship back the display panel. “Circular?” he
Then he noticed normal
that his toward what he hoped was United Stel- more of himself than any-
asked,
weight was returning. The ship was lar territory and had warped into hyper- one else. “Circular? But what I

coming to rest at the zero point. Once

there he rotated the Ulysses lengthwise
one hundred and eighty degrees until it
drive. He waited as long as he could,
then came out and beamed his story into
the emptiness around him. More than
S spotted was long, dart-shaped. At-
mospheric fins. I’m sure of it.
Could we be looking at it head on so
was pointed back along their trajectory. five years later the feeble signal was that it only seems circular?”
It was easier to do this than to realign received at a United Stellar research “No,” replied Orlando. “Readings
every tub on harness on board. Taking station, and his story became known. By show the object to be rotating slowly,
a last deep breath in zero gravity, he then Morell has disappeared into the yet maintaining its circular shape.
reset the timer and kicked in the reg- legends of space. Therefore it is not dart-shaped but
space drive. Once again the gee-load No, seat-of-the-pants interstellar spherical. About fifty feet in diameter,
mounted as the Ulysses climbed back travel was not so easy as it looked. But some forty thousand miles ahead and
towards the area of possible first contact. Northshield liked it somehow. It was a ten thousand miles to one side at two
He almost fell back into his self-pity- challenge in a way that nursing the com- o’clock.”
ing mood. He thought again of the way puters and riding out their decisions Northshield was struggling with the
he had brought the Thopas home from wasn’t. Oh, it had its disadvantages. He implications of all this. If Sandusky were

Delta Pavonis without the aid of a com- thought again of his irritation at the slow right about the object’s being there in
puter. He had always thought it would sounding of the alarm and the lack of the place, then he was surely right
first

be relatively easy. After all. since the computerized equipment to detect mal- about its shape as well. That meant there
start of the war. captains of what few functions like that of component nine must be two objects not one, the dart-
research vessels there were did it all the of the hyperdrive. He especially thought shape Sandusky had originally seen and
time. Surely, if one of them could do of how convenient it would have been the spherical one they were passing now.
it. a Triumvirate Captain could. to have had a computer-identification of “It appears to be motionless except
Still, it had been difficult. From any the object they were seeking and a com- for its very slight rotation,” Orlando
two points in the galaxy, the stars are puter to plot their course back to it. added.
all in different positions, not only be- But, by God! he liked deciding He’s so calm about it, Northshield
cause the angles of vision are different, whether to loop or d-a. He liked evalu- noticed. But more important matters
but also because what is being seen is ating Sandusky’s ghost. He looked for- pressed upon him. “Decelerate at maxi-
different. What is seen is light emitted ward to checking over the contact area mum without tubs,” he ordered. “Let’s
from stars, and that light can only travel and then getting on to Beta Hydri IV move in for a closer look.”
at the speed of light. This means that to help with the alien dig there. He was They were once again flitting past
anyone, say. twenty light years from a actively involved, not simply a nurse- their target,but now their speed was
star is seeing the light it gave out twenty- maid and an observer. His judgment much and they would be able to
less
years ago. In twenty years the star’s meant something, and he felt resources return more quickly.
physical location will have changed de- within him waiting to be tapped, re- They had just lost instrument contact
pending on its angular motion about the sources that only the disability of the with the sphere— at about one hundred
center of the galaxy. For this reason, an Thopas and his resulting disgrace had thousand miles for an object that size—
observer at any given location in the made him aware of Out of failure, ac- when the detectors picked up another
galaxy can only look at where each star complishment. “A classic pattern,” he object. They could soon tell that it was
used to be. and each star will have moved thought, smiling at himself and his ear- motionless and dart-shaped.
away a certain distance from its apparent lier gloom and frustration faded before “That must be the one I spotted!”
position depending on how great the the anticipation of eventful hours and Sandusky exulted.
time-lag is betweenemitting light and
its days to come. One alien ship would have been
that light’s being perceived. The night And on the Ulysses drove through the plenty. Northshield thought. Two was
sky is not a constant and in a very real weighted hour toward the place where absolutely incredible, especially here in
sense does not show reality. possibly an alien ship had passed them the middle of nowhere. United Stellar
There was no guarantee that in that in the interstellar night less than two had never made a dart-shaped interstel-
time-lag the observed star might not hours before, an alien ship in that velvet lar ship: aerodynamic designs were only
have gone nova or collapsed into a white emptiness where no ship had any reason necessary in atmospheres. And the colo-
dwarf The odds were certainly against to be. He had been relieved earlier when nists spherical ships were hundreds of
its happening in any given instance, but he felt that instrument malfunction had yards in diameter, not a mere fifty feet
it was possible. Northshield recalled the been the cause of a false sighting, and or so. Northshield knew that these were
story of Morell, one of the very few early he still didn’t really expect to find any- not simply familiar ships in unfamiliar
white explorers. Morell had come out thing. Only now he began to hope they surroundings. He couldn’t fathom it.
of hyperspace to check a star for planets might. Now he had felt those resources Why an aerodynamically designed alien
only to discover that the star had ex- within him. and now he did want to be ship motionless in the interstellar void
ploded. The light record of that explo- the captain of the ship to make first and accompanied— surely the proximity
sion had not yet reached any station in contact with an alien race, an intelligent wasn’t accidental!— by a fifty-foot
United Stellar, and only the change in and star-travelling life-form. He sphere?
the star’s trajectory caused by the explo- squirmed in anticipation, excited and He had just decided to close on the
He believed there was an alien ship waiting
there in the dark, where no ship, alien or
human, had any reason to be.

most convenient of the two. the dart-

shaped one, when they detected the
third, fourth and fifth objects, all mo-
tionless, two more spheres and another
dart.
“Captain Northshield." Orlando said,
“it would appear that our original emer-
gency warp brought us out into the midst
of an immobilized alien space fleet.”
Northshield caught Orlando’s use of
“immobilized” in place of the more nat-
ural “motionless,” and he turned to ask
him about it. He was looking directly
at Orlando when McCormick said, “I
was right.”
Orlando tensed noticeably under
Northshield’s stare. It gradually dawned
on Northshield that he had been used,
that Orlando and McCormick had ex-
pected to find these ships here, and that
he had been put in titular command only
because he had made it from Delta Pa-
vonis to United Stellar without the aid
of computers. He had been available and
experienced when the need for a Trium-
virate Captain arose. But the mission had
not been correctly described to him.
Carefully, deliberately. Orlando con-
firmed his line of thought. “There are
no alien ruins on Beta Hydri IV. We
simply extended the line connecting Sol
and the hypothetical position of this fleet
until we chanced on Beta Hydri as our
decoy system.”
Northshield was vaguely aware that
by “we” Orlando must have meant him-
self, McCormick and whoever at United
Stellarhad approved the men and ma-
needed for this mission.
terials
“As you may have guessed by now.”
Orlando continued, “you were chosen to
be captain because you had had some
experience star-hopping with a non-
computerized ship. We could not risk a
real warship because Dr. McCormick’s
theory, despite its plausibility, was still
merely an attractive theory. Your failure
at Delta Pavonis VI made it possible to
spare you from the war effort and to
reassign you to this civilian research
mission without arousing suspicion. Co-
incidentally the loss of Mr. Johnson
made it easy for me to be assigned to
your Triumvirate, again without arous-
ing suspicion.”
“And the secrecy?” Northshield asked.
“Why not tell me?”
“Your loyalty was never in question.
Still. Confederation spies and sympa-
thizers are scattered through United
Stellar. We have every reason to believe
there is one on the Ulysses at this mo-
ment. The fewer that knew of our true
purpose, the less likely that the Confed-
eration would learn of it. The discovery
53
of an alien fleet could have tremendous If they tried, the darts came in and de- a weapon off Delta Pavonis! It would

implications for the outcome of the war. stroyed them. What spheres survived certainly break the balance of power in
If Dr.McCormick continues to be right, learning this would be immobilized. the war and lead expansion of
to the
even so old and outmoded a fleet as this They and the remaining threatening United Stellar once more out through
could contain a weapon which could win darts drifted out into the interstellar the galaxy. Everything he wanted.
the war for us.” void, until they got here.” For a moment he savored the thought
Old and outmoded? Northshield “Of course they have drifted thou- of the end of the war. The explorers
wondered silently. Weapon? But a small sands of miles apart in the aeons that going out again. The planetary engineers
thing was bothering him first, so he have passed,” McCormick said, “but this at work again. The colonists resettling
asked about the “accident” which had is that fleet. The greatest alien artifact blasted worlds and drifting down majes-
brought them out of hyperdrive at so find in history.” Her pride in having tically in their huge ships onto worlds
convenient a location. He got the reply been the one to make it was obvious. newly prepared for them. The human
he expected: “The breakdown was ar- “How did you locate it?” Northshield race moving out again among the stars.
ranged, by us.That way we were able asked, impressed. “Captain! Look at this!”
to get all the way to our destination with “The background patterns on the Tau Sandusky was indicating the display
no one but McCormick and I aware of Ceti murals showed what I assumed to panel. Another sphere, much larger than
our real intent.” be star positions. 1 used the computers the rest, was being picked up. But the
McCormick seemed to know that to tell me when the stars visible from really amazing thing was the tempera-
Northshield wanted more information, Tau Ceti would be in the positions in- ture indicator. Any object in the inter-
because she interjected, “Captain dicated in the murals. By moving Tau stellarvoid should be the same tempera-
Northshield, have you ever heard of the Ceti back along its track, and by shifting no nearby
ture as that void, especially as
Lost Fleet of Tau Ceti?” other key stars back along theirs, 1 dis- stars were radiating energy into such an
All he could do was nod in half- covered the background indicated a object. Yet this newly acquired giant
memory. It was one of those stories you night sky as seen from Tau Ceti V ten sphere was distinctly warm. In fact, it
hear as a child and then remember in and a half million years ago.” displayed readings indicating an inhab-
a confused way when you grow up. He Even Cromwell blinked. “Ten and a ited ship with its environmental control,
had a vague recollection of alien archi- half million years?” system functioning.
tecture, some inexplicable murals repro- “Yes. And the geometrical patterns in Had some aliens survived drifting for
duced Sunday supplement article.
in a the last mural seemed to give special ten and a half million years through the
“So anyone has been able to
far as significance to a certain star. I made one galactic emptiness? Northshield rejected
interpret them,” McCormick was saying, assumption: that that star was the one the possibility as soon as it occurred to
“the geometrical murals on Tau Ceti V toward which the Lost Fleet was ap- him. The more probable assumption was
seem to be an alien account of a space parently moving when it disappeared— as that this was not an alien ship. Its size
war back in their interplanetary period. seen, of course,from Tau Ceti V. From and temperature indicated rather a col-
One group outfitted a fleet on the that I computed the fleet’s course— for onists transport.
planet’s third moon, while the other ten and a half million years of free fall “The Confederation!” he barked.
worked on the surface of the planet to through the galaxy.” The others looked startled.
develop a secret weapon which would “To do that required a lot of computer “That is a colonists transport,” North-
be propelled into space through the time,” observed Northshield. “Someone shield explained, “not an alien sphere.
planet’s atmosphere.” had to approve research on the project. Such a transport must come from either
“And the dart-shaped objects around And someone had to approve the use United Stellar or the Confederation. We
us now
are the planet-based weapons of the Ulysses. ” He turned speculatively just arrived from United Stellar, and
shot up through the atmosphere,” to Orlando. neither Orlando nor McCormick seems
Cromwell guessed, “while the spheres “Yes, Captain,” Orlando confirmed. to know of any other United Stellar plan
are the remnants of the fleet which left “I am a member of the Science Board, to put one of our ships here. The Ulysses
from the bubble cities of their airless and 1 have supported Dr. McCormick is our ship. Therefore, that one must be

moon!” since she first presented the project to from the Confederation.”
McCormick nodded. “Exactly. The us well over a year ago.” He noted Orlando’s nod of agreement,
darts were robot missiles, and the “Then you outrank me.” As Captain, and he was pleased with himself for
weapon they carried .” . . Northshield had to ask the next question. having analyzed the situation more
“. . . was a device for draining the “Who is in command here?” quickly— and hopefully more accu-
magnetic energy from the drive units of Orlando hesitated a moment. He was rately— than any of the others. This, he
attacking ships,” Orlando interjected. obviously reluctant to take control, thought, was what a Triumvirate Captain
“As the approaching spheres used their though he just as obviously had the au- should he and do. Not a toady to the
magnetic energy in any attempt to accel- thority to do so if he chose. computers, not a maintenance man. but
erate or decelerate, or to change course, “You are. Captain Northshield,” he a decision-maker, a man in command
the robot missiles were propelled toward said. “I will not pull rank on you.”. of situations. He had never felt the in-
them— using the spheres’
energy. own Northshield knew there was a “yet” terest and excitement he had begun to
Imagine the reaction of the beings in the at the end of the statement. He was on feel since the Ulysses had snapped out
spheres when they threw in their space- probation. Well, so be it. of hyperdrive and into this complex sit-
drives only to have nothing happen ex- He turned his attention back to the uation.
cept for an external missile’s bearing in situation which had evolved. As a mili- “You are quite right, Captain North-
one them.” tary man he was aware of the value of shield— or shouldI call you by your real

Northshield understood now. “The the powerdrain device carried by those name: Mr. Brown? That is indeed a
spheres couldn’t change course or speed. robot missiles. If only he had had such Confederation ship. And you are going
to surrender to it.” real name is Sam Brown. It’s Second the Ulysses had glowed, smoked and
Northshield’s smug self-satisfaction Exec is a United Stellar chink named crackled. He didn’t answer Northshield.
drained from him as he stared at Crom- Orlando. It seems they finally got around They began to work their way toward
well’s laser gun. to figuring out the Tau Ceti murals too.” the shuttlecraft.
McCormick and Sandusky hung in “I see,” Morell muttered. Then: “Kill Northshield had nothing to lose. He
their harnesses, shocked into statues. everyone in the Communications Center, asked again, “What sort of control center
Orlando was frozen, too, as he re- seal it off, and set the self-destruct is the Monitor?”

evaluated the situation. mechanism to destroy the ship. Then Cromwell looked at him suspiciously.
“So you are the Confederation agent transfer to the Monitor.” “Well, you’ll be dead within the hour.
we suspected was on board,” he said. “One moment. Commander Morell. Brown, so I guess it doesn’t make any
“Yes.” Cromwell confirmed. “But my 1 have a suggestion. Their hyperdrive is difference if J tell you. The Confed-
presence is sheer accident. I had no idea out of order and can’t be repaired for eration isn’t based on a planet. That’s
anything this important was going on. hours. They are stranded in reg-space. why you could never find us. We are
I thought I was out of it, wasting my Why not disable their weapons and force controlled from a ship that can move
time. And here I am in the middle of them to let us test the power-drain on through hyperspace and escape detec-
the biggest thing in the war!” the Ulysses?” tion. That ship is our Control Center.
He turned with contempt to North- Morell hesitated. “All right,” he fi- The Monitor.”
shield. “I want be sure you understand
to no harm in it.”
nally decided. “I can see “Some people in United Stellar
the hopelessness of your situation. “Very good,” Cromwell responded, guessed as much, but the com-
Brown. I could easily kill all four of you closing the channel. Turning to North- munications problem seemed insur-
before any one of you could get out of shield he said, “I want you to squirm. mountable. How can your people know
his harness. The Monitor— ih.a.\.’s the Brown. Now come with me. You’ll be where to report ifyour Control Center
name of our ship out there— could blast my hostage to make sure none of these isn’t fixed someplace?”
the Ulysses out of space very easily, others get any ideas.” At that Cromwell grinned in his supe-
especially since you have not yet man- Northshield knew he couldn’t hope to rior way. “You’re assuming that we have
aged to get your hyperdrive unit repaired formulate any plan of action without people, at least in some quantity. Actu-
ally, theConfederation is composed of
very few men. Don’t forget: we need
They were up against the power, the only hit-and-run around the surface of
a sphere. We do not have to occupy,
unknown weapons, of the Lost Fleet of organize and communicate constantly
Tau Ceti, and Northshield wasn’t even sure within the volume of that sphere.”

he could start, much less finish, the fight! Then Cromwell made one of the most
remarkable statements that Northshield
had ever heard. “The whole Confed-
eration, which has tied up United Stellar
and so could not break oflT an engage- more information. He began chatting as for a hundred years, is actually com-
ment if you wished. There is absolutely he unsnapped his harness. “Looks like posed of fewer than three thousand men,
nothing you can do but surrender.” your side doesn’t care much about you women and children, and we have at
Northshield looked helplessly at Or- one way or the other. They almost killed most fifty ships. That we could do so
lando. All Orlando could do was look you, too, off Delta Pavonis.” much with so little ought to prove our
silently back. No Northshield, who had “We were supposed to capture the superiority, even to you.”
just been congratulating himself on his Thopas for our fleet. Where do you think Cromwell was entering the shuttlecraft
abilities as a daring and resourceful we get our ships any way? You were just now. “And with the alien power drain,
leader, was forced to yield the Ulysses lucky you escaped before I could take we’ll rule your kind again.”
to Cromwell. over. Besides, how do you think they Northshield knew Cromwell was right.
Cromwell opened a communications knew we were coming?” With the alien weapon they could pull
channel to the Monitor. A brief crackle Northshield had to keep him talking. it off. With the right technological tool

of interference was followed by “Ex- “So the Confederation discovered the an infinitesimal percentage of the human
cellent, Mr. Cromwell, Excellent. It is Lost Fleet first?” race could enslave billions! It was un-
good to hear from you again. How long Cromwell sneered. “That’s rather ob- thinkable, but he saw no way to stop
since we’ve met? Five years?” vious, isn’t it?” it.

“Supreme Commander Morell! Why Northshield kicked himself mentally. “I’d kill you now. Brown, but the
areyou and the Control Center all the He had that information already. He longer you live, the longer you’ll sweat.
way out here? Have we succeeded?” needed something he could use right And I like that.”
“Yes!” Morell exulted. “Six years. But now. “How did you know that big sphere Northshield moved back into the cor-
we’ve done it, Cromwell. The alien ships was the Monitor?” ridor and watched the automatic hatch
were naturally inoperative after so long, “Only ship we have that size and slide closed on the chamber holding the
but we have managed to duplicate their shape.” Simple enough. shuttlecraft. He watched the pressure
power-drain weapon. What is the situa- “Why did you call the Monitor the gauge drop sharply as Cromwell acti-
tion there?” Control Center? What sort of control vated the switch which opened the large
“I’m in complete control of a United center?” panels in the outer surface of the Ulysses.
Stellar research vessel, the Ulysses. It was Cromwell squeezed his laser. The What remained carried to him
little air

captained by a black incompetent who bank of relays connecting the Com- the faint sound of the chemical rocket’s
calls himself ‘Northshield’ but whose munications Center with what few lasers exhaust as the craft, too small for a
 The longer the shuttle engines burned,
the fasterit would travel, and the

sooner Northshield’s ship would die!

reg-space magnetic drive, jetted across quite hopeless. Here’swhat I want done. Hopefully, this would take them closer
to the Monitor. The corridor warmed duration of this emergency
First, for the to the Monitor while avoiding the cylin-
slightly despite its insulation. I want everyone in harnesses. We rhay der, if the power drain were not yet
The treacherous Cromwell had made be in for some rough jolts. Second, we’ll turned on, or if it were not working
good his escape. Now Northshield had need a maintenance crew. .” . . properly, or if they were lucky for some
a disabled ship with which to fight the As he spoke, the mood in the CC other reason. If, if, if
ultimate weapon. What he needed was changed from frustrated gloom to con- Northshield saw Sandusky close his
time, time to get the hyperdrive repaired. trolled optimism. Their chances of win- eyes as he worked on the calculations.
And while he had some--Cromwell had ning remained ludicrously slim, but at He knew Sandusky would have liked a
said they’d be dead within the hour, not least now they could play the game. computer. Even though he had made it
in five minutes— he didn’t have enough. “How long will that take, Pecock?” he as simple as he could, he still wasn’t sure
The hyperdrive would take half a day asked his Chief Engineer. he had built in enough clearance.
to fix. What he needed if he couldn’t “The toughest part would be that slid- Sandusky pivoted the ship slightly on
have time was weapons. But Cromwell ing panel. I’d suggest exploding the wall its gyros, then kicked in the reg-space

had ruined their scant supply of lasers. out. The pipes are already there, next drive. The pressure on his harness in-
He had no time and he had no weapons. to the compartments. We could easily dicated to Northshield that they were
As he maneuvered himself back to- rewire a control switch. I’d say about an indeed accelerating. He saw the 'blink-
wards the CC, he tried to visualize the hour,” blink of the ship-to-ship communicator,
dart— or whatever shape Morell’s scien- “Try to make it forty-five minutes,” but he delayed opening a channel for
tists had devised for their new Northshield insisted. a few more moments. The longer it took
weapon— closing in on them, pushed into “Here it comes,” Sandusky inter- Morell to get through to him the better.
their vicinity by its chemical rocket. It rupted. Besides, Morell couldn’t complain too
wouldn’t be big enough for a reg-space “Might as well go visual,” Northshield much, since they were only doing what
drive, so it would have to use chemicals, suggested. he wanted them to do, using their reg-
as the shuttlecraft had. Sandusky activated the external TV. space drive and giving him an opportu-
His image of the future became con- The object was still too far away to be nity to test his new weapon. At the same
fused with his visualization of Crom- more than a speck on the screen, but time he couldn’t risk being lasered. He
well’s escaping shuttlecraft. A chemi- the data on the display panel verified opened a channel.
cally-propelled shuttlecraft. A cylinder Northshield’s earlier hunch. It was cy- “. you to know,” Morell was saying.
.
.

forty feet long, ten feet in diameter, with lindrical, about fifty feet long and ten “We are about to turn on the power
a small life-support system forward and feet in diameter. drain. Three, two, one, now.”
the rocket apparatus aft. The one cylin- “Lookslike an adapted shuttlecraft, At “now” the acceleration stopped.
der pushing Cromwell back among his sir,”ventured Sandusky. Their harnesses relaxed as if Sandusky
friends. The other pushing death towards “Yes,” replied Northshield. He was had turned oflT the reg-space drive.
Northshield and the crippled Ulysses. thinking of the fire stretching out behind “The weapon?” Northshield asked.
Pushing. Pushing? the weapon. Viewed head on, it looked “No burn. But it’s turning towards
Alternatives. He kept seeking alterna- like a halo surrounding an enlarging us . .
.”

tives as he worked his way back to the circle.The longer the burn, the faster Northshield’s “Power ofll” cut short
CC. Hyperdrive was out. No time for it would travel and the sooner it would the rest of Sandusky’s remarks.
repairs. No way to stall for that amount destroy them. He needed time. The halo They noticed no change in the Ulysses,
of time. Reg-space drive was out. That disappeared. but the weapon stopped accelerating.
would only give Morell the chance he “Estimate!” he barked. They both continued on their courses,
needed to test the power-drain. All he Sandusky knew what Northshield only now the question was, would they
could think to do was order his ship to wanted. He watched the display panel collide? They had to get the cylinder
die passively. He could at least deny for a few more moments, then guessed, behind them, so they were between it

Morell his test. The test of a cylinder “Forty-five minutes, sir.” and the Monitor.
soon to be pushed across at them. “Umm,” Northshield muttered, dis- “Very clever, Brown.” It was Crom-
Pushed. For every action an equal and appointed. “I had hoped they might well’s voice over the open channel. “Un-
opposite reaction. The way Cromwell want to play with us a bit first. Give fortunately for you, we are so well
had gotten to the Monitor. The way the us more time.” He licked his lips. “Well, shielded that even should you delay det-
alien weapon would get to the Ulysses. there’s no helping it. We’ve got to get onation until you were right alongside
The way the alien darts had been sent closer to the Monitor and we’ve got to us, you couldn’t hurt us. And the Moni-
up among the attacking spheres those buy some time. I think we’ll have to use tor’s lasers would burn you long before
millions of years ago. Pushed. our, reg-space drive if possible. We’ll you could ram us in any foolish suicide
Suddenly, he had a plan. have to chance giving them their test.” attempt. So you have gained nothing.”
Northshield shot into the pessimism He hesitated slightly, then ordered, Northshield exchanged glances with
of the CC. He manipulated himself “Mr. Sandusky. The Monitor and the Orlando. Both Cromwell’s guesses were
quickly into his harness, flicked on the Ulysses are five thousand miles apart and wrong, and he was overconfident. That
intercom. stationary with respect to one another. much was in their favor.
“All right, let’s make a fight of it,” I want you to imagine the line connect- But they had no time to get their hopes
he said, as much to himself as to his ing us as one side of an equilateral trian- up. Another crucial moment was upon
companions on the Ulysses. “I assume gle, the Ulysses at the apex, and Monitor them. They were about to either flit past
Second Executive Officer Orlando has at one angle of the base. Drop a perpen- the cylinder or collide with it. Had
explained our situation to you. [He saw dicular from us to the base and take us Northshield’s rough line of flight given
Orlando nod.] Well, our situation is not along that trajectory.” them enough lee way?
56
 Northshield told him one of his bones
had been replaced by a bomb, and he
couldn’t take the chance it was a lie!

The cylinder had been growing visibly Northshield switched on the intercom. isno such bomb. He’s merely stalling.
largerand larger alongside them. Im- “Pecock. How long?” Don’t you see that?”
perceptiblyits velocity relative to them “Maybe a half hour.” Cromwell answered, “How do you
lessened.Were they imagining that they “You’ve only got twenty minutes.” know? You’d behave differently if one
could see the spot welds along its seams? “We’re doing the best we can.” of your bones was about to explode!”
It appeared to hang motionless beside “Right. Out.” He snapped off" the in- Morell; “Guards! Take this man to
them for a long breath, and then it tercom. an isolation cell and have him sedated.”
drifted slowly behind them. “Captain,” Orlando observed, “I Cromwell: “Sure. You just want to get
“It’s infrared sensors will lock on to would think that Morell and Cromwell me out of here so the explosion doesn’t
you,” Cromwell said, “and a nudge from have used us for all they can. Don’t you get you, too. Well, Tm not going to let
its rockets can still send it into you. Now think they’ll blast us any moment? ithappen. This laser can kill you, Morell,
that the power drain is operative, you They’re certainly not going to let us just as easily as it could have killed

can’t get away on reg-space drive. collide with them.” Brown. Now call off your men and let
You’ve had it. Brown. You’ve had it.” “Agreed,” Northshield responded. the Ulysses get within fifty miles. Other-
The cylinder was indeed locking in on “And as a civilian ship the Ulysses has wise, I’ll burn you here and now.”
them. They watched it pivot until it no shields at all. We’ve got to stall them Morell: “I tell you no such bomb
became a circle again, and again the halo somehow. Mr. Sandusky, prepare to exists.”
appeared, this time only briefly. The align the ship at right angles to our Cromwell; “And I tell you I don’t care
weapon was again moving in on them. present course.” what you think. Tm not taking any
Northshield was thinking that they He opened a ship-to-ship channel and chances with a thing like this. You’ve
would now pass within twenty-five got a reply almost immediately. It was got ten seconds to turn off the power
hundred miles of the Monitor, with the Morell. “Well, Captain Northshield, our drain. Or I’ll kill you and do it myself.”
cylinder edging up behind them. How little game has ended. In a moment we Morell: “O.K. O.K. Even at fifty miles
to get closer? will destroy you.” the Ulysses can’t hurt us. But we’ll move
“Cromwell,” came a barely discern- “Yes. You win. But before you kill over to them. I won’t take any chances

from the open channel. Morell

ible voice us, there’s something you should know.” by turning off the power drain and giv-
was speaking from a short distance away. He waited a moment, wondering if ing them the ability to maneuver.”
Northshield listened intently. they would rise to the bait. Suddenly, the hiss of laser-sizzling
“We want to check the weapon’s re- “You are stalling. Captain. You could flesh came over the channel. Some voice,
starting capabilities. Shut it olT for a mo- know nothing that could be of interest no longer human enough to recognize,
ment, then we’ll turn it on again.” to us now that we have the weapon.” started to scream in pain, then dissolved
Northshield whispered to Sandusky, about your Mr. Cromwell.” Di-
“It’s into silence as larynx and tongue burned
“When they turn it off, give us maximum vide and conquer. Stall. away.
power straight at the Monitor." “About me? What’s he talking about?” Northshield and the others listened
Cromwell was counting down the ex- A few moments gained. anxiously. Who had won? Morell or
periment for the technicians on the “United Stellar knew all along that Cromwell?
Monitor. “Two, one, olf.” Cromwell was one of your agents,” Then they heard Morell’s order. “De-
Sandusky switched in the reg-space Northshield said slowly and deliberately. stroy the Ulysses!"
magnetic drive. Again their harnesses “So we had a bomb planted in one of Northshield closed the ship-to-ship
creaked as their weight increased. his bones.” He paused, as much for ef- channel and flicked on the intercom.
“What are they—?” the startled Crom- fect as for time. “The electro-chemical “Pecock?”
well began to ask. “Collision course? timing device in the bomb was kept “We’ve got to have five more minutes.
Prepare to—” stable by a certain radio frequency.” Captain. Can you get them for us?”
But Morell interrupted. “No, no. Just Another pause. “We saw to it that Five more minutes. So near and yet
turn the weapon back on. They’re letting Cromwell remained in an area contain- so far.

us test it.” ing that frequency. We could do that so “1 don’t see how,” he admitted. He

Immediately the men on the Ulysses long as he was with us.” Pause. “Ob- slumped and waited for the death-deal-
were weightless once more, and San- viously, we can no longer guarantee his ing beams from the Monitor.
dusky cut out the reg-space drive. safety. In fact, the range of our equip- Incredibly, none came. Instead, the
Then they heard Morell say, “They’re ment is only fifty miles, and unless we cylinder’s rocket came to life, pushing
picking us up on that open channel. Shut are allowed to get within fifty miles of the weapon toward the Ulysses.
it down for a .” It went dead.
. . the Monitor, the electro-chemical reac- Northshield jumped. “The Monitor!"
Northshield turned to Sandusky. tion, which has already begun, will det- he exclaimed. “It’s not armed!”
“How close are we to a collision course onate Mr. Cromwell in about eight min- The others stared at him. “Of course
with the Monitor?” utes.” it’s not armed. Cromwell was lying to

“Dead on, sir.” Cromwell’s terrified voice crackled us about its armaments, trying to keep
“Where is the cylinder?” Orlando across the rapidly diminishing miles. us in line. And we were so stupid it
asked. “All right! All right! We’ll shut off the worked. Look; no ship that size could
“Still right on our tail.” weapon. We’ll let you come in to fifty have both hyperdrive units and laser
“What is our estimated time of colli- miles. We’ll let you go when you tell banks, and it couldn’t be here without
sion?” Northshield asked. us how to counteract this thing. Quick.” hyperdrive. The only weapon they’ve got
“We’re only two thousand miles out Then he paused briefly before asking. is the alien power drain and the cylinder
now and closing fairly quickly. Td say, “Which bone is it?” they’ve mounted it in.”
very roughly, twenty minutes,” Sandusky Northshield almost felt sorry for him. Orlando joined in. “He’ll stay in reg-
replied. Morell interrupted. “You fool! There space, too. He wants to destroy us before
Northshield had to reach all the way
back to the dawn of space flight to

find an escape route for them.

we can repair the hyperdrive, and he “Off acceleration!” he ordered. That but they still had the most important
can’t afford to leave and take the chance would assure that if and when the archeological find ever made. A fleet of
thatsomehow we’ll disable the alien weapon exploded, the return of their perfectly preserved alien spacecraft ten
weapon and get it for our own use. Cir- power would not kill them. and a half million years old. There was
cumstances tie him to reg-space as firmly From the Monitor it must have looked much to learn.
as our inoperative hyperdrive ties us. We as though the cylinder had slammed into “You know,” Northshield mused
may yet pull Captain.”
it off. the Ulysses and exploded. They would aloud, “a Triumvirate of Northshield,
“Can he detect the cylinder from have been watching the brilliant orange Orlando and Sandusky could get a lot
where he is?” Northshield asked. and gold flower blossoming out of the of exploring done over the next twenty
“No.” Sandusky answered. “We’re Ulysses aft sections. or so years. The whole galaxy is open
eclipsing it for him.” They probably never saw the cylinder again. A million worlds to see. Alien
“Ah.” Northshield said, fighting to flash by the Ulysses at such an unex- races to find and get to know. And there
control his excitement. “When will it get pectedly great speed and at so short a are as many galaxies as there are stars
to us?” distance. They may barely have had time in our own Milky Way. We’re free to
“Maybe three minutes.” to become aware that something had go to them.”
“Pecock. You’ve got three minutes buried itself deep inside the Monitor. Orlando and Sandusky smiled their
left.” “Let’s get out of here!” Northshield agreement at him.
Pecock w'as too busy to reply. shouted. “Free again,” McCormick breathed.
A
minute passed with dreadful slow- Sandusky gave it all the power he “Well,” Northshield broke the reverie.
ness. Then another. Those spot welds could with the men in their harnesses “We still have work to do. The hyper-
seemed to be showing again on the cyl- instead of their tubs. Even before the drive needs repairing. Our makeshift
inder. They could count the individual explosion at their aft end had run its rocket used most of our oxygen and
strands on the spidery control antenna. full course, they began to scoot. hydrogen. And we’ve still got to get back
Pecock’s voice. “We’ve done all we The Monitor was so big that its explo- to United Stellar.”
can do. We’re getting out of here.” sion didn’t really look like an explosion. Suddenly Northshield became aware
“Mr. Sandusky,” Northshield ordered. The Monitor simply unpeeled in large of how tired he was. He had almost
“Turn the ship ninety degrees to its sections, coming apart at the
literally forgotten being awakened a few short
present heading.” seams, spewing men and materials al- hours ago. Now all he wanted was to
“Yes. sir.” most in slow motion outward in a fan- get back to sleep.
“And when I say so. I’ll want full tastic globe of misshapen pieces. At its “Call me Just before the repairs are
reg-space acceleration, and that means center was an atomic glow which grew completed,” he said as he slipped out
even beyond tub conditions. The weapon in intensity until the TV was short-cir- of his harness. “I’m going back to sleep.
will either drain it off or it’ll kill us. But cuited and went blank. You, too, Sandusky. Mr. Orlando can
it’s either them or us now.” The display panel told them that finish your watch.”
As soon as the ship was roughly pieces were flying out from the Monitor He left the CC and worked his way
aligned, Northshield signaled Sandusky faster than the Ulysseswa.s. Several times to his bunk. He took much longer than
to throw in the drive, while he snapped chunks large enough to destroy them he had going the other direction earlier.
the switch in front of him. came up alongside and then passed He didn’t bother with his boots. He slid
Sandusky knew that if the power drain them. They felt some Jolts probably into the cocoon-like bedding and closed
were turned off the acceleration would caused by a few smaller chunks hitting his eyes.
slice their bodies through their harnesses. them. All they could do was ride out The hum of the intercom took him
When he threw on the drive, he felt the the explosion and hope. by surprise. It was Sandusky. “Sir.” he

ship jump. Somehow they survived. said awkwardly. “I was wondering .” . .

But it wasn’t acceleration. It was the Several minutes of silence passed “Yes?”
result of Northshield’s plan and Pecock’s while they gradually became aware of “Well, about Mr. Cromwell. Was one
hard work. the significance of what they had ac- of his bones really a bomb? I mean . . .

Two compartments at the very aft end complished. The war was over. It was that’s horrible.”
of the Ulysses had been flooded with as simple as that. And as complex. They “No. No,” Northshield answered.
liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen from had destroyed the Confederation’s Con- “Morell was right. 1 was merely stalling
their life-support system. The wall sepa- trol Center. They had killed its Supreme for time.”
rating the two was blown apart by Commander. They had denied it its ul- Sandusky sounded relieved.
“I see.”
Northshield’s action of throwing the timate weapon. They had freed human- “How did you ever think of it?”
switch in front of him. and the explo- ity from the last vestiges of organized “Oh,” Northshield replied casually,
sions ignited the oxygen and hydrogen. racial prejudice. The several thousand “when I was a kid, I used to read a lot
The resulting conflagration spewed in an individuals still in the Confederation of far-out stories. I guess I picked it up
uncontrollable and erratic way out the would now be leaderless and uncoor- in one of them. Impossible, of course.”
end of the Ulysses. dinated. Now that United Stellar knew “Of course, sir. Thank you.”
The alien weapon drained power from the extent of their strength, it could ferret Northshield cut the circuit and again
magnetic drives only. It couldn’t work out the few remaining ships and capture closed his eyes. For a military man on
on chemical explosions, controlled or or destroy them. a civilian research tub without computers
not. For every action, an equal and op- The war was over. he hadn’t done too badly that day.
posite reaction. McCormick had two types of alien “And I did it on my own,” he said,
Northshield had turned the Ulysses ships to work with. She could return with and fell asleep.
into a chemical rocket. The explosion computerized ships and trained crews.
nudged them aside. They hadn’t made first contact after all. O
VERTEX INTERVIEWS
from page 35
meeting, there are great gasps of Ballantine, plus three from our grab the readers. It’s often very hard
“Nepotism! Here we go again! backlist. All nine will be packaged in to design an illustration that says
Ha-ha!” But his books do make lots thi^ new new format. Ian
look, this science fiction if you are dealing with
of money so they let me publish them. has been bringing in new major artists a near future world in which there are
But he’s a great deal of help in my who have never illustrated SF before. no aliens or rockets or other technical
work. He’s a fountain of information They are marvelous, and we are very wonders. Then you have to rely on
with knowledge about books and excited about their contributions. your blurb copy. I often have
writers. His library is around, and we Vertex: Do you consider the title or disagreements with copy writers who
do talk a great deal. He’s also a the cover or author the most want to play down the plot line on
marvelous title machine. Very often I important thing? covers, as they tend to do in “big”
read a good story, but the title is Judy-Lynn: On any cover you have a reprint books. In such cases you are
nothing; it says nothing. So I’ll feed it title, an author’s name, an illustration working with a book that has made it,
into The Title Machine and out comes and a blurb. A blurb can be a book that has a reputation. If you
the most appropriate, the most perfect something from the story, something are reprinting a Jacqueline Susann
title. about the story or a tag line such as: book, you don’t have to say what is
Vertex: How important do you “by the best-selling author of inside, people are going to buy it, no
consider the packaging of books? 2001”— or whatever. Each book is matter.
Judy-Lynn; Most important, because if different and with each book one of But in a category book I tell the
theconsumer doesn’t pick up the those elements should be most reader something of what is going on
book it doesn’t matter what is inside, prominent. If you have a Clarke, or in the book, what world he will enter
he’llnever get to read it. When a an Asimov, or a Heinlein— or any one when he opens the book. If that is not
book is on a shelf with hundreds of of a half dozen other writers— it a world that interests him, then he
other competing titles in any one doesn’t matter what you put on the won’t buy the book. But I think he
month— and books are out there for cover as long as you display the name deserves a clue as to what is inside. So
a very short period of time— it is prominently, and add “a new novel I don’t believe in keeping the book a

necessary for the package to catch the by” or “the first novel since”— or secret, and I don’t believe in giving
potential reader’s eye as he is going whatever. the ending away, either.
over the rack and make him want to If you are publishing a writer Vertex: It sounds, with this new
pick it up. So I become totally nobody has ever heard of, or one who concept, that except for a few Big
involved with the packaging of the has made no impact thus far, then the Name Writers, all writers will have an
books I edit, because I feel, in the author’s name is irrelevant— except to equal chance. The fact that one is
house, that I am the only one who the author and his friends. unknown wouldn’t really make much
does understand science fiction. I Vertex: I’ve seen some books— not difference to the average reader.
know the readers, I know the books, Ballantine’s— where it was actually Judy-Lynn: We are trying to design a
and I think I know what sells. A lot difficult to find the author’s name! format that is so flexible that it will
of that knowledge comes from Judy-Lynn: That’s not cricket! That’s be fair to every book— and to writers,
magazine experience. After eight and not fair. But on a scale of one to artists— and readers.
a half years at Galaxy, I know what four— if you talk of the four Vertex: Do you try to publish a
covers worked and what covers didn’t elements— you want a title that will balanced “menu” of science fiction?
work. Much of that experience relates Judy-Lynn: Indeed I do. Ballantine
to the paperback industry. has always struck, I think, a
Fortunately at Ballantine we have a reasonable balance. We’ve introduced
marvelous new art director. He went many new writers to the field. Larry
to the science fiction convention in Niven was born— or at least
Washington, D.C. with us and became developed— at Ballantine.
an instant fan! He went to the art Vertex: Of immaculate conception?
show, the Burroughs’ events, and he Judy-Lynn: Yes. David Gerrold, too.
signed on for all future conventions. Ballantine has always been a home
Ian Summers comes to us from an for new writers as well as for the
advertising background. He views each well-known ones. We publish Clarke
book as a new product that must be and Silverberg and del Rey, whoever
sold to the consumer— not necessarily he may be, and Wyndham, and James
to the fans who know the name of the White, etc., etc.— a good healthy
writer and who have been waiting for balance between the new and the
the book, but to the general reader, classic writers.
who does not know one book from In terms of balance, as I say, there
another and needs to be told that this aren’t twenty-four terrific, literary
book is different or better or whatever novels written in any year that are
from all the other books on the rack. going to last for twenty years and
Ian and I have evolved what we think become classics. So I have to fill out
will be a most effective new look for the list with books that are what they
Ballantine science fiction, a look that are— straight category books. They are
will make its appearance in grand fun to read. They’ll be picked up and
scale in February, 1975, with a enjoyed. They’ll be around for a year
nine-title promotion; six titles new to turn to page 84
60
MOVIE REVIEW
The destruction of Los Angeles by a
earthquake is only the beginning of the
killer

EARTHQUAKE story!

article/ DON PFEIL

s far as Hollywood is concerned, the Van Norman Dam never broke. The
A we’re evidently into the Time Of Hollywood Dam does!
The We’ve had upside-down
Disaster.
ocean liners and men with bombs on he film features an all-star cast
airplanes, and now we’re getting highrise T headed by Charlton Heston and Ava
buildings on fire, collapsing tunnels, Gardner. With them are George Ken-
mid-air collisions, and earthquakes. nedy, Lome Greene, Genevieve Bujold,
Disaster movies, especially earthquake Richard Rountree, Marjoe Gortner,
movies, have been tried before, and have Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, Victoria
been generally successful. But there’s Principal and Pedro Armendariz, Jr.
never been a movie quite like Earth- Stars one and all, but upstaged badly
quake. Millions were spent on special by the special effects men.
effects, more stuntmen (and women) Prior to its opening there had been
were used on Earthquake than had ever a lot of studio ballyhoo about the special
been used before on a single movie, and effects, especially the “Sensurround”
a totally new sound system, which Uni- system, and how it would make the au-
versal calls Sensurround, was developed dience feel it was right in the center of
just for the film. the earthquake. Only a few minutes after
The filming started in January 1974, the start of the movie the first quake,
and few hours before filming was
just a a “pre-shock” hits, and frankly, it was
to start on the first scene a real earth- pretty disappointing. Up on the screen
quake rocked Los Angeles— its epicenter bottles rattled on tables, lamps swayed
just five milesfrom where the film was back and forth, and Mr. Heston held
to be shot. Three years before, in the onto Ms. Gardner. But that was about
same area, a major earthquake had it. The feeling of audience disappoint-

killed 64 people and done millions of ment was almost thick enough to cut
dollars in property damage. One of the with a knife.
major problems in that 1971 disaster was A few (movie) hours later though, the
that the Van Norman dam, overlooking BIG quake hit, and I, for one, was hold-
the heavily populated San Fernando ing onto my seat wondering if that was
Valley, was heavily damaged. Engineers the special effects system, or if the coin-
hurriedly pumped water from the Van cidence of all time had hit Los Angeles
Norman reservoir to prevent a flood, with quake during the premier of the
undoubtedly saving thousands of lives. film. Suddenly I understood the reason
In the film, a major part of the action for the netting I had noticed strung just
centers around the Hollywood Dam, in under the theater’s ceiling. It was there
the hills directly above Hollywood. to catch falling plaster— and it was there
There engineers are frantically pumping with reason!
out water as the dam starts to crack. The Basically the “Sensurround” system is

San Fernando Valley was saved because a series of big speakers, mounted high
61
EARTHQUAKE climaxes with the breaking
of the Hollywood Dam, a special effects
tour-de-force.

62
 Genevieve Bujold (below) dodges flying
furniture while George Kennedy (bottom) faces
an uncooperative National Guard unit.

up on the walls and pointed downwards, Gardner are hiding under a car while as a disillusioned cop. Victoria Principal
which bombard the audience with very debris falls around them. Six feet
all is so sexy you almost hope the bad guy
low-frequency (but very loud!) sound away two cars are crushed by a piece will get her, just so somebody does, and
during the quake sequences. That low of falling concrete. That piece of con- there’s a drunk with a very familiar face
frequency sound not only is mood-ef- crete weighed over six tons! you're going to have to see to believe.
fecting. but in bouncing off the floor it The story line, following the marital But they’re all the icing on the cake, and
actually phvsicallv shakes your seat! troubles of Mr. Heston and Ms. Gardner, the cake is shaking. I’m a native South-
Combine that with the fact that you’ll the budding romance between Heston ern Californian, and I’ve lived with
be shaking too, and you can see why and Ms. Bujold, the professional prob- earthquakes for over thirty years. And
the whole theater is liable to start vibrat- lems between Heston and his fa- I came out of the theater wondering if
ing. Lome Greene, and sev-
ther-in-law/boss, it would be possible to edit Vertex from

In addition to the sound system there eral sub-plots isn’t really that important Montana. See this film, and I guarantee
is one other area where the film is truely to the story. The Earthquake is the story. it’ll shake you up. Literally!

fantastic. It is virtually impossible to George Kennedy plays a fantastic part Donald J. Pfeil O
detect any model work in the film. When
houses collapse upon themselves, when
freeways crumble and trucks tumble fifty
feet off twisting overpasses, when major
buildings come crashing down onto busy
thoroughfares, it is the real thing. Man,
you say to yourself, they really wiped out
Los Angeles. Or at least a good part of
it. And part of the reason for that im-
pressionis that part—just enough— of the

destruction is real. The producers found

houses that were to be torn down, and

wrecked them for the film. The stunt
men and women who were out in the
street with debris raining all around
them were dancing a very critical step
where exact positioning and timing were
required to keep from getting hit by
falling concrete and metal and plaster.
And while much of the falling material
was weighted styrofoam, the large signs,
concrete boulders and cement walls are
real. At one point Mr. Heston and Ms.

63
 THE SPURIOUS PRESIDENT
from page 31

them.” “I don’t know if we ought to wait,” front of a sign, tastefully lettered in old
“The hell he would,” muttered Admi- said Krantz. English style. The sign read. Domesday
ral Renick. “Please,” begged Admiral Renick. Cliibhe.
Nobody else said a word. There was a moment of silence and “An odd spelling.” said Krantz.
Secretary Krantz was a small man, just then, Krantz nodded. Everybody sighed. “Not at all,” said General Bradshaw.
an inch or two over five feet in height. “Then I’ll set them to work,” said “Domesday is a well known game.
He was portly, running to pink fat General Bradford. Haven’t you ever heard of it?”
around the neck and flowing bulges “I gave up games at fifteen.”
about the waist and thighs. He was far ecretary Krantz came out of the Oval “Come inside,” said Bradshaw.
from a heroically formed figure. But he S Room, his prominent ears a flaming “Maybe I can change your mind.”
had been toying with the idea of retire- red. He had suggested a clever tactical The club was meticulously furnished
ment for a long time and felt that he approach to the forthcoming disarma- within to give the impression of a stone
had little to lose. ment conference that involved legiti- walled medieval castle replete with suits
“If nobody else has the guts to do it,” mizing new weapons, and a flareup had of armor and old tapestry hangings.
he said tartly, “Fll ask the President resulted. The Chief Executive was still There was only one jarring note, the very
myself.” quite nasty. His tongue had the same many minicomputers that dotted the
General Hod Bradshaw looked at him acid bite that cut deep into the hide. His vaulted room, each set beneath a huge
with mingled admiration and cynicism. smile was as forced as ever, a frozen screen of luminous liquid crystal dis-
“Reinhart,” he said, “they broke your grimace surrounding yellowed buck plays. Pairs of players were huddled at
mold years ago. But would you let a God teeth. The blue black jowls were lumpy consoles watching darting red and green
damned coward advise you how to go as of yore and the backsloping chin ran colored lights on the screens, brows
about it?” inevitably into the foreshortened neck. knitted in fierce concentration. Brad-
Krantz smiled with the confidence of But occasionally, even during this un- shaw tugged at Krantz’ sleeve and in-
a man whose wife has a substantial an- happy dialogue, the President had duced him to approach one of the
nuity. leaned back in his mahogany finished screens.
“I'm a pretty good diplomat,” he said. metal swivel chair and the beady black “The concept of the game is simple,”
“I’llfind the right words.” eyes had softened. The knotted forehead he whispered into one of Krantz’ large
“You miss my point,” said Bradshaw. had relaxed and the bunched body had pink ears. “Each player has at his com-
“This situation is far more delicate than unclenched. A soft phrase had emerged mand a fleet of cruising space ships, the
any you’ve ever been in before. If, as from between the pencil thin lips, fol- bright red and bright green ovals you
I fear, the Slavcoms have done some- lowed by a deep sigh. Krantz thought see darting about on the screens. Each
thing to the President, we
dare not let he even detected a tear trembling on the fleet is defending the security of its

them know of our suspicions. By putting sparse eyelids. He had leaned forward galaxy.”
the question directly to the President, no to comfort, even reassure the Chief Ex- “Sounds familiar.” said Krantz.
matter how delicate the phrasing, you ecutive and almost had his head bitten “Each of the space ships is armed with
would spill the diplomatic beans. It all off. an ultimate weapon in the form of a
has to be done in a very indirect offhand He wondered if General Bradshaw torpedo, under the control of a player.
manner.” wasn’t building a minor matter up out If the torpedo should barely touch any
“Meaning what?” asked Krantz. of all proportion. Basically he felt the one of his opponent’s ships, all of them
“Just this. In the Twentieth Century, President was the same miserable son disintegrate and their galaxy lies open
men were preoccupied with the philo- of a bitch he had always been and yet, to conquest.”
sophical question of whether or not ma- he had to acknowledge that there were Krantz yawned.
chines could think. The English logician, minor disconcerting signs. “Indeed?”
Turing, in the course of considering this Krantz returned to his office to find Bradshaw scowled.
question, posed the following game. a brief coded note at his Telereceiver “Like all civilians, you underestimate
Suppose, he wrote, that a computer and from Bradshaw. Might they have a the enormous combination of skill and
a man were placed in separate rooms, walking meeting? Krantz knew what that nerve required by this game. Do you
communicating with a third room elec- meant, a casual stroll in the park away know that West Point now offers four
tronically. An interrogator in the third from sensitive listening devices where courses in the strategy and tactics of
room then poses a series of questions words might be exchanged in confi- Domesday? Just consider. Each operator
in an attempt to find out which room dence, So it was that an hour later he has ten ships to handle and ten of his
houses the computer. No holds would met General Bradshaw, now in nonde- opponent’s to keep an eye on. He must
be barred, of course. The computer script civilian garb, tossing bits of plastic constantly be prepared to switch instruc-
might even be programmed to lie.” stale bread to an array of hungry, hissing tions to the computer in midstream. It
“Does the interrogator always suc- automated white geese. Krantz took a takes enormous discipline and control.
ceed?” asked Admiral Renick. handful of the bread out of the General’s And notice that third man who hovers
“Turing thought he would. The only hoard and cupped it in his stubby fin- about each console. He is the referee.
question as he saw it was, how long gers. As he tossed his contribution into He watches the computer registers and
would it take?” said General Bradshaw. the pond, he waited for Bradshaw to makes certain that no unlawful instruc-
“I propose that we use a variant of this speak. tion is used.”
game to find out if our President is the “Not here,” said the General. “I Krantz shrugged.
original man or if he’s been tampered wouldn’t be surprised if the goddam “I see,” said Bradshaw acidly, “that
with. If you grant me a little time. I’ll geese are bugged.” you are still unimpressed. Then let me
work with my logicians on the details They strolled along casually until they add one other remark. Domesday is the
of this approach.” were outside the park and standing in President’s favorite game.”
64
 Krantz’ eyes glittered. House and asked if the President would
“Is the President good at it?” play an exhibition match against the
“Good? The man has lightning re- Harvard Ramses III computer for the
sponses. He’s won several of the inter- benefit of the Domesday Fund.
national tournaments staged by the Ter- The President wavered.
ran Domesday Association.” Bradshaw General Bradshaw who was standing
looked down at his nails. “Pve been by. mused aloud about the risks of play-
considered a grandmaster of the game ing such a game.
and the President beats the pants off me “It is dangerous,” he said. “What if

all the time.” you should lose?”

“Can’t do much for your ego,” said The President’s eyes flashed.
Krantz. “But what’s this got to do with “Lose?” he thundered. “Lose to a
your plans for a Turing game?” compendium of cryogenic megabits? Of
Bradshaw smiled. course I’ll play!”
“At first we thought of tricking the The selection of the expert behind the
President into answering a special ques- scenes who wouldplay in place of the
tionnaire but it was obvious that such Ramses III was another delicate matter
a gambit would have been pathetically but the Military Intelligence group was
transparent. So I dreamed up the fol- able to find a loyal yet superb player
lowing idea. There is a theoretical jour- in the person of Lance Steiner. Steiner
nal devoted exclusively to the game of had beenAmerican Champion of
Domesday. For a long time it has carried Domesday for four years, two consecu-
articles debating the question of whether tively and he snapped at the cash bid.
or not a suitably programmed computer He had never met the President in tour-
could beat a human at the game. The nament play although, on two informal
President personally contributed an ar- occasions, he and the President had
ticle in which he claimed to prove that played to a draw.
the human must always win. We plan Lance never denied the rumor that he
to give him a chance to prove his thesis. had held back on both occasions and
My logicians propose that as a variation that in fact he could have devastated the
of the Turing game, we get the President President. The President’s Press Secre-
to play a computer.” tary had stated, off the record, that the
Krantz frowned. President had thrown Steiner a draw out
“I don’t see what that would do.” of the goodness of his heart.
“Actually he won’t be playing a com- Selecting the referee was a more dif-
puter. His opponent behind the scenes, ficult matter. His role in the game was
will be an international grandmaster. If, crucial since he had the right to disqual-
as I suspect, the President is actually ify a player if he used an instruction out
under the control and direction of the of the permitted set. The referee thus
Slavcoms, his manner of play would had to be alert, quick to respond, and
have to fall along certain lines, those with guts enough to tell off a President
espoused by Admiral Gouskaya, the if he violated the rules of the game.

leading Slavcom grandmaster of Domes- Kwai Yeng, a Korean grandmaster

day.” who had spent over thirty years in prison
Krantz scratched his chin thoughtfully. in his homeland on political charges, was
“Is this really the only way to ap- deemed immune to pressure. Like all
proach him?” Orientals, he was inscrutable so that he
“Trust me,” said the General. have “I could not be accused of facial tics which
absolute confidence in what we’re going might help one opponent over the other.
to do. Please trust me.” Preparations for the match went for-
you,” said Krantz.
“I’ll trust ward with the greatest care. General
But his heart was heavy and full of Bradshaw had Steiner locked into a rig-
doubts. orous training schedule which absolutely
precluded sex since many studies had
The President was a resenting the challenge to the Presi- shown a drop in aggressiveness with
master of the Domesday
P dent was a tricky matter in which increased bedroom dalliance. But he was
General Hod Bradshaw rose to the oc- promised his pick later on out of a set
Game, and Bradshaw was casion. First the President was asked to of unretouched photographs.
proclaim Domesday Week in honor of Steiner was honed to a sharp fighting
sure a tournament would the approaching fiftieth anniversary of edge by playing a host of outstanding
reveal an imposter. the game. He consented without a mo- opponents, some of whom were flown
ment’s hesitation. in from distant parts of the Solar System.
The next and more delicate step came His Domesday performances were ab-
when the Director of the American solsutely magnificent, nerveless, creative,
Domesday Society called the White daring.
65
 Whether the President had been replaced with
a spy or was genuine, there was still
something terribly wrong in the White House.

Meanwhile an extensive computer he introduction to the match was dered and did not open with the planned
program was written by Military Intelli- T dramatic but brief. The President’s move. The President responded with
gence which analyzed all recorded games credentials as a Domesday international swift assurance and the titanic struggle
of Domesday played by the President. grandmaster were stated without elabo- was underway. The advantage went first
A painstaking profile of his game style ration. And Ramses III was displayed to one player, then the other. The issue
was compiled which had every move he to the audience in all of its burnished was constantly in doubt as the red and
had ever made catalogued. Based on this New England spareness. Steiner was green ovals darted violently about the
profile, simulated games were played by presented as the representative of the screen. Move and countermove flashed
Steiner in which he was presented with American Domesday Society who would into the viewers’ living rooms with
all probable reactions and countermoves cast the dice for the right to the first breathtaking speed.
likely to be made by the real President. move. And then Steiner blundered for the
Afterward Steiner himself worked out As he picked up the dice, he dropped second time. He knew it even before he’d
the most suitable type of game to be them and accidentally dropped his con- completed his instruction and, in trying
played to insure his victory. But it was cealed loaded pair as well. As he stood to alter his message, he used a disallowed
essential that Steiner have the first move there,hoping the floor would open, the instruction, something he hadn’t done in
or else the large number of possible President reached over and casually years. The imperturbable Korean referee
openings might louse up the prepared picked up the loaded pair. As Steiner swiftly nullified the move and allowed
strategy. mulled over the question of whether he the President a penalty move. The Presi-
Traditionally the right to the first should use the loaded pair too and cast dent smiled and leaning slightly over his
move was determined by casting a pair another twelve, the President graciously panel controls, fired the coup de grace.
of dice, with the high throw getting first announced that he would concede the The red ovals disappeared in a twinkling.
choice. first move to Ramses III. He had triumphed.
“Do we dare use prepared dice and Steiner then slunk ofif to his clandes-
then switch the President to a standard tine Job of playing instead of Ramses he President was in high spirits af-
pair?” asked Steiner. III. Still stricken by the mishap, he blun- T terward. The public was responding
“We must,” said General Bradshaw
grimly,

he match was to be carried in prime

T time on Holographic Projection, the
three dimensional video and sound dis-
play that landed the game in the center
of every living room. The Slavcom Am-
bassador, like everyone else, was excited
by the novel contest. But his suspicions
were also aroused.
“What is the political motive behind
this appearance of the President on in-
ternational HP?” he asked.
His aides all stroked silken beards and
their large brown eyes rolled upward in
token of deep thought.
“Perhaps,” said one.
All hands froze.
“On second thought,” said the
speaker, “it may not be.”
“For God’s sake,” cried the Ambassa-
dor, “what the Hell are you talking
about?”
The aide was reluctant to say but he
did.
“Domesday is an unusual game. It

combines expertise in computer pro-

gramming, quick decision making, and
low cunning, not necessarily in that order
of importance. Of what value is it to
display all of these attributes on HP? My
intuition tells me ” and he paused
meaningfully.
“Yes, yes,” said the Ambassador.
“Sheer cultural vulgarity,” said the
aide.
“Do you know,” asked the Ambassa-
dor. “That’s exactly what I was think-
ing.”

66
 It was all a big game, but the stakes were the
highest office in the land, and the life of
the man who sat in that office.

warmly to his victory and the White coded and the authenticity verified. So test the Maze. Am I right so far?”
House was flooded with laudatory mes- I let the man go. Since that time, Tve “Uncannily right,” said the President.
sages. He even kissed his wife lightly on been in a quandary. I’ve had sleepless “But,” said Bradshaw, “the ten days
the cheek. nights over the question of whether I are what baffle me.”
General Bradshaw was scanning the acted correctly or not. I still haven’t told The President flashed one of his tight
results of the computer analysis of the my superiors the story and I didn’t even lipped grimaces.
Domesday game with lackluster eye. As tell your aide more than a bit of it. But “I didn’t expect it to last more than
he had feared, it was highly equivocal. 1 I had to come to you.”
felt a single day,” he said. “And I must add
At one point, the President had played Bradshaw leaned forward and clapped that I’ve been wondering for a long time
with all of the zest and elan of old. At the man on the shoulder. why nobody came to me and asked
another, he resorted to an approach he’d “You did precisely the right thing,” where the Hell Td been.”
never used before, one favored by the he said, nodding his head vigorously. “We wanted to, Mr. President. But
wily old Slavcom, Admiral Gouskaya. “And you are to say absolutely nothing look at our position. If it had been due
And yet that might just be an indication to anyone else, is that clear?” to a Slavcom kidnapping and substitu-
of the President’s eclecticism and flexi- “Yes sir.” tion, we might have alerted your kid-
bility. After everything that had tran- “Just one thing more,” said the Gen- nappers.”
spired, how could he go before the Na- eral. “The man’s teeth, what were they “You reasoned very logically, Brad-
tional Security Council with this incon- like?” shaw. And what about the others?”
clusive evidence? “Yellowing buck teeth, sir.” “The members of the Security Council
He went of his oflSce
to the console “Was he closeshaven?” are almost completely convinced that
minicomputer and slowly entered the “Sort of. He had blue black jowls and you’ve been replaced. But so far there
entire contents of the anlaysis so that a foreshortened neck. That’s as much as has been no proof. Consequently, in
it was displayed paragraph by paragraph I can recall.” order not to tip our hand, we arranged
on the glass face. He edited very delib- “Thank you,” said General Bradshaw. the Domesday match so that by a kind
erately, cutting lines here and inserting When the operative had gone, Brad- of T uring game, we could see if you were
words there until he had produced a shaw went back to his office computer, the same man that you had been before
coherent and consistent text. Then he working this time on a very special pro- the disappearance.”
repeated the procedure and constructed gram, one involving the display system. “And what did your analysis of the
a second text. He printed out one copy He worked at top speed, using every trick game tell you?”

of each text and thoughtfully read them he knew to minimize the number of “I haven’t seen it yet,” lied Bradshaw.
through once again. One text favored the instructions. When he finished, he sat “But I’m sure it will indicate to the
Bradshaw hypothesis, the other its very down at the console and entered the Council that you are the same man.”
opposite. program with great care. “Since I am the same man,” said the
As he sat there, perspiring profusely When he was done, he inserted an President, “I have no doubts either. But
in a comfortably cool room, he suddenly instruction so that’ only a call from the what the Council mustn’t know is that
became aware of one of the Secret Ser- President’s private line, after a twenty 1 spent ten days wandering back and
vice operatives standing before him. minute delay, would start his program. forth in that God damned maze, hope-
“Who the Hell let you
in here?” he Then he went to see the President. lessly lost.” His eyes became cold and
bellowed. angry. “If I hadn’t taken along a small
The operative blanched. he President did not seem surprised pack of concentrated food tablets, I
“Please sir,” he begged. “Your aide T
when Bradshaw broke the story of would have starved to death. But it was
thought you’d listen to me.” how he had found out about his disap- a very chastening experience, Bradshaw.
“About what?” pearance. 1 had been convinced, beforehand, that

“What I saw a few weeks ago. You “I’m sure the Secret Service operative 1 could easily make it out to the White

see my position is that of Maze

Monitor. didn’tknow it was you, Mr. President,” House entrance in one day by astutely
I patrol the corridors and passageways said Bradshaw. “But as he spoke, every- using my pocket minicomputer. I never
of the White House Maze to make sure thing suddenly clicked into place and 1 did, and what’s more, it was only pure
that no unauthorized personnel are in decided to come to you with what 1 chance that 1 found my way back to the
it.” knew.” Oval Room. It made me aware of my
“What did you see a few weeks ago?” “And you’ve told no one else, even fallibility. It was humbling.”

ran into a man who looked peculiar

“I members of the Security Council?” “Sometimes that’s a good thing,” said
to me. His hair and mustache seemed “Absolutely no one,” said Bradshaw. Bradshaw.
false and I suspected that his eye color The President leaned forward, his eyes “Sometimes. It was certainly a good
was due to tinted contact lenses.” fixed on Bradshaw’s. thing for me on a personal level. But it
“Then why the Hell didn’t you take “I want to thank you for your loyalty,” wasn’t good for the people. If they had
him into custody and report it?” he said. the slightest idea of the howler I’d
“Exactly what I started to do, sir. But Blushing slightly, Bradshaw resumed pulled, they’d never trust me again.
the man had papers on him with a spe- his story. They’d want my finger olf the cobalt
cific directive. They were signed by the “You see, I recalled your interest in trigger. And that would be wrong, abso-
President and ordered that the man was the security of the Maze and I had read lutely wrong. You and I know that
to be passed without hindrance and not the very elegant mathematical analysis there’s nobody else as fit to be President
a word was to be reported to my superi- you prepared which showed the falli- as 1 am.”
ors. Naturally I used my pocket scanner bility of the way in which maze patterns “True,” said Bradshaw.
on the President’s signature and com- were chosen. And then it dawned on me The President looked at his watch.'

pared it to that in the file. It was properly that you must have wanted to personally turn to page 99
67
 .

SURPRISE PARTY
from page 39

selves in a short passage. The sounds crooked a gloved finger at the speaker. this?”one demanded.
seemed to come from the left, and they “Come out here, arkrat.” Without changing his expression
went that way cautiously. The other man The man that shouldered through the Wilde slapped the man right across the
peered around the corner and Jarl heard squad was young and well-built, with the face. hard. “What is this, sergeant. What
him gasp. Jarl and the girl pressed close, quick eyes of a ripper. Jarl thought per- this is, private, is an airlock. Unlessyou’d
unmindful of their nudity, and looked haps he had seen him somewhere before, like to get into the lander without the
around the corner. but the nudity confused him. Maybe in use of one.”
It was a large room metal-walled and a crimson jumper, or a screed bodifonn . . “Lander!” Several people turned to
grimly efficient, with no concessions to “I said silence in the ranks, chute were sealed shut. One
the ports, but they
decor. In the center of the room, facing wiper.” of themen switched on a viewscreen and
Jarl and his companions, were seven The young man’s face flushed and he they crowded around. They were looking
men and women, totally nude, and star- jumped at the sergeant with a yell. Con- down the long length of the spaceship
ing with a mixture of fear, confusion, temptuously the big sergeant swept him at a strange, alien world. They could see
and anger at the man facing them. The aside, hardly moving as he sent his at- continents of unfamiliar shape beneath
big man was speaking in a manner that tacker crashing to the floor, where he the clouds,and dark seas, polar caps and
brooked no challenge. slid to the wall and struck with a noise high mountains. Several people whirled
"Your clothes are in the lockers to that made Jarl wince. The sergeant on Sergeant Wilde, who was looking at
your right. Your name is on the door. looked at the squad again and said, “Any them with a wicked grin.
Leave nothing behind, take it all. You’ll more questions?” He barely waited be- “That’s it, little boys and girls, that’s

need every item there. Everyone carries fore he added. “Suit up,” and pointed your new home. It’s called Valhalla and

his own weight and—” The man caught at the lockers. it’s nineteen light years from your nice
the look of one of the front row men With the others Jarl found his name safe little arcos.”
and turned to look at the three in the on a locker and opened it. Inside was “That’s impossible!” the girl next to
hatchway. a military-cut tunic and trousers in mot- Jarl said.
He put his fists on his hips and glared tled green, equipment belts, a backpack “Nothing is impossible.” Wilde said,
at them. “Well, don’t just stand there that was quite heavy, and two weapons, “only improbable.”
gawking, get in line!" He was big and a well-designed knife and a GE Mag- “How could we get here?” she asked.
tough and seemed to know what was num laser rifle. “We don’t have star drive or ... or
going on. so the three naked people One of the others turned and said, anything—!”
Joined the others. with some degree of respect. “Sergeant?” Wilde grinned his wicked grin. He
The man sighed. “I thought you three The sergeant looked at him and nodded. gestured around him. “Meet Sleeper
would never uncork. 1 thought we’d have ”
“Sergeant, just w'hat the hell are we Ship Three, the Rip Van Winkle.
to leave you behind and go in short. doing?” Several others added their Sounds of astonishment went through
Well. okay. I’m Sergeant Wilde and you agreement w'ith the questions. The man the novice troopers. “The Earth you
are all members of my squad and a more who had asked the question held up the knew is a thousand years dead and
miserable bunch of chute slop I’ve never Magnum. “A laser rifle? What are we you’re never going back.”
seen!” t going to use it on?” Everyone started to talk at once, but
Jarl croaked out a sound, intended as A slow grin crossed the sergeant’s face Wilde bellowed an order over the noise.
speech, but it was only a sound. He and it made Jarl very uncomfortable. "Shut up! You arkrats are all alike.
stopped, trying to get the words formed, “You never know, Klein, you never You’re all soft, you are all stupid, and
but the sergeant shouted at him, “Silence know. Now get suited up!” you all talk too much. You are here. I
in the ranks!” Everyone got into their uniforms and am here, but soon the Rip won’t be. She
"Uck.” Jarl said. “Uh . . . what ard. to their surprise they fitted excellently. has forty-two more loads to drop, forty-
uck. are we—” // / look half as good as the rest, Fm two planets to tame, and she won’t wait
“5;Ve/7ce.'” thundered the big sergeant. kind of dashing, thought Jarl. He stole on you chute wipers. Get in that lander
Jarl swallowed his raspy throat and was looks at his companions of the late entry now! ”
quiet. The sergeant stood with a glare and saw' that the girl W'as quite attractive Some of the new “recruits” started to
on his face. “Now let’s get this one thing in her form-fitting tunic. move into the lock, but others didn’t.
straight. my squad and am
You are 1 “Sergeant, what about food.” someone “What did I do?” whined one slim rip-
responsible for you. Any one of you asked. per.
dump and it’s my tender ass! And let Sergeant Wilde looked up from help- “It was what you weren’t doing,”
me tell you. I’ve been in the Federation ing his semi-conscious attacker into his Wilde said. “Isn’t this what you wanted?
Navy for twenty-one subjective years gear, “There’s a pill in the fourth pocket Adventure? Distant planets? Frontiers to
and there is not one black mark against of your belt, right hand side. Take that. tame, monsters to fight, beautiful girls
me!” Just one.” to win?”
I'Ve don't have a Navy. Jarl thought. Jarl realized he was starving and Someone started to laugh hysterically
What Federation? What is this? quickly swallowed one of the little brown and the sound was shut olf suddenly.
“1 will train you. I will motherhen pills. In few moments the hunger pains The girl next to Jarl said, “We’ve been
your tender bottoms, 1 will eat you alive were gone, and so was the headache. He kidnapped!”
when you dump, and / will be obeyed!” picked up his Magnum and followed the Wilde’s grin was still as wicked as ever.
He glared at them a moment and started others out the rear hatch and into an- “Yeah, and I’d complain to the Ark
to speak when someone in the middle other room. Wilde directed them Mayor just as soon as you can. Now
of the squad said, “What’s this urking through another hatch that Jarl suddenly move!”
freak all about?” recognized as an airlock. So did others The lock hissed closed behind them
The sergeant’s eyes slitted and he and they suddenly stopped, “What is and then the exterior lock cycled open

68
 They were light years and time centuries away
from everything they had known, and only their
ivits could keep them alive.

and the gloomy troop went through it ark, in New York. began shifting about.
apprehensively, grumbling and sullen. “We come from all over,” Kiley said. Jarl noticed all the ports were sealed
“Botany Bay,” the girl said to Jarl. “Magharibi, Beowulf, Aragon, New Chi- shut, but that didn’t surprise him. Every
“Huh?” cago, Joseph Smith, Zapata. It’s crazy.” police aircar he’d been in had been
“Hundreds of years ago the Republic “What do we have in common?” Erin sealed up or barred. He sat down again,
of Great Britain sent convicts off to some asked. They looked around at the others, giving Sergeant Wilde an occasional
place down in Pacifica, to colonize it, who were also talking eagerly as they dark look.
and to get rid of them.” huddled on the cargo deck of the lander. “Who the fuck are they to burn us
.”
“I’m not a convict,” Jarl said. “At least “We’re all young, we’re all from arks . . like this?” Erin complained. “We didn’t
not now. A couple of falls, but .” . . “Nothing much there, I mean, who have a trial, we weren’t arrested or any-
“We were kidnapped,” the man on the isn’t?” Kiley said. thing. Don’t we have rights? Hey, ser-
other side of the girl said. “We were “What did you do, you know, back geant, what right did they have to do
illegally transported here to be forced there?” Blaine asked of Kiley. this to us?”
to endanger our lives!” “Well, uh, I was a student of sorts. Wilde grinned wickedly at them. He
Jarl pointed at his Magnum. “Use that. And I worked part time for a section seemed to enjoy their discomfort. “A
Burn Wilde, force the captain to turn supervisor.” sovereign right to sweep the halls clean,
back, if there is a captain and not some Jarl grinned suddenly. “You wefe a private. You were all petty rips. You’d
computer.” politician’s gofer.” Kiley flushed and all done a little time in the slams, you
were going to go down again, sooner or
later. You ought to count yourself lucky.
A fresh new planet, a fresh start—!” He
laughed loudly, looking from one to
another. “Would you have preferred the
Circus?”
Jarl shivered and gave Erin a look.
“Nobody prefers the Circus,” he mut-
tered. “You get trapped into it!”
Jarl thought of the big noisy arenas,
where man fought beast, beast fought
mutated beast, robots fought robots,
robots fought men. Those that
triumphed had brief moments of glory,
but more often bloody stumps and
ripped guts. Sure, there were specialty
acts, mostly sex stunts or precision per-
formances, but they were strictly fillers,
something to keep people’s attention
while the stagehands were moving
scenery, cleaning up the blood, or getting
the next group sorted out in the staging
area.
But no one with any sense volunteered
for the Circus. Not unless the Law said
you ought to “volunteer.”
The black man from Magharibi tried
“And do what?” the man asked. “I nodded. to change the subject. “I heard Wilde
studied for the space academy once, “And you?” Blaine asked Jarl. say the gravity was Point Nine, which
before I got caught doing a con. so I Jarl felt a little defensive, but he said, won’t be bad,” the black man said. They
know a little about this. Do we stay out “I was a ripper.” introduced themselves and Jarl found he
of the cryonic chests to watch that he “I was third string manager for a was talking to Clifford, the Warlord of
does turn back? Nineteen light years? shockball team,” Blaine said, “but I gotta the Magharibi Marauders.
That’s what eight, nine hundred years admit I did a little ripping, too.” “I heard of you, yeah,” Jarl said.
sailing? How are we going to do that, They turned to look at Erin. She “Yeah? All the way back to Washing-
even if we take turns?” He shook his sighed. “I was a dancer in the circus. ton? Goddamn.”
head. “They got us.” You know, one of those that come in “Well, you know, when you guys did
“My name is Erin,” the girl said. Jarl with the Emperor for the day, tossing that Sutherland whistle I thought that
identified himself and the complainer around phoney rosepetals and bouncing was really something slithery.”
said he was Kiley Prattner. The other her domes.” The men grinned, and Jarl “That was a cold, cold lark, friend.
man had awakened late with Jarl
that touched her arm. Let me tell you about it .” . .

said he was Blaine Fitzgerald, from Ox- “Hey, you are with the finest click of As they were going into the final de-
nard. Kiley said he had grown up in second-rate boosters that ever phonied scent Erin asked Sergeant Wilde about
Ponce De Leon but they had snipped him a Changecard.” the Federated Navy he had mentioned.
at Lafitte Tower, in Greater New Or- She nodded, “Yeah, the Rothschilds “I didn’t think we had a Navy, as such,
leans. Jarl gave his home ark and Erin of Robbery, the best of the best.” Her sergeant.”
said she had been living in the IVest Side irony sobered the young men and they The big man grinned mockingly.
 Wilde gave them a choice. Learn to live and
fight the planet as a team, under his command,
or die unmourned.

“There’s a lot you don’t know, clean- tards,” Osborn muttered. “And I had hundred years ago.”
boot.” He leaned closer and said, “Since such a win game going with these piggies “This whole thing was planned two
when did a government tell its citizens from Mannheim . .
.” hundred years ago?” Osborn asked.
everything?” “Sergeant, what’s your sign?” Tiara, Wilde shook his head. “No, dummy,
“'Tes. but a Navy—\" the ex-whore asked. but at these distances and speeds a dif-
Wilde laughed. “Three sleepers, a Wilde gave her a disgusted look. “Do ference of a hundred years would be
couple of middle-sized torch ships, a few Not Provoke. ” he said. easy.”
landers, and a lot of frustrated admirals.” Tiara smiled at him. “Oh. come on. “I’d hate to be waiting for a rescue
At Erin’s questioning look Wilde added, Were you born on Earth?” ship,” Blaine said.
“Oh, the Russians had a couple, China The burly sergeant ran tongue over his Wilde laughed. “What rescue ship?”
had three, and there were a half-dozen his teeth and sighed. “They’re every- This seemed to amuse Sergeant Wilde
or so spread around. But Congress just where. No. I was born on Mars. July and he’d repeat it to himself every once
didn’t think it important to equip a big first.” in awhile. The others began unpacking
flashy space navy when there weren’t Tiara wrinkled her brow a moment. the kits and packets, and some started
any bug-eyed uglies dropping in out of “Cancer, of course, but with the Earth to explore the immediate perimeter, at
the black. But everyone had the same rising.” She gave Wilde a searching look. Wilde’s orders.
problem.” “Good. Cancers with Terra as the rising Here and there among the more-or-
He looked around at the faces that sign make good guides, excellent protec- less familiar green plants were a few odd
were looking at him. “No frontiers, you tors.” Satisfied, she sat back, and seemed purple ones, and an occasional broad-
vacuum heads. Nothing for all you nervous. Wilde looked at the others,
less leafed plant with a spikey red flower
hotbloods to do. except make trouble.” eyebrows and shrugged. Then
lifted his almost as big as a man that looked evil.
He laughed aloud, and with genuine he turned his attention to a read-out Erin stopped to watch Jarl look over
mirth. “So they set up what we called panel. the big flower. “Looks pretty alien,
the Kidnap Korps, and ‘recruited’ all you “All right, get ready.” he said, “we’re doesn’t it?”
eager young volunteers. They solved about to land.” The men and women “How the hell would I know?” he
several problems at once, got rid of their settled back against the sides of the asked. “I remember once they took my
scum, colonized the stars, and made lander and braced themselves. class to some ding-dong greenhouse ar-
themselves feel noble.” The sergeant stayed standing, strad- boretum and I thought everything looked
“But you. too, sergeant, you’re out dle-legged, his meaty hand grasping a like something from another planet.” He
here with us.” Tiara said. holdbar. “You’re going to love our little shrugged and walked on.
“I’m the only real volunteer here,” he garden spot, troops. The climate is a little Jarl stepped on a stick and it slithered
said. He snorted. “It was getting pretty warm, but you’ll get used to it. We’re away into the jungle and Jarl suddenly
dull there at Area Center,” he explained. landing in a safe zone, no predators of realized he was on another planet. He
Jarl shook his head. “A whistle. The any size, and it will be our training pointed his Magnum at the green-striped
whole thing was a goddamn sneaky ground.” snake with a scarlet head and pulled the
whistle.” He looked “How did
at Erin. “What sort of place is this, sergeant? trigger but nothing happened. “Hey!” he
they get ydu?” ‘No predators of any size.’ What kind complained.
“I was bored. 1 quit the Circus awhile. of chute drip is that?” He turned to Wilde, who was telling
I was working on about the fifteenth “Shut up. Klein, you’ll find out soon three troopers where to put the bubblekit
level down on the Union Oil computers. enough.” from the lander. “Sergeant, this damn
Just punching trivia and going out at The ship came to a reasonably smooth thing doesn’t work.”
night. Then I got an idea, did some landing and Jarl got out feeling faintly Wilde looked at him, wearily. “Damn
reprogramming and dumped about elev- surprised he wasn’t more surprised. right it you think I’m giving
doesn’t. If
en thousand pops credit on my card. Maybe it’s all just happening too fast, he you operational lasers when you can’t
1 thought was Super Snipe and 1 did
1 thought. He looked around, warily. use ’em right, you’re pure zongo.” Jarl
it again. Then this guy comes up to me They were on an island about two looked at his Magnum again, pursed his
in the Zingara bar and gets to talking. kilometers long and a kilometer wide, lips and made a face. “Now help those
Good-looking citizen, and. well, I go to and it was mostly jungle. There were wipes get that commkit out of the hatch.”
his place. One drink and zap. I wake green plants that were not too dififerent “Yes, sir.” Jarl said. It wasn’t until
up in the coffin.” from those he had seen on wallscreens later he realized the only time he had
Kiley nodded. “I was rigging a sneak at home. Several of the others seemed called someone sir was on his two trips
on the vote with some zongo filch and to realize this at the same time. Sergeant to Foundation. Jarl looked around at the
the night before we plugged in the new Wilde said, “This whole string of systems dark blue sky and shivered. Some sen-
program he and I got trapped in an was seeded by the original survey ship, tence for a citizen who hadn’t even had
elevator in this oldcondo and next thing and the Rip is now seeding them with a trial!
I know. I’m waking up in the Rip. 1 don’t humans.” He laughed, nastily. “It’s sup- The lander took off and flashed up-
know what happened to Bruce.” posed to make things easier for us.” ward to the invisible Rip Van Winkle.
Each of them told much the same Maria pointed at a rather large tree Jarl watched it go. The Lazarus and the
story. They had done some rather minor and said, “That looks a little like a ban- Morpheus were also out seeding the stars
criminal act, or acts, and were about to yan. When did they first seed this with troops of discontented young men
do another, or had Just pulled one, and planet?” and women.
had fallen victim to the equivalent of “They started out a long time before “Will we ever get back?” Erin asked.
Larson and Ashby. and they’re a lot
Rip, or even Lazarus, Jarl didn’t answer. He wasn’t quite so
“The Kidnap Korps,” Bailey sighed. So I suppose by local time they
faster. certain he to go back. Another
wanted
“The Dirty Tricks Department.” “Bas- would have been here a hundred, two thousand years to return. What would
70
 The planet was fit for human habitation, or at
least that’s what Wilde said. But that didn’t
mean they could survive there.

be there that he would recognize? It wet citizen.” to the Lost City tomorrow.”
would be like two sleeps to the future, “Valhalla, hell,” muttered Jarl, re- “Lost City,” sneered Clifford from
but then what? How would he snarfle peating the phrase that had become a .along the curve of dome. “This piggle
his squares? Maybe they’d have wire- cliche. He opened the door and went is like some adventure tape.”
heading that would be compulsory for The sleeping quarters were on the
inside. “Well, it’s a ruin and from the air
convicted criminals, or mind-boxes second level and the cooking and work recon shots it looks deserted,” Klein said.
they’d implant, or maybe man would area below. Sergeant Wilde was at his “What would you call it?”
have evolved to big-domes, or maybe desk and Jarl saluted. “I dunno, but ‘lost city’ sounds pretty
they’d all be dead. “Clean your piece,” Wilde said, not melodramatic.”
Jarl looked around at the fresh, new. looking up. “Isn’t finding the evidence of an alien
untouched planet. Maybe this isn’t so bad “The big biters have given up and race dramatic enough for you?” mut-
after all, he thought with some surprise. disappeared,” he reported. He had lain tered Kiley from his blankets.
“Come on. you volunteers.” he said to in the reeds and watched through glasses “I just think it’s hyping to call it a

others nearby, “Let’s get this bubble- as the thirty-meter lizards had prowled ‘lost city.’ that’s all,” Clifford said.
dome up.” the shore across the narrow strait which Erin snuggled close to Jarl and kissed
separates Touchdown Island from the his face as he reached for her.
he rain sluiced down the dust on the mainland. Kiley called from the next bunk, be-
T mottled foam and as Jarl ran across “Good. We’ll go across tomorrow, if hind a screen of woven broadleaf.“Hey,
from the supply dome he saw a spot the rain stops.” Jarl, do you remember our first week
where the chemicals hadn’t mixed right “Yes, sir,” Jarl said and saluted. He here?”
and the camouflage chemicals that had went up the ladder to the sleeping deck “Not now, Kiley.” Erin said.
mottled the foam had left a spot stark and got out of his clothes. Nothing had “Damn, we were cleanboots for sure,
white. He ducked into the entrance, penetrated the permacloth uniform, but then. Remember Wilde giving us that
made from the stalks of the slick reeds rain had trickled down under his collar target practice, learning to shoot on the
that, grew in the marsh, and shook off and he was soaked. Erin helped towel run? Goddamn, I thought
I’d never get
the water. him dry and then they fell together into the hang of it!” There was a silence, then
Bailey grinned at him from the obser- their bunk. Kiley spoke again. “Hey, Jarl, do you
vation slot. “Corporal Jarl, you is one “Tomorrow.” Jarl said. “We’re going think there will be a Lost City when we
get there? That sounds, you know, pretty
zongo. I thought there wasn’t supposed
to be an intelligent life here? Think there
still is? Jarl? Hey, Jarl!” Kiley pressed

down a broadleaf and looked through

at Jarl and Erin’s bunk. “I wonder when
Maria gets in from patrol?”
It was almost dawn. Jarl laced his

fingers under his head and looked up

at the curve of dome. He thought back
over the days and weeks that Sergeant
Wilde had spent whipping them into
shape. Reluctantly he had to admit he
had never been in better shape, both
mentally and physically. Even the sex
had a zest to it that he hadn’t noticed
since he was a randy young zip who
barely knew where to put it.
Sergeant Wilde had been tough. In
fact, each of them, in turn, had admitted
they had never known anyone tougher.
Once, when the big biters had charged
them on their first trip across the main-
land, it had been the sergeant who had
stood his ground, firing his laser rifle
calmly, quickly, and accurately. The rest
of them had bolted, and Osborn and
Kiley had dropped their weapons. The
sergeant had eaten them out royally for
that, and showed them how, when you
run, they can get you from the back
without trouble, whether it be big biters
or nine-eyed gloobers.
Wilde was tough, but fair. He chewed
posteriors of either sex, laying his biting
tongue across the mind of any laggard
turn to page 94
 They were looking for,
praying for, a
miracle, not realizing
just how much a
miracle can hurt and
rend and tear at
those who are least
able to stand the
miraculous pain.

THE
EVES
OF
THE
BLIND
fiction/ Rachel Cosgrove Payes
artist /Alicia Austin
 They came to the shrine hoping
would cure their ills,
the tears
hoping the icon would weep for them.

esitant, fearful of intruding on a

stranger, yet so lonely that she had
to speak, Mrs. Pappas sat down
beside the other woman on the

H porch of the shabby boarding

house.
“1— I saw you at the shrine this after-
noon.”
For a moment she thought that the
woman was going to ignore her. Mrs.
Pappas felt her face grow hot. She
shouldn’t have spoken. Perhaps the other
woman’s problem was so tragic, so dev-
astating, so hopeless, that she wished
only to be left alone.
Then she turned to Mrs. Pappas, a
little of a smile on her weary face.
twist
She was young, too; but the lines were
there, the same ones Mrs. Pappas saw
when she looked in the mirror, the marks
of pain and worry, of helplessness and
despair.
“Will it help, coming here?” the other
woman asked, almost desperately, as if
her soul cried out for reassurance. “I’m
not of this faith, and my husband says
it is a kind of blasphemy to come when

1 don’t belong.
.” . .

“You believe in the shrine?” The

woman nodded eagerly. “Then that’s all
that’s needed.” Mrs. Pappas spoke with
the utter assurance of her own personal
faith. “My husband says that our son’s
affliction is God’s will. Perhaps. But if

so.why are others healed here?”

“You think there will be a miracle?
Have you ever actually known anyone cry— not again. 1 thought that I was all dies.”
who was cured at the shrine?” cried out. But it breaks my heart to hear For a little while they sat in silence.
Mrs. Pappas shook her head. “No him say that. It’s always been the sunset What could Mrs. Jackson say? For a time
one— not personally. But there have been he wanted to see. We’ve described even her problem was diminished.
miracles performed here, through the them— he’s read about them. But each “Mrs. Jackson— Iris— may I call you
years.r time he says, so forlornly, ‘But I don’t Iris?— and I’m Rosa— two flowers, what
“Does the sacred icon really weep? I see colors. What is red. Mom? What is a coincidence— I’ve poured my troubles
”
saw no tears today.” pink? If I could Just see.’ over you. I shouldn’t have. I know that
“Sometimes it does. We can only pray “Perhaps, someday— an operation- you, too, have some great problem, or
for the Blessed Mother’s healing tears.” something?” you wouldn’t be here at the shrine.”
They talked, then, as old friends. The Mrs. Pappas shook her head, wiped “A non-believer. Your son, Rosa. My
other woman told her name— Iris Jack- her eyes with a tissue she fumbled from daughter.” Her voice caught, momen-
son. “I’ve brought ny daughter.” She her bag, took a deep breath. “My Nicky tarily. “Tisha— her name really is Pa-
paused, as if she didn’t know quite how is going to die.” tricia, but we’ve always called her
to go on. It was so blunt that, for a moment, Tisha— she’s nearly twelve.”
Mrs. Pappas, trying to help her new Mrs. Jackson didn’t seem to compre- Mrs. Pappas saw the sadness flood Iris’
friend, talked about Nicky. “My Nicky hend. face. “Tell me. Iris. Maybe it will help
has been blind since birth.” “That’s why I brought him here. We to talk about it.”
“What a tragedy. And you think he couldn’t afford it— not really. My hus- “Tisha is a deafmute.”
will regain his sight, if the icon weeps?” band is a good man. He loves Nicky just “Ah, how sad.”
The pain she felt overflowed. “Just as much as I do; it hurts him, too, when “But she wasn’t born that way. She
today he said, ‘Mom, if 1 could see a Nicky but he
. . . said, ‘Mama, don’t was a lovely, normal baby. She was an
”
sunset—just once before 1 die.’ go.Don’t take him to the shrine. You adorable toddler, alert, happy— she
Mrs. Jackson reached over, touched know what the doctor said— six months learned to talk very early. When she was
her hand lightly, yet it was a heartwarm- at the most. We must accept it as God’s only four, they told me that Tisha was
ing gesture. will. We’ve had him sixteen years, now gifted, that she should have special
“How old is your Nicky?” we give him back to God.’ ” Sudden schooling to develop her marvelous
“Sixteen.” Suddenly the tears gushed. rebellion raised in her voice. “ButI want mind.” She fell silent, pensive.
“I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t him to see a sunset, just once before he “Was she in an accident? A head in-
jury? What happened?” Soon the sky would light up with its “Careful, son. Wait until I get your
Iris Jackson looked at her with a be- evening glory, and Mrs. Pappas wanted chair closer to the bed.”
wildered face. “We don’t know. Nothing to go inside, to hide, so that she wouldn’t The folding wheelchair had seen bet-
happened, that we know of. She was a see the sunset that was denied to Nicky. ter days; but it would get him as far as
normal little girl— brighter than aver- He’d ask, as he did each day, for her the shrine. He leaned on her more heav-
age— and then— then .” Her voice faded
. . to describe the sky. Sometimes, God ily than usual as she helped him into
off to silence. help her, she lied. There wasn’t a beauti- the chair. His legs quivered with the
Rosa Pappas didn’t prod. She’d had ful sunset every day. It might be overcast. strain of moving off the bed. The doctor
too many
people, well meaning, con- Or the sky often was clear, free of clouds, had said no more than six months. Each
cerned people, question her about Nicky. and only a red glow signaled the setting day, now, Rosa Pappas saw her son
Sometimes you didn’t mind; but some- of the sun. But even on those days, Rosa visibly failing. She must hurry. A sense
times you just didn’t want to talk about Pappas told her little lies to her son, of panic urged her on, and she had to
it. If Iris wanted to talk, she would listen. painting word pictures for him, trying hold back so that she could safely guide
If she didn’t, then Rosa would give her to think of new ways to reach him, to the chair down the ramp of planks that
silent support, would pray for her, pray let him ‘see’ the glories she saw so often. her landlady’s husband had laid for them
for Tisha. I’d give up my own sight, if he could over the step that led up to the warped
“She began holding her ears, crying see just one sunset. Just one, before he boards of the porch.
that everyone was talking too loudly. dies. “I hear a bell, mother; but it isn’t very
Tisha would scream as if in pain.” Just then Mrs. Jackson asked, “What’s loud.”
“The doctors?” happening. Listen! I hear a bell ringing.” She heard the fear in his voice. To
“They said nothing was wrong with She pointed to the street leading to the reassure him that his hearing, too, wasn’t
her ears. Oh, Rosa, we’ve had her every- shrine. “That priest— he’s ringing a little deserting him, Rosa told her son, “The
where. Every clinic— each new ear spe- hand bell and telling people something.” priest is walking through the streets car-
cialist we heard of— we’ve spent a for- Mrs. Pappas leaned over the porch rying a little brass handbell. He rings
tune, we’re in debt. I borrowed money railing, being careful not to lean on it. it to signal the faithful that the blessed

to come here. This is my last hope, the The railing looked very insecure. She icon is weeping again.”

shrine.” was staying in this run down boarding Ahead of her she saw Iris Jackson,
“And her speech?” house, with her Nicky, because she could leading Tisha by the hand as if she were
“About three years ago, she just— afford nothing better. a tiny tot. For one moment, Rosa Pappas
withdrew. She stopped speaking. She no A sound was rising, as the priest pro- feltresentment that her new friend hadn’t
longer hears. Oh, I know— it sounds im- gressed along the narrow, winding street, waited for them. Then she remembered
possible. I couldn’t believe it for months. his black robe flapping in the evening that the tears might stop flowing at any
My husband still can’t. The doctors sent breeze, his tall black headdress a rallying moment. The miracles occurred only if
us to psychiatrists— they all say the same point for the pilgrims. The tinkling bell you were anointed with the tears as they
thing. There’s nothing physically wrong flashed in the late afternoon sunlight. came from the eyes of the Blessed
with Tisha’s hearing. She could talk if “What are they saying?” Iris Jackson Mother in the icon. Of course Iris could
she wanted to. It’s hysteric.” asked. “Is it—?” think only of her Tisha at a time like
Rosa nodded. She’d read of such cases. Rosa Pappas strained to hear. “The this.
“But usually there’s something that causes tears! They say— it weeps! The icon From all over the village, the pilgrims
them to— turn off, isn’t there?” weeps!” converged on the shrine, hurrying as fast
“That’s the awful thing about Tisha. “I must get Tisha.” And Mrs. Jackson as they could, hoping for a miracle. They
No one— not a single specialist we’ve fled inside. Mrs. Pappas heard the tap- hobbled on crutches, friends carried
seen— has been able to find even a tiny ping of feet as her new friend ran up them on stretchers, the blind were led
clue as to why Tisha
has withdrawn from the steps. Then she, too, moved. If the or tap-tapped their own way with their
the world. They’ve asked me thousands icon wept, she must get Nicky to the white canes. Soon the narrow, cobbled
of questions— was she frightened by shrine immediately. The priest would streets were thronged with the ill, the
something? Did some terrible, traumatic anoint him with the sacred tears, and halt, the blind.Rosa Pappas was ruthless
thing happen to her? Were we happy perhaps there would be a miracle. in making her way, pushing hard to get
at home? Everything. And all I’ve ever It broke her heart to see how
her frail the wheelchair over the bumpy stones.
been able to tell them was that she’d son was. They had first floor rooms, “Hurry, Mom, hurry,” Nicky urged,
cry with pain, hold her ears, say that we because he could no longer climb stairs. leaning forward as if to make them go
were talking too loudly— even when we He lay on the bed, dozing; but Mrs. faster.
weren’t saying a word.” Pappas knew she must wake him. Ahead of them, the Jacksons were
Rosa felt a great wave of sympathy “Nicky,” she said quietly, touching his swallowed up in the growing crowd
for her friend. cheek with her hand. He felt feverish, making for the shrine. Soon other
“My son will die soon. And your and her heart contracted. “Nicky.” This black-robed priests appeared, forming
daughter— in a way, she is dead, too.” time his eyes opened, although he could the pilgrims into lines, sternly ordering
Sometimes— I shouldn’t say this, it’s not see her. them to approach the icon with seemly
probably sinful— but sometimes I think “I’m so hot. Mom.” reverence, admonishing them not to
I could bear it better if Tisha were dead. “Yes, I know. But Nicky, the blessed push and shove.
As it is, there she is. She eats. She sleeps. icon is weeping. We must go to the “A miracle,” Rosa prayed. “Let there
She sits in a chair, looking at nothing shrine.” be a miracle. Oh, Blessed Mother, let
all day. It’s too awful for words.” She In his eagerness he sat up too quickly, my Nicky see tonight’s sunset.”
shuddered, buried her face in her hands. and she saw the color drain from his The line moved now with agonizing
The sun was dropping low in the west. fox-thin face, leaving it sallow and wan. slowness. Nicky, exhausted by the ex-
 Nicky was blind, but Rosa was sure
the tears of the icon would give
him the sight of a sunset.

citement. leaned his head back against the sign of the cross on Nicky’s forehead, was she the only one who heard them?
the chair. Rosa was alarmed at his pallor. muttered a blessing, and motioned them Tisha remembered, when she was just
He mustn’t collapse now. not when they on. '
a little girl, how frightening it had been
were so near their goal. “Is it over. Mom?” to hear all of the thoughts from all of
“Courage. Nicky,” she whispered to “Yes, Nicky.” the minds. No one else seemed to hear—
him. “I can see the entrance to the shrine “Someone touched my forehead. Was she, she alone.
just ahead.” it—” No. longer did she scream with pain
“Does the icon still weep. Mom?” “The priest, son. He blessed you with at the loudness of the thoughts. In self
“It must. I’ve heard nothing to the the tears.” defense the child had turned herself off.
contrary. Pray, son, pray that you will For a few moments, there was silence Now, however, her self-imposed
be given the blessing of sight.” between them. Mrs. Pappas moved along withdrawal was being challenged. This
Inch by inch they moved along. Soon in the line of pilgrims, pushing Nicky’s place— these people— only faintly did she
Rosa Pappas saw a line of supplicants chair, and they went out from the shrine comprehend why she was here, why they
leaving the shrine, already blessed with into the early evening. Across the water all had flocked to this place. They want-
the miraculous tears. They still hobbled the sun dipped low toward the horizon. ed— they wanted— and their wantings
on canes and crutches, they still lay on A bank of clouds built, and Rosa’s heart were so intense that they hammered at
their stretchers, parents still carried crip- ached. Tonight there would be a spec- the locked doors of her mind.
pled children in their arms. Their faces tacular sunset— but Nicky would not see She saw them— she didn’t see. She
were sad. for no healing miracle had it. heard them— but only faintly. Then,
taken place. “It didn’t work.” His voice was low; suddenly, there was a blast of emotion
Just as the wheelchair moved into the but the unutterable longing in it was that was so tremendous that it shattered
dimness of the incense-perfumed shrine. almost more than his mother could bear. her carefully built defenses, and her
Mrs. Pappas saw the Jacksons leaving. “Pray, son. Pray for a miracle. It could whole mind was flooded with a longing
Iris led her young daughter, a painfully happen yet.” so loud that she fell to the ground,
thin but pretty child, blonde hair hang- But it wouldn’t. She knew. And Nicky writhing in agony, hand clapped over her
ing in soft waves around her blank, ex- knew. ears.
pressionless face. She was like a painted Outside, the pilgrims dispersed, silent, “Too loud!” she shrieked. “It hurts.
doll. sad, disappointed. Mrs. Jackson and It hurts my head.” But it did no good.

Poor woman, Rosa thought charitably. Tisha were waiting for them on the cob- Tisha huddled, her thin arms wrapped
No miracle for them. bled street. around her head, and screamed and
Her panic grew. What if the tears “Will you stay, Iris?” screamed, trying to blot out the emotion
stopped flowing before they reached the “No, there’s no point in' it.” Her face that was transmitting itself to her mind.
icon? It didn’t take a doctor to see that sagged with discouragement, adding Finally, in desperation, she sent out her
Nicky wouldn't last much longer. Even years. “It was our last hope. And, own message, a thing she never had
in the dimness, the light of flickering frankly, our last money.” She shrugged. attempted before.^// right. I’ll show you.
candles reflected olf the fine drops of “Well, I had to try. Now—” She lifted Just be quiet. You’re too LOUD.
perspiration that marked his forehead a shoulder. “Maybe, someday—” Her
and beaded his upper lip. Thank the voice just dwindled away, as her hope osa, she’s better!”
good God that he had no pain, only this had. Then, belatedly, “And Nicky?” Mrs. Pappas, intent on her
ever increasing weakness. “We’re still praying,” Rosa said son, had turned his chair in the direction
Then was within sight, and
the priest stoutly. of the boarding house, so that their backs
he turned back and forth, like a me- “He doesn’t look well,” Iris whispered. were to the setting sun. Tonight Rosa
chanical' toy. catching the precious tears Rosa’s eyes filled with tears. “I ha4 Pappas knew it would be too painful to
in a silver spoon, turning and anointing hoped—just once, before he died— but it look at the colors, to describe them to
each new supplicant. The poor box stood isGod’s will.” Nicky. Now, hearing her new friend’s
by the altar, conspicuous. Over it was She thought he hadn’t heard; but cry, she stopped and turned. Seeing
a placard with the words from Isaiah Nicky said, quietly, “I am still praying. Tisha writhing on the ground, she
beautifully illuminated in go-id, crimson, Mom. Praying that I will get to see just quickly set the brake on the chair, mur-
royal blue and deep green: one sunset—just one.” He laid his head mured, “I’ll be right back, Nicky,” and
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, back on the rest and appeared to be hurried to help the Jacksons.
and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. hoarding his strength for the enormous Kneeling beside her daughter. Iris
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, task of living one more day. Jackson looked up, tears in her eyes, and
and the tongue of the dumb sing. said, “She’s better— see. She hasn’t done
Rosa Pappas fumbled in her bag, drew isha drifted, as she had drifted for this for years. She hasn’t made a
out a bill from her dwindling hoard of T years; but today there was a dif- sound— this is the way she used to be.”
money. Soon she and Nicky would have ference. She had excellent control, Politely Rosa murmured, “Praise
to go home, their resources exhausted. learned over a long time; yet here, in God.” To herself, though, she thought.
A miracle, she prayed. Please, let there this place, she was hearing whispers. She This is better? Obviously the poor child
be a miracle. tried to blot them out, blanking her mind is in agony. How can her mother be
It was over almost before they realized as she had trained herself to do, crawling pleased at this?
that it had begun. Rosa pushed the into a mental hole and literally pulling Then, as they watched, as Iris bent to
wheelcahir to the altar rail, the priest it behind her. The whispers were
in try to comfort the screaming child, Tisha
turned, caught a drop that fell from the louder, though, impinging on her senses. stopped crying, took a long, shuddering
eye of the Blessed Mother, dipped his It was too painful to listen to the unspo- breath, and twisted herself so that she
finger into the bowl of the spoon, made ken longings of the whole world. Why sat on the cobbles, looking down over

76
 Tisha lived in her own closed-in
world, her own plane of reality, and
only a miracle could pull her from it.

the sea toward the sun that was now only She glanced back over her shoulder they’d been since the day he was born.
a thin arc over the horizon. Her face was to see if theJacksons were going back Yet Rosa dared not move him, for she
wiped of expression; yet it didn’t have to the boarding house with them; but knew that something was happening-
that dreadful blank look it had before. Tisha sat there on the street, her thin some miracle— which she did not under-
Tisha seemed to be concentrating on arms clasped about bare, bony knees, stand, which was at once frightening and
something. staring at the first beauties of the setting wonderful.
“Tisha?” Her mother put out a hesi- sun. Soon Nicky, who always seemed to It was one of the most spectacular
tant hand, barely touching the child’s sense the time, would begin to demand sunsets she had ever seen. Rosa Pappas
shoulder. With an almost imperceptible the daily description of the sunset. To- noticed that Tisha, too, seemed
twitch, Tisha pulled away. Iris still knelt night, somehow, Rosa didn’t think she enthralled by the sight. She had not
there, her face a study in warring emo- could tell him. It was all too sad, too moved; and now Iris had stopped trying

tions; joy— perplexity— even a touch of futile. They shouldn’t have come here. to get her daughter to rise and walk back
annoyance as Tisha withdrew from her Her husband was right. It was God’s will to their boarding house. The crowd of
advances. “Let’s go back to our room, that Nicky was blind, and she shouldn’t pilgrims stayed, also, as if of two
dear.” If the child heard, she did not have expected that the shrine would give minds— was something happening, or
respond. him the sight he’d never had. not? If there was a miracle, they wanted
“Mom?” Nicky’s voice was querulous. Then, as she turned away from the at least to be witnesses, even though their
“Mom, where are you?” Incipient panic clouds that were touched on the edges own afflictions had not been taken away.
underlaid his very ordinary question. with the first faint pink glow that would A tall, black-robed priest advanced from
Rosa Pappas hurried back to her son. soon deepen and spread until the whole the shrine and stood, silent, at the edge
“I’m right here. Tisha is— dilferent.” west was a glory of rose and red, of gold of the crowd.
Was it a miracle? A small crowd was and deep purple, Nicky gave a sharp All the while Nicky talked, rapidly,
gathering, standing off a careful dis- gasp and Rosa stopped short, set the low, sometimes so that his mother could
tance, as if afraid to come too close to brake, and stepped in front of her son, scarcely understand him; yet when she
the child. Something was happening. fearful that he was having an attack. His could distinguish words, she realized that
They all sensed it. They had heard Iris face, though, was aglow, his lips smiling, he still was describing the sunset in de-
cry out— they had heard Tisha’s howls his blind eyes open and staring at her, tail, each new change, each moving
of pain and anguish. But was it a mira- although she knew he could not see her. cloud, each subtle color differential, ac-
cle? “It’s— it’s beautiful,” he breathed. The curately, as if he could, indeed, see it.

“Mom, something’s wrong inside my words were a prayer. “This is pink? The Tears ran down her face unheeded.
head.” edges? And those large, clustered masses Somehow, by some miracle which she
An agony of fear clutched at Rosa, are clouds? Clouds. I can finally see could not hope to comprehend, Nicky
knotting her insides painfully. Was clouds— and colors.” was seeing the sunset he’d longed to see
Nicky dying? Was this how it would be? Rosa was terrified. Nicky’s back was for so many years.
Oh, God, was it all for nothing, the trip, to the sea, to the sunset that was build- Finally the colors deepened to purple,
the shrine, the miraculous tears that had ing, there in the west, its colors changing, the glow faded, the sky darkened, and
dripped from the eyes of the icon? deepening, increasing as the sun disap- the first faint star hung high in the heav-
“I’ll get you back to your bed, Nicky. peared for another time below the hori- ens.
Fast.” zon. Yet, as she stood there, facing the In the near darkness, Rosa could see
“Someone told me to be quiet.” He sky, she realized that Nicky was describ- that Nicky, too, was crying.
was whimpering, now, and an icy hand ing it exactly as it was, but in terms more “Don’t cry, my dear,” she whispered.
clutched her heart. Was this what would sophisticated than she had ever used. His “I’m so happy. Mom. I’ve finally seen
happen? The doctor hadn’t said; but it face was rapt, and he kept saying, “I see, a sunset— and it was even more wonder-
must be that her poor, sick boy’s mind I see!” How could he see? He was facing ful than I had imagined.”
was wandering. east, and his eyes were still as blank as Then he slumped forward, and Rosa
caught his limp form in her arms.
“Quickly, someone, get a doctor!” But
even as she cried out, she knew that it
was too late. Nicky was dead.

nd, finally, Tisha yielded to her

A mother’s urging, and allowed her-
self tobe led along the street, her face
once more a blank, her withdrawal as
deep as it had been when they first came.
How peaceful it was, again, with the
voices blotted out, with the pleading for
the sunset gone. She had gone into his
mind, she had shown him the sunset;
now she could turn off the world again.
Too painful— too painful— so she pulled
her mind in on itself and retreated to
her place of quiet where she could live
without the agony that came with
"Tell me another story, Grandpa!” awareness. O
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79
FINAL BOMB
from page 27
sound to you?” but what’s eating you? I never seen ya ious big mamas with wailing miscal-
“Urp lemme through,” the War-
. . . like this before.” ' culations in tow. The clever thought
lock ground out through clenched teeth. The Warlock licked his lips nervously, entered his that when his bomb
mind
The Tarantula complied with a grin. then sidled up to the Tarantula and went off, these spoiled brats would really-
“I kinda thought you’d say that,” he whispered, “Tranch. can you promise me become spoiled- very spoiled.
remarked dryly. “What did ya put in that that whatever I tell you now. you won’t For some obscure reason, the stuffed
slush, anyway?” ever repeat?” animal counter was doing the most busi-
The Warlock swallowed a final “Don’t sweat, man. I’ve kept quiet ness, so he sidled over there, trying to
mouthful of water and wiped his hairy about the bombs, haven’t I?” look inconspicuous. Actually, he was
mouth on the sleeve of his toga. “Chefs The Warlock winced, ever so slightly, about as invisible as Godzilla, but no-
secret,” he retorted. He rolled back into then continued. “Okay. Have you ever body seemed to notice. He picked up
the living room and proceeded to grub wondered how I got the book?" a shaggy stuffed dog from the back and
through a stack of Penthouses and came The Tarantula shook his head no. gave it a cursory examination; when he
up with a battered, badly-bound book. “7 stole it.
” He went
hesitated, then replaced it, the bomb, set for twenty
“Ready for today’s scripture lesson?” on. “Three years ago, out on the West minutes, was fastened onto its tail. From
The Tarantula spread his hands. “I Coast, I was a member of the Church there, he hightailed it to the record sec-
don't care. Read on. O Swami!” of Qwer. It was just like how it is with tion.
The Warlock gave him a dirty look you and me— killing people to gain im- Some time later, while perusing a
and a gesture to match, then sat down mortality for oneself. At that time, I Deep Purple album, the Tarantula hap-
crosslegged on the frayed rug, opened didn’t believe too much of it— but 1 do pened to glance at his watch— and got
the book and began to read. now. We had this one kid who had been a shock. It had been more than twenty
“
‘And so. the drifter Martin com- made immortal with the elixir. One minutes since he had left the bomb— much
pleted his third task and appeared before night, he got kinda belligerent and tried more!
the god Qwer and said, O my Lord, I to take over command with a shot- . . . As he hurried back to the toy depart-
have destroyed a place of public dining, gun. We managed to relieve him of it, ment, the first seeds of panic had taken
as you have specified, and I saw a but, uhh, he got shot in the process. Both root in him. What had gone wrong? The
hundred people die, if not more. And barrels. I mean
was a hole in him there Warlock had never given him a faulty
the Lord said unto him. Very good, my you coulda put your head through.” The bomb. Maybe he had forgotten to wind
son. Now, you must destroy one part of Warlock was perspiring heavily. “We the timer . . .

a place of public purchasing. When this dumped him somewhere and figured he When he reached the stuffed animal
isdone, you will have just one more task wasn’t coming back.” He paused and counter again, he checked to make sure
to perform, and then you will receive mopped his brow. that nobody was watching him, then
the gift of immortality, as I have prom- “And?” reached in and extracted the dog with
”
ised.’ “Very next night— in he comes, hole the bomb. He looked at it just as the
The Warlock snapped the book shut. and all! In other words, the stuff worked contacts on the timer touched.
“
‘One part of a place of public purchas- very well too well, in fact!” . . . The bomb exploded in his face.
ing.’ Any ideas?” The Tarantula shuddered involun-
The Tarantula mulled for a moment. tarily. “What did you do then?” he Warlock gazed at the shriveled
“How about the toy department at “We locked him in a box and buried T black mushrooms in the palm of his
Macy’s?” him. For all I know, he’s still there. hand and wondered if he should use

“Far out! I’ll get your bomb.” The Anywho, I got the idea to try this out them. He remembered what the dude
Warlock disappeared into his bedroom, in New York, but the others said nothin’ in L.A. had told him: “Very unpredicta-
returning shortly with a bomb similar doin’, the book stays here. So, one night ble, these little beggars; not enough,
to the one that had just blown up the I stole the book and the recipe for the you’ll only get high— too much, you’ll be
MacDonald’s at 125th Street and 7th elixir and took off for here to set up six feet under.” That gave him about a
Avenue. The Tarantula took it from him. shop. ’Course I made myself immortal, fifty-fifty chance of contacting Qwer,
grunted noncommittally, and dropped it but every
. . . . . now. and . . . . . . God of Immortality through Violence.
in his pocket. “I’ll do it tomorrow after- then ... ... get ... the .. feeling
1 . At long length, he gulped them down.
noon, okay?” he asked as he got up from . that
, ,
.” He broke off, trembling.
. . Face it, he thought, even if they send me
the sofa and headed toward the door. “I understand,” the Tarantula said off to the happy hunting grounds, it’ll still
“Groovy,” the Warlock called out, softly. “I wouldn’t particularly dig be better than what happened to Tranch.
then added. “Oh, and make sure that spending the rest of eternity inside a Only six dead, him included, and all be-
you lock the door behind you when you locked box.” He turned and ducked out cause the damn timer ran slow.
split.” the door. Almost instantly, the psylosybin-plus
The Tarantula paused, halfway connected with his bloodstream, and he
through the door. “Whatsa matter?” he aturday afternoon. Macy’s toy de- was airborne, flying on a jet-propelled
asked breezily. “Someone cornin’ to get S
one
partment. Lurking in its midst was
slightly shaggy, slightly overaged
version of his fuschia sofa, the banner
of Qwer flapping behind him. In either
“child”— the Tarantula. At the moment, hours or nanoseconds (he wasn’t sure
The Tarantula stiffened. There was no he was threading his way through the which) he was presenting himself to
mistaking the tone of voice— the Warlock mobs, checking his jacket pocket to Qwer.
was serious. Slowly, carefully, he stepped make sure that the all-important time- “My Lord,” he cried out, “my only
back inside and shut the door. “Um . . . bomb was still there when he was not disciple, known to me as the Tarantula,
I don’t wanna sound nosy or anything. exchanging dirty looks with the obnox- was accidentally killed while performing
the fourth part of your divine five-part
plan for immortality. If there is anything The idea of
you can do for him, I implore you that spending eternity
you do it.”
in a box wasn't
After a brief consultation with several
demigods, Qwer delivered his reply: exactly a
“The Tarantula shall be revived for turn on for
forty-eight hours. In that period, he is

to kill a close relative before he can be either Warlock

granted immortality.” or Tranch, so
The lights were starting to dim; the
mushrooms were wearing off. Then he
they did their
was falling, falling . . . thing very, very
The Warlock awoke with a start. He carefully!
was lying on the rug, still alive (which
was good) and confident that Tranch
would be all right (which was even bet-
ter).

Two hours later, he had a visitor.

he funeral was about as small and

T
intimate as the word “private” can
imply. Besides the minister, there were
the Tarantula’s parents (ma going into
fresh hysterics every few minutes, pa
comforting her and looking as embar-
rassed as all get-out) and two or three
close relatives. The minister read a cou-
ple of lines from the
Bible, then all
present paid their last respects at the
coffin(which had been mercifully kept
shut).
Tranch’s mother knelt by the ornate
box, then had an idea and got up.
“Charles,” she asked her spouse, “would
. . would it be possible to open the
.

coffin so I can see my .” she choked . .

on the word, “son again?”

Hubby went over to the funeral direc-
tor, whispered a few words to him, got
a reluctant nod in return, returned to
his wife and said, “The man says it’s
okay, but I wouldn’t think it would be
too nice ...”
“That doesn’t matter!” she retorted.
She strode over to the coffin, put her
hands on the rim of the lid, took a deep
breath and yanked the lid open.
The resulting explosion rocked the
building and literally vaporized three
windows.
As the dust subsided, two figures
slipped into the room via a side door—
the Warlock and the Tarantula. The
former gazed at the demolished room
and uttered a short, demonic laugh.
“Very cool, Tranch— and how appro-
priate to put the final bomb in your
coffin!”
The Tarantula only nodded. After all,

it’s very difficult to say much when half

your face and neck have been blown off.

O
SI
MISCONCEPTION
from page 47
lighting, he could see the aliens’ large, Finally she emptied her glass and said, raised one hand to shield his eyes and
deepset eyes— but not their color. He “Oh, the hell with it— I can’t think. squinted against the glare. At first he did
waited; no one else spoke, so he said Maybe I need sleep,” not understand.
the only Ilyachi greeting-word he could He raised an eyebrow. “Or maybe—” The Reznit— held the
Ilyachi— not
”
remember. "Lefelen. For a moment she showed no reac- dog’s head and blew breath into his
The shorter, white-chinned one— Rez- tion-then, slowly, she smiled, “Yes, muzzle. Then the alien— unclothed, and
nit— spoke. “We meet.” Kern. That’s a thought.” She rose. “Til Jois saw flecks of orange in the fur at
“We meet,” he said. Reznit did not get ready first. All right?” sides and back— turned and crouched on
answer. Aside, Jois muttered. “Take it. “Sure. Go ahead.” She undressed the floor. The dog mounted her and
will you, Lyssine?” quickly. Then away he was
as she turned began thrusting. The Ilyachi moaned.
She nodded and began to speak in caught between desire and admiration “What the hell—?" Shocked, unable
Ilyachi. He could follow only the rise by the slim lines of neck and back and to move or decide to move, Jois stood.
and fall of voice that divided phrases waist, but felt a brief pang for the long, This freak-show had to be wrong— but
and sentences, and the intonation that bright hair that had cloaked them. what grounds did he have for stopping
indicated questions. Finally Lyssine She entered the bathroom; he heard it? And if he interfered, what might

paused and made a gesture to Reznit, the shower begin. He removed one shoe happen?
then waited. and was unfastening the other when Something— another Ilyachi, and again
Slowly, from side to side, the Ilyachi from outside the hut came a different not Reznit—jerked the gun from his
rocked her head. Left— “Tagole”— sound. At first he did not recognize it— hand. He tried to back away but she
right— “Bineft— both at necessity. Pain and then he did. gripped his shoulder. Strong, she was!
growing. No pain stop on ship. Where It was Charleyhorse— in the storage With her other hand she clasped his
we go, yes, but too far— time is now. So shed the dog barked, bayed, then neck and pulled his face to hers; he
we come here— and hope—” howled. Jois pulled his shoe on again smelled— was it peppermint? Something
Lyssine stepped closer. “But what do and picked up a coat. He opened the like it, anyway. She breathed into his
you need? Medicines?” bathroom door as Lyssine stepped out face. And breathed, and breathed. Until,
“Is— no word you h.a.\e—krasvnu." of the shower. “What—?” she said. without volition, he acted. He had no’
“Krasynu?”T]\t girl turned to Jois. “I With droplets of water running down control of what he did; he could only
don’t know the word. From the inflec- her body, the stubble of her hair plas- experience and observe. He noticed that
tion, it’s a verb, not a noun. What can tered wetly-smooth to her scalp, she the six breasts were bare, unfurred,
I do?" Helpless, he shook his head. aroused untimely desire. He shook his shaped like those of a human woman,
Reznit beat her hands together— only head. “Charleyhorse— something’s and small.
the fingers, not the palms. “Krasynti,” wrong; he sounds frantic. I’ll go see— be As soon as he was naked the Ilyachi
she said again. “Krasynu. KRASYNUI” back as soon as I can.” dropped crouching to the floor and he
No one answered; she turned toward the “Be careful. Take the gun.” upon her. His first plungings were futile;
ship. One harsh syllable brought her two “What for? There’s no dangerous ani- she reached back to grasp and guide him.
companions to follow her, each occa- mals here.” Penetration was painful, but he could
sionally looking back. At the ship’s ramp “There weren’t on Wormy Apple, ei- not stop.
she motioned for them to precede her. ther, for nearly a year. Then the snap- Now he had no skills, no restraint, his
then turned back and said, “Rise of ping moles came out of hibernation and body hammered hers as hard and as fast
sun— try talk more.” Then she walked people lost some feet.” as his muscles could perform until, very
up the ramp and it closed behind her.” “All right; I’ll take it. The power- quickly, he climaxed and rolled off on
The sun had touched the horizon; now pack’s fully charged?” one side, to lie gasping.
it sank visibly. “Let’s get back.” said Jois. “It had better be— I left it that way, The Ilyachi leaned over and breathed
“I won’t ask if you made any sense out after last target-practice.” into his nose and mouth. The smell of
of that.” He grinned and leaned to kiss her wet peppermint . . .

She reached down to take his hand; mouth, then went to a cabinet for the Again— though he did not remember
companionably they walked through the hand weapon. He hefted it— awkwardly getting up— he was plunging, slamming,
growing dark. A moon had risen, so designed, in his hand it balanced poorly. hammer to anvil. Shame and terror filled
small that even through the clear air Jois He said, “So I’m armed— satisfied? Wait him; revulsion raised his gorge, but
could barely see that it was crescent. here. I won’t be any longer about it— again he could not stop until the act
Back inside the hut they shed their whatever it is— than I have to.” completed itself.

outer clothing. Jois said. “Would you Outside he used the gun’s sighting- He lay supine, gulping breath in harsh
like some fruit juice? Or a little wine?” light to pick his way across night-frozen sobs. Until the Ilyachi bent to him— pep-
“Juice is fine.” Lyssine sat, frowning, ground. As he approached the storage permint— and it began again.
chin propped on one hand. She took the shed, Charleyhorse stopped howling; And again— his strength was gone, his
glass, nodding in acknowledgment. “If Jois heard a few quick yips and then thrustings jerky and without rhythm.
only she’d talk her own language. I know the growling whine of the dog’s “talking” How many times? He did not know', but
more of that than she does English. voice that he used in play or begging. he was no longer capable of true climax.
Maybe .” . . Sweeping the light from side to side, Jois He felt only fatigue, despair and pain,
“Maybe she tomorrow.” Then
will, saw nothing unusual. Satisfied, he but he could not stop his body, point-
they sat, silent, as minutes completed one opened the shed door and entered. lessly going through the motions of mat-
hour and began another. Jois’ thoughts Sudden light, too bright for endur- ing.
found no traction on the problem; he ance, forced his eyes shut. But briefly “Kernan! What—?” He turned his
wanted to ask more questions, but Lys- he had glimpsed the dog— and some- head enough to see Lyssine standing at
sine’s intent expression deterred him. rolling together on the floor. He the doorway. He tried to speak but could
 I

The only Ilyachi they had

ever met were women, but that
funny fact seemed to be
nothing more than a
were frantic; they couldn’t stop.”
coincidence or possibly a
“But why— why not their own males?”
strange social custon^, until . . .
She laughed, then. “Their own?
Kern— you know who the Ilyachi males
are? You, for one— and Charleyhorse.
There are no Ilyachi males— and there
never were.”
For a time he neither believed nor
understood what he heard. “. any . .

four-limbed, warm-blooded vertebrate

of reasonable size. The one they had on
the ship— from their own planet— it died;
they don’t know the cause. That’s why
they were in trouble.”
“Different species? I don’t believe it.”

“You’ll have to; Tagole and Bineft are

both comfortably pregnant. You see-
some genes and parts of genes are com-
mon to life-forms in our category. If the
basic DNA matches at all well, the Ilya-
chi ovum accepts what fits and throws
out the rest. It’s not a perfect system—
they whelp about one-third monsters,
born dead or destroyed at birth. But they
have litters of four to six; a few discards
don’t bother them much. Their fertility-
breath acts as a screen; it won’t work
on a creature that’s not fairly compati-
ble.”
He thought about it. “How could such
a species evolve?”
She shrugged. “How did sexuality it-
self evolve, on Earth and elsewhere?
Somehow, in the change from budding
to mating, the Ilyachi only made it half-
not. His body continued its movements., “A drug? But why? And how?” way, and became an incomplete species.
Then he lost consciousness, not know- “I don’t mean you were doped, ex- But that’s their problem; we have
ing if he finished the act. actly. It’s a natural substance. Their enough of our own.”
glands manufacture it at the proper time “We?” He could not read her face.
here was a time of pain and dreams and they breathe it out.” “Oh—yes. Well— I I can’t blame
suppose
T of pain, of wondering whether what “What kind of crazy freaks—?” you. I—” He shook “What you
his head.
he felt and saw was Usually he
real. “Not freaks, Kern— victims, if.fany- must have thought when you saw me—
knew he was sometimes he
in bed, but thing. Reznit explained, in her own lan- like that— don’t think I want to know.”
could not be sure. Lyssine was probably guage. To the Ilyachi, sex isn’t pleasure; Her grin showed teeth. “Want or not.
real, he thought, most of the times he it’s relief from pain. When they come I’m telling you. You know what? First
seemed to see her— but he could neither fertile, they Aurr— and worse all the time, 1 couldn’t believe it. And then envied
I

understand nor answer her. And Rez- until they get release. If they don’t, they Tagole.”
nit— would Reznit be there? No, proba- can die of it, or be driven to suicide. “Envied?” Was she going crazy?
bly he was hallucinating her pres- Reznit’s no surgeon, but she was ready “For once in your life, Kern, you had
ence— he preferred to think so. to try a spaying operation on the other to work without a script— the drug gave
Gradually the pain diminished; then two if necessary, to save their lives. It’s you no choice.” She exhaled, a sound
it was gone, and he knew words again. been done before, she says, in emergen- of impatience. “You have no idea how
One day he knew Lyssine was real, cies. Not often— an Ilyachi has maybe tired I get of seeing you strain, hanging
and he could have spoken. But he did four or five fertile periods in a lifetime.” yourself up, oh-so-careful like the books
not want to speak; he waited. He almost laughed. “Then, two at say, waiting on me. It hangs me up, too.
“Kern? Are you back to reality yet?” once? What odds?” you know-all that waiting.”
After a pause, he said, “1 suppose so. “Tagole and Bineft were born to- “But I-”
I don’t like it much, though. What must gether— littermates, we’d call them. So “But, but, but! The hell with that.”
you r/i/n/c of me?” they’re synchronized, 1 guess.” Her voice was harsh, but not her smile.
“You remember, do you?” She waited Impatient, he shook his head. “I still She put a small pellet in her mouth and
for his reluctant nod. “Reznit wasn’t sure don’t see—” chewed. “This isn’t the real thing, of
whether you would or not. You got a She grasped his hand. “Kern! Those course— but we can pretend, can’t we?
really bad overdose of that psychedelic two were close to suicide, just to escape Now that you like big ears?”
aphrodisiac of theirs. Charleyhorse, the pain. That’s why you got the over- She leaned over him and breathed
too— he was one sick dog for a while.” dose; they were so far overdue that they peppermint. “Krasynu?” O
83
VERTEX INTERVIEWS
from page 59
or so and then the world will go on to Judy-Lynn: Yes, yes, it has not come teacher understand some of the more
something else. They are good books out of the closet. You take something complex concepts in the science fiction
that need no apology, so 1 won’t make like Andromeda Strain, which I found books— concepts which the kids may
one. a most defective book. But it is understand, but the teachers may not.
One thing Idid do when I arrived science fiction. If the publisher had I said to our education editor, when

at Ballantine was pick up the phone put “science fiction” on the cover, a we were planning the guide: “The one
and caU Leigh Brackett: “Time to lot of people probably would not have thing you have to be careful of is not
come out of retirement. The world is bought it. We are packaging Clarke’s make science fiction good for the kids.
waiting for your kind of fiction.” Rendezvous with Rama, which is It issomething they have found, and
Fortunately, Leigh had pretty much straight down the middle science if you tell them it is good for them
decided the same thing for herself and fiction, as a mainstream, mass market and you are willing to show them all
had half of a new Eric John Stark book. We think there is an enormous the wonderful messages they are going
novel in the typewriter. I said, “Let audience out there who will buy and to get out of it, they are going to stop
me see it. Send it, send it!” We’ve like the book if we don’t scare them reading it. The sense of wonder and
been very successful with these new off with a label they associate with amazement and joy should still be
Eric John Stark books and look monster movies and other greasy kid there, but we must also make
forward to a great series. We have our stuff. Of course, the SF readers will comprehensible any concepts that are
Clarke books and Silverberg books, a have no trouble finding Rama. difficult to understand. Then the
new Michael Bishop novel; and I’m Vertex:What do you see as the future students and the teacher can get on
publishing Cordwainer Smith’s only of science fiction? with the story.”
novel exactly as he wrote it and not in Judy-Lynn: If it has a future. Vertex: It sounds like the days of my
the butchered editions that have been Vertex: If anything has a future, it’s youth when everyone hid the
previously published. I just signed on science fiction! magazines and read with a flashlight
a Tiptree collection— which I thought Judy-Lynn: Well, since more and under the covers. Or like they say
was a very clever move— two weeks more people are publishing and about legalizing marijuana, it will take
before he won the Hugo. Prediction is reading science fiction, you must be all the fun out of it.
my business— I was sure he would win. right. Even the media have found Judy-Lynn: Yes. The kids have
Vertex: “PrediQtion is my business!” it— it’s getting reviewed; it’s stronger already found science fiction. It’s their
There’s our headline. than ever. The media are becoming property. Tm concerned about
Judy-Lynn: I think our upcoming list more and more aware of science teachers coming into a classroom and
has a nice balance. There are young fiction as a source from which they saying, “I’ve found this good book for
people who should be reading science can pull story ideas. They don’t you. It’s called Dune, and for your
fiction, but I think a lot of science always adapt them well, however. homework read Chapters One through
fiction has not been accessible to Vertex: They pick ideas about thirty Three, and prepare twenty questions
them— much recently has not been the years old, usually . . . on what it is like to live on a desert.

kind that will capture the imagination Judy-Lynn: Yes, but being in Vertex: The best question on that
of the twelve to fifteen year old. If we Hollywood and talking to producers book is, “Where does the air come
want to grab these young people and and to people who have development from?”
make them devoted readers, we have money I find that they are looking to Judy-Lynn: Yes, but teachers wouldn’t
to give them something that is fun to science fiction as a viable source of be able to answer that one, anyway.
read. I think the Stark books are story ideas, because they’ve done to But the kids don’t want to read
capturing that audience. The death the boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl Chapters One through Three. On their
popularity of our Star Trek Log routine. own they might read to Chapter
books, that Alan Dean Foster is Vertex: Now it’s boy-gets-boy. Fifteen before it’s time to go to bed.
writing, also proves this. The fan mail Judy-Lynn: How about boy begets But if the teacher says read One
is unbelievable. Great gobs of it say, boy! So the studios are looking for through Three, that’s the assignment,
“Gee whiz, I didn’t know you wrote new ideas. SF is becoming less why do more.
this kind of stuff and 1 see you’ve expensive to film, too, what with new Vertex: It’s the same in art, in
written other science fiction and I technical developments. I was at teaching art. They will sterilize it and
picked up the books— what else is Paramount this week, and they have draw diagrams about how the artist
available?” As a publisher of a just developed something called constructed a painting. I’ve known a
category, it is our responsibility to Magicam. Variety reported this lot of artists and I don’t know one
draw in new readers all the time so morning that Magicam’s “application who did anything the way teachers say
that we continually prepare a new in TV production will reduce set costs they do.
audience for the next ten or twenty from $300,000 to $12,000-515,000.” It Judy-Lynn: There has to be a point
years. resolves many technical problems and between appreciation and enjoyment
Vertex: How big a percentage of the it will make science fiction films much and when you “appreciate” so much
reading audience is science fiction? less expensive to produce. you forget to enjoy what you are
Judy-Lynn: That’s hard to tell. I think If the schools don’t ruin science doing, something is wrong. The artist
it’s growing by leaps and bounds, but fiction, don’t turn the kids off, it creates a whole, and that is what you
it depends what you define as science should continue to do well. Teachers are supposed to look at and enjoy and
fiction. There are a lot of books have a great ability to turn kids off read and understand. If you start
around that are science fiction, but reading. We’re producing a teacher’s dissecting ... As an editor. I’ll say
they’re not labeled as such. guide for fifteen of our science-fiction there is no sentence that will stand up
Vertex: Closet science fiction? titles. The book is designed to help a if you really scrutinize it. If you read
it word by word, comma by comma, read a great deal. I read a lot of the too, I eventually have to write sales
no sentence makes sense. They’re all old fiction, too, because we’re putting copy and cover copy and promotional
irrational. But that’s not the way out a series of classic short fiction, copy and there’s no way to remember
books are supposed to be read; they’re developing the history of science everything that I’ve read. When I read
supposed to be read at a clip, getting fiction through large collections of the later drafts, I first sit down with my
the overall emotion and feeling. That’s leading writers. And an editor’s job is folder and re-read the notes and the
what the writer intended. Right? reading. A lot. correspondence. Then I go back to the
Vertex; You do a lot of reading. Do Vertex: You read the first draft of a book to see if requested changes were
you get tired of it? novel, or a chapter and outline, then done and made and how they were
Judy-Lynn: Sometimes. I have to read weeks or months later you read the made. Very often a writer will rewrite,
a lot of bad stuff. But I have to read rewrite. Then maybe another or final not as he said he was going to do, but
it so I know what is going on in the version. How difficult is it to better, because in the intervening
field. But often, by page two, I know remember your original feelings, your months a whole new way of looking
No Way. Even if the novel is going to suggestions and so forth? at the world has come along. That’s
develop a brilliant idea somewhere, it Judy-Lynn: I take extensive notes. If marvelous!
is just illiterate, just not worth the it’s a-book I’m working on and care In re-writing, the least objective
waste of my time. Or perhaps the about and feel at some point I’m person is the author himself. He needs
novel uses the same story that has going to publish, then on first draft a second eye. When I write copy, I
been written ninety-seven times and I’ll make notes to myself I’d never must have someone else look at it.
has no new insights. But I have to remember enough otherwise. And, Because 1 know what I want to say,
but I don’t always say it. The idea is
in my it’s not necessarily on
head, but
the paper. Very often writers will
write in great ellipses and they need
someone to sit down and say, “On
page 71 you are in such-and-such a
place, and on page 91 you ara in
such-and-such a place and you need a
way to get there, and the way you got
there is still in your head.” Or there’s
a long, involved discussion that is not
because
clear. It’s clear to the writer
he knows what he’s talking about, but
he has not made himself clear to his
reader. He must communicate. I think
that’s a function of an editor. Not
re-writing, but pointing out where the
writer has not done his job.
It is no favor to a writer to publish
a bad book. It’s better to find out
what’s wrong with it before it’s in
print. Once the book is published, the
writer can say, “Gee, if only I had
known!” but then the reviewers are at
him. Wouldn’t you rather I tell you
you became unintelligible on page 97
and that the book falls apart after
that,while it still can be fixed? What
goes on between an editor and a
writer should be only between the
editor and writer. The world need
never know. Our object is to put out a
finished book that is as good as it can
possibly be. There will still be things
wrong with it! The editor, the copy
reader and the writer don’t catch them
all, and the reader says, “Ah-ha, on

Page 67, did you blow it!” But at least

we can try.
Vertex: I think people, especially new
have learned a lot about
writers, will
of publishing in this
this side
interview, butwe won’t tell them it
was good for them. Thank you, luv.
Judy-Lynn: My pleasure, o
MISSION
from page 23

dow and threw his helmet across the “Not yet it Not until we’ve taken
isn’t! over them, far outdistancing the sound
room, grabbing the bottle from Westflag that center.” Chan suddenly sat down of its jets. And he didn’t hear the sharp
and taking a long series of gulps of the at a tableand picked up a half-full bottle crack of the supervel rockets as they
high-proof alcohol. He choked, coughed, of the native liquor. His hand was trem- slammed into the buildings behind him,
then wiped his mouth on the metal arm bling visibly as he tipped the bottle up, because a jagged piece of rocket casing,
of his combat suit. “You know why I’m causing some of the cloudy liquid to run still moving at twice the local speed of

in this damned war? You know why I down his chin and into his suit. sound, neatly sliced deep into his neck
volunteered for combat duty? Because my “Sir, it isn’t the men who are looking just above the ring where his helmet
father is Grand-General of the Federa- for hero-medals.” should have been fastened.
tion Spaces Chan. The man who led the “MOVE OUT!” Chan screamed, his The team medic was at his side in
raid which brought Mowam into the hand coming up holding a bubbler in seconds, slapping a woundpatch over the
Federation without a full-scale war. The an unsteady grip. surgically-neat slice. He and Westflag
man who tricked the Bvv and Torsa into “Yes, sir.” Westflag said. He snapped picked their team leader up and carried
fighting each other, then stepped in and his faceplate down, turned, and mo- him to the floater, laying him gently on
took control of both planets after they tioned the men
out the door. Outside one of the benches. He opened his eyes,
had ruined each other. The man who there was the high-pitched whine of jet black in the bloodless white of his
is sitting back on Earth with a chest-full floater motors compensating as the men face. “I knew it,” he whispered. “I knew
of medals playing a game of chess that climbed in. Chan sat for a few seconds thiswas going to happen. I knew that
loses millions of men instead of carved staring at the wall, then took a final bastard was going to get me killed.”
pawns. So I joined for the glory that a drink, bolstered his bubbler, pickedup “Hang in there, kid,” Westflag said.
Chan must earn. And instead I got blood hishelmet and marched out the door. “You’re gonna make it— complete with
and death and dirt and impossible orders. The floaters moved in an uneven skir- hero-medals.”
And now all 1 want is a chance to get mish line across the blasted terrain, “Like hell. Wouldn’t you know there’d
back to Earth with a few hero-medals avoiding craters and high-radiation be one stupid ass who wouldn’t get the
of my own, so I’ll never have to come areas, carefully probing sheltered areas word?” Chan’s head rolled to one side
out here again.” for enemy units. They topped a low and the medic reached for his wrist.
Westflag was grinning, obviously ridge, and there below them was the Illyi “He’s dead.”
pleased that he had been able to pene- maintenance center. The floaters paused Westflag reached down and picked up
trate Chan’s shell. Chan looked as briefly, organic eyes and inorganic sen- a bottle, taking a deep slug of the liquor.
though he was going to continue, but sors probing the buildings ahead of “I’ll write the report. He’ll probably be
just then his comm unit began to buzz. them. Finding nothing, the floaters listed as the last man killed on Illyi.”
He picked it up, acknowledged the call, moved out down the slope, laser projec- “Bravely securing this strategically
then moved over to the table and began tors and disperser muzzles swinging back important position,” the medic said in
to makes notes he listened. After
as and forth, searching for targets. But no a voice filled with hatred for their pro-
several minutes he put the comm unit targets were spotted, and five minutes fession.
down on the table, stared at his notes after topping the ridge the floaters were “Yes. Of course. With a recom-
for long seconds, then turned to look at clustered on a parade ground near the mendation for hero medals for his father
themen in the room. “The Illyi high center of the twenty buildings which to put in a plastic case on his desk back
command has agreed to surrender terms. made up the base. on Earth. Evidence that his son was a
All hostilities are to cease at 1700 today. The men were slowly climbing from hero, who found glory for the Federa-
Until that time all units are instructed behind the protective shields of the tion. Too bad he’ll never know just what
to continue with assigned missions.” floaters when Chan received a signal a hero he’ll be.” Westflag turned away,
Westflag exploded
“That’is idiotic!” over his comm unit. Unreeling a cord looking for another bottle.
“That’s orders!” Chan shouted back from the front of his suit he leaned over
at him. “We’ve been ordered to take that and plugged a jack into the general he day was ending, but there were
maintenance center, and we’re going to comm unit of the floater. Every man in T as many folders, as many on
papers,
do it. There’s always the chance that his strike force heard the orders from the old man’s desk as there had been
some enemy units may refuse to honor the command post. “The surrender of that morning, fifteen hours before. He
and we’re to deny them
the surrender, the Illyi forces is now in effect. Cease closed the last folder he would work
the opportunity to use the center to all combat activities and hold position. upon that day, one marked Projected
refit.” Report any violations of the surrender Casualties— Illyi Pacification Plan, and
“With the war over in less than two on the part of the Illyi forces immedi- stood up, stretching. Slowly, his age
hours, you expect us to go back into ately, and take only defensive action. showing in every movement, he walked
combat?” Westflag said, disbelief in his Repeat. The surrender is now in effect. across the room to the chess board. He
voice. Cease all combat activities.” stood staring at it for several seconds,
“I expect you to follow orders,” Chan The men dropped to the ground, un- then reached down and picked up the
answered. “Now get the floaters around fastening helmets and bringing out bot- white Knight, moving it L-fashion across
front and get the men ready to move tles of the Illyi liquor they had brought the board to a square occupied by a
out.” Chan looked at Westflag, then at with them from their last stop. Chan black pawn. The pawn he picked up and
the men. No
one in the room moved. moved off a little distance, eyes scanning moved to the table next to the board,
“You heard me! Button up and move the buildings around him as if hoping a casualty in the game he was playing.
out. That’s an order!” something, anything, would happen. Casually, without really noticing it. he
Westflag looked at the grey, defeated Because his eyes were on the buildings, swept a dead ant off the table, then
faces of the men, then back at Chan. probing windows and doorways, he turned and left the room.
“Sir, the war is over.” didn’t even see the scramjet as it flashed O
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1 !
 B23—
nSsTORn
OF THE
GLASS BEADS
from page 43

mean— I've been very well-received. ads. Well, no Eriando ever understood

ACADEMY Your physiodesign

Might
is

as well flatter the old eggsucker.

The Supervisor grimaced and waved
working well.” sex on anything but an academic level.
He picked upNEW and
paged through it. What, he wondered,
WOMAN

AWARDS
40 years of great nostalgia in 191
what might be a tentacle: Thorkilander
could not be sure. ‘‘Yes, yes, naturally.
I always did have a flair for design. But
was a “new woman”? A girl-child? The
photo-models did not look particularly
“new.”
pages complete with a visual feast of back to business— have you found out May Benrilston’s tendrils flake! He
hundreds of rare photos, plots, bio- what they really need?” slammed down the magazine. Right now
graphies, best picture, best actor, ac-
tress, supporting players, directors, Fear would have clutched Thorki- that crook was probably dealing with
writers, fashion, art, music, short sub- lander’s heart, if he had a heart. Instead creatures of simple needs and dear mo-
jects, etc. Enjoy a visual and historic
he felt fleetingly ill as his osmotic system tivational patterns. Thorkilander walked
trip into Hollywood's golden era. A
collector’s gem from camp sex sym- faltered. He gathered resolve and spoke: carefully to the window, mindful of
bols, heroic plots, to rare genius. In-
“Well. Supervisor. I’ve found a good mat-snarls, and looked down twenty
cludes an introduction by “Mr. Aca-
demy Awards”, Bob Hope an Award. . .
many things they want, but these seem stories to the street. He noticed activity
Publications special and yours Free! to be manifestations of some basic need and adjusted his eyesight.
as a special 'thank you’ to the loyal
readers of this magazine. I haven’t uncovered. I’ve tried a few Police armed with subsonic generators
things: demonstrated the agnosier, but
I and strobe lights were breaking up a
it didn’t make much of an impression. demonstration. The demonstrators had
AWARD PUBLICATIONS
P.O. Box 69690, Los Angeles, California 90069 I don’t think they realized I had demon- smashed the window of a travel agency:
Dear Sirs: strated it. I think the concept is too subtle behind the shattered glass was a poster:
Enclosed is $1 to help cover the cost of shipping for their stage of development.” “Leave Your Hangups Behind— A Tax-
and handling, Please send me Hollywood and the
Academy Awards a —
true collector’s item as a — “Benrilston just closed a trega-grat Deductible Medical Expense— Treat-
free gift.
job.” the Supervisor said. “He’s moving ments in Paris. Acapulco, Rio de Jan-
NAME
on to a new territory. His buds rejoice, eiro.”
while yours languish. Your clan asks if “Ms McNeill!” he called. She came
ADDRESS it will soon have a new leader?” into the room. “Come here, please.” He
CITY STATE ZIP
“Yes, Supervisor. I mean, no. I’m not pointed to the street. “What is going on?
done yet. I have some more research to It looks like a riot.”

do. Signing off now.” He untinged. Halley looked down and smiled. “Oh,
pUlMi.ilfHI May Benrilston ’s sodium ions leach it’s that nut group. Bigot’s Lib. They may

out! Thorkilander and his own buds have a point, but they’re such extrem-
needed increase. And fat, successful ists—”
BUMPERSTICKERS! Benrilston was making another attempt “Bigot’s Lib? What might that be?”
to take over the Clan. It was unfair: that “Well.” Halley said. “With the rise of
for 6 assorted giant 8V^x4” charlatan always got the good territories. minority-consciousness, people began to
fluorescent fire orange and
neon red bumperstickers! Furious. Thorkilander waved a thumb disapprove of racial, religious, or sexual
Printed on adhesive backed at the frangellator and returned to his discrimination. The only people left to
paper that you can also use
for posters, special greeting cards or desk, stepping carefully across the car- hate were the bigots: so, of course, the
just for fun! Supply is limited so get your pet. He picked up a copy of HAPPY bigots banded together for the protection
NOW!
order in
HOMEMAKER MAGAZINE and of their inalienable rights.”
wailed. What could you offer a race that Below, on the street, one demonstrator
would print a sauerkraut-and-spinach hit another with a “To Hell With Ag-
blitz diet opposite an illustrated recipe nostics” placard. Thorkilander blinked
for lemon meringue pie? Or an ad for and twitched an ear. “How do they tol-
Freeze-Dried Dinner Powder next to an erate each other, then?”
article entitled “Get Back To Nature— “They have to,” Halley said. “No one
Grow Your Own Organic Rutabagas”? else does. It’s sad, really; after all. bigots
How could you reach beings that have rights too. hope they eventually
I

wrote “How To Turn Your Husband In get equal treatment.” She sounded as if
On A New Model” and “Ten Handy it were perfectly clear and reasonable.
Ways To Fight Psychotic Depression At Thorkilander watched, glassy-eyed, as
Home”? the last demonstrators were dispersed.
Conflicted, that’s what they were. “Thank you, Ms McNeill. That will be
They didn’t know what they wanted. He all.”
picked up another magazine, REAL IVhy do these things happen to me? he
^
I

OUTDOORS. There was scenic photog- thought. I’m a hard worker, an honest
I BUMPERSTICKERS raphy in the ads for chain saws and salesman— unlike some I could mention
I
Box 69804, Los Angeles, CA 90069
I Enclosed Is $1.00 for each set of 6 assorted i
trailbikes: he scanned an article whose —and I have responsibilities. Why did I
I Bumperstickers. I every paragraph used the word “ecol- draw this incomprehensible backwater of
ogy”: next to it was an ad for trophy a planet? Did Benrilston fix the lottery?
name hunting by plane. He turned; Ms McNeill was still in
PiririrpRR
HURT ME GOOD seemed straight- the room.
forward enough until he realized the “I wonder if I might have the rest of
nity Rtatfi
implications of the photos and classified the day off,” she said. “I have some
 / \
CORDLESS-ELECTRIC BATTERY

COCKTAIL MIXER
Create a real "stir” among your friends
at your next party with this battery-powered
cocktail mixer. Press the button— prestol
family business to take care of.” “Strap yourself in,” Halley said. The
Your drink mixed in an instant. Ideal for
“Family business?” car sputtered up the ramp and out
little milk shakes, gravies, soups, etc. Any
“I have to visit my father. I couldn’t into horrifying traffic. Thorkilander standard “C” type battery provides full
go yesterday; after Bargainvilla it was closed his eyes, but he could hear the power for months of party use. A great gift!
Send $1.50 for this ingenious and useful
too late, and traffic would have been hissing rush of the other vehicles and bar accessory to: NATIONAL SHOPPER,
impossible.” changes of vector.
feel the car’s continual Box 69804, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Thorkilander looked at the stack of “Where are we going?” he whispered.
magazines, then glanced back down at He could feel his osmotic system failing.
the street. “Do you think I could come “Out to the suburbs. I wanted to go
with you? For the experience?” before rush hour; traffic gets really bad
She looked shocked. “He’s in a Home. then.”
You wouldn’t want to go there.” Thorkilander trembled. “Why the sub-
“Of course he’s in a home,” said urbs?”
Thorkilander, “Why would I not wish Halley cut between two trucks with
to go to someone’s dwelling?” millimetres to spare. “People who can
Halley sighed. “I mean a Nursing afford it live in the suburbs and com-
Home. You’d find it depressing. Be- mute to work in the city.”
sides—” triumphantly “—They’d never Thorkilander opened his eyes briefly.
let you in, the way you look. You’d “Do you?”
disturb the confused patients. The nurses “No. I go home on weekends,
hate disturbances.” though.”
Thorkilander made his face look stern. He thought of several questions; why
“Ms McNeill, you agreed to act as my were people willing to work in the city
guide. You are being paid what I under- but not live there? What was so good
stand is a very high salary. It is clearly about the suburbs? Why risk your life
your duty to give me as many cultural commuting instead of living near work?
experiences as possible.” He decided, instead, to get to the point
“I still say—” of the journey. “I have read very little
“I can alter my appearance. I insist.” about nursing homes,” he said, “except
Halley fidgeted, opened her mouth and that old people go there to die. Is it a
closed it again, then spoke. “All right.” religious custom?”
Thorkilander walked toward the
bathroom. be right out,” he said.
“I’ll
The little propane-driven car shud-
dered in a crosswind. “It’s a matter of CHANGE OF
Once inside the tiled room he looked
in the mirror. Really, it would be such
a shame— it was an interesting design.
preference,” Halley said. “People don’t
like to think about getting old and dying.
And it’s more convenient this way. Well,
ADDRESS
The numbers and letters on the label
He filed the pattern for future reference here we are.” that bring Vertex to you are es-
sential in helping our subscription
and adjusted his features to nondescript They pulled up to a low white building department quickly identify your rec-
white Terran male. He raised a hand to surrounded by a sparkling plastic lawn. ords. Please let us know at least eight
touch his new head-covering— hair, it was A sign announced, in flowing script, that weeks before you plan to move. For
called— and noticed that his hand was this was Merry Valley Nursing Home. fastest service, clip or paste your cur-
rent mailing address in space provid-
still blue. Sloppy work. He changed it, Halley pulled the car around the side
ed, fill in your name and new ad-
then smiled, frowned, blinked his eyes, to the almost-deserted parking lot. dress, then mail to Vertex Maga-
and watched his new face in the mirror. Thorkilander fumbled with the catch on zine’s subscription department.
The features seemed durable enough; he his door, then followed her up the walk-
was satisfied. way. It was
sunny day, mild for the
a
“Yipe!” said Halley as he opened the season, but he saw no one outdoors.
door.“How did you do that? I thought “Try not to ask questions while you’re
ATTACH LABEL HERE
you—” here,” Halley said. “If there’s something
“Trade secret,” Thorkilander said. “I you have to know, ask me later. There’s
do not intend to adopt this disguise per- no point in drawing attention to your-
manently.” self.” r\
Halley looked at him and shook her He followed her through double glass
head. “You look like Brand X. But at doors into the building, which was air-
NAME (PLEASE PRINT)
leastyou won’t frighten anyone.” She conditioned and too cold for his liking.
ledhim to the elevator. He noticed a sharp chemical odor. Hal- ADDRESS
His changed appearance did not keep ley stopped at the desk to identify herself
him from cringing as the car swooped and introduced Thorkilander as a friend CITY
down to garage level. The attendant of the family. The pink-smocked recep-
STATE ZIP
delivered Ms McNeill’s tiny grey tionist looked up, nodded, and returned
groundcar, climbed out, and stood sur- to watching television. Thorkilander
veying her. “Where’s your weirdo boss?” carefully did not look at the screen.
THE MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE FICTION
She ignored him. Thorkilander tipped They turned right and walked down 8060 MELROSE AVENUE
him a dime and enjoyed his outraged a long pale-green corridor, past open LOS ANGELES, CALIF. 90046
look. doors. At least there were no carpets

89
 There were only two things of any importance to
Thorkilander. That Earthmen be happy, and more
importantly, that they be grateful.

here. Looking in the rooms Thorkilander the old man said. “If I had my way—” customary to cover the dead; they don’t
saw shrivelled figures lying in beds or “You usually do. Dad.” want the other patients to see—”
sitting in wheeled metal chairs. Thorkilander had never heard Halley “Why? Is the sight so terrible?”
“Ready for our enema now, Mr. Fred- sound so tired. “People don’t like to think about what
ericks?” an attendant asked. “And as for you. young fellow—” the will happen to them some day. That’s
“No,” said the patient, “But you can old man turned again to Thorki- why there are so few visitors, I suppose.
have yours now.” lander— “What sort of work do you do?” I don’t like to go there myself”
Halley stopped outside the door of “I am a salesman, sir.” Thorkilander thought a moment. “If
112. A nurse stepped out, her uniform “What do you sell? Dope? Pornog- so depressing why is it called Merry
it’s

damp, her cap askew, her arms laden raphy?” He sneered with one side of his Valley?”
with equipment, face. Halley glared at him. “You ask the
“Hi, Sanders,” Halley said. “How's “1 sell many things, whatever people damndest questions! What should it be

Dad today?” need. And what. sir. do you do?” called — Depression Gulch?” She
Sanders leaned against the wall and “Do?” The old man’s face flushed. slammed the turn signal and changed
closed her eyes. “Well, let’s see. This “Do? 1 have a stroke, that’s what 1 do. lanes.
morning he was ready to change his will This whole side of my body doesn’t The pattern of potential collisions
and leave everything to me. but when work.” He nodded his head to the left. made Thorkilander cringe and shut his
1 insisted on giving him his bath and “You still have the use of your domi- eyes. He could feel his new face slipping.
his medicine he disinherited me. Again. nant side,” Thorkilander said. “And you He said nothing more, but clung,
He got into an argument with Mr. Jack- do not appear mentally deteriorated, white-knuckled, to the seat.
son, called him a Medicare chiseler, and unless irascibility symptom.”
is a Ms McNeill dropped him off at the
threw his urinal at him. Luckily he only The old man turned red and said to Walden without another word. Upstairs
hit the wall. guess you could say he’s
1 Halley, “What’s your mother been he looked in the mirror and decided to
the same as ever.” doing? She hasn’t been here since yes- resume his usual appearance. What had
The nurse limped off down the corri- terday.” he done wrong? He was uncertain; he
dor. Halley went into the room. Thorki- Thorkilander edged toward the door telephoned Halley at home to apologize
lander followed. and looked up and down the hall. From for giving offense, and asked her to bring
The room held four beds. In the left- a room at the end. a young man was him material on death.
hand bed near the door an old man was wheeling out a sheet-covered form. A This accomplished, he dined on sugar,
propped up watching television. An el- woman in white walked in front of him, vinegar, and salad oil, then curled up
derly black man dozed in the bed across closing doors as she passed. in the shower stall away from the carpets
the room. The two beds near the window Thorkilander stepped back inside the to dissociate until morning.
were empty and tightly made up. room before they reached him.
Halley stepped closer to the first bed. “Where’s Mr. Crowther, Dad?” Halley horough as ever, Halley brought in
“Hi, Dad.” was asking. T psychiatric articles on the mature
The old man set his jaws and glared. “Died last suppose I’m next,
night. 1 acceptance of death, religious journals
“Well, been long enough since you
it’s unless that shiftless Jackson goes first— that promised a glorious afterlife, a
came by,” he said. “A person could rot but he’s got it soft. Sponging off the Spiritualist magazine that implied the
in here for all you care. Neglect, that’s Government— probably never paid taxes dead stayed near their relatives to answer
all 1 get. You’ll see, when my will is anyway—” silly questions, and a professional mor-
read.” Halley edged toward the door. “I’ve tuary journal.
“1 tried to come
you yesterday, see got to go. Dad. I’ll come to see you Thorkilander found the ads in the last
but it got too late and 1 would have hit tomorrow.” fascinating, especially the ones for prod-
the traffic,” Halley said. “Dad, I’d like “Hmf.” The old man turned back to ucts to “beautify the Dear Departed for
you to meet Mr. Thor— Mr. Thor, my the television. “You had to come right the Viewing.”
boss.” in the middle of Hour of Faith. It’s He felt excited, on the brink of success.
The old man turned and scrutinized almost over now.” He turned the volume This entire death-orientation reflected
Thorkilander, who looked back and up; an off-key hymn shattered the quiet. real fear. Only the psychiatric articles
smiled as politely as he could. The old Thorkilander desensitized his hearing faced the reality of death, and they re-’
man sneered; only the right side of his and left. garded it as an unavoidable evil. Evi-
face moved. dently the Terrans had not yet discov-
“Boss, eh? What kind of job have you hey were headed back to the city. ered serial progressive reincarnation.
got this time?” T Traffic in the outbound lanes was Thorkilander paused in wonder, reflect-
“I’m a guide, sort of. Dad. 1 told you at a spastic crawl. “About that place.” ing that he himself had probably been
that already.” Thorkilander said. “All the people there Terran in ages past.
“Hmf. So you did, so you did. A guide, were old except the attendants. Why?” But he was sure he had found what
whatever that is. Well, I never held with “Nursing homes are mostly for the they wanted. True, it would slow their
women working anyway. Gives ’em very sick or for the old,” Halley said. progression, but eventually every race
ideas. You don’t see me your
letting “But there should be visitors. Another wearied of immortality and wanted to
mother work, do you?” thing— when was there
1 saw them I go on ahead. And what was time? As
“You let her wait on you hand and wheel out a person covered with a sheet. long as the Terrans were happy, and,
foot after you got sick,” Halley said. A women went ahead and closed the most important, grateful.
“You just don’t believe in her getting doors ofall the rooms.” First he had to arrange a demon-
paid. Well, 1 need the money.” Halley tapped her fingers on the stration. A revivifier could repair even
“I suppose that’s some kind of hint.” wheel. “Someone must have died. It’s the mutilation of embalming— after all.
 He thought he had found the Ultimate Need, but
little did he understand the true motivation
of those strange people, the Earthmen.

it merely reactivated potential— but he sorrow.” he said. “But who will .screen ultimate need. They will be most grate-
needed a subject. my calls?” ful. Tell the Clan I will surely continue
He was unable, then, to conceal his “Just tell everybody ‘no’.” she said. as leader.”
elation when Ms McNeill told him her “That’s what 1 do." The Supervisor had changed his ap-
father had suffered a second, fatal stroke After Hallev left he opened his pon- pearance again; this time he was vaguely
while watching an X-rated television derous etiquette book; he found a sec- fungoid, and thus devoid of expression.
program. He realized he had committed tion on not seeming too eager to eat the “What do you have planned?”
a social error, and hastened to explain. food at a dinner party, read it in faseina- “They have a death-phobia,” Thorki-
“I meant, he was so obviously misera- tion, and then remembered what he was lander said. “I’ll demonstrate my revivi-
ble, death must be a release.” after.Funerals. fier—
She did not seem mollified. “I never “Funerals.” it said. “Are occasions of “I hope you’ve chosen your subject
knew you were so inhuman.” the utmost solemnity. Black, navv blue, carefully.”
“I meant no offense. Ms McNeill. or grey are appropriate colors. Jewelry “1 have.”

What arrangements have you made?” He is not worn. Mourners should attempt “Benrilston hasn’t wasted any of his
was using the idiom of the mortuary to conceal their grief, and should not samples.” the Supervisor said. “He just
trade, he noticed. burden friends with their expressions of closed another job and is moving on to
“We’re having a nondenominational sorrow. Restrained, tasteful floral trib- new territory. One sample, one culture.
funeral.” utes are appropriate, as are remem- Think you can do better?”
“A funeral?” he said. “May 1 attend brances to a favorite charity.” “I’ll do better.” Thorkilander said.

as amourner?” 77/ send money to Bigot’s Lih. he “And I’ll do it honestly.” He untinged.
She looked surprised. “You hardly thought. He wondered why such gaudy
knew him. But if you want to, he’ll be colors were prescribed for a funeral; the horkilander sat in the taxi and made
at Johnson’s Funeral Home. The service black of infinite space, or the grey of T sure his grat-counter was registering.
is day tomorrow.” She looked sus-
after bare rock— he would ha\ e chosen a good He brushed off his grey flannel jumpsuit.
picious. “Is this another one of your sombre cerise. But customs varied. Retaining his alien appearance, he told
fact-finding expeditions?” himself, tied in with the Terran tradition
“No.” he said. “I merely wish to offer vening fell, and it w as time to report of trademarks.
what small comfort I can to the bereaved E again. He was almost excited enough The taxi swept up a circular drive,
family.” Yes, that was nicely-said. to forget his fear of earpets and to ignore stopping in front of a white-columned
“All right.” she said. “But you’ll have the moonlight flooding his room. He mansion. The columns were plastic.
to get there on your own. I have to be contacted the Supervisor again. Thorkilander wondered briefly about the
with Mother. And I need a few days off.” “S-2 Thorkilander here. 1 have iso- use of the word “home,” as “Funeral
“Anything to comfort you in your lated the Terran’s primary fear, their Home;” a strange pairing of concepts.
He handed the taxi driver a twenty-
dollar bill. “Keep the change.” His
counter clicked, registering a very small
positive grat.
Thorkilander stepped out of the taxi
and stood at the portal, wondering if he
should knock, ring, or just walk in. The
door swung .slowly open; a sombre grey
usher confronted him. He did not change
expression at the Eriando’s appearance.
"The McNeill funeral?” the usher in-
toned. Thorkilander nodded, impressed.
The man’s stage presence was as mag-
nificent as a Supervisor in full bud.
“Right this way. sir.”
The usher led him down dim corridors
over thick-piled carpets. Thorkilander
could almost feel poisonous tendrils en-
tangling his feet. They stopped at a
darkened flower-filled room where a
casket lay. An imposing woman in black
sat on a bench; Halley’s hand was on
her arm.
“Mr. Thorkilander,” the usher an-
nounced. As if on cue the women rose,
approached the coffin and wept into
black-edged handkerchiefs.
Thorkilander followed them and
looked in. then stepped back, repelled.
The old man had been anaesthetic
enough while alive, but now. powdered
and rouged, eyelids green-shadowed,
91
 HORSEPLAYERS
WIN BIG, WIN OFTEN, WIN EASY
WITH THE AMAZING NEW BOOK hair and toupee carefully styled, he
looked like an aging chorus girl.
Halley stepped closer to Thorkilander.
“He looks as if he was sleeping.” she

HANDICAPPING whispered.
“Yes.” the widow said, joining them.
“Finally at peace. You’re Mr. Thorki-
lander, aren’t you?I saw you on televi-

sion once, and of course Halley’s told

TO WIN!
NEVER BEFORE ANYTHING
HANDICAPPIIK!
me about you—” She trailed off,
all

looked again at her dead husband, and

wiped away an imaginary tear.
“You must feel a great loss,” Thorki-
lander said.
wscanfL«i*
SO FOOLPROOF! TOWIN!. I
“Oh, yes. I miss him so!” She flung
Winning the name of the game and here, finally,
is out a black-draped arm.
is an author who lays It on the line NO HOLDS The usher appeared at the door.' “Ms
BARRED! You want an INSTANT WINNER! He shows Sanders,” he intoned. A young woman
you how to spot them. One chapter alone, THE
MILLION DOLLAR MOVE,
stood in the doorway. Her black coat
is worth $100,000 or more
to any player, if a little bit of LARCENY is involved, hung open to reveal a white uniform.
he calls it like it is and makes it stand out like a Thorkilander thought she looked famil-
red flag. Nobody in history has ever made it so iar. The widow scowled, then took a
easy to spot the horse that’s out to WIN.
deep breath and managed a smile. The
nurse stepped into the room, hands out-
EXPERT TELLS YOU HOW
stretched.
TO BEAT THE SYSTEM! “I’m so sorry. Ms McNeill. We all
Don't let anybody kid you! Who’s on your side? loved him at Merry Valley.”
Not the jockeys. Not the handicappers. Not the Thorkilander turned to ask Halley a
trainers or any other so-called horse racing IN-
question, but she shook her head and
SIDER. You're on one side. They are on the other
...the establishment. All they want from you is put a finger to her lips. “He was the best
action — any kind of action; good, bad, indifferent,
HANDICAPPING TO WIN of fathers,” she said.
win, lose or draw. Their books and articles give by Scott Flohr “And the most loving of husbands.”
you the same tired pap again and again. Cover the
name and they’re all the same. ONLY SCOTT FLOHR
$7.95 her mother said.
GIVES YOU THE STRAIGHT DOPE YOU NEED TO BEAT SCOTT FLOHR’S NEW BOOK “He was so patient and long-suffering
THE SYSTEM! HE'S A PROFESSIONAL. After reading IS RACE TRACK OYNAMITE! nurse joined in.
in his afflictions,” the
HANDICAPPING TO WIN, YOU’LL NEVER FALL FOR Thorkilander looked at the lamenting
ANOTHER SUCKER BET!
SHOWS YOU HOW TO:
chorus and decided the moment had
Up your win chances by 40-50%
come. He pulled a grey ovoid from his
TWO DOLLAR BETTORS Make the most of post betting
pocket, stepped up to the casket, and
Use the tote board to make
ATTENT!0N! more money pushed a tiny crystal button. The ovoid
Scott Flohr is a big money player and he has Know when class is more hummed, a low purr at first, then
written this book for men (and women?) who like important than time climbed the scale to a shrill whine. The
big action, want big action and want to know how
Spot a “fixed” race mourners winced.
to win big money. If you are a two dollar bettor
and want to stay a two dollar bettor, HANDICAP- Avoid getting “suckered” by Old Mr. McNeill’s corpse was bathed
PING TO WIN will make money for you but why sure iosers in a glittering cloud that hovered over
bother unless you want to MOVE UP TO THE BIG and most important of all, his head and chest, coalesced, and de-
PAYOFF WINDOWS. SCOTT FLOHR SHOWS YOU HOW How to spot those rare million scended. The nearby flowers wilted. The
WITH ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE! dollar moves
old man’s chest moved in a hesitant
breath, then another. He blinked,

or use
NOW ON SALE
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AT ALL. BOOKSELLERS
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scowled, and stuggled up onto his
elbows. “What the Hell’s going on here?
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You know I’m allergic! Where’s my
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8060 MELROSE AVENUE, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90046 I you!”
tell
Yes, rush me a copy of HANDICAPPING TO WIN by Scott Flohr. enclose $7.95 I
Thorkilander noted with interest that
check, O
cash, money order, payment in full. understand that if am not
I I

both sides of McNeill’s face were equally

wholly satisfied, may return my order within 10 days for a complete refund.
I

(Note: California residents add 6% tax.) contorted, and he gestured with both
arms. Even the original stroke had been
Name repaired.
“Lookat you standing around star-
Address-
ing,”McNeill said. “Bunch of damn
City -State- -Zip- He looked at the nurse. “Sanders!
fools.”
What the Hell’s going on here?”
92
 The usher appeared briefly at the “May I see that thing?” Halley asked. the funeral director and the widow were
door, took one look, and stepped out. Thorkilander placed the revivifier in her discussing further arrangements.
Sanders approached the coffin, smiling. outstretched hand. He took a taxi back to the Walden.
“Now, now, Mr. McNeill, no reason to “Careful,” he said. “If anything hap-
get all excited. It’s bad for your blood pens to that—” e no longer worried as he walked
pressure.” She pushed him back into the Halley turned the grey ovoid over. H over the lobby carpet; mat-snarls
coffin and held him down. “Imagine,” she said. “Such a little thing, were predictable by comparison. He
The usher reappeared, leading a tall for such a big effect. Who’d have thought wondered if he would ever get another
sombre-looking man. The usher nodded it?” territory, or if the Supervisor would give
toward Thorkilander and whispered. Something about her voice reminded up on him. He had to report as soon
The other man stepped into the room. Thorkilander of the purring of a mat- as he got back to his room; the Super-
“What is going on? Who is desecrating snarl. To reassure himself he looked visor and the Clan were waiting. And
the dead in my funeral home?” down to the grat-counter on his belt. But there was nothing good to report.
“I wasn’t desecrating anyone,” Thor- where he had expected to see green digits He looked around the lobby. A few
kilander said, pointing to the struggling whirling to a high positive score, he saw people checking into rooms; men read-
McNeill. “I was just reviving him.” instead a row of bright yellow negatives. ing newspapers; nothing unusual, noth-
The funeral director looked at the Negatives? He was in debt, and going ing of interest except a sign in the corner:
alien. “You were what?" He glanced at deeper by the minute! “Friday Flab Fighters Meeting in the
the casket, where Sanders was still hold- Ms McNeill was staring at the casket Gold Room. Public Welcome.”
ing the oldman down. “Just a moment, with grim determination. Sanders’ ex- Thorkilander wasn’t exactly the pub-
what are you doing?” pression was blank, unreadable. The lic, but it was something to do, a reason

Sanders looked up. “I’m trying to keep funeral director seemed to be in shock. to postpone going upstairs.
the old— gentleman— from hurting him- Only Halley was smiling. He crossed the lobby and peeked in
self,’’ she said. Thorkilander heard his “If anything should happen to this—” the half-open door of the Gold Room.
The room was almost full. Though it
contained only twenty-five or thirty
people, each of them filled a large area.
Thorkilander was determined that he would earn
They say facing forward. At the front
Earth’s gratitude through a true need. But the of the room a truly huge woman was
harder hetried, the more in debt he became, weighing in. A man was adjusting the
weights on a beam-balance scale.
untii he decided there are needs and NEEDS!
“Gained four pounds, Ms Morrison.
Shame on you.” The man’s double chins
quivered.
grat-counter clicking and rejoiced. He’d she repeated. “How interesting.” Her Beginning to sense a need, Thorki-
show Benrilston yet— and he’d do it hon- hand twitched; the grey ovoid flew lander slipped into the back of the room
estly, too. These good people would be against the wall and landed in a glitter and sat down. Eyes downcast, the
so grateful— of shards and crystals on the carpet. “Oh, woman who had just been weighed trot-
Ms McNeill stepped over to the casket. How clumsy of me!” ted down the aisle on tiny feet and sat
“Harold,” she said, “Stop struggling. We Mr. McNeill stopped struggling. The in front of Thorkilander. She glanced
wouldn’t want anything to happen to you two women stepped back. “Poor Mr. from side to side, opened her large purse,
now, would we?” She smiled, shark-teeth McNeill,” the nurse said. “I guess his and took out a chocolate bar. She
gleaming. Thorkilander heard the grat heart couldn’t take the strain. Sweet old unwrapped it quietly and nibbled in
counter clicking faster. man; he left me all his money, he said; silence, tears splashing onto her lap.
“No, Dad,” Halley said, joining the that was just before he died— the first Thorkilander thought of the Instant
group. “We can’t afford to lose you. time, I mean.” Slenderizers, and of the cult of emacia-
You’ve got to calm down a little. Can “I don’t grudge it to you, dearie,” the tion.
I help?” she asked Sanders. widow purred. “I’m sure you earned it. It’s unethical, he argued. It won’t do
“No, I think your mother’s doing all Besides, I’ve got his insurance and all them any lasting good. When everyone
right. Why don’t you take care of your my own money.” is thin there will be other criteria for
friend there?” the nurse said. “Working with the elderly is so satis- beauty. And these people will find some
Halley approached Thorkilander. fying,” the nurse said. “I thought I might other self-destructive behavior, I know
“Mr. Thorkilander,” she said, “This has use the money to open a Home of my they will. I wouldn’t be meeting a true
certainly been amazing.” Thorkilander own.” need.
wondered why her voice sounded “I can think of all sorts of things I’d He thought again of the report he
strange. Her mouth was twitching. “I like to do,”Halley said. “And none of would have to make, and looked at the
never knew you could do anything like them include being a cultural interpreter. staggering total of negative grats on his
that,” she said. “Why didn’t you tell Mr. Thorkilander, you’ll have to find counter. The Terrans would be grateful
me?” someone else.” for a while, and his buds were starving.
Thorkilander smiled. “I wanted it to Thorkilander looked at the mourners, He rose.
be a surprise. And besides, I wasn’t sure at the now-quiet corpse, and at his shat- “Excuse me,” he said, “I would like
what Terrans wanted until yesterday.” tered revivifier. “It was the only one in to make an announcement.” Heads
“But now you know, I suppose?” my sample kit,” he said. No one else turned as he walked down the aisle. He
Thorkilander nodded happily. He was listening. Sanders was dusting her was beginning to understand charlatans
could hear the grat-counter whirring. hands, Halley was smiling to herself, and like Benrilston. q
 SURPRISE PARTY
from page 71

or foulup. But he was not above giving

understated praise for any properly done
act. Twice in the first week others had
challenged Wilde to personal combat,
and both times they had suffered humil-
LIMITED ONE EACH PER ORDER iating defeats. But they had also started

DUE TO SCARCE SUPPLY to learn, not only unarmed combat, but

shooting, basic survival skills, campcraft,
A limited number of back issues of Vertex have been retained for and quite a bit about getting along with
each other.
collectors who wish to establish a complete sequence of Vertex. These
Jarl smiled. Against their own will
copies are now being made available on a first -come -first -served Wilde had formed the ragtag group into
basis. We request that you limit your order to no more than one something resembling a good team. It
copy of each issue to allow as many as possible to take advantage would never have worked except that
of this offer. Thank you. they all knew they were stranded for life
on Valhalla, and would have to make
We’ve had the SUPERSTARS! Poul Anderson / Piers Anthony / Richard Ashby the best of it.

/ Dr. Gregory Benford / Ray Bradbury / John Brunner / Ed Bryant / F.M. Busby Erin turned over in the bunk and
/ Terry Carr / Phiiip K. Dick / Scott Edelstein / Larry Eisenberg / Harlan Ellison pressed herself next to him. “Thinking?”
/ Roberto Puentes / Stephen Goldin / James Gunn / Harry Harrison / Robert
she asked.
Heinlein / Frank Herbert / Walt Liebscher / George R. R. Martin / Larry Niven /
Rachel Cosgrove Payes / Dr. Jerry Pournelle / William Rotsler / Joanna Russ / Jarl nodded. “We’ve come a long way
Neil Shapiro / Robert Silverberg / Norman Spinrad / James Sutherland / A. E. in a short time.I wouldn’t have thought

Van Vogt / and Ted White I could do it. Or any of us. We aren’t
exactly anybody’s idea of big adventure
heroes.”
“Shut up.” Erin whispered. “You’re
my hero.”
grinned and shook his head, but
Jarl
he loved it. No one had ever told him
he was a hero before, even if it was just
lovers’ talk.

n the morning they stood in a line

I before Sergeant Wilde. The sky was
stillthreatening, but the clouds seemed
to be moving away, towards the east.
“We go across today. No one has
volunteered to stay behind, so if we get
back and some big biters have swum
over here and stomped this place to
crumbs, don’t blame me.” He stood
grinning at them in his usual wicked
manner. “No one wants to get left out.
huh? Okay, that’s your funeral. You’d
allprobably give a biter gas anyway.
Corporal Jarl, take ’em across.”
They went down to the shore, squish-
ing in the mud, and got onto the raft
they had used for preliminary explora-
tions. Jarl took a long pole and they
shoved off against the rocks. A red
squeaker flew low over the water, look-
ing for fish, or what passed for fish. It

VERTEX ORDER DEPARTMENT • 8060 MELROSE AVE., LOS ANGELES, CAL. 90046
made a single long squeak, as if aston-
ished at their temerity, then disappeared
Enclosed is $ payment in full for the following issues of up the shoreline.
VERTEX magazine @ $2.00 each. Please send my order at once.
The troop landed their raft close
VOL. 1, NO. 1 VOL. 1, NO. 2 VOL. 1, NO. 3 VOL. 1, NO. 4 enough to the target beach so as not to
VOL. 1, NO. 5 VOL. 1, NO. 6 VOL. 2, 'NO. 1 VOL. 2, NO. 2 get a yell from Sergeant Wilde and then
Jarl spread them out in a skirmish line.
Name They each moved easily, without com-
plaint, their Magnums held expertly at
Address
the ready. Jarl was proud of them. He
City State Zip grinned suddenly to himself, thinking
back to when Wilde had been knocking

94
them into shape. Bailey had quit, almost fired,but everyone took aim. The lizard HOW TO
gone catatonic, but Wilde had talked
privately to him. The talk had pulled
looked at them, snorted and his long
tongue flicked in and out twice. He
PLAY AND WIN
him out of it, but Bailey would never turned in the stream, his big feet splash-
say what they talked about. Osborn, the ing, causing a small dam to be created
one who had struck at Wilde back in and the water to flow up the banks and A GREAT GAME AND A GREAT
the locker room, had taken two more around him. He looked at them first with BOOK FOR BEGINNER
humiliating defeats before he took on one side of his head, then with the
EXPERT ALIKE!
the sergeant in an exhibition match and other.
came close to beating him. Tiara, the “Don’t shoot,” Wilde said quietly. Whether you want to play for fun or
ex-whore from New Chicago, had been They all stood still, waiting, The lasers money or both, this guide will teach all
caught stealing from Maria, the thief hadn’t killed any of the big biters so far, you want to know about backgammon —
the most action-packed, exciting and
from Zapata, and had been given rather but had tumbled them, or sent them
challenging game of skill and chance
prolonged kitchen duty, doing Maria’s limping off into the jungle to disappear,
ever devised.
turns as well as her own, Clifford, the growling their pain. None of them was
The game dates back at least 5,000 years
Marauder Warlord, had several fights sure these beasts could be killed with
and was truly the sport of kings. One
with Klein, from Aragon. their weaponry, or killed before he could
emperor wrote a book about it; another
But bit by bit, over the weeks, they be among them, biting and slashing with is said to have played the game at
had come to know each other, to know the long talons of his feet, striking with $15,000 per point. Today, with a resur-
each other’s fault and virtues. Osborn his long armored tail set with sawtooth gence of interest in the game on an
had shown a distinct skill in stalking the ridges of cartilidge. international scale, backgammon is being
small deer-like animal that they had The big biter snorted again and took played for fun in living rooms and for
found so tasty. Bailey was very good at a step towards them. The river returned money in plush casinos across the globe.
cooking. Maria had a natural knack for to course with a gurgle. A long blue-
its And this book will allow you to compete
both medicine and smoothing over bill flew close and the biter jerked back
with the best players — and wini

quarrels. Cliffordhad proven to be the its head with a snarl. Osborn, who was Includes: Nearly 100 easy-to-follow dia-
best shot and fastest runner. Erin was in the lead, yelled, “Look out!” and grams • rules for playing • back and run-
ning game analysis • dice lore, numbers
an excellent weaver of reeds and leaves, started firing.
and by far the most accurate knife Kiley thumbed his firing stud and long & probabilities • diagram of a complete
game, from opening move and reply to
thrower. series of millisecond hurts played over
end game • tournament play • glossary.
Each had honed his or her skills, the head and chest of the huge monster.
without regard to sex, and Wilde had The biter screamed, reared back and
pushed them all, They had a respect for lunged forward. His tail snapped off a
the big and sometimes brutal Wilde. small tree, which crashed into the water.
Sergeant Wilde stopped and spread Osborn kept firing and there was blood
out a photo map. Jarl looked at it upside oozing from the beast’s armored scales
down, as familiar with that map as his across his chest.
own face. They had all studied it for The biter’s talons slashed Osborn to
weeks. An overgrown ruin, an obvious bloody ribbons in two vicious swipes,
relic of some forgotten race. But were and he never even cried out. His laser,
there any survivors? Were there others bent and ruined, tinkled to the ground
around? Had the alien race been oblit- and slid off into the river. Wilde ran
erated by some savage and exotic form forward, his laser firing steadily, the pale
of life? red beams joining the others that focused
Wilde put a thick fingertip down on on the huge head of the alien killer.
a faint trail. “Along here.” Kiley slipped and almost fell under the
“Yes. sir.” Jarl said, and began moving feet of the big saurian, but he continued
everyone along the designated route. to fire up into the softer stomach of the
creature.
hey camped that night in a shelter The dinosaur whipped about, his tail
T of rocks and heard the roar of dis- crashing into trees and sending Jarl and HOLLOWAY HOUSE PUBLISHIHG
P.O. BOX 69804
CO.
tant big biters and the screams of some- Erin tumbling. The monster gave a long
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90069
thing shrill. At dawn they were on the scream of pain and twisted again, his Gentlemen: I enclose $ cash,
trail, and by noon they were close to the tail crashing into the stream, sending up check, money order, payment in full
for books ordered. understand that If
I

Lost City. showers of water. I am not completely satisfied, I may

return my order within 10 days for a
At a turn in the trail they came upon “Keep firing!” Wilde shouted. Jarl complete refund. (Add 25c per order to
a big biter drinking at a small stream. looked at the ready light on his laser cover postage and handling. California
residents add 6% tax. Please allow three
He was the biggest they’d seen, almost and thumbed it to full beam. He ex- weeks for delivery.)
forty meters of gray lizard, a mountain hausted the powerful battery in a few BH438, BACKGAMMON, $1.50
of cold-blooded meat that looked like seconds of firing but the monster had
a Tyrannosaurus Re.x with bigger, had enough. I
Name
stronger front legs and a smaller head. Limping, blood streaming down his I
I Address
Maria yelped and four of the men head and chest, the big reptile lurched I

City
brought their lasers to bear. upstream, then turned to crash into the j

“Hold it!” snapped Wilde. No one jungle and disappear. For several min- 1
State Zip
I 1

On sale now at your bookseller or send order above

95
 There were intelligent beings on the planet,
and it quickly became obvious that there wasn’t
going to be peace between them and the humans.

utes they could hear the angry roars of on the edge of the small hill to the west manoid saurians. something like a cross
the monster as it sought a place to heal of the city, his glasses scanning the bro- between Terrans and the big biters, but
its wounds. No one thought of following ken walls and dark arches. Satisfied, he squat creatures.
it. pulled back and reported to Wilde, But all was dead and empty. Then
They buried Osborn near the river- “Not a movement, except for some Kiley came running, calling out to Wilde
bank while Maria bandaged and cuts streakers and purple gulpers. But that’s from the other side of the complex of
Kiley’s broken left index finger. Wilde a pretty alien architecture. Sergeant.” buildings. “Sergeant, come see this! It’s

checked the charges in the weapons and “It’s a pretty alien planet. Corporal. a sort of god!”
found that they were dangerously low. Okay, move it.” A
broken roof gave the big room
Only two of their lasers had any charge They spread out and advanced enough light for the humans to see a
left, and they were almost depleted. through the jungle slowly. If there was huge idol, a three-dimensional depiction
"Do we go back and recharge?” Erin anything still alive in the ruins they of the alien natives, but with large horns
asked. didn’t want to be surprised. erupting from his skull in triple pairs.
“No.” said Wilde. The arches were low but wide, and In one clawed paw he held a globe, in
“No?” asked Kiley with a start. all the windows were round. The walls another a square block of clear quartz.
“No.” Wilde said firmly. “We’re al- were stone, but ancient and scarred by In the quartz was a skull that looked
most to the City. We’ll scout that, then deep scratches that Jarl thought could quite human.
go back. We’ll just have to be quieter only be the claws of the big biters. The Erin shivered next to Jarl. “What sort
as we move.” Several of them grumbled, broken outer walls were high, the jungle of beings were these?”
then looked sideways at Wilde. The big had broken through massive paving Wilde heard her. “Not enough to de-
sergeant had a faint smile on his face stones within, and three of the five feat the big biters ... or whoever de-
“He was a big one. You did
as he said. towers had crumbled or were broken. stoyed them.”
Wilde was so miserly with his
all right.” There appeared to be no one in the “Are they destroyed?” Blaine asked.
compliments that everyone took a cer- city, and they wandered from ruined Wilde shrugged. He strode purpose-
tain lift in his words. gallery to smashed hall. Everywhere fully to the altar-like block of red-veined
there was dust and mold, and the scam- granite before the idol. “Come here,”
hey made camp at the river and by pering of unseen small creatures. Several he ordered. He spread out another air
T the noon of the next day they were large, bluntly-carved murals showed the photo. He pointed at a spot on the map.
within sight of the Lost River. Jarl lay alien natives to be something like hu- “Air Recon said this might be inter-
esting. It could be a city, it could be a
natural formation. But there is trouble
between here and there.” He looked up
and grinned around at the circle of
humans. “It’s the breeding ground for
the biters.”
“Aw, come on. sergeant.” moaned
Kiley. “I thought we were going back
and recharge from the fusion plant?”
“Why do we have to go there, any-
way?” asked Blaine. “Why don’t we send
two or three back to get the fusion
charger and other junk and just settle
down here?” He waved at the buildings
around. “A ready-made city, a place to
startfrom.”
“Because 1 say we stick together.”
Wilde said “Because 1 say we go
softly.
to this place and take a look. It’s only
a way out of
little the way and we can
see new territory.”
“But we’ll be here a long time, any-
way.” Klein said. “What’s the rush?”
Sergeant Wilde looked at him. “Be-
cause I say this is the way we do it, that’s
the reason.” He spoke softly, and they
had all come to understand his moods.
Speaking softly was one of the worst.
They topped a hill a little after noon
the next day. Clifford was on point with
one of the lasers that still had a charge.
He held up his hand, then dropped to
the ground. Wilde and Jarl crept up
quickly through the underbrush and
peered through the plants. Off to the
right there were some fearful roars and
 The girl was obviously human, but Jarl didnH
have time to wonder how she had gotten there.
Not if he was going to save her life.

they could see the trees shivering. priest, or whatever he was, took the knife charging aliens. Jarl Jumped onto the
“I wonder how they do it?” Clifford with both big hands, raising it higher. stepsand ran slantwise towards the rim.
asked. “With those big tails and all, I “Goddamnit,” snapped Jarl. “Cover The girl was heavy and almost dead
mean.” me.” he said, and he went over the rim weight. A laser beam flashed close by
“Carefully,” said Wilde. “All right, on the run. He ran in a slight arc to give and Jarl heard a grunt from an alien
move to the left, through there, past that Clifford and hopefully Wilde shooting almost within talon range. He reversed
red bush. It’s not much further.” room. He let out a frightening scream, his direction and ran straight up the steps
Clifford went over the hill quickly and such as his fellow rips used to do to scare toward Wilde, laser beams flanked him
the rest followed, careful not to be out- the other gangs when they went into cut closely and Jarl knew they were close
They
lined for long against the skyline. and bash slashups. The heavy monsters behind.
had been learning from an exacting turned, teeth bared, and a laser beam His breathing was labored and when
master. went over Jarl’s head and played over he rolled over the rim he tripped and
The place they came to appeared to the high priest’s chest. fell, landing in a sprawl with the girl

be a large natural amphitheater that had The armoured scales of the alien under him. He snapped at Maria,
been shaped by alien hands. It was seemed impervious to the laser’s weak “Watch her!” and turned to help the
ringed with stone monoliths and Wilde’s beam, but he staggered and fell back. others.
little troop crept towards it carefully. Jarl ducked beneath the vicious swing Several of the beasts were lying in
Suddenly, there came the boom of of a taloned paw and rolled. He jumped various positions, their chests bloody and
drums and the moan of strange voices. up and ran up the steps to the altar, their limbs and tails moving sluggishly.
Wilde’s people flattened into the moist grabbing the girl and yanking her off Two more had stopped charging and
soiland looked to him for instructions. and down behind the altar. The priest were hiding behind the limp body of
Wilde listened a few moments, then lay there, kicking, on his back, rumbling another. Jarl saw another one disap-
waved Clifford on. The rest .followed, nastily. pearing over the rim and into the jungle.
slowly and very carefully. They watched The girl’s smooth flesh was scraped “They’re flanking us!” he said.
Cliffor-d peer over the stone rim, then from the stone, but she made no outcry. Wilde glowered at him. “No kidding,
he was frantically waving them on. One quick look convinced Jarl she was hero?”
Jarl was next to Wilde as they raised drugged, and he didn’t try to talk to her. Jarl flushed. “I had to, sergeant— she
their heads and looked into the amphi- He picked her up and her headdress fell was a human!”
theater.There were drummers on the left off, to be trampled under the feet of two But Wilde was already ordering the
and right, and below them a half dozen
of the bulky aliens that had been de-
picted in the murals. Half-reptile, half-
rhino in appearance, they were eight or
nine feet tall, almost black in color, and
stood heavily on their back legs. They
all faced a stone altar and when Jarl
looked at what was upon it his heart
skipped a beat. It was a beautiful, nude
human woman!
She was standing on the pedestal be-
fore the dark stone altar, and she wore
only a huge feather headdress in many
colors and some bracelets and anklets
in some bright metal. Her hands were
tied. Next to the altar stood one of the
huge beasts, a long shiny knife with a
curved blade held in one taloned hand.
The beasts all roared one incoherent
word and the girl stepped down from
the pedestal and slowly went to the altar
and lay upon it. The beast stood over
her, the knife raised high, as he began
a guttural chant.
“Sergeant!” Jarl said urgently.
“It’s none of our business,” the ser-
geant said.
“But she’s human!” Clifford whis-
pered urgently.
“What can we do?” Wilde said. “We
don’t have any charges.”
“We have some,” Clifford said, grip-
ping his Magnum and shaking it.
“No, it’s too dangerous,” Wilde said.
Jarl looked down at the girl, who
seemed resigned to her fate. The high
 It didn’t take Jarl long to figure out there was
more than met the eye on the planet where death
was such a common occurrence.

others back. “Down the trail! Double knew that he knew. Wilde, but Kiley held her back. “No.
time! Hurry up!” “It’s all a phoney, isn’t it?” he de- wait. We’ll stakehim out for the aliens
“Give me that,” he said to Wilde, manded. to find. They won’t know their game is
reaching for the laser. “I’ll be rear what a phoney?” Wilde smiled,
“Is all up. We can hide and if they don’t rip
guard.” gesturing around him. Wilde we’ll know it’s all a fake.”
Wilde grinned his wicked grin and “This whole thing. Everything. The “You can gO back to where I left that
handed it to him. “One good shot left, sleeper ship, this planet, those dinosaurs, thing,” Jarl said. “It’s all plastic and
hero. Make it count.” The others went the city, a rigged viewscreen, a “seeded” animatronic sensors and motors . . . and
trotting down the carrying the
trail, planet, this girl— everything!” a busted up operator.”
naked sacrifice. Jarl followed, backing “What’s going on?” Kiley asked. ‘Ts that right?” Blaine asked, his knife
quickly, and listening for the sounds of “This whole thing is a whistle! Every- in his hand, looking at Wilde.
pursuit. thing is rigged! Those aliens back there Wilde nodded. “You blew it. Hardly
How did I get into he asked him-
this? are animatronics, with human beings enough for one show, much less a good
self. I’m no goddamn vidhero! iVhy did inside! We’re probably not even on any series. I hope the other crews did better.”
J do that? planet. We’re on Earth, aren’t we, “What other crews?” Bailey asked.
There was a crashing in the jungle to Wilde?” Jarl pointed the laser at the “There’s one in a simulated alien
the right and Jarl pointed the laser. The sergeant, who looked at him blandly. ocean, another on an ice world, two in
big alien crashed through the under- “Is that true?” Blaine asked angrily. a desert world with big sandworms
brush and halted abruptly at the sight “Is this whole thing some kind of . . . under the surface. There’s one in South
of the human. Jarl wanted to shoot, but of test or ... or what?” America, hunted by four-meter vampire
he had only one charge left. It had to Erin spoke up. “I know what it is. It’s bats and snakes the size of a cargo
count. Then Jarl remembered a spot in for the Circus, isn’t it? We’ve been taped, waldo.”
the backtrail. He waved his arms at the this whole blessed mess has been taped, There was a silence, then Tiara said,
alien and shouted, “Catch me, you pile and we’re on Arena Theater or some- “They had no right.”
of blubber!” thing!” Wilde snorted. “You were all punks,
Then he started running. He heard Maria gave a cry and tried to stab cheap grifters and rips, two-credit
and almost felt the thunderous pounding
of the alien’s clawed feet behind him
and he suddenly thought. Can I outrun
him?
Jarl ran for his life, leaping fallen logs
and dodging limbs over the trail. Then
he found his spot, turned and braced
himself. The alien rounded the trail turn
and came at him full tilt. Jarl shouted
something incoherent at him and at the
very last moment jumped backwards,
dropping off a low shelf and rolling into
a ball. The alien jumped after him, but
his momentum was too great. The black
bulk of the monster flew into the small
ravine, crashing through the heavy
brush.- There was a thud and a scream,
and. then silence, except for the sounds
of the greenery still swaying.
Jarl went down the steep shelf a few
feetand looked through the greenery at
the broken form of the alien. There was
blood and something moved slowly in
the middle of it all, then stopped,
twitched and died. Jarl stared at the
tangle of flesh and wires and plastic for
a long moment before his anger started
to build. He turned and started racing
after Wilde and the others.
Jarl caught up with them a kilometer
further on. Clifford was on the rear
guard and he grinned as he saw Jarl
appear, but the grin disappeared quickly.
“Hey, man, what’s the matter?”
“Wilde!” Ssir\ shouted. The group
halted and everyone looked puzzled as
Jarl strode angrily through them. Ser-
geant Wilde waited at the head of the
line. His face was calm and Jarl instantly
 THE SPURIOUS PRESIDENT
from page 67

fter waiting forty five minutes, the

whores and small time pickers. What
rights do you have? What were you then?
A President became annoyed. But he
forced himself to wait another fifteen
What are you now? A few weeks ago minutes before calling in his two Secret
you were ark rats. Today you’re a fight- Service bodyguards. He gave them curt
ing team.” instructions and then called Bradshaw’s
“What about Osborn?” Blaine asked. office on his private line. The room came
“The luck of the draw, buddy,” Wilde into view on his receiver screen and he
sneered. “His family gets paid off good. could see Bradshaw going through the
They’ll get more out of him dead than papers at his desk.
alive.” “General,” he called, “time is, as I said
“But you had no right," complained before, running out with a vengeance.”
Tiara. “Just a few minutes more,” said Brad-
“We’re not condemned criminals,” shaw.
Kiley said. “We weren’t on trial.” “Time is running out, Bradshaw. Let’s- The President gritted his teeth.
“This whole thing has been a trial. work out, right now, the details of a “There is no more God damned time,”
You were condemned from the day you plausible explanation for the Security he said.
were born. There are too many people Council. 1 don’t thinkwe can conceal have important data, here,” said
“I
in the world, private, too many for one my trip into the maze, but we have to Bradshaw.
life to be of much value. If the judges make it a triumph and not a blunder.” And then the door to Bradshaw’s of-
didn’t get you tomorrow they’d get you “Of course,” said Bradshaw. “But first fice began to tremble under an outside
next month.” I’d like to stop back at my office. I’ve pounding. The General didn’t even seem
“No right,” muttered Tiara. “We made some notes that I think would be to be aware of it.
weren’t reaWy bad .” . .
very valuable.” “You’d better open up,” said the
“No,” sneered Wilde. “You were per- The President looked at Bradshaw President, “before they break down your
but tough. Self-reliant, but
fect. Misfits, suspiciously. door. It’s my two bodyguards and they’ve
capable of learning to take orders.” “To hell with your notes,” he said come to personally escort you back to
“Wait a minute,” Jarl said. “We were coldly. my office.”
picked? But not just for this warped Then his face softened and he put his Bradshaw didn’t answer but simply
Disneyland caper?” hand on the General’s shoulder for the shuffled the papers until the door burst
“Oh, you’ll all be on the tube,” He first time. open. The two men came forward to
plucked at a button on his tunic. “An “All right. Hod,” he said softly. “Go seize him and stopped in puzzlement.
RCT pickup.” He waved at the trees. on back and get your blasted notes.” “It’s just a holographic projection of
“They’re all over. There’s a control the General,” said ohe. “He isn’t in the
center below the city back there. Every- s Bradshaw emerged from the Oval room.”
thing is monitored.”
“But there’s something else—?” Bailey
A Room, he knew that time indeed The President sighed and then nod-
was running out for him. In his breast ded. As in the game of Domesday, he
asked anxiously. pocket were two detailed printouts, one had quickly caught on to what had hap-
“Yeah, there’s something else. A proving that the President was spurious, pened. It was all due to the weakening
chance at a real sleeper ship and a real the other that he was genuine. It did of his character because of that chasten-
planet to try out.” seem to him at this point that the Presi- ing experience, the first failure of his life.
They all stared at him, without speak- dent was probably the real article. But He had let Bradshaw get away from him
ing.Wilde grinned his slow, wicked grin. what if he were? The real President when he had him in his hands. He gazed
“This was your audition, kiddies, to see would never tolerate the existence of one at the image of the General, still shuf-
if you could hack it. There really is a who knew of his failure. Once Bradshaw fling papers on the desk. Bradshaw had
Rip Van Winkle, and some day the other had assisted the President in arranging programmed his offiee computer to
sleeper ships will be built. And some of a facesaving story and put his imprima- project his image in a three dimensional
you will be aboard.” teur on it, the real President would cut display and to answer questions in a
“Not me,” Bailey said. him down. He wouldn’t like to do it, simple, noncomittal manner. The Presi-
“Forget it,” said Blaine. but likes were not the issue. In fact, dent smiled. It was just another variant
Thenwas silence and they heard
there Bradshaw was surprised that the Presi- of the Turing game.
an approaching aircar. Jarl looked at dent, if he was genuine, had let him out For a single moment, he pondered
Erin, who grinned and said, “All the of his sight. over what his next step must be. He did
.”
world’s a stage , .
He had been right in preparing for not know that at that very moment, a
Wilde said. “Some of you won’t be any eventuality. It pained him to do what delegation from the National Security
able to go back to those arcologs, to was necessary, particularly if the man Council was headed for his office but
canned entertainment and nice safe cor- in the Oval Room was genuine. But he he knew something was afoot. Backed
ridors. Some of you might try the Circus had no choice. He reached into his breast by one hundred armed marshals, the
. .some of vou will go with me
.
.” . .
pocket and withdrew the analysis that head of the delegation, Adam Krantz,
“You?” asked Maria. supported the President. He folded it was carrying a resolution deposing the
“I’m going out with the first batch. carefully and placed it in what seemed President from offiee as a Slavcom im-
I wouldn't miss it for anything.” like a snuff box. It had begun to decom- postor.
Jarl and Erin were looking into each pose even before he closed the lid. The President got up from behind his
other's eves. "I don’t think I want to miss He looked at his watch. It was not time desk and walked over to the door leading
it either." Jarl said and Erin nodded. to go directly to the meeting of the Na- to the Maze. He tentatively tried the
Sergeant Wilde laughed, o tional Security Council. handle. O
99