Key Out of Time

by Andre Norton

  12

  Baldies

  "Ohhhh!" Karara clutched at Ross, her breath coming in little gasps,giving vent to her fear and horror. They had not known what might comefrom this plan; certainly neither had foreseen the present chaos in thelagoon.

  Perhaps the broadcast energy of the enemy whipped the alreadyvicious-tempered salkars into this insane fury. But now the moonlitwater was beaten into foam as the creatures fought there, attacking eachother with a ferocity neither Terran had witnessed before.

  Lights gleamed along the shore where the alien invaders must have beendrawn by the clamor of the fighting marine reptiles. Somewhere in theheights above the beach of the lagoon a picked band of Rovers should nowbe making their way from the opposite side of Kyn Add under strictorders not to go into attack unless signaled. Whether the independentsea warriors would hold to that command was a question which had worriedRoss from the first.

  Tino-rau and Taua in the waters to the seaward of the reef, the twoTerrans on that barrier itself, and between them and the shore the wildmelee of maddened salkars. Ross started. The sonic warning which hadbeen pulsing steadily against his skin cut off sharply. The broadcast inthe bay had been silenced! This was the time to move, but no swimmercould last in the lagoon itself.

  "Along the reef," Karara said.

  That would be the long way round, Ross knew, but the only one possible.He studied the cluster of lights ashore. Two or three figures movedthere. Seemingly the attention of the aliens was well centered upon thebattle still in progress in the lagoon.

  "Stay here!" he ordered the girl. Adjusting his mask, Ross dropped intothe water, cutting away from the reef and then turning to swim parallelwith it. Tino-rau matched him as he went, guiding Ross to a second breakin the reef, toward the shore some distance from where the conflict ofthe salkars still made a hideous din in the night.

  The Terran waded in the shallows, stripping off his flippers andsnapping them to his belt, letting his mask swing free on his chest. Heangled toward the beach where the aliens had been. At least he wasbetter armed for this than he had been when he had fronted the Roverswith only a diver's knife. From the Time Agent supplies he had taken thesingle hand weapon he had long ago found in the armory of the derelictspaceship. This could only be used sparingly, since they did not knowhow it could be recharged, and the secret of its beam still remainedsecret as far as Terran technicians were concerned.

  Ross worked his way to a curtain of underbrush from which he had a freeview of the beach and the aliens. Three of them he counted, and theywere Baldies, all right--taller and thinner than his own species, theirbald heads gray-white, the upper dome of their skulls overshadowing thefeatures on their pointed chinned faces. They all wore the skintightblue-purple-green suits of the space voyagers--suits which Ross knew ofold were insulated and protective for their wearers, as well as a mediumfor keeping in touch with one another. Just as he, wearing one, had oncebeen trailed over miles of wilderness.

  To him, all three of the invaders looked enough alike to have beenstamped out from one pattern. And their movements suggested that theyworked or went into action with drilled precision. They all facedseaward, holding tubes aimed at the salkar-infested lagoon. There was nosound of any explosion, but green spears of light struck at the scaledbodies plunging in the water. And where those beams struck, fleshseared. Methodically the trio raked the basin. But, Ross noted, thosebeams which had been steady at his first sighting, were now interruptedby flickers. One of the Baldies upended his tube, rapped its buttagainst a rock as if trying to correct a jamming. When the alien wentinto action once again his weapon flashed and failed. Within a matter ofmoments the other two were also finished. The lighted rods pushed intothe sand, giving a glow to the scene, darkened as a fire might sink toembers. Power fading?

  An ungainly shape floundered out of the churned water, lumbered over theshale of the beach, its supple neck outstretched, its horned nose downfor a gore-threatening charge. Ross had not realized that the salkarscould operate out of what he thought was their natural element, but thiswild-eyed dragon was plainly bent on reaching its tormentors.

  For a moment or two the Baldies continued to front the creature, almost,Ross thought, as if they could not believe that their weapons had failedthem. Then they broke and ran back to the fairing which they had takenwith such contemptuous ease. The salkar plowed along in their wake, butits movements grew more labored the farther it advanced, until at lastit lay with only its head upraised, darting it back and forth, itsfanged jaws well agape, voicing a coughing howl.

  Its plaint was answered from the water as a second of its kind wallowedashore. A terrible wound had torn skin and flesh just behind its neck;yet still it came on, hissing and bubbling a battle challenge. It didnot attack its fellow; instead it dragged its bulk past the first comer,on its way after the Baldies.

  The salkars continued to come ashore, two more, a third, a fourth,mangled and torn--pulling themselves as far as they could up the beach.To lie, facing inland, their necks weaving, their horned heads bobbing,their cries a frightful din. What had drawn them out of theirpreoccupation of battle among themselves into this attempt to reach thealiens, Ross could not determine. Unless the intelligence of the beastswas such that they had been able to connect the searing beams which theBaldies had turned on them so tellingly with the men on the beach, andhad responded by striving to reach a common enemy.

  But no desire could give them the necessary energy to pull far ashore.Almost helplessly beached, they continued to dig into the yielding sandwith their flippers in a vain effort to pursue the aliens.

  Ross skirted the clamoring barrier of salkars and headed for thefairing. A neck snapped about; a head was lowered in his direction. Hesmelled the rank stench of reptile combined with burned flesh. Thenearest of the brutes must have scented the Terran in turn, as it wasnow trying vainly to edge around to cut across Ross's path. But it wascompletely outclassed on land, and the man dodged it easily.

  Three Baldies had fled this way. Yet Jazia had reported five had comeout of the sea to take Kyn Add. Two were missing. Where? Had theyremained in the fairing? Were they now in the sub? And that sub--whathad happened to it? The broadcast had been cut off; he had seen thefailure of the weapons and the shore lights. Might the sub have sufferedfrom salkar attack? Though Ross could hardly believe that the beastscould wreck it.

  The Terran was traveling blindly, keeping well under cover of such brushas he could, knowing only that he must head inland. Under his feet theground was rising, and he recalled the nature of this territory asTorgul and Jazia had pictured it for him. This had to be part of theridge wall of the valley in which lay the buildings of the fairing. Inthese heights was the Shrine of Phutka where Jazia had hidden out. Tothe west now lay the Rover village, so he had to work his way left,downhill, in order to reach the hole where the Baldies had gone toground. Ross made that progress with the stealth of a trained scout.

  Hawaika's moon, triple in size to Terra's companion, was up, and thelandscape was sharply clear, with shadows well defined. The glow, weirdto Terran eyes, added to the effect of being abroad in a nightmare, andthe bellowing of the grounded salkars continued a devils' chorus.

  When the Rovers had put up the buildings of their fairing, they hadcleared a series of small fields radiating outward from thosestructures. All of these were now covered with crops almost ready toharvest. The grain, if that Terran term could be applied to thisHawaikan product, was housed in long pods which dipped fromshoulder-high bushes. And the pods were well equipped with hornyprojections which tore. A single try at making his way into one of thosefields convinced Ross of the folly of such an advance. He sat back tonurse his scratched hands and survey the landscape.

  To go down a very tempting lane would be making himself a clear targetfor anyone in those buildings ahead. He had seen the flamers of theBaldies fail on the beach, but that did not mean the aliens were nowweaponless.

  His best chance, Ross decided, was to circle north, come back
down alongthe bed of a stream. And he was at the edge of that watercourse when afaint sound brought him to a frozen halt, weapon ready.

  "Rosss--"

  "Loketh!"

  "And Torgul and Vistur."

  This was the party from the opposite side of the island, gone expertlyto earth. In the moonlight Ross could detect no sign of their presence,yet their voices sounded almost beside him.

  "They are in there, in the great hall." That was Torgul. "But no longerare there any lights."

  "Now--" An urgent exclamation drew their attention.

  Light below. But not the glow of the rods Ross had seen on the beach.This was the warm yellow-red of honest fire, bursting up, the flamesgrowing higher as if being fed with frantic haste.

  Three figures were moving down there. Ross began to believe that therewere only this trio ashore. He could sight no weapons in their hands,which did not necessarily mean they were unarmed. But the stream ranclose behind the rear wall of one of the buildings, and Ross thought itsbed could provide cover for a man who knew what he was doing. He pointedout as much to Torgul.

  "And if their magic works and you are drawn out to be killed?" The Rovercaptain came directly to the point.

  "That is a chance to be taken. But remember ... the magic of the Foannaat the sea gate did not work against me. Perhaps this won't either.Once, earlier, I won against it."

  "Have you then another hand to give to the fire as your defense?" Thatwas Vistur. "But no man has the right to order another's battlechallenge."

  "Just so," returned Ross sharply. "And this is a thing I have long beentrained to do."

  He slid down into the stream bed. Approaching from this angle, thestructures of the fairing were between him and the fire. So screened hereached a log wall, got to his feet, and edged along it. Then hewitnessed a wild scene. The fire raged in great, sky-touching tongues.And already the roof of one of the Rover buildings smoldered. Why thealiens had built up such a conflagration, Ross could not guess. A signaldesigned to reach some distance?

  He did not doubt there was some urgent purpose. For the three weredragging in fuel with almost frenzied haste, bringing out of the Roverbuildings bales of cloth to be ripped apart and whirled into thedevouring flames, furniture, everything movable which would burn.

  There was one satisfaction. The Baldies were so intent upon thisdestruction that they kept no watch save that now and then one of themwould run to the head of the path leading to the lagoon and listen as ifhe expected a salkar to come pounding up the slope.

  "They're ... they're rattled!" Ross could hardly believe it. The Baldieswho had always occupied his mind and memory as practically invinciblesupermen were acting like badly frightened primitives! And when theenemy was so off balance you pushed--you pushed hard.

  Ross thumbed the button on the grip of the strange weapon. He sightedwith deliberation and fired. The blue figure at the top of the pathwilted, and for a long moment neither of his companions noted hiscollapse. Then one of them whirled and started for the limp body, hiscolleague running after him. Ross allowed them to reach his first victimbefore he fired the second and third time.

  All three lay quiet, but still Ross did not venture forth until he hadcounted off a dozen Terran seconds. Then he slipped forward keeping tocover until he came up to the bodies.

  The blue-clad shoulder had a flaccid feel under his hand as if themuscles could not control the flesh about them. Ross rolled the alienover, looked down in the bright light of the fire into the Baldy'swide-open eyes. Amazement--the Terran thought he could read that in thedead stare which answered his intent gaze--and then anger, a cold anddeadly anger which chilled into ice.

  "Kill!"

  Ross slewed around, still down on one knee, to face the charge of aRover. In the firelight the Hawaikan's eyes were blazing with fanaticalhatred. He had his hooked sword ready to deliver a finishing stroke. TheTerran blocked with a shoulder to meet the Rover's knees, threw himback. Then Ross landed on top of the fighting crewman, trying to pin thefellow to earth and avoid that recklessly slashing blade.

  "Loketh! Vistur!" Ross shouted as he struggled.

  More of the Rovers appeared from between the buildings, bearing down onthe limp aliens and the two fighting men. Ross recognized the limpinggait of Loketh using a branch to aid him into a running scuttle acrossthe open.

  "Loketh--here!"

  The Hawaikan covered the last few feet in a dive which carried him intoRoss and the Rover. "Hold him," the Terran ordered and had just timeenough to throw himself between the Baldies and the rest of the crew.There was a snarling from the Rovers; and Ross, knowing their temper,was afraid he could not save the captives which they considered, fairly,their legitimate prey. He must depend upon the hope that there were oneor two cooler heads among them with enough authority to restrain thewould-be avengers. Otherwise he would have to beam them intohelplessness.

  "Torgul!" he shouted.

  There was a break in the line of runners speeding for him. The big manlunging straight across could only be Vistur; the other, yelling orders,was Torgul. It would depend upon how much control the Captain had overhis men. Ross scrambled to his feet. He had clicked on the beamer to itslowest frequency. It would not kill, but would render its victimtemporarily paralyzed; and how long that state would continue Ross hadno way of knowing. Tried on Terran laboratory animals, the time hadvaried from days to weeks.

  Vistur used the flat side of his war ax, clapping it against theforemost runners, setting his own bulk to impose a barrier. And nowTorgul's orders appeared to be getting through, more and more of the menslacked, leaving a trio of hotheads, two of whom Vistur sent reelingwith his fists.

  The Captain came up to Ross. "They are alive then?" He leaned over toinspect the Baldy the Terran had rolled on his back, assessing thealien's frozen stare with thoughtful measurement.

  "Yes, but they can not move."

  "Well enough." Torgul nodded. "They shall meet the Justice of Phutkaafter the Law. I think they will wish that they had been left to theboarding axes of angry men."

  "They are worth more alive than dead, Captain. Do you not wish to knowwhy they have carried war to your people, how many of them there may yetbe to attack--and other things? Also--" Ross nodded at the fire nowcatching the second building, "why have they built up that blaze? Is ita signal to others of their kind?"

  "Very well said. Yes, it would be well for us to learn such things. Norwill Phutka be jealous of the time we take to ask questions and getanswers, many answers." He prodded the Baldy with the toe of his seaboot.

  "How long will they remain so? Your magic has a bite in it."

  Ross smiled. "Not my magic, Captain. This weapon was taken from one oftheir own ships. As to how long they will remain so--that I do notknow."

  "Very well, we can take precautions." Under Torgul's orders the alienswere draped with capture nets like those Ross and Loketh had worn. Thesea-grown plant adhered instantly, wet strands knitting in perfectrestrainers as long as it was uncut.

  Having seen to that, Torgul ordered the excavation of Kyn Add.

  "As you say," he remarked to Ross, "that fire may well be a signal tobring down more of their kind. I think we have had the Favor of Phutkain this matter, but the prudent man stretches no favor of that kind toofar. Also," he looked about him--"we have given to Phutka and the Shadesour dead; there is nothing for us here now but hate and sorrow. In oneday we have been broken from a clan of pride and ships to a handful ofstandardless men."

  "You will join some other clan?" Karara had come with Jazia to stand onthe stone ledge chipped to form a base for a column bearing a strange,brooding-eyed head looking seaward. The Rover woman was superintendingthe freeing of the head from the column.

  At the Terran girl's question the Captain gazed down into the dreadfulchaos of the valley. They could yet hear the roars of the dying salkars.The reptiles that had made their way to land had not withdrawn but stilllay, some dead now, some with weaving heads reaching inland. And thewhole of
the fairing was ablaze with fire.

  "We are now blood-sworn men, Sea Maid. For such there is no clan. Thereis only the hunting and the kill. With the magic of Phutka perhaps weshall have a short hunt and a good kill."

  "There ... now ... so...." Jazia stepped back. The head which had facedthe sea was lowered carefully to a wide strip of crimson-and-gold stuffshe had brought from Torgul's ship. With her one usable hand the Roverwoman drew the fabric about the carving, muffling it except for theeyes. Those were large ovals deeply carved, and in them Ross saw aglitter. Jewels set there? Yet, he had a queer, shivery feeling thatsomething more than gems occupied those sockets--that he had actuallybeen regarded for an instant of time, assessed and dismissed.

  "We go now." Jazia waved and Torgul sent men forward. They lifted thewrapped carving to a board carried between them and started downslope.

  Karara cried out and Ross looked around.

  The pillar which had supported the head was crumbling away, breakinginto a rubble which cascaded across the stone ledge. Ross blinked--thismust be an illusion, but he was too tired to be more than dully amazedas he became one of the procession returning to the ships.