by Perry Rhodan
None of the men present in the basement realized how right Karolan was with his conjecture.
The situation seemed rather odd.
While Rhodan, Bell and Daros were on their way back to the Stardust their way was suddenly blocked by ten masked Tuglanians. Resolutely, Bell drew his ray gun, ready to defend himself and his two companions. No doubt it would have been easy game to overcome the poorly armed bandits, but Rhodan raised his hand. "Don't, Reg. This wouldn't bring us any nearer our actual goal. We must know who saw them and what their plans are. If necessary, let them take us prisoner. Do nothing reckless!"
Bell pushed the weapon back into his holster. "As you say, Perry, but I think you're making a mistake. This will undermine our authority."
"That's not so important right now." The car stopped. The masked men crowded around and pulled the doors open.
"Long live Daros, our new Lord! Down with the Arkonides!"
Daros was probably the one who could understand the least what was happening. He cowered, frightened and helpless, next to Bell. He had no idea who these people might be who had come to rescue him from the Arkonides. What puzzled him most, however, was the Arkonides' reaction - why did they not put up any resistance?
Rhodan and Bell were dragged from their car and disarmed. Daros, on the other hand, was politely asked to step out of the car and to come along. Hastily, the two prisoners, and the 'liberated' Daros were led down the street and placed in a waiting truck. The windowless cabin was shut and the vehicle started to move. The three men had no idea what their destination might be.
The ten kidnappers conversed in their own language. To his amazement, Rhodan noticed that he could understand almost everything and it was quite a shock to realize that the Tuglanians spoke an Arkonide dialect. Why hadn't Khrest told him anything about this? Was he himself even aware of it?
Rhodan scrutinized the man. They had removed their masks but this was not of much help. He did not know any of them. The conversation dealt with trivia. Probably they did not warn Daros to find out anything about them.
This, on the other hand, reinforced Rhodan's suspicions. He was convinced that Alban's younger brother was totally ignorant as to whom he owed his freedom. Otherwise he certainly would have behaved differently. Daros was a prisoner, the same as Rhodan and Bell, with one exception only: he had not been handcuffed.
They drove for nearly half an hour, then the car came to a sudden halt. The door was yanked open and the kidnappers pushed their prisoners into a half-dark room. The air was very close.
One of the Tuglanians approached Daros, bowed before him and said in Pankosmo:
"We're overjoyed, Lord Daros, to have liberated you from the hands of the Arkonides. May I ask you to accompany us, please."
Daros glanced at Rhodan, an insecure expression in his eyes, but before he could manage to open his mouth to reply, he was gently but forcibly conducted out of the room. He had no time to thank his liberators - or to protest against this abduction.
Rhodan was fully convinced now that he had witnessed a put-on act.
An antigrav elevator brought him, Bell and several Tuglanians farther down below, then they were locked up in a cell which contained nothing but two beds and a table. Soon the steps of the unknown kidnappers faded away in the corridor outside their cell.
Bell stared at the heavy planks of the wooden door, sighed and sat down on the nearest bed. From the ceiling, a lamp dimly illuminated the small room.
"A pretty kettle of fish! Do you really believe they'll let go of us again? I wonder what they'll do to Daros."
"Put him in a cell, just like us," answered Rhodan. "And - don't worry, Reg, at least one of us will be set free, for how else will the Arkonides find out that Daros was liberated by his political friends?"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely! Alban's clever enough. But its probably wiser not to talk so much. The walls might have ears."
Bell stretched out on the bed. "In such a situation it's always the smartest thing to go to sleep."
Slowly and thoughtfully, Rhodan nodded his head in agreement.
Two hours later they came to fetch Bell. To a hearing, they said. Rhodan remained alone in the cell. He guessed that Alban had started to make his next move.
Bell's handcuffs were not removed. He was placed in a small two-wheeled vehicle. Besides the driver another armed rebel sat in the car. Then the car passed through a big gate out into the street and mingled in the traffic.
Bell tried to remember the way but he soon lost his sense of orientation. The car drove through busy streets, then quieter suburbs. Once Bell thought they had crossed the same square twice. Did his abductors want to confuse him?
And then, quite close to the palace, it happened. Bell had no idea that Rhodan could have predicted this
incident. But as far as Bell was concerned, this event only added to his confusion: still, he wasted no time pondering about it. The main thing was, that the car was suddenly stopped by several men in uniform. The driver and the armed guard protested loudly: then all of a sudden large energy fingers flared up and silenced them forever. One of the uniformed men opened and removed Bell's handcuffs.
"We're happy we can render this service to the noble Arkonide," said one of them in the usual Pankosmo. "One of our men in the palace informed us of the kidnapping and your transfer from the place where you were imprisoned. Alban has his spies everywhere, fortunately."
"Lord Alban?" wondered Bell, and decided to change his opinion regarding the ruler of the Tuglanians. "Do I owe my release to him?"
"None other, noble Arkonide."
Bell was not especially thrilled to be addressed all the time as a 'noble Arkonide' - but he had to continue to pretend and to play his role, whether he liked it or not.
"Why did you kill these two men?" he wanted to know, pointing at the two bodies of his now dead abductors.
"They offered resistance."
Bell had not noticed too much resistance. Too bad, now they could no longer be questioned as to where the prison was located in which Rhodan was still being detained. Or should they?
A thought flashed through Bell's mind. In connection with Rhodan's hints, it suddenly seemed to make sense.
"Lead me to Lord Alban," he requested.
His request was carried out surprisingly fast. Ten minutes later he sat opposite the dark-haired ruler. Having had to listen too long for his taste to Alban's effusive congratulations, Bell cut him short with a commanding gesture.
"I fully appreciate your help, Lord Alban, but my commander is still in the hands of the rebels. Do you have any clues where he might be detained?"
"I'm sorry I don't have any, noble Arkonide. My spy reported only that he saw you in the city, whereupon I alarmed my guards at once and ordered them to help you. Furthermore, I learned that my brother Daros has been rescued by the rebels. We don't know where he is at the moment. I'm afraid, though, that he will very earnestly gather his followers and prepare a revolution against the empire and me."
"So that's it," said Bell. "Daros wants to overthrow your regime and separate Tuglan from the realm of the Arkonides?"
"Unfortunately, yes," answered Alban with a sorrowful expression. "I can't imagine what advantages he sees if Tuglan should become independent. We're faring well in our union with the realm of the Arkonides; we're enjoying many benefits by it."
"Certainly," nodded Bell, his thoughts meanwhile were racing ahead. "And your brother's friends desire the revolution, if I understand you right? And they're responsible for the bombing of our radio station? And they arrested Rhodan and myself? Have they also liberated Daros?"
With every question Alban's nodding became increasingly eager. His eyes were shining with joy.
"I see you've grasped the situation. If you wish peace and order on Tuglan you must find Daros."
"First of all, I want to find Rhodan," grumbled Bell. "By the way, where's Commissioner Rathon now?"
"He went on board your spa
ceship."
Bell rose from his chair. "Thanks again for your help. I believe now the incident at the radio station was caused by the action of a relatively small group of rebels. Collective punishment of Tuglan won't be necessary under the circumstances. Of course, if our Commander Rhodan shouldn't reappear very soon..."
Alban leaned forward, his eyes shining with cunning. "What then? Will you wipe out the rebels?"
Bell shook his head. "Not just the rebels, Alban. All of Tuglan! We can't allow ourselves to make any mistakes. It's better to wipe out an entire solar system than set a poor example for weak colonial governments. I hope you understand that."
Just as Bell walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, he threw a swift glance over his shoulder. He felt great satisfaction at the sight of Alban's frightened face.
Bell had never before seen Khrest at a complete loss but this time the Arkonide scientist seemed to have reached the end of his tether. With Rhodan gone, nothing remained of his usual display of superiority, and even Thora showed signs of uncertainty, although with Rhodan's death their chances to return to their home planet Arkon would finally increase. After all, the two Arkonides had concluded a pact with Rhodan and not with Bell, a pact which obligated them to first find the planet of eternal life before returning to their world thirty-four thousand light-years from Earth.
"And you couldn't find the way again?" Khrest made sure once more. "The prison's in Tugla: it shouldn't be so difficult to locate again! I can't understand it."
"If you'd been along on this crazy drive you'd understand it. Back and forth and roundabout, one street looking exactly like the other. But I'm dead sure that sly Alban knows exactly where Rhodan's imprisoned. Maybe the whole affair was masterminded by him."
"By Alban? I can't believe it."
"It seems most unlikely, but still. We should make sure of his real intentions and send a telepath to him who'd soon find out whether he's speaking the truth when questioned."
"You mean John Marshall?"
"Yes, why not? We should have done this quite some time ago, then we'd know at least who wants to overthrow whom and introduce a new order." Bell looked suddenly as if searching for something. "Where's Emby?"
Khrest seemed taken aback. "Emby? The mouse-beaver?"
"Yes. I wonder where he might be." Bell's voice sounded anxious. "I'm worried if I don't know where that little guy is."
"Are you so fond of that animal?" inquired Thora sarcastically.
"That's partially it. But first of all I'm bothered by what I promised him before we landed."
"What was it?" asked Khrest.
"That he could play to his heart's content. Just imagine all the things he can find here in Tugla to amuse himself with..."
Bell asked Marshall to accompany Khrest to the Lord's palace. Then he went to search for Emby.
Ten minutes later he knew that the mouse-beaver was no longer on board the Arkonide battleship.
6/ THE MIND READER'S REVELATION
Several things happened simultaneously.
Khrest, accompanied by the telepath John Marshall and Rathon, the Arkonide high commissioner, went to the palace of the ruling Lord of the Tuglanians and asked to see him.
Bell gave up the fruitless search for Emby and went to see Wuriu Sengu, the mutant. The hefty Japanese was the 'seer' of the mutant corps. His eyes could penetrate solid matter and recognize any object hidden behind it from ordinary sight. Unfortunately, his talents were still limited to a certain distance. Nevertheless, Bell was confident enough of Sengu's abilities to have him accompany him while roaming the streets of Tugla. The Japanese tried as hard as he could to locate Rhodan somewhere in any of the innumerable buildings of the town.
In the meantime, however, Rhodan was taken by car from the place where he had been imprisoned to the palace of the Lord. In a cellar dungeon he found his abode for the time being. Rhodan was firmly convinced that Alban would soon let his mask fall. He did not fear for his life as yet.
Daros, too, landed in prison, in the same place as Rhodan - in fact, just a few yards away from him. Neither of the two knew of the other's presence, however, Alban's brother had a clear idea who kept him imprisoned but he did not comprehend how involved a plot was behind all this. For Daros, complicated moves, as in a game of chess, meant cumbersome detours without rhyme or reason. If he had been in Alban's place, he would have acted swiftly and straightforwardly.
Only the fifth event had not been planned for.
It was easy for Emby to leave the ship unnoticed. Everybody knew who he was and therefore did not challenge him. On the gangway, one of the space-fighter pilots bent down to him and scratched him behind the ear.
"Well, fellow, going for a walk?"
The mouse-beaver nodded his head seriously. "I'm not permitted to play inside the ship," he said in a squeaky voice. Then he chirped, filled with joyous anticipation. "But now my time for playing has finally come - but only outside the ship. There are lots of things for me to play with, I was told."
"As long as you leave our ship in peace, nobody will mind," warned the pilot with a raised forefinger. "And watch out for the Tuglanians, Emby. Not all are friends."
"Don't worry," twittered Emby, merrily rolling his big round eyes, "I'm not afraid of them."
"Stay close to the ship," was the pilot's final advice, while his eyes followed the droll creature who, now fully erect, waddled down the moving escalator. Unfortunately, the pilot had missed Bell's inquiry over the ship's intercom; therefore it did not occur to him to report this encounter with Emby to anyone.
The mouse-beaver, on the other hand, had not the slightest intention of remaining close to the ship. He walked leisurely toward the buildings at the edge of the spaceport, then teleported over a barrier and found himself on the road leading to town. For a while he stood there, admiring everything, and observed with great interest all the many little cars driving back and forth, depositing and picking up passengers. These little vehicles would make splendid toys! But it would probably be better to play with those that were unoccupied. Those two-legged creatures were peculiar in many ways and showed little understanding for real fun.
In the nearby parking lot, Emby finally found what he had been desperately searching for. The employees of the spaceport had parked their cars there. There they stood, in long rows, idle and apparently not in use.
At least that was the way it seemed to Emby. He was determined to take care of that situation.
And while he waddled merrily down the street leading to the faraway city, live of the parked cars moved out of the long rows and, without the usual hum of motors, slid smoothly onto the road, formed a column and rolled leisurely along at walking speed, keeping just ahead of Emby.
This unusual parade did not remain unnoticed for long. Cars approaching from the opposite direction moved out of the way hastily to avoid a collision. The occupants of those cars were driving at high speed so that they had no time to notice any irregularity. But it was a different story for those cars that overtook the strange column.
They had ample time to observe the obstacle in their way and they noticed at once that the live gyrocars traveled along without any drivers. They seemed to be guided by spirit hands, kept in perfect formation as they leisurely proceeded toward town. That was, to say the least, most unusual.
Emby, himself was an unusual sight, but people paid little attention to him. Although there was hardly any more interstellar trade these days, people still remembered the long bygone times when frequently the most peculiar creatures had landed on Tuglan. The great empire was composed of many different races. Today, as everybody knew, a big battleship of the Arkonide Empire had arrived at the spaceport. Besides the Arkonides, there were probably some representatives of their colonial empire aboard. This odd little fellow must be one of them, but it would not have occurred to any Tuglanian to connect the driverless column of cars with the little mouse-beaver.
Emby, meanwhile, enjoyed himself tremendou
sly.
But not for very long. The evenly rolling vehicles soon became a bit boring.
Emby displayed his single incisor with a friendly, mischievous grin, and gave his brain a command. The same instant, the police cars, which meanwhile had been alerted, experienced quite a surprise.
They had received orders to stop this ghostly procession. But instead of stopping, the five gyrocars rose effortlessly into the air and soon reached a height of fifty yards. There they executed some fancy manoeuvres, all the time remaining in perfect alignment, and even looped some risky loops.
As long as they had lived, the poor bewildered policemen had never seen flying motorcars. Tuglan's technology was quite advanced, admittedly; they had spaceships flying at tremendous speeds, rocket ships, but no flying gyrocars.
Traffic on the wide street threatened to turn into chaos. Vehicles stopped and a traFfic jam developed. The drivers got out of their gyrocars in order to watch the miracle of the machines floating up in the air. Only Emby kept marching on. People still did not pay attention to him but he had hopes that maybe the townspeople might be a bit smarter and admire his tricks.
Soon he got tired of playing with the live cars and withdrew his thoughts from them, all the while toddling along toward town.
Promptly, the five cars fell to the ground. But, luckily, Emby had made them perform their tricks a little to the side of the road, so that they crashed into a field where they were totally demolished. Policemen and civilians ran to the scene of the crashed vehicles to make sure that no Tuglanian was buried under the debris. They still had no idea how these driverless cars could have risen into the air.
Emby wandered calmly on. It took him half an hour to reach the outskirts of the city but he caused such havoc in this brief span of time that news of these inexplicable accidents reached as far as the palace where Alban was just getting ready to receive Khrest and Marshall.