Decision at Doona

by Anne McCaffrey

  The water was icy, its source the distant snow-clad mountains, and while it numbed saddle galls opened in his rough escape, it also began to numb arms and legs. Fearful now that he might become a real casualty, Ken struck out for the far shore.

  When he had finally dragged himself up into underbrush, he was bruised, freezing and exhausted. Shivering, he worked his way back into the thick woods, wondering how he was going to survive the chill of a spring night on Rrala.

  By the time he reached the wooded ridge that ran parallel to the river, it was growing dark. He shivered almost continually now, worried, hungry and angry! There were lights on in the mess hall but in none of the cabins set back in the woods. Landreau was presumably keeping all the colonists together. Ken thought he made out the angular silhouette of the copter in its parking space but he couldn't be sure, the usual Common fire had not been lit. But there was no mistaking the ominous bulk of the Spacedep launch.

  He had to do something – besides wait and pray for the Hrrubans to return. He had to find some shelter for the night or risk illness. Where would he be least expected to go?

  The answer was so ridiculous that Ken chuckled between spasms of shivers as he made his way farther up the river.

  Chapter XXIII. INTERVENTION

  THE DUTY OFFICER, Hrran, who was monitoring the closed-circuit screens on Rrala happened to be acquainted with Hrrula. He was not a Barred Stripe himself, but he had great respect for that clan. Furthermore, the poignancy of the Terran's faltering plea made an impression on him. The moment he was relieved of his watch, he disobeyed stern directives and trotted over to Hrrula's quarters.

  When Hrran had finished recounting the events he had witnessed but not completely understood, due to lack of language, Hrrula began to pace the floor, his tail twitching in wide, snapping arcs.

  “Yes, it was only a matter of time before the reptiles finished laying their eggs on the plains and sought the river route to their swamps. However, the Terans have the means to blow up the Pass and protect themselves.” His tail gave a long lash.

  “You know how some parties will construe that development,” Hrran remarked discreetly.

  Hrrula's tail gave a vicious swipe through the air.

  “Hrran, why did you breach security? You are Thirds appointee!”

  Hrran nodded slowly. "I am – I was, I should say – because I find there is much to be said for the honorable conduct of these creatures. Oh, I do not understand the half of what is said but when this Rrev spoke of leaving Rrala without his cub – " Hrran shrugged his shoulders expressively. "I have cubs of my own. And I have met the young Zodd with his rope tail!"

  Hrrula purred deep in his throat and his eyes moved restlessly, his nose and ears twitched, signs of deep perturbation for the usually composed Hrruban.

  “How soon before these latest tapes are reviewed and translated?”

  "They'll be in processing now, but as to when the Speakers will schedule viewing in their so busy days – " Hrran shrugged again, his expression ironic. "Third has many ways of deferring issues."

  «He fouls his own lair with obstructive indecision's – oh, my pardon, Hrran. I have no right to insult your patron.»

  Hrran stood, his jaw dropping in a reassuring smile, His tail tip idly curled this way and that.

  “There comes a time when the larger loyalty must be considered. I believe I see a way in which this matter may be put before Third immediately. I'll do my best.” He rose.

  “Hrran?” Hrrula stopped the officer on the point of leaving. “Who is duty officer now? Will he have wit enough to report an evacuation? We cannot let Rrev and the others suffer from the timid vacillations of lair loafers and we cannot in conscience separate Zodd permanently from his own kind.”

  “The duty officer is Hrrirl of the small mind but the technician is one Mrrim who, I hear, actually knows some Terran from close study of the screens.”

  When Hrran had left, Hrrula immediately changed into formal attire. He was determined to bring this news to the ears of the First Speaker. For such a crucial message, Hrrula would not trust public sources of communication. As he trotted quickly through the traffic on the Concourse, he wondered if he should stop for Hrrestan. No, he couldn't face Zodd at the moment and the sooner he got to the First Speaker the sooner action could be taken.

  Yet what action could be taken until Council had deliberated? There had been uproar enough when Hrrestan had returned with Zodd, although Fourth had mitigated that by monopolizing the cub with his tests and intensive language training. And Zodd himself was his own enchanting advocate right down to the tip of his frayed rope tail. He also insisted on wearing the mda jacket and loincloth – though mda fur was shades darker than even the oldest Hrruban's. The cub's grasp of Hrruban was nothing short of miraculous, and his willingness to purr and growl with Hrruban intensity and accuracy won him many adherents.

  However, they were bound by the Laws and the Laws said that all Speakers must be unanimously agreed on major policy changes. And this Terran incident definitely was a major change – no, upheaval. And that was the problem.

  Hrrula, in the heat of his thoughts, was inexcusably rude in passing a lagging group of dark stripes and, but for his excessive speed, might have been severely detained. However, he reached the Great Compound safely and, once inside the Executive Shaft, used his security card to get him transmitted to First's suite.

  Fortunately for him, not only was First in residence, but a personal friend was duty officer and Hrrula was ushered in at once. He began the proper ritual of entreaty, only to be cut off by a peremptory wave of First's hand.

  “You would not importune me with nonsense. Come to the point, young Hrrula.”

  Quickly recovering from the surprise of such a compliment, Hrrula outlined the new developments, adding Rrev's pleas at the village site and in the hall. For a long moment First sat deep in thought, even his tail still. Finally he signed.

  «I was afraid of just such an occurrence,» he murmured with a sad smile and sadder eyes. «These Terans are so much like ourselves. So much, even to the fear of change and the prevalence of petty ego-centricities. And yet – in honor what can I do?» The last was a bare whisper, heard only because Hrrula was breathless, every sense alert.

  Suddenly First propelled himself from his couch and paced to the window wall, flipping off the opacity and gazing sadly down at the gleaming miles of structures that marched up to the horizon itself.

  «If they leave Rrala, we are not positioned to follow. Even if they leave Rrala, we shall not be able to continue the reeducation program there; not with Third and Sixth in their present fog. We are no longer programmed to act quickly,» First growled. «Nowadays even dire emergencies take time! However,» and he spun back to his control panel, tapping out sequences with a deliberate claw ticking against the metal keys, «we can at least set all in motion – slow motion, that is,» and Hrrula was unsure of whether he should have laughed in response to that or not, although First did not seem to take offense.

  Then he realized that First was staring at him intently.

  “There must not, young Hrrula, be any incidents of violence among the Terans; that would certainly prejudice the uncertain. Yet, as you describe the events, Rrev has already evaded custody.”

  “Only to be sure that no one will be taken from the, planet until Zodd returns,” Hrrula added hastily.

  “No matter. There can be no violence.”

  “And what of Zodd?” Hrrula pressed anxiously. “What will become of the cub if his people do leave without him?”

  First's grizzled head came up sharply and the old Speaker looked intently into Hrrula's eyes.

  “You are right, my clever stripe. It is a question of honor! A delicate question of honor. And on that rests our case, I believe.”

  First ushered Hrrula with hasty ceremony to the door, offering his open hand to the scout, an unexpected civility from such an august personage.

  “There must be no violence on Rra
la among our new friends, Hrrula,” First said, his voice charged with excitement. “Do nothing rash but proceed.”

  Hrrula found himself outside the suite, the Speaker's peculiar farewell ringing in his ears. “Do nothing rash but proceed?” Hrrula murmured. “Proceed-where?”

  “This film is proof,” Hrrula heard Third's truculent voice down the corridor, “that all their fine talk is windblown. They do not respect each other. They will not respect us. They are landing ships in force on Rrala.”

  Hrrula jumped for the transmitter pad, slapping at a random station to avoid being seen by Third. When he emerged at the Transmitter Base, deep below the sea, he was startled by that coincidence to his subconscious desire. Even as he cleared the pad and approached the floor officer, he knew where he was going. 'They are landing ships' – Third had used the plural. He had to know if that second ship was Alreldep or Codep, and since Mrrim was on duty, fortune was favoring him. Mrrim would know what to do.

  Chapter XXIV. PROOF POSITIVE

  THERE HAD BEEN a guard stationed just off the path to the Reeves' cabin but Ken had had no trouble working his way around back. And no trouble removing the window frame from Todd's room. Fortunately, Pat had left the clean clothes in the washbasket in the hallway, so Ken had not had to risk entering his own bedroom in the front of the cabin.

  He was also able to sneak around the kitchen and get himself some ration packs. Thus, warmly dressed, with a blanket thrown over his shoulder and food in his pockets, he retreated the way he had come.

  If they searched the cabin again, they'd find his soaked clothes in a heap on Todd's floor. That would jar them.

  He worked his way cautiously through the woods; he wanted no encounter with roamal vines or ssersa bushes. There was a rough lean-to back in the woods where they'd been logging and that would give him a night's shelter. He was exhausted when he finally made his destination and was asleep as soon as he stretched out, rolled up in his blanket.

  The unmistakable thunder of rockets jerked him out of a deep sleep. He untangled himself quickly from the blanket, ripping it in an effort to get to his feet. The deep woods prevented a clear view of the sky and he charged recklessly toward the colony, desperately afraid he would see the exhaust flares of the Spacedep ship.

  He had almost argued himself into the specious logic that at least he would be here when Todd got back, when he reached a clearing and saw that a ship was descending to the landing field.

  He caught only a glimpse before the tree tops obscured it but he halted, sagging wearily against the nearest trunk until his heart stopped forcing adrenaline through his trembling body.

  As far as he was concerned, it didn't matter if the ship was from Codep or Alreldep. Either would disrupt Landreau's nasty little plans for the colonists.

  He opened a package of rations and broke the heat seal, gulping down the metallic-tasting coffee, munching the nutritional wafers, oblivious to their cardboard taste. Once again in command of his energies and emotions, Ken carefully worked his way thru the woods to the colony. He had to get within sight of the field and the Common and figure out what was happening.

  Ken finally positioned himself behind a thicket on the edge of the Common, in full sight of the mess hall and the landing field. The Codep blazon was plainly visible on the second ship, a comfortingly smaller craft than the Spacedep one; it was not an obvious transport vessel.

  He could smell breakfast being prepared, but the presence of guards, wearing both Spacedep blue and Codep green, was not the least bit reassuring. He could only wait, hunched up under the thickly crossed branches, passive when his nerves strained for action.

  Suddenly the main door flung open and guards marched smartly down the steps, followed by Hu Shih, Phyllis and his two children. Hu Shih's profile was set his chin high, his shoulders back, but the children were weeping. All Ken's half-allayed fears returned forcefully and, regardless of exposure, he jumped up. Lee Lawrence, one arm around Sally, came next, turning his head to look searchingly around the Common.

  Ken could see the sociologist start with surprise as he caught sight of Reeve. Lawrence gestured to him to take cover, then immediately jerked his head around. but one of the guards had noticed his action and whirled toward Ken's position.

  “'There he is,” he gave the alarm.

  Ken took to his heels, knowing what he had to do now. Once they had seen him, they would delay until they caught him. So he made a plain dash up the river bank, crouching when he broke into the open because someone was already firing lasers above his head.

  He took Todd's route to the village, along the river bank, leaping underbrush and fallen logs, and digging his heels into the mulch when he hit the deeper forest. He had reached the clearing where Hrrula had killed the mda when he heard an ear-piercing whine and saw the misty cloud appear in the center of the village site.

  The mist dissipated and Hrulla appeared, clad in an ankle-length pale red robe, with jewel-studded harness at waist and across his chest, and highly polished black boots.

  “I've only a moment, Rrev. Delay, but with no violence. Delay as long as you can.”

  “Delay?” panted Reeve, trying to regain his breath. “How? Why?”

  “Our ruling Council must be unanimous and there are two rabid xenophobes in high position with much influence. Our First Speaker has some plan to force their cooperation but it will take time.”

  “Time, Hrrula, is the one thing I haven't got. Listen!” Ken pointed back the way he had come; the shots and shouts of his pursuers were clearly audible. “Stay, Hrrula. Prove to Spacedep and Codep that there are Hrrubans and we'll have all the time we need.”

  A mist was already surrounding Hrrula. Startled, the catman glanced wildly around as if this phenomenon were premature.

  "Something's gone wrong. I'm being drawn back. Under the mess hall tables, Rrev, and up over Hu's – " the last word was a bare whisper from the depths of the mist.

  Christ, what's under the tables? Up over whose? Ken wondered frantically as he took off, up the clearing, kicking up mulch to show his passing. The first dip he crossed he scuffed up badly, then he cut suddenly to his left executing a wild jump over a thicket. He ran more carefully now, on his toes, although his leg muscles ached with the unaccustomed strain.

  As he doubled back, he couldn't resist chuckling as his pursuers went tearing on past the dip.

  With luck he could make it back to the Common before they realized they were following a dead trail.

  'No violence,' huh? That was asking a lot of him – with no hope held out at all. God, but Hrrula looked magnificent in that outfit.

  He crossed the river again, falling and splashing in but getting across and into the woods above the Common without being seen. He returned to his previous thicket and settled down with the problem of how to get into the mess hall and look under the table and above whose what?

  He saw the searchers straggling back, infuriated by their failure. He watched the consultation on the porch between Landreau and Chaminade and wished lip reading had been one of his skills. He was certain they were discussing him. It was then that the animals began to shriek and bellow, raising such an uproar that it disturbed the conference. Reeve watched Landreau beckon a guard and send him off to locate the cause of the commotion.

  Grimly Reeve spotted the source – the roiling clouds of dust from the direction of the pass to the plains. Not urfa this time – reptiles; and undoubtedly in the force that had panicked Eckerd yesterday. Was it only yesterday that the colonists had tried to blast closed the pass?

  The guard came back and his report caused Landreau to shrug with indifference. Ken saw the guard hesitate, glance to his left and address Landreau again. The spaceman's answer was sufficiently curt to bring the guard snapping to attention, make a crisp about-face and resume his position at the perimeter of the Common.

  Regretting the lack of binoculars, Ken kept close watch on the growing cloud, aware of the increasing, odor on the light morning breeze
. The thin whine of a com-unit alert penetrated the placid scene.

  Landreau lifted his wrist up, his whole attitude one of sudden alert. Lowering his arm, he addressed a few crisp remarks to Chaminade, whose disagreement was cut short by Landreau's peremptory gesture.

  Instantly the guards quick-marched to the mess hall and began herding out the colonists. At the same time, Ken saw the ship's launch rise from the landing field and head toward the ominous cloud in the valley.

  Going on a reccy, Ken decided, and then wondered why in hell the colonists were being marched away from the Common, away from the landing field. That didn't make much sense. Even from this distance he could hear the frantic thud of hooves against wooden stalls, as the now hysterical animals tried to free themselves from their tethers.

  Cautiously Ken rose to a crouch, crept sideways for an unobstructed view of the barn. Alarm began to grow in him as he watched the colonists herded into the corral, A flash in the distance caught his eye. The flash was repeated, stabbing through the dust cloud.

  The launch was shooting laser bolts at the snakes. First sensible thing Landreau had done since he got here! Ken tried to relax but his apprehension did not dissipate. The guards now had their lasers aimed at the colonists and were moving back from the corral. Ken saw Lawrence waving his fist, make a move toward the high corral fence, saw the laser bolt dig a clod of earth right at the man's feet, saw Lawrence pull back with an angry yell, the words indistinguishable above the commotion of the horses.

  Two things Ken realized simultaneously: the lasers were not killing the snakes, they were herding them toward the barn. The second was that no one was guarding the mess hall. Ken dashed toward the hall, running low and fast, leaping the railing with an agility born of desperation. As his feet hit the porch, he saw that the hall was not entirely empty. But he barged right in, clobbering one startled Codep man across the head and felling the other with a crack to the jaw.