Despot in Space

by Donald S. Rowland

  Suddenly the woman tensed and canted her head, listening intently. Condor felt a shivering of premonition, and looked around, squinting his eyes to scan the sky, but he saw nothing, and his ears could pick up no suspicious sound. The woman began to look apprehensive, and she grasped his arm and dragged him back under the boulder. Condor knew better than to hesitate or argue, and a few moments later a black shadow sped silently across them. He peered out up at the sky, and saw one of the Cranum aircraft sweeping overhead, its catwalk crammed with Cranums, all armed with rod-like weapons. Condor remembered how those weapons had turned two Nethers into brown smears on the ground, and he stilled his breathing for a moment as he considered their chances. The woman was motionless, her face pale beneath its tan. She didn’t appear to be afraid, and Condor was glad that she wasn’t the type to panic.

  The craft moved silently on, and a few moments later another appeared, making in a slightly different direction. Condor had expected pursuit, but this organized hunt was worse than he feared, and he imagined that patrols on foot would shortly be coming along. They would pose a more immediate threat, and he began to feel a tingling along his spine as he prepared to move out. He looked at the woman, and saw that her dark eyes were regarding him hopefully. He knew that he could not abandon her. She had stuck with him in preference to making a run for it with the male Nethers who had escaped with them.

  Knowing that they would be inviting recapture by staying where they were, Condor decided to forget his own general problems temporarily while he overcame the immediate dangers attendant upon them. He motioned for the woman to follow him, and emerged from his cover to start moving in the direction she had pointed out. He saw approval show in her face, and she took his hand once more and started running, dragging Condor along with her. He kept a sharp eye on the surrounding sky as they moved, and although he spotted two more craft in the next hour, they were not immediately overhead, and each time they hid for a few minutes, waiting for the danger to pass.

  Condor began to feel hungry, but he was more concerned about their safety. He failed to spot any ground pursuit, and was greatly relieved by the fact. He had no idea of the type or range of weapons possessed by the Cranums, and he didn’t fancy becoming involved in a war against these aliens. All he wanted to do was get back to his own planet and people, and he realized that the sooner he accomplished this the better it would be.

  A thudding of engines suddenly startled him, and he threw a quick glance at the woman, who was greatly afraid and looking around for somewhere to hide. There was plenty of cover around, and Condor started towards the nearest large boulder. Sweat ran down his face as they crawled into the shade and lay still, and the sound of the approaching engines began to grow louder. He knew that the Cranum craft were silent, and as he likened to the noise he could not help wondering what new problem was descending upon them.

  Presently a black shadow passed overhead, and Condor craned forward to peer from his cover. His teeth clicked together in surprise at what he saw. A strange airship which looked completely grotesque and unaerodynamic was moving steadily overhead at a height of fifty feet. There were several decks, and a central rotunda, with balconies and catwalks and portholes, gun ports and cupolas. A long, ornate prow stuck out like a proboscis, and there was a tall, vertical fin at the rear. Although he could hear the engines, Condor could see no sign of the means of propulsion. The catwalks were crowded with Humics, and they were staring down at the ground as they passed over.

  The woman was making soft sounds in her throat, and when Condor looked at her he saw she was more scared of this ship than of the Cranum craft that had passed overhead. She grasped his shoulder and pulled him back into the scant shelter they had, and Condor lay against her, almost helpless in her powerful grasp. He kept his blue eyes fixed in a stare at the Humic craft, and saw it lose forward motion and hover, sinking down slowly towards the ground until it reached a height of thirty feet.

  Then the air was filled with violet and orange whorls of brilliant energy as the Humic weapons were discharged indiscriminately. Condor closed his eyes, and could feel the disturbance caused by the weapons. His ears popped and there was a frightening crackling sound. He tingled and shook uncontrollably, and felt the woman at his side shivering in the same plight. The air became dusty and thick, and the barrage seemed to go on for ever. He fingered the weapon he had taken from the Cranum, and wondered at its power. If it had been his own hand-stunner then he wouldn’t have hesitated to use it in defence, but this unknown weapon might not be powerful enough to destroy the ship, and if he gave the enemy some indication of their position they would soon be exterminated.

  But the barrage ceased suddenly, and when he opened his eyes, Condor saw the strange craft rising to its former height. The air was shimmering with released energy, and dust hung thickly above the ground. They were lying just outside the area that had been subjected to the rays, and Condor realized that it was just as well they had been when he saw the broken and melted rocks. It was obvious that the Humics were not planning to take prisoners now, and that informed Condor of exactly where he stood.

  The airship moved noisily away, and Condor did not move until it was lost to sight. The woman eventually nudged him, and signified that they ought to be leaving. He eased out of their concealment and peered around, spotting a couple of the Cranum airships in the distance. But they were too far away to pose a serious threat, and Condor waited for the woman to join him. Then they went on.

  An hour later he was physically exhausted, and although the woman was reluctant to pause, he insisted upon resting. She sat with her back to a rock, staring up at the sky, but thirty minutes had elapsed since he’d last spotted air activity, and he was certain that the search had either been switched to another area or called off altogether. The silence was heavy about them, the day very hot, and Condor could feel sweat breaking out on his forehead, drying, and breaking out anew.

  He realized that part of his exhaustion was caused by the lack of food, and his thirst was considerable. He studied the woman’s large face and found no signs of distress in her. But then she was acclimatized!

  She let him rest for some time, but grew increasingly uneasy as time went by, and when he noticed her concern he forced himself to his feet and they went on. The country was wild and barren, rocky and desolate, and he didn’t think there was any other living creatures within miles.

  But as they dropped into a gully Condor was suddenly aware of company, and he took out the energy gun he’d captured from the Cranum. The woman was peering around nervously, and Condor thinned his lips as he supposed that a detachment of Humics or Cranums were around. The next instant a score of Nethers came piling into view to hurl themselves upon him and the woman.

  Condor did not fire because he thought they were among friends, but the woman was screaming raggedly, and fighting desperately as she was overwhelmed. Condor was attacked by half a dozen small giants, and went down helplessly, overwhelmed without trouble. The gun was knocked out of his hand and he was pinned to the hard rocks.

  Order came, and the newcomers, armed with spears and swords, and some with massive clubs, stepped back to inspect their prisoners. Condor was prodded in the chest with a sword and made to get to his feet. He looked around and saw the woman sitting trembling some yards away, surrounded by grinning males.

  Condor was examined minutely, and with obvious interest. The warriors talked among themselves in a fast, guttural language that gave Condor no indication of what was being said or intended. He looked at the woman, and found her watching him closely, her fear having receded.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Condor demanded of her, although he knew she could not understand. ‘Are these people of your race?’

  She shook her head, although not in direct answer to his question or to inform him of anything in particular. But she lifted a hand slowly and made a motion of shooting a weapon. Condor saw the dark glitter of her eyes, and looked around slowly at the taut faces peering down
at him.

  These warriors were exactly like the woman and the Nether males he’d seen. These men were strong and anthropoid, dark-skinned, with brown eyes and black or grey-black hair. Some had bushy moustaches, but for the most part they were clean shaven and smooth. Their clothes were primitive, merely coverings of drab material that left arms and legs bare. Their weapons were not sophisticated, and he would have taken them for the same tribe as the woman’s. But she was afraid of these men, and he began to suspect that the Nethers were tribal, nomadic, not organized.

  The warrior who was evidently the leader of this group came to stare sullenly at Condor, fingering his clothes, taking up the weapon that Condor had dropped, and after a time he stood deliberating, while Condor stared unblinkingly at him, hoping for a show of friendliness. Then the warrior turned to the woman and hurled a string of questions at her. She replied at length, and Condor was startled when the chief ran across to where the woman sat and started kicking her violently.

  Condor glanced down at the energy gun which the chief had dropped temptingly close, but there were too many sharp pointed weapons covering him for his liking. He kept telling himself that what happened here on this planet was none of his business, but he had made a friend of the woman, and there was some kind of a bond between them because of what they’d experienced together. He kept a check on his anger as he watched, and the chief grasped the woman by the hair and dragged her upright, shouting at her without pause.

  The woman replied, and Condor listened intently, hoping to grasp the drift of her words if not gaining her meaning, and she used her hands a great deal with her explanation. He caught some of it, and knew she was telling their captors of the fight and escape from the Cranums and Humics.

  Then the chief strode back to where Condor stood and bent and picked up the gun, which he pushed into Condor’s hand. The woman came forward then, taking hold of Condor’s hand as he toyed with the idea of using the gun on these primitives. She tugged at him and started him along the gully, and the warriors stood staring after them.

  Condor wondered what was going on, and feared pursuit, but when he checked some time later they were not being followed. They stayed in the gully, and the going was much easier now because they followed a long decline that led down into a valley.

  When they reached the valley floor they came upon stunted vegetation, and Condor suddenly spotted rough dwellings set in a deep part of the valley. They were rough, open-sided dwellings of some unknown fabric, and Condor saw women and children there, and the glint of water in the background. The camp appeared to be quite open, with no attempts made to conceal it from the sky. He guessed the Cranums knew of the camp’s existence, and wondered why it hadn’t been obliterated. Was this some kind of a reservation? Were the Nethers forced to live here? Were they unmolested while they stayed in this spot?

  Other men came running to surround them when they were spotted, and again the woman was beaten unmercifully as she told her story. Condor stood gripping the energy gun, knowing he could not use it, for these people were the only friends he had on this alien world. If he was ever going to return to that vital spot on the slope where he had landed then he needed some help, and the Nethers were the only people able to help him.

  Again Condor was examined intently, and then the woman was permitted to lead him on to the camp itself. As they reached the centre of the camp Condor spotted movement on a nearby ridge, and when he looked up he froze, for a couple of Humics were standing in full view. The woman noticed Condor’s concern and followed the direction of his gaze. She smiled when she saw the Humics, and said something that was accompanied with a smile.

  The Humics remained where they were, and Condor began to think that his first surmise had been correct. The Nethers were left alone if they stayed in the camp. He let his pale gaze sweep the surrounding sky, but it was empty of activity, and he allowed the woman to take him to a dwelling and push him on to a woven rush mat.

  For the first time in what seemed many hours Condor could relax. He looked around the camp, interested in the children that came crowding around to stare at him. The woman gave him food; a kind of gruel made from grain, and water that was cold and sweet. Condor stared towards the stream that was nearby, and let his eye follow its course into the hills. He recalled the stream he’d drunk from just after his arrival, and guessed there would not be too many watering places in this hot atmosphere. If he got the chance he would follow the stream into the mountains, and perhaps he would come upon the spot where the wrecked Cranum airship lay. It was a handy landmark for the spot he needed.

  It was good to relax, and although he was filled with an underlying fear that the Cranums or Humics would come for him, he got as much rest as he could. He studied the surrounding landscape, determined to make the trip along the stream as soon as possible. He was concerned that Ethne would think him dead when she failed to return him to Earth via the Celertron, and for a few moments he considered all that had befallen him since returning to the Lab after the abortive meeting of the resistance Group. His eyes grew moody, his thoughts introverted, while he mused.

  He had a duty towards the people of Earth. He had been placed in a position where he could help put the wrongs right, and he had to use his power for the good of the majority. There was a handful of clever, honest men who were ready to risk their lives in taking over world government the minute Abelard Aubin was dead, and Condor could guess how these men must be feeling now he had disappeared and the overall plan seemed to be laid waste. He could not waste time. He had to make every effort to return to his own planet, and as he rested he began to lay his plans.

  Some warriors returned to the camp, and Condor recognized some of them as having been with the group that had sprung upon him and the woman. He stared at the chief, who had kicked the woman so brutally, and saw the man staring at him while talking to some of the elders of the tribe. The chief was waving his arms, and appeared to be in anger over some event that had taken place. He kept pointing to the sky, and it slowly dawned on Condor that the chief was warning the tribal elders of the dangers of keeping the wanted stranger among them.

  Condor wished he could converse with these primitives, but apart from sign language, which would not convey his whole meaning, there was little he could do to communicate with them. He didn’t have the time to learn anything of their language. As soon as it was dark he wanted to be on his way. But the chief came towards him, and Condor tensed. He still had the energy gun which he’d taken from the Cranum, but he knew it would be futile to use the weapon under these circumstances. He saw the woman start to her feet, uttering a low cry of warning and fear as she read the chief’s intentions, and Condor watched the man, who was followed by some of his fellow warriors.

  Getting to his feet, Condor stood under the fabric roof of the dwelling and faced the closing crowd. The children began to chant in some cheerful, expectant manner, and Condor sensed that trouble was about to overwhelm him. He decided to use the energy gun if he was rushed.

  The woman stepped before him, calling angrily in her guttural tongue. The chief placed a hand upon her head, seized hold of her long hair, and whirled her bodily out of the way. He lifted a club menacingly at Condor, who moved forward slowly, interpreting the motion.

  ‘What’s on your mind?’ Condor asked loudly, and the chanting voices fell silent. The woman was sprawling on the ground yards away, huddled in fear, watching with the eyes of a frightened animal.

  The chief backed away, obviously intent upon leading Condor out of the dwelling, and Condor stepped forward as the crowd formed a wide circle in the clearing. Overhead the twin suns were like burnished discs, blazing down ceaselessly. The heat was overpowering. Condor felt as if he’d stepped into the middle of a bad dream. He moved out to the centre of the cleared space, sticking the energy gun into his belt. The chief was grinning fiendishly, brandishing his club, and one of the watching warriors hurled a similar club towards Condor, who sidestepped, then bent to pick it up.
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  He found the club almost too heavy to handle, and dropped it immediately. He didn’t have the stature or the strength to wield it in battle. But he had an advantage over this savage. He had science on his side, superior intelligence. He knew that intellect could always overcome mere muscle, and he realized that he would now have to prove it. He was thankful for the many workouts he’d experienced in the gymnasium, but knew this contest would be far more brutal than anything he’d ever met before. This was going to be a fight to the death, and he was left in no doubt about that. The pity of it was that this was not his world and he didn’t want any part of it. There was more than enough trouble awaiting him in his own sphere of life! But he prepared to make battle. This was the way of the world, any world and now he was here he had to abide by the rules of these barbaric inhabitants.

  The next moment the chief was attacking him with upraised club, and Condor gave ground and steeled himself for what was to follow.

  Chapter Nine

  ‘I have come from the Central Committee,” Nis Erie told Ethne when she joined him in the small cone of silence which she had activated. ‘We have received reports of the mass arrests that have been made, and of the disappearance of Professor Condor. The professor is the one man who is not expendable in our organization. Can you tell me what has happened to him?’

  ‘I can tell you everything, Professor,’ Ethne retorted, ‘but you will not be pleased with the situation.’

  ‘I had a call from Zan Tuce minutes before he was arrested, telling me that the professor had succeeded in making a breakthrough at long last. Is there any truth in that report?’

  ‘The truth lies here,’ Ethne said, turning to indicate the Celertron. ‘I’ve been at my wits end to contact someone in the organization. I need help. I fear that Professor Condor has found trouble and is being prevented somehow from returning.’

  ‘Where has he gone?’ Erie demanded.