by Perry Rhodan
What made it worse were the microcoms. These sets were of the latest miniaturized design and were capable of bridging up to a couple light-years for direct audio-communications in spite of their compact size. But even when not in use they scattered some radiation due to the fact that the little energy cells were constantly collecting and storing energy.
Pucky was convinced that he wouldn't remain undisturbed for long at his retreat. But before the Springers would be in a position to close in on him he wanted to take care of a matter which was very important to him.
• • •
The flight proceeded without a hitch after the minor difficulties in the first few minutes due to their unfamiliarity with the operation of the strange craft. The two patrol ships neared the shore of the Northern Continent at maximum speed. The land appeared to be very sparsely settled in this zone. Kitai finally discovered a little town which was situated near the shore and had a harbor about half as big as Saluntad. A few sailing ships were lying at anchor, proving that the simple natives maintained relations with their feared masters in the Land of the Gods as they called the Northern Continent.
Marshall lowered his machine after he crossed the shoreline and ordered Tako Kakuta to follow him. The two craft hugged the ground, presenting only a tiny target for the rangefinder stations of the Springers. Marshall flew by the seat of his pants. He had only the vaguest leads to the location of the place where the Springers had held their conference. The terrain below was completely foreign to him. The only detail he could remember was the fact that the huge spaceport where the vessels of the patriarchs were stationed was situated no more than 50 or 60 miles inland.
Forty miles north of the coast Marshall set his ship down. It would have meant stretching their luck to fly further. They got out of the aircraft and abandoned them. The terrain was sloped. Marshall began to recall that a low chain of mountains had been visible south of the spaceport. Perhaps it. was the same mountain they started to climb and they would be able to see the spaceport once they had reached the ridge.
At dusk they decided to make camp. Tama Yokida had scouted a little valley with convenient exits and found what was important, water. They slaked their thirst but were unable to still their hunger and deplored their lack of foresight in taking along some victuals. Nevertheless they slept soundly and woke up late in the morning. They got up refreshed and eager to go on though hungry.
Marshall promised to shoot an edible animal with his impulse-beamer as soon as it was spotted and to roast it over a fire. "Besides," he assured his companions, "it can't be very far to the spaceport from here. As soon as we can see it Tako can zero in on their provisions. I believe the Springers like to eat well."
Marshall grinned and wanted to go on talking but he suddenly seemed to hear something. He stood still and the grin left his face. After awhile he relaxed again. "We've made contact with Pucky!" he called out. "He's close by!"
Kitai shouted joyfully but Tako was skeptical. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"Absolutely!" Marshall said emphatically. "He's no more than 30 miles north of... quiet!"
Marshall listened once more. The others could hear him murmur something, giving telepathic answers supported by spoken words for better concentration. "Yes... we did a good job... 80% of all patriarchs killed... we're still considered to be men from theLEV ... Yes, crew members of theLEV XIV ... That was all, we had to scram... no, no other information. As far as we know the Springers didn't change their mind... but we can't be sure. Yes, you can pass the message on. But how? Microcom? OK."
Marshall turned around. "Rhodan is not very far, boys!" he rejoiced. "Eight light-days away! Pucky is in touch with him. He's got some newfangled audio set."
They were overcome by joy and gratitude and forgot their pangs of hunger. Marching as fast as the rough and dense terrain permitted they headed toward the place where Pucky was holed up with his crates.
• • •
By inclination and according to the letter of the law Etztak was an equal among the patriarchs. The events of the last few days, however, during which it was proved over and again that Etztak's seemingly exaggerated caution was justified and those who believed that their safety wasn't seriously threatened turned out to be wrong, had caused the old man to assume a prominent role in the ranks of the patriarchs.
Now they listened to his opinions and began to study the suspicions voiced by him that the perpetrators of the disastrous attack belonged to the same people who had been discovered some time ago by Capt. Orlgans in a branch of the Galaxy. A suspicion which everybody had considered as asinine only a few hours ago.
Etztak was a very old man with rare intelligence. "The prisoners escaped again," he roared, making the two patriarchs Vallingar and Wovton standing next to him in the control room of his ship cringe as if they were personally responsible for this blunder.
"One of our most valuable agents was demolished and is useless. Our man was kidnapped, one craft destroyed and two others captured. Three men were killed and three more taken prisoner. And now at least one of the cunning intruders has landed right on our base in theFRER LXXII and we didn't find him."
"We didn't find him yet," Vallingar corrected him cautiously. "The search isn't ended yet."
Etztak made a disdainful gesture. "If he could vanish before our eyes from the face of the spaceport, how do you expect to seize him in the mountains where he can hide so easily?"
As if the technician in the communication center had waited for this cue, the telecom began to hum just as Etztak finished his last word.
Etztak flipped the switch. "What's the matter?" he asked angrily.
"The search patrol has found something, Lord!" the man replied hastily and fearfully.
"What did they find?" Etztak shouted impatiently.
"A scatter of radiation in a five-dimensional region, but very weak. They don't know what the source of this radiation could be but they believe they have grounds for suspicion."
"Is that so?" Etztak sneered. "Tell those blockheads to land and investigate or they'll have to answer to me!"
The intimidated technician reassured Etztak that he would relay his orders at once. Jubilantly Etztak, who had been only a few seconds ago of the opinion that the search would end in abject failure, turned to the two patriarchs. "All isn't lost yet! In a few minutes we'll have collared him or them."
• • •
Pucky was surprised by the unexpectedly quick success of the patrol ships. He had transmitted Marshall's information to Rhodan in a condensed scrambled message over the microcom and the call had been acknowledged. As he carefully put down the set on the ground to pack it away again, he saw the shadow of the first aircraft glide over him. He fled a few feet to seek cover and looked around.
The ship was not the only one approaching his hideout. They came from all sides; 15, 20, 25. Pucky was in a trap. But his own safety was not endangered: he was able to save his hide by a teleportation jump even when his adversary stretched out his hand to snatch him. But his real concern was his equipment. It was not only valuable but it would reveal to the Springers who it was that opposed them. And this had to be prevented by all means for the time being.
Pucky darted back from under his cover in the rocky mountain wall to pick up the microcom and its container, He quickly encased the set, returned to the other packages and extricated the automatic disintegrator again from its crate. He started to transport the first bundles to a safer place. He remembered having observed the course of a river flowing through an impressive gap in the cliffs onto the coastal plain at the foot of the other side of the high mesa. The gorge was deep enough for Pucky's purpose. It provided a natural barrier to block the telltale radiation of the microcom from being emitted upwards.
Pucky had only a slight chance to get rid of the entire load before the Springers swooped down on him. Unfortunately he couldn't quite make it. He crouched over the barrel of the heavy disintegrator and killed five of the Springers who had left their ship
s, in the meantime heading straight for his secret shelter with a guiding device in one hand and a weapon in the other.
Then he called Marshall.
• • •
Marshall was scrambling up a smooth precipice when Pucky's call reached him. The intensity of the call jolted Marshall to such a degree that he lost his precarious grip and slid down to the foot of the stone wall where his companions were waiting.
"Silence!"
Pucky's message was short and concise.
"Pucky's in trouble!" Marshall related quickly. "The Springers have cornered him and he doesn't want to abandon his equipment. He asks if Tako can find his way to join him."
Tako was ready at once. "Distance, reference points?"
"Distance approximately 25 miles, direction east-north-east. Identification mark: squadrons of aircraft in the air and on the ground."
"OK," Tako said and disappeared.
• • •
Tako landed six feet behind Pucky's back. Pucky operated the heavy disintegrator with some difficulty. At the moment Tako showed up, a greenish glowing shot whistled from the barrel and a few Springers trying to advance toward their positions met their death.
"Careful, Pucky!" Tako called out. "I'm here."
Pucky slowly turned around and showed his incisor. "I know," he lisped. "I didn't have time to say hello to you."
He pointed his paw to one of the grey bundles lying next to him. "Open it up and take out the impulse-beamer! These fellers aren't going to let us live in peace for some time!"
Tako complied in a hurry. Only after he held the weapon in his hands did he take time to survey the situation.
Pucky lay at the southwestern flank of a towering monolith shielded by a fow of lower rocks. The patrol ship pilots seemed to know exactly where their opponent was. As they circled the big rock they ventured much closer east and north of the steep walls than elsewhere. So far they had not had an opportunity to take a good shot at Pucky because Pucky's heavy automatic weapon reached at least as far as the cannons mounted aboard their little ships.
Covered by the lower cliffs Tako crawled with his impulse-beamer to the northern flank of the monolith. From a safe distance he aimed the barrel of his weapon upwards and turned five Springer ships into steaming plastic metal before the Springers caught on that this side of the crag had become perilous too and that it was time to retreat to a respectful distance. Tako crawled back. The pile of goods beside Pucky had meanwhile been reduced. Pucky used every free second to launch another piece. Now he had only four packages left behind to be deposited under the surface of the river in the mountains.
"Sooner or later they'll realize that they're not getting anywhere," Tako commented as he watched the aircraft flying wide circles around the rocky peak, "then they'll bring in their heavy artillery to blast us out."
Pucky agreed eagerly. "I know. But I think we'll be done here before it comes to that."
One more of the four packages went phhht, followed 20 seconds later by another. Then the Springers attacked once more. They had changed their tactic. From two sides—south and west—they stormed in on foot. Simultaneously half a dozen planes abruptly rounded both sides of the towering pinnacle, keeping close to the ground.
Had Pucky been alone this method of assault might have put him in serious jeopardy. As it was, Tako, took on the right half of the enemies and peppered their vessels with such an awesome fusillade that they turned tail in horror before they could do more than get off a few wild shots. Pucky worked over the other side with equal success. The Springers fled head over heels and it looked like Pucky would have a pause for a few minutes to finish his job.
He dispatched one of the last two pieces of their new destination and sent the two empty containers of the automatic disintegrator and Tako's impulse-beamer after them. Then he pointed to the last case and instructed Tako: "Take it to Marshall and come back. I hope I can hold out in the meantime."
Tako didn't know what the contents of the case were. It seemed to have special importance for Pucky. He took the case in his arms, memorized with closed eyes where he had left Marshall and his friends and took off.
Marshall didn't get a chance to ask questions. As suddenly as Tako had reappeared he vanished again and Marshall was left with an open mouth.
No change had occurred in Pucky's position. "They're still scared out of their wits," he lisped contemptuously.
Tako noticed in the background of the plateau a few Springer ships taking off at a steep rate of climb in a westerly direction where the big spaceport was situated. He was willing to bet that the planes were on the way to request effective reinforcements.
"Of course you're perfectly right." Pucky's answer served to remind Tako that Pucky had not only mastered telekinetics and teleportation but was also a terrific telepath. "They went to get support but we'll be out of here by the time they get back and there will be nothing to fight against with their help."
Tako gave Pucky a precise description of the spot where Marshall was waiting. He jumped first and was amazed to see that his description had been so accurate that Pucky showed up a few seconds later only 30 feet away.
Marshall, Kitai and Tama welcomed him exuberantly and Pucky replied in his accustomed pert manner: "I wouldn't have come on my own volition but Rhodan told me to see whether those four hairy apes still happen to be alive by some accident and so I had to come!"
Finally they stopped bantering and took stock of their situation, which was far less rosy than they could have wished. The Springers had been alerted to their presence and to the specific incidents that occurred in their close proximity. It was a far cry from the vague manner in which they had reacted before. They expected the Springers to comb the entire Northern Continent with patrol ships and to draw the mesh of the net so tight that there would be no reasonable hope of escape.
"We'll have to think up something clever," Marshall said in dismay, "and I mean soon."
• • •
Vallingar noted that Etztak was liable to apoplexy if he didn't soon calm down. He had never seen a man who could work himself into such a wrath as Etztak. With cracking voice Etztak screamed incoherently, at once cursing the pilots of the patrol ships and the organizers of the search effort and finally the whole decadent race of the Springers.
Yet Vallingar really had to admit that Etztak had suffered enough provocation to raise his hackles.
Thirteen ships and 38 men were lost! And this in a fight with a foe who had not even shown his face. They didn't know who he was or how strong. The plane crews had reported at first that the defensive fire came from a single spot. But shortly thereafter they had lost five ships and their crews in a barrage from a different origin which made them change their opinion.
They had called for assistance with heavy weapons but before it arrived on the spot the men who had remained behind succeeded in storming the lair of the opponent without resistance. This would have been a wonderful feat if they could have nabbed their adversary. However the man or men who had put up such a formidable defense seemed to have vanished in thin air. The lair was empty.
That's why Etztak raged in awesome fury.
At the last minute—when he was still able to think clearly—Etztak had ordered all available ships to undertake a thorough and far-ranging search mission covering the entire continent and a vast area of the coastal waters. Then he went on his terrible rampage and kept ranting on and on without the least sign of a let-up.
Vallingar, who had been highly excited by Etztak's frenzy in the beginning, had now composed himself and watched Etztak's raving with curiosity, sitting in a comfortable chair.
The telecom buzzed and since Etztak in his wrath didn't pay the slightest attention to it, Vallingar effected the connection. The operator at the other end was visibly relieved not to see Etztak's red-mad face on the screen. "Two more ships reported destroyed, Lord!" he said with a sigh.
"Where?" Vallingar asked as calmly as he could.
The man
stated the exact position of the shot down crafts. Vallingar verified it on the relief map covering a wall of the room. Then he tried to snap Etztak out of his fit. He finally succeeded when he grabbed the robust old man by the collar of his cloak, turned him around and made him look at his face.
"They shot down two more ships," Vallingar said quietly.
Once Etztak's fury abated, he didn't lose his temper so quickly again.
"But now we know the direction in which our enemies have left," Vallingar added.
"Where... how?"
Vallingar dragged Etztak to the map and pointed to a big bright green spot. "Here our ships had the fruitless encounter with the strangers. And here," his hand shifted left toward a point midway between the green spot and the white rectangle of the spaceport, "the two aircraft were downed. Do you see?"
"Yes!" Etztak growled. "They're heading for the spaceport."
• • •
This was the 'clever' ruse Marshall and Pucky had devised. They needed a safe refuge as long as they received no further instructions from Rhodan and were the object of the Springers' methodical search.
Retreating to some place in a deserted region was considered to serve no purpose for them since the Springers were most certain to look for them in those areas right from the start and their chance of remaining undetected there was minimal in view of the drastic measures their pursuers were bound to take. They had better choose a place where the Springers were less likely to concentrate their efforts in the mistaken belief that it would be much easier to find them, namely a place among people.
The Springers figured that the fugitives would be clearly recognizable as members of the LEV XIV crew, for instance by the primitive sailors of the sailboats lying at anchor near the coast. If the idea occurred at all to the Springers that the fugitives concealed themselves aboard a sailing vessel they would simply make some inquiries by asking the captains of the ships a few pertinent questions. No captain would dare refuse to give a truthful answer to their 'Gods'.